Chapter Twenty Three
“Are you alright?” Marc asked when he saw how pale Bailey was. They stood in front of what once had been Bailey’s apartment and flower shop; he eyed Marc and softly said, “I’m fine. It’s just. I don’t know. It’s hard to comprehend.” “I managed to hired contractors, and they start tomorrow. If you still want, then the shop could be operational in about three months,” Marc informed Bailey.
Bailey wasn’t sure if opening the shop again was worth risking his life. As long as they didn’t know who was after him, he would be in danger. Bailey also knew that Marc would assign him a bodyguard until they found the one who was after him.
Bailey sighed. Did he want to reopen the shop again? He didn’t know. Then there was the antique shop, Vintage Treasures, which had been Brendan’s antique shop. Maybe he would continue with that. Ah, who was he kidding? Bailey didn’t know modern stuff from antiques if his life depended on it.
“Right now, I’m not sure if I want to reopen the flower shop again,” Bailey finally confessed. Marc put his arm around Bailey; he said, “It doesn’t matter. Take all the time that you need. When the shop is ready, and you want to continue to sell flowers, then you do so. If not, that’s okay too. Whatever you decide, follow your heart.” “Wise words,” Bailey smiled. “Well, I do have my moments,” Marc grinned. “Let’s go,” Bailey said.
“A package has arrived for you,” said Byron as he pointed to the dining table. Bailey looked and saw the small brown package. He took it and eyed it from every side. “Aren’t you going to open it?” Marc said. Bailey looked thoughtful, but then he opened the kitchen drawer and took the scissors.
When Bailey opened the package, he peered inside and saw a book. It wasn’t the book that shocked him, but the words he read, ‘Emily’s diary.’ What the hell? “What is it, baby?” Marc asked. Bailey didn’t reply; instead, he took the diary and showed it to Marc and Byron, who had joined him.
“It looks like your mother kept a journal, which might answer a lot of your questions,” Byron said. Bailey nodded; he was curious, and at the same time, afraid. Afraid that he might come across things that weren’t meant for him to know. “I’m not sure if I should read it because it is something so personal,” Bailey said.
“That’s true, but your mother is dead, and someone wanted you to have this diary. The question is, why? Your mother died five years ago in a car accident. You moved to Madison Valley three years ago. So, why now. Why send you the journal now and not directly after she died?” Byron softly said. He had used a low and calm tone because Byron knew how sensitive Bailey was when it concerned his mother or his brother.
“Yes, why now?” Bailey replied because that thought had crossed his mind too. “My mother never spoke of my father. She never told me who my father was. Whenever I asked, she was evasive and never gave me a straight answer. Well, now I understand why she never mentioned who my father was. I wouldn’t have mentioned it either,” Bailey softly said.
Marc gently stroked Bailey’s cheeks with the back of his fingers; he said, “Why don’t you go somewhere quiet so you can read your mother’s diary.” Bailey looked up, and their eyes locked; he said, “I want to go to the orchard if that’s alright.” “Of course, it’s okay,” Marc replied. Bailey asked because he knew that someone must be with him as long as his life was in danger.
“I’ll go with you,” said Keith, who just had entered the house. Vintage Treasures was reopened, but only in the morning hours. Marc kissed Bailey on the cheek and watched him and Keith walk through the sliding doors. “He will be fine,” Byron assured his brother. Marc nodded, but he wasn’t entirely convinced.
Marc and Byron sat on the deck when Bailey and Keith walked up to them, and Marc didn’t like Bailey’s expression; the man looked haunted. Keith’s face was unreadable. “I need to talk to you,” Bailey softly said. “Okay,” Marc replied. Bailey looked uncomfortable; he finally said, “In private, please?”
“What is it that gave you that haunted look in your eyes,” Marc said when he had closed his bedroom door. Bailey bit his lip. “I want to read a part of my mother’s diary to you. If that’s okay.” Bailey’s voice was so soft that it was a near whisper, but Marc had heard him. “Of course, it’s alright, but only if you’re sure. I know that a diary is very private,” Marc replied.
Bailey didn’t comment; instead, he opened the diary and started to read out loud.
July 16, 1994
Today I saw Mario kill my dear brother Nathan. He didn’t know that I was home because I should have been visiting my mother. However, my mother was away for a few days to see her sister. So, I was home and decided to get some fresh flowers from the garden.
That’s when I saw Mario and Nathan, they were arguing, and they didn’t know that I was there as well. Suddenly, Mario had a gun, fired, and my dear brother died right then and there. It was horrible, and I knew that I couldn’t stay married to this man any longer.
July 22, 1994
Today I told Mario that I had seen what he had done and that I would leave him because of it. Even though Mario killed my beloved brother, which broke my heart, I can’t hate him. I feel terrible because of my feelings for him. I still love Mario, and that will probably never change. There’s nothing that I can do about my feelings, but I can distance myself from him.
July 23, 1994
As expected, Mario isn’t planning on letting me go, but I was adamant.
