Infidelity, page 9
“While the men where taking their turns at the girl, they were also taking their turns kicking the shit out of me. When one guy took his steel-toed boot to my groin, it was lights out for a while.
When I came to the older woman had come over to me. She had a hold of my cock and was moving her hand up and down for all she was worth. After just being kicked, I don’t know why she thought it would work, but it didn’t and that made her extremely angry.
She knelt down over me and took up where the girl left off, and when that didn’t work, she started yelling to one of the men. He brought her what looked like a surgical blade. At that point, I screamed my fool head off and prayed they would just kill me. But they didn’t. They all watched on as she took the blade and ran it down the length of my penis. Not deep enough to flay me, but deep enough that I needed stitches once I was rescued. She continued to bring the knife across the width and then over the head. Then she was nice enough to carve her name in my thigh. Something to remember her by, I guess. As if I could ever forget. I’m told it still works, you know...but…there is so much scar tissue, I don’t have a heck of a lot of sensation. And the thing sure as hell isn’t as pretty as it used to be.”
He laughed, but it wasn’t with humor. He hoped she understood what he was saying, that he couldn’t get the damn thing up anymore. That he felt like he was less than a man. That he didn’t have enough sensation left to be able to feel the pleasure of making love to a woman. He finally walked over and knelt in front of where she sat.
“Rescue came the next day. And that’s where they found me, tied up spread-eagled in the dirt, bleeding from just about everywhere on my body. I saw the horror in their eyes when they saw what had been done. Nobody said a word, just covered me, wrapped me up in blankets and got me the hell out of there. I was in the hospital for four weeks. I lost one of my testicles from the boot kick, had infections raging throughout my body. But, hey, here I am in one piece more or less. Right?”
Melanie threw her arms around his neck and held on tight. Luke was shocked by the move. It wasn’t what he expected her to do. Run away in disgust, yes. Cling to him like she’d never let go, no. That was when he felt her body shake and the dampness of her tears on his shoulder.
“Hey, hey, what’s this? You’re supposed to be comforting me, not the other way around.”
That got him a punch and half a laugh. He was hoping for a whole laugh, but, hell, he’d take what he could get. He held her in his arms and actually felt lighter than he had in months. It helped to talk about it. Huh, who knew the shrinks could be right?
Melanie brought her hands down to his face and looked him in the eyes. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen — runny nose, watery eyes, blotchy, red face and all. He couldn’t get over it. Her tears and pain were for him. She was the most giving person he knew and was humbled that she cared enough for him to be so moved by what he’d told her.
He wasn’t sure who moved first and didn’t really care. The next thing he knew, their mouths had come together in the most tender of kisses. Her lips were soft, and warm, and she tasted of new beginnings. Luke pulled her in closer until her breasts were crushed up against his chest. She felt so damn good up next to him, in his arms. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to let her go.
He traced her lips with his tongue, begging entrance. Melanie complied, thrusting her tongue in his mouth, dueling with his until he felt himself start to shake. Her hands slipped down his chest and around to caress his back. Fire shot through his bloodstream and started to settle in his groin, which started growing uncomfortable.
Holy shit! That wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t supposed to happen! They were friends. No matter how much he might want more, friends were all they could be. Melanie didn’t need to be saddled down with an emotional and physical defect like him.
He abruptly brought his senses together and broke off the kiss.
“Lainie, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking.”
Luke shifted away from her and stood, needing to put some distance between them. Melanie got up as well and grabbed a couple waters from the cooler, handing him one. Her face was flushed and her lips were swollen from his kisses. Damn, she looked good.
“Luke, really, it’s okay.” Her voice trembled. “I’m not so sure you’re the one that started it, but I understand you wanting to stop it. No worries, no one was hurt.”
By the look on her face, Luke wasn’t so sure of that last part. He didn’t know what she was thinking. This morning when she’d seen the scars on his chest, he thought he’d read disgust in her eyes, but now he wasn’t so sure. Had he hurt her feelings breaking off the kiss the way he did? Could she possibly feel something more for him that friendship?
He was trying to sort his feelings out when a flock of birds just off to their left flew out of the trees as if something had startled them. As they both turned toward the noise, Luke heard the sound of gunfire echo in his ears and fire burned in his side.
Military instincts prevailed. He grabbed Melanie’s hand and pulled her over the side of the cliff. They landed on a rock ledge a couple of feet down.
“Luke, what the hell is going on?”
Melanie’s voice shook, and her face had lost all color. Luke’s finger sought the throbbing in his side. He pressed against the sticky dampness on his shirt. Damage control would have to wait for later. Right now, priority was getting Melanie off this damn mountain. He glanced down. They were going to have to do it the hard way.
“Someone’s taking potshots at us. We’re going to have to go down the gully.”
The gully was almost straight down with unstable pieces of slate, shale and rock; with tree roots and branches just waiting to trip a person up. It was a difficult descent when you took it slow, and there was no way they could take it slow.
Luke felt Melanie pull back on his arm.
“I can’t go down the gully. I’ll never make it in one piece.”
