Lexi's Justice

by Renee Shearer

  Please God, let her pull through.

  Eight

  Lexi

  A few days later:

  I was cold and my entire body ached. My breathing was labored too, it felt like I had a giant rubber band wrapped around my chest that was getting tighter and tighter with each breath. A coughing spasm hit me, suddenly my chest was on fire, a thousand red hot pokers were stabbing me in my lungs. I knew that feeling. I had bronchitis. Along with other things. Damn, just what I needed.

  It registered in my brain then that I was in pain, that meant I wasn’t dead. I was very much alive, but how?

  I was lying on my side on a feather-soft mattress, with a nice thick comforter covering me. I cracked open my eyes and groaned lightly. It was so bright, light was filtering in through two windows where the curtains were thrown wide open. I snapped my eyes shut. Where was I? Was I in the hospital? It didn’t feel or smell like I was in a hospital. So again where was I?

  You won’t know unless you open your eyes, nitwit. A small voice in the back of my head said, so I tried again, opening them just a crack, I squinted and looked around. I was in a normal room. It had warm wood walls, a fireplace with a small fire going to chase away the chill. I was lying on a simple queen-sized bed the comforter was red with a grey swirling pattern, I turned my head slightly to see an empty chair next to the bed. It had a blanket and pillow thrown over it like someone had just gotten up and tossed them back over the chair.

  I groaned as I tried to sit up. My arms were too weak to really lift my body. My head was pounding, I felt like I was dying. Again. What the fuck happened? The last thing I remembered was walking in the woods. I had just come up to the waterfall. After that everything was blank. Did I fall off the cliff?

  The bedroom door opened and in walked one of the most gorgeous men I have ever seen. Next to Connor and Colter.

  Where the hell have all of these guys been all of my life.

  I shook my head and groaned as pain spears through it, falling back down on the bed.

  The handsome guy chuckled and he made his way to the bed, “Easy now, tiger. You’re really sick. Hello there, I’m Thorne.”

  I laid there and looked Thorne over, he was standing by the bed with a stethoscope hanging around his neck. He was somewhere around six feet but it was hard for me to be certain from my vantage point. His skin was smooth and tan, his black t-shirt pulled across his muscles defining them and showing off his many tattoos. His jeans were sitting low on his hips but hugged his thighs, and I’m sure his ass, nicely.

  He sighed, sitting down like he was tired, and ran his hands through his short brown hair. His hair was cut into an almost military-style, what do they call those? High and tights I think…

  Which made sense, this guy practically screamed military. His face was clean-shaven, showing off his strong jawline, and straight nose.

  “Can you tell me your name?” His eyes regarded me curiously, they seemed to be a dark navy blue.

  I started to nod my head but thought better of it as pain speared through it again, “I’m Lexi Adams. What happened to me? The last thing I remember is hiking in the woods and coming up to a cliff with a waterfall. Did I slip and fall over?”

  I winced as he shined a flashlight into my eyes. “Ow, stop it. Bright light hurts.”

  I tried to shift so I could look at him better but something pulled on my back. I slowly reached around me to feel what is there, I could feel gauze at the edge of my fingertips, it extended down to my right hip. What the fuck? How did I miss this before?

  I started to panic. I was in an unknown house, with an unknown man, even if he was sexy as sin, I’m what appeared to be severely injured. This is not looking good for me. Who knows what kind of man he is, he could be a serial killer for all I know. I frowned at him as I tried to process my thoughts while scooting away from him the best I could. It hurt like hell but I made my way over to the other side of the bed as far away from him as possible.

  Thorne cocked his head to the side and smirked at me, “Where are you going, Lexi?” His smirk and the way he said the question only served to freak me out more, and I started to fanatically look around for a weapon. Anything I could use to hit him or hurt him if he came near me.

