Recovered Love

by Chrissy Snyder

  “Don’t cover up, Peanut,” he says while smiling at me. “You’re stunning, even all black and blue, there is something about you that just shines. Like your own personal sunshine.”

  I melt at his words, my heart pounding in my chest so I squash down my embarrassment.

  Reid helps me to get out of the shower and gently pats me dry, pulling a towel around my body and tucking it in. It’s odd to me that I don’t feel any embarrassment or shame while naked in front of him yet with my captor I felt violated and defiled and so much shame. His whole demeanor is so calming to me, soothing my frayed nerves. I watch as he pulls a hairbrush from the bag my parents left here at some point. Tears spring to my eyes as I think of my parents and how they must have worried about me.

  “Hey,” Reid says as he grabs my chin, “what are the tears for”?

  I smile shyly and say, “I was just thinking of my mom and dad, and how much I miss them.” My throat is tight, the words coming out stiff and heavy with emotion.

  Reid pulls me in tight to his body, and gives me a light squeeze. He’s so big compared to me, but I don’t feel afraid of him, I feel secure, protected even. His body envelopes mine, he is my safe haven. He sits me down and proceeds to pull the brush through my hair, working through my tangles with gentle strokes. This big strong man has such a sweet and gentle spirit, whoever his girlfriend is, she is one lucky lady. I remember the woman he was with at the club and wonder if she is his girlfriend. Ugh. The minute I think of him having a girlfriend my stomach cramps and my breath hitches. I don’t like that idea at all. I wonder if he does, I mean, he knows how to brush a woman’s hair without ripping through the tangles and yanking huge clumps out, so he must have one.

  I need to know so I take a deep breath, let it out and ask: “So. . . . your girlfriend must love it when you brush her hair.” OMG I’m so lame. Ugh. I’m glad I’m not looking at him, I don’t want to see him laughing at me for being so blatant. He’s stopped brushing my hair, sitting quietly behind me. “I don’t have a girlfriend,” he says quietly, “I’m not seeing anyone even casually. I learned how to brush through long hair when I volunteered at the stables.” He says this while squeezing my shoulders, and oh boy, there go my girly bits again. All this throbbing and moisture has me off kilter. It’s taken me a while, but I’ve finally accepted it’s not a flu I’m coming down with, but rather sexual chemistry I’m dealing with. Oh boy. What now?

  Mom and dad arrive shortly after Reid finished brushing my hair. If they think it’s odd that he’s wet, and it’s obvious I’ve just had a recent shower, they don’t say. I’m so happy to see them, the tears start flowing freely. Mom tucks me in for a hug and rocks me back and forth, while dad holds the two of us. I see that Reid intends to leave, but I grab his hand and ask him to stay. Mom is a bit startled, but then looks at our joined hands, and a small smile appears on her lips.

  Reid assures my dad that he will stay on guard all night, and then one of his brothers will take his shift in the morning so he can catch a few hours of sleep. While I was resting, my captor was booked through central processing. I know that he won’t be punished for his crime, not the way I think he deserves. Is it horrible that I hope something happens to him while in jail? I can’t help the full body trembling that comes over me, at the mention of my captor.

  I visit for a bit longer, and finally tell mom and dad that I need to sleep, hoping that I can actually fall asleep. There’s a big part of me afraid to let go and sleep, I don’t want to wake up and find that I’m back there and this is all something I’ve imagined or dreamed.

  I think I’m safe now and away from danger. What more can happen to me?

  I watched her sleep all night, memorizing every feature. She woke up screaming several times, the sound raising every hair on my body. To hell with the nurses, I think before I finally climb into bed beside her and tuck her in to the side of my body, trying to calm her shaking. Instinctively she curls right into me and immediately falls back to sleep, her mouth moving soundlessly. I’m gently pushing the hair off of her forehead while I continue my perusal of her sweet banged up face when I hear a slight noise. I look up startled and see Deacon and Carter in the doorway, both with shit eating grins on their faces.

  I know I’m about to eat crow here, as I whisper, “What”?

  “You lost your nuts somewhere?” Deac asks. I shake my head at him, “You’re such a douche.” Mom would be so proud of us. Ha. We can’t forget Carter in the mix, he has to put his two cents in, “It’s nice to see your heart isn’t entirely made out of concrete,” he says. Out of the three of us, Carter is the hopeless romantic, believing in true love and fairytales.

