“Fuck, Abraham. I don’t know what to do either. As much as it sucks, we’re already doing the only thing that we can do. Staying by her side as much as possible, and having cops around all the time.”
“It’s not enough. I feel like I’m going to lose her, like she’s going to be ripped from me. I just got her, dude. I finally have everything that I want. Fuck, the only thing that I’ve wanted for almost ten years now. Why can’t I just take her away until all of this is over?”
He looks at me like I’m dumb. “Because you would have to keep her sedated to make her ‘run’ from the issue. You know her. You know how stubborn she is. Like I said, we’re doing everything that we can do.”
“It just doesn’t feel like it’s enough.”
Damon walks in the shop with Sam glued to his lips. I chuck a stale roll at him from Mickey’s lunch. “Ow!”
He looks up and sees me. “Dude.”
“Dude yourself. I’ve seen you do a lot worse with my sister.” He bends down and picks up the roll, throwing it back at me. I catch it in the waste basket. “Where is my twin anyway?”
“She’s still at the hospital. She doesn’t get off for another hour.”
“And what, you can’t function alone anymore?”
I cock a brow at him, looking between him and my little sister. “Yes, pot, I am a kettle and I am black, thank you for noticing.”
“Okay, I’m going to head to class before the rolls start to fly again. Love you.” She kisses Damon’s cheek and waves to Mickey and me.
“Love you too. Let me know when you get out and we’ll head to dinner.”
“Sounds good.” She walks out the door and Damon plops his ass on the reception desk.
»»•««
???
“All I’m saying is, you two have been spending an awful lot of time together on this, Sasha. Are you sure that you’re not developing feelings for his crazy ass? Not that I would blame you.”
“Don’t be daft. I’m just having a bit of fun until I can get that conniving little bitch away from my Abraham.”
She’s fucking insane. I’ll just help out and keep my head down until I can put my plan into motion. Soon, I’ll have everything that I’ve ever wanted. And I won’t have anyone in my way anymore. Not a soul will see it coming or even suspect me.
“If you say so.”
“And just because I’m after Abraham and not Chris does not mean that you can go after Chris.”
I put my hands in the air. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Sasha.”
Chris comes through the door and Sasha immediately turns into a different person. They’re both fucking sick. “What are you two squawking about in here?”
“Nothing that you need to know about. What were you out doing?”
“If I wanted lip from you, I’d ask for it.”
Sasha licks her lips at him and I roll my eyes. Disgusting. “I’m out. I have to go to class.”
“No one is stopping you.”
Whatever. God. I can’t wait to be rid of them both. I hate spending so much damn time with them. I feel like I’m going crazy myself.
As soon as I close the door behind me, I can hear him ordering her around. I’ve no doubt she’s doing anything that he wants her to. Disgusting.
I head down the steps to the driveway and get into my car. “Backpack. Damn it.” I head back into the house and am scarred for life. “Jesus God! Yeah, you sure fucking love Elijah and Reagan.” I grab my bag and take back off, outside.
Never in my life did I ever need to see Sasha spread-eagle on my countertop with a maniac thrusting into her. Shivers go down my spine. This has to end. Soon.
»»•««
Reagan
“So, you’re going to show it to him on the Fourth?” Kate and I are having lunch in the hospital cafeteria. She had her six-month checkup today.
“Yup. Only a week and a day away. He will love it.”
“You sound pretty confident. Not that he won’t love it, I mean come on.”
“I know Abraham. He will be drooling.” I take another bite of my burger. I don’t care what anyone says, hospital burgers with mustard on them are the best fucking burgers out there.
“And you’re sure that he hasn’t peeked in that bag?” She looks at me skeptically.
“Do you really think that he wouldn’t give away that he knew. He would do something in the first hour that he looked to let me know that he cheated and peeked. He promised. That is why they call him Abraham after all.”
