Guarding Red Riding Hood

by Rita Hestand

  Gabby certainly wasn't like anyone he'd ever protected before. But he had to keep his thoughts impersonal, however that was almost impossible. Every move she made was an innocent seduction.

  There was a big difference, in her and others he'd protected, she wasn't guilty of anything. She was innocent. Maybe that was why he found her so attractive.

  "You guys ever played monopoly?" He asked trying to take the edge off the tension in the room.

  "Sure…" Gabby nodded.

  "How about you?"

  "Yeah, I played a time or two. But I want to be the banker." Tony insisted.

  "Oh yeah, why?"

  "Because," he looked from one to the other and smiled. "The banker always wins. Haven't you ever noticed that."

  "Are you saying the banker is cheating all the time?" Gabby chuckled, as she watched Tony's eyes light up for the first time in a long time.

  "I'm so good I don't have to cheat." Tony announced proudly.

  "Alright buddy, you are on." Gabby nudged him in the rib with her elbow.

  Dan watched them both and realized suddenly this felt very much like a family. Where did that thought come from? He couldn't forget his job, nor the dangers but for a while, he could relax.

  Trying to lighten his own mood he put on a smile, "Sounds like you’re a wheeler dealer Tony. I'm game."

  Tony laughed aloud, "I'm going to beat the socks off both of you."

  "Hey, I've been playing that game for years, I'll have you know." Dan informed him with a smile.

  "I got a system." Tony announced, his brows going upward.

  Dan and Gabby's stared at each other and burst into laughter.

  "Never be over confident," Gabby advised.

  Tony shrugged, "I'm not, I just know I'll win."

  So after the dishes were put away, they all piled in the living room floor and began passing out the fake money and putting everyone's man out.

  Three hours later, Tony was beaming. "I told you I was going to win. You didn't believe me. I have a system."

  Dan frowned as he saw all the hotels on two sides of the board. "I believe it. So what do you want, I'm out of money?"

  "I'll take your utilities, please."

  "All of them?" Dan made a face.

  "Yep, you owe three thousand." Tony chuckled.

  Gabby sat watching, knowing she'd be next.

  "You drive a hard bargain, with all those hotels and the utilities, you are gonna wrap this up."

  "So, is it a deal?"

  "Do I have a choice?"

  "Nope!"

  Dan screwed his face up in mock anger. "Let a kid beat me!"

  Gabby laughed, but she rolled and landed on his biggest property.

  "Oh come on now. Don't tell me?"

  Tony laughed. "I'll take all your railroads."

  Gabby gasped, "You wouldn't dare?"

  "Try me." Tony wiggled his eyebrows.

  She glanced at Dan, "Do you believe this kid? How did he get so much?"

  "He's been buying the last two hours. That first hour was just to make us think he wasn't interested. Plus, he is the banker…like he said, the banker always wins."

  "Hey, I didn't cheat. I don't cheat!" Tony yelled. But suddenly Dan realized that Tony was upset. He meant it.

  "I apologize, Tony. Just playing around…"

  Tony sobered and tried to smile. "Just don't like anyone calling me a cheat. Kids in school were always accusing me of being a cheat. It's kind of a sore spot." Tony admitted.

  Dan's brows met and his awareness of Tony's problems stared at him. "You were bullied?"

  "Everybody is bullied at one time or another. The minute they see your weaknesses they gang up on you. Yeah, by the better class. They thought they were so high above me. Thought because my dad was a cheat and no good, that I was too. Some things you can't live down." Tony frowned. "In school, everybody knows everybody's social positon. Granted in our school and lot of kids fit in the same category. A lot of us were bullied by the elites."

  "Why didn't you tell me Tony?" Gabby raised up from the floor and touched his arm. "Maybe I could've helped."

  "Telling a teacher is about the worst thing you can do." He made a face at her as though she should have known that. "And what would you have done, defend me like some Momma defending her cub. No thanks, that's the worst thing that can happen. In our school there were two kinds of bullies, the rough kids, like me that threatened others, or the elites that picked on poor kids."

