by Payne, Jenna
I nodded again, wincing as he finished tying my hands together. He pulled on the rope so that it cut into the flesh at my wrists. I gasped in pain. He chuckled, reached an arm around to my middle and forcefully pulled me closer to him.
"This’ll teach that bitch ass brother of yours a lesson, won’t it ‘Brina?" he whispered in my ear. "When he finds you thoroughly fucked with your brains blown out in an alleyway. He’ll think twice about ratting on one of his buddies again, won’t he?"
I pressed my eyes closed fighting back tears of helplessness and disgust as I felt his tongue lick the side of my neck. His hands moved from my middle up to my breasts and squeezed painfully.
I couldn’t just stay silent. I had to say something.
"He’ll be here," I said quietly, "any moment he’ll come looking for me."
"Sure he will," McBride answered, "but, we’ll be long gone by then."
I was relieved for half a moment when he released me from his hold and began to crawl towards the driver’s seat at the front of the van.
"Don’t go anywhere," he said with another chuckle as he looked back at me.
I kept thinking about what to do as I heard McBride start up the van. I could kick off my shoes and try to open the side door with my feet.
I almost laughed at the absurdity of that thought.
It might be better to try and get the ropes undone. If I tried, I found that I could move the fingers of my left hand just slightly. Just as I began to wriggle my fingers, I shot forward as the van pulled out of its parking space.
Now lying on my side, I took a breath, found my bearings and, once again, tried to wriggle my fingers.
That was when I heard the first shot fire. I felt the back of the van drop as though one of the tires had been shot out.
I knew, at that moment, that it was Mike.
The van careened and I felt myself being bounced around as McBride sped up, trying to drive on only three good tires.
Another shot sounded from the front and the van thudded to a halt as the front of the van took a sudden plunge.
I flew against the wall of the van and hit my head in a way that I knew would leave a bruise. But, it had taken me to the side door.
If I could reach it, I might not need to free my hands. I might, just might, be able to grab hold of the door and open it with my hands still tied.
As I turned my back to the door and pushed against the ropes to reach for the handle, the side door slid open and I nearly fell onto the pavement.
A strong arm grabbed me and lifted me bodily.
My heart leaped for a moment, hoping to see Mike. Instead, McBride’s face was looking down at me.
He hoisted me to my feet and immediately placed me in front of him. Before I could take in the sight in front of me, I felt the metal barrel of a gun pointing at my temple.
Shaking, I moved my eyes to take in my surroundings. Mike was indeed there. Zach, Tom, and Dave were all standing beside him, guns drawn and pointed directly at McBride.
“Make one more move and I’ll blow her brains out,” McBride said pulling one arm around me so that I was flush against him. He pushed the gun barrel against my head.
“James, you don’t have to do this,” said Mike, who was directly in front of us. “It’s me you want. She doesn’t have anything to do with it. Just let her go.”
McBride seemed to hesitate for a moment. That was when my overwrought brain finally came up with a plan.
“Drop your guns,” McBride said after a moment’s silence.
Mike kneeled and put his gun on the ground. He signaled for the three men around him to do the same.
He came up with his hands raised in a sign of surrender. I felt McBride relax slightly behind me.
That was when I kicked my leg backward as hard as I could forcing my heel to connect with McBride’s groin.
He cried out in pain as he released me and his gun clattered to the pavement. Hastily, I ran forward and grabbed it awkwardly, my hands still tied at the wrists.
All the same, my fingers were just barely able to reach the trigger. I pointed the gun shakily at McBride.
For a moment, I thought it was over. That he would stay where he was until the police arrived.
Then, I saw his face change from a grimace of pain to a malicious and angry glower.
He lunged towards me and without thinking I pulled twice on the trigger. I heard a thud as McBride slumped to the ground.
When I lowered my shaking hands, I moved forward towards his still body.
I saw two bullet holes in his chest. One just at his heart.
His eyes seemed to be wide with surprise though I knew that he could no longer see, could no longer breath.
He was dead.
*****
The police arrived at the scene only two minutes after I shot McBride. Of course, I along with Mike and his buddies had to go down to the police office and give a statement.
We sat there for nearly two hours. Me with a blanket around my shoulders and Mike sitting beside me on the bench while he waited for Zach, Tom and Greg’s interviews to finish.
We didn’t talk when we were at the police station. We didn’t talk when Mike walked me home to the apartment building either. Though, I noticed just as we reached the door, Mike held it open for me, then took my hand in his as we walked up the stairs.
I smiled. But still, not a word was spoken until we were safely inside with the door firmly locked.
“So, what did they say?” he asked me referring to the statement I’d had to give the police.
.
“They said it looks like a pretty clear-cut case of self-defense,” I answered, “still, I’m not supposed to leave the city for the next couple of days.”
“Mom and Fred won’t like that,” Mike said.
Mike had called them as soon as we’d arrived at the police station. When I went in for my interview. Dad, apparently, was trying to insist that I come home immediately. And, while I didn’t want to admit it to anyone, that didn’t sound like a bad idea to me either.
