Broken & Burned

by A. J. Downey

  “This was on the news?” I asked.

  “Some of it. Not all.” She nodded.

  “You’ll have to forgive me.” I murmured pulling my laptop into my lap. Ashton gave me a brilliant smile.

  “Not at all, it’s smart of you to check your facts and I understand completely. The story is pretty fantastical. At first, when I didn’t turn up, it was Chadwick who went to the media stating that I had disappeared after we’d had an argument. It was last March.” I did a Google search and Ashton’s smiling face, tight around the edges came up on one of the local news station outlets. The first story was as she’d said, Chadwick spinning tales about how he and she had argued and she’d demanded to be let out of the car. How he’d driven off angry and returned to find her missing.

  She slipped out of the room and returned quickly as I went to the next article proclaiming that Ashton had gone to the police and charged her husband with abuse. She sat down beside me and handed me photographs which she pulled from the inside cover of a handwritten journal.

  “These were taken by Ethan and Doc the night he found me.” She said and they were horrible. Her feet were bloody and scraped, her dress, a barely there affair providing nothing in the way of cover against the elements. Her lips were tinged blue from the cold in the photos and the swelling and bruising painted her pale skin in splotches of purple and black that made my stomach roil. I swallowed hard and handed them back before I looked through them all. I couldn’t finish. She took them and I went through news articles and a few more television interviews about his suicide. He’d apparently been a fairly prominent defense attorney in the area.

  I closed the lid of my laptop and scrubbed my face with my hands, Ashton set it on the floor within reach, beside the bed for me. I looked at her.

  “Why tell me all of this?” I asked her. She sighed.

  “Can I ask you something first?” she chewed her lip.

  “Go ahead.”

  “How do you feel about Dray?”

  “I love him.” I said, and it was true, that hadn’t changed not at all. “I just wish he’d told me another time, either before all of this, or not at all… I don’t know, it’s just too much right now.” Which was true too. Ashton smiled like she’d won some sort of prize.

  “Dray is a good man at the heart of it all and I think you two complement each other quite well.” Ashton grinned, “We just really have to work on his timing of things.” I laughed and her expression grew serious again, all levity gone.

  “Dray doesn’t open up to many people Everett. I’ve barely scratched his surface and that’s okay. We love Dray for who he is, still, he needs to open up to somebody, and if he loves you enough to do it… Please take that into consideration before either of you do anything drastic.” I stared at her dumbly.

  “Ashton, I… I love Dray. I don’t give up that easily. Hell I was with Jerry for four years! Dray is a million times the man Jerry ever was. I’m just… overwhelmed and when Dray decided to tell me everything… well it was one straw too many for this camel’s back to hold.” I sighed out, a harsh exhalation of air. A slight knock came at the door and Trigger poked his head in.

  “Everything okay?” he asked. Ashton smiled at him like he was her whole world and then some and it was a beautiful sight to see. I had a sudden and new appreciation for the big man.

  “Is Dray all right?” I asked and chewed my lower lip apprehensively. Trigger smiled like suddenly he won the prize.

  “Drunk as fuck and sleeping it off in our room. I was just poking my head in to tell Ashton we’re staying in Reave’s.” he said. I sighed out in relief and he continued, “Not going to lie pretty girl, you scared the fuck out of him. He thinks it’s all over between you two and he broke it past fixing. I think you two need to have a talk in the morning.”

  “Give me my crutches.” I demanded and his eyebrows went up.

  “Where are you going?” Ashton wondered aloud.

  “Your room.” I said and started leaning over the side of the bed, reaching for the smooth aluminum of the nearest crutch. Ashton sat frozen, speechless I think, but I’d made up my mind and once I’ve done that, good luck getting me to change it! Mandy would have given me the damned devices without a backwards glance. I missed her.

  “If you don’t freaking give me the damned crutches I’m going to combat crawl my way over there! See if I won’t!” I snapped and Trigger laughed and opened the door wider.

  “Here, stop, you’re going to hurt yourself!” I pushed my way back up onto the bed and gasped. Too late, my leg hurt like a bitch! Ashton got up and moved out of his way.

  “Careful Ethan, she might bite you.” She joked and I smiled.

  “Here girl, put your arms around my neck.” He ordered and stooped. I did and he slid an arm around my back, the other beneath my knees and lifted with his legs like I weighed nothing. My eyebrows went up.

  “I feel sorry for the poor bastard you have a need to hit in the face.” I commented dryly. Trigger grinned.

  “I’m a pacifist Baby. God made me all big and scary ‘cause I’m all marshmallow inside.” I snorted.

  “Me da’ would say ‘bullshite’ and ‘if God went around hugging liars, he’d break every bone in your body.’ You go ahead and keep telling yourself whatever you want to believe though.” I said as he moved us out into the hall, sideways through the doorway. His footfalls were heavy as he moved to his door, Ashton opened it for him, the rectangle of light falling onto Dray who lay on his stomach, the patches on his cut illuminated by the light from the hall. I grinned.

  “Isn’t that a picture?” I asked. Trigger laughed a little.

