30
The gunfight, well I could hardly call it a gunfight, more like one team destroying the other, lasted maybe a minute or two. But the loud banging of the guns definitely gave me migraine now. I walked down the aisle as I saw bags of candy and chips and soda open and on the ground with blood mixing into them. I leaned over and saw the Swedes just standing together and looking around to make sure the threat was dead. I saw the three bodies sprawled out on the ground across the counter and in the doorway. I groaned gently putting my fingers to my head.
"Great now I have a headache." I muttered noticing Otto moving over to the display fridge at the top. The older man had peaked his head up from the counter only to dip back down when he saw the large Swede past him. In silence Otto grabbed a bottle of water from the inside and came back to me holding it out to me
"Doctor said you're dehydrated." he merely replied. I smiled before taking the bottle and opening it. Axel looked at us and we looked at him knowing it was time to leave. We followed him to the door only for me to pause and look at Otto and then the water bottle. I motioned to the clerk and he sighed in annoyance and dug in his pocket after handing Oscar his gun. There was on way I was going to let him steal water for me after a robbery. He pulled out a few bucks and walked over to the counter and placed the dollars on the counter. Oscar smirked in amusement before placing his hand on my back gently and leading me to the door. We exited and headed to my truck, the sound of police sirens was in the distance. It was far away enough for us all to get in, buckle up and take off. I just leaned on Oscar's shoulder since he sat in the back with me.
Now that I was sitting and being still, I could feel my head pounding from the shooting and not to mention I still felt like overall crap from having the flu. I could see flashing lights red and blue lights in the distance. Cop car after cop car passed us and luckily, we weren't pulled over. Axel had his shot gun on his lap, just in case. Once we were back home, I took the Tamiflu and went right back to bed.
I could have slept through a tornado that was hitting the house. My body ached and I felt even shittier. I didn't wake back up until eleven and I found I was alone in the bed. I definitely preferred it this way so none of the guys got sick. I sat up slowly groaning gently. My door was open and I could hear the kittens down the all. All five of them meowed loudly as they entered. I gave a tired smile as I just gently lied on my stomach and held my arms out to the floor to them. They nudged my arm and I petted them a bit. I could hear someone coming down the hall and in came Axel in pants and no shirt. Very nice. In his hands was a tray of food.
"You okay?" he asked. I nodded.
"Better than yesterday." I responded.
"We made you soup." he said, and I sat up and leaned against the bedframe.
"Thank you." I replied as he sat down beside me and I took the tray and motioned for the remote on the nightstand beside him. He picked it up and cut on the TV. Of course, this morning's pharmacy robbery was on. Axel gave a smirk in reply. I observed the soup and there was actual pieces of chicken cut up in a delicious smelling broth with peas and carrots. I tasted it and was in heaven. "This is really good." Axel looked at the soup as if it weren't a big deal.
"Otto wanted to use the canned soup in your cabinet. Too much preservatives. Better to make all natural. You will feel better quicker." he explained before placing his hand against my forehead. He then nodded in approval. "Your fever is gone. Good." I nodded taking slower bites of the soup.
"Yes. The last time I had the flu when I was a kid, I had it for four days. Hopefully now that I'm older it won't last that long." I replied. He nodded noticing one fo the kittens trying to climb up on the bed by using its claws. Quickly he scooped the kitten up so it wouldn't ruin the blankets and held it under his arm.
"I looked through your medicine cabinet. You have enough medication to treat your symptoms even if it does last that long." he informed. Be it the oldest to make sure we were prepared. I nodded sniffling some before smiling some.
"Thank you again for taking me to the doctor. But how did you know I was sick? Did I sweat too much or something?" I asked now thinking I needed to wash these sheets. He nodded looking me over.
"You felt different, your skin was different than what I am used to feeling at night." he replied. I tilted my head some.
"What you mean you're so used to how my skin feels that this one change woke you up?" I asked almost in disbelief. He nodded.
"We remember things very well. Our senses are very good so if anything is different we can tell." he said. I nodded thinking that was amazing. I don't think I'd ever be able to feel what they felt. I was now looking at the TV.
