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

part 28

tw: slight mention of s.a in the first big paragraph, it's just part of a backstory so just skim over it if you find that uncomfortable pls

Travis' POV

Taylor and Ronan fell asleep curled up together in our bed once everything had calmed down, for which I was glad. Dante's guys took Drew away, and I didn't ask what they were going to do to him. I really didn't want to know.

"Thank you for coming." I sighed as I walked Dante to the door. I'd called him the second Taylor had gone off to Ronan's room. Something hadn't felt right, and I was glad I'd acted on the feeling. Fuck, what if I hadn't.

"Your and your girl need to get out of here." Dante told me. "If this fucker has the balls to come after her again, he's got friends. Good ones. We didn't dig deep into him the first time because we didn't think he was worth it, but we'll find out who he knows."

"I might take her home, back to Pennsylvania." I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "I know she misses her family and I know she just wants to give Ronan a good life." Dante nodded, knowing what I meant by that, but I said it anyway. "I won't be able to take that job."

"I understand. You've got your priorities straight, and I respect that." Dante gave me a reassuring smile. "I'll reach out to some people, see if we can find you a good home. What city is your girl from?" I blinked at him, confused. What did he mean, find us a good home? "What city?" Dante repeated.

"What are you talking about?" I didn't understand why Dante wanted to do so much for me. It was like he thought he owed me something big.

"Even if you're not working for me, I can still take care of you. You got a good family here, and that little kid deserves happiness."

"Are you ever going to tell me what I did to make you want to help me so much?" I'd asked him a million times before but dropped it when I realized he wouldn't tell me. But this time, Dante sighed like he'd given up and nodded.

"You were working on a house for some of my people a few years back." He started, and I nodded. That's when I'd met him. "Day after the house was finished, you went out with some friends." I had no idea how he knew that, but I wasn't really that surprised. It was Dante after all. If he wanted to know something, he did. "You left the bar early to go home, and you saw a girl being harassed down an alley. Those men harassing her were seconds away from throwing her in the back of their car and doing god knows what with her. But you stepped in and got her out of there. You remember?" I nodded. I remembered that girl. She'd been terrified, backed against a wall and crying as one of them tried to touch her. She couldn't have been more than sixteen. "That girl watched her Mama get killed when she was five, by men just like the one who had her up against that wall that night. I wasn't there for her Mama when it happened, and I wasn't there for her that night. But you were." Dante's expression was something I'd never seen before. Raw, exposed. "You saved my daughter from meeting the same fate as her Mama and I'll never be able to repay you for that. It's the reason I do what I do. So I'll ask you one more time." He said. "Which city?"

God, I had no idea. All I'd been thinking was that girl needed help, so I'd stepped in. She'd been terrified, and almost dropped to her knees when the men had left her alone. I'd offered to help her home but she'd refused, so I'd put her in a cab after making sure it was a female driver. I'd almost forgotten about that night. But that girl had been Dante's daughter? That was his whole reason for helping me.

"Reading."

"Okay." Dante nodded. "You take your time packing your life up, and I'll send some things your way. I've got some guys watching this place..." He held up a hand as I opened my mouth. "Your daughter almost watched her own Mama get hurt. I know you want them to be safe. And I'll be damned if I let another family go through what mine did."

I nodded. He was right. I'd saved his daughter, and now he was saving mine. He was a good guy.

Dante nodded in response, and then he left, leaving me standing there alone. I closed the front door behind him, noting the pins jammed in the other side. That fucker had picked the lock. Pressing my lips together, I tugged them out and threw them aside before closing and locking the front door. 

So much had happened recently. I could barely wrap my head around it. I'd spent two and a half years unable to forgive myself for losing Taylor, and then suddenly I'd been plunged back into her world. By some miracle, she'd forgiven me for what I'd done, even though I still hadn't. And I'd tried so hard, but I couldn't protect her from the ugly side of this world. I promised I'd keep her safe, only minutes before she was almost strangled. And yet she was still curled up in my bed, trusting me. I didn't deserve her.

I sat up late into the night, looking through houses in Taylor's hometown. Even though she'd spent most of our recent visit ignoring me, I'd noticed the way she lit up. She missed her home, and I knew she wanted to go back. Maybe there we could build a life, for us, for Ronan, with our families. I knew her family missed her, and they wanted to know Ronan. 

"Daddy?" A timid voice caught my attention at six in the morning, and I lifted my head from my computer to see Ronan peeking down at me from the end of the hallway, scrunching her little pink nightie in her hands.

"Hey kiddo." I murmured, closing my computer.

"Mommy ouch." She mumbled.

"I know sweetheart." I sighed, reaching out for her as she climbed up into my lap and curled up there. "She'll be okay. She's just tired."

"Mommy be okay?"

"Soon." I kissed the top of her head. "Daddy's going to take you and Mommy to a special place. We'll be okay there." I rubbed her back gently as she rested her head against my arm. "I promise."

Taylor's POV

I woke up alone, the spot next to me where Ronan had been sleeping lying empty. I felt hollow, tired, awful, and I sighed as I sat up, pushing my hair out of my face. Everything felt dark.

"Hey Teddy girl." The bedroom door opened.

"Hi." I whispered as Travis came to sit next to me. "Where's Ronan?"

"Eating." Travis tucked my hair behind my ear. "You doing okay?" I shook my head glumly, and he put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "We're leaving." He said quietly. "I'm not letting you two stay here. I've been looking at houses back home."

"What?" I looked up at him. Travis kissed my temple, lingering there.

"I know you miss your home Teddy." He whispered. "I saw you there. You were happy. So we're moving there."

A rush of warmth shot through me as I rested my head on his shoulder with a nod. I hadn't wanted to bring it up because this was his home, and he had his business. But I was glad he knew me, and I was glad we could leave. I hated this whole stupid city. I hated how hard I had to work at my job to be noticed by someone who didn't give a shit. I hated that I was so far away from my family and I hated that my daughter didn't know them. 

"What about the bar?" I mumbled.

"I talked to Patrick, told him everything, told him I wanted out. He's drafting up papers today so I can transfer everything over to him. He and Britt are going to run it together." Travis told me. "I don't care about it Teddy, not anymore. I just want to take us away from all this."

My life had become so much, but I had him. I'd always have him. 

"Thank you." I whispered, tears starting to fall. "We'll do better."

"Of course we will." Travis kissed my hair. "We've got each other Teddy, we always will."