Don Vidal

26 - Listening to her words

Draven

Amy’s little endeavor was brought to my attention a year ago. Amy had been working for me about three months at the time. I asked her point blank what the hell she thought she was doing, and who gave her permission to do what she was doing.

Amy held her own, showed no fear when she told me about the little boy with Down Syndrome that she herself found rummaging in bins down an alleyway in town. She took him in, bathed and fed him, and dug around to find out where he came from.

The little boy, who told Amy his name was Gary, was four years old, and he’d been abandoned by his father who couldn’t cope with his needs. Instead of taking the child to social services, his father dumped him and left him to fend for himself.

Amy, that night, found the boy’s father and made him pay for what he’d done. She then went about finding a family for Gary. Amy kept an eye on things and enjoyed getting updates on the now happy little boy.

I asked Amy if she thought killing the parents of these children was something I would allow to continue. Amy looked at me, then she looked at Tony and smiled, and told me, ‘When I was a little girl, my dad walked out on me when I was two years old. My mother left me when I was five. She literally left me outside an old building and never came back. There was no one to take care of me, and I was frightened and scared.

‘For days, I wandered around looking for food. It was cold and I cried all the time. Then one day, a woman in her fifties saw me. She told me her name was Glenda, and she handed me a sandwich and a bottle of water. She brought me food over the next couple of days and gained my trust.

‘It must have been three days before she asked me if I wanted to go home with her. I did, and she took care of me until the day she died when I was twenty-one.’

Tony and I listened to Amy’s story, even then I could sense Tony felt something for that girl. We were both awed by her honesty, and her strength.

‘All the while I was with my mother – that’s who she was to me – she trained me in self-defense, martial arts, and boxing. For a woman in her early fifties when she found me, she was incredibly strong.

‘By the time I was thirteen, I could fight a man twice my size. I was quick, smart, and no one stood a chance against me. Over the years, Glenda brought home seven other children she’d found on the streets. All between the ages of five and twelve. Five boys and three girls including me.

‘Before she died, Glenda told me that those of us who had parents, two of my brothers and me, were now real orphans. I asked her what she meant. She told me that all the training she’d put me through was to help me when I was old enough to help children like me. Then she whispered how she’d found our parents and tore them apart for what they’d done to us.’

I asked Amy at that point how it made her feel. She shrugged like it was nothing at all to her.

‘I couldn’t have care less. Anyway, I helped a few kids before I came to you for a job. When you saw me training and you told me that I’d got the job, I knew it was my chance to carry on my mom’s work.

‘I know you didn’t tell me it was okay to end those people, but I’m not sorry that I did. A child is a precious gift from God, and no parent should ever throw that gift back in God’s face. If a parent realizes they can’t cope with their child, then they should turn to child services for help. It’s not hard!’

I gave Amy my blessing that day to do her thing, all she needed to do was run it by me first.

A week after our meeting Tony came to me and asked if I’d be angry if he asked Amy out for dinner. I have a strict rule that none of my employees shall date. Shi.t gets messy, people get clingy, even psychotic. I don’t allow anything to come before my business.

However, Tony had never asked me for a thing in his life. So, I asked him if he felt more for Amy. I had to be sure if I allowed them to be together that nothing would come before business.

Tony was honest and told me that he thought he was falling for her, and he believed she felt the same way. He also told me that he and Amy would never put anything before business, even each other.

I wasn’t about to stand in their way of happiness. However, I did make sure he knew what would need to be done if it didn’t work out between them. One of them would have to go, and it wouldn’t be Tony.

Amy and Tony have been together ever since. Recently, they found out they’re expecting their first child, and I couldn’t be happier for them. Marnie and I will be attending their wedding next week, which means I’ll be without my number one man for two weeks due to his honeymoon. Tony refused to take a honeymoon, but I couldn’t have that. But Tony was worried about being away from me for so long. I laughed and told him not to worry, someone else will fill his shoes until he returns. I’ll manage, I always do, but it won’t be the same without him.

