"Not yet dad that's a long ass flight, but if you can be on standby..."
"Alright son, keep us posted, your mother wants to talk to you."
"Talon, is Skye okay?"
"They're working on her now mom, it's some kind of allergic reaction but it's bad."
"You let us know the minute you think you need us, your father and I will stay available okay?"
"Thanks mom, love you I gotta get back in there."
"Okay son, love you."
"Love you too mom."
Colliers showed up a little later and I vaguely remembered him. He was an African American dread locked man that my father claimed had one of the most brilliant minds in the known world. I had met him more than once as dad said but the last time had been a while ago. He didn't fuck around, after greeting me it was all about Skye. He just took shit over which went a long way to making me feel better. He sounded like he knew what he was doing and points for him, he told me what was going on with her instead of trying to shut me out like these other fucks.
Hours later, don't ask me how many, they finally had a diagnosis. She had a severe reaction to mold, but her case was unusual. Her severity led them to believe that she'd been exposed to a dangerous level of the stuff, which meant we had to contact a mold specialist to go check out her dorm and my apartment since she'd been spending nights there. How the fuck could I have mold? I’ll skin the fucking realtor who’d sold me that dump if it turns out that’s where she’d picked it up. I didn’t even know what the shit looked like.
One of the interns told me it looked like she’d rolled around in the stuff, that's how bad it was. They did what they needed to do to take care of her. Thank heaven they didn't have to do any intrusive surgery, which was one of the options they’d been throwing around. I thanked Dr. Colliers for coming I’m sure he was the one who’d done the most good. “She can go home now Talon we’ve stabilized her and with the meds we prescribed she should improve in a day or two but it’s going to be a while before it’s all out of her system. Another day or so and she might not have been this lucky.” I took it all in and let my heart settle for the first time in hours.
I got her prescriptions filled and booked us into a hotel room, there's no way she was going back to my place if that could be the problem. Mom and dad promised to stay in touch in case I needed them when I called to let them know the results. It felt good not to be alone in this, it was the first time I’d ever faced anything like it and I hoped never to have to again. She was out of it by the time we got to our room but at least she was breathing better.
I hovered over her all night checking her breathing and the fever that was up and down throughout the night. When she got the shakes I held her and prayed as hard as I ever have in my life. “Talon.”
“Yeah baby I’m right here.” I kissed her forehead and pulled her in closer.
“I feel like crap.”
“I know sweetie but they gave you meds for that, I’ll go get you your pills.” When she clung to me like a child I almost cried.
It's been three days and I just got the results back from the mold guy, and somebody's gonna get a hurting put on their ass. Seems like someone planted that shit under her bed in the dorm. They found some type of material covered in the spores that had been deliberately planted according to them. Of course the roommate pleaded innocence, we'll see. They wanted to fuck around, let's play. I don’t know how they knew it was deliberate but I’m not questioning it, they’re the experts. My job now was to find out who and make them pay.
I hadn’t left her side in all this time, no classes no football practice nothing. I hadn’t told anyone what was going on just that she had a cold. Now the secret was out and the guilty had to know I was coming after their ass. First I had to get her all better and then I’ll go on the hunt. If my choosing her had put her in danger then that was the least I could do. They should’ve come after me whoever this was, maybe then I would’ve shown some mercy, but by going after her they were well and truly fucked.
According to Spencer the shit could’ve been lethal with the amount they’d found and it had been placed where it would get the best results. She’d been breathing that shit in for weeks, thankfully she hadn’t been sleeping in that bed for the past two weeks or shit could’ve been worse, but she’d still spent time in the room and been exposed. I didn’t believe Robyn’s lying ass for one minute that she didn’t know how it got there. As soon as possible I’ll get to the bottom of it and lop her airhead off her fucking shoulders.
Still my first priority was to get my girl back on her feet. We're back home finally since my place had been given the green light. She's looking and feeling better but I’m still on guard duty, I never want to be that damn scared again in my life. She meanwhile was acting like it was no big deal, she wants to go back to class because she can breathe without sounding like she’s about to die, but I’m not sure. I’m thinking until I know what the fuck is going on she’s staying behind closed doors but she has other ideas.
“I got you a face mask to wear when you go outside.” We were lying in bed with her head on my chest. Last night she’d slept through the night for the first time and her breathing was beginning to sound more even to my ears, still I was apprehensive about letting her go to class. Until I knew who had done this I wouldn’t feel safe letting her outside, who knows what other tricks they had up their sleeves.
“Talon I can’t walk around campus looking like I’m in a war camp.” She tried lifting her head but I pushed it back down gently.
“You’ll wear it until I know what the fuck’s going on around here.”
“Talon you’re being silly, no one’s trying to harm me I told you, it’s probably just some old forgotten cloth. Besides if someone were trying to hurt me what good would a mask do? it’s not like they’re gonna release something in the air outside that can harm everyone.”
She had a point but still; if I could dress her in armor I would. Nothing like this must ever happen again, I’ll make sure of it.
