“I feel like shit,” I announce, as my entire upper body announces a new round of irritation.
He laughs.
“Fuck off,” I whine. “What the hell happened?” I move to sit up and find that my arms are tied behind my back. “What the fuck? I’m not into non-consensual kinky shit.”
“Trust me, Pix,” he chuckles. “That’s not what this is. I’m not into that…okay, maybe some of it…but, you’d have to be awake for the whole process. I’m not into the necrophilia type of shit.”
“What?” I question as my heads feels dizzy once I get myself up with his assistance.
“Do you remember what happened?” Aiden questions.
“About what?” I check.
“Since I left to see Paul,” I say.
“What? Why?” I ask, confused by what’s happening. “Why the fuck am I tied?”
“I’ll untie you, but I need to know you’re good,” Aiden states oddly.
“Of course I’m good,” I return. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I be?”
“Here,” he says, offering me some water without untying me.
My mouth reaches to meet the glass, but my muscles are stiff and hurt at the slightest movement. I gulp the water, not caring that some of it is dripping down my chin and onto my chest. I don’t panic, aware that I’m fully clothed and can get out of the restraints as my brain registers how he’s got me tied.
Aiden places the empty glass on the nightstand and turns on a light.
My eyes shut in opposition.
“You okay, Pix?” he checks.
“Yeah,” I huff. “So, what the fuck happened? And, can you untie me?”
Aiden leans forward, loosening my restraints. “I was asking you the same thing, remember?” he chuckles.
“Yeah,” I sigh, rubbing my wrists.
“So, what do you remember after we fucked each other senseless in the kitchen?” he questions with a grin.
I half snort at the memory and his blatant description. “You left….”
“Right.”
“Then…I took care of a few things around the house,” I say.
“Like what?” Aiden inspects.
“Why?”
“Just go with it, Pix,” Aiden suggests. “It’ll help.”
“Fine,” I breathe out. “I was in the garden taking care of the plants and picking some food. Then, I came back inside for a bit. At some point, the dogs needed to go back out, so I figured I’d see if there were any fallen twigs and branches from the storm the other day to add to the wood pile and….”
“You okay, Pix?” Aiden checks with concern in his tone.
“Yeah,” I sigh. “Just a headache.”
“Need more water?” he searches.
“No, I’m good,” I confirm.
Aiden shifts a little closer. “And?” he checks.
I shake my head to clear some of the fuzziness away.
“Pix?” Aiden asks sweetly.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“What do you remember exactly?” Aiden pries.
“The dogs where bouncing around in the yard. We ventured a bit in as we headed south toward the shoreline. I was gathering some twigs and Cain darted off in one direction after a rabbit…he has a thing for rabbits,” I mention.
“Good to know,” Aiden comments when I stop talking.
“I called after him, but he didn’t listen…” I share.
“Mm hm,” Aiden returns.
“Mable stayed with me as I whistled for Cain and continued to pick up the branches. A few seconds later, I heard a gun shot and ran in its direction,” I state. “The next thing I remember is waking up here.”
“Do you remember what you did to him?” Aiden inspects.
“To who?”
“To the person who shot the gun?” Aiden adds.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re probably suffering from temporary memory loss. It’s common with different types of extreme trauma,” Aiden explains.
“Trauma? What the hell are you talking about?” I ask.
“I heard two gun shots and then I found you beating the shit out of a guy,” Aiden shares.
The memory flashes in pieces — no, more like two different memories colliding together and I can’t separate the two of them. I must have blacked out when it happened, because I don’t remember doing any of it, but I see it clear as day in my head now.
“Shit,” I sigh.
“You remember now?” he checks.
“Yeah,” I confirm.
“When I got to you, you were cursing like a sailor as you kept punching the crap out of him,” Aiden points out. “I think you stated at one point about him trying to shoot Cain.”
My head nods in agreement as rage begins to bubble inside me a little.
“Why would you attack him? I understand why you would to some extent, seeing him point the gun at Cain, but you beat the shit out of the guy, Pix. If I hadn’t come along…you might have killed him,” Aiden reveals.
“Fucker deserved to die,” I hiss out.
“Laurie,” Aiden calls, snapping me from the memory of Jack and Shepard. I nervously giggle at the coincidence: having a golden retriever named Shepard and now having two German Shepherds as my current dogs.
“What’s so funny?” Aiden asks.
“The irony of it,” I mention.
“Of what?” Aiden searches.
“My ex-husband killed Shepard…my first dog,” I share.
“Did you see him shoot him?” Aiden checks.
“Yes,” I confirm.
“So, you snapped, seeing a similar situation,” Aiden surmises. “The shock of the similarities would make sense.”
“I guess,” I say, trying to brush it off.
The house alarm goes off and my head darts around in search of the iPad.
“I got it,” Aiden assures, picking it up from the nightstand. “We have visitors.”
“Who?”
“Who do you think?” Aiden returns.
“Fuck,” I huff. “I can’t believe they called the cops.”
“They didn’t,” Aiden informs.
“Then…oh.”