I smile and she laughs. Her hand moves to her big round belly and makes a face. “This kid is going to be a soccer star. He’s starting to kick my kidneys now. He’s not even out of the belly and he’s already being a punk.” I laugh and she looks at me. “You think it’s funny? Just wait until this happens to you, I’ll be the one laughing then. Okay, I’ve got to get my butt home and get that nursery painted.”
“When Mickey finds out that you’re doing it by yourself, he’s going to flip his shit.”
“If you’re so worried about it, then come with me. You can more than afford to take the last what, three hours of your shift off. Besides, didn’t you say you guys were overstaffed today?”
“Ugh, fine. Let me go give Tommy a heads up and I’ll meet you at your house after I’ve gone to change.”
She stands, and then points at me. “Don’t you dare tell Abraham what you’re doing. He will tell Mickey. I would like to do one thing without them looking over my shoulder and encouraging me to go take a nap.”
“Fine, fine, but you get to take the heat from Abraham. I’ll see you in thirty minutes, give or take.”
“Love you, wife.”
“Love you too, wife.”
She heads out and I head up the stairs. I find it’s much nicer to take the stairs. It’s quieter and gives me time to clear my head. Once I’m on the radiology floor, I spot Tommy talking to the hot guy from the ICU. Good lord.
“Hey, Tommy?”
ICU hottie gives me the once over. Nice. So he’s either bi, or he’s straight and this would be one of Tommy’s ‘challenges’. “S’up, baby girl?”
“I’m going to head out and help Kate paint the nursery before the wardens get home from work. Will you be okay by yourself for the next few hours?”
“You know I got this. Besides, Thursdays are always slow. Tomorrow’s the busy day. But I guess you wouldn’t know that, seeing as you don’t work here Friday’s anymore, now would you?”
I playfully punch his arm. “Suck it, Thomas. Don’t hate the player.”
“If I was straight, I would take you up on that. You’ve been hanging around Abraham and Mickey too long. You’re starting to pick up their mannerisms. ‘Hate the player.’ ”
“Could have been worse, I could have added ‘brah’ in there.”
“Oh good lord.”
ICU hottie looks at me. “Well if he’s not going to take you up on the ‘suck it’ offer, can I? We could make it a delicious threesome.”
Bi. “I’d watch it, Brad. Her boytoy is no joke. Plus her brothers would pummel you if you tried. Besides, don’t think I haven’t tried to hook line and sinker bi men before by dangling her as bait. She won’t play. No matter how hard I chase.”
He pouts his lip out. “And that’s my cue to leave. Later ‘brah.’ ” I make the suffer gesture Mickey and Abraham make to each other all the time, called shaka, and walk toward the stairwell.
»»•««
Kate and I are covered in paint speckles and are dressed for just such a thing. Her front door bangs open, making us both jump, startled. Having been on the top step of the step ladder, I come crashing down, landing on my back, knocking the wind out of me.
Loud, crashing footsteps come up the stairs. While I’m trying to get air back into my lungs, Kate is poised and ready to take on the intruder with a paint roller and the lid to one of the paint cans.
Abraham comes to a screeching halt by slamming his palms on the door jamb. “Jesus!” He is
at my side in an instant. Kate’s whole body relaxes, but she knocks Abraham in the back of the head with the roller.
“What the fuck, Abraham? Don’t you ever do that again!” She’s glaring at the back of his head.
Mickey comes running in seconds later.
Abraham helps me up and ignores Kate. “Where the hell are your phones?”
Mickey stares Kate down. “Don’t you give me that look, Bennet. We put the damn things in the kitchen so that we wouldn’t get paint on them. Chill your asses.”
“You aren’t supposed to be painting at all, Kate. You said that you would let me do it.”
“No, I said that it was absurd for you to not let me do it.”
Abraham speaks around their argument. “Reagan, you can’t do that. We talked about this.”
