My Brother's Best Friend Ch. 08

I squeeze my eyes shut. I don't want to see anymore as I feel something hard press against my thigh.

More hands are on me then, and this time I do will myself to go completely limp. I can feel Ted trying to position himself. Grasping my waist as he lifts me, I can feel the head of his cock pressing against my bum. It's then I realize where he intends on raping me and I start to fight back.

"Fuck ya. Struggle bitch. Gets me harder." Ted chuckles, and so does one of his friends.

"NO!" I scream out into the night!

Lights from a vehicle coming the opposite direction shine on the highway up above us. I can hear the engine slow, and then it turns down into the alcove. As soon as the headlights hit my vehicle, the car speeds down into the space we are parked.

"FUCK!" Steinberg exclaims, pounding my dashboard.

Ted's friends start yelling at him and suddenly my arms are free.

The vehicle skids to a halt, only feet from my car. I silently move my freed hand to the pommel of my stick shift. The small 'click' is the only noise made before Steinberg howls out in pain. I've plunged the blade from Shawn's birthday gift into his knee!

I move to leap out of my car, and he grabs me by my braid again, pulling me back into him at the same time as he pulls the blade from his leg. I see a flash of metal, my pommel descends in Ted's hand as his voice utters one word:

"Bitch!"

I don't know how I do it, but I move, and the knife slashes at air.

"YOU CUNT!" wails Steinberg as he tries to grab me.

I'm grasped from behind and pulled free of my car, and suddenly I'm in the arms of the man I love!

"SHAWN!" I wail, clinging to him.

"FELINE!" He yells. "ARE YOU HURT!!?" he's running his hands over me, checking for injury.

"No!" I cry out. "NO!"

Shawn notices my torn dress at that moment. I've never seen a look like what my boyfriend displays right then, but it scares me.

Shawn stands straight, and brings me with him. Pat's at his side now, and he takes one glance at his best friend, and the expression on his face causes Pat to gently take my arm.

"I've got her brother." Pat tells Shawn in a whisper only the three of us can hear.

I grasp at Pat as Shawn releases me to him. My brother gives me a quick once over, his eyes wide. He yanks his t shirt off and pulls it over my head, covering my exposed breasts.

Ted's stumbling out of my car now, zipping his pants up. His friends are climbing out after him not sure of what to do as Shawn, Pat, Jon, Chad, Ben and Chris surround the group of four.

"Me and you, Steinberg. Not your friends and not your blade either." Shawn challenges Ted.

Steinberg laughs and throws himself at Shawn, fists flying. Shawn manages to miss every punch thrown as he weaves backwards, escaping Ted's onslaught.

"You think I kept that knife? You're even more stupid than I thought. Evidence pal! That thing's long gone! Fuckin' idiot." Ted laughs, trying to goad the muscular, 6 foot 5, powerful Norwegian before him. When he sees that's not going to make Shawn react, he tries again, "I'ma rape that cunt's ass for what she..."

Ted doesn't have a chance to finish that thought, as Shawn strides long legs over to him in a blur and lands a punch to Steinberg's jaw that knocks him right off his feet.

"Say that word again." Shawn's face is emotionless, standing over Steinberg.

"Fuck you and that little...." Another blow to Ted's face, sending several teeth with it.

Steinberg clutches at his jaw and his friends go to grab Shawn.

Pat, and the group descend upon Steinberg and his creeper crew and an all out brawl ensues! Leaving 2 of Ted's men completely K.O.'ed on the ground and my brother gathering me up once again into his arms, top lip split open and profusely bleeding.

Shawn and Chad posture up with Steinberg and the more "sensible" friend out of the bunch.

"I don't want to get my ass handed to me for this, Ted." his friend says, fists raised.

"Shut up, you fuckin' pussy." Steinberg goes for Shawn, not before Shawn lands another punch to Steinberg. This time, his gut. Doubling him over. Chad has the friend in a submission choke hold.

"Give up Steinberg and I won't feed you to the fishes. Just the cops." Shawn is too close. I see it, a moment before he does.

A small blade. One of those little butterfly jobs you see in all the gangster movies. I scream out and I'm too late!! Ted's blade arcs sideways, catching Shawn's left forearm and slicing the length!

Shawn shouts in surprise, clutching his arm! I don't know what to do before I see my lover get a hell of an uppercut from Ted! He falls to the ground. I scream out and struggle against my brother, but he holds me fast to him.

"I threw the big one away. I didn't say anything about the baby one." Ted laughs, hovering over my love. All I want to do is run to my boyfriend, but Pat holds me against him, gritting his teeth as he watches his best friend starting to lose to this evil fucker!

