Love Nip

by Mary Whitten

  “Hey, babe.” Axle grinned.

  “Axle,” I breathed heavily.

  “You have a crazy life, you know that?” He laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the bar. He strolled over to the bar. The bartender recognized him and smiled. He walked over and they did a strange handshake. The bartender pulled a beer from a cooler, and cracking it open, he handed it to Axle. “It’s on the house. Thanks for taking out the trash, Axle.”

  “Just watching out for my girl.” Axle winked at me.

  The idea of being Axle’s girl sent chills down my spine. He was a dangerous mix of sexy and amazing. I smiled with glee. He knew exactly what to say to make my knees buckle. We listened to the band play a few songs as Axle drank his beer. I was suddenly feeling the room sway back and forth. I regretted that double shot with that jerk.

  “Honey, I think you’ve had a little too much. I should get you home,” Axle said into my ear.

  I didn’t argue as I followed him to his car. The warm, humid air made it harder to breathe as we walked. Axle placed his hand on the small of my back to keep me upright. Once we arrived to his car he opened the passenger door and I got in. After closing my door he joined me and started the car.

  “Thanks for that,” I murmured. There was a distinct ring in my ears from the music being too loud.

  “What are you doing here by yourself?” he asked, exhibiting his bright smile.

  I licked my lips in response. My libido was in overdrive. “I wasn’t alone, it was girls’ night out but I lost the girls.”

  “You are so adorable,” he stated as he merged onto the highway.

  My heart fluttered. “I met my grandmother today,” I told him. It felt so amazing to be with Axle again.

  “Is she single? I’m in the market,” he joked.

  I shot him a fake glare. “Ha, ha.”

  “I’ve met your grandmother before and she is a wonderful woman. She reminds me of you,” he answered.

  “I’m flattered,” I slurred.

  “I talked to Ezra today, he told me you came by and talked to him about you guys and us.”

  I waited for him to continue. When I decided he was waiting for me to say something, I spoke, “Well, I wanted him to understand that we had been over for a while and my interest was elsewhere.”

  He thought about what to say next. “So was the loser from the bar your elsewhere?”

  “What? No!” I was appalled that he could even joke about that situation, “I know I should keep business and pleasure separate, but I have a thing for my partner.”

  He smiled proudly. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  We pulled into my apartment and he helped me out of the car. We walked hand in hand to my door. He took my keys from me before unlocking the door. I let go of his hand and threw my purse on the table. He followed my lead and threw the keys down. He grabbed my hand, pulling me into his chest. His hand grazed my chin and gently raised my face to his. Plush warm lips laid on top of my own as I breathed in his fragrance. His tongue found mine and we kissed with an intense passion. Warmth was building up within me. He picked me up and walked over to the nearest wall.

  “Ouch,” I cried out when a picture frame dug into my back. I could feel my face grow red.

  He laughed. “Sorry.”

  I pulled the picture frame from the wall and threw it to the floor. Our eyes met for a minute before his lips found mine again, and he pushed himself against my body. I struggled with the buttons on his shirt, giving up I ripped the shirt apart. Buttons went flying through the air. Warm hands lingered on my thighs, guiding my dress up. He squeezed my butt, which caused me to moan aloud. My head tilted up as his lips crept across my neck. Sensual kisses and slight suckles sent jolts of pleasure through my body. Wetness was forming below. My nails dug into his back, pulling him closer. I could feel his hardness pressing between my legs sending me over the edge. He reached around, pulled me into his chest, and carried me to the couch. After gently laying me down he pulled my dress off and began to pull my shoes off. I was thankful that I had worn nice undies. White granny panties with rainbow polka dots would have definitely ruined the moment. He pulled a boot off and stopped when he saw my socks.

  “Pink socks?” He laughed.

  “Just forget you saw them,” I demanded. I wanted his skin on mine and now.

