Page 32 of Unbreakable
"And why are you here?" He asks him with his hand still clasped around his.
"I'm Grace's man." Jake states.
Sizing Jake up, Mr. Keller gives Jake a look over. "Military?" He raises a bushy eyebrow.
"Yes, sir." Jake answers.
Satisfied, for now, Glory's dad nods his head and releases Jake's hand. "June dear, let's go get something to eat and let these youngsters chat."
After the two of them kiss their daughter on the cheek, they leave the room closing the door behind them. Sitting down on the side of the bed, I grab Glory's hand. "Talk to me. Tell me who did this."
Glory's face turns ashen. I hate to have her relive the moment. I'm sure she's had to recount the moment more than once already, but we need to know.
"I stepped outside with Bo," she looks at Jake because he's the only one in the room who doesn’t know who Bo is. "Bo is my basset hound," she smiles. "As soon as I turned my back, I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head and then I was shoved inside. There was two of them," she looks to Finn, "They weren’t very tall I would say just under six foot each. One had black hair and was a bit lanky and the other was bald, but I remember seeing a tattoo on the side of his neck." She pauses while she tries to recall what the tattoo looked like. "I think it was a dagger. I'm not one hundred percent sure," she closes her eyes and squeezes my hand but continues. "What felt like forever probably only lasted minutes. The only time one of them spoke was once I had come to after one of the last blows to my face." Opening her good eye, she locks eyes with me. "He said, he's coming to take back what belongs to him."
My stomach sinks. I knew it. I knew it was Ronan. He sent his goons to relay a message that he knows where we are. "Glory, I am so sorry. This is all my fault," I confess and hang my head.
"Like hell it is. They beat me. Not you. And before you try to say anything else, you know I'll disagree with, I'll say this too. I chose to help my best friend. No one made me do anything," she chastises.
Jake strides across the room to the window and peers out. Glory follows him with her eyes. "Honey, that man in fine." The entire hospital floor could have heard her attempt to whisper. Being amused, Jake chuckles to himself.
Clearing his throat Finn comes to stand on the opposite side of Glory. "You plan on taking your parents advice and maybe skipping town or the country for a while?" he asks her.
"No," Glory crosses her arms, which causes her to wince from pain. Catching me looking concerned she says, "I have a few bruised ribs and a slight concussion, but other than that I'm fine. And to answer your question Finn, No, I'm not. I'm not letting that piece of shit run me off. I'm staying."
I told them she was headstrong. As long as I've known her, she has always been persistent and gotten what she wanted. Her money never had anything to do with it. When she was determined to do something or have something she would go after it until she got it.
"You're coming home with me," I declare. "If you don’t want to leave town then you need to have a safe place to stay. The only place I can think of is with me."
She shifts her attention to Jake who continues to watch out the window. "So, Delane, you plan on protecting us from the De Burcas'? You'll have to end his life or he'll never stop."
Stepping to my side, Jake possessively places his hand on my hip and peers down at me when he answers her. "War is nothing new to me, sweetheart. The motherfucker sealed his fate a long time ago. The De Burcas' don’t know whose backyard they just stepped in to. I'll gladly give my last breath to keep Grace and Remi—my family safe."
17
Jake
On the long ass drive back to Polson, I can't help but reflect back on the conversation I had with Glory's father. We were getting ready to leave the hospital and I was on my way downstairs to pull the SUV around to the front entrance when Mr. Keller offered to ride the elevator down with me. Once inside and the doors closed, he turned toward me and asked me a question. A question I respectfully answered. This is a man who even though he's not Grace's father, he in a way stepped in and took on the role after she lost hers. I knew without a doubt this man loved Grace as if she was his real daughter.
"What do you love about Grace?" he asked in a no bullshit tone.
