Chapter 21:

Randy sighed as he crossed back over and sat down on the bed next to Josie. He had been lying about who he was for far too long. It would feel good to get it all out in the open.

"Before I came to San Antonio, I was living in Houston and working for this guy named Dave Batista. Dave owned a lot of businesses. Night clubs mostly. But they were just fronts for his other businesses. Mainly extortion, money laundering and drug running. I used to make deliveries for him. He was being chased by this FBI agent who was obsessed with putting him behind bars. This FBI agent is married to a girl I grew up with. My best friend. Batista had me bring her to him to lure her husband into a trap. I didn't want to do it. But if I didn't I would have ended up dead like all the others. I called as soon as I could and I struck a deal. I would tell what I knew and I would walk away scot free. Me and Mike. Teddy worked for him for a little while too." Josie sat there looking at the floor processing what Randy had just told her.

"So you were in witness protection?" She said looking at him. He nodded. "What's your real name?"

"Randy Orton."

"Did you ever kill anyone?"

"No. I never killed anyone."

"Did you lie about anything else? Did you love Rosie?"

"I never lied to Rosie about anything else. I loved her with all my heart. Her and Joselynn. And I love you like a sister Jo."

"Did Teddy ever kill anyone?"

"Not that I know of. He's a pretty good kid. He was a door man mostly. And a body guard for Mickie Batista." She nodded her head again. "Listen just because we were involved with the Mafia doesn't make us bad people. And we both love you. Nothing will ever change that." She shook her head and tears came in to her eyes again.

"I wouldn't be so sure. When he finds out what Mike did to me, he won't want me anymore." She said tears running down her face. Randy put his arms around her and let her cry into his chest. He closed his eyes and he could feel the anger rising up in him again. Thoughts of what Keleigh had been through came flooding back to him and he ached for Josie too. He pulled back to look at her, brushing some hair out of her face.

" When you called me that day crying, my heart dropped. I didn't know what was wrong. So I raced over to Ted's thinking that he had done something to you. But I got there and he was unconscious and the house was on fire. I barely got him out. When he came to his senses, he went nuts looking for you. I could see the hurt and the pain in his eyes when he thought you might have been in the house when it exploded. You can't fake that Jo. You only get that look in your eyes when you're in love. He's going to be there for you. He's going to wait for you as long as it takes. Like I said, he's a good kid. Give him a chance. He is still the man you fell in love with. Have a little faith in him." Josie nodded her head in looked at Randy.

"Do you have family back in Houston?"

"It was just me and my parents. They died a few years back."

"I think we should bury Rosie and Joselynn there with them."

"I will come back and see you in the morning." She nodded as he kissed her on the forehead. "Get some rest." He walked out of the room and pulled Teddy to the side.

"I told her the truth. She knows all about our past. Swear to me that you aren't going to leave her. That you're going to be there for her and help her through this." Teddy nodded his head. "Don't ever hurt her. She's like a little sister to me and I will kill you."

"I would never hurt her. I love her." Teddy and Randy said their goodbyes and Teddy went back into the room with Josie. Randy looked at Keleigh who was sitting there beside Jerry.

"I'm ready to go whenever you are." He said softly. She nodded her head and looked over at Jerry.

"I should call John and get him to come get Aiden."

"I can't see how you would even want to talk to him after the way he talked to you earlier. How dare he call you a slut and a bitch. After what he did with Mickie, he has a lot of room to talk." Randy said playing with the baby. Jerry looked at Keleigh and she could tell that he was not happy.

"You take Randy home and send John a text telling him that he can come and get Aiden from me." Jerry said. Keleigh nodded her head and they headed down to her car. They got in and sat there for a minute, Randy staring straight ahead. She grabbed his right hand and intertwined their fingers, squeezing his hand a little. He looked up at her with tears in his eyes and she drove off.

They pulled into the driveway and he looked at the house and sighed. He didn't really want to go back into the house but he knew he had to. He had to pick out something for them to wear. He felt like his legs weighed a ton as he got out of the car and unlocked the door walking in. He took a ragged breath as he looked around at the house. He walked into the living room and up the stairs to their bedroom. He looked over at the bed and sobbed again feeling so much anger. He sat down on her side of the bed and grabbed her pillow. It still smelled like her. How could she leave him? That had never been part of the plan. They were supposed to grow old together. To raise a family and sit on the back porch watching their grandkids playing in the yard. He glanced over at the night table and saw a picture of the two of them on their wedding day and took the frame in his hands. He looked at it for a moment and sobbed before throwing it against the wall. He got up and made his way over to the closet and threw the door open looking at her clothes. They were always so neat and organized. He ripped them off the rod, clothes and hangers flying everywhere. He ran his hands over the top of her dresser and all of the knick knacks on top of it went crashing to the floor breaking. An envelope with his name on it caught his attention. It said Randy instead of Keith and it was in Rosie's handwriting. He opened it and found a letter she had written to him.

"Dear Randy,

Please don't be mad at me but I looked into who you used to be. I know about everything. The mafia and Keleigh. All of it. I'm not mad at you. You did what you had to do to make things better for your friend. I respect that. You talk about her in your sleep you know. I'm just sorry that you have had to go through this last year of your life without her. I would like to meet her. I am sure that we would be great friends. That is who you were not who you are. I don't care about the past. All I care about is the future. The life that we are building for ourselves and our daughter. I love you with all of my heart and I always will. I just had to be honest with you before our baby came." He folded the letter up and looked up to see Keleigh standing in the doorway.

"Does it get any easier?" he asked

"What?"

"The pain of losing a child. Does it get any easier?" She walked in and sat down beside him. "I just want to make it all go away K. I don't want to feel like this anymore." He said hugging her. She closed her eyes and rubbed the back of his head letting him cry on her shoulder.

"I wish I could tell you that you will wake up one day and it won't feel like a part of you is missing. You never forget. Never really get over it. But it does get easier. You learn for focus on what you do have and not what you don't have." He pulled back to look at her.

"What do I have K?"

"Me. You've still got me." He hugged her again and then pulled back to look at her. She had no idea how much hearing her say that meant to him. He needed a distraction. Something to help him forget. Her kissed her like he had so many times before and wasn't surprised to feel her kiss him back. They both knew where one kiss would lead them and before they knew it, they were making love right there on the bedroom floor. Neither of them were thinking about anything but the moment they were in. Randy was in need of comfort and Keleigh was more than willing to be the one to give it to him.