by A. L Long
I looked over to Ryan, aware of the tension in his face and the tightness of his jaw muscles as he stopped the truck. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea. Even though he had fond memories of this place as a child, what happened here only a few weeks ago was nothing short of heartbreaking. Feeling the pain steal every shred of happiness from his body, I took hold of him and uttered, “Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea, Ryan.”
It was like my words passed by him. His thoughts were so far away that not even the loud horn honking behind us could take him out of the place he was currently in. “Ryan,” I called out, hoping I could break his trance. “We need to go.”
When we began moving again, my eyes studied the car behind us, noticing that an inappropriate finger gesture was staring back at me. What was with the people in New York? Certainly, they aren’t all assholes. I could have been just as rude and showed him how I felt about his arrogant display. It was a good thing that Ryan’s thoughts were somewhere else instead of what was going on behind him.
Passing the main house and the guest cabins, Ryan headed straight for the lake. It was hard to believe that this place was business as usual even after what happened. There was no indication that something bad had taken place only a few weeks ago. All of the visitors were enjoying their stay either by cascading along the smooth water with their tiny boats or fishing on the banks hoping to catch the big one. When Ryan came to a stop, I opened my door and was greeted with a somewhat cool breeze that was coming off the water. While I was busy taking in the fresh air, Ryan had pulled down the tailgate and was unloading the items we needed in order to dig up that one special tree. I had found out before we left that the owners of the resort were kind enough to donate a tree on Josh’s behalf after what had happened.
With everything that we needed, we headed to the wooded area in search for the perfect tree. Ryan was in front of me and I was having a hard time keeping up with his pace. While he was walking, I was pretty much jogging behind him. Stopping for a moment to catch my breath, I bent over and placed my hands on my knees and cried out, “Ryan, wait.”
As I caught my breath, he was beside me in an instant. “Come on, Charlie, we need to hurry.” His eyes narrowed as I gave him a confused look.
“Hurry for what?” I asked.
“Them,” he replied, pointing behind me.
In the distance, I could barely see what he was pointing at. Two men had pulled up beside Ash’s truck. I wasn’t sure what they were doing, but it seemed whatever they wanted, it concerned Ryan. Looking his way, I asked, “What do you think they want?”
“I don’t know, but I am not sticking around to find out,” Ryan answered.
Taking my hand, Ryan began forging forward through the trees, keeping the truck and the men in sight. Having a better view, I could tell that the men went to the back of their truck and pulled out what appeared to be a shovel and a bucket. It was then that Ryan realized who these men were. As we made our way back to the truck, the men came into view. Just as we had them in our sights, they had us in theirs. When we met up with them and introductions were made, it turned out that they were only here to help Ryan with the tree once he had found it. It was funny how things sometimes could be misconstrued as trouble.
~****~
After we had found the perfect tree, Ryan had this crazy idea about going for a swim. I pretty much refused, considering that I didn’t have a suit and skinny dipping wasn’t an option for me with all the spectators around. My argument was soon lost when Ryan suggested I swim in my bra and panties. His point being, no one would know the difference since they were too far away to see anything. It was rather hot and a dip in the water would be amazing. Living on the wild side for once, I began removing my clothes and joined Ryan in the water.
Walking cautiously to the water, I could feel the warmth of the sand between my toes. I wondered if it would feel the same if we were on a tropical beach somewhere in the South Pacific, where people laid on the beach all day sipping tropical drinks while soaking up the sun. Stepping in the water, I just about lost my breath as the cool water splashed up against my shin. Turning on my heels, I decided that the warmth of the sand was a better place to be. That water was frickin’ cold.
Taking up a seat on the sand, I heard Ryan’s voice ring off the water. “Are you coming in or what?”
“Hell no. The water is freezing cold,” I yelled back.
“Aww… Come on, babe. Where is your sense of adventure?” Ryan replied.
Rolling my eyes, I gave him a ‘go right ahead’ wave and lay back on the warm sand. It couldn’t have been more than a minute later that a shadow fell upon me, almost like the sun had gone behind a cloud, only there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. Feeling cold drops of water hit my skin, I opened my eyes to find Ryan standing before me with a mischievous grin on his face. I was pretty sure I knew what his next move was going to be and I wanted no part of it. Rolling over, I hurried to my feet to get away from him. My efforts were stopped when he took hold of my ankles and flipped me over. I was up and over his shoulder being carried towards the water.
Pounding my fists against his shoulder blades, I demanded, “Ryan Hyatt, you put me down this instant.”
He replied back with a slap to my ass as he chuckled, “Not today, baby.”
