by Alice Ward
I’d never been in the bad parts of town, at least no longer than to drive through. Growing up privileged kept me away from poor areas and certainly places that’d be considered crack town. My skin tingled with a bit of fear as we drove through the city. I watched out the window as the streets became darker, the people less civilized, and the buildings less maintained. Todd pulled the car over onto the side of the road. He gave me a look filled with concern before getting out and walking to my side of the car. When the door opened, I could hear the chaos surrounding us. Metal garbage cans being knocked over, hopefully by alley cats. People screaming at one another from a distance, a far one I hoped. I reached out, took his hand, and stepped out of the car.
“There’s a few places nearby he usually hangs out. I don’t want to leave you in the car here,” he said.
I moved closer to him, clenching onto his strong arm. I was nervous, actually scared, but Todd helped me to feel safe.
Our first stop was a convenience store slash tobacco shop. The man behind the counter was on the other side of a large metal cage. Just being there frightened me. “I’m looking for Marcus Morris,” Todd said.
The man lifted his eyes from the magazine he read, rolled them up and then down Todd’s body before he even attempted to answer. “Who the fuck are you?”
“His brother.”
“Well, you need to get your little lady outta here,” he said, smirking in my direction.
That sounded like a great idea. Get me out of here. You too, Todd.
“Have you seen him or not?” Todd asked, pushing a twenty across the counter.
“He might’ve been around yesterday. He was in pretty bad shape though. I suspect he’s sleeping it off somewhere,” the man said, sliding the money into his pocket before giving Todd another look. “You really Todd Morris, the Mets player?”
“Yeah, but I’m a Beast now,” Todd answered.
The man’s lips puckered into a circle, and a faint whistle escaped. “Try the green house on the corner. It’s been vacant a while now. Most of the smackheads end up there when they score,” the man said cheerfully, as if this was good news.
“What’s a smackhead?” I whispered to Todd as we exited the store.
“Just a junkie,” Todd said, his hand on the small of my back to rush me from the store and out onto the sidewalk.
He took my hand, pulled me close and stared down the street toward the green house on the corner. “You think he’s in there?” I asked.
“Maybe,” he murmured.
Instead of walking in the direction of the house, he walked the opposite way toward the car. He opened my door, “Get in,” he said, giving me a little smile. I did. He walked to the driver’s side, opened the door, and slid inside.
“I need to take you home. This isn’t safe.”
“No. I’m not leaving you,” I insisted and crossed my arms over my chest.
He scowled at me, opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. Cursing, he started the car, whipped it around, and parked in front of the green house. “Stay here. Promise me. Stay here and keep the doors locked. Call me if anyone bothers you,” he insisted with such intensity it made me nervous.
“I promise,” I agreed.
I watched him walk toward the house. It was dark, the front door and most of the windows were boarded up, and my skin crawled at the thought of what might be inside. I reached into my purse, pulled out my small can of mace, and clenched my phone in my hand. Todd walked up the stairs, onto the porch and then squeezed through what must have been loose boards in the front door. My heart raced once he was out of sight, my mind fearful of what might happen to him. I should’ve insisted on going with him.
A group of men walked past the car, stopping to peer inside as I gripped the tiny mace keychain in my hand. One split his middle fingers and pressed them to his face, licking in between them as he stared at me with cold dark eyes. The other laughed, pulled him away, and they entered the green house the same way Todd had.
Minutes that seemed like hours passed as I sat there, a myriad of scenarios playing out through my mind. I jumped when someone screamed, then voices echoed outside my window. I couldn’t tell from where. I opened the door, called out for Todd, but heard only yelling in return. I couldn’t make out what was being said at first, but then one word came through clear. “Morris.”
My heart slammed in my chest. Todd!
I ran toward the noise, gripping my phone and my mace. The alley beside the house had a dim street light shining down on the group of men that had stopped to peer in the car at me. Todd was in the middle of them. They were pushing him, taunting him, calling him a pussy, not a Beast. “I’m just looking for my brother, guys,” Todd said, his voice still calm.
