by Brooks, Anna
“Oh, honey.” She laughs. “He’s going to like it . . . probably too much.”
I follow her out and we catch a cab to downtown. The area looks familiar to me, but I don’t remember where everything is. I’m so absorbed in taking in my surroundings that I don’t notice when the cab stops. Kelsey has to tug on my arm to get my attention.
“We’re here.”
“Sorry.”
“I thought we could go to a pizza place. Split a deep dish? We’ll need the sustenance.”
“That sounds great.”
After we’re seated in the fifties-style diner, I ask her if she grew up in Chicago.
“Yup. Did you?”
“Yeah. I’ve never lived anywhere else.”
“You guys grew up near here?”
I nod and take a sip of my water. “We did.”
“He’s a great guy.”
My hackles rise, and I sit up straighter in my seat. “I know.”
She takes in my defensive posture and laughs. “You really don’t need to worry about that with me. I have my own drama. I don’t need or want another man in my life.”
“I’m sorry.” I take a deep breath and wait until the waiter brings our pizza before finishing. “I don’t know what Brandon has told you about me.”
“Nothing. Just that you guys grew up together. Now you’re his woman.” She ends in a deep voice, mocking him.
I laugh and take a bite of my pizza. “Damn, this is good.”
“I know, right?”
Thankfully, the rest of the meal goes smoothly. I feel like an idiot for getting so defensive, but at the same time, I just got him back. If I need to fight for him, I will.
“You ready to get your dance on?” Kelsey asks me as we walk in the crowded club with our arms linked together.
“I don’t know about that.” I haven’t danced since my senior year in high school at the prom. With Brandon. Twelve years ago.
“How about some liquid courage?”
“Yes!”
* * *
“Hands off, asshole.” I push another drunk guy away and roll my eyes.
Kelsey laughs and circles around me on the dance floor. “Aww. You’re gonna make the poor kid cry.”
“Seriously. Is this how all clubs are? Loud music and drunk guys who think they can grab whatever T and A they feel like?”
“Pretty much.”
“Maybe I really am too old for this.”
I start to walk away, but she grabs my hand. “No. Stay. Forget about the idiots. Dance and have fun. Ignore them.”
Aside from the unwanted attention, I’m having a blast with Kelsey. My feet are sore from dancing so much, but who knew I liked dancing? The club is dark except for the flashing colored lights. Pop music blares through the speakers, and I even recognize a country song or two mixed in.
“Okay!” I yell over the thumping bass and raise my arms, rolling my hips to the beat.
Bodies grind and the DJ mixes on a balcony. Booths line the circular club and the entire center is opened for dancing. The floor changes colors, from red to purple, to pink and back again. I get lost in the sights and sounds, an unfamiliar feeling, not being attuned to every single thing going on around me. Another four songs play before she grabs my arm and drags me off the dance floor. “I’m thirsty.”
“Me, too.”
We both order water from the bar and sit at our table.
“Are you having fun?” Kelsey asks me.
“I am. But honestly, I don’t think it’s something I want to do all the time.”
She laughs. “It’s not really my thing, either.”
“What is your thing?” I lean back in the chair and wait for her answer.
Aside from just having fun with a girlfriend, I really am enjoying getting to know her. She’s a free spirit; she should have grown up in the seventies. Even her long, straight brown hair, bell-bottom jeans, and off-the-shoulder peasant top fit the description.
“Art.”
“Your thing is art?”
“Yup. I paint, sculpt, and even dabble in photography.”
I take another sip of water. “What do you do for work?”
“Art.” She laughs. “I have an online store. Plus, I sell to some galleries around town.”
“That’s cool. I’ll have to look at your stuff.”
“Really?” She sits up and looks surprised.
“Of course.”
Her head bobs and she grins. “Wanna dance some more?”
I let out an exaggerated breath and roll my eyes. “Fine. Only because you’re forcing me.”
