Another Closure

Another Closure
Damien’s POV

The shouts hit me like a slap. That voice…rough, demanding, way too familiar…cut through the laughter and froze every muscle in my body.

Mark Grayson.

Ellie’s piece-of-shit ex-husband. The one who put her in the hospital more times than I could count. Broken ribs, black eyes, lies about “falling down the stairs.” The one who cheated on her like it was a hobby. The one who sent thugs to my house to teach her a lesson.

And now he was here. At my gates. Yelling to be let in.

“Open this damn gate! I know that my wife is in there! Ellie! Ellie, baby, come out! I just want to talk!”

Wife? Did he just call her his wife? My own sister?
Red exploded across my vision and I clenched my fists furiously.

Ellie screamed first, her voice filled with panic. “Isabella! Hold him back!”

Too late. I was already moving, legs pumping, sprinting toward the gate like a bullet out of a gun. Jaxon moved too, his face dark with rage as he matched my stride.
Behind us, voices shouted.

“Damien? What the hell—”
“Damien, where are you going?”
“Jaxon!”

I heard the quick patter of smaller feet…Ellie, running after us.

“Stay back, Ellie!” I roared over my shoulder.

“No, you stay back!” she yelled, defiant as ever, trying her hardest to catch up.

The security team had the intercom crackling, while Mark’s car horn was still blaring like he thought noise would magically open the gates. I could see him clearer now through the bars…leaning out his beat-up sedan, face red, pounding the steering wheel.

Andre and Matteo burst out of the house, guns already drawn, the rest of the crew right behind them. They fanned out as we hit the gate.

Mark opened his mouth again…probably some bullshit plea…and Jaxon launched.

He vaulted the low side barrier like it wasn’t there and landed on Mark before the bastard even finished his sentence. One second Mark was standing, the next he was on the ground with Jaxon on top of him, fist slamming into his face with a sickening crack.

Crunch.
Crunch.
The blow landed one after the other, blood spraying across the pavement.

“Jaxon, stop!” Ellie screamed, finally reaching us, hands clutching the bars. “Stop hitting him!”

Jaxon froze mid-swing, chest heaving, knuckles split and dripping. He looked up at her, eyes wide with hurt and fury. “What the hell, Ellie. You’re seriously defending him?”

His voice cracked…broken, angry and laced with betrayal.

I stepped forward, voice low and deadly despite his valid reaction. “Watch your tone with my sister, Jax.”

Jaxon’s jaw clenched, but he shoved himself off Mark and stepped back, breathing hard.

“Hell no!” Ellie protested, pushing through the gate the second security opened it a crack. She grabbed Jaxon’s bloody hands like they were made of glass, cradling them, blowing softly on the torn knuckles. “You’re going to hurt yourself because of him. He’s not worth it. Come on, let’s go. Damien will handle it.”

I was already taking a step forward when her words hit me. I stopped, faked an angry scowl. “Wait a minute, Ellie. So you don’t mind if my knuckles get broken?”

She rolled her eyes, still fussing over Jaxon. “Of course I do. But I have cooling balm and first aid to clean your wounds.” She tugged Jaxon gently to the side, pulling him away. “Come on.”

I couldn’t help it…I grinned. That’s my girl. Let the big brother do his thing.

Mark groaned on the ground, pushing himself up on shaky arms, blood pouring from his nose and mouth. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, smearing it worse, and looked straight at Ellie.

“Baby… I’ve changed,” he rasped. “I swear. I did it for you. Therapy, counseling…the whole thing. I got out early, good behavior. I’m a better man now. Just… come home. We can fix this.”

Ellie went stiff. She didn’t even look at him for more than a second. “I thought I made myself clear the last time I saw you. I don’t have anything to say to you, Mark Grayson. I don’t want to see you. I don’t want to ever cross paths with you again. We’re done. Go away.”

Mark let out a broken laugh, shaking his head like she’d just told a bad joke.

“Baby, please,” he said, dragging himself up onto his knees. “We can’t be done. You promised. You said you’d love me and only me. Remember? You said forever.”

Before anyone could say anything, he continued, like a broken record.

“I saved your life when it mattered, Ellie. When you wanted to end your life, I was there. I saved you. I picked you up. I gave you a home. Do you really wanna throw all that away?”

Ellie’s jaw tightened, but she stayed silent. Her silence made me anxious. I knew how much she loved him. What if she decides to accept him?

“I’m not that guy anymore,” he rushed on desperately. “I swear to God, I’d rather jump off a cliff than ever lay a hand on you again. I would never hit you. Never. I’ll prove it. I’ll do anything.”

He swallowed hard, eyes wild now. “Hell, I’ll even cut off my own…” he gestured vaguely downward, voice trembling “dick, so I don’t ever cheat. If that’s what it takes for you to trust me. I’ll do it. Just… come back to me.”

There was a beat of silence. Then a soft snort.
Ellie couldn’t help it and started laughing. “Go ahead. Cut it then,” she said flatly.

The words landed like a slap. Mark looked at her as if she’d stabbed him straight through the chest.

“Ellie…” His voice broke. “It’s me. It’s Mark. Your Mark. The man who loved you when you were alone. The one who fought for you.”

Ellie finally turned fully toward him. Her eyes weren’t soft.

They weren’t conflicted.
They were indifferent.

“You want to talk about fighting for me?” she asked quietly. “You want to talk about saving my life once?”
Her laugh was hollow.

“I already paid you back with my life, Mark. Over and over again. Every time you hit me. Every time you pushed me. Every time I ended up on the floor wondering if I was going to wake up.” Her voice trembled, but she didn’t cry.

Mark flinched like each word physically struck him.
“You killed me,” she finished softly. “More than once. You just didn’t notice.”

“I was angry!” he snapped, then immediately shook his head. “No—no, that’s not what I meant. I was messed up. I wasn’t thinking. But I never meant to—"

“You always say that,” she cut in.

Silence stretched heavy between them as we well watched quietly as Ellie got her closure.

Mark’s face crumpled. Blood still dripped from his nose, mixing with tears now.
“I’m not giving up,” he said hoarsely. “You’re my wife. It’s till death do us part. That’s what we said. That’s what it is. You don’t just walk away from that.”

Mark took a stumbling step toward her and Ellie stepped back like he’d tried to grab her.

That was it.
Something inside me snapped clean in half. Enough closure. Since it's till death, I’ll give him what he’s desperately asking for.

I pounced.
My fist connected with his jaw first…hard enough to spin his head. Then another to the gut. He doubled over, gasping, and I grabbed his shirt, slamming him back against his car.

Blow after blow…face, ribs, wherever my fists landed. I wanted to erase him. Maybe if I disfigured that pretty-boy face he used to charm and hurt women, he’d never be able to do it again.

He tried to swing once…weak, pathetic…and I barely felt it. I just kept going.

I didn’t hear the shouts.
Didn’t feel the blood on my hands.
Didn’t notice him go limp. I just wanted to pay him fully, for all those years he hurt my sister.

Strong arms finally yanked me back…Andre and Matteo hauling me off him like I was a rabid dog.

Mark slumped to the ground, unmoving.

“Oh my god!” Isabella’s scream cut through the haze, high and horrified as she ran up, hands pressed to her mouth.

“He’s dead!”