11. Break Her #4
Pulling on his jacket, Jax grabbed his hammer. “...Stay with her.”
Ian felt a lump harden in his throat as Jax left the room. And just like that… he felt like that helpless 9-year-old boy again...
“Are you guys talking about Mad-Blood?”
Ian looked down and saw Deja staring up at him, wide awake. “I thought you were sleeping?”
“Who’s Mad-Blood?” she persisted.
“Deja-”
“Ian, please?”
He searched her eyes before he slowly exhaled, averting his gaze.
“...he’s our father...”
Deja’s finger gently traced the burn mark next to Ian’s nipple. It looked violent. Painful.
“Did… he do this to you?” she asked quietly, afraid of the answer.
Ian smiled at her warmly, his deep dimples puckering his cheeks. “You’re stunning, you know that?” he asked, touching her face.
“Ian,” she said seriously, grabbing his hand.
Ian’s smile slowly fell. “My father was… particular-”
“Particular? He was abusive,” Deja said sharply. “He abused you! All of you-”
“It was discipline, Deja, not abuse-”
“Ian!” Deja said, sitting up. “No parent who loves their children hurts them the way he hurt you!”
Ian exhaled, annoyed. “Deja, you speak of matters you don’t understand. My father didn’t do anything we didn’t deserve-”
“Are you kidding me?” she asked in disbelief. Deja crawled on top of him, straddling him between her thighs. “No child deserves to be abused. You deserved to be loved, Ian. From birth till death.”
Ian scoffed. “Deja-”
“There’s nothing wrong with you.”
“Stop-”
“And even if he doesn’t… I do.”
The color melted from Ian’s face as his pupils dilated. “...wha-… what- no, don’t do that.”
Deja looked at him, confused as he pushed her off of him. “Ian-”
“Don’t tell me things you think I want to hear out of some fucking pity,” he snapped angrily.
Deja looked at him, startled, and grabbed his hand before he could leave. “Hey!” she snapped until Ian looked at her. “I don’t pity you! I love you because… You deserve to be loved, Ian.”
Ian’s nostrils flared as his throat moved. “...are you… lying to me...?” he asked, his voice breaking.
Deja’s chest caved in. “...no, Ian… I really do love-”
Ian grabbed her face, slamming his lips into hers before she could finish.
He fell on top of her as his mouth moved ferociously against hers.
Deja chuckled at his abrupt reaction before she tasted salt on her lips.
It wasn’t until she felt the splatters of water on her face that she realized…
he was crying. “Ian?” she said, trying to see his face. “Ian, baby-”
But Ian pushed his face into her bare breasts to hide his tears as he tightly wrapped his arms around her. His body trembled uncontrollably as he sobbed against her, his tears wetting her skin.
Tears pearled in her eyes as Deja affectionately ran her fingers through his hair.
His fingers painfully dug into her back with anguish, but she didn’t mind.
She remained silent as he released a cry she imagined he had held inside for years.
“I love you...” she whispered, kissing the top of his head. “...so much.”
Ian finally tilted his head up to look at her. His normally composed, handsome face was flushed red with bloodshot eyes, broken yet relieved. “...because… you deserve to be loved...” she whispered against his lips.
Gaelic spilled from Ian’s mouth before he was crawling on top of her again, smothering her lips with his in a passionate kiss.
She ached. All over.
With a bedsheet wrapped around her body, Deja stumbled into the living room where she spotted Caleb crouching, looking at someone’s license. The guys had cleaned up the blood and bodies while she pumped and slept. “You guys did a great job,” she said.
He looked over his shoulder at her, his brows narrowing as his eyes raked over her naked body. Deja anxiously bit her lip. “Ian told me about… Mad-Blood… your uncle...”
His pale hazel-green eyes darkened as he stood to his feet, but he remained silent. She frowned. Something about his gaze made her apprehensive. “Caleb,” she said, approaching him. “...I know he hurt you. You didn’t deserve any of that...”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I want you to know that I’m here for you… that I love you...”
He looked down at her curiously, gently touching her face. Deja smiled up at him, holding his hand against her cheek. “I understand if you don’t wanna talk about it right now, but… Jax, Ian, and Keith… you’re all going to need each other...”
His jaw suddenly clicked with anger as he pulled back from her. Deja frowned as he abruptly turned around and walked out of the suite. She sighed as she walked towards the window and looked outside.
“Baby, you hungry? We’re gonna get something to eat.”
She turned and saw Caleb enter the living room. She twisted her mouth. “How did you change so quickly?” she asked.
Caleb looked at her, confused. “What?”
“You were just in here wearing a black jacket. When did you have time to change?” she asked.
Caleb tilted his head as he approached her. “...baby… I’ve been cleaning up with Keith for the past hour...”
Deja’s face slowly fell. “...what?”