Chapter 12
John B's POV
Dad and I sat at the table the night we got back from tracking down those two men who took the diary. Ronnie was asleep on the couch with a bottle of Jack in her hand.
"So. The bills? Everything's been kept up?" He asked me. I cleared my throat and looked at the table.
"Yeah. I think. Ronnie has been taking care of all that and everything." I said nodding. He sighed and leaned back in the chair.
"When did her drinking start?" He asked.
"Hard stuff? On the plane in Barbados. But she's always drank, pops." I said looking at her.
"She shouldn't be apart of this." He said.
"But she is. Dad, I know the hard side of keeping secrets from her, it's ugly and it's tough. I lied to her a lot, which got her hurt. Our lies got her hurt." I said looking at him. He shook his head.
"Did you know she had a scholarship out of the OBX? She dropped it, after you disappeared. To stay here and take care of everything. If she hadn't, we wouldn't have any food, no lights, no water and no place to come home too. She did that on her own." I told him.
"She shouldn't have done that." He said.
"No but she did. When Ward told me that I couldn't believe it. Then Heyward told me all about it and it's true." I said nodding. He looked towards her then at his hands.
"Ward threw my kid off an exploding boat?" He asked.
"Yeah. With a broken foot and arm." I said. He slammed his hands down and cleared the counter. Ronnie jumped up and moved up the couch as fast as she could.
"No! No. Don't." She said panting. I went to her and reached towards her, but she slapped my hands away.
"No! No, don't touch me!" She screamed. I looked back at dad and he placed his hands on his hips. She wrapped her arms around her knees. She was staring at the hall.
"Come on. Let me take you outside and we can breathe." I told her. She was frozen. She wasn't moving at all.
"Okay. This is new." I said looking at dad.
"What?" He asked.
"Great going pops. You froze your kid in fear." I said standing.
"How?" He asked.
"She was attacked twice in here! She has a hard enough time as it is!" I said throwing my hands out. I rubbed my face and looked back at her. She placed her head on her knees.
"Who?" He asked.
"Two guys who were after the compass you left, then a junkie whose money was taken. He used her as a warning for us." I said crossing my arms.
"You stole money from a junkie?" He asked.
"Technically, JJ did. But we were with him when it happened." I said. He sighed and hit his hand on the table. She jumped.
"How do we get her, not like this?" He asked.
"I don't know. She hasn't done this." I said sighing. I went over as her eyes closed. I looked back at dad then back at her.
"She's back asleep." I said. I eased her into my arms and laid her back down.
"B." She mumbled. I hushed her quietly and she rolled over. I got up and went back to dad.
"Can we control the throwing, slamming things for a bit?" I scoffed at him. He nodded. A few minutes later, she shot up gasping.
"Renfield. Renfield's dead. The body." She said panting. Dad looked at me and I shrugged. Ronnie moved to the side of the couch and took a deep breathe.
"You okay?" I asked her. She stood up and groaned.
"You get nightmares every time you fall asleep and see how you like it." She mumbled. She limped off to her room.
"John B." She called out. I got up and walked to her room. I saw the bloody wrap when I entered.
"Can you wrap me?" She asked sighing.
"How did this happen?" I asked taking the gauze from her. I started wrapping her waist.
"The idiot who shoved me into glass did. It wasn't just my blood in Sunn's house." She said groaning. I finished wrapping her and tossed it on the bed. She put her sweatshirt down and turned to me.
"What?" She asked.
"We're going to Charleston, early in the morning. You in?" I said nodding.
"Does dad want me to go?" She asked crossing her arms. I cleared my throat. I knew if I lied she would catch me in it.
"Probably not, but you are a part of this family and we're doing this together." I told her. She nodded and looked down.
"If he doesn't want me there, then it's fine. I'm okay with not being a part of the search. I'll just chill here, hang with the others and go on about my day." She said shrugging. Dad knocked on the door.
"You're going with us. I won't keep my daughter from an adventure." He said leaning against the door frame.
