After the Rain

by Karen-Anne Stewart

  “Hang in there, Rain, I’ve got you.”

  “Um hum,” is all she can manage.

  Sleep is seductively beckoning her when Jake opens the door to the van. Carefully, he lays her limp body down. He calls out to one of the local officers, asking that he stay with Raina as he heads back inside. Raina hears the officer telling her something, but she’s too groggy to form the meaning of the words. Closing her heavy eyes, the captivating darkness swallows her.

  A familiar comforting voice pulls her from her drunken slumber. It takes her several seconds to remember where she is. A smile curves her lips when Kas’ voice lures her body to roll towards him. The relief that sweeps through her when his tone is back to gentle and loving, is potent.

  “Open your eyes, baby,” Kas pleads, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

  Slowly, she does as asked, but it’s hard to focus. “The girls?” she manages to get out.

  “They’re safe.” Kas sits next to her, pulling her onto his lap, covering her further with his jacket, “Look at me, sweetheart.”

  “I’m so tired,” she mumbles, blinking a few times to try to clear the fog.

  “That’s what happens when you drink over half of a bottle of tequila.”

  “I know I promised I would never get drunk again, but this doesn’t count, Pierce.”

  Kas laughs, relieved to hear her tenaciousness, even though her words are slurred.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers, her tenacity vanishing.

  “I know why you’re wasted,” he teases.

  “Not about that. I’m sorry about last night. About tonight.”

  “Shhh, Rain, I’m proud of you. I’m always proud of you, even when you’re impossibly stubborn and driving me out of my mind with worry.

  “Can I sleep now?”

  “Yeah, baby girl, you can sleep now,” he tells her, brushing his lips against her forehead.

  “Your arms,” she whispers sleepily, “they’re my favorite place in the world to be.”

  Kas pulls her tighter against him, a compelling rush of love gripping his chest as he holds her protectively. “And holding you is my favorite thing to do. I love you, Raina,” he whispers back, even though he knows she can no longer hear him.

  Scott knocks on the door of the van before opening it and chuckles when he sees Raina fast asleep in Kas’ arms. “I’m sorry for how all of this went down,” he states, turning serious.

  “We got the girls, that’s what counts.”

  Scott glances back to Raina, “Your girl might not be able to handle her liquor, but she’s courageous. She’s not one to back down or take the easy way out.”

  “No she isn’t,” Kas agrees, smiling.

  “She’s also not one to take going against your wishes lightly,” Scott continues quietly, looking Kas directly in the eye, “I’m not trying to overstep my boundaries here, but last night, after you called, she was devastated.”

  “She told you that?” Kas asks, shocked she opened up to someone, especially someone she doesn’t know very well.

  “No, she didn’t say a word, but she didn’t have to,” he responds before changing the subject, “I’ll let you go. Thanks, again.”

  Kas nods as Scott closes the door. Memories of his heated words last night assault him. The last few minutes of the call was filled with his unyielding anger and him yelling at her when she had quietly told him that she was going through with the bid. He knows he shouldn’t have been so hard on her, despite her driving him crazy at how she never considers her own safety. Brushing an auburn lock away from her cheek, he presses his forehead against hers, “I’m sorry, Rain.”

  Chapter Seven

  “She needs to have a normal life, it’s not healthy for her to not go out with her friends or have a boyfriend,” Nallely almost sobs, wiping her hand on her apron, turning away from her apple and cherry pies.

  Taking Nallely’s hand, Raina remains quiet a few seconds, trying to think of the best way to respond to the aunt who is worried sick about her niece, “I know you want her to have a normal life, but you can’t rush her. Claudia’s been through something that isn’t easy to put behind her. She needs time to find herself again before finding someone else.”

  “She’s such a pretty girl. All the boys have always paid attention to her. She used to enjoy that, but now,” a tear runs down Nallely’s cheek as her voice breaks, “she can’t even talk to a boy.”

