"What?! That's crazy! What things, what things did I ever say?" He denied, trying to fight back from the blush that exposed him.
"I can't just pull it all out here and now, but I did a lot of thinking while I was away. A lot of thinking. And the fact is, you think you're better than me-..."
"Oh that's bullshit, Crystal - come on! I'm in love with you, from the moment I saw you, your mother bringing you into-..."
"Stop! I don't wanna hear that!"
"Why? Huh? Why?" He moved from his chair going around the table to kneel before her, turning her chair around to face him.
"Victor stop it, get up from the floor."
"No - if I thought I was better than you, would I be down here? Huh? You want me to beg you back home? That it? Is that what it's going to take?"
"No Victor! Get up!" She pushed at his shoulders, he grabbed her wrists.
"No, I won't get up, I won't. I love you, you're my wife! I screwed up leaving you at your mother's that day. I should have gone for a walk, calmed down, came back and said, let's go home. Crystal I regret that day, baby I regret it more than you will ever know." He moved in closer to her, parting her knees to get in between her thighs, putting a hand around her waist to her back to pull her in close to him. "We belong together Crystal, don't you feel it, when I'm close to you like this? Feel how my heart's beating." He put her palm against his chest. "Feel it? That's real Crystal, I can't fake that." His hand moved down to the curve of her rear, pulling her forward on the seat as he lifted himself higher on his knees, looking at her lips. "I want you so bad, don't you want me, hm?" He lifted his mouth to kiss at her lips.
Crystal's heart was banging away until she was short of breath. Was it him? Love? Or was it what her body knew he could do? How he could please her? Right away, Ben came to mind, and immediately all effects he was stirring died - almost instantly. She pushed back. "No Victor, you're not gonna turn this into a session of us having sex to mask what's wrong with us."
"Crystal, we're a young couple, we're gonna have problems, it's not gonna be perfect, but this is. Come on, just a kiss." He pleaded softly.
"No Victor, move... I mean it."
He reached up, grabbed her head with both hands, pulling her mouth to his, kissing her hard, his mouth open over hers, his tongue entering, breathing heavy as he took over, trying to make her see what he felt, what they shared. Crystal grabbed his wrists, trying to push him away, but he was strong, really strong, holding her head so she could barely move it. She tried to stand, but he pulled her off the chair to the floor where he was, "No-..." She forced out, trying to turn her head.
Ignoring her, he pulled her beneath him, laying half of his body over hers, "Victor stop it!" She slapped him across the face, not a hard slap because her arms were restricted from giving it more power. He immediately grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head, tightly with his one hand.
"Now, who hit who? Huh? Am I angry? No, not at all, because this is what we do, isn't it Crystal?" He grinded against her, kissing her neck, down her chest, breathing hard, moving up to kiss her again, "This is how we like it, don't we, a bit rough, don't you?" He kissed her mouth, her cheek, because she was turning her head, this way and that.
"Nooo, stop it - get off! Get off me!" She bucked against him.
He climbed full on top of her, just about crushing her with his weight into the floor that had no give beneath her. Taking hold of her, stretching her arms up further, restricting her movements even more, he grabbed her face and forced himself on her, sure that she would give any moment now. He wedged his knee between her legs, grinding his erection against her groin area, moving down to the juncture of her thighs to rub his stiff hardness against her soft area, as if begging for entry.