"So what's the plan for today?" I asked. He looked at me before motioning his head to the bed.
"You will stay in bed and rest." he said. I shook my head.
"I need to move about, letting the flu sit in my body will only make things worse and lead to possible respiratory issues." I replied. He glared softly at me and sighed in defeat.
"What would you like to do?" he asked. I just waved my hand before him.
"Nothing outside of the house. I'll just need to move about the house. Just none of you guys get too close to me or hug me or kiss me." I said finishing the soup. He gave a gentle sneer as he leaned back some.
"That sounds like torture." he replied. I gave a soft smirk.
"For you all or for me?" I asked and he grinned some.
"For us all. Is there anything else you need?" he asked. I shook my hand handing him the bowl.
"No I am just going to relax some. I'll be out later. I hope you all can keep yourself entertained." I replied and he looked up in thought.
"I think we will manage." he said getting up and moving to the door.
"Hey… no fighting, wrestling or yelling. I am going back to sleep." I replied. He smirked at me.
"I love it when you command me." he purred. I gave him a look. Now was not the moment to tease me. I slowly lied back down and passed right back out.
After waking up to silence two more hours later, I was concerned. My head still hurt and I felt achy but I forced myself up and quietly left the room. I moved down the hall trying to listen for the sound of something breaking or even the TV, but I got nothing in response. I moved down stairs to see an empty living room. I glanced into bedrooms and saw no one there. Where were my boys? I decided to check outside. I moved to the front door and stepped out onto the front porch after seeing them. I couldn't help but gently gasp. They were standing on the left side of the house with bows and arrows shooting at the trees on the right side of the house. There were a couple of arrows planted into the trees. None of them wore shirts, just their pants and boots, their bodies glistening under the sun. But their chests and stomach were cut and their faces were bruises. I bit my lip some and looked down.
I then saw silver in my peripheral and looked to see some long silver machetes painted with blood stacked on top of each other along with a few knives. What were they doing out here? I gave a gentle cough feeling my throat itch. That caught all the brother's attention and I glanced at them. Immediately Otto and Oscar jogged over to the front porch. I took one step off the porch and Oscar snapped his fingers at me stopping me in my tracks.
"What are you doing out here?" Otto asked worriedly placing his hands on my cheeks.
"Yes get back in the bed." Oscar commanded, and I looked them over, lines of blood moving down their glistening bodies.
"What have you both done to yourselves?" I asked.
"You said no fighting in the house… so we took it outside." Axel responded as he approached, hair out of place and the P scar on his cheek had a small line of blood dripping over it from the cut inches above it. He then motioned inside. "Do what Oscar says and get back in the bed."
I shook my head in defiance.
"No I need to move around now. I have been a sleep for most of the day. I'm going to gently clean the house to get my body to fight this virus. Are you going to stay out here?" I explained. The three looked at each other questioning themselves before nodding.
"Another hour or so." Axel replied and I just nodded.
"Fine but be sure to clean these wounds properly we can't have a sick Escort and three infected killers." I replied. They both gave me a light look as if they already knew this.
"Yes baby." they replied in unison and had I not been sick, my insides would be throbbing from the purr in each of their tones. They had never called me that before. I just smiled and turned and headed back inside. I put on a t-shirt and shorts and decided to wash a few of my sheets. The comforter couldn't be washed here. I stripped the bed completely and placed it on the floor down stairs. I washed the dishes and swept and mopped slowly. My head was pounding some from using my muscles to really mop the floor. As the brothers were stepping in, barefoot, thank God, Axel pointed to the blanket of which I informed needed to be taken to the dry cleaners. He and Otto offered to take it. Even though it was a one-person job for one comforter, I knew the brothers naturally didn't go anywhere alone if they could help it.
Oscar would stay and watch me and helped me clean. I had my blue tooth speaker on down stairs and had my Miles Davis station playing on Pandora. John Coltrane's Stardust was playing from his Plays for Lovers. Oh how I loved this song. I felt like I was in a jazz club watching him play. I couldn't help but smile and twirl a bit to the playing forgetting Oscar was there washing his hands from cleaning up the kittens litter box.
