Chapter 27

Mav

Twenty seconds…twenty seconds of pure bliss before I was being pulled off the fucker. Twenty seconds of watching the man acknowledge that he'd taken his final breath. I cursed my own stupidity for not just snapping his neck. No, I'd wasted precious time because I'd wanted to see in him the same fear and pain he'd inflicted on Eli…that he was still inflicting just by breathing the same air.

It wasn't my own men who pulled me off the bastard. One set of hands belonged to Dominic Barretti, the other I didn't recognize.

"What the hell?" Dom bit out as he reached down to help Jack to his feet. I tore free of the hands holding me and went for Jack again, but this time it was Ronan who stepped in front of me.

"Don't," was all Ronan said and then he motioned to the man who'd been holding me. While the big blond guy was wearing street clothes, a police officer's badge stuck out of his shirt pocket.

"I don't give a fuck!" I snarled.

"Enough!" the cop said as he stepped in front of me and shoved me back. It was only when Ronan and Memphis each grabbed one of my arms and forcibly dragged me back that I realized I was outnumbered. But when Jack made a move towards Eli again, I tore free of Ronan and Memphis.

"You fucking touch him and I will rip you apart!" I warned. It took all four men to hold me back, which left no one between Jack and Eli. But before I could even say anything when Jack reached for Eli, Eli's hand shot out, catching Jack in his already sensitive throat and he let out a gasp of air.

"You don't get to touch me ever again, you sick fuck!" Eli shouted, and then he kicked Jack hard in the nuts. Jack hit the floor, moaning in agony. I watched as Dom released his hold on me and shifted his gaze back and forth between Eli and Jack and then he was moving to put himself between the two men. I could see him putting the pieces together in his head as he studied Eli who was still standing defensively like I'd taught him, fists at the ready.

"Dom," Jack groaned as he held out his hand, but Dom didn't do anything to help the man to his feet.

"Eli, talk to me," Dom said as he turned enough so that he could see Eli, but not take his eyes completely off of Jack who'd managed to stagger to his feet.

"Brennan got shot because his men" – Eli pointed at Jack – "thought he was me!" Eli took a deep breath to calm himself and said, "They were looking for a flash drive."

"Dom, this is what I was talking about," Jack said, injecting a hint of sadness into his voice. "He's been acting erratically which is why I came up here to check on him."

"You said you came up here to look for Caleb," Dom said coldly.

"Yes, C-Caleb too…" Jack stammered.

"What's on the flash drive, Eli?" Dom asked.

I saw Eli hesitate and then his gaze met Dom's and he shook his head. Tears filled his eyes and I started to step forward, but Dom reached out his hand to gently cup Eli's face. "It's okay, Eli. You can tell me anything."

The tears fell and Eli dashed angrily at them. "I'm sorry, Dom," he whispered. "I wanted…" Eli shook his head and fell silent.

"Dom-" Jack implored .

"Shut the fuck up!" Dom ground out. As harsh as his voice was, his hold on Eli was gentle and his hand moved to the back of Eli's neck so he could force Eli to look at him. "What's on the flash drive?"

"Proof," Eli finally whispered.

"Proof of what?"

Eli looked at Dom almost pleadingly and I knew he didn't want to voice the words. I wanted like hell to tell him he didn't have to, but in my heart I knew he needed to do this.

"Proof that he raped me," Eli finally admitted, his voice low. "Caleb and Nick too," Eli added.

Dom held Eli's gaze for a long moment even as Jack yelled, "He's lying!"

The man didn't get anything else out because Dom's big fist slammed into his jaw in the same exact place I'd hit him. Jack hit the floor again, but Dom remained standing above him, fists clenched. "You raped my kid?" he asked, his voice deadly.

"He's lying!"

Dom bent down and punched him again, this time breaking the man's nose. Blood sprayed all over Jack's face and the floor, but Dom didn't even pause when he loomed over him and snarled, "I trusted you to watch out for him!"

Jack put his hand up to ward off the blow he sensed coming. "He…he seduced me, Dom!" Jack stammered and I felt Ronan grab me as I strode forward.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Dom whispered.

"You know what he was, Dom! He used his body to-"

The man didn't get even another syllable out because Dom slammed his fist into Jack's face yet again and this time he didn't stop. Eli finally turned away when more blood slicked Dom's fists and the floor, but it wasn't until Jack stopped moving that the cop stepped in to stop Dom from killing the man. As big as the police officer was, he was no match for an enraged Dom and it took Memphis's help to push Dom back.

"All right, Declan!" Dom bit out and then he pushed away from the two men and turned his attention to Eli, whose shoulders were shuddering as sobs tore through him. I barely noticed as Ronan checked Jack's pulse and seemingly satisfied that he was still alive, stepped away from him. The police officer, who I now realized was Declan Barretti, one of Eli's uncles and also a Captain in the Seattle Police Department, knelt down and unceremoniously turned Jack over and yanked his arms behind him and slapped cuffs on him. A small crowd of doctors and nurses had surrounded us, but none made a move to help Jack. Several more men I could only assume were Barrettis arrived and began talking to Zane and Declan, but I ignored them and focused on Eli.

