Micah (19 page)

“
We don’t have a lot of
details on what happened after that. And if we did, until the trial
is over, we won’t be saying much more about it. Only to tell our
readers how sorry we are. We will, of course, keep you updated on
their progress, the well-being of those brave women, and to report
daily on the happenings of the trial as we get it in. Again, we’re
so very sorry for what we printed the day before.”

Katie laid the paper in her lap and
watched the bed. She could see that Reggie had her eyes open, but
she wasn’t moving. Her chest moving up and down seemed to be the
only clue that she could find that the child was still
alive.

“
Something is different
about me.” Katie nodded, then remembered that she more than likely
couldn’t see her and told her yes. “I’m assuming that it’s why I’m
not dead.”

“
Pretty much, I would
say.” The girl nodded, and Katie smiled. “You’re going to be a
beautiful cat, my dear. Just lovely.”

“
Mrs. Bentley, I’m sort of
freaking out a little. Could you tell me something…I don’t know,
anything else? I’d really appreciate it.”

“
Of course. The household
is getting ready for Thanksgiving. Last year the family tried to
block it out, I think. But this year we have a great deal to be
thankful for.” She asked what that would be. “You’re here. You
saved our daughter for us. And Micah is no longer a
cop.”

“
Did they fire him? No
wait, it was his last day.” She told her he was ready for their
life to begin. “I see. And did he want to quit being a cop? I mean,
it has nothing to do with me, does it?”

“
No and yes. He did want
to quit, yes, but he was going to do that before you came along. I
think now he’s thrilled to be gone from there. And it’s not as if
he has to work. None of the boys do.” The shifting on the bed had
her standing up, but she didn’t offer to help Reggie. Katie wanted
to see how strong she was. “You’re doing very well.”

“
I figured they had
money,” Reggie said when she sat up and leaned against the pillows.
“But I didn’t know they could be retiring so young. I guess he
really is going below standard with me, huh?”

“
Don’t be obtuse. You’re
perfect for him. And they have all done very well for themselves.
And their father left them all some money. Garth, he’s just a wiz
at making a million out of a dollar, and he’s invested their money
well.” Katie sat down. “I’m supposed to call Micah. Would you like
anything before I do?”

“
Not yet.” Katie nodded.
She could understand why Reggie would want to wait. It was all so
different for her now. “How is Gracie? She’s not hurt, is
she?”

“
No. She’s doing just
fine. Her turn to watch over you is next. I’m betting she’ll be
here before my time is up.” Reggie nodded but said nothing else.
“You were dying, child. He had no choice.”

“
I thought I was going to
die. I was…it was that or prison. I’m not sure I would have
survived that either.” She looked away but not before Katie saw the
tears. “Is he mad at me? Micah, I mean, is he mad at
me?”

“
Why should he be mad at
you?” She shrugged, and Katie tried to think. “You are his love,
his life, Reggie. He was so upset with you getting hurt and him not
being there to protect you. He’s upset with himself for that, but
not at you.”

“
I’m in love with him.”
Katie nodded and reached for Micah. She told him to come to her
now, that Reggie was awake and feeling insecure.

I’m on my way.
Katie smiled and stood up, hearing her grandson
running down the hall.
I’m coming, tell
her.

She can hear you.
The door behind her opened, and Katie stepped out
as Micah made his way to the bed. The two of them were going to be
just fine now
.

Chapter 11

Micah moved slowly toward the bed.
He’d been with her nightly for the past eight nights, and he still
marveled at how well she looked. Today she seemed to glow with good
health.

“
Wait.” He stopped moving
when she lifted her hand up. “I want to talk to you. And if you
come closer, I’m not going to be able to remember what happened to
me.”

“
I can live with you never
remembering what happened.” She nodded and looked away briefly.
“You’re not going to prison, if you’re still worried about that. I
don’t want you to ever have to worry about that again.”

“
You changed me. I didn’t
think…is this going to affect how you feel about me?” He asked her
what she meant. “You know, about loving me? I’m assuming you still
do, but what happens now? And don’t think I’m not aware of someone
thinking I’m a Bentley now.”

“
I told them that before I
could think that I should have asked you first. But you were
slightly indisposed. Besides, without being your husband, they
wouldn’t let me make decisions about you.” She asked him what sort
of decisions. “Like you having the best care. Making sure that they
took care of you better than they did anyone else.”

“
Those other people might
have needed the extra care.” Micah just shrugged. “What if that had
been one of your brothers or your grandmother that needed the extra
care? What would you have said then?”

“
They would have been able
to shift and nothing would have been wrong with them. You couldn’t
yet. Not with the loss of blood.” Micah took a few steps toward her
and was glad when she didn’t tell him to back off. “I was afraid of
losing you. I can’t lose you. I love you too much.”

“
You’re not getting rid of
me that easily.” She watched him as he sat on the edge of the bed,
having moved enough so that he could now. “You don’t listen well,
do you? What happened to you waiting so I could think?”

“
Not when I see something
I want. And I’m sure we’ll be able to sort out everything you want
to know.” She snorted at him, and he smiled. “You don’t believe me?
I do want you. In my life, my bed, and you already have taken over
my heart.”

“
You’re so full of shit.”
She leaned back when he took her hand into his. “I was so afraid.
When they dumped me in that van, I was so scared that I’d never see
you again. And then I found out that your mom was there, and all I
could think of was saving her for you.”

He kissed her hand and moved up beside
her. When she was resting her head on his chest, Micah wrapped his
arms around her. She was never leaving him again.

“
I love you. I’ve told you
that so many times over the last few days. I was hoping you’d be
irritated enough to wake up and tell me to go the fuck away.” She
laughed, and Micah felt lighter for it. “How are you
feeling?”

