Chapter 5
I was going on a date. I’d never been on one, so I was nervous and excited at the same time. My stomach flip-flopped, my hands felt itchy, and I didn’t know if I wanted to run or just hide.
Romance books were one of my favorite genres to read, so I had an idea of what a date was supposed to be like. TV shows had given me an idea about what to expect too, but I didn’t even have girlfriends to ask about dates either. Cassie and I were getting closer, and she was a friend, but new enough that I wasn’t comfortable to call her or just go around to her place and ask for advice.
Everything I wore tonight was new from the matching lacy, blue set of underwear to the socks, joggers, black shorts, and purple flower power top. I’d been wearing my flip-flops lately with the heat. I hadn’t wanted to chance ruining my new things for just hanging around the house. This was special though.
Hope was with Derick’s parents, and she hadn’t even cared that I was going out without her. She’d waved me off as I got into the black SUV. Derick and I were in the backseat and Dean, a part of their security team, was our driver.
My knee bounced, and my stomach danced with butterflies. I was growing to like…no, I was maybe even falling for Derick. My brother was the one person besides Hope that I loved. He was the only person I remember being nice to me. Derick’s whole family treated me better than I’d ever been.
Derick was helping me apply to get my education. I was using a laptop that he had given me. He said it was his old one, but I had a feeling he was lying. Hope had an Apple iPad that Derick’s parents had gotten her. They spoiled her rotten, and after the life we’d had, I’d never deny her being given what she deserved.
I was falling for Derick not because of everything he’d bought for Hope and I, but how he treated my daughter and I. He read to Hope every night. He showed me how to use the laptop. It was different to the public computers at the library. My brother had let me use his computer, but I was always hesitant as I didn’t want him punished by our father. He’d done that before when he’d found out my brother had done something for me or been nice.
After telling me about his family and what I was to him, Derick hadn’t pressured me into anything I didn’t want. He hadn’t gotten angry with me once when I hadn’t known how to cook things or what certain foods were. I’d lived on a super tight budget. I’d seen all the items in the shops when I’d gone, but they’d been out of my price range, so I hadn’t bothered to get to know what they were.
He didn’t get annoyed when he spent money on me or Hope. I didn’t drive or have any identification. I had a birth certificate, but not anything else. I worked cash in hand jobs, and my brother had paid for the tiny apartment Hope and I had lived in. The halfway house had helped me set up Centerlink payments and all the help I needed for Hope and Medicare also. I hadn’t gone to school.
I’d taught myself to read, and everything I knew I’d learned from books, TV, and watching the world around me. My brother helped when he could, but our dad kept a watchful eye on him. I think he knew Toby was nothing like him.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Derick lightly touched my arm. I blinked and turned from the window.
Giving a mental head shake to bring my focus back to the here and now, I looked at Derick. His beard was neatly trimmed, his brown gaze soft and warm, and his blond hair had been cut recently. I had a moment of sadness for not getting to run my fingers through it again before it was chopped off. I wasn’t used to the short length and missed his long, silky locks. He was a good-looking man before with the unkept beard and shaggy hair, but now he looked like he belonged on TV or in the movies. He wore a dark-blue dress shirt with tiny, white swirls on it and black jeans with leather-like shoes. When I’d come down the steps and first saw him tonight, my breath had caught, and I wanted to throw myself at him.
“What do you mean penny ? What is that?” I’d never heard of a penny before. Well, that wasn’t true. In movies set in old times I’d heard talk about them, but I hadn’t watched many really old movies or taken notice. This was when it showed I hadn’t gone to school.
I shrank in the seat as he chuckled, he stopped when I moved out of his touch. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed. I was more or less laughing at myself. I forgot that most people our age don’t really know about pennies or old sayings like what I just said. I had tutors when I was younger, and one was an older English lady, and she would have all these sayings like the one I just asked you.” I wiggled up a little, getting comfortable again. “A penny is a coin. So the saying means I’ll give you a penny if you tell me what you’re thinking.”
