Seth (12 page)

We remain talking for a surprising amount of time but
when Celia begins to fade Seth immediately cuts off the conversation and turns
it towards one of getting her back into bed. The way he dotes on her is so…so
different. I would never have expected that from a biker like him.

The rest of the afternoon he’s strangely quiet and barely
says a word on the ride home. I decide to respect his silence and just let him
drop me off without pushing for information that I’m dying to get. I really
want to know how it was growing up. Does he have any brothers or sisters? Does
he have any living relatives that he still is in contact with? And I just want to
know more about the person he holds most dear; but all that can wait. For now
I’ll just go to my home and he to his.

A half hour later we pull back into his driveway and
park. I have to say, the ride was exhilarating! I’m not saying I’m going to go
out and buy myself a motorcycle but it’s something to think about.

His house is actually a nice place. When we came to get
his bike I really didn’t pay much attention, but I am now. Without a word he
gets off his bike and goes up to his front door and unlocks it. Then he just
walks in without so much as inviting me or asking me or telling me. He just
assumes that I’ll want to come in. He’s right of course but he doesn’t need to
know that. I set the helmet I was wearing on the seat of his bike and follow
him into the house.

I wonder what he thinks is going to happen and if he
thinks I’ll just hop in bed with him just because his Nana said we have eyes
for each other. The longer the silence between us the more ticked off I get
until finally I can’t hold it in any longer.

“So I suppose I’m supposed to just take off my clothes
now, is that it?” I ask.

“What?” He spins around and looks at me. “What are you
talking about?”

“I-I just thought t-that since…” I can’t finish my own
sentence. I just sound too lame.

“Hey just ‘cause my Nana endorses you doesn’t mean we’re
good for each other.”

“At least we’re on the same page.” I reply. “If you
didn’t think you were gonna get laid, why did you bring me here?”

“I wanted to show you something.”

“Oh…”

He walks over to a bookshelf and starts rooting around
for something. As he looks for whatever it is he’s looking for I visually
inspect his house. He must have a maid. No single guy would keep a house this
clean. So much of this guy screams outlaw biker and so much screams…I don’t know
something else. He just doesn’t completely fit the picture of a biker;
especially an outlaw one. On his coffee table he has a smattering of newspapers
and magazines, just what you’d expect in your typical middle class home. Then
it hits me. The place doesn’t look lived in. Glancing in the kitchen and
everything looks new. There’s no wear and tear that I can see. No dishes in the
sink or the dish drainer. Even the newspapers and magazines are carefully
situated on the table. The more I think about it the more I’m starting to
believe he doesn’t even live here. I’m guessing he crashes at the clubhouse or
biker compound; whatever it is they have.

Seth walks over to me carrying a well-used picture album.
I guess I’m going to take the proverbial trip down Seth’s memory lane. I just
hope I can stay awake for it and not start yawning. He opens the cover and my
attention is riveted! There are two pictures. One is of a police officer in
uniform and the other a guy in a cut and they look remarkably like Seth!

“I’m the youngest of three.” Seth explains. He points to
the brother in the cut. “Matty was five years older than me.” He points to the
brother in a police officer’s uniform. “Jason was three years older.”

Wow…he has one brother who’s a cop and another brother
who’s a biker…an outlaw biker just like him. Talk about a conflicted family
life. I wonder what his mom and dad did? He was probably a biker and she a
State Police Officer or something. Then something else catches my eye.
Underneath both pictures are dates. The biker brother died six years ago and
the cop brother died five years ago. And I am
dying
to hear the story
behind them so I just ask.

“What happened?”

“In a nutshell… a cop shot Matty in the back and a gang
member killed Jason a year later.”

“Oh my god…you must hate cops!”

I expect a vigorous yes but he just shrugs his shoulders.
I guess since his brother was a cop he can’t totally hate all cops; just the
one who shot his brother.

“What happened to the cop who killed your brother?”

“He died a year later.”

“In the line of duty?”

“A gang member killed him.”

“Wait a second,” I say, and then it feels like a ton of
bricks just landed on my head. “Seth…who shot your brother in the back?”

He just looks at me, but I can see the misery in his eyes
and I know the answer to that question.

“Did Jason know he was shooting at his brother?” I ask.

“No…My brother, Matty had stolen a car and he led the
cops on this long assed chase but during the chase a cop lost control of his
car and crashed killing him instantly. So because of the death of the cop my
brother was treated like a murderer and when he stopped the car and just ran,
my brother Jason shot him twice. He died during surgery in the hospital. Jason
didn’t know it was his brother he’d shot until he came up and turned him over
and saw his face. He was never the same after that. He kept being a cop but he
was just different. He lost his edge and he should have been benched. They
should have given him a desk job. He wasn’t fit for the streets anymore and
when a gang banger drew down on him he hesitated and got himself shot and
killed.”

