Alluring Surrender

by Skye Turner

  “Hey, you called me and when I answered you hung up. You good? Did you need something?”

  “I did call you. It was an accident.” She’s watching my face. “Sorry, man. I’m good. I don’t need anything. I have what I need.”

  “Ok, cool. Later.”

  Before I can say “Later,” he’s hung up. Tifanie just stares at me and I stare back.

  Tifanie just told me she loves me. I already knew she did, or I thought she did, but she said it. No, she screamed it. She loves me and she’s willing to fight for me. I don’t know if I love her. I think I might, but I don’t know and until I do know, I’m not saying it.

  But she loves me and she makes me feel. She makes me happy. I have to stop pushing her away and trying to ruin this.

  She loves me and I want to stick around…

  Are you man enough to actually do it though?!

  Yeah, I am. I have to be.

  She’s searching my face and waiting for me to speak. What do I say?

  Finally, I pull her onto the steps of the mansion and we sit down. She stares straight ahead with her hands clasped and her mouth tight.

  I lean back on the step behind me and cross my ankles. Watching the moon, I say, “I’m sorry.”

  Her head turns and she looks at me. She still looks pissed. “You can’t keep doing this.” She glares. “You can’t turn tail and try to run every time something scary comes along, Cruz. You’re an adult. This is an adult relationship. It’s not easy. It’s not supposed to be easy. But you can’t keep doing this.”

  I nod. “I know. But it’s what I do. It’s what I know how to do. When things are tough or get complicated, I leave. It’s worked for me in the past. It’s all I know.”

  She grabs my knee and squeezes. “It stops now. You’re not running from me… from this.” I cover her hand with mine. “I don’t need everything, Cruz. But I need something. You have to give me something.”

  Leaning down, I stare into her eyes and slowly and shyly smile. “I know. I don’t have a lot to offer. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I can give you something… I can give you me. I can give you me, Tifanie.” Brushing her mouth with mine, I feel her sigh and then she smiles against my lips.

  “Well, since that’s exactly what I want… I’ll take it.”

  The door opens behind us and I mutter, “Deal.” I brush her lips with mine, before I turn to see who’s come out.

  Ty is standing there. His hands are shoved into his pockets and his feet are bare. His hair is rumpled and he looks embarrassed. “Hey, guys. Sorry to interrupt your moment here, but I just woke up. I think I drank too much.”

  I nod. “You had a lot. It’s cool though. I think we’re good here.”

  Holding out my hand as I stand up, Tifanie places hers in mine and I help her up. She smiles at me. “Yeah, we’re good here.” She lightly squeezes.

  She turns her head to Ty and says, “You ok?”

  He grimaces and nods. “Yeah, I’m good. Long day.”

  Nodding, she lets go of my hand as she heads up the steps and into the house. “I’m going to check on Grandma Clarabelle. If she’s still asleep, I’ll help her to bed and we can head out.”

  I nod as the door closes behind her and it’s just me and Ty on the porch of a humongous mansion that neither of us belongs at. I chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

  Ty plops into one of the cypress gliders as I sit back on the steps and lean against the handrail.

  After a minute, he breaks the silence. “So, where did you two disappear to earlier this afternoon?”

  I smile as I remember where we went… and what we did when we got there.

  “Oh, Tifanie just took me on a tour of the grounds.”

  He nods. “It’s gorgeous, huh?”

  “It is. This place is unbelievable.”

  The creak of the glider and the hum of the night sounds are weirdly soothing out here. “Yeah. Hard to believe that Tifanie grew up here. She’s nothing like the rest of them. I still can’t believe she came from these people. Talk about the fruit falling far from the tree.” His voice sounds pessimistic.

  “Yeah. She’s different for sure.”

  He’s quiet for a minute. “I heard some of that.” I look at him with a question on my face. Heard what? How much did he hear? He shrugs sheepishly. “I wasn’t listening on purpose. But when I walked up, I heard some of your conversation. With Tifanie. Sorry, I know that was private.”