Speaking of kittens, the five babies moved around my feet not touching but running around my ankles. I smiled at them and then moved my hips very gently to the music. Music for the soul.
"Mmm yes this would help me feel better." I said gently finishing a spin only to land right in Oscar's hold. He smiled.
"I like your taste in music." he replied. I grinned. Not Back That Azz Up though? Oh we won't go down that road. His hand was on my lower back pressing me into him. I looked at him with gentle eyes.
"We shouldn't be so close, you'll get sick." I said and in response he leaned forward pecking my lips before peppering my face with kisses from the top of my head to my chin.
"I don't care. We will be sick together." he said and gently twirled me around before pulling me back into him. I chuckled ever so gently.
"Your brothers would have to take care of us both, but be angry at you perhaps while they give you soup." I replied. He shrugged as he moved about the room together the music carrying us on air it felt.
"I wouldn't care. They'd understand. To go even a day without tasting your lips would destroy me." he admitted as we moved about the room. I couldn't help but blush feeling my cheeks get a bit warmer.
"Wow… it almost sounds like…" I trailed off unsure if I should even go down this road with him. Hell I didn't know if I should go down the road with any of them. Oscar didn't seem bothered.
"Like I love you." he concluded, and I nodded awkwardly. He looked up in thought some before nodding and looking down at me. "I do love you." I finally paused in our dance and he paused and took a small step back to just look at me. I opened my lips to speak, but no words came out.
"No "maybe I love you" or "I think I'm falling in love with you"?" I asked. I've heard that before in guys. Maybe they were catching feelings. Maybe they wanted to go further with me. He shook his head.
"I know what I feel for you. I don't have to think about it." he stated quite sure of himself. I stared at him in slight awe for a moment remembering Axel's words from long ago.
You cannot compare him to the boys of your time.
Some men in this time weren't always sure. They wanted a strong woman and when they got one they find out they weren't ready for what they thought they wanted. I was that, I was a strong woman who wanted a strong man at my side and it seemed life and the Commission brought me three strong men. The Swedes were not boys, far from it. They were three murderous, passionate, rough and crazy men. And they had been upfront about what they wanted from me as I have been with them. I couldn't imagine my future without them and it seemed they couldn't either. I stepped closer to Oscar wrapping my arms around his neck a loving smile spreading over his lips as his hands came to lock around my hips.
"I love you too." I replied, and he smiled and we leaned in to each other. I was hesitant of course being sick and not wanting him to catch my sickness. He could see that look in my eyes and gave a gentle scoff before leaning in and kissing me heatedly and passionately.
Normal POV
Axel and Otto got out of the truck in unison walking over to the laundromat. Otto held the basket with the comforter in it and Axel held the detergent and the dryer sheets. Meanwhile another black car was watching them from across the street.
Diego's binoculars were watching them as they walked inside.
"Okay so tell me what the hell we are doing here?" Luther asked as he was leaned into the car, his large body stuffed in passenger's side.
"Those two were involved in a robbery this morning at that old pharmacy on Harrington street. From the footage I saw, there was a woman with them and we need to make sure she's okay." Diego said. Luther peered at his brother.
"What footage?" he asked.
"I may have snuck into the police station and looked at the surveillance tapes. Whoever those guys are they carried big guns. The three men who were robbing the store were just kids. Sure they were doing something horrible, but these guys, they were civilians and just executed them. I mean why didn't they just incapacitate them, you know take their weapons? They didn't have to kill them. One of the kids raised their hands and was begging and that one just shot him anyways." he explained pointing to the shorter of the two men inside. "They are way more dangerous and the woman… well we need to check on her."
"How do we know she isn't an accomplice?" Luther asked taking the binoculars and looking into the laundromat. Diego just looked down as if thinking to himself for a moment. He couldn't see the woman clearly, but he knew he had to find out who she was, who they all were.
"We don't. But we are going to find out." he said. This morning, justice wasn't served. What happened was a massacre and Diego knew he had to bring the ones responsible to justice. That's what superheroes do.