Forbidden Lust (14 page)

“Makayla, don’t get yourself all worked up. The guys know Darius, and they know how he tends to go off alone. He’ll be back.”

“Do you know his uncle is trying to sue Darius for money?”

“Yeah, Dane told me last night.”

“You know, Samara, I know I don’t know much about the world and all. Dad kept us locked up, and then you and Dane took over dad’s control.” Samara opened her mouth to speak, but Makayla waved her hand and quickly went on. “No, listen to me. My gut is telling me that there is way more to his mother than even he knows. A mother doesn’t turn her back on her child, unless there is more going on. Know what I mean?”

“No.”

She quickly went back to sit next to her. “What if his mother was abused also, and that’s why she didn’t do anything for his sister. What if she was raised thinking that abuse was a normal thing?”

“If that is true, then don’t you think Darius’s father would’ve seen it?”

“Samara, he abused his own daughter and his wife didn’t do shit about it. I’m going to say he knew.”

“Okay, but what does that have to do with this suing stuff now?”

“What if, and I’m going out on a limb here, but what if her brother was a part of it. What if Darius’s uncle was also hurting his mother.”

“That’s crazy!” This time it was Samara who waved her off and stood up. “I don’t think his uncle had any part in all of this.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

“Look, they all have a past, all the guys,” Samara said. “But what we need to do is show them that they have a much better future than their past. When he comes home, you need to forget about his crazy family and just focus on the two of you.”

Makayla nodded. Her sister was right. She needed to work on their relationship. Darius had been fighting this battle with his family long before she came into the picture. All she could do now was stand by his side and make sure he knew she was there when and if he needed her.

“You’re right. How’s Shyla doing?” Makayla asked.

“Kera called this morning. Blaine told her that she’s doing much better since we all showed up last night. She slept well, stopped crying and was eating. He’s got his fingers crossed that she’ll snap out of this.”

“I can’t even imagine what it would be like to lose a baby.”

“Yeah, she was very excited about this one. The first loss crushed her. It’s amazing to see the change in Blaine with her. He’s a completely different person than before he met her.”

“Have you and Dane given any thought about having a baby?”

“Oh, not yet. You?”

Makayla shrugged. “Not sure if it’s something Darius can handle.”

“Oh, I think with you around, he can handle just about anything.”

Makayla laughed, then the phone rang, distracting her. She jumped up and rushed to answer it. “Hello?”

“Hi.”

“Darius!” she sighed in relief. “Where are you?”

“I went to the institution where my mother was supposed to be.”

“Supposed to be? She isn’t there?”

“No,” he sighed, sounding exhausted. “It seems my uncle took her out. He lied to the staff saying I gave him permission.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I think to get his hands on the money my father set up for her care, or—” he trailed off.

“Or what?” She could hear him breathing hard, fast. “Darius, please don’t shut me out now.”

“The staff thinks my grandfather abused her as a child,” he told her softly. “And they also think my uncle was either there, or involved.

“Oh, my God!” she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, well who would’ve thought I’d be related to a bunch of pedophiles.” He chuckled without humor. “Maybe you should run while you can.”

“I’m not leaving,” she whispered.

She heard him breathe in. “I need to go get her back. I need to stop it once and for all.”

“I know,” she said and sighed. “I’m here when you need me.”

“I don’t deserve you,” his voice broke.

Makayla smiled, even though he couldn’t see it. “Well you’re stuck with me for life. I’m not going anywhere, and I don’t give a shit about the baggage you have either. Together we make a new life our way, not theirs.” He said nothing. She could hear his breathing. “Darius, I love you,” she whispered.

“Oh, Makayla,” he sighed sounding broken again. “You shouldn’t love me.”

Tears came to her eyes. “But I do. Don’t make me lose you either, or I’ll find you and kick your ass.” He laughed then and she added, “I mean it.”

“I know you do.”

“What are you going to do?”

Another deep breath and he cleared his throat and said, “I’m going to do what my father should’ve done for her. I’m going to save her.”

“And your uncle?”

“Stop him. It’s time for the truth to come out, even about him. This has to end.”

“Please don’t do this alone.”

“I have to do this alone. It’s the only way.”

