Keeping Traditions

Chapter Nine

Megan was in the kitchen instead of Hannah, Jake sitting at the table with Malcolm playing cards. Megan smiled seeing them and hurried to the refrigerator to make something for Violet. Zack gently set her into a chair, tucking her hair behind her ears and kissing her head. He left the kitchen to find his brothers knowing Violet would sit there until he returned.

The stairs creaked and he saw his mother slowly making her way down the stairs. He hurried over to help her, holding her up while she caught her breath at the bottom. She had been crying and stress wasn't doing her any favors alongside the baby.

"You should rest more," Zack told her.

"I'm fine, Zachary. Your father, however, is very unhappy and you're lucky I convinced him that you only did precisely what he would do for me. How is Violet?"

Zack smiled, "Come see for yourself and get off your feet for a few minutes."

He lead her into the kitchen, Megan sat a full plate in front of Violet who perked up when she saw him. He enjoyed seeing her so excited for his presence. His mother sat down and Megan gave her a cold drink.

"Go find Jake, Megan. I'll clean up," Zack told her and Megan rushed to find where Jake had gone after dinner.

Hannah smiled, "How are you, Violet?"

Violet looked up with a mouth full of food and her cheeks turned pink when they both laughed. She swallowed and wiped her mouth, "I'm better, thank you."

Hannah looked between them and leaned back rubbing her stomach, "Your father said the wedding is to happen immediately."

Zack blinked, "What?"

Hannah sighed softly, "He wants you married properly like you should have been months ago. And he wants to hear."

Violet looked ill and stopped eating. Zack shook his head from side to side, "No, absolutely not. I'm not going to hurt her just because he's upset with us."

Hannah wiped her eyes before the tears fell, "You know the farm up the road is for sale. Maybe you and Violet should consider moving out there. You two will have your own boys and with Jake and Megan, then Malcolm will get a girl of his own... The house is only so big."

Zack looked at Violet, smiling thoughtfully before nodding, "Good idea, Mom. I'll look into it." He turned his attention back to Violet, "You need to eat."

Violet looked confused for a moment and then nodded, returning to shoveling food in her mouth.

Hannah eventually went back upstairs with Malcolm and tucked him in before she went to her room. Jake took Megan upstairs shortly after leaving Zack and Violet all alone.

He was washing her dishes while she sat drinking more water at the table. He knew she was dehydrated and bordering on starved, he needed to keep an eye on her and take care of her. His father could have killed her torturing her like that.

Zack despised the mean streak his father inherited from his grandfather. Violet didn't deserve that kind of treatment. She had been remorseful before they put her in the cabinet. It was pointless to torment her in there for a week.

He felt a pang of doubt in his gut and pulled Violet up out of her chair. He held her face in his hands as she looked at him both shocked and confused.

"I never want to hurt you, Violet. Tell me you know that," he demanded and she placed her hands on his wrists.

"I know you don't want to hurt me, Zack," she repeated calmly.

"I love you, so much," he whispered leaning toward her and stopping when their noses touched.

Violet closed the distance in her own, her soft lips pressed against his and he pulled her against him. She let out a small gasp, wrapping her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Zack hooked his hands under her and lifted her up onto the counter.

She giggled quietly, kissing him again once she settled on the cold countertop. Zack only read about things like this in the books his grandmother hid poorly when he was little. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing so followed his instincts and the fragments of things he read as a teenager.

He tangled his hand in her hair, the other gripped her hip pulling her tight against him. She was soft in all the right places and bent to his will without a second thought. He curiously moved his lips down her jaw and throat, smiling against her skin when a moan escaped her parted lips.

He slipped the hand on her hip up under the shirt she wore, easily moving her bra out of his way. Violet arched her back, pressing further into his body as he captured her lips again. She tangled her fingers in his hair, dragging her nails along the back of his neck sending chills through him.

A knock on the door tore them apart and he let out a soft groan, "You have got to be kidding..."

Violet bit down on her swollen bottom lip, grabbing his hand when he stepped away. Zack kissed the back of her hand, interlocking their fingers and moving toward the second knock. She tucked herself behind him when he pulled back the curtain to look through the glass and bars.

"Hey man, we're lost out here and we're wondering if we could bother you for some help," the scrawny young man at the door said pathetically, but Zack wasn't convinced. The other two were men and were larger than the one talking. They had their heads down, faces shadowed. He felt Violet squeeze his hand tighter in fear, he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Just a second," Zack told them, releasing the curtain and hurrying Violet away from the door. He whispered to her, "Go get Jake and tell him it's trouble, not the usual. Then you and Megan go tell Mom and stay with Malcolm upstairs until we come get you. No matter what you hear, Violet, do not come back down here. Understand?"

She nodded her head, glancing back at the door where they were trying to work through the window and testing the bars. "I understand. Zack, be careful," she said helplessly and clutched to him for a moment.

He squeezed her quickly and kissed her lips one final time, "Quietly... Go."

Violet reluctantly released his hand and hurried on her toes to do as he instructed. Zack prayed she stayed safe and walked into the living room. The men would wait however long he decided they would. He unlocked and opened up the gun cabinet pulling out both his great-grandfather and his grandfather's shotguns.

Jake came downstairs pulling on his shirt, Zack handed him one of the shotguns and they proceeded to load them both. "There's three right outside the door, two are big, the other is skinny. There could be more. They've been testing the bars."

Jake scoffed, "They probably figured out who we are. Fucking Jimmy making our lives Hell again."

Zack sighed, "Focus, we have our family to protect. Or do you want to lose Mom, Megan, Violet, and Malcolm?"

Jake shook his head and they both headed for the door where the three men were still waiting, albeit impatiently. Zack opened up the door and leaned in the doorway, Jake standing just over his shoulder behind him.

"How can we help you, gentlemen?" Zack asked calmly, his shotgun ready at his side, just in case.