G-Men: The Series (83 page)

She stopped for a moment as if gathering her thoughts.

“When I woke up, I’d been flipped onto my back. I knew I’d wet myself in that bed. Kyzer and I talked. I bluffed him about that formula, just so he wouldn’t torture me anymore and he didn’t. He knew I was burning up, but he left me. That’s all I remember.”

I went over to the side of the bed now. I dropped to my knees, burying my face into her lap. I didn’t want her to see my tears. I felt her fingers stroking my hair. It was my turn to tell her about that day and what it had done to me.

“I can’t get the picture out of my head when I found you that day,” I rasped. “It was so fucking quiet. You weren’t moving. I couldn’t tell if you were even breathing. I was paralyzed in fear, Lindsey; fear that I’d lost you. Hardesty went over to check on you and I didn’t want him touching you, or seeing you. I moved him out of the way. I cut the ropes that tied you. I wrapped you up in the blanket so that no one could see what that fucking animal had done to you.”

She lowered her face and kissed my forehead, her fingers still combing through my hair.

“I remember at the first hospital the way the doctors rushed to stabilize you. I remember praying to God to please let you live, to not take you from me. If only I’d gotten to you sooner. If only I’d shared with you what I knew about Kyzer Stanfield, you’d never have put yourself near him like that. It’s my fault you went through all of this.”

“So, what? You’re going to continue beating yourself up? It’s not your fault. It’s not my fault. There are evil things in this world and I just happened across one. If you and I can’t get past this, then Kyzer will have taken more than he already has.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you won’t touch me, you avoid it. Is it because you think I’m dirty now? Because, if so, I promise you, I have scrubbed my skin so hard it’s bled in places. If you can’t get past what Kyzer did, we have nothing.”

^{chapter 49}

I could tell by the expression on Taz’s face that I’d hit a nerve with what I’d just said. He climbed up on the bed next to me, taking my hands into his strong ones, his thumbs rubbing my fingers.

“How can you think that? How can you possibly think I’d consider you damaged or unclean? I want to make love to you, baby girl. I just don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then let’s take it slow, but I need to feel your love.”

He pulled his T-shirt up over his head. I pulled my pajama top up over mine. We sat facing each other on the bed. His hands gently reached over, cupping my chin and pulling my face towards his. We kissed, gently at first, and then allowed the passion to slowly mount. Our tongues explored each other as if it were the first time, as if it was unexplored territory.

His fingers softly caressed a breast, his thumb circling the nipple and bringing it to erection, then moving to the other. My hands were on his back, rubbing his muscles, his beautifully tattooed skin, loving the feel of him against me.

He pushed me back gently so that his lips and tongue could capture my breasts. He nipped gently at the nubs, his tongue circling them and making my skin tingle.

“Umm,” he breathed, huskily, “I want inside of you, baby girl.”

I raised myself up and he lowered my PJ bottoms. I still had my panties on, as I scooted off of him, so that he could lower his drawstring pants down and off.

His erect cock sprang free. I wrapped my fingers around it, lowering my lips to taste it. There was no memory of Kyzer at all.

This was familiar to me. My tongue ran the length of it up and down, back and forth. I swirled around the swollen head of his cock, loving the feel and the taste of him, because he was mine.

I heard his sharp intake of breath as my teeth gently nibbled the very sensitive area at the tip. I loved it that Taz hadn’t been circumcised. Maybe that was the reason there were no comparisons made between him and Kyzer.

I felt his fingers pushing the elastic leg of my panties aside to gain entrance. He gently plied the sensitive folds of my womanhood, bringing me waves of pleasure at his touch. This was hot. I felt him insert a finger and then another. I was immediately wet for him. I moaned softly as his fingers hit my special place.

“I know, baby,” he soothed. “I want it, too.”

He lifted me up, and placed me over his erection. My panties, pushed aside, gave him access to where he wanted to be. He lowered me gently down onto his erect cock. We were facing each other, my legs parted and wrapped around his hips.

I heard his soft, husky moan as he filled me with himself. I felt my muscles flexing, squeezing him instinctively. His hands were on my hips, raising me up and down the length of him. My hands were on his shoulders, my fingernails digging into his skin with the intensity of the pleasure.

I rode him up and down as he continued to thrust himself inside of me, harder now. My fingernails dug deeper as I reached the peak and began the sweet, descent into my orgasm. He was right there with me, moaning my name, telling me how much he loved me.

We climaxed together, our lips once again finding each other as we rode it out, one pleasurable release after another.

Afterwards, I lifted myself up and off of him, and curled up next to him. Our skin was damp from our lovemaking. I traced his treasure trail with my fingers. His arms encircled me protectively. He kissed the top of my head over and over again.

“I love you, Lindsey.”

“I love you, Trace.”

I knew that from here on out, Taz and I’d be fine.

I believed all of the ugly things that Kyzer had done to me would fade in time, just like the scars of his beating had faded. The love that had blossomed between Trace Matthews and me was too strong to be destroyed by that one awful day in Georgia. The day that Kyzer Stanfield tried to take something that was not his.

