Returning in the Favour
Chapter One: The Boss
Charlie Green watched the door, as he often did, as young Bobby Reed walked toward the establishment. Charlie smirked knowing he’d never seen a greener addition to their gang than that of Bobby Reed. He often wondered if the kid could even piss straight. Today was no different. Bobby always put Charlie in mind of a field mouse that didn’t know whether he’d be successful or get eaten himself if he stepped out of his small whole to hunt. It was a sad spectacle to watch and only gave Charlie something to laugh at, because it was so pathetic.
Today though, something else caught Charlie’s eye and he had no intention of looking away. The fact that a gorgeously stunning woman was crossing the street wasn’t such a surprise. The fact that she was holding onto Bobby Reed’s hand though, was as shocking as a heart attack. There was no way a guy like Bobby Reed could handle a woman like her, no way. He watched them cross the street and enter the establishment.
“You can’t bring a lady in here Reed,” Charlie said, his voice booming above the din. “You know the rules, only us and the floozies.”
“We call them whores now. And my sister definitely isn’t one,” Bobby smiled. “She wanted to see where I hang out at all the time so I wanted to show her. We’ll leave in just a minute, I promise”
“See that you do.”
***
Megan didn’t miss the way the big bouncer eyed her or her brother. The one look was open and honest and brutal male appreciation that heated her skin and the other was contemptuous and hateful. She knew then and there that if she ever needed to help Bobby out of his own mess, she’d be soliciting the help from Charlie and paying him would take more than money.
“It’s nice to meet you Mr.” Megan drawled, thickening her natural southern accent.
“The pleasure’s all mine ma’am,” Charlie smiled. Megan smiled back and added a saucily blown kiss and a wink for good measure. Then she turned and urged Bobby to show her around. Moving away she added a twist of her hips just to be sure good ‘ole Charlie didn’t forget her name or face. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that she’d need his help in the future and wanted to keep herself in his good graces.
Megan followed Bobby around and tried to memorize important parts of the building. She noted exits and places of interest where she and Bobby could effectively hide should the need arise. “This is the exit that leads to a separate building. It’s attached so there’s no real outlet here, but it does lead out from this building so the code says it’s an exit.”
“And where does the other building lead to?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never actually left that building except to come back in here.”
“What do you do over there?” Megan asked, noting that the room they were in was like a man’s wet dream. There was a stripper every ten feet, all in various stages of undress.
“We do stuff,” Bobby said. “Things you don’t want to know about sis, trust me.”
“See, and that’s why I don’t like this Bobby,” Megan said. “Every time you come here I get this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don’t care if I’m at work or lounging at home, I know when you’re here because you get the same damn feeling.”
“I do not,” Bobby said defensively. “I’m a little apprehensive yet, mainly because I’m still a grunt. When Big John moves me up from all this useless running, I’ll know I’ve earned my place and that he trusts me. Until then I have to pay the piper so to speak.”
“You should tell Big John to suck it and find a real job.”
“Yes, because a real job is going to keep our heads above water.”
“I’d rather earn my way honestly than by working for the mafia,” Megan retorted. Sighing she acquiesced. “I get why this place draws you in, I just wish you’d consider doing some other line of work that doesn’t involve highly dangerous and illegal activities.”
“I know it’s not your supreme set up,” Bobby rolled his eyes. “But we really have no choice. If we don’t make rent and pay our way, we’ll be out on our asses and who’s going to help us then?”
“Okay, okay,” Megan relented. “Just be careful and do things as honestly as possible alright?”
“You got it sis. Now can we go eat lunch?”
“Come on little brother,” Megan teased. “Let’s go eat.”
“See you later Charlie,” Bobby called. He got a bold and menacing look in return.
“See you around Charlie,” Megan smiled. When Charlie waved and smiled back, she knew he was all she’d need to ensure Bobby’s safety.
The uneasy feeling didn’t dissipate until they were finally at home enjoying a huge sub and chips. Bobby downed a soda as if he hadn’t had a drink in ages. Megan opted for ice cold water and sipped it delicately as she contemplated her next move. Bobby had always been brash and impulsive. He did have a very solid point though. Without the money he brought home they couldn’t afford a place to live and without that they’d be as good as street rats to anyone who might even consider hiring one or both of them.
She couldn’t afford to lose her job at the hospital even if the pay was peanuts. Still, she couldn’t let Bobby work for the mafia a moment longer than it took her to find him a decent, well-paying job. If she could show him that they could make it on a little less money, maybe he’d consider quitting his life of crime to ensure they lived an honest one. She knew the odds were stacked against her the longer he stayed though and that just wasn’t an option to indulge in.
***
Bobby dropped Megan off at work the next morning and headed back to their shared apartment. His work wouldn’t start until after he picked her up and he needed the shut eye and quiet of their place to think. He knew Megan was right. He couldn’t work for Big John forever, but he couldn’t really afford to say no right now either. Not to mention Big John wasn’t really the type of man you said no to anyway. It’d be like signing your own death certificate. When Big John wanted something done, you said yes sir, thank you for the opportunity sir.
