Another Morning

Here's an edited version of the story. Hopefully the paragraph spacing is better. Make sure to vote and comment please! Thanks for sticking with me.

--~~--

The hospital was a foreboding structure that stood before me. It looked like it had a life of it's own, looking down upon me as if it wanted to do me harm. In the past, the building had never appeared so unapproachable, but the last time I was here my mother was barely holding onto her life before she gave up the fight eighteen hours after the accident.

Justin's room was located on the third floor. I marched to his room with conviction and even more fear. The thought of retreating never crossed my mind. To just wait at home like Jared wanted while he took care of everything. Except that Kaden was important to me, and this was entirely my fault.

As I drew closer to the lion's den, I could hear strange noises coming from the room: a few moans, some squeals, and gasps. I pressed my front up against the wall next to the doorframe. Taking a breath, I cautiously looked into the room. My jaw dropped, first in horror and then in disgust. Justin did look like he had the crap beat out of him. One eye was swollen shut and bruised and he winced every time he pulled out of the nurse and pumped back in.

I straightened up and stared at the wall in front of me. Questions flitted through my mind. How did Justin get beat up? Did he do it to himself or paid someone to do it? Then an evil, yet all too fitting idea appeared in my head. I brought out my cell phone and took a few pictures. They might not be able to help the current situation, but it definitely could not hurt.

Patiently I waited for the sounds of lust to come to a crescendo of sickening completion. It took a while before I heard her louder than normal scream and his drawn out groan.

A grimace washed over my features seeing the two of them naked. Escaping his clutches last time, I had assumed that I would not bare witness to his nudity again. As if hearing, let alone witnessing, him have sex was bad enough to haunt my nightmares for the rest of my living days.

I stepped under the doorway and leaned against the frame. Since I was the one doing the confrontation this time, I opted for the dramatic entrance. The nurse was draped on top of him. A smile upon her face and she hugged him to her just a little tighter than before. What lies did he tell this one to make her his sex slave so quickly?

My clapping hands were like gunshots in the sterile room. Their disoriented eyes searched out the unfamiliar sound. His snake like gaze lit upon me first, a knowing smirk grew from his cracked lips. It was a shame that whoever did that too him did not take out a few of his teeth in the process.

The nurse followed his gaze to me, she stared for a while in genuine confusion, and then she gasped in indignation and scrambled off him. To my satisfaction I heard a grunt for the jerk as the nurse's knee struck a sensitive area on his body.

As she did an entertaining acrobatic act to get back into her underwear and scrubs, she shot me a superior look. "You're not supposed to be here, it's after visiting hours."

I lifted a brow and looked down my nose at her. Some people have no common sense. "I'm not allowed here after hours, yet you're allowed to give patients under your care 'special treatment' while you're on duty? Maybe I should go find the head nurse to see if she approves of your methods?"

Horror flitted across her face. I had to hand it to the tart; she did well to keep her composure. "You can have ten minutes to talk." She gritted the words through her teeth. I assumed that it was anger, but I saw her glance Justin's way. She flicked her eyes back to me and I understood that it was actually jealousy.

With a glance at the clock on my cell phone, I had about forty minutes before Tabitha called the police. "I'll need half an hour." She was about to argue, but I cut her off. "The 'poor beat-up man' in question had the stamina to satisfy you sexually. I'm sure he has enough strength reserved for a friendly chat."

Her cheeks turned red and she marched out of the room. I took it as a sign that things were going well. Now that the female she-tiger was out of the way, it was time to deal with the odious boar.

Justin flashed me a toothy smile, kind enough to cover up his limp friend while nurse Barbie doll and I had our little discussion. "Are you sure you'll be happy with only a half an hour? I could last forty-five minutes tops, but if you're in a hurry..."

"Shut up." My command caught him off guard and he looked at me as if I were a stranger. In our regrettable history, I had never raised my voice to him. I had been as meek as a mouse. He must have thought that I would revert to my old ways since Kaden was nowhere around. "You know why I'm here."

