THE STRAGGLERS Book 2 OWN

by Misha Anderson

  “Careful with her, she is...”

  Kayden interrupted him taking charge to carry her to the house.

  “She may be hurt. Thanks, Seth, it’s better for you to take care of uncle Ronan, come Hunt, let’s put her on the bed.”

  I tried calling Seth to examine Maggie, but he was carrying uncle Ronan and taking him away.

  “Seth could have examined Maggie better, what were you thinking sending him to take care of uncle Ronan, when Maggie could be hurt badly.”

  I opened my bedroom door and Kay put Maggie carefully on the bed.

  “There you go, she’s alright, Hunt, stay calm, Maggie only passed out because of the shock, she only has a scratch on her elbow, see.”

  Maggie’s left elbow was scratched, I went to the bathroom and got the first aid kit, clean gauze, alcohol and a scar healing cream. I cleaned the scratch and dressed it with more clean gauze.

  A few minutes later Maggie woke up still scared and a little out of it.

  I said good-bye to everyone quickly, carrying Maggie in my arms and took her home. I removed her dressed and laid her on the bed, resting her head on my chest with care. An appalling silence took over both of us, I have so much to say, so much to explain and I’m lacking the most important thing: courage.

  Maggie looks at me seriously and sad and I break inside I’m also sad to know she had heard too much revelations, more than she could understand yet.

  “Hunter, is it true what your father said, that my father is a murderer?”

  How can I confirm if not even I know everything that was said today?

  “I don’t know, baby.”

  I dragged my hand through her disappointed face and kissed her forehead. Ah, my girl, she didn’t deserve to know about so much dirtiness in this ugly way.

  “And what did he say about your people, I was a distant descendant from your people, what people is this he is talking about?”

  “Shh, not today, Maggie, I ask you, please, let me forget about tonight. Today I almost killed a friend, I call Ronan uncle because he was my father’s friend since childhood, I grew up with his sons and I almost broke his neck tonight, that’s why I ask you, only hug me and make me forget that I’m exactly what your father said I was a few weeks ago: an animal.”

  Maggie rolled her body and mounted me, wide open. She leaned her body on top of mine and kissed my forehead, my eyes, my chin and finally she dove her soft and sweet tongue in my mouth, carrying far away everything ugly, dirty that is around us, till there was only the two of us and the love that over take us each day more.

  “Never say that, that’s not true, you’re sweet, good, kind, protective, I couldn’t have a better man. I liked when you said I’m your female, I like being your female, Hunt.”

  I rolled on top of Maggie and slid my body over hers, dragging my face to her panties, smelling the inebriating smell of heat and sex she has. I removed her panties quickly and dove my tongue in the heat of her body, playing with my tongue on her wet and hot slit.

  I dragged my tongue in my vice, my cure, my heaven on earth: the little and narrow pussy of my female.

  After felling her flesh pulsing between my lips and sucking the cream till I was mad of desire, I positioned myself between her thighs and thrusted slowly, letting our bodies fit perfectly.

  Maggie moved her hips insanely, giving herself without limits, receiving me generously and I pumped my cock in her pussy in a animal rhythm, almost insane, till we came together, whispering each other’s name. We fell asleep hugging one another, with the comfort feeling that while we had each other, even if the world says ‘no’, we are strong to face them, because our love give us courage to face what will come towards us.

  CHAPTER 15

  MAGGIE

  In the last couple of weeks I can in a word say what’s my physical state: deplorable.

  I have been feeling indisposed, I sleep a lot, I eat like an untamed animal and I have acquired compulsive gastronomical tastes.

  Yesterday, as an exemple, I put on my head I had to have Sandler’s fried chicken. I spend the afternoon in the clinic picturing those crispy drums sticks in my mouth, then, I got out of the clinic it was evening already and drove to the city entrance just to buy two buckets of crisps chicken thighs with hot sauce.

  When I got home, Hunter was worried waiting for me in the living room, stuck to the telephone.

  As soon as I opened the door, he was talking to Tiffany and hang up tense, really tense.