“Yeah,” I said, “well, I’ve still got finals.”
“I can’t believe you still want to go through with your school stuff after all this,” Mike said, “I’m sure if you just explained to them what happened, they’d let you postpone it or something.”
I shook my head.
“I’ve worked too hard to let some asshole take this away from me,” I answered. “I need to finish.”
“If you say so,” Mike answered.
I stood by my table and Mike remained just inside the front door. I looked down at the chair next to me every once in awhile, wondering if I should sit down in it. I didn’t in the end.
Instead, I stayed stupidly standing just as Mike did. Wondering if this was as good a time as any to talk about what I’d wanted to discuss with Mike all day.
Despite everything that had happened, I had a feeling that, if we didn’t get it all out now, we never would. So, steeling myself I moved from the table towards him.
“So,” I began hesitantly, “weren’t we going to have a chat about what happened last night?”
I didn’t get the chance to finish because, the next thing I knew Mike had crossed the room in two strides. I barely had time to register his hands firmly on my waist before he was kissing me.
His tongue insistently explored my mouth as he moved me across the room and finally. pushed me up against the wall just beside my bed. I reached around his neck and clung to his shoulders for dear life. I feared if I didn’t, I would lose my balance.
His mouth left my lips only to move to my neck, biting and sucking at it in a way that made me gasp. His hands slipped quickly all down and along my body.
It would have been easy, so very easy not to talk anymore. To give into this incredible pleasure, even without knowing what it meant.
But, I knew I couldn’t do that.
With a sigh I forced words out of my mouth.
“Mike, we...oh god…”
his hand had moved between my legs and I had to try and close them to get out the next words, “we really need to talk”
Slowly, he pulled his hand out from the space between my thighs, moved his lips from my neck and looked me in the eyes.
There was something there I had never seen in Mike before. It was a sort of desperate vulnerability. Almost as if he was terrified of something. I told myself that was silly. After all, the terror had passed.
All the same, here he was, looking at me thoroughly fearful.
“I almost lost you,” he said finally, “I...I almost couldn’t protect you and I…”
“You didn’t lose me,” I said gently, moving my hands to cup the side of his face, “I’m right here.”
“Sabrina,” he began, that terrified look still present in his eyes, “Sabrina, I love you.”
My heart skipped a beat. I could almost feel my breathing slow. I blinked twice, unable to believe what I had just heard.
“I love you,” Mike said again more quickly, “I’ve known that for a while now. I tried not to. I told myself it wouldn’t work but now I...I don’t think I can help it. It’s not something I can-”
This time, it was me who interrupted him with a kiss. It was soft, gentle and quick.
“I love you too,” I said beaming at him as I pulled away.
I was rewarded with another desperate searing kiss. His hand returned to the place where it had stopped before.
Soon, he had pulled my underwear down to my knees and was touching me desperately. Touching me as if I was the only thing standing between him and a long, slow, painful death.
I leaned my head back and emitted another moan as he kneaded my breasts through my shirt.
It was not long before he had ripped that off of me as well. My skirt came next. As soon as that hit the floor, he grabbed me from behind and picked me fully so that I had to wrap my legs around his waist.
He threw me onto the bed. As my head hit the plush pillows, he quickly began to remove his own clothing. I moved up to help him.
“No,” he said quietly but firmly, “stay right where you are. I just want to look at you while I do this. I just want to remember how incredibly lucky I am to be in love with such a beautiful woman.”
I smiled and did exactly as he asked. I did exactly as he asked the rest of the night too.
My little apartment was soon filled with moans and gasps from me and gently but commanding orders from him.
Phrases like “say my name,” “touch yourself” and “come for me, Sabrina” were what pushed me over the edge more than anything else he did.
Finally, with a last shout, we both fell back onto my too cold mattress. Utterly spent.
We were quiet for several moments before he spoke up.
“Does this mean you’ll wait for me while I’m off with my unit?” he asked.
“What do you think?” I asked with a sly smile.
“Okay then,” he answered, “that only leaves one question.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
He lifted his arm and put it around my shoulders, I moved close to him on the bench and snuggled into his side.
“What are we going to tell our parents?” he asked.
“I’m sure we’ll think of something,” I answered.
And that was that. That was how I managed, somehow, to fall in love with my stepbrother. And, no matter what anyone else says, no matter how weird anyone thinks it is, I couldn’t be happier.
The End
Bonus Story31 of 40
Eve’s Pleasure
Eve heard the shout from the aft deck and looking over her shoulder she saw a man in the water. She pulled the throttle back and cranked the wheel to bring her boat sideways.
“Keep station until I say otherwise and get the Coast Guard on the line!” she said to her ships mate. She jumped down the stairs from the upper deck and grabbing a life preserver ran to the port side where the client went overboard.
“I heard a thump and when I turned around he was in the water,” said Mr. Langston.
Eve made sure the line was coiled right and threw the life preserver out to the man floundering in the water. It landed right next to him and he reached for it and appeared to have it, but lost his grip. The man sank below the surface for a moment and then struggled back up. Eve felt a coldness in her stomach and she had to push back her fear. Then she saw a blood stain on the rail of the boat where he went over.
