Lion

by Jessie Cooke

  “I’m sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable?” He couldn’t see her face, but he could hear the smile. She was enjoying what she was doing to him and so was he. When she suddenly sat upright, he almost groaned at the way his arms felt without her.

  “I think you’re trying,” he said, looking up at her. Fuck…she looks so hot. She smiled at him, making it worse and said:

  “Not at all. I’m just burning up. Aren’t you hot?”

  He was on fire…but not from the heat in the room. He propped himself up on his elbow, tossed his braids out of his eyes, and raked them over her body. “I’m getting there.”

  Madison chuckled. “I didn’t mean that way, Mr. One-Track-Mind.”

  “Oh right. I’m sure you sit up, naked, arching and stretching like a cat every morning.”

  With a grin she said, “Do you think I’m trying to seduce you?”

  Once again he ran his eyes over her body. Licking his lips this time he said, “Well, it’s barely dawn and you’re rubbing on me and looking fucking hot…so yeah, I’d guess you were.”

  “Well, I wasn’t. I need to get up and get ready to go to the hospital…but since the heat woke me up so early, I guess we’d have time, if you’re interested.”

  Lion smiled, took her hand, and guided it down to his throbbing cock. He had to suck in a sharp breath when she touched it. “I’ll let you decide,” he said. The heat was rolling through him then like a flash-over in a burning building, threatening to suffocate him with its intensity. She slowly ran her hand up and down his steely-hard erection and the way she was looking at him was almost enough to make him lose all control. She licked her lips and then bent down and swiped them across his. Pulling back just slightly and letting them hover so near he could still feel them she said:

  “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with you.”

  He grinned. “I thought we just decided.” She tugged on his cock again and he groaned.

  “I didn’t mean that. I meant…”

  Lion put his hand on her lips. “I know what you meant, but it’s too early for all those words. Kiss me again.” Madison looked like she might object to putting off the conversation, but when he moved his hands and pressed his lips against hers, she gave in. The kiss was light at first and just skimmed over his lips. He opened his mouth to let her probing tongue inside and it grew deeper, hotter…almost urgent. She took her hand off his cock but lay back down and tightened the front of her body against him, running her hands through his hair and his beard as they kissed. The night before her face had been red, almost rubbed raw from his facial hair…but she didn’t seem to mind. Lion rolled flat on his back, pulling her up on top of him so that he could feel every inch of her melding into him. His heart was racing and his hands began searching her curves like they were looking for a lost treasure. She writhed against him, driving him almost to the brink of madness and bringing the primal beast that lived inside of him to the surface.

  Lion reached down between them and Madison whimpered when he found the hot, wet place between her legs. She pressed her forehead into him and lifted her hips so that he could explore. He raked his fingers over her sensitive clit, causing her moans to grow louder. “Jesus, Lion…” He smiled and pressed his lips to her neck. He began sucking on the soft flesh while letting one of his fingers slide up inside of her. He felt her muscles open for him and then contract as she let out another loud groan. Holding onto her tightly with one arm, he added another finger and began to move them in and out of her. She rocked and flexed her hips as much as she could with the room he gave her, and it wasn’t long before they were sliding against the sheen of sweat on both of their bodies and she was screaming out his name as a powerful orgasm slammed into her. Her passionate gasps sent sensations through him that he was unaware sounds could do. In one fluid motion he rolled them both over so that he was on top and in control. He looked down into her reddened face and big, passionate brown eyes before driving his cock into her. She gasped as he did, and he groaned. He was beyond sweet and gentle that morning. He didn’t like to think of what he did to Madison as “fucking,” but that was what it was. He slammed into her so hard that she had to reach back and press her hands into the wall to hold herself steady. Over and over he felt the sweet relief of the walls of her smooth pussy grasping tightly onto his cock…until he couldn’t hold back a second longer. He was surprised at how long and hard his orgasm was, like he hadn’t just had sex the night before. He’d heard how good morning sex was…but now he knew for sure, it was going to be his favorite kind…as long as she didn’t leave him.

  24

  Madison tried to convince Lion he could just leave her at the hospital, but he wanted to be there for her, just in case. He knew how worried she was, and if Hawk died and she was there alone, he knew he wouldn’t forgive himself. While he waited in the waiting room, though, he had some business he needed to take care of. He’d been thinking a lot about confronting Luger, but he knew it wasn’t going to go smoothly. He also knew that if he did it behind Dax’s back, that wouldn’t go smoothly either. So he called Dax…and he laid it all out. Dax listened quietly to Lion say more words to him at once than he probably had in the twenty-plus years he’d known him. When Lion finished talking Dax said:

  “Maybe confronting him is not the best option.” Lion knew that’s what Dax was going to say, which was his biggest reason for not wanting him involved. He also knew Dax was right. A confrontation between the two of them would turn physical, and as good as it would feel to pummel the piece of shit, Lion knew rationally that it would probably not accomplish a thing. Dax was who he was for a reason, and Lion listened patiently as he went on, “You know my brother-in-law Kyle Brady does a little private investigating on the side. Maybe we should have him look into this first.”

