Caught Off Guard

by C. M. Steele

  “Yes, I do and I really do. So how am I supposed to hurt Rick? He has been good to me and even invited me to go on vacation with him and his parents.”

  “It will be okay, Rick is young and like you, will heal.” I loved her so much. She helped me even though I already had my answer. I was just not used to being the dumper to someone I actually liked.

  We had been talking when Rick knocked on the door. “Come in,” my mom said.

  “Rick! What brings you here?” I said guiltily. After the guilt came the panic. What if Mike walked in? There would be a brawl and Mike is already injured and Rick is not strong enough for a man like Mike, even a weakened Mike.

  “I came to see you Zoey.”

  “Sweetheart I’ll leave you for a few moments. It is nice to see you again, Rick.” My mom said, calmly and left the room.

  “Zoey, why do I get the feeling that you are ending this with me?”

  “I’m sorry Rick. I think you are an amazing guy, it’s just…”

  “It’s just the big bodyguard. I understand. I understood it wasn’t just his job to protect you. The man wanted a hell of a lot more. So tell me how are you feeling physically?”

  “I can’t complain. I’m alive and I’ll be back to normal in time.” I looked at him sheepishly. I felt bad as I looked into his eyes and had seen his upset.

  “That is great. So I’m going to Greece next month before college. I’m going to take a lot of pictures. I can send you some when I get back.”

  “Thanks, Rick. I would like that.” I can’t say that Mike will appreciate it, but it was the least I could do after ending our relationship.

  We said our goodbyes and I tried not to cry. Not because I loved him or anything like that, but I felt bad for him. I wouldn’t want to be hurt by someone who I really cared about.

  Chapter 8

  Mike

  The next few days I was in and out of it. I had tried to move too fast and it was getting to me. By the third day I had made up my mind, she was going to be mine, eventually. I was willing to give her some time to come to terms with it. I was good to walk around the room by myself now, so I’m going to go see Zoey again.

  “Good Morning Zoey,” I said, as I opened the door to her room.

  “Morning Mike. What are you doing walking around? Shouldn’t you still be resting? My mother told me that you were having dizzy spells.”

  “Don’t worry babe, I’m good. I needed to see how you were doing.”

  “I’m fine. You don’t need to feel guilty about what happened. It was out of your hands, so you can stop coming to check on me and Elizabeth.”

  “My guilt has nothing to do why I come to see you, and you know it.” I walked over to her bed and sat down on the bed. She tried to move her legs away, but I put my hand down and stopped her.

  “Don’t worry. I don’t bite.” I didn’t care for her trying to escape me. She was different today, nervous.

  “I wasn’t, I was giving you room to sit. I don’t know if you know this, but you are kind of a beast.”

  “I don’t know whether to take that as an insult or a complement.”

  “It was neither. It was just a statement of fact.” she said, with a playful attitude.

  “Wow, you are not a nice girl.”

  “You are probably right.” Even in my pain, my dick was jumping with that smirk she gave me.

  “How have you been these past few days? Have you missed me?” I winked at my woman. My woman damn, she was just a girl, but you can’t change what your heart feels. I’m going to have a talk with her family soon.

  “Have you missed me?”

  “Hell yes I did. So did you?” I questioned her.

  “Yes I did, but I knew you needed rest.”

  “Yes, I couldn’t even sit up half the time and they took away my phone. My drill sergeant of a nurse was on my ass.”

  “Was she some sexy thing?” Loving the jealousy. I bent down to her face and whispered, “I’m yours.” I kissed her lips and she hungrily latched onto them. Our kiss was getting out of hand when her hands entangled themselves in my hair. Then she used her position to pull my face away.

  “You didn’t answer me and kissing me isn’t going to get you out of answering me.”

  I laughed, “Your jealousy is cute. No offence to her, but I don’t find a seventy year old bull dog sexy.” As I watched the blush of embarrassment stain her face, I laughed harder.

  “Hey quit laughing at me. I have seen some of the nurses around here, so why would you get the old battle axe I heard about?” she asked, accusingly

  “Because I refused to stay in my bed. I tried to come over here and sneak into your bed.” I winked.

  “Liar,” she laughed.

  “Well only a little. I did try to come see you, but they stopped me. What can I say? I missed my girl and her pretty lips.”

  “So I’m your girl, now?”

  “Hell yes babe.” I growled at her.

  “I thought you said you were giving until I was on my feet to choose?”

  “I changed my mind.”

  “So then tell me what is you want from me.”

  “Starting off with the easy questions, aren’t you? I want everything. You, me and the next fifty years.”

  “Seriously.”

  “Do I look like I’m kidding? I know I said I would give you time, but these last few days without you wasn’t fucking pretty, and I don’t want that again. Can you handle that?”

  “I don’t know”

  “You don’t know? I guess that is fair, but I know you can. We have at least a week of recovery ahead of us. That is plenty of time to learn about each other and for you to decide.”

  “That works for me.” She smiled at me and I couldn’t resist another kiss. I was going to win her. I just had to start small and simple.

  “Do you want to go check on Elizabeth?” That earned me a big smile.