Bailey stopped and looked at Marc. “My father killed my uncle? How bad is that? I mean to murder his own family because my uncle was family, right?” “I guess so,” Marc replied cautiously. “Did you read the rest?” Marc asked. Bailey shook his head. “No, I wanted to do that together with you. I love Keith like a brother, and I do trust him, don’t get me wrong, but I want you by my side when I read the rest,” Bailey explained. “I feel safe with you,” Bailey added when he saw Marc’s expression.
Marc smiled, “I’m honored and flattered that you think so highly of me, Bailey,” he replied before he leaned toward Bailey and kissed him on the lips. It was a light touching of lips, and Bailey wouldn’t even call it a real kiss, but he liked it very much.
The urge to push the man onto the pillows and kiss the living daylights out of him, but the need to read a bit more from the diary was bigger. So, Bailey started reading again.
September 3, 1994
It took me a while to collect myself and face the fact that I abandoned two of my children.
I have settled in at my new home, and I need to get my life back on track for Brendan and Bailey, my precious boys. It nearly killed me that I had to leave my two other precious boys behind, with their father. That was Mario’s demand; I was allowed to leave, but only when Robert and Fabian stayed with him. How do they call it? Oh, yes, the heir and the spare.
When I left them, a piece of me died, and it felt like my soul was ripped into pieces; I will never be whole again, life will never be the same again. I have to go on because I still have two boys that need their mother. Robert and Fabian need me as well, but I can’t be there for them, and that hurts so much.
October 9, 1994
As of today, Bailey and Brendan will carry my maiden name as their last name. From now on, they are called Brendan and Bailey Hatcher, no more Delossantos, no more violence! Mario agreed to change Brendan and Bailey’s last name into Hatcher only because he had Robert, his heir, and Fabian his spare. Mario told me that if anything happened to Robert, Fabian would take his place, and he would be trained to be his successor.
Even though I went along and agreed to leave Robert and Fabian with Mario, I have the intention of getting them away from him as soon as I can. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ll try anyway. The man has no feelings whatsoever, none. Right now, I’m afraid that he will come back and take Brendan and Bailey from me. But I swear to God, I will kill him if he makes that mistake.
October 12, 1994
Brendan and Bailey are settling in just fine, but th
ey still ask where their daddy is. I have to lie to them, and that makes me feel bad because Mario will always be their father, whether I like it or not.
Damn Mario Delossantos, I wish that I had never met that man. Then again, I wouldn’t have four beautiful sons, and that’s the only good thing that came out of our marriage.
Chapter Twenty Four
“How are you feeling?” Marc asked when he saw Bailey sitting under the apple tree. When Bailey wasn’t in the house, Marc knew that Bailey was in the garden, in the orchard to be precise. The man loved the quiet and serenity the orchard provided.
Bailey looked up, and once again, Marc was stunned by the beautiful, big, warm green eyes that gazed at him. “I don’t know. My thoughts and feelings are all over the place. I’m angry, confused, sad, and so much more,” Bailey softly replied.
“Alright, baby. I’ll leave you be. If you need anything, just let me know, okay?” Marc said and was about to turn and walk away when Bailey asked him to stay. “Are you sure? I don’t feel offended if you want to be alone for a while to gather your thoughts,” Marc said in a gentle tone.
Bailey shook his head because he didn’t want to be alone; he wanted Marc to keep him company. He felt like he could tell Marc everything, Bailey didn’t understand it, but he trusted Marc completely. He trusted Marc even more than he trusted Keith, and that thought made him frown.
“You’re thinking too hard, baby,” Marc chuckled when he saw the expression on Bailey’s face. “It’s nothing,” Bailey said. Marc nodded; he said, “Did you continued with your mother’s journal after I left?” “No, I couldn’t. I need time to digest everything that I have read so far. Plus, it still feels like I violate her privacy. It’s strange because I know that she’s dead, but still,” Bailey replied.
Marc sat down beside Bailey and considered him for a while. The man had integrity, and Marc liked that in a person, especially if it was a person that he more than liked. It was then that Marc knew that he was falling for Bailey Hudson. Yep, he was falling hard, and that thought hit him like a freight train.
“I like being with you,” Bailey quietly admitted. “I like being with you too,” Marc replied, and it was true. He didn’t want Bailey for a one-night-stand; Marc didn’t like meaningless sex with strangers. No, Marc needed to have feelings for the man he slept with, and he was rapidly developing feelings for Bailey. Marc didn’t fight it anymore because there was no need. Bailey wasn’t Fabian Copely, so Marc could give in to his feelings for the man.
He’d never thought to get a second chance at love, but here it was, in the form of Bailey Hudson. Marc’s phone rang; it was Byron. “Hey,” Marc said when he answered the call. There was no greeting from Byron; instead, he said, “Your work phone keeps ringing; it must be urgent.” “Alright, thanks for the heads up,” Marc replied, then he excused himself as he headed for the house.
Marc wondered who it could be because only a few people had that particular number. He went inside the house and into Byron’s study. The man still was searching for more information about Bailey and the Delossantos Family. To find out the connection between Bailey and the mob family hadn’t really shocked Marc, but he was slightly rattled by it, nonetheless.
