by Young, Alexa
“I… don’t have all the money, but I can get it soon,” I stammer.
“Well then, you have to face the consequences.”
FUCK.
“Please, not in front of my niece,” I beg.
Would they be that heartless?
“Ahh, so this is Dray’s little girl. Cute. You see, I could let you off, but I’m not in such a forgiving mood after last time. I didn’t appreciate some of the things Dray said. Think it’s time we showed you a lesson or two.”
I think of grabbing Gracie and running, but the alleyway now has two guys on the opposite end heading my way.
I’m trapped.
“Please, Glen, Dray will have you for this.”
Glen pulls the pram to the side so Gracie is no longer facing us. “I couldn’t give a fuck about Dray. I think I’m going to enjoy this. Ready, guys?”
Fuck, I’m screwed.
Chapter Sixteen
Dray
“So, we have the next meeting with Charlotte next Monday,” I say, flicking through my emails. Today’s meeting was a success; we just have to look over the finer details. I’m ready to head home and see how Gracie is. It killed me to leave her this morning.
“Yes, Dray, we’ve already discussed this,” Ritchie bites out.
Jesus, Mr Fucking Grumpy.
“Fine, okay. You’re a little snappy. Welcome to the world of no sleep.”
Ritchie drags his hand down his face. “He was up twice during the night. I was tempted to go lie in the spare bedroom, but I didn’t want to face the wrath of Laurie. She’s been short-tempered enough without adding any more fuel to the fire.”
“Is she still breastfeeding?”
“Yeah, I think she’s going to be finishing soon, which I’m glad about because the pain makes her irritable as hell. Plus, I haven’t laid my hands on them since Noah was born.”
Ahh, blue balls, too.
No wonder the fucker is irritable.
“I know what that’s like, but Luce only breastfed for the first month because it was too painful. Once the six weeks of abstaining from sex were over, she went through a horny spurt and couldn’t keep her hands off me.” I smile at the thought.
Those were six long weeks.
“Lucky you. It’s like trying to get into Fort Knox to get anything from Laurie. I’m tired and horny as hell.”
“No wonder you’re crabby,” I snort.
“Oh, fuck off.”
“What? It’s true.” I love winding him up, and he falls for it every time.
“Well, so would you if your balls were about to explode.”
“True.”
My mobile rings, and I stare curiously at the name. Luke. I haven’t heard from him in a while. What does this fucker want?
“Hello.”
“Hey, Dray, sorry to be the bearer of bad news—”
Now he has my fucking attention.
“What? Just get to the fucking point.”
“I was in town, and I just caught the tail end of an ambulance taking away your brother. It looks like Weighman’s men jumped him.”
“What?” I leap up. “Was Gracie with him?”
“Gracie?”
“My daughter!” I yell.
“I don’t know, man. I just saw them lifting him into the ambulance. He looked pretty beat up. From what I heard, they jumped him down one of the back alleys.”
“FUUCCKK!” I roar.
“Sorry, man.”
“Yeah, thanks for letting me know.” I punch the End Call button and snatch up the keys.
“What the fucking hell is wrong, Dray?” Ritchie barks, rushing over.
“Weighman’s men jumped Lex, sounds like they beat the shit out of him. He had Gracie with him. He was in town taking her to the doctor’s. I swear, if they touched one hair on my baby’s head, I’ll fucking rip the lot of them to pieces.”
“So, you don’t—”
“No, I know fuck all. What if she’s—”
“Don’t fucking finish that sentence. They’ll have taken her with him in the ambulance.”
“But—”
Oh, God, help me.
“We need to go, come on.” Ritchie grabs my arm and pulls me out the door. I’ve now gone into shock. I’m angry for what they’ve done to Lex, but it’s the biggest fear any parent has that their child might be injured or missing.
Please God, let her be okay.
I barely remember Ritch bundling me into the car. I snap at every red light on the way. Eventually, we drive into the hospital grounds to the Royal Infirmary. I hope to hell they’ve brought him here.
