Helios Exposed (The Helios Chronicles Book 2)

by Tawa M. Witko

  “I wanted you to have that. I think Aunt Olivia would want you to remember that you were her sister too.”

  He stared at the gravesite, the picture he had set down in stark contrast to the coldness of the plate. He glanced around the ground and found a small rock. He removed the picture and flowers and unwaveringly scratched out the word sister and daughter under the words wife and mother. He then set the flowers back down and glanced at the picture again before setting it back underneath the flowers. He sat down with his legs drawn up.

  “I like that picture. You seemed so happy. That’s the image I have of you now, Mama. I don’t want to remember or think about what it was like in the end. How your eyes had no life in them and how different you became.” He closed his eyes, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to escape. “I hated you for so long, but ya know what? I don’t anymore.”

  Andrew glanced at Madison who was standing uneasily near a large headstone. She gave him a small smile. He breathed in deeply before turning back to his mother’s gravestone.

  “I can see how you can love someone so much that they become everything to you. Your life is no longer your own as their happiness exceeds your own. I know that’s what Dad was to you and I can really understand how hopeless you must have felt knowing he wouldn’t be with you anymore. I don’t know what I’d do if Madison wasn’t in my life.”

  Andrew traced his fingers along the etching on the nameplate. He wasn’t sure what else he was supposed to say or do.

  “I’m moving to New York with Madison and I just wanted to come by and say that...” He paused and rolled his shoulders before looking down at her headstone again. “I forgive you, Mama.” His breath hitched at the words he spoke. “Do you hear me, Mama? I forgive you. I really can’t carry all of this shit anymore.” He sighed and stood up. “I hope that you have forgiven yourself too.”

  He started walking away and made one last glance at her grave. He knew that he would never be coming back again. This chapter of his life was officially closed. He felt a peaceful calmness wash over him and for a moment he felt as if he really could fly. When he approached Madison, she immediately wrapped her arms around him. He rested his head against hers and knew that wherever she was, he would be happy.

  ~*~

  The next morning, Madison and Andrew headed out early as New York was still a solid ten to twelve hours away depending on traffic. The previous night had been pretty solemn. Andrew had held her closely most of the night, he didn’t seem to be having bad dreams, but he couldn’t let go of her either. Andrew had started out the drive on their last day as Madison wanted to be the one behind the wheel as they drove into New York. She knew where she was going. As they crossed into the city, Andrew stared at the massive buildings and the enormous quantity of people walking about. As planned, they dropped off the trailer first.

  “Helios, sweetheart, you’re gonna need to keep an eye on me. The traffic is crazy and I don’t want to lose you,” Madison said as he got on his Harley.

  “I’m sure I can follow you,” Andrew said with an arch of his brows.

  She bit her lip. “Parking is awful in Manhattan. I think the Harley can fit in my space with me but I know someone will probably say something about it.”

  “Should I park on the street?”

  “WHAT! No way,” she said with a frown. “We’ll figure out the parking later, okay?”

  He nodded and started his Harley as Madison pulled out of the Haul-it dealer. Traffic wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but it was still bad as she worked her way through midtown. Madison was nervous about what Andrew would think of where she lived. She had a nice place in what was considered the theater district, off of 50th street and Eighth, just ten blocks from Central Park. Her complex was nice but not extravagant, yet she still paid upwards of thirty-five hundred a month for it. Madison glanced in her rear view mirror, making sure he was still behind her. She pulled into the underground garage and waved for Andrew to pull up beside her.

  “Baby, that’s my parking slot. I think if you park closest to the wall, then I can pull in next to you and still be within my space. I just won’t be able to open the passenger door but I don’t need to because if we are going somewhere in it then I can pull out.”

  Andrew looked at the spot, thinking that it was going to be a tight squeeze. Finally he smiled at her concerned face. She was chewing on her lip and her brow was furrowed.

  “It’ll fit,” he said before pulling in as close to the wall as he could.

  Madison took a deep breath and pulled in beside him. He smiled at her as she got out and popped her trunk. Madison had a suitcase and two duffle bags. Andrew grabbed her bags along with his and was maneuvering them when Madison quirked her brow at him and crossed her arms.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Andrew, are you seriously going to try to carry all that up?”

  “I’m not going to try, baby. I’m going to do it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Let me at least take the suitcase.”

  He shrugged and then let go of the handle. Madison felt giddy. It had been so long since she had been home. By the time she got to her door she was practically bouncing. She had left the place completely clean so it was immaculate when she walked in, just a little bit stuffy. She immediately went to the windows in the living room and opened them to let some fresh air into the apartment. She turned to Andrew who was standing near the dining room table.

  “Well, what do you think, Helios?” Madison asked as she took his hands in hers.

  “This is... Wow!”

  “Let me show you where everything is,” she said enthusiastically.

  Andrew felt like he shouldn’t touch anything because everything looked expensive. Her dining room was small with an oval shaped mahogany table and chair set. She took him into the living room space where she had a dark couch with matching chairs, a large oval coffee table with two small end tables, one between the chairs and one at the end of the couch. There was a nice entertainment cabinet that matched the tables and above it, mounted to the wall, was a large flat screen television. She also had a couple of large trees, one by the entertainment center and the other by the couch. The windows were nice and large, letting a lot of natural light into the room.

