8 Mile & Rion (7 page)

Decision made, I walk across the hall to tell her Jill was a bad memory and that I’ll do her enforcing. Finally, feeling good about something I’d actually be good at. Feeling positive about telling her how it was going to be, I give the door one knock. When she doesn’t answer, I open it to see her on the floor with her hands around her throat fighting for air.

“Rion!” I yell falling to the floor beside her. “What happened?”

“Threatened me,” she whispers, “said my time was up.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know who,” she says trying to sit up. “Grab my phone and call Rio, please.” Reaching for it I look him up, press his name and hand her the phone. “You,” she says, handing me back the phone with tears in her eyes. Nodding to her I wait for him to pick up.

“Babe,” he says and I ignore the endearment for now.

“Names Loyal, working for Rion. Came in to her office found her on the floor. Unknown was just in here choking her. Told her time was up.”

“I’ll be there in five,” he said, then disconnected.

“He’s on his way,” I tell her, gently pulling her into my lap.

Leaning into me, she takes a deep breath and says, “Thank you, Loyal,” with the most sincere voice I’ve ever heard.

Sitting her up, I move her to her apartment so she can sit on the couch to wait for Rio. Minutes later, he storms in looking as murderous as I feel. What this guy doesn’t get is that she’s upset enough. She doesn’t need to see him like this too. Then once he approaches her, he turns on her and I didn’t like that one bit.

“How did he get the drop on you, Junior?” he accuses and when she looks up, she narrows her eyes but says nothing. “Answer me,” he growls. “You know how to drop a man twice your size. What the fuck happened?”

“I wasn’t focused,” she says quietly. “It won’t happen again.”

“Damn right it won’t,” he declares. “There won’t be an again. Pack up. You’re moving in with me.”

When her eyes go round, I’ve had enough of his bullshit. “She’s safe here,” I tell him.

“Where the fuck were you, my friend?” he growls at me. 

“Don’t,” I warn him. “I didn’t know there was a threat, now I do. Won’t happen again. I’ll kill anyone who tries.”

“I can’t collect and watch you too, Rion,” he says. “You trust this
stranger
to keep you safe?”

“Yes,” she says firmly.

“With your life?” he growls, looking at me, but before I can respond, she looks at Rio and shuts him up.

“He said time was up. You need to help me find out who Senior owed, Rio, because for that guy to come to my place means that we must owe a lot of cash. This guy expected me to know what he was talking about, only I don’t, which means when I don’t pay, he’ll be back. Find out who
he
is and how he got in here.”

“Fuck,” he says, clinching his fists. “You,” he says, looking me in the eyes. “Not out of your sight for one fucking second.”

Nodding to him, then looking at her, I tell them both, but mostly her, “No harm will come to her.”

The irony is not lost on me that though I declared myself her protector, I was also omitting to Rio that I was the same piece of shit who had hurt her twice before. However, I wanted to right my wrongs and I wanted to be with her while I did it.

Rio leaves as quickly as he came and when she yawns, I pull her to me letting her fall asleep in my lap. It was more for me than her, I knew that. I also knew I was so far out of my league it was almost funny.

Except, it wasn’t funny. It was freaking me the fuck out.

‘Good and bad - this is the story of my life.’

~Martha Reeves

Waking up with my face in his crotch was equal parts amusing and mortifying. I don’t even remember falling asleep, which is odd for me considering I’ve never been much of a sleeper. Around him though, I seem to be narcoleptic and handsy. I’d be embarrassed if I wasn’t so
awake
. Despite last night’s events, I’m more alert right now than I’ve been in months. In an effort not to wake him, I try sitting up without him noticing. Lifting my head up thinking I’m in the clear it’s when his eyes meet mine, I squeak in surprise.

So, not asleep then.

“How do you feel?” he asks looking equal parts concerned and amused.

“Huh?” I offer in response.

“Are you in pain?”

Reaching for my throat, I realize I’m not in as much pain as I had expected to be. “Oh uh, no, not really.”

“Gave you a pain pill,” he says clenching his jaw like he’s angry. “It did its job.”

Even when he mentions giving me a pain pill, which I don’t remember asking for, I don’t comment because it’s my position right now that’s painfully awkward. My arms are on either side of his stomach putting me face to face while I hold myself up. His arms were tight around my back until he let go and I swear, for a second, he squeezed tighter. My right knee is inches from his balls and more than anything I want to lean in and lick his bottom lip. The only thing stopping me is the look of pain on his face and the fact that he looks exhausted. Being near me is uncomfortable to him and that’s when I decided that my crushing on someone not interested needs to stop.

“You look tired.” I offer backing up slowly.

“I’m good.” he says bringing his arms to cross over his chest.

“You didn’t sleep, did you?” I ask, remembering him telling me to never come near him when he slept.

“You got shit to do,” he says, looking away from me. “Start doing it.”

Oh no. He may have offered to be my personal pit bull, but I’ll be damned if I’m signing myself up for this pity shit. Pushing him back to the couch when he prepares to stand, I realize he let me do it and I’m glad that he did. I’m feeling rather feisty right now.

