Basement Level 5: Never Scared

by L. R. Wright

  Grabbing her leg, he hooked an arm under her knee. “You need to look at me and answer me.”

  “What do you want me to say?” she grumbled. “I know I made Chase mad. But I need you here. And you know you want to be here, so why do we even have to talk about this?”

  “This isn’t about what I want. This is about Chase. You know how he feels about you.”

  “I’ve always known, but it doesn’t change anything. The only thing that matters here is that I know my kids will be taken care of with Chase and Daddy. That’s important to me.”

  “What about Dro?” Kendrick asked. “He didn’t seem too happy.”

  “He’s...irritated,” she admitted.

  “Can you blame him?”

  “No.” She thumped his forehead. “Damn it, Kendrick, stop talking.”

  He chuckled and pinned her arms to the floor. “I’m glad I’m here with you. I don’t think I could have left you here. You and Dro always talk that ‘Live and Die’ shit. But you’re my ride or die.”

  “You’re stupid, Kendrick,” she muttered and slapped his arm. “Harder.”

  He sat up on his knees and pushed against her thighs with his elbows. She was lying flat on her back, one thigh in the air. “You know I’m telling the truth,” he said. “The real Bonnie and Clyde we are, without all that silly love stuff.”

  When they were younger, many people referred to Alexa and Dro as “Bonnie and Clyde.” Kendrick always thought it was bull shit. For one, Bonnie and Clyde died in the end. And he worked better with Alexa than Dro ever did. So if anyone was Clyde to her Bonnie it would be him.

  She lifted up her other thigh, and he pushed down on both.

  “Can you two stop all the yapping and get going?” Lei suggested, entering the small gym. “She’s barely broken a sweat.”

  “Kendrick,” Dro added, tossing a bottle of water at him. “Stop trying to sweet talk my wife. This is supposed to be a workout—enough stretching.”

  She shoved Kendrick, causing him to lose his balance and tumble to the ground. She charged at him once he was on his feet again, but he averted her. A quick roundhouse kick toward his face was blocked right before he knocked her flat on her back.

  “You’re slipping,” he said. He lifted his hands up in the fight stance. “Come on.”

  She massaged her lower back. “Damn you, Kendrick.”

  Arms in front of her face, fists closed, she barreled toward him again. When he reached out to strike her, she ducked and spun around with a low kick to his knee. It buckled, but he remained upright. He charged at her, but she flipped away from him. Landing into a split, she punched him below his groin. Then she swept her leg under him and tripped him.

  Before he could get up, she was standing over him, with her foot pressed against his neck. He grabbed her other leg and flipped her onto her back. She scrambled to her feet just in time to block his next punch.

  He grasped her legs and slammed her on the mat, face down. Rolling over, she kicked at him, wrapped her leg around his neck, and jabbed him in the stomach.

  “Okay,” Lei shouted. He tossed a towel at Alexa. “That’s good. We need to talk.”

  She dabbed the sweat from her brow. “What about?”

  “Since Chase is gone,” Dro said. “Lei is going to take Kendrick and go talk to Naomi. We’ll observe the interrogation, Alexa. Pop checked in and they’re almost to the safe house. With Nicolas there, Chase may be available to come back if we need him.”

  “When are we heading into town to talk to Naomi?” Kendrick asked.

  “In the morning,” Lei replied. “For now, I need Alexa to take a break and come back in an hour so we can work out. You’re a little slow. I need you back in form.”

  She groaned and slapped him with her towel. “I can still kick your ass, Lei.”

  “Whatever,” he joked. “I’m not taking any chances.”

  “I don’t need another workout,” she said, pouting. “I’m good.”

  “Good?” Dro asked. “Lei is right, baby. You’re a little slow. You need to work out with him.”

  She pushed Dro in the chest. “How about I work out with you?”

  “What kind of workout are you trying to do?” he asked, tugging on her towel.

