Chapter Thirteen
For the next three months, Jake and his friends worked tirelessly with her father, Bracken, to get rid of the threat to The Family. Every single day they took back businesses that had been infiltrated by Damon Seagus, and with each revelation, they left a trail of bodies piling all the way back to their enemy’s door.
Emily was at their place every single night, waiting for Jake’s return. He always made sure she was heavily guarded with no fewer than four soldiers at any one time. Each night he would come home and tell her everything they had done. This was all after dinner. She spent a great deal of time preparing them food, baking for him to take them into work to share with others. It was probably lame, but she loved doing it. Her father had once told her that it was the small details that helped to create loyalty. Remembering a person’s name, the stuff that was going on in their lives. Jake, he remembered his men and the women that worked for him. He made sure to keep those details of their family close. In return, whenever he was going to one of his businesses, she made sure he took a batch of muffins, cookies, or tray bakes. She could imagine everyone laughing at her, but each night, Jake would come home with a smile on his face.
Food was the key to people’s hearts, or so her mother had said growing up. She believed that you could win everyone’s love through the power of baked goods. Emily had had her doubts, but so far, it seemed to be working.
“I’m shocked,” Charlene said.
“About what?”
Jake was out of the house, but Emily had requested to meet Charlene. She didn’t want there to be any animosity between her and Charlene.
“You inviting me here. You are aware of Jake once having feelings for me, right?”
“Yes, I am. It’s why I wanted to see you, and for you to see that I don’t mind. Jake told me that he thought himself in love with you. You never felt that way about him?”
“I’ve never been attracted to men. I’ve always loved women, and I’m very happy. I did tell Jake this, and I don’t think he loved me. I think he loved the idea of being in love with me. We were never together like that.”
Emily took a seat opposite the woman. They were sitting in the sitting room in Jake’s large house. Over the past few months she had made changes, starting with putting his stamp along with hers on this place, which meant photographs. She made him pose for pictures, and then she made all of his friends pose with him to make a large one. Over the fireplace was one of her and Jake on their wedding day. They both looked nervous as hell, but for her, she wouldn’t have had it any other way. Their wedding day defined them as a couple.
She picked up her cup and took a sip. “You’re his friend, and he loves you like a friend. We don’t know each other, but I would like to extend that friendship to you.”
Charlene frowned, and Emily saw she’d unnerved the other woman.
“You’re not what I expected.”
“It would seem that being Bracken’s daughter seems to come with an element of, erm, spoilt bitch rumors, right?”
The other woman chuckled.
“I’m not a spoilt bitch. Far from it in fact. I don’t even like the sound of it.” She put her cup down. “I’d like you and your partner, and your daughter to come and visit whenever you want. I don’t want you to be a stranger.”
Charlene smiled. “You’re good for Jake. I can see it. You’re going to show him that he is worth something. I even see what you’ve done with the place. Jake never brought me here. He only ever showed me pictures of it. You’ve changed it. The pictures, the colors. Jake has been way too dark for way too long. He’s been trapped in what his father said he should be. I hated that.”
“Jake told you about his father?”
“No. He didn’t. Donnie’s father liked to brag about their sons, and how they had trained them well, to be nothing more than submissive minions. He clearly didn’t keep a good enough eye on his son. His death was one I wish I could have seen.”
Emily saw the darkness in her gaze, and she reached out, taking her hand.
Tears filled Charlene’s eyes, and Emily sat, listening to her.
“Thank you for making him see that there is no turning back. No matter how much he wanted it. I knew he couldn’t … Donnie’s father…” She paused, and took a breath. “He would always brag about dragging down his son. Making it impossible for anyone to leave The Family.”
“I have no intention of leaving, Charlene, and neither does Jake. We’re going to fight this together, because this is our home, this is our family, and I would love for you to be part of it.” She squeezed the woman’s hand, trying to give her comfort. Her mother, Tulip, once said that being the wife of a man’s who held so much responsibility was a tough place. She was part of a mafia family, and with it, she needed to learn to step up with her man, and make sure no one saw him as weak. Behind closed doors, he could drop the veil that hid the truth, and in her arms, he could be free. To everyone else, he was a strong wall, something that couldn’t be broken. Emily had never seen her mother as weak, but sitting in her home right now, she felt that responsibility to her core. Jake needed her just as much as she needed him.
“I’m pleased that he has been able to find that love with you. I didn’t for a second think he loved me. I did believe he was in love with the idea of being in love with me. I offered him something else at the time.” Charlene gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “You’re a good woman, Emily.”
“Thank you. I know Jake is helping to make life better for us.” She had wanted to clear the air between her and Charlene. “In a couple of weeks, I’m hoping to host a barbeque, and you will come, right?”
