Chapter 15

Never mistake my silence for weakness. No one plans a murder out loud.

-T-shirt

Max

I watched her walk inside. Her head hung miserably, and I felt lower than low. I’d heard what had gone down two days ago, and I knew that she needed me. Sadly, for this plan to work, I had to stay away. Her dejectedness played into our plans well.

 

Alas, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave her like this.

 

James came and told me what had happened. He also told me the shit that went down with Sam’s father. This was not good. The man was a killer. He had no remorse for anyone or anything when it came to protecting his own.

 

It took me a day, but I was able to get out with the Chief’s help, and here I stood, watching her get out of the car and walk towards the front door. She opened it quietly and waved to Jack as he left.

 

I was sitting in my recliner, in the dark, watching her through the front window. Alpha came right up to me and rubbed his head against my jean-clad thigh. I gave him an ear scratch and waited for her to notice me.

 

She left the room, leaving the lights off as she went. That was unusual for her; normally every light in the house was on if she was in it. Tonight was different though. She walked to the bedroom and stripped out of her clothes as she went. Her shirt and shoes were in the living room. Her pants and bra dropped in the hallway and, finally, her panties in the doorway.

 

Then I saw her there, on the bed, on her hands and knees waiting for me. My cock sprang to life, and I found myself stripped out of my clothes and behind her in an instant.

 

“How’d you know I was here?” I asked quietly.

 

I walked up behind her and ran my rough palms over the silky skin of her backside. My thumbs touched the inside of her thigh, where it met the lips of her sex, but it didn’t stray any further.

 

“You left the porch light on for me.” She whispered and then wiggled her hips at me.

 

I dropped to my knees, and studied her. Placing my hands on either side of her thighs, I let my thumbs drag over the lips of her sex so I could expose her to my gaze. She was wet and glistening. Her clit was visible, and my mouth watered. I wanted nothing more than to suck on the little nub until she begged me to stop.

 

Next time would have to do, because I was out of control. I hadn’t seen her in two whole days. Hadn’t spoken to her. Hadn’t felt her breathing against me as she slept. Hadn’t felt the silkiness of her skin. The tinkling laugh that escaped her as she did something funny.

 

That and I hadn’t shaved in nearly a week. Some beard growth was okay, but any more and I’d give her rug burn.

 

“I need you.” I said to her desperately.

 

“What do you think I’m waiting here for? To air out my vagina?” She laughed.

 

I didn’t say a word. I wasn’t touching that one with a ten-foot pole. That was a touchy subject with women, and I’ll be damned if I said something to offend her. With those pregnant hormones coursing through her veins, she’d probably take it the wrong way and try to chop my dick off.

 

Lining my cock up with her slick entrance, I filled her with one slow slick thrust.

 

“You know, I’ve heard tantric sex is hot.” I said teasingly.

 

“We could never do tantric sex. Don’t you have to sit still for that?” She asked wiggling back on me, trying to get me to move.

 

I smacked her ass lightly and she laughed.

 

“You left me high and dry for three days!” She moaned.

 

“Wouldn’t that be wet and empty?” I provoked.

 

“Well, I guess that would be a better explanation. Now fuck me already.”

 

I did.

 

Long, deep strokes. My pace never altered from the one I set. This was going to last a while, and my goal was to make up for the three days that I’d cheated her out of.

 

Payton, on the other hand, had different ideas. With each thrust forward, she started slamming herself back against me. It wasn’t long before I was ready to blow. Anchoring my hands at her shoulders, I started slamming into her harder and harder. Each hard thrust had me butting up against her cervix with the head of my cock.

 

“Fuck.” Payton said, as she lowered herself down so that her chest was touching the mattress.

 

I moved my hands to her hips, and held on so tight that she’d probably have bruises in the morning. Five perfect finger marks. Payton’s heat tightened so hard on my cock that I saw stars, and then her channel started pulsing with her orgasm. It felt a-fucking-mazing.

 

Knowing that I no longer needed to hold off, I let myself go. I watched as my glistening cock tunneled in and out of her slick heat. My cock was shining with her copious juices. Pulling out far enough each time that my cock kissed the entrance to her channel. Then I thrust forward so hard that I bottomed out, and then repeated it. My control splintered, and I shot off inside of her.

