Diablo, page 3
Crossing her arms, Rachael scoffed, “Why wouldn't he? You're black, female, and the daughter of a powerful woman. What’s not to hate,” she asked sarcastically, with an eye roll.
“Mom, can I take these?”
Both women turned their eyes to the door. There Easton stood holding up his Black-Panther toy and robot.
“Yes, Love. Just put it in the bag with your books.” He nodded, leaving them alone once again.
“But seriously, Alexis, what’s going on?” Rachael demanded, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses.
“You told mom you’d be staying for at least two years. You haven’t made it ten months.”
Alexis paused in zipping up her bag, “He came to his school.” She finally said as she finished zipping her bag. She looked at her sister, only to flinch at the look of rage on her sister’s face. A flicker of something flashed in her eyes. It was so quick that Alexis thought she’d imagined it.
“And you didn’t kill him on site?” Rachael asked angrily, walking over to Alexis side. “I thought you had a restraining order against him?”
“I do,” Alexis said, her expression weary. “At least I thought so, till I found this in our mailbox when I came back.” She reached for an unfolded letter and handed it to Rachael.
Taking it, Rachael’s eyes quickly ran over it. Her eyes widened before she looked in shocked silence at Alexis.
“They are summoning me back to court to renegotiate the custody. Apparently, he’s shown himself to have grown past an angry son-of-a-bitch who enjoys knocking his wife around!” She gasped as Rachael pulled her into her arms. Alexis hadn’t realized she was screaming. She only realized it as her sister shushed her, glancing at the door for Easton.
“Sh, sh, it’s okay.” Rachael tried to soothe her.
“No,” Alexis pulled away from her, shaking her head as she quickly wiped a tear from her cheek. “It isn’t. Not until Easton reaches eighteen. He won’t stop chasing us.”
Needing something to concentrate her energy on, she picked up the zipped bag off the bed and grabbed the bag on the ground near the foot of the bed. “Or till he’s dead,” she said grimly.
Walking past her sister, she headed for her car downstairs. Moving past Janet, who stopped when she saw the bags in her hand, her little sister didn’t say anything. Instead, Janet tossed her purse on the couch and disappeared up the steps.
A few minutes later, with the bags packed in the car and Easton buckled in, she hugged her sister Rachael. She pulled back and smiled sadly. “It was fun while it lasted.”
Rachael rolled her eyes at this before she asked. “Are you sure you don’t want to call mom?”
She shook her head, “No, it’s best if I get some distance between us before I let her know.”
They parted just as Janet ran out and slammed into her and held her tight. Pulling back, she lifted something wrapped in a black cloth. Her eyes were serious, “If it comes down to a choice between you, Easton, and your dick of an ex.” She held it out, “Choose you and Easton.”
Carefully, Alexis took the wrapped item. She knew what it was the minute she took hold of it and met her sister’s eyes in surprise.
Janet smiled, “One of mom’s favorites.” Her expression turned serious once more. “Don’t hesitate in using it.”
“I second that,” Rachael interjected, her eyes hard. “Do what you have to do.”
Pulling it close, Alexis nodded, “I will.”
After another round of hugs, she found herself leaving her home behind.
~L.B.~
An hour later, she now knelt by the man she hit. As far as Alexis was concerned, Mondays were the worst.
Chapter Four
What was she going to do?
The man hadn’t moved an inch. His chest rose smoothly, but that didn’t mean he was okay. The blood that covered his knee and forehead were clear signs that he wasn’t okay.
His hand was still clamped around her wrist, and Alexis could still remember the violence that had been in his shockingly bronze eyes. Before he fainted, she had to do something and do it quickly.
He released a groan. Shifting, he rolled towards her.
Letting out a shout of surprise, she fell back on her bottom yanking her wrist from his hold.
“Mom?”