When he was waist deep in the water, he leaned forward slightly, causing my body to hit the water. I wasn’t prepared for that and I took in a mouthful of water as my head went under. As soon as I came up for air, Ryan was standing in front of me in his gorgeous form with a smile on his face from ear to ear. Knowing that I wasn’t a sore loser, I pushed up with my feet, jumping as high as I could with the water pulling against me. My hands went to his head and I used every ounce of strength I had to push him under. My efforts backfired and we both fell into the water, me on top of him. Coming up from the water, his arms were wrapped around my waist while my hands rested on his shoulders. There was something about this moment that felt so right. His mouth lowered to mine and I could taste the saltiness of the water on his lips. At that instant, my heart began to ache in such a way that I knew I was falling in love with him all over again
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Ryan
One thing I hated more than anything was waiting. Sitting in my car in the pitch-black night, in an alley that made me more uneasy by the minute, I kept my eyes open for any movement. Gallo insisted that we meet on safe grounds. To me, this was no safer than meeting at the docks, but at least the guys had a better view of what was going down. Getting the feeling that this guy wasn’t going to show, I pulled my cell from my pocket. Just when I was ready to call this whole thing off, the reflection of bright lights appeared in my review mirror. It had to be Gallo. Nobody else in their right mind would be here this late at night.
Opening my door, I stepped out into the night and waited for the car to stop. Dimming their lights, the driver got out and proceeded to the back door. Getting out of the car was an elderly man who looked to be in his early sixties, slightly overweight, wearing a suit and a fedora hat to match. In his right hand he held a half-smoked cigar, which, if I were to guess came across the border illegally. As I approached his car, there was something familiar about the driver, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Stopping half the distance between the back of my car and the front of his, I waited for Gallo to meet me.
Feeling uneasy, even though I knew that the guys had my back, I looked to Gallo as I waited for him to say something. Acting like I respected this piece of shit, I held out my hand. “Mr. Gallo, I’m so happy to meet you.”
He didn’t move an inch as he stared at me with his beady eyes. Lifting his cigar to his mouth, he inhaled deeply, sending a puff of smoke my way. Trying not to cough, I held my breath, hoping that the cloud of smoke would dissipate before I had to speak. After feeding his addiction, he finally responded, “So, you want to work for me.”
I wasn’t sure if it was a question or an observation. Tilting my head, I r
eplied, “Yes, sir. It would be a great honor, and to prove to you my loyalty, I’ve decided to give you something in return.”
“So, I’ve heard. You have twenty-four hours to show just how loyal you really are.” Gallo began walking back to the car before stopping for his final instruction. “Don’t fuck it up, kid. You may not get another chance.”
If it wasn’t for the plan, I would have taken him right then. Letting it go, I knew his cocky overconfidence would soon be coming to end and the only thing he would be worrying about was whether or not to keep one eye opened as he slept in his 6 x 8 cell. Turning on my heels, I walked back to my car and waited for the arrogant son-of-a-bitch to back up. Before I started the engine, my phone began vibrating in my pocket. Pulling it free, Peter’s name came up on the screen.
“That cocksucker is going down,” I seethed before Peter had a chance to say anything.
“Don’t let your personal vendetta against this dirtbag get in the way of your objective. It’s what my commanding officer always told me and what I’m telling you now,” he put forth before continuing. “We good with the plan?”
“Yeah, we’re good,” I mumbled.
I knew that Peter was right in his words, but saying and doing were two different things. I had to keep my head on straight and put aside my feeling towards this asshole. Putting the car in drive, I backed out of the alley and headed back to the shop for debriefing. Now that the initial introduction had been made, it was time to move on to phase two of the plan. By tomorrow morning I would be holding a Warhol original in my possession.
~****~
After what seemed like hours at the shop, I was finally home and holding Charlie in my arms. It was late, and she was already fast asleep by the time I got home. It had been one of those days and I was so ready to go to sleep. Problem was, my mind wasn’t on the same page. All I could think about was the fact that my brother was dead and the scumbag who killed him was still free. When I was finally able to close my eyes, everything drifted back to when I was young and Mom had placed Josh in my arms for the first time. As I held him, I was so afraid that I was going to drop him, or even worse, that he would start crying because he didn’t like me. But all he did was smile up at me. I will never forget the color of his eyes. They were the color of the sky on a clear day. As we got older, we began doing everything together. Even though he was four years younger than me, we always managed to have the same interests, except for girls. I think he was still too young for that. As though it was yesterday, I could still see the look on his face when he walked in my room and caught me and Charlie making out. I had never seen a more disgusted look than what was broadcasted across his face. I thought for sure he was going to run to Mom and Dad and tell them what his big brother was doing.
My dream turned from good into bad, and it was like a record playing over and over again. I was holding Josh in my arms. His body was limp, with no life. I kept asking him to wake up, but he wouldn’t. The air had an unearthly feel to it and all of a sudden, an impenetrable fog settled in. Turning my sights back to Josh, I witnessed something that no man should ever see. Small white maggots began slithering from every orifice of his face. Trying to escape this horror, I released him, causing his body to fall to the damp ground. His eyes popped open and his lips began to move. There were only two words spoken. “Help me.”