“
I’m not sure.” He nodded,
thinking that was a good answer. “I can hear the fly in the
kitchen, I think. He’s making plans to land on whatever is on the
counter. Do you suppose I’ll hear when someone swats him? You know,
the scream of his…Micah, I’m afraid.”

“
I doubt you’ll hear that.
You might hear him scream.” Her shiver had him hugging her tighter
to him. “I’m sorry. Okay, what changes you might experience. You
can hear better, which you’ve figured out. Heal much faster than
before…like minutes instead of days. When you shift, it’ll be
like—”

“
Not yet.” He nodded.
“Have you seen Boyd? I know that he won’t remember me, but I still
want to see him every day.”

“
He was fine when I saw
him this morning.” Micah settled on the bed better, pulling Reggie
over him rather than beside him. “Mom went with me and so did
Grandda. He talked to him for over an hour about you and what was
going on. Boyd laughed at him a few times. Oh, by the way, he’s now
a permanent resident at the nursing home we transferred him to. And
you have been refunded all your money you paid the other place.
Joey took care of that for you. There are also a lot of other
people who had family there looking into the place. I doubt they’ll
be in business much longer.”

“
Those people will be out
of work.” He didn’t say anything, knowing that most of them were
going to jail for the lack of care that they’d given not only Boyd,
but the rest of the people living there as well. “I suppose they
were all guilty of something, right? I mean it would be hard not to
know what was going on with those poor people and work
there.”

“
I would think so as
well.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “The diner is
closed down. I thought about buying it, but I’m sure it would have
too many memories for us both.”

“
I just heard that Waylon
was killed. I’m not…he wasn’t a great boss, but he was okay. His
family must be in pain.” When he didn’t answer her, she looked at
him. “What?”

“
The wife is not all that
upset that he’s gone. She’s…according to her thoughts, the vacation
they were on was to try and patch up their marriage. He’d been
having numerous affairs apparently. And she was set for a divorce
when he was killed. But lucky her, he had a nice insurance pay off,
and since it was murder, double it. She’s saying things differently
now so that no one takes her cash.” Reggie sat up and looked at
him. “She is one cold woman. But the diner is for sale. And a great
many people have gone by to lay flowers around for
Nile.”

“
He didn’t deserve to die
either.” Micah agreed. “Can we do something for him? I mean…I’m not
sure what kind of family he had, but he told me he didn’t have a
pot to piss in.”

“
I’ve taken care of it.
According to the police he worked hard to keep Keith from taking
you out of the diner. It cost him his life, of course, but the man
tried.” Reggie laid her head on his chest again. “Reggie, we have
to talk about what you can do now.”

“
I can be a cat, right?”
He told her yes. “For now that’s all I want to know. I’m being a
big chicken, I know, but I just need to take this in a little at a
time.”

“
Okay. But you will have
to talk about it sooner or later.” He held her to him, just running
his hand up and down her back when he thought of the police and
their need to talk to her. “I’ve been holding them off as best I
can. And Joey is representing you. Not that you’re in trouble, but
he wants to make sure they’re treating you well.”

“
What do they want to
know? That I murdered two men?” He lifted her head up from his
chest and saw that she was crying. “I was so afraid they were going
to kill us both.”

“
And they would have, too,
but for you being smarter than them.” He kissed her mouth, then sat
her away from him. He was unbuttoning his shirt as he continued.
“But for right now, we’re going to make love. Or at least I’m going
to taste you. Then I’m going to fuck you as hard as I’d
like.”

She left the bed by the other side,
and Micah felt his cat snarl at him. Before he could reach for her,
she started taking off her own clothing. He watched her as she
slowly pulled each button free of the hole. His shirt was open to
the hem when he realized he’d quit breathing.

“
I’m going to be in charge
first.” Micah nodded and leaned back to watch her pull off his
shirt, the only thing that they’d been able to get on her when
she’d been out. “The first thing I want to do is lick your cock.
I’ve never had that chance because you are forever always in a
hurry.”

“
I’d like that.” Micah
pulled his pants off with his underwear and tossed them to the
floor. He was stone hard and his cum was pearling at the tip.
Fisting himself, he watched her pull her panties off and stand
before him naked. “You’re going to have to take me into your
luscious mouth soon. I’m ready enough now to come just like
this.”

She slid her body toward his like the
cat that she was. Micah felt his balls tighten to his body when she
asked him to turn on the bed. His legs spread wide for her when she
dropped in front of him.

“
You’re so thick.” Moving
his hand, she wrapped her own fingers around him. “And long. I love
the feel of you while you’re inside of me. It’s as if you’re all
the way to my throat when you fuck me.”

“
Reggie, please.” She’d
yet to touch him with her mouth, but he felt as if she’d scorched
him with her words. When she leaned forward, licking the crown of
his cock, it was all he could do not to push her mouth over him to
fuck her. “Take me, baby. I need to feel your mouth on
me.”

“
No.” Her mouth was
everywhere but not for long. Just when he felt his climax rushing
to the tip to release, she’d move to another part of his cock.
Micah felt the sweat roll down his back as he leaned on the bed
with his hands behind him. Rocking his hips up, Reggie finally took
him into her mouth.

“
Christ.” He grabbed the
bed beneath him so as not to rush her. He wanted to. Micah wanted
to grab her head and hold her still while he fucked her hard. But
she was exploring him, touching him in such a way that he knew as
much suffering as he was enduring right now, the payoff would be
amazing.

Her fingers touched his balls, grazed
them twice before she cupped them in her hot hand. It was all it
took, the small twist of her fingers around him, to have him crying
out his release. Watching her take him, fucking his cock with her
mouth, knowing that he was filling her with his cum, had him
hardening again, so much so that he knew he was going to come
again. But not in her mouth.