“Stay in the car, Easton!” She shouted glancing over her shoulder, but it was too late. Her six-year-old had already gotten out of the car. He walked toward her, looking a mix of scared and determined. His eyes went straight to the male that was groaning on the ground, “Is he okay?”
No, probably not, but she couldn’t say that.
“Yes, yes, he’s fine.” Lies.
Quickly getting to her feet, she moved to block her sons view of the body. “Love, I need you to go back to the car and get inside.” She turned him around and pushed him toward the car.
“Are you going to help him?”
Alexis didn’t answer because helping him would mean turning back around to the city that had currently become too dangerous for her to stay in.
“Mom,” Easton leaned his head back, meeting her conflicted gaze. “We can’t leave him. That’s wrong.”
Leave it to a six-year-old to make things cut and dry. After a heartbeat, she nodded. “Okay, okay, I won’t leave him, just get back into the car.”
He nodded, finally moving on his own and getting in.
Assured that her son had gotten back into the car, she turned around to figure out what to do with the stranger. However, there wasn’t blood coating his skin, and he had stopped groaning in pain and appeared to be only sleeping. Thrown for a loop, Alexis found herself approaching the body. Kneeling, she pressed her hand to his pulse and felt the tension in her belly loosen when she felt it.
Standing, she stared down at him only to soon realize, she had only one choice and that was to pick this obviously tall, muscular, handsome—Woah Woah!
She shook her head, trying to put a stop on her thoughts. She was not going to lust after the man she hit with her car. Rolling her sleeves up, she squatted down behind his head, reached under his shoulders, and with a grunt, she lifted him. Biting back a curse at his weight, she pulled him closer to the headlights of her jeep. She felt her eyes widen when she realized his member was out for the world to see. Averting her eyes, she continued dragging him, feeling a bit bad when she felt him bounce over a rock.
Resting his back against the car, she brushed a hand over her forehead. Grunting, she should’ve been grateful he hadn’t died. Instead, she had a new appreciation for weightlifters.
Opening the back door, she knelt once again and tried to lift him inside.
“Mom, I’ll help!” Easton scrambled forward and put his arms under the large man’s armpits and pulled. Together, the two of them managed to get him in the back seat of her Jeep.
Breathing heavily, Alexis made sure the man’s feet were all the way inside before closing the door.
Getting back into the driver's seat, she started the car and ignored the pang of trepidation at her choice. She continued forward. She would stop once they reached a gas station. Hopefully by then, the nude man would wake up.
“Easton throw the blanket over his lap.” She said over her shoulder.
“Got it.”
Hearing shuffling, she relaxed taking comfort at the black, wrapped item seated in the passenger seat.
~L.B.~
His chest ached, and his stomach rolled.
The contraption the woman had dragged him into, moved faster than any wagon he’d ever gotten on. He had chosen to remain still and rested on the seat. First, he needed to come to grips that he’d found his Amouri.
Her mind was a delicious temptation that he didn’t hesitate in delving into and cutting past her emotional walls. She had been hurt before, and because of this hurt, she was hurling herself into the darkness to find some sort of salvation.
She was like him. Someone had kept her bound among the mist of confusion and nail-biting fear. Also, like him, she sought to escape from the pain, only she hadn’t run to violence and bloodletting.
Her human mind boggled and fascinated him. The amount of love she held for her offspring was also to be admired.
It made him think back to when he saw his first Amouri. Her hair had been the color of golden wheat, and her eyes were a similar blue of the jaybirds. She’d been pulling the sheep along with her brother, and when their eyes met, it had only taken a moment for him to know she was the one for him. She had distrusted him at first, but he’d slowly pulled her into his arms. Soon, their passion and need for each other had been the perfection he’d been waiting for all of his life.
He didn’t know back then that it would be so short. That he’d be unable to save her from the humans that wished to harm her. His own foolish arrogance had believed that the Romans would never dare to come upon his land as they did, slaughtering his worshipers and dragging his Emorisa from where she lie amongst the furs.
