by Jody Pardo
"This is for Jenny." I grabbed his limp cock and bore down with my wire cutters at the root. Bearing down twice more, he would never use his cock again. Not that he would need it anymore.
Uncle Mike pushed himself off the fence and grabbed the pail. "It's done. We will take care of the rest. Strip, hose off, and get outta here. Go see your girl."
In a daze, I stripped down to my boxers and Uncle Mike walked around me checking my shorts for blood. "Go wash your arms and face with the hose. Go." As I walked around the side of the feed shed to the spigot, my uncle whistled and the snorts of the hogs grew louder. "Let'm at him. Go grab some scraps from the shed. They eat good tonight." I hosed off my arms, face, and washed off my boots then took a long drink from the hose before leaving.
Leaning on the bed of my truck, I tried to keep my shit together. I reached into the tool chest and pulled out a Brewer Construction logoed work shirt and my white painting pants. It would have to do. I yanked my wet boots back on, hopped in the driver's seat, and headed back to the hospital as my uncle set the metal pail ablaze.
Suzie
"Aubs, it’s so good to see you."
"I wish I could say you look awesome, but you know I'm not a liar."
"Don't make me laugh, it hurts." I held one of the extra pillows against my ribs trying not to laugh.
"If I could find an unmarked spot, I would kick your ass myself. How could you keep this from me? This monster has been after you all this time and you didn't say a word?"
"I didn't know. I wouldn't lie. I thought it was over."
"My dad found his texts on your phone going back weeks."
"They had stopped, those were old. I had blocked his number so I wouldn't even get any new messages."
“You still should have told me.”
I fiddled with the seam of the sheet as her eyes bored down on me from the side of the bed.
“I'm sorry. I didn’t want to bother you. You have done so much for me already.”
Her face softened, and she leaned down to hug me then stopped not knowing where to touch that wouldn’t inflict pain.
“You are never bothering me. I love you. You’re family.”
I reached out my hand, and Aubs gently held it in hers. Our bear hugs would have to wait until some of the pain subsided.
"Max stayed with me.”
“I thought you guys weren’t speaking?”
“We weren’t. Aubs, he saved me.”
“What do you mean?” She looked puzzled.
“While Bill was beating me, all I could think of was Max. I just had to hang on a little longer so I could see him again.”
“My cousin is a jerk.”
“He might be, but, Aubs, I think I love that jerk.”
"I have never seen my cousin with anybody. So that has to say something.”
Max
“Who said something? Did the doctor say something?” I kicked myself for leaving. I didn’t want to miss anything. I was gone too long.
“No, nothing. I’m still broken.” Suzie gave a meek smile, wincing at her cracked lips. Aubrey dug in her purse for some lip balm and gently applied it on Suzie’s lips before tucking it next to her hip.
“I’m gonna let you get some rest.” Aubrey held her cheek next to Suzie's and walked toward me. “You hurt her, and I will castrate you. Got it?” she whispered, glaring at me. Due to the night’s events, I knew what it was like to hold a severed human dick in my hand; I never wanted it to be mine.
“Got it.” I had no doubt Aubrey could do it too. I had seen her in action on the ranch; she was quick and lethal with a castration bander.
I approached the bed, and Suzie reached her hand out to me.
“You came back.”
“Aunt Kelli sent you some food. Hopefully I smell a little better too?”
“I wish I did. I just can’t move enough without hurting to take a shower. Everything hurts.”
“Maybe they can give you a sponge bath?”
“That would be nice. I feel gross.”
“I will go grab a nurse.” She grasped my hand tighter in protest.
“No, I’m okay for now. Just sit with me.”
I pulled the chair up the side of the bed and continued to hold her small hand.
“I’m sorry for being so hard on you. Everyone told me that Jenny was a liar,” Suzie whispered.
"That's in the past. I just want you to get better."
"I won't feel better until Bill is behind bars. Did they find him yet?"
"They will never find him. I know you don't like Jenny, but he assaulted her too."
"Is she okay? Why would he do something like that?"
"I think he thought it was you. She was at my new house. There were liquor bottles everywhere. He was probably nowhere near coherent."
"I want to press charges. This time he went too far. It was okay when it was just me, but now he is hurting random people."
My blood instantly boiled, and I raised my voice, "It is never okay for anyone to hit you. None of this is okay. He should have been stopped a long time ago. Don't ever think any of this is your fault." My chest was heaving as my fury for the douchebag grew. I couldn't believe Suzie thought this was her fault.
Her eyes were wide, and she was trembling. I didn't want her to be scared of me too. Not when we were just reconciling.
"Baby, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice. I just don’t like seeing you like this, and why on Earth would you think you deserved this abuse?"
"I could never do anything right. I wasn't good enough."
"What didn't you do right?"
"The dishes weren't put in the right spot. His shirts weren't pressed right. He didn't like me talking to other men."