  I nod. “It’s ok.” Do I tell him that we heard him and Tifanie’s sister in the maze earlier today? But what did we really hear? I decide to keep my mouth shut. I’ve never been one to get in everyone’s business before. I’m not starting now.

  He sighs. “So, you were trying to bolt?”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, I was. I got spooked by something and I tried to get away from it. It’s what I do. It’s what I’ve always done. Only, Tifanie wouldn’t let me.”

  He mutters, “Yeah, she’s the one who fights for what she wants.”

  Nodding, I agree with him. She is a fighter. And an excellent lover.

  Chapter Twenty

  Tifanie

  The house is quiet with everyone out and I follow the sound of Grandma Clarabelle’s soothing snoring to the parlor. Gently shaking her, I speak quietly. “Grandma, let’s get you to bed. Grandma, wake up. It’s late.”

  I laugh as I realize I’m trying to wake up my grandma to get her to go to bed.

  She opens her eyes and mutters, “Are you still here, belle fleur?”

  Smiling, I fold the throw and place it back over the fainting couch. “I am. But it’s late, so let’s get you up to bed.”

  Her eyes crack open again and she smiles at me. Her eyes are twinkling from sleepiness and mirth. “So, you showed Cruz your secret spot today?”

  The blood rushes to my cheeks. I laugh as I help her up. “Grandma! How do you know that?”

  Her hand cups my arm. “Cher, I know a lot of things.” She chuckles. “I all but told you to take him to your ‘Secret Garden.’ He needed a break and it’s a good place to think, talk, and… relieve some stress. Why do you think I sent you that way?”

  “Grandma!”

  “What, cher? I’m old, not dead. And you two were gone for over an hour. You also had flower petals in your hair when you came back and a… glow.”

  Oh my God… Grandma is telling me that she knows I took Cruz to my Secret Garden and had my way with him today. She’s hilarious. I’m embarrassed, but not as much as I probably should be. I never knew she knew about my secret place.

  I chuckle as I help her steady herself on her feet. “Yes, well…”

  She pats my arm and I look over to see her with a dreamy expression on her face. “Passion is important in a relationship. Love, trust, and passion. Those are key. Relationships are possible without love. Some are possible without passion, but for a truly life-changing relationship that will span the ages and soothe the soul, you need all three.” She’s talking to me, but it also seems as if she’s talking to herself. Her face turns toward me as we reach the landing on the grand staircase. “You have all three with him, cher. That’s something special and you need to hold onto it. Don’t let other people take it away from you. You are strong and stubborn. Stay that way. Don’t let anyone sway you.”

  My mind is racing. What is she talking about? “Grandma? Did you love someone who got away?”

  She smiles sadly at me. “I loved someone. But he didn’t get away. I let others make him go. It was much different in those days.” She pats my hand again and sighs. “It’s a different time and you’re a stronger woman than I am. If that man is what you want, then that man is what you need to have.” She pats my cheek. “Keep fighting.”

  Wow, I never knew that.

  I help her get into bed and tuck her in, the same way she used to tuck me in as a child, before locking up and letting myself out of the house. Cruz and Ty are waiting for me on the porch. It’s been a long day, so we drop Ty off and head back
to my place. We have to work tomorrow night, so he needs to rest up and get that alcohol out of his system.

  Cruz decides to stay the night and we’re both so drained from the day, we fall asleep almost as soon as we get into my house.

  I’ve been at work about an hour and Ty has been unusually quiet. He’s not his usual carefree, chatty self. I tried to ask him about it once, but he basically snapped my head off; I retreated to the couch with my Kindle to read while we wait for a call.

  I’m absorbed in the Gabbie Duran book I’m reading when I see Ty stop in front of me. I look up with a question on my face. He smiles sheepishly. “Sorry. I’m a bear today. I’m in a pissy mood and I’m taking it out on you.”

  “It’s cool. Everyone has days like that. You ok?”

  He nods. “Yeah, I let something get to me and I know better. I’m good.” He waggles his brows at me and smirks. “So… I hear that Cruz tried to run last night and you put him in his place.”

  I laugh. “You heard that, huh?”