“He is injured!” Eve turned back to her mate on the pilot’s deck.
“Let the Coast Guard know the man in the water is injured!” she shouted. Katy had the radio to her mouth and waved in answer. Eve was wearing a bikini top and cut off shorts so she just climbed up on the railing and dove into the water. She swam quickly to the man as he sank below the surface again. She came up behind him, remembering her training. She lifted his head above water and he sputtered and gasped. She got a secure grip with one arm around his muscled chest. She could see blood in his blond hair along the temple. He began struggling in panic, as most people did in that position.
“Easy Harden! I got you. Relax and let me get you to the boat!” Eve began back stroking with her free arm as Mr. Harden seemed to relax and she nodded to herself. He had good control. The man coughed and spat out the water he had swallowed, and soon they were at the side of her boat, Eve’s Pleasure. Eve hooked her free arm around a rung on the ladder that had been dropped over.
“Above ya Captain. Can you get him up higher? The Coast Guard is nearby and on the way,” Katy called down to her
Eve brought her legs up to her chest so she could put her feet on the bottom rung of the ladder that was in the water. Once she was secure she straightened her legs, affectively picking Mr. Harden up and out of the water. Katy and Mr. Langston were reaching over and managed to get a grip on Harden. Eve had to re-position herself to get out of the way as they hauled the injured man back up to the deck. Eve scrambled up after him. Harden was laid out on the deck and Katy was bending over him. Pushing her long wet hair out of her eyes Eve moved toward them when she heard the blast of a ships horn. She turned and saw the Coast Guard coming near. She waved them in.
Soon, the Coast Guard had a medic on board and Eve was standing back with Katy, Mr. Langston and the Captain of the Coast Guard cutter, Captain Gerald Manson.
“Nice work Captain. The man owes you his life. How did he go over?” he asked.
“I just heard a yell and he was in the water. There is blood on the railing and he has a gash on his head. I am not sure how he managed to hit his head with the railings as high as they are,” Eve told him. As if in answer to his question they heard Mr. Harden talking to the medic.
“I made the mistake of trying to climb that thing while the boat was moving,” he said pointing to the Flag pole. There were steps on the side of it, but it was not supposed to be climbed when the boat was moving. Eve groaned and closed her eyes rubbing her temple.
“Not your fault Captain, it seems like user error and he is copping to it,” Captain Manson told her. She smiled slightly and looked at him.
“I know. He was warned but that is the hazard of doing tours. At least he is ok,” she said. They watched the man arguing about going to the hospital.
“The hell he is not going to the hospital,” Mr. Langston said and walked over to where his friend was being treated.
“You have to go Brock. If for no other reason than the stockholders need to know you have been checked out. You know they will find out about this,” he told his friend. “Excuse me sir, could we have a minute,” Langston asked the medic. The medic agreed and got up. The two Captains and Katy backed further off as well.
“Stockholders?” Katy said bemused.
“You didn’t know?” Captain Manson asked with a humorous glint in his eyes.
“Know what?” Eve asked.
“That is billionaire Brock Harden. It was in the news that he was moving his main offices from New York down here. It is something of a big de
al, so is he. And you just saved his life Captain. Congratulations,” he told her. Eve was stunned.
“Jeez, now I am really glad it wasn’t my negligence,” Eve couldn’t help saying. The Captain laughed and she traded a glance with Katy.
It was only partially a joke. Eve had inherited the luxury cruiser from her father and had been trying to pay it off. She had come close to having it repossessed twice and if it was not for this job she might have lost it. A major scandal would have ruined her. Katy knew the problems she had getting her business going. A female Captain was not always desirable with tourists or other ships’ captains. Mr. Langston got up and came over.
“He has agreed to go to the hospital Captain Manson. May I go with you?” he asked.
“Of course sir,” the Captain told him.
“Great, thank you. Let me grab our stuff from down below and I will be back before you can get him on board your vessel,” he said with a handsome smile and disappeared below deck. His long black hair had come out of a pony tail and was a mess. It made him look more than cute to Eve.
Eve went over the incident paperwork and promised to have it in that evening. She discussed everything she had done, one more time, with Captain Manson and he assured her she would be fine, with no problems coming from the incident. It was a relief to Eve. Thankfully the Captain knew her and knew she ran a tight ship. As she finished up and the patient was loaded safely onto the Coast Guard cutter, Mr. Langston came back up with their bags. He waved to Eve and Katy.
“I will give you a call tonight Captain Sage. I do believe we will be wanting another tour,” he said and went across to join his boss. Katy and Eve looked at each other in surprise.
*****
Eve came out of her room into the lounge located in the center of Eve’s Pleasure. Around the walls were the doors to the two guest quarters, the Captains quarters and one she let Katy use when they were doing overnight bookings. Not that there had been many of those yet. Katy was sitting in a comfortable chair, relaxing, before they called it a day. She had changed into a light flowery blouse and shorts. Eve hadn’t bothered yet so was still in her bikini top and shorts.