We're on the couch with her head in my lap while she talks to her mom on the phone, I'm not really paying attention since I have coach screaming in my ear. I'd missed a shit load of practice taking care of her, but he was talking into a deaf ear cause I'll do it again. The scouts could kiss my ass, I was in if I wanted in we all knew that. Even if I was playing professional ball and my woman was that sick I'd do the same thing, fuck that. Which is what I kept telling him, but which seemed to be going in one ear and out the next. Coach can be an ass.
We both hung up at about the same time and I remembered we hadn't eaten in a while and she needed food. There wasn't much in the way of decent food here, not the kind that she needed to rebuild her strength, so it was either go out or order in. I figure it would be okay to take her out to get some fresh air since she’d been cooped up inside for so long. "You wanna go eat baby?" There were plenty of places to choose from around the little college town.
"Sure, I'm starving." She hopped up and went into the room to get dressed. I smiled because she was moving and sounding more like her old self again.
We went to one of the more popular eateries where the so-called it kids hung out. Only Stephanie and Kevin knew how serious her illness had really been, I wanted to keep it that way until I figured out who did that shit. Heads turned when we walked in and followed us to our booth. I sat on the outside with my arm around her. She was still a little weak but the fresh air had perked her up a little. She’d talked my ear off on the way here, a sure sign if any that she was well on her way to a full recovery.
"What do you feel like babygirl?"
"A big fat juicy burger." She actually licked her lips and her eyes sparkled, too bad I’m gonna have to disappoint her.
"No can do."
"What, why?" She pouted like a baby and it was so adorable I had to steal a kiss.
"Because your system just went through too much trauma, you need healthy shit. How about some soup and salad and maybe some
steamed veggies and maybe this rosemary chicken thing." I perused the menu looking for all the healthy crap they had on there. She didn't answer so I looked at her, she was shooting daggers at me with her eyes. Yeah I know that look but I'm the boss of this outfit, last time I listened to her ass she almost died.
"You'll eat it and like it, in a couple days we'll see about your burger."
"Who died and made you boss?"
"Nobody had to die for that shit, it just is what it is." She huffed and folded her arms as she tried to pull away from me. That started a little tug of war until that Robyn bitch that I was almost sure had something to do with the mold came over to our table.
"Hi Skye, Avery, how are you guys? haven't seen you around in a while." Was that a smirk on her face, how would she like me to wipe that shit off?
"Talon..." Skye must've felt my intent in the tensing of my body because she tried to head me off. "Something we can do for you Baldwin?"
"Jeez Talon anti social much? I just came over to drop off a message from Mackenzie..."
"Stop right there." I felt my baby tense under my arm, of all my ex...whatever the hell they were Mackenzie seemed to be the only one that got under her skin. "Neither you nor her could possibly have anything to say that I'd want to hear, so just run along back to your coven and leave us alone." If those two had anything to do with making her sick as I suspected, I’m gonna make them pay. She rolled her eyes and went on her way.
"Baby, seriously why do you let Mackenzie get to you? I told you before you have nothing to worry about, she was never my girlfriend, you're the first and only one I've ever had." I kissed her cute upturned lips and put her head back on my shoulder.
"I know babe, you're right, I guess it's gonna take some getting used to.”
I kissed her again and drew her even closer as the waitress came over to take our orders.
I ordered for both of us and tuned out everyone around us as I tried to convince her to stop worrying about the table of she wolves across the room. Kevin and Stephanie came in and headed for our table, neither of them looked too pleased. Uh oh trouble in paradise; that would be a first since Kevin’s such a sap and lets Stephanie run his ass. They stopped in front of our table with long very unhappy faces.
"What's wrong with you two?" Skye beat me to it.
"I was just about to ask the same thing." I’m not accustomed to seeing these two looking anything but sappy.
"Guys we've got trouble, Skye you heard from your mom?" Steph dropped down in the booth across from us and looked around like she was expecting something to crawl out of the woodwork.
"I just got off the phone with her like an hour or so ago why?" She sat up straighter while I looked at Stephanie waiting for an explanation.
"Robert’s on his way here."
"What?" We both yelled it at the same time. Skylar started asking a thousand questions at once and I could feel the tension in her body as I tried to get my head around this new development. Why would he be coming here now? first the flowers and now this shit. And why this sudden interest all of a sudden, why now? I happened to look across the way and caught Mackenzie and Robyn's smirking looks aimed our way. Game on.
Chapter 9
TALON
"Who told you that Stephanie, why would Robert be coming here? I haven't spoken to him in months this doesn't make any sense."
“He knows you were sick somehow he found out.”
“He’s just using that as an excuse why should he care anyway? we’re not together anymore, it’s none of his concern what happens to me.” She reached for my hand under the table and I squeezed it reassuringly.
