by Cindy Pike
I train like this for months, with no signs of my rage diminishing even though Sara’s attacker was caught and found guilty of assault and a few other charges. My career takes off and I dominate the ring. No one beats me, that’s essentially my life for the next twelve months on the pro MMA fighting circuit. Rage, winning, and training. Repeat.
1 Crazy Ex’s
Cold-Blooded by Zayde Wolf
“Nora, Doll,” Silas is trying to be gentle; he’s never spared his words or tried to soften things with me before, fuck this really isn’t good, “One of the dogs, they…” He swallows and I see tears brim in his eyes. No. No. No, please don’t tell me something happened to a dog. I’m shaking my head before Silas can get anymore out. He gathers me close and continues, “Bishop was killed, and Cain and Loki are injured.” NO! Hot tears start streaking down my face and Silas becomes a blur. The weight of his words is like an anvil is sitting on my chest.
“No, Silas, no. They’re fine, Bishop must just be sleeping. Maybe they had a small fight but they’ll all be okay. He’s not dead!” My sobs make my words hard to understand and I don’t know what all he got out of it but I knew he got the gist when he elaborates.
“No, Doll. There’s no way Bishop is sleeping, someone did this, someone broke in and got to him. It looks like the others tried to defend him but they were no match for whoever did this.” I hear sirens in the distance, but I can’t keep from playing Silas’ words in my head. Someone did this, someone broke in and killed Bishop.
“Why would anyone hurt them?” I cry out. Bishop is gone, I can’t reconcile that in my head. I just saw him yesterday at Silas’ house. Heath must have taken him home when he left last night, after I passed out. I suspect they all wanted to stay but Owen put his foot down, making everyone go home so I could have a quiet night after the whole brick incident.
Everyone but Silas and I cleared out and Silas made us an easy dinner of chicken with asparagus. Then we laid in bed, I read a chapter for an assignment due for school and Silas read a book that had something to do with cars, he has next to his bed on his nightstand. The next morning, we got up, got ready for our trip to the police station and had a light breakfast. You know the rest.
Now here I am, in his arms, grieving the loss of a beautiful animal that helped to make sure I felt safe. Silas, helping to soothe the newest hurt in my soul, brings me close for a much-needed hug. Far away… In the far-off distance… Sirens can be heard and as they draw closer, they become louder. Soon two patrol cars pull up in front of the circle driveway, coming to an abrupt halt, lights still flashing, but now the sirens are silent. Three uniformed officers step out of the patrol cars, two from one and the third from the second car.
“Three of my friends are inside, two of them live here and the third is the owner of the deceased dog and one of the other injured ones.” Silas says over my head, as he talks about Bishop being dead, my cries become more emotional. He just holds me closer to him and strokes his hand down my hair, all the while giving me words that are meant to comfort and calm me. They don’t, and I can’t rein in my frayed emotions. The two officers from the same car head toward the house cautiously as the dogs are barking and sound extra vicious; I’m sure they’re on edge from the recent events. The third officer stays outside with us talking to Silas about the scene when the guys first got in the house. I block it out, not able to deal with the brutal details right now.
After quite a bit of time the officers come back out with Owen, Flynn, Heath and the three dogs still alive. Loki runs up to Silas and I, jumping around like a rabbit, intermittently sniffing us and sneaking licks on my hand. He looks fine and I can’t see any injuries on him. Cain limps over to me, favoring his left front paw. My heart cracks further at the sight of big, bad, proud Cain injured. Ever my protector, he comes to my side and sits, guarding me. Asia walks next to Flynn and sits next to him when the other three stop near us while they talk about what the next step is for everyone. The officers leave, not being able to do much more than take a report. I guess animal crimes aren’t high on their list of priorities. Heath falls on his ass with his feet in front of him, knees bent, and rests his arms on them as his head sinks into his hands.
“Silas, can you back your truck up so we can load Bishop in and take care of his body properly? Flynn, gather the cleaning supplies; now that the police left, we can clean the mess up.” Owen starts giving out assignments for everyone. “Nora, can you help Heath with the dogs and getting their stuff? I’m going to call Kyle and see if we can move them to his house for the night.” Relief washes over me that I have something to focus on. I hope I can help ease Heath’s grief, but I don’t get my hopes up. Everyone moves to complete their tasks; Cain stays by my side even though he’s hurt.