“You’re a good friend. You know that, don’t you?”

Tony narrows his eyes and nods. “Of course, I do. What’s wrong, Draven?”

I clasp his shoulder and shake my head. “Nothing is wrong. Just want you to know that I appreciate everything you do.”

“What are friends for?”

I chuckle and hug the big fucke.r. I would not show physical contact like this to anyone else who works for me. That is not my thing at all. It would make me look weak. I think my brother is the only other man I hug, but Tony has been like a brother to me since we were kids.

After leaving Lorenzo in charge of cleaning up the mess I’d made of Eldon and his house, and making sure Chaz was dealt with, I made my way home. Of course, I changed before I went home. I couldn’t have Marnie seeing me covered in blood. Tony sat with her while I went to shower. From the look on her face, I could tell she knew I’d done something terrible. However, she said nothing.

Good, that’s how is should be. I am who I am. Marnie knows I’m no saint, and she’ll get used to this in time.

I’ve been listening to Marnie and Tony talking for the past five minutes. Marnie treats Tony like a friend, and she’s always so polite to him. He returns that respect as he should. Best friend or not, he knows what I’ll do to him if he dares disrespect my Queen. No one is immune to my wrath. No one.

I’m only allowing them to be friends because that’s what Tony is to me. Anyone else who works for me must remain professional at all times. They will not befriend my wife for any reason. They will not get close enough for that. They are not my friends, they work for me, nothing more.

“I can see through the mask you wear, Marnie.” I watch Marnie from my spot in the hall, handing Tony a beer, then taking a seat at the kitchen table. “You can talk to me if something is bothering you. I promise to keep it between us. Unless it’s life and death, of course, then I’d go straight to Draven.”

He’d tell me no matter what it was she said to him. Everyone knows you don’t keep things from the Don, especially when it concerns Marnie.

“It’s nothing,” Marnie sighs.

“It’s clearly something, Marnie. I can see it written all over your face. Is it the self-defense lessons? Are they too much in your condition? Because Draven would understand if you wanted to put them off until the baby was born.”

I should have known it was too much, but I wanted Marnie to learn to defend herself against attackers. After what the Elders put her through, it was necessary. I never want my woman to be in a position she can defend herself ever again. However, having said that, maybe it was too much in her condition.

Of course, Marnie isn’t learning anything dangerous that would cause harm to the baby. I would never allow that, and she won’t be able to do the heavy stuff until after the baby is born. But Marnie will physically stronger than ever within months of giving birth.

I would never force Marnie to do anything she didn’t want to do. But she was excited to learn self-defense when I put the idea to her.

“I don’t want to seem ungrateful to anyone. Thank you for your concern, though.” Marnie smiles.

“It is something. I can see you fighting something in your eyes. Talk to me. Whatever it is, if you let it out, you might find it’s not so bad.”

Marnie smiles. “I’m getting married soon.”

“I know.” I hear Tony laugh.

“My first wedding was taken care of without my input. All I had to do was show up and pretend to be happy. I didn’t care about that then because I didn’t want to marry that pig. But this time, I wanted to do everything. At least have a say in things like my dress, the venue, the guest list, and even the cake. I wanted to do it all with Draven,”

“But everyone’s taken over, and not even asked your opinion?”

Marnie nods at Tony, and I close my eyes and shake my head.

How could I have not realized how Marnie was feeling?

I’m an insensitive bastard, of course, she’d want to organize her own wedding. I should have seen it when Brooke was banging on about Avery making the dress.

How could I have been so stupid?

What must Marnie think of me?

“All you have to do is tell Draven how you’re feeling. Believe me, he won’t have realized anything is wrong. Draven didn’t organize anything for his first wedding either, it was all done for him.

“People taking over things like this is normal to people like us. Mothers, sisters, aunts and even grandmothers take over because they just want you to have the best day. Some people like leaving everything to others, but if you don’t then you must say something, Marnie.”

