The Most Valuable Gift

Zoe pressed her fingers to her own lips causing a flare of lust in Ed's eyes that made her gasp once more. Ed looked like he was seconds away from tearing the table away and taking her against the wall. Fuck! She wanted that so much! She forced herself to look towards the waitress. The woman placed Ed's scotch before him with a trembling hand which she snatched back. She placed Zoe's beer in front of her while Ed took a sip of his drink.

Ed swallowed and felt the drink burn its way harshly down his throat. This was not good scotch. There was little point in sipping it to savor the flavor so he threw the rest down his throat and hissed his disapproval. He looked at the waitress. "Is this the best scotch you have?" With the burning in his throat his words came out far more menacing than he'd intended.

She nodded with wide eyes.

Ed looked at his glass. "It tastes like turpentine but it's as good a painkiller as any. I'll have another double." He placed his glass back on the woman's tray. She nodded and rushed away.

Zoe stared at Ed. Maybe the clothes were affecting him. It felt like the gentle soul across the table had been replaced by someone dark, dangerous and violent, full of suppressed rage. She began to shiver in reaction.

Ed saw Zoe shivering and scowled up at the vents again. He slid a little further into the booth and looked at Zoe. "Come over here." He held open the right side of his jacket and she understood what he wanted. She pulled her coat off and moved over to his side of the table, sliding right up against his side and he wrapped his coat and arm around her. He loved the feel of her soft curves touching him. She felt... really good.

Zoe leaned back against his hard body. It felt so good and she felt so safe under his arm. She looked up and saw he was looking down at her with a different kind of hunger.

The waitress returned with his drink and cutlery wrapped in napkins. While she placed them on the table Ed slammed the scotch back. He placed the glass on her tray and she looked at him. "Another?"

Ed's throat was burning raw so he just nodded. She nodded in return and moved away.

The scotch was beginning to dull his headache and Ed was grateful for that. He began to relax and he hugged Zoe tighter to his body. She sighed and bit her lower lip as she smiled to herself. Ed watched her pearly teeth slide across her plump lip and he leaned his head down and used his left hand to turn her chin towards him.

Zoe gasped as Ed's lips closed on hers. The first kiss was gentle. A simple pressing of their lips together. Then he slid his lower lip against hers as she sucked in her breath, sparks shooting through her nerves. The third kiss introduced his tongue gently stroking her upper lip. Zoe's nipples stiffened and pressed against the tight fabric of her top. She tried to kiss him harder but he held her in place as his mouth explored hers. She whined her need but still he stroked and caressed her mouth as her tongue tried to catch his. Her hands desperately slipped below the table's surface and found the hard ridge of his cock pressing against his pant leg. Ed's mouth stopped and he growled deep in his chest. Zoe pulled her hands back and froze, her body shaking, her breath short. She almost came in her pants right then. It was as if she was being kissed by some feral beast, just this side of violence, passion without control or measure. She felt him trembling as well but it was just a sign of him preparing to take his prey.

There was a sharp knock on the table and Ed pulled back from Zoe's delicious mouth to look over at a man wearing a strange looking hat and a dark blue jacket with something on the arms. He was carrying a stick which he'd used to rap the table with. "Save that for someplace private... sir," the man said looking away from Ed's baleful gaze. He looked at Zoe instead and she recognized the uniform of a local police officer. She nodded to him and pulled away from Ed who leaned back against the bench and rested his eyes. The officer smiled at Zoe and moved on. Zoe caught worried glances from some of the other patrons and she had to stifle a smirk as she knew how sweet Ed really was.

Ed's third double scotch arrived and Zoe gestured for the waitress to leave it quietly while his eyes were closed. She didn't want him ordering another one until their food arrived.

The woman nodded gratefully and quickly left.

Zoe froze. Dread filled her as she saw the new arrival walk into the bar from the restaurant. She hadn't seen him since her husband went to jail so long ago. She'd prayed she'd never see him again. Luis Ramos was a cold blooded killer. Her husband's second in command. The last thing she'd heard he was on the run. What the hell was he doing here, so close to the penitentiary... Sophia! That demon Matias, must have found out where Sophia was and sent Luis to get in touch with her! That's why Sophia had been so shaken when they met!

