Placing the food on the coffee table, I quietly walk to the bedroom portion of the room, where I see Lilli curled up sound asleep. Deciding not to wake her up, I put her food in the mini fridge and grab a beer before I head in for a shower.
My last thought before I slip into bed with her is that no matter what it takes, she will stay safe.
Always.
Lilli
“Ugh, do you know how much I hate going to the doctor?” I ask Poseidon as we eat breakfast. “All they want to do is poke and prod. I had enough of that when I was a kid.”
“Why?” he asks.
I huff out a breath, but when he continues to endlessly stare at me, I realize that he’s waiting on me to answer him. “I was born premature and had a lot of health issues.”
“What kind of issues are we talking about here, Lilli?” he questions.
Great, he’s not willing to let this go.
“I had almost constant ear infections, tonsillitis, strep throat… anything that had to do with my ears, nose or throat, I had it for the most part. I was in and out of the doctor’s office and the hospital, and every time I went in, it involved needles in one fashion or another. Finally, they put tubes in my ears and took out my tonsils and adenoids. I think that’s the reason my parents only had me. I was a lot of work.”
“I bet they were more than thrilled with you being their only child,” he emphatically replies.
I stop and think about what he just said to me. “You know, you might be right. I remember asking my mom once when I was about six or seven years old if I could have a baby brother or sister. She said that they didn’t plan to have only one child, but despite trying throughout the years, she wasn’t able to conceive again. She told me I was their miracle baby.” Despite the sadness that engulfs me over their loss, I smile at the memory. “I had a good childhood, Jesse. They were only children themselves, so I didn’t have any cousins or anything to grow up with, but our home? It was always filled with neighborhood kids. In fact, Mom and Dad became foster parents and took in kids around my age so even though we weren’t blood related, I kind of had brothers and sisters. My house was the one that all my friends preferred to hang out at.”
“I’m glad to know that you had that, Lilli. It was just my mom and me and she was a traveling nurse, so I spent a lot of time with my grandparents growing up. Still a good childhood,” he replies.
“So no siblings for you either,” I murmur. Why that makes me sad is something I don’t want to think about because we’re nowhere near the place in our relationship where talking about kids is on the table.
“No, but I have my brothers in the club who’ll always have not only my back, but also yours. And while you’re going to literally be the first old lady of our club, eventually, I suspect the others will settle down, so any kids we have will have plenty of family.” I swear, it’s like he is reading my mind; I don’t know what to say, so I merely smile in response.
“I’ve noticed how close y’all are,” I state. While it was brief, I got to meet a few of the other men in the club and all were respectful toward me. Not only that, but they’re all hot as hell and if I wasn’t so gone on him, I might have taken a closer look. Except… he does it for me. I don’t know how I know that seeing as we’ve literally only shared one intense kiss, but I feel it deep down to the marrow of my bones.
“We are, yes. Years as a unit imbued us with a level of trust in one another that surpasses anything you could imagine. Now, let’s finish eating so we can get to the clinic.”
“Your bossy side is showing, Mr. President,” I testify, picking my fork up to finish my omelet.
“You haven’t seen my bossy side,” he retorts.
“Okay, Lillianna, so you should be good once you take this,” the doctor says, looking at his tablet and inputting notes. “We’ve also made an appointment for you to get dialysis.”
“Dialysis?” I ask. I’m still stunned that some of the things that I’ve felt physically were a result of the poison that Anson and Kassidy were lacing my soup with, so hearing that word has me spiraling. I honestly thought how I was feeling was due to the stress of my parents dying. I was tired all the time, my body ached like I had the flu or something, and my hair started falling out.
“Yes, we’ve found that treatment with Prussian blue, as well as dialysis, will reverse the effects,” the doctor advises. “The dialysis will ensure that the toxins are removed from your body and a lot of the symptoms you stated you were having will begin to dissipate.”
