My Soldier: A Miliatary Romance (2 page)

I didn't like how he looked, and I certainly didn't like how he was threatening that young woman. Her eyes were large as the moon, fear and anger were painted across her pupils. She was standing tall, back pressed firmly against a green truck, and no escape.

“It involves me now, Asshole. So walk away, take your little cronies with you and head off.” Shooing him with my hand, I forced my chest up, muscles hardening beneath my shirt.

“Seriously, you need to mind your own fucking business. This bitch has a dirty mouth on her, and I'm going to teach her a lesson.” His lip curled to the side, baring a spotted grin.

He's even uglier when he smiles.
That fucker had really started to piss me off. He wanted to teach some woman a lesson? I was planning on giving him one of my own. I didn't care that he had two other guys standing by his side...

No one was going to talk that way to her, to me, to anyone.

Lunging forward, I brought my face inches from the prick. “I'm going to tell you one more time.” Balling my fists, I spoke through gritted teeth. “Get the fuck away from her.”

Flicking his eyes towards his friends, his smile grew more devious. The man over his left shoulder nodded his head, a thin smirk spreading to one side. Pulling his head back, the bastard cleared his throat, jerking forward he spit in my face.

Raising my wrist to wipe away his remnants, I shook my head side to side, softly tisking him under my breath. A switch had just flipped on in my brain, turning me from the man I was into the animal we all have laying dormant deep inside.

In one violent swing, my knuckles cracked against his jaw. I could hear the sharp break of bone, the sound echoing like glass against the pavement. Dropping to his knees, he cupped his chin.

Before he could utter another word, a groan, a fucking scream, I kneed him in the face. He had just challenged the wrong fucking dude, at the worst time.

The alcohol had coated my brain, any rational thinking had flown out the window the instant he spat in my face. A man can tolerate a lot of shit, but that...

It's fucking disgusting.

The man who had so smugly nodded at his friend was standing with his fists held high. He looked like he was about to demand my milk money and threaten me with a swirly if I didn't give him what he wanted.

Anger had wriggled its thin fingers into my spine. I was ready to fight, I'd fight them all if I had to, especially if it kept that girl safe. Nothing scared me, not at this point in my life.

I'd seen enough shit to turn even the strongest man ghost white. Crunching my fingers into my palm, I worked the stinging out. Shoving away the pain, I reached out and grabbed the asshole by his collar.

The guy's hair was blonde, shining under the streetlight. His greasy locks fell down into his eyes, pupils enlarging to the trim of color. I couldn't tell exactly what shade they had been, green, maybe blue. It was hard to tell, the black had taken over his irises.

Pulling him into my face, I snarled under my breath. “Do you think you can take me? Huh?” My nose rested so close to his I could smell his rancid breath, the mix of gin and sour milk clawed its way into my senses.

Suddenly, his eyes darted over my shoulder. From the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of something shiny, then everything went black.

***

A
pain engulfed my eyes, burning into my forehead. Slowly, I peeled them open, blinking rapidly. My mind was blank, a pure empty space filled with nothing but a sharp stabbing pain that kept twisting into my skull.

Fuck! What the hell happened?
Draping my palms over my face, I tried to block out the light. It seemed to make my head feel worse, enhancing the blade twisting deep into the bone. Pulling myself up onto my elbows, I tried to hold my lids open.

A hazy fog was coating my sight, making it difficult to see where I was. Rubbing my eyes, I forced my vision to straighten, pulling the doubled images back into one.

I was laying on a couch covered with a floral fabric, a small glass coffee table rested beside me. Sitting on top, there was a tall glass of water, bandages, an ice pack, and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

Where the fuck am I? And what the hell happened?
I was trying to remember what had gone down, and why my head hurt so damn bad. Slowly something started to trickle in, it was a face.

A woman,
a beautiful woman.
Her large brown eyes, twinkling with emotion was hanging in my head, hair that was so black it shined a deep blue.

Who is she?
Why was she the fixed image in my mind?

Turning to my side, I felt the glass. It was cold, small ice cubes were still melting inside, water droplets were falling slowly over the surface. Gripping my hand around the base, I brought the cup to my lips. The cool liquid hit my throat, drowning out the scratchy feeling riding inside.

