Chapter Ten
When he first got back home from Vegas, Caleb had to deal with sending a message to all the men on their payroll. First, he discovered everything about each of them, especially the men that were close by. He even picked one of their kids up from school and made the man in question meet him in the park, letting him know that he could have buried all of the man’s kids, and to make it a warning to all of them. Fuck with the Carsons, and they wouldn’t just kill them. They would keep the men responsible alive while they tortured every single family member, and only when they were begging for death, hurting in more ways than they could imagine, would they bring death to them. Caleb had a gift for getting the message across.
After that, he was able to relax, knowing that only a stupid fucker would try to test him. Beast was always the first to know whereas Caleb was just the messenger, and he didn’t mind that. He’d never wanted Beast’s role in their world.
The days, weeks, and even months blended together, and throughout it all, Caleb’s life began to change. It wasn’t anything big. Faith stayed in his bed, and was always home when he got there. Hope helped her to catch up on most of her studies. She still had several exams to take in order to actually graduate. Hope and Dwayne already had graduated from high school.
His nephew decided to stick around close to home and go to a local college. He’d also moved out of Beast’s home. At first, he asked to move in with Caleb, but Caleb liked dismissing all of his staff so that he could fuck Faith in every single room of the house. He didn’t like to do that just once either. He enjoyed doing it regularly.
Anne was all for their relationship, and whenever Faith wasn’t around and he stood in the kitchen, she encouraged him to take it to the next level.
“You’ve got to stop your meddling,” he said, taking a grape from the bowl on the counter next to Anne.
She slapped his hand away and he chuckled, moving toward the window to watch as Faith once again replanted another rose bush. She had a love of planting roses. They were her favorite.
“I’m not going to stop until you realize that you love that girl, and that she loves you.”
He turned toward the older woman, who was now chopping up some chicken breasts to put into a salad.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“And you’re both blind. She’s worried because she was a debt. You can’t see past your own nose to what is right in front of you. Both of you are too damn stubborn. Faith could have gone months ago, but she doesn’t. She moved into your room, didn’t she? She sleeps in your bed every single night, and you wake up with her in your arms. That girl does nothing now but smile, and you’re the reason that’s happening.”
“You’re getting way too romantic in your old age.”
“It’s about time you start to realize that you’re lovable, Caleb Carson. Faith is a one of a kind woman. She can handle every single part of you. The soft parts and the hard parts.” She finished the salad and served them up. “One day I want to have little Calebs and Faiths running around. You’d make the cutest kids in the world.”
He took the salad and joined Faith in the garden. She washed her hands and sat at the table with him.
Caleb watched her. Her dark hair was pulled back, and she no longer tried to hide that scar, not that he minded. Her scar never bothered him.
He always found her to be utterly breathtaking.
Like now, he could just sit and watch her. She gave him peace when nothing else could.
“Are you happy here?” he asked.
“I’m starting to get a complex with how often you ask that. Do you expect a different answer?”
He chuckled. “You’re right. I just … you don’t have to stay here if you don’t want.” He didn’t like how his chest seemed to tighten, and there was a spike of pain rushing through him at the thought of her leaving.
Caleb couldn’t ever remember wanting someone with the kind of passion he felt for Faith, and this wasn’t just about bout sex either. This was about something far more.
For a long time, he’d been denying his feelings for her. He didn’t like to get attached to people. When he was younger, he’d found some kittens in an old barn, and brought them home. He took care of them for eight weeks. Then one day he came home, and found they were missing. His father taught him a stern lesson that day as he’d drowned each one of the kittens in the bath, and made Caleb clean them up.
On that day, he’d vowed never to love, never to want, and yet, he sat before a woman who threatened that vow.
“I like it here, Caleb. I like being with you, and I don’t want to leave. Please … don’t make me.”
Staring at her, he remembered feeling so hopeful over those kittens. He wasn’t going to be his father. He refused to be like that bastard.
“I’m not going to make you go. I don’t want you to leave.” He got up from his chair and cupped her face. “I love you being here.”
He dropped a kiss to her lips and made his way into the office.
Taking a seat behind his desk, he dropped his head into his hands, knowing that if he wasn’t careful, he was going to fuck up. For a long time, he’d not let anyone in. Life had been easier being alone.
