Una Nuova Famiglia Ch. 02

Raegan rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. She was not in the mood for his theatrics. "Where's Billy?"

"Fuck Billy! He's probably out getting laid! This is serious! Should I call the police?"

"Wait a minute, let me think. Where was Pete?"

"At home."

"Do you know where he lives?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, okay! Calm down. I'll pick you up and we'll go over there."

*

They pounded on the door for the tenth time but no one answered. Raegan tried the doorknob again. It was locked. They looked at one another and Raegan sighed.

"Fine, call the police."

"Finally!"

He quickly dialed 911 on his cell phone and voiced the complaint. Once he hung up, they sat in front of the apartment door to wait. Forty minutes later, two police officers made their way from the elevator down the corridor to where they stood waiting.

"Did one of you call for the police?"

"Yes," Raegan answered, "my friend thinks the person who lives here might be in trouble."

An officer knocked on the door. When no one responded, the other left to find the superintendent. The remaining officer turned to Reese.

"What makes you think he's in trouble?"

Reese swallowed, "I was on the phone with him when I heard sounds of a struggle."

He answered a few more questions until the second police officer returned with the superintendent. The disoriented man searched through a massive set of keys until he found the one for Pete's door. Once the door was opened, the police officers asked them to wait outside. Raegan grabbed hold of Reese's hand as they waited. Five minutes later, the police officers joined them in the corridor.

"The apartment is empty."

Reese was stunned, "what? Are you sure?"

"Yes sir. Are you sure you weren't drinking tonight?"

"No! I was sober. I am sober!" Reese insisted.

"Well sir, the apartment is empty. Go home and sleep it off."

They watched the officers and the superintendent disappear down the hall. Raegan turned to Reese and raised a brow.

"Goddamnit Reg, I know what I heard!"

"Reese, it's 5am. I'm going home to call in sick because I'll never be able to get up in two hours to teach. I suggest you do the same."

"Reg, I'm telling you Pete is in trouble."

"Goodnight Reese."

Reese watched her walk away, kicking the locked apartment door in anger.

***

Two weeks later Raegan sat beside Kathy again. She was so proud of the student's progress. They were beginning a new math problem together when the door to her classroom opened. This time she did look up and a slow smile spread across her face. Once she remembered Kathy was watching her, she tried to focus on the word problem again, but she couldn't concentrate. Not with her in the room. In her mind's eye she took her in hungrily, devouring those broad shoulders adorned in royal blue cashmere. She could imagine that flat stomach and those muscular thighs as she walked around the room, pretending to admire the children's pictures. The sound of her boots on the tiled floor caused a shiver to run up Raegan's spine. And those eyes. She had dreamt of those piercing hazel-green eyes every night for weeks.

It was a relief when Kathy's mother finally arrived. Raegan helped Kathy on with her coat as usual and waited until they left before taking a deep breath and slowly turning around. Shane was leaning against a wall, a cigar dangling from between her lips, grayish-blue smoke drifting upward. She had one jean clad ankle crossed over the other and the blue leather of her motorcycle boots was as deep and rich as her cashmere sweater. Raegan took her in slowly, relishing the length of her form, the flush of her golden colored cheeks, the dark, thick lashes framing those eyes. A smirk danced around Shane's lips and Raegan's heartbeat quickened.

"You're back?" Raegan asked.

Shane raised a brow, but remained silent.

"You hung up on me." Raegan reminded her. She wanted Shane to feel as unsettled as she felt. She wanted to see something other than that smug, cool attitude. Instead, Shane only raised that brow a little higher.

"Your phone's tapped."

The look of understanding and relief that crept over Raegan's face changed Shane's smirk to a genuine smile. Shane stood to her full six feet, making her way over to the woman that had plagued her thoughts for the last 23 days. She reached over to caress a creamy, dark chocolate cheek, allowing her thumb to skip across Raegan's slightly parted lips. A second later she removed her cigar and tasted those lips for the second time, enjoying their cool sweetness. Her tongue captured Raegan's and she drank her in. She could feel Raegan melt against her. She was softness against Shane's muscled frame. She was tender, warm…delicious.

