Author's Notes:

Rising above the station one is born into is not only a measure of financial success but demonstrates a profound strength of character. Overcoming the forces that maintain social stratification can seem insurmountable. Those with the will to succeed, the resilience to persevere, and the intelligence to distinguish genuine opportunities from false promises will reach their goal.

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All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.

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Nightingale

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Chapter 1

Raphael Graves frowned at the graded history test dropped on his desk.

"Congratulations, Mr. Graves. Another excellent effort," Mr. Haley said in his trademark wheeze. Lung cancer had robbed the older man of most of his volume when he spoke. The students knew if they wanted to survive his class, they had to shut up and listen.

The high school senior glanced up at the teacher, and the man sighed as he knew the look. "See me after class," he muttered as he moved on to hand back the next student's test.

Most would be pleased with ninety-eight percent but Raphael would fight for the remaining points. He rarely gave the teachers any grief, but he'd get every point he was owed.

Raph's eyes panned down the test and found the question where he lost the two points. He reread it, and his answer still seemed accurate. He waited patiently for the teacher to finish handing out the tests and listened to the idiots whine and grumble at their low grades.

For him, the test hadn't been difficult because he'd made the required effort. History class was just about listening and memorization. He didn't enjoy the course, but he needed to maintain his grade average if he was going to earn the scholarship he was after. So far, he was on track, but he wouldn't let any points slip away if he'd earned them.

It still mildly annoyed him that Mr. Haley continued to roll the R and use the wrong emphasis on his name, gra-Vess, giving it a Spanish flair his mother's family had no heredity to back. The Graves he was aware of were as white bread as they could get, short of donning white robes with pointy hoods. Not that he'd ever spoken to any of them. Dotty was expelled from the family home and her family's lives when they discovered she was pregnant and who the father was. When he was born, Dotty named him after his father's father in the futile hope it might lure his father back, but none of her family came to welcome newborn Raphael into the world.

Taking a slow, quiet breath and rolling his shoulders to release the tension, he let it all slide, again.

Mr. Haley was making his way back to his desk and glanced over as if he felt Raphael's eyes on him the entire way. He looked to the other kids as they were restless to leave, having only a couple of minutes left in the class. The teacher dropped himself in his chair and wearily waved at Raph to approach.

Raph picked up the test and walked up to the teacher's desk, where he placed it on the surface.

"Where did you lose marks?" Mr. Haley asked.

"Question four, but I answered it correctly," Raph insisted quietly. The room behind him settled down as they listened. They'd seen this happen before.

The teacher read his answer once more. "You explained how the army took the beachhead but not how they held it," he responded.

Raph blinked at the teacher, then the frown returned. "That's not how the question was phrased."

It was the older man's turn to frown, and the room was completely silent now. He shifted in his chair as he was obviously aware of their attention, and Raph could see his neck turning red with his annoyance. It almost looked like he was going to toss the test back and say the grade was final.

Raph watched him reread question four, then read the answer he'd given... and freeze. The man saw it.

Sighing, Mr. Haley nodded wearily. "All right." He looked at the other students. "Question four wasn't expressed as clearly as it should've been, so I'm removing it from the test. Bring whatever I gave you for your answer to that question up to two points. That's your new grade. Hand your tests back to me on your way out, and I'll record the new values. You'll get them back next class."

"Fuck yeah! I passed!"

Mr. Haley scowled at the speaker, and Raph didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Wally Peterson was not one of the stars in this class, or any, for that matter.

"Mr. Peterson, watch your language in my classroom!" the history teacher growled.

Wally just grinned, nodded to the teacher, and went back to showing off his new, barely passing grade to his friends.

Raph nodded to Mr. Haley and made his way back to his desk. He noticed a couple of people smiling at him, but he didn't acknowledge those smiles. He'd learned the hard way to keep his head down.

Besides, he only had a few months left in this dead-end town. He wasn't going to start making friends now.

The bell rang, so Raph packed his stuff and headed back to his locker. He had a shift at Beckett's Landscaping and Garden Center, so he had to get going. He stuffed his notes and books for his homework into his backpack and made his way outside and across the busy street to the bus stop. He had to sprint to avoid being run over by a school bus that lurched away from the curb just as he stepped onto the road. This wasn't the first time. The stupid old fucker never looked forward when he pulled out into traffic.

As he waited at the stop, he noticed he was getting admiring glances from a group of girls waiting for the bus as well. He heard them giggling. He scowled and looked down the street for the bus. He knew some of those girls had boyfriends on the football team. All he needed was for one of them to mention him within earshot of their testosterone-drunk boyfriend, and he'd have to deal with their jealousy. He'd already had to reason with one, explaining he had no interest in a girl he didn't even know the name of. A second boyfriend had just started swinging. Raph hit him once in the gut and patiently waited for him to stop puking before they could have their talk.

Raph was tall, dark, and handsome, which had proven to be more of a curse for him than a benefit. Some in this small town criticized him for his ethnic looks. His Spanish name didn't help either. That wasn't unexpected in a place with an overwhelming majority of white sameness.

While his mom Dotty was a looker herself, she told him his beautiful attributes came from his father, who'd been a musician passing through town. Dotty was as fair-skinned as she could be, but his father was of Spanish descent and bestowed his olive skin tone, black wavy hair, dark brown eyes, strong jaw, and sensual mouth to his son. She'd confirmed once that his father had been just a little taller than her five-foot-ten, so Raph had inherited his six-foot height from his parents as well.

Unfortunately, that was all his father had passed along to his son because, after two dates and one night of bliss, the man left the young woman he'd infatuated and impregnated and moved on to the next city, and likely another one-night stand.

Dotty liked to tell him he probably had an enormous family out there somewhere, with half-sisters and brothers all across the country. She'd told him stories like that when he was younger, before she lost hope and crawled into a bottle.

He shook off the dark thoughts and looked up to see the bus approaching. He got in line and boarded, following the girls who continued to undress him with their eyes. He'd gotten used to that and just ignored them.

His job at the landscaping company was better than a gym membership and cheaper. His body was lean, well-muscled, and hard. He wasn't big, but he was strong. Every job he'd been able to get involved some form of heavy lifting, and he worked hard to keep the jobs. That was getting easier now that he was getting better at controlling his hot temper. The days when he'd lose control of the rage inside were mostly behind him. Mostly. He worked hard at that as well.

He found a seat at the back of the bus and settled in for the ride. Glancing at his fellow passengers, it was safe enough with this group, so he closed his eyes and got what rest he could. He'd be tired enough after his shift, and he still had homework to complete when he got home.

His internal clock automatically woke him before his stop, and he exited the bus to walk across the parking lot to the huge garden center. He was early, so his boss wouldn't have an excuse to ride his ass. Jackie Polane, the new owner of Beckett's, wasn't the worst boss he'd had, but he had a bad temper and never failed to take it out on his temp staff.

Raph stuffed his jacket and backpack into his locker, put on his apron, and pocketed his gloves. He signed in and was directed immediately to the warehouse.

"Raph! It's about fucking time!" Jackie barked as he entered the vast space.

"I'm early," Raph replied quietly.

Jackie's eyebrows went down, and he glanced at his watch. His anger slipped away as quickly as it had flared when he saw Raph was telling the truth. He moved on without apologizing.

"The morning crew fucked up a shipment of wood chips. They mixed the bags for the entire shipment with the existing stock. I need you to separate it into the proper storage bins. Get it done," the manager stated with finality, then turned to leave.

Get it done was Jackie's catchphrase. There was no arguing with it.

Raph just nodded and moved to walk down to where the bags had been stored.

Jackie stopped and turned back to face him. "Hold up a second... listen, I fired Jimmy this morning for pulling this shit again. I kept Fred, but he's been warned it was his last chance. This means I'm short-handed in the stock room. I can juggle some of you part-timers around, but I need you to do some additional shifts. Can you work weekends?"

Raph looked at the man in surprise. He'd been after the weekend shifts since he started working here. It meant extra hours and more money. "Yes, sir."

"Seven to five? Both days?"

"Yes, sir," Raph said with a nod.

"Good. Fix that shit back there," Jackie growled as he turned away.

Raph made his way to the mixed shipment with a small smile on his lips. More money was good. It meant he was that much closer to leaving.

The bags of wood chips were heavy, damp, and stank, but Raph separated them and restocked them into the proper bins. He was aching pretty badly from straining his muscles by the time he finished. Jackie inspected his work and gave Raph a rare smile. He was given lighter duties until the end of his shift.

The bus ride home dropped him several blocks from his door. The neighborhood was run down as many of the residents struggled with poverty, drugs, or alcohol addiction. His mom was in the latter two groups. He did what he could to help her rise above it, but her depression was winning.

As he walked the dark streets, he kept his eyes open for roaming addicts who weren't above a little robbery to pay for their next high.

He was a known presence in the area, so people left him alone. He'd beaten a few potential thieves to within an inch of their lives. The message was received. He wasn't a target... but that didn't prevent mistakes.

He let himself in the low-income housing townhouse's front door and saw an unfamiliar jacket on a chair in the kitchen. Then he heard crying. He dropped his stuff on the sofa on his way to the stairs leading to the upstairs bedrooms. He made it to his mother's bedroom door, where he heard her whimpers and a man's voice cursing. The crack of flesh struck violently was easily heard through the closed door.

Raph threw the door open and barged in.

On the bed, an overweight, naked, white man with thinning hair was slapping Dotty's reddened face as he forced her legs back to her chest so he could shove his small cock in her ass.

Raph reached the bed in three strides, seized the man's ears in a painful grip, and yanked him back, away from his mother. He stood aside as the heavy man crashed to the floor, arms flailing.

"Getting beaten was never on the table; you fat fuck!" Raph roared.

He picked up the man's clothes to toss them at him and felt the jacket's fine material. His rage flared, and it was all he could do to keep himself from beating the man. A wallet fell from the jacket pocket, and he picked it up. He saw the man's eyes go wide with fear as he curled defensively into a fetal position, looking up at him as he loomed above the fallen man with teeth bared.

The wallet was open, and Raph read the man's name and address aloud. Now he knew where the asshole lived.

"So, Gene, if you come near her again, I'm going to show up on your doorstep, and everything you did to her, I'm going to do to you. We never want to see you again. Am I making myself understood?" The man nodded rapidly with terrified eyes. "Then why the fuck aren't you getting dressed and out of our house?" he yelled as he tossed the wallet at the man's face.

When the chubby man was on his feet and mostly dressed, Raph grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to stare him in the eye. "Don't forget to pay what you owe her! And throw in money for damages, you fucking prick!"

The man dropped all the cash from the wallet on the bureau, then Raph rushed him downstairs, grabbed his coat, and gave him a shove out the front door.

"Never come back... Gene," Raph warned one last time. The man hustled away with a terrified glance over his shoulder.

Raph closed and locked the front door, leaning back against it to let his anger drain away. Dotty didn't need it.

As he took slow and deep breaths, he looked around the drab little living room, trying to distract himself from the rage boiling just under the surface.

The home wasn't much, but he kept it clean. It certainly wouldn't appear on the cover of an interior design magazine. He took in the thread-worn carpet under the cheap second or maybe third-hand furnishings, where nothing matched. The only personal touch was some framed art from his childhood adorning the walls. He sighed. He kept it neat and clean, which was the important thing.

Distracted sufficiently, he felt calmer, so he made his way back upstairs. He stopped in the hall when he heard his mom crying quietly. His rage against the man threatened to surge once more, and he struggled to force it down. Once it was safe to do so, he went back into her bedroom and brought her the dressing gown from the back of her door. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, oblivious to her naked state, and he helped her put the robe on. The smell of whiskey on her breath turned his stomach, as did the bruises on her arms and her face, but he forced that down as well.

"How you doing, mom?"

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay, mom. It's over," he said softly as he put his arm over her shoulder. She leaned against his chest, and her tears started once more. He held her trembling body against his as she came apart once again. He just let her cry as it was what she seemed to need right now, and he didn't know what else to do.

She was fading, so he tilted her chin up and kissed her forehead. "I got my history test back. I got a perfect score on it."

She smiled proudly at him and hugged him tighter. "My baby! My baby is going to make something of himself! I'm so proud of you. You're keeping your promise to your old mom. I'm so proud!" Her voice was fading at the end as he could see the night had taken too much out of her.

Raph gave her one more hug, then stood and scooped her up in his tired arms. He kicked the blankets down, then laid her down on the bed with her head on the pillow. He pulled the blanket up over her and kissed her forehead once more. "Good night, mom. Sleep well."

"baby..."

She was out.

Raph let himself out of her bedroom and closed the door. He made his way back downstairs and grabbed his backpack. Pulling his homework out onto the small kitchen table, he got to work.

At thirty-four, Dotty was well past her prime for strip club talent, but she was still reasonably slim and had a delicate beauty that drew the eye... when she smiled. What set her apart was how well she danced. She moved with a sensual grace that put the other dancers to shame. Raph had witnessed this talent a few times over his eighteen years when she'd come home drunk and danced to the music in her head while he prepared her a late-night meal. It had been awkward and uncomfortable for him to see, but he couldn't deny she had mesmerizing moves.

Dotty drank... heavily. She also took drugs when she could get them. Her job as a stripper earned her a pitiful income as she didn't work every night. He didn't let her use her wages to pay for her habits, so she turned tricks on the side. He couldn't watch her all the time, and she was too deep into her addictions to find her way out. Her pain was deep and overwhelmed her sometimes. He'd been unable to help her with it, though he still tried. She'd long ago stopped trying.

On one particularly bad night, he'd come home to find a group of three men taking turns raping her. Even though he'd only been eleven at the time, he'd fought them off with the violent use of a kitchen table leg, which broke off during the initial struggle. The men barely managed to flee the house with their lives. In the following week, he'd hunted down and kneecapped two of them with the improvised club. The third man had been warned of the hunt, and he left town. The police had shown up on Dotty's doorstep to ask them questions about what had happened. His mom had given him an alibi, and the cops left after issuing a warning.

Dotty made him promise that night to put all his efforts into his grades to make something of himself. She knew he was smart. She just needed him to channel his energy into something positive. She told him she couldn't allow herself to live, seeing him waste his potential. Terrified she'd commit suicide like their neighbor recently had, he'd promised and had thrown himself into his schoolwork with everything he had. The initial years were hard, but he learned how to make it work for him, and he put all other distractions out of his mind. He worked when he could, as he'd need money to get them both out of this cesspool. As well as the part-time jobs he'd taken, he managed his mother's money for her, paid the rent, kept the house clean, and got them fed.

Once he finished his homework, he went upstairs, unlocked the deadbolt on his bedroom door, and went to bed. The lock had become necessary when Dotty began stealing money and stuff to sell from his room in her desperation for a fix. Once inside, he flipped it closed once more.

He set his alarm and finally let himself relax. He glanced at the lock once more and frowned. Another reason for it was to keep his mom from stumbling naked into his room during the night, as she'd done in the past. There was only so much he was willing to do to help her. Her addictions messed up her mind, most frequently at night, and now that he was older, she often mistook him for his father. Those were especially painful memories for both of them, just for different reasons.

Unsettled, he flipped over onto his stomach and tried to clear his mind so he could get to sleep. He had another busy day to get through tomorr—he glanced at the clock and sighed.

Today.

Chapter 2

Sam allowed herself a smile as she looked at her history test. The ninety-five percent would keep her grade average high, and that's all that mattered. She heard some of the other students griping about their grades, especially Wally, and turned to smile at her boyfriend Victor, who was sitting across the aisle from her. He smirked and showed her his eighty-one percent, and she nodded her proud approval. She'd tutored him for the test, and it obviously helped. It helped them both, to be honest.

She felt eyes on her and glanced behind Victor to see Gerry Jackson watching her. JJ, as he was called behind his back, always seemed to be watching her, which made her feel uncomfortable. He knew she was Victor's girlfriend. He really needed to find a girlfriend of his own, she thought.

Gerry held up his test as well with a smile. She smiled politely at his seventy-five percent, then looked back to Victor, who had a sneer on his lips as he whispered something to Wally. The big guy sat in front of Victor to block Mr. Haley's view of him.

She glanced to where Victor was looking and saw Raph Graves talking with Mr. Haley. She'd heard Victor go on about what a loser he was. According to him, Raph's mother was a stripper and a prostitute. He also worked shit jobs after school, so he couldn't join the football or baseball teams, which to Victor was the definition of a loser.

When Mr. Haley announced he was giving extra points for question four if they hadn't been earned already, she looked at what she'd received for her answer and grinned as she saw her grade would now increase to ninety-six percent.

Victor was frowning as he'd already gotten the points. Wally was cheering his pass, and JJ was shaking his seventy-seven percent at his big friend.

Raph was returning to his chair, and she quickly let her eyes slide down his body. Even though he didn't join any organized sports, his body was lean and hard. She admired his powerful hands. She caught his eye and smiled, but he just slid his eyes away from hers and sat with his back to her. She was a little surprised by how standoffish he was. Couldn't he spare a smile? What would it have cost him to smile in return? I mean, really?

Contrary to her boyfriend's opinion of him, she knew Raph got top grades as she'd spied on his test results in each of the classes they shared. Especially for pre-calculus, where she was desperately struggling. That course was her biggest worry. If she didn't do something quickly, it was going to drag her grade point average down.

"Hey! Space Cadet! It's time to go!" Victor teased her as she was lost in thought. He was giving her that look, which told her he thought she was a flake. She frowned, and his expression immediately cleared as he knew she'd caught him.

"Did you complete your calculus assignment?" she asserted as she stood with her books clutched to her chest. This prevented JJ from ogling her breasts.

Victor squirmed and shook his head. "Nah. I'll work on it later."

"It's due tomorrow!" she exclaimed.

"I got enough of it done to get a passing grade," he said confidently. "Come on; I'll drive you home." He glanced back at JJ and Wally. "See you later, losers."

"Bite me!" JJ replied with a grin.

"Loser? I passed!" Wally complained.

Sam let Victor guide her out into the hall with his arm possessively over her shoulder. They made their way to his locker, then hers. She exchanged her books and gathered her homework, then they went out to the parking lot. Victor's car was a sweet, customized Civic. She knew he and the boys worked on it constantly to get extra performance out of it. All she knew was that it looked good, and they looked good in it. It also beat riding the bus.

Victor had tried to get her into the back seat a few times, but so far, she'd fended him off. She wasn't ready, and he said he'd wait.

She felt a thrill rush through her as he drove them through the quiet back streets to get her to her house up on the hill. The homes up here were grander than those in the surrounding community and more secluded. They passed Victor's place on their way to the top. He pulled into her driveway, turned off the ignition, and turned to face her.

"Hey, are you available to go camping with us this weekend? A bunch of us are going," he looked at her hopefully, his eyes full of innocence.

"A bunch? Who?" she asked with a smile on her lips.

"Some guys from the team and some ladies from the squad," he said, running his fingers through her hair in the way he knew she liked.

She gently eased his hand out of her hair before the tingles he was giving her made her make a poor decision. "It's Wednesday; I didn't hear any of my ladies say they were going camping this weekend." She was the head cheerleader, after all. The squad did nothing without her say so.

Victor's eyes slid away to some invisible spot on the interior ceiling as he changed his approach. "Well, if you said you were going, I'm sure a bunch of the others would come along."

"Ahhh, there it is," she smirked as his ploy was revealed. No doubt, he and the team would expect to get lucky while inside those tents. "No. I have to study this weekend. Next week we have midterms! Starting with chemistry! Besides, it's going to be cold this weekend. It isn't summer yet."

"Cold weather camping is the best! You can snuggle in the sleeping bags to stay warm," he insisted.

She grinned at him. "Right. Snuggle. That's what you have in mind."

"Sure! Snuggle. If that leads to anything else, I'm sure that would be wonderful too. Come on; it'll be fun!" he pleaded.

"Not gonna happen," she said with a sweet smile. When he pouted, she leaned over and pressed her lips to his. His arms went around her, and the kiss deepened until she pushed back on his chest. She gasped as her head was spinning, and her body was screaming at her to keep going. She knew she had to nip that in the bud as if she gave in to her lust, all her plans would derail. That wouldn't do.

"Why did you stop? I can tell you wanted more," Victor sighed as he looked at the heat in Sam's blue eyes.

"I want a lot of things, but they have to come in the right order, or they cause a lot of problems. Of course, I want to keep kissing you—AH AH! No." She pushed him back. "You're a great kisser, and I look forward to enjoying more of that, but right now, I have to go inside and get started on my calculus assignment."

He snorted and grinned at her. "Get started?!? You were scolding me, and you haven't even started?"

It was her turn to pout. "You could always help me with it."

"Sorry, babe. I have to... help my old man with some shit tonight. Off you go! Getter done!" he teased.

Sam eased herself out of his car with a sigh and stood back as he reversed quickly out of the drive and sped away. With another pout, she went inside. She smiled at Maria, their housekeeper, as the woman put on her coat to leave.

"Did you have a good day, Ms. Harris?" the older woman asked.

Sam couldn't get the woman to use her given name and stopped trying. "Yes, and you?"

The Hispanic woman grinned and nodded, then she glanced dramatically from side to side. "I believe Mr. Harris is smoking cigars in his study again. I had to clean the smoke from the window glass, and there is a burn mark on the window sill. But you didn't hear it from me."

Smiling widely, Sam nodded to the housekeeper and opened the door for her. "Have a good night."

The woman stopped on the doorstep. "Oh! Mrs. Harris called to say she would be late at the hospital, and Mr. Harris said he is entertaining out-of-town guests and will also be late." She gave Sam a sympathetic look but just got a shrug in return.

"Good thing, I have all this homework. You wouldn't happen to know anything about calculus, would you?" Sam asked.

Maria burst into giggles and patted Sam's arm before she turned and walked away. Sam closed and locked the door.

First things first. She walked into her father's office, and sure enough, she smelled the stench of a cigar under the cloying scent of air freshener. She walked over to the window sill and there was the small scorch mark from where he set the cigar down. She'd talk to him later after she spoke to mom.

She made her way upstairs to her room and got her homework out. It sucked that Victor wouldn't even try to help her out with this as she really needed some assistance.

Thinking about him, she recalled the kiss in his car, and her nipples stiffened as a tingle started below.

Shit. She'd never be able to concentrate on her assignment now. She needed to take care of this first.

She went to the bathroom and collected the laundry bag. Carrying it down to the laundry room off the kitchen, she loaded the clothes into the washer. She set the machine to heavy-duty cycle and listened to determine if she was, indeed, alone. Nodding to herself, she started the washer.

The machine hissed as water began to fill the tub, and while she waited, she slowly rubbed her fingers over her tingling nether regions through her jeans. She sighed and closed her eyes. Soon, the machine began its slow roll and thump, so she pressed the corner of the big appliance between her legs.

"Ohhh yesssss..." she sighed as the vibrations spread through her tender flesh.

The machine began to speed up, and the sensations strengthened to keep pace.

"Mmmm, fuck!" she moaned and leaned forward a little more to press the hard surface more firmly against her sensitive nub. "Oooooo—fuck!"

As the vibrations brought her closer and closer, she replayed Victor's kiss in her mind and felt her body respond. She pinched a nipple through her top and gasped, wishing it was Victor doing that.

No! She couldn't talk herself into compromising her plan. Fuck, she was so close!

His lips on hers. His hands on her body, his tongue, oh FUCK!

The washer was buzzing along happily, and she rode the corner hard, grinding herself up and down, feeling herself gush in her panties. She closed her eyes again and felt him against her, his hard muscles, his... Hah! Ah!

Unbidden as she crested through her release, her mind flashed an image of a dark-haired man with smooth tanned skin, dark eyes, and a sensual mouth. Those eyes were watching her with an intensity that sent sparks shooting through her limbs. She threw back her head as her mouth dropped open.

"FFFFUUUUCCCKKKK!!!!" she wailed as bliss surged through her body.

As quickly as it popped into her head, the image was gone, and Sam's guilt came crashing down on her. She was Victor's girlfriend and should've been thinking of him! Stupid brain!

She gasped and panted until her body began to settle down. She realized she was a mess, so she stripped off her jeans and her soaked panties. She wiped herself as best she could with her shirt then threw it all into the washing machine. She wrapped herself in a towel and rushed upstairs on wobbly legs.

A quick and hot shower later, she slipped into her jammies and settled down at her desk. Dragging open her text, she reviewed the questions. It still felt like some strange, indecipherable code. She turned to her computer and began to research how to answer the problem.

Hours later, she heard the sound of the front door opening. She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost midnight. She groaned as she wasn't finished the bloody assignment.

She dragged herself over to her door and pulled on her dressing gown. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw her father, wearing a stupid grin and an oversized Re-elect Mayor Harris button on his coat. He had a handsome face, great hair, and a great smile. Very photogenic and right now, very drunk.

"Hiii, Bunny! Wutryou doing up this late!" he slurred.

"Daddy, why are you so drunk?" she scolded.

"Guests! I had company from outa town! They're lookin' to invest in our fair town! They also like to partay!" he cheered. Seeing his daughter's scowl, he frowned at her. "Oh, don't be such a stickamud..." He grimaced at his slur and tried again. "Stick in the mud. Woo! I am a little pickled. Goin' ta bed."

He gave her forehead a poorly aimed kiss and walked up the stairs to his bedroom.

"Where's Suzanne!" he bellowed from upstairs.

Sam sighed. "She's still—" she stopped when she saw headlights coming up the driveway. "She's just getting home now."

Moments later, a tall, blonde beauty in a tailored jacket and skirt came in the front door. She looked like a mature version of Sam, and her daughter took great comfort in knowing what she had to look forward to when she got older.

Even at forty, Suzanne Harris' beauty shone through. She was five-foot-ten, an inch taller than her daughter. She was fit with sleek curves, the source of Sam's big blue eyes, full lips, and blonde locks, but she tied her long hair back in a braided ponytail, courtesy of Sam each morning.

The most significant difference between mother and daughter was the air of calm confidence and authority that Suzanne exuded. As a hospital administrator, she managed a group of prima donna surgeons and doctors and kept the hospital functioning at peak efficiency. She likened it to wrangling cats, but she was expert level.

"Hi, baby. What are you doing up?" she asked with a gentle smile.

Sam could see her mom was tired. "Just finishing up some homework."

"Well, it's time for bed," the mother said in her no-arguments voice.

"Yes, mom." She glanced up the stairs. "Daddy just got home, and he's pretty drunk. He was also smoking cigars in his office sometime yesterday."

Suzanne sighed and hugged her daughter before sending her on her way to bed.

Sam entered her bedroom and closed the door. She looked at her homework and sighed wearily. She'd made good progress, but she wasn't sure she had enough completed to get a grade in the nineties. She dragged herself over to her chair and plunked down in it. She needed the points more than a little sleep.

She was unaware when she eventually fell asleep face down on her notes that she'd forgotten to set her alarm.

-=-

Suzanne watched her daughter head upstairs before she walked into Malcolm's office and smelled the poorly hidden cigar stench. She next went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. Her throat was parched from talking all night, though the meeting had gone very well. They'd be getting the needed funding for the burn ward after all. She'd get that started right away.

Delaying her confrontation with her husband, she went into the laundry room when she saw the light flashing on the washer. She opened the lid and moved the damp clothes to the dryer. Leaning over the machine to get the last items at the bottom, she rested her palm on its corner, and her hand slipped, knocking her against the machine's top. She stood up and scowled at her palm as she felt something slick. She sniffed and picked up an unmistakable scent.

Ah! That's why Sam was doing a load of laundry. She washed her hands in the sink and grabbed a paper towel to clean off the machine. She'd talk with the girl tomorrow about cleaning up after herself to be a little more discreet. Not that Malcolm ever found his way into the laundry room, but just the same.

Sighing, she finally made her way up the stairs and into the dark master bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Hey, beautiful!" came a slurred voice from the bed. "Sa-bout time you got here. Come to papa."

Suzanne shuddered. She hated it when he was drunk as he became creepy too. "You're drunk."

"Juss a liddle. Come ta bed, baby. Papa's got somethin' for ya."

Ugh. That killed the mood for her. "Go to sleep."

"Aww, don't be like that!"

Suzanne got undressed and slipped her nighty on before she felt hands grab her ass. She slapped them away. "Don't!" she growled.

"What the hell! Can't a guy appreciate his woman?" he growled in return.

"Not when he reeks of whiskey and cigars. Couldn't you at least take a shower and brush your teeth before trying to paw me?"

In the dim light of the room, she saw him turn away and head back to bed.

"Fuck it. I tried. Way to kill the mood," he grumbled before dropping face down onto the bed.

She made her way into the bathroom with shaking hands. She clasped them together to still them, then washed her face and brushed her teeth. Coming back out into the bedroom, she heard the buzz of his drunken snores, and another tremor went through her body. She left the room and went to sleep in the guest room. Closing the door, she moved to the bed and got under the blankets.

As she lay staring up at the ceiling, she once more wondered what happened to the man she married. He'd been smart and ambitious but also had integrity and class. His smile could win over almost any opponent, and when that didn't work, he could talk his way out of most situations with his intellect.

These days it was his ambition that seemed to be overshadowing his other traits. He was still a great talker, but what he was saying was less about improving the community and more about increasing his status in it.

They hadn't made love in months, and when he'd come back from these drunken binges, he was always horny. She was starting to wonder if he'd cheated on her, but she had no evidence of it.

Sighing, she flipped onto her side and tried to get to sleep. She had to ignore her own needs once again.

She wondered if there was any more laundry left to do and snorted to herself.

Chapter 3

Raph was on his way to the bus stop when he heard his name called out. He glanced back and sighed. It was his neighbor, Roxanne Sparks.

She caught up to him and jumped up against his chest to kiss him. While she stood only five-foot-four and her petite body was pretty light, he was caught by surprise by her leap. He dropped his backpack to hold her against himself with both arms. She purred into their kiss as she felt his hands on her body.

When he managed to pry her from his chest and get her tongue out of his mouth, he slid her down his body to put her back on her feet. She was grinning madly up at him, and he wondered just how accurate that phrase was for her. He knew from experience that her mood swings were as violent as they came. She'd dropped him as her boyfriend with a tirade of raging screams as many times as she'd suddenly announced he was now hers once more with the sweetest of voices.

He'd told her straight to her face that he wasn't interested in having a girlfriend, but his protests fell on deaf ears... or potentially crazy ones.

She was petite all over, had crazy black hair in a cut that just reached the top of her shoulders, soulful (if sometimes mad) brown eyes, deep dimples on each cheek when she smiled, and a perpetual smirk on her lips like she'd just played a cruel prank on you that you hadn't discovered yet.

Raph picked up his backpack once more. "I'm going to be late for school, Roxy. What do you want? And didn't you break up with me two days ago? I think this time, you called me a heartless bastard."

Roxanne rolled her lovely eyes and grinned at him. "Silly man! You know I wasn't serious when I said that!"

He frowned then turned to keep walking to the bus stop. She quickly moved to walk next to him.

"You aren't mad at me, are you?" she asked cautiously.

He sighed. "No, Roxy. Not mad. Just tired of dealing with your shit."

"I'm sorry, baby! You know I can't help getting a little mixed up from time to time. I missed you!" she said as she clung to his free arm.

He looked down into her wide eyes and knew she was right. She did have a lot of emotional baggage from all the shit she went through when she was younger. Bad shit. Cancer, probably from her parent's heavy smoking. She lost some important inside parts to the disease and wouldn't ever have kids of her own. Then her Dad died and her fucking step-dad raped—

Raph closed his eyes and took slow even breaths to calm the rage surging through him.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Roxanne asked, feeling his hard muscles tremble with unspent adrenalin. She bit her lip as his body did things to hers. God, she thought he was so fucking hot! She wanted to feel him inside her again!

He opened his eyes and looked down at her once more. She had that hungry look in her eye again. Shit. He couldn't do anything about that. He was going to miss his bus!

"Nothing. Look, I have to get to school," he said stiffly.

"After school?" she purred.

He saw his bus coming, so he picked up his pace to get to the stop. Roxanne kept pace, and her eyes never left his face. "I have to study after school. The library. I won't be home until after ten."

"I can meet you there."

Raph stopped next to the bus stop and looked at her in confusion. "The library?"

"No, at your place. Your mom won't be home 'til later, right?" Roxanne insisted.

"Oh—uh... right," he mumbled as the bus door opened.

Roxanne stepped back. "See you then, lover boy!" she called out loudly.

Scowling in annoyance, Raph climbed into the bus and dropped his ticket into the farebox. As he walked deeper into the bus to take a seat at the back, he watched Roxanne outside on the sidewalk, as did a few other people on the bus. She grinned and flashed her tits at him as the bus pulled away. Heads turned first to look at her, then to look at him. He found a seat with his back to the windows and closed his eyes so he didn't have to look at anyone.

As he got closer to the school, he opened them again. It didn't pay to be too inattentive this close to the school. Some of these morons weren't above taking a cheap shot. Case in point, the two idiots, Gerry and Wally, were boarding the bus. Usually, they weren't much trouble without their leader, but he kept them in his peripheral vision, just in case.

They rode on for a while, with no attention focused in his direction, which was good.

Victor's goons were busy talking to some friends sitting closer to the front. Then the big one looked back at him wearing his angry face. He marched to the back, looking like trouble. Damn.

"GRAVES!"

He looked up at Wally with a tired expression. "What?"

"Did you tell Roxanne to flash her tits at you?" Wally growled.

"What? No! She flashed the whole bus. Her idea of fun, maybe," Raph answered calmly, keeping his eyes on Wally's. Interesting! Wally had a crush on Roxy. He'd have to mention it to her. Maybe he could get her to choose him as her new boyfriend.

He saw the big goon was building up a head of steam. Shit. He had to avoid a fight as he'd get the blame for it regardless of who threw the first punch.

"Wally! Get your ass over here! Leave that trash alone," Gerry called out.

The big guy scowled back at his friend, then turned his glare on Raph once more and jabbed a thick finger at him. "You stay the fuck away from Roxanne!" Raph said nothing but just continued to hold Wally's eyes calmly. Raph could see the doubt and anger on the other man's face until he stormed back to Gerry's side.

The bus was quiet for the rest of the trip, but people were whispering and glancing in his direction.

Once they got to school, Raph made his way to his locker and exchanged his books for his first class. He was closing the metal door when someone slammed his head into it. He spun, snapping his elbow in an arc, and caught Wally on the cheek, almost knocking him off his feet. After the thug shook off the blow, he began to roar, but Victor and Gerry were there to hold him back as one of the teachers stepped out in the hall.

Raph's body tensed as he saw it was Mr. McConnell, the gym teacher... and football coach.

"What the hell is going on out here? Graves! Are you causing trouble again! Are you trying to get an expulsion just before midterms?" the teacher bellowed. Raph could see the sadistic glee in the man's eyes, and he felt his anger building.

"Oh, Harold, put a sock in it!"

The group turned in surprise to see an older woman approaching, and Raph felt his anger ebb away as the tension drained from his body. Mrs. Aikens was glaring at the gym teacher, and everyone knew she took no shit. A slim, petite woman in her late sixties, Helen Aikens was a force to contend with at school as she had the ear of influential people in the community. She taught art but announced she was retiring this year. While Raph did his best to avoid connecting with anyone in the school, he liked the old woman, and to his surprise, he truly enjoyed her art class. He was grateful for her intervention now.

"You know full well it wasn't Mr. Graves who instigated this commotion. If you used your eyes first instead of your mouth, you would've seen that his was the first blood spilled. Look at the door of the locker!" she asserted as she pointed to the bent metal. There was a streak of blood on it where the vent slots caught the edge of Raph's eyebrow.

She pulled a tissue from her pocket and handed it to Raph for him to hold against the injury. She glanced at the others with a sniff of disdain and added a scowl for Mr. McConnell. She hooked her arm through Raph's elbow. "Walk with me, Mr. Graves. I'll get you checked out at the nurse's office."

Raph struggled to keep the smile from his lips as he walked away with the old woman.

Once they were far enough away, Helen glanced up at him. "What is it with those mouth breathers that they must attack everything they don't understand?" she sighed.

Raph couldn't hold back the snort this time. He gave her a little smile, and she let herself smile in return. Then her eyes lit up.

"I'm very keen to see how you do next week in my class! While I don't have a midterm exam, we're going to work with clay, and I've managed to hire a live model who will pose for the students," she said with breathless excitement.

Raph blinked in confusion at the woman. "I've never worked with clay. I just draw."

She smiled at him. "And you draw very well. That's why I want to see how you'll do in three-dimensional space. It's also very relaxing." Seeing his wary expression, she patted his arm. "Trust me; you'll like it."

They reached the nurse's office, and she knocked. The door opened, and there was a tall, skinny red-haired woman with overly generous breast implants straining against her crisp white uniform. She was wearing old-school black-rimmed glasses with strong prescription lenses, which just made her blue eyes look slightly oversized. Her bold red lipstick-painted mouth widened in a cheerful smile, and Raph saw she was wearing braces to correct her overbite. Raph smiled in return, but he was getting an odd vibe from the nurse. It felt like she was... acting or role-playing. He wasn't convinced getting actual medical care from this woman was advisable, but glancing at Mrs. Aikens, she appeared unconcerned with the woman's appearance. She seemed to be resigned to it, at least. He took some comfort from that.

"Mrs. Galiban, young Mr. Graves needs medical attention—" The bell rang. "And a note for his first class. I'll see you later, Raphael."

"Thanks for... back there," he said to the woman, and she touched his arm again as she smiled at him. Then she was off, and he looked to the nurse who ushered him inside. He noted her shiny red leather three-inch pumps, and his unease increased.

"Please sit on the stool," she said, and Raph was surprised by her voice. For all her height, her voice was quiet and higher in pitch than he expected. She almost sounded like she was putting on a little girl's voice, which seemed strange coming from a woman who had to be in her late thirties. He put his books down on the counter and sat on the stool. She took the tissue from his hand and looked closely at the cut. "Oh, that's not too bad. I can put a little suture tape over that, and you'll be good as new," she said, and he glanced up at her. She was smiling at him, so he tried to smile in return.

She bit her lip distractedly as she moved off to the counter. She returned with swabs and a clear liquid in a bottle. "I'm going to clean the wound. This may sting a little." She stood before him and dipped the swab into the container. Then she dabbed at the skin around the injury, and Raph felt the liquid running into the cut. It stung badly, but he did his best to push the pain down.

He glanced up again and found himself staring into her boobs. She was standing way too close. Any closer, and her tits would be against his face. Then he noticed her nipples had begun to show against the tight fabric, but when he lifted his eyes to her face, she was intent on her task and humming faintly. Her hands moved with precise, economical motions easing some of his misgivings. She knew the job.

Finally, she finished cleaning the cut and stepped back to put those items away. She returned with some small bandages and once more moved in close to apply the tape.

"It's going to need two, so please hold very still," she said with a strange breathiness to her little girl's voice.

Her fingers smoothed the skin around the cut and gently applied the bandage over the wound without touching it. The tape would hold the edges closed.

Raph was unaware of this as his face was now pressed firmly against her tits, one of her nipples resting against his lips, separated only by the thin fabric of her top. He was surprised to discover she wasn't wearing a bra under her uniform. He began to pull back to free his face from the plush prison.

"No, don't move," she asserted as her nipple grew stiffer still.

He tried to tell her she was making him uncomfortable, but when he opened his mouth, she pressed just a little more firmly, and the bump of her nipple slipped between his lips. He was surprised to detect a metal stud piercing in her nipple.

She applied a second piece of tape as she held his head in place.

He tried but couldn't close his mouth without his teeth catching on the metal piercing, which caused her to gasp quietly. He tried to look up, but she pulled his head back down and gave him a stern look. He was sure he'd seen a flush on her cheeks as her nipple rubbed across his lips once more.

Finally, she pulled back and looked critically at her work. After a slight nod, she moved to the counter to put away the items she had taken out.

"Raphael Graves, was it?" she said over her shoulder.

"Yes," he mumbled, confused by her behavior.

"Here's your note. The tape should stay on for a day or two, and you can shower with it. The cut should heal without scarring. Off you go."

"Thanks," he said as he stood. Her eyes dipped down to see the bulge that had formed on his jeans. He caught the smallest of smiles on her lips, then it was gone.

"Have a good day," she said as he left the room, clutching the note with his books once more in his arms.

Mind spinning as he couldn't get a read on the woman, he made his way to class and knocked before entering. He gave the teacher the note, then took his seat. He heard a snort behind him and knew it was either Victor or one of his goons, but he just focused on the teacher.

It wasn't an excellent start to the day. He hoped it would settle down into some form of normality soon.

-=-

Mr. Dwight sighed as he looked at his class. For the most part, teaching them advanced math principles hadn't been a pleasure. "Please take out your calculus assignments and pass them forward. This was to prepare you for next week's midterm. If you were struggling with this assignment, you need to get assistance immediately as the midterm isn't going to be easier." He watched the students squirm under his stare. They'd heard his emphasis.

His eyes jumped from face to face, making a quick assessment of his pupils. He found no surprises.

Mr. Peterson was angry, but there wasn't much chance he was going to pass. The teacher had tried to encourage him to transfer to a fundamental level math course at the beginning of the year, but he'd refused, wanting to remain with his friends, Mr. Manning and Mr. Jackson, who'd likely pass by the skin of their teeth.

He saw the panic on the lovely features of Ms. Harris. She was more of a concern. He'd hoped she could do better. He'd speak to her if he saw the issues he was expecting to see in her assignment.

Then there was Mr. Graves. Honestly, he'd been surprised when he found the boy in his class at the beginning of the year as he'd believed the rumors of his hotheaded antics and his lack of potential. There were some strong opinions against him in this school. None more vocal than Mr. McConnell's, but he was sure this was the coach's bitterness at Raphael's refusal to join any of his teams.

However, the young man had shown consistently excellent grades so far, and that had done much to raise the teacher's estimation of him. Today, he didn't appear worried at all, and the teacher agreed. He didn't need to direct any extra attention to this student.

Keeping the stacks of papers separate, he placed them on his desk.

"Work on the questions on page forty-three while I review these," he said and sat behind his desk.

He powered his way through the assignments, his red pencil furiously scribbling as he annotated the errors he found. He managed to complete the review with ten minutes to spare. He wasn't grading the assignment, which the students would be pleased to hear, but he had several people he needed to speak with as they showed signs of failing the midterm. He picked up the first stack and delivered them back to the students in the first row. He saw their expressions range from relief to outright dismay as he walked down the aisle. He collected the next pile and handed these out too.

"Nicely done, Mr. Graves," he murmured as he dropped the paper on his desk. He wasn't expecting a response from the young man for the perfect grade and didn't receive one, so he moved on.

When he put Ms. Harris' paper on her desk, he pointed to the note he'd left asking her to speak to him after school. Then he moved on.

He had more students to disappoint, including Mr. Peterson.

-=-

Raph settled into the chair in the last study pod at the back of the public library. It was four, and the library closed at ten, so he had six hours of quiet and privacy he could dedicate to studying. He had no work shift today, but he would tomorrow and on the weekend, so he wanted to make the most of the time.

The rest of the classes he'd had today had just been reviews of the material for next week. Uneventful. Even that ass-hat Wally left him alone as he probably had bigger things to worry about, like failing.

Raph wasn't overly concerned about how he'd do in the upcoming midterms, but refreshing his mind on the topics was always a smart thing to do. The library was the best place for this.

Besides, if he went home, Roxy would be there, and she'd want to have sex. Not that he didn't enjoy sex, and she was... enthusiastic. The problem was she was also damaged, and he always felt terrible afterward. He'd always been honest with her—brutally honest bordering on just brutal. That's how he had to be with her. He told her he was leaving town once he graduated, and he wouldn't be able to afford to take anyone else with him. He wasn't interested in having a girlfriend, and there was no emotional bond between them.

She claimed she was only looking to have some fun. Deep down, Raph wondered if this was just another self-delusion. It worried him, and he had no idea how to deal with her, so he avoided her when he could.

He shook his head to clear the cobwebs from it and to get himself back on track.

With the afternoon light coming in the stained-glass windows on the west side of the building, the environment was as warm and inviting as it could be. The library study booths were Raph's sanctuary and had been for as long as he could remember. The building was mostly empty, so the calming silence was welcome as well. Raph laid out his study materials and immersed himself in work.

Fifteen minutes later, he found himself distracted by a repeating noise. Then he felt a light touch on his shoulder. He turned his head and found himself looking into nervous blue eyes, above pretty lips holding a shy smile, in a beautiful face framed by long, blonde locks that were spectacularly catching the multihued light from the windows.

His mind blanked for a moment as his eyes widened in wonder. He'd never seen anyone so lovely before. Then recognition hit, and he was shocked that it had taken so long for him to connect the face to the name. Samantha Harris! Seeing her here was so out of context, it made no sense to his brain. His eyes suddenly darted past the woman to see if Victor and his goons were nearby. The odds of finding them in the library were slim to none, so he relaxed a little.

"Raph? Hi, I'm Sam Harris. I sit behind you in calculus," she said timidly.

He was still reeling from how lovely she looked in the afternoon light, so he was only able to nod to her. When her smile relaxed, his widened eyes were once more trapped by her beauty, so he looked away. "Yes?" he said tersely.

"May I sit?" she said, pointing to the second chair in his study pod.

He glanced at the chair and realized if she did, she'd be sitting very close to him. Too close. If her boyfriend were to see them... that would be... bad for him. He scowled.

"Aren't you Victor Manning's girlfriend?" he managed.

She blinked at him. "I'm just asking to sit—"

"Yes, but your psychotic boyfriend doesn't need any more excuses to hate me. I don't need him getting in my face any more than he already does. So, sorry, but no." He turned away.

He tried to get his mind back into his work, but he could feel her standing behind him. He tried to ignore her but finally sighed and turned to ask her to leave.

She was crying. Fuck. Silent tears were running down her cheeks from large blue eyes, and those... pretty lips were trembling. An almost physical pain went through him to see her so distraught. He had to restrain himself from standing, and... and... he didn't know what he'd do next.

Then he got pissed that she was affecting him like this.

"Why are you crying?" he growled quietly.

"I-I need—I need your help," she stuttered out.

"Don't you understand how much shit you'll cause me if someone sees us here together? You've so many friends, can't you ask one of them? Why me?" he asked in exasperation.

"I'm going to fail the midterm in calculus because I don't understand it. Mr. Dwight said I'm showing a marked decrease in comprehension, and if I don't get tutoring by someone who knows the subject really well, I won't have any chance of getting the grade I need on this course!" she said in a rush.

He looked at her. "What grade do you need to get on this exam?"

"Ninety or better," she mumbled.

His eyebrows rose. "I thought you said you were getting failing grades."

"I am!" she exclaimed.

He silenced her with a scowl, and she nodded in apology as she took some deep breaths to calm herself. That was doing distracting things to her chest, so he looked away again.

