Talon's Heart

by Jordan Silver

  "You must be Avery, what happened, you can't face me on your own, you needed your whole crew to face me?" I heard grumblings from the boys but no one stepped forward, they knew the deal, this was my kill. "Well? I thought you were a hotshot football player, why do you need back up or are you another pansy ass wannabe?" He tried what I guess he would call a smirk at me but it was like watching a kid playing dress up.

  I folded my arms and looked down my nose at him, that's the oldest trick in the book, trying to get me to throw the first punch by being insulting. My boys stood around me not saying a word, they didn't need to one look at my defensive line was enough to put fear in the heart of better men than this piece a shit.

  "Like I said, there's nothing here for you so keep it moving." I stepped that much closer to him to let him know I meant business. Either he had an ego the size of Everest or his bravado really made him feel like he was something. Surrounded by what amounted to a mountain of muscle he refused to back down. I might’ve found that shit amusing if I didn’t know what a coward he was. Only a coward would fuck one cousin while engaged to the other and then try to blame her for it.

  "Actually I understand that my fiancée is here..." Okay if he kept calling her that I just might lose my shit. "You don't have a fiancée asshole remember?" I couldn't say anything else since I didn't want Skylar's business all over campus. Not that she had anything to be ashamed of, but I knew she still felt humiliated by the whole experience and didn't need to add to that. My phone rang, the display said 'babydoll' calling. "What's up babe, I can't talk right now, you good?" I kept my eyes on him as I spoke.

  "Uh, Talon, I can see you from the window."

  "Get away from there."

  "What, why, what's wrong with you?"

  I fought not to look up to the second floor window where I knew she must be standing. I didn't even want him seeing her. Don't ask me why, but I didn't want there to be any kind of interaction between them, not even a look exchanged.

  "Talon just come on upstairs and forget this nonsense, you're beginning to scare me now; and why's your whole team down there, are you nuts? I'm calling your mother."

  "You tried that already babe, now just calm down and go watch TV."

  "Go watch...I'm coming down there."

  "Uhm, babe, I'm thinking that's not such a good idea. We've been through this already, he even speaks to you I'm dropping him, plain and simple."

  "Geez Talon, what are you, two minutes out the cave?"

  "Whatever, are we done? cause I gotta get this piece a shit off my lawn."

  "Don't do anything stupid."

  "I promise, love you bye." I never took my eyes off of him the whole time I was on the phone so I didn't miss the look of angry frustration that morphed into rage. Good motherfucker, now you know I'm not playing. I waited for his next move but totally wasn't expecting what he did next.

  "Skylar get down here now." Are you fucking shitting me, was this asshole for real? He was looking up towards my place searching the windows for her while screaming for her to come down. "Dude, you need to quit that shit, I really don't appreciate you calling my woman like that. Now I'm asking you nicely for the last time, walk away."

  "Your girl? she could never be your girl, we are engaged...”

  “She’s mine now, you had your chance and lost now back the fuck off.”

  “She'll always be mine and there’s nothing you can do about it. Or did she forget to tell you our families have an agreement? We were destined for each other from birth." The smirk grew wider and I tasted blood in my throat. I heard the rushing of water in my ears, my limbs grew heavy and my sight dimmed a little, things got...kinda dark.

  I wasn’t aware of anything after that, just an overwhelming feeling of anger and rage. I think I heard someone screaming in the darkness but couldn’t be sure. Then suddenly there was a lot of noise around me, the sound of rushing feet, hands pulling at me, the sound of cloth tearing as my shirt was torn.

  Nothing registered until I felt tears on my temple, and small hands clutching at me. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, please come back, please Talon, please come back now." She kept saying the same thing over and over again until my head finally cleared.

  I was on the lawn standing over a motionless Robert Stark. My team surrounded me, my girl was practically climbing me and I had a death hold on her.

  My body literally dropped, like all the energy had just suddenly left me, I had to sit down next to the asshole with my girl in my lap.

  "It's okay baby, it's okay, I'm okay, stop crying now." I rocked her back and forth with what little energy I had left in me.

  Her smell seemed to be calming me down more than anything else as I buried my face in her neck. I have to ask dad about that shit, this one mate thing seemed to have some serious side effects. I never lost time like that before. I have no idea what the fuck just happened. I only know that the dark emotion that would threaten to take me over whenever I thought of him being near her seems to have won this time.

  There was a lot going on around me but I didn't see or hear anything but her breathing. The feel of her heartbeat seemed to also have a soothing effect on me. I put my hand over her heart and placed hers over mine; taking deep breaths and staring into her eyes, I was finally able to come down from wherever the hell I had gone when I saw the fear in her eyes. I kissed her to let her know I was okay, that her man was back from wherever the fuck he’d gone in his head. “I’m good now baby stop crying, don’t be afraid.”

  “Talon what happened to you, you were like…” Her tiny hands clasped my face.

  “I don’t know Skye, all I know is that I couldn’t let him near you. I’m sorry I scared you I didn’t think he would find us here.”

