CHAPTER 15
CARA
Although I couldn’t seem to control the way my body shook, I felt calmer as Arran pulled up outside the house a short while later.
He and Dante were up front and Callan and I were in the back.
Callan had been holding my hand on the seat between us the entire journey back and I’d been grateful for it.
The quiet of the drive had given me time to get to grips with my panic, the images of the past pushing to the front of my mind, and the pain that was coming angrily from my ribs with all of the movement and action.
By the time Dante opened the door on my side and took my hand to help me out, I could breathe fully once again, and my mind seemed a little clearer, errant thoughts under control for the time being at least.
“The shaking will stop soon. It’s adrenaline,” Dante told me as he held onto my hand longer than necessary and obviously felt my trembling.
“I know,” I nodded. “It’s not the first time I’ve felt this way.”
“I don’t like that,” he rumbled.
“Neither do I, but that’s life,” I shrugged.
“I can’t change your past, but I’ll do everything I can to make sure this is the last time you feel fear like that though.
” I looked up, barely able to even meet his eyes with how much taller than me he was, but he was looking down at me, his dark, almost black eyes focussed right on me, and I felt like he was making me a promise with those words.
“I think you might have your work cut out for you there, Dante,” I tried to joke, but Dante didn’t laugh.
There was something both unnerving and comforting in the seriousness of his face in that moment.
How could anyone not feel even just slightly safer when a giant like Dante was all but pledging to keep you safe?
“We need to get inside. You’re bleedin’ again, brother,” Arran said, jolting me back to reality. I looked up to where I had noticed a blood stain on Dante’s shirt and saw what looked like wet, fresh blood there now.
“Oh crap! Put pressure on it or something!” I demanded as I tried to reach up on tiptoes to reach his shoulder.
“Hush now. It’s just a scratch. I’m hardly bleeding out,” Dante chuckled as he grabbed me around the waist and stopped my stretching to reach up. “Don’t anger your ribs more. They already hurt, don’t they?”
“I’ve had worse,” I told him belligerently.
“Okay, come wi’ me, wee one. Best to pick your battles wi’ Dante, and this one isnae worth it,” Arran stepped in.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him towards the house, and for some reason I just followed him, only pausing slightly to make sure Dante and Callan were right behind me.
I could see dark coloured cars parked down the street, and I was pretty sure they contained Rafe’s men, all watching over us.
At the door, two of Rafe’s guys stood like night club bouncers, one either side of the entrance, eyes watchful and arms crossed.
They certainly looked threatening and I found myself hurrying to huddle closer to Arran as we passed them.
“Cara?” Rafe yelled through the house the second we stepped inside.
“I’m here, and I’m fine!” I called back, hoping he’d hear me. My voice still wobbled because of the shaking, but it sounded stronger than it had before, and I felt some pride in that.
I still didn’t have any shoes on, so I didn’t stop to slip them off as the others did, all obviously not wanting to tread blood through the house.
I did check there wasn’t any on the soles of the socks I’d borrowed from Callan that morning, but other than my own from wearing Gia’s trainers, I was good.
I was pretty sure Callan would not be wanting his socks back though.
I moved further into the hallway just as Rafe appeared at the top of the first flight of stairs. He paused there and stared at me for a moment.
“Thank Christ!” he gasped, then he was striding down towards me. In seconds I was in his arms, being crushed until I couldn’t stand it any longer and moaned in pain.
“Her ribs, Rafe!” Callan called out at the sound, and instantly Rafe stepped back and held only my shoulders.
“Oh God. Sorry, sweetheart. I wasn’t thinking. I was just so relieved,” he tried to explain.
“Not your fault,” I told him. “But you can breathe now. I’m alright. Is Gia safe?” I asked as the thought occurred to me that Gia would be just as valuable to those trying to grab me, as I was, surely?
“She’s in her room. I went to collect her from her friend’s house as soon as Dante called me. I’ve told her she’s staying at home for the rest of this week until I can get things straightened out.”
“I’ll bet she loved that,” I said dryly.
“Yes, it didn’t go down well, and I think it’s safe to say she hates me even more than she did this morning, but I can handle her ire, as long as she’s safe.”
“Agreed.”
