Ridin' Dirty: An Outlaw Author Anthology (OAMC Book 1) (59 page)

When I pulled up to the house the lights in the boys’ bedroom was still on. Glancing at the fancy watch H had given me for Christmas, I smiled as I remembered the night I lied about the battery in my old one going dead. I wasn’t sure if he believed me, but the gift was thoughtful…and gorgeous. The time was eleven o’clock. The boys should have been in bed hours ago. I hoped one of them wasn’t having a hard time going down for the night.

As I dragged my bone tired body from the car, I searched my mind for a home remedy to help an overly tired child relax enough to fall asleep. After turning the key in the lock, I pushed open the front door and stepped inside.

“Elizabeth?” I called out after noticing the living room was empty. When there was no response, I tossed my keys onto the side table and headed to the back bedroom.

“Hey, Annie Bananie.” I stopped dead at the sound of that voice and my blood ran cold. Only one person called me that. “Did ya miss ole’ Jimmy boy?”

I turned around and faced the man I’d tried to kill. “I have one of those restrainin’ orders against you, Jimmy. You can’t be here.” I said, trying to suppress my panic. His dark blonde hair was so dirty and greasy that it was a dingy brown. He was skinnier than I remembered with bags under his eyes. I’d never seen him look so bad.

“That restrainin’ order can kiss my ass. I came to see my kids,” he stepped forward from the darkness of the kitchen with a bottle of bourbon in his hand. “My. Kids!” Jimmy repeated much louder and stressed each word by thumping a fist against his chest with his free hand. After darting a glance down the hall, I saw the boys’ bedroom door was shut. I had no idea what to make of it and it scared the shit out of me.

“The boys? Are they okay?” I asked with a shaky voice, my mind racing over how to handle the situation. The phone was hanging on the wall behind Jimmy, I just needed to figure out a way around him so I could call the cops.

“They’re fine. Ain’t nobody gonna harm them.” He waved me off with an uncoordinated hand.

“Elizabeth?”

“Sent her home.” He sent her home? I knew she didn’t have a car. “I told her everything was just fine now that Daddy was here. I tossed her a few bucks from your stash in that coffee can and she left.” He brought the bottle up to his mouth and took a long swig of liquor. The bastard found the money I was saving for rent. I was guaranteed to find that can empty.

My thoughts shifted to poor Elizabeth. She must have been terrified and confused. There was a store with a pay phone about a quarter mile up the road, I hoped like hell that she’d already made it there and called for help.

“What do you want, Jimmy?” I asked and straightened my spine. The old familiar feelings crept their way back in and I was preparing myself for defense. It was the only way to be around him. My chest started to tighten as my heart rate quickened, beads of sweat began to form on my upper lip as I clenched my fists to my sides. He still had the bottle to his lips and drinking so he didn’t respond. “What. Do. You. Want?” I repeated as my temper began to seethe.

“I wanna know if you’re done with this hissy?”

“Hissy?” I stormed around in a circle. “Jimmy, you choked me until I almost passed out! I would say this is more than a hissy fit.” Grabbing the cast iron skillet that night as he was dragging me down to the floor and cracking him over the head with it saved my life.

“That’s what we do, Bananie,” he shrugged and stepped forward on wobbly legs. “Don’t mean I don’t love you.” His statement made my skin crawl. I didn’t want to be loved like that.

“You need to go.” I walked to the door and was about to pull it open.

“You don’t want me ‘cause of him?” Jimmy growled into my ear as he trapped me against the door with his body, my back against his chest.

“What?” I sputtered. “What are you talking about?”

“Him. The motherfucker with the Camaro.”

Hal? Was he talking about Hal?

“H-how did you…?”

“Oh, baby, I’ve been watching you for a while. Even when you were back at that shit hole motel.” I tried to push him away but my strength was no match for him as he pressed me harder against the door. “Oh, and by the way, I was low on funds. I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed some cash.”

Jimmy stole my money from the motel? He was the one who taught me to keep the money in the air vent. Of course, he found it with no problem just like he did the coffee can. I hated that he knew my habits so well. Fury raged through me, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head and I began to thrash my arms around.

“You rotten son of a bitch!” I screeched and tried to break free so I could turn around and slug him in the face. “I had almost two grand in there! I needed that money for the kids!”

He managed to keep me restrained although I could tell he was beginning to struggle. Maybe the bourbon was catching up to him.

“You’re fuckin’ him, aren’t you?” He hissed as he flipped me around to face him still keeping a tight grasp on my wrists and trapping them between our bodies. “Were you plannin’ to fuck him tonight?”