“My thoughts aren’t that interesting. I want to say thank you for all you’ve done for me and Hope. You’ve not just given me things I never thought I’d have, but you’ve given me more than I could even dream about having, like a bunch of girlfriends and a big, loving family. I may not be a part of it yet really, but the welcome you’v?—”
His index finger came to rest against my lips, stopping what I was babbling about. “Yes. You’re a part of the family. I promise that no matter what happens between us you will always have my family. I want this to work. This will work. I feel it here.” He tapped his chest. “You’re mine.”
I nodded. “I want this to work too. I like you, and I’ve never liked another man besides my brother.” My mind swirled with all the things I’d never had, and when I really thought of it, most of the new things I was experiencing and seeing were stuff that most people knew, or I thought they did. I was never sad about missing out on school, but since being free, it was just another thing to be angrier with my father about.
“Your brother comes home in a couple of weeks. Are you looking forward to it?” Derick asked.
I was. This was the longest he’d ever been away from me—well, since Hope had been conceived. When our father was around, Toby stayed as close to me as he could. If Toby’s mother was around with our father, he would never leave me alone with them. His mother wasn’t ‘mother of the year’, but she did love her son, and even protected him from our father.
“Yes,” I said. “This is the longest—well, besides…” I trailed off, not wanting to get into how Hope was made. “He’s only ever been away this long once, but this time he hasn’t gotten in contact much. I miss him.” My brother knew of Derick, but I hadn’t told him the story about the Silverman family with their soulmate and that I was Derick’s, or that Hope and I were living with them.
“You haven’t spoken to him much?” Derick asked.
No, I hadn’t. That wasn’t new though. When Toby went away, we didn’t usually talk as I didn’t want to put him in danger, and before now, I hadn’t really had a phone. He worried about me, and I knew when he was away, his focus needed to be on himself. Especially this time when he was cleaning up the club, helping the police and Silvermans, making it safe for everyone.
“I wasn’t allowed a phone before this. My father took five cheap, disposable mobiles off me, smashing or hiding them from me, so Toby stopped buying them. I sometimes sneaked one of the club bunny’s a time or two and one of my dad’s guys phones to call the police or Toby. I’m used to having no contact for a week, mostly with Toby, this has been the longest. I’ll have a lot to talk about. All he knows is that I’m safe and Hope and I are happy.”
“We’re here,” Dean said, pulling the car to a stop. He was the guard who’d stick close to us tonight. I knew there were more around, but the rest would stay hidden.
Derick got out of the car. I opened the door only to have Derick take over, spreading it wide and holding his hand out to help me down the step. “I’m looking forward to meeting your brother officially,” he said as I placed my hand in his and eased out of the car.
We were outside a huge building that had bowling, mini-golf, and an arcade in it. My brother had taken me bowling before and they’d had an arcade in it, but this was huge and with all three combined. I didn’t want to think about my brother anymore. I’d worry about Derick and Toby meeting tomorrow, or maybe never. Tonight, I was looking forward to my first date.
“I don’t want to talk about Toby. I want tonight to be about you and me.” I sent what I hoped was my sincerest smile to him.
He gave a sharp nod. “Okay. No more talk of your brother.” He held out his hand and I threaded my fingers with his and we walked into the big complex.
“Can we not talk about my family at all tonight please?” I squeezed his hand. We stopped a couple of feet from the service desk.
“Sure.” He cradled my hand for a moment and gazed into my eyes. I had a feeling he was trying to reassure me.
Derick talked to the young girl that was behind the counter. I watched as she batted her eyelashes and played with her hair. I bit my tongue to stop myself from screaming when she pulled her top down to show more cleavage.
Brand came out of hiding and stood beside me. His chuckle had me looking up at him to see his smirking face. “What is that about?” I hissed between clenched teeth.
“Go tell her who he belongs too. Trust me when I say that Derick will eat that up. If I didn’t know them,” he said, jerking his head in Derick’s direction, “and hadn’t seen this soulmate shit a couple of times before, I wouldn’t believe in gypsy gifts, curses, or whatever. But I assure you, for the Silverman family, it is real.” He laughed and made a shooing motion for me to go over to Derick.
I don’t know what came over me, but as I watched the girl hand over shoes and her fingers lingered on him, I stormed over to them, snatched her hand away, and threaded my fingers through Derick’s. “He is mine.”