"So you need to go from failing to ninety or better in a week? The midterm is next Thursday," he said incredulously.

"Yes, I know. That's why Mr. Dwight said I needed an expert. None of my friends are smart enough to do it. Please! I need your help!" she pleaded desperately.

He looked at her in frustration. She was too pretty. He was having trouble thinking straight, and he was in danger of making a stupid mistake.

"Victor or one of his spies might see us here—"

"They never come to the library, and none of our friends do either. Today's the first time I've been here," she asserted.

He faced her once more and paused. "Then... how did you know I'd be here?"

She looked embarrassed. "I-I followed you."

His eyebrows went up in surprise.

"After school, Mr. Dwight told me to find expert tutoring, or I'd fail. So I left the school trying to think of who I could turn to for help. Then I saw you crossing to the bus stop. I rushed to catch up and rode the bus with you. I followed you off the bus and into the building, and I've been trying to work up the nerve to speak to you," she explained and bit her lip as she waited for him to respond.

He wanted to say, go away. He knew he should, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Seeing her cry had been... strangely disturbing. He'd seen and made people cry before, and it never affected him. He honestly didn't give a shit if someone shed tears... except now—except hers. He didn't know why, and that confused him. He pushed it aside.

He struggled for something he could say to dissuade her. "I'm not a tutor. I've never tutored anyone before. I'd be a terrible one as I'm not good with people. You should've noticed that already."

"You don't have to like me. I-I could be a customer! I can pay for the tutoring!" she said eagerly.

He froze. He could make money tutoring? That was welcome news. Maybe that'd also be enough to prove to Victor that he wasn't making a move on his girlfriend? It'd be a purely financial transaction. He narrowed his eyes. "How much?"

Sam's face showed the first real glimmer of hope, and he could see she was thinking quickly. Raph realized her parents would probably pay for the tutoring.

"Uh, ten dollars an hour?" she suggested with a pretty smile.

Her expression gave him a severe sensation of butterflies in his stomach and an uneasy feeling of slipping. That made the reality of the situation snap back into focus. He needed to scare her off. "Twenty-five," he said firmly with what he thought was a daunting scowl.

"Done!" she said with a grin. "Can we start now?"

He blinked at her in surprise. Then he cursed himself for being outmaneuvered. He found himself nodding, and she was moving into the pod to sit next to him in the extra chair.

He'd also been right. Sam was very close. He looked to his books and collected them off to his side of the small pod. He glanced at the wall clock and sighed. He supposed he could do his studying tonight after he made dinner for his mom.

Raph looked into her happy blue eyes (again, too close) then looked down at the surface of the table so he could get his thoughts in order.

"Tutoring starts now. Four-fifteen, but you're paying for the first fifteen minutes as well. I've never done this before, but... I'll try to teach you how I learned it. That's all I can do," he said gruffly.

"How you learned it gets you excellent grades, so yes, please," she said eagerly.

He sighed. "Then, we start at the beginning." He pulled out his notes, and they began.

He talked, and she listened. Then he'd get her to try the examples, and he'd correct her if she wasn't following his instructions. He caught himself growling on a few occasions when he was losing his temper and had to take some deep cleansing breaths to calm down. She always got it right on the next try.

There was a gentle chime, and Raph looked up in surprise as the lights flickered once. That was the fifteen-minute warning before the library closed. Six hours had passed already? He looked to the windows and saw the darkness outside.

Sam finished the question he'd assigned, and she sat back with a wide grin. He read over her answer and nodded. She squealed happily, and he hushed her with a scowl. He saw she was trembling with excitement. "Sorry! It's just so amazing that it's starting to make sense to me!" she gushed.

Raph looked at his math textbook and realized they'd made good progress. The more complex methods were coming up, but he had to admit she was doing well. That puzzled him. "You're getting this stuff so well. You're obviously smart. I don't get why you're having trouble in class." He began stuffing his books and papers into his backpack.

"It's the teacher!" she quietly exclaimed as she packed up her books. She kept casting admiring looks at him, and that was seriously getting under his skin.

"Mr. Dwight?"

"No, silly! You! You're an excellent teacher!" she said with a happy smile. "When can we have our next session? Tomorrow?" she asked eagerly.

He grimaced. "I have work tomorrow after school."

"After work?"

"I work until closing, then I have to get home to make dinner for my mom," he said distractedly.

"You cook too? Is there anything you can't do?" she teased as she bounced her eyebrows at him. He felt himself responding to her and was suddenly reminded of how dangerous their situation was. His expression closed up.

"We can't do that. No... friendly stuff," he growled.

"I'm sorry," she blurted with a worried look, concerned she'd messed up their deal. "Are we still good for more tutoring? Is the weekend open?"

He shook his head and took a deep breath. "Monday. Same time and place. I can do it on Tuesday and Wednesday as well since I won't have another work shift until next Thursday. If you do as well on those days as you've done today and practice what I've taught you, the midterm shouldn't give you any trouble at all."

She was trembling with relief, and it looked like she was about to hug him.

He looked at her cautiously. There was something in her eyes that was tugging at him, and that felt very dangerous too. "I have to go. Let me go first. Then you head out. Don't change how you act around me at school! Ignore me."

"Victor can't be—"

"Stop. He can and is. I'm not going to try to convince you of what kind of man he truly is, as that's not my job. Speaking of jobs, have my money on Monday."

With that, Raph stood and left without looking back. He exited the library and walked to the eastbound bus stop. Minutes later, he saw Sam leave the building and walk to stand at the bus stop on the street's opposite side. They were the only ones out there, and he saw she was struggling to suppress a smile as their clandestine exit seemed rather silly now.

Raph glanced around and shook his head in surrender. He heard her laughter across the street, and the sound was sweet to his ears. So much better than tears. He couldn't stop the smile from reaching his lips, so he turned to face where the bus would be coming from. He heard her snort and hid his mouth with his hand.

Sam's bus came first, and he watched it leave, seeing her lovely blonde hair next to the window. His bus came only minutes later, and he boarded it to head home.

He had to think of something other than the sound of her laughter.

-=-

As she walked through her front door, Sam let out a mighty sigh of relief.

"SAMANTHA ELIZABETH HARRIS!"

She jumped with a squeak when her mother's voice boomed out at her.

"Mom! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!?" she exclaimed.

"Are you trying to give me grey hair? Where have you been? You were supposed to come home directly after school! Calling your cell goes straight to voicemail!" her mom said as she marched into the front hall from the kitchen. She was wearing an apron and smelled of fresh baking.

Sam could see the worry on her mother's face, and she suddenly recalled the plans she'd made with her at the breakfast table. "Oh my god, mom! I'm so sorry! It was such a terribly stressful day, and time just got away from me! My cell battery died too."

"Where were you?" Suzanne asked again.

"I was at the public library with my new calculus tutor!" Sam grinned and rushed forward to hug her mom. Suzanne wrapped her arms around her daughter and pressed her lips against the young woman's temple.

The mother paused as the words sunk in. "Wait, you were at the public library... downtown? You took a bus downtown, at this hour? And what's this about a tutor? Who is she?"

Sam pulled back from her mom's chest and smiled up at her. "Yes, the library downtown. The bus takes me right to it and back!" Her expression turned regretful once more. "I'm sorry, mom, but I'm doing poorly in calculus. The teacher told me that if I didn't get some expert tutoring, I would fail the midterm. "I've been really struggling, and my grade kept getting lower. It's seriously jeopardizing my grade average." Then her smile came back full force. "But it's going to be okay now! I found a tutor! He gets perfect or close to perfect on every test he takes, and he said he's willing to tutor me. We spent six hours going over everything we learned in the early weeks of the class, and I get it now!"

"He? What's his name?" Suzanne asked. "Does Victor know you're out late with this other boy?"

Sam winced. "No, Victor doesn't know and can't know. I promised Raph—Raphael Graves. He's in our class and knows this stuff inside out. Anyway, I promised him I wouldn't let anyone at school know he was tutoring me. He says Victor hates him and would get really upset if he found out. I can't see Victor doing anything stupid or violent, but I promised."

"This Raphael Graves, is he tutoring you out of the goodness of his heart?" Suzanne asked with a raised eyebrow.

Once more, Sam winced. "No, I promised him I'd pay him twenty-five dollars an hour-"

"What?!? Sam! That's expensive!"

"Mom! He's so worth it! He spent six hours with me today, and I now finally understand how calculus works. He's my only chance to improve my grade! I have to do this!" She pulled out the assignment her teacher had scribbled on and showed her mother how dismally she'd done. "This is where I was before tutoring. It's all wrong! Now, look! Look at my notes from this afternoon with Raph!" She flipped open the pages showing her practice questions, and there was a much more orderly progression in the equations. "The best thing is, I know what this all means! I know how to do it! The more complex stuff is coming up, but with Raph teaching me, I'll get it too! I'm going to ace that midterm!"

Suzanne still looked like she had misgivings and serious worries about her daughter taking the bus at night in the center of town. "Can't you study here?"

"No! Victor might see Raph, and because of that, he'd never agree to come here," Sam explained.

"Where does Raphael live?" the mother asked.

Sam paused and gave her a blank look. "I don't know."

"Can you call him so I can speak to him?" Suzanne suggested.

"Uh, I don't have his number, and... I don't think he has a cell." She thought about that and realized she'd never seen him carrying around any electronics; no cell, computer, or even an MP3 player.

Replaying her memories of seeing him in the halls and the classrooms, she realized he seemed to wear the same thing to school every day—grey jeans and a black t-shirt under a casual black button-down shirt, worn open with rolled back sleeves and black work boots. She'd never really noticed or paid attention to him before. With such a limited wardrobe, shouldn't he have looked dirty or smelled? In the library, she'd been sitting so close to him, and all she could recall was a warm, masculine scent coming from him. It had been subtle and... pleasing. His clothes had been clean if a little worn.

She looked at her mom again. "I don't think his family has much money. He mentioned he works after school and makes dinner for his mother."

Her mother looked impressed and nodded with the beginnings of a pleased smile. Then her expression changed to concerned mom, protector of daughters, again. "When is your next lesson? I'll drive you there so I can speak to him, and I'll pick you up afterward."

Sam was a little uneasy as she didn't want to screw up her arrangement with Raph. "I won't have one until Monday as he has work tomorrow night and on the weekend as well. He said he'd give me three more lessons. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The midterm is on Thursday. I desperately need his help. He didn't want to tutor me as he said Victor would give him a hard time in school if he found out. I was only able to get him to agree by offering to pay him. You aren't going to do anything to jeopardize that, are you?" She was almost panicking at the thought.

Suzanne caught her look and hugged her. "No, I just want to talk to him. To make sure you're safe. I think twenty-five dollars per hour is too high—" She raised her hands in surrender when Sam began to protest immediately. "I won't try to haggle. You've already negotiated the price of his services." She gave Sam an assessing look. "Do you honestly believe you're getting value for this money?"

"Yes! He's an excellent teacher! Mr. Dwight taught the same things, but it didn't sink in. When Raph explains it, I... get it. I can't tell you why it works better with him. It just seems clear and simple the way he teaches it."

"Do you like him?" Suzanne asked gently.

"Mom! I have a boyfriend!" she gasped in exasperation.

The mother found her response a little forced. "Does Raphael like you?" she asked.

"No!" As the word blurted from her lips, Sam flashed to the memory of his look of... awe when she first touched his shoulder and the glances he'd given her afterward. "No... no, he didn't want to tutor me and tried to get me to leave him alone, but he's my ticket to passing, so I didn't." Another moment came to her mind, and the joy it caused her made the words slip out before she could stop herself. "He thinks I'm really smart!"

Suzanne was watching her with a subtle, knowing smile.

Sam frowned in frustration at her Mom's smug expression. She didn't want to deal with it now. "Listen, I'm pooped, so I'm going to bed. Sorry about not letting you know where I was. I'll charge my phone tonight." She gave her mom a quick kiss on the cheek and another hug before she headed for the stairs.

As she got ready for bed, she couldn't stop thinking about how Raph was seriously coming to her rescue. She only wished Victor had been the one to do it. Then she could reward him with kisses.

Her mind betrayed her by taking her to the image of Raph's sensual mouth.

She threw herself down on her bed with a groan of frustration. She just wanted to get the remaining tutoring sessions out of the way. Then her life could get back to normal.

-=-

Raph walked through the dark streets approaching the public housing development. The apartment towers were crowded and where the drug dealers lived. He didn't want to know how his mother had arranged for them to live in one of the nearby townhouses, but it happened shortly after he was born.

"Give me the fucking bag and your wallet!"

The voice was raw and wobbled, but the owner held a knife as he stepped out in front of Raph. The stench coming off the addict almost made Raph gag. He scowled.

"Oh, shit! Oh, fuck, I'm sorry! Please! I didn—AAACK!" the mugger began in desperation before Raph's fist cracked into his cheekbone, slamming him to the ground. Raph finished with a stomp to his leg and heard the bone crack. The man screamed.

Normally, Raph would keep kicking until his attacker was truly a mess, but tonight something was holding him back. His rage just wasn't up for it. He took two steps away before he heard the weak thanks for sparing him.

Fuck. He couldn't show mercy. Not here.

He turned like he was just getting a run at the man and drove his boot into his stomach. A quick stomp on a hand to break the wrist, and he walked casually away as the man wretched and screamed. The sound echoed and traveled through the neighborhood. He felt eyes on him and knew his reputation was reinforced once more. He didn't feel bad for punishing the punk, but his usual satisfaction was missing. He felt strangely... empty.

When he walked up to his complex, he could just barely hear the wails of the man he'd crippled.

And there was Roxy.

She was sitting on his front step with a wide grin on her face. She heard the sound too and knew it had been him. Her safety in the neighborhood was guaranteed by the brutal shit he'd done back there. She made sure everyone here knew she was his and he was hers. While Raph wasn't known for instigating violence, they'd seen examples of his rage and knew what would happen to them if someone messed with her.

He sighed as he knew what was next. He could see the crazy in her eyes. Tonight, he really wasn't—

"Who's that badass muthafucka I see walking up to me?" she purred.

"Roxy—"

"Open the door, fucker."

He scowled at her as she wasn't going to listen to him again. He'd been down this road with her so many times before. He unlocked the door and pushed inside with her on his heels. He flipped on the light and locked the door. He turned and caught the expected slap with his left hand. She was grinning as she tugged at her arm and tried kicking him in the shin, but he just lifted his foot, and her kick struck the sole of his boot. She cried out in pain.

"Enough!" he bellowed and spun her around to pull her arm up behind her back. She shrieked and tried to escape, but he pressed her down over the back of the couch. Her heel caught his shin painfully, and he roared. His frustration flared as he didn't want to be doing this. Roxanne was screeching and hissing at him as she called him every offensive name she had in her colorful vocabulary. Most revolved around him having sex with his whore of a mother. Roxanne knew how to get under his skin, and his rage climbed. As she wanted, he yanked down her cut-off shorts and exposed her ass. She was a petite woman, but the round orbs of her ass cheeks were perfect.

SLAP!

"FUCK!!! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" she screamed as his open hand struck the other cheek.

SLAP!

"AAAAAAAAIIIEEE!"

Her legs were trembling, and her juices were flowing as her ass stung. Roxanne looked over her shoulder desperately. "Ooo, baby! Fuck me! I need it. Take me!" she gasped.

He scowled at her as he unbuckled his belt. When his pants fell to his ankles, she whimpered in need. His cock bobbed between his muscular thighs, and she felt the heat of it, touching the tender flesh of her inner thighs.

She had one more taunt to get him truly fired up. "Oh, fuck! Pound my pussy like you fuck your momma's nasty hole," she hissed.

He reached forward and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back so she could see the rage in his eyes.

"I. DON'T. FUCK. MY. MOTHER!" he roared.

She was gasping, panting, and whimpering as he manhandled her. She silently screamed as he drove his cock deep into her gushing pussy until he slapped her ass with his pelvis. He growled as he thrust into her body, again and again, the wet slap of their skin echoing oddly against the bare living room walls.

Raph lost himself to his rage. He felt manipulated, so he took his frustrations out on the one pushing his buttons so hard. His hips sped up, and soon Roxanne was making odd guttural grunts from the impacts. She'd already cum explosively and was riding the state between ecstasy and pain, barely maintaining consciousness.

When his release came, he ground himself against her and curled his body over hers, rubbing her ass cheeks with his pelvis. She gasped loudly at the sensation and struggled to push back against him.

Finally, his brain came back to him, and with it, the intense guilt of using Roxy like some kind of masturbation tool. He knew it was exactly what she wanted, but he hated himself for giving in. He felt his tension dissipate, and it was a great relief, but there was a vast emptiness left behind. He closed his eyes as she pulled herself off of his shrinking member.

He released her hair, and she dropped forward onto the cushions of the couch to recover. He moved into the small washroom to wash and wipe himself clean. He pulled up his pants and carried some toilet paper out to the couch. He wiped the mess they'd left on the cheap pleather cushions and handed Roxy a big wad of paper to clean herself.

"You were a fucking beast tonight! So good!" she purred as she wiped herself. She hissed and sighed from the sensations coming from her abused, tender flesh.

He just looked at her in frustration, then over to the clock. Dotty would be home soon. His mom didn't like Roxy, and the feeling was mutual. He had to get her to leave.

"The fucking beast needs you to go home now. I have stuff to do," he grumbled.

Roxanne was on her feet and launching herself at him over the couch with claws extended. He caught her in midair, spun, and slammed her up against the wall, pinning her there with his body.

"Ohhhhhh," she moaned as fresh sparks shot through her limbs. Raph kissed her hard, then lowered her to her feet.

"Go home. Get some rest," he rumbled, frowning deeply as his conflicted mind tortured him.

She wobbled as she made her way outside and turned to face him. She reached down and slid a finger up inside the leg of her shorts. She gasped as she pushed it deep inside her, then pulled it out for him to see his semen coating it. She slipped the finger into her mouth then giggled as she made her way to the next townhouse.

Roxy, the girl next door.

As he closed and locked his door once more, he worried about his crazy neighbor. She'd been next door for as long as he could recall. They'd grown up together... in this shitty place to grow up. Their mutually abusive relationship was a perfect example of how unhealthy their environment was. Both of them were damaged. Neither of them was good for the other. Yet, the more he pushed her away for her own good, and his, the more she clung to him.

He moved to tidy up the living room and carried his books upstairs. A deep thumping on the front door brought him back downstairs quickly. He glanced at the crowbar next to the door, then opened it.

There was Dotty in the arms of one of the club's bouncers. Raph recognized him from the one time he'd visited the club to pick up his mom. She'd gotten sick on one of the club owner's more valuable customers. She hadn't told her boss that she was running a fever. The owner had been too pissed at her to send her home safely and called for him to pick her up. The man spent an hour ranting at them through the napkin he held to his mouth as she shivered in Raph's arms.

The bouncer was an ugly brute by the name of Yuri. Russian, like the club owner. The extensive tattoos didn't soften his image, and his voice was as rough as his complexion.

"Mr. Kirov says customer slipped her something and roughed her up in private room. She is to recover and return on Monday. Three days to get straight. Understood?" His eyes held Raph's.

"Yes," Raph sighed.

"Good." Then he transferred the unconscious woman to Raph's arms. Yuri saw the redness on his knuckles and connected the dots. "Broken man on sidewalk. You?"

Raph just nodded.

Yuri was impressed and nodded his approval. "You need work, speak to Mr. Kirov." Then he turned and walked away.

Raph brought his mother into the house and locked the door. He was carrying her upstairs when he heard her whisper.

"Mateo? My Mateo... you came back to me."

Raph's heart sank. His father's name. He looked down at his mom's face, and beneath the bruises and swelling, he saw the hope in her eyes. He wasn't sure what drug she'd ingested, but she wasn't connecting to reality. Damn, this was going to be bad.

"No, mom. I'm Raph, your son."

"Mateo... I've missed you... so much."

Goddammit! He wanted to kill the fucker who drugged and beat her. Instead, he just struggled to calm himself as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom. She was trying to snuggle against his chest as she repeated his father's name over and over.

He laid her gently on the bed, but when he turned to leave, she reached out and grabbed his shirt.

"Please... please don't... leave me again. Mateo, please."

Heart aching, he stretched out on the bed next to his mom and gathered her against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, and she sighed in contentment. When her hands moved down his stomach towards his belt buckle, he gently took them in his and raised them to his lips to kiss them.

"Sleep... my love," he said quietly, and she whimpered something against his chest then slowly faded.

Raph lay there for hours before he slipped into sleep himself.

Chapter 4

Victor crunched down on his breakfast cereal, wishing it was louder in his head so he didn't have to hear his parents bickering. It pissed him off. His father's condescending tone and his mother's pitiful begging pushed him into a rage every morning.

Roger Manning was an important man in town, head of the largest bank. He was rich and powerful. Victor admired that about him, but he also thought his father was a prick.

Emily Manning fulfilled her role as the dutiful wife, but she made Victor so angry when she let his dad treat her like shit. Maybe she deserved it; he didn't know. All he knew was that he was sick of it.

"Is this what you do to keep yourself busy all day? Draw silly pictures of the garden?" Roger sighed disappointedly.

Emily glanced in embarrassment over at Victor, who looked back to his cereal and ate another spoonful noisily. She frowned at her son's sloppy eating habits.

"It's a design for the garden — just a concept. I'd like to refresh the look. It shouldn't cost too much, and the backyard looks dreadful from last winter," she said in a reasonable tone.

"As if I didn't have more important things to be dealing with," Roger grumbled as he looked at his wife. He walked over to the patio door and looked out at the backyard. "Well, damn," he growled as he took in the mess. He turned back to his wife. "Fine, go get a quote, and I'll take a look at it tonight. Don't make any promises to those crooks."

"Thank you," she said quietly as her husband headed out to the front door without a glance back. She stood there for a moment until she heard the door close then moved towards the kitchen table. Victor suddenly stood and shook the empty box in her direction.

"We're out of cereal."

"I-I'm getting groceries this morning—"

"And I'm out of clean clothes. When are you doing the laundry? Shit." Victor snapped as he left his mother in the kitchen, staring wide-eyed after him. Fuck! She pissed him off!

Now he was going to be late for school.

As she collected Victor's dishes, Emily fought back the tears that had become so common these days. She glanced towards the living room entrance as that's where the brandy was but recalled how Roger had punished her for drinking some of his reserve. She unconsciously moved her arms over her breasts protectively. She put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher then gave herself a shake. She had to get started on her chores now to have time to go to the garden center later.

She heard the front door thump closed loudly, and she was alone. Again.

-=-

Raph yawned once more as he rode the bus to the garden center. He'd been so tired this morning when he woke up in his mom's bed. He'd eased her sleeping body off his shoulder and slipped out of her room.

She'd drooled on his shirt, but he was going to wear his other set of clothes anyway. He'd do the laundry tonight. He took a quick shower, got dressed, made her a quick breakfast, and left her a note saying she wasn't to go back to work until Monday, boss' orders. She might not listen to her son, but no one crossed Mr. Kirov.

He'd struggled through his classes, which were thankfully just review. He evaded Victor's attention, as he seemed to be in a rare mood. Of greatest significance, he'd avoided paying any attention to Sam.

Raph had survived the day. Now he just had to get through his shift at work if he could stay awake.

When he arrived, he saw the place was bustling. He saw Jackie standing by the door to his office. The older man looked upset, and his face was flushed. He must have been yelling at someone, Raph thought. Maybe not such a good time to make his presence known. He began to turn towards the staff locker room entrance when the man spotted him and frantically waved him over.

"Raph! Thank god! That useless shit Dante just quit, right at the start of one of our busiest weekends! I'm down one sales associate, and I can't get anyone else to cover his shift until tomorrow. Today, I need you on the floor!" Jackie exclaimed with a raspy voice, showing the argument with Dante had been heated.

Raph looked at the man in surprise. "I don't know how to sell. I'm not good with people."

The boss scowled and fixed an eye on Raph. "It's not like I have a choice. Listen. All I need you to do is answer questions as best you can. You don't have to try upselling anything. Just find them what they ask for. If I have at least one sales associate floater available to speak to customers and make them feel like someone's listening, that will keep them in the store."

Raph still felt uncomfortable about this, but from the expression on Jackie's face, he knew he'd better do it or find another job.

"Sure. Okay, I can do that."

The man sagged with relief. "I'll do my best to direct the more senior salespeople to the customers when I can. Get your apron on and come back quick."

Raph rushed into the back to stow his books and got his apron. He put his gloves in the pocket and walked back out. He caught a glance from Jackie as he pointed to an older woman looking around. Raph moved closer. "May I help you?" he asked awkwardly.

She squeaked a little at his gruff tone but saw his stiff smile and settled herself. "Yes, I'm looking for something to put around my garden bed to separate it from the lawn."

"Edging?" he asked.

"Yes, that's the name. It just slipped my old mind," the woman said with a smile as she looked at him.

Missing the opportunity to compliment her and make her feel good, he just pointed to the building's left wall where several different kinds were on display. "We have brick edging and plastic edging in a variety of shapes and sizes."

"Oh," she said quietly.

He nodded with a smile and moved on as the old woman made her way to the edging.

As the afternoon became early evening, the customers continued to stream in, and Raph tried his best to remain calm when the idiots asked the same stupid questions without listening to his answers. To be fair, some customers were easy to deal with, but he got to field most of the requests as the floater.

There were three other senior sales associates, not including Jackie. Raph was taking a breather between requests and spotted his boss waving at him. He was standing next to a pretty woman with short, dark hair. From her timid body language and large eyes, she reminded him of a doe. She was probably in her late thirties and looked around nervously at the crowd.

As Raph made his way over, he noted the uncomfortable expression on his boss' face. "Yes, sir. How can I help?"

"Raphael, I need you to do a landscaping quote for Mrs. Manning here," the older man said, and Raph's eyebrows went up. His boss was using his formal name to impress the customer, so she must be important. He was also being asked to do something he'd never done.

Jackie turned to the woman. "Raphael here isn't one of our sales associates, but he is an excellent landscaper. He'll follow you out to your place where you can show him what you have in mind. He'll work out a quote on the spot. Would that be all right?"

The woman looked to Raph, who studied her in return. His impression of her looking like a doe caught in the headlights increased. He let a friendly smile slip onto his lips, and a shy one appeared on hers.

"That would be fine," she said with a timid voice.

"Raphael, take the pickup. The keys are on the wall in my office. Take the tablet and clipboard. The price list is on the tablet, and you can write up the quote for Mrs. Manning on the clipboard. She gets the top copy."

He looked at his boss once more. "Okay, sure." He turned his eyes to the woman. "I'll be right with you." He then hustled away to get the items from the office as she went outside. On his way back, Jackie caught his arm.

"Your last job was landscaping, right? You any good at it?" Jackie asked nervously.

"Yeah, I'm good," Raph said with a nod.

"Good?" his boss said with a raised brow.

Raph's nerves were a little frayed from dealing with so many customers, so his tone was sharper than he should've used with his boss. "Really... fucking... good," Raph said slowly as he held Jackie's eyes. For a moment, he thought he might've pissed the man off, but Jackie actually relaxed a little and nodded.

"I'd rather send one of the more senior people on this as the Manning family live up on the hill, but my guys are all in the middle of setting up large orders. Don't screw this up if you can avoid it."

Frowning, he nodded and headed outside after another great pep talk from the boss. He caught up with the client.

"Where are we going?" he asked as she was heading to her car. She turned to look at him in surprise.

"Oh! Sorry. Ninety Pinecrest Drive," she said with a slight blush.

He nodded and headed off to the truck. She was driving a small import, but he had no real trouble keeping up with her. Soon they were climbing up the winding road through a very posh neighborhood. He'd never been on this side of town before.

They pulled into a long winding driveway and up to a large house. Once parked, he gathered the toolbox from the cab, including the clipboard and tablet, and followed her into the backyard. The space was large, but it wasn't presented very well. There were signs of water damage and subsidence near the back of the property, where a slope was giving way to too much waterlogged soil.

He smiled at her, and she smiled back. It seemed more a reflex defensive action on her part, so he let his smile go. "What were you thinking of doing back here?" he asked, trying to move this along.

Her eyes flickered to his, then she pulled a rolled piece of art paper from her bag and spread it out on the patio table as they looked out over the area to be done.

He was impressed by the detail she'd added to the sketch. He nodded appreciatively as he saw what she was going for. It was bold but needed a few minor adjustments. Even without it, the yard would be eye-catching. He was also caught by the fluidity of the drawing.

"This is really good, but it doesn't address the crumbling slope back there." He saw her shrink back from his criticism, so he pressed on, trying to speak gently. "The grasses you've selected aren't going to firm up the ground sufficiently. I'd recommend you reinforce the slope with a short line of armor stone. Then you plant the grasses above and below them." He glanced at her once more and saw she was considering his suggestion. He looked over her design once more, and he had to admit, he was impressed. She had an excellent eye for design.

Glancing at her again, he could see she was still intimidated by him. He worried about that and feared he might have scared her off. Maybe a compliment? "Outside of my one minor suggestion, the design is brilliant... and beautiful!" he asserted.

He saw her eyes light up with his praise. Her smile was dazzling, especially when it showed in her pretty eyes too.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY BACKYARD?"

He recognized the voice, and it finally clicked in Raph's head. Mrs. Manning. Victor Manning. Crap.

He turned to look at the source of the angry yell as Victor marched out onto the patio towards them.

The woman stepped between them. "This young man is working on the quote for the landscaping. Your father said I could get a quote!" she said with a shaky voice.

Victor stopped and looked over his mother's shoulder at Raph, his jaw muscles clenching in frustration. Raph just looked back calmly.

Looking his mother in the eye, he lifted the corner of his lip in a snarl. "Get it done quickly, then get this Spic trash out of our yard," he growled. With a final glare at Raph, Victor stormed back into the house.

Mrs. Manning clasped her hands and rubbed them together as she trembled. She glanced over to see if Raph was upset and was surprised by his smile. "I'm so sorry about how rude he was—"

"Don't worry about it. I don't care what he thinks of me. The racist jab was new, but it really doesn't matter," he said with a slight smile.

Big eyes blinked at him.

"Let's get back to working on this amazing design of yours!" he said, and her beautiful smile was back.

She walked him through her ideas, and he asked about the color palette and texture theme she was working towards and offered suggestions of suitable plants to match each. She seemed to open up as he listened to her ideas without judgment. When they settled on something, he'd note it down in the tablet and worked out some quick tallies. He took measurements for estimating how much mulch and wood chips they'd need.

"There are some armor stone pieces back at the store that would be perfect for holding back this slope," he said while measuring the length. "Yeah, we've just the right size of stones to do this job. We can make it appear like stone steps with grasses above and below."

"That would be lovely!" she exclaimed, obviously seeing the image in her mind. He nodded and jotted it down on the pad.

"Okay, I think I have enough information to work out the quote. I'll give you two. One with all of the features you've asked for and one with some items removed to reduce the cost," Raph explained.

She pouted a little at the second option but nodded as it made sense.

Raph sat at the patio table with the tablet and the clipboard and wrote out a quote like he'd seen others written. He itemized the elements and listed their costs. Next, he wrote out the economy version, which would still look nice but would be missing her design's true visual impact.

He then explained the two quotes. She was surprised by the cost but hopeful.

Raph saw her expression and looked out at the yard in the dimming light. "I saw the design they used for the mayor's property last year." She looked at him with interest. "I can honestly say your design is more impressive and isn't as expensive as his was." He looked up as dusk was quickly settling over the hillside. "I should be getting back to the shop."

The woman was smiling at him, now that he'd given her that tidbit about the mayor. "Thank you so much! I'll show these to my husband, and I'll contact the store tomorrow," she promised.

He nodded to her with a smile, collected his tools, and headed back to the truck.

He drove back to the shop and walked inside with the quotes. Jackie rushed over and reviewed them.

"What's with the second cheaper quote?" he growled.

"Mr. Manning is the bank manager. You think he'd accept only one option?" Raph asked, and his boss frowned but shook his head.

"No, you're right. Good thinking. Thanks for taking care of this." The boss looked around and saw the crowd had diminished. "You can finish up tonight by moving those bags of manure back into the stock room."

Raph nodded tiredly and made his way towards the smelly bags. He was relieved to get away from the customers. Bags of manure didn't ask insulting questions and had no eyes to judge him.

-=-

Emily put the finishing touches on dinner and fretted as she waited for Roger to come home. He was late, and her nerves were beginning to fray. She'd prepared what she was going to say about the quote, but Roger could be... unpredictable.

Victor had gone out for a while, and when he returned, he'd just glared at her as he climbed the stairs to his room.

She heard the front door close with a thump, and she squeaked a little. She took some deep breaths to calm herself and walked out to greet her husband.

"Welcome home, dear," she said with a smile.

Roger glanced at her and looked away. "Is dinner ready?"

She nodded. "I'll get it on the table." She moved to the stairs. "Victor, dinner!"

Emily hustled to the kitchen and began moving the dishes out to the dining room. Roger was already seated, and Victor walked in. Neither looked at her or each other but instead just started eating.

She said a little prayer to herself and began eating, casting looks at the two men at the table.

They ate in silence, and once Victor was done, he got up and headed back upstairs to his room. She watched him go and realized she'd lost her son, the young boy who used to smile at her and was her little soldier. Now he wouldn't even look at her at dinner. The pain of that cut through her, and she put her hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp of despair.

She couldn't cry in front of Roger. He wouldn't tolerate it.

"Did you get the quote?" he asked, surprising her. She blinked away the tears quickly.

He was getting up from his chair, so she did as well and rushed to collect the papers.

"Yes! Yes, I had someone come out and look at the yard. He went over my design and only made one small revision to add some support for the collapsing hillside."

"Yes, yes, let's see it!" Roger said in annoyance and snatched the forms from her.

"He gave me two. One full estimate with all of the changes I designed and one with some of the items removed to make it cheaper," she said, handing over the papers.

Roger frowned as he read through the quotes.

"Shit! This is expensive! The cheaper one isn't that much less!" Roger exclaimed. He glared at his wife.

It was time for her to play her ace card. "The landscaper said he'd seen the quote for the mayor's yard last year, and its cost was higher, but it wasn't as impressive as ours would be."

Roger went still as he studied her expression. He suddenly reached out, seized her right nipple through her clothes, and pinched it cruelly between his finger and thumb.

"AAAHH! Please, Roger! That hurts!" she whimpered but did not attempt to pull away or touch his hand as her punishment would just increase.

"Are you trying to manipulate me?" he said through gritted teeth.

"No! No, no, oh! Please! Please!" she cried quietly.

"Tell me exactly what this slick-talking salesman said to you," Roger demanded. He tugged his fingers away, and Emily clapped a hand over her mouth to stop her scream. She looked at Roger through tearing eyes. He was red-faced with anger. She'd have to be very careful now.

"It wasn't a salesman. They were all busy, so the store manager just sent one of the landscapers. He was a young man who does the actual work. He had no sales experience."

Roger brooded over this information. He could tell she wasn't lying now, not after he'd disciplined her. He liked the idea of having a backyard better than mayor windbag. Cheaper than his too. Sighing, he glared at her.

"Go with the full quote. But tell them it better be spectacular!" he insisted. She just nodded, averting her eyes, and held her tongue.

He looked away and yawned. "I'm going to bed." With that, he left, heading upstairs.

She sat for a moment, just holding her breast and fighting back nausea. When she'd recovered enough, she began taking the dishes into the kitchen. She scraped the plates into the recycling bin and stacked them in the dishwasher. Once she'd cleaned the pots and the counters, she shut the lights off and went into the dining room to collect the quotes. She allowed herself a little smile as she thought of working on her new backyard.

She also thought of the blunt-talking but genuinely nice young man who called her design brilliant and beautiful. She was looking forward to working with him again.

She turned off the main light and sat in the dim dining room to wait.

It was best if Roger was asleep before she went to bed.

-=-

Raphael was a smelly mess when he eventually went home as one of the manure bags broke open on him. People gave him a lot of space on the bus, and he didn't suffer a recurrence of the mugging as he walked through his neighborhood. He cleaned his boots outside his front door and shook himself to get the majority of the dirt off before unlocking the door and stepping inside.

"Raphael, is that you?"

"Yeah, mom. I'm just taking a quick shower; then, I'll get dinner going."

He carefully made his way upstairs, but he didn't see any more dirt fall from him. He grabbed a pair of ratty shorts from his drawer, went into the small bathroom in the hall, and closed the door. He stripped and stepped into the shower after dropping his clothes into the laundry basket. He washed quickly and rinsed the soap from his hair and body.

He heard the bathroom door open.

"Mom! I'm in here! Wait your turn! I'm almost done!" he growled.

"I was just going to get the laundry," she said plaintively.

"No, please, let me do that!" he asserted as she was a disaster when it came to household chores. He couldn't afford to lose any more clothes.

"I feel so useless!"

"You're not! Please wait for me downstairs," he said, softening his tone.

The door closed, and he listened to her descend the stairs. He sighed and quickly finished up.

Pulling on the shorts, he grabbed the laundry basket and made his way downstairs. Dotty was sitting on the couch. Light from the TV glimmered off the wet streaks running down her cheeks. His heart ached, and his frustration flared as he didn't know how to heal her pain.

He went down the stairs into the dark basement and stuffed the clothes, mostly her panties and bras, into the old washing machine with a little cheap detergent.

Once it was started, he made his way back upstairs and sat on the couch next to her. She looked up into his eyes. He'd always thought his mom was lovely, which made seeing her so sad all the time so hard to deal with.

"I'm sorry about last night," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling.

"It wasn't your fault. Just... be more careful with some of the assholes at the club." He wanted to tell her to quit, but she wouldn't, and he'd long ago exhausted his arguments.

"I meant... after I was home," she said quietly.

So, she remembered. He sighed and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against his side. He felt her tremble then relax as he rubbed her scalp with his fingertips as he knew she liked.

She sighed and snuggled in closer to him. They sat like that for a while, watching nothing in particular on the old TV. They got maybe three channels on the antenna, and none of them were very clear, but it was something.

When he heard the cranky buzz of the washer, he looked down at his mom and saw she'd fallen asleep. She finally had a peaceful smile on her face. He eased her back on the sofa and tucked the blanket up around her. Then he went downstairs to move the load to the dryer. It would take two or three cycles to dry the clothes, but they couldn't afford to repair or replace the machine.

He went back upstairs and took a frozen pizza out, and put it in the oven. She'd be hungry when she woke up. Pizza before bed wasn't such a great idea, but he hadn't had time to pick up anything decent on the way home.

He sat at the kitchen table and frowned with worry as he watched his mother sleep. She'd also be wanting a drink when she woke. He made sure there was no booze in the house, but he had two shifts this weekend, and he couldn't keep an eye on her. He wished he had someone he could rely on to watch over her. Roxy wasn't an option. Roxy's mom Janice worked evenings as a cleaner in the hospital, so she'd be asleep during the day.

There was nothing he could do. She'd go out and bring some bottles home. If he hid her cash, she'd earn some on her back. He ground his teeth in frustration, then closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. It hurt, but he couldn't help her if she didn't want to be helped.

All he could do was stay the course as he'd promised her. He'd get that scholarship. He'd get out of this stinking town and make something of himself.

Then he'd get her out too.

Chapter 5

Malcolm Harris was an important man. Sadly, he discovered that being the most important man in an unimportant town left him with the same lack of satisfaction he'd struggled with his entire life. It wasn't enough. He craved... more.

Actually, what he craved right now were painkillers. The previous evening's entertainment had left him with one doozy of a hangover. That was three nights in a row. He was hosting out-of-town investors who were promising to bring industry in to boost the economy. All he had to do was look the other way as not all of their business was... completely legitimate. Hell, he'd been compromising for years in many ways when he thought about it. It had been a long time since he got what he wanted.

He opened his eyes and remembered it was Saturday. No real need to get up early. He turned his head and saw the clock read eleven-fifteen. Okay, so not so early.

Then he saw a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water.

A present from Suzanne. Shit. She really was a good woman. He gently eased himself up to sit on the edge of the bed and moaned as the pounding in his head surged. He opened the bottle and swallowed three pills before sipping at the water.

He felt the pills slowly make their way down his throat and tried not to gag.

Suzanne. Lovely, intelligent, and cold. He wondered where her passion was these days. His passion was almost out of control recently, and his wife wanted less and less to do with him. He needed excitement and wanted her to join in! No, he needed her to. He had a marriage contract with the woman to remain faithful. But, he needed to do things that excited him, and she was definitely not on board with that.

Reggie LeBraun, the businessman he'd wined and dined last night, had offered to host him and Suzanne at one of his couples-only resorts in Jamaica. He said they knew how to have a good time on the island and at his club, especially. He let him know this particular club catered to swingers.

Fuck! He was almost desperate to go. He wanted to take Suzanne there and get her high on some local weed so they could both get freaky! He'd fuck the black bitches Reggie was flaunting last night, and Suzanne would ride the biggest black cock he could find for her. He could be generous too!

He sighed, looked down at his boner, and gave it a half-hearted tug. He knew it was all a pipe dream. Suzanne would never agree to go on a holiday to a swinger's resort.

Of course, Reggie did say he had another family-oriented resort, which was just a short taxi ride away from the fun one. They could fly down to stay at that one, and if he were to get her to loosen up, perhaps they could make a side trip to visit. For dinner and dancing... and fucking.

Fuck, he was throbbing just thinking about it. Imagining those two hot bitches wrapping their fat lips around his cock while he watched Suzanne moan in ecstasy as a thick Jamaican cock stretched her wet pussy wide.

He pumped his hand up and down his stiff cock as the image played over and over until he came, grunting with relief. He rested back on the bed, panting with the effort, and his head began to pound again. He closed his eyes to get through the worst of it.

Shit. He shouldn't have done that while he had a hangover.

He finally opened his eyes and looked down. Ugh. He'd made a mess of himself and the sheets.

He wiped his belly and legs clean with the top sheet then pulled them all off, dumping the quilt on the floor at the end of the bed. Then he dragged the dirty linens into the bathroom to shove them into the laundry basket. Suzanne would put new ones on the bed.

He needed a shower.

Then he'd work on his plan to convince Suzanne that a vacation in Jamaica was a great way to rekindle their relationship.

-=-

Emily stood before the Customer Service desk of Beckett's, waiting to speak to the clerk who was dealing with a customer on the phone. She was getting impatient as she knew she had to get home soon to begin preparing dinner.

She looked around and saw the shop was busy with other customers. They did good business, so she took that as a good sign.

Finally, the young woman hung up and turned to face her. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Yes, hello. My name is Emily Manning, and I had a quote done for some landscaping. I'd like to proceed with the work."

"Ah, okay, let me look for the order." She turned to her terminal and punched in Emily's name. She frowned. "I see two quotes here under your name."

"I'd like to proceed with the full one—the more expensive one," she corrected herself.

"Sure, let me see who's available to schedule," the clerk said, pulling up a calendar.

"It has to be the young man who did the quote for me!" Emily suddenly blurted. She surprised the clerk and herself, for that matter.

The young woman looked at her then back at the order. "It says, Raphael Graves. He's not—" She stopped talking when she caught her boss waving at her as he hustled over to the counter.

"Ah, Mrs. Manning! Lovely to see you again!" Jackie said with a smile, slightly out of breath.

Emily smiled at him, as well. "I'm here to proceed with the full quote."

Jackie's smile widened again. "That's wonderful."

"She was just asking to schedule Raphael Graves to do the work," the clerk said, holding her boss' eye.

He paused momentarily. "Ah, yes, well... we have several excellent landscapers working here—"

"It has to be Mr. Graves," Emily said firmly. She was trembling at her boldness.

"Oh? Is there any particular reason?" Jackie asked carefully. If he heard that Raph had manipulated the customer to make her ask for him, he was going to be out on his ass today.

She paused to think about that, and it came to her easily. "He-he immediately understood what I was attempting to create in my backyard and knew how to accentuate my design without diminishing it or overwriting it with his own will. He's an excellent designer." Emily gushed then reigned in her enthusiasm.

"Oh! Well... that's excellent! Let me see what I can do to expedite this then," Jackie said as he spun the clerk's monitor around. The calendar showed all available shifts. He wasn't looking for an opening for one of his other landscapers but the equipment's availability as he was going to send Raph out on this job. "I see we have an opening next Saturday. Does that work for you?"

Emily flashed a broad smile at the man. "Yes, that would be perfect!"

Jackie nodded and looked at the clerk. "Schedule it in. I'll go speak with Raphael to let him know."

"May I-may I speak with him as well?" Emily asked. She felt a little dizzy for being so uncharacteristically forceful, but she kept her smile on her face.

The older man looked at her curiously then nodded. "I'll send him out to speak to you."

Jackie left the desk and made his way into the stock room. He found Raph at the back, stacking bags of cedar chips onto a cart to bring outside for a customer. Jackie waited until he was done and walked beside him as he pulled the cart towards the side door.

"Mrs. Manning returned to place the order for her landscaping," he said, and Raph looked over at him and nodded as he breathed hard from the effort of pulling the weight. Jackie saw no signs of hesitation or guilt on the young man's face, so he didn't appear to be hiding anything. "She wants you to do the landscaping." That made Raph's eyebrows go up.

"Me?" he asked curiously.

They'd reached the lot outside, and Jackie watched him load the bags gently into the customer's trunk after putting a plastic liner down to protect the interior carpet.

When Raph waved at the customer and returned with the cart, Jackie pulled him aside before he could take the next order.

"I'm going to send you out to do the work next Saturday. You told me you were a good landscaper. Are you? This is an important job. It's up on the hill." Jackie watched his eyes.

Raph nodded. "Yeah... I'm an excellent... landscaper," he said between breaths.

Jackie relaxed and smiled. "Great! Mrs. Manning wanted to speak with you, so make it quick, then get back to the order picking." He pointed to the inside doors. He got a surprised look for that, but he could only shrug. He felt assured that Raph hadn't manipulated the customer. He seemed like a straight shooter.

Still, he'd keep an eye on him as he did with everyone else.

Raph pushed through the doors and spotted Victor's mom waiting for him by the customer service desk. He walked over. "Mrs. Manning? You wanted to speak to me?"

"Oh!" she squeaked as he's surprised her. A smile splashed across her face as she turned to look at him. He noticed her eyes moving to his sweaty arms, pumped from all the heavy lifting. Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip as her eyes swung back to his face. He gave her a questioning look, and she smiled vacantly back for a moment, then jolted. "Yes! I-we're going ahead with the full quote. You said-you said you had the armor stone in stock?"

He nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"Could I see it?" she asked timidly.

"Oh! Uh, sure. Come this way," he said and led her to the stock room doors. "We don't normally let customers back here, but you're with me, and you're confirming your order, so it's okay."

She smiled at him, and he nodded to her.