"Dad." She started.
"You're going and that's final." He said nodding. She nodded.
"We should get some sleep for the ride." He said.
"Yeah, we should." I agreed. They nodded but I knew Ronnie wasn't going to be sleeping anymore for the night. The next morning, we left early for Charleston.
"So, the church you're looking for?" Ronnie asked from the back.
"Was built in the 1800's. It's holding the other half of the idol." He told her.
"Well according to history of Charleston in my book, the church was taken down after an earthquake in 1886. All the relics, crosses, anything inside would have been taken to the museum." She told us.
"What does a book know." Dad scoffed.
"Well." She started. I cleared my throat and she stopped. I looked back at her and she rolled her eyes. We parked on the street and got out the Twinkie. We walked to the 17th society street.
"Alright, 17th church with a graveyard." Dad said looking at his phone. I looked across the street at the Thai food restaurant.
"17th you said." I said pointing across the road. He looked and shook his head. Ronnie and I walked across the road.
"No. This can't be right." He said as he followed us.
"Cause we've been right so many times. Why would we be wrong now, dad?" I asked sighing.
"Don't get smart with me. I don't need that right now, boy. This doesn't make any sense. This should be a church with a graveyard, not a Thai restaurant." He said. Ronnie walked up to a sign and leaned against it.
"Hey, great explorer? Look." I told him. He looked at Ronnie and walked up.
"Well, I'll be damn, darling. You are good for something." He told her. She scoffed and walked off down the road to the car. We drove out to the Museum and walked in. Ronnie grabbed my arm and pulled me over to a map.
"Dad's got to weasel his way into some information, we got to stay back." She whispered. I nodded and we looked over the map. Dad whistled at us and we followed him out the door.
"We need a key card to get into the archives across town. There's a lady we can steal it from." Dad said once we got inside the Twinkie.
"Rob an old lady? Really?" I asked.
"Temporarily acquire an object that has no value to her and is essential to us." He explained. Two women started walking down the sidewalk.
"There she is. Orange dress. Game time kids." He said. He pulled a gun and cocked it.
"No. What are you doing?" I asked sitting up.
"Do you know where we are? We are on the hot damn Hillary Step, okay, boy? One beat away from the mountaintop. We can't let a little thing like armed robbery get in the way. Now I taught you how to shoplift right?" He argued.
"Really bringing that up?" I scoffed.
"But that came in handy when I was gone didn't it?" He asked.
"No my sister covered for us." I argued.
"Here's another lesson. A little baby step. Look what happened out at sea, let it go. It was either us or them. What did you want me to do? Right now, we got another thing going." He told me.
"You want to hold up some old lady? In broad daylight?" I asked.
"Not me, you." He said handing me the gun.
"Me? Your son? To go hold up the old lady?" I asked scoffing. I heard Ronnie groan in annoyance.
"I need you to trust me on this. Look it's empty." He said showing me the gun. I nodded and sighed. The lady headed for her car. The back door slid open and I saw Ronnie getting out.
"No, Veronica! Veronica Bailey Routledge!" Dad snapped at her. Her boot was off her leg and she was holding her side. She was running to the woman.
"Help me! Please! Help me! He's after me! I tried losing him, but I couldn't! I don't! Please you got to help me!" She cried to the woman. She and the woman fell to the ground as she fell into her. Once the lady got up to run for help, Ronnie got up and came back over to us.
"What the hell was that?" He asked her. She held up the key card.
"Got the key card, didn't I?" She said panting. He laughed and took it from her. She groaned and flopped back into the back.
"Foot or side?" I asked her. She just groaned and I nodded.
"Both it is." I said.
"You've been around JJ to long, Veronica." Dad said pulling off.
"You make it sound like a bad thing, pops." She said sighing. We drove off to the archives. We parked and waited for less people to be there.
"Grit?" Dad offered me.
"No, I'm good." I said shaking my head.
"Ah, atta boy." He said lighting up. It was quiet for a few minutes.
