"Are you alright, cara mia?" Reid asked while cradling Vanessa's head to his chest as she tried to calm down.
He was terribly worried about her. In the ten minutes they had been at his house, she had yet to speak to him.
However, he understood her behavior. From what he heard over the phone and saw in person, Vanessa had been verbally abused by her ex-husband and she was terrified of him. He prayed that man never laid a hand on her or the child.
"Vanessa," He said softly and shook her gently.
It was now obvious that she was in shock.
Her eyes roamed across the room and panic set in them. "Cara, it's me. Reid," He pulled away from her and stared into her eyes.
"R-reid," She whispered shakily. "I-i, did he, did he take her?" She clung tightly to his hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
A sob escaped her and she placed her head on his chest. "Oh, God! H-he has my baby!" She wailed brokenheartedly.
"No. No, Vanessa. He didn't take her. You took her to my car and we're now at my house. She's resting, cara. He doesn't have her," Reid explained while rocking his beautiful woman in his arms.
Vanessa's sobs slowly subsided and she began whispering under her breath. "You're okay, everything is okay. Lailah is safe, and Mason is gone. Everything will be okay,"
"Vanessa," Reid shook his head in disbelief. This wasn't the first time that something like this happened to her. "Talk to me honey," He kissed her cheek. "Everything's okay, baby." He hummed.
"He's always so mean, Reid," She whispered against his chest. "W-when we met, he was nice, but then something happened," She continued with a puzzled tone. "He liked, he liked to make me seem like the problem. He would do something mean, and I would react, but then I would end up apologizing. He always made me feel bad for getting afraid," She shivered and clung tighter to him.
He wasn't surprised, but he was very upset. How a man could manipulate a woman like Vanessa was beyond him. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, amore mio." He wanted nothing more than to take a little visit to that man's house and teach him a lesson.
"I-i just wish that I had the confidence to make him go away," Vanessa murmured with fear in her beautiful brown eyes.
Reid arose from the couch with Vanessa in his arms and walked to one of his guest rooms where he placed Lailah. "You can. I know that you can," He kissed her cheek with a smile. "I am taking you to see your daughter,"
Vanessa melted in his arms and sighed. "Thank you, Reid,"
He opened the bedroom door and sat Vanessa next to Lailah. "It's not a problem, amore. I will do anything for you,"
And he meant it. She was the light of his life and he wanted to be with her forever.
-
For the first time in a long time, Vanessa felt safe.
She wasn't paranoid, but she was always a little afraid that Mason would show up and make things horrible.
This afternoon, however, she felt safe and secure and it was all thanks to Reid.
"Are you comfortable?" Reid asked as he walked into the bedroom with two cups of steaming cider.
She looked over at Lailah, who was fast asleep with her thumb in her mouth, and nodded. "Very much so, thank you, Reid." She said sincerely.
He was the kindest and most caring man she'd ever met. Not to mention extremely handsome.
Reid sat on the futon across from the bed and handed her a cup. "I'm glad, cara." He smiled making his eyes squint.
She looked in the cup and smiled. He was thoughtful as well. "I needed some warm cider," She laughed lightly to keep from smiling harder. Reid was amazing.
"I don't mean to put a damper on the mood, but I have to ask. That man, has he ever hit you or Lailah?" Reid's brows furrowed and almost touched, she would've laughed had his question not struck a nerve.
She placed the cup on the bedside table. Her hands began to shake as a memory flashed through her mind. Thankfully, it left as soon as it came. "I-, he,"
It was hard for her to talk about. It was a question that surprisingly no one ever asked.
Her entire body flinched as Reid's hand rested on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Vanessa." He walked over to her and wrapped his strong arms around her.
"You didn't do it, Reid," She was disconnected from that part of her past. She didn't want to think about it, but every time she talked about a hurtful time, she felt freedom. So she was going to tell Reid everything. She trusted him. God only knew why. "Mason, he's a very aggressive man. Everything that he does is done to the fullest,"
Reid's grip on her body grew tighter which brought her comfort. "You're so sweet," She said while caressing his hairy face. "I think I'm taking this all so well because it's you I'm telling it to," She admitted. "Anyway, in his most aggressive moments, he would get a little heavy-handed. It was a little before we got engaged, I was doing something, maybe writing a paper for school, and I guess he had been calling my name. I didn't hear him, so he came and grabbed me by my shoulder. He was so angry, it was the first time that I'd ever seen him that way," She remembered everything that happened that day.
"He pulled me out of the chair I was sitting in and started yelling in my face. He told me that I was inconsiderate for not hearing him and that he should come before my studies," As she spoke, she could hear Reid's breathing grow harsh. It touched her heart how concerned he was for her. "I apologized and he forgave me. After we got engaged, I was out with Eva and my mother. My phone was off and when I got home, he was red." That was one of the worst days of her life.
