Author's Note: This story was edited by Tim413413. His work was embarrassingly difficult. I actually think he spent more time on this than I did. Thank you sir!
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Marissa was having trouble with the meat loaf. Xavier kept trying to crawl away and her hands were covered in meat. "Sebastian, come watch your brother for a minute," Marissa called. She desperately wanted to have dinner ready when Doug came home. Sebastian rounded the corner with sunken shoulders.
"Mom, I was playing," Sebastian said sadly.
"Just watch him for a moment, Honey," Marissa repeated and smiled when Sebastian straddled his brother and waddled along with Xavier's crawling. She cursed herself when she tried to open a lower cabinet with the back of her hand. Doug had baby-proofed the whole house when Xavier started crawling. Marissa gave up, rinsed her hands and maneuvered the internal plastic catch with her clean hands. She retrieved an old loaf pan from the cabinet and re-dirtied her hands by hand packing the meat mixture into the pan.
Marissa washed her hands again. Then she set the oven temperature and placed the pan inside. She now had thirty free minutes and walked into the family room. Sebastian was still dutifully standing over the curious Xavier. "Thanks, Honey, I'll watch him now," Marissa said happily. Sebastian took off back to Tristan. Probably to build some new mystical object.
The last four weeks had been the best of Marissa's life. There was a sense of stability. Doug and the boys had become incredibly close. They never had a good father figure like him in their lives. Now she saw young gentlemen growing, not the fearful cowering kids Kyle and his like were trying to create. Marissa stood behind Xavier and let him explore.
Marissa had fallen in love with Doug, although she hadn't told him yet. It had taken her all of three weeks to just have a normal conversation with him. He still couldn't hold her eyes for long when they did talk. She remembered her promise to Jayden; she'd let Doug make the first move. She had almost broken that promise three times. Marissa feared, as did Jayden, that any strong advance on her part would be followed by Doug's panic and the end of any hope of a relationship. She couldn't risk the boys' happiness because of her greedy heart.
Marissa even remembered the exact moment when she fully committed her heart to Doug. Sebastian had been playing with a wooden car he had found on a shelf. Doug had explained it was a Pinewood Derby race car he and his dad had made. Doug talked about how they had made it and the race they won on a scout outing. Marissa could see how important the car and its memories where to Doug. She reminded Sebastian to play with it carefully. There were a lot of 'vrooms' and 'scerreeeches' as Sebastian pushed the car around the family room and into the hall.
It was the sudden silence that had attracted Doug's attention. He entered the hall and stopped cold. He yelled for Sebastian in a rather strict voice that shocked Marissa. She ran to the hall and saw the racer in three parts up against the wall. Sebastian entered the hallway slowly and Marissa cringed, looking at the tears in his eyes. They all remembered the punishments Kyle could inflict.
"You can't just break something and leave it," Doug said into Sebastian's tears. "You have to fix it."
"I don't know how," Sebastian cried, expecting a beating.
"Well, I suspect it will take a lot of sawing, hammering, drilling and sanding." Doug smiled at Sebastian. "Get your brother, we're going to need his help." Sebastian's tears stopped and a smile crossed his lips as he rushed off to find Tristan. Doug kneeled and began picking up the pieces. Marissa stood there staring at Doug. He was teaching them responsibility as well as continuing to bond. Doug even looked like he was having fun doing it.
Marissa's men were in the basement for two hours. There were all sorts of noises from machines they couldn't possibly need for such a small car. She opened the basement and yelled down that it was getting late.
"We're almost done," Sebastian yelled back and appeared at the bottom of the stairs, wearing large plastic goggles and covered in sawdust. He looked so serious.
"We gave it bigger wheels," Tristan called from behind his brother. He was also in oversized goggles, covered in sawdust and sporting a smile too big for his face. The biggest child appeared behind them both. He was also covered in sawdust and wearing goggles.
"How about ten minutes more?" Doug requested. Marissa knew at that moment, looking down at her sawdust-covered family in the funny goggles, Doug was the love of her life. She nodded okay quickly and closed the door before Doug could see her tears. He was everything she needed, everything she wanted. 'He just needed time,' she told herself. She swore she would give him all the time he needed.
The doorbell brought Marissa back to the present. She lifted Xavier to her shoulder and went to answer the door. The door was halfway open when her world came crashing down. She tried to close it quickly, but Kyle kicked it back open. Marissa screamed and began backing up in a panic, trying to shield Xavier in her arms.
