by A. L Long
“Sabrina, you need to tell me now what happened. Whether you like it or not, I just became involved,” he asserted.
Taking a deep breath, I began explaining. “I was dating a guy I met my senior year in college. He was really nice. Anyway, I found out what he was really like. He got jealous when he saw me talking to a guy. He wouldn’t let me explain that I was only giving him directions. I thought that everything was fine until we got back to his place and he began whaling on me. I ended up in the hospital. I filed charges against him, which only landed him in the military. I thought he was done with me until he began harassing me a couple of months ago. I guess the weight of a restraining order means nothing to him.”
“I wish you would have let me know, Sabrina. I could have made sure this wouldn’t have happened to you,” Cop said, rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand.
“I know I should have. I just thought he would never come after me again.”
“I know you aren’t going to like what I have to say, but I think it might be a good idea if you didn’t go to your condo,” Cop began, stopping as he looked over to my reaction. “Sabrina, he knows where you live, and since he only sees the restraining order as a useless piece of paper, you would be safer with me at my place until he can be brought in.”
I knew that Cop was right. I would be stupid not to listen to him. I was done getting the shit knocked out of me. Nodding my head, I said, “Maybe it would be safer if I didn’t go back to my place, at least until I can find a different place to live.”
“Good. The nurse said that they want you to stay here overnight, just for observation. Your lucky you didn’t end up with a concussion or broken ribs,” Cop said as he stood to pull his phone from his pocket. “I’m going to get in touch with Peter and let him know what happened. I want to find this motherfucker before the cops do.”
As Cop left to make his call to Peter, I kept thinking about what he said. He was probably right. My situation could have turned out a lot worse than it did. It made me wonder why Sean didn’t just lay into me like he did the last time.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Cop
Seeing Sabrina lying on the floor helpless, bloodied the way she was, just about made me lose all control. I could feel my chest tighten as my throat began to contract. Her lying there reminded me so much of Sarah. Only with Sarah, I was too late. Looking back at that day, the reason we had fought and I stormed out of the apartment was so stupid. Who even cared if she wanted my father to be at the wedding and I didn’t? After all, he was the only family I had even though we weren’t on the best of terms at the time. One thing about Sarah, she always saw the best in everybody. Even though I knew she could do better, she reminded me everyday that I was a good person and that one day I would make a difference in the world. Even though I didn’t love her I still miss her.
Pushing back my thoughts, I began to focus on the matter at hand, Sabrina. I would never be able to understand why she would choose to get beat up instead of telling me about her ex. No man should ever lay a hand on a woman. In my book, they deserved to be removed from God’s green earth and put somewhere where the sun never shined.
After a long conversation with Peter and getting his commitment to help me find Sean Bishop, I went back to Sabrina’s room to check up on her. Opening the door, I could see that she had fallen asleep. Even with her face busted up the way it was, she was still the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen. Closing the door quietly, I headed out of the hospital to meet up with Peter to talk about a plan to find Mr. Bishop. I knew the best way to find him was to get back to the office and search our data base for police records pertaining to him. I hated leaving Sabrina, but I knew she would be safe in the hospital. I also knew the sooner I got the information I needed, the sooner I could make my way back to her.
When I pulled up to the shop, all the guys were already here. Turning off my truck, I headed inside. Just like always, Hawk was shooting pool with Sly while the rest of the guys were cleaning equipment. I didn’t see Peter, but knew he was here also. Making my way to the back of the shop, I peeked my head inside Peter’s office, finding him on the phone while typing something on his computer.
Resting my worn body on the chair in front of his desk, I waited for him to finish his call. As I waited, thoughts kept rushing in my head. All I could think about was making Sean the scumbag motherfucker pay for what he did to Sabrina. I could feel my hands tighten around the metal armrests of my chair. I was clutching them so hard, I was surprised that they didn’t snap in two. Peter must have seen my anger as he ended his call.
“Cop,” he said, trying to pull me from my angry thoughts.
“Yeah, I know,” I replied.
“I just got off the phone with Richard’s friend at the NYPD. He shared some information about Sean Bishop with me that could help us in locating him,” Peter advised.
“What kind of information?” I knew whatever he had wasn’t going to be good.
“Mr. Bishop has been in and out of trouble since the age of thirteen. His record starts with assault on a teacher, where he was sent to juvie for thirteen months. From there he got into even more trouble with gang members and dealers.”
“If that’s the case, I don’t understand how he and Brie ever crossed paths. She said they met in college. With his background, it doesn’t make sense that he would be going to college,” I said, confused.
“That does seem uncharacteristic of a gang member and drug dealer. Let me see what I can come up with. In the mean time, we will do whatever we need to keep Sabrina safe. It may not hurt to look into her past and see if there is any other connection to him other than their college relationship,” Peter said.
