When the Dead Come a Knockin'

by B. L. Brunnemer

  “That’s okay hon, it’s okay to feel that way sometimes.” Riley smiled at me. “Just don’t let it sink you.” I nodded, she was right. Fuck. Zeke had great taste in girls. I sighed, I needed coffee soon.

  “If you're done, let’s get some coffee and get out of here. The music is driving me mad.” I said seriously. Riley agreed. We threw our stuff away and got into Riley’s car. I figured we’d hit a drive through coffee place, but Riley just drove onto the highway. I eyed her suspiciously.

  “We were going to get coffee.” I pointed out. Riley smirked at me. Shit. “Okay, how much did they pay you?” She laughed.

  “Nothing honey, Zeke just said to get the shopping done fast and not let you have any coffee after.” She was still smirking at me.

  “That’s fucked up,” I declared. She snickered.

  “No, this is the guys getting you to sleep for your own good.” She lectured. I groaned. Fuck!

  “I seriously don’t have time to sleep today, we’re supposed to decorate Miles’ house,” I grumbled. The drive was starting to make me sleepy.

  “Zeke said to tell you that you guys will decorate tomorrow,” Riley reassured me.

  “Can’t, have cookies to bake tomorrow.” I countered.

  “Zeke said to tell you that you guys can do both and that the guys will help,” Riley said patiently. I groaned, she had turned the fucking heater on, and the damn car was nice and toasty. I tried to roll down the window, but she’d enabled the child locks.

  “You’re so fucking mean Riley,” I grumbled. “And you were my favorite.” Riley just laughed at me.

  I made it to Miles’ house, barely. As soon as she stopped the car I was out into the cold, waking up fast. I even took off my jacket just to keep myself awake. Riley was laughing her ass off.

  “So, fucking mean!” I shot at her. Riley just kept laughing. We walked around her car, and I got the gifts I bought for the boys and put them in the back of the Blazer under my sleeping bag. I glared at her after. “What’s next? You gonna put me in a headlock? Knock me out with something?” Riley was smiling as she shook her head.

  “Nope, my job was just no coffee, try to get you to sleep on the drive and bring you back here.” She admitted smiling.

  “Okay, thanks for shopping hon, except for the attempted forcing of sleep it was fun,” I called over my shoulder. Riley was still laughing as she got into her car. I had to blink hard as I opened the door and walked into the house. I slammed the door behind me and yelled. “You guys are assholes!” I heard nothing back. The shitheads were hiding. That’s fine, hide. I took off my jacket before I headed into the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffee maker. Arms wrapped around me. I made one of the moves that Miles taught me and whoever grabbed me dropped to the floor, groaning. I turned to find Ethan on the floor, and the others were blocking the exits. It was a fucking trap.

  “No! No! Hell no!” I shouted at them. Not really thinking I tried to dodge between them. Isaac grabbed my legs and Zeke my arms. They lifted me into the air. I fought against their hold kicking and cursing at them. “You fucking assholes! Put me down!” I kept swearing at them. They kept their grip.

  “Lexie, this is for your own good,” Zeke told me calmly.

  “Fuck you!” I screamed at him. I managed to get a hand free and swung a fist at the back of his knee. He cursed as I made contact, he almost went down but managed to right himself. Barely. Adrenaline pumping, I looked down my body and kicked hard at Isaac. Isaac wasn’t ready and dropped me. There was cursing I scrambled up and tried to break Zeke’s hold on me, but the fucker somehow got his arms over my upper body pinning my arms against me with my back solidly against his chest. I stomped down on his foot. He cursed.

  “Where the fuck is he?” Zeke grunted. I tried to break away like Zeke taught me, but the way Zeke was holding me made it impossible. Asher grabbed my legs around my knees pinning my legs against his chest. I kept thrashing as they carried me down the hall and into the family room. I tried head butting Zeke, but the fucker was too high.

  “He should be here any fucking minute,” Asher grunted as I used my whole body to try to shove him away and jerk back. Nothing I was doing was working. They just kept hanging on.

  “Just keep fighting Beautiful, you’ll be out in no time.” Ethan came in groaning. “And when the fuck did she learn that move?”

  “Do you have any idea how fucked up this is? Five guys holding down one girl?” I shouted at them as I kicked out.

