“Elise was my…”
“You know, she had this locket.” He stops long enough to get off the couch and walk to the old fireplace mantle where he wiggles what seems to be a loose block of wood free.
He blindly reaches into the hole, pulling out a shiny, gold locket that dangles from a gold chain
I can barely control the gasp that releases from me as he steps closer to me, holding the locket out for my inspection
“She got this when we were born.
Our mother put our baby photos in it for her.
She wore it ‘till the day she died,” he begins, working the locket open carefully so as not to damage it.
“At the funeral, I needed something, some piece of her.
As I gave my sister one last hug, I took it.”
He holds out the open locket for me to take.
Two beautiful babies, himself and the twin he lost, stare up at me.
“Some part of me feels that she wouldn’t mind.
I tucked it away here since this was our spot, our own private club house.”
“Ethan, it’s beautiful,” I manage to choke out.
“I couldn’t imagine.
Your poor mother; no one should bury a child.” When his eyes meet mine, I realize quickly that I’ve struck a raw nerve
“She couldn’t handle the loss of not only a child, but her only daughter,” he explains.
“All the medications in the world weren’t enough to keep the depression at bay.
After a six month battle, my mother killed herself.”
I let out a soft cry as my shaky hands nearly drop his precious locket.
He gingerly works it from my fingers, closing it tightly and tucking it away in its safe spot.
I find myself completely at a loss for words.
I feel tears prickle at my eyes as I swallow hard and look away from him for a brief moment
“Our father had lost the two most important women in his life in just six months.
I was sixteen, but wasn’t stupid.
I knew he wouldn’t last.
Mentally, he was drained.
Emotionally, he was gone.
He would work, put food on the table for me, and sit in that rocker until it was time for bed.”
I wrap my arms tightly around my body and find myself holding a breath in.
I don’t want to imagine his father’s demise
“He went completely insane shortly after my brothers were released from prison.
I kind of think he waited for them to serve their time so that he knew I would be taken care of, that I wouldn’t be completely alone.
We managed to find a hospital for him that could care for him when we couldn’t,” he explains.
“Luckily, Aaron and Colt were twenty-five and able to talk the judge into not splitting up the family.” He shakes his head.
“What was left of us anyway.”
I reach my hand out to touch his scruffy face and immediately draw myself away.
He stares at me, knowing that I can’t find the right words or the right thing to do
“Your ex,” he starts, shaking me back to my reality, “Is he dangerous?”
“He can be.” I find myself suddenly unable to control my staring.
My eyes seem to lock on him, unable to find anything else in the shabby old room
“You just…” He stops and stares back for a few moments.
“You have no idea what...” His voice trails and he looks at his feet.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.
Now? This happens now?” He shakes his head.
I look at him, confused, almost questioning his words before he speaks again.
“You have no clue what I’m going through right now.”
“No, I don’t.” I look down.
“I’m sorry, I just...” I shake my head.
“I wasn’t trying to upset you.”
“No,” he says, finally.
“You weren’t trying to upset me.
You were trying to comfort me,” he states as his eyes meet mine again.
“You just have no idea what you’re doing.”
I drop my mouth open.
“I mean, I’m not an expert on running away and hiding, but I’m doing the best that I can.”
He laughs an almost insane laugh, as though he just can’t control himself.
Finally, he smiles; sweet, endearing, and sincere.
His jaw unclenches and his body finally relaxes.
I see that his hands are shaky as he takes a few steps toward me.
I feel his hand on my face.
I fight the urge not to jump, as the move isn’t threatening.
It’s soft and surprisingly gentle for a man of his stature.
I can’t fight the shake that travels through my body unexpectedly, though
He smiles, again.
“It seems that I have the same effect on you, Red.”
Before I can open my mouth, his lips press to mine.
I feel a wild jolt course through my entire body as though I’ve struck a live wire, and I jump back.
I gasp for breath as I feel my cheeks grow pink.
He stares at me, and his heart rate has increased so much that I can see his pulse through his neck
“I have to go,” I stammer.
My feet pound on the creaky floorboards as I bound for the door.
My trembling hand fights with the rusted doorknob as I fling the door open.
I’m not even sure how to get back to the motorcycle, but my feet find the woods and I can hear Ethan’s hard footsteps behind me.
I stop, there in the middle of the woods, and turn to face him
“I can’t believe that you would think I would hurt you!” he yells.
“After what I told you!”
I open my mouth to speak, but I can’t.
I stammer, fighting with myself.
I bring a hand up to my head.
“It’s not that!” I finally cry out
He takes a few more steps toward me, keeping his eyes locked on mine.
He’s testing me.
He’s seeing if I’ll run again.
I fight the shakiness.
