by KL Donn
He could see why she was always pushing him away when her eyes screamed for him to take her. She probably thought he wanted only one thing from her. She didn’t know him from Adam. His mind was running in circles thinking of all the ways he could show her they were meant for each other. All he had to do was convince her he was in it for life.
Casey fell asleep to dreams of Ev by his side and of happiness in their future. Peace finally relieving them of their pasts.
They say all good things must come to an end, right? Well, his came crashing down as nightmares of the worst time in his life plagued him.
“I can’t fucking wait to get out of this hell,” Jack, one of his young teammates, bitched for probably the hundredth time in an hour.
They’d been stationed at Bagram Air Base about twenty-five miles north of Kabul for a little more than thirteen months of what was supposed to be a twelve-month tour. He could understand Jack’s frustration, but he signed up knowing what he was getting into, so when Case told him, “Private, did you sign up for a vacation or to serve your country?” the contrition on his face was well deserved.
“Sorry, Sergeant,” he mumbled while Dom and a couple of other guys tried not to laugh at the reprimand.
When Casey had enlisted with Dom seven years ago, he finally felt like he’d found his home. The brotherhood was what he’d been missing in his life, so when some little, pencil-necked dicksmack decided to try and bitch about the life they chose, he got a tad bit defensive. He was naturally an easy-going guy, but the oath he took to serve for Uncle Sam was the one and only thing he did not fuck around about.
The old man Casey had been walking with looked at Jack, pointed his finger and said, “ځوان نارینه باید د ژوند په اړه د زده کړي نه درناوي،.” He had to think for a moment before he burst out laughing.
“What’d he say?” Over a year in this desert heat, and this punk still hadn’t learned the Pashto language. That just pissed Case off more.
“Basically, you jackass, he’s saying you have no respect. You need to learn more about life.”
“Whatever.”
“You’re right; he does.” One of the other privates on their team agreed. He was a smart kid; he’d be going places. Kept his head down, his eyes and ears opened and followed orders.
They’d been assigned to evacuate a small village a hundred miles east of Kabul so another team could come in and lock it down. Being Special Forces, specifically Army Rangers, they were more than equipped to handle anything that came their way.
The team was escorting men, women, children, elderly, dogs, and even two fucking goats back to base when shit hit the fan, and they went straight into the depths of hell.
“Take cover!” He could hear Dom yell just as a bullet ripped through Casey’s shoulder, nearly tearing his arm from his body.
The rapid repetition of enemy gunfire could be heard like cherry bombs being set off in the boys’ bathroom in grade school.
The pain ripping through his body assured him it was anything but school kids being little pricks.
Grabbing the old man with his now injured arm, he shot back cover fire so his team could hide. Watching in horror as a little boy of maybe four fell, calling for his mother. Just as she was about to reach for him, the impact of a dozen Taliban bullets tore through his tiny body like slivers of glass.
Screams could be heard as men on both sides were injured. As women cried over their loved ones being maliciously killed.
Turning and tossing the old man behind a boulder, Case opened fire wherever he could, hoping to take out as many of the motherfuckers as his hail of fire would allow. There was a moment of stillness. A moment of guns clicking to be reloaded, when he saw another kid come out to get the woman who was reaching for her son, only to gape in incomparable alarm as a bullet flew through the silence and straight between his eyes. Making one small pinhole in his head before exploding through the back of his skull. His eyes opened wide in shock, his face slackened in acceptance, his body fell lifeless onto the woman. Ultimately, shielding her from heavier gunfire.
“Don’t fucking move!” Case yelled at her. He could hear the old man repeating his words forcefully in Pashto. When she finally nodded, and he could tear his eyes away from the gruesome sight, two Taliban fighters were coming at him. Discharging his empty chamber, he reloaded before either of them could line him in their sights. Killing both instantly, movement from his peripheral had him turning to see another rebel going for the old man. “Oh, fuck that!” he yelled following their progress, hoping to surprise them. Unsheathing the knife from his belt, Case managed to climb over a barricade and jump on the prick’s back. With his injured arm wrapped around the man’s neck as tight as he could, he stabbed him in the chest more times than he could remember. It was a blur of blood spurting and bones crunching. He could remember the cramp in his hand from wielding the knife so hard. He remembered the mangled mess the guy was as he fell to the ground and rolled right onto the IED. The one that would take Casey’s right leg as another bullet stung and shredded its way through his left.
The explosion shook the night as he flew through the air, landing heavily on the sandy ground. The only thing that saved him from losing his life was that the man he’d killed took most of the impact, but not enough to keep shrapnel from tearing his leg from his body.
He could remember the screams of more people dying, of Dom calling for him, and the panic in his friend’s voice as he realized what had happened. The one memory that ate at him worse than anything was watching as a pregnant woman and her young daughter ran towards him to help, only for them both to be turned into Swiss cheese. It was supposed to be him helping them
Bullet holes riddled their bodies in more places than he thought were possible. He remembered laying there, useless, counting them all, wanting to memorize all the ways he’d failed that day. Needing to remember the young mother and daughter who thought his life was important enough to risk their own. In the end, he passed out at the same moment the life left the woman’s eyes…as he watched the only things precious to her be torn away.