  Taking a deep breath, Raina knows Claudia hasn’t divulged anything even close to the depth of hell she suffered to her aunt. Part of her wants to yell at Nallely to just back off, but another part of her understands her pain of wanting it all to magically go away so Claudia can live the life she deserves to live.

  “Please let her do this at her own pace,” Raina begins softly, “it will only make it worse for her if you push. I know you love her and want what’s best for her, trust me when I tell you that what is best for her is to let her start trusting again before jumping into anything too fast.”

  “I don’t mean any disrespect, Raina, you have been a godsend to her, but you don’t have children. You can’t possibly understand what it’s like to watch them suffering. Even though Claudia is my niece, I love her like my daughter, I’ve helped raise her since she was a baby, I can’t keep watching her hide behind these four walls. The only time she leaves this house is when I make her.”

  “You’re right, I don’t know what it’s like to be in your shoes, but I do know a little about what it’s like to be in hers,” Raina admits, not wanting to talk about her past, not wanting to revisit that pain, but deciding that sharing some of her own hell may be the only way to get Nallely to understand how Claudia feels.

  Nallely sits in her chair with tears streaming down her face as Raina gives her some personal insight on the hellish matter. No words are spoken for several seconds before she angrily stands, her hands grabbing the kitchen sink as she stares out the window, “Why did they hurt my baby?” she sobs.

  Raina holds the heartbroken woman, tears burning her own eyes as Nallely’s shoulders shake from gut-wrenching anguish. “Has she said anything different about wanting to return to Mexico or visit her mom?”

  “No. She’s too ashamed and scared. The memory of them taking her from there is just too much.”

  The sound of the car door causes Nallely to sit up straight, brusquely wiping away her tears as she returns to her cooking. Raina feels lost, wishing she knew what to do to help. When Claudia walks through the door, her uncle behind her with his hands full of grocery bags, Raina takes a few and helps carry them back to the kitchen.

  “I didn’t know you were coming today,” Claudia smiles, her eyes a little brighter than the last time Raina saw her.

  “It’s been a couple of weeks, I wanted to drop by and say hi.”

  Claudia has grown over the past year, and Raina notices that she is almost her height. Raina also notes how her English is almost perfect now. Sadness grips Raina at how Claudia has let go of who she was before El Diablo. Living with her aunt has been positive, for the most part, but Raina knows she misses her other family members back home. When the teenager gives her a hug, Raina is relieved with the progress she has made, even if her family doesn’t see enough yet.

  “Come see my new paintings,” Claudia says with encouraging excitement.

  “I’d love to. I have the one you painted for me hanging in my kitchen.”

  “You weren’t supposed to pay for it, you’re the one who bought me all of the supplies,” she fusses, grinning.

  “No way, I had to buy it. I want to be the one who can say that I was the first person to buy a Claudia Jiminez original.”

  Claudia’s face beams, providing more relief to Raina as she returns her smile.

  Raina stays for dinner when they invite her, and for the half hour of sitting at the table with the family, eating tamales and black beans, talking about every day ordinary things, there’s a sense of blissful normalcy. Raina helps Claudia with the dishes after t
hey finish eating. Playfully bumping her, Raina asks her to dish what’s new with her.

  “I’m ahead in my schoolwork. If I keep at this pace, I’ll finish my courses early.”

  “That’s wonderful, Claudia,” Raina praises, her heart breaking at how she’s too afraid to go to public school. “Are you thinking about which college you want to go to yet?” she gently probes.

  The light in Claudia’s eyes dims, “I might take some time off before doing that.”

  “Okay, there’s still plenty of time to make that decision. If you want, I can bring you some brochures, so you can have them to look at if you change your mind.”

  “Sure,” she mumbles.

  Changing the subject, Raina asks what she’s going to paint next. Her dark brown eyes gleam again as she tells Raina about her desire to try abstract art. The doorbell rings, and Claudia immediately stiffens when a nice looking guy, about Claudia’s age, enters the kitchen.

  “Hey, Claudia,” the shy voice of the dark-haired guest sounds unsure, hesitant.

