by N. Tetterton
“El, you awake?” there’s no response so I open the door and peek in. “Ella,” the words are louder than the first. I see movement as she rolls over, “Ella, you gotta get up. Ash will be here soon to take you to school.”
“You’re not going to take me.” Ugh, I forgot to talk to her about it.
“Not for a little while.” I look at her and walk in, sitting down on her bed. “Billie's ex is dangerous. He knows who I am, he’s pretty pissed at me right now.”
“Cause she’s staying with us.” She asks me not to say specifically that she’s been staying in my room. I think she’s implying that Billie cheated on him.
“It’s not like that.” I look at her, “Even if he thinks that it is.” She tilts her head to the side in a confused look.
“Uncle Dax,” She gives me those sweet big brown puppy dog eyes and I shake my head. For years, Ella was the only one who used my real name, well her and Jeff, but Jeff knew me before I was Khan. Until Billie came along, she was the only one I allowed to use my real name. “Don’t lie.” I laugh and look at her.
“I would never lie to you, kid. It’s not like that. She never cheated on him. Even with me tempting her too.” She laughs, looking a little impressed, and nods her head.
“Oh, someone who resisted the infamous Khan.” I shake my head.
“You know too much about me.” I say laughing and pointing to her as she laughs, “He showed up at the club one night with some girl, then accused me of following him and then of me sleeping with her. I kind of called him out for him being a scum bag. Anyway, my words made him go home and hurt her.” Her eyes widen. “She left him but that hasn’t made him stop harassing her. And I have very good reason to believe that he’s going to try and kill her.” She’s sitting up now. “Since he hates me, and wants to get at her. He cannot see you with me. You understand?” She nods her head.
“Can’t he find out that you’re my guardian?” She asks me and I shrug.
“That would take some digging since you’re a minor.” She nods her head. Then I smile at her, “Plus, I’m pretty sure he only knows me by my road name.”
“I understand.” She nods.
“Now get ready for school.” This is such a weird role that I’ve taken on. “Lucy’s going to have to get a shower in a minute. Hurry up.” When I walk out of Ella’s room I can hear moaning coming from Lucy’s. I knock on the door hard, one time, and say, “Ella’s awake.” And keep walking back towards my bedroom. When I open the door I can hear that the water has stopped and knock on the door. I hear her mutter some words but open the door anyway. She’s standing with a towel wrapped around herself.
She looks gorgeous.
I can’t help myself as I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her nuzzling my face into the crook of her neck before lifting rest my head on her shoulder and looking at her through the mirror as I talk to her. “Jeff called me this morning, I have to meet him at 8. I tried to push it but he wasn’t having it. Fury’s going to drop you off before he drops off Lucy. They are already awake.” She smiles at me.
“I’m guessing that means that he stayed the night again?” She laughs I just nod my head.
“I’m going to jump in the shower,” I tell her watching her as she nods her head.
I slide my sweat pants off and turn the shower back on. I strip off my boxers as I keep my back turned to her and step into the shower, shutting the glass door behind me. I can’t help but glance to see her standing in the mirror watching me. Mouth slightly agape. I step into the stream of water.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t do that little show just to fuck with her.
❖
I thought I could feel his erection pressing into my back while he was hugging me. So, when he started to strip off his boxers I can't look away. He keeps his back to me as I take in his very muscular ass, but I still can't bring my eyes up from his body. For some reason, I needed to see him. When he closes the glass door to the shower and turned towards the water I nearly drop my towel and jump in with him. If only I had the time.
I’m not sure if I am more shocked that he just nonchalantly undresses and gets into the shower or of the impressive cock that is on full display.
I force myself to turn to walk out of the bathroom. Stopping as my hand touches the door handle.
Fuck it.
I drop my towel and walk back towards the shower. I open the door and slide in as Dax is washing the shampoo out of his hair. He looks so perfect. I want to run my fingers down where the water runs down his body, but instead, I reach up, clasp my hand around the back of his neck. His eyes pop open as he lets them gaze down my body and his lips crash down to mine. I feel his hands roam down my body and then clasp my ass as he lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his torso. My back presses into the shower wall as his head falls and kisses down my neck. A moan escapes my lips and returns his mouth to mine.
I can feel the tip of his cock pressing into me as his hips move with the rhythm of our kiss. His hand coming up and his thumb and finger rolling my nipple causing a gasp.
Just as quick as my decision was to come in, he breaks the kiss, unwraps my legs, and places me back down on the ground. Almost as if my reaction to him touching me was what broke the trance. I watch as a long sigh escapes his mouth and he shakes his head. I’m humiliated as I scurry out of the bathroom, grabbing my towel. Walking into the bedroom and pick up the clothing that I had left out on the dresser the night before. I slide on the black dress slacks and then the sleeveless button-down followed by the black blazer. I walk to the duffle bag that Dax threw all my shoes into and pick out my black pointy-toe heels. I am almost done putting on some quick makeup when I hear the water stop, and he emerges from the bathroom. Watching him in the mirror as he walks over to his closet. I see him look at me once, I quickly look away, and he turns to face the closet. He grabs a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt out of the closet and tosses them onto the bed. I hear him sigh as he walks over to me, he reaches for his drawer, I move out of the way as he reaches in, grabs out a pair of boxers. I look away from him. He quietly gets dressed then looks back at me.
