Three of Spades (24 page)

Sam was shocked as he looked at his brother with what was becoming a strong aversion for the man. It was true, when Reggie had come to Sam saying he needed help with some of the legal paperwork concerning Gloria, Sam thought it was odd. Reggie was always one for dramatics and over-the-top reactions and Sam had enough on his own plate to deal with without another of Reggie’s self-causing turmoil. So, Sam told him to grow up and figure his own way out of whatever mess he made this time.

“Look, I don’t know how you know about any of this, but it is none of your damn business,” Reggie said to Dylan, as he got up and walked over to the small bar where a decanter of bourbon stood.

In a weak, yet, unsurprised voice, Gloria said, “Well, I believe I have a right to know considering you’re my son and it is apparently my personal business that is the cause of this. And since Mr. Cross is the one to inform me of such a matter, I’d like him to stay.” She glared at her eldest son, who looked and reminded her so much of her deceased husband. He had always been a head strong, selfish, deceitful person but Gloria tried to show him through her love that he did not need to be his father. Life did not need to be that cold or filled with such cruelty, but the older he got the more it was evident he did not see life in any other way. She loved him because she carried him, birthed him and raised him, but the wall of respect she had for him cracked long ago.

“Reggie, what is this all about? What is going on?” Patricia asked, her concern growing with every passing second.

Gulping the three fingers down, Reggie slammed the glass down and turned to the table at large. “Fuck it! You want to know, fine. I’ll fucking tell you.” Taking his seat again, he attacked his food as if he wasn’t admitting to being a criminal. “It started last year, I had a bad run at the black jack table in Connecticut, and before I knew it I was in the hole, deep. So, I went to work and looked at some of the accounts and took a little out of a handful of them. I figured I could cover my debt and put it back when I hit my stride again.”

“Wait a minute; you said it was a meeting with the executives in New York. That was the reason you were going to the casino. You lied to me?” Patricia was appalled.

“Oh please, if I didn’t go, you would not have had your screw time with what’s his name down the street. Oh, what, you didn’t think I knew you had been fucking our entire gated community? Patti, please, I wasn’t stupid enough to think you’d start to be picky about who you open your legs for after we got married.”

“Trevor, take your siblings and cousins upstairs. Now!” Nicholette spoke and the children quickly ran out of the room.

Looking around the table and all eyes were on her, Patricia got up and left the room as well.

“So I was at the office late one night when I got this anonymous email from a non-traceable IP. They said they knew what I did and had dates, withdrawals, deposits into my private accounts, so, either I pay them 15K a month or they’d expose me.” With menace, he looked from face to face, letting his eyes finally rest on his mother. “So, if that isn’t just the piss to warm your blood, Mother, I went to some friends for a small hand out and it appeared no one thought I was worthy of such a thing. Apparently, my wife’s extra marital affairs were not limited to where we live. It seems her ventures included most of my health club, as well as the entire County Club. Fucking irony is, I can’t even liquidate shit because it’s all gone. I lost it years ago over March Madness. One hundred percent of zero is still zero.” Reggie laughed a sinister laugh, as he leaned back pulling the open decanter of bourbon toward him and drank it eliminating the use of a glass.

Knowing there was more for him to answer to, Dylan continued, “So, you thought you’d what? Sell the house out from under your mother and sister?”

Looking at first his mother, who did not seem shocked and then his sister and finally resting his gaze on Cross. “You’re damn right I did! I had to do something. It isn’t like I made her sick. Even the doctors said she didn’t have that much longer. So what if I didn’t want to wait for what’s coming to me? That was my father’s house. He slaved and worked hard to provide. If it wasn’t for his stupid drinking, he would have kicked them out long ago and I would have gotten my money then. You think you are so perfect. You can strut in here and think, because of a couple fucks of my sister, that you can piss on me? You don’t know jack shit!” Reggie bellowed.

At the mention of such crudeness, Nicholette gasped loudly.

Dylan wanted to throw his chair against the wall, hell, at Reggie even. If it wasn’t for Natalie’s hand on his forearm, Dylan was sure he would have done just that. Speaking with menacing quietness, Dylan looked at the other man and said, “If you ever speak about your sister in such a fashion again, or any other woman, I will rip your limbs off and beat you to a bloody pulp with them. Got it!”

