by Beth Wynne
For what felt like an age, Carrick just stared me down. If he didn’t believe me right now, whatever else I did wouldn’t matter - I would disappear very soon and no one would hear from me ever again. As I held his gaze I wondered how he’d do it, would he do it himself or make one of his lackeys do it? Jake maybe? Jake was now standing closer beside me but didn’t interject in the conversation, to support his father or me. Abstractly I wondered what that meant and I was unsure if I liked it or not. Did it mean he felt I was strong enough not to need his support or had he been playing me to get me back here?
The silence grew unbearable.
A dry bark of a laugh escaped Carrick’s lips. “You’ve got balls, wee girl, I’ll give you that.” He looked between me and Jake. “I already know you’re brother isn’t working for them. I needed to be certain you weren’t either.” My shoulders loosened and I let go of a breath I didn’t realise I had been holding.
“I hear Ryan’s a good kid by all accounts.” He continued, as he sat at the table. “Not too smart, getting wrapped up in that shite, but I guess he’s learned his lesson.”
Jake had been too quiet, and when I looked at him he was still focusing on his dad. I saw his clenched jaw and felt my anxiety levels rise all over again. “Don’t look at me like that, son. Ye know exactly why I had to come here. With the… circumstances, it was best that I came here and had a little chat with your friend mesel’.”
“Her name’s Bella.” He growled, “And you’ll never speak to her like that again.” The possessiveness in his voice appealed to a very deep, dark part of me. My heart soared, whatever misunderstandings we’d had before, he was very much with me now.
Carrick held his hands up in mock surrender. “Jakey boy, I’m only looking after the family. And with the way Bella held herself, she’s unlikely to have any more problems with me.” He nodded at me, “So long as she behaves herself.” I swallowed as he continued. “You know the score, Jake, you know how we do things. Anyway,” he stood as he stretched, “Me and the boys will be leaving you two in peace now.”
The others started to filter their way out and the room immediately felt like a stadium from the sheer lack of huge male bodies. Carrick turned to me just before he left, “I can see why he’s soft on you, Bella… That’s if ye don’t manage to kill each other." After a couple more steps, he stopped again.
“Can I talk to ye alone for a wee minute, Bella?”
Chapter 31
Bella
Reluctantly, Jake showed Carrick and me into the lounge. The third time I’d sat on this couch and each time couldn’t have been more different from the last. The first night with Jake as he took me straight to heaven; the second time, when I sat with Louise as he sent me to hell; and now - with his father, the Mafia Boss, wanting to talk… alone with me.
“I’ll not keep ye long,” he started, “You’ll be back to having your dinner in a minute.” He jangled the change in his pockets as he spoke. “I had a phone call today from Alexander, you’ve maybe not heard of him?” I knew the name, I remembered the fear that name had instilled in Ryan.
“The McCauley Boss?” I asked.
Carrick smiled dryly, “I’m impressed.” He paced the floor. “Anyway, Alexander seems to think that we’ve harmed you because of the thing with the Chester file.” He silenced his phone. “I’ve agreed to meet him to try to smooth things over, but…”
“He wants to see me in the flesh.” The words escaped me as I thought them.
“Aye.” Another silenced phone call.
The door knocked and Jake came in. He’d knocked on a door in his own house? Jake thrust his phone towards his father’s face. “Da, ye need to take this.”
Jake led me away from the room, but even in the kitchen I could hear Carrick’s outbursts. Angry swearing echoed around the walls. When Carrick appeared he spoke to Jake. “You’re not going to like this, I couldn’t tell you, son.” Then his focus turned to me. “I don’t have time to explain now, but Alexander has tracked your grandmother down. I know that’s where you’ve been. I’ve had a couple of guys keep an eye on the place since I heard you had disappeared, but his men arrived about twenty minutes ago and took her.”
The one woman who’d kept me safe for so many years, and had looked after me when I appeared on her doorstep a week ago, was now in the hands of the McCauley’s because of me. If anything happened to her I would never, ever, forgive myself. Later, I would think about how this was all too close to the fate I had almost sealed for Louise’s mother.
Jake exploded with fury, “You KNEW where Bella was? This whole fucking time?”
I placed a shaking hand on his back, “That doesn’t matter right now.” I leaned into him. “Focus Jake, they’ve got my Gran.” My touch brought him back to me and he enveloped me in a protective embrace.
He spoke into my ear. “I will kill every last one of them to get her back.” I felt him shift to speak to Carrick. “Tell me what you know.”
Chapter 32
Bella
Even after Carrick had talked at length with Jake about the plans for the next day. Jake still came back to the same thing, and I actually thought that Jake was going to punch his own father. "Are ye telling me ye've known where Bella's been and didn't so much as think I'd want to know?" A blood vessel pounded on the side of his head, beating a furious rhythm.
Carrick stiffened, clearly irritated by his son's actions. His response was calm. "If I’d told ye, what was the first thing ye'd have done?"
