by Laura Day
It was as if Maple had read her mind because a few moments of static later, Maple’s words came in a little clearer. “...Why don’t we go someplace a little quieter...?”
“Ok,” Alan nodded to his team. “I think they’re moving out. Derek, check the sound. Davis, be ready to drive. We need to tail them closely without being noticed.”
The engine hummed to life and Jax peered out through the tinted windows, waiting for Maple to appear. She came out only moments later in the black mini skirt and embellished blouse that Tori had brought for her. Jax couldn’t see her features clearly from his distance and the dark windows he was staring out of, but he could tell from her stance that she was tense with nerves.
“You can do this, babe,” he whispered under his breath.
A moment later, Conor appeared. He sidled up close to Maple and put his hand on the small of her back. Jax gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to walk across the street and beat the smirk right of Conor’s smug face. They started walking down the street before they turned the corner.
“Don’t start driving until Conor has taken off,” Alan instructed Davis.
Once it was clear that Conor and Maple were on the road, Alan gave the cue to start driving. They kept a safe distance until the car had made a left into a quiet and dark neighborhood. Then Davis killed the lights and they followed Conor’s car in almost complete darkness.
The crew could hear their conversation reasonably well now. It was clear and quiet once Maple had turned off the car radio.
“Where’s this party?” Jax heard Maple ask.
“Not far.”
“I hope there’s some good stuff there,” Maple said, and Jax knew where she was going with this.
“What kind of stuff are you talking about?”
“It’s been awhile since I’ve smoked up.”
“Well, you’re in luck because the parties I attend always have the finest quality everything.”
“Everything?”
“Let’s just say you’ll have choice.”
Jax turned to Alan and Tori. “Do we have him?”
“We need more than just that,” Alan replied. “But this is good. If Maple can get him to spill all his secrets, we can get enough evidence together to put him away for a very long time.”
They drove a little longer, and then out of nowhere, Conor hit the accelerator and the car sped into motion through the lonely roads. Unprepared for that, Davis hesitated, without pursuing Conor. Through the monitors Jax heard Maple’s voice rising in panic. “What are you doing?”
“Come on,” Jax almost yelled. “We can’t lose them. He’s up to something.”
Davis moved faster, but Conor’s car had disappeared from view.
“Fuck,” Alan cried. “Fuck!”
Tori kept her head, as she gave calm orders to everyone. “Davis, put the lights on and let’s keep our eyes out for the car.”
They kept driving, waiting for something that would tip them off. “Look,” Davis said from the wheel. “I think those are tire tracks.”
“Where do they lead?” Jax asked, darting to the front of the van.
“They’re heading into the forest,” Davis replied.
“Follow them,” Alan said immediately. “And dim the lights. We can’t afford to be noticed.”
“What is this?” Maple’s voice was thick with fear, and Jax froze in place at the sound of it.
“Get out of the car.” Conor’s voice was hard and cold, and Jax knew instinctively that Maple’s was in serious danger.
“We need to get to her fast,” he hissed urgently. “This is about to turn ugly.”
“No.” The strength in Maple’s voice was giving way.
Derek looked panicked, Tori looked worried, but Alan looked pained. “We don’t have enough evidence to incriminate him. If we stop it now, Conor will walk.”
“If we don’t, Maple could get hurt,” Jax spat.
“Get out of the car.” Conor’s voice again, and this time the sound of a door opening.
“She’s getting out of the car,” Tori whispered, as they drove quietly through the woods.
“He has a weapon on him,” Jax said instinctively.
“Now... tell me why you’re here?”
“You are the one who brought me here.”
“Cut the shit... and tell me why you’re here?”
“I told you already. I wanted to get back at Jax.”
“Call me crazy... but I find it hard to believe that a girl like you would seek out your rapist just so you could fuck him again... no matter the circumstances.”
Jax looked up at those words. Alan and Tori were staring at him, too. “We’ve got him now.” Tori mouthed to him, and Jax nodded.
“I think I know exactly what you’re doing. You’re playing a game here.” Conor’s voice was dangerously low.
“I’m not. I swear I’m not.”
“You want to play. Then let’s play.”
There was a scream and the sounds of a struggle, and Jax felt his body shiver without permission. He turned to Alan. “We have to do something!”
“No!” Jax heard Maple scream and felt his insides summersault in pain.
“I thought this is what you wanted, bitch? You wanted me to fuck you, didn’t you? Why are you fighting now?”
Jax heard Maple scream and then suddenly everything went silent as though someone had turned off the television. Jax turned around slowly. “What the fuck was that?” he asked, staring daggers at Derek. “What the fuck just happened?”
“He must have... found the microchip,” Derek stammered. “Or it could have... come lose.”
“Fuck!” Jax screamed. “We need to get to her now.”
Alan fastened his bulletproof vest securely and grabbed his gun, as he motioned for Tori to do the same. “Let’s go,” he said, as he opened the van door and jumped out. “The rest of you stay here.”
“Fuck that,” Jax said, as he jumped out after Alan. “I’m coming, too.”
“Fine,” Alan hissed through gritted teeth. “Stay behind me.”