Ed felt Zoe go still next to him. He cracked open his eyes to see what she was looking at. He saw a man, not very tall, not so big, but something cold in his eyes. He wasn't worried though. Ed felt very calm. He looked down. Ah. More scotch. He sipped it this time, tired of scorching his throat and was surprised to find it actually tasted... not quite as much like turpentine as before.

The man turned to face their direction and went still. Ed noticed he was looking at Zoe and something about how he was looking at her raised the fine hairs on the back of Ed's neck. He began to growl quietly and stopped when Zoe's hand suddenly gripped his tightly. The man noticed this action and Ed finally registered on his brain. The lecherous smile disappeared from his face and for a second he seemed uncertain. Then a cold calculated look smoothed out his features and he stepped towards their table wearing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. His coat was over his arm.

"Zoe, as I live and breathe. I never expected to see you again." Luis said smoothly. Ed already didn't like this man.

She took strength from Ed's solidity next to her. "Luis, I regret all three of those things."

His smile cracked a little and his eyes got a little sharper. "Cold words for a cold night." He looked at the busy bar and back at their table. "Busy place. Mind if I join you? We could talk about the good old days. Remember the fun we used to have?"

"Pulling wings from butterflies." Zoe breathed and Luis smiled as he recalled the moment.

Ed didn't know what she meant by that but how it made Luis smile triggered an almost feral anger in him. He saw Zoe was frozen with fear and something in him was raging to get out. He didn't know how to deal with someone like Luis so he loosened his grip a little on the leash to that rage.

"I don't believe Zoe wants to talk to you. I don't believe those old days were that good." Ed said calmly but he felt a slow burn begin.

Luis looked at Ed and pretended to ignore his words but inside he was already imagining how he was going to carve up this insolent child. "Zoe, perhaps you should tell your big friend here to be polite. This could be a friendly visit." Luis said quietly and she shuddered. She knew how dangerous Luis was and Ed was a kitten in a shark tank. She gestured for Luis to sit and Ed glanced at her in surprise but he held his tongue.

Luis looked very pleased with himself now. He tucked himself into the booth and pushed Zoe's coat over a little. He looked at it and lifted the hood to his nose to breathe in deeply. "Ah, I see you still wear that delightful perfume."

"Doesn't he understand how creepy that makes him?" Ed asked Zoe and she snorted in surprise. She hushed Ed as her terror came rushing back. Ed didn't like seeing her afraid. Not one bit. He looked back at Luis who wasn't smiling.

Ed pulled his arm from behind Zoe's shoulders. He leaned back against the bench with his hands relaxed on his lap and studied the man across from him. He took another sip of his scotch and it was almost smooth... no, no it wasn't.

Luis began to sneer. "I see Zoe never spoke to you about me... about us. Even when she was with Matias I would take her as mine. She was feisty but she always bowed to my needs like a good little... slut," he said baiting the big man. When he exploded with rage Luis would let his blade dance and the man would scream... deliciously. It would be self defense of course but the man would still die.

Instead Luis was disappointed as the big goon just sat there, staring back at him with no expression at all! Sipping at his drink. Something was wrong with him. Luis needed to push harder.

"She didn't tell you how she screamed out my name begging me to stop. Then begging me to continue as I took her to the very edge of existence? She was mine." He leaned forward hands under the table, blade ready to dig deeply into the big thigh, aiming for the artery. "She will be mine again." He looked at Zoe and saw her tears and trembling. Looking back at her companion he frowned. Nothing. It made no sense. Where was the rage?

Ed finished his drink. He put it down and leaned forward to look into the eyes of the man across the table. He'd felt the slightest of touches against the inside of his knee so he knew he was up to something. He was a bad man and he'd made Zoe scared and sad. His Zoe. Ed released his grip on the leash completely. He smiled.

"You say Zoe was yours yet you lost her. If she was yours you should have held on to her."

Ed grabbed Luis' wrists under the table. Luis tried to wrench his hands back and thumped the underside of the table instead making Zoe shriek. He looked into the cold ice blue eyes across the table. The smile was gone. He pulled at his arms but the grip was too strong and it was getting tighter. It began to hurt. Really hurt.

"LET- LET GO!" Luis barked at him as his face twisted with the pain.

Ed suddenly leaned back and planted his big black work boot on Luis' chest while he kept a grip on his arms.

"Listen carefully to me Luis. Do I have your attention?" Ed's voice was cold and angry. The rage Luis had been looking for was arriving but it was still a slow build up.