  “She just got home, I’m sorry for worrying you Tiff, it seems like this little lady went to have fun at Sandler, thanks for everything, bye, dear.”

  I threw my purser on the couch, took off my shoes, but didn’t let go of the damn bucket of chicken thighs.

  I smiled to Hunt kind of embarrassed and tried to disguise it by looking surprised at the wall clock showing it eight pm. Wow! I left the clinic almost two hours ago, time flew without me noticing it.

  “Fuck, baby, when you’re going to stroll around at least call to let me know you’re taking a while to get home.. I was worried, tomorrow, please say I’m sorry to Tiff and Latoya, they must be thinking I’m some kind of crazy man, to act this way.”

  I tried saying something in my defense holding fast to the chicken bucket as if my life depended on it.

  “I put it in my head I had to have Sandler chicken, since yesterday I’m salivating for a fried chicken thigh, did you buy the lime ice cream I asked?”

  Hunter nod, smiling at my gluttony.

  I sighed relieved, what else can I ask God? A hot fiancé waiting for me only wearing running shorts, a bucket full of fried chicken and to top it all my happiness... lime ice cream so I can have fun with after a ‘little snack’.

  Thank God, life is good!!!

  “I think that if I hadn’t bought this bucket, I was capable of having a fit.”

  “Then eat the chicken before I finish it with it, I’m also hook on Sandler’s chicken.”

  I turned by back grasping the bucket of chicken and Hunt laughed and joked.

  “I’m joking, Maggie, leave the chicken over there, are you taking it to the bathroom, are you mad? Go take a shower and come have dinner, I make pork ribs with barbecue sauce, baked potatoes and salad.”

  Hearing the magic words “pork ribs”, I left the bucket on the the table and went straight to the bathroom.

  I stared at the body of the woman in the mirror in front of me, observing the subtle changes in my shape: rounder hip, I turned my back looking my bigger ass and I got under the warm shower, thankful for being able to relax a little after a tiring day of surgeries at Pet Save.

  I wrapped myself on a towel, drying my hair and I hydrated my skin with a peach scented lotion that Hunt loves it.

  The sweet scent of the lotion penetrated my nose, hitting me full, in a nauseating way, I rubbed the moist towel on my skin, trying to remove that unbearable smell on my body and when I realized I couldn’t stand it anymore, I crouched by the toilet, throwing up all the chicken that was still in my stomach.

  On the second wave of puke, I heard the bathroom door opening.

  Hunter crouched by my side, scared, assisting me from behind.

  “What’s going on with you, baby?”

  I raised my hand without being able to talk and as soon as I recovered my breathe, I dried the sweat on my forehead with the back of my hand, calming Hunter.

  “It must be nothing, I think I ate a lot of greasy junk food, my stomach must be touchy.”

  Get out of here, Big Guy! This “slimy breathless thing” is far away from being you charming fiancé, a man shouldn’t see a woman in this dreadful state... untidy hair, sweating like a pig, red eyes because of nausea, to get me in a ridiculous state I would have to get a lot better...

  I ask Hunter to leave the bathroom, but he insists on being by my side, muttering that I need to stop filling myself with funk food.

  “Fucking glutton woman, that’s what happen, now how about me? In this desperate stat
e? Talk to me, baby? How can I make you feel better?”

  I think in the middle of throwing up.

  GET OUT OF HERE, DISAPPEAR FROM THIS BATHROOM, FUCKING NEUROTIC MAN!!! I’m fine, I’m only throwing up, ah! Damn it, here I go again...

  When I’m finally able to able to stand up, Hunter gets me by the knees and carries me to the bedroom, sitting me on the bed.

  “Are you feeling better, Maggie?”

  “I am, that was just a little discomfort.”

  Hunter got near me slowly, looking me strangely and he knelt in front of me, smelling between my thighs.

  Why is he smelling my vagina this way, it was a quick shower, but I used liquid soap, what the fuck is this?

  “Hey, what are you doing? I just took a shower, why are you smelling me this way?”