  “Obviously this is the living room. I just have basic cable because I am never home enough to really watch anything but I do love movies, as evidenced by the large array,” she said with a grin as she motioned towards the movies like they do on game shows.

  “The bathroom,” she said pushing a door all the way open, she then walked into the other room, “and this is our bedroom.”

  He smiled at her use of the word 'our' and glanced around the room. It was a nice size room with a large king size bed and, once again, matching dresser and nightstands. There were large windows that took up most of one wall and a small amount of another. Madison sat on the bed and pulled him between her legs. He glanced at her as her fingers moved to unbutton his jeans.

  “Madison,” he moaned as she touched him.

  He stepped back, pulled his shirt off, and pushed his jeans to the floor, toeing his Nikes off as well. Madison had been undressing but stopped as he stood there naked in front of her. He brought both his hands to his hair and ran his fingers through it before crawling atop of her.

  “See something you like?” he asked, his voice dripping with sex and innuendo.

  Madison licked her lips and nodded.

  “Get undressed, Madison,” he said so close to her mouth that she could feel his warm breath.

  Madison wiggled out of her pants as he rolled off of her, leaning up on one elbow as he enjoyed watching her scramble to remove her clothing. When she had removed the last of the offending articles, she pushed him back on the bed. She started kissing down his well-defined chest and torso while he moved his hands behind his head. She smiled up at him before straddling his hips with her back facing him. She glanced over her shoulder, giving him what she hoped was a smolderi
ng look.

  “Welcome home, baby,” she whispered.

  5 Welcome to New York

  Madison woke and stretched before slipping out of Andrew’s embrace. He frowned slightly and rolled over, mumbling her name. Madison was still in awe of the fact that she was in New York with Andrew by her side. She pulled out an outfit, glancing one last time at Andrew, mesmerized by his exquisitely tattooed back, a symbol of his ability to survive. She smiled and then jumped in the shower. By the time she had finished getting ready and entered the kitchen, Andrew was up, and the smell of fresh brewed coffee wafted through the room. He was dressed only in his boxers and looked completely edible with his hair falling in all directions and his muscles flexing as he approached her. He had that familiar look of carnal want and need on his face. He smirked as Madison inhaled sharply, still unable to believe that this incredibly handsome man was all hers. He handed her a cup of coffee with a slight cock of his eyebrow. She took a sip and sighed dramatically. It was perfect, just like the man who made it.

  “You look... fantastic standing there, teasing me with that,” Madison said, motioning her head towards his prominent morning erection.

  He grinned mischievously as he moved closer to her. “He wants you.”

  Madison moaned involuntarily before stepping away from him. “Damn you and your sexiness. Later, baby, I can’t be late on my first day back,” she said, giving him a soft kiss on the lips.

  He grinned and squeezed her tightly before she winked at him and stepped away again. She went to her cupboard and grabbed a travel mug, pouring her coffee inside before looking through the hallway closet. She selected a short charcoal jacket that matched her outfit perfectly. He loved what she was wearing, as she looked like some sort of cross between a businesswoman and a minx. She was wearing a light gray pinstriped skirt that came just below her knees, gray heels that had some kind of unusual print on them that gave her at least four more inches of height and a lavender blouse that buttoned down the front, showing an ample amount of cleavage. He licked his lips, and just as he had done in Lake Arrowhead, he buttoned a couple of her buttons. When Madison started to roll her eyes, he shook his head, kissing her before she could protest.

  “I wrote the directions down for how to get to your PO’s office. Can you call me after you leave there?” she asked, giving him another kiss on the lips.

  He nodded. “You know you don’t have any food in the house?”

  She smiled. “I know, we can eat out tonight, then go to the store, and pick up some things for the week.”

  She started for the door and stopped, turning and strutting back to him. He was watching her with a sexy smirk on his face. She hooked her finger in the band of his boxer briefs as her other hand worked up the nape of his neck. She pulled his lips to hers where she kissed him deeply, letting her hand slip inside his boxers. When he whimpered, she grinned against his lips and gave him one last peck.

  “Have a good day, Helios,” she said before she turned abruptly and walked out of her apartment.

  She giggled as she closed the door and could hear him groaning loudly. In all honesty, she was excited to start her day. It had been a long time since she had actually worked, but, more importantly, even though she had just left him, she couldn’t wait to return home. She thought of him and how their life came to this point as she drove to her office and parked. She couldn’t erase the grin she carried all the way to her office’s floor.

  “Oh my god, Madison.” She heard down the hall, recognizing Monique’s enthusiastic voice.

  “Hey, Monique,” Madison offered her co-worker a smile.

  “Wow, you look fantastic. California sure did agree with you. So glad you’re back though,” Monique said, hugging her, and then whispered in her ear, “I have so much to tell you.”

  “Well, let me get settled in first. I need to meet with Mr. Turner first. Is he in yet?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Okay, we will have lunch together and catch up,” Madison said.