I’m not too familiar with pop music. I’ve always liked country. But that doesn’t stop me from singing along. Most of these songs repeat the same five words over and over anyway. I can’t even tell how many more songs have played, and they begin to blend. Sweat coats my body, a flush covers Kelsey’s cheeks, and her hair is damp. We look a mess, but we’re having fun. God, I’m having so much fun.
A pair of arms wraps around me from behind, and Kelsey’s eyes widen.
“Hands off.” I repeat the phrase for the seventy-fifth time tonight.
When said hands only get tighter, I grab at them to no avail.
“Your man let you outta the house like this?”
My body melts at the familiar gravelly voice in my ear.
“He wasn’t home when I left. Do you think he’ll like it?”
He grunts and raises my arms, and I interlock my fingers behind his head, forcing my chest to stick out.
“I think he’d approve.” His fingers trail down the inside of my bare arms and cause chills to form in their wake. I removed the sweater as soon as we walked into the stuffy club. “But I also think he’d be a little pissed off knowing all these fuckers’ eyes have been on you all night.”
His palms rest flat on the front of my hipbones, and he pulls me into him. His hard length sits right on my back end, and I shamelessly grind against him, remembering how good it felt when he touched me there.
Brandon’s responding growl spurs me on even more, and I turn in his arms and lean up to kiss him.
He rests his forehead against mine, panting. “I need to be inside you.”
I nod. “Take me home.”
He grips my hips and presses me against him one more time. “Fuck,” he growls and starts to walk away.
“Wait! Kelsey.”
She’s still in the same spot and I tug on her arm. “Ready to go? Brandon’ll take us.”
“No. You go. I’m fine. I’ll catch a cab.”
“Come with us, Kelsey,” Brandon tells her. “It’s not safe to be riding around at one in the morning by yourself.”
Her dancing halts for a minute and she puts her hands on her hips. “I’m fine. Won’t be the first time I’ve taken a cab home. Seriously, go.” She pushes both of us away, but Brandon doesn’t budge.
He shakes his head. “I don’t like leaving you here alone.”
“I’m fine! Go!” she yells over the music.
“Call me if you have any problems. In fact, text me when you get home. Otherwise, I’ll be worried something happened.”
“Okay, Dad.” She turns around and fades into the crowd.
Before tonight, getting to really know her, I would be defensive about their relationship. But Brandon has always had that protective streak in him and I’m glad a young woman who lives alone has someone to look out for her.
I trail behind him as he makes a path for us to get off the crowded dance floor. I point him in the direction of our table and grab my coat. “I need to use the bathroom.”
He nods and leads the way again. I step inside and have to squint at the bright lights. Once they’re adjusted, I freshen up and open the door to some blond chick trying to hit on him. Figures. I don’t ever worry about him being unfaithful; it’s not something that’s ever crossed my mind with him. He’s not even looking at her. When he sees me, he pushes off the wall, takes my hand, and leads me out a side door.
As soon as we get in the fresh air, he walks with me around the corner and slams me against the cold brick wall, his hand supporting my head. It’s March in Chicago, so it’s cold. But with how hot he makes me, it feels like I’m in the middle of a desert.
“You look fuckin’ hot, babe.” He lifts me by my butt, and my legs wrap around him. “One day I’m gonna take you in nothing but these boots.”
His hand fists my hair and the other goes under my shirt. His fingers push away the fabric and pinch my nipple.
I pull back and try to catch my breath. “I’ve never been fucked against a building.” That’d be something to add to my list.
He growls and sets me down then looks around. His breath fogs in the cool air, and he shakes his head. “Not here. I’ll fuck you against the wall at home but not out here.” He begins to pull me away, but a scream makes us freeze.
“Let go of me, asshole!” We both whisper, “Kelsey,” at the same time and begin to run in the direction of her voice.
“Get behind me, Mary.” I do as he says and grip the back of his leather jacket as he stealthily moves us toward the commotion.
“Bitch. Where’s my fucking money?”