Her screams and calls to him had been blocked by the cross that had been placed around her neck. A cross made of rhodium had swung beneath her chin. The damnable metal had kept her pained cries from his ears. Until it was jerked off as she cried bitter tears, and the flames ate away at her skin.
Even now, dulled by the new Amorites memories, he could still feel the sensation of fire licking at his toes. His eyes melted from his skull as his hair burned, and air disappeared as the sky turned from blue to red, and blood seeped down his neck.
“Mom are we stopping?”
Jerked from the replay of memories from his Amouri’s mind, Diablo’s ear sharpened. The metal beast was coming to a stop. The smell of something chemical reached his nose.
The woman, Alexis, sighed and stretched until her neck popped before she half-turned and spoke to her son. “Sure are, I need gas, and I’m sure you need to use the bathroom.”
He could feel the exhaustion coming off her in waves. A part of him felt he should step forward now and lay his claim. Yet, he remained still. He wanted to bathe himself in her consciousness and in her love for her son longer. When he settled in that quiet and sure place in her mind, the constant cries for death were soothed, and he felt calm.
~L.B.~
Alexis released a small moan as she got out of her car. She hadn’t intended on stopping so early, but a pressing bladder and a rumbling stomach had pushed her to do so. The Mapco lights had almost felt like a beacon at the end of a dark tunnel.
Giving a small shiver at the cold air, she waited for Easton to get out. Waving him to her side, she glanced at the male who was still sleeping in her jeep. She frowned. She should really call the cops for him.Yet, every time she thought about doing so,her panic raised up, and she felt the sharp tug of terror on her stomach it would disappear.
Shaking her head, she turned and walked into the gas station. Feeling almost pushed to continue in her actions, she greeted the scruffy male behind the counter. He nodded. His brown eyes gave her a quick overlook before he continued organizing the cigarette boxes. She almost thought he had no interest in her until he added with his back to her, “All the drinks in the cooler are buy one, get one free.”
“Ah, thanks,” she said before she headed to the bathroom. She let out a bit of a cheer when she learned the bathrooms weren’t locked. She glanced at the men’s and women’s bathroom before looking down at Easton. “Same or different?”
He gave her a look of annoyance, one that mothers often received from, their “Grown” sons when they were exasperated with them. “I can go by myself, mom.”
She laughed, giving him a pat on the back. “Sure, go ahead. Let’s meet out here once you’re done.”
“Okay,” he said with lips pursed before entering the men’s room.
Shaking her head, she entered the women’s room.
Boys, they grew up so fast.
~L.B.~
When she came out, she found her, “Grown” son looking over the snacks on the wall. When he reached for a cupcake, she rushed over, “Ah, ah…what did we say about sweets?”
He frowned, his eyes squinted. “That I can only have one a day,” he looked at her, his expression completely serious. “But, it’s 1 AM, so it’s a new day.”
She rolled her eyes, taking the cupcake out of his hand. “Nice one, when we get to where we’re going, I’ll bake you some. Okay?”
He sighed, and she brushed her fingers through his hair. “Here, grab some chips and nuts, that should last us till we get to the cabin.” She moved over to the cooler, “I’ll grab some water and…”
“Mom, should we get something for the man?”
She paused, reaching for the water, she frowned. Another odd shiver rushed down her back as she found herself grabbing two bottles of water, instead of one and a Blueberry Crush Tea, that Easton was a fan of. Although, she would only let him have half. No matter how much like an adult he acted, she was the parent, and he would eat right.
Turning around, they went to the counter to check out.
~L.B.~
Stepping out into the cold, the two carried their purchases to the car. Handing the items to Easton, she let him get in while she dug in her back pocket for her card and got ready to get gas. She was so focused on getting gas, she hadn’t noticed the other car pulling into the gas station until the loud, booming music turned on.