Luke could hear the panic in her voice, but had to ignore it. He had to keep her moving.
“Yes you will. I’ll go first, so no rocks get kicked down on you. If you slip, I’ll be there to catch you, but we have to go now!”
He pulled her with him until he had to let go of her hand to move in front. It was slippery as hell and difficult to get a foothold on the trail, but he managed not to fall ass over teakettle. Melanie on the other hand slipped a few times and sent shale and rocks raining down on his head. She kept apologizing and he kept telling her to keep moving. The pain in his side was worse and he was starting to get a little light-headed. Shit! They needed to get to the bottom, before he passed out.
Melanie was being forced to move faster than she felt comfortable doing, but she kept feeling like her back was in the crosshairs of someone’s rifle. Who would be shooting at them? It was crazy. Her legs were cut up from the slate and her stomach muscles were so tight from trying not to fall, she felt like she’d done a hundred crunches. Luke was about six feet in front of her, but he seemed to be slowing. He kept getting hit in the back and head from rocks she couldn’t help kicking out from under her. She was trying hard, but just kept slipping.
She was going too damn fast and her footing was coming out from under her. When her foot landed on the next piece of ledge it slipped out from under her and she went down hard, hitting her head on the rock beneath her.
She lay there for a minute as flashes of light danced in front of her eyes. The pounding in her head took over her breathing. Her breath came in short gasps and her head felt like it split open. Luke called her name, but in her breathless state, she couldn’t find her voice to answer him.
In seconds he was at her side, cradling her head in his lap.
“Lainie, sweetheart. Look at me. Focus on my eyes.”
She looked up at him and saw that his features were upside down. Good Lord, she must have brain damage. When she realized she was looking at him upside down with her head in his lap, she let out a small chuckle.
“You’re upside down, Luke. I can’t focus on your eyes.”
She saw him let out a breath and he leaned over and kissed her quickly on the mouth.
“Can you stand? We need to get moving.”
She noted the urgency in his voice. Slowly, he helped her to her feet and held onto her as the dizziness passed. She finally nodded and told him she was ready to keep going. At the bottom, he gestured to the parked truck. She glanced over her shoulder. What had taken over two hours to climb, had taken fifteen minute to descend.
Luke held his side as they ran to the truck. He motioned for her to get in the driver’s side while he slumped into the passenger’s seat. She started the engine and faced him.
“You’re hurt. What happened?”
“I think that bullet sideswiped me. You’re gonna have to drive us out of here. You need to hurry though. I don’t know how far the guy with the rifle is behind us, and I don’t know how long I can keep my eyes open.”
“Oh, God. Luke. I’ll get us to the clinic, just hold on.”
Melanie tore off onto the dirt road sideways and sped down the dirt road. As she came to a sharp corner in the road, she pressed on the brakes, only to have the pedal go to the floor.
“Luke! The brakes are gone.”
As she looked over to him for help, she saw he’d lost consciousness.
Looking back to the road, she let out a scream as two huge maple trees came into view.
Chapter Twelve
Melanie whipped the wheel as hard as she could to the left and punched the gas, bringing the truck into a one hundred and eighty degree circle. The back-end of the truck flew to the left, slamming into the massive trees. The rear tires hung up onto the ditch, bringing the pickup to an abrupt halt.
Melanie’s chest hit the steering wheel and she bounced back against the seat. Pain shot through her chest and shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to get her bearings, and then reached over to Luke, who’d been thrown up against the passenger door.
The adrenaline coursing through her veins just moments ago left her body in a rush. Melanie’s hand trembled as she tentatively placed it on Luke’s shoulder and shook. Oh, God, please let him be all right.
“Can you hear me? Please, Luke, wake up.”
Groaning, Luke opened his eyes and slowly turned his head toward her.
“Oh, thank God. You just sit still. I’m going to get us out of here.”
Luke grabbed her wrist when she started to draw away. His thumb caressed her pulse point as he shifted in the seat, trying to right himself. The warmth from his hand drifted up Melanie’s arm and she shook her head to stay in the reality of the moment.
The reality was she needed to get help for them, now, before whoever was after them caught up. They’d passed several houses and farms on the way up to the mountain. She knew there was one close.
Melanie pulled her hand out of Luke’s grasp, afraid he was going into shock. She reached behind the seat, grabbed a jacket and covered him up. When she moved away, he sat up straighter.
“Lainie, I’m fine. What the hell happened?” Luke’s hand went to the wound in his side, which was still bleeding. He balled up the jacket she placed over him and pressed it hard to his side. His jaw clenched and his face grew taut. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead.
“You’re not fine, Luke. You’ve been shot and thrown around the inside of a pickup truck. I have to go get help.”
Luke grabbed her hand again. “What happened to the truck?”
“I was going around the corner too fast and lost control. When I went to hit the brakes, there was no pressure. The pedal went straight to the floor. I noticed it felt spongy when I backed out of the field, but didn’t even think about it. Anyway, I turned the wheel and stomped the gas. Instead of hitting the trees head on, I clipped them with the box. We’re hung up on something. I’m sorry about your truck.”
