her into his embrace and rocked her. How
could Lou be such a monster? Couldn’t he see what he was doing? Her
fluttering cries stung his heart. He wanted to throw her in his car
and drive her straight to Amy. “Sweetie, this is only for a short
time. Don’t you like Daddy’s house?” He almost choked on the word
Daddy. “He has a swimming pool.”
Angel slapped a tiny fist against his chest.
“He’s not my Daddy! I won’t call him that.”
“ Baby, sshhh.” He pulled her back to
him and stroked her back. His heart was on the verge of
busting.
Her hands released their tight clasp and
clung to his shirt sleeves. “Why can’t you be my daddy? Don’t you
love me?”
Oh, God! His chest tightened as he fought to
hold back his tears. He wanted to be her daddy more than anything.
He’d go to the end of the Earth for this child, and back. “Angel, I
love you so much.”
“ Then will you be my daddy?” She
looked up at him with red swollen eyes and a runny nose.
A lump caught in his throat, holding back
the yes he wanted to scream. His lips trembled and he closed his
eyes. “Let’s not talk about…it right now. Okay?” He wiped her nose
and rocked her until she fell limp in his arms.
When he was sure she was sound asleep, he
gently picked her up. Lou stood in the doorway leading out of the
living room. Apparently he’d been watching and listening. He passed
Lou and put Angel down on the guest bed. After kissing her cheek,
rage ignited from his toes and spread through him as he
straightened.
In two long strides from the guestroom, he
grabbed Lou with both hands by his shirt and yanked him out the
backdoor. They passed their parents on the porch as he drug him
down the steps on threw him on the lawn.
“ Get up you mother fucker.” He kicked
him in the side.
“ Gabe—”
“ Shut up and fight like a man.” He
stood; feet planted apart, fists clenched.
“ Boys!” Mom yelled to them in horror
and started off the porch.
Dad grabbed her by the wrist. “Let them be,
LouElla.”
He turned back to Lou and kicked him again.
“Get up so I can teach you a lesson in being a man.”
“ Gabe, I don’t want to fight
you.”
“ What, you want to look like the good
guy in front of Mom?”
“ Okay. I’m going to get up, but I need
you to hear me out.” He rose to one knee. “I’m sorry. Lord, I don’t
know where to start.”
“ Apologize all you want. I’m still
kicking your ass.” He swiped his leg and knock Lou’s foot out from
under him, making him land on the ground again.
“ Shit! I know you’re pissed off and
you’ll probably never forgive me. But you’re my brother, I miss you
and I’m sorry I hurt you.”
Hell. Right when he had the perfect chance
to inflict some pain, Lou wanted to apologize. He’d waited years to
hear those words, but his heart had been hardened. It would take
more than one sorry to mend their relationship. “If you’re so
sorry, give Angel back to Amy and call this off.”
“ I am.”
“ What?” Was he really giving in? Had
he heard him correctly?
“ I called Amy while you were with
Angel and asked her to come over.” He scrambled to his
feet.
At that moment, he truly looked at his
brother for the first time that afternoon. He wore an old pair of
jeans and a polo shirt. At least a three day growth shadowed his
face. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair had grown from its usual
short tight cut. He felt his anger die down some, then he was
reminded of the look of horror on Amy’s face when she’d told him
about Lou forcing himself on her.
“ I can’t let it go that
easy.”
“ I understand, and I’m not asking you
to. If you need to hit me, then take your best swing.”
“ You deserve to go to jail. And you’re
damn right I’m going take my best shot. How many times did you rape
her?”
“ Gabe, I—”
“ Don’t deny it. You threatened her and
used Angel as leverage.”
“ I did a lot of nasty things I’m sorry
for.”
Images of
could Lou be such a monster? Couldn’t he see what he was doing? Her
fluttering cries stung his heart. He wanted to throw her in his car
and drive her straight to Amy. “Sweetie, this is only for a short
time. Don’t you like Daddy’s house?” He almost choked on the word
Daddy. “He has a swimming pool.”
Angel slapped a tiny fist against his chest.
“He’s not my Daddy! I won’t call him that.”
“ Baby, sshhh.” He pulled her back to
him and stroked her back. His heart was on the verge of
busting.
Her hands released their tight clasp and
clung to his shirt sleeves. “Why can’t you be my daddy? Don’t you
love me?”
Oh, God! His chest tightened as he fought to
hold back his tears. He wanted to be her daddy more than anything.
He’d go to the end of the Earth for this child, and back. “Angel, I
love you so much.”
“ Then will you be my daddy?” She
looked up at him with red swollen eyes and a runny nose.
A lump caught in his throat, holding back
the yes he wanted to scream. His lips trembled and he closed his
eyes. “Let’s not talk about…it right now. Okay?” He wiped her nose
and rocked her until she fell limp in his arms.
When he was sure she was sound asleep, he
gently picked her up. Lou stood in the doorway leading out of the
living room. Apparently he’d been watching and listening. He passed
Lou and put Angel down on the guest bed. After kissing her cheek,
rage ignited from his toes and spread through him as he
straightened.
In two long strides from the guestroom, he
grabbed Lou with both hands by his shirt and yanked him out the
backdoor. They passed their parents on the porch as he drug him
down the steps on threw him on the lawn.
“ Get up you mother fucker.” He kicked
him in the side.
“ Gabe—”
“ Shut up and fight like a man.” He
stood; feet planted apart, fists clenched.
“ Boys!” Mom yelled to them in horror
and started off the porch.
Dad grabbed her by the wrist. “Let them be,
LouElla.”
He turned back to Lou and kicked him again.
“Get up so I can teach you a lesson in being a man.”
“ Gabe, I don’t want to fight
you.”
“ What, you want to look like the good
guy in front of Mom?”
“ Okay. I’m going to get up, but I need
you to hear me out.” He rose to one knee. “I’m sorry. Lord, I don’t
know where to start.”
“ Apologize all you want. I’m still
kicking your ass.” He swiped his leg and knock Lou’s foot out from
under him, making him land on the ground again.
“ Shit! I know you’re pissed off and
you’ll probably never forgive me. But you’re my brother, I miss you
and I’m sorry I hurt you.”
Hell. Right when he had the perfect chance
to inflict some pain, Lou wanted to apologize. He’d waited years to
hear those words, but his heart had been hardened. It would take
more than one sorry to mend their relationship. “If you’re so
sorry, give Angel back to Amy and call this off.”
“ I am.”
“ What?” Was he really giving in? Had
he heard him correctly?
“ I called Amy while you were with
Angel and asked her to come over.” He scrambled to his
feet.
At that moment, he truly looked at his
brother for the first time that afternoon. He wore an old pair of
jeans and a polo shirt. At least a three day growth shadowed his
face. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair had grown from its usual
short tight cut. He felt his anger die down some, then he was
reminded of the look of horror on Amy’s face when she’d told him
about Lou forcing himself on her.
“ I can’t let it go that
easy.”
“ I understand, and I’m not asking you
to. If you need to hit me, then take your best swing.”
“ You deserve to go to jail. And you’re
damn right I’m going take my best shot. How many times did you rape
her?”
“ Gabe, I—”
“ Don’t deny it. You threatened her and
used Angel as leverage.”
“ I did a lot of nasty things I’m sorry
for.”
Images of
Similar Books