  “It’s okay now it’s over.” She turned to look at him laid out on the grass but I turned her face back to me.

  “Don’t.”

  She laid her head back on my chest and hugged me while I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

  The chattering of my boys finally seeped into my consciousness and I understood since Stark hadn't moved a muscle in all this time that I had knocked him unconscious, ask me if I cared. Asshole should've left when I told him to.

  And what the fuck did he mean she was destined to be his from birth? fucking douche was lucky I hadn't killed his ass.

  "What agreement does your family have with his?" I didn't realize I was grabbing fistfuls of her hair until she winced and tried to pull away.

  "Talon that hurts, it's nothing, just an agreement between our fathers but after what happened it became null and void; my father said he would never hold me to it."

  "Were there papers signed, some sort of contract?"

  "I don't think so, I never signed anything and dad never mentioned it."

  I pulled her to me, not that any of that would've mattered she wasn't marrying anyone but me no matter what the fuck her father or anyone else had done or said. I'd like to see them try taking her away from me. Never.

  I’ll have a talk with her father and get to the bottom of this shit. I didn’t want that fuck thinking for one second that he had any rights to her. Maybe I should’ve ended his ass after all, fucking parasite. He had balls though I’d give him that, or maybe he’d never gone up against someone like me before. I know back in their hometown he was seen as some sort of hotshot. Varsity wrestling champ or some shit, too bad he was no match for the Avery temper. His girl, the fuck!

  Campus police and an ambulance were soon on the scene with sirens blaring; well shit. I should wake up this asshole and kick his ass just for complicating my shit. I had better things to do with my fucking day. My girl was still getting over that mold shit and needed to take it easy. I had planned to spend the evening hugged up together watching chick flicks and spoiling her lil ass all night, now I have to deal with this shit.

  I pulled out my phone and called home, dad answered like he'd been expecting the call.

  "Dad, call Damien."

  "How bad
is he?" Okay that's just fucking spooky, it's like he knew the outcome all along.

  I looked down at the mess the paramedics were loading onto the stretcher.

  "Uh, he's breathing?" I worded it more like a question because I'm still not thinking too clearly at this point. To tell the truth I'm still not even sure of much after he spewed out that shit about her belonging to him.

  My boys were falling all over themselves to tell the cops what happened, putting a spin on it to make me look innocent. Somebody called coach, which was never a good thing. Dad had me on one phone while calling Damien on another and I could hear mom screaming about getting here now.

  Oh shit, looks like the Averys were coming to town, with Damien in tow.

  Whatever this fuck was up to he was screwed, by the time Damien the spin master was through with his ass he'd be lucky to avoid jail time, even though I'm the one who threw the first punch. I almost felt sorry for him, almost.

  I kissed my girl and shut out the noise, coach already told the police that we'd meet them at the station, they weren't about to man handle their star quarterback anyway.

  When coach tried to get me to leave Skylar behind I threw a bitch fit, yes the fuck I did.

  "She stays." Unless they wanted me to pull my ape-man routine again they'd leave well enough the fuck alone is all I'm saying. He must've seen the fuck you on my face because he relented.

  It was a cavalcade that headed to the police station. It didn't matter though because I wasn't saying shit until my dad and Damien got here, which should be in a few hours.

  "How you feeling baby, you okay, you took your meds?"

  She looked at me like I'd lost my damn mind. Alrighty then.

  Chapter 12

  TALON

  I've been sitting in this damn campus station for hours now, though I can't really complain, they've been nothing but nice to us.

  As soon as they understood that Skye and I were not gonna be separated or there would be a problem, things were smooth.

  Right now we're in some sort of office waiting for my family and scary Damien to show up.

  I've spent the time stealing kisses and trying to tease her out of her mad, she's too adorably cute when she gets pissed at me. A little firecracker, she so wishes she could go upside my head right now, but every time she opens her mouth to blast me I just kiss it shut.

  I wasn't wasting anymore of our time on that douche, I warned the asshole didn't I? what the fuck did he expect?

  Right now I can see her working up another head of steam, she'd tried moving away from me a time or two but I nixed that shit by dragging her onto my lap. Now she wasn't speaking to me.

  "What is wrong with you?"

  I opened my mouth to answer but I guess it was a rhetorical question because she just kept going.

  "Who acts like that? you could've killed him." At this point she slugged me in the shoulder. I tried hugging her closer bit she pulled away; I'm not having that shit, so now we're wrestling in the fucking police station.

  "Calm down baby before they think I'm molesting you in here or some shit, you trying to get me arrested?"

  "You're already arrested you jerk, I am so mad at you right now." I nuzzled her neck and hugged her middle, just happy that the shit was over with. I felt like I could breath again like there had been a constriction around my chest that was now gone. If I had any doubts about this family legend shit before this sealed it. I wanted to kill that bastard, wasn’t sure that I hadn’t come close. I hadn’t paid too much attention while they were loading him into the ambulance and quite frankly I didn’t care.

