Bosco (Kings of Korruption)

by Geri Glenn

  Sarah’s eyes search mine. “What if I don’t want you to back off? What if I told you that this whole time, I’ve misjudged the club and you, and even me? That I’ve let my fear of what happened to Mouse take over my thoughts and push you away?”

  My heart thumps in my chest. “What are you saying?”

  She glances over at Millie, and then leans forward, so close that her lips brush against mine as she speaks. “I’m saying, please don’t write me off. Not yet.”

  She doesn’t move to kiss me. She doesn’t say another word. She just waits for me, her lips hovering within reach, waiting for me to make a decision that could alter the course of our relationship forever. With the scent of her hair invading my senses and the warmth of her breath on my face, my thoughts are jumbled. Muddied. I don’t want to fuck this up.

  Placing my hands on her shoulders, I gently push her back just a little, needing some distance to clear my head. A flicker of sadness shines in her eyes. “Babe, I never once wrote you off. I don’t scare that easy.” I watch as a small smile ghosts across her lips. “But let’s just take it slow, okay? It’s better for all of us that way. I know you still have shit to work out in your own head, and to be honest, I’d rather wait until I know you’re all-in here, just like I am. And if you start to get spooked again, tell me.”

  Sarah swallows and nods, her eyes boring into mine. For the first time, she drops the mask of strength and I find myself staring into the face of her insecurity and fear. She lets me see it all, making herself vulnerable to me for the first time since I’ve known her.

  “Scott?” My name is but a whisper on her lips. “Kiss me.”

  Taking her face in my hands, I pull her toward me, my lips pressing against hers. We don’t move. We just sit like that, her hands covering mine, our lips pressed together in one hard, sweet kiss. There’s no lust involved. No all-consuming need to possess each other. Just forgiveness and love, and relief that we’ve laid it all out on the table.

  Sarah

  When Bosco, Reaper, Tease, and Jase walk into the room, I don’t know whether I should laugh hysterically or throw myself at their feet and cry. Millie chooses the former.

  Sitting on her bed, her legs crossed as she plays with her toy ponies, she looks up at the men and falls over in a fit of giggles. The four of them look to one another, their lips twitching with poorly contained smirks.

  “Brought the clippers,” Bosco says, the first one to step inside.

  “Where’s your hair, Osco?”

  I watch as Bosco sits on the edge of Millie’s bed and leans forward, tipping his head down so she can run her hands over the smooth skin of his scalp. “We couldn’t let you be the only one to rock this do, Tink.”

  I look to Reaper and Tease, and decide that tears of emotion are the only way I’m going to react. My eyes shining, I jump to my feet and rush across the room, wrapping my arms around Reaper’s chest first, and then switch to Tease, both of whom stand with their arms at their sides, clearly uncomfortable with my show of affection.

  All I’d asked was that Bosco bring the hair clippers. Millie’s hair was getting to be almost non-existent, and even though she was a little nervous, it was time to shave the rest.

  Bosco grins up at me, still handsome, even without his dark locks. Maybe even more so. “What do ya think? Jase did it for us before we left.” He rubs a hand across his bare head. “I kinda like it.”

  I look to Jase, the only one of the three men to still have his hair. His hands come up and he backs away, his head shaking from side to side. “Hey, you’re not getting anywhere near my head with those clippers. This hair could win awards and it’s stayin’ right where it is.”

  Millie’s giggle mixes with the laughter of the other men and my heart squeezes. These guys might look tough, but put them in front of this sick little girl, and they’ll do anything to make her happy. Including shaving the hair from their heads.

  I glance up at Reaper, who must have had the hardest time with this decision. His hair had been halfway down his back, usually pulled back in a man bun on the top of his head. “Even you?”

  He shrugs. “It’s just hair. Right, kid?”

  Millie grins. “Right.”

  Bosco gets to his feet, hands me the bag with the clippers, and leans down to kiss my cheek. “Thank you,” I whisper for only him to hear.

  As he pulls away, he winks at me, and then turns to Millie. “Okay, Tink. You ready for this?”