  Seeing a lamp on the bedside table next to me I slid off the bed and used both the bed and nightstand to keep me upright as my legs wobbled like they haven’t taken my weight in weeks. Was I drugged? I don’t feel drugged…

  I grabbed the lamp and held it up, “Stay away from me. Where the hell am I? How did you find me if I fell off the cliff, and what kind of guy lives in the middle of nowhere? Are you a serial killer? Well, let me tell you buster, I may be sick and injured but I will go down swinging! I won't be easy prey for you!” My voice rose an octave toward the end, It was hard for me to breath and I’m panting by the time I was done with my tirade. My lungs seized and a coughing fit overtook me.

  I couldn't stand any longer and collapsed to the floor still coughing my lungs out, burning and needles of pain are stabbing me in the chest. I desperately wanted to cry out for help, but couldn’t. I sat on the floor with the lamp clutched in my hand after I could finally breathe again, sweat was dripping down my face and I’m shivering.

  I peeked over the bed to see Thorne standing there frowning at me, “What? Never seen anyone with bronchitis before?” I asked meekly. It took all the breath I had just to say that.

  Turning sharply on his heel Thorne strode out of the room. Great, Lexi, way to piss off the potential serial killer.

  I could hear voices coming down the hall and moved to stand up again, my body was revolting against me though and didn’t want me to move. I grit my teeth and growled a little as I forced my weak and tired body to obey my commands and stand the fuck up to fight. I need my will-power now more than ever; I didn’t even think there may be more than one person here with me. I’m leaning against the wall, lamp held out and shaking in front of me, when Thorne strides back in. Not knowing what else to do, plus my arms were getting tired, I threw the lamp at him. However, since I didn't unplug it and am weaker than a day old kitten it just lands on the bed... still attached to the wall.

  I started to cry then, I hated crying. There was no point to it, all it did was make my head hurt worse and another coughing fit took over. It seemed my body has had enough for one day as black creeped in from the edges of my vision. I looked up, panting, as someone called my name, “Colter?” I managed to squeak out before I lost consciousness.

  Colter (Aka: Colt)

  I rushed to Lexi’s side, just as her eyes rolled back into her head and she started to fall. “What the fuck did you do to her, Thorne?” I glared at my best-friend, who was like a brother to me, as I cradled Lexi’s small form to my chest. Thorne, Hawk, Con and I all grew up together, we were a family long before we joined the military and became brothers-in-arms.

  I could tell he was frustrated as he ran his left hand over his close cropped hair, He was the only one of us who still had the fucking military cut even after two years out of the forces. For the rest of us, having spent 14 years with the same damn cut we were more than happy to let it go, but Thorne was a stickler for routine. Always had been.

  “I didn’t do anything, Colt, I swear. She woke up and I asked her if she remembered her name, she told me, then suddenly got all panicky and started to rant at me about going down swinging and not making it easy on me if I was going to kill her.”

  I chuckled at his confused and horrified expression. As if the thought of someone thinking he would ever hurt a woman was monstrous. Con-man spoke up by the doorway. “Thorne, you have to admit, waking up and seeing your sexy, beautiful, tattooed self would make any woman think she was being held by a serial killer.”

  Thorne growled at my brother who was standing in the doorway watching me like a hawk as I gently laid Lexi back down on the bed and covered her with the blankets. I frowned as I brushed the hair back out of her face, she felt hot. “Thorne? I think she has a really hi
gh fever, and her breathing is labored.”

  Lexi was shivering even under the heavy blankets; Thorne strode over to the bed and whipped out a thermometer from his pocket. It’s one of those that you scan across the forehead to get a reading. Leave it to him to have something like that in his pocket. Man should have been a damn doctor.

  I watched anxiously as he checked her over, he frowned at the reading and from another pocket brought out a small flashlight. He looked in her throat, felt her neck, and finally took the stethoscope from around his neck to listen to her breathing.

  “What is it man? Is she okay?” Con walked up to the bed and looked down at Lexi. This woman had affected both of us, hell, make that all of us, she was brave and fearless as far as I could tell.

