by L M Terry
I set the wand on the mattress beside us. “If you can hold off one more time then I will reward you but if you are a bad girl and come before you tell me to stop then…” I let my words trail off. The threat of a punishment on the tip of my tongue. She groans and I have her right where I want her. I snake my hand up and place it over her throat as the other reaches down to cup her, barely brushing over her sensitive skin and that’s all it takes. She comes hard convulsing in my arms as I hold her tight to my chest. Fuck she is incredible, and have I mentioned mine?
“Anthony,” she screams before collapsing against me. She is now a boneless, sweaty mess in my arms. Spectacular. I’m not really going to punish her for coming. However, I am going to fuck her into tomorrow and then we are going to sleep like we don’t have a care in the world.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Danielle
◆◆◆
Tank and Lizzie joined us for breakfast this morning. I’m nervous Anthony is leaving, but I can’t keep him from his work. He assured me it’s nothing dangerous and he will be back tomorrow evening. They are all visiting as I sit here in my head struggling to act normal. I want to crawl out of my skin. Anthony covers my hand with his drawing my attention back to them.
“You will call me as soon as you get back home from your appointment? Yeah?”
“Yeah, sure. It’s just more testing?” I ask him. I know, I know, I should be more aware of my own treatment plan, but I’ve been perfectly content letting him take charge on this. Well, actually, I’ve been content letting him reign over everything in my life lately. I’m basically a walking, talking zombie.
“Just testing. If you have any questions Dr. Lambert will be there, okay?”
I nod and he squeezes my hand. Tank, Lizzie and I all leave for my appointment before Anthony does. He waves from the driveway and I can literally feel every nerve in body come out of a lazy slumber. Maybe he really is a drug. He will be home tomorrow I repeat over and over in my head.
“You okay hon?” Lizzie asks.
“Yeah, I’m good.” I scratch at my arms, I guess I should let her in on my plan while I can. “I need to talk to you guys about something.”
Lizzie gives Tank a look before turning in her seat to face me. “What is it girl?”
“You know there is a chance that I may have memory issues when I wake up from surgery?”
Lizzie nods.
“Well, there isn’t going to be a chance. I won’t remember anything when I wake up. Do you understand?”
“Wait, what are you saying?” she asks, looking nervously at Tank.
“I made Anthony promise me that he will walk away if I cannot remember him. So, what I need is for you to make sure that you get my stuff back to my apartment. Once I’m sure he has walked away I’ll let you know if I am faking.”
“Sweet pea, this is a terrible idea. The man loves you,” Tank pleads.
“I know, but I’m too much work, he deserves so much more than me. This is what I want, please, please just support me in this. I’ve made up my mind.”
“Dani, we will support you in whatever you want. Of course, we will. But, I agree with Tank. He loves you. Anyone can see that. And, whether or not you believe it you deserve to have someone love you.”
“This is what I want. Just get me set back up in my apartment after my surgery and I will go back to my life and he can go back to saving the world, it’s where he belongs. Today, he is working and I’m glad for it. Someone will benefit from whatever he is doing. I can’t ask him to take care of me when he has such important work.”
“I can’t believe he agreed to this,” Tank says disbelievingly.
“Well, he did. He made me a promise and one thing I know about him is that he keeps his promises,” I tell them and then I go back to staring out the window the rest of the way to the hospital. My anxiety is rutting around inside of me like a living breathing beast at this point. I glance at my phone, shit, it’s been less than an hour without him and already I feel like crawling in a hole. I’m hoping that the surgery takes this away from me. If it doesn’t and I’ve sent Anthony away, it could make for a miserable life. Oh well, nothing good lasts. I know this better than anyone.
