“Hey!” I hear Reed shout as he comes out of the set of French doors that lead out onto the patio. “Need help, Angel?”
I turn back with the beers in my hand as I hear the men on the other side of the fence snicker. Then A.J. says, “All she can get.” And they break out laughing like a couple of hyenas.
A thing Reed notices as they’re loud. I hurry to him as he starts to go back there and I stop him and pull him inside the house with me. “We need to talk, Reed.”
He follows along. “Go to my old bedroom.”
I walk through the living room with him right behind me and we go to his room. As soon as he closes the door I fall into his arms. “They know where Rod is. He’s joined a motorcycle gang.”
“Who knows this?” Reed asks in confusion.
“A.J. and Lance. I heard them talking behind that wall thing. It was them you heard laughing. They were laughing because Rod is about to come back with his motorcycle gang. They were saying that Rod left town because he was selling drugs out of the shop he worked at. His boss found out and wanted him to give him some of the drug money. I guess Rod didn’t want to, and that’s the reason he disappeared.”
Reed looks pissed. Not afraid like I am. Just really mad.
“That selfish son of a bitch. Well, Mom’s no bitch but you know what I mean.” He hugs me tighter. “Don’t worry. We’ll be long gone by the time he gets to town.”
“I know that. But once he finds out about us what if he comes looking for us? He could make one of your parents tell him where you live, you know.” I search his eyes for any sign of fear and there just is none.
But he doesn’t know the Rod I do!
Reed takes me by the shoulders as I’m sure he feels my body shaking. “Jenna, stop. You know the mansion is a fortress. And the neighborhood isn’t a place a gang would be tolerated. They’d no sooner get to the first mansion in their motorcycle brigade then the cops would get called.”
I nod my head. I know he’s right. But I have this horrible feeling.
“You won’t let him get a hold of me will you?”
He pulls me tight to him. “No. Never, Jenna. He will never hurt you again. Not ever. And not right now because we have this party but soon I want to know everything that went on with you two. Because you’re much too afraid of him for nothing more than that one incident that happened when the cops were called to affect you like this.”
I nod but don’t really ever want to talk to him about what I allowed to be done to me. “I can’t believe he was selling drugs behind my back. I can’t believe he didn’t at least explain to me why he had to leave. I would’ve understood and maybe I would’ve been heartbroken but at least I would’ve known why he was leaving. And why couldn’t he have taken me with him?”
Reed moves me back and looks at me with a very hard look on his handsome face. “You don’t realize how lucky you got when he left you, do you?”
“I do, Reed. I really do. But so many questions went unanswered. I would’ve gone with him if he wanted me to. I belonged to him.” I look away quickly as I realize I’m talking too much.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. You know the typical we belong together thing. It’s stupid. I need to think about other things. This party. You and me and our wedding. There are a lot of people out there. We need to get back to them.” I try to pull out of his arms but he won’t let me go.
“Jenna, you don’t want him back do you? And please be truthful.” I hate the way his eyes are drooping.
I take in a deep breath. “Reed, I love you more than I ever knew was possible. And please believe me when I tell you none of the things going through my head are anything close to wanting him back. I will not ever be going back to life the way Rod has to have it. My life is with you, now and forever. I swear that to you. And Reed, I want you to know that if you were in my life or not, I would not be going back to Rod. That’s not the life I want or will allow ever again. Not ever!”
He looks a little relieved but not completely. “Promise me that you’ll never be alone with him for any reason.”
I look him straight in the eyes as this is the honest truth. “That’s an easy promise to make. I will never be alone with him, Reed. I’m not looking forward to ever seeing him again much less giving him the chance to take his aggression out on me.”
“Good. I don’t trust him.” Reed takes my hand and we leave his bedroom. And as we walk down the dark hallway to the living room a chill runs through me as A.J. and Lance walk into the living room.
Both men look down the hall as we walk out of it and both have the oddest smiles on their bearded faces. Then A.J. gives Reed a little punch in the arm. “So, you really did it. You stole your big brother’s girl. You sure have grown a huge set of balls, Reed.”
Reed narrows his eyes at his older cousin. “A.J. just what were you out there smoking?”
A.J. and Lance laugh as the eight or nine family members who are in the living room stare at us all. Reed is a good two inches taller than A.J. and a foot taller than Lance. He’s built so much better than they are too.
I have no doubts Reed could wipe the floor with both of them. But I don’t want any of that crap at our party so I say, “Come on, guys. Give us a break. And please don’t think anyone stole anyone. I was a very single woman these last couple of years.” Then I tug at Reed’s hand to get him to follow me outside.
He does but looks over his shoulder at his cousins. Or as he always calls them, Rod’s cousins. But their words tell me if that’s how they look at this then Rod will too.
And that’s going to be a problem!
Chapter 20
REED
The moon’s light is the only light we need as Jenna and I hold each other in my parents’ swimming pool at two in the morning. Everyone went home a few hours ago and my parents are dead asleep and I found myself wanting to spend some time in the pool alone with my angel.
After ditching our clothes, we jumped in and now I have her back against the side as we kiss and I hold her in my arms. “So when do you think you might want to officially become Mrs. Reed Manning?”
