“Licia, calm down. We knew this wouldn’t be smooth, but I’ve been preparing them for—”
“Preparing them for what? Me?”
The door burst open, and the big man barged in. She recalled his name, Creed, the oldest one. So Damen was in the middle, and Stefan was the youngest. Behind Creed came two more men, the last two looking like twins with their similar sardonic smirks. The one twin wore glasses, but the other didn’t.
“Is this an ambush?” she said, balling her fists and positioning herself for a strong stance. Inside, she wanted to throw up. This was too much like the club that night with Colby’s men ready to beat her for daring to defy him. No violence he’d said. What a load of crock.
Stefan swung to face his brothers. “Whoa, we don’t all need to be in here at the same time. You’re scaring her.”
“I’m not afraid of them!”
The one twin grinned. “She doesn’t look scared, Stefan. I admit I’m surprised though. I thought it was the other one.”
Talicia glared. “Who are you?”
He shouldered through the group of big men and stuck his hand out grinning. “I’m Duke Marquette. You must be Talicia Marquette, Stefan’s wife.”
She had the feeling he got pleasure from rubbing her existence in to the others and resented him for using her for entertainment. He might smile, but he didn’t care about her any more than Shada did. What did he mean he thought it was the other one, what other one? Another woman?
“My last name is Clay not Marquette,” she said. “I thought there were only three brothers.”
“Clay,” Duke said. “That’s interesting. I’m the cousin.”
“Leave her alone, Duke.” Another man stepped up, the one with the glasses. “I’m Damen.”
“Oh.” She accepted his hand and smiled this time. “Thank you for helping Stefan to find me. I could have handled it eventually, but I’m sure he was worried. So thanks.”
“My pleasure.” Damen smiled, and it looked genuine. He might just be a different kind of charmer or it was an illusion of his glasses. She reserved judgment. He didn’t even try to pretend he wasn’t studying her. “So you’re really my baby bro’s wife? You said your last name is Clay?”
Her gaze slid from him to the biggest man who still hadn’t walked over. He radiated anger, but he never stopped staring at her. She resisted shifting under the accusation plain in his expression and tried to stand taller. That was hard to do when all four of them towered over her and made her feel like a dwarf. No, a troll, an ugly one because these men were the beautiful people. All four of them could have any woman they wanted, multiple women who were willing to share if they could get one night.
Talicia fell to her old standby, the tough shell she had been using all of her life to survive. “Yes, if you’re wondering if the marriage is real or fake, I don’t care. Look me up. Check into my background. I can tell you the gist right now. Poor, black, and from the wrong side of town. High school education.”
“I bet there’s more to you than that,” Creed said, coming forward.
“And I’m sure you already know,” she shot back.
“Of course.” He bared even white teeth, but it wasn’t a smile. “You married my baby brother, who I would kill for to protect him. I’m going to dig up every kernel of information I can about you. So if there’s anything you want to reveal, do it now. Although, the incident that got you hurt is bad enough. If my brother had been there at the time…”
He left the rest unsaid, and Talicia felt the same threat she’d felt from Colby’s men.
“Creed.” Stefan shoved Talicia behind him. “We talked about this. I told you I wouldn’t let her come if you were going to threaten her. I mean it. She’s my wife, and she won’t be disrespected!”
“Baby bro has balls,” Duke teased. “A woman will do that to you.”
“Shut up, Duke,” Damen growled. The way he said it made Talicia wonder if Damen didn’t like Duke. If Damen didn’t like him, the most decent of Stefan’s family so far, her view of the man wasn’t much better. He was an asshole and seemed like the type to start trouble. She’d hired a couple people like him before, but they didn’t last long. Talicia didn’t stand for it, but family was a different matter. Well, he wasn’t her family.
“I’m making my position clear,” Creed said. “We’ve dealt with this kind—”
“This kind!” Talicia moved around Creed. “Who the hell do you think you are calling me a kind? You don’t know me, and don’t think I’m going to cower because you threatened me either. So what you’re big. I’ve taken down men like you and barely broke a sweat.”