Steinberg starts laying boots to Shawn and I scream! Chad releases Ted's friend and runs over, kicking Ted's legs out from under him. Shawn is up so fast. I didn't even see him recover.

"Let him go, Chad. This is between us." Shawn growls, breathing heavily, holding his side now with a hand whose forearm is bleeding heavily.

Chad nods, releasing Ted, allowing him to get up from under his foot.

Ted recovers his blade from the ground, and he slashes out with it, wildly, towards my boyfriend. I cover my mouth, sobbing with fear for him! Ted gets too close as he slashes, going in to try to cut Shawn's torso, narrowly missing him!

At some point, Shawn seizes the moment and grabs Steinberg's forearm from below, halting the knife attack, but then Ted produces another blade from his other hand!! All I see is my baby react as he breaks the first forearm, like it was a piece of kindling, over his knee.

I scream! And so does Ted, dropping both blades as his right arm dangles, and bone sticks out from the flesh, jagged and terrifying.

After that, it's a bloodbath as my boyfriend pummels Steinberg into the fucking ground. Chad standing at the ready, in case he's needed again. Shawn lands punch after punch, Steinberg manages to throw a couple with his good hand, but he's in no shape to win at this point.

The last blow, before Ted stopped moving, was a succession of knees delivered to Ted's groin.

Everything is still. My boyfriend slowly gets off Steinberg and manages to stand. No sounds are made, other than the heavy breathing of those around us and several vehicles still running.

Pat releases me and I run to Shawn! He leans into me, kissing my forehead and then pressing his face into mine as Pat comes round the other side of his friend. His best friend.

"I need your hoodie, Feline!" Pat shouts, jerking his chin towards my hoodie, pulled over the passenger seat of my car. I run over, grabbing it off the back seat, handing it over to my brother.

Pat wraps Shawn's arm, and tells me to hold it and apply pressure. He fashions a tourniquet out of one of the sleeves.

I look back at Ted Steinberg. I'm not sure if he's even alive anymore.

I get into the driver's seat of my car, and recover my gear shift pommel from the floor, covered in Steinberg's blood. Plugging it back in, Pat deposits Shawn in my passenger seat and jumps in the back, throwing the keys of his jeep to Ben. I peel us out of there so fucking fast. The rest of the cars follow as we head to the hospital.

Shawn is visibly pale by the time we get to the emergency room. He's lost a lot of blood. They won't let me go with him as he's wheeled into emergency.

Pat's there with me, his left eye is closing fast. I sob and sob when Jess and Chad show up. She's going to have a nasty bruise across her mouth. Chad's whole left cheek and jaw is swollen, and bleeding from a large cut by his ear, but he's got a smile plastered across his face.

A nurse comes out and informs us an emergency surgery is being performed on Shawn.

"Is he going to be ok!?" I sob, clinging to Pat. Unable to think of a world without Shawn.

"He's lost a lot of blood." she explains. "The wound is substantial, this goes beyond a few stitches."

"I'm O negative. So's my sister. Can we donate?" Pat volunteers.

"We aren't anywhere near that yet, kids." she smiles. "But thank you. You are good folk. He's going to pull through this just fine. Don't worry. By the way, we've had to call the police. Please don't leave. It'll only make matters worse. From the sounds of things, though, I'd say this wasn't a fight you were at all looking to have."

And then she excuses herself back to the operating room.

Having to give another police report right now fills me with dread.

I need to know if he'll be ok!!!

"Baby Bear." Pat kneels in front of me, through his tears he wipes my bloody lips and chin with a wet wipe Jess hands him. "That fucking bastard...." he trails off.

I pull my brother to me and in one motion he scoops me up and holds me in his lap on the bench in the emergency room before nurses start calling us back, according to our medical needs. Jess and I were last, as we weren't in nearly as bad a shape as our men.

Pictures are taken of our injuries. I have to have close to what I would call a rape kit done. My panties are taken as evidence, as is my dress. I'm given my brother's t shirt back and Jess hands me a pair of Chad's jogging pants he had in the back seat of his truck. She hasn't left my side. Holding my hand through the entire physical examination. Only turning away when they had to take pictures of my labia, as they were roughly handled, one was bleeding. My breasts each have the beginnings of bruises in the shape of hand prints. Jess is weeping and trying not to swear. I reassure her, he didn't get far.

By the time we are looked over by a doctor and discharged, several of the guys are with cops, giving statements.

Detective Steele is there. She comes over to me and gently takes my arm.

