by Jessie Cooke
It took thirty minutes to get to the top of the mountain. Eddie was a bloody mess, but he was still conscious and still breathing. Ediger’s men with the guns untied him from the rope and dropped his battered body down onto the rock. Ediger reached into the back of the ATV and took out a couple of two-by-four pieces of wood, with nails on the ends of them. He used his foot to kick Eddie down, as the gangster tried to raise himself up, and when Ediger held the two-by-four up over his head, the dark night was suddenly lit up like Christmas and the sounds of a helicopter could be heard in the distance as a woman’s voice...Maggie’s voice...came over a loudspeaker. “This is the FBI, drop your weapons and get down on the ground.” Ediger looked at Bruf, who was still holding his piece of wood. Bruf hoped he looked as surprised as his brother did. Until that compound was torn up and it was time to face his brother in court, Ediger needed to believe that Bruf was being arrested along with the rest of them. “Now!” Maggie’s voice boomed out. Eddie lifted his head and made his fatal mistake. He smiled at Ediger. Bruf’s brother brought the two-by-four down, and before the bullet ripped through his chest, the nails were buried in the side of Eddie’s head.
The other four men dropped their guns and Bruf let the two-by-four slide from his hands as he watched his brother hit the ground. He’d spent his entire adult life believing that his brother was evil, and that hadn’t changed...but watching another family member die was almost too much. Bruf dropped to his knees and put his hands on his head, not taking his eyes off his brother. Ediger was looking at him, but his eyes were glazed over and Bruf wasn’t even sure he saw him...until Ediger managed a bloody smile and three words: “Got the bastard.”
“What do you want us to do with the body when they release it?” Bruf had been at the police station all night long. Every part of his body ached. He was dirty, bloody, and sweaty and all he wanted was a shower, a hot meal, and his bed. He didn’t want to think about Ediger’s body...or anyone else’s for that matter.
“Cremate it,” he said.
“You want the ashes?”
Did he? Their parents were cremated, and their ashes interned in a vault that Ediger had bought for them when he’d started making his illegal money. That vault sat in a cemetery outside of Yosemite...in the mountains where they’d always wanted to be. Ediger was a monster...but not necessarily of his own making. Didn’t Bruf owe him at least the dignity of respecting his ashes? He finally nodded and said, “Have them call me and I’ll pick them up. Can I go home now?”
“There’s one more thing. Amara.”
Fuck. Bruf had forgotten about her. He took out his phone and called Smoke. His brother answered it with “You alive?”
Bruf chuckled. “Fucking barely. What’s the Columbian witch’s ETA?”
“Her plane lands in about an hour at FAT. American Airlines. Name she’s using is Lila Giovanni. Kid’s dead mother.” Bruf could hear the disgust in Smoke’s voice. He didn’t blame him, but he was too fucking tired to even feel it himself.
“Thanks. How’s the kid doing?”
Smoke chuckled again. “Still shitting his pants.”
Bruf smiled. “Good.” He ended the call and told Maggie, “You can pick Amara up at FAT in an hour. American Airlines, under the name Lila Giovanni. Can I go now?”
She nodded and said, “Don’t leave town.” Bruf flipped her off over his shoulder and she laughed. “Hey, PFC Cantrell...good job.” He just nodded and kept going. He was dead on his feet, and so happy to see that Wolf had sent another prospect in the SUV to wait for him that he could have kissed the ugly, bearded guy. Thankfully, the kid wasn’t a talker and they drove in silence back to the clubhouse. He drove Bruf all the way back, almost to his trailer, and Bruf thanked him before nearly falling out and heading inside. It was daylight again and he was completely confused about what time it was, or even what day. He put the key in the lock and didn’t even notice when he didn’t have to turn it to push the door open. When he saw Sabrina’s face he thought that he was hallucinating. He grabbed her up into a bear hug anyway. He’d eaten a few psychedelics in his lifetime and he’d had a few hallucinations, but none of them had ever felt so good.
28
“Oh my God, I’m getting dirt and blood all over you...” Bruf held Sabrina back and she immediately missed being in his arms. But when she really looked at him, she was horrified.
“Bruf! Oh my God, is that your blood? What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, baby. I probably smell like a goat and I can only imagine what I look like, but it’s not my blood. I’m fine.”
Sabrina was relieved that it wasn’t his blood...but she was a little worried then about whose blood it was. “Bruf, let’s sit down – you look like you’re about to pass out.”
“How about if I shower first and then you can tell me how I got so lucky to find you here.”
“You’re not mad that I’m here?”
He kissed the side of her face and then brushed his dry lips against hers. “I am so not mad, baby. But I have to stop touching you like this. Let me shower and we’ll talk, okay?”
She nodded. He kissed her once more but as he started to limp off she said, “Did you eat?”
He chuckled. “No, baby, I haven’t eaten.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I’m just so happy you’re here.”
“I’m going to go grab some groceries from the clubhouse. I don’t see anything here to make.”