I leap out before Ritch has barely stopped. “Just fucking leave the car. If we get a ticket, so be it.” I don’t wait for a response as I hurtle through the entrance and straight to the front desk.
“Has my brother been admitted here?” I bark at the receptionist. I’ve no time to be polite; I just need to know.
Her eyes widen at my angry tone. Ritch grabs me and pulls me away to speak to the woman himself. I’m striding back and forth in anger.
She’s got to be here.
She’s got to be here.
Ritchie grabs my arm. “Lex is here. He’s been admitted and they’re treating him now.”
“And Gracie?”
Ritchie’s eyes hold mine before he shakes his head. “She didn’t say anything about anyone else being brought in with him.”
“NO.” My eyes fill with tears. My heart is beating so erratically I can’t breathe.
My baby.
If they’ve taken my baby…
“Come on, let’s go find Lex. The people attending to him should know more.”
I’m holding my head in my hands, spiralling down. Ritch grabs my arm and leads me to the lift. He punches in a number, but I’m too out of it to notice.
Gracie.
My Gracie.
The lift doors open and I barrel out. Ritch grabs me, trying to calm me down. I know he wants to handle things because right now, I’m on the brink of a meltdown. He pulls me along to the reception desk, but as we rush over I hear the most precious sound in the world.
“I know that fucking cry anywhere. That’s Gracie!”
“What?”
“That’s Gracie!” I hurtle towards the noise. It’s coming from the nurse’s room. I haven’t got time to knock; I need my baby now. Throwing the door open, I charge in.
“Excuse me, this is a private area. You need to go back out and sit in the waiting area,” the nurse barks, glaring at me.
I don’t hear her words, all I see is Gracie struggling in her arms. She’s scared, screaming and crying at the top of her voice.
“Gracie, it’s Daddy,” I say soothingly.
She stops and her head snaps round to my voice. Her eyes connect with mine, and a tear rolls down my cheek as relief spreads through me.
“Daddeee!” she wails, almost throwing herself out of the nurse’s arms. I surge forward and grab her.
“You can’t just—”
“I can do what the hell I like, she’s my daughter. Daddy’s here. Daddy’s here. I was so scared, Gracie. But you’re here. Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?” My eyes quickly scan over every inch of her.
“We checked her over, she’s fine.” The nurse shoots me a reassuring smile, but my heart is still beating erratically. “She’s just upset because she’s scared. She kept asking for Lex.”
Lex.
“That’s my brother. Is he okay?”
“We won’t know till they check his injuries.” She picks up some files and escorts us out into the seating area, wheeling the pram along with her.
Ritch walks over and kisses Gracie on the head. “Good to see you’re okay, darling.”
“Itchie,” she whimpers, snuggling back into me. Her little hands are clinging onto me so tight, like she’s scared she might get taken away again. She’s never been without me, Luce or Lex, so it’s a big fright to her. I hate how scared she must have been wondering where we�
��d gone. I won’t be letting her out of my sight for a while, that’s for sure.
“I’ll go and see if they can give me an update on Lex,” Ritch says. I nod, staring into Gracie’s sad eyes.
“Where Lex, Daddy?” she asks, and my heart sinks.
“He’s not well, baby. The doctors are taking care of him.”
“Me see him?”
Fuck.
“No, not yet, angel.”
“Lex!” she cries, and my heart breaks.
“Shhh, darling. It will be okay. Daddy’s here for you, you’re safe.” I lean over and grab her toy and bottle of milk from her pram. She willingly takes it as I sit and rock her in my arms. She snuggles into her rabbit and, before long, her eyes give out and she falls asleep.
I stare at her.
She’s safe.
I don’t even want to think about what could have happened. Luce and I would never have recovered from this if they’d taken her. The thought of not knowing where she was or if they had hurt her in any way… I take a long, deep breath. I need to calm down; she’s safe in my arms. For now, she’s my priority, but Weighman will get what’s coming to him for hurting my brother.
