by Lana Hartley
Just then, in the strangest timing ever, there's a knock at the door, and I go to answer it thinking it's the food. Guess who's staring me right in the face, almost like he's been listening in on our conversation?
"Barry! Hi, man. Come on in." He doesn't look pleased to see me.
"Leo, what are you doing here? Elena, what is he doing here?"
"Oh hi, Barry. I wasn't expecting you."
"Obviously," he says with a snarl. He pushes a wedding album towards Elena. "I just came to give you this. I didn't realize you were shacking up with my brother."
"Fuck, Barry, come on. Don't ever talk to her like that!"
"I guess you're here to steal another one of my girlfriends, huh?"
"You know that wasn't my fault. I was just telling Elena about Ava. Fine timing you have."
"Look, Elena, you little slut, I never imagined you'd stoop this low just to hurt me," Barry growls, and I see red: I’m so enraged. No one will ever talk to her like that on my watch. Without hesitation, as if on instinct, I punch him in the face. My hand throbs and I shake out the pain. Barry wastes no momentum from the punch and tackles me into a lamp. We grapple each other to the floor, each of us trying to get the upper hand. Finally I get a hold on him and throw him out of her house. He's bleeding in the yard, hurling insults at both of us. I tell him to leave her alone forever or he'll meet the force of my wrath before slamming the door on him.
"Elena, my God! Are you hurt?"
"No, no. I'm fine . . . Just a little shaken up. Are you okay though? Leo, you're bleeding."
"I'm fine,” I say, wiping the blood from my head. “It’s nothing I can't handle or haven't seen before in my line of duty. Tell me, has he ever talked to you like that before, when you were married?"
"No. Never. He was always very conservative, sure, and said some not so friendly-to-women things, but he was never abusive like that, Leo. I wonder what's got into him?"
"That's good, because if I find out he treated you like that it will be my mission to destroy him. I'd kill him, Elena, if I knew he abused you.”
Tears well up in her eyes. This poor girl's been through enough. Life is just coming at her from all different sides. I scoop her up in my arms and try to soothe her, and I wipe away the sad tears that are falling down her face.
Elena
It’s getting late, but Leo has stayed to help me clean up after the fight with Barry. The lamp and a painting are both broken, and some things have been knocked out of place. I can't believe they got into it like that. I've never seen that side of Barry, not even remotely. He’s normally so reserved, but never harmful like that. I'm absolutely shocked. I wonder if it's a good thing that Leo is here or not. Maybe if he hadn't been, Barry wouldn't have lost his temper like that? I feel so angry. This is my life, and I don't need to feel guilty about who I date. Barry has no right to even comment on my private life now that we're getting divorced, much less act full of rage and hatred like he did. I’m just sorry Leo had to get in the middle of it, picking up the pieces of my broken life again.
"I'm so sorry, Elena. I didn't want you to see that. That's not how I am, okay? I don't fight like that. But to hear him call you those names… it just set off something huge in me. I'm never going to let someone talk to you like that. Never."
I love that Leo is expressing his feelings to me. But why is he sorry? It’s my fault I married the bastard to begin with. And I'm not mad at all that he fought with Barry. I know he was just protecting me. He's been doing a lot of that lately. I'm so fortunate to have Leo here and to have him stay throughout all this crap.
"Leo, I'm not mad. I'm glad you did what you did. I feel like you always have my back. Besides, he was being such an ass that if you weren't here, I would've punched him myself."
Leo laughs and scrubs his hand over his face, and for a minute we are light-hearted again. I try to pick up all the shattered glass from the lamp, but I mishandle a large piece of it and it slashes my hand. Blood trickles down my wrist.
"Oh my gosh, look what I've done. I'll just get a towel."
Leo runs to my side. "No, no. Let me handle it. It's deep."
