Healing Inc.

by Tarbox, Deneice

  Tyler was all smiles hearing her introduce him as her boyfriend. The men stepped forward and shook hands with one another. Tyler couldn’t help but assess the competition. Although Evy referred to them as her brothers they weren’t blood relatives, making them fair game as far as he was concerned. Enrique was the smaller to the two at six feet. He was muscular but slighter than Tyler with sandy brown hair and brown eyes. He was handsome in his own right but Tyler didn’t really see him as a threat.

  Miguel, however, looked like a darker version of Lou Ferrigno with sharper facial features. His eyes were the same green as his sister’s but his hair was darker, almost jet black. He was a very intimidating man and the one who showed the most affection toward Evy. Tyler made a mental note to keep an eye on him while at the same time avoid getting his bad side.

  Chapter 6

  It was a bright, cool crisp sixty degrees in October. Upon returning to his home in Edmond, Tyler showered quickly and changed into some old jeans, sneakers and the Healing Inc. t-shirt Evy had given him. She invited him to join them in the project that had slipped her mind until that morning. Tyler was willing to stand on his head if it meant spending any amount of time with her. He made his driver drop him off two blocks from the address they were to meet at, unsure of how others would treat him if he showed up in a chauffeured limousine.

  He arrived to find everyone hard at work cleaning and fixing the old house that was being renovated into a shelter for battered women. The place was larger on the inside than it looked from outside. He sought out Evy, finding her in a large empty room wielding a table saw. A blue scarf adorned her head and safety goggles covered her pretty eyes protecting them from the sawdust she created. He watched her, not sure why the sight of her handling the powerful equipment was turning him on so easily.

  “Hey you! I’m so glad you decided to come,” Evy exclaimed with a wide smile spreading across her face. Melting into that smile, Tyler reciprocated. She removed her safety glasses and they stepped toward each other for a hello kiss.

  “Hey! Hey! Hey! None of that on the job site!” Nita chastised. “We’ve got a lot to do today so save it for later, you two.”

  Not one to waste time, Nita sent him to work outside with her brothers doing yard work. Unbeknownst to the two of them, Nita’s two brothers had boarded the first available flight to Oklahoma City upon hearing from her that Tyler was pursuing Evy so strongly. She knew Evy would be too excited to question their intent and the timing for working at the new shelter had brought the plan together nicely.

  Tyler was a little put out about not being able to work with Evy but he soon got over it. Miguel and Enrique were funny as hell. They became fast friends, teasing each other and talking smack. They were more alike than he thought. He found out that they were COO and CFO of Healing Inc. respectively.

  “You must do a lot of conference calling like I do since the three of you are spread so far apart,” Tyler acknowledged.

  “Yeah, we do. But, we also meet in Chicago once a month. It’s the best way to get Nita to come home,” Miguel replied.

  “She also travels to New York when the need arises,” Enrique added.

  Tyler had noticed that Enrique was the quieter of the two. He didn’t mistake him for shy, just as an observer who gathered information before commenting or acting on something. He was a lot like Evy and at the time he thought Nita in that respect. Miguel, on the other hand, spoke his mind. He could see him being a shrewd business man when need be. Their conversation continued as they raked and gathered leaves.

  “So, how long have you been with Evy?” Miguel inquired. He gave a rat’s ass who Tyler was related to. This was Evy he was messing with.

  “I’ve been chasing her for damn near two months but we finally made it official last night,” Tyler answered with his concentration divided between Miguel and the yard work.

  “Is that why you were strutting around her apartment in your draws like you had won some kind of prize?” Miguel asked coolly. He possessed the remarkable ability to remain composed while executing tasks such as this line of questioning.

  Tyler, on the other hand, could feel himself redden with a twinge of anger brought on by the line of questioning. “I’m not one to kiss and tell; however, I can assure you nothing happened last night. She is a lady and I plan very much to treat her like one.” He evaded volunteering the fact that he had come very close to taking her on his office desk merely hours ago.

  Little did Tyler know Miguel was privy to the slightest alterations in behavior, especially when it came to any man sniffing around his sisters. He knew that Tyler was telling the truth about nothing happening; otherwise guilt would have risen in those pale cheeks, not anger or embarrassment. He also perceived that the reason nothing had happened was because of Evy, not Tyler.

  “Tyler, I like you… I like you a lot. But, you’ve got to understand that little woman in there is more like a sister to him and my other brothers,” he said pointing at Enrique who was nodding, “but to me, she’s more like a daughter.”

  Tyler was surprised to hear this. He hadn’t considered Miguel to be much older than him but now that he mentioned it he could see the grey scattered throughout his thick wavy hair.

  “I would have married her mother if I’d had the chance to. Unfortunately, a hit and run accident took her before I could get her to accept me. Evy is all I have left of her, so you better have good intentions for my girl.” He paused, eyeing Tyler for affect. “She’s also been through more than her share of grief and I intend to see that she doesn’t go through anymore.”