 

Three days’ worth of pent up frustration poured out of me and coated her insides. Pulling out my softening cock, I watched as my come dribbled out of her and fell to the sheets between her thighs. It was such a sight that my spent cock was brought back to life as if it had been shocked.

 

Smiling, I slammed back inside of her again, and repeated what we’d just finished doing.

 

“Fuck. You’re a monster,” She laughed.

 

I did notice, however, that she didn’t complain. This second time lasted much longer, and it was how I’d envisioned the first time being. It was long, slow, and sweaty. By the time we were both spent, we didn’t even have the energy to wash ourselves clean.

 

“Not it.” I said.

 

“Rock, paper, scissors.” She demanded.

 

We did the ritual, and I won with rock over paper.

 

“Best two out of three.” She demanded.

 

I won again, with paper over her rock. Even though I won, we both got up and cleaned each other in the shower.

 

“Can you tell me what’s going on yet?” She asked as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair.

 

The smell of some fruity shit wafted up to my nose, and it instantly reminded me of what I’d been yearning to smell over the past three days. Her fruity shampoo, and the cotton candy lotion she used; even the smell of the cinnamon gum that she was constantly chewing on. She just smelled like home.

 

“Not yet.” I said as I kissed her nose.

 

She sighed in frustration. “I need to go to my parents. Bennett got the test results today.”

 

I focused on her face, trying to read it, but she was shut down tight. “So?”

 

Her head hit my sternum with a thump. “It’s his. I was praying it wasn’t his, but it is.”

 

I said the only thing I could think of to say. It wasn’t eloquent, but it fit the situation.

 

“Well, fuck.”

 

“My thoughts exactly.”

***

“You okay, man?” I asked Bennett as I sat down on the rocking chair beside him.

 

“Yeah. It’s a shock, but it’s good to finally know. That’s all I’ve been able to think about for the past five months.” He explained.

 

I imagined it was. Payton and I were twenty-five and twenty-eight years old. We both had well established jobs. We both were well off financially. Fuck, we graduated from high school. Bennett had none of those things. What he did have, however, was an excellent support system.

 

“What are you going to do?” I asked him.

 

His gaze caught on a slow moving car that was trying to avoid hitting a deer. “Mom and Dad are taking me to a lawyer on Monday to see about what rights I have. I think that Corinne wants to give the baby up for adoption. I don’t want to.”

 

It felt like déjà vu. Everything he was explaining happened to James when Janie was born. At least James had graduated and had a career at the time. This would be one hell of a bumpy road for Bennett. It would be a struggle for him to even graduate. He would though, if I had to attend every class with him and watch his kid while he did it.

 

The front storm door swished open and Tony stepped out. He handed us all beers, and sat down on the step above Bennett. He stayed silent for a full ten minutes before breaking it.

 

“If you go in to the Marines, I won’t be mad at you.” He said blandly.

 

The tension that was building burst with his statement.

 

“Uh, no dad. I’ve already made my decision.” He laughed.

 

“This is going to be tough. You have a long road ahead of you.” He sighed, concern evident in his voice.

 

I decided now was the time to leave them alone for a bit. That and my beer was empty. I needed beer to deal with this shit. Standing, I clapped Bennett on the shoulder, and made my way into the house. I followed the sound of arguing voices, and found Payton and her mom in Tony and Jessie’s bedroom. They were both laying down on the bed listening to a song.

 

“He’s totally saying, ’wrapped up like a douche.’ There is no way he’s saying anything else.” Payton said.

 

“Payton. He’s saying deuce, not douche. Go look up the lyrics.” Jessie laughed.

 

I’d always wondered about the song myself, but not enough to look the lyrics up as Payton was currently doing. “You were right!”

 

I leaned against the doorframe and waited for them to notice me. After a couple minutes, I realized that both women were really good at not paying attention.

 

“Pitch Perfect is on!” Payton squealed.

 

“Aw, come on. We just watched that last night!” I said exasperated.

 

They both screeched like banshees, and popcorn, cokes, and cookies went flying. A bowl sailed through the air, which I caught just before it slammed into my face.

 

“Mother fucker, Max!” Payton yelled. “What have I told you about sneaking up on me?”

 

“Which time?” I asked innocently.

