Edge of Retribution

by Jacob Chance

  “Fine. Never brushes their teeth, I don’t have to kiss them.” I flick my glance in Nash’s direction and catch his chuckle. “By the way, where are we going? We just passed the exit to my place.”

  “I’m taking you to meet my parents. I hope you don’t mind. We’re just going to stop in quick.”

  “Nash, yes I mind. I need time to emotionally prepare myself for things like this. This is a monumental occasion. I don’t want to go there, reeking of tequila like I probably do.”

  “You smell delicious to me,” he jokes. “We’ll be quick, I promise.”

  “You owe me for this.”

  “Oh my God, Nash, what happened to your face?” His mother asks with a hint of hysteria in her piercing tone and we haven’t even stepped through the door yet.

  “This?” He points to his stitched and taped up cheeks. “It’s not as bad as it looks. I was taken care of by a plastic surgeon and I shouldn’t look too scary when all is said and done.” He rubs a hand over his stomach, and fortunately has the common sense not to show her the railroad tracks of stitches up, down and across his chest and stomach. They might send her over the edge.

  “Do you think we can come in?” he inquires, laughter in his tone.

  “We?” His mom questions sounding surprised. She steps back so Nash and I can step inside. His mom’s eyes light up when she notices me and our clasped hands.

  “Mom, Dad, I want you to meet someone special. This is Zoe, your future daughter in law.”

  “Nash.” My eyes get wide and my cheeks flush pink. I can’t believe he just said that.

  His mother lets out a gasp before grabbing me and practically squeezing the life out of me. “I’m Carla, it’s so nice to meet you.” She steps back and looks me over. “Aren’t you a beautiful, little thing.”

  “I’m David, Nash’s dad. It’s nice to meet you.” He holds out his hand and we exchange greetings.

  “You guys will have adorable babies.” His mom claps her hands together, excitedly.

  “Mom let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  I roll my eyes. “Oh, you mean like introducing me as their future daughter in law?”

  “Who says that’s getting ahead of myself? It’s not that far in the future.”

  “It’s not?”

  “If you think I’m waiting another six years to make you officially mine, you’re out of your mind.”

  “I wasn’t thinking six years. Pfft, I’m not waiting that long.”

  “So when is the wedding?” Carla asks.

  “I haven’t asked her yet.”

  “What are you waiting for?”

  “I’m waiting until I’m sure she’ll say yes.”

  I snort. “Good luck with that,” I tease. “So, Carla, I need all the dirt you can give me on Nash.”

  She gestures to the comfortable looking couch. “Sit down honey. I hope you have a lot of time.”

  Epilogue

  Nash

  Six Months Later

  “Ha ha,” she cackles after she lands a quick, stinging slap on my cheek.

  “Don’t get too cocky, Zoe. Keep your focus.” We continue to circle each other, both of us warily watching the other. She steps in and sends a quick roundhouse kick sailing over my head.

  “Lower your kicks. Haven’t I taught you anything?” I grin when I notice an aggravated gleam in her eyes. I love pushing her buttons when we spar. She gets fired up and usually does her best to prove me wrong, but today she’s taking it easy on me, I can tell.

  “My kicks are just fine,” she spits out between clenched teeth. “Forever the teacher, huh? When am I gonna be your equal?” She races at me with a series of spinning crescent kicks, each one higher than the previous. I barely need to duck to avoid them.

  “Really? Are you sure about your kicks being fine?” I raise a brow in challenge. “And I like being your teacher.” I smirk and wave her on. She charges me, finally ready to deliver a knockout blow, but hesitates at the last moment, big mistake.

  “I’ve got you just where I want you,” I grin, pinning her back to the wall. Both of her hands are held in mine over her head. My lower body presses into hers, blocking any kicks she could try to throw my way.

