Lara Santiago - Menagerie

by Lara Santiago

  He lurched closer slinging an arm around her shoulders. His lips caressed her temple and he whispered, “I love you, babe. Please hang on. I’m calling for backup.”

  She blinked and nodded slightly. It was the only communication she could manage without fainting from the pain. He stroked her hair and kissed her face again.

  Dominick pulled a cellular phone off his belt and thumbed a number one-handed. “I’m at Patrick Avenue and West 53rd Street. I need an ambulance immediately. Connect me to central law enforcement. I need to report in…”

  He kept talking into the cell phone, but Valerie couldn’t hear him anymore. Watching his beautiful lips move and the concern in his eyes, she fought to stay conscious, but lost the battle soon enough. She slid perilously into an inky darkness with the seductive scent of the man she loved lingering with the earthy scent of fallen leaves.

  Chapter 19

  “Valerie Jean.” The insistent male voice wouldn’t shut up or stop calling her name. And though the low tone of his voice was strangely engaging, he used her middle name in conjunction with it. She hated it when her middle name was used, as it often signaled someone’s discontent. Likely her mother. Was she in trouble for something?

  How did the man with the sexy voice know her middle name?

  “Valerie Jean, wake up. I mean it.” A tickle of memory assaulted her with the notion that the man’s voice was hauntingly familiar. Did she know that voice? Regardless, she decided quickly that she wanted to sleep more than she wanted to learn his identity. Probably why she was always alone. And the logic her mother would apply to explain her lack of grandchildren at the next family gathering.

  Valerie mumbled, “No. I want to sleep.” She pushed out a deep sigh and snuggled into the bed to rest again.

  “Valerie? Are you awake? Did you just say no to me?” The sudden loud rustling sound nearby didn’t help her get back to sleep. She so wanted to sleep for a week. Her whole body hurt. In fact, her hair ached.

  “Yes. I said no. Let me sleep.” The weary twinge in her chest made her want to nestle down in the warm bed and slumber the day away. Eyes closed, she lifted her head and added, “And stop calling me Valerie Jean. I hate it when you use my real name.”

  “Babe, you scared me.” A large warm hand gripped then squeezed her shoulder.

  Valerie opened her eyes. Dominick loomed over the bed she rested in. It was a hospital bed.

  “Where am I?” She tried to sit up before realizing that in doing so the pain banging in her head would make her want to throw up. She put a hand to her forehead to help keep her brain behind her skull and then the other over her mouth to stop anything trying to exit.

  “You’re at St. Vincent’s Hospital.”

  She closed her eyes and tried to remember. Slipping the hand from her mouth she asked, “Why am I here again?”

  “Because you decided to catch a bullet with your chest. You’re lucky it only cracked a rib instead of puncturing your lung. You scared the shit out of me, you know?”

  The memories of the gun battle in the park assaulted her mind. She’d fired a gun, at a person. “Is that other biker with the silver helmet dead? Did I kill her?”

  “No. She’s alive.”

  “Who is she?”

  “Her name is Regina. She’s an irate, vengeful drug dealer, among other things. My unfortunate association with a rival group set this all off. I’m sorry you were injured as a part of it.”

  Valerie relaxed a notch. “I’m just glad no one ended up dead.”

  Dominick leaned in and tenderly kissed her lips. “Me, too.”

  “Are you hurt?” Valerie studied Dominick through squinted eyes, checking over his superb body for injuries.

  “I’m banged up a little, but nothing’s broken.”

  “I thought you got shot.”

  “Only a flesh wound. I’m fine.”

  A stranger breezed into her hospital room. “Time’s up.”

  Dominick straightened and turned towards the new visitor. “I need another minute, Kyle. She just woke up.”

  “Sorry, but my ass is already headed for the sling for letting you visit her at all. Let’s go.”

  Dominick brushed a finger lovingly along her jaw before drawing his hand away and backed up a step as if to depart. Valerie painfully shifted her gaze to the new visitor. It was a police officer, if the badge clipped to his belt was any indication.