“You’re lookin’ in all the wrong places, pussy,” one said while the other laughed.
Todd pushed past them, noticed me, and then stopped. The look on his face terrified me. “Todd!” I screamed his name, pointing to the man behind him.
Todd whirled, but before he could get out of the way, a fist connected with his head. He fell to the ground, landing on his knees, his eyes locked onto mine.
I gripped my phone, searching for the emergency call button. Todd rose, turned and swung at the man who'd hit him, knocking him to his back. Todd pounced on top of him, swinging his fists in a fury as I struggled to make the call for help. One of the men ran toward me, then dove, taking me to the ground like a tackled football player. The wind was knocked out of me. I couldn’t breathe.
“Todd!” The word was barely audible as I tried to scream another warning. He must have heard me, though, because he turned just in time to see the man with the knife. The guy lunged and Todd sidestepped him, knocking the knife to the ground. The first man staggered to his feet and jumped on Todd’s back. I watched in horror as Todd was taken down.
“Isn’t that cute?”
My attention snapped back to the man straddling me, his knees holding my arms down at my sides. He yanked the mace from my hand, laughing at my feeble attempt at self-defense, and tossed the can toward the building.
He leaned closer and I gagged. He smelled of cigarettes, tar, and gasoline, with an undercurrent of body odor beneath it all. I screamed and fought, but he was too heavy and had all the leverage. I soon tired and was breathing hard. When his fingers went to the button on my pants, a fresh surge of adrenaline shot through me, and I kicked violently, trying to buck him off.
Another man joined in the fun and soon my pants were being ripped from my body, my ass cheeks grinding into the gravel below me.
“Hold the bitch still,” he yelled out to his friend.
I was rolled onto my stomach, my face pressed into the ground, my arms wrenched painfully behind my back. I screamed out in pain and a hand clapped over my mouth.
“No need for that. I’m gonna treat you real good,” the guy on top of me said, pushing my legs farther apart. “I’m gonna show you what a real man feels like.” His words were a hiss as he lowered himself onto me.
I kicked, screamed, but nothing I did mattered. His breath was hot on my neck and he hummed something I couldn’t comprehend as he positioned himself.
Then he was gone, removed so quickly that I didn’t realize he was off me until Todd said, “Let her go.”
The guy holding my head down released the pressure and I rolled away, scrambling out of his reach. I turned and saw Todd standing with a knife against my attacker’s throat.
Making small movements, he walked the guy closer to me, a drop of blood trickling down the man’s neck. Once he was close enough, he shoved the attacker away and hauled me to my feet. I reached for my pants and pulled them on, my fingers trembling so badly they could barely pull up the zipper.
Knife hand outstretched, Todd eyed the men as he pushed me in the direction of the car. When one of the guys moved, my protector snarled. I’d never seen anyone so furious, so powerful, so Beast-like.
A siren chirped in the background, and I could see blue ligh
ts flashing around the corner. The men scattered, along with the few people who had been watching the scene.
At least there weren’t any paparazzi lurking around.
The rest of the crowd took off once the two cop cars parked and officers exited onto the street. The officers immediately recognized Todd, and of course wanted to know what he was doing in this part of town. He explained and gave his statement. Even though his knuckles were bloodied, his face had enough damage to prove he wasn’t the attacker. Once they talked to me, they pushed for me to go to the hospital for a rape kit.
“I wasn’t raped,” I explained to the female officer.
“You should still be examined and have a test done. We may be able to locate the suspect by any DNA collected,” she said calmly. “Mr. Morris should be treated too.”
I didn’t want to deal with any of this, and I was tempted to say no. Todd had saved me. I hadn’t been raped, even though it was close. I looked at Todd’s cuts and knew he’d never get them treated if I didn’t go with him. I nodded and we headed to the emergency room.