  Lowering my face, I watch as her eyes so heated with anger become filled with desire as our lips are about to connect. My mouth briefly skims across hers, before I whisper in her ear. “I have a surprise for you. Have you been a good girl?” My lips nibble on the curve of her lobe and she bucks her pelvis into mine with a moan. I chuckle. “You’re the best kind of naughty.”

  Pressing a soft kiss under her ear, I straighten up to my full height, my demeanor now serious.

  Releasing my hold on her hands, I cup her cheeks with my palms. “I have something for you and I’ve been waiting for the right time to give it to you. I wanted everything to be perfect, but then I realized something. It doesn’t matter when because anytime would be right. We’re the rightest thing I’ve ever known, and this is just the next step in the natural progression.”

  Her wide eyes stare up at me, two bottomless pools of sky blue and I know I’ll never get enough of the trust I see reflected there. Making her feel safe and loved is my life’s mission.

  Lowering my hands, I drop to a knee in front of her and she gasps.

  “Nash?” Her voice is a shaky whisper.

  “They say if you save someone’s life, that person belongs to you. I guess that makes you mine for all eternity. And since you saved my life, I guess that makes me yours for all eternity.”

  Zoe smiles down at me and I see the shimmer of tears hovering on the edges of her bottom lashes.

  “You’re not regretting saving me, are you?” I jest, tipping my chin up toward her teary eyes.

  “No.” She laughs

  “Okay. Just checking.” I slip my hand into my sweatpants, grip the engagement ring I had made for her between my thumb and index finger and raise it up in between us. “We met under the worst possible circumstances, we’ve been through two near death experiences together and countless other dangerous situations lie waiting in our future. We may not survive much longer at the rate we’re going.”

  Zoe giggles, interrupting and I wink.

  “But I’m okay with whatever life has in store for us as long as every day I have left on this earth is spent with you. I’ll take you with or without gunshots, through kidnappings and rescues, til death parts us. And even then, I’m not letting you go. I’ll find you in the afterlife too. Zoe Thomas, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  “Yes. Yes. Yes.” She watches in awe as I slip the ring on her finger. “Nash, it’s gorgeous. I love it.”

  “I asked your grandmother for your mom’s ring. I knew that would mean more to you than anything I could purchase. I had the diamond reset and added the smaller diamonds on either side for your parents.”

  “I love you,” she yells, jumping on top of me. Her lips crash down on mine and I fall from my knees to my ass on the mat with Zoe straddling me. She kisses me with urgency and love. I feel it pouring from her as if she’s speaking the words into my soul. She draws back, breaking our connection, but leaving her luminous gaze locked on mine. I greedily take in her captivating features one at at a time. Her wide, graceful forehead and arched brows frame her sky blue eyes and lead down to her pert nose. Her lips still shiny from our joining are a deep pink color and have my stare lingering on them as I imagine them on various parts of my body. I’m going to enjoy studying her face every day for the rest of our lives.

  “What are you thinking?” she asks, interrupting my deep perusal of her.

  “Just looking at my future.”

  She leans forward, her breath sweet on my lips. “What’s it look like?”

  “It looks like everything I’ve ever wanted. You, me, work, two or three kids and occasional reminders that your kicks are too high.”

  “You’re an ass,” she cries, tickling my side with her fingertips while I laugh at the look of outrage on he
r face.

  I flip Zoe onto her back, surprising her. Capturing both of her hands with mine, I raise her arms on either side of her head. “Who’s gonna save you now?” I grin, mischievously.

  “You already saved me, Nash. In more ways than one.”

  Leaning down I tease her lips with mine, sweeping feather soft kisses from one corner to the next. I draw back, hovering over her and shake my head. “No, we saved each other.”

  THE END

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  The first THREE chapters of QUAKE

  Prologue

  Kyle

  If you’d asked me when I was in college what I thought I would be doing in ten years’ time, this wouldn’t have been my answer. Life as a private investigator isn’t as exciting as one might think. Sure, there are moments of danger which get my adrenaline pumping and when that happens, no other high can compare. I used to live for that feeling and for a while you could even say I was addicted to it. But the choices we make have consequences and one decision can change everything.