Luis was having trouble breathing as the boot was pushing so hard on his chest and his arms were being pulled hard in the opposite direction. His shoulders felt like they were going to pop out. Luis was gritting his teeth in his own rage and spittle was leaking from his lips. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU THEN I'M GOING TO FUCK ZOE AND KILL HER TOO!" Luis spat. The noise level in the bar dropped considerably.

Ed squeezed and bones cracked. Luis screamed and dropped his butterfly knife which bounced out onto the floor of the aisle. The bar went quiet. Everyone looked in their direction and people in nearby tables got up and moved into the aisle. But no one left.

"No Luis. You're not going to do those things because I can't let you hurt Zoe anymore. I'm going to tell you something very important now. Are you listening?"

The pain was excruciating and Luis had tears running down his cheeks. He nodded then screamed 'Yes' when the man squeezed his broken wrists, grinding the bones together.

"Look at me Luis. Look into my eyes and hear me." Ed's voice was almost a whisper. Luis was shaking and drooling but he managed to follow the instructions. Ed nodded. He was ready.

"ZOE. IS. MINE!" Ed released the rage in one mighty roar and pulled with all his might.

Luis' high pitched scream went on and on. When Ed let go the smaller man toppled sideways and fell out of the booth. He was unconscious before his head hit the floor.

Ed sagged back against the bench and gave himself a shake. The rage was gone. Completely. He felt so much better but he was very light headed. He needed food. He looked at Zoe who was staring in shock at the man on the floor. The man who hurt her. "Are you ok Zoe?" Ed asked. "He's not going to hurt you anymore."

Zoe turned her eyes to Ed and he was looking at her with concern. Gentle, sweet Ed destroyed one of the most vicious sadistic monsters she knew.

The butterfly. Oh my god!

Ed lifted his hands back onto the table and Zoe shrieked when she saw the blood on his hand. There was a bloody gash across the back of the right one. Where Luis slashed him with the blade.

"FREEZE!"

The officer who'd been by earlier finally worked up the nerve to approach. He had his gun out and pointed at Ed who raised his eyebrows in surprise. He lifted his hands up causing blood to drip onto the table. Zoe pulled his hand down and pressed her napkin onto the wound. She looked at the officer. "Get a first aid kit! He's bleeding badly!"

"He just pulled this guy's arms off!" the cop yelled pointing to man on the floor.

"That guy is Luis Ramos. He's wanted for murder, rape, and a number of other terrible things. He raped me and almost beat me to death twice and he was definitely going to kill us tonight. Ed stopped him. Now get me some bandages!!!" Zoe screamed.

The waitress arrived with the first aid kit. She and Zoe worked on sealing the cut on Ed's hand. Once they got the blood cleaned up they saw it wasn't as bad as it first appeared. They covered it with gauze and wrapped it.

"Please, is our food ready?" Ed asked the waitress.

The woman smiled at him and nodded at Zoe. She stepped over the man on the floor and left to get his meal. The cop watched incredulously as Ed grinned widely as his food arrived. Ed thanked the woman and began eating. He smiled and sighed in happiness. The bar's noise level began to return to normal though most of the attention was on them.

Two snowy State Troopers pushed their way through the crowd and stood over the unconscious body.

"What happened? Who's this?" one demanded as the other knelt to examine the damage done to him.

Zoe raised an eyebrow at the cop.

"Apparently he's Luis Ramos. Wanted for murder, rape and other offenses. He accosted these two with that knife and that fellow there eating did... that to him."

The trooper on the floor pulled a plastic evidence bag from a pocket and used his glove to place the knife into the bag. He went to check the man's pockets and found his wallet and passport.

"His driver's license says he's Ray Mendez. His passport says the same." the trooper on the floor said.

"He's a wanted criminal. He was the partner of my ex-husband, Matias Escobar. I think he's still working with him though Matias is in jail." Zoe said.

"Matias Escobar? Shit!" the standing trooper exclaimed. He was familiar with the case. The unconscious man did look a little like Luis Ramos without the beard.

The trooper was going through Luis' coat which had fallen to the floor. "I found a gun. No, two guns and an extra clip."

The group paused and looked at the unconscious man. If he'd started the confrontation with the guns instead of the knife the outcome would have been considerably different.

"How did you get here?" the cop asked the troopers.

"Four wheel drive SUV. Why?"

"If you can get him to the penitentiary they have a medical department there which may be able to save his arms," the cop explained.