His eyes were ice cold. I’ve never seen him like this, of all the shit we’d fought about, it never involved him actually believing I’d messed around with someone else. He might have said it to get a reaction, but even he never really believed it. I knew we were crossing over into bad territory and I racked my brain to figure out how to diffuse the moment, so I went with passiveness.

“Jimmy, let’s calm down.”

“Just answer my question, Annie. Have you been fucking him?”

“No, I’m not fuckin’ him.” Which was true. I placed my hands against his chest and pushed but it was impossible for me to budge him.

“I want you to come home.” He murmured, his hazel eyes were a muddy brown as his eyelids began to droop.

“Home? What home, Jimmy? A cheap motel room? That’s no home.”

“We’ll get a house.” I rolled my eyes and looked away.

“I’ve heard that before.”

“I mean it.” He cooed, then hiccupped.

“Heard that before, too.” His half-lidded and bloodshot eyes grew wide with anger.

“How about this, you ain’t got a choice. Those are my kids and I got rights.” He shouted into my face and I closed my eyes as the stench of his breath blew in my face. “You want those kids, you gotta be with me, too. Packaged deal, baby. Take it or leave it.”

I knew better than to doubt him. He would take off with the boys and no court could do anything about it. Jimmy knew the type of people who would make it so he would never be found, not if he didn’t want to be.

I had to do something. There was no way I’d be leaving with him and I knew for damn sure my boys wouldn’t be either, so I hatched a desperate plan.

“Okay.” I said and wriggled a hand up to rest it on his cheek. “Okay, we’ll go with you.”

“Really?” He asked, shocked at first, then his expression turned to satisfaction. “Damn right you will. You need me and you know it. Get packed up.” He stepped back. When I moved past him, he swatted my behind with a droopy grin. The half-full bottle of bourbon was dangling from his fingers and I saw my chance.

Before Jimmy could process what was happening, I snatched the bottle from his hand, lifted it high into the air and smashed it against the side of his head with all my might. Shards of glass and amber liquid flew in all directions and scattered across the floor.

“What the…” Jimmy cried out as he stumbled then fell to his knees. He placed a hand to his head, where blood was seeping down the side of his face. “Stupid bitch! I’ll fuckin’ kill you.” Not giving him time to rise, I gave him a hard shove in the chest with my foot and sent him sprawling to his back. I straddled his sides and pinned his biceps with my knees. I grabbed a large piece of broken glass, and held the point to his throat.

“I’m sick of you threatenin’ me.” I said through clenched teeth. “I’m sick of having you in my life.” My wrist shook as a droplet of blood slid along his neck where the point had made a tiny puncture. “Why won’t you just leave me alone? I asked you to leave me alone!” I cried out on the brink of hysteria.

Jimmy was trying to say something but his words were drowned out by the crashing of the front door. I lifted my head up to see Hal stepping through the rubble, with rage on his face. It was in that moment that I felt the most intense relief. My hero was here and I knew I was safe.

As soon as Hal stepped inside, he stomped a heavy boot onto Jimmy’s chest as he tugged me up, then the cops were storming in, followed by a frantic Elizabeth.

“I’m sorry, Annie. He pushed me out the door! I didn’t want to leave the boys but he made me!” She threw her arms around me and bawled. I was standing there holding her in shock as I tried to take in everything that was happening. The cops were shouting commands to Jimmy, Hal was yelling obscenities, then the cops were forcing Hal to go outside. Amid all the chaos, Elizabeth gasped and threw a hand to her mouth.

“Oh, God, the boys, Annie! Are they alright?”

That was a good question. I hurried down the hall to their bedroom with my heart in my throat.

Please be okay.

I threw open the door to see my youngest sitting up in his crib and crying. His tiny sleepy face told me that the recent commotion had woken him. My oldest boy, however, was out for the count as he lay there tangled in his blankets, with a foot hanging off the bed and one arm over his eyes.

I realized in that moment just how truly lucky I was to have it all. My babies were safe and sound, and I had a second chance to do things right with a man like Hal who would take care of my heart.

***

After the cops were gone, Hal made sure the door was back in place as best he could and promised to buy a new one in the morning. I’d put the baby back to sleep and Elizabeth’s boyfriend came to pick her up. Since Jimmy violated the restraining order, and had several other warrants that had finally caught up to him, he was going to jail for a while and I felt a lot safer knowing that. The cops saw I was defending myself so no charges were pressed against me.

