Rockstar Untamed: A Single Dad Virgin Romance by Michelle Love (2)

Stu changed back into his clothes, keeping the scrubs in his backpack and went outside. As he lit a cigarette, he pulled out his phone and called the one number programmed into it.

Bartholomew Foy answered with a curt. “Is she dead?”

Stu felt stung. “No. I couldn’t do it with the kid inside her.”

“Sentimental fool. We agreed you would kill Ms. Tambe as both a warning to Sailor and Creed, and as a thank you for us springing you from your incarceration, Mr. Lawson.”

“And I will kill her, I swear. Just…the kid didn’t do anything to me.”

Bart sighed. “Did you not consider that by killing them both, the impact would be greater?”

“I don’t get how your Sailor girl will know it’s you, why she’s even connected to Bay.”

“My sources tell me they are now friends. Sailor is very sensitive…when Bay Tambe dies, it will draw her out into the open.”

Stu sighed. He couldn’t argue. He had no idea how Bart Foy knew about him, or why he was helping him. It seemed tenuous to him…but then maybe Foy just like killing women. He could understand that. “Fine. But after Bay gives birth. Do you want me to kill Sailor for you?”

“No. Sailor is mine,” Bart’s voice took on such a dark tone that even Stu shivered at it. He wouldn’t want to be Sailor King when Bart caught up with her. “For now, just make sure Bay Tambe is dead before the end of the week.” The phone went dead, and Stu sighed, glancing back up at the hospital, before trudging back to the car Bart had leased for him.

 

Buddy Tomas Meir was born at eleven-thirteen a.m. the nest morning. An hour later, when they were alone and holding their son in her arms, Bay looked up at Tom with tears on her beautiful face, grinning widely. “He looks just like you.”

Tom, close to tears himself, kissed her forehead then the baby’s. “Poor kid.”

Buddy squirmed a little then yawned. Bay laughed. “Yep, definitely you, that was your patented ‘after Thanksgiving dinner yawn.’”

Tom laughed and leaned his head against his wife’s. “You did it again, Baijayanthi Tambe Meir. You have given me the world. I love you.”

She smiled and pressed her lips to his. “Right back at you. Oh, hang on, I think he’s hungry.”

Buddy was nudging at her breast and when Bay offered him her nipple, he took it and began to suck gently, never taking his eyes from his mother’s. Tom stroked Bay’s hair and she leaned into his touch. “Did you talk to the girls?”

Tom nodded. “They’re so excited. I sent them a photo of Buddy and they already love him. Kym said she’ll bring them in once you get some rest. I think she’s told everybody in the world, I’ve already had so many messages. Sailor called from Italy and sent her love.”

“Sweet girl.” Bay winced a little as Buddy sucked hard on her nipple. “Forgot how weird this feels.”

Tom grinned at her, his expression mischievous, and she burst out laughing. “Dirty-minded boy. Believe me, you sucking on them is a lot different.”

“I know how sweet they taste.” He kissed her softly. “God, I love you.”

“And I love you, Tomas Meir. We really made it, huh?”

She didn’t see the wary look come into his eyes, and soon she was falling asleep herself, the baby satisfied and exhausted. With Tom’s hand stroking her hair, Bay drifted off, totally relaxed, overwhelmingly happy, with her beautiful son in her arms.

 

Tom waited until Bay was asleep then slipped from the room. He called Roman, asking if Kym was in the room with him. When Roman said no, Tom sighed. “Listen…I’m going to up Bay’s protection. We’ll be okay here at the hospital, I think, they have pretty good security, but when we take Buddy home…jeez, Roman, why did this have to happen now? Have you heard anything on Lawson’s whereabouts?”

“No, I’m sorry, Tom, my detectives haven’t found anything. It’s like he’s disappeared off the face of the Earth.” Roman sighed. “Have you told Bay?”

“No, and I don’t want her to be stressed at a time like this.”

“Tom, I’m not sure that’s the right decision. Bay’s a strong woman; if she finds out Stu is out and you knew…one thing does strike me. I think he has help on the outside.”

That brought Tom to attention. “What?”

“I don’t know, it’s just Lawson isn’t the brightest button, it’s very hard for someone to disappear so easily without help.”

“Who the hell would aid that asshole? He had no-one on the outside except Kym, back in the day and she’d hardly help him.”

Roman was silent for a moment. “Did you read the letters?”

“From Lawson’s cell? Yes. I really wished I hadn’t, his bloodlust for my wife is what keeps me up nights. For someone as dim as Lawson, he sure has a varied imagination when it comes to the many ways he would like to murder Bay. God, even saying that makes me want to throw up.”

“He won’t get near her, Tom, I swear it.”

“Keep my girl’s safe, won’t you?”

“Do you even have to ask? Concentrate on Bay and Buddy, man, we’ve got this.”

 

Sailor was trembling so much that Bodhi had to take her hands in his. He smiled down at her as they watched the small car wind its way up the hill to the farmhouse, creating a dust storm behind it.

“Baby, it’s just my mom, not The Grim Reaper.”

Sailor wasn’t comforted. “What if she hates me on sight? Worse, what if she hates Tim? What if she thinks I’m using you both?”

Bodhi rolled his eyes. “She won’t, you know why? Because you’re not. She can see the truth of things, beautiful girl, I swear. As for her hating Tim…he’s my son. I guarantee half of that car’s trunk will be full of gifts for him. She loves me, she’ll love my family.”

Sailor blushed with pleasure, but still grumbled. “Momma’s boy.”

Bodhi laughed as he led her from their little hideout and out into the yard to meet his mother. “You betcha.”

Vittoria Creed stepped from the car and immediately Sailor felt herself relax. A petite woman, slim-framed, with a short, stylish white hair cut, and glasses on her nose, she had a kind face, and a ready smile. Vittoria hugged her son and smiled down at her grandson as he shook her hand, shyly but seriously. She turned towards her car and whistled, and a large dog bounded out of the car and over to them. He was so large that Tim took a step back, but the dog sniffed him and licked his face, making Tim laugh.

“And Mom, this is Sailor. Sailor, my mom, Vittoria.”

Sailor could see Vittoria sizing her up with the same huge green eyes that she had passed onto her son. Sailor, her heart thumping, met her gaze steadily. “It’s lovely to meet you,” she said in broken Italian, and Vittoria smiled, kissing Sailor’s cheeks.

“Sweetie, I speak English, but thank you for trying. I appreciate it.”

Vittoria turned to Claudio and Soleil who were waiting. “And you two…still trouble. Soleil, you grow more beautiful every day. Claudio, you’ve showered. That’s a good step.”

They all laughed, and Claudio ushered them all inside. In the kitchen, his cook had made a huge breakfast buffet and soon they were all talking over each other and grabbing food.

Sailor was happy just to watch this crazy Italian family. Vittoria squeezed her arm on the way around the buffet table and Sailor smiled back, relieved that the woman didn’t take against her right off the bat. She knew Vittoria would want to talk to her alone, however, and after breakfast, she wasn’t surprised when Vittoria asked her if she would like to walk down to the olive grove. Bodhi started to object, giving his mother a warning glance, but Sailor agreed readily.

Sure enough, as Vittoria took her arm, Sailor knew the question that was coming. “So, Sailor, I understand you worked for Bodhi’s agent?”

Sailor nodded. “Vittoria, I know what you must think, and so, I am ready and willing to tell you everything you need to know to prove that I couldn’t care less about Bodhi’s status or celebrity and definitely not his money. I love your son, completely and totally. I would live under a bridge with him.”

Vittoria nodded to herself. “Sailor…you must think I’m an interfering old woman, but I just want to know you. Bodhi had his demons when he was younger. He didn’t deal with his father’s death well. You know all of this?”

Sailor nodded. In bed, during the times they weren’t fucking each other senseless, they would talk. The way Bodhi talked about his dad made her heart hurt. “I wish I could have known him.”

“You’re a sweet girl,” Vittoria patted her hand. “Bodhi…he spiraled down and I blame myself for that, for leaving and coming back to Italy without him. It was my mistake and so you see, now, I am perhaps overly vigilant.” She smiled softly. “He may be nearly forty, but he’s still my little boy.”

“Vittoria, I swear to you. I will never hurt Bodhi. I couldn’t, it’s not in me. He has given me a life I thought impossible and I will try every day to repay him.”

Vittoria stopped and studied her for a long moment. “I believe you, Sailor King. It’s in your eyes. You love him.”

“Yes.”

Vittoria began to walk again. “Bodhi told me about your situation, where you grew up. You were brave to escape it.”

Sailor said nothing to that, uncomfortable. Vittoria looked at her. “That wasn’t a criticism, Sailor. I cannot imagine the horrors you went through there.”

“But I can see how you might think that I’d latch onto Bodhi because of it?”

“Can you?” There was no reproach in Vittoria’s voice, and Sailor knew she could be totally honest with the older woman.

“I can see how some people might use him to better their situation. I’m not one of those people.”

“Good. I like you, Sailor King, I can be as straight forward as I like. None of that silly ‘my feelings are hurt’ nonsense. You are a straight shooter like me.”

Sailor was glad of the approval in Vittoria’s voice. “Did you like Gemma?”

She knew it was bold to ask the mother about the ex-girlfriend, but Sailor wanted to know what kind of woman Gemma was. Vittoria gave her a conspiratorial grin, but sighed.

“Gemma was very different than you, Sailor. High-strung, very elegant, high-maintenance. Skittish like a thoroughbred race horse.” Vittoria smiled at Sailor. “I think you are more like me. A tomboy, is that the word?”

Sailor grinned and nodded. “It is, and yes, that sounds like me. I’m not nearly as elegant as you, though.”

Vittoria laughed. “Believe me, I’m usually covered in paint and pastel dust, my hair sticking up in every direction. Just ask Claudio. Do you like him?”

“He’s lovely…a little withdrawn. Knowing Soleil first, I had imagined him to be as extrovert as she is, but he’s not.”

extravagant as Solly, the dear girl. You are friends, yes?”

Sailor nodded. “I adore her, and she’s doing Bodhi and I a tremendous favor by posing as his partner in public.”

Vittoria nodded. “She’s a good girl…I’ve always thought of Claudio and Solly as my children, and Solly and I especially…have something in common.” She gave a Sailor a meaningful look, and Sailor got it after a beat.

“Really?”

Vittoria laughed. “Really. I didn’t know myself until well after Bodhi’s father died. For the last two years, I have been very happily dating a wonderful woman called Christina.”

“Does Bodhi know?”

Vittoria shook her head. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment. As I said, Bodhi was very close to his father.”

Sailor considered for a moment. “Knowing Bodhi, he would just be glad you’re happy.”

“You think so?”

Sailor nodded. “But it’s none of my business.”

Vittoria hugged her. “You are part of this family now, Sailor. It is your business, and thank you for being so supportive.”

Sailor grinned. “And if Bodhi gets angry about it, I’ll kick his ass.”

Vittoria laughed. “That’s my girl. Shall we go and rejoin everyone?”

 

Vittoria spent most of the rest of the afternoon bonding with her grandson, who took to her straight away, already in love with her large dog, whose named was Tag.

“He’s a Leonberger crossed with a Bernese Mountain dog,” Vittoria told Tim. The dog was as tall as the ten-year-old, and Bodhi rolled his eyes.

“He’s huge. How on Earth do you control him?”

“Bribery mostly,” she shot back to the amusement of the others. “It worked on you as a kid.”

“True story,” Bodhi grinned and Tim laughed at his father’s expression. Bodhi ruffled his hair and Tim hugged his dad hard. Sailor’s eyes filled with tears at the joy in Bodhi’s eyes. His relationship with Tim had really blossomed.

A little while later, while Tim entertained his grandmother with tales of school, Bodhi pulled Sailor onto his lap and kissed her. “My mom give you the full interrogation?”

Sailor grinned. “Yup. I think I passed, because after that we planned sedition against you.”

Bodhi laughed. “Then I’d say you made a good impression. What did you think?”

“I love her. There’s no bullshit there.”

Bodhi kissed her again. “I love you, Sailor King.”

“Hey, you two,” Vittoria came over, holding Tim’s hand, “We’ve had an idea. Solly and Claudio are coming back with me to Florence for a couple of days…and Tim was wondering if he could come too, give you two some time alone?”

Tim nodded, and Bodhi grinned. “You sure, sport?”

Tim nodded his head. “Oh yes, it’ll be fun, and Grandma says I can sleep with Tag on my bed.” He looked oddly excited about the prospect. Bodhi nodded.

“Okay then. Thanks, Ma, we could use the time.”

Sailor felt she must be blushing to her roots. She knew exactly how they would be spending the time and by the smirks on Solly and Claudio’s faces, they had guessed too.

 

The next morning, Tim hugged both his father and Sailor goodbye. “See you in a couple of days, buddy boy.”

Tim hugged his father hard. “Love you, Dad.”

Bodhi really couldn’t stop the tears, “Love you too, Timbo.”

Sailor smiled up at him as they waved the others goodbye. “Mushy face.”

Bodhi laughed, wiping his damp cheeks. “Yup, can’t deny it.”

They waved until they couldn’t see the car anymore, then without warning, Bodhi lifted Sailor into a fireman’s lift and carried her, shrieking with laughter, back to their little hideaway. He dropped her onto the bed and as she giggled, pulled up her t-shirt and blew raspberries on her belly.

“Oh, you silly man,” Sailor was breathless as Bodhi climbed on top of her. His kiss was deep and rough and she tangled her fingers in his curls as he undid the fly of her jeans and pushed them down her legs.

