The way back home went by fast thankfully. This time I sat with Harry far from Tom and Bella. I really didn't want to see them nor could i, the anger would take over me. Tom was not okay with me sitting apart from him but I didn't care, does he think he's the only one that can do whatever he wants? He's wrong. When we arrive home, we are met by Paddy at the door, who sees me and runs up to me to hug me.
"Welcome back Hope, I missed you." He says.
"I missed you too." I say and he lets go of me.
"Do you want to have lunch together?" He asks.
"I would love to, but I'm very tired so I want to take a little nap. But we can have dinner together, what you think?"
"It's a dinner date." He stretches his hand.
"A dinner date." I repeat shaking it.
I continue walking raking my own luggage even though one of the men kept volunteering to do it. I went straight to my room, took a shower and went straight to bed. I wake up a few hours later, I can tell there is still sun out there since my room is very illuminated. I get up and go look for Paddy. I figured I would find him on the living room playing video games or in the backyard at the pool but he's nowhere to be found. I go to his room and when I open the door I see him lying down.
"Hey paddy can I come in?" I ask and he nods. I sit on the bed with him. "Are you ok? I ask and he nods again. "Are you sure?" I ask not believing him.
"Yes Hope." He says and smiles.
"Ok then are you ready for our dinner date?" I ask and he nods with a smile. "Ok I'll go to the kitchen to make sure everything is ready then." I say getting up and walking towards the door.
"Hope?" He says and I stop turning around. "If you heard something about someone, would you tell?
"Well it depends, if it's something that can cause harm to that someone, then I would." I say and he stays silent. "Why? Did something happen? You want to tell me about it?" I ask concerned.
"No no, it was just a question." He says.
"Ok then but you know you can talk to me if you ever need to right?" I say and he nods again. "Ok I'll see you downstairs." I say leaving his ro and heading towards the kitchen to have a dinner date with my favorite Holland brother.
***
Tom's POV:
"This is going to be a big cargo ship Tom, we need to-" Harrison gets cut off by two knocks on the door. I quickly look up expecting Hope to walk in as she always does after knocking, walks right in as if this was her house, which it is so I don't know why I said that.
"Come in." I say when I don't see anyone walk in. The office door opens and paddy is revealed. "Paddy?" I say surprised.
"Can I talk to you Tom?" He asks.
"Yes, do you need something?"
"No, it's about Hope." He says and my heart stops for a second when I hear her name.
"What happened Paddy?"
"I heard a man earlier talking about her."
"What man?"
"Ezra." He says and i turn to Harrison. "He was talking to Leo and said he likes Hope. He asked Leo if he seen how good she looked in the black dress or better yet in a bikini." My brother says and I know he is just repeating what he heard. I feel the anger rising inside me. "He also said Hope was going to be his one way or another." Paddy adds and I slam my fist on the desk.
"I told you Harrison, I fucking told you." I say. "I want Ezra and Leo in the back now." I add and Harrison nods before exiting the office. Paddy is standing in front of me, looking scared. "Thank you Paddy, for telling me what you heard."
"I don't want anything happening to Hope. She's the only one that cares about me here." He says. I lower my head at his words, I care about him even if I don't show it.
"Nothing will happen to her, I promise." I say and he nods. "Stay here." I say before exiting the office. I go downstairs and head to the backyard through the kitchen where Hope is standing looking around confused.
"Tom, what's going on?" She asks me. I pass right by her ignoring her question. I step outside and see most of our man gathered around. I walk towards the middle of that seems to be a circle.
"Ezra, come here." I say. Ezra looks around frightened before walking in front of me. I pull my gun from my back and point it directly at his head. "Get on your knees."
"Boss I-"
"Get on your motherfucking knees." I say louder this time. With his hand up he slowly gets on his knees.
"Tom what are you doing?" I hear Hope say. I look her way and see her standing by the door with Paddy.
"Take paddy away from here." I say looking at her. I expect her to fire back as always but instead she grabs Paddy's hand and pulls him inside the house. I turn forward to see Ezra shitting himself with fear. "Now Ezra, is there anything you need to tell me about my wife?"
"No boss."
"Ok, Leo, come here." I say and Leo steps forward. "Can you repeat to me what Ezra told you earlier?" I ask and Leo takes a big gulp before speaking.
"Ezra confessed he likes Mrs. Holland. Said he would find a way for her to be with him." Leo says looking down.
"Leo you piece of shit stop lying." Ezra snaps.
"I'm not lying Ezra, I told you it was stupid to try and mess with the boss' wife."
"Boss I swear-" Ezra starts talking.
"Quiet!" I say pressing the gun to his forehead. "What would've happened if Hope didn't fall for his shit?"
"He said it would be one way or another, either way he knew which door was her room." Leo repeats what Paddy said which confirms that this fucker was planning on messing with Hope even without her consent. At this moment, I see red. Anger has fully taken over me and as I look at the boy informs of me practically shaking, I pull the trigger without hesitation. His body slowly falls to his side and I hear small mumbles from the men around us. I don't move, I can't. I look towards the door when I head a big gasp coming it's way. Hope is standing there with both of her hands on her mouth. Her eyes go from Ezra's body to me.