***
Three hours later, we stepped out of the hospital, exhaustion a huge weight on my shoulders. “I just want to go home,” I whispered and reached out for Todd’s hand.
“I’ll take you to your apartment for a few things, but you’re staying with me tonight,” he insisted, squeezing my hand tightly.
I didn’t argue. I gave him directions and fell back into the leather seat as he drove. Once we pulled up, he helped me out of the car. My entire body ached. “Isn’t this the player’s apartments?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“You’re staying here?”
“It’s where Rhett placed me until I find my own place. I left so quickly for Florida, I didn’t have time,” I explained.
He looked at me funny. “Doesn’t your dad have a penthouse downtown?”
I unlocked the door, quickly grabbed a bag and began shoving a few items inside. “He sold it. It’s not like we spent enough time in New York. Besides, he likes hotels,” I lied.
He seemed satisfied with the answer. We walked out the door, back to his car, and then he began with more questions. “Do you have a car you want me to have maintained while here? The winters are harsh.”
“No. I left mine in Georgia,” I said, which wasn’t exactly a lie. I did leave it in Georgia. I just left out the part where I left it at the car lot where it was sold.
I was relieved to be back at Todd’s and out of the car. His questions were simple, but for me, they were complicated to answer. I hated lying to him, but I'd promised my family I would keep their secret. I hated that they'd made it my secret. It wasn’t my secret.
Todd rushed me past the security guard at the front door and avoided answering any questions from the elevator attendant who looked at us with confusion. Todd’s face was busted up pretty badly, his shirt ripped halfway from his chest, and his knuckles covered with gauze. I didn’t even want to know what I looked like. I was certain it was bad. Real bad. I could feel gravel in my hair, and my clothes were ripped so badly, I had to hold them in place.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Todd said softly, guiding me to the back room.
A large bed sat in the center of the room, covered with blue satin sheets and football shaped pillows. “Is this your room?” I asked.
He nodded, moving me toward the large set of white doors. They opened to an oversized, beautifully decorated bathroom with granite walls and floors. “Wow,” I gasped.
Todd slowly undressed me, his eyes staring into mine with so much remorse it made me queasy. “This isn’t your fault,” I assured him.
He frowned. “Yes, it is.”
“You saved me.”
“You wouldn’t have needed to be saved if you weren’t there.”
My clothes fell to the floor. I stepped out of my pants. Where were my panties? Oh God! Tears began to stream down my face as Todd wrapped his arms around me. “It’s okay. I gotcha.”
He reached behind me, turned on the shower and then backed me slowly under the stream of warm water. He was fully clothed inside the shower with me, causing me to laugh. He smiled, lifted my chin with his finger, and leaned in, pressing his lips against mine.
The kiss was so tender, so needed, my legs nearly melted beneath me. His strong arms gripped me, holding me safely in place as his tongue entangled with mine.
My hands clawed at his body, pulling at the shirt that barely hung onto his skin. My fingers worked vigorously to release his jeans, pushing them down to his ankles. He stepped out, pressed against me, letting his cock twitch at my thigh.
“Are you sure?” he asked, hesitation in his voice. “After…?”
I felt safe. Safer than I’d ever felt before.
Pulling his head down to mine, I whispered, “Make me forget.”
“I don’t have a condom.”
I’d never had sex without a condom, even though I’d been on the pill for years. But I wanted him. I trusted him to keep me safe. “It’s okay, I’m on the pill.”
His hands reached around my thighs, lifting me up from the floor and wrapping me around his waist. He turned, pushing my back into the shower wall as the warm water cascaded over my head and down in between our bodies. Within an instant, he was inside of me, his cock pushing me apart, filling me with the same safe feeling his arms had offered.
My eyes closed. Everything that had happened this evening disappeared. It was just me and Todd. It was just our bodies rocking together, my hips rolling into his, his cock pushing deeper and deeper into me. This was all I needed.
