Dark Destiny (Dark Brothers Book #4)

by Botefuhr, Bec

I continue giggling, and both girls stare at me oddly. I put up my hands, control myself and say, “Don’t look at me, you know I love Maggie, and I love you Jenny, there is no way I’m getting between this.”

  “But you and Ace, you’re like BFF’s….has he said anything.”

  I pretend to zip my lip. “I’m not betraying his trust Jen, you know I won’t.”

  “So he has said something!” she cries.

  “Go and talk to him,” I offer.

  “You suck Willow!”

  I grin. “Yeah, totally.”

  We all talk for the next two hours, about men, work, and children. When the girls leave, I slump down into the couch with a sigh. Cody comes out of his room just as I get comfortable. Giving him a smile, I crook my finger and he runs over, leaping onto my lap. I spend the next hour cuddling him and Leila. I’m happy, for the first time in a while, things are going so well. I know this is how things were meant to go for me, even if it took a while to get there.

  I also know it’s time to get some planning underway for the project me and the guys have been planning for Jagger in the past few weeks.

  I just hope he likes it.

  CHAPTER 11

  WILLOW

  “Baby,” Jagger murmurs as he nuzzles into my hair later that evening.

  I smile, gripping his face and pressing my lips to his, he smells amazing like grease and Jagger and everything perfect mixed in one edible package. I've contemplated telling him about today, but I'm not sure how he'll take the news of Maggie and Ace. I know Jagger loves his sister, I know he's protective of her and Ace is his best friend, so I really don't know how that will go down. I mean, if it was my sister, I suppose I can understand. I know that he’ll be worried she’ll get hurt, but you can’t choose love for someone. Even I know that. It picks who it wants to pick, and it does what it wants to do. If Ace and Maggie are meant to be, it will happen. If Ace and Jenny are meant to be, that will happen too.

  I decide to at least ask him how his day is, before dropping that bombshell on him. “How was your day?” I ask, pressing myself against him.

  He grips my chin, pressing his lips to mine and running his tongue along my lower lip. My body trembles with the feeling of him being pressed up against me. Jagger keeps me alive. He keeps my body alive, heck, he just keeps everything alive. Without him, I honestly don't know how we would have ever gotten through what we have. That's what love’s about. It’s about good, bad, beautiful, ugly and everything in between. No one ever gets married honestly believing it will all be for the better, hell, there’s a reason the vows add in worse too. Because no one’s life is always on the better side, we all have our fair share of worse.

  Jagger searches my face with those dazzling blue eyes, then he murmurs, “Good, it’s strange though, everyone is looking at me like I’m about to bust a valve and explode at them.”

  “Well, you were in a bad place last time you were there, now you’ve gone back and magically, you’re better.”

  “I know, but fuck, I smile and they all jump like I’m about to pull out a knife and go crazy on their asses.”

  I chuckle, rolling my eyes. “Well, you were kind of mean before.”

  He grins. I grin back. We understand each other.

  He leans close, brushing his lips across mine. “I get that, but, I mean…come on, there's no need to look at me like that.”

  “Baby,” I say, chuckling. “Give them time, it will get better.”

  He wiggles his brows at me playfully, pulling me close and tangling his fingers into my hair and pulling me down for a kiss so hot my body comes alive. When he pulls back, I have to grip the counter to steady myself. He winks at me, then digs into his pockets and throws his keys down, followed by his phone, before he walks around the counter to the fridge. Now or never, Willow. He needs to hear about Maggie and Ace, at least that there might be a Maggie and Ace, I don’t want him to be kept out of it, it won’t do him any good. Honesty. It’s the best policy, right?

  “So,” I say, stretching out the word. “Jenny came by today.”

  “Yeah?” he says, pulling a beer from the fridge.

  “Yes,” I say, not sure how to approach this. “Her and Ace are having problems.”

  “Oh yeah, what sort of problems?”

  I wave my hand. “Oh you know, the usual girl meets boy, boy meets girl, girl is not sure she wants boy, boy wants girl, girl starts playing games…”

  Jagger turns and raises his brows at me, “Say again? I didn't get any of that.”