  “Yeah!” She scoots to the edge of the bed, and more tears burn at my eyes. She’d been upset at the thought of shaving off what was left of her hair last night, but after seeing the guys, her fear seems to have morphed into excitement.

  “Give ’em here, Momma,” Jase says, snagging the bag from my hand. He pulls out the clippers and turns them on, winking down at my girl who just grins back at him.

  “One last look, Tink?” Bosco asks, helping her from the bed and moving her toward the bathroom.

  I watch through the doorway as he holds the little girl up to the mirror so she can see her own reflection. She runs her fingers through one of her stray clumps of hair and wrinkles her nose.

  Bosco puts his cheek against hers and holds her stare. “You’re still beautiful, with or without that hair.”

  Millie’s trust filled eyes smile back at Bosco’s in the mirror, and then he turns, setting himself on the closed lid of the toilet with Millie on his lap.

  “Here goes nothin’, kiddo,” Jase says, keeping his voice filled with humor. I lean against the doorframe and watch as the clippers glide across Millie’s scalp, what’s left of her hair falling to the ceramic tile floor.

  Tears threaten to fall, but it’s Tease that stops them. With his hand on my shoulder, he whispers in my ear, “It’s just hair, Sarah. That little bald head shows that she’s fighting like hell.”

  Millie’s eyes, which look enormous on her face without her hair, look up at me, and I screw my feelings down deep inside and give her a grin, filling it with as much pride as I can muster.

  As Jase finishes and turns off the clippers, Bosco stands and carries her to the mirror. Millie blinks back at her reflection, and I watch as a smile forms on her face. “Twins,” she squeals, patting Bosco’s head.

  Bosco chuckles and looks to me. “Get out your phone. This calls for a group photo.”

  Heart full, I dig through my purse and locate my phone. When I turn around, laughter takes over and I start snapping shots of the spectacle in front of me. Bosco, Tease, Reaper, and Millie grin back at me, their bald heads shining from the florescent lights above. Jase kneels on the bed behind them, grinning wide, the clippers held in his hand, positioned at Reaper’s ear as if he’s about to attack him.

  As I flip through the shots, swiping by one and then another, I think about how much I’d been dreading this task. Leave it to these guys to take something scary and turn it into something memorable.

  After picking my favorite one of the bunch, I text it off to the Laynie and Charlie. Bosco peers over my shoulder and points to my phone. “This baby’s going on the wall.”

  Bosco

  I make my way down the stairs at Sarah’s house and find her sitting on the couch, her head back and her eyes closed. “Tink’s asleep. Why don’t you go crawl into bed too? You look dead on your feet.”

  Sarah opens one eye and watches as I walk around the coffee table and take a seat beside her. Once I settle, she nestles into me, her head on my arm. “At this point, I think I can sleep anywhere. A cinderblock would be better than the horrible chair in that hospital room.”

  I grin and slouch down in my seat, propping my feet up on the table, my eyes closing too. The truth is, both of us are exhausted. We were over a month in the hospital with Millie, the nurses coming in every couple hours to take her vitals. Of course, I didn’t stay every night, not like Sarah. This is her first time home since Millie was admitted.

  “Scott?” I peel my eyes open just as her hand slides up my chest and curls around th
e side of my neck. I gaze down into Sarah’s eyes and my heart clenches at the heat I find there.

  Pushing away from me, she stands, her hand coming down to capture mine. I keep my eyes pinned on her every move as she pulls on my hand and tugs me to my feet. “Stay,” she whispers, lifting up onto the tips of her toes and pressing a kiss to my lips.

  We’ve held true to the idea of taking it slow up to this point. Of course, there’s not a whole lot of trouble you can get into in a crowded hospital room. Well, there is, but we hadn’t. Aside from a chaste kiss here and there, we’ve been kind of obligated to take the time to be together as more than friends, without the added physical benefit.

  In a way, it had been a good thing. Millie is more accustomed to seeing her mother holding my hand, or giving me little kisses from time to time. But on the other hand, the buildup leaves me feeling slightly nervous.