"He broke my phone, squeezed it until it cracked in his hands. He told me that it was my fault that my phone was broken, he almost broke my left hand that day. Just like he squeezed the phone, he did the same to my hand." She looked down at her left hand and thanked God. She was healthy now. "This time he apologized. Told me that he was just so upset because he thought that I was dead or kidnapped. I forgave him. We were married the next time, maybe three months in," She knew the exact date. It was May 25, 2014. "We were out at a beautiful restaurant. A waiter supposedly made eyes at me, and Mason thought that I was entertaining him over dinner. When we got home," Her eyes shut tight as a vivid memory of that day crossed her mind, but this one stayed.
She wasn't half as strong as she put on. Mason wrecked her life and there was still residue of his terror.
A whimper sounded through the entire room that made her eyes shoot open.
"Amore, he's not here," Reid whispered calmly in her ear and wiped her cheeks.
Her eyes widened as she realized the sound came from her. "Oh, God," She breathed. Tears were trailing down her face and she didn't even know. "Reid," She cried and pressed her face against his chest.
"Amore mio, vorrei poter essere lì per te. Se l'omicidio non fosse sbagliato, sarebbe il primo a partire." (My love, I wish that I could've been there for you. If murder wasn't wrong, he would be the first to go.) Reid's chest vibrated as he spoke. The passion in his voice came through his foreign words. "Ti proteggerò sempre, mio tesoro. Amore mio, Vanessa Grace." (I will always protect you, my treasure. My love, Vanessa Grace.) He kissed her temple.
She wished that the story was over. That she could just rest in his arms forever, but she needed to tell him everything. Once she did, she would feel better. "He, he, threw me to the floor once we got home. My shoulder snapped out of place," Reid pressed a kiss onto her shoulder. "He started screaming at me and throwing things. Called me a, called me a whore. And he told me that I would be treated like a whore." She hated that word so much. "He made me feel so cheap, Reid. I would've rather have been hit, even now he still has a way of making me feel cheap. It's so degrading," He acted as if he owned her. "By the grace of God, he never hurt me again, physically. I just thank God every day for keeping me alive," She was grateful to have such a caring God.
She turned on her side and scooted closer to Reid. She wanted to see his handsome face. "I think that day I stopped loving him, but I didn't know it. I was so used to having him in my life, so I stayed with him until he made me sign divorce papers while I was pregnant with Lailah. Now I can see that I took it better than expected because I didn't want to be with him anymore, but if I tried leaving him, he would've guilted me into staying," She wasn't spiteful about anything that happened in the past. Yes, Mason almost ruined her life. And yes, she still had mental scars, but she wasn't a spiteful person.
Reid took a deep breath and kissed her cheek. "If it would make you happy, I will pay him a visit. My sweet, say the words, and I will find that punk." He said lowly in her ear, sending chills down her spine.
"Reid, y-you can't do that," She was a little ashamed that she didn't mind the idea. "I just don't want to see him. I've tried many times to keep Lailah for myself, I have sole custody of her, but he's her father, and he wants to see her," She was a weak-hearted person and Mason knew just how to get to her.
"Let me take care of him. He won't be a problem for you," Reid said simply. "I want you to always know that your feelings matter. You want your daughter to be safe and Mason isn't a reliable man." His words sounded very attractive to Vanessa.
She trusted Reid, which was surprising, and she knew that his word was good. "Just don't get yourself in trouble with the law," She didn't want him to get arrested for messing with Mason. He always tried to use his status as a way to keep himself safe.
"Don't worry about me, tesoro. In my country, we keep our hands and our records clean." His smile brought a spark to his eyes. "You may stay here and rest with Lailah. If you need anything, call me and I will be back. There's cooked food and uncooked food in the refrigerator, if none of it appeases you call anywhere for food and tell them your name everything will be taken care of." He slid out of the bed and kissed her cheek. "When I get back, if you're up for it, I'd like to take you and Lailah out."
Vanessa's heart fluttered with joy and she nodded. "Keep your record and hands clean, Reid. We'll be ready when you get back," She was blessed beyond measure with Reid. His heart and his personality reminded her of someone, but she still hadn't pinpointed who.
Reid tipped his invisible hat at her and walked out of the door. "I should be back in an hour, cara!" He called, his voice grew lower as he walked further away. "Ciao, beautiful!"
She heard the front door close and then the loud sound of an engine roaring followed. It was a weird time to wonder, but how many cars did that man have?
And the better question, what was he going to say or do to Mason?
She felt a little bad, but she didn't care if Mason got hurt at the hands of Reid. It felt good to care more about Reid's record being tarnished over worrying about Mason. He would get what was coming to him one day.
And maybe today was that day.
-
Authors Note
So......
Mason is the devil's crotch
Y'all really thought that he was just a crappy husband.
NO!
He's evil, abusive, and manipulative.
I hope this chapter explained why Vanessa, though she's been through therapy and counseling, is still afraid of Mason.
She's full of joy and happiness, until something triggers a thought of Mason.
New topic!
Vanessa opened up to Reid because she trusts him. She trusts her instincts and she's right. He's a good man.
I think that chapter nine is good, I should check and let y'all figure that out on Wednesday 😉
Actually, should I give a little spoiler at the end of each chapter? I'd like to have your opinions
Bye bye!