  He smelt my belly again, rubbing his face with his five o’clock shadow beard under my belly button in a weird way.

  DAMN IT! Big Guy, sometimes you act in such a weird way...

  “Nothing, I was just smelling that lotion I like. Maggie, have you had you period this mouth? I don’t remember you having had your period last mouth too.”

  He answered straight away, showing a certainty I’m far from feeling.

  “Not yet this month and last month... Let me think, ah! I’m almost certain I did, but my cycle is so uncertain, why are you asking that?”

  Hunter scratched his goatee thinking and sat by the bed.

  “I think you may be...”

  “Pregnant, me? I don’t think so, my ovaries are full of cysts, may gynecologist recommended me a treatment to get pregnant, to get pregnant without the treatment would be something very hard to happen, Hunter.”

  Hunter murmured almost as he talked to himself, holding my waist, looking straight at my belly.

  “It’s just that my genes are dominant, even being really hard is not impossible, may I be right?”

  Hunter got up, opened the second drawer of the nightstand, handing me one of his boxer shorts and from the third drawer he got a comfortable top so I could sleep in.

  I stretched the boxer shorts so he could explain me what that meant and he shrugged, taking them from my hand and slightly slapping my leg so I could put it on.

  “If you are really pregnant, I don’t want my baby to get squeezed.”

  And there I went to have dinner wearing only the boxer shorts and the top, distracted in my own thoughts, immersed in a doubts, will Hunter be right? Am I really...

  The idea of saying that word a loud scares me already, that’s something I have never planned in my life: being a mother.

  I got prepared to be a well succeeded veterinarian, not to the domestic life.

  However, even though it’s a concept I never thought before, everyday life with Hunter made me change my plans and feed my maternal side more and more.

  HUNTER

  I’m not really in the mood for this fight, I only accepted because I won’t need to travel and it will an important moment in my career: my official return to UFC.

  I saying goodbye to clandestine fights and a new cycle in my career waves at me.

  Returning to fight officially fills me with enthusiasm, I’m just not more excited because even though Maggie throws up everyday she insists she’s fine and refuses to take a pregnancy test.

  If baby spend another day without going to the doctor, I swear that I’ll cary that stubborn woman to the office door on my shoulder.

  Mad Gary finished wrapping my hands and Calvin entered the locker room twice already, really excited by the fact that the gymnasium being totally packed.

  “Sickle, the gym tonight looks like a sea of people, everybody’s maddened by your return, we are going to make a lot of money tonight, man! This victory is yours, my champion.”

  Gary barked to Calvin leave us both in the locker room.

  “Get out of here Calvin, we already have enough pressure in this fight, we don’t need your mental masturbation, fuck!”

  Calvin gave us a weak smile and left, leaving me with my coaches and listening to Gary’s last orientations.

  We left the locker room, going through the long corridor that goes to the entrance of the gym.

  The spotlight goes to the entrance of the corridor and I walk steady steps, with my coaches flanking me.

  The path to the octagon seems longer, delayed, as my sober return to life and UFC.

  My suspension was a hard blow to bounce back from, fighting is my existence like the air I breathe in, the blood that pumps my heart: it’s my life, my essence.

  There’s no Hunter without Sickle and consequently there’s no Sickle without fights.

  Fight is part of my untamable soul, thirty for challenges, by the taste of content, the thread that’s hanging by the impassable, my limit tested in every round that unfolds.

  Women scream historically all kinds of obscenities, men applaud and wave, with encouragements words and good omens of victory, while the other fans, Joe’s fans booed me, trying to destabilize me.

  I look to my right side, before entering the octagon and see Maggie, she blows me a naughty kiss and bites her lip... And I take in her smile and I wink at her.

  Ah! Baby, hold that naughty thought, I’ll get you after.

  I walk around the octagon in a demonstration lap with making fists and punching the air.

  The announcer introduces me by name with a cold voice:

  “And returning to UFC arms, one of the best fighters, to the girls joy and disgrace of his opponents, Sickle.”