They walked over to the large building's right side, where they saw all kinds of stonework. He pointed out the light grey slabs he intended to use.

"These will be laid out end to end in three rows going up the slope like stairs. We plant the tall grasses at the top and bottom to absorb the water and stabilize the soil, and we have stability on the slope and the soft look you wanted with the grasses," he explained.

She was clasping her hands together and grinning as she pictured these stones on that troublesome spot in her yard. "It's going to be beautiful!"

He smiled in return. "The slabs are wide enough to lie down on, so when the grass grows in thick enough, you could slip through it and sunbathe on the stones in privacy. Your own little getaway."

She laughed happily at the image and turned her lovely eyes on him.

He gave her a happy smile as well and saw her eyes were practically sparkling. Then he saw his boss gesturing to him to wrap it up. "Oh, it looks like I need to get back to filling customer orders. Is that everything?"

She looked at him in surprise. "I thought you were a landscaper?"

He didn't want to screw this up, so he smiled at her. "I am, but I only do that for special customers." He saw that she liked that answer. He guided the happy woman back out to the store, said his goodbyes, and rushed back into the stock room.

Emily watched the darkly handsome young man move off, and her eyes automatically and scandalously watched his firm ass in his tight jeans as he walked away. Her pulse was pounding in her chest, and she wasn't sure what was happening to her. When he was no longer in sight, she glanced to the left and saw the young clerk watching her with a knowing smile. She turned and made her way out of the store with as much dignity as she could muster.

Once outside, the feelings came rushing back. Emily couldn't get over how light she felt and how... young she felt, and how freeing it felt to be... happy. She could feel the grin on her face and relished the feeling of being genuinely happy. She hadn't felt that emotion in so long!

She was so looking forward to next Saturday!

-=-

"Jamaica?!?"

Malcolm saw this was going to be a tougher sell than he expected. They were all sitting down for dinner on the patio enjoying some wine, the lovely meal Suzanne and Sam prepared together, and the great weather. Everyone was relaxed, and Suzanne looked happy. It seemed like the perfect moment for Malcolm to introduce the idea of their getting away.

"Sure! Sam is old enough to take care of herself here at home for a week, and we haven't had time to unwind in a long time. What do you say? I could make the arrangements, and we could be on a plane tomorrow!"

Suzanne laughed and shook her head in dismayed disbelief. "Haven't you heard me talking about what I've been going through at work all week? It's budget time! I can't just up and leave now!"

He did recall her mentioning something about that. He backtracked a little. "Okay, how about next weekend? You need to set aside some time for us."

Suzanne was giving him her disappointed look, and he knew he'd done something wrong again. He didn't know what, but he was sure she was going to tell him. He sighed.

"Working through the budget process takes weeks. I've only been telling you about it for the last fifteen years. And I need to set time aside for us? What about the last three March breaks when Sam and I had to go on trips without you because you couldn't spare the time?"

"That's time for you and Sam to bond!" he argued.

"NO! We beg you to join us every time, and you always make excuses. So don't talk to me about my not setting time aside for us when you are far guiltier of that! And why the sudden interest in Jamaica?"

"I was—we were invited to enjoy a stay at a resort on the island. A really nice resort!" he responded in a rush as he felt the argument slipping out of control.

She threw her napkin on the table. "Belonging to one of your out-of-town guests, no doubt. Once upon a time, you'd recognize how bad that idea is." She took a deep breath to collect herself. "The answer is no. Forget it. Thanks for ruining an otherwise perfectly lovely evening." She turned to Sam, who was sharing a sad expression with her. "My apologies, dear. Dinner was lovely. I'll see you tomorrow morning. I've suddenly developed a headache and will be heading to bed early."

With a final disappointed look at Malcolm, she stood and walked inside with her dishes.

Malcolm felt his daughter's unhappy gaze. It was too much. "Don't you have homework or Facebook or something?" he growled.

Sam picked up her dishes and followed her mother inside without a word.

He saw his plan to enjoy the Jamaican club vanish in a puff of smoke. Shit. Suzanne had become such a cold bitch. Sam was following in her mother's footsteps too.

His need for some sexy excitement was becoming unbearable.

Fuck.

-=-

Raph got home after his shift on Sunday feeling pretty good. Sore but good. Jackie seemed to be in a better mood, so he wasn't chewing everyone's ass, and business was good.

He'd fulfilled so many orders his arms were almost trembling with fatigue. He'd gotten more than his share of exercise today. He wouldn't have another shift until Thursday, so his muscles were getting a break.

He picked up a piece of meat, some onions, a little basil, some butter, and some potatoes on his way home. He was going to make a simple roast for dinner to surprise Dotty. She'd been moping around the house, and he was getting worried about her again.

The moment he stepped inside his house, he smelled it. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he quickly dropped the grocery bags in the kitchen and ran upstairs to check on his mom.

As he entered the bedroom, the smell of vomit and alcohol hit him in the face, and he grimaced.

Thankfully, she'd been able to roll onto her side and hang her head over the side of the bed before she puked. He was sure he was going to come home one day to find she'd choked to death on her own sick.

She'd gotten the bedsheets and the small throw carpet that was going in the trash. It was also in her hair. He'd have to bathe her. Fuck! She smelled... not so good. He needed a shower, and he'd be doing laundry, so getting his clothes wet wasn't an issue.

First, he'd deal with the easy things. He rolled the carpet carefully and took it outside to the garbage bin. Then down to the basement to get a bucket of hot water and the mop. Upstairs to clean the floor, then dump the pail in the basement sink.

Back upstairs to get a towel to wipe up the side of the bed and her hair. That brought some weak moans from Dotty. He picked up his mother, who was only wearing a t-shirt, and carried her into the bathroom, where he set her in front of the toilet just in time for her to puke some more as he held her hair. He got the shower started, and she moaned in protest as she knew what was coming. Hoisting her to her feet, he walked into the shower with her weakly struggling to get away. The spray hit her, and she wailed softly. He got her to stand and rinsed her hair. She was softly crying as he did it, so he grit his teeth and hurried through the process. Her arms hung by her side, and she made no effort to assist him in any way. He pulled the shirt off and grabbed the bar of soap. He hastily scrubbed her body with the soap as she moaned and cooed in her drunken state. Face burning with anger and shame, he quickly washed between her legs and her ass. She gasped and clung weakly to him.

Relieved that was over, he quickly rinsed the soap away and washed her hair. She purred at the feeling of his hands in her hair. Rinsing the shampoo away, he turned off the water and wrapped his mom in an old beach towel before seating her on the toilet.

Assured she wouldn't topple onto the floor, he stepped back behind the curtain and stripped off his wet clothes. He washed and rinsed himself quickly.

When he stepped out, he held his clothes in front of himself as he looked for another towel.

"Do I disgust you?" Dotty asked in a weak voice.

He looked at her and saw her eyes were glazed and very sad.

"No, mom. I'm disappointed," he growled.

That was enough to start the tears, and he cursed himself.

He was such an ass. "Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean it. I love you."

There was only one more of the larger towels, so he grabbed it and held it in front of himself as he dropped the clothes into the hamper. He then turned his back on his mother and dried himself as best he could, knowing she was watching him. He didn't resent her for doing it. He knew she was still very drunk. He knew how much he reminded her of—

"Mateo?"

He sighed, then jolted as he felt fingers touching his ass. He pulled away and wrapped the towel around himself.

"No, mom. It's not Mateo. It's Raph. Your son," he said stiffly, and her tears started up again. Fuck!

He scooped her up and carried her back to her room, but he hadn't changed the sheets yet. He forced back a snarl of frustration and sat her in the chair by the foot of the bed. Her tears were tapering off as she faded. Then he rushed off to get the other set of sheets for her bed but discovered they were in the wash. He went to his room and pulled the sheets off his bed to put on hers. He had to do laundry anyway.

Raph quickly made her bed, then lifted his mother again, laid her down on the bed, and pulled the sheets up over her. She made an odd sound, so he glanced down at her.

She was pressing the sheets to her nose and inhaling his scent. He stared at her and shook his head. At least she wasn't crying. She was mumbling in her semi-conscious state, but he didn't want to know what she was saying, so he turned and left to get dressed in his room. The ratty shorts and an old t-shirt went back on.

He went downstairs and put away the groceries. The roast would have to wait until he got home tomorrow night when she got back from the club. He sighed. He still had lots of work to do before he'd be able to enjoy his bed.

He dropped into a kitchen chair for a moment to just catch his breath. Suddenly it all seemed too much, and he was tempted to get up, walk out the door and never come back. He sat facing the door for long minutes before he stood and carried the laundry basket to the basement.

He couldn't do that to Dotty. She'd had enough of people abandoning her.

Chapter 6

Monday morning found Raph wearing an apron again, but this time he was in a classroom. Helen Aikens' art class, to be precise. He stood before a small table upon which sat a huge block of reddish clay. Arranged around a central podium were other small tables with their own blocks of clay of different sizes, each with a student standing beside them. Sam was standing at the desk to his left and, as promised, she ignored him. Some of the other ladies in the class did not. He did his best to pretend not to notice their eyes on him.

He tried to hide his nervousness as this was a medium he'd never worked with before, and he didn't want to screw up. The teacher liked him, but he didn't take anything for granted.

Speaking of the teacher, Helen walked into the room with a woman who was wearing a white silk robe. "Good morning, people!" she chirped, and the students returned her greeting. "We have a special treat this morning. We have a guest with us today. I want to introduce you to a professional model and my friend, Patricia Lockheart." They said good morning to her as well, and she smiled and nodded to them in return.

Helen continued. "We're going to work with clay today, venturing into the realm of the third dimension. Firstly, I want you all to relax. This is an interpretive assignment. You're not going to be graded on your ability to mirror reality. We certainly won't have enough time in this class to complete your piece. I want you to express your perception of the model through the clay. While you're working, I'll be passing amongst you to pick up clues as to your process, and I may ask you to explain your vision so I can see how you're progressing." She watched her students' faces, then turned to the model and gestured for her to disrobe. Contrary to expectations, she wasn't nude under the gown but instead wore a two-piece outfit. On top was a thin four-inch-high band of white cloth around her torso covering her small breasts, and on the bottom, a white g-string.

The woman was in her late twenties and obviously worked out diligently. There was very little fat on her body, and her muscles weren't large, but they were nicely defined. Raph realized she would've been an excellent model for anatomy drawing. Sculpting, though, he was still unsure.

Patricia sat back against a tall stool with her left foot up and resting on a crossbar. She kept her legs together, which made her body seem to curve. Her hands relaxed on her hips in a defiant gesture, and she looked slightly to the right. Then she settled into the pose.

"Now that our subject is ready, I'd like you to take a moment to study her. See how the light plays across her body. Observe her stance. Think about what that evokes in you. Does it trigger a memory? Does it ignite your passion?"

Several of the students giggled.

"Yes, yes, get it out of your system," Helen sighed with a smile, and she caught the eyes of the gigglers. "Today, we study life, light, shadow, shape, beauty, and creativity. Inside the block of clay before you is the image forming in your minds. You've only to remove that which isn't part of the image. Begin!"

Raph shared a small smile with the teacher and looked towards the model. The first thing that struck him was the sinuous lines running from her neck, over her shoulders, racing outwards and around the tight bend of her elbows to return to the curve of her hips and legs. She... flowed.

Image set in his mind, he reached out and began pulling chunks of the clay away from the tall block. It was harder than he thought, and he had to use a fair amount of strength to do it. He let his mind roam over the contours of the image, following the lines. His hands began to move faster to clear the excess away to get to the lines trapped within the block. The unused clay fell unseen to the floor at his feet. He stopped when he had roughly the shape he was looking for. He found he was panting from the effort of working with the dense material.

He began squeezing and pressing his strong fingers across and into the clay to chase the lines he saw within it. Fingers, palms, wrists, and even his forearms were used to smooth the rough surface until he could see the lines emerging. His hands began to move slower with more deliberate motions to bring out the sleek curves of her torso. Pressing his fingertips against the smooth expanses he'd created, he added the fine detail lines of the model's defined musculature. He almost had it.

The bell rang to announce lunchtime, jolting Raph back to the now. He blinked and looked around the room and saw many of the other students were watching him with wide eyes. He glanced at the teacher, who had tears of joy in her eyes, and held a hand over her smiling mouth. She began clapping enthusiastically, and a few others joined in, almost including Sam, who caught herself abruptly when he glanced in her direction. She turned away and began preparing to leave.

"Oh my, Raphael! You've discovered untapped potential!" Helen gushed.

"If he'd found the tools in the table first, he could've done it a lot faster and stayed clean," Stephie Dulane noted in a snide tone and chuckled at her cleverness. The big-haired brunette was co-captain of the cheerleading squad and Sam's chief rival. She was smiling at Sam to share the joke with her, and Sam had to smile and nod to avoid suspicion.

"Ms. Dulane, what we've all just witnessed was raw artistic passion! It needs no tools!" Mrs. Aikens chastised her and gave Sam a disapproving look as well.

Raph frowned as he wasn't happy at all about the attention he was getting. Stephie was right about him being dirty. The skin on his hands, arms, and face felt tight from clay residue. He'd have another night of laundry duty.

The students began filing out of the room as they handed their aprons in and gathered their books. Some moved to get a closer look at Raph's work before they left. A bold few took pics with their cell phones.

Patricia walked down from the podium to take a look at what she'd inspired. The statue was of her torso, displaying the sleek and sensual curves from her neck to her knees. She smiled in appreciation. "That's really good!" she gushed.

Raph gave her a distracted nod then noticed what was missing. He pressed the tip of his pinky finger into the sculpture and gently stroked the result to contour it. Instant belly button and it was a pretty close match for her own. He gave it a little nod and stepped back.

The room emptied except for Helen, Patricia, and Raph. "Could I take a picture of you two standing on either side of the piece?" Helen asked, and they nodded.

Patricia copied her pose, and Raph crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried to smile for the camera. Helen got her pictures and smiled as she reviewed them.

"I should go clean up. Thank you for the experience. It was... interesting," Raph said quietly, still a little disturbed at having zoned out so completely in the classroom. He looked to the almost nude woman standing before him. "It was nice to meet you." She smiled and gave him a nod.

Helen walked up and touched his arm. "The art will be on display here in the school until the end of the term. Then you can take it home."

"I don't want it. I can't take it home," Raph said bluntly. He looked at Patricia. "Ms. Lockheart can have it if she wants it." The woman in question nodded enthusiastically. "I'd feel better if she took it right away. The less attention I get, the better it is for everyone. There's also a better than average chance someone will damage it if it remains at the school," he said with a frown.

Helen went to protest, then nodded sadly. Patricia looked between them in surprise, then mirrored Helen's sad look.

"I have to go if I'm going to get cleaned up before my next class. Thanks again," Raph said as he pulled off the apron, grabbed his books, and headed out.

He made his way to his locker and dropped off his books. He carefully took off his over-shirt and left it in the locker so he could wash up in the bathroom without getting the shirt wet.

As he locked up, he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. He turned, and Mr. McConnell was standing outside his classroom door, smirking at him. He was flanked by four members of his football team. They were all grinning smugly.

"I hear you've gone completely queer. It makes sense now why you won't join any of the teams. Look at you! Covered in shit!" the teacher said with a laugh, and his players joined in.

"If it makes you feel better to think that, sure," Raph said and walked away.

"Hah! I knew it!" the teacher barked out behind him. "Nothing but a faggot!"

As he reached the bathroom entrance, Ms. Lockheart rounded the corner and called out to him. He stopped and smiled as he admired her figure as she approached. She'd slipped on some shorts, a short top that left her hard stomach exposed, and some strappy pumps that accentuated her toned legs.

"I wanted to thank you again for that amazing art piece before I left. I'm going to have a bronze made from it," she said with an excited look.

"You're welcome. I hope it turns out," he said.

"Listen, if you ever wanted to do another piece, I'd be willing to model for you again, no charge. With less clothing as well," she said with a cheeky grin.

He looked into her eyes and saw she was serious. He noticed she had pretty hazel eyes. He nodded politely, then she was suddenly pressing her body against him, and her mouth was on his. Damn! She was a good kisser, but it was a little jarring to feel hard muscles instead of a soft female form. Not bad, just different.

As quickly as she kissed him, she pulled back and grinned as she walked backward down the hall towards the exit. He felt a painful pinch and absent-mindedly adjusted himself in his pants to relieve the pressure. She grinned happily, biting her lower lip, then turned and rushed away. She squeaked in surprise, then giggled at the dumbfounded looks on the teacher and the four young men with him as she quickly passed. They saw two clay handprints on the ass of her shorts as she hustled away.

Mr. McConnell turned to look back at Raph, who finally noticed his audience and shrugged. He stepped inside the bathroom. He had clay to wash off.

-=-

Sam felt terrible for joining in on ridiculing Raphael in the art class. Truth be told, she'd been in awe of the piece he'd created and tingled as she thought back on how intense he'd been while he worked on it. She agreed with Mrs. Aikens. They saw his raw passion, and it was thrilling. She trembled a bit.

"Hey, Sugarlips!"

Sam squeaked and jumped as Victor's arms went around her from behind. He pulled her tight against his hard muscles and rubbed her ass with his groin. A thrill went through her body, and she almost moaned, but she got control of herself and pushed his arms away to spin out of his grip.

"What are you doing?!?" she hissed.

"What the hell? I was just hugging my girl!" Victor growled indignantly.

"Humping. That wasn't hugging!"

Victor gave her a crooked smile and shrugged. "What can I say? You bring out my passionate side!"

Sam's mind flashed to an image of Raph's dark eyes intense with concentration and his strong hands caressing the clay into the sensuous shape of the model's torso. She bit her lip as she recalled what real passion looked like.

Victor misinterpreted her gesture and moved to pull her against him again.

"No!" she said, pushing his hands away and looking around at the other students in the hall. She caught a few watching them.

He frowned and leaned back to look at her. "What is with you? Acting all hot then cold, then hot and back to cold. Such a tease!"

She blinked at him, and then her brows came down in anger. "I'm not a tease! I just don't like being pawed in public!"

He leaned in to whisper to her. "Then how about we go somewhere private?"

Her body tingled with the idea of being with Victor in her bedroom or even his, but she knew that would screw up everything! No, she had to stick to the plan. Even when her body wanted to enjoy the bliss right now, she had to think of her future. She sighed and saw him deflate as he realized she was going to refuse him once more.

"I have a class now, and later I need to study for this week's midterms," she explained quietly.

"I'm getting the most intense case of blue balls!" he groaned.

She snorted and grinned at him. "I never said you couldn't touch yourself."

Victor's jaw dropped at her cheeky comment, and he burst into a loud laugh. She giggled as she grabbed her books for her next class, locked the locker, and skipped away as he watched her leave.

Victor wasn't kidding when he said he was aching for a little sexy time with Sam. She was such a hot little bitch, and he knew she craved his body. He'd felt her trembling when he held her tight. He'd been working on her for weeks, and all he'd been able to get from her were some very promising kisses. He knew sex with her was going to be amazing, but he just had to get past her defenses!

He'd waited a long time, but his patience was beginning to run out.

He shook his head, watching that delicious ass wiggle as she moved away. He would have it. Oh yes.

-=-

The final bell for the day rang, and Raph got his stuff from his locker and made his way to the bus stop. He knew today was going to be his second tutoring session with Sam. He didn't want to think of it as anything but another job to do. A way to make some extra money to fund his escape, but his stomach had other ideas. Inside it felt like... butterflies.

Shit. This wasn't a good idea.

To emphasize how bad it was, he saw Victor and his goons drive by in their pimped-out Civic. Luckily it seemed like they hadn't looked in his direction, so he was good. He relaxed a little... except for the butterflies.

The bus arrived, and he moved to the back once more. This time two of the girls who'd been eyeing him the previous day worked up the nerve to move back to talk to him.

"Raphael? We're in your art class? I'm Linda, and this is Sharon?"

He watched them without saying anything, even though everything coming out of Linda's mouth sounded like a question. He thought he recalled seeing them at the tables across the model's podium from his.

"We just wanted to say we thought your art was amazing!" Sharon gushed, drawing an immediate and emphatic nod from her friend, who was staring at him and suddenly leaned in a little closer.

"Is it going to be displayed in the cabinet outside Mrs. Aikens' classroom?" Linda asked. Finally, a real question.

Raph wanted them to go away. He couldn't ignore them as they'd likely sick their boyfriends on him for being rude. Instead, he'd keep his answers short. "No. I gave it to the model."

Eyes widened, and they grinned at him. He had no idea what titillating thoughts his comment had generated in their minds, so he just nodded and turned his face to look out the window. They hesitated, then moved back to their friends to share the news. Whatever news that would become. He soon heard a burst of giggles but put that out of his mind too.

The ride seemed longer than before, but it gave him time to work out what he would say to Sam to end the tutoring sessions. He'd want to be paid for the first session before he canceled, of course.

"Bye, Raphael!"

He looked to the back doors, where he saw Linda and Sharon smiling back at him. He nodded to them, and they giggled as they left the bus. Shit. He hoped that wouldn't lead to trouble for him.

His eyes jumped to the other passengers on the bus as he suddenly recalled Sam telling him how she followed him on the bus last week. He saw the friends of the two girls that just left, and they were glancing back towards him. His eyes moved on, but he didn't see the blonde in question. He'd been on the first bus after school, so he supposed she'd be twenty minutes late today. That was fine with him. It gave him more time to think of a way to let her down easy and avoid the inevitable confrontation with Victor.

He finally exited the bus and made his way up the steps of the library. His stomach had finally settled down as he'd come to terms with canceling the tutoring and getting back to his regular life. The money was nice, but the risk wasn't worth it.

He went inside and nodded to the librarian as he passed by her desk. His eyes picked up the presence of a sharply dressed, blonde woman with a braided ponytail sitting at one of the tables in the main reading area. She was very attractive and looked... familiar for some reason. Then he spotted Sam sitting next to her and realized the woman had to be her mother!

What the hell? He slowed his approach, and Sam spotted him. Her eyes glanced nervously towards her mother as she took in his confused and guarded expression.

The woman noticed him, and a professional smile appeared on her full lips as she stood and stepped towards him to close the gap. Sam jumped to her feet to catch up to her mother.

"You must be Raphael Graves," the woman said, holding out a hand.

He was still feeling defensive as he accepted her hand in his and shook it. The woman's skin was so soft!

"I'm Suzanne Harris, Sam's mother. I just wanted to meet the young man who was tutoring my daughter."

He nodded, and his eyes slipped to Sam, who appeared at her mother's elbow.

"Okay, you've met him, Mom. We have a lot of work to do, so..." Sam said with an uneasy tone.

Suzanne gave her daughter an annoyed glance and turned back to Raph as she released his hand. "I understand you have a job after school as well? Where do you work?"

Raph was definitely beginning to feel like he'd been ambushed. "I work at Beckett's Landscaping and Garden Center," he said hesitantly. At her interested nod, he found himself continuing. "Stock clerk, but I'm doing landscaping now as well." His eyes went back to Sam. He was amazed by how much Suzanne looked like her daughter. Truly lovely.

"Mom! You said you just wanted to meet him."

"Sam, I'm just finding out a little about the young man I'm leaving my daughter with downtown late at night. This isn't an unreasonable request." Suzanne said to her daughter, whose face was beginning to show a deep blush.

Raph relaxed a little as he now understood what was happening. It was a mom thing.

Not that Dotty did it for him anymore.

Suzanne turned back to the surprisingly good-looking young man before her. His background had to include some Mediterranean blood based on his lovely skin tone. Tall, dark, and very handsome. Sam had failed to mention this little, or perhaps, significant detail. Maybe Victor had reason to be worried about Sam spending time with Raphael.

She tried to get her mind back on track. "I understand you're doing very well in your classes. What are your plans for after graduation?"

"MOM!"

"Shhh!" the librarian scolded from the main desk with a scowl.

Suzanne caught Raph's surprised smile as he looked at Sam's embarrassed face.

"It's okay," he said to Sam then faced Suzanne. "If I get the scholarship I'm after, I'm going to university to become a doctor."

Suzanne smiled widely, and Raph's eyes widened in response. He glanced between the two women, and she knew he was comparing their similarities. That made her feel... very flattered.

"A doctor! Any particular field?" Suzanne asked happily. Sam was also watching him, waiting to hear his answer.

"I want to be a surgeon, but I want to work in the ER as well," he said earnestly.

Suzanne nodded, then tilted her head a little to give him a questioning look. "The ER isn't an easy environment to work in."

He sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Suzanne's eyebrows went up. "You've personal experience with visiting the ER?"

Raph's expression closed up, and he looked uncomfortable. "Yeah," he managed to say.

Sam touched her mother's arm, and Suzanne nodded. She could see the topic was a tender spot for him. She felt better now that she'd met Raphael. She was still planning on picking her daughter up. She'd perhaps have another opportunity to pick his brain once more. She'd offer him a lift home.

"I understand Sam owes you some money for her last session? One-hundred and fifty dollars was it?" Suzanne asked. "Can I write you a check?"

Raph frowned. "Ca—" he began but stopped abruptly. "Uh, sure."

Suzanne smiled and nodded. "I'll write you a check for the previous session and tonight's when I return to pick up Sam. Would that be all right?"

Raph nodded, and Suzanne turned to kiss her daughter on the cheek.

"I'll see you two later," Suzanne said and quickly walked away to head back to the hospital.

As she walked down the steps, she smiled to herself. A very handsome young man, indeed.

Back in the library, Raph cursed to himself as he realized he'd just promised to give Sam another tutoring session. Shit. It was too late to back out now. He sighed and made his way towards the study booths at the back of the library.

He glanced back and caught Sam watching his ass. She looked him in the eye, and her face burned with embarrassment. He looked away, unable to deal with that at the moment.

Raph picked the same study pod as last time and sat down in the chair. He noticed the afternoon light was pouring through the stained-glass windows again and quickly looked up at Sam to see it shine through her golden hair. It was her turn to catch him staring, and she smiled at his wide-eyed look of wonder. He swallowed and looked away, fumbling to get his calculus textbook out. He seemed a little flustered.

"Are you ready?" he said sternly.

She slipped into the chair next to him and got her books out. She seemed to pick up that he was a little unsettled by their closeness as she eased back to give him more space.

He felt himself relax slightly. "We'll pick up where we left off. Did you go over the work we've already covered on the weekend?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, and he nodded.

"You're comfortable with the material?"

"Yes, it makes sense to me now," she said with a wide smile, and he struggled to not look at her.

He cleared his throat and opened his text and his notes to the next section. "Okay, let's begin."

They powered through the work and hit a snag a few pages in as Sam seemed to be experiencing a mental block with a concept. He was becoming frustrated, and he took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He noted that she was biting her lip, and he could almost hear her heartbeat begin to thud in her chest.

Raph rolled the problem around in his mind. He could see she was stuck, so he examined the issue from a different perspective. He began again, but this time, he explained the process step by step, stopping to get her to explain the significance of each step. When she got one wrong, Raph realized he'd found the source of her block. He cleared her misconception and continued until he finished the question completely. He risked a glance over and saw she was trembling.

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

She looked at him, and he saw tears pooling in her long lashes, and his chest tightened. Then she smiled at him. "I thought—I thought maybe the early sections were all I was going to be capable of doing. I know they get progressively more complex, and I thought, that's it. I've reached my limit." She looked into his eyes. "Then you pointed out the simple mistake I was making, and suddenly I can feel it all falling into place. I-I can't tell you what a relief it is!"

He looked like he was going to climb over his chair to escape if she began to cry. Then his expression darkened. "You can't do that," he said gruffly.

She looked at him in surprise as she struggled to control her breathing.

He looked away, but he seemed to be trembling, just a little. "No emotional outbursts. I'm your tutor, not your therapist. I don't have time for this."

She was a little taken aback at his abruptness. "I-I'm sorry." She held her breath as if terrified that he'd give up on her.

He took a slow but shaky breath, then opened the textbook. "Let's continue."

Sam watched him cautiously but paid close attention to what he said as he took her through the next section. He was relieved to find she comprehended the concepts, and she thanked him for being so diligent in ensuring she fully understood before moving on.

They continued until they heard the chime, and the lights flickered, indicating it was time to go.

Raph glanced up with a look of annoyance. They only had three more pages to finish this section. He pushed back with a sigh. There was nothing he could do about it tonight. He looked over at Sam, and she quickly hid her smile.

"What?" he asked with a frown.

"Nothing!" she said, fighting the smile that threatened to escape.

He snorted, and she couldn't contain her happiness any longer. Raph's eyes widened, and his mouth began to smile in return as she was so dazzlingly beautiful when she smiled. He saw her mother in that smile. He could see a future—

No! Suddenly, he had to be elsewhere. Anywhere but next to this dangerous beauty. He hurriedly stuffed his books into his bag and pushed his chair out to leave.

"Raphael?" she gasped at his scramble to leave. She placed a hand on his arm and felt his body lock up then vibrate with tension.

"No! Don't," he choked out through his tight throat.

Sam looked confused by his behavior but also worried she'd messed up. "Tomorrow?" she asked, gazing hopefully into his eyes.

Raph wanted to tell her he was done. That she'd be good now, but he knew the next parts were the trickiest. He felt himself being drawn towards her as her eyes held his.

His chair fell back as he lurched to his feet. He turned away.

"Raphael!" she gasped.

His back to her, he paused and turned his head slightly to the side. "Tomorrow."

He found himself walking quickly towards the exit. He needed to get space between them. She was going to ruin everything! He should've told her they were done. Fuck! He should have said no when she first asked. She was too dangerous! She—

"EEP!"

Raph jarred to a stop as he pushed through the door and bumped chest to chest with Suzanne. He immediately reached out to catch her arms to keep her from falling, dropping his bag in the process.

"Sorry! Are you okay?" he gasped.

She blinked at him. "Yes, I'm fine? What happened? You looked like you were running from something! Is Sam okay?"

He released her arms and bent to pick up his bag as his face heated up. "She's beau— Good! I have to go." His face looked hot enough to ignite.

If Suzanne caught his slip, she kept her reaction from her face. Instead, she glanced over Raph's shoulder and saw Sam rapidly approaching with a worried expression. "I thought we could drive you home—"

"No! I mean, that's very kind of you... but it wouldn't be a good idea." Raph said, wanting to leave, but she was in the doorway, and she wasn't moving.

"Mom?"

Raph's nerves flared when he heard Sam's voice right behind him. "Excuse me," he said as he gently moved Suzanne to the side as he squeezed himself around her, and rushed out the outer door to hustle down the steps.

He sucked in a breath of fresh air. He had to get home.

Suzanne watched him go with a look of surprise on her face. He was... strong! She saw him run across the street, and moments later, the bus arrived, and he boarded it. He sat and glanced back once as the bus pulled away.

"Mom?

Suzanne turned to look at her daughter. "What happened tonight? Why was he running away from you?"

Sam shook her head unhappily, not wanting to talk about it.

"Did he finish the tutoring?" the mother asked.

Sam shook her head but answered to stop her mother's look of outrage. "We have two more sessions. Tomorrow and Wednesday."

Suzanne felt her anger quickly fade as her confusion returned. "Did you say something to upset him? Did he try something?" she suddenly gasped, her temper flaring once more.

"NO! No, he didn't try anything. He's been... a perfect gentleman," she finished softly.

Suzanne began to smile then looked at her daughter in dismay. "I didn't give him the check!"

Sam's anger flared. "You have to pay him tomorrow! I need Raphael! T-to finish the tutoring so I can pull my grade up," she snapped.

Suzanne's eyebrows went up at her daughter's tone. "Excuse me?"

Sam huffed as she realized she was overreacting. "I'm sorry. I-I'm just a little... unsettled."

The Librarian was arriving to usher them out, so Suzanne gently drew her daughter out the doors, and they made their way to her car. Once inside, she turned to the young woman. "Now, tell me what happened. Just start at the beginning."

Sam looked at her mom and sighed. "It must be Raphael worrying about someone at school finding out."

"Someone meaning Victor," her mom insisted.

Sam looked at her and sighed. "Yes, probably." She frowned. "It's weird. It's like he's trying to be invisible at school."

Suzanne just shook her head, unable to fathom what it might be like for the young man. What might cause him to act like that? She started the car.

"Why do you think he said it wasn't a good idea for us to drive him home?" Suzanne asked as she pulled away from the curb.

Sam looked at her mother. "I don't know. I don't even know where he lives."

She realized she really wanted to know more about him, and that desire confused her. He was just a means to an end.

Wasn't he?

-=-

Raph made his way up the street, taking deep breaths, his rage simmering close to the surface.

Why was he stuck in this situation? He was almost free of this place, and... she had to complicate things! He tried hard to not think about Sam. She... confused his head.

He strode around the final corner leading up to his townhouse and into a group of three men conducting a transaction. In a flash, Raph took in two college boys from the next town over, looking to score some drugs and a rough-looking dealer he hadn't seen before.

"The FUCK—" the dealer yelped, eyes widening as he saw the grim expression on Raph's face. His hand went into his pocket to grab the ancient .38 hidden there.

"JIMMY! GUN!" screamed one of the buyers as he pushed his friend away to the left. Twitching at the scream, the dealer squeezed the gun's trigger, blowing a hole in his pocket and ripping through the edge of Jimmy's letterman jacket.

Raph's fist crushed the dealer's nose and snapped the man's head back. He crumpled to the ground before he could fire again. Raph stomped the side of the man's knee with a loud crack. His rage was unleashed, and it was taking no prisoners.

Before the two buyers could relax, the first took a hard left to the gut, and Jimmy got a right to the jaw. They both hit the ground as Raph stood above them, roaring at them to leave. He kicked them a few times for good measure until they managed to get to their feet and hobble away as quickly as they could.

He heard the crack of another shot and felt a brief searing pain across his right thigh. He rushed back to the prone man, and he stomped his right arm, breaking the bones, and the gun tumbled free. The man began to scream, so Raph kicked him in the jaw. There was a sickening crack, and it dropped to hang at a disturbing angle.

The sight of the gun turned Raph's hot rage icy cold. He looked down at the ugly, snub-nosed weapon. It was dirty and rusty, and its handle was wrapped with some dirty cloth tape. Regardless of its age and condition, it still worked. He'd almost been killed with it tonight.

For a moment, Raph contemplated using it to end the piece of shit who'd tried to kill him. He shook with the need to do it, but a cool, rational voice in his mind made him pause.

Dotty couldn't forgive murder.

That pulled him back from the edge.

Now that his mind was his again, Raph used a discarded potato chip bag to pick up the weapon. He didn't want to touch it or leave prints on it. He nudged the release button, and the cylinder folded out. He dumped the bullets and kicked them into the sewer grate. Snapping the cylinder back into place with a flick of his wrist, he carried it back to the man who was looking up at him with hate in his eyes. Raph saw the next attack coming and stepped out of range of the sloppy stab. Another stomp broke the wrist holding the knife, and a wet scream came from the dealer's broken jaw.

Raph looked closer at the thug. He didn't recognize him or recall seeing him before — just another piece of shit moving into his neighborhood to spread the disease. His rage spiked again.

He brutally shoved the gun into the gaping hole of the dealer's mouth. Muffled screams slipped past the weapon, then silence as the man passed out from the pain. With the gun tightly wedged in place, he dropped the chip wrapper.

Raph yanked the man's belt off, tied his forearms together behind his back, and stomped his uninjured knee with a wet crack. That should keep him stationary until the morning police patrol drove by... unless they came earlier to investigate the gunshots. He'd put his money on the morning arrival.

Spotting the knife on the road next to the unconscious man, he assumed the police would want it. Leaving it just lying there meant any passerby could walk off with it. He frowned, then picked it up with the handy chip wrapper and stabbed the blade into the dealer's ass. Not too deep, but now, no one would try to take it. The police would have it in the morning. He walked away and dropped the wrapper on an overfilled trash can.

He was shaking from the remnants of his rage and the unspent adrenaline as he walked the remaining blocks to his place. He practiced his breathing exercises and felt the anger finally drain away. His shakes were gone as well when he spotted his front door... and Roxy waiting on the steps. He sighed — not tonight.

"Baby! I heard gunshots! And screams! Did you get a piece?" she said excitedly.

He just shook his head and moved her from his step. She tried to climb his body to kiss him and bumped his leg. He hissed with pain and dropped her.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" she growled from the ground.

"I've been shot. You just kicked it," he growled in return.

Roxy's eyes flew wide, and she noticed the dark stain on his thigh wasn't dirt but blood. "Shouldn't we get you to the hospital?" she cried.

"No, I don't need the attention of the police. Besides, it's not a major injury. I'll clean and bandage it myself," he said wearily. Like he didn't have enough trouble. "I need to take care of this. Good night."

"But I waited for you on your step all night!" she complained.

He scowled at her. "Sorry for getting shot then. So fucking inconsiderate of me!"

"You can be such a cold-hearted prick!" she shouted.

"It's a fucking survival requirement for living in this shithole!" he growled, gesturing back to the streets he'd just walked through.

"Fuck you!" Roxy flared, storming off.

Raph sighed in frustration. He was grateful she was gone but not at how he'd achieved it. He knew he'd pay for this later. Somehow.

He let himself inside and locked the door. Dotty was back at work tonight. He had to fix his thigh before she got home as he didn't want her to worry. Luckily, they had a decent selection of bandages from their visits to the ER over the years, if that could be called lucky.

He removed his pants and glared at the bloodied tear across the thigh. He shuddered when he thought about how close he'd been to being killed tonight. Pushing that aside, he put them into a hamper for washing once he fixed his leg. It wasn't like he could afford new jeans.

Shit! He didn't get paid for his tutoring!

What a fucking night!

Chapter 7

Roxanne watched Raph come out of his townhouse and lock up. He limped slightly as he descended the stairs, but the weakness vanished as he strode away to catch his bus.

She tugged the baseball cap down tighter and began following a block back. They passed the spot she'd witness the cops and paramedics standing around this morning. They'd come to collect Raph's most recent contribution to society. The punk had screamed when they took the knife from his ass and the gun from his fucked up mouth. Roxy had gotten so juicy thinking about the rage Raph must've been feeling to get so violent with the creep. Then her anger had flared as she recalled how he'd dismissed her as some kind of annoyance. He was her fucking boyfriend! He needed to take care of her needs!

Shaking with her anger, she slowed her steps to let Raph get further from her. She'd been rushing forward to kick his ass. She'd almost blown her surveillance of him! He was acting weird lately, and she was going to find out what the fuck was up with him!

She had on baggy track pants, a big football team jacket, and the baseball cap with her hair tucked in. She looked nothing like herself as she wouldn't normally be caught dead in this outfit. She knew Raph wouldn't look at her dressed like this, so it was all good.

She spotted him at the bus stop, and the bus was arriving! She ran and just made it before the doors closed. She glared at the driver as she dropped in one of the tickets she'd stolen from her mom's purse.

Raph was at the back, so she stayed at the front and just glanced in his direction occasionally as the blocks went by. She saw no one was talking to him. That was good. Then she overheard the two girls she was standing next to mention his name, and she froze.

"Did you see Raphael Graves this morning?" the first one was saying.

"Seriously intense!" the second girl sighed dreamily.

The first was nodding dramatically. "I thought I was going to cum right there in the classroom yesterday when he was working on that clay! He was so intense and passionate!"

"So intense!" the other agreed immediately.

"His hands were so strong! The way they worked that clay, I wished they'd been working my body!" the first gushed quietly to her friend, who burst into excited giggles. Soon both were tittering excitedly, and Roxy's hands ached as she gripped the handrail. Her knuckles were white from the death grip she wanted to have around their throats. She glanced back towards Raph, but he was looking out the window, oblivious to the two skanks drooling over him.

She took some slow deep breaths to calm herself as she closed her eyes.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" the first asked.

Roxy's eyes opened immediately.

"I don't think so... I've never seen him with anyone at school—OH! Guess what I heard from Jake Franklin!"

"What?"

"You remember that muscly bitch who posed for us in art class?" the second asked and got a nod. "Jake said she kissed Raphael in the hallway after the class!"

"Ewww! Is she like some kind of pedo or something! She has to be in her thirties, right?" the first gasped in disgust.

"True, but this is Raph we're talking about! Can you imagine kissing those sexy lips—OWWW! HEY!"

Roxy made her way to the front of the bus and got off at the next stop. She was only a few blocks from the school and could walk the rest. She released the hairs she'd pulled from the head of the bitch talking about her man and watched them drift to the sidewalk as the bus pulled away. She'd find a place to keep an eye on the school to pick up Raph's trail when he left. That wouldn't be until the afternoon, so she had time.

In the meantime, she'd stay close.

-=-

Raph wore the wrong jeans this morning, and his bandage showed through the tear on his thigh. He'd gotten the laundry done, but he hadn't had time to sew the rip closed yet. Rushing to leave the house, he'd put on the wrong ones. Ripped jeans weren't allowed at school. It was a minor breach of the school dress code, but Mr. McConnell spotted it and dragged him to the Principal's office.

Luckily Mr. Jasper was a much more level-headed man. His trouble was he didn't like conflict, so he wasn't much support against the gym teacher's anger.

"Richard, you can't give these delinquents an inch! They'll abuse the rules and stir up the rest of the student body leading to anarchy!" the teacher ranted.

The principal just stared at him. "What are you going on about? My records indicate that Mr. Graves has been an exemplary student for years! What's this rebellion?"

McConnell picked up a ruler from the desk and pointed towards the tear on Raph's pant leg. "No ripped or torn apparel is permitted."

Mr. Jasper was familiar with the rule as he'd been one of the committee members that approved it. He looked to Raph with a raised eyebrow.

"It happened last night. I didn't have time to sew it this morning before school," Raph tried to explain, but Mr. McConnell wasn't finished.

"Not acceptable!" the man barked and snapped the ruler against the tear.

Raph hissed as his leg suddenly gave out, and he fell against the chair before the Principal's desk.

"Harold! What the hell!" Richard yelled in outrage.

The gym teacher scowled at Raph, who was struggling to get into the chair. "I hardly tapped him! He's fak—" He stopped talking when he saw the spot of red appearing on the white fabric under the tear. His scowl became a look of confusion.

The Principal rushed around the desk to look at the injury. He saw the spotting of blood. "This tear in your jeans happened at the same time as the injury?" he asked cautiously.

Raph held his eyes, then nodded.

"That's a bullet wound, isn't it," the man continued.

Raph sighed then shrugged, trying to downplay the event. "The world's a dangerous place. Sometimes you get caught in the crossfire when you live in a bad neighborhood, as I do."

Mr. Jasper's expression turned grim, but he nodded. He didn't want to deal with the police, and there was still a chance this could all be ignored. He came to a decision. "We'll ignore the torn jeans if you promise not to wear them to school again. Sewn rips are still not permitted. I'm sorry, that's how it is. If you're willing to forget Mr. McConnell's striking you, we can put this all behind us and move on."

Raph saw that this was the best deal he was going to get. He tried not to smile at the look of outrage on the gym teacher's face as he saw he could earn some goodwill with Mr. Jasper. "Of course, sir. Thank you."

The principal smiled and moved back to his desk to pick up the phone and dial a number. "Mrs. Galiban, I'm sending Raphael Graves to see you. He needs a fresh bandage for his leg and a note for class. Take care of this, please. Thank you."

He hung up and turned his attention to Raph. "Can you stand? Will you be able to walk to the nurse's office?"

Raph pushed himself to his feet and put weight on the leg. It held. He nodded to the man.

"Get that taken care of... and be careful out there." The man was genuinely concerned, and Raph nodded to him in thanks. As he reached the door, he heard the principal speak again. "Not so fast, Harold."

Raph allowed himself a small smile as he nodded to the secretary sitting outside of the principal's office. The nurse's station wasn't too far to walk, though his thigh was still buzzing with pain from the ruler strike. McConnell was such a dick.

He saw Mrs. Galiban standing in the doorway of her office, smiling at him. His earlier unease about her resurfaced as he saw she had undone a few buttons. Her smile became an O of surprise and concern when she saw the spots of blood showing through the tear. She gestured for him to come inside.

As he walked into the small room, he heard the door close and the lock snap into place. He turned to face her and saw she was bending forward to see the injury. He got an excellent view of her impressive cleavage.

"Please remove your pants," she said in that quiet, little girl voice, which did nothing to calm his unease.

He carefully removed the jeans and saw the threads near the tear had picked up some blood. He frowned. He'd need to rewash them. Then he remembered he wouldn't be allowed to wear them to school again.

"Who bandaged this?" she asked as she eased herself down onto her knees before him.

He twitched when he saw her looking up at him. He felt initial tingling begin in his underwear. He willed himself to think unsexy thoughts, but the image she presented made that near impossible.

"I did."

She smiled seductively up at him. "Nice job." Once more, he felt something was off about her behavior. This was only his second visit to a school nurse, while he had previous experience with the nurses in the hospital's emergency ward. He was picking up a difference in his treatment here.

With skilled fingers, she unwound the bandage and carefully peeled back the dressing. She glanced up at him in surprise when she saw the injury. She knew what this was. She said nothing but stood to walk over to the counter where she kept her supplies.

"I'm going to clean it properly, and I'll apply a local anesthetic to numb the wound. You're going to have a scar," she explained, and he just nodded. She gestured for him to sit upon the table, and she leaned in close until he could smell her delicate floral perfume.

The cleaning process stung like hell, and he was trembling slightly when she announced she was done. Next, she sprayed some kind of foam across the wound, and he expected more pain, but all he felt was cold. The foam soaked in, and his entire upper thigh just went numb. He heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at her. She smiled in return, then bit her lip sexily as she looked at his mouth. He felt himself begin to tingle in his underwear once more.

She asked him to stand once more as she knelt at his feet, which did nothing to stop the tingles building in his nether regions. The nurse put the dressing over the wound and ever so carefully wrapped the gauze bandage around his upper thigh to hold the dressing in place. As she worked, her hands accidentally stroked the bottom of his balls through his underwear, and he stiffened quickly. He looked down at the tops of the round orbs of her fake tits and felt himself running out of room under the small amount of fabric covering his erection.

She taped the end of the bandage in place, glanced at the clock, and looked up at him with mischief in her eyes. Without further warning, she eased his briefs down his legs and wrapped her fingers around his throbbing cock.

"Ooo, it's so hot!" she purred as she rubbed her face against it.

Raph gasped and was about to protest when she leaned forward and took him into her mouth, deeper and deeper, until she pressed her nose against his body. She had him in her throat, and he bent over her head as the intensity of the pleasure flooded through him. God, her mouth felt so good! No one had ever done this to him before. He knew she shouldn't be doing it now, but he wasn't sure he wanted her to stop.

She pulled back to get a breath then plunged him deep into her throat once more. He threw his head back in bliss as she began to pump him in and out of her throat.