  Dan had been ogling the sweet site of her waist for a bit now and Tony was a welcome reprieve. He couldn't help but wonder what it might be like if he rolled that little t-shirt the rest of the way up and put his lips to her breasts. He shouldn’t' be thinking things like that at a time like this, but she was such a temptation. He had to shake himself and forget all of that. And he had to do it now.

  "I'm a lot of things, but I’m not a snitch or a cheat." Tony informed them.

  "But maybe I could have said something, done something to help." Gabby protested.

  "That's all I need is a teacher taking up for me." Tony frowned. "I'd never live that down." He frowned at her.

  "Bullying is not something I condone, Tony." Gabby scolded.

  "You don't understand, how could you, you’re a Senator's daughter. It doesn't matter what you say or do, they think they are better because they got a nice home, good clothes and all. They got parents that are home and taking care of things. I can't change that, neither can you." Tony told her. "The kind of bullies they were, they didn't hurt you physically, they hurt your feelings, made you feel like you were scum. And that is the worst kind of bully."

  What Tony was saying hit Dan in the heart. He wanted to help Tony too. Again his mind wandered to adopting him.

  He didn't want to get Tony's hopes up, but he was going to look into it. And he hoped Gabby would help him. But now was not the time to talk about that either.

  After the outburst, Tony went to his room and laid across his bed. He couldn't make them understand, they, neither one was from his world.

  Chapter Eleven

  When Gabby went to take a nap, Tony and Dan had time to talk that evening.

  "Tony, I don't know what you think about it, but I'm seriously thinking of trying to adopt you. I need to know what you think though?" Dan asked, as he turned the television down to talk to him. "I mean, I know you have a dad, and you may not want it. If not, just say so, now."

  Tony turned himself on the couch so he could look straight at Dan. "You mean it?" He looked almost disbelieving at him.

  "Of course I do." Dan frowned into his perplexed face. "We get along well, don’t' we?"

  "Yeah, sure. Well, wouldn't it depend on whether my dad allowed it?"

  "I don't know. To tell the truth, I've never considered anything like this, so I don't know any more than you. But what I'm asking is how would you feel about it." Dan watched him closely.

  Tony dropped his head for a moment, "You feeling sorry for me or something?"

  Dan considered that question. "The thing is, I like you Tony. I think you’re a good kid. I'd like to see you get a break in life. You've had it hard. I'd like to help."

  "If you mean it. I'd like it fine. I mean we get along good, and I know I'd be better off around you than my real dad. But, have you thought about it enough yourself."

  "Tony, your dad is going to jail, probably for a long while. Especially if you testify. So you'll be thrown into the court system if we don't do something quick. So if you really feel that way, I need to know, so I can start whatever procedure we need to go through." Dan informed him.

  "I think it would be good for both of us." Tony half smiled.

  "Oh, in what way?"

  "Let's face it, you don't have anyone watching out for your butt either." Tony chuckled.

  Dan smiled, "I guess I don't. Never looked at it that way, but you are right. I don't. And you could probably do a pretty good job of that. Granted there would be times I wouldn’t be home, but I
have a big family and someone would be there all the time. And it's a nice home Tony, one you could be proud of. You'd be taken care of, part of a real family. You'd be loved."

  "That's cool. I'm used to not having anyone around, though. Kind of making my own decisions too." Tony shrugged.

  "That's true, too. But there would be rules I'd expect you to live by."

  "Rules…like what?" Tony crooked his head to stare.

  "Eat at the table when family is around. Watch out for each other, go to bed at a reasonable time and go to school every day. No exception to that one. So how does that sound?"

  "Like a real family routine to me. I've never lived like that. I might break a rule every now and then. Then what?"

  "We'd talk about it. Hash it out between us."

  "You wouldn't beat my butt?"