  Kendrick rolled his eyes. “God, can you two please stop with the sexual innuendos? My wife is gone. I can’t get any relief until this is over.”

  Dro glared at him. “You could’ve gone with her, but your friend here wouldn’t stand for it.”

  Alexa dropped her towel on the floor. “Do we have to go through this again? We all agreed Kendrick is the best choice to stay.” She grabbed Dro’s hand. “And I’m talking a real work out, Mr. Martinez.”

  She swung on Dro, but he caught her wrist. “Ah Ah Ah.”

  Then she swung her other fist, this time connecting with his jaw.

  “Good one.” He rubbed his jaw. “But I’m not going to work out with you. That’s Lei and Kendrick’s department.”

  She winked at him. “You scared?”

  “Only of losing you,” he replied. “So, you need to fight with someone who doesn’t want to sex you up. We all know that us working out together is not very productive.”

  She headed toward the door. “Fine, you win. I’m going to take a break. I’ll be back in an hour.” Before she exited the gym, she glanced back at Dro over her shoulder. “You coming?”

  He shrugged when Kendrick and Lei both arched a brow at him. “She’ll be back in an hour,” he said, following her out.

  CHAPTER 17

  April 13, 1998:

  Alexa was going crazy. Dro was still not talking to her after the Victoria Secret debacle. The whole family had gathered to celebrate his birthday, but he wouldn’t even look at her. Kendrick told her to give him some time. But how much time does he need? It was no secret he was stubborn. If you were on his list, you pretty much stayed there until he took you off.

  At dinner, he managed to speak to everyone except her, which drew curious looks from her parents. Dro and Alexa had, pretty much, been inseparable at the house. So the fact they weren’t speaking was bound to raise a red flag.

  After her little adventure at Steve’s house, she endured more lectures from her father and Lei. Even her mother and Chase joined the “trash Alexa” brigade. But all she really wanted was to talk to Dro. This had gone on too long. She was forced to take drastic measures.

  Alexa slipped into Dro’s room later in the evening. He was lying on his stomach asleep—one sheet draped low on his hips, his chest bare. She tiptoed toward his bed.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked softly.

  She paused and took a deep breath. “I wanted to talk to you.”

  “You need to leave,” he said, peering at her through one eye.

  She scooted next to him on the bed. “How did you know it was me?”

  “I just did.”

  He rolled onto his back and sat up. When he started to get out of the bed, she held on to his arm.

  “Please, Dro. Let me talk to you. You don’t have to say anything, but can you just hear me out?”

  He leaned against the headboard and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Happy Birthday.” She sighed in frustration when he remained silent. “I know how you feel.”

  He snickered.

  She rubbed her sweaty palms on her legs. He’s making this hard. “I can tell when you walk in a room, too. I don’t know why, but I always know when you’re near me. It’s like a sixth sense.”

  He remained silent.

  She touched his knee. “Come on, Dro. Are you going to ignore me for the rest of our lives? I’m sorry. I was wrong. I made a stupid decision. Don’t punish me forever.”

  He moved her hand away.

  Needing to find something to do with her hands, she smoothed them over a stray pillow. “Dro, I miss you. I don’t think you’ve ever gone this long without talking to me. You’ve never been this upset with me. Talk to me, Dro. This is ridiculou
s. You can’t just ignore me forever.” Alexa realized that she had never felt this desperate before. It made her angrier—at herself.

  He gaze was fixed on the wall.

  “I had such plans for your birthday,” she said with a nervous giggle. “I bought this lingerie at Victoria’s Secret last night before...” No reason to bring up last night. Besides, she’d left her purchase in the bathroom when she found Robert. “I want to get past this, but we can’t if you don’t talk to me.”

  They sat there in uncomfortable silence for a few more minutes. Giving up, she started to get off the bed, but he placed his hands on hers.