  Things have been good with us. Really fucking good. And though I’d love nothing more than to whisk her away to the bedroom and have my way with her, I can’t help but remember the aftermath of the last time that had happened.

  At the bottom of the stairs, I pause, pulling her to a stop. Her brow furrows as she pauses on the third step and turns to look back at me. “What’s wrong?”

  I search her face for any sign of doubt or fear, but see none. “The last time we did this, it didn’t turn out so well for me in the end.” Her eyes grow sad, but before she can respond, I place a finger against her lips. “I don’t bring that up to be a dick. I’m just...” I blow out a breath. “Are you sure about this? Like, absolutely fucking sure? Because I don’t think I can take being thrown out of here a second time.”

  Pressing her lips against my finger, she gives it a gentle kiss, her own fingers slipping around my wrist. “That won’t happen again. Ever.”

  This time when she turns, I follow her without hesitation. At the top of the stairs, in her bedroom, I stand frozen in place as she faces me. I don’t take my eyes off her as she takes the hem of her shirt in her fingers and lifts it above her head. I watch, my heart racing as her hands go to the button of her jeans. She pops it open and slips the material over her hips and down her legs, then stands before me in just her bra and panties.

  I take a step toward her, but her hand comes up, telling me to stop without words. My heart does a fucking jig in my chest and I struggle to keep my breathing even. Reaching behind her, she releases the clasp on her bra and pulls the straps from her arms, her full breasts coming into view. When her panties join the pile of rumpled clothing and she stands completely bare before me, she finally speaks.

  “Do you know why I made you leave the last time?” My hungry gaze drags along her body as I shake my head. “I think part of me felt guilty. Guilty that no man has ever made me feel the way I feel about you.”

  I’m trying so fucking hard to concentrate on what she’s saying because I know this is a pivotal point in our relationship, but her finger comes up and slips inside her mouth. I watch, my cock straining against my zipper, as she swirls her tongue around the tip and begins to draw a line down her front. It goes along her throat and between the swells of her breasts. Her other hand comes up, pinching her nipple and rolling it as her finger continues its course over her belly. When she reaches her center, it slips between her folds and gently swirls around on her clit.

  She lets out a tiny moan. “I love the way you look at me.” She adds a second finger to the party. “I love the way you take care of us.” She twists her nipple harder, the fingers at her pussy moving lower and disappearing from my view. Her face twists with pleasure, her teeth sinking deep into her lower lip. “I love the way you tease me and don’t put up with my shit.”

  She pulls her slick fingers from her center and takes a step toward me. “I love the way your eyes crinkle at the corners when you laugh.” Her breasts press against my chest as she leans up, her fingers coming to my lips.

  I hold her stare and take them in, my tongue swirling, collecting every drop of her wetness as she continues. “I love that you let me take the lead and don’t force me to do things I’m not ready for.”

  I reach for her, ready to pull her to me and end this torture, but she’s too fast. She drops to her knees, her hands coming up to my belt. She undoes it, pulling down the zipper, and then my cock is in her hands, hard and proud, and craving release. “I love the way you taste.” She drags her tongue up my length and I can’t watch her anymore. My eyes roll as my head drops back on my shoulders. “I love that once I start something, you dive right in and take control.”

  Her lips wrap around my shaft and I snap my head forward, enjoying the show as she takes my cock deep into her mouth. Her tongue swirls around the tip, her hands working my length as she sucks me in. Driving my fingers into her hair, I can’t take my eyes off of her. She’s so fucking beautiful.

  Every word she’s spoken has been a patch to my tattered soul, but I don’t know how much longer I can stand here and let her toy with me. Regretfully, I pull my cock from her pouty lips and lay a finger beneath her chin. Slowly, I press up, urging her to her feet.

  Sarah’s arms go up and around my neck, pulling my face down to hers. “I love you,” she whispers against my lips.

  Taking a step, I back her up until the back of her knees hit the bed. Gently, I lower her down and climb on top of her, my hips between her knees. I rain kisses along her neck, our hearts hammering together. “Say it again,” I growl, my teeth nipping at her ear.

  She moans and pushes the jeans down lower on my hips, her fingernails biting into my ass. “I love you.”

