by Abbi Hemp
We kissed.
THIRTY-FOUR
Heidi
Follow Your Heart
The next day, not having to go into the office, I went to talk to Dad alone. Brent wanted to go along, but I asked him to not go. He understood and didn’t give me any shit about it – another reason I found myself falling so hard for him.
When I got to Dad’s house, I found him in the greenhouse, working away. He appeared content, but he had become good at hiding his emotions over the years. With everything going on, I didn’t want to face the thought of losing him.
“Hey, Dad,” I said as I walked over to him.
“Oh, hi. I wasn’t expecting you today.”
“I just wanted to check on you. Brent has people watching, but…”
“Yeah, I saw them,” he interrupted. “Brought them out some coffee earlier. Good guys.”
“I’m glad. You’ve got me worried.”
“You don’t need to worry about me, dear.”
“But I do. After losing Mom, I’m not sure what would happen if I lost you.”
He put his hand on my arm.
“You’d be fine. Brent is a good guy.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
“Did you quit today?”
“I tried, but they suspended me and said they’re going to investigate.”
“You haven’t done anything wrong!” he cried.
“I know, but bad guys don’t play by the rules.”
“This is bullshit,” he said, getting angrier.
“Don’t get too excited. The last thing you need is to get your blood pressure up.”
His hand dropped to his side.
“You’re the smartest and most beautiful daughter I have.”
“I’m your only daughter, Dad.”
“I know.” He smiled. “Do you have time for a story?”
“Sure, I guess. Can we go inside?”
“Lead the way.”
Once we got in the house, he went to the living room and sat down on his favorite recliner. I took a seat on the couch across from him, wondering what kind of story he had for me.
“It’s about your mother,” he said, a serious look on his face.
“What about her?” I asked.
“We almost broke up before you were born.”
I sat up on the edge of my seat.
“What do you mean?”
“Before you were born, your mother and I had problems. If you’re serious about Brent, you need to hear why.” He leaned back in the recliner. “It’s all about honesty.”
I sat back too, ready to listen.
“Your mother was a great woman, but when we first started seeing each other, both of us kept secrets from the other. I understand your situation is different, but I wanted to share with you the importance of being honest with the person you choose to the spend the rest of your life with. Do you understand?”
I nodded, not saying a word.
“Good. It’s easy to say you’re going to be honest, but when you’re in a relationship with someone, you’re going to want to keep some things to yourself. The wisdom comes in knowing what should be shared with your significant other.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you want to hang onto your individuality, the reason Brent loves you, and that means you don’t have to share every single thought that crosses your mind. On the other hand, you want to make sure you don’t keep anything from him.” He leveled his gaze at me. “Are you sure this is the right man?”
“I’m sure, Dad. He’s the one for me.”
“That makes me happy,” he said. “As long as it’s true.”
“You’re funny,” I said then smiled.
“You staying long enough to eat a meal with me this time? You can’t use work as an excuse anymore.”
“I’ll stay, but only if you make my favorite.”
“You know I make the worse lasagna in the world.”
I laughed. “Yeah, but it’s made with love.”
“I don’t think I have everything I need…”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m just happy to be spending time with you.”
“You’ve grown into such a fine woman,” he said.
“And you’re a big part of the reason why. Don’t ever think I don’t know that.”
“Let’s see what I can find in the kitchen to whip up.” He got to his feet. “Where’s Brent at today?”
“I told him I wanted to spend some time alone with you.”
He nodded. “He’s a good man.”
“He is…”
We made our way into his kitchen. I sat at the table and watched as he moved about, trying to decide on what to cook us for dinner. None of my problems had gone away, but spending time with Dad always made me feel better.
THIRTY-FIVE
Brent
Tough Decisions
As I sat in my study thinking of the best way to propose to Heidi, Keifer came in.
“Hey, boss. There’s someone here to see you.”
“Who?” I asked, standing up. “I’m not expecting anyone.”
“It’s that guy from the DEA.”
What the hell is Ron doing here?
“Thanks. I’m coming down now. Stick around. I’m not sure what this guy is up to, okay?”
He nodded. We walked downstairs where Ron stood next to the front door.
“Nice place you have here,” he said as I approached. “Be a shame to lose it all.”
“I’m sick of this shit,” I said. “Did you have anything to do with Heidi being suspended?”
“I told you that if you don’t work with me and my partners, your life is going to shit. Didn’t you believe me?”
“No. And I still don’t.”
I stared directly in his eyes, not backing down or showing any fear.
“You’re not a dumb man, Mr. Stone. Why are you fighting me on this?”
“You have a lot of nerve coming to my home and threatening me.”
“I’m not threatening you at all, merely sharing the facts with you.”
