Cadence of Love (8 page)

“Elizabeth, look at me. Don’t listen to them, okay? That woman is an evil, evil woman, baby. Nothing she said is true, okay? You are beautiful and wonderful and the most amazing little girl in the whole world.” Alaina had to grit her teeth and bite the inside of her mouth to prevent saying what a fucking skanky ass, hollowed out, whore, aids-infested, herpes, syphilis, no good tramp the slut was.

“Okay, Mom. I know she is just a meanie head. I love you, Momma. I knew you would come for me. Can we go home now?”

“In just a few minutes, baby. I love you so much. You are such a strong girl and I am so proud of you. I promise we will stop and get you something to eat and drink in just a few minutes, okay? Do you need to go potty?”

“Yes I do really, really bad. I think I peed in my pants, Mom. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help it.” She began to cry, burying her face in Alaina’s shoulder.

Alaina stroked her hair, hushing her soothingly. “It is fine, baby, it wasn’t your fault. Don’t cry, sweetheart. Come on, let’s go over to the trees and you can go, okay?”

A few sniffles sounded behind a small nod and she stood, taking her hand. They walked over to the tree line where she could relieve herself. A bunch of commotion sounded from the house before gun shots were heard. Alaina’s heart froze in her chest.
Oh God in heaven
,
please don’t let any of the team be hurt. What if Brody or Leland was shot? Please no, God
,
please!
Fear constricted her chest, making her breaths come out in pants.

“Momma, are you okay?”

“Yes, baby. I am just so relieved you are okay, but I am so mad they did that to you, sweetheart. I promise you no one will
ever
hurt you again. Pull your panties off and leave them if they are wet. We will stop and get you a brand new outfit to ride home in, and get you a shower as soon as we get home.” Guilt at everything that was happening slammed into her. How was she supposed to fix this? Could it be fixed?
None of this should have ever happened!
What the hell do we do now?

Alex spotted them and walked in their direction, meeting them at the tree line. “Let’s get you girls back to the truck for now. The boys have some issues to take care of and some cleaning to do.”

“Is everyone okay? I heard gun shots...” Alaina’s words trailed off, not wanting to voice her concerns in front of Elizabeth, or to think them for that matter.

“Everyone that counts. Yeah…uh, there was a rat. A big, nasty rat in the house.” Alex winked at Alaina, and she realized what had happened. Knowing that nothing must ever be said, she smiled with tears flowing down her cheeks and mouthed a ‘thank you’ above Lizzy’s head. Alex just nodded, looking between Lizzy and her with an expression of determination and justice.

When they got back to the truck, Alex dug in one of the duffle bags and pulled out a canteen of water and an MRE. She tore the plastic open with her teeth and dug out its contents. “Do you know what this is, Lizzy?”

“Is it one of the soldier’s food things? I saw them on a movie once.”

“Yes it is. Do you know what is so cool about these besides the fact that there is a bag of MMs in this one and it has the cherished cheese pouch? I have traded a cheese pack for all kinds of cool stuff on many occasions.” Alex’s face lit up, showing a fun side to the intimidating hard woman. Alaina smiled.

“What is the best part?”

Alex opened up the green bag that was included and put the meal packet inside. Then, she dumped water in it and folded the top down a couple rolls. “Okay, now watch. The water activates the heating chemicals, heating the food up. While that is cooking, let’s see what else you have in here.” She laid the contents out on the seat and organized them, explaining each item. She pointed to another brown plastic package. “This here is pound cake. Unfortunately you got the lemon flavor. It tastes like Lemon Pledge.” She pointed to another packet, and smiled. “You have the good spicy crackers to go with your cheese. Now this you have to try.” She ripped open each pack, squirted a dab of the cheese spread on one of the round veggie crackers, and handed it to her. She made one for Alaina before popping one in her own mouth. “See? That’s good stuff, huh?”

“Yum! It is good.” Elizabeth’s face lit up.

“Wow, I am surprised. It is pretty good.” Alaina smiled, loving how Alex was distracting Elizabeth from everything going on.

“Okay, you got a good one, girl! Look, here is a packet of applesauce. And here, this is like Kool-Aid. Watch, you dump it in the canteen like this.” She poured the powder in and shook it up, handing it back to Lizzy. “Now, the most important thing about an MRE is that after you are done, you have to chew the gum. See here in your napkin package? There is a little bottle of hot sauce, spork, knife, napkin, salt, pepper, sugar, creamer, an instant coffee pack even though it isn’t enough for a cup, and these little gum squares. The gum squares keep you from getting constipated. MRE’s will lock you up for a month if you don’t chew this.”