"Are ya stupid? I would have gone straight over to her!" He walked away, searching for some way to release his anger.
"Mmm hmm, and if she was working for the McCauley’s, ye'd have played right into their hands, you idiot." Carrick walked over to the window Jake was looking out of, neither acknowledging I was in the room anymore. "She left cos she thought she had to, but came back because she wanted to. If ye hadda went over there all guns blazing, wouldn't ye wonder if she'd really wanted to come back?"
They looked so alike from behind, two big, built men. Carrick was not the sheer size of his son, but then Jake was a lot younger. They both looked out the window, and I looked at their backs: they even held their heads the same way.
"I was looking out for ye son. I'd had Andy keeping watch over the place since I clicked who her grandmother was. I mind Isabella, Bella's grandmother, when I was growing up, I knew of her mother too."
The smallest of whimpers escaped my lips when I heard him mention my mum and my grandmother. "Isabella was a strong woman in her day and I bet her mouth is still as fierce as it ever was. Andy said that he'd seen a car drive past the lane about 15 minutes before they all arrived, it slowed down and the woman inside took a picture."
Carrick turned back to the room, to face me, "Andy phoned for backup cos he thought something was up, but before the rest of our guys arrived two cars speeded up to the farm house and she went peacefully." Carrick shook his head, smiling ruefully. "They've no idea Andy was even there. He managed to follow them. At least Alexander respects age, he's taken her to his own house. To have attacked there, even with the dozen guys who went, would have been a huge mistake."
"Respect!?" I spat.
"Aye, respect. He won't harm her, I'm sure of it. Remember I said earlier that he'd wanted to meet me and you to prove you're still alive - even after we found out you were going to leak files." Jake's eyes bored into me, hurt shone through them.
"I was going to tell you, Jake. Jesus, I didn't get a chance."
"My money now is on him wanting a swap. You for her."
"Well fuck that." Jake's fists tightened, "I'm going over there."
"Easy son… For once you'll need to actually trust your oul' man."
It took a lot of convincing, but eventually Jake agreed that the meeting Carrick and Alexander had planned would happen. I was to go with Carrick the next day to a warehouse where Carrick said his men would make sure that both my grandmother and myself would come out alive. I didn't like it, b
ut I really had no say. If it came to it, I would swap myself for my grandmother and take whatever punishment they wanted to dole out. I even thought of Ryan… perhaps if I surrendered myself, they'd forget about any outstanding debts he still owed too.
When Carrick eventually left, I had just about run out of adrenaline. I felt weak, small and completely vulnerable. I was too small to do anything useful in their plan, and too wired up to stop thinking about how I could help. Jake put his arm around me as we sat on the sofa.
"This isn't quite how I’d hoped tonight would turn out." he said, matter-of-factly.
I smiled sadly. "You've got that right. I shouldn't have left her alone."
He squeezed me. "You can't blame yourself, pet. We'll get her back. Even if I have to torture and kill every last one of them to get her, you'll see. Family is the only thing worth fighting for. You’re both part of our family now: Blood and Loyalty." The set of his jaw and the determination in his eyes left me with absolutely no doubt that he truly believed that.
I snuggled into him, letting his large chest support me. We sat together like that for the longest time. The heat from his body and steady pace of his breathing soothed me. It wasn't until a door closed that I realised I must have fallen asleep that way. But I was lying down now and I felt warm - a blanket over me? A few moments later, or maybe a few hours, I didn't know. I felt the bed I was in move under the weight of someone else getting in.
A body curled in behind me and the now familiar scent of Jake's cologne steadied me. Gentle fingers ran through my hair as I drifted back into a dreamless slumber.
Chapter 33
Jake
It didn't matter how much my cock pleaded, I was not going to try anything tonight. Bella had been so brave, facing off my da like that. Not many people can look him in the eye like she did. My beautiful, brave woman. How could I have allowed myself to get so mistaken? I now knew the reason why no woman had ever held enough interest for me: I just hadn’t met Bella.
When Andy phoned me I knew instantly that something was seriously wrong. My first instinct was that it was one of the drop offs, or another police seizure. When Andy said, "It's about your woman." I tore into the lounge to where da was with Bella. I knew it had something to do with her, and if she hadn't have been under my own roof I would have thought that the McCauley’s had taken her. Thank fuck they'd found her grandmother's house after Bella had left, otherwise they'd now have both of them and I wouldn't have known a thing.
As angry as I was with da for not telling me he knew Bella was safe and well, I was glad he'd been keeping an eye on her. The old guard had really closed ranks when he’d told them to, and I didn't like that - I would be their boss soon: it doesn't do well to hide things from me. When this was over, I would remember the guys who said they knew nothing.
I knew when Bella had fallen asleep, I’d felt it rather than seen it. The tension in her body gradually eased. I’d never enjoyed sitting with a woman before, I’d always been bored with their idle chat, preferring to have been balls deep fucking them. But having her snuggled into the crook of my arm, sleeping peacefully as I supported her, made me feel like a king. I wanted this woman in so many more ways than to just be between her legs. We had the rest of our lives. I wanted to tear Alexander limb from limb to prove to her that no one else will ever harm her - or those she cares about.
