Don Vidal

15 - No touches what's mine!

Draven

“Mr. Vidal!”

“Yeah. Mr. Vidal!” I snarl and step over Stefano’s body. The treacherous son of a bitc.h! “What the fuc.k do you think...” The words die on my tongue as my eyes land on Marnie. She’s tied to a damn furnace pipe, head hanging forward, insects, snakes, and God only knows what crawling all over her.

The sick feeling inside of me is not something I’m used to. I felt it only once, and that was when my father abducted my sister and almost killed her. I promised Marnie nothing would ever happen to her on my watch. I promised her that I’d never allow anyone to hurt her. I fuckin.g failed her in the worst way.

“Keep these fucker.s from leaving!” I order my men.

I crouch down in front of Marnie, pressing two fingers to the side of her neck. Her pulse is strong. I’m surprised because Carlos and Louis are known for death by torture. They went behind my back, and they will pay dearly for it. I warned these old fuck.s what would happen if they went against me and took Marnie. Now, they’ll face the consequences.

Marnie was supposed to be shopping with her sister and mine. I thought she’d be home now, relaxing like she promised she would be. I’m not blaming her for this; the motherfucker.s head I just blew off when I walked through the door is to blame. He went against me, fell in with the old fuck.s who think they’re in charge. No one is in charge but me! I think it’s time I taught the Council a lesson.

Marnie is soaking wet; her body is still jolting from what they’ve done to her, and I am so angry I don’t know what to do! I need to calm myself. Marnie is my priority right now. Marnie and the baby. I place my hand on Marnie’s stomach, and I pray to God that the baby is still breathing in there. Because if anything happened to my child, no one will be safe!

If it weren’t for Tony telling me what was going on here, I wouldn’t have known until it was too late. Tony only knew because Tom called to tell him that Stefano had taken off. Tony then checked and found the tracker in Marnie’s phone was giving off the signal to say she was miles from home. Miles away and in a place she shouldn’t even know about, let alone be. A place Tony knew could only mean one thing.

These men won’t leave this room alive; I’ll make sure of that.

“We told you this had to be done, Draven. You can’t just bring a random woman into the family without testing their loyalty. You did that with your so-called brother…”

I growl at Carlos. “You would do well to shut your fuckin.g mouth right now.” I stroke Marnie’s wet hair back from her face. “Marnie, can you hear me? Marnie?”

“I didn’t tell them.” She mumbles. I take her face between my hands and lift her head. Her bloodshot eyes look right into mine. “My baby.” She sobs, and I can’t bear it.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” I kiss her forehead. “Jake is going to get you out of here. Everything is going to be okay.” All she can do is nod her head. I turn to Jake. Like Tony, I know I can trust him through and through. Of the eight men I brought here with me, I can trust those two the most. “Get her to the hospital and checked out, and make sure they’re discrete. You tell them who she is to me, that she’s carrying my baby.”

“Boss.”

Marnie doesn’t move as two of my men wipe away the bugs, spiders, and snakes so that Jake can lift her out of here.

I wait until Marnie is out of the room before rounding on the two oldest members of the Vidal council. I don’t give a shi.t what their position is, what they believe their right to be; no one is above me.

I look at the men who should really have listened when I told the Council that Marnie was off limits.

How fuckin.g stupid were they to go behind my back?

“I told you to stay away from her.”

“She needed testing, Draven. You bring this stranger into the family, claiming the child she’s carrying is yours, and you do nothing to prove it.”

I coc.k my head at Carlos. “Prove it? Since when does the Don prove anything to you?”

“We’ve been taking care of this family, enforcing the rules for longer than you have been alive. You tell us about this woman and child, and then you refuse if the baby is a boy to allow us to raise him in the way of the family,”

Damn right, I did! I would never do to my child what my father wanted to do to me. I would never hurt Marnie the way my mother would have been hurt if I had been taken from her. No woman deserves that.

“So, you take its mother and torture her? I told you that no son of mine would be raised by you old bastards.”

“As you weren’t. This is why you’re so defiant!”

I raise my eyebrow. “You should have listened to me, Carlos.” I’ve slit his fuckin.g throat in one clean cut before he could even blink. I won’t be dictated to, and it’s time these old fucker.s learned that I am the Don, and my word is law!

I don’t need to prove the baby Marnie is carrying is mine, and there is no way on this earth if she is to bear me a son that I’ll allow that child to be taken from her. My mother fought almost to the death to make sure I was never taken away from her.

Being raised in the way of the Elders means punishment, belittlement, being forced to kill by the age of fourteen to prove your strength, and beatings that don’t bear thinking about. My mother did the best she could for me, and that was to raise me herself.

