I was scared about what David was about to tell me. Hearing it from the news was one thing but getting it directly from the horses mouth was a totally different thing. I wanted to believe that everything I had heard was wrong but I the guilty face on David said otherwise.

"You're not going anywhere are you, when you hear what I have to say?" David asked looking vulnerable.

I resisted the urge to pull him in for a hug because I knew that I'd break down and I needed to be strong. We needed to get past this and the only way was to talk about it first.

"No I'm here. I meant what I said. I don't care about your past but after what just happened I need to know it for my own peace of mind." I replied.

"Okay." He breathed and I gave him a few minutes to compose himself.

I grabbed one of his hands in between mine to reassure him that I was there and I wasn't going anywhere.

"First of all I want to say that I'm sorry for lying to you. It's true what they said. I haven't gotten a job in the field I studied in because of my record. Whenever people see it no matter how long ago it was they still judge me for it." He paused for a minute to make sure I wasn't mad at him for lying about that and I wasn't.

It was only logical for me to be after I realized that but I didn't have it in me to be mad at him. He had still gotten a job to take care of his family and I admired that. He was starting with that before he got to the bad stuff and I just wanted him to know that I was ready for anything he had to tell me.I nodded for him to continue.

"Okay so my dad died when I was in high school. Elena was still a toddler and my brothers were really young. My mom didn't have time to cater for all our needs. We were struggling financially and I tried my best to help out but what could a sixteen year old do. I was only in form three so there were no jobs that were willing to pay well enough that I actually felt like I was contributing. So I did the only thing I could, I joined a gang." He paused and I took a minute to absorb that new piece of information.

"But you were only a child. How could they allow you to join?" I asked shocked.

"These people don't care about age. I wasn't even the youngest person there." He explained and my heart went out to sixteen year old David. He must have been so scared.

"Go on." I urged preparing myself for the worst.

"They didn't make me do much at first. Drug runs, pick pocketing and debt collection. The money was good so I let doing it. When I turned seventeen instead of a birthday party I got a full initiation into the group. I was still a virgin then but it changed that night. They put me in a room with a woman much older than me and didn't let me out until morning." He said with a look of pain on his face and I gasped.

"She raped you?" I asked with a shock of look on my face as tears threatened to spill from my eyes.

"No she was actually never nice about it. I had been curious about sex before so when she saw me scared she talked me down. We both knew that it had to happen so she showed me a few porn videos to get me in the mood and we did it."He explained.

"How is that not rape?"I whisper yelled the tears finally making their way onto my face.

"Tiny don't cry for me please. I don't deserve your tears. I don't want to calm it rape because it'll just make me feel dirty about myself. Worse than I already do anyway." He replied.

I didn't know how much worse it could get. I knew people who grew up in the ghetto had it rough but I didn't know it was that bad. Looking at David now you would never have guessed that he went through such an ordeal. He was happy and cheerful and loved his family. How could such a great man have such a haunted childhood.

When the tears stopped flowing he continued.

"The next morning I was taken to part two of the initiation which was my first armed robbery. I was so scared I almost peed myself but I went along with it because if I didn't they would hurt me or worse my family and I couldn't let them suffer for my mistakes. That was the first and last time I held a gun in my hand. I was shaking so hard I accidentally pulled the trigger and shot the guard at the bank who I was supposed to be holding hostage at gunpoint. He didn't die thank God because I got him in the shoulder but shooting him scarred me. I froze in place and couldn't move. The police were already in their way and when the rest of the gang were escaping I couldn't move so they left me there. I got caught and was sentenced to ten years in prison." He informed me.

"How? You'd still be in jail by now." I asked.

"I was getting to that." He chuckled and I didn't even smile.

How could he be laughing at such a sensitive time.

"Sorry. Anyway since I was still a minor I was sent to juvenile for a year until I turned eighteen. I actually finished high school and did my exams while in prison. I passed but it didn't matter because I had nine years left. When I got transferred to the state prison it was really hard at first because I was really small. One of the inmates took me under his wing and took care of me. I got into body building and that's how I got this body. After two years my mom saved up enough money for a lawyer. She was still mad at me but she was my mom. He argued my case and since I was a first time offender and was on good behavior my sentence was reduced an I got out a year later at twenty one. I enrolled into college immediately, got the job at the hotel and never looked back until now." He concluded.

"You never went back? I mean isn't there a saying that you can never actually leave a gang even when your in jail, unless you die."I asked him.

"You watch too many cop shows." He laughed and I hit his thigh.

"David I'm serious." I scolded.

