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“What the hell, Heath. You sound like some crazed vigilante.”
He shrugged. “Just trust me,” he replied. “You don’t seriously think that Jameson walked away unscathed after hurting Danni, do you?”
I dropped my spoon beside my bowl and stared in disbelief at my brother. “What the fu…” I gazed at Disa and swallowed the rest of my swear word. “What are you two up to?” I asked. For the first time I was seeing a different side to my brothers.
AJ responded for them. “Do you want us to check on Merci or not?” I could see that he was serious. His tone was harsh. I had to stop asking questions or he wasn’t going to help and that meant Disa would go to the compound. I needed to know more though. I needed to know why she was so afraid of him.
I glanced at Disa. “Ben, you don’t want me to go there and I need to know my sister is okay. You don’t know him like I do.”
“Then enlighten me,” I declared.
She glanced at me then down at the bowl in front of her. “I left because I had to Ben.” Her eyes met mine. “I was afraid of Elder Ron.”
I reached over and took her hand. “Why?”
“Because…because I had heard stories about him. His sadistic needs. I had seen women come into the compound. Some had never left. I don’t know what happened to them. He’s very dark, Ben. I was always uncomfortable around him.”
I nodded at her. Then I glanced at AJ. “Find out if Merci is all right,” I told my brothers, sighing because I didn’t know what I was sending my brothers into.
“That’s the plan,” AJ replied.
They finished their chili only asking an occasional question. Then AJ and Disa cleaned up together because Heath wanted to give Asia a bottle. He was growing more and more comfortable with my daughter. More attached.
“Soon, you’ll be changing her diaper,” I informed him.
He grunted at me, not in a good way. I couldn’t imagine this large man ever becoming a father. The hermit who liked being alone except for the visits my brothers paid him in the tiny three-bedroom cabin deep in the woods. I can’t say that I had ever been there myself. No need to. He always came to me.
I leaned over on my knees. “Heath?”
“What?” His focus was on Asia, so I’m surprised he even responded to me.
“What did you do to Jameson?” I asked.
My brother’s eyes slowly met mine. That crazed look I told you about, well it was more frightening than I had ever seen. He was an intense man with a look that could wither you with just his eyes. The scruff was getting thicker on his face, and even though it was auburn tinged with golden highlights like his hair he could still pull off bad ass.
Right now, those eyes were focused on me and he was holding my child. I don’t know which made me more nervous. I rubbed my hand across my jaw.
“We made him regret he ever fucked with Danni,” he finally replied, and I knew he wasn’t going to give me any details. I hadn’t heard anything bad had happened to Jameson.
I nodded several times, trying to decide if I had a death wish and would ask more questions or shut my mouth. I had a death wish. “You do realize most of Adams, Brown and Clermont county have heard how ruthless he is and fear him and his people.”
He shrugged. Then he put the bottle by his leg and lifted my daughter to his shoulder. He patted her back gently.
“You have to do that harder,” I informed him.
“This is just fine,” he replied.
“Okay,” I said. Later, I hoped Asia wouldn’t throw up on me and or Disa.
Then Heath’s gaze focused on me. “I particularly enjoyed making sure that he never forgot that you don’t mess with women, Benjamin especially not our women.”
I didn’t even want to know. I rubbed my hand over my jaw and gazed at the hardwood floor, wondering again if I shouldn’t consider carpet before my baby girl started crawling and walking.
Then my daughter belched surprising me and making Heath chuckle. “See, I told you it was hard enough.”
“Yep, you did.”
I stared at the walls while Heath stared at Asia. He was my brother, I loved him, but I didn’t know what AJ and Matt talked to him about. Put me in a room with Elijah and Seth or even Danni we had things in common. Not me and Heath.
