It was stupid, but it was something tangible I could do to maybe brighten her day. She’d spent a full month straight in the hospital the first go around. We’d thought the cancer was gone, but it came back, and with no insurance now because she maxed out the plan previously, my parents couldn’t afford another stint in the hospital.
Being away from her during this round of chemo was going to be hard. And not even knowing if the medicine was working or not, well, that was going to be harder. Hopefully, I’d get to call them. If that meant dealing with some stupid games with Garrett, so be it. I needed to talk to my mom.
This was why I was on a beachside house with a man I didn’t even know who apparently was going to break me in. That phrase bothered me something fierce.
No one would break me. I’d come out of this with my head held high. Screw all of them.
Turning off the water, I got out and toweled off, then put on some pajamas. I was done for the day and ready to sleep away everything. The more I slept, the faster time would pass. Right?
Climbing under the covers, I tried to shut my brain off and listen to the waves. It didn’t work. Hours I laid there and sleep wouldn’t come, but there was a certain peace that came over me. Not a cleansing, but a calm. So I didn’t move, soaking it in.
The darkness fell over the room, and I remained still.
It wasn’t until hours later I heard Garrett moving in the room and then the bed suppressing as he entered my space. I pretended to be asleep, not wanting to get into anything with him. In this serene place, I didn’t want anything to screw it up, and Garrett could do that with ease. All he had to do was open his mouth.
It was very difficult not allowing my body to tense when he pressed his hard body against me. It took more energy to fake being still than I imagined. This sneaky shit wasn’t in my personality. I’d never had to fake anything before.
The shorts I wore to bed rode up, and his fingertips glided up and down softly. This I couldn’t fake because the goose bumps rising from my skin gave me away.
His touch was electric, desire hitting me hard and fast.
His lips came over my ear as he whispered, “Your skin’s so soft, kitten.”
Cue more shivers.
I could feel his hard length at my ass which only aroused me more. It had been so long since I felt wanted. I tried really hard to keep my body still, but I couldn’t help it.
This wasn’t right. It needed to stop. “Please stop.”
“You sure you want that?” He breathed in my ear.
“Yes.”
His arm wrapped around my middle and pulled me even closer to him.
Ten minutes passed.
Twenty.
Thirty.
I felt his breathing even out.
He didn’t touch me, only held me.
He cooked for me. He engaged me in general conversation. He shared moments with me. He gave me both peace and fear. My emotions when Garrett was in the room or in my space were heightened.
He wasn’t like Mr. Beacon. Nope, I had hatred for him. Garrett, I didn’t altogether hate. Rather, I couldn’t figure out his game.
Garrett was something else.
The dawn of a new day was upon me. Garrett was up, and the bed was cold beside me. On a sigh, I got up. It could be worse, I reminded myself.
After all, I just knew life with Charles Beacon would not be on a beach with a hot man like I had now. Going to the bathroom, I used the facilities, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and got dressed. Needing a casual feel between us, I wore my favorite denim capris that I rolled into a capped bottom with a basic black tank top that had a scoop neck. Sliding on my knockoff Sperry boating shoes, and pulling my hair into a high ponytail, I was ready to see what today would bring.
In the kitchen, Garrett stood with his back to me. He wore only a pair of low slung basketball shorts. His back, like the rest of him, was toned and well defined. The old English script of Monroe across his shoulder blades had me wondering if that was his last name. There were bubbled areas of old scars across the entire expanse of his back. Beneath the name was an intricate design of a compass with longitude and latitude degrees on each side. In script toward the right bottom of the compass were the words, guide me, keep me, forever with thee, I will be.
I didn’t speak as I was entranced by the ink that covered this man’s body. He turned and spoke, bringing my attention to his face.
“Like what you see, kitten?”
I didn’t reply. Instead, I shook my head and kept my eyes locked to his. He had so many tattoos, and I wanted to ask about each one, but it would be wasted. My time here was not going to last, nor would anything; even a friendship with Garrett would not withstand what was to come. After all, I was only here until Beacon summoned me to him. Therefore, it was not a good idea to allow myself to get mixed up with him further.
“Breakfast is almost ready.”
“I’m not hungry. I’ll just have some coffee,” I said softly.
“Oh, kitten, with what I have planned for the day, you will need your energy. You will eat, have some coffee, and then you may call your mother.”
My heart skipped a beat. My emotions welled up, creating a lump in my throat. “I’m really not hungry.” I choked out each word. “May I please just call home?”
He shook his head. “Your phone call may last long, so first you eat, then you call.”
The smell of coffee entered the air, and I felt my stomach burn with a twinge of hunger. I decided I would eat whatever this deliciousness was and then call my family.
In a few moments, Garrett placed a hot cup of coffee in front of me at the kitchen island before turning his back to me again. I sipped the hot brew noting he knew exactly how I took my coffee, cream and sugar, as he plated food and placed both dishes on the countertop before moving around the island beside me.