  “Well, here's the thing, Ace may or may not be seeing someone else.”

  Jagger stops drinking his beer, lowering it to give me a confused look. “Since when?”

  I shrug and feel color rise into my cheeks. “Well, since, maybe, I don't know, yesterday.”

  Jagger raises his brows. “Yesterday?”

  I shift uncomfortably and stare at my hands. “Look, I am not sure how to explain this, so I’ll just come out with it. Ace has someone else…kind of…and I know who.”

  Jagger walks over, gripping my face, forcing me to look at him. “Baby you're not telling me everything, what’s the truth? Just spill it.”

  I chuckle nervously. “Well, I am, but you won’t like the truth.”

  “How about you tell me, so I can decide if I will like it or not.”

  I swallow. “So, you know Maggie’s back in town and…”

  Jagger drops the beer on the countertop, spinning around and storming towards the front door. He grips his keys off the countertop as he brushes past it. I rush over, gripping his shoulders and pulling him back.

  “Baby, stop, let me talk to you about this before you lose your shit.”

  He spins on me, his eyes are wild, his glare crazy. He opens his mouth and rasps out “Don't fucking tell me not to lose my shit, that is my sister, that is my best friend, and nobody thought to tell me?”

  I grip his shoulders, shaking him little. “Listen, you need to calm down. This isn't how it looks, for now, they’re just friends.”

  “Then why the fuck did you tell me about it?” he growls.

  I frown. “Well, because I wanted you to know. I wanted you to know they were hanging out, I thought that maybe you could support your sister.”

  He gives me a skeptical look, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms. “Are you using my guilt to try and get me to back down and let Maggie and Ace do what they want? ‘Coz it don’t fuckin’ happen like that, Willow, you know that.”

  “No, that's not it. It’s just you told made that you wished things were easier for her, that she could have a chance to live. Ace could be that chance, they have connection Jagger, they really do, and I think that you need to back off. I think that you need to let this one go, honey.”

  “She’s my sister, she’s all I have, Willow. She’s everything that I have left in my family. I can't just let it go. Ace is no good.”

  “That's not fair Jagger, that's not fair and you know it. You weren't any good, but I gave you a chance. How is it fair for you to say that Ace is no good, he’s your best friend and he’s a good person.”

  “And that's exactly why I know he's no good, Willow. I know because he is my best friend. I know because I've seen what he's capable of. I know these things because I’ve been around him longer than any of you. You need to trust me on this one. She’s too good for him, to perfect, he will fuck her up.”

  I cross my arms and snap, “I was the one girl that probably would never suited you, but you know what? It worked. I think you need to give them a chance. I think you're overreacting and jumping the gun. I think that you’re just trying to protect something that really doesn't need protecting. Maggie is a big girl, she’s grown, she’s beautiful, she’s smart. I think Ace could be her saving grace, I really do.”

  “You don't know Ace, don't know him like I do,” he grumbles.

  I cross my arms and tap my foot. “I do know Ace, Ace is my best friend Jagger, and I know what he's like.”

 
“I think you're wrong, Willow,” he growls, dropping the keys and storming back into the kitchen. He picks up his beer and tips it down his throat angrily.

  “Jagger,” I say, walking over. “Just give them a chance. There is nothing even going on right now, but he needs a chance to get something going on, let him have that chance.”

  “You're asking me to let my sister fall into the hands of a gang member.”

  I softly say, “You let me fall into the hands of a gang member, and look where ended up. I'm fine, Jagger. I’m happy.”

  He spins on me, his eyes wild, “You have been nearly killed, you have been kidnapped, you have been treated horribly by your husband. Don’t you try and tell me this life is good, Willow. ‘Coz it’s not. You deal, because you’re amazing. Maggie isn’t that kind of person, she’s too sweet. It’s a mistake.”

  “I think you're wrong, I think that Maggie knows what she wants to be. He's just what she needs. Maybe she needs a bit of danger, she’s so perfect, so uptight, so hoity-toity. I think that maybe, just maybe, he could be the best thing for her.”