His chuckle had an evil essence to it. "I did you a favor, Alex. The man was using you. Honestly, did you actually believe a man like him didn't want to use you? You're ugly and you know it. Any normal man doesn't have the courage to look at you directly for any length of time. That's why it was so easy for me to use you the way I did. No one else would have you"

Anger lent me inhuman strength as my hand shot out and wrapped around his throat. He stopped laughing and looked at me in horror. "Drop the charges and get the hell out of my life. You come back and I'll make sure you have the prominent spot as the bitch for the entire population of the penitentiary two towns over."

Justin's features reformed into a sneer. "I hold all the cards, Alex. Your thug is about to be sued for everything he's worth. This is the lawsuit capital of America, after all. Although, I'd be more than happy to make a monetary deal with you to make sure I don't do that. I suggest you let go of me or I doubt I'll be in the mood to make that deal."

I let the creep go, to free my hand so I could take out my cell phone. "There won't be any deals, Justin. You definitely won't be winning any lawsuits if you decide to go that way. In fact, I'm petty sure there's some law you just broke fucking a nurse while swearing my boyfriend beat you within an inch of your life."

He laughed manically. "As if your word will be anything against all my injuries. That was a bad last ditch effort, Alex."

I quirked an eyebrow, an action that he use to hate and still did. "You think I don't have any proof?" I brandished my camera phone before him like a magic wand. Flipping it open, I found the pictures I had taken of his interlude and showed it to him at a safe distance. "It's called a camera phone, and I took a lot of pictures. I'm pretty sure that I have shots of your face and the nurse's face."

The screen of my phone was small and I doubted he could see much, but what he did see was enough to bring my bluff across. I did not actually know if the pictures could help me. Having military and police officers in my family, I regrettably lacked their knowledge in the matters of which I spoke, but I they were well connected. There was great conviction in my heart that told me that my family would find a way to make Justin pay if he did not heed my warning. Hopefully it would not come to any of that if I could play Justin for the sucker he was.

He cursed fluently and with great hostility. I was hoping it was a sign that he gave up. "As I stated, drop the charges and we can forget this whole mess, or I'll make the rest of your life a living hell."

Justin scoffed at me. "Like it hasn't already been a living hell. After you stopped taking my phone calls and stopped sending money, I had to resort to drastic measures to stay alive. I didn't do all this damage to myself!" Spit came out of his mouth when he yelled the last sentence.

"You may not have done the damage to yourself, but you didn't prevent it either. I gave you plenty of time to establish yourself. Instead, you squandered the money and relied on me to continue to supply your income. You can't say that I didn't warn you. Now, I'm going to call my uncle and tell him that you're dropping the charges." What I did not tell Justin was that Jared would also make sure that there was no trace of Kaden's arrest after this. If there was any chance that Kaden would be family in the future, and there was a real possibility from where I stood, then it would not do to have a blemish anywhere near the family. That was the way we did things.

"Fucking bitch! Call your damn uncle and lets get this over with." He glared at me and I knew he was going to make a last effort to appeal to my softer side. "Don't be surprised if your precious uncle learns that they found my dead body because of you."

I punched in my uncle's cell phone number while shaking my head at Justin. "It wouldn't be because of me, it would be your own fault. The moment I met Kaden I released the guilt and responsibility I felt towards you regarding my actions."

Needless to say Jared was not too happy when I told him where I was. Instead of going over to the hospital himself, he contacted some friends in the nearby department close to the hospital Justin was in. He stated that he would stay at the station where Kaden was currently locked up until word came that he was free to go.

After that I called Tabitha. I had five minutes left to tell her that everything was fine and that she did not need to call the police. In fact, she was more than happy with the outcome, but still made a point to tell me how bad it could have turned out. While she was lecturing, I thought about how bad it could have turned out. If I would have let my backbone slip, if I did not have such a protective instinct when it came to Kaden, the situation could have quickly slid into dangerous ground. I guess I showed myself just how important he was to me. That meant that it was time to break down all the walls that were holding me back. It was amazing how many conclusions a person could come too while being lectured.