“Alright, that’s enough out of both of you,” Sam said insistently. However, even he felt deflated after learning the most recent disturbing news of Reggie’s.

“Dylan, please,” Natalie said, wanting to calm the situation not escalate it.

“Please nothing, Babe. He will respect you. Trust me, I’m praying he’s dumb enough to say something derogatory again, just so I have an actual excuse to ram my fist into his face,” Dylan said through clenched teeth. Trying to remain calm but failing miserably. He then turned his attention back to Reggie. “Are you seriously that much of a bastard that you would pray for your mother’s death to save your own hide? My mother is gone and I miss her every day. What I would not give to have just one more hour with her. And here you are, you miserable waste of flesh, can’t get her in the ground fast enough.”

“Dylan! That’s enough!” Natalie yelled, as she stood to leave the room, reaching her limit of this conversation. But, she was halted by Gloria’s delicate hand grabbing hers. Natalie watched as her mother’s eyes rolled back in her head and she went limp in the chair. Natalie placed her hands on each of her mother’s frail shoulders and spoke loudly, “Mom! Mom!?! Oh God, someone call an ambulance. Come on Mom, stay with me. Look at me. Look at me!” Through her own tears, Natalie was fearful she would never see her mother alive again.

Four hours later, they had finally moved Gloria from the Emergency Room to a private room. Natalie had just finished filling out all the admission paperwork when Dylan handed her a cup of coffee.

“Here, drink this.”

“No, I’m good.”

“Babe, you’ve been through a whirlwind, you need something,” Dylan said. He felt he won a small victory as she took the cup and blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip.

Dylan placed his arm around her and began massaging her neck. She was so tense that Dylan wanted to do something, anything, to make her feel better.

“Miss Parker?”

Natalie stood up and walked toward the nurse who called out to her from behind the desk. After listening to what she had to say, Natalie walked back to where Dylan sat and told him which floor and the room number she was in.

Without even asking, Dylan walked with her down that sterile white hallway toward the elevator. They stepped inside and as they watched in silence as the digital numbers increased, he lightly ran his hand up and down her back to have some sort of physical contact with her. They reached the room and Natalie went inside while Dylan remained in the corridor. She emerged a few minutes later.

“Dylan, I feel terrible about you spending the day here. Why don’t you go on and I’ll call you for a ride later?” Natalie said, even though she wanted him to stay just for the support. She, honestly, did not know how much more she could take today. From the scene at Sam’s, to her mother’s attack, Natalie was utterly exhausted.

“I’m not going anywhere, Babe, without you. Take all the time you need,” he whispered quietly.

She looked at him, at the warmness in his eyes and the kindness of his words, wanting to just hold on to him and never let go. Settling for kissing him on the lips, she peered upward placing her lips softly on his. Fully intending for it to be a quick kiss of thanks, she was not upset when it turned into a longer, deeper, kiss of passion and of comfort.

“Thank you,” she whispered against his chest as she buried her head to find the strength to endure.

“Natalie?” It was a weak call, and heart wrenching to hear how difficult it was for Gloria to say that one word.

Looking at her brown eyes, which were usually filled with warmth and courage, they were now confused and scared. Dylan felt helpless and he hated it.

Natalie walked in, took her mother’s frail extended hand and sat down on the side of the bed.

“My Natalie, I’ve been such a fool,” she said in a barely heard voice, finishing with a horrible coughing and choking episode.

“Shhh. Mom, it’s ok, you don’t need to say anything.”

Wanting to say so much, needing to be truthful and apologetic for how she had behaved, Gloria tried again to get out what she needed. However, the same effects kept occurring, finally draining her of the limited energy she had.

“Just rest Mom, just rest,” Natalie said, as she watched her mother close her heavy eyes. She listened as her mother found sleep between violently short crippling intakes of breath and debilitating coughing periods.

Natalie paced the small floor area between where Gloria lay in bed and the window overlooking the mountains. She chewed on her thumb for something to do. She was oblivious to Dylan’s entrance until he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. He swayed her back and forth, just letting her feel his strength surround her.