"You're alright, Miss Jaxton?" she says sympathetically.

I nod. "But Shawn's not!" I cry, sobbing new tears.

"We've been informed." she gently steers me over to a quiet area of the emergency room and begins to take my statement. By the time I'm done, I have my brother holding one of my hands and Jess holding the other.

We're told not to leave town and that we'll be hearing from the police soon.

I'm going to sit in the waiting room for news of my love, wrapped in his blanket that smells of him. I feel faint as I start to stand to make my way back to my car for said blanket which, by the time I'm in the parking lot, I remember was taken in for prints.

Pat would tell me later I flat out fainted. I remember, vaguely, being looked over by a doctor before being wheeled into a hospital room.

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I groan and clutch my pounding head as I go to sit up in bed, surprised to be in the hospital in a horrible, blue gown. Dad, snoozing in a chair beside me, wakes with a start.

"Feline?! HONEY! You're awake!" Dad rushes to me and embraces me, and I start sobbing into his chest. I know for sure he hasn't left my side.

"Daddy..." I weep, no longer trying to be brave.

"Feline...My baby..." Dad holds me in his strong arms and pets my hair, rocking me slightly, like when I was a child. I cry and cry and Dad never lets go. He kisses the top of my head, telling me over and over he loves me. How glad he is I'm ok.

"SHAWN GOT HURT!" I wail.

"I know. I know honey. Your Mom says he's doing great, though." Dad tries to smooth my hair as I weep into him.

I pull back, looking into my father's eyes. "She's with him?"

"Mm hm. And your brother. Don't worry, Baby Bear. Look." Dad pulls his phone from his pocket and shows me the last text from Mom. It's a picture of her, Pat and Shawn. Shawn grinning and giving the thumbs up with his injured arm as he lay back in his hospital bed. The text underneath reading:

'Show our Baby Bear when she wakes up.'

"SHAWN!" I shout! "O God he's ok!!???!"

"He's ok Feline. Truly. He is." I grab my Dad as he tells me this and wail new tears of joy. "Are YOU ok?" he asks me.

"Yes Daddy." I weep, "Shawn saved me!"

"I know honey. Pat told us everything." Dad explains, holding me tight. "Brave man, our Shawn."

"When can we go see him!?" I cry.

"As soon as you make yourself presentable, young lady. Can't have you going to your hero looking tear streaked and sad." Dad holds my chin and smiles when I give him a little grin. "There's my girl."

I go to the bathroom and put my clothes back on, washing my face, and Dad goes to find the nurse to ask if I am discharged so we can visit Shawn.

On our way to the other side of the hospital, Dad pulls me to the side for a moment.

"Feline, I want you to know your mother and I love you. More than life itself. And we love Shawn like a son. I can't guarantee your old man isn't going to come unglued at some point...but for right now, let's just concentrate on Shawn, alright? He needs us. We'll talk about this more later." he says seriously.

I nod and follow him into the surgical recovery ward.

We're shown into Shawn's room. There he is smiling with Mom and Pat, in great spirits. As I walk in, his voice falters. I rush to him, sliding onto the bed and trying to hug him as tight as I can.

"Kitten!" he calls out. "Feline." He holds me so he can look at me. "Baby, your poor mouth." he gently touches the corner of my lips where Ted's fist split me. The bruising now taking on the shape of the back of a hand. His face is a grimace.

"My mouth?! SHAWN!!! You almost died!!" I cry and begin sobbing again.

Shawn crushes me to him and winces as he does.

"Shawn?" I glance up at him as he cringes.

"Ribs might be broken." Pat explains.

"NO!" I gasp. Remembering when Steinberg started kicking his boots into my love's stomach.

"I'll live. The important thing is you're ok!" Shawn cradles me in his arms.

I sob and sob and try my best not to cling to him too hard. He holds me tight anyway.

He's the most selfless person on earth. Here he is, post operation, broken ribs, 12 stitches in one eyebrow. I have no idea how many are under the gauze wrappings on the left forearm. He got into a knife fight with only his fists, and he won! And he's worried about me?

Mom takes Dad and Pat out of the room and gives us a long moment.

We're both talking at once.

"I saw that blade baby, I thought you were done for. I saw him slice you wide open! O Shawn!"

"I'm still here."

"I love you."

"You're my whole world, Feline!" he tells me.

"You're really going to be ok?" I cry. Needing him to reassure me.

"Hell ya. I'll be giving you Maltese Cross again in no time." and laughs and then winces again. "Fuckin' ribs..."

I frown and try to reign it in, I pull his hospital gown up. His whole torso is a myriad of blue, purple and dark red bruising. It looks horrible. And incredibly painful.

"No more crying Kitten." Shawn chucks me under the chin. "I need smiles right now."

So I wipe my tears and try a smile.

"That was pathetic." He chuckles and crushes me to him again.

Dad comes back in and lays a hand on Shawn's shoulder.

"What you did for my daughter, won't ever be forgotten, Shawn. I hope you know that." Dad's nodding. Looking over my love with appreciation and deep respect. Shawn holds my father's eyes with his for a long moment.

"I love her, Chuck. Hell, I love you all. You've been the parents I never really got to have. Pat's the brother I always wanted and well...." he trails off looking down at me. "This is the woman of my dreams."

My dad smiles and we sit together, the three of us, talking about other things until Pat comes in with burgers, fries and milkshakes for all.

"This really isn't authorized recovery food." Mom quips as she moves in to add a new bag of saline to Shawn's IV. She smiles, seeing our crestfallen faces. "O, I suppose we can allow it. Just the one time." she winks at us.

"Need anything, Mr. Lindesson?" Mom asks Shawn.

Shawn smiles, "I've got everything I need here, Nurse J."

Pat, Dad and I spend a few hours with Shawn. Just talking. About nothing really that important other than university. Our trip to Norway is brought up a few times.

I lay next to my love, cuddled up in his hospital bed. I'm just so happy he's here with me! Every once in a while I glance at his left forearm. Shawn said the doctors told him no damage was done to the bones or ligaments. Just muscle tissue and skin that needs to heal. He has almost full use of his hand and he'll make a 100 percent recovery. Nothing to affect his chosen career path. Just that scar will be left behind. That scar Shawn got defending me!

Doctor Agar enters the room, just as we are talking about Shawn's arm.

"Well, good evening!" Dr. Agar smiles at us, carrying Shawn's medical information on a clipboard.

We all greet him and the doctor begins his exam of Shawn's ribs, having a look at his healing eyebrow as well. The ribs look awful. So painful.

"The good news is your ribs aren't broken. Just a contusion. Should heal up with no problems. You're going to need to relax on your workout regime for probably a week at least, Shawn." Dr. Agar is looking down at Shawn with his glasses perched on the end of his nose. As if to say 'No running, no surfing and certainly no gymnastics young man.'

"I understand Doc. Will do." my love sighs, falling back into the pillows with a resignation.

"The bandages will be coming off that arm tomorrow, baring any new discoveries, you'll be discharged in two days. How's that sound?" Dr. Agar closes Shawn's file folder, looking pleased.

"YOU GET TO COME HOME SOON!" I shout excitedly. "YAY!!!!!"

My family laughs. A much-needed laugh.

"I'm coming to look after you." I tell my lover. My boyfriend. My knight in shining fucking armor. He nods, smiling.

"I'm not saying no to that!" Shawn laughs.

We all thank the doctor, and he exits the room to look after more patients.

After that, Mom comes back in with Shawn's medication. Which makes him incredibly drowsy. As he's nodding off, he tells me to go home, be with my family. I explain I'm not going anywhere. That I'm staying with him, right where he is.

Mom is the voice of reason and explains I'll be lucky to hear a peep out of my man until the morning.

"Honey, he's safe. And he'll be home in less than 48 hours. Look at him, he's almost asleep." Mom says as I sigh, getting out of Shawn's hospital bed, looking at my love as he drops off to dream land. I reluctantly follow my family as we leave the hospital. Shawn in the capable care of my Mom.

Jess, Chad, Jon, and all our friends are in the waiting room. Chad's angry, and swearing.

"Can you believe this, Mr. J? They won't let us see him because "we aren't family"! What the hell?" Chad's not backing down, but my dad has always had a way of gentling our scrappy friend.

"Chad, son, Shawn needs his rest. Why don't you and the gang come over for dinner? I'm sure we can scare up something." Dad throws an arm around Chad and Jess and steers them, and the rest of the group, towards the doors.

Dinner is good, but I hardly taste it, I'm so distracted with thoughts of Shawn. All alone in that hospital bed.

During the meal, this time Mexican, I get a phone call from Detective Steele. My car will be ready to be picked up the day after tomorrow. Right before Shawn is discharged! How awesome would it be to pick my best friend and lover up in my car, newly returned? It's then she informs me that Steinberg and one of his friends are still at large. Two of the others were picked up that morning.

"You should stay indoors, Miss Jaxton. Stay with your family. If need be, I can have an officer inform your boss to explain the situation."