I heard footsteps coming through the corridor and told Tabitha I would call her back tomorrow to tell her the rest of what happened. Yet, after everything that had occurred, I was surprised to meet one of the two officers that stepped into the room. My eldest cousin marched straight up to me, scowling. Why was it that all the men in my family always greeted me with a scowl instead of a smile?

"He's not happy with you." Dylan said instead of a warm "hello."

"I know he's not happy with me, but he's going to have to deal." I was starting to get angry at the male highhandedness.

He looked down his nose at me. "That boyfriend of yours is not happy with you either. I'M not happy with you."

"Like I care. I believe the man in the bed has something to say to you. You're supposed to be questioning him, not bullying me."

Dylan gave a disdainful sniff and turned toward the bed. His partner, silent and standing in the corner viewed me with amusement. She had laughing eyes as they traveled back to my cousin. A question suddenly came into them as she watched her partner talk with Justin. She meandered over to me and stood beside me.

"Hi!" Her voice was cheery for a police officer. Maybe a sunny disposition was her way of coping with her everyday reality? "I'm Bethany, Beth for short. I'm your cousin's partner." We shook hands and I could not help but like her.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Alex, his cousin." I smiled back at her; it was not hard. She was very easy going.

"I've heard of you. He's said your name often in grumbles and only after he's talked with his mother, which he often does." She winked at me.

"Really?" My eyebrows rose. I had often doubted my importance in the family.

Beth nodded. Her eyes reverted back to Dylan; they had a dreamy quality to them. The feelings I read in them were plain to see. I wondered if there was anything going on between them. "It's the only time I've ever seen him remotely protective over a woman that wasn't his mother."

"He's a hard ass, head full of rocks. In theory, he's a good guy though. Most of the men in the family are good men. I think if you're just as stubborn and chase him down like a dog, metaphorically speaking, you would get him."

She looked at me in surprise, gave me a little smile of understanding, and looked back at him. Dylan was done with his conversation with my loathsome ex. He came back to me.

"We'll see what we can do about getting that boyfriend of yours released." He stared at me as if trying to come to a decision. Then awkwardly bent down to hug me. "Call my mom in the near future. She worries about you."

Beth and Dylan headed out of the room. When they found I was not following, they stopped and turned to me.

"You coming?" Dylan asked in a gruff manner.

"In a minute. I want to say good-bye." They headed out the door to give me some privacy; I knew they were within hearing distance if I needed help.

Justin lay in his bed, a little pale. He must have been thinking over the trouble he was in when he got out of the protective environment of the hospital. Now that he had no sufficient income, legal or otherwise, the people who beat him up were probably going to kill him next. That was just what I imagined. Not that I knew what would actually happen to him...just that it was not going to be nice.

"You've signed my death warrant. With no money, they'll kill me." There was pleading in his eyes.

I sighed. "Justin, you're like a cockroach. There's no killing you, there's no leaving you behind, and there's no keeping you in the dark. You'll find some way to get that money. Maybe some female who was as idiotic as I use to be. I have every faith in you."

His hands knotted the hospital sheets. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because life isn't fair to good people. Horrible people like you nearly always come out ahead. The reason why you didn't get away with it this time is because I had help." It was a cynical view, but there was truth to it.

I started walking to the door. "Don't come near me ever again. I'm going to hold onto these pictures just in case." I left the room before he could say anything more. It was like firmly shutting a door on my past.

--~~--

My house was quiet when I entered. The sense of danger was gone. All that was left was the verbal greetings of my cat and a bone deep weariness that only came with the emotional rollercoaster that I had been on.

It was midnight and I was a little revolted with myself. Normally I did not go to bed until late on the weekends. Maybe I was getting old. Shaking my head and smiling ruefully, I was not getting old; it was just that my life somehow changed to add the worries of another person. Worrying took a lot of energy.

I stripped to my underwear, put on my pajamas, and slipped between the sheets of my heavenly bed. Kaden would probably go straight to his apartment. He had a worse day than I did. Making a mental note to call him as soon as I got up, I went to sleep and had sexual dreams with Kaden as the leading man.