"Bitch, I fed your bastards for a year. You think you can just leave?" Kyle shouted vehemently, spittle flying from his mouth with every word. He looked around, making sure the "hotel guy" wasn't around. Kyle knew the grease monkey was a wimp so he wouldn't be a problem. "Get your ass in the car. We're going home." He spit out the orders.
Marissa reached for the phone sitting on the end table. Kyle backhanded her across the face which sent her backward and started the tears. She was gripping Xavier too hard and he started crying. "Get your slut ass in the car right now!" Kyle snarled as he continued to advance on her.
Doug drove up the road to the house in a good mood. He really liked going home at night. The boys were always happy to see him and Marissa seemed happy also. He wished he knew how to tell her how he felt. Doug was terrified she only tolerated him because she needed him. He had no idea how to approach her or read her signals. Women were so confusing and he didn't want to chase her away. It had been a long time since he had felt this happy. The last four weeks had been the best time he had had in years.
Doug spotted the blue Mustang as he pulled up. He shook his head at the poor condition it was in. Who would let such a classic car go to pot? He hopped out of the truck, wondering who was visiting.
Kyle had Marissa backed up against the wall. He loved the power he could exert over her. She cowered perfectly and her lithe body was a perfect fuck machine. He was already getting aroused by her tears. He grabbed her by the chin, knowing she wouldn't move with her youngest in her arms.
"You're going to regret running out on me," Kyle said sardonically. Marissa's shaking was turning him on more. Sebastian looked slowly into the room from the kitchen. He had heard the shouting. Marissa was crying when she saw Sebastian peek around the corner.
"Run, Sebastian!" Marissa screamed in terror. The thought of her boys in Kyle's hands again frightened her more than the beating she knew was coming. Kyle swung and caught Marissa in the jaw. He didn't use his full force. He had no desire to fuck a dead girl. Marissa screamed in pain and she dropped to the floor, trying to protect Xavier.
Doug was running for the door. The scream terrified him. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911 as he entered the house. He saw Marissa on the floor holding Xavier tight. Blood was coming from her mouth. Above her was a scruffy man about a six inches taller than he. Doug was completely out of his element.
"I'm calling the police!" Doug shouted, hoping the man would leave. Kyle turned and smiled. This wasn't the hotel guy; this was the grease monkey. Kyle walked quickly to Doug and swung before Doug even knew he was in a fight. Doug's knees buckled as the fist caught him in the right cheek. Pain shot through his head and his vision flashed. He dropped the phone. Kyle followed up with a fist directly to Doug's nose. That collision caused a crunching sound. Doug's face exploded in pain as his ass hit the floor. Blood poured from his broken nose and his vision clouded.
Sebastian had had enough. He didn't want Kyle in the house. His mother was crying and Doug was bleeding. He did what any five-year-old would do in a stressful situation. He ran up to Kyle's leg and bit down hard. Kyle screamed and swung backhanded at Sebastian's face and the boy went flying into the wall.
"Sebastian!" Marissa screamed and started to crawl to him. He wasn't moving and her heart was breaking.
Pain disappeared from Doug's face. It was replaced with anger, then rage. His vision cleared and he stood up. This was his house and no one hits his kids.
"Get the fuck out of our house!" Doug yelled as he moved forcibly at Kyle. Kyle laughed and swung hard at the grease monkey. He caught him in the jaw again and blood splattered onto the couch. Doug barely felt it as he reached up and grabbed Kyle's collar. Marissa reached Sebastian who was moaning on the floor, his face already starting to bruise. She pulled him to her lap, wondering why her family wasn't allowed to be happy.
Doug swung harder than he knew he could. Years of hoisting wheels, tires and fenders had molded his muscles into a fierce coiled spring. His fist connected with Kyle's cheek and bones broke in both Doug's hand and Kyle's face. Kyle's vision disappeared and pain filled his brain. He tried to raise his hands before the next one came, but he was too slow and Doug was too enraged.
"You will never hurt my family again!" Doug screamed as the image of Sebastian flying into the wall replayed in his mind. Doug shattered Kyle's nose. Kyle's legs gave out and he dropped to the floor. Doug followed him down and swung again, connecting with Kyle's jaw and more bones broke. Marissa panicked at the change in Doug. She hated seeing him like that. Kyle was out cold and Doug kept swinging. "You hit my boy you son of bitch!" he screamed while he pummeled Kyle's now-lumpy flesh.
