by S. J. Bishop
"That's it," I yelled, staggering toward the stairs with my crutches.
"Hey!" the girl called out after me. "Something wrong?"
"Yes," I shouted back to her. "Call the cops. 'Cause I'm about to kill someone."
37
Kaitlyn
"I can't believe it. You were gay the whole time?" I asked.
"That's usually how it works," Ethan said, smiling sheepishly at me from my couch. We had come back to my place after Ethan's shift had ended, which had only been about a half hour after I'd tracked him down. I'd told him about Axel and Taylor, and he'd told me the real reason he'd been stalking me since I got to Denver.
I shook my head, laughing, and put my hand on his arm. It felt good to let go of all the bad memories I'd been holding onto for so long. "But I mean, you took my virginity. How could I not have known? Shouldn't I have... you know, sensed something?"
"We were sixteen," Ethan said. "And neither of us knew what the hell we were doing."
"And that thing you had with Brittany?"
"I was just showing off for my friends. They were starting to ask questions, and I just wasn't prepared to answer them." He shrugged. "I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry if I hurt you."
I couldn't stop laughing. On the one hand, I felt like a fool. On the other hand, it was great knowing that Ethan hadn't cheated on me because I wasn't good enough for him. He just wasn't into girls.
"So you used me," I said.
Ethan hung his head. "I've wanted to tell you for so long. I wanted to tell you before you went to do that internship at Penn State, but I just didn't have the guts. When my mom told me you'd moved here, I thought it was a sign. I didn't want to let the chance pass by me again."
I sighed, wondering when life had gotten so complicated.
"But why tell me now? After all these years? I mean, Jesus, we haven't seen each other since graduation."
"You were always special to me," he said, blushing. "I always loved you; I just wasn't in love with you."
"So, now you want to be friends?" I asked.
"Do you think we can be friends?" Ethan asked.
I smiled, patting his hand. "I think, maybe, we already are."
He grinned. "Especially if I do this favor for you, right?"
I grinned back. "Is it that big a favor?"
"You're asking if unapproved, unsupervised surveillance of a woman that the police are not currently surveilling is a big favor?"
I nodded.
"Nothing I can't handle."
"What about your partner? Do they know about him?"
"Well, yes and no. They know he's gay, so they all assume that we must be having sex, because that's what gay men do, you see?"
"I see."
"But they don't really know anything."
"What was his name again?"
"Martin."
"So, do you think Martin will help us with all this? It seemed like I kind of pissed him off when I took you home with me."
Ethan laughed. "Martin can be a little jealous. Just be glad you're not a man. Don't worry, he's a real sucker for kids. When I tell him what's up, he'll help."
"Do you really think you can catch Taylor doing something illegal?"
"If she's an active addict, then hell yes! Addicts will do anything for a fix. Are you sure it's not possible she's really in recovery?"
I hesitated. "The last time I saw her, her eyes were red and puffy and her face looked like a prune. Does that mean anything?"
"Yeah. That means she's jailbait."
"Really?" I asked, jumping in my seat, excited. I couldn't wait to tell Axel. I hoped this would make up for my behavior earlier. After talking things over with Ethan, I'd realized that I'd totally overreacted. And now that I knew that, I couldn't shake the guilt.
"Do you think we can talk to Martin now? Is he home?"
"Sure," Ethan said. "Let's go." We stood up and headed toward my door. The second I opened it, Axel jumped out at us.
"Axel!" I shouted, surprised to see him. "What are you—"
"Don't give me that," he said.
"Excuse me?"
"I saw you two in here."
"Who? Me and Ethan?"
"This is Ethan?" Axel yelled.
"Yes. Why?"
"The same Ethan who took your virginity? Your old high school sweetheart?"
I looked at Ethan, suddenly understanding what Axel was getting at. Ethan was still in his officer's uniform, gun included. Luckily, I didn't think Ethan had Axel's temper.