“Whoa,” Duke crowed, grinning.
Talicia went on, ignoring Duke. “You don’t scare me, and like I said I don’t give a fuck what you think—any of you. I’m leaving, Stefan. I don’t need Jerome to take me. I can find my own way.”
She started for the door, but Creed grabbed her arm. “Hold it.”
Talicia didn’t think twice. She assumed he was about to attack her, so she let him have it as hard as she could. Jarring pain raced through her fist and up her arm. Nausea rolled through her system, but she kept swallowing to keep her breakfast down.
Creed’s head went back, and then his big body followed. He staggered and smashed into a table holding a printer. The printer hit the floor with a crash, and the stack of papers that had been atop it flew everywhere. No one in the room said a word, but she felt every one of their eyes on her.
Talicia kept her fists up, one foot just ahead of the other. Before the attack, the hit wouldn’t have fazed her, but she swayed a little, and her vision blurred. She wasn’t all the way back one hundred percent. That and the fear of meeting them all threw her off her game.
Creed caught himself and worked his jaw, rubbing it. If he was angry before, he was liable to catch fire now. He looked at her and then to Stefan. “You married her, Stefan?”
Talicia glanced at Stefan, who hadn’t said anything or moved since she attacked his brother. He wore a stricken expression, eyes wide, jaw slack. Then it switched to sharp disappointment, and her stomach dropped. Damn, why couldn’t she control herself?
“She’s violent, unladylike, dangerous…” Creed ticked them off on his fingers.
“Creed,” Stefan began, and Talicia couldn’t believe the conciliatory tone in his voice.
She swung on her heel and wrenched the door open. In the hall, two women were rushing toward them, one being Shada. The other woman, also black did a double-take on seeing Talicia. She had a softness to her and was of course pretty. Behind the woman a boy and a girl followed, eager and nosy expressions on their faces. Talicia moved around all of them to keep going.
“Hold up,” Shada demanded. “What’s going on back here, and where are the guys? We’re about to serve the guests.”
Talicia swore. “I killed them all in that office on the right.”
The softer woman made a small sound of alarm. Shada glared. “You’re so not funny. See what I told you, Heaven? Don’t worry. Her small ass can’t do anything.”
Talicia stopped walking and swung back to face them. They’d halted when she passed by. She strode up to Shada with her hands on her hips. Both of them had Talicia by an inch or two. Shada looked like she could do some damage, but the other woman probably hadn’t hit anyone in her entire life.
“When you see your man, don’t think he’s too much of a punk. They bruise so easily.”
Both women’s eyes rounded. Shada choked over her words, trying to speak. The boy moved up to Talicia looking at her as if she were a museum exhibit. “Whoa, you hit Uncle Creed? That’s crazy brave.”
Heaven yanked the boy back toward her. Shada got a hold of herself and pushed Talicia’s shoulder. “You put your hands on Creed? First thing here, you attack him after they all went out to try to save your sorry ass?”
“Just like I told him, you don’t know me. You need to back up.”
“Or what?” Shada demanded. “You�
�ll hit me this time?”
“Fuck off.”
“She’s got a mouth on her, Heaven.”
“So do you, Aunt Shada,” the girl said.
“Nita, shut your lips,” Heaven whispered. “I told you two not to follow us back here. Gideon, go get Weaver.”
Up until then the men’s voices had been somewhat raised behind the closed door of the office, but it opened just as the little boy returned with this small built white man who had the look of someone dangerous. Talicia swung her head back and forth in both directions. Creed led the brothers, and behind this Weaver guy were two other gigantic men.
“So all of you are coming against me?” Her fingers throbbed, and her arm muscles were sore, but she raised her hands, putting the wall at her back.