They ran for a few short moments before they became aware of screams in the distance. “It’s coming from there,” Jax said, bounding forward, his determination pushing him to run faster than he had ever run before in his life. He overtook Alan in no time. Then he saw the lights of the car glowing, and he headed in that direction. He could hear Maple screaming, and he spurred himself on faster.
Jax burst through to the little clearing in time to see Conor push Maple’s legs apart, as his clothes lay strewn about the hard earth.
“Motherfucker!” Jax screamed in a rage, as he ran forward and pulled Conor off Maple with a force he had never had to use before. He was tempted to beat Conor to death right then and there, but he had to prove he was different now. He had to prove to himself that he had changed. So instead of smashing Conor’s head against a tree stump, he ran over to where Maple lay to make sure she was all right.
Her legs were bare and caked with dirt and muck. Her face looked a little bruised, and her arms were bloodied. Her eyes were open, and she was shivering badly as she tried to speak. “Maple,” Jax said, looking her over with worry.
“...He... he... has a.... gun...,” Maple managed to stammer out.
Jax looked up in time to see Conor point the gun at him, his eyes were thick with rage. “Stand up motherfucker,” he hissed. “I want to see you fall.”
“Police! Put the gun down!” Alan’s voice tore through the air, catching Conor by surprise. His eyes darted between Jax and Alan, as he realized he had just been cornered.
“Put the gun down now, or I will shoot!” Alan said again.
Jax knew Conor was trying to decide how to get himself out of this situation. The woods were dark; the only light there was coming from the car’s headlights. It cast Conor in eerie grey shadows that made him look almost inhuman.
It happened all at once. Conor spun around so that he was facing Alan instead of Jax, but he didn’t
even have time to shoot because Alan’s bullet had already left his gun. It sang through the air before making contact with Conor’s forehead. Conor hit the ground with a hollow crunch that seemed to echo around the woods before silence settled in to rest. After a few seconds, Alan lowered his weapon and looked at Jax. “Let’s get her back,” he said, panting deeply.
Jax dropped to his knees, as he removed his jacket and placed it gently over Maple so that she was covered and warm. Then he picked her up effortlessly in his arms, cradling her as you would a child. She was feather light; she seemed to weight almost nothing. She was still shivering, her body was convulsing deeply, and he thought she might throw up. Her face was pale, but there wasn’t enough light for Jax to be sure.
“Are you ok?” he asked, drawing her closer to him.
She nodded slowly, but Jax knew she was too shaken up to speak.
“You did good,” he whispered softly to her. “Conor’s gone and he’s never going to be able to hurt you or any other woman again. You’re a hero.”
Her arms tightened around his neck as she leaned in a little closer “And you’re mine,” she whispered in his ear.
Chapter 10
Maple
Two Weeks Later
He looked so handsome in his clean, long-sleeved, white shirt. Maple couldn’t help but admire the way the color brought out the bright blue of Jax’s eyes. He had been her rock in the last few weeks. He had been patient, understanding, and unfailingly kind. So much so that it had taken Maple much less time to recover from her ordeal in the woods with Conor.
The trauma of that night had stayed with her only a few days before the dust began to clear and she realized that she had the freedom at last to be happy. It was a strange feeling, being happy. It made her feel more positive about everything in her life, including the scar that had plagued her face for years. She accepted it now as part of her, and when she stared at herself in the mirror, she noticed the beauty there instead of just the flaws.
“This place is fancy,” Maple pointed out, as she took in the gold-rimmed plates and the crystal chandelier that hung just above them.
“We deserve this,” Jax told her as he took her hand. “How’s your duck?”
“Perfect,” Maple nodded. “How’s your lamb?”
“Perfect,” Jax replied with a smile.
It was more than just the five-star restaurant they were sitting in and the nice clothes they wore. Even the conversation that flowed between them was different. It wasn’t all about the darkness of their pasts and the loss and suffering that life had thrown at them. It was about mundane things, like work and friends and movie choices. For the first time, Maple felt like any other normal woman in her twenties.
“So...” Maple began slowly. “I’ve been thinking the last few days.”
“Yes?”
“I was passing the local campus the other day and I... stopped in for a bit. It seems they have some nursing courses that I’m eligible for.”
Jax’s face lit up. “Maple, that’s amazing. You have to do it.”
“I have to save up a little bit more,” Maple said. “And work out a part time schedule with Evan...”
Jax waved his hand, as though all the details were unimportant. “We can work that out. I have money saved up that we can use for your tuition.”
“Jax, you don’t have to—”
“But I want to,” Jax said firmly.
“You’re getting ahead of me,” Maple said, rubbing her hand against his arm. “I have so many forms to fill out, plus I have a few entrance exams I need to take to see if I can qualify for the courses in the first place.”
“You’re a smart girl,” Jax said immediately. “Plus you have the passion for it. You’ll ace any exam they throw at you.”
Maple laughed at Jax’s enthusiasm. There was something magical about that evening. “Thank you for bringing me here,” she said softly. “But I would have been happy with any old place.”
