Broken Souls (13 page)

Daniel snickered on Sofia’s shoulder as Rachel’s
monotonous parade of brutal truth trailed after her. “I love that woman.”

Sofia slapped him and smiled.
“She’s a mess.”

“But a sweet mess.”
Daniel kissed her forehead and began working. He loved having Sofia in the kitchen with him. Mostly because she didn’t try to help, she just watched and fetched whatever he asked for. The perfect assistant.

“I’m paying attention you know,” she said from her spot at the counter.

“Of course you are. You’re my little beautiful genius.”

She smiled. “I’ll surprise you with an actual
meal
one day, watch.”

He grinned. “I’ll make sure and be surprised when you do.”

“For now, I’ll just have to be the desert dominatrix.”

“My heart just skipped a beat.
” The sexy giggle Sofia gave only made it worse. “My little cookie vixen.”

“My little subservient puppy.”

“Yours to command.”

Sofia came up behind him and snaked her arm around him to cup his cock. “Mmm, I knew you would be hard.”

“Yes.” He covered her hand with his and helped her squeeze his painful erection. “Sofia.”

She bit into his side and he jumped a little. “That tickled.”

“Oh.” She bit again and again.

Of course she wouldn’t stop. Daniel
spun around and paid her back with his fingers in her ribs, making her scream her laughter.

“You don’t want to start tickle wars, you won’t win.”

She giggled and attacked back at just the right spot. “Oh, look who’s laughing,” she said with bright eyes.

He captured her jaw and kissed her until she stilled
, his tongue demanding those whimpers he loved. “Game over,” he whispered in her mouth.

“Cheater,” she whispered back.

****

So
many things had Sofia smiling till it hurt. All of them sitting like a happy family at the beautiful dining table. Eating Daniel’s Italian cuisine work of art in the fine china. Daniel sitting next to her in all his heart stopping beauty. The way he wanted them all to dress up for this occasion. Meeting his sexy blue eyes and seeing them all glittery with joy. Knowing she had a part in that. But most of all, she smiled at how he held her hand under the table like he didn’t ever want to let it go, and occasionally leaned in and whispered
I love you
in her ear.

“Okay, I can’t stand it anymore momma what’s the
news!”
Dara practically squealed.

Daniel looked at Sofia with a grin and she smiled and mouthed,
you tell them.

Sofia
’s heart overflowed with happiness at seeing how eager he was to be the one to announce it. She couldn’t keep from giggling when he stood to do it and made her stand with him, still holding her hand. How damn sweet. Sofia took a huge breath at feeling emotions rushing in.

Daniel looked around and Sofia waited to hear how he’d come out with the news. He took a deep breath and seemed to hold it a few seconds before blurting, “We’re pregnant.”

The collective gasps followed with laughter and then Daniel hugging Sofia and kissing her.

“Well I can’t say I’m surprised,” Gammie said. “That there man is what I call good stock.”

Seth got up and embraced his brother. “We’d love for you to be the godfather,” Daniel said to him.

Seth suddenly seemed confused before it sank in.
“Really?”

Sofia teared up at hearing the amazed privilege in his tone.

“Of course man, who else?” Daniel pulled him into another embrace. “Who else, you’re my brother. I love you, of course you.”

“Aw, wow.” Seth’s voice deepened with emotion and he held his head down. “Thank you. Means a whole lot.”

The doorbell saved him from the awkward moment. “I’ll get it,” Sofia said, smiling.

She was halfway to the door when Daniel caught up to her. “
Sorry baby, I’m paranoid. I can’t for the life of me think of who would be coming to our door.”

Sofia hadn’t thought about it and a few moment’s
consideration had her clueless as well.

Daniel glanced through the side light of
the door and turned a troubled gaze to Sofia before opening it a crack. “Can I help you?”

“We have a warrant for a Seth
Fletcher?”

Sofia’s heart skipped a beat.

“What? For what?” Daniel asked.

“Hey big bro, I got this.”

Sofia turned at Seth’s low voice. Daniel met him with an imploring gaze and Seth patted his shoulder. “It’s gonna be fine, don’t worry.”

****

Daniel numbly allowed Seth to ease him to the side as he opened the door. “Can we do this quietly?” Seth asked the officers. “I don’t want to upset my family.”