He wasn’t the only one to have had his life changed that day. Yes, he’d lost a huge piece of himself, but women and children died, and full, able-bodied men were cut down to nothing.
Waking up drenched in sweat, Case couldn’t get the woman’s eyes out of his head. How full of life they were when he had met her. She was so excited to be having her second child, only for everything she held dear to be ripped from her in a flash. The memory haunted him.
Needing a drink so badly, he foolishly forgot for a second that he couldn’t so easily maneuver around. That he was missing a leg. He had to put himself back together like a fucking puzzle before he could move. By the time he situated himself again, he had remembered why he couldn’t drink. Why he had to hold himself back. He was no longer alone in this world. For the first time in ten years, he had something just for him. Someone no one could take away from him.
Evelyn.
She was the light to his dark. The soft to his hard.
She was his redemption.
One week.
For one week, she hadn’t seen Casey. His friend came every night but never him. She didn’t know whether to be disappointed or not. She foolishly got invested in seeing him. In the short amount of time they had spent with each other—mostly fighting—Ev came to anticipate sparring with him.
He had a presence about him that she’d come to love. Commanding yet soft. Hard yet vulnerable. She wondered what gave him that wounded look behind his eyes. Dark shadows played deeply in them, almost fighting for dominance in his mind.
Against her better judgment, she wanted to know more about what made him tick. Why he thought she was so special at first. Why he gave up so quickly.
“Evie, doll, you’re on in five.” Pixie popped her head into the changing room. Putting the finishing touches on her makeup, she never went too heavy. Smokey eye
s with a bright red lip and she was set.
She had a particularly shitty day at home with Marcus again. When he touched her, she wanted to shrivel up into a tiny ball and cry. He made her feel dirty, violated. So needing to feel something other than disgusting, she decided to change up her costume and routine for the night.
“Are you still going with the new routine?” Pixie asked as she watched Ev glide into the sexy lace, see-through jumpsuit she’d picked up that day.
“Zip me?” she asked Pix, turning her back to the other woman. The material was made of spun lace in a multitude of light colors. Green, pink, white, blue, and purple shimmered as she moved, revealing but not quite baring her most intimate areas. The outfit accentuated a plunging neckline with long pointed sleeves and a light hood to cover her snow white hair that she’d curled into spirals. Underneath, she wore a matching black G-string and black bow tie pasties with chains hanging loosely from the center, covering her nipples. She’d never worn anything so risqué or showed as much skin as she was about to. Six-inch red stilettos finished the look off.
“What’s your song again?”
“The Hills by The Weekend.” She smiled thinking of the sexy song.
“Shit, you’re really trying to work it tonight, girl.” Laughter rang in her friend’s voice.
How could she explain why she was changing things up without actually giving the reason? Pixie was the only real friend she had, but the other woman had no idea of the things Ev had and was going through. She just thought she was shy, and that worked for her. Or it did. Now, she wasn’t so sure.
Smiling, her name was announced. “Gentlemen, get your bills ready. You don’t want to miss this next act. She’s sexy, she’s sweet, she’s in a class of her own. Please welcome the lovely Evie!” Cheering could be heard amidst the darkness when she walked on stage.
A light, thin black curtain was drawn down, and the smoke machine was let loose as her music began. Gripping the pole above her head and stepping back, she placed her feet shoulder width apart. After the first drum beat, her hips began to sway from side to side. When the words flowed, the curtain lifted.
Unveiled, she sensually worked her way around the pole. One hand still above her head, she smoothed the other downwards until she was holding it at pelvic level. With her head still looking down, she began grinding in a sexual motion. All the while, her eyes remained closed, and she pictured Casey as her subject.
She was holding his strong shoulders while wrapping her legs around his waist. Bending backwards just as the lyrics picked up, her eyes popped open dramatically, and she was met with the audience. An intense gaze met her own as she realized that while she’d been picturing Casey as her dance partner, he was, in fact, watching her intently. His hard features drawn into a tight scowl as she reached behind her to undo the jumpsuit.
The crowd howled for her to take it all off, to show them more. Suddenly shy, she almost didn’t undress until she remembered he’d abandoned her for a week. No word, no call, no nothing. Granted, he didn’t have her number, and he didn’t actually owe her any explanation, but she was still hurt by his cold shoulder.
Turning from her audience, she slowly began to shimmy the suit down her arms. Flicking her hair over her shoulder, she shot a wink at Casey’s friend purposely to piss him off. From her distance, she could almost feel his growl.
As the bass boomed and the drums pounded, she slowly dragged the sleeves of her costume down and off her arms. Reaching for the pole, she gripped it with one hand. Dipping backwards, she clutched the heel of one shoe, gliding it off her foot before dropping it on the stage with a thud.
The beat of the music picked up a small notch as she swung around the pole in a pirouette, head thrown back, eyes closed. She could almost imagine she was a real ballerina.
So lost in the pulse of the music, she barely noticed the hush that came over the crowd as she discarded her other shoe. Kicking the jumpsuit off and into the crowd created a small uproar and had her smiling.