Raegan couldn't catch her breath. She could only taste, smell and feel Shane. Shane. Shane. Shane. Shane's sculpted thighs pressed against her. Shane's muscled arms holding her close. Shane's mouth tasting of her very soul. Her head was swimming. She could feel herself slowly losing control…

She moaned a soft protest when Shane pulled away. Shane smiled down at her, tenderly brushing a few tendrils of hair from Raegan's forehead.

"Miss me?' Shane teased huskily.

Raegan smiled, nodding.

"Let's go, I'm starved."

They sat across from one another in an upscale restaurant in midtown Manhattan. Raegan sipped at her coffee, watching Shane from over the cup's rim. There were questions swimming around in her head…questions she wondered if she would be brave enough to ask. Questions she wondered if she really wanted answered. Shane's cell phone rang, but Shane simply glanced at the caller ID screen and then ignored it as she'd done throughout their entire dinner.

"Done?" Shane asked, her husky voice causing Raegan's body to tingle for the tenth time that evening.

Raegan nodded. Shane left a generous amount on the table and held the back of Raegan's chair as she stood. They made their way to the exit in silence. A parking attendant held Raegan's door as she slid into the silver gray Mercedes. She watched as Shane made her way to the driver's seat. They were driving north on Riverside Drive a few minutes later, a heavy silence between them.

"What?" Shane's voice in such close confines caused a tremor to pass through her yet again.

Raegan shrugged, "nothing. Just thinking."

Shane said nothing. Raegan glanced over at her, but Shane's eyes were focused on the road. Raegan swallowed, frowning at the knots she felt in her stomach.

"Reese's friend disappeared while you were away."

Raegan met with more silence. She sighed in frustration, "do you remember Reese?"

"From your job?"

"Yes," Raegan nodded but encountered more silence. Raegan turned to face Shane squarely. "Do you know anything about it?"

A brief pause. "Why would I?"

"Reese thinks it has something to do with you."

Shane turned to her, her brief gaze distant, "what do you think?"

Raegan shrugged, "I don't know. Reese seems to think you had something to do with the death of that woman from the restaurant. And then the FBI shows up in my classroom to tell me you're being charged with murder. And now this guy disappears. I don't know what to think. This all seems like something out of a bad movie."

The sun had set over an hour ago and Riverside Drive was poorly lit. Raegan could not make out Shane's expression clearly. She watched as Shane pulled the car over, silencing the powerful engine. She turned to face Raegan in the darkness of the vehicle.

"Shane, I—…I need to know."

"Then ask." Shane's voice was cold…brittle, causing a chill to run down Raegan's spine.

Raegan took a deep breath. She didn't know this Shane. This woman without emotion. She didn't recognize the cold, glassy, shielded eyes staring at her. She sighed.

"Forget it."

They were silent for a moment. She listened as Shane took a deep breath and let it out slowly. A woman walked by on the dark and nearly deserted street.

"Raegan."

She turned to face Shane once again.

"What did you tell the FBI?"

Raegan blinked. At first she didn't understand the question. And then understanding washed over her. Understanding about the question, about the seriousness of this conversation, about Shane and who she was. She remembered Shane touching her at the restaurant weeks ago and it clicked suddenly. This time, she took hold of Shane's hand and brought it to her chest. She moved the hand around her chest and downward toward her belly. She guided the hand over her thighs, her calves, to the area joining her legs, forcing herself to ignore the rush of heat brought on even in this bizarre context. And then she brought the hand to her hair, allowing Shane to check for a wire there. When she was done, she reached over and grabbed her satchel. She dumped the contents on the backseat and then handed the bag to Shane. She wondered if Shane would check it, but then chastised herself. Why shouldn't Shane check it? This was Shane's life they were discussing. She watched as Shane checked the satchel quickly, watched as Shane ruffled through her personal items on the backseat. It was over within minutes and Raegan wondered how she was supposed to feel. How should one react when someone she cared about basically frisked her? She closed her eyes for a moment.

"You don't trust me at all," she murmured softly, quickly retrieving her things and then turning to the silent woman sitting beside her. She could hear her own heart beating in her ears. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. Suddenly, Shane took hold of her chin firmly, holding it until Raegan opened her eyes. The cold hazel-green of Shane's eyes did not comfort her as they stared at one another.