  “Well I’ll be damned. She was right.” Thorne muttered, he went over to his bag in the corner of the room and took out a small vial and a needle. Worry flooded my system as I watched him measure out a dosage. I had helped him enough in battle to know that he was giving her some sort of medicine, as a battlefield corpsman I knew he had seen and done many things like this while we were deployed. He was one of three nurses and doctors that we had over there.

  When we got out he became an EMT. I asked him once, about a year ago, why he didn’t go back to school and become a doctor. He had just smiled and said, this is where the action is.

  He always did thrive when we were under pressure, I remember one time we were pinned down by enemy fire and I had taken a bullet in the shoulder. It hurt like a bitch and this crazy-ass motherfucker was calm, cool, and collected with a twinkle in his eye as he dug the bullet out and wrapped my wound, bullets still whizzing past us. Some to close for comfort.

  I snapped out of my thoughts as he came over and slid the needle into her skin. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Con flinch, I snickered as he glared at me. My brother has been afraid of needles ever since he was a kid, it was why I could never talk him into getting a tattoo.

  “What’s the matter Con-Man? You’re not the one getting the shot and she can’t feel anything” Thorne chuckled as Connor turned his glare onto him.

  “So what’s the diagnosis doc?” I asked, gently lowering myself to the bed and holding her hand. Seems I couldn't stop touching her.

  “She made it actually, right before she passed out. Looks like she was right, she has bronchitis. Luckily it's in its early stages, must have developed over night while I was sleeping and that's why I didn't catch it. Did Hawk mention anything about her breathing becoming labored this morning or anything to you guys?” We shook our heads; I hadn’t actually seen Hawk yet. He has been trying to keep his distance from her as much as possible. But I’ve snuck up on him to hear him reading to her.

  Thorne headed to the bathroom attached to the guest bedroom. Why the hell we even have a guest bedroom when we never had guests before is a mystery to me, but Thorne insisted on it when we built the cabin.

  “Come to think of it. I haven’t seen Hawk since he came in here last night to sit by her bed. Have you Con?” I turn to my brother.

  Connor frowned and shook his head, “No, I haven’t seen him either.”

  “Where the hell could he be?” Thorne muttered walking back in and laying a wet cloth over Lexi’s forehead. “Either way, I think we should bring her friend that you guys mentioned here. It may just help calm her and then we can figure out what the hell is going on.”

  I looked at her once again, nodding my head. Something I can’t seem to stop doing ever since Con and Hawk brought her here. The fucker who did this shit to her had better pray that I never find him. As the song goes, I have a bullet with his name on it.

  Nine

  Shane (AKA Hawk)

  My thoughts swirled around my head, I was unable to focus, and that irritated the hell out of me. Who would do that to her? She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and I had seen and loved plenty. Her hair was black as night, and full of waves framing her heart shaped face. Her lips were full and plump, and I bet once she opened her eyes they would be just as beautiful as the rest of her.

  I was in awe of her already which was a problem, I couldn’t-- no, wouldn’t, get involved with another female. I tried to fight the memory of that fateful day as I ran through the woods on my workout. But it was no use, the scene played out in my head again for the thousandth time.

  We had gotten lucky and were able to come home from deployment early, I was excited to see Amy again. It had been a long 8 months. I had stopped off to get her favorite flowers and chocolate as a gift. My mind didn’t even register the sounds of loud sex coming from my house at first, not until I unlocked the door. Then it was like a swift kick to the nuts, and a sucker punch to the face all in one. There on the couch was Amy and my blood-brother Adam, fucking each other’s brains out. They didn’t even have the decency to stop when they saw me.

  She just smirked and moaned loudly saying “Come join us, Shane.” Adam had preceded to fuck her harder at that statement.

  I didn’t react the way I always thought I would. When thinking about something like this happening, hypothetically, I thought I would attack him, try to kill him...possibly kill her. Instead I felt relief. Relief that I was done dealing with her bullshit, and a calm like I have never felt outside of battle settled over me.

