by Shyla Colt
“I understand,” she said.
“Good, don’t make me act a fool and tear shit up in this hospital with my bare hands, mama.”
The honesty in his words and the concern in his eyes acted as an anchor, steadying her against the storm she’d been thrust into. “I won’t. I promise.”
Satisfied with her answer, he nodded and removed his hand.
“You ready, Evonne?” Shooter asked, walking up with Juliette at his side.
Evonne hesitated.
“Go. I know you need to be with your family, even if they are assholes,” Rocky said.
She snickered. “No need to sugarcoat it.”
“Do I look like Willy Wonka?” Rocky winked at her.
Evonne laughed, clinging to the lightness he’d brought to the somber situation.
“Right here,” Rocky said, patting her ass. “Now, off with you.”
Following Shooter into the hospital, she gripped Juliette’s hand for dear life. Her brain felt like a scrambled egg and she only half registered Juliette’s words as she rattled off a floor and room number. They stepped into the elevator and the walls around them began to shrink. An uncomfortable heat flooded her body and her nerves made her jittery. She placed a palm to her cheek, soaking in the cool surface against her heated flesh as she struggled to remain semi-composed. A bell dinged, and the doors opened.
Rushing out, she paused a few feet down, to glance at Juliette and Shooter. “I think I should do this by myself.”
“Not going to happen. When they said keep you in my sights they meant it…literally. I’m not risking pissing off the Prez and Rocky over a bit of discomfort on your parents’ part. The dude has over thirty knockouts for a reason, and him pissed is a scary-ass sight.”
Evonne eyed him skeptically.
“Trust me, under that mellow front is the heart of a fucking lion that eats his prey still breathing,” Shooter said.
“You are not coming in with me.” Evonne shook her head.
“I’ll wait just outside the door. That’s all I can give you and that’s only if you agree to stay away from the window,” Shooter said.
“Wait, what?” Her stomach lurched.
“Just being cautious. If he did this, a line has been crossed. I can only anticipate it’ll get worse from here on out,” Shooter said solemnly. She could see his training in his eyes. They were wide and he seemed hyper-alert of his surroundings as he peered around the hospital.
“Worse?” Evonne gave a strangled laugh. “What’s worse than this?”
“I hope you never know firsthand,” Shooter said.
The haunted look in his brown eyes and the husky tone of his voice made her blood run cold. This was a man who’d been through some shit and had the best training the government could buy. She wasn’t stupid enough to think she knew better than him. “I’ll take it.”
He stared at her and the stunned expression made her snort. “I’m distraught and a little mentally fucked in the head right now, but I didn’t turn stupid. I trust your judgment. I’ll do everything on your terms.”
Shooter nodded. “You trying to play me?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m too tired to even attempt that and I wouldn’t anyways.”
“Shooter, you know Evonne,” Juliette said.
“People do a lot of crazy shit when they’re hurt,” Shooter said.
“Not me,” Evonne said.
“All right.” He nodded. “Go do what you need to do.”
“You want me to come too?” Juliette offered.
“No. I need to go this alone.” Evonne pulled down the handle and opened up the door. The dim light and the beeps along with the flashing lights in the private room made her stomach drop. The strong scent of antiseptic assaulted her nose like a boxer hell-bent on knocking her out. She held her breath and slowly exhaled. Her mother lifted her head, drawing Evonne’s gaze to the opposite side of the room.
Her mother looked tiny and defeated. She sat in the chair beside Paul, clutching his hand like a lifeline. Her perfectly pressed khakis had taken on wrinkles and her white blouse looked askew on her slender shoulders.
“What are you doing here?” her father asked.
Her dad’s hateful hiss made her flinch. “Daddy. I just heard what happened. I wanted to see if Paul was okay.”
“What?” he huffed. “Now you care?”
“Michael, please,” her mother whispered.
“Look, Dad, I’m sorry things went down the way they did earlier, but a fist is a hell of a lot different than a car,” Evonne said.
