Defying Fate (21 page)

“Uncle Marty is a member of the Lost Souls. I asked daddy to help me, and he turned to Uncle Marty and come to find out it didn’t take much to find some things out about Little Miss Happy Pants. It was just luck this Dominic happened to be a ‘Lost Soul’ himself. Looks like I did you all a favor, this girl is all kinds of messed up.” Her witty comments match her mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

I say nothing; I am just connecting all of the dots. Braxton’s watching me with a close and uncomfortable eye. He has yet to say anything.

I have nothing left, so I let her know what she has done to me. “Do you understand he will most likely kill me? The shit you said earlier, it was all lies. All twisted up, some of what you said, had some merit, but it was the other way around. Dominic hurt me so many times I lost count years ago. Yes, I have a daughter. He took her out of my God damned arms to teach me a fucking lesson about what would happen to me if I tried to leave him again. He killed my brother in front of me to prove another point.” I am hoarse, exhausted and just want to disappear. If going to the authorities would help me, I would have years ago, but there is no escaping Dominic. I realize that now more than ever.

I look over at the silent Braxton and yet, nothing. It pisses me off.

“SAY SOMETHING; don’t stand there just looking at me like you don’t know me. YOU FUCKING KNOW ME.”

Braxton just closes his eyes shutting out the world. He pauses taking several deep breaths. Opening his eyes brimming they are filled with tears. “I’m not sure if I do, do I know you?”

Oh my God, that cut me so deep I doubled over with grief. I let out such a loud cry just because I have nothing left.

Weeping, I struggle to find the right words. “You bastard, never took you for a coward or so damn gullible you would believe her over me. Guess I never knew you either.” My gaze leaves his eyes, they tell me nothing. I wanted to see fear, or hurt or something. The only thing, I see, is cold, piercing brown, lifeless eyes.

Not being able to stay quiet any longer, Liam loses it shouting, “Braxton don’t be a dick. Izzy told you about this guy.”

“Did she? She seems to have left out an important part of the story, the part where she had a daughter. If I knew her, I would have known about a little girl as well.” His words are cunning and void of any emotion as they pierce my heart.

Gasping for an ounce of courage, I’m wallowing in hurt and despair. “What in God’s name would you have wanted me to say? We were just getting to know each other. She is a part of me buried down deep, in time I would have told you, but not while we were just getting to know one another.” Feeling defeated and rejected, I say, “Have you forgotten we have been knee deep in all things Tiffany lately?”

“Izzy, she is the mother of my God damn daughter.”

Is he fucking defending her to me? Well, this pretty much says it all. “I see.” Rubbing at my eyes, hiding the continued tears I have no fight left in me. Nodding, I say, “It’s a good thing she is here with you, good thing you are getting away from me.” Gasping out an agonizing cry, I cover my mouth, and simply say, “Goodbye Braxton.”

I struggle against Liam to get in my car. He is shouting at Braxton, asking if he has lost his fucking mind. Blonde Barbie, known as Tiffany the bitch is smiling from ear to ear trying to console a conflicted looking Braxton. The awkward way, he is standing, makes me sad. It’s not stance you would typically see. His shoulders slouched forward, and his arms are drawn back as if protecting himself. Seeing him like this, it’s a split second I suspend my breathing. His confusion only terrifies me more to a point I should be angry. He should have believed ME. He should be pissed off at HER. Instead, here I am standing here watching Liam defend me all the while I’m on the outside.

Turning away, I was forced to give Liam a hug and had to promise to take care of myself. He wants me to call him at the first sign of trouble. Like I would, telling me he would stop by later, I chuckle. God I hope I am long gone before that happens.

I glanced one last time over my shoulder at the three of them. Liam and Tiffany are in some standoff, screaming at each other. Braxton is off to the side with his phone in his hand, but his eyes gazing but focused on me. His loose posture and heavy stare are, breaking my heart is what it is. I hold his gaze, wanting to remember every aspect of him I can commit to memory, but it’s his killer smile that I will remember the most.

“I love you.” I mouth the words before our gaze is broken as I drive away from him for good.

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW
the hell I made it back to my house. Kara is going to go bat shit crazy when she hears about what happened. Pulling into my driveway, Kara is running down the path.

“Jesus Christ, Liam called me and gave me low down of that shit-storm you just left. He is worried sick about you. It seems Brax got his ass handed to him. Told me he got a few good shots in before he had to deal with his bitch of a sister. Witch took off after some phone call. Liam is coming over as soon as he can.”

She keeps rattling off without stopping to take a breath how disappointed she is in Brax. I’m standing frozen to my spot staring back at her, I’m at a loss for words.

Reaching out I hug her, looking into her worried eyes for a minute longer, I was going to lose it for sure. “Kara, we need to get the hell out of here. If Dominic is here, well, we need to leave.” My throat is sore from all of the pleading and crying, yet I can’t ignore my fear. “He will kill me or worse, he will torture me Kara. Either way, I am going to die.” Her shaking head in denial turns into hugging me so damn tight I can’t breathe.

“Bastard won’t touch you. Liam and I have been talking over the past few days. We have a plan, and it’s going to work.” I can tell by the strain in her voice she is worried, and she should be. Dominic is not a man to double cross, and that is exactly what I’ve done.

I eyed her with curiosity, I had no idea she and Liam were talking about her brother. She hates him as much as I do, but I am still shocked as to my absence involved in the planning of my escape.

