by M Dauphin
“Hey,” Eddie whispers. “I’m here, babe.” I feel his lips rest on my forehead and I grin, sitting up in my chair and finally getting comfortable.
“How’s he doing?” I manage through a sore throat. I rub the sleep from my eyes and sit up more, watching the monitor.
“Stable, I guess.” Eddie watches the man in the bed. His longest friend took a fucking bullet for him.
“Has he woken up at all?”
“Nah. Doctors aren’t certain how much longer he’ll be out, either.”
Shit.
When we got here three days ago he went straight into surgery and I was taken to a room immediately to be looked over. Eddie was a fucking basket case of nerves but he held it together pretty well.
Tatum’s surgery took hours. Hours of waiting in silence. Hours of constant calls from Molly and trying to assure her he was going to be ok even though we didn’t know that.
His skin was so grey.
When he finally came out of surgery they kept him in ICU for a day before moving him to his own room. We haven’t left his side yet.
I miss my kids. I want to go home… but I can’t yet.
Not until I know he’s going to pull through.
That’s what matters right now. My children are safe at home with their aunt. We’ve talked plenty of times and I can’t wait to squeeze them, but I have to see this through first.
“I just wish he’d wake up and talk to us,” I whisper, leaning over to take his hand in mine.
“It hit too close to his stomach for us to be out of the woods right now, but it’s been a few good days so they’re pretty hopeful.”
I nod, staring at the man that saved our lives.
“He blames himself, you know,” Eddie whispers.
“He didn’t deserve this.”
“I know.” Eddie huffs and walks across the room to look out the window. “Hey… so that whole thing Zeke said about biting off a dick?” He looks back at me curiously.
“Mmm hmmm.” I grin, remembering how much pleasure I got from watching the man I attacked writhe in pain.
“So you did?” He furrows his brows in confusion. “Is…. Is that possible?”
I shrug and smile at him.
“I’m not sure, but I know he won’t be paying for sex anytime soon.” I wink at him and he chuckles then sighs.
“I don’t know what to say to you, Red,” he whispers.
“The fuck you mean by that, Tex?” I furrow my brows at him.
What the hell is he talking about?
“I mean… shit.” He huffs, running his fingers through his hair. “I thought you were gone. I was getting all these pictures of you, none of them were pretty, and I couldn’t fucking find you. You were beaten and broken… and I couldn’t help!”
“You did help, Eddie,” I smile gently, standing slowly to walk over to him. “You found me.” I bring my hand to his cheek and stare into his beautiful brown eyes. Eyes that have seen so much. Eyes I fell in love with the first time I saw them.
***
Must. Break. Eye contact.
Jesus, I couldn’t look away if I had to. I should, this is going to bring about nothing good. Men that look like him never do, but fuck if he isn’t easy on the eyes. Way easy on the eyes. Buzzed hair, tattoos covering most of the skin that’s showing (and let’s be real, I wish there were more of it showing), piercingly bright hazel eyes. Expressive eyes. Eyes that tell me he’s feeling it just as much as I am from this one look. One look that’s lasting way too long.
***
One look was all it took from the man standing in front of me. But the look he’s giving me right now isn’t as intense as the one he gave me that day. This one’s… sad.
“Hey, stop beating yourself up. I’m fine.” I lie… I’m not fine, but we don’t need to get into that right now. I’m anxious. I feel like every time I close my eyes I’m going to open them and be back in that nightmare. I’m scared for my life and my kids’ lives.
I’m sad. I miss my kids.
I miss home.
I miss being normal and boring.
“I could have had you sooner. If I were better, I could have had you sooner.”
I shake my head and wrap my arms around him.
He’s always needed the coddling. My Eddie; the tough, tattooed computer nerd that needs to be coddled.
Fuck I love this man.
“You wouldn’t have though. Zeke and his men were always a step or three ahead of you. He knew your moves before you did.”
“Mother fucker,” Eddie grumbles, tightening his hold on me. I know it probably haunts him what he had to do… but that’s just it. He had to do it and he knows it. Do I wish Zeke would have suffered more? Absolutely, but I’m just happy he’s gone.
He won’t be back for us.
As far as his father goes, he’s back in jail for a long-ass time for being wrapped up in this. Police have already taken my statement as well as Eddie’s. They all knew how bad of a family the Diaz family is. They’re just happy to have them off the streets again.
“God, I’m so happy to have you back,” Eddie murmurs, laying his lips on my neck bringing out feelings that I haven’t had in over a month.
“Me too, Tex. Me fucking too.” I push into him, allowing the feeling of being needed by my husband wash over me. Wrapping my arms around his neck, he lifts me gently and holds me just under my ass, allowing me to wrap my legs around him as he crushes his lips to mine. My hands roam his hair. His hands squeeze my ass. It’s been a fucking month of no orgasms… no stimulation at all.
“I missed you, Eddie,” I pant, rubbing myself against him. He grins, his lips pushed to mine, then sets me on the large windowsill and moves to pull off my top.
“Fuck,” Tatum groans from the bed, startling us both. I pull the shirt, half off, back down my torso and look around Eddie. Tatum’s awake, shaking his head at us. “A grown man was shot trying to protect you and the thanks you pay him is grinding in his hospital room?”
Eddie lets out a chuckle and turns to grin at him.
“We thought you’d appreciate the show.” He winks then walks over to him. “How you feeling, man?”
“Like I was fucking shot.” Tatum sighs and lays his head back on his pillow.
“Well, all things considered, I guess that’s good.” Eddie shrugs and grins. “It could feel like your leg was cut off. I guess they’re doing a good job with the meds.”
“What?!” Tatum shoots up in bed to feel for his legs and Eddie lets out a laugh when he cringes in pain. “Idiot,” Tatum grumbles after he’s satisfied he has all his appendages.
We all sit there in this awkward silence while Tatum stares at the ceiling.
“It was stupid,” I add in my two cents. “Stupid… but appreciated.”
“Well,” Tatum starts, then coughs and cringes making Eddie’s jaw tighten. “Fuck.” He groans and closes his eyes. “I’m having a talk with my dad when we get back to Texas. I think it’s about time he retires and hands the reigns over to his son,” he rasps.
“I fucking agree,” Eddie grumbles.
Tatum growls, but can’t say anything else. Talking too much won’t help anything. He’s such a hardhead to know when he needs to rest.
“What ever happened to Jase and Mac?” I ask, trying to remember when the last time I saw them was.
Last week? Two weeks ago?
“Jail,” Tatum mumbles, his voice raspy.
“The locals picked them up a week or so back on drug trafficking. Looks like they were doing more than just kidnapping while here in Honduras.” Eddie finishes for him.
“Wow,” I mutter.
“They aren’t getting out any time soon. And when they do they’ll be welcomed with the ‘don’t fucking go back to America’ committee,” Tatum adds.
“Tried that one time before. How well did that work out for you guys?” I quip, rolling my eyes.
“This time it will be different. I fucking promise you, babe.” Eddie
and Tatum exchange a look and I’m not even certain I want to know what that’s about.
I huff and shake my head. Idiots.
Eddie tries grinning at me but it falls flat. “Shit babe… I’m so sorry.”
“What for?”
“Not killing them when I had the chance a few years ago.” He shrugs.
“I think you did more than make up for that this time around, babe,” I whisper, trying to smile up at him. He grunts then nods, obviously still struggling with the fact that he took someone else’s life. It was self defense, of course, but that doesn’t make your mind stop replaying what happened over and over again.
“I gotta take a leak,” he grunts, walking towards the door. He leaves, putting Tatum and me in the same room. Alone.
“Do you hate me?” he asks, his eyes locked on mine.
“Why would I hate you, Tatum? You and Eddie did everything possible to get me back. Hell, you took a fucking bullet because of me.”