  Monique nodded and Madison walked down the hall to her office. She stepped through the door and stood in the middle of the room. Everything was exactly as she had left it nearly three months ago. She strode over to her desk and took a seat, immediately opening drawers and changing her desk calendar.

  “Hey stranger,” another familiar voice said from the door.

  Madison sighed and looked up to see Kurtis leaning against the door frame. He looked good, as usual, in a dark suit and matching tie. He was giving her a knowing smirk, but to Madison it seemed ridiculous. She didn’t understand why he had to be like this all the time. He strolled inside her office and took a seat in front of her desk, unbuttoning his jacket as he crossed his legs.

  “You look great, Madison,” he said causally.

  “Thanks,” she replied politely, swallowing the bile in her throat. Dismissing him out on the street she could do but not in the office. She had to keep up with the pleasantries that working together required.

  “I’m glad you're back. Now we can talk more about how we are going to work towards your promotion, perhaps over dinner,” he said, smiling that smile that generally had all the girls in the office swooning at his feet.

  Madison opened her mouth to tell him no when her boss, Grayson Turner, walked in.

  “Ms. Ellis. It’s wonderful to have you back.” He walked over to her, shook her hand, and then glanced at Kurtis. “Have you told her the good news?”

  Kurtis shook his head. “Not yet.”

  “What good news?” Madison questioned, she hated being in the dark.

  “Mr. Nash here has been offered the position in the uptown office. He will start next month. I have asked him to work with you to help go through his cases so that they can be dispersed appropriately.”

  Madison glanced at Kurtis, who had an arrogant expression on his face. He had set it up so they would have to spend time together. Madison narrowed her eyes just slightly at him, which made him smile even wider. Madison was not looking forward to this at all. Kurtis would be relentless, which frustrated her. He could have any girl he wanted, but he chose to pursue her continuously even though he knew she was not interested in him at all.

  “That’s wonderful news, Kurtis, congratulations,” Madison said, giving him a smile that held no warmth to it.

  “Why thank you, Madison. I look forward to us working together,” Kurtis replied smugly. “And hopefully we will be celebrating for you very soon as well.”

  Mr. Turner glanced at Kurtis, wondering what he knew. Ms. Ellis was definitely one of the top three candidates for the position in the Wall Street office. He had ranked her number one until she left. He would need to see if she still carried the same fire she had before she left and then he would reconsider her ranking if necessary.

  “Well, we’ll let you get settled in,” Grayson said, standing up. “I would like to meet with you after lunch, Ms. Ellis.”

  “Sure thing, Mr. Turner,” Madison replied.

  “Catch you later, Madison,” Kurtis said with a smile as he followed Grayson out of her office.

  Once they were out, Madison closed her eyes and her forehead hit the desk as her hands rested on the back of her head. She felt overwhelmed already and longed for the tranquility that she had in California. A tranquility that was directly related to the time she spent with Andrew. She sighed and sat up straight, firing up her computer and checking who her appointments were for the week.

  ~*~

  After Madison left the apartment, Andrew found himself in the shower relieving himself of the massive wood he was sporting. He had decided one thing as she walked out the door and that was that she was clearly a minx. He dressed in a pair of faded Levis with a rip in the knee and a white V-neck t-shirt. He then started really exploring the house. It was very contemporary and beautiful, yet as he sat on the couch he noticed there were no elements of Madison anywhere. There were no pictures, nothing that screamed of the girl he knew and had fallen in love with. He st
ood and walked to the window, his hands in his pockets as he looked at the buildings across from her apartment and then down at the busy traffic.

  “I should go get something to eat before seeing my PO,” he said to absolutely no one.

  He shook his head and laughed at the fact that he was talking to himself. He grabbed the directions Madison had given him and the key she left behind, slipping them both into his pocket. He locked up and shortly thereafter pulled his bike out into the busy midtown traffic. He found it odd that no one at Madison’s apartment questioned why he was there. In California, everyone would have already figured out who he was by now. He maneuvered his Harley through traffic until he found where his probation officer’s building was. He had to park a little down the street but that was alright with him as it would give him a chance to survey the neighborhood.

  He lit a cigarette and looked around, getting his bearings and determining whom he should avoid. He saw a few people he identified as possible gang bangers. As one glanced at him, Andrew took a long drag of his cigarette, his eyes narrowed slightly as he blew out a long stream of smoke, his eyes never leaving the three men talking across the street. Suddenly the man grinned and said something to the person to his left.

  “I’d stay away from them,” a voice suggested from behind him.

  Andrew turned to where the sound was coming from. The voice belonged to an older African American man in dirty jeans and a ripped T-shirt. He was leaning against the wall, gripping a brown paper bag in his hand.

  “Can I bum one?” the man asked, motioning to the cigarette in Andrew's hand.

  “Yeah, sure.” Andrew placed his cigarette in his mouth and dug his pack out. He shuffled a cigarette out and then lit it for him.

  “You’re new around here,” the man said, as he took a long drag, a look of joy on his face.