"You know all faults aside, it is nice to be back together with you. The both of you." He said looking between me and Ronnie.
"Yeah, it is." I agreed. Ronnie just moaned in assurance. I wasn't happy that I watched him off two men yesterday or that he tried to get me to mug some old lady. Ronnie sat back while we went inside. We searched all the archeology spots and almost gave up till I found the one box labeled miscellaneous. It contained the other block we needed. The car was moved when we got out.
"Shit. Where's your sister?" Dad asked looking around. The Twinkie screeched to a stop in front of us. We noticed a freshly busted lip.
"What happened?" Dad asked getting in. He pushed her to the back.
"Some nut job tried to run off with the Twinkie. Doesn't anyone ever check the backseat?" She said huffing.
"You took care of him?" I asked looking at her.
"You still have your car, don't you?" She scoffed at me.
"Where is he now?" Dad asked.
"He ran after I kicked him out." She said. Dad sped off.
"Now where?" Ronnie asked.
"Carla Limbrey's house." Dad said.
"What?" She asked sitting up quickly.
"For helping me find my kids, I told her I'd find the shroud." He said.
"The healing garment that cures all maladies, supposedly in the cross. Is that what you're referring too?" I said looking at him.
"That's the one. But it wasn't in the cross. She checked. That's how I convinced her I had a bead on it." He said.
"The bugs ate the magic scarf, as Rafe put it." Ronnie said. He pulled down a few houses down. We got out and started walking.
"Do you have a bead on this magic healing garment?" I asked.
"Currently I have zero beads. I don't have a single magic garment that can heal all maladies. Oh, by the way, that shroud she's after, it's a known hoax." He said opening some gates.
"You got a plan?" I asked.
"Yup. We are going to prevaricate our way out of a pickle." He said smacking me on the shoulder. I looked at him confused.
"I don't know what that means." I said.
"Bullshit our way out of it. Make it up and make her believe." Ronnie said from beside me.
"Right. Just play along and jump in when needed." Dad said going to the doors. He knocked and the Carla answered.
"Hi." He told her.
"Hi." She said.
"You tried to take my ride." He said nodding.
"I had to get your attention. I tracked your phone, your boat too." She said.
"Just checking. I came down here to see you, of course." He said smiling.
"Oh. Is that so?" She asked. I placed my hand on Ronnie's shoulder and squeezed.
"That is so.. so. But first, lookee there." He said looking at us.
"Oh, hey, Mrs. Limbrey, what's up?" I said waving. She gave a small smile.
"You found your kids." She told him.
"I did." He said nodding. We walked up to them.
"And you found your father. How fortunate. That bond, so precious, so fleeting." She said. She welcomed us inside. We walked inside and she took us to the balcony. A guy stood there with a broken nose and a bruising eye. He glared at Ronnie.
"You little bitch." He said stepping towards us. She stepped towards him. Then dad stepped between us as I grabbed her arms and pulled her behind me.
"Watch who you talk too like that. That's my daughter." He snapped at him.
"Romero, go." Limbrey told him. He walked off inside.
"You must be obsessed with people whose name begins with R's." Ronnie said sitting down.
"How's Rafe, Veronica? Where's he at now?" Limbrey asked. She chuckled and smiled.
"How's Renfield? Oh, wait. He's probably done became the gators dinner by now. If I ever see Rafe again, I'll tell him you said thanks for getting rid of him." She said eyeing Limbrey. There was always one thing no one ever done, and that was to try to rile her up.
"Veronica, enough." Dad told her. He went on to bullshit his way through a story about the shroud. She believed she could walk on her own and she did. We left the house and got in the Twinkie. We got home late and went to bed. The next day everyone was at the house. Kie, JJ, and Pope.
"It was a dead end. A dry hole." I explained to everyone. Dad was in the hammock nodding to me.
"So, the gold, the cross, and now EL Dorado. We're 3 for 3 guys." Pope said nodding. He laughed and chucked the stick he had in his hand. Him and Kie walked off. JJ stood up too.
