Page 19 of Wounded Hearts

Chapter 10

Drew sat across from Zack,Dane, Kanan, and Smithy and seethed. It had taken every ounce of control he had not to get in his car and drive to Brayden Wells and give him just a tiny portion of the pain he’d inflicted on Mara.

Only the need to stay close to her and put her needs before his own had stopped him. Knowing what she’d gone through alone was gut-wrenching, and he hated that for her. The other men around the table looked equally furious. He had, with Mara’s permission, told them some of what she’d been through at the hands of her former fiancé. He’d left out some of the details but told them enough. If these men were going to protect her, they had to know what they were facing and why.

“Would you like me to make the call?” Zack clenched his jaw in an obvious effort to control his anger after hearing what had happened to Mara. Every man in the room was a protector and to hear that a man had laid his fists on a woman made them all see red.

Drew nodded, and watched as Zack picked up the secure phone and dialled the number. Every man in the room was silent and Drew had never felt prouder than he was right then to be part of this team. Hurt one, you hurt them all.

“Yes?” The voice was imperious and cold, just as Drew remembered from last night.

“This is Zack Cunningham.” They could hear both sides of the conversation as it was on speakerphone.

“Mr Cunningham. I trust you’re going to return what belongs to me.”

Drew nearly cracked his jaw with how tightly he clenched it and only K’s hand on his shoulder stopped him from losing it.

“You can trust that hell will freeze over before you ever set foot within ten miles of Mara Kennett. She has no wish to see, speak, or hear from you in any form, ever again,” Zack said with calm authority.

“She is my fiancée and she’ll come home immediately. I don’t know what kind of brainwashing you’ve done on her, but she belongs with me.”

“No, Mr Wells, she’s not your anything and the only brainwashing that was done was by you. You piece of shit bastard. There’s a special place in hell for men like you and if you come anywhere near Mara, myself and my team will know and will make sure you find out just how hot hell is.” With that said, Zack hung up and blew out a breath. “Asshole.” Zack looked at Drew then, his face hard. “He won’t give up easily. Men like him never do.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Drew asked.

Zack smiled and it was less than friendly. “I think it’s time someone looked into Mr Wells a little deeper. Scumbags like him often live shady lives professionally as well as personally. I have a feeling he has some secrets he wouldn’t like exposed, and if those secrets end with a nice long prison term, then so much the better.”

K nodded beside Drew. “Oh, yeah, that sounds like a great plan. Let me make some calls to a contact of mine.”

“I’ll get on to his digital footprint and dig up all the shit I can find,” Drew added.

Dane crossed his arms and balanced his ankle on his knee. “And me?”

Zack looked at Dane and Smithy as if he was trying to figure out the best course of action. Smithy had been through the wringer but treating him as anything less than a fully functioning member of the team was an insult to him and what he’d achieved.

“I want you and Smithy to conduct surveillance on Brayden Wells. I want to know where he goes, who he speaks too, what he has for fucking breakfast. The lot. You good with that?” The question was aimed at both men, but it was really for Smithy.

“Yeah, that’s fine by me.”

“Good. Let’s get to it and I know it doesn’t need to be said, but I’m going to anyway. Mara Kennett is not to be left alone under any circumstance.”

“Pretty sure Drew has that covered, boss.” Dane slapped him on the shoulder and winked as he made his way to the door with Kanan.

Drew gave him the middle finger but agreed, nobody would be watching Mara closer than he’d be.

“Have you and Zack got a second?” Smithy asked as he went to follow his brother-in-law.

Drew shrugged. “Sure.” He sat down and faced Smithy, as did Zack.

“What can we do for you, Smithy?” Zack asked taking the lead.

“I wanted to thank you for the other night. I’m still not sure what caused it, there seems to be a complete blank. One second I was watching Drew cross from the window to speak with Wells, the next I was back here. I know it was embarrassing for you.”

“Stop.” Zack held up his hand. “PTSD is not embarrassing to me. It’s a scar you carry around with you from a trauma that is too terrible to process in one go. You’re healing a wound and that takes time and care. We, your friends, are here to help you heal in the same way we would if it was a physical wound. We all have our scars, Smithy, and yours do not define you. What defines you is the kindness you treat people with, the high standards you set yourself, your bravery in fighting back from what was done to you.”

Zack leaned towards Smithy and spoke with compassion. “You’re a great soldier and an even better man. I see the way you push yourself to help Megan find a cure for those other men. I see the way you blame yourself when there is no blame on you. You need to forgive yourself.”

Smithy looked thoroughly shattered by Zacks words.