by Olivia Harp
Glass exploded all around him. He couldn’t stop thinking of Julie. She needed to be lying down. The thought of a stray bullet hitting her was too much for him to think about.
Trey moved forward, pushing Remy aside, and then he saw Bald, dead on the ground, a bullet in his stomach. Trey realized what he’d done and yelled, his mad fury still blinding him.
He took another shot at Remy but he jumped away just in time, rolling on the floor and into the next stack of bottles.
“Don’t let her escape, Ray!” Trey yelled.
Light only fell on the middle of the cellar, above the chair where Remy was. The rest of the room was engulfed in shadows. Remy moved through the maze of shelves, getting closer to the center.
The passages were long and cold. Trey fired again, he heard bottles explode behind him, far enough for him to know the asshole didn’t know where he was.
“Come out you fucker, unless you want your little girlfriend shot.”
You’re going to pay you fucker.
He needed to act fast. He sneaked to the end of the passage, grabbed a bottle, Chateau Roth DeGausse, and got ready.
Trey stepped like an elephant over the poodles of wine. He was being careless, it wasn’t hard to know exactly where he was.
Raymond, the idiot with the ponytail had Julie by the hair. The mere sight of that made Remy want to rush out to him and beat him to a pulp. But he also had a gun, he couldn’t risk him hurting her. Remy had to play it smart.
He rolled the bottle on the ground to the other end of the corridor.
It didn’t make any noise, until it hit the shelf across the small open area.
“There!” Raymond said, shooting blindly to his side, thinking he knew where Remy was. As soon as he turned his back on him, Remy grabbed another bottle and crashed it on his skull.
Raymond fell down, firing his gun once, but still not dropping it. He tried to turn around but Remy chokeholded him as hard as he could.
“Fucker!” Trey yelled, coming into the open, pointing the gun at him.
Remy rotated and covered himself with Raymond. He felt the bullets enter him, Ray’s body going soft as they did, his last breath uttering the words “mom.”
He almost felt sorry for him.
“Ray?”
“He’s gone,” Remy said, snatching the pistol from his still warm hands, “you killed him.”
Trey shot at him again but he was too predictable now. Remy understood him. He could deal with him more easily now. Remy jumped before Trey even pressed the trigger.
Remy walked slowly on the third passage to the left, looking at the center of the room. He’s got her.
Trey had her by the hair. Charles Crawford lay on the floor, bleeding. Hardly breathing.
Julie cried, looking at her father.
“This is between you and me,” Remy said, coming out of the passage, to the right of Trey, his gun pointed directly at him.
“Let’s settle this once and for all,” he continued, “do you like hiding behind a woman?”
Trey smirked, but he wasn’t mocking him. He was trying to act tough, as if he didn’t care. He was dumber than Remy thought. Easily manipulated.
“Your father would be proud.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Trey said and shot him.
“No!” Julie screamed.
He thought it would be painful. Different than this. Remy knew he had a bullet in his chest, but all he felt was warmth. It was his own blood, dripping down his body.
It was hotter than he ever imagined.
But he felt no pain. He kept on walking.
“You’re a tough man,” Remy continued, “you won. Let her go.”
“She has to go too, don’t you know? You killed them all and I had to stop you.”
Remy couldn’t get a clean shot. He wasn’t going to risk killing her. He raised his gun and looked directly at Julie. He took three shots, all of them right above their heads. Trey released her, covering himself from the rain of glass falling over him.
It gave her enough time to jump forward.
Trey fired back, missing his first two shots. Third one’s a charm.
He got Remy again, right on the chest. He was dead for sure now, but he would take Trey with him even if it was the last thing he did.
He pressed the trigger, every explosion like music, the bullets hitting Trey in the chest and arms and throat, the cellar shelves behind him painted red with blood.
Remy walked a few more steps to Julie, who covered her ears.
Another step, the last one he’d take in his life and she turned to him, her eyes full of tears. Remy fell to the floor, leaning back on a thick wood shelf.
Charles Crawford, his father-in-law, lay next to him.
“He’s still breathing,” Remy whispered, “get some help.”
“Remy,” she said and jumped to hug him, “Remy please, no, I love you.”
“And I love you, Jules Crawford.”
Her warm tears hurt him more than the bullets in his body.
“Get your father some help,” he whispered in her ear, then smiled, “I think he liked me.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks but he could still made her laugh.
“Will you marry me, Julie Crawford?”
She didn’t even have to think about it, “yes, of course I will.”
He would have smiled, if he had the strength. His whole body felt like burning. Like a candle flame trying to stay alive a few more seconds before ceasing to exist.
“You stay alive,” she ordered, “or I’ll make you pay.”
Julie jumped up and ran faster than he’d ever seen anyone before.
Silence. Cold. Death was coming for him fast. It had been worth it. He got to meet her. To kiss her. She would live. The love of his life.