  “There’s no fuckin’ point in me arguing. You’re gonna support them no matter what I say. What about your sister? Where’s the loyalty for her?”

  I cross my arms and glare angrily at him. “My sister played games, my sister put herself in this situation. I don’t think Ace is right for her, not because of what he does, but because of the standards she has set for herself. So don’t throw it back on me.”

  “Whatever,” he grumbles, pulling off his shirt. “Don’t expect me to happy about this, ‘coz I’m fuckin’ not.”

  Then he turns and storms down the hall angrily, his hands clenched. I watch him go, and then I lean my hip against the counter, rolling my eyes. Honest to god, this man will be the death of me. I understand why he doesn't want his sister in the position I’ve been put in, but I think this is a chance she needs to take, and I think he needs to accept that.

  We’ll see.

  At least he knows.

  That’s a start.

  ~*~*~*~*

  WILLOW

  “Do you think he’s going to like this?”

  Ace grins at me, his smile wide and beautiful. “I think he's gonna love it, kid.”

  “I don't know,” I hesitate. “What if he thinks it's too much? What if he gets offended? I don't want him to get offended, Ace, I just want him to understand and see this as a beautiful thing that might help him continue on his path to recovery.”

  Ace crosses his arms, giving me a confused expression. “Kid, you really need to put more faith in your husband. I really don't think this is going to be a problem. It's giving him something to work for, something to fight for. I think that's an amazing thing to have.”

  “I know, but what if it brings up the past?” I say, still a little confused and scared. “What if it brings up all those bad memories for him? He’s just getting better.”

  Ace grips my shoulders. “Willow, I think you're worrying too much. I think this is the perfect thing for him. You need to trust us on this one, girl. You need to understand that this is the right thing, I really think you'll be surprised.”

  I sigh, rubbing my fingers over my arms. “I'm so worried that he will take it the wrong way. We’ve come so far, we've made so much progress, what if it's the one thing that puts him back where he was?”

  Ace steps forward, putting his hands on my shoulders and giving me a little shake, “Willow, you need to calm down. This is the right thing, I promise you, I promise this is how it's meant to go. You need to trust me, you need to trust us, we’ve known Jagger a long time and I honestly wouldn’t do this if it wasn't the right thing.”

  I nod, giving him a half smile. “I trust you, Ace. You know I do, I trust the boys, and you know that I will go through with this, but you can't blame me for being apprehensive.”

  “I can’t, because I know what you've been through. Fuck, I saw what you went through. I know why you worry, but I would never do something that would let you down.”

  I nod, giving him my final reassuring look. I hope to god he's right. I really do. I don't know how this is going to go, it’s something we've been planning for the last week. It’s something we've been putting together, in hopes that Jagger might find something to get him through the last of his problems. It’s fighting ring. We had it set up for Jagger to run for abused children, to give them a place to go, to learn to defend themselves, or to just get away.

  So many of them come from abusive homes, most are beaten by family members or friends, and have no way to defend themselves. I have all faith that my husband has what it takes to be able to save and help these children. Even if at first, he might not see it. It will give him something to focus on, something to help him to move forward with his life. I only hope that fighting doesn't bring back bad memories for him. I don't want him to be reminded of Mick, or feel like he’s suffocating again.

  “Yo, Willow, it’s ready,” Rusty says, running towards me. “Is the boss here yet?”

  I shake my head. “He's not here yet. I think he’s late. I will bring him in when he arrives.”

  “All right, see you in there!”

  The guys all head into the large warehouse, that’s been fitted out with top of the line fighting equipment. It’s also set up as a shelter, with a room that contains beds and a bathroom, for those who need to get away or escape. They’ll all be able to contact Jagger, and he’ll have their backs if need be. It’s not a gang, but it’s giving him a chance to still live on the edge, and that’s something he needs. I hear gravel crunching, and turn to see Jagger’s truck pulling up. When he leaps out and walks over, I give him a wobbly smile.

  “Baby,” he murmurs. “What’s going on? I thought something was wrong after the text message that you sent me.” He looks around at the massive warehouse. “What is this place? Tell me what’s goin’ down?”

