by Wilder, L
“You haven’t met Goliath. He’s the stubborn one,” Lily says, laughing.
“Don’t even start, Lily. We all know Bishop is the stubborn one,” a gorgeous brunette says as she sits down beside me.
“Tessa, you have Bishop wrapped around your little finger. There’s no way he’s more stubborn than Goliath.”
“You weren’t there when we were trying to decide on a honeymoon. He has his mind set on going to Mexico, and he just won’t listen to me. It’s going to be a pain to get those passports,” Tessa tells her.
“Yeah, well, Goliath wants me to stop working. He says that it isn’t good for the baby. I’m like three months pregnant, and I feel great. I don’t want to quit working. I’d lose my mind if I had to stay home all the time. You know, if he wins this one, I’ll never live it down… and let’s not forget the wedding. He didn’t even tell me we were eloping. I thought we were going away for the weekend,” Lily says as she shakes her head, but she is smiling. She may say that Goliath is stubborn, but I can tell a part of her likes it. The way her face lights up when she talks says it all. She loves him… there’s no doubt.
“Yeah, you may have me there.” Tessa turns to me with a bright smile and says, “You must be Ana. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re prettier than Bishop said. I’d say that Sheppard really lucked out.”
“Thank you, Tessa. I great to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you, and I’m looking forward to meeting your children. Dillon talks about them all the time. He thinks they’re pretty awesome,’ I tell her.
“Yeah, they’re pretty amazing. They definitely keep me on my toes,” she says as she glances over to Bishop. His eyes are locked on her. It’s obvious that these two are crazy about each other.
Another lady approaches the bar and sits down by Tessa. She smiles and says, “Just wait til you have this baby. Then you’ll really be a nut case. I almost feel sorry for Bishop.”
“That’s why I have you, Court. You will be there to keep me sane,” Tessa says, laughing. Her smile is contagious. Just looking at her has me grinning from ear to ear. “Courtney, this is Ana. Shep’s friend.”
“Friend? .... Yeah, right. We all know it’s more than that. He’s head over heels over you, Ana. You got ya a good one,” Courtney says as she looks over at Sheppard. “Look at the poor guy. He can’t take his eyes off of her.”
We all turn and look at him, and sure enough, he is staring right at me. I can’t hold back my smile. That man gets to me, and I like it.
“So… is it true?” Courtney asks.
“What?” I turn back to her, trying to figure out what she’s talking about.
“Does he really have one of those piercings? You know, down below?” she asks with her eyebrow perched high.
“Courtney! You can’t ask her that! You’ll embarrass her,” Lily snaps.
“It’s a simple question. You know you want to know, too, Lily. Just because you are all knocked up and happy, doesn’t mean you can’t be curious about another man’s junk. I just want to know if it’s really pierced or not,” Courtney explains.
“Umm… I…” I start.
“Don’t answer that,” Dillon says as he leans over and rests his elbows on the bar. “Courtney, behave.”
Courtney smiles and rolls her eyes, acting like she is offended, but we know she isn’t. Something tells me it would take a lot to get to her. I like that about her.
“You doing okay?” Dillon asks.
“Yes, now go. Get back to your game,” I tell him.
“Okay, boss,” he says, but before he goes, he turns towards me and kisses me. He doesn’t give me one of his soft kisses like I was expecting. Instead, his tongue brushes against my bottom lip, urging me to open my mouth. When I comply, he deepens the kiss, taking his time with me. I turn my body towards him, but he pulls away, leaving me desperate for more. I moan with disapproval when he looks down at me. “You sure you want me to go?” he teases.
I shake my head yes, but I really want him to stay. Actually, I really just want to go back to his room and spend the night making love to him.
“Stop teasing her, Shep. We still have stuff to talk about,” Lily tells him.
“Can’t help myself,” he says as he gives me a sexy wink and turns to go back to his game. My eyes are glued to him as I watch him walk away.
“Damn, she’s got it bad,” Courtney snickers.
