Freedom From the Evil Dead

by Mary Abshire

  "I can help you with that," Jeremy said in a calm tone, then lifted his drink. "To life."

  We brought our glasses together, then tossed the alcohol into our mouths. As the fluid made its way through me, I felt a sense of relief for having said what I had. I truly was happy to be alive and I hoped to make the most of the time I had left.

  "I have a toast," Jeremy said as he poured the liquor.

  I glanced at the clock near the bed while he finished. The time showed almost one in the morning. I returned my attention to Jeremy and found him holding his drink.

  "To the future," he said. "To our future."

  I hesitated lifting my glass.

  "When I first saw you at the hockey arena in Pittsburgh, I wanted to take you in my arms so bad." He shook his head. "And I hated you. The years without so much as a word crushed me. But a small part of me knew I'd see you again. I'm sorry you lost Drake because I know how much that hurts. But you will heal. You are getting better. If you want to live and be happy, then do it. Don't just say it. And if you trust me, I can give you what you seek. A future. A normal life. Happiness." He tilted his drink toward me.

  My heartbeat had accelerated as I listened to him. The demon's love for me hadn't changed after all the years apart and the distress we’d put each other through. Such deep devotion warmed my heart and soul. Could he make me happy? Probably. But could I love him the way he loved me?

  Tears threatened to roll from eyes. I put my hand on the glass. "So you can give me a house?" My voice was a little shaky.

  "In a place with a lot of sunshine," he said, and I smiled.

  "A white picket fence," I said.

  He pressed his lips together. "I'll have to work on that."

  "Dogs, cats, children…" A tear escaped and I wiped my cheek.

  "Yes, yes, and definitely yes."

  I lifted my glass and held it. "I can't promise you love, Jeremy. At this point, I don't know if I'm even capable of that emotion anymore. I don't want cause you any pain, nor do I want any. Love hurts. You know it and I know it."

  "Fair enough," he said.

  I tapped my glass against his. We both paused before we drank the liquor. This time, we didn't down it as fast as the other shots.

  I set my drink on the table. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

  I stood and, immediately, the room spun. My head felt weightless and my legs acted like noodles. Within seconds, I felt warm hands on my arms.

  "I got you," Jeremy said.

  He guided me toward the bed while my dizziness continued. Pausing briefly, he yanked the covers aside. I turned around to sit. Although I was slightly drunk, I still recognized I had an injury. I couldn't lie on my stomach yet. Slowly, I lowered myself to the bed. Jeremy lifted my legs at the same time. He tugged my shoes off, then pulled the covers over me. The minute I closed my eyes, the world stopped spinning.

  "Thank you," I said.

  He brushed hair away from my face. "Sleep well, my princess."

  I felt his lips touch mine before I drifted asleep.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The sound of water splashing pulled me from my slumber. I inhaled and stretched my arms and legs. The tug on my stitches let me know they were still there and they disapproved of my movements. On the bright side, the discomfort meant I was alive and that filled me with strength. A new day of freedom awaited me.

  Hearing the spatter of water, I rolled my head to the side. Jeremy stood naked in the shower. His back faced me as drops ran down his body. My eyes did the same and landed on his ass. He had a cute one, round and perfect for squeezing. I couldn't help but smile.

  He twisted slightly, then tilted his head back. The spray hit under his neck and on his shoulder. He circled his hands along his sculpted abs while the shower massaged his body. Half of the snake tattoo coiled around the beefy muscle in his arm, adding to his sex appeal. Suds ran down the length of him. I wished I was a bubble. If he twisted to the right just a little, I could see more of him. And I was curious.

  A touch of heat flowed through me as I watched him caress his flesh. His hands moved lower and he turned his back to me. But I wasn't done looking. His arms were low, making me wonder what he was cleaning. I had a good idea. He kept his hands in front of him. His movements were calm and steady. Biting my lip, I imagined him taking tender care of his body. An intimate hunger swelled within me. Hotter now, I tossed the covers away from me. While he continued touching himself, I envisioned his response. I visualized his solid muscles, his hard body ready to please. When he stepped back and to the side, I got to see the real thing instead of an imaginary picture.

