by Kylie Parker
“No worries,” I assure her, taking the glass from her grasp.
“So, what made you change your mind?” she asks, her voice reeking with anticipation.
“Our history,” I retort, putting the glass down on the table behind me. “There was a lot of love there once. I was wondering if we can, you know, rekindle the flame.”
“Really?” says Laura in sarcastic tones, her smile fleeing as she steps closer to me. “Did you decide this before or after that bimbo you’re dating had that accident?”
“You know,” I conclude, nodding along, “Why am I not surprised?”
“I have people everywhere, Ray. They’d do just about anything for the right price,” she declares in an emphatic tone, intensifying her stare. “Explain to me this. The same people have seen you, Michael, and Dean dating her. What do you call a woman who fucks three men at the same time? Is it a…” she pauses and leans over towards me, “Sl-u-t?”
That single word is enough to make my blood throb in my veins. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest like a war drum. Every fiber of my being is aching to dispense some severe punishment on her. My self-restraint goes up in flames, like a dry twig in a wildfire. Laura has just crossed the line. It’s not enough that she tried to have Stacy and Dean killed. She insults her, too. This is more than I candle; much more. I thrust my arm up, the veins in my neck bulging as I grit my teeth. Grabbing her by the throat, I rush off towards the wall across from me.
“Slut?” growling, I slam her body up against the wall. “Stacy’s ten times the woman you are, you fucking whore!” I roar in rage, the veins in my neck bulging. “And did I hear you right? Did you say ‘accident’?”
“Yes,” she chokes out, her eyes narrowed to slits.
“You tried to have her killed, you filth!” I snarl, pushing her body upwards, “her and Dean!”
“No,” Laura gasps, the skin on her face slowly turning blue. “I didn’t.”
“Do you really expect me to believe that?!” I yell, pressing my fingertips into her flesh.
“I swear,” she lets out yet another, choked out whisper. “I had nothing to do with it. Let me go.”
Although I’m still not convinced, her drowsy eyes and the almost purple color of her skin force me to stop. I yank my hand away from her, letting her body tumble to the floor. Laura lifts her hand up to her neck, her cough filling the hall. I don’t take my eyes off of her. I squat down to my knees, noticing my trembling fingers.
“What was the plan, you bitch?” I grumble, using my index to tip her chin up. “Who was the main target, huh? Or was it both?”
“Ray…” she pants, lifting her reddened eyes up to mine. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Is that a fact?” I shout, my face twisting with a mix of anger and frustration.
“Yes!” claims Laura, her voice riddled with panic. “I only found out about their accident this morning, when their attending doctor called me. She said they’d been through an accident. That’s all I know, I swear to God.”
“It wasn’t,” I groan, shaking my head in disagreement. “I was there. I saw the whole thing.”
“I would never, ever lay a hand on Dean or Michael,” Laura emphasizes, gazing deep into my eyes. “I know how much they mean to you.”
“We saw each other twice, and you threatened me both times,” I state, my tone firm. “What do you have to say about that?”
“I was mad at you! I didn’t mean it!” She confesses, her voice rising two octaves up. “Haven’t you ever said anything you didn’t mean?”
For a moment, I wish to keep up the pressure on her. Still, I realize that doing so is rather pointless. Laura is maintaining eye contact with me and her tone was steady, up until the last reply that she gave me. Those are clear indications of honesty. Even though she had motive, she didn’t have the will to hurt me or anyone else. I rise up on my feet, baffled and unsure of what to do next.
“Get out of here,” I croak, turning my back on her.
“Not before you apologize for being a dick,” she complains, getting up from the floor.
“Don’t push your luck,” I urge her, hands on my waist as I step out on to the balcony. A cool breeze blows through my hair, just before the sound of the door being slammed shut rocks the suite. Laura can be as angry with me as she likes. I’m not going to bother with her. She had her chance and she blew it. Besides, I have bigger fish to fry, like discovering the identity of the person behind the attack on Dean and Stacy. Unfortunately however, I’m at a total loss. I can’t imagine anyone else who would want to hurt my family or me. In any case, I need to get back to the hospital. Dean’s survival is a lot more important than solving this puzzle.
