by Skye Tisdale
I chuckled and reached my arm around Morgan. “Trouble finds me, not the other way around.”
Jennifer giggled and Chase laughed heartily, but Morgan stared guiltily at her own feet.
“If I had known…” she mumbled. “If I had known, then I never would’ve come up here.”
I looked at her and squeezed her shoulder. “If you hadn’t come up here, then who would’ve shot Maverick’s car tire and prevented him from getting away? I might be dead if you hadn’t come up here, Morgan. You saved my life.”
In more ways than one, I thought. I didn’t say it out loud, because some things were only meant to be said in private. And judging from the warm and tender look in Morgan’s eyes, she knew exactly what I was thinking anyhow.
“Yeah…” she mumbled softly. “I guess I did.”
“Woah, wait a minute!” Chase held his hand up. “They told me they captured Maverick, but they never told me how. You’re telling me that she took him down? By shooting his car tire out from underneath him?”
Morgan laughed nervously. “It was a little bit more complicated than that, but… Yes. I guess so.”
“That’s the gist of it,” I agreed.
Chase stared at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. “Wow,” he said. “Now there’s a story to tell the grandkids. Won’t lie, I would’ve loved to take him down myself… but I’m not complaining. The only thing that matters is that we got him. Well done!”
Morgan blushed shyly. “Thank you.”
“How about a cheer?” I suggested. “To friendships, old and new.”
“Cheers!” Jennifer agreed.
“Cheers to no longer having to look over our shoulders!” Morgan said excitedly.
“And to your incredible aim.” Chase grinned playfully. “…Or was that shot just pure luck?”
Morgan laughed heartily. “I want to say both, but considering I’ve never held a gun before in my entire life, I think luck played a bigger role.”
“Cheers to good luck, then!” Jennifer beamed. “And, you know, there’s a shooting range not too far away from here. Maybe we should go there sometime, just us girls. I think you’d really enjoy it. Plus, it’s never a bad idea to learn how to defend yourself.”
“You can say that again…” I murmured.
Morgan lit up like a beacon. “Oh, that sounds like so much fun! I’d love that.”
“Speaking of self–defense…” Chase interjected. “Heard you gave my courier quite the scare, Axel. Did you at least get my warning?”
I reached into my chest pocket and pulled out the dog tag. Even after looking at it underneath a magnifying glass, I hadn’t been able to make out the old etching. After all the grief that it had caused me, I felt relieved to finally know where it had come from. I set the chain down on the table between us. “Suppose you’ll be wanting this back.”
“I would. My neck’s been feeling awfully bare without it. Haven’t taken it off since the day we parted ways back at the border…” Chase grabbed the chain delicately and wrapped it around his neck, tucking it safely underneath his collar. “Had to warn you somehow, but I couldn’t risk coming up here with Maverick and his men running around. So, a message had to do.”
“You should have given the courier a warning,” Jennifer chastised him. “What were you thinking, sending him up the mountain like that? The storm could’ve killed him. Not to mention Axel!“
“Me? Nah,” I grunted. “I might have roughed him up a bit, but he’ll be all right.”
“Sure he will,” Chase agreed, chuckling. “…I just don’t think he’ll be running errands for me again anytime soon.”
“Tough,” I said.
Jennifer huffed. I cocked my head and studied the expression on her face. She still hadn’t told me what she was doing up here, and I knew better than to think it was just some coincidence. Maybe the fact that her and Chase were sitting so close to each other that their thighs were practically touching was some kind of clue.
“So…” I squinted at her. “When are you going to tell me how you’re involved in all this?”
Jennifer quickly took a sip of her drink. “What makes you think I’m involved?” she asked innocently.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t get coy with me, Jen. You know as well as I do that I’m going to find out, one way or another.”
She bit her lip and glanced at Chase, who seemed to nod his head lightly.
“All right, fine! I’ll tell you,” Jennifer blurted out. “Chase showed up at my door a couple of days ago…”
“What, at your apartment?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “He didn’t even introduce himself. He just barged in and started talking about how he needed my help. I thought he was crazy, like a hobo who wandered in through the front door or something… but then he mentioned you.” She looked up at me with big, sad eyes. “He told me everything. All the things you’ve been through together. Oh, Axel… I never could’ve guessed, but it explains so much.” She sighed softly. “He told me that you were in danger and that he needed my help to save you because I knew my way around the area. I said yes, of course. I mean… I had to. You would’ve done the same for me, right?”
“Of course,” I said hoarsely. “I’d do anything for the people I care about.”
“Nah…” Chase shook his head. “I think you’d do anything for anyone, not just the people you care about. You’re the kind of guy who’d take his last sip of water and give it to a stranger in a desert that you’re both lost in. And, honestly… I don’t know if that’s admirable or just really fucking stupid.”
I snorted a laugh. “Probably the latter.”
Morgan shook her head slowly. “I don’t think it’s stupid at all. I think it’s admirable. If only more people were willing to do the same thing, then the world would be a much better place…”
“What’s a girl got to do to get heard around here?” Jennifer whined. “Let me finish my story!”