He leads me to the bathroom and lifts me up so I'm sitting on the vanity and he can get a better look at it. He finds my first aid kit and gingerly starts tending to my wound. Seeing him like this, so tender and affectionate with me makes my heart slam against my chest. I’m so impressed by this man in all ways. Not only is he handsome, and amazing in bed, but he's got this authentic, nurturing side. He really wants to take care of me. He wants to learn more about me and just be in my life. This touches me deeply. I've never been with anyone who has made me feel this way. He's like this rare jewel, and I'm afraid that I might be falling in love with him. Leo, to me, just keeps getting better and better, and he keeps proving to me that I can trust him. I might really be in deep here. I remember how he said that he would be married if only he had met me before Barry did. That statement caught me off guard at the time. But now I know that I wouldn't be getting a divorce right now if I had married Leo. Looks like I really did get the wrong brother.
"This will hurt just a little," he says as he very carefully washes out my wound. I hiss at the contact slightly, but he soothes the discomfort quickly with a quick kiss on my forehead. He puts ointment on the wound and wraps it up tightly, then he kisses my hand where it's hurt.
"Thank you, Leo. That barely even hurt. You’re an expert."
He looks into my eyes, and it's all I can do to match his gaze. That nervous feeling of butterflies arises in my stomach, but something else is there too.
He hoists me off the vanity, and I wrap my arms around his strong torso and allow myself to feel comforted by him. He’s such a remarkable man, full of surprises. He locks me in a deep, passionate kiss that I get lost in quickly until he steals my desire by breaking away and sets my feet to the floor. I pad into the living room, and Leo follows.
The hour is getting late, and the sun has long since descended into the east. The night brings a bluster, like there’s a storm somewhere just waiting to hit. I don't want Leo to leave me. Not now. Not ever.
"Hey, you know it's pretty late." I look out at the swaying trees.
"Yeah, I should go." He thinks I'm cueing him to leave.
"No, Leo.” I grab his hand. “I want you to stay with me. Please, stay the night." It's inappropriate to ask a detective to stay the night with you, but I've gone out on a limb and I wonder how he'll respond. There’s nothing more that I would like this evening than for him to stay with me and to continue to feel comforted.
"Yes, Elena, of course; I'll stay with you. I was just waiting for you to ask."
With that, he pulls me into a heated kiss, revealing unspoken words as the wind whips against the windows and the rain begins to fall. He only breaks the kiss to carry me to bed.
Leo
I'm lying next to Elena in her bed. The storm is raging outside, thunder crashing in the distance. The trees are bending so hard it looks like they might break. It’s not helping my train of thought to have such darkness descending outside.
I take in my surroundings. Her bedroom is decorated to the nines. She’s got great taste, another thing to love about her. Her soft covers smell like flowers or something. Everything about her smells good. Her hair is always so full, and her perfume just entrances me. She’s sleeping soundly, but I can’t get my mind off of this case. I just keep running the logistics in my brain, trying to find a way to keep Elena safe. What am I missing that means this stalker is still out there on the loose? I have to catch him. Looking at Elena, and how beautiful and perfect she is, I realize that I just have to put this guy away forever so that we can move on with our lives. There hasn’t been a day that I’ve been with her that I haven’t been on edge about needing to settle this case. There's no way I can sleep with all this on my mind. I will figure something out.
I decide to step into her bathroom so that I don't wake her when I call Bobbi. There are little bottles and deco
rations and shit that I think is so cute of Elena to have. She's got a couple bras and panties hanging around too, which I can't help but notice. I love getting to know everything about her life. This is so new to me because I’ve never cared about what a woman’s bathroom looks like. I must be whipped.
I call Bobbi and keep my head in the game.
"Hey, so what'd you find?"
"Nothing, man. The prints we got don't match anyone in the system so far. Also, we can't seem to find Darius; it's like he dropped off the face of the planet."
"Fuck, Bobbi. This isn’t good."
"I know, I know. But we've got a lot of manpower on this thing, and we’re pouring all of our resources into it like you asked. And we're gonna get ‘em, okay? It’s just a matter of time now."
"Yeah, right. If you say so." As if she can give me any guarantees.
"I did go ahead and interview Barry, even though he's not a prime suspect. I thought it would be wise to do it without you there."
