Veteran's Salvation

by Nicky Fox

  “What are you doing out of the hospital?” Apparently, I’ve regained control of my mouth. He stumbles closer to me. I take a step back.

  “I woke up. I discharged myself. The nurses said the police want to talk to me. I don’t feel like talking.” I think he’s trying to smile but I can’t tell. God, he looks like hell.

  “Why would you do that and why did you come here?” I’m so confused. None of this is making any sense. Blane must be high on pain meds. Honor trots over to the kitchen not sensing my unease about the situation. Secretly, I feel my pockets for my cell. It’s not there. It must be in the kitchen somewhere.

  The way Blane is looking at me doesn’t seem right. “It started with him and you. It’s all your fault. None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for you.” He’s scaring me. I step back and act like I’m just grabbing something from the kitchen, my phone. “Stop!” he yells. I halt and turn to see he’s holding a gun in his hand.

  “Blane? What are you doing?” I hold my hands up.

  “Come here.” He leers and motions with his gun. My skin crawls at the sound of his voice and I can’t get my feet to move toward him. I don’t know what to do. If I go with him he could take me somewhere and I’d never be heard from again. If I don’t, I risk being shot and dying. I’m not liking either of my options right now. I wait it out to see what he’ll do.

  “I said, come here, Lea. I’m not going to tell you again.” Tears threaten to fall, and a sob leaves my mouth. I don’t think I’m going to get out of this alive. Blane is not acting sane right now and who knows what he’s capable of. He looks unhinged. I slowly shuffle toward him. “That’s it. Come to daddy.” I’m repulsed. I almost gag. His hand seems uneasy on the trigger of the gun. It could go off at any second. As I look at it I wonder if I would be able to wrestle it out of his hands.

  I try to reason with him. Unfortunately, I have to seem accommodating. “Baby?” I almost gag at that word in reference to him. “Please put the gun down. It’s okay.” I place my hands in a calming gesture, but I can tell he’s not buying any of this. I guess he’s not as drugged as I hoped.

  “Uh-uh.” He wiggles the gun back and forth. A shot rings out and Blane grips the gun more securely. He just shot a hole through a wall in Jay’s living room. Thankfully, it wasn’t aimed at me at the time. Blane begins to laugh. God, he’s sick. I almost just peed in my pants and he thinks this is all funny. I’m scared to death. Honor rushes out and growls at Blane now.

  “No, Honor. Go girl. Go in the kitchen.” I point her toward the kitchen, but she doesn’t budge.

  “You better start moving and move fast. If that dog comes near me, I’m gonna shoot it. In fact, maybe that’ll leave a little message for your boyfriend.” He spits out the last word. I gasp and bend down to try and push Honor into the kitchen.

  Suddenly, I hear a crash. The front door bursts open hitting Blane, making him crash to the floor. I yelp and see Jay standing there with wild eyes. He sees Blane on the floor unconscious and rushes over to me. “Are you okay? I saw your car and a strange SUV in front of my house. I heard the gunshot and came running. Did he hurt you?” His hands glide down my body and it calms me. Jay is here, I’m saved.

  “You’re here.” Is all I can say. I was so terrified. I continue to glance over at Blane, still not comfortable with him lying there. The gun slid across the floor enough away that it’s not a threat. I embrace Jay and tell him I’m fine. “Go. Call the police. I’ll restrain him.” I rush to the kitchen and call 911.

  After that, it’s all a blur. Police surround the house. We hold our hands up and leave them to take Blane into custody. He’s rushed to the hospital and we’re taken to the station to be questioned. That’s when I learn that Blane has been accused of attempted rape. I nearly fall out of my seat when I hear the word. I never thought him capable of that, but I didn’t ever expect him to pull a gun on me either. I guess he knew he was going to jail, and he wasn’t in his right mind. He wanted revenge and he thought he could get it with Jay and me. I’m just glad his plan didn’t work out.

  The police are very diligent. I’m asked to go over and over exactly what happened. Jay holds my hand as I recount the terror I felt. He wipes my tears as they fall and embraces me when it’s hard to continue. It’s late in the evening when we are released. I’m reluctant to go back to Jay’s house so he grabs Honor and some clothes and stays the night with me.