  ***

  Dro glanced at Alexa out of the corner of his eye and noticed a tear slide down her cheek. Tears? Alexa and tears were not synonymous with each other. She wasn’t the type to just let them fall, unlike other women he had known. He’d only seen her cry a few times, under specific circumstances—but never because of him. And that was his downfall. “I miss you, too, but I’m still pissed. I want to let this go, but I can’t—not when you did something so careless that you could have been hurt.”

  She turned her palm to his and squeezed. “I know, and I promise I won’t do it again. I won’t take unnecessary risks anymore. Just talk to me. Let me spend some time with you on your birthday.”

  “It’s not my birthday anymore,” he murmured.

  She peered at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s eleven-thirty. I still have time.”

  “Alexa, you can’t just apologize and expect everything to be okay. What you did wasn’t cool with me.”

  “I know, but I can’t change it. The only thing I can do is promise never to do it again.”

  He wanted to forgive her, but her little stunt had scared the hell out of him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “But can I trust that? Can I trust you not to take those types of risks with your life?” He hopped out of the bed and headed to the other side of the room, needing to put some distance between them. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sit next to her without touching her. “I need to believe you won’t do that again.”

  “I won’t.” She stood up. “I promise. Have I ever lied to you?”

  “You can’t promise me that!”

  Staring at the ceiling, he sighed deeply. She’s too close.

  She placed her hands over his crossed arms. “Despite what you think, I didn’t do it to prove anything. I just reacted when that man told me Steve hired them. I went there without thinking and I know how wrong it was. I know how costly that decision could have been.”

  “But I know you. I know how you think. And you take chances you don’t need to take. You’ve been like this all your life.”

  “But Dro, that’s our life. We all risk something to do the job. You know what we do—what I do. How can I do that if you are going to be mad at me every time I take a risk?”

  “Risk is one thing, but unnecessary risk is another. I’m not stupid, so don’t play me. I know there’s some type of risk in everything. But going to Steve’s house was just stupid. You always want to play the odds and I can’t stand it. I hated waiting for you to come home last night. I didn’t know what happened to you. I wondered if they got you, where you were, what they were doing to you.”

  Images he’d conjured up in his head last night popped into his mind again and he turned away from her.

  Her shoulders slumped. “I’ll admit it was a stupid thing to do. But nothing happened. I’m here. My boneheaded plan didn’t get me killed—”

  “This time.” He walked around her over to the opposite wall. “You can come in here and promise me you won’t do it again, but I know you will. It’s in your nature.”

  She ran her fingers through her hair. “You’re right. I can’t promise I’ll never do something like that again. I can promise that I’ll call someone first.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Not Kendrick. Stop calling Kendrick first. He lets you get away with too much.”

  She smirked. “Are you jealous?”

  “I’m not jealous of Kendrick. I just would appreciate it if you called me.”

  “I can promise you that. I haven’t broken a promise to you before.”

  “Don’t let this be the first.” He sat on the edge of the bed.

  She approached him. “You don’t have to worry about that. Are we good?”

  “We’re good. You know, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I would do if something happened to you. I feel like if I’m still here, you have to be here, too.” He massaged the back of his neck. “I watched my Mom die right in front of my eyes. I don’t want to lose another person that I love.”

  “Love?” she asked.

  He understood why she seemed surprised. He’d always spurned love after his mother committed suicide. He said he was never going to let love destroy him like it did his mother. As far as he was concerned, his mother’s main flaw was her love for his father. She loved him so much she lost herself. She kept waiting for him to love her back. It cost him and Ari in the end when she took her own life because she finally realized Enrique would never love her.

  He also knew what he felt for Alexa was damn close to love. In fact, he was pretty sure it was headed there quickly. He was still cynical though. When she didn’t come home, he was hit with this fear in the pit of his stomach, uncontrollable and blinding. Nothing had prepared him for the feeling caused by his fear for her life, or the relief he felt when he saw her talking to Kendrick. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and make sure she was really standing there, before he let his anger at her consume him. He knew it was only a reaction to the fear, but he’d let the anger rule.