28
Michael
With the beeping sound of the heart rate monitor as my constant companion, I look back on my vacation. It’s as if my brain is seeking for a more pleasant situation than the one I’m currently in at the moment. I can’t complain about much. Other than the apparent ease in which tourists get drunk around here, it’s been wonderful so far. There may only be one source of excitement, but I don’t need more. When I met her, it was more than just excitement. It was craziness, wrapped up in a sexy, curvaceous body, eager to take me on a journey of passion. I don’t know how many women on this island would be willing to do that, but I didn’t want to search for anyone else. It isn’t just the sex that’s had me hooked into her. I can always find someone else to have sex with somewhere. It is her zest for life and her gentle heart that appealed to me. And when Ray joins me, wearing perhaps his most serious expression, I get an opportunity to visit her in her room.
I take the elevator to the recovery ward on the sixth floor, feeling a tiny bit lighter since last night. The prospect of seeing that beautiful face again has given me a reason to smile. I have no illusions, though. That smile is faint. My concern for Dean is hiding behind it. The only way for it to get stronger is some good news about his condition.
My quest for Stacy bears fruit within minutes. I find her lying in bed, in the company of her friends and laughing out loud. I stop outside her room and look at her through the window. But as our eyes meet, her smile vanishes altogether. I stay silent, expecting her to say something; yet, she doesn’t utter a word. I catch Karlie starting off towards the door out of the corner of my eye, while I try to make sense of her behavior.
“Good morning,” she says to me, clicking the door shut behind her. “I take it you’d like to see Stacy.”
“Good morning,” I tip my head down in a polite manner, turning to face her. “Yeah; I would have come last night, but I was too tense to see her. How is she?”
“We’ll get to that,” Karlie assures me. “Stacy’s told me you are the head of the IT department in a security company. Is that true?”
“Yeah,” I admit with a nod. “What does that have to do with anything? And why won’t you tell me how she is? Is something wrong?”
“Never mind,” she waves her hand in a dismissive manner. “She’s fine, but, uh…” Karlie falters, averting her gaze from me. “She doesn’t wish to see you; or your friends.”
“What?” I ask, my eyes widening with surprise. “Why not?”
“Michael, she’s traumatized,” she explains, her voice coming out mellower. “Being around any of you will not help her heal. I hope you understand.”
“No, I don’t,” I maintain, annoyance deepening my tone. “I mean, what did I ever do to her? I…”
“Do you have feelings for her?” Karlie’s question makes my jaw drop. I stare at her, and then steal another glance down at Stacy through her window. They may be tight, but I’d like to have this conversation with her friend, not her.
“I’d rather not answer that. Not to you, anyway. No offense,” I respond, furrowing my brow.
“None taken,” she shrugs her shoulders. “Please, tell your friends about this. And please, respect her wish. You take care.”
Now where the hell did that come from
?
Alas, I don’t have an answer to this question, and Karlie doesn’t give me a chance to pose it to her. Before long, she’s back in Stacy’s room. Amazingly enough they all stare at me once more. I’m desperate to talk to her and find out more, but my hands are tied. Not only is she surrounded by Karlie and Emily, but also there must be more than three hundred people in this ward. My personal life is none of their business. Nor do they have to tolerate any argument Stacy and I might have. So, I turn around and shamble off towards the elevator, still struggling to make sense of what I had just heard. I don’t buy her excuse by any means. Yes, she’s been through an ordeal, but that’s no reason for her to tell me to go away. If anything, she should be glad that I stopped by her room. It shows interest in her well-being. Whatever drove her to that decision, she is wrong to think that this is over.