Glancing at the mud splattered truck, she turned her eyes away pretending not to see the rowdy males inside. They yelled as they got out of the truck. Their words were slurred as one attempted to get gas.
The country music broke the peaceful silence, and she glanced at Easton who had buckled himself in. Turning her eyes back to the numbers on the gas pump, she inwardly hoped it would move faster.
“Whoa! You are looking good!”
The random shout had her turn her head long before she thought better of it. She winced as she met the lustful stare of the Caucasian male. His ball cap was pulled low, covering his hair. A few pieces were plastered to his neck with sweat. He stood so that his arms rested crossed over the passenger side door. “How about you give me a taste of your brown sugar?”
At that, Alexis bit her tongue, so she didn’t say anything offensive, and gave him her back. She didn’t have time for this.
“Hey!” She pretended he was air.
“Hey, don’t act like you don’t hear me!” She wasn’t acting. She really couldn’t hear him.
A door slammed shut as the male hopped down from the truck. His friends, who had been laughing, suddenly stopped. One guy even followed to stop their friend, but the minute he went to grab the angry male, his hold was thrown off.
“Rhett, stop, man!”
“Hey, don’t you hear me talking to you?”
Alexis who’d just removed the gas hose from the gas tank, felt her arm being grabbed as she was jerked around. His features were red and sweaty. The Rhett guy held her wrist in a painful grip.
“Rhett, let her go, man.” His friend sent Alexis a sympathetic look. “Let her go, so we can be on our way.”
“Fuck that!” Rhett said belligerently as he glared down at Alexis, and she saw something there as she attempted to pull her arm out of his hold. “Ain’t no black bitch going to ignore me. She thinks she too good for the likes of us. She ain’t nothing but a nigger!"
“Mom!”
Her chest tightened, and she jerked her eyes to Easton, who had gotten out of the car. “Get back in the car!”
He looked at her and glanced at the man who held her. “But…”
“Get. In. The. Car.” She gritted her teeth, glaring at him. She could see the inner struggle, “Go!” He ran, getting in quickly.
She released a sigh of relief, now able to focus on dealing with the scum who held her hand. She tightened her grip on the gas hose. She hadn’t forgotten who she used to be, and the old Alexis had been holding back her rage and anger for a very long time. She turned to fully face the racist bastard and lifted the hose, ready to break his nose with it.
Only his expression turned pale as a hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed. He released a scream of pain. Upon this reaction, he let go of her wrist and staggered back.
“Argh!” His knees buckled as he hit the cement. He slowly lifted his chin, looking over his shoulder. His eyes met bronze eyes that hardened as they looked at him. “Argh! L-let go!” He pleaded, his expression twisting into one of pain.
Alexis’ bottom jaw dropped as she stared at the tall, virile male who now stood in the nude, assaulting the man who was attacking her. He didn’t look like a man she’d just hit, in fact, he looked perfectly fine. Her eyes followed the breadth of his broad shoulders, down to the arms that held perfect rolling muscles. His eyes didn’t meet hers, as his focus was on the male on his knees. The bright red hair almost looked like fire as the tendons popped in his forearm when he tightened his grip.
The most noticeable thing, aside from his swirling tattoos of circles on his chest, was the paralyzing feeling of violence rolling off him in waves.
“Apologize!” His voice was rough and held a bit of an accent. Alexis was too occupied to recognize it. “The lady doesn’t appreciate yer hands on her.”
The words broke Alexis from her stunned silence. She looked at the man on his knees and saw his coloring had paled dramatically.
“Stop.” Alexis winced at how soft her voice came out. “Stop!” She forced herself to move forward to stop the man. “Stop, he’s gotten the picture,” she choked on her words when those hard-bronze eyes met hers and narrowed. While fear stole her words, another sensation; the odd flare of lust, also took her breath away.
She mentally shook herself and walked over to the male. She bravely placed a hand on his much larger one. She met his stare head on, “Stop, he’s got it.” She held her breath, unsure of what would happen. Would the stranger let the Rhett guy go or continue hurting him?
