“What happened?” I leaned forward.
“I took what she found to Mayor Stevenson. As much as I disliked the man, I didn’t want to see him end up in handcuffs. That wouldn’t have been good for the town. I thought if he was confronted with the evidence, he would just resign to avoid the scandal.” Dad sighed and shook his head. “Except I didn’t realize how big his corruption was until he laughed in my face and told me to go tell the sheriff if I wanted.”
“Did you?” I felt my heart starting to beat harder.
“Yes, and Sheriff Tate laughed in my face just like Mayor Stevenson did. He told me that there had to be an explanation. I was just about to call the FBI when I got a visit from Mayor Stevenson. He—made it very clear that I needed to forget what I knew or there would be repercussions.” Dad sighed again and stared at the table.
“He threatened you?” My jaw tightened. “That son of a bitch!”
“It was a soft threat, but I got the message. Either keep quiet or things were going to get uncomfortable for me and the people I loved in Andalusia. Hudson had just gotten a job at the fire department, you got hurt, and Jenny was struggling financially as it was. She couldn’t lose her job…” Dad lifted his head slowly. “So, I took the coward’s way out, because being the hero was going to do more damage than I could undo.”
“You’re no coward.” I shook my head back and forth. “You have always looked out for your family. I’m guessing this has something to do with why you decided to retire early?”
“Yeah.” He shrugged and reached for his coffee. “I couldn’t go the fire station every day and know I was powerless to do anything about the shit I saw on the job. Sometimes I regret the decision I made, but I didn’t want my choice to impact anyone else.”
“But the things Mayor Stevenson does…” I narrowed my eyes angrily.
“He doesn’t hurt anyone. I mean, as far as bad people go, at least he’s just a greedy bastard.” Dad sat his coffee cup down with a thud. “It could be worse.”
“I think we need to make sure that it gets better instead of worse.” I pushed my chair back and stood. “That dirt Jenny found on Mayor Stevenson—do you think it would be useful now?”
“Jenny said he’s gotten a lot better at covering his tracks now. It won’t be easy to get anything on him, but if someone wanted to do some digging, I would recommend the land deals.” Dad started to stand as well. “That’s where he makes his money.”
“Okay, it’s a start. I’ll talk to Hudson and see what we can come up with.” I nodded as I started to walk away.
“You have to promise me one thing though.” My father raised his voice, which caused me to stop in my tracks.
“What’s that?” I looked over my shoulder at him.
“If you’re going to go after this bastard, don’t do what I did—if you find something, you have to take him down.” Dad nodded, and I saw determination on his face.
“Even if it ends up causing problems for Jenny?” I raised my eyebrows in concern.
“She’s in a better place now that I’m living here. It won’t be easy, but we can make it. Trust me, we’ve had more than one conversation about how much we regret missing that opportunity.” He exhaled sharply.
“Okay.” I nodded and walked towards the door.
I couldn’t help but worry as I thought about what Dad said on my way to Hudson’s house. It wasn’t going to be easy to take down Mayor Stevenson, but if Hudson was going to do it, he would need my help. He would need all the help he could get. I owed my brother a tremendous debt for everything I had done, and I would stand by his side, even if it cost me everything. That was the choice I should have made when he told me he loved Eliza. I should have been brave enough to admit my own feelings and fight for what we had. I couldn’t undo those mistakes, but if I could help Hudson with his campaign, I might have a chance to prove that I had become a better man. The forgiveness they both gave me was cherished, but I hadn’t done a damn thing to truly earn it. Bringing them together was a piece of tape over an open wound that I should have never created in the first place.
I’m going to do what’s right this time. We have a chance to really turn things around in Andalusia. If there’s one person who can stand up for this town, it’s Hudson. I’ll just be honored to stand at his side.
18
Eliza
Hudson and Preston were hard at work on the campaign when I arrived. They were drafting slogans, making lists of people that might be willing to support Hudson’s campaign, and trying to figure out who Mayor Stevenson’s biggest allies were. I didn’t have much to contribute, but they filled me in on the latest developments while they worked. It was strange to see them working so closely together—it reminded me of the summer when the three of us were so close that I dared to believe nothing could tear us apart. The campaign was going to be difficult, but they were clearly determined. After about an hour, Hudson needed a break, and I followed him to the bedroom. I could see the weight of the world on his face—reflected in his eyes. I walked up, and he wrapped his arms around me. He held me for a minute before he lifted my chin and started to kiss me. I melted into that kiss just like I did every time his lips were on mine. Even in the face of uncertainty, I could feel the passion resonating from him. He kissed me until I was gasping for air and my knees were weak.
“I’ve wanted to do that since you walked in the door.” The familiar smile I loved so much formed on the edge of his lips.
“I guess it’s kind of hard with Preston here.” I swallowed hard and looked up at him. “He’ll be here a lot if you two are going to be tackling this campaign together.”
“Yeah.” He nodded slowly. “Is that going to be okay? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable…”
“He’s your brother. There’s no way that I’m going to be able to spend time with you without seeing him from time-to-time.” I shrugged. “We’re just going to have to let he past stay in the past.”