"Look, man," Ethan said. "I don't know what you think you saw, but I promise you—"
Axel lifted one crutch high over his head and swung it around in a wild, unsteady arc, trying to hit Ethan. But Ethan didn't have a torn ACL and was easily able to sidestep Axel's crutch.
"Axel, stop it! What's gotten into you?"
"So this is why you put on such a show earlier, huh? I tell you I love you, and you tell me to fuck off so that you can go fuck this guy."
"It's not like that!" I shouted. "You can't just barge in here and—"
"Oh, please, stop your lying."
Anger boiled up inside me. "Okay, fine!" I yelled. "You wanna know what Ethan and I were doing up here? All afternoon and evening after I left you?" I grabbed a surprised Ethan by the collar and pulled him to me, kissing him with as much passion as I could muster. His lips were warm, but I could feel his resistance.
Axel's face was a mask of pain, and the anger I had quickly vanished. "I wasn't lying when I said I loved you, Kaitlyn. I just wish you'd been as honest with me as I was with you." He turned to go, and Ethan stepped up behind him, putting his hand on Axel's shoulder.
"Look, man, it's really not like that."
Axel spun around and punched Ethan in the jaw.
"Axel!" I cried, kneeling down to check on Ethan. "I can't believe you just did that!" Ethan seemed stunned but alright.
I turned around, but Axel was already gone.
"Fuck, Ethan. Are you okay?"
"Go," Ethan said, sitting up and rubbing his jaw.
"What?"
"Go after him. Any man that would hit a cop must love you like mad. Go get him before it's too late."
I stood up, my heart racing. Ethan was right. Axel really did love me. And I knew now that I loved him, too.
38
Axel
"Fuck me!" I yelled, banging my fist against the steering wheel. My car swerved onto the curb, making loud crackling noises as I drove over the gravel. I swung it back onto the blacktop and kept driving.
What the hell was I gonna do now? How could I be so stupid? I'd just ruined any chance I had of getting Riley away from Taylor. There was no other way around it now. I had to leave. And I had to leave tonight.
I dug my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed my lawyer. The line rang then went dead. I looked at my phone. "Fucking dropped calls," I shouted. I banged my hand on the steering wheel again and the car shook. My tires skidded over the yellow road divider. I cursed myself for not being more careful.
I tried my lawyer again. "Mark," I said when I finally got through.
"Axel?"
"Yeah. Mark, listen, I'm royally fucked here. I just hit a cop."
"You did what?" he asked, alarm ringing in his voice. The lawyer in him was on full alert.
"I hit a cop," I told him again.
"You mean with a car? Were you drunk? Is he alright? Are you alright?"
"No, not with my car. With my fist."
"Oh," Mark said, sighing relief. "Is that all?"
"Is that all?" I shouted. My tires skidded on the side of the road again, and I yanked them back. "I tell you I hit a cop and you act as if I said I'd broken a dish."
"Well, for a second there I thought you'd killed someone. So yeah, hitting someone is a lot better than killing them, wouldn't you agree?" He paused. "You didn't kill him, did you?"
"No!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"How
do you know?"
"Because I didn't hit him that hard. He was still squirming on the ground when I left."
"Okay," Mark said. "Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna cut this off at the pass, alright? Give me the cop's name. I'll contact him and make him an offer. He'll take it 'cause he's a cop. They get paid shit, and he'll never want to admit he got decked by a cripple."
"I'm not a cripple, you asshole."
"As long as you have those crutches, you're a cripple. And we've got to use that to our advantage. What cop wants to admit he's been beaten by a... an injured man."
I knew Mark was doing his best to fix this from his perspective, but it wasn't enough.
"Look, Mark, I need two million dollars. Cash. Can you take care of that for me?"
"Sure, of course. Two million should do it. That's more money than that cop is ever gonna see in his life. What's his name? I'll have it wired to him tonight."
I blinked and almost swerved off the road again. Was Mark being purposely naïve? "It's not for the cop, Mark. It's for me." I hesitated, suddenly uncertain of how much I should tell him. "It's for Taylor. I've decided to give her the money she wants."