“Okay, hurry back.” Sabrina watched him until he reached the end of the hallway and turned into the bedroom. She looked down at herself then and saw that he had gotten dirt and blood on the front of her shirt. She wiped it off with the wet dish cloth and washed her hands before going over to the clubhouse. She was the only one in the kitchen, looking through the refrigerator, when Blair walked in.
“Sabrina? What in the world are you doing here?”
“Hi, Blair...I just had to be home,” she said, with tears in her eyes. “Wolf knows I’m here. Apparently, he had people watching me, which I didn’t know until they stopped me at the airport and cleared it with my brother for me to get on a plane.”
Blair smiled and said, “I apologize for my overprotective old man.”
Sabrina smiled through her tears. “It’s okay. It’s nice to know I’m loved.” Blair hugged her and suddenly the tears she’d been holding back since leaving Devin’s office began to flow. Blair let her cry and held onto her until Sabrina finally pulled back and wiped at her face. “Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” Blair really wasn’t that much older than Sabrina, but there was something maternal about her in an odd sort of tomboyish way.
“Here, let’s sit.” Blair led her over to the table and they sat down. “Don’t apologize; obviously you needed that. Are you okay? What’s happening?”
“Bruf is waiting for me, I don’t really have time to go into it all...I’m afraid I’m losing everything, Blair.” She felt the tears seeping through her lashes again and she couldn’t stop them. “My life is such a mess.”
Blair hugged her again and this time when she pulled away, Blair reached over and grabbed a paper towel and handed it to her. “Well, if you have to go to Bruf, maybe we can talk later. I know sometimes it seems like we’re losing everything, but sometimes if you’re able to talk about it and relieve some stress, it doesn’t seem so bad.”
“You know I’m pregnant, right?” Blair nodded. “You know that it was supposed to be for my friend and her husband?” Blair nodded again. “They don’t want it any longer.”
“Oh my goodness! They just backed out, with you already pregnant? Can they do that?”
“Yeah, legally they are responsible for the baby, but they can put it up for adoption if I don’t want it.”
“Why, honey? What happened?”
“They found out about Bruf’s past and his brother...they don’t want a baby that is part of someone like me...someone they believe is in cahoots with a white supremacist or
ganization...” The look on Blair’s face was strange, so Sabrina stopped talking and Blair said:
“I think you should go talk to Bruf. A few things have changed since you’ve been gone, most especially in the past twenty-four hours or so.”
“Would that explain why Bruf just got home covered in dirt and blood?”
Blair grimaced. “I’m sure it will.”
Sabrina thanked her and by the time Bruf finished his really long shower, she was back from the clubhouse and frying bacon. He came into the kitchen, clean, fresh, and in only his boxers, and wrapped his hands around her waist from behind. She felt him spread his fingers out and press his palms lightly into her swollen body. He kissed the side of her face and said, “How’s the bun in the oven doing?”
That was all it took to release the dam again. Poor Bruf had no idea what he’d said or why she was so upset, and it took her several minutes to pull herself together enough to be able to put together a coherent sentence. When she could, however, she looked at his face and his bloodshot eyes and said:
“I have a lot to tell you, but not now. You need to eat and rest...you look like you’re going to fall over. We’ll talk when you wake up.”
“Huh-uh, I won’t be able to sleep until I know what’s going on.”
She laughed softly. “You come in covered in sweat and dirt and blood, and you won’t be able to sleep until you know what’s going on with me. What’s wrong with that picture?”
He grinned and said, “Guess what? I can actually tell you what’s been going on with me now...but it’s going to take a while. I’d rather hear what you have to say first.”
“I’d rather just forget it all and make love to you,” she said with a smile.
“Fuck, baby, don’t tempt me.” He turned her around and this time he really kissed her. It was the kind of kiss that helped her fall in love with him...deep, sweet, erotic. When he pulled back he was still smiling. As she tried catching her breath he said, “Are you serious about the making love thing? That’s the first time I’ve ever called it that, by the way.”
She laughed again. “I’ll bet. Yes, I’m serious about wanting you. But we’re not going to do that now. Eat, and go rest. I’ll go see Wolf and you can let me know when you’re up.”
He looked down at his shorts and said, “I think he’s coming up now...”
Giggling she said, “Stop it. I want you to be well rested before we...”
“Make love,” he said with a wink.
“Yeah...that.”
She finally convinced him to eat his breakfast and then he insisted she lie down with him. It was mere seconds before he was out. Sabrina kissed him and then got up quietly and went back over to see Wolf. Maybe he could offer her advice or words of wisdom about how to approach Bruf when telling him about the baby. She was sure he wasn’t going to be happy about it...but she was also already sure that her maternal instincts had taken over and she’d protect her baby at all costs.