  “Hey,” Claudia’s reply is rushed, almost breathless, before she mumbles a whisper of an excuse before retreating to her room.

  Raina catches Nallely’s pained expression and offers to go talk with Claudia. The aunt nods and gives the forlorn teen standing in middle of the kitchen, looking just as lost as Raina feels, an apologetic smile. Softly knocking on the bedroom door, Raina patiently waits until the door is opened slowly.

  “Can I come in?”

  Opening the door further, Claudia plops back down on her bed, hugging a pillow tightly around her middle as she fidgets with a string.

  “Who is the boy?” Raina asks calmly.

  “My neighbor. Aunt Nallely keeps asking him over,” Claudia responds, conflicting emotions dancing in her eyes.

  “He seems nice,” Raina begins carefully, “you know, I can come over and watch a movie one day with the two of you if you want.”

  The small shrug speaks volumes, and Raina smiles.

  After a long pause, Claudia glances up shyly, “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure, anything,” Raina replies, willing to tell her whatever she wants to know if it will make her feel better.

  “What’s it like being married?”

  A smile immediately spreads across Raina’s lips, “It’s wonderful.”

  “You look so happy,” Claudia continues, her eyes hooded, sad.

  “I am happy.” Taking her hand in hers, Raina squeezes, “You will be, too, I promise.”

  “Are you always happy?”

  “There are times that are more difficult than others, but all relationships are that way,” Raina responds truthfully, “but I’ve never been happier.”

  “What about the times when he gets mad at you?” Claudia asks, her words almost inaudible.

  “What about them?” Raina encourages, already knowing her meaning but needing Claudia to find the courage to ask.

  “Does he . . . you know . . . hurt you?”

  “No. Kas has never hurt me.” Giving her hand another squeeze, she brushes Claudia’s long black hair over her shoulder, “He would never hurt me. Not all men hurt you, Claudia, you’ll learn that again.”

  Claudia doesn’t respond. Pulling the pillow tighter against her, she remains quiet for several long seconds before she starts talking about her paintings again.

  The living room is dark when Kas comes home. Thinking Raina is already asleep, he opens the hallway closet and drops his duffel bag inside before heading towards the bedroom to shower after his training with Si Fu Shang. Turning the corner, his hand instinctively goes to his waist when he sees a movement in the living room, even though his gun isn’t on him.

  “What are you doing sitting in the dark, darlin’?” Kas asks when he realizes it’s his wife sitting alone in the pitch-black.

  When she doesn’t respond, Kas flips on the lamp next to her, and worry seeps into him at the sadness in her eyes, “What’s wrong, Rain? Is it Claudia? Is she okay?”

  Her love for Kas intensifies at his concern for Claudia, “She’s fine, still making progress, thankfully, but her family is worried about her because she doesn’t want to date yet.”

  “She’s been traumatized, it will take time.”

  “I know.”

  He knows she knows, and that kills him.

  “Thank you for not hitting me,” Raina blurts out.

  “What?” Kas asks, bewildered with the random outburst. He sinks to his knees in front of her, “Sweetheart, please don’t thank me for not doing something that’s a given no one should do to you.”

  “It should be a given, but we both know that it’s not. Not, really.”

  Kas takes her hands in his, caressing his thumbs against the soft skin on the inside of her wrists, “It’s a given for me.”

  Her lips curve into the sweetest smile, “I know, that’s why I’m thanking you.”

  The feeling of being thanked for not striking her leaves him completely perplexed. It’s never crossed his mind to ever hurt her, and it makes him feel like crap and like a freaking king at the same time that she is offering him her gratitude over not doing what any man should have his ass kicked for if he lays his hands on a woman in anger. He gives her a tilted grin while shaking his head, “You are the most confusing, amazing woman I’ve ever met, Raina Pierce.”

  Avril Lavigne is blasting throughout the house when Frank opens the door, letting the guys, pizzas in hand, inside after their basketball game. “Looks like the girls got done with shopping early,” he almost has to yell over the music.