  With my feet, I shove my pant legs down farther until they’re around my ankles. Positioning myself at her entrance, I say, “Again.”

  Her chest heaves beneath me as she whispers, “I love you.”

  That’s all I need to hear. I sink inside of her, my lips capturing hers in a frenzied kiss. I place my hands on either side of her head and roll my hips, plunging my cock inside of her, swallowing down her cries and giving her mine.

  Her hips writhe in rhythm with mine, her knees tucked up against my hips. Our hands squeeze and caress and stroke at each other as our hips glide together, our passion for each other bordering on savage.

  She’s so responsive to my every move, her eyes boring into mine, unguarded for the first time since I’ve met her. When her silky walls start to pulse, I know her climax is near. With a thumb to her clit, I drag my cock out of her and slowly glide it back in, the sensation of our connection almost driving me mad.

  As her body begins to tremble beneath me, I place a hand on each side of her face and gaze down into her wanton eyes. “I fucking love you too, baby.”

  Sarah

  “So what does this mean?”

  As much as I’ve tried to read everything there is about Millie’s type of cancer, I still don’t quite understand how it all works. Thankfully, Dr. Chisolm is patient and takes her time to explain absolutely everything and answering my questions, no matter how insane they might be.

  “It means, Millie’s tests are all negative for cancer cells. Her body is officially cancer free. We’re now moving into the consolidation phase of treatment. This means more chemotherapy, though less intense, regular lumbar punctures, and close monitoring of her blood. During this time, the goal is to kill off any lingering cancer cells that may not be showing up in the tests we’ve done.”

  “So it’s not gone?”

  Dr. Chisolm shakes her head. “No, not quite. Fighting leukemia is a three-step process, and Millie is now in step two.”

  Bosco reaches over and takes my hand. “Better than still being in step one, babe.”

  “This will mean a lot less time spent in the hospital, though you will have to bring her back semi-weekly for treatments and testing. It also means that life for all of you can return, at least somewhat, to some semblance of normal.”

  That part sends a wave of relief to wash over me. I’m broke. Thank God for free health care in this country, because at t
his point, I don’t have two pennies to rub together, and I need to get back to work if I want to keep food on our table and a roof over our heads.

  As the three of us pile into the car, Bosco looks back at Millie in the rearview mirror. “Well, Tink, what do ya say we go somewhere and celebrate?”

  “Yeah!” she cheers from her car seat.

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” I whisper to him from the passenger’s seat. “Millie hasn’t been out in public for months.”

  “Yes,” he says, his hand wrapping around mine as he pulls out of the parking lot. “But the doc just gave her the go ahead, and I think this calls for ice cream.”

  “Yay!” Millie cheers.

  Their happiness is infectious, so even though I’m not totally comfortable with the idea, I do my best to act excited too. I know I’m being overprotective, but since Millie was diagnosed, I’ve been conditioned to wipe down every surface. I could buy stocks in Purell. I’ve kept her away from hordes of people, and even put together a disinfectant station for visitors to use when they walk inside my home.

  As we walk into the local Dairy Queen, it occurs to me that this is the first time the three of us have gone anywhere together since Bosco and I had become an “us.” I do my best to ignore the curious stares of the other customers as they take in Millie and Bosco’s bald heads. I understand their curiosity. I was once the same as them, trying to be inconspicuous with my stares, but the whole time thanking God it wasn’t me or my family going through the same thing.

  As Boco and Millie wait for the ice cream, I make my way to the table and dig the container of Lysol wipes from my purse. I wipe down the table and the hard-back seat of the booth. I know the doctor had cleared Millie for going out in public in small doses, but that doesn’t mean I won’t take every precaution necessary to keep her from getting sick.

  When the ice cream is ready, the three of us crowd into the booth, and I watch Millie’s smile grow as she devours her chocolate dip cone. The rest of the world fades into the background as I realize just how lucky we are. My little girl is here and alive, and able to enjoy her treat. She doesn’t care that people are staring; she doesn’t even notice. She’s just living in the moment with the family who loves her more than life itself, and that’s all she needs to be happy.