At the rate he was working Bobby figured another six months and he’d have enough saved up to finally turn his back on the criminal world and keep himself and Megan from falling into poverty so far that they couldn’t get out again. He just hoped that in that time he didn’t become so indispensable to Big John Carter that he couldn’t get out again.
By five that evening Bobby was showered, dressed and ready to pick Megan up. He had an hour to get her home, eat dinner and be back at Bixby’s Dry Cleaner’s before work started. Bixby’s was the money laundering front of the mafia. They also had a bakery and a café that they ran dirty money through as well. He’d taken Megan to Bixby’s the previous afternoon and had hopefully shown her that it wasn’t as dangerous as it seemed. Despite not believing that himself, he didn’t want her to worry. He tried hard to quell the anxiety he always felt stepping into the place as the sun sank lower in the western sky. If he felt it, he knew Megan did too and the last thing he wanted was to drag his sister into the mess he was in already. The next six months couldn’t go fast enough.
“There you are Bobby boy,” Big John said with a sinister chuckle. He stuck a massive Cuban cigar between his teeth and took a large drag. Blowing out smoke he continued. “Charlie tells me you’ve got quite a looker for a sister.”
“She’s pretty enough I suppose,” Bobby replied, trying to shrug her off as no big deal.
“She interested in work that’ll pay her more for less time than the hospital?”
“I’m not sure sir.”
“Then ask her boy,” Big John admonished. “You can tell me tomorrow night. As for right now, we’ve got some errands for you to run. There’s a tenant who hadn’t paid this month’s rent. You need to show him that double crossing Big John is a bad idea.”
“Yes sir,” Bobby said, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat.
“And Bobby, don’t disappoint me son. When I say teach this asshole a lesson, I mean make sure he never forgets that Big John owns him into the far future.”
“Will do sir,” Bobby said.
***
Megan woke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding. Her head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds and almost immediately she knew that Bobby had gone to see Big John. She showered and dressed before heading down to the cleaners. Squeaking to a stop she climbed out.
“You can’t be here Miss Reed,” Charlie said, filling the doorway like a giant.
“I came to see my brother. Can you tell me where he is?”
“He’s running an errand for Big John,” Charlie said. In the bright moonlight, Megan could see the appreciation in his eyes, the way they roamed over her. Smiling she stepped closer to him.
“Do you know where the errand is Charlie?” Megan all but purred.
“All I know is that he’s out. I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”
“Now Charlie,” Megan continued, running her hands up his huge, thickly muscled chest. “You’re a very bright man. A man with connections and inside information.”
“Not really ma’am.” Charlie didn’t move a muscle when she leaned into him, pressing her breasts against him.
“Sure you are. Big John trusts you enough to know when people come and go. Surely you’d be able to find out where my less than intelligent brother went.”
This made Charlie smirk. “Well at least the stupidity didn’t spread. Yesterday I thought you were with Bobby. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that you’re his sister.”
“Mm,” Megan said. “You’re not the only one who was pleasantly surprised.”
Going all in Megan pressed her lips to Charlie’s, pulling him down so she could work her magic. His massive hands slid around her waist until she thought he might crush her and toss her aside. Then his tongue slid between her lips and he yanked her off her feet. The kiss smoldered between them as Megan sought to weaken his defenses. With her own mind beginning to spin she pulled back and smiled.
“You could certainly make a woman’s day,” she purred.
“You taste a little like I imagine Heaven feels.”
“Well there’s a compliment if I’ve ever heard one.”
“A man should never have a problem complimenting a woman as gorgeous as you.”
“You’re racking up the brownie points Charlie. Can a girl come by once-in-a-while to see you?”
“Darling, you can come by anytime to see me.” Megan smiled.
“I’ll do that handsome. You keep an eye on that sneaky brother of mine okay?”
“I’ll look out for him, so long as he does what he’s told Big John won’t have a problem with him.”
That was exactly what worried Megan. Still, she smiled and blew Charlie a saucy kiss. She turned with a shake of her hips and headed for her car. A gangster or not the man could kiss. Her toes were still tingling from their briefly flammable lip lock. She knew now though that if she ever needed to get Bobby out of trouble, Charlie was the man to see. Apparently he was the man to screw too Megan thought as she traveled back home.
By the time she returned home the moon, full, bright and beautiful was hanging high in the sky. She was exhausted and no longer wondered why her brother slept all day. She changed quickly into her comfortable pajama bottoms, tossed on a baggy t-shirt, crawled under her sheets with a satisfied sigh. No longer plagued by the anxiety she’d felt earlier, Megan drifted off to sleep in minutes and dreamlessly passed the next seven hours.