“Move,” a deep voice bellowed, and then Stefan was coming at her. She tightened her mouth to keep her lips from trembling and narrowed her eyes. He laid gentle hands on Shada and Heaven to shuffle them aside and propelled the kids out of the way by the tops of their heads. They bobbled aside like baby ducks, and then he stood in front of her. “Licia, you don’t have to fight anymore.”
He knew from grabbing her at her apartment what she’d do, but he wrapped his arms around her anyway. From the look of it, he didn’t even hesitate to drag her into his embrace. She couldn’t see past his shoulder, but she heard the gasps all around.
“Oh, Stefan,” Shada said, “you’re so innocent.”
“Let it go, Shada,” Heaven whispered. “It’s his decision.”
“Like hell I will. Wait, Creed, are you okay? The bitch said she hit you.”
Talicia struggled in Stefan’s hold, but he drew her closer to his chest. She was no match for his strength. Stefan’s lips touched her ear. “Calm down. I’ll take you home.”
“You have to work.” Her words were muffled, but he seemed to hear.
“You are more important.”
Because she didn’t have the energy to fight him and she didn’t want the others to see her weak, Talicia let Stefan walk her out into the main dining room. Guests were starting to arrive, and waiters seated them. Several women greeted Stefan as they passed, and he nodded and smiled to them. Eyes full of jealousy flicked to her, and she imagined they questioned who she was since Stefan kept his hand pressed against her lower back.
At the front, Jerome opened the door. He hadn’t crowded into the hall with others. She didn’t know if it was because he already knew she didn’t pose a threat or that he hoped the others would kill her and be done with it. Why she was thinking of this family of restaurateurs as mobsters, she didn’t know. Then again, Creed did threaten her life. Who knew what they were into.
Jerome opened the car door, and Stefan ushered her inside. Talicia sat with her arms wrapped around herself, but when Stefan settled beside her, he took her left hand in his. He examined her knuckles, brushing a finger over the ridges. “They’re swelling. Licia, why did you do that?”
She jerked away. “I’m sorry I hurt your brother. No, actually I’m not.”
“I hoped for a better meeting.”
“Well then, I’m sorry I embarrassed you.”
He captured her chin, but she pulled away. “You didn’t embarrass me. I know you’re always scared that—”
“I’m not scared, Stefan! He threatened me. What was I supposed to do?”
He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, and she slid away from him. Having her thigh touch his bothered her. Stefan touching her in any way made her forget he was one of them too, even if she was married to him.
“You were supposed to let me handle him,” he said in a low tone.
“I don’t need you to fight my battles. Besides, it looked like Creed doesn’t respect that you’re your own man. He thinks you’re his baby brother who he has to bully small women for.”
Stefan chuckled. “It seemed that way.”
She glared at him and then smirked. “My guess is he’s been looking out for you all your life and thinks you can’t make your own decisions.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. I’m going to talk to him. I won’t let him treat you the way he did, but I also don’t want you fighting. Do we have a deal?”
“No.”
“Licia.”
She sighed. “I hate them. They hate me. I might as well stay away. Everyone would be happier.”
He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in the seat. “So you’re going to let them run you off?”
Talicia froze. “Excuse me?”
He shrugged. “You’re my wife.”
“For now,” she insisted.
“Okay, for now. You’re my genuine wife. You didn’t coerce me into marrying you, and you’ve never taken anything from me in almost a year of us being married. You have just as much right, more right than Shada to the name and the Marquette’s holdings. Yet, you’ll let them make you feel like you don’t belong? Is that fine with you, honey?”
She bristled. “I don’t have to prove myself, Stefan.”
“No, you don’t.”
Still, he had her thinking. Shada had acted like the big woman in charge, bossing everybody around, including Creed. Meanwhile, Talicia had run off. If she didn’t come back, Shada would think she won, and Creed would feel like his threat put her in her place. Oh hell no!
Even if it killed her and she hated every minute of it, she would be back. Let them all kiss her ass if they didn’t like her. For the time being, she was also one of the family.
