Make It Right (17 page)

Of course she remembered, how could she possibly forget? She'd been subjected to several lockdowns while Danny was inside. She nodded. “Nightshade and The Wild Cards were at each others' throats. There were a couple shootings. Buster got hurt and some pass-around got killed. I can't remember her name.”

“Hanna. Her name was Hanna,” Danny replied. “And she wasn't exactly a pass-around, she was with Buster. They were together when she was shot, and she was pregnant.”

“Holy fuck.” Amelia couldn't wrap her head around that.

“They weren't in love or anything, but he was real happy about the kid. If Hanna had lived, they'd probably hate each other by now but he already loved that kid. The guy who pulled the trigger, Puppet, ended up inside with me right before I sent you the papers. I knew that I could get to him and kill him but I knew that I would get caught. And get a whole slew of charges and time added on. I knew that you'd stay. You'd wait and that wouldn't be right. So I sent the papers. Part of me didn't think you'd sign them. And then I got them back. I knew I fucked up.”

There was so much information in what he'd just told her that it was hard to focus on any one thing. “Wait, you didn't get more time, so that must mean that you didn't kill him.” He'd just given her a lot of information all at once but it was sinking into her mind, washing away the resentment that had lingered for so long. He'd done something cruel but for the best possible reason, because he was trying to protect her.

“No. I did. I killed him and a guy in for three consecutive life sentences showed up. He told me to remember that he'd done me a favor and to get the hell out of there. I got out of there. He took the blame, there wasn't much more that could be done to him. A week later, I got a visit from a guy named Joseph Miller. He was Nightshades' new best friend. He'd offered to give the guy's family money if he
made it look like he was the killer.”

“Jesus Christ. How much?” Amelia was pretty sure that she was going to overdose on all this information.

“A hundred grand. Money that Nightshade eventually paid back. Money I've been trying to make up for since I got out. And I've worked my ass off to make sure that Davenport Development and Nightshade are better off with me. I purchased the house, fixed it up.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Figured once it was all done, I'd hunt you down. Bring you home to something. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was all I had.”

Amelia blinked back tears. “I'd have stayed no matter how much time you got. You were right about that. You were wrong about everything else, Danny. Wrong to think that you could make that choice for me. Getting those papers... I cannot tell you how that felt. I'd never wish it on anybody. You're an arrogant fuck. You've always been an arrogant fuck. All that time wasted because you thought you knew what was best for me.”

“I know, and nothing I do now changes it. We've got to move forward from it. Got to let it go. Got to start moving on from what happened to Fiona and Taylor, too. They wouldn't want you to be sad all the time. They'd want you to be happy. And you're not happy.”

“No. I'm not.” Amelia saw hurt flash across his face. He took several steps back from her. “Danny.”

“Just say it if we're done, Amelia.”

“That's not what I'm saying.” Frustrated, Amelia dragged her hands through her hair. “It's not because of you. It's everything. It just seems like every time that I get up, I get knocked right the fuck back down. Each time it's harder to get up. I'm not sure that I can get up again, so no, I'm not happy.”

“I don't know what hope we have if I can't make you happy at least some of the time, Amelia. I really don't. Maybe for us love isn't enough.”

The door to the bar opened, the sound of music spilling out into the night. “There you fucking are.” Train was obviously drunk and in very good spirits. “Been looking all over for you, Brother. You haven't drank with me. We need to fix that and fast.” He looked over to Amelia. “You mind if I borrow my Brother for a little while?”

“That's up to him.” Amelia choked out the words. She would not cry. She would not cry even though she'd just essentially ruined everything between the two of them. All she had to do was lie, say that she was happy and things would have stayed on the same even keel. It was almost like there was a clock counting down as Danny looked between her and Train.

“Give me a minute, Brother, let me walk Amelia to the car.”

Everything seemed to shift into slow motion as soon as he spoke the words. “No need. I wouldn't want to keep you from your important drinking.” It took everything just to say the words, to not break down right there.

“See, she's a big girl. She can handle herself.” Train laughed and clapped his hand on Danny's back. “I'm in such a good mood tonight, I actually like her tonight." Train continued to talk, about what they were going to drink and what he was going to do to Claire when they were done. Amelia mumbled something, she wasn't even sure that she'd formed actual words, and turned away. It took only a moment to get into the bar. Once inside, it was too hot, especially with Danny's jacket on, too loud, and there were too many people. She stopped just inside the door, took a deep breath to try and steady herself.

It took a beat to remember that she'd come inside for her purse; the keys to the car and the house keys were inside. Danny's house keys. If love wasn't enough, like he'd said, did that mean that she was going to have to leave the house?  Panic started. She had no money. No car. No other place to go. This was what she wouldn't be able to get back from, and the worst part of realizing it was realizing that she'd been wrong. She was happy with Danny because what she felt right now was the rawest, purest misery possible. It felt worse than losing Fiona and Taylor.

A hand grabbed her arm from behind and she knew that it was Danny. He pulled her towards the stairs without a word and she let him. She didn't speak or try to. They reached one of the rooms; Danny opened the door and Edge laughed. He called out that the room was occupied, as if it wasn't obvious by the pass-around on her knees in front of him. There was no one in the room across the hall, and it still smelled slightly of bleach cleaner and air freshener.

Amelia jerked her arm out of his grip as he shut the door. She was glad that she had on the jacket, otherwise she was sure that she'd be bruised. Neither of them spoke, Danny just stared at her and she stared at the floor. Finally the silence became too much. “Just say what you have to say, like you told me earlier, if we're over just fucking say it. If it's not enough, just say it. Maybe you're right, maybe love isn't enough.”