  “Go easy on my VP. His heart is missing in action, says he gave it to this girl, the whole thing, and doesn’t even know when it happened.” I blinked at him and his expression wasn’t joking anymore. “I need to set you down so I can move him.” He murmured and I contemplated the situation and shook my head.

  “Just set me down at the foot of the bed there, I’ll scoot myself up and you can lift his head for me.” I said. Trigger shrugged a shoulder and did what I said. I sat at the foot of the bed and was grateful I’d been shot in the left leg so I could do what I wanted. I scooted up until my back rested against the wall. I took several deep breaths and waited for the pain to subside before putting a pillow behind my back and another in my lap.

  “Lift his upper body.” I said and Trig slid an arm under Dray’s shoulders across his chest and lifted. I scooted over just a bit and laid Dray’s head on top of my right thigh. He was passed out cold and didn’t even stir.

  “You good Irish?” Trig asked.

  “Yes, thank you.” I smoothed Dray’s hair back out of his face and rested my head back against the wall. It was going to be a long night but I needed to be near him as much as he needed me.

  “Night.” Trig grunted and shut the door behind him and Ashton. I was plunged into darkness absolute, lap weighted where Dray rested against my thigh. He didn’t move all night. I slept off and on and thought about things when I was awake. The room lightened with the rising sun where it seeped in around the blinds and it was early still when Dray stirred. It started with a little jerk and a sharp intake of breath, I petted his thick hair, smoothing my hand over it and he looked up at me with bleary eyes.

  “Hi.” I said softly.

  “Hey.” He said back and looked around to make sure he was in the right room.

  “You’re stupid.” I told him flatly and he frowned.

  “Why?”

  “I love you, you dumb asshole! Just because I need a minute to parse through the dump truck of shitty emotions I’m feeling, which I might add, your timing on adding to them sucked balls! Does not mean that I’m leaving you or that we’re broken. It just means I need a minute to be alone and get my shit together.” His lips curled into a smile and he laid his head back down carefully the way it’d been which meant he was looking away from me.

  “You’re right on one thing Em.” He said dryly.r />
  “What’s that?”

  “I’m a dumb asshole. A very sorry dumb asshole. Forgive me?” he asked. I huffed a small laugh.

  “Yes… Why does this feel like our first fight when we aren’t even fighting?” I asked.

  “Uh, let’s see. I’m used to what went down last night, you aren’t, and instead of being there for you and making it better my dumb ass decided no, wait, this is the perfect opportunity to get this off my chest. Which just shoved you away and made things worse. I’d say you’ve got the right to be mad about that Babe.” He sighed, and I felt it rather than heard it.

  “Sounds like we’re on the same page then.” I said cautiously. He pushed himself into a sitting position and I almost mourned the loss of contact but it was short lived. He leaned forward, reaching for me and I did my best to meet him half way. His fingers found my hair, tangling in it, pulling my mouth to his and he kissed me savagely, possessively, so strongly I was left breathless and in awe. He broke the kiss and said against my mouth,

  “I’m glad, because I need to get something straight with you. I fucked up last night, I own my mistakes and I’m going to make more of them but one thing I’ve done that’s no mistake is I’ve given you the keys to the kingdom Em. I’ve given you my heart, and I go where it goes so you’re fucking stuck with my dumb ass.” His dark gaze bored into mine, smoldering and hot and enough to make my blood boil with its intensity from mere inches away. He continued his little tirade and I was okay with that, I wanted to hear what he was saying more than I ever wanted to hear anything in my life.

  “I can’t promise you sunshine and roses all the time Baby but what I can promise you was that last night isn’t a common occurrence. I can’t promise you bad shit won’t happen but what I can promise is that I will never lie to you, I will never cheat on you and I will never intentionally hurt you. What I will do is love you, and be with you and protect you and if that means I need to pull out my motherfucking bad ass to do it I will. If it means I have to punch a guy in the mouth or shoot him in the leg or fucking kill him in the most insidious ways you can imagine to keep you safe and whole I won’t hesitate. I love you that much.” I blinked stupidly, I didn’t know what to say.

  “Say something.” He said.

  “I…”

  “Just tell me you’re on board.” He said, desperation in his eyes, lacing his tone.

  “Yes I’m on board! Oh my God I’m on board! What woman in their right mind wouldn’t be on board after that Dray!?” I hugged myself to him and his arms curved around me. What he offered, what he said, it was all I had ever wanted… Dray was a hell of a prince charming but then again I wasn’t exactly a Disney princess… I’d always prided myself on being a self-rescuing princess if there ever was one, but Dray… I kissed him.

  “So we’re okay?” he said hopefully.

  “We’re okay.” I said breathlessly.

  “You gotta promise me Em, you start to freak out or get overwhelmed to talk to me. Don’t shut me out Baby, it damn near gave me a heart attack.” He said and I nodded.

  “Okay. We can make this work.” I said.

  “Damn straight we’re going to make it work.” He smiled. I closed my eyes, a weight lifted from my shoulders. When I opened them Dray was searching my face.

  “Tired?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” I admitted.

  “Were you like that all night with me?”

  “Yeah.” I smiled.

  “Why?”