“I think it’s great. Sheppard’s a great guy. I’m glad he’s found someone that makes him happy,” Tessa tells her.
“Looks like they are both pretty damn happy,” Courtney says with a smirk.
“Do you think you’ll stay here?” Tessa asks.
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see how this all plays out. Things in my life are a little… complicated right now.”
“Things are always going to be complicated, girl. You just have to do what makes you happy,” Courtney says to me.
We talk for several hours, about anything and everything. I love it. It’s been so long since I’ve had a night out. I’ve never really had a group of friends like this, and it means a lot to me that they are all so friendly and open. Courtney tells me all about her awful accident and Bobby’s big proposal at the movie theater. Lily shares stories about John Warren and her pregnancy, while Tessa tells us all about her wedding plans. She seems so excited that it is finally all working out. Lily also tells me all about Taylor, Renegade’s fiancé. They said I would meet her tomorrow, since she’s on babysitting duty tonight for John Warren. I love listening to all their wonderful stories. I’m beginning to think I would actually like staying here with Dillon.
“Will you look at what she’s wearing tonight? Why does she even bother putting on any clothes at all?” Courtney says as she eyeballs a woman walking into the bar. Her hair is flowing all around her shoulders, actually covering more skin than her tiny leather tube top and miniskirt.
“At least Cindy isn’t here tonight,” Lily tells her.
“I’m not worried about Cindy anymore. I think she has finally gotten over her thing with Bobby….” She tries to hold back her smile as she says, “It may have had something to do with that surprise I left for her in her bed last week.”
“Courtney! What did you do?” Tessa asks.
“Not saying. I don’t want to hear one of your lectures. Let’s just say that it was effective. That’s all that really matters,” Courtney explains as she watches the woman walk over to the pool table. “Umm… does Brandi know about Ana?” she asks Tessa.
Tessa turns to look in Dillon’s direction and says, “Probably not. Even if she did, I doubt she’d care.”
“Who is Brandi?” I ask.
“She’s one of the Fallen girls. They are here for the guys when they need to let off some steam. There used to be more of them, but now most of the guys have Old Ladies,” Tessa explains.
“So, Dillon has been with these women?” I ask.
None of them speak, but I know the answer. It’s written all over their faces. I look back over and watch as Brandi rests her hand on Dillon’s chest. Something in me snaps. I don’t know what comes over me. I feel like a rabid dog stalking its prey. As soon as Brandi starts to wedge herself between his legs, I see him place his hands on her hips, pushing her back away from him. His expression is fierce as he talks to her, but she isn’t taking the hint as she continues to shove her giant boobs in his face. When her hand reaches up into his hair, I’m done. In an instant, my feet have hit the floor, and I’m walking over towards them.
“Ana?” Courtney asks. I just keep walking. I’m too pissed to even think. “Ana, wait!”
I should listen to her. I should stop right here and go back to my seat at the bar, but I don’t. I just keep walking over to Dillon and the two-dollar whore that’s hanging all over him.
When I finally get over to them, I say, “If you want to keep your hand intact, you might want to move it…. Now.”
Brandi casually turns her head to face me, and her eyes
slowly roam over me from head to toe before she says, “And what are you going to do about it, sweetie?” My eyes are still trained on her hand. Her fingers are splayed across his cheek, her nails just barely touching his hair.
“There are twenty-seven bones in your hand, fourteen of those are in your fingers,” I inform her.
“So?” she says, stepping closer to Dillon, egging me on.
“It hurts like hell when they break. And you’re about to find out exactly how that feels, if you don’t….”
“Who are you anyway?” she says sarcastically.
“She’s…” Dillon starts.
“Don’t,” I say as I raise my hand up to him. I take a step closer to her, so we are standing face to face. My nose is just inches from hers when I say, “Ana. My name is Ana.”
“Well, Ana. You need to just get over yourself. It’s not like you’re his Old Lady or something,” Brandie says as she looks back over to Dillon. It’s obvious that he’s not happy. Anger is written all over his face, and he stares at her with disgust.