  He holds me all night and makes me feel safe, whispering sweet words and telling me how proud he is of me and I did right in my actions. He says I’ll never have to see Blane again. That gives me some relief, although I might have to face him if there’s a trial. Jay seems to think there’s enough evidence that that won’t be an issue. That night he’s my rock, I can’t ever imagine letting him go.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jay

  Lea’s shook up for a few days. I stay at her place for the most part. The town is buzzing with the knowledge that their golden boy is going to jail for rape and attempted kidnapping. Ryan was never arrested or charged for the beating of Blane since Blane was smart enough to not press charges against him. He’s free to comfort Heather in her time of need. These hard times seem to bring out the true colors in people. It makes you realize what you truly have. Lea had my back.

  The fact that Lea was at my house to cheer me up and had made dinner for me because she heard about the firefighter job meant so much to me. Then, to see her scared and almost in the clutches of her deranged ex. My heart stopped, my stomach dropped, and I went into war zone mode. I heard the gunshot and surveyed my house through one of the front windows. Lea was there with her hands up and I saw that fucker with a gun pointed at her.

  I’m surprised I was able to keep my cool. My skin was crawling. I was suddenly on a mission to apprehend a target. Time stopped, and everything became second nature. I knew exactly what I needed to do; get her out of there and away from him. I took him out with the door, knowing he wouldn’t expect that.

  God, when I saw her face afterward it nearly broke me. She was so terrified, and she was crying. I can’t stand that woman crying. It’s worse than when I saw my mother cry. Lea has come to mean so much to me. In this short amount of time we have become reacquainted my feelings for her have grown into a love I’ve never known. Who am I kidding? I probably loved this girl way back in high school, but I was too much of a coward to really allow myself to feel for her. I knew I was leaving this town and I knew she couldn’t come with me, so I denied my feelings for her.

  I don’t know if her feelings are as strong as mine. I know Lea cares for me but that doesn’t equal love and she’s still in a fragile state. I don’t want to push her into anything. All I want to do is care for her, and make sure she’s safe. We’re supposed to have dinner with her mother tonight. I think I might be the one in need of protection this evening. I have an inkling her mom doesn’t like me.

  Even though I was proved to be innocent in the beating of Blane, I still fought him the night before and I didn’t attend my own mother’s funeral. I can’t do much about either. Benny hasn’t reached out to me about the position, so I’m guessing it’s still off the table for now. I’ll just have to be patient and I’m sure people will come around eventually.

  That’s another thing Lea has given me: hope. She’s given me something to hope for, to look forward to, to fight for. I would’ve left town a while ago if she wasn’t here. But she’s worth it. I want to win her. I need to take it easy with her right now. But she’s mine. Lea might not know it yet, but she will. I’ll prove myself to her. Then, I’ll make her mine.

  We arrive at her mother’s house both a little weary. I know Lea’s nervous about this. She’s hinted to the fact that her mother is on the fence about me. She’s probably heard the rumors. I’m already feeling defensive and I’ve just approached the front door.

  Lea steps right into her childhood home. I wipe my feet on the mat and follow in after her. It’s just as I remember. All the furniture i
s the same, even the smell. Except it’s mixed with garlic and the smell is coming from the kitchen. It smells delicious.

  “Hey, come on in,” her mother calls from the kitchen. The hall seems long and like I’m walking to meet my maker, but I continue on. “Well, hi there, Jay.” She rounds the island and spreads her arms wide for a hug. That’s surprising. The shock must show on my face because she hesitates. “Don’t you remember me?”

  “Oh. Yes, ma’am, Mrs. Sing, I remember you.” After she hugs me, Mrs. Sing pats me on my chest.

  “You can call me Debra. Now, come on in. I’ve made spaghetti.” Shocked, I look to Lea. She simply shrugs and looks as confused as I am. Maybe her mom is giving me a real chance? Or maybe Lea spoke with her before we came over. Either way, it’s going well so far. I don’t feel like I’m in a field of landmines.

  After dinner, we all sit down in her formal living room and it’s pretty uneventful. We have a casual conversation about what Lea’s been up to with her photography business and then we get to the topic of my mother.

