Page 5 of Endurance
“Careful,” I warned. “You can be loyal to Maura but at the end of the day she isn’t the head of this family.”
Dean slowed. “I’m not Will. My job isn’t to kiss Stefan’s ass. It’s to protect Maura and only Maura,” he said over his shoulder before disappearing into a room. I had a feeling what he was really saying was that he was loyal to Maura and only Maura.
“Can’t fault him for that,” Louie said, sounding impressed.
Neither could I.
Leaving without another word to Asher, we continued on, heading straight for the master bedroom. I didn’t bother knocking before entering. Maura’s room was dark. She appeared to be asleep in bed with her back to us. I caught her reaching under the pillow as I got closer.
“It’s us,” I said.
She froze. “What are you doing here?”
Louie climbed on the bed to lie behind her. “Let’s not fight, please. Can we just hold you?” he asked, weariness riding his voice.
I walked around to the other side of the bed and sat next to her. She looked exhausted. The sadness etched around her beautiful green eyes stabbed at my heart. I couldn’t stand to see her hurting. It battered at my control and threatened to set off my rage.
She moved her hand from under her pillow. “Alright.”
Louie snuggled up closer to her and wrapped his arms around her ribs, being careful to avoid her stomach. I watched as he breathed her in and nestled his face in the crook of her neck, relief washing over him slowly. I lay down on my side facing her and took her hand in mine. I’d missed her. Being parted from her, knowing she was upset with me, all while trying to handle the grief that felt unending had been agony. I almost wished time would slow to prolong this last night I would have with her. To be this close. Because come morning we were to part ways again and I knew she’d never forgive me.
We had to hurry. Kiara was already out front waiting with a car and extra security I'd hired through Aiden. Louie pulled a suitcase from the closet and we both got to work packing her everything she would need for at least a couple of days.
We had the suitcase almost completely packed when Maura woke. “What are you doing?” she asked, her eyes taking in us, then the suitcase. We didn’t need to answer. The betrayal that filled her eyes told us that she knew exactly what we were up to. Louie and I glanced at each other—coming to the same silent conclusion that he would finish stuffing what he held of Maura’s clothes in the suitcase while I dealt with her.
I went to the side of the bed, threw off her covers, and scooped her up before she could try and wriggle away. She groaned and I winced, hating that I hurt her. She was lighter than she'd used to be. After the loss of the pregnancy and a week of barely eating, she felt frail in my arms. Her current condition only cemented my reason for sending her away.
Louie opened the bedroom door and we headed out.
“Stop!” Maura’s hands shot out and grabbed ahold of the door frame. “Put me down!”
Louie yanked her hands away and we pushed on.
She thrashed in my arms. “No! Stop it!” Her arms flung out, knocking pictures off the walls, trying desperately to grab ahold of anything. “Dean! Ash—”
Hating myself for it, I covered her mouth mid scream. The last thing we needed was for her security to interfere and the last thingIwanted was to kill them if they tried to stop us. I wouldn’t hesitate, either. That was how desperate I was to keep my girl safe.
As we made it out of the guesthouse, she started to fight against me with total disregard for herself. “Stop it, Maura! You’ll hurt yourself,” I growled.
“Stop!” a voice shouted.
It was Brenna. We ignored her. If she tried to stop us, we’d just make her leave with Maura now, instead of coming back for her later.
A shot rang out, surprising us. Louie and I stopped in our tracks and turned to face who I assumed would be Dean or Asher, with guns drawn. Surprisingly, it was just Brenna with a Glock pointed at the sky. The seventeen-year-old girl, who Maura had taken under her wing, stared us down. Then she lowered her gun and pointed it at me. “Let her go.” Her voice was calm, and she held the gun with confidence. That was clearly a result of Maura’s mentoring because the girl that stood before us now was no longer the sheltered Barbie doll she'd used to be.
Dean and Asher rushed out of the guesthouse a moment later, both armed, and flanked Brenna.
“Jameson, put her down,” Brenna ordered.
“Your aunt Kiara is waiting out front with a car to take you and Maura to Boston where you’ll both be safe,” I said.
“She doesn’t want to go to Boston.” Brenna’s Quinn green eyes burned with unreleased fury. I recognized the look because it was what I saw every time I looked in the mirror. I’d lost almost everyone I’d loved. I’d lost my baby. My father had been murdered. My mother had been taken by cancer. And Aiden, the only blood I had left, was a loner and didn’t want to have much to do with me. That type of loss and loneliness branded rage on one’s soul. Given what Brenna had been through with an abusive father and brother and a detached drug addict of a mother, Brenna had the same lonely rage branded on her soul as well. One day she’d release that rage and I had no doubt it would be bloody, especially if Maura continued to groom her. But that day wouldn’t be today. I was leaving with Maura. I wasn’t going to lose her too.
“She doesn’t get a say,” I spat.
“Yes, she does,” Brenna snarled. “You may be her lover, but she’s Stefan’s heir. You don’t have the right to make that decision for her.”
“What is going on out here?” I heard Stefan roar from behind us. He came to stand next to Louie, Will and Josh not more than a step behind him. Stefan took in the scene quickly, then looked to Louie and me. “I thought you were going to talk to her and convince her to leave, not force her.”