With a heart filled with determination, I return to the emergency ward. As I stroll into Dean’s room though, I discover that I’m in for a wonderful surprise. Ray and the kid’s attending doctor are in the middle of a pleasant conversation. She is holding out a piece of paper in front of her, explaining something to him.
“Hey, man!” he cheers. “I was just about to call you. Guess what.”
“Your friend is responding to the treatment,” the doctor informs me, making my heart flutter. “We were able to stop the internal bleeding. It’s still too early to tell, but I am hopeful he will make a full recovery.”
“Thank you,” I breathe a sigh of relief, walking off towards her. A sea of happiness pours into my heart and soul. As a matter of fact, I’m so blissful that I wrap my arms around her waist. Her brows pop up when I lift her off the floor. “Thank you so much.”
“Easy there, big fella,” Ray chuckles, patting me on the shoulder.
“Man, I needed this good news,” I mutter, setting the doctor back down on her feet.
“Well, uh…” She pauses, straightening her lab coat. “That was quite something. I’ll have more information by tonight. Have a good day, gentlemen.”
“I told you he’d pull through,” Ray says, a smile of smugness spreading across his face.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I suggest, sitting down on a stool beside Dean’s bed. “You heard the doctor. It’s too early to break out the champagne.”
“Before you got here, she said that more than ninety-percent of patients are able to recover after their system responds to medication,” he claims, his smile broadening. “And by the way, she’s got the hots for you.”
“Oh, cut the crap, will you?” I protest, frowning at him. “Why the hell would you say that anyway?”
“I think you need to have your eyes checked,” he teases with a sarcastic smile. “The chick had blushed when you put her down. While you were gone, she peeked through the window. I thought she had something to tell me, so, I opened the door and got out. By then, she and a nurse were walking down the hall, laughing their asses off. I asked a local what they were saying. He said: ‘It’s too bad Mr. Blue Eyes isn’t here. He’s so hot I could eat hot fudge off his chest.’ Is that enough for you?”
“I don’t care, man,” I clip out, tearing my gaze away from him. “I just got back from Stacy’s room. She doesn’t want to see us anymore. Her friend gave me some lame excuse about her being traumatized, which is a load of crap if you ask me.”
“We should give her some time,” he advises me, his tone calm. “The crash terrified her, I can understand that. Let’s wait until our boy here is discharged.”
Ray has barely completed his sentence, when I notice Dean’s index finger twitching. I trail my gaze up his body, my heartbeat escalating. His eyes are flickering. Slowly, he raises his right hand up to his face, parting his lips as Ray and I glance at one another.
“Shit,” whispers Dean, the moment his fingers make contact with the bandage around his head. “Where the fuck am I?” he wonders, sliding his eyelids open.
“You’re in heaven,” Ray’s quick to answer his question. “Four, dusky maidens are just about to give you a sponge bath.”
“Good one,” chuckles Dean, focusing his gaze on him. “How long have I been out? Where’s Stacy?”
“About sixteen hours,” I raise my tone, propping my elbows on my thighs. “Don’t worry about her. She’s going to be all right. Listen, do you even remember anything?”
“Every fucking detail,” Dean puts some force in his voice, assuming a more serious expression. “Why? What do you want to know?”
“Well, for starters, who the hell would want to take you guys out?” I ask, deepening my stare.
“Take us out?” Dean utters, surprise filling his tone. “No, man; nobody wanted to kill us. The driver had a gun. He could have shot us. And that damn car’s a lot faster than my Harley is. He could have caught up with us anytime he liked. He just…” he pauses; “tried to make me slip up. When he realized he couldn’t, he got in my way.”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that, too,” Ray interjects. “It was easy for him to just ram the bike, but he didn’t. I think he was trying to scare them, not kill them.”
“Let’s save this conversation for when you get out of here, alright?” I suggest, flashing Dean a bright-eyed look. “You just focus on healing.”
“Hey, bro…” He croaks, shifting his attention back to Ray. “Call me ‘boy’ one more time, and I don’t care how messed up I am, I’ll still kick your ass.”