“I’d love to.”
Once she and Charlene had caught up, Emily made her way out toward the garden, basking in the summer’s heat. She never liked the summer normally, but life just seemed to be that little brighter, and she loved it.
Jake had told her last night after they made love on a rug in front of the fireplace that Damon Seagus was on the run. They had chased him off, and had cut all ties that he’d been making. The Family was once again a force to be reckoned with.
Leaving the garden, she made her way toward the far back near the trees. She turned around, and looked up at the house, loving the beauty that Jake had created for her, for the two of them. Tucking some hair behind her ear, she couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face.
Her mother always told her that a man she finally ended up with would be lucky. For Emily, she truly believed that she had been the lucky one. There was no way she would have married Jake, and yet for her, it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind, a rough hand grabbing her waist as another cupped her mouth.
“I suggest you relish that smile, slut, ’cause I’m about to make your life a fucking misery.” He dragged her toward the house and released her mouth.
The moment her mouth was free, she screamed.
“Good girl, I couldn’t have timed this better myself.” He pressed a gun to her head, ready to shoot.
Her heart started to pound. She had never felt so sick before in her life. Everything seemed to be moving so fast as the men that Jake had put in charge of her safety came out. They all had their guns raised.
“I suggest you put down those weapons before I put a bullet in her fucking head!”
“Get Jake,” she said, screaming out the word.
“Yeah, let’s do that. Let’s go and get Jake. I want a word with the little shits that have been ruining me. My men, my businesses, my everything. They think they can take everything from me.”
“They have,” she said. She closed her eyes and screamed as a bullet rang out. When she opened her eyes again, she saw that one of the men set to guard her had fallen.
“So The Family are back in force, hey?”
“I bet you weren’t anticipating that, were you? No one messes with The Family. No one.”
She would defend her man, her family, everything at all costs.
“Between your little husband, your father, I’ve had e-fucking-nough of this shit!” He fired off another bullet, and a guard fell, this time screaming. “You get that little fucker here now. I want Jake first, and you tell him that he’s going to be without a wife if he’s not here within ten minutes.” He held a cell phone for her to take, and even as her hands shook, she knew Jake’s number.
Dialing the number, she waited for him to answer.
“Who is this?” Jake asked.
“Jake, Damon’s here,” she said.
Damon grabbed the phone from her hand. He had his arm around her neck and was squeezing tightly as he talked. “Jake Carter, if you want your wife to live then I suggest you, and your fucking friends get here now, and swear your allegiance to me. You’re not taking what is mine from me.”
She didn’t know what Jake said, but the pressure on her head was too much. She released a whimper, and he jerked her hard.
“You want to fuck with me. I will take your whore, and make sure you never see her again. I will fuck her up more than any fucking slut. I’ll make sure everyone I come across will use her, taking her again, and again, and again.”
“You’ve got fifteen minutes. If you’re not here, then I start shooting bullets inside her.” Damon ended the call and shot the other two guards so they were on the ground.
Then he released her, and as she went to run away, he grabbed her hair, wrapping the length around his fist, and dragged her down on the floor. She screamed as she was sure some of her hair had been pulled out. He shoved her down and kicked her in her ribs.
“You fucking slut, you fucking whore.” When he went to kick her again, she caught his foot, and made sure he lost his footing.
She wasn’t just any fucking woman. She was her father’s daughter, and not only was she a Carter, she was also a Bracken. This man, this piece of shit had hurt men, women, and children. He had to pay for the damage he had caused, and she was going to be the one to make sure he paid.
Even as he punched her, and hurt her, she clawed at him, determined to make him hurt. She never gave up. Her father had taught her well, and when she grabbed the gun, she took aim and fired.
****
Jake had already been on his way home, his friends not far behind him when he’d told them that the coward they were chasing had his wife, his woman, his fucking soul mate. The rage bubbled up inside him, threatening to take hold.
Parking his car, he climbed out, to hear the gunshot, and then utter stillness.
“Emily!” He screamed her name, rushing through the house, going straight out the back. He found Emily standing in the grass, blood on her legs, her dress torn, coming off one shoulder as she turned toward him.
“Jake!” She cried out his name and started rushing toward him. One of his men wasn’t moving, and the other three were treating leg wounds. He didn’t stick around to assess their damage. He rushed toward his wife.
She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. “I killed him. I had to kill him, Jake. He was going to hurt you, and the others. I couldn’t let him do that. I killed him.”
He cupped her face, pressing kisses to her lips, to her face, to her neck. “I’ve got you, baby. Nothing is going to happen now. I’ve got you.”
“I killed him, Jake.”
Jake looked at the ground and saw the bullet hole under Damon’s chin. She had pressed the gun so close that there was nothing left.