The moment Marc neared the study, he heard the phone ringing; shit, what the hell? “Hello,” Marc said cautiously. “Hey, old friend,” said a familiar voice. Marc frowned because this was Lucas, and he never called, especially not on his work-related cell phone.
“Hey, my friend, how are you?” Marc asked, keeping his tone neutral because he didn’t know why Lucas called him. It could mean that they had tortured him for information and were tracing him right this minute. They didn’t have numbers saved on their work phones; it was too dangerous. Then again, Lucas would never betray him; Marc thought the same; he would never give up Lucas’ number, no matter what.
“Long time no see, can we meet?” Lucas said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Sure, where?” Marc replied; he was curious if Lucas knew where he lived. “The Flower shop parking lot,” Lucas said. Of course, Lucas knew where he lived, just as he knew where Lucas lived.
Marc and Lucas had become friends after Marc had saved Lucas’s life. Someone had assigned both Lucas and another hitman to kill the same person. Lucas had been faster, and that had enraged the other hitman. If Marc hadn’t been at the right place at the right time, the scumbag would have shot Lucas in the back.
Then, both men clicked off, ending the call. At the questioning look Byron gave him, Marc informed his brother that another assassin, a friend of Marc’s, was in town and wanted to meet with him. He also told Byron his suspicion that more trouble might lay ahead of them.
Marc went into the garden and straight to the orchard, where he knew he would find Bailey. Bailey smiled when he saw Marc approach, but his smile vanished when he saw the man’s expression. “What’s wrong?” he questioned, and Marc could hear the worry in the man’s voice.
“Everything is fine, a friend called, and he wants to meet, so I’ll be gone for a few hours. Byron is here, and Keith is on his way too. So you’re safe.” Marc cupped Bailey’s face and kissed him gently on his soft lips. This time, however, Bailey didn’t let him go so easily. He wrapped his arms around Marc’s neck and demanded entrance.
Marc was surprised but parted his lips, and their tongues slowly danced around each other. Bailey softly moaned, which made it even harder for Marc to leave the man. As it was, he had no choice because Lucas wanted to talk to him, which meant trouble most of the time. Marc gently pulled away from Bailey’s full, soft lips and chuckled when the man protested.
Marc drove to the parking lot and found a vacant slot at the edge. He stayed in the vehicle because he knew that Lucas was already there and had seen him. The man would come to him, so Marc waited. It took about ten minutes before Lucas opened the door on the passengers’ side of Marc’s car and slid onto the seat.
“So, how are you doing? You like living here in Madison Valley?” Lucas questioned. “Yeah, it’s okay. It’s nice and quiet, and that’s exactly how I want it,” Marc replied. “How about you? Are you still in the business?” Marc asked. Lucas nodded. “Yep, still love what I do,” Lucas grinned.
Marc decided that they had exchanged enough pleasantries; he said, “So, what brings you to Madison Valley?” “The assignment that you refused,” Lucas replied without missing a beat. “Care to enlighten me?” Marc said. “I refused that same assignment,” Lucas said, which stunned Marc. “Are you kidding me? Why?” Marc questioned. “Just like you, I only kill those who deserve to die. As far as I know, Keith is a decent person. And I don’t understand why they gave us that assignment. They know that we don’t kill innocents,” said Lucas.
“Something isn’t right; I have a bad feeling about it. But that’s not why you’re here,” Marc said. Lucas shook his head. “No, there’s someone who took the assignment, and he is on his way to Madison Valley, as we speak,” Lucas informed Marc. “Are you kidding?” Marc shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was. He knew that they would send another assassin after Keith.
“Do you know who?” Marc questioned because he knew most of his, well, colleagues. Lucas sighed, and Marc knew that when the man sighed, it was a bad sign. “Bobby,” Lucas answered. Marc knew that Bobby took every assignment that he could get; the man had no scruples. “Well, thanks for the heads up. I need to take precautions to not only keep Bailey safe, and even though he’s a former FBI agent, Keith needs protection as well,” Marc said.
“Looks like you need some help, my friend,” Lucas said. Marc knew that, too, because for him to guard both Bailey and Keith would be impossible. “If you’re okay with it, then I could help you guard Keith and Bailey. Plus, we could hunt Bobby down so that I can kill him,” Lucas said.
Marc looked thoughtful because then he had to let the man stay at his home as well. It didn’t matter, though, because Marc suspected that Lucas already knew where he lived. “I know where you live. Nice house, large property, bea
utiful orchard,” Lucas grinned. Marc smiled too; of course, Lucas knew; Marc also knew where Lucas lived or where the man had his apartment. Lucas was seldom home. Marc knew that Lucas would settle down eventually.
Marc drove away from the parking lot. Lucas would follow him. They had agreed that Lucas would help guard Bailey and Keith and that together, they would find and kill Bobby. Now, all Marc had to do was inform Byron, Keith, and Bailey. That was, of course, an opportunity to tell Keith that someone was after him. That someone wanted to see him dead.
Assassins the Florist Book One Part One Page 14