by C. M. Steele
“A killer?” Her uncle and grandfather asked at the same time.
“Yeah. By the way, I’m Alexander Richmond.”
“You’re Rob’s friend,” the grandmother said, with meaning. They all looked at each other and that was the first smile I’d seen them crack.
“So, what do you have to do with this situation? And, what about this killer?” the grandfather asked angrily, clutching his granddaughter in his arms.
We all gathered in the living room while Cali and her aunt fetched some coffee. I went into the details of the day and the speculation. I also told them about the squad car that was lurking outside for our protection. They were all pissed more than scared. I was both because I couldn’t lose Cali.
“We need to start preparing for the funerals,” her aunt said, starting the hard topic.
“My parents are making the arrangements for us. I’m going to follow up with them in the morning.”
“Why are they doing it? It should fall to us,” her grandmother asked clearly offended.
“My father offered because Cali wasn’t feeling up to it and I wanted to take care of her. Cali didn’t have her phone; the police have it, so we had no idea anyone would show up until we told everyone the service dates.”
“I can’t believe their gone. I’ll help your parents and make sure they have everything they need. Robert and Connie had all their funeral plans set up with their life insurance policy. I believe they keep it in the family safe.”
“Oh, I didn’t know. I can go look for it,” Cali suggested.
“I will tell my father. He told me to look and see if they have anything placed as a precaution.”
“They did, but they didn’t have anything for Rob. No parents expect their kids to go before them,” her Uncle Joe said.
“No, we don’t,” Cali’s grandfather replied sadly. I felt his heart falling apart knowing he had to bury his child.
“We can set up the guest bedrooms for you.” Thankfully, t had two of them because I didn’t think Cali would like anyone in her brother or parents’ rooms.
~~~~
It took two hours to get everyone situated for the night. I carried my sleepy Cali upstairs, cradling everything that was precious to me.
“Cali, how are you feeling?” I asked after climbing to bed.
“So mixed up. My only happiness comes from you, and it’s marred by every terrible thing around us. I keep thinking it would be better if Mark just came after me,” she muttered in frustration turning her head away from me and looking at the wall. I felt the sting on that one. My sympathy fled for the moment, and rage took its place.
I was pissed that she said that shit to me. It was as if she was saying her life was fucking meaningless. I flipped her onto her back and straddled her. Looking at her deeply, I gave her a stern warning. “Don’t you ever say some stupid shit like that again. Yes, you’re in pain and your heart is broken, but what you’re saying would take you away from me. That’s not something I could deal with. I don’t want to lose you, so don’t think like that. If you want me to get you a therapist, I will. In fact, I think that shit would be a great idea, but first let me get you to see how much you’ve got to live for.”
I stealthily took off my boxers that I wore to bed and slipped her nightgown over her head. I left her tiny lace panties on because I wanted something to hold my seed inside her. Pushing them to the side, I tested her entrance with my fingers. She was wet, so I played with her clit. I wanted her dripping for me before I entered her. I kissed her while my fingers strummed her sweet center. Her moans were muffled by my lips. I took in her cries and moved my body in between her thighs. My cock lined up perfectly with her core, and I slowly worked my way inside.
I cupped her mouth when she cried out loudly. “Ssh, my love. We have your family here.”
She nodded, so I removed my hand. “You’re so perfect, Cali. You feel so warm and tight.” We moved against each other unhurriedly with our bodies connected from head to toe. We glided together with her body under me. This was what we needed. Our movements were aided by the sweat building between us. With us this close, it felt so intense. I never thought my love for her could grow, but my heart pounded harder than ever.
“You’re everything to me, Cali. Please don’t ever leave me.”
“I don’t want to ever leave you.”
I growled and kissed her deeply, continuing to make love to her. It wasn’t long until we both came and passed out wrapped up in each other.
Chapter 9
The following morning, we had a houseful of Cali’s family and my parents. There was no sign of Reddick yet. Our families worked together to organize the funeral in the relative safety of the house. We wanted to have a wake, but it wasn’t possible. Open caskets were not going to be able to happen. We agreed to have a small service before the actual funeral with tons of security.
My father hired several sets of security teams while the police were still on a manhunt for Reddick. When the police arrived at the Reddick house after the voicemail, he was long gone and Lydia was dead. The news posted photos of him, but also reminded the public not to confront him if they did come into contact with him. The problem with Reddick was that he looked normal. There was nothing about his features that stood out. He had been good looking, but nothing special, so it was hard to spot him from any other six foot, brown-haired, brown-eyed guy.
We all sat on pins and needles waiting for some news. The service and funeral would be held in three days, and we prayed that he would be picked up before then.
It was the middle of the afternoon when my father and I got a chance to speak in private. “Son, how are you hanging in there?”
“As good as I can be. I have Cali, which makes me so damn happy that I could fucking scream it out to the world, but it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Rob should be here threatening me to treat Calista right.”