  “Because I love you and there wasn’t any way I was going to let you wake up thinking we weren’t going to be okay.” I said with a gusty sigh. “I think, the more I’m with you, that we were made for each other. The way I was raised, the people I was raised around, I think it was all to prepare me for a life with you. Believe me, I know it can get ugly, I just let myself get overwhelmed with so much happening all at once, so close together. After thinking about it, I think I can handle it. I know I can handle it because not handling would mean I couldn’t stay… Would mean a life without you and I don’t want to face that probability.” He was looking at me, his dark eyes roving my face, his expression so serious.

  “What?” I asked finally.

  “Now I really feel like we’re on the same page.” He said and I smiled because it felt incredibly good. Dray got up on his feet beside the bed and stretched.

  “Where are you going?”

  “We are going back to our room and getting some decent fucking sleep. Trig’s bed sucks and you look like you need a good sleep.”

  “I need to be held, by you.” I admitted.

  “Cool, I can do that.” He said and lifted me. I wrinkled my nose.

  “Can you take a shower first? You smell like an agave farm.” He laughed and took me back to his, excuse me, our bedroom and settled me into the bed. He showered quickly and joined me cuddling me into his embrace and I felt, that despite the wild and weird sequence of events that brought me here, that I was home.

  Chapter 22

  Dray…

  I straightened up from under the hood of the old Charger and looked out the bay door, my breath fogging in the cold air. After the night my girl got a full dose of the ugly side of club life we’d settled into a pretty decent routine of work, school and for her, doctor’s appointments and physical therapy.

  Fall had worn on into winter and she and Mandy both had finished out their semester. She’d passed that damned math class, her and Red both, thanks to Shelly and earned their degrees. Now she and Red were pulling up at the garage after lunch with Ashton and both of them looked shell shocked. I grinned. They got out of Red’s little Ford Focus and walked across the parking lot towards me. Em didn’t even limp anymore and had been slowly but surely, in addition to her physical therapy, been getting back into her dancing.

  “Hey girls.” Gypsy said and waved at them both before disappearing into the office. I wiped my hands on an old rag as they approached.

  “Have a good lunch?” I asked and Everett raked me with her steel blue shrewd gaze.

  “Did you know Ashton was going to do it?” She asked me.

  “Uh yeah.” I said carefully, grinning. Mandy still looked like she’d been cracked across the skull and was seeing stars.

  “Holy crap this is really happening!” Red blurted and sat down right on the ground where she stood. My girl was grinning from ear to ear and God was she beautiful.

  “What’s happening?” I feigned innocence.

  “Ashton is fronting us all of the money required to start our business. She wants to be a silent partner!” Red said and I laughed. Everett shrieked in excitement and flung herself at me. Her long dancer’s legs wound around my hips and I was instantly hard. I held her up and kissed her fiercely and laughed with her, sharing in her joy.

  “Well, she has all that money, might as well use some of it for something. She can’t take it with her.” I shrugged nonchalantly.

  “Oh my God!” Red leapt to her feet. “I’m not dreaming. This is really happening!” she spun in place and let out an explosive breath.

  “Celebration at the club house tonight?” Everett asked me.

  “I think that can be arranged.” I grinned and she slid down my body to her feet.

  “I love you.” She said.

  “Love you too Babe.” I said back.

  She kissed me one more time and she and Red went off to do whatever it was they did while I had to work. Closing time couldn’t come fast enough and eventually it moseyed on down my way. I closed up the garage with Gypsy and walked Darlene, our front office girl, to her car across the lot. The sun was going down and I was ready for a hot shower. I climbed into Sadie and drove home. When I went in the front door I was immediately aware of the mouthwatering smells coming from the kitchen. I smiled.

  Everett stood at the dining room table and set down a plate, a feral, way too sexy smile curving her lips. I went very still and drank her in from the high heels on her feet, up the long stems of her legs, my gaze skating over the fr
illy, 50’s housewife apron and along her smooth creamy skin. The apron was all she wore and god damn it! I was achingly hard.

  “Welcome home.” She said in a sultry purr. Candles glowed on the dining tabletop, warm and inviting, and the food looked almost as spectacular as my woman. I groaned. I didn’t know which appetite I should assuage first.

  “Do I have time for a shower?” I growled. She bit her lower lip in that way that drove me nuts and shook her head very, very slowly.

  That was it. I went to her and snatched her into my arms bringing my mouth down on hers wildly. The skin of her back was warm and silky beneath my dirty work roughened hands and I gloried in it. I turned her so her back was to the table and crushed her petal softness against it. She moaned when she felt my thickness up against her through my jeans and I let myself lose it. I swept an arm across the table. Silverware and plates crashing to the floor with placemats and glasses. Good thing there wasn’t any food on anything yet, that was still on the kitchen counter.

  The candles snuffed out and rolled to the side and I laid her back across the table. I fumbled at my belt and fly and she produced a condom out of the apron pocket. I growled low in my throat.

  “God I love you!” and she smiled tearing the packet open. Somehow between the two of us we got it on me and I fit myself inside of her. She was wet and ready and cried out in pure bliss the second I was fully seated. She gripped my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes.