From the Ashes

I continued to look in the direction of the club, trying to settle my stomach.

"Do you know who Joe-Joe is?" He asked.

I shook my head without bothering to turn to him.

"Joe-Joe is a friend of ours. Good guy. He... uh... you call him when you need something really specific. When you need a mess cleaned up. I don't know how else to explain it."

More moments without talking... I didn't help move things along. Honestly, I just wanted to leave... to go back to bed...

"So, you have someone like Cap. Strong, independent, a team player when she needs to be... fiercely protective of the people in her life. And then something like what happened to you happens. And Cap calls Joe-Joe. Someone who never leans on anyone calls a man that cleans up messes. Do you understand what I'm trying to say to you Jen?"

I slowly turn to look at him. The pieces were settling in my brain as I processed what he was saying. Sort of.

"Cap called a cleaner to help with this problem, Jen. A cleaner. Joe-Joe helps to eliminate problems. Helps to clean up messes."

I watched him, finally noticing his huge hands squeezing the life out of the steering wheel, his shoulders raised... tensed.

"Four days ago, three of Gabe's men were killed. Gutted. Left to die slow, painful deaths. Three days ago, one of Gabe's warehouses was burned to the ground. Two days ago, two of the three women Gabe normally fucks disappeared. No one has seen them since. You get where I'm going, Jen?"

I felt my heart hitch. Jesus.

"I reached out to Gabe. She said she wants to talk to you. I couldn't bring her to the safe house." He turned toward me. "I promise you, you will be by my side the entire time. No one will touch you. But Jen... I need you to go inside and talk to her."

I stared at him, torn. I wanted Gabe to suffer. I was glad Cap was defending me. Taking care of me although I'd had no idea. But... people had been killed... and women had disappeared. And Cap was responsible? Which meant, to some extent, I was responsible. Especially if I had a chance to stop it and I didn't even try. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. I could see her, standing over me, looking past me as she shoved her fingers into me... the feel of that cold metal against my flesh... the horror of those foreign fingers penetrating such a sacred space... asking me to do this was so unfair. So unfair...

I undid my seat beat and stood from the car before I changed my mind. Women were missing. Lives were being taken. By my very angry...girlfriend? Friend? Lover? I didn't know what she was. But I didn't want this. I didn't want to be any part of this. Right?

Buck joined me a minute later.

"No one touches me Buck, or all bets are off."

He nodded, "not a problem."

*

We were back in the tiny apartment 45 minutes later. The outcome of that very difficult visit? Nothing. Gabe hadn't been there. Buck thought maybe they'd gotten their wires crossed about the time. But Gabe hadn't answered when Buck called.

So, now I was back in the tiny apartment looking over take-out menus. I was hungry... a good sign.

We'd placed an order, with something extra for Cap, when the door to the apartment opened abruptly. Cap glanced around, then shut the door behind her forcefully and made her way over to me. I was sitting on the small sofa and looked up at her as she stood in front of me. She knelt down, capturing my chin.

"You okay?" She asked, her voice gruff.

What the hell? She looked... tired. Dark patches under her eyes... eyes that looked weary instead of sharp. I nodded. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against mine, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. I didn't even know what to say.

"Where's Buck?" She asked.

I swallowed, surprised by the gentle way she held my chin... by the tenderness in her resting her forehead against mine... but I wasn't fooled. She was pissed.

"He stepped out for a minute." I stalled, thinking it might be a good idea for her to calm down before talking to him.

She opened her eyes and moved back a few inches, staring at me, releasing my chin. Suddenly, she smirked.

"Bullshit."

I swallowed again, raising a brow.

"What?"

"Buck wouldn't leave you alone. Where is he?"

She was right. Buck would never leave me if she wasn't here. I decided to move the conversation in a different direction.

"Did you kill those women?" I blurted.

She shifted further away from me and stood. Paced to one of the windows. Took a few seconds before turning back to me.

"You don't have to ask that question."

I stared at her for a while... processing. She was right. I didn't have to ask that question. She was a lot of things, but she'd been pissed about what happened to me. She wouldn't hurt a woman like that... or allow anyone else to. If I didn't know anything else, I knew that.

Buck exited the bathroom and joined us a moment later. I watched, waiting to see if I would have to intervene. I could see Cap shut down, her eyes cold when she turned to her friend.

"What the fuck, Buck?"

"She said she wanted to meet. Wanted to squash this shit and move on."

Cap nodded, a brow raised, "and what happened?"

Buck shook his head in frustration, "she wasn't there."

Cap nodded again, "yeah, she wasn't there, Buck. Why do you think that is?"

I looked over at Buck. It took a moment, but then I saw realization on his face.

"Fuck."

"Yeah. Fuck."

Cap turned to me, "go pack your shit, babe. You got five."

I was going to ask, but realized now wasn't the time. I hurried to the tiny bedroom and started shoving my things in a bag. I'd left the door open, so I heard their low conversation.

"You don't trust me now? You want out?"

"Cap, things are getting crazy. Joe-Joe is out of control."

"Answer me, Buck."

I didn't hear anything for a few moments.

"Told you. I'm in."

More silence. Then...

"Don't take her from me like that again."

I didn't hear a direct response... and tried to ignore the pitter-patter of my heart. What the hell did that mean? Then a minute later...

"You think she wanted to follow me here?"

"Fuck yeah, Buck. I'm surprised they're not here already."

I left the room a minute later and followed them quietly from the tiny apartment.

***

We did the 'sofa shuffle' for the next two weeks, staying at homes and in apartments of people I didn't know. The strangers stayed away from me for the most part, polite, but distant. After, we made our way to a B & B in northern Jersey. Cap said we'd stay there for about a week. It was nice to know I wasn't going to have to pack my few belongings for a few days.

Buck and Cap were still barely speaking and the tension was starting to get to me. They still worked together to protect me, but I could see there was a serious rift in their relationship. I didn't know what to do about it, however, so I opted not to do anything. It was clear they'd been friends for a long time. They didn't need me to fix things.

Cap slept beside me most nights. If we were sleeping in a living room, she slept on the floor beside the sofa. If we had the luxury of a bedroom, she slept at my back, holding me close. There was comfort in her keeping me close. Not peace, per se, but...safety. I was sleeping better. Fewer nightmares. I know that it had a lot to do with her presence. She went out a lot during the day, but she always returned before I was in a deep sleep. She was always there if the nightmares came. And she always held me when I cried until there were no more tears.

Something had changed between us. I know a lot of it had to do with what Buck told me. When he shared that she had been making changes... something had shifted inside of me. I had no sense, prior to that conversation, that I was important to Cap. At first, I was a one-night stand. Then something that seemed...casual. She hadn't shared that she was reprioritizing her life. And she definitely hadn't shared that I had anything to do with that. But I was starting to understand. I'd wondered about some of the choices she'd been making. I'd wondered why she sided with me against her 'family.' Going up against Gabe... cutting ties... seeking out other options... there couldn't be a clearer message. The only other thing she could do that would make her feelings more clear involved a princess cut diamond and a church. But I didn't think we were there yet.

I most certainly wasn't there yet.

"Hey."

I looked over at Buck who was sitting on a sofa in the living space of the rather large B&B room watching a game on television.

"I'm hungry. What do you want tonight?"

I shrugged. I was getting really tired of takeout. "A salad."

Buck scoffed, "stop playing girl. Or I can get you a salad from the pizza place."

I nodded. That would do.

*

I was already half asleep when she returned. I rolled over to watch her undress... she really was a damn good-looking woman. All that dark skin...smooth and strong... When she slid in behind me, I snuggled back into her, waiting to see if she would... She hadn't tried to do anything since that night... a part of me worried maybe she thought I was... ruined... I didn't know. I was still for a while, listening to her breathe, feeling her warmth... and then I reached for her hand and brought it to my breast. I could feel her hesitate, even as my body responded to her touch immediately. She moved in closer, her warm breath near my ear...

"You sure?" She whispered softly.

I nodded, sighing as her hands began to move... caressing my breasts... rolling my hardening nipples between her rough fingers... sweeping over my tummy... my back... Smoothing over my hips... dragging me close... closer to her... she covered my lips with hers... breathing me in... pulling moans from deep within me. Within moments she had me on my back, her mouth covering mine with hunger as her knee moved between my thighs. I was wet, slick with arousal, desperate for the feel of her... and she took me on a ride that I basked in with absolute pleasure.

***

Buck took me shopping for more clothes and some food the next day. It felt great to finally be out of that room. Being holed up...Jesus. It was driving me nuts. It wasn't as bad as moving around and sleeping in the homes of strangers, but...I missed my students. I missed my job. I missed my tiny house. I missed my bed. I didn't have much to do day after day. And there's only so much media one can consume without going nuts.

Buck pulled over to the curb in front of the B & B, but stopped me before I was about to step out and grab my bags from the back seat. I watched him as he stared at a car parked a few spaces ahead of us. Then he turned and focused on a car a few spaces behind us. Then, again, a car parked across the street from us. I could feel the tension creeping up my spine.

"J, take the bags, go directly to the room and lock the door."

I swallowed, looking at Buck's massive form for a moment before reaching for the handle.

"If I'm not up there in about 15 minutes," he continued, "you know what to do."

That made me pause for a moment longer... we'd gone over the plan again and again. Every time we moved, we went over a plan. I kept my bag packed for the most part. If either of them, or both of them, disappeared, or I was given the order, I was to leave. Usually we mapped out some way to leave that wasn't through the front door. And then I was to contact a friend of Cap's. He had the next set of instructions for me.

I'd always hoped I would never need to follow 'the plan.' But now...

I hurried from the car, grabbed the bags, and went inside, running up the two flights of stairs and unlocking the door to our two-bedroom suite. And then... I froze.

Buck didn't need to worry. The problem was already inside.

"You can go ahead and put that stuff away."

I would remember that voice for the rest of my life. How calm it was... deep... some would say even sexy. But to me? It only brought up a feeling of anxiety...of...violation.

Gabe watched me as I carried the bags into the tiny kitchen area. I put the perishables in the small refrigerator and left the other bags on the nearby table. Then I stood, watching her as she watched me. That lasted for a few minutes.

"Have a seat, Sweetheart. We're gonna be a while."

Every inch of my body wanted to refuse to follow her directive. The last time I'd sat anywhere near her...

I shut that thought down. Taking a deep breath, I made my way to the sofa where she was sitting and sat in an armchair across from her.

We sat in silence for quite some time. Gabe sitting across from me, watching me, her dark eyes cold. Her three goons, each of them huge and muscular, sitting around occupying themselves on their phones. After about 30 minutes, I reached into the back pocket of the loose jeans I wore and pulled out my phone, intending to watch a video or play a game.

"I'll need that."

I glanced over at her, raising a brow.

"Why?"

"I don't want you contacting her."

Her. Cap. Well, at least I now knew why the hell we were just sitting here.

"I was just going to play a game."

She held her hand out. I reluctantly handed my phone to her.

"Pete."

A moment later, one of her gladiators removed another phone from his back pocket and tossed it in my direction. I busied myself looking over the games he had on his phone, but I didn't know how to play any of them. So, I logged into my Amazon account and watched a movie.

Two hours later, I tried to stretch out in the chair a little, tired of sitting in one spot for so long.

"Is Buck okay?"

I asked her. The question had been brewing in my mind for some time. She raised that annoying brow again and stared at me silently for a few moments.

"Buck is a big boy. He can handle himself."

So...a non-answer then. Great. I started searching through the list of movies again.

"You fucking both of them?"

I glanced over at her...but then decided to ignore the question. She was just trying to get a rise out of me.

"Cuz I don't recall Cap liking to share. I mean...even the bitches she fucked in the club knew when they were messing with her, it was exclusive until she was done. So...it's odd that she would be okay with you fucking Buck."

I continued to search through the movies, preferring to watch almost anything instead of listening to her.

"And there were a lot of bitches. A lot. I mean...considering who she used to fuck...I am abso-fucking-lutely amazed she would...settle for you."

Okay...that one might have stung a bit. Mostly because I'd thought the same thing. Given who she used to hang around with...why me? I didn't understand it. But...I sure didn't feel like hearing it from her.

She didn't say anything else after that. I crossed my legs, started another movie, and settled in.

*

She arrived hours later. I'd been sitting with the woman who had sexually assaulted me for a little more than seven hours by the time I heard the key turn in the lock. I glanced up and I could feel myself relax. Not entirely, but just a little. Considering I'd been sitting for such a long time, my shoulders and back were quite stiff. Being able to relax a little helped.

