A Kingpin Love Affair: The Complete series(54)
“I know you’ll come for me. I love you too, Izzy,” She whispered into the phone just as my mother’s voice came through the line again.
“What is it, Isabella? Your Poppa will be home soon. I need to finish dinner. You cannot call here again.” Her words were filled with irritation as if I had just ruined her day.
“Вы не хотите Маrsi, она такая нагрузка для вас, то вы не будете возражать мне получить помощь, чтобы получить ее здесь, со мной. Вы услышите от кого-то достаточно скоро, и когда вы делаете, делать все, что они просят вас. Маrsi, будет моя ответственность в настоящее время.” I whispered harshly into the phone right before the line went dead. I was shaking, my own fears and hate coming forward. I felt as if I was being swept out into the ocean. Ahead was a life jacket, but every time I reached for it, it seemed to float further from me.
Minutes ticked by as I sat in the chair, feeling the warmth of the sun against my body. I had an amazing life now, a man who worshiped me, and I was free to do as I pleased. I couldn’t allow these feelings coursing through me to ruin all of the progress I had made.
“Are you okay?” I didn’t even hear the door open behind me as Jared’s voice lingered in my ears.
“If I told you I wanted to save my sister, would you tell me I was crazy?” I asked without hesitation.
“I would say that if that’s something you want to do, if it’s important to you, and it will make the healing easier, then I think you should do whatever you can.” He took a seat next to me, and for some reason, I found myself crawling into his lap. I felt comfort in his arms as I had never felt before, the warmth always covering me like a blanket. It reminded me of where I was. Here. Not there.
“Then let’s try. Let’s talk to Alzerro and see if we can,” I cried into Jared’s shirt. The tears weren’t sad ones, just ones that needed to be released. Ones that I had kept deep inside for so long.
“Whatever you want, Isabella.” He pressed his lips to my forehead and I melted. He was more than I had ever expected, I thought as my last words to mother replayed in my mind, but this time in English.
You don’t want Marci. If she is such a burden to you, then you won’t mind me getting help to get her here with me. You will hear from someone else soon enough, and when you do, do whatever they ask of you. Marci will be my responsibility now.
*
1 year later
“Our anniversary isn’t until Monday,” I said loudly, Jared’s robust voice was rattling through the speakers of our car. I was on my way home from working at the women’s center that I ran with the help of Bree and Tegan. We were offering our support in every way we could. Moral support, therapists, food, clothes, even housing for women who had been raped, kidnapped, or beaten.
I never knew so many women went through what I had been through. To help them healed me in more ways than one. When I learned the stories of Bree and Tegan, I cried. I cried for them, and for me, and for all the things we had all lost. When they came up with this idea, I was apprehensive, not sure I could help someone when I was still taking it day by day. At first, it was hard seeing these broken women every day, but as each day went by, I felt lighter. It got easier. We were all survivors and it fueled me to give them my all in their healing processes.
Bree had recently just come back to work after giving birth to their second child and then taking months off to spend time with both kids. Tegan was a little firecracker, swearing up and down that she wouldn’t let another child rip her vagina apart, but Devon had other plans. You couldn’t see it in his eyes when he looked at his daughter—like he was longing for another child.
The first time I met Devon was at the party Bree and Tegan had thrown for me. It was my ‘Get out of Witness Protection Party.’ He pulled me to the side as everyone chatted and the girls played around us. As soon as we were off to the side where the noise wasn’t overbearing, he pulled me into an embrace.
He told me it was wonderful to meet the woman who gave Jared what he had been missing. I just smiled at him, unsure of what to say as he stared into my eyes. Then he shook his head, as if he remembered a time that he wasn’t very fond of before telling me he was so sorry he was just now officially meeting me, and he hadn’t wanted to overwhelm me since seemingly we were strangers, so he had chosen to wait. Plus, with everything that had happened, everyone thought it was best to wait to introduce us until I was better so I wouldn’t be uncomfortable.
He hugged me again and batted those forest green eyes at me, telling me not to bust Jared’s balls too much. I could tell he was the softest of the three men, but at the same time, you wouldn’t want to cross him either.
Jared was now an exclusive driver, solely for Alzerro and Devon’s teams. He was so much happier now, and that made me happy. He still had his days when he would try to shut everyone out, but then he would look at me and it was like his world altered. Our demons would probably always haunt us, but at least we would never be alone in the darkness to fight them ourselves ever again.
We weren’t married and didn’t have any plans for babies just yet, but who knew what the future held. Right now, we were just in love and together, helping one another put the pieces of our lives back together. We made a promise to each other, and for me that was enough. To me, our promise was just as valid and strong as the bond that a husband shares with his wife. That bond tethers us together in our own special way. Once we both are over the past completely, we will establish our future through marriage… But right now, we are happy where we are, plus we are still very much getting to know each other.