by Kelly Moore
“Let us help get you to your room. I would hate for you to have another dizzy spell and fall down the stairs.”
We both take our places at Jake’s sides and lead him up the steps and to his room. I get him settled in bed while Brooklyn goes to fetch him a bottle of water.
I sit on the edge of the bed and feel tears sting my eyes. “You’re going to make it. No more experiments, no more costly medication that you have to take every day. You will just get to live your life.”
He runs his hands over his bald head. “I can’t believe it. It’s almost too good to be true. I keep waiting for the ball to drop, you know? Like I have an allergic reaction and die anyway,” he jokes.
“That’s not going to happen.” I look toward the door because meeting his eyes is too hard for me right now. “I haven’t known her long, but if there is one person in this world that I can trust, besides you, it’s her. She says this will cure you, and I believe her.” Finally, I turn to look at him. His brow is creased, and his jaw is flexed.
“You’re not letting that pretty face and nice rack get the best of your better judgment, are you?”
I laugh. He would bring it all back to that. “Not this time.” I shake my head. “You should see her file. She’s smart, and she knows what she’s doing. People wouldn’t be trying to kill her if she didn’t.”
She joins us and hands Jake the bottle of water and two Tylenol. “Here, this will help with the fever and body aches.”
He takes them in his hand. “Body aches?”
“The fever will bring on body aches. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
He shrugs before tossing them in his mouth and washing them down with a drink of water. “Maybe I can sleep through it all. Catch the light, would ya?”
“Sure thing. Get some rest.” I smack his leg before turning out the light and leaving him alone.
Brook turns around in the hallway and wraps her arms around my waist.
“How long is he going to be sick?”
She shrugs one shoulder and pulls back just enough to look up at me. “It’s not exact. It just depends on how far the cancer has gone and how well his body responds to it. I’ve seen cases where they are back on their feet the next day, but I’ve also seen cases that go on for a week.”
I nod, taking in that information.
“How about we get this kitchen cleaned up, and we can run down the road and buy us some new clothes so we can get changed. I don’t know about you, but I’m out of the very little amount of clothes I grabbed.”
“You? I didn’t even get to grab any. I’ve been washing my panties in the sink of the motel rooms we’ve stayed in.”
I laugh as I take her hand and lead her to the kitchen.
It doesn’t take any time at all to get the kitchen cleaned. My brother is a little bit of a neat freak and refuses to cook in a messy kitchen. The result? Washing the dishes as they dirty. The only thing we have to clean is just a few plates.
“This way,” I say, taking her hand and walking her into the attached garage.
I flip on the light, and the three-car garage lights up.
“Wow!” Brooklyn almost shouts as she walks around the massive garage.
“What do you think?” I ask her as I walk by the rows of bikes.
“How do you have so many?”
“I’m a little bit of a collector. After I got the house paid off and all of my grandpa’s debts,” I shrug, “I had a little extra money laying around.”
“But Jake’s medical bills…”
“Don’t take all of it,” I finish for her. “For the first couple years, I took the money and paid on bills. I spent very little to live. I rented out a bedroom in a rundown house. I stuck money into savings accounts for Jake and myself. Once that grew, I just kept making money. I started buying a new bike every six months or so. I’d usually ride one down, buy a new one, and leave the old one here.”
“This is amazing. I’ve never seen a person own so many.” She takes a seat on my MV-Augusta F4CC. “I’ve only ever seen one of these in my life when I was in college and racing.”
“Want to ride it?”
Her dark eyes light up, and her mouth turns up in a wide smile. “Are you serious?”
I laugh and nod. “Yeah. I need to ditch that stolen car anyway.”
“Do you know how much this thing costs?”
“I do. I bought it, remember?”
“It’s like a hundred grand!”
My eyes squint. She really does know her shit. “It’s one-hundred and twenty grand to be exact, but whatever. If you want to ride it, go for it.”
She grabs a helmet off a nearby bike and pulls it on.
“Follow me,” I tell her as I open the garage door and walk outside to get in the stolen piece of shit car.
As I’m driving down the road, I can’t help but look back at her. I can only imagine the smile beneath that helmet.
I take the car two towns over and leave it in a parking lot. She pulls up beside me and pulls off her helmet. “Get on.” She motions with her head for me to climb on back.
I feel my eyebrow raise on its own accord. “No way, sweetheart. It’s my turn to ride my baby now.”
Her smile becomes visible again. “Well, the thing is. Me and her,” she motions toward the bike, “we had a little conversation on the way over here and…she doesn’t like you anymore.”
“Is that right?” I straighten my back and stand a little taller.
“Mm-hmm. She actually asked me to never let anyone ride her again, other than me, that is.”
I lean in real close, so close our lips are almost touching. I watch as her eyes close, thinking I’m going to kiss her and say, “Well she’s just going to have to get over it because she’s mine. I can be real possessive when I need to be.”
Her eyes pop open, and the darkness of her irises have grown even darker, filled with lust and longing. “You might need to show me that side of you sometime.”
“All in good time, sweetheart.” I finally move my lips to hers and take everything I can from that kiss.