“Please—”

“I love you, Makayla.” The phone went dead.

Makayla collapsed to the floor. Tears fell freely and she found herself suddenly in Samara’s arms, crying.

“What happened?” Samara asked.

“He’s going to confront his uncle,” Makayla sobbed. “He can’t do this alone, Samara. He needs help.”

“Okay, okay.” Samara wiped Makayla’s tears away and helped her stand up. “Let’s go talk to Dane. He’ll know what to do.”

Makayla nodded, stood up and rushed to the bedroom for a jacket and her purse. When she came back down Samara was on the phone. She nodded to Makayla, hung up, and gave her a tender smile.

“Dane is on his way home to meet us and I think he’s bringing in the rest. Darius isn’t going to like this.”

“Right now, I don’t give a fuck.”

Both eyebrows went up on Samara’s head in surprise. Makayla didn’t normally swear that bad in front of her sister.

“All I care about is him right now.”

“Then little sister, I will say without a doubt you are in love with your husband. Now let’s go.”

Chapter Eleven

Darius parked the car right in front of the old Verver Manor The once grand mansion of old money and old connections now stood in ruin. The paint appeared cracked and faded, the porch steps were rotted in spots, one step was missing, shutters hung down by one hinge, and a few windows were broken.

Slowly he got out of the car, eyes on the house. In a second story window, he saw a light that illuminated the form of his mother.

It had been so long since he last saw her. At the time, she’d worn a crazy-eyed look and clutched a knife in her hand. Thinking about it now, he thought that maybe she saw him as the ones who’d hurt her for so long. First her father, maybe her brother, and then the man that was supposed to protect her, not use her—her husband. Now he saw his mother in a different light. She’d been a broken woman doing what she could to stay alive.

The steps creaked when he walked up them and the railing shook, threatening to fall over when he touched it. The front door was unlocked, and he walked in and saw the house was ten times worse inside than it was on the outside.

As a child, he came here only once, when his mother was pregnant with Sara. His grandfather wanted to see him, and the old man creeped Darius out. He recalled that the house was dark with wood floors and paneling on the walls. Paintings lined the walls, oriental rugs covered the floors. Along the walls, there were antiques, likely worth a lot of money and upon them silver framed pictures, and trinket boxes. Now nothing but dust lined the walls. Chairs and small love seats he remembered being here and there had been removed. The whole place looked like it had been stripped. Even some of the antique light fixtures that were on the walls were gone.

The house was set in darkness, making shadows appear everywhere. On his guard now, Darius wondered if his uncle might be hiding in one of them.

As he headed for the stairs in the back of the house, memories came to him. He remembered his grandfather smiling at him, touching his face, arms, and looking him over. With a nod of approval, his scary, dark eyes turned to his mother then. Darius remembered watching her face drain of all color. Her purse dropped to the floor and she started to take her clothes off. Just that look from him, no words, had her comply with his unsaid wishes. Naked, she was inspected, then he remembered his grandfather shoving him out of the room. How long he stayed in the hall, waiting, he didn’t know. But when his mother finally did come out she looked strange. Now he understood why.

Darius followed the light glow in the hallway to the room where his mother sat. Opening the door slowly he was flooded with light from several lit candles. In front of the window, his mother sat in a rocking chair, back to the door. He looked around, making sure she was alone before going inside, closing the door behind him.

With caution, he moved towards her, feeing like the little boy she’d attacked in the past. Instead of the monster he expected, he found a frail woman that he didn’t know. Her once soft shining brown hair now had gray in it and looked dull and lifeless. She’d lost weight, the skin seemed to hang from her bones. But what shocked him the most was how she was dressed. Not the kind of nightgown one would think a woman of her age should be wearing. No, Mary Alistair wore a long silk white sheer honeymoon type gown. A slit ran up the center of the gown, hanging open, exposing her legs. The gown’s thin straps revealed her pathetically bony shoulders, which shocked him.

“Mother,” he whispered. She was looking down so he reached to touch her face. Once he did, she jumped back as if his touch hurt her.

“Please, no!” she cried. “Don’t hurt me again.”

“Mother, it’s me, your son,” he said in a soft voice. “Look at me. It’s Darius.”