Crystal forced her head around, she had to hurt herself to do it, because of his strong unyielding grip, regardless of it hurting her cheeks, "I mean - I mean it Victor, stop it! I mean it, stop it or - nooo, I'll start screa - scream! I will!" She struggled against him, feeling pinned down and helpless, he wasn't listening, just moving against her. She started crying, because she knew, he was too strong for her. Knew that if she screamed, and someone heard, they - or Shawn - would beat the hell out of him. Knew, that if she didn't fight him, he would take her - after all, he'd taken her before in their marriage when she'd tried so long ago after one fight, to deny him. He took her, and she did end up giving in, in fact, she'd actually came, hard and fast from his aggression. Now, she was different from then, this was different, she didn't want to give in, she didn't want this - him this way - but she was scared to cry out because he would get hurt. He was panting and desperate to have her, she could tell, he was always so hungry for her when recovering from a fight. He would handle her rough and ride her hard and fast, not really making love to her, but fucking her so that he could and sometimes did, hurt her. Before, feeling guilty, loving him so much, she would let him, she would take it, but now, everything seemed different. Even this, she realized was an act that made her feel belittled, that made her feel that he was telling her something - that this is what he wanted her for - it was where he found his greatest pleasure. It was his greatest addiction, being able to handle her this way, making her take it - take it hard - the way he would give it to her. She was his sole possession, belonging only to him. Suddenly she flashed back and heard her mother, heard her with her father crying out as well, saying no - trying to fight him off. All of a sudden, Crystal saw that she was repeating the very same actions, some how, some way, she'd become her mother; she remembered it being this way with her parents. She realized that Victor, some how, was her father and she had inadvertently fallen for a man, that was similar to him in very subtle ways, but right now, as he was trying to take her on Shanna's kitchen floor, it hit her like a ton of bricks - he needed their fights to give him an excuse to dominate her.
"NOOO! NO NO NO NO! GET OFF OF MEEE! GET OFF OF MEEEE! GET OFF OF MEEEE!" She was fighting, thrashing around, bucking on the floor, tugging to get her arms free of him. She forced her head out of his tight grip, turning left and right, not caring how much it was hurting. Her sudden, loud abruption of outcries scared him so Victor came to and leaped back off of her.
"Crystal!? Ca-calm down! Calm down - what's going on? I'm sorry - I didn't mean to hurt you! Did I hurt you?" He moved back watching her sob as she pulled her body up to sit, folding her legs before her, her knees up against her chest, she rocked and cried, shaking her head to get the vision, the sound, of her mother's cries out of her head, her eyes pouring with tears. Her hair was a mess, her clothing half open from his efforts to get what he was after from her.
"I want you to gooo, please - gooo!"
"Crystal? What? I'm sorry Crystal, I wasn't trying to hurt you!"
"Yes you were! Yes you were! You always hu-hurt meee! You always hu-hurt meee! Lea-leave me alone - leave me alone! You're - you're just like him!"
"Huh? What? What are you talking about?!" Victor panted, sitting on the floor, watching her rock and cry. "Crystal, what do you mean? Just like who?"
"MY FATHER! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT - I - I married... oh God." She wept, taking deep breaths to get a grip of herself.
Victor's eyes went to the front door, worried about what might be happening outside of it, to fully grasp what she was saying. Too scared and wondering if Shawn was lurking about, he couldn't believe he'd lost it like that. If Shawn were to see her like this - he knew he would have hell to pay. He looked back to Crystal, "Crystal, I'm sorry, calm down baby, I was wrong. I thought, I just thought - we've always been like this-..."
"YOU! YOU! You've always been - been like this! I - I tried to - to love you - and you - you treated me - like -..."
Not sure how to calm her, he gestured with his hand, "Sh sh sh, sh sh - I'm sorry, I said I was sorry. Don't cry, don't cry - come on, get up from the floor, it's okay. I'm sorry Crystal, come here, let me help you up."
"Nooo!"
"Yes, come on, you want them to think we've been fight
ing, huh? You want Shawn on me? I don't wanna hurt you Crystal, I don't. I swear to you, I don't. Come on, let me help you up. I won't hurt you, I won't go there again, I promise you I won't. Come on, let me help you up." He went to her, treating her as gently as he could - forgetting what she said about her father for the moment.
Trying to calm down, Crystal let him help her up. Her head hurt. He was right. She had to calm down, if Shawn saw her like this, she knew - no one would keep him off of Victor. She didn't want him hurt, while they might have problems, there was still something in her that didn't want him hurt by anyone. In fact, she knew, she still loved him. She was no longer in love with him, that romantic dreamy thing that made her feel she couldn't breathe if he left her, was gone. Now, it was a different kind of love - to see him harmed, she couldn't take it. He helped her into the bathroom. "Wash your face, cool down. You need to - fix your hair too. I'm sorry Crystal, I'm so sorry, you okay? I don't wanna hurt you."