“I know,” Jax nodded. “But I wanted to mark the occasion?”
“Occasion?” Maple wondered in confusion. “What occasion?”
“I have a question to ask you,” Jax said, as he reached for her other hand across the table.
Maple waited expectantly, unsure where this was heading.
“I want us to live together, Maple,” Jax said earnestly. “I want you to move in with me. Or rather... I want us to get a place together.”
Maple stared at him for a moment. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” Jax nodded firmly. “I know it’s a little fast but... this feels right.”
Maple smiled. “It does feel right,” she nodded.
“Is that a yes?”
“It is,” Maple said with a laugh, as they leaned over the table towards each other for a kiss. They pulled away but they kept their eyes locked on one another.
“There are so many things I want to do to you right now,” Jax said with a wink.
Maple looked at Jax with hunger in her eyes and leaned towards him again. “So what’s stopping you?” she asked coyly.
Jax’s eyebrows went up slightly as he smiled at Maple before he looked around surreptitiously. “This is a nice place,” he observed as though he were just noticing.
“It is,” Maple nodded. “I bet their bathrooms are nice, too.”
Jax’s smiled deepened. “Maybe you and I should go check it out?”
“I was about to suggest the same thing,” Maple said. “Maybe I’ll see you in the ladies room in five minutes?”
“You just might,” Jax nodded, and Maple rose to leave the table.
The bathroom was as opulent as the restaurant itself. The counters were marble, and there were delicate stands for the liquid soap that had been placed at every sink, along with a box of tissue and a tray of hand towels that had been placed to the side. Maple walked in just as another woman walked out of the bathroom, leaving it empty for Maple.
She turned to the large, framed mirrors in front of the sink and looked at her reflection. She was wearing a slinky red silk dress with a small slit and heels that added several inches to her height. She brushed back her hair so that her shoulders were bare and waited expectantly. A few short moments later, the bathroom door was pushed open gently, and Jax slipped in.
Maple stared at him for a moment, appreciating the sight of her fully tattooed boyfriend dressed like a Hollywood movie star. Then she backed into one of the large cubicles, gesturing for Jax to follow her. He tore in there after her, and even Maple was not prepared for the force with which he came at her. She could already see the force of his erection poke out from behind his pants.
He pushed her against the wall without even closing the cubicle door and pushed up her dress. Maple was trying to inch down her panties, but Jax was in no mood to be patient. He ripped her panties off of her and threw them to the floor as though they were an unnecessary appendage. Then he grabbed her buttocks with both her hands and hoisted her upwards so that her legs were wrapped around his waist.
Carrying her as though she weighed nothing, Jax rammed into her against the fancy wallpaper of the restaurants bathroom, making Maple gasp out in ecstasy. She tried hard not to scream, but it was nearly impossible with the insistent force of Jax’s thrusts and the way his tongue moved down her neck up to her ears.
Maple could feel his piercing every time he withdrew and entered her. It sent shivers of longing up and down her body. All she could really do was grab ahold of him and ride out the delicious sensation of flying. His hands were rough, but Maple welcomed the heat of them against her skin. It made her forget that she was in a fancy restaurant wearing beautiful clothes. It made her forget her past and her troubles. It made her forget her family and her future. The only thing it served to do was remind her that at the heart of it, she was an animal.
She and Jax both, they were just animals that hungered for one another, and Maple was starting to realize that that hunger would never truly be satiated. She smiled to herself as Jax fucked her
hard, and she gripped the walls behind her, trying to contain the little gasping moans that escaped her.
Maple knew that things would be different from now on, but she also knew that what was really important would never change. At the heart of it, they would always be the same people. She recalled that their first encounter had been in a bathroom, too. It had been an altogether different kind of experience. Jax had fucked her against the counter and left her with his blood and sweat smeared across her body.
Maple closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the moment, because once this was over, she was going home with her fighter, and there would be countless other moments to look forward to in the future.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Jax had come to enjoy his twenty-minute walk from the construction site back home. Jax usually got off work at six, which meant he was back home around six-thirty, which gave him enough time to prepare dinner before Maple showed up at seven.
Even as he walked down the street, Jax could hardly believe that he lived in a neighborhood as pretty and homely as Silver Crescent. It was a far cry from the siren sounds and piss-stained walls of his apartment block. The sidewalks were cobbled, and there were streetlights that dotted the path for him. Fences ringed each house, and short gates closed them off.
The house that Jax and Maple had managed to find was at the end of the street. It was a tiny, one-bedroom home in great condition. It had come with the bed and the couch, and it had only taken Maple a few days to make it their own. Jax stepped inside and turned on the lights, casting everything in brightness.
He made creamy pasta and chicken for dinner before moving into the bedroom to shower before Maple got home. He had just stepped out of the shower when he heard the click of the door, announcing her arrival.
“Mmm, that smells amazing,” Maple said, as she moved into the room and set down her bag. She was wearing a turquoise blouse over jeans, and her face was flushed and animated.
“Hi,” Jax greeted, wrapping a towel around his waist.
“Hi,” Maple smiled in return, as she started to undress. “How was your day?”
