“I noticed the asshole had bruised knuckles, and he smelled of sex. Anyone else notice anything?” I said.
“Not yet. Want to get into the pictures,” Joey said.
“All right, heading back home.” I started heading back to Mary’s. I heard Joey snickering behind me.
“Something to say?” I asked him. Joey was everyone’s kid brother and could be the most immature guy around. But he was an excellent operative. I’d trusted him with my life many times.
“Nope. Just good to see you happy,” he said. I shook my head. I wanted to hurry up and get back to Mary. I was hoping she would like what I’d planned for the day.
I found parking close to Mary’s place; the spot my car had been in was still there, and I left it open for Lego to park in. We walked in to the house. Mary and Oatmeal were in the lounge, talking. “Hiya,” I said.
“Hey,” she said. She reached up for me and I gave her a small kiss on the lips.
“Let me get out of this. We’ll wait for Lego and then wrap things up and go. Okay?”
“Yeah,” she said. I went and changed while Oatmeal and Joey packed up the coms and the glasses I had been wearing. I walked back out and Lego walked in.
“All good,” he said. He handed his coms off.
“Mary, honey?” I called to her.
“Yeah.” She got up and walked closer to me.
“Do you have any comfortable workout clothes? Did you want to get together a bag so you can shower and change?” I asked her.
“Sure.” She went into her room and started getting a bag together.
I turned to the guys. “You all got this?” I asked.
“Yup. See you around,” Joey said and went back to the van.
“She’s great, Ammo. You are very lucky,” Oatmeal said, slapping me on the back as he left.
“I am going to head over to Tarzan’s and bring some food for them. I know they will not want to cook. I hope they will eat. I will also see if there are any chores or things that need to be taken care of.” Lego gave me my keys back and fist bumped me on his way out.
I was glad he was going to check on Tarzan. We would all be over at Tarzan and Jenn’s to support them. I knew he was heartbroken that he was losing the love of his life. I would have to support him through this.
“Ben, I am ready.” She came out from her room. I turned to face her. She saw the tears in my eyes and pulled me into her arms. “I am so sorry, Ben. While you were gone, I texted with the ladies to let them know about Jenn and Tarzan. We will make sure they are taken care of.”
“Thanks, Mary. It’s good to know. Let’s get going.”
I took her bag from her hand and we headed to my car. I drove towards Forces. I needed a workout and I wanted to see what she knew. She had told me she had taken a self-defense class, but I doubted it met my standards.
She was quiet while I drove. “Are you okay, Mary?” I asked her as I held her hand.
“I have a lot on my mind, I guess,” she said and looked out her window.
“What’s on your mind? Please talk to me. Really, you can’t say anything wrong.” I could tell she was holding back.
She blew out a breath while she decided to lay it all out. “Well, I am wondering what stuff you need to bring to move in. How to make it fit. I need your help to move stuff around in my garage so we can fit your car in there. I am thinking about a wedding for us. Then I am thinking it’s all too much and too soon. That I am nuts for thinking all of this. Then I think how can we raise a baby in my house as I have it set up now? I don’t have the money right now to remodel the house again. See? Too much,” she said, giving my hand a squeeze.
“I will be happy to help you move stuff around in the garage so we can fit my car in. It’s no problem. I will probably get Joey or Oatmeal to help me. I will also have them help get my clothes, my kitchen stuff, and my recliner to your house when you are ready for me to be there. I did say when. There is no rush. As far as a wedding, whatever you want. My guest list is easy. I have no family to invite, just everyone at Forces, Hunt, Eve, Charlotte, her girls, and Charity. Honestly, whatever you want. If you want a big church with a big party, fine. If you want to go to the courthouse, fine. It’s about you and whatever you want.” I glanced over at her. She was still staring out the window as the city went by.
“Mary, we will make your house work for us as a family; I know a few contractors. I know it means so much to raise your family there. We will make it ours.” I wished she would look at me. I heard her snuffle. “Mary, look at me. Please,” I tried to say softly. She had tears running down her cheeks.
“Sweetheart, everything will be fine. We will face everything together.” I kissed her hand as we waited for the light to turn green.
“What if I can’t work? How will I eat? Babies are expensive. Everything will cost money. I have a little but not ...” She was still panicking.
“Mary, honey. I have money. If you were to stop working tomorrow and never worked again, it would be fine. I can take care of us and any children we have. Please stop worrying. We will figure everything out together. And if we can’t, well, I know lots of people that will help us. Rosa and her family, everyone at Forces, and if that still is not enough, I have resources to find the help. Honey, please don’t worry.”
“Are you sure?” She was skeptical.