Before he left, da said that Barney had already been under orders to get into a fight with Ryan, and Ryan would be in the hospital wing already. The McCauley’s will now know the connection now between Bella, her grandmother and Ryan. The safest place for Ryan was in the medical unit, and having one of our boys throw a couple of punches his way was far better than the McCauley’s getting hold of him. He'd just been a minion before this, his risk had just become significantly higher. I had decided that I would tell Bella about it in the morning, rather than giving her one more thing to worry her tonight. He'd be fine anyway, bruised and a bit sore, but better than the bodybag the McCauley’s would have put him into.
As I sat there, holding Bella close to me, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket - Bella didn't even stir when I lifted it to look. Louise must have found out about everything because she'd sent a text. "All will work out. U & B keep safe."
After an hour with my thoughts, I decided it was time to take Bella to bed. No spare room for her this time, she'd sleep in my bed tonight, with me beside her to keep her safe. As I scooped her up from the sofa she frowned in her sleep. I didn't like that one fucking bit. The woman I loved should never have a reason to frown, awake or asleep. Once this was over, she'd be my princess… no, she'd be my queen; if she'd agree, that was. But who was I fooling, in my head she already was. The guys would have had a field day if they'd knew I’d fallen asleep spooning a woman. Jake Anderson: the guy you warned your daughters about.
Bella must have started to awaken before me because it was the feeling of her stretching her body against me that brought be back to consciousness. The feeling of her ass rubbing against my crotch as she stretched her back felt wonderful. I stiffened further as the material of her clothes rubbed against my boxers once more.
I moaned in pleasure, reaching to touch her instinctively. Maybe she was half asleep too as she wiggled her body back towards me, obviously feeling my erection. It was a bolder move than I’d expected and fuck if it didn't turn me on. I leaned over and slid her hair away from her shoulder to kiss it and was rewarded with the sound of a moan from her own lips. She turned around and started to kiss me, her hand moving along my arm and up to knot her fingers into my hair as she deepened her kiss.
The air sizzled and I needed to be inside her. I hadn't undressed her last night before getting into bed - it hadn't felt right. But now I was helping her out of those jeans. Seconds later she was pulling at the waistband of my boxers, her eyebrows shooting up in delight as my cock sprung free. She moved her hand to cup my balls as she kissed me again, but as she went to start stroking me I lifted her hand above her head. "I need to be in ye, pet." I felt the shiver that went through her, she wanted me too.
Her eyes found mine, "I missed you so much, you're all I thought about. I'm so sorry..." I quietened her with another kiss. She did not need to apologise. I had been a bastard to her. I was the one who should be apologising for the rest of my days. "Shhh." I whispered into her ear as we were both gasping for air after the kiss. "You never need to say sorry." I felt her legs spread wider beneath me. "Ye're mine, pet." I felt her ass lift up for me, with one quick thrust I slid home. She was already so wet for me.
it took every fiber of my being now to pound her into the mattress. I knew I didn't have the right words so I wanted to show her how I felt, make her understand how I needed her. An errand thought passed through me, you should wear something, the last thing she needs is your child inside her on top of everything else. But would it really be that bad? I kissed her forehead as I listened to her breath hitch each time I stroked her from within. It killed me to say it, but I needed to do right by her: "Baby, I should put a condom on."
She spoke quickly, "No need, I'm clean." she bit her lip as her eyes rolled. "Trust your clean too. Can't get..." then she kissed me desperately.
That threw me… that piece of shit had beaten her so badly that she'd lost the only child she could ever bear. I would take all that pain away, the best way I knew how.
I reached for her leg, pulling her thigh up and intuitively, she wrapped herself around me. I could go deeper this way. my hand grabbed her ass cheek to pull her even closer and I felt her buck beneath me, the sensations of me filling her so completely clearly overwhelming her.
I watched her face. I wanted to remember every detail of the first time we'd made love. the way she pulled her face, the smile that crept over it, and the way she tilted her head back as she got close to her release. I slowed to almost a stop, taking pride in the little pout that formed on her lips… my sweetheart loved me being inside her as much as I loved filling her. She rocked her hips to try
to satisfy her need, and it was then that I drove home, making her gasp as she took everything of me.
"Ye're mine." I growled, my body looming close to the edge.
"Aye," she groaned, "And you're mine too." She came as she spoke, her cunt milking me. The sensation bringing me to my own climax as my balls clenched and my seed spilled inside her. Everything went a starry for a moment, the release more intense that I’d ever experienced.
I looked down at her, sweat beaded her forehead. As gently as I could, I lifted her chin up so I could kiss her lips. Is was a sweet kiss, a tender one between two lovers who shared more than just a good time. She was mine, and I was hers.