Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.

-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

11 : 00

The clock above fireplace showed it was already eleven'o clock at night. The house was so silent even a pin drop could be heard.

Claire was asleep. Lydia was asleep after being force fed. Exhausted by the terror they went through, their body slept for hours.

"Here."

I blinked, noticing the glass of scotch placed before me on the coffee table.

"You went through my cabinet?" I raised my eyebrows threateningly.

He shrugged. "I had to. It's not my fault you hid your stash there."

No one was allowed in my study. No one was definitely allowed to touch the cabinet where all the liquor were locked in. When there was a child in the house, extra precaution was necessary for everything.

I sighed, too tired to scold him for invading my privacy. Picking up the glass with my bandaged hand, I downed caramel coloured liquid in one go.

"I see you let the doc check your hand." He commented, with a raise of his own glass.

"And I see you didn't." I retorted, glaring at the redness around his knuckles. "You better not wipe that on my couch. It's one of a kind."

He grimaced as he sat himself on my beige couch. "Brute." Then he picked up the ice pack left by a maid and wrapped it around his hand.

I merely passed my empty glass to him, ignoring his childish name-calling. We continued drinking, lost in our own thoughts.

My body stiffened remembering the black and blues on my wife's body. I had been there when maids washed her naked body and I had been there to shout at them when they pressed too hard on her bruises.

When she was only in her bra and shorts, the doctor patched her up. I had been too consumed in anger to even let jealousy appear at a man seeing Claire in less clothing-- even if the said man was a doctor.

When the doctor tried to right her sprained foot, she had screamed out in agony and it was the last straw for me.

Leaving Claire in the hands of other people, I had barged into the garage and beaten the crap out of the bastard. When I had calmed down from my rage, I noticed his hands tied and raised up to be hanged from a chain that had its end lodged inside the ceiling.

Neil had already been there, had his fair share of fun as well.

When I had looked at his bloodied knuckles, he replied haughty. "That shitface punched me twice in the park. I had to repay him ten times more."

I had shaken my head and dropped on a nearby steel chair, glaring at the passed out form of my former friend.

This man wasn't my friend. He was just the shell of my old friend. Inside, he was an insane man, filled with hatred and revenge.

While I had rested for few minutes, Neil had explained every last detail of what had happened in that cursed park.

And once again, my whole body vibrated with anger.

"Wake him up!" I had shouted.

When Diego, a 250 pound of muscled guard of mine dropped ice cold water on Blake thus waking him up, I had glanced at Simon. "Call Officer Spencer, tell him there's someone he has to lock him up for good." Then I had extended my palm to him. "Belt."

And then demonstrated how someone displayed pain on a defenceless person. I had showed everyone in that darkened garage what would happen to someone when they dare harm what was mine.

Coming back to the present, I looked at the clock once again.

The police had left an hour ago with Blake. Being a known person in the city had its perks. I had the police and the judge on my side. Making sure a certain Blake Collin staying in prison for the rest of his pitiful life was a piece of cake for me but it still didn't satisfy me.

That fucker harmed my wife. My Claire.

He deserved to die.

"Yes, he did."

Startled, I looked at my partner in drinking. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes, you did." He nodded. "But even if you hadn't, your fists and that deathly look would've given you away."

I uncurled my hands and instantly felt the slight twinge in my bones. It hurt but not as much as how my insides hurt and I wasn't talking about physical pain.

Being a practical man, it was hard to believe my heart ached seeing Claire's bruised body.

I love you

My eyes closed on their own and a warm feeling settled inside my chest soothing the ache. Thinking about those words from Claire's pink lips already lightened my mood.

I was shocked, yes. Because that admission came out of nowhere and I was quite emotionally drained at that time but later on, I was slightly amused because I had known about her feelings since she said I do in our wedding.

And I knew somehow, she made me feel the same thing but my male pride wouldn't let me admit it first and thus I kept on waiting for her to say it. Though when the time to say it came, I became a mute but today really wasn't the day for me.

"What are you, a mute now?"

This time, I snapped open my eyes and staggered back in my seat. "What the...I said that out loud too?!"

He frowned. "What? You think you're a mute?"

I threw a nearby rolled newspaper at him then sighed in relief. If this manwhore heard about my feelings, the laughing would never stop.

"I mean, you do talk less...." He continued, putting away the ice pack.

I raised both my hands, stopping him. "And you talk a lot, and that too unnecessary stuffs." Then sternly pointed my finger at him. "A businessman always talks practical, logical and necessary."