  “I’m so sorry about your mom, Jay.” She sounds sincere and I tell her thank you for her condolences. Lea goes on to explain that I was recovering in a hospital when the funeral took place and didn’t know about it until I woke from surgery. “That must’ve been traumatic for you, dear. How horrible to find out that way.” Debra pats me on the shoulder and offers me some peach cobbler.

  I quickly change the subject to my new dog, Honor. Her mom seems delighted to hear that I have a companion. I guess Leah’s not the only one who loves dogs as well. “I’ve thought about getting one again. I’m here all alone now. After Walter died it was tough. I should visit the shelter soon.” Lea and I nod in unison. We’ve signed up to volunteer there once a week.

  Debra doesn’t bring up the attack from Blane at my house. I know Lea has spoken with her over the phone about it. I’m sure Lea asked her not to bring it up. But before we leave, Debra pulls me aside and thanks me for saving her daughter. She hugs me and we both say goodbye.

  When we’re at Lea’s apartment she tells me that her mother gave her approval on our relationship. Tension that I didn’t know was in my shoulders slowly eases. What a relief. I know this girl is it for me. If everything goes as planned, her mom might be walking her down the aisle one day. I want to make sure we have her blessing. I know how important her mom is to her. Now, if I can just let Lea know how important she is to me.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lea

  It’s been a few weeks since the incident with Blane. I was finally able to visit Jay’s place again. The door was repaired and the blood on his floor cleaned. It looks as if it was all just a nightmare. Jay slept on my couch for the first week. I was still visibly shaken and needed to feel safe. It was nice having him there. Some nights I heard him call out in his sleep for his friend Chad.

  A couple of times, I tried to wake him but that was worse. Jay acted like he was in a battle zone and woke up sweating and pushed me aside to protect me from the blast. Needless to say, he was out of it and felt guilty after seeing me on the floor. I decided it’s better to let him sleep through it. I worry about him though. Other nights he would wander around the apartment like he was on watch.

  He started sleeping at his place after he got a really bad crick in his neck from sleeping on my couch. He could barely move his head. I felt so bad, I sent him home. It was tough that first night but I’m glad I did it. There’s a feeling of normalcy. Jay installed extra locks on my front door which helped. He really cares about my safety. He’s a soldier through and through, always on the ready to defend or save me. It sends butterflies through my stomach.

  I’m at Jay’s house for dinner tonight. He wanted to cook me dinner for a change. He’s been so patient with me. We’ve been dating for a few weeks now and my sex drive has been nonexistent since that horrible episode. I’m watching him bend over the stove and things are definitely heating up.

  “Damn, I got sauce on my shirt.” He pulls the tight white shirt over his head. His chest is on display for me and my mouth waters. My panties immediately dampen. I squeeze my legs together to ease the ache. I’m sitting on one of his bar stools on the other side of the kitchen. If I was anywhere near him I would be too tempted to lay my hands on him. I clench my fists.

  He throws his shirt in the laundry room adjacent to the kitchen. That man looks good in jeans hung low on his waist. When he turns back to the stove I see the large expanse of his back. My gaze travels down to the dimples just above his fine ass. Biting my lip, I adjust in my seat. What is wrong with me? It’s like I haven’t seen him almost every day for the past few weeks. Something has awoken in me today, that’s for sure.

  He plates our meal and carries them over to the table. “Dinner is served.” I just want to spread my legs and tell him the same thing. Instead, I nod and sit across from him. I take one bite and try not to scrunch my face or gag. It’s horrible. I watch him take his bite.

  “Oh God. That’s terrible. I’m sorry, Lea. I followed my mama’s recipe.” He shoves his plate away and pulls out his phone. I spit into my napkin.

  “Well, it’s the thought that counts. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it, eventually.”

  “Until then, I’ll just have to order pizza.” I laugh, and he orders us two large pizzas. I usually only eat two slices. When I tell him this, he nods and says he knows. The rest is for him.