“Then talk!” I said impatiently. “We’re listening.”
Jennifer huffed, much to the bemusement of Chase. “Fine,” she said. “We wanted to save you, but we didn’t know how. Just sending the courier up here to warn you didn’t feel like enough—and time was running out quickly. Eventually we had no choice but to bite the bullet and drive up here ourselves. When we arrived, that’s when we saw all that blood in the parking lot outside…” She shuddered.
“Some guy showed up looking for Morgan,” I grunted. “Big guy. One of Maverick’s cronies. Needless to say, we had a bit of a scuffle… Point I’m trying to make is: that’s not my blood out there. It’s his.”
“Oh. Well, that would’ve been nice to know then.” Jennifer sighed. “That’s when Chase decided to call the FBI for help. We didn’t know if we could actually trust them, but it’s not like we had any other choice. Your life was at stake.”
Chase grinned. “…and breaking you out of prison sounded easier than bringing you back from the dead.”
I managed a weak chuckle. After living in isolation all these years, I’d somehow convinced myself that I was all on my own. Turns out, that couldn’t be further from the truth. I had friends—real friends; the kind that’s hard to come by—and those friends wouldn’t even hesitate to take a bullet for me. I didn’t know if I deserved them, but I did know that I’d do the same for them… in a heartbeat.
“How about another round?” I asked and pushed my chair back. The hum of agreement brought a smile to my lips. Beer wouldn’t make up for all the things that my friends had done for me, but it was one hell of a start.
***
EPILOGUE
MORGAN
I let out a sigh of relief as I slid down into the clawfoot bathtub, letting the hot and soapy water swallow me up. Axel was on me in an instant. It was a tight squeeze with both of us being in the tub at the same time—but only because he was so big. I giggled and smiled coyly at him as he let his warm hands wander across my aching, naked body. Even though the years were p
assing by so fast, he still looked at me the same way that he had during our first night together. I still saw the hunger in his eyes; felt it in his touch.
A green sheen fell over Axel’s face when he turned to look out the window. The Aurora Borealis was rippling across the sky tonight, looking like a wave of neon green water. The sight reminded me of the time before I found myself. Before I found my happiness.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I mumbled.
“Almost as beautiful as you,” he responded and ran his finger across my cheek.
I purred and climbed into his lap, feeling his muscular thighs tense up beneath me. “Oh, I like where this is going…”
He chuckled. “Not as much as I do.”
I put my hands on either side of his bearded face and kissed him hungrily. He wrapped his arms around my body and held me tight as he kissed me back, grunting quietly into my mouth. Moving softly back and forth on his lap, I could feel his excitement between my legs. My heart pounded, and I felt a familiar stirring deep inside of him. I wanted him—no, I needed him. Whenever Axel took me, it was like the rest of the world ceased to exist. All that mattered then was the pleasure we could give each other. Oh, how I wanted to pleasure him now…
A light knock on the bathroom door caused me to open my eyes. Axel pulled away from me and turned his head.
“And I just sat down, too…” I sighed and made a move to get up.
Axel put his hand on my arm. “I’ll go this time.”
I smiled warmly and kissed him one last time. “Thank you.”
I bit my lip and watched silently as Axel rose to his feet and stepped out of the tub, water dripping down his naked body. He reached for a towel and wrapped it tightly around his hips before opening the door. I lowered myself down in the water and hid beneath the bubbles. My pregnant belly stuck out through the surface like the top of a submarine. I put my hand over it instinctively.
Axel crouched down in the doorway. “Hey, little princess,” I heard him say. “What are you doing up still? Couldn’t sleep, huh?”
There was no response. May was still too young to talk—but not too young to climb out of her crib and interrupt Axel and me whenever we got some much–needed alone time. Yes, I’d be lying if I said she didn’t drive me mad sometimes… but I could never stay mad for long. Just the sound of her bubbly laugh was enough to melt my heart and bring a smile to my face. Before her, I never knew it was possible to love another person so much, and so unconditionally. I felt like my whole life had just been preparing me for that moment.
Axel left, but I could still hear him speaking softly to May while she babbled tiredly back to him on the other side of the door. I smiled to myself and rested my head against the back of the tub, letting my mind wander. Tomorrow was the big day. After months of preparation, and years of talking, it was finally time to host the grand re–opening of the bar. I was excited, but nervous. There were so many things that could go wrong, and I just wanted everything to be perfect. I hadn’t even been back to the bar since May was born. Waitressing was going to be a lot more complicated with her strapped to my chest…
And what if people didn’t like the new name we’d chosen for the bar: Shoot–Out? It was Jennifer’s idea. I thought it was a bit crude, but the customers seemed to get a kick out of it. In fact, our history was like the bar’s main selling point. Ever since Maverick’s arrest, people had been flocking to our little side of the mountain just to see where it all went down. Because things like that just didn’t happen around here.