 

Payton’s mom let out a deep belly laugh. “Oh, honey. These men of ours can’t help it. Your daddy has told me some stories; after hearing those, I don’t care if he sneaks up on me anymore. I’m just glad he had that skill when he needed it.”

 

I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. She was right about that. At times, during my deployment and subsequent missions, if I wasn’t quiet I was dead. Payton didn’t need to hear about that though.

 

“So, I think we need to make a wager.” I said as I crawled in between mother and daughter, put my back to the headboard, and pulled them both into my sides.

 

“What’s that?” Payton laughed and scooted as close as she could.

 

Her belly seemed to have grown over the past three days. She was belly, all the way. The baby squirmed at the contact, and I couldn’t help the surge of elation I felt every time I felt our baby move.

 

“The first wager I’d like to propose is if ours is a boy or a girl. The second is whose baby will be born first. There is only a week separating the due dates from what I’ve been told.” I said

 

I was trying to put something positive into this big ‘ol mess. Jessie and Tony were concentrating on the impact this would have on Bennett’s life. They weren’t looking at the positive in this: a new life would be here, and they would be able to spoil another grand baby.

 

“Mine will be first.” Payton declared.

 

“You’re a week behind, dear. You’ll probably go two weeks over your due date, then you’ll have to be induced.” Jessie said with a look that said she thought her daughter was delusional.

 

Payton buried her face into the crook of my arm and groaned. “You’re probably right. I’m so over being pregnant.”

 

This was new to me. I didn’t realize the pregnancy was bothering her. “Why?”

 

“Everything hurts at the end of a shift. And I feel like a fat heifer.”

 

I thought this was one of those times I was supposed to say, ’Oh, you’re not fat,’ or something to that effect. But I sensed a trap, and I hesitated too long trying to figure out the best response.

 

She wrenched herself from my arms and ran to her mother’s bathroom.

 

I threw the pillow I was laying on over my face and groaned. “Motherfucker.”

 

Jessie was giggling, and that is when Tony found us. “What the fuck?”

 

“Oh, my God. What have I done to deserve this?” I asked the pillow that was still covering my face.

 

Jessie got up from the bed and went to her husband; I kept the pillow over my face as I listened to her soothe the big bear. “He upset your daughter, and is contemplating suicide.”

 

Oh, Jesus. Just what I needed was for him to be pissed that I upset his daughter. The man outweighed my 210-pound body by a good fifty pounds. And that wasn’t fat either; it was pure muscle. He also towered over me by four inches. I would surely die.

 

Payton’s heaving from the bathroom propelled me out of bed and to her side in the next instant. Hunching down behind her, I gathered her hair off the side of her face and rubbed her back. “I swear to God, I don’t think you’re fat. I think you’re sexy, and your body turns me on.”

 

Gagging sounds from behind me made me tense, but I didn’t let her go.

 

“I know that, I just had to puke, and didn’t want to do it all over my parents bed.”

 

Thank you, Jesus. I hated when she went into harpy mode. She was damn good at it, too. She finished heaving up her insides, popped up as if none of it happened, and washed her face in the sink.

 

“Okay, I think we need to order Chinese. I’m craving some sweet and sour chicken like nobody’s business.” She declared to me, and her parents, who were sitting on the bed watching us.

 

I rolled my eyes. I swear to God she could eat anything. Anytime. We ordered Chinese; bets were placed, and we had a great time. Having this family take me in as one of their own did something to fix that broken part inside of me.

 

It was weird to have a mother that worried if you ate healthy. To have a father that worried about you being able to fix the heater in your truck, asking if he could help in any way. Hell, it was even different to have a brother that wanted to hang out and play video games with you. My sister did that as well, but she wasn’t a man, and there were just some things that you couldn’t say in front of your baby sister.

 

As we were leaving that night, I felt weird. Like I had something great, and I should hold on tight, or I might lose it. If I looked away for even a second, it’d be gone. The feeling continued as we shivered in the heater less truck. It’d started to sleet as we pulled out of the driveway. I drove slowly due to the multiple people who were driving like they’d never seen it rain before.

 

A parked car with its flashers on caught my attention about a quarter mile ahead of us. As I slowed, I had that feeling. The one that made the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and arms. The one that no trained soldier ignored when they were battle trained and tested.

