Blackness Takes Over & Blackness Awaits (27 page)

“That was unreal,” he mumbles into my boobs. I chuckle. We hold each other until I need to breathe.

“Kel, I can’t breathe,” I murmur into his hair. He laughs quietly into my boobs and rolls off me. He sits up and drags me to the bathroom for a quick smooch filled shower. Once we’re back in bed naked, I lay on my stomach while Kel is next to me on his side. He lightly begins to trace my tattoo making my body tingle all over. His fingers are still rough and worn like he just stepped off the deck of a boat.

“I love this,” he murmurs.

“We all have one,” I explain. “Me and the boys I mean. We all have some version of it.”

“How’d that happen?” he asks softly, while still caressing the outline.

“It was about six months after Liam. I had finally started coming out of a blackness that had taken me over after the attack. I was in intensive therapy and while it helped, the boys were really my lifeline out of that bleakness. Sully suggested we all get a tattoo together. I needed to mark the end of the blackness and head toward the light so I started looking at designs. With us all being third generation Irish I was inspired by the Celtic knot. It represented family and love for me. I’ve never known family. I had my dad and Uncle Mick…not really family when I think about it.” I sigh and Kel kisses my hair.

“Anyway, I told the guys what I was gonna get and they decided we should all get the same thing. If the knot represented our family then we should all have it. That’s what Cally said at least. So we went to the shop and they designed all our tattoos. Even though I can’t see it all the time, it brings me a little peace just knowing it’s on my body.” I breathe out and roll into Kel’s chest, nuzzling against his perfected pecs.

“Kiddo, I think it’s the most sexy, sweet, loving, beautiful tattoo I’ve ever seen,” he says, as he rolls me onto my back and runs his fingers across the round scar under my bust down to the scar on my hip. I shudder a little. I know he’s going to ask about them and I hate telling these stories (although I’ve never told a man the whole truth before), but Kel already knows so it shouldn’t be too bad.

“These?” he questions as he places soft feathery kisses on each of them.

“You know the one on my hip. Liam’s handy work. This one,” I touch the round scar, “is where I was shot when I was with my dad. Barely missed my heart.”

Kel’s face is somber as he looks up at me from where his head is laying on my stomach. He stares at me with his deep teal pools as he gently strokes the scar with his middle finger.

“I can’t begin to tell you how glad I am that they missed,” he whispers. “I may not have known you long, but I can’t imagine a world without you in it. I’m sure you make the sun jealous you shine so bright.” I think my whole body is glowing. I don’t know what to say so I just smile and tug him up to me, pulling him into a passionate kiss that leaves us both breathless. He places one last chaste kiss on my lips before laying on his back pulling me snuggly into his side, my arm and leg draped across him and my head on his shoulder. We lay there in companionable silence for a few moments as I trace his eight pack brick by brick.

“If Kavy breaks in here tonight, he’s gonna get a free show,” I smirk.

“If Kavanagh comes in here tonight I’m gonna T-Bag him before I send him on his way.” We both burst into laughter.

“T-Bag, huh?” I ask as my quaking calms down. He snickers and grabs my hand, kissing my palm.

My door handle jiggles right on cue. Kavy.

“Ahhh, come on Kid,” he whines through the door. “It’s my birthday.” Kel rolls his eyes and we chuckle.

“Go to bed Kavy,” I yell. “I slept with you last night. It was your birthday then…it ended a few hours ago by my watch.”

“I’ll let you spoon me for your birthday Kavanagh,” Kel yells. I smack him on the chest as he and Kavy both chuckle.

“Night,” Kavy yells. “You sounded hot, Kid.” I roll my eyes.

“Good night, pervert. Happy Birthday!”

Kavy leaves and Kel swathes me in his arms holding me tightly, kissing my forehead and hair with light pecks.

“Night Kel,” I whisper.

“Night Kiddo.”

We’re asleep in no time.