Alaina watched as Elizabeth sat intently listening to everything Alex was saying until she finished and burst out in giggles. “That’s funny! It’s poo gum like the poo chocolate momma has given me before!”

“Yip, same thing. Okay, your food should be hot.” She pulled the meal packet out and opened it, handing it to Lizzy. “Here you go, sweetheart. You got the beef stew. This kind is the best.” She winked and stepped away, letting Elizabeth dig in.

“Thank you, Ms. Alex. This is yummy!” she said over a mouthful of food.

“You’re welcome, Elizabeth.” Her cell phone beeped and she flipped it open, getting her soldier face back on. “Okay, ladies, we are going to go for a ride. Lizzy, you can eat on the way, okay?”

“What’s going on?” Alaina asked.

“Nothing. Let’s get moving. We can talk later.” She closed up everything and helped gather up the spread of food. After Elizabeth had buckled in in the back seat, she handed it all back to her to finish. She stayed sullen, so Alaina didn’t push or ask any more questions. She hopped in the passenger side and waited until they were down the road to glance at her again. She seemed to be in deep concentration about something, so Alaina opted to save all conversation until they reached their destination.

About an hour later, they pulled onto a dirt road off the highway. About ten miles down that road another turn was made, and then another, placing them in the deep confinements of the forest. A small cabin came into sight, and Alex parked the truck in front. She turned the engine off and removed the keys, finally turning to Alaina. “You two stay here for a minute and let me check a few things. I will be right back, okay?”

Alaina nodded, unsure what was happening. Her mind whirled with different scenarios, but told herself the woman had protected them this far, she might as well trust her. “Okay,” she answered, hearing the uncertainty in her own voice. Alex hopped out, reaching down to her ankle. When she stood back up a pistol was in her hand, and she cocked it back before easing toward the establishment. She walked around the building cautiously, darting her head back and forth to examine the entire area. When she disappeared around the back, Alaina held her breath. A few minutes later she reappeared through the now open front door and waved for them to come in.

“Okay, Liz, let’s go in.” She unfastened her seat belt and stepped out to open the back passenger door to help her out of the tall ride.

“Where are we?”

“I don’t know, baby. It’s okay. These are good people and are helping us, okay?”

“I like Alex. She is a girl soldier. I want to be just like her when I grow up.” Alaina laughed, loving her daughter’s independent streak. That was one thing she would never have to worry about—there was no way she would ever depend on a man to take care of her. Elizabeth was going to be a successful adult.

When they stepped inside, the dimly lit space was made up of a living/bedroom, a small kitchen and a door, which she assumed was the bathroom. There was a layer of dust, which suggested it had been occupant free for quite some time. “Okay, ladies, we are going to hang out here for a little bit. Make yourselves at home.” Alex’s lack of details either meant she was protecting them, or the situation involved less than honorable aspects.

The three of them engaged in games of tic-tac-toe in the dust on the table to distract Elisabeth and pass the time. They made small talk, chattering about random topics. Alaina got a glimpse of the amazing woman Alex was under the hard exterior and envied her. She was the full package, looks, brains, brawn, and self-confidence. She was compassionate and from what she had seen, was great with kids. If she was given the chance, there was no doubt they would be great friends.

Minutes turned to hours, and the sun finally retired for the night. Elizabeth started to yawn, and before Alaina could ask, Alex had gone over and made up the bed in the corner with the sleeping bags from the truck. Alaina’s heart warmed at the gesture. She went as far as tucking her in, and stepped away to let Alaina get a good night’s kiss. They walked back over to the table and sat down, relaxing from the front they had been putting on to keep Elizabeth from questioning anything.

It was in the wee hours of the morning when Alex’s cell phone beeped again with a text. After typing back, she stood and stretched. Her eyes met Alaina’s and she sighed. “I need to go somewhere for a little while. I am going to leave you a couple MRE’s, my canteen, and my pistol. If anyone comes in this house you shoot, am I clear?” her tone was authoritative, bringing on an uneasy air in the room.

Alaina had been preparing for something, and now she knew this was it. It was down to the hour of truth, and if her intuition was correct, Brian would
never
be heard from again. A newfound determination and empowering surge coursed through her. She squared her shoulders and nodded, mentally preparing for any situation that might arise. “No problem. Is everyone okay?” She let her voice insinuate more in the meaning than just health wise, hoping Alex caught it.

