Chapter Three: Lean On Me
Seajae sat in the pasangers seat of Ed's Hummer as Danny drove down the nearly empty Strip. It was just after noon. Too late for the late nighters and too early for the early birds. She remebered walking home from school when she lived with her mother. The streets were so quiet and then less then an hour later they would burst to life. Coming home to her mother passed out or rolling around thier hotel room with a stranger. Tears stung her eyes as she remebered. She felt a warm hand on hers.
"It's going to be alright Seajae." She looked at Danny McCoy's warm eyes.
"You really believe that?"
"Yeah...I do. Your strong. You survived whatever you went though over there and now this...this is a cake walk." They pulled into the hotel parking lot and gave the keys to the valet. "You need to get some sleep."
"So do you." They went to the elevators. "What time do you have to be to work?" Danny looked at his watch.
"Four hours." He looked at her. The past few days had taken a lot out of her. Hell the last year had torn her up. "You want me to stay with you?"
"Could you?" She had never really needed anyone. Not her mother or father. Not Ed. They had kept her safe in thier own way until the Marine Corps took over. They had been her family. All she ever needed till she came back to the states. Back to a place she barly knew. Barley could stomach. Now Danny was there and so was Ed. Cleaning up something she had now clue on what to do about.
"You know I will." The elevator opened and Danny lead Seajae to her room. Taking out his master key he opened it and let her in. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I need to get a few things from my place." She knodded and watched him close the door. She changed into an old pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt and looked out over the city. It looked harmless in the sunshine. Seajae knew better. Hearing Danny she turned and watched as he put his suit over the chair.
"I'm not usally this chicken."
"No one says your chicken. You've been though a lot Seajae. Your just overwelmed." He stepped in front of her and ran his hand down her cheek. "It will all work out. I promise." She didn't want to give in to the warm feeling she felt when Danny touched her. But she had been so cold for so long. Wrapping her arms around him she laid her head on his chest. He ran his hand down her hair and to her back. Seajae could feel the warmth spread. She looked up at Danny and she was lost in his eyes like she had been at seventeen.But the kiss....the kiss was nothing like the peck on the cheek he gave her ten years ago. It was a kiss between a woman and a man. Seajae pushed away a little and looked into his eyes once again.
"I don't know where I've been and I don't know where I'm going but I do know is I want this Danny. So please don't be a gentalman like you were ten years ago and push me away."
"I stopped being a gentleman when I picked up these from my room." He threw a box of condoms on the bed side table. The kiss he gave her this time warmed her down to her toes. Seajae knew she was in over her head but with Danny McCoy by her side she knew she wasn't going down alone.
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Danny hit the alarm a few seconds after it started. He looked over at the woman sleeping peacfully next to him. God she was beautiful. Her mother had been of mexican decent and it showed in her skin and eyes. But her hair, her hair was as golden as a wheat field in late summer. He knew he shouldn't be here. In her bed. But damn it felt right. More right then he had felt in a long time. Slipping out of bed and into the shower he wondered if she felt the way he did. The sound of the shower door opening and the feel of warm hands on his back told him she felt something, Turning around he looked down into her warm brown eyes.
"I guess I don't have to ask you if your having second thoughts?"
"No just coming back for seconds." She raised herself up on her toes and kissed him. "You know how to show a girl a good time Danny McCoy."
"You know they irony is you don't you?"
"That I don't remember any other lover but you?" She smiled.
"No . I have a feeling if we'd done this ten years ago it wouldn't of been half as sweet." He knew she was hiding behind the moment and he wanted to tell her she didn't have to but he held her close and kissed her like he never kissed another woman. The sound of the phone broke them apart. "I think you better get that." Seajae smiled and kissed him one more time before sliding the shower door open, grabbing a towell and picking up the phone.
"Hello." Seajae smiled. "Yeah Ed he'll be down in a few minutes. He's in the shower." Danny looked at her. He couldn't believe she told Ed where he was. "Ok. I'll tell him." She hung up the phone and turned to look at him as he got out of the shower. "Ed said you have five minutes to get downstairs."
"I can't believe you told him I was in the shower."
"I've never lied to Ed." She slipped on a t shirt and her jogging pants as Danny got dressed.
"I'm so dead."
"Oh come on. He knows you were with me. We don't need to tell him what we did between the time we got back and now." Seajae sat on the chair in front of the window.
"He'll know. Ed always knows." He put on his tie. "You need to eat something for dinner. Come down stairs later and get something."
"I'll see." Danny stopped what he was doing and went to her and kneeled infront of her.
"Please. You need to keep up your strength."
"I'll be fine."
"I'll send Alice up here." She knew he would do it to.
"Okay. I'll be down in a couple of hours. If I go down with my hair wet Ed might put two and two together." She smiled. Danny loved her smile. She had done a lot of it in the last couple of hours.
"Ok. If your not downstairs but 9:45 I'm sending Alice." He kissed her one more time and headed out the door. He had three minutes to get to Ed's office. Hoping the elevator was close he punched the botten. It came with in a minute and Danny sighed with relief as he got in. He phone rang and he knew it was Ed. "McCoy."