I wake up to pounding on my bedroom door.

“What?!” Kel yells into his arm that’s draped across his face. I’m draped across the rest of him.

“We’re hungry!!!” yells…everyone. I chuckle and Kel snorts while shaking his head.

“You live with children.”

“It’s good practice. That’s what they tell me anyway.” I hop out of the bed and pull on my Sunday uniform (skinny jeans, tank, hoodie). Kel still hasn’t moved. I broke him…hahahaha (evil laugh).

“I like practicing for kids the way we did last night,” he flirts.

“Somehow I’m not surprised you’d rather fuck me, than watch me take care of a house full of incapable men.” I laugh and throw his shirt at him. The banging starts again.

“If I don’t go out there, they’ll break it down…again.”

“Again?” He sits up and pulls his T-shirt over his head. “This a common thing with you?”

“No but the last time I had a, uh, well, uh…visitor. I didn’t get a move on fast enough and my door was smashed in.”

“First, no more talkin’ about other visitors…ever.” I laugh and he smacks my ass. “Second, you’re not their mother. They shouldn’t break your door down to get you to cook for them.”

I shrug. “They know I got mad skills. What can I do?” He rolls his eyes at me as he pulls his jeans on…commando (note to self).

“You spoil them. Is that the kind of mother you’ll be to our kids?” WHAT?! My eyes have gone into orbit they’re so bugged out. He doesn’t see it, thank God, I recover quickly. I still have no response. I can’t even think of a snarky one. He looks up at me curiously.

“What? I’m just fuckin’ with you.” He grins. I shake my head, and thank the universe I dodged that one. He walks toward me and kisses my forehead.

“Come on, let’s go feed the zoo,” he chuckles as the banging starts again.

Once I’ve fed my very hungry house, we all head down to the media room to watch a movie before kickoff. It’s Kavy’s turn to pick a movie…Lord help us!

“I’m not watchin’
The Notebook
again, Kavy,” I goad. He did make me watch that movie. Granted it was with some chick he was trying to mount, but I still had to watch it. He flips me off and gets cracked in the head by Pop. I point and laugh at him under my breath. After some bickering and “this is my house” and “we’re guests” jeering they settle on
Gone in 60 Seconds
. We all snuggle into our recliners, Kel and I opting to share while Taylor sits next to us. I’ve noticed him watching us quite a bit this weekend, but never commenting or getting too close. He’s waiting in the wings…for what I don’t know. I nestle down next to Kel, my head in the nook (between head, shoulder and neck), my arm and leg draped over him. I’m sure I’ll be asleep before the first scene is over…and I am.

I wake up to kisses on my forehead and look up into Kel’s beautiful face. He grins down at me.

“Hey,” he says softly, “movie’s over.”

“Sorry, I hope I didn’t drool on you.”

“Only a little,” he smirks, running his hand up and down my back.

“Kid, you make sexy noises when you sleep,” Collin says from behind us. “I don’t remember that from when you were younger.”

“Dude,” Kavy chimes in, “it’s gotten worse the older she’s gotten. Try sleepin’ with her. I have a constant semi from her nocturnal soundtrack.”

“It’s true. She used to just kinda squeak and coo a little.” Sully’s in on it now.

“That was no squeakin’,” Hugh pipes in. “That was full on purrin’.”

“You shoulda heard her at the hospital a few weeks ago,” Finn chimes in.

“Spank bank full!!” Cally yells from the back row. I jump up and look back at the room. Pop isn’t here so I can talk without tempering.

“You perverts need some pussy—”

Sully cuts me off. “Got some last night and what you just did in your sleep was ten times better, Kid.”

“Well then you need to up your random standards if I can out do ’em in my sleep. That’s your bad not mine,” I sneer.

“As for the rest of you perverts, I was dreamin’ about taking a giant shit…” pause for dramatic effect. “How’s the spank bank now?”