He finally managed to look down at the woman swallowing his cock almost desperately. She had her left hand gripping the base of his cock, and her right was busy under her uniform between her legs. Her face was getting redder and redder as she got close to her release, and she began to pump him faster and faster. He wondered when she was going to take a breath. Then it became too intense, and he knew it was too late for second thoughts.

"Fuck! You have to stop! I'm going to cum!" he hissed.

This just seemed to light a fire under her, and she began to squeal as she plunged her fingers into her pussy and his cock into her throat. The vocalization just set him off, and he started to fire ropes of hot cum into her sexy mouth. He felt her swallowing as quickly as she could.

His mind filled with a warm buzzing as his nerves overloaded. It was too good. He leaned back against the examination table as he felt her slowly drawing his cock from her mouth, squeezing the last remaining drops of cum from him. Her lips pressed to the end of his cock, and he hissed at the sensitivity. He closed his eyes as he felt her release him and stand. His mouth was open as he gasped for breath, but suddenly she pushed the sticky fingers from her right hand inside, and he tasted her juices on them. His eyes opened as his lips closed automatically to suck on the digits as she slowly drew them from his mouth. He was looking into her eyes, and there was deep satisfaction there as well as something just a little crazy. He'd seen it before—in Roxy's eyes. Wait, she was married, wasn't she?

She suddenly dipped forward, and her lips were pressed hard against his, her tongue probing his mouth. Just as suddenly, she pulled back, turned away, and moved back to the counter. "You can put your pants back on," she said casually over her shoulder.

He blinked at her as she scribbled something on a form. He pulled his underwear back up, tucking himself away, then carefully pulled his jeans on.

The nurse turned back to him and handed him the note.

"Have a good day," she said as she opened the door for him, and he wobbled out into the hall. He turned in the direction of his first class and walked. It didn't take long to get there.

Raph knocked and entered the classroom when the teacher looked up and waved him in. He relaxed when he saw her, as she was a known commodity. She didn't act in unexpected ways.

He was doing very well in her class. Through his years in high school, he'd discovered that the grading in English classes had been greatly influenced by the teacher's perspective on the subject as well as their personal history. Initially, the course had been difficult for the hot-headed youth, but Raph began to listen very carefully, not just to the words they said but also how they said them. He learned what he could about the teachers. He also observed them carefully as they spoke so he could pick up on every nuance of their lessons.

Margaret Picton was a lovely woman in her mid-fifties. She was petite, wore her graying blonde hair pulled back in a bun, and preferred to wear pretty flowered dresses on her slim body. Never married, she told anyone who asked her first love would always be the authors of the books she held so dear. She was originally from London, England, and taught English Lit to the colonists as she called her students.

He was looking forward to just disappearing into a book to put the morning behind him.

For Ms. Picton, the attentive gaze from the dark eyes of the handsome young man gave her a secret tingle. If she was honest, she had just a little bit of an innocent crush on him.

When he approached her desk with the note from the nurse's office, she looked up and saw he was looking just a little dazed. This caused her a moment's concern until she noticed smudges of lipstick on his lips. That red. The note. Mrs. Galiban, that cunt! She took a slow breath.

"Are you feeling well, Raphael?" she asked quietly.

His eyes locked on hers, and he blinked. "Yes." His eyes said, No.

She handed him a tissue and pointed to the corners of her own mouth.

He wiped his mouth, and his face froze when he saw the lipstick on the tissue. His eyes went back to hers.

"It's okay, Raphael. Take your seat. There are only a few minutes left in the class."

"My apologies," he said sincerely, still looking a little flustered.

She smiled at the young man, charmed once more by his concern. She pointed to his chair, and he moved. She frowned as she saw him settle in with a wince. He seemed to be favoring his right leg. She glanced at the note again, frustrated it didn't say more. She'd speak with Nurse Galiban at lunch.

The ringing bell caught her by surprise, but they hadn't escaped yet. "Remember, Friday is the midterm. I've done what I can to prepare you. Read your notes!"

The students moaned a little and moved on to their next class. Raphael nodded to her on his way out, and she caught a glimpse of a tear on his jeans with white showing underneath. Not one to rock the boat, she knew this wasn't a fashion decision. Did he injure his thigh?

Damn her curiosity! Now she needed to know.

-=-

Harold McConnell seethed with frustrated anger. That weasel Jasper had the gall to tell him to back off and stop harassing Graves, citing the punk had grounds to charge him with physical abuse. Harold seemed to be the only one who remembered what a nasty little shit Raph had been when he arrived at this school and how undeserving he really was.

The first year the boy arrived, Harold tried to give him the opportunity to become something greater than himself. He'd convinced the boy to try out for the football team. He decimated the others with his aggressive play and had an arm that gave Harold chills. In Raph, he'd seen a way to stop the annual humiliation he suffered against the neighboring town's team, the Eagles. The fierce young man would lead them to a victory his team desperately needed. When he offered Raph the quarterback position, the little bastard just laughed in Harold's face, called them all losers, and walked away.

He recalled the hot temper Raph had in those early years and the number of times he'd had to bench injured players when they arrived for a game after getting into a fight with him. It still happened from time to time, but he had to admit Raph seemed to have better control over his temper.

When he heard the shit was up for a scholarship, he saw a way to finally bring that punk down. Raph didn't deserve it, and Harold was going to see he didn't get it.

Unfortunately, that was proving to be more difficult than he thought. Raph's grades were excellent, he was keeping his head down and out of trouble, and most of his teachers were soft on him or just didn't care.

Even though Jasper tried to warn him off, the gunshot injury sounded promising. It hinted that he'd been involved in a shooting. The police should be informed about that. Being involved in a felony would put a severe crimp in Raph's chances of getting that scholarship.

Fuck the Principal. Harold smiled and stepped outside to make a call.

-=-

Sheriff Gary Cooper stood in the hospital hallway speaking to the deputy he assigned to keep watch over their latest arrest, the thug recuperating from his injuries in the room behind them. With a final nod to the deputy, he left to find the hospital administrator.

As he walked, he spotted the hospital's chief physician and his friend Jim Woods. The two men's mothers were friends, and both shared a deep love for Hollywood and equally poor judgment when naming their children. Gary had dealt with being teased about his name his entire life, but his buddy Jim shared that burden with him. For Gary, it didn't help that he grew up with some resemblance to the actor. Jim had been spared that at least.

Where Gary was just an inch shorter than his namesake at six-foot-two and had a lean muscular body, Jim was an inch taller than his at six-foot-even and had a body like a bear. He was thick and strong if carrying a little too much extra weight. The two had been best friends from infancy.

"Jim! Nice work on my suspect!" Gary said with a grin.

"I don't know why you posted a guard on him. It's not like he's going to run away, much less walk," Jim said with a smile. "What a mess! Two destroyed knees, one dislocated shoulder, a broken wrist, a broken nose, and his jaw? Fuck! That's going to be wired shut for a while. And what the hell was that knife doing sticking in his butt cheek. Compared to his other injuries, the knife wound was so minor it almost seemed like it was some kind of after-thought!" He looked at the sheriff curiously. "Who was he, anyway? What did he do to earn such an ass-kicking?" He leaned in a little closer. "Did you do the kicking?" he asked with a thrilled whisper.

Gary laughed and shook his head. "No, we found him in this condition this morning, all tied up like a bag of trash on the curb. He's new to town. Calls himself The Lion. His real name is Linus Cantor." Jim snorted in amusement, then Gary continued. "Under the dreads, the tattoos, and the grill he wears is a man who grew up in an affluent suburb of Philadelphia, though that was a long time ago. His sheet is long and colorful. We think he came in to set up shop over in the Wellington Heights district. The gun we removed from his face is likely the murder weapon used on two local dealers we found a few nights back."

Jim shuddered. He hated all the violence surrounding his friend. "Who shoves a gun that far into someone's face then almost daintily pokes him in the butt with a knife?"

Gary contemplated that question. "Someone who could've used the gun to end the punk's life. But didn't." He glanced down the hall, but they were alone. "There've been a number of similar events over the years. I think someone in the neighborhood is doing a little policing of his own."

"A vigilante? Here?" Jim asked in surprise.

Gary shook his head. "Unofficially, the Wellington Heights Vigilante has been kicking around as a name for him for a few years, but I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to classify him as that. There's no regularity to the occurrences. Just once in a while, we find a low-level dealer or mugger beaten senseless up in the Heights. When we question them, no one's willing to talk." He sighed. "I was in no hurry to catch him as he only seemed to target the bottom feeders, none of whom used guns. This time was different. Cantor, for all his gentle upbringing, was a confirmed killer even before the two local dealers. We'll have him for their murders, so he's going away." He gave Jim a worried look. "Now I have to catch the vigilante for his own protection to ensure he doesn't end up dead."

"Did you ever consider it might be a woman?" Jim asked, and Gary looked at him oddly. "Have you seen Nurse Kenny? Tough and scary! I wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley at night!" he continued with a slight smile.

"Funny. We know it's a man from his victims, but that's all they're willing to say about him," Gary growled quietly.

"So, no leads at all?" Jim asked.

Gary glanced at the nurse passing by and nodded to her. When they were alone again, he continued. "Cantor indicated he'd shot him before getting stomped. No reports of a GSW in the ER, so either Cantor was lying, which I somehow doubt, or the vigilante is out there, injured at the very least but possibly dying or dead."

Jim gave his friend a concerned look. "Your mind takes you to dark places."

Gary nodded tiredly. "Occupational hazard." He shook his head. "Have you seen that lovely administrator of yours?"

"Suzanne? She should be in her office at this time of the day! She's married, you know. To the Mayor, no less," Jim reminded him.

Gary grinned at his friend. "I'm aware. She deserves better. That's all I'm saying."

Jim patted Gary on the shoulder as he turned to leave. "I'll talk to you later, Casanova!"

The sheriff chuckled as he headed off to the Administrator's office. He was almost there when he got a call on his cell. Grimacing at the thing, he sighed and walked out the side door as he answered.

"Sheriff Cooper."

"Hi, Sheriff Cooper. This is Liddy at the call center. We've got a possible lead on the line for that GSW you asked us to screen for."

Gary waited for a second, but nothing else was offered. "And?"

"Oh! He said he only wants to speak with you."

He sighed. "Who is it?

"Uh, a Harold McConnell."

"The teacher?" Gary asked, surprised.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and a nervous voice came back. "I don't know. Should I ask?"

"Never mind. Put him through," Gary said, resisting the urge to sigh again.

More silence. "Sorry, sheriff. He hung up."

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose and took a slow breath. "That's fine. Either he'll call back, or I'll call him when I get time. Thanks!" He hung up and went back inside.

He had a lovely Hospital Administrator to speak to.

-=-

Suzanne gave herself a little pep talk then smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She was ready for her next battle, or budgetary meeting, as they were called in the hospital. She let herself out of her office and heard her name being called out. She turned and saw Sheriff Cooper. She couldn't help but notice the resemblance, and that drew a smile to her lips. He was a very good-looking man.

"Sheriff Cooper, hello! I'm just on my way to a budget meeting, and I'm running late. Can we walk and talk?" she asked.

"Certainly!" Gary said and fell into step with her. "I just wanted to personally let you know we have a prisoner in one of your private rooms recuperating from surgery for the injuries he sustained before his arrest. Once Jim—I mean Chief Physician Woods signs off on his release, we'll get him out of your hospital. We'll have a deputy watching his room at all times."

She looked at him in concern. "Is he dangerous?"

"Well, he was until someone beat the stuffing out of him. Both of his knees were broken, so he's going nowhere fast. Just the same, I wanted you to be aware of the situation," he said earnestly.

She smiled at him as she would've received this news from her staff later today. "That was very conscientious of you, Sheriff Cooper."

"Please, call me Gary."

Her smile widened, and she got the distinct impression that he was flirting with her. She hadn't experienced that in a long time. "Then you can call me Suzanne," she found herself saying, then blushed. He nodded with a sweet smile, and she caught herself preening. She glanced behind herself and saw she was at the meeting room door. "This is me."

"Good talking with you, Suzanne. Hey, good luck in there!" he said with a cheeky grin. He turned and headed back down the hallway towards the exit.

She caught herself watching his hard body as he walked away. She turned, a blush spreading across her cheeks, and walked to the door with a spring in her step, ready to do battle.

-=-

Margaret pushed the door to the staff room open and walked in as she glanced around to spot the usual suspects. Three were in the process of leaving, so that would leave her and her target alone, moments from now.

The woman in question was in her favorite chair in the corner by the window. Finally, the English Lit teacher understood the redhead's motivation for sitting there day after day during their lunch hour. Nurse Jaclyn Galiban could select her prey from that vantage point, watching the young men playing basketball on the court or just lounging on the bleachers. The woman's predatory nature made Margaret's skin crawl.

Today the window was open, and a surprisingly warm breeze was gently playing with the woman's red hair. There was a smile of deep satisfaction on Jaclyn's bright red lips, her trademark lipstick once more in place.

The three teachers on their way out nodded to Margaret, and she nodded in return before walking over to confront Jaclyn. She stood before the smiling woman trying to think of the words which adequately expressed her disgust.

"If you've got something to say, say it. Then leave so I can enjoy this delicious breeze," Jaclyn sighed in her girlish voice.

Margaret shuddered again. "How-How could you?!?" she gasped.

Jaclyn's eyes opened, and she looked curiously at the older woman. "How could I what?"

Margaret was struggling to regain her equilibrium, but this strumpet's blasé attitude was seriously upsetting her. "You kissed him!" she hissed at the nurse.

Jaclyn's eyes showed a little wariness but more curiosity. "Who?"

Margaret was choking on her anger. "Who?!? Raphael Graves, that's who!"

Jaclyn glanced around, but they were alone. The smallest of smiles touched the corners of those red lips.

Margaret could see the nurse was beginning to enjoy her emotional state. But Jaclyn's eyes showed her craftiness. "Did he tell you that I kissed him?"

"No! He's too much of a gentleman to kiss and tell!" Margaret growled.

Comprehension appeared on the nurse's face, and Margaret's blush intensified. "Then what gave you the impression I kissed him?" Jaclyn pushed.

"Oh, please! He'd just come from your office, and your lipstick was on his lips! Only tarts and prostitutes wear that shade of red," Margaret said scornfully.

"You have physical proof?" Jaclyn asked, her smile slowly widening.

Margaret's mouth dropped open as she frowned, trying to remember what happened to the tissue Raphael wiped his mouth with. He'd taken it with him. She looked at the gleeful smile on the redhead's face. Her anger swelled. "No, I have no physical proof, but we both know you did it! The real question is how you could've done such a thing! He's so young! He's practically a child!"

Jaclyn ran a fingertip along the corner of her mouth, accentuating the fullness of her lips as she watched Margaret's reaction then smiled. She began to chuckle. "Mr. Graves is no child! He's a fully formed adult with all the nicest parts."

Margaret's eyes widened as she caught the nurse's hint. Her mouth dropped open, but she couldn't say anything at first. She watched Jaclyn's delighted smile broaden. "You've seen him naked?" she croaked.

Jaclyn's smile became predatory. "Only from the waist down, but that half was pretty spectacular!"

"No!" Margaret gasped as she shuddered.

Jaclyn seemed to be recalling the event as she hugged herself. She leaned closer and held the woman's eyes with hers. "I didn't just see his lovely cock, I took it into my mouth, then into my throat, and I sucked his thick meat until he came explosively! He came so much, and I swallowed it all! It was so good! He loved it!"

"STOP IT!" Margaret yelled in horror. "How many of these other children have you corrupted?"

Jaclyn looked out the window like she was counting, then grinned at Margaret. "Raphael was my first and only... so far. But I'm not finished with him. I still want that wonderful cock of his buried deep in my pussy. Who knows, maybe I'll have him take my ass cherry while he's at it." She gestured out the window at the young men playing basketball. "These aren't children. They're eighteen. Adults. Legally able to have sex with whomever they desire. And Raphael desires me. He'll be an amazing fuck!"

"No! I-I'll report you!" Margaret gasped, her head spinning.

"You've no evidence—just the whining voice of an old, jealous woman. Don't expect him to confess. Not when he's trying to get that scholarship. I've read his file. With his past, he doesn't need the notoriety, so he won't take that risk. Are you going to destroy his dreams?" Jaclyn asked with an exaggerated pout, batting her thick, dark lashes on her big blue eyes.

Margaret rocked back. The bitch had all the angles covered. She was right. Margaret wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the boy's future. But she couldn't tolerate Jaclyn's sexual interference with him either. She had to convince her to back off!

"You're a married woman! What if your husband found out?" she asked.

Jaclyn's eyes locked on the older woman's. "Rick? Rick fucks around while he's on the road. He's a big man with a big appetite for sex. If he heard I played too, he'd hunt Raphael down and beat him to death. Even if he survived, Raphael's chances at that scholarship would be destroyed by the scandal." She tilted her head as she smiled at the frustrated rage in the old woman's eyes. "Don't you get it yet? There's nothing you can do about this. If you try, you just end up hurting him and his future. So why don't you just... back off. Besides, it's not like I want him permanently. I'm just playing. You can have him once I'm done. Not that I think you have any chance."

Mr. Hernandez, who taught geography, wandered into the staff room and immediately smiled when he saw Mrs. Galiban.

"Jaclyn, you'll regret this! I'll find a way to stop you, you fucking cunt!" Margaret growled then noticed the nurse tipping her head to indicate they had company. The infuriating woman continued to smile. Margaret turned and saw the shocked expression on the male teacher's face.

She'd find a way. Summoning up as much dignity as she could, she walked from the room.

Jaclyn watched Mr. Hernandez waddle over to sit next to her.

"Mrs. Galiban! Why was she threatening you?" he gushed.

She saw an excellent opportunity to spread a little proactive defense should the old bird get any ideas. This man was a terrible gossip. "She doesn't like me. Since the day I joined this school as its nurse, she's had it out for me. She's been trying to get me fired for some time."

"Why?" the man gasped, leaning a little closer.

The redhead knew he not so secretly lusted after her. Jaclyn put an innocent look on her face. "I honestly don't know. I try to be friendly, but I think she's got some screws loose upstairs. All that time she spends alone with her books. She probably sees me as the villain in one of those stories."

Mr. Hernandez nodded thoughtfully and patted her hand. Jaclyn did her best to hide her shudder at his touch. The bell rang, and she quickly stood up.

"I have to get back to the nurse's station, or she might file a claim that I'm neglecting my duties. Nice talking to you," she said and made her escape in haste, ignoring his look of disappointment.

As she walked down the hall, heels clicking boldly, she smiled to herself. She knew that gossip would be all over the school by the end of the day.

Outside the Staff Room's open window, Roxanne felt like her mind might split in two from the crazed rage exploding through her. She wanted Galiban dead for using her man like that. That bitch was going to ruin everything! And no one got to have sex with her man!

She took deep breaths like she saw Raph do, and it calmed her a little. She'd have words with this Mrs. Galiban... later. She still needed to determine the cause of his recent inattention. He said he'd be going to the library to study. She could go there now and wait for him. She wanted to get away from the school, or she might be tempted to rip out the hair of this Jaclyn bitch!

Chapter 8

Raph made his way up the steps of the library and up to the front doors. His nerves were a little frayed after he'd had to walk through a crowd of McConnell's football goons after school.

Apparently, his new approval rating with the female population after his little demonstration in the art class made the Neanderthals nervous. They lined the hallways and steps outside the school, making offensive comments and glaring at him in the hopes of intimidating him or provoking him to do something stupid enough to get him expelled. While he kept his expression cool and calm, inside, he repeated his mantra about leaving the town behind and managed to make it to the bus stop without incident. The ladies waiting at the stop had watched him pass through the angry men without so much as a sideways glance, and his appeal just seemed to increase for them. They made no attempt to hide how their hungry eyes devoured him now. He was concerned that this was going to have repercussions for him.

He had to cancel these tutoring lessons. He'd explain the mounting danger of discovery with so much attention on him now. Sam would have to understand how bad this could turn.

He stopped to take a deep breath with his hand on the Library's door handle then let himself inside the building.

There was... Suzanne, Sam's mom, waiting with her daughter. Both looked towards him as he arrived, and matching smiles hit him simultaneously. Geezus! He felt his resolve crumbling, and he stumbled slightly. This put too much weight on his right thigh, and he winced in pain.

Two brilliant smiles became looks of concern, and they approached to meet him halfway. Suzanne was examining the size of the bandage under his pant leg and spoke first.

"Are you all right?" She glanced at his leg. "Did you get hurt?" She automatically reached out to touch his arm to steady him as he shifted his weight to his left leg.

"I'm fine. It's nothing," he insisted.

"Nothing? That bandage says otherwise," Suzanne said gently. "You've had medical attention?"

He paused and looked into her concerned eyes. "Yes, a nurse took care of it. I'm good."

She nodded absently as she unconsciously squeezed the hard bicep her hand was on.

"Mom, he said he was good. You can let go now," Sam said in exasperation. Suzanne, now aware of what she was doing, pulled her hand back with a quick annoyed glance at her daughter.

Raph's eyes went to Sam's, and he gave her a smile of gratitude, then he schooled his expression.

"Listen, about the tutoring—" he began.

Suzanne jumped in. "Ah! I almost forgot again. I'm so sorry I didn't give you the check the last time we met. I've made out a new one which covers the previous two six-hour sessions and the next two as well—paid in full. I also wanted to thank you again for helping Sam out with this. She explained how dire her situation was and how much you've improved her knowledge of the subject. Reportedly, you're an excellent teacher." Suzanne said enthusiastically with a wide smile echoed by Sam. Once more, Raph found himself overwhelmed.

He took the offered check and looked at it. Six-hundred-dollars. Shit. He nodded and tucked it away in his wallet. When he looked up again, he saw Sam was grinning from ear to ear. He realized she'd still been worried he'd back out. Perceptive girl. Accepting the money meant he was in for the rest. He sighed and nodded to her.

"We'd better get started then," he said with a sigh.

Suzanne turned and kissed her daughter's cheek. With a smile and a wave, she headed out.

Raph made his way back to the study pod and had the weirdest sensation of being watched. He glanced at Sam, but she had her eyes on his ass, so he didn't think she was the source of that feeling. She squeaked in embarrassment when he caught her again, but he ignored her and just scanned his eyes around the library and didn't see anyone else watching. He shook his head and put it down to unsettled nerves from his running the gauntlet earlier.

Raph sat in his usual chair and impulsively turned to catch a glimpse of the colorful light passing across Sam's blonde locks once more. As quickly, he turned his head away and frowned at his stupidity.

"Why do you do that?" Sam asked gently.

He forced the frown from his face and tried for a neutral expression. "Do what?" he asked stiffly.

"You glance up at me each time I'm about to sit with this... look in your eyes," she said curiously.

He looked away and struggled to compose himself. "It's the light... you know, from the stained glass. It's very... beautiful. The way it flows across your hair—Can we get started?" he finished in a growl and roughly pulled out his notes and textbook. She glanced down at her hair and seemed to be noticing for the first time how the light was coloring her hair in amazing ways. She sat quickly, watching him with wide eyes.

"Did you study the stuff we did yesterday?" he asked gruffly, not looking at her.

"Yes! Uh, yes, I did."

"And?"

"I'm beau—I understand the material!" she stammered, her face glowing pink.

He took a few deep breaths, and by the last, he was calm. "Let's begin where we left off."

She nodded and opened her notes.

Tonight, there was a definite tension between them. Raph was overly aware of her next to him, and she seemed to be reacting the same way about him. He had to growl his repeated instructions a few times before she was able to focus on his lessons. Then they got down to work and powered through the sections. It was tough going, and he was meticulous with breaking down the work into mentally digestible components for her.

When the lights flashed, they both looked up in surprise.

They chuckled at their mutual reaction.

"Oh my god, I can't tell you how much better I'm feeling about the midterm exam. After tomorrow's lesson, we'll be caught up to the current material, and I'll understand it all!" she gushed.

He nodded with a smile. "I can honestly say you're picking up this more complex stuff quicker than you did the more basic concepts in the earlier sessions. You're obviously brilliant—I mean, you're smart enough to handle the lessons we'll be getting after the midterm." He scowled at his slip, and his frustration at his growing confusion was getting to him. He looked away, so she didn't see it.

He tried to get himself to relax. He'd be leaving shortly, and then Sam wouldn't be so close he could smell the delicate scent of her shampoo.

He frowned at where his thoughts were taking him. Not good.

-=-

Suzanne knew she should've just let Sam take the bus home as she'd asked, but that still made her too nervous. Did that make her one of those helicopter moms? She didn't care.

She entered the library and nodded to the Librarian. "Just picking up my daughter." That forestalled the reminder of closing hours.

Sam had mentioned they worked in the back, so she passed the stacks and found the study pods.

"There you two are!" she exclaimed as she spotted them sitting together... so close. Sam looked like she was seconds away from leaping on Raphael. He looked like he might just enjoy it though he had the same desperate look in his eyes she'd seen when he fled the library before.

He stuffed his notes and books into his bag as Sam scrambled to do the same. They all walked out of the building together. Once they were outside, Suzanne stepped forward and hugged the young man, feeling his body lock up in surprise. Sam squeaked. When she stepped back, she looked into his wide eyes.

"Thank you so much for helping Sam!"

He just nodded.

"Can we give you a drive home tonight?" she asked.

"NO!" he exclaimed, then held up his hands. "Sorry, no. It's better that you don't. I have to go. My bus is coming. Good night." He rushed down the stairs and across the street just before the bus arrived. As it pulled away, Suzanne and Sam saw him glancing back through the window, so they waved. They saw his hand come up, then he turned away.

The mother turned to her daughter and saw an angry scowl. "What?"

"Why did you hug him?" she hissed.

Suzanne raised an elegant eyebrow and looked at her daughter. "My doing so wouldn't jeopardize your final session. If you'd tried, there's a good chance he might've bailed. He's quite taken with you but is trying so hard to deny it!"

Sam wanted to be angry with her mother, but honestly, she was just jealous. "Wh-what did it feel like?"

Suzanne smiled at Sam. "This is why I hugged him. So I could share the experience with you!" Sam smiled in return. "His body is very firm and feels very strong. He also smells really good!"

Sam sighed and nodded as she enjoyed his scent too.

The ladies giggled and headed off to their car. They had much to talk about.

As they walked away, the two were oblivious of the watcher leaning back against the wall, hidden in the shadows next to the doorway.

Roxanne seethed with hate as she watched the two sluts laughing about touching Raph.

While she was waiting in the library for Raph to show up, she spotted the two blondes entering and taking chairs near the entrance. She'd recognized the older woman. She'd seen her at the hospital a few times and on TV. She was the mayor's wife. Roxanne wondered what she was doing hanging out at the library with a girl who had to be her daughter.

She'd been shocked when Raph arrived, and they'd immediately stood up to greet him. She thought he studied alone, and here he was rubbing elbows with the town's royal family?

Then the woman got all handsy with Raph, and Roxanne had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming at the tall blonde.

Roxanne was confused. What was Raph doing with them?

When she saw him accept a check from the woman, Roxanne relaxed a little. Taking money from the rich bitch made sense to her, but she was worried about what he'd have to do for that money.

The woman left, and Roxanne tried to follow Raph, but he almost saw her. She hid until he moved to the back, then she followed after waiting for them to settle in.

She ground her teeth in rage when she saw them almost head to head sitting at a work pod at the back. Then she heard Raph growling at the little bitch who jumped to answer him. Roxanne's rage dissipated immediately as relief flooded through her. He was just tutoring the skank, and her mommy was paying for it. She was so proud of her man! She almost rushed over to kiss him, but at the last second, she realized how pissed he'd be to see she followed him. She reversed her course and left the building. She'd wait for him to leave and follow him home.

Then the bitch's mom was back to grope him. She'd wanted to get him into her car. Raph told her off and rushed away to catch his bus. The tall blonde showed how delusional she was by telling her daughter Raph wanted the girl. Of course, she hadn't heard Raph growling at the little slut. It turned her stomach to see these two pretending to love each other — one big happy royal family.

Roxanne smiled. She knew just how to punish them all.

Chapter 9

Jaclyn Galiban was feeling particularly sexy today. She'd had red hot phone sex with her husband the night before, and today she intended to ride Raphael's cock to a glorious, earth-shattering orgasm. She was on the pill, so there was no danger of making little Raphael's.

Her uniform was freshly washed and crisply white. Underneath was her naughtiest red lace underwear, which exposed her nipples and pretty, shaven pussy. Her red pumps were polished to a shine, and her red hair gleamed in the sunlight of the new morning. She'd taken the time the night before to paint her fingernails and toenails the same bold red as her lipstick. This morning, she added just a touch of eye shadow and eyeliner to accentuate her eyes. She thought she looked eminently fuckable!

No doubt that wimp of a principal would tell her to tone it down, and she would, tomorrow. Today, she was fucking the school's most delicious specimen of male anatomy.

She'd been just messing with Margaret the previous afternoon. She had no intention of having sex with any of the other students as none met her standards, aside from Mr. Graves. It was very likely she'd continue her little affair with Raphael for as long as he was available. It wasn't like he could refuse her. Not without fucking up his chance at a future.

She'd arrived early today as she had some arrangements to take care of so she and her prey could have a long period of uninterrupted time to play.

The parking lot was pretty empty, but she knew better than to take one of the closer spots. They were unofficially reserved for the teachers with longer careers at the school. She'd only been here for two years, but she'd already picked up on the organization's subtle politics. Small town politics. Ugh.

She brought her car to rest between two other teacher's cars, two-thirds of the way back in the lot. There were only three other cars parked farther back. Stupid policy, she grumbled to herself.

Jaclyn plucked her cell phone from its holder on her dash and passed it to her left hand. She pushed her door open and began to step out as she leaned towards the passenger seat to get her purse.

Leaning back towards the open door, she felt a sharp punch and yank to the side of her throat. She dropped the phone to the ground and her purse on the seat as she felt a second harder hit and pull. She tried to scream, but she could only make gurgling sounds. Someone slammed her left hip, knocking her back into the car seat. She put her hands to her throat and felt the hot, wet spray of her blood pumping out of the holes stabbed in her neck. Again, she tried to scream, but nothing came out. She finally managed to turn her head and saw wild eyes and a feral snarl on the face of a girl she didn't recognize. Her blood was splashed across the girl's sweater.

Jaclyn's medical training was trying to kick in, but she was quickly going into shock. She tried to apply pressure over the puncture, but it was no use. The holes were too deep and too wide for her to be able to stop the flow. The world began to dim, and she leaned back against the seat.

She watched the girl use her own foot to hook and lift Jaclyn's left foot back into the car. Then she pushed the car door closed with the sleeve of her hoodie. With a final cold stare at Jaclyn, the girl dipped down beside the car door, then stood and walked out of her sight, moving towards the woods at the back of the parking lot.

Jaclyn needed to do something. She needed to let someone know who killed her.

She needed... needed—

-=-

Sheriff Cooper stood in the high school parking lot, staring at the shocked look on the dead nurse's face. Aside from the splashes of blood across her white uniform and the inside of the driver's side window, she might've been mistaken for someone just relaxing behind the wheel of her car before work. But there was no mistaking the lack of life in those eyes. He wanted to blink and make this all go away, but of course, he knew he couldn't. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Murder, while very uncommon in the small town, wasn't unknown, but there'd never been one this far from the Wellington Heights area. Until now.

He looked over at the school behind the tape his deputies set up to keep the curious back from the crime scene. Two deputies were getting statements from the owners of the cars on either side of the deceased's car. They were early birds and usually arrived at the crack of dawn.

The victim wasn't typically an early arriver, so it could've just been a crime of opportunity. The nature of the injury, two stabs to the side of the neck with something sharp and pointed, and the presence of blood on the ground next to the door told him she might've been getting out when she was attacked. She might've gotten back inside and closed the door herself, but the amount of blood outside the car indicated the door was open for more than a few seconds and had been open all the way.

They'd do a more thorough investigation once they brought the vehicle back to the station. As a small-town police department with a limited budget, they didn't have a very sophisticated lab, but they'd follow procedure and do what they could with what they had to get some answers.

Another aspect of being a small town, he cursed the fact that the parking lot had no surveillance cameras on it at all. Unless he found an eyewitness or someone confessed, all he had to go on were the clues left at the scene.

The coroner arrived, so he waited for the man to collect his kit and make his way past the tape to join him by the car.

"Morning, Kevin."

"Morning, Gary. Geezus, this looks awful," the older, white-haired man said.

The sheriff nodded. There was nothing more to say,

"Your boys get all their pictures? I can move the body?"

"Yes, the scene is yours," Gary confirmed.

"Thanks," the coroner said and got to work.

Gary walked back towards the school, where the woman who found the victim was sitting in his cruiser's back seat. He opened the back door, and she turned her head to look at him.

"Ms. Picton? How are you feeling now? Up for a few questions?" he asked gently. She nodded.

"What time did you say you arrived this morning?" he asked as he flipped open his notepad.

She nodded to herself. "Seven or a few minutes before."

He made a note then looked at her again. "And where did you park?"

"Mine is the small white Japanese import, parked in the row before Mrs. Galiban's car and two to the left." She paused as her mind took her back to the moment she spotted the nurse's car. "She doesn't usually come in early. It was... a surprise."

"Were you friends with the deceased?" Gary asked.

Margaret snorted, then put a hand over her mouth and turned troubled eyes towards the sheriff. "No. No, we weren't friends."

"But you spoke occasionally?" Gary pushed gently.

Margaret closed her eyes for a moment and seemed to collect herself. "Rarely, but I should tell you we had... words yesterday. In the staff room."

"About?"

Margaret's eyes went to the sheriff, and her mouth opened and closed. She nodded faintly and began again. "The way she dressed was inappropriate for an environment with children in it. I asked her to dress and behave more responsibly."

"How did she take this?" he asked.

Margaret looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap, and shook her head stiffly. "She just laughed and told me to bugger off." Her eyes went to his once more. "Sorry, not her exact words but close enough to indicate her opinion of me."

"Did anyone else witness this conversation?" he asked, making a note.

She recalled the moment. "I believe Mr. Hernandez entered the room just before I left."

"Hernandez."

"Yes, he teaches geography. He has a bit of a thing for Mrs. Galiban." Her expression turned grim. "Had a thing. He's going to be a little upset."

"Coming back to this morning. You arrive. You see Galiban's car earlier than expected. You move towards her car because..."

She nodded, smiling like she understood where this was going. "I thought I might try one more time to get her to tone down the overtly sexual nature of her attire." She paused as her expression showed she was reliving the moment. "But when I reached her front bumper, I could see the blood on her and the glass. So much blood." She shuddered.

"Did you touch anything?" he asked.

She closed her eyes briefly again then looked at the sheriff, leaning forward slightly. "I-I put my left hand down on the hood of her car... it was still warm. Then I backed away and called the police on my cell."

More notes were scribbled down on the pad. "We'll need to take your fingerprints so we can match them to the prints on the car."

"Of course," she said quietly.

"Is there anything else you can recall? You said you rarely spoke to her, but this is a fairly small school community. You might've heard something about someone else taking issue with her dress or behavior," Gary suggested.

She smiled gently. "I don't listen to gossip, so for all I know, I was the only one who did. As self-incriminating as that may sound."

He smiled back at her and held out a hand to help her from the cruiser. Once she was out, he gestured to a deputy standing by another squad car and walked her over to him.

"Deputy Ramirez will take you to the station to get printed and will return you to the school afterward." He nodded to the officer and received one in return. He helped the woman into the back seat of the other cruiser and watched as they drove off.

He went back to the school and saw Principal Jasper speaking with a few angry teachers. He looked a little relieved when the sheriff stopped next to him.

"Did you arrest her?" a short, heavyset man barked at him.

Gary frowned at the man. "And you are?"

"Philip Hernandez. Did you arrest her?" he said belligerently.

"The investigation has just begun. The witness is just going to the station to provide a little more information," Gary said sternly. "I have questions for you—"

"Why are you still investigating? She did it!" the man shouted.

Gary's eyebrows went up. The histrionics were not welcome. "I'm sorry, were you a witness to the murder? Were you here at the time of the murder?"

The man huffed a few times as he looked into the eyes of the sheriff. "No, but she threatened her just yesterday. I bet she didn't tell you that!"

"She did tell me she spoke with the victim yesterday and had a disagreement with her. She told me you entered the room just before she left. This is why I'd like to speak to you next."

Hernandez was rubbing his face with both hands in an agitated manner. "A disagreement she said. Geezus."

"Mr. Hernandez, please come with me." Gary looked at the others. "Don't leave. I'll speak to you next."

He led the shorter man a few yards away to have privacy. "Exactly what did you hear them saying when you entered the staff room."

The teacher glared at him. "I heard her threaten Jaclyn!"

"The words."

Philip sighed and squinted as he tried to recall. "She said... she said you'll regret it! I'll stop you then she called her a fucking puta!" he gushed.

"Puta?" Gary asked, trying to imagine the old British woman using that word.

Mr. Hernandez scowled at the officer. "Maybe not puta but a bad word, one the women hate."

The sheriff shook his head, not willing to offer guesses.

"The hard word! About a woman's lower lady parts!" the teacher insisted.

"Okay..." Gary made a note on his pad. "How many people did you speak to regarding the argument you overheard?"

The man's body language immediately became defensive. "A few."

"And what was your relationship with the deceased?" Gary asked.

"She was my friend!" the teacher exclaimed, his bottom lip beginning to quiver.

"You spoke frequently?"

Philip looked defensively at the sheriff then nodded. "I asked her why Margaret threatened her, and she told me she didn't know. Jaclyn only wanted to be friends, but the hag hated her passionately! So what if she dressed young and a little sexy. Jaclyn was so beautiful and full of life!"

"Married too," Gary offered quietly as he scribbled a note.

Philip frowned and sputtered a little. "Yes, she was. To Rick, a big brute of a man. She sat at home by herself night after night as he travels so much and gets home at all hours of the night. He probably cheats on her... he didn't deserve her as I did." He froze, and his eyes went wide, hearing the words that just left his mouth. He looked at the sheriff like a deer caught in the headlights.

Gary finished up his notes and stared at the sad little man.

"So perhaps your interest in the victim was a little more personal than you initially stated?" Gary asked.

Mr. Hernandez's mouth worked silently. He swallowed and finally found his voice. "I would never hurt her! I worshipped her from afar! She was so lovely!"

"How close were you two?" Gary asked again.

Philip's face became sullen. "We said hello to each other occasionally."

"And the threat?"

"That was real! Margaret really did yell at Jaclyn. She was red-faced when she left. She looked like she was about to cry, but Jaclyn took it in stride and smiled at me!" Hernandez asserted.

Gary nodded and made another note.

"Please refrain from talking about this case to anyone until we've completed the investigation. You may have poisoned my witness pool with the statements you've already made. Last question, where were you this morning between six-thirty and seven?"

Philip's eyes went wide again. "I-I was at home getting ready for work."

"Can anyone corroborate that?"

The teacher looked at the sheriff. "Uh, no. I live alone. Wait! My neighbor! Mrs. Kowalski! She asked me to bring her garbage bins to the curb!" he gasped in relief.

Gary looked up from his notepad and gestured for one of his deputies to approach. "Please get the address information from Mr. Hernandez here for his neighbor, Mrs. Kowalski. Have Simon go speak with the woman to corroborate his statement of being at his home this morning between six-thirty and seven." He turned his attention back to the nervous teacher. "I may have further questions for you, so please stay at the school until one of my deputies or I let you know we're done." The man nodded rapidly.

With a sigh, Gary walked back to speak with the coroner who was directing his assistants to take the body, now under a sheet on the gurney, back to the morgue.

"What can you tell me so far?" Gary asked as he stopped next to the white-haired gentleman.

"Probably not much more than you already know," the man sighed as he ran his hand up through his hair. "Two stab wounds to the left side of the neck with a sharp-pointed, round shaft weapon. Likely an ice pick or something similar. The weapon hit the carotid artery twice, and she bled out quickly based on the amount of blood we found on the ground and the car's interior. Either a very skilled attack or a lucky hit, twice."

"How much force would've been required?" Gary asked.

Kevin thought a moment. "If it was an ice pick or something like that, it would've taken less force than a wider blade to get through the muscles. That said, the strikes went deep, indicating strength or passion. I'll know more when I do the autopsy."

They looked over to see the flatbed tow truck preparing to take the car back to the station.

"A smudge of blood on the underside of the arch of the left shoe may indicate the perpetrator lifted her leg back into the car before the door was closed," Kevin suggested.

"Fingerprints?" Gary asked, hopefully.

The man shook his head with a frown. "Likely, they used the toe of their own shoe to lift the foot inside. The smear was across the underside of the arch."

Gary considered that. "How wide was the space in the arch of the shoe? It might give us some idea as to the perpetrator's foot size. If they could get their shoe into the gap, that might give us something. It doesn't seem like much, but the scene is all I have."

"There's a holder for a cell phone in the car, but I didn't find one. She might've left it at home, or maybe it was stolen, but the purse was in the car with the wallet and money," Kevin said. "Also, I found a smear of blood on the door where it might've been touched when the door was closed. Again, no fingerprints, but if it was an arm," he pantomimed the action of using his left arm to close the door, "it might give you some idea of how tall the perpetrator was. I'll get measurements for you once the car is back at the lab."

Gary smiled at the man. "I wish I could get you a larger budget for more high-tech toys."

Kevin smiled and shook his head. "They'd be useless in the hands of an old fart like me."

The sheriff patted the coroner on the shoulder and walked away with a smile on his face. He spoke to a deputy to ask him to take statements from the teachers who'd been standing with Mr. Hernandez. Then he walked back to his cruiser to head back to the station. He wanted to speak with Ms. Picton again. He wanted to ask her what Mrs. Galiban might do that she'd regret and what hard word about a woman's lower lady parts she used and what inflamed her enough to use it.

-=-

Harold McConnell rushed out of the school into the parking lot and glared at the sheriff's departing cruiser with a sour look on his face.

He'd tried calling him twice since that flake in the police call center left him on hold for twenty minutes.

When he overheard the police were in the parking lot, he made a beeline to the back of the school, but he was too late.

He turned his frown on the people milling about. He saw Mr. Hernandez walking past and called out.

"Hey, what's going on back here?"

The chubby man stopped and looked at him with an incredulous expression. "Did you not hear? Mrs. Galiban is dead! Murdered!"

Harold rocked back in shock. "What?!?"

"It was terrible! Killed in her car! So young! So sexy!" Hernandez moaned.

Harold gave the man a look of disgust. "You know she was married, right?"

A guilty look flashed across the heavyset man's face. He nodded quickly, then rushed back into the school as Harold watched him suspiciously.

Fuck, the nurse was dead. He froze. Graves was sent to the nurse's office just the day before. Maybe she recognized the gunshot wound. Maybe Graves killed her to silence her! If that was the case, he and the principal might be next! He looked around and followed the geography teacher inside. He'd keep an eye out for Graves, just in case.

He'd also try to reach that useless sheriff too. He needed to know this!

Chapter 10

School had been a write-off as everyone was in shock over the death of the school nurse. Raphael was particularly worried because of what the woman had done to him the morning before. Maybe her husband found out?

Then he heard the rumors circulating that it was Ms. Picton who'd done it. He'd almost snorted in amusement when he first heard two airheads sharing the gossip. The idea of that woman murdering anyone was ridiculous. He'd observed her very closely and felt he had a good sense of her moral compass. Murder was outside the scope of her boundaries.

Strangely, the day had gone pretty smoothly for him so far. His leg was feeling much better. He hadn't had to deal with Roxy's crazy behavior this morning as he walked to the bus stop. While he'd endured the attention of the giggling girls on the bus ride to school, at least they hadn't tried to speak with him again. When they'd all arrived, he saw McConnell rush up to interrogate the girls about something. Then the teacher had given him an odd look like he was disappointed and relieved at the same time.

The goons on McConnell's team were too busy with the excitement of speculating on the murder to pay him any attention. He'd made it to the end of the school day and was riding the bus to the library for his final tutoring session.

He was conflicted about it being the last session, and that pissed him off. Severely. He should feel relieved because so far, no one from school had caught on that he and Sam were working together. He didn't let his guard down as he still had to get through today's session.

He exited the bus and walked up the steps to enter the library, and Sam was sitting at the first table. He paused when he saw the brightly colored gift bag with tissue paper poking up out of it. He saw her smile hesitantly.

"Hi," Sam said quietly as she stood.

"What's this?" he asked, pointing to the bag.

She glanced down at it, then back to him. "Just a little thanks. I know you didn't have to do this and didn't even want to do it, but I really appreciate it." She lifted the bag and handed it to him.

He took it and glanced at the hopeful expression in her pretty blue eyes. Pulling the tissue paper out, he peeked inside. His eyes widened, and he pulled out a pair of black jeans.

"I had to guess at the size. There's a gift receipt inside in case you need to exchange them for a larger or smaller size," she said in a rush, nervously babbling.

He was surprised to see that the pants were his size. He'd have them try them on to be sure, but the numbers were right, at least. Then he spotted something else in there. He reached in and lifted out a white dress shirt. It was so soft. He stared at it, then looked at Sam.

"A-again, I guessed your size," she squeaked out.

His eyes went to the label in the collar, and he nodded. "You," he paused as he tried to get a handle on his conflicted feelings. It had been a long time since anyone had given him anything. Sam was the last person who should have done this, but he genuinely appreciated it. "You're very good at guessing. Thank you."

Sam's relieved smile spread across her features, catching him by surprise, and he had to look away. Anywhere but into those beautiful eyes or at her lovely lips. He carefully folded the shirt and pants and tucked them back into the bag. Then he folded the entire package flat and put it into his backpack. He took a breath and nodded. "We have a few more sections to complete. Let's get to it."

She nodded with a huge smile.

They made their way to the back, and their study pod was waiting for them. Once more, the lovely stained glass was bathing the area in brilliant colors. Raphael sat and held himself still to prevent himself from looking up at Sam as she settled in.

Except, she didn't sit down.

Curious, he turned his head and saw her leaning against the wall of the pod, smiling impishly at him. His breath caught in his chest as, once more, he was awestruck by how beautiful she looked painted by the bold hues from the windows. Her smile increased the impact, and the image burned into his memory as he wrenched his eyes from her. "We're here to study!" he blustered shakily.

They only had six more hours to be together. To study, Raph cursed himself internally, frustrated by his treacherous thoughts.

Sam quickly took her seat and took out her notes. She felt a warm tingle rush up and down her body, and she felt how close he was to her. She knew now. Her mother was right. He did like her! Then she frowned at herself. Why the hell was she so happy about that? She had a boyfriend!

"Sam!"

She squeaked in surprise at his bark. She turned her eyes to him. "Yes?"

"I asked if you ran through the questions we did last night again?" he said tersely.

