"Don't worry Gwen, I won't make any mistakes next time we meet, and I most definitely will be fucking you this time, I'll make sure you are bleeding from the inside out..."
I didn't hear anymore because the phone was ripped from my hands. Cade pressed it to his own ear for a second and listened, body turning to stone. I watched his expression turn to a look of pure fury I had never seen before.
Ian clutched my shoulders. "Gwen, who is that?" Concern saturated his voice.
I couldn't reply, my eyes were locked on Cade, who was staring at me, phone to his ear.
"Listen to me you sick fuck. You will never touch a fucking hair on my woman's head ever again. You haven't broken her, not even fucking close. You haven't tainted her because she is a god damn miracle. She will never know any violence at the hand of a man for the rest of her life, I'll make sure of that. I'll also make sure I hunt you down and feed you your own dick before I put a bullet in your fucking brain." Cade hung up the phone and threw it against the driveway smashing it. I regarded the scene blankly, unable to process anything.
"What the fuck?" Ian spat at Cade.
Cade ignored him, striding towards me, tugging me away from Ian and into his arms. He carried me inside like a bride, I would have found that funny, maybe, if I wasn't feeling this numb. Cade sat on the couch in the living room cradling me in his arms, Ian hot on his heels.
"That was him wasn't it?" My brother bit out, shaking with fury.
"That FUCKER is meant to be in prison!" Ian yelled making me flinch.
"Ian, check yourself or get the fuck out of here." Cade ordered, glaring at my brother before directing a soft gaze at me.
"You are okay Gwen, you're here with me and I won't let anything touch you. You are safe." Cade told me firmly, arms tight around me. I realized I was shaking.
"Get her a shot, tequila." Cade ordered my brother, who glared at him a moment, but disappeared to do as he asked.
"Gwen, talk to me."
I couldn't reply, my mind was still replying images I had buried deep, images that Jimmy's words had thrust to the surface. Cade lifted me up and placed me on the couch, kneeling in front of me with his hands at my face.
"Look in my eyes baby, get out of your head. You are safe, always will be." His words were a promise, eyes blazing.
Ian entered the room, shot glass in hand, which he quickly handed to Cade. Cade held it between us.
"Drink baby." He ordered, his firm tone rousing me slightly. My shaking hand wrapped around the glass and I threw it back, feeling the burn of the alcohol warm my insides.
"Good girl."
I stared into his steely grey eyes, finding my strength. Cade's previous words sounded in my ears, fighting away the demons. I smiled at him weakly.
"So meeting my brother went well." I remarked dryly.
Cade looked at me intensely, then pulled me in for a rough kiss, despite our audience.
"You sit with Ian for a bit baby, I've got to make some calls okay?"
I nodded slowly and Cade watched me a beat then stood.
"You want to tell me what the fuck is going on?" Ian asked Cade, face hard. "How the fuck can that prick call her? He's in prison."
My thoughts exactly. Shit was he out? My body started shaking again.
"Cool it and sit with Gwen while I found out what the fuck is going on."
Ian looked seriously pissed at being ordered around but one look at me had him joining me on the sofa. He drew me into his shoulder.
"I promise you will be okay Ace, no one will hurt you." He promised.
I didn't say anything, I just rested my head on his shoulder, trying to listen to Cade, but only hearing a few raised curses.
"This is bullshit." I whispered quietly to myself. How the fuck can this fucker almost kill me once, hurt not only me but everyone I love and then once I am healed come and rip me open and ruin the first time I see my brother. Fuck that. I was not going to be a weak broken woman anymore.
"THIS IS BULLSHIT." I yelled suddenly, struggling out of Ian's arms to stand and pace the room.
"Ace..." He started, standing to approach me.
I threw up my hands pushing him away to continue my pacing.
"Seriously what the fuck Ian? This cannot happen all over again! I won't let it! That piece of shit is not going to ruin your visit, and he certainly isn't getting to me anymore. I am happy. Happy!" I glared at him, my expression contradicting my words, but I didn't care I kept ranting. "The Prick is in some jail in New York, eating filthy prison food, getting infections from homemade tattoo guns and most likely taking regular ass raping's from a man named ‘Big Earl.' I am here, running a successful business living in a beautiful town surrounded by friends. I have a sexy as shit man who cares about me and a brother who has my back no matter what." I declared fiercely.
Ian directed a sad smile at me. "Gwenevere … " He said quietly using my full name. I held up my hand.
"I'm not finished." I snapped before stomping up to him, clutching his shoulders to make him listen. "Don't you see? I will not have you directing those looks full of pity at me anymore, and I sure as shit don't want you to have to handle me like I'll break at any moment. You don't need to. I'm okay, it's taken awhile and it's taken that crazy fucks phone call to make me fully realize it, but I'm okay." I smiled into my brother's eyes hoping he got me. I sensed movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see Cade, face unreadable leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed watching me. I moved my gaze and it landed, surprisingly on Luke, who was in his uniform, looking openly concerned but with a hint of a smile. How did he get here so fast?
"How long have you guys been standing there?" I wanted to know how embarrassed I should be.
Luke's face broke out into an all out smirk. "Big Earl?" Amusement danced in his eyes.
A lot embarrassed as it turned out.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Hey I don't know too many prison nicknames, my knowledge goes as far as ‘Shawshank." I joked, trying to keep the jovial mood.
Luke's face softened and he entered the room, engulfing me in his arms.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart." He whispered in my ear.
I opened my mouth to reply when Luke was suddenly standing a good distance away and Cade stood in front of him, anger palpable.
"Hands off Crawford." He ground out, barely controlling a growl. "You are here in professional context only, keep your fucking distance."
Luke glared back at Cade and I rolled my eyes, which Ian caught giving me an amused expression.
"Not another macho man stare off, please! I can hardly breathe with the amount testosterone in here. Cade do not talk to Luke like that his is my friend." I scolded Cade and he turned to me, death stare directed in my direction now. Whatever, I ignored this and sent a soft glance in Luke's direction.
"Please Luke, sit down. Thank you for coming, can I get you anything?" My mother taught there was never an excuse for bad manners even if my crazy ex boyfriend had just called me from prison threatening to rape me.
Luke instead of sitting, turned to my brother and held out his hand.
"You must me Ian, it's great to finally meet you, Gwen has been looking forward to your visit, sorry it had to start out like this."
Ian looked surprised but took Luke's hand giving it a firm shake. Cade also looked surprised and pissed. He obviously figured out me and Luke had been talking.
"Nice to meet you too, glad to see Gwen has a friend on the right side of the law." Ian said, directing a pointed look at Cade. I scowled at him, obviously my brother was still not happy with my boyfriend. Great.
Cade grabbed my hand and sat me down on the couch. He didn't join me, just stood beside the arm of the chair, hand lightly on the back of my neck.
"Now the pleasantries are over, can we please cut to how the fuck this bastard got Gwen's number, or how the fuck he got a phone in the first place?" Cade barked in Luke's direction.
Luke looked from Cade me, obviously deciding not to engage in any hostilities, he sighed and sat across from me, scrolling through his phone. My brother stayed standing, eyes on me or more specifically Cade's hand on me. I poked my tongue out at him. He needed to lighten up on the whole protective brother thing.
"Okay, so I just got off the phone with New York lockup. According to the Warden, O'Fallan paid one of the guards off to smuggle him in a cellphone, which he had one of his men program your number into." Luke tried to sound detached and all business but his jaw was hard. How did they do this so quickly?
"How did they even get my number though?" I asked. Deciding to ignore the super efficient and scarily quick response from Amber PD.