"You have no idea how good of a call that was."
"He’s an asshole for sure, but he seems harmless enough. I know you two don't like each other, but he's not our guy I don't think. Don't worry, before you say it, I took his prints and his alibi just in case."
"Alright, that's good. But, Bobbi, come on, you gotta round up Darius. And think outside the box. I swear if this gets worse I’m gonna come down hard on everybody. If she gets hurt, Bobbi, I’ll just lose my mind.
"Okay, okay. I know. Talk soon."
I hang up and just as I do there’s a sound that I never want hear . . . Elena is screaming. Fuck! What now? Did something happen just as I was making a phone call?
I run into her room and see her in bed still asleep, sweat covering her body, and she's having a nightmare. I don't know what I can do to help. If only I could enter her dreams, I would and I'd make sure she only ever dreamed of me. I don’t want my woman suffering like this. She must be so upset about this whole thing. My reaction is total fucking caveman brain. Protect woman. Crush bad guy that hurts woman. But I want to soothe Elena, so I gently wake her so as not to startle her more.
"It's okay. It's okay, Elena. Wake up.” I shake her gently, wanting to pull her back to reality with me. “It's just a dream." I hold her limp body in my arms. She's terrified.
"Oh, Leo! You have no idea how bad it was. He was killing me, Leo. He was killing me!"
"Shhh, it's okay. I'm never gonna let that happen."
"No, Leo! He's gonna win. I can feel it. I might die over this thing, and then I'll never see you again. It’ll all be over for me,” she wails frantically.
"Listen, baby, I’m with you all the time. I have this situation covered. My guys are all over it. It's what I do. He's never gonna touch you, okay? I'll always be there. You gotta believe me. You’re not alone."
I try to reassure her, but she just sobs into my shoulder. I let her weep. She needs to get it out. But slowly, I talk her down and she begins to soothe. I want to make the world right for her again. I want to put the power back in her hands. My woman should never be worried like this when I'm around.
"Elena, I promise you, I will put this thing to bed, soon. He will be locked away forever, and you will never have another nightmare again. Stay with me. It's okay. Just stay here in this moment with me."
She looks longingly into my eyes, and I can't help but kiss her. I kiss her passionately, wanting her to know that things will always get better. And, most of all, that I will always keep my promises to her. I am utterly devoted to this woman and because of that, this guy will suffer for what he's done. Of that I am sure.
Elena
I’m glad to be safe in bed under my comforter, away from the horrific nightmare I just experienced. The wind outside is picking up, and it probably will rain. On such a dreary and overcast night, I feel comforted by the fact that I’m safely inside with the man I adore.
Why am I letting this stalker get to me to the point that I’m having nightmares over it? I guess it’s seeped further into my subconscious than I realized. To have someone threatening me is no small thing, and I’ve known that, but I had no idea how far down the fear really went. It’s terrifying to think of leaving my house and having something happen. Leo’s promised to catch him, and I hope that is true. It’s the only way I can sleep soundly again.
Of course, having Leo stay the night with me helps. I’m sure if he wasn’t here, I’d be up all night, worried and looking out of the window for any possible signs of danger. This whole thing has been like a raincloud, hanging over my head and dampening the fun I could be having with Leo. I mean, trust me, he is fun. But when the fear of this unknown criminal rises in my chest, then it’s hard to forget what’s been going on.
Leo comes into my room with a tray of tea and two shots of whiskey.
“To take the edge off,” he says with a wink.
“Sounds good to me.”
He places the tray down on the bed, and I prepare my tea the way I like it with almond milk and honey. It warms me up and helps fear to subside. I’ve got to stop thinking about my stalker.
“To us—” Leo holds up a shot glass for me, and I clink it with his and let it flow down my throat. He’s right, it takes the edge off and calms my nerves.
What I’ve been through so far is traumatic, and I feel so vulnerable to the whims of some psycho. I don’t want Leo to see me like this. I wish he could just see my happy side. But my happy side has been gone as of late. In fact, the only thing I’ve been happy about has been Leo. And that is definitely worth celebrating.
