Chapter Twenty-three

"That was some good food." Wyatt burps.

"God, Wyatt. Really?" Serena snaps, shaking her head and digging in her purse.

"What? It's gotta come out one way or the other." Wyatt leans back and rubs his stomach like he's full.

"Would you rather it come out the other end?" Jag drinks the rest of his drink.

"Really, guys? Why do you have to be so gross?" Kenzie wrinkles her nose in disgust.

After paying the bill and leaving the server a tip, I take one last glance at Shorty and notice a big, tattooed guy leaning over the bar flirting with her. She seems oblivious or doesn't care that he's trying to make a move on her. He must be at least in his early twenties.

I feel my face turning red, both hands rolled into fists at my side. I Mr. Tat moves closer to Shorty and tucks a loose strand curl behind her ear, exposing the silver heart studs in her earlobe.

"Walk away, D. You don't want to do this," Ash says in a low warning tone.

I don't respond.

"Donnie," he warns again.

"Yo, Donnie boy. What's up, man?" Wyatt asks eagerly as he stands beside me Jag follows and stands on the other side of me.

"Ladies." Jag breaks the awkward silence with a flirtatious tone as he plays with his toothpick in his mouth.

"Why are we all standing here?" Serena asks.

"Nothing. Go wait in the car. We'll be right out." Wyatt gives Serena the keys.

Serena tugs Addy's jacket, but she doesn't budge. She must realize where my focus is and wraps her hands around herself. "Come on, Addy," Kenzie says in a soft tone. Addy gives me a forlorn look .. She lowers her head and follows Kenzie and Serena out the door.

"Let's go, D." Ash wraps his arm around my bicep, pulling me away, but something catches my attention and before I can register what is happening. I aggressively brush Ash off and stalk toward Shorty.

Without a second thought, my fist connects with his face as blood sprays from his nose and the asshole staggers backwards against the bar. My chest continues to rise and heave as I try to contain the fury inside of me. Once he regains his balance, he sneers at me with a mixture of shock and barely contained anger in his eyes.

"What the fuck, man?" He wipes the blood from his nose. "What the fuck is your problem?!"

"Jesus," Tia gasps.

"Doni, it's not worth it. Please leave before they call the cops," Shorty pleads with her tiny hands resting against my chest.

"It's not worth it? He touched you when you didn't want it!" I look over her shoulder, watching the fucker's lips curl while staring at Shorty's ass.

"Stop looking at her, fucker, or I'll knock that smug look off your face," I growl, pushing Shorty aside, and I crowd his personal space. My breath is growing thin and ragged. "I will fucking end you," I snarl, trying to contain the beast in me before I tear him to pieces.

"Come on, D. Let's go. You're drawing an audience." Ash grabs my arm, warning me to back off.

"Hey. It's time for you to go, Zane, before I call the cops and have them haul your stupid ass out of here," the owner warns as he makes his way toward us. "And don't ever show your face in here again."

Zane turns to face the owner and gives him a homicidal glare. He turns back to Shorty, me, and Ash with a cocky smirk on his face. He's carrying at least an extra twenty pounds of muscle than me, but we're the same height.

He shoulders check me and before I have the chance to watch him walk away for good, my quick reflexes catch Shorty when she falls back into me.

"The fuck!" Ash lunges toward Zane, knocking him to the ground. All hell breaks loose when three other guys, bigger than us, try to pull Ash off Zane. Wyatt and Jag intervene, seeing Ash is outnumbered.

"Baby. Fuck. Are you ok?" I whip Shorty around to face me. She's holding the side of her face and tears fill her eyes. Anger I've never felt before wakes the beast inside me as I stare at the bright red mark on her face. The fucker put his hands on her.

"Tia! Take her in the back," I yell over my shoulder. Tia grabs Shorty and leads her away from the scene, much to Shorty's dismay. A blow to the side of my face causes my back to hit against the bar. Zane takes another swing at me but misses. I lunge for his throat, spinning him around until his back is against the bar. I squeeze his throat until he's no longer breathing, but before I can finish him off, I'm being pulled back by Wyatt and Ash.

"Get the fuck off me!" I roar, trying to force myself out of their grasp.

"Stop! D! The cops are coming. We got to go!" Wyatt yells.

