The Lucky Bullet

by H. S. Strickland

  “No bread,” I grunted. She nodded her head and took a bite. While she was chewing her food, I heard a car pull up the lane.

  I pulled out the gun I kept in the night stand then headed for the front door. When I opened the door I saw a fucking Prius pulling up. The windows were tinted so I couldn’t see who was driving. A second later the Prius parked and the door opened.

  As soon as I caught a glimpse of who was behind the wheel I burst out laughing. This was because Cade had somehow managed to unfold his massive frame out of the small ass car.

  He walked down the pathway and up to the porch. He glowered at my chuckles and bumped his shoulder with mine as he walked into the house.

  “How in the fuck did you fit in that thing?” I snickered.

  He turned around from his place in the living room and glared at me harder.

  “Only fucking car they had,” he grumbled.

  Araylia choose that moment to fly down the hallway into Cade’s arms. In nothing but my fucking shirt.

  I growled low in my throat and Araylia turned her head in my direction. I kept my eyes on her barely covered body and waited until she caught on. She pulled away from Cade instantly and turned a deep shade of red.

  “Clothes,” I told her, still growling.

  “Sure as fuck don’t mind the view,” Cade, unwisely, told me.

  I turned my dark look to him and he gave me a smirk. Araylia trotted her ass back to the bedroom to put some clothes on and Cade got serious.

  “I can see this place is clearly fucked up,” he said as he was looking around.

  “No shit, ya think?” I replied in a sarcastic tone.

  He shook his head and walked out the door he had just come through. I followed behind him, knowing he was going to get his stuff out of the impossibly small trunk of his car. We got everything he needed out of the car and set everything down inside in one of the extra bedrooms. The bedroom was also destroyed.

  Cade would have to go through every room and get any finger prints that he could then help me get all the old fucked up furniture out and get new shit in. I was grateful that he had dropped everything to come up here and sort this shit out with me, it meant a great deal to me. Even though I had lost my family due to some robbers, I had gained one in my boys. Every single one of them meant something to me and it would kill me to lose them as well.

  Cade and I had finger-printed the entire house from top to bottom and didn’t find one print. Not even a partial print. Whoever had fucked my house up was thorough and clearly knew what they were doing. We had gotten a dumpster and tossed out everything out and brought more stuff in. Cade and I were sitting outside on the deck drinking a couple beers that Araylia had gone and bought. She was in the kitchen cooking burgers that she had also bought at the store since we had nothing to eat.

  “What’s up with her?” Cade asked in a quiet rumble.

  “Don’t know man. She woke up that way. Took her to bed and after she was acting all weird. Like she doesn’t want to be around me,” I told him and took a pull of my beer.

  Cade nodded and looked out toward the mountain. He had a contemplative look on his face and I knew that meant he was thinking about what could have crawled up Araylia’s ass. I couldn’t figure it out myself so he was going to have a time trying.

  “Dinner is done!” Araylia yelled from the house

  I grinned at her yelling and got my ass up from the deck and strode into the house, Cade hot on my heels. Whatever she had done to the burgers, they smelled fucking delicious. We walked in the kitchen to see Araylia had already made plates for Cade and myself. I hooked an arm around her waist and slid my hand in her hair. I took her mouth in a hard, but quick kiss. When I pulled away she was breathing heavily but no longer had the clouds in her eyes.

  I smirked and took my plate in the living room, sat on the couch, and turned the game on. A moment later Cade and Araylia followed. Cade sitting on the love seat and Araylia had sat down next to me. I set my plate down, nabbed her wrist, and pulled her closer to me. She looked at me and shook her head in a way that told me she was amused. We all sat around the living room and ate our burgers.

  That night I took Araylia to bed and gave it to her hard like she wanted that morning. She enjoyed taking it hard and made that apparent. After I cleaned myself and her up I tucked her into my side. She laid her head on my chest, thigh over mine, and I played with her hair until I fell asleep.