“You make me happy,” I say. “In the midst of all this trauma, I’m glad I have you.”
He gives me that genuine grin, and I can see he’s pleased by what I’ve said. He plants a tender kiss on my lips and arouses my passion.
I’m grateful he’s being so good about all this chaos. After all, he is my detective. Most guys would’ve run from this . . . But not Leo. He’s barely left my side since everything began. This, I think, is the sign of a true man… Someone who will stay through adversity and not get scared away by it. In light of that, it makes me want to pull him into my arms so that I can hold him tightly and breathe in his masculine smell. I love to hear the steady beat of his heart. He lets me cling to him, and the rise and fall of his chest comforts me.
“I want to catch this bastard, Elena.” He sighs in frustration.
“It’s all I can think about . . . besides you, of course.”
“Awww, thanks, honey. That’s really nice.” I can tell he’s discouraged that this mess isn’t behind us yet. I want to take his mind off things, but I don’t know how.
“I won’t be content until you’re safe.”
“I know, me either. But just being here in your arms makes me feel better.”
“It does?” he asks like it’s the greatest thing I could’ve said. I know he wants to fix everything.
“Yes! Of course, it does. You’ve been my strength throughout this whole thing. I’d really be lost without you.”
I sip on my tea and lean back on my soft, oversized pillows while Leo sits at the side of the bed. We look into each other’s eyes, talking into the darkness, with the crescent moon shining enough light into my bedroom window that I can see the rugged outline of his face.
“I want you to know that I’m always thinking about you,” he says. “And I think about us.”
“You do? You think about us?” I say inquisitively.
“You’re not just some girl to me. I’m really starting to care about you, Elena.”
My heart skips a beat. “You are?”
“Of course! You’ve gotta know I worship the ground you walk on.”
This statement makes me excited. He thinks about us, as in long term?
“No, I didn’t know that. I mean, I hoped, but I didn’t know for sure.”
“Well, it’s true. You’re amazing.” His gaze is intense but wonderful as I can see he’s sincere. “You are so fucking gorgeous, but what I love i
s that you’re also so smart, and funny, and kind. You’re my angel, the whole package, and I never want to let you go. Okay?”
Tears well up in my eyes now, and he wipes them away with his thumb. “Don’t cry. It’s a good thing.”
“I know,” I weep softly. “They’re tears of happiness.” I try to laugh it off.
“Come on, tell me what’s really going on with you. I want to be a part of it.”
“Okay, well, it’s just that I’ve never met a man like you. You’re so strong and wonderful, and you give me butterflies, like, all the time. I never want to lose you. But I’m afraid because of everything going on. And I’m afraid because of my track record of not being lucky in love. And mostly, I’m afraid that you’re not real… that this is just some kind of momentary dream. What if you go away and this whole thing ends? I’d be devastated, Leo. I really would.”
He stares deeply into my eyes. “You will never lose me, understand?”
He seems intent on having me know this. “How can I prove it to you?”
“I don’t know.” Tears flow down my face.
“Trust, okay? Just try to trust what we have. I promise it’ll be okay.”
“Alright,” I say, trying to manage a smile.
He kisses me passionately as if this will let me know the depth of his feelings and that I will never lose him, as he has said.
The wind whirls making whistling sounds in the sky and the moon has disappeared, covered by the overcast.
“Trust me, Elena, please.”
He gets up and lights the candles around my room, so that the mood is very romantic. He plays some gentle music on his phone, and I calm down even more.
By the candlelight I see him more clearly now. He takes off his shirt and his pants and stands naked in front of me. His cock is fully erect and the sight of it turns me on. I move back against my pillows so that he can take the tray from my lap. He sits beside me again and begins to trail soft kisses down my neck. Very gently he raises my hands above my head and pulls my slip over my head to reveal my nakedness. My nipples are hard for him, and he toys with them. He gently licks and sucks my breasts so that my nipples harden even more under his tongue. When he’s got his fill of that, he makes his way down my torso.