“Heath, can we put Cain in the truck now so he doesn’t have to walk with his leg?” I’m cautious to talk to him right now, I don’t want to make things worse, but I don’t know how to make them better either. Heath looks into my eyes and his seem so lifeless that I wrap my arms around his neck. He returns my embrace with a fierce one of his own, pulling me onto his lap, shoving his face in my neck. He takes several big deep breaths and just holds me.
“I’m so sorry G Man, what can I do to help you?” I seek his guidance so I can make this as easy as possible, considering the circumstances. I frame his face in my hands as he pulls back from me, keeping his arms wrapped around my upper back.
“You’re doing it, Sweetheart. Just stay with me for now.” He commands Cain, “Cain, load.” The dog doesn’t listen, he just stays next to me. “Cain. Load up.” Heath uses a firm voice that has Cain going down on his belly, whining laying his body over our feet. It’s a clear plea to stay with me.
“Let him stay if he wants, he’s been through enough today, please.” I verbalize Cain’s pleas. I know I wanted him off his leg but I don’t have the heart to send him away, when he clearly wants to stay. Heath just grunts and moves toward Silas’ truck after Silas gets out and lowers the tailgate. I really don’t want to stick around and see Bishop’s body, but I won’t leave Heath right now, unless he sends me away from him.
“Go, take Nora and go to your place, we got this man.” Silas encourages Heath to do what he needs to take care of himself. He gives Silas a nod and we walk with our arms wrapped around each other’s waists to his truck, Cain follows. The drive is silent as we’re both lost in our sorrow.
∞∞∞
Heath and I are laying in his bed, on top of the bedding at his loft. Cain is on the bottom level, snoozing on the couch. Heath’s the big spoon, I fit perfectly in front of him. His hard planes and cut angles pressed up against my soft curves, it feels like we were made just for each other.
“Do you want to talk about anything, G Man?” I don’t want to force him to open up to me but I want him to know I’m here if he needs someone. Taking in a deep breath, his firm chest expands and falls again with the release of the breath. I just lightly trace my fingernails along the top of his forearm laying just below my breasts.
“I’m keeping Cain with you at all times when one of us isn’t with you, for the foreseeable future.” Heath’s voice sounds like rocks grinding together. I don’t know if I like that mainly because I feel like he needs Cain more than I do right now, I mean the guy that attacked me is behind bars as of this morning, officially. Whoever did this, clearly has some serious issues with Heath. “Before you get upset, it’s just as much for him as the rest of us.” Who could argue against that?
“Okay, Heath.” He buries his face in the back of my hair and we just lay in silence for quite some time. I drift between sleep and wakefulness, just basking in this quiet moment shared with him. Heath’s breathing eventually evens out and his warmth and arm over my waist drags me into sleep with him.
I’m stifling hot, the amount of body heat coming off Heath behind me and oddly, in front of me has me rising to consciousness. I push at the thing in front of me and hear a yip as Cain jumps up and off the bed.
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nbsp; “Shit! I’m sorry, boy. Come here, Cain. Come here, baby.” I call to him. He jumps back up and does a belly crawl toward me. “I’m sorry, my big baby, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” I coo to him in a voice reserved for babies and animals a like.
“Are you talking baby talk to my dog?” Heath scoffs at me in a sexy, rough with sleep, voice from his position on his back.
“Yes.” I deadpan.
“You’re talking baby talk, to my big hundred- and ten-pound vicious guard dog?” Heath asks in disbelief.
“Of course, I am! His size doesn’t have any bearing on how I treat him. Besides he’s not vicious to me.” I try to hold back a laugh.
“You’re lucky I think you’re cute, you know.” He moves so he’s got his upper body looming over me and I roll to my back so I’m looking up at him as he props up on his arm. The grin on his face is genuine and brings a wave of relief at my sight of it. The mood in the room shifts and I get hot for a completely different reason now. Heath starts to lean down toward me just as Cain lets out a bark of warning, with a knock on the front door seconds after.