Bruf woke up in his own bed. The light that had been coming through the windows when Sabrina made him lie down was almost gone. He suddenly remembered that Sabrina had lain down with him, but she was gone. He sat up in the bed, wondering if he’d just imagined her being there when he got home. Did he? Was his head so messed up, from everything that happened, that he was having elaborate delusions of her being there, cooking him breakfast, kissing him...? No way. Unless he’d ingested some kind of drugs, Sabrina was there, somewhere. He got out of bed and headed down the hallway, stopping to smile when he saw her sitting on his couch. She was wearing the same yoga pants she’d had on earlier. They were black, and she had on a white t-shirt. The white socks on her feet were barely visible, as she had her legs tucked up underneath her, and her pretty face was resting on one arm that rested against the side of the couch. She had her eyes closed and she looked like Sleeping Beauty.
Bruf went over to her, touched her hair lightly, and said, “Hey, baby.”
Sabrina opened her eyes and looked up at him. For a second, she looked as confused as he’d felt when he woke up. Then she smiled. “Hi. Did you get some rest?”
He chuckled and sat down next to her. He snaked his arm around her and pulled her over into his lap. “From the looks of it, I slept all day.”
“You needed it, obviously,” she said, laying her head against his chest. Bruf buried his face in her hair and inhaled.
“I’m so damned glad you’re here,” he said.
He felt her nod against him. “Me too, but there’s something I need to tell you...before we go any further.” Bruf didn’t like the sound of that. Immediately, twelve different scenarios began running through his head. They all ended with him not having Sabrina, so he rejected every one of them. Their obstacles were gone...almost. They’d figure out a way to make this work this time, even if it killed him. She lifted her head and looked at his face. She looked so serious that a knot began to form in his belly as he said:
“Okay, baby, tell me.” He watched her hand drop to her belly and again, his imagination started working overtime. Before she could speak he said, “Is there something wrong with the baby?”
She smiled and gently touched his face. “No...but you look so worried – that’s sweet.”
He frowned up at her. “Of course I’m worried. This baby is a part of you. I would never want something to happen to it.”
She leaned her forehead into his and for a second, she just rested it there. When she brought her head back up she said, “I’m not sure how to say this, so I’m just going to say it. Melinda and Scott wanted out of the contract. They don’t want the baby. I had two choices: watch it be taken and put up for adoption...or keep it. I chose to keep it, Bruf. I’m sorry. I know you don’t want a baby and I’m not asking you to take this one on. But I can’t let my flesh and blood be given to strangers. I’m her mother now and I have to protect her.”
Bruf had a million questions racing through his head, but there was only one thing that he knew she needed to hear, so he said it. “I want you, Sabrina. I love you...and I’ll love your baby too.”
She looked like she was trying to say something, but she started crying. Bruf cradled her like a child and just let her cry it out. While he held her, he thought about what he’d just said. He knew that it would be hard for her to believe at first, but he was just going to have to show her that he could be a good man for her and the baby. Starting off their life together with a child wouldn’t be ideal...but he knew deep inside of him that they could do it. He wasn’t going to lose her...never again.
29
Sabrina and Bruf talked for hours. She was skeptical about his being okay with helping her raise the baby. She didn’t want him to get into anything he didn’t want to be a part of. It was hard, because she wanted him so badly, but she told him over and over again that she could do it on her own and she didn’t need him to take care of them. Finally, he said:
“Sabrina...did you hear me when I said I love you?”
She gasped. It suddenly occurred to her that she had heard him say that...but she hadn’t processed it. He loved her. She loved him too. She finally nodded like an idiot and said, “I love you too, so much.”
He smiled and said, “Okay then, we can do this. I’m not saying I’m going to win any father of the year awards...” He put his hand back on her belly and said, “But I promise to try, and I promise I’ll love you both.”
Sabrina had kissed him again then, another deep, passionate kiss. They’d gotten lost in it and she’d almost forgotten how he had stumbled in that morning. Before he could work his hands up underneath her t-shirt she said, “We still need to talk about you.” He groaned, and she said, “We’ll spend the rest of the night doing whatever you want...I promise.”
He grinned and raised his eyebrows. “Whatever I want?”
She giggled. “Whatever.”
He sighed and said, “The FBI approached me a few months ago about Ediger. It’s why I wanted to spend time up there. Wolf and I worked out an a
greement before you went back to Florida and this whole time I’ve been trying to get information for them. I never really got what they wanted, but thought it had ended up working out...and then everything kind of went sideways.” He looked sad and Sabrina almost told him that he didn’t have to go on...but he started talking again. “My brother is dead.”
“Oh no! Bruf, I’m sorry.”
His eyes looked so sad that it hurt her heart, but he shook his head and said, “Don’t be sorry, baby. He wasn’t a good man. As a matter of fact, he was pretty much evil personified. It’s just weird, you know? I know all these horrible things about him, but it still makes me sad. It was still hard, watching him...”
“Oh God, you had to watch?”
“He killed a man right in front of the police and they shot him. The man he killed was evil too. He was the guy that killed my mother. Anyways, all of this opened up avenues for the FBI to get search warrants and get onto that compound. They’re going to shut them down, I hope. My brother and the gangster that killed our mother will share an elevator to hell I’m sure...and as an added bonus, the bitch who tried to kill Wolf more than once is finally in custody. We found out she was the one that had been leaking information to both my brother and the FBI. She’s the reason the scum up there found out about your baby being...”