  “Frank, man, you are definitely inviting us over to your house more often,” Erik blurts out as they round the corner to Frank’s living room.

  All seven men stop in their tracks as they watch the girls singing, laughing, dancing together, and sipping on cocktails. The sight is every hot-blooded man’s dream, especially when Mandy pops a cherry in her mouth and throws her arms in the air when she successfully ties the stem in a knot with her tongue.

  “And I thought my place was the ultimate party house,” Austin quips, his jeans becoming tighter at the scene in front of him.

  They stay back, watching over the half wall that separates the den from the kitchen as the cherry game becomes a challenge. When it’s Raina’s turn, Kas drags his thoughts out of the gutter long enough to pull himself together to make their presence known, not wanting any of the other men to be thinking the same very dirty, very provoking carnal thoughts he’s thinking about his wife right now when she pulls the stem out of her mouth, all tied in a tight, little knot. His unruly part stands at attention, Damn, that’s hot.

  “Think we can talk them into playing strip poker?” Austin asks, his playboy smile spread wide across his delighted face.

  Kas whacks him on the back of his head before pulling Raina into his arms. Brushing his lips across her cheek, he presses his mouth to her ear, “You’re going to have to show me that trick at home, darlin’.”

  When Raina’s mind catches up with his, he laughs at the embarrassed shock in her eyes.

  “You are just all kinds of trouble, sweetheart.”

  “Trouble?” Raina’s eyebrow arches as her expression elicits further explanation.

  “Absolutely, big trouble, but the best kind. I can’t take you anywhere without you doing something to make me want to find a dark, private corner.”

  “So, you like trouble?” she asks, her lips tilting into a salacious smile.

  Pulling her even closer, he lowers his mouth to where his lips are just touching hers, “I love your kind of trouble.”

  “Hey, you two lovebirds, get your butts over here and eat so I can start emptying wallets,” Chase calls to them, his player grin wide and a familiar light burning in his eyes.

  Once the pizza is devoured, they clear Frank’s freezer of his stash of ice cream as they play regular poker instead.

  “I’m terrible at this game,” Raina laughs, tossing another five-spot down on the table.


  “It’s about time that you suck at something,” Erik teases.

  “How did you get so good at this game, Stone?” Russo grunts, laying his pitiful hand down.

  “He was the poker king in high school and college,” Kas laughs, “he’s also a pool shark. Don’t let that doctorate fool you, he doesn’t give a crap about your feelings when he’s taking your money.”

  Sara plops a kiss on Chase’s lips, “It’s the bad boy side in him coming out.”

  “Bad boy, please!” Austin quips, “Stone’s version of being bad is going to bed without brushing his teeth or missing an oil change.”

  “You gotta be kidding,” Sara teases, “he would never miss an oil change, he’d shoot a man before putting the Lexus’ engine in danger.”

  “If you two are done projecting, you might want to take a look at this.” His dark blue eyes gleam triumphantly as he throws down a royal straight flush, “is this bad enough for you, or do you still think I’m a pansy?”

  “C’mon, man, leave me a little cash for gas to get home,” Austin grumbles, throwing down more of his money.

  “Never bet against Dr. Stone, he’ll make you leave needing therapy. It’s a win-win thing for him,” Kas proclaims, his laughter laced with a twinge of pride for his friend, despite the fact he just lightened his wallet of fifty bucks.

  An hour later, Chase has won all of the money the rest are willing to chance.

  “Let’s go to the midnight horror movie,” Susanna suggests excitedly.

  Raina glances at Kas, “Horror? I’m going to have my eyes closed the entire time.”

  “Don’t worry, darlin’, I’ll pretend to stretch and wrap my arm around you. I’ll even share my popcorn,” Kas winks.

  “What about your candy?”

  “That’s pushing it, but I’ll think about it,” he teases, bumping her with his shoulder.

  Raina melts when he gives her his drop-dead gorgeous grin that reaches all the way to his eyes. The idea of being snuggled up close to him in a dark room is suddenly very enticing.