“Yea, but it was my men that failed you to begin with.” His voice is raspy and I feel bad for making him talk, but he needs to stop the fucking pity party. If anyone here needs to be having a pity party it’s me! And I’m not, so they need to stop!
“I really wish you guys would stop living in the past,” I huff. “Sure, the men that are employed under your name failed, but it’s not your fucking business yet, Tatum. That’s on your dad, and I don’t see him lying here in a hospital bed in a different country.” I raise my eyebrow at him and he grunts “And no, Eddie didn’t fucking kill Jase and Mac. You guys aren’t the bad guys, though!” I growl and pace the room. “You two are the fucking good guys that were dealt a goddamn shit hand this time around. Yes, your father needs to let go of the business so you can run it right, but it’s not your goddamned fault! Those men are bad! They would have found a way to make our lives a living hell one way or another!” I walk over to him and lean down, taking his hand in mine as he glares at me. “You’re not the bad guy here, Tatum.”
“I did what I saw had to be done.” He grits his jaw.
“And for that I owe you my life.”
He stares at me for a moment before his eyes flick over to the opening door.
“Mr. Savage, you decided to wake up.” The nurse entering the room is young… too fucking young.
“He did, and his wife is on her way here right now,” I lie. Slut better not try to touch him or I’ll have her head on a platter. Nobody fucks with my friends.
She grins at me and lets out a chuckle.
“I see you have a bodyguard,” she quips, grabbing some gloves.
He tries to laugh but ends up cringing in pain. I stand idly by and watch while she checks the wound, noticing his jaw twitch every time she presses around it. I can’t help but grin at him. Such a tough guy even in situations like this.
Shortly after she leaves, Tatum drifts back to sleep and I head out to the waiting room to find Eddie on his phone, just finishing up a phone call.
“What’s up, Tex?” I ask, sitting in the seat by him. He glances up at me and smiles, melting my heart all over again.
“Finishing up some business.” He shrugs and unlocks his phone.
“So, I’ve been hoarding pictures of the kids until we had some alone time.”
“Fuck I miss them,” I sigh, watching him open the pictures on his phone.
We go through them one by one, each one breaking my heart a little more that I’m not with them right now. The video of Dax rolling over completely shatters me.
I’ve missed so much.
“Can we Facetime them?” I ask hopefully.
Eddie chuckles and sends his sister a text asking if they’re awake yet. Not long after, the phone rings. He hits the green circle and the two tiny humans I love most in this world, grace the screen.
“Mommy!!!” Angel screams, grabbing for the phone. With tears streaming down my face, I see my little girl’s face for the first time in a month.
When we hang up I’m a blubbering mess.
“I want to go home, Tex,” I whisper, curling into his lap.
“Then let’s, Red.” He brings my hand to his lips and kisses me softly. The soft touch of his lips on my skin ignites something in my system that’s been dormant for too long.
“You think Tatum will understand?”
“Molly will be here tomorrow. It’ll do him good to rest until then anyway.”
We head into the room to tell him our goodbyes and it’s well after lunchtime by the time we make it out to the car.
“I need to shower,” I grumble, looking down at my clothes. “And I’m hungry.”
“We can grab food on the way back to the house. And after you eat you can shower. I brought all kinds of your shit so you should feel right at home.” He presses his lips to mine before starting the engine.
The drive to the house is quiet. The entire time he keeps his hand wrapped around mine, his thumb gently caressing mine. I can tell there’s still a ton on his mind but he’s not talking.
And that’s probably a good thing. I’m not certain I’m ready to talk about everything that happened this last month.
I’m just happy to be back with my Tex.
“Red.” Eddie’s hand gently caresses my cheek, waking me from my nap.
“Sorry,” I murmur, wiping the sleep from my face. “I didn’t realize I was that tired. How long was I out?”
“Just about twenty minutes. I grabbed some local food from a drive through. Didn’t even know they had those here,” he grins. “Come on, I want to show you this place. The bathrooms here are to die for.” He grins at me and I let him help me out of the car. My rib still hurts but the other soreness in my body has lessened a shit ton. We walk through the front gates and I get a view of the house.