  “You’re the police?” At the stranger’s nod, she asked. “What’s going on?”

  Dominick edged around the foot of her bed to meet the man halfway. Kyle pulled handcuffs out and Dominick put his hands behind his back. “I made a deal. Kyle let me wait until you woke before he arrested me.”

  “Arrested you? For what?”

  Dominick sighed. “Drug trafficking, illegal possession of automatic weapons with intent to distribute, instigating a vehicle chase within the city limits, attempted murder, and I believe there is even a charge for criminal trespass.”

  Kyle snapped the second cuff in place and said, “You have the right to remain silent.”

  As Kyle continued reading him his rights, Valerie pierced Dominick with a disheartened stare. “You’re a criminal?”

  He winked. “I’m innocent, babe. Trust me.”

  “Valerie? What’s going on here?” Her mother and father stood in the door of her hospital room. They’d arrived in time to see the love of her life about to be hauled away in handcuffs for a multitude of illegal acts.

  “Do you understand these rights as I have explained them?”

  “I’ll be back as soon as I make bail, Valerie.”

  “You most certainly will not.” Valerie’s mother took a step inside the room. “You will stay away from my daughter or we’ll get a restraining order.”

  Valerie, unable to take her eyes off Dominick, shook her head slightly as a tear slipped down her cheek. “Dominick, I—”

  “Come on. Time to go,” Kyle interrupted as he muscled Dominick towards the door—or, at least, he attempted to move him in that direction.

  Dominick stopped, pierced her with a determined look and said, “Don’t forget me, babe. I will return.”

  Valerie nodded. She believed him, but a wave of dizziness swept across her conscious. Her head pounded. She swayed in the bed as her mother hurried to her side and pushed the call button for assistance.

  Kyle pushed Dominick through the open door of her room. Her last image of Dominick was his achingly handsome face etched with concern as he was led away in handcuffs.

  She pondered the miraculous irony of finding Dominick only to have him ripped from her because he wasn’t in security, as he had been while they were with the Others in space, but rather a criminal with similar skills.

  Glancing at her mother’s displeased expression, Valerie further imagined her parents would never accept a criminal into the family fold no matter how much she loved him.

  * * * *

  Valerie woke the next evening to another pounding headache. Her mother, perched close as if relentlessly guarding her from any further unwanted visitors, snored softly in the chair beside the hospital bed.

  Her thoughts immediately strayed to Dominick.

  She’d been surprised at her mother’s dislike of Dominick the day before. Up until now, she’d assumed any man with a pulse and a job, not necessarily in that order, qualified as a contender for her hand in marriage. Although, career criminal likely wasn’t considered a viable occupation in the quest for a husband even for someone as desperate for grandchildren as her mother.

  The morning after Dominick had been led away in handcuffs, a large gruff federal officer had arrived in her hospital room. He’d explained that Valerie wasn’t going to be considered complicit in any charges related to the shooting in the park and also informed her of Dominick’s status as an undercover drug enforcement agent. Thankfully, he wasn’t actually a criminal.

  Valerie’s mother was still not impressed. Even with the knowledge of his true profession, she
told Valerie not to pursue Dominick. “He’s too dangerous. He almost got you killed.”

  “No, he didn’t, Mother.”

  When Dominick had called her room last night to check up on her, Valerie’s mother had answered. She’d made perfectly it clear that Dominick was wasting his time if he expected a further relationship. She blamed him for getting Valerie shot and wouldn’t allow him to even speak to her on the phone.

  Valerie had spent three years learning Dominick’s eccentricities and now she was slowly losing them. Already her memories of the ‘trip with the Others’ had faded like decades-old wallpaper from her mind and were quickly replaced with the reality of her life on Earth.

  Heaving a sigh, Valerie glanced at her mother and wondered if she’d faint or disown her if she ever found out about all the decadent things she and Dominick had done in the name of getting enough of each other to last forever. Things she already missed and longed for.

