by S. K. Lessly
Sweets…
“Fuck,” Shane barked, shaking his head. “This is what I’m talking about…”
I smirked at him.
“I’ll get it.”
He mumbled something unintelligible as I hopped off the stool and made my way to the door.
“Do you see why they have to find a place soon? This happens all the time.” I threw a smile over my shoulder but it broadened at the pained look on his face.
Sweets started banging harder now, more frantic. And I picked up my pace.
“I’m coming, Sweets, hold on a sec.”
She stopped banging and I swung open the door and smiled. However, my smile immediately dropped when I took in the sight before me.
Sweets was sweating, hunched over with pain etched all over her face. Baby Jay was clinging to her leg looking as frightened as his mama.
I bent over and picked Jay up. “What’s going on, Sweets? Are you—” I never got to finish my question because she immediately screamed in pain. Shit it was so loud a couple of the neighbors around Shane opened their doors.
“The baby is coming!” she yelled and my heart dropped to my toes.
“Holy fuck! Shane!”
Shane was next to me before I got his name out. He had managed to throw on a shirt I had noticed.
He opened the door wider and helped his sister-in-law inside his apartment.
“Where’s Josh?” he asked, his face frowning.
“I don’t know. Ice cream run, I think. Oh God this hurts,” she blurted and then her eyes went wide and she looked at us. “Oh no, I have to push.”
“What!” Shane and I said at the same time.
27
Misty
Shane and I entered his apartment exhausted. He and I looked at the bed and the mess we left then back at each other and shifted tiredly to the living room.
Sweets had her baby, if you didn’t guess. It was such an amazing yet scary rollercoaster; I wasn’t sure how Shane and I were still on our feet.
Shane had helped Sweets to his bed and I took over, getting him to bring me fresh towels sheets, and warm water. I also told him to call the ambulance but I saw his phone against his ear so I assumed he was doing just that.
I placed pillows underneath Sweets’ back and positioned her legs open so I could see how far along her labor progressed.
She kept saying she had to push, she had to push, and once I got her legs open to check, damn her baby’s head was right there.
More banging commenced and four seconds later, Josh entered the bedroom. Four minutes later, I was pulling a healthy screaming baby from Sweet’s vagina. A minute after that, the paramedics arrived and took over.
Let me tell you, I don’t want to see another woman’s vagina ever again!
Not that I’ve seen other women's vaginas on the regular but you know what I mean. All that screaming, bodily fluids and stretching… I didn’t pay attention before, I was too busy helping Sweets deliver her daughter to dwell on it at the time. Now that I had time to think about it…the image of her vagina freaking spreading to deliver that baby… oh my freaking God…
Then on top of that shit, Lili went into labor in the waiting room at the hospital. On all that is holy, I’ve had enough of seeing babies born to satisfy me for decades.
“Do you want something to eat or drink?” Shane asked me pulling me from the horror that was childbirth. I shook my head, collapsed on the couch and just stared at the dark television.
Both women were doing fine, thank the Lord. Their babies were healthy and beautiful. Both families couldn’t be happier.
I smiled at the memory of watching each couple with their bundles of miracles and couldn’t help the sadness that overcame me. I would never have that feeling, or experience the miracle of childbirth with Shane. For a long time, I told myself I was okay with not having kids. After watching Josh be there for Sweets and Nolan for Lili, I wanted to know what that felt like. I want to see Shane’s love swimming his eyes as he held my hand and coached me through childbirth. Or the adoration he would show the world for his baby. Our baby. I wanted that more than I wanted anything else. No wait, that’s not true. There was something that I wanted more.
I glanced over to the kitchen and watched Shane fussing around the stove. I gathered he was making coffee or something.
I rose from the couch and headed for the island. I took a seat and watched him as he absently dipped his tea bag into a cup of hot water. He wasn’t focused on his task, he looked as if he was somewhere else.
Maybe this wasn’t a good time to bring this up but…
“You okay?” I startled slightly from the tone of his voice, caught off guard he shifted his attention to me.
I nodded, cleared my throat and decided now was a better time than any.
“I want to have a baby.”
Shane’s brows furrowed and he headed toward me. He placed his cup down and regarded me.
“Okay…” he drawled out then paused for a few seconds before he added, “So do I, but you said we can’t.”
“I know, but I don’t know, maybe things are different. It’s been years, maybe I can get examined and see if things have changed. The military doctor who said…”
“Wait. What? What do you mean military doctor? Weren’t you examined here in the states?”
I shook my head. “No, why would I? I’ve been trying to get pregnant the entire time I was married and it was unsuccessful. On top of being exposed to some bio-weapon and I didn’t feel the need. The docs told me about the side effects of being exposed to a weapon like we were and it included infertility and possibly cancer. You know some of my team later contracted rare forms of cancer and died. I just didn’t want to find out my fate. I wanted it to just happen.”
“Fuck, Misty…” Shane ran his fingers through his hair. “All this time and you…” He shook his head. “Tomorrow we’re getting you tested for every fucking thing. You got me?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I got you, but my father already put me through a battery of tests. He did it after I returned from Brazil.”
“Okay. What’s the verdict?”