“The boys are all fine. I am going to go help ‘clean up’ and we will be back to get you two. Try to get some rest because we are hauling ass to Montana the second all of this is taken care of.”

“But, what about my house? And all of our things?”

“Mrs. Sanders has packed up all of the important things, and we can come back to get the rest later. Right now, we need to get as far from here as we can. She has called both of your jobs and told them about your car accident, and your friends know that you are safe, so that buys time.”

“Okay. Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you, for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you all.”

“This is what we do. We live for justice, no matter how far in the grey area we have to go to accomplish it. It has been so long since I have had any girlfriends that I should be thanking you. You and Elizabeth are pretty great.” Her face softened into a genuine smile, reaching straight to Alaina’s heart.

Alaina walked over and hugged her, feeling an almost awkwardness from Alex. “Please be careful.”
Did the woman never get hugged
? The lack of emotions the group shared must be the result from hard Army training. With Alex being a female, it seemed more upsetting for some reason.

“We always are careful. Lock these doors behind me. Oh, and if I don’t get a chance to talk to you alone later, Brody and Leland are good guys. If there is anything going on between you three, you don’t have to worry about getting hurt. They will take care of you both.”

“Oh…um, thanks.” Alaina felt her face heat, but Alex walked out in time to avoid any explanations. She walked over and locked the doorknob and dead bolt, checking it twice to make sure it was secure. After, she checked the backdoor and all of the windows. Once she felt semi-safe, she curled up on the bed with Elizabeth and waited.

****

A jiggling of the front door knob made her jump up in an instant rush, making her heart flutter against her ribs. She gripped the pistol with both hands and took the safety off before cocking the hammer back. Slowly and quietly, she tiptoed a few feet in front of it and broadened her stance. With the gun lowered and pointed straight ahead, she waited.

She watched as the lock turned slowly, holding her breath while the knob was turned and the door quietly creaked open. Her heart pounded in her ears, making her clamp her teeth together to keep from making a peep. Both of Alaina’s arms were locked straight and her hands gripped so hard it hurt all the way up to her elbows. When the figure appeared, she started squeezing the trigger.

“Alaina, no! It’s me!” Brody’s voice boomed as he ducked down below the fire zone. She eased off, gently uncocking the weapon and flipped the safety back on, wilting from the rush her body had just endured. He stood from his squatted position and caught her before she fell. “Are you all right?” He eased the cold iron out of her hands gently, stowing it in his waistband. She had just pointed a gun at him, and he was worried if she was okay.
Wow
.

“I’m sorry…Alex said to shoot if someone came in. I didn’t know it was you,” her voice shook, still in a state of stupefaction.

“I am proud of you. That took a lot of guts. If I would have taken a millisecond more, you would be visiting me in the hospital,” he joked, trying to ease her discomfort. He pulled her tightly against his chest, giving her a whiff of the fresh scent of soap and a woodsy aroma that was his own.
He just showered.
Which could only mean…God he feels so good. No matter what had happened, she didn’t care. The fucker was hopefully gone for good, and they were safe.
She finally relaxed, taking the time to appreciate every small detail about him. Her thoughts were circling over the small little things she was noticing, like how his heart sounded, and how his pecks flexed when he moved his arms—when someone pressed in behind. She turned around startled at the unfamiliar feeling of being encased between two brick walls to find a grinning Leland.

“Hi, sugar.” He leaned over and kissed the crook of her neck, sending an immediate chill up her spine. Her body flickered alive. Was it wrong to be with two men? Hell, if it felt this good in a hug, what would other
things
feel like? Her breath hitched, creating a soft chuckle from them both.

“Hi. What’s so funny?” Alaina pouted.

“Absolutely nothing at all is funny. We just happen to love the reaction you have to us. We have been afraid to let you see what our intentions are.” Leland laid it out on the table, sending her brain bouncing like a tennis ball in her skull.
There it is. They do want a ménage. Can I do this? Do I want to?
The sudden tingling in her panties answered her inner dilemma. A mental inventory of feelings and circumstances flipped rapidly. It was all silenced when Brody leaned in and claimed her lips. Instead of hinting and asking, he was taking and showing. The second her lips parted, he dove in with urgency. It didn’t take long for her to swoon and go limp in their arms. His hand skimmed up her shoulder and planted at the side of her head with his thumb resting on her cheek and his fingers going around the back of her neck. This was her biggest turn-on move, and he had pulled her cards on the first hand. She wrapped her arms around his neck, ruffling her fingers through the back of his hair to pull him in deeper. He more than willingly obliged, taking her tongue on in a full out battle. Things heated up in a hurry, making her breaths come in pants between licks and sucks. Leland’s hands caressed her arms and back, amping the heat to the already smoking smooch. When Brody broke away abruptly, she was left tottering and in a daze. Before she gained her composure, the two traded places and Leland took up where Brody had left off. He tasted sweet where Brody was more salty tangy, and her taste buds exploded. He had a musky, earthy scent that petted her libido. He kissed her slower than Brody had but just as powerful, staking a sort of claim on her. He took his time, kissing her up the mountain of ecstasy. Loud catcalls and whistles screeched things to a halt, sending a roaring fire to flicker across her face.