Chapter Two: Systemic Abuses
While Megan slept, Bobby finally walked back to his car. His fists were broken and blood, but he figured he’d gotten the message across. Thankfully the recipient had been the only one home at the time. Feeling the weight of his deeds, Bobby went straight home without checking back in with Big John. It hadn’t been a requirement of the job and Bobby wasn’t in the mood to chat or rehash how the message delivery had gone. He’d left a man, more than likely a good man, beaten and bloody. Thankfully, because it wasn’t personal for Bobby he hadn’t been hitting the man out of rage. He’d hit him several times in the face and when the man had finally passed out, Bobby had dropped him in his home and left him be.
Bobby was quiet when he came in, stripping just as quietly and stepping into the shower. He drew the water as hot as he could stand it and let it soak into the knots that ran through his shoulders and arms. He knew that Megan would question the look of his hands in the morning, but that couldn’t really be helped in his opinion. She’d question him regardless as he knew how strong her attachment to him was. She’d more than likely been up some during the night when his adrenaline had pumped furiously.
Finally Bobby was able to step out of the shower and slip into his baggy sweats. There wasn’t a chill in the air yet, but a night like tonight called for sweats and comfort food. He raided the refrigerator and found brownies that Megan must have made. He devoured three of them with a glass of milk before he finally sat down to relax. Two favorite shows later and he was out like a light.
“Bobby!” Megan called loudly. Groaning, Bobby opened grit filled eyes to see his irate sister towering over him. “Get up!”
“I was out late Megan,” Bobby complained. “You can look in my pack though. There should be enough in there for at least a month’s rent and then some.”
When she grabbed his ear and pulled Bobby cursed. “Son-of-a-bitch Megan!”
“Don’t you curse in front of me Bobby Reed. I’m not the one doing dirty deals and business with the mafia.”
“Those dirty deals as you call them put money in your pocket to pay bills,” Bobby irritatingly pointed out. “Can you honestly tell me you’d make it, that we would, on the shit salary you earn?”
“No, but I’d rather downsize and live out of my car, than take money that came from God knows where,” Megan countered. “Speaking of which, where the hell were you last night?”
“I was out.”
“You will respect me Bobby,” Megan said, her blue eyes firing. “I know damn well you were out. I want to know what you were doing.”
***
Bobby ignored her and took his laptop out to see about recent news stories. His first click hit the most recent story and a video played of a reporter making his daily fifteen minutes of fame.
“Authorities say they don’t have a motive for the assault on Mitch O’Donnell. He’s been transported to a local hospital where he’ll undergo treatment for his wounds. Despite having excellent security, Mr. O’Donnell, was attacked unawares. From what we’re hearing, the cameras didn’t catch anything that will help the police in identifying the assailant.”
“Sweet Lord Bobby,” Megan whispered. “You beat that man didn’t you?”
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to sis,” Bobby said.
“Oh Bobby,” Megan said patiently. “Is this what you think mom and dad wanted for us? For me to work my ass off for us so that you could dink around with people like Big John.”
“Mom and dad aren’t here to ask Megan,” Bobby said, the fact that their parents were dead was still a sore spot that dredged up anger. “I hope that they’d be proud of what we’re doing to keep our heads above water. If there are people who can’t figure out that we’re doing the best we can, fuck ‘em.”
“You’ve got to get out of that job Bobby. I don’t care how you do it, but I can’t take it anymore. Every time your heart rate picks up or you get cold sweats, whatever it is, I feel it too and I’m tired of waking up in a cold sweat, trying desperately to figure out what’s wrong.”
“You don’t need to worry about me sis,” Bobby reiterated. “I’m fine, we’re fine. Give me six months and I’ll have enough put by so that we can finally make the life we’ve dreamed of.”
“And you think they’ll let you go after that long? That you’ll just walk out of the mafia as if it was Costco?”
“No, but with the limited information I get from Big John I think I can convince him that I’ve got my own life to live.”
“And I think he’ll dig your grave and kick you into it while he laughs and buries you alive,” Megan said, tired of his excuses and fabricated bullshit.
“You’ve been watching too many movies,” Bobby chuckled, but he couldn’t quite shake the images she planted in his mind. Big John certainly wasn’t someone to double cross. Hopefully he’d hear about the beating and be satisfied.
***
Megan went to work that day as usual. Bobby dropped her off, all smiles because he was headed over to Rita Mild’s apartment to see if she’d go out with him for lunch. Megan told him not to get his hopes up, but with Bobby they were never really down in the first place.
“Hey Meg,” John, the receptionist called with a flamboyant wave of his hand. John was as openly gay as openly gay came and made his job look like a cake walk. Megan for one was grateful for his efficiency, discreetness, and friendship.
“Hey John,” she smiled. “How’s everything?”
“As my mom always says, fit as a fiddle.”
“Awesome,” Megan smiled. “I’m headed up. I’ll see you at lunch.”
“Sounds good doll.”