  4 days later…

  I had everything packed in the truck and waiting to go.

  Liam had come back the morning after Cade got to the cabin. Araylia had not acted like anything was wrong since that day as well. As soon as she had Liam back at the cabin she acted as if everything was okay. I had chalked up her sadness to Liam being gone and her being worried about it.

  “Ready brother?” Cade asked as he clapped me on the shoulder.

  I looked out at the mountains one last time and replied, “Yeah.”

  We moved through the house and out the door. I locked up and walked down the path way till I got to my parked but running truck.

  Cade was making Araylia drive the Prius back home. He had stated, “Not driving that pussy car again.” And handed the keys over to Araylia. So I was in the car with Cade and Liam. Liam had said we were having a man’s day.

  I rounded the hood of the truck to get to the other side where the Prius was parked. Araylia was pounding her hands on the steering wheel and bobbing her head up and down so she didn’t even notice me walking up on her. I knocked on the window and her head flew up and her eyes got wide. She rolled down the window then cleared her throat.

  “Yes?” She said, blushing.

  “Kiss,” I told her trying hard to hide my grin.

  She leaned up and pecked my lips softly.

  “You need anything, see anything you don’t like, call. Yeah?”

  “Yes, honey. You’ve gone over this with me a hundred times.” She told me in an exasperated tone. She was being dramatic on saying ‘a hundred times’ but I had made my point several times.

  “Yours and Liam’s safety is my priority so if I have to say it a hundred times, I will.” I lifted my eyebrow daring her to give me shit again.

  Wisely, she didn’t give me any shit.

  Cade had been looking out for anybody following us whenever we went out and he sat outside for hours at night. Everything had been quiet. Cade couldn’t find anybody that was lurking or following. He was good at his job and I trusted him to spot anybody, if there was. But it was dead, nobody was trailing us. This made me worried.

  This gave me a chill that was not welcome.

  Whoever it was, they were quiet for a reason, and not a good one.

  I kissed Araylia on the forehead, “Love you,” I whispered there.

  Her eyes softened, “Love you back, honey.”

  I grinned down at her and moved back to the truck. Liam was in his booster seat in the back and Cade was buckled in the front seat.

  “Ready?” I said back to Liam.

  “Yeah daddy! I can’t wait to get back home!” he exclaimed and pumped his little fist in the air.

  Cade looked to me and his brows shot up.

  “Daddy?” he whispered so Liam wouldn’t hear his question.

  “He started calling me that back at the hotel we stayed at when we stopped,” I told him, also quietly.

  Cade nodded his head and turned to look out the window. I shrugged my shoulders and put the truck in reverse and waited till Araylia was out of the way to move forward. Although it would be nice to have Cade’s seal of approval, I didn’t need it. I loved Liam like he was my own son and he must have felt the same to want to call me daddy.

  We had been riding for far too long and stopped at the same hotel as before. Liam was asleep and I knew he would be thankful for a bed. I had kept my promise to myself and bought him some headphones so I didn’t have to hear his damn show the whole way home.

  I ambled my body out of the truck and went around the si
de to get Liam out. Araylia was pulling up just as I had put Liam on my hip with his head rested on my shoulder. Cade had finally woken up and was getting out of the truck. Araylia got out of her car and looked exhausted. She drug her feet all the way until she reached me then wrapped her arm around my waist and rested her head on my chest.

  I chuckled and put my free arm around her shoulders and began the walk to the entrance of the hotel.

  After watching Cade flirt with the desk girl who was there before, we walked into our room and put Liam to bed then climbed into bed ourselves. Cade had gotten his own room and I would not be surprised if he was taking the desk girl to bed with him. He was shameless when it came to women. He had not settled down at all since I’ve known him and I didn’t think it would happen any time soon.

  I fell asleep shortly after laying down. Araylia had her head on my chest, thigh thrown over mine and my hand was in her hair, as usual.