“Yes. Domino pays me very well. I live in that apartment virtually rent free. I have my Navy pension. I also own some apartment buildings, a commercial building, and two houses in Morgan Park that I collect rent on. I put almost everything in the bank. Mary, if we both quit working tomorrow, we would be able to live in one of those homes you go to for your clients, dress just as fancy as they do, and eat caviar and champagne for the rest of lives and still have money left over.” I had pulled into my garage and was able to look at her. She was looking at me with her eyes open wide.
“Really, Mary. Everything will be fine. Please stop worrying.” I kissed her hand again.
“I don’t know what to say now. You have floored me.”
“Say, ‘Ben, I love you. I will do my best not to worry.’” I smiled at her.
She laughed. “I love you, Ben. I will do my best not to worry.” I was glad to see her happy again.
“Good. I love you too. So, have you any idea what we are doing here?” I asked her.
“No, but I figured you would tell me.” We got out of the car.
I took her hand and led her into the Forces side of the building and down to the gym. I was supposed to be supervising Sarah’s team and a few others. We got downstairs; everyone was spread out on the mats. I led her to the locker room. “Go change into your workout clothes. Wait for me here if I am not back by the time you are done.” I kissed her and let her go. I went into the men’s locker room and put on a Navy T-shirt and gym shorts. I had a stash of clothes in my locker so I could be ready without running to my apartment.
I went back out and she was not there yet. I headed over to Amber and Sarah. “How are you ladies today? How does everyone look?”
“Shit news about Jenn. We are working out a schedule to cook and clean for them. The guys will be on rotation to help with yardwork and whatever else they need done. We are getting closer to winter; snow will be here at some point. Other than that, good,” Amber answered with her arms over her chest. Her ponytail bobbed as she talked.
“I sent out a call for prayer to my mother and Ape’s mother. It was all I knew to do. My team is okay, but I think the news about Tarzan is on their minds,” Sarah said as she watched her guys. I looked on with her and saw what she meant.
“I was wondering if you two would help me out with something? I brought Mary with me today. She has told me that she has had some self-defense courses, but you know how I feel about that. Could you two take her down to my training room and work with her for a bit? While you do, I will beat on your guys for you.”
“Sure, we can do that,” Sarah said, nodding her head with Amber’s.
> “Be happy to. Though it’s Saturday. Is she going to join us for Charity’s yoga session?” Amber asked.
“I would like her to, but it is up to her.” I saw her waiting by the locker room.
“Charlotte and Eve are joining us today. I think she might like that. I will talk her into it,” Sarah said.
“Sounds like a plan. Let me introduce you both to her.” I walked them over to Mary.
“Mary, these are Amber and Sarah. They are going to work with you down stairs for a while. I will come see how you are doing in a little bit, okay?” I kissed the top of her head.
“Come on, Mary, we got lots to talk about,” Amber said, taking her arm and leading her away.
“I promise we will do some work with her, Ammo.” Sarah smirked at me and followed them downstairs. I was rethinking this idea of mine. It was too late. I turned around, went back to the guys, and started working with them.
Chapter 22
Mary
“This is Ammo’s training room. He brings clients and people to train here that would not be comfortable in a group. It’s also used for overflow if too many of us show up. And whatever he does on his own in here,” Sarah explained as my eyes fell on the punching bag hanging from the ceiling.
“He wanted us to see what you know about self-defense. On the other hand, we want to know about how things are going with you two? And most importantly, the sex!” This came from Amber. She was very bold and outspoken. I liked her very much.
“I have taken a few of the classes offered by the Evanston Police Department. I can get away from an attacker. The police officer who ran the class often asked me to assist him,” I said. I didn’t know what they wanted to know about me and Ben. I had not had girlfriends to gossip with in a long time.
“Okay, so how would you get out of this?” Amber said as she and Sarah ambushed me. I evaded both.
“Excellent. What do you do if someone does this to you?” Sarah came behind me and got me in a chokehold. “Please just say what you would be doing, don’t hit me.”
“First I try to get a hand here against your arm so you can’t tighten on my throat. I then elbow you in the gut. I slam my foot into your instep. You should be letting me go enough so I can bash my head into your nose, then I turn knee you in the groin and run. As far as yelling for help, the officer explained it depends on the situation. If you are on the street, it should draw real help. If you are in a closed location like a house, you want to wait till you are far enough away so that it doesn’t draw the attacker’s friends.”
“Very good,” Sarah said, then she took me down and pinned me to the mat. “You did fail to answer the question about you and Ammo. So, spill.” Sarah held me and as much as I fought, I figured I would not be getting out until she decided to let me up.
“I love him,” I said. She instantly let me go. She moved to a sitting position and Amber sat next to her. I sat up.
“And he loves you, we know. How was the sex?” Amber asked.
I looked at them. I hesitated.
“Mary, think of us as your sisters. We would never hurt you by betraying your trust. Ammo is our brother. And from everything we have heard about you, we want you to be a part of us. He put you in our texting tree, for goodness’ sakes. Whatever you share with us stays with us, or at least with the Forces Ladies. You have seen the texting tree; that’s how we are. Okay?”