“I told you I don’t have it,” she pleads. “Let me go; you’re hurting me.”
We round the corner, and I peek around Brandon but wish I hadn’t. The moon shines brightly, so we have a great view. The man raises his arm and swings it down, punching Kelsey in the temple. Her body falls and her head hits the pavement, the red that splatters from her an eerie contrast to the white snow.
Everything goes in slow motion. Brandon reaches down and pulls out a gun, his voice more commanding than I’ve ever heard, shouting at the man. The man, lifting his arm and pointing a gun at Brandon. The arms that hold me tight and make me feel safe push me back so hard I fall into the snow, and Brandon lands on top of me. I pinch my eyes together, and then hear a single gunshot.
Chapter 19
Brandon
“Fuck. You all right, baby? Are you hurt?” I roll off Mary and run my hands along her body, checking for wounds.
She nods her head. “I’m fine. Are you?”
I help her up, and we run to Kelsey instead of going after the fucker who took a shot at me, because I know he’ll be long gone. I kneel down and pull my phone out to call it in. While giving directions and a rundown of what happened, I check Kelsey over and make sure not to move her too much. SShe's alive, but has a nasty cut on the side of her head that's gushing blood and probably a concussion. Her eyes roll open, and she moans.
“Don’t move, Kels. An ambulance is on the way,” I tell her, taking off my jacket and covering her shivering body.
Mary digs through her purse and takes out some tissues, applying pressure to the cut on Kelsey’s head. She flinches, but Mary tries to soothe her. “Sorry. I know it hurts, but I’m trying to stop the bleeding.”
I get up and jog down the alley, looking for any sign of the prick. Behind me, a crowd starts to gather around the girls so I head back to them, ordering everyone to stay back.
Fire and medics arrive at the same time as a couple of police squads pull up to the rear of the alley. The officers assess the situation and put their guns away then walk over to us. I give them a statement, keeping an eye on Kelsey as they strap her to a backboard and load her into the ambulance.
“I’m going with her,” Mary states, already trying to pull away from me.
I grab her arm. “No. I’ll take you.”
“I want—”
“And I want you with me.” My tone leaves no room for argument, and I glance over her shoulder at the ambulance.
“You know where to find me if you need anything else,” I tell the officers and walk with my arm around Mary to my car. “You sure you’re okay? You’re not hurt?”
“I’m fine,” she answers. “It was scary, but I’m okay.”
“Did you get a look at the guy?”
“Not really. I mean, I saw a man, but he had his hood up, and I didn’t get a look at his face with his back to us. Then when you pushed me, I lost sight of him.”
I nod, pissed off as fuck. I couldn’t get a good shot off, and it was either protect her or shoot him, so I chose the former. At least I was there this time. That was always my biggest regret, not being there.
“Did you?” she asks.
“Did I what?”
“See his face?”
“Yeah.” I saw it, all right. And it’s burned into my memory.
“I hope Kelsey’s going to be okay.”
“Me, too.”
She sets her hand on my arm. “It’s a good thing you were there, otherwise who knows what could have happened.”
I grunt in response. My thoughts exactly. Kelsey could have been kidnapped or left for dead. The alley was deserted. It would have been easy for him to finish what he started with nobody knowing. Stupid. It was fucking stupid for us to leave her there alone. I knew better.
Mary’s hand slides down onto mine, and I squeeze it, probably too hard, but she doesn’t complain. I park by the emergency room, and after flashing my badge, personnel give the room number where Kelsey is. We walk silently to her room, and I peek in. Doctors are working on her and nurses run around, doing everything they can to make sure she’s going to be okay.
“They’re working on her now. Let’s get some coffee and check back later. We’ll know more then.”
She sits in a booth while I grab some tar-looking liquid and a couple of snacks. I take a sip of my coffee before eating my candy bar in two bites. I look over at her with the intention of asking if she wants anything else, but the sight of her sitting across from me, with one lone tear falling down her face, makes the chocolate in my mouth taste like dirt, and I force myself to swallow it.