  Chapter 26

  Ray

  We had finally made it home, much to my relief. The whole ride back home had exhausted me beyond belief and I felt like I could sleep for days. I had to get up early the next morning so I could make it to my doctor’s office and see what was wrong with me. The throwing up had subsided some, but not much. My headaches were also the same, not much better.

  Mace and I put Liam to bed then went in the kitchen to raid the fridge since I was famished.

  “Did you have a good time up there?” Mace asked me as he saddled up behind me and planted his hands on my hips.

  I spun around and gave him a large smile.

  “Yes, I did. I can’t wait to go back,” I replied.

  “We can go back whenever you want babe.” He said as he pulled me closer and bent his head closer to mine.

  “Give me a little bit to recuperate from the ride then we’ll talk about it.” I whispered against his lips that were a hair’s breath away from mine.

  I stood a little taller and his mouth met mine in a slow sensual kiss. I took the lead while I could and stroked his tongue with mine. I threaded my fingers through the hair at his nape and explored his mouth like I had many times before. As many times as I had been with him, kissed him, loved him, I would never get used to it.

  The feeling.

  The butterflies.

  The love he gave me.

  It was all so much and it made my decision harder. I was going to have to leave him. I didn’t want to, but so many bad things were happening to him because of me. I had the power to stop it so I was going to. I didn’t want this life for him. I didn’t want him to have to look over his shoulder every time he made a turn. I didn’t want him to come home to a fucked up house.

  I pulled away abruptly because the thoughts in my head were too much. I couldn’t be giving him more of myself while thinking about leaving him. It seemed wrong, actually it more than likely was.

  “I need to eat before this goes any farther,” I told Mace and moved around him to get a fork out of the drawer.

  He nodded and moved out of the way. I got a fork and some fruit out of the fridge. I pulled the cutting board out of the cabinet and began chopping the fruit up.

  “Is there something wrong babe?” Mace asked. He was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest which caused the muscles in his arms to bulge. My eyes immediately zoned in on the bulge. I was fantasizing about what those arms could do so I didn’t hear him clear his throat.

  “Ray,” he said a little louder.

  My eyes snapped up to his and he had an arrogant grin on his face.

  “Right…um…nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?” I tried putting an innocent face on. I didn’t want him to think anything was up. I didn’t want him to know I was leaving until I was gone.

  “You’re acting weird. Disconnected.” His jaw got hard with his words as if it made him mad to say them.

  I set down the knife and really looked at him. He had his head hung low and he was pinching the bridge of his nose. He truly looked upset. I didn’t want to imagine what he was going to be like when I left.

  I moved away from the cutting board and toward him. I lifted his head up with my hands on his cheeks. He looked deep into my eyes and I told him with my eyes how I felt. How much I loved him.

  Understanding what I had said, he kissed the tip of my nose and wrapped his arms tight around me. I planted my face in his chest and drew in a breath. He smelled of man and something spicy. It was a scent that always seemed to linger on him and I fucking loved it.

  I could feel my heart start to crack so I once again moved away from him and went back to the cutting board.

  “Why don’t you grab a beer and relax in the living room?” I looked over at him with my eyebrows raised.

  He bobbed his head and moved to get a beer. He kissed my cheek as he walked out of the kitchen into the living room. I heard the TV turn on shortly after. I blew out a relieved breath. I felt guilt surround me when I was with Mace. It was going to kill me to leave him, but I would survive just like I had done plenty of times before.

  After cutting my fruit and putting it in a bowl I went in the living room to relax with Mace. We sat in the living room for a couple of hours watching bad reality TV and cuddling. It was nice and it would have been relaxing if my mind would have shut off. We eventually went to bed with my head on his chest, thigh thrown over his, and his hand in my hair.

  I woke early then next morning to an empty bed. I looked around the room in confusion, Mace was supposed to have been home today. He had an extra day off of work so it was surprising to find him out of bed so early.