Business was booming, and I was so incredibly grateful, because that was the sole reason I was able to stay home with May while Axel worked. I’d go back to work one day, but for now my days centered around building sweet, lifelong memories with my little girl and giving her the best childhood that she could ever possibly have—and it was all thanks to Axel’s hard work and sacrifice. I’d finally realized something, too. Axel made being a housewife feel like a privilege, while David made it feel more like a cruel prison sentence. Because, in the end, it was never the thought of being his housewife that frightened me so much.
It was just the thought of being his.
The candle flames flickered as Axel pushed the door back open. I looked up and smiled at him. When I did, I also looked past him and saw the worn cardboard box sitting on the bookshelf on the loft. It was covered in dust. Inside that box were all the letters Amber had sent me throughout the years. I went to my parents’ house after David’s arrest and asked my mother if I could have them, and she swore up and down that the letters never existed. I believed her—until 2 months ago, at her funeral, when my teary–eyed father approached me and finally confessed the truth…
It was never David who lied about the letters’ existence.
It was her.
Apparently, they’d stopped coming about two years ago, but the letters were real. However, besides a quick peek to make sure the letters were truly there, I hadn’t been able to bring myself to look inside. I was afraid of what I might find; of what secrets I might uncover… I had a new life now. A good life. On Rodite Mountain, everyone was like one big family. The locals hadn’t hesitated to accept me as one of their own, and for the first time in my life, I actually felt like I belonged somewhere. I had a home now. The letters were a constant, painful reminder of a time I’d much rather forget.
Axel closed the door, shutting the box from my view. I shook the thoughts from my head.
“I think she just wanted some attention,” he said. “I gave her the bottle and put her back to bed. She didn’t even drink. She just passed right out.”
“Good,” I said and moved over to the edge of the tub and tugged at the towel wrapped around Axel’s waist. It fell to the floor with a soft thud.
Axel grinned and lowered himself down into the water beside me, hungrily running his hands all over my body. “Now…” he said. “Where were we?”
I bit my bottom lip and fondled his growing hardness underneath the surface of the water. “I think I was just about to sit on this.”
“Well then…” He chuckled and tickled my neck with his soft lips. “Don’t keep me waiting, princess.”
I climbed onto his lap and shivered faintly as I felt his hardness between my thighs. I held onto his shoulders and gazed into his eyes as I lowered myself down. He grunted as the tip of his cock pierced my opening and stretched me open. I cried out softly, despite my best efforts to stay silent. Axel silenced me by pressing his lips against mine and kissing me. I closed my eyes and kissed him back while rocking my body back and forth, feeling him slide deeper into me with each movement.
We climaxed at the same time. The only thing keeping my loud moans from echoing through the house was Axel’s lips pressed against mine, hungrily chewing on my bottom lip. He trembled as he filled me up, and I felt my legs quiver. That was a rare treat…
We dried ourselves off before leaving the bathroom and heading to bed. May was still asleep in her cot on the bottom floor. Axel, who was understandably exhausted after a long day at work, gave me a quick peck on the cheek before rolling over and promptly passing out. I couldn’t fall asleep so easily. I tossed and turned on the bed for what felt like hours, but I could never find a comfortable position. My mind was just as uncomfortable, if not more. I just couldn’t stop thinking about that cardboard box…
I opened my eyes and saw it sitting there on the bookshelf. The lid was open like it was waiting for me. Like Amber was waiting for me. How did she feel writing those letters every week, not knowing if I was ever going to even read them? Had she ever laid awake late at night thinking about me, wondering if I even cared…? The thought made my chest ache with guilt.
I pushed the blanket aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to open that box.
I grabbed the box and went to sit down at the kitchen table. The only source of light was the dim glow from May’s fairy night light, but that was enough. The box was filled to the brim
with envelopes. I pulled the top one out and felt my hand tremble as I gently ripped it open. The letter was handwritten in my sister’s beautiful handwriting, which had been a source of envy for me for as long as I could remember. But I felt none of that now. All I felt was a deep sense of longing; a desire to reconnect with the person who once used to be my best friend…
Hey sis!
My letter is late this week, I know, and I’m sorry! I promise I haven’t forgotten about you. In fact, I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately. Things are just a little bit hectic right now. I don’t even know if you’re even going to read this, but… I’m pregnant. Three months along. No, it wasn’t planned, in case you were wondering. Don’t tell mom and dad, okay?
But enough about me! I hope everything’s great with you. Someone told me you’re dating some guy from church and that you’re about to get married. Wow. Don’t you know you’re not allowed to get married until I have? I’m the oldest! Ha–ha. Just kidding, of course. I’m happy for you, and I hope he treats you well. He better.
Anyway… hopefully my letters aren’t starting to annoy you. If you ever want to write back, my address is on the other side of this piece of paper like always. No pressure. I just want to be a part of your life.
Love you plenty,
Amber
I just want to be a part of your life. I read the words several times, feeling the tears burn behind my eyelids. The letter was old, which meant that the baby must’ve already been born. It was too late. Amber had reached out to me for support, and I never even knew because I was too frightened to read her letters… I’d let her down.