Broken Promise (The Denton Family Legacy #1) Read online

  “We didn’t have a choice. On pain of death, you better be there, I think those were the words,” Gideon said, entering the apartment.

  “You’re all making my apartment look small,” Lou said.

  “You don’t have a lot of stuff,” Charlotte said, coming out of the kitchen with a box of her own. Maddox was following close behind her with two more boxes.

  “I thought I’d gotten a lot.”

  “In your new place, it’s going to make everything seem so small. Jacob will take you out shopping.” Charlotte winked at her and moved out of the apartment.

  “I’m going to pack up the bedroom.” Lou patted his hands, but Jacob wouldn’t let her go without taking the kiss he wanted. He saw she looked sad, so he followed her.

  “What’s up?” he asked.

  She had opened a wardrobe and started taking out some of her clothes. “Nothing, why?”

  “You’re just a little quiet.” He moved past her, going to her clothes, and taking a bunch out. She was removing the hangers and folding them up, so he did the same.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Lou, babe, you’re going to have to trust me.”

  She sighed, dropping the folded dress on the bed before turning to him. “Are you really ready for this? Moving in is a huge step.”

  He chuckled. “You think I don’t know that?”

  “I’m trying to be serious.”

  “Lou, you’re always serious, and it’s time that you stop being serious, and start having some fun.” He placed the skirt that he’d been folding on the bed and caught her hips, pulling her against him. His cock nestled against her stomach, and if it wasn’t for all of his family, he’d have taken her again. They hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep last night as he hadn’t been joking in the bath. Three months was a long time to go without, and he’d done his best to make up for the lost time. “If I could have, the first night I saw you, I’d have gotten you to move in.”

  “You’re not being serious,” she said.

  “I’m being totally serious. I think it’s time I tell you about the Denton men.” He stared into her eyes.

  “Is this something about the Denton legacy?”

  “It is, and it’s so much more. Tell me what you know?”

  “The work you do, the jobs you have to take. It’s all part of the family legacy. You’re born into it,” she said.

  “That’s part of it. The other part, well, let’s just say I didn’t believe it until I met you.”

  “I’m confused.”

  Cupping her cheek, he stroked his thumb across her lip. “It happened to my father, my uncles, my grandparents, to all of the male family line. We’ve not had a lot of women in our family. Tamsin is the first girl in three generations at least.”

  “Okay, so if we ever had kids, they’d be all boys? Is that what you’re trying to say to me.”

  He shook his head. “The moment we see the woman destined to be ours, we know.”

  Lou frowned. “Destined?”

  “I know, it makes me sound completely crazy but the men in our line, we’re fated to love one woman, to be so consumed by her.”

  “You’re starting to sound crazy.” She placed her hand to his forehead. “Are you okay? Maybe you’re sick.”

  “It’s true, Lou,” he said.

  “It is,” Maddox said, coming into the room, followed by Charlotte. Jacob turned toward his parents.

  He held Lou in his arms, thankful she didn’t try to escape him.

  “No one can feel like that.”

  Maddox shrugged. “It’s the way of the Dentons, honey. We see the woman who is supposed to be ours, and the rest is history. We don’t have a choice, and we fall in love.”

  She looked at Jacob. “You knew?”

  “The moment I saw you at the after party of the fight with Landon and Riley.”

  “On the stairs?”

  “No, before that. You had your back to me, and I just needed to talk to you, to be around you.”

  “You’ve got no choice?” she asked. “That is horrible. You can’t love me.”

  He grabbed her face with both hands, resting his head against hers. “Don’t, Lou. I love you, and it has only gotten stronger.”

  “We women don’t feel it straight away,” Charlotte said. “They have to work to make us fall for them, Lou.”

  She didn’t pull away from him. “This is what you’ve been doing,” she said. “Making me fall for you.”

  “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He took hold of her hand and placed it over his heart. “I wish you could feel what’s in here every time I look at you.”