  “Yeah, we do,” Asher grunted.

  “But we’re just trying to get you to sleep.” Zeke pointed out. I was getting tired, my legs getting heavy. I kept cursing at them.

  “I hate you fuckers!”

  “We love you too Ally.” Asher taunted back.

  “Okay, bring her down,” Zeke said. I kept trying to kick free, but the assholes had too good of a hold on me. Then Zeke was sitting on the couch with me in his lap, still pinned to his chest. Asher was kneeling on the floor still holding my legs, only now by my ankles. I got my second wind. I jerked against Zeke’s arms and slammed back against him. I tried to get one foot free, but Asher’s grip was solid. I kept cursing.

  “I’m going to take each of your fucking presents back!” I tried to bounce and hit Zeke in the groin, but the bastard had a grip of steel. My adrenaline was running out.

  “Aw, you don’t mean that Red,” Isaac said.

  “Yeah, I fucking do!” The doorbell rang.

  “About fucking time,” Zeke growled as I tried again to bash him in the face with the back of my head. Only this time when my head went back and hit his chest, I didn’t want to pick it back up. I just kept yelling as I kicked weakly with my feet; I was getting tired. But I could run my mouth.

  “No means no, you fuck heads!” I shouted weakly trying again to break free.

  “Oh, that sounded bad,” Asher warned looking up at Zeke.

  “Yeah. We might need a little help with him.” Zeke said back to Asher. I kicked out again, feeling my limbs turn to lead. I was out of breath; I couldn’t fight anymore. I needed a break.

  “What the fuck are you guys doing?” A husky voice shouted. I knew that voice, and it was really pissed off.

  “Dylan man...” Isaac began moving around the couch out of my sight. Asher was distracted, so I tried a kick. I barely moved him.

  “Let me go you shits.” I wasn’t screaming now. I was barely yelling.

  “Get the fuck off my girl!” Dylan’s voice was boiling. Good, maybe he could get them to let go. There was a scuffle somewhere to the right.

  “We’re just trying to get her to sleep!” Ethan shouted before moving the wood and glass coffee table back and away from the couches. Dylan and Isaac came into view to my right. Isaac was keeping Dylan from reaching us, but Dylan was making him work for it.

  “Don’t believe them. They are lying assholes who took away my coffee!” I shot out. Asher and Zeke burst out laughing. I jerked forward against his arms and only ended up hurting myself.

  “Yeah, laugh it up assholes. I’m going to… I... don’t… ow... I hate you fuckers.” I was suddenly out of breath again.

  “Dylan! Look at her!” Isaac’s voice rang through the room. “Stop for a second and fucking look at her!” Dylan stopped trying to get past Isaac and looked over at me.

  “You guys fucking suck... wait till... I’ll tell Maria... she’s going to…” My head fell back against Zeke’s chest, and this time I didn’t pick it back up. “I... hate... you…” My eyes closed. I just needed to rest for a second. Then I’ll make them let go.

  “She’s been up for two fucking days straight. And a seizure knocking her out for a few hours doesn’t count as sleep.” Isaac’s voice filled the room again. I tried my legs again, and I wasn’t even sure I moved them.

  “The last time she slept was that nap at your house,” Zeke spoke up behind me, his voice vibrating through me. I tried to jerk to the side, but it didn’t work. I didn’t want to sleep. I had stuff to do.
..

  “She’s been downing coffee all day, a small coffee five espresso shots each. She’s had four already.” Miles chimed in.

  “Spying... ass... hats...” I mumbled. Zeke’s body heat was making it hard to stay awake. “Zeke... please… don’t make me…” I whimpered, I didn’t want to see it again. The room went silent.

  “Why don’t you want to sleep, Lexie?” Miles asked his voice was soft, but it still brought me closer to the surface. The rotted-out image of Sophia and the twins screaming filled my head.

  “… dreams... bad, bad, bad...” I whimpered, not really hearing myself. Someone cursed.

  “That’s why Dylan’s here, Ally.” Asher’s voice was reassuring.

  “Dylan, she has bad nightmares.” Ethan started talking, it brought me closer to the surface again.

  “Yeah! I know! That doesn’t mean you have to fucking hold her down!” Dylan still sounded pissed. Good, get ‘em off me... I didn’t want to…

  “No Dylan, we’re talking waking up screaming nightmares,” Asher said from my feet. Was he still there? I tried to move my feet. I only managed a knee. “She never sleeps more than a couple of hours at a time now.”