"Let this be a lesson to everyone. Hope is my wife and will be respected as such. One out of place comment and you will be next." I say and look Hope's way again. She has her eyes on me now full of tears, she gives a few steps back before turning around and running back inside. Some of the man grab Ezra's body and take it away. Harrison walks up to me.
"I can't believe I let it get this far Haz. I should've kicked him out since the first day I noticed his attraction for her." I say and shake my head.
"It's all good mate, you did what you had to." He says encouraging me.
"Let's go back to work." I say grabbing him by the shoulders as we go back to the office.
***
Hope's:
I grab paddy's hand and take him inside as Tom told me to. I don't know what's going on but I have and idea of how it's going to end and I don't want Paddy watching that. I rush to my room and we both sit on the bed.
"What's Tom going to do to Ezra? Is he going to kill him?" He asks scared and I hug him. I think we both know the answer to this question. "It's my fault Hope, I told Tom what I heard Ezra say about you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Ezra said some things about you, he was going to hurt you and I told Tom. He was very upset and now-" Paddy is cut off by a shotgun. We both jump in our spot with the sound. "He killed him Hope, he killed him."
"Stay here." I tell him before running outside to the back and seeing that Tom, in fact, shot and killed Ezra. Tom looks at me and I get a wave of guilt. I turn around and run back to the room to be with Paddy.
"Is he dead?" He asks as soon as I step into the room. I don't know what to say so I rush to hug him. "It's my fault Hope I shouldn't have said anything."
"Hey hey hey," I say making him look at me. "You spoke up because you wanted to protect me," He nods. "And so did Tom that why this happened. It's not your fault."
"But why did he have to kill him? Why is Tom evil like this?"
"Your brother is not evil Paddy. He is a good person." I say not even believing my own words myself.
"A good person doesn't hurt others like Tom does, a good person is not involved in the mafia." He argues.
"Look, there's 2 types of people in this business. People like Harrison and Jacob who joined voluntarily, and people like your brothers who were born into it with no option. I used to think like you, I used to believe that everyone had other choices and if they were here was because they wanted, but that's not always the case. My dad is a mafia leader, I am an only daughter meaning one day maybe, just like Tom did, I will have to take over my dad's business, yet you don't think I'm a bad person do you? I ask and shakes his head no. "Your brother is not bad, he just does what he has to, even if he doesn't want to. He's good and he cares for you. Keeping you away from all of this is his way of showing it." I say and I can see a few tears forming in his eyes. I hug him one more time. I remember being his age and being confused about things happening around me. I remember needing a hug from my mom and she not being here for me making me feel lonely. I know that is what Paddy needs too and I might not be his mom but I will not let him feel alone anymore.
Two knocks on my door make me open my eyes and I realize Paddy and I fell asleep. The room is dark indicating it is night time so I turn my night lamp and get up to open the door. I open it just a little where only my face is showing, and I see Tom standing on the other side.
"Hey." He says.
"Shhh don't talk so loud, you are going to wake up the man sleeping on my bed." I say and Tom's eyes open widely and he rapidly pushes the door open to enter my room. I laugh a little when I see the relieve on his face when he sees it's Paddy.
"Thank you for being with him today." He says.
"You should talk to him, he was pretty scared." I say.
"Yeah I will." He says and gives me a half smile while he looks at me. And there they are, the butterflies he makes me feel are back.
"Thank you Tom, for defending me. I feel like I'm always causing trouble." I chuckle.
"No Hope, im sorry for not doing something about it before. Im sorry I put you at risk. I won't let that happen again." He says looking at me with guilty eyes. Before my mind and heart come on agreement on if is should give in to my desire of giving him a kiss, a voice breaks our eye contact.
"Tom?" Paddy says and we both turn.
"Hey Pads, let's go to your room, come on." He says and Paddy gets up from my bed and walks next to his brother. "We need to talk about moving you upstairs." Tom adds.
"There's no room available upstairs." I say.
"You can have Bella's. I'll send her down here."
"No." I say firmly.
"Hope.."
"No Tom I am not moving to Bella's room. I will not have her room." I say and he shakes his head.
"You can have my room." Paddy volunteers.
"Thank you paddy but that's your room."
"Yes but I will leave eventually, you can have it."
"We'll talk about it when it's time for you to leave ok?" I say and he nods. "For now I will stay here." Tom shoots me a 'really' look. "After today nobody will dare to come close to me." I add. He sighs in defeat knowing this argument could last all night.
"Ok then, let's go Paddy." He says as he guides Paddy out the room.
"Goodnight boys." I say holding on to my door.
"Goodnight Hope." Paddy says smiling.
"Goodnight." Tom says. "Lock your door." He orders.
"Yes boss." I say making paddy laugh. When the boys are out of the hallway, i lock my door and head back to bed. What a roller coaster my life has become. When I think nothing else can happen, something always does.