Page 15

Ezra

E zra headed outside the hospital for the first time in three days. Since Dana had awakened, he’d refused to leave her side, and so Madison stayed with him. Today, Phoe and Lindsey had pushed him to take Madison to get something to eat and to take her to the park close by. Dana added her urges, and Ezra had given in.

Dana and Madison were forging a tight bond, and Ezra was overjoyed at it.

He’d finally told her last night about the miscarriage, and Dana completely broke down. Ezra had held her as she sobbed, and he’d cried with her. Madison had gone for a sleepover at Phoe’s, so it was the first chance he’d had. They’d both wept and grieved together. And this morning, Dana seemed stronger, but she hurt badly.

Ezra wished he could take her pain. They’d move on from this but would always mourn the baby they never met.

Drake informed him that Hawthorne had Shania and Duke stashed away, waiting for Ezra to arrive. Nobody would touch them until then. Therefore, Ezra was shocked to see Patrick standing outside speak to the media.

Someone leaked the information concerning Dana to the press, revealing all the sordid details. Luckily, the papers were sympathetic to Dana for having such a horrendous family and for what she’d suffered. The news of the miscarriage hadn’t broken, something Ezra was sincerely grateful for. That was their private pain and grief.

Ezra stepped aside with Madison holding his hand and looking cute with her hair in a ponytail and wearing a sweet t-shirt and jeans. Disbelief hit as he listened to Patrick portray how Shania and her family had blinded him and how he was fooled by them. Patrick stated he was here to check on his sister-in-law, who had unduly suffered and who held his true adoration and sympathy.

Anger boiled in Ezra as he recognised Patrick spinning a story of him being a victim like Dana.

“And what about those young women you like to fuck who look barely legal?” Ezra called out, his temper winning. Everyone turned to him, and the crowd fell silent.

“I beg your pardon?” Patrick exclaimed, outrage in every line of his body.

“I’m aware of what you’re doing here, asshole. Playing the victim when your crimes were just as bad. Did anyone know that Patrick here loves fucking women who look barely legal? And he likes to take it up the ass from teenage boys? No? Well, you do now.”

“How dare you!?” Patrick shrieked, but he was paling under Ezra’s onslaught.

“Easy, dude. I’ve got the proof, and if these guys go digging, so will they. What about your other crimes?”

“Hey, I don’t know what you are talking about,” Patrick denied.

“Asshole, you’re here trying to rally public opinion for yourself as a victim. Standing here pretending you’d no idea what shit was going down in that family is utter bullshit. You were as culpable as them.”

One by one, Ezra laid out the rest of Patrick’s crimes as the man dashed away, ignoring the media, calling out to him. Ezra eyed the gathered reporters.

“You go looking. You’ll find the evidence like I did. The man’s a prick, and we don’t need him as a politician.”

“How’s Dana Tyne doing?” a woman called out.

“Dana’s recovering. And thank you to everyone who’s sent best wishes and gifts. It means a lot to her,” Ezra answered and moved away with Madison.

“So, that was interesting,” Madison said.

“There are lots of ways to deal with a bad man. And I will teach you all of them,” Ezra promised.

“I’ll look forward to that,” Madison replied as they reached the park.

Quickly letting go of Ezra’s hand, Madison rushed off to play.

Ezra relaxed on a bench, keeping a sharp eye on her. But all he saw was happiness and laughter, and it soothed his soul. Madison deserved this, and Ezra and Dana would break their backs to give it to her. One day, Madison would be a great big sister.

◆◆◆

A huge manhunt was undergoing for Shania and Duke, who’d disappeared. Everyone at the house that day told the same story. They’d attacked and discovered Madison and Dana, but there hadn’t been a sign of Shania and Duke. Because Duke’s crimes crossed state lines, Willow was the lead for the FBI. But she knew it was a case of never finding them alive. Despite this, she fulfilled her duty until the bodies appeared, if they ever would. But Willow wasn’t fazed. Ezra guessed that Willow understood what had happened but was going through the motions.

It was three days after the press incident, during which the media found evidence of Patrick’s crimes and hung him out to dry. He’d also been arrested yesterday when Ramirez had dragged him from his home in cuffs. It’d played on TV, causing Ezra and Dana to laugh.

Dana had been released today, and she was now settled in the home Phoe had purchased for them. Phoe had done her job and worked with the figures that Ezra gave her, and they’d a beautiful house on the outskirts of the city, near everyone else.

Madison had gone crazy when she’d seen the swimming pool and then freaked at her princess bedroom. It was the only room that was properly furnished.

Ezra and Dana had already begun the paperwork to adopt her.

Ezra and Dana’s bedroom had the huge bed he’d ordered, and there was a sofa set he’d picked, but he’d left everything else for Dana to order. His personal belongings and Dana’s few bits they’d found in the car were also here.

Madison discovered the empty house made her voice echo and had great fun with that.