  "No, you're getting too big for that. But there are always consequences for what we do, Tony. And you'll get to where to realize that as you get older. Just like I was talking to Gabby about interfering in your life, there were consequences for that. No matter what we do, we have to pay, in one way or another for what we do. But by facing those consequences we learn."

  "Yeah, I know. I already found that out. I always confessed, and my dad beat me. But at least I felt better about it later. I knew I hadn't lied to him. He never did realize that. But, there is one thing. I don't want to testify to put him away just so I can live with you. I couldn't live with myself if I did that. I got some thinking to do about that."

  "I can understand that. But that's a completely different issue Tony. It has no bearing on me adopting you." Dan smiled. "I don't think we'd have much trouble. So I am going to check into it. I don't want to get your hopes up too much, but I'm going to try. My line of work might go against such a thing, I don't know." Dan told him. "I wanted you to know, at least I'm going to try. And about your dad, that makes no difference one way or another. I'm still going to try to ge custody of you. I'll leave that decision up to you. But I will say this, if your father murdered someone, you have to decide whether you want him to face his consequences or not. And either way it won't influence the outcome of me adopting you. You’re the one that has to live with the decision."

  Tony extended his hand for a shake. "All a man can do is try."

  Dan shook his hand, smiled and then they watched the rest of the game. "I’m not going to lie to you Tony. Your dad may go to prison for some time. You could be grown or almost grown by the time gets out. I want you to know that. And that's no even considering your testimony about the killing. The drug charges will stick if they wrap this up."

  "Yeah, I know."

  Later Tony went into his room to stay. Dan wondered if he was contemplating what he'd said or not. He hoped so.

  When Gabby got up, they were alone again.

  The same electrical tension that stretched between them when they were alone was there. Tangible.

  It really was the last thing he needed, being alone with the red-headed bombshell. She sat down and he flipped the channel to a love story.

  Gabby was still dressed in her jeans, but her feet were bare. She tucked them under her. She looked so damned cute. He was staring at her and she looked down and colored. "Oh, I forgot…excuse me…"

  He grabbed her hand, "I'm sorry I stared. It was rude, I had no right. You have a right to be comfortable."

  "I took it off to sleep. Can't sleep in a bra…" She began.

  He was already aroused as he saw the immediate pebbling of her nipples against the thin material of her t-shirt. He wasn't sure if it was because she was cold or she was aroused too. He voted for the latter.

  "Yeah, me neither…" he smiled.

  She smiled.

  She got up to go put it on. But he took her hand and pulled her toward him.

  "This isn't a good idea…" She began.

  "Are you afraid of me?" He asked his glance sliding over her with thorough regard.

  "No…of course not…but…" She stiffened as his arm came around her.

  "If I can keep my hands off you, will you stay?"

  "Tony might come in." She whispered. "I can't let this happen…" She got up and ran to her room.

  It was half an hour before she came out, she was wearing a black lounging outfit, the pants were baggy in the legs, and she wore a matching black sleeveless shirt, but he couldn't tell if she put a bra on or not. The mystery kept him keyed up. He knew he should stifle his feeling now, but every time he looked at her it stirred something. That hadn't happened very often, and when it did, he paid attention.

  He knew this wasn't wise either, but he hoped she wasn't wearing her bra. The mystery of it was killing him.

  She smiled at him, got her a coke from the fridge and came to sit at the other end of the couch.

  He barely glanced at her. Somehow he had to put the brakes on, but how. When his body was in full gear, how did he slam the brakes on? How did he use his head when his body was reacting so?

  "Have you seen this movie?" He asked, directing her attention to another place and trying to end her unease.

  "A long time ago." She nodded. "It's a tear-jerker."

  "Oh, we don't need a tear-jerker. Let's find something else." He flipped through the channels. It was a war movie so he left that on. Maybe that would take his mind off seducing her.

  "Okay?" He asked.

  "Sure," she smiled.

  But he watched her fidget for a while before she finally settled into the movie.

  What happened after all the shelling and guns going off, was a soldier getting involved with a Vietnamese girl? Before they knew what was happening, the couple was having wild sex. Dan glanced around to see if Tony was about.

