i can't want you (i'm taking you anyway)

part 16

Taylor's POV

I took my time in the shower, gently washing away the blood streaking from my nose and tricking down the side of my face. Everything ached, and I winced as I dabbed water over the gash on my forehead. 

When I got out and changed into the clothes Travis had given me, I stared at myself in the mirror. The cut on my forehead looked raw, open, and even though my nose ached, it looked fine. Not broken. I rubbed the towel through my damp hair, getting out as much water as I could.

With a sigh, I turned away. I hung the towel up, folding my clothes from earlier into my arms and leaving the bathroom. When I walked back down to the living room I saw Travis sitting on the couch, my daughter curled up on his chest, fast asleep. I placed my clothes down on the corner of the table, climbing onto the couch next to Travis. He glanced over at me as I stroke Ronan's hair gently, in awe that she was asleep. She was really fussy about where she slept; she didn't even sleep on Drew's chest. Only mine. And now his. It broke my heart in the best way. She trusted him.

"We need to dis-infect that." Travis murmured, and I looked up to see him staring at my temple. 

"Can I put her to bed?" I whispered. Travis nodded.

"One door down from the bathroom." He said quietly as he carefully shifted my daughter into my arms. I nodded, cradling her close as I stood up.

She woke up and started fussing as I carried her down to Travis' guest bedroom and I started singing to her quietly, rocking her. It took a few minutes before she settled again, and then I tucked her into the middle of the double bed, making sure she was asleep before slowly backing out of the room. I found Travis in the kitchen, a first aid kit spread out on the counter in front of him.

"Sit down." He murmured, motioning to the stools on the other side on the counter from him. I swallowed, climbing up onto a stool and resting my elbows on the table. "Talk." Travis told me.

"I...I told him about Ronan." I said quietly as he unwrapped an alcohol wipe, leaning across to carefully dab my temple. I winced as it burned, but I knew he had to clean it. "I told him everything, and he flipped out." Travis' jaw clenched and I swallowed, but he motioned for me to keep going. "He hit me." I whispered. "I tried to run and he...he put his hands around my neck."

"He what?" Travis' hand stilled against my forehead and I looked down.

"I kicked him in the balls and hit him in the back of a head with a vase." I admitted.

"Atta girl." Travis managed a small smile through his anger, starting to dab my cut again. He slowly cleaned my cut and then gently put a dressing over it. Once he was done, he packed everything away and then looked at me. "I think we need to talk about what to do from here."

"Oh." I flushed. "I know, I'm sorry for calling you but you were the only person I knew wouldn't tell Drew where I was and I was just thinking about Ronan and keeping her safe. I've got money saved, I'll just find a new place and be out of here in a few..."

"Teddy." Travis cut me off. "I'm glad you called me. I told you I'd always pick up if you needed me, and I did. You did the right thing." He leaned across the counter and rested one of his hands on both of mine. I flinched before realizing Travis hadn't meant anything by it but a motion of comfort. He pulled his hand back at my reaction and I bit my lip nervously. "And I don't want you to leave." He admitted. "You can stay here, both of you. I won't stop you if you really do want to find your own place, but you'll always have a home here for her if you need it. I know we haven't seen each other in years, but she's my daughter, and you're...you'll always have a place here."

Travis' POV

Taylor stared at me across the counter, her blue eyes full of tears. I knew she was probably exhausted, stressed, and in pain, and I hated that. But she had to know this. I'd never turn my back on her, never again. I'd made the mistake of breaking her heart once, and I'd be damned if I ever showed her that unkindness again. It had been the biggest mistake of my life, and even though we'd seemingly moved past it, I was determined to be better.

"You don't have to give me an answer right now Teddy, I know you're tired." I said when she stayed silent. "Take your time." She nodded slowly, blinking the tears away. "You want something to eat?"

"No." Taylor blew out a breath as she shook her head. "I just want to sleep." She got down from the stool, and god, she looked so small as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Thank you, Travis, for everything."

I just nodded, holding back all the words I wanted to say. She wasn't ready to hear them. Maybe she'd never be ready to hear them.

I watched her go, waiting until I heard the click of the bedroom door shutting before I reached for my phone. Scrolling through my contacts, I stopped on one I'd never called before. I'd never had to. But he'd told me to take down his number. He'd been a client at the building company I'd used to work for before Patrick and I had started up the bar, and unknowingly, I'd really helped him out. To this day I didn't know what I'd done to help him out so much. But he was a feared man who got his way, and he took care of things in his own way.

"You did me a favor son." He clapped me on the back and handed me a business card. "You ever need business taken care off, I'll do you one back."

I called the number, holding the phone to my ear. There was a click as someone answered, but there was silence. I'd expected that. I knew he never spoke first.

"It's Travis Kelce." I said. "I need that favor."

"Well I'm going to need a little more information than that son." Dante chuckled. "Give me a name."

"Drew."

"Drew what?"

"I don't know his last name." Damn, I should have found that out first. "But I have an address." I listed off the address of the apartment, and heard Dante scribble something down in the background. He'd be able to get every single piece of information about Drew with just a first name and an address, I knew he could.

"So what's this Drew done to make you call me?" Dante asked. "I know you Travis. You don't rattle easily."

"He put his hands on the mother of my child." I knew Dante would go for him now. He was man with strong values, and even though I knew he'd be thrown in jail for life if the cops ever caught him, he was a good guy. He only hurt the people who deserved it, and abusers were his main targets. 

"Alright then." Dante agreed. "What do you want?"

"Leave him alive." I was a lot of things, but an accessory to murder would never be one of them. Fuck, I wanted Drew dead. I wanted him beaten to a pulp and left in the street to die. But I could never do that to Taylor. She had a heart of gold, and she'd never forgive me. "Whatever his business is, take it down. Ruin him from the inside out and then pay him a visit to let him know he'll never lay hands on her again." Dante chuckled.

"Fuck Travis, you must really love this woman."

"I do." I'd never stop. Even if she never trusted me again, I could live with that as long as she never stood in the same room as that asshole again. 

"I'll have him down in a week or two."

"Thank you."

"Give me a call if you ever need anything else. I know I said I owed you one favor, but we can work something out." Dante said, and hung up. Slowly, I placed my phone down. Yes, it was wrong. Yes, it was illegal. But technically all I'd done was mentioned someone I didn't like to an old friend who happened to know some stuff about ruining people who did bad things.

And that asshole deserved it.