I scoot next to her and wrap my arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. “Shh. It’s okay.”
“Scott held his gun up just like that when he shot your dad. I watched him.” Her voice is empty. “And I froze then. Not able to scream . . . warn him. I did it again tonight. I just stood there.”
“Mary, don’t—”
“What is wrong with me?”
I hold her face in my hands, wishing I could take some of the torment in her eyes away. “There is nothing wrong with you. Nothing. I have training on how to react; it’s my job. It was Dad’s job. Most people don’t know what to do when somebody points a gun at them. You did nothing wrong.” I gently kiss her lips. “Then or now. You didn’t do a damn thing wrong.”
She nods and wipes her nose then drinks her coffee.
We’ve been doing so well. She’s been doing great. Really wanting to get out and do things with her life. I couldn’t be more proud of her. Living together is perfect. After the rough start we had at the motel, everything is fine now. I wake up and go to bed with a smile on my face because I know she’s there.
She doesn’t talk about the past much. I tried to push her at first, but after a few heated arguments I gave up. If she’s ready or wants to, she’ll talk. And what she just confessed, like before, reminds me what she actually went through and how much of an asshole I am for pushing her at first.
But the woman I see today, right now, is fighting that guilt. Pushing it away. Making it her bitch. With a deep breath and a few seconds of her eyes closed, she stands and throws our garbage away.
“Let’s go. I want to check on Kelsey.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The elevator is empty, and she wraps her arms around my waist, burying her head in my chest. “Thank you.”
I rub up and down her back. “For what?”
“Saving me tonight. Putting up with my shit. Just . . . everything.”
Instead of answering, I grip her chin with my index finger and thumb, tilting her head up. My lips find hers, and she opens her mouth. My tongue caresses hers slow and deliberate. She leans into me, and I cup her cheek with my other hand and rub her jaw with my thumb. The elevator dings all too quickly, an
d she presses a kiss to my chin before walking with purpose to Kelsey’s room.
“What’s up, man?” I ask Jay. He’s a detective I work with and has been assigned the case.
“Hey. You good?” He extends his hand and I shake it.
“Yeah. Pissed more than anything. This is Mary.”
She smiles and he nods.
“Do you know how she’s doing?” Mary motions to the closed door.
“Sleeping. They stitched her up and ran some tests. Everything looks good, just a concussion luckily.”
I bite the inside of my cheek, frustrated that the piece of shit got away. “Fuck.”
“You didn’t have a choice. Don’t beat yourself up,” Jay says with sympathy. And I know he understands exactly how I feel. Watching the bad guy get away creates a horrible feeling of inferiority for anyone in law enforcement.
Logically, I know there was nothing else I could have done. The alley was dark, and even though there wasn’t anyone in the actual alley, there were people out front; shooting would have been dangerous. Plus, Kelsey was inches from him, he could have turned his gun on her.
“Yeah,” I grunt. Mary’s hand holds mine a little tighter, offering support.
“Can we see her?” she asks.
“I mean, if you wanna watch her sleep,” Jay shrugs.
“I want to at least see her. Then we can go.”
“Sure, babe.”
We stand at Kelsey’s bedside, and Mary grabs her hand. Mary’s lips move, but no words come out. It breaks my fucking heart to see her so upset. Kelsey’s head is bandaged all the way down to her eyes, and her cheek is scraped. I rein in my temper and focus on the fact that she’s okay. Mary turns to me, nodding to indicate that she’s ready to leave.
Once I shut the door, I turn to Jay. “She talk at all?”
“I didn’t get a chance. I’m gonna let her sleep for a bit before I start drilling her. Sounds like she knows the guy, though?” He raises his eyebrows.
“Yeah,” I reply. “He said ‘Where’s my money?’”
“She owes him . . . or he thinks she does, at least.” Jay pieces together.
“Yup.” I pop the ‘p,’ curious as hell as to how Kelsey is involved in something like this.