I had no idea where my courage or newfound confidence came from, but I loved Derick’s reaction. He brought our interlocked hands up and kissed every one of my knuckles before he slowly leaned down and brushed his lips over mine; once, twice, and the third time, I gasped when he nipped my bottom lip and opened my mouth. His tongue met mine and tangled. I had never felt anything so good.
My body that had been tense since going out and being on my first date melted into his embrace. The kiss was better than anything I had ever imagined. I loved kissing Derick. I adored my romance books, and I’d played out scenes in my head over and over, but it had never had my body heating, my pussy tingling, and my breasts aching with need. I wiggled against him, eager for more.
Something was slammed down on the counter, and I broke the kiss to see the girl giving me the evil eye and the second pair of shoes next to us. I returned my gaze to Derick and said, “I love your kisses.” My voice sounded breathless even to myself.
The smile that spread over his face had me sighing as his perfect, white teeth showed and his lips spread wide. His warm eyes held my own and had a sparkle to them. It was that spark that had me holding tight to him and smiling at the girl.
“Precious, I loved that show of claim.” His hands glided down my back, sending shivers of pure passion through me. I squeaked when he squeezed my butt cheeks. His head came to nuzzle my neck, and his lips brushed over my earlobe. “This date is off to a perfect start. I can’t wait for more.” His whispered words were like a feather tickling the sensitive outer rim of my lobe. He eased back and grinned down at me. “Let’s put our shoes on and choose our bowling balls before I forget I’m trying to be a gentleman and treat you like the goddess you are.”
I sighed in contentment and followed him as he guided me down the steps toward the lanes. “You always seem to know just what to say,” I muttered.
His laugh was deep, raspy, and damn sexy. He was turning me into something I never thought I would become… a sex-starved woman.
I suck at bowling. Mini-golf wasn’t my thing either. But on the arcade games, I was kicking Derick’s arse. Gaming machines were something that were at the compound. When the men were out, I played them—well, before Hope came along. Derick and I went over to a basketball game and tapped our cards, and the balls came out. Derick had a competitive nature, and until we started playing the arcade games, I didn’t realize that I had one too.
“Ready, precious? This time I’m going to cream you.”
I adored the nickname he had for me. Every time I heard it, my heart skipped a beat and my body came alive with a need I’d only felt since meeting Derick. Enjoying his lighthearted banter, I gave it back with confidence that I wouldn’t get hurt for anything I said.
“Oh yeah. You’re on. Don’t cry when I kick your butt.”
His chuckle had us both going into action, throwing the ball at the hoop. This game wasn’t my strong suit, but my brother taught me to play the real thing with some of the nice children of my father’s motorbike gang. They were some of my best memories. The other kids in my father’s club helped me as much as they could, but some had similar issues with their parents, and others were careful to not let the attention fall on them. Not many of the members treated their children well, unless the kids followed in their parent’s footsteps and were mean, selfish, uncaring bastards. Some of them, like my brother, played the game the best they could to protect loved ones, or to stop getting hurt themselves.
The buzzer rang, and I realized that I’d zoned out thinking of my past life. But it didn’t matter anyway as I’d won, but only by one point.
“Ruby, you okay? You seemed to zone out there.” I knew he was serious as he used my name and not the nickname he had for me.
“Sorry. Games like this remind me of times when things were good. The gang would go away, and the kids would stay at the compound and play all the games. It was one of the only times I remember feeling safe.”
He gathered me into his embrace, and I snuggled against him, smelling his fresh sage, with a hint of lemon, aftershave.
“I’ve had fun tonight.” I tilted my head back and stared at him. As soon as our gazes clashed, his eyes swirled a warm chocolate that had all my other thoughts vanishing and my soul focus on the tilt of his lips as they rose in a smile that promised things I’ve only ever read about. “This has been the perfect first date for me. Thank you.” I wanted him to know that everything he’d done were things I’d only fantasized about.
“You never have to thank me for spending time with you. I’ve had so much fun too. I don’t get to let go like I have tonight much. Well, not since what happened with Dustan and attending university full time. Now I just have to top this on our second date.”