When Dom carefully put his hand on Eli's shoulder, Eli let out a ragged sob and turned into the man. Dom's arms went around him and he whispered, "It's okay," in his ear. "You're home now," he added and Eli nodded.

Long after the crowd started to disperse and Declan yanked a groggy Jack to his feet and dragged him to a room to be treated for the damage to his face, I stayed and watched Eli cling to the man who'd been his father all along. He just hadn't known it.

It was like some surreal game show.

Me, Ronan and Memphis on one side, Dom, Declan and a big dark haired guy named Cade who turned out to be yet another Barretti, but by marriage, on the other side. I hadn't understood the reasoning for his attendance in the small hospital conference room Declan had commandeered, but I had figured out that he was there because of a special connection he seemed to share with Eli. Because the second he'd strode into the room, he'd gathered Eli into his arms and had held him for a long time. If the man hadn't been happily married, I would have been struggling with the green-eyed monster.

Fuck, I'd struggled with it anyway, but my jealousy had dissolved when Eli had chosen to sit next to me rather than on his family's side.

It had been nearly an hour since the showdown with Jack in the ER waiting room, and while I'd been able to get Eli back in my arms after Dom had held him and murmured softly to him for a while, he'd been pulled away from me time and time again as Barrettis had started showing up one right after the other. And while I'd lost track of who was who after a while, I'd watched some of the tension ease out of Eli as each person had held him. But it hadn't completely dissipated until we'd gotten the news that Brennan had survived the surgery and was expected to make a full recovery. Eli was itching to go see his friend for himself, but Declan had insisted on this meeting first so that he could get all the facts he needed to deal with the two dead bodies in Eli's apartment. He'd already had a patrol car take Jack down to the precinct to be booked for sexual assault. At some point, Declan would need to talk to Caleb, but he'd already agreed to hold off until the following day to give Caleb some time to recover from the events of the afternoon. I knew it would be difficult for the young man since he would not only need to recount the details of his own sexual abuse, but he'd also have to share the details of his brother's death and their father's role in it.

"Mr. Wheland," Declan said as he glanced at his note pad. "I understand you were the first one to arrive at Eli's apartment?"

Memphis nodded, but didn't say anything. I had to hide a smile when Ronan kicked him under the table. Memphis sent him a dark look, but then turned his attention back to Declan. "Yes, I was the first one to arrive at Eli's apartment."

When he didn't say anything else, Declan said, "Would you care to expand on that?"

"No-"

"Yes," Ronan interrupted. "Yes, he would."

Memphis leaned back in his seat like he didn't have a care in the world and that he hadn't just been involved in a double killing.

"When Ronan told me Jack Cortano was possibly on his way to Seattle, I decided to sit on Eli's place to see if he showed up there."

"What were you planning to do if he did?"

"Have a chat with him," Memphis said, though it sounded more like a question than a statement .

"Cut the shit, asshole," Cade snapped, but he fell quiet when Dom put his hand out.

"What happened when you got to the apartment?" Declan asked.

"I got to the apartment about a minute before Brennan arrived with the dog. I watched him take it into the apartment and a few seconds later, I heard a gunshot."

Eli stiffened next to me. I wasn't sure if Ronan had already talked to Memphis about all of this, but it was our first time hearing Memphis's version of events.

"When I got into the apartment, Brennan was lying on the floor and the dog had one of the guys by the arm. His gun was on the ground, but he had a knife and was stabbing at the dog. The other guy took a shot at me when he saw me. He missed, I didn't."

"And the guy that Baby had a hold of?" Dom asked.

"I couldn't risk hitting the dog, but it wouldn't let the guy go when I tried to call it off. I went to check on Brennan when I heard the guy scream as he fell. The dog got him by the throat and that was it."

Eli let out a startled gasp at that and I sat back in my chair. I'd seen the blood beneath the guy, but he'd somehow ended up on his front when he'd died so I hadn't seen his throat. My respect for the Rottweiler jumped several notches. Damn dog would get steak dinners for the rest of his life if I had anything to say about it.

"What happened next?"

"Brennan was still conscious, but he was having trouble breathing. I called 911 and tried to keep him calm and talking."

I felt Eli reach for my hand under the table and I gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Ronan and Mav arrived a couple minutes later."

Declan's eyes shifted to Ronan. "I understand you're a trauma surgeon, Dr. Grisham," Declan said.

"I was," Ronan said. "But I'm not anymore. And it's just Ronan."

"So what is it that you do now, Ronan?" Declan asked as he glanced at all three of us one by one. "That necessitates you carrying a gun."

"Protection," Ronan said simply and then he looked at Dom pointedly. "Seems we're in the same business."

Dom didn't respond so I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"You saved Brennan's life, Ronan," Dom murmured and then he glanced at Eli. "But I suspect you did a lot more than that." He sent Eli a quick smile and then his eyes settled on me.

"What about you, Mr. James?"

"Dom," Eli began, but Dom put up his hand and Eli fell silent.

"What about me?" I asked casually, though my insides were tight with worry. I could not afford to piss this man off. He was way too important to Eli.

"When did you know Jack was a threat to Eli?"