  “Yes I do. They said they would take me in a wheelchair over there in a little bit. My ankle is still healing, but the rest of me seems really good.”

  “I’ll wheel you over there.” I called for a nurse when she came we requested a wheelchair. Five minutes later we were on our way to check on Elizabeth.

  Zoey

  He wants to be with me, like for forever. I don’t know if I believe that or if he is just confused after what has happened with the attack. He took me to see Elizabeth and I noticed that Jackson looked at me then to Mike and back and didn’t smile. I had a feeling my brother didn’t approve and I knew that wouldn’t bode well for us. Did he not trust Mike’s motives, too?

  We spent the rest of the day in the hospital getting to know each other. I learned that my new man liked to read and that he didn’t have a college education even though he was a successful business owner.

  “We barely made it out of high school. After the orphanage we worked a lot and paid for a tiny apartment. It was hell, but we made it work for us. We really learned to save our money, making it easy to open up our company about a year ago.”

  “Wow, do you have someone that helps with the books and the office management or do you handle that yourselves?”

  “Now that our company as boomed, we have a larger staff. In the beginning it was Milo, Duke, our accountant and myself. We worked our asses off to make it happen. Your brother happens to be one of our biggest clients and was our first.”

  “That is great. You have come far.” I thought about how useless I was at this point in my life and how sorry I had felt for myself when he had overcome so much. I was actually ashamed of myself.

  “You look tired. I am going to go back to my room, so we can be well rested and can bust out of this jail, already.” I smiled and just as expected he kissed me. I tried to hide the happy dance my heart was doing in my chest.

  Chapter 9

  Mike

  We were home for two days and a whole can of worms opened up, and left Zoey and me no room to talk about anything, but what was happening. I filled her i
n as best as I could, but some of the details were just for the guys. It seems the shooter was Jackson’s partner, Thompson.

  “Your partner Mr. Thompson was admitted to the hospital. He had a case of sepsis stemming from a gunshot wound that had been treated outside the care of a hospital.” said Detective Reid, who has been working this case. When Jackson learned of it he lost it. Can’t say I blame the guy, I wanted this fuck dead too, and Zoey wasn’t my wife yet. “He’s a dead fucker!! That fucking piece of shit. I didn’t want his slut of a daughter and kicked her naked ass out of my office so he goes to kill my wife!”

  We were warned to stay away since we would be prime suspects should Thompson die. We did back off and the fuck died in the hospital from his injuries. It was then that the biggest fucking kicker happened. We found out that Elizabeth had been stolen as a baby and her real father was Detective Reid. It was a shock to everyone and we all rallied around Elizabeth and the emotional confusion she had. Zoey had been at her side as often as possible, limiting when I could talk to her.

  Zoey and I spoke every day, none had been so eye opening as the day when we found out the truth about Elizabeth’s abduction as a child.

  “Can you imagine what the Reids must have felt? To have their baby stolen from them?” I could feel the pain her words. She would be traumatized if someone stole our baby and I wouldn’t allow that to happen.

  “No babe I can’t. I would be like Reid and searching the world for her.” I stated.

  “Well you are a hero, I’m sure you would have been able to find her and would have never given up.” Damn why did she have to constantly bring up my actions from the accident. I felt like she receptive to me because I was her hero. I didn’t want that shit. I wanted her to want me for me.

  “Will you give up on the hero crap, it was my job to protect you.”

  “No it was to protect Elizabeth, we were just the extras. However, that is not what I meant. You were a marine. You are a hero who has risked his life so many times.”

  “Who told you about that?” I didn’t tell her about my days as a soldier because they weren’t pretty.

  “My mother did, plus I overheard you talking to your harem at my party.” I laughed at her anger about the party. I was trying to avoid her that night, I was so tempted to take her upstairs to fuck her.

  “I don’t have a harem. I was hoping the stories would send them running. Well my days as a marine are long gone.”

  “Do you miss it? Is that why you do protection detail?”

  “No, I don’t miss it, and I’m only doing this for your brother.”

  “Why did you become a marine in the first place?” Damn she had a lot of questions today. I just wanted to kiss her some more.

  “Like I mentioned before, Milo and I had been orphans at a very young age and left to fend for ourselves. By the time we were old enough to get booted from the foster care system, we saw the marines our only option. We both served for several years. Then Milo came home, joined the FBI and I stayed a marine. I haven’t looked back since I left.

  “I’m sorry that you got short changed a family growing up. I thought my problems were bad.” she said pathetically.

  “What problems? You are smart, beautiful and come from an affluent and loving family.” I didn’t mean to make her seem spoiled, but I didn’t understand what could be wrong. Whatever was wrong in her life, I was going to fix.

  “You see it the same as everyone else, but you are right to most my problems are not that serious.”

  “I don’t mean that, but you have the life most would love. A life I envied as a child.”

  “Well that is the problem, people want the life you have. Do you know how many friends I actually have?”

  “Hundreds?” There was a lot of motherfuckers at the party the other day.