  He wasn't, but Gabby looked aghast at the movie.

  "Can we turn that?" She asked looking at him with disgust.

  "Sure…" he started to turn the channel then he flipped it off.

  "What are you doing?" She asked.

  "I want to talk to you. While Tony isn't in here."

  "Okay, so talk." She told him, fidgeting.

  "Come over here, so Tony can't hear us." He encouraged.

  "He can't hear from his room, now what is it?" She asked almost annoyed.

  "I'm seriously thinking of adopting Tony. I've been thinking about it ever since you mentioned it. It makes sense, we get along, and I have a big enough family to accommodate him."

  Her brows knitted immediately. She fidgeted. "Dan, I don't know if that is wise. I mean, I know I suggested it, but I wasn't thinking clearly. You might be getting his hopes up for nothing."

  "Why, something wrong with me?" He asked as though his feeling were suddenly hurt.

  "Of course not, but you are a cop and seldom home."

  "I've got plenty of family." He told her.

  "Why do you want to adopt him? Do you feel sorry for him?"

  "Yes, to some extent, but he's easy to get along with, and he'd fit in my crazy family well too." Dan explained.

  She shrugged, "I'm jealous." She admitted hanging her head. "I guess that's why I'm so against it."

  "You want him too?"

  "When you mentioned it, I got to thinking he'd fit into my life well." She admitted.

  "So are you filing too?"

  She shrugged, "I don't know. I don't have a big family for him to stay with. You'd probably have a better chance. But have you considered what might happen if you were killed? That is a distinct possibility. You have to consider it."

  "You care about him too, don't you?"

  "Of course I do." She returned looking up at him again. "And clearly I'm thinking of his future."

  He reached for her hand. Her hand was so soft, and his thumb stroked the top of her hand, as he stared into her eyes.

  "When this is all over, can I drop by and see you every now and then?" He asked, staring into her eyes. "That is…if you wanted me to."

  "Oh…well…I…." She looked at him and lost her voice.

  "I'll take that as a yes," he whispered as he
pulled her unresisting body to him. She didn't even try to resist him, she came right into his arms, which sent a thrill through him. He didn't want her fighting him, but loving him.

  His lips sought hers and his arms went around her and the kiss melted any resistance she might have had.

  His hands reached to feel for her bra, there was none. He sighed. God he was so glad. He wanted to kiss her all over for that.

  "You didn't put it back on," he murmured near her ear.

  "I didn't think you'd even notice in this outfit. It's a lounging suit," she said in a raspy voice. "I wanted to be comfortable."

  "I'm glad. I want to kiss you."

  "You are kissing me." She giggled.

  "Not here, there," he intimated her breasts, with his eyes.

  "Do you think that's wise?" She asked breathlessly.

  "I think if I don't, I'll regret it the rest of my life."

  But to his surprise, the top opened easily with one little button. He undid it and was surprised that it opened so easily. His eyes gazed upon her, glazing over with pure lust. Even though the sun had gone down, there was a dim light that allowed him the chance to see her. "Is there no part of you that isn't beautiful…" He whispered.

  Her small perky breast stood at his attention, begging his touch. His breath sent a slight chill over her. He smiled and his lips covered one very pink nipple. He pulled it gently between his teeth, then he laved it tenderly with his tongue. She squirmed as he lay lightly over her, as his head nestled even with her breasts.

  She moaned the pleasure he gave. "You're very good at this…" She said in a whisper. "I suppose you get a lot of practice, playing house with eye witnesses."

  He raised his head and smiled, kissed her lips and let his hand do the talking as he touched her. "You talk tough, but when you are in my arms, you turn to putty. Want to tell me why?"

  "No!"

  "They are just like I pictured them, so beautiful." His lips returned to the exquisite torture he was administering to her breasts. She couldn't stop the audible moan. It slipped out, as her chest arched for him, allowing him every convenience.