  I got out of bed and grabbed my robe to hide my naked body and trekked through the house. I peeked into Liam’s room and found him sound asleep, which was also surprising. I wandered around the rest of the house and still couldn’t find Mace. As I passed through the kitchen I notice some writing on the white board on the fridge. In black scribbles, “Got called into work. Be home later,” was written.

  Well that explained why Mace wasn’t home. I looked to the clock again and saw I had about an hour to get ready for my appointment. I rushed back into the bedroom and practically ran to the shower.

  After showering quickly I threw on a pair of tight-fitting jeans then a silky blouse. I found some high-heeled sandals and buckled those on. I put my hair up and didn’t bother with make-up since I was just going to the doctor.

  After my shoes were secure around my ankles I dashed to Liam’s room so I could get him ready. He was on his stomach with a hand under the pillow, the covers up to his waist. I put my hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly.

  “Liam, baby, it’s time to get up,” I whispered in the direction of his ear.

  He moved slightly but didn’t get up like I needed him to.

  “Liam! Up now!” I said a little louder.

  That got up him and moving. He sprang straight up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

  “Jeez mom, why are we getting up early?” He asked. He stopped rubbing his eyes to glare at me for waking his precious sleep.

  “Because I have a doctor’s appointment to go to. So I need you to get your hinny up. NOW!” I yelled.

  I moved to the closet so I could get some clothes out for him to wear. I picked out a pair of jeans and black T-shirt, much like what Mace wears. I went to the bathroom where I knew Liam was brushing his teeth.

  He was standing on the stool that Mace had found for him and he was leaning over to spit out the access toothpaste.

  “Come on baby. We need to get your clothes on then brush your hair.” I said as I moved to sit on the toilet seat.

  He moved off the stool and over to me, quite slowly, might I add. I told him to lift his arms over his head so I could put the shirt on. After slipping that on I bent so I could put his pants on. I grabbed the hair brush off the sink and began running it through his hair.

  “Oww! Mom!” He yelled loudly in my ear.

  “I’m trying to hurry up. Hold still so I don’t hurt you again,�
�� I told him impatiently. I finished running the brush through his tangles and told him to go get his shoes on while I grabbed my purse.

  We finally got in the car about ten minutes later and I wanted to race out of the driveway but I knew I needed to be careful. Although we had an hour to get ready, we were probably going to be a few minutes late. Again, my inner-self said.

  After arriving at the doctor’s office five minutes late and arguing with the receptionist, Liam and I were seated in the waiting room. There were couples of all age there. To my right there was a woman and man about my age. The woman’s stomach was slightly rounded and the man was lovingly stroking her stomach.

  Seeing the couple caused memories of being pregnant come to me. Remembering that was hard but also a joy for me. It was hard because I was with Luke. That time in my life would always be hard to remember. It was so painful to remember what he had done to me, but I knew he couldn’t hurt me anymore. The only way he could hurt me is if I allowed him to. I’m not the weak girl I was before. I wasn’t living in denial anymore. I was happy. I had a good man, a wonderful son, and a happy family. That was always what I wanted.

  Remembering was a joy because being pregnant was one of the best feelings in the world. The kicks. The rolls. Picking out the nursery colors. Finding a name that you loved. I wish I could have enjoyed it more. I wish I had a loving partner that enjoyed the pregnancy as much as I did. I wanted Liam to have both parents, not just one.

  “Ms. Masters?” I heard. I looked up and saw and saw a nurse with a clipboard in her hand. I had been going to this doctor’s office for so long that I knew the nurse’s name was Jen. She was an older woman, probably mid-fifties, but she was a sweetheart. More times than not she was the nurse to always take care of me.

  I picked up my purse and grabbed Liam’s hand and began the long walk down the hallway. She took me to her station and got my height, weight, and she drew some blood. After that she took me back out into the hall and into a room on the right.