When we pull away, I’m breathless. Something must have gotten to her too because she slides back, letting me take my place as driver without saying a word.
We ride away from the stolen car, and she wraps her arms tightly around me. I love the feel of her pressed against my back. Her heat sinks into me, reaching even the darkest parts of me, the parts that I didn’t think could ever be reached again.
On the way back to the house, we stop at a local surf shop, and she buys a few pairs of shorts, tank tops, and sandals. I make sure to throw a smoking hot black bikini into her stack of clothes too, just in case.
Nothing in the surf shop exactly has my name written on it, so we walk across the street and find a T.J. Maxx. I find a couple pairs of suitable jeans and T-shirts. We also stock up on underwear and socks. As we’re making our way to the counter to pay, she picks a black button-up shirt and places it in my arms.
I pick it up and look at it. It’s a nice dress shirt, but I’m not the dress up kind. My main wardrobe consists of ripped up jeans and T-shirts. “What’s this for?”
She shrugs and smiles. “You want to see me in a bikini, I want to see you in this shirt.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I don’t do dress clothes.”
“You do now,” she practically singsongs.
I stop dead in my tracks and give her a serious look.
She spins around to face me once she realizes I’m not by her side. “What?”
“To get your fine ass in that bikini, I have to wear this shirt?” I hold it up a bit higher.
“That’s right.” She slowly walks up to me. “How badly do you want me in that bikini?” She’s so close her hot breath blows across my lips, causing me to wet them. Before I can grab her up, she spins and walks away from me. Looking over her shoulder at me while she walks, she says, “Come on, John. The quicker you move, the sooner you’ll be taking that bik
ini off of me with your teeth.” She has the audacity to grin at me.
Fuck the bikini. As soon as we get off that bike, she’s mine, bikini or no bikini.
We drive into the long driveway and pull into the garage. I jump off the bike and hit the button that closes the automatic door. Before she even has both feet on the ground, I have her against me. She drops the bags in her hands and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me closer.
I break the kiss and reach behind my head, grabbing hold of my shirt and pulling it off in one swift motion. She reaches for the hem of her shirt, but I push hers away. “I’m taking your clothes off, nice and slow.”
“This is that possessive side you were referring to earlier?”
I take the hem of her shirt and yank it above her head. “You haven’t seen possessive yet.”
My lips find hers again while I work on removing each article of clothing painfully slow. My cock throbs to be inside her, but I won’t give in, not yet. Not until I have her dripping wet with need for me. I want her begging for me to take her.
My mouth teases every inch of her ivory skin, from her lips right down to the part of her that needs me the most.
I place my hands firmly on her ass and pick her up against me. Sitting on the bike, I lower her onto my painful erection. I slide in like she was made just for me. With my hands on her hips, I lift her up the length of my cock and allow her to slide back down. I’m moving slowly, wanting this to last, wanting her to beg for her release.
She holds on around my neck and arches into me. Her breathing is labored, and her heart pounds against my chest. I can feel her preparing for her release. She tightens around me just as her moans grow to be their loudest, but I slow our speed. I can feel her resisting me. She doesn’t want to slow down, but this is where I am possessive. Right now, she’s mine, and she’s going to do whatever I fucking say. I know she won’t argue with that because, even though she likes the feeling of being in control, she likes to be dominated as well.
“Why are you slowing down?” she pants out.
“Remember how controlling I can be?” I tease her.
“Mm-hmm,” she moans out, trying to keep our pace going.
“Right now, you’re mine. Your release is all mine. You can’t have it until I say you can have it.”
“John, I—”
“Oh, no, princess. That crown has fallen long ago. Give into me. You’re mine. Say it.” I start to move quicker, feeling my release threaten to push me over the edge as well.
“I’m yours!” she screams as she tightens around me again.
With her confession, I allow us to both find relief in each other. Neither of our moans of pleasure quiet until we are both completely spent and holding on to one another to keep from falling off the bike.
“I can’t believe I got to ride this and fuck on it all in the same day!”
I set her on her feet and laugh. “Maybe one day I’ll let you ride it again.”
“The bike or you?”
I shake my head. “The bike. I don’t’ know how much time we have left together, but you better plan on riding me as often as you can before that time comes.” I try to sound teasing, but my tone takes on a serious edge even though I don’t want it to. It makes me realize how much she’s gotten under my skin.
How much I actually need her.
Chapter Ten
John
We spend the rest of the night wrapped up in each other’s arms in my childhood bed. I wake up several times throughout the night, not knowing why, but every time I wake up, I go and check on Jake.
Every time, he is sound asleep with the covers pulled up around his chin, yet, covered in sweat. I don’t want to wake him to take more Tylenol, but I worry about his fever getting too high. Each time I come back to bed, I lie awake for at least an hour before sleep takes me. I’m unbelievably happy when I wake up again to see the sun peeking through the blinds.
Brooklyn is still sound asleep with her arms and legs wrapped around me. I carefully unwind myself, not wanting to wake her. We’ve had a rough few days, and I know she needs her rest.