"That's just crazy, Suzie. There was something wrong with him, not you. You are perfect."
"I'm not perfect and look at me now. I'm all messed up."
"You will heal. To me, you are perfect. He didn't deserve you. Hell, I probably don't deserve you, either, but I can't imagine life without you."
I planted a chaste kiss on her lips. I didn't dare even press hard as her lips were still cracked and chapped.
"I missed you, Max."
"Well, you don't have to worry. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
My cell phone rang and it echoed against the glass walls of the ICU room. The charge nurse promptly appeared in the door.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't have your cell phone on in this wing. It's hospital policy. It effects the monitors," she said.
"I'm sorry." I ignored the call, but a few moments later my screen flashed with a text message.
Uncle Mike: Stay with Suzie.
Me: Don't forget to return the truck.
"Suzie, you don't ever have to worry again. He won't ever bother you again."
"I'm still gonna have to see him in court. Then what if he gets out and comes after me again?"
"Trust me. We will never see him ever again. Get some rest."
I kissed her forehead and sat down next to her and waited for her to fall asleep.
Three Months Later
Suzie
After a week-long stay in the hospital, the doctors finally released me when they were confident I wouldn't have any ill effects on my breathing from my cracked ribs and concussion. Since then, Max had not left my side. No one had left me alone for a minute. He stayed in the guest house with me every night since my discharge warding off the nightmares of Bill.
When my vacation time had expired, I formally resigned. When I called, Marie asked when Bill would be coming back.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Marie."
"I figured when he took his vacation, he would be joining you," she said.
"No, ma'am. Bill and I haven't been together for some time now. I have decided I will be staying here in Oklahoma with my family. Where do I send my official letter of resignation?"
"You can just email it to me here at Human Resources. I wish you all the best, Suzie. We are
sorry to see you go."
My life in Dallas was over. I never heard from Bill again. He had multiple warrants out for his arrest, and when they found him he would be going away for a long time, but he vanished without a trace.
I was sitting in the kitchen with Kelli having coffee after giving her the cross stitch I finally finished of the horse when Max came bounding into the house.
"Come on, let's go!"
"Go where? I'm not even dressed!" I looked down at my yoga pants and baggy shirt and wrinkled my nose at the thought of being seen in public.
"I don't care what you look like. Come on. No one is going to see you but me."
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise. Come on. Please?"
"You better go, Suzie. The man said please. You don't hear that too often. You better take advantage of it." Kelli giggled before taking another sip of her coffee.
Max held his hand out for me, and I placed mine is his and followed him out the door. He held the door to his truck open for me and I climbed in.
"Okay, put this on." He held out a black sleeping mask that blocked out the light.
"Max will you please tell me what's going on? You're acting like a crazy person."
"Just humor me, woman."
"Fine." I put on the satin mask over my eyes and he clicked my seatbelt over me before pulling out of the driveway.
We drove for a few minutes, and I could hear the crunch of the gravel change to pavement and then bump back to rural dirt road with the occasional rock clinking against the side of the truck.
"Are you going to tell me where we are going?"
"You are no good at surprises, you know that? We are almost there."
A few moments later, he came to a stop and put the truck in reverse, backing up to wherever before putting it in park.
"Keep your mask on, and I just want you to listen. Can you hear me out?"
"Yes."
"I know we hadn't gotten off on exactly the right foot. I can't change what I have done. I can only change what I do in the future and I know that is going to require trust."
I gently held her hand and tied a string to her middle finger in the crease of her knuckle. I lifted the mask from her eyes resting it on her forehead. She looked down at her hand in bewilderment.
"What is this about, Max?"
"Trust is a delicate thing, like this string, that is easily broken. I don’t ever want to break that trust with you." Slowly, I let go of what I was holding. Suzie watched as the key slowly slid down the string into the palm of her hand.
"I can't always promise life with me is going to be easy but you have the key to my heart."
She sat in the passenger seat and tears bubbled up in her eyes, and that was my cue to get out and show her my surprise.
I opened the passenger door and scooped her out of the seat, cradling her in my arms. She protested, flailing her legs. "Put me down! I can walk. Max, I'm heavy. You're gonna drop me!"
"If you would keep thrashing about I might. You're not heavy at all. Now just stop."
I had pulled up as close to the front porch as I could so we wouldn't have that far to go. I climbed the three steps to the door.
"Oh, my goodness, Max, it's beautiful. You finished it."
"Open the door." She looked up at me with furrowed brows, confused. "The key."
"Oh!" She sighed with comprehension. Suzie held out her arm from my grasp and turned the key in the lock before pressing down on the button to open the door.
"You not only have the key to my heart, you have the key to my home. I hope you will call it your home and live with me."
"Max, I don't know what to say."
"Say yes." I nudged my nose against her cheek. "We have practically been living together already since you got out of the hospital, but this will be ours. You can decorate it however you want."