He gritted his teeth but relaxed his jaw when I waited for his answer.

"Fine." He muttered. "Lesson learned."

This past month it had been our thing. I would say something he needed to learn and he would store it in his brain...

Pulling out his phone, he typed something then left it on the table. "There. I'll remember it now but please, no more lesson until next month."

Let me rephrase that, he would store it in his phone because his brain could only remember the body shape of the women he recently been with, and names of those women were like my lessons-- couldn't remember at all even if his life depended on them.

When would he change?

Talking about change, this man and I had something important to talk about.

"So what do you want?" I abruptly asked him, propping my foot over my other knee.

"What do you mean?"

"For saving my wife and child." I mumbled, yet again feeling the shame of not being there to protect my family.

Would this shame never go away? Was this how I would feel whenever I remembered this dreadful day? Loathing myself, drowning in self pity? This was not me. I was the one who made others drown. I was the one who made them pity their life.

Blake, if I had my way you'd be dead right now.

"Now, now. Why would I want something? You think I saved them to make you indebted to me? How cruel of you, Tyler!" He puffed out his lower lip and rubbed away an imaginary tear.

"Drop the act. I know you have an ulterior motive for everything."

"Now, now, it hurts me that you would even thin----okay, fine you got me." He threw his hands in the air and stood up. Waking to the fireplace, he caressed the line of family pictures- Claire herself placed. "I'm a selfish man, Tyler. I won't deny that but I care about Claire and Cherry. Saving the---"

"My daughter's name is not Cherry!"

"Hell man! Don't interrupt me!" He turned around and put his hands on hips but gasped suddenly. "Shit. I just pulled a Tyler Sanders on Tyler Sanders himself."

Putting a elbow on the couch's arm, I dropped my chin on my fist. "Do not use my words against me. I will interrupt whenever I want."

He clicked his finger and nodded. "Got it. Lesson learned but ugh, I'm becoming like you!"

"Get to the point, Harris!"

"Okay, as I was saying I'm a selfish man but I would've saved them even if I wouldn't get anything in return." Neil stated.

"That's great. Nice talking to you!" I clapped my hands and straightened up from my seat.

"Now, wait just a minute. Yes, I care for them but nothing would make me forget my plan." He said urgently, his face taking a wild look. His figure stiffening with suppressed emotions.

My forehead creased instantly. "What plan?"

Taking a step back, he gave me his back. "Wha---what? What are you talking about?"

"You just said plan. What plan?"

"I didn't say plan. You heard wrong. I said place. My place!" He told me hardly and gripped the granite shelf over the fireplace.

There was silence in the room. The tension spiked up to a point where an explosion was nearby.

Slowly but lethally, I asked him once again. "Don't you know who I am, Neil? I asked you something and I demand an answer. What. Is. Your. Plan?"

"I saved your wife!" He turned swiftly and glared at me. "I saved your family. You owe me, Sanders! No matter what. You owe me for your wife and daughter!"

I clamped my mouth and clenched my hands to my side from punching a hole in his face, for talking to me like that but I relaxed myself because he was right.

No matter what, I owed him. I knew there was something dangerous brewing inside his head but I had my own family to think about now. Maybe in the future, I might think about his plan.

"What do you want?"

Neil breathed heavily and stared me down. "I don't want anything now."

"Then?"

"In the future, I would ask something from you. Promise me, you would go through with it no matter what."

"Neil..." I started, an uneasy feeling creeping on me. "I don't want to be part of unknown. You have to let me know what it is before I make a promise."

"No. I can't say. If you don't want to do it then don't. Just don't expect me to be around you and your family anymore." He sneered, a malicious glint appeared in his eyes.

"You ungrateful bastard!" I spat. "You know Claire and Lydia wants you around and you still say such thing?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Then agree."

I had always been a man of honour. Precision was my approach for everything so agreeing to something unknown wasn't in my character.

"Blackmail." I said quietly. "Approaching with a blackmail. I didn't teach you that."

"Yeah, well. I taught myself enough."

"Albeit not a good one." I commented, warily. "Especially when you're a businessman. You can't be trusted if you resort to blackmail every time you don't get your way."

"Then last time. Agree with me, Tyler. Don't forget I was there for your loved ones." He smirked, daringly.

He knows I love Claire. The sneaky bastard.