“First, I’m going to fuck you hard, Sailor girl, then we’re going to play all day and all night. I hope you have a lot of energy.” His hand was in her panties, stroking her clit, feeling how wet she was for him.

Sailor kicked off her jeans and panties and wrapped her legs around his hip, her own hands freeing his cock from his underwear and then he was in her, thrusting hard, her fingernails digging deep into his buttocks, almost painful.

Bodhi pinned her hands above her head as they fucked, his gaze locked onto hers. “Sailor, my love?”

“Yes, baby?”

“How would you feel about being tied up?”

Sailor grinned. “By you? I think that would be just…nifty.”

Bodhi laughed which broke his rhythm and they had to concentrate on getting it back for a few moments. Sailor tightened her legs around his waist. “Whatever you want to do to me, I want you to do it…whatever it is, Bodhi. I trust you.”

“I would never hurt you, you know that, right?” His eyes were serious.

Sailor nodded, her orgasm close as he rammed his hips into her. “I know…I’m saying, if you want to get rough…I’d be into it. With you.”

Bodhi grinned and slammed his cock even deeper inside her and she came, gasping and shuddering, saying his name over and over. His climax followed, and he groaned as he pumped his seed deep inside her. They caught their breath, laying side-by-side, holding hands. The day was warm, but a pleasant breeze blew through the open shutters. Outside, there was utter quiet, only the faint rustle of leaves in the trees.

“This is heaven,” breathed Sailor. Bodhi smiled at her.

“You’re heaven, Miss King. Now I’m going to kiss every inch of your beautiful body, then we’re going to get a little kinky. Don’t forget, you get scared or uncomfortable, say the word and we can stop.”

She pulled his face down to hers to kiss his mouth. “Take me, Bodhi Creed.”

He covered her body while kissing her mouth, her throat, sucking on her nipples, trailing his tongue down the groove of her stomach and tracing a pattern around her deep navel. Sailor shivered with excitement; her belly quivering under his mouth. Bodhi, sensing she enjoyed it, continued to kiss, and stroke and his thumb dipped into her navel in a steady rhythm until she had to tell him to stop, she was almost unbearably turned-on and when his teeth grazed her clit, she came quickly, almost sobbing. He moved up her body to kiss her mouth again, and then grinned down at her.

“So, you have a very sensitive belly, Miss King…so now I know where to begin my crusade to have you screaming my name long into the night. Just hang tight here for a moment while I collect what I need.”

Sailor was sure she would cum just hearing the silky, sensual tone of his voice, but she waited, watching him stalk around the living area, picking up what he needed. “Don’t forget there’s some special items I brought in my case,” she said, propping herself up on her elbow to watch him. Bodhi gave her the finger pistols and she laughed, watching his face as he took out the paper bag she’d hidden the toys in. His eyes widened when he saw them; warming lube, a long thick dildo, a strap-on, he grinned at that and nodded, much to Sailor’s relief, silk ties, a riding crop, a vibrator.

“I hope you don’t think that’s all a bit vanilla,” she said as he carried everything to the bed and laid it out. “I’ve honestly no idea, but the woman in the store helped me out. That wasn’t an embarrassing conversation at all,” she said wryly and Bodhi laughed, leaning over to kiss her.

“Well, now, I think you did great…I will certainly enjoy using all of these on you…and having you use them on me. All of them.”

“Really?”

“Really. You said you would try anything with me, well, I feel the same way.”

“Even the…” She touched the strap-on lightly and he nodded.

“How about you…how do you feel about anal sex?”

Sailor rolled onto her stomach and grinned. “Like I said…anything.”

Bodhi gave a growl. “God, you’re pure sex, Sailor King. You realize I’m going to have to fuck your ass before I do anything else now? Look at this,” he indicated his straining cock, “just the thought of it…”

Sailor spread her legs and Bodhi climbed on top of her, parting her round buttocks, grabbing the lube and she felt him rub it onto her before his cock nudged at the entrance before sliding in gently. She gasped, her vision filling with stars as he fucked her ass, being as gentle as he could in his mounting excitement, his fingers digging into her hips.

“Christ, you’re sensational,” he gasped, moving his hand to stroke her clit and Sailor gave a long moan of pleasure, before feeling him cum inside her, his mouth on the back of her shoulder, groaning her name

“I love you, I love you,” he moaned, and they both collapsed, panting hard.

Afterward, they took a shower together, and grabbed some food, making a picnic on their bed. Sailor, completely uninhibited about being naked with him, studied the items he had brought to their playground. A long feather, a paintbrush, she grinned at that one, and a jar of honey. She picked up the small jar and smiled. “I like this touch.”

“I’m going to drip it onto your soft belly and into your navel then licked it up while I fuck you with that dildo,” Bodhi said with a grin, “all the while you’re tied so you can’t escape me.”

Sailor gave a moan of desire, and Bodhi chuckled, his voice deep with his own craving for her. “Then we’ll see if you like the crop.”

Sailor wriggled with anticipation and soon Bodhi was binding her wrists to the bedpost, kissing the soft skin on the inside of each one before wrapping the silk ties around them. He smiled down at her as he saw her eyes alive with excitement. As he straddled her, Sailor now completely helpless, he dripped the honey between her breasts watching it pour down her belly, filling her navel and then his mouth was on her. He heard her squeak with arousal as his tongue delved deep into her navel and he pushed her legs apart, stroking her clit, feeling how swollen and wet her cunt was, feeling it quiver under his touch. He slowly slid the dildo into her and began to fuck her with it, Sailor moaning and writhing, her wrists bound, her body heaving as she panted for air. Bodhi smiled as he continued to tease her belly.

Soon Sailor was bucking and crying his name out as she came, and Bodhi straddled her and plunged his cock deep inside her, admiring the way her breasts moved as they rocked in unison, the way her belly rose and fell with her gasps. He reached his peak and pulled out of her, coming onto the skin of her belly in thick, creamy spurts.

He kept her under him as he took up the crop and she nodded eagerly. He brought it down across her belly once and she moaned. “Harder, baby, harder…”

He would only strike her twice more before she came again and when she had calmed down, he untied her wrists and kissed her bruised wrists tenderly and gathered her to him.

“I love you, little one,” he whispered as he kissed her, “Was that okay?”

She panted for air. “It was wild,” she said, with not a little astonishment. He stroked his hand down the length of her body.

“Are you hurting?”

Sailor shook her head. “Not unless you count my vagina aching from the pounding your huge cock just gave it.”

Bodhi laughed. “I love your dirty mouth.”

Sailor smirked. “This dirty mouth gonna be wrapped around your anaconda any second.”

Bodhi tickled her. “Bad girl, bad, bad girl.”

Sailor rolled him onto his back. “Maybe, Mr. Creed, but now it’s my turn to be in charge.”

And she moved down his body until she could take his cock into her mouth.

 

Bay tucked her new-born son back into his bed. Buddy was feeding so well that the doctors said she could take him home in the morning, and Bay was relieved. She’d had her fill of hospitals after she’d been shot. Months and months of treatment. If we have another child, she thought, I’m insisting on a home birth. She bent down and kissed her son’s soft head.

“Love you, Buddy Boo. Sleep tight.”

She gazed down at him, never having enough of the sight of him. When they’d had the girls, it was such a tumultuous time, there hadn’t been any time for quiet reflection. Now, with Tom at home with Esme and Milly, probably being run ragged by his daughters, Bay could enjoy the quiet hours with her son. She glanced at the clock. Three a.m. She didn’t mind the middle of the night feeds; she enjoyed the silence of the hospital, and the view over Seattle at night. She stared out at the city now, over to the top of the Needle, squinting to see if she could see the outline of Rainier in the dark. She heard the door squeak open behind her and turned. A nurse, dressed in scrubs went to pick her chart with her vital signs up. Bay, her brain still full of baby hormones, didn’t even question it, so used to people coming and in out at all times.

“Hi. Quiet night?”

The nurse said nothing, and Bay frowned. She tried again. “Hey…”

She touched the arm of the nurse, and he or she whirled around and Bay saw his eyes.

And recognized them immediately. Her heart nearly failed and she knew one thing.

She would not let Stu Lawson harm her child. She threw herself over Buddy’s crib, but Stu grabbed her hair and yanked her backward, throwing her across the room. Bay hardly had time to open her mouth to scream before Stu was on her, slashing at her with a scalpel. Bay kicked him away, ignoring the slice of the blade across her skin of her thigh as Stu lost balance. Bay screamed for help as Stu, his eyes crazed lunged for Buddy’s cradle and Bay, giving the banshee cry of the lioness, launched herself at him, her hands clawing at him. Stu grabbed and shoved her against the wall as two burly security guards rushed in and grabbed him, hauling him away from Bay and out into the hall, still screaming. Bay immediately went to her son, who was bawling, and scooped him into her arms, breathing hard, checking her son for any wounds. There was blood spattered across his coverlet, but thankfully, she could find nothing wrong. A fleet of doctors and nurses came in, and one stepped forward, his face pale.

“Nurse Edwards, please take Mrs. Meir’s son and make sure he is fine.”

Bay shook her head. “No, he’s fine, he’s fine, he’s okay.”

The doctor nodded to the nurse who came to take Buddy, but Bay shook her head. “No. I want him. He’s fine.”

The doctor stepped toward her. “Bay, honey, Buddy may be okay, but you’re not. Sweetie, right now you have adrenaline coursing through your system. When it goes away, which it will any second, you will start to feel pain. A lot of pain. When you do, you may pass out, and I don’t want you holding Buddy when you do. Please. Give him to Nurse Edwards.”

Bay stared at him, and sure enough, now the attack was over she began to feel something like pain creeping over her. She handed her son to the nurse and then looked down at herself. Her nightdress was soaked in blood from numerous slashes across it, but what she noticed was the blood streaming down her leg from the thigh wound.

Fuck. It was deep. The thick dark blood was pumping down her leg and pooling where she stood. Arterial blood. Oh no, no… Bay felt a wave of dizziness and the doctor caught her as she passed out.

 

The doctor and nurses got Bay onto her bed and the doctor examined her. “Shit. She has a deep laceration to the right thigh. Possible femoral artery rupture. Let’s get her down to surgery now before she bleeds out. Someone, please, call Tomas Meir, and the police, and then tell me what the fuck went on here tonight.”

 

Tom Meir had finally gotten off to sleep when the call came and then his heart nearly failed. Bay and Buddy had been attacked, Buddy was okay but Bay was in surgery with serious stab wounds.

Please no, not again…

He knew it was Stu Lawson, who else would it be? He, Tom, had failed Bay when she was at her most vulnerable. Why hadn’t he insisted on a security guard at her hospital room? Because then you would have to tell her you kept Stu Lawson’s escape from her…

Oh god, my darling, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…

He woke the girls and called Kym and Roman. They were horrified and told him they would meet him at the hospital. Tom strapped the girls into their car seats, praying he wouldn’t be too late, that he wouldn’t have to explain to his girls that their mommy had been killed by a very bad man, and that their daddy hadn’t been able to stop him.

 

Sailor stretched her body out in the morning sun and opened her eyes. Bodhi was at the stove, flipping delicious smelling pancakes onto a plate. Sailor got up, snatched Bodhi’s shirt from the bottom of the bed, wrapping it around herself, and padded silently behind him, slipping her arms around his waist. She still had a hard time believing this beautiful big man was hers.

“I love you.”

Bodhi turned around and with a shock, it wasn’t Bodhi but Bart. He smiled nastily. “I’m glad to hear it, Sailor, but it’s a little too late for that.” In his hand, a large, lethal-looking knife and he drove it deep into her stomach. As she fell to the floor, dying, she saw Bodhi laying across from her, his throat cut, the light in his eyes fading…

 

“Sailor! Baby, wake up!”

Sailor finally stopped screaming as Bodhi wrapped his arms around her. “Baby, you were dreaming, having a nightmare.”

Slowly, she managed to calm herself. Bodhi looked at her with deep concern in his eyes. “Are you alright?”

Sailor drew in a deep breath. “Sorry, darling, I’m so sorry. God, a bad dream doesn’t cover it.” She rubbed her hands over her face. “Jesus, I haven’t had one of them for months.”

Bodhi stroked her hair. “Do you want to talk to me about it?”

She smiled wanly. “What else would it be about but Bart? I’m constantly waiting for him to find me, to hurt me or worse, hurt you. I couldn’t bear it if I was responsible for anything happening to anyone I love. I would rather die, Bodhi.”

Bodhi winced. “Don’t say that, baby.”

“It’s true though. I’ll tell you something, if Bart comes for me, I won’t go without trying to take him with me. I used to think the worst thing a person could do was to kill another human. But I would kill Bart Foy in a heartbeat. For what he has done, for what he might do.”

Bodhi felt his heart sink at her words. His beautiful love should never have been put in the position where she had to choose whether to kill or be killed. No. This was wrong. He would not allow Sailor to be hurt anymore by Bart Foy or his followers.

“Sweetie, when we get back to the US, we’ll stop being passive and start being proactive.”

“What do you have in mind?” Sailor was calm now and Bodhi kissed her temple.

“First, and I know you’ll hate this, but added security. You don’t go out in public without a bodyguard.”

Sailor sighed and Bodhi looked at her questioningly. “What is it?”

“It’s just…I lived for years not being able to move freely, always having a escort with me. It feels like déjà vu.”

“Except in this case, we’ll be protecting rather than restraining.” There was a tiny edge to Bodhi’s voice and she smiled at him humbly.