  “But you’re not given a choice.”

  “It’s not like that. We want you, but it’s not like we’ll rape you to get what we want, Lou. I saw you, and I just knew you were supposed to be mine. I wanted to make you happy, to give you everything you need.” Jacob kissed her lips. “Trust me. This is what I want. I love spending time with you. You’re in here, Lou, and there’s no getting away.”

  “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t walk away, Jacob. How could I not fall in love with the guy who tried to sweet talk my landlord so he could get me a puppy?”

  Jacob’s cheeks heated. “I’ve got a surprise for you when we get home,” he said.

  “What?”

  “You’ll see it when we get there. You’re not angry at me?” he asked.

  Lou chuckled. “Jacob Denton, you’re a tough guy who can hold his own in a fight, and yet you’re asking me if I’m angry at you.”

  “I don’t love any of those men, Lou. I only love you. I’d die protecting you.”

  She shook her head.

  “We’re going to make ourselves scarce,” Maddox said.

  They both turned in time to see his parents walking out of the room.

  “I know I’m not the best guy—”

  “Shut up. I’ve lived my whole life with my parents telling me I should and shouldn’t do. That’s is not what this is about. I love you, Jacob, and even though I’m a little shocked by your revelation, I can handle it.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m still going to be working for Frank.”

  “No.”

  She silenced him once again with a finger to his lips. “You don’t get a say, mister. I’m not going to be sitting at home waiting for you. I’ve got to do something, and even though being a waitress isn’t supposed to be all that thrilling, I like it. I like Frank. He’s a sweet man.”

  Jacob shook his head this time. “I don’t have a say right now?”

  “Nope, you don’t. I don’t want there to be secrets between us.”

  “There won’t be.”

  “I also believe in being faithful.”

  “Lou, I’ve not even looked at another woman since I saw you.”

  He cupped her face, tilting her head back, and claiming her lips. “I love you.”

  “I’ll never get tired of hearing that.” She kissed him back, and Jacob finally knew why his father constantly loved going home. There was something about being with the woman you love that just made everything right.

  ****

  Later that night, Lou straddled Jacob’s waist, kissing him deeply. Her apartment was completely empty, and all of her stuff was packed in boxes in his garage, ready for when she wanted to unpack, which she’d do soon. Right now, she was kissing the man she loved. Who knew that Jacob Denton had a sensitive side?

  Her gift had been a St. Bernard puppy.

  She had fallen in love instantly.

  “If I knew getting you a puppy would get me this, I’d have gotten one for you months ago.”

  Lou leaned back, pulling her shirt over her head so that she was completely naked. His bed was huge, and they were in the center. Jacob also made sure that he had mirrors at convenient places around his room. There was one above his bed, and on either side, at the base, and then on the wall on the end of his bed. He liked to watch.

  The first time she saw his room yesterday, she’d
been rather shy, not wanting to see herself from everywhere. She saw past herself, to them, and that was where she’d come to love his mirrors.

  Jacob ran his hands up her chest, cupping her tits.

  “Fuck, baby, you know how to make a guy feel thanked.” He pinched her nipples, and she moaned as he rubbed the hardened peaks.

  She really couldn’t believe this was happening.

  He glided his hands down to spread the lips of her pussy. Lou gasped as he fingered over her slit, stroking her clit. He circled her hard bud before dipping down to sink inside her pussy.

  “This is mine now,” he said.

  “Yes.” She didn’t want any other man. Jacob had invaded every single one of his senses.

  He pumped inside her, and she stared down, watching his fingers slide inside her with ease. Tonight wasn’t about her, so she batted his hand away, and moved to the point that she was kneeling in front of him. Taking hold of his rock hard cock, she pumped the length from base up to the top. Flicking her tongue over the tip she tasted his pre-cum. Taking the entire head into her mouth, she sucked him in deep.