He didn't reply. Not one word. He didn't move. Hell, he didn't even blink. Amelia didn't understand what that meant. Of course her mind went to the worst possible option. Maybe his silence was saying everything. What the fuck was she supposed to do? “Danny?” Her voice shook, and she clenched her hands into fists to stop them from shaking.

“Do you love me?” There was something strange about his voice. Something that Amelia couldn't place.

“Yes.” It was the only way that she could reply. Even if it wasn't enough, she loved him. The silence that followed was painful. Amelia finally met his eyes. “I've loved you since the day that we met, Danny. Please. Just...” There were no more words she could think to say.

He moved over to her. Amelia's heart raced in anticipation of his touch, but instead he reached inside the jacket, pulled something out of the pocket. There was no way to stop her hands from shaking now, and she didn't bother to try. Amelia turned away as Danny stepped back, she wasn't sure that she could hear whatever he said next while standing. The urge to curl up on the bed was strong but she just sat on the edge with her hands on her knees.

Amelia picked a spot on the floor, stared at it. She looked up when Danny came into view. It actually hurt to meet his eyes. A sob tore from her throat and she covered her face in her hands
. All of her plans not to cry went right out of the window. She felt hands on her knees, spreading them apart, and then Danny's hands were around her wrists.

“Shh.” He pulled her hands down gently and turned her wrist over. Amelia began to sob harder at the sight of his mark on her wrist. These days she no longer bothered with bracelets to conceal it; in fact she liked looking at it.

“I know what we have is enough.” He moved his thumb over the mark. “It's got to be enough because I'm not right without you. I love you.”

Amelia looked up from his hands, met his eyes. “Danny.”

“The day I came home, I went to the bar. Everything you'd left was in boxes in the room. I wanted to fucking burn them, but I didn't. Instead, I started to go through them one by one.” He pulled a black bag from his pocket. Amelia realized that it was what he'd taken from the inside pocket of the jacket. “I found these.” Amelia felt her heart stop when he spilled the contents of the bag into her hand. Her wedding band. Her engagement ring and his wedding band. “I think that it's time for you to put them back on. Marry me again, Amelia.”

“Marry you?” Amelia stuttered the words. “I thought that... I thought that we were done and that I fucked everything up somehow. I thought...”

“You think entirely too much.” Danny cut her off. “And you haven't answered my question, I'm sort of dying to know.”

Would she marry him? Of course she'd marry him. Amelia nodded her head. “Yes. Yes.”

“You sure?” There was a teasing light in his eyes as he picked the rings up from her palm. He slid the engagement ring onto her finger. Amelia felt a thrill that it still fit and to see it once again. It was truly a beautiful ring.

“I'm sure. And I'm sorry I freaked out earlier about Allison. This is what you had planned, isn't it?”

“Yeah. The original vision included champagne and a grand speech.”

“I think that I like this version better.” Amelia raised her hands to cup his face. “I really do love you. And I'm sorry that I...”

“Hey. You're thinking too much again. We're going to go downstairs, get drunk, and then we're going to come back up here and I'm going to fuck you until you can't walk.”

Amelia felt herself blush at the mere thought. “Do we have to go downstairs? Can't we just stay up here?”

“We could, but eventually Train is going to remember I said I'd be right back. Wouldn't want him busting in on us. Unless you want him to possibly see more of you than he has before.”

“No.” Amelia felt like she needed a shower just at the thought. “Do we have to stay long?”

“Just long enough to get you nice and tipsy.” He informed her. “We are going to have one hell of a private celebration tonight.”

“Let's get the drinking over with, then.” She let him pull her up to her feet. “Can we avoid Missy if possible? I'm really not comfortable with the way she's acting like Royal never had a kid before. It's not right.”

“We're not going to be down there long. And you're right. It's not right. I plan on having a word with Royal about it. We'll steer clear of Missy. Have a few drinks and then we're coming back up here because I'm not going to want to drive home.”

“That sounds perfect.” Amelia took his hand, and together they walked down the stairs. The crowd was more bearable when Danny was at her side. Everything was easier when he was at her side. Amelia knew that she wasn't easy to deal with all the time. She tended to get lost in her own head, forgetting everything else around her. There was a different pass-around behind the bar. Amelia didn't know where Allison went, and she really didn't care.

Danny told the girl to bring them a bottle of Jack and a couple of glasses. “You really are trying to get me drunk? Aren't you?”

“Damn straight I am.” Danny grinned at her. Amelia knew that all was right with them now; it allowed her to relax, smile back and not even feel her good mood fade when Train came walking over.

“Well, that was quick. Quicker than I'd expect from you, Danny. Should I put you in touch with this guy I know who sells little blue pills?” Train found that absolutely hysterical. He laughed hard enough to make Danny laugh.

“No need for that. We were just talking, settling some shit.” He grabbed Amelia's hand, held it up for Train to see.

“What?” The man replied, obviously oblivious to the ring and what it signified to them. Amelia wasn't surprised.

“It's her engagement ring, dumb ass.” Buster spoke dryly from behind Train. “Guess this means you're making it legal again.”

“Yeah. Figured why the hell not?” Danny smiled widely and Amelia could hear the pride in his voice. He was enjoying showing the ring off to his brothers, and she realized that she was as well. It was good to share this with them, even Train, after all the bad that had been happening lately.

“I can give you a list of reasons,” Train volunteered.

“Shut up,” Buster told him. “Congratulations. This is great news.” Amelia smiled as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “We've got all sorts of shit to be glad for tonight. I think that we need another round.”

One round turned into two. Two turned into four, and then things started to get a little hazy. Amelia was drunk, happily so as she sat at the bar with most of Nightshade around her. It gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling about the future. Finally she was back where she belonged, back with her family. Even with all that she'd lost, there was no place she'd rather be, except maybe upstairs in the room with Danny, naked and sweaty.