“You okay?” I asked as I sat down on the couch beside Hal who was flipping through channels on the television. He insisted on waiting while I took a long shower in order to get my head together. It was exactly what I needed. Just knowing he was there helped calm my nerves.

“Me? You went through all of that and you’re worried about me?” He scoffed and tossed the remote on the coffee table. “Darlin’, I should be asking you how you’re doing.”

“I’m fine.” A shiver went through my body as I let go of the last bit of strength I had been using to hold myself together. A girl can only take on so much. I stared down at my lap, as tears worked their way down my cheeks and onto the back of my clasped hands. The adrenaline was wearing off and suddenly I felt cold and incredibly tired. I was faintly aware of Hal carrying me down the hall and placing me on the bed. I closed my eyes loving the feel of his strong arms holding me tight, and I lay there breathing him in and soaking up his warmth as I drifted off to sleep.

***

The faint light of morning filtered through the curtains and I blinked several times before shooting straight up to a sitting position.

“What time is it?” I gasped, having no clue how long I’d been sleeping.

“Relax, it’s not even six yet.” Hal mumbled beside me.

“In the morning?”

“Yes, in the morning,” he gently tugged me back until I was lying down again. “Now, go back to sleep, woman.” He buried his face in my hair and inhaled deeply as he pulled me closer to him. After a few minutes of silence, his breathing grew steady as he fell back to sleep. I chewed on my bottom lip for a while knowing that I was about to disrupt him.

I’d spent the past couple of months reflecting on myself and wondering what he saw in me. My life as he knew it was a mess and if it weren’t for him, my kids would be with the pastor’s family, and I would be sitting in jail. All of which I had no one to blame but myself. I’d chosen the path I was on and allowed people in my life who served no positive purpose. I didn’t realize until I was about to lose it all, that I had the power all along. I also needed to know someone believed I could turn it all around, and the man lying beside me had.

“Hal?” Several seconds went by without a reply so I nudged him.

“Hmm?”

“Would you have turned me into the cops, you know, if I’d rejected your offer for the money?”

“What?” he opened his eyes and blinked a few times before focusing on me. “Why are you bringing that up?”

“Because it was probably the lowest point in my life and believe me, there are plenty to choose from.”

“Jesus!” he sat up and rubbed his hands over his face repeatedly before looking down at me. “No, I would not have turned you in.”

“I would never, ever have dreamed that I would do something like that. I just…”

“Shh,” he placed a kiss on my temple. “You don’t have to say anything more. I know why you did it and it’s over now.” He pulled me to his side and I put my head on his chest.

“Why are you so good to me?”

“You don’t know?” When I furrowed my brow, he sat up on one elbow to look down at me. “You’re under my skin, and have been since the day I saw you crossing the street.”

“What?” I gasped and sat up. “You remember that day?”

He shrugged, and looked away. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve said he was blushing. “I was hoping to somehow run into you again, but there you were a couple hours later applying for a job at the club.” I stared back at him in awe, he’d been aware of me as long as I’d been aware of him.

“Annie, you have so much strength, more strength than I ever imagined could fit in one body.  Your beautiful spirit should be free to sing, dance and maybe even fall in love. Watching you struggle felt wrong, I wanted to see you soar. To not have to carry the world on your shoulders, instead I want to see you standing on the top of it.”

His words were enough to melt my heart into puddle of gooey warmth. Did men like him really exist? I had known all along that he was the good I needed in my life. Finally, after everything we had gone through, I was ready to accept him as the man I deserved.

I put my mouth on his and we slid down together until we were laying facing each other with our legs and arms entangled. His lips moved along the column of my neck and behind my ear as he pulled me tighter against him.

“I’ve wanted nothing more than to hold you like this,” He whispered, “but I realized when we kissed for the first time, that you weren’t ready, and I was willing to wait. To give you time.” He kissed my lips. “There were no other women after that, only loose ends that needed to be tied.” He didn’t need to say it but I knew his involvement with Tara was part of that.

“Hal.” His name came out as a sigh while I brushed a hand over his cheek. He was right, I wasn’t ready. I needed to work on me first. “What about now? Do you think I’m ready?”

He chuckled low before replying, “You’d better be.” I grinned up at him before he covered my mouth with his. I let the sensations of being in his arms and the deliciousness of our kiss carry me away. I’d never felt that connected to someone, it was like we were made for each other.