“I know, baby. Let’s talk about what else we can do?”

Bodhi shifted so he was facing her. “When you think of other cults, what’s the thing they hate the most?”

“Negative publicity.”

Bodhi nodded. “Right. Documentaries, testimonies from ex-cult members. Look at that series that was just on television exposing that Hollywood cult. They hated it.”

“So, you’re saying we should make a documentary?”

“I am. We involve a top journalist, someone with gravitas, and we round up ex-cult members to testify.”

Sailor chewed her lip. “If we can find any alive. There are very few who leave and nearly all of them end up dead.”

“Then we get the police involved and look into those deaths. Maybe the F.B.I. You can tell them what you saw in Foy’s office.”

“If he’s under investigation, he will have destroyed those photos. Why the hell didn’t I take one as leverage if nothing else? Dang it.”

“You were scared.”

Sailor nodded, but she looked determined. “Let’s do it. Let’s bring that asshole down.”

“And keep you safe.”

She smiled at him. “That too.”

 

Bodhi leaned over to kiss her. “Are you hungry?”

“A little.” She stroked him hair, trying to force the image of him dying out of her head. “I don’t want pancakes though.”

“Eggs?”

“Perfect.”

They ate outside, balancing their plates on their knees. “It is heaven here,” Sailor said. “No television, no internet, no phone signal, just this.” She indicated the beautiful rolling hills, the regal, but rustic buildings, the olive groves.

Bodhi ate a forkful of eggs. “Could you see yourself living here?”

Sailor looked at him in surprise, then nodded. “I could. You?”

Bodhi smiled. “It’s been in the back of my mind for years, just to retire and then come back here, a simpler life. Lately, I’ve been thinking about it more. If you’ll forgive an old man’s fantasy…I could see us here, our own little kids running around, dogs, horses, us making everything we need together. Tranquility. Peace.”

“I take it back,” Sailor said, tears filling her eyes, “This isn’t heaven. That right there, what you described, that’s my heaven.”

Bodhi grinned shyly. “Yeah?”

“God, yes.”

He reached over to stroke his hand over her hair. “Sailor King…you make me so happy. I don’t want to freak you out or anything, but one day, I want to marry you. Don’t worry, I’m not asking yet, but I will ask, someday.”

Sailor reddened with pleasure. “And one day, I’ll say yes. I promise.”

Bodhi took her plate from her and set it down on the ground. He pulled her to her feet and led her down the hill. Sailor chuckled at his mischievous face.

“Where are we going?”

Bodhi laughed. “The olive grove…another fantasy of mine is to fuck you there.”

Sailor’s heart began to beat faster and she grinned. “Lead on, Mr. Creed.”

In the middle of the olive grove, he took her, laying back on the earth and moss, and grass, her legs hitched around his hips, his cock driving deep inside her.

Afterward, hand-in-hand, they made their way back to the house, talking and laughing. Sailor happened to glance around and stopped Bodhi. “Look.”

They saw a cloud of dust making its way up the hill. “Someone’s coming.” Bodhi frowned. Soleil and Claudio weren’t due back for another day.

They walked back to the house and waited for the car. Sure enough, it was Soleil and Claudio, along with Tim. Tim got out of the car and ran to hug his father and Sailor. Soleil greeted them, her usually cheerful face somber. She glanced at Claudio who nodded and took Tim back inside for something to eat.

“Hey guys,” Solly said, “I’m sorry we had to break into your time, but something’s happened back home, and I thought you should know.”

“What is it?”

Solly looked at Sailor, her face sad. “Bay Tambe was attacked in hospital. She’s in a pretty bad way.”

Sailor covered her mouth in horror. “Oh god…what happened?”

Solly drew in a deep breath. “Stuart Lawson. He attacked her with a scalpel. She was protecting the baby, oh, by the way, she had a boy a few nights ago, and thankfully the baby’s not hurt. Bay was cut, and her femoral artery was severed. They had to operate for hours and she’s in intensive care again.”

Bodhi put his arms around Sailor who was sobbing. “Did you hear it from the news?”

Solly shook her head. “The F.B.I. called me to try and get in touch with you. Stuart Lawson’s singing like a bird. Seems like Bartholomew Foy arranged his escape, hid him, gave him the opportunity to kill Bay.”

Sailor gaped at her, tears still pouring down her face. “Bart? Why the hell would he want Bay dead?”

Soleil looked at Sailor, deep sympathy in her eyes. “According to Stu…to punish you. He knew you were friends, god knows how. Bodhi…you have a spy in your team.”

“Fuck!” Bodhi was angry now. He tightened his arms around Sailor who was sobbing even harder now. Bay had been attacked because of her? No. No, she couldn’t bear it.

“Bodhi, we have to go home,” she said, trying to calm herself, but Bodhi was raging.

“No, no way, it will be like putting you in the firing range.”

“No-one else is getting hurt because of me, Bodhi, I won’t permit it.”

“Not gonna happen, sweetheart.”

“Stop telling me how to live my life!” Sailor lost it then. “It’s my decision, Bodhi, not yours! I’m responsible for this…god, Bodhi, she’d just given birth! How do you think Tomas feels? The girls? Because of me, their mommy is…” She couldn’t get the words out.

“What’s done is done,” Bodhi’s voice was cold. “Sacrificing yourself won’t change that.”

“It’s not your choice,” Sailor snapped. “We’re going back to the States tonight. I need to be there for Bay.”

Bodhi threw his hands up in the air. “You barely know her!”

Sailor went very still. “I’ve known her only two weeks less than I’ve known you, Bodhi. Bay is my family now too. Make the arrangements. End of conversation.”

And she stalked back into the main farmhouse, barely holding it together. She found an empty bathroom and sank to the cool tile floor, burying her head in her hands and sobbing out her heartbreak.

 

Outside a shell-shocked Bodhi turned a pale face to Soleil. He shook his head. “This is a bad idea, Solly. A bad, bad idea.”

Soleil squeezed his arm. “But you know you have to do it, right?”

Bodhi nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. “God…if he kills her, Solly…”

“He won’t, Bodhi. Look, how about I move in with you all and we can run interference? We fire your entire team and bring in a security detail. I will personally take Tim to school and back. You and Sailor try and have a normal life together.”

Bodhi looked at his friend with gratitude. “What about your life, Sol?”

She grinned. “Hey, I’m a lot younger than you…I can wait. I can work from Los Angeles as easily as anywhere. I have some stuff going on with Grady Mallory and Maceo Bartoli, but they can handle it from where they are.”

Bodhi hugged her. “Thanks, Sol.”

“You’re welcome. Look, let me make the arrangements to fly back tonight. Go and find Sailor and make-up with her. Now is not the time for you two to be fighting.”

 

“Girls, when we see Mommy, don’t jump all over her,” Tomas Meir told his daughters gently. “She’s very sore, and she may be a little groggy.”

“Can we kiss her?”

Tomas looked in the rearview mirror and smiled at Esme. “I think she would like that very much.”

He turned back to the road, feeling his body easing from the tension and grief that had colored the last few days. After hours in surgery, Bay had pulled through and was now on the way to recovery, but the terror he had felt when he was told, he would never forget it.

Stuart Lawson was now in F.B.I. custody and singing like bird. His escape from prison had been orchestrated by a man called Bartholomew Foy, who Tomas had then researched and found out exactly who he was. It was the shock of discovering the #FindSailor hashtag, the thing which linked him to Bay. He had her attacked to show Sailor what he was capable of. Tomas felt murderous, and a little pissed at Sailor King, which he knew wasn’t fair, but hell, his beloved Bay had almost died, again.

Stu Lawson would have tried to kill Bay without Bartie Foy. Tom repeated it to himself, but still, the thought came that if it weren’t for Bartie Foy, Stu Lawson would never have gotten out of jail.

 

To his relief, Bay was awake, and overjoyed to see the twins, hugging both the girls. His wife was still pale, but the life had come back into her eyes again, as she held her son and kissed her girls. Esme and Milly were obsessed with their baby brother. Bay, when she awoke from the surgery, had asked for her son to stay with her, wanting to breast-feed him even as she recovered and after some discussion with her doctor, he had given permission. She handed Buddy to his father before kissing Tom’s lips.

“Doc says I can come home this weekend, girls,” she told her daughters and they looked excited. Tom stroked a hand over Bay’s forehead.

“You sure you’re up to it, baby?”

She nodded vehemently. “God, yes. I’m counting the days.”

“How’s the thigh?”

Bay smiled at him. “The wound is healing nicely, but you should see the bruise. I’m slightly proud of it.”

Tom swallowed a lump in his throat. “You’re a warrior, baby. Not many people would have had the strength to fight back.”

Bay looked steadily at him. “Tom, honey…I have to ask. Did you know? Did you know he was out?”

Tom met her gaze. “I did. I didn’t want you stressed in the last few weeks of your pregnancy. I never dreamed that you wouldn’t be safe here.”

Bay sighed. “I understand why you made that decision but, please, don’t keep anything from me like that, again.”

“I won’t. Forgive me?”

Bay grinned slightly. “I’ll think about it. You’ll have to make it up to me…in about six weeks’ time.”

Tom laughed and Milly looked up. “What are you laughing about, Daddy?”

“Just your mommy being a naughty girl.”

Milly shrugged. “Okay.”

Bay slid her hand into Tom’s. “Sailor called me. They’re coming back. She was upset, kept blaming herself.” She saw Tom’s expression and gave him a stern look. “Tom, this is not her fault so I don’t want to hear otherwise. Can you imagine how that poor girl had been living?”

“What I don’t get,” Tom said, lowering his voice, “Is why you? Why, of all her friends, did he target you?”

“That’s an easy one. Sailor doesn’t have a lot of people, and most of them are under Bodhi’s protection. I’m on the periphery and no-one would suspect Bart Foy coming after me. Plus, using Stu, he had a way to deny any involvement. I have to hand it to Bart Foy, he did his research.”

Tom thought about this for a long minute, then nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

“Anyway, Sailor is coming to see me tomorrow so we can have a chat then. I’m sure the hospital will be delighted with the amount of security around them.” Bay nodded out of the door where Tom’s security team guarded her. Bay smiled. “Like a fortress.”

“You bet your sweet…butt,” Tom amended at the last minute, cutting his eyes at his children and Bay laughed.

“Nice save, Mr. Meir, nice save.”

 

The tension between Sailor and Bodhi hadn’t lightened as they flew home and now, two days later, breakfast was a silent thing. Soleil and Tim would glance at each other and try to start a conversation, but both Bodhi and Sailor were subdued.

Soleil took Tim to school, and the couple were left alone in the house. Sailor watched the new security team patrolling the property and felt tears come to the surface. She wiped one away with an impatient hand then felt Bodhi slide his arms around her waist and kiss the tears away.

“I’m sorry, Sails. I was insensitive. I’m just damned scared you’ll get hurt.”

Sailor leaned back into his embrace, needing to feel his strength, his big body against her own. “I’m sorry I yelled. It’s just, god, Bodhi, I feel so responsible.”

“You’re not the monster here,” he said gently, and she turned in his arms, tilting her face up for a kiss.

“I know. I just hate the thought of anyone else being hurt, because of me.” She put her hands on his face, studying him. “You look tired.”

“I missed you the last couple of days.”

She smiled gently. “I was right next to you in bed, baby.”

“I felt the distance.”

She nodded, her eyes growing serious. “Me too.”

“Let’s never do that again.” Bodhi kissed her gently. Sailor took his hand and led him back to their bedroom.

“Let’s get those times back,” she said softly, and closed the door behind her.

 

Soleil looked over at Tim as they sat in the heavy Los Angeles traffic on the way to his school. The boy had been quiet, picking up on the tension between his father and Sailor.

“Timbo? You okay?”

Tim looked at her with concern in his eyes. “Solly…are my dad and Sailor going to split up?”

Soleil shook her head. “No, sweetie, they’re just upset about what happened to Bay. But everything’s going to be alright again. Bay is getting better and your dad and Sailor will be okay.”

“We have new bodyguards.”

“You do.”

“Good. That’s good.”

Solly frowned. “Tim, do they ever bother you? Not the new ones, but the old ones. Did you ever notice any weird behavior?”

Tim considered. “Only Udo. He was creepy. He liked to look at Sailor all the time. I think he thought she was pretty.”

Soleil nodded, deep in thought. “Udo, huh? Yeah, he was a little creepy. Good thing he’s gone now, right?”

“Yeah. Do you think Dad will marry Sailor?”

Soleil was relieved he seemed happier. “Maybe, I don’t know. They love each other very much.”

Tim nodded. “Why hasn’t Daddy gotten married before?”

“Well, maybe he was waiting for Sailor.”

“But he didn’t know her.” Tim looked confused and Soleil grinned at him.

“Maybe, deep inside, he knew he was waiting, that someone like Sailor was out there, and so he held off getting married. Are you sad he didn’t marry your mom?”

“No. I don’t think they loved each other, not like Mom loved Evan or Dad loves Sailor.”

“What happened with your mom and Evan?”

Tim shrugged. “She used to get these moods, and yell at him. He ignored it for a while but then he got…what’s the word?”

“Angry? Depressed?”

“Depressed. He was sad. One day, he told me he couldn’t live with us anymore because Mommy asked him to leave.” Tim looked a little tearful, and Soleil hurriedly changed the subject.

“Well, if you ask me, I think your Dad will marry Sailor.”

“I hope so.” Tim was smiling again. At school, he kissed Soleil’s cheek and ran off to be with his friends. Soleil sighed. She’d never wanted kids, but there was something about this particular kid that made her heart hurt.