Well… mansion.
“Fuck, Tex,” I whisper, taking in the rolling green hills, the shaped shrubbery and the massive in-ground pool on the side of the house.
“Right. Exactly.”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything this beautiful.” I spin to smile at him and he’s staring straight at me.
“I have,” he whispers, holding out his hand for me. And in that moment, I fall even more in love with my husband. “Come on, our food’s going to get cold.”
***
After my shower I walk into the connecting bedroom wrapped in a towel, dripping hair and all. Eddie walks over to me and wraps his arms around me.
“You smell good,” he murmurs into my neck.
“Thank you. Someone that loves me brought me all my shit from home.”
“Well, that someone must be head over heels for you.” He lifts me gently and carries me to the bed.
“He is,” I smile, pressing my lips to his. “I need my clothes, though. I can’t exactly go home wrapped in this towel.”
“Mm,” he growls, lying me back on the plush bed. Good lord this is comfortable. “I’ve missed you so fucking much, Red.”
The name on his tongue sounds so much better than how I’ve heard it this last month.
He pauses as his eyes roam my body marred with bruising and cuts.
“Fuck, Red,” he huffs, running his hands through his hair. “I don’t know what you’ve been through this last month… hell I’m not sure I’ll be able to ever fully understand and know what you went through without burning this entire country down…” He sits back on his knees, still straddling me. His hand plays gentle trails down my abdomen. “But I can tell you you’re more beautiful now than ever before.” He trails his fingers back up my stomach and moves the towel completely aside, exposing my breasts to him. Silently his fingers leave a tingling trail around my nipples, perking them up just for him.
He locks eyes with me and grins as his hand moves to the other nipple.
“So, should I stop?” he whispers.
I bite my lip and shake my head.
“No.” I gasp as his fingers pinch my nipples. “No don’t fucking stop.”
“Happy to oblige,” he gro
wls, leaning back down and smashing his lips to mine as his hand slides between my legs.
“Fuck, so smooth and wet,” he growls, biting my neck. I grin to myself. A month without shaving and the first sign of a razor in that beautiful bathroom and I knew what needed to be done.
“Only for you, Eddie,” I manage. He pulls back, eyes searching mine.
“So they didn’t…” he trails off, but nods down and I smile.
“You think I’d let those fuckers touch this?” I grin as I watch his features relax.
“But… when you said you weren’t ready I thought…”
“I’m sore, Eddie. My entire body hurts. But you light something inside of me that takes away the pain. So no, they didn’t rape me. Or anything like that, though I’m sure they wanted to. I belong to you, Eddie. You and only you.”
He takes a breath, then his lips are on mine, harder than before, and his fingers slide into me.
“Holy shit, Red,” he growls, trailing kisses down my body before dipping his head between my legs.
Now that’s a sight I’ve missed.
His tongue plays me without missing a beat. His fingers fuck me and find that perfect spot, forcing me to buck up before he takes his other hand and pushes down on my lower abdomen, forcing me back down to the bed. His tongue goes back to work and soon I’m wriggling under his strength just trying to get to that perfect spot.
“Oh God,” I moan, feeling the orgasm starting. He’s still pushing down on me and his fingers have found the one and only fucking spot that can bring me to immediate orgasm.
“Come for me, Red,” he whispers, eyes locked on mine.
I’m only confused for about three seconds why he’s pushing down on my stomach where he is… but then my orgasm starts to rip through me.
“Holy shit!” I scream, my entire body igniting. “Fuck, Eddie!” I scream out again.
When I think he’s done, he pushes just slightly harder and flicks his fingers inside me just right, making me gush for the first time in years.
“Holy shit,” I pant. “Jesus Christ, Tex,” I manage, my entire body still quaking from that orgasm.
“Fuck I’ve missed your taste,” he whispers, grinning at me before laying his lips on mine. My taste on his lips is enough to make me crave him even more.
