by E Cleveland
I trail my fingers over the back of her neck and pull her tight against me, looking down at her sultry lips, “Is that right?” I murmur. “Maybe I’ll join you, I’m pretty sure I can ease away all your tension.” I run my other hand down her back and dig my fingers into her plump ass, making her gasp before I cover her lips with my kiss.
Our tongues collide feverishly, like they’re desperate to be reunited. I can taste her passion, her desire, her eternal longing on her tongue. I have half a mind to drag her back into the coat closet for another round, but as she pulls back and looks up at me with those sweet baby blues, I know I want to take her back to our room so I can claim her as mine again and again. I want to savor every inch of her as I make her cry out my name until her throat is so raw she can’t speak. I want to make her cum until she crumples with exhaustion. I want to lie in bed with her with our flesh pressed together as one, our limbs tied together in a true lover’s knot that neither of us will be eager to untie.
“I’m ready to go,” I growl, hungry for another taste of her. “I just…” I search my mind for what it is I was supposed to do. All rational thoughts have been stripped away from me, replaced by my one primal instinct to rip off Holly’s clothes and make her mine.
“Are you going to say goodbye to your brother?” She throws me a lifeline, saving me from drowning in my lust.
“That’s it,” I snap my fingers. “Let’s go wish them well and then we can get out of here.” I run my fingers over the side of her rosy cheek and tilt her chin up as I smother her delicate lips with another kiss.
I step back and hold out my hand to her, but she doesn’t take it. “If it’s ok with you, I’d like to get some fresh air,” she smiles. “Someone’s got me all worked up and I need to cool down.”
“Ok, well don’t let yourself get too cool. I have plans for you later,” I let my gaze slide over her curves, shamelessly enjoying every detail. “I’ll be out in a minute,” I let go of her hand and watch as she walks toward the front door. The hypnotic sway of her hips, the jiggle of her round ass against the flimsy fabric of her dress. I have to force myself to walk away.
I quickly make it back into the ballroom, on a mission to track down my brother as quickly as possible so I can get back to Holly.
Twisting my head like an owl, I scan the room for his familiar face. Finally, I spot him off to the side of the dance floor, talking with Dad. I hurry over to them, not caring if I’m interrupting a moment. I’ve got other things on my mind.
“There he is,” Dad looks up at me. “Were your ears burning?”
“No, why? Were you talking about me?” I look from my father’s face to my brother’s.
“I was just telling Cameron how proud I am of you boys. It’s incredible to watch your children grow up. To see you become men that I couldn’t admire more.” He looks over at my brother, “You’ll know soon enough what it’s like. Enjoy them while they’re young. Everyone says it, but it’s so easy to forget. One day your little one will be sleeping against your chest and the next they’ll be off to college. Or having kids of their own,” Dad smiles wistfully.
“I will,” Cameron answers. He turns his attention to me, “I suppose that you’re next,” he beams at me knowingly.
“How’s that?” I try to guess at the meaning of his words.
“We were just saying that we’ll all be doing this again soon,” Cameron sweeps his hand over the room full of family and friends. “I can see from the way you look at Holly that there’s going to be another wedding in our future.”
“I don’t know about that,” I shrug it off, but inside his words cling to my heart. I’ve never made any plans to propose, the whole ‘taking it one day at a time’ thing has really been the main focus. However, I realize that Cameron has vocalized what my gut has been telling me since I first met Holly.
She’s the one.
“Well, wedding or not, I’m just happy to see you’ve both found wonderful women that make you happy,” Dad looks at us.
“Thanks, Pops,” I answer.
“Hey, I wanted to let you know that I’m heading out. This was the perfect start to an amazing life for you, bro,” I look at my big brother. “I can’t wait to watch you play your season, and I can’t wait to meet your little one when the time comes. You’ve got a big year ahead of you, and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy.” I grab my brother’s hand and give it a shake, but pull him in for a hug.
“Thanks, Jake,” he throws his arm around me tight. “That means a lot to me coming from you, man.”