  “Sounds like we have the same interest at heart,” he replied calmly.

  “Do we? I know your family’s reputation. Does that extend to you?”

  That was too much for Tyler. “Who the fuck do you think you are dragging my family into this!” he bit out through clenched teeth. “I am nothing like the Moriattis that I’m sure you’re accustomed to hearing about. I’m more than capable of truly loving a woman because trust me, I love that one.” He stared unyielding into Miguel’s shocked expression. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make her happy.”

  “But can you keep her safe?” Miguel asked recovering from Tyler’s declaration of love for Evy.

  “Keep her safe?”

  It was obvious to Miguel and Enrique that Evy hadn’t shared everything that happened in Chicago with him. Miguel took a deep breath and blew out, looking past Tyler. He wasn’t sure how much he should divulge, yet he felt it unfair to allow Tyler to fall into a situation that might be dangerous for him. They had kept information that Marcus Cole had shared with them from the ladies on purpose. They didn’t want them to worry.

  “I’m not stupid, Miguel. Tell me what’s going on,” Tyler implored.

  Miguel went on to brief him on what he knew of Evy’s life with David. He told him about the beatings and how David had threatened the family whenever they tried to intervene. He let him know that some detective suspected that the person who killed David and attacked Evy hadn’t been acting on his own and claimed he had confirmed it through another inmate.

  Tyler was unable to move, listening in disbelief. He had no idea of the things she had gone through and it hurt and angered him to hear it. Evy had only said that David had died, not that he had been killed. He would have strangled both David and Raheem if they weren’t already dead for the problems they had caused her. He wished that Evy was the one telling him this but he understood why it would be difficult for her to relive such events. His love for her grew even more with the knowledge of her positive outlook on life despite the haunting of her past. He also now had a clue as to what was coming between them, empowering him with new determination to slay the beast.

  “As God is my witness, I will do everything within my power to protect her,” he promised the two men.

  “That would be wise,” Miguel replied, slapping his new friend on the back. “We’re not sure but, we kind of suspect Nita knows about the detective. Apparently, he qu
estioned her long term boyfriend that she thinks no one knows about. More than likely, he voiced his concerns to Nita who may have alerted Evy.”

  “I’ll see what I can find out but not to the point of giving all you’ve told me away. Don’t worry guys; I’m determined to give her the kind of life she deserves. After all, I am worth millions.”

  With that they all laughed, Tyler because he thought himself witty and the other two men because they knew Evy was probably worth just as much, if not more than him.

  ***

  Work on the house continued throughout the day with volunteers begging out a few at a time until Tyler and Evy were the only two left. Around four in the evening, Nita had told Evy she wanted to do some catching up with her brothers and give them a taste of the nightlife in Oklahoma City. What she really wanted was to get the scoop on what her brothers had found out during their day with Tyler. It was now almost eight at night. Tyler held the dustpan while Evy swept the last of the sawdust into it.

  “Whew! That’s the last of it,” Evy stated.

  “Yeah, that was definitely a day of hard work,” he agreed as he emptied the contents of the dustpan into a large trash bag full of the same. “Do you ever get tired, woman?”

  “Fatigue isn’t always an option.” She smiled as she removed the headscarf that protected her hair from the dust. She started to poof out her hair before Tyler stopped her.

  “No, no! Let me do that for you!” His eagerness surprised her. She slowly lowered her hands as he walked up to do the task. She watched him peculiarly as he attentively ran his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp with each stroke. An involuntary moan escaped her, freezing him in his tracks. He slowly looked down, meeting her astonished gaze. He smiled at the look of guilt she displayed.

  “Even with my hands digging in your hair, you still look beautiful.”

  Cupping her face he leaned in for a kiss when a slight knock sounded on the door frame catching their attention. There stood a woman holding a little girl in her arms with an older boy beside her. The sight of them caused Tyler’s stomach to tighten. He had never seen anything like it. Although his mother had preferred the company of losers they all knew that hitting her would have been a death sentence. Her family had virtually disowned her but she was still a Moriatti and had continued to be protected like one.

  The woman was Caucasian and looked to be in her early twenties, almost childlike in appearance. Her brown hair was partially done up in a ponytail with the other potion loose in disarray. Fresh bruises were forming on her face and throat. Blood had already started to coagulate on her busted lip and nose.

  The boy, who looked about eleven or twelve with the same coloring, sported a black eye. On closer inspection Evy noticed that his knuckles were bruised and bloody as well. The only one in the group with no apparent injury was the sleeping toddler with the tear streaked face. Evy, who had seen it before, knew that the baby’s wounds were indeed present, just not yet visible to the naked eye.