Opening his eyes, he stared at the picture on his desk. It was one of Faith in the garden. She wore a white summer dress, one that she hated and Anne made her wear. He’d thrown some water on her, and she’d attacked him right back. They’d had a water fight. He was standing with Faith, and they were both laughing. Anne had taken the picture, and as he stared at the two of them, he saw that he was in love, that he’d fallen for her.
He would do everything in his power to protect her.
Yes, he loved her. There was no denying that.
The life he lived was a dangerous one, but he’d make sure that she was always protected.
For the rest of the day, he had to take care of some business with Beast. His brother was on cloud nine with the birth of his child, and Caleb had to listen as he showed pictures.
“You’re in a miserable mood,” Beast said.
“Doesn’t it bother you that both Hope and your kid are at risk every single day?” He turned toward his brother.
“It does, Caleb. It’s why I make sure she’s protected at all times. I love Hope. I’m just too much of a selfish bastard to let her go. You can have Faith, you know. You can live in this life, and you can protect her.”
“It’s too much risk.”
“No, it’s really not. I know our father did a number on you. He took everything that you’ve ever cared about away from you. It’s given you this complex that you can’t have anything without something being taken. Our father’s dead and gone. You can have what you want, Caleb. It all depends on how hard you want to fight for it. If you want Faith with every single fiber of your being, then you’ll make it work. If you don’t, you’ll get rid of her.”
Later that night, Caleb lay in bed with Faith in his arms. She was sleeping soundly. He listened to her breathing as he stroked her hair.
Happiness was not something he was … used to. Or feeling content.
He’d killed more men than he could count on both of his hands.
Letting Faith go seemed like the safest option, and yet the pain he felt at the thought of letting her go was not something he wanted to think about.
He couldn’t let her go, even if it meant she was safe.
Caleb loved having her in his life where her smiles were all his. Sleeping at night without her would be torture. He loved the way she snuggled up against him, and if she wasn’t on her cycle, he’d be deep inside her as he slept.
Her stomach had been hurting her when he’d climbed into bed, and he’d stroked her until she fell asleep.
Caleb closed his eyes as he heard the first creak.
All of his senses went on high alert. No one should be coming up his stairs. Slowly, easing out from underneath Faith, he reached into his bedside drawer and grabbed his gun. Faith released a sigh, and he glanced over at her. She rolled, pulling the blanket over her.
Whoever was coming to his bedroom wasn’t supposed to be here.
****
Faith sat in Caleb’s study waiting for him to arrive. She’d woken up several hours ago to Caleb attacking an intruder. The man had been holding a gun, and for a few seconds she’d been completely scared that Caleb would get killed. He’d overpowered the man, and now Beast was there, and they were in the basement. She’d spotted the cleaning van that had already arrived. She sipped at the strong brandy she’d poured herself, waiting.
She hated waiting.
Whoever the man was, he’d killed one of the guards on the door. There were supposed to be two, so she knew without a doubt that someone was about to have a very bad night, or at least morning.
She turned toward the door when she heard it open, and there her man stood. He’d gotten changed into sweats, and he looked … angry.
Getting up from her seat, she held the glass in her hand, and waited. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Am I okay?”
She frowned. “Yes.”
He chuckled. “A man attacked us and you were in danger, but you want to know if I’m okay?”
“It’s a perfectly reasonable question.”
“No, it’s not. You see, Faith, you’re supposed to want a normal life and have one yourself. You’re not supposed to be woken up in the middle of the night because I’m pounding the life out of someone.” Caleb threw his hand out, his actions jerky and angry.
She watched him, hating that he was feeling this way.
“You’re nearly nineteen. This is the last thing you should have to deal with. You’re supposed to be having fun, living your life.”
“I am having fun, Caleb.”
“You’re not listening.”
“I am listening, Caleb. It sounds to me like you want a reason for me to leave.”
“You should. If you value your life you should stay far away from me. I can’t even take care of kittens. There’s no way that I can take care of you.”
“Kittens?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“I don’t need for you to take care of me.”
He snorted.