I'm sitting here trying to keep my shit calm, there're too many things running through my head at once. First of all what were those two smirking about just now? and two, what the fuck did that douche want? If he even thought of seeing my girl I'll put his ass in traction. I kept a cool head for now though until we had all the particulars, there was no sense in going off the rails before having all the info. No matter what though, he wasn’t getting anywhere near her not in this lifetime.
After the shit he had done to her, he would have to be either stupid or fuck crazy, whatever. One thing was for certain he was getting a beat down just on principal. After my initial outburst I had chosen to remain quiet, just processing shit. I knew my baby was agitated and she didn't need that shit after the whole almost dying fuckery. I’m sure she was thinking that this was her problem but nothing could be farther from the truth. Because our relationship was still so new there were still some things she didn’t know about me, and truth be known, this shit was so new to me I was still learning things about myself.
It’s like going from zero to sixty in under a second. One minute I’m this happy go lucky guy without a care in the world. I had my pick of any woman I wanted, my wealth opened doors that were closed to most of the free world and I knew I was set for life, no worries. Then she comes along and upsets my apple cart so to speak and everything is different. The things I once took for granted are now eye opening.
Where once I could take a female to my bed and not look back, if she was out of my sight for more than a few hours I lost my fucking mind, no joke. It wasn’t lost on me that I was now in the same position as those many women and girls who’ve been vying for my attention all these years. The only difference being that where they had failed, I had no intentions on doing so. Skye was mine for always and nothing or no one was gonna change that, especially not some cheating ex fiance who didn’t have the good sense to hold onto her when he had her.
"When's he coming?" Both Skylar and Stephanie turned their attention to me, Kevin was looking right at me. He knew the deal, he knew when I went into quiet mode somebody's ass was on the line. My voice was deceptively calm as was the way I asked the question. No one would suspect that I had already planned to beat the living shit out of this asshole, least of all Skye because I know she’d try to talk me out of it. So I had to play it cool; hopefully she won’t remember how I’d lost my shit over the flowers.
Stephanie was biting her lip and looking close to tears. I’m sure this was hard on her as well since Skye was her friend and she knew all the players involved. It was she who’d held my baby’s hand when the shit went down, her Skye had run to. Now she has me to stand between her and that shit and that’s just what I plan on doing.
"He should be here by tomorrow or the day after. What I don't understand is how he even knew you were sick, I mean my mom didn't say, but how could he know? Your parents wouldn’t have told him I know that."
My thoughts exactly and I think I have a pretty good idea. I glanced over to the table where Mackenzie and Robyn had their heads together while staying focused on the goings on at our table. If they wanted to play they picked the wrong chick to fuck with. They mess with my baby, they will feel my wrath, dick or tit I could give a fuck. I just had to play my cards right, I'm sure they think they covered their tracks well but there was always room for mistakes. Let’s see how funny they find this shit when they realize they brought this fucker here to die, because if he fucked with my girl I’m gonna end his stupid ass.
"Don't worry about it babe, we'll handle it when he gets here."
"I have to say you're taking this rather calmly, for someone who almost lost it over the flowers." She gave me a suspicious look, which I ignored. What can I say, in the short time we'd had each other my girl had come to know me pretty well, but I still knew how to play the game. I gave a shrug of my shoulders, nothing to worry about here I'm mister cool. The fuck.
"No sense in going off the deep end until we know what the guy's after is there?"
She was still looking at me like I had suddenly sprouted an extra head. I turned to Kevin and started talking football. My boy had my back and played along. This wasn't something you involved your woman in, this was some shit you handled yourself. Chicks tend to get all soft and sympathetic no matter what an asshole has done to them. Me, I’m gonna break his face, then ask what the fu
ck he was doing on my campus. Then I will deal with the two who I was becoming more and more convinced had something to do with my girl getting sick, not to mention being the ones to call that motherfucker up.
"Your food's here babe, eat something okay." I pushed the plate closer to her after the server placed it on the table. What I really wanted to do was get the fuck out of there and go plan but she needed to eat. I will always put her first no matter what and right now my anger had to take a backseat to her needs.
"How can I eat now with this mess on my mind?"
"Because my woman doesn't let some other guy steal her appetite, especially not when she's been sick and needs to build up her strength. Not if she doesn't want me to force feed her in front of the whole damn restaurant." She rolled her eyes at me but ate what I ordered her. “Good girl.”
I played with the ends of her hair as we continued to have polite conversation with our friends. I watched to make sure she ate enough while she teased me about being an old mother hen. She could say whatever she wanted; she wasn't the one that watched her loved one almost at death's door just a short while ago. I was keeping an eye on her no matter how much she protested, and now with that jackass coming here I was gonna be on her ass like white on rice.
I didn't want him anywhere near her I didn't want her to ever lay eyes on him again in this lifetime. Pretty fucked up thinking I know but that's how I feel about her. She's mine, she's always going to be mine and no one was allowed to come between that, especially not an ex who had done her dirty. I don't know what he was expecting to gain by coming here, but whatever it was he was going to get more than he bargained for, only not in a good way.
Talon's Heart Page 4