  “Ma’am, we were told we could stay here tonight,” the boy started as he placed a protective arm around his mother. “I can’t let my mom go back to him. He almost killed her and I can’t let that happen.” A fine sheen of tears glazed over his large blue eyes.

  Evy noted that the boy was indeed precocious for his age. Witnessing the abuse of a parent could do that to a child. “This shelter’s not open yet but I’ll get you a place to stay… I promise,” she assured him.

  “We don’t have any money. We had to get outta there before he got back up,” the boy continued as his mom started to silently weep. “Don’t cry, mama. They said they’d help us.” Standing almost at her petite height he gave her a squeeze in an attempt to console her.

  “Why don’t you come over here so we can put some ice on that?” Evy said pointing at his eye. The group slowly walked toward her while Tyler retreated to the other room to grab some ice from one of the coolers left on site. Once they were comfortably seated in the window seat of the room, she began the routine questioning she was trained to ask. Using leftover t-shirts, they cleaned their wounds as best they could.

  “Shouldn’t we get you to a hospital?” Tyler asked the mom.

  “No! No hospitals!” she stated emphatically. “They’ve already tried to split us up. If my boy hadn’t been there I’d be dead right now.”

  Evy understood her situation, she’d seen it before. “We’ll get you to a temporary apartment but first you have to agree to talk to our social worker and let our physician’s assistant examine you. You don’t have to give them your name or any other information. We just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  The mom looked at Evy, then at her bruised son. “Okay. That sounds reasonable.” She nodded her agreement. She didn’t care what happened to her but she couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her son.

  “Good,” Evy said with a reassuring smile. “I’ll contact them right away.”

  The little girl woke up crying while Evy was on the phone. Tyler approached her, attempting to distract her. Upon seeing him, the little girl ceased wailing instantly. It was apparent the father figure in her life didn’t tolerate such behavior from her. Taking that and the terrified look on her face into consideration, he proceeded with caution.

  “Hey, sweetie. Are you hungry?” he asked her pulling some left over Cheese Nips from his pocket. “You can have some but you have to share with mom and big brother.” The little girl’s eyes widened at the sight of the food. She was starving. “I won’t bite. Go ahead… Take it.” With speed she grabbed the bag from his hands and started munching on the snack. “Remember, you have to share,” Tyler gently chided. She turned and offered the bag to her mother and brother who happily accepted the treat.

  By the time the social worker and PA arrived, Tyler and the kids were deep into a game of hide and seek. Evy stayed with the mom, comforting and reassuring her. She and the mom couldn’t help but bend over with laughter when the kids tried to tackle Tyler. He had walked with the boy’s arms around his waist and the girl on his left leg trying to stop him from reaching safety. He fell to his knees and attempted to crawl the rest of the way with both kids on his back. Just when the kids screeched in anticipation of losing, he collapsed making them cry out in a loud victorious cheer followed by the boy dancing around the room and the girl bouncing up and down on his back. From his prone position on the floor, Tyler cast Evy a wink and a smile that captured her heart.

  The social worker and PA arrived just in time to see the end of the whole drama. They couldn’t believe their eyes when they found the man under the bouncing child to be the infamous Tyler Moriatti. They wasted no time exchanging information with Evy so that she could be on her way.

  “You can take them to building number two. Bethany is expecting you,” Evy instructed. The social worker nodded and assured Evy she would take good care of them.

  The instructions Evy gave didn’t escape Tyler. Shouldn’t the social worker be telling her where to send people, not the other way around? He had a feeling Evy was keeping more from him than what he had learned from Miguel today.

  ***

  Later That Night…

  Tyler and Evy were once again in her apartment on opposite ends of the couch. They had grabbed a pizza and a bottle of wine to consume at home. After eating, they both had showered, she in the master bath and he in the guest bath, and donned their pajamas. Tyler had packed an overnight bag just in case Evy allowed him to stay again. Now they sat with their feet up in each other’s lap, each giving the other a foot massage. It was well after midnight.

  “Umm, I can’t begin to tell you how good this feels,” Evy moaned.

  “Trust me. This is nothing in comparison to the way I want to make you feel.” That lust filled look came back to his eyes and a knowing grin spread across his face.

  “Tyler!” Evy gasped. Her cheeks started to heat up in reaction to his words. She was embarrassed by the sudden straining of her nipples against her night shirt
and the dampness she felt in her fresh underwear. “You really don’t have a problem speaking your mind, do you?”

  “Not when I know what I want. Come here.” His command was filled with desire.

  He reached for her, positioning her on top of him as he laid down flatter on the couch. Their lips came together, his tongue instantly invading her mouth. Evy shuddered at the feel of it, welcoming it as he moved it in and out of her mouth. She instinctively put her hands in his hair, running her fingers through the short silky waves. She loved the feel of it, of him as she let her weight settle into him. She could feel his erection growing against her groin as she lay on top of him, becoming more and more aroused by it.