Chapter Twenty-Three

 

Mercy

 

The afternoon and night passes in a heat-stricken blur. Sasha, her parents, and I drive all over the city, checking out the park where the wedding will be held, confirming the catering and other arrangements, and then get made over at the salon. By the time we get done with the late dinner and show that Sasha booked for us, I’ve had way too much to drink for one night, so I tell the girls goodbye and take the elevator back up to my room. Or maybe it will be our room, I remind myself, since Abe should be coming up as soon as the guys are finished with their bachelor night out.

Pulling my keycard from my purse, it takes me two tries to get the damn lights to go green so that I can pull on the handle and stagger inside.

Something crunches under my heel as the door shuts. I look down and find a piece of paper someone must have slid under the door. Figuring it’s a room service invoice or maybe even a sweet note from Abe, I pick it up and open it.

My dearest Mercy,

I warned you to stop with the unladylike behavior that is an embarrassment to yourself and to me, your future husband. You didn’t listen, and now I’m incredibly angry and hurt. You should be glad that I love you so much or I may not be able to forgive you for spending every night with that big buffoon biker. He’s not the man for you, and we both know it.

Your One True Love.

Oh, my god! He’s here, in the hotel! Who the hell is this lunatic? Did he follow me here? How the hell did he know where I was going?

I need to find Abe right fucking now. Pulling out my phone from my purse, I try to call him; but there’s no freaking signal in the room. Rather than stay in this room alone for another second, I peer out the peephole to make sure the hall is clear before I open the door and run to the elevator with my purse and the letter. I think I drop my keycard somewhere in the commotion, but that’s the last thing on my mind. I can get another one.

When I’m safely on the elevator, I try to call Abe again; but it still says no service. Damn it!

In the lobby, I walk up to the check-in counter and tell the first clerk I see, “There’s someone stalking me, and he’s here in the casino.”

“Oh, wow,” the woman replies, eyes widening in worry. I’m glad to see that she’s at least taking this seriously. “I’ll call security,” she says when she picks up the phone.

“Thank you,” I reply on an exhale as I try to reach Abe again. It finally starts ringing this time. He picks up immediately.

“Hey, Red. I’m on my way to your room,” he says.

“Abe! Thank god I got you,” I say in a rush. “He’s here. He’s been in the hotel and left a note in my room.”

“Are you fucking kidding me!” he exclaims. “Where are you?”

“I’m in the lobby at the check-in counter,” I tell him.

“Stay there!” he orders. “I’m on my way down!”

“Okay–” I start to say; but as my eyes sweep around the busy casino, they land on a familiar looking dumpy man with shaggy, brown hair. I’ve seen him before, I’m certain, but it takes me a minute to figure out where. Seeing my gaze on him, he smiles broadly and then waves a hand at me before he starts walking toward me.

When he’s only five feet away it hits me.

Joseph.

That’s it! I’ve seen him most Sundays at my mother’s church. She’s tried to set me up with him for years. I was polite to him, but he definitely gave off a creepy vibe. What is he doing in Vegas the same weekend that I’m here? He’s in khakis and a short-sleeve button-down, like he's dressed for church. Seems odd that a Bible thumper like him would be here in sin city. It’d be like seeing my mother…

Hold on a second.

Joseph couldn’t be the person following me, could he?

Only a few people knew I was coming – Ryan, the show’s producer, and my mother.

Has Joseph been chatting up my mother to keep tabs on me?

“Mercy,” he says as he draws near me, his pale blue eyes sparkling. “It’s always such a pleasure to see you in person.” His left hand is buried in his khaki pocket, but he raises his right one to reach for me, before I quickly draw back a step.

“Joseph,” I say sternly, my eyes darting around and spotting Abe pushing his way through the crowded lobby. “What brings you out to Vegas this week?”

“You, my love,” he says, his eyes narrowing as he follows my gaze and sees the huge, bearded figure drawing near us. “I had hoped that you would come to your senses and realize I cannot allow this man to be a part of your life any longer, but I suppose your female mind requires a display of dominance from me to prove my feelings.”

“Mercy!” Abe roars as he storms over to us. “Who the hell is this guy?”

“Abe, be careful. I think it’s him!” I scream as Joseph finally draws his left hand out of his pocket, some sort of small tube wrapped in his fist.

Abe sees it as well and jerks his head up just as Joseph points it at his face and unleashes a torrent of thick red liquid that soaks Abe’s beard and t-shirt. “Take that, you…” Joseph screeches, just before Abe whips his arm around, smashing the smaller man’s jaw with an audible crack.

Joseph drops to the floor instantly, the can of pepper spray he had been palming falling to the ground beside him. Abe lets out an explosive breath of air, blinking down at Joseph for just a moment before bending down to snatch up the can. The desk clerk I spoke to moments ago has run across the lobby and is thankfully sprinting back towards us with two men in ‘security’ shirts following her.

Before they can get close to us, Abe shoves the pepper spray into Joseph’s face and, still roaring, empties the rest of the can into his eyes and mouth. Abe gets back to his feet just as one of the security guards rushes over and grabs his arm, while Joseph rolls and screeches on the ground at their feet.

I grab the shirt of the security officer, who is trying vainly to get a hold on Abe. “Not him! He’s…he’s my boyfriend! It’s that guy on the ground who’s been stalking me!” I tell him.

“Wait,” the guard says, dropping his hands from Abe. “This guy is your boyfriend?” he asks incredulously, staring up at Abe.

“Yes! That man on the ground, his name is Joseph. He…he goes to church with my mother, and he’s been stalking me for weeks! We’re from North Carolina, and the police have been following me trying to catch him, and…” Abe lays a hand on me, instantly calming me as I realize I was rambling.

“Hold that guy and get the police. Maybe an ambulance, too,” Abe instructs the guards.

“Are you all right, big fella?” the other guard asks from where he now has Joseph on his belly while he kneels on his back.

“Shit burns a bit,” Abe acknowledges, as he begins to gingerly take off his shirt in the lobby, trying to make sure that none of the spray touches him. “Dumbass mostly just hosed down my beard and neck. I think I should be able to wash it off.”

“Can you two hold him until the police arrive?” I ask the guards, who nod in acknowledgement. “I’m going to take my boyfriend up to our room and try to help him clean up.” Then, I turn to the desk clerk, who is now back behind the counter. “My name is Mercy Daniels. Can you pull up my room number and issue me a new key quickly?” I ask her.

“Of course,” she confirms, typing at her terminal. “With this situation, we would definitely want to reset your key cards and issue you new ones. I’ll stay here and let the police know what room they can find you in once they review security footage and deal with this person. I’ll send them up to get your statement. Here you go, ma’am,” she says as she slides me a new card.

“Thank you so much, for everything,” I tell her. “Abe, come on, let’s try to clean you up,” I say to him as I grab his hand and lead him towards the elevators. He’s making a brave show in front of the crowd that's gawking at us in the lobby. But from his squinted eyes and shallow breathing, I can tell that he is in a lot more pain than he’s letting on.

“Thanks, Red,” he whispers as the elevator doors close on just the two of us.

“Don’t thank me. He could’ve had a gun or…or a knife, or…oh god, Abe, he could have killed you!” I realize in horror.

“I’ve dealt with worse shit than him. Hell, I got shot a few weeks ago,” he says with a feeble grin while rubbing his chest where the enormous bruise is starting to heal and holding his ruined t-shirt away from his body.

I knew it was more than just a bar fight! He must have been shot through a bulletproof vest. What if he hadn’t been wearing one? Jeez! When I frown at Abe in concern, he winks at me and says, “I don’t care if he had pulled a grenade out. You know I would have jumped on it for you. I’d do any fucking thing for you. Shit, listen to me. I sound like that Joseph freak.”

“No, you don’t,” I tell him, looking up to stare in his dark eyes. “Abe, I…” I get interrupted as the elevator dings for our floor, and I lead him out by his hand without finishing.

Using the new keycard, I open my door; and Abe leaves his t-shirt in a smelly heap in the hallway. Once I’ve got him inside, I slap the security bolt across the door as Abe immediately heads for the bathroom. When I follow him inside, he’s running the sink full blast, scrubbing furiously at his neck and chest.

“Whew!” he says, looking at me bleary-eyed in the mirror. “Water helps a little, I guess, but this stuff is nasty! It didn’t get in my nose or eyes, thank god, but…damn, Red, do you think I’m gonna have to shave off my beard?”

“Oh, Abe, no!” I protest, knowing how much he would hate that right before the wedding and all the pictures. “Hold on a second. Let me…let me look it up online.” Pulling out my phone, I search the internet, trying to figure out how to treat skin exposed to pepper spray.

“Damn, that’s handy, Red,” Abe comments, still scrubbing at his face. “I always have to use old school prepaid phones with the club. Having internet access must be nice.”

I scan the page I find briefly, then rush over to my vanity, looking for a small bottle I keep in my bag. “Okay, it says that one thing we can try is baby oil. Hold still,” I order him as I turn him towards me, taking one of the hotel towels to wring out his beard and mop at his chest.

Using a fresh towel, so I don’t just smear the foul-smelling spray still clinging to him, I dump the small bottle of baby oil across his chest, and then begin rubbing it across his neck. I use the towel to wring out his beard with the oil, then work my way back down to his chest.

“I don’t know what that maniac was thinking, confronting me in such a public place,” I tell Abe, just to break the awkward silence between us. “I mean, he could’ve been preparing to kidnap me, or…but you were there. You’ve been there for me through all of this. Thank you, so much, Abe.”

Unconsciously, while I was talking, my hands had strayed down to Abe’s rock hard and sculpted abdomen, where the baby oil had run in channels down across his muscular form. My free hand was rubbing the oil across his stomach; and when I realize what I’m doing, I look down to see the outline of Abe’s cock straining mightily against the fabric of his jeans. My breath catches in my throat as my mouth waters remembering how I sucked that glorious cock the other night, and I clear my throat when I joke, “So…you seem to be feeling better.”

I start to step back, but Abe catches my hand, sliding it through the oil on his abs, all the way down to the button on his jeans. “It still hurts a bit…down there,” he says, smiling at me.

I grin back up at him and drop the towel I was wiping him with into the sink. I quickly pop the button on his jeans and sink to my knees on the bathroom rug, shimmying his jeans down his thick, muscular thighs until his cock bobs free, almost smacking me on my chin. I grab his shaft with my right hand, guiding him into my mouth while my still oily left hand cups his balls.

“Fuck, Red, your mouth is amazing,” Abe moans as my mouth glides down his cock. When his head hits the back of my throat, I swallow fiercely, and then force even more of him down my throat. “Christ, oh, Mercy. Mercy…” Abe chants as he disappears into my mouth. “No one’s ever managed to do that, Red,” he gasps.

My eyes are watering when I come back up for air, letting all but the head of his shaft go free. My left hand keeps working his sack as I shorten my strokes, only taking half of Abe at a time. As my pace quickens, Abe grabs my hair, making me think he is about to come. Instead, he pulls me back gently and then guides me to my feet.

“You’re not feeling better yet, are you?” I ask him playfully. His only reply is to jerk the thin straps of my light summer dress down my arms, then force it down my hips until it puddles around my feet. Standing there in only my bra and heels, Abe gazes down my body, lust and adoration in his eyes.

“Still no panties, Red?” Abe grins. “That’s my girl. Turn around,” he orders.

I turn to face the bathroom mirror and grip the edge of the sink as Abe moves behind me. The expression of pain is gone from his face, and I watch his oiled torso gleaming in the lights as he places one hand on my hip while lining himself up with my slick entrance. With one smooth, slow stroke, he buries himself deep inside of me.

“OHMYFUCKINGGOD!” I scream as he reaches around to grab my breasts, standing me up and pressing my back into his slick chest. This angle is even better, so deep inside me I can barely breathe. He begins rocking gently against me, one hand cupping my breast as the other trails down my belly to find my clit.

“Jesus, Mercy. No one’s ever made me feel like this,” Abe whispers to me as his hand strokes through my soft, red curls, rubbing my most sensitive area while continuing his slow grind.

“No one’s ever made me feel,” I tell him, turning my head towards him when he catches my mouth in a kiss. With a hot, clenching rush, my lower belly tightens, and I come explosively as Abe buries himself inside me. “Oh, god, Abe. No one’s ever…no one’s ever…made me feel like this!” I cry.

The orgasm seems to rock me for minutes as Abe continues his slow, gentle motions behind me. Once the echoes of it begin to fade, I almost fall forward, but Abe catches me as he gently pulls his thick cock free of me. “No, not yet,” I whisper, looking back at him in longing.

“Shhh, not yet, Mercy,” Abe reassures me as he turns me around to face him. Reaching down to cup my bottom in both of his huge hands, he picks me up and clutches me to his chest as my legs wrap around him. Rather than impaling me on his still throbbing cock, he walks with me back into the bedroom, throwing the sheets back on the bed with one hand before slowly laying me down, then kissing his way up my belly and breasts until we’re face to face.

“I want to see it in your eyes when you come for me,” he says, pushing my hair back until it’s spread out on the bed behind me. “I want to take you slow. I want to show you…” he trails off as he shifts his hips, once again guiding his thick cock into my body.

“I want to see you, too, Abe,” I tell him, reaching around to grab his shoulders and wrapping my legs around his upper thighs. As I pull him deeper inside me, whatever else we wanted to say to each other is lost in our passion. Abe’s lips crash down onto mine, his oily beard tickling me all the way down between my breasts as we make love.

All sense of time is lost to me as Abe rocks above me, his groans and my cries of pleasure passing between us. By the time I feel Abe’s thrusts begin to quicken, the bed is a ruin of sweaty sheets, and I’ve lost track of how many times he’s gazed into my eyes as I come apart for him. I tighten my grip on his legs and shoulders as he hammers into me, forcing him to meet my gaze as he takes a huge breath, and then I feel his orgasm explode into me, the hot rush sending me over the edge into a final, screaming frenzy of my own.

Abe collapses onto his elbows, holding his weight above me so he doesn’t suffocate me while he recovers. After a few silent minutes where the two of us simply stroke each other’s bodies and kiss, he finally withdraws his swollen cock, leaving a gaping emptiness inside me.

“Damn, Red, I think that was the best we’ve done together so far,” Abe says, smiling down at me as he stands by the bed.

“I know it was,” I assure him. “Every time I’m with you I think it’s the best sex of my life, but then you go and up your game again.”

“I’ve gotta hit the shower and wash all this off,” Abe says, pointing at his still oily chest and stomach. “Do you want to join me?” he offers.

“Definitely,” I reply. “Go get it started while I lie here a bit longer. I don’t think my legs will hold me just yet.”

I give him a few minutes to get the shower ready and clean up; and then, with trembling steps, I follow him into the bathroom. As I slide the glass shower door to the side and step inside, Abe is enough of a gentleman to move aside and let me get to the hot water. Once I’ve had a chance to soap up and rinse off, he joins me under the spray, and our lips find each other again. Only a few moments later, I gasp in surprise as I feel his cock bob up between us, pulsing again and demanding attention.

“Abe, that’s got to be physically impossible,” I say with a laugh as I break our kiss.

“Nothing’s impossible with you,” he replies. “You up for it, though? It’s okay if you need to tap out. I’d understand.”

Instead of dignifying that silliness with a response, I simply turn around and brace my palms against the wall of the shower stall and then shake my ass at him invitingly as I grin over my shoulder. Abe just smiles back at me as he adjusts the shower head to make sure we both stay warm before lining himself up with my still slick entrance.