Ray and I exchange one more glance, before we both burst into loud, hearty laughter. I slam the palm of my hand against my forehead, my spine flexing and extending.
“He’s back,” I conclude, locking my gaze with Ray.
“Oh, he’s definitely back,” He agrees, shaking our brother’s shoulder. At last, we begin to look like the happy bunch we used to be once again. And this may be the best recipe for what lies ahead. We are still in the dark as to who caused the crash the night before. We need this spirit of unity in order to discover their identity. Still, something else is lingering in my mind, something that quickly takes my focus away from that incident: Stacy’s decision. I’m prepared to give her a day or two to clear her head, but after that, I’m going to insist on getting some real answers.
29
Stacy
Two days later, Emily, Karlie, and I are doing what we set out to do, when we decided to go on a vacation to Greece: we are having fun with each other. We go to the beach, relish in the sunshine, rate men and enjoy cocktails. With the male trio more than a hundred miles away, Emily has finally stopped ranting on about them and focused on spending some quality time with me and Karlie. Although I didn’t mind her occasional comment about them, I like the change. She and I had come very close to an argument, more than once. If it wasn’t for Karlie, we wouldn’t have avoided it. Still, regardless of the light atmosphere between my friends and me, I often catch myself thinking about Michael, Ray, and Dean. I miss the attention. Or, perhaps I should say the insane amount of attention. I was the center of their world. Three, hunky studs were willing to satisfy me in every way imaginable. They pampered me, showed me respect, and shared their secrets with me. In other words, they spoiled me. Now that I’ve walked out of their lives, I don’t have any of that, and I still have no idea if I can get used to this new reality.
On the third day after I’ve been discharged from hospital, I convince Karlie and Emily to go on a trip back to Heraklion. Of course, they protested at first, maintaining that revisiting the city where it all happened will not help me forget. They think it’s going to bring back memories, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Memories come back as long as you’ve put them behind, and I haven’t. I still remember even the tiniest details from my dates with those three, like what they wore and what we had for dinner.
It’s already dark when we turn into the coastal road of the city. A feeling of nostalgia hits me as I see the breakwater where I met Ray in the distance. My mind wanders off to the past, reliving each and every moment of that night. I remember the sadne
ss in his face, his reluctance to speak. How he looked more than just distraught. He was devastated. The nickname that Emily gave him was warranted. I drive past the breakwater, unwilling to share any details with Karlie. But, as the bar we meant to go to that night heaves into view, I don’t think twice. I pull over, eager to show her and Emily where I did the craziest thing of my life.
“This is a bad idea,” Karlie comments, gazing out the rear window. “We still have a trip back ahead of us.”
“I didn’t stop here to get a drink, honey,” I murmur, gripping the door handle. “Come on. There’s something I want you to see.”
The chattering of the gathering crowd fills my ears as I stroll towards the sidewalk to the right. Cheap perfumes, and colognes are lacing the air. Nothing’s changed since that night, except my company.
“Walk with me,” I urge, dragging my gaze away from the bystanders.
“Is this what I think it is?” Emily asks, her voice rising up an octave. I keep my silence, preferring to clear the front patio first before I answer. Yet, it’s the silence and the bitter smile on my face that give me away. “Yes, it is!” she squeaks, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“What are you guys talking about?” Karlie pitches her own voice higher, strolling alongside me. Coming to a gentle halt, I turn right to face the massive rock under the bar.
“Do you see that crivice in the rock?” I point down at the spot.
“Yes?”
“Ray and I had sex down there,” I explain, my tone low.
“Oh, I remember now,” she nods, a broad smile bursting upon her lips. “Weren’t you afraid you’d get caught?”
“Actually, it’s that fear that made the experience a whole lot better,” I explain, staring down at the waves breaking upon the rock. “I’ll never forget that. I doubt I’ll ever forget anything from my dates with them.”