The waffles were dark in color and sprinkled with powdered sugar. On the top were strawberries with a chocolate drizzle. I blinked, unsure what to do. I had never had such a beautiful plate in front of me, much less expected to eat a work of art.
“Mocha infused waffles with a slight chocolate drizzle,” he explained, sitting beside me. “They aren’t overly sweet, but filled with flavor. Since you like coffee, I’m certain these will hit the spot.”
I blinked.
I blinked again.
Did this man have three heads? Nope, but damn he knew how to cook.
Bite after bite, I devoured the meal. When I finished, I got up to take our plates away, but Garrett reached out, grabbing my wrist and stopping me.
“You call your mom, and I’ll clean up.”
Normally, I would refuse such kindness. After all, he cooked. I should do the dishes, but I wanted to talk to my mom or dad, desperately.
So I let him clean up while I jumped from my spot and moved to the wall where the phone was plugged in. I sat at the bar space and picked up the receiver. I was shaking as I heard the dial tone.
He kept his word.
I was too anxious to hear their voices to let it all sink in. With trembling fingers, I dialed.
The operator interrupted with some message.
“Dial zero, one, one, one, and the area code, followed by the number.”
I wasn’t in the United States anymore. For a moment, the fear crept in, but I pushed it down because it didn’t matter where I was; I needed to hear my mom’s voice. I was supposed to be in California. That was what Charles Beacon laid out. If I wasn’t where he thought I would be, what did that mean for my mom? What did it mean that I was here? How did this happen?
Following his instructions, I felt my heart skip a beat at that first ring. Then when my dad answered, the tears automatically fell in streams down my face.
“Dad,” I choked out.
“Enissa, tell me, are you okay?” The worry was laced in every word.
“Yes, Dad, I’m okay.”
“Beacon, is he being kind to you?”
“I’m not with
him.”
“What!” Dad shrieked. “Where are you? Are you safe? He made this agreement, and he can’t change the terms on a whim.”
“Dad, it’s okay, really.” I tried to console him as I also worked to get my emotions under control. While I knew this wasn’t what I expected from Charles Beacon and our agreement, I couldn’t say I was disappointed by the turn of things. Garrett had been nothing like I expected to face so far.
“It’s so good to hear your voice,” he wept.
“Yours too, Dad. How’s Mom?”
I heard the rustling of the phone.
“I’m right here, sweetheart. I’m good, baby girl.”
That was my mom, always so uplifting. I was certain everyone felt their mom was the strongest person they knew. In my case, it wasn’t about feelings—it was fact.
She was stronger than anyone, anything, and stronger than this cancer. I had to believe it because anything less simply wouldn’t do.
“Are you back on the treatment schedule?” I asked because this was all for her treatment. If Beacon hadn’t kept up his end of the deal, then I would be devastated.
“Yes, and we’re waiting to confirm but, Enissa, they think they have a match.”
Joy filled my heart. I knew the disappointment that would follow if this fell through, but right now I had joy, and I was going to hold onto it with everything inside me.
“That is amazing! When will you know? I’ll be sure I can call.”
I didn’t elaborate to tell them I had to earn my calls. The last thing I wanted was for them to worry about me. I needed all of their energy on getting my mom better.
“Three days,” she told me proudly. “Thank you, Enissa. I know this is far from ideal and certainly not what any of us wanted. I just want you to know it’s appreciated. We love you.”
The emotions were overwhelming.
“I love you both. I’ll call again soon,” I whispered, knowing I needed to let them go and get myself together.
Hanging up the receiver, I glanced up to find Garrett’s eyes locked on me. His gaze was intense.
The room filled with tension, but not the uncomfortable kind.
Swallowing back everything, I met his gaze.
“Family over everything,” the words tumbled out as I composed myself.
He smirked. “You have no idea.”
10
Garrett
There were many things in life people took for granted. There were many more things that people expected automatically, like they were entitled. I didn’t take anything as an absolute in my life. I had lost too much. I wasn’t promised shit in this world. So I made life work my way. Where others manipulated and underappreciated, I had one word that was the core of everything to me.
Family.
It was something the average person said mattered most, but their actions never showed it. It was something the unscarred people didn’t question. Family wasn’t a word to me—it was a choice. I chose who mattered. I picked who counted, and I never once let them question it.
Loyalty.
To the regular individual, this didn’t need to be doubted. To the fulfilled person, this was without a doubt something that came naturally. I didn’t give my loyalty out freely. It was a gift. The handful of people who had it, though, they knew it.
Sacrifice.
A word that held more weight than fucking gold. What would you be willing to sacrifice for the ones you loved?
I found people loved to shout poetically their devotion. Oh, I would die for you. But really, when shit hit the fan what would they sacrifice for you?
Enissa had given up her freedom to give her mom a chance … not a guarantee, but a chance at life. She wasn’t doing this for her own personal gain. She gave up her world as she knew it to a stranger all to give her mom a chance for a cure, a chance for good health, and more importantly—a chance for more time. Tomorrow wasn’t promised. Living on hope, Enissa took a leap all for her mother.
