by K. C. Crowne
We both leaned towards the TV with our hearts in our mouths. I felt Gabby's hand reach for mine, her palm sweaty and sticky.
"It was soon discovered by forensic teams that the money was nothing more than counterfeit bills, and the diamonds? Cubic Zirconia. Currently, more work is being done to ascertain the validity of the rest of the underground stash, but we're not holding out hope for a fortune. Meanwhile, no one remains to lay a claim to it as Benny Gianni Senior's two sons are out of the picture, one brutally murdered by the other. So what's next in the unexpected Mafia saga of Station Springs? We'll keep you posted."
“I don't fucking believe it,” I said, still staring slack-jawed at the television. “All that rivalry and bloodshed between brothers for a pile of fake notes and cheap stones.”
Gabby held my gaze for a moment, then an unstoppable giggle ruptured from her lips. She burst out laughing, her voice sounding like a hyena's as she slapped her thigh.
“I'm sorry,” she said, wiping a tear from her cheek. “If you don't laugh you cry. It's just all so crazy. Just...so, so stupid.” She laughed again and shook her head. “It's amazing what greed can do to people,” she said. “Benny and Mario were literally prepared to kill each other over nothing.”
“And they're supposed to be brothers.”
Gabby's face grew solemn as the laughter fell dead from her lips. “I'm so sorry about Jared.”
“He'll be okay,” I told her.
“Yeah, but...”
“What?”
“It's my fault, isn't it? He got shot because he was trying to save us, and I should have listened to you. If I hadn't gone in that taxi, if I'd just stayed at home like you said, none of it would have happened.”
“Don't say that.”
“But it's true!”
I pulled her close to me and brushed the hair from her face. “Think of it this way,” I said, winding a strand of her hair around my fingertip. “If you hadn't gone, we wouldn't have had to come find you, and the bunker wouldn't have been revealed, and Mario wouldn't be behind bars.”
“I suppose,” she sighed, but I could tell she wasn't entirely convinced.
“Look, just don't think about any of it right now. Just focus on getting better.”
Reluctantly, she lay back down and stared up at the television where a puff piece was now playing about the news anchor attending a kitten fashion show.
“How do you do it?” she asked, her eyes staring blankly.
“Do what?”
“Just have all these bad memories piled up in your head? You must have all these images of the war, all these reminders of times you were nearly killed, of watching other people get killed. How do you cope?”
I think of you...
I wanted to tell her how holding out hope of getting back with her saw me through the darkest nights. Wanted to say how the memories had all but vanished in the last few days since I saw her again, but of course, those weren't the words that came out. Instead, I found myself saying, “It gets easier over time. Soon, Benny will just be a distant memory and you can tell people about the time you fought a Mafia boss and came out alive.”
“I guess it's quite a story.”
She was quiet for a second, reliving the night in her head. I could tell it would take a long time for her to recover, even if she was intent on playing the tough chick.
But I'll be here for you through all of it. Through the memories. The nightmares. The reminders that pop up out the blue when you least expect them. I'll love you through it all.
I felt my throat close with emotion, but I swallowed it.
“Gabby, you have no idea who lucky I feel right now. I thought you were dead. Thought I'd never see you again! All I could think of was all the things I wanted to say to you. To tell you how much I love you, how much I want to be with you.”
But can I ever really be with her?
A life with me would mean being close to danger. The Giannis weren't the first crooks I'd fought, and they certainly wouldn't be the last.
My head was in turmoil with endless conflicting thoughts swirling around and around. So I tried to focus on the most meaningful one, the one she needed to hear right now.
“I love you,” I said, kissing her forehead. “I love you more than anything. I always have.”
She looked up at me, her big eyes shining, her hands reaching for me.
“I love you too,” she said. “I always will.”
Chapter 25
Gabby
"You really don't have to rush," the doctor said as I gathered my things. "It would be sensible to stay another day. Make sure you’re healing properly."