"Leave me alone, I'm okay... just leave."
"Crystal..." He almost whimpered, almost stomped like a child coming down from a tantrum, unable to give in, "...I can't leave you. I love you so much, how can I leave you? Just promise me, that - you won't - do anything else, until - we - we work this out Crystal. I want to work it out, I swear to you I do." He wouldn't leave the bathroom, he had to stay there, stay with her until she agreed to give him a chance - agreed to stay away from Ben.
She stood wiping her face with a cold wet clothe, focusing on calming down. "I'm not making any promises Victor."
"So you're going with Ben then?"
She turned to him exasperated, "I told you, Ben and I are nothing, but friends, that's it!"
"He says different, he says, that - well, you two are close, real close. That you were even closer, in L.A."
"What? He said that to you? When?"
"Today, we almost got into another fight, right out front, your mother came out and caught us facing off again. He pissed me off because he said, I was a loser, and that he was on you like bees on honey - that he would have you, had - in fact, had you - and would take you and my boys, and I would never get you back. I'm in love with you Crystal, I'm your husband, how am I to take that? I guess that's why, I kind'ah, went too far here - the idea of someone else, well - touching you - it drives me crazy, you're my wife."
Crystal stood with her mouth open, stunned that Ben would say such a thing. Yes, they had been close, had in fact kissed, but it wasn't something she wanted him flaunting around, and what if that got back to her mother? After she'd told her she was under control - that they were just friends? "I can't believe he said that to you." She couldn't believe it.
"You don't believe me, ask your mother how we were when she came out. Like I said, I got pissed and he invited me to follow him into the woods, move our cars, so no one would know - so he could get at me, alone - he said. Yeah right, I'm sure he had other plans. And you, trust him, around our sons? He's one way to your face Crystal, but behind your back, he's totally different. I saw that about him today, and wondered do you really know him? I mean, really know him? That's why I want you to move back home, I'll leave Crystal, leave it to you all by yourself. Just you and the boys. At least then, you can think without interference from everyone in your family. And me, well - I'll only come by, when you call me, I promise you."
She stood with her mind flipping like crazy. "I don't know - just - leave me alone for now."
"So then, what he said, it's not true then? He was lying right?"
"Victor, I don't know what he told you, but we were with family. Surrounded by family, we had a couple of nights out - a dance - and yes, he tried to kiss me, but it never went any where - and no further than that - I stopped him."
Victor was burning once more, desperate more than ever now to get her away from him.
"He's trying to get you Crystal, he'll no doubt go to any lengths to succeed. We don't need this right now, we need to be focused on, doing the right thing, for our sons. We're a family Crystal, you, me, Isaac and Darren. We - are - a family. Remember our vows, for richer, for poorer, sickness and in health, until death us due part? I thought that meant, even through the really hard times, bad times, even if one of us makes mistakes. Me, okay? I made the mistakes Crystal, fine - it was all me, if-..."
"I never said it was all you."
"I don't care Crystal, if that's what it takes for use to be a family again, I'll take all the blame. I'll do whatever you want me to do, I just want us to be together, to raise our sons, and - as I said, maybe - a little girl as well? Maybe?"
Crystal looked away, back at herself in the mirror. She needed to comb her hair. "Leave me to think okay? Just leave me alone for a while."
"Okay, but - I'll be back later - you mean too much to me to leave it alone. You're all the family I have left Crystal, you're all I have left. I've completely cut myself off from my mother, my father, everyone. All I have is you now, please don't let it all be in vain. I can't stand the thought of losing you now, I don't - I don't know what I'd do, if I lost you. I'll go now. Can I at least - have a kiss - before I go?"
"No, just go - I said I'd think about it."