Nowhere in the agreement did Enissa get paid a single cent. There were no addendums giving a single thing to Enissa other than her provisions under her stay with Beacon unless the man died, then she would be provided for like a widow. She was doing everything within her power to try to give her mom more time in this life.
We got one life.
She was giving hers so that she could simply live on borrowed time a little longer.
That was love.
That was loyalty.
And that damn sure proved family was everything to the woman in front of me.
Her sacrifice was more than I ever thought a human being capable of giving. It was awe-inspiring.
The woman whose eyes were puffy and still fighting back more tears, but she never let them fall. The woman who stood in front of me in capris and a tank top, no makeup, and her hair pulled back looking like the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. The woman who encompassed every value that mattered to me stood right here in front of me. Yes, she was mine for the taking, only we weren’t there yet.
“I have some business to handle. Enjoy your day, Enissa,” I told her, pushing off from the counter and heading to my office.
I wasn’t going to work today. I planned to spend the day on the beach with her, but after that call she needed some time, some space. I also needed to check in on some things back home. Frankly, I wasn’t going to go this far and let anything slip up.
Once in the office, I made the necessary calls and then sat back. I had left the Zippo lighter in here on my desk. Lifting it, the weight brought me comfort.
This little piece of metal encapsulated so many memories for the four of us. It was a physical representation of our freedom.
Leaning forward, I picked up the phone receiver on my desk and dialed.
Dane answered on the third ring.
“Beacon needs to be informed,” I told him, to which he chuckled.
“Damn, didn’t even take a week.”
It was my turn to laugh. “Told you before I left, I already knew how this shit was going to go down. Now I’m letting you know everything is a go.”
“Consider it done,” he replied, and we clicked off.
Only when I struck the flint after ending the call and watched the flames dance could I do so with an ease in my soul.
Family over everything.
Enissa would learn just how much power those words held in due time.
Checking in via email with my office, I looked over the documents that needed finalizing and basically spent a few hours keeping things on track. With Dane reaching out to Beacon, I wasn’t sure how the elder man would react. I was fairly certain he would seek retribution. I was also confident that what I had done would be a blow to his already fragile ego, an ego that had fueled more than one bad decision for the man.
It was his greatest weakness.
He would soon learn.
Moving back to the kitchen, I set about cooking dinner. Tonight I was not making my grandmother’s recipes, but rather one from a local restaurant in town from when I had my first vacation here. After eating this I befriended the chef, and he shared all the tips with me.
Money bought a lot of things. While it never earned happiness, it certainly made sure I ate fucking well.
Preheating the oven, I got started. In a bowl I combined fresh crab meat, cream cheese, Amish butter, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and celery seed. Once mixed together, I cut a pocket into each salmon fillet and filled it with the mixture. Getting the salmon fillets on the pan, I slid them in the oven to bake until the fish just began to flake. This was key, I had learned.
While the salmon baked, I made a fresh arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, topped with a lemon juice and olive oil dressing.
I just finished plating the dishes when I saw Enissa make her way to the house from the beach. She wore the same bikini from yesterday, and my cock instantly hardened. The fatigue of the day showed on her features as I carried the plates out of the back door to the terrace.
“I could cook for you,” she said as I pulled out a chair for her to sit. “I’m not a professional. I’m not even that great, but I could cook.” She was rambling. It was cute.
I tilted my head a little, thrown off by her offer.
No one cooked for me except Ellen Sue. Not since my grandmother did someone make a meal specifically intended to feed me. Suddenly it dawned on me, with each meal I had prepared for Enissa, I did so with her in mind. I wouldn’t dare tell her this, though. The woman had this power over me to actually want to impress her. This was foreign to me, and I wasn’t about to share it.
She studied the plates as I poured a glass of wine for us both. When I sat down, I waited for her to eat. She watched me.
“Eat, Enissa. We’ve already established I’m not going to poison you.”
She looks at me nervously. “Maybe I should change.” She tried to distract me.
“No, you will eat.”
Still, she hesitated.
“What’s wrong, kitten?” I tried a subtle approach.
“I don’t like seafood,” she blurted out and covered her face.
I laughed. “Try it.”
“No,” she challenged.
“Seafood that smells and tastes fishy is not done properly. I assure you this will be the best salmon you’ve ever had. If it’s not, I’ll throw a pizza in the oven. But I know seafood, and this isn’t going to be an overpowering taste like you assume.”
She looked at her plate and then back at me before she finally took a bite. I watched her eyes light up as the flavors no doubt exploded in her mouth.
“See, you should trust me more often,” I teased while she continued to eat.
We relaxed and enjoyed the meal and the sunset on the terrace together. I made notice, she didn’t leave one bite on her plate.
As we made our way inside, I followed her to our bedroom. She went to the bathroom, showered and changed while I went to the guest room to do the same. Part of me wanted to invade her space and shower alongside her, but today was not the day for that.
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