Doing the only thing I could, I opened the car door and restrained her hands with one of mine, and leaned my body against hers to keep her still. “Calm down, baby. It’s me. Calm. It’s okay. Shhh.”
Slowly, she started to slow her breathing down. Her shivers, however, did not diminish. If anything, they got worse. “You’re okay, baby.”
“Ambulance is three minutes out.” Sam said from somewhere above me.
Turning my head towards the passenger window, I saw everyone there, looking extremely worried.
“I-it was h-him.” Winter whispered.
Not sure I heard her right, I asked, “Who was he?”
“The m-man.” Winter said desperately.
“Did you know him?” I asked quietly.
Her voice quivered. “Y-yes. H-he hurt m-me.”
“I know, baby. You’re okay though. Just a few bumps and bruises.”
I hoped.
“He took our baby away, Jack. That was the man who took you away from me. That was him.” She said right before she passed out.
Fear slithered down my spine like a cold snake. My eyes closed, and I leaned my forehead against Winter’s limp one.
I’d just gotten her back and there was no way on God’s green earth that anyone, or anything, was going to take this woman out of my life again. She was here to stay. Permanently. If anyone got in the way of that, I would take care of that person in a way that no one would ever think to hurt her again.
Fuck anything that got in my way.
***
Winter hissed at me, yanking the pillow I’d just put behind her back away and throwing it at me. “For the tenth freaking time, I’m okay!”
I caught the pillow quite easily, replaced it behind her back, then left the room. All the wives were in the room now, and I felt completely outnumbered, let alone uncomfortable.
I wasn’t used to having that many people around me at one time. I was a loner by nature and being in the same room with five very loud women made my heart palpitate.
“Call me if you need me.” I muttered and closed the door firmly behind me.
Kodiak barked at the door as soon as it closed, so I opened it back up and let him out before closing it again. He’d been depressed, just as I knew he’d be. However, having Winter back seemed to calm him down, but she was no substitute for Adam who’d been his friend for seven years.
Sitting down on the porch swing, I chugged the last half of my beer before tossing it in the barrel beside me. The glass hit with a ding, and then shattered. That was about how my mood was right now. Shattered.
Kodiak showed no reaction to the sound, only collapsed at my feet.
Winter was pronounced well in the ER. Other than a few stitches on her chin from a piece of glass cutting it, she’d been very lucky.
They’d told us that stress was what made her pass out and damned if I didn’t believe that. That woman of mine was lucky to be alive. Especially after checking the vehicle out, and finding three bullets embedded in the headrest of her seat.
She’d been lucky that she had a DVD player attached to the head rest from when she watched Cheyenne’s kids the previous week. She’d forgotten to return it, and it saved her life.
Boots scraping against gravel warned me of someone’s approach. Seconds after the sound, Max walked up and took a seat by my side. He had Harleigh asleep in his arms and offered her to me with raised brows. I accepted, and curled the baby against my chest.
At a year old, she was still the size of a much smaller baby. She was perfect though. Unzipping my jacket, I tucked her little body in tight against mine and then zipped it back up. Max laughed, but didn’t comment.
Taking the blanket he was still holding out to me, I covered up her little face so just her nose peeked out. It was colder than balls out tonight, and I didn’t want her getting too cold.
“Winter was pregnant when she was attacked. She lost the baby when she was three months along.” I murmured to Max and then kissed the top of Harleigh’s head.
He stayed silent. I didn’t know if it was because he didn’t know what to say, or he thought I just needed him to be silent. I was grateful nonetheless. I didn’t need any sympathy. I just needed to get some of this shit off my chest.
“I fucked up. I stopped looking for her. Then when she freaking found me, I didn’t look into the person that took her away from me in the first place. Or, at least, not hard enough. What the fuck was I thinking?” I kept my voice quiet so I didn’t wake Harleigh.
“You were thinking that you were glad to have your wife back.” He said in a deep solemn voice.
Harleigh stirred in my arms at the sound of her father’s voice, but I patted her butt and pushed the swing with my booted foot. “Yeah. The cameras couldn’t get anything from the plates. They were slicked with mud, covering half of the numbers.”
“Whoever he is, is going to fuck up one of these days, and we’ll catch him. In the meantime, you know exactly what you need to do.”
“Fuck.”
“My sentiments exactly.”
“Mind watching her while I go check out the grounds?” He asked.
I snorted.
He took the non-answer for what it was and left me. I rocked with Harleigh for nearly thirty minutes before Winter came out to check on me. She smiled when she saw Harleigh and gave me a kiss before heading back inside. Max showed fifteen minutes later and collected Payton and Harleigh before going home.
The other ladies departed shortly after and I found myself alone with Winter again.
She brought her huge comforter off the bed and cocooned herself in it before dropping down into my arms. I held her close, smelling the green apple shampoo she used. Running my lips along her forehead, I reveled in each breath she took.
“You scared the absolute shit out of me today.” I said quietly.
“I scared myself.”
“We’ll find him. Don’t worry.”
“I’m not. You’re my dream catcher. I know you’d do everything in you power to make sure I never worry again.”
“Right.” I croaked.