Jesse looks at the doctor and asks, “Thank you for your help. Is there any way we can get copies of her records and test results? We plan to file a formal complaint with the police department. Since from what I’ve found out, what was done to her, was in an attempt to kill her.” I see the doctor’s eyebrows raise before he slowly nods.
“I’ll have my nurse make copies of everything, from the lab results, to our planned treatment course of action,” he verbalizes.
I nod, my thoughts still all over the place. “I also want to say thank you. I appreciate y’all getting me in so quickly and getting me on the right track so I can begin to get better.”
“Trident told us that this was important to the club. Give us a few minutes and we’ll have the documents ready for you, then you can go ahead and head over to the dialysis lab.”
I look up at Jesse who takes my hand in his. “We got this, Lilli,” he murmurs as the doctor leaves.
“I can’t believe they were really trying to kill me,” I retort. “But other than the reports the doctor is getting for us, what proof do I really have? I mean, I didn’t keep any of the soup or anything.”
“Believe it, sweetheart. I had wanted to go to the police department today, but I suspect the dialysis will wear you out, so we’ll plan on doing it tomorrow. One more day isn’t going to matter in the scheme of things, and I want you to feel better. As for not having any physical proof, who knows? Maybe they’re stupid enough to have it in the house or something. We’ll find out when we go to the police what they have to say.”
Before I get a chance to respond, a nurse walks in with a folder and says, “Here’s the information that the doctor said you will need. Good luck, and if you find yourself in need of anything else, please feel free to give us a call.”
“Thank you,” I gratefully express.
Poseidon
While I wait for Lilli to finish with the dialysis treatment, I call Brooks. When he answers, I ask, “Hey, man, has there been any movement?” As our sergeant-at-arms, he’s been the primary one keeping an eye on Anson and Kassidy’s movements.
“Not today. Y’all going to file the report?” he questions.
“She had to get a round of dialysis to help get the thallium out of her system so I’m thinking it’ll be tomorrow before we get a chance to go,” I reply.
“Fuck,” he growls out. “Good thing she found you when she did, huh?”
“Absofuckinglutely,” I say. “Everything else been good?”
“Yeah, nothing major going on. Got some gangbangers trying to move in, but the shit they’re doing is pissant crap and so far, they’ve stayed away from us.”
“Think it’s time to move?” I ask. My plan has always been to be further south along the coast. I have good memories of the vacations my grandparents took me on at St. Mary’s Island and I suspect it would be a good fit.
“Naw, not yet. But just asking, if we do eventually move the club, are we moving the businesses as well?”
I stop for a moment and think about his words. “I think we’d move them all since I don’t really want to expand too much. We’ve got a good crew and who knows, maybe the citizens who work with us will want to relocate as well. We can always offer them relocation packages and benefits. If they aren’t willing, we’ll just hire new people at some point.” My brothers and I forged a bond during our time in the service, and the three prospects we currently have are former military as well. My goal is for us to live free and
what we bring in will do that, although I’m not opposed to opening up other businesses if the need arises.
“Well, we’ll keep an eye on things. Are you still thinking about St. Mary’s as a point of reference to start looking when we decide to move?”
“Yeah, eventually.” We used to go there when we were on leave because that’s where my grandparents retired to. They kept their mountainside cabin and stayed there during the spring and summer months, but as soon as it started to get cold, they would head down to the beach. I smile at the memory of my grandmother cooking up a storm whenever we’d come for a visit.
“Gotcha. Anything else, brother?” he probes, breaking me out of my reverie.
“No. Hopefully, Lilli will be wrapping up soon. She needs some more clothes and shit and I had thought we could possibly do it today while we were out, but I know she probably won’t feel up to it so it may be online shopping.” He’s still laughing as I disconnect the call. He knows how much I hate shopping, but for her, I’ll do just about anything. Get her anything her heart desires, and make sure she never goes without again.
She’s your one. Winnie’s voice whispers through my ears and settles my soul. I nod at the unseen voice, uncaring that my dead best friend still somehow reaches out to me all these years later. Despite the minimal time that Lilli’s been in my life, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is the one who fills the hole in my life that I never thought would be filled by another.