Worth it.
He closed his eyes. His mind started to fade, like sleeping. He smiled.
He was ready to go.
Chapter 35
Julie
Julie stood in silence, looking at his grave. His father, the great Charles Crawford by her side. He did make it, in the end. He was strong.
The doctors put him in an induced coma for ten days, the surgery was a success. Two months later, he was discharged from the hospital.
Her father wanted to go see his grave, so she took him. She hadn’t come back since the burial. Didn’t want to see it. Didn’t want to remember.
“Are you okay?” Her father asked.
She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I still can’t understand why.”
He put an arm around her.
“There’s no answer to that. Don’t dwell on it, you’ll drive yourself crazy.”
Things spiraled out of control so fast she couldn’t see it coming.
She sighed. Her father was right. She would drive herself crazy trying to answer that question.
It was painful, every time she thought about it, it was like sticking needles inside her heart. The memory still hurt her. But she had to move forward. She had to keep going.
“Come on,” she said, “it’s getting late.”
The two of them walked away to their cars.
It was a beautiful day. Sunny but not really hot. Clear sky.
She knew she wouldn’t come back here ever again. This was the last time she thought of him. She couldn’t waste more time thinking of him.
Charles and Julie walked down the hill and into their black sedan, a bodyguard closed the door and they left.
A lonely tombstone stood in silence, mold beginning to gather at its base. The sound of the cars exhaust disappeared in the distance. Silence filled the air. The name imprinted on the gravestone was already black with dirt. The words soon to be forgotten.
It read In Loving Memory. John ‘Trey’ Phillips III.
Chapter 36
Julie
“Come on, Remy, they’re almost here!”
They had been busy all day. This was the first time the two families got togethe
r after making the announcement.
It had been rough for Remy, his father was old school, stubborn… but he wasn’t stupid.
Luckily his mother knew how to get to him.
They managed to sway him into giving them their blessing. A few weeks after the incident, he knew he had to bury the hatchet. Having a son so close to dying does that to a person.
The business was growing, all thanks to his youngest son, the one who avenged his brother. After a while, there was no bad blood in him.
Maybe he was old, maybe he was tired of carrying a grudge with him.
He and Charles even played a game of golf or two. They weren’t friends… but they knew they needed to get along for all this to work —and prevent their children from leaving them for good.
Remy brought a huge casserole and placed it in the center of the table.
“Chicken’s ready,” he told her.
She didn’t have much room inside her house, but her garden was perfect for these kinds of things.
“What else do we need?” Remy said.
He looked amazing, just like always. Dark blue sweater, with a wide collar over a white shirt, fitted just exactly right, outlining his muscles.
He was as good as new.
“Julie?” He asked, and she came back to the present.
“Oh, nothing, I think we’re set.”
He smiled, “Are you worried?”
“No. It’s just, you know… this is so surreal.”
He sat on a chair, opening his arms for her to sit on his lap.
“Is it that bad?”
“No.”
“Everything that happened led to this moment,” he said, “I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
She hugged him, he made her feel so safe, so loved.
He insisted on going to therapy, together if she wanted to. She was shaken by what happened to them.
So they did.
Their relationship was stronger than ever. They didn’t have problems processing the incident with Trey. But being so close to losing each other to tragedy really hit a nerve.
They traveled for a bit before going back to work, and after a few months, they started living together.
He still had his apartment, but never went there.
“We should move out of here,” he whispered.
“Out of Chicago?”
“Out of the city. We need a bigger house, now that we’re getting married.”
“You think this is too small for us?”
“What if we want children?”
Her pulse accelerated, they never really talked about this before, just gave each other hints, here and there.
“Do you want to have kids?” She asked.
He fixed his eyes on her.
“In time, sure.”
She breathed out. She did want to have his children, but she wanted to wait, too.
“You don’t have to act so relieved!” Remy said, hugging her tightly, giving her a peck on the neck that sent shivers down her body.
“Stop it!” She laughed.
“What do you think? We could find a house within our budget pretty easily.”
“What’s our budget?”
He shrugged.
“Business is thriving, so I guess… anything we want?”
She slapped his shoulder.
“You’re silly.”
“Oh, yes I am.”
He pulled her to him and suddenly his bulge grazed her thighs. Oh my God. She needed to do something else before they ended up in bed again.
“Babe, the family is coming!” She said, a last ditch effort to keep herself focused.
But it was too late, she already wanted to take him, right there on her garden. The doorbell chimed, and she instantly stood up.
“Julie?” Her mother called from the front door.
“See? They’re here!”
Remy reached out and sat her on his lap again.
“You haven’t answered me yet.”
She brought her hand to his cheek and gave him a kiss.
“We move out after our wedding.”
“It’s for the children,” he joked.