I can’t believe this! What a tragedy. And here I thought
my family was fucked up. I thought we had a corner on the market when it came
to family tragedies but holy crap! No wonder Seth is conflicted. I look into
his face again and the anguish there is too much for one person to keep inside.
I’m not sure how I should respond here but I can’t just sit here like a lump on
a log so I reach out and pull him into my embrace. At first he’s as stiff as a
board, but after a few seconds I can feel his body begin to relax. At first my
intentions are pure. I have no thoughts beyond making this hurting man feel
better. But as soon as I sense the anguish beginning to ease up another feeling
intrudes and I begin to breathe a little faster than normal. He shifts and then
my lips are pressed to his neck. I hadn’t intended on kissing him, it just
happened. He smells so damn good I can’t have my lips against his skin and not
do anything. I feel his hands on my back, then my side and before I can object
he is cupping my breasts and my nipples are responding. Then his mouth in on my
neck and my body is on fire! Every last nerve ending has been lit up like the
freaking Christmas tree on the Whitehouse lawn. Picture a twenty-five foot
statuesque tree with thousands of tiny blinking colored bulbs, each one a
microscopic nerve underneath my sweaty skin. His hands are everywhere at once
and I don’t dare open my eyes lest I find I’m in a dream. If this is a dream I
never want to wake up. He anticipates the needs of my body like a psychic mind
reader with flawless precision. I can feel the ripple of his muscles in his
back as he navigates the buttons on my skinny jeans. I lift my hips so he can
slide them down around my ankles where I kick vigorously until they sail across
the living room. Shortly after my top is airborne and my bra follows suit,
landing on the rooms only lamp shade. Seth positions me on my back on his couch
and pauses long enough to strip off his pants, but when they get hung up around
his boots he gives them up and works on his briefs. It’s an awkward moment, he
with his legs tangled in clothes but he makes it work and I can’t help but gasp
in pleasure as he fills me up then begins driving deep into my sex.

I can feel his hot, minty breath on my face and each
thrust comes with a gush of air from his lungs. Then his mouth finds mine and
short staccato bursts of air shoot from his nostrils like a bull in a rut. I
force myself to open my eyes. I have to know this is real and not some
extraordinary dream. When his gorgeous face swims into view I know this is
happening for real and I think to myself, have I found my perfect man? His
muscles proportionately flawless, an amazing yin to my yang and he fits into my
body like a jigsaw puzzle piece, with laser cut precision. No one has fit so
well, even Deputy Marc Long who has been the closest fit before today.

A sudden pang of guilt stabs into my heart like a needle
and for a second I’m frozen in place. How can I do this to him I ask myself?
Then a burst of sweet ecstasy spears my brain and I have to ask, how can I not?
Seth is the embodiment of everything I have been looking for in man; I know that
now. What I don’t know is how to proceed after today.

Seth pauses and looks at me. “What’s wrong darlin’?”

“Nothing babe…nothing at all.”

I grab the back of his neck and pull him down to my open
mouth and push thoughts of the other man out of my heart and mind.

We’ve just come from dinner at Zebra’s, an amazing ethnic
eatery that has rapidly become the ‘it place’ to dine and see who’s who in
Watsonville. Some time ago Marc had interrupted a robbery attempt while off
duty and now anytime he wants to go somewhere special to eat he gets VIP
treatment. They try to refuse his money but Marc is a class act and insists on
paying and tipping hugely.

The plan was to tell Marc that it’s over between us. That
was the plan anyway, but he was so sweet and thoughtful and my head was so
buzzed with wine that I just couldn’t get the words out. So now we’re driving
to his house where I’m sure he expects reciprocation but all he’s going to get
tonight is a broken heart. At least that’s the new plan. I have to tell him. At
some point he’s going to figure it out if I don’t come clean fast.

“I don’t like the look of this.” Marc says to me.

“Just keep driving Marc.”

There’s a group of young black guys standing outside a
corner market. I don’t see anything odd but Marc has this sixth sense and he
knows when something isn’t right.

“No…something’s going down here. You just stay in the car
and I’ll be right back.”

“But you’re off duty and you got shot days ago.” I
protest.

“And it was a flesh wound. They didn’t even keep me
overnight. It’s a little sore but that’s all. I’ll be fine Kim.

He opens his glove compartment and pulls out a radio.
“Relax honey, if anything at all is wrong I’ll just radio back up and retreat
to let uniformed officers take care of it.”