Ritch walks back through, looking serious. “They’ve taken him up for some head scans. I had to lie and say I was family to get any info out of them. He’s been beat up pretty bad.”
“But why? I don’t understand. I told him when I took him in I wouldn’t put up with him taking money from those sharks. I gave him a home, a job and a family. Why is he back to this, and with Weighman of all people?” I walk over and place Gracie back into her pram. She stirs slightly, so I start to push it back and forth.
Ritchie takes a deep breath. “I just spoke to our mate Jimmy, and I know you’re not going to like what I’m about to say.”
My eyes snap to his. “Just spit it out, Ritch.”
“He apparently borrowed 4K from Weighman.”
My eyes widen in horror. “For what? He doesn’t need money. I pay him good wages, and I don’t take a penny off him. What the fuck does he need that much for?”
“It was for your dad,” Ritchie explains.
I grab Ritchie’s arm, leading him over to the other side of the room, away from Gracie. “For Len? I thought he was done with him, that we were his family now. What the hell is he helping him for? Dragging him back into my life when he knows how I feel about him.”
What the fuck is going on?
“I don’t know. That’s all Jimmy said, so you have to ask Lex.” Ritchie shrugs.
“Don’t worry, I will.” And he will be telling me every fucking thing because right now, I don’t understand why.
“Have you spoken to Luce?” Ritch asks.
“No.”
What do I say?
“Don’t you think you need to tell her about Lex? She loves that kid like a brother. She won’t be happy that you’re keeping things from her.”
I sigh deeply, knowing he has a point. “I need to speak to Lex first before I decide what to do.”
“Decide what? You’re not throwing him out, are you?” Ritchie barks, his eyes flashing in anger.
“I don’t know, but I warned him not to bring trouble to my door. Him being in contact with Len, sneaking around behind my back and endangering Gracie, I don’t think it’s something I can forgive.” I scrub my hands down my face.
What the hell do I do?
“Fucking hell, Dray, that little girl loves the bones of him. You can’t just throw him out. Think of her, she’s going to be broken-hearted.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” I stare over at Gracie, all content snuggled into her blanket. But I can’t live with someone deceitful who could bring even more trouble to my door. I have Luce, Gracie and the new baby to think about; the thought of anyone hurting them boils my blood. I love Lex, and he’s come to be a brother I love having in my life, but this new revelation has changed everything.
* * *
“You can go in and see Lex now,” the nurse says, smiling. I stand and carefully wheel Gracie over to Ritchie. The infection has wiped her out. She whimpers slightly then snuggles into her blanket.
This won’t take long.
I want to get her home.
Ritch gives me a look to tell me to be rational, but I’m far from it. I’m so angry right now that he would put me in this kind of position.
I just want answers.
The nurse leads me to the door then walks away. I’m standing there, staring through the glass. Lex is lying with his eyes closed, all beaten and bruised. His face has taken the brunt of it. He’s hooked up to a few machines and has a large bandage on his head. But instead of sympathy, I have nothing but anger.
I push the door open and it creaks, alerting him of my arrival. His eyes wrench open and he stares at me, his face full of alarm.
“Is Gracie okay?” he asks, his voice breaking slightly.
“She’s fine, no thanks to you.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to endanger her in any way.” His eyes stare deep into mine. Does he think an apology is going to rectify this shit storm?
“So, why did you get mixed up with Weighman again when I told you from the start I didn’t want any trouble brought to my door?”
“It was for Dad.” His eyes flick away from mine. He looks nervous, and I’m not surprised; he knows how I feel about Len.
“Why would you do anything for him? He hasn’t given a fuck about you since you came to live with me.”
“He was about to lose the house. He hasn’t paid the rent for months.”
I walk forward to make him look at me. “I don’t give a fuck, let him lose it. He can live on the streets for all I care. I don’t care one jot about that bastard.”