Giving herself a shake to bring herself to the now, she nodded. "Yes! I understand the work."

He gave her another conflicted look. "Okay. Let's do the next exercise."

She nodded and listened as he began. She had to struggle to listen to the words and not just his voice, which filled her with a strange warmth.

After a few more growls from Raph, she managed to discipline her mind sufficiently to focus on the work—as long as she pressed her thighs together tightly.

When the chime sounded and the lights flickered, they both leaned back in exhaustion. Tonight had been a struggle. Not from the work, but from the effort it took to ignore their attraction to each other. There was almost a desperate quality to it as if they both knew tonight was the last night they'd have an excuse to be together.

Sam was feeling the oddest sensation of loss. She tried not to look at Raph too closely as her heart was doing flips.

Raph put his notes away and stood as she got ready to leave as well. They walked outside together and stopped at the top of the steps breathing in the cool and fresh night air. They both looked up at the stars then over at each other with small smiles.

"I can honestly say, I believe you're going to ace tomorrow's midterm," Raph said softly as he turned his eyes back to the stars.

Her eyes filled with grateful tears. He believed in her! He didn't think she was a flake. In fact, he thought she was beautiful and intelligent. She wanted to kiss him so badly at that moment it took her breath away. She actually became a little lightheaded as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

"No drive home from your Mom tonight—are you okay?" he finished with a look of concern as she rocked on her feet. He reached out to catch her arms to stabilize her, but she tipped forward and face-planted against his chest.

"Oh!" she squeaked, then her arms wrapped around him as she breathed in his warm, manly scent. Then he was hugging her in return, and she sighed happily. God, his hard body felt so incredibly good!

"Wait! Stop!" he yelped as he struggled to free himself from her arms. "I said, stop! We can't do this. Listen, good luck tomorrow and with the rest of your school year. We have to say goodbye right here and now and promise to not even look at each other, ever again."

"Why?" she asked, shocked by his words.

He gave her a pained and exasperated look. "You have a boyfriend who takes great joy in making my life miserable. He's an ass—he's not as nice as you think. As smart as you are, that's your blind spot. He also has a lot of friends who listen to him and follow his orders. I just need to get through the rest of the year without attracting their attention more than I already do. You need to do this for me. Please!"

She pouted but finally nodded when she saw the desperate look in his eye.

"Thank you... and goodbye," he said quietly, then spun to run down the steps and across to the bus stop as his was pulling up. She followed more slowly as her bus was still a few blocks away. She saw him board his, take a seat, slump down in it, and drop his face forward.

His bus was pulling away as hers pulled up, so she was left to wonder if he glanced back to see her one last time.

Chapter 11

"What are you so happy about?" Victor grumbled as he walked Sam back to her locker. "I heard you almost giggling all the way through that stupid exam! Did you lose some marbles?" He poked a finger against the side of her head, and she scowled at him then smiled.

"No! I just found the test easier than I thought! I think I did very well," she said with a cheeky smile.

He blinked at her. "I saw what grade you got on your last test. How can you say the exam was easy? Even I struggled through it, and I got a much better grade than you did before."

Her scowl was back. "My mom hired a tutor who cleared up my misconceptions and explained how it works."

"You cheated!" he gasped in delight.

Her eyes widened in outrage. "WHAT?"

"You didn't cheat?" he asked in confusion.

"I just told you how I did it!" she exclaimed.

"A tutor? But... wouldn't they just be teaching you the same stuff? Babe, you either get it, or you don't. That's how math works," he replied skeptically.

She stared at him, then held up her hands as she took a few steps back. "I have to walk away now before I do something we will both regret. I don't want to see your face until you think carefully about the crap that just came out of your mouth and how insulting you've been to me." She spun and stormed off as he watched in annoyance.

"Bitches, man. You can't take shit from them, or they will take your balls away."

"Shut the fuck up, JJ," Victor growled as he turned to see his crew approach. Wally was just grinning stupidly as he usually did. There was no question the big goof flunked the exam.

"Considering how blue yours must be getting, maybe losing them wouldn't be much of a loss." Gerry continued with a smirk.

"I guess that makes yours twice as blue, considering you keep sniffing after my sloppy seconds." Victor sneered back.

Gerry's smile dropped away. "Do you think I'd settle for just one bitch?"

Victor's smile turned cruel. "Oh god, please don't tell me you've finally caved and fucked Mad Maddy!?!"

Wally laughed at Victor's joke. "No, he wouldn't do that! She's his cousin!"

"Distant cousin!" Gerry barked.

"Moron, the term distant cousin is used to describe a relative more than two branches away from your parents on the family tree. It has nothing to do with geographical distance! She's your aunt's daughter! It doesn't matter that she lives in France!"

"Oh my god! You fucked your cousin from France?!?" Wally gasped.

"Shut the fuck up, you fat fuck!" Gerry snarled at Wally as he glared at Victor's smug smile. "At least I can get some any time I want."

"Any time, huh?" Victor asked with a slight smirk.

"That's right! She's visiting all summer and stays in the basement most of the time. Talking to and texting her friends in Paris or some shit. But she likes to fuck," Gerry boasted.

Victor nodded. "This, I gotta see."

Gerry's smile slipped away again. "What do you mean?"

"Let's go visit your cousin. Introduce us. Prove to us you're getting all this hot action." Victor's cruel grin was back.

Gerry was giving him a furious look, so Victor just ramped up his grin. He knew Gerry was lying. Then that expression changed. A glint of determination came to Gerry's eye.

"Fine, let's go!" he said to Victor and Wally.

-=-

Gerry was the first one out of Victor's car once they got to his place and parked out front. He led them around to the back door. When they got there, he turned to look at Victor's challenging smile and Wally's nervous one. "Listen. Let me do the talking when we get inside. I didn't give her the nickname Mad Maddy for nothing. She's moody and unpredictable—"

"But she's your go-to sex source," Victor said skeptically.

Gerry smiled. "I never said it was easy." He opened the door and led them down the stairs, glancing back to catch the momentary doubt on Victor's face. That was a sweet sight.

They stepped into the playroom in the basement. There was a large flat-screen TV on the right wall across from a couch. A laptop PC was on the coffee table, and its display was synced to the TV.

The playroom floor was covered with beige Berber carpet under a scattering of fashion magazines, crushed cigarette packs and wrappers, and empty Smirnov Vodka cooler bottles. There was a smell of stale cigarettes hanging in the air.

"God damn it, Maddy! You know you can't smoke in the house!" Gerry growled as he went to open the basement windows.

Victor shared a look with Wally, then they both turned their heads towards the far corner where the sound of a flush could be heard. The bathroom door opened, and out stepped Mad Maddy.

She was probably twenty-two or twenty-three and stood six-foot-even but looked like she needed a few extra meals. Tall and very slim, she was just wearing one of Gerry's t-shirts, smudged with cigarette ashes and pink lace panties. She had long limbs and wore too many rings and bangles on her thin fingers and wrists. There was a nicotine stain between the first two fingers of her right hand. Her straight blonde hair fell down her back to touch the top of her ass. The last foot of her hair was dyed blood red like it had been dipped into a pool of the stuff. It also looked like it needed a wash. Her high cheekbones were a little too pronounced in her gaunt face. Her hazel eyes had bruises around them and were bloodshot from too little sleep and too much smoke. They passed across the faces of the three standing before her, and she snorted gently as if she judged them unworthy.

Still, she had the frame and bearing of a fashion model, even if it looked like she was on some kind of downward spiral.

"Ah, Gerty, you have brought your little friends home to visit," she said, her heavy French accent making them hang on her every word. She pulled another cigarette from a pack on the coffee table, but Gerry pulled it from her fingers before she could light it.

"Gerty? Pfffthahahahaha!" Wally burst into nervous laughter.

Gerry glared at Wally, then turned his ire on his cousin. "I told you not to call me that!"

Madeline pouted at her cousin. "Did I hurt your sensitive feelings?"

He shook his head in frustration. "You can't smoke in the house!"

"What will they do? Kick me out on the street?" She clucked her tongue. "You worry like a little girl," Madeline said and cupped his cheek.

Gerry felt himself reacting to her touch. He hated to admit she had him wrapped around her little finger.

Victor looked like he was enjoying JJ's embarrassment, but his cruel grin was back.

"Gerry told us you two... stepped beyond family boundaries," he said, watching the anxiety flare on his friend's face. His grin widened.

Madeline simply turned, aimed dull eyes at him, and tilted her head. "No, we just fuck."

Wally chose that moment to burst into giggles like a little girl. She turned her eyes to him, then gave her cousin a questioning look. "These are your friends?"

Gerry frowned at his cousin but nodded. She nodded in return and shrugged. Then she smiled as she'd just realized something.

"Perhaps... you have brought them here for me to fuck?" she said with a crooked smile. She picked up her laptop, moved it to the TV stand, and shut down the screen sync.

Wally made an odd sound as he looked at her with wide eyes. Madeline walked closer to him and held his eyes with hers. "I think this one is a virgin, no?"

She leaned in and inhaled as if scenting him and pulled back slowly with that crooked smile on her lips. "He smells like a virgin. Does he taste like one?"

Wally only had a split second to whimper, then her mouth was on his, and the big man wrenched himself backward and ran for the stairs as she laughed sharply.

She ran a long slim finger across her bottom lip. "Yes, definitely the taste of a virgin," she purred.

Gerry shared a smile with his cousin. He wasn't sure why she affected him as she did, but she did, and she knew it.

Victor was starting to look pissed off. Gerry saw it on his face and in his stance. He knew his cousin was unnerving him. It was what she did. He watched Victor unconsciously rubbing the short hairs at the back of his neck, which were probably standing on end by now.

"This one, he seems to have more fire in him." Hazel eyes panned slowly down Victor's body then back up to his eyes.

"He has a girlfriend," Gerry said. "A steady one. Head cheerleader."

"Does he? Then why is he here? Shouldn't he run along? Back into her loving arms?" Madeline said in a mocking tone.

Victor snorted. "She's my bitch. I'm not hers."

Gerry was starting to get worried. Madeline was licking her lips as she eyed Victor. She wanted him. He felt a surge of jealousy and moved closer to her. She turned, and her hands were on his face, and her mouth was on his, her tongue exploring his mouth. He could taste stale cigarettes, bitter alcohol, and the heat of her saliva. His head was lost in a surge of lust.

Victor froze when she kissed Gerry. He could see it was no friendly peck on the lips, and his friend was lost to it. The taboo nature of the moment sent a surge of excitement through him. She wasn't just talking like a slut; she was one! He felt his erection throb in his pants.

Madeline pulled back from the kiss and quickly knelt before Gerry to tug his belt open, then his pants, dropping them and his underwear down his legs. Gerry seemed oblivious to Victor's presence in the room as he stared down at his cousin, kneeling at his feet. Victor was surprised by the feverish look of devotion on Gerry's face. He really was hopelessly obsessed with the skinny blonde!

"Gerry has such a lovely cock!" Madeline purred, and she held the stiff erection in her fingers.

Victor remained frozen by the sight of the cousin's illicit act. He knew Gerry was bigger down there than he was because the football team showered together. Then his eyes widened as Madeline took Gerry's cock in her mouth. She sucked and slid it deep into her mouth as she kept the pressure up, then slowly drew it out, all the while maintaining the suction. Gerry's face said it all. It must've felt excruciatingly good!

Victor stared at the woman as she sucked Gerry's cock, and she kept her eyes on him the entire time. He felt himself throbbing in his pants. Her eyes went to his groin. She crooked a finger at him, and he moved closer. She reached out and took a grip on his belt, yanking him closer still. Then she was trying to undo his pants. He pushed her hands away and dropped his pants and underwear. Before he could prepare himself, she pulled her mouth from Gerry and took him inside her hot, wet mouth instead. He gasped and shook as he'd never felt this before. It felt incredible! He wanted more! He grabbed her hair and began to fuck her face. She looked up at him and kept eye contact. He felt her tongue go still, and the pressure of her sucking stopped as well. He glanced down and saw the look of disappointment in her eyes. He slowly released her head, and she grunted in satisfaction. She began to suck him once more, and it felt so much better. Lesson learned though it still pissed him off.

She moved back to Gerry and sucked him deep.

"Fuck!" Gerry gasped.

She pulled her mouth from his cock with a wet sound then tugged his balls.

"Owww! Fuck!?!" Gerry barked.

"Lie down on your back!" she said.

"Why'd you pull my nuts?" Gerry complained.

"To make you last! Lie down!" she said as she tugged her panties off.

Gerry immediately dropped to the carpet and stretched out.

She threw her leg across his body and mounted him. She slammed her pussy down over his cock, taking him to the base in one move. "Fuck! So good!" After a moment, she looked over her shoulder at Victor. "It is time for you to prove you are a man and not a little boy. Take the lube and wet your cock."

Victor's eyebrows went up. She was pissing him off again, but he'd figured out what she wanted. He wasn't going to miss this opportunity. He found the lube on the end table and stroked some onto his stiff member. He moved behind her, and she laid down over her cousin's prone body, presenting him with her ass. He squatted over her and poked his cock against the puckered orifice.

"Ah! Yes. Now, push slowly inside. Begin slowly. Soon you can go faster."

He pressed, and the head slowly popped inside the ring of muscle.

"Ah! That's it. Slowly! Go slowly. Make it last!" she sighed as she felt the heat of his cock sliding deeper into her as Gerry's thicker, longer cock filled her pussy so deliciously.

Victor was struggling not to shove his cock deep into her ass in one move as it felt too incredible! He began making little pumping motions, which allowed him to slip deeper faster, especially if he ignored her nagging complaints.

"Ugh, Gerty, this idiot does not know—UHN—how to properly fuck! AH! Shit! I think he was a virgin, too," she complained to her cousin as Victor began to drive his cock into her ass erratically.

Enraged, he grabbed her hair and pulled it back as he began to slam his cock into her ass again and again as she shrieked and squealed in pain.

"Fuck! I'm gonna bust a nut!" he grunted as his orgasm quickly crashed over him. He fired his cum deep into her ass. She whimpered as he squeezed out the last and yanked himself from her ass. He dropped down onto his butt as he admired his handy work. He reached over and slapped her reddened cheeks for good measure.

Madeline pulled herself off of Gerry's cock, stood up, and took three strides backward, driving her heel into Victor's nuts with brutal force. As he howled in agony, she sat down on his face and squeezed internally. His semen, a little blood from his abuse, and shit smeared across his face as she dragged her painful ass across his nose and mouth.

His painful cries became screams of outrage, then gagging as he realized what he had in his mouth. She stood again and stomped on his penis. Then she began to scream at him in French. Earsplitting screams of rage. He grabbed his clothes and scrambled as quickly as he could to escape the madwoman punching and slapping at him. He glanced back at Gerry to see why he wasn't coming to his aide, but the asshole was still lying on his back, smirking at him.

Madeline stopped following him at the base of the stairs, though she continued her French tirade. He crawled up and out into the backyard, where he promptly threw up.

When he was finished retching, he used the garden hose to wash his face and rinse out his mouth as best he could. He tugged on his clothes and made his way back to his car. He puked once more on the lawn then dropped himself into the car seat. He looked back at the house and gave himself a shake. He wanted to go back in there and beat her for what she'd done but admitted to himself that he was scared of her. He understood now why Gerry hadn't moved. He'd been right when he gave her that nickname.

She was mad! He shivered.

He thought of Sam and grimaced. It should have been her. That's how he wanted to lose his virginity, but after what just happened, it could only get better from here. His cock and balls ached, and he realized it was going to be a little while before he'd want to give it another try.

He felt the need to gag return as he recalled once more what that bitch had done to him. He wanted to forget. Luckily he knew how to do that as he knew where the key to his dad's liquor cabinet was. His mom would get blamed for any missing booze. Tough for her. She married the bastard.

He drove home carefully, avoiding the potholes and bumps when he could to prevent jostling his junk.

-=-

Back in the basement of Gerry's house, Madeline cleaned herself in the small bathroom as she scowled in the mirror. Her beauty was dissolving. Finding a reason to live was difficult since her addictions had taken her modeling contract away, and she'd been forced to come to this nothing little town to recover.

Once she was fresh and clean down below, she stepped out and looked to where her cousin continued to lay on his back, stroking himself to stay hard for her. She walked closer and scowled down at him.

"I'm so sorry he was bad to you," Gerry said softly.

Her anger slipped a little as she watched his earnest and worshipful expression. He wanted her so completely it did funny things to her insides. She finally sighed and settled her body down over his again, taking him deep inside her once more. Her ass still ached, but she needed this intimate connection so badly. Knowing she'd be with her cousin like this after school was the only thing keeping her from slitting her wrists when she was alone in the house all day. She curled her body to bring her lips to his desperate mouth. She was teaching him to kiss, and he was getting better. Maybe it was the forbidden nature of their sex that made her crave it so.

Kicking the ass of that idiot pushed back her ennui as well. She wanted him to feel more pain. She thought she might know how.

She smiled over at her laptop's camera, which continued its recording.

Chapter 12

Malcolm left his office after another tedious day of being the big fish in the tiny pond. Fuck, he was so restless! There were no out-of-town guests to party with tonight, and he was dreading going home to the icebox his house had become. Ever since his attempt to get Suzanne to go to Jamaica with him, they'd not spoken, and the climate was absolutely chilly. Even Sam was snubbing him.

So he'd asked his coworkers if any of them were up to hitting the town for a little fun, but they'd scattered pretty quickly once five PM arrived. It was a Friday night. People had lives and other things to do. He snorted to think he'd been the last one to leave. The building was empty. Fuck.

He made his way to his solitary car in the secluded parking lot behind the building, feeling more and more frustrated. He glanced around at the minimal lighting and the lush but dark trees surrounding the lot and once more wished he saw the bright lights and crush of an urban cityscape.

He always parked his car at the back of the lot as it remained in the shade of the trees all day. There was only one light standard back here, a few spaces over, but there was enough light to clearly see what he was doing.

He opened his door and caught a scent he hadn't expected. Sex. Female excitement. He dipped his head and looked inside. Sitting in the spacious back seat was a petite brunette wearing... nothing at all. Her clothes were piled up on the rear window ledge, and she was leaning back against the far door, delightfully naked. He wondered how she got in then realized he never locked the car here. What was the point in this nothing little town? Still, what was she doing here?

"Hello. What are you doing in my back seat?" he asked gently.

A tremor shook her small body, and she bit her lip as her eyes held his. "Waiting for you. Touching myself." Her voice was soft and breathy. He felt himself stiffen in his pants. He looked around, but they were alone and would be until the staff returned Monday morning.

Turning back to his surprise guest, his eyes traveled from her untamed hair down to her small breasts with their stiff nipples, over the hard planes of her stomach (were those surgery scars on her lower abdomen?) to watch her push her fingers into her pussy with a wet squish. Fuck, she was wet. He throbbed with need, but he was cautious.

"Why are you doing that in my car?" he asked.

"You're the most important person in town. I've watched you ever since you became Mayor. You're powerful, and that's hot! It makes me so fucking wet!" she cooed as she pushed her fingers in deep.

He inhaled the scent of her sex, and his mouth began to water, but still, the voice of caution told him to take it slow. "I'm a married man."

Roxanne's eyes rolled. "I saw her on TV. She's pretty but stiff. I bet she'd never take it in the ass." She pulled her knees up to her chest and ran a slick finger around her perfect little ass, and slipped the finger inside. "Mmmmm! Oh! So good!"

Malcolm watched, entranced by this tiny sexy nymph. Her size began to worry him. "How old are you?"

Her smile became wicked. "Just turned eighteen, but I can be younger if that gets you hard!" she said in a little girl voice.

He was shocked by how much his excitement spiked, and he wanted her right then. "I-I'm married," he repeated, mostly to remind himself.

"Boring. I want sex. Hard sex. Brutal sex. Fucking lots of it. Are you man enough to tame my pretty pussy? It needs it."

Malcolm needed it too. Fuck. This was the best offer he was ever likely to get in this small town. "You'll take it in the ass?"

Roxanne smiled. She had him. "Ass. Pussy. Mouth. Take your pick, but I need you to fill them all. Again and again."

Malcolm grinned. "You're a dirty little slut, aren't you!"

She pumped her fingers into herself two more times, then stuffed them into her mouth to suck them clean. "The dirtiest!" she purred.

"Fuck! You must have a boyfriend! Isn't he going to be upset if you fuck around?" he asked cautiously as he couldn't believe someone this fucking hot wasn't getting a regular pounding in bed.

Roxanne pouted. "He's lost interest in me as he's too busy studying for exams. He doesn't give me what I need!" she lied, and Malcolm accepted it hook, line, and sinker as he knew he could give her what she needed. It was exactly what he needed.

He closed the driver's door and glanced around carefully. Of course, the downtown area was dead. It was Friday night! The business district was probably abandoned moments after five PM.

He opened the back door and slipped inside. She grinned at him, and he admired the cute dimples in her cheeks. He undid his belt and pants and slipped them off. Fumbling with his shoes and socks, he watched her pleased smile as she eyed his erection. He knew he wasn't huge, but she didn't seem to mind at all. He tugged off his tie and pulled his shirt up and over his head. Then he was as naked as she was, and they grinned at each other.

"I want to taste that smooth cunt," he growled playfully and saw her eyes light up with his coarse language.

"Mmmmm, you'll have to take it, fucker!" she said breathily.

He read the excitement in her eyes and grabbed her ankles before she could move. She squealed and thrashed, but he just pulled her towards him and forced her legs back. Lifting her hips off the seat, his mouth was on her pussy seconds later, and she gasped as she pretended to push his head away. He sucked, slurped, probed, and flicked. All the while, she thrashed and wailed.

Malcolm loved this. Young pussy tasted best, he decided as he realized that she was the same age as Sam. He pushed the unwelcome thoughts of his daughter out of his mind.

He needed to fuck this wet pussy. He stopped. "Are you on the pill?" he gasped. He had no condoms on him, and he didn't want her to show up on his door in nine months demanding child support.

She grinned crookedly at him and ran her fingers over the scars on her lower abdomen. "Better than the pill. I don't have any baby-making parts. All removed." The look in her eyes was a little unsettling.

"I'm sorry—"

"I'm not! It just means I can fuck as much as I want and never have to worry about the consequences. I'm the ultimate fuck toy, and I like it rough. Are we going to talk... or fuck?" she challenged him.

He blinked at her and realized she really was a prize for him. He hoped he could see her again after tonight, but just in case he couldn't, he was going to enjoy her tonight. She liked it rough? He'd always wanted to try that. Suzanne certainly wouldn't go for it.

He pressed the engorged head of his cock against her slippery pussy and ran it up and down the slit, thoroughly wetting his skin. Then without warning, he slammed his hips forward and buried his cock deep inside her tight pussy.

"AAAAHHHHH, YOU FUCKER!" she yowled as he forced her wide.

He didn't stop to ask her if she was okay. He just pulled out to the head and slammed it home again.

"Fuck!" she moaned, rocking her hips to give him easier access.

He grinned and sped up his thrusts. She clung to him and kept up a constant stream of curses as he drove his cock into her wet depths.

"Such a dirty fucker, sticking your fat cock into my tiny little hole. Oh, fuck! You're fucking me so good!"

She was using that little girl's voice and pulling at her nipples roughly. He was shocked at the abuse they were taking. His cock felt like it was getting harder and harder with each word she whimpered. He pulled her under him and rested on his elbows while pounding her pussy with his cock with short sharp strokes. Her clit was taking a battering as well, but she didn't seem to mind.

"FUUUUUCK! SHIT! MOTHERFUCKER! SO GOOD! TAKE IT! FUCK IT! MAKE ME CUM! FILL MY POOR LITTLE PUSSY WITH YOUR CUM!" she wailed.

He grabbed her hair in his hands and kissed her deeply, and she sucked on his tongue in a frenzy.

Malcolm felt her orgasm begin. One second she was trying to swallow his tongue, and the next, her muscles were locking up, and she was shaking. Her tight pussy squeezed the hell out of his cock, and he got really close to blowing his load into her, but he had another idea about that. Something else Suzanne would never do for him, and he desperately wanted.

He waited for the little minx to finish shaking, then he pulled his cock from the heat of her body. He moved back and pulled her up as he did, holding her head between his hands. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. He forced her head down over his cock, and she opened her mouth to accept him inside. He kept up the pressure until he was buried in her throat.

"Ah, yes, take my cock in your slutty mouth, you little whore!" he growled.

She was making choking sounds and squealing, so he eased her head up until she gasped in a deep breath. Then he forced himself back into her throat. He closed his eyes. He pictured his lovely wife choking on his cock instead and felt a huge surge of pleasure pass through him. He lifted the small woman entirely off his cock and looked into her dazed eyes. "It's time for you to swallow my cum. Don't waste any of it! Do you understand me? Not a drop!" he growled as he shook her head. Her eyes were glassy with her tears from not being able to breathe. As he moved her back into position, he heard her taking a series of deep breaths so she could hold her breath longer. He smiled and pushed his cock as deep as it would go. He was tingling madly, on the edge of what felt like the biggest orgasm he'd ever had. He closed his eyes once more, and in his mind, he saw his wife struggling to breathe around his cock, and the tingling surged once more. So close!

When he felt the tip of a tongue stroking his balls, it was too much. He moaned, and his cum exploded forth, filling the throat of the young woman. He could feel her swallowing as quickly as she could, but she was struggling. He pulled out of her throat but kept himself in her mouth. She gasped for breath and swallowed his cum as it splashed over her tongue. He was in heaven!

The streams finally stopped, and he sagged back against the door and released her head. She continued to suck until he pushed her head away from his overly sensitive cock. She smiled up at him and showed him the last mouthful of cum before swallowing it. She wiped at her tearing eyes.

"I couldn't... breathe, motherfucker," she said quietly with a rough voice.

"You said you wanted it hard. That's what you got. You fucking loved it!" he said smugly.

She smiled at him and nodded impishly. "I knew you'd be a great fuck!" she purred.

He wanted her ass, but he really didn't have anything left tonight. She'd been too energetic with her sucking. She'd drained him completely to the point where his balls ached slightly.

"I want to see you again," he said, and it wasn't a question. She nodded. "I can't wait until next Friday when this lot will be empty again. I want to see you tomorrow night."

"We could drive to a place I know. It's secluded, and no one goes there," Roxanne suggested.

He looked at her, feeling his balls tingle with the need to fuck her again, but it was too soon. "Does your boyfriend take you there to fuck?" he snarled, suddenly jealous.

She smiled at the need in his voice. "He doesn't take me anywhere. He's going to leave me behind when he heads off to university." Her expression suddenly looked stricken, like she'd surprised herself with the confession.

"He's a fucking idiot letting such a fine piece of ass slip away. You don't need to worry about that loser anymore. I think we're going to have lots of fun together." He had a sudden thought. "Have you ever been to Jamaica? There's a swingers club there where we can get really freaky!" The idea of going to the sex resort with the little bitch sent a thrill through him. Watching some big black dudes fuck the slut senseless while those black bitches wrapped their lips around his cock would be so fucking hot!

She looked at him like he'd lost his mind, but he was lost in his fantasy. "Where and when do we meet tomorrow?"

His eyes returned to her, and he grinned at what he took to be her eagerness to get fucked by him again. "I'll pick you up here at eight PM." He looked closely at her clothes and saw they were a little worn. She could probably use a few bucks. She fucked like a whore, so he might as well pay her like one. "You need bus fare to get home?" He pulled a few twenties from his wallet and waved them at her. Her eyes went to his, and she reached out to take the money.

"When was the last time you took a bus?" she grinned at him. He released the bills, and she grabbed her clothes from the window ledge and popped the door on her side. She stepped out into the cool air and pulled her clothes on quickly while standing as he struggled to get dressed inside the car.

Finally, he got out, and she closed the door. He watched her over the top of the car, and he couldn't get over how tiny she was. Fuck, he wanted her again, but he'd have to wait.

"Tomorrow," she said with a smile showing her dimples, then rushed off into the woods behind the car. He raised an eyebrow. He'd heard there were paths back there, but he'd never been. She seemed to know her way around.

He got back into the driver's seat and sighed. Then he realized the car smelled of sex. A lot of sex! He glanced over the seat and saw the leather upholstery was glistening from her juices.

Fuck. He was going to have to detail the car himself.

He sniffed his clothes. They smelled like sex too.

Fuck.

-=-

Roxanne squatted down in the woods to take a piss and hissed at the cramps. She was still feeling a little tender down there. She was surprised that she'd actually enjoyed fucking the fossil. Not as much as she enjoyed Raph. She frowned as she recalled the pain of acknowledging his abandoning her. She'd tried to keep things casual with them as he didn't want a girlfriend, and she really couldn't live without fucking him. She paused as she thought about that. She needed to prove to him how much he needed her. She'd already protected him from that slutty nurse.

Her mind took her back to the morning she'd staked out the school parking lot waiting for the woman. She didn't know when the bitch would arrive, so she went early. She'd been pleased that she didn't have to wait long. It was best if their conversation was private too. When she left the forest to slip up beside the car, she glanced inside. She saw the slut's big tits bulging out of her tight uniform and the smug smile on her red lips. The uniform showed off her long legs as well. The slutty nurse was determined to fuck her man, and seeing the competition, Roxy suddenly realized she was going to lose to the skank.

The uncontrolled rage she'd felt earlier when she'd overheard the nurse talking to the teacher had exploded once more.

A twinge of pain returned her to the present, and she absently wiped herself with some tissue from her little handbag. Reaching inside the purse once more, she felt the cell phone she'd picked up next to the slut's car. She'd popped the Sim card out and flushed it so the phone should be safe. She'd been amazed when she discovered the idiot hadn't put a password on it. She'd also found a vid of the slut fucking herself with a dildo as she called out Raph's name. When she finished, she'd blown a kiss at the camera and said tomorrow. Clearly, she'd planned on fucking him the day Roxanne stabbed her. That would've fucked up his chances at the scholarship as the other teacher would've gone to the principal or the press, and that would be it. Raph owed her!

The cellphone had a lot of storage, but the vid she'd just made of the mayor fucking her had taken up a lot of it. The juice on the phone was low too. She'd stolen a charging cable from a student in the library earlier today, so she'd be able to charge the phone tonight. She wanted to record her next date with the mayor, so she'd have to delete shit from the phone like the nurse bitch's personal photos and some vids. Not the one with the dildo. She had to show that to Raph. He had to know.

Once she had the vids of the mayor, she'd show them to his wife and daughter. She'd tell them to stay the fuck away from Raph or see the vids on the news. She'd destroy their very public lives!

The bitches would see Raph didn't need their interference in his life. He had a plan. Roxanne was helping him achieve it. He'd see that. He'd know he needed her.

As much as she needed him.

Chapter 13

Raphael arrived at work Saturday morning at the crack of dawn. He was scheduled to do the landscaping work at the Manning residence, and his boss told him to arrive early to do the prep work. He already knew how this worked as he'd done it in his last job.

He'd arranged with Jackie that he'd be wearing shorts and a t-shirt for the day as the work was hot, hard, and tough on clothes. He had on a tight black sleeveless t-shirt and some old khaki board shorts. The shorts hid the bandage on his thigh well.

The wound had scabbed over nicely and wasn't in danger of bleeding anymore, but he kept the bandage on it just the same.

As he left the bus and made his way across the empty parking lot, he looked up at the sky, watching the beams of dawn light paint the undersides of the clouds. His mind returned once more to the memory of Sam bathed in the light from the library windows, and he felt something twist in his chest.

He'd avoided her all Friday and during their English Lit exam. Ms. Picton had been there though she seemed a little shaky. He'd asked how she was, and she'd given him a smile that trembled a little, but he couldn't press as the other students were watching too closely. While he didn't normally listen to gossip, he'd overheard that she was still the primary suspect because of an argument she'd had with Mrs. Galiban. The police didn't seem satisfied with her statement either, as she'd been questioned more than once. He knew she didn't do it, but he had no idea who could have.

He'd caught Sam looking at him sadly as they left the classroom after the exam, and he'd bolted for his locker. She was going to get him in such shit. He was practically trembling as he'd left the school to head off to work.

Shaking off those memories, he entered the shop through the employee entrance and saw Jackie working on something with a frown on his face.

Maybe seeing him in early would improve that mood? "Good morning!"

His boss looked up and nodded. "Morning. You're on the Manning job today, right?" the man said with a terse tone.

He blinked at Jackie. "Yes. All day."

The frown was back. "We're short staffed today. I fired Fred."

Raph just stood there and looked at him. If he'd stop firing his staff, then maybe he wouldn't be in this jam?

Jackie glanced at Raph and sighed. "I know, not your problem. Go get started. Take truck number four. The trailer is already hooked up to it."

"Thanks."

He ducked away and began moving the supplies he'd need onto the big trailer. There was a lot of stuff to load, and he got the armor stone on first. That was a job and a half. Driving the little compact loader was fun, but he suppressed the urge to do donuts with it.

He loaded the plants, bags of wood chips and mulch, and everything else he was going to need into the back of the truck. He rechecked the work order as a final check, and he had everything. He thought about letting Jackie know he was leaving, but that seemed like a bad idea, so he just climbed into the truck and carefully drove it out of the lot.

It didn't take long to make it to the expensive neighborhood, but it did feel odd to drive the big truck and trailer up the winding road. He felt out of place and could almost feel the eyes of the residents watching him pass.

He was grateful he wouldn't be stopping at the top of the hill as he knew that's where she lived. Instead, he simply drove around the circular turnaround and headed back down the decline. He didn't even look towards the Mayor's home. Instead, he stopped the truck in front of Emily Manning's house and set the brake.

Raph got out of the truck, slipping on his gloves, and opened up the back roll-up door. He had to start bringing the supplies into the backyard, but first, he pulled two plywood sheets out to set the materials on to protect the lawn back there. He heaved the boards up and walked up the long driveway. He wished he could bring the truck into the driveway, but that wasn't to be.

As he approached the house, Emily stepped out the front door and smiled at him.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully.

He set the boards down gently on the toe of his work boot and smile back at the woman. "Good morning. Ready to make something beautiful?" He knew she liked to hear praise, and she absolutely bloomed this time as well.

They turned their heads as they heard the rumble of a sports car pulling into the driveway. It rushed up to them then stopped a few feet away. The driver's door opened, and a sharply dressed woman stepped from the car. Her hair was stylishly swept back to expose her face. She gave Raphael a once over, then smiled at Emily, who seemed to recognize her.

"Ms. Mitchell? What are you doing here so early?"

"Didn't Roger tell you? I'm attending the conference with him," the woman said with a slight smile as if amused by the question and Emily's confused look.

Speaking of the bank manager, he stepped out the front door carrying his suitcase and wardrobe bag. He smiled at the woman standing next to the car. "Right on time. Sarah, I can always rely on you." He turned to his wife with an annoyed expression. "What are you doing out here?"

"The back yard..." she said softly.

"Oh, right. That." He looked over at Raph. "What the hell are those boards for? You're not building a gazebo!"

"To protect the grass in the back yard, sir," Raph answered clearly.

"Oh! That makes sense. Listen, this project is costing a fortune, so it had better look incredible!" Roger growled assertively. Ms. Mitchell grinned at him.

Raph just nodded to the man and held his tongue.

Roger ignored his wife and walked over to the car. Raph watched Ms. Mitchell slide the car keys into his hand, maintaining contact longer than necessary as she looked up into his eyes. Then she made her way over to the passenger side as Roger put his baggage into the small trunk. Before he got in, he turned to his wife one more time. "We're going to be in Phoenix, and I'll be back Monday night. Try to keep yourself busy and out of trouble until then. I expect to see an amazing backyard when I get back."

He got in and revved the engine loudly before reversing out of the drive with reckless speed. He barely missed the trailer, then they were gone.

Emily was watching the road where her husband had just been, and she was visibly lost in her thoughts. Raph felt a little uncomfortable as his thoughts told him she had a fucking bastard for a husband. "I should get started. We have a lot of work to do today." Emily's eyes moved to him, and her smile began to return. She pointed to the side gate, and he hoisted the boards once more and got moving.

Sometime later, he was walking out of the backyard to get the last bag of mulch. He was covered in dust and sweat. He heard a car horn and looked up to see a beat-up gray van parked in the driveway.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

He looked to the passenger window and saw Wally glaring at him. Glancing to the driver's seat, he spotted the second half of Victor's dense duo, Gerry. With a sigh, Raph pointed to the large truck at the end of the driveway with Beckett's Landscaping and Garden Center plastered across the side. Then he walked past.

He was returning with the bag when he saw Wally was outside the van looking like he wanted to start something. Fuck.

"Get in the fucking van, numb-nuts!"

Wally and Raph looked towards the front door, and Victor was coming out with a duffle bag on his shoulder.

Emily was walking behind her son, looking concerned. Her eyes went to Raph and relaxed when she saw he was okay.

"But it's him! Here!" Wally complained.

"He's working for my dad, dipshit. Get in the van! In the back!" Victor growled, frustrated with his goon.

Grudgingly, Wally opened the sliding door and, glaring at Raph the entire time, squeezed himself into the smaller seat. Victor came around the side of the van and glared at Raph too.

"Finish up and get the fuck out of my yard."

Raph just looked at him without reaction, and Victor pushed his duffle into the side door for Wally to stow, then pulled himself into the passenger seat with a wince. Gerry's face was wearing a smug smile, which Victor didn't seem to appreciate.

"Drive!" he growled.

"When will you be home, dear?" Emily asked, moving to the side window.

"Geezus! I told you! Sunday night! We're going camping! Fucking listen to me next time. Now, move back!" Victor snarled at his mother. She did, with a hurt look on her face. He just turned his face away as Gerry backed up all the way to the street and drove down the hill.

Raph was seething with anger at how Victor treated his mom, but it wasn't his place to say anything. Instead, he cleared his throat to get her attention. When she looked at him, he saw she had tears in her lashes, and he had to tighten his control over his anger. Instead, he gave her a gentle smile. "This is the last of the supplies. I'm ready to start working on your creation if you are." He made sure to emphasize that he was working for her, not Roger.

She smiled at him and wiped her eyes. Strength seemed to come back to her as she nodded.

"Are you ready to get a little dirty?" he said with a cheeky smile, and her face lit up as she nodded. He headed into the backyard, and she followed. They had landscaping to do.

The work was strenuous, and the day began to get hotter, so he asked if she didn't mind if he took off his shirt. With wide eyes and a timid smile, she shook her head, and off it went. She ogled his hard muscles, gleaming with sweat, and was a little distracted for the next little while.

They removed the old plants and replaced them with the new, repeatedly returning to review her design. She'd done some sketches of how she envisioned the flower garden would look and timidly shared them with him. He stopped and stared at the lovely drawings.

"What's wrong? Did I make a mistake?" she asked nervously.

He turned his surprised eyes to her. "No! I'm just stunned at how good these sketches are. I-I'm taking art this year, and I just started sketching. I enjoy it, but these... these show real talent. I'm no expert, but it's evident in the lines and the use of shading to create depth. The teacher has been showing us art history. These are master-level work!"

Her blush was lovely to see, but it was her smile that made Raph relax. The shit from earlier in the day was forgotten, and this was who the real Emily Manning was supposed to be. She was an artist and a fucking talented one at that!

"How long did it take you to do these?" he asked quietly as he scanned his eyes across the art.

"Not long. Maybe an hour to do them all," she sighed happily, then looked up curiously at his silence.

The injustice of her situation overwhelmed Raph, and the passion for art Mrs. Aikens instilled in him suddenly loosened his normally reserved tongue. "Tell me you're pursuing this! Your talent needs to be seen. You need—you need to nurture this and let it grow!"

Her eyes locked on his, and her mouth dropped open in shock. "Excuse me... a moment."

She turned and walked back to the house, moving quicker and quicker as he heard her begin to sob.

Raph stood frozen in the back yard holding her sketches and watching her rush away. He cursed himself as he'd upset her. Not knowing what else to do, he moved to complete the work they'd started.

He worked for hours in the hot sun, and once he'd prepared the hillside, he moved the heavy stones into place with the compact loader. He put sheets of plywood down to drive over to protect the lawn and carefully backed out over the boards to minimize the damage. Once the stones were in, and he had the loader secured on the trailer once more, he went to finish up with the grasses they'd planned to plant above and below the steps.

This took him another thirty minutes, but when he was done, he stood back and was pleased with the result. He finished the job by spreading the wood chips around the different beds they'd built around the expansive lawn. He moved his tools back to the truck and all the garbage. The plywood sheets went into the truck, and then he was done. He was breathing hard, and his body ached from the effort, but he felt good. He grabbed the work order clipboard and the digital camera Jackie put in his tool kit and walked back to the backyard. He looked around with a deep sense of satisfaction. He used the camera to take some pictures of the overall yard and some close-ups of the features they'd added.

He heard the patio door open and turned to see Emily standing on the deck. She was no longer sad, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He watched her look out over the new gardens, the ornamental shrubbery, and finally the stone stairs with the grasses. He was happy to see her look of satisfaction.

He gathered her sketches and walked up to stand next to her, and admired the view as well.

"It's beautiful," she sighed.

He nodded. "A work of art." He handed her the drawings.

She glanced up at him with a pleased smile, and he saw peace in her eyes. The nervousness was... gone, and he wondered what happened to her while he was outside working on her design. He turned to her. "I'm sorry if—"

She placed soft fingers against his lips to stop him as she shook her head gently, her smile never dimming. "No, you said exactly what I needed to hear. I want to thank you for believing in me. It's been a very long time since anyone did."

Her fingers lingered on his lips, then she smiled shyly and gestured for him to follow her inside. "I have the final payment for your work.

They went to the patio doors, where he kicked off his boots. Then they were in the kitchen, and she handed him a cheque for the remaining balance. He confirmed the payment matched the outstanding balance then signed her receipt as paid in full. He added the check to the clipboard, smiled, and nodded to her.

She was giving him a strange smile.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

Emily looked down and shook her head slowly, but her smile stayed where it was. "No. Everything is fine. Or it will be soon, in the days to come." She looked back at his worried expression and touched his arm. "Truly, it's good."

He still felt terrible about how he'd upset her earlier. He needed to apologize for that. "What I said earlier. What I said that upset you—"

She tilted her head at him. "I told you, what you said was just what I needed. It's been years since anyone gave me positive feedback on my art. I was an art student when I met Roger, but his career came first, and he trivialized my passion. Then came motherhood and being a dutiful housewife. My talent languished. To hear you think I have true talent and master-level skills... it suddenly became too much."

She paused as she smiled at him. "I want to show you something." She led him over to the dining room table. On it was a large black portfolio case. It had been very dusty as dirty paper towels were all over the floor, and the case was now clean, mostly.

She opened it, and his eyes went wide. Sketches and drawings in different mediums and paintings filled the case. Each was beautiful to Raph.

"These are yours?" he asked quietly as his voice felt rough. He didn't want to touch any of the lovely art with his dirty hands or drip sweat on them. He looked into her eyes. "They're wonderful!" he sighed.

She smiled gratefully, acknowledging the honesty of his appraisal and his praise. "This used to be me. It shows who I could've been—no, it shows who I will be again!" she said boldly. For all the strength of her words, she was still trembling, but Raph thought some of that might've been raw excitement as well.

"You're returning to your art?" he asked.

She gave him a coy smile. "Yes, but not here. I'm going away." She pointed towards the front hall, and he spotted a suitcase waiting by the door. He looked back at her in surprise. "I have somewhere I have to go. Someone I need to speak to, and I leave tonight," she said mysteriously, and her smile widened into a grin.

Raph thought about what a piece of shit her husband was and how cruelly Victor treated his mom. He couldn't help himself but return the smile. "Good for you!"

Emily pulled an envelope out from under the case and handed it to him. "This is a letter and a little something for you to show my appreciation. AH! Don't open it until Monday night! Promise me!"

He looked at the thick, suspiciously heavy envelope and could feel several sheets of paper folded over inside. She'd written quite a letter to him. "Scouts honor," he said with a serious expression.

She gave him a skeptical smile. "You were never a boy scout."

He grinned and dipped his head to acknowledge she'd caught him. "Fine. I promise."

"Good!" she said and pulled him into a tight hug.

Raph went still. He was dirty and sweaty, and she was such a fine, delicate woman. He was getting her all dirty!

"You know, you can hug me in return. I won't break," she sighed, resting her cheek against his muscular and sweaty chest.

"I stink," he said in surprise.

She pulled back to look up into his eyes. "You don't. Not at all! You smell like a man who's done an honest day's work. Not like Roger at all!"

She reached up and pulled his face down and gently pressed her lips to his.

He felt her heart hammering in her chest as she held him close. He suddenly realized she was pushing herself beyond her fears, and he was amazed at her strength of will and bravery! He took her face between his hands, and his kiss deepened. She melted against him as her fear of rejection dissolved in his passionate grip. She thrust her tongue boldly into his mouth, and he sucked on it.

Emily moaned and moved her hands down to unfasten his shorts. He pulled back from the kiss in surprise. She took the opportunity to drop to her knees before him, tugging his shorts down.

She paused only a moment to glance at the bandage on his leg before she took him into her mouth. She wasn't particularly good at this, but she was very passionate, which made it very exciting for him. When she got a little too intense, and teeth entered the game, he lifted her to her feet then scooped her into his arms, looking at the sofa in the next room.

"Upstairs!" she gasped, loving the feeling of being in his strong arms.

Raph looked at her in surprise as his arms and back complained about the newest load he was carrying, but he grit his teeth and carried her up the main staircase to the upper landing. She pointed the way, and soon they were in the master bedroom. He set her on her feet next to the bed, and she kissed him again as she stroked his stiffness. His passion once more stoked, she turned and yanked down the comforter and top sheet.

He reached forward as her back was to him and undid the zipper on the back of her dress. She froze for just a moment; then, he was sliding the dress down her body, running his fingers down her arms. She sucked in a breath as tingles rushed up and down her body, centering on the heat between her legs. He undid the clasp on her bra and kissed his way down her back. When he ran his fingers along the waistline of her panties, her legs almost gave out.

Down the panties went, and he pushed her forward onto the bed. This presented him with her lovely ass and her glistening lips.

She gasped and looked back at him with real heat in her eyes as he squeezed and kneaded the muscles of her ass. She cooed and squirmed as she became wetter and wetter.

She wasn't prepared at all when he spread her cheeks and ran his tongue roughly over her tender flesh.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" she screamed. She forced her ass back against his mouth and tongue. "Oh my god!" Frantic eyes looked back at him. He stroked her once more, and she threw her head back in ecstasy. "Oh, Raphael! Yes!"

He smiled as he loved how she said his name. She made it sound important, regal even. He continued to suck, lick, and stroke her with his tongue until she begged him to take her.

"Raphael, I need it! Please!"

