Silent Love(19)

A few steps behind his brother, Sean watched Ryan shove his girl into  the front passenger's seat of his SUV. Almost at the driver's side, he  heard Courtney scream from behind him. "Sean!"

Unaware of how close his cousin was, he wheeled around, his arm tossing  up. As if in slow motion, he watched his fist hit Courtney across the  mouth, her lip split open, and blood splatter out. Completely by  accident, he punched her. A woman. His beloved cousin. She fell to the  grass and grabbed her face, blood spewing out from between her fingers.  He almost bent down to help her and apologize but stopped himself.

"You bitch," he snarled. "You fucking spoiled, rich bitch."

The widening of Courtney's eyes spoke volumes. He aimed to hurt her.  Mission accomplished. Once physically, though that was an accident that  he'd beat himself up for later, and once emotionally.

Sean glanced up when Derk and Smith bolted outside. The look on Smith's  face was murderous. He needed to get lost before those two  overprotective Rottweilers let loose.

Wheeling around, he climbed into the car and sped out of the driveway,  burning tires as he took Beth back to the sanctuary of his home.







Sean and Ryan helped Beth into their home, each comforting her with Sean  holding her tightly against him, and Ryan running a soothing hand up  and down her arm. She'd sobbed the entire short ride home.

"I don't understand," she cried when they stepped into the house.

"Come here," Sean said. He pulled her into their living room and held  her on his lap. "I need to tell you why Courtney reacted that way."

"What did I say? Why was she obsessed over if I saw the man in the car?" she asked confused.

"Beth," Sean said seriously. He looked her directly in the eyes. "Courtney's first husband was the man in that SUV who died."

"What?" she gasped.

"He was murdered that day. Courtney was also hurt, but not nearly the  way you were," he said. His chest ached for her, remembering all those  tiny scars he'd kissed and licked. An innocent bystander to his cousin's  husband's demise. He couldn't imagine the inner strength it took heal  when there was no rhyme or reason to that horrible act.         

     



 

Ryan stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, his large arms  crossed over his massive chest. Sean knew what he was waiting for. It  would only be a matter of minutes before there was a knock on their  front door. If they were lucky. Derrick might shoot his way through.

"But...why?" she asked.

Sighing, he slumped back on the sofa. How the hell did he explain  Derrick's illegal lifestyle? Suddenly exhausted, he ran a hand down his  face. "You saw my cousin right? How beautiful she is?"

Beth snorted. "Yeah."

Sean explained the entire sordid story. Every nightmare detail.

"You mean I lost everything because your cousin is married to a mob boss?" she asked stunned.

"You didn't lose everything, Beth. You're still here. You're living." He said softly, "You have me."

Jumping out of his lap, she paced in front of him. "I did lose  everything, Sean," she snapped. "I lost my hearing, my job, my spleen,  my fiancé, and almost died."

Fiancé?

"Yeah, I was engaged when that car bomb almost took my life. I was  supposed to have been married four years ago, but when I finally woke  from unconsciousness my hearing was gone." Her eyes filled with tears.  "Oh, he tried to stay with me at first. That only lasted six months  while I struggled to learn how to live life differently. He couldn't  handle the thought of every day going through how difficult it was to  adapt," she sneered. "So he left. One day he packed up everything and  said goodbye. Told me to keep the ring."

What kind of mother fucker would do that to her? Sean stood and placed  his hands on her shoulders. Looking her in the eyes, he made a vow he  never intended to break. "I will never leave you. No matter what happens  or how difficult life might get, I won't leave you."

"But your family is the one who put me in this place, Sean. Do you  understand how hard it is for me? Every day I want to give up. I don't  want to do this any more. Every day I struggle to get out of bed, get  ready for work, live," she said, her voice rising. She was getting  herself angry and worked up. He needed to calm her before she talked  herself into something she regretted.

"But you do live. You do keep going. I've noticed a difference in you  since we started dating. Beth, you can't let what happened define you.  That was a crazy asshole who hurt a lot of people," he said.