“I didn’t move, I promise,” she whimpered. “I did just as you told me.”

“Mother, please,” he begged. This time he took hold of her face, forcing her in a gentle manner to turn her head and look at him. “I’m not here to hurt you. Open your eyes. It’s Darius.”

He held his breath as she relaxed and opened her eyes. The pain he saw in them tore at him—so much pain he never saw before. Someone had been hurting her, and he knew, without a doubt, who that someone was.

“I’m going to take you home,” he said. Looking around, he found a blanket on the floor. Picking it up he wrapped it around her thin shoulders and helped her to stand up.

“Home?” she asked.

“That’s right.”

“I don’t have a home,” she whispered as if she might be a child. “Daddy won’t let me come back now that I’ve married Elliot. Daddy doesn’t like to share his things.”

“And neither does brother.”

Darius whirled around and saw Mathew in the doorway, no expression on his face.

“What are you doing here Darius?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you what you’re doing to my mother?” Darius shot back. He felt his mother stiffen and cringe away from the sight of Mathew.

Mathew smiled. “Mary, why don’t you come with me downstairs?” She shook her head quickly. “Mary, I really need to have a talk with Darius.”

Something must’ve snapped inside her. Both of her arms came up and wrapped tightly around Darius’s waist. “My son has come to see me.”

“Mary!” Mathew yelled and she jumped.

“Enough, Mathew!” Darius snarled, holding tight to his mother. “She’s not going with you. You’re not going to hurt her again.”

“Hurt her?” he huffed. “I’ve done nothing but love her.”

“His love hurts,” Mary stated with her head pressed into Darius’s side. “Always his love hurts, just like Daddy’s. But I stopped the hurt, yes I did,” she nodded. “I cut him,” she whispered to Darius.

Oh, my God! The night she cut him she thought he was her brother, come to hurt her like he had before. It all made sense now. The few times his uncle came to the house, the days his father was out whoring, his uncle had abused his mother. He’d carried on what his grandfather had started. Made sure his mother knew without a doubt to whom who she belonged. Them. It’s always been about them. And then another thing hit him. The look his father had that day when he confronted him about Sara. His father was covering for the family yes, not for himself, but for them.

“It was you,” Darius gasped, taking a step back with his mother. “You were the one that hurt Sara, not my father. When you came over those few times. Oh God, you fucking bastard!” he yelled and his mother jumped again. “That day she killed herself, you were there that morning. You fucking knew!”

Mathew’s face turned red. Mary nodded against him.

“He hurt her, just like he hurt me,” she cried, tightening her hold on him. “I had to stop him.”

“Then you made her think it was me, you sick bastard,” Darius went on. “You knew she would crack.”

Mathew seemed to lose it then for he charged Darius, hitting him in the side of the face. Both Darius and Mary went down, but it didn’t mean Darius was out of it. He kicked out, landing his foot in his uncle’s gut, knocking the wind out of him. They rolled around on the floor, hitting, kicking and even his uncle bit him a few times. Somehow, his uncle got the upper hand when he wound his hands around Darius’s throat, strangling him.

“I’m not going to let you ruin my life anymore,” Mathew snarled, spit flying everywhere. “Your sick father took everything, but I won’t let his bastard of a son take any more.”

Darius managed to knock his hands away and roll to his side, only to be kicked hard in the stomach.

“Sara was mine!” he yelled, kicking him again. “Promised to me by my father.” Another kick. “And I was robbed of what belonged to me!”

A vase smashed on Mathew’s back, knocking him back for a second. Darius looked up, stunned to see the remainder of a vase in his mother’s hands, her eyes wild. Mathew snarled and backhanded Mary. He sat up and hit Mathew as hard as his energy would allow. He managed to knock Mathew back, but it didn’t last. Mathew snatched up the chair where his mother had sat, and smashed it down on Darius, knocking him to the floor. Once more, those hands were around his throat.

Darkness started to creep in around him. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t save his mother, and would never hold Makayla again.
Oh, Makayla, I’m sorry.
His will to fight was just about gone and then it all stopped. He felt a weight on top of him and he gasped for breath, but then the weight lifted. The power to draw in air returned and Darius gulped it in.