Stefan (The Marquette Family Book Three) (17 page)

Stefan disconnected the call and started dialing again with one hand as he grabbed Talicia’s hand with the other. “Honey, stick close to me. Jerome, you get us to Marquette’s. If you dare to disobey, I’ll fire you.”

Chapter Eighteen

The greatest fear Talicia ever felt in her life was when they neared St. Louis Street and balls of smoke and fire lit the night sky. Then Stefan told her he intended to go inside to rescue his cousin.

“No,” she screamed, and tears streamed down her face. “Jerome, you stop him! Keep driving if you have to.”

Jerome had to stop the car because of the traffic jam, the fire trucks and police cars blocking traffic and a crowd of onlookers. Stefan threw his door open and started toward the block where his beloved restaurant lay. Jerome moved in front of him.

“Stefan, don’t do this. Get back in the car and let me take you and your wife somewhere safe.”

“First the club then Marquette’s,” Stefan said, his jaw tight.

“I know, but you and her are more important.”

“We’re fine. What about Duke?”

“He can take care of himself.”

“Get out of my way, Jerome!”

They went chest to chest. Stefan was big, but so was Jerome, and he was trained to take a man down. Talicia stood close to Stefan and scanned the crowd. She felt like they were sitting ducks out there, waiting for someone to pick them off. Sure there were a lot of eyes, but wasn’t that how it worked in the movies? So many people, but no one saw it happen?

She tugged his arm. “Stefan, Jerome is right. We should go.”

“I know they weren’t nice to you, honey, but they’re my family too. I can’t stand by and wait to see if Duke is hurt.”

“What about Shada?” she said.

He frowned at her. “Creed is with her.”

She reached up and squeezed his chin. “Stefan, she’s five months pregnant. She shouldn’t be in labor. They could lose the baby, and she could be in danger too. Don’t you think Creed’s scared right now?”

He paled. “I hadn’t…Oh, no. This isn’t happening.”

They were back in the car headed toward the hospital. Talicia looked over her shoulder at the water in the distance shooting toward the restaurant as it burned. Other buildings in the block were in danger. She wouldn’t believe this was an accident, and it would kill her to think Duke might be hurt or dead because of it.

A short while later, they found Damen, Heaven, and the kids in the waiting room. Stefan strode up to his brother and hugged him. “Where is he?”

“Back with her,” Damen said. “I told you not to come.”

“You knew that didn’t mean anything.”

They sat down, and Talicia moved to Heaven’s side. “What happened?”

“I don’t know.” Her face was wet with tears. “She was okay, and we were talking. Then the call came in about the restaurant. I think the shock did it. Shada loves Marquette’s as much, maybe more, than the guys. She’s just got to be okay, and the baby. For her to have this happen after she was so scared to have kids and a family, it’s unfair.”

Talicia had thought of the woman as an evil bitch from the day she met her, but her feelings softened. Shada must be terrified and Creed beside himself. She glanced at the two brothers waiting. Both of them looked pale, and they both clutched their phones in their hands as if they waited for news of Duke.

Heaven noticed too. “Damen and Duke argue like they hate each other, but it was killing him to stay here and not go looking for Duke. He sent men over there, but he had to stay with Creed just in case.”

Talicia nodded. She held her hand out, and Heaven took it. They clung to each other as time passed at a snail’s pace. After some time, Heaven gave in to the strain and began to doze. Her husband walked over to them to take her in his arms. Talicia returned to her husband’s side, and he hugged her.

Stefan dropped his face against her chest, and she wrapped her arms as tight as she could around him. A shudder rocked him, and she knew he was scared. He adored his family, and he’d just been talking about how hard it was to be away from them without knowing how long. Then this had to happen. If he resented her after it was all over, she wouldn’t be surprised or blame him.

The night was slow going. Talicia had no idea why it took so long, but all she knew was she woke up on Stefan’s lap and quickly climbed down, embarrassed. Eyes of curious patients around the room stared at them, but none sat nearby. She supposed it had to do with the monster guards looking so threatening.

Creed walked out from the back, and Damen and Stefan pounced on him. “Well?” Stefan demanded, almost shaking his oldest brother.

Creed looked dead on his feet, and he hadn’t yet removed the scrubs the staff had made him wear. “I have a son,” he whispered. “He can fit in the palm of my hand, but he’s alive.”

Creed’s voice cracked, and Stefan crushed him in a hug. “What about Shada?”

“She’s okay. It was touch and go for a while, but she’ll be okay too. The baby has to stay here for now.”

“Of course.” Damen shook Creed’s hand, smiling. “Congratulations, Dad. You’re initiated into fatherhood. How’s it feel?”

“Exhausting.”

“You haven’t seen the half of it yet.”

No one said anything about Duke, but Creed noticed. “Where is he?”

“Just concentrate on your wife and son,” Damen said. “Duke is fine.”

Creed frowned and looked at Stefan. “Where is Duke, Stefan?”

“We’re looking for him. I’m sure he’s okay, Creed. Damen is right. You need to concentrate on your family.”

Creed spun away from his brothers. “Pete,” he barked, and half the waiting room jumped a foot in the air, including Talicia. The guard was at his elbow in a heartbeat. “You find my cousin. You make sure he’s okay, and you let me know. Do it now.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Creed.”

Creed returned to Shada and their son, and when Talicia started to sway and Heaven didn’t appear any better condition, the family left the hospital. The next morning, Talicia woke in bed alone. She dressed quickly and hurried to the first floor. The men were talking in the kitchen with Heaven at the table.

Talicia accepted a cup of coffee from Stefan and took a sip. “Duke?”

“Nothing,” he said. “But there’s also no evidence that he was caught in the blaze.”

Talicia pressed a hand to her chest and sighed in relief. “That’s good. Was the fire department able to save it?”

Damen cursed, and his wife pulled him into her arms. He gave in to her for a minute and then put her from him to pace. “No. Our restaurant has been destroyed.”

“I—” Talicia began.

He shook his head. “Don’t. We don’t blame you, Talicia. You’re family now. What I am worried about is my cousin. We have our differences, and he’s an asshole, but damn it, he better be okay.”

“You’re breaking my heart, cuz. I didn’t know you loved me so much.”

They all whipped around to face the kitchen doorway. There stood a dirty and obviously worn out Duke. Stefan reached him first and dragged him into a chair. “What happened to you, Duke?”

Talicia looked from Duke to Damen and watched as her brother-in-law stared daggers at Duke while seeming relieved at the same time. He remained leaning against the kitchen counter as if he didn’t trust himself to approach Duke.

“It’s a long story,” Duke said, full of himself, “and I’ll tell you all about it. The gist is that I followed someone away from the restaurant.”

“Who?” Damen demanded.

Duke flexed his fingers and pressed a knuckle to his lips. That’s when Talicia noticed how busted up they were. His skin was bruised and torn in spots. Duke met her concerned gaze and grinned. “You don’t have to worry anymore, little cousin. I got him.”

“Got
who?”
Stefan emphasized.

“Marcus Colby.”

“Y-you killed him?” Talicia asked and swallowed.

“It’s not the first time, and it probably won’t be the last.” Duke removed the shaking coffee cup from her fingers and drained the contents. “You’re safe, and yeah, we’re going to have to rebuild the restaurant, but we’re all alive, got it? All of the Marquettes are alive.”

Damen moved across the kitchen to stand behind Duke’s chair. He leaned down and kissed the top of his head, slapping heavy hands on his cousin’s shoulders.

Stefan met Talicia’s gaze. “Yeah, we’ll rebuild, all of us together, as a family.”

She sniffed and nodded, sure that he was right.

The End