Hal lifted my t-shirt over my head and tossed it away. His fingers skimmed down my stomach until he reached the elastic band of my panties. Gently, his fingers slid inside until he found my wetness. He lowered his head so he could swirl his tongue around one of my nipples. I reached down and undid his belt buckle, then shoved his jeans down enough to slide my hand into his boxers. When I wrapped my fingers around his hardness he inhaled a sharp breath. As soon as I began pumping him firmly with my hand, his heavy breathing turned into groans.

I reached for the back of his head as he continued to suck on my tight peaks until I was writhing beneath him. He lifted his eyes and looked at me from under his heavy lashes.

“Every inch of you is beautiful. You’re so one of a kind. I’ve never met anyone like you, Annie.” Warmth filled my cheeks and I knew I was blushing. Instead of replying I pulled him closer and kissed along the side of his neck while still holding his erection in my fist. He exhaled a long breath as his body relaxed against me while his fingers continued to slide along my slick folds, building my wetness until my moans grew louder.

“I can’t …ah…need you, darlin’.” He lifted me so I was straddling him. I shimmied down my panties and he positioned himself at my slick opening. After taking a long scan of my body, he licked his lips and looked up at me.

“You ready for me?” He asked and when I nodded he entered me in one swift movement. We both moaned at the pleasure of being joined. He felt right, like everything I didn’t know I wanted until that moment. I slid myself up and down, slowly getting used to the way he filled and stretched me. The feeling was so intense that my eyes rolled closed.

He laced his fingers into mine and I leaned forward so our hands were on either side of his head. I lowered my face and hovered just above him, so close that our lips were barely touching. His eyes were still on mine, hazy and full of raw passion.

“So can I?” He whispered.

“Can you what?” I asked, breathlessly.

“Call you mine?”

“You’d better.” I replied with a laugh that ended on a moan.

His lips curved into a smile that nearly stopped my heart before they claimed mine. We became one being full of wild passion. We were all lips, teeth and tongues as we panted and sighed. Needing more and craving everything the other had to give. Rolling my hips, I moaned louder as I increased my pace. I was so close.

“Yes, darlin’. Let it all go. I have you now.”

He thrust his hips harder before letting out a low groan as he stiffened beneath me. That was all it took for me to explode around him, my inner muscles clenching greedily at his hardness inside me. The moment was so intense, that we lay there limply, trying to catch our breath.

I rolled off him and rested my head on his chest with a dreamy smile on my face.

He was definitely real.

I was just dozing off when he tried to pull the covers up over us.

“No, no, no.” I said, rubbing my eyes and pushing the blanket away. “If I’m going to have fresh biscuits ready for breakfast, I’d better get started.” I sat up and reached for my t-shirt that was tossed to the floor. “Oh, and bacon! I’ll make bacon.”

“Wait, you can ride like that and make biscuits from scratch, too?” He rubbed his stomach and groaned. “Woman, you’d better be careful, I just might fall in love with you.”

“Shoot, sugar. You won’t be able to help yourself.” I gave him a sassy grin and kissed his lips with a loud smacking noise.

“Uh-oh, looks like I caught myself a wild one.” His laughter followed me down the hall, through the house and settled deep in my soul.

So this is what doing things right felt like.

Pure bliss.

THE END

or should I say… THE BEGINNING.

Follow Annette and Hal into their happily ever after in Carolina Hurricane (Drive Me Wild #1)

Available now! Check your favorite eBook retailer!

Dear Readers,

I hope you enjoyed Annette and Hal’s story. I felt I wanted to share a brief and slightly tamed glimpse of how they met. Without them, Fox would not be Fox, there would be no Jonna at all or Annette’s Catch, the best damn place on Sea Whisper Island to get a bacon and egg sandwich!

Their love story was first and has lasted for more than twenty years.

I have such a fondness for Annette’s character. She reminds me of my own mom, a bit kooky at times but I couldn’t imagine life without her. Like Annie, my mom was young, beautiful and wild. To her surprise, she became a mom at age 19. While she wasn’t perfect and made her share of mistakes, one thing is for sure, she loved her kids.

It is because of her that I can live my dreams, understand that my mistakes don’t define me and love with my whole heart just the way she loves me.

Love you, Mom (or Mother when I’m annoyed with you.)

xo-G

P.S
. Don’t forget to leave a review. It doesn’t have to be fancy if that’s not your style, even a few words to express your thoughts is more than enough.

Catching Wild Playlist

(Available now on Spotify)

“Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman

“Sirens” by Daniel Ahearn & The Jones

“Georgia” by Vance Joy

“Sound and Color” by Alabama Shakes

“Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin

“Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash

“Falling” by Hall & Oates

“Tokyo Sunrise” by LP

“Catch” By Dresses