I pulled my truck into my driveway and glanced over at the passenger seat to see Zoe smiling back at me. “What are your thoughts about the situation?” she asked.
I hadn’t heard a word she’d said because I had zoned out to a song on the radio on the drive home. I’d gone into The Crooked Judge for a beer after work, just to unwind a little. I hadn’t been looking for anything. Now here I sat, wondering what the hell I had been thinking when I’d invited Zoe back to my place.
Zoe and I had been involved on and off for the past six months. When I say involved, I don’t mean a relationship. I mean, she is the longest running bed buddy I’d had without a commitment since, well, since my life had done a complete three-sixty a few years earlier. Keeping Zoe at a distance was the easiest way for me to walk away when the time was near, and I felt that time might be now. The last couple of times we’d been together, she’d been hinting at wanting more. However, tonight, I was feeling weak. I’d watched her across the room, her body swaying to the music, and soon all I could think about was having her body underneath me. We’d had a couple of drinks together, shared a few words, a dance and then the next thing I knew, she was following me to my truck.
“Come, let’s go inside,” I said, trying to divert the fact that I hadn’t heard a word she’d said.
She smiled and slipped her hand into mine, and we walked up the path to my doorway together. I’d just shoved the key into the lock when I felt Zoe press her body into me from behind, her small hands running around my sides, down the front of my pants. I felt my cock jump as she ran her hand over the bulge that had already begun forming in my pants on the ride home.
Pulling her into my arms, I kissed her hard, throwing the door open. Once inside, I pushed her up against the wall, holding her there with my body as I kissed her neck, my left hand grasping her ass as I shut the door and turned the lock.
She slid out of her skirt while I kicked my shoes off, then she wrapped her arms around my neck. “Let’s go slow tonight, Jackson,” she moaned in my ear.
I gripped her ass and hoisted her up, allowing her to wrap her long legs around my waist. I didn’t want to go slow. It had been a long, stressful day, and tonight I wanted nothing but quick, rough, animalistic sex. I carried her to the bedroom, ripping her shirt off as we went, and threw her down on the bed. I pulled my shirt off over my head and allowed my eyes to wander over her body as she lay sprawled before me.
“Go slow, Jackson.” She moaned again as she slid her hand into her panties and began rubbing herself. I gripped my cock while I watched as her other hand wander up to her breast, and she gently pinched her nipple through her bra. “I want you to make love to me.” She whispered.
I bent down and pulled both cups of her bra down, grasping her breasts in my hands. She ran her hand through my hair and then reached her hand into my boxers to stroke me. I bent down farther, taking her perfectly shaped rosy bud between my teeth, biting down until I heard her gasp. There was going to be nothing slow or gentle about tonight. I already felt as if I could blow at any second. I grabbed the box of condoms that lay on my bedside table, pulling one from the box.
I pushed her hand off me, rolled the condom on, and gripped her panties, ripping the delicate lace away from her body. I kneeled on the bed, gripped her leg, resting it on my shoulder. I could tell from the look in her eyes she wanted me to take my time, and then she confirmed my thoughts.
“Please, go slow.” She said again as she ran her fingers through my hair, resting her hand on the back of my neck.
Ignoring her, I gripped her hips; lined myself up and entered her in one swift movement. A harsh moan escaped her mouth. I didn’t give her a second to get adjusted to me. Instead, I went right to it, pumping hard and relentlessly into her until she was begging to come. I slowed my pace, and within seconds of her release, I felt my own.
I collapsed on her, breathing hard, and then rolled off her, getting up to dispose of the condom. When I returned, I flopped down on the bed. I closed my eyes and was just about asleep when I felt the bed move. I glanced over to see her getting up, while murmuring something about leaving. She had already begun collecting her things. This was the usual scene for us, and I didn’t feel it needed to change, so I dropped my head back onto the pillow and covered my eyes with my arm.
“I’ve got to get going. I left my car at the bar, so I’ll need you to give me a lift.”
Even though I wanted my bed to myself, I also didn’t want to get up and take her anywhere. “Zoe, it’s late. Just stay the night. I’ll take you in the morning,” I murmured.
She didn’t answer, instead she let out a huff. Then I heard the bathroom door click shut and the water run. Staring up at the ceiling, I ran my hand over my face, wondering if I shouldn’t just take her back to her car now. I could tell her things were over after I dropped her off and return home to get a good night’s sleep. I was about to get up when I heard the bathroom door open; the light shut off, and the patter of her feet padding across the carpet towards the bed.
“Night.”
Before I could protest, I felt her snuggle into my side and press a kiss to my cheek.
* * *
I could feel the trickle of sweat dripping down my back. The vest I wore was heavy. I was hot as I ran down the dark alley. My clothes were soaked, and I was out of breath. I would never reach the end of the alley. In the distance, I could see two men standing across from one another, both with their weapons aimed at one another. I could hear my partner yell, warning him once again to drop his weapon, then the shots rang out.