  He placed his hand on the glass and let the shower fall over his chest. I couldn't resist the temptation to look lower, so I did. A faint line of hair stretched from his belly button to a small patch over his groin. But it was the size of his penis that secured my attention. Even in a languid state, his length and width were a pleasure to view, a greater joy to imagine fully erect. He was bigger than most I'd seen before, though I hadn't seen many. Drake had been big and more than adequately pleasing, but as I stared at Jeremy, I acknowledged he surpassed my old vampire lover.

  I lifted my eyes and found Jeremy looking at me. His heated gaze furthered the growing need in my body. But I couldn't let it mature. Not yet. I wasn't ready. At least, that's what my heart told my mind.

  Sighing, I twisted my head to the window on the other side of the room. The curtains were partially parted and revealed a sunny city. Although the view was nice, it wasn't as enjoyable as the naked demon in the shower.

  The sound of water dripping ended. I returned my attention to the see-through shower. Jeremy had stepped out and had his face buried in a white towel. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I appraised his ass while I could. When he moved around the corner, out of my sight, I realized how much I had enjoyed staring at his body and I berated myself.

  Guilt struck me like a slap to the face. How quickly I'd given in to temptation after losing the love of my life. What was wrong with me? All the years I'd been committed to Drake, I resisted Jeremy's advances. In the past, I'd refused to share a suite with him. Lying in the same bed with him was an absolute no-no. I even rebuffed his constant flirtations. Everything seemed different since he'd rescued me. We'd slept next to each other and it hadn't bothered me in the slightest. He'd touched me and the urge to push him away hadn't occurred to me. With my new freedom, it seemed my entire concept of being near him had changed. I longed for his closeness and more so for his touch. He was a blanket to keep me warm, a man of steel to protect me, and a lover eager to please me. How could I have allowed this to happen so quickly?

  I'd spent over three years alone, waiting for Drake to return. The isolation had made me weak. It made me desperate for attention. Although Drake and I had shared one last night together, we'd never spend another. We'd never meet again, never kiss or hold each other again. But we'd always have the love we shared and I wouldn't let go of our memories together. Nobody could take them from me.

  I wanted to enjoy life now that I was free. To start, I had to stop mourning and let go of Drake. He was gone forever. I couldn't change the past, but I could change my future. Jeremy was right, if I wanted to live and be happy, I had to do more than say it.

  "How are you feeling?" Jeremy asked, standing outside the bathroom with the towel wrapped around his waist. His six-pack abs glistened with moisture.

  "Still sore," I said as I gently touched the center of my stomach.

  He lowered his gaze to my belly. "I should probably check the bandages." He stepped toward me.

  "I'm sure they're fine."

  He stopped at my side. His fresh, clean scent drifted my way. I eyed his hard, well-defined physique. The cotton towel separating his cock from me would be gone with one little tug.

  "Let me make sure they're clean," he said. While his tone indicated his concern, his eyes held a hint of something else.

  "If you insist," I said. "You can get a better l
ook at them than I can."

  With both of his hands, he grasped my gown near my ankles and slowly lifted it. He brought the garment up to my thighs. Knees bent, I pressed my feet onto the bed and gently raised my body. The stitches along my torso stung slightly. Jeremy quickly tugged my gown up further. When he reached my breasts, I raised my arms. With a little wiggling on my part, he managed to remove my dress over my head.

  Jeremy dragged his gaze along my body before meeting my eyes. "Are you okay with this?"

  I nodded and thought it strange he'd ask me such a question. I appreciated he had, though.

  He bent closer and studied the bandage between my breasts. Fortunately, my bra covered my girls. Getting the brazier on had been a task, but I had to wear one. He moved his gaze lower and lightly touched my rib cage. The gentle heat from fingertips soothed me. He glided his fingers toward my belly, tickling me and spawning tingles of desire. Tensing, I took a deep breath and held it. I didn't want to succumb to the swelling need within me. Not like this. Not while I had at least a hundred stitches in me.

