Chapter 8

Jayden

T he second the officiant says Lucy's mine, my lips are on hers and the cool feel of metal on my finger and against my cheek are the only things that keep me from pushing it too deep. It feels like a miracle to be married to her. I was certain she was pulling away two weeks ago when she declined the offer from the clerk that gave us our marriage license to see about having the twenty-four hour waiting period waived and letting a judge marry us right then and there.

It took us almost a week after moving into the new place to get there to begin with thanks to school and her hours at the restaurant. Although she did cut back to working just Tuesdays, Thursdays, and alternating Friday or Saturday nights, so she has more time at home with me and Liam. That part we both love.

When she said the waiver wasn't needed, my heart dropped, positive that before I knew it, she'd tell me she changed her mind and wasn't ready to marry me. She waited until we were on the street to say anything, but her words were a relief entirely. The fact that she didn't want to get married without Liam with us made complete sense because even if we'd scheduled an appointment for that day, we'd never be able to get Liam and get back there on time for it.

Then she added that getting married in a courtroom just felt cold, and I wasn't about to argue. I offered for us to have a real wedding, the license was good for sixty days, and even if we had to file for a second one because it expired, as long as she married me, I'd be fine with it. So I'm definitely not arguing that now, two weeks later, she's all mine.

Seeing her coming up the little aisle with Liam made my heart stop, then restart with a quickening cadence taking in the dress she originally didn't want to go shopping for. She was fine to get married in a regular dress at the apartment even, just not in a courtroom. I wanted her to have something special and found an opening today here at the park that we could get a permit for still, then found an officiant online, and finally sent her dress shopping with Mrs. Holmes when she admitted she really didn't have a lot of friends, just acquaintances from school and the restaurant she didn't feel comfortable going with.

Thank god for Mrs. Holmes, because she got my girl into a stunning lacey masterpiece that I'm going to enjoy taking off her later. Especially since she's keeping Liam for the night.

The dress hugs her body, showing off her delicate curves, the blush color of it perfect. It has lace sleeves and a low, but not too low, v-neck that highlights her breasts. The amethyst necklace I bought her twinkles in the sunshine around her neck, and despite the cool wind I'm burning up for her.

"Dude, I don't know why you'd want to get married at nineteen, even with having learnt you have a kid, but I've got to say, I wouldn't argue it when it's with someone like that," Sam says, patting my shoulder while Gary gives her a kiss on the cheek.

If I didn't know Gary had zero interest in my girl other than to ensure she and Liam were safe, I'd be grumbling seeing his lips anywhere on her. He grilled my ass when I stopped into the restaurant the Tuesday after we moved in together wanting to know my intentions, as well as seeing if I'd be a threat to her. He's calmed down since then, and his interactions with her makes me think of me and Jessa, which keeps my fists at my side instead of creating a scene as we wrap up with the officiant.

I send the rest of the payment to the photographer I had come out to do photos for us. My parents will want some, likely be a little upset that they weren't invited, but I know Lucy's worried what her father will do if he hears about Liam. I love her fierce protection over our little boy, and I'll keep her just as protected, even if it means lying or hedging the truth with my parents for now.

Holding Lucy's quivering body against mine later that night, there's no way in hell I'll ever do anything to upset her, chance losing what's between us. I sleep with ease knowing she's safe in my arms, entirely satisfied, even with the barrier still between us for now. We're not taking any chances with another baby coming right now, so until next month, we're doubling up on the protection.

Thanksgiving is here before we know it, our life seemingly settled into a regular routine. We still let Mrs. Holmes watch Liam, but now, it's usually when I take Lucy out on a date. Spoiling her gives me immense pleasure and Liam and I shop online when she goes to the restaurant the Friday after Thanksgiving, insistent that she won't rely on me to cover her part of the rent. I'd pay it in a heartbeat if she'd let me, especially if it meant that she was home all the time with us. She's working the afternoon shift instead of the evening thankfully, so she should be home in a bit.

The buzzer rings and I let Liam play on the iPad I bought just for him, ignoring Lucy's objection to it. When she learnt Liam's iPad couldn't access anything that wasn't kid friendly she relented, and even showed her appreciation for me doing it when she accidentally bumped my iPad, and it brought up the photos we'd sent back and forth while she was working.

Our little guy might have nursed from her breasts, but he definitely didn't need to see them in the little demi-bra with her nipples little rocks. I on the other hand, quite enjoyed it, and the second she got home that night, I popped the buttons off her top, latching onto them until she was coming on my cock.

"Hello?" I call through the speaker, not about to open the door from the street to someone I don't know. Others in the building might just unlock it, but I never will. Not when I have my family to protect.

"Is there a Lucy Wilson here?" a voice questions, and it's definitely not one I'm familiar with.

"Who's asking?" I reply before my brain says that was stupid because I basically just confirmed that she lives here. I know it's not her father at the door, but that doesn't mean it's not some guy she dated while here—even if she didn't sleep with him. Hell, it could be some idiot that's just obsessed with her wanting to find her. In a city this size, you never know.

"My name is Elliot Nash, I'm a private investigator looking for Lucy Wilson," the man states and no way in hell am I letting anyone in here until I know more.

"Give me a minute," I tell him, then get Liam together and head over to Mrs. Holmes' door. We had Thanksgiving with her yesterday, but she doesn't begin to argue about watching Liam for me to see what the man's doing here. I drop a kiss onto Liam's head then head downstairs, finding not one, but two men outside the door talking.

"Which one of you is Elliot Nash?" I ask opening the door just enough for them to hear me, but not barge inside without a fight.