  “None. I mean true friends. I haven’t trusted a friendship in years. They all want the same thing, association with my family. I had seen it for years with my parent’s acquaintances, but the kids my age had been cruel as to hide it until I overheard a group of them talking about me. The only reason they came around was because I had a hot brother and a powerful family, plus they got to experience the trips, the horseback riding and everything.”

  “Then why did you invite them to your party?”

  “Well it wouldn’t be much of a party if no one was here, would it?” she shrugged.

  “So what is up with the boy? If you don’t trust any of them why were you trying to hook up with him?” I tried to hide the anger, but it was hard when it came to her wanting someone else.

  “Rick is a nice guy and had nothing to gain from being with me. He has everything I have and more. He is naturally popular, smart, handsome and wealthy too. He’s the kind of guy I thought I could see myself ending up with.” she said awkwardly. I shouldn’t have asked question I didn’t want the answer to. I didn’t like it at all. She seemed to still care for him.

  “You don’t see yourself with a guy like me, do you?” I had to know if she was any closer to making a decision about us. I thought I was winning her over. We shared kisses and though I wanted more we were still recovering, so it wasn’t a good idea. She was always smiling at me.

  “It doesn’t matter what happens between us because I’m leaving to go away to school in New York and our relationship will fall apart in time.” she added, as she got up from the couch. I wanted to punch a fucking wall. She wasn’t ready for me and really had no plans of being with me. I helped to her room and said goodnight as I felt the pain in my heart. “Good night Mike.”

  Zoey

  Mike had just walked me to my room and left. I felt like a fool. I was madly in love with him, but he didn’t try to talk me out of going to New York for school. I already had plans and I couldn’t just give them up without reason. He didn’t give me a reason like I hoped he would. I guess he really didn’t feel that strongly about me. I went to bed that night resigning myself to my fate resting in New York trying to recover from my first broken heart.

  I was about to make my way downstairs when I overheard Jackson and Mike talking outside the door.

  “Listen, I need you to stay here and hold down the fort for me. I have to go back to Seattle and handle some issues. They found the fuck and you know I have to make sure my girl is safe. Please protect her and the rest of my family.”

  “You know you don’t need to ask twice. Are you sure you are going to be okay going alone? I could leave Milo here to look after the girls.”

  “No man, I need the both of you to look after all of them. I thought you would want to stay here. You seem to be spending a lot of time with my sister.” Oh my, Jackson noticed Mike’s attention to me.

  “She’s a nice girl after you get passed her biting attitude, but no when the coast is clear I’m going back to Boston.” I stepped back as I heard that. I clutched my chest as it ached. I thought the tears I shed last night after his lack of concern were over, but the fact that he was leaving for good brought them back. I limped to the shower and got control of myself.

  It took the rest of the day to feel normal again. It was late when my mom came into the room to tell me I had a visitor. She helped me down the stairs and down in the living room waiting for me was Rick.

  “Hey Rick, what’s up?” I was glad to see him because even though he thought we couldn’t be together he still cared enough to stop by.

  “I wanted to see how you were doing. I know we ended what we had, but I needed to see that you were going to be fine. I know your lug of a boyfriend isn’t going to let that happen, so I just wanted to wish you the best.” We spoke for about ten more minutes before my mom came and brought me my medicine.

  It was about two minutes later that they hit me full force. I was suddenly so tired I yawned.

  “I’m sorry I must be boring you,” Rick said in embarrassment. Actually we had a very stimulating conversation.

  “No you are not. It is these pain pills.” I shrugged

  “Yeah your mom did
just bring you like five to take.” he chuckled. Why couldn’t I want the less confusing and frustrating guy? No I have to want the guy who wants me one minute then not the next.

  “Well I’ll get going. Do you need me to help you up the stairs or anything?”

  “No she doesn’t.” Growled an angry Mike, who magically appeared when I hadn’t seen him all morning. He avoided me all day and I was partially glad for it. I wish he would just leave already.

  “No, I can handle it myself, but thank you. You are a true gentleman.” I kissed his cheek, and he blushed while I heard a rumbling growl coming from the big ass in the doorway. Rick passed by Mike, but I couldn’t tell what he said to Mike.

  I slowly walked to the door, so I could go up to my room, but Mike wouldn’t let me pass, and before I could argue I was in his arms as he carried me up the stairs.

  “What the hell is wrong with you, you big buffoon? You are going to tear your stitches.” I shouted out of concern.

  “Don’t worry about me, little girl. You obviously didn’t when you kissed him.” He said with venom dripping from every word. We reached my bedroom door, he opened it, walked in before he decided to he put me down.

  “You know you are a confusing ass. What does it matter if I gave him a kiss on the cheek? You don’t want me anyway. You are going back to Boston.” Before I could react he pinned me against the wall.

  “I don’t want you? How many pills have you taken? I told you to make a choice about us and you tell me you are going to New York and saying our relationship would fail. I took that as your choice. What am I supposed to do, wait around while you have your lover boy with you, following you around like a lost puppy?”

  “What am I supposed to do, drop everything for a man who thinks I have a bad attitude and can’t make up his mind? That isn’t a very bright thing to do.” I was starting to get tired from the pills and the heartache I suffered. Mike noticed the fatigue and carried me to bed.