Raegan swallowed. She realized she had to say something, had to make a choice. And the choice she made would impact the people in her life, no matter what she decided. If she opted not to move forward from here with Shane, the FBI would try to get her to cooperate. If she did move forward…what would she be a party to exactly? She swallowed again.

"Shane…" Her voice trailed off. The faces of her loved ones danced before her eyes for a moment. She tried again, "Shane…I-I…I think I'm in love with you."

Shane stared at her for a lengthy moment. Then she smirked, let go of Raegan's chin, and turned to start the car.

"Shane?"

Before shifting the car into gear, Shane turned back to her abruptly, her hand cupping the back of Raegan's head. She pulled Raegan to her roughly, their lips meeting in a harsh kiss. Raegan grimaced at the rough handling, and yet she could not stop the warmth that spread like rapid fire through her. She moved into Shane, opening her mouth, yielding to the kiss. When they parted, Raegan's breathing was ragged, her pulse beating wildly.

"Shane…"

Shane raised a brow. Raegan could hear her breathing was slightly labored as well.

"Shane, I want to be part of your life," Raegan stated softly.

She watched as Shane smirked again, shaking her head as she pulled away from the curb.

"I'm not ready to sign your death warrant just yet."

The simple words chilled Raegan to the bone.

*

When they finally arrived at Raegan's apartment, she watched Shane take in the overstuffed brownish green furniture in the tiny living room along with the pine wood vertical blinds, relatively well done oil paintings on the walls and the green and brown rug beneath the coffee table. It was a cozy room. But Raegan was certain neither one of them cared about the décor at the moment. Sexual hunger crowded them in the small room.

"Do you want something to drink?" Raegan asked, her voice trembling slightly. She didn't think Shane wanted anything to drink, but she needed something to focus on other than the sexual tension between them. What she really wanted to know was how long she'd have to wait for Shane to touch her again.

Shane didn't keep her waiting long. Those eyes combed over her, taking in her curves, the tilt of her chin, the sultry darkness of her eyes. Shane crossed the room and pulled Raegan to her, stealing her breath away as their lips met. Raegan could feel them moving until her back hit a wall. She felt a moment of panic, a sense of feeling overwhelmed and out of control, and then her mind clouded over from the mere presence of Shane. Shane's energy, the feel of her…everything about her. She submitted to the demanding kiss, relishing the hunger evident in Shane's tensed form.

The feeling that things were moving too fast passed as Shane undressed her, crushing Raegan's softness to her muscular frame. Shane shucked her own clothes, walking Raegan backwards toward the bedroom. Moments later they lay beside one another. She could feel Shane's hands on every inch of her, Shane's lips burning a path from her mouth to her throat to her breasts. She enjoyed the feel of Shane against her, delighting in the feeling of being ravaged. Her mind fuzzed over, her breathing erratic. She'd never wanted this way before, unable to control the moans as they escaped from between her lips. She savored the feel of Shane above her, beside her, within her…and arched her back with abandon as the first of many powerful orgasms ripped through her.

*****

When her cell phone rang hours later, Shane separated herself from the deliciousness of the full-figured woman sleeping beside her and made her way back to the cozy living room to find her pants.

"Yea?"

"Where the fuck—…?" Karin took a deep breath, remembering who was on the phone, "I've been trying to reach you."

"I got that. What?"

Karin delivered a rapid fire speech. Shane terminated the call without a response.

"Shane?"

Shane looked up at the disheveled beauty standing in the doorway of the bedroom. Raegan had taken the time to slip into a night shirt. The cloud of dark curls surrounding her face was charmingly disarrayed. Shane reached for her clothes.

"I have to go."

Raegan swallowed her disappointment, nodding, forcing herself not to ask any questions. Shane was not the kind of woman you questioned. Still, she desperately wanted to know when she would see her again. She watched as Shane quickly donned the rest of her clothing, pulling her close for a quick, hungry kiss before opening the front door.

"I'll call." She tossed over her shoulder before closing the door between them.

***

As Raegan stepped from the shower the next morning, the phone rang. She snatched it up, hoping it was Shane.

"Hello?"

"What the fuck happened to you yesterday? You just left me at the school! And then you weren't answering your phone all night. I was worried sick!"

