Becoming Juliet - Paula Marinaro Page 0,68
to comfort and relax her, and honestly, give himself a few more moments to think this through, P.J. settled her down on the couch. Then he pulled Juliet’s legs into his lap and began to gently massage the tension in her calves.
“It is a lot.” P.J. agreed with careful thought. “What you just described to me is a real shitshow. And I have to admit, I never saw this one coming. I thought that I was gonna be dealing with a cowardly bastard who beat his wife. But this? I have to rethink how I’m gonna handle this.”
“Handle what?” Juliet was stunned. “P.J. did you hear anything I just said?”
“Every word.”
Now it was Juliet’s turn to be surprised. Once she had decided to tell P.J. her strange and sad story, she had prepared herself for just about every outcome. In considering what his reaction might be, Juliet had envisioned everything from the best possible reaction to the worst. Best would be an impulsive and absurd marriage proposal born totally and completely out of pity, (which Juliet thought she might definitely consider taking P.J. up on) and the worst would be him walking out on her. But Juliet never thought there might be something in between. She hadn’t expected in a million years, never considered in her wildest of dreams, that after spilling her heart to him in graphic detail, that P.J. just wouldn’t get it.
“P.J., it’s all been settled. The courts have sentenced him. There is nothing left to handle!”
“Look, the club has guys on the inside in every major prison in the country, Juliet.” P.J.’s voice was firm. “From what you just told me, there’s no death penalty option in the states that Brewster was sentenced in. Being a relatively healthy young guy, that psycho can easily spend the rest of his natural life in prison. And I don’t want you to spend the rest of yours in a world where that motherfucker still exists.”
“So, what then? You’re gonna have him killed in prison?” Juliet looked at P.J. with incredulity. She fully realized for the first time exactly what kind of world P.J. had come from. His love for her was clear, but his moral compass was definitely a little murky.
“It’s an option, that’s all I’m saying.” P.J. said matter of fact, as his fingers continued to work their magic on the tight knots in Juliet’s leg muscles.
Juliet continue to stare at P.J. in stunned silence until he finally gave her a wry grin.
“Okay. Alright. So, no killing the killer.”
“Were you just messing with me right now? How can you possibly think this is time for joking?”
“Can you think of a better time? And for the record, I was only half kidding. Because you say the word, you don’t feel safe with that motherfucker still alive, I will have him killed in a New York minute.” P.J. held her eyes with his. “But the truth is, I’ve had enough of death to last a lifetime, Juliet. I guess we’re alike that way. But I promise you this, as long as you live in this world, with or without me, I will make sure you are always safe.”
“With or without you?”
“Yeah, I mean I hope to hell that you decide it’s with me, but I know I ain’t exactly Prince Charming. Maybe I didn’t ride in on a white horse or carry a glass slipper, but if you let me, I’ll turn the rest of your life into a goddamn fairy tale.” He told her. The love evident in his tone, in his eyes.
“Do you really think we can do this? Leave the past behind and build our own Happily Ever After?”
“Hell yeah, I don’t just think we can, Juliet. I know we can.” He promised her. “But first I’m gonna have to give you the respect that your share deserves. You should know that I have blood on my hands, Juliet, and not just a little.”
“I know the kind of man you are. You are a good, good man, P.J. McCabe” Juliet put her hand on his hard chest over the place where his heart beat. “And if I had any doubt about where you come from? That ended the moment that I came here, to your childhood home, and found it surrounded by security cameras and high voltage fences.”
“I’m storing guns for the club.” P.J. blurted out. “You should know that.”
“You’re what?”
“Back in Maine.” P.J. went on. “I transport and store illegal weapons in my gun shop. Now