How Little We Know - M J Marlow (top 10 novels .TXT) 📗

to open the door for her. “He needs to be kept away from his father.” “He needs a father who won’t hurt him, Sean,” Mary agreed. She was not at all certain now that she should have let him talk her into this marriage. She looked down at the rings on her fingerand then up at him. “Did we really have to go this far?” “Yes,” Sean nodded. “I had to have you, Mary.” He opened the front door for herand picked her up in his arms. “Welcome home, Mrs. Evans.” He set her downand Mary jumped as the cork on a champagne bottle poppedand people cheered. She turned to see Lillianand all her friends waiting there for them. Sean shruggedand she realized he’d been busy. She was angry at him for doing this to her, but she would not make a scene in front of her friends. “Is this all right, Bobby?” she heard Sean asking his nephew as she passed by with dirty plates on the way to the kitchen after everyone else had gone. “I’ve loved Mary for a long timeand I love you, so I thought we could make our own little family.” “Not with Daddy?” Bobby asked him, his eyes still haunted with fear. He had never been up this lateand he was very excited. “Your Daddy isn’t allowed near you, Bobby,” Sean told him fervently, “unless Maryand I are with you. Okay?” “She’s my aunt now,” Bobby smiled at the thought. “That’s all right, Uncle Sean.” He threw his arms around Sean’s neckand Mary knew she was lost. She wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize Bobby’s safety. She saw Sean turnand his smile died just a bit as she hurried on. “You heard that?” Sean asked as he came in behind her. Mary stood at the kitchen sink putting the dishes in the sink. Mary nodded. “This marriage is about more than just making certain youand the boy are safe, Mary.” “Don’t you think you could do that,” Mary said without turning, “by telling me the truth?” She turned thenand he saw her anger. “Why do these men want to hurt me, Sean?” “Not tonight, Mary,” Sean told her. “When we have timeand we’re alone.” Mary knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t budge. So she noddedand went back out with him. There were several off-color comments about the fact that they had disappeared into the kitchen together. Sean kissed herand put his arm around her waistand she was stunned at how easily he fell into the role of loving husband. She let herself relaxand actually smiled as he leaned in to kiss her again. “Now ain’t this cozy,” Eric snarled as he burst into the house. He was weaving on his feet. In his hand he held a bottle of whiskey. He looked from his brother to Mary. “I didn’t get an invite, little brother. That wasn’t nice.” “You’re not welcome here, Eric,” Sean said as he stood upand moved between the drunkand his new wife. “Go home.” “You have two things here that should belong to me, brother,” Eric snapped. He glared at Mary. “Mary should be my wife!And Bobby is my son!” He brought out his gun. “You are not taking either of them away from me!” “You don’t know how to take care of people without hurting them, Eric,” Sean replied calmly. He started towards his brotherand drew his attention. Mary took advantage of the distraction to move up on the man. “Now put the gun downand let’s talk this out…” “I’m through talking to you, Sean!” Eric roared. “I’m taking what’s mineand you’re not going to stop me!” Mary moved then. She hit Eric lowand fast as he firedand the shot went wild, putting a hole in the wall. Eric hit the ground hardand Mary sat on him as Sean took the gun away. She saw the hatred in his eyes thenand knew she had an enemy. “You can get up off him, Mary,” Robert’s voice sounded in her ear. She went to Seanand they watched as Eric was put in cuffs. “This isn’t over!” Eric hissed at his brotherand Mary. “I’m not going to stop until you both pay for stealing my boy!” “You lost your son,” Robert told the man tightly, “by being a bastard who thinks with his fists.” He nodded to them. “Congratulations on the wedding, Maryand Sean. Sorry about his little interruption.” Sean went to get the doorand he watched as his brother was taken away. He had known Eric was angry, but this behavior was over the top even for him. He shut the doorand turned to see Mary holding Bobby in her armsand assuring him that everything would be all right. “He is not going to stop,” she said later as they stood watching Bobby sleep. “Sean, I’m scared.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Can we really keep Bobby safe when Eric is willing to murder us to get to him?” “We’ll do our best, Mary,” Sean told her as he turned her towards him. “It’s the best anyone can do.” He saw the hope in her eyesand he wanted to kiss her. He should not push her, his mind told him as he let her goand headed for the guest room. “Good night, Mary.” “Sean.” He knew if he turned there would be no way they were not sleeping together tonight. If he were wise, he would keep going. But his resolve died when she put her hand on his shoulder. He turnedand saw the confusionand the shyness mingling with the vestiges of fear. He pulled her into his armsand kissed her thenand he was lost. “There’s no going back, Mary,” he warned her as he picked her up in his armsand carried her to her room. “If you let me do this, I will be in your bed from this night on.” “Shut up, Sean,” Mary said as she lowered the straps of her dressand let it fall to the