"Good! That's great, Axel. That's what I've been telling you all along. Now, when I get her money, I'll take out another two million for the cop, alright? We'll take care of both problems at once."
I didn't want to argue with him anymore. It was making my head dizzy. If two million dollars was good for a life on the run, then four would be even better. "Fine," I said. "Whatever. Just do it. Call me when you've got it."
I hung up with Mark, preparing to call my parents next. I couldn't tell them anything. I didn't want to get them in trouble when the cops came asking questions. I'd just tell them to get Riley ready and that I was coming by to pick her up and take her home. Tomorrow, maybe I'd call them from the airport. That might be a bad idea, though. What if someone saw me? Or heard me?
Christ, you're getting paranoid. My inner voice was right. I had to relax. I'd gotten so worked up watching Kaitlyn kiss that cop that I wasn't thinking clearly anymore. I'd just go to my parents and collect Riley, fuck the phone call. The way I sounded right now, they'd know something was wrong in a second.
I was about to toss my phone onto the passenger seat when it lit up. Kaitlyn was calling. She probably wanted to ream me out some more for laying into her boyfriend, but I realized this might be the last chance I had to talk to her.
"Kaitlyn," I said, picking up the phone.
"Axel! Where'd you go so fast? You're on crutches and you still outran me. Listen—"
"No, you listen," I said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have punched Ethan. I've got no claim on you. I do love you, but that doesn't mean—"
"Ethan's gay."
"What?"
"Ethan's gay!"
My brain was so busy trying to wrap its head around what Kaitlyn was saying that it completely missed the fact that I'd swerved off the road again. It wasn't until the tree jumped out in front of me that I realized I was in trouble.
39
Kaitlyn
My heart raced. "Axel! Axel!" His phone had gone dead. I didn't know what had happened, but I was sure I'd heard the brakes squealing and metal colliding on metal. I jumped into my car and drove straight to Axel's house. It took forever to get there. There was a traffic jam along the way. For a moment, I was terrified the jam had been caused by Axel's car crashing into something big and dangerous, like an eighteen-wheeler. When I finally reached the apex of the jam, it was nothing but a mattress that had fallen onto the road, forcing everyone to swerve carefully around it.
Axel's car was in the driveway when I got there. It looked fine. I rang the bell frantically. "Axel!" I shouted. The door opened, and Axel stood there, his face hard and sad. I threw my arms around him, surprising him. He hesitated a moment before wrapping his arms around me as well.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
"I was so worried. On the phone... I thought something had happened to you."
"It almost did," Axel said. "I just missed hitting a tree."
I pressed my lips to his, refusing to let him go. "Why didn't you call me back?" I asked.
He jerked away from me, his face hardening once again. "I didn't want to hear any more lies."
"Lies?" My mind raced. "You mean Ethan? Axel, I wasn't lying. Ethan really is gay."
Axel's face twisted with uncertainty. "Then why was he over at your place? You two looked pretty cozy together on your couch."
Anger rose up in me. "After all the women I've seen you make out with since I've met you, you're seriously giving me shit about Ethan coming over to my apartment? I only kissed him to make you jealous. So that maybe you'd feel what it's like when I have to watch you pull stunts like that."
Axel's face softened. His eyes searched mine. I felt them digging their way inside me, but I wasn't going to let him off that easy.
"You wanna know why Ethan was at my place? Because I asked him for help. He agreed to follow Taylor and see if he could get some dirt on her so you could prove she's lying."
Axel wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm an asshole."
"You are an asshole," I said, but I didn't push him away. His body felt too good against mine. I didn't want to let him go. I noticed the luggage sitting in the foyer. The bags hadn't moved since the last time I'd seen them. In fact, it looked as though more things had been added to the pile.
"Can you tell Ethan I'm sorry? I totally get it if he has me arrested."
