Chapter 30
Their food was brought out moments later, and Sailor didn’t touch hers immediately, still needing to catch her breath.
“Eat, Rue,” Geo demanded, nudging her arm.
“I will! I will… just… give me a sec, okay?” she managed to smile, then closed her eyes and leaned her head back.
Geo’s lips on her neck surprised her as she opened her eyes and blushed, glancing at him before sitting up and drinking more wine. It tasted awful, but she hoped it would make her forget. It would numb her and take her somewhere else.
She didn’t eat much of her dinner, nibbling slowly as she looked around at everyone talking but not contributing to the conversation. As soon as she put her fork down, she leaned close to her mom and held her hand in both of hers, just happy she was there.
Suddenly, it was all over, Davon’s dad standing and saying they had to go.
Geo stood immediately as well, waving the orderlies over.
Spinning, Sailor hugged her mom and tried not to cry as everyone else got up to go. Justin’s step-mom was already drunk and loud as she laughed about having to go ‘tee-tee’ for the third time in the last hour. Sailor hardly heard, gripping her gramma’s hand and holding tight to her mom, wishing they could stay a little longer.
“Rue, they gotta go. They wasn’t s’posed ta be out this late. We’re keeping them men past they shift, they got families ‘n shit,” Geo called.
Sailor stood up, wiping tears away, then kissed them both before hugging them again and letting Geo lead her out.
“Hey,” Davon called as Geo helped her into his SUV. “Congrats, Say! Good job and thanks for carry’n me through alla it!”
Sailor gave him a nod but didn’t answer as Geo got in behind her and sat down, pulling her close. She couldn’t speak as Mig pulled away, tears welling as she watched the orderlies get her mom and gramma into a van.
“You good, Rue?” Geo asked, taking her hand in his, then pulling her fingers to kiss. He frowned then, then sat up. “Where’s your ring?”
Sailor looked at her hand, her other hand, then felt around her lap. “I don’t know? I didn't take it off, Geo! I didn’t! I… it was loose, it must have come off when I washed my hands in the bathroom!”
“Go back,” Geo told Mig irritably.
Geo pulled her back inside, ignoring the men putting all the tables back to rights and going back to the bathroom. She checked the sink, the stall, and then the sink again, confused. There was a cover on the drain, it couldn’t have gone down!
“It should be here!” she shook her head, then went out and checked the floor near where she had sat. Geo asked the owner about it and asked if anyone had found it or turned it in. The owner promised no one had, they were the only ones who had been there.
Geo’s face went dark then, and he pulled Sailor back out to the car.
Sailor was terrified. What would he do to her for losing a ring that expensive?
“I’m sorry!” she told him, feeling like she might throw up. “I didn’t mean to, I swear, I didn’t! ”
“Hush, Rue! I ain't mad at you. Mig, where that fool Justin live? Go ta his house, now. Hurry up!”
Mig nodded, pulling it up on his phone as he pulled out.
Understanding hit Sailor. His stepmom, who’d gone to the bathroom three times after they’d been in there. The only one who’d gone in there.
Rue didn’t know what to say as they pulled up in front of Justin’s house, how to convince Geo not to hurt anyone.
Mig started to get out, but Geo forstalled him. “Nah, man, I got this,” Geo hissed, getting out of the car and slamming the door.
“Fuck,” Mig whispered, watching him go to the door warily.
Geo opened it and went in without knocking. Sailor moved up, gripping the front seat as Mig rolled the passenger window down a few inches. She could hear a man yelling, it sounded like Justin’s dad.
A moment later, Justin yelled a single word. “No!”
A woman screamed, and then there were two pops, making Sailor go cold all over.
“Fuck,” Mig whispered again, then turned to his door to get out.
Geo came storming out of the house before Mig had his foot on the ground, looking pissed.
Once he got closer, Sailor saw a spray of blood on his white shirt and up his neck and cheek. He was livid as he got in the car and slammed the door again. “Go,” Geo ordered Mig darkly. “Here,” he spat at Sailor, holding the ring out to her.
Sailor shook her head and backed to the far door, hugging her knees as she broke down crying.
“Rue, I said…”
“Let’s get her home and get that blood off it, boss. She can wear it after it’s cleaned up,” Mig called back, his tone very neutral.
Geo snorted but put the ring away as he turned to look out his window .
Sailor stayed tight against her door, feeling lost.
He was a cold-blooded killer… she had to remember that. She couldn’t get complacent. He would kill her too, especially now if she pissed him off. She had to be careful.
When the car stopped and Mig killed the engine, she jerked and looked up, afraid.
Geo got out of the car and went in, leaving Mig to get Sailor out and take her inside. When he led her up to Geo’s room, she could hear the shower running in the bathroom.
“Give him a minute, then go in with him. Get you a shower,” Mig ordered her. “Get ready now, take all that shit off, then go in. Join ‘m.”
“I don’t want to! Not… not tonight, please?”
“I ain’t askin’,” Mig told her angrily. “I need to take you in there to ‘m? See how pissed he gets seein’ you balkin’?”
“N-no,” she whispered, pulling her hair down before she took her dress off.
Slipping in quietly, she slid the shower door open and stepped in with Geo. He ignored her, leaning against the wall on his hands and letting the water hit his back and run down.
Sailor wasn’t sure what to do, so she moved closer and hugged him from behind, sliding her hands around his waist and laying her head on his back. He took his hand off the wall and took hold of her hands clasped over his belly, holding her arms around him.
She meant it to be a brief hug, something to placate him and let him know she was there at the same time. A minute turned into five, and then ten. Finally, he turned and pulled her against him in a real hug, then walked her back to the back wall of the shower, lifted her on the wall, and held her there. Sailor gasped, arching away from the cold tile, but he ignored her discomfort as he looked over her face, his face a study of anguish and confusion.
“You belong ta me, Rue,” he told her, anger inflecting his tone.
“Yeah,” Sailor agreed, not because she felt like she was his, but because she knew it was what he wanted to hear.
“Forever.”
“Yeah,” she agreed again.
“No one else is ever gonna touch you.”
“Good,” she whispered, hugging his neck to try and pull away from the cold tile.
He growled slightly, then pulled her legs around his hips and reached down to grip his cock. Sailor sucked in another breath as he pushed into her, then held her there, making love to her gently against the wall as he held her up. Sailor sighed into his chest, gripping him and letting go of all her pain.
The bliss was better… so much better!
She let everything else go and just stayed there in the moment with him. It was euphoric! When he took her to bed after turning off the water, he kept her in that place, kissing her lips and her neck, using his fingers on her as she moaned and sighed and kissed him back.
When she passed out, it was in his arms, languid and satisfied.