^{chapter 50}

Taz had sucked it up after his sixty-day suspension, and returned to the bureau. I was relieved. It would not have gone over well with me if he’d walked away from the career that he considered his life-long dream. Things between Taz and Slate seemed to be back to normal.

I’d transferred to online classes through U of V, so it worked out well; I didn’t have to leave home to attend. My degree program was back on track.

It was now mid-April, and I’d recently undergone the reversal of the colostomy. It was relatively minor surgery, but for the next few months, I had to monitor my diet and introduce different foods very gradually.

Taz was attending classes on campus this quarter, so he was gone a couple of nights during the week at school from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. I finished up on-line, submitting the unit quiz and composition for the week. I powered off my laptop, standing up and stretching. The clock over the mantle in the living room read 9:16 p.m. Taz would be home in a little over an hour. I could handle that.

I was uneasy on the nights he was gone. I knew it was something I needed to come to terms with, in particular, due to his career. Having been back with the bureau for a few weeks now, he could be going out on assignment any time and be gone for days or weeks.

I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of wine. I returned to the living room and powered on the television to kill time. I heard the crack of thunder outside. A spring thunderstorm was brewing; the wind had kicked up significantly. I could hear branches scraping against the roof on the front porch.

As it turned out, Taz owned his duplex. He had renters upstairs who were never home, it seemed.

I wished they were home right now. The occasional sound of their footsteps above or muted sounds of their television or stereo would be a comfort to me at the moment. I pulled the throw from the back of the sofa up over me as I tried to focus on the program I was watching. It was just 9:30 p.m.

The blare of that horrible sound of the emergency broadcast system came over the television, causing me to jump. My heart thudded. Jesus Christ! The sound of that alert was enough to cause a person to have a coronary.

I heard the female “computer” voice come across the speakers:

“The national weather bureau in Fairfax, Virginia has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the following counties: Montgomery County, Maryland, Prince George County, Maryland, Fairfax County, Virginia, and Arlington County, Virginia until 11:30 p.m. tonight. Heavy rain, with hail, high winds with gusts up to forty miles per hour, and possible power outages could take place. The elements are present for producing tornado or tornado-like conditions. Please stay tuned for further weather monitoring.”

Beep, beep, beep.

Well, this was great. Now I was going to worry about Taz being out in this shit.

I went to the kitchen and refilled my wine glass, scurrying back to the comfort of the sofa, wrapping myself up tightly and staying glued to the television.

I channel surfed and found a rerun of “Criminal Minds” on the ID station.

Great—fucking great…keep surfing.

I could now hear the heavy rain droplets pounding against the living room window. It got louder and louder and I figured it had turned to hail. I got up, twisting the wand to open the blinds and saw the tiny balls of ice hitting the glass and bouncing off.

I went over and switched the porch light on.

The night was so dark, shrouded in pure blackness. A flash of lightning crossed the dark sky, seconds later the clap of thunder followed. The lights inside flickered off and then came back within a few seconds.

I went back to the sofa and snuggled against the pillows. Another flash and the lights went out. I heard the splintering of the tree out front, just before the loud clap of thunder sounded.

Shit!

I sat in the darkness and contemplated my next move. I could sit in the dark and wait for Taz, or try and feel my way into the kitchen for a flashlight. I didn’t relish sitting in the dark by myself. It was reminiscent of my ordeal with Kyzer.

I shivered, opting to get up and feel my way to the kitchen drawer where we kept the flashlight.

Several flashes of lightning outside coming through the windows actually helped guide me through the hallway to the kitchen. I felt along the countertop until I got to the microwave. The drawer was right below that.

My hand groped below the counter for the drawer handle. I pulled it open, my fingers feeling around inside until I located the flashlight. I switched it on and breathed a sigh of relief when it illuminated. I made my way back into the living room where the sound of the rain and hail still pelting against the glass was even louder.

I heard a tapping sound now. It was coming from the front door. I lifted the blinds on the window beside the massive oak door to peer out onto the porch. There was no one there.

I scurried back to the sofa and dove over the arm, wrapping the blanket around me. I hated being alone here in the semi-darkness without Taz. Why in the hell couldn’t he take online classes like I was? Then we wouldn’t need to be apart at night.

I realized how pathetic that sounded, even to me. Taz had been nagging me to see a therapist since the ordeal. I’d told him I was fine. I usually was fine…not tonight, though.

I huddled on the couch gazing over to the window, waiting to see the lights of his truck coming down the street, pulling up the driveway into the garage.

As the next flash of lightning illuminated the sky outside, I saw him. It was first a shadowy figure, then as the sky lit up, I could see his features as he peered into our living room window.

Kyzer Stanfield!

I screamed, leaping from the sofa, the flashlight fell to the floor. I ran to the bedroom, pulling the door shut behind me and cowered in the corner of the room.

My arms were wrapped around my legs, my chin resting on my knees. I rocked back and forth with the spring thunderstorm raging outside until Taz found me there in what seemed like an eternity later.

I felt him lift me from the corner, wrapping me in his strong arms, and trying to make sense of my hysterical blubbering.

He finally convinced me that Kyzer Stanfield was nowhere near our home, that he was incarcerated and waiting to stand trial. Taz assured me that I was safe. I was beginning to think that I would never feel totally safe.