“Mom, can I take these?”
Both women turned their eyes to the door. There Easton stood holding up his Black-Panther toy and robot.
“Yes, Love. Just put it in the bag with your books.” He nodded, leaving them alone once again.
“But seriously, Alexis, what’s going on?” Rachael demanded, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses.
“You told mom you’d be staying for at least two years. You haven’t made it ten months.”
Alexis paused in zipping up her bag, “He came to his school.” She finally said as she finished zipping her bag. She looked at her sister, only to flinch at the look of rage on her sister’s face. A flicker of something flashed in her eyes. It was so quick that Alexis thought she’d imagined it.
“And you didn’t kill him on site?” Rachael asked angrily, walking over to Alexis side. “I thought you had a restraining order against him?”
“I do,” Alexis said, her expression weary. “At least I thought so, till I found this in our mailbox when I came back.” She reached for an unfolded letter and handed it to Rachael.
Taking it, Rachael’s eyes quickly ran over it. Her eyes widened before she looked in shocked silence at Alexis.
“They are summoning me back to court to renegotiate the custody. Apparently, he’s shown himself to have grown past an angry son-of-a-bitch who enjoys knocking his wife around!” She gasped as Rachael pulled her into her arms. Alexis hadn’t realized she was screaming. She only realized it as her sister shushed her, glancing at the door for Easton.
“Sh, sh, it’s okay.” Rachael tried to soothe her.
“No,” Alexis pulled away from her, shaking her head as she quickly wiped a tear from her cheek. “It isn’t. Not until Easton reaches eighteen. He won’t stop chasing us.”
Needing something to concentrate her energy on, she picked up the zipped bag off the bed and grabbed the bag on the ground near the foot of the bed. “Or till he’s dead,” she said grimly.
Walking past her sister, she headed for her car downstairs. Moving past Janet, who stopped when she saw the bags in her hand, her little sister didn’t say anything. Instead, Janet tossed her purse on the couch and disappeared up the steps.
A few minutes later, with the bags packed in the car and Easton buckled in, she hugged her sister Rachael. She pulled back and smiled sadly. “It was fun while it lasted.”
Rachael rolled her eyes at this before she asked. “Are you sure you don’t want to call mom?”
She shook her head, “No, it’s best if I get some distance between us before I let her know.”
They parted just as Janet ran out and slammed into her and held her tight. Pulling back, she lifted something wrapped in a black cloth. Her eyes were serious, “If it comes down to a choice between you, Easton, and your dick of an ex.” She held it out, “Choose you and Easton.”
Carefully, Alexis took the wrapped item. She knew what it was the minute she took hold of it and met her sister’s eyes in surprise.
Janet smiled, “One of mom’s favorites.” Her expression turned serious once more. “Don’t hesitate in using it.”
“I second that,” Rachael interjected, her eyes hard. “Do what you have to do.”
Pulling it close, Alexis nodded, “I will.”
After another round of hugs, she found herself leaving her home behind.
~L.B.~
An hour later, she now knelt by the man she hit. As far as Alexis was concerned, Mondays were the worst.
Chapter Four
What was she going to do?
The man hadn’t moved an inch. His chest rose smoothly, but that didn’t mean he was okay. The blood that covered his knee and forehead were clear signs that he wasn’t okay.
His hand was still clamped around her wrist, and Alexis could still remember the violence that had been in his shockingly bronze eyes. Before he fainted, she had to do something and do it quickly.
He released a groan. Shifting, he rolled towards her.
Letting out a shout of surprise, she fell back on her bottom yanking her wrist from his hold.
“Mom?”
“Stay in the car, Easton!” She shouted glancing over her shoulder, but it was too late. Her six-year-old had already gotten out of the car. He walked toward her, looking a mix of scared and determined. His eyes went straight to the male that was groaning on the ground, “Is he okay?”
