Chapter Six
After Graham got Faith settled into bed, and she was asleep, he picked up his phone and walked into his private family room, where he filled a glass half full of scotch and downed it before he dialed his brother.
“You fucker,” he said when his brother answered. His teeth snapped together when the bastard laughed.
“What?” Alastair asked.
“You know what you did. How in the hell am I supposed to sleep with her and not put my hands on her?”
“The same way I did with Beth when she came to live with us.”
“Oh, so you want to make me suffer as you did?” he asked.
“Yup.”
Graham rolled his eyes. “You’re a jerk. Have you heard anything from Dad yet?”
“No. I’ll call you the minute I do.”
“All right. I still owe you one, you bastard, so watch yourself.”
Alastair snorted. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Graham filled his glass again, walked back into the bedroom, and sat back in the chair. Unfortunately, Faith had turned in her sleep to face him.
He studied her. From her tiny hands and body, beautiful hair, to her perfect complexion, she could pass as a doll. He’d thought he’d take a wife when he was forty or older, but one look at her, and knew she was his. He remembered Alastair talking about how he saw Beth and knew she was his destiny, and Graham had thought it bullshit until he saw Faith.
Now, they had to figure out a way to keep her without causing a war between families.
He caught movement and watched. By the way she was twitching and the pinched look on her face, it looked like she was having a nightmare. After he went to her, he shook her. “Faith.” He clutched her shoulders and shook her again. “Faith, baby, wake up.”
He watched her open her eyes, and then tears filled them.
Graham pushed her hair out of her face. “Easy, baby, it was just a dream,” he said.
She shook her head. “No. I have to get them out of there.”
“Who?”
“I feel it deep inside of me that my father will give one of them to Rizzo to appease him.”
“Who?” He sat her up.
“My two sisters and mom. We’ve got to get them out.”
When she tried to get out of bed, he pinned her in place. “No. Stay there. I need you to tell me everything.”
A look of terror filled her eyes. “I have two younger sisters. Hope is twenty-three, and Angelica is twenty-two. My father is as bad as Rizzo.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Not only does he not care about us, but he also hurts my mom.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. She won’t tell me.” Faith wiped her tears away. “I want to kill him, but first, I need to get them out. I need to go somewhere and call someone.”
“Who are you going to call?” he asked.
“I have two loyal people in the household. I know they’ve been trying to protect us without letting my father know. If he did, they would be dead, and then we’d have no one.”
“Okay, listen. I’ll get a meeting together for tomorrow. Not all of my brothers are home right now, so I have to give them time to get here.”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t wait.”
“You can, and you will.” He cupped her chin in his hand. “Look at me. I promise I will get them out of there and protect them. I don’t care if I have to kill your father myself.”
She grabbed his arm. “But I don’t want you killed or hurt, either.”
“I won’t be, baby. I need you to get some sleep. Do you think you can?”
He watched her nod, lie down, and turn away from him. She cried for a bit, so he kept stroking her back until her breathing deepened. After he pulled the blanket up, he grabbed his phone.
Fuck, this thing was getting more complicated as time wore on, but he’d made a promise that he was determined to fulfill no matter the outcome. He just hoped he survived.