“Come on in the house, we can talk. Don’t want to be out in the open any longer than necessary. Don’t have a clue where my brother is, but I sure as fuck don’t want to find out either.” She looks around as she hurries me to the front door of my house.

Walking up to the house, I notice a man on a motorcycle around the corner sitting there observing us. I hold back my scream as my heart is racing, but then I sense he is familiar. Keeping my eyes trained on him, I slowly stop to get my best friend’s attention.

“Kara? Who is the guy on the bike watching us?” Slightly scared and nervous, I point her in his direction.

She sighs lowering her voice to a whisper. “Braxton and Liam have some guys watching us. Just to make sure. It seems like Liam and his biker buddies are helping Brax out with taking care of his girl.” I can see her body tense as she calls me Braxton’s girl.

“Pffft, I’m sure he doesn’t consider me his girl any longer. You didn’t see the way he looked at me. Tiffany painted a pretty convincing picture, and I got to tell you I was disgusted with myself when it was all said and done. He believed her over me.

Not agreeing with what I was saying she held up her hand. “Hey, that is not what I understand. It seems like Liam got to him and set his ass straight. Brax has his head on straight now. As long as you and I are safe, I don’t give a shit right now. Might sound harsh because I know you love his hot body, but honey our safety is more important, and you know it. We can deal with your love feast later. Then I can kick the bitch’s ass for bringing all of this shit on us.” Her anger and frustration mask the worry lines that stretch across her face.

I let out a loud breath. “I lost him and right now you’re right, I can’t deal with all of that. I need to watch my back before I am no longer around to worry about watching my back.” The thought alone sends shivers down my spine.

Sitting inside, Kara begins telling me her and Liam’s plan, and it sucks. They have no clue just how evil Dominic can be, they have never had to outsmart the man like I have.

“This will work, we just need to flush him out and then take him out. Simple.” This is their plan. It not only won’t work, it is just plain stupid not to mention dangerous.

No longer able to sit still, I take matters in my hands and get up to go pack up my stuff. I know what I need to do, it’s simply leave this town and run as fast as I can. No clue where, just need to leave.

My phone starts ringing...

Oh, shit, not now. Braxton!

My stomach rolls and I stop breathing.

What the hell does he want to say to me now?

Not going to find out, the idea of him yelling at me or worse yet, I decline the call and proceed to my room.

It rings once again;

I ‘Decline Call’.

Rings yet again!

Decline yet again.

Aggravated this goes on for a few more times, just when I am about to shut the damn thing off, it rings again and in a moment of frustration I answer it.

“HELLO. What the hell do you want from me Braxton?”

Silence.

Oh God, I don't have time for this bullshit, and I sure don’t need to be yelled at by him. I should be hurt and pissed when it comes to him. Then again, I want nothing more than to hear his voice, a double edge sword.

“Braxt...”

“Hello Izzabella…” The dangerous tone to his voice is like hearing the devil call out your name.

After hearing his voice, I can suddenly listen to the sound of my heartbeat beating in my ears. I drop my phone holding back my scream.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

My mind is a jumbled mess.

How…Wait… The caller ID said Braxton.

I scramble to pick my phone up, but Kara comes barging in my room with her phone to her ear. She mouths to me she has Liam on the line; I look at my phone in my hand and start to cry as I cover my mouth so not to scream bloody murder.

“Liam, what the fuck is going on?” Showing her frustration as she blows the hair from her face, saying, “No, she dropped her phone and looked like she is about to pass out.” She is talking to Liam, but her eyes are dead set on me.

I am mouthing her brother’s name in silence, just moving my lips. She understands me as she leans over to follow my gaze on the floor at my phone.

Looking down at the caller ID she sees that Braxton’s name is on the screen, but then she understood my silent word of her brother’s name. Cocking her head to the side, I can see the moment it registers with her.

“Oh, fuck me. Liam, where the hell is Brax?” Kara almost whispers.

LIAM IS SHOUTING AT
both of us. Well, he’s not really shouting at us, but the man is beyond furious. Once we’d gathered that Dominic had Braxton’s phone, it took no time to realize that none of us has any idea where Braxton is at the moment.

Liam is pacing my living room with some men. I now know they belong to his motorcycle club. I had always known Liam had some sort of association with an MC, but what I had not known was that Braxton was a full member at one time. In recent years, he still had his cut, but it seemed he was not an active member, (whatever that meant). Maybe the situation with Tiffany and Eve had pulled him away from the MC life. But now Liam looks like he is again very active in the club and I presently have several members in my living room trying to come up with a plan to find Braxton. Once a brother, always a brother I have been told.

Sitting wide-eyed, anxiously biting my lower lip, I nervously glance at the bad ass looking men who are planning a military-style rescue mission. I learned that Liam has eyes all across the town on the look-out for Braxton. A flurry of activity is happening as Liam had just received a call from one of his men who recently spotted something out of the ordinary at a nearby hotel and storage area. I’m desperately listening for any news about Braxton even knowing there is a possibility he no longer cares about me. Braxton shouldn’t be in this mess. He sure as hell does not deserve whatever is happening right now at the hands of Dominic. Dominic has some inches on Braxton, but Braxton has a lot more muscle. It’s the way Dominic tortures people that has me terrified even for a man the size of Braxton.