"JJ." Ronnie said.
"I'm going fishing. Thanks for the beer, cupcake." He told her. He kissed her head and walked off. I got up and walked over to the old chair. I stared off at the water. I looked back and saw Ronnie and dad at the tree.
"Come on, kids. We got a 500- year old quest calling." Dad said.
"I can't. Topper is coming to get me. I have an appointment to get too." Ronnie told him.
"For what? Your leg or side?" I asked her.
"Leg Therapy." She said nodding.
"Right. Uh, you go. Your brother and I can go do this." He told her. She nodded and kissed my cheek then dads.
"I'll call you guys later." She said going to up to the house. Dad and I walked to the Twinkie and got in. We drove off.
"What's your sisters deal with that Topper kid?" He asked me.
"He's been there for her when I wasn't. He saved her from being taken by DCS, he was by her side in the hospital, he's been her friend." I said shrugging.
"Hope she doesn't trust him like that Cameron kid." He said. I sighed.
Veronica's POV
I sat in the passenger seat of Topper's jeep as I stared at the therapist office. My doctor wanted me to start seeing one since Dad was back and the nightmares, everything.
"I'm not going in there." I told Topper.
"Ronnie." He started. I shook my head at him.
"No. I'm not doing it and you can't make me." I told him. He sighed and got out of the Jeep. He came around the car and opened my door.
"I'll get you ice cream, if you go inside." He told me. I scoffed at him. I crossed my arms and shook my head.
"The good ice cream? You know, the marina ice cream?" I asked him. He laughed.
"Yes, the good ice cream. With sprinkles and whipped cream if you don't punch the therapist." He teased.
"What if I just call her a bitch?" I asked as I slid out.
"Then no sprinkles." He said shutting the door. I groaned and he walked me inside. We sat a few minutes until I got called.
"I'll be right here." Topper told me. I nodded and walked to the back. I sat on the couch and crossed my arms.
"Good morning, Ms. Routledge. How're you today?" The lady asked me.
"Fine." I said.
"Now Ms. Routledge, I just want you to know that this is a safe space. Everything you and I talk about is just between you and I." She said sitting down.
"Okay." I said nodding.
"Good. Let's get started." She said opening a file.
"Now, it says here you were supposed to start therapy after your last accident, when you lost your memory. Why didn't you start?" She asked me.
"I didn't know I was supposed to. I was staying at the Cameron's." I said. I shook my head.
"Do you think Ward had something to do with it?" She asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, he did. He was mine and my brother's guardian there for a minute so obviously he did." I said scoffing.
"Your father is alive and back in your life? How do you feel about that?" She asked.
"How anyone else would feel. Relieved, happy." I said shrugging.
"Is he with you today?" She asked.
"No." I answered.
"How about your brother?" She asked.
"Nope. They're off doing father/son things." I told her.
"Does that upset you?" She asked.
"Why would it? He and dad were always closer to each other than he was with me. So no, it doesn't upset me." I said shaking my head. She nodded and wrote something down.
"Now Veronica, I'm going to be honest with you. I do require a family therapy session towards the end, just to get a feel of things from all parties." She said.
"No need. They'll just say we don't need some lady telling us about our feelings when we can just do that at home." I said huffing.
"How is home, by the way? Being back there after your attack?" She asked.
"Fine." I said.
"No panic attacks, sleep is good? You're able to walk past the spot where you were without panicking?" She asked.
"Yup." I answered.
"There's no need to lie to me, Veronica. This is a safe space." She told me.
"It's fine. Honestly." I said putting my hands in my lap.
"Let's do this. Since you've been back, with your memory, how many panic attacks have you had?" She asked.
"A few." I answered. She nodded.
"You were missing along with your brother for a month. On a deserted island. Any panic attacks there?" She asked.
"Several." I said sighing.
"Nightmares?" She asked.
"Plenty." I said. She nodded and kept on questioning me. I walked out at the end of the session with a hand stress dummy. She told me to use it when I felt angry or a panic attack coming. Topper stood up as I walked into the lobby.