--~~--

A sound dragged me from my sleep, which was odd since I slept like the dead. The sound was light, something I would have missed if the house had not been completely quiet. Instinctively, I placed the rustling sound as coming from my living room. Then it moved to the hallway, I tensed now fully awake. My hand inched toward my glasses, after I soundlessly slipped them on, my hand wrapped around the handle of the baseball bat I kept close to my bed.

I heard the intruder pause at the opposite side of my bed. Without another thought I flipped over using my momentum to swing the bat in a wide arch. The intruder ducked out of the way at the last second, and the bat landed on the mattress with a dull thud. A hand shot out and grabbed the tip of the bat that was over the edge of the bed. I wrestled with my would-be assailant until I heard a growl of frustration.

"Damn it, Alex, stop it!" It was a command that was barely a restrained yell. I recognized the voice immediately.

"Kaden? Why aren't you at your apartment passed out?" I was truly confused as to why he was in my house, and how he got in. My decision to give him a copy of the key was made a few days ago, but I forgot to give it to him.

I could easily see in the dark so it was no trouble spotting the top half of his head peaking at me from the side of my bed. His glittering eyes were menacing and I had plenty of guys look at me like that to know I was in for another lecture. Most likely it would be something along the lines of: "When I tell you to stay locked safely in your house, I mean stay in the house! I don't mean waltz out of it and walk straight into danger. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Admittedly, my heart added that last part. I did not know if he cared for me so much that the thought of me walking into possible danger would give him a heart attack. A girl could hope.

He yanked the baseball bat away from me and put it safely out of my reach. Then he got off the floor and stood over the bed with his arms crossed, still glaring at me. It was then that I noticed that he was in nothing but his boxer shorts. That brought to mind some interesting potential. Maybe I could try some amateur seduction and make him forget that he was angry with me.

"I needed to find out for myself to make sure that you were alright. Your uncle gave me a lift and let me in. Didn't I tell you to stay put?" He sounded a little exasperated near the end.

I could not help myself, the smart-ass side of me decided to make an appearance. "Actually you told me to lock the doors and windows. I don't remember you telling me to actually stay in the house."

Kaden kneeled on the bed to come closer to me. He put is hands on my shoulders and actually shook me a little. "Don't play with me, woman! You knew what I meant yet you went to that freaking hospital where that jerk was playing at being incapacitated. He could have hurt you!"

Did he actually call me "woman"? "If it's any help, I did have a back-up plan. Tabitha gave me a specific time limit to call her in, and if she didn't hear from me, she was going to call the police." I shrugged off his hands.

He scoffed. "He could have killed you by the time the police had arrived, or worse."

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. There was no reasoning with a man once he was fired up and angry. Guess seduction was my only option. Courtesan I was not, but could a man really say no to a woman stripping for him?

I started to unbutton my shirt while Kaden ranted. His eyes looked down at my exposed breasts and I could hear some of the stutters in his speech. Biting the inside of my lip to hide my smile, I continued with my pajama bottoms. He stopped speaking after that, barely managed a gulp.

"What are you doing?" Leave it to a man to ask a stupid question.

With an innocent doe-eyed expression, I stopped my pajama bottoms mid-thigh. "I thought I would save time and undress now. That way we could just get down to the lovemaking after you were done with your lecture."

His look went blank. I was proud of myself because this time I knocked him off guard, something he made a habit of doing to me. He closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. "Don't kid about that. I showed amazing restraint the other night."

I smiled at him, tilting my head. "That's nice to know you were thinking about me."

"What happened to nice and slow, breaking down barriers, that sort of thing?" He dropped his crossed arms, fisting his hands.

As I finished pulling off my pajama bottoms, I thought of when it was that I made the exact decision. I thought back on my realization in the hospital, and found that the answer was obvious. "The minute I stepped out the door of my house to confront Justin I was making a type of declaration. I would only do something like that for family or very close friends. People that I love."