“I imagine this is what I can come to expect from you, disrespect and foul language? Should’ve known you could never change your stripes,” her father said, clearly disgusted.
The words carved a deep cavern in her heart, breaking open the precariously sealed scar tissue on old wounds. “I’m not—”
“You talking back? Acting like I didn’t put food on your table, clothes on your back and pay your bills for over eighteen years?” her father said.
He rubbed salt in the wounds and the burn brought tears to her eyes. Unable to look at the face twisted into an angry snarl, she glanced at the floor. “I never said you didn’t.”
“You keep pushing me, girl, and I’ll take it somewhere you don’t want it to go,” he said.
Her head popped up. “You can’t be this upset by Rocky.”
“Michael…now is not the time.”
Her mother’s shaky voice and the utter disdain in her father’s eyes made her queasy as she stared at her parents.
“It’s about to be the time real damn soon, Rachel. You talk to your daughter. I need air.” He stormed past her, sending her off kilter as his shoulder banged into hers.
Wincing, she held her hand to the tender flesh while feeling stunned. “Mom?”
“He’s just distraught, honey. He didn’t mean anything by it. It’s been a long night.”
The words sounded thin, frail and full of holes. But now wasn’t the time to dig into the root of all their family dysfunction. Evonne strode over and wrapped an arm around her mother’s shoulders. “Mom, what happened, how is he?”
“We—we don’t know much. When he came to, he stormed off furious, hell-bent on tracking you down and dragging you back. I—I told him to give you space, both of them. But neither would listen. Your father was all for it, egging him on.” Her mother shook her head while covering her trembling mouth.
Oh God, this is literally my fault. Whether Levi had a hand in it or not. Sickened, she closed her eyes, steamrolled by a freight train of regret. “And then?” Evonne urged, gently nudging her mother to continue with her story.
“Then, there was the heavy thud of something hitting hard, a smack and the squeal of tires. We—went to the front door and saw him lying there. God—he didn’t look real. Blood was everywhere and his shoe was clear on the other side of the street.” Her mother tensed in her arms.
“You don’t have to tell me any more, Mom.”
“He’s all broken up from the inside out, legs, ribs and skull. They can’t tell us anything until the swelling goes down. They have him in a medically induced coma to give him—a fighting chance. It doesn’t look good. He—he hit the ground damned hard. And they don’t know.” She shook her head.
“I am so sorry,” Evonne whispered, tightening her arms around her mother’s small frame, wishing she could lend more than physical support. The thought of Paul dying made her ache, but the truth was the man was all but a stranger. They’d never seen eye to eye and the superior treatment he’d always received had turned her bitter and resentful, though she’d never wished him harm. For her parents, the sun rose and set with Paul. She wasn’t sure what they’d do without him. “What can I do to help?”
“Leave.”
She jerked back, stunned.
“Your father is so worked up right now. He’s not going to calm down until you give him some space and…” Her mother trailed off, shaking her head.
“I…” Evonne opened her mouth and closed it.
“We’ll let you know if anything changes with Paul, honey. Maybe come back and try it again tomorrow?” her mother said.
Evonne covered her throat with her hand and shook her head. “It’s always going to be him over me, isn’t it?”
“Evonne—”
“N-no, I don’t need to hear anything else. I can see the way you look at me. You think this is my fault just like he does. God, even to know you can’t take up…” She spun on her heel and walked out, ignoring her mother’s weak protest. Pathetic, fragile, spineless. The words swirled in her mind a song of sorrow, anger and disappointment. They were broken past the point of repair. Nothing would bring them together. She slammed the door behind her.
“Evonne?” Juliette called to her, as Shooter pushed away from the wall across from the door.
“Just give me a minute, okay? Bathroom break.” She stalked toward the restrooms with the two trailing her silently. She stumbled into the bathroom, disoriented from the swift blow her mother had delivered, severing her will to try when it came to a family she nearly hated. Bending over the sink, she stared in the mirror, hating what she saw. Her eyes were dilated, watery and the bone-deep hurt turned her face into a canvas of pain. No more. She turned on the faucet, splashed her face and gathered the tattered shreds of dignity around her like a shield.