I start to reply but he’s already out and shutting the
door. Great. What a wonderful end to a perfect date. The moment he walks up the
young men stop arguing amongst themselves and turn to face him, spreading out
slightly. Even I can tell now that something is not right here. They look too
ready for a fight now. I sure hope he can see that. But just in case I’d better
call my dispatch. I’ll just call the business line and let them know there may
be a problem at the Quick Mart on 23
^rd
and Main. I fish around in my
purse and bring out my phone. I look up and I just about faint.

Marc is fighting for his life against four dudes! “Oh
shit oh shit oh my god!”

I open up my phone and dial 911, then start to get out of
the car but think better of it. I doubt I could do any better than Marc and would
probably get myself killed.

“911, what’s you’re emergency?”

Then Marc goes down to the ground. Screw safety. I scream
into the phone at the 911 operator. I’m so panicked I’m not even sure what I
just said and I sprint across the pavement. I can see Marc fighting for his
life but he’s beginning to slow down and the men are speeding up. I’m about a
dozen steps from the embattled sheriff when a blur of a man charges into the
mass of fighting bodies. The newcomer grabs the closest man to him by the scruff
of his coat and literally throws the man through the air. I see a sudden flash
of metal arcing through the air and I realize this scuffle has just become a
deadly fight for life. My mad dash to rescue my boyfriend comes to a ragged
halt at the perimeter of a dozen flailing arms and legs. I start to step in but
I just don’t know what to do. Nothing in my Aikido training has prepared me for
a mass attack that was so…so messy. No one’s taking turns and I honestly am
having a hard time separating Marc’s flailing from the Good Samaritan’s
flailing, from the bad guys flailing. When I see an arm slip around Marc’s neck
I know I should do something about it but I don’t know what I should do.

One thing is clear, the tide of the fight has turned and
suddenly it’s the attacking youth that are struggling to get away from the mass
of arms and legs. Marc has gone from just trying to stay alive to trying to
apprehend. And the Good Samaritan is following suit. In the distance I can hear
sirens from responding police and ambulance. Finally the fourth thug is
subdued. And my contribution to the whole situation? I brought the flex cuffs.
Marc always keeps things like that in his glove compartment just in case and
today it was a good thing he did that. Marc secures the last combatant when he
stands up and for the first time we both realize who his Good Samaritan is;
Seth!

Marc is visibly rocked! The last person he’d ever
expected to help out an officer in need is an outlaw biker. As they stare at
one another I can tell Marc is trying to get his head around what just
happened. Down the street, two blocks away a patrol car has rounded the corner.
Marc offers his hand. They shake briefly and Seth turns and disappears into the
night and it’s over as fast as it began.

“Are you hurt?” I ask.

Marc pats himself down taking stock of his body. He does
have blood smeared on his chest and hands but thankfully none of it is his.

“Did you see who that was?” He asks me as the responding
officers run up.

I nod. “I saw it but I don’t believe it.” I reply.

Three deputies from the Sheriff’s Office and four patrol
cops from WPD have responded to the call. Marc gives his statement omitting the
identity of the Good Samaritan. Turning Seth in would have been a dick move
given that the man just risked his own life to help an enemy.

As I stand here watching Marc regale his fellow law
enforcement officers one thought emerges from all of this. Am I with the right
man? Had the situation been reversed, would Marc have risked his life to help
Seth if he was fighting for his life? Then I realize that Marc already did
that. But I don’t think Marc knew who he was tackling when he jumped in front
of those bullets. I guess he would have but not because he has this big heart
and a need to protect those in need. He would have come to Seth’s aid because
the job demands it and Marc takes his job very seriously. If not for that he’d
have let Seth live or die on his own and that makes me wonder what I am doing
dating him.

After a few minutes the investigating officer approaches
me.

“Can I ask you a few questions?” He asks me.

“Sure.”

“So you saw the whole incident?”

“I did. I’m the one who called it in.”

“I see. Thank you for that. I understand there was a Good
Samaritan who came to the Deputy’s aid. Do you know the person or have you seen
him before?”

I want to say yeah it’s Seth and he’s this amazing bad
ass from the Soul Eaters, but instead pretend to not know anything. After the
officer realizes it’s he’s not going to get anything from me he wraps it up and
thanks me again for calling it in.

“Deputy Long was fortunate you were here tonight Kim.”

“Yeah, that was a close one wasn’t it?”

“You have a good night now.” He says and returns to his
patrol car to take one of the suspects to the jail for processing.

