24. Adam
Adam
"Darling, you're not well, so rest, please." At this point, I was about to throw my pleading out the window and tie her down to the couch, so she'd stay put.
Stubborn as always, Eliza groaned and smacked my hands away from her groggy body. "I'm fine. I just need to wake up some more," she insisted while struggling to push herself off the couch.
Rolling my eyes, I forced her back down onto the couch with a sigh. "Little rose, you're like a zombie right now," I remarked with a soft frown. "Just nap for a little bit, darling. We were up late last night, and you had a good cry, so your whole system is still trying to recover."
Even though she slept well into the morning, she was still rather pale and sickly with her swollen eyes and cracked lips.
After a light breakfast meal, she was still a little out of it.
She wasn't too happy when I made her call into work, but there was no way I'd let her go out with half a functioning brain cell and a nearly empty tank of energy.
Her boss made no fuss about it, though, especially after I spoke to her about it.
Shoving my worries to the back of my mind with a sigh, I leaned down and kissed her forehead before helping Asher up onto the couch.
For a second, I watched the toddler crawl into his mother's arms and snuggle into her.
"Just cuddle with Asher until he's tired, relax.
I'll make a smoothie for you to help pep you up, get you some snacks and all too. "
Eliza glared at me softly but relented, especially when Asher rubbed his face into hers with a sloppy kiss on the cheek and a few cute babbles. "Only because I don't want to leave Asher right now," she argued with a pout at me before turning her full attention to Asher.
Appreciating the warm scene for a moment, I gave both a kiss on the head before busying myself in the kitchen.
Things have been calm since last night, which I expected. I had already accepted Eliza and her past, and I knew all there was to her before she cracked and spilled everything to me before we both went to bed. From the bottom of my twisted heart and soul, I really didn't give a shit about her past.
I didn't see her any different after reading through her whole file.
I didn't care about her past marriage to some abusive bastard; she may argue that fact made her less of a woman for me, but that wasn't the case for me.
There was no such thing as 'used goods' because of the past. Hell, she could've been a sex worker for all I cared, and I wouldn't see her as anything but perfect.
Women aren't objects, so to say they were 'used' or 'not good' anymore after being married or using their bodies was beyond stupid.
Women are meant to be cherished and worshiped by us men.
Us men were the lowly humans, while women were the fucking gods of this world.
Call me extreme, but I was raised right by my parents to treat a woman more than properly and to view them as above.
My father always liked to joke the world would crash and burn if it weren't for women, and I couldn't agree with him more.
If it weren't for Eliza, then I wouldn't really be alive. A breath of fresh life, as many would say. Day in and day out, I went about my routine like some robot, just living for the sake of living. I never truly felt content or alive until I happened upon Asher and Eliza.
"Hey, bub?" Her curious voice rang out, making me look over at her.
Eliza had sat up and rested her head on top of the couch. "How did you find out about my past? How long have you known?" She grew wary again with how distant and shielded she sounded, making me frown internally.
"I have a lot of friends who work in the system and such, and I've got means and such with the money I have." It wasn't a complete lie. I got her information through my means and connections, though it might have been my more illicit ways, but those tiny details didn't matter.
With the smoothie cups in hand, I went over and sat beside her on the couch.
"I've known for a few months, and none of it bothered me, really.
" Giving her a reassuring smile, I kissed her cheek before giving her the smoothie.
"It only made me admire you so much more.
" I couldn't help the goofy smile from spreading across my lips as I looked at her adoringly.
Sadly, the bliss didn't last long when I caught her lips sagging. " Mia rosa , what's wrong?" I questioned with furrowed brows.
Had I done something?
No, that was silly because I literally haven't done or said anything to make her upset.
"I'm happy you know and all, but…" Her tongue darted out across her trembling lips.
"But it doesn't change the fact that James is still after me and Asher…
Knowing him, he's not going to give up until he has both of us back, or at the very least, Asher.
" I hated how defeated she looked, like some beat-up puppy on the streets.
Keeping a strong front for her, I set the cups down to pull her into a comforting hug.
"Hey, don't worry about your pathetic ex.
If he ever shows his ugly face around here, then I'll take care of him.
" They weren't empty words, but she didn't have to know my true intent.
"He will never lay a hand on you again, not while I'm around," I assured her, kissing her forehead.
Letting her go, I held her face firmly to let her see my promising smile.
"I will always protect my family, which is you and Asher.
I don't want you to think or worry about James anymore from now on, alright?
" Of course, she opened her mouth to argue back, but I shut her with a finger pressed against her lips.
"I will handle James if he comes around.
I want you to put him in the past, where he belongs.
He held you back for so many years, so don't let him keep on pulling your life through the mud when he's not even here. "
Soon, he'd cease to exist, but again, she didn't need to know about my nefarious plans regarding her damn ex. Well, that and I hadn't exactly figured out a completely foolproof plan yet, so there wasn't anything to tell.
As much as I hated to agree with Rowan, he was right. Given his standing in society, James wouldn't be simple to deal with. A known police lieutenant disappearing would raise some heads without the proper setup.
Fortunately for James, I wasn't God. Otherwise, I would've smote him down the moment I came across his name in Eliza's file. Deplorable bastard. I have so many plans to make him suffer before ending him. His days were numbered, and it was only a matter of time before he'd come for my trap.
"Bub, no." Eliza frowned deeply with a few shakes of her head.
"I can't let you handle my problems like that.
I mean, it's one thing to take care of me by feeding me and such, but James is a whole different animal altogether.
He's not going to go away just because you throw money at him or charm him.
He won't stop until he gets his twisted ways, and he's not above murder either. "
With each quivering word, her face paled and dropped with terror.
By the time she was done talking, her eyes had this glazed-over look as if she wasn't present.
"I can't let him take you away from me. I won't. He's already taken away so much, and I've watched him ruin so many lives by taking them… I don't—"
Her next words became muffled from the kiss I forced on her. I didn't let up until she kicked into a full struggle to pull away from me, but at that point, I needed to breathe, so I let us go.
Reaching out, I snatched Asher up and brought him into a tight hug with Eliza. "I can swear with certainty that you will never lose me. Of all the things in the world I can guarantee you, James taking me out is never going to happen." That I could say with a full chest.
Letting my expression relax to a more serious one, I tilted my head slightly.
"You don't have to answer me if you don't want to, but from your reaction and answer, has James killed before?
" My curiosity itched at my brain, and I started to wonder if there was any dirt I could use to rub into James's wounds. "And I mean outside of duty."
She seemed fearful enough to hint at something wrong, and if her ex was as loose of a screw as Eliza made him sound, then it wouldn't surprise me if he had bad blood on his hands.
Eliza's head hung with a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping as her body dug itself into mine. "Yes… And he has the means to get away with it… That's why I'm so worried about you." Her small voice whimpered into my chest.
Clenching my jaw, I withheld the excited smirk from showing itself on my face.
Forcing out a soft hum, I rubbed the back of Eliza's and Asher's heads before letting them go.
"Just trust me on this, alright?" I pleaded to Eliza with a warm smile and trusting eyes.
"Let me worry about James, and you live your life to the fullest with me, alright? "
Pursing her lips, Eliza looked at me with unsteady eyes for a long while before giving in with a sigh.
"Alright, sir," she mumbled, giving me a quick hug before sliding off the couch to the floor to join Asher.
"Promise we'll be okay? All of us?" Her hopeful eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked up at me with an eager smile.
With all the confidence in the world, I smiled and nodded. "I swear to it." James might be a formidable foe when the time comes, but he was no match for me.
After all, a mere man stood no chance against an angel.
And I say it's time this bastard meets the Angel of Death.