“Don’t stop on our account, it’s been awhile since I got to see a hot show,” Romeo hollered. Snickers echoed around them.

“Oh my God, this isn’t want it looks like...” Alaina stammered, stepping out of their hold. When she turned and bolted, she ran smack dab into a brick wall. Someone caught her under her arms, saving her ass from an up close and personal introduction with the floor. When she shook the helping hands off, her vision caught the cause of her jolt. Standing with his arms folded across his chest and a scowl, was none other than the brutal glare of Dom. Her eyes widened in fear, and she slowly stepped backwards straight into Brody’s arms once again.

“It isn’t? Leland and Brody weren’t kissing you?” His tone was solid and bold, scaring the living daylights out of her. She hated being put on the spot, and was rendered speechless. He waited, looking at her as if he would sit for hours until she answered. Finally, she got pissed enough to stand up to him.

“Yes, I guess it is what it looked like then.” With a fuck you glare, she attempted to get out of Brody’s hold and bolt to the bathroom but was only disappointed when Dom wouldn’t let it go.

“So, why are you trying to hide it and pretend it wasn’t what it was?” Once again, his monotone sent chills over her arms.

This time, he struck a nerve. It was an obvious answer and he was only trying to humiliate her in front of a group of people. She hated being questioned, and hated even more for someone to put her on the spot to make her look like a dipshit on purpose.

“I didn’t want to look like a desperate whore or make any of you feel uncomfortable. It embarrassed me because I haven’t been with anyone but my husband since I was a sophomore in high school, but I guess I was too quick to worry about your opinions or feelings.” The last part of her statement was a bit heated, turning her coloring to a bright neon glow.

This time instead of trying to run, she squared her shoulders in a challenge, narrowing her eyes into slits. A few ‘damns’ and ‘oh snaps’ sounded from the others, helping her confidence enough to prepare for whatever he said next.

“Lesson number one: don’t ever worry what people will say or think of you. Lesson two: don’t ever be embarrassed of love or sex. It is a beautiful thing, and confidence is power. You are already learning lesson three: don’t let anyone make you feel inferior or intimidate you.” His mouth turned up in a smile, and he walked over and snaked his huge arms around her in a hug. “Welcome to the family.” The others clapped and cheered, easing her frustration some.
Wow. What a character. Maybe I should be glad he didn’t initiate me in a more brutal way…like water logging or electrocution!

Once he sat her down, Brody and Leland were once again locked to her sides. “You did something most can’t, Alaina,” Brody said.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“You didn’t fold under Dom’s intimidation. That is something not many have accomplished,” Leland piped up, grinning at her. The rest of the group started engaging in the conversation, each of them asking random questions about her and her life from time to time, getting to know her. Whether she wanted them to assume her an item with the hot cowboy/soldier duo she wasn’t sure, but she did appreciate their enthusiasm.

After only a few minutes, Brody spoke up, silencing the eager group. “We need to hit the road. Everyone pack up and get everything ready for the long haul. Kodiak, you have sleeping beauty duty. Don’t wake her or it is clean up duty for a month.”

“On it, Capt’n.” Kodiak walked over to the bed and began delicately and quietly wrapping Lizzy in a blanket before easing her into his arms. Alaina had to giggle. Watching a grizzly bear being so careful was quite the sight.

“Everyone else, pack up and move out,” his simple command sent everyone into action.

“What do you need me to do?” Alaina felt like she was being a waste of oxygen and wanted to be put to use however they needed. She wasn’t one to stand around when work needed done, and soldiers or not, she wasn’t going to stop now.

“You can follow me outside. I will show you to your seat, madam.” His fake accent made her giggle. Alaina looped her arm in his, and let him lead the way. When they made it out the door, she almost fell over in shock. A gigantic motor home was parked only a few feet away from the door, blocking the whole dang yard.