“Okay stop. Boys, we are perfectly fine…well, we were until two noisy tattooed giants barged in the house and scared the hell out of us. We’re not fighting about this. If you want to yell or be mad, leave the room and do it to each other,” I say as I’m dusting my ass off.
They exchange a look and Kate points her roller at them both “Go. We’re just about done. And seeing as the two of you look like you’ve been put through the ringer, go make yourselves a drink. Make sure you call Thing One and Thing Two off as well. We all know that you’ve got them just as paranoid and running about too. Now out.”
Mickey looks at her. “Look it, woman. We were worried sick about the two of you. You were supposed to come to the shop and pick me up today, that’s why you got the truck. And Reagan was supposed to be off and at home, hours ago.”
Abraham chimes in and finishes for him. “Yeah, like it or not, it’s the two of you that owe us an apology here. Not the other way around.”
Okay, my turn. Kate steps forward the same time I do. The boys both take a step back. “There will be no apologies given. And unless the two of you want to be the same color as this room, I suggest that you listen to the pregnant woman, and move your asses down those stairs. Go call off my brothers. Now.”
Mickey clenches his jaw, but turns and leaves the room. Abraham glares at me for a moment, standing his ground. “Out, Stone. Go wash your hair before the paint dries.”
“I’ll cut it.”
Kate rolls a sky blue line of paint down Abraham’s nose. He turns his fiery gaze on her and I push him out of the room before she stomps on his angry self.
I get it. I know why he’s so mad. But fuck. Let it go. What’s done is done and can’t be changed. We’re fine. Get over it.
“Your man is such a caveman.”
“I prefer to think of him as a lion-fighting gladiator.” She laughs and I smile. Men. Duh.
»»•««
Abraham
“She is so fucking infuriating,” I say after we are in Mickey’s backyard and out of earshot of the girls, then gulp half of the beer in my hand down my throat.
“You better get used to it, Abraham. You’re about to strap yourself in it for life.”
“Dear God, shh!” He makes an ‘oops’ face and shuts up. “And I can’t even have a fair fight with her about it because your pregnant fiancé is at her aid. Plus, she will throw the day I bought the house into my face.”
“Yeah, it’s always frustrating to lose a fight when you don’t have a leg to stand on.” He laughs and I flick my bottle cap at him. “Don’t hate.”
“Just go get the meat out of the fridge, punk ass. I’ll fire up the grill.”
“I’m going.” He turns and heads inside.
After he closes the sliding glass door behind him, I turn my attention toward the lake. The sun is starting to set. It really is beautiful out here. I’m really glad that half of the houses around the lake were for sale. I like having these guys so close.
It sucks that Damon and Sam are going to live about five minutes from here, but that’s the plot he bought way before any of us knew that we’d be tied together.
I know sometimes living within walking distance to anyone, except Mickey, drives me crazy. But now, those times that we all hang out until the wee hours of the morning, we don’t have to stay at anyone else’s house.
Shit, I could probably throw a rock off of my balcony and hit Mickey or Devon’s house if the wind was blowing just right. I know Reagan really enjoys it too, no matter how much of an invasion of privacy her brothers are.
I light the grill. I can’t wait to get my grill finished. I didn’t have all of the supplies I needed last Sunday to finish it. You’re damn sure that I’ve got them all now though, and everything I need to put in the fire pit as well. I hate gas grills, and that just so happens to be what Mickey’s is.
Mickey comes out of the house with four steaks, three hamburgers, four hotdogs, and five bratwursts. “Damn dude. You calling me fat? We’re not going to eat all of that.”
“No but when was the last time that Dev and Damon didn’t stop by one of our houses at least once a day? Since it’s seven o’clock and they haven’t yet, I’m assuming that they will come running when they smell the food cooking.”
“Yeah, good point. I’m going to go check on the girls.”
“Have fun with that.” He turns his attention back to the grill as I head up the deck stairs to the second level.
“Hey, girls, how’s it coming?”