“He was a monster, Jake. You couldn’t swear your allegiance to him.”
“I was never going to, babe. I was already on the way home. I was coming to protect you.” Pressing his lips to hers, he silenced her cries, hoping to give her comfort.
She held onto his arms, refusing to let go.
“It’s fine now. You’re safe now. It’s just the two of us.”
“He killed Ray.”
“I know.” He had seen the fallen soldier on the ground. “It’s over now, though, babe. He’s gone. We’ve got The Family back. Nothing is ever going to hurt you again.” He ran his hands up and down her back, holding her close, comforting her, knowing that it was over. He, Tonio, Luiz, and Donnie had finally done what they had promised they would do. They had made The Family better.
Thirty minutes later, Donnie, Luiz, Tonio, and Bracken arrived. Tulip was also there, and when she tried to take Emily, Jake shook his head. “No, she’s my woman. I’ll deal with her.”
As his friends and parents-in-law took care of the bodies, he took his wife upstairs to their room.
He ran her a bath and helped her out of her dress. Each new bruise he saw, he wanted to tear someone’s throat out. Damon he wanted to kill, but Emily had done that.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling at him. The tears were gone, and she finally reached out to touch his cheek. “Thank you for taking care of me, and not giving me to my mother.”
“I couldn’t let anyone else take care of you. You’re mine, babe. You’re all mine.”
He gripped the back of her neck, and pressed a kiss to her lips.
“He was going to kill you, Jake. I couldn’t let him do that.”
“Thank you. I mean that. Thank you.” He rested his head against hers. “I love you, Emily. Hearing him on the phone, and you cry out. I’ve never been so fucking scared.”
“I’m a strong woman. I told you I’d stay by your side no matter what.”
He kissed her lips again. “Damon is gone. The Family now holds the power, and we’re united with Bracken.”
“That’s good to know.”
“When this mess is cleaned up, I want you to pack a bag,” he said.
“You do? Why?”
“We’re going to finish our honeymoon. I told you the moment we got rid of the threat, I was going to give you what you deserved, what we both deserve.” He cupped the back of her neck and brought her lips close to his. “I love you, Emily. Love you more than I ever thought possible. Charlene called me and said that I was a lucky guy. She thinks you’re beautiful, sweet, and strong. She told me to keep you and never let you go.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m going to do what I knew I would do our wedding night. I’m going to keep you, love you, and make sure you never have a moment of regret.” He loved that smile on her lips, and once he had finished washing her, he helped her out.
He left her to dress and to pack their bags. Heading downstairs, he found everyone waiting for him outside, but Tulip was in the kitchen.
“I want you to make the arrangements for Emily and me to finish our honeymoon on your island,” he said. “If that is okay with you.”
Tulip nodded. “Of course. I’ll make sure you can leave as soon as you’re ready.”
He made to go to the door, and stopped, looking back at her. “I never thanked you for giving your daughter to me.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“I know it wasn’t, but I wanted to thank you for giving her to me. I will love, cherish, and honor her every single day. Not a day will go by that she doesn’t feel loved. I give you my word on that.”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “You mean that?”
“Yes, I do. I love your daughter more than anything.” With that, he made his way outside. The bodies were gone, and the soldiers that had been injured were no longer there.
“Greg, your guy at the casino, knew a guy who could fix them up.”
“I have a feeling Greg needs a raise,” Jake said, smiling.
“You’ve got a good man there,” Bracken said. He blew out a breath. “This is not the first time that Emily has been in danger, but it never gets easier.”
“She’s a fighter. She killed Damon,” Jake said.
His friends turned to him then.
“I taught her how to take care of herself. My only hope was that she was able to do it without freezing up,” Bracken said.
“We’re going on our honeymoon,” Jake said, looking at his friends, his work colleagues, but more importantly, his brothers.
“The threat is gone,” Donnie said.
“Don’t worry, Jake, we can hold down the fort here,” Luiz said.
“We really can,” Tonio said. “You know, this is going to be a lot of fun.”
Jake moved toward his friends and embraced them. Since they were young boys they had fought long, hard, tirelessly to be strong men, better than their own fathers, and to do everything for The Family.
They had rebelled, nearly gotten each other killed, found love, and now they were back. They were in charge, and there was doubt in Jake’s mind. They could live their life, they could all rule The Family, and none of them had to be like their fathers.
Jake finally felt at peace with his decision, with who he was. When someone cleared her throat, and he looked up to find Emily there. In front of their family, he went right up to her, and claimed her as his own. Slamming his lips down on hers, he pulled her in close, knowing that out of everything, he had gotten lucky. He had found a woman that loved him, and he loved her more than anything in the world.
Nothing could take that away, absolutely nothing.