She glanced at her watch. Still early and she wanted to give Bodhi and Sailor some privacy. Soleil drove to her favorite L.A. coffee house and flirted with the female barista. Hedda, her date a few weeks back, hadn’t called her, for a while and Soleil decided she wasn’t that concerned. Hedda had been fun but the nurse’s hours had been inconvenient and…

Something clicked in Soleil’s head. Hedda had been a pediatric nurse. Soleil called the hospital where she said she worked. The staff there hadn’t heard of a Hedda Shaw.

Shit. Soleil grabbed her iPad and checked which hospital Bay Tambe had given birth at in Seattle and called them. After some negotiation, she was put through to the nurse’s station on Bay’s floor.

Soleil recognized Hedda’s voice immediately. She hung up the phone without speaking. Fucking bitch. So, Hedda had lied about where she worked, it couldn’t be a coincidence that she worked in the neonatal unit where Bay had been attacked.

Sailor had wanted to travel up to Seattle to see Bay, maybe she, Soleil, should take her. Maybe then she could check out Hedda, maybe freak her out enough to get some information.

It was worth a shot.

 

Bodhi ran his palms slowly down Sailor’s sides as she straddled him. She was stroking his cock into a state of tumescence, after they’d paused in their love making. She smiled down at him as her hands caressed him, rubbing the tip of his cock along her damp sex.

“Remember our night in Tuscany?” She said, and Bodhi grinned.

“Baby, I don’t think I will ever forget that. Did you enjoy yourself?”

“God, yes.” Sailor positioned herself and guided him inside her, taking him in deep, sighing happily.

“I love the way your peachy cunt grips my cock,” Bodhi said as she rode him, and she chuckled, winding her fingers between his.

“I love it when your cock reams me into submission.”

Bodhi chuckled. “God, you have such a dirty mouth.” In one swift motion, he flipped her onto her back and pushed her knees up to her chest. “Let’s see just how deep I can go, shall we?”

Sailor gasped and cried out as he fucked her harder and harder, pushing her knees higher so he could go deeper. “That’s right, little girl, scream my name…god…your cunt feels so good, baby…”

Sailor came quickly as Bodhi shot deep inside her. Bodhi made her hold her legs apart as he went down on her, Sailor finding the way his tongue teased her already sensitive clit unbearable in the best way.

After two more orgasms and a lot of kissing, they lay panting, side by side. “God, it can’t get better than that, can it?”

Bodhi grinned. “Doubtful. But I’m up for anything, if you are.”

Sailor propped herself up on her elbow to gaze down at him. “I am…except for anything involving knives.”

“I would never consider that, Sails. Not ever. Even taking your past into consideration. Not my bag.”

Sailor grinned, relieved. “But anything else…we’ve tried whips, bondage…”

Bodhi grinned wickedly. “At this point it might be easier to just list the stuff we won’t try.”

“Ball gags. Gag being the operative word. There’s only two things going in my mouth during sex: your tongue and your cock.”

“That’s good to hear,” Bodhi was chuckling and leaning against his chest, she felt the vibration rumble through him. “I’m not into humiliation or degradation. Or adult diapers.”

They both made a face then laughed. “Yup, not for me either. What about a threesome?”

Bodhi’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

Sailor nodded. “I’ve been wondering.”

“Woman or man?”

“Either. But only if, and this is a big if, we trust that person implicitly. Because I can get jealous.”

Bodhi pulled her on top of him. “You know that rules out everyone but two people.”

“Yup. But I don’t think Bay will be up for it just yet.”

“Oh, ha ha funny girl. Funny enough, I’m not sure Claudio would do it, either.”

“So, we’re talking about the same person. Well, Solly is posing as your girlfriend.”

Bodhi grinned at her. “Soleil is the one person I’m surprised hasn’t suggested it yet.”

“Have you and her…”

Bodhi shook his head. “No, never. I know she has done it with others, though, she’s not shy about telling me.”

Sailor was chuckling. “I can’t believe we’re even discussing it.”

“Hey, I have a whole role play thing in my head already.”

“Oh, really?”

Bodhi covered her body with his. “Yeah. Me and Solly, we’re the rich folk…“

“True story.”

“Don’t interrupt.”

“Sorry.” She grinned up at him. “Please continue.”

“We live in a grand castle and you, Sailor girl, are our maid. We chose you because of your staggering beauty, and soon, we take you out of the kitchen where you’ve been slaving, and keep you as our sex toy, every night,” he was trailing his lips across her clavicle as he spoke, “we make you strip slowly in front of us, then we both kiss every part of your beautiful body. All out attention is focused on you…all of it.”

His mouth was on her breasts now, his hand snaking between her legs to rub her clit. Sailor shivered at the sensations flooding through her body. Bodhi was enjoying himself, running the tip of his tongue around her navel.

“Imagine that’s Soleil’s tongue on your belly, and she’s stroking the soft flesh inside your delicious thighs…I’m behind you, running my tongue down your spine, then, as Soleil takes your clit into her mouth, I slide my cock deep inside your cunt from behind…”

Sailor moaned, trembling underneath his touch and Bodhi, grinned, flipped her onto her stomach and thrust into her from behind finding her wet and so turned-on that she came at once, then again as they fucked, Bodhi gripping the headboard and slamming his cock deep inside her.

 

Later, when Soleil returned home, Sailor couldn’t help grinning to herself. It had really done it for her, imagining being fucked by both Solly and Bodhi. Her body still buzzed with arousal, but she saw Soleil was serious as she came into the room, and pushed her more erotic fantasies to the back of her mind. Soleil, for once, did not look in the mood for flirting.

Soleil told them about Hedda and Bodhi’s face was grim. “It certainly sounds suspicious. And yes, I think it’s a good idea to go to Seattle.”

Sailor agreed. “I want to see Bay and if we can scare Hedda into giving something away, even better. Jesus, if she let Lawson into the hospital, I want to get her ass fired.”

“That was my initial reaction, but she may be more useful if we stick a P.I. on her. I can use visiting Bay to cover for my presence, act surprised Hedda is there, maybe intimidate her a little.”

Bodhi was reaching for his phone. “We’ll find out where she lives and stick bugs on everything. If she’s working with Foy, we’ll find out.”

Sailor felt relief flooding through her. “A lead, at last,” she said, beaming. “Thank you, Solly. That’s the best news.”

Soleil grinned and high-fived her. “You two look happier. Can I assume you made up?”

Sailor colored and giggled. Bodhi looked smug. “We sure did. And, um, in an interesting way.”

Sailor shot him a horrified look and Bodhi laughed. “Sailor’s worried I’m going to tell you about her fantasy.”

“Bod-hi!” Sailor moaned, and Soleil chuckled.

“Oh, this must be good. Tell me.”

“No!” Sailor clamped her hand over Bodhi’s mouth. He pulled it down and while laughing as Sailor tried to shut him up, “Sailor wants a threesome with you, Solly.”

Sailor could have died, but Soleil just laughed out loud. “Well, about damn time.”

Sailor was mortified. “I cannot believe you told her.”

Bodhi was unrepentant. “Nothing to be embarrassed about, Sails. How else did you think we should invite Solly into our bed? By Morse code?”

Soleil got up and came to sit next to Sailor. “Sails…is this something you really want to try?”

Sailor was panicking a little as she looked between them both. “Is this really happening?”

Soleil and Bodhi shared a look. “It can be. Do you want to talk about it?”

Sailor didn’t know whether she was going to freak out or go along with what she was pretty sure was a rhetorical conversation. She chose the latter. “Maybe…how would it work?” She didn’t know if she could take seeing Bodhi fuck Soleil. Soleil read her mind.

“If we do this, it’s all about you, Sailor. I don’t fuck men and Bodhi would never cheat on you.”

Bodhi nodded. “No, I wouldn’t. Solly’s right, if we do this, it’s all about your pleasure, baby. Is this too much?”

Slowly Sailor shook her head. Soleil glanced at Bodhi who nodded, his eyes riveted at the two women. Soleil took Sailor’s face in her hands and pressed her lips to Sailor’s. She tasted of honey and Sailor sank into the kiss as she felt Bodhi stroke her back. She reached behind her and cupped his cock through his jeans, feeling it already hard. So, Bodhi would enjoy this too? It seemed so. Soleil’s hands were under her t-shirt now, and between them, she and Bodhi stripped Sailor, both of them kissing her exposed skin.

Sailor shivered with anticipation as they moved to the bedroom. She lay on the bed as Soleil and Bodhi caressed her body and when Soleil’s mouth found her clit, she gasped. Bodhi caught her mouth with his, his thumb finger-fucking her navel.

Soleil was skilled at what she did, bringing Sailor to orgasm swiftly, smiling up at her. “You taste wonderful, Sails.” She looked at Bodhi. “Swap places? I want to watch you fuck her.”

Bodhi thrust his engorged cock into Sailor’s red and swollen cunt as Soleil, her beautiful face glowing with arousal, kissed Sailor thoroughly. “I admit,” she said, “I have thought about this since I met you.”

Sailor felt a swell of affection and of pleasure that she, Sailor, could turn on a staggeringly beautiful woman like Soleil.

“Solly, look in the cupboard…we have some toys you might like.” Bodhi’s gorgeous eyes were intense with desire as he fucked his lover, who was crying out and gasping, completely at their mercy. Solly went to the closet and in seconds she was back, carrying the riding crop and wearing the strap-on they had yet to use.

“Well, look at that,” she grinned. The sight of her, the large silicone dildo protruding from between her legs, was strangely beautiful. She waved the crop. “Where do you like this, Sailor?”

“Across her belly,” Bodhi said, his climax near, and Sailor nodded, giving a sharp intake of breath as Soleil cracked the whip across her belly, leaving a red welt.

“Harder,” Sailor gasped, Bodhi’s cock plowing deep into her. Solei bent and pressed her lips to the first welt before striking Sailor again, harder. The sting was sweet agony. The third strike broke the skin slightly, and Soleil put the crop down, kissing Sailor’s belly.

“I’ll make it better, Sailor girl,” she whispered. Bodhi came, watching the women interacting and then pulled out, gasping for air.

“I want to suck your cock,” Sailor told him, and he nodded, smiling.

“Solly, fuck her from behind with that thing while I suck her clit.”

With Bodhi’s cock in her mouth, his mouth on her clit, and Soleil thrusting the dildo into her from behind, Sailor thought she might die from the pleasure. In her life, she had never dreamed that being fucked by these two beautiful people would be so good, and so uninhibited. She wanted Bodhi and she wanted Soleil just as much at this moment.

She sucked on Solly’s nipples, then took her turn with the strap on, straddling Solly as Bodhi fucked Sailor in her perfect little ass. She came over and over as they made love for hours, before all three of them collapsed, exhausted.

Sailor lay panting in between them. “Wow, just wow.”

Bodhi and Solei, both chuckled. “You can say that again,” Bodhi said. He kissed Sailor tenderly. “I love you, boo.”

She grinned at him. “And I love you, baby.” She looked at Solei. “Love you, Solly.”

“And I like you as a friend,” Solly shot back, grinning and Sailor laughed.

“Seriously, though, both of you. You have shown me a world I never knew existed. I’m glad we did this.”

Soleil chuckled, and Bodhi kissed Sailor’s lips. “Me too, baby.”

Soleil pulled herself up. “Well, loves, I’m hitting the shower then I think I need to do some work today. I’ll be in the guesthouse if you, um, need me again.”

She tugged her dress around her and grinned as she left them alone, blowing them both a kiss on the way out.

Sailor wrapped herself around Bodhi, whose arms held her tight. “That was…thank you, Bodhi. Thank you for your generosity.”

“Hey, it was my pleasure.”

Sailor kissed him, then looked worried. “I hope that wasn’t me cheating on you?”

“No, baby,” Bodhi grinned, “that was consensual three-way sex.”

“But you and Soleil…”

“Like she said, we both wanted to fuck you, and I’m only human, Sails, the thought of you and Solly together…that was hot. And I got to experience it, first hand and in a loving way, so we all win.” He soothed her damp hair away from her face. “When you think you were still a virgin a few months ago.”

Sailor grinned. “I know. I got the best education.”

Bodhi laughed. “Yes, you did…now, what shall we do now?”

Sailor grinned, and reaching over, picked up the strap-on. “Well, Mr. Creed, since my ass is still aching from your huge cock, I think it’s time we had a little role-reversal. You up for this?”

Bodhi laughed. “Hell, yes. Just make sure you lube up really good, baby.”

“Oh, I will.”

Sailor felt the power of her own body as she fucked Bodhi, feeling sexy and uninhibited and above all else, loved. When she made him cum, hard, and knew he was feeling ultimate the pleasure because of her, her heart soared. Afterward, Bodhi flipped her on her back and thrust his diamond-hard cock into her ready cunt and they fucked until they were both weeping.

 

Later, Sailor and Soleil made plans to travel to Seattle while Bodhi and Tim played Red Dead Redemption on Tim’s PlayStation.

Soleil was on the phone booking them a hotel as Bodhi looked over to them. “Don’t forget to book the extra rooms for the security team.”

Soleil rolled her eyes and Sailor grinned. “Surely we’ll be okay?”

“That’s what Bay thought.” Bodhi gave her a stern look.

“Dad.”

Bodhi turned back to the game as Tim got impatient and Soleil stuck her tongue out at him.