  His face sobers. “Yeah, I heard y’all. I wasn’t eavesdropping, but when I got to the door, y’all were arguing. I couldn’t interrupt, so I let you finish.”

  I sigh. “Yeah. I told him I loved him in my rage.”

  His head whips around. “The fuck you say? You told him what?!”

  I laugh. “You heard me. I told him I loved him. I was pissed and it came out. He was shocked. His face was kind of priceless. But it was good. We’re good. I think.”

  “Wow… ok then. I mean I’m not surprised you love him. I’ve known that forever, but I’m surprised you told him. Though, I guess I’m not really that surprised about that either. You do tend to go after what you want. It’s one of your more endearing traits.” He bumps my shoulder with his.

  “Yeah, I to tend to go in guns blazing.”

  He murmurs, “That’s not always a bad thing. At least you know what you want and you go for it.”

  I nod. “Yeah, I know what I want.” Turning to him, I grin. “And I think I have it now.”

  He chuckles. “That man never stood a chance.”

  I hope he’s right. Deciding to approach what we heard last night, I ask, “Ty? Cruz and I were in the maze.” He looks at me and he frowns. “We heard you. We heard you arguing with AnnaBeth… What was that about?”

  He laughs harshly, “You know me. And you know I can’t stand her.”

  I nod. “Yeah, but it seemed like more. Are you sure that’s all it was? You would tell me if something was going on, right?!”

  He looks at me and smiles. “Trust me, Tif, nothing is going on. I would tell you.” He laughs. “Me and AnnaBeth…” He shudders.

  I chuckle with him, of course nothing is going on with them. They hate each other.

  We get a call. “Altercation at a private residence. Two males, one female. Neighbor called it in. At least one appears to be wounded. Not certain of the extent of the injuries.”

  Ty grabs the keys to the “bus” he usually drives, and we head out to the location they give us. We chat about nothing on the way as Ty navigates through the light traffic with the lights on. It’s a nice neighborhood near the Country Club. I can’t help thinking to myself it’s a strange location for an assault call like this.

  Ty parks behind the police already on the scene and we grab our bags as we head up the drive to see what we’re dealing with.

  As we round the corner of the drive, my heart drops as I scan the crowd. Cruz is here. Why is Cruz here?

  Ty recognizes him as well and he shoots me a questioning look. What the hell is this? There’s no time to think too hard about this as I try to focus on the situation. A friend of mine, Willis, is the officer at the scene. He walks out to talk to us as his partner talks to Cruz. I’m concentrating on the details he’s providing when I notice a beautiful, black woman on the steps of the house. She’s talking to another officer and gesturing to a parked police car. A man is in the back.

  Cruz turns and I can clearly see his face for the first time since we arrived. What the fuck happened to his face? Is he the assault victim? What the fuck is going on?

  Keep it together, Tifanie. You can’t go all crazy concerned lover right now. Right this second, you’re just a paramedic and he’s just a patient. You can figure it out later, but right now, dear God… right now, hold your shit together.

  Ty masks his face as he looks from me to Cruz. He leans down. “I’m taking lead. You assist. You can’t be unprofessional right now. I know you know that and I know you’re wanting answers, but they’re going to have to wait.”

  I stiffly nod in agreement.

  Ty nods at Willis and his partner, Shelton. Shelton says, “This is Robert Edwards. This is his mother’s home. A neighbor called us when they heard shouting from inside followed by a large crash. He was attacked with a chair and has some minute lacerations on his face and hands from fighting off the attacker. His right bicep has a deep laceration with substantial bleeding that may need stitches. He was also clocked in the head so he has a possible concussion.”

  Ty smiles slightly. “That hard head will be fine.”

  Cruz grimaces as he stares at me. “It is hard,” he says. “It hurts like a bitch, too. He threw my momma’s antique brass lamp at me and it hit me square in the back of the head.”

  I take the blood pressure cuff out and start taking his vitals and Ty leads Willis and Shelton a bit away. They are talking quietly.

  I need to remember to thank him later.

  “So, what happened?” I keep working as I ask.