“He’s mine, Brandi. Now… get… your… fucking hands off him!” I demand as I clench my hands into fists. I’ve never hit another person, but I really want to punch her in the face… sooo bad.
“I don’t see you wearing his name on your back or his ring on your finger,” she says bitingly.
“He’s mine all the same.”
“You’ve got a lot to learn, little girl,” she says as she rolls her eyes. “You’re in for a rude awakening. You’ll see… you’ll never be enough to keep him satisfied.”
“Hey, Brandi! My camel called…. He wants his toe back!” Courtney shouts over to Brandi. She’s trying to break the tension, but it isn’t working. Some of the guys behind her snicker at her remark, so Courtney turns to them and says, “You know what I’m talking about guys! Brandi’s like the first piece of bread in the bag… everyone touches her, but no one wants her.” The guys chuckle under their breaths while they shake their heads, but none of them say a word. They know better than to get in the middle of this.
Brandi’s face turns beet red with anger as she turns to Courtney and growls, “Fuck off, Courtney.”
“I can’t help it that your vagina has been used more than Google, Brandi! That’s all on you, babe,” Courtney says with a sweet smile.
“If you’d just give your men what they need, they wouldn’t need me to take up the slack,” Brandi snaps back.
“Enough of the bullshit, Brandi. I told you I’m done. Now, back the fuck off. Ana is my Old Lady. Leave her the fuck alone!” Dillon snarls as he stands up and walks over to me, placing his arm around my waist.
“Have fun with that, Sheppard. She looks like she’d be a real blast in the sack. I’ll be around when you get tired of playing with Little Miss Perfect,” Brandi says flippantly.
“Stop being such a slut bag and just walk away,” Courtney snaps at her. “We all know you’ve been on more wieners than ketchup! It’s time for you to take a break.”
“Eat shit, Courtney,” Brandi growls.
“Did Cindy mention the gift I left in her bed the other night?” Courtney asks with a devilish grin. “Would you like one, too?”
“Stay the fuck out of my room, Courtney!” she demands as she starts to storm off, her high heels clicking across the concrete floor and her hair swaying behind her back. The guys still look extremely amused as she finally walks out of the bar.
“Where the fuck do you come up with that stuff, Court?” Dillon asks.
“What? I was just getting warmed up!” she replies with a big goofy smile.
“Thanks for helping me out, Courtney. I don’t know what I was thinking going over there like that,” I tell her, already feeling embarrassed for acting like such an ass.
“I liked it,” Dillon says as he pulls me closer to him. “I’m going to show you just how much I liked it as soon as we get back to my room.”
“I just don’t do stuff like that. I don’t know what I was thinking!” I explain. “Everyone is going to think I’m a total psychopath or something.”
“You were staking your claim, Angel. They get that,” he tells me as he kisses me on my forehead.
“Yeah… if you say so,” I tell him, unable to even look at him.
“I do. Besides, you’re fucking hot when you get all pissed off. Made my dick hard just watching you get all riled up.”
“Seriously?” I shout. “I can’t believe you just said that!”
“There she is. Love my angry angel,” he says as he bends down and places his hands behind my knees, lifting me over his shoulder. Before I can even protest, my ass is up in the air, and my face is at his back. I twist and squirm, trying to free myself as he heads towards his room. I turn my head to the side and see everyone in the bar is watching us, smiling and pointing. My face turns three shades of red when I notice Tessa and the girls sitting at the bar, laughing hysterically. I try to give them my angry face, but end up rolling my eyes and smiling back at them. Something tells me this isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened around here. My attention is drawn back to Dillon when he starts down the hallway.
“Dillon, put me down!” I shout out as I kick my feet back and forth. He reaches up and smacks my ass… hard! “Dillon!!!”
“I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks, Angel. Better get used to it,” he says. My body tingles all over as his threat excites me. I never know what to expect with him, and I love it. The next thing I know, I am being thrown on Dillon’s bed as the door slams shut behind us. He stands silent at the edge of the bed, just staring at me with wonder in his eyes.