  I can feel Savannah twitch and squirm in my arms, our whispering probably woke her up. I softly whisper in her ear that it’s me holding her, and she doesn’t need to be afraid.

  She smiles and squeezes my arm, “Oh I knew it was you, and I know I’m safe, I feel very safe in your arms.” At that, Deacon clears his throat and she jumps about a foot in my arms. I pull her tight, “Sorry Peanut, but those loudmouths over there are my brothers, Deacon and Carter.”

  Her mouth drops open, “Oh dear lord, I forgot that there are three of you.”

  “You sound horrified,” I chuckle.

  “Not horrified, more like speechless. I mean, you’re hot, but there’s three of you,” she’s shaking her head at this point, “your poor mother.”

  The three of us laugh out loud and I squeeze her as tight as I can without adding to her injuries, “You’re absolutely right, Peanut.”

  Her face lights up like a Christmas tree every time I call her my beautiful girl or Peanut, I think it must make her feel special. Someone’s done a number on her somewhere, but instead of becoming a horrible person or bitter, she radiates kindness. I shift from behind her, climbing out of bed. “Listen beauty, I need to head home to shower but I’ll come right back,” I say while rubbing her arms. I see the panic cross her face, so I rush to reassure her the best I can. “I was going to pass the morning shift to my brothers so I could sleep, but I slept last night so I don’t need to,” I say reassuringly. “They’ll both stay with you until I’m back. Will you be ok while I’m gone?” I ask her quietly.

  I watch her take in a deep breath and let it out, “I’ll be fine. Your brothers will take very good care of me, I’m sure of it, but will you hurry back?” She asks in a quiet voice. She’s going to gut me with that sweet voice. Such a brave, strong woman, and I know it isn’t easy for her to show me that she needs me.

  I rub her arms, “I don’t want to be anywhere else but with you, I promise to hurry through my shower. Besides, they’re releasing you today, so that’s good news,” I tell her with a smile.

  I nod at the boys as I leave, words unspoken. My brothers know me better than I know myself, but I think all three of us are having the same thoughts, that I’m falling for her, and she means something to me. I know they’ve got my back, and in this case, hers. If anything happens to her while I’m gone, they’ll pay.

  I swear it feels as If I fly home and take the world’s quickest shower, I’m eager to get back to her and hold her in my arms. I’m on the way back to the hospital when I get the news. The local police department calling to tell me that David escaped. That fucker. I nearly lose my shit, as I scream as loud as I can, pounding the steering wheel. How the fuck did they let him escape? I need to get back to Savannah, and fast. I can’t take the chance that he’ll come looking for her. I need to protect her at all costs, I take care of my own.

  I feel like I’m almost flying, that’s how fast I’m driving, eager to get back. I’m thankful the ride doesn’t take long and I’m lucky to find an empty parking spot on the lower level, parking my truck and locking up before jogging into the hospital. I catch my breath on the elevator trying to calm my breathing so as not to alert Savannah to any issues.

  “Hey gorgeous,” I say walking into the room, smiling when I see that she’s lying on the bed, chatting with Deacon and
Carter who are in stitches. I walk over to her and drop a kiss on her temple, closing my eyes in relief that she’s ok.

  “Hi,” she says softly, “You were really fast.” I smile and push a strand of her hair behind her ear and cup her face, before dropping a soft kiss to her mouth.

  “I didn’t want to be away from you for another minute,” I tell her honestly. I don’t want to sound like a chick, but it’s true, I don’t want to be away from her.

  Deacon and Carter can tell immediately that something isn’t right, but I want to wait for Savannah’s parents before I drop the bomb about Andrew Randall. I don’t have long to wait before they arrive with big smiles and a soft stuffed kitten for Savannah.

  “Hi Baby,” her dad says, giving her a kiss and the stuffed kitten. “I know you’re not a baby anymore, but you’re my baby and you used to love it when I bought you stuffies.” I watch as she hugs it to her, smiling brightly.

  “I love it Daddy,” she says to him softly, “I’ll always be your little girl.” I need to clear my throat, even my heartstrings are pulled by their mutual adoration.