"Oh shit Reese, I'm sorry. Shane came by and—"

"Enough said. Did you at least get some pussy?"

"Reese!"

He laughed and she knew she was forgiven. "So, how is our friendly neighborhood thug?"

"Don't start."

"Okay, okay. Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

"Oh…uh, I think I'm going to have to ask for a rain check."

"Ah, the thug's home so you're kicking me to the curb?"

"Shut up Reese. I'll see you at school. Bye."

She hung up the phone and dressed quickly. She had just grabbed her satchel and was on her way out the door when the phone rang again. She paused, wondering if she should answer it. She snatched it up impatiently, thinking it was probably Reese again.

"What?" She snapped.
"Hey."

Her annoyance melted into a smile at the sound of Shane's voice, "I miss you. Are you okay?"

"I'm good. Dinner?"

"Yes."

"7."

"Okay."

She was smiling as she locked the apartment door.

***

Two weeks later, on a chilly December afternoon, she was quite pleased as she collected her students' exams. Considering they were enthusiastically wishing her a pleasant weekend, she knew they had performed much better on this test. She was gathering up her belongings when she heard the principal's voice over the loud speaker.

"Raegan Vincent, please report to the main office."

The request was repeated once more and she frowned as she pulled her classroom door closed behind her. Reese was making his way down the corridor.

"What did you do now?"

"I have no clue. It's probably some annoyed parent complaining again."

Reese laughed, "the teacher is in trouble? Very amusing."

"Have a good weekend you nut. I'll see you on Monday."

"Big plans this weekend?"

"Nope, nothing important."

"Well, try not to get arrested or shot. And please try to get laid!"

"Very funny. Call me later."

They parted and she turned down a corridor to report to the main office.

*

It was almost 7pm when her phone rang that evening. Raegan took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her cheeks before she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, what did Principal Gregor want?" Reese asked her.

Raegan had to swallow the tears that were threatening to erupt again. "H-he, uh…h-he fired me."

"What! What the hell?!"

"I—…I—" Raegan could not hold back the tears and she sobbed softly into the receiver.

"I'm coming over. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"N—No, Shane—"

"Raegan, what happened? What did Gregor say?"

It took her a few minutes to compose herself before she could respond, "he said the FBI told him I was affiliating with a known criminal. They showed him pictures of me and Shane. Gregor said he didn't think I was the proper role model for the kids."

"You have tenure, can he do that?"

"If I fail to adhere to the school's code of ethics? Yes." She choked back a sob. "He showed me the clause in my contract. Then he mentioned that I was using workbooks that had not been approved by the school board!"

"Oh for God's sake! I can't believe that fuckin' thug got you fired?!"

"Reese, don't—"

"Oh please Raegan, you were fired because of her! You've lost your job! How will you pay your rent, your bills?"

"I don't know Reese!"

Her shrill response silenced him. Reese took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you."

Raegan wiped away more tears, "I know. I know. Look, I have to finish getting ready."

She didn't wait for his response, she simply hung up. She had 15 minutes to get ready although her mind was simply not focused on dinner.

She was dressed casually in jeans and a sweater when the intercom in the lobby rang. She buzzed Shane up and waited at the front door impatiently. When the elevator opened, she rushed into Shane's arms, her tears falling freely as Shane held her.

Shane led her back into the small apartment, holding her close as she sobbed. She combed her fingers through Raegan's mass of soft, black curls and stroked the curve of Raegan's back. She knew the FBI had visited Raegan's principal two days ago. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. She held Raegan close.

"I-I was fired," Raegan sputtered, "I lost my job!"

"I know."

Raegan took a step back, wiping away her tears. "What? How could you know, he just fired me!"

"The FBI met with him two days ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Raegan frowned, but she didn't wait for an answer, "I have no idea how I'm going to pay my rent this month!" Raegan could feel herself on the verge of panic again.

Shane sat on one of the over-stuffed sofas, patting the cushion beside her. Raegan sat beside her reluctantly, trying to calm down.

"Raegan, your bills have been taken care of."

Raegan was silent as her brain processed the information. She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them to look at Shane. "Shane, why did you do that? I don't want you to pay my bills."