  He smiled and pulled off the other boot and both socks. His body ran over my legs as he pulled himself back to me. His lips found my neck again and he gently nibbled. His mouth moved down over my cleavage; his teeth gently scraping against my breast. I let out a moan and ran my hands through his short hair. His hands found the latch that held my bra together. He fumbled with the strap for a moment until it loosened, slid down my arms, and fell to the floor next to my feet. His hands felt warm on my breasts as he teased my nipples with his fingers. I yearned for him to be inside of me. The ache I had for him was almost painful, it felt like a thirst I had to quench. I could feel his desire for me as his hands ran down my stomach. His fingers played with the cotton seam of my panties, teasing my skin.

  Axle’s phone began to ring, and he sighed. Suddenly, he jumped up and answered it. Talk about a buzz kill. He didn’t say hello he just silently listened. He began dressing himself quickly.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, becoming worried.

  He slammed his phone down and raced to get dressed. He threw my dress at me. “Get dressed. There is an alarm going off at work.”

  I ran into my room and grabbed jeans and a hoodie. I pulled on my jeans and slipped some shoes on. Wiggling into the hoodie, I walked back out to the living room. Axle grabbed his keys and we were off.

  Chapter Eight

  I had never seen Axle this anxious before. He swerved in and out of traffic, and what normally took me twenty to thirty minutes to get to work took him five. Stopping the car at the door of the building, he threw it into park. After hopping out, I followed his lead as he walked to the back of his car. He opened the trunk and I gasped. The assortment of shiny silver guns increased the adrenalin coursing through my veins. I almost had to fight the smile that was creeping out. This could be a false alarm or it could be a serious situation.

  We crept inside the front door and looked around. Nothing seemed out of place except the front guard. We had a security guard posted up at the front desk around the clock. I saw a navy shoe at the corner of the desk and ran over.

  “Emily,” Axle snapped.

  As I rounded the desk, I immediately recognized the guard; it was Bob. I ran to his side and began shaking him. He didn’t seem injured, but he wasn’t responding. This meant we had a legit alarm. It only took three seconds for things to click before I went into overdrive. Number one, Kimmy was in the building and number two, so was Ezra. I ran over to stairwell and tried to open the door. The levels are accessed through a card reader. Each person had to get clearance and carry an ID badge. In the excitement I had forgotten mine at home.

  “Axle, your badge,” I yelled. I held my hand out, waiting for him to throw me something.

  He reached in his pocket and came out empty. “It’s in the car. I’ll be right back, don’t move.” He took off running.

  I went back over to Bob to check on him while I waited. His face smiled up at me from the picture on his badge. Grabbing it, I yanked it off his jacket. I swiped the card and pulled at the door. The door clicked and I began down the stairs three at a time. I stopped in the basement and swiped the card again. I pushed the door open and began to sprint.

  I yelled for Kimmy as I rounded the corner. I could see her welcome mat in front of her jail cell. She wasn’t answering and I prayed with every step I took that I wouldn’t find her dead. I grabbed the bars to stop myself. The cell was empty. As if no one had ever lived there.

  I took off down the hall and back through the stairwell. I ran as fast as I could to Ezra’s floor. I threw the door open and was greeted by an eerie silence. The hallway was cold and the lights were dimmed. By now I should have been stopped
by a nurse. No one came out.

  “Ezra?” I called out, afraid to go into his room. I didn’t know if I could handle what I knew awaited me.

  “Em,” I heard his voice call out softly.

  I sprinted the last few steps to his room and rushed in. He was sprawled on the floor, lying in a pool of blood. I could smell the rusty aroma, my senses felt on fire. I knelt down beside him, tears streaming down my face. While I assessed his injuries I held his hand in mine. There was puncture wounds in his neck and blood trickled out. His arms were scratched and the red marks on his face said he put up a fight.

  “Emily,” He croaked again. I could hear bubbling in his voice, I knew his lungs were filling with blood.

  “Shh, it’s okay Ezra,” I lied to comfort him. The sad truth lingered in my thoughts, I was alone with him and he was dying. There was nothing I could do except be there while he passed. I ran my hand down the side of his face and his eyes shut tightly. He turned his head and coughed. As his eyes met mine I noticed the blood on his lip.