“Billie,” he mutters and walks behind me.
“What?” The word is a whisper.
“Not like this,” He says the words as they are barely above a whisper.
“Like what?” I ask him.
“This, while you’re still married. I mean,” he rubs a hand over his face, but he doesn’t look back to me, “sure, I have fucked married women before. But,” he pauses and turns to me, walking closer, “none of them thought twice about being married and I didn’t care about them. If I’m being completely honest I didn’t care about how it made them feel either.” He pauses again, “But you,” he takes a breath as a knock comes on the door as Fury tells me they’re getting ready to leave. “We’ll be right there.” Dax calls out to him without breaking eye contact with me, “You’re different. I don’t want you to do anything that you may regret later.” He sighs and pulls me close to him wrapping his arms around me, “You have no idea how hard that was for me to stop.”
“I think I may have an idea,” I say smirking as he glares at me.
“You’re an asshole, you know?” And I start laughing. He grabs my hand and walks with me out of the bedroom and into the living room. Ella comes in shortly after we walk into the living room as she looks at everyone standing.
I hear someone walk into the house and when I look over I see a younger guy walk in. He’s roughly the same height as Dax with bleached hair and bright eyes. He’s not nearly as muscular as Dax or Fury are yet somehow he’s just as intimidating as the other two, he reminds me of Angelface from Fight Club, but with the look in his eyes after he got beat to hell and back. I can see the tattoos where the end of the sleeve sits all the way down his arms and I can’t help but wonder how far up that they go, but there’s something about his eyes. His eyes tell me that he has seen some shit and then he smiles and his face changes drastically.
“This must be Billie,” he mutters as he looks at me, “I can see why Khan is so-,” Dax cuts him off when he kicks his leg from behind him and says something about minding his fucking business. But his action only makes Ash laugh while shaking his head.
The four of us move outside as Fury unlocks the truck as it sits in the driveway and Lucy and I get in.
“Fury,” Dax calls to him, talking for a moment when I see Lucy look at me from the front seat.
“See you two are getting close,” I mutter to her, nodding out to Fury.
“Just fun,” she smiles and looks away, “you slept with him yet?” I’m shocked as I look at her, “What? Fury and I have a bet going on.” My mouth drops open and she laughs. “So have you.”
“No.” the word almost sounds pained.
“No!” she shouts so loud that both men turn and look at the truck. She waves it off and looks back at me. “What do you mean no, you’ve spent the last three nights in bed together?”
“I kind of told him that I wanted to wait until the divorce is finalized.”
“What, why?” She asks me and I shrug.
“Just, I don’t want Brad to be able to use anything over me.” She nods her head.
“I can understand that. How does he,” he nods her head in the direction of Dax, “feel about that?”
“At this point, he’s the one enforcing it.”
“What?” Fury asks as he looks to Lucy, who is turned around in her seat looking at me, mouth hanging completely open.
“Nothing,” I say as I glare at Lucy telling her not to say anything.
“O-kay,” Fury says backing out of the driveway. He waits for Dax to come out on his bike and follows him out to the dirt road.
“Why is he doing all of this for me? I barely know him.” And Fury laughs, “What?”
“Nobody really gets it,” he shrugs. “He watches out for people that he either deems worthy or thinks is in an unfair battle,” he pauses again looking up to the mirror, “protecting people will probably be what kills him.”
❖
I pull up to the diner on the outside of town, nodding my head at Jeff as I walk past where he sits and to the door. I walk in and towards the table, sliding into the booth, and look up to Jeff.
“What the fuck is going on, Dax?” I hear him even though the words are whispers they are stern. The waitress comes over, greeting me by name, and brings me my usual cup of coffee.
“Thanks, Sandy,” I tell her. She smiles at me because she always does and then she walks away. I turn my attention back to Jeff, “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I have a car on fire Saturday night and Sunday I have some guy coming into the station asking questions about it.” And he leans in, “Now, what the fuck is going on.”
“Did he give a name?”
Jeff shakes his head, “Nah, that’s why we didn’t give him any information. He kept saying it was his car. Wanted to know if his wife was inside.”
“Fuck,”
“Dax, what the fuck is going on.” I’ve known Jeff for a long fucking time. We have an understanding, some things he doesn’t ask, and some things I don’t offer up. He also understands that some things following by the book don’t help.
“Jeff, it’s best if you don’t know. I’ve sent you the information for the car.” I tell him
“Dax, I need more information than that… I can’t make this disappear unless I know what I’m making disappear.” I groan as look around.
“The woman’s whose car it is…” I pause again trying to get the words out.
“You’re fucking her?” Jeff says point-blank.
“No, well… no, it’s complicated… look she needs help. Crazy as hell husband that she served divorce papers to,” I lower my voice and look at Jeff, “after she severed him papers he started calling her not saying anything, breathing on the phone, stalking her, sitting outside of her house, breaking into her house.” Jeff’s eyes look around quickly and look at me, “He’s shown up at the club a couple of times, has yelled at me.”