  I walked to our bedroom and started to gather what little I had there anyways since I was always gone, fighting for her damn freedom to screw me over like this. They were still going at it when I walked out. I haven’t seen or talked to either one since then, and good fucking riddance. I didn’t need that kind of bullshit in my life.

  Whenever I had a scratch that needed to be itched I picked up a girl in a bar and fucked her quick or Connor and I would fool around a bit. We both knew it wasn’t anything that would turn permanent, but we liked to share our women anyways. I don’t know if I could be in a committed relationship and have her fucking someone else, unless we started out with that arrangement.

  Lexi’s sleeping face popped up in my head again, banishing the memories of Amy and Adam. Her beautiful, sweet face with its bruises, I was so pissed off on her behalf. Who the fuck would do that? What enemies did she have?

  I slowed my pace, then stopped at the river, bending over I tried to get my breathing under control. I must have been going faster than normal, my breaths were sawing in and out of my lungs in a way they never had before. The sound of crashing water registered in my ears. I looked up as I fell back to sit on my ass on the bank, I noticed I was at the waterfall where Lexi had to of gone over. Somehow my body, without my knowing, had brought me back here. I growled and looked up at the cliff face, it had to of been because Lexi had kept moaning and whimpering in her sleep last night. She had cried out a couple of times for her pack.

  Something brown caught my eye, “Well I’ll be damned…” It looked like a pack was stuck on a tree branch that was sticking out of the cliff. It had to be Lexi’s. The same damn one she had been crying out for.

  I ran this way often to clear my head of the demons that ran amok in my noggin’, and it wasn’t there the last time I ran here. Which come to think of it, was the day before we found Lexi.

  I cursed myself out for being a fucking idiot and staying away from here for the last couple of days. It should have been the first thing we did, to check the cliff and see if we could find any clues to who the hell did that to her.

  “We’re all fucking morons.” I mumbled to myself, turning around and running as fast as my tired body would allow me to go. I needed to get my climbing gear. I was going to get that damn pack for her, then I was done with her. I didn’t need the drama and shit that she would inevitably bring to our lives. It was why I preferred animals and became a vet, when we got out of the military. They were drama free and loved unconditionally.

  The faster she recovered, the faster she can tell us who did this. When she did, we would make sure Lexi got justice, then she could get the hell out of my life.

  Ten

 
Lexi

  2 days later…

  I was roasting underneath all the covers that were piled on me. I weakly kicked them off, and slowly sat up. Taking inventory on my body’s aches and pains. There was no longer a vengeful little gnome hammering in my head so that was good news. My breathing was also easier and I didn’t feel any burning in my chest, though I still felt the need to cough.

  My entire body ached, like I had been run over by a damn truck then left out to bake in the sun. Everything was stiff and sore and didn’t want to cooperate as I slowly scooted to the edge of the bed. Even that small amount of energy drained me.

  I sat on the edge of the bed, panting, trying to get up the energy to walk to the bathroom I could see across the room. My bladder was screaming at me to empty it and if I didn't make it there soon, I was going to embarrass myself even more than I’m sure I already have.

  Standing shakily to my feet, using the bed for support, I groaned low in my throat. My legs were wobbly like a newborn calf, they really didn’t want me walking on them.

  “Too bad, so sad legs. We are doing this whether you like it or not. So get with the fucking program.” I wheezed out.

  Damn. How long have I been bedridden? I could tell that I had lost weight, my ribs are just starting to show, I reached around and felt my back, I still had a bandage but the pulling and tugging was minimal. But why am I not in a hospital? What the fuck happened to me? I’m wearing boxer shorts and a huge t-shirt that falls to my mid-thigh. Whoever’s it was had to be a fucking giant as I’m no slouch in the height department.

  I squinted my eyes in concentration, starting to take miniscule steps towards the bathroom. How did I end up here? How did they find me? Where the hell was Colter? Did I actually see Colter? My brain was trying to do too many things at once, it felt like it was short circuiting. I stopped asking myself questions in favor of making it to my bladders salvation.