  “Hi Sweetie,” says Mrs. Peters giving her a big hug, “You’re getting out today.” She’s smiling and turns to look at the rest of us, noticing that myself, Deacon and Carter are quiet and that we have something to say.

  I clear my throat and take a deep breath thinking here goes nothing.

  “I received a call on my way back to the hospital,” I tell the room at large. “David has escaped.” At the news, Mrs. Peters gasps while her husband rushes to her side and pulls her into his arms. I look over at my Savannah noticing she is hunched over herself, sobbing quietly and rocking back and forth. All the smiles and humor I’ve been able to cajole out of her, completely gone.

  I don’t give a second thought to what her parents might think and crawl back into bed with her and pull her into me, rubbing my hands down her back.

  “Shhhh Peanut,” I murmur quietly, “I’ve got you and you’re safe with me.” I keep rubbing her back in small circles, trying to give her some measure of reassurance. I see her parents looking at one another, wondering what in the hell I’m doing in the bed with their daughter, but I don’t care. Fuck everyone who doesn’t understand that she needs me right now and I plan on being there for her.

  Deacon and Carter just stand there with stoic faces and arms crossed over their chests. They are not happy with the news, all of our hard work gone in an instant.

  I look at Mr. and Mrs. Peters and hope they understand what I’m about to say. “I recommend that Savannah come stay with me,” I say assertively. “I can keep her safe and protected, my home is secure with gated alarm entry. In addition, I will put several men around the perimeter of my home, round the clock. I won’t leave her side until David is caught.” I look at Savannah, and back to her parents, “We caught him once, we’ll do it again,” I say with the utmost confidence.

  I can see that they’re thinking this over, unsure. I can only imagine their misgivings. If I were a father, I’d want to keep my own eyes on my child. I’m about to say more, but I don’t have to as Savannah has her own opinion to add. “Please daddy, I agree with Reid, I think I should stay with him,” she says softly. “Besides, I can’t go home. That’s where he took me from, and I don’t know if I can ever go back there. I can’t relive all those memories, and be afraid all the time.” She’s crying, the tears streaming down her face and I’m gutted just watching her. “Daddy, please, I can’t go there, I can’t think of all the things he did to me,” she hiccups, “please, I can’t be alone.” Her voice breaks, right along with my heart. I look over to see Mrs. Peters crying. I know they want to know more about what happened to Savannah in that dirty, dingy house, but the physicians all cautioned them, and recommended they don’t ask. They felt she should open up at her own pace, and the reality is that she might never want another human to know everything, especially not her parents. She’ll have access to the best physicians, whatever she needs to heal.

  D.A. Peters looks to his wife, and I see her nod, while she dabs her eyes. They agree that she should stay with me and they leave to pack her belongings. We don’t know how long she’ll be staying, so I’ve asked them to pack some of everything. We say our goodbyes, and it’s just Deacon and Carter to say good-bye to. They will swing by my place later to make sure everything is ok and they’ll stay until all this is over.

  The doctors come in with her discharge paperwork and we are almost ready to go. I know she will need some help dressing, but before that she looks at me and my brothers with tears in her eyes. “Thank you for finding me and for helping me,” she whispers. “I know a lot of people might have just turned around and walked away and I appreciate that you didn’t,” she says her voice soft. “I honestly thought that was it for me,” she says as her voice cracks.

  FUCK, she’s crying. I hate when a woman cries. Not for any reason other than I’m a man and we are helpless to a woman in tears. We want to help, to change or to fix whatever the problem is and usually it’s something totally unfixable. Like with Savannah, she needs to heal and to forget what she’s gone through . . . . . . if she can. As if with any grieving process, you go through cycles of anger, disbelief, denial and sadness. Right now she’s in the sadness stage, and while it’s helpful for her, it’s very hard to watch.

  My brothers approach the hospital bed one at a time and tuck her head under their chins and give her a big hug. I watch as Deacon kisses the top of her head while Carter cups her face in his hands and kisses her forehead. It chokes me up to see my brothers be so good to my girl. Fuck, why do I keep thinking she’s my girl? I don’t do relationships, so what the fuck is up with me? My brothers say their goodbyes with the promise that they’ll see us later.