Hearing a noise behind me, I turn to see Lilli walking through the door toward me. She looks a lot paler than when she went in and when she sways, I find myself on my feet and pulling her into my arms embrace before she can hit the ground. “I got you, sweetheart,” I whisper to her now, limp form. When the nurse sees what’s happening, she rushes out. I shake my head when she attempts to take Lilli from me. “She’s okay, probably just a little bit lightheaded from the treatment.”
“That happens sometimes. Let’s carry her back to a room so that we can check her vitals again,” the nurse states. I nod and follow her back through the door and into a treatment room. Setting her on the table, I pull a chair close then take her hand in mind. She’s still a bit woozy which has my heart racing, but I draw in a few deep breaths to calm myself. “Alright, let’s see what’s going on,” the nurse states, coming over with the blood pressure cuff and her stethoscope. I watch as she takes Lilli’s vitals and notates the information on her chart. “Okay, it’s a little bit low which is understandable. I’m going to grab her some juice and a snack and we’ll check it again in about thirty minutes.”
Lilli
“Poseidon, I can walk!” I exasperatedly exclaim as he relentlessly carries me out of the doctor’s office and toward the elevator.
“You pretty much passed out at my feet, pretty girl. Not taking that chance again,” he replies. I’m not huge by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s walking with me in his arms like I’m just a bag of potatoes or something! Well, actually, his arms are cradling me, it’s not like I’m being dragged by my hair. I like being in his arms, though. There’s a gentleness that surrounds this man; but it’s interspersed with a layer of solid steel. Never in my life have I felt so protected.
I roll my eyes at him. “I got nothing,” I mutter. “I don’t think I’ve ever passed out in my entire life and yet twice now, I’ve practically fallen and collapsed at your feet.”
“There are easier ways to get my attention,” he jokingly replies, grinning down at me. “You could call my name, touch my arm, toss something at me. Fainting isn’t needed, Lilli.” He starts chuckling at the look I give him as we maneuver into the elevator.
“I can stand now, Jesse,” I whisper once he’s pressed the button to take us out of the building. I don’t really want him to put me down, but I figure I should put up a token protest.
“I’ve got you.” His tone is firm but not harsh as he pulls me even closer. The heat radiating off him, one that I remember from our time at the cabin, makes me sigh. As someone who loves to read, I always tend to roll my eyes a bit when the heroine ‘falls’ for the hero in the story seemingly at the first glance. Yet, here I am, practically doing the same thing! I don’t think it’s a misplaced sense of hero worship, though. During our time together, we talked about any and everything, for the most part. I mean, I don’t know a lot of his deep dark rooted secrets, but I feel that at some point, he’ll share them with me. Regardless, he knows mine and I smile at the thought that he’s become my gatekeeper, protecting all of my deeply held secrets.
I finally realize that he’s not going to put me down and snuggle closer. I’m in shape, but still have those soft curves despite working out on a regular basis. Being against his hard, muscular chest makes me smile with a child-like giddiness. He continues to carry me until we reach his truck, and even then, he manages to unlock the door, open it and then put me on the seat without ever letting me go. As he leans in and over me to buckle me up, I place my hand on his cheek and say, “Thank you for taking such good care of me, Jesse.” The electrical current that passes between us when we make eye contact is so intense it takes me by surprise.