“It was solid of you to offer to protect me and all, but clearly being near me is torture for you. I don’t need a babysitter and I certainly don’t want it from someone who can’t stand my presence. So why don’t you crash at my dad’s place? The key’s in the drawer next to the microwave. Give me an hour and we’ll head out. I’ll knock on the door when I’m ready.”

“Did I say I can’t stand you?”

“You don’t have to;” I tell him backing away. “It’s written all over your face. It’s in your defensive posture and it’s totally evident every time I open my mouth.”

“If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Sure you would,” I remind him, “because I’m the
heartless bitch
between you and homelessness, remember?”

Stomping off to the shower, I don’t even bother with coffee. I lather, rinse, repeat, then towel dry. Throwing on jeans and a t-shirt, when I come out I expected him to be gone, but nope.

“What did Rio mean when he said you could drop a man twice your size?”

“He meant I could drop a man twice my size.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

Taking a deep breath, I confess. “Because I thought it was you.”

“You need more training then,” he says in a stern voice.

“I don’t have time for more training,” I snap. “I’m as trained as I’m going to get for a five foot nothing female. Look, the less time we spend together the better. For both of us but mostly,
you
.”

Reaching for my coffee cup suddenly he’s there taking it from me, then he’s in my face. “Stop fucking telling me how I feel about you.”

“Then stop acting like I’m diseased.”

That angry look puckers his face up then he leans in, which puts his mouth inches from mine and I wanted to pounce. I want to lick the seam of lips with my tongue, suck his bottom lip and bite down gently. I just want this man and I don’t know why or how to fight it.

“This is me,” he says in a low voice. “You want to help me, it radiates from you. But you can’t, so quit. When I tell you I’m fucked up it’s because
I am
. Stop looking at me like you want to ride me, stop looking at me like I’m a project and pay attention to the mother fucker you opened your home to. I am not a nice person, woman. I already hurt you twice. I won’t change, so stop fucking pushing me.”

“Okay, you win,” I whisper, totally defeated.

When he backed away for a second I swore he looked sad but, I couldn’t be sure because he was right back to scowling at me before I could blink. Grabbing my keys I head across the hall and spent the rest of the day ignoring the sentinel who demanded he protect me, yet looks like he regrets it.

‘Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles.’

~Alex Karras

Her sleeping on me last night was the most peaceful I’ve been in almost twenty years. She made the sweetest sounds when she dreamt and I memorized every one of them. Putting my arms around her in protection felt good too. While she was out I traced her skin with my fingers and played with her hair. Jill never wanted to be touched and never touched me either. Didn’t matter, she wasn’t aware that I did it, for me it was huge that I did it at all. Because I wanted to do it again, I knew this was a onetime deal. After tossing and turning she woke up with her face smashed into my dick and her expression was priceless. If I hadn’t been fighting a hard on, I may have even laughed. Then after the surprise of seeing me awake her shocked expression turned to lust and I had to step it back.

Yeah I want her, how could I not? But I’m not the guy for her and I’d rather ice my balls for eternity than hurt her again. I meant it. I wasn’t nice. I don’t think I’ve ever been nice. In a perfect world I would tell her I don’t think she’s diseased, but that she’s sweet and beautiful but, I won’t encourage her.

Morning led to afternoon and for me the hours flew by because watching her eased the anger in me. I’ve noticed she does everything easy. Laughs easy, smiles easy and I’d bet she loved easy too. When she abruptly stood up to take a call in the hall, I nodded my consent but listened by the door anyway.

“Hey Tank,” she’d said with a smile in her voice. She knew this man well, but how well? “My calendar just opened up. Is that offer still on the table?” I could feel it coming over me. The red haze coating my vision, my body tensing for a fight and the need to kill the competition. “You know I love surprises! I’m in!”

Taking my seat, I’d schooled my features because it’s what I’m good at. When she walked back in, returned calls to take more bets, it was all I could do not to take the phone and throw it out the god damn window. Then she looked up, grabbed two files and handed them to me.

“Two collections,” she’d said “You get ten percent of whatever you recover. I made you a log in, so once you collect put it in the system and you’ll get paid the next day. Around here no one works for free, so get over it. I’ve got something to do, so you go ahead and handle these, you can take my car too. Keys are on the table. Later!”

“You’re not leaving my side, Rion.” I’d told her calmly. “You’re in danger and it’s my job to---”

“It’s your job to
collect
,” she interrupted and I’d discovered I didn’t like dismissive Rion. I liked sweet and charitable Rion. Oh hell, I know what this was. I’d hurt her fucking feelings and she was teaching me a lesson. The whore used to do shit like this all the time. Only difference is, with the whore I didn’t give a shit, now I do. “I grew up here, I know these streets. I’ll be armed and with an old friend,” she’d said, standing up, “If you run into trouble call Rio. His numbers on the fridge program it into your phone. I’m taking the night off.”

Walking away she didn’t slam the door but kind of closed it with purpose, which I thought was worse. Probably ten minutes had passed and I was still sitting there stewing. She’d left me to go out with a guy named Tank. Oh the hell she would.

It’s five now, I note checking my watch. I’ll collect and be back here within the hour then I’d tie her to the fucking dining room table if I had to. Taking the night off my ass. She was going out on a date and it wasn’t with
me
.