We get the hospital and Dr. Lambert stays by my side the entire day. I made Lizzie and Tank leave, no use hanging around watching me get poked and prodded at all day. Dr. Lambert is nice, and I can tell that he is going beyond the call of duty with me. I ask him about what happens after surgery. He seems confident that I will come out in good shape but, there are risks. The memory thing, my personality might change, I may even lose the ability to paint, each terrifying in its own right. The tumor is large, but it is in a relatively easy spot to get to. I was worried about them shaving off my hair, but he says they will hide the cut under it. As far as what this thing is that is debatable. He won’t speculate, only telling me we will worry about that when the time comes.
The day is progressing as well as it can, and finally I’m able to text Lizzie for a ride home. I’m waiting for them in the lobby when it hits. Paralyzing fear. I stumble to the private family bathroom and lock the door sliding to the floor. I can’t do this. I can’t do any of this.
L: We are here. Where are you?
D: In the bathroom. Give me a minute.
My hands are shaking, and I throw up a few times. Come on, Dani, get it together. All I can think about is Anthony and how much I need him. Then the tears start…and they don’t stop.
L: Are you okay?
D: No.
L: Hon, unlock the door. It will be okay, I’ll come in and get you.
D: Just leave me here. I’ll catch a cab. Go.
L: Please let me help you.
D: Go back to the house. I’ll be fine. I’ll come when I can.
She knocks on the door, but I ignore her. No way am I opening it for her or anyone else. This will pass. This will pass. This will pass. My phone rings and it’s Anthony. Fucking of course she would call him. I don’t answer, I can’t talk to him right now. I’m too busy blowing snot bubbles and drowning in my own pity party.
D: I’m fine. Just please, I can’t right now. Tell her to leave and I’ll get home later. I know how to call a cab.
A: Open that fucking door or I’m sending in the big guns.
D: Why can’t you all just leave me alone?
A: We love you.
D: Yeah, well I just want a damn minute. Okay? Call her off.
A: What is wrong?
I’m done. Just done. Thankfully they all leave me alone, thank god. So, I sit on the bathroom floor as tear after tear falls. I don’t know how much time goes by, hours, days but at some point there is a light knock on the door. “Aunt Dani?” a soft, sweet voice calls from the other side enticing me with her lovely innocence to open the door.
Well fuck.
I quickly stand and rinse my face with cold water. I unlock the door and step back a few steps waiting. It slowly opens and the little girl runs in wrapping her arms around my legs. I hear the door close and my eyes slowly rise to meet Dylan’s. He pulls me into his arms and whispers into my ear. “Sorry, we play dirty sometimes.”
I laugh and allow him to hold me until my anxiety crawls back into the dark corners of my mind. Eventually I find my words. “What are you two doing here?”
“We are making a McDonald’s run. Shakes, burgers and greasy fries. Want to ride along?”
“I’m getting a happy meal,” Sophia squeals. He picks her up, so she is face to face with me. She leans out of his arms and gives me the best eskimo kiss I’ve ever had. “Dad says that we are having a sleepover. I packed my swimsuit and my pj’s. It is going to be soooo much fun.”
“I can’t wait,” I tell her.
Dylan keeps his arm around me as we leave the hospital. Lizzie and Tank are gone. He buckles Sophia in her seat and then we drive to the fast food place just as promised. He doesn’t ask me what happened and sticks to favorite foods as a topic of discussion.
Whe
n we get back to Anthony’s we eat, swim, and watch a Disney movie. After we get Sophia tucked in for the night he brings out a bottle of Tequila. He holds it up. “Drink?”
“Sure, but I should warn you that I don’t hold my alcohol well.” I laugh and curl up at the end of the couch.
“No worries, I’ve got your back, Dani. Now and forever.” He sets out two shot glasses, some limes and salt. “I’m going to teach you how to do a proper tequila shot. He licks his hand, dumps salt on it, licks it again, downs the shot and then proceeds to suck on a wedge of lime. When he is done he growls and shakes his head. “Your turn.”
“Okay, but don’t laugh.” I mimic his actions, including the growl. He chuckles at that and prepares two more for us.
“Want to talk about today?”
“No.”
He nods as he slides my shot across the coffee table to me. “He wants you to call him.”