Jesse suddenly shakes his head to pull us out of that moment. He looks down at each of his hands which are now on either side of my body, caging me in. His face looks fierce when his husky voice says, “If that’s how intense it feels with just a look? Then, fuck, pretty girl, can you imagine?” He shakes his head again and takes a deep breath. I can tell he’s trying to regain control so I wait. His voice interrupts my own thoughts when he states, “When I finally get you underneath me, well, I don’t know if I’ll have any control left by then because I’m holding on by a thread now. Fuck, I can promise you this much, Lilli. You’re going to see more fireworks than you do on the Fourth of July because when I finally get my hands on you…when I finally get inside you, I’m going to savor every last touch.” His eyes are blazing and he watches his finger as it strokes me from my wrist to my elbow, sending shivers of delight throughout my body. “With my lips,” he murmurs, placing a whisper-soft kiss to my cheek. “With my tongue,” he growls, before he continues, “and my tongue, sweetheart, my tongue will have you craving me as much as I crave you. I will feast on your sweet heat like a starved man, because believe me, Lilli, with each moment that goes by, my hunger for you only grows stronger.”
As he speaks, his eyes blaze with longing and hunger and I feel my body heat in response. “Do you crave my fingers, Lilli?” he asks, his eyebrow raising as he smirks. “Do you crave my kisses?” My heart is now beating so fast I can feel the flush all over my body as desire pulses through me. “Do you crave me as much as I crave you?”
“God, Jesse, yes,” I hiss out, my voice taut with yearning and an unfulfilled fire that he’s started with just his words.
His groan tells me that he’s nearly at the end of his proverbial rope. As his head slowly descends, I realize that he’s about to kiss me again. His lips are nearly touching mine when we hear a car horn beep and an older gentleman smiles and asks, “Sorry, to interrupt folks, but are you coming or going? The parking lot is full, and I need to get my wife inside for her visit.”
Jesse pulls back slightly and smiles at me, and says, “Saved by the bell.” I giggle at his attempt at humor because I can see the frustration in his eyes at the interruption. He steps away as he closes my truck door and replies, “We’re heading out.”
I watch as he walks around the front of the truck, admiring the way he moves. For such a big man, he’s quiet and stealthy. I lean back in the seat and take a deep breath as he gets into the truck. Having spent two weeks with him in the cabin in confined quarters, I’ve gotten used to his scent. It envelops me now, making me sigh with contentment. My life may be a clusterfuck right now, with the whole Anson and Kassidy thing, but having him here gives me a sense of peace.
“Can we stop somewhere along the way and grab something to eat on the way back to the clubhouse?” I ask as we pull out of the clinic’s parking lot. Now
that I’m feeling better, my appetite has returned with a raging vengeance.
“I’m glad that you’re not the type of woman who won’t eat around a man when she’s hungry,” he laughingly says. “Drives me fucking crazy to see grown ass women eating rabbit food when her tummy is rumbling in hunger and needing some protein in their diet. I like a good salad myself, on the side, but give me a steak and baked potato to go along with it.”
“Honestly? I usually eat pretty healthy for the most part, but if I want my body to work, I need to put the fuel in it and lettuce won’t work long-term,” I state. He bursts into laughter at my words and grabs my hand in his.
“Lilli, you’re a fucking breath of fresh air,” he happily says. “I’m not a religious person by any means, but I thank God that you found me every single day. I’ve laughed more since you’ve come into my life than I ever have in the past. Well, at least since I was a kid.” His somber tone alerts me to the fact that something in his past was hurtful. I want to hold onto him and make him feel as cherished as he does for me.
“I’m just me, Jesse. My parents raised me to be honest, loyal, and faithful. They showed me how to see the good in people without ending up getting screwed over in the end. Apparently, however, my blinders were on when it came to Anson and Kassidy.” I shiver in disgust at the thought of how I let those two pull the wool over my eyes.
Fucking pathetic.
“Sweetheart, what little I know, from what you’ve told me, they ultimately blindsided you. They betrayed your trust and took advantage of your confidence and bond. Kassidy was your friend since y’all were kids so as far as I’m concerned, you’d have had zero reasons to mistrust her. As far as he goes, he had the trust of your parents, especially that of your dad, so why wouldn’t you think everything was okay?” I nod even as I file away the fact that when it comes to Anson, he tries hard to not verbalize his name. Must be an alpha thing!
Poseidon's Lady (Poseidon's Warriors MC) Page 7