Dana had broken down this morning when Ezra had gifted her with boxes of items from her burned out home, including her grandmother’s blanket. It had been carefully washed several times over to remove the smell of smoke. Ezra and several of his brothers had braved the wreck to gather whatever they could that was still in good condition. And eight large boxes had been brought to Dana full of treasures.

Right now, their home was full of women, all on laptops, sitting around on the floor or two armchairs; no one wanted to crush Dana as she laid on the sofa. They were all showing her things for the home and as soon as Dana nodded approval, they were ordering it.

Ezra was relieved to escape, knowing shit was about to get serious with the old ladies when they were in a buying mood.

Their house would be fully decorated and furnished by the end of the week. The Hawthorne men had stopped by this morning, all carrying bags of goodies for Madison, who’d already been spoiled by Rage. It amazed Ezra that nobody duplicated anything until he was told Silvie had set up a shopping list, and they’d all used that.

Ezra was sneaking out now to meet Hawthorne’s and his brothers at their offices, which had been repaired after the attack. Marissa Hawthorne recovered from her ordeal and had been out and about, but he knew Hawthorne had noticed a change in his sister. Marissa was quieter, which worried him, and he’d urged her to get counselling. Ezra knew Hawthorne was wondering if something had taken place during the kidnapping that Marissa wouldn’t talk about. Not even to her cousins or best friends. Marissa was under close surveillance by many individuals who were worried about her.

Ezra marched into the offices and made his way downstairs to a room nobody knew about except Hawthorne’s and now certain members of Rage. The basement held four cells and a wide space. Tied to two chairs were Shania and Duke. Both were gagged and looked terrible, but Ezra lacked sympathy.

They were dripping wet, and he saw Max putting a hose away.

“They stunk,” Max stated as Ezra watched some bubbles float to the floor.

“Max took offence and chucked two bottles of soap over them and scrubbed them with a broom,” Apache added to Ezra, who chuckled.

That explained the scratch marks on Shania and Duke. Shania was sobbing behind her gag, her eyes filled with panic. All the Hawthorne men were present alongside Leila. From Rage, Drake, Apache, Ace, Texas, and Fish.

Ezra nodded at his brothers and approached Shania.

“Remember what you said to me in the bar? You’d be able to take me from Dana? Not so confident now, are you?” Ezra asked and ripped the gag from her mouth.

“Please, we’re family, you and I. Let me go, and I’ll disappear,” Shania begged.

“What about Duke? Don’t you care about him?” Drake asked, bemused.

Shania shook her head. “Duke beat Dana, not me.”

“But you didn’t stop it!” Ezra roared. “Dana was pregnant, and you murdered our baby!”

Shania began to cry in earnest. “Please, let me go.”

“You are gonna pay for my baby’s life. Until today, I’ve never harmed a female. But you ain’t a woman, you’re a cunt. And after what you inflicted on Dana, this will be my pleasure to hurt you like you did her,” Ezra growled out.

Ezra punched Shania full in the face, not holding back. His conscience screamed at him for hitting her, but Ezra needed this. Five minutes later, he walked away. Shania was a screaming, wailing mess. Her nose was broken—and a cheekbone. Her lip split in two places, and both her eyes were black. Ezra didn’t bother looking at her body. It would be covered in a mass of cuts and bruises.

“I’m done,” he said as Leila stepped forward with a knife.

“Let me go,” Shania forced out between missing teeth.

“I can live with what I have done. But I can’t live knowing you breathe. You stole my child from me, and I’ve taken my payment. You’re safe from me, but not from what the others might do. I have no sympathy for you, Shania. Your jealousy over Dana and how sweet she was brought you to this. I’ve never hit a woman until today. Now I have to heal from the knowledge of my actions. But you won’t. Your actions towards Dana will not be forgotten or forgiven. This is your spite and entitlement that led you to this. I’ll see you in hell,” Ezra spat.

Shania started to scream in earnest as Leila approached, grinning madly.

Thuds hit his ears as the men stepped up and began beating Duke. Ezra walked away, trying to soothe his conscience, and the thought of his helpless baby and woman certainly went a long way in doing that. He’d never forget little Avery, the name he and Dana picked for the child. They’d not known if it was a boy or a girl. It’d been too early in the pregnancy, but Avery was unisex, and they felt they needed to give it a name. It helped their grieving.

Ezra swung a leg over his bike and straddled it. He threw his head back and drew in a lungful of air. Determined, he shrugged off today’s events at Hawthorne’s and looked to the future.

There’d be other children, but none would replace Avery. Avery would live on in his and Dana’s hearts.

For now, he was going home to deal with the gaggle of women in his house, who were spending his money, and would try not to throttle them as they bossed him about. It was a good life; he and Rage made it so. And no asshole would ever take it from them, not without a fuckin’ fight.

That was Ezra’s promise to himself and his family.