"I'll be fine," I said, reaching for my shoes. "Honestly, it's nothing I can't handle."
The doc sighed with frustration but nodded. "Very well."
He walked away, shaking his head, but I ignored him.
“Come on,” I said to Jackson as I took his hand. “Let's go see Jared.”
His room lay at the end of the corridor. But unlike mine, there was an urgent buzz in the air as nurses bustled in and out of his room. Amongst all the activity, the machinery beeped all around him. As Jackson pushed the door open, we saw Carly slumped in a chair beside his bed, her hand glued to his.
She didn't look up at us as we entered. "Hey," she said, her face red and blotchy from crying.
"Hey..."
Jackson leaned in close to Jared, peering closely at him. “Jared? Jared, buddy it's me." When there was no response, he looked up at Carly, his face crumpling.
"He's heavily sedated," she explained. "The doc said it would be better to keep him under for now. When he wakes up the pain's gonna hit him like a truck."
"He looks so pale, Carly."
"I know..." She squeezed his hand and moved over to brush the hair from his sweaty forehead.
"So what else did the doc say?" Jackson asked.
"That he's the luckiest bastard on Earth. A few more minutes without the coagulant, and he'd be gone. Dylan's a life saver."
"So he's going to be okay?"
She nodded, her lips pulled into a grim, tight line. "Yeah. He'll be okay. There was an angel watching over him last night."
"An angel called Denny most likely."
"I hope so..."
The room fell silent as we disappeared inside our own heads. Only the sound of the heart monitor filled the heavy air. A steady beeping that matched my own heart.
"Stop it," Carly suddenly blurted to Jackson.
"What?"
"Blaming yourself."
"How can I not? I should’ve been looking out for him."
"You were. You did your best."
He looked back down at Jared. "Doesn't feel like it."
Pulling up a chair, he sat on the other side of the bed and took Jared's free hand. I lingered at the back of the room, not wanting to intrude on their family moment.
"It's okay," Carly said to him. "You can go home. Get some rest."
"Are you kidding me? I'm not leaving him!"
"It's fine," she gulped, her words sticking in her swollen throat. "You need to take care of Gabby. I'll sit with Jared until you come back."
"No way."
Carly sighed, reached for a tissue and dabbed it to her eyes. "I'll be honest, Jackson, you look like shit. Go home and take a shower. Grab something to eat and sleep for an hour."
I approached him from behind, lay a hand on his shoulder, and kissed the top of his head. "You need to take care of yourself as well," I told him.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, let out a long exhale and said, "Fine. Just an hour. I'll be right back. Can I bring anything?"
"A big bottle of vodka," Carly said sarcastically. "Or a family bar of chocolate. Either will do."
"Chocolate it is."
Reluctantly, he let go of Jared's hand and moved round to hug Carly. He ruffled her hair like she was a kid and squeezed her tight.
"Call me if he so much as blinks."
"Will do. Now get outta
here. You stink."
She playfully punched him in the ribs, and he gave Jared one last look before reaching for the door.
I hung back in the room for a second, taking the chance to squeeze the life out of Carly in the tightest bear hug.
"Don't know what I would have done without you down there," I said. "Love you."
"Love you too," she sniffed, burying her face in my neck.
"I'll be back soon with that vodka."
She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand and tried to smile. "Thanks, Gabs. You're the best."
I left her standing there, her eyes falling back to Jared's pale, waxen face.
Out in the hall, I took Jackson's hand. He looked dazed but was trying to appear strong.
"He'll be okay," I told him. "He's in the best hands."
"I know, but...seeing him like that scared the shit out of me."
"I'd be scared too. But I promise you. He'll be fine."
He nodded and pulled me into a hug that squeezed the breath out of me.
"Come on," he said. "Let's go home."
Outside, the air was calm, and the sky was bright blue with a few wisps of cotton clouds drifting by slowly. The snow from the night before still lay thick but had begun to melt leaving puddles spread out across the parking lot. Behind the hospital, the mountain loomed up on the horizon. Its white peak punctuated with the lights from the police team still covering it.