As I'm being dragged away, Zane takes the opportunity to punch me in the stomach, forcing me to the ground on my side. I hear Wyatt and Jag yelling and throwing punches at Zane's buddies. Zane kicks me with his steel-toed boot and punches me in the face several times. Struggling to kick him off me, he pins my face to the ground. "Do you know who I am, rich boy?" he snarls in my ear, grabbing my hair and smashing my face against the floor.

"GET OFF HIM, YOU ASSHOLE!" Ash kicks Zane in the face like he is fucking Bruce Lee.

Zane flies back, hitting the back of his head against the legs of the stool. I scramble off the floor and stalk toward the asshole lying on the floor with blood spewing out of his mouth and nose. I spit out the lingering blood and grab him by his shirt collar.

"Do you know who I am, motherfucker?" I hiss, smashing his head against the floor the same way he did to me. I throw punches like it is a game of whack-a-mole until I'm being pulled off Zane but not without one last kick to his face.

"We have to go D! Fuck!" Ash yells, dragging me out of the restaurant.

"What happened?" Addy shrieks, holding her hands over her mouth once we make it outside.

"Wyatt and Jag, take the girls home," Ash directs.

"I can fucking walk," I grumble, brushing Ash off me.

"Don't be such a dick," Ash snaps back.

"Fuck you."

"No, fuck you! We just beat the shit out of five grown men, and probably cost Shorty her fucking job."

Now he's just pissing me off.

"What did you expect me to do, huh? Tell me, Ash! He fucking put his hands on her!".

"D, that's not what I—"

"I couldn't save her all those years ago," I interrupt before he can finish. "When I saw her head fall back and the bruise on her face, I fucking lost it, bro. Images of her dad beating the shit out of her…" My voice is strangled with sadness, anger, and regret. I turn away from him, grabbing the back of my neck, pacing back and forth while trying to keep it together.

"Hey."

I close my eyes, lowering my head to my chest, and let my arms fall to my sides. The sound of her voice brings me peace and a sense of calmness.

"Hey, Shorty. You ok?" Ash rushes toward her, pulling her into his arms.

"Yeah. Are you?" Her voice is laced with concern.

"What, this? This ain't nothing. We didn't cost you your job, right?"

"No, it's all good. The boss knows it wasn't your fault.." I can feel her eyes on me without having to look. "It's not the first time Zane has caused a scene," she tries to reassure me.

"Thank fucking Christ." Ash breathes a sigh of relief, wrapping his hand around her neck and placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Ok, well, I'm going to warm up the car, and give you two…" Ash's heavy footsteps on the cement fade out and are replaced by a softer sound treading closer in my direction.

"Are you going to look at me?" Her words are quiet but the sound of her voice sends a warm and soothing feeling throughout my body, like a fleece blanket on a cold, frigid night.

I can't look at her. I lost control, which made her see the monster I've become. A monster I worked so hard to keep locked up the last two years. When she looks at me, she will see her father. And that is something I cannot bear. Deep in my thoughts, Shorty brings me back to life when her warm hands cup my face.

She looks up at me and says, "There he is." She smiles without showing her teeth. Her dimples become visible as her cheeks pinken from the cold breeze.

"I think we need to clean that blood off your face," she says, bashfully removing her hands from mine.

"Follow me. We'll sneak in the back. There's a first aid kit in the employee lounge." I can't seem to answer her. This spell she has on me is fierce and intense. I think she senses my hesitation because her facial expression transforms into worry, but all I can think of is what it would be like to kiss her.

I nod and follow behind her like a lost little puppy. Shorty leads me in the back of the restaurant and into a small room with a round table, a mini fridge, microwave, and sink.

"Are you ok?" she asks while searching for the kit.

"Yeah." I remove my hat and run my hands through my hair. If I keep staring at her, I won't be able to contain my hunger for her.

"You need to put ice on your face." She turns to face me, opens the kit, and begins to care for my wounds, ignoring my request. She dabs the alcohol wipe on my cuts, and I wince. She giggles and shakes her head. "Don't be such a baby." Her laugh is so contagious. It's one of the things about her that I missed the most. She has the type of laugh that would make you laugh for no reason. I used to tickle her to death just so I could hear her laugh.