“Oh, Dylan. I hate seeing her in this much pain. My heart breaks. I want her healthy and happy not this sick and in pain.”

“I know, Babe. I know. The only thing you can do is just be here for her. Make the pain less even if it is just by letting her rest her tired eyes on your young and breathtaking face. You’ve given her so much happiness and joy. She could not ask for anything more than the beautiful woman you’ve become. Natalie, please see what she sees when she looks at you, what the world sees. See what I see, Natalie.” Dylan kissed her then, wanting to give her something tangible to hold onto in this moment of darkness.

After Natalie sat at her mother’s bedside and watched as she struggled to find peace in sleep, Dylan along with the nurses, finally talked her into leaving and getting some rest. Without even asking, Dylan took her back to his home. When they entered the house, Dylan silently walked Natalie upstairs to his room. He removed her clothing and tucked the blankets tightly around her once she was settled into his bed. Dylan turned down all the lights and went to exit the room to let her rest and sleep, but she called back to him.

“Dylan, please, don’t leave. I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Looking at her beautiful face and wanting so much to lay with her and give her comfort in the only way he knew how. Dylan walked over, removing his clothes as he went and slid in next to her. Natalie was the aggressor and took physical comfort in the form and speed she desired. She claimed her pleasure, to bury her anguish, while Dylan facilitated all that she needed and seized. When her body was completely sated, she found sleep. Dylan watched as she slept, hoping she found peace enough to recharge.

He carefully and quietly slid out of bed, dressed and headed downstairs. He sat with his laptop on his lap, the TV on a replay of an earlier college football game and a beer open within his reach. This was how Natalie found him hours later.

She walked toward him, wearing one of his jerseys where the hem hung just above her knees. He met her eyes and something within him clenched tight. It was almost as if the wind had been knocked out of him. When she stopped in front of him, he quickly moved the laptop and pulled her down onto his lap.

“How’d you sleep?”

“Good, thank you,” she answered, feeling at home in his arms. “But, I need to call the hospital and check on Mom.”

“I called them ten minutes ago, she is resting. The doctor came in about an hour ago and ordered some more sleep and pain medication, allowing her to rest easier,” he answered, tucking her hair behind her ear. Dylan was glad she had taken her contacts out and put on her glasses. This was Natalie, natural and beautiful. He appreciated her curiosity in finding her beauty level comfort, but for him, she did not need to change anything with her striking doe eyes, her perfect lips, and mouthwatering dick-teasing body.

“You checked on her? For me?” she asked, shocked at first but she realized it was just one of the million ways Dylan’s kindness showed.

“Do you want to go back and check on her with your own eyes?” he asked, wanting her to know she could do whatever would make her happy.

“I’d love to, but if she is finally resting peacefully, I would hate to disturb her. I’ll call and check on her later. If I’m needed then I’ll go immediately.” Taking his hand into both of her own, she rubbed her thumbs over his rough skin and then brought it up and placed a kiss on each of his fingers. All that he had done for her in these last few weeks had meant more to her than almost anything in her whole life. “Thank you, for all that you’ve done.”

Seeing signs of her desire grow within her gorgeous brown eyes, he placed his hand around her neck and pulled her face to his. Before he kissed her, he simply said, “I told you, there isn’t anything I would not do concerning you.” With that statement said, he took possession of her mouth. His tongue swooped in and took all that he wanted. Soon, his hands were everywhere and her jersey was on the floor. Dylan adjusted her so she straddled his lap. After fixing his pants so his largeness sprang free, Natalie halted him before he could enter her.

“Wait, what about protection?” Natalie asked; she might as well have thrown a bucket of cold water on him.

Dylan shut his eyes tightly and let out a loud breath. He opened them and saw her concern to his sudden change of demeanor.

“Natalie we need to talk.” Damn he felt so stupid. Not only was he irresponsible in doing it the first time, he was senseless when he screwed her on the Cuda. Now, he was absolutely and idiotically thoughtless to be so selfish as to take her again, risking her for a third time. He gently guided her to his side and stood, fastening his pants as he walked to the bar and poured himself a shot of whatever bottle was closest. After he felt the burning liquid coat the back of his throat he turned back to face Natalie, her anxiety was evident on every surface of her face.