Megan stepped into the elevator and looked up just in time to see Charlie Green enter the hospital before the doors closed. A million thoughts ran through her mind, but the first and strongest of them was Bobby. If Charlie was here did that mean that Bobby was in trouble, or was he looking for her? If he was looking for her, why? Did he hope she’d stop by again and kiss him into oblivion? Megan grinned at the thought. Charlie Green was a behemoth of a man and the idea of seducing him was both tantalizing and absurd. Thankfully when she was near him she didn’t get that creeped out feeling, which told Megan he wasn’t nearly as bad as his physique implied. Hopefully he was just a really good bouncer for Big John and nothing more, but the nagging feeling about Bobby’s safety wouldn’t rest easy.
The uneasy feeling stayed with her through lunch and when she called home and didn’t get a groggy voice on the phone, it only grew and intensified. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost girl,” Shirley, Megan’s boss said.
“I can’t get hold of my brother and he’s always home sleeping right now.”
“You said he went to a woman’s apartment, maybe he crashed there.”
“That’s not like Bobby,” Megan said, but the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if she even knew her brother anymore. “I don’t like this Shirley.”
“Listen, take off an hour early today and go check on him. I’m sure he’s fine.”
Megan thanked her boss and when the time came she practically bolted from the hospital as if it has ejected her like a cannon. She drove home on autopilot and burst through the door as soon as her key turned the lock. Nothing was amiss, but Bobby wasn’t there. Megan made herself lock the apartment and walk to her car, her body trembling. She drove by Rita’s and found out that Bobby had left there close to ten that morning. The uneasy feeling became nauseating as Megan drove by the cleaners. The bakery had shown no sign of life despite selling the best pastries on a four block radius. The cleaners was much the same, but the alley that ran next to it was a different story.
Pulling into it, Megan saw a sight that chilled her blood. Two men, huge and hulking, were beating a much smaller man, pummeling him so that he lay on the ground trying to protect his head. “Hey!” Megan called before she could stop herself. “Hey! Stop that!” She ran forward in time to see one of the men kick the beaten man in the stomach and a sob tore from her. “Bobby!” Before she could reach him one of the men reached back and struck her across the face, knocking her back on her ass. Her lip was split and her face was on fire, but Megan crawled forward and slowly covered Bobby’s body with her own. Her venomous look at the two men had then thinking twice about hitting her again. “Please leave him alone, please.”
“Let’s go,” one man said. “Big John got his message across.” The other man spit in the muddle at Megan’s feet and looked at her with eyes so dark they could have been made of coal. She shuddered as they walked away, but stayed over Bobby until they were out of sight. When she moved, tears flooded her eyes and fell freely down her face. “Oh Bobby. Come on love, let’s get you up.”
Bobby’s moans of pain ripped at Megan, but she had to move him or he’d just lay there and probably die. “Come on you stubborn son-of-a-bitch!” Megan finally got Bobby up into her car and drove him straight to the hospital. She called John on his cell phone and asked for a gurney at the back entrance.
“What do you need a gurney…Jesus Megan.”
“Help me get him inside won’t you?”
John tugged and pulled, helping Megan maneuver Bobby’s body so that it lay relatively straight on the portable bed. They wheeled him into the emergency department and Megan insisted on helping the on-call doctor clean him up before they took him for x-rays. “How’d this happen?”
“He was jumped in an alley walking home,” Megan lied. She couldn’t squeal on Big John’s goons, or she’d risk them coming back to finish the job. Megan stayed with Bobby through the night, while his body worked to heal the damage. The x-rays showed multiple rib and facial fractures, mainly his nose, cheek bones and jaw. Thankfully there was no internal bleeding, but the bruising was extensive. She knew he’d be in the hospital for at least a day or two while he recovered.
***
Bobby felt as if someone had literally run him over with an asphalt roller. His face throbbed to the beat of his heart so thankfully he wasn’t dead, but that did little to improve his circumstances. He tried and failed to open his eyes which was frustrating. Breathing was a chore and any movement from his waist up was excruciating.
“Good Morning dumbass,” Bobby heard Megan say. He couldn’t see her, but Megan had never had a problem conveying what she looked like through her voice. He could already see the look of disdain and contempt on her face. He would have smiled, but the thought of the effort it would take hurt too much. “You’re not going to be talking for a while so maybe, if I can hit you hard enough, I’ll get through to that thick as tar brain of yours.”
Bobby sighed in response.
“Do you know what it’s like to come upon two massive men beating my brother to death? Do you have any idea what it feels like inside to know that something isn’t right and I can’t do anything to fix it? Did you ever once think of me when you got your stupid ass dragged into Big John’s mess?”
She continued to rant at him and Bobby for once was glad he didn’t have to see her face. She was beautiful, as much as he was handsome. She’d gotten her looks mainly from their mother who’d been a stage actress once upon a time. Her dark auburn hair was long and wavy. He liked that she’d always left it that way, preferring it over the shorter, more stylish cuts today’s women often wore. Her sepia colored eyes always reminded him of warm honey, until she was angry. Then they were like the hive, always buzzing and ready to sting him at a moment’s notice. Her smile was their mother’s as well and matched her oval face perfectly. The only thing she’d taken from their father was the barely noticeable cleft in her chin that did nothing to detract from her beauty. Bobby still couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t married with a parcel of babies running around.