No, probably not, but she couldn’t say that.
“Yes, yes, he’s fine.” Lies.
Quickly getting to her feet, she moved to block her sons view of the body. “Love, I need you to go back to the car and get inside.” She turned him around and pushed him toward the car.
“Are you going to help him?”
Alexis didn’t answer because helping him would mean turning back around to the city that had currently become too dangerous for her to stay in.
“Mom,” Easton leaned his head back, meeting her conflicted gaze. “We can’t leave him. That’s wrong.”
Leave it to a six-year-old to make things cut and dry. After a heartbeat, she nodded. “Okay, okay, I won’t leave him, just get back into the car.”
He nodded, finally moving on his own and getting in.
Assured that her son had gotten back into the car, she turned around to figure out what to do with the stranger. However, there wasn’t blood coating his skin, and he had stopped groaning in pain and appeared to be only sleeping. Thrown for a loop, Alexis found herself approaching the body. Kneeling, she pressed her hand to his pulse and felt the tension in her belly loosen when she felt it.
Standing, she stared down at him only to soon realize, she had only one choice and that was to pick this obviously tall, muscular, handsome—Woah Woah!
She shook her head, trying to put a stop on her thoughts. She was not going to lust after the man she hit with her car. Rolling her sleeves up, she squatted down behind his head, reached under his shoulders, and with a grunt, she lifted him. Biting back a curse at his weight, she pulled him closer to the headlights of her jeep. She felt her eyes widen when she realized his member was out for the world to see. Averting her eyes, she continued dragging him, feeling a bit bad when she felt him bounce over a rock.
Resting his back against the car, she brushed a hand over her forehead. Grunting, she should’ve been grateful he hadn’t died. Instead, she had a new appreciation for weightlifters.
Opening the back door, she knelt once again and tried to lift him inside.
“Mom, I’ll help!” Easton scrambled forward and put his arms under the large man’s armpits and pulled. Together, the two of them managed to get him in the back seat of her Jeep.
Breathing heavily, Alexis made sure the man’s feet were all the way inside before closing the door.
Getting back into the driver's seat, she started the car and ignored the pang of trepidation at her choice. She continued forward. She would stop once they reached a gas station. Hopefully by then, the nude man would wake up.
“Easton throw the blanket over his lap.” She said over her shoulder.
“Got it.”
Hearing shuffling, she relaxed taking comfort at the black, wrapped item seated in the passenger seat.
~L.B.~
His chest ached, and his stomach rolled.
The contraption the woman had dragged him into, moved faster than any wagon he’d ever gotten on. He had chosen to remain still and rested on the seat. First, he needed to come to grips that he’d found his Amouri.
Her mind was a delicious temptation that he didn’t hesitate in delving into and cutting past her emotional walls. She had been hurt before, and because of this hurt, she was hurling herself into the darkness to find some sort of salvation.
She was like him. Someone had kept her bound among the mist of confusion and nail-biting fear. Also, like him, she sought to escape from the pain, only she hadn’t run to violence and bloodletting.
Her human mind boggled and fascinated him. The amount of love she held for her offspring was also to be admired.
It made him think back to when he saw his first Amouri. Her hair had been the color of golden wheat, and her eyes were a similar blue of the jaybirds. She’d been pulling the sheep along with her brother, and when their eyes met, it had only taken a moment for him to know she was the one for him. She had distrusted him at first, but he’d slowly pulled her into his arms. Soon, their passion and need for each other had been the perfection he’d been waiting for all of his life.
He didn’t know back then that it would be so short. That he’d be unable to save her from the humans that wished to harm her. His own foolish arrogance had believed that the Romans would never dare to come upon his land as they did, slaughtering his worshipers and dragging his Emorisa from where she lie amongst the furs.