  “She’s out! Stop touching her!” Dylan’s voice was hard.

  “If we do that she’ll be screaming in... what’s the record for after letting her go?” Ethan’s voice went through the room.

  “Ten minutes tops.” Miles' voice was calm.

  “She’ll be screaming in ten minutes.” Isaac chimed in. “The only way we’ve found for her get any sound sleep is for someone to be touching her.”

  “A shoulder, a hand on the back. Fuck, even holding her hand will work.” Zeke said, his voice quiet. I was sinking deeper, but I didn’t want to go. I whimpered and tried to move. “Ah, Lexie honey, come on. Stop fighting it.” Zeke’s voice sounded pained.

  “I hate that fucking sound,” Ethan grumbled.

  “Zeke, get your fucking hands off my girl, man,” Dylan growled loudly.

  “I’m not fucking hurting her,” Zeke growled back.

  “Dylan!” Asher’s voice grew hard. “We have a solution, but it’s not going to be here until Christmas. And right now, someone’s got to hold her while she sleeps today and it’s either going to be you or one of us. So, which is it?”

  “What do you fucking think my answer's gonna to be?” Dylan snapped. “Now stop fucking pinning her down!”

  “Then get over here and take her so we can fucking let go.” Zeke snapped back. It pulled me back to the surface. I whimpered and tried to move again.

  “Lexie, Dylan’s going to help you sleep now.” Miles' voice was soothing. I stopped fighting. Dylan? Okay, I’ll go with that. You guys suck right now anyway...

  “Is that okay with you, Ally?”

  “Sandalwood…” I mumbled more than half asleep. I wanted my sandalwood.

  “Sandalwood?” Asher’s voice was confused.

  “It’s my fucking soap.” Dylan bit out. “Get the fuck out of my way Turner.” Footsteps came closer. The hands on my ankles let go. The weight across my chest eased up but didn’t go away. “Let me get her shoes.” Hands moved over my feet.

  “I know you're pissed at us man, but soft hands,” Isaac warned. Something came off my feet.

  “Don’t even fucking talk to me about soft hands right now,” Dylan warned, his voice still furious. “Let go of her Zeke.” The weight across my chest lifted. An arm gently wrapped around my back, another under my knees then I was lifted. I met a warm hard chest. I smelled sandalwood. I rubbed my cheek against the warm.

  “Are you alright Zeke?” Miles asked.

  “She almost took me down with that knee hit.” He groaned. “She nailed my instep perfectly.” I wanted more sandalwood, I reached up, wrapped my arm around his neck, and shifted in his arms until I was closer to the smell. Something inside me relaxed.

  “Sunshine.” Dylan’s soft voice washed over me, soothing me. I smiled, I loved that sound.

  “Take the couch.” Miles' voice was still calm. “Ethan grab that throw.” I was moved again, barely conscious. I was sitting on someone again, their arms around me were nice, not holding me down anymore. Something soft covered me. I sighed as everything really started to fade away.

  “I’ve got you Sunshine…”

  I woke up warm, safe and surrounded by sandalwood. It reminded me of Dylan. I smiled still half asleep. I was on my side, my head on someone’s chest, my leg wrapped around one of theirs. I didn’t care. One of the twins’ arms were around my back, hand in my hair. The other was on my shoulder. The sound of a heartbeat was loud against my ear. It was soothing. I wanted to go back to sleep. What woke me up?

  “Do you need a break?” Asher’s voice was whispering.

  “None of you are fucking touching her right now.” A husky voice snapped his voice low. “Not until I can get that image out of my head.”

  “We hated doing it.” Asher’s voice whispered again. “But she wouldn’t stop to sleep.”

  “I don’t care.” Dylan’s voice was still quiet. “Five big guys against your girl Asher, with her screaming to be let go. Fucking imagine walking in on that.” It was quiet, I started to sink again.

  “Yeah, I get that.”

  “Just... give me more time to cool off.” He sounded so angry. Footsteps walked away. I slid my hand up his chest and wrapped my hand around his neck, my fingers moving. “Sunshine?” I started to sink again. I felt lips on my forehead, and the world disappeared.