  He frowns as he grimaces as if in extreme pain. “Momma called me when he just showed up. He said since I wouldn’t meet with him, that he was going to come here so I wouldn’t have a choice.”

  My hand tightens on his arm and his breath hisses out. “I’m sorry. I’ll look at that in one second. I just need to grab some gauze to wrap it.”

  He nods. “Ok. I raced over here and told him to get out. He laughed at me and said he wasn’t going anywhere. He said I was his son and he had a right to know me. We got into it and I told him again to get out before he really pissed me off. It got really heated and when I tried to throw him out, he grabbed the lamp and hit me with it. Then, he grabbed a chair and broke it over me as he hit me with it. He also stabbed me in the fucking arm! I finally managed to get up and screamed at Momma to get out and call the police. She ran out and I restrained him. They showed up a few minutes later.”

  My lips are tight as I listen to the hell he endured today. I knew Lucian was bad news. Cruz was right to want to avoid him, but if he just showed up here, then he’s stupider than I originally thought.

  Of course he also raped Cruz’s mother twenty-six years ago, so I can’t imagine what he’s thinking right now.

  After cutting away the sleeve of Cruz’s long sleeve shirt, I check the wound on his bicep. I mutter a curse. “This needs stitches, Cruz. No major damage, but he cut pretty deep and your tattoo is going to be fucked up with a scar.”

  He mutters a curse, too. “Shit! Can you stitch me up?”

  I look up sharply. “I’m not a doctor, Cruz.”

  “I know, but you can stitch me up, right?”

  I look at him calmly. “I can, but I also have to check for wood splinters. It’s going to hurt.”

  He nods. “Ok, then do it. I trust you and I don’t particularly care for hospitals.”

  Ty, Willis, and Shelton walk back over. Willis flips his pad closed. “We have everything we need for your statement. We’re taking him in to the station to be booked. But, be forewarned, he won’t stay there. Even with the litany of charges, with his name and all… I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s out by morning… even with the parole violation. My advice, like I told your mom, get a restraining order.”

  Cruz nods. “Thank you. We will. We both will.”

  They watch as I probe the last of the gash for splinters. His breath hisses out as I finish and stitch him up. When I’m done, I wrap his arm.

  We
’re left alone again as Ty walks with them, talking quietly. I can see them all casting covert glances at us.

  Cruz notices too. “Great, let the tongue wagging begin.”

  I laugh lightly. “Yup, best way to have gossip make the rounds is tell some cops.”

  He rolls his eyes. “Yay, me. Sorry.”

  I ask with surprise as I clean and bandage the rest of his injuries, “Sorry for what?”

  He laughs. “For being the subject of more speculation and gossip thanks to me.”

  I grin at him. “It’s ok. You keep life interesting.” He laughs with me before cussing as I bandage a particularly nasty cut above his eye.

  We’re interrupted by a soft voice. “I’m assuming this is Tifanie?”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Cruz

  I’m sitting here in my momma’s driveway surrounded by cops with Lucian in the backseat in handcuffs as Tifanie sews up a deep cut on my arm. That asshole broke a chair over my back and then stabbed me with it in my arm.

  Thank God he came after me and ignored Momma. I was able to engage him enough to get her out of the house and call the police. She’s safe. If he’d tried to hurt her again, he’d be leaving in a body bag and not a cop car.

  He did a number on me, but only because he snuck up on me. It was stupid of me to turn my back to him though. My vision is spotty and I feel like I’m going to hurl, so I’m pretty certain I have a concussion, not to mention the cut on my arm and my face feels swollen too. I got him too, though. Once I was able to get up, I gave him a pretty good lashing before I restrained him.

  I was hoping it would be anyone but Tif and Ty to show up here, but I’m kind of glad it was them now. I don’t want to go to the hospital and I’m comfortable with her stitching up my arm, though it hurts like hell.

  She mutters a curse and I look down at her. Her face is scrunched up in concentration and she’s biting the tip of her tongue. She tells me that the cut is deep and went through my tattoo, meaning the scar is going to mar it. I cuss in rage. That tattoo is for Momma! And that criminal just messed it up.