"Why did you pick a fight with him?" Her question is like a quiet whisper. Low enough that I wouldn't have been able to hear had I not been paying attention.

"He touched you, Shorty. He had no right."

"But you fought like you've done it before. Like an experienced fighter." Her words catch me off guard. She must see my "how did you know" look when she says, "Yeah." She laughs, "I know all about the underground shit. Josiah was caught up in that." I sit there like a fucking idiot just staring at her.

"Why did you start fighting in the first place?"

"To avoid the pain," I say, closing my eyes and concentrating on the feel of her touch against my skin.

"Why?"

She covers the cut near my temple with a butterfly bandage. Her soft touch makes me want to melt into her arms. How can I tell her the real reason I fight? What would she think of me? She grew up in a world of violence. Why would she want to be near me knowing that the one thing that caused her pain for years I consider a sport to release the pent-up anger that lives inside me?

Raising my eyes to meet hers, I respond with regret, hoping she will forgive me. "Because when I thought I lost you, I blamed myself for not protecting you like I should've. I was a coward. And because of that, you were repeatedly hurt by your own father."

I wait for her to respond, but minutes go by and not a word comes out of her mouth. A look of pity and sadness overshadows her face. So, I continue. "Over time, the anger festered within me. I was fighting all the time in school. I was out of control. Then one day, I was introduced to the underground fight club. At first it was exhilarating being able to release the built-up anger and resentment on strangers. It made me want to be a better and stronger fighter. So, I went to a local gym and worked my ass off with a trainer. Over time, I allowed the fight to consume me, and it became my answer for vengeance. Sometimes it felt like I was punishing myself because I no longer felt worthy."

The guilt is overbearing and lonely. I don't want her to pity me. I just want, no, I need her to forgive me. Otherwise, I don't think I will be able to move forward.

"Doni."

The calmness in her voice soothes the aching in my heart. I just wish it would erase the painful memories. She cups my face with her warm hands, allowing me to sink into her touch. I Tip my head to face her again. "To avenge you." A concern flooded expression surfaces, followed by a string of tears that fall from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry." She turns her face to the side in shame.

"Hey." I gently grab her chin, so she faces me. "You have nothing to be sorry for." I wipe her tears with my thumb while holding her face in the palm of my hands. Slowly continuing to rub her cheek, she places her hand over mine and smiles wholeheartedly. The wetness in her deep brown eyes glistens like the light reflecting on water illuminated in the moonlight.

"I never wanted you to be in pain. I hate that you had the need to fight to escape the rage. You need to forgive yourself. You did nothing wrong. You were just a kid, Doni. There was nothing you could've done anyway. Even if someone stepped in, Dad would've found a way to hurt us more."

Her words cut deep like a knife. It hurts to breathe. To think straight. I feel the anger rising from the shadows, blocking the light that fuels my energy to control my feelings, thoughts, and emotions.

"That doesn't make it any better."

Shorty senses my breathing growing thin and ragged. As I start to pull away from her, she surprises me by straddling my lap. With her knees on both sides of my hips, she wraps her arms around my neck and holds me with all the strength she can muster. My body relaxes and the tension dissipates. This feels so good and so right. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around her waist while my hands caress her backside. I bury my head in the crook of her neck and breathe in her strawberry vanilla scent. I can never get enough of her. She's the medicine to my addiction.

"I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere." She tries to pull away, but I don't let her. I need to hold her for a little while longer.

"Please don't. I need this. I need you," I whisper in her hair, placing a kiss on her neck. She shudders at my touch. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I can't help myself. She strokes the back of my head. We sit like this for what seems like hours. Embraced in each other's arms. Letting the moment sink into our souls to heal the wounds that were left for us to treat to revive our broken hearts.

Donovan

The next day, Ash and I wait outside of the restaurant to make sure Shorty gets home safe. My text messages and phone calls are being ignored. Why is she ignoring me?

We went back to the restaurant and asked Tia, but she was hesitant to answer. All she said was Shorty was ok and she was going to see her after her shift. I had to see for myself, so we waited to and followed Tia hoping she would lead us to Shorty. Being with her last night brought up nostalgic feelings, and other feelings I can quite understand. I've always known I loved Shorty when we were kids. I was even a bit obsessive and protective over her.