Sailor looked around at her little family and again felt so lucky. She was also glad there was no awkwardness between her and Soleil, who greeted them both with “Hey, slut” and a huge grin as she came in for dinner earlier and high-fived Sailor. Sailor watched her now. That mouth was on my nipples, those lips on my clit. Soleil winked at her. Sailor had never been attracted to a woman like she was to Soleil, but she wasn’t in love with Solly. Sailor got up and went over to see what the men were doing. Tim grinned at her. “Dad’s terrible at this game.”

Bodhi looked despairing. “He’s not wrong.”

Sailor sat on the arm of the chair, her arm around Bodhi’s shoulders as she watched them play. Soon Soleil joined them. “All arranged. We fly up on Thursday, stay overnight at the Four Seasons. Our bodyguards will be staying in style, and you’re paying, Bodhi,” she said cheerfully. Bodhi shrugged good naturedly.

“Anything for my girls.”

Sailor leaned her head against his shoulder, and Bodhi handed Soleil his game controller. “Here, see if you can make anything of this damned game.”

Soleil settled in beside Tim, and soon they were yelling and laughing as they played. Bodhi kissed Sailor’s forehead and gazed down at her.

“I love you,” he mouthed, and she smiled.

“I love you too,” she whispered and pressed her lips against his.

 

Bay wrapped Sailor in a huge hug then ushered her into the seat next to her bed. Sailor was glad to see that her friend looked better than Sailor had expected, just a little pale. Her post-baby body was already slimming down. Bay grinned when she saw Sailor’s scrutiny.

“Breast feeding. Best diet in the world.” Bay winced a little, favoring her left leg as she sat on the edge of her bed. Sailor squeezed her hand.

“Are you in pain?”

“Some. Could have been a lot worse.” Bay nodded over to her son, sleeping soundly in his crib. “The terror of Stu being in the same room as Buddy…Sailor, I would have happily died to protect my son, I was damned if Stu Lawson was going to get away with it.”

Sailor swallowed. “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am. I’m sorry you got dragged into my crap, Bay.”

“Don’t be silly. Stu would have come after me anyway. Some men, god, some men think they have a God-given right to say whether a woman lives or dies. Scumbags.” Bay sounded angry and hurt and Sailor’s eyes filled with tears.

“I know. I just don’t know what to do.”

Bay rubbed her belly unconsciously as she chewed on her bottom lip. “Me either. It’s a bigger problem than either you or me, girl. We just have to deal with this situation. I suspect you feel the same as me, no ivory towers and twenty-four-seven security details, they don’t help with feeling safe.” She sighed. “Honestly, I’m just exhausted of everything. I just want to go away with Tom and the kids and disappear for a while. Kym and Pete are desperate for a break too. Maybe we should go on hiatus for a year or so.”

Sailor nodded. “I know Bodhi has benefitted from not working for a while so maybe it is good. Not like you can’t afford it.”

“Well, exactly.” Bay smiled at her. “I was never someone who wanted to be famous, you know. It was the music, that’s the thing I loved, and playing for people. The other stuff can go like, the fame, the press, the ridiculous pedestals people put us on. We’re just musicians, not gods.”

Sailor grinned at her. “Speaking from the other side of the fence, you were all gods to me.”

Bay laughed. “Well, I can relate. I still can’t get used to having Pearl Jam on speed dial.”

Sailor’s eye widened. “Really?”

“Really.” Bay was slightly smug, and they both laughed.

“Hey.” Tom Meir stood at the door, watching them. Bay’s smile spread wider.

“Hey, baby. Look who’s here.”

Sailor’s heart thumped as she stood to greet Tom, scared he would rebuff her. Instead, his eyes softened, and he hugged her.

“I’m so sorry, Tom,” Sailor whispered to him as he kissed her cheek. Tom nodded, half smiled, then turned to his wife.

“Scooch on over, beauty,” he said, and sat down next to her, his hand on her thigh. “How are you this morning?”

Bay leaned into him, and Sailor’s chest hurt at the love between them. She hoped that she and Bodhi would still look at each other when they had been together as long as Bay and Tom had. She got up, meaning to give them privacy but Bay shot her a look.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Sailor smiled timidly. “I don’t want to take up all your time.”

“Girl, sit down. You only just got here and you haven’t met Buddy properly yet. Tom, tell her.”

Tom took Sailor’s hand. “Stay, Sailor. It’s early. Please, stay.”

 

Hedda Shaw grabbed the adult diaper pads and turned to walk out of the maternity ward’s huge supply closet. She was startled when she realized someone was standing in the doorway. With the light behind her, she didn’t recognize the figure at first, until she spoke.

“Hey, there.”

Hedda shielded her eyes. “Soleil?”

Solly smiled and stepped into the room, letting the door swing shut behind. “I thought I saw you…I didn’t realize you transferred.”

Soleil was smiling, but Hedda heard the edge in her voice. Soleil stepped forward, and Hedda swallowed hard. “Um, yeah, sorry, it was last minute…why are you here, Soleil?”

“Visiting a dear friend. Bay Tambe…you know her?”

Hedda nodded slowly. Oh fuck… “Of course, she just had a baby.”

Soleil put her head to one side. “And was just nearly murdered. That’s surely worth a mention, right? In a secure hospital…guess someone really dropped the ball on keeping the patients safe, huh?”

“It’s unfortunate, but it happens.”

“In a locked ward?”

Hedda looked away from her gaze. She knows…Hedda’s eye drifted to the boxes where they kept scalpels. Could she get to one before Soleil went for her?

“I wouldn’t, Hedda.” Soleil’s voice was like ice. “Now, I think it’s strange that Stuart Lawson was able to gain access to Bay’s room so easily…and just after you transferred, too. Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

Hedda risked it and lunged for the scalpels, but Soleil was too fast and too strong. Hedda squeak in terror as Soleil pushed her against the wall, gripping her throat and got in her face.

“You little bitch…how long have you been working for Bartholomew Foy? Before we fucked or after? How much is he paying you to help Lawson kill Bay?”

Hedda shook her head, terrified. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

“I don’t give a crap about your apology. I care about the people I love. Bart Foy is going down, Hedda, and you can either go with him as an accessory to murder or you can help us. Because believe me, there’s no way I’m letting you get away with what you did. Think about it. You have my number. And one last thing…you’re being watched so don’t try to run. If you do, you’ll have to deal with me.”

Soleil released her grip and stalked out. To Hedda, as Soleil opened the door, she looked like a beautiful avenging angel, only Soleil was most definitely not on her side.

“Shit…shit…” Hedda sank to the floor, trembling uncontrollably. Bart Foy scared her even more, but Solei had just proved that she too was not someone Hedda wanted for an enemy.

It was only then the weight of what she had done hit Hedda Shaw, and with no other option and no idea what to do, she began to cry.

 

Sailor and Soleil left the hospital just after noon, and Soleil insisted on showing Sailor around the city. Sailor loved the cool vibe of the place, down to earth and laid back. They went to the top of the Space Needle and looked out over to the Olympic Mountains and Mt. Rainier. They ate chowder from the concessions stand, sitting at one of the little tables on the viewing deck.

They chatted amiably until Solly’s phone buzzed. “Hey, it’s Claudio. Ciao Fratelli!”

Sailor smiled as Soleil chatted away in Italian, so quickly Sailor couldn’t even begin to translate the little she knew. She concentrated instead on the delicious chowder and the incredible view. Yeah, she could imagine living here, not as hot or busy or as fast-paced as L.A. She wondered idly if Bodhi would be up for moving then checked herself. Despite the intensity of their relationship, she really didn’t think they were ready to discuss moving his whole life entirely on a whim of hers.

Sailor rocked back a little, realizing, despite his great generosity, she really didn’t have parity with Bodhi in their relationship, and not just financially. The thought depressed her. I was meant to do…something, she thought now.

“Hey.” Soleil had finished her call. “You’ll never guess where Claudio is right now. Seattle. Uh-huh,” she nodded as Sailor looked surprised. “He had a last-minute meeting with Grady Mallory at the art museum and flew in yesterday. He wants to know if we can be free for dinner tonight?”

“Of course,” Sailor was delighted; she had liked Claudio Fonseca very much.

 

Claudio threw his arms around both of them as they arrived at the restaurant. Claudio’s companion, Grady Mallory watched with a grin on his handsome face as his friend made a fuss of his sister and her friend, then Claudio introduced him to Sailor, Soleil was clearly already acquainted with the other man.

Over dinner, Sailor discovered Grady was a Seattle native, part of the very rich, very famous Mallory family and had recently had a new baby with his wife, Floriana. He showed Sailor the photo of his new daughter. She was adorable and Sailor told him so.

“You have any more children?”

“Two,” Grady said proudly, “Flori loves being pregnant for some reason.”

Sailor grinned. “I wouldn’t know about that, but you two sure do produce gorgeous offspring.”

Grady grinned his thanks. The rest of the dinner was fun as Sailor and Grady watched Claudio and Soleil bicker and tease each other in the way only siblings could.

Later, Grady asked Sailor about her art and Sailor looked surprised. “I told him,” Soleil interrupted, smirking. “Both Bodhi and I have seen what she can do, Grady, although she is very good at hiding it.”

Sailor was surprised. Yes, she loved drawing, and would often sit sketching in the evenings while Bodhi and Tim played computer games, but she hadn’t noticed Soleil taking a particular interest in her art.

Grady nodded. “Listen, have you heard of The Quilla Chen Mallory Foundation?”

Sailor shook her head.

“It’s named for my sister-in-law, and through it, Quilla, Flori and I all work towards giving emerging artists a helping hand. We’re very much looking for tutors for a Los Angeles office we’re thinking of opening. Would you be interested?”

Sailor’s cheeks flushed. “Grady…look, that’s very kind, but I’m nowhere near qualified. I just sketch for a hobby.”

Grady smiled and took out a business card. “Well, then, keep in touch…maybe there’s some other area you’d like to get involved in.”

 

As Sailor and Soleil were being walked back to the hotel by Claudio, Sailor couldn’t stop thinking about Grady’s offer. Maybe she could be useful, and she could actually use a focus right now. Suddenly she felt a new energy inside of her, as much as she loved Bodhi and their life together, she needed something of her own to feel a connection to the earth. If their relationship was made public, she wanted to be more in this life than just Bodhi Creed’s girlfriend.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts, she didn’t see Soleil on her phone, and Claudio dropping back to walk with Sailor.

“Hey, kiddo. How do you like Seattle?”

She smiled up at him. She had liked Claudio from the first, his fun-loving side coming out when his sister or Bodhi was with him. She also felt she could talk to him about anything. “I love it, so beautiful.”

“You know, Bodhi was raised here for much of his childhood? That’s where we met him. Our father was working with Boing at the time, as was Bodhi’s dad, and they became friends so when he brought us over on school vacations, we would all hang out.”

“I never knew that,” Sailor said, smiling. “That’s cool.”

“He’s my brother,” Claudio said, and almost too late, Sailor realized that he was giving her the ‘Don’t hurt my brother’ talk, in a very sweet, subtle way. She nudged his shoulder with hers.

“Don’t worry, Claudio, I’d rather die than hurt Bodhi, Tim, or any of you. You are my family now, and you’ll never know how grateful I am for you all.”

Claudio, seemingly satisfied with this, kissed her cheek. “Good girl. If it’s any help, I’ve never seen Bodhi so wiped out by love. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Sailor was touched. “Claudio, I can promise you…we will all be happy together if I have anything to do with it.”

 

She had no idea how soon that promise would be broken.

 

“Bart Foy has gone very, very quiet,” Bodhi announced at breakfast a few weeks later. “The Feds leaned on him about Stuart Lawson, but he covered his tracks very well.”

Sailor looked at him unhappily. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

Soleil spooned the last of her yogurt into her mouth. “How do you know all of this?”

“I have a contact at the Bureau.”

Soleil grinned. “Impressive.”

Bodhi grinned, but Sailor didn’t smile. “It’s when he goes quiet that I start to panic,” she lowered her voice so Tim, who was running around packing his backpack for school, wouldn’t hear. “Back in the commune, it meant someone had stepped out of line and that bad times were coming. Dark times.” She felt tearful, and Bodhi stroked her cheek.

“What is it?”

Sailor just shook her head. “Just…a hidden enemy, you know? It’s harder to stay ahead of them.”

“Ahead of who?” Tim had rejoined them without Sailor seeing, and for a second, she floundered for an answer.

“Emails,” Soleil rescued Sailor, then mussed Tim’s hair. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get going.”

Sailor looked at her gratefully, and Solly winked. “Listen, I have a meeting after I drop Tim off, so you two will have the place to yourselves for a while. To, um, work, you know?”

She winked at both of them, then laughed as she left the house with Tim. “Bye, gorgeous people.”

“Bye, nut job,” Bodhi called out after her and Sailor laughed, feeling her spirits lift.

When they were alone, Bodhi leaned over to kiss Sailor. “Sails, I’ve been thinking…it might be time for me to get back to work. Record some new stuff, do some press, and I’m thinking maybe we could kill two birds with one stone.”

“How’s that?”

“I think we need to go public with our relationship.”

Sailor gaped at him. “Why?”

“Because the more Bart Foy realizes that you are protected, that you are loved, the less likely he is to risk coming after you. He might think you’re anonymous enough that he could, and I hate these words coming out of my mouth, that he could kill you and no-one would think anything of a young biracial woman being murdered in this town. God knows how many people straight off the bus from everywhere go missing, especially young women. This could be where my fame, for want of a better word, could actually be of help. From what I can see, Bart Foy won’t risk being exposed as a murderer or a charlatan. I don’t mean this to sound egotistical, and of course, you are much, much more than just my lover, but being Bodhi Creed’s girlfriend automatically gives you an extra layer of public protection. No-one can touch us.”