With his head throbbing, Bobby pushed the button for his pain medicine that Megan had kindly put in his hand and drifted off to sleep as she continued to talk.
Chapter Two: Misgivings, Who Needs Them?
Megan waited until Bobby was fast asleep before she left his side. She went home and took a closer look at her face. Her cheek was bruised and that purple black color was spreading under her eye. The split on her lip wasn’t terrible, but it hurt when she tried to smile. Nonetheless, she couldn’t let Bobby go back to work for Big John. There was no way he’d survive another beating if he screwed up again and Megan loved Bobby, but he would mess up again despite his best intentions.
Showering, Megan shaved everywhere, rubbed lotion into her skin, and slipped on the sexiest underwear she had. She wiggled into a tight, black mini dress and teetered on her stiletto high heels until she could walk without stumbling. She styled her hair and doctored her face with foundation until she could barely notice the bruising on her face. A smear of lipstick his the split and a dab of perfume finished off the polished picture.
As she drove to the cleaners, Charlie Greens face came to her mind. He was handsome for someone who towered over people, especially her. The last time she’d kissed him he’d been capable of crushing her, but his gentleness despite that fact, had warmed her blood. He was a gangster, or at least worked for one, and still Megan found him interesting. She was sure he could bounce anyone from the establishment who didn’t belong, but that fact when mingled with the gentleness he’d shown her only turned her on all the more. She’d known from the beginning that she’d need Charlie’s help and she’d come to pay the piper well for the hand.
***
Charlie watched the traffic move back and forth as he sat at a table near the entrance of the dry cleaners. It was a slow day and with Big John being out, the day would continue to drag on. He read the newspaper some and drank coffee as if he was just a patron passing the time, but when he looked up and saw Megan Reed headed his way the only thought in his mind was that he had to have her.
She was dressed to kill and without even being near him was already heating his blood. Her heels made her legs look a mile long and the thought of those sleek limbs wrapping around his waist nearly made him moan. She opened the door to the cleaners and those stunning eyes lit up when they landed on him. She smiled wide, but Charlie didn’t miss the wince of pain.
“Hi Charlie,” she purred. “I missed you at my work the other day. Were you looking for me?”
“I can’t say I would have been sad to run into you, but I was looking for Bobby at the time.”
Her eyes clouded over despite her bright smile. “You’ll be happy to know then that he’s resting comfortably. I, on the other hand am anything but comfortable.”
“On heels like those I can imagine.”
“Oh, it has nothing to do with what I’m wearing, other than the fact that I still have clothes on at all,” Megan said, her voice thick and sultry. Charlie was already half hard. If she kept it up he’d have her where she was standing without a care as to who saw them. She leaned close and Charlie could smell the perfume she’d put on. It was light and airy and too damn sexy. “I’d be very appreciative if you could help me out with that.”
***
Megan watched his eyes darken and felt a twinge of arousal low in her belly. A smile spread slowly over his features and Megan was thankful to notice that it only enhanced them. He was quite a striking man, despite his massive body. When he reached for her hand she gladly followed, hoping she was doing the right thing. “How much do you know about Big John?”
“I know the moniker doesn’t exactly fit his physique,” Charlie smirked. “He’s fierce with his orders though and doesn’t stand for bullshit. I’m sorry about your brother by the way. I’m also sorry that you were hurt because of it.”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”
“I heard about it yesterday, but I couldn’t get away to come see how you were, or how he was.”
“He’s doped up with painkillers and sleeping it off at the moment,” she sighed. She looked around the massive warehouse Charlie took her to. It housed stacks upon stacks of boxes and other things, Megan was sure she didn’t want to know about.
“Good,” Charlie said. “Come here.” His mouth claimed hers as his hands swung her up to his waist. The hem of her dress rode high on her hips as she wrapped her legs around Charlie’s thick waist as he moved her over to an ice chest and sat her down. Her mouth moved over hers and without another thought she opened to him. Her mind clouded as his tongue sought out and danced with hers. Her breaths came short when his large hand cupped her tight breast. She wondered that her clothes didn’t just melt off her body as her blood began to boil.
Then his mouth was on her neck, suckling her flesh and his hand was working to disrobe her with little worry that she’d have to put her dress back on when they were done. “Wait,” she pleaded. Smoldering eyes met hers and she smiled. “I have to put this back on when we’re through.” So saying Megan reached down and pulled the dress over her head, hanging it gently on a hook near her head.
“You’re like a goddess,” Charlie chuckled, his arms easily supporting her light frame. “I want to ravage you.”
“Then stop talking,” Megan said, her own body ripe with want. She caught his smirk just as his mouth found hers. She sank her hands into his thick hair and moaned as his hands roamed over her. Her breasts gloried in the attention as his large thumbs rolled over their peaks. When his mouth followed, her hips bucked involuntarily and Megan felt his hard erection. The thought of him filling her only fueled her own need. “Charlie,” she whimpered.