  He studied her. “Why are you acting surprised? You know how I feel about you.” He knew what she was asking.

  “Oh yeah, I know you love me—like you love Ari.” She smirked and he knew she was playing with him. He also knew she was a woman. A part of her was probably curious, though.

  “That would be pretty incestuous. Don’t you think?”

  “Very incestuous,” she giggled.

  “No, I don’t love you like I love Ari.”

  “I was just wondering.”

  “I know what you’re wondering,” he admitted, lowering his head and looking at the ground.

  She stepped between his legs and braced her hands on his shoulders. He smoothed his hand up the back of her leg to her upper thighs.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  Dro’s eyes flashed to hers, searching her face, and losing himself in her brown eyes. He knew she loved him, but her words weren’t a simple “I love you.”

  She trailed one of her fingers across his forehead, down the slope of his nose. He closed his eyes as her cool fingertips moved sensually over his face.

  Dro wasn’t ready to admit he was in love with her, but in that moment, he knew he couldn’t live without her. Normally, a woman admitting that she loved him was enough to send him running far away, but not Alexa. Not today. Not ever.

  “I’m in love with you,” she breathed, with a nervous giggle. “Sometimes I think I’ve loved you my whole life. I can’t be sure of most things, but I’m sure of that. Last night had to be one of the worse nights of my life. And I promised myself I would tell you how I felt even if you ever talked to me again. But I’m not afraid. I’m never scared.”

  He laughed softly and pulled her into him. “That’s right. You’re not scared. Come here.”

  She touched her lips to his lightly.

  “Alexa, you know I—”

  A finger over his mouth prevented him from finishing his thought. “Shhh! You don’t need to say anything because I said it or because you think I want to hear it. I don’t need words, Dro. Like you said, I know how you feel about me.”

  He skimmed her jaw with the back of his right hand while drawing circles behind her knee with the other. She was right. He could feel her when she was near. Every bone and muscle reacted to her presence, clenched in anticipation of her touch. He knew if he wasn’t caref
ul, she would consume him. In many ways, she already did.

  “I gave you those words because I wanted to,” she whispered. “Not to get something in return. I love you because of who you are. And I know exactly who you are. I love everything about you—your past, your present, and your future.”

  He closed his eyes as he let her words wrap around him like a tight embrace. Her voice had soothed his soul so many times before. Wrapping a hand around her wrist, he brought her palm to his mouth and kissed it. She sucked in a breath as he placed soft kisses up her arms.

  “I know when you’re scared,” she breathed. “When you’re sleepy—when you’re irritated—when you’re angry—when you want me.”

  He wanted her all right—more than he ever wanted her before. He snaked a hand around the back of her neck and tugged her closer to him. He felt her soft breath against his lips. She placed a chaste kiss against his mouth. It wasn’t enough. He wanted more. When he attempted to deepen the kiss, she pulled away.

  “Alexa,” he whispered, hoping to say something that was fitting for this moment.

  “Dro,” she sighed, gazing into his eyes. “You don’t need to say the words. I don’t need them.”

  “I need you so much.” He rested his head against her stomach. The soft tips of her fingers tickled his scalp. It was true, he did need her.

  When he finally peered up at her, he was ready to speak. She silenced him with a quick kiss and this time she let him deepen it.

  “Happy Birthday, Dro,” she said.

  As he pulled her into another intense kiss, they fell back on the bed. “Thank you, Baby.”

  ***

  November 4, 2011, B5:

  Dro and Alexa were wrapped in each other’s arms, limbs intertwined, after a taxing private work out. He ran his fingers through her curly hair. He couldn’t help but love her “bed head,” as she called it. She preferred to have her hair straightened, but he loved when it was wild and curly. He wanted to drag her back on top of him and make love to her again, but he knew she needed to meet Lei.