"Yes," she said excitedly. "Yes, I will move in with you."
I leaned down and gave her a kiss. She held me cheek in her hand, and I felt the cold key against my face.
"Now let me down I want to see!" she said, smiling from ear to ear.
"Nope, we have to do this right. I have to take you across the threshold."
"That's when you get married, silly."
I crossed the threshold and set her down on her feet and wrapped my arms around her waist.
"Well, then I guess I will just have to do it again when that day happens."
"Yes."
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, I will marry you, Max Brewer."
"I didn't even ask you yet." I laughed.
"Well, you better hurry up then," she said, before taking off running through the house room to room. I would make her my wife soon. I already had the ring. One step at a time. I planned on enjoying my engagement for a little while and christening every room and surface of our new house.
THE END
I hope you have enjoyed Love Under Construction, Max and Suzie's story. Look for the next installment in the Love Under series, Love Under Fire, coming soon.
Love Under Fire will focus on Rob and Nicole's story.
If you’re beginning to feel as if your partner or a loved one’s partner is becoming abusive, there are people who can help, call or chat online with an advocate to talk about what’s going on and get help.
Abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual or coercive, reproductive coercion, financial abuse or digital abuse by limiting someone's access to communications.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, toll-free at: 1-800-799-7233
Click here for more information or live online chat: http://www.thehotline.org/about-us/contact/
Get a sneak peek at the next book in the Love Under series:
Love Under Fire
I was all packed and Nicole was in tears for hours as I put each item into my duffel bag. I knew not to bring much because the Army would give me everything I needed. I waited until the last roundup and the beginning of harvest to leave. Time was running out. If I didn't leave, I might not make it back in time.
"Don't go. I will clip coupons. I will pick up more shifts at the Taps. I will get a better job. Please don't do this."
"Nicole, we already talked about this. By the time I am done with Basic Training and AIT, I will be home in time for the baby. If I don't leave now, it will never happen."
She grabbed my bag and held it behind her. "Fine, then it won't happen."
I gently wrapped my arms around her, planting kisses on each of her cheeks tasting the salty tears that fell on her freckles. I took my bag from her hands, and she sagged in defeat. She knew I was right.
"Why do you have to go all the way to Georgia? They have basic training right here at Fort Sill."
"That's where the infantry is. All I know is beef. Not a real useful skill in the military."
"So do something else. Hand out toilet paper or something. I don't want you to go to war."
"Nicole, will you calm down? You are putting the cart in front of the horse. Let me get through basic training before you start worrying about wars."
The doorbell startled us both, and I threw my sweatshirt in my bag and zipped it up.
"Time to go."
Nicole followed me to the door where my recruiter, Sergeant Diaz, waited on the porch.
"Good morning, ma'am. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise, I wish it was under better circumstances."
"Don't worry, ma'am. We will take good care of Rob. Are you ready?"
I held Nicole tight and whispered repeatedly not to worry that everything would be fine as she continued to gently sob into my chest. I kissed her forehead and nearly every freckle I could before kneeling down and kissing her growing belly.
"You take care and keep cooking. Daddy will be back soon. I love you, Heeley."
"Heeley?" Nicole asked confused.
"Yeah, Heeley because you are carrying all this baby in the backside." I smacked her ass and ran off the
porch before she could smack me.
"You're an ass!"
"But you love this ass!" I yelled back to her as I got in the recruiter's car. She stayed on the porch wiping the tears from her face and trying to keep herself together by crossing her arms in front of her.
It was going to be a long couple of months.
This book was a long time coming and Max was a stubborn character. Authors often speak of character's voices in their heads; Max required my undivided attention and only spoke to me on the subway in New York City. When I relocated to Oklahoma I thought I would never finish this book. Four books released while Love Under Construction took a back seat and other characters took the forefront. My beta readers had the first few chapters and screamed for more but Max was a stubborn one. Nine months later, Max was ready to greet the world and be heard. To my betas, thank you for being patiently impatient.
To my friend, my photographer, my confidant, Shelton Cole thank you once again for bringing my vision to life. You never cease to amaze me with your talent, perspective and whole-hearted honesty and advice.
To my cover model, Max O'Brien, who grew his hair for weeks and months until it was a full Mohawk just for our shoot to fully embody his character. It may not have been the first cover of yours to be released but I hope you are proud of the work you represent.
To my best friend, Theresa Clarke, we have been through it all and we are still here. I don't know what I would do without you. You know too much and I don't look good in orange so I guess I am stuck with you. Or are you stuck with me? Either way, I am blessed every day you are in my life. I love you. You are "that one friend".
To Wendi Temporado, my editor and formatter, you have been with me from the very beginning and I could always count on you for your honesty. I believe you said in one of our first non-business conversations "I can't let you publish this". Everyone needs a friend, a colleague, a person they can trust, to tell them the truth. Since then, we have evolved to more colorful language that never ceases to make me smile.