  Of course, that was before she’d known there was even a remote possibility that a life with Dominick was possible here on Earth.

  Dominick. Simply uttering his name in the privacy of her mind gave her goose bumps and made her anxious in all the intimate places that he had expert knowledge of how to relieve.

  As if she’d conjured him from her desire filled and needful libido, Dominick appeared in the doorway of her room like a midnight phantom come to do wicked things. He didn’t enter, but instead sent a pointed stare at her mother before refocusing his salacious gaze back on her. Valerie grinned in spite of the throbbing in her brain. The anxious nub between her legs also pulsed in the same rhythm as the pain in her head.

  The unlikely vision of grabbing Dominick and forcing him to relieve the ache in her clit was punctuated by her mother’s sudden snort.

  Her mother’s eyes opened halfway. Valerie didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Hoping that her mother would just drop back off to sleep again, she purposely didn’t look at her, as if to stare was to awaken the protective mother bear instincts to full potential. No such luck.

  A second snort louder than the first echoed in the room. After an exaggerated blink, and as if she sensed danger for her child, Valerie’s mother turned her head towards the door. Narrowing her focus on Dominick, she frowned and straightened like starch applied to a ruler.

  Her mother stood quickly, and spoke as she walked. “I told you that Valerie didn’t want to see you.” Her amplified whisper, louder than any megaphone, echoed across the room.

  “Mother!” Valerie hissed in an over-loud whisper of her own, not wanting Dominick to disappear.

  Her mother halted in mid-step and shot a stern look over one shoulder. Twisting back to Dominick, she said through clenched teeth, “Now see what you’ve done. You woke her.”

  Dominick advanced into the room and the hand that had been behind his back snaked forward with a bunch of flowers clutched in his fist. He veered away from her trajectory and pointedly ignored her mother’s harrumphing sound of disbelief at being thwarted.

  “Hi, babe.” He strolled along the side of her bed and leaned one hip on the edge. “How are you feeling?”

  The utterly delectable masculine scent of him enveloped her and she could have sworn that her mouth watered in anticipation that he might kiss her. He always kissed her. She’d come to expect the sensual greeting like Pavlov’s dog waiting for a treat once the bell had rung.

  “My head hurts a little,” she whispered.

  Dominick pointedly ignored Valerie’s mother and leaned over to kiss her on the lips ever so gently. Valerie sighed in utter contentment.

  “You have to leave this instant.” Valerie’s mother regained her senses and stalked to the opposite side of the bed wearing an incredulous expression. Her mother was so rarely hindered, the disbelief across her face was almost comical.

  Dominick’s gaze never left her face. “Sorry it took me so long to get back.”

  “I didn’t think you’d be back.” Valerie didn’t look at her mother when she spoke, but hoped that he understood.

  “Oh, babe. It will take a lot more than one angry, reproachful mother to keep me away.”

  “Listen, Mr. Whatever-your-name-is, my daughter doesn’t need your kind of man in her life. As I stated before—”

  “Leave him alone, Mona,” Valerie’s father said from the hospital door. “Come along.”

  “I will not!” Her mother huffed and stared daggers as if her burning gaze would sway him. “We agreed that he was not the right kind of man for her.”

  “No. You made a snap judgment. Now, either come out on your own and leave them alone to talk or I swear I’ll come in there, sling you over my shoulder and carry you out.”

  “Oh, really?” Her mother’s anger was palpable. She turned to Valerie as if for a final order of reprieve.

  “Go on with Dad, I’ll be fine.”

  Uncertainty colored her mother’s expression until Dominick straightened to his full height and spoke. “I love your daughter and I’ve never said that to another woman in my life. No one will ever love her the way I do. Please understand my determination.”

  “Mona,” her father called from the door in the stern voice he saved for the rare occasions when he was angry. “Let’s go. Now.”

  Her mother twisted away, sniffed deeply and without saying another word, exited the room.

  Valerie mouthed a thank-you to her father, who nodded and winked once as he escorted her mother away.