“Damn it. Hold that thought, Sweetheart.” He rises from the bed and jogs down the steps from the top of the loft and his bedroom, calling out on his way down, Cain almost tripping him in his rush for the door. “Hold up!” Cain continues to bark as Heath opens the door. “Cain, quiet.” Cain stops and I hear him bound back up the stairs. He makes a flying leap onto the bed and snuggles up close to me. I cuddle him as two voices drift up to me, one is Heath’s and the other sounds feminine, I rub Cain’s belly with my free arm. Maybe it’s his sister? Not caring enough to get up and see, I just continue to laze in the bed.
“You’re such a good boy. I bet you miss your buddy, don’t ya?” As I say the words, tears well up in my eyes and spill over when I lose my fight against letting them fall. Cain offers unconditional support and love as only animals can do. The voices downstairs fade out and the front doors slams. Heath’s head appears as he comes up the stairs on silent feet. For such a big guy, he sure can move without making much noise. I discreetly wipe the tears from my face as he comes around to the far side of the bed and sits on the edge.
“I gotta go take care of something, it might take a few hours, I’ll shoot a text to the guys so one of them can come and get you two.” Heath relays in an oddly vague statement as he puts on his socks and tennis shoes.
“Is everything okay?” My concern is instant for multiple reasons. The first being that with his dogs just getting attacked and one killed, I wonder if this has something to do with that. The second is that normally the guys don’t hold back details about their comings and goings (Not that they spill every little detail), this just seems like he’s purposefully keeping something from me. Thirdly, who was the woman and what does she have to do with this new development? My green monster of jealousy rears its head, but I try and not let it show.
“It will be, Sweetheart. This is nothing for you to worry about.” Giving me a soft look, he leans over to the side I’m on and gives me a quick peck on my cheek, then jogging back down the stairs, slipping a shirt on over his head as he goes. I’d never be able to do that on a flat surface let alone stairs. He grabs his keys and phone and he’s out the door. I hear the lock click into place and then silence. I give big bug eyes to Cain and flop back on the bed, blowing out a big breath. Cain moves to my face and starts giving me licks, I know he knows better than to do that, but I don’t have the heart to reprimand him right now. Whatever it is must be extremely important for Heath to leave like that, he didn’t even say goodbye. Knowing I can’t take things easy on Cain just because I’m feeling the loss of Bishop, I sigh and sit up.
“Cain, stop.” I command him as I hear my phone chime with an alert. Rolling out of the bed away from Cain, I continue with my crazy, “Come on, let’s see who’s stuck on Nora duty this time.” I head down the stairs, Cain following at a much slower pace. I get to the dining room table and snag my phone to see the notification.
Unknown: You busy?
Nora: Who is this?
I look at the text in puzzlement. The number doesn’t come through, it just registers as unknown, and I have all the guys programmed into my phone. Thinking on who it could be, I go to the fridge and take a bottle of water from the door. Remembering that I gave Jaz my number some time ago but never got hers, I realize this must be her. We’ve been trying to make plans to hang out outside of Flex. Maybe she heard about Bishop already and is checking in.
Nora: Jaz?
Unknown: (:
Unknown: Come outside real quick.
Nora: Give me a sec.
I don’t get a reply, which is fine. I slip my shoes on and Cain gets excited, thinking he’s coming to.
“No Cain. Stay.” I hold my foot out to block his escape and shut the loft door firmly behind me. I quickly search the parking lot for Jaz, not sure of her car. I can hear Cain barking inside Heath’s loft. I walk out a couple more steps, searching. Looking back at my phone, I send her a quick text.
Nora: Where are you?
I don’t get any response, again, and after another minute I go back to the loft door with a weird feeling. Letting myself back in, Cain nearly knocks me over smelling and circling me. My phone chimes with another text and I check it.
Silas: Bringing you to my house. Be ready in 10.
Nora: Would it kill you to ask?
Silas: Either way you’ll be ready. Won’t you?
Nora: See you in 10 Si.