"He's not going to arrest you for punching him... this time. He's on his way to check out Taylor right now." I paused. "Axel, you're not still planning to go to Fiji, are you?"
He didn't respond right away. "Damn it, Axel! Can you just wait twenty-four hours? Wait until Ethan has a chance to look into all this. He might still be able to help."
Axel hesitated. "Taylor—"
"Fuck Taylor!" I shouted. "Give Ethan a chance to help. If he can't, then... then I'll go with you. If you still want me to."
Axel's eyes swam toward mine. His lips pressed against me, hot and wet. "I don't deserve you," he said.
"Damn right," I joked, tilting my head back and running my fingers through his hair. It was soft as silk and made my thighs clench in anticipation. If his hair felt this good, how would the rest of him feel?
"I'll wait," he said. "Twenty-four hours."
I relaxed my shoulders. The current crisis had passed. "Where's Riley?" I suddenly asked.
"Asleep in her bed. Come on." He took my hand, pulling me up the stairs. We peeked into her room. She was sleeping like an angel. "She looks so little in that big bed," I whispered.
Axel smiled. "She's a very sound sleeper."
He pulled me toward his bedroom. I felt the heat rising between us. My body quivered before he even touched me. He shut the door behind us and kissed me, throwing his crutches aside and leaning against a tall dresser for support.
Passion surged between us, forceful and uncontrolled. We needed each other right now. There was no time to tease, no time for restraint. His tongue slid fast along my lips, tasting me. My hands ran freely over his body. He had the best ass of any athlete I'd ever met. I pushed his pants to the ground and grabbed hold of his erection. I stroked him in alternating speeds of fast and slow until his body shook. Then I sunk to my knees and pulled him to my mouth.
My tongue moved delicately along his thick shaft, lapping at his balls as his back arched. My right hand reached between my legs, massaging my clit while I bobbed my head up and down. The faster I moved, the more Axel began to shake. Finally, his legs began to shake a little too much. I got worried he might fall, so I took hold of his cock with my hand and led him to the bed.
I wriggled out of my pants, and suddenly, Axel's head was between my legs. His tongue swirled over my clit. His hot breath pulsed against my sex. I could barely contain myself as his tongue surged forward into my hole. He pulled it back out, lapping at my ou
ter lips. His tongue was thick and a little rough as he moved it quickly over me. My pussy was a sauna as his mouth tasted me again and again.
"I need you," I whispered.
Finally, Axel moved his tongue up my body. His broad tongue slid along my abdomen, passing my nipples, before finding my mouth. His hips pressed against mine. My pussy screamed out for his entrance. My core was on fire. I moved my hips up and felt Axel's massive erection. He slid inside me with ease. Our bodies shook as we became one.
Axel thrust his hips against me again and again, moving fast and hard, just the way I liked it. His cock was like a drill digging its way deeper and deeper inside me. I spread my legs wide for him, wanting every inch of him to fill me.
My hands grabbed his tight, perfect ass. I pushed him deeper into me.
"You're perfect," he whispered. He buried his head into my chest, licking my nipples as his hips continued to pound against me. Finally, my head began to grow light. My heart, already so fast, quickened even more. I could hardly breathe.
"I'm cumming," I whispered.
Axel let himself go. He exploded into me. I tightened my grip on his ass, not wanting him to pull away too fast. Fireworks exploded around us. His warmth filled my cave, sending hot shivers up my spine. My body tingled as he sank deeper into me. The room lit up as if a bomb had gone off all around us. My head exploded in ecstasy. It felt like we were surrounded by magic.
When it was over, we lay together, exhausted. "I never want anyone else but you," Axel whispered. "I really do love you, you know."
I smiled, secure in the knowledge that he meant every word. "I love you, too. And you ever kiss another girl again, I'll rip your balls off."
Axel laughed, tightening his hold on me. "If I ever do that, I'll hand them over to you myself."
40
Axel
It was three in the morning when I felt Kaitlyn shuffling around in bed next to me. She sat up, still groggy as she turned on the small bedside lamp.