Taking a step back, I beamed up at him as he confirmed that we would have a second date. My heart soared, and I just knew I’d made the right choice from the start trusting my instinct and how I felt connected to Derick. Maybe the curse, er gift, he told me about was real.
Derick
I had surprised myself by winning bowling and putt-putt golf when my focus was on Ruby. I studied everything about her: the way her hair fell into her eyes when she became shy, the far-off look in her eyes when she was thinking of things that brought her off the track and into darker paths. She’d had a hard life. I could never blame her for what her parents did. Her therapist had warned my parents and I that with the life Ruby had led, and for her to stay moving forward to her happiness, she may get lost sometimes in memories and to let her. I’d learned when she was happy, content, excited, and even when her passion spiked, because her dandelion eyes became most prominent. Not one to talk endlessly about trivial things, Ruby was quiet. She wasn’t mouthy, or sassy yet.
I could tell she was starting to trust a little more. Ruby no longer stuttered. The therapist had a theory that because she felt safe, she didn’t do it anymore. She’d stopped panicking in the morning if she couldn’t find Hope. She didn’t get as upset when we spoiled Hope with gifts and was even starting to not protest when something was gotten for her. I knew from Mason that with what she had gone through that the process to get her to trust and feel comfortable could take a while. Mason’s wife, Alexa, had been in a similar situation as Ruby, but she’d been good at hiding and had at least gone to school.
Tomorrow I had a plan to talk to Ruby about school. She had investigated school and had started getting everything she’d need for it. She had options, and if she wanted, she could get whatever level of education she wanted and at the pace she wanted too. My family and I would be honored to help in any way. I didn’t want to push her into anything she didn’t want, so I was hesitant about how I went about asking. I had a feeling she would want to get some type of education. She devoured the books she got and had even read many from the library at the house. I’d helped her fill out forms and enquire into a couple of schools weeks ago, but nothing had advanced on the matter since then.
Kissing her last night and then going to my own room had been torture. I wanted her with me, in my bed. I knew Ruby wasn’t ready for that step yet, no matter how much I wanted it for myself. I’d taken to fighting to let off steam, and cold showers were all I seemed to ever have since meeting her.
Mason’s coach yelled, “Get your head in the game, Derick, or Mason will kill you, kid.”
His words brought me back to the fight before me. Mason was training for an upcoming fight, and because I’d been so angry lately— well, before meeting Ruby— I’d been eager to be his partner to let off steam. Now I needed to fight for the same thing, just a different reason.
I dodged just in time to miss a fist to my chin. I rose, back in the game, and channeled my need for Ruby into the fight. “Fuck. Mason, stop going easy on me.”
“Fuck you, Derick. I thought with all the practice we’ve been getting in, you wouldn’t need Micky to warn you. Pussy.” Mason sucked at bantering. When he fought, he wasn’t one for smack talk. He tried, but unless he was fighting with his brothers, who he knew all his life and all their embarrassing secrets, he didn’t have dirty talk.
Rolling my eyes, I took a step back and to the side as his fist missed me again. “Mason, you’re slow. What’s up? Alexa getting too tired to ease you? Is ‘Miss Palmer’ not helping ease your pain? Is impending fatherhood making you slow?”
You never insulted a Silverman woman. I knew this would make Mason fuming mad. I wanted a good fight to wear me out, and now I would get it. As he roared, I had a feeling that I was probably going to be in pain for the next couple of days after what I’d just said.
On the bright side, it may help with my own frustration that I had to take it slow with Ruby.
I hurt everywhere. I would never say anything about Alexa again. Mason had been brutal after I talked about his wife, but I had a feeling he needed the no-holds-barred workout if he was going to have a chance at his upcoming fight. Andrew had been training with Mason, and even Arron, Divinity’s brother, but not many other men were game enough to spar with us Silverman, and it was hard to find people we trusted. Some of our guards sparred, but we couldn’t risk them getting hurt.
Andrew had asked me to take over sparring with Mason for his upcoming fight because, and I quote, ‘I can’t keep looking like a big purple bruise for the ladies, ’cause I’m not getting laid.’ Even thinking of that I rolled my eyes. My cousin was a huge ladies’ man. I had no idea how though, but I had a feeling it was more the Silverman name as Andrew was a major dick. He was also the troublemaker in the family.
