He didn’t reply to my text, and I didn’t expect him to. For now I was covered and I was hoping he would be gone by the time I got home this evening. I’d put Joey to bed and the run-in with Elijah would be forgotten—I hoped.
16
Elijah
The results of my actions were weighing heavily on my mind after seeing Michelle’s face yesterday. I had been stunned when I’d seen her at the table with her son. Joey. It was like a punch in the gut. He’d said he was seven, his birthday damn near nine months to the date that we’d first made love. His hair was nearly black, like mine. His eyes were dark blue, like mine. I had a kid. Holy fuck, I had a kid. That realization changed everything. I didn’t know what I was going to do about that just yet.
I was filled with rage at the thought of anyone laying their hands on Michelle or my son. Liam was supposed to be her brother. He had always been so protective of her. It was hard to imagine the guy I knew growing into the monster he was today. I wanted to know where the hell their mother was. Why would she have left Michelle and our son with that sociopath? All I could think of was that she was either dead or had run away in fear for her own life.
I had texted Trevor last night after drinking a few beers alone in my motel room, too pissed to leave. I had let him know I had screwed up. Things had gone very wrong and my poor, sweet Michelle had been hurt because of it. Thinking about the bruise on her cheek felt like that night all over again when I had seen her hit the ground and been helpless to do anything about it. Unlike that night, I wasn’t helpless anymore. I could do something. But it didn’t feel right any longer.
A knock at the door of my motel room immediately put me on guard. It had to be Liam and his goons. I pulled on my jeans, not bothering with a shirt, and prepared to fight for my life.
I yanked open the door, ready to confront my nemesis, and found Trevor standing on the other side. “What the hell are you doing here?” I growled.
“I got the idea you could use a friend,” he said, pushing his way into my room. “It’s nice to see you too. Oh, and you’re welcome for driving my ass down here through horrible traffic.”
“What gave you the idea I needed a friend—you specifically?”
Trevor held up his phone. “Your messages.”
Crap.
I didn’t remember saying anything that would have him driving down early on a Saturday morning. Reaching for my phone, I quickly scrolled through the drunk texts I had sent him.
“Oh,” I mumbled.
He nodded. “Oh is right. First of all, why are you getting shitfaced drunk in a place where there are multiple people who want you dead? And second, did you leave this room last night? Did you call her?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
“You better be sure about that. We need to know what we’re dealing with.”
I checked my call log and outgoing messages, shaking my head. “No. I sent her a couple texts. She didn’t reply. And I know for sure I didn’t go anywhere. I’m not that stupid.”
“You sure about that?” he asked.
I took a seat at the small dining table in the room, not ready for a lecture from Trevor. Trevor was a hard-ass. He took no excuses and always pushed me hard. It was why I liked him.
He leaned down, dramatically sniffing the air. “It stinks in here. Get in the shower and then we’re going for a run. You need to sweat that poison out of your body.”
I twisted my mouth in a grimace, dreading the grueling workout he was going to put me through but knowing I needed it. When I was in training, alcohol was off-limits. Trevor hated the smell of it, and anyone who showed up at his gym sweating alcohol was sent out into the street to run miles until he couldn’t smell it anymore. In my defense, I wasn’t training, and I hadn’t expected to see him.
Hangovers were something I hated. I was rarely plagued by them, but it had been a while since I had allowed myself to get drunk. Trevor was right, and in this one thing, I would let him be the man in charge. I did as he demanded, taking a cool shower before heading out for a grueling run so I could shower again when I got back. It sounded a little ridiculous.
When I got out of the shower, Trevor was waiting with a couple bananas and two cups of coffee.
“Thanks, man. I’m feeling a little worse for wear this morning.”
Trevor had a rare smile on his face. “You look like it. I wasn’t that surprised to learn you were drinking. I was beginning to think you had gone full robot on me. I guess there is a man inside there still.”
I sipped the hot coffee, letting it burn down my throat. “There’s a man inside. I wished he would sit the hell down. He’s messing shit up,” I grumbled.
“That tends to happen when emotions get involved, and you need emotions to feel alive. You’ve been in this trance for so long, you don’t remember how to deal with people, especially women.”
“I’ve been dealing with women,” I argued.
He shook his head. “Not really. A hookup here and there is not a relationship. You’ve had yourself in this box for so long, you’ve forgotten how to deal with things beyond your control. You have controlled everything in your life the past few years, and this is something you can’t predict. There are too many players and too many old feelings.”
I knew he was right. My life up until two weeks ago had been all about training and fighting. I never doubted my ability to win a fight. I went into the ring, I did my thing, and I got paid. I had no friends besides Trevor, definitely no girlfriend, and I kept to myself. I had withdrawn from society for the most part. I had let my need for revenge consume me. Now I’d had this little taste of life, and it was disrupting everything.
“I appreciate you coming down here. I guess I’m getting a little twisted.”
Trevor chuckled, taking a bite of his banana. “A little?”
I sipped the hot coffee, letting the caffeine push the remnants of the alcohol out of my system. Coffee and a banana. It wasn’t exactly a balanced breakfast, but Trevor swore by the healing qualities of both items. He was on to something.