“The fact you need to worry about is that you should leave Heidi, her dad, and me alone.”
“Maybe you’re not as smart as I thought,” he said confidently.
I moved forward an inch, invading his space. He stepped back.
“I’m leaving now, but you should think about it. All your problems would go away, and you’d become a rich man. If nothing else, do it for Heidi if you truly love the little tramp.”
My arm moved instinctively as I slapped him across the face.
“Get the fuck out of my house before I take care of you.”
“Threatening a government agent is not going to help,” he said, rubbing his red cheek.
I pointed to the door.
“Leave. Now. Final warning.”
Keifer stepped forward, huge arms crossed over his chest.
“Very well,” Ron said. “If I don’t hear from you within twenty-four hours, it’s your funeral.”
After he left, I turned to Keifer.
“Double the security on Heidi and her dad.”
“It’s going to cost…”
“I don’t care,” I interrupted. “Get it done.”
I went upstairs. In my study, I sat down and got out my phone. The sight of Heidi on the screen as I pulled up her information in my contact list helped me calm down. She would be safe on her own, but I felt better if she stayed with me until we figured out what to do.
My attorneys were still recommending I either cut off all contact with her or contact the Department of Homeland Security to let them know about the rogue agents at the local DEA branch. I still hadn’t called them because I wanted to take care of it on my own and protect Heidi.
I tapped the send call button and put the phone to my ear. She answered on the second ring.
“Hey, Brent. I’m at Dad’s. What’s up.”
“Ron just came to see me again.”
“Are you oka
y? What did he do?”
“I’m fine, but he threatened us.”
“What did you say to him?”
“I threatened him back. Why don’t you and your father come to stay with me for a while. I’d feel better.”
“Hold on,” she said.
I heard her saying something to her father.
“He says he can’t leave the plants right now. A lot of his advances come down to making sure everything is perfect during each stage of the plant’s growth.”
“Come over by yourself, then. I really want to see you.”
“Okay,” she said. “Give me about an hour or two. We’re about to eat.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be in my study.”
“Bye, Brent.”
“Talk to you soon.”
She ended the call. I set the phone down on my desk and leaned back, trying to sort through all the thoughts flying around in my mind. Even if I turned myself in to protect Heidi and her father, Ron and the cartels would still go after them and me.
No, the best move was to wait for them to take a big move and then pounce, bringing the authorities into the matter. At the end of it all, I might even come out looking like a hero. Winning the Cannabis Cup Finals would be even better in my book.
THIRTY-SIX
Brent
Above All is Love
As I waited for Heidi to arrive, I checked my email. A few hundred new ones needed to be read, but I clicked on my daily wealth statement. While staring at the numbers, I thought about what was possible with so much money – anything I desired and then some.
My earlier self would have laughed at thinking love might be worth more than all the riches in the world, but over the last few months, I’d found my views changing. When Heidi came into my life, the process accelerated. It was as if she had opened my eyes.
Doubt crept into my thoughts in the form of wondering whether it would be safer for Heidi if I turned myself in. The authorities wouldn’t find anything, but Ron would be happy and might leave us alone. I pushed it aside, knowing the cartels would never leave us alone.
They needed to be attacked head-on. Ever since Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use, the cartels found themselves losing more money in the illegal weed business. While they still made billions of dollars with other drugs like meth and cocaine, the greedy bastards saw their time was coming.
“Hey, you,” she said from the doorway.
I looked up and smiled, still amazed by her beauty. She walked in, closing the door behind her.
“You look stressed.”
“You don’t know the half of it. More money does mean more problems.”
“I think I can help,” she said.
“Yeah? You have some of that Super Weed?”
She shook her head.
“No. This is even better.”
I swiveled to face her.
“Yeah? You’ve got my interest now.”
“I bet I do,” she said, coming closer.
She got down on her knees in front of me and put her hands on my knees. I leaned back as she pushed them apart and crawled even closer.
The sunlight streaming in the window lit up her red hair miraculously. I stared down as she unbuttoned my pants. I inhaled deeply as she pulled them down, exposing my cock.
“It looks so sad,” she said. “Maybe I should kiss it.”
“I’m not going to stop you.”
She leaned forward, pink tongue darting from between her lips. When it brushed against the tip of my dick, I moaned. As she kissed every inch of my skin, I reached down and grabbed one of her breasts.
“Sit back and enjoy it,” she said, pulling away.
I didn’t argue one bit as she licked my cock from the base all the way to the tip. Blood rushed between my legs as she gripped it with her long, thin fingers.
It drooped down as she held it at the base. She looked up and into my eyes then slipped an inch of it into her mouth. Bliss ran through my body as she slid her tongue underneath my head.
“Oh, fuck,” I said, adjusting in my seat.