I fight the fear.
I fight the urge to run.
And I stand there and stare back.
It seems as though this is what he wants.
I see his lips curl into a little smile as he moves closer
Before I can blink, he’s on me and his mouth is hungrily attached to mine.
I feel my legs wobble as I nearly lose balance.
His strong hands grab at my waist and stabilize me as my mouth kisses him in such a fury that my breathing has quickly become ragged.
I feel myself move, pushing against what I can only guess is a tree.
I groan, which causes Ethan to tear his lips away and look at me.
This time there’s no running and no fear
His hands fumble with the buckle at the bottom of my red, leather jacket, and then the zipper.
He finds the nape of my neck that sends my head flying forward with a loud moan escaping involuntarily past my lips.
I hear Ethan growl softly in such a way that I gasp as he switches between light sucks, nibbles, and licks along the most sensitive part of my neck.
I raise my head long enough to feel his starved hands feeling the front of my body.
I let out another groan as I grab onto his dark hair.
I hear another light growl as his hands tear at my jeans.
His strength is so over powering, I feel the button fly out of place and the zipper tear as my jeans are ripped from my body and tossed to the ground.
My legs begin to shake more as my own hands find his jeans
I fight to steady my movements
as I gingerly work the button and zipper of his jeans.
He doesn’t waste a moment.
His jeans slide down just enough, revealing a pair of well-fitted boxer briefs, and before I can make even the slightest noise or movement, I feel my jeans somehow being kicked out of the way.
My breathing is now choppier than before, and my hands manage to grab onto his hair again as he lifts my tiny frame with ease to be even with him.
His large hands find the backs of my knees comfortably to hold me in place, and his lips eagerly find mine again.
I moan, tugging at a tuft of his hair, causing that low growl to escape from him.
I let out a drawn out gasp as I feel him enter me.
I feel my eyes nearly roll back as I fight to steady my motions.
My hands shake as they grab and pull at his hair and leather coat
I close my eyes tightly, only to hear Ethan’s voice demand, “Look at me,” in my ear.
I obey as I feel my body climax quickly.
I let out a scream that surely frightens off anything else in the woods in a nearby radius.
Ethan’s lips curl up, pleased, just before he leans in to smash his lips to mine.
The kiss is all but brief and leaving me wanting more before his head yanks back and a low groan leaves his lips.
His head leans forward to find my shoulder.
His breathing is deep and ragged as he works to steady himself and brace me.
My trembling and weak body finally begins to relax as it settles on me what has happened.
Ethan finally raises his head to lock eyes with mine.
His eyes have changed.
They seem softer.
Relaxed and completely satisfied.
I can’t even open my mouth, despite having tried.
He holds his stance and keeps me in place as my body shivers
“You’re cold,” I hear him murmur
I manage a slight nod
He smiles, plants a kiss on the center of my forehead, and begins to reluctantly move.
I brace myself to be set on the ground, but instead Ethan changes my position, adjusts his jeans the best he can, and begins to carry me back to the rickety, old shack
I stare at him, unable to help myself.
I purse my lips as he gives me a seat on the couch.
My body feels so worn that I immediately submit and sink into the faded blue fabric
“My jeans,” I stammer
He gives me a nod and rushes back out to the tree.
I attempt to adjust myself.
I straighten out my jacket and tank top that have gone askew.
I work on wiggling the peek-a-boo cut underwear to where they’re supposed to be, and finally push my hair out of my eyes.
By the time I finish, I hear Ethan’s boots coming up the steps of the house.
I can see his cheeks seem slightly red underneath his scruff of facial hair.
It seems strange to see a man like him even slightly flush
He gives me a little laugh.
“Your jeans may have ripped.” He passes them to me, and I begin to inspect the damage.
Ripped is an understatement.
The button no longer exists, the zipper has been torn at the seams, and the seams of the jeans have been split down the middle.
I find myself feeling less awkward and self-conscious as I begin to laugh.
“Well, that’s never happened before,” I say softly.
I look up to see Ethan is stripping his leather jacket to reveal his fitted black tee shirt and is tugging his jeans on his hips to button and zip them again
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asks
I give my head a shake as I toss my now useless jeans off to the side
“I can walk back to your bike and grab your bags, if you like,” he tells me
I look up at him.
“You would do that?”
He nods and smiles.
“Do the bags detach?”
I give him a nod as he walks to the bed, grabbing the small blanket for me
“I can be back in no time,” he says, wrapping it around me
“I’d really appreciate it.”
He nods as I watch him pull on his jacket.
“I’ll be quick.” His lips curl into a sly smile.
“Wouldn’t want the big bad wolf getting you.”