“No, it’s not supposed to be this way, but we can’t change the past so we have to move on. Well, you can move on once the bastard is caught. Starting your family and life, but never forgetting the memories.”
“I hope he’s caught soon. We can’t leave the house, and I don’t like Cali living here all the time. She steps into the room and tears are always ready to pour. All she has to do is look at something and it sets her into a spiral of grief. Living here isn’t going to give her any relief.”
“After the funeral, take her back to Dallas. Your place has been waiting for her to make it a home for almost two years.”
“It has been. We need to send in a cleaning crew to make sure that it’s dust free, all the furniture is in place, and the fridge is stocked with fresh food.”
My phone rang, interrupting our conversation. It was Detective Clayton.
“Tell me you’ve got him,” I said before he could say anything.
“No, he got away. He was spotted in Arkansas, using his credit card at a gas station. We got the footage, but he’s flitting under the radar. Police in Texarkana and both Texas and Arkansas State Troopers are setting up road blocks.”
“When was this?”
“In the past two hours. We don’t think he was trying to go back to Texas, but we don’t know for sure.” That wasn’t any real assurance, but it was more than nothing. At least he was several hours away from her.
“Okay, we’ve got a swarm of security officers working around the clock to keep him away from Cali. Thankfully he has no way to get to her from the backyard, so at least she can get some fresh air.”
“Good. I would say keep her locked in the vicinity of the house so she doesn’t become a target.”
“Thanks for keeping me informed.”
“Absolutely. We’re hoping Reddick doesn’t claim another victim. Richmond we’ve got everyone looking for him. I promise, we’ll find him.”
I hung up with him just as Cali came into the room. “Hey, babe. Were you able to get some sleep?”
“Yes, I think I really needed.”
“I
just got off the phone with the police. Come sit down and I’ll tell you what he said.” She went to take a seat next to me, but I pulled her onto my lap where she belonged.
“He’s trying to get away from Texas and go into Arkansas. We need to be careful, but it looks like maybe he’s more worried about getting away than coming after you.”
“Thank goodness, but what happens when he goes after someone else?”
“Babe, we just need to be concerned about us and getting through the next few days.”
She tucked her head into my neck with her arms around me, kissing my shoulder. “I love you, Alex.”
“You’re my reason for existing, Cali. Are you hungry?”
“No, but I’m sure my aunt and grandmother are getting dinner ready as we speak.”
“I thought we were going to order in?”
“They said they wanted to keep busy.”
“I understand.”
The next three days were almost identical. No news on Reddick and arrangements being made while all the women cooked. Some reason BBQ didn’t seem right, so the men didn’t cook. The backyard was a place to party. It had been where we’d all gotten together in the past. It was a place to laugh and joke, so it didn’t feel proper. Barbequing in Texas is a second nature. Good times and good friends, but we wouldn’t get those moments with Rob and their parents.
Chapter 10
“Morning, my love,” Alex said, rolling over to lean above me. He was so handsome with his early morning scruff. Everything about him was sexy. How could he wake up looking like her belonged on the cover of dirty novel?
“Morning, Alexander,” I whispered. Today was the worst day for me. I was burying my family. It shouldn’t be this way, but there was nothing I could do to change it. My pain had been sitting at the surface and broke through several times a day. The only thing that kept me together was Alex. He stayed by my side, holding me, comforting me, and making love to me. His passion and strength dominated my agony and smashed it to pieces. I loved that he understood that I could be happy one moment and sad the next.
I needed him at the moment. “Alex, can we shower together?”
“Babe, you know what happens when we shower together,” he said. Catching the look on my face, he knew that was why I wanted to shower.
~~~~~
I knew she needed an escape from the pain of reality. I carried my little fairy into the bathroom down the hall, then sat her on the vanity and undressed myself before taking her clothes off. I scooped her back into my arms and into the shower but refused to set her down. While the water cascaded down our bodies, I softly whispered, "I love you, Cali."
Pressing her back against the wall for leverage, I used one hand to rub my cock along her pussy lips. I felt her shiver with desire as I pushed the tip through her parted folds. I could feel every inch of her walls squeezing my length. Staying completely still I let her control the ride. Cali rose up then slid slowly down, a moan ripping from her throat.
I bent down and sucked her nipple into my mouth, then licked around her hardened point. Her body arched when I bit and tasted her flesh under her peak. Cali bounced up and down, riding my cock while the water splashed against our heated bodies.
“Cali, cum for me.”
“Yes,” she cried out, cumming on my cock and squeezing every ounce of cum out of me. We grunted and moaned, rocking out every last bit of pleasure before I pressed my head against her chest. I could hear the rapid beating of her heart, and I placed my ear closer to listen to the rhythmic sound.
~~~~
We managed to sneak back to my bedroom before any of my family members saw me. I didn’t want them to know what Alex and I were doing. They probably would be offended because I shouldn’t be so happy in Alex’s arms when I just lost my family, but he makes me feel whole for a moment.
“I hope no one heard us,” I said, looking nervously at my bedroom door.