Her green eyes sparkle in the moonlight and I find them so damn beautiful it physically hurts. “Sooner than later, I think.”
I swish her around in the water then press her back against the side so I can press my cock against her where it loves to be. “Do you remember telling me you hoped one of our kids would have the dimple I have in my chin?”
She nods and a blush covers her cheeks. “The way you talked then, I did feel as if you were talking about a child you and I would have. It sent this odd sensation deep inside me when you said those words. And now look at us. Someday we really will have kids. Who knew?”
I wink at her. “Me. I always knew one day the jackass would fuck up too bad and that would end.”
“Is that why you paid for my college? So you could keep tabs on me?” She gives me a scowling look.
“Yes,” I admit.
The way her face goes all sweet and loving tells me my admission made her heart melt. “Reed, how sweet. How romantic. I had no idea. I really didn’t.”
“I was biding my time. I knew it would come. But it was damn hard not to knock my brother out of my way. But I knew he had to really show you who he was for you to see you didn’t belong with him.” I push a damp piece of hair behind her ear then lean down to nibble the tasty earlobe.
She makes this moaning purr sound that drives me insane and my cock grows. Her legs wrap around me. “Reed, please, I’m going crazy to have you inside me.”
I move her a bit and slide my cock into her sweet spot and my body goes to that place only she takes me to every time I enter her. It’s the most magical shit I’ve ever experienced.
Heat, cold, intense pleasure that sends my mind to a place it’s never gone to until I made love to her. She is the one for me. There is no doubt in my mind.
I make a gentle stroke as she moans my name, “Reed.”
“Jenna,” I moan back as my lips graze her neck. Her soft and sweet neck.
My cock fills her completely. There is absolutely no space left as I move inside her and her legs squeeze me. “Reed, I can’t believe we’re going to be married and live in your mansion. It’s like a fantasy.”
My lips touch her ear. “Our mansion.” I move her back and forth as I put my hands on her waist.
She runs her hand over my cheek and pulls her head off my shoulder to look at me. “You made that money, and it’s yours, Reed.”
“I did make that money.” I rotate my hips and move my cock around to make sure it hits her in just the right way and her eyes roll up as she hangs her head back.
“God, Reed! How do you know how to do these things?”
“I didn’t until I found you. It all comes very naturally with you. And I bought that mansion with only you in mind, Jenna. That is our place. It has been since I got it. Don’t ever think anything other than that. That was bought to be our home and now it will be.” I give her another swirl of my hips and her groan fills me with satisfaction.
Her mouth falls on my shoulder where she bites it as her nails move over my back. I see she wants a little rough action so I push her back to the wall and move as fast and hard as I can into her.
The low moans turn into little pants and then she’s making quiet squeals as I feel her body going into an orgasm. I go hard and fast until I find mine too then I ease the hard thrusts and make slow strokes as our bodies end the intense pleasure we seem to give each other.
“I love you, Reed,” she says. Her lips move against my neck as she keeps her legs wrapped around my waist and her arms around my neck.
“Love is a word that isn’t even strong enough for what we’ve found. But since I don’t have a new one yet, I love you too, Jenna.” I trail soft kisses down her neck and over her shoulder.
We should probably get out and get going back to the room at the lodge but holding her in this warm water feels too good to stop. Then a sound has me listening very hard.
“That sounds like a motorcycle, doesn’t it?” Jenna asks as we both look around to see if we can see any lights.
But the backyard has so many privacy fences around it, we can’t see a thing to tell us where the thing might be. I kiss her cheek to calm her as her body has gone tense.
“It’s only one bike, and he’s not due in until next week, remember.”
She nods and the sound of the motorcycle is gone now and she wraps her arms back around me. “I’m being silly.”
A light comes on in the kitchen then the back door opens. Jenna turns in my arms to see who it is. Neither of us can see any more than a shadow.
“Shit!” Jenna hisses quietly. “Busted!”
I hold on to her from behind and whisper in her ear. “Probably just Dad taking in a breath of fresh air and he’ll go back inside. Just be still and quiet.”
Then a lighter lights up and it lights a cigarette.
Dad does not smoke!
Now it’s me who hisses, “Shit!”
The outside light comes on as he takes a couple of steps out and triggers the motion sensor. And it also makes the interior pool light come on too. It’s a safety thing and now it’s made us vulnerable.
It takes a second for my brother’s eyes to roam over us and when they do I see fire in them. And he pulls his black leather jacket with the words, ‘Brothers of the Scarlet Dragon’ off and tosses it on the ground, followed by his cigarette.
He’s not saying any words at all. But his body is in full gear as he begins to walk with a quick pace toward the pool. Then I feel Jenna slipping out of my arms as she pulls herself up on the edge of the pool and she’s out and running to him.
“No! No, Rod! Stop!”
I hurry out after her, both of us are bare-assed and I manage to grab up my shorts and pull them on in a fraction of a second then I see Rod toss her to the side and she falls on her ass.
He doesn’t even look at what he’s done to her as he’s focused only on me. Then I see her get up and run at him again from behind.