“Good, you're finally awake.” The soft voice came at me from behind, hidden in the shadows. Emerging under the glow of the lamp beside me, a form stepped into view.  “I wasn't sure how long you'd be out for.”

Straining my neck to look up, her body took shape. My eyes followed her legs up to the diamond cutout where her thighs crossed each other.

The tight jeans hugged her hips, dipping in over her curves. A thin space of flesh peeked out between her pants and the second skin she wore as a shirt. Tight and snug against her tits, the neck scooped down, her breasts pushing out over the trim.

Lengthening her leg, she swooped in closer. And that's when her face came into view, it was her, the woman who was plastered in my mind.

Her soft skin held a yellow glow from the bulb in the lamp, cheeks tinted with a slight pink. As she brought her face lower, I was struck by how broad her lashes were, spanning the entire length of her lids.

“I... Well...” The words wouldn't flow from my head to my mouth. Between the surging pain in my brain and the stunning woman beside me, I was a jumbled mess. There was no recollection yet of what happened, why I was there, or who she was.

Nothing was forming in my mind, I was still a blank canvas. Stumbling on my tongue, I tried to sit up.

“Shh, don't hurt yourself more trying to talk. You took one hell of a blow to the skull.” Her long fingers reached for the ice pack, lifting it to my head.

“What happened? How long was I out?” Cringing to the cold touch, I raised my hand to my head. My hair was damp, an enormous mound of flesh was protruding off the base of my neck. Pulling my fingers away, I looked down and saw red.

Blood, I was fucking bleeding. What had I gotten myself into?

“Well, you took a pipe to the head. This jerk-off named Red, he cracked it over you right before you could knock out his other friend.”

“What? Why? Why would I do that? I remembered having a few drinks at the bar, but fuck, after that there's nothing.” Arching a brow, I looked up at the soft faced woman. She looked sympathetic and grateful all that the same time.

Her eyes dipped in, brows lowering into the bridge of her nose. Her glossy plump lips pulled back in a thin smile. The beautiful woman was holding her hands against her thighs, rapidly tapping her fingers.

But who was she? Why was I here with her swelling in the brain, and having a moment of amnesia?

And fighting?
While I'm not innocent in the world of throwing fists, I hadn't been in a brawl for a long time. I couldn't, it wasn't allowed. If I got caught, or arrested... My entire career could be at risk.

So what would drive me to completely dismiss that?

“For me.” Her eyes fell to the floor, shifting between the rug and the small thing I think was her dog. It was hard to tell, the furry bundle laying at her feet was no bigger than a damn softball.

“And you are?” I asked, reaching for the stack of white gauze to wipe my fingers off. The small critter jumped onto its feet, barking, and nipping at my wrist.
Yup, that's a dog.

“Mr. T, quiet.” Picking up the dog, she held him to her chest. “Sorry, hold on, I'll put him in my room.” Walking away briefly, she was gone for only a second. The muffled sound of the tiny animal yipping behind a door barely made its way through the wood. “Sorry about him, he's a little protective of me.”

“Yeah, I can tell. It's a good thing you have such a big, vicious dog to keep you safe.” Chuckling under my breath, I pressed up further on the couch. “And his name is Mr. T?”

“Careful, don't sit up too fast.” Throwing her hands out, she pressed them into my shoulders. “You might have a concussion, Red hit you pretty hard.” Stepping to the table, she sat on the glass top, folding her hands together in her lap. “You probably could use a stitch or two, but I cleaned you up the best I could. And I used those butterfly stitches to close up the wound.”

“Thank you, I'm sure it's fine.”

“Don't thank me, it's the least I could do. Shit, I should be thanking you, you saved my ass.”

“I hate to ask this again, especially if I should know your name. But you are?”

Had we met before?
There was a familiar feel to this woman, something I couldn't pin exactly. But it was there, resting in my chest like lead.

Was it just as simple as we passed each other in a store? Had we brushed shoulders while walking in opposite directions?

I couldn't fit her face into a memory, but it was there.