Her screams and calls to him had been blocked by the cross that had been placed around her neck. A cross made of rhodium had swung beneath her chin. The damnable metal had kept her pained cries from his ears. Until it was jerked off as she cried bitter tears, and the flames ate away at her skin.
Even now, dulled by the new Amorites memories, he could still feel the sensation of fire licking at his toes. His eyes melted from his skull as his hair burned, and air disappeared as the sky turned from blue to red, and blood seeped down his neck.
“Mom are we stopping?”
Jerked from the replay of memories from his Amouri’s mind, Diablo’s ear sharpened. The metal beast was coming to a stop. The smell of something chemical reached his nose.
The woman, Alexis, sighed and stretched until her neck popped before she half-turned and spoke to her son. “Sure are, I need gas, and I’m sure you need to use the bathroom.”
He could feel the exhaustion coming off her in waves. A part of him felt he should step forward now and lay his claim. Yet, he remained still. He wanted to bathe himself in her consciousness and in her love for her son longer. When he settled in that quiet and sure place in her mind, the constant cries for death were soothed, and he felt calm.
~L.B.~
Alexis released a small moan as she got out of her car. She hadn’t intended on stopping so early, but a pressing bladder and a rumbling stomach had pushed her to do so. The Mapco lights had almost felt like a beacon at the end of a dark tunnel.
Giving a small shiver at the cold air, she waited for Easton to get out. Waving him to her side, she glanced at the male who was still sleeping in her jeep. She frowned. She should really call the cops for him.Yet, every time she thought about doing so,her panic raised up, and she felt the sharp tug of terror on her stomach it would disappear.
Shaking her head, she turned and walked into the gas station. Feeling almost pushed to continue in her actions, she greeted the scruffy male behind the counter. He nodded. His brown eyes gave her a quick overlook before he continued organizing the cigarette boxes. She almost thought he had no interest in her until he added with his back to her, “All the drinks in the cooler are buy one, get one free.”
“Ah, thanks,” she said before she headed to the bathroom. She let out a bit of a cheer when she learned the bathrooms weren’t locked. She glanced at the men’s and women’s bathroom before looking down at Easton. “Same or different?”
He gave her a look of annoyance, one that mothers often received from, their “Grown” sons when they were exasperated with them. “I can go by myself, mom.”
She laughed, giving him a pat on the back. “Sure, go ahead. Let’s meet out here once you’re done.”
“Okay,” he said with lips pursed before entering the men’s room.
Shaking her head, she entered the women’s room.
Boys, they grew up so fast.
~L.B.~
When she came out, she found her, “Grown” son looking over the snacks on the wall. When he reached for a cupcake, she rushed over, “Ah, ah…what did we say about sweets?”
He frowned, his eyes squinted. “That I can only have one a day,” he looked at her, his expression completely serious. “But, it’s 1 AM, so it’s a new day.”
She rolled her eyes, taking the cupcake out of his hand. “Nice one, when we get to where we’re going, I’ll bake you some. Okay?”
He sighed, and she brushed her fingers through his hair. “Here, grab some chips and nuts, that should last us till we get to the cabin.” She moved over to the cooler, “I’ll grab some water and…”
“Mom, should we get something for the man?”
She paused, reaching for the water, she frowned. Another odd shiver rushed down her back as she found herself grabbing two bottles of water, instead of one and a Blueberry Crush Tea, that Easton was a fan of. Although, she would only let him have half. No matter how much like an adult he acted, she was the parent, and he would eat right.
Turning around, they went to the counter to check out.
~L.B.~
Stepping out into the cold, the two carried their purchases to the car. Handing the items to Easton, she let him get in while she dug in her back pocket for her card and got ready to get gas. She was so focused on getting gas, she hadn’t noticed the other car pulling into the gas station until the loud, booming music turned on.
Glancing at the mud splattered truck, she turned her eyes away pretending not to see the rowdy males inside. They yelled as they got out of the truck. Their words were slurred as one attempted to get gas.