"Man, it was so good to see Shorty." Ash leans back with both hands behind his head.

"Yeah, it was. She looks good, doesn't she?" I stare at the restaurant, waiting for Tia to appear.

"Yeah, she does. Her friend is hot as fuck." He laughs. "We should invite her to the game."

"At our school?" I ask in confusion. Why the hell would she want to come to our school?

"Yeah, why not? The guys like her, and the girls want to get to know her. Well, I don't know about Addy." He laughs so hard his shoulders shake.

"What are you talking about?"

"Dude, she was fucking jealous as fuck. Every time you looked her way, she was on you like a monkey on crack." Ash turns the ignition on and puts the heat on.

"I don't know what's going on with her." I let out a sigh, still looking out for Tia.

"She doesn't want to share." He glances in my direction with a smug look on his face.

"What ar—" My words are cut short when Ash points toward the restaurant where Tia stands. It's so cold out you can see her breath.

"There she is. Let's go." I sit up straight and put on my seatbelt.

Ash pulls out once he spots Tia's car taking off. We stay far behind but close enough to keep her in our line of sight. We drive for what seems like forever and not in the direction of Shorty's house. Looking out the window, I don't recognize the area. We drive through a new urban neighborhood which is near grocery stores, a shopping center, and fast-food places.

Where the hell is she going?

"Um, is this the way to Shorty's?" Ash questions as we continue into a quaint neighborhood with houses that look like little dollhouses. The landscape is well kept, and the houses are in good condition.

"Don't get too close. Park over here." I direct Ash to park two streets back so it's not obvious we were following her. The last thing we need is to freak out Shorty's best friend.

"Maybe this is where Tia lives?" Ash questions and turns the ignition off, leaning with his chest against the steering wheel, trying to get a better look.

We watch Tia grab something from the trunk of her car and walk toward a little Cape Cod-style house. Tia walks into the home as if she owns the place. Maybe she does live here.

I reach for the door handle, but Ash pulls me back.

"What? We can't just go up there. We don't know who lives here."

"It's fine. This looks like a safe neighborhood. I want to make sure she's ok, Ash." I plead with my eyes, hoping he understands why I need to do this. "Yeah, alright. Let's go. But if I get shot and killed, I'm coming to haunt your ass first." We walk up toward the house and notice two other cars I don't recognize in the driveway.

"You sure about this?" Ash asks as we stand like two idiots on the doorstep, scoping out our surroundings. I ring the doorbell, giving him my answer. The door opens and Tia appears with a look of shock and fear on her face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she whispers yells, stepping out on the porch and closing the door behind her.

"We wanted to make sure Shorty was ok. She hasn't been returning my calls or messages," I respond.

"You followed me?" Her eyes go wide with her mouth half open.

"Yeah, after the other night, we wanted to make sure she was—"

"Safe," Tia finishes for Ash like she understands. "You said that already."

We both nod.

"Fuck," she mutters, glancing to the side. She turns back to us and opens her mouth like she wants to say something, but the sound of the door opening doesn't give her a chance.

"Oh my god. What you are guys doing here?" Shorty's raw panic is in her voice. Her hair is pulled up into a messy bun and she looks beautiful. A beautiful mess. I can see the pinkish color on Shorty's cheeks and on the top of her nose. Anger bubbles up my throat like acid seeing the red mark on her face. She blows in her hands, rubbing them together.

"You never returned my calls or text messages. We were worried," I quickly respond.

"Who's at the door?" My heart leaps into my throat when I hear a deep man's voice. When I see the person opening the door wider standing beside Shorty, a huge sigh of relief escapes from me.

"What the fuck?"

Except for him.

Josiah walks out and stands in front of Tia, keeping Shorty behind him. "What the hell are you guys doing here? Did anyone follow you?" He looks up and down the street with pure panic.

Followed?

"Both of you need to leave, right now." He aggressively points a finger at us with pure hatred in his eyes.

Jesus.

"No one followed us. We didn't mean to cause any problems. We just wanted to make sure—" Ash is interrupted when Josiah snaps at him.

"I'm not going to tell you again. Get the f—"

"Josiah. Enough," Shorty snaps, trying to pull her brother inside but he's too strong for her.

