River of sin

29. Stay safe for me

Jacob's mind raced as he stood on the bridge waiting for Yvonne to show for the meet they'd hurriedly arranged before she fled the pub the previous day, leaving the bomb shell she'd dropped to wreak its destruction. His brothers pressing him to tell them what she'd told him to get him so upset. Presuming she was pregnant, Jacob yelling at them that she wasn't, refusing to answer their questions. He stood up straight, smartening himself out, smoothing down his suit and adjusting his flat cap when he saw a familiar figure approaching.

"Evie" he greeted standing on the divide line
"Jacob" she greeted nervously
"You coming over here or am I coming over there?" He joked awkwardly "don't think you're very welcome in Barnes territory anyways these days. Safer over here, my little Evie." He held out his hand "it's alright."
She took his hand stepping across further into the moonlight. Jacob felt his blood boil when he saw her battered face.
"Did he do this?"
"I'm alright, Jacob." she slowly went to embrace him, unsure if he'd want to
"What you hesitating for, my little darling?" He pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her "it's alright. Everything is going to be alright."

"Is what you said true?" He whispered into her ear "do we have a daughter?"
"We do"
"You bring her with you?" He looked behind her in the direction she'd appeared from. She shook her head, not looking up from his chest. "You think I'd not want to see her? She's my blood. My kin. You think I wouldn't believe she's mine? All I need is your word, Yvonne. Tell me. Is she mine?"
"She's yours. There's been no one else. I wanted to come back. To you."
"Why didn't you? Money? I would have sent you money over for a ticket, papers to travel. I would have come for you both myself if you had sent word. Did you think I wouldn't stand by you?"
She wept into his chest while he attempted to comfort her.

"Did someone stop you?"
She nodded, not daring to look at him.
"You wanted me to know you were expecting?"
"So badly." She finally looked up at him. "I found out a few weeks after I left, I was going to come find you. I'd hoped that you hadn't left yet and that you'd let me keep her. Bring forward the marriage, even without my brothers approval that I know you were desperately seeking without telling me."
"Was it him? Marcus? He does not approve of me, he made that perfectly clear. He denied my request when I asked for his blessing. It's why I waited to marry you, to get his permission, I knew how much it would mean to you to have your twin brother there. I know because mine will never be and I did not want you to feel that same pain. Of course I would have married you, of course we'd have kept her. I would not walk away from my child. Was it Marcus?" He asked trying to get her to look him in the eye, she closed her eyes tightly, nodding.

He placed a firm comforting kiss on her forehead "Did he try and rid you of my child, Evie?" She nodded again "it didn't work? Or you refused?"
"They held me down" she whispered out as she trembled at the memories "a woman came to where we were staying and they held me down. I didn't know they were coming. I screamed for Marcus to help me. Begged him. I....I screamed for you. I do not know why. You could not do anything or even hear me."
"Are you alright? Did they cause you or our daughter harm?" He asked placing a hand on her stomach
"No. Marcus had a change of heart. He barged in. Pushed them all away from me, held me tightly as I sobbed."
"He said you could keep her as long as I did not find out, didn't he." Jacob sighed knowing it was something he would do in a similar situation.

"Where is he? At the Gemini club? Let me go speak with him, little darling. Reason with him. I will tell him we will marry as soon as possible. we can still...."
"He's dead" her tears flowed heavier "they found us, Jacob. he died protecting us. We nearly all....they had a gun to my head."
"The Barnes'? Your family! Or Sullivan?"
"Sullivan was the one that saved us. Him and his men. A second later Jacob and..."
"Shush I know. I know. It's alright. It's alright. We'll figure this all out. I promise I'll keep you safe. So Sullivan is holding this over you? Made you his girl as payment for saving your life? I still do not understand. I know men like him. He would not wait till marriage to claim you as his, little darling, if you have been with him just tell me. If he's forcing you to..."