  These days I do a lot of watching and even more waiting. I’m the guy people pay to find the truth buried under all the lies. Eventually, I see past the surface of who you’re pretending to be, revealing all you’ve kept hidden and I know firsthand appearances can be deceiving.

  Chapter 1

  Kyle

  Present Day

  Fuck it. I can’t fight the urge any longer.

  I type the commands to bring up the main screen, checking to see which room she’s in. I find her in the bedroom she uses, still bundled up in her comforter, just like I’ve imagined. I maximize her room on the screen.

  I watch as she lowers the comforter down to her waist, before pushing it all the way to the end of the bed with her feet. Her hand slides down into the front of her panties and for a moment I think I must be imagining this.

  Oh Jesus.

  My heartbeat kicks up a notch and my cock goes rock hard as she tips her head back, parting her lips in pleasure. I can see her fingers slowly circling her clit through the sheer white material and I pretend it’s my hand making her gasp and twitch. Her eyes are closed in concentration, the fullness of her bottom lip is clenched between her teeth. She’s absolutely focused on the overwhelming ecstasy she’s experiencing.

  My cock is so hard it’s straining against my jeans. I undo the button and pull down my zipper, the sound it makes echoes through the silence of my office.

  She trails her other hand up her stomach and tweaks her nipple.

  Christ, I’m going to come in my pants if I don’t get a move on. I breathe a sigh of relief when my dick is freed from my clothing. Holding it tightly in my fist, my eyes never leaving the blonde siren on my screen. I slowly stroke up and down a few times, using my thumb, spreading the pre-come around the tip, before gripping it tighter. I move my hand faster and faster as her fingers pick up the pace and her eyes squeeze shut. She spreads her legs wide and digs her heels into the mattress and at the same time air expels from my lungs. The fingers of my free hand grip the desk so hard, my knuckles turn white, while I try to fight back my release. Fuck. She’s so hot. All I want to do is bury myself inside her tight, wet pussy and feel her unravel around me.

  Her back arches up off the bed and her mouth opens in a soundless cry as she finds her release. Watching her is the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. My orgasm hits me quick and hard. I carefully remove my shirt, cleaning up with it, before resting my head back against the chair. While I wait for my breathing to settle down there’s only one thought in my mind - I have to meet Janny Moore.

  Chapter 2

  Kyle

  Two Days Ago

  “Hey man. What’s going on?” Derek my business partner asks as he pokes his head in my office.

  “Not much. I’m working on the Moore case; I have a feeling this job is going to be a big waste of time.” I glance at the screen, feeling sorry for the poor schmuck I’m watching.

  Our company, K.D. Investigations, was hired by Sharon Moore to check into her husband Bryan, after she noticed him exhibiting some suspicious behavior. She couldn’t give me any concrete examples of what he was doing that she found so worrisome. But, she asked for a full scale investigation and mentioned money not being a concern, which is good because our services don’t come cheap.

  “Who spends thousands of dollars to investigate their husband based on a gut feeling?”

  “Who knows? Women are crazy, dude. Who knows why they do anything? I’m leaving now to go do an estimate. I’ll talk to you later.” He pushes off the doorjamb and is gone before I have a chance to say anything.

  My partner Derek and I installed cameras in the Moore’s house after Sharon agreed to give up any sense of privacy. Bryan works from home as a graphic designer which simplifies things and means I can monitor his daily whereabouts relatively easily. When he leaves their house, I use the app I installed on his brand new phone, to track his movements. Coincidentally, it’s the phone his adoring wife gifted him. Ironically, she gave it to him for Valentine’s Day.