"Hey. How'd it go?" He asked me.
"I was so good she gave me a toy." I said holding up the stress dummy. He laughed and nodded.
"Five minutes with that thing and it's going to lose it's head. Come on. I promised you ice cream." He said sighing. We walked out to the Jeep and got in.
"Think it'll last long?" I asked looking at the toy.
"Nope." He answered. I laughed and placed it on his dash.
"There. Now he has a home where he won't lose his head." I said smiling. He nodded and looked at it.
"Decorating my truck now?" He teased.
"Besides the driver it needs something else cute to look at." I said shrugging. He pulled something off his dash and handed it to me. It was a picture of me and him at Midsummers.
"Who took this?" I asked.
"One of my friends did. I liked it. So I put it on my dash." He said taking it back. I hummed and nodded. We drove over to the marina. I waved at Holly and she waved back.
"Hey girl. When you coming back?" She asked me.
"As soon as the doctors give me the green light." I said laughing. I felt Topper's hand on my lower back.
"Hey Topper." She said nodding.
"Hey." He told her.
"So your usual ice cream?" She asked us.
"Yes please." We said. She nodded and got to work.
"Add whipped cream and sprinkles to hers also please." Topper said to Holly. I laughed and clapped my hands.
"Yay! I feel so special." I said smirking. He laughed. We got our ice cream and he paid. We went over and sat down in some chairs.
"So what did the therapist ask you?" He asked.
"The usual. The month we were missing, the nightmares, the panic attacks, my sleeping problems, etc." I said shrugging.
"When's your next appointment?" He asked.
"Next Wednesday. Towards the end she wants to do a family session." I said rolling my eyes.
"Good luck with that." He scoffed.
"That's what I said." I said nodding. I looked over at him.
"Thank you, Topper. For everything. Really." I told him.
"It's no problem." He said shaking his head. I dipped my spoon into my ice cream and held it up to him.
"Here. Try this. It's amazing." I told him. He grabbed the spoon and took the bite. He nodded.
"That's disgusting. What is that?" He asked chuckling. I laughed and took my spoon back from him. I took a bite of mine.
"So it's chocolate, vanilla, cookies and cream, butter pecan, and the caramel swirl." I said smiling.
"How are you not disgusted by that?" He asked.
"I think it's my amazing taste buds." I said laughing. He dipped his spoon in his and handed it to me. I took it and took the bite. I cringed but swallowed.
"That's gross! What is that?" I asked.
"Mint chocolate chip." He said.
"That's gross. Nothing chocolate should ever be mint." I said shaking my head. He laughed and took his spoon.
"I like it." He said. He and I finished our ice cream and went for a walk down the pier.
"So, you're okay? All the way?" He asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Aside from the stitches on my side, the boot on my foot, I'm good." I told him.
"Good." He said nodding. We were walking past a boat when someone whistled at us. We stopped and looked to our right. It was Rafe.
"Well, if it isn't Topper and little Routledge." Rafe said taking off his sunglasses.
"Hey, man." Topper said nodding.
"Come on aboard." He said nodding us up. Topper looked at me.
"You wanna go up?" He asked.
"You can. I can call John B or Kie to pick me up." I said nodding.
"I don't have to go." He said.
"No. He's your friend, go. It's okay." I said. I leaned up and kissed his cheek. I looked up at Rafe and flipped him off. He smiled.
"Look I'll take you home, five minutes, okay? Just to be civil and we'll be on our way." Topper told me. I sighed and looked up at Rafe.
"Do I have to talk to him?" I asked.
"No. Want me to go get the stress thing?" He said.
"No. I just won't talk to him." I said. He grabbed my hand and pulled me on aboard. We sat down and Rafe looked around.
"Drink?" He asked us.
"I'll take one. Ronnie?" Topper asked.
"No thanks." I said shaking my head. Rafe nodded and went to fix him and Topper drinks. I looked at Topper as he touched my leg. I nodded that I was fine. Rafe handed Top his drink and flopped down on the other seat.