“Not sure. I haven’t been back to the hospital.”
Shane blew out a frustrated breath and I winced as he gave me a disappointed look.
“Tomorrow call them and set up an appointment. We’ll go together, got it?”
A small smile spread along my face. I straightened by back and saluted. “Yes, sir.”
He shook his head. “Smart ass.”
I laughed, reached for his mug and took a small sip.
“Help yourself,” he mumbled and I fought back a laugh. I placed his mug down ready to complain about how warm his tea was, when I froze.
Sitting next to the mug was a black velvet box. Where in the hell did that come from? I swear it wasn’t there when I lifted the mug. How…
I stared at the box for some time before I shifted confused eyes to his. His deep blue eyes were dancing with mischief as he studied me.
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I shook my head, trying to clear it and attempted to speak again, and again nothing.
Seeing that I was struggling, and taking pity on me, Shane spoke.
“Did you think I forgot?”
Still confused, my brows furrowed and I thought back to something I would accuse him of forgetting. My mind was a complete blank until it wasn’t…
Shane, do you want to get married…To me I mean…
Holy mother of…
I noticed him fiddling with the box out of the corner of my eye. He open it and turned it around to face me.
I stared at him unable to move my gaze from his knowing eyes. I damn sure wasn’t going to look down at the counter. I couldn’t freaking breathe right now.
I just… I…
“Are you going to look?” he asked finally. I frantically shook my head no.
He smiled. “Why not?”
I opened my mouth to answer him, but dammit, I
still couldn’t speak. I closed my mouth, took a deep breath and tried to gather enough saliva for my dry mouth to try again. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t find the words.
Tears suddenly sprang in my eyes and this look of tenderness and unwavering love filled Shane. He gently touched the side of my face, his thumb swiping underneath my eyes, catching the tear that dropped without my consent.
“Before we were so rudely interrupted by my sister-in-law and the birth of my niece, I had planned on telling you that of course I want you to be my wife. I want forever with you too. I’m just waiting on you. I want you to ready for that next step. To be sure. Are you? Are you sure you’re ready? Because, Grace, I’ve been ready since Rome.”
A half snort, half sob crashed out of my mouth in response to his declaration. I shook my head, leaned away from his touch and wiped my face with the helm of his t-shirt.
“You’re crazy,” I finally managed to get out past the lump in my throat.
“Why? For knowing what I want? Who I want?” Shane pushed the box forward. “We can set a date that’s comfortable for the both of us. I’m not in a rush. I’ve already spoke to your father and Josh and asked for your hand.”
Surprise on my face I asked, “What did my dad say?”
“He told me, ‘it’s about damn time, son’.” I laughed when Shane lowered his voice to imitate my dad.
“And Josh?”
The humor wavered a bit. “He was a bit harder to convince but he came around and saw things my way. You belong to me. I just had to make sure he understood that.”
I rolled my eyes knowing that Josh and Shane probably had this discussion in the ring in Hell. “Look baby, bottom line. When you’re ready, we’ll make this shit official. But until then, I want you to know just how serious I am. I want it all with you, a life, a family—whatever that would look like—everything.”
He lifted the ring from the box and I finally looked down at it.
It was a simple platinum ring, a solitaire in fact, surrounded by smaller bright sparkling diamonds. The stone in the center was black.
Holy Moly…He got me a black diamond engagement ring.
Shane reached for my left hand and placed the ring on my finger. When it settled against my fingers, the tears I was desperately holding back fell like waves down my face.
“Oh Shane, it’s beautiful,” I whispered as I studied my hand.
This couldn’t be happening, could it? Could I have finally found my happily ever after? The best of both worlds?
I felt Shane’s strong arms wrap around me and pull me close to him, my back against his front. I didn’t even notice he moved from in front of me. I fell against him and we both stared at the ring.
He kissed my wet cheek and then neck.
“Ti amo, Grace.”
I turned in his hold, opened my legs and he nestled in between them, his hands resting on my hips.
I looked up at him, taking in his blurry features.
I hope he could see the happiness beaming in my eyes. I hope he felt the love, and devotion, and the deep seeded need and avidity for him.
“Tu sei il mio destino.” He continued, melting me into an emotional mess. “Sei l’amore della mia vita. Mi rendi felice.”
Shit, more tears were falling now and snot too. He was speaking in Italian. He knew it was a weakness hearing him speak in his mother’s native tongue. Damn him!
I sniffed and god I couldn’t stop crying. I was a blubbering weakling. See what being in love does to a badass?
Shane brought his hands to the side of my face and tilted my chin up. He wiped the tears away and bent down to kiss my lips. I quickly wiped at my nose with his shirt before our lips touched, which made him smile.
The moment out lips touched, though, I melted.
His kiss was loving, warm, sweet, and tender. Then it turned needy, demanding, possessive, and hot.
Oh yeah!
I wrapped my arms around him, my legs, and reveled in the kiss. I took what he was giving me and gave it right back.
We started panting and I could feel my body instantly heating for him, wanting him but surprisingly we didn’t have sex. I know shocking.