  Today is my first official day on the job. So far Bryan’s done nothing but work on the computer and eat a sandwich. This is going to be a long day. I shift in my seat, to get more comfortable, when movement at the side of the video feed catches my attention. A young woman walks into Bryan’s office. She has long, wavy blonde hair and if I had to guess I’d say she appears to be in her early to mid-twenties. She speaks with him for only a minute, before turning toward the doorway. I’m already typing in the commands, giving me access to see the rest of the house. My eyes track the way she moves confidently from room to room, like she belongs there. Who is this woman and why didn’t Sharon mention her?

  The next morning is almost an exact replica of the first, Bryan works diligently on his computer and I haven’t noticed any behavior that would throw up a red flag. I see the mystery woman again, only she’s no longer a mystery. Her name is Janny and she’s Bryan’s younger sister who stays with them sometimes. She’s a college student who lives on campus and comes to their house whenever she wants to get away. Sharon patiently answered all the questions I asked about Janny, under the guise of the “investigation.”

  Watching her on the monitor is quickly becoming the best part of this job. The graceful way she maneuvers through simple household chores is more pleasing to the eye than Bryan is. Currently, she’s talking on her phone as she walks from one side of the living room to the other, pacing back and forth ten times before she switches it up and moves towards the fireplace. When she stops in front of the mantle she touches the various objects displayed there, she runs her finger along the top of a framed picture of Sharon and Bryan, before moving along to pick up a crystal vase filled with fresh flowers. After lowering her face to inhale their scent, she returns the vase to its original spot and moves on to a grouping of neatly stacked books. Her fingers gently caress their worn bindings. The camera above is hidden by the large floral painting hanging on the wall and while Janny stands there slowly paging through a book I see her face clearly for the first time.

  My breath catches in my throat and my heart feels as though it stops, just to restart at a faster tempo. My fingers curl around the arms of my chair and my grip tightens as I automatically lean forward in my seat hoping to catch a better glimpse of her. Her face lights up as she smiles at whoever she’s on the phone with and her ethereal beauty unsettles me. What the hell? I’ve never experienced this kind of reaction to a woman before and I don’t want to now. My eyebrows draw together and lower into a scowl of disgust as I switch back to the screen with Bryan. He’s who I need to focus on, not some inconsequential woman I shouldn’t be watchi
ng in the first place. For the remainder of my shift I refuse to let myself seek Janny out on the video feed no matter how powerful the urge is.

  After passing off my Bryan watching duties to Jack, one of the other P.I.’s we employ, I leave to meet my partner Derek at one of our favorite hole in the wall pubs in South Boston or “southie” as the residents refer to it. Murphy’s Irish Pub is located on the corner of a major intersection so finding a parking spot can be a real bitch. Tonight, I luck out and I’m immediately able to park my brand new black Charger curbside. Walking toward the entrance my eyes automatically scan the surrounding area for anything suspicious.

  Once a cop always a cop.

  Pushing the frosted glass door open, I enter the dimly lit space. I’m overwhelmed by what can only be described as an assault on my senses. The lack of light combined with the bone rattling beat and the deafening volume of the music has me steadying myself to maintain my balance. My gaze reflexively sweeps the room before searching for Derek. He’s seated right where I knew he’d be, on the last stool, furthest from the front door, affording him the best vantage point to monitor the entire room. My chin lifts in acknowledgement, when I walk past a couple of guys I know from the neighborhood I grew up in. Once I’m seated on the stool next to Derek’s, I reach behind me and make sure the pullover I’m wearing is camouflaging the gun tucked in the back of my pants.

  “How’s it going, man?” he asks, sliding a freshly poured mug of beer my way.

  I’m not sure how to answer him, my head is in a fucked-up place right now. I can’t stop thinking about Janny Moore. The way my body physically reacted to seeing her today has me feeling out of sorts. I’m not used to my heart pounding uncontrollably unless I’m in a dangerous situation. Maybe my body knows something I don’t. Maybe Janny Moore is dangerous to me. “It’s all good,” I reply, keeping my thoughts of her to myself. My hand closes around the cold handle of the mug and I drink back a good portion in one long gulp.