“I saw her yesterday. She has a kid and I’m about ninety-nine percent sure he’s mine,” I blurted out.
“Shit,” Trevor said, sitting back in his seat, shocked.
“Yeah, that was my thought exactly.”
“Well what are you going to do about that?” he asked carefully.
I shook my head in irritation. “I have no fucking idea. I have no fucking idea about anything anymore,” I said, angrily.
Trevor said nothing, just looked at me thoughtfully.
“She had a bruise on her face from her brother hitting her,” I said.
The look on Trevor’s face was murderous. “Because of you?”
I nodded. “He found out I went to their house. I didn’t know. I had no idea he knew about my visit.”
“Dammit, Elijah. This isn’t just about you anymore. You don’t get to mess with her life. I won’t let you,” he snarled, his eyes mere slits in his face as he stared me down. Trevor had been a top kickboxer in the professional world. He was famous for his death stare. It was enough to rattle the scariest opponents. It got to me the first few years until I finally became immune to it.
“I’m not trying to mess with her. I want to help her. I have to help her get free of him.”
“What about the kid?” he asked, his voice harsh. “He didn’t touch the kid, did he?”
Trevor was huge and scary looking as hell, but when it came to kids, the guy was a marshmallow. When he had been in the professional business, he had always signed autographs for kids. He’d rarely give adults the time of day, but if saw a kid, he would drop to a squat, get on their level, and talk with them.
I shook my head. “He was with her yesterday and looked fine. I don’t think she would still be there if the boy was in real danger.”
“And?” he prodded. “You sure he’s yours?”
“I’m pretty sure. I couldn’t ask her directly because the kid was si
tting next to me. I don’t want to make things worse for her. He was born in January, nine months after I left town, almost to the date,” I mumbled. “He’s got dark hair and blue eyes. I don’t know a lot about kids and genetics, but she has dark hair and brown eyes. So does Liam. If I remember right, her mom had black hair. It could be passed down from her,” I reasoned. “The eyes, though…”
“You need to think long and hard about what you think you’re doing here. That boy is yours. You know it in your gut; I can tell. He needs a father in his life. You need to step up and act like a father,” he said, his voice stern and his eyes boring into me. “A father does not put his child in jeopardy.”
“I know. I won’t. I’m not,” I said, hoping that was true.
He shook his head. “I don’t think you do. Who is this revenge mission for? You or your kid and the mother of your child? Is it going to help them in any way if you beat the crap out of your son’s uncle? Does it make sure your child has a safe place to go home to every day, food on the table, and a loving home?”
I rubbed my hands over my face. “No.”
“You need to think about other options. You said this guy is dangerous and will track her down if she leaves. What about tipping off the police and letting them lock him up for one of the many crimes he commits on a regular basis?”
I slammed my palm on the table, jumping out of the chair. “No way! I’m not a damn snitch. Besides, it doesn’t stop when Liam is locked up. There’s Nick and Harlen and a whole slew of other guys who will take up where he left off. Liam will have power from jail. He’ll make sure Michelle and Joey pay for what I did to him, and I guarantee he will know it was me. Nobody else would ever rat on him.”
“So, are we back to your pride? Your high moral standard that makes you too good to be a rat?”
I shrugged, feeling cocky and defensive. “I’m not going to do it, Trevor. Besides, a tip doesn’t mean shit. I don’t have proof. He’d get questioned and know someone tipped off the police. That leaves him free to knock her around. I’m not going to do that to her.”
Trevor sat quietly, drinking his coffee and eating his banana. I felt the nervous energy I often felt before a match.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes!”
I had put on my shorts and running shoes when I’d gotten out of the shower. I was ready to pound the pavement. With Trevor running alongside me, I could enjoy a run without worrying about getting jumped. Liam and his gang weren’t the only thugs in town. You couldn’t go anywhere without someone trying to jack you.
We set out, running along the bike trail that led toward the beach. It was a popular running destination. We would blend in and look like the other hundreds of runners. I wasn’t worried about running into Liam and his gang in this area.
By the time we got back to the motel, I was feeling a lot better. That focus that had led me there in the first place was slowly returning.
“Hit the shower and then we’re going to eat,” Trevor ordered. “You’ve lost weight. I knew you’d get soft if you sat down here too long.”
“I’m not soft. I’ve been working out when I can.”
He looked around the room. “Here?”
I shrugged.
“Exactly. Come on. I need to whip your ass back into shape. I’m not letting all my hard work go to waste. We’ll eat. Then we’re going to find somewhere to lift. I’m sure there’s a gym around here that will give us a day pass.”
I laughed. “You do know you’re not my dad, right?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “When you act like a lost boy, I am.”
“Point taken,” I muttered and headed for my second shower in a matter of hours.
After Trevor showered, we jumped in his jeep, heading out for a protein-packed meal followed by another workout. It felt good to have a purpose other than revenge. My indecision was burning a hole in my gut. I couldn’t keep going like I was.