“Oh, sorry. I'm Avni, and no, you didn't know my name. You don't know me at all actually, but you gave those guys something to think about. So thank you.”

Rubbing my temples, I tried to force my memory back into my brain. I didn't like this feeling, not knowing what the fuck I had just done. I should have known better than to drink Jack; we don't mesh well at all.

A few sips of a single glass and I'm happy as a pig in shit, hit a few tall glasses, and I'm a raging testosterone-fueled bull. But it was a night of celebration, I was home.

And I was glad to be home.

Normally when that call came for deployment, I was always ready. A soldier for life, that's who I was; serve our country, give every American what they deserve.

Their freedom.

I had just come home after serving six months over seas. A long vacation would be great, but it didn't matter. If my sergeant called me tomorrow I'd be back on that plane, ready to do what was needed.

It was easy for me, not going to war, but fighting for what's right. War was never easy; fuck what I've seen, what I've been through...

What I've done.

The question I've been trying to answer for myself; the one I hoped would never nail itself into my chest...
Was it worth the price?

I joined the Army by choice, and that choice is what drove me to keep going. I felt lucky to even have the option to
choose.
There are people out there in the world who never had that, they never had a voice of their own.

I wish I could hold onto that thought.
It's hard to hold onto one image when you've tainted your own and dirtied your hands.

“Avni, that's different. Pretty, but different.”

“Yeah, well my parents were hippies, so, you know.” Cracking a light giggle, she motioned holding a joint and taking a hit. “What's your name?”

“Levi, and I guess it's possible my parents named me after the jeans, but I never asked.” My lip tugged to my ear, shoulders raising in mock uncertainty.

As we sat there laughing, images and memories of the night flooded my brain. Rubbing my forehead, I closed my eyes tight. “You alright?” Avni asked, her fingers pinching my arm lightly.

That single touch filled my entire body with chills, the buzzing starting in my toes and hitting my gut instantly.

What the hell?
Shaking my head, I forced the unexpected feeling away.

“Yeah, I'm fine. The night is finally trampling through my mind. I remember now, you... The guys by the truck.” Letting my head fall back on the pillow, forearm draping over my hair, I said, “The fuckface who had you pinned there like a trapped animal.” Gritting my teeth, they ground hard together.

“Yeah, that...” Her words trailed off, head tipping towards the ceiling. “I really appreciate the help.” Avni's fingers spun wildly together, wrapping into a knot.

“What was that all about anyway? Did you know those guys?” Wrinkles rode up across my skin hitting the hair line, brows arching high.

Avni's lips pursed tight, jetting to the side. “Yes and no, kinda— It's—” Taking a deep breath, her shoulders slumped forward. “Don't worry about it, just thank you for helping me.”

“I took a pipe to the head, you could at least give me a little understanding as to why.”

“And I dragged you back here, which wasn't easy mind you,” she said, snapping a finger in the air. “And I fixed you up, I think we can call it even.”

A light laugh hit my chest, picturing this small framed woman trying to drag me, unconscious, back to her place. I wondered how much worse the lump on my head had gotten from being bounced across the hard pavement.

“You want to call it even? Usually if a girl drags me back to her place I get laid, or at least a blowjob.” A thin smile spread across my face, eyes veering down my nose. “Then I might see this as even.”

“Ha!” She laughed out loud, mouth holding open as her neck tilted back. “I could have just ran off like the assholes who had me cornered. But I didn't, instead I did what I thought was right, and got you back here.”

Holding my arms up, palms facing out, I said, “I was out cold, you didn't give me an option. But... I do know a little pussy goes a long way. It could help me feel so much better, maybe kick this headache right out.” Opening my eyes wide, my lips folded to pout.

“Yeah, probably not. But nice try, I'll give you that.” Nudging my shoulder, she smiled big.

This woman was gorgeous, and if she had said,
'Sure I'll fuck you,'
I wouldn't have second guessed her decision. The only thing keeping my head from imploding inside my skull was the idea of fucking her.

Just the thought of having her, tasting her, making her cream all over my cock, was enough to keep my nerves from shocking the shit out of my brain and turning it black.