Whiskey Lullaby

Chapter 13-Izzy

Chapter 13

Izzy

After Ashton showed me around his home, we sat out on the patio and watched the sunset. Sitting on the loveseat, side by side, holding hands and my head laid on his shoulder. He kisses the top of my head but neither of us says anything. I can’t seem to get out of my own head. I miss Jason. I can’t get Mark’s confession out of my head, and he was found not guilty. How can someone kill an innocent baby and get away with it. “What are you thinking?” Ashton asks softly. I don’t answer. Ashton tilts my head so that I’m looking at him and asks, “What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?” I shake my head and pull away a little, but I don’t let go of his hand. “Talk to me baby.” He says. “Just thinking about Jason. I miss my baby. I keep thinking about how Mark killed him and got away with it. He’s walking around knowing he killed our baby and acting like nothing happened and I’m struggling, Ashton.” I tell him and the tears start falling again. Ashton pulls me into his lap and wraps his arms around me. “Baby, I want to build a life with you. But to do that, I need to tell you a few things. But I need you to promise you will keep an open mind and know that I am completely devoted to you.” He tells me. I look at him and he wipes my tears away. Seeing the worry in his eyes, I whisper “I promise.” He takes a deep breath and says “From here out, Jason is no longer just your baby. He’s ours. You’re mine and that makes him mine too.” He tells me. “Okay.” I say softly. “This next thing, I need to stay between us.” He tells me and I nod my understanding. “You know I own the bar. I bought it from an older couple who wanted to retire.” He says and sees that I’m listening. “You know I also own Montgomery Corporation. But there’s something else that not many people know. My father was the head of an organization and when he passed, I inherited it.” He tells me. I look at him confused. I stand and start pacing just a little and say, “Like a mafia?” He nods. I stop pacing and he walks up to me carefully and I don’t back away. He cups my face and says, “I would never hurt you and I won’t let anyone else hurt you either.” I see it in his eyes that he’s telling the truth. “I know.” I whisper. “But there’s something you need to know.” He says and cups my face. I reach up and take hold of his wrists and he says, “You won’t ever have to worry about Mark again.” I back away. “What did you do?” I ask. “Are you sure you want to know?” he asks, and I nod.

“The life I grew up with, we didn’t depend on the legal system to do anything. Most aspects of the legal system are corrupt anyway. But I saw how much it upset you, Mark getting away with what he did to Jason, and I handled it.” He tells me. “How did you handle it, Ashton?” I ask. “Waterboarded him and then took a knife to him. He's not walking around. He’s in a shallow grave in the middle of the woods.” He tells me and I look at him shocked. He doesn’t move closer to me but says “I know it’s a lot to process.” I nod and say, “I need to be alone tonight.” I tell him and he nods. “I’ll take you home.” He says and I shake my head no. Nancy is at the door and says, “I will ride with her Ashton.” He looks at me and I nod my agreement. He walks over to me and kisses my forehead and says, “Call me if you need anything.” And I just nod.

We get into the car, and I see Ashton standing on his front steps, watching us leave. Nick is driving and Nancy is in the backseat with me. “Are you okay sweetheart?” she asks. “I don’t know.” I tell her. “I know it’s a lot to process but Ashton cares about you. I’ve never seen him like this.” She tells me. “I just don’t understand.” I tell her. “When Ashton was growing up, after his mom passed, his father was gone a lot. I know he told you about that, but his father was a powerful man, and Ashton is just as powerful, but he runs the organization just like his father, but they aren’t run like the mafia’s you read about in books.” She tells me. I look at her more confused and she says “He’s the one that people come to when the police can’t help. When I came to work for his father, before he was born, I was married. My husband was beating me. I got really good about hiding the bruising and my husband was smart enough to not leave bruises that couldn’t be hidden by my clothes. I missed work one day and couldn’t call in because I was in the hospital. Ashton’s father, Richard, found out I was in the hospital and told me he wasn’t leaving me alone until I tell him what happened. So, I told him. He made it to where my husband never touched me again and moved me into the pool house. What I’m saying is that Ashton is the man that people come to when they can’t find help anywhere else. He will never hurt you.” She tells me. “Just promise me that you will think about what we’ve both told you and that you won’t make any decisions until you’ve had a couple of days to think about things.” She says and I nod. “I promise.” I tell her.

After they drop me off, I walk into the house and walk into Jason’s room. I walk to his bed and pick up his teddy bear and sit in the rocking chair. “What do I do baby boy?” I ask the teddy bear, like I’m talking to my son. I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket and pull it out to see a text from Ashton.

Just wanted to check

on you sweetheart.

I’m processing.

Would it be okay to call you? I just want

to hear your voice. To know you’re okay.

Yeah.

My phone immediately rings and when I answer he says, “How are you holding up?” I sigh and say “I don’t know. It’s a lot to process, Ashton. But can I ask you something?” I ask. “You can ask me anything and I’ll always be honest with you.” He tells me. “Nancy said you help people. Why do you do it?” I ask. “When I was growing up, dad was gone a lot. When I was about fourteen, I asked what he was doing when he was gone, and he told me. He said that when he was a kid, my grandfather used to abuse him and my grandmother. My grandmother called the police so many times, but they didn’t do anything because he was one of the police. My dad started working out and working part time at a gym. The owner was training him and always told the kids if they needed anything to call, no matter what it was, he would be there. My dad came home to see my grandfather pinning my grandmother to the floor and punching her. He lost it. He grabbed my grandfather and started beating on him and lost control. He killed my grandfather. He called his boss and cleaned up the mess and the man took my dad under his wing. Come to find out he was a mobster, and he started prepping my dad to take over. Helped my dad take care of my grandmother.

When dad took over the organization, he wanted something better. They got out of the illegal stuff he started making connections with people that would help with his new cause. When he met my mom, it was all about making sure she was safe and then to me when I was born. He never wanted another woman or child to go through what him and my grandmother did.” He tells me. I’m quite for a couple of minutes. “I don’t like the idea of you being alone.” He tells me. “I need to be alone. I need to process all of this.” I tell him. “I don’t want to lose you but baby, if you decide you don’t want to be with me anymore, I will respect that.” He tells me. “You’re not losing me. I just need time.” I tell him. “You call me if you need anything. I don’t care what time it is.” He tells me. “I will. I promise.” I tell him. We end the call, and I just sit there and think.