Kate gives me stink eye and Reagan gives her a look. “It’s going. We’re just peeling the tape off of the trim. What do you think?”
I walk in and look. They did a really good job. I would have thought that Mickey hired someone. “It looks great. Really. You girls did an awesome job. How long did this take you two?”
“We’ve been at it since one. This is two coats, plus some touch-ups here and there.” Reagan is smiling proudly. Poor Kate looks beat.
“Well you guys did a great job. Mickey is putting meat on the grill now. Food should be ready in thirty minutes or so.”
“Okay, I’m going to go home and shower real quick then. I don’t want to eat paint with my food.”
“In that case, I’m going to catch a catnap until you get back. Thank you for helping me today.”
“What are wives for? Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Reagan and I walk out onto the deck and head around it for the stairs. “I’ll come with you.”
“No you won’t, big guy. It’s rude to show up when the food is ready. I’ve been here half of the day. I’ll only be gone for twenty minutes tops. If you come with me now, I won’t be able to resist taking a shower with you in it. And we both know that I will end up caving to that hot as sin, tattooed skin.”
“Fine. Bring beer back with you.” She kisses my lips. When we get to the grass I smack her ass. “Hurry.”
“Chill. If I’m not back in twenty, you can come find me.” She bites her lip while smiling and walking backward in the direction of our house. Fuck, she doesn’t play fair. I need sex. Bad.
Chapter Sixteen
Abraham
Less than a week. Six days. This Friday. I will be proposing to the love of my existence, Reagan Nichole Winters. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. I feel like such a girl, but I couldn’t care less.
It’s Saturday night, and all the girls are over at Kate’s house doing girlie shit. Me and the boys are having another poker night. We promised preggers that if we did a ‘panty raid’ we wouldn’t get her floors wet or covered in anything that could be sprayed from a can or otherwise.
We thought it best to just stay put and leave the shenanigans for another night at a different house. You don’t want to anger pregzilla.
Yesterday, we all got out of work late as shit. Reagan even got called in to work for Tommy at the hospital. I actually beat her home. She didn’t get in until almost eleven.
Devon’s car shop got slammed with business as a result of a cop car chase down the interstate. Mickey stayed late to finally catch up on all the piled-up customers from when Reagan and I were in a coma. Damon, of course, stayed to help.
So today, we all spent the day on floaties and rafts in the lake. And naturally, none of us men minded or complained about seeing all of the girls in bikinis and shorts all day. Plus the girls put together some pretty mean po’boys for lunch. And they outdid themselves with dinner. Reagan taught me how to make ‘cowboy chicken’. I’m currently snacking on some leftovers in a sandwich as we play poker.
I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with that woman. Smart, cocky, beautiful, sexy as fuck, funny, smartass, fan-fucking-tastic in bed, and she can cook? I am set for the rest of my days. And I’ll enjoy every single second of them.
“You’ve been awfully smiley today, Abraham. What gives?”
Mickey answers Damon for me. “He’s got less than a week before he asks your sister to marry him. That’s why he’s been walking around with a hanger in his mouth all day.”
“I totally forgot about that. You’re doing it on the Fourth? When?”
“I told you, right before Mickey lights off the grand finale. It’s going to be awesome.”
“You’re such a girl.” The chip I toss hits Devon’s cards instead of his face. “You throw like one too.”
“Don’t be jealous.”
“Of what?”
I throw down my cards. “Of my royal flush. Cough it up, losers.” All around the table they moan and groan. I’ve won the last two hands. But they’ve all won just as many. They may not have won when the pot was quite so high, but still.
»»•««
“Okay, it should be ready to try out by the Fourth.” I stand back and dust myself off.
“I hope so, otherwise we will be doing the party over at Kate and Mickey’s again.” Reagan stands and dusts herself off as well. I love a woman who’s not afraid to get a little dirty. She helped me all day with the grill and fire pit.
The Call Page 23