He released her hips, and she struggled to climb further onto the bed. He helped her on, and she rolled onto her back, holding her arms open to accept him between them. He smiled and crawled onto the bed over her. She gasped when he dipped his hips down and rubbed his shaft against her tingling, pink lips. He ran it up and down, stroking her as she pulled at him to enter her.

"Oh! Fuh! Ahhh! Fuh me!" she gasped as he teased her most sensitive flesh with his erection.

When he was slick with her wetness, he dipped his hips down once more and slid his thickness into her.

"OH! YES! OH FUH! OOOHHHHH! FUH!" she wailed as his heat slowly sunk deeper and deeper into her.

He had to smile because she couldn't bring herself to say fuck, even in the throes of passion.

Emily spread her legs wider and hooked her heels on Raph's ass to pull him tighter with each thrust.

He was bumping her sensitive bits with every stroke, and she was well on her way to the largest orgasm she'd ever experienced. Her senses were overloading in a wall of white static.

Raph was feeling pretty amazing himself and felt his release approaching. He began to be concerned. "I'm going to cum soon."

"Oh, god! Yes! Do it inside! I want to feel it!" She looked up into his concerned eyes and smiled. "I'm safe today! I'm right there!" she gasped as her hips began to twitch on their own.

He moaned from the extra sensation she was providing, and his thrusts sped up.

She clung to him and gasped with each impact.

"Raphael! I'm... I'm... Oh! Oh! AAAHHHHH!!!" she finally screamed as she squeezed him tight against her body.

He felt himself tighten then he was firing his heat deep inside.

"Oh, yes! So hot!" she sighed.

He kissed her, and she chased his tongue with hers until she had to pull back to catch her breath. They panted heavily as their hearts gradually slowed to normal rates.

"Oh my god, Raphael! That was the nicest send-off you could've given me!" she said with a cheeky smile.

He pushed himself up so he could look into her eyes. This put more pressure on her sensitive parts, and she shivered with the deep pleasure rocking through her.

"Are you ever coming back?" he asked when her eyes opened once more.

She smiled sadly but shook her head. "No."

He gave her a gentle kiss. "Then I'm glad I got the chance to meet you and see your amazing art!"

Her smile lit up her face, and she nodded to him.

He eased his body off of hers, and she trembled, biting her lip as the tingles shot through her. When she came down from that, she glanced over at the clock. "Oh! I have to get moving!"

He smiled and looked for his shorts before remembering they were down in the kitchen. "I should head back to the shop." They climbed off the bed together then smiled at each other. He held her eyes with his. "It was wonderful meeting you."

"Would you like to have a shower before you head back?" she asked with a coy smile.

"My boss would be a little suspicious if I returned looking clean," he said with a grin.

She nodded then went up on her toes to press her lips to his. Then she glanced at the clock one more time. "You can let yourself out the patio door?" she asked.

"I can and will. Good luck in your future!" he said.

"You as well!" she smiled.

Raph headed downstairs and found his shorts. He pulled them on, tucked the envelope into the deep pocket, grabbed the clipboard and camera, and let himself outside. He slipped his boots on and walked out to the truck. His back ached from the extra intense workout he'd had.

If he was lucky, Jackie wouldn't ask him to do any heavy lifting once he'd put everything back where it was supposed to be. Then he frowned as he recalled how short staffed the man was.

Shit.

Upstairs, Emily climbed back onto the bed and squeezed internally to force out Raph's essence to drip onto the sheets on Roger's side of the bed. She smiled down at the dirty sheets — sweat, dirt smudges, and now the large stain. Roger wouldn't miss that.

Then she carefully climbed down and made the bed, tucking the sheets in tight just like Roger liked. If her husband was going to have sex with Ms. Mitchell, she had no issues with leaving behind the evidence that she'd had a little fun too.

She wasn't worried that Roger would go after Raphael. He'd be too humiliated, and besides, he was going to have bigger things to worry about when he returned from his trip.

Her mind went back to the pivotal moment when Raphael had shown her how much he believed in her art. She'd come inside and cried as she'd never cried before. She cried for the time Roger had stolen from her life, making her miserable. She cried for how Roger had twisted their son until he was as cruel as his father.

Once her tears had dried, she sat at the kitchen table and watched the handsome young man working on her design. She saw how carefully he touched her sketches of the garden, almost reverently. He truly believed her art was special.

She had an epiphany at that moment. She was utterly alone in this big house, just watching life go by outside. She'd be trapped, alone for the rest of her life, if she didn't do something about it right now! She had to think about what she wanted, and what she really wanted was to work on her art. She had to get away from Roger and her son first. As sad as that made her, she knew she'd heal once she was free.

She'd gotten up and gone upstairs to pack. She'd only take one suitcase as she wanted to travel light. Roger didn't spend money on her and limited her shopping budget, so she didn't have a lot to pack.

Once the suitcase was by the front door, she went into Roger's study and turned on his computer. She knew where he kept his password book. He had a terrible memory for that kind of thing. She let herself into the machine and pulled up his banking app.

Emily wasn't going to be able to start a new life broke. She knew Roger was stealing from his bank. She'd seen the extra accounts he'd set up in the overseas bank. He ignored her as he was convinced she wasn't smart enough to understand what he was doing. She wasn't sure what he'd done on the bank side of the deal to move the money back and forth, but she'd seen the accounts with millions of dollars parked in them. He'd used this money to make more money and kept those profits in additional accounts. He was just doing what the banks did; only he was doing it for himself. She wasn't going to touch the bank's money, but she was going to take half of his profits. That amounted to around three point five million dollars. She wasn't greedy, and the bank would want some compensation for Roger's theft.

Smiling to herself, she shifted the assets into a new account he wouldn't know about. Then she removed any references he might see to the transaction. Having dealt with his illegal gains, she turned her attention to their household account. She bought a bank draft in her name for, again, half the money in their account, roughly five-hundred-thousand-dollars, sent to the overseas bank she'd be visiting on Monday.

She reset all the online passwords just to delay him if he caught on. She prepared a message with the details of the accounts and amounts. This message would be delivered at the appropriate time to key people to ensure Roger paid for his little escapade.

Then she logged into the airline website and booked some flights. She purged the email logs then flushed Roger's browser cache. As an extra measure of security, she decided to take his password journal with her.

Before she stood up from the PC, she smiled to herself and reset Roger's login password. A final fuck you.

Shaking with the effort to fight against years of mental abuse, she picked up the journal and stuffed it into the suitcase.

There was something else she wasn't leaving without. Her art. She kept it hidden in the basement, hidden from Roger but also herself. A reminder of what had been her life.

Returning to the now, she gave herself a shake. She had to get moving. A quick shower, clothes, makeup, and she was out the door and into the cab she'd called. She had a plane to catch.

And a new life to begin.

Chapter 14

Malcolm was tingling with anticipation. He'd been thinking about the little whore he'd fucked and how much he was going to enjoy her ass.

He'd managed to avoid Suzanne when he'd gotten home Friday night and immediately jumped in the shower to eliminate the scent of the sex he'd had. He'd driven home with the windows open to air out the car and had done a quick wipe down of the seats with leather protector to clean the bitch's juices away.

He spent the day at the country club as he knew Suzanne despised going there. He felt kind of bad avoiding her, but it was her fault for being such a cold bitch. If she'd just gone along with his plan to go to Jamaica, they could've had a great time together... with his new friends.

He drove downtown and pulled into the driveway leading to the parking lot at precisely eight PM. He moved to the back of the lot and reversed into the spot he'd used on Friday. He just got the doors unlocked when the little minx popped the back door open and slipped inside.

"Miss me?" she asked with a crooked grin.

He smiled in return. "Where are we going?"

"Behind the old paint factory off Stanfield Road," she said.

He looked at her in surprise. He'd been talking about that property with Reggie LeBraun. The man wanted it for... something. It had been a blight on the outer periphery of the town for decades. Abandoned and empty, the huge factory rotted away next to a toxic lake. Removal of the building, draining the lake, excavating, and hauling away all the contaminated soil, would cost a fortune. Or it could be paved over. "This is the private spot?"

"The gate isn't locked, and no one goes there. Not even the cops," Roxanne said with a sly smile.

He watched her sexy mouth for a moment, recalling how it felt around his cock. He wanted that again after he'd fucked her tight ass. "Right. Slide down. I don't need anyone seeing you in my car on the way there. In fact, get down into the footwell."

She frowned but did as she was told. He put the car in drive and pulled out of the lot. As usual, the downtown core was dead at this time of night on a Saturday. He rolled up to the light, which had just turned red. Impulsively he began to roll through the empty intersection but jolted to a stop when he caught headlights coming from his right.

Fuck! It was a police cruiser. He was only a little over the line, and they probably hadn't seen him move. He watched the squad car slowly make a left turn, and the window was going down. Shit. He saw it was the sheriff. Fuck! He hated that man as he was always eyeing Suzanne! So charming around her. He rolled his own window down.

"Evening, Malcolm."

"Evening, Gary."

The sheriff smiled. "Funny, I never saw you as an overtime kind of mayor."

Malcolm gave Gary a sour smile. "Hilarious. Don't you have a parking ticket to write?"

"Ooo, burn!" Gary chuckled. "By the way, red means stop. Just sayin'."

Malcolm's knuckles went white on the steering wheel as he ground his teeth in frustration. The smug bastard had seen him!

Gary glanced in the mirror as the lights were changing. "Say hello to the missus for me," he said, and the blood vessels in Malcolm's forehead bulged. Then the sheriff drove off with a smile.

Malcolm took a few deep breaths to calm the spike of rage he'd had when the asshole mentioned Suzanne. Then he eased his car through the intersection. All he needed now was to lose his cool and do something stupid like slam his foot on the gas pedal and peel through the light. Gary would love that. He'd especially love to catch him with a young girl hiding in his back seat. He glanced in his mirror, but Gary's taillights were a long way back. He let out a long breath.

He put the sheriff and all his nasty business into the back of his mind. Tonight was his. Tonight he was going to have some fun.

Keeping an eye out for patrol cars, Malcolm made his way out to Stanfield Road at a leisurely pace and, after ensuring no other headlights were visible, he turned onto the old road and drove over the cracked asphalt for a few miles until he saw the old factory up ahead.

"Can I get up now?" Roxanne asked from the back seat.

"Yeah, sure."

He pulled off the road into the lane leading up to the entrance, and in his headlights, he saw a chain looped around the gates. But no lock. He snorted. The bitch was right.

He parked and got out to open the gate. The night was a little cool but nice. He pulled the chain from the opening and pushed the doors to make them swing wide enough to drive through. He moved the car through then closed the gate, looping the chain through it once more.

Once he was back in the car, he looked over his shoulder into the backseat and saw the whore was preparing herself. She was already naked and shoving fingers into her pretty little cunt. He wanted some of that, but he wanted her ass even more. "Don't forget to get your ass good and slippery," he said with a chuckle as he drove around the building. The rear loading area was vast and very secluded. Just beyond it was the poisoned lake. Tonight it was just a vast area of deepest black. He shuddered. Who knew what chemicals bubbled in that sludge. He was just glad the EPA hadn't caught wind of it.

Sheltered from the road by the building and the dense forest growth, there was very little chance of being discovered. Perfect! He shut off the car and turned on the interior lights. Smiling at the intimate lighting, he got out and undressed leisurely. Far better than struggling to disrobe while inside. He left his shoes and socks on as there was a lot of glass on the ground. Opening the back door, he slid inside and kicked off his loafers. He inhaled the scent of wet pussy and smiled at the young woman. Fuck, he was going to enjoy this!

He saw she had two fingers jammed up her ass, but she wasn't looking too comfortable about it. She eyed his cock nervously. He wasn't going to give her the choice of changing her mind.

He grabbed her legs roughly and flipped her over onto her stomach. She hit the seatback hard, knocking her stacked clothes loose from the window ledge, then she thumped her forehead against the door handle. Malcolm surprised himself at how rough he was treating her. He admitted to himself that he was still a little pissed off because of that fuck head sheriff and his sniffing after Suzanne.

He saw the little bitch rubbing her cheek, then she turned her head to glare at him.

"OWWW! YOU STUPID FUCK!" she shrieked.

Malcolm scowled at her. Who the fuck did she think she was talking to? Stupid cunt! She liked it rough?

He yanked her hips back, lined himself up, and drove his cock deep into her pussy in one thrust.

"AAAAAHHHHH! FUCK!" she screamed.

He chuckled and yanked her hips out and back to drive himself into her heat again and again. He listened to the sloppy wet slurps and pops and grinned to himself. She was fucking wet and getting his cock nice and lubed for what was coming next.

"wait... fucker... god... dammit... stop... fuck..." she gasped and panted as he slammed his body against hers again and again. When she began to whimper, he grinned. She was ready, and he wanted her ass now!

He pulled himself completely out, and she cried out in relief. He smiled as he positioned the head of his hard cock against her tiny asshole.

"NNNNUHHH! NNUUHHH! NO! FUCK! STOP!" she cried out.

"Oh, it's far too late for that, my little whore," he growled softly, then pushed himself into her ass as she screamed and tried to break free. Fuck, she was a wild one!

He kept pushing forward until he buried his cock deep in her ass. "Oh fuck, you've got such a tight little ass! So hot and so good!" he sighed as he enjoyed the feeling of her ass spasming around his thick cock. He felt enormous in her ass! He pulled out and slammed back in. She'd gone silent, and she was shaking, but he ignored that as he'd never felt anything so amazing. He set up a steady thrusting and felt his orgasm rushing up on him faster than he expected. They had hours to play tonight, so he just let it happen.

"Ohhhh yeah! Fucking take my cum in your slutty whore ass!" he grunted as he filled her hot channel with his cum. He rocked back and forth, wiggling his slowly softening cock inside her. When he had enough, he pushed her off his cock and sprawled back against the door as he panted.

"Fuck, that was good!" he gasped. He looked down at her red ass cheeks fondly, and that flare of jealousy washed through him again. She had a boyfriend, she said. That ended tonight. She was going to be his exclusively.

"What's your deadbeat of a boyfriend's name?" he growled.

She seemed to be struggling to turn her head. Finally, tear-filled eyes looked back at him. He curled his lip in annoyance as he didn't want to have to deal with tears.

"What's his name?" he said stiffly.

"W-why?"

He slapped her ass hard, and she screamed silently.

"What's... his... NAME?" he barked.

"RA—RAPH!"

Another ass slap and her body locked up as she rode the pain. "Full name, stupid cunt."

"Graves. Raph Graves," she rasped.

"Well, as of tonight, your pretty little fuck hole belongs to me. To ensure that, I'm going to speak to some friends of mine who make annoyances go away. Consider this my present to you. The creep will never touch you again."

Malcolm smiled as he watched the small woman slowly push herself to her knees and turn to face him. She was... he wasn't sure, but it looked like she was bowing submissively to him! He liked that. She crawled forward between his outstretched legs, and he grinned as her face got closer to his cock.

Mmmm, he was going to enjoy this!

He cried out when he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his groin, followed by a second and third, then a hard jab to the inner thigh as he tried to push her away.

Her face came up as she knocked his flailing arms aside, her eyes crazed and terrifyingly wide and wild. She screamed in his face, teeth bared in a snarl as she punched something against his chest again and again. He coughed and felt a sharp pain in his chest as she stabbed him in the lung. He tried to suck in a breath, but the lung collapsed, and all he got out was a wheeze. Her screams continued, full of rage and madness, cutting through his nerves. She was so fucking strong!

His arms weren't working right. In terror, he struck out as hard as he could, his fist catching her on the chin. She flew back, loose as a rag doll, and fell into the footwell.

Groaning, Malcolm looked down at his chest in dismay. Blood was pulsing and flowing from multiple small wounds. He was going into shock. Fuck! He... he needed to call for help! Suzanne! NO! She-she couldn't see him like this!

His legs felt warm, and he looked down. Fuck, what a mess! So much blood! Fuck, what should he do!

He was having trouble breathing. The pain was so intense! Everything fucking hurt!

Malcolm rested back against the door. He just needed to get a breath, then he'd get his phone and call for help. Shit, he'd really fucked up this time. He wouldn't be able to talk his way out of this one.

Shit.

-=-

Roxanne woke to pain. So much pain.

Her ass was a source of agony. So was her pussy. It wasn't like the good pain she got from fucking Raph.

RAPH! He was in danger!

Her eyes opened, and she found her head and shoulders were stuck in the deep gap between the seats with her legs curled up above her. Her jaw was aching, and she made a whimpering sound as it didn't want to open. Someone... hit her? Listening, all was silent, so she slowly unfolded to stretch out her legs to take the weight off, and her left foot touched something clammy.

She might've screamed as she wrenched and wiggled loose from the trap she was in. She kicked and squealed as she kept touching the cold, wet thing with her feet until she was pressed up against the car door. Leaning up against the opposite door was the mayor. His eyes were open and looked sad... but very vacant. His mouth was open too. He was... very dead.

Blinking in shock, she looked around and spotted the cell phone she'd leaned up against the back window ledge. The pile of clothes that had been in front, hiding it, were scattered on the seat. She put her hand to her aching jaw and wondered if he'd found the camera and attacked her. Her memories were scrambled. She looked back at the dead man and shuddered.

Plucking the phone from the window, she saw it was off as the battery had died. She'd have to watch the vid later once she recharged it. It went into her small purse.

The mayor was dead. Very dead. She looked closer and saw dried blood in little lines down his chest—many of them. Fear shot through her as she looked for her protection.

She spotted the ice pick on the floor and snatched it up. It went into the purse after she wiped it clean against the seat.

Roxanne gathered her clothes and purse and opened the door. She dropped her boots to the ground and began to step into them but stopped as she saw blood on her feet... and her legs. It was his blood. She shuddered again.

Reaching over the front seat, she grabbed his undershirt and scrubbed her legs and feet as clean and dry as she could get them. The shirt dropped to the floor, forgotten as she stepped into her boots on the way out of the car.

She walked around to the driver's door, opened it, and pulled his dress shirt out. She used it to clean the rest of her as best she could, then tossed it back inside. Looking down at herself, she was relatively clean, so she pulled her clothes back on. Fuck, she hurt so much! She glared at the bastard in the back seat. Obviously, he deserved what happened to him.

Think. She had to think. She'd really fucked up big time. How long had she been out? Looking around at the almost featureless darkness, it might've been hours. Maybe the video was proof he'd done something bad. She wouldn't know until she charged the phone. It didn't matter, though. She'd be kidding herself if she thought, even for a second, that someone like her would be found not guilty of killing the fucking mayor. FUCK!

A gasp burst free from her lips as tears threatened to break free.

NO! She couldn't afford to lose it now. She forced the tears back and looked around. She had to hide what she did, but how the fuck was she going to hide this fucking boat of a car?

It was so dark, but her eyes eventually adjusted, and she could barely make out the tops of the trees circling the toxic lake. Her eyes went down to the inky black, but it was too dark to see the sludge she knew was there. More a murky chemical bath than water; its best feature was it was deep! She looked back at the car. An idea was forming.

She reached inside the driver's door again and pulled his pants out. She took his wallet from the pocket and pulled the cash out. That went into her purse. She tossed the pants and wallet back into the car and got in. When the seat was moved all the way forward, she was able to reach the pedals. She didn't know how to drive, but she'd watched others and got the gist. The brake pedal was the important one.

Thirty minutes later, she had the beast of a car pointed at the lake and a gap in the safety fence. She was shaking and almost screaming with frustration and nervousness. She hated driving!

Roxanne put the car in park and got out. The night was still silent, aside from the low rumble from the engine. She heard no other sounds, but the longer she was out here, the more she was pressing her luck. She reached in and grabbed his underwear and went around the car, rubbing away any fingerprints she might've left on it. She went in the back seat and wiped it down too. She put the window down but left the one the mayor was leaning against. She did her best to not look at him.

Back to the front seat to wipe it down. She had no idea if she'd done a good enough job, but she got the obvious spots. She lowered the front windows too.

Climbing back out, she looked at the wheels, and they seemed to be pointed straight.

She took a deep breath. Fuck, she was going to do this. She couldn't wait any longer.

Peering closely at the ground, she found a chunk of loose asphalt and pried it up. Leaving her purse on the pavement next to the car, she leaned in and rested the stone against the gas pedal, and the engine revved loudly. She pulled it back and looked around, but no one came to investigate.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" she ground out between her teeth in fear, her jaw still refusing to open.

She put the weight back on the pedal and leaned halfway out of the car. Shaking badly, she pushed the gear shift to D, and the vehicle surged forward.

Terrified, Roxanne tried to throw herself out of the car, but the door swung back and pinned her against the side and dragged her until she managed to push herself free, narrowly avoiding the back wheel.

The car sped off down the slope and clipped the safety fence before racing directly into the dark soupy water. It kept rushing forward until the ground quickly dropped off below its wheels, and it began to float.

Roxanne winced and brushed the pebbles and glass from her scrapes as she watched the car quickly fill with water and tip nose down. The headlights disappeared, then all she could see were the taillights until they suddenly snuffed out. Then it was up to the sounds to tell her what was happening. The engine made some odd chugging noises then went silent. The occasional bubble popping came back to her, then nothing.

Climbing to her feet, she felt a wave of pain pass over her body. All she could think of was soaking in a hot bathtub at home. She wandered back and had a moment of fright when she couldn't find her purse but spotted its shape on the ground. The strap went around her shoulder, and she set off. She had a long, painful walk ahead of her. She couldn't risk letting anyone see her as she may still have blood on her.

She slowly walked around the factory using starlight to pick her way amongst the uneven paving and potholes. When she got to the gate, she undid the chain and slipped through. The chain went back on, then she stopped. She knew the old lock was sitting on the window ledge of the guardhouse. Someone had found it unlocked and moved it to the new location. She walked over and picked it up. It might throw off the scent if the gate was actually locked. She made her way back and slipped the lock through the links, and closed it. She allowed herself a small smile as she wiped the touched surfaces with her sleeve then continued on her way as quickly as she could.

It was a long way home, and there weren't many hours of darkness left.

Chapter 15

Monday morning, the school population was still trying to get back to normal and move on from the prior week's tragedy. It didn't help that the investigation was still ongoing. Margaret Picton continued to be subjected to uncomfortable looks and downright rude glares. Mrs. Aikens was her outspoken ally and was quick to chastise anyone who voiced the belief that she could've done such a thing.

Harold agreed with Mrs. Aikens but only because he thought Raph was a far better suspect. He was disappointed that the girls who rode the bus with Graves said he'd been with them the entire way from the Heights. In his mind, he imagined a scenario where Graves might've driven to the school, killed the nurse, and then driven home to take the bus. The girls laughed when he asked them if Graves ever drove to school. Shit poor was how one of them described him. It was highly unlikely he had a car.

Still, he thought Raph was the most likely suspect. If anything, his poverty made him more likely to do something desperate and violent, in his opinion.

He glanced up at the clock and heard a commotion in the hall. He smiled. Speak of the devil.

Harold got up and rushed into the hall to see Victor trying to get past Samantha Harris to get to Raph, who leaned back casually against his locker. The blonde was standing between them, her hands on Victor's chest and a desperate look in her eye. Gerry Jackson was leaning back against the wall across from Raph, enjoying the show. Stephie Dulane was next to him, also watching.

"Where's my mother?" Victor yelled.

Harold froze in shock. Graves struck again?!? He looked into Raph's eyes. The man looked... suspiciously like he knew something. Was that a smile on his lips?

"What makes you think I'd know?" Graves said calmly.

"You were the last one to see her!" Victor snapped as he tried to get closer, only to be pushed back by the girl. Harold was disappointed in his quarterback as he obviously wasn't truly trying to get past her. Still afraid of Raph? Maybe he had good reason to be.

"I did the landscaping and left on Saturday. You went camping and came back on Sunday. How do you know I was the last to see her?"

Harold held himself back as he wanted answers too.

Victor looked like he was losing his steam as Raph didn't appear intimidated in the least. The young man looked down at the pretty blonde holding him back.

"What the FUCK are you doing protecting him?" he barked.

"I'm protecting you!" Sam barked back.

Gerry gave a sharp burst of laughter, and Stephie looked shocked.

Victor reeled back as if slapped. "What?!?"

Harold watched the young woman's face very closely. Something was going on here.

"You—Protecting your future!" she stammered. "You don't want to get expelled for fighting!"

Harold saw Victor looking between the blonde and Graves, and he could see a lightbulb turning on for the young man.

"You've been with him, haven't you?" Victor said quietly.

"What? No! It's not like that!" she said defensively, but Harold could see Raph was clenching his jaw angrily. What did that mean?

"All that time studying when you could've been with me! You were fucking the Spic!" Victor's voice was getting louder as he spoke.

"We didn't—I mean, I didn't! I was studying! You know I was almost failing Calculus! I needed a tutor who knew the work!"

Harold caught the flash of anger cross Raph's face before he hid it behind an impassive expression. It was directed at the girl! He was no longer leaning against the wall. The visible tension in his body made the teacher a little nervous.

"So, you admit you were with him!" Victor growled, and from his tone, Harold knew he was going to have to intervene soon. The pretty blonde's mouth was opening and closing as her eyes glanced at the others gathered to listen.

"I needed help with calculus. My mom paid for him to tutor me—"

"WITH HIS DICK!" Gerry bellowed and brayed with laughter. Stephie's high-pitched giggles accompanied him.

Victor shot them a vicious look then turned a look of disgust back to Samantha. "You cheated on that test. You cheated on me. That makes you a fucking WHORE—"

That was Harold's cue as Victor appeared to be about to strike the blonde. "HEY! Break it up, people!" Harold barked as he finally stepped forward. He caught the motion of Raph stepping back from the blonde. He'd moved forward to protect her? Maybe there was something to Victor's claim, after all?

"Manning! My office now! The rest of you get to your classes!" he barked. Victor looked like he might disobey.

"We're done, you fucking bitch," he growled and turned to walk towards Harold's office.

Stephie rushed past with a gleeful smile on her lips. Harold saw her say something to Samantha on her way by, which shocked the girl.

Gerry sauntered close to Samantha and leered at her. "Victor cheated too," he said with a grin and walked away with a smug smile on his lips.

Harold watched him go, then jumped when he heard a locker door slam. Graves left, an almost palpable aura of anger radiating from him as if he was violence personified. Harold felt a chill run down his spine. His conviction that Raph was their killer was becoming a certainty in his mind.

He needed to speak to Victor about his mother's disappearance. Then he needed to talk to the damn Sheriff!

-=-

Sam watched Victor's lip curl in disgust as he looked at her like something foul he discovered stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Her eyes widened when he said those horrible things to her, then looked like he was going to hit her.

Thankfully, Mr. McConnell was there to defuse the situation.

She felt lost. Victor dumped her! Stephie called her a skank as she rushed by. Then Gerry dropped that bomb on her, making her head all mixed up.

Worst of all was the intense guilt for breaking her promise to Raph. She did the very thing she'd promised not to do. She couldn't look at him.

When the locker slammed shut, she didn't jump. She'd expected it. She felt him move away, and her heart sank.

When Mr. McConnell left to speak with Victor, she found herself alone. She headed for her locker and got her books, and headed to her first class, feeling eyes on her, judging her, and finding her lacking. She felt awful, but the worst thing was she was more upset at disappointing Raph than losing Victor as a boyfriend.

What kind of girlfriend did that make her?

-=-

Victor seethed with anger. He'd come home Sunday night to find the house empty and dark. When he went looking for his mom, he found a mess instead. She kept the place spotless. She'd never do that. Dusty and dirty paper towels littered the dining room floor and table. The spray bottle of cleaner was on its side on a chair, the cushion badly stained from the fluid that leaked out.

He'd called out and searched the house but found no sign of her. The boxes and junk in the basement were all moved around like someone was searching for something. What began as worry became anger as he was pissed off that she'd gotten herself into some kind of trouble. His dad was going to be so angry.

Victor wasn't going to clean up her mess. Fuck her. He'd gone to bed.

This morning when he'd woken up, the house was still silent—still no sign of his mom. Seriously freaked out, he'd started to link events and create scenarios in his mind to explain her disappearance. Key in each of these was that bastard, Graves. He'd been with his mom when Victor and his crew went camping. Before heading off to school, he'd walked out onto the deck and was surprised by how beautiful the yard looked. His mom's design made real by... him.

He'd headed into school with one thought on his mind, beating the truth out of Graves.

But that unfaithful lying bitch Sam ruined everything!

"So, what's this about your mother being missing?" McConnell asked with a strange intensity in his eyes.

"The Spic bastard was at our place on Saturday, redoing the landscaping in the backyard. I went camping with Gerry and Wally. When I got back Sunday night, the house was a mess, and she was nowhere to be found. She's still missing! He knows something!" Victor growled.

The teacher was nodding, but his mind seemed focused somewhere else. "Listen, I'm going to be speaking to the sheriff about another issue I have with Graves, but if you don't mind, I'll mention this to him as well. There may be a pattern forming here. That delinquent has been a problem at this school for too long. Leave this with me. Stay away from him today. Don't get mixed up in his shit. It's all going to come raining down on him shortly."

Victor frowned at the teacher but finally nodded. He could bide his time. But not for much longer.

-=-

Suzanne paced in her office, listening to the terrible hold music on her headset. She'd called the sheriff's office to speak with Sheriff Cooper and had been waiting on hold for fifteen minutes.

Malcolm hadn't come home Saturday night. Nor did he show up on Sunday. This wasn't like him at all. While they weren't on speaking terms at the moment, she still expected to see him in the house at night. With the business he was doing with these out-of-town guests and the partying they were doing, she was... concerned.

There was a click in the headset.

"Hello?"

"Bzzzzzzzzzz"

Growling with frustration, she disconnected the headset and dropped it on her desk. She marched out of her office and faced her assistant.

"Danny, I'm going to go speak with that deputy stationed outside the prisoner's room. I'll be back in twenty," she said and received a nod.

She made her way down the hallways to the far side of the building. She took the elevator up a floor and exited into chaos. She frowned in concern when she saw staff running down the hall. The code blue alarm was coming over the speakers, and she saw Dr. Woods running past. She ran after him and caught up.

"What happened?" she asked as they rushed to the far end of the corridor, where several people were on the floor being tended to by her staff. As they got closer, she saw one of the fallen was the deputy.

"It was the fucking wild west in here a moment ago!" Jim said. He pointed to the two huge, dead men against the far wall. "These two goons shot the deputy then opened up on the prisoner. Gary arrived and put them down before they could spray the hallway with their nasty little machine guns."

The doctor knelt next to the deputy and began working as Suzanne noticed the sheriff leaning up against the wall inside the room. She stepped in and looked to the bed. The prisoner's head wasn't more than a red blotch against the pillow and the wall behind it. His chest was also a significant mess. She turned her attention to Sheriff Cooper, who was wearing a grim look on his handsome face.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He shrugged, then looked to her and nodded.

Dr. Woods joined them in the room.

"I'm sorry, Gary. There was nothing I could do for the deputy. He's dead."

Gary nodded again. "Thanks, Jim."

"Any idea who those guys were?" the doctor asked.

Gary took a deep breath and nodded. He looked to Suzanne then reached over to close the door. She was surprised and delighted that he appeared to be about to take her into his confidence. Jim glanced at her with raised eyebrows and the smallest of smiles.

The sheriff's expression became deadly serious. "They were muscle from a drug lord in the city who's looking to stake his claim on our little town."

"What?" Suzanne gasped, and it was Jim's turn to look grim.

The sheriff pointed to the bed. "He sent a lieutenant in first to set up the distribution network. This guy took out a few of the local dealers to make room for their own people. Except, before he could set that up, someone took him out. He was crippled. He knew he'd never be able to continue working and had become a liability. He was going to make a deal." He sighed again. "I arranged with the DEA to send in a team to get him out. I just came here today to backup Marcus out there until the DEA got here. They're too late."

Suzanne was shocked that this level of criminal element was looking at their town. But, a business is a business, and it's expand or die in the world of commerce. Shit! A horrible thought came to her.

"Malcolm's missing!" she blurted and blushed at her outburst, but it needed to be said.

The sheriff and doctor both looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean, missing?" Gary asked with a cautious tone.

"He didn't come home Saturday night, and he didn't come home yesterday. I called his office, but he didn't show up at work this morning. It's not like him," she said with a growing feeling of dread.

"I saw him downtown around eight Saturday night. He was driving back from his office and heading in the direction of your neighborhood," the sheriff offered. "There's no reason to connect these events."

"He didn't come home. Neither Sam nor I have seen him since Friday morning. I know he was home Friday night and heard him head out Saturday morning, but there's been no sign of him since." She felt disloyal for what she was about to say but better a little more tension between her and Malcolm than for something dire to happen to her husband because she held her tongue. She pushed on. "He-he said he's been entertaining an out-of-town businessman. Someone who wanted to invest in the town. They partied together a few times, and Malcolm always came home very drunk." She paused to take a deep breath as what came next made her the most nervous. "The man apparently offered to host us at his resort in Jamaica. Malcolm wanted to go, but I said no."

She was watching the sheriff's face as she spoke, and his expression froze when she mentioned Jamaica. "It's him, isn't it. This drug lord," she asked in dread.

She could see the sheriff wasn't willing to hide the truth from her, and she was genuinely grateful.

"I believe so, but that doesn't mean anything bad has happened to your husband. He may have just gone to party with the man again and is sleeping it off," he said gently. "It does LeBraun no good to harm the man who is opening the necessary doors to bring his business into the town. There's no scenario where removing the mayor makes sense for his business."

Suzanne nodded gratefully and gave him a shaky smile. He returned a reassuring one of his own.

"So, are we going to see any reprisals for the death of these two big goons? Will we need to put guards in the hospital?" Jim asked.

Gary shook his head. "Not likely. LeBraun wanted to close off a loose end," he said, gesturing to the bed. "If his hit team had failed, we would've seen another attempt, but he won't care about their deaths after they accomplished their task."

Suzanne suddenly thought of Sam. She didn't want her to be in the middle of this. She was at school now, but she'd get her to come to the hospital afterward, just until Malcolm came home.

"If the excitement is over for today, I need to get back out there to do my rounds," Jim said as he looked at his friend.

Gary nodded.

"Thank you, Gary. I'm sorry about the deputy. You saved a lot of lives today with what you did." Jim said firmly.

Suzanne saw the pain in the sheriff's eyes at the mention of his man outside. Her heart ached as she knew he'd be speaking with the man's family next.

Dr. Woods opened the door, and they made their way into the hall, where other officers were taking pictures of the crime scene as the coroner waited his turn. Patting the sheriff on the arm, Jim walked away, down the corridor.

Impulsively Suzanne also reached out and touched the sheriff's arm. His eyes went to hers, and she silently thanked him. She saw his blush creeping up his neck, and he gave her a gentle smile that made her tingle. With a nod, she quickly stepped away, heading back to her office before she did something embarrassing like hug the man.

As she reached her office, the guilt set in. She was flirting with Sheriff Cooper while her husband may be in the clutches of an evil drug lord.

What kind of wife did that make her?

-=-

Gary's arm was still tingling where Suzanne touched it. His mind betrayed him by imagining scenarios where Malcolm was involved in the drug lord's criminal activities and was sent away for life, freeing Suzanne to find love elsewhere.

He gave himself a shake as his cell suddenly began to ring. Frowning at it, he walked to the windows at the end of the corridor.

"Sheriff Cooper."

"Hi sheriff, it's Liddy at the call center. I have that teacher on the line again, and he's insistent on speaking to you."

Gary sighed. "This isn't a good time—"

"He's really insistent. Belligerently insistent."

He frowned. "Fine, put him through."

A second later, he heard someone swearing under his breath. "Sheriff Cooper."

"FINALLY! Your call center is a joke!" the teacher's voice blurted angrily.

"I'm a very busy man, Mr. McConnell. Are you calling to make a complaint?" Gary snapped.

"No! Sorry, just frustrated by how difficult it was to reach you!" the man replied.

"Couldn't you've spoken to one of my deputies?" Gary insisted.

"No, this is too sensitive. Listen, one of our students was involved in a shooting a few days ago. He lives over in Wellington Heights. Showed up at school with a bullet wound on his leg." The teacher said excitedly.

"How do you know it was a bullet wound?" Gary asked cautiously. This might actually be something as the timing matched recent events.

"He confessed it was after I slapped it with a ruler," the teacher chuckled.

Gary paused. "Do you normally strike your students?" he asked with a cold voice.

He heard sputtering over the phone. "That... that's not what this call's about!"

"Yet here you are, confessing to an officer of the law about your physical abuse of one of your students. Mr. McConnell, unless you wish to have my team investigate further into this, cut the crap and start giving me pertinent details; name, address, dates, times."

More sputtering then silence. "His name is Raphael Graves. I don't have his address other than he lives in Wellington Heights. It was last Tuesday when he showed up at school with ripped jeans. Against school rules. I took him to the principal, where we learned the tear was caused by getting grazed by a bullet. He was sent to the nurse to get it tended to. One of the office staff said they saw him later returning to class with a lipstick smudge. The nurse's color."

"Name of this office staff worker?" Gary asked bluntly as he wrote down the details he was getting. Why do clues like this always show up so late in the investigation and after they've interviewed the witnesses?

"Uh, she probably doesn't want to get involved," the teacher said hesitantly.

"The name."

"Cecee Nielson," McConnell said with a grumpy voice. "Raphael is trying for a scholarship. His only chance to get out of that rat hole he calls home. Being involved in a shooting jeopardizes that. Maybe the nurse made threats to get what she wanted from him, and he killed her for it!"

Gary realized McConnell was intentionally reporting this student to prevent that scholarship from being awarded to him. What a creep! Still, Gary had to follow up as there were too many links here. He suddenly had a thought. "What class was Mr. Graves going to after he visited with the nurse?"

"How would I know? I don't keep track of the student's calendars," the teacher said belligerently.

"Could it have been English Lit with Ms. Picton?"

There was silence on the other end for a moment. Then the voice came back hesitantly. "It's the right hallway. Where Cecee spotted him."

Gary made a note to speak with the English Lit teacher once more.

"Is there anything else?"

"Mrs. Manning, Emily Manning is missing."

"What?" Gary exclaimed. "How is this related?"

"Raphael did their landscaping on Saturday. Victor Manning said he returned from camping Sunday night to find her missing. The house was tossed, and no sign of the mother."

"Tossed?"

"Victor said the house was a mess," the teacher explained.

Gary sighed. "So, the son came home to find an untidy home, his mother away, and Raphael Graves is somehow to blame? Was there actual evidence of foul play?" He heard more indignant sputtering from the teacher and decided he'd heard enough. "I'll speak with Mr. Graves and Mr. Manning to get their stories. Thank you for your call, Mr. McConnell. I'll contact you if I have any further questions. Goodbye." He hung up before the teacher could speak again.

There was little question in his mind that Mr. McConnell was holding some kind of grudge against the student and was trying his best to fuck up the kid's life. Still, there was something he needed to follow up on here. First things first. He had a family to deliver some bad news to.

It was the worst part of his job.

-=-

Victor was still seething about Raph's interference with his life. His suspicion that he had something to do with his mother being missing ate at him, but he'd promised McConnell to leave the Spic alone, for now.

Sam's betrayal, however, had to be addressed immediately. As much as he wanted to bitch slap her, there was too much risk that Graves might come after him for it. Reluctantly, he acknowledged the man intimidated him. Victor had seen what happened to his teammates who'd gone up against Raph.

There were other ways to hurt Sam. And there was the tool he'd use to do it.

"Stephie!" he called out, and the brunette came running. He'd known she'd wanted him for some time, and the only reason he hadn't acted on it was he'd been with Sam. He knew she wanted Sam's position in the cheerleading team and her position at his side as his woman. While not his type, he decided she'd be good for now. Maybe she'd put out, unlike Sam. He ground his teeth, thinking of Sam with Raphael.

"Hi, Victor!" Stephie said with a bright, hopeful smile. "I'm really sorry about what Sam did to you!"

He frowned. "She was never more than a cock tease to me so good fuckin' riddance. Let her fuck the Spic and have his trailer trash kids."

Stephie burst into giggles, and he cracked a smile at her. He liked the way her tits jiggled when she laughed.

He smiled and gestured for her to get closer. She leaned in and looked at him with wide eyes. Fuck, she looked as dumb as a cow when she did that!

"Sam is out of my life, but I want to give her a just reward for being such a backstabbing whore. I think she doesn't deserve to be the head cheerleader anymore, do you?"

Stephie quickly shook her head.

"As co-captain, you will need to speak to the other members of the squad and make them understand how poorly her behavior as a slut reflects on the whole squad. She has to go," he said earnestly.

"Yes! I'll do that now!" she gushed and was about to leave when he caught her arm and pulled her in close. "Make sure to tell them to spread the word about how Sam let that piece of shit fuck her." He growled then kissed her. He felt her melt against him, and she moaned a little when he pushed her away. "Tell them."

She nodded, her eyes locked on his lips, so he smiled, and she burst into a broad grin and rushed away.

Victor allowed himself to feel a little burst of satisfaction about that.

Sam fucked the Spic? Now she was going to really know what it felt like to be fucked.

-=-

The cafeteria was typically a busy place, and Sam carried her tray through the mass of kids crowding into the space. She still felt like everyone was looking at her. Unkindly. She'd heard some pretty hateful things whispered about her in her classes this morning and was looking forward to seeing some friendly faces at lunch. The cheerleader squad typically shared a table over by the windows, so she made her way over.

When she arrived, she saw Stephie standing up at the table's end, speaking with them. She gave the brunette a suspicious look as she recalled the slur she'd used on her earlier.

"What's up?" she asked.

Eyes turned in her direction, and some turned away. Others looked angry.

"What—"

"We know what you did with that creep, Graves!" Fran growled.

"We don't need a whore leading the squad!" another yelled, and several took up the call.

"Looks like you're out, bitch!" Stephie said with a satisfied grin.

Three of the girls didn't say anything and looked away in embarrassment. They hadn't leapt to her defense either, so she felt their betrayal as well.

Heart tight in her chest, she faced their unjust anger and shook her head. How they could believe such a thing and act so viciously... it was like they were suddenly strangers.

Appetite gone, she dropped her tray on the table and walked away.

"Go fuck your Spic lover!" Stephie loudly called out. Sam's face burned with humiliation as she strode out of the cafeteria.

The unfairness of their treatment of her was overwhelming, and she struggled to hold back the tears. She ducked into the ladies' room to hide in one of the stalls from the accusing eyes. She took a seat and dabbed at her eyes as her control finally gave, and she let her silent tears flow.

"Can you believe it?"

"Such a skank!"

"Cheating on that hunk Victor Manning with Raph Graves. That's like giving up diamonds for a pile of shit!"

"Victor's so rich, and Raph's so poor! Victor drives that sweet ride, and Raph takes the bus! No comparison!"

"I heard she wouldn't let Victor touch her but took it in the ass for Raph!"

Sam heard the girls burst into excited giggles at the coarse words. She recognized some of these voices, which made her stomach cramps worse as these were the same people she once called friends. Hearing how quickly they turned on her rocked her world.

"You'd take it in the ass for Raph!"

"I wouldn't! You bitch!" More giggles. "My pussy, however..."

A burst of laughter echoed throughout the room as Sam felt her phone vibrate. She glanced at the screen and saw a text from her mom. She wanted her to come to the hospital after school. Her heart leapt into her throat as her mind jumped to the conclusion that something had happened to her dad!

She sent a note back to her mom. "Is dad there?"

Moments later, a response. "No, just want you safe and close by tonight. Okay?"

Sam's emotions threatened to go off the rails once more. She typed out a quick note as her tears began again. "Yes, I'll be there."

"I love you."

Sam's tears burst forth, and she cried hard as she shook.

"Do you hear..."

"Fuck. Let's go."

Then she was alone once more.

Sam felt her phone vibrate once more. "You okay?" She hadn't responded to her mother's last note as she normally would have.

Tears ready to flow once more, she thought about what classes she had in the afternoon and realized there weren't any she couldn't afford to miss. "I love you too. I'm coming over now. Need to talk." She sent the message.

"My office will be open. I'll be out of my meeting in about an hour. We'll talk then. Be safe."

"You too."

She put her phone away and dabbed at her eyes. Exiting the stall, she checked herself in the mirror, and aside from the puffy red eyes, she looked... sad. For all their mean talk, the worst cruelty was that Raphael had been a gentleman, hadn't even tried to kiss her, and now... he never would.

She forced her tears back and sucked in a deep breath.

Two girls walked into the washroom giggling madly, and Sam braced herself as she glanced at them in the mirror. Goth girls. Not someone she'd associated with before.

"Oh man, you chose the perfect time to drop Victor's sorry ass!" one exclaimed with a wide grin.

Sam turned to face her with a confused expression.

"She hasn't seen it yet!" the other gasped in glee. "Play it for her!" she squealed.

The first girl turned her phone towards Sam and pressed the replay button. Sam caught the title of the vid and gasped, Victor Manning: Shit Eating Rapist.

Victor began having brutal anal sex with a skinny blonde woman whose face was blurred out, but her cries of pain and protest could be heard. He was raping her ass!

After only six strokes, he came and sagged back. She got to see his cock, and it seemed smaller than she expected. Then he leaned forward and slapped the woman's tight cheek painfully. She'd obviously had enough as she climbed to her feet and kicked him in the balls, then shat on his face and into his mouth.

Sam jolted back in disgust, and the two Goth girls howled with laughter at her reaction.

"I know, right?" one gasped after she caught her breath.

As the skinny blonde screamed at, chased, and beat on Victor as he fled, Sam saw there was another man in the room, a threesome? His cock was larger than Victor's, but his face was blurred out as well. Only Victor had been identifiable in the video. Suddenly, Gerry's words came to her mind. Victor had cheated too! She looked closer at the vid. The man lying on his back might be Gerry, but why would he betray Victor like this? She knew he liked her, but she didn't feel that way about him.

She smiled at the girls showing her the vid. They were right. Getting away from Victor, while not her intent, had proven to be a very good thing! He was a rapist! She was feeling much better. She looked at the link and added it to her own cell's browser links.

"Thank you," she said sincerely and got smiles from the girls.

"Did you really have sex with Raph?" one asked quickly.

She looked into the girl's eyes and shook her head.

"I knew it! Those fucking cunts!" the girl growled.

With a final smile, Sam headed for her locker. Now she had something else to talk to her mom about.

-=-

Victor was feeling rather smug when he walked into the cafeteria with Gerry and Wally following close behind. He was still a little pissed at Gerry for laughing at Sam's betrayal of him this morning, but he wanted everyone to see how unaffected he was by dropping Sam. So, smiles it was.

He saw eyes turning his way, but they weren't looking at him in admiration. His smile began to falter as he saw looks of anger, disgust, and condescending amusement on the faces around him. They all had their cell phones out or were watching their friend's cell. When the laughter and boos began, he scowled at them.