“She works for you?” He asks and I shake my head no.
“She’s a principal at a fucking high school.” Jeff smirks I’m sure at the thought of me and a principal, “He was at Sirens right before her car blew up. She yelled at him, punched him in the face.” He looks down now, “Anyway, we did a little digging, he took out another life insurance policy on her before he went out to sea.”
“Goddamnit Dax, he’s military?”
“Yeah, he’s getting booted out though. Jeff, he stands to make over a million if she dies.” Jeff’s eyes grow large. He’s seen men trying to kill off their wives for far less than that. “He’s a bad fucking guy.”
“She needs to get a restraining order.” He whispers to me.
“Fuck, good those do. I remember what happens.” He knows how I feel about them, “He’s smart Jeff. Rigged up her house with motion sensors and cameras. Put a tracker on their computers.” He looks around.
“What are you going to do?” He asks me and I shake my head.
“Not sure yet, I’m watching out for her, though.”
“Dax, you know there are some things that I can’t get you out of.” I nod my head.
“Jeff, if I don’t do anything, it’ll happen again.”
“I know, you know that my hands are tied though. I have to have some sort of evidence that it’s him. It can’t be circumstantial.” I nod my head.
“I know, that’s the difference with us.”
“Damnit Khan,” opposed to everyone else in my life, Jeff only uses my road name when he’s pissed off at me.
I lower my voice and look at him, “Jeff do you think I’m wrong?” He doesn’t say anything, “Do you think that if she got a restraining order, and I did nothing, that she will live?” I ask him and he doesn’t answer, “Goddamn, fucking answer me.” His eyes widen and he looks up at me.
“Sadly, statistically probably not,” he won’t look me in the eyes.
“Okay, Jeff all I ask is that if you find the body. You don’t press too much into it.” I look hard at him.
“What do you mean?” My words confuse him. I hear the door close and when I look up I just shake my head.
“Is that the fucker that came in yesterday?” I nod to the counter where Brad sits. Jeff turns his head glancing at the counter and nods his head. “That’s her husband, Brad.” Jeff stiffens in his seat and looks back up at me.
“Why is he here?”
“Why do you think?” I ask him.
“Right, because you’re not sleeping with his wife?”
“Yeah, and I kind of told him that if he fucked his marriage up I would-,” I pause as Brad approaches the table.
“Khan!” He exclaims and I nod my head.
“Bobby,” I say poking the bear with what I know isn’t his name. At that time my phone buzzes in my pocket. I bring the phone out of my pocket and check my text.
“That my wife?” He sneers at me. I don’t answer him and he doesn’t look at Jeff. Funny since he spoke with him yesterday at the precinct. His anger is centered on me. Sandy calls to him that his food is up as he walks back over to the counter I’m surprised to see the food in to-go containers but I am thankful that he is leaving.
“Was it his wife?” He asks me and I smirk nodding my head.
“She was just letting me know she made it to work okay.” He looks at me concerned.
“Holy, shit.” Jeff says the words as if all the pieces have finally fallen into place, “You’re in love with this girl.” He doesn’t say it as a question but as a statement.
“What, no, I haven’t known her for long enough. That’s what you told me when I got married”
Jeff actually laughs, “No, what I said is you haven’t known her very long AND you’re not in love with her.”
I can’t argue with him on that point. “But you were never in love with her.” I look at him started to protest when he starts again, “Dax, you never loved her. You thought that you were falling behind in life. Your parents were already married and had you by the age that you were at the time. Your marriage was a good idea for you. She made you feel good about yourself. That’s it. When she left it hurt your pride more than anything else.” He pauses again, looking at me, “But when you talk about this girl. Your whole demeanor changes. And you really mean you haven’t slept with her?”
“No, I think it may be what kills me.” He laughs so hard that it startles Sandy at the other end of the restaurant.
“Why not?”
I shrug, “She was still with Fuckstick, when I met her, he’s been messing with her head over the course of their marriage, and she isn’t ready yet.”
“You’re okay with this?” I shrug my shoulders.
“I don’t want her to feel bad about it afterward for any reason,” he roars with a laugh.
“Holy shit,” he pauses, “but are you still… you know?” He asks
“Fucking other women?” He nods, “No.” his mouth falls open so far that I see food fall out, “This girl is killing me.” He laughs and then grows serious again.
“Fuck, you really are in love.” I just roll my eyes in response to him. “What’s he on?” Jeff asks.
“Heroin.” Jeff’s eyes grow larger and he nods his head.
“Makes more sense now. ” he pauses as he looks at me. “Dax, if you get in over your head… hand it over to us.” I nod my head and then his voice lowers as he looks at me and leans across the table so that only he and I can hear, “Whatever you do, don’t let it trace back to you.”
“Jeff, how long have you known me?”
“Way too fucking long.” He mumbles and I actually laugh.
“Have I ever let it trace back to me.” I grab a 50 out of my wallet, tossing it onto the table, and start to walk out.
“It’s on me.” He mutters as I begin to walk.
“You bought enough of my meals.”
I say back to him, turning around and throwing my hands up as I continue to walk out the door. He smirks at me as I walk out of the door.