  “I’m so sorry, Ezra. I shouldn’t have left you here alone,” I cried out.

  “Em, I’ll be fine. It’s just a flesh wound,” he tried to joke.

  I couldn’t laugh, I barely got out a tiny smile. I didn’t know what was taking Axle so long.

  “Ezra, who did this?” I asked.

  He opened his mouth but the words wouldn’t come out. He finally just shook his head to tell me he didn’t know. I looked around and pulled a towel off of a nearby chair. Placing it on his neck, I applied pressure. I had to keep him alive. He shook his head and pulled my arm back gently. He was ready to die, he had given up.

  I could barely see clearly through my tears. “Ezra, please let me help you,” I begged.

  He could no longer move, his eyes spoke for him. They seemed to get heavier, until they finally closed one final time. I sat down in the blood and cried. A whirlwind of emotions was going through me; anger, guilt, sadness, confusion, hopelessness.

  A few minutes later Axle came running in. “I couldn’t find anyone—” he started, but stopped when he noticed Ezra. He fell to his knees; his face was blank but tears still tumbled down. We sat there, staring at Ezra’s body, until backup arrived.

  Axle helped the men take Ezra away. I sat alone in the room, drenched in Ezra’s blood. I had no more tears left in me to cry. Robert came in and pulled me up. He wrapped his arms around me and I could feel his emotions. He ran his hands down the back of my head, comforting me as if I was a child. At one point he said something about Kimmy being safe, but everything was becoming a blur.

  Later on he had Gavin take me home. It was early in the morning before I got home, showered, and crawled in bed. No matter how much I tried I couldn’t sleep. Every time I shut my eyes I was back in that room with Ezra. I felt so much guilt, and it was taking over. I had done this to him. If I wouldn’t have bitten Ezra he would still be alive. This was my fault. I was always messing things up. Time passed and I still had not slept. I heard knocking but couldn’t get up to answer the door. I heard my name and then the door open. Dee-Dee walked into my room and crawled in bed next to me. She pulled me in tightly and held me.

  I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I woke up and it was dark outside. I looked at my phone, it was a little after midnight. I had a few missed calls from Robert, Axle, and Kimmy. I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Nothing looked appetizing, and I wasn’t sure if I could eat if I tried. I crawled back in bed and wondered how Riley was doing. I wondered if she blamed me for his death.

  I heard the door open the next morning, but I didn’t make any attempt to move. Dee-Dee walked in with a bag of doughnuts and coffee. I took a sip of coffee. The warm liquid slid deliciously down my throat. “Thanks.” I smiled slightly at her.

  She played with my hair. “Honey bear, you need a shower, a good meal, and a mani-pedi.”

  “I just need some time alone,” I answered sadly. The next few hours I stayed in bed, dealing with my depression. My phone rang a few times throughout the day until I finally turned it off. It was just after seven when I decided to get up. I took a long shower, crying as the water washed over me. I tried everything to think of something besides Ezra. I went back through the details of the case, hoping I could find Ezra’s killer. Whoever killed him had to know about Ezra’s condition, and where we worked. He would’ve had to have access to the building, and know the layout. I shook my head, climbing out of the shower. The more I tried not to think about Ezra the more I found my thoughts sneaking back to the moment he died. I kicked the edge of the door with my foot. I grabbed my ankle, jumping up and down in pain I accidentally knocked over a glass of water that was rested on the dresser. I watched as the liquid spilled onto the floor. Suddenly, I had an amazing idea. Grabbing a pair of jeans, I pulled them on, reached for a hoodie, and took off.

  I ran over to Dee-Dee’s apartment and banged on the door. A moment later she answered, her hair was tussled and the dark circles under her eyes told me she was asleep.

  “Emily, what’s the matter?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

  “I need your help,” I announced in a hurry. If my plan was going to work I had to act quickly.

  “Okay, help with what?”

  “Stealing a body.”

  If Dee-Dee wasn’t awake before my comment, the look on her face said she was now. “Excuse me? I must still be asleep. Did you just say stealing a body?”