floor. “Be my husband.” They had breakfastand got dressed to go to church. Mary heard the hushed comments as they took the Evans’ family pew. She could imagine what people were thinking, especially with the news that Eric had broken into the receptionand tried to kill his brother. But the congratulations after the service were sincere enough. “Always knew he’d win you,” Sam said as he hugged Mary tight. “You let him be good to you, Mary Elizabeth. You deserve the best!” “Thank you, Sam,” Mary smiled at him warmly. She felt someone squeeze her hand and looked down to see Bobby at her side. She went down so they were eye to eye. “Yes, darling?” “Uncle Sean says we can go get ice cream over at Sue Ellen’s,” he smiled at her. He looked at Sam. “You work with the cars.” “That’s right, little man,” Sam nodded. “You have your uncleand aunt bring you over some timeand I’ll show you what I do.” He nodded to Maryand sauntered off. He was leaning on his truck outside the shop down the street when Sean took his wifeand nephew to the restaurant. “Damn, Mary Elizabeth. Why did you have to goand marry him? You were supposed to be mine!” Seanand Mary entered the restaurantand Sue Ellen came forward. She saw them to a table in the corner where they could be aloneand took Bobby with her to choose some ice cream. “Do you still want the truth, Mary,” Sean asked as he held her hand in his. “I was hoping that after last night…” “Mind numbing sex,” Mary broke in, blushing at the memory, “is not going to let you off the hook, Mr. Evans.” She looked around the restaurantand saw far too many people paying attention to them. “But this is not the place.” “We’ll take Bobby riding,” Sean decided. His thumb stroked the pulse point of her inner wristand he felt her shiver. He looked into her eyesand smiled as he saw the desire there. “Tomorrow,” he amended as he felt his own arousal. She opened her mouth to protestand he leaned overand kissed her, leaving her stunned to silence. “Tonight,” Mary said firmly, as her fingers stroked where his lips had just been. “You always were a good kisser, Sean Evans.” “You’re the only girl I ever kissed, Mary,” Sean told her honestly, “so I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.” He saw the shock on her faceand knew she didn’t believe him. “I only ever wanted you, Mary. Eric was the womanizer in our family.” Mary was spared from responding to his comment as Bobby called them. They got up to join him at the ice cream caseand spent the next several minutes helping him choose his treat. Half an hour later, they headed home. Bobby was riding piggyback on his uncle’s back as they approached the house. Sean saw something on the porchand he set Bobby down. “Stay here with your aunt, Bobby,” he said as he met Mary’s eyes. He went up the walkand bit his lip as he saw the dog. His throat had been cut. “Mary, take Bobby to the Sheriff’s Officeand ask MacGregor to come here.” He saw her look. “Stay there until I come get you.” Mary saw from his expression that something bad had happened. So she did what she was toldand walked into the Sheriff’s Office. Eric looked at her from the cell, his eyes hardand cold. He saw his sonand smiled at the boy. “Hey, Bobby,” he said softly. “Come to put in a good word for your old man?” “You’re a bad man,” Bobby criedand turned his face into Mary’s skirts. “Leave me be!” “I see youand my brother have managed to turn his head, Mary,” Eric said coldly. “You’d better stop it! When I get out, I’m taking my boy away from you.” “Let’s go see the Sheriff, Bobby,” Mary smiled down at the frightened boy. She went to the officeand knocked on the door. Robert opened the doorand she walked in with the boy. “Something happened at our house, Sheriff. Sean sent us to ask you to go check it out with him.” “You’re welcome to stay in here, Mary,” Robert nodded as he got his gun beltand hat. “Show Bobby how the radio works.” Mary noddedand watched the man leave. She set Bobby in the Sheriff’s chairand went to the closet to find the small hats they kept for the children to play with. She set it on his headand smiled. “Now you’re a deputy,” she smiled at him. “You ready to help uphold the law?” Robert drove up to Mary’s houseand saw Sean seated on the stairs, green at the gills. The town vet was just covering somethingand Robert knew what he’d see. Someone had murdered Thugand left him on the porch as a calling card. “Not everyone in town is happy about your marriage, Sean,” Robert said as they helped the vet take the dog away. “Mary’s going to be devastated by this.” “This goes way beyond unhappy,” Sean frowned. “My brother may be in that cell, but I’m not at all convinced he didn’t orchestrate this.” He went to get the hoseand cleaned the porch. “It just happened recently,” he noted as the blood washed away easily. He put the hose awayand checked the house with Robert to make certain there were no other surprises. “I’m telling her the dog died of natural causes, Sheriff.” “I won’t argue with that,” Robert nodded. “Mary adored that animal. Whoever killed him knew that.” “If it wasn’t Eric,” Sean asked the man. “Who?” “No one else seemed to have a problem with the two of you, Sean,” Robert frowned. “I’ll ask the neighbors if they saw or heard anything. Why don’t you take Maryand Bobbyand leave town for a few days. Let this cool down.” Sean noddedand went to pack. He was putting the suitcases in the trunk when