  And the gym explodes in euphoric screams from my fans, I go around the octagon one more time, stop in front of the audience and slowly kiss my tattooed fingers with my name and a sickle symbol. I see two fighters from the old days, sitting on the first row, applauding my return and that moves me like fuck.

  Joe “The Pain” is introduced by the announcer and his fans applaud.

  We get our orientations from the referee to a clean fight, we stare at each other before out fists clashing and the fight begins.

  I feel at home, this sacred space with eight sides is my comfort.

  Here I recognize and find myself with my hunter side.

  My movements are free flowing, synchronized in the cracks, in the imperfections of my opponent. In the first minutes of the round I’m able to fit in two short kicks on Joe’s flank and I notice his fighting strategy, he’s going to take this combat in the defensive, waiting for the opportunity of counter attack.

  Conter attack that I’m able to avoid successfully. I’m focused and well trained, I analyze in a cold way Joe’s blows and I foresee where he’ll try his attack, I knock him down and feel confident, my blows are precise like a razor, a sickle: The Sickle.

  I do a perfect leg lock on Joe’s neck and he struggles desperately trying to breathe.

  One, two, three touches on the canvas sound like music to my hears, the referee got me from over Joe and he keeps looking at me googled eyed trying to get air in his lungs.

  My right arm is raised and the image I see in front of me is moving: Adam, Connor, Kayden and Maggie hugging one another, jumping euphorically because of my victory.

  I smile and wink to Maggie, she opens her purse and takes two small objects from it.

  I pay attention to her movements, her fingers inside two little knitted yellow shoes.

  They walk on her womb and she smiles thrilled, bitting her lower lip not to cry.

  It takes me some time to understand her message, but as soon as I get it, I jump out of the octagon and go to her feeling my legs weak.

  People around us cleared up and watch us curiously, not understanding what’s happening.

  My heart beats uncontrollably inside my chest, beating fast, FUCK!!! Even though I have dreamed of this moment, never, in my sweetest dreams, I thought I could receive a gift like this in my life.

  Not after so many fucked up drunk and numbing nights, so much frustration anesthetized by alcohol and unbearable lonely days.

  I’m able
to articulate words with difficulty, I still fear not having understood Maggie’s message, when words finally get out, I ask stuttering like Connor.

  “Ar... are you rea... really pre... pregnant ba... baby?”

  She smiles and nods, answering me in a low and sweet voice:

  “I am, love.”

  Maggie gives me the little knitted yellow shoes and says:

  “Another prize for you, my champion.”

  Another? Fuck! This is ‘the prize’ of my shitty life, want to know something? I won’t pretend I’m strong and try to be tough, I let the tears blurry my vison and wash my hurt soul.

  “Not another, my biggest prize, I’m so happy I can’t speak, baby, if I say what I feel, I’m going to cry even more, like a crying baby, in front of all these people.”

  I knelt down and kissed Maggie’s still flat belly, with my eyes closed, imagining how it will be the baby’s fece when its born. She caress my face and kisses the top of my head. As soon as I get up, my brothers hug me for the victory and the incredible news that I’m going to be a father.

  I place the championship belt on Maggie’s narrow shoulder and kiss her tasting victory. Screaming for the entire gymnasium to hear:

  ‘I’M GOING TO BE A FATHER, FUUUCK!”

  As soon as I let Maggie go, Damy hugs me tight and I kiss him on the forehead, asking:

  “Adam, my brother, do you accept to be the godfather of my baby?”

  Adam looks at Maggie and jokes with her.

  “If Maggie accept it, I’ll be happy to baptize this kid.”

  Maggie protests, making us smile.

  “Hey, boys, and if it’s a little girl?”

  Kayden comes forward and answers Maggie:

  “If it’s a little girl, she’ll be our little princess.”

  My brothers nudge me and punch my shoulders in a masculine play and only ours.

  After celebrating with the boys, Maggie and I go arm in arm through the human corridor around us. I was congratulated by some fans, being surprised by the presence of damned Pamela and Snake, that came toward us, congratulating me: