by Barb Shuler
“Okay, sweetheart, tip over slightly, put your legs out. You should be able to touch the bottom.”
I helped her get to her feet. She was still shaking so, the first time she stumbled, I scooped her up into my arms and carried her up the beach to where our stuff was laying. I sat down on the big blanket, pulling her down into my lap.
I could feel her body shaking and I knew she was crying. I waved everyone off for a minute, then I leaned my head down and kissed her cheek. “You’re okay, I’ve got you.”
“I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to the water.”
“You were upset, that was my fault. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I’m sorry. Next time, we’ll be more careful. I’ve got you now. I won’t let anything bad ever happen to you again. I promise.”
She started coughing and that was when Tony came over, with the medical bag he always carried. A lifeguard, a woman I recognized, came over with a small medkit as well.
“I’ve got this, Ashley, thanks.”
He moved quick to check Kennedy over. She was breathing a little heavy, but seemed to be okay. Her body slowly stopped shaking and warmed. Jenn came over and they hugged, both crying.
Girls! Sheesh!
“You need to get some water in you. You could have swallowed some of the salt water and we don’t want you getting dehydrated. Max, your place is closer. Let’s take her there for a bit. I want to watch her to make sure she didn’t aspirate any water into her lungs. I don’t hear anything now, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.
“I’m fi-”
“Done! Let’s go. Boys, help Jenn pack up.” I stood, keeping her in my arms, and started walking up the beach.
“Put me down, Maximus. I can still frigging walk for Christ sake.”
Right! I wasn’t doing that. I took a few more steps before I was forced to stop. I let out a not-so-manly grunt when she twisted my nipple. Okay, that fucking hurt. I let her down onto her feet and glared.
“What the fuck, Kennedy!”
She glared at me and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Next time you’ll listen. I can walk on my own. I’m fine.”
“Let me help you.”
“No, just…” without finishing her sentence she turned and stalked off down the beach.
I cursed and rubbed my nipple. Jesus!
My eyes stayed glued to her as she slowed her steps. My brow rose as I moved closer. I could feel the guys behind me. There was a group of guys playing football on the beach ahead of us and it wasn’t until one of them got a look at her and headed her way that I picked up my pace.
The look in his eyes set my inner asshole off. If he touched her, no matter who he was, I was breaking his face.
“No! I have nothing to say to you. Leave me be.”
“Kennedy, don’t make me repeat myself! Get back here!” I heard him say.
Kennedy took off running up the beach. Full on sprinting. The asshole was right on her heels. Not on my watch, dickhead. I took a few long strides and tackled him. There was a grunt as I flipped him over.
“I think she said to fuck off. So I would advise you to fuck off!” I snarled. Big arms wrapped around me and I was pulled off the fucker. He got up and glared at me.
“She’s my girlfriend, I can do as I please. Why don’t you mind your own business, asshole.”
Girlfriend?
I looked over as Jenn and Hunter joined us. Jenn took one look, and launched herself at him, tackling him to the ground. Hunter grabbed her as she screamed at him.
“You filthy pig! I’ll rip your balls off and feed them to the sharks!”
“Jennifer!” Hunter spun her away from the man. His eyes narrowed.
Jenn screamed from over his shoulder.
“That’s the piece of shit who hurt her! I’ll kill him myself.”
My spine stiffened and the arms around me tightened.
“Jennifer, is this Eric?” I asked, no emotion showing on my face or in my voice.
One of the guys cursed and I felt two bodies move closer to me.
“Yes, he hurt her.”
Jennifer was sobbing with her anger. That was never a good sign. She was still fighting to get free of Hunter’s grip. Thankfully, that wasn’t going to happen. I gave the arms around me a tap. I was fine. I wouldn’t do anything to this piece shit, yet. Not unless provoked. Tony’s arms loosened and I took a step closer to the man.
“Eric, I’m going to say this once. Listen carefully. You are to stay away from my girl. If you call her, come close to her, or even think hard about her, I will show you just what it’s like to be beat on.”
“Is that a threat?” he groused, his chest puffing out.
A smirk pulled up at the corner of my mouth.
“Not at all. It’s a promise.”
He had the balls to move closer to me. I stood my ground, never backing down. Never!
“You don’t know who you’re fucking with. You best watch yourself. Kennedy is mine, and I don’t share. She’ll learn that soon enough.”
“Oh, I know exactly who and what you are. Remember my words. You’d be wise to heed the warning. You won’t get another one.”
With that I pulled away from them all and started up the beach towards my house. I needed to find Kennedy.
4
Kennedy
What just happened?
Shock was setting in, I could feel it. My hands were clammy, my pulse was racing, and I felt sick to my stomach. I just want to start over. Today, the last six months, the last year. I want a redo. I collapse to my knees in the sand and try to catch my breath.
Eric… God, why did he have to be there today? Of all the places he could be, he had to be there.
I’ve not seen him in months. I’ve successfully avoided his phone calls, knocks on my door, everything that could possibly put me in his path. And now, bam! I run into his slimy ass in plain sight of hundreds of people. Right on the beach, the same beach I happen to be on with my friends. God, why me? Why was he always there? Did he follow me here and just decide to wait until he attacked?
