Page 10 of Timeless Pages

Chapter ten

Evan

B y the way Nathan and Dom clenched their fists, I knew they were moments from hunting her father down.

I can’t say I blamed them, but the last thing Isa needed was more violence.

The sickening feeling in my stomach didn’t fade when her story ended.

I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the amount of abuse she suffered at the hands of the one person who was supposed to love her unconditionally and protect her from harm, not cause it.

Isa watched us apprehensively, and I could tell she was getting increasingly anxious the longer the silence stretched.

“Thank you for sharing that with us, Isa,” I told her.

“I know it couldn’t have been an easy story to tell, and I want you to know that we appreciate and value your trust in us by telling it.

” Her eyes widened slightly at my response.

I wasn’t sure if it was because we believed her or because the realization that she was telling us meant she trusted us.

“Can you please let us help you?” I asked, already knowing the answer, but unable to resist offering it anyway.

She wouldn’t take our help, not outright.

She needed this win, and she needed to know she had done it on her own, which would make helping her tricky—ideas on how we could assist her without her knowing swirled in my mind.

Isa shook her head. “This is my fight, not yours.”

Nate opened his mouth to protest when there was a knock on the door behind us. Isa checked the time on an old cuckoo clock on the wall and then walked past us to answer the door. Who the hell would be knocking on the door after hours?

“Dave! I was hoping I’d see you tonight,” Isa chirped, her entire demeanor changing as she opened the door.

The smile she gave the raggedy old drunk who came inside made my heart skip a few beats.

This was the Isa I had observed and fallen in love with from a distance.

Until today, I hadn’t known the physical and mental scars she hid from the world every day.

I never could have imagined the horrors she had faced.

I vowed to myself that one day, that smile wouldn’t be a mask.

One day, I would make Isa’s smile reach every crevice of her soul.

I would make her happy, and her childhood would seem like a distant memory.

“I couldn’t leave you alone for more than one day, and I didn’t want you to see me in the state I was in yesterday,” the old man replied. He handed her a paper bag with the logo for Icing on Top, the cupcake shop on Main Street. “Got this for you, too.”

“Dave, you didn’t have to do that! How many times have I told you not to spend your money on me?” she admonished him gently as she closed and locked the door behind him.

“Miss Nova had your favorite today. I had to get you one,” Dave replied.

I was dying to find out what cupcake was in that bag so that I could file it away for later, but since we knew Nova and her fiancés well, I would call her later to find out which cupcake Dave purchased.

Dave turned away from Isa and froze when he saw us standing there for about half a second before his face turned red, and he charged us. We were all too stunned to react as he stopped in front of Nathan and shoved him back a step.

“What are you three doing here, and why are you messing with my Belle?!” he demanded.

“Dave!” Isa yelled, rushing to place herself between Nate and the angry man.

“It’s ok. They weren’t doing anything wrong.

” Isa’s back was pressed against Nate’s front, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy as his hands moved to her waist. Isa was busy calming Dave down, so she didn’t notice.

“But they want to buy the shop, don’t they? You tell them it’s not for sale,” he replied, looking over her shoulder at Nate. “It’s not for sale! And it’s rude to come here the day after her Uncle’s funeral to try to buy it!”

“Dave, there is a lot you’ve missed in the last day. Why don’t you go get your cot out? I’ll get your bedding out and then start dinner. We can discuss it all then,” Isa replied gently.

“You aren’t selling the store, are you, Belle?” he asked worriedly.

“Not if I can help it,” she assured him. Dave glared at us one more time before walking toward the seating area. That was when Isa noticed Nate’s hands.

She tried to step away from him, but he held her in place and bent down until his lips were near her ear. “This conversation isn’t over, Little Bell,” he whispered. “I won’t stand by and let him hurt you anymore. I can’t.”

When Isa tried to step away again, Nate let her go. “It isn’t your concern,” she replied. “I think it’s time for you to leave. He will punish me again if he finds out you were here and I talked to you.”

Nate sighed in frustration but didn’t push the issue. “Let’s go,” he ordered.

I pulled out a business card with all three of our numbers on it and handed it to Isa. “If he hurts you again or you need help, don’t hesitate to call. We want to help, Isa. Please think about letting us.”

She nodded as she took the card from my hands, but I didn’t anticipate hearing from her. “Dave, can you lock the door behind them?”

“Sure can, Miss Belle,” Dave replied.

Isa looked at the three of us one last time, then turned and disappeared among the bookshelves.

“You heard the lady. Scram!” Dave barked.