"You two love birds just strolling around? Looking for a boat?" He asked smirking.
"No. We just had ice cream and decided to walk around." Topper answered.
"Did you feed each other?" He asked. Topper squeezed my leg and I just cleared my throat.
"What have you been up to today?" Topper asked him.
"Just hanging." He said shrugging. He nodded.
"Okay. I'm gonna go. You two have fun. Top, I'll call you okay?" I said looking at him. He nodded. I kissed his cheek and stood up.
"No kiss for me?" Rafe teased. I rolled my eyes and walked off the boat. I was walking down the pier when someone grabbed me. I went to scream when they covered my mouth.
"Shut up." A man snapped at me. I threw my head back and hit them. He grunted and let me go. I turned around and kicked him in the jewels. He grunted. It was the man from the ship. One of Singhs men. I went to run but he grabbed me and slammed me on the ground. I groaned and gasped. He hit me a couple times before I kicked him with my knee. I pushed him off and jumped up. I took off running then he started shooting at me. I screamed, ducked and kept running. Topper and Rafe were stepping off the boat as I ran.
"Ronnie? Ronnie!" Topper said grabbing me.
"They. He. Shoot." I said gasping.
"Get her on the boat." Rafe told Topper. I was dragged on the boat and sat on the ground. I pulled my knees up and hugged myself. Rafe told us to be quiet while he looked out.
"Ronnie. Ronnie! Look at me. Who was it? Huh?" Rafe asked me.
"Singh. His men." I mumbled. He groaned.
"Top? Where's your car?" He asked him.
"Around the corner in the lot." He said.
"No! No! He's not going out there!" I argued. Rafe grabbed my head in his hands.
"Baby, I need you to trust me on this. Okay? We're all going to the car, okay?" He said nodding. I looked at him. He was telling me the truth. I nodded. He nodded and stood up. We got up and I grabbed Topper's hand. We jumped off the boat and ran to Topper's jeep. We took off.
"Oh god. John B. John B! My dad!" I said panicking. I crawled over the console and grabbed my bag from the floor. I fell back in the back.
"My phone. Top!" I said digging through it. He held it up and I grabbed it from him. I was shaking and I could barely dial their numbers.
"They're not answering. They're not. Why aren't they answering!" I screamed. I kept trying their phones.
"Where do I go?" Topper asked.
"Tanney Hill. My house." Rafe and I said. He looked back at me and shook his head.
"No, we're going to Tanney Hill." He argued.
"I'm not going there. Topper take me to my house." I argued.
"Go to Tanney Hill." He told him. Topper looked between us.
"How do we know they're not waiting for you at your place, Ronnie?" He asked looking back at me. I scoffed and flopped back in the seat.
"Déjà vu, huh?" Rafe asked chuckling. He picked up my stress toy off the dash.
"What the hell is this thing?" He asked. I reached forward and grabbed it. I ripped the head off and handed it back to him.
"It's name was Rafe." I snapped.
"I told you it wasn't going to last long." Topper said sighing. I tried JJ's phone, but he didn't answer. I groaned and called Kie and Pope neither answered.
"Still no answer?" Topper asked me.
"No. Not from Kie, Pope, JJ or John B." I said biting my lip. We pulled up to Tanney Hill and got out. I turned to walk away but Rafe grabbed my arm and turned me to the house.
"Don't touch me." I said pulling away.
"Then get inside." He said pointing to the house. I crossed my arms and stood there. He sighed angrily.
"Either you walk or I drag your ass inside. Those are your two choices." He told me.
"I'll walk." I said turning back around.
"Veronica get inside the house now!" He yelled at me. I ignored him. I heard someone run up to me and turn me around.
"I know you don't want to be around Rafe right now. But you almost got kidnapped. Again." Topper said.
"The last time I was with Rafe, I was gone a month. Excuse me for not wanting to be in the same house with him again." I scoffed.