He was like a cockroach. You turn the light on and he’d disappear, but the moment the lights go down, he creeps out and tries to get into everything he can. He’d ruin me if I let him. Well, I guess in a way he has ruined me, and everything I’ve worked so hard for! I’ve been tainted by his hate and need to dominate my life.
Maybe I was being haunted by karma. I must have been a real asshole in my past life. Or maybe, I wasn’t meant to be happy. Yeah, that could be it. My feet finally slow down and I double over, heaving for the air my body desperately needs. Damn!
My heart is hammering, and seriously, I just wanted to puke. I look around and have no idea where I am.
“Good job, Kenn, Jesus,” I say.
I stand straight again on shaky legs and scan the area. How far had I run? With a big sigh I start walking back up the beach, taking a minute to make sure I was going the right direction. My luck, I’d end up in another state if I didn’t check.
Now, wouldn’t that be funny. Ugh! The day’s sun is starting to get lower on the horizon. I let the last bit of it’s warmth soak beneath my skin and take in a deep breath. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and try once more to calm my shot nerves.
The closer I got to familiar sights, the more my nerves jacked up. I’d have to explain what happened. I wasn’t sure I was really ready to say more about Eric.
“Kennedddddddy!” My head jerked up at the sound of my name. I watched as Jenn ran my way. I instantly felt a rush of emotions hit me. We both embraced in a tight hug when she got to me. Her arms were crushing me, but I didn’t care. I needed my best friend, right now more than ever.
“Are you okay? Did he touch you? They wouldn’t let me claw his eyes out. I tried. Asshole! He has some nerve!”
I laughed and shifted the wrong way, toppling us to the ground. We both laughed. God, help me get better. I’d be lost without this girl.
“I’m okay. He�
��s not worth the stress-”
“Yeah, yeah. But your ass is still stressing. You know I can see it in your eyes.”
“He scares me. I don’t know why- why I let any of that happen. My parents would be so disappointed if they knew.” My words were true. My dad would kill him - of that I had no doubt. Good thing he was working in DC and I don’t get to see him or my mom that much.
“Don’t be a stupid head! You didn’t let any of this happen, you crazy fool!” I raised a brow as Jenn sat up and glared down at me.
“First off, no one older than seven says stupid head.”
“Oh, hush. I like the word. Beats calling you a twat or something…” she trailed off laughing. I shook my head.
“Secondly, I did let it happen. All of it! I could have stopped it, but I didn’t. I let him dominate conversations. I let him tell me what to do. Fuck, Jenn, I let him hurt me. Do you know how humiliating that is?” I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. “I let him make me into a scared shell of a girl. I let him break my spirit.”
“Kennedy,” Jenn’s voice broke and I leaned into her, letting her arms cocoon me as they had so many times before. I let the tears that had been building up inside me go. My entire body shook. Today had been one disaster after another. I was falling for Max, which wasn’t in my plans. He was my best friend’s brother for fuck’s sake. Now, this. I was slowly falling apart.
“Hey, pretty girl,” Max’s voice washed over me. I looked up, my hands brushing away my tears. “He won’t bother you again.”
“Max, he’s bad news,” my voice broke.
“You don’t need to worry about that, sweetheart. I can handle him.”
“Max, please,” I pleaded.
I was pulled from Jenn’s arms and crushed against his warm body. “I won’t allow him or anyone else to hurt you again. You’re just gonna have to get used to it.”
I looked up and met his gaze. His eyes, the flecks of color pulled my attention to them. It was like he could hypnotize me with a single look. His hand came up and cupped my cheek. I leaned into the touch as a soft sigh left my lips.
“Promise me something,” I said, my voice low as I relaxed into his touch.
“Anything.” He answered immediately. I opened my eyes and gave him a small smile.
“Promise you’ll never be like him. Promise you won’t break my heart.”
“I promise you I’ll never be like him, Sweetheart.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. I smiled and shifted slightly so I could lay against his chest. My ear pressed just over his heart, and I could hear the strong, steady beat of it. It was a soft cadence that lulled me into a sense of calm that i’d not felt in- well, longer than I can remember.
“Come on you two!” I hear Jenn yell.
I look up to see that her and the others had already started walking back up the beach. I stood with Max’s help, and we moved closer to them. I picked up my speed and ran to Jenn, wrapping an arm around her. She was going to flip when I told her I was pretty sure Max and I were now dating.
It was all a bit confusing… and scary. My heart couldn’t take being broken again. Not after everything I’d survived with Eric. A small voice inside me said I could trust Max. He wasn’t going to be like Eric. He’d treat me like a person and not some stray flea-covered dog on his back porch.
5
Maximus
“What do we have?” A voice boomed over the noises filling the room.
The guys and I had been called in to help with the takedown of a local drug cartel. The warehouse we were about to hit was said to be the hotspot of the cartel’s operation. If this was true, this bust would cripple them and cause them to make a mistake, ensuring that law enforcement could take them down once and for all. So far, though, all we had witnessed was a lot of arguing about how, when, and where to go in.