  I woke up still surrounded by sandalwood. It still reminded me of Dylan. It made my heart warm. I was snuggled, comfortable, and safe. I took my time waking up. As I did, I noticed I was still in the same position as earlier. It was very comfy. His deep even breathing told me he was asleep. That’s okay; I was thinking of going back to sleep too. I just floated there for a while, half asleep, half awake. Completely peaceful, sleepy laziness. Then his breathing changed. He took a deep breath. His arms moved off me as he stretched out. When he was done, both arms wrapped back around me. A hand cupped my face, a thumb stroking my cheekbone. Isaac and Ethan never really did that. Only... then I remembered what happened. The guys grabbing me, holding me and forcing me to stop. Dylan had shown up angry because they wouldn’t let me go. Then everything was a blur. I didn’t even bother opening my eyes; too much effort right now.

  “Dylan?” I mumbled against his chest. “That you?”

  “Yeah, Sunshine. It’s me.” His husky voice was soft as he whispered to me. I smiled.

  “Good; otherwise one of the guys were playing a joke, and I was gonna kill someone.” He made a sleepy quiet chuckle. I shifted against him. Moving a bit higher on his chest till my nose hit neck. His hand went to my knee at his waist now. Then he began rubbing up and down my leg, from knee to hip and back again.

  “The guys cuddle you a lot?” He still sounded half asleep too.

  “Depends on how bad the dreams are. The twins take the hit.” I tilted my head down and kissed the base of his neck. “This much better.”

  “That’s a little much for me, Sunshine.” He sounded like he was waking up more.

  “‘I’ll stop,” I mumbled back.

  “Thank you.” He kissed my forehead. Then he rested his cheek there. “How many times a night do you wake up?” I was waking up too now. I still didn’t want to open my eyes. I sighed.

  “Three or four. Depends on how long I have to sleep.” I admitted not really whispering anymore.

  “What do you dream about?” He asked gently.

  “Bad stuff. Lately, things I’m afraid of happening.” I hedged as I stretched. Then moved back to the same position and opened my eyes. The family room was dim with only one lamp on “What time is it?” Dylan reached down to the floor and picked up his phone.

  “7:43.” He said, then put the phone back on the floor. He shifted out from under me, moving to his side, so he was facing me. He scooted down a bit, so his face was even with mine. His body pressing me a bit int
o the cushions on the back of the couch, his arm still around my back. “Lexie?” Those sapphire eyes ran over my face. His brow drew down, his mouth pressed into a tight line. “How many times have they pinned you till you fell asleep?” His voice had gone firm. He really hadn’t liked that. His free hand brushed my hair from my face.

  “First time,” I answered honestly as I looked into those beautiful eyes. His face relaxed.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. First time ever.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead. Then relaxed again still looking at my face. “You really didn’t like that.” He snorted hard. His eyes grew stormy.

  “I got a call from Asher that I needed to get down here for you. Miles answers the door; I hear you screaming no. I got past Miles and ran in following your voice.” His voice was getting hard again, his mouth pressing to a thin line. “Then I see two big fuckers holding down my much smaller girlfriend.” I winced at what he described. Yeah, that sounded terrible. “I get why now, but they didn’t have to fucking use Asher and Zeke.” I snickered. He looked at me questioningly.

  “They didn’t start with Asher and Zeke,” I told him honestly. He raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled. “I was at the coffee machine when Ethan grabbed me. I dropped him to the ground before I even knew who it was.” He was smiling now, clearly enjoying this story. “Then Isaac and Zeke had me, I broke away from Isaac, almost knocked Zeke on his ass. In the end, Asher and Zeke were the only ones who could hold on to me.” He burst out laughing. I snickered myself. I was rather proud of that. He gave me a squeeze. When he stopped laughing, I had to ask. “How angry are you at the guys?” He sighed.

  “I was really mad at first.” He ran his fingers through his hair, sending it in every direction. “Seeing them hold you down just….” He took a breath. “I understand they needed to get you to sleep. But it’s the way they did it that really pisses me off.” I had to come clean.

  “Well, to be honest, I was being a bit of a bitch at the time,” I admitted. I thought about how I had talked to Miles and changing my shirt in front of the guys. Yeah, I wasn’t telling Dylan that one. Dylan snorted.