I roll my eyes, secretly loving that Silas doesn’t treat me like I might break at the slightest difficulty that I might encounter. Gathering my stuff and making sure I have Cain’s leash, I put them by the door so it’s ready when Silas gets here. Then I go up to the bathroom and use it quickly. As I’m washing my hands, Cain starts barking again and this time he’s also growling. I rush to dry my hands and race down the steps to investigate what has got him so agitated. He is facing the door with all the hairs on his back raised and as I approach, Cain places his body between me and the door. I can hear something being done to the door, like someone is trying to unlock it but can’t get their key into the keyhole. With Cain’s odd behavior, it makes me think someone might be trying to pick the lock. This happens for a couple seconds before it abruptly stops and Cain relaxes then goes over to the couch and climbs onto a cushion, getting comfy. Okay, that was weird, but maybe I’m just hyper sensitive to things with all that’s happened. I look at Cain like he will spill any answers to his odd behavior. There’s a noise at the door again, like someone is trying to get in and the handle quickly turns and Silas is framed in the bright light from outside. Cain doesn’t even twitch.
“Ready, Doll?” Silas checks with me as he closes the door, moving to the fridge grabbing two bottles of water and coming back to me at the door. The entire time, I’m just staring at Cain trying to figure out his contradicting behavior. “Doll,” Silas snaps his fingers to get my attention, “Is Cain okay? Why are you looking at him like that?”
“I’m not sure, he was acting weird just before you came in. Maybe he’s just on edge from what happened at Owen and Flynn’s house.” I muse mostly to myself but also in answer to Silas’s question.
“What was he doing, Nora?” Silas’ voice is serious and has a hard edge to it.
I explain his behavior and add, “Did you try the wrong key the first time?”
“No. That wasn’t odd behavior, that was him alerting to a possible intruder. Come on, get your stuff, Cain heel.” Silas calls Cain at the end and the dog jumps up and bounds over to Silas in the way only a dog, who knows he’s going out, can. Silas clips the leash to his collar as I grab my stuff and slip my sunglasses on my nose. “Cain, guard.” We go out, Cain on high alert, and Silas moves me just to the side of the door blocking me between him and the outer wall as Cain guards his back, he locks the door and moves us toward his truck. Silas is on one side of me, letting Cain’s leash out enough so he’s on my other side.
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�Silas, what’s wrong? Why are you taking these extra precautions?” Now his behavior is worrying me.
“Get in the truck, Doll.”
“Silas,” He cuts me off before I can ask further.
“Nora, get your ass in the truck!” He barks to me. It makes me shut my mouth from shock. He clicks the button to unlock the doors and hoists me up, then let’s Cain jump up and over me as he slams the door and rounds the hood to the driver’s side. He climbs in, starts the truck up and drives us to his house in silence. I fight tears from his abrupt words. This is one of those times when I don’t like that he doesn’t treat me like I’m fragile, I don’t want his rough nature to affect me like this but I have to face the fact that I’m still dealing with a ton of mental shit.
Silas hits the opener for his garage door and pulls the Tundra inside, he shuts the truck off and hits the button again to close the rolling door as his phone rings. He looks at the screen as I open my door and climb out with my things and Cain’s leash in hand.
“I’ll be right in, Doll.” He dismisses me as he answers the call. His cold shoulder grates on my already sensitive emotions as I go inside with Cain. Gretta greets us then gives a playful yip and goes down on her front legs so they’re stretched out in front of her; she’s ready to play. I unclip Cain’s leash and close the door from the kitchen to the garage as they bound off to play doggie games. His injuries barely hindering his play with Gretta. I drop my stuff on the counter and run my hands over my ponytail, letting out a sigh. Resting my elbows on the countertop, I place my face in my hands as I gather my emotions and try to see his behavior objectively. It’s a struggle as emotions are messy and are not meant to be rational. Eventually Silas comes in, I glare at him over my shoulder. Moving behind me, Silas covers my back with his chest, placing his hands on either side of my elbows on the counters edge. My body goes rigid with tension. This position brings all sorts of issues up for me, the guys don’t know this yet, and I don’t feel like now is the right time.