I find myself laughing as somehow I’m at ease with him
“You should be comfortable here.”
I nod, begging myself not to stare at him.
Before he heads for the door, he steps toward me, bends down, and leaves one soft kiss on my lips.
As he pulls away, I smile.
He returns the smile, and I, for once, feel alright with being at a loss for words.
Some part of me thinks he understands completely
I watch as he heads for the door and shuts it tightly behind him.
I look around; the candles have all been left glimmering in the darkness.
I take a breath and lean forward to remove my boots and socks.
With new clothes on the way, I can only hope this little shack has some source of water nearby.
I laugh when I see the polish on my toes is a bright, candy apple red.
Red.
That should make Ethan laugh.
I bring my knees up to my chest and curl myself in the corner of the couch.
I reach for the other blanket and drop it over me as well.
The warmth finally surrounds me, and I close my eyes, feeling my body relax as I take a few deep breaths.
I feel safe, for the first time in a long time.
I feel myself drifting to sleep as I hear the boots on the front steps.
It’s Ethan, I tell myself.
Who else could it be? I slink off into slumber, only to realize my worst nightmare when I feel myself being yanked with a great force from the couch
I barely have enough time to open my mouth, let alone scream as I’m flung into one of the walls of the shack.
I groan as he holds me against the wall with one hand.
I look up into his eyes.
It’s not Ethan, but I see a man who, aside from his messier dark hair, could easily pass for his brother.
His silver eyes spark with brightness under the candlelight and his five o’clock shadow is dominant on his face.
He’s as tall as Ethan is, with an unbelievably large build.
His dark jeans and boots, like Ethan’s, are speckled with debris from the woods.
His shadowy tee shirt reveals two muscular forearms that, even under the dim candlelight, I can see tensing as he clings on to me
“What do we have here?” His voice is low and taunting as I force myself not to fight him.
He leans in close; his nose twitches ever so slightly as he…smells me.
“You have Ethan’s scent on you.” He growls
My mouth drops as the pain in my back begins spreading from the forceful meeting with the wall
“Where is he?” he grumbles
“He…” I stammer.
“He went to...”
“He’s right here!” I hear Ethan’s voice from the door of the cabin.
My eyes snap toward him, pleading for him to help me
“Really, Ethan?” The man says.
“Really? She hasn’t been in town all of…” he leans down, smelling me again, “a few hours.”
I feel tears beginning to sting my eyes.
The man slowly loosens his grip, but he doesn’t let go.
He reaches for my forearm where he holds me away from Ethan.
He’s using me as bait to taunt Ethan in some twisted game
“Let.
Her.
Go, Aaron,” Ethan growls
“What
?” The other man laughs.
“You mean to tell me she’s yours? This many years and you finally decide to...”
Ethan is quick to cut him off.
“Let her go.”
Before I can say anything, five men who match Ethan’s appearance run in.
One who is Aaron’s identical twin is the first to speak.
“Aaron, you fucking moron, what are you doing?”
I train my eyes on him for a moment.
Unlike his twin, his clean-shaven face presents chiseled features that are buried underneath Aaron’s scruff.
His silvery eyes gleam under the candlelight, just as Aaron’s and Ethan’s eyes do.
His hair is dark, but much shorter and well styled.
His own white tee shirt, dark jeans, and large boots also suggest that he has been romping around in the woods
Ethan’s eyes shift to the other men.
“She’s mine!” He growls loudly, letting his eyes shift back to Aaron who has managed to tighten his grip on my arm
I feel my bottom lip begin to quiver as another man steps in front of Ethan.
He has the same dark hair that has been cut short and styled.
His face suggests that he’s used to shaving but presents itself with the tiniest traces of stubble.
His gray eyes flash with the same brightness as he moves and catches the candle flames at certain angles.
Though he seems to be a few inches shorter than Ethan and the twins, his build is the same.
Defined muscles that are always visible trying to hide under his plain tee shirt and loose jeans that I assume can only be splattered in mud.
“You all are fucking idiots!” he yells.
“You’re scaring her out of her wits.”
I feel Aaron’s grip on me loosen, and I seize the opportunity to wiggle myself out of my red jacket and fling myself toward Ethan.
As of this moment, he’s the only one I can trust, if I can even trust him.
He places a hand on my cheek and takes my forearm for a quick inspection.
Aaron has left me unmarked, but he does see the five-inch scar that Josh had left on me some years before.
It’s the entire reason I wear the jacket to begin with.
My bottom lip shakes as a few tears dribble down my cheeks.
He uses his thumb to brush them away.
“Are you okay?”
“No, she’s not okay,” the other man answers.
“What’s wrong with you, Aaron?”
“James, I -” Aaron begins
Little Red Page 3