Entering the rundown apartment building, he saw several rats running along the hallways, and he kept on walking, knowing right away where Westbrook was.
He entered a room, and ducked as the gun was fired.
"I knew you'd come," Westbrook said.
"You should have known when you framed my family, and tried to take apart the Denton empire," Rick said.
"It was worth a shot."
Rick threw something, and a succession of bullets ran off. The fucker was panicking. He'd been picking off this man's business for weeks now, and all he had on him was one gun.
Rounding the wall, he stared as Westbrook kept trying to fire his weapon. Rick took a step closer to the man, and pulled out a blade, and before Westbrook had even known what was happening, he slammed the tip into his thigh.
His screams were all Rick wanted to hear, and he was rewarded.
"Fuck!" And a long scream echoed off the wall.
"You know, you should have left my family alone."
"This city was mine for the taking. You fucking bastard. You had no right to take what was mine."
"This place wasn't yours. It was never yours. This is Denton land, always has been, always will be." Rick pulled the blade out, and stuck it in Westbrook's shoulder. "You went after my family, and that is where you went fucking wrong."
Westbrook cried out and then started to laugh. "You think you're so smart. You don't have a fucking clue."
Rick grabbed him around the throat. "I suggest you speak very fucking carefully, or those next words will be your last."
Westbrook laughed. "I didn't act alone, and as you see, I'm very much alone."
"Your point."
"Ivan was with me, and he had his own plan. He hates the Dentons, especially as one of them took his little toy away, and his kid."
Rick didn't for a second like where this was going. He pressed the tip of the blade against Westbrook's throat. "You will tell me this instant where Ivan is."
"Where do you think he is? He's dealing with a Denton and then he's going to deal with that whore that left him."
Sliding the blade across Westbrook's throat, Rick took little pleasure in the death as his thoughts went to Damian. Out of all of the Denton men he was the only one that didn't have a great deal of protection in that luxury apartment of his. He was open, he was exposed, and Ivan could get to him.
When the call went straight to answerphone, he cursed. Calling Maddox, he gave his brother the update, and then headed straight out to his car. They were all too far away from Damian. No one was close enough to reach him, and his nephew may already be dead.
At least the kids were not with Damian and Mia. He hoped that they could take care of themselves.
****
Mia giggled as Damian kept on tickling her.
"You need to stop. We're getting water all over the place," she said.
Damian stopped his teasing and kissed her temple. "God, I love you so much."
"And I love you, but not when you tickle me." She leaned back against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "This is so nice. I knew it would be but I like not having to keep our voices down, but … "
"But?" he asked.
"I miss our babies."
"I know. I do as well. These are our special days." She loved it when he held onto her. "Mia, I'm about to ask you something, and I don't want you to freak out or anything."
"Okay." She looked up at him, and smiled. "Whatever it is, I'm going to say yes."
He laughed. "I've not asked you yet."
"Whatever it is I know it's not going to be bad. I love you, and I trust you." She kissed his cheek.
"Fine, I want anal sex!"
She burst out laughing just as he did. "I wasn't expecting that."
"I know. You should see your face. That's not what I was going to ask you, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made a joke about it." He took her hands, locking their fingers together. "I want you as mine forever. I want to marry you, Mia."
She looked at him and saw he wasn't joking around. "You want to marry me?"
"Yes. I want us to raise our kids together, and I hope to one day have more children with you. I know I come from a crazy ass family, and it's scary at times, and I don't want you to ever be afraid. I promise I will do everything in my power to protect you. To love you for every single day of my life-" She pressed a finger to his lips and smiled.
"Don't you think you should ask me? You've not asked me."
"Mia Banks, will you be my wife?"
"I'll think about it … totally yes!" She spun around, wrapping her arms around his neck, and kissing him. "Of course I will marry you. I don't think I'll ever forget this marriage proposal. You know with the whole anal sex talk."
"I'm open to it if you are. I've not got a very big dick. I'll fit."
He grabbed her ass, and she burst out laughing. "I know exactly how big your dick is, and there's nothing little about it." She kissed his lips as her stomach let out a large rumble."
"Ah, I see, you're hungry now?"
"I've always been hungry, and I did start some food. Someone pulled me away to ravish me."
"I gave you multiple orgasms. You know you loved every single one of them."
"Yes, I did. I just wanted to be with you, and everything else could wait. That's how I always feel about it." She stroked his cheek. "I love you, Damian Denton." She couldn't believe how lucky she had gotten, and knew without a doubt she would never forget this.
Again, her stomach rumbled, and Damian laughed. "Let's get you something to eat. We've got until late tomorrow, and then we have the kids. I've got a lot of plans to keep us busy, and I don't want you to go without."
He stepped out of the bath, and she followed him as well. Wrapping a towel around her body, she entered the bedroom, and Damian was already tugging up a pair of sweatpants. "Put this on for me, baby, and I'll go and see the damage control." He handed her one of his shirts, and she smiled.
"You just want to see me in your clothes."
"Yeah, you look sexy, and when I wear them again, which I will, I'll remember how you looked in them."
She chuckled, and watched him leave. Entering the bathroom, she wrapped her hair up after drying it vigorously.
With the towel around her body she dried off completely, and put his towel on. Releasing her hair, she was about to grab a brush when the sound of Ivan's voice made her freeze. Looking around the bedroom, she didn't hear him, and she moved toward the door, hearing his voice clearly.
"You never expected me to know where you live?" Ivan asked. "That's the problem with you Dentons. You always think you're fucking better than everyone else, and you're not. You're all like us."
She covered her mouth with her hand trying to keep any possible noise from alerting him that she was there. Glancing around the room, she saw the metal lamp shade, and tiptoeing across the room, she disconnected it, trying to be as quiet as possible. Ivan was in their apartment, and he was talking with Damian. Something told her that wasn't going to be willingly.
Come on, Mia. Don't be afraid.
Stepping up to the door, she sent out a little prayer, and hoped that the door didn't make a sound as she opened it. Squeezing past, she winced as everything seemed to make a noise as she made her way toward the kitchen.
They weren't in the kitchen but in the dining room. Ivan was near to her, and Damian was near to the entrance of the kitchen. His hands were up in surrender as he stared at Ivan.
"You think you're a big man? Raping women and then selling them out. You got a problem that Mia wanted me, that she loved me."
"That's my kid she's got with you, don't ever forget that. I'm in her blood. There's no way you're ever going to replace me."
She stared at the man who had been the bane of her life long enough. He held a gun that was pointed at the love of her life. She had been begging and praying for Damian ever since she was a little girl. Finally, after what seemed forever, she was happy, she was in love, and this monster was going to take it from her. She couldn't allow that to happen.
Not again.
Before she even knew what was happening, she raised the lamp, releasing a growl as she whacked Ivan across the head. The echoes of a gunshot filled the air, but she ignored it. She was so intent on killing the bastard in front of her that she didn't stop with her attack, constantly hitting him.
Damian held her close, his hands on her arms, holding her. They were both covered in blood, and she didn't know how Damian was. She couldn't recall anything but her rage, her need to keep on hitting Ivan, to make him stop.