She rolled her eyes, smirking.
“Of course, we’ll do it for them.”
“Julie?” Her mother called again.
“I’m coming!”
She looked at Remy and his big, devilish grin. The last time this happened they weren’t even together yet. It felt like ages ago.
She started to get wet. The memory of that evening adventure never failed to turn her on.
“What’s on your mind?” Remy asked, pretending not to know.
“Stop,” she said, she needed to think of something else. She turned around to go into the house and—
He placed her hand on his cock.
It was hard, ready for her…
Remy leaned forward to her ear and whispered.
“You and I. After dinner. Upstairs.”
He grinded his bulge on her ass and released her, but she couldn’t move. She wanted to stay there with him.
“You’re going to pay for this,” she replied, and went inside to open the door for her family.
My God, he’s going to pay for that.
Chapter 37
Remy
The sun was setting on the horizon, over the sea, the stars were beginning to appear on the sky.
She held his hand tightly, not looking at him. They ‘d been laying under the afternoon sun for over an hour now. He wasn’t a tanning kind of guy but loved seeing her happy.
“Perfect,” she said.
“You like it?”
“I never thought it would be like this.”
He kissed her hand and watched the sunset.
Their honeymoon was going even better than he dreamed. He wanted to take her somewhere far, somewhere she read in books and seen in paintings.
The Mediterranean.
They arrived in Italy and travelled east towards Greece, stopping in every town on the way. Enjoying the food and art and culture. From there they took a boat in Athens, this was their first day out in the sea.
“I love you,” he said, and she snuggled under his arm.
“I love you too,” she replied, her warm skin touching his, the view, the life ahead of them. Suddenly, everything made sense. The good, the bad. It was worth it.
He never thought he’d be so lucky. He sure didn’t deserve her.
He kissed her neck and she turned to him, fusing their lips together.
It was a deep, soft kiss. She was the one. He wasn’t even looking for her and suddenly there she was. An angel amidst a crowd.
His hands travelled from her shoulders to her breasts to her belly. Sliding easily in her sweat.
Her breath turned harsh. She wanted this as much as he did. They’d been doing it at least three times a day, and they were behind schedule today, they’d only done it once in the morning.
The sky was painted in pink and purple, the light about to die, leaving them under the stars.
He kissed her neck and earlobes and shoulders. Moving her top to the side, her breasts bursting out.
He cupped his hands on them, never tired of the way she kissed him, the way she made love. She was kinky, just like him. They were the perfect match.
She gasped, feeling his finger over the fabric of her bikini bottom, softly stimulating her, her sex already getting wet.
He took his hand away and used his fingers to just barely graze her thighs.
She shivered and moaned, the skin on her legs broke out with goose bumps. She was his, only his, forever.
She turned and kissed him, he was steel hard now, she was the only woman in the world for him.
He brought his hands up and trapped her in his embrace.
Julie’s hands bolted to his package, she wanted this as much as he did.
He ripped her top away and laid on top of her, her legs going around his waist, trying to push him to her center. He grabbed her wrists with one h
and and put them above her head, kissing her earlobe and neck and shoulders. She was shaking now, moaning loud as he licked her belly, down to her waist.
She put her hands behind his head, needing him to taste her. But he was patient, he could wait a little longer, he’d make her scream his name before the night set in.
Chapter 38
Julie
Remy kept teasing her. He was incredibly loving and even more sexual. He couldn’t get enough of her.
When they were ashore, he showered her with gifts, or little surprises like preparing breakfast in bed and secretly kissing her in their mid-morning walks.
But this. She would never get tired of this.
This man understood her completely, it was a dream come true.
His warm tongue slid on the inner side of her thighs and she couldn’t stop herself from moaning again.
He kissed her legs and came back up, closer and closer to her center. She was soaking wet, it had been too long since they did it. Almost a full day.
Then she realized what she just thought and smiled. Ridiculous.
Her muscles spasmed in delicious pleasure as his tongue reached her slit.
Just barely touched it, though.
“More,” she whispered, as his tongue grazed the lower side of her crease. It was too much.
He moved even closer, his warm breath fell on her sex, teasing her, when he finally pressed his tongue against her core and tasted her.
Her body trembled, her gasp, audible and coarse, invited him to keep going.
He moved up and down, slowly, sending bolts of electricity from her center out. He was a beast, a sexual god who knew exactly what she wanted.
He finally touched her clit and her legs closed so fast on his head that for a second she thought she might have hurt him.
The next moment she was yelling in delight. He kept on lapping and sucking at her spot in just the right way…
“Remy,” she whispered, she didn’t want him to finish her off so quickly.
She was drenched now, her juices dripping down on the yacht’s wooden floor. She couldn’t hold it anymore. She was about to explode.
No!
She gathered all her willpower and jumped away, leaving him completely surprised.