“I am trying. I am really overwhelmed with how I feel, how he feels. Our relationship is moving so fast. I might be pregnant after our only night together. He is so sweet and doing his best to reassure me. He told me to stop worrying. But it’s really hard.”
“Did she just say she might be pregnant?” Amber asked Sarah.
“Yes, she did. And she is freaking out,” Sarah said. “Mary, do you want kids?” She looked at me when she asked.
“Yes, I would be thrilled with a baby. It’s just this is all so fast,” I said.
“Who says it’s fast or slow? Who is judging your relationship? Are there relationship police that come and say what’s too soon, what’s right, what’s wrong?” Sarah asked.
“We are a different breed of people. We have seen things, done things, that make us see things in a different light now. We know that change happens in the blink of an eye. You have to live in the moment, so you don’t miss out,” Amber said.
“I hear what you both and Ben are saying, but my brain is just not accepting it. Yes, I know there are no relationship police,” I laughed at that, “But I am just trying to sort it all in my head.” I was just overwhelmed.
“Okay, let’s break everything down. Answer as simply as possible. How do you feel about Ammo?” Sarah asked.
“I love him,” I answered.
“Where do you want your relationship with him to go?” Amber asked.
“Living together and marriage. Children, if we are so blessed.” I answered.
“How does Ammo feel about you?” Sarah asked.
“He loves me.” I answered.
“Where does he want your relationship to go?” Amber asked.
“Living together, marriage, kids,” I said. I saw what they were doing. It was really making me think and listen to what he was telling me.
“How did he take it when you figured out you might be pregnant?” Sarah asked.
“Calm, happy.” I smiled as I remember our lovemaking.
“So why aren’t you?” Sarah asked.
“Because I am worrying about what-ifs that do not matter.” I realized what I was doing. I needed to focus on the good things that were happening and not worry about anything else until it actually happened. I smiled.
“We did it! We got her happy again!” Amber high fived Sarah. I laughed at them.
“You still have not answered. How was the sex?” Amber asked.
I smiled. I really liked these ladies. I was going to enjoy having all the Forces ladies as friends. “Amazing. I have never come so hard in my life.” I blushed as I talked.
“Ha! I knew it!” Amber said. We all laughed.
“Can I ask you about Ben? I know how he is with me, but how is he with you?” I asked.
“Well, he is really hard on us when it comes to training. He has many awards and is an instructor for Krav Maga. The Krav Maga is a military and police form of martial arts. He really is amazing in that sense. He’s gruff, quiet. You listen when he speaks. He tends to hold himself apart from the group. I think he does that because he feels responsible for us. If we get hurt, he thinks he didn’t train us enough. Tarzan is the only one who he really talks to. He must be beside himself for Tarzan and Jenn right now,” Sarah said
“He is handling it okay. But part of it is he doesn’t know what to do. He can’t fix this,” I said.
“Makes sense. I noticed he will carry guilt when something happens to one of us. You remember when Ape got shot?” Amber asked Sarah.
“Yeah, how can anyone forget?” She shook her head.
“I caught Ammo in here. He was pounding on the sandbag. It was like he was trying to pound out the guilt. That will be something you have to watch for, Mary. He will need help with his guilt.” Amber looked at me to make sure I understood what she was saying.
“I will do my best to help him,” I promised.
“In the years I have known him, he has never been with a woman. Never a girlfriend or fling. He has been happy the last few weeks. He was humming the other day. And you have been brought up in our weekly meetings.” Amber laughed.
“I have known him for ten years. I also have never seen him with a girl. I did notice he was happier. Tarzan brought up that you and Ammo had been talking three weeks and no date. Ammo surprised us all and opened up that he had never had a relationship. So, he didn’t know how to ask you out,” Sarah explained.
“I think he is really awesome. I knew he was different from the rest of the guys the first time I talked to him. He was almost teenager-like at times. I loved that he was so real with me, so honest from the start.” I smi
led at them. “Thank you for helping me.”
“It was our pleasure. So, did you plan your wedding yet?” Amber asked.
“I need to talk to Rosa. But I hope she will let me have the restaurant on a Sunday and have everyone come. I want the people closest to us. I will make my dress, and just keep it simple.” I thought simple and sweet would be the best.
“Sounds perfect for the both of you,” Sarah said. She looked at her watch. “It’s almost two. Ammo will be here to check on you soon. On Saturdays he has Charity come in and run yoga for us. Have you ever done yoga?”
“No. I don’t even know what it is. I am not a very physical person. Except for the defense classes, I have never even gone to a gym.” I was getting embarrassed. These ladies were muscular, toned, and very fit. I was not, not even close.
Ammo and Mary Page 10
