That Bad Boy & That Bad Man Duet (Completed)

That Bad Man - 7. Rowan

"Mom?" Dominic growls but I ignore my eldest son, my focus on the delicate girl looking shellshocked next to him.
"Hello sweetie, welcome, you can call me mum or Rowan" I tell her taking her hand and pulling her out of the car so I can get a better look at her.
"Mom!" Dominic growls following her out, his hand still holding onto the girl, I grin wider, he is well and truly caught, finally I might get some grandchildren from him too, I know Leo will be working on some for me from Maude, i wonder who will give me one first?
My gaze switches back to Luca watching from the steps and he gives me a rueful look before coming to join us.

"Ms Rowse, welcome to our home" he tells the girl, as he wraps his arm around my waist and I lean into him, letting her hand go and watching as Dom pulls her into his side, and I wonder if it's for her protection or to stop her running away. She looks nervous as she meets my husband but she doesn't back away.

"Mom, Dad, this is Mabel, she's mine" he tells us and I laugh as she gasps shocked before rounding on him. But he's ready for her and just kisses her till she softens in his arms.

"Let's go inside and you can tell us everything " Luca suggests, waving away the security team and guiding us all towards the house.
I could hear Mabel whisper hissing at Dom behind us and giggled at the memory of Luca doing almost the same to me. He had claimed my heart at our first meeting too.

The staff had prepared a lunch that was set up ready for us on the terrace and once we were all settled, Dom updated us, Mabel sat silently at his side, looking worried then upset at the mention of her 'brother' dying.  "They know you are investigating them, I presume that's why they are trying to direct the police your way" Luca told Dom who agreed. "It means there's more there to find, dig deeper" he promises.

"What are you going to tell Leo?" I ask softly, thinking of my new daughter in law, she didn't need to be worrying about this.
"Nothing, at least not till I have to and not till I know more" Dom says and Luca nods his agreement.

"And Mabel, do they know you came to confront him?" i ask her.
She shakes her head slowly, "I don't think so, it was a spur of the moment idea, I haven't spoken to anyone really since the arrest and losing the house"
My heart goes out to her, so much loss, "Where are you staying, how are you managing?" I ask carefully, not wanting to upset her further, but Dom butts in.
"She is staying with me, I will take care of everything she needs"
"I know that, but what were you doing?" I persist, my gut telling me Dom needed to know just how much she had survived.

Mabel looked down nervously, before raising her head and looking at me. "I have been sleeping in my car, it's the only thing I have left, I have a little cash but they took everything else for the debt"
"Your friends?"
"I lost track of a lot of them when my parents died, it was too much for me and no one really knew what to say.  Work was okay, I had colleagues who i spoke to but when the Deerings died and Roy took over , most of them moved or changed jobs. I lost the last few when people thought it was dangerous to be around me, I didn't have anything left, that when the idea of confronting Dom consumed me..." she trails off, silent tears falling as Dom lifts her out of her seat and into his lap. Rocking her gently as she try's to calm down.

"You are family now, we will get everything sorted and Dominic will look after you" I declare, smiling again at her surprised expression before changing the subject to general topics and by the time we had all finished eating, she had relaxed, still on Dom's lap, as he refused to let her move, using the closeness to make sure she ate and to comfort her.  She was doing well given the circumstances and what she had been through just today and I knew she would be able to cope with the pitfalls loving a Genovese man.

When Dom finally decided to was time to take her home, I took her hands in mine and made her promise to call me if she ever needed anything.  She had muttered that my son had her phone, glaring at him and he had laughed at her, promising to put my number in for her later, then he carefully helped her into the car before lifting a hand to wave goodbye.

I leant against Luca watching the cars leave, "I like her, she will keep him on his toes, once she gets her confidence back" I tell him, laughing as he picks me up, swinging me round before letting me slide down his body, letting me feel his love for me, with every touch.

"She reminds me a little of you" he admits causing me to laugh aloud and admit, I too had seen similarities in the way Dom was behaving and how Luca had with me.

"Then it will be a solid match" he agrees, and I hoped so.