“I don’t think they’d want to involve the cops…even if you did kill one of them,” Aiden states eerily.
“Yeah,” I agree.
“You okay?” he checks.
“Yeah, why?”
“Because, I need to answer the door and I want to make sure you don’t come darting out and shit,” Aiden states.
“I’m good,” I offer, trying to stand up.
“Don’t,” he suggests, easing me back down when I wobble from being lightheaded. “I’ll get it.”
“But….”
“Don’t argue with me, Pix,” Aiden informs sternly. “You won’t win this one. Trust me. Besides, it’s better that I go talk to them first.”
“Okay, fine,” I whine.
Aiden heads to the door, grabbing a gun and tucking it in the back of his pants as the bell rings a second time. I stay on my bed, lying back down as I strain to listen in on the conversation. Cain is with me per Aiden’s instruction while Mable is with him downstairs.
Only muffled voices are heard and I’m not sure if it’s because they’re that quiet or if because the ringing in my head is still just that loud. After about a minute or two, I slowly shift up and make my way to the bathroom, keeping at least one of my hands onto something for support as I move. Cain diligently stays at my side, whining a little as I take short steps all the way in. I don’t bother turning on the light.
“Pix?” Aiden calls from the bedroom.
My hand reaches and flushes the toilet. “Yeah?”
“Shit, you had me worried there for a minute,” he sighs.
Aiden’s body is standing in the doorway, facing the bedroom when I turn around. He offers me his hand and helps me back to the bed.
“What’s the damage?” I check.
“You want the good news…or, bad news?”
&n
bsp; “I don’t see how anything could be good news,” I snicker.
“The good news is that you didn’t kill the guy,” Aiden informs. “The bad news is that I agreed to a meal with him.”
“Him? Him who?” I inspect.
Aiden’s face winces.
“Aiden?” I ask.
“Quintin,” he admits.
“Why the fuck are we having a meal with him?”
“Quintin wants to apologize…and he was impressed with what you did to Jimmy,” Aiden chuckles eerily.
“What do you mean, impressed?”
“You’re practically half his height,” Aiden states.
“So?”
“So, aside from Jimmy being a six foot, four inch man…he’s apparently one of Quintin’s main guys,” Aiden says.
“They told you that?”
“Not directly,” Aiden replies. “I kind of figured from what they were saying and by the invitation.”
“Fuck,” I whine. “I don’t want to have a meal with him.”
“You’ve got to,” Aiden informs.
“Why?” I say, setting my sights on him. “You need this for your fucking stakeout, don’t you?”
“No,” Aiden defends. “Well, no to the first part, but yes to the second.”
“Fucking asshole,” I shout, springing to attack him. My vision blurs a little, making it hard for me to focus.
“Take it easy there, Pix,” Aiden soothes.
“Don’t fucking tell me what to do,” I bark as he rolls me over, causing the dizziness to increase and my stomach to feel queazy.
“You alright?” Aiden asks.
“No,” I huff. “Why do I feel like crap if I kicked his ass?”
“Because,” Aiden begins, “I had to knock you out.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“You had snapped,” Aiden informs. “The only way I was able to get you back inside safely was knocking you out.”
“Thanks for the warning,” I whine.
“I tried, babe,” Aiden says. “I tried to calm you, but you were in a zone.”
I roll away from him, “I’m not going.”
“Yes, you are,” Aiden counters. “We both are.”
“We?”
“Yes,” he chuckles, curling into me. “We’re going. There’s no way in hell I’d let you go by yourself.”
“You can go,” I direct.
“I will, but you’re coming with me,” Aiden mentions.
“Nope,” I sigh, closing my eyes. “Now, go away.”
“Why?”
“I’m tired,” I comment.
“Can’t,” Aiden returns.
“You have two working legs…sure you can,” I remind.
“I need to monitor you,” he says.
“What? Why?”
“Just in case, Pix,” he answers. “I did have to use a lot of force to keep you at bay. You’re freakishly strong when you’re in the zone, you know that?”
“Yeah,” I lie.
“You hungry?”
“A little,” I reply.
“Okay,” he says, not getting up. “I’ll stay with you for a little bit and then I’ll make us dinner…checking in on you every so often.”
“The dogs are here, they’ll let you know if something happens,” I say.
“Nope,” Aiden chuckles, kissing the side of my head. He curls into me more.
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I comment.
“What?”
“You know what,” I challenge.
“Yeah,” Aiden says with a smile in his voice. “I finally get to snuggle with you.”
“Five minutes,” I declare.
“What?”
“You get five minutes, then you're out,” I instruct.
Aiden chuckles, but doesn’t comment.
Forty Four - Aiden
It took a day for Laurie to recuperate from the incident to be back to her normal self. She could just be doing a really good job at hiding it. She complained the following morning when she woke up with me next to her. Laurie wasn’t happy that I spent the night in her room with her in her bed. There was no way I was going to let Laurie be alone. We argued for ten minutes about it and I reminded her that we were both fully clothed.