Instead, we sat on the couch, wrapped up in each other’s arms, planning our future. We talked about when we wanted to get married, where, and where we wanted to live. We laughed at Josh almost fainting, Nolan who actually needed oxygen when Lili had gone into labor and thanked god for Malcolm finally opening his eyes. He was going to be all right, we all were going to be all right.
Despite everything that’s happened in my life, I had finally found happiness. I have the best of both worlds, something that I never thought possible.
They say God doesn’t put you through anything you can’t handle. I have been through hell and for some reason God kept saving me. I knew it was for a purpose, that I had a purpose. I just didn’t know what that purpose was. Now, I did.
Shane…
Epilogue 1
Shane
Seven months later…
I married my best friend tonight.
Fuck, how many people could say that and it be true?
I turned in the bed to face my wife and watched her as she slept. She was naked, lying on her side facing me. A light sheen of sweat, along with goosebumps, covered her body. I pulled the sheet she had resting on her generous hips up further on her body. I touched the soft skin of her arm then cheek before I pulled away, resisting the urge to pounce. I couldn’t get enough of watching her, perving on her because yeah, my dick was harder than a rock right now.
For a minute, when I was lying in my own pool of blood, I thought I would never get here. I prayed silently, before I passed out that if He gave me the chance, I wouldn’t waste it. I would lay down the bullshit and make Grace Michelle King, Grace Michelle Cooper as soon as humanly possible.
I smiled down at her as the memories of our wedding flooded my mind.
We had an average wedding, nothing to write home about. It took place on a beach in the Caribbean somewhere with the ocean at our backs and our loved ones and friends seated at tables around us.
I had my brothers and my father at my back, all standing as my best men. Malcolm and I were dressed in ours class As, my father in his old cop uniform and Josh wore a crisp dark blue suit, comparable to our fathers without the brass. He still held his own and looked like the badass agent he was on any given day.
As I said, we had our families in attendance, friends and co-workers. It was a beautiful day. The sun was beginning to set, darkening the sky with hues of red, blue, orange and purple swirls like a painting of our own picturesque view. It was usually windy at the beach but tonight it was mildly calm.
I was ready.
Finally, I wanted to make this woman mine in the eyes of God and the world. What God has put together, let no man put asunder…
Yeah, I was ready… until I saw her.
To say that seeing her took my breath away was an understatement.
I stumbled back slightly, my knees almost giving out. If it wasn’t for the support and strength at my back, I would have gone down.
I couldn’t breathe. She was a vision of perfection, of grace and beauty, of class and opulence… damn I could go on and on.
The dress she wore was white, elegant, and soft. It flowed over her body like a summer breeze as if the material was grateful to cover a being of such beauty and grace.
Her hair was up and away from her face. She had no makeup on and nothing on her feet. But her eyes… good God, they sparkled in the darkening night like a beacon calling me home. I couldn’t remember what happened next, it was all a blur. I just remembered capturing her mouth with mine and kissing her until the feeling of dizziness passed.
I said some shit to her that, hell I couldn’t recall and she dittoed me.
Huh, that right there was your typical Misty, but I didn’t care. As long as she was here and accepted my ring on her finger, I was good.
The moment the officiant o
f the wedding said I now pronounce you husband and wife, I kissed her again, taking her breath in a kiss that told the world who she belonged to. I then whisked her away, ripped her dress off and showed her who she belonged to until we were both spent and fully satiated.
We didn’t stay hidden from our family for long. Reluctantly, we joined them after a few hours. They didn’t mind. They knew we needed the time alone. And boy, did we need it.
It had been a long road for her and I. It started the night she had gone to my parent’s house looking for me. She had been apart from me, working some shit out on her own, something that I hated by the way. She came home after a few months and approached me when she believed she was strong enough. However, she was far from healed. It took a while for her to open up to me and when she did, damn.
We talked for hours, or rather, she talked and I just listened, which damn near killed me. However, I kept my alpha, overbearing ass, in check. Surprisingly, I know, but I did it. I listened to her tell me her deepest thoughts, showed me the darkness that lived inside her. I asked questions, yes, but they were only questions to encourage her to continue. She bore her soul to me and afterwards, she cried her eyes out. Oh, this cry wasn’t cute or soft either. It was ugly and wet and releasing and soothing all at the same time.
I held her tight, kissed her feverishly, despite the tears and snot. I didn’t care. I told her how much I loved her over and over again. I then showed her. I worshiped her that night for hours. We didn’t have sex at all, but it was still intimate and wonderful and what we both needed. When the morning finally came, that’s when I made love to her.
Finally, she had shown me the real her. After a few days had past, I’d shown her the real me. I told her of my demons, of the darkness that lives inside of me, the rage and why I count in my head to keep the rage inside. I told her about the things I’d done in Mexico with Josh and how I worked hard never to let that side of me out again. She in turn told me what she did to Perchenko and his men.
I understood the hell she had gone through fighting her way back to the civilized world. The things you had to do to fight evil took a toll on you every time. Hearing the shit she dealt with on her own gutted me. It also solidified my actions to always make sure she never worked a case alone. It wasn’t only for her but for us too. She had told me she understood why I managed her the way that I did on the work front. Good, because she would never be left alone to deal with that shit again.