I step back and look over at my father, “Are we good, Pops?” I tilt my head and watch him slowly nod.
“We’re good. Always,” he throws his arms around me and gives me a strong squeeze. The man might be getting older, but his strength is still there.
I clap his back and step back smiling. Clearing my throat, I push down the emotions threatening to spill out of me. “All right!” I say too loudly to mask the tremble in my voice, “I’ll see you soon, I hope,” I nod at Dad and he agrees. “And you, have fun on your honeymoon. Give me a call when you’re back,” I look at Cameron.
“Will do,” he agrees.
I don’t drag it out anymore, instead I head back out to the hall and stride toward the front doors of the building, hypnotically drawn to Holly’s light that I can’t see through the door, but I know is there. Like a moth to a flame.
“Ahhhh! Noooo! Lemme go!”
My blood turns cold as Holly’s screams reverberate against the walls. My heart pounds in my chest twice as fast as my feet hit the floor. I bolt for the door.
“Help!” She shrieks.
I fling the front door open and scan the darkness for her. Where is she? Oh God, where is she?
“Holly!” I yowl out into the darkness like a wolf calling out to the moon. “Holly! I’m coming!”
41
Holly
“Shut the fuck up!” Knox backhands me across my cheek and my head whips over to the side. A trickle of blood flows from my split lip leaving a taste of salty copper on my tongue. I twist and thrash against him, but I can’t break loose from his iron grip. Knox drags me like a rag doll out into the dark parking lot, away from the building. Away from Jake. Away from any chance of escape.
Terror bubbles up inside me and I flail erratically like a fish dangling on a line. “Help!” I scream as loud as I can, desperate for anyone to hear. I was just standing at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the stars and thinking of how incredibly blessed I am, literally moments ago. Then I felt a tight squeeze around my neck as Knox wrapped his arm around my throat, clamping his hand down over my mouth and dragged me away.
“Holly?” I can hear Jake back at the building.
Knox yanks a gun from the back of his pants and cocks it against my temple. “Go ahead, call out to your perfect Prince Charming,” he sneers. “I’ll empty your brains right here on the pavement, and then his,” he twists me around to face him and I can see the gleeful glint in his wild eyes daring me to challenge him. To give him a reason.
Somehow, I manage to swallow my instinct to cry out, frozen in a headlock against Knox’s arm with a gun to my head. I wish this wasn’t a familiar feeling.
“Ahh, you always were my good girl, weren’t you,” he jerks his arm tighter across my throat and begins to drag me away. For the first time, I notice he doesn’t have the same swagger he used to. His leg bounces with every step as he pulls me further from Jake. He’s walking with a limp.
It feels like a lifetime ago that I shot him. Clearly, not to him. Knox is the kind of man who seldom forgets and never forgives.
I fight to push away the woozy feeling that’s surrounding me. I can barely breathe with Knox’s choke hold twisted around my neck. The stars begin to blend together and swirl, like a Van Gogh painting, as the world begins to feel fuzzy around the edges. I can’t feel my feet and my arms are taken over by pins and needles, my vision is starting to tunnel.
“Holly!”
Jake’s voice sounds so distant. Like a memory or a dream.
Knox stops beside a black Cadillac and flings the trunk up. He finally releases my neck and shoves me toward the opening. “Get in, bitch. You and I have so much catching up to do. I can’t wait to get started.” He throws me against the cold, hard metal edge of the open trunk and I cling onto the sides, fighting to keep my legs rooted to the ground.
“Jake! Over here!” I scream, twisting myself sideways in an attempt to break free. Knox grabs a fistful of my hair, using it to control my head as he pins me under him. He plunges my face into the darkness of the trunk, leaving my ass hanging over the back edge. I can feel him grind his filthy cock against my ass as he runs the cold steel of his gun up the inside of my trembling thighs.
“Yeah, we’ve got lots of catching up to do.” I can hear him behind me. He pushes the nozzle of his gun flat against my pussy and panicked tears choke me. I sob into the trunk, at his mercy. And Knox has no mercy.