The country music broke the peaceful silence, and she glanced at Easton who had buckled himself in. Turning her eyes back to the numbers on the gas pump, she inwardly hoped it would move faster.
“Whoa! You are looking good!”
The random shout had her turn her head long before she thought better of it. She winced as she met the lustful stare of the Caucasian male. His ball cap was pulled low, covering his hair. A few pieces were plastered to his neck with sweat. He stood so that his arms rested crossed over the passenger side door. “How about you give me a taste of your brown sugar?”
At that, Alexis bit her tongue, so she didn’t say anything offensive, and gave him her back. She didn’t have time for this.
“Hey!” She pretended he was air.
“Hey, don’t act like you don’t hear me!” She wasn’t acting. She really couldn’t hear him.
A door slammed shut as the male hopped down from the truck. His friends, who had been laughing, suddenly stopped. One guy even followed to stop their friend, but the minute he went to grab the angry male, his hold was thrown off.
“Rhett, stop, man!”
“Hey, don’t you hear me talking to you?”
Alexis who’d just removed the gas hose from the gas tank, felt her arm being grabbed as she was jerked around. His features were red and sweaty. The Rhett guy held her wrist in a painful grip.
“Rhett, let her go, man.” His friend sent Alexis a sympathetic look. “Let her go, so we can be on our way.”
“Fuck that!” Rhett said belligerently as he glared down at Alexis, and she saw something there as she attempted to pull her arm out of his hold. “Ain’t no black bitch going to ignore me. She thinks she too good for the likes of us. She ain’t nothing but a nigger!"
“Mom!”
Her chest tightened, and she jerked her eyes to Easton, who had gotten out of the car. “Get back in the car!”
He looked at her and glanced at the man who held her. “But…”
“Get. In. The. Car.” She gritted her teeth, glaring at him. She could see the inner struggle, “Go!” He ran, getting in quickly.
She released a sigh of relief, now able to focus on dealing with the scum who held her hand. She tightened her grip on the gas hose. She hadn’t forgotten who she used to be, and the old Alexis had been holding back her rage and anger for a very long time. She turned to fully face the racist bastard and lifted the hose, ready to break his nose with it.
Only his expression turned pale as a hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed. He released a scream of pain. Upon this reaction, he let go of her wrist and staggered back.
“Argh!” His knees buckled as he hit the cement. He slowly lifted his chin, looking over his shoulder. His eyes met bronze eyes that hardened as they looked at him. “Argh! L-let go!” He pleaded, his expression twisting into one of pain.
Alexis’ bottom jaw dropped as she stared at the tall, virile male who now stood in the nude, assaulting the man who was attacking her. He didn’t look like a man she’d just hit, in fact, he looked perfectly fine. Her eyes followed the breadth of his broad shoulders, down to the arms that held perfect rolling muscles. His eyes didn’t meet hers, as his focus was on the male on his knees. The bright red hair almost looked like fire as the tendons popped in his forearm when he tightened his grip.
The most noticeable thing, aside from his swirling tattoos of circles on his chest, was the paralyzing feeling of violence rolling off him in waves.
“Apologize!” His voice was rough and held a bit of an accent. Alexis was too occupied to recognize it. “The lady doesn’t appreciate yer hands on her.”
The words broke Alexis from her stunned silence. She looked at the man on his knees and saw his coloring had paled dramatically.
“Stop.” Alexis winced at how soft her voice came out. “Stop!” She forced herself to move forward to stop the man. “Stop, he’s gotten the picture,” she choked on her words when those hard-bronze eyes met hers and narrowed. While fear stole her words, another sensation; the odd flare of lust, also took her breath away.
She mentally shook herself and walked over to the male. She bravely placed a hand on his much larger one. She met his stare head on, “Stop, he’s got it.” She held her breath, unsure of what would happen. Would the stranger let the Rhett guy go or continue hurting him?