Her back pocket vibrated. Fuck. She wanted to ignore it, but a pissed-off Rocky marching up the hallway wouldn’t help anything. Digging the black rectangle out of her pocket, she did her best to sound normal. “Hello.”
“Sorry to hear about your darling brother. He should’ve watched where he was going.”
Her stomach dropped. “L-Levi?”
“I do love the sound of my name on your lips, sweetheart.”
“How…”
“Did I get this number? In all the chaos, I guess they have yet to realize brother is missing something vital.”
“You did this for a phone!”
“No. I did this because I could. You want me to keep going?” Levi asked.
“Why?” she whispered, completely blown away by the depths of depravity he had caused over her. This felt too personal to be about bringing Juliette to her knees or seeking revenge for Peter.
“I told you I handpicked you; it’s an honor. Why can’t you see that? One way or another, we’re going to end up together. When you’re ready to stop the collateral damage from piling up, you know how to reach me.” He disconnected.
The dial tone mocked her as the ugly truth settled on her chest like a weight. Shaking with anger, she threw her head back and screamed, tugging at her hair.
Shooter burst through the door with Juliette on his heels.
“Shit, call Rocky!” Shooter yelled. He gripped her wrists and forced her arms to her side, pinning them down.
“I did this. I did this!” She struggled against his hold. Thrashing wildly as she dug her fingernails into the flesh of his hands.
He hissed, but never released his grip.
Infuriated by her inability to regain control of her body, her life, anything—she threw her head back and thrashed around.
“Crazy bitch,” Shooter spat. His grip tightened and she cried out.
“What the fuck?” Rocky bellowed.
“Here, you deal with this shit. I don’t know what just happened in here, but she’s gone off the deep end.” Shooter shoved her toward Rocky.
He pulled her against his body. “You need to calm the fuck down, Firecracker.”
“Levi did this. Because he could,”
“What the fuck? You were supposed to be watching her, Shooter,” Rocky said.
“I fucking was,” Shooter yelled.
“He—he took Paul’s phone.”
“Jesus shit!” Rocky shouted.
“He won’t stop, he’ll just keep adding to the carnage until he has me,” Evonne said.
“Whatever the fuck you got going on in that madhouse of a brain, you stop thinking it,” Rocky demanded.
“I can’t let—”
“Shut-the-fuck-up,” Rocky warned.
“Why? It’s true.” Evonne said.
“Because you got leaving in your eyes and, mama, when I place my claim on something that shit is for life. It doesn’t walk out and hand itself over to anyone else. Let alone some sick motherfucker who would break you down and leave nothing but a hollowed-out shell. You didn’t start this shit, but I’m going to end it. We’re gonna call Prez. We need to lock this shit down for a while.”
“No.”
“You actually think you have a say?” Rocky asked, looking like he wanted to kill.
His words were a slap to the face. “‘Cause I’m just something to be controlled! Story of my fucking life, but I didn’t expect it from you.”
“I will always do whatever it takes to keep you safe. You want to be pissed at me, fine. But your ass is coming with me right now…one way or another. You want it to be easy or hard, mama?”
“I didn’t ask for this.”
“Best watch the worlds flying out of your mouth. Shit can’t be taken back or forgotten. I’m not the one fucking your shit up and I sure as hell ain’t no whipping boy,” Rocky said. His words penetrated her anger and she dropped her head. “I know you’re hurting. But this ain’t the way to deal. Lock it down for now.”
Tears pooled in her eyes and she blinked back the moisture, clearing her throat. “Okay,” Evonne pushed the word out around the giant lump in her throat.
“Let’s ride. I don’t want to be out in the open. Sicko’s probably watching from somewhere close by, jacking off to this shit.” Rocky released her and placed a firm hand on the small of her back as he guided her outside.