"You're going to use that always, huh?" I quirked my eyebrows, menacingly. His answer could change our relation because I wouldn't let anyone have the upper hand on me.

"No. Just once, Tyler. I promise."

Even if I didn't want to believe him, I had to, because the sincerity behind his words were doubtless.

"You know I hate backstabbers? I could ruin you." I let out slowly.

"I know and I would never betray you. Nothing from me would ever harm you or your family. No matter what callous bastard you think I am, I still care for them."

I nodded, praying my decision never backfire on me. "Fine. I agree. I'm indebted to you, Harris but just for once."

Many said I was a good judge of character and I agreed with them. This man before me, was a twisted character but underneath all the callousness, he had precious loyalty in him. He could be trusted but it was better to not let him know because his ego wouldn't be able to fit in the room.

"Your word is your honour, Tyler Sanders." He grinned then picked up his discarded jacket and phone before glancing at me again. "We never speak of this again until when the time comes."

There was a silent agreement in the air.

Then he smiled. "I'll stop by tomorrow afternoon to see Claire and Cherry."

I silently stared as he strode out the living room, not even correcting him on Lydia's name because it was useless. The guy did whatever he wanted. Nothing could stop him.

I just hoped and prayed he wouldn't blackmail anyone else because he could be quite ruthless in dealing and knew just where to hit. No, not quite.

Very ruthless and very personal.

******

When I saw Claire sleeping peacefully on the bed, I joined and wrapped her around me gently, mindful of her injuries.

The urge to do damage to Blake once again surfaced at seeing Claire's bandaged limbs but I suppressed it. She needed me and I was going to be here, not hunting after someone who was not worth my time.

Closing my eyes, I sighed gratefully to have this woman in my life before slipping into unconsciousness.

In the middle of the night, I awakened as I felt something amiss in the room. My body stiffened when a body climbed up on the bed and crawled over me. I relaxed my defensive posture as I felt the small hands and feet upon me.

I cracked open one eye and saw through the light of the lamp that a small body struggled before squeezing between me and Claire.

Smiling, I closed my eyes once again.

The next time when I opened them, it was sunny outside and a pair of blue hues were already on me.

My eyes roamed over face, noticing the pale skin. She had been through a lot and all because of me. One hand of mine went over the small body of Lydia snuggled between us to caressing her chocolate mop of hairs.

I felt her body shudder at my touch. Knowing I still affected her made my body tighten in anticipation but then I chided my rising member because my innocent daughter was sleeping beside me and her mother--although aroused but sore and injured.

A slight upturn of her lips drew my gaze. A little red cut on her lower lip but that didn't deter her from smiling. I knew she was amused at my situation but the relief I felt at seeing her smiling face was enough for me.

This woman endorsed many hardships in her life but never let them enclose her lively and fiery soul. She was a brave soul. My brave soul. My Wife.

"I love you."

It took me her widened eyes and then frozen expression to realise it was I, who had spoken those three words. My voice was raspy with reminisce of sleep. It was hardly a pleasant sound for her morning ears but she blinked and opened her mouth.

"I love you too." She replied, with a warm smile and pink cheeks then cleared her throat with a grimace.

Taking that as a cue to get up, I sauntered to her side and helped her sit up before giving her the glass of water from the side table.

When she put that down, I palmed her soft cheek. "You're one brave woman. Lydia told Ms. Gemma about how you protected her. Claire...I could never thank you enough for protecting my daughter."

She frowned. "My?"

I smiled sadly. "Sorry. Lydia has been my daughter for so long that I--- sorry. It won't happen again."

Moving slightly she leaned her head in the crook of my neck, her breath tickling my skin. "She is our daughter, Tyler. Our. Lydia comes first. That's what brought us together. So forever...I mean as long as we're together, she comes first."

"No." I tilted her head up to face me. "There's no as long as we're together. There's only forever. I'm not letting you go, Claire. I will make mistakes in the future but I will never let you go. You're the best thing that ever happened to me after Lydia."

Her eyes misted but a coy smile lit her face. "You're so sweet."

My mouth pressed into a thin line but then the corner of it lifted up. "Only for you."

Then I did something unusual. I pressed my lips onto her cute mousy nose.

"Come on. We should get something to eat. Neil will be here soon and we need to go for a check up in hospital."

"But is that necessary? I'm perfectly fine." She said as she touched her head impressively but winced.

And I raised an amusing eyebrow, beckoning her to show me blushing cheeks once again.