Without skipping a beat, I looked him straight in the eyes, "I love everything about her. I love her strength, her courage, her unwavering spirit to live. I love the way she reasons with logic, but is not afraid to challenge it. I love the way she put the people she loves first. But most of all I love all the broken pieces of her soul. They fit together with the broken pieces of mine. Apart we were like jagged little pieces not fitting in with any puzzle. No matter how hard you try to force them to fit, they don't go. I knew the moment I walked into Grace's bakery she was my piece. I knew the moment she looked at me with those wounded fiery blue eyes she was my person. The one who completes the missing pieces of my soul. I also knew her pieces were a little broken. So, I spent two years gluing them back together. And it was worth every single second."
By the time I was finished with my little speech, I knew I had given him the answer he was looking for and more. I had meant every word. If he was shocked that a man like me, a hardened biker, President of The Kings of Retribution motorcycle club, so easily laid his feelings out there, then he didn't let on. I'm not sure what kind of answer he was expecting from someone like me. Hell, maybe he thought I would say something like I love how beautiful she is or some superficial muck like that. If a man gives that kind of shit as his answer, then he has no idea what love is. Love is looking beyond the exterior. None of us are perfect. We all have a fuck ton of flaws. It is our flaws that make us unique. When you find yourself obsessed with the unique parts of the person you are with, then that is how you know it's love. When you witness a person go through some of the worst shit in their lives and they are at their lowest, but to you, they have never been more beautiful, that is love. Take Grace's scars for example. To her they are ugly. To me, they are a symbol of strength. Her scars show she survived what was trying to break her. My Grace is unbreakable, and to me that is the sexiest thing about her.
I'm pulled from my thoughts when I hear whispers coming from the back seat of Demetri's SUV we are riding in. Cutting my eyes over my shoulder, I see Grace fussing over Glory and Glory rolling her eyes. I know Grace is feeling guilty for what happened to her friend. Ronan sure did a number on her too, but it's not Grace's fault. The fact that her friend took a beating and still didn't give up any information on Grace has told me all I need to know about Glory and the kind of friend she is. To hear them talk and see them together, I know they are more like sisters. I have no doubt Glory would have given her life to protect Grace. And that too is weighing heavy on my Little Bird's heart. And the fact Ronan was still able to find Grace has Glory struggling with her guilt.
I direct my attention away from my woman when my phone alerts me to an incoming text. Pulling it from my cut, I see it's Logan updating me on how things are back at the clubhouse. He's been keeping me informed every few hours. Bella and the rest of the woman have been doing an excellent job at keeping Remi busy and her mind off her mom. The kid is smart; she knows her father is a bad man and is behind what happened to my garage. She's also worried something will happen to her mom. It will be a cold day in hell before I let anything happen to Grace or my family.
It's been a few years since the club has been on lockdown and even longer since we've had to bring in the entire family. Luckily the clubhouse is huge and able to house everyone comfortably without feeling like we are all on top of each other. Logan said none of the family put up a fight when told to get their asses there for which I am not surprised. My parents along with Quinn's mom and dad know we would not ask such a thing unless it was a matter of life and death.
Except for the one death there will be is that of the son of a bitch who thought he could come into my town and threaten what's mine. I feel my body tense and my blood heat at the thought of getting to wrap my hands around the bastard's throat and slowly watch the life drain from his eyes. And I will do so with sick pleasure.
"All good, back home?" Demetri asks from the front seat.
"Yeah, brother. Logan says things have been quiet since we left."
Giving me a curt nod, Demetri then glances over my shoulder and into the back at Glory. Something he has been doing non-stop since we have been on the road. The funny thing is he's not even subtle about it. He's blatant about it, and we all watch Glory squirm under his gaze. If I'm not mistaken, I believe he has taken an interest in Grace's friend. The first clue was back at the hospital when after Glory's parents declined my offer to stay with us in Polson, Demetri immediately stepped in once he saw the worry on Glory's face and insisted one of his men watch over her parents until the situation with Ronan has been handled. Not wanting to upset his daughter any further Mr. Keller accepted Demetri's offer. We can all rest a bit easier knowing her parents are protected.