I pulled another card out as he ushered us to the door and handed it to him. “If Isa’s in trouble, please call.”

He eyed the card suspiciously for a moment before accepting it and nodding.

“Take care of her, Dave,” Dominic said.

“Protect and keep her safe, and you’ll be rewarded,” Nate added.

“I don’t need your money to look out for my friend,” Dave said, offended.

“Then thank you for being her friend,” I replied. “She’s going to need one.”

Dave’s eyes narrowed as he held the door open. I could tell he was torn between asking what I meant and pretending I didn’t exist. We left before he could decide. Isa would fill him in on what was happening, and then he’d understand what I meant.

“I’m going to kill Morris with my bare hands,” I growled once we were back in our car.

“There are better ways to handle him,” Nate replied ominously. “Dom, find out everything there is to know about Morris Wilcox. If he took a shit in the woods, I want to know about it.”

“You got it,” Dom replied. “What are we going to do about helping Isa?”

“Driver, take us to Icing on Top,” Nate directed. I guess we both wanted to know what Isa’s favorite cupcake was.

“I don’t know,” I replied to Dom. “She wants to do this on her own, and I understand it’s because she needs to take back control of her life, but I don’t see it going well with those lawyers she plans on calling.”

“She’ll be using our lawyers,” Nate stated.

“How?” I asked. “She can’t afford them and won’t accept us paying for them.”

“I didn’t say we would pay them. With how much money we make them every year, they’re due for a little pro bono work,” Nate replied.

“Call every lawyer on her list and tell them if she calls, they are to tell her they aren’t taking on any clients right now, but they’ve heard our guys are looking for some pro bono work.

That way, whoever she calls will push her in their direction. ”

“And what do we tell our lawyers?” Dom asked. “We don’t have the right to tell them who their clients will be or that they will be taking the case for free.”

“Let me handle our lawyers,” Nate replied as the car stopped. I almost felt bad for the poor suckers when Nate descended on them. I knew that tone. I avoided dealing with him at all costs when he had that tone.

We went inside the cupcake shop, and I was surprised to see Nova behind the counter. She didn’t usually spend much time serving anymore—not since she got engaged. Her eyebrows rose when she turned and saw us.

“Listen, guys,” Nova said, “no matter how many times you beg, I will not convince my guys to sell you the Triple Tech property. And no, you still can’t have the cabin. I’ll never let them sell it.”

“We aren’t here for that,” I chuckled.

“Though we haven’t given up on the Triple Tech land yet,” Nate warned her with a warm smile.

“Got a question for you, darling,” Dom said, leaning on the counter and turning up the charm. “An old homeless man named Dave came here and bought a cupcake. You wouldn’t happen to remember which kind it was, would you?”

Immediately, Nova’s eyes narrowed on him. “Why do you want to know?”

“Well, he got it for someone and—“

“No,” Nova said, cutting Dom off.

“No?” he asked, perplexed.

“I will not be an accomplice to your seduction of that poor girl. She’s been through enough and doesn’t need you hounding after her like a rare Pokémon.

In this instance, you do not have to catch them all, Dominic DeCosta!

” Nova’s eyes suddenly widened, and she gasped.

“Tell me you three aren’t already over there trying to talk her out of her bookstore and pants. ”

“It’s not like that, Nova,” I replied. “Yes, we were looking into purchasing the store, but only because we saw it was for sale.”

“Isa would never sell that store,” Nova replied in shock.

“Do you know her well?” Nate asked.

“Better than most. Isa keeps to herself, but over the years of her stopping in to get a cupcake, I’ve managed to get her to open up a little. Enough to know she would die before selling,” Nova replied.

“Out of curiosity,” Dom said, “those times she stopped in, what flavor cupcake did she get the most?” Nova rolled her eyes at his lame attempt to get the information we came for.

“She isn’t selling it; her father is,” I informed her.

Nova’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I didn’t know her father was still alive. On the rare occasion she spoke of him, she spoke as if he were gone.”

“Well, he is alive and well and causing problems for her. We want to help her, but she’s resistant,” Nate said, ending with a frustrated growl.

“We’re desperate for anything to help us feel closer to her and just want to know her favorite cupcake flavor,” I pleaded.

Nova looked at us carefully. “All three of you want to know?” We nodded. “If I find out you used this information to take advantage of her, I’ll castrate you and turn your balls into jelly filling, got it?” We winced but nodded again.

Nova reached into the display case and placed three cupcakes on the counter in front of us.

“Isa’s favorite cupcake is Chocolate Covered Cherry.”