"How is she?"
"She slept."
"Did you?"
"Yeah I got a couple of hours." Danny looked down at the floor knowing Ed was watching him.
"I transfered all the boxes and the money to the interrogation room."
"Did you run the serial numbers?"
"Not yet." The elevator door opened. Danny hung up the phone and headed into Ed's office.
"I told Seajae she needed to eat. She's got till nine forty five then I'm sending Alice to ambush her."
"Sounds good. I have some things here I need you to take care then I want you to start going thought those boxes. There's got to be a clue in there somewhere."
"Ed, do you think she'll ever remember what happened to her?"
"The more I hear the more I pray to god she doesn't." Danny looked at the man who had been his mentor since he returned to Las Vegas.
"I'm begining to hope the same thing. If she would of got that knife this morning she would of killed me."
"Save us all some hard ache." Ed laughed.
"You'd miss me and you know it." Danny got up. "I'm going to take a walk on the floor. You want to come?"
"No, you go ahead. Oh and by the way stay clear of Mary and Delinda." Danny raised his eyebrows.
"What did I do now?"
"Beats me but they're not happy with you."
"Are they ever." Danny turned and started to leave the office.
"Danny?" He turned around.
"Yeah Ed?"
"She's not like the others."
"Who?"
"Seajae. She's not like Mary and Delinda."
"Meaning?"
"She grew up thinking that her mother was a whore and an addict."
"Wasn't she?"
"Yeah. It made her hard Danny. She never had the love she deserved from her mother or her dad. He just wasn't built that way."
"What are you trying to tell me Ed?"
"I guess I'm saying that don't be offened if she pushes you away." Danny looked at the older man.
"From what I here you and Alice taught her what it was like to be wanted. I have a feeling it's you she learned how to love from. Not her parents. They say it isn't the qaunity but the quality of love you show a person that affects them. I think you and Alice affected Seajae enough to keep her from giving up."
"I hope so. Mary and Delinda....they think....you might be falling for Seajae."
"Truth be told Ed I fell for her ten years ago." He was telling him the truth. He had fallen in love with the girl ten years ago and maybe the woman she had become.
"You hurt her........"
"I know, you'll kill me." Danny turned and headed down the steps. "I'd die before I would hurt her Ed." For some reason Ed Deline knew Danny was telling the truth. He trusted the man with his casino and Delinda but how could he trust him with the one thing he kept closest to his heart, His first born daughter. It was his cross to bear. His secret. His alone. Ed watched Danny and prayed this whole mess didn't blow up in his face..
Seajae sat in the pasangers seat of Ed's Hummer as Danny drove down the nearly empty Strip. It was just after noon. Too late for the late nighters and too early for the early birds. She remebered walking home from school when she lived with her mother. The streets were so quiet and then less then an hour later they would burst to life. Coming home to her mother passed out or rolling around thier hotel room with a stranger. Tears stung her eyes as she remebered. She felt a warm hand on hers.
"It's going to be alright Seajae." She looked at Danny McCoy's warm eyes.
"You really believe that?"
"Yeah...I do. Your strong. You survived whatever you went though over there and now this...this is a cake walk." They pulled into the hotel parking lot and gave the keys to the valet. "You need to get some sleep."
"So do you." They went to the elevators. "What time do you have to be to work?" Danny looked at his watch.
"Four hours." He looked at her. The past few days had taken a lot out of her. Hell the last year had torn her up. "You want me to stay with you?"
"Could you?" She had never really needed anyone. Not her mother or father. Not Ed. They had kept her safe in thier own way until the Marine Corps took over. They had been her family. All she ever needed till she came back to the states. Back to a place she barly knew. Barley could stomach. Now Danny was there and so was Ed. Cleaning up something she had now clue on what to do about.
"You know I will." The elevator opened and Danny lead Seajae to her room. Taking out his master key he opened it and let her in. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I need to get a few things from my place." She knodded and watched him close the door. She changed into an old pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt and looked out over the city. It looked harmless in the sunshine. Seajae knew better. Hearing Danny she turned and watched as he put his suit over the chair.
"I'm not usally this chicken."
"No one says your chicken. You've been though a lot Seajae. Your just overwelmed." He stepped in front of her and ran his hand down her cheek. "It will all work out. I promise." She didn't want to give in to the warm feeling she felt when Danny touched her. But she had been so cold for so long. Wrapping her arms around him she laid her head on his chest. He ran his hand down her hair and to her back. Seajae could feel the warmth spread. She looked up at Danny and she was lost in his eyes like she had been at seventeen.But the kiss....the kiss was nothing like the peck on the cheek he gave her ten years ago. It was a kiss between a woman and a man. Seajae pushed away a little and looked into his eyes once again.
"I don't know where I've been and I don't know where I'm going but I do know is I want this Danny. So please don't be a gentalman like you were ten years ago and push me away."
"I stopped being a gentleman when I picked up these from my room." He threw a box of condoms on the bed side table. The kiss he gave her this time warmed her down to her toes. Seajae knew she was in over her head but with Danny McCoy by her side she knew she wasn't going down alone.