 

Some instinct told me to turn around. To go back the way we came. Slowing, I came to a stop and started to swing a U-turn just as a car barreled out of a dirt road and t-boned the blazer. Normally, this wouldn’t have even been a problem since I have a lifted truck. At worse, all they could do was damage the tires. Except this was no ordinary vehicle. This was a monster. Its headlights were level with mine, and I knew this was going to be bad before it happened.

 

My arm was thrown out uselessly over Payton’s chest to keep her in her seat, but it didn’t help. The impact was indescribable. The sound of metal crunching and screeching will forever be imbedded in my brain. Lights flashed. Then there were sirens in the distance. Pops and ticks from the now dead engine.

 

Time passed slowly. It took me a few minutes after the impact to realize that the vehicle that hit us left. A young girl was on the roof of the Blazer, asking questions. My brain was fuzzy, and I couldn’t comprehend what she was asking. I turned my head towards Payton, and saw her slumped forward in her seat.

 

The seatbelt kept the majority of her body upright. Her head lolled to the side furthest away from the window. Blood was oozing out of a cut on her forehead, blood running out of her left ear, and suddenly my brain came back online. Releasing my seatbelt, I scrambled over the console and made note of her injuries. The whole right side of her body was a massive bruise. Already, purple splotches were popping up on the side of her face. I left her where she was; too concerned for her neck and spine to move her before I knew what was wrong.

 

It was a few minutes of holding her head steady against the back of the seat when paramedics and volunteer fire departments arrived. They used the Jaws of Life to open the passenger side door, and then they immobilized her neck with a c-collar, before transferring her to a bright yellow backboard.

 

Her belly poked out from underneath her blood stained t-shirt, and all I could think about was that laying there like that, she in no way resembled a heifer. She looked like a broken god damned doll.

 

Two paramedics were frantically working on either side of her, and I dropped to my knees and watched as they ripped her shirt and placed sticky pads onto her chest, and hooked her up to a monitor. I watched as the line stayed straight across the screen.

 

Shouldn’t it be moving up and down?

 

The closest medic to me started doing chest compressions, and I watched the line jump up and down in time with his hands. The other medic breathed for her; it was then I realized I was crying. Big fat tears were rolling down my face. I reached my hand up to touch my face, and then looked down at my hand. It was covered in blood.

 

“Clear.” A voice clipped.

 

I looked up in time to see Payton’s body jump slightly.

 

“I’ve got a pulse!” The closest medic cheered.

 

Relief swept through me, and I watched through my cloudy haze as they loaded her into the ambulance. A cop’s strong grip on my arm stopped me from following them. I was surprised enough that I stopped, and the ambulance was able to pull away before I was able to get to it.

 

“Let go!” I said frantically.

 

I knew I wasn’t rational. Something was wrong. Something was keeping me from functioning correctly. I felt like I was a witness to this, rather than a participant.

 

“Sir, let me get you in my cruiser and we’ll follow the ambulance.” He said as he helped me into his front seat.

 

As soon as I sat down, I must have passed out, because when I woke up again, I was being transferred to a gurney at the entrance to the hospital. I was taken straight back into the belly of the ER, and nurses and doctors flitted around me like butterflies.

 

“Sir, can you tell me what happened?” Someone asked me.

 

I turned my head to the left and up, spotting a young male doctor with a flashlight. “We were in a wreck. My wife.”

 

I tried to sit up, but something was holding me down. “Payton!” I yelled.

 

The slamming of doors brought my attention to the front of the ER as long blonde hair came running into the room: Cheyenne. She was wearing her nursing scrubs, and her face showed concern as she looked around the room wildly. She hesitated when she saw something in the room beside me, but came to a decision when she spotted me looking at her.

 

She ran towards me, and then placed her hand on the side of my face. “Hey, Maxie Poo. You look like shit.”

 

“Don’t call me that, twerp.” I said, searching her face. “Why isn’t anyone telling me about Payton?”

 

She smiled at me. “She’s in the next room over. Let me go check on her.”

 

I watched as she walked out of my room, and then to the left. I tried to get up again, but my body wasn’t cooperating. I prayed. For the first time since my parents died, I prayed.

 

Everything went black, and I slept.

***

I opened my eyes to a white wall. Looking over, I found myself in the ER room I was in earlier, but the chaos surrounding me was gone. Cheyenne was still there, hovering beside me, watching the hallway. Beside her were my sister and Gabe.