  Jacob hissed, wrapping his fingers into her hair and holding tightly. She sucked him until he went deep into her mouth. She pulled away and started to bob her head, taking more of him inside.

  Glancing up, she saw his gaze was trained on her. She flicked her tongue over the tip, and he groaned.

  “Babe, you’re teasing me on purpose. I’m not going to last.” He released a groan, and she hummed, taking more of him into her mouth. He tasted musky, and his pre-cum leaked onto her tongue. She swallowed him down, wanting to give him the kind of mind-numbing pleasure that he’d given her.

  Tightening her mouth around him, she cupped his balls, teasing them.

  “Fuck, babe, I’m going to come.”

  She didn’t stop, working his dick as the first of his cum spilt into her mouth. Lou swallowed him down, and she moaned as the salty taste of him slid down her throat.

  “Fuck, baby.”

  When she pulled away, Jacob flipped her over, kissing her neck, and then moving down to her tits. He sucked on each nipple in turn, and then glided down, his tongue creating a trail down her body.

  He spread her legs open, spreading the lips of her pussy, and sliding his tongue between her folds. She cried out as he caressed her clit, sliding down to plunging inside her cunt.

  “I could spend the whole night tasting your sweet pussy.” He sucked her clit into his mouth, and she whimpered unable to contain her pleasure.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” she said, begging him.

  He fucked her with two of his fingers, going deep within her as he tongued her clit. Lou came within seconds of his tongue teasing her over and over again. Jacob further shocked her as he slid deep, his cock already hard. “I can’t get enough of you.” Gripping her hips, he started to work in and out of her, taking his time as her pussy tightened around him.

  She thrust up to meet him, and when that wasn’t enough, he pulled out of her, flipping her onto her knees, and sliding in deep. He wrapped his fingers in her hair, and lifted her head up. “Look at us, Lou. Watch as I fuck you, and know there’s not going to be any other woman. You’re the woman who owns my heart, and I will do everything in my power to keep you happy, and never let you go.”

  He kissed her neck, and she gave herself over to him completely. She didn’t want to fight her feelings for him anymore.

  They came together, holding each other tightly, and Lou would do anything to keep them in their happy bubble.

  Chapter Twelve

  Two months later

  Jacob looked around at the people at the underground fighting ring, and he couldn’t shift the uneasiness that had settled deep in his gut. It had been two months since Lou had moved in with him, and he was going to ask her to marry him later tonight. However, his parents had asked him to see the Moores as they were constantly badgering Landon, trying to get him to fight. He saw Abel, Gideon, and even Damian had come along with him. No one fucked with a Denton, and they didn’t like how Landon was being approached, even at high school.

  Riley was around the back going to get his parents, and he’d taken Lou with him as he did have every intention of taking her out to dinner in order to ask her to marry him. Of course that hadn’t happened. His father had called, asking for him to come to this fight, and to let the Moores know to stay away from Landon.

  “I don’t like this,” Jacob said, looking around at the overcrowded basement of a nightclub. The Moores were the ones who organized the fight, and this one looked like it was going to get ugly. He saw the violence simmering in every single person. They were all out for blood, and with blood, there was money.

  “Something is going down tonight,” Abel said. “I suggest we get our warning out to Moores, and then leave. I don’t want to be around when the shit hits the fan.”

  Jacob agreed and squeezed Lou’s hand.

  “Do you want me to stay here?” she asked.

  “You’ve got no chance. I’m not leaving you in this shithole. Stay beside me, do not let go of my hand.” He shouldn’t have brought her with him.

  Men and women shoved him hard, and he was gritting his teeth as he tried to protect his woman. He saw Riley coming out of the main changing areas with his parents behind him. Everything seemed to slow down as the noise dimmed. Jacob watched a man approach the main changing area, going into his jacket. Even from the short distance, he saw the rage. The gun was drawn, aimed, and before Riley could do anything, the man shot three times. Jacob let go of Lou as everyone started to scream running for the exits. He grabbed his gun, aimed, and fired. The man got hit and went down. His brothers and the Moores were the only people within the basement as most were clamoring to get out of the exits.