Ruby was with her therapist, and then my mother was taking her for a spa day. Hope had come with me to the gym, and I had thought she might go to the daycare, but as soon as Andrew saw Hope, he fell under her spell and took her out for a walk.
“Daaaddddyyyy!” Hope yelled.
Bracing myself, I gritted my teeth as I leaned down and opened my arms as Hope ran into them. I rose with her, her arms around my neck. Hope smothered me in kisses, and I bit my tongue to hide my wince when her knees dug into my ribs in her excitement.
“Guess what? Both Poppy and unclze Adwes, says I’m irsisitabbbled and don’t realize the powers I wielded.” Hope yelled in my ears. She wiggled in my embrace until she could look me in the eyes. “What’s that meanded?” Hope’s brows furrowed and her lips pursed.
She was utterly adorable. The pigtails she had today with rainbow lace through them and a fairy dress, or costume, I knew my mother had gotten for her. I was sure Hope had a new outfit for every day of the year. Because since she’d moved in, I hadn’t seen her in anything twice. Today though, she looked more like an angel than a fairy. Her unusual dandelion eyes shone brightly, and her cheeks were a healthy, rosy red. A good ninety-five percent of the time her lips were spread in a beaming smile but now they were set in a determined pout.
Hope was beyond adorable. I knew she would get away with anything because of it. “It means that you are way too cute to say no to.” I bopped her nose.
“But Mummy says no’sss all the times.” She nodded her head dramatically, and I couldn’t hold back my laugh.
“I think your mum is the only one with the power to say no.” I was sure I couldn’t and was damn grateful I hadn’t had to yet. “Your mummy is special.”
“Ahha, she’s the best.” Hope patted my cheek. “Cans wes goes see her now sos I can show Mummy whats unclze adwes got me.”
Closing my eyes, I said a prayer that Andrew had at least got age-appropriate things for Hope. On a sigh, I opened my eyes and kissed her cheek before I turned and saw Andrew laden down with a massive teddy bear almost the size of him and bags overflowing with pink things.
“Oh my God, cous’, you have the biggest chick magnet ever. Not only is she super cute, but your daughter attracts hot women like moths to a flame. I’ll take her anytime.”
“You used my daughter to pick up women.” I wanted to smack him upside the head, but I wouldn’t hurt him while Hope was in my embrace.
“Nah, man, they all approached me. They thought I was her dada and a single one.” He held his hand out in the universal sign of stop. “Don’t worry, I set them all straight and told them I’m just the awesome uncle and am very single.”
I raised my brow. “Uncle?”
“Well, yeah. It’s way too confusing for someone so little to explain that I’m your cousin and she is my… Shit, I can’t even figure out what she is. So, uncle sounds way better, and just admit it, you wish I was your real brother.” He wiggled his brows.
Hope wiggled to be put down, and I sat her feet on the floor. “I wanna show Daddy my princess pillow and the pressie we gots for Mummy.” She pulled out a crown-shaped, fluffy pillow with the lettering Princess . Hope then tipped the bag and a bunch of kids’ books fell out. “Mummy loves reading to me, sos I gots her alls these books so she could read me them all.” She smiled at me. I chuckled but didn’t have the heart to tell her that these weren’t really presents for her mother, but her. I had a feeling though that Ruby would love Hope’s presents.
“Come on then, princess, let’s go home and give your mum her presents.” I reached down to put the books back in the bag, but she grabbed my hand and then tugged me toward the exit.
“Let’s go.” She stopped at the door though, turned, and smiled at Andrew, who I’m surprised is putting the last of the books back in the bag. “Yous coming?”
I watched as Hope weaved her magic over my cousin Andrew.
“Damn cous’, if the daughter is this cute, the mother must be beyond gorgeous. Fuu…er,” he stopped himself from swearing. “I’m sorry. That sucks for you.”
I shook my head. “You have no idea. I’m in H.E.L.L.” I spelt out the last word so Hope didn’t hear it.
But she was clever. “Daddy, what is H.E.L.L?”
“It’s what I’m in with your mother now.” I picked her up, eager to get back to my woman.