  We sit on the couch with our pizza and watch Stranger Things. I’ve seen the first season and convinced him he had to too. He’s slowly eating his pizza, enraptured with the show. I scooch next to him and brush my breast against his arm. Jay’s eyes snap to mine. His head follows but his hand that’s holding a slice of pizza does not. There’s a string of cheese connecting from his mouth to the pizza. He’s utterly adorable. I smile shyly. He chomps the cheese in his mouth swiftly and gulps.

  “You okay?” Jay asks.

  “Mhmm,” I answer. He nods his head and focuses back on the show. Slowly, I drape my leg over his lap. Jay peeks down and rests his hand on my leg. Then, he puts the last slice of pizza down and reclines on the couch. He looks nervous and it makes me giggle.

  “What’s funny?” Jay’s looking at the show thinking he missed something which makes me giggle more.

  “Nothing.” I finally rest my head on his shoulder and my hand on his chest. We’re snuggling on the couch. It feels so right. Honor is at our feet fast asleep and I can’t help to think that this place suddenly feels like home to me. Jay feels like home.

  His hand moves up my leg and cups my ass. I take that as a green light and move to straddle his lap. “Wait,” Jay blurts out. I still. Did I read him wrong?

  “Let me pause the show. It’s good.” He chuckles. Relief fills me, and I laugh along with him. Then, his eyes grow serious. His hands come to my hips and he pushes them down as his hips come up. “This feels familiar.” I think about the last time we were making out on his couch and my panties become wet. He touched me without asking anything in return. Now, I want to give him something. I move off him.

  His mouth forms an O, surprised by my action it stays that way while I kneel before him. Unbuckling his jeans and pulling down his zipper, I’m surprised to see he’s commando. Then, I notice his size. His cock is huge. Jay pulls himself out of his jeans because he’s that big.

  “Is this all for me?” I pant.

  “Yours,” he whispers.

  I grab his shaft and slowly squeeze at the base. My fingers aren’t able to touch. I give him a long languid pull. Jay groans.

  “Fuck, Lea.” This spurs me on and I begin to lick around the mushroom head. Pre-cum is leaking out and I give it a taste. He’s salty and yummy on my tongue. I suck him in my mouth and gag on his length, while I stroke him with my hand at his base. “Yeah, baby. Just like that.”

  His voice is raspy and sexy. That’s how he sounds when he first wakes up. My pussy clenches with need as I suck him off. Slurping sounds echo through the room. I behold the s
exy man in front of me as I give him head. Jay’s broad muscular chest is bare and his six-pack contracts with my sucking. There’s a trail of hair that leads to the promised land. He’s a sight to behold. He moans and then pushes at my shoulders.

  “I don’t want to come yet.” He stands and removes his jeans. Abruptly, I’m being thrown over his shoulder and slapped on my ass. Since my face is near his fine butt, I slap his too. Damn. It’s firm. I can imagine his ass cheeks contracting as he fucks me. I shiver. “I want you in my bed,” he says. I don’t argue.

  Jay walks us to his room and plops me on his bed. Honor follows us up the stairs, but he shoos her out and closes the door. He stalks toward me. His steps sure and a smirk to match. “I want to take off your clothes and worship your body.” I moan at his words.

  “Yes, please,” I answer. I’m not sure if it was a question but I want him to know I want this. I’m ready. His hands come to rest on my waist. He traces the line of my jeans until he comes to the button. Jay unsnaps it with the flick of his fingers. I raise my butt so he can pull them off me. He caresses back up my legs and his face leans down to my mound. I spread my legs wide to allow him access.

  “You smell so good, baby.” Oh. I love it when he calls me that. Small kisses trail all around my panties making me squirm under his touch. “You like that? You want me to lick your pussy until you give me your nectar?”

  “Jay.” I writhe underneath his touch. “Please kiss me.”

  “Where? Tell me, baby.” His raspy voice vibrates against my mound causing me to moan again.

  “Please, lick my pussy. I want to feel your tongue.” Jay growls and tears at my panties. He discards them on the side of the bed.

  “Damn. I love it when you say dirty shit like that.” He strokes himself at the sight of my pussy bare before him. Light kisses pepper my legs until he finally reaches my core, planting a big kiss on my exposed clit. I shudder. His firm tongue moves up the length of my pussy and I’m undone. I’ve never felt this exposed before. It’s completely erotic and sensual.