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Danny hit the alarm a few seconds after it started. He looked over at the woman sleeping peacfully next to him. God she was beautiful. Her mother had been of mexican decent and it showed in her skin and eyes. But her hair, her hair was as golden as a wheat field in late summer. He knew he shouldn't be here. In her bed. But damn it felt right. More right then he had felt in a long time. Slipping out of bed and into the shower he wondered if she felt the way he did. The sound of the shower door opening and the feel of warm hands on his back told him she felt something, Turning around he looked down into her warm brown eyes.
"I guess I don't have to ask you if your having second thoughts?"
"No just coming back for seconds." She raised herself up on her toes and kissed him. "You know how to show a girl a good time Danny McCoy."
"You know they irony is you don't you?"
"That I don't remember any other lover but you?" She smiled.
"No . I have a feeling if we'd done this ten years ago it wouldn't of been half as sweet." He knew she was hiding behind the moment and he wanted to tell her she didn't have to but he held her close and kissed her like he never kissed another woman. The sound of the phone broke them apart. "I think you better get that." Seajae smiled and kissed him one more time before sliding the shower door open, grabbing a towell and picking up the phone.
"Hello." Seajae smiled. "Yeah Ed he'll be down in a few minutes. He's in the shower." Danny looked at her. He couldn't believe she told Ed where he was. "Ok. I'll tell him." She hung up the phone and turned to look at him as he got out of the shower. "Ed said you have five minutes to get downstairs."
"I can't believe you told him I was in the shower."
"I've never lied to Ed." She slipped on a t shirt and her jogging pants as Danny got dressed.
"I'm so dead."
"Oh come on. He knows you were with me. We don't need to tell him what we did between the time we got back and now." Seajae sat on the chair in front of the window.
"He'll know. Ed always knows." He put on his tie. "You need to eat something for dinner. Come down stairs later and get something."
"I'll see." Danny stopped what he was doing and went to her and kneeled infront of her.
"Please. You need to keep up your strength."
"I'll be fine."
"I'll send Alice up here." She knew he would do it to.
"Okay. I'll be down in a couple of hours. If I go down with my hair wet Ed might put two and two together." She smiled. Danny loved her smile. She had done a lot of it in the last couple of hours.
"Ok. If your not downstairs but 9:45 I'm sending Alice." He kissed her one more time and headed out the door. He had three minutes to get to Ed's office. Hoping the elevator was close he punched the botten. It came with in a minute and Danny sighed with relief as he got in. He phone rang and he knew it was Ed. "McCoy."
"How is she?"
"She slept."
"Did you?"
"Yeah I got a couple of hours." Danny looked down at the floor knowing Ed was watching him.
"I transfered all the boxes and the money to the interrogation room."
"Did you run the serial numbers?"
"Not yet." The elevator door opened. Danny hung up the phone and headed into Ed's office.
"I told Seajae she needed to eat. She's got till nine forty five then I'm sending Alice to ambush her."
"Sounds good. I have some things here I need you to take care then I want you to start going thought those boxes. There's got to be a clue in there somewhere."
"Ed, do you think she'll ever remember what happened to her?"
"The more I hear the more I pray to god she doesn't." Danny looked at the man who had been his mentor since he returned to Las Vegas.
"I'm begining to hope the same thing. If she would of got that knife this morning she would of killed me."
"Save us all some hard ache." Ed laughed.
"You'd miss me and you know it." Danny got up. "I'm going to take a walk on the floor. You want to come?"
"No, you go ahead. Oh and by the way stay clear of Mary and Delinda." Danny raised his eyebrows.
"What did I do now?"
"Beats me but they're not happy with you."
"Are they ever." Danny turned and started to leave the office.
"Danny?" He turned around.
"Yeah Ed?"
"She's not like the others."
"Who?"
"Seajae. She's not like Mary and Delinda."
"Meaning?"
"She grew up thinking that her mother was a whore and an addict."
"Wasn't she?"
"Yeah. It made her hard Danny. She never had the love she deserved from her mother or her dad. He just wasn't built that way."
"What are you trying to tell me Ed?"
"I guess I'm saying that don't be offened if she pushes you away." Danny looked at the older man.
"From what I here you and Alice taught her what it was like to be wanted. I have a feeling it's you she learned how to love from. Not her parents. They say it isn't the qaunity but the quality of love you show a person that affects them. I think you and Alice affected Seajae enough to keep her from giving up."
"I hope so. Mary and Delinda....they think....you might be falling for Seajae."
"Truth be told Ed I fell for her ten years ago." He was telling him the truth. He had fallen in love with the girl ten years ago and maybe the woman she had become.
"You hurt her........"
"I know, you'll kill me." Danny turned and headed down the steps. "I'd die before I would hurt her Ed." For some reason Ed Deline knew Danny was telling the truth. He trusted the man with his casino and Delinda but how could he trust him with the one thing he kept closest to his heart, His first born daughter. It was his cross to bear. His secret. His alone. Ed watched Danny and prayed this whole mess didn't blow up in his face..