His cell pinged an incoming message, and he saw it was Gerry. He looked at the man then looked at the link. He clicked on it, and his eyes went wide. He looked back at Gerry, who shrugged.

"You hurt and pissed off the wrong, crazy lady!" he said with a grin. Wally just had a stupid look of confusion on his face.

There on his phone was that bitch kicking him in the balls and taking a shit in his mouth. And everyone saw it. He gasped as he realized everyone was going to see this. The link was globally available.

He struggled to catch his breath and contain his rage. He needed out.

Victor snarled at Gerry, who just grinned back at him. The bastard was loving this. "You're dead to me, Cousin Fucker!"

Gerry shrugged. "That's okay with me, Shit Eating Rapist."

Teachers were arriving to see what the commotion was all about. Victor needed to leave now! He strode across the room to the far doors and pushed outside. He jogged over to his car and peeled out of the parking lot. He immediately slowed down as he saw the patrol car approaching, but it turned into the parking lot.

Then he spotted her. There, across the road at the bus stop, was Sam, looking beautiful as ever but now completely out of reach. She spotted him and flicked him the bird with both hands as she gave him the dirtiest of looks.

Like he was the one at fault for this whole mess.

He didn't know how he'd do it, but Raphael Graves was going to pay for this. None of it would've happened if it hadn't been for his interfering with Victor's life.

-=-

Gary had a heavy heart as he'd just come from delivering the worst sort of news. He took a deep breath as he had to make it through the day.

He'd asked his deputies to keep an eye out for the mayor's car, but so far, there had been no sightings of it. As far as they could tell, he was no longer in town.

He pulled into the high school parking lot and took one of the reserved spots by the front door. He made his way into the school to the main office and stopped at the counter, facing a pretty, young red-haired woman who smiled at him.

"May I speak to Cecee Nielson?"

The young woman blinked at him with wide blue eyes.

"Cecee?"

She nodded.

"Is there somewhere we could speak privately?"

She nodded again and led him to an office they could use.

They took the seats before the desk, and he smiled at her. "I just have a question regarding something Mr. McConnell indicated you told him." He watched her expression change from nervous to angry in a flash. He felt sorry for the gym teacher. He took out his notepad.

"Last Tuesday, you witnessed a student, Raphael Graves, walking back to class with lipstick smudges matching the color worn by Jaclyn Galiban?"

Grudgingly, she nodded.

"Please answer verbally, if you would."

"Yes. I saw Raphael wearing smudges of her lipstick," she grumbled.

"How could you be sure it was hers?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Vamp Allure by CosmetBliss is both rare and distinct. No one else in the school wears that shade of red. I know my reds." She touched her hair proudly. "I tried to get her to tell me where she bought it, but she kept those secrets close to her overinflated chest. He was also carrying a late slip from her office."

Gary looked at the woman in surprise. "So, you and the nurse weren't friends?"

She sighed. "I tried, but she wasn't really into getting friendly with the staff or teachers. Kept to herself mostly. Frankly, I think she thought we were beneath her."

He nodded. "Would you happen to know which class Mr. Graves was walking to?"

She suddenly smiled. "He was going to Ms. Picton's classroom." When he raised an eyebrow, she continued. "I looked up his schedule."

He made another note on the pad. "Thank you. I need to speak with Ms. Picton—"

"I'll get her for you!" Cecee chirped as she leapt to her feet and looked for permission. He nodded to her, and she rushed away.

He reviewed his notes, and it wasn't too long before Ms. Picton appeared in the doorway.

"You asked to see me?" the woman asked nervously.

He stood and gave her a reassuring smile. He gestured to the chair next to his, and they sat. "I just have a few questions that came up after I was given some information linked to the case."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it seems you might've forgotten a few details in our last conversation." He said it innocently, but he saw he'd rattled her. "Let's begin with the day of the confrontation you had with Mrs. Galiban."

"I don't know if I'd call it a confrontation—"

"We both know it was, but I'll get to that," he continued with a casual and confident voice as he looked at his notes for effect. "A student returned from Mrs. Galiban's office to your classroom wearing her lipstick smudged on his mouth. Raphael Graves." He saw her flinch at his name. "You saw this on his lips and..." He was guessing at this part, but she seemed to be in a receptive state.

"Gave him a tissue..." she finished for him, and he made a note.

"She kissed him. A student. Sexual interference." She twitched again. He'd picked up from her a very protective vibe. He played on that. "You went to the staff room to confront her about her behavior, not to complain about how she dressed."

"Yes!" the woman gasped.

"But she refused to stop kissing him." Gary offered gently.

Ms. Picton snorted loudly. "Kissing!?! She'd graduated past that! She—she took his thing in her mouth! To completion! She said she was going to have sex with him next. She said there was nothing I could do about it, as making a scandal would ruin his chances at the scholarship Raphael was working toward. I told her I would tell her husband, but again she said it would ruin his chances of getting the scholarship if he didn't kill Raphael first. I was so angry when I left her, but I knew she was right. There was nothing I could do that would protect him from her. When I saw her car that morning, I thought... I would try once more. I would beg her to reconsider. If she told me to piss off again, that would've exhausted my options. I'm no murderer." She looked sad. "I'm sorry for not telling you this before. All I wanted to do was keep the boy's name out of this mess to protect his chances of getting that scholarship." Her expression turned bleak. "But I've ruined that for him already, haven't I?"

Gary looked at the woman with a curious expression. "If he's guilty of her murder, do you think he should be eligible for a scholarship?"

The woman gaped at him. Finding her voice, she locked her eyes on his. "There is no way that young man is responsible for the murder! It's not in him! Ask Mrs. Aikens! He's dedicated himself to getting the highest grades he can, and his work has been exemplary! Yes, he's big, strong, and a little gruff, but he has the soul of an artist! So much passion!"

Gary gave her an evaluating look. "Passion often feeds violence."

Her expression turned to exasperation. "Fine, but he couldn't have been aware of her plans. She said she wanted to have sex with him, not that she was going to. She hadn't set the date at that time. When he arrived in the classroom, he was dazed and troubled by what she'd done. He wasn't angry as he would've been if she'd told him he had to have sex with her because she was blackmailing him."

Gary smiled. "Do you think she needed to blackmail him into having sex with her?"

The teacher smiled in return. "All the more reason to doubt he would've killed her. If he didn't feel threatened, he would have even less incentive to kill her!"

He nodded cautiously, reluctantly conceding the point. "He's still going to need to be interviewed as he's connected to this case."

Ms. Picton pouted at him, but she couldn't argue.

"I may have more questions for you, but I'm done for now," Gary said, closing up his notepad.

She nodded and began to stand.

"Would you happen to know which class Mr. Graves is in now?" he asked.

"In fifteen minutes, he'll be in my classroom," she replied.

"Could you ask Ms. Nielson to accompany you and bring him back to the office with her?"

The teacher nodded and looked like she wanted to say something but changed her mind and left.

When he was alone, he called up the office and was put through to one of their researchers. "Deputy Danson, it's Sheriff Cooper."

"Yes, sir. What can I do for you?" the junior officer asked.

"I need you to look up anything we have on a Raphael Graves." He heard rapid typing, then some slower clicks as the man scrolled.

"Just a note about him being a suspect in the beating of two men... seven years back. Nothing since."

"Shit! He would've been, what, eleven? How old were the victims?" he asked.

"It says here one was twenty-eight and the other was thirty-one. According to his statement, they raped his mother."

"Nothing since?"

"No, sir."

"Okay. Email me his current address, and thank you, Deputy."

"My pleasure, sir."

Gary hung up and pondered the latest news. So, Mr. Graves once had a violent streak but disappeared from their radar for seven years. If he was the one cleaning the streets in the Wellington Heights area, then that violence was alive and well, just redirected.

He was beginning to get impatient when Cecee poked her head around the corner.

"Raphael Graves didn't show up for class. Victor Manning also didn't appear, nor did Samantha Harris." Cecee reported.

Gary was annoyed that Raphael would have to be located and wondered if Victor was looking at settling a score with the man. He jolted when he heard Suzanne's daughter was missing then his radar went off. "Thank you, Ms. Nielson! Please close the door behind you."

Once he was alone, he called Suzanne's direct number.

On the third ring, she answered, "Sheriff Cooper? Have you heard anything?"

"What? Oh! No, I haven't. No sign yet. I was just calling to see if your daughter contacted you earlier today."

"Yes! She's either on her way, or she's already at my office. I've asked her to stay with me until I go home tonight. What's this about?"

Gary felt the relief loosen the tight bands around his chest. "Nothing, now that I know she's safe. I'm just here at the school, and someone mentioned she didn't show up for a class. With all that's gone on, I-I was just concerned."

"Oh! Oh, that's... really sweet of you! Thank you so much for calling!" she said with a happy voice.

"It's nothing. Have a good afternoon," he said as heat rushed up his neck.

That woman, even just her voice, seriously rocked his world. He was setting himself up for disappointment, of course, as she was married. He had to start being realistic.

No matter what his heart said.

-=-

Roxanne stumbled along the road leading to the hospital. She couldn't take the pain any longer. The pills she'd stolen from the pharmacy weren't strong enough to dull the ache in her jaw. She needed professional healing.

She'd managed to get home undetected Sunday morning and took a long hot shower to wash all of his blood from her skin and her clothes. Then she'd taken a hot bath. That did wonders for some painful areas, but her jaw continued to throb, and she couldn't move it.

She'd spent Sunday inside, avoiding her mom, and went out to steal stronger pain killers when it got to be too much. She'd managed to survive until midday Monday when her endurance ran out. Her paranoia about being found out faded as the pain increased.

As she set off, she'd met Dotty coming back to the townhouse with her arms full. The paper bags hid the bottles, but their distinct chime as they bumped together told Roxanne the whore was preparing for an epic bender. She wasn't working tonight, it seemed. They'd glared at each other on passing.

Now here Roxanne was, walking into the emergency ward waiting room. Her mother had medical coverage with her job as a cleaner in the hospital, and they knew Roxanne. Not that she came in often.

The admitting clerk took her details and pointed her to the chairs. They were a little busy today.

Roxanne knew the drill. She popped a few more painkillers and settled in for the wait. She hoped it wouldn't be too long.

Chapter 16

People at school were giving him a wide berth as his mood was foul. It showed in the intensity of his eyes and the tightness of his jaw.

Being left alone was preferable to him today. Sam breaking her promise stung like nothing he'd ever experienced before. He told himself that was stupid as she meant nothing more to him than any of these simple-minded cretins.

He coasted through the classes and tried to ignore the fact that Sam had skipped them, something totally out of character for her, not that he'd tracked her movements. She was just a comfortable presence at his back in his classes.

Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer and decided to head to work early. He could afford to miss a few afternoon classes.

It was a relief to gather his backpack from his locker and leave the school. He spotted the gift bag from Sam inside the backpack and was tempted to dump it in the trash, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He reflected that he needed the clothes since he hadn't replaced the jeans damaged by the gunshot.

He also saw the envelope from Emily Manning. As promised, he hadn't opened it yet. He would tonight when he got home from work.

The check from Suzanne was no longer in the bag. That had gone into his bank account. He didn't use Roger Manning's bank as their fees were too high. The local Co-op bank gave him a better deal.

The bus ride was uneventful as he was early, and none of the other students were on the bus to annoy him. He got off at the Garden Center and walked across the busy parking lot to enter the front door. He waved to Meagan, who was one of Jackie's permanent staff, his niece in fact, and their order taker. She waved him over to her counter.

"You're early," she said.

"Yeah, I'll stay out of the way in the back until my shift starts," he said.

"Jackie wanted to see you the moment you came in, so if you see him now, you'll have more time to do the tasks he assigns during your actual shift," she suggested.

Raph nodded as that made a lot of sense. "Sure. Thanks!" He went into the back and put his backpack into his locker. Then he walked down the hall to Jackie's office and knocked on the door jamb. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Damn! Is it four already?" Jackie growled.

"No, I'm early today," Raph explained.

"Oh! Is everything okay?" Jackie asked.

Raph was surprised by the question as the man typically never gave a shit about his worker's daily lives unless it affected their work. "Yes, sir."

"Okay. Good. Yes, I did want to see you. I'm going over the images from the Manning job. This is top-notch work!" he said with a pleased smile.

Raph nodded to the man. "Mrs. Manning's design and her drawings were brilliant. Aside from the rows of armor stone to hold back the hillside, everything you see was from her design."

The older man gave Raph an odd look. "I'm not questioning the design. It is truly beautiful. Did she choose the plants?"

Raph nodded and qualified his answer. "Mostly. I made suggestions when some of the plants she chose wouldn't work well with neighboring plants, or I knew of one that better matched the color palate she described to me."

Jackie was grinning at him. "The design was a shared effort, but who implemented the design?" he asked.

"Me."

Jackie's grin widened. "You do excellent work. You weren't lying when you said you were really fucking good. I'd like to submit these images to a landscaping contest. Mrs. Manning signed the contract, yes?" Raph nodded. "Good. That gives us the right to publish them."

"Mrs. Manning would like that," Raph said with a gentle smile as he recalled the artistic genius.

"I know you asked to stay in the part-time pool, but I'd like to offer you a position on the landscaping team. You'd get to do more one-on-one design work with the clients, and you'd get to do the actual landscaping as well. It means more hours, but you'd still be in the part-timer's pool. When you aren't doing landscaping, you'll work in the stock room as you currently do. What do you say?"

Raph smiled at the man. "I say, yes! Thank you, sir." There was no need to think it over. The extra money would be welcome!

Jackie stood with a wide smile and shook his hand. They both had big strong hands, and Jackie's grip was met with equal strength, making the man nod with satisfaction.

"Tell Meagan you're starting early so she can put you on the clock."

"Thank you, sir!"

"You know, you're the only one on staff who calls me sir."

"Should I call you something else?" Raph asked.

Jackie scowled. "No! I like it! Keep it up!" Then he smiled to take the sting from his words.

Raph nodded to the man then headed back to speak to Meagan. He had work to do and money to make!

It helped keep her out of his thoughts.

-=-

Gerry was tingling in anticipation as he rushed up his driveway and hustled around the house to enter the home's back door. He descended the stairs into the playroom and was relieved to see Maddy had tidied the place up a little. It also didn't stink of cigarettes so badly. Positive signs!

He looked to the washroom, but the door was open, and he seemed to be alone. A jolt of fear went through him. Had she left? Was she gone? He felt his chest tighten unbearably. He didn't know what he'd do if she left.

Madeline talked about going back to Paris once she got past her addictions.

A sob escaped as the tidiness of the room took on new meaning.

"Gerty?"

He jumped as he spun to see her on the bottom step, looking back at him cautiously, a plate in her hand with a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich on it.

Another sob escaped, but this time, it was from happiness.

Then Maddy was in his arms, and her mouth was on his, tasting of peanut butter. He trembled in her strong arms as the tightness of his chest began to relax. The kiss finally ended, and she held him against her thin body as he gradually unwound.

"I-I thought—" he gasped.

"Shhh, my Gerty. I know, but that was a stupid thought. You are mine. I would not leave without you," she whispered in his ear fiercely.

He shivered again, but this time it was with need.

She kissed him again, and he was lost in her passion. Her mouth was demanding, and he sucked on her tongue as it thrust into his mouth. She was tugging on his clothes, and he undid his belt and button on his pants only for her to pull back from the kiss and drop to her knees before him, tugging his pants down as she did. She took a grip on his waking erection at the base and sucked him into her hot mouth, taking him as deep as she could.

"AAahhh, Maddy! Fuck!" he cried as the intense sensations washed over him.

She hummed happily as she bobbed her head over his cock, sucking it deep, then out to the head and deep once more. By the tenth stroke, he was harder than he'd ever felt.

She pulled his cock from her mouth with a pop, and he jolted in her grip.

She smiled crookedly up at him with a glint of happiness in her eyes. "So big and hard today, Gerty! Is this for me? Or are you thinking of that slutty blonde at school again?"

He was so far gone with lust he couldn't think of who she was talking about, and he looked down at her in confusion. That seemed to make her very happy as her smile widened.

"It is for me then!" she sighed and ran her tongue along its length.

"AAAAhhhhh! Fuck! Maddy, you're the only one I want! I love you!" Gerry blurted.

Madeline went still, and her smile slipped away as she looked up at him. The intensity of her gaze began to make him nervous. She suddenly stood and pushed him down on his back on the couch. She took his face in one of her hands as she straddled his body, pinning him down.

"You will not use those words casually!" she said shakily. "I have heard them many times before, and THEY WERE LIES!" she finished with a scream.

"Madeline, I love you. I don't want anyone but you. I'm terrified you'll leave me behind. I'd die without you! I'm nothing without you!" Gerry gasped as he looked into her eyes, pleadingly. The intensity in her eyes flared, and she was kissing him again, almost bruising his lips. He whimpered into her mouth as he kissed her desperately.

She pulled her panties to the side and ground her pussy along his length as he gasped and shook under her. Then she lifted, and he was inside. Their union was complete, and his eyes locked onto hers.

"I love you," he said, feeling every cell in his body screaming that message to her. He needed her more than he'd ever needed anyone in his life.

Her eyes finally softened, and she wiggled his cock deeper still. "You are mine, Gerty. For now and always. Remember that. You belong to only me. Body and soul."

He smiled in rapture, and she slowly moved side to side and up and down. "That's all I've ever wanted," he sighed.

"Then, we agree. The day after you graduate, we leave for Paris," she said definitively.

"Oui!" Gerry said with a smile that spread to her lips.

"Very good, my student! I must reward you!" Madeline grinned and began to move faster and faster. They were soon both panting as their bodies slapped together loudly. She closed her eyes as she got closer to her release.

"MADELINE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Gerry's body jolted as he heard his mother's scream. He saw Maddy's eyes fly open as her body clamped down on his cock as her orgasm struck. She seemed lost to the explosion of her pleasure as he tripped over into his own.

"Get off of my son this instant!" his mom yelled from the foot of the stairs.

"Mom! Please go upstairs and give us some privacy!" he growled. From his position on the couch, he couldn't see her, but he heard her sputtering with anger then the sound of her stomping footsteps as she climbed up the stairs.

Madeline sagged down over his body, and he moved his hands to her ass to squeeze and kneed her small round cheeks. They did feel like they might be just the tiniest bit more... fleshy. He smiled.

"Oh, Gerry, that was the best one yet!" she sighed as she pulled herself free of his cock. She rested beside him on the couch and rubbed her body against his.

He caught her unconscious use of his real name and felt the glow of happiness spread through him. Then a seed of doubt began to sprout.

"What we have... it isn't just because we're cousins, is it? You won't dump me if you find a bigger thrill?" He looked into her eyes nervously.

She smiled gently at him. "It was the taboo that saved me. I was ready to die—" She touched his lips to stop his fearful protest. "The taboo and you. You never gave up on me. You and this amazing cock!" She grinned as she took his sticky flesh in her hand and squeezed it. He moaned.

Her eyes lit up. "Ah! Tell me! How was my little video received?"

Gerry trembled and looked at his cousin. Fuck, he was so overwhelmed by her! He saw she was waiting. "The video was a huge hit! Everyone was laughing and booing at Victor. He was destroyed!" he said with a smile.

Her look became fierce. "He did not try to hurt my Gerty, did he?"

"No, some teachers showed up to find out what all the noise was about, and he ran off."

Her expression relaxed once more. Then her eyes looked to the floor above. "What will we do about the rents, hmmm?"

Gerry thought about that. "We wait until Dad comes home, and we talk to him first. His plan has me out of the house when I graduate as he wants to downsize to a condo. Our plan makes this happen. He won't want to interfere with that. To him, the rest is just noise. Mom won't like it. She's gonna call your mom—"

"Who will tell her to take her thumb from her ass! My aunt does not know love when it slaps her in the face!"

Gerry froze as he looked into Madeline's eyes. "Love?"

It was her turn to squirm. Finally, she roughly pinned him down to the couch cushion once more, and her fierce look was back. "I once forgot what the word means. I used it without comprehension until it lost meaning. I will never do that again." She looked into his eyes and must've seen his answering love because her eyes softened.

"I love you, Gerry. You are mine."

-=-

Roger Manning stepped from the taxi and frowned as he looked at the house. Why was it so dark?

The driver popped the trunk but made no effort to get the bags, so Roger went back and collected them himself. He left the trunk open as he walked up to his front door and smiled to himself as he heard the driver cursing as he got out to close the trunk. He unlocked the door and went inside.

No smell of cooking. The main floor was dark. What the hell?

"EMILY!" he yelled.

He heard sounds from upstairs and prepared himself to dish out a little punishment. He was still a little annoyed by Sarah, not driving him home. Sick mother. Bah. He needed to inflict a little pain to bring sense back to his world.

But it wasn't Emily thumping down the stairs. It was his son, looking grim and sullen. Fuck, like he needed to deal with this spoiled little shit right now. He should've taken Victor from Emily's control much earlier and given him a backbone.

"Where the hell is your mother?" he barked.

"How the hell should I know? I got back from camping on Sunday night, and she wasn't here! The place is a mess, and there is no sign of her," Victor barked back.

Roger bristled at Victor's tone. "Well, when was the last time you saw her?"

Victor scowled at him. "I left Saturday morning as you did. She was working with that damn Spic redoing the backyard!"

That reminded Roger of the money he'd spent on the landscaping. "Did they finish the yard?"

Victor looked at him like he was nuts. "Yes... the yard looks... good. Really good," he said begrudgingly.

Roger stared at his son and saw it was taking some effort for him to praise the work done by the Spic as he'd called the other young man. It must really be that good. He smiled. Then the money wasn't wasted. Take that, Malcolm!

Victor was frowning at his smile. "What?"

"Mom is missing!" the boy insisted.

"That's ludicrous. Where could your mom have gone? She has no family here other than us. She has no friends." Roger tried to reason with the emotional boy.

"Yet she's missing. Fuck, you can be dense!" Victor growled and stomped back upstairs.

Roger scowled at his son's departing back, then walked into the living room then the dining room. What the hell was this? Dirty paper towels all over the floor, on the table... DAMMIT! One of the chairs was ruined!

He walked around the house, looking for clues to Emily's disappearance. He went into the basement and saw items had been pulled from the crawlspace. Then he noticed a suitcase was missing. The middle one in the set was gone. Not the overnight size but also not a large one, so she couldn't have planned to be away for long. He went back upstairs and wished he could see the backyard. He wanted to see just how much he was going to be able to gloat to the Mayor. Maybe he'd invite him down for a barbecue.

Roger yawned mightily then looked at the clock. It was only a little after ten. That little minx Sarah had kept him up late with her sexy play two nights in a row, and she'd worn him out. He sighed and smiled to himself. He'd have to make arrangements to spend some more time with Ms. Mitchell soon.

He grabbed his luggage and walked up the stairs to his bedroom. He sighed heavily and froze. There was a scent. A scent he'd been smelling all weekend in his hotel room he'd shared with Sarah.

Sex.

Frowning in confusion, he made his way over to the bed and looked down at it. She wouldn't have. She couldn't! He noted the sheets were tight, just like he liked them, and he sighed as he relaxed a little. He pulled the comforter down, and the scent of sex wafted up to him. In shock, he pulled the top sheet down, and it was stuck to the fitted sheet. They both showed signs of sweat, dirt, and—

"FFFFFUUUUUUCCCKKKKK!!!!!" Roger screamed as he ripped the sheets from the bed.

He wanted to burn the sheets—No! He wanted to wrap Emily in the sheets with her lover and burn them both alive! He'd never felt so embarrassed and ashamed in his life! How could she have done this to him!

Victor rushed into the room. "What happened? Is it about, mom?"

"GET OUT! GET THE FUCK OUT! GET OUT OF MY FUCKING SIGHT, YOU USELESS PIECE OF SHIT!" Roger screamed.

Victor reeled back as if he'd been slapped. He looked at the dirty sheets clutched in Roger's hands, and his face went white.

"He... he fucked her?" he said with a little voice.

Screaming with rage and humiliation, Roger launched himself at his son and punched him in the jaw with a fist wrapped in the dirty sheets. Victor was already leaping back to avoid the stained sheets, and Roger was no fighter, so the blow caused little damage, other than the psychological effect it had on his son.

Victor's fist shot forward to strike Roger in his left eye, and he hit the carpeted floor face first.

Roger rolled over onto his back to look up at his son in shock. The boy was vigorously rubbing his shirt against his face in disgust. He looked down at his dad.

"Who's the useless shit now, dad," Victor growled down at him. Then he turned and ran down the stairs. Roger heard the front door slam shut.

Dazed, Roger leaned against the wall and climbed to his feet. He staggered into the bathroom and stuffed the sheets into the hamper. Then he looked at himself in the mirror. The black eye he was going to have would be significant. He sank back to sit on the toilet seat and just rested there for a while. Long minutes passed as he contemplated this unexpected turn.

What the hell happened? Everything was going along according to his plan. His life was good. He'd had an awesome weekend, but he'd come home to chaos.

Emily was gone. It started with that fact. Where could she go? She didn't know anyone. She had no money—

Roger leapt to his feet and rushed downstairs. He went into his office and sighed with relief. His laptop was where he left it. He dropped into his chair and grinned as he ran his fingers over its surface. Once the adrenaline rush faded, he flipped the machine's screen open and started it up. Moments later, the login screen appeared. He paused. Machiavelli$... no. That was last month's password. He chuckled when he remembered he'd used Sarah's pet name for his penis. He grinned as he typed it in. GodsGiftTo$arah!... hmmm. The machine returned to the login screen. He tried it again as he might've made a mistake with such a precise password but no luck on his second attempt.

He hated passwords.

He opened the drawer to get his password journal. He froze when he found the drawer empty. No, wait... He must've taken the journal upstairs to update it. Yes.

Roger disconnected the laptop from its base station and closed the lid. He carried it to the base of the stairs when he heard a heavy pounding on his front door. His punk of a son was back? Scowling, he marched to the front door and yanked it open. It wasn't Victor.

Three tall men in FBI jackets were standing on his front step. Behind them, leaning back against his police cruiser, was Sheriff Cooper, just watching the show with a bemused expression on his face.

The middle FBI agent showed him a badge, which Roger barely managed to read. "Roger Manning?"

He nodded dumbly.

"You're under arrest for fraud. I have a search warrant to search your premises as well," the agent said and nodded to the other two agents, who immediately stepped forward. One plucked the laptop from his hand and passed it back to the middle agent as the third agent put Roger in cuffs.

"What happened to your eye, sir," the middle agent asked.

"My son..." Roger mumbled as the shock set in. His eyes went to the laptop. The evidence on that would sink him. He needed to get his hands on it again to break it! "That laptop is passworded!" he yelled desperately.

The agents pulled him out of his home as a team of FBI agents moved inside to take his world apart.

"We know it's passworded. Luckily, your wife sent us the passwords when she notified us about what you've been up to."

"WHAT?!? SHE CAN'T DO THAT?!? I WON'T ALLOW IT! A WIFE CAN'T TESTIFY AGAINST HER HUSBAND!" Roger screamed in a sudden rage, and the agents stopped to get a better grip on his arms. The primary agent stepped close.

"Who said she was testifying?" the agent said.

Roger looked at the man in confusion, panting with exertion.

"We have no idea where she is now. According to our friends in Interpol, she was last spotted in a bank in Switzerland, making a significant withdrawal. Since then, nothing. But we don't need her testimony. After picking her up at her mother's home, Ms. Mitchell was very forthcoming with how you devised the scheme to rob the bank without taking their money. The bank's senior-level executives are also happily cooperating with the FBI since they received a copy of your wife's message to us, minus the passwords, of course. Those were for us alone."

They moved on and passed the Sheriff. "Are you going to just stand there and let them step on your jurisdiction?" Roger cried out in desperation.

The sheriff just grinned. "I just came up here to ask if you knew anything about your wife's apparent disappearance. These kind agents set my mind at ease, so I'm done, and I can go back to the station. You broke federal law. You're their problem."

Roger found himself being carried along between the two agents and pushed into a big SUV's back seat between the agents.

One of the agents smiled down at him.

"Welcome to your new life, Mr. Manning."

-=-

Raph was struggling.

His mind wasn't on his work, which made it lucky that he'd been assigned easy and safe tasks. He'd had watering duty in the garden area for hours. Once he'd watered everything, he was put on sweeping duty. He was able to put some muscle power into that, somewhat. However, even after he'd done the pathways between the racks of plants, making them as tidy as humanly possible, Raph hadn't burned off any of his anger. He could feel it bubbling under the surface, waiting for the right spark to make it blow.

Unsurprisingly, the rest of the staff were steering clear of him, and he did his best to keep out of their way. His anger wasn't for them.

It was for himself.

He'd let himself get into this mess. If he'd stuck to his plan and just told everyone to fuck off and leave me alone, none of this would've happened. His plan had been working, and he only had a short time to go before he graduated and got that scholarship. Then it was off to the city to enroll in medical school.

Then she interfered with his plan.

As he worked, he'd gone over the moment, again and again, when he'd crumbled because of a few tears. Sam cried. So what!

But the memory of her tears ate at him, and he just got angrier.

Finally, his shift was ending, and he didn't know what to do with himself.

He was on his way through the main building on his way to his locker when he saw Meagan peering out the front door.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he stopped behind her.

"There's two guys at the far side of the lot sitting against a car watching the store. They're backlit by the street light, so I can't see their faces. It's creeping me out," she said with a shudder.

Raph looked through the door and paused when he saw the car. A tricked-out Civic. Leaning against the hood, based on their shapes and sizes, it had to be Victor and Wally. He felt his anger crystalize.

He pulled off his apron and gloves and handed them to Meagan. "Lock up behind me," he said and pushed through the door. He heard it click behind him as he walked across the expanse of asphalt. He rolled his neck and stretched his arms and shoulders to limber up. The sweeping had actually help with this as his back felt loose.

He spotted Victor and Wally push off and stand to face him. He kept walking, never slowing, striding towards them. Then he heard it. Feet were running towards him from behind and to the sides. He stopped and looked around himself as five more football team members rushed up to stop about ten feet away. Victor and Wally began walking closer to him now as he did some quick assessments of the forces against him.

There was going to be pain.

But he wouldn't be the only one feeling it.

-=-

Meagan watched Raph boldly walking towards the two creeps at the far side of the lot, and she felt sorry for them. She could almost feel his anger when he'd been next to her. She took out her phone and began shooting a video. She screamed when the other men ran in behind Raph. She saw him stop and then he was surrounded!

"What happened? What's wrong?" her Uncle Jackie called out as he ran from his office.

"It's Raph! He's surrounded by men who look like they want to hurt him!" she cried out. She kept her cell recording the scene.

When Jackie got to the door, he pulled out his cell and dialed 911.

"911. What is the nature of your emergency?" a voice asked.

"This is Jackie Polane from Beckett's Landscaping and Garden Center. One of my workers is being attacked by a group of seven men in my parking lot. You need to send police and ambulances. Many ambulances."

"Are there casualties?" the voice asked nervously.

"Not yet, but there will be. Hurry."

-=-

Raph saw at least two of his opponents had baseball bats. One of them looked nervous. It was Todd Gilroy, but he labeled Todd number one.

Victor gave him a cocky smile. "It's been a long time coming, Spic. You're filth, and you need to be taken out. Say—"

Raph surged to the side and caught the unprepared, wobbly swing from Gilroy's bat in his left hand, yanking it from Todd's hands. As the man stumbled forward after the bat, Raph's right fist caught Gilroy in the temple, and he hit the asphalt with his face. Raph was already leaping over his still body to duck under Frank Pepper's telegraphed punch to drive the point of the bat into the man's balls. Frank was down, but Raph lost the bat.

Raph dodged left but caught a glancing blow from the other bat in the battle. Hurt like fuck, but he immediately stepped inside the next swing and broke three of Dennis O' Dwyer's' ribs with a hard jab from his left fist. Dennis tried to scream, but Raph's right fist slammed into his jaw, dropping him to the paving instead. His bat rolled away.

Wally charged at him, screaming like a crazed lunatic. Raph drove his right fist into Wally's nose, heard it break with a wet snap, and dodged aside as he shoved the blinded man over the prone body of Frank, who wailed in agony from the stomping.

A heavy punch landed on Raph's right cheekbone, and his head snapped to the left.

He glimpsed Henry Sullivan and Raymon Stenson coming in fast, so he took Henry's next punch against his shoulder and leaned back out of the path of Raymon's swing. It caught Henry in the side of the throat instead. He dropped, gagging.

Roaring with his rage fully out of control, Raph nailed Raymon in the solar plexus, and as the man was falling from the shock, he kicked him in the head.

Wally made a second reckless charge and managed to grab Raph's left arm to drag him over Henry, hoping to trip him to get in on the ground. Instead, Raph drove the toe of his boot into the thick muscle of his thigh, drawing a scream from the man.

In frustration, Wally tried to pull Raph in to grapple with him but got a hard right to the bottom of his chin, driving his teeth through the tip of his tongue. He released Raph's arm as he began to squeal.

His rage was exploding, and he spun to look for Victor, who was playing the coward and hiding behind the others. Catching a shadow from the corner of his eye, he instinctively leaned to the right and took a glancing blow against the outside of his left knee. The club which struck him was no baseball bat. It hit with force, and he felt something give in his knee. As he stumbled, he raised his arm and deflected a second swing of the lead pipe aimed at his head. The heavy metal tube bounced off the back of his skull instead, and everything exploded into stars.

Then blackness.

-=-

Jackie rushed closer to the fight, but it was dark, and everything was moving so fast he couldn't get close. So, he stayed in the shadows. There was another person in the shadows. Jackie couldn't see what he was doing, but he didn't appear aware of Jackie's presence.

He watched Raph cut through the punks like a wolf in a hen house until the big guy latched onto him.

Raph broke away, but the hidden opponent surged forward to swing something at Raph. It was a piece of lead pipe! Raph got hit on the knee, then one to the head, and he went down like a sack of potatoes.

As the pipe was raised for the killing blow, Jackie nailed the punk right square in the face. The man's nose exploded into a spray of blood, and he staggered back as he dropped the pipe. Jackie hit him with a left jab to the chin and followed him as his legs wobbled. The right cross to the boy's temple put him on the ground.

Jackie looked up to lock eyes with the big guy who was the last opponent still on his feet, but he turned and fled as fast as his big beefy legs could carry him.

Looking around, Jackie saw the carnage, moaning young men lying on the ground. Stupid idiots!

Seconds later, the area was lit with flashing lights as a police cruiser, followed by a second, screeched to a halt nearby.

Jackie went to Raph's side and saw he was bleeding from the back of his head. He hoped that pipe didn't scramble his brains. He looked up and saw the grim expression on the sheriff's face.

"Where's the bloody ambulance?" Jackie called out.

"They're on their way!" the man replied. "What happened here?"

Jackie snorted in anger. "What does it bloody look like? These idiots ganged up on Raphael!" Then he pointed to the one he put down. "That one tried to kill him with that piece of pipe! Would've too if I hadn't knocked him out." He recalled the big fella. "One got away."

"Uncle Jackie!" Meagan said, running up to the group.

"Meagan, dear. Did you record the attack? All of it?" Jackie asked.

She nodded with wide, frightened eyes. "I thought he was going to kill Raph!"

"Almost did."

"I'll need a copy of that recording," the sheriff said, and Meagan nodded.

An ambulance arrived with two more cruisers behind it, and Jackie looked to the sheriff.

"Raph goes first." He wasn't asking.

-=-

Gary had been on his way back from the Manning's place when he heard the 911 dispatcher calling for assistance over at the Garden Center. He'd responded he was on his way and turned on the lights.

When he'd arrived, he'd been shocked to see so many young men on the ground. This was the work of Raphael Graves, who was lying unconscious with the Garden Center's owner watching over him. Two more of his deputies arrived, and he had them guard the... perpetrators? Victims?

He needed to see that video.

He walked over to the one Mr. Polane indicated was guilty of attempted murder. He was coming around, so Gary flipped him over onto his stomach and put cuffs on him.

"What's your name?" he asked.

The young man turned his head as he finally became aware of his situation. "What are you doing?" He spotted the paramedic moving Raph to a backboard. "NO! LEAVE HIM! HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE!" he screamed.

"Calm down, son—" Gary said calmly as he pressed down on Victor's back to keep him from getting up.

"NO! HE CAN'T—You can't—He—He fucked my mom!" Victor gasped then burst into tears. "He needs to die!" he choked out through his gasping tears.

Gary watched the paramedics carefully lifting the unconscious man onto the gurney then shared a surprised look with Mr. Polane. He turned back to the weakly struggling man.

"What's your name?" he tried again, but the boy just sobbed. He pulled the wallet from his back pocket and flipped it open to look at the driver's license. "Victor Manning." Shit. Father in jail for fraud and son for attempted murder. Lovely. He directed one of his deputies to take Victor back to the station and another to bag the pipe as evidence. He had to head to the hospital with Raphael.

He had questions for the young man.

-=-

Roxanne was feeling much better now. The big doctor with the soft hands had realigned her jaw, which had HURT a lot, but he'd given her powerful meds to take away the pain. She still couldn't move her jaw very well, but she didn't mind because she was floating on a wave of bliss, and she didn't want it to end.

The emergency room was really busy tonight, so they had her sitting in a chair in a corner with a bag of something dripping into her arm. She watched the people scurrying around here and there and grinned at how funny it was. She spotted the sheriff coming in with the paramedics and a gurney. She couldn't see who was on the rolling bed, but they seemed very concerned. She shifted her position so the sheriff wouldn't see her. He made her feel nervous.

The big doctor rushed into the ER and went directly to the sheriff's side. They talked as he examined the patient on the table, but Roxanne was too far away to hear anything. Doctor Soft Hands said something to one of the nurses, and she got several others to move the gurney away, down the hall.

Then she saw him. It was Raph! Someone screamed.

People turned and looked at her, and she realized she was standing. The room swam in her head, but she noticed the sheriff turning to face her too. She quickly sat once more but missed her chair. The IV pulled free of her arm as she crashed to the floor and turned her face away. Two orderlies helped her back into the chair as one applied pressure to the spot on her arm that was bleeding. They were blocking the sheriff's view. A nurse came by and looked into her eyes. She frowned then applied a bandage to the spot once the orderly released her arm.

"No more happy juice for you," the woman said.

Roxanne felt a surge of rage struggling to rise up and swallow her. This bitch was taking her meds away! She looked for her purse and saw it was still hanging from the chair. Her protection was inside. She could take it and punish the bitch... but the sheriff. Bad move.

Raph was here! She needed to get to him, but she didn't know where they took him. She'd wait to see if they brought him back.

-=-

Sam woke when her mother opened the door to her office. She immediately leaped off the couch and ran to hug her.

"I'm so sorry, Sam. The meeting went on far longer than I expected it would," she said, holding Sam tight.

In the loving embrace of her mother's arms, the emotions she'd been holding in check all day burst forth, and the tears closely followed. Sam shook from the force of her sobs.

"What's wrong? What happened?" the mother asked with a worried look on her face.

Sam couldn't speak as she trembled in her arms.

Once her tears began to wind down, Sam felt her mom guiding her back to the couch, and they sat side by side. She was handed a tissue that she used to dab her eyes and blow her nose.

"Take some deep breaths and start at the beginning," her mom said gently.

"I-I really messed up. At school." Her first impulse had been to start with the fact that Victor dumped her, but she realized how insignificant that event was now. And how fortunate for her that he had. There was a far more damning event she was responsible for. It almost caused the tears to return, but she forced them back. "I broke my promise to Raphael," she said with a tight voice.

"What promise—oh. What happened," her mother asked cautiously.

"Victor drove me to school this morning, but he was really upset about something. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but I could tell he was angry. When he got inside, he immediately headed for Raph's locker, and he started yelling at him. Crazy stuff about him being the last one to see Victor's mom. Like he'd done something to her. Raph explained he just did the landscaping and left, but Victor was trying to attack him."

"Trying?"

Sam looked up into her mother's eyes with a guilty expression. "I was stopping him." When she received a raised eyebrow, she continued. "I was between them pushing Victor back."

"Oh." The word was said with a knowing tone.

Sam scowled, which turned into another guilty look.

"Victor thought you were protecting Raphael?"

Sam nodded and dropped her eyes. "But I told him I was protecting him."

She caught her mother's wince. "I know! Victor is strong, but Raphael... he's strong and dangerous."

The mother tried unsuccessfully to keep her smile from her lips.

"Mom!" Sam moaned in annoyance and leaned her forehead against the offered shoulder and relaxed when she felt fingers stroking her scalp. She loved her mom so much!

"What happened next?"

Sam sighed. "Victor asked if I had been with Raphael. I'm a terrible liar. I panicked and said I needed a tutor and tried to explain that was all it was, but he wasn't hearing me. He broke up with me and called me some very vulgar things. I think he was going to hit me, but Mr. McConnell stopped him. They left. Stephie called me a skank. Gerry told me Victor had cheated on me. There's a video of it—I'll show you later. It's horrific!"

"Raphael?"

Sam's eyes, pain clearly visible in them, went to her mom's. "I could feel him standing behind me. I could feel the... hurt, the disappointment. He was beyond angry. He... walked away."

"Will Victor give him a hard time at school?" her mom asked carefully.

Sam's eyes were haunted by her mistake. "Raphael told me I was brilliant but blind to Victor's true nature. I saw it today. He and Stephie started a smear campaign against me. Stephie isn't smart enough to come up with this on her own. It had to be him."

"What did they do?"

"They spread rumors that I'd had sex with Raphael. That I'd cheated on him. That he helped me cheat on the Calculus exam. Everyone turned on me. My friends won't speak to me. The squad rejected me. Strangers are calling me a whore. I didn't realize just how much Raphael's difference made him hated until that hate was directed at me," she said with wide eyes.

Mother and daughter looked into each other's eyes, and Sam's began to fill with tears again. "Have you heard from daddy?" her voice squeaked a little at the end.

She received a head shake for that and leaned into her mom's embrace as the tears flowed again.

There was a sharp knock on the door, and Sam pulled back to grab another tissue to dab her eyes.

"Come in." Her mother's administrator's voice was back.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, but I've been asked to inform you that Sheriff Cooper needs to use the private room again for the protection of a suspect. Also, a bunch of male high school students were just brought to the emergency ward with various injuries. There was some kind of fight. One of them may have a fractured skull."

Sam's eyes showed her terror. She leapt to her feet and rushed out of the office, ignoring her mother's call. She hurried down the hallways to the emergency room and saw the deputies guarding the kids she went to school with. They looked beaten, and most wouldn't look at her as she walked past - except for Frank Pepper. He was glaring at her with hate in his eyes.

"You fucking whore! It's your fault this happened."

"YOU! Shut your pie hole, or I may accidentally remove both!" Doctor Woods barked at him as he approached. That threat shut him up immediately, but the glare remained.

"Don't mind him. Crushed testicle," Jim said and gently guided Sam aside. "Not that your presence isn't a delight, but what are you doing here?"

"They were fighting with Raphael, weren't they," Sam asked with a bleak expression.

Jim studied her, then nodded. "How do you know this, Raphael fellow?"

She looked around but couldn't see Raphael anywhere. Her eyes stopped when they encountered the intense stare from a petite brunette girl with a swollen jaw. Something was unnerving about her gaze.

"Sam?"

She jolted and looked back at the doctor. "Oh, uh, he was my math tutor," she said weakly and looked back to the girl but spotted her walking away down the corridor.

"Well, your math nerd beat the snot out of these jocks when they attacked him where he worked. He took a few punches himself, including a lead pipe to the back of his skull, but I didn't see any fractures in the x-rays, nor does the MRI show any subcranial swelling. He'll have a concussion and one hell of a headache, but he'll live. He's bruised badly, and his left knee is swollen, so he may have torn something, but again, these things heal," he said gently.

She reached out and took his hand with tears pooling in her lashes. "Thank you."

"He's sedated, and he's been moved to a private room. Gary—I mean, Sheriff Cooper wants a word with him, so no visitors until he wakes and has answered some questions first. You should go home and get some rest. Take your mom home too. You both need to get some rest. Doctor's orders."

Sam surged forward to hug the bear of a man.

"Whore!"

Sighing, Jim released Sam and turned to face Frank. "Nurse, prep this one for surgery. Stat!"

Sam headed back to her Mom's office and met her on the way. She explained what Doctor Woods told her, then they changed direction and made their way to the room where Raphael was being held.

Sam saw the sheriff's eyes light up when he saw her mom and glanced at her mom's answering smile. She felt a little uncomfortable as it looked like they were flirting with each other, even if it was unconscious.

"Good evening, Gary. I understand you're once more using one of our private rooms."

Sam's eyes went to the handsome sheriff, who nodded.

"Good evening, Suzanne. Yes, Mr. Graves ran into a little trouble this evening. I felt it was safer for him if I kept him isolated from the ones who gave him these injuries."

"It's my fault," Sam said with a grim expression and caught her mother's frown. "It's true! If I'd kept my promise to Raphael, Victor would never have found out about how Raphael was tutoring me in calculus. Victor wouldn't have..." She paused as she went back over the visit to the ER. She looked to the sheriff, who was giving her an odd look. "Where's Victor?"

The sheriff's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Victor Manning is in custody. How did you know he was involved?"

"Those guys in the ER wouldn't have done this without Victor leading them." She frowned again. "I didn't see Wally Peterson or Gerry Jackson either. They're good friends and do everything together."

"A witness reported only one of the attackers managed to get away. He was described as a big fellow," the sheriff said.

"That would be Wally," Sam said. "I'm so sorry!" She looked to the door, and tears began to pool in her lashes once more.

"You're not responsible for Victor's attack," he said gently.

She shook her head as she didn't believe him. She glanced at him and saw he was looking up and down the corridor.

"Victor was pretty upset when I arrested him. He confessed his reason for attacking Mr. Graves, and it wasn't... what you said. You weren't mentioned in his confession at all."

Sam blinked at him in confusion, causing him to smile. She liked his smile. She glanced at her mother and saw an odd, happy expression on her mother's face. Frowning, she looked back to the sheriff. "Was it the video?"

"What video?" the sheriff and her mom said simultaneously, then smiled self-consciously at each other.

Sam frowned again. "The video of Victor raping the tall skinny blonde."

"What?!?" they said in unison again, but this time missed the effect.

Sam cued the vid on her phone and handed it to her mother. She didn't want to watch it again, so she turned away and caught the motion of a brunette head pulling back from peering around the corner of the next corridor. She walked to the corner but saw the small woman slipping around the far corner. Sam estimated the distance and realized she would've had to run to make the far end by the time Sam got to this end of the corridor. Strange.

She walked back to her mother's side as the video ended and heard her mother snort in amusement. She stared at her in shock. The sheriff was also looking at her in surprise.