Not even the cool water could comfort the shattered feeling I had growing in the pit of my stomach. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Drawing in slow, steady breaths, I concentrated on my heartbeat, bringing it to an even, more rhythmic beat. Looking at the man who stood before me in the mirror, I began to question my life and the many mistakes I had made along the way. It was only when Charlie appeared in the refection that I saw the one thing in my life I didn’t regret. I slowly spun around and took in her sleepy posture as she leaned against the door frame. My feet slapped against the tile floor as I hurried to be near her. Over the past weeks she had been my only escape, and at this moment she was the only place I wanted to be.
Her small frame shifted from a leaning position as I swept her in my arms and carried her over to the bed. I gently lowered her to the bed and watched as she lay still on the mattress. Her beauty was beyond intoxicating as I positioned my body over hers. As though she had read my mind, her hands were at the hem of her nightgown pulling it free from her body, leaving only her lacy panties to contend with. I ran my fingers along the edge of her panties, dipping my fingers between the moist material and the soft wetness of her folds. A small moan rang from her lips the minute I plunged one finger inside her. Placing my lips on hers, I could feel the swell of her nipples press against my chest. The vibration of her pleasure danced between us as our tongues collided in an effort to escape inside each other’s soul.
I could feel the intake of every breath as Charlie’s breasts crashed into my chest. No longer could I wait. My desire for this woman was fierce and it was something that I needed to tame. Spreading her legs with my own, I lowered my briefs and began moving against her, teasing her folds open. The warmth of her womanhood enveloped me as I began to move slowly inside her depths. Every thrust brought me closer to the brink of surrender. Thrust after thrust I could feel Charlie squeeze my shaft, pulling me further inside. She was like a glove meant to be worn. Moving my hands up her body, I took hold of her hands, my face close to hers, fingers entwined, feeling every inch of her as she brought me closer to home. With her own release close, our passion burst with a wave of ecstasy. My body fell to hers and in a soft whisper she murmured, “I love you.”
~****~
It wasn’t hard to convince Evelyn that Nick was feeling a bit under the weather and was unable to work on her landscaping today. I had a funny feeling she thought that I was going to give her a little more than just a quick pruning. When we found out that she had changed her spa day, there was no need for Nick to be here. Hearing how unhappy she was running late for her spa treatment, I waited until she was down the drive and out of sight before entering her home. I was pretty sure that the alarm system wasn’t turned on, especially since she was so kind to allow me to help myself to the lemonade she prepared and told me was waiting for me in the fridge.
With the back door already unlocked, entering was going to be a lot easier than I thought. The only thing left to do was grab the painting and leave. As I headed to the art room, I wondered what kind of business Mr. Becker was in to afford such a pristine home. Maybe he was just as crooked as Gallo; all in the family after all. Focusing my attention on more important things, I opened the door to the art room, careful not to step too far past the door before I checked with Chavez. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dialed his number and waited for him to answer.
His voice came over after the first ring. “Everything is a go, Hyatt. You’ve got two minutes before the alarm resets.”
“No problem,” I answered before ending the call.
Assured that the room was safe to enter, I walked over to where the Warhol hung on the wall. As I stared at the abstract painting, as confusing as it was, the only thing I could think about was Charlie and the words she had spoken so sweetly when she confessed her love to me. I would remember last night as long as I live, because I promised myself that I would never hurt her again.
With the clock ticking, I carefully removed the painting from the hook and replaced it with a small dumbbell of equal weight to make sure that the sensor on the camera wouldn’t detect that the painting was removed. I wanted to be long gone before the Evelyn was notified that her painting was missing. The initial plan was to return the painting back to her unharmed after Gallo was in prison. Peter even came up with a story to cover our ass. It had something to do with catching the thief red-handed with the painting. In a way he would be telling her the truth. In the end Gallo would be the actual thief.
My work here was done and the cameras were reactivated, and just like Chavez said, it was two minutes to the second that they came back on. Getting to my car, I opened t
he back door and carefully placed the tube holding the painting on the back seat. I had exactly eight hours before I would be meeting with Gallo to show him just how loyal I was. With a priceless painting in hand, there was no reason he wouldn’t accept me into his clan once he saw it. Our plan was slowly coming together and soon my brother’s killer would be behind bars.
Driving down the road to the shop, I caught myself looking in the back seat just to make sure that the painting was still there. It wasn’t like there was a ghost or something in the back seat waiting to take it. I guess I still couldn’t believe that it was so easy to lift. Everything fell into place, almost like Evelyn herself had a plan. Maybe her leaving the house unlocked and offering me lemonade was to set me up instead of trusting that I wouldn’t steal her blind. Pff, now there’s a thought. Looking down at my watch, I now had under seven hours before Gallo would meet his destiny.