"People who asked for it!" she yelled.

Ryan stiffened and pointed directly at her. "Derrick's brother Darren  Murphy, Court's first husband, never asked to get blown up in his car in  front of his then pregnant wife."

She had the grace to flush and nod. "You're right. No one deserves that."

"Beth." Sean stroked her soft cheek. "Please let go of the anger. Please  understand that if your fiancé left you because of what happened, then  he didn't deserve you. Understand that it takes more strength to survive  than it does to give up. Understand that there are so many people who  love you and want you to be happy. Your mom and dad, Ryan, me. Hell,  even Courtney will love you when she gets a grip of herself."

The front door of the house burst open, wood splintered and smacked  against the wall. Derrick stormed into the room and went straight after  Sean, who pushed Beth out of the way, into Ryan's arms. A hard right met  his jaw followed by a quick left square to the nose. Bones cracked  under the brute force. Fuck. He broke it.

Sean stumbled back and caught himself on the recliner. Beth screamed.  Out of his peripheral vision, Sean caught a glimpse of Ryan holding her  back as he plastered them against the wall. Marching into the room his  men blocked the entrance. Fucking Smith had his gun pulled ready to take  a shot. God, he hoped Beth wouldn't have to witness him getting shot.

"You. Hit. My. Wife," Derrick bellowed, enunciating each word with a punch to his gut or face.

Sean allowed Derrick his due. Never in his life had he laid a violent  hand on a woman, even accidentally. Courtney may have pissed him off,  but she was a female and unable to defend herself against him. He wasn't  raised that way.

"It was an accident," he rasped as he took another hit to the jaw.  Clamoring upright, he wasn't going to allow Derrick to use him as a  punching bag. The first two were free passes, a husband defending his  wife, but after that he was taking liberties. Time to end that shit.  Tossing out a left hook, Sean nailed Derrick in the jaw. Blood  splattered over both of them. He quickly followed with a right rib jab.

The sound of several guns cocking overrode Beth's pleas.

"Let them fight it out!" Ryan barked. "Back the fuck off!"

"That makes it fucking right?" Derrick yelled. "She looks like she's  been in a boxing ring." He nailed him in the balls, sending Sean to the  floor in a heap. "You think it's all right to lay a hand on my wife?"  Derrick grabbed his hair and yanked back his sore, already swollen,  bloody face. "If you touch her again, I'll kill you. Cousin or not."  Derrick pushed him to the ground, stood, and stalked out of the house,  breathing heavy. His men trailed behind him, except for Smith, who  lingered in the doorway, eying Sean like wounded prey.         

     



 

"Get the fuck out of here, Smith," Ryan snarled. "Sean may not have  fought back, but I'll kill you with my bare hands if you don't get  walking."

Smith slanted Ryan a considering glance, looked Beth up and down, then silently turned and left the house.

Beth screeched and pushed out of Ryan's grasp. She rushed to Sean's  side, brushed his wet hair off his sweaty forehead, and started to cry.  "This was my fault. I've come between you and your cousin."

"No, it's not. My fault. It was an accident," Sean croaked.

Ryan left and came back into the room with a cold dishtowel and ice. He  bent down beside him and handed Beth the towel to clean off his brother.

"Who the hell knew the man could fight so damn well?" Ryan mused.

"He defended his girl," Sean said softly. "I totally understand."

Beth stood, handing Ryan the cloth. "I can't do this. I won't come between you and your family, Sean. I'm sorry."

Turning, she snatched up her purse. Ryan jumped up and stood in her path. "Beth, don't leave. They'll settle this."

Shaking her head, she argued, "No, this is more than Courtney and Sean,  it's Courtney and me. She'll have a problem with me. They all will. And I  don't know that I can be around the people altered my life."

"No," Sean begged. He tried to push himself up but fell back to the floor. Fucking Derrick.

"Sean, I love you, but I can't do this. I won't be a part of this mess.  My life is hard enough without adding this drama to it," she said.  "Ryan, it was wonderful to have a brother, especially one as terrific as  you."