I picked up the pace, signaling to the others who ran behind me to hurry. My heart was beating through my chest when, in the distance, I saw my partner up ahead, now shielding himself behind a car. He stepped out, shots were fired again, only this time he went down. I could see his body now lying sprawled out on the concrete, lifeless.
I stopped, drew my gun from the holster, and eased around the corner, checking for signs of the shooter, but he was already gone. I was just about to do another check when I heard the gurgled call for help.
I looked again to make sure it was clear, then I ran over to where my partner lay and dropped to the ground. I pulled my flashlight from my belt. “Connor, man, where you hit?” I questioned, looking over his vest for signs of damage.
“He’s been hit!” I yelled out as Ryan and Dave came running over. Dave was already on the radio and an ambulance was on the way.
“Did you see who did it?” Ryan called, running up to us.
“They are on their way, man, hold on,” I pleaded with Connor.
I put my hand on Connor’s back to comfort him, and that was when I felt the warm, thick wetness of blood. He’d been shot just under his arm. The shot had missed his vest. I flashed my light around on the ground, noticing a lot of blood. “There’s got to be more than one wound, guys.” I mumbled, flashing the light on the ground again. I noticed his pants were also soaked. He’d not only been shot in the upper torso area, but another bullet had hit him somewhere in the leg.
“Can’t breathe…” he whispered, gripping my arm as blood trickled out the side of his mouth. Panic filled me as I wondered if they had hit him in the lungs.
“How far away is the ambulance?” Dave questioned over the radio.
“About ten minutes,” the dispatcher radioed back.
I glanced down into the face of my partner. “Can’t breathe…” he pleaded, pulling at my shirt.
“Guys, help me roll him onto his back. Let’s try to make him a little more comfortable.” Everything in me screamed not to do it. I knew we weren’t supposed to move anyone for fear we would do more damage. Yet as he pleaded with me, I also didn’t want to watch my partner, and soon-to-be brother-in-law, die because he couldn’t breathe. I cradled his shoulders, while Dave kneeled to help me swiftly roll him without moving him too much.
“Oh, fuck!” Ryan yelled and immediately dropped to his knees to put pressure on a gunshot wound on his leg that was now gushing blood at an alarming rate. Dave let go of his legs and helped Ryan apply pressure to the area. We knew we had to slow the bleeding.
“Connor, stay with us,” I pleaded, pulling my belt off. I wrapped it around his upper leg, pulling it tight, hoping to help the guys stop the bleeding, but it did little good he was passing out.
“Look after Bailey, bro, please.” His voice was weaker than it had been before and the pale color of his skin worried me.
“Come on, man, don’t talk like that. You’re going to be fine, just fine. Help is on the way.” I looked up, trying to see if I could see the flashing lights of the ambulance. “Fuck, where is that ambulance?”
There was one more gurgled breath and then silence as his head fell to one side. The three of us looked at one another, and I dropped my head in defeat. When I finally found the strength to raise my head, both Dave and Ryan were gone. I was in the same dark alley. My heart rate increased as I stared down at Connor’s cold, lifeless body.
“Dave? Ryan? Where is the fucking ambulance?” I mumbled, staring at Connor’s lifeless body.
“Connor, Connor, wake up!” I yelled. “The ambulance is on its way. Come on, man.” I screamed as loud as I could for help, but no one came. An eerie silence fell over me. I looked around and then back to my partner and watched in horror as Connor sat straight up, turned, and looked into my eyes. “You didn’t do as I asked, Jackson. Why didn’t you do as I asked?”
“I tried,” I cried. “I tried so hard. She wouldn’t let me help her.”
Connor looked at me, more like right through me, and I froze. “Wake up. Wake up, Jackson.” He said.
I closed my eyes tightly as I listened to the sounds of my strange surroundings, my heart beating hard. I felt someone shake me. I opened my eyes and looked around my bedroom. I was about to push them away when I realized it was Zoe who was beside me, gently shaking me.
“You all right? You were dreaming,” she said, gripping my hand. “Who’s Connor?”
I ran my hand over my clammy face and inhaled deeply, my mind wandering back to the look in Connor’s eyes in my dream.
“Are you going to tell me who Connor is?” Zoe asked again.
Instead of answering her, I was silent. I rolled onto my side and sat up on the edge of the bed, trying to catch my breath. The words he spoke in my dream ran at the forefront of my mind. “You didn’t do as I asked, Jackson. Why didn’t you do as I asked?”
“Did you want to talk about it?” she questioned, placing her hands on my shoulders, massaging them.
“No,” I barked, throwing the covers off me and climbing from the bed.
“It might help.”
“It won’t help. Just go to sleep,” I bit out and grabbed my sweats from the bottom of the bed and slipped them on.
“Where are you going?”
“Outside for some fresh air. Go to sleep. I’ll be back in a bit,” I said, grabbing a T-shirt and throwing it over my head.