17
Michelle
Once again, it had been a couple days since I had heard from Elijah. Thankfully, Liam hadn’t mentioned him again. I wasn’t going to fall into the trap of thinking Elijah had left. He was developing a pattern. He showed up, caused some chaos, and then disappeared for a few days. Easy come, easy go. Clearly, he had grown up to be a drifter. I knew it was for the best, but I still missed him. I wished like hell we lived in a different world—a world where he and I could be together, raise our son, and live a life far away from the crime and violence Liam seemed to thrive on.
Speaking of my brother, Liam had stayed out again last night. In the past, I had enjoyed the reprieve. I had liked not having to tell him to keep it down and not having to get up and fetch him and his crew beers all the time. Now when he didn’t come home, I was always wondering if he was out looking for Elijah or if he had found him and was burying him in a big hole somewhere. I had seen Elijah’s body and knew he could definitely hold his own in a fight against Liam. But that was if it was a fair fight, and Liam didn’t fight fair. It would be him, Nick, and God only knew how many others.
I dropped Joey off at school, anxious to get home and check the price of bus tickets. I could feel something brewing and planned on being far away from here when it blew up. I was willing to go anywhere.
“Shit!” I muttered as I pulled into the driveway at home.
Nick was sitting on his bike in the front yard, obviously waiting for me. For once, I would love to have something go right for me.
“Hi,” I said, putting on my fake happy smile as I climbed out of my car.
He got off his bike and strode toward me, waving a piece of paper in his hands.
“What’s that?” I asked, wondering why a piece of paper was making him smile. Not to mention it was early in the morning and Nick was not a morning person.
“I got something for you,” he said, grinning like a fool.
“Really? What’s that?” I asked, knowing instinctively it couldn’t be anything good for me if he was excited about it.
“It’s our marriage license.”
I stopped walking. “Our what?”
“Our marriage license. We’re ready to be legally married. Let’s go. We’re going to the courthouse now.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Don’t I need to be there to get a marriage license? This can’t be legal.”
He winked, handing the white paper to me. I quickly scanned it, surprised to see my name scrawled on the signature line; except it wasn’t even close to my signature.
“How did you get this?” I asked, scared to know what he had done to pull it off.
His smile was dangerous. “I know a couple people—people who owe me. I took care of everything. All we have to do is show up. I already have a judge ready to do the deed. Come on, let’s roll!”
“Nick! You can’t be serious. I don’t want to run down to the courthouse wearing my jeans and a T-shirt with my hair pulled up in a bun and get married! Come on, now.” I pouted, hoping to persuade him away from the idea.
“Then go get fucking dressed in a skirt or whatever. Put your hair down. I don’t care what you wear. We’re doing this, Michelle. I want you, and I can’t have you until I marry you. I’m not going to wait for some big fancy wedding,” he growled. His eyes drifted over my body, making me feel gross.
I had to switch tactics. What I was doing wasn’t working so I turned on the waterworks. “Nick, I want a gorgeous wedding dress. I want flowers. I want the music. I want our first dance to be under twinkling lights. I want the fairy tale,” I whined.
Dabbing at the tears welling in my eyes, I looked down and poked myself in the eye to really sell the story. I looked up at him, pleading with my eyes, hoping I could appeal to that small bit of humanity he had left inside him.
The evil glare in his eyes told me I had failed. He snatched the license from my hand.
“I’m not going to wait around, Michelle. This is happening. I don’t know what game you’re playing but I don’t buy this bullshit sob story f
or a second. You’ve never mentioned a big wedding before. You’re stalling,” he said. “You’re not the kind of girl who wants one of those big weddings.”
I shook my head. “I’m not lying. When would I ever talk about a wedding with you? I didn’t think that was the kind of thing you and your friends wanted to chat about on a Friday night. Women talk about weddings.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “You marry me now or there will be consequences.”
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest. “Consequences? What are you talking about?”
He sneered, the scary Nick coming back. “Keep pushing me and you’ll find out.”
“I’m not trying to push you. I want some time to plan a wedding I will enjoy. I want to see Joey all dressed up in a tux. He can be your best man. I want my mom to come.”
“Fuck no! What the hell is wrong with you? I’m not wearing a tux, Joey isn’t wearing a tux, and the only person who’s going to be my best man is Liam. Your kid can be your bridesmaid or whatever,” he said, his lip curled as if he smelled something rotten. “And your mom is never leaving that nasty hospital she calls home. She wants nothing to do with you. You know that.”
“I’m not talking about this anymore. You’re not listening to me. I’m not marrying you at the courthouse,” I said, stomping toward the front door. “I will talk to Liam about this. He’s going to side with me.”
“Bullshit. He’s the one who wants us married in case your little boyfriend decides to come around. Once you’re mine, you’re mine. Any man who touches you is going to regret it.”
“I need to get stuff done,” I snapped, opening the door and hoping to close it on him.
He reached out and snatched my upper arm, yanking me backward.
“I think you’re confused. This isn’t up for debate. You and I are getting married. I’m going to let you stomp around here and throw your little tantrum, but it isn’t going to work for long. You’re not the one in control here. I am. I’m giving you until Friday. Find a babysitter for the kid. We’re going to be on our honeymoon Friday night, and your sweet ass isn’t going to leave the bed until I say so. Hell, by the time I’m done with you, you won’t be able to walk.”
Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 31