“Once I’m done fucking every hole on your tight little body, I’m gonna shoot it. First, I’ll shoot your asshole, then your pussy, I’ll save your mouth for last so you don’t die too quick. I’m gonna enjoy letting you bleed out like the fucking pig you are,” Knox crushes me against the edge of his trunk, his body weight flattening me, making the metal edge dig underneath my ribs and push the air from my lungs.
I’m crying so hard, but I can’t pull the oxygen I need into my body. I start to cough and sputter.
I have no doubt, none whatsoever, that he will make good on his promises. If I don’t die here first.
“Knox, get the fuck away from her,” Jake’s voice booms from behind me. It bounces off the inside of the trunk, like an echo in a cave, reassuring me.
“Fuck you,” I hear Knox spit at him and am suddenly free as his body is plucked from mine.
I stand up and gasp for air, whirling around to see Jake pounce on Knox like a starving lion taking down a sickly hyena.
“You think you’re a badass because you beat down a woman?” Jake rolls on top of him. “I’ve taken out the biggest terrorist in the fucking world. You’re nothing but a little bitch,” He punches Knox in the face and his head flings back against the pavement.
I don’t know what to do other than watch in horror as they struggle for control of the gun. Knox isn’t nearly as big as Jake, but he’s like a weasel. He’s able to maintain control of the weapon as he twists out of the way of Jake’s heavy punch. His hand hits the cement with a sickening thud and a smile slicks across Knox’s face as Jake grimaces in pain.
I look around frantically. I don’t have a phone to call 9-1-1. I can’t see anyone by the building or out in the parking lot, but I can’t just stand here like a fool. I start screaming my head off for help.
“Please, help! Anyone! Call the cops! Help!” I shriek desperately.
Jake balls up his fist again, but this time he doesn’t miss Knox’s sharp nose. Blood explodes from his face as his nose is mangled under the force of Jake’s punch. I watch as Knox’s eyes roll back into his head with wonder. Did Jake knock him out?
Jake twists Knox’s hands, trying to pluck the gun from him, but he can’t. Under him, Knox is still managing to cling to the weapon, pointing it at Jake’s face.
“Please! Help! Oh my God, he’s going to kill him! Help!” I break down into hysterics, but no one is coming.
The two men writhe on the ground, yanking for control of the gun. Knox points it at Jake, then Jake takes control and aims it at Knox. My heart is beating out of my chest and I can’t stop screaming at the top of my lungs, feeling like a helpless, pathetic, fool.
BANG!
I watch in horror as Jake slumps over Knox. “Oh my god! No!” I cry out, running over to Jake. I don’t care anymore what happens to me. If Jake is dead, I have nothing left to live for.
I throw my arms over Jake’s shoulders and he slides off of Knox’s body before standing up, gun in hand.
He’s alive! I look down to the pavement at the blood gushing from Knox’s chest. There’s no doubt from the hole in his body that he’s not walking away from this one.
“I thought he killed you. I thought,” I throw my arms around Jake’s neck and he lifts me up, swirling me around and gives me a kiss.
“Are you ok?” His eyes are full of concern as he gently puts me back on my feet and rubs his thumb over my fat lip.
“It’s nothing,” I grab his hand and look him over, still not fully convinced that he wasn’t hurt somehow. “I’m just so glad you’re ok. I’m so glad it’s over,” the words tumble out of my mouth.
I look over to the front of the building, Cameron and his father are running out the doors toward us. My eyes fall back to Knox’s lifeless body bleeding out the same way he wanted me to.
“It’s over,” Jake reassures me, running his swollen hand over my hair. “It’s over.” He pulls me into his chest and I listen to his heartbeat, shaking as my nerves try to settle.
I can’t believe that Knox is dead. That I’m finally free. Forever. I cling to the only man I’ve ever truly loved. The man who just saved my life. My hero. I listen to his heart promising me of our days to come. Of our freedom. Of our future. Of a life without Knox.
I’m finally free.
