Page 28 of Crucified By the Dark
He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and watched the pulse jump under her skin as her eyes flared with desire. Her face may not be showing an ounce of emotion, but her body was screaming that she wanted him.
“You may not believe me right now, but I will show you I’m who you’re meant to be with, and we deserve our shot at something great. Even if you’re not ready, I’m sick of waiting. It’s my turn to drag you out to the desert in the middle of the night.” Leaning in close to her ear, he dropped his voice further and groaned in her ear. She shivered in his hold. “What I want is you, and you better get ready ‘cause I’m not taking no for an answer anymore.” He softly nipped the side of her neck.
Releasing her, he turned and marched away. Jeremy smiled as he left Morry by the picnic table to contemplate. One thing was becoming very clear. Jeremy needed to take control of the situation and force her to choose him.
Trev’s eyes scanned the latest deposition he was working on when Sally stepped into the doorway and announced he had a visitor. He quickly glanced at his calendar and didn’t see anyone booked in. That meant it was someone Trev knew. No one other than those who lived here, a couple of others he trusted, and, of course, those who found him and he killed, knew where he lived. He’d also gotten into the habit of not taking the same way home twice in a row, leaving the court at different times, and never meeting in the same restaurant more than once a month.
Paranoid? Maybe. But after the last year, he didn’t know who he could trust, who was watching them, or what their next move would be.
“Let whoever it is in, Sally,” he said. Trev stood and smiled as Kes walked in. “I’m really enjoying this new look on you, Kes. It suits you,” Trev said as he rounded the desk to shake his friend’s hand.
“Well, at least that makes one of us. Technically two, since Ash seems to love it,” Kes said, and then promptly undid the top couple buttons on the shirt. “I should’ve changed before coming. I still prefer my fatigues and a T-shirt, but apparently, that is not appropriate business attire,” Kes mocked.
Trev smirked, knowing that not very long ago, Kes preferred a dirty sweater and a cardboard box for a home over where he was currently living. He was doing a lot of good in his new position, though, so it was nice to see him stick it out.
“Would you like a drink?” Trev held out his hand toward the small bar.
“Is the sky blue?”
“Depends on the time of day and the weather, but I will take that answer as a yes.” Trev made his way over to the small bar and poured himself and Kes a scotch on the rocks before walking to the little sitting area where Kes was already lounging.
“Where’s Arek? The house is so peaceful I barely recognize it without his annoying voice,” Kes said, taking a sip of the scotch.
“Arek, Renee, and the kids are away on a family vacation. I believe one of the large theme parks, which should be highly entertaining for Renee.”
Kes snorted, and Trev knew they were both picturing Renee trying to wrangle Arek from doing something like wrestling an alligator.
“My guess is that my brother is trying to get his wife knocked up again, but that’s only my opinion. He seems to have taken to fatherhood in a way I never expected and suddenly wants an entire football team. Renee has not been as eager to become his player provider,” Trev said, and the two of them laughed.
They sat quietly for a few moments, and Trev’s expression sobered as he stared at the tense look in his friend’s eyes. “How are things going in that department for you and Ashley? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so insensitive.”
He knew it had been a tough go of it. Between her MS symptoms, balancing her medications, and the hormone treatments she had to inject herself with, it was one rollercoaster after another.
“Ash is doing okay. We’re holding our breath at the moment. I’m only telling you because I know you’d never say anything, but she’s six weeks pregnant.” Kes rubbed the back of his neck. “But she’s so high risk for a miscarriage and complications it worries me. Fuck, it terrifies me. I didn’t think something could terrify me as much as what we went through, but this….” Kes looked down into the glass of scotch. “She’s so happy, man. I don’t want to see her go through any more pain, but there’s nothing I can do other than make sure she takes it easy and is pampered to boredom. I think that’s the worst part. Knowing that nothing I do could help her keep the pregnancy or make any of her issues she’s going through any better. I feel completely useless.” He rubbed his face, and Trev leaned forward and gripped his leg.
“I think that if Ashley were in the room, she would tell you that you’re already doing everything she needs from you and to not be so hard on yourself, and of course, that you’re acting like an idiot,” Trev said, and Kes laughed.
“You really have been talking to her. That does sound like Ash. Although, she has a very colorful array of swear words.”
“I bet she does, and she probably needs it with the likes of you,” Trev quipped.
“Ouch. Your blows are low, my friend.”
“It’s way too easy when you and Arek are cut from very similar cloths,” Trev said, earning himself a glare.
“Don’t compare me to that unsophisticated, annoying, completely irrational stubborn ass.” Kes looked into his whiskey and sighed. “Yeah, okay, you’re right. I sound like him,” Kes laughed, then tossed back the rest of his drink.
“Would you like another?” Trev nodded toward the glass, but Kes shook his head no.
“I need to drive.” He placed the glass on the table and leaned back into the couch. “I came because I have news, and none of it is good.”
“Well, that’s ominous and not how I like our conversations to start.” Trev settled into the comfortable chair and waited for the bombshell. “Has Wolf taken a turn for the worse? Last I heard from Morry, he was stable.”
“I don’t know anything about that. This is concerning the guns the Golden Dragons were using, the drugs they were selling that were killing thousands, and the S.O.S. call that had a hidden message that someone tried to scrub.” Kes smiled wide. “But they didn’t do it well enough for Zumi. She listened to it and picked up right away that something was missing from the original, and God bless her. She hacked this random server where it had gone and retrieved most of it. Some of it was still very damaged, whether that was something with the A.I. or because they were in a bad area. Doesn’t matter.”
“Scrubbed? That’s a lot of effort for an S.O.S. that was already received,” Trev said, sipping his drink.
“I thought so too, but we will get to that. First, the guns.”