***
Charlie had never known a woman like Megan. The women he usually took to his bed knew that they were being paid for a service rendered. Megan gave herself up like a woman possessed, a woman who wanted him with all she had in her. The thought was more than arousing. Her breasts were large enough for a man to thoroughly enjoy and perky enough to make him yearn. Sliding his wet tongue over her tight nipples and hearing her moan was so erotic. He sucked first one and then the other, her breath coming in shorter and shorter gasps as he did so. Her hands tugged his hair and her hips thrust against him, impatient and lovely. Quickly he slid a hand down and cupped her womanhood, rocking his palm against her. “Let me have you Megan,” Charlie breathed. “Just let me have you.”
When she whimpered, Charlie tore her panties from her hips and sank into the wet heat of her. His fingers worked her back and forth, his thumb applying gentle, consistent pressure to her swollen nub. Her own hands reached for him, but denying himself was part of what drove Charlie to pleasure her. She came on a long moan, her hot core pressing against his thick fingers. Before she could even open her eyes Charlie dropped his pants and filled her deep. Her gasp and the way her eyes flew open and locked on his face brought Charlie a pleasure he hadn’t known he’d been missing. She rocked against him, her hips thrusting with each penetration so that they worked in tandem to meet each other. Her body sang for him and fed a hunger he was just discovering. He found that he craved more of it, more of the ease with which she gave herself to him. It was effortless, an easy slide of flesh to flesh that soothed him.
Megan arched her body, moving her hips out and taking him impossibly deeper. Charlie had never before had a woman who handled all of him as if she’d been born, built just for him. He slid into over and over again, filling her deeply so that she moaned against him, her breath warm against his flesh. He took Megan’s breasts again, savoring the way her soft nipples tightened under the wet pressure of his tongue. Suckling her was a pleasure he gave himself as she built beneath him. Her hips rocked against him as if they had a will of their own, urging him to hurry as she increased their rhythm. He met her now, gripping her hips as his own need spiraled, undone by her. Megan cried his name as he came hard inside her, jerking her hips tight against him as he pulsed inside her.
***
Megan knew the instant she came that no one had ever loosened her like that before, as if she was an easy set of knots to be untied instead of the complicated mess she truly was. Looking up she saw Charlie watching her as he righted his boxers and jeans. “I don’t know if I can stand.”
“Give me a second and I’ll help you,” he smiled. Snagging her waist, Charlie lifted her down before he drew her up for a kiss. “You’re an amazing woman Megan.”
“You’re pretty amazing yourself,” Megan smiled. “Do you know where my panties went? It might not be a good idea to leave them here.”
“They’re here,” Charlie said, holding them out in his palm. “Careful, they’re wet.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Megan blushed. “Do you make house calls Mr. Green?”
“I will for a woman like you,” he said, his dark eyes serious and focused. “Tell your brother I’ll have his back okay?”
Tears of gratitude filled her eyes and she swallowed them down. “He’ll be glad to hear it and so am I. Thank you Charlie.” Going with her heart, Megan leaned up and kissed him warmly, letting her mouth speak the words she couldn’t say. Heat flamed through both of them as the kiss deepened. Megan felt her heart trip in its rhythm before she pulled away. “Come by tonight?”
“I have to work, but if you’re up around two I can see you.”
“I’ll be up,” Megan said, ruining her sleep for a chance to deepen whatever it was that she and Charlie had touched in the dark of a mafia warehouse. Megan left the cleaners and headed back to the hospital. She made sure Bobby was resting peacefully before she left him a note and headed home.
Chapter Three: Enticements
Megan showered and dressed comfortably before she started supper. She slid breaded chicken breasts into the oven and chopped up veggies for a salad. She tossed some potatoes in aluminum foil and put them in the oven as well and then she put a bottle of wine in the fridge to chill. When dinner was ready, Megan ate slowly, enjoying the succulent flavor of the meat, the satisfying fullness of the potato and the crispness of her salad. She put everything away, checked on her wine and smiled. She set out two wine glasses and wrote herself a note so she wouldn’t forget and then promptly at nine she went to bed. Normally her bedtime was closer to twelve, but with Charlie coming over at two am, she wanted to be rested when she got up at one to get ready.
***
The next morning when Megan checked on Bobby before she started work he looked worse, but seemed to feel better. The bruising around his face was a stark contrast to his normal pale complexion and even covered the freckles that spotted his skin. His jaw and nose stood out as the worse of his injuries until she saw the bruising along his ribs. They’d been wrapped tight to help him breathe easier, but Megan could tell it was still a painful chore.
“Hey baby brother,” Megan teased. As twins she was only older by a couple minutes. His small smile reassured her. “How’s the pain?”
He shook his hand to indicate that it was so-so when it came to pain. Hitting the button to move his bed, Bobby winced in pain when he had to adjust his body. “I can’t stay much longer, but I wanted to stop in and see how you were. You look like shit, but at least you’re alive. Oh, and Charlie said he’d have your back.”