  “No, no, no, no, no,” Lou said, rushing toward Riley.

  Jacob kept his gun trained on the man on the floor, bleeding out, and Abel took over.

  Blood pooled on Riley’s shirt, and Lou pressed down on each patch of blood. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

  “You hold in there, Riley. Don’t leave me okay?”

  “That’s … going … to … be … diffi … difficult.”

  “Call an ambulance,” Lou said, not taking her eyes off her brother. Jacob was already dialing.

  He gave them the location, not caring if this would put the Moores in a difficult position.

  “Who is he?” Lou asked, pointing at the man on the floor.

  “He lost a fight,” her mother said.

  “What? He lost a fight? What happened to security?” Jacob asked. “Tonight, there was overcrowding in this fucking place. What happened to the security keeping an eye on people who enter?”

  One promise was all Loud had asked, and right now, he’d broken that damn promise.

  “It was fucking greed,” Lou said. “Wasn’t it? You just couldn’t handle turning money away.”

  “Lou…” Riley said, coughing.

  He was getting paler, and the blood beneath him was pooling out. Jacob stared into his eyes, and knew there was no way he was going to be able to save him.

  “Take … care … of … her.”

  “Riley, shut up. Don’t say things like that,” Lou said.

  “Listen … to him … Lou. Don’t … be a … bitch.”

  “Stop it, Riley. Please stop.”

  “It’s his … time … to take … care of you.” Riley did his best to smile. “Love you.” He stroked her cheek, and Jacob saw the brotherly affection there. A second later, his hand fell. He took a breath, and all was silent.

  “Riley? No, no, no, Riley.”

  The doors opened, and Jacob grabbed Lou, pulling her off the body and holding her.

  Riley was dead, and he wasn’t coming back.

  ****

  Later that night, Lou sat in the waiting area at the hospital with her knees drawn up against her body. She was tired, but she felt nothing. Part of her was empty inside, and when she stared down at her hands, she s
aw his blood, her twin’s. Abel and Gideon were watching her, and Jacob was taking care of everything. She felt nothing other than relief that she still had him. He was the only rock in her life, the man she loved.

  But Riley was dead.

  Dead.

  Her throat was thick, and she rested her head against her knee.

  “Oh, honey,” Charlotte said, coming to kneel in front of her.

  She couldn’t even bring a smile.

  “Hello.”

  “Has she seen a doctor?” Charlotte asked.

  Abel shook his head. “There’s no need for her to. This is how to—”

  “To deal with losing a loved one,” Lou said.

  “Would you like to stay with us tonight?” Charlotte asked.

  “What happened to my parents?” she asked.

  “They’ve been taken into custody,” Maddox Denton said. “Would you like us to see about getting them released?”

  She shook her head. Her parents were the reason Riley was dead. Lou couldn’t order their deaths. She wouldn’t want that on her own conscience, let alone that of her man. She shook her head. “I want you to make sure they can never get out.”

  Jacob entered the room. She felt him, and looked up to see the concern in his eyes, and the guilt. No, she didn’t want his guilt. This was not his fault. She needed his love, and to know that everything was going to be okay with his arms wrapped around her.

  “Everything is done.”

  “You don’t want your parents to get out?” Charlotte asked.

  “I want them to rot in prison for the rest of their lives.” She got to her feet, and Charlotte stood. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m going to go home to bed.” She moved toward Jacob, taking hold of his hand. Her rock. He squeezed her. “Thank you all.”

  Lou didn’t remember the drive home, nor did she recall the shower, and how she got to sitting on the end of the bed with a brush in her hand. Jacob came into the room, kneeling in front of her.

  “I’m so sorry, baby, I broke my fucking promise.” He placed his head in her lap, and she stared at his bent head, frowning.