I pull on a T-shirt and make my way to Jake’s room once again. This time when I open the door, his bedside lamp is on, and he has his arm thrown over his eyes. He must have heard the door open because he moves his arm and looks at me through bloodshot eyes.
“How’d you sleep?” I ask as I move into his room and sit on his bed.
“Like hell,” he answers. His voice is rough and strained, and I can see all the pain beneath his eyes.
“Let’s take your temperature again.” As I hold the thermometer, and he willingly opens his mouth. “I checked on you several times through the night, and you were out cold.” The thermometer beeps, and I take it from his mouth.
“Well, what’s the verdict?”
“103.1,” I answer, turning it off and setting it back on the table. “I’ll grab you some more water and some Tylenol.”
I take a bottle of water from the fridge and the bottle of Tylenol from the medicine cabinet and make my way back into his room. When I walk in, he’s leaned over the side of the bed, vomiting into a small trash can.
I rush to his side, wanting to help, but having no idea what to do. I hold the trash can for him but feel awkward patting his back. When he stops, he lies back in bed and says, “You have no idea how to take care of a sick person, do you?” He offers up a grin.
I shake my head. “I have no fucking clue.” I set the trash can down and hand him the water and pour two pills into his hand. “Take these while I get this cleaned up.”
After I wash the can out, I soak a rag in cool water and take both into his room. I place the rag across his forehead and put the can beside the bed. “Are you hungry?”
“No. I don’t think I can keep anything down anyway.”
“Alright. I’m going to go make some breakfast. Yell if you need anything.”
I’m just setting breakfast on the table as Brooklyn walks into the kitchen. I hand her a glass of orange juice and watch as she takes a sip.
“This is good. Is it fresh?”
“Yeah, squeezed it myself. Sit down, I made breakfast.”
She smiles wide and takes a seat.
“Why do you look so happy?” I ask as I set her plate in front of her.
“Breakfast is my favorite meal.”
“Why’s that?” I take my place next to her at the table.
“Who doesn’t love waking up to fresh squeezed orange juice, bacon, and eggs?”
I laugh. “Well, I only made you four eggs and a pound of bacon, so if you’re still hungry, we’re just going to have to go out and eat.”
She giggles. “Shut up. I don’t eat that much!”
We sit and eat quietly for a while until she asks, “How’s Jake this morning?”
“103 fever. He’s not feeling too good today.”
“We need to keep an eye on his fever. I don’t want it to get too high.”
“Is 103 normal compared to your patients?”
She shrugs. “Some ran much lower, but some ran much higher. It really just depends on the patient. I can tell you, that the higher temps always worry me though.”
“Maybe you can go see him and get him to eat. He was sick this morning and wouldn’t eat for me.”
“Okay. I’ll take him a plate.” She grabs one last piece of bacon and pops it into her mouth as she leaves me alone.
I get to work cleaning up the kitchen, and by the time I’m done, Brooklyn still hasn’t come down. I decide to check on them and make sure Jake isn’t sick again. I walk up the stairs and down the hallway. Just as I’m about to push open the cracked door, I pause when I hear her singing “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King.
Hearing her sing that song takes my breath away. That was my grandma and grandpa’s song. He would always sing it to her, and when she passed, he would sing it to us when we were sick. I haven’t heard that song in so long. I’m flooded with memories and can no longer walk. I
just rest against the wall with my arms crossed and head leaned back, listening to her sing that song.
Before I’m ready for the song to be over, she slowly and quietly slips out the door and almost bumps into me.
“Oh, hey.”
“That song, how’d you know?”
Her face looks a little sad, but she replies, “Jake asked me to sing it to him. After he ate, he got sick, and I asked him what would make him feel better. He asked for that song. What’s the meaning behind it?”
I shake my head and walk down the hallway, taking a seat on the top step. “I remember sitting outside the bedroom door while our grandpa sang that song to Grandma. She was on her deathbed, and all she wanted was for him to sing that song one last time.” She takes a seat next to me. “He would sing it to us every time we got sick. He sang it to Jake a lot when he got diagnosed with cancer.”
“That was your grandma and grandpa’s song?”
I nod. “Yeah, but it was so much more. Anytime he would hear that song, he would turn it up as loud as it would go. He would get this dreamy, glassed over look in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but smile. It was like he could actually see her and feel her just from hearing that song.”
She smiles and leans against my arm. “That’s a good story. He must have really loved her.”
I let out a small chuckle. “He did, more than anything. That woman could do no wrong in his eyes.”
“Sounds like a perfect love story.”
I shrug. “I don’t know about perfect. Anytime she would get mad at him, he would play that song. She would automatically forgive him, and they’d usually end up dancing, didn’t matter where we were. They danced in the frozen food aisle at the grocery story once when that song played across the speakers.”
“I want a love like that.”
I laugh. “Me too, but at the age of six, it was just embarrassing.”
“Maybe one of these days that could be us embarrassing our kids.”
I turn and look in her eyes. The hope they hold warms my heart. I don’t want to tell her that that could never happen. I’m a hitman. I don’t get a normal life. Anyone I bring into my life would just be used against me, the way Jake is being held against me now. I got lucky and was able to get to him first, but what if I can’t do that next time?