I down the shot, the alcohol warms my belly. “He is impossible.”
“Yeah, he is but he is worried. Another shot and then we call, eh?” I nod and we actually take two more before he calls Anthony.
“She’s good bro. Here she is.” He hands me the phone making a funny face at me as I take it from him.
I’m giggling when I get on the call. The tequila has me feeling foot loose and fancy free. Yeah, I told you I can’t hold my alcohol. “Hey, Anthony.”
“Hey, baby. How you feelin?” His gravelly voice purrs through the receiver. Oh, god I miss him.
“I’m good,” I whisper.
“Is Dylan getting you drunk?”
“I’m not drunk,” I hiccup the words.
He laughs. “Okay, I see what is going on here. Have fun and I’ll be home tomorrow.” He pauses, and Dylan hands me another shot. “We will talk tomorrow. Goodnight, Dani, I love you.”
“Love you too,” I say before hanging up. I down the shot and then close my eyes hoping that it will be tomorrow when I open them again.
Evidently I passed out after that because that is exactly what happens. The next thing I know I’m waking with Sophia curled up like a little kitten beside me. Male voices echo down the hall. Hmm, that sounds like Anthony, but he isn’t supposed to be home until tonight. Sophia peeks one eye open and then she shoots up out of bed. “Uncle Tony!” she squeals as she takes off.
I laugh. He makes me want to do the same thing but, unlike Sophia I’m not as confident to just run out and throw myself in his arms. I grab my clothes and hit the shower.
The door opens shortly after I get in and my eyes dart up to meet Anthony’s stormy grey ones. He sheds his clothes and joins me. He kisses me on the forehead and rocks me back and forth. “I missed you, baby,” he whispers in my ear.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to be home till tonight?”
“I couldn’t be away from you for another second. Liam and Addy said they would stay and finish up, so I took the first flight home.”
“Because I lost my shit at the hospital, not because you missed me. Don’t lie to me, Anthony.”
He cups the side of my face with his palm. “Yes, that is true, but it is also because I missed you. Didn’t you miss me?”
Miss him? I missed him so much I thought I might die. My forehead falls to his chest and I wrap my arms around him. So much I don’t know how I’m going to live without you. “Yes, I missed you,” I mumble into his chest.
“So, what happened yesterday? Talk to me.”
“The doctor told me that I might not be the same, after surgery. I might lose my ability to paint, I might not even have the same personality.” He doesn’t say anything to this, just continues to hold me. “I can’t breathe without you, Anthony.”
“I won’t leave you again. Promise,” he says as he backs me up under the spray of water.
“Unless I can’t remember anything when I wake up, you promised you would walk away if I can’t remember,” I remind him.
He just nods and fills his hands with my shampoo. “We need to hurry with the shower. Miss Sophia has demanded that we spend the day on the beach. She’s invited the whole crew. They will be here in an hour.”
“Oh, she invited them huh?”
“Yeah, ask her,” he teases as he runs his fingers through my hair.
“I’ll admit, getting Sophia to get me to unlock the bathroom door at the hospital was a good move, but it’s not very nice to use a child against me.”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures, Dani. Don’t forget that. I’ll do whatever it takes to see that you are safe.”
Anthony
◆◆◆
Yeah, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my girl safe. I shouldn’t have left her, but I had to take that trip to Iowa. Now I have what I need. Liam and Addy stayed behind to finish up. Ted will go down, when the time is right which unfortunately is not right now. Dani needs to get through her surgery first and then I guess I don’t know what happens after that. But, if she does survive this, I have a plan in place to help her take him out…if that is what she wants. I’m not going to push her to think about it, her health is most important right now.
Dylan and I drag coolers down to the beach. My goal is to keep Dani as busy as I can to keep her anxiety at bay. I glance over watching her help Sophia on a boogie board. They are laughing so hard Dani is crying as the waves keep crashing into them making them topple over.