Chapter 11
If one door closes and another suddenly opens… your house is probably haunted.
-T-shirt
Winter
I felt the change in the air as soon as he entered the gym where I was working out. He walked straight for the parallel bars and started doing leg lifts that showed off his rock hard abs. Sweat dripped slowly down the toned ridges of his chest and disappeared into the waistband of his boxer briefs. His shorts rode just under the waistband of his underwear, and I just about drooled when I thought about licking along that line.
His chest and abs were free of ink, but his newest acquisition that spanned from his left wrist to his lower back on the right side popped with color. The design itself started at his left shoulder. It was an eagle. Its wingspan went down his left arm, and flowed down his back at a diagonal angle to his right hip. The feathers of the eagle were colored in with red, white, and blue.
There was also lettering in between the feathers that was written in his grandfather’s native tongue. Cherokee was a beautiful language when written down. All flowing letters and beautiful bold lettering. He told me the poem was about strength, honor, and courage. He also said he’d been thinking about getting it since his friend died a few years back, while on a mission.
The tattoo had taken multiple visits to the tattoo parlor to finish, but the product was flawless. A perfect memorial.
I’d never met Dougie, but I knew I loved him. He’d watched over my husband for five years. Kept him alive for me. When Dougie died, it’d really torn Jack up. He’d lost so much in his twenty-seven years, and Dougie’s death had brought up the feelings of losing someone he loved all over again.
He told me about Dougie the first time when I met Kayla, the little five year old who was absolutely the cutest kid on earth. Jack said she was the spitting image of Dougie, with the long, curly dirty blonde hair and pasty
white skin. He just wished she didn’t have to grow up without her daddy.
Each of the members of Free tried their hardest to make the little girl feel welcome. Each man acted as a substitute father, and would continue to do so forever. They loved her like one of their own.
“Switch!” The trainer boomed over the speakers.
Today was a particularly grueling workout, and I was about to fall over and die. Not that I would let that happen with Jack around to witness my embarrassment. Handing the focus paddle to my partner, we went through another round of imagining the instructor’s face as we slapped the focus paddle with every ounce of strength we posessed.
“Whew boy, he is fine!” A large black woman said from the step to my right.
I agreed silently, but continued with my turn. My lungs were burning and my legs ached from running in between sets.
The woman was absolutely hilarious. We’d been complaining for nearly an hour now about how hard the trainer was being on us today.
“Bom-chicka-wa-wow.” She said shaking her butt.
I turned in the direction her eyes were focused on and smiled. Jack had moved to the stair climber. Now you could see the tattoo. You could also see the muscles in his back and legs bunch and contract with each revolution.
No matter how mad at him I was, I never stopped wanting to jump on his cock and ride him like a cowgirl taming a bronco. Even though he hadn’t let me have a moment’s peace, I knew he was doing it for me. He didn’t want anything to happen to me, and for that to happen, he went everywhere that I went. Or someone did when he couldn’t. It’s just that it’d been over a month and a half now, and I was just plain over it.
“That,” I said panting for breath. “is my husband.
“Damn.” She said in a dejected tone.
That’s right people; he’s all mine.
“Alright everyone,” The trainer yelled. “Have a great weekend. See y’all Monday!”
As I went to grab my phone and water, I saw some chick that looked immaculately perfect walk in the direction of Jack. Her hair didn’t have one single strand out of place. Her boobs were perky and beautifully arranged in her halter workout tank. Her tight black capri pants displayed her beautiful lower half as well.
“What the hell is she even doing here? She’s done. Get the fuck out so the rest of us don’t have to look at your perfect body.” I mumbled.
“Amen.” The lady I’d been goofing off with during the workout agreed.
“What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Cookie.” She smiled.
“See you next week, Cookie!” I said and took off towards Jack.
Rounding the gate that separated the basketball court from the gym, I saw that the woman’s hand was resting on Jack’s bicep. She smiled, flicked her hair over her shoulder and started blabbing about not seeing him in forever.
“Laura.” He nodded curtly.
Understanding dawned, and I moved to Jack’s side. “Good workout?” I asked Laura.
Her frown told me she wasn’t very happy with this newest development. Apparently I was standing too close to her prey. “And who are you?”
Jack pulled me tight against his glistening body and I grimaced. Sweat wasn’t so bad when it wasn’t pouring from you in rivulets. When two people were both doing it at the same time, it was really quite gross. I didn’t move, however.
“This is my wife, Winter. Winter,” He said gesturing with his head. “This is Laura. She works with Cheyenne and Payton.”
“Nice to meet you.” Not.
Her mouth gaped open in surprise.
Cookie laughed as she passed and saw Laura’s expression. “It’s okay, honey. I think everyone’s heart is smashed into pieces.” She said, gesturing to all the woman who were loitering and none too obviously staring.
“We went on a date a few weeks ago.” She finally said.
Jack sighed. “That wasn’t a date. That was a ‘you happened to be there when I was’ situation. And it’s been nearly two months now.”
Fury overtook her features. “But you said you’d see me some time! If I’d known you had an ugly, fat wife I would have left you alone!”