“Let me handle that part. I don’t want her to think I don’t trust her. I know something is going on with her other than her ex. Whatever it is, it needs to be handled very delicately.”
~****~
Heading back to the hospital, I couldn’t help but think about what Peter said. I just couldn’t image that Sabrina had any ties to Sean Bishop before college. I knew that something triggered her panic attack last week. I had a hard time believing that it had to do with her relationship with Sean and his attack on her when they were in college, especially since it sounded like she hadn’t been intimate with him.
When I got to Sabrina’s room, she wasn’t in her bed. My heart began to tighten thinking about all the things that could have happened here. Just as I was about to find out where she went, I could see an orderly coming this way pushing her on a narrow transportation bed. I moved out of the way so that he could maneuver inside her room. I was just about to offer my assistance in getting her back in her hospital bed when another orderly showed up. Even though I knew they were only doing their jobs, I got the feeling they were enjoying their jobs a little more than they should have.
Walking over to her bed, I could see the concern on her face. It wasn’t because of her own, it was because of mine. Like a book, it was written all over my face. Breaking our contact, I turned and pulled the vacant chair closer to her bed. I knew that she was watching my every move. I needed to say something to break the discomfort I was feeling. “So where did they take you?”
“For some more tests. If I am to get out of here tomorrow, they wanted to make sure everything is okay,” she said.
“Well, at least they are taking good care of my girl.” I wasn’t sure what caused me to call Brie ‘my girl,’ but she was, at least where I stood with her.
“Your girl, huh,” she said unsure.
“Yeah, at least I like to think you are,” I replied as I took hold of her hand.
I didn’t think a situation could have gotten any more awkward. Brie pulled her hand from mine. It was as if she was not only disapproving my declaration, she also confirmed that she didn’t want to have any part of what I just said. Being the coward that I was, I stood from my seat and bent over to kiss her on the forehead. “It’s getting late and you need your rest. I’ll be back in the morning.�
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When she didn’t say anything, I turned and left the room. I wished I could take back what I said, but I couldn’t. She may not have felt the same way I did. I wanted her to know that I wanted to take things a step further with her. She was like no other woman I had ever met. Even when I left on the mission to Mexico, all I could think about was her. Then when I saw her in the sexy black dress at Thrive, I knew exactly what I wanted.
~****~
Reaching the comfort of my home, I pulled my truck in the garage. The first thing that I needed to do was make sure that everything would be ready for Sabrina tomorrow. Walking to my office, I booted up my computer and clicked on my surveillance app. I wanted to make sure everything was working properly. It appeared that it was. All the cameras were aimed at the right position and the images were all clear. After what had happened to Sarah, I had the security system installed. I never thought my home would be targeted, since it was far enough away from the city and off of the main road. To this day, I still believe the men who broke in and took her life were here for one thing, her. My efforts in finding her killer went cold. Nothing led to why they would have been after her. Even though we weren’t in love, I felt it was my duty as a gentleman to do the right thing. After all, she was carrying my unborn son. Every time I think about it, my heart dies, knowing I would never have the chance to meet the little man.
~****~
I got to the hospital a little later than I had wanted to. When I stepped into Sabrina’s room, the nurse was just finishing up with the discharge papers. I could tell by the look on Sabrina’s face that she was ready to get out of this sterile environment. I was glad when another nurse showed up a short time later with a wheelchair. The tension between us could have been cut with a knife. I needed to talk to her about yesterday and get some clarification. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable around me.
As I help her into the truck, I could tell she was struggling to keep back the pain that was being inflicted on her body as she tried to step up on the running board. Knowing that she was in pain, I stepped up behind her and gently lifted her into the truck. With a half smile she said, “Thank you. I’m still a little sore.”
“I guess I’m going to have to park the truck for a while,” I confessed.
When she didn’t respond, I closed the door and rounded the front of the truck and got in behind the wheel. I heard her slight moan of discomfort as she tried to buckle herself in. “Are you okay?” I asked with concern.
“Yeah, just a little sore.”
Giving her a reassuring wink, I put the truck in drive and said, “Let’s get out of here and get you home.”
By the way she looked at me, I must have said something wrong again. It was only after I began driving that it hit me what I said, “home.” It wasn’t meant to throw her off. I guess I should have said cabin. Needless to say, I kept my thoughts to myself the rest of the drive. I was glad that Sabrina fell asleep five minutes into our drive to my place. It gave me time to think even more about the situation. I knew Peter and the guys were doing everything possible to find Sean Bishop, but it still wasn’t enough.
Just as I pulled up to the cabin, Sabrina began to stir. I reached over and rubbed her cheek gently and said, “We’re here.”
“The pain medication they gave me really knocked me out. I have never been so tired,” she said, as she tried to move to a more comfortable position.
“Well, let’s get inside and you can rest.”
