27. Ford
27
FORD
I sigh as I look down at Grace. In sleep, she’s even more beautiful and I wouldn’t have thought that was possible. I was awake half of the night trying to figure out how to crack this hard exterior that Grace has around her. I heard every word she said. She loves me. Hearing her say it was good. I knew the emotion was in there. I could feel it between us. Still, I know the problem and it’s a big one. I need to somehow prove to her she can trust that love. That’s no small feat, considering everyone in her life has let her down. I’m not sure how to even tackle it. What I’m considering doing might blow up in my face, but I honestly don’t have many choices. Asher is on my side and since I don’t want to be away from him as much as his mother, I’ll enlist him to help me, too. It’s underhanded—not how I like to do things. I’m not letting Grace and Asher slip through my fingers, though. I can’t.
I smile as I watch her eyes flutter before she finally opens them. I grin as she stares at me. “Ford?” she whispers.
“Who else would you wake up in bed with?” I purr, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. She tenses for a minute, but then I feel her tongue slide against my lips. I open for her, but don’t press it—wanting to see what she does next. When her tongue tentatively slides into my mouth, gently stroking against my own, I feel like I won the damn lottery. I let her control the kiss. I fight to not turn it into something more passionate, knowing my Grace isn’t ready for that. I just let her experiment and play. Sadly, all too soon she stops, then looks up at me with the prettiest pink blush on her cheeks that I can see, despite the bruising still evident on her face. “I should kill him again,” I mutter without thinking.
“You killed Benny?” she asks, fear laced in her words.
“Grace, I told you. I couldn’t allow him to be a constant threat to you and Asher. I’m going to be dealing with the Korslovas next. You and Asher are mine to protect, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Grace shakes her head back and forth, tears falling from her eyes. “You never once said you killed him. Oh my God, Ford. You’re going to lose your freedom over this! Are you insane? You’ve ruined your life, and for what?”
“Grace, sweetheart, stop it,” I demand quietly, gently putting a hand on each side of her face. “I’m not going to get in trouble. Everything is fine.”
“It’s not! You killed someone. They arrest people for that. Oh God, I don’t even know if this state is a capital punishment supporter. You have to leave, Ford. You must get out of here. There are countries that don’t have extradition to the US. You could?—”
I laugh. I can’t help it. I press my lips against hers to keep her from talking. “Grace, you dated Vector. I don’t know the story, but I do know that. His club is a lot like mine. You can’t tell me you don’t understand the lifestyle.”
Her forehead crinkles. “Andrew always kept me separate from that. The only member of his club I ever met was Roman. He said he didn’t want that world touching me. He wanted to protect me. I thought it was because he loved me, but in hindsight, I think he just never saw me as part of his life—long term, anyway. It would have been nice to have known that before I gave him my virginity, but by the time he disappeared without so much as a goodbye, it was way too late.”
I digest this information and frown. “He disappeared?”
She shrugs. “I guess the term is ghosted. He tried to explain. He got hurt in action while in the military and just cut me out. Said his head was messed up and whatever. Apologies don’t really mean much. It happened, and I’d just rather forget it ever happened. I guess that’s why I didn’t really want to be around them when we were here before. Why did you put everyone in the hotel here? This place must be expensive.”
I laugh. I can’t help it. She goes from worrying I’m going to get the death penalty to me spending too much on a hotel room. I sit up, leaning my back against the quilted backboard, then gently pull Grace across my lap and hold her. She goes willingly and I let that soothe me. “I need you to listen to me, sweetheart. I have enough money not to worry about living in this damn hotel. The club has money. We’re sound financially. That’s something you’ll never have to worry about as my wife.”
“Wife? Ford?—”
“If you don’t want marriage, I’m still claiming you as my old lady with the club. I love you and I heard you last night. You love me. I’m not letting you go. It’s just not going to happen. You need to accept that.”
“I live in North Carolina. Are you going to just be happy in a long-distance relationship?” she asks, sounding annoyed.
“Nope. You’re coming back to Virginia with me.”
“And if I refuse?”
I frown, looking at the stubborn face of the woman I love. “If you seriously dig your heels in and insist on staying, you’ll be forcing me to give up my club and being close to my daughter and grandbaby.”
“I wouldn’t?—”
“You would, Grace. As much as I love them and my life in Virginia, I love you in a way that I can’t give you up. It’s just not possible. I have never been in love in my entire life. Not once have I ever felt like this.”
She stares at me, and I just look at her, letting her see the truth on my face. “I hated Virginia,” she mutters.
