One to Love (One to Hold 4)

“Oh, wait! Hold that thought.” I danced around the bar to the brown bag I’d left on the counter. My shirt was loose and open, and I saw his darkened eyes watching me. “I got you something.”

Reaching into the bag, I pulled out the small box. He took it from me with a confused face.

“Don’t buy me any more gifts.” His voice was stern, but I just leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

“Don’t be like that. I buy you gifts because I love you.”

His eyes blinked to mine then back to the box. After a brief pause, he lifted the lid and immediately, he lowered it. His brow lined and he stared at me so hard.

“What will I do with you?” So much emotion was in that whispered question.

I caught his cheeks and kissed him. “Make love to me again and again.”

That made him smile, and he lifted the gift out of the box. It was a small copper bird, weathered and vintage, and in the center was etched the word Free.

“You’re free from the pain you try to hold onto.” I took the necklace from him and put it over his head. It fell down to the center of his chest, just above his heart, and it seemed right to me. “Be free, my love.”

Chapter 25: “Nothing is promised.”

Slayde

I couldn’t calm the tornado of emotions wracking my insides. The last time I’d experienced such an onslaught, it had been heartbreak, destruction, the end of me. Now Kenny was holding my hands and saying she loved me, giving me a bird with the word Free engraved in the center.

She was at my apartment bringing me food. I was complaining about takeout, telling her not to give me gifts like a fucking asshole, and she blew it all away. Holding her face in my hands, I could only look into her eyes. I was lost in them. I didn’t deserve this.

“Kenny...” I tried, but all I could do was kiss her.

I could only take her sweet lips with mine, find her tongue with mine, slide my worthless hands down her beautiful body in a prayer of thanks to all of the gods who might give a shit about a loser like me. Second-chance gods who believed a killer could be worth saving. How could they send this amazing creature into my life?

In her hand, the teardrop tattoo was transformed. She’d added another teardrop inverted, making it a heart.

What she couldn’t know was the heart in her hand was mine.

She’d hold it forever. I never wanted it back.

* * *

The next day at lunch, I made an excuse and slipped away down to the boardwalk. Pulling out my cheap phone, I dialed the familiar number. The voice on the other end told me to wait, and I sat, holding the copper charm in my hand, reading it again.

“Doc here.” I couldn’t help but smile at the familiar voice.

“It’s me Slayde.”

“Slayde! It’s been a long time. What’s going on?”

“Not much. Too much.” Looking down at my hands, I thought about what I wanted to say. He didn’t have a lot of time, I knew. “I guess I need your advice. Again.”

“You know I’m here for you, kid.” He waited, but I could hear voices in the background. I had to make this quick.

“Remember that girl?”

“The one you saved on the beach? The one you were working with?”

“I’m still working with her.” My brow lined as I thought. “She asked me to teach her boxing. Show her some moves, self-defense.”

A smile was in his voice. “You started training her? In boxing?”

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