Marc walks up to me. “Honey why don’t you take my truck
home with you and you can get some rest. I have to go down to the station and
fill out a report. It’s probably going to be a couple hours.”

“How’s your arm?” I ask. He seems to be favoring it.

“It’s fine babe, just a little sore that’s all. Now why
don’t you go home? I’ll be fine.”

“You sure about that?”

“No problem. I’ll just get one of the officers to take me
back to your house when I’m finished. Just leave the keys under your mat and I
can retrieve my truck without having to wake you.”

“It’s okay, you can wake me. We need to talk so whatever
time it is, just wake me. I’ll leave a key under the mat.”

“Something wrong Kim?”

“We just need to talk so let’s leave it at that; please.”

He looks at me, clearly confused. “Okay…” He finally says
and turns around and leaves.

I’m grateful for his thoughtfulness as I climb into his
truck. I am glad I don’t have to wait around for him to finish up at the
station. That always takes forever. I do not understand why Seth risked his own
life for Marc. No way in hell Marc would have done that. He’s a good guy but
given what I am beginning to suspect about him I think he would have sat in his
car and waited for back up to come before getting involved. He would have let
Seth battle it out by himself. I would love to talk to Seth right now. I don’t
understand why he came to the rescue of his enemy?

When I get home I crash on top of my bedspread, fully
clothed. I don’t want Marc getting any ideas. This little talk of ours is going
to be a rough one as it is. I feel like I’ve barely closed my eyes when I hear
my name being called.

“Seth?” I ask, before thinking. Not a good move.

“Who’s Seth?” Marc asks.

“What?” I ask.

“When I woke you up just now and called your name you
said Seth. Who is Seth?”

Oh my god, this is not the way I wanted this talk to go.
I was just hoping to let him down easy but now I doubt that’s going to be
possible.

“We have to stop seeing each other.” I begin. “I just
don’t feel it anymore.”

“What?” He asks.

I can tell he did not see this one coming.

“I thought things were great between us.” He says. “I was
even going to ask you to move in with me.”

“What?” Now it’s my turn to be surprised. “We’ve only
been going out like five months if that. What makes you think what we had is
that serious?” I ask.

“We never fight; we always have a good time together…”

“I could say that about half my friends.” I protest. “But
that doesn’t mean I’m going to elope with them.”

“But I’m not your friend Kim, I’m your boyfriend. I mean,
haven’t you felt that or have I just been a friend?”

“Obviously more than that.” I begin. “But I can’t see
spending my life with you and-”

“Hey I wasn’t asking for you hand in marriage.” He
objects. “I just thought we could…live together. I mean it would save money and
be damn convenient, right?”

“That’s why you want me to live with you? Because it’s
damn convenient?”

“That’s not what I meant.” He replies.

“This is all wrong Marc. I have to be thinking about my
future and I have to be with someone who fits in my future plans and I just
don’t see me having a future with you. I’m sorry…”

“Wow…I can’t believe this. Just like that you’re breaking
up with me? Its Seth isn’t it? You’re dumping me for this Seth guy, aren’t
you?”

Do I say yes or just lie and hope he never finds out?
Being a cop I’m pretty sure he’ll poke around until he finds the truth and then
we’ll have to have this conversation all over again. No…I want this to be the
last time we talk about this so I’ll have to come clean.

“Yes…I am seeing Seth now.”

“Dammit! Who is he? Is he another dispatcher? No, he’s a
cop isn’t he?”

“Stop guessing Marc. He’s…he’s the guy who came to your
rescue tonight.”

“What?”

Marc is clearly confused and amazed.

“Did you call him to come help me?”

“No, he just happened by and jumped off his bike an-”

“A bike or a motorcycle?” Marc asks.

“Motorcycle.”

“Wow… are you serious Kim? The way he fought, he’s no
ordinary person, he…he must…Wait he’s a biker that can fight. That can only
mean one thing and I cannot believe we’re having this conversation. You’ve
fallen for a biker…an outlaw biker I bet. Is that it? You’ve fallen for the
Suicide Kings or is it the Soul Eaters?

“It’s the Soul Eaters.” I nod.

“You’ve gotta be kidding Kim! That gang is responsible
for all the drug related murders and gun trafficking. You really want to be
involved in all that?”

Now I’m beginning to get pissed. Time to pull out all the
stops.

“You know the other night when there was that shooting?”

“You mean the night I was shot? It was your guy who shot
me, wasn’t it? I can’t believe it. You are dating a guy who tried to kill me.
Wait a second. How would you know who shot me?”

“For starters…it wasn’t Seth who shot you that night it
was a freaking police officer and you know it. You’re trying to cover it up and
I have the video to prove it.”