“You were with the wrong man,” I counter easily.
“I’ve never liked Virginia, not even when I thought I was in love and happy with Andrew.”
“Still the wrong man, sweetheart.”
“I have Asher to think about, Ford.”
“I love that little boy as much as I love you, Grace. He’ll be happy, I can promise you that.”
“I can’t agree to move,” she whispers, and I exhale. I was hoping she’d give us a chance. I look down at her and as much as it hurts my heart, I know that I’m going to choose her and Asher.
“Then I’ll send Grunt and the others home tomorrow. We’ll need to go down there soon so I can transfer some things over and let Grunt take over the club. I’ll sign over my house to T and Lyla. They have their own place, but they’ll make sure?—”
She puts her fingers against my mouth. “Stop,” she says, her voice weak, but completely serious. “I can’t agree to just move, but I’m willing to go home with you and see what it’s like.”
A weight lifts off me and I kiss the hell out of her. I only pull back when I hear her whimper. Her face has to be too sore to kiss her like that. “I’m sorry, baby,” I whisper once I pull back. I touch her cheek and the area around her lips gently. “Did I hurt you?”
“I’m fine. I’m tougher than I look, apparently.”
“You are.” I whisper, letting my forehead rest against hers. “How soon do you think we could travel to Virginia?”
“Can you give me until tomorrow so I can talk with Asher and maybe call Joe? I know he’s worried.”
“I’d give you anything you want, Grace.”
“You promise me you’re not going to end up being thrown in jail?”
“Won’t happen. First, there’s no one to report Benny missing. Second, there’s no body, and finally, if someone did wonder what happened to him, their first thoughts will be that the Korslova family were tying up some loose ends.”
“Okay,” she responds, but I can see the nervousness written all over her face.
“Grace, you can trust me. I’ve never hurt someone who didn’t earn it in the first place.”
“I think maybe this is a conversation we’ll revisit later. I just need time to think about everything.”
“Fair enough. Are you hungry? You were sleeping so deeply that I didn’t have the heart to wake you up.”
“Not really. I haven’t had much to eat in the last couple of days, so I’m used to it, I guess. I’m mostly just worn out, which probably explains why I slept so much. They didn’t feed me but brought water. I’m pretty sure there were drugs in the water to keep me kind of out of it. It was a dicey game of drinking it or allowing myself to get sick from not having food or water at all.”
“Motherfucker. If I could, I’d bring him back just to end his miserable life all over again.”
“How about you try not to kill anyone?” she suggests and cracks a smile.
“Then they better stay away from you. I meant what I said. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.”
“I’d be okay if you try to never hurt me. If you did, I’m not sure I’d recover. I’ve never had someone who cared enough to save me when he could be killed, let alone look after my son. Well, except Detective Garcia, but it was kind of his job,” she mumbles.
Before I can respond, I look at the door to my room. “Ford?” Asher’s voice rings out.
Grace looks up at me and tries to get off my lap, but I don’t let her. It’s good for him to see me and his mother together. It’s something I’m hoping he’ll see often. “Come in, little man.”
“I can’t find … Mom! I got worried. Lyla said you were resting when she tucked me in, but when I woke up, I couldn’t find you,” he exclaims without barely taking a breath.
He jogs over to the bed, and I let Grace slide off me. I help her settle beside me and then I motion for Asher to climb up in between us. He grins and bounds up. I grab him quickly. “Slow down, Ash. Your momma is delicate right now. We need to be careful around her,” I warn him, ruffling his hair to soften my rebuke.
“Sorry, Ford. Sorry, Mom.”
“It’s okay, baby. How come you are awake?” Grace asks.
“I had a bad dream. When I had one last night, Ford read to me and stayed with me until I fell asleep. I was going to lay with you, but I couldn’t find you.”
“I’ll go tuck you in and?—”
“You can sleep here with us,” I respond before Grace can say she’s going to sleep with her son without me. I can’t let that happen. She needs to get used to being in my bed.
“Ford—”
“Yay!” Asher cries and then surprises me by reaching up and putting his arms around my neck and hugging me tightly. “I love you, Ford.”
“Love you, too, buddy,” I tell him, closing my eyes and hugging him back. When I open them, Grace is staring at me. I see her tears shining in her eyes. I smile at her and mouth the words, “I love you, too.”
She rolls her lips together as some of the tears escape. I can’t do anything other than silently pray that when I get her to Virginia, she will see how different her life will be there with me as opposed to the memories that haunt her.