42
Jake
“Am I going to jail? It was self-defense!” I can feel myself getting worked up as the detective finally comes back into the room. He’s left me sitting here for at least an hour. Do they think I’m lying? I should probably call a lawyer. This whole night has been so chaotic, I haven’t been thinking straight. I should’ve demanded a lawyer an hour ago.
“Petty Officer Armstrong, please, calm down.” The officer casually strolls across the room, his ginger hair brightening under the fluorescent lights above. The hues of orange and red remind me of campfires we had when I was a kid. Except now, instead of roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories, I might be getting my ass roasted while I live the craziest horror story of all.
“How can you tell me to calm down? You’ve left me here forever. I think I should get a lawyer,” I search his pale, freckled face for answers, but I can’t read him.
“You are free to call a lawyer, if you want. However, I think you should probably put that off for the time being,” he plops down in the seat across the table from me, lying his beige folder down in front of him.
“Why is that?” I squint my eyes, trying to zero in on some kind of tell, some facial twitch, some movement that would give me an idea of what’s going on behind his stony face.
“That you won’t call your lawyer?” His voice is monotone. It’s driving me crazy.
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s simple math really. You’re going to be free to go in about five minutes. I believe your lawyer,” he checks his wristwatch with a smarmy smile, “would probably take close to another hour to get here. So, my best guess is that you’ll forgo the lawyer and just go home.” His face cracks into a smile. It’s a welcome change. Even if it is a smug smile.
“I’m free to go?” I look down at the folder he still hasn’t cracked the cover on.
“You sure are,” he nods.
“What’s going to happen? Am I going to trial?” I try to figure out what the months ahead are going to bring.
“Listen, you called it self-defense, right?” He locks his brown eyes on mine and I wordlessly confirm with a nod. “Well, around here we call it the ‘Stand Your Ground’ law. You were under attack, your life was in danger, so it was you or him. So far, between your story and your girlfriend’s account of the whole thing synchronizing perfectly and the fact that our dearly deceased has been a most wanted criminal in this state for over five years, it’s looking like an open and shut case,” he explains patiently.
I breathe a deep sigh of relief as a weight I hadn’t even realized I was carrying, lifts from my soul. “That’s great,” I smile.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not shut yet. We just found out that the p
arking lot where this unfortunate event took place has security cameras installed. We’re going to examine the footage, of course, and make sure it corroborates what you’ve told us,” he looks down at his folder and then back up at me, “which we expect it will.”
“Ok, great. So, I can go home. Like, head back to Virginia Beach tomorrow? Or, how does that work?” I fold my fingers together and try not to look too damned happy right now.
“Yes, you can go back home tomorrow. And as to whether or not this will go to trial, I’m not really supposed to make a call on that. However, if the footage backs up your story, I can’t see this going past the pre-hearing judge. My guess is, you’ll be granted immunity.”
“Ok, that’s great.” Try as I might, I can’t keep the smile from spreading across my face. After all we’ve been through, after all Knox put Holly through, it’s hard not to feel good about him being wiped off the earth.
“Ok, so I’m going to need your John Hancock on some paperwork and then you’ll be free to go. We’re also discharging your girl, so you guys can leave together.”
“Thank you so much.” I hold out my hand to Officer Houston and he gives it a firm shake.
“No problem,” he cracks the cover on his folder and pulls out a stack of papers. “Before we get to these, I want to tell you that you should consider yourself a hero. What you did tonight was nothing short of heroic, you saved your girl and you took a good-for-nothing thug with a rap sheet longer than my arm, off our streets. You can walk out of here with your head held high,” he doesn’t blink as he stares me down.
“Thank you,” my voice drops. The last time someone told me I was a hero for the kill shot I made, I felt like a monster. This time, under these circumstances, it feels good. “That means a lot to me,” I admit. “Thank you.”
“Thank you,” he emphasizes, finally dropping his intense gaze to the paperwork. “Ok, I won’t take up anymore of your time than I have to. Let’s get this stuff signed and you’ll be free to walk out of here.” He smiles and pulls a pen out of his dress shirt, tossing it across the table at me.