  I look at Savannah and my chest tightens. I tug her to me and just breathe her in. My poor girl, I don’t want to let go of her, and where did that feeling come from? I’m suddenly so protective of this woman who I barely know. I’ve always been a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy, so why am I thinking more long term?

  I shake off my thoughts and say, “Let’s get you home and get you settled. I’ll send Deacon out for whatever you need, just tell me what you like and don’t like,” I tell her.

  She smiles softly at me and says, “Ok.”

  I pull her into a sitting position and head to the small bag her mom had left here last night. I pull out a pair of panties, shorts that look as if they had once been a pair of sweatpants and a soft t-shirt. I see a bra and go to grab it, but then she shakes her head at me, saying it will be too tight around her body. I can only imagine. She doesn’t even try to argue with me when I pull the curtain around her bed for privacy. I smile at her as I tug the hospital gown off her body, and admire the view. Hey, sue me, but I’m a guy and when there’s tits, I have to admire. She has very full, firm breasts, her nipples are a berry pink color and are hard. I see her shiver, but I’m not entirely sure it’s because she is cold. My cock is growing behind my zipper, and I resist the urge to adjust myself, but it isn’t easy as I feel myself throb. I pull her t-shirt over her head, covering those gorgeous breasts. It will kill me watching them sway freely beneath the cotton of her shirt. I pull her to a standing position and kneel at her feet to pull her panties on. My face is level with her pussy, and I can’t help but stare at it, too. I breathe in deep, inhaling her scent, my mouth waters for a taste. She is bare, waxed smooth, and I can see some dampness around her lips. I groan and lick my lips, my cock even harder than before. Maybe her mom is wrong about her virginity status, or maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part. I pull her panties up, then her shorts and slide her feet into a pair of slip on sneaker type shoes.

  As I stand up she grabs my hands and says, “You’re a good man, Reid.”

  I cup her face in my hands, and lower my mouth until it hovers over hers our breaths mingling. Softly, so I don’t hurt her already split and chapped lips, I meet hers with my own. I add my tongue, slowly tasting her, gently l
icking my way into her mouth until she opens and lets me in fully. I inhale her sigh while I suckle on her tongue, and devour her mouth as softly as I can. I feel her fingernails digging into my biceps as we kiss each other, desire running rampant through my veins. I pull back, panting, and just look at her.

  What the fuck is happening here? Am I falling for her?

  My heart is beating wildly in my chest, holy shit that was an amazing kiss. I want to go look at myself in the mirror and see if I look different. I remember Lacey telling me that she thought she looked like a different person after her first kiss and after losing her virginity. At that time, I had shaken my head in laughter at her. But now? I feel different, so surely I will look different. The more I think about him, and the kiss, I get all tingly and wet. Seriously? After everything you’ve been though and that’s all you can think about, is how hot he is? Ugh, I need to give my head a shake.

  Don’t go there, Van. Leave it be. I don’t want to remember. I will likely never forget those days of my capture, but those experiences have taught me to enjoy each day as much as I can. It also taught me that we can choose to accept, move on, and move forward toward our destiny. To have hope, and to savor it. Or, I can wallow, but I’m not a whiner and it isn’t in my nature. Oh trust me, I’m not all granola and sunshine, but I’m practical. Pragmatic. Forward. I breathe in as deep as my sore ribs allow and slowly let it out. I need to move forward.

  It isn’t long before we arrive at Reid’s and it’s exactly what I expected. A large, sprawling ranch style home, done in stone and wood. It blends with the nature surrounding it, rugged and beautiful like the man himself. The front is nicely landscaped and there are woods on either side of the home, giving it that “living in nature feel,” but it’s not so far into the country either. It’s a balance between city and suburbs and it’s simply perfect. I can’t see the back from here, but I can imagine the view is likely impressive. The inside of the house is really cozy and warm with large exposed beams crisscrossing the ceiling and a stone hearth. There is a fire burning a welcome and I suspect one of his brothers arrived before us just for that purpose. It’s a beautiful house, meant for a large family and I can picture a bunch of kids running rampant, laughter bouncing off the walls. I hug myself at the sweet thought, but if I’m honest with myself I don’t like the idea of him having a family, it brings out pangs of jealousy that I’m not familiar with. I shake off my jealousy and turn towards Reid asking, “Hey, do you know if my parents will be arriving soon?”