Making gentle, sweet love with Abe was mind-blowing, but so is the brutal, steamy pounding he gives me as we’re locked together in the shower. All rational thought is lost as Abe ravages me, only his strong hands and his iron cock holding me steady as my legs finally turn to wet noodles from the constant orgasm assault. When I finally feel Abe reach his own shuddering climax, he gently washes us both down one more time, before shutting off the water and wrapping me in a towel.

While we’re both catching our breath and drying off in the bathroom after our shower, I hear a knock on the door to my room.

“Miss Daniels? This is the Las Vegas City Police,” calls a man from outside.

“Crap,” I mutter before I pull away from Abe. I grab my bathrobe from the hook behind the door, then wink at him as I walk out and pull the bathroom door partially closed. “I’ll talk to them and give my statement. You find your pants,” I order him.

“I’ll be right out if you need anything,” he agrees.

Going to the hotel door, I check the peephole to see that it is indeed the police. There are two officers, one male and one female. Unlocking the door, I open it and greet them with a huge smile. “I’m so glad to see you, officers. Did you have any trouble taking him into custody?”

“No, ma’am, no trouble at all,” the female officer says. “I’m Officer Price, and this is Officer Ramos.” She makes introductions as they step inside. “We just need to get your statement as to what happened leading up to the events down in the lobby. The suspect, Mr. Joseph Stanly, is in custody and is currently being transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. We’re waiting to hear back from North Carolina about his criminal record.”

“You guys, um, keep an officer on him, don’t you?” I ask nervously.

“Oh, yes, ma’am, absolutely,” Officer Ramos reassures me. “We don’t take chances with people like him. Your boyfriend, or bodyguard, whoever that fellow was, though, he did a number on Mr. Stanly. His jaw appears to be broken, and the pepper spray…well, I know from experience that a face full of that stuff will leave you in agony for quite some time.”

“We were lucky,” I tell the officers. “Abe, my…friend, he mostly just got sprayed in his beard. We’ve been trying to wash it out,” I tell them lamely, knowing how I look, flushed and disheveled in my bathrobe, and knowing that the room probably smells like an orgy.

“Well, ma’am, we won’t take up much of your time. If you could just answer a few questions for us…” As Officer Price begins going through a list of what seem like form questions, I catch a glimpse of Abe smiling at me from the bathroom. Returning his grin, I do my best to guide the officers through everything that has transpired in the last few weeks, until they finally seem to have all of the details that they need.

“All right, Ms. Daniels,” Officer Ramos finally says. “I think we have everything. We’ll be in touch with you soon to keep you apprised of the charges that will be filed and upcoming court appearances. For now, please relax and enjoy the rest of your stay out here. We’ll make sure that Mr. Stanly, at least, doesn’t cause you any more trouble.”

Once I show the pair of officers out the door, Abe finally emerges from the bathroom. “Didn’t mean to be a creeper through all that,” he says. “But it looked like you were fine, and I don’t much like talking to cops.”

“Ugh, tell me about it. I’m exhausted,” I reply. I shed the bathrobe, dropping it onto a chair by the bed. The sheets seem to be dry for the most part, so I put them back into some semblance of order; then stand up straight with a hand on my hip to look at Abe. “You coming to bed, big man?” I ask him.

“Mercy, I…I,” Abe swallows hard, and I see a look of sadness in his eyes before he continues. “I can’t stay all night. I’ll have to get to my stuff early tomorrow and get cleaned up for the wedding.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me about the early start,” I joke, wondering what’s really on his mind. “If you need to sneak out early, I understand. For now, though…well, today has been insane. Take off your pants and hold me, Abe. I need you.”

Abe just smiles and nods. I climb into bed and snuggle down into the sheets, leaving room for him to join me. Whatever is on his mind we can work out together in the coming days, after the wedding. For now, as I burrow up against his side, smelling our scents mixed together, everything is right with my world.