Blackness Takes Over & Blackness Awaits (30 page)

“Shannon.” My eyes pop open at the sound of my name. I had just drifted asleep when I hear his voice. I look up into Kel’s eyes, searching for the emotion I heard in his voice. “I love you,” he says softly. That was it, the emotion I heard in his voice was love. He loves me. I’ve never been loved by a man before, and I swear my heart just doubled in size and is about to pound out of my chest.

“I love you too,” I whisper. I’ve never said those words to a man before, and I never want to say them to another one. Wow! Six weeks with Kel and I’m a changed woman. I love him so much I didn’t know it was possible to love this much. Our faces are glowing and we gaze into each other’s eyes. He rolls me onto my back and we kiss softly, lovingly. His tongue glides across mine smoothly licking and tasting me. He enters me and I wrap my arms and legs around him. I can’t feel close enough to him right now. As we move together the energy is different, it’s not frenzied and animalistic like we usually are. This is a connection, strong and personal. He rests his forehead against mine lovingly gazing into my green pools reflecting his teal ones.

“Say it again,” he whispers.

“I love you, Dylan Kellerman,” I say softly and cup his cheek.

“I love you, Kiddo, so fucking much.” He kisses my palm and intensifies his rhythm. We move together like one, building to the same peak and fall over it together. We stay intertwined together for the rest of the night.

Thanksgiving is here. Taylor left this morning to meet with the detectives investigating my death threat. With three cops in the house (Pappy, Collin, and Hugh) Taylor felt safe leaving me. I shooed him out of the house and told him to go to his aunt’s and enjoy Thanksgiving with his family. He reluctantly agreed and wrapped me in a long tight hug before leaving. My family would keep me safe, but I felt a little empty as I watched him pull out of the driveway. I couldn’t focus on that though; there was a meal to prepare.

Maggie, Mary, and I spend all day cooking. It’s the best feeling in the world preparing a meal with those you love. Kel gets shooed out of the kitchen every twenty minutes by Maggie or Mary.

“That boy needs to learn some patience,” Maggie says after the tenth time. She’s as much entertained as she is annoyed.

“The man’s in love,” Mary coos, “he can’t get enough of her.” I beam like the sun. He loves me! A few minutes later arms snake around my waist and a grin creeps across my face.

“Kel, if you don’t get outta here I’m never gonna be able to feed you,” I chide. “Go outside and play football with the boys.” I bump him with my ass, trying to get him off. He pulls me tighter and kisses my neck.

“I love you,” he whispers in my ear kissing just below it. He’s a hard man to resist.

“I love you too. Now get off me before you make me chop off a finger.” He chuckles, but lets me go. Two hours later dinner is served.

We all gather around the dining room table, plates piled high. We have a tradition to go around the table and say what we’re thankful for. We do it while we eat because the boys have the patience of toddlers. Kavy starts…with his mouth full of macaroni and cheese mumbling, “I’m thankful for the success of the firm this year…and boobs.” The guys laugh and the parents shake their heads. That’s pretty much the same thing all the guys say, something positive and something about boobs. When it gets to the parents it’s only positives, they’re thankful for: their health, their children, all the good stuff in their lives. Kel is next.

“I’m thankful for you, Kiddo,” he speaks directly to me. “I’m thankful that I must have done something great in this world to be blessed enough to spend every day with you.”

“LAME!” Kavy yells from the other end of the table. Everyone snickers.

“Sorry,” Kel states, “and I’m thankful for boobs.” That sends the table into fits of laughter. He’s a part of our family now, and he fits right in. It’s my turn last and I have so much to be thankful for, I don’t know what to pick.

“I’m thankful that I have a family. I should be alone in this world, and instead I have the greatest family a person could hope for. I’m loved more than anyone deserves to be.” I look at Kel so he knows I’m talking about him too. “I’m also thankful for boobs.”

“What?!” Sully yells at me. “Why’re you thankful for boobs?”

“Because. I have some and apparently, according to this room, they have a great and mystical power,” I snark and shimmy.

Dinner continues and we eat until we have to roll ourselves to the media room. We all snuggle in and watch football together. It’s a perfect Thanksgiving!

For twelve days now I’ve been a whirling dervish of crazy. The Monday after Thanksgiving marked two weeks before Butch’s trial. My life has turned into a damn circus. I’ve been on the phone, computer, or some combination thereof all day and into the night, every day of the week. The guys have pitched in to help me when they can and Karl’s picked up all the slack with the rest of my case load. Our firm is certain Butch is innocent. I think the prosecutors have figured this out too but are still moving ahead with the trial. The ADA is trying to save face. They have tried to plead Butch down to lesser offenses multiple times now, but Reed has refused every offer they’ve put forward. I’m not here to help or hurt Butch. I’m here as Mia’s voice. Beth and I compiled a large amount of evidence from the visitations, but with nothing from social services prior to the attack, it’s all extremely positive and will surely help Butch’s case.

Kel is testifying for the prosecution. With his father dead, he’s the only person that can attest to the relationship Butch had with Mia and Kathy. He’s told me how much Butch loved his girls, yes they were fighting a lot and he was a drug distributor (not a user), but he had kept drugs away from the house. I think the prosecution is going to try to harp on the fighting and “drug dealer” part of Kel’s story. Reed will use him to drive home the close relationship Butch had with the girls. It’s up in the air who can get more use out of Kel at this point.