"You're right, I'm sorry. It is true you can never actually quit but they have never sought me out and I hope they never do. I can't go back to that life again. It almost killed my mom and I don't want to see her go through that again." He replied.

"What about me? You're okay with leaving me?" I asked.

"Never." He promised in a serious tone.

We say there for a while just looking at each other, probably thinking different things but still being there for each other.

"This is the part where you kick me out and ask me to stay away from you and your family." David said in a sad tone and it broke my heart.

I broke because he thought I was going to get rid of him for actually surviving that ordeal and coming out a better man. It broke me that he didn't believe that my love for him was strong enough to withstand ant tribulations that we faced.

I crawled into his lap and straddled him. Both his hands went around my what's automatically pulling me closer. I grabbed his face between my hands and made him look at me.

"I love you and those are not just words. It's a promise to be with you through everything. I don't care what the media says. I am sticking with you through everything. You and I are meant to be together and I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me David and you never have to doubt that." I reassured him.

"You really promise?" He asked and I had never seen him look more vulnerable than he did at that particular moment.

"I promise." I reassured him and leaned in to kiss him.

Swiping my tongue along his bottom lip to ask for entrance that he was only too willing to oblige. Our kiss was filled with promise as well as reassurance that we would stick together no matter what.

We both pulled away short of breath and lay our foreheads against each other. We weren't ready to let go of each other just yet.

I asked myself how I was okay with being so close to him even after what he had just told me and I got just one answer in reply. Love. My love for David was so strong it could withstand anything. I had loved him from the moment I set my eyes in him and would continue to love him until the end of the world. I didn't care if the whole world only saw the negative side of David from now on. Anybody who knew him really well knew he was not that kind of person that the media played him out to be. David was not a thug, he was a lovely man who adored his family and friends. He was a hard worker who provided for his family even when times were tough.

"You're family is going to hate me now, so will George and all your friends." He expressed worriedly.

"No they won't because they already know you. You're not that David from five years ago. You're a different changed man and they see that. If they don't then screw them because I'm the one dating you, not them." I expressed passionately.

"I love you so much Tiny. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you. I cannot imagine not having you in my life." He claimed passionately.

"Well lucky you because you'll never have to find out what it's like not having me in your life feels like." I promised before we kissed again.

After that he readjusted us so that we were lying on the couch, more like he was lying on his back on the couch and I was lying on top of him facing up. His hands was secure around my waist and I played with the bracelet he was wearing.

"There's something you need to know." I said after we had been silent for a few minutes just soaking in each others presence.

"What is it?" He asked and his deep voice vibrated on his chest making my back tingle.

"Derek was behind everything. He was the one who leaked the information to the media." I informed him.

David cussed harshly and I allowed it to slide because I understood his frustration.

"I knew that little turd was up to no good. I mean I'm glad the information is out there now that we've spoken about it so there's no more secrets between us but still. I would have eventually told you everything but in a different way. This guy must really like you if he's going to this extents to ruin our relationship." David observed.

"He doesn't love me. He's just sick and obsessed. I just hope they catch him soon though. I'll not rest easy until I know that they have him in custody and he can finally stop messing with us."I raged on feeling angry.

"I'm more scare about what he'll do to you that what he can do to me. Obviously he will be angry when he realizes that his plan to separate us didn't work so what do you think he'll do next?" David asked and I let the reality of his question set in.

He was right, Derek's plan had failed and the psychopath in him would not be happy. He would definitely want to hit us again and probably with something bigger. I was getting scared just thinking what he would do next and I hoped he was caught before he got to act.

"Baby don't worry so much. I've got you and I won't let anything happen to you." He promised.

"You can't promise that. What if something happens to you?"I asked my voice getting clogged up.

"Nothing will happen to you or to me either but if I were to choose I'd choose you're safety over mine anytime." He assured me.

"Don't say that." I admonished.

He turned me around and hugged me to him my face nuzzled into his neck. I took a whiff of his male scent to help calm me. It didn't extinguish it all but it helped calm me down a bit from freaking out.

"I love you Tiny. Forever." He whispered his voice laden with so much emotion and promise.

"I love you too. Always." I vowed back and let myself enjoy the peace I felt at the moment because something in me told me that something worse was about to happen.

I really wanted to be wrong but that feeling wouldn't go away no matter how hard I tried to get rid of it. I hoped it was nothing but a silly intuition. I just wanted peace of mind with my family and the man I loved with any disturbance from psychopaths. That wasn't too much to ask was it?

**************************************

So that took a dark turn but it's okay. Hope for the best.

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