Bobby exchanged a look with her and she met his eyes, answering the question he couldn’t ask. “We’re sort of seeing each other. It wasn’t exactly what I planned, but it seems that neither of us are ready to part ways just yet.”
Bobby grabbed a pad of paper and pen by his bed. You slept with him didn’t you?
Megan smiled and felt her cheeks heat. “I did it in hopes of getting you out of Big John’s clutches. I haven’t succeeded at that yet, but at least you’ll have an ally in Charlie.”
Charlie hates me, Bobby wrote. He thinks I’m an idiot.
“Yeah well, you are. No offense. Thankfully he likes your sister enough to stick his neck out for you.”
Great. Go to work and let me think.
***
Bobby spent the first hour he was awake after Megan left contemplating the new twist in his relationship with Charlie Green. He wasn’t exactly against him and Megan forming an attachment, but he couldn’t say he was for it either. The thought of Charlie Green having any more access to information about him than he already did wasn’t a thrilling factor if he was weighing the pros and cons of him dating Megan. Still, having the huge man on his side wasn’t a bad idea. After the beating he’d received just for not checking in, Bobby was afraid to truly mess up. They’d done a thorough job that night, Bobby thought with a grimace.
He’d shown up for work and been met by a massive fist to the face. That first blow had knocked him back at least three steps and the next one that came was so close behind he didn’t have time to recover. Then the pummeling had started in earnest as he was knocked back into the alleyway. Punches and kicks so vicious that Bobby swore he could hear his brain rattling around loose in his head. His nose and jaw hurt immediately and his rib cage took a massive beating when he couldn’t stand up anymore. He knew at some point that Megan had come to his rescue, but was unable to give any account as to what happened after that, until he woke up at Washington Memorial. He was ever more grateful that his sister was a nurse. That fact had saved his life, he was sure of it.
Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, Bobby caught sight of Charlie standing in his doorway. “Hey,” Charlie said.
Bobby waved. “How’s the face?”
Hurts like a bitch, Bobby wrote down on his pad. Thanks for looking after my sister, for having my back.
“Your sister is an amazing woman,” Charlie said and Bobby could tell he meant it.
So you’re going to see her, romantically I mean?
“I can’t get her out of my head. Even now when I’m talking to you, I’m wondering how she is, what she’s doing. I won’t tell you everything, but I will say that she’s a light in my otherwise dark and dismal existence.”
You’re becoming a huge sap, Bobby wrote, then he smiled, wincing with pain.
“Yeah well, if your face wasn’t already broken I’d make that nose job seem like a walk in the park,” Charlie smirked. “It’s a shame you and your sister don’t look more alike. I would never have guessed you’re twins if she hadn’t said anything.”
My sister talks too much.
“Your sister m…” Charlie bit his tongue. “Never mind, you don’t want all the details. Anyway, I came by to say that I meant what I said to Megan. When you come back to see Big John, I’ll stand beside you. You may be a raving moron, but I care about your sister and what she cares about is you. I’m guessing it’s because you’re so affable. That and she shared a womb with your dumb ass.”
True. Bobby smirked. Maybe Charlie and Megan together wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. He spent another fifteen minutes or so chatting with Charlie as best he could with a pad of paper. They came to amicable terms between the two of them and both left the conversation feeling alright about the other. They may not be buddies that hang out and go for a beer, but they wouldn’t be pussies and fighting like cats over the scraps either.
***
Megan came home after work feeling amazing. Her body was full of energy and a light feeling as she climbed the stairs to her third story apartment. She rounded the corner and saw Charlie sitting against her apartment door. When he looked up though her heart sank to her toes before it shot to her throat. She swallowed past the worry and anxiety that settled in her stomach and moved to him. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Big John has eyes everywhere,” he tried to smile and winced in pain. “I should have told you that before we…”
“We’ll figure it out,” Megan promised. “Can you stand up?”
“They stabbed me in the side.”
“Geez,” Megan said, trying to help the bulk of Charlie to stand upright. “Come on big guy. Don’t you quit on me now.”
Megan barely got Charlie into her apartment before he collapsed. She knew she’d never be able to move him and quickly grabbed her cell phone from her purse. She dialed John’s number and asked him to come over as quickly as he could.
“Megan?”
“In here,” he called. Before John could ask, Megan explained everything. “He’s my boyfriend, sort of. He was protecting my brother and they must have known about it because after Bobby was attacked, I found him on my doorstep today.”
“Do you need help moving him?”
“I can’t leave him here, I won’t be able to shut my door,” Megan said, pointing to Charlie’s feet in the doorway.
“Alright, get a sheet or something to slip under him. We’ll turn him like you nurses do for bedridden patients.”
Megan did as John suggested and they managed to get him into the living room without much fuss. She’d have like to put him on her bed, but lifting him was a different task all together than simply sliding him across the floor. “Thanks John.”