“Dillon?”
“You’re really something, you know that?” he says as he continues to look at me with lust in his eyes.
“Really? I’m a little worried about you, Dillon. I just acted like the biggest neurotic, jealous girlfriend ever, and you liked it.”
“I loved it,” he says as he leans down to kiss my neck. His warm breath tickles my skin as he whispers, “Liked that you were jealous.”
“I was definitely jealous. What do you expect? Brandi’s a knock-out.”
“She’s nothing compared to you, Angel.” His lips trail along the edge of my neck to my jaw. “Nothing compares to you. Nothing.” I let out a little whimper as he rests his hips between my thighs. “You’re all I want, all I need.” He looks down at me, his mouth hovering over mine and says, “I love you, Ana.” His lips crash down on mine, stealing my breath away.
Chapter 15
Sheppard
“I never heard how things turned out with the Black Diamonds,” I tell Bobby.
“Nothing left of them. After you got shot, we took the rest of them out,” he tells me as he looks to the floor. “We spent hours looking for you, but….”
“I know, Bobby. It’s okay.”
“Something in my gut told me you were still alive, so I couldn’t give up,” Bobby tells me, but he won’t look me in the eye. It’s still hard for him to talk about it.
“It means a lot to me, brother. I’m sure you would’ve found me sooner or later,” I tell him as I pat him on the shoulder. I can hear the sincerity in his voice as he speaks, and it really does mean a great deal to me.
“I looked it up last night. Did you know that Ana’s house is less than two miles away from the Calvert City dock? You were just two miles away from us,” Bobby explains. He looks distraught as he thinks back to that day. I hate seeing him like this.
“Listen, Crack Nut. It could have turned out differently, but I’m here now. That’s all that matters. I guess it’s a good thing Ana decided not to let me die out there in that lake,’ I say with a laugh, trying to break the tension in the room.
“We owe her a lot for bringing you back here,” Bobby says looking up at me. “You know… Courtney really likes her. She hasn’t stopped talking about her.”
“Ana likes her, too. She’s spent all morning trying to come up with more slut jokes, but none of them are as good as
Court’s.”
“I don’t know where she comes up with that shit, but damn… it’s funny. The look on Brandi’s face… she was so pissed,” Bobby says, laughing.
“Do you know what Courtney did to Cindy?” I ask him out of curiosity. Knowing Courtney, there’s no telling what she did, but I can guarantee Cindy won’t forget it.
“No idea. Believe me... I’ve tried to find out, but no one’s talking,” he says as he walks over to his desk. His mood instantly changes when the screen lights up… serious and ready to work. “Did you bring Ana’s notes with you?”
“Yeah, but there’s not much to them. She’s written a few questions down, but she wasn’t able to follow up on anything after she was suspended,” I say as I hand him the notebook. It’s just a thin black medical journal with sporadic notes she’d taken while she was working at the hospital. I just hope Bobby can make some sense of it.
“What reasons did the hospital give for suspending her?” Bobby asks as he starts to flip through the pages of the journal.
“Just a bunch of bullshit. Something about her cheating on some of her old exams, and that she mixed-up some lady’s medication, causing her to get sick… and some shit about her having an affair with some married surgeon. None of it was true.” Anger surges through me when I think about what they said about her. I’m going to make those fuckers pay for hurting her. Every last one of them.
“Did she take it up with the Hospital Board?” he asks, his eyes still focused on the writing in the journal.
“They denied her request for a hearing. No one would listen to her,” I explain. “She’s stuck, and the threats against her are only getting worse. There is something to all this.”
Bobby quickly scans the pages in the journal, and as he looks through it, he pauses several times to write notes of his own. “This is going to take some time,” Bobby tells me.
“Do you think you’ll be able to figure this thing out?” I ask him as I look around his room. I have to say that it’s a bit intimidating. The guy has every techno gadget known to man. I have no idea what he does with all this stuff, but I do know he’s good at what he does. If anybody can find out what’s going on, it will be him.