Sailor chewed this over. “Conversely,” she said, “Bart could think I might expose him in a bigger arena and come after me.”

Bodhi’s smile faded, and he sighed. “God, Sails, if I could get my hands on him.”

She stroked his face. “I know, baby. And I think you might be right, at least, we could consider it, because I have an idea. Maybe if I did an interview with you and not mention names, but make it clear where I come from, what I’ve seen. Bart will know I’m ready and willing to talk about him. He might panic. He might make a mistake and then we’ve got him.”

Bodhi looked unhappy. “Using yourself as bait is not an answer.”

“We have to use what is available to us, Bodhi. Until the threat of Bart Foy is gone, then I don’t know how to really feel free. Be free. I don’t want a death threat to follow me around forever.”

Bodhi took her in his arms. “I know. I know.” He sighed, pressing his lips to her temple. “We’ll work it out. We’ll work something out.”

She tilted her head up for a kiss. “In the meantime, I’ve been thinking about Grady Mallory’s offer.”

Bodhi looked surprised. “You have? That’s great news.”

“I still don’t think I’m right to be an art tutor,” she said, sitting down on the couch with him. “But I know what I’m good at and that’s organization, scheduling, all the dull stuff.” She grinned at Bodhi. “I know, it’s a bore to you, but it gives me a sense of control. If the Foundation is opening a branch in Los Angeles, then they’ll need someone like that.”

Bodhi smiled at her enthusiasm. “I see you as much more than a paper pusher, Sailor.”

“Well, maybe I could handle the charitable part, arrange benefits, or marketing…something like that. I don’t have an awful lot of experience in anything, as you know,” she grinned at his wicked smile, “except some things, Mr. Creed, I think I’m becoming an expert.”

“I would agree with that.”

They were both laughing now. “See, I was having a serious conversation about a possible career, and you have to bring up sex.”

Bodhi laughed loudly. “You brought up sex, you little nympho.”

“Fair enough.” She snuggled into his arms. “So, what did you have in mind for today? Recording sessions?”

His fingers were trailing up and down her spine. “I was thinking of going into the recording studio, but not recording.”

“Oh?”

“Uh-huh. I was going to take my girlfriend in there and fuck her senseless on the mixing board.”

Sailor started giggling. “Oh, you were huh?”

“Oh yeah. Well, first I’d strip her slowly, then put my face in her sex and suck and taste her until she came…”

Sailor was getting very turned on by his dirty talk, and she looked up into his intense green eyes and he brushed his lips against hers. “Then,” he continued in a low, slow, sensual voice, “I would part her legs and put my cock inside her so hard that she would scream my name so loud that even the soundproofing couldn’t muffle her cries…”

Sailor moaned softly. “Put your hands on me, Bodhi Creed.”

Bodhi pulled her top down and took her nipple into his mouth, his fingers sliding into the waistband of her denim shorts, stroking her lower belly then massaging her clit. “You’re getting wet, baby.”

Sailor responded with a moan then Bodhi tumbled her to the carpet, yanking her shorts and her panties down. “This isn’t the recording studio,” Sailor chuckled as he kissed her belly then blew raspberries on it, making her shriek with laughter.

“There’s time enough for the studio,” he said gruffly, hitching her legs around his and thrusting his rigid cock inside her. Sailor sighed happily as they began to make love, and she thought to herself, Maybe. Maybe Bodhi’s right. Maybe no-one can touch us…

In the next few hours, she would be shown, in the most painful way possible, just how wrong they both were.

 

“You got the words wrong again,” Tim complained, and Soleil rolled her eyes, going back over the song they were singing together again. As usual, the Los Angeles traffic had ground to a halt, and the clock was edging ever nearer to nine. Tim didn’t seem bothered by being late, but it made her feel like a bad aunt, so she’d deliberately set off a few minutes earlier, only to be constrained by a traffic accident up ahead.

“Dang it,” she said, for once not cursing in Tim’s presence. That made her feel like a bad aunt too. She glanced over to Tim. He was so different from the shy, sullen boy she’d met almost a year ago; he had thrived under Bodhi, Sailor’s and she had to admit, even her own care. “Hey kiddo, you talk to your mom this week?”

Tim nodded. “She says she’s feeling a lot better now. I talked to Evan too.”

“You did? That’s good.”

“Yeah. I didn’t tell Dad that. I don’t think he likes Evan.”

Soleil smiled at Tim. “He just doesn’t know him, buddy. I think your Dad’s just a little jealous that Evan got to raise for so many years.”

“Okay. But that’s not Evan’s fault.”

“No, it’s not. And it’s not your dad’s, it’s just how things are.”

Tim was silent for a long time. “I think it’s my mom’s fault. I feel kind of angry with her.”

Soleil shook her head. “No, Timbo. Sometimes we make decisions based on what is the best at the time. Your mom made a choice. Whether it was the best one or not, it was her choice. That’s all anyone could do.”

“I don’t want to go back to live with her.”

That shocked Soleil, and she swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. “Why not, pal?”

“Because…I think I make her sad. That’s why she went away.”

Tim’s word broke Soleil’s, heart. “No, sweetheart, you didn’t make her sad. And look at it this way, because your mom was sad, and that happens to us from time to time, you got to know your dad, and Sailor and me. And your grandma and Claudio and Tag, of course.”

Tim smiled at the mention of his canine friend back in Italy. “I’d like a dog.”

“Talk to your dad, I’m sure he’d get you one.”

Tim nodded happily. “I like living with Dad and Sailor and you. Will you live with us forever?”

Soleil, touched, grinned at him. “Sure you want me to? You know those missing Pop Tarts? That was me.”

Tim laughed. “I knew they hadn’t been stolen!”

Soleil peered out at the traffic in frustration. “Timbo, I’m going to get off the freeway here and go a different way. It might make us a little late, but not more than this damn traffic will. Okay with you?”

“Sure.”

Soleil pulled the car onto the off-ramp and off the freeway, not noticing the black SUV following behind them. They drove around the back streets for a while until they were only a few blocks from Tim’s school.

“So, what you got on today, kid…”

Soleil didn’t finish her sentence as her car was sidelined by the black SUV. It cornered their vehicle, slamming into it again and again, and didn’t let up until both Soleil and Tim were both stunned and concussed. Then Tim’s door was wrenched open, and he was grabbed by a large man. Tim started to scream and Soleil, yelling, was about to get out of her seat when she was grabbed and pinned back against her seat by someone who jumped in the back of her car. A hand was clamped over her mouth. A tall man, dragging Tim around to Soleil’s door, held Tim’s head, so he was staring directly at Soleil.

“Now, watch, Timmy. Watch what happens when you disobey me.”

Soleil, unable to move, saw Udo slip into the passenger seat. In his hand, a switchblade knife. Soleil tried to free herself as Udo cut open her shirt, but when she knew it was too late, she bit the hand covering her mouth. As the man behind her cursed, she turned to Tim with desperation in her eyes. “Don’t watch, Timmy, close your eyes.”

Bart Foy smiled at her. “No, do watch, Timmy…this will be fun.”

Udo stabbed Soleil repeatedly as Tim screamed. Solly gasped as the knife cut through her belly again and again, viciously, Udo smiling the entire time, before Bart told him to stop. Bart released a sobbing, hysterical Tim to his guard, and stepped up to the dying woman. Soleil moaned, her wounds pumping her precious blood out of her body. “If you live long enough, beautiful girl, tell Sailor that this can happen to her bastard lover’s son or it can happen to her. It’s her choice.”

Bart ran a fingertip down Soleil’s face as she bled out. “A shame. What a lovely woman.” He looked at Udo who handed him the knife, and with one brutal movement, Bart plunged the blade into Soleil’s stomach one last time. She vomited a fountain of blood as she heard Tim’s screaming getting further away.

Soleil now left alone, her hands freed, knew she was dying. She clutched the wounds on her abdomen and threw herself out of the car onto the hot asphalt, causing a scene, desperately to get her message across before she died. She heard voices, alarms, sirens, the sound of people rushing to her aid. The pain was unimaginable.

It’s too late…it’s too late. I’m dead…

As the first responders reached her, she pulled his head close and repeated what Bart had said to her. Tell them…tell them I’m sorry…Bodhi…Sailor…Tim…save Tim…

 

“Jesus, Jesus,” the cyclist bent over the bloodied, brutalized girl on the road and tried to give her first aid. Another woman rushed over. “I’ve called 911.”

The cyclist gave the stricken woman chest compressions as the woman blew oxygen into the girl’s lungs. She told him to stop a moment, felt for a pulse then shook her head. “She’s gone. She’s gone.”

A cop car pulled up then, and two cops rushed over. The cyclist, trembling shook his head. “She’s dead.”

One of the cops was staring down at Soleil’s dead body intently, and then he cursed loudly. “Fuck.”

“What?”

“That’s Bodhi Creed’s girlfriend. Jesus H Christ, that’s his girlfriend.”

The other cop looked shocked. “Dammit, call it in. And someone get over to Bodhi Creed’s house. This is going to be all over the news.”

As the first cop called in the murder, he examined Soleil’s car and paled. “God…look.” He held up a child’s knapsack. “She had a kid in the car…where’s the kid? Where’s the goddamned kid?”

 

Bodhi and Sailor sat on the couch too shocked and devastated to say anything. The detective watched them carefully. “You understand what I’m saying?”

Bodhi turned pained eyes to him. “Soleil is dead…and my son is missing. Missing.”

The detective, Jim Wallis, nodded. “Obviously, this has just happened, so we’re gathering information. Before she died, Ms. Fonseca told a witness that she was given a message for you, Miss King. Something like “This will happen to the boy or it will happen to you. Your choice.” Does that mean anything?”

Sailor, haunted, nodded. She explained everything about her escape from Bartholomew Foy and the cult, how Bay Tambe had been dragged into it, and now Solly. Oh god, Solly, I’m sorry… “He likes to kill women, detective. That’s the crux of the matter. He wants to kill me. That’s why he’s holding Tim so that I’ll go to him.” She turned to Bodhi. “Bodhi…I have to go to him. It’s Tim’s only chance.”

“No,” both Bodhi and Jim Wallis were vehement in their response.

“That’s not an option, Miss King,” continued Jim Wallis as Bodhi dropped his face into his hands. “We will find Tim, I promise you.”

“You don’t know Bart,” Sailor said in despair, “He has no humanity, no morality, and his people are everywhere. He probably has some in law enforcement.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Jim said grimly, “But I can promise you for sure; he will not get away with this.”

His cell phone rang, and he excused himself. Bodhi put his arms around Sailor “Soleil’s dead.” His voice was breaking, and he leaned his head against her. “And my son…god…”

Sailor couldn’t help the tears. “I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, Bodhi. If I hadn’t…”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” he said, his eyes closed. “I couldn’t live without you, Sailor. This is when it ends, you know, this is when Bart Foy is brought to his knees.”

Sailor nodded. “Even if it costs me everything, Bodhi, I will get Tim back for you.”

Bodhi opened his eyes and gazed at her. “We do this together, okay? Don’t you dare sacrifice yourself. Bart Foy doesn’t get to kill anyone else.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I have to call Claudio to tell him. How the hell am I going to do that?”

 

Jim Wallis came back a short time later. “Mr. Creed…I’m sorry to have to ask you to do this, but we need someone to identify Ms. Fonseca’s body.”

Bodhi nodded, his face drained of color. “Of course. I have to call her brother; I think he’s still in Seattle…he’ll want to come and claim her body once the medical examiner releases it.”

“Of course. Look, we’re going to keep some people here for protection and to keep the press away. Someone must have called them almost as soon as it happened. Some journalists are outside now, but we’re keeping them away from the gate. Would you come with us now, Mr. Creed, before they start flocking?”

Sailor told him she would wait for him at home and he went to grab a sweater. Sailor pulled Jim Wallis aside. “How did she die, Detective Wallis? Please tell me. Bart…he has a favorite method.”

Jim Wallis hesitated then sighed. “Ms. Fonseca was stabbed repeatedly, Miss King.”

“In the abdomen?”

He nodded and Sailor sighed. “Yes. That’s Bart’s mo. That’s what turns him on. I just hope to god that Tim didn’t see it happen.”

“I hope so too.”

 

Bodhi gazed down at the face of his much-loved friend. In death, Soleil was just as beautiful, but the sparkle, her light, her humor, her energy…now Bodhi knew what the term ‘snuffed out’ really meant. She lay naked under a blood-soaked sheet; the medical examiner hadn’t had time to clean her wounds yet, but it was obvious where she had been stabbed, how horrifically she had been murdered.

“God, Solly, I’m so sorry,” he whispered again and again. Her eyes were closed, and Bodhi couldn’t understand how he’d never see them dance with laughter again. How could Soleil, of all people, be dead? Funny, smart, sexy, loving Solly. His tears dripped onto her face as he kissed her cold forehead and he heard the medical examiner cough. Jim Wallis touched his arm.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Creed but, you know, chain of evidence.”

Bodhi nodded. “Of course.” He shook his head, still unable to believe Soleil was dead. He turned to Jim Wallis. “We need to call Claudio Fonseca now before the press puts this online.”

 

They were too late. Sailor took the call from a near hysterical Claudio, who screamed at her that it was her fault Soleil was dead, and why the hell hadn’t they called him immediately and how could his beloved sister be dead?