  “I cleaned up at the house, so there wouldn’t really be anything for him to look into there…and you know everything else was destroyed in the fire twenty-two years ago…so…”

  “You said whoever broke in took your mother’s gun and some papers? Kyle could search the pawn shops and get the word out on the street that we’re looking for that gun. What kind of papers did they take?” Lion thought about the drawings. They’d only taken the ones of Madison and that pissed him off more than anything.

  “Just some drawings I did; nothing they’d be looking to sell there, I’m sure.”

  “Let’s have Kyle look into the gun, and maybe do some investigating on where our boys were at when the fire happened. You know I don’t usually like messing in my brothers’ personal business…but if I’ve got an arsonist and someone that would murder an elderly lady…well, it’ll be hard for me to turn over their punishment to you if that turns out to be the case. But I will. Just do me this favor and be patient a while longer and let’s see what Kyle can find out.”

  Patience was definitely not Lion’s forte, but he knew Dax’s plan was for the best. “I’ll wait,” he said. “Thanks, Dax.”

  “Sure. How’s the old fucker today?”

  Lion chuckled. “I’m not sure yet. Madison’s back there with him now. Still alive, though.”

  Dax laughed. “That deal he has with the devil, still going strong.”

  “Yeah, for Madison’s sake I hope he sticks around for a while.” Lion still couldn’t admit that the idea of a world without the hateful, grumpy old man frightened him a little. Dax probably knew, or maybe even felt the same, but what he said was:

  “Yeah, me too…for Madison.”

  Two hours passed before Madison finally came out. She looked happier than when she went in and for that, Lion was glad. “He’s doing much better. The antibiotics are clearing up the sepsis and his blood sugar is down so he’s much more coherent. He’s bitching about wanting to go home.”

  Lion chuckled. “Lucky nurses, huh?”

  “Yeah,” she said with a laugh. “Did you want to see him?”

  Lion concentrated hard on his facial expression and body language. He didn’t want to see him.
Just the idea of it caused another wave of guilt to wash over him. Everything he thought to be true for the past twenty-two years had been a lie…and he couldn’t even tell the old man he knew. “Um…well, you don’t think he’d want to see me, do you?”

  She smiled. “You don’t have to see him if you don’t want to. He always makes sarcastic comments about how you’re not around, so I thought I’d offer.”

  “Whoa…a little bit of a guilt trip there, huh?”

  She laughed. “I wasn’t trying to guilt you, I promise. You want to get something to eat before I go back in? You can leave after. There’s really no need for you to sit here all day.”

  He tried not to grimace as the guilt boiled in his gut. “I’ll go in for a minute, and then we can eat. We’ll talk about whether I’ll leave or not later.”

  “Are you sure? I really didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

  “You didn’t. I’ll be right back,” he said, meaning it. He’d make an appearance and get the hell out as soon as possible. He pushed through the double doors and the woman at the desk gave him a suspicious look.

  “Can I help you?” As she asked, her eyes ran over him from head to toe, pausing for several seconds on the little Skulls emblem on the front of his vest.

  “Here to see Grant Benning.” She arched an eyebrow as if to say, “It figures.”

  “Are you family?”

  “Yep, I’m his son.” Another wave of guilt as he remembered how badly he’d wished that was true when he was a kid. The nurse was still staring at him so he threw her a look that he knew usually scared people away or into submission. Suddenly her fingers flew over the keyboard in front of her and she said:

  “Third door on the right.”

  “Thanks.”

  Lion walked quickly past the glass-walled rooms. He hadn’t ever spent any significant time in hospitals, and it made him nervous just being there. When he got to Hawk’s room, he hesitated, breathed in and out, and slid the door open. He had to push back the curtain to step inside and he froze when he saw the old man in the bed. The only thing to identify him was the greasy black hair that hung down in his face; otherwise he just looked like someone’s pitiful, sick old grandfather. It made Lion’s heart hurt. He stood there for a few minutes looking at all the machines and wondering what they were all for before he realized the old man had opened his black eyes and was watching him. At least those hadn’t changed. Most people said Hawk had the eyes of the devil…but they’d strangely always been comforting to Lion. He supposed it was all in your perception of things.

  “Hey, old man. You’re still alive?”

  Hawk chuckled, coughed and then in a pitifully weak, raspy voice he said, “You disappointed?”

  “For the most part. What the hell were you thinking, doing this to Madison? You have any idea how much you upset her?”

  Hawk rolled his eyes. “All of a sudden he’s an expert on my daughter.”

  They stared at each other for a minute and once again Lion was tempted to tell him that he knew everything…and he was sorry. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something he knew he shouldn’t and then he said, “Anyways, you should think about her the next time you try to drink your stupid self to death.”

  “She’s not made for this life,” Hawk said. “You know that, right? This isn’t about you, Lion. Even after everything, you have to know I think you’re a good man…but you’re not the right man for my Maddie.”

  “Maybe Madison should be the one to decide that. I mean, look at where all your wisdom has gotten you.”

  Hawk chuckled again, this time having a coughing spasm that Lion thought might just kill him. He cringed until it was over and Hawk said, “Maddie is the only right thing I ever did, Lion. The only good thing. I just want to die knowing she’s going to be happy and taken care of.”