“I don’t want to cause problems, Tony. I am so grateful to everyone for everything they’re doing. It shows they care about me, and no one but my sister has ever cared about me.

“But I guess you’re right, I have to say something. This wedding is important to me, Tony. I know all of these things are inconsequential to a lot of people, especially men,” She laughs. “But I want Draven and I to choose the flowers together, the color scheme, and all those little things that go with it. I guess I’ve just dreamed about it since I was a little girl. Finding the perfect man and marrying him.”

Marnie chuckles.

“I know Draven isn’t perfect, but then, no one is. He’s the Boss and he’s strict with you all. But he’s different with me. He treats me like no one ever has before, and I just want our day to be ours, not something everyone else wanted.”

If that’s what Marnie wants, then that’s what Marnie will get. I don’t give a damn if she wants horses and carriages, and a fuckin.g hot air balloon, I’ll give her it all. So, if Marnie wants us to organize this wedding together, we will.

I make my way into the kitchen, Marnie looks up at me, blushing and trying to smile. She looks worried that I may have heard what she’s been saying. I wouldn’t say I’m happy that she confided in someone other than me about this, but I’m not angry with her either.

“We need to talk.”

Marnie casts her eyes downward. “You heard.” She whispers, but I heard her loud and clear.

Tony gets out of his seat and tells me he’ll leave us to talk. Once he’s gone, I sit down next to Marnie and take her hand in mine. “Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling like this?”

She looks at me. “I’m sorry, Draven, I didn’t want to make a fuss. I see that was stupid of me now.”

I stroke my thumb over her knuckles. “Baby, you are not stupid. You are allowed to take something for yourself, Marnie. You are allowed to tell others to back off. This is our wedding, no one else’s. Tell me what you want, Marnie. To hell will everyone else.”

She swallows a lump in her throat. “I just want to pick my own dress. I don’t mind Avery making it, she’s amazing at what she does, but I want to design it. I know Brooke was just trying to help, but I’ve had no say in this wedding at all. I know it’s not your thing, but I kinda hoped you and I could pick the flowers, and the cake, and all the little things. I don’t mind handing off some of the work to others, but certain things, you and I should do. This is our wedding, Draven, and it’s important to me. Neither of us are ever going to get married again. This is it for us, right?”

I nod.

“So, shouldn’t we make it a wedding to remember? A day neither of us will ever forget but will look back on with smiles on our faces? A day we can tell our baby about when they’re old enough with pride?”

I smile at how passionate she is right now. The fire in her belly has been ignited. Marnie has every right to demand people back the fuc.k off, this is our day, not theirs. Besides, she’s right. We will never be divorced, so there will be no other marriages for us.

It’s easy for a man like me to stand back and let others do all the work, but Marnie isn’t like that. She’s down to earth, and even though she married a man with money, and he took over her life and organized everything, she doesn’t want that with me. Truth be told, I don’t want that either.

I kiss her knuckles, and she smiles. “Tomorrow, you and I are going to start organizing our wedding. I’ll let everyone know that if you want help, you’ll ask them for it.” I tuck her hair behind her ear. “Whatever you want is yours.”

“All I want is you.” I smile at that. “I don’t need anything fancy, big venues, food fit for kings, and fancy cars. I just want you to be waiting for me at the end of the aisle with a smile on your face because you truly want to be there.”

“And you will have it all, Marnie. You and I can choose everything together. Don’t be afraid to tell people no to things, I don’t ever want you to feel pressured into things.”

“I know. I’m sorry I’ve been kind of a coward of late. I don’t know what got into me. I guess I still haven’t realized I don’t need to what others expect of me any longer.”

“No, you don’t. I just want you to be happy, sweetheart.”

“I am happy.” Marnie leans in and kisses me, then pulls away sharply. “I do want Avery to make me an outrageously expensive dress, made from the best Italian silk and lace, though.”

I laugh loudly and kiss her. “Anything you want, beautiful. Anything you want.”