“Want some company?” she questioned.
“No. I just want to be alone. Go back to sleep,” I mumbled and pulled the bedroom door shut.
* * *
I’d barely slept the rest of the night and was glad when I dropped Zoe off outside of The Crooked Judge. She had spent the morning asking me if I was okay, and no matter how many times I’d told her I was fine, she couldn’t let it go. I remained tight-lipped, however, and just before she left my truck, that was when I dropped the news that I no longer wanted to see her. There was no doubt I’d upset her. The way she slammed the door to my truck and marched off across the parking lot without so much as even looking back at me told me so.
As I pulled out of the parking lot, I didn’t give her another thought. I knew I wasn’t ready to go home yet, so I drove across town and pulled into Ryan and Cara’s driveway. I walked up the walkway and banged on the front door.
“Come in,” I heard Ryan call. I stepped inside and could see Ryan in the kitchen making a sandwich. “Hey, man.”
“Hey, what’s going on? How did last night go?” I questioned, removing my shoes and throwing my jacket on the chair in the living room before making my way into the kitchen. I knew he’d been planning on proposing to Cara and wondered if he actually had the balls to go through with it.
“She said yes,” he said, holding his hands in the air as if he’d just scored a touchdown.
I chuckled. “That’s outstanding, man, congrats. Was there really any doubt?” I pulled open the refrigerator and grabbed a coke, cracking the tab and downing the cold liquid. “I mean, it’s been what, ten years?”
“Help yourself,” Ryan said with his mouth full.
“Don’t mind if I do,” I said, grabbing a slice of lunch meat from the package on the counter and shoving it into my mouth, giving him a cocky grin. “So, what now?” I questioned.
“Well, I guess, now it’s plan, plan, plan. I swear all I wanted was a little some-some last night, but she was busy pulling out planning boards. The ring hadn’t even been on her finger for five hours. She’s apparently already assembled her side of the wedding party.”
I laughed to myself and shook my head at Ryan. “Buddy, I told you.”
“You told him what?” Cara asked, coming into the kitchen, a laundry basket resting on her hip.
“He told me nothing.” Ryan blurted out. “Look who stopped by.”
“I see who stopped by. Good morning, Jackson,” she said, leaning in to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Good morning, Cara. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. It’s going to be so amazing,” she said. “I’ve already got my girls ready.”
“That’s exactly what Ryan just told me,” I said, winking in Ryan’s direction.
“Of course, you will be Ryan’s best man, right?” Cara questioned. “He’s been having a hard time coming up with names of people for his side. I’m sure that you can help him with a list, right?”
I chuckled to myself. “Can I help him with the list? The best man part, that depends.” I shrugged.
“On?”
“On what kind of monkey suit you’re going to want us all to wear, and how much you are prepared to bribe me to stand up for this fucker?” I said, chuckling, looking over at Ryan, who was now shooting me daggers. I loved getting under his skin.
“We haven’t gotten to that part just yet, but I should have that figured out in the next couple of weeks.” Cara said.
“Can I let you know then?” I laughed just as the phone rang.
Cara shook her head and smiled at me while Ryan answered.
“Cara, phone,” Ryan said, holding the phone out for her to take.
“I’ll mark you down and make sure your suit has an extra side of monkey.” She winked as she turned and smiled at Ryan before heading down the hall with the phone in her hand.
“Now that’s settled. Are we going to watch the game tonight? We can kick back at my place.”
“Yeah, that should be fine. Specter coming?”
“I think so. At least, that was the plan. I’ll order pizza and wings, and grab the beers, so be there by kickoff?”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll see if Cameron wants to join us, too.” I murmured.
Ryan nodded just as Cara walked into the kitchen, threw the phone on the base, and turned to Ryan and me with a great big grin on her face.
“Before you give me a to-do list, I’m heading to Jackson’s tonight for the game,” Ryan said, glancing over at me.
“That’s fine.”
“You mean you aren’t angry that I won’t be home?”
“No, nothing could make me angry. I’m so excited. Everything is finally coming together and…Bailey is coming back. That was her on the phone. She just confirmed that she is going to be my maid of honor.”
I swear it was those very words that stopped my heart in its tracks.
Cara turned and smiled at me as if she had announced they were having lasagna for dinner and continued on her way down to the basement with the laundry. Ryan looked over at me, his mouth full and concern lining his face. He was waiting until Cara was out of earshot, then leaned forward.
“Man, you all right?” he questioned.
I tore my eyes away from where Cara had stood as the shock of what she had said ran through my mind. I slowly nodded. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Ryan met my eyes and shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Hearing that the girl who broke your heart is returning home can sometimes do a thing to a guy.”
“She didn’t break my heart.” I replied, looking away. Hearing her name had felt like a kick in the gut.
“Really? That’s not how I remember it, Jackson.”
I looked down at the can in my hand, not sure how I felt. “Yep, you’re right, but I’m good.”