Down to her G-string and pasties, she caressed the metal bar like a long lost lover. Slamming her back to it, her front was to the audience. An audible gasp from the crowd could be heard as she slid down, legs spread wide, nearly naked for their viewing pleasure.
In that moment, she felt powerful. To have all those men with their eyes glued to her body, she had control. For one split second, she was the one in charge. They were hooked on what she was offering.
Crawling to the front of the stage, she flipped to her back and arched her chest high in the air, feeling all the hands putting bills in the strings on her panties. Closing her eyes in pretended pleasure, it was a swift reminder that she had no control at all.
Hearing the song wind down, she got back to her feet. Dashing for the pole, she leapt, gripping it high and winding her legs around it in a tight hold. Ensuring she wasn’t about to fall, she plunged her upper body so she was upside down, arms spread wide. Maneuvering so her legs would slowly spin her around the pole in a circle, she finally reached the bottom of the stage. Placing her palms down, she did a swift handstand, landing back on her feet just as the song ended and the audience broke out in applause.
Sweat poured down her back from the workout. Her breaths were choppy, and she suddenly felt exposed. Needing to cover up, she took a light bow in thanks, grabbed as much of her money as she could before darting backstage to put real clothes on. Hardy met her at her dressing room door. “Grab a drink and I want you back on the floor.” His voice brooked no argument. She was confused. He’d always let the girls change after a show, to feel a little less exposed. Looking down to herself, she suddenly wished she hadn’t decided to be so brave.
“She’s fucking hot,” Ace commented after Ev left the stage.
Much as he wanted to gut his friend like a pig for saying it, Case knew he was right. She had a gracefulness to the way she moved that left a person stunned. She captivated you, held your attention from the moment she came on stage until the second she left.
“Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” Case ground out through clenched teeth. He was still shocked at the outfit she came out in and lack of one she left with. All her other performances left her more or less covered up. Tonight, though, she fucking bared all and then flirted with his friend.
He was about to push his chair back when Ace gripped his arm, telling him, “Don’t fuck this up. If you go back there demanding what I know you want to, she’s going to tell you to get fucked. Sit your ass down and let her come to you.”
Shooting him a dirty look, he replied, “You’ve been hanging around Creed for too damn long.” A curtain to the side drew his attention away from Ace and whatever he’d just said.
“Son of a motherfucking bitch!” he hissed angrily. She was coming out in the same fucking outfit she finished with on stage. Rather the lack of an outfit he supposed.
“Case, don’t.” Ace was trying to get him to see reason again, but all he saw was red. Not just because of her heels and lipstick, either.
“Do you fucking see her?” When Ace went to turn his head to look again, Case quickly bit out, “Don’t fucking look, you ass.”
“Dude, you asked.” The fucker had the gall to laugh at his predicament.
He watched as she walked straight through the curtain. Fidgeting, her fingers kept balling into a fist. Her shoulders were slumped as if she were trying to hide herself from the staring. He almost couldn’t take it, and when some man grazed her arm from wrist to shoulder, Case wanted to rip it off and beat him to death with it.
At some point, he gripped the chair arms to keep himself still. Now, his fingers were cramping from the tight hold he had, and he knew if he let go, he’d go caveman on her and drag her out. His eyes didn’t leave Ev’s as she made her rounds, talking, touching, flirting with those men she knew nothing about.
There was one man that tipped his hand, and Case was on his feet before he could think, or Ace could catch him. The smarmy, bald, bulging waistl
ine prick had his hand on her hip and kept sliding it down to her ass. No matter how many times she tried to move away, he would pull her back. He’d had enough. She was done for the night.
Ev must have sensed the storm brewing because just as he was about to haul the toolbag up by his collar, she melted into his own chest. Her palms rubbing up and down as he heaved for breath through his anger. Case struggled to gain control of himself. He warred over wrapping her in his arms or beating the other man over the head with a chair.
“Casey?” She didn’t look up at him just laid her head against his heart and began counting softly.
It took him a full minute of concentration to finally realize what she was counting. “Are you counting my heart rate?” She nodded.
Looking to the man whose life was just saved by the woman in his arms, he made a point to place one hand over her ass. She was so small the grip covered her completely, while the other delved into her hair, hanging on for dear life. As if he didn’t hold tightly to her, she might disappear.
Leaning down into her, he kissed her forehead lightly, whispering, “What the fuck is this shit?” He had to know why she wore that on stage, and why the fuck she would come back out into the crowd with it on.
She finally looked up to him, their heads pressed together, and for the first time, he saw the emotions swirling in her transfixing eyes. Hurt waged war with relief. He didn’t understand either.
“Hey, buddy, you aren’t the only one who pays top dollar to admire this bitch’s ass. How ‘bout you share?” The drunken slur had his blood boiling again.
Turning just as Ace reached his side, Case whipped off his button up shirt and handed it to Ev. “Put this on, Kitten.” He was happy to note she did so with a smile gracing her lips. Looking to the next asshole that thought he could manhandle his woman, he told him, “Watch your fool mouth before I knock your teeth down your throat.”