"The day you came to his apartment and found us arguing."

"What did you do about it?" Dom asked.

"He followed me," Eli interjected. "And when he couldn't have eyes on me, he asked his friends to do it. He also taught me how to defend myself. From the moment he knew I was in trouble, he refused to walk away from me."

Dom studied me for a moment and then glanced at Declan. "You think you have enough for now?"

Declan nodded. "Mr. Wheland, I'll need to collect your firearm for ballistics testing, but it's just standard operating procedure."

"He'll provide it to you, Captain," Ronan said before Memphis could spout what I could only assume were some very crude words, if the look on his face was anything to go by.

Everyone began to stand when Declan did, but Dom pinned me with his gaze and said, "Mr. James, I'd like a word with you."

"Dom…"

"It's okay, Eli," was all he said.

"Come on squirt," Cade said as he threw his arm around Eli and began to lead him from the room. Eli forced him to stop and turned to face me. I got up and went to him and not caring who was watching, I leaned down and kissed him .

"I'm not going anywhere."

Eli visibly relaxed and I realized my guess that he thought I would let Dom run me off was right. "I'll see you in a few."

Eli nodded and followed Cade. Cade's dark eyes settled on me for a moment before he left the room with Eli, and I swore I saw something akin to respect.

I sat back down and watched with interest as Dom came around the table to sit down next to me. I turned my chair so I was facing him.

"Tell me what he needs," Dom said.

I was expecting an interrogation, but when I saw the pain flood Dom's eyes, I knew he was letting the reality of what had happened to Eli sink in.

"He needs to forgive himself," I said. "Cortano fucked with his head…made him believe he brought it all on himself and that it was his choice."

Dom ran his hand over his bald head and shook his head. I wasn't surprised to see tears flooding his eyes. He wiped them away and said, "Why didn't he come to me?"

"I think Eli saw Cortano as a substitute for you – the father he didn't think he had."

"I've loved that kid from the moment I met him," Dom croaked. "I thought he knew that I considered him my son."

"I think if he'd had more time before his stepfather got to him, he would have eventually figured that out. But the second Cortano had him believing he was still that same kid you saved from the streets, he started to pull away from you. When he did finally threaten to tell the truth if Cortano didn't stop, the fucker used your contracts with the army as leverage."

Dom stiffened at that. "Our contracts? That piece of shit had nothing to do with us getting awarded those contracts. Yeah, he had the connections, which was exactly why I never told him we were putting in bids. Once we got the first couple of contracts, we earned the rest by proving we were the best."

"Eli wouldn't have had any way of knowing that, would he?" I asked gently .

Dom's face drew up in anger and he rose to his feet. I watched him walk to the window and grip the small ledge in front of it hard. "I trusted that bastard. I encouraged him to pursue Eli's mother even when she initially resisted."

"Dom," I interjected. "Blaming yourself won't serve any purpose. Eli already carries enough guilt; don't add to it."

Dom nodded in understanding. "Did he tell you about my brother, Rafe?"

"No," I said. "But I know what happened to him."

Dom turned to face me and leaned back against the window, his expression questioning. "Let's just call it research and leave it at that."

Dom chuckled and nodded. "I thought after what happened to Rafe, I'd know a monster the next time I saw one."

"I've been dealing with monsters for the past five years and I'm here to tell you that not one of them looks the same as another. You couldn't have known. Eli's mother couldn't have known. Your big ass family couldn't have known," I added with a laugh. I sobered and said, "I wouldn't have known if he'd let me walk away from him like I'd intended."

Dom eyed me for a moment. "And what are you intending now?" he asked.

I laughed heartily. "Really? The w hat are your intentions? speech?" I asked.

Dom shrugged. "He's my son," he said simply.

I nodded. "I intend to spend the rest of my life with him," I said simply.

Dom came around the table, his expression unreadable. I stood as he neared me. He held out his hand to shake mine and when I took it, he said, "Welcome to the family. Family dinners are Saturday nights and we rotate holidays and birthdays so you'll need to get on the schedule once you get a place together. And I'll expect you to play the host because my kid's going to be busy with medical school."

I chuckled until I realized the man wasn't joking. "Uh, yeah, sure," I murmured as I wondered why I felt so hot all of a sudden .

"Oh, and I'd like you guys to stop by for dinner tonight. My husband would like to meet you. Hope you like kids because our daughter is having a sleepover tonight and Tanner – that's Eli's little brother – has a day camp recital tomorrow that he's going to be singing in so he'll want to do a dress rehearsal for us," Dom said as he walked towards the conference room door. "Actually, I'll talk to Logan about getting you and Eli tickets for the recital," he said with a smile as he opened the door.

I wasn't surprised to see Eli standing worriedly at the door. His gaze flicked to me before going back to Dom. "He'll do," Dom murmured before he pulled Eli into his arms for a bear hug. "I love you, my boy," Dom whispered and I saw Eli nod against his chest.

"I love you too."

Dom dropped a kiss on his head and left the room. Eli twisted his fingers together as he walked towards me.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

I nodded and then I pulled him into my arms and kissed him. "It's perfect," I whispered before kissing him again. "It's fucking perfect."