  He must have noticed my reaction to his touch. He paused and veered his eyes at me. "Are you okay?"

  Slowly, I let the air expel from me. "Yeah."

  "Do you want me to stop?"

  "No, it's fine," I said before I understood his question.

  He returned his attention to my abdomen, then straightened. "I think you might have pulled a few stiches around here," he said as he gently tapped the area near my belly button. "The only way to know for sure is to remove the bandage."

  "Okay, but do it on the count of three," I said. "One—"

  Jeremy ripped the bandage off. I gasped from the tape tearing from my flesh. Following a sharp sting, my skin started to burn.

  "Sorry, hon. It's better to do it when you don't expect it," he said.

  I pressed my lips together and frowned at him. His logic seemed silly since it didn't matter when the bandage was removed. What mattered was how and there was only one way, which meant I would feel pain.

  He peered closer to my belly and gently touched near my wound. "This needs to be cleaned. You definitely pulled a few."

  He strode around the chairs and table to get to the other side of the bed. Finding his phone on the nightstand, he picked it up.

  "Who are you calling?" I asked as he tapped the screen.

  "Ryan." He held the cell to his ear. "Hey, can you get something for me?" There was a brief pause. "I need a first aid kit. Alcohol or antiseptic, gauze, tape..." He walked around the bed. "Yeah, I need to clean it." He passed the table set. "Thanks."

  He lowered the phone, but kept his gaze on the screen.

  Feeling the call of nature, I gently pushed myself up. Jeremy dropped the phone on the bed and rushed toward me.

  "You shouldn't move," he said, but it was too late.

  I sat upright with my legs over the side of the bed. "I have to get up." I set my feet on the carpeted floor, then stood. My skin ached briefly from being stretched.

  "But you—"

  "I have to pee, Jeremy," I said as stepped toward the bathroom.

  "Oh, right," he mumbled, and I almost laughed.

  I entered the bathroom and found the toilet hidden behind a sliding door on the left. The hidden room also had a vanity near the door. After shutting myself inside, I took my time using the facility. Without a doubt, using the toilet was the worst part of having my injury.

  After I relieved my bladder, I stood in front of the vanity and mirror washing my hands. I stared at the tapped gauze from my chest to my abdomen, then my pink skin a little lower. Dried blood clung to me. The stitch work reminded me of a raggedy doll with limbs sewn together. I looked horrible.

  A knock on the door shifted my thoughts. "Yeah?"

  "Need any help?"

  I slid the door to the side. Jeremy stood nearby wearing nothing but his boxer shorts.

  "I'm good. A little slow, but you know that." I took a rag from the counter and soaked it under the running water from the faucet.

  "If you want to take a shower, I can help you." The curl of his lips indicated he was quite willing to assist me.

  "That's okay. I can get by without one." I turned off the faucet, then wrung the cloth.

  He leaned sideways against the doorframe and crossed his arms. "You don't need to be modest. I've seen you naked. Well, ninety percent of you."

  Staring in the mirror, I tried to recall when I'd been completely naked in front of him. Then I remembered after he'd rescued me how he'd instructed two men to redo the stitches. I'd had something over my breasts and a pair of underwear on me. The ten percent he hadn't seen yet must have been what my panties hid.

  I turned to face him. "I'm not shy. And clearly, neither are you. I just don't feel like bathing." I shrugged. "I'm starving and I'd like to know what our plans are for Viktor."

  Grinning, he straightened and lowered his arms. "Fair enough."

  I returned to the mirror and wiped my face with the wet rag.

  "Ryan brought me a kit, so when you're ready, I'll clean your wound."

  "Give me a few more minutes," I said.

  "While he was here, he said Shawn and one of the other werewolves were on their way to relieve two of the others. Viktor left the bar with two human females."

  I set the cloth on the counter, then looked at him. "Why am I not surprised?"