Yes, I’m probably not as evil as most Don’s would be, having been raised by these fucker.s, but I’m not a man you mess with either. I’ll make sure my son is raised the way I was because I will never put my son through medieval fuckin.g torture just to prove he’s a man. There are better ways, believe me.

Carlos’ body drops to my feet, eyes wide, and his hands around his throat as though it would have saved him. Louis looks at me with wide eyes. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pissed his pants right now.

I’ve known this man my whole life. I know what he’s capable of. He’d torture a child if it were for the good of the family. But what he should never have done is stand by and watch the torture of my woman.

“You killed an Elder, Draven, and there will be consequences.”

“You still don’t get it, do you? There is no one above me! I give the orders to put spouses through loyalty tests. Never once a pregnant woman! My woman!” I’m face to face with the man I once saw as an uncle. “Your own test of loyalty was proven here today. You failed, old man.”

I hold my hand out. Tony knows what I want without even asking. He usually does. He hands me the canister of gasoline. Louis looks at me and nods his head. He knows what’s coming, and he’ll take it like a man.

“On your knees,” I tell him.

There is no resistance. He knows I could give him a quick execution like Carlos, but he also knows I thought more of him. I thought he was one man I could count on. I have never been more wrong. Men like Stefano come and go. A little money flashed at them, and they’ll turn on you in a heartbeat, but men like Louis...

“Any last words?” I ask as I pour the gasoline over his head, and he gulps at the cold invasion.

“I believed in you if nothing else.” He tells me. “I did what I thought was right for you. She’s the most loyal one yet. Nothing that was done to her would have her betray you. Nothing. Remember that.”

I flick the lighter in my hand and drop it in his lap while walking backward. I’ve known many an idio.t set themselves alight by standing too close. I don’t take my eyes off him as he burns. His screams do nothing for me. I have no heart for the disloyal.

“Contain it,” I tell no one in particular.

“Boss.” Someone replies.

I walk away without another word, Tony following because he knows exactly where I need to be now. With Marnie. Right after I wash this blood off of me.

* * *

When I arrived at the hospital, the doctor, one I knew and who was discrete enough, informed me that Marnie was okay and the baby would be just fine. She has some physical bruising, and she’ll be in some pain for a few days, but the main thing is there is no lasting damage. I’m not so sure about mentally, however.

I haven’t been able to go in and see Marnie yet; she’s sleeping, and I need to get my head around this. I’ve got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that won’t go away. If I lose Marnie and the baby because of this... I don’t know what I’ll do, but it won’t be good.

“I don’t mean to be a prick, but I told you this would happen. After what happened when you refused to allow the Council to put Hammer through a loyalty test, they were bound to retaliate.”

“I should have listened.” I scrub my hands over my tired face and shift in my seat outside Marnie’s room.

“How long have we been friends, Draven?”

“A long time.” Longer than I can remember sometimes. Of all the men who work for me, Tony is the one I can count on for anything, no matter what.

“Yes, you’re the Don, but I like to think you’re my friend before my boss.” I look at him and nod. “We can’t change what Carlos and Louis did to Marnie, but we can protect her from here on in.”

“And we will because I will kill the whole damn council if they so much as say one wrong word!”

Tony clasps my shoulder. “And you’d have every right, my friend. Marnie has a good heart and a pure soul. No matter what those assholes did to her, no matter how scared and confused she was, she said not one word against you, Draven.”

I’m proud of Marnie for that, but I would have understood if she had told them what they wanted to hear just so the torture would stop. I would have understood if she made something up to protect our baby. Bigger men have done just that in the past. There’s something extraordinary about a woman who can hold her tongue during something like that.

“If Marnie chooses to leave,” I look Tony in the eye. “No one is to stop her. She’s been through enough, and I wouldn’t blame her for wanting to get as far away from me, from this shi.t show, and everything surrounding it. But if she does leave, I want her protected at all times. Is that understood?”

Tony nods. “She won’t leave you, Draven. Marnie has every right to be angry, but she won’t leave. Just let her get it out there so she can move on. Take care of her, and I’ll deal with the aftermath of Carlos and Louis.”

“You’re a good man, Tony.” I clasp his shoulder and squeeze. “Make sure everyone knows to be Coley’s tomorrow night, and I mean everyone. It’s time I made everyone understand just how serious I am when it comes to Marnie. I won’t have anyone thinking I’m weak; that’s when the wolves descend.”

“You are far from weak, Draven. Give Marnie my love.”

I nod and watch him leave.

It’s time for me to speak with Marnie.