"I get it, he's not the one to be around right now. But you are bleeding and we need to get it fixed." He told me. I looked down at my shirt. My shorts and shirt were soaked.
"Great. Just great." I said huffing. He nodded as we walked to the house.
"What did you do? Bribe her with a cookie?" Rafe scoffed.
"First aid kit you prick." I told him. Topper took me to the bathroom and stood there.
"Take your shirt off. I'll turn around." He said clearing his throat.
"Topper I'm sure you've seen me in a bikini top before." I said chuckling.
"I have. I mean. I have but. Uh. You were cleaning the boat at the time." He stuttered out. He turned around. I hissed as I tried to lift my shirt above my head.
"Topper." I groaned. I felt his hands help me lift my shirt the rest of the way off. His eyes trailed over my body. We both jumped when Rafe dropped the kit on the counter.
"Interrupting something?" He asked.
"Yeah. He was about to help me take off my shorts. Got a problem with that?" I scoffed. He glared at me.
"I'm gonna go grab you some clothes from the car." Topper said clearing his throat. Then he walked out. I huffed and looked at Rafe.
"What?" I asked.
"Take your shorts off. I need to clean your side." He said opening the kit.
"I can clean it." I said.
"Do you not trust me?" He asked turning to me.
"I don't know Rafe. You kidnapped me, drugged me, hit me, used me, shot a gun at me! So, you tell me if I should trust you?" I snapped.
"Are you ever gonna trust me again?" He asked.
"Probably not. Depends on your actions and words, then maybe one day." I said shrugging. He nodded and sniffled. Topper came in and handed me a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and my bag.
"I gotta go. But I'll call you okay?" He told me. I nodded. He kissed my cheek.
"Take care of her okay? And if she goes missing again, I'll hunt you down." He told Rafe. He nodded and Topper left. I grabbed the scissors from the kit and cut off my bandages. I hissed when I pulled back the bandage. I cleaned the area. Rafe's hand touched my side.
"You popped a stitch or two. I think I have some new-skin in here." Rafe said. He held it up. I had to keep my mind clear. Being here, half naked in front of him with him looking at me like that. Made me feel like jelly.
"Why did you come back?" I asked him.
"Finish up some business for dad." He said.
"Does that include offing me and my family? My friends?" I asked clearing my throat. I took the bottle from him and opened it.
"No. Sell everything and go back to where he is." He answered. I looked at him. He was telling me the truth.
"Oh." I said nodding. I looked down to apply it but he stopped me.
"Let me. The shorts are gonna rub so you may want to take them off." He said. He took the bottle from me and sat it on the counter. He turned around. I bit my lip and slid my shorts. I was left in my bathing suit top and bottoms.
"Okay." I said nervously. He turned around and his eyes roamed. He cleared his throat then lifted me onto the counter. He grabbed the bottle and applied the new skin to my side.
"I don't have any wrap." He said.
"I got some in my bag." I said nodding to it. He picked it up and handed it to me. I dug through it and held it up.
"They gave me some when I first went to get stitched. Then I took some more as a just incase." I said chuckling. He wrapped me up then helped me down. His hands remained at my waist. I looked up at him as one hand touched my cheek.
"I'm sorry." He told me.
"For what?" I asked.
"Everything. From using you to shooting at you. I never wanted to hurt you." He said. I went to step back but he tightened his hands and pulled me closer. Now I couldn't breathe. He was suffocating all my senses. He smelt good, his body heat was there. I placed my hands on his chest.
"Rafe." I said panting.
"Tell me to stop and I will, Ronnie. Just tell me." He said. He leaned down and kissed me. It was a light kiss then he pulled back. We looked at each other. I leaned up and kissed him again. He turned us and my back tapped the counter. He lifted me back on it and deepened the kiss. I pulled back after a second and slid my hands down to the bottom of his polo. He lifted his arms up as I pulled it up. I tossed it to the side and he kissed me again.
"Bedroom?" He asked. I nodded. He carried us to his room and laid us down on the bed, were we stayed most of the night.