  "I don't see why you’re so upset, what did you expect me to do, open the door to that fucktard, invite him in for tea or some shit?"

  "No, but you didn't have to be..."

  "Not discussing this anymore babe..."

  She folded her arms and fumed, at least she knew when to leave well enough alone.

  With her hugged tightly in my arms I laid my head back and prepared to rest. Every once in a while I could hear coach and the guys outside the door, like guardians at the gates.

  “He won’t be bothering you again baby that’s all I care about.” She finally settled her head against my chest and relaxed. I knew most of her fear stemmed from me getting into trouble more so than any angst about the welfare of her ex douche. Me personally I wasn’t worried about it, I knew that there was nothing that was going to keep me away from her, nothing. I’m not ashamed to say I would use my family’s money and power to keep me out of jail if it came to that. He had no right being here in the first place and if he tried that shit again he’d get more of the same.

  I came awake with a start and looked at my watch. Damn, looks like we'd both fallen asleep. She was still tucked up on my lap, her head on my chest. I felt her forehead and it was cool to my touch, no fever.

  I kissed her awake. "Wake up baby, they're almost here." I teased her lips with mine running my tongue across hers, enfolding her closer to me. There was a lighter feeling in the air now. I never knew, or gave much thought to how or when I would deal with that side of her past but now that it had come and gone I was glad that it was over with. I still needed to get to the bottom of that bullshit he’d spewed at me though but for now it was enough that he knew his part in her life was over. “Come on baby girl wake up.”

  "Huh?" She stretched awake like a cat before settling against me again, her hand clasped in mine over my heart. “What time is it?” she curled up like a kitten making me smile. I told her the time and that my family should be here soon and she all but jumped off my lap. “Where are you going?” I pulled her back.

  "Shoot, I can't meet your family looking like this." She started primping and preening, as I dodged her elbows.

  I rolled my eyes at her drama because as was typical she looked good as fuck. Jeans and a twin set, which I’d bought her because it matched those kick ass eyes of hers. I'd even found her Uggs that matched on line when I went on a mad shopping spree for her a week ago.

  She hated Uggs, said they were ugly and made her short frame look dumpy.

  I say they are warm and comfy and since she was prone to being sick she'd wear them.

  She now owned three pairs with more on the way. She always grumble when I buy her shit, but that was my job, fuck that.

  "You look fine babe, stop stressing."

  "I would've been prepared to meet your family appropriately dressed at some other time if you hadn't turned into Rowdy Roddy Piper. What are your parents going to think of me, getting you involved in something like this?" She folded her arms with a pout, if I tried to kiss that pout right now she'd chew me out no doubt, better try to calm her the hell down first.

  "Is that what you're worried about? kill that noise babe, my folks know the deal."

  She gave me the bitch brow. Whatever.

  "I need to find out how Robert is doing..." She tried climbing off my lap again but I grabbed her.

  "No, you don't."

  "But Talon..."

  "No...you...fucking...don't, you have nothing more to do with that asshole, done, don't even call that motherfucker's name again."

  She pushed her lips out, I could almost see the steam coming out of her ears. Whatever, she'd fuck around and get that fucktard killed.

  "You don't get it do you, I don't want him to even exist for you anymore."

  "Talon you're being ridiculous."

  "Fuck if I care, we're not talking about him anymore, he's not a part of our lives."

  Did she really not get what the hell was going on here? then again I didn't even know what was going on myself. I have to wait 'til dad arrives to find out what the fuck turned me into Wolverine.

  I heard hurried footsteps outside the door and loud voices; looks like the cavalry had arrived. Even though the circumstances were fucked I found myself being excited that my family was finally going to get to meet my girl for the first time. I felt almost like a proud husband about to show off his new bride, total sap. Skye on th
e other hand was nervous as shit, I don’t see why, they were going to love her I had no doubts.

  Dad came through the door followed by mom, Damien the family lawyer, Ryder, Bianca, and..."Nonna?" Aww shit. "Don't nonna me young man, what the hell have you been getting up to you little scamp?"

  She waltzed over to where I was now standing holding Skylar close to my side.

  Nonna is a wildcard, you never knew what the hell was gonna come out of her mouth from one moment to the next.

  She stopped in front of us, squinting at Skylar. What a con, I happen to know she has excellent eyesight. She studied my baby like a lab experiment making my hackles rise. I didn’t expect her to say anything untoward but like I said, the old lady’s a wildcard who knows which way the wind will blow?

  "Where's grandpa?" He was the only one that maybe could control the old termagant if she got out of hand.

  "Walking the halls reliving his glory days, the old coot. Unhand the girl Talon, good Lord she looks like an appendage stuck to your side like that."

  "That'll be no." If anything I pulled her even closer while the others drew near.

  "It's like that is it? Your mother did warn me. It's about damn time too. Look at those eyes, magnificent. Good, Olivia, looks like we'll finally have some color in the family since the whole bunch of us looks like milquetoast. My great grand babies are going to be just gorgeous."