Most of them gag and a few choke on what they’re drinking. I laugh so hard tears are running down my cheeks. Taylor and Kel are quite amused as well. Point Kid! I was actually dreaming about my luscious boyfriend’s abilities, but I’m not telling these freaks.

We go upstairs and watch the Chiefs game, screaming at the TV as usual. I’m sad when the game’s over because the visit is coming to a close. They have to get back to Chicago and we have to get back to life. Blech!

I squeeze and hug and smooch everyone as much as I can before they leave. Pop talks to Kel a lot, in whispered secret tones. I’ll have to figure that out later. Once all of our goodbyes are said, and our house empty the four of us plus Finn and Kel fall onto the couch in silence.

“Dude, it’s fuckin’ quiet in here,” Sully says to no one in particular.

“I know,” I whine, “I hate it when they leave!”

“They’ll be back in a few weeks, Kid,” Cally reminds me for the thousandth time. Everyone is coming here for Thanksgiving. I take advantage of this moment to talk about the Taylor situation. He’s upstairs doing… I don’t know what.

“Guys, can we talk about somethin’?” I ask softly.

“Sure, Kid,” Finn answers for the group.

“After the last couple weeks with Butch, I don’t think I need Taylor anymore,” I rattle out quickly.

“Kid, it’s too early to make that call,” Finn chastises.

“Yeah, I have to go with Finn on this one,” Cally pipes in. The others nod, Kel just sits there watching me.

“Guys when will we make that call? When Butch goes back to prison? When he gets an acquittal? When I’m fifty? What’s gonna make you all sure?”

“I know this is tough, Kid,” Sully tries to sooth me, “but it’s only been two weeks. Let’s get to the trial and see where we’re at. You still have to do supervision with him twice a week, we need to be cautious.”

“Okay,” I agree.

“Okay?” Kavy jerks his head at me like I just threw a rock at his head. “That’s it? You’re not gonna fight?”

“Nope,”
p
popped.

“Wow…that’s, uh…I don’t know, uh…” Kavy stammers. “If this is what gettin’ laid does to you then, Kellerman, you’ve gotta stick around.” I throw the pillow I’m leaning on smack in his face. Kel is still staring at me with a Cheshire grin tattooed on his face.

“Wasn’t plannin’ on goin’ anywhere, Kavanagh. Glad to be of assistance.” He finally looks over at Kavy for the last sentence and that’s when I pounce. I leap on him and wrap my legs around his waist and start my constrictor move.

“NOOOOO!” Cally yells. “You can’t let her get you with the legs.” He shakes his head. “Kid let him go. He doesn’t know the rules and you’ll end up killin’ him.”

Kel is trying desperately to break free of my grasp, but it’s pointless, I’ve got him.

“Jesus, you’re fuckin’ strong, Kiddo.” He sounds breathy.

“Tap out, man,” Sully harps, “it’s the only way. Sometimes not even that works.”

“Can’t you guys get her off me?” Kel gasps.

“Nope. House Rule: don’t interfere in assaults unless blood is drawn,” Kavy explains.

I haven’t really given it to him yet but he’s not giving in, so he may have to get hurt. I slowly start to increase the pressure and his eyes bug out. I am fully aware that if he chose to get violent with me at this point (or any of the other boys when I do this to them) he could remove me. Instead he taps out, and I win.

“Welcome to the club, Kellerman,” Kavy says, putting his arm out for a fist bump. “She’s kicked all our asses. It’s a rite of passage.” They bump fists, and I sit legs crossed watching ESPN like nothing happened. Kel sits up and kisses my cheek, my prize.

The next few weeks went ahead normally. Work was busy for all of us, Kel included. He is the new Creative Director for Quintessential Design (QD to the masses). Work was crazy for him this last month but he did his best to still see me almost every day. He was basically living with me at this point come to think of it. Even if he wasn’t done working until after I was asleep, he came to my place and slept with me. I woke up in his arms every morning…heaven.