“I wish things had turned out different.” Hudson sighed and dropped his head. “It was so simple back then. We were just three kids finding ourselves in each other’s arms.”
“He made that choice. He drove the wedge between us and tore what we had apart. We’ve both forgiven him. That’s all we can really do at this point.” I let my hand gently slide down Hudson’s arm until our hands were locked together.
“I know.” Hudson looked towards the door. “We should get back to work. I promise we won’t work all day. You and I will have some alone time soon.”
“Good.” I grinned and moved my hand to his cock. “I’m going to make it worth your while too.”
“Oh god.” He let out a slight groan and his cock twitched against my touch. “You’re going to make me want to stop working on the campaign now.”
I wanted to push Hudson back onto the bed and satisfy the burning desires inside me, but we had to wait until we were alone. It was hard enough to be there with Preston in the other room. I certainly couldn’t take it further than a kiss—not anymore. We returned to the kitchen and I helped organize things while they worked. After a few hours, the three of us had a list of people that could help, and the brothers decided they would start reaching out to them the next day. Figuring out how much support Hudson could get was going to be critical to the future of his campaign. I told them what Melanie said about Dave possibly helping with administration, and they both thought it was a great idea. Preston was opposed to Melanie doing any sort of digging and suggested that it could be dangerous. Hudson agreed. After hearing what Preston said about his Dad, I was leaning that way as well. The three of us worked most of the day, and it was nearly dark before they finally decided to call it quits for the evening.
“Alright, I don’t think there’s anything else we can do.” Preston looked down at the stuff on the table. “I’m off tomorrow though, so give me a call if you need anything.”
“Thanks. I’m going to talk to a few people, but I’ll let you know if I need some back up.” Huds
on nodded and chuckled. “I really appreciate all of your help.”
“Anytime.” Preston smiled and stood to his feet. “See you tomorrow.”
I couldn’t help but be impressed by Preston’s dedication. I thought it would be awkward for the three of us to work together on the campaign, and it was at first, but then things just started to feel—normal. Maybe there was a way for the three of us to coexist without letting our painful past dominant the present. Hudson needed me to be supportive, regardless of what we were doing, and that was what I was going to do. He didn’t have to ask—I could sense that his decision weighed heavily on him. He was giving up a lot to leave the fire department and go toe-to-toe with Mayor Stevenson. There was a chance it could cost him everything, and a chance that we would have to leave Andalusia if things didn’t work out the way he wanted. I was okay with it, if we had to make that choice, as long as the two of us were together.
“I believe you promised to make it worth my while if I was patient.” Hudson walked up behind me after Preston left.
“Yes I did.” I turned towards him and smiled.
“Are you going to be a naughty girl tonight?” He tilted his head to the side.
“No, I want you too bad for that.” I rubbed his cock through the front of his jeans. “I don’t need any teasing.”
“Good.” He groaned and pulled me close.
The passion erupted between us and we left a trail of clothes on the way to the bedroom. I wanted Hudson, and I wasn’t feeling the need for pain—I just wanted to make him come. I wanted to take his mind off the chaos that was brewing around him, while I let it fade from my mind as well. I pushed Hudson back until he sank into the mattress and immediately climbed on top. My pussy was so wet that he easily slid inside me—I had been looking forward to it all day. I started to slowly ride him, watching the desire in his eyes each time I descended on his shaft. I tried to go slow, because as much as I wanted to make him come, I also wanted him inside of me as long as possible. I wanted that connection—the passion that brewed between us when we were together. It made me forget about everything and I was able to focus on the pleasure. Our bodies were seared together, and I started to move a little faster. My body craved the release, even if I wanted to prolong it.
“It feels so good.” I moaned and threw my head back as I bounced on his cock. “I definitely needed this.”
“I needed it too.” Hudson’s hands moved from my hips and squeezed my ass. “Keep going—don’t stop.”
“I’m not going to stop until you explode inside me.” I leaned forward and purred into his ear. “I might even make you come twice.”
“I should let you get on top more often.” He gasped, and his grip tightened on my ass. “You know exactly what I like.”
I leaned back and started to bounce a little faster, using my muscles to push my body up before I crashed into him. Hudson began thrusting up into my pussy as I bounced, making the motions even more intense. He was against my g-spot and every thrust made it beg for more. The pressure started to build up inside me. Trying to prolong it was a losing battle. We both needed the release so bad that our hunger refused to be satiated by the impending bliss. I finally gave in to those desires and started moving as fast as I could. Hudson’s cock was already throbbing and feeling those pulsations against my g-spot was incredible. I was ready to let go of the pressure, because I knew it wouldn’t be my only trip to paradise. Hudson started to groan, and I saw the same need raging in his eyes. I stayed on the edge as long as I could, but his upward thrusts pushed me over the edge.
“Oh god!” My muscles started to shake. “I’m gonna come!”
“Come for me baby—I want to feel it!” He moved his hands up to my hips and continued his vigorous thrusts.