Soft kisses caressed my shoulder as he lifted me away from the wall and held me in his arms. He reached to turn the shower off but didn’t release me. He walked to the bed with me wrapped around him like a fanny pack. My back fell softly against the satin sheets, then he placed a football-shaped pillow underneath my head. I was soaking wet, so was he, but it didn’t seem to matter to either of us. Our bodies never unlatched, his cock never left the warmth of my body as he pinned me beneath him.
Waves of pleasure rolled through me as he thrust slowly, taking his time. His eyes locked onto mine, so blue and full of passion that my orgasm couldn’t be held back. I let go, allowing the pulses to take over, exploding to the place only he could take me. He followed, growling through his release as he filled me with his essence.
I leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?” he asked, kissing me back.
“For everything.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Todd
Every muscle in my body ached as I rolled over to Kat. My phone vibrated on the nightstand next to her. I quickly grabbed it and slid from the bed. Rhett, fuck! I didn’t want to talk to him right now.
I rushed out of the bedroom, away from Katrina, and answered the phone. I didn’t even get a greeting out before Rhett’s voice blasted through the phone. “What the fuck happened last night?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to remain calm.
I didn’t see any press, and the cops were quick to agree the matter had no reason to go public. How did he find out?
“I’m sitting here watching a YouTube video of you fighting street thugs,” he growled.
I slammed my hand into my forehead. It was throbbing from the beating it took the night before. “I can explain,” I said as calmly as I could.
Rhett wasn’t interested in my excuses and continued to rattle about how he’d fucked up letting me leave to go to New York. “Rhett, fucking listen to me!” I shouted into the phone to stop his rant.
The silence on the other end of the phone was long enough to allow me to tell him my side of the story. He listened as I explained my brother’s situation, and how Katrina was being attacked. “Why in the fuck did you take her to that part of town?” he barked.
I had asked myself that question over and over. I felt horrible for what happened to her, what almost happened to
her. “She insisted. She takes this babysitting thing pretty fucking serious,” I explained.
“I want you both back here tonight, and you at practice first thing in the morning,” he demanded before hanging up the phone.
I heard Katrina’s phone ringing as I snuck back toward the bedroom. I rushed through the door to warn her that it was Rhett, but she’d already answered and was holding a finger to her lips as I walked into the room.
His voice was calmer, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying to her. I sat down on the edge of the bed and listened carefully, trying to determine what his tone would be with her. She clicked the speaker button and let me hear him tell her to dig deeper into the story of my brother. “Maybe we can spin this so the bad light is taken away from Todd and placed on his brother where it belongs,” he said.
I shook my head vigorously, asking her to disapprove of his plan.
“It’s the only way I can see how to fix this major fuck up,” Rhett continued to say. “The media has Morris looking like a monster. If we show his loyalty to his strung out brother, maybe, just maybe the fans will understand.”
“Okay. I’ll check in with you when we land in Daytona,” she said and hung up the phone.
Was she planning to run the story? I’d already told her everything about Marcus, there was no need to dig any further. Fuck, I’m an idiot.
“I don’t want that story spun,” I insisted.
She sat up on the bed, propped with pillows behind her back. “Todd, if I don’t fix this, I could lose my job.”
“Fuck your job. This is my family, my brother. He’s had enough problems as it is. This could destroy him,” I argued.
“He’s already destroyed himself, why let him destroy you in the process?”
My fists clenched, my knuckles burning from the pain of open sores as I squeezed. No. There was no way. “I already let you invade my mother’s privacy, but I only agreed to that because of the good it would bring. This brings nothing good. It just fucks up someone’s life. Someone whose life is already pretty damn shitty.”
“It brings good,” she insisted, pleading at me with her eyes. “You don’t look like a monster. It shows the fans you had a reason for being in that part of town. Right now they can conclude that you were buying drugs, looking for trouble… anything.”
