Keep Her From Harm(9)

Damian saw that his brothers were not impressed. He didn't know if their  anger was directed at him, or at what he'd just told them. Still, he  was done listening to his father. "I'm out of here."

"Damian!"

He paused at the door, and turned back to look at his father.

"Don't do anything stupid."

"I can't guarantee that. I am my father's son after all."

He left the office, and made his way out of the main stairwell, down toward the casino, and out the front door.

"You really don't like the Denton name, do you?" Gabriel said.

Damian stopped and turned to see that Gabriel had followed him. "What do you want?"

"I've heard a lot of shit about Ivan Smith. He's a petty criminal that  has an entire town under his thumb. The women he fucks tend to end up on  drugs, and whoring themselves out for him and their next fix. He keeps  them doped up, and shit like that. He's also got an internet business  with the girls. People at home pay to see some sick shit, and believe me  it is sick."

"I don't want to know about your porn habits."

"I don't need porn to get off." Gabriel stepped closer to him. "Look, I  get it. You hate my guts, and I can deal with it. You're not the first  person to hate me, and at least now I know why my father didn't like me  all that much."

"Colton?"

"Yeah, who else would I be talking about? I'm used to being looked at  with disgust and everyone pretty much hating me. Believe me, I've got a  thick skin because of it. You don't like your name, and I get it. I do.  You want to take on Ivan, I'm with you. I don't like anyone that hurts  women."

Damian frowned at the man in front of him. "You were going to kidnap my sister."

He sighed. "I didn't say that I didn't make mistakes. Everyone does, but I didn't hurt her."

"Because you didn't get your fucking hands on her."

"I'm trying here, Damian. You think I wanted to know about this shit?  You think I want to know that my mother fucked your dad, and that I grew  up with a man hating me for probably knowing about it. I'm now part of a  fucking family that can't stand me. Cut me some slack. You want to kill  Ivan, give me a call." Gabriel slapped a card against his chest. "I  won't ask again."

Gabriel walked off, and Damian stared at the number on the card. Now he felt like the world's biggest asshole.

"You really don't need to treat him like shit, you know," Abel said, coming out.

"Where's Jacob? Isn't he his bodyguard?"

Abel shook his head. "Ever since the news came out of Dad being the  father of Gabriel, shit has hit the fan. You've not been around to see  it. News travels fast, and then Mom was pissed. Jacob is trying to deal  with the cleanup. We're all trying to deal with how weak this can make  our family and our name look."

Damian smirked. "How the fuck can this make us look weak?"                       
       
           



       

"Open your eyes, you fuck. Dad had a kid with our enemy's woman. She may  be long dead and so is our enemy, but all of a sudden, there's a kid  that is older than Jacob. The next one in line. Not to mention there are  Coltons still alive. You see what I'm getting at here? This is a  delicate situation, and Jacob is trying to show a united front. Not to  mention the fact that we all had another brother that none of us knew  about. Gabriel is part of us, Damian. If you saw past your own fucked up  issues, you'd see that."

"When did you become the voice of reason?" Damian asked.

"I have a son, Damian. Evan's growing up fast, and then I have Harper. I  have a family. You've got Martha, and now you've found your woman. What  do you want me to say? I've got no choice but to fight, and so have  you." Abel looked up at the casino. "I know you feel responsible for  Betty. Harper lost her best friend, and I've had to hold her as she  cried herself to sleep at night. I don't know what you're going through,  but I know you've got to handle it your own way. I'm with you. What I'm  asking is to keep your shit together as much as you can. I know that  seems like a lot to ask, and it probably is. There's more going on here  than Gabriel and Dad."

Damian stared at the ground. "Tell Harper she can see Martha any time  she wants. I have no problem her being involved in her life." Martha was  the only thing left of Betty, and he wasn't going to deny Harper that.  "I will try to figure out what the fuck is going on, and I'll deal with  my shit inside here." He pointed at his head. "I've got to go."

"See you around."

He waited for Abel to leave, heading back into the casino. It wouldn't  be long before his brothers had to go and deal with their own personal  chores to do with the Denton name. Since Gabriel had arrived, they had  been swapping and changing certain areas. Damian sometimes dealt with  their brothels, other times their money-lending guys, and then there was  the drugs. They had businesses all over the world, and to work in their  city, they had to come straight to Denton territory, which of course  was the casino. This was where business was made, and men were either  brought into the fold or killed.

For the past six months he'd done nothing to help the Denton name. He'd  been drinking his way down a bottle of whiskey, hoping for oblivion at  the end of it.

They all had their vices, each one of the Denton men. Jacob, his oldest  brother, loved control. Oliver once had a thing about screwing other  men's wives, but that had changed the moment he met Ruby. Abel had been  into violence, and was still into it, but his passion was now his  family, his love of Harper keeping him straight. Gideon, he didn't know  what the fuck his brother was into, only that he had a lot of secrets,  and liked to meddle. Gideon was the one who'd revealed Gabriel's  identity, and brought all of the Coltons out of hiding. Landon was a  troublemaker, or had been until he was sent to England.

Then there was himself. Damian loved control, dominance. There was once a  club he would frequent where he wore a mask, and was able to fuck and  to hurt every available woman there. All night he'd spend spanking the  fuck out of woman's asses, or torturing their nipples, making them come,  screaming for more.

He never took a woman who was unwilling, and since Betty had come into his life, he'd done none of those things.

Life had changed a lot, and he didn't know if there was any way he was ever going to get back who he was.

****

"How is this possible?" Mia asked, pointing to the mountain of boxes that had been delivered while he was out.

"I ordered shit, and guess what? It's arrived. I pay extra for the  pleasure." He winked at her, and moved toward the first boxes. "Look at  this, red lingerie." He opened the box and held up a very sexy set that  she would never wear.

"Give me that," she said, taking it from him. "What do I do with all of this stuff?"

"Easy." He picked up a large pile. "Follow me." She did, through to her  bedroom, and then her new walk-in closet. He dumped the boxes on the  floor, opened the top one up, and took the item out. It was already on a  hanger, and he lifted it up, showing it off, and then placed it on the  rail. "These are magical things."

"You're teasing me now," she said.

"Exactly. I bought them for you, Mia. We're friends, remember, so I want  to see you wearing them, and I want to see you having fun."

"It's going to take some getting used to. Being friends, and all of this."                       
       
           



       

"Don't worry. Now, get dressed into something that is not well worn. I  don't want to see you in those clothes again. You work for a Denton, and  we do have a reputation to protect."

She pulled out the walkie-talkie, and handed it to him. "Will you go and  feed the two kids then please? They are at the table in their  high-seats playing."

"It will be my pleasure." He left her alone, closing the door behind  him. Staring at the large luxury closet, she shook her head. There was  no way this was real. It had to be a dream. She pinched herself, and  yet, she didn't wake up. Putting the box Damian had finished with to one  side, she began to remove the other boxes, until she had put away some  lingerie and several sets of jeans and shirt. She decided on the red  lingerie set, and with the full length mirror in the closet to see, she  tugged the panties up her thighs, and then placed the bra across her  breasts, securing it at the back. Lifting her blonde hair, she was  somewhat shocked by how nice the bra felt. She'd been in underwear that  just seemed to cut through the skin, and not fit at all well. Next, she  pulled on the jeans, and then the shirt, leaving the hair to cascade  down. Staring at herself in the mirror, she was shocked. She looked  …   pretty. Yes, her ass was still big, as were her breasts, and her waist  dipped in then sprang out over large hips, but the clothes gave her an  actual shape.