I pampered her that night with dinner, cooking and cleaning everything myself, not letting her help. I took care of the dogs too. We watched a movie on the couch afterward and I massaged her, knowing that her muscles would be sore. She groaned in the morning, but she wouldn’t verbally say anything. After her shower, I made her lie down on her bed with just the towel wrapped around her so I could help her relax a second time. That second time had a happy ending for both of us.
Despite how it happened, Paul and I were both excited at the chance for me to get inside Quintin’s house. We know we can’t bug him right away. Quintin would most likely expect that, so we’ll have to try again in time. At least we can get a layout of the place and what we’re dealing with. Paul cautioned me on several accounts to be careful. He knows I am. Just to hear him insist on paying attention makes me question things. Are there things he knows about Quintin that I don’t and he won’t, perhaps can’t, share with me?
Tonight we’re set to have dinner with Quintin. I’m curious to see if he’ll actually have us at the house or want to go out somewhere in town to eat instead. I can’t imagine that he would want prying eyes or ears during our conversations.
“I’m not wearing a fucking dress,” Laurie groans for the fifth time, wearing nothing but a lace bra and panties.
“Why not?” I push. “That bet between us is null and void since we’re already sleeping together.”
“Not funny,” she charges, popping her head out of the closet. “Besides, I don’t do dresses. Have you seen one in my closet?”
“No,” I confirm. “Maybe it needs one.”
“Not happening,” she counters.
“Who knows…one could just suddenly show up,” I tease.
“Not happening,” she repeats.
“You’re a size four…I’m sure Trudy would be willing to help me pick something out,” I goad.
“Keep that shit up and I’m not going tonight,” she says, buttoning up some cute, tight black dress slacks that stop at her mid thigh.”
“Fuck that’s sexy,” I huff as my eyes scan the length of her body.
“I’m half dressed,” she reminds.
“I know….but, it’s still sexy as fuck, Pix,” I moan, wanting to eat her out as my appetizer before the night begins.
“You know…” she begins, straddling me as I’m already sitting on the edge of the bed, “we could just stay in tonight…just you and me…naked.”
“As tempting as that sounds,” I answer. “We can’t. Plus, I’ll just save room for a second dessert which will be both of us naked and probably all over half of this house.”
“Come on,” she coaxes. “I’ll let you put it wherever you want….”
“Don’t joke like that,” I say sternly.
“Who says I’m joking,” she replies, snatching my earlobe between her teeth.
My fingers dig into her hips. “Jesus fucking Christ….”
“Is that a yes to staying in?” she checks with a giggle, pressing her tits into my face. “And, putting it in?”
“Fuck…” I huff, curling my fingers into her back.
“You know you want to,” she baits, swaying her hips over my cock.
“And, you and I both know that you’re bluffing,” I challenge.
“Am I?” she asks, deepening our kiss.
I pull back to watch her eyes. Jesus titty fucking Christ — she’s not kidding. Burying my face between her breasts, I let out a heavy groan. “You don’t fucking fight fair,” I whine.
“Your loss,” she muses, pulling away to get up.
“Oh, no you don’t,” I say, flipping her onto her back.
“If we go, you don’t get any,” she teases.
“We’ve got enough ti
me for at least a quickie,” I say.
“No,” she denies, sliding out from under me.
“Baby, come on,” I whine.
“Don't call me baby,” she instructs, putting on her shirt.
“Can I still stick it anywhere when we get home tonight?”
“No,” she says sternly.
“Fuck,” I groan.
“You won’t be sticking it anywhere…they’re all closed for business,” she proclaims.
“What? Why?” I say in shock.
“Dinner…no sex. No dinner…sex,” she baits.
“I can go a night…I think,” I huff.
“It’ll be more than just one night of nothing other than your hand,” she declares.
“What?”
Laurie quirks a brow at me.
“Seriously? You’re going to hold sex against me over one fucking meal?” I complain.
“Yep,” she returns callously.
“I’ll get you to cave,” I inform, tugging her into me.
“Good luck trying,” she laughs after our lips part. “I’ve got plenty of toys to keep myself satiated for months.”
“Not if I throw them out,” I state deviously.
“Touch them and you’ll be out in the trash with them,” she warns.
Laurie’s still in the bedroom, doing God only knows what when the house alarm goes off. I curse under my breath at my blue balls and call her to hurry up. The two men who stopped by the day of the incident are heading toward the door with a black, SUV idling in the street. Laurie’s finally heading down the stairs when I open the door.
The men escort us to their vehicle and once we’re all in, including the dogs, they turn around in the road and head back in the direction of Quintin’s house. Once the SUV is parked, they open the doors for us and lead us inside the house through the garage. I keep my arm around Laurie’s waist, hoping to make her feel secure, to make sure she stays close, and to let all of them know that we’re together.
“Be polite,” I whisper into her ear.
“Shh,” she shushes.
After passing through a large kitchen, we turn north into another room.
“Laurie,” a man’s voice greets from the body of a tall man who is standing up from a leather couch in the living room. He’s about an inch or two shorter than me, has a round, pudgy belly and looks close to Paul’s age. “Welcome. Please, sit.” He gestures for his two goons to leave us.
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