“Honey, I don’t give a shit about the truck. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Now that he’d mentioned it, the crushing pain in her chest was brought front and center again. She rubbed a hand over it and took a deep breath. Most likely just bruised, but damn, it hurt all of a sudden.
“I hit my chest on the steering wheel. It just hurts a little. Luke, I’ve got to go get us some help. We can’t drive the truck and your gunshot wound needs attention immediately. I’ll walk down to the nearest house and call for help.”
Luke tightened his hand around hers. “You’re not going anywhere without me. Whoever put this hole in my side is still out there. There is no way I’m letting you out of my sight. We’ll get help together. It takes more than a simple scratch to get me down.”
Luke reached into the glove box and took out his Glock and clip. Once the gun was loaded, he turned back to face her.
“No worries, Lainie. Everything will be fine. Let’s go.”
He opened his door and slid off the seat out of the truck. Melanie watched as he drew his shirt up to inspect the wound. The flesh on his side that had been so tight and tan now looked like hamburger and she closed her eyes as the contents of her stomach tumbled up into her throat. It wasn’t the sight of blood and torn flesh that bothered her. She’d seen more than enough of that during her marriage to Tony.
It was Luke’s blood that made her feel as if she was about vomit. Her chest tightened as she thought about what he’d gone through in Iraq. He was away from that now. It was supposed to be safe here. How could this be happening to them?
Melanie silently berated herself. She needed to get help for Luke, not feel sorry for herself. She slid over to the passenger seat and got out of the truck that way. Nothing was wrong with the driver side door; she just wanted to be closer to Luke, in case he needed anything.
Luke tore off the sleeve to the thin jacket, folded it up and slapped it on his side.
“How bad is it?”
“Just a flesh wound. The bullet grazed my side and took about an inch of skin and fat with it, but that’s all. The bleeding has all but stopped. I’ll need a few stitches.”
Lainie met his gaze. He must have seen something there because he dragged her into his arm and held her close, drawing his hand slowly over the back of her head. Warmth radiated off him and permeated her body. It was as if she could draw from his strength through osmosis. Lainie knew she was safe here. In his arms, no one could touch her. She buried her nose in his chest and drew in his scent. All man, sweat and spice. It was the scent of home to her. Home and safety.
Good God, what was she thinking! This man was her past, not her future. She had no future with any man, not the damaged goods she was now. It would serve no purpose becoming dependent, or heaven forbid, falling in love with Luke again. She’d only open herself up to more pain and heartache.
Melanie pushed out of Luke's embrace, looked at the road, her feet, and the truck. Anywhere but at him. Then she walked to the front of the truck. “We need to find help.. If you insist on going with me, that’s fine, but we need to go now.”
She took two steps and was stopped when he grabbed her by the shoulder. He spun her around, but she only looked at his chest. “Lainie, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. We’ve been here too long. It’s not safe.”
Luke shook his head. “That’s not it and you know it. Something just happened between us and you froze up. Are you afraid of me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, I’m not afraid of you. Nothing happened between us. It was just a hug, Luke. That’s all.”
Luke was cut off from any response when she turned her back to him at the sound of a vehicle approaching.
The old farmer who came along gave them a ride to the local doctor’s office. They used the phone to call the police and were examined by the doctor on call. Luke lay on the examining table, waiting for the doc to come in and stitch him up.
He had already talked to the police detective that arrived and knew that he was now getting Melanie’s statement. He told the detective about Tony and what happened in New Hampshire; about the dead roses and Joey Giordano’s threats. He was dead-on certain that the phone call this morning, the gunshot, and the failed breaks were Joey’s doing. The sonofabitch was going to get his ass handed to him as soon as Luke found him.
This was more than threats now. The man was trying to kill them, and that pissed him off, to put it mildly. The asshole just took things to a whole new level, and Luke was more than willing to set things straight. Damn!
He was also pissed about what happened on the mountain and by the side of the road. Number one: he shouldn’t have let the kiss go so far, but it did, and he couldn’t be sorry for it. Melanie had been right there with him, and with the embrace they shared. He’d felt her body melting into his. Heard her indrawn breath with her nose dead center at his chest. Saw her hands tremble before she circled his waist with them.
Then, like a switch had been flipped, her body tightened and turned cold. In the blink of an eye, she pushed herself out of his arms and shut him out. She knew damn well what happened between them was more than a simple hug. He could tell by the way she wouldn’t meet his eyes. She hadn’t looked him in the face since the old man had come along in his truck.
Luke rubbed his hands over his face and swore. Jesus, he just wanted to get out of here and get Melanie safely home. Maybe she had temporarily forgotten everything he’d told her on the mountain, then suddenly remembered and was disgusted by what he was. He couldn’t blame her. She deserved someone whole, without all the baggage that came with him. But damn, he wished things were different. He could get lost in the fantasy of having Melanie in his life. She was everything he wasn’t. She was family and love and warmth. He was alone, with the darkness of hatred to keep him cold at night. Shit!
He started to get up off the table when the doctor came in. “Oh, you’re not going to escape that easily. We’ve got some stitching to do.”