While all were enjoying the pizza Shawn ordered, bodyguard included. Who had come in, shy like, humble and very respectful and giving towards Shawn, fully understanding this man and the way that he was. Reason; Ivory had been thoroughly briefed by his boss, Deidre, on his make up, the way he was - how he saw things, how he would handle things if forced to the edge. She also informed him with full conviction and confidence, that he had a heart of gold, and respect, honor and back bone went a long way to winning him over. He wasn't a mean person, but one absolute with feelings and logic that saw things in black or white and depending on the situation, on occasion, he saw in grey. She let him know, that once Shawn made a stand on anything, or anyone, he did not, nor would not waiver and would stick by his opinion of them, based on what that person showed themselves to be, to the bitter end. If he didn't like you, you had no doubt of that. If he did like you, you got to see him smile; maybe even laugh. The same with love and hate - if you were loved by him, he saw you as his own, blood or not. If you were hated by him - well then, at all cost, avoid him and for goodness sake, leave his family alone.
Immediately upon taking the position as Angela's bodyguard, and having Deidre fill him in, he also went on his own fact finding mission, along with observing, and listening in to various discussions taken place around him. He knew how crucial it was to his job to get it right the first time. Angela was his first really big paying assignment that he went into fresh, disciplined; with a mind set on how he was do this job. Therefore, he was determined to know all he needed to know to be prepared for all possibilities. Thus, he initiated a study and research period, reading, noting Angela's father's body language, his manner, his facial expressions, the way he handled his step children - everything. It all told Ivory Saitama all he needed to know about the man. Until his fact findings gathered speed and came in and when it did, he was blown away by what he found on one Shawn McPherson. Due to the line of work he was into, and having honed his IT skills, with additional privileges to access certain records, all granting him certain licenses; by that day, he had gathered more on Shawn Everett McPherson than he would ever let on. Determined in utilizing all tips and advice given him, Ivory did his homework - collecting data not only on Shawn, but on each of the persons he might have to interact with. He spent his time while watching his ward, doing history building on every person touching her. After all, how could he possibly protect her, if he didn't know what threats there might be out there for her? Thus, he'd profiled every one of them. The persons connected to Angela Rae McPherson's life; whose past, associates and relationships could possibly threaten her future, based on what he found out about them so far on his list were the following; her own mother, Deidre Wherrington; her parent's, the Wherrington's; her father, Shawn McPherson; her stepmother, Sylvia McPherson; her stepbrother, Armundo Payne Jr.; and
due to his added reputation alongside his older brother, even her Uncle - Jake; his past also served as a potential to bring harm to her. He knew things about them that would make them fear him - if they knew what he knew. However, he was not the police, not a judge, not a court system and certainly not God.
He was Angela Rae McPherson's bodyguard - what he knew - was for his benefit only!
Thus, he knew what developments to case out, watch and follow. The moment a threat began to develop, he was not beyond taking it out, no matter who that threat was - one step before reaching the target, Angela. His teacher, instructor, mentor - trainer always emphasized, give it until the final step to be certain; the moment the final step is in process to be taken, remove the threat - simple as that.
This is why Ivory Saitama knew that he, with Shawn Everett McPherson - would fit right in - they were of the same mind - they were of the same kind. They also shared a similar road, a past. Only difference, one succeeded in obtaining his stamp of approval, or status with 'privileges', and the other had not. Ivory knew things about Shawn, that few ever would if he never divulged it himself. He knew just how dangerous this man could be, and to what extent he was able to handle himself if he faced anyone that was his target to take out - especially if given any advanced warning. To all intents and purposes, he conducted himself like a normal street brawler, but Ivory knew, that while he toured Europe with the woman Merriam Styles - he studied martial arts - extensively. And just as he, Ivory - knew how to kill quickly, so did Shawn Everett McPherson. Therefore, Ivory knew that If he did his job well, protecting her, Angela and inadvertently those that surrounded her; he, Shawn, her father would never have to cross the line, violating his limitations as a U.S. citizen. He did not have what some had coined to calling a "license to kill" - making him above the law, only answerable to the secret service. He had been denied that status - marked as a loose canon; and uncontrollable because as his psychological profile showed when he'd been evaluated - he would not disconnect himself from his own instilled code of values and emotions.
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