  “Yes, and we have hurry,” I urged, pushing through her and into the apartment. I began walking to her room to help her get dressed.

  “What body are we stealing?” She yawned.

  I wasn’t sure if she was taking me seriously, or if she was really just that good of a friend to go along with my plan. “Ezra’s,” I explained as I grabbed the first t-shirt I found and a pair of sweat pants. I threw them at her, she jumped catching them both in her arms.

  She scratched her head, thinking for a moment, and then shrugged. She began undressing and I left the room to give her some privacy. I sat on her couch, but then quickly stood. My heart was pounding and there was no way I could sit with my plan in motion. I reached for my phone and called Riley.

  “Hello,” she answered, her voice sounding strained.

  “Riley, I need your help,” I replied.

  “Emily, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” she asked, worried.

  “I’ll be better if this works.”

  “What works? Sweetheart, calm down and talk to me. What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Riley, this is going to sound crazy, but I’m going to resurrect Ezra.”

  Silence.

  “Riley, are you still there?” I asked, worried she would hang up once she heard my plan.

  “Yeah, I’m here. Emily, Ezra is gone. You should leave it alone,” she answered sadly and hung up.

  I looked at my phone in disbelief. I hadn’t planned on that.

  Dee-Dee walked out and did a twirl. “Good enough for body snatching in the middle of the night?”

  I chuckled and walked out, heading to my car. I had my hand on the handle when I looked up at her. “Thanks for helping me, Dee-Dee, this means a lot to me. Also, if we get arrested Robert will bail us out … I think.”

  “Blah, it’s nothing. Plus, if we get arrested I’m saying that you kidnapped me.”

  Dee-Dee was on her phone the entire drive getting the coven involved. A plan was forming quickly and it sounded like a great plan. I was hopeful that this would work. It had to. We arrived at the morgue within minutes. We got out and crept to the front lobby door. I peered through the glass doors. The moonlight dimly lit a small room with maybe two chairs and a front desk. I reached for the door and it didn’t budge.

  “Shoot, I didn’t think about the door being locked,” I pointed out. My plan crumbled before me.

  “Ha, locked door,” Dee-Dee whispered with excitement in her voice. She pulled up her sleeves and bit her lip as she concentrated. Her face
got close to the lock and she began gently blowing. A white smoke appeared from her mouth and floated into the lock. She stood and suddenly I heard a click. She pushed the door and it opened.

  “You are amazing,” I exclaimed, strolling into the building.

  “I try,” she shrugged as she followed me inside.

  We tiptoed to a door past the receptionist desk, the door led to a hall. The only light in the dark hallway came from the green illuminated exit sign. We walked down the hall using our cell phones as flashlights. The unnerving quiet made every step we took earsplitting. I heard a bang from behind me and I yelped. I looked back, holding my phone up for light.

  “Sorry I ran into the wall,” Dee-Dee whispered. I could barely make out her silhouette but it looked as though she was rubbing her head.

  I sighed and continued on. We stopped at the door marked Holding Room. I turned the handle and pushed open the door. We flicked on the light and stood before a giant silver box with several small doors. I walked over and opened a door. Cold, stale air snuck out, slapping me in the face. My stomach churned and I had to swallow back the desire to vomit. Inside the hollow space was a white body bag on a silver table, I unzipped the bag a few inches and peeked in.

  “Is it Ezra?” Dee-Dee asked.

  I gulped and closed the bag. “Nope, some guy that got shot in the head.”

  “Gross.”

  We began to open doors on opposite sides of the room checking each body bag. I was happy to see a few of the spaces were empty. When we met in the middle we looked down to find one door left. I looked at Dee-Dee; she looked worried, but hopeful. She gave me a small pathetic smile. I took a deep breath and opened the door. I recognized his sandy blond hair immediately. He wasn’t wrapped in a body bag like the rest of the bodies. I pulled on the table until it stretched out of the silver holding box. He looked peaceful and still, exactly how a body looks at a funeral. His hands draped beside him and his skin was pale white.