  Lion didn’t want to have this conversation with Hawk, and he especially didn’t want to pretend he didn’t know now that Hawk had done other “good” things in his life. But the old man was dying and he supposed if he couldn’t apologize for being a young punk, he could at least try and give him some peace of mind about his daughter. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I love your daughter. Trust me when I say I’ve tried not to. The biggest deterrent was you being her father. But whatever she got from you, you’re right…it was the best parts. Madison isn’t the type of woman who would give up her life to become an old lady, and I would never want her to. I love her for all the reasons why she wouldn’t do that. And I’m sorry, Hawk, but I’m not going to walk away from her. If she chooses to walk away from me, then I’ll let her go…but I’m done pushing her away. And…I would give up my own life to protect her, you have to at least know that.”

  Hawk frowned but he said, “Why do you think it could only be you who went out to Arizona and got her? Like I said, I know you’re a good man. You’re kind of an asshole, but who isn’t?” Lion smiled and Hawk went on, “Maddie’s got it bad for you…but I swear to God ,boy, if you make her unhappy I will dig myself out of my fucking grave and haunt you into yours.”

  Lion could picture that…Hawk would make one hell of a zombie. He smiled and nodded and said, “Deal…I won’t make her unhappy, if for no other reason than not seeing you again.”

  Hawk laughed out loud, coughed again, and just like that he fell into a deep sleep. Lion stood quietly and watched his chest rise and fall unevenly, just to make sure he was still alive. When he was positive the old man was asleep, he reached over and squeezed his hand and said, “Rest easy, you old fucker.”

  Madison needled him through lunch until he agreed to go home for a while. He was just pulling up to the house when Kyle Brady called him. Lion had seen the other man around a lot, and spoke to him once or twice, but he didn’t really know him. He got the impression he was arrogant, and kind of an asshole…but like Hawk said, who wasn’t?

  “Hey, Lion, Dax told me about the job. I was wondering if I could come up and take a look around your place.”

  Shit. Lion hated people at his house. He still hadn’t let Madison into his kitchen and he hadn’t decided if he wanted to get rid of everything in there before he did or not. He hated the idea of anyone thinking he was a freak, especially her. But the things he kept in those mason jars and hanging from the ceilings were things he’d been surrounded by his entire life. He wasn’t sure he believed in the properties of any of them, but they comforted him, especially when he really missed his Me Maw.

  “There’s not really anything to see. I cleaned it all up.”

  “Yeah, Dax also told me how private you are. Believe me, I’m a professional. I’m not going to be there to go on and gossip about you later.” When he added, “Or judge you,” Lion became sure that Kyle had either heard the stories about him and his grandmother or Dax had filled him in. He decided if he was going to let Kyle help him, he was going to have to trust him. He gave him directions to the house and then went inside to wait. For a while he paced the kitchen, thinking about taking down the crystals that were left and hiding the mason jars…in the end he summoned the strength to finally realize that hiding who he was only gave credence to the bullshit lies people used to spread about his family. He’d never been ashamed of his Me Maw, or his beautiful mother…and it was time he learned to man up and let everyone know it.

  25

  Luger sat outside the hospital. He’d seen Lion leave and now two hours later he just sat there…he was hoping Madison would step out for a breath of fresh air, or something, while Jungle Boy was gone. He already had a plan to pretend he was there to see how the old man was doing. He didn’t intend to do anything to Madison that day…but he’d spent so much time looking at the drawings and thinking about what he wanted to do to her, that he was craving the sight of her. He smiled as he thought about what he’d done to the drawings that morning. He’d found a red pen in one of his mother’s kitchen drawers and he’d spent some time blissfully drawing a flowing trail of blood from where the knife lay embe
dded in her neck, down the front of the blouse she was wearing so it stained the front of it. He used a black pen to widen her mouth into an “O” as if she were screaming. Of course that might be hard, once the knife penetrated her vocal cords. He realized he was getting aroused just thinking about it and that surprised him. He’d never been one to get off on hurting women although other than his mother, he’d never thought much of them. He figured it was more the idea of hurting Lion that was really getting him off. He’d watched them leave that pitiful cabin that morning. She was hugged up to his back, riding bitch on his Harley with a smile on her face. Luger had decided then that she was a whore, just like Lion’s grandmother had been. Her father was lying near death in the hospital, and although he was a worthless son of a bitch, he was still her father. And here she was spreading her legs for the freak in the meantime. Disgusting. Oh well, he thought, not much longer now. Even if she didn’t come out today, it would be okay. It wasn’t like Hawk’s broken condom had made herself hard to find.

  “What is all this stuff?” Kyle asked, standing in front of the shelves that held Lion’s jars.

  “It’s all different things my grandmother used to use for all kinds of stuff…protecting the house, making her skin creams and potions, even cooking.”

  “You say there was one full of sulfur they broke?”

  “Yeah…the label on it actually said brimstone, maybe that’s what made them curious.” Kyle had picked one of them up in his gloved hand and was holding it up to the light.

  “Dragon’s blood sticks? What’s that for?”

  Lion smiled and said, “Protection, love, banishing, and sexuality.”