“Any time sweetie. You need help undressing and caring for his wounds?” John asked, interest in his eyes.
“Lay off lover boy, this one’s mine,” Megan smiled. They cut his shirt and pants off and Megan worked to stitch the gash back together. Thankfully it wasn’t a long gash. “I’m glad he stayed out for that. He would have been impossible to hold him down.”
“I know this is personal but have you and he?” Megan laughed as her eyes filled with her smile.
“Inquiring minds want to know do they?” Megan chuckled. “He’s huge to be honest. But he’s gentle and tender and passionate. You find another man like him, you hold on tight alright?”
“Hell yes,” John smiled. “Alright doll. I’m going to blow this pop sickle stand. I need to see about dinner.”
“Do you mind buying for me as well?”
“Sure,” John replied. “Chinese okay?”
“Chinese is perfect,” Megan nodded. She wrote down everything she wanted and gave John a fifty dollar bill. “If that’s not enough I’ll give you the difference with you get back.”
“Sounds good. Be back in a jiff.”
“Thanks John!”
“No problem,” John called back.
Two weeks after Charlie had ended up on her doorstep Megan was able to bring Bobby home from the hospital. His jaw and ribs had healed enough that he could come home. Megan had talked, begged him to see the error of his ways. He agreed that he couldn’t go back to work for Big John and eventually found employment at a factory that paid decent. Between his work and the income Megan earned, they made it work. She was thankful that Charlie also didn’t go back to work for Big John. He took a bouncer job at a local bar and worked the night shift to keep people like Big John under control. Thankfully Big John never came to the pub and Charlie figured that was all for the best.
“If I never see that low life again,” Charlie was saying one night as they all ate, “It’ll be too soon.”
“I’ll say,” Megan agreed.
“Where’s Bobby?”
“He’s visiting Rita tonight. Apparently she thinks he’s wonderful.”
“More power to her,” Charlie laughed. “Maybe he’s learning to use his brain after all.”
“More than likely. He’s got to have one, unless I stole it all when we were growing together.”
“Maybe,” Charlie laughed.
Megan cleared the table while Charlie put the food away. She ran water for the dishes and together they worked to clean up the kitchen. “Have I ever told you how sexy it is that you do domestic work so well?”
“No, but continue,” Charlie smiled. He leaned over and took her smiling mouth with his own. “On second thought…” Charlie slid his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Passion blossomed between them and Megan sighed against him when he drew her away from the water. Not seeming to care about her soaking wet hands, she slid them easily into his hair and pulled him down so she could plunder him. Careful not to agitate his stitches that were nearly ready to come out, Megan lifted his shirt over his head and moaned as need spiked through her. Her hands ran over his stomach and chest muscles, loving the way they quivered under her touch.
“Just looking at you makes me horny,” she smiled. “I always want to rush, but there’s so much to enjoy that taking things slow is never disappointing either.”
“I’m in the mood to make love to you Megan,” Charlie hoarsely said. Blood was already coursing through his body so that his ears were filled with the sound of it. “Let me love you.”
“You already do,” Megan smiled. “And I love you too.”
“Good, because I’m not giving you up, for anything.”
“Well if you did, I’d just chase you down and smack you over the head with my skillet until you see reason.”
“I don’t doubt you would,” Charlie chuckled. He picked Megan up and carried her unceremoniously into the room they now shared. He was good to his word and spent a considerable amount of time arousing her with his hands and lips and tongue. He feasted on her body as if he’d never sampled a woman before. The flavor of her was like the most succulent meal, tantalizing as he built her up.
Again she came on a moan of pleasure, but this time she drew him up to her, sliding herself over him so that he was encased completely in the warm folds of her body. She moved with him, sharing in the ecstasy of their love making. She worked her entire body to build him up to that jagged edge and only when he’d spent himself in her did she finally let go and cry his name.
***
Megan curled into Charlie’s warmth and gently caressed the soft hair that spanned his broad chest. She liked that he was so well built with muscles that dwarfed her. She liked that a man who seemed made of steel could be so gentle and the most tender of lovers. He listened to her and learned to pleasure her in the ways that mean the most to her.
She knew that Bobby wasn’t the biggest fan of their relationship, but she hoped in time, now that neither of them worked for Big John, that they’d learn their differences weren’t as important as their strengths and that each had been gifted with his own abilities. She loved them both and didn’t want a squabble between them.
Tomorrow she planned to step into her new role as the charge nurse of the labor and delivery ward at Washington Memorial. The pay bump was nice, but what it meant for her was even more prestigious. She’d be the nurse every other nurse looked to for schedules, vacation time, sick leave, bereavement, unit assignments and anything else that required a supervisor’s approval. She’d hold meetings to encourage her nurses to take the utmost care of their patients, both the ones in labor and the ones who’d already delivered their little ones. She could hardly wait and as she drifted off to sleep, resting comfortably next to Charlie, she thought for a moment how wonderful it’d be to be a patient on the L & D ward instead of just the one in charge of it.
THE END