Sailor took it all, every word of abuse, feeling like she deserved it. Finally, when Claudio, sobbing, had calmed down, he asked to speak to Bodhi. “He’s not here, Claudio…he’s at the medical examiner’s office…identifying Solly’s body.”

Another wave of ranting, and cursing in Italian. Sailor waited for him to finish, feeling as if she were in the body of someone else. Numb. “Claudio, Tim is missing. They took Tim. If you think you’re the only one blaming me for this, you’re wrong.”

The phone went dead. Sailor put her cell phone down gently, and steadying herself, switched on the television. Sure enough, Soleil’s murder was breaking news on every channel. A photograph of Bodhi Creed’s now dead ‘girlfriend’ was front and center, along with a photograph of Tim.

Too late, Sailor realized they had forgotten someone in the terror, the horror of Tim’s abduction. Someone who, if they had seen this broadcast, would now be in hysterics.

Tim’s mother. Gemma.

Her legs shaking, Sailor went to find a police officer. There was a commotion at the front door, and for a terrible moment, Sailor thought the press had got in. A moment later, a smartly dressed man with short brown hair and a kind but serious face approached her.

“Miss King?”

Sailor nodded, glancing at the officer behind the newcomer who nodded. The visitor saw her hesitation and reached into his pocket for his i.d.

“Miss King, my name is Evan Teal, I’m an F.B.I, agent and…”

Sailor recognized the pain in his eyes and immediately knew just who he was. “And the man who brought up Tim.”

Evan Teal nodded, and Sailor did the only thing she could think of to do in this situation. She hugged him.

Evan hugged her back tightly. In this situation, they were family even if they had never met before. When they released each other, Sailor led him to sit on the couch with her. Evan ran a hand through his short brown curls. “Sailor, please, just tell me everything. Everything. I called Gemma; she’s on her way down, so for everyone’s benefit, let’s get it all out in the open.”

 

Sailor had braced herself for the torrent of rage coming her way, but when Claudio and Gemma arrived at the same time, she realized she had under estimated. The grief and anger were all-consuming and entirely directed at her, so much so that by the time Bodhi arrived home, Sailor had been corned by both of them and was almost cringing at the force of their barrage.

“What the fuck is going on?”

Bodhi batted Claudio and Gemma out of the way and stepped in front of Sailor. “Enough!”

Both Claudio and Gemma were silent then. Bodhi turned to Sailor. “You okay, baby?”

She nodded, too stunned to speak. Bodhi turned back to his friend, and the mother of his beloved Tim.

“Stop it,” he said gently, “both of you. This isn’t Sailor’s fault. This is the work of a very, very sick man. Claudio, I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am…Soleil didn’t deserve this. She was murdered because I stupidly believed she and Tim were safe, that Sailor was the only one at risk. I should have insisted on them taking a bodyguard, but, from what I understand, they were ambushed by a few people.”

“And my son?” Gemma’s voice broke.

“Our son…our son has been taken, yes. But, I believe he is alive. Bart Foy wants Sailor, so he’ll keep Tim alive as long as he hasn’t got her.”

Gemma sneered at him. “So? Give her to him, what is she to me? What is she worth when Tim’s life is on the line?”

Sailor closed her eyes. Nothing. I am worth nothing.

When Bodhi spoke, the steel in his voice was obvious. “She is the love of my life, Gemma. Just as Tim is. Don’t ever, ever talk like that about Sailor again. Do you understand me.”

Gemma turned away, then exclaimed as Evan Teal reentered the room. “Evan!” She flew across the room into his arms. Evan looked uncomfortable, glancing over Gemma’s shoulder at Bodhi, then Sailor. When Gemma released him, he stepped forward and offered Bodhi his hand. “Evan Teal.”

Bodhi shook it. “Bodhi Creed. Thanks for being here, Evan. Thanks for looking after…” His voice broke, and Sailor went to him, ignoring Claudio’s glowering look. She stroked Bodhi’s back, and he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. She could feel his silent sobs rack his body.

“Okay,” said Evan calmly, after a few minutes, “let’s all be calm and work this problem through. Shall we sit?”

They were about to sit when another detective came in and grabbed the remote. “You have to see this.”

He flicked on the television and immediately an image of Soleil, bleeding out on the asphalt where she was found flickered on the screen. Claudio collapsed to the floor, batting Bodhi’s hand away, and as they watched in mounting horror, the newscaster told the world about the murder, the kidnapping. A photograph of Tim, obviously taken from a distance, at his school.

“Where the fuck did they get that?”

Bodhi was incensed, but then a moment later, something far worse was shown. A video, taken from an awkward angle, above a familiar scene. Three people. In bed.

Sailor gasped in horror as the television news broadcast the pictures of her being ecstatically fucked by both Soleil and Bodhi to millions of viewers worldwide.

For a long moment, they all froze…then Claudio lunged for Bodhi.

 

Sailor sat in the darkened guesthouse, watching Claudio and Bodhi argue violently in the main house. After Claudio, had seen the video of his beloved sister making love with his friend, and the woman he blamed for her death, he had gone mad, pounding on Bodhi, who just seemed to take it. After Evan and another cop hauled Claudio off of him, Bodhi had simply got to his feet and turned to her. “Go wait in the guesthouse, baby. You don’t need to hear this.”

She had fled, but now she felt wretched. God, was it worth it? All this horror, this pain?

Sailor pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her face on her knees. How the hell were they going to get Tim back if she, Sailor, was to remain safe? She couldn’t see a way.

Take me, she willed Bart, come take me, kill me, and leave them all alone. She kept seeing the image of Soleil, beautiful, amazing Soleil, stabbed to death. It should have been me.

She started as a cell phone began to ring, and she frowned. Her own cell phone was back in the main house, and there was no land line. Sailor got up, trying to trace the sound of the phone. She walked around, confused until she traced it to the bookcase. She pulled out a heavy copy of Othello and opened it. The book had been hollowed out and inside, a ringing cell phone. She took the call.

“My darling Sailor.”

Her blood run like ice, Sailor heard Bart’s voice for the first time in nearly a year. It sent horror shooting through her; her stomach clenched, her heart beat faster.

“You bastard. Where’s Tim? What have you done to him?”

Bart laughed softly. “He’s fine…a little, how shall I say this, a little subdued, a little traumatized. It was his first time seeing a killing.”

Sailor’s throat closed up, and her knees gave way. She sank to the floor. “You made him watch you kill Soleil? You…” She didn’t have the words.

“What a beautiful woman…what a pleasure to kill her. Now, don’t collapse on me, Sailor, you need to listen to me. Sit back on that couch.”

He was watching her. Of course. That’s how they got the footage of her, Bodhi and Soleil. She glanced around the room, and Bart laughed. “Hello, pretty girl. Yes, Sailor, I can see you. I’ve been watching you for months now, fucking that sleazy rockstar, and the now-dead whore. Well, well, well…you broke the rules, Sailor. You gave away what’s mine. You will have to be punished.”

Sailor went to the corner of the room and scooched down in it so that people in the main house wouldn’t be able to see her distress. “Please…Bart, don’t hurt Tim. I beg you. Don’t hurt him.”

“Sailor, you have my word that I will not harm the child…if you do exactly what I say. If you give yourself to me.”

“Anything, anything. Please just…tell me what I have to do.”

Bart laughed softly. “That’s my Sailor girl. Now, listen…”

 

After a still-raging Claudio had left to go see his sister’s body and make arrangements, Evan, who Bodhi had warmed to immensely, took a weeping Gemma back to her hotel. “I’ll come back in the morning, Bodhi, if I may. I want to be as much help as I can.”

Bodhi shook his hand, holding his gaze. “Thank you, Evan. Not just for today, but for bringing my son up to be a wonderful man. I can never thank you enough.”

Evan smiled, a little shyly. “I love Tim, and it was entirely my pleasure. I’m glad you have bonded so well. He loves you, Bodhi, he really does.”

Bodhi tried to hold back the tears, but was unable. “Thank you, Evan.”

“We will get him back safely, Bodhi, if it’s the last thing I do. I swear that to you.”

Bodhi nodded, but couldn’t speak. After they had left, Gemma still refusing to speak to Bodhi, Bodhi went to the guesthouse to find Sailor curled up on the sofa, her eyes haunted. Bodhi sat beside her and wrapped his arms around her. “Well, my beautiful girl…now it’s a waiting game. The F.B.I. want to wait for Bart to get in touch. We already know what he wants, but he’s not going to get it.”

Sailor said nothing, but buried her face in his neck. Bodhi could feel her trembling. “Try not to dwell on what Claudio and Gemma said to you; it came from a place of grief.”

“They were right. This is my fault.”

“No,” Bodhi’s voice was harsh and he made her look him in the eye. “It’s not. It’s the work of a madman, a psychopath. You did nothing wrong, do you hear me? I would not change a moment of time I spent with you. Nor would Tim, nor would Soleil. I am so in love with you, Sailor, you are my world as much as Tim, as much as Soleil was. God.”

“It hurts to hear her name in the past tense,” Sailor said, her voice breaking, “I can’t believe she’s dead. When I saw that photograph of her body…Bodhi, it was like seeing those photographs of Tilly all over again. The way she was killed…exactly the same. Bart has taken every important female figure in my life away from me, my mother, Tilly, Soleil. I can’t help feeling that if I had just given him what he wanted…”

“That’s bullshit.” Bodhi was up now, pacing. “Sailor, I see you murdered every night, in nightmares, I can’t stop them. Stabbed to death like Soleil was...I cannot handle you talking like that. If I lost you…”

“Ssh, ssh, ssh.” Sailor got up and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his mouth gently. “I’m still here, baby, still here…” Her voice broke, and Bodhi gave a groan and kissed her roughly, pouring all his pain into the kiss. He tore her shirt from her and took each nipple into his mouth, sucking hard, biting down on the nubs. Sailor pulled him to the floor and wrapped her legs around his waist as he pushed her skirt up over her hips and tore her underwear away.

He couldn’t wait to be inside her and thrust hard, hid cock straining to be enveloped by her velvety cunt.

They fucked each other hard, almost animalistic, feral, desperate to purge themselves of the sadness that weighted them down. They stayed in the guesthouse, the bedroom in the main house they’d shared for that one glorious night with Soleil, now sullied. A tomb.

 

In the morning, Bodhi woke up, the bed beside empty. He could hear Sailor in the little kitchenette. For a moment, he closed his eyes and pretended everything was normal, everything was okay. That his son, his Tim, wasn’t being held by a madman who wanted to kill Sailor, that his beloved friend Soleil hadn’t been brutally murdered.

Bodhi sighed, the sadness inside him weighing him down. He stared up at the ceiling, and his attention was caught by the tiniest red-light blinking. He sat up and cursed. Fucker had put cameras everywhere. Bodhi was about to reach up and rip the camera out of its hiding place behind the slatted door of the closet when he heard a crash and Sailor cry out.

He darted into the kitchen where he saw her on the floor, moaning, holding her left arm which he could see straight away was broken.

“What happened?”

“I was trying to reach the other skillet, the one that’s on the top of the cabinet,” Sailor winced as Bodhi gently held her broken arm. “I slipped. Oh, fuck it, fuck it…”

“Come on.” He swept her up into his arms easily, “You need to get to the hospital. Cedars is closest.”

Sailor, gasping with pain, stopped him. “Could you grab my jeans? I can’t go to the hospital in my underwear?”

Bodhi half-smiled. “The doctors wouldn’t mind. Okay, just stay here for a moment.”

 

As Bodhi went to the bedroom, Sailor very deliberately looking at the top of the oven to the extractor hood and said “Cedars Sinai. Cedars Sinai.”

Bodhi was back almost immediately. “You okay?”

She nodded, and he helped her pull on her jeans and sweater, then dressed himself quickly. They walked out to the garage, his security detail jumping to attention. “We need to get to Cedars…Sailor has broken her arm.”

“Okay, on it.”

Bodhi helped Sailor into the back of the SUV, but then turned back to another man. “Greg, sweep the entire property for cameras and any other surveillance devices. That cocksucker Foy has been watching us; that’s how they got the video of us.”

“Right, boss.”

Bodhi got into the car with Sailor, helping her put her seat belt on. “What a stupid idiot I am,” she said, apologetically. “This is the last thing you need.”

“Could have happened to anyone, baby. Let’s get you fixed up.

 

Bart Foy watched the video feed in satisfaction. Sailor had executed his plan perfectly. He got a little extra thrill at seeing her hurt…which would be nothing to how he would feel later, her blood on his hands, her lifeless body in his arms. Soon, so soon.

He turned to the man waiting. “Blindfold the kid. We need to get to Cedars Sinai.”

 

Sailor watched the doctor as he wound the last piece of plaster soaked bandage around her arm. “Now, it’s going to be painful for quite a while. Thankfully, it’s a straight break so you should be okay in time. Are you in much pain?”

Sailor nodded. “A little.”

The doctor smiled at her. “I’ll go get you some pain relief. Would you like me to ask Mr. Creed to come in now?”

Sailor swallowed hard. “Not just yet, I need some time.”

The doctor patted her good arm. “Of course. I’ll be right back.”

As soon as he left, Sailor grabbed every sharp implement she could find, a scalpel, scissors, and darted to the door. She could see Bodhi at the end of the hall, talking to the doctor. Quickly, she sped across the hall to the elevator and pressed the call button. She flattened herself against the wall as she waited then darted in and pressed the button to the basement. In the elevator, she shoved the scalpel and scissors down the side of her still malleable cast.