His eyes meet mine. “You don’t understand.”
“No, I don’t, but what I do understand is with your actions, you almost got Gracie harmed. They could have done anything to her, could have kidnapped her or anything.”
A tear rolls down his cheek. “I know, and I tried to keep her safe but there were three of them. I had no chance. I tried, Dray. I love that little girl with all my heart. I’d fight to the death to keep her safe.”
“But you didn’t! You did the one thing I told you not to do, and for what? A man who doesn’t give a fucking shit about you, who uses you for his own gain. Well, I hope it was worth it.”
“What do you mean?” He tries to sit up then groans with the pain.
“We’re done.”
I can’t trust him anymore.
“What—no, you can’t. Please, don’t take my family away from me,” he pleads, but I’m all out of sympathy.
“Well, you should have thought about that when you were helping your other family,” I bite out.
“Please, Dray, I’m begging you. Don’t take Gracie away from me, you know how much I love her. You’ll break her heart. Think of her in all this. I know you’re mad, but please don’t do this,” Lex begs, but it’s useless. I’ve made up my mind.
“I am thinking of her. Don’t you think I know this will hurt her? She was crying for you earlier, but it’s best to do this now while she’s still young. Over time, she’ll stop asking. I can’t trust you, to not go behind my back Lex. I’ve given you everything and I thought we were close, that you’d come to me when you needed me, but obviously I was wrong.”
“But I know how much you hate him.” He sobs, tears streaming down his face.
“And can you blame me?” I bark.
“No, I don’t, but it’s not that cut and dry with me.”
“You continue to make excuses for him yet show no loyalty to me, the brother who’s been there for you. I’ve given you everything. I love you, Lex, but I love my family more. I can’t have Luce and Gracie or the new baby in danger. I can’t worry those thugs might target my family the next time you decide to help the old man out again. If it has to be this way, then so be it. I’m sorry, but my mind is made up. I have to go. I can’t even bear to look at yo
u.”
I need to leave while I still can.
“Dray, please,” Lex pleads one more time.
“Sorry, I’m done.” I grab the handle and fling the door back as I stride away, wiping my own tears as they fall down my face. My heart hurts right now, but I have to be strong.
It’s over.
It’s done.
Chapter Seventeen
Dray
I walk through the door to be faced with a confused-looking Luce. “Hey, where’s Lex? Didn’t he take Gracie to the doctor’s? I was expecting him back.”
“Don’t ask,” I huff. I’m sick of fucking talking about it already.
“Come here, angel.” Luce says smiling, but I can tell by her look that she’s far from done. I know she’ll be asking me a barrage of questions the moment we’re alone.
“Mamma, Lex gone.”
“What do you mean he’s gone?” She looks at me quizzically, but I avoid her eyes.
“He not well. I miss him,” she continues, breaking my heart even more.
“Dray.” She turns to face me, demanding answers.
“I’ll tell you after,” I urge with my eyes. I’m not speaking in front of our daughter.
“Come on, let’s get you a snack. Max has missed you. Are you going to sit and watch some cartoons?”
She nods. “Okay, but I sad. I miss Lex.”
“Let’s get you sorted, baby.” She takes off her coat and shoes. I head in and begin to warm her milk and grab a few cookies, putting them on her Peppa plate. I hand them over along with Gracie’s medicine to an annoyed-looking Luce.
“Once Gracie is seen to, you are going to tell me everything. Don’t you dare move. I’ll be back through in a minute.”
Holy shit, I’m scared.
Luce in full-on interrogation mode is not something to be taken lightly.
I stand staring out the window. I can’t believe it’s come to this, that Lex has destroyed the family he had. Within minutes, I hear the door close behind me as Luce takes a seat at the table, ready for me to begin.
I clear my throat, prepared to tell her the whole story. “I got a call earlier to inform me Lex was beaten up in the street by Weighman’s men.”