“No! You don’t get to tell me how I’m supposed to live a normal life and expect me to listen to all of your supposed ‘good reasons.’ They’re all bullshit, Caleb. Every single one of them. No one has a normal life. No one. They may go to college and have husbands, but there’s no way of defining normal. I grew up with a gambling father. Wow, I mean, I was so worried I even slept with someone so that I knew it would be my choice, that’s how much my life has been fucked up. I’ve gone without food, and I’ve had to lie under my bed while debt collectors came knocking on the door.” She pointed at her face. “I got this because he didn’t pay. What part of my fucking life has ever been normal?”
He went to speak, and she held her hand up. For once she was going to be heard. She wasn’t going to have a man tell her what she was going to do or what she should be doing.
“My father pulled me out of high school, and I didn’t fight him about it because I was tired of always being behind and I hated being the new girl. I hated my life, and I hated him. Then you happened. You came to collect a debt, and he handed me to you. I was so scared. I’d heard about you, but I didn’t know what to expect. Caleb Carson, one of the most feared men in the world, and he … he is the kindest man I have ever known.”
“I killed your dad.”
“I know, and I don’t care. That’s how much my life is fucked up, Caleb. I don’t care. All I know is that when I’m with you, nothing else matters.” She shrugged. “I guess I’m just a bit weird. I don’t know.” This was the biggest chance she had ever taken in her entire life. “If you’re wanting me to leave because you think I’m not happy, or that I’m not safe, then I … I don’t want to go. I love you, Caleb. But if you’re wanting me to go because you can’t stand the sight of me, and you’re wanting another woma—”
“What did you say?”
“That if you want another woman?”
“No, the bit before that?”
“That I love you.”
“I thought you didn’t do love.”
“So did I. I guess I was wrong. I love you, Caleb. I don’t want to go anywhere else. Being with you, it’s the happiest I’ve ever felt.” She held the glass tightly in her fingers.
He took a step closer to her.
“I know you’re not a fan of love.”
“I love you,” he said, stepping right up to her.
She tilted her head back, watching him. “What?”
“I’ve known for quite a while, and I’ve been fighting it, but I love you. All I want is the best for you.”
“There’s no one else that will ever give me better than you.” She placed the glass on the desk and cupped his face. Staring into his eyes, she felt herself get lost within him. “I know this life is dangerous. I trust you. I’ll train. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, but please, don’t send me away because you think it’ll do me good. I don’t want to leave you.”
He gripped the back of her neck, and in the next second, his lips crashed on hers, and she melted against him.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him back with a passion. She didn’t hold anything back, letting him know in her kiss how much she wanted him. Not only did she want him, she craved him more than anything else in the world.
The hand at her neck moved down and gripped her ass. Lifting her up, he placed her on the edge of the desk.
She opened her thighs, moaning as he tore at her panties. He threw them to one side.
Pushing down his sweatpants, she gripped his rock-hard erection. Caleb pressed her back, and she moaned as in the next instant, he filled her.
“You’re all mine, Faith. You had a chance to leave, and now I’m not ever going to let you go.”
“Good. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to stay yours forever.” She cried out as he leaned forward and took one of her nipples. He sucked on the hard bud through her thin negligee.
The pleasure shot straight through to her pussy, and she tightened her grip on him as he rode her hard.
Caleb pushed all of the paperwork off the desk, and she giggled. He moved off her nipple, claiming her lips.
“I love you so fucking much. We’re going to get married.”
“Is that a proposal or an instruction?”
“It’s an order. You’re mine, and we both know you want it.”
Someone knocked on the door.
“Fuck off,” Caleb said.
“Is this a bad time?” a man asked.
“Dwayne, if you don’t leave now, I’m going to shoot your dick off. I’m fucking my soon-to-be wife.”
“I’m gone.”
“Your nephew keeps trying to cock block you,” she said, smiling. How could she not be smiling? The man of her dreams loved her, and they were going to get married.
“No one will ever come between me and you. You’re mine, Faith, and I swear I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
She believed him.
Closing her eyes, she arched up to his touch, feeling the beginnings of her orgasm. When she came, Caleb held her, whispering his words of love and possession.
Giving her to Caleb was the only thing her father had ever done right. She’d found the man of her dreams in her monster.