  "He's bunked with them and I'm guessing when we get there, we won't find them alive."

  I resumed wiping my face. "If I had money, I'd bet you're right."

  "So the plan is you and I get something to eat, do a little shopping, then head to the place where he's hiding around two. Since it'll be daylight, he won't be able to escape."

  "Well, he could, but it would be extremely painful and he'd draw attention to himself."

  "Exactly," Jeremy said.

  I set the cloth on the counter, then combed my hair with my fingers. "Could I possibly get a change of clothes and a brush?"

  "Honey, you can get anything you want," he said, and I smiled.

  I took one look at him and my dirty mind knew what it wanted. I pushed those thoughts aside so I could revisit them later.

  "Can we eat first?" I asked.

  "No," he said flatly.

  "No?"

  When he directed his gaze to my belly, I quickly remembered my wound needed attention.

  "Okay, Dr. Ward," I said. "Patch me up so we can get out of here."

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  "Is that all you’re going to eat?" Jeremy asked before he stuffed a portion of a pancake into his mouth.

  Nobody heard our conversation since the restaurant was nearly empty. We'd arrived as lunch was about to begin, but demanded breakfast. They were too eager to please, or take our money, so they fixed our orders. Jeremy sat across from me wearing the same clothes from yesterday and his baseball cap on the wrong way, as usual. The window next to us overlooked a sidewalk and street behind the hotel. Parked cars were lined up on the sides. A few people walked by, but most passed riding bicycles. In the far distance, the Eiffel Tower stood out. It consistently distracted me from chatting with Jeremy.

  "Take another bite," he said. "Just one more."

  "I think I ate a lot considering everything I've been through lately," I argued.

  A quarter of the food served to me for breakfast remained on the plate. I'd eaten half the eggs, all the bacon and sausage, and a biscuit. I continued nibbling on the second biscuit because the buttery bread tasted exquisite. Jeremy had a similar dish full of food with banana-pecan pancakes and Canadian bacon as extras. He'd devoured everything and was almost done with the cakes. The man loved to eat.

  "I'll have to work on getting your appetites back," he said before he took another bite.

  I shot a brow up. "Appetites?" I had a good idea which ones he meant, but wanted to hear his response.

  Grinning, and with a lusty look in his eyes, he stared at me while he chewed. Amused, I shook my head, then placed a b
ird-sized piece of dough on my tongue. I had a feeling the demon's appetites were fervent and would grow even more so. Since he always liked to tempt me, I'd have to be careful.

  He lifted his coffee cup. "Did you enjoy the view this morning?" He sipped his drink.

  I couldn't stop from smiling. "Of course I did." I wiped my hands on the napkin on my lap, then set it on the table. "The view of the city is spectacular from the bedroom." Now I was poking fun at him.

  Holding his cup of java, he stared at me with a blank expression. I almost laughed.

  "Spectacular, huh?" He drank more coffee, then set the cup down. "Wait until we get home."

  He had my curiosity piqued. "And where is home exactly?"

  "I'm working on it," he said with a sigh.

  Fun and games aside, Jeremy was a good man. Smart too. I was confident he'd find a place that would suit both our needs and desires. Though, I had little notion of what he wanted, other than me. He didn't even talk about his future or career as a hockey player anymore. He'd given up a lot for me, but I wondered if he was truly happy.

  "Are you going to miss playing hockey?" I asked.

  "No," he said promptly and with a single shake of his head.

  "That was a quick answer."

  "I enjoyed the sport and the people I got to meet, but I knew it was time. I'm ready to move on."

  I thought about the last game I'd seen him play in. He'd instigated fights that ultimately led to the team's loss. I wondered if that had any impact on him walking away from his career.

  "Shawn said you threw the last hockey game," I said. "Is that true?"

  He took a drink of coffee, then lowered the cup. "It was necessary to secure some favors."

  "Is that why you're leaving the sport?"

  "No. I could return, but I would definitely have a few more enemies."