  I take his hand, “Just trust me, honey. I've got this all figured out, just come inside. I've got a surprise for you.”

  He tilts his head and stares at me. “What surprise? Is it a good surprise?”

  I giggle nervously. “Well, you will either hate or love me for it. God, I hope you love me for it.”

  “The fuck is goin’ on, Willow?”

  “Just trust me.”

  I lead him towards the warehouse, he lifts his eyes and stares at the massive structure. When we step inside, he freezes as his eyes take in all the fighting equipment. I squeeze his hand.

  “What. The. Fuck.”

  I know what he's thinking, he can see the fighting ring, he can see the guys, he can see a bunch of young people ranging from the age of eight to the age of eighteen. Some of them have had terrible lives. Others are just beginning the terrible in their lives, all of them though, are on the same boat.”

  Jagger’s still stiff, his body rigid, his eyes scanning the room. Oh god, I think this is the wrong move. We've made the wrong decision. I grip his hand, stroking my fingers over the back of it. “Jagger listen to me. I know what you’re thinking right now, but let me explain…”

  He cuts me off with a growl and turns to me. “What, is, this?”

  I swallow and continue. “Before you get mad, it's not what you think.”

  “What is it then?” he growls.

  “It's a fighting ring, boss,” Ace says coming up behind me. “It's a fighting ring for you to be able to share your experience with these kids, to help them, to teach them, to give them a place to go when they have nowhere else. We did this for you, because you’ve given us everything you have to give, it was our turn to return that. I know you felt powerless on that island, I know that you struggled because you couldn’t make a difference. Now, you can. These kids have nothing. Most are from abused homes. They don’t know how to defend themselves, they don’t have anywhere to run when they’re afraid. That’s what this is here for. You can fight, boss. You’re the best fighter I know. You can teach them. You can be their role model. You can be the plac
e they run when they’re all out of options.”

  Jagger eyes glisten over, I watch them go from red to white and I know he's emotional. I know it hits him hard, I know what he must be thinking. He must be thinking that how could we have come up with this without him knowing? He must be thinking that he's not the right person for this; the emotions on his face tell me he's confused. He's torn, he doesn't know if he's capable of being what these kids need.

  As if hearing my thoughts, and Jagger’s, a young, gangly boy walks over, his hair is a mass of blond curls and his eyes are as blue as the sky. He’s only about ten years old. He stops in front of Jagger, looking up at him, his eyes wide and in awe. He reaches out, offering Jagger his hand, I watch Jagger stiffen, but a second later his body softens towards the young boy, and he takes his hand. I know what he's feeling right now. He can see the pain in his boys eyes. He knows this boy has had a hard life. He knows that when he steps into this, that he's going have to deal with that.

  “My name is Jonathan,” the boy begins. “I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I don't have anything, I don't get to go to school, I don't get to have friends, I have nothing. You, giving me this, I can learn how to fight. I can learn to make my daddy not hit me anymore. All I want is a chance.”

  I smile down at Jonathan. Okay, we may have told him to say something along those lines. The fact is though, that it is the truth. Jonathan really doesn’t have anything. He has no friends. He has no life. His father beats him. Jagger is a ray of sunshine, a hero, something to believe in. These kids need him. Jagger makes a rasping sound, and turns to face me. He grips my face, his blue eyes searching my expression.

  “You all did this for me?” he asks.

  “We did, Jagger. This is our gift to you, for everything you have ever done for us. I believe in you, baby. I believe in this. I know that you have it in you. You can change these kids’ lives.”

  “What if I fail them?” he whispers in a voice so small I can barely hear it.

  I grip his face, forcing him to keep his eyes on me. “This is everything you are. I know that you've had a bad experience with fighting, I know that you probably don't condone fighting, but the point of the matter is that you are good at it and they need that. They need a role model, they need to be able rely on somebody, they need to trust, they need to understand, they need to have somewhere to run. They need an escape, and you, Jagger, are their escape. I believe in you. I'm know you can do this. You might not have been able to help the girls on the island, but you can help these guys.”