“Jenna, no!” I yell at her. “Get Dad!”
She runs toward the door and grabs a towel off the chair next to it and wraps herself up as she runs inside.
Rod goes right for my throat. “I’m going to kill you!” His words are spoken between clenched teeth.
I avoid his hands and smash my fist into his stomach. He takes a step back with the punch but it didn’t seem to affect him or slow him down at all.
His left arm comes up and I go to block it when his right fist slams into my face. I fall back with the punch but quickly regain my balance and come at him like a linebacker.
Catching him in the middle I run forward and take his feet off the ground as I run with him until I hit something that has his breath pushing out so hard I can feel it.
He grunts with the force and I let him go. He falls to the ground but gets back up and the way he comes at me has me walking backward but not fast enough as his fist hits my mouth and I taste blood right away.
It only pisses me off and I throw a wild punch and it connects and I see his cheek split and blood starts pouring from it.
Then we both grab each other and wrestle, trying to take the other one to the ground. But we both stop and let go of each other as a loud gunshot stops us.
We turn and find our father at the back door holding a shotgun. “The first one to raise a fist gets a taste of this.”
Jenna and Mom are behind him and it seems Mom gave Jenna one of her nightgowns to cover herself up with. I look at Rod and he looks at me then we take a few steps away from each other.
Jenna comes running out. Straight to me until Rod says something that makes her stop dead in her tracks. His voice is low and threatening as he says, “You better rethink that, Baby. You’re mine no matter what Reed thinks. And you damn well know that.”
Her face goes very pale and her body starts to shake. I take a step toward her and she holds up her hand, stopping me. “It’s okay, Reed. I need to face this.” Her voice is shaky and I can tell she’s scared but she swallows hard. “I am not yours, Rod. You left me. And a day doesn’t go by that I don’t thank God you did. I am with Reed now. Not a damn thing you say or do will change that.”
“I still have the paper, Jenna. You are mine and you know that. It might take a bit of retraining to get you back to how I had you but I will have you. And you damn well know that.” He turns his head and spits in my direction.
“I’m not listening to any more of his shit!” I start walking towards Jenna and take her hand when I get to her. “Come on, Angel. We’re leaving.”
She falls in behind me as I pull her along and I hear Rod coming up behind us. But Dad fires off another shot. “Leave her alone, Son.”
“She is my woman!” Reed shouts. “How could you two allow this to happen? You both know who it is she belongs to!”
“Now, Rod,” my mother says in her best mom tone. “You left her. You left her without a word. She had every right to move on.”
“No, she didn’t, and she knew that.” He stays where he is since Dad has the gun and I pull Jenna inside.
I look over my shoulder at my mother. “We’re leaving in the morning instead of the day after.”
She nods. “I understand. Good night.”
I take Jenna out through the front door and put her in the passenger seat and lock her door then I quickly get in the driver’s side and leave my parents’ home as fast as I can and pray they don’t let him leave right behind us. Or we’ll have to bring the cops in on this.
My head is spinning then Jenna just falls apart and cries like I’ve never seen her do before. She’s sobbing uncontrollably.
What did that fucking bastard do to her?
I let her cry it out until we pull into the parking lot. Then I get her out of the car and carry her inside as she cries into my bare chest.
Sitting on the bed with her on my lap, I stroke her damp hair.
“Jenna, it’s okay. We’re leaving in the morning. It’ll all be okay. He knows now and he can start to get over it.”
She shakes her head. “It will be a long time before he gets over this. And he will try his best to stop this. I could see it in his eyes. I am his.”
“You are not his! Shit! Jenna, you don’t belong to anyone. Not even me. You are your own person. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.” I kiss her cheek and taste the salt of her many tears.
“I haven’t cried like this in so long. I don’t know how he has the power to make me this way. Weak and afraid.” She takes in a deep breath trying to stop herself but it doesn’t work and she busts out again. “I hate him, Reed!”
The thought crosses my mind that he has done something so bad to her she may need professional help to get over it. And that makes me furious at him.
“You can be weak right now if you need to be. I’m here for you. You fell when he threw you. Let me see if you’re hurt.” I lay her face down on the bed as she continues to cry softly.
When I raise up the nightgown I see her ass is scraped up and go to find something to clean it up with and see if we have any kind of ointment to make it feel better.
In a bag of toiletries, I find some antibiotic ointment with pain reliever and take that along with a wet washcloth back to her. I see in the mirror that my lip is busted and dried blood is caked around it but I’ll see to her first then clean myself up.
When I go back to her I can hear that she’s stopped crying, and she seems to be asleep. I press the cloth to the scrape on her ass and she doesn’t move so I know she’s asleep pretty deeply.
I spread the medicine all over the wound and she turns her head. Her eyes open. “Oh, it’s you. Good.”
“Who else would it be?” I ask.
“Rod used to do that afterwards. It’s just that I was asleep and I guess dreaming and thought it was him.”
“Rod used to do this to you after what, Jenna?” My whole body is tense as I don’t know if I want to hear this or not.
The Reconstruction of Cyprian Page 51