Chapter Twelve
“Stefan,” Talicia called as she slid to the end of their bed and dropped to her feet. He didn’t answer, so she walked through the sitting room and farther to the bathroom. The evidence of him having taken a shower was there, but no Stefan. She returned to the bedroom and wrapped a satin robe around her, belted it at the waist, and padded barefoot to the hall.
On the upper landing, she leaned on the railing to listen. Deep voices sounded below, and she moved toward the stairs. At the foot of them, Jerome stood adding information to his cell phone. She scarcely set foot on the first step before he turned around.
“Ms. Talicia, everything okay?”
“Yeah, I was looking for Stefan.”
“He’s in the kitchen. We’re about to head over to Marquette’s.”
Of course. After that argument at the restaurant, she’d gotten sick, throwing up, weak and shaking. The fact pissed her off, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it. At least the effects had lasted just two days, and she woke up late that morning feeling a whole lot better. Stefan insisted she sleep in longer. She had. Now, she wanted to tell him her idea. She was glad she had caught him before he left for the restaurant after coming home to check on her.
In the kitchen, she realized his voice had been so loud because he was on the phone. Her stomach knotted hearing Creed on the other end. Then Talicia dismissed the asshole from her thoughts as she watched Stefan ladling thick liquid into a bowl and setting it on a tray. Mary stood nearby wringing her hands like she wished he would get out of her kitchen and let her handle things.
Talicia went all warm and fuzzy inside. During the times Stefan brought a tray to her while she lay in bed, he must have been preparing the meal himself. He was so damn sweet. How she loved him.
“I’m up and feeling better,” she announced from the doorway. “You don’t have to feed me, Stefan.”
He glanced up and smiled, the warmth in his gaze stealing her breath away. “Creed, I’ll talk to you when I get there.”
Stefan waited for his brother to agree and then punched the button to disconnect the call. He went on smearing jam on a thick slice of homemade bread and set the saucer beside the bowl of soup. She was so over soup, but it was the only thing she’d been able to hold down the last couple of days.
“You shouldn’t be out of bed,” Stefan said.
“I’m better. You saw for yourself this morning, and you p
ushed to get me to rest longer. Well, I did. Now I’m up, and I’m staying up, mister. So don’t even try it.”
“I could carry you there.”
Mary’s cheeks pinked, and Talicia laughed. “No, thank you. Plus, I’m done with the soup. It’s good, Mary, but I want meat.”
“Talicia,” Stefan began.
“Stefan, I want to go to Marquette’s. I’ve got an idea you might agree with.”
“Can we discuss it upstairs?”
She tightened the belt on her robe. “No. You fired that one girl, right? If you haven’t hired anyone new yet, let me fill in. I used to work as a waitress years ago when I first started out.”
His eyes widened. “That’s going backward for you.”
“It wasn’t going backward for you. And it’s not forever. The insurance company said it could take up to three months for the investigation to be completed. I say that’s bullcrap, but whatever. I can’t force them to give us the money for the club now. All I can do is work. You can pay me too because I’m not working for free.”
He chuckled. “All I have is yours.”
“Don’t talk like that around your family. Will you consider it?”
“Creed does the hiring, but I like the idea. I’ll put in a good word for you.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “I want to go with you now. Jerome says you two are about to head back.”
“Licia, you just told me this idea.” He picked up the tray and started out the kitchen. The stubborn man was going to take it upstairs anyway. She followed him.
“What happened to all that talk about me staying and showing them who I am?”
“You are staying.”
“Yeah, but hiding out at your house isn’t showing anyone anything. Are you ashamed of me or scared I’ll beat up your brother?”
“Neither.”
She thought she heard a snort behind her as they headed up the stairs. Talicia focused on Stefan’s ass and resisted smacking it. She already knew how great it was for hanging onto while he jammed her pussy full of his cock. Just thinking about it made her want it, but she kept her mind on the task at hand.
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