“Sweetheart, I don’t know if they did, but I’m sure they understand.”
“How could they? I just lost my parents and brother, and I’m having sex like a greedy rabbit.”
“I wouldn’t say greedy rabbit, maybe a cat in heat,” he teased with a smile.
“Jackass.”
“Cali, we’re not the first to use sex as a way of coping. Hell, we’re not the first to do it today—in this house.” I stared at him wide-eyed.
“Are you trying to imply someone in this house was having sex?”
“I’m not implying; I’m saying. I went to call my Dad and check on security for today when I heard shit I don’t think I’ll ever get out of my head. Let’s just say, I’ll be looking at some of your family with a side eye.” He guffawed and pretended to gag. What a shithead.
“I don’t want to know who it is.”
“Neither do I, but I do. Just so you know, if you misbehave, that might be a great punishment.”
“Damn, I might have to be on my best behavior.”
“Let’s get ready. I know you’re stalling, but we have to be on time, my love.”
“You could tell?” I made a face then added, “Okay. I’m getting ready.”
He gave me a surprise hug and promised, “We’ll get through this—together.”
I nodded and moved off to get dressed. I took a deep breath as I thought about what I would say to those in attendance. There were so many things I could say about how wonderful my family was, but I knew anything would cause me to breakdown.
After we were ready, we met with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle. Some looks passed between everyone, but I didn’t want to know who did what. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry until my dad picked me up and told me it wasn’t real. There were no death monsters taking them away from me.
~~~~~
The service went better than I expected. The security blended in so well with the guests that no one was aware of what was going on. All they knew was that the accident had left the remains barely recognizable and required closed caskets.
Cali didn’t make it more than a sentence into her speech before she broke down. Her grandfather and I took the reins and finished the dedication to the Delaneys. It was a struggle to stem my own tears. I loved Rob and respected his parents. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room once we were done, even our security felt our pain.
The night before the funeral, I had her clothes and some of her belongings sent to our new house. There was no way I was taking her back to the house. Every little thing set her off this week. Hell, I had moments when I broke down. We didn't manage to go through most of her family’s things because it was too much too soon. Every one of her family members left after the funeral. Somehow, seeing the caskets made it all real to them, and they couldn’t go back to the house yet either.
After the funeral, I had a team to escort us to Dallas. I bought her a house two years ago, and I was finally going to be able to take her home. She laid her head down on my lap as we made our way to our new life. I caressed her blonde hair, making her fall asleep. As we drove, I thought about how much I took those two years for granted. Anything could have happened to her.
“I’ll never leave you unprotected again,” I solemnly promised her. Life without her would be impossible.
Once we got about five miles out from our home, I woke her up. “Are we here?” She looked around groggily.
“Not yet. I just wanted to make sure you were up to see your new home.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“Technically, never.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I bought it two years ago, but I’ve never lived here. See the thing is, I was waiting for someone to grow up.”
“Wait, you got this house for us?”
“Yes, my love.” She smiled brightly and blushed.
~~~~~
I walked into our new home in freaking awe. The man had this house built from the ground up just for me...well for us. It had to be a million-dollar home. My family home wasn't more
than a quarter of that, and I loved it. This was grand, yet it suited me.
"So tell me. Did I do good?"
"Good? You did great. I can believe you did this for me."
"For us," he whispered, sliding up behind me wrapping his arms around waist. His hands pressed flatly on my belly.
"For us," I chanted, feeling a world of peace wash over me as I covered his hands with mine.
"Come on. Let me give you the grand tour." He latched tightly on my hand, then spun me around like we were dancing. My body slammed into his chest and we both cracked up, then his lips came down hard on mine.
We moaned together, my arms sliding around his neck.
He pulled back, gripping my shoulders, and said, "Woman, stop distracting me."
"I believe you kissed me."
"I never said I didn't, but that giggle drives me wild. You have a musical laugh. I don't think I ever told you that, but there were times when I had to walk out of the room because I was on the verge of kissing you."
He dragged me along through the house. Each room was a different shade of greyish blue. Every bedroom we entered was bigger than the last. I couldn’t believe that there were eight bedrooms in the house. We finally reached the last one—the master bedroom.
It was twice the size of the other bedrooms. In the far corner was a king-sized bed with pretty sheets in my favorite color, blue. It had four large masts that were on each corner of the frame with a canopied top. I moved to it, jumping up onto the mattress with the massive black wooden frame. Closing my eyes, I thought of the nights to come of lying in Alex’s arms. He was the balm to my aching soul, the love of my life, and the hope that I held deep within my shattered heart, healing it from the center.
“What are you thinking?”
“I want to spend a lifetime in bed with you,” I admitted with a dubious smile.
“Oh, we will.” He leaned over me, his lips near my ear. His hands touched my back, then I felt the slow slide of the zipper on my dress. It was like the world had quieted and all I could hear was the sound of the zipper, his heated breath against my neck, and the racing of my heart. Each sound echoed like the beat of a tribal drum.