* * * * *
Lockdown was pure hell. A bunch of bodies shoved in a smallish space for an undetermined amount of time. It makes me want to gut this fucker even more. The fact that Levi had gotten even this close to touching Evonne made his blood boil. Who the fuck mows over an innocent bystander for a fucking phone? With the situation spiraling out of control, he felt the need to stop and recapture the reins. Since they left the hospital, Evonne had turned into a zombie. Back at the house, they planned to pack a bag to head to the compound.
“Stop,” Rocky said.
Evonne paused and turned to him with a small frown on her face. “I thought we needed to—”
He rushed her, pressing her body against the wall behind her. “It can wait. You’re freezing me out. I can’t have that.”
“I’m just trying to—”
He placed a finger on her lips. “I’m going to get that pussy and you’re going to let me do all the worrying I see going on in those brown eyes.”
“How can I do that, knowing that I—”
“Am a victim of circumstance? This ain’t even your mess. This is spill-off from Shooter’s old lady.” He leaned down and nipped her neck. “Enough talking, we don’t have long.” Sinking his teeth into the flesh where her neck met her shoulders. She moaned and he smirked against her skin. “That’s it. Get wet for me, mama.” He continued to nibble his way up her flesh, pausing to flick the sensitive spot just behind her ears. She dug her nails into his arms and he moaned. “You want it rough?”
“I want you to make me forget everything but this, us.” Her voice shook.
“Shit, I can’t handle tears from you. I’m going to give it to you.” He pulled away, unbuttoned her jeans, and shoved them down around her thighs. Slipping his fingers inside her panties, he discovered the pool of liquid forming. “So wet for your man.” He dipped his thumb into her wetness and stroked her clit, wishing he had time to draw things out.
She was beautiful when she broke for him. Her head thudded against the wall as she leaned back, rocking her hips. Her full lips parted and her eyes drifted to half-mast.
“So fucking gorgeous, mama. I want to see my Firecracker light up and dazzle me.” He thrust two fingers inside and she yowled like a cat in hea
t. “That’s it, spark for me, baby, ride my fingers.” She flexed her muscles. “Shit. Gonna feel so good around my dick.” He hooked his fingers, adjusting their angle.
“Rocco…”
He increased his speed.
“Shit! Rocco Maurizio.” She clamped down on his fingers, shaking as she gave up her pleasure.
“So sexy when you come for me with my name on your lips. I gotta be inside you now, mama.” He removed his fingers and rubbed them across her lips, teasing her. She opened up and he slipped inside. “See how good you taste, baby? I’m going to be eating my fill tonight, once we’re settled.”
Her eyes darkened as they held his gaze and he made quick work of his pants, shoving them down around his ankles with his boxers. He gripped her hips and lifted her up. She hooked her legs around his back and guided him inside her blistering-wet heat. His heart swelled. This woman had engrained herself to his being. The thought of being without her made him see red. He propelled inside her and she dug her nails into the flesh of his shoulders. “That’s it, mark your man.”
“R-Rocco.”
The slap of flesh and the scent of their mingled arousal wrapped around him like a comfortable blanket. This had become his normal and he wouldn’t trade it for all the pussy in the world.
Her lids fluttered shut.
“Keep those eyes on me, mama.” He gritted his teeth. “Fuck, you twist me into knots.”
She flexed her muscles and ground down onto him. “In a world full of darkness the only light I see is you.”
Rocked to his core, he smothered her lips with his, kissing her with everything he had in him as they moved together. No words could express the new emotions rising up inside. He’d never imagined himself capable of feeling anything more than lust for a woman. Yet here he was ready to put the personal seal of approval from him and his family on her.
Her body tensed and she flew over, her pussy milking him dry.
Reluctantly, he pulled out. “We gotta do what we came to do. We ate up enough time. We don’t show soon and Prez will have my ass.”
“But I’m all sticky.”
“I like the thought of you walking around with my come between your legs. Keep it.”