My pussy started to spasm on his cock as the pressure was released. His dick throbbed several times in quick succession and then I felt cum surging through his shaft. He erupted inside me, and the lust-fueled explosion made my orgasm even more intense than it already was. Feeling him cum inside me was one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Our bodies continued to slam together as the pleasure coursed through our veins. My pussy milked every drop from his balls and my muscles quivered once he was spent. One orgasm was amazing, but I needed more. There was no way I could stop. I pressed my hands to his chest and started to move my hips, slowly teasing my g-spot with his thick cock. It might have been spent, but he was still hard, and I was going to take advantage of that as long as possible. After I slid up and down his shaft several times, I felt him throb again.
“You really are going to make me come twice.” A smile spread across his face.
“Are you complaining?” I bit down on my bottom lip and moved my hips a little faster.
“Not at all.” He started thrusting into me again. “You can ride me all night long if you want.”
“I might take you up on that.” I gasped when I felt another twinge of pleasure shoot through my body.
Our passion heated up for the second time as we chased another release. My muscles started to shake so much that I head to lean forward against him for support. He wrapped hand around the back of my head and pulled me close enough for a kiss. His lips reflected his hunger and they tried to devour mine as his tongue ravaged my mouth. I was still on top, but he was doing most of the work. His hips were moving so fast that each thrust was thunderous. He slammed into me with a fury that matched the raging need inside me. The pressure started to build up again and I knew I was going to come. I screamed against his kiss as the pressure released. My pussy spasmed on his length, and after a couple of seconds, I felt his throbs get harder. He started to unload inside me as my orgasm seized my entire body. It felt incredible, but once the orgasm began to fade, my head was spinning, and I was exhausted.
“You’re incredible.” I pulled back from our kiss and gasped.
“You make me want to push my limits.” He smiled and reached up to push a stray hair away from my face. “In fact, I think I’m ready for round three.”
“Again?” I blinked a couple of times in surprise. “I’m exhausted…”
“Then I guess I’m going to take over.” He chuckled and lifted me as he started to roll over on the bed.
“You took over halfway through the second one—so much for riding you all night.” I gasped when he started to thrust again.
“That’s okay. I’ve got plenty of gas left in the tank. I’m unemployed remember?” He chuckled and picked up the pace. “That means I’ve got a lot of excess energy to burn off now that I’m not fighting fires.”
“I’ll give you plenty of opportunities to burn every bit of it off.” I bit down on my lip and moaned.
19
Hudson
The next day
It was always wonderful to wake up with Eliza in my arms. It no longer felt like a dream every time I saw her face, but that didn’t stop me from staring for a few minutes. She was truly radiant, especially without the dark hair and thick makeup she wore in high school. That girl had become a beautiful woman—and one that I was honored to love. She was still complicated, troubled, and the things she went through in her life weighed heavily on her soul, but I would do anything in my power to help her keep those things permanently in the past. She deserved nothing but eternal happiness, and I was going to spend the rest of my life making sure that was exactly what she had. I watched her sleep as long as I could before finally shifting to the edge of the bed and standing. I had a lot of work to do and I needed to get started as soon as possible. By the time I was done with my shower, she had woke up and started coffee, so I headed to the kitchen after I got dressed.
“What’s on the agenda today?” Eliza looked up at me as I walked into the kitchen.
“I’m going to make some house calls today.” I poured a cup of coffee and sat down. “I need to figure out what kind of support I’m going to have before I officially announce my candidacy for mayor.”
“I’m sure there will be a lot of peopl
e that want change.” She nodded and picked up the list of names.
“I hope so.” I sipped my coffee and put the cup down. “They’re going to have to want it bad enough to do something about it though, and the people in Andalusia have always been quite complacent.”
“I know you’ll be able to convince them. They just need someone to believe in.” She smiled and reached over to take my hand. “I believe in you—they will too.”
“Hopefully it doesn’t take them five years to realize I’m serious about how I feel.” I chuckled under my breath.
“Yeah…” She nodded and her words trailed off for a second. “Hey, you’ve got the Fowler family on the list. They’re the ones that I lived with before I left Andalusia.”
“Do you want to go see them?” I tilted my head to the side.
“I should.” Eliza smiled. “I called a couple of times after I left, but then life got busy. Melanie is the only person I really kept in contact with.”
“I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you regardless.” I squeezed her hand and then reached for my coffee. “They obviously cared about you because they let you stay, even after you turned eighteen.”
“They were good people. Linda is the one who finally convinced me to trust my feelings and tell you how I felt. It was the right thing to do, even if it didn’t work out the way I thought it would.” Eliza sighed and sipped her coffee.
“Thanks to my wonderful brother…” I grumbled under my breath.
“I believe he truly does regret his actions.” Eliza sipped her coffee again before putting the cup down. “He was just a scared kid that didn’t know how to deal with what he was feeling. That was how I felt too, which is why I left when you said you loved me.”
Sizzle & Share: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 9) Page 12