As the elevator reached the basement, she slipped out and waited.

“Sailor!”

She heard Tim’s voice as he was dragged into the light by Bart. Salem, Bart’s main henchman, aimed a gun at her, and Sailor also saw Udo, the security guard Tim had been scared of. Tim looked unharmed, but his eyes were haunted, and he was obviously terrified.

“Send Tim over, and as soon as he’s in the elevator, I’m yours.” Sailor managed to keep her voice steady.

Bart looked amused, but nodded to Udo. The big man walked Tim over to her, and as they reached her, Tim threw his arms around Sailor and burst into tears.

“They killed Auntie Solly,” he sobbed, and she hugged him tightly, her own tears flowing.

“I know, baby, I know…look, Timmy, when you get in the elevator, press number nine and don’t get out or speak to anyone else. Your dad is up there. Tell him,” her voice broke, “Tell him I’m sorry and that I love you both so much. So much.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Tim began to wail but Sailor, barely keeping herself calm, pushed him gently into the elevator.

“You have to, baby, please. I love you.”

“Sailor!”

She couldn’t bear it any longer and pushed the close-door button. “I love you so much,” she repeated as she heard him wailing and screaming her name. She watched as the elevator climbed to floor nine, then felt a pistol being pushed against the small of her back.

“Time to go, Sailor,” Bart said with a slight edge in his voice, and nodding, she was led to his car, and to her certain death.

 

Bodhi got alarmed when the doctor who was treating Sailor came to see him. “Has Miss King come by here? I can’t find her.”

Bodhi’s heart began thumping. “No…she was in the treatment room…did you leave her alone?”

“Yes, to get some pain medication…where is she?”

Bodhi felt the panic rise up inside of him, but the next moment, he heard the scream of a child, a child screaming for his daddy, and saw Tim rushing towards him. Bodhi ran to sweep Tim up in his arms and hug him tightly. “Oh god, Timbo, Timbo…I love you, I love you.”

“Daddy, my Daddy.” Tim held onto Bodhi’s neck so tightly he was almost strangling him, but Bodhi didn’t care. There was chaos all around him.

“Daddy,” Tim was sobbing, tears and snot dripping down his face, “Sailor. Sailor came and she said to find you and the bad man had a gun and he took her…Daddy…Daddy.”

Bodhi’s blood ran cold, and he closed his eyes. Of course. Of course. Sailor had sacrificed herself for Tim. Why hadn’t he realized? She’d broken her own arm to get here.

Oh, god…

The doctor ushered them into a private room and began to examine Tim. The child wriggled, never taking his eyes off his father. “Daddy, they put a blindfold on me to come here, but it came loose, and I could see, Daddy. I could see the way to where they took me.”

Bodhi gaped at his son as the boy recited the journey back to where Bodhi hoped against hope, they would be able to find Sailor before Bart Foy carried out his promise to end her life.

 

They hadn’t gone far, Sailor realized, as they drove out of the city. They hadn’t blindfolded her, why would they need to blindfold a dead woman? They arrived at a disused airplane hangar just outside the city.

She was alone with Bart now. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her. Gently he undid the buttons on the front of her dress and pulled the fabric apart, exposing her belly. Sailor felt strangely disconnected. She was about to be murdered, horrifically, painfully, and yet…

She could only feel relieved that Tim was safe. Maybe those few deliriously happy months she had spent with Bodhi and Tim were her reward for going to her death so easily.

Bart smiled at her. “So, we’re here at last, and now I will begin the process of ending your life, Sailor. As I can hear the sirens, I won’t make a long speech.” He had a switchblade knife.

“Udo used this to kill your beautiful friend…seeing as how you fucked her like the little whore you are, it seems fitting you should suffer the same fate.”

Sailor drew in a sharp intake of breath as Bart placed the tip of the knife in the hollow of her navel. “Sailor…I’m not going to lie and tell you your death will be quick and painless. Quite the opposite. I’m going to gut you, darling, slowly.” And he pushed the blade deep into her belly.

Sailor couldn’t believe the pain; it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Every severed nerve ending screamed with agony, and as Bart yanked the knife out, blood began to pump from the wound, soaking her skin, her underwear.

Sailor felt her head whirl, her body react to the assault. Bart watched her with obvious enjoyment. “See, my lovely Sailor? I remember doing this to your mother. She was almost as beautiful as you.”

He stabbed her again, and Sailor cried out as the knife sunk into her stomach. “Your mother begged me for her life. But I told her…she betrayed me. She betrayed you, Sailor…she was going to take you away from your rightful place…”

He sunk the knife into her belly again and Sailor began to feel lightheaded, her chest constricting as she began to lose consciousness. She could smell her blood as it pumped from her wounds. Bart leaned in and kissed her mouth. “She was going to take you away from me, your future husband, Sailor…” He smiled as he stabbed her one last time, an inch above her navel. “She was going to take you away from me…your father, Sailor…”

Sailor’s eyes opened in horror and suddenly, being butchered by this man’s knife wasn’t the most horrific thing in her life.

“You’re lying,” she gasped, and Bart laughed.

“You know I’m not, lovely one. My Sailor, my daughter.” He cut the ropes binding her and laid her on the floor. Sailor, struggling to breathe now, tried to press her hand against the wounds, tried to stem the blood, but she knew it was useless now.

Bart stroked her face tenderly and picked up a camera. “Just some photographs to send to your beloved Bodhi Creed.”

Sailor closed her eyes. It was over. All over. She would die here and…

She was hovering at the very edge of life when from what seemed far away, there were voices, shouting, angry, desperate. She could barely open her eyes, but when she did, it was in short blinks.

One. Bodhi’s beautiful face, tears streaming down his face, begging her to live. I have brought you so much pain, my love.

Two. Bart Foy’s face – her father’s face raging.

Three. Bodhi’s face, roaring with anger, with a vengeance as he pumped bullets into Bart’s head, and her father’s smile being blown off his face.

Four. Bodhi…oh god, Bodhi, my love, my life…goodbye…

Then all was darkness, all was nothing.

 

Three months later…

 

Bodhi held the letter that he had read over and over since that terrible day. The letter his guard had found in the kitchen drawer in the guesthouse as he swept for bugs.

 

My darling, darling Bodhi,

 

By now, you will know what I have done, and I ask for your forgiveness. There was never any other option if we were to get Tim back safely, and I want you to know, that if I’m dead, it was all worth it if Tim is back in your arms.

I love you. You have given me everything, and I am so sorry that my presence has been so destructive. I’m sorry for Soleil’s death, I loved her so much, as we all did, and I hate that she died because of me. She didn’t deserve to die like that.

Bodhi, all I ask is that you remember how much I loved you, with my whole heart, and I also ask that you go on and love like that again. Don’t grieve too long. Remember, but don’t grieve. If Tim is safe, then I died for a good reason, the best reason.

I can’t think of anything else to say but thank you, and I love you so, so much, my precious, darling Bodhi.

 

Always, your Sailor

 

Bodhi squeezed his eyes shut. She’s gone. She’s gone. He had to keep saying that to himself to believe it. He put the letter down and took up the other one.

The one she had written in the hospital. The hospital where they had fought to save her life, to repair her body, to heal the horrific injuries Bart Foy, her biological father, had inflicted on her. She was in a coma for a week, then as she began to emerge from it, the doctor had come to him, hope in his eyes.

“She’s turned a corner.” And Bodhi had only known relief like that once before when his son had come back to him.

But then, a week later, after some very groggy conversations, and a feeling she was holding back from him, Sailor had disappeared from the hospital, whisked away in the middle of the night by a mysterious benefactor.

The hospital had apologized to Bodhi, but as Sailor had no official next of kin, they had been bound from telling him. Her surgeon handed him the second letter she had written him.

 

My love, my Bodhi,

 

Forgive me. After everything we have been through, I feel this is the only way for me. I bring you bad luck, my love, and now, knowing Bart Foy was my father, I can’t face the future knowing I might have some of his traits. I’m so confused, my love.

I have to go away, and I have asked a friend to help me in this. Please, please don’t try and find me. Your life and Tim’s life will be better without me.

 

 

Sailor

 

It was rambling, the handwriting shaky, and Bodhi knew she hadn’t been thinking straight, but it still hurt. And now, after three months, Sailor had managed to keep herself hidden away, away from all of the detectives he’d paid hundreds of thousands to find her. Hidden, alone. He had no idea where she was.

Until now. This morning, Grady Mallory had come to him and revealed himself as Sailor’s mysterious benefactor. Bodhi had been angry, but Grady had calmly explained that he only did what Sailor asked him.

Bodhi stared at the man. “So, why are you telling me now?”

“Because I’m making a choice, a choice to do what I think is right. What I think Sailor actually wants now that she can think straight. She’s been in counseling, we arranged it for her. Also, Flori found out, and she’s been kicking my ass about it.”

Bodhi’s mouth hitched up in a half-smile at that. “Where is Sailor?”

Grady hesitated then nodded. “I’ll take you to her.”

Bodhi’s head had whirled, joy, anger, nervousness. He shook Tim awake and insisted the boy join them. “Sailor can’t get too mad if Tim’s there as well.” He told Grady in a low voice, and Grady chuckled.

“Chicken.”

“You know it.”

 

Grady drove them into the middle of Oregon’s Mount Hood National Forest, to Lost Lake. Bodhi glanced over at Grady when he saw the sign. “Really?”

“Just coincidence, I promise. My family has a cabin here.” Grady chuckled as Bodhi rolled his eyes.

He drove up to a cabin situated on the lake, and they got out. Grady knocked at the cabin, but then nodded. “I thought so. She likes to walk to the pier on the lake and sit with her feet in the water.” He showed Bodhi the way, but then held back. “You need some privacy.”

Holding Tim’s hand, Bodhi walked around the front of the cabin and toward the lake. In the distance, along a wooden pier, he saw a figure standing at the end, her long dark hair blowing in the breeze. His heart filled with love as he saw her.

Tim shook his hand free and began to run, and Bodhi let him.

“Sailor! Sailor!”

She turned, and Bodhi stopped, the shock so big he couldn’t breathe for a second. Sailor put a hand over the small bump on her belly, but bent down to hug Tim tightly as he reached her. Bodhi put one foot in front of the other, but didn’t know how he would be able to reach them.

Pregnant. How was this possible? She had been stabbed, for crissakes…the surgeon hadn’t mentioned a pregnancy. There was only one answer.

It wasn’t his.

Bodhi stopped walking, his heart breaking all over again. Tim was leading Sailor by the hand down the pier towards him, and for Bodhi, it was a moment of panic. What do I do? What do I say?

Sailor had never looked more beautiful, her caramel skin glowing, her eyes haunted, but soft with love. “Hello, Bodhi.”

He stared back at her a million questions going through his mind. She smiled gently and nodded, reading his mind. “It’s yours, Bodhi. Your child. I don’t know how everybody missed it, but I was pregnant when they took me to the hospital. Less than a month, which is why the embryo survived the stabbing. I’m four months now.”

Bodhi couldn’t speak, and it took a single, simple sentence from his son to make him come to his senses. Tim looked up at Sailor, his eyes shining with excitement. “So, I’m going to be a big brother?”

Sailor laughed, tears flowing down her face. “Yes, sweetie, the best big brother ever.”

Finally, Bodhi was able to move, and he took her in his arms. “Why did you run away?”

“I didn’t think I was good enough for you,” Sailor said, her voice breaking. “Bodhi, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I’ve been living out here regretting running away ever since, but I didn’t know how to make it right. I’m so glad you’re here, so, so happy.”

And Bodhi kissed her passionately, not caring that Tim was watching. “I love you, Sailor King, and our baby. We are a family and don’t you ever forget it. We face things together, good or bad.”

She nodded, and Bodhi kissed her again, his heart swelling with relief and love and joy. He put his hand on her belly. “After all you went through, is this safe?”

She nodded. “I have a good doctor in Portland.” She looked down at Tim. “Look, shall we go inside? I can make us some cocoa. That breeze is a bit cool.”

Tim nodded eagerly, and she took his hand, and Bodhi’s and they walked back to her cabin, collecting a grinning, not-at-all-sorry Grady on the way.

 

One year later…

 

Sailor grappled with her very wriggly daughter as she tried to change her diaper. “Solly Creed, if you don’t start behaving, I swear to God…”

“Swear to God what?” Bodhi was laughing as she struggled with her daughter. Sailor glared at him.

“Could you put the Go-Pro down, rockstar, and help me? This photo op was your idea.”

They were in San Francisco for the launch of Bodhi’s first album in a few years and, as they got ready at their hotel, they could already hear the crowd of fans chanting his name.

Bodhi took his daughter from Sailor’s arms, and immediately the girl calmed down, babbling with pleasure, grinning at her father.

“Daddy’s girl,” Sailor grumbled, but laughed as Bodhi grimaced at the dirty diaper he was being allowed to change. “Hey, I had to carry that little monster for nine months. You can change a diaper.”

 

Later, as they made their way to the launch in the cab, Tim perched on Bodhi’s knee, Solly asleep in her mother’s arms, Bodhi looked over at Sailor.

“Hey, beautiful? You know that question I was going to ask you a while back?”

Sailor grinned, knowing exactly what he was going to ask her, put her finger to her lips. “Later,” she said, “When the kids are asleep.”

“Why?”

Sailor leaned in to whisper in Bodhi’s ear. “Because I have a very, very special way of saying yes, Bodhi Creed, and believe me, you’re not going to want to miss that…”

 

 

The End.