"Estás dejando que el frío entre en la casa ." A sweet old lady's voice calms my nerves.

"Abuela, por favor. Tienes que Volver a entrar ," Josiah orders in a firm but loving tone.

"No olvides que esta es mi casa Josiah ." Her fully white hair is pulled back into a bun. She's the same height as Shorty and has this loving grandmother vibe going on.

Josiah moves aside to let his grandmother through. She gives Ash and me a huge loving smile. "?Quiénes son estos chicos encantadores

"She asking who are these lovley guys. Shorty translates."

"Ellos son amigos míos, Abuela," Shorty responds to her grandmother and my dick turns to life hearing her speak in Spanish.

So sexy.

"Oh maravilloso. Por favor venga." She gestures for Ash and me to follow her. As soon as we enter, the grandmother gives Ash and me a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. She smells like coconuts.

"?Tienes hambre?" Ash and I look at each other, confused, but Shorty steps in.

"She asked if you're hungry." She smiles.

"No, we're good, thank you." Shorty translates to her grandmother who smiles with a nod and walks to the kitchen.

"Listen, you guys—"

"Josiah. Please. Stop." Shorty sighs in frustration. She looks exhausted and defeated.

He turns to face her and sees the same agony in her eyes like we do. He nods, takes one more glance at us with apprehension, and walks away without saying a word. Tia smiles and gives Shorty a squeeze on her arm. Tia follows Josiah to the kitchen, leaving us alone with Shorty.

"Come on in." She directs us to the living room which is unbelievably homey.

There's a small old fashion TV on top of a wooden cabinet surrounded by picture frames, and candles. There's a large canvas oil painting of a cobblestone road with bright colorful buildings looks a lot like it's in Puerto Rico.

While Ash makes himself comfortable on the couch, I continue to study the photos on the wall. There are several pictures of Josiah and Shorty when they were kids, and her mom sitting on a swing with Shorty on her lap. A picture of a newborn baby girl with a date stamped July of this year grabs my attention.

A soft cry is heard through a baby monitor that sits on top of the coffee table. Josiah calls out, "I got it, Sade."

She bends down and picks up baby toys and tosses them in a small purple and pink plastic trunk with a unicorn design. Josiah returns with a beautiful baby girl with curls in his arms as he walks toward Shorty. Ash gets up from the couch and stands beside me, confusion etched on his face. My face mirrors his.

Looking between Shorty and the baby, you can see a resemblance. The baby has curly brown hair, cocoa eyes brimmed with long lashes, and Shorty's smile.

What the—

"What the…" Ash is thinking the same thing I am.

"Now you know why I almost lost my shit earlier. We need to keep this little angel safe." Josiah softly kisses the top of her head. The baby sucks on her hands and gives us a big smile and lets out a little giggle that melts my heart.

"What the hell happened to your face?" Josiah asks, looking at Asher and me.

"Got into a fight. No big deal," I say, shrugging.

"Uh huh." Josiah shakes his head in amusement while handing the baby to Shorty and walks away, giving us the room.

"Please meet Sophia Rose. My daughter." Shorty caresses her baby's back in a soothing manner. The baby lays her head on her mom's shoulder.

Shorty's a mom.

"She's beautiful." I choke on the words.

"Thank you." She smiles and looks at her daughter with love.

"Um… damn, Shorty. How old is she?" Ash asks, rubbing the back of his neck.

"She's five months old."

"Who's the father?" I ask, regretting the question when I see the anguished look on Shorty's face. She sits on the armchair and motions us to sit on the couch, gently bouncing the baby on her lap. We do what she asks and listen intently while she tells us her story.

Her daughter's story.

Shorty tells us about her ex-boyfriend. She goes on to say that everything was going great between them and thought she found the one. A bolt of jealousy moves through me, striking every cell in my body.

Shorty said last summer things started to change. The fucker smacked her around while she was pregnant. Anger rips through me as I listen to how she was treated. Not only did she have to endure her father"s beatings, but she also had to survive the beatings from her ex-boyfriend. I almost lost my shit when she described the most recent beating in detail, a beating where that piece of shit left her for dead when she was pregnant. Now it makes sense why Josiah was arrested. I would've killed the mother fucker.