The State Troopers looked at each other and shrugged. One left and came back with a sheet. They lifted Luis onto it and carried him away.

The cop turned to Zoe. "You staying here tonight?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Please don't leave until I've gotten your statements in the morning," he said.

"No promises that Ed will remember much," she said looking at the man polishing off the second burger.

The cop nodded and followed the troopers out.

Zoe moved to the seat across from Ed and nibbled on her own food as she watched him. What he'd done for her tonight. He'd saved her life. He'd punished Luis for her. She smiled thinking of his delicious screams. When he'd bellowed in Luis' face that she was his... it took her breath away! She wondered if that was just the scotch talking. She looked more closely at him. He didn't seem too tipsy. The waitress stopped by and she asked for a large glass of water for Ed.

When she returned with it Ed drank the entire glass in one shot. He thanked the woman for the delicious food. She was quite taken with his change in attitude and gave him a big smile. Zoe asked for the bill.

"What was that Ed?" Zoe asked.

"What was what?"

"Earlier. You were so... grim."

"I don't know. Hunger, headache, exhaustion. Maybe all of the above. It's a little blurry for me. I feel better now that I've eaten. Headache's gone." He yawned mightily. "I'm still really tired though. Are you done? Can we go to the room?"

She nodded and paid the bill. She gave the waitress a very generous tip and they headed for the room.

As they passed the lobby Ed smiled at the old man behind the counter surprising a smile out of him in return. They stopped by the large picture window looking out over the parking lot. The snow was blowing hard but it didn't seem to be falling any longer. The cars would need digging out in the morning.

They walked down the long hallway to the last room. Zoe unlocked the door and they entered. Ed flipped on the light and looked at the tiny room. It had to be the smallest hotel room he'd ever seen. He moved further into the room and looked at the bed with some concern.

"It's pretty small," he said to her and she nodded.

Zoe hung up her coat by the door and stepped into the tiny bathroom shutting the door behind her. Clean towels. Toilet paper, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion. The basics. Toilet, sink, and a stand up shower stall that might not fit Ed's broad shoulders. It would do. She used the toilet and washed her face and hands. She pulled off her leggings and slipped off her panties. The panties went into the sink for a good rinsing. She rung them out as much as she could. They'd go on the radiator to dry overnight.

Stepping out of the washroom she bounced off of Ed's back as he was hanging up his coat. God! He was like a brick wall dressed in black!

"Sorry!" he muttered. He slipped into the washroom after she passed by. He'd missed the fact that she was naked from the waist down.

Zoe took off the rest of her clothes and neatly folded them as she'd need to wear them in the morning. She stacked them on the bureau and took off her earrings, gold wrist bangles, and rings. Her panties went onto the heater by the window.

She pulled the quilt down and the sheets were white, clean and smelled freshly washed. The hotel was as basic as it came but at least it was clean. Then she noticed the room had no TV.

When Ed came out of the washroom he was holding his folded clothes in front of himself. "I had to wash my underwear as I'll be wearing them tomorrow," he said. Zoe smiled and pointed to the heater. Ed saw the pink panties drying there and he smiled. He put his clothes on the chair and laid out his underwear next to hers to dry.

Zoe watched him turn and walk back to the bed. God, he looked delicious!

Ed carefully slipped under the covers and settled himself on the small bed until he was no longer hanging over the edge. He felt Zoe's soft, naked skin against his side and a pressure began in his groin.

Zoe was on the edge of the bed. She lifted Ed's left arm and tucked herself in against his body more tightly. She heard Ed moan quietly and she smiled to herself. She was also enjoying the feeling of his skin against hers. When he brought his arm back down he pulled her in closer, his fingers kneading the muscles on her back.

"Oh fuck, Zoe! You feel incredible!" he sighed.

She loved feeling Ed's hands on her but there was a question she needed him to answer. She looked up at him through her bangs as she rested her chin on his chest. Her eyes were dark and held something Ed couldn't recognize. "Ed... back in the bar you told Luis that... I was yours."

Ed blushed furiously. The words made him sound like a primitive brute. He wanted to apologize to her for acting like she was a thing to be possessed... but he couldn't. He looked into her anxious eyes as his mouth moved but he made no sound. Instead his body acted. He pulled her to the center of the small bed and pinned her to the mattress under his body. He kissed her, hard and passionately. She squealed at his aggression and clung to him.