"I am," the slightly shorter and rounder of the two answers, the corner of his mouth ticking up. "You're Jayden Craig I take it? You and Miss Wilson just got married?"

"How do you know that?" comes out fast and hard, a warning in my tone that seems to amuse both of them.

"We're not here to upset her," the other man states, pulling a wallet out of his jacket and the id inside it makes my stomach tighten. "I'm Special Agent Conner Sims. Mr. Nash contacted me when he found Lucy's information on a marriage license, I inherited the case when the former agent left the bureau. Can we come in and talk to you both?"

"She's at work still but you can tell me what's going on first," I tell them, and they nod, still seemingly amused by something that puts my back up further.

Their eyes glance around the apartment, stopping in a bit of surprise when they see the wall of photographs, including the wedding photos of me and Lucy, as well as the ones with Liam in them. They share a look I can't quite read but I motion to the chair and couch in the living room space. "I asked a neighbor to watch Liam until I figured out who was looking for my Lucy."

"I have to say, you're not what we were expecting considering your age," Elliot says, and my chin goes up a notch.

"Because I don't have video game or music blaring ignoring my son while he begs for attention? Or because the place isn't a disaster zone since my wife's at work because clearly I make her pay the bills?" I question, watching them both fight smiles again. "I'd love for Lucy to quit her dumb job and let me handle the bills. I have plenty in my college fund to cover the apartment and utilities, but the most I've gotten her to do is cut back her hours to just one night a week and two day-time shifts which wouldn't have her away from Liam much longer than if she had classes all day. I learnt about Liam when I found Lucy back in September, and the only reason I even came to town was to try and find her. She's everything to me, so there's no way I'd ignore our son or leave her to clean up when I'm perfectly capable of doing it. I was raised to believe that a man should support his partner, not just monetarily, but in everything regardless of age. That's what I'm trying to do, while also making sure she's safe. So…why are you here looking for Lucy? Why would the FBI or a private investigator be looking for her?"

"I was hired four years ago by Lucy's biological mother," Elliot states, making my eyes narrow even more in confusion.

"Why would she need to a hire a private investigator four years ago? Lucy was exactly where she left her—with her bastard of a father," I add, my tone betraying my hatred of the man after everything I've learnt about him.

"You know Lucy mother's?" Conner questions and I shake my head no.

"No, but I've known Lucy since we were kids. She was my sister's best friend, and we all know that her mother left her when she was little," I admit.

"Do you know how old Lucy was when she moved to town?" Elliot asks and I have to think about that because there's no part of my life that she hasn't been a part of from what I can remember.

"Not but she and my sister were two years ahead of me in school, I'm pretty sure that Lucy was in kindergarten with Jessa. It wasn't until high school that Lucy was in a different year, graduated early, but even still, so-what if they moved after she left Lucy with him? She should have been able to find him easy enough."

"You'd think, but, that's not what we believe happened," Conner states, pulling something up on his phone. "This is an age-progression that was done on a baby photo. The resemblance to Lucy Wilson—Craig now I'm guessing, is uncanny, as is the fact that her first name and birth date are the same as the baby's…Lucy Jeannine Donnovan."

"My client told me that her husband hated the name Jeannine, said it sounded and looked stupid, but she loved it. He wanted to use Michelle instead," Elliot expands with and my brow lifts in surprise. "Lucy Michelle Wilson's birth certificate and social security number weren't filed until she was nine-months old."

"While Lucy Jeannine Donnovan disappeared when she was four-months old, after her twin sister Lisa Danielle was killed and their mother was put in the hospital on life support for a month before she pulled through," Conner adds. "When she woke, she swore that Lucy had to still be alive, that there wasn't a body, so she had to be out there. That Lucy was the quiet one and he was okay with her because she didn't fuss the way Lisa did. They were in the midst of a divorce because her husband swore she was cheating on him, sleeping with any man that came along and he'd attacked her. The judge gave him visitation rights at her house to see the babies but that night, Lisa was fussy after being diagnosed with an ear infection. Which is why he went after Lisa and when Claire tried to stop him, he went after her as well."

The blood drains from my face listening to him, the part about being quiet far too much to just be a coincidence, especially with the age-progression photo that I'd swear was Lucy in a heartbeat. "One of the reasons Lucy kept Liam secret was because she was scared what her father would do if he found out about him. She had one date in high school, the boy kissed her on the cheek when he took her home, and she said her father swore to do unfathomable things to her if he ever found her with a boy. That he'd use a belt on her if she wasn't quiet…"

"Is this him?" Conner asks, pulling up another photo and it's possible but I can't be certain.

"Lose the hair and add on about forty pounds and it's possible I guess," I tell them. "I don't remember him ever being in any photos. He skipped Lucy's graduation even. I just…if it's him why did it take so long to find him? If they were married, the courts would have his information wouldn't they?"

"His name was Christopher Donnovan, not Wilson," Elliot explains. "We believe he got a doctor to forge the information to obtain a new birth certificate for Lucy. We can't find any record for the woman listed as the mother. It's not hard to imagine that he used a fake identity for himself."

"He went by Frank. My parents didn't like him, but they loved Lucy, and she was always invited to join us on vacations. He never left town. Worked at the factory which also employs a lot of illegals," I add as more and more of it makes sense. "If she'd ever told them that he was physically hurting her, they'd have stepped in, but she was too scared to even try. It's why she graduated early, to get away from him."

"But he still lives there?" Conner asks and I nod. My parents would have mentioned if he'd moved since I came to town. "We'll need DNA to confirm Lucy is really Lucy Donnovan…"

"What?" came from the doorway and my head popped up, seeing my girl there, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief, and I hurried to her, wrapping her up in my arms, not about to lose her over this.