“Chief.” A few men salute the portly, older man as he makes his way into the room. Rooster and I exchanged a look and I shook my head. This was not our rodeo, not yet. We’d stand back here and wait for the Chief to break the news, then we’d inform these men what and how we were doing this, and finally get the hell on the move. This standing around with thumbs up our asses was for the birds.
“Since I have your attention, Maximus, come forward and give us our new game plan. I want this done right the first time.” There were a few grumbles and disgruntled murmurs, but they didn’t last long. I took the floor and moved my eyes around the room to meet each man’s gaze.
“Rooster.”
“On it, boss.” He had the new map of the area up on the blue screen before I could turn to point at it.
“We have to hit this warehouse from all sides at the same time. My team, Alpha team, will go in through the back. I suspect that’s where the bigger fish will be.”
The room burst into a chorus of disagreement. I let out a loud whistle and, once silence filled the room, I kept going. “As the Chief said, we need to get this done right the first time. We want no injuries on this op, and that includes our CI and undercover men.”
“What gives SWAT the advantage here?” One of the men from ICE said, glaring. I took a step closer to him in front of a room full of men. My guys had moved to my left and stood there, waiting.
“My team is more qualified than the other teams. Myself and four of this team are former SEALs. We’ve trained, and retrained for these types of situations. If you need a refresher course on what that means, I’m happy to give it to you later. For now, we’re going to get on with the mapping. As I said, Alpha team will hit the back. ICE, your guys will take the front. Hit it fast and hard. According to the CI, there may be hostages in the building, so if you have to take a shot, make damn sure your aim is true and the bullets only hit the suspects. PD, you and the boys from the Sheriff’s office will hit the side entrances. We have to do this flawlessly or people will get hurt.”
“What do we do if we encounter a hostage situation?” A younger man stepped forward, his face grim. I leveled a look at him before I spoke.
“You do whatever you have to do to get that hostage to safety, unharmed.” I shrugged.
It was simple in my mind. Put a bullet between their eyes and move on. But, I had to remember not everyone in this room had the kind of training me and my boys had. Not everyone in this room could shoot a man and keep moving like it was just another day at the office. There was no time for emotions or doubts in a fire fight. With the danger level so high and the adrenaline pumping, one second of doubt can mean the difference between going home and going to hospital.
Later, after it was over, was when it was safe to allow the worry, remorse, anger, glee, whatever build up of emotions you had to hit. And let me tell you, that shit was no joke. The emotional hangover, as me and the guys referred to it, could sometimes knock you on your ass and keep you there for days, if you let it.
I moved back to the map and started pointing out the entry points. I had the room’s full attention now. That was good. They’d have to do this right. We only had one shot.
As a single unit we all moved to the back of the building. Once every team was in position and ready we started a countdown. I gave the signal to pop the door open. The second the crowbar popped the lock, we moved in. We were inside, and had the first suspect down, before a single shot was heard ringing out through the warehouse. The sound of the shots were quickly followed with loud cries of pain, cursing and a lot of yelling.
I moved past the men on the floor, my body hunched over slightly as I checked my left, Hunter checking the right. Once I heard the all clears from my team, I called for a two and moved into the next room, my team on my six. We moved in a straight line, as always, with me on point. We scanned each area thoroughly before moving on..
A man stood in the last room, his back to me. He was shoving what looked to be a shit ton of money into a canvas duffle bag. I moved closer and called out to him, “POLICE! Put your hands on your head and get on your knees.”
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br /> The command left my lips only seconds before the man dropped behind the table. His arm came up and I saw the flash of a gun. I fired. Three shots hit him in the chest. His body buckled and fell forward.
I felt a sharp pain roll across me, but I ignored it. I moved forward and kicked the gun from his reach, though he’d never be firing any gun again.
“Clear.”
“Clear!”
“Clear. I’ve got a man down,” I said.
“We need a bus. Two perps still breathing.”
The words came across the ear pieces as I moved towards the table the man had been standing by. The top was covered in scales, white powder and a helluva lot of green bills.
I spoke into my mic.“I’ve got a hot room. Need a team in here, now.”
I turned to scan the room behind me. I didn’t see anything except my team, but something had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on edge. I shook it off, trying to clear my head. I listened to the men in my ear. There were two other hot rooms in this warehouse. The intel we received from our CIs and undercovers was an understatement, judging by the amount of money and drugs we’d found so far.
I heard a muffled noise coming from the wall beside me. Shit! They had secret passages in the walls. I cursed, turning around to call out to the guys… that’s when it happened.
A man burst through a door that hadn’t been there before followed by a spray of bullets. I fired back, dropping him before he even made it a couple feet into the room, but not before I caught a few bullets myself. Pain exploded through my body and knocked me on my ass.
I heard the team calling out orders, but the moment I hit the floor, a new pain shot through me. It felt like my skin was on fire. Motherfucker had managed to hit where the vest didn’t cover.
The guys were hovering over me, asking me something, but my eyes felt heavy and I couldn’t reply to them. I saw Hunter, the worry in his eyes, then he faded and blackness took over.