She sucked more of my cock into her mouth, tightly wrapping her lips around the smooth shaft. While her head bobbed up and down, I felt her fingers scratching under my balls, driving me wild.
“Heidi…”
At the sound of her name, she sucked harder and faster, getting me so hard. I took a deep breath and tried to control myself so I didn’t climax too early.
When I got close to coming, I tapped her on the shoulder. She didn’t move away, continuing to suck, so I tapped more urgently. Still, she didn’t stop.
I popped into her mouth. She took all of it, not moving her mouth off my cock until I stopped spurting my warm, wet cum. My body still shaking, I looked down.
She stared up at me with a grin on her face and some of my thick, sticky cum dribbling out of the side of her mouth. Turned on by the sight, I leaned forward and kissed her.
“Ooh,” she moaned as our tongues swirled together.
The taste of my man-juices didn’t bother me. If she swallowed, the least I could do was not freak out about kissing her afterwards.
I stood and bent down to help her up.
“I love you,” I said.
“So much.”
“You hungry?”
“After that meal?” She laughed. “I’m kidding. I could eat. We need to talk about what to do next.”
“We will.” I squeezed her. “We’re going to get through this.”
“I know,” she said.
In that moment, I loved her even more, something I didn’t think was possible. After dinner later that night, we slept together in my bed. As long as I had her by my side, nothing else mattered.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Heidi
Family Reunion
The next morning, Brent took off with Keifer to check on one of his dispensaries. As I ate a fresh omelette in the dining room thanks to his chef, my phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket and glanced at the screen. That’s weird, I thought as I saw DAD as the caller.
“Hello?” I asked after answering. “Everything okay?”
“No, honey. Run. Just get away…”
His voice faded and another voice came on the line.
“You want to see your daddy alive again, you need to stay the fuck away and mind your own damn business.”
“Cousin Larry? Is that you?”
He ended the call without answering. A million thoughts ran through my mind, but my instincts took over as I rushed outside to my car. I didn’t even think about calling Brent for help as I got in and started it up. The tires squealed as I tore out of his driveway and headed toward Dad’s land.
Cousin Larry and I had never gotten along as children or adults. While he was technically family, the sane people in our clan kept their distance from him. The last bit of news I’d gotten about him was that he was in jail for manufacturing meth in a garage somewhere.
What the hell is he doing at Dad’s place? The question repeated itself over and over again as I raced down a back road to get to him faster. If it had been the cartels or Ron, I would have called Brent for help, but I could handle crazy Cousin Larry on my own.
I wondered what had happened to the security people Brent said he had hired to watch Dad. Was he lying to me again? The only way to find out was to get there and see what my cousin wanted. Why had Dad told me to keep away? What the hell was going on?
When I finally arrived at his house, I saw a four-door sedan with tinted windows on the side of the road. The driver’s side door stood open. As I drove by, I didn’t see anyone inside. I thought about calling the police before confronting Cousin Larry, but I didn’t want to wait and take a chance.
So much for his crack security team, I thought, hoping they were okay. Even without my DEA issue Glock, I had to find out what was going on. I had to get to Dad and make sure he was okay. After parking in front of his house, I got out and rushed to the front porch. Before I got there, the door swung o
pen.
Cousin Larry, wearing camouflage from head to toe, stood in the doorway pointing a shotgun at me.
“Get in here,” he hissed, glancing around.
“What the hell is going on? Did you shoot that security guy?”
“I said get in here,” he shouted.
I raised my hands and walked up the steps of the porch. He stepped back, allowing me to walk into the living room.
“Close the door,” he said. “And lock it.”
After I did, I asked, “Where’s my dad?”
“He’s tied up in the back. You need to tell me where he’s keeping this new Super Weed plant I keep hearing about.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “We would have shared it with family.”
“You two have never treated me like family.”
He spat on the floor, still pointing the barrel of the shotgun at me.
“Do I need to shoot your leg to get you to talk?”
“I need to know my dad is safe,” I said. “Take me to him, and I’ll give you all the weed you want.”
“It’s not the weed, dumb ass. I want to know how he’s growing it. He claims it’s all in his head, but I know he’s not dumb enough to not write it down somewhere.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.
Dad did have everything documented quite carefully.
“Let’s go out back to the greenhouse. If you make one wrong move, I won’t hesitate to shoot you.”
“Like you shot that guy out front?”
“He had it coming,” he said. “Piece of shit mercenaries think they know everything. Now let’s go.”
I walked through the kitchen and out the back door with him close behind me. When we got to the greenhouse, I saw Dad lying on the floor.
“What the hell did you do to him?” I screamed, rushing forward.
“I told you to be quiet,” he said.
Something hard hit the back of my head. I heard him call me a dumb bitch as I lost consciousness.