Nodding her head, she unbuckled her seatbelt and reached over to open the door. I hurried out of the truck so I could assist her out. The last thing I wanted was for her to endure any more than what was absolutely necessary. Before her feet hit the dirt, I had her in my arms carrying her up the stone path to the front door. Holding on to her tightly, I reached in my pocket for the key. Once we were inside, I punched in the code to disarm the security. This was another feature I was glad I had installed.
Holding on to Sabrina, I was loving the way she felt in my arms. This was something that I could definitely get used to. I kept going back and forth on whether or not it would be a good idea to lay her down on my bed or put her in the guest bedroom. The last thing that I wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable. As much as my body wanted her near me, my common sense took over and led me to the guest room, where I gently placed her on the bed. Removing her shoes, I pulled the soft blanket draped across the end of the bed and covered her with it. The minute she was covered, she tucked her hands under her cheek and closed her eyes. Everything about her was making my dick hard. I knew I had to leave before I crawled into bed beside her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sabrina
Waking up in the darkness, I couldn’t believe how much my body ached. Even though it wasn’t as bad as the last time, it was bad enough that I had a hard time moving. Looking around, my surroundings were unfamiliar, but I knew that I was at Cop’s place. I must have been in the guest bedroom. What I knew for sure was that I needed to pee and there wasn’t a bathroom in the room that he placed me in. Struggling, I used everything I had, took in a deep breath and lifted my body from the bed. Once I was standing, it took me a moment to get my bearings in order to walk to the bedroom door. Step by slow step, I managed to make it to the door. Turning the handle, I looked down the hallway and spotted an open door. Making my way in that direction, each step was becoming more and more painful, but I had to pee more than anything. “God, I hope that is the door to the bathroom,” I said to myself as I gritted my teeth with each miserable step.
Finally, my efforts paid off as I sat on the cold surface of the toilet and relieved myself. I was so desperate to get to the bathroom that I neglected to lock the door. I could hear Cop’s voice calling for me. The last thing I wanted was for him to open the door and see me in not one of my finer moments. Yelling at him so he would stop searching, I called, “I’m in the bathroom, be out in a sec.” When I didn’t hear a reply, I assumed that he had already left to look for me elsewhere. It was only after he opened the door that I found out my assumption was wrong. Trying to cover myself the best I could, I grabbed the plush towel off of the towel bar and covered my lower body. “Hey, you could have at least knocked,” I said, feeling my cheeks become flush with embarrassment.
“I didn't even know you were in here. Typically a person turns on the light before they sit on the throne,” he admitted as he switched the light on.
“Yeah, well, I really had to go,” I confessed. “Could you please leave so I can finish with a little dignity?”
As soon as Cop left, I finished my business. It was much easier getting to the bathroom, then leaving. Grabbing hold of the counter and the handle on the shower, which I didn’t notice before because the lights were off, I lifted my body from the toilet. Now I knew why the hospital insisted on having a high rise seat placed in the bathroom. Not as far to lower yourself.
As I left the bathroom Cop was waiting for me outside the door. He must have seen how much pain I was in by the look on my face, because his arms were around me lifting my body off the floor. Wrapping my arms around him without hesitation, I said, “Thank you.”
Cop eased me back onto the bed and made sure I was comfortable. The ideal situation would have been to be in my comfortable pajamas, instead of the jeans and t-shirt I arrived at the hospital in. Looking down at my attire, Cop said, “I sent one of the guys to pick up a few things at your condo and check on Oliver. If you would like, I can help you to at least get out of your jeans so you are somewhat comfortable.”
“I really would be more comfortable,” I said as I began undoing the buttons on my jeans.
I may have made a mistake in allowing Cop to help me. The touch of his hands on my body sent a tingling sensation down my body to the apex of my sex. Just like before, all I could think about was feeling him. Looking up at me, I knew he could feel what I was thinking. Gliding his hands up my body, he slowly caressed my skin, careful not to touch my bruised areas. His touch was s
o tender that it was driving me crazy with desire. I wanted this man more than anything. Placing my hand on his arm, I followed his movements, letting him know that I didn’t want him to stop. Changing his position, he placed his body next to mine while still stimulating my senses with his touch. It was only when his lips captured mine that my true desire for this man emerged. The minty taste of his mouth pressed to mine, set my body on fire. I wanted him so bad at this moment that it didn’t matter that my body hurt. What mattered more was the way he was making me feel.
Cop’s hands slowly began moving down my side until they reached the waistband of my jeans. With a slight tug, he began gently lowering my jeans down my legs. It took everything I had to not just kick the damn things off. I knew that If I wanted more, I couldn’t let him know the amount of pain I was actually in. The pain pill I had gotten at the hospital was beginning to wear off, but every tender touch of his hand somehow soothed the pain away.