"It's hard to take it all in," I said as I looked up the mountain. "It's just crazy."
He took my hand and turned me around to face the opposite direction.
"Just try not to think about it too much," he said. "Anyway, where are we heading? You want me to call a cab and take you back to Jared's?"
"No cab!" I blurted. "I mean, I'm happy to walk. I need the air and I'm full of pent-up energy. Besides, I was actually thinking I could maybe come back to your place?"
I bit my lip as I waited for his reply.
“How could I say no to a face like that?”
We traipsed through the snow hand in hand, watching the town unfold in the morning light as the drama from the night before reached everyone's ears. There wasn't a single coffee shop without the television on, everyone staring at the screen to learn every tiny detail.
In the distance, the diner appeared, the lights on in the window signaling it was open early. As we reached the window, I could see Tracey at the counter sipping from a mug of coffee, her eyes focused on the television on the wall. Noticing us, she turned and waved like crazy.
"Get in here!" she said, flinging the door open. "Is it true?"
"What have you heard?"
"Everything!"
"It's all true," I said.
Tracey clapped a hand to her mouth in disbelief and shook her head.
“Poor Jared. You must have been terrified.”
“I was,” Jackson revealed.
“When you see him, tell him he needs to getter better quick. There's a pile of pancakes waiting for him.”
“I will,” Jackson chuckled as he turned to leave. But Tracey was latching onto his sleeve and pulling him back to her.
"Wait. Was Dylan there?" He nodded. "Oh, God is he okay?"
"He's fine," he replied. "He came away better than the rest of us."
"Will you tell him I was asking for him? I was so worried."
"You could always head up to the hospital yourself," Jackson said. "He'd be pleased to see you.”
"He would?"
"Absolutely."
The panic in her face soon turned to excitement. "I'll be back in an hour!" she beamed, flicking the sign on the door to say closed.
As she skipped down the road in the direction of the hospital, I couldn't help but laugh.
"She's like a teenager with a crush," I said. "It's adorable."
"Like us when we first met."
"Kinda," I blushed, leaning into him.
We walked arm in arm, barely able to walk a single step without touching each other. I kissed him as we rounded the corner to his street, my lips pressed to his as he fumbled for his keys. I was still attached to him as he struggled to unlock the door. The two of us tumbled inside, falling onto the couch in a heap of limbs.
I sat on top of him, my strong legs straddling his hips. He reached a hand up and pulled the scarf from my neck until my bruises came into view. Tracing his fingers over them, he became consumed with anger.
“I could have killed him,” he raged. “Two minutes earlier and I could have stopped him.”
“But two minutes later and it would have been too late.”
Sitting up, he pulled his body to mine and pressed his lips to my neck. I let out a gasp as he kissed me and wound my legs around his waist.
"Take me to bed," I whispered in his ear.
Scooping me up onto his hip, I shrieked and giggled with the thrill of his strong body carrying me. It wasn't that I liked to feel powerless, but rather that I enjoyed his strength and relished how feminine it made me feel.
Kicking the door to his bedroom open, he lowered me gently onto the bed. I pulled him down on top of me, my hands exploring his body.
His hands were tearing at my clothes, struggling with zipper after zipper.
"I hate the winter," he said. "You've got about a hundred layers on. I feel like I'm trying to break into a safe."
"But the prize is worth it," I laughed.
I lay back as he peeled my clothes off, inch by inch, layer by layer, his frozen fingers coming into contact with my skin. Lifting my t-shirt, he kissed my stomach softly, his lips like little more than a feather. I closed my eyes for a second, felt the heat rise within me and my body relax.
Slowly, he pulled my shirt up over my head, kissing my neck as my shirt became tangled in my hair. Then he was holding my face in his hands, brushing his tongue against mine as he drew me closer to him, our bodies sticking together, hips grinding until we were no longer two people, but one.