Cap looked around, took in the three goons...took in Gabe...then settled those dark brown eyes on me.

"You good?" She asked, her deep voice washing over me.

"Told you I wouldn't touch her again," Gabe snapped, standing.

I watched as Cap turned those dark, cold eyes in her direction. "I wasn't fucking talking to you."

I swallowed. Cap paused a moment, her eyes still focused on Gabe, until she looked at me again, her brow raised. I nodded. Everyone was silent for a moment until Cap unloaded venom in Gabe's direction.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Gabe turned to look at the goons and gave them a chin raise... they immediately started filing out. The one who had taken my phone tossed it in my direction and I grabbed it out of the air, barely. Once they were gone, that left me, Gabe and Cap. And Cap was filled with rage. I could feel it coming off her in waves although she didn't say anything else. I was surprised Gabe had dismissed her goons considering the vibe Cap was putting out.

"I need a favor."

That was Gabe... the snort was from Cap. Even I knew what that snort meant.

"I need you to call off your dog."

I just sat and watched the two of them. I would figure out what they were talking about sooner or later.

"No."

"I got a shipment coming in and I need him to back the fuck off. I'm serious Cap."

"No."

"Seven days."

"No."

"Fuck Cap, I'm fucking serious."

Cap stood without moving, her gaze on me.

"And you thought coming here and fucking with her, again, was the way to convince me?" She snarled.

Gabe sighed, "you got another suggestion for how I should contact you?"

Cap didn't respond, her dark eyes moving to sweep over Gabe.

"No."

"I remove the contract on her for every day you give me."

Okay, my brain finally caught up. They were talking about Joe-Joe...and now me. So there really was a contract on my life. Great.

"Remove it permanently."

"You gonna call off your dog permanently?"

Cap didn't respond. They stared at one another again.

"48 hours."

"Five days," Gabe countered.

"You fucking shoved your fingers in her. You're lucky I don't fucking slit your fucking throat right now."

That growl came from my...girlfriend? Friend? Protector? I still wasn't sure what she was. I watched as Gabe glanced at me and then sighed.

"Four days. And I cancel the contract for eight. Yeah?"

Cap didn't say yes...but she also didn't tell her to fuck off. So, I think that was an agreement. I figured I was right when Gabe nodded and left seconds later.

I didn't move, waiting for Cap to say something...anything.

"You okay?" She asked after a few minutes.

"I'm okay. Did you see Buck? They have him."

"He's fine."

I watched as she approached...leaning down to press a soft kiss to my forehead. Again, the tenderness surprised me.

"Does this mean I can go back to work soon?" I asked hopefully.

She smirked, "babe, you can't believe a fucking word that comes out of her mouth. She's not going to lift that contract."

I frowned, "but—"

"Just trust me. I know."

I sighed...great.

***

The next few days were quiet for the most part. I wondered if Gabe had removed the contract and I was just sitting around in this B&B for no reason. Cap had decided not to move us. She was tired of playing Gabe's game, moving me around. Instead, she told Buck not to leave my side...as in ever. Which was just a whole new level of fun. He and I actually had to argue when I wanted to shower with the door closed. It was that ridiculous.

I won that fight of course.

I was lying across the bed I typically shared with Cap when I heard the suite door open. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, but I could hear them talking softly. Well, at least I heard snippets of what they said...

"...three days, at least. No word." That was Cap.

"Fuck."

"Yeah...something...with that shipment..."

"...what?"

"...her out of here. Take her somewhere safe."

I didn't hear much after that. I wasn't sure what any of that meant. Where were we going now? And Cap wasn't coming with us? And if so...why not? When would it be over? Would Gabe cave and lift the contract?

Minutes later, I heard the door to our suite open and close again. Buck was standing in the doorway a moment later.

"Pack up. We're going."

"Where?" I asked, standing and moving as quickly as they'd trained me to.

Buck didn't answer, pretty much like I knew he wouldn't. In 30 minutes, we were leaving the cute B&B and on our way to the next place, wherever that might be. Except we never did get there. Buck was holding the passenger side door open for me when someone quicky approached from behind him and hit him. I saw him go down. I saw a blur to my left and felt a prick in my arm.