“Holy crap where did this come from?” Alaina’s mouth gaped at its sight. It was like a rock star’s tour bus. It was a glossy black, with dark windows and what looked to be a ton of pop outs. She had seen a bunch of buses from various singers roll through town, but this looked like it belonged on an episode of
Cribs
.

“Well, we needed something to make the trip in, and I thought what better than a rolling hotel? Do you like it?” He beamed, waiting, hopeful for her answer.

“Like it? No. I love it. This is the coolest thing ever!” He released her arm and helped her up the narrow stairs into their new ride. She looked around, taking in every detail from the wood trim and recess lighting to the front room complete with sectional couch and huge flat screen television on the wall. The carpeting was a dark plush charcoal gray, and went well with the designer look and pops of color. Accent walls were painted a deep red, giving a rich feel to the space. Even the driver’s seat was plush, lush, and built for a king. The bathroom had a full shower and tub, double vanity and full size toilet. A decent size kitchen was attached to the living space with a full stove, fridge, and microwave, plenty of countertop space, and cabinets lining the wall for food and dishes. There were two separate bedrooms and a bunkroom that held more than enough beds for everyone. Two extra bunks rested over the driver’s area, and with all of the furniture, there was enough room to haul at least fifteen comfortably.

After the initial walk through, they pointed out Elizabeth’s spot by the master suite’s door. There was a tuck away bunk with a television on the wall in front of it, game systems, and under bed storage. The top bunk had the same setup, only had a shelf with a little light, hot pink bed linens, and a pile of brand new stuffed animals lined against the wall. Alaina almost cried. It was so perfect. Elizabeth was going to flip when she saw it. She hadn’t had new things in so long. The thought that went into the details for her was incomprehensible. After only knowing her a very short time, this group had bent over backwards and went out of their way for them both. “Wow.” Alaina had to swallow a few times to clear the mist from her eyes. “There are no words to describe how thoughtful this is. Elizabeth is going to freak. Thank you, so, so much. You have no idea how much this means to me.” Her arms flew around Brody’s neck and she squeezed tight. He hugged her back, finally pulling away with a huge grin. There were so many emotions piled up in her she couldn’t sort them. Hope was once again back in her vocabulary.

“We wanted her to be happy when she woke up. After everything that poor kid has been through, she needs some TLC. Once we get home, she is in for a whole lot more,” his voice went soft, making her heart melt even more.

These two men may have just been introduced into their lives, but they had made more of an impact than others who had been there the whole time. For anyone to put so much thought and energy out for her and Elizabeth was just dumbfounding. She was touched, and found her heart heating the layers of ice that had crystallized over it the past six months. She had heard of people falling in love at first sight, and hadn’t given it much thought. Whether this was love, she had no idea, but the kindness and care they had given in the short time was enough for her to know without a doubt that she loved them as people. No matter what the future held, this group would forever hold a spot deep in her heart.

The next thirty minutes was spent loading everything from the truck to the under storage of the motor home, and upon closer examination a bunch of her stuff from her house was included. Leland had said that all of her pictures and sentimental things were there, a few things of Elizabeth’s favorites, and the bare necessities. “We will make a trip back with a U-Haul next week for everything else. In the meantime, I think we got what you need to survive for now. We will be shopping for the next few days anyway.” Leland took her hand and led her to the master suite.

She absorbed his words but couldn’t verbalize a coherent sentence. This had to be a dream right? People didn’t do this… It was more kindness than any human could possibly have. He sat her on the side of the bed and knelt down on the floor to pull her shoes off.

“I can do that…thank you.” He was taking her shoes off? No one had ever taken her shoes off for her, since she was tiny. Leland smiled up at her, as if reading her thoughts.

“I know you are able, but I want to. You need to start getting it through your head that you are going to be taken care of. Hell, more than that. We are going to spoil you girls rotten. Now, shimmy out of those jeans and crawl up in bed. You need to get some rest. We have a long trip ahead.” He kissed her sweetly on the lips and waited for her to oblige. She didn’t know whether to ask him to turn around or to just shuck them off and say screw it, but the gentleness in his face made the decision for her.

Without a second thought, she unbuttoned and unzipped them, did her normal little shimmy shake to get them over her hips, and pushed them down to pool at her feet. Without looking up she stepped out of them, scurried into the bed, and flipped the covers over her to hide in a mad dash. When she found enough courage to look back up, her heart stopped. Leland had gone from the sweet and gentle man she had seen only moments before, talking about stuffed teddy bears and ruffles, to a feral wild beast with a heated stare so hot she felt her skin start to sweat.