“Sophia and Dani will have a bond forever,” Anna says wistfully. She rubs her hands over her belly. “Same as Addy and me,” she adds with a faraway look on her face.
Dylan squats down in front of her beach chair tipping her face so that she looks at him. “Sophia is safe and loved. No worries.”
She nods and then allows a smile to form on her face. “I’m sorry I’m not trying to bring the day down. It’s just I have never been as thankful for anything as I am that Dani was there that day…that she is part of our family.”
“The whole incident may have saved Dani’s life. If she hadn’t hit her head….” I trail off, plopping myself down by Anna.
“It is all working out the way it is supposed to…as Addy would say,” Dylan adds. “Now, let’s enjoy the beautiful SoCal sunshine and forget about our worries.” He stands scooping Noah up in his arms then runs to join Dani and Sophia down by the water.
“So, Liam and Addy are on their way back?” Anna asks.
“Yep, unfortunately we found more on that bastard than I was expecting. But, until Danielle is fully recovered I’m just going to have to sit on it. No way can she deal with all of that right now.”
Anna nods and leans back closing her eyes. “My dad would be happy that we have all stuck together through all the ups and downs.”
“I think about him every day,” I whisper.
She peeks one eye open, squinting against the bright sunlight. “Me too, Anthony. I’d like to think he is an angel on our shoulder’s.” She sits up straighter in her chair letting a tear slip down her cheek. She studies the beach and my eyes follow hers to the shore. Dylan, Noah, Dani and Sophia are now building a sandcastle together. I place my hand on Anna’s shoulder and she turns to smile at me. “I think we have more than one guardian angel looking over us,” she says softly.
Luis and Rosemary join us later in the evening after they retrieve Liam and Addy from the airport. Lizzie and Tank follow soon after. As they make their way down the path to the beach, heated words pass between them. I pause to study them as Lizzie makes her way down to the shoreline. She says something to Dani and then looks up her eyes snagging on mine. She quickly focuses her attention back to Dani and then gives her a quick hug before making her way back up the path. Tank lingers and eventually pulls Dani in for a long-drawn-out hug. He speaks into her ear and she shakes her head back and forth as if not believing what he is saying. When he releases her they look at each other sadly before he turns and follows Lizzie up the path.
I wait for him to disappear and then I walk down to Dani. “Everything okay?” I ask
S
he shakes her head. “I…I don’t know. Lizzie said she needed to fly back to Iowa for her job. She promised she will be back for the surgery but…” she pauses looking away from me to stare at the ocean.
“But…” I prompt.
“But, Tank said he thinks she is cheating on him. That can’t be. Lizzie loves Tank, she wouldn’t cheat on him.” She digs her toe into the sand staring at the ground. My heart aches for her. She takes on everyone’s pain as if it were her own.
“They’ll work it out. Come on, Rosemary’s made her famous taco dip. It literally is the best thing I’ve ever tasted. You have to try it before Dylan eats it all.” I squat down offering her a piggyback ride. My distraction works because she is instantly giggling and jumping on my back.
Eventually she will have to learn the depths of betrayal against her but today is not that day.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Danielle
◆◆◆
They say time flies when you’re having fun and I realize now the truth in that statement. The last two weeks have flown by at warp speed. I’ve spent the days with Anthony and his family mostly down on the beach. They have been great, amazing actually. I’m never alone, except for when I paint in my room. Good food and great friends sum it up perfectly. The girls and I even made a trip to see Mrs. Chan to get our nails done. Sophia and I got matching butterflies on our nails.
The nights though…hmmm I stare dreamily out the window of my painting room. The nights have been a-fuck-ing-a-maze-ing. Like I’m not even exaggerating, not even a little. Not one night have I laid in bed worrying about anything. No, because I’m always exhausted and euphoric when my head hits the pillow. I have noticed that Anthony has been sticking to gentler teachings. No ropes, no spankings, no whips and no restraints. But, there has been plenty of other things. Blindfolds, feathers, toys, him…mostly him.