 

“She okay?” I rasped.

 

Ember came over to me, and wrapped her arms around me. I grimaced, but hugged her back. “They took her to surgery. We don’t know what’s wrong.”

 

I closed my eyes on a fresh wave of tears. “Find me someone to talk to.” I said as I forced myself to stand up.

 

“Stay down.” A nurse barked from the doorway.

 

I glanced at her, but disregarded her, and stood up on shaky feet. I yanked the IV out of my vein, and threw it to the floor. “Where’re my pants?”

 

“I told you to stay down.” The nurse with no bedside manner said to me, as she tried to sit me down on the bed again.

 

I pushed her away from me instead, and found my jeans that now sported new rips on the outside seams. Disgusted, I threw them back down again, and walked out to the main room. Spotting a doctor, I walked up to him.

 

“Can you tell me anything on the pregnant woman who was in the room beside me?” I asked him.

 

He looked at me, and worry crossed his brow. “She’s got internal bleeding. The baby was in distress as well. They took her up to surgery about ten minutes ago. Now, I think you need to sit down, or you might fall down.”

 

“I need some pants, and I need to know how to get to where she’s at.” I demanded.

 

He looked at me with pity until the look on my face registered with him. “This way.”

 

He found me some scrubs and instructed me to get into a wheel chair. I sat since he looked like he wasn’t going to budge on this one.

 

“Nurse Rodgers. Please escort this young man to the surgical waiting room.” The young doctor instructed the bitchy nurse that was staring daggers at me.

 

“But, sir, he’s got a concussion, and broken ribs.” She protested.

 

“I don’t need her. Cheyenne. Take me.” I said and snapped my fingers.

 

Cheyenne jumped, and took ahold of my wheel chair, pushing me away from the protesting nurse. Gabe and Ember followed behind. All silent.

 

“I’m going to see if we can get onto the actual floor; if I can’t, we will have to go to the waiting room.” Cheyenne said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

 

I patted her hand in acknowledgement, but didn’t say anything.

 

The nurses on the surgical floor didn’t mind having us waiting there; so we waited, and we waited, and we waited. Time crawled to a standstill. My head was throbbing. My ribs felt like a mule kicked them, and my sister was silently crying in the corner.

 

“Mr. Tremaine?” A female doctor asked from down the hallway.

 

I stood, and walked in my bare socks towards her. Gabe, Cheyenne, and Ember at my back in silent support.

 

“Are you Payton’s husband?” She asked.

 

I was about to nod yes when I saw a rush of white coats and green scrubs rush past us with a clear incubator type thing. Almost like the one that Payton had rolled the other babies around in, yet not. This one had a clear plastic top to it with circles on the sides. Attached to the front was a monitor with numbers lighting up the screen. Beeping sounds coming from it.

 

Inside was a tiny little baby, the size of a doll. Janie carried one around time to time that resembled it. It took a few moments for my brain to catch up, but once it did, horror washed over me.

 

I took a step in their direction, but was halted by the nurse that still stood in front of me. I tried to shake her off, but she wouldn’t budge.

 

Turning towards her in affront, Gabe grabbed my arm and hauled me away from her.

 

“Listen to her first.” He said in his deep, demanding voice.

 

I took a breath in, and let it out slowly. I nodded in thanks, and then nodded to the doctor who looked relieved to have Gabe standing beside me.

 

“Payton has some swelling on her brain. We’re going to keep her in a medically induced coma for now. She had some bleeding internally as well, but we were able to get that corrected. The baby was in distress, and they delivered her. She will be in the NICU. NICU is across the hall from ICU, which is where we’ll be taking Payton as soon as we’re sure she’s stable, and no longer in need of any surgery.” The doctor explained.

 

Bile rose in my stomach, but I tamped it down. I felt lost. I didn’t know where to go, or what to do. Then I remembered her parents.

 

“Her parents. I need to call her parents.” I said to Ember.

 

“We already called them, Max. They’re in the waiting room. I’ll go out and talk to them. You go see that baby of yours.” Ember said softly.

 

The doctor touched my arm and said, “I can take you to your daughter, Mr. Tremaine.”

 

I followed. Scared shitless. A daughter.