  Dominick leaned down and captured her lips in a scorching French kiss the second her parents were out of sight. A warm rush of long-denied passion blazed a path across her lips. She moaned and he stopped. “You okay, babe?”

  Valerie grabbed his face and pressed her mouth to his again. Slipping her tongue between his lips for a long-awaited taste, she moaned as he tangled leisurely around the confines of her mouth as if to assure himself it was truly her.

  She slid her arms around his neck to pull him closer, but he broke the kiss and inserted the flowers between them.

  “These are for you.” His sexy desire-filled voice made her clit throb with desire.

  Valerie buried her face in the soft blossoms, and inhaled the delectable fragrance of carnations displayed in a multitude of different shades.

  “Carnations. Good choice. My new favorite flower is the carnation.”

  “I’m glad you remembered.”

  She nodded, but frowned quickly. “The memories are fading really fast.”

  “Me, too. Which is why I’m here so late tonight. I couldn’t remember the first time we kissed, so I had to come in and make a new memory.” He placed the flowers on the nightstand. Cupping her head, he pressed a kiss to her temple. “I love you, Valerie. Please tell me you feel the same way.”

  “I’m sorry about yesterday,” she said to avoid responding. “My head hurt so bad I couldn’t think.”

  “Shh. Don’t worry.” He smiled. “I had to take care of some work stuff, but now I’m free for a few weeks.”

  She tilted her gaze to meet his. “A few weeks?”

  “I had lots of vacation saved up. I’m taking some.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to get married.”

  “What?”

  He traced his thumb across her bottom lip. “Will you marry me, babe?”

  Valerie knew her eyes were as wide open as possible. “But you don’t even know me. Not really.”

  “I disagree.” His grin was infectious. “I’d say that we know each other completely, deeply. Intimately.”

  “But not on Earth.” Valerie flashed to the memories of her existence before unexpected space travel. She led a very quiet, lonely life. Certainly not one filled with guns, criminals, motorcycles or sexy undercover men. Not to mention her love life was a non-existent entity.

  “So?” He brought her hand to his lips. “What difference does that make?”

  “It’s a huge difference.”

  “No. It’s not. Why are you balking?”


  Valerie expelled a long sigh. “There were things I did in that extended dream-like existence that I’ve never done here.”

  His eyebrows went straight up. “Like what?”

  “Like,” she paused and glanced at the door. “Allowing you to tie me up and blindfold me before you tortured me senseless with unseen tactile stimulation until I climaxed harder than I thought physically possible. Twice.”

  He laughed. “Well, that experience was new and different for me also. But so what, we’ll just make new memories here.”

  Valerie got to the heart of the problem she wrestled with and whispered, “What if I don’t measure up to all the other women you’ve had before?”

  “Not possible.” He grabbed one hand, kissed her fingers gently and added, “Babe. Contrary to your belief of what my sexual proclivities included here on Earth, I’ve never done that sort of thing with anyone else.”

  Her mouth fell open. “I don’t believe it.”

  Dominick laughed and shrugged. “It’s true. I’ve never shared those particular desires with anyone before. Only you.”

  “Well then, why did you share them with me?”

  “As I recall, you goaded me into it.”

  Valerie’s cheeks heated in memory. She had practically coerced him into the mild bondage games they’d played. She was afraid to admit she wanted more. Did he?

  “Right. Well, like I said, I wanted to measure up.”

  “And instead you set the bar.” He kissed her knuckles. “I won’t lie to you. Now that we’ve crossed that line, I’ll want to continue. Will that be a problem?”

  Valerie lifted her shoulders, but with it came a relieved grin. “I don’t know exactly what I want, but I have to admit that I’d miss that particular activity.”

  “You want me.” He leaned in and kissed the tender spot on her neck beneath her jaw.

  Time to change the subject before she lost her head and let him talk her into ruining the hospital corners. “I was told you’re in law enforcement. Sorry that I thought you were a criminal yesterday.”