He lay me down on my back, and for a second, he just looked at me, admiring my body, his eyes moving over every single inch of skin. His fingers tucked into the waistband of my panties and tugged lightly. I raised my bottom to ease their removal and watched as he dropped them to the floor. Rolling on top of me, he kissed my breasts, his hands cupping them softly, his thumb and forefinger ever so slightly pinching my nipples until they stung. Then he licked them, circling them with his hot tongue.
Deep inside, I could feel a knot of energy forming and I opened my legs for him. He pulled apart my thighs and sank himself between them with a sigh mingled with a groan. Burying his face in my neck, he breathed in my scent and held me tight.
He was rock hard, his cock throbbing against my stomach, but he made no attempts to enter me. Instead, he just caressed me. His muscular fingers traced circles around my shoulders, my ribs, my stomach. Each hair on my body stood at attention as my skin readied itself for his touch.
He continued to look at me, watching the rise and fall of my breaths as though he was the luckiest guy in the world, and I was made of pure gold. Pressing his hand between my breasts, he felt my heartbeat thumping faster against the palm of his hand. Then he moved his hand lower until I could feel the heat of it penetrating through my stomach. Then lower still until his fingers slipped between my thighs, meeting the wetness that was just for him.
He pressed his middle finger against my clit and massaged it slowly. Inside, I could feel a slight shudder, a tremble of ecstasy as the knot of energy swelled inside me. Another finger joined it as I pulsed against him, raising my hips to feel more of him.
But as much as I needed him, his movement remained calm, gentle, loving. I pulled him toward me and slid my hand down his body, lightly scraping my nails over his skin. He shivered as I tickled the sensitive space just below his belly button, laughed and kissed me back, then rolled over onto his back, pulling me on top of him.
I took his cock in my hand and stroked it gently, feeling the tip grow hot and swollen. He bit his lip as I ran the
palm of my hand over it and groaned as I placed my other hand lightly over his balls.
"Oh, God," he whispered.
His tongue darted out over his bottom lip, his hands running up the sides of my body eager to meet my breasts. Leaning over him, I balanced my nipples over his mouth, and he sucked them hungrily. My hand still stroked him slowly, sensuously, with labored, controlled movement that left him wanting more.
Gradually, I lowered myself on his cock, teasing him with the promise of entering me. I lingered for a moment in a moment of both pleasure and torture, and he looked up at me, a mix of frustration and desire in his eyes.
At last, I eased him inside me, his eyes rolling back in his head as a loud groan oozed out his mouth. I could feel myself expand to accommodate him, could feel him fill me until it almost hurt.
He wrapped his hands around my hipbones and thrust himself deeper as an impatient grunt escaped his mouth. His face reddened, the veins sticking out thick and blue in his neck.
Bending down to his neck, I pressed my mouth to his ear and whispered, "You can do it harder if you like."
Quick as a flash, he grabbed me by the waist and flipped me onto my back. He was rough, possessive, so completely dominant, but the loving look never left his eyes. As he thrust deep inside me, the sweat forming on his pecs and the muscles in his arms rippling, he gazed down at me with pure adoration.
Taking his hand, I lowered it to my clit, and he rubbed it with his thumb.
"Oh, yeah just like that."
My thighs began to tremble, my whole body tensing as the knot of energy was ready to fight itself free from my body.
"Like this?" he whispered, rubbing me a little harder.
"Oh, God. Yes...Yes!"
My body was invaded with delicious, creamy feelings that made me dig my nails into his arm as I cried out. A violent shudder erupted through me as I shut my eyes tightly, a loud, unstoppable scream ripping itself out my body.
A climax tore through me like a tidal wave of euphoria and left me breathless and blind as I just lay there, blinking at the ceiling trying to gather my bearings. Then when I felt as though I couldn't take anymore, he pulled out and moved down my body, and when at last I could see properly again, I looked down just in time to see his mouth wrap around my pussy. He began lapping at me, softly at first, then harder until it felt so good it hurt.