"He thinks I had a miscarriage. I had to keep my pregnancy a secret to protect her. I made sure to protect my stomach whenever he… you know." She briefly looks away in shame, but she has nothing to be ashamed of.

"He doesn't know she exists," she says. "I don't know what he would do if he ever found out. I can't risk it," Shorty explains while rocking her little girl in her arms. "She's my everything. I would die before I let anything happen to her."

"Can I hold her?" I ask as tears well up in my eyes but Shorty's face beams with happiness. This beautiful girl has suffered so much. Despite the hell she's been through, she is the strongest person I have ever known. Watching her with her little girl, showing her how much she loves her, brings so much joy to my heart. But there's also sadness and anger for what she had to go through and for myself, from missing out on the birth of her child. I would've taken her to her appointments, made sure she was cared for, and protected them both.

Shorty hands Sophia over to me. Her skin is so soft and has that baby smell, like baby powder. She stares at me with her beautiful brown eyes and smiles and coos, taking a hold of my pinky. When I smile, her tiny body jerks excitedly in my arms.

"She looks like you." I make sure to look directly at Shorty, so she knows how beautiful she is to me.

"Thank you." She wipes a tear from her face.

Ash plays with Sophia's feet, then walks over to Shorty and pulls her in for a hug. She sobs quietly in his arms, swaying her from side to side.

"We're here for you, Shorty. We love you and we'll do anything for you and Sophie. We want to be part of your life. Both of your lives," Ash whispers in her ear but loud enough for me to hear.

"Thank you." She sniffles.

"Does she have a godfather?" I ask.

She shakes her head.

"Not even Josiah?" Ash asks.

"No. He has the uncle title." She laughs and sniffs.

Silence.

A beat passes.

Another beat passes.

"Can I be her godfather?" I whisper, looking directly into her eyes.

"Really?" she whispers with wide eyes.

"She should have two godfathers." Ash holds up two fingers with a smirk.

We both laugh.

"I would love that." Shorty cries but this time they're happy tears.

Josiah, Tia, and Shorty's grandma walk in the room, watching us. Tia has a smile on her face with tears building in her eyes. She turns to face me and nods in approval.

Ash holds Soph— yep, we gave her that nickname— and baby talks with her. Shorty puts her daughter down to sleep the same time her grandmother retires for the night but not until she demands we come back to visit and eat dinner. Tia gives Shorty a hug and leaves.

"So, your grandmother moved here to look after her?" I ask while rubbing the top of her hand with my thumb. I didn't realize I was doing it until she looked down at our hands and smiled.

"Yeah, she did. Once I told her I was pregnant, she insisted on moving here to keep her safe. I can't risk Christian finding out about her, or anyone from his crew."

My chest tightens.

"How often do you see her?" Ash asks.

"I stop by every day after school until I go to work. And I spend the weekends here."

"Does your mom know?" I ask.

"Yes, she does. She stops by as much as she can to spend time with her."

"Sade, it's getting late. They need to get home." She nods at her brother and stands up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her uniform skort with black leggings hiding her tan, toned legs.

"You guys are welcome anytime, but make sure you ask Shorty first before you show up. Always park your cars further down the road even if you have to walk several blocks," he instructs us, then looks at Shorty and back to Sophie's bedroom door. "They need to be kept safe. I can't lose any of them," he quietly says when he turns to face us. "You got it?"

"Yeah, we got it."

"Yeah."

Ash and I say it at the same time.

"Good. Welcome back to the family." He pats us both on the back. He retreats to the kitchen.

"I'm glad you got to meet her and my grandma. She really likes you," Shorty says.

"We are too, Shorty," I respond, watching her walk us to the door and trying to keep my eyes off her ass.

Shorty holds the door open for us and pulls us in for a group hug. "I love you guys," she whispers.

"We love you too, Shorty." Ash kisses her on the head.

"I'll meet you in the car, bro," Ash says as he gives Shorty one last smile before he walks out the door. I grab Shorty's hands and kiss her knuckles. She blushes. I fucking love it when she blushes.

"I'll see you later." I lean down and hug her once more because I can't seem to get enough of her.

"Yeah. See you." She places a kiss on my neck, making my body shudder, wanting more. When I step out on the stoop and she closes the door, with my back against it, I lay my head back on the door and take a deep breath.

Shorty's a mom.