Jack took a threatening step forward, but I stopped him. “Have you ever heard the term ‘more cushion for the pushin’?”
Her lip curled in a snarl. “No, actually I have not. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to find a bathroom.”
“Going to poopsterbate?” I asked sweetly and fluttering my eyes.
She stopped and turned. “What, exactly, does that mean?”
“You know, when you poop and masturbate at the same time.”
Jack was going crazy behind me, trying to hold in his laughs. Cookie wasn’t, however. She was bent over wheezing wiping tears from her eyes as she walked out the door.
“That’s just sick,” Laura said with an upturned nose before walking off.
“Poopsterbating?” Jack asked.
I smiled. I’d learned that one from my Word a Day calendar, dirty edition, just yesterday.
“Let’s go. I need a shower. My breasts are sliding against each other, and it feels disgusting.”
Jack finally looked down to verify that my boobs were, indeed, sweating. Then his eyes took on that lustful look he gets when he’s thinking naughty things. “We could always go take care of that.”
My womb clenched at his words and the heat in his eyes. Heat pooled in my core, and I was ready with just the husky sound of his voice. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You have to be at work in an hour to do a parts run, remember?” I said hoarsely.
I was trying to keep him on track, but the hand he used to bring me closer to his body was perilously close to my breast. If he tried, he could use the pad of his thumb to rub my nipple easily. When my body made contact with his, I could feel the hard ridge of his cock digging into my crotch.
“You should probably walk behind me when we leave. I don’t want Laura to get a look at that big cock of yours.” I teased with a twist of my hips.
Breath hissed into his lungs, and I suddenly found myself turned and herded towards the men’s locker room. However, when we got there, there was a sign that said it was being cleaned, and to give the custodian ten minutes.
I snickered when I saw the look of dismay on his face. Then his eyes turned positively jovial as he turned me and pushed into the women’s locker room. I rolled my eyes, but I was just as ready for him as he was for me. I didn’t really care if we had to fuck in front of them at this point either.
Who was I kidding? I was a prude. I definitely wouldn’t have done it in front of them, but it was a nice thought. Pulling my hand in protest, he stopped and pressed me up against some of the lockers before silencing my protest with his lips.
After pillaging my mouth with his tongue, he pulled away and stared into my eyes. His green eyes bore into mine as he said, “Shhh.”
My mouth hung open like a gaping hole as he ground into me. I glanced around the locker room, but didn’t see anyone. I did hear them, though. They were most likely in the sauna, which was on the opposite side of the locker room with a hot tub right next to it.
Slowly, Jack leaned back until he was sure I was steady on my feet, and then took my hand again, leading me into one of the dressing rooms. Once the latch slid home, I found myself turned and pressed face first against the smooth tile of the wall.
The tile was a sharp contrast compared to the overheated skin of my chest and face. “I’m going to fuck you right here. You’re going to be a good girl and keep your mouth shut. Got it?” He rasped as his lips ran the length of my neck.
His hands yanked my pants down my legs to knee level. Just as I felt his hard cock press up against the length of my ass, a gaggle of women poured into the surrounding locker room.
“That was a hard class, Cindy!” One woman exclaimed.
Jack’s cock found its way between my legs to where it was sandwiched in between both of my thighs. I pressed my butt out further
to give him more room, and he yanked the shirt down that was holding my breasts in place, making them bounce free. I gasped at the suddenness of it, and then clamped my teeth shut when his rough fingers plucked both of my nipples.
“That’s spin class for you! Want to come again on Thursday?” Cindy asked.
I ignored the voices as best I could, and concentrated on the feel of my nipples being rolled between his thumb and forefinger. Not being able to stand it any longer, my hand drifted down my stomach and into my folds.
Jack’s cock head bumped into my fingers as he worked himself between my slippery folds. Just from the feel of it, I could tell that he was coated in my juices, and would slide in deep with his first thrust with little resistance.
Dipping into my soaked core, I gathered up my wetness on two fingers, and then moved to my clit. My clit was swollen and tender when my fingers finally found it. My head fell back against Jack’s shoulder as my mouth opened on a moan.
“You okay, Donna?” Cindy asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine, why?” Donna wondered.
“Nothing, just thought I heard a groan.”
Just as I got my first good rotation in on my clit, my hand was ripped away, and my fingers found their way between Jack’s lips. He sucked them hard and deep before lapping at the juices with his tongue.
My fingers left his mouth with a pop, and he whispered, “Step out of your shoes.”
I did as instructed, toeing off each shoe with the other foot. Cupping my sex, he pressed the head of his cock firmly against my nub, and I about lost it. Letting go, his hand ran down the length of my thigh before hooking his hand underneath my right leg and opened it wide.
Cool air kissed my overheated folds, and I shivered.
“Put my cock in you.” He growled against my ear.
Shivering again, I did as instructed. Reaching between my legs, I positioned the head of his cock at my opening, and then tilted my hips to give him easier access.
Needing no further help, Jack buried himself deep in one hard thrust. Pulling out, he reentered me again with the same swiftness of the first. I was panting, trying my hardest to be quiet, but I wasn’t so sure I would be able to keep it together for long.
Last Day of My Life Page 13