“I’m so sorry. Here I am, constantly promising to keep you safe and then this happens the first time you venture out. Had I even suspected…”
“Rafe,” I cut in, stopping his unnecessary apology. “Just stop. This wasn’t your fault, and you did keep me safe, by making sure Dante and Callan were with me. They protected me until your other men could get to us. I’m alright.”
“You’re shaking?” he pointed out.
“Adrenaline. It’ll calm down now that it’s all over.
I won’t lie and say I wasn’t scared, but I got through it.
I know you won’t like hearing this, but the years I spent alone have taught me that sometimes you have no choice other than to be tough.
I haven’t been sheltered like Gia. I know how shitty and cruel life can be, so don’t worry so much about me, okay? ”
“You should listen, Rafe. She was handling a gun and taking shots like she definitely knew what she was doing,” Dante added, and when I turned slightly I saw he, Callan, and Arran were all still stood close by.
“What the hell does that mean? Why was my sister using a bloody gun?” Rafe snapped as he turned an ice cold glare on the three of them.
“I know how to use one, and we were seriously outnumbered,” I answered before the others could say anything. “I don’t think I hit anyone, but it helped hold those men back for a while.”
“I have to agree. I don’t think we had much choice in that situation, Rafe. Dante didn’t like it, but we were seriously outgunned and if they’d have got inside the car, they’d have taken Cara,” Callan explained, and I was grateful for his back up.
“I have to agree,” Rafe scoffed. “Jesus Christ Cal! You shouldn’t have been forced to use a fucking gun either. I sent a team with you so you would both be protected!”
“I can see you’re pissed and I don’t want to make it worse, but you’re talking bullshit, big brother.
Look around you. Look outside at the men you have just trying to protect your home and the people in it.
I understand why you have to keep a concern in the underworld, but by doing that, this family is always going to be in danger.
To think you can send any member of it out into the world and expect them to be protected, is just crazy.
Cal, Gia, me, and anyone you care for even remotely, will always be under threat.
The best you can do is ensure we all know how to take care of ourselves.
Cal and I proved we can do that today, and if you really want me to stick around here, I intend to train hard to make sure I will always be able to defend myself to the best of my ability.
It’s a harsh reality I’ve already come to accept since I found Mum the way I did.
You need to do that too,” I told Rafe bluntly.
“They cut off the team following us, boss. Totalled their car. Two of our guys are badly banged up from the crash. They came on foot when I gave them our location, but that took too fucking long. Cara’s right.
She and Callan had no choice, and they did good.
It was a shitty situation, but we all got out whole,” Dante added.
“Well almost,” I reminded him as I nodded to his shoulder, which still looked to be bleeding.
“I told you, this is nothing,” he shrugged.
“I fucking hate this! I just want to keep my family safe!” Rafe growled angrily, startling me with his outburst.
“Ye do, brother, but I think Cara’s on to somethin’ too. We cannae always rely on our men to protect the people we care about. We need to make sure they’re all able to take care o’ themselves if it comes to that,” Arran said.
“You want to train Callan and Cara?” Rafe asked.
“Yes,” Dante and Arran agreed in sync.
“And Gia too. She needs to at least know some basic self-defence. You can’t shelter her from everything, Rafe, no matter how hard you try. It’s better that she be prepared should she ever need to defend herself,” I added.
“Callan has already had some gun training. I’d like to expand that and work with Cara too,” Dante explained.
“And Dario and I already planned to do some fight training wi’ the lass. Callan can help us wi’ that, and we can go from there. Dario can also train wi’ Gia a few times a week to cover the basics, if that’s alright wi’ you?” Arran looked to Rafe for an answer.
“I don’t want Cara and Gia getting injured,” Rafe stipulated, and I couldn’t help my deep sigh. Rafe turned to me with question.
“Sorry, but you can’t seriously expect me to learn anything from Dario and Arran if they have to pussy foot around me, trying not to bruise me.
I want to be able to spar with them so I can pick up new techniques and that means I will get hurt occasionally.
That’s how training works. I’m a big girl, Rafe.
I can handle it,” I told him stubbornly, but he was being ridiculous.
It wasn’t like Dario or Arran were going to break my bones or truly hurt me.
“We’ll be careful, Rafe. Ye ken we wouldnae hurt them, but bruises do happen, especially if Cara really is good enough to start sparrin’ wi’ us....”
“I am,” I cut in.