I really haven’t seen Kel that much as of late. He’s been busy with his job and preparing his testimony, and I’ve been buried under work. We still sleep in the same bed every night but usually one of us is already asleep by the time the other gets home. After the death threat I’ve been spending all of my time with Taylor, the time I would usually spend with my boys and Kel. I’m at the office well past working hours and Taylor’s never left my side. We’ve eaten all our meals together, talked when I needed a break, he’s supported me when I was sure I would crumble, and he’s the shoulder I’ve leaned on as Rodger drives my exhausted shell of a being home at night. Taylor’s my friend, but he’s also my bodyguard and being challenged.

The worst challenge has been the media. They caught wind of Butch’s story and have been circling the wagons. Butch’s case being played up as a father wronged by a hungry ADA finally getting his fair day in court. It’s made for a good headline and an even bigger migraine for me. Somehow the press got a hold of who Kel and I are; our pictures have been in the news. The local news tried to spin a love story between the two of us that spanned the distance of Kansas City and Seattle, centered on the care of Mia. Fact checking seems to be a lost art. I officially feel bad for celebrities: flash bulbs blinding you, people screaming at you, pushing into your personal space, following you home, writing bizarre and false stories about your personal life. Fuck that!

This whole whirlwind has made Taylor’s job a nightmare. He called in extra people to help, in and around the courthouse, where the media are camped out. There was speculation early on in the news as to who Taylor was to me, but it never amounted to much of a story. Kel’s too appealing to not be center stage. Taylor locked me down to house, office, or courthouse when my picture became front page news. I can’t wait for this to be over and get back to my life.

So here I am the Friday before opening statements begin Monday morning. I’ve been at the office since 6:00 this morning and I see no end to my day in the foreseeable future.

“Shannon, we should get movin’,” Taylor says as he enters my office.

“I’m not close to bein’ done, Taylor. I’m sorry,” I apologize. It’s past 10:30 p.m. and he looks as exhausted as I feel.

“You have got to eat. You are wastin’ away,” he mumbles as he flops in the chair across from my desk.

“Don’t start,” I warn. “I ate….lunch. I think.”

“You didn’t eat shit today. I know. I was here.”

“Okay, let’s eat. If that will make you shut up so I can finish this!”

“You tell me to shut up one more time and I’m gonna be forced to kick your ass,” he teases.

“You wish you could kick my ass!”

“Tomorrow morning. In the gym. Your ass is mine,” he says suggestively.

“Uh huh. You wouldn’t know what to do with my ass if it came with an instruction manual.”

His eyes hood and my stomach flips. Boundaries have been slipping with all the time we’re spending together. I’ve been too tired and overworked to keep up my defenses. Not good, I know.

Ring, ring
.

My office phone brings us out of our haze.

“Shannon Kelly,” I answer looking away from Taylor. Silence on the other end.

“Hello?” I question into the receiver. Silence still. Maybe I can hear someone breathing.

“Hello, is someone there?”

The line goes dead and I hang up.

“Wrong number?” Taylor asks.

“Just silence. Karl said he got a few of those this week too. Probably just idiots looking for some gossip,” I suggest.

“Uh huh. Well let’s call in some food. Rodger can go pick it up for us.”

“Order me whatever you want. I don’t care. Not really hungry.”

“Shannon,” he warns. I put my hands up in defense.

“Okay, pad thai sounds good. I’ll eat an entire container,” I snark.

“Yeah you will.”

“Shut up!”

“I’m kickin’ your ass tomorrow. I warned you.”

“Bring. It. On.”

With that he leaves my office to call in the food and tell Rodger our plans.

Buzz, buzz.

Kel: You on your way home yet?

Me: No. Taylor just ordered us dinner. I’ll be late.

Kel: Surprising.

He’s pissed. He’s been pissed for the last two weeks. I don’t blame him. He’s worried about me, busy with his life, jealous of Taylor…I’d be pissed too.

Me: Kel. Come on.

Kel: The guys are headed out to Flannery’s. I guess I’ll go too.

Me: Okay. Taylor and I will be home later. Have fun!

Kel: Not as much fun as I’d have if you were there.

Me: I know. This will all be over soon and shit will go back to normal.

Kel: I CAN’T WAIT!!

“Shannon?” Taylor draws my attention away from my BlackBerry.

“Yeah.”

“Food’ll be here in about twenty. I told Rodger he could takeoff after he drops the food off. He sounded tired.”

Buzz, buzz.

“I feel like shit making him stay late for these last two weeks. Thanks for lettin’ him go. How are we gettin’ home?” I ask, ignoring my buzzing phone. I can only do one thing at a time right now. My brain is fried.

“He had another driver drop my car off. I’ll drive us.”

“Okay. I guess that means I can get drunk and you can drive me around,” I joke.

“Or we could both get drunk and fight over who gets to sleep on the loveseat.”

Buzz, buzz.

“Oh, I get the loveseat. I paid for it. Plus, you won’t fit,” I say, again ignoring the BlackBerry.

“That’s what she said,” Taylor laughs. I double over laughing too. I’m so tired my amusement is a little over the top, but well deserved. Once we get our chuckles under control I take a huge deep breath letting it cleanse my lungs.

“It’s good to see you laugh, Shannon.” Taylor’s eyes are soft and his gaze is back to friendly.

“It feels good to laugh,” I admit.

“You know why I don’t call you Kid?” Taylor changes the subject abruptly.

“No,” I relpy softly. The truth is I don’t know if I’d let him call me Kid. That’s reserved for family, but Taylor has been with me more than family for weeks now. It’s a weird relationship we’ve developed. It’s different from anything I’ve had with anyone else in my life. Maybe this is the way all people feel about their bodyguards? Somehow, I don’t think that’s the case.