Daniel suddenly came to life and pulled his brother back by the shoulder, opening the door fully. “What the hell is going on, whatever it is, it’s a mistake, my brother has been in my care—”

“Danny…”

Daniel stopped at hearing his brother’s apologetic tone.
He met his gaze.

“Your brother has confessed to the murder of Joe
Steller. We’re here to escort him down to the station.”

Daniel turned to Seth, realizing this was the doom he’d sensed earlier at the car.

Seth’s eyes teared up. “I’m sorry big bro, he was gonna hurt her,” was all he said.

Daniel couldn’t speak as his world began to fall apart. He couldn’t move as Seth embraced him. He couldn’t do a thing as his brother lowered his head in shame and gave himself over to the police
to cuff him.

It was the sound of Sofia’s sob that broke through Daniel’s
nightmare. He bolted out the door. “Wait, please wait.” He hurried to Seth and pulled him in his embrace. “I don’t know what you did or why, but I’ll fix this, okay? I’m not losing you man, I just got you.”

“I’m sorry
my brother.”

The thick remorse in his voice, the
I’m a failure forever
tore Daniel to pieces. “It’s not you. I know you did what you had to do. I stand behind you, I’ll find the best lawyer and get you out of this, okay?”

“I’ll understand if you change your mind about me being the godfather.”

“Stop it,” Daniel gasped, his forehead against his brothers. “Just stop.”

“I faced my fears. I’m free brother. Thank you.”

Daniel gritted his teeth, wanting to throw himself in front of a train. It was his fault for insisting he go to his uncle’s.

“If
I spend the rest of my life in prison, I’ll have a smile on my face for what you did for me.”

“
Fuck.” The word strained out past the turmoil and Daniel cleared his throat. “I’ll fix this, I promise.” His voice broke despite all his damned effort. “You’re coming home. You have to be with me. And Sofia and Rachel and the baby. We’ve got a
lot
of family things to catch up on. Fishing, holidays…
Christmas.
”

“Don’t cry
Danny.”

Daniel sobbed
and dropped his face on Seth’s shoulder then pressed it into his neck.

Dara
suddenly flew out the door. “What’s going on?”

Daniel heard Sofia whispering to her and
soon after the crying Romanian began.

Daniel pulled up and k
issed Seth’s cheek and forehead repeatedly. “I’ll make it right, I’ll fix it, you’ll see.” 

“What all is going on here, what are
they doing with Seth?”

“Gammie,” Sofia cried
.

“Don’t let them see me like this Danny.”

“Get back inside,” Daniel yelled at them. “Go!”

F
rail and wobbly, Gammie leaned on her walker, her mouth agape and trembling. “You need to leave that boy alone, he’s a good kid, I don’t know what’s going on here, but you made a mistake.” She looked at Sofia. “I’m sure of it.” She put her shaking hand in Sofia’s. “Tell ‘em Mary. They made a mistake, he’s a good kid.”

“I will
gammy, Daniel is taking care of it.” Sofia wiped her eyes and gasped, “Let’s go get some desert. I made your favorite.”

“I don’t want no damn desert, I want them
aliens
off the lawn. Showin up here like that, ruinin’ a perfectly good meal.”

“We good?” The taller officer asked, patiently.

“Yeah, we good.” Seth turned and let them help him into the car.

Sofia
was suddenly in Daniel’s arms and he latched onto her, needing something to hold on to. As they drove away with his brother, Daniel lowered his head next to hers, choking down his turmoil.

“I got you baby,” Sofia whispered, stroking his back.

A short sob broke free and he squeezed her tighter, holding back the weight of shit slamming into him.

“We’ll fix this,
don’t worry.”

Daniel
’s sobs broke free. “Everything I am, everything I do…it’s all
broken
.”

“I’m here, shhhh. We’ll fix this.
” Sofia sobbed with him. “You’ll see dammit.”

Maybe it was that he was desperate, but t
he conviction in her turmoil harpooned his heart and tugged him toward safety, toward an island of hope in his ocean of forever doom.

He hugged her tight, holding on to hope. To life. To freedom.

Holding on to his Sofia. To his unborn baby.

They were his whole life.

Then it hit him. The odd way Seth was behaving earlier. It wasn’t that he was guilty or worried or scared.

It was that
he was lying.