"Sorry. What Victor did to that woman was reprehensible, and what she did, while justified, was disgusting."

They continued to look at her.

"I snorted because I understood what she was screaming at him in French as she slapped and punched him. It was... very colorful!" she explained as her face reddened.

"Victor is having a bad day. First, his mother runs away to parts unknown in Europe, he's exposed to the world as a rapist, then he's arrested for attempted murder. This was your boyfriend? You're better off without him," the sheriff said, and her mom beamed a smile at him.

"What about dad?" Sam asked.

The other two suddenly had guilty looks on their faces, but the sheriff spoke first.

"We've had no leads so far, but we're still searching. There's no sign of his car in town, so he may have gone to the city, except there have been no transactions on his credit cards. He might be staying with a business acquaintance, but we've had no evidence of that either. But like I said, we're still working on it, and we'll keep you in the loop."

Sam looked back at the door. "May I see Raphael?"

Sheriff Cooper shook his head sadly. "That's not a good idea. He's pretty beat up. I also need to speak to him first. He lives in the Wellington Heights district. He may be a witness to a drug deal that turned violent. Dr. Woods confirmed the wound on his leg is from a gunshot." He gave them both a compassionate look. "Why don't you go home and get some sleep. He'll be here in the morning."

"Why does everyone keep telling me to get some sleep? Do I look tired?" Sam complained.

Her mom smiled at the uncomfortable look on the sheriff's face and put her arm around Sam's shoulders. "Thank you, Gary. We'll see you tomorrow."

The man smiled at her gratefully and walked over to the nurse's station as they went the other way.

As they finally reached the administrator's office, Sam looked up at her mother.

"I don't want to go home. Can't we just stay here tonight?" she begged.

Her mom smiled at her and nodded. Sam could see she didn't want to go home either.

-=-

Roxanne smiled to herself as she listened to the punks moan and whine about the pain her man had inflicted on them. The sheriff had left, and the deputies were more interested in flirting with the nurses than paying attention, so she felt comfortable moving from spot to spot to listen in. That's how she heard Raph was going to be okay, and the relief that went through her almost brought her to tears. She couldn't lose him now, not after everything she'd done to protect him and their future together.

When that blonde bitch ran into the ER, she moved to the far side of the room and kept an eye on her. Roxanne could tell she was looking for Raph. She was obviously still under the delusion that Raph liked her. She felt a burning need to cure her of that misconception. That's when they locked eyes.

When the bitch was distracted by Doctor Soft Hands, Roxanne tore herself away and walked out of the ER before she did something stupid. She clutched her small purse to her side and thought about how good it would feel to use her protection on the blonde.

She kept herself hidden but followed her prey as Roxanne was sure she'd lead her to Raph.

Sure enough, after mother and daughter met in the hall, they went straight to where Raph was being held by the sheriff, who was stationed outside the room.

Roxanne cursed under her breath. She had to get to Raph. She watched from the end of a connecting corridor.

When the blonde bitch saw her, she dashed for the end of the hall and casually walked around the corner to ensure she didn't run into anyone or attract attention. The corridor was empty, so she rushed forward and ducked into the first unused room she found and closed the door. Listening, she waited, but no one walked by.

Roxanne leaned back against the wall and felt the room sway. The drugs were still flowing through her system. Glancing at the wall clock, she saw it was almost midnight. She decided she'd wait an hour then sneak back.

She had to see Raph!

-=-

Waking to pain is never pleasant, but the pounding his brain was taking was almost enough to drive him back into the clutches of the oblivion he'd just surfaced from.

Raph shifted to find a more comfortable position on the pillow. He heard a stifled squeak and slowly opened his eyes. The lights were muted in the hospital room, which was a very good thing. His eyes seemed much too sensitive to light.

He slowly panned his eyes to the right and saw excited eyes looking back at him. For a moment, the face was tantalizingly familiar, but he couldn't recall the name. Thinking was an effort.

"Roxy?"

Deep dimples showed in her cheeks as she grinned and nodded at him. She roughly wiped away her tears. "You frightened me! They say someone clubbed you in the head with a lead pipe!"

He rested back gently. "Oh. That's why my head hurts so much."

"Yeah, duh!" Roxanne giggled.

Raph looked closer. Her jaw was swollen, and she seemed to be having trouble talking. "What happened to your jaw?"

Large eyes looked at him seriously, and she paused for a bit. "Someone... someone hurt me. Bad."

Raph's eyes narrowed, and he grit his teeth as his head thumped with his increased pulse rate.

"Who?" he growled, and she flashed a grin at him then dropped it as quickly.

"It's okay. I took care of it," she said slowly. Her eyes took on a desperate look. "You aren't the only one who can protect people! I've been protecting you a lot this week. Protecting your future." Her eyes flicked to the door, then back to his face. "There are people who wanted to threaten your scholarship. Threaten you're life."

Raph blinked as he struggled to stay conscious. The spike of rage and elevated pulse was causing his head to pound, and his ears filled with the sound. He looked at Roxy. She'd said something about threats to him? "Threats?"

Roxanne's eyes widened with excitement. "You protect me in the neighborhood. I've protected you outside of it!"

He couldn't make sense of what she was saying, and he was worried that his brain might be damaged.

She hurried on, glancing at the door again. "Your scholarship will get you a better life. I know that. You get out. You make something of yourself. Maybe you remember someone who looked out for you too?"

Raph saw tears coming to Roxanne's eyes. She rushed ahead with her speech. It sounded like she'd practiced it.

"She was going to threaten your scholarship to make you have sex with her! I heard her talking to the teacher. Laughing about how she could make you do anything, and you couldn't stop her because it would put your future at risk!" Roxanne exclaimed as she pulled a cell phone from her purse and touched the screen a few times. She turned the screen to him. He saw Nurse Galiban thrusting a rubber dick into her pussy while she called out his name. She came, and when she recovered, she blew a kiss to the camera. "Tomorrow!"

Raph's brain struggled to put the facts in order. Roxy had a cell phone which belonged to—

"Then those two blonde bitches giggling about interfering with your life. They would've fucked up everything. I wanted to make sure they'd have their own troubles to think about. They pretend to be such a perfect family, but I found out just how rotten it really was." She grinned wickedly at Raph as he looked back at her.

"Wh-who are you talking about?" he asked weakly. He was starting to fade with the effort to comprehend what she was saying.

"The blondes at the library!" she barked in frustration. "The mayor's family!"

"Mayor Harris? Suzanne and Sam?"

"Fuck! Yes! That's who I'm talking about! The town's royal family!" Roxanne looked like she was getting jumpy as he wasn't reacting or behaving as she expected.

"What did you do?" Raph said cautiously as his brain was screaming something about Nurse Galiban. He pushed that aside as he listened to Roxy.

"I proved how much of a sleaze bag our mayor really is. It took no effort at all to get him to drop his pants and whip it out. He didn't give a fuck about his wife and kid. He just wanted to fuck a little girl!" Roxy said, putting on her childlike voice. Raph rocked back as he finally realized what she'd done.

Her eyes widened when she saw the look of horror on his face. "No, baby, it wasn't like that! It was just a meaningless fuck to prove how corrupt their family was and how empty their marriage was!" She quickly cued up the second video as he tried to get the words out. Her eyes flashed to his as she prepared the cell. She turned it to him, and he took it from her fingers with his left hand as he discovered his right was cuffed to the bed rail. There on the small screen was Mayor Harris lying on Roxanne as his ass pumped up and down. He touched the screen and dragged the video past the sex. He didn't want to see that. He found a section where they seemed to be talking. He pressed play again.

"I want to see you again," the mayor said. "I can't wait until next Friday when this lot will be empty again. I want to see you tomorrow night."

Raph stopped the vid and looked at Roxy. "Why? They've done nothing to you!"

Her eyes went wide. "They were going to fuck up your future! I needed something to make them back off!"

"A sex tape?" he asked.

"He was the FUCKING MAYOR! His wife is someone important at this hospital! They couldn't afford to let this get out. You would've been safe from them!"

Something was sinking into his brain, something enormous. Too big to contain, hide, or avoid. He stared at Roxanne in shock. She'd said... was the mayor.

"What have you done?"

-=-

Suzanne was restless. She'd tried resting on the couch next to Sam, but she finally got up and did a little work at the computer. She spent maybe an hour before she realized she'd read the same email three times. Frustrated, she shut down her laptop and quietly left the office. She walked the halls and nodded to a few people moving about their tasks. She spotted one of the deputies at the nurse's station and smiled as she knew he was supposed to be sitting in the chair by the door of Raph's room. She decided she'd just peek in on Raph to see how he was doing. She reached the door and gently pressed on it. She stopped when she heard voices. She listened.

"Someone... someone hurt me. Bad." That was a female voice. Not one she'd heard before. She continued to listen, growing more shocked until she heard Malcolm's voice. This girl knew where Malcolm was! She missed the next bit in her excitement.

"What have you done?" she heard Raph say with dread in his voice. She couldn't take it any longer and pushed into the room.

Raph was ashen-faced as he turned to look at her, and the small woman yanked something from her purse.

"ROXY! NO!" Raph bellowed, and the small woman jumped and turned tormented eyes back to him.

Suzanne moved closer to the bed as she saw the cell phone in Raph's hand. The phone with evidence of Malcolm. Sam suddenly pushed into the room and looked to the brunette holding the sharp weapon pointed at her mother. She immediately ran to Suzanne's side.

The mother pushed Sam behind her, closer to the bed, as the small woman circled out from behind the bed to face them. The crazed rage in her eyes was terrifying! She took a step closer.

Raph dropped the cell on the bed and heaved himself up to a seated position with a groan. He moved his left arm in front of Suzanne, pushing her back to keep her and Sam behind himself.

"ROXY, STOP! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he rasped in pain.

The woman's face screwed up in anguish. "Why are you protecting them? They were going to ruin your future!"

"They don't deserve this. Any of it! They meant no harm. For fuck's sake, Roxy! Put away the weapon!" Raph said, his voice getting weaker.

Suzanne watched the woman's tears falling down her cheeks as she edged closer to the door.

It suddenly opened, and the deputy stepped inside. "No visitors—AAAAA!" he screamed as the small brunette stabbed him in the thigh. He tried to grapple her as he fell, but she drove her knee into his cheek, just missing his nose and leapt over his body, out the door, and ran down the corridor. Suzanne moved to chase but heard Sam cry out. She turned and rushed back to the bed to help support Raphael's slumping body to lay him back against the bed carefully.

Suzanne spotted the phone and pocketed it before checking on the deputy. The wound didn't look too bad. "Don't move. Let someone look at that first," she told him. "Sam, go get the nurses and have them call the doctor." Sam rushed from the room. Soon the nurses arrived with the ER doctor, and they gently took the deputy away. Sam came back into the room to stand next to her.

"Sam, could you get my cell phone? It's in my purse in my office. Thanks," she said and kissed her daughter's forehead. Sam left the room.

She took the phone from her pocket and loaded up the video again. She lowered the volume to a whisper, scrolled it back to the beginning, and watched her husband have sex with someone who could've been his daughter. She skipped to the end and heard him arrange a second date. She noticed another vid and watched that one. She held her hand over her mouth to contain the horrified gasp as Malcolm brutally raped the girl. She was trembling with rage, sickness, and despair as tears rolled down her face. When it was over, the brutalized young woman slowly crawled back to him... AAAAAHHHH!

She almost dropped the phone as she witnessed her husband's murder. Again and again, the girl stabbed him! Finally, he struck her, knocking her back, then slumped back against the door. Not long after, he was dead. She stopped the vid and put the phone back into her pocket. She took a deep breath. She took a step towards the door and stopped. She looked at Raphael sleeping. She tried to take another deep breath, then burst into tears. The sobs shook her, and Sam was suddenly there clinging to her.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked in fear.

She wouldn't keep this from her. There was no gentle way to find out, but in each other's arms, they could share their grief.

"It's Malcolm. He's—he's dead."

"Daddy?"

She nodded, and they both burst into anguished tears as they held each other and cried.

Sometime later, Suzanne became aware of a gentle voice.

"Suzanne?"

She opened her eyes and saw Gary looking in the door at them with concern. She guided her daughter out into the hall.

"I'm sorry you had to be exposed to that. What were you doing in his room?" he asked.

"I came by and heard voices. I listened in until I heard Malcolm's voice." Gary's face showed his shock. "I went inside, and there was a small brunette woman, young or young-looking, speaking with Raphael. He wasn't doing too well, but he was talking. She had a cell phone. She brought it to Raphael to show him how she was protecting him. He wasn't aware she was doing it." Suzanne pulled the phone from her pocket and handed it to the sheriff. "Please don't play those videos in front of Sam, but you need to watch them." She looked down at her exhausted daughter. "We're going home. I'll be off work tomorrow, and Sam won't be in school, but you can reach us at home."

"Where did the girl go? Did you get her name?" he asked.

"I think he called her Roxy. I don't know who she was or where she went." She paused to look into his eyes. "She killed Malcolm. She may be the one who killed the school nurse as well. She didn't seem mentally stable. She stabbed your deputy."

The sheriff nodded.

"Stop her... but be careful."

Chapter 17

Roxanne felt her world slipping away from her. Why couldn't Raph see she'd done it all for him? It had to be those bitches! They'd turned him against her!

She slipped through the shadows as she made her way home. She made use of the trails through the ravines behind the property. She knew these hidden pathways better than any. She was able to find her way on autopilot as her mind was busy unraveling.

The women in Raph's life were always interfering and manipulating him. She didn't stand a chance with him if they were always whispering in his ear how foul she was, how useless and empty she was. A sob escaped from her mouth, and she stopped to force back her tears brutally. Her rage gave her strength, and she pushed forward. She needed to speak to the woman who poisoned Raph against her the most.

The row of townhouses was quiet as she slipped into the backyard. She had a way to get into her bedroom window and realized Raph's window was next to hers. The front door would be locked, but she could probably get inside there - if she could get his window open.

She climbed up the cheap trellis to reach her window ledge. She crept along the window ledge to the far side. Raph's window ledge was so close, but when she tried to slide the glass open, the window wouldn't budge. Frustrated, she took her protection from her purse and reached across the gap to smash its blunt end against the glass.

The cheap window pane shattered on impact and crashed to the patio stones below. The noise was terrible!

Not wanting to be caught clinging to her window ledge, she slipped the weapon back into her purse and reached across to get a grip on his window frame. She stepped across and was transferring her weight to the opposite window when her foot slipped.

She slammed against the side of the building as she grabbed at the window ledge. She stopped her fall, but a sharp pain stabbed into her right arm. Gritting her teeth, she used her left arm to pull herself up and climbed over the broken glass to fall onto the floor in Raph's room.

Roxanne relaxed there for a moment as her right arm throbbed terribly. She looked and saw her wrist was bleeding, so she pushed herself to her feet and went through his bureau drawers to find an old white undershirt. She did her best to wrap the cloth around her wrist as tight as she could.

"Raphael? Are you... in there?"

Roxanne looked to the door. It was Dotty. She was slurring. Drunk as usual. Fuck! What gave this bitch the right to judge her!

The doorknob turned, but the door didn't open. Roxanne saw the lock Raph had added to the door! That showed her how much he trusted his own mother! She moved closer to the door.

"Raphael? Please don't... don't be like this. I'm... sssorry."

Roxanne reached out, flipped the lock open, and took a few steps back. There was a pause then the door swung open as Dotty staggered inside. She had a large bottle of whiskey clutched in her hand, which she must've just started as it was mostly full. "Baby?"

Dotty froze when she saw Roxanne standing in the middle of the room. "You...," she growled.

"Nothing but a drunken whore," Roxanne spat.

Dotty smirked at her. "Maybe... but you're... still not good enough... for my son." She pointed at Roxanne with the hand holding the bottle.

It was too much for Roxanne. She snarled as she slapped the bottle from Dotty's hand, sending it to shatter against the edge of the bureau and splash over the wall. She'd used her right hand, and her wrist flared with excruciating pain. The shirt around her wrist was becoming sodden with blood.

Dotty looked at the smashed bottle then shrieked angrily at Roxanne as she launched herself at the smaller woman.

With a dull thud, Roxanne drove the ice pick into Dotty's chest with her left hand.

Dotty blinked as she looked down at the small hand gripping the weapon's handle as she stumbled forward. She threw her arms around Roxanne and fell onto Raph's bed.

Roxanne found herself pinned under Dotty's larger body. She struggled to push her off, but her right arm was throbbing in agony, and her left wrist was bent backward uncomfortably, still gripping the handle of her protection.

"GET OFF ME BITCH!" she screamed, but Dotty seemed to be ignoring her. Turning her head painfully, she saw Dotty... inhaling the scent of her son from the sheets.

"Raphael... goodbye... baby..."

Dotty's voice was barely a whisper, then she exhaled and was still.

"No! NO! NOOO! GET OFF! GET OFFFFFF!" Roxanne screamed again as she struggled against the dead weight pressing her down against the dip in the worn mattress. Dotty's arms were still wrapped around her and under them both, so she couldn't get her own arms free. Her legs had no purchase hanging over the edge of the bed, and she began to panic. She had no leverage.

She screamed and screamed until she realized no one was going to come to her aid. Not in this neighborhood. Not in the house where Raph lived.

She panted for breath, and the room felt like it was receding. Her eyes closed then snapped open. What the fuck was that! She struggled to stay awake, but the room kept slipping away.

There were weird crackling and buzzing sounds coming from her left, so she turned her head back to face the wall where the whiskey bottle smashed. She saw little flashes of light on the wall, but she couldn't see past the mattress. The room slipped away and rushed back. She gasped.

The buzzing sounded louder. It seemed to be coming from inside the walls — all around her.

She saw sparks jumping out of the wall socket. Then with a mighty roar, the whiskey saturated wall and carpet went up in flames. She screamed again as a ball of fire and smoke rolled across the ceiling. The buzz continued, but she couldn't breathe.

Dotty was so heavy.

She was stuck in the mattress.

The air was so thick with smoke.

The room receded once more...

...and she felt herself... stop.

Chapter 18

Sam woke, feeling someone stroke her hair. She smiled as she felt the loving touch. Then the memories of the night before came crashing back, and a sob escaped. Her mom held her close, and they shared their tears once more for the loss of a father and a husband.

When they'd exhausted their tears, Sam pulled back and looked into her Mom's eyes. "He's really gone."

Her mom nodded sadly.

"What will we do?" Sam asked.

"Survive. Live. Thrive. Remember the good times."

She hugged her mom.

"Let's go downstairs and have some breakfast," her mom suggested, and she nodded.

They'd slept in Sam's room as neither wanted to be alone the night before.

As they went arm in arm to the stairs, they were quiet, walking through a house that felt too big now. The larger-than-life man no longer filled these halls and rooms with his laughter and presence. Mother and daughter traded looks when they reached the big kitchen.

"So empty," Sam said softly and received a gentle nod.

"You're going to be moving to the city for university soon."

Sam's eyes took on a stricken expression as she imagined her in this big house all alone.

"I'm not going to stay in this house. We both know it's too big for one or two or three, for that matter. Malcolm was the only one who needed this much space."

Sam saw the pain in her mother's eyes and hugged her.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, the tall blonde smiled at her daughter. "Turn the TV on so we can get some noise in the house while we cook."

Sam smiled and went to the small set her Dad had set up in the corner of the kitchen so he could watch the local news with his breakfast. The news anchor was speaking to the camera as the scene of a blazing fire appeared in a window on the left side of the screen. Mother and daughter froze as they watched.

"—vestating fire in the Wellington Heights district razed a fifteen home townhouse development. The fire started in the early hours of the morning in one of the middle units and soon engulfed the rest. This morning all that's left are the charred ruins where once stood the homes for fifteen families.

Very few escaped the smoke and flames. Entire families were lost in the fire, which spread unnaturally quick from unit to unit. Foul play is suspected potentially making this a scene of mass murder."

Sam looked at her mother in shock. "Raphael is from Wellington Heights!"

Her mom paused, then shook her head. "The area is big and has several apartment high rises in it. He probably lived in one of the apartments. You said they were poor. The rent for a townhouse would be higher than an apartment."

Sam nodded since that made sense, but...

The mother sighed, seeing the unease in her daughter's eyes. "Go take a shower and get dressed. I'll do the same, and we'll grab breakfast to go on the way to the hospital."

Sam smiled at her mom and rushed upstairs.

She couldn't shake the bad feeling she was having. There was a chain of events that, for her, began with her downward spiral in calculus. She'd dragged Raphael into her drama, and ultimately, she was terrified that he was still paying for it.

She quickly showered and dressed and waited impatiently for her mother by the front door. When she finally arrived, she was wearing her hair loose, and she looked gorgeous.

"Do you want me to braid your hair?" Sam asked.

"No, I think I'll leave it like this today. Let's go. You've waited long enough," she said with a small smile, acknowledging Sam's anxiousness.

They got in her car and headed down the hill, stopping only to get food from a drive-through window, and quickly ate it in the parking lot. Then they were on their way again.

The hospital was a madhouse, and her mom was quickly pulled in to restore order. There was no day off for her, and truthfully Sam knew she needed the busy time to push the pain away. She only wished she also had something to do.

The few survivors of the horrific fire were suffering from severe burns, but the hospital's new burn ward's capacity wasn't getting much of a stress test. It was designed to handle far more than it was holding now.

Sam made her way towards Raphael's room as if drawn there. As she approached, she saw one of the volunteers, Mrs. Dante, standing outside the door with a grim look on her face, and Sam's heart leapt into her throat. The door was closed.

"Mrs. Dante?" she said with a trembling voice catching the woman's attention.

"Oh! Hello Samantha! What are you doing here?" the woman said distractedly.

"I-I'm a friend of Raphael's."

The woman's attention focused on her, and her eyes were so sad. Sam's chest tightened in dread.

"The sheriff is inside with him now, telling him some terrible news."

Her immediate response was relief as Raphael was still alive, but then she was slammed with dread. "The fire? His family?" she squeaked out of a tight throat.

The woman nodded with glassy eyes. "His mother—"

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Raph's shouts and enraged roar were filled with horror and grief and ended with loud sobs. The emotions were being ripped from him and swung between tears and rage. Sam shared a tear-filled look with the older woman as they heard metal clanging and the sheriff trying to calm Raphael down.

Concerned, Mrs. Dante flagged down a nurse and directed her inside to help the sheriff. As the door opened, they saw Sheriff Cooper trying to keep Raphael on the bed. Sam saw blood on Raph's right wrist where he'd hurt himself, pulling against the handcuff link to the bed rail. Raph's rage seemed to be winding down as the sheriff spoke calmly to him, leaning across the man, holding his arms down. Deep racking sobs remained, and Sam heard Raphael's pain.

Suddenly, Sam couldn't breathe, her guilt exploded, and she didn't know how to cope with it. She put her hand out to lean against the wall, but she missed as her legs gave out. She caught the impression of Mrs. Dante reaching for her, but the hallway went dark, and she was out.

-=-

Gary watched Raphael finally settle as the sedative the nurse added to his IV finally kicked in.

"He's going to need a bandage on this. Can you remove the handcuff?" the nurse asked.

Glancing once more at the unconscious man, he nodded and removed the cuff from his wrist and the rail. The nurse inspected the scrapes and cuts and left the room to get the supplies she'd need.

Gary ran a hand through his hair. He was convinced now that he'd found the Wellington Heights vigilante. The boy was strong, and his rage was barely controlled. It was no great leap to link him to the beaten junkies and muggers over the years and the latest victim, especially with the wound's physical evidence on his leg.

The door pushed open, and Suzanne entered, following the nurse. She immediately walked to his side and touched his arm.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He felt his neck heat up as his arm tingled where she was touching him. "Yah—yes, I'm good. You and your daughter?"

Suzanne seemed to notice she was still touching his arm, so she pulled her hand back. She gave him a sad smile. "I'm doing okay. Sam and I have our moments. She just became a little overwhelmed out in the hall when she heard Raphael. I had a volunteer take her to my office to rest."

They waited for the nurse to leave and looked down at the unconscious man.

"Who did he lose?" Susan asked gently.

"His mother. She was a single parent. Worked as an exotic dancer at a local strip club. It must've been rough. Not sure where he was headed in his life."

"He's going to be a doctor. A surgeon." Suzanne said with a sad smile. Gary's eyebrows went up, and Suzanne smiled at him. "He's quite intelligent, gets top grades in all of his classes, and is in line for a scholarship. He's going to medical school in the city once he graduates."

"And you know this how?" Gary asked curiously.

She grinned. "He tutored Sam in calculus. Naturally, I grilled him for pertinent details as a background check once I learned she was going to be with him until closing at the library for several nights."

Gary nodded as he looked at Suzanne thoughtfully. He decided she should hear this. "He also may be the Wellington Heights Vigilante. For years we've been finding low-level criminals in that neighborhood, badly beaten and left for us to collect. None of his victims ever described him. Most were terrified of him. The last one wasn't as low level as the others and was packing a gun. He still suffered a brutal beating, crippled in fact, but claimed to have shot the vigilante. Probably just grazed him. You met the criminal or what was left of him. He was the one the two enforcers came into your hospital to kill."

Suzanne was looking at Raphael with wide eyes. She looked back at Gary. "Sam's impression was that he was strong and dangerous. I suppose she was right." Gary nodded, then saw Suzanne's expression turn thoughtful. "You say the criminal shot him. Raphael disarmed the man, obviously."

Gary nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"He's young, passionate, and yes, violent at times. He grew up exposed to dangers and pressures we have no way of comprehending. Yet when Sam and I met him, he studied for his midterms, got excellent grades in his classes, had a part-time job working at a gardening shop, and rushed home to make dinner for his mother. I offered him a lift home after tutoring, and he refused, saying it wasn't a good idea. Likely for our protection." She looked at Raphael again. "He was shot by a drug dealer and got the gun away from him... but he didn't shoot him. He didn't kill him. Yes, he punished him, but he left him for the police to collect. There's a moral code there. Beyond the boundaries you and I would accept for ourselves, but we didn't grow up how he did."

Gary grinned at Suzanne in admiration, and she caught the look and smiled self-consciously.

"What?" she asked with a blush.

"You could've been a defense lawyer!" he said.

"Pfffft," she snorted in scorn, and he laughed in delight at her genuine reaction. That brought a smile to her lips.

Her smile slipped away as her eyes became troubled. "Did you watch the videos on the phone?"

His smile slipped away, as well. "Yes. They were... hard to watch. We confirmed the phone belonged to Jaclyn Galiban, the murdered nurse. The weapon the deputy was stabbed with last night matches the weapon the nurse was killed with. The same weapon your husband was killed with. The same weapon I believe the young woman used to kill Raphael's mother."

"WHAT?" Suzanne started. "I thought she was killed in the fire!"

Gary nodded. "Kevin, the coroner examined two badly burned bodies the firefighters pulled from the building. Based on their location in the development, it was determined that the larger one was likely Dorothy Graves. She was holding a smaller female pinned against her chest. We believe this second woman was the one who was here last night. The icepick was in her hand and stabbed into the chest of Ms. Graves. It's still early. Kevin hasn't completed his investigation, so the cause of death has yet to be determined."

Suzanne nodded and looked at him with her beautiful but sad blue eyes. "Have you found Malcolm yet?"

His heart ached for her. "No, not yet. I have someone review the last video, frame by frame, to see if any clues can be found as to where they went. I think it can't be too far from town as the girl probably walked home. Unless she had an accomplice." His eyes went to the man sleeping in the bed.

"No! If she had one, it couldn't have been Raphael! I heard his reaction to the girl's confession. I saw the genuine sick horror on his face," she asserted firmly.

Gary took in the look of conviction on her face and filed that away. He couldn't afford to accept anyone's opinion, no matter how trusted, until he could back them up with fact, like an ironclad alibi. Raphael may have been working at the time of Malcolm's murder, which, based on the timestamp of the last video, was around nine at night

There was a gentle knock on the door. Jim looked inside, and Gary gestured to Suzanne to precede him out into the hall.

"I have the final death toll for the fifteen-unit townhouse building. It's forty-eight. Only five survivors. Six including Mr. Graves in there," his friend said softly.

Suzanne put her hand to her mouth to stifle her shocked gasp. Her eyes teared up.

Gary felt the weight of the tragedy settling on his shoulders. He was going to have to make a statement soon. "I need to go speak with the Fire Marshall. Excuse me."

He walked away and made a quick call to speak to the chief. They'd found two grow ops in the charred remains of the structure, one at either end. These units had just recently changed tenants. To feed the lights, they'd bypassed the power meters, affecting every home in the development. That would've shown up eventually on the power company's meters.

At first glance, it appeared the wiring was badly substandard and went off like a fast fuse throughout the entire structure once it was triggered, likely by a catastrophic short in the middle unit. Once the short began, the town's power grid fed more energy directly into the combusting materials.

They found no fire barriers between the units, and the materials used in the build were all substandard.

These failures added up like a perfect storm making the building a time bomb just waiting for someone to flip the switch. The fact that it had lasted for over twenty years was a miracle.

After he hung up, Gary realized that the building inspectors should've caught these issues during the construction. More guilty parties. The fact that all of these things had happened ten years before he became sheriff wouldn't eliminate the heat he and his office were going to take. This was going to get really ugly.

His cell buzzed, and he gave it an annoyed glance.

"Sheriff Cooper."

"Hi sheriff, this is Deputy Juarez. Could I ask you to come out to the old paint factory on Stanfield Road?" he asked.

Gary perked up. "You found something?"

"Not exactly, sir. Could you come out?"

"I'll be right there." He hung up and headed out to his cruiser. He drove past the Wellington Heights disaster zone and took note of the odometer. When he pulled up to the factory's front gate, he noted it was eight miles by the road. A long walk, which he still thought suggested a partner with a vehicle.

He saw two other cruisers parked by the gate. He saw senior Deputies Juarez and Spencer standing in front of the more junior Deputy, Danson, who'd been given the gruesome task of reviewing the video.

"What's up?" he asked, looking to Spencer, who was his veteran.

"Sorry, sheriff. The rookie led us out here on a wild goose chase," the man said with a frown.

Gary looked to Juarez, who didn't look as convinced as Spencer. He turned his eyes to Danson. "What did you find?"

The younger man smiled slightly and handed a printed page to him. He looked at a grainy shape with oversaturated colors, red, blue, and was that gold? "These are the colors of the high school football team," he noted.

"Exactly, sir!" Danson said with a grin, then reined in his enthusiasm. "The team used to have parties behind the factory. Not that I ever went. Not on the team, but I saw pictures."

"So, this was visible in the video?" Gary asked as he smiled at the Deputy.

"Only for a split second at the very start of the video when the phone was being hidden up in the back window well. The car's headlights were still on, and they shone against a wall."

"Those colors are painted on the school gym too. This gate is locked. The school parking has no gates, and the lot is dark at night too." Spencer grumbled.

"It's dark when we drive through it on patrol," Juarez said, and Spencer nodded until he realized what that meant in terms of the school lot being a lousy spot to do what happened in the video. He frowned.

"The gate is still locked."

"Open it," Gary said.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"Get your bolt cutters and cut the lock," the sheriff ordered, and the man moved. He made quick work of the lock, then they locked up the cruisers and walked as a group into the large open parking lot.

"Keep your eyes open for signs of tire tracks—"

"Sheriff."

Juarez was pointing to a crack in the paving that had a wide clump of grass growing out of it. The grass in the center was crushed down like tires passed over it. Recently.

Gary nodded to Juarez, and they set off, looking for additional signs.

When they reached the loading bay area in the back, Danson held up his hand to point to the team colors painted on the wall by the big doors. Gary roughly matched the shape to the picture in his hand and nodded. It was a close enough match. They walked closer and looked at the ground.

"I have what could be blood," Spencer said begrudgingly.

"So we potentially have our crime scene. Where did she hide the car?" Gary asked and saw Danson looking away from the building. He followed the young man's eyes, and it became obvious where the car had to be.

"Sheriff. There are multiple spots where we have circular scrapes on the ground as if the wheels of the car were turned while the car was stationary," Juarez noted.

"She had to move the car, and she was probably a beginner," Gary theorized.

They followed the scrapes and realized she must've had a lot of trouble getting the car where she wanted it to go.

Finally, they ended up facing the gap in the fence.

"I have two tracks of acceleration. The car raced forward from here," Spencer said.

They all walked down to the fence and saw paint flecks on the safety fence.

"We're gonna have to call in divers and a tow truck," Gary said.

"On it!" Danson said as he pressed his cell to his ear, and Gary smiled at his enthusiasm.

Gary looked at the murky depths and shook his head. What a sad end for a man who failed to appreciate what he had.

"We can't get divers in from the city until tomorrow," Danson said.

Gary nodded, watching the water.

It didn't really matter. Malcolm wasn't going anywhere.

Chapter 19

Sam missed three days of school, and it wasn't a time she wanted to remember. They'd found her father, and once the coroner completed his autopsy, they'd immediately had the body cremated. Even the limited time in the toxic lake hadn't been kind, so this was the only way to deal with it. They'd had a small, private, and tearful ceremony for her to say goodbye to her father and for her mom to say goodbye to her husband. They spent the following day in their jammies and dressing gowns, drinking tea, sharing tears, and talking. A little bit about the past but mostly about the future. They both found it highly cathartic.

Sam finally returned to school on Friday to collect her homework for the classes she missed. As best she could, she ignored the stares, the sneers, and ugly comments from the people she once called her friends. It was still difficult to understand how cruel they could be, especially under the circumstances.

The teachers were sympathetic except for Mr. McConnell, who glared at her as she passed by his classroom. Maybe he was mad at Raphael for injuring so many of his players. She didn't ask. Besides, he didn't look so good. He needed a shave... and maybe a shower.

When she got to Mr. Dwight's class, he greeted her with a grim look then turned at the other students.

"Everyone work on questions six and seven, and I'll be right back." He picked up some papers, turned to Sam, and gestured to the door. She went back out into the hall and looked up at him nervously.

"I passed my calculus midterm, didn't I?" she asked.

He glanced at her. "Please join me in the principal's office." He headed off, and she had no choice but to rush after him. Once they reached the office of Mr. Jasper, the man looked up and waved them in. The principal gestured to a chair, and Sam sat as she watched the math teacher take the other chair and draw a deep breath.

"A claim has been made that you cheated on the midterm—"

"I did not—" she began, but the teacher held up his hand.

"You went from almost failing to a perfect score on the midterm."

Sam squealed in excitement and bounced on her chair. Then she noticed the grim looks on the two men had changed to exasperation. "What?"

"You achieved this miraculous turnaround in a week. The claim of cheating came from a teacher who spoke with your boyfriend, Victor—"

"EX-boyfriend!" Sam glared then sighed. "Look, I understand your skepticism, and I get that you have to investigate, but I can honestly say no cheating was involved. I just followed your advice."

Mr. Dwight's eyebrows went up. "My advice?"

Sam nodded. "You said I needed an expert to tutor me. I found one. I spent four, six-hour sessions in the evenings with him, and he took me step-by-step from the beginning to the most current lesson."

"Who was the tutor?" the principal asked.

"Raphael Graves," she said sadly. He wasn't taking visitors, and from what she heard from her Mom, he wasn't doing too well. She wanted to see him so badly if for no other reason than to apologize for the trouble she'd caused in his life.

"Raphael taught you calculus?" Mr. Dwight asked in surprise.

She nodded to the teacher. "You taught him, and for him, that worked fine, but for me, it just wasn't sinking in. But when Raphael went back over his notes with me and taught me how he learned from you, it just... clicked. He's not a patient or an even-tempered teacher, but he is a good one. I know how it works now!" she finished with a smile.

The teacher shared a look with the principal. "You understand I can't just take your word for it."

She nodded. "Do you have a test for me to do?"

He gave her a small smile and handed her the sheet of paper. Mr. Jasper cleared a corner of his desk, and she got to work. She read the questions carefully first and stopped on the third one. She looked at Mr. Dwight. "There's a method in the third question we haven't learned yet."

"Skip that one," he said with a little smile on his lips. Sam saw she'd passed his first test.

She read the fourth question, then began solving the first.

Ten minutes later, she set the pencil down and handed him the paper. His red pencil jumped from spot to spot through her work, then he looked to Mr. Jasper.

"Well?" the principal exclaimed.

"These questions weren't on the midterm, but they used the same principles. Ms. Harris got them all right. I believe the accusation of cheating was false. She should continue in the class, and we'll see how her grade level continues."

Sam's expression became bleak. "I need Raphael to help me." The math teacher looked a little uncomfortable. She hastened to clarify that. "No offense to your teaching. It obviously works for Raphael. I just get stuck occasionally, and he can get me past those moments."

"Is he willing to keep up the tutoring?" Mr. Jasper asked.

Sam turned a sad look at the man. "I don't know. He's... not talking... to anyone. Not since he lost his mom. He didn't want to tutor me, originally," she confessed. "He said Victor would make his life difficult if he found out. He said no."

"But you got him to do it." Mr. Dwight said.

She smiled slightly and nodded.

"You'll just have to do it again," the math teacher insisted.

"Has he lost his chance at the scholarship with all the scandal around him?" she asked nervously.

The principal shook his head. "Heaven's no! If anything, he's become an even more attractive candidate for the scholarship. He's an orphan and homeless now. He's blameless for all the other drama going on around him. I made certain the qualifying committee was crystal clear on that. He still needs to keep his grade level high, though."

Sam got an idea. "May I collect Raphael's homework for the week so I can take it to him?"

Mr. Jasper smiled widely. "Yes, that's an excellent idea. I'll send you to his teachers with one of the office staff. She hopped to her feet with a nod to the math teacher and principal and rushed out to get started.

Sam had a new purpose. She was going to ensure Raphael won that scholarship and completed his life plan. She owed him that much!

-=-

Suzanne leaned against the wall of the wardroom she'd moved Raphael to from the private room he'd been in. He needed to be around people now, and it was easier for the nurses to keep an eye on him. There had been some lingering effects of the blow to the back of the head, so Jim kept him in the hospital under observation. The doctor also got him attending physio for his knee. The damage wasn't permanent, but he'd be walking with a cane for a few months.

The handcuffs were gone. Gary had had a long talk with Raphael, and the young man had confessed to him that he'd been the vigilante. Not that he looked for the criminals to punish. According to Gary, he only responded with violence when attacked. The latest event had been after he'd run off so quickly from them at the library. He'd almost lost his life when he walked into a drug deal as it went down.

The problem now was, Raphael was shutting himself off from everyone. He'd stopped speaking and barely ate what they put in front of him. The young man was lost. She wasn't sure what she could do for him.

Hospital security caught a news reporter and her cameraman in the ward earlier that day. They'd discovered he was one of the few survivors and tried to interview him. They knew his name and the name of his mother. Even though he'd refused to speak to them, she had to admit Raphael was the perfect tragic figure for their story. She was worried about how they might capitalize on that. She'd have to watch the news tonight.

She caught motion in the corner of her eye as Sam marched right past her on a direct route to Raphael's bed. She almost moved to stop her but held back. Maybe Sam was just the medicine he needed. She slipped out of the room before Sam saw her there.

Her daughter didn't need her help with this. She only hoped he wasn't so lost he didn't see what was right in front of him.

-=-

Raph rested back against the pillows and felt his life slowing to a crawl. His drive to achieve, the plans he'd had, the promise he'd made... none of it mattered now. The person all that was for was dead. He... didn't have to try anymore.

He ate the food they put in front of him, but he had no appetite. He went with the doctor to work on his knee, which hurt, but he didn't care. Even that reporter and the camera her assistant stuck in his face didn't stir up more than a mild annoyance in him.

At some point, they were going to kick him out. He certainly couldn't afford the treatment he was getting, and once he was out... he had nowhere to go.

But it didn't matter.

His eyes caught motion to his left, and he saw Sam walking towards him. A shock went through his body, followed by a deep longing. Fuck, she was beautiful! He scowled as he didn't want to feel. It was safer being numb... or angry.

She must've seen his scowl because she slowed, but she didn't stop until she was standing next to his bed. Her expression showed she was nervous but determined.

"Hi, Raphael."

A shiver ran through him when she said his name, and he grit his teeth to deny it. He didn't want her to be here, but he didn't want her to leave. DAMMIT! He was getting all fucked up in the head again. Maybe he could scare her off. "Why are you here," he ground out.

Sam's expression showed she was becoming distressed, and that cut through him.

"I-I wanted... I need to tell you how sorry I am. About breaking my promise to you. About causing Victor to attack you—"

Raph snorted. He needed to clear up that misconception. Then she'd understand. Then she'd see him for what he really was. "Victor didn't attack me because of you. He found out I had sex with his mother."

Sam's eyes flew wide, and her hand went to her mouth in shock. "You—you raped her?"

"What?!? NO!" Raph barked, then bit his tongue as it was clear now that would've driven her away, and he wouldn't have to feel so fucking mixed up around her. Even now, he didn't want to take his eyes off of her. He forced himself to look down at the sheets before him and felt some calm return to his mind.

He couldn't defile his memories of Emily Manning. "She was treated like shit by Victor and her husband. Like she was nothing. She was an artist! She needed to escape that family to be an artist. She decided to do that the day I did their landscaping. She needed to feel... wanted, and I got caught up in the moment."

Raph risked looking at her once again, expecting to see disgust, anger, even hurt. He wasn't ready to see the longing in her eyes, and once more, he felt his world shifting on him. "You've said what you needed to say; you can leave. There's nothing left here. It's all in ruins," he forced out of his tight throat.

Her eyes became desperate. "No! That's not true! I spoke with the principal. Your scholarship is still yours... if you keep your grades up!"

His eyes locked on hers. She didn't understand. He'd set her straight, then she'd leave him be.

"She's dead. The whole fucking reason I was busting my ass for so long was to keep my promise to her, BUT MOM IS DEAD!" he finished in a roar, then his breath caught in his chest as the pain and loneliness came rushing back.

"Keep the promise!" Sam exclaimed.

Raph looked at Sam like she'd lost her mind. "I just said—"

"Your promise isn't complete! You have to finish high school and go to medical school. You have to achieve your goals! She'd want you to!" Sam insisted.

Raph blinked at the beautiful woman before him and slowly shook his head. "It—it's too hard. It's too hard to do without her. Just—I'd see her every day wasting away in that shithole and know why I was doing it, and I could endure it because of her. Now she's gone, and I'm alone—"

"NO!" Sam yelled, and Raph's eyes snapped to her face. "You're not alone! You have me, and I need you!"

Raph's heart jumped in his chest, but he brutally forced it down. "You don't—"

"I need you! Everyone at school has turned on me. I see the anger and hostility you deal with every day as it's being directed at me now. I'm amazed at your ability to endure it," she said softly.

Raph felt his rage struggling to get loose at the thought of those bastards hurting Sam. Again, he forced his emotions back under control.

She must've seen his reaction in his eyes as she moved closer to the bed and reached out to take his left hand. Once more, his heart leapt in his chest, but this time he didn't have the will to force it down. He managed to keep his expression frozen with skepticism.

"I need you with me. I can't do this alone. I'm not as strong as you. I can't endure it without you." Sam's lashes were beginning to pool with tears.

Raph's body betrayed him, and a short gasp escaped as he saw her tears.

Then she was leaning over the bed, her hands holding his face as she kissed him, and he was lifted into heaven. Her mouth was so soft, and her kiss was so tender. His raw need for this closeness roared through him, and his fingers slid into the hair on the back of her head. She moaned into their kiss, and their mutual desire for each other flared as the kiss deepened. Her hands moved down and gripped the sheets over his chest as she sucked his tongue into her mouth.

With a supreme effort of will, Raph pulled back from the kiss. "no... you deserve better," he choked out.

Blue eyes looked into his fiercely. "I want you. I don't want anyone else! You think I'm smart! You're the first man who's ever told me that! The first one to see me and not write me off as a pretty little airhead."

"You're not pretty."

Sam's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and you're brilliant, and you're from a completely different world than me. I'm barely above the bottom, and there are days... days when I'm lower. You don't deserve to be stuck—"

"STOP! Stop right there! You don't get to tell me what my heart deserves. You must still be recovering from that blow to the head if you think I'm going to stand here and let you throw away your potential. We both know how smart you are. We both know how strong your will is. You will do your homework with me, and we are going to complete our high school careers at the top of our class. I don't care what everyone else at school says or thinks about me if I have you by my side! I need you! Are you going to man up and stand by my side?"

Raph was struggling to keep the awestruck smile from his face. A passionate Sam was a beautiful sight to behold.

"What are you smiling about?" she huffed.

"You. Your view of life is so... innocent. Sweet but naïve as well. In case you haven't heard, I'm homeless. We had no insurance, home or life. There's no big payout from this tragedy. I didn't have much, but now what little I had is gone in the fire. All I have are the clothes I came in with. Bloody and torn. No way to clean them." Raph's heart stuttered to think of how little he had—his backpack!" He smiled faintly. "Actually, I have one other outfit to my name. The clothes you bought for me are in my backpack in my locker at work. But that's it."

Sam looked like she was going to say something inspirational, and he looked away. "You don't get it. Real life doesn't work like that. I'm not going to suddenly get a big check from some law firm and a sorry we killed your mom card. I'm poor. We barely made ends meet with two shitty paychecks coming in. We had a sweet deal on the subsidized rent. Only now do I understand why. Now, I have nowhere to live, and with only my part-time job, I can't afford to—"

"You can live with us!" Sam exclaimed. He looked at her in surprise and watched her eyes widen with excitement. He could see the wheels turning in her head. She was imagining how life was unfolding in magical and mysterious ways to make everything wonderful again. He shook his head.

"Sam! Stop! You have to stop and think! Your mom doesn't know me. Fuck! You don't know me! You can't let a stranger into your home! Especially one... like me," he finished quietly.

She was looking at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He glanced at her blue eyes and felt a jab of conscience tear through him. He couldn't bring her life down to his level. "I've... done things. Really bad things. When the rage gets loose." He didn't want—he couldn't talk to her about the things he'd done. That would be like pouring poison in her ears. He couldn't corrupt her innocence. He sighed. "It's something..." He looked away and tried to force a smile onto his face, but it just looked like a grimace. "...I'm good at."

He suddenly recalled the bouncer from the club his mom danced at, inviting him to speak to the owner about a job. He realized he did have a way he could make some extra money. He wasn't blind to what it would mean if he took the job. There was no way out of that life. He pulled his eyes back to Sam's worried gaze.

"You wouldn't hurt us," she insisted.

His frustration flared. He wanted to scream at her that she didn't know that, but he knew she was right. He couldn't hurt a hair on her head. Or her mom's. Instead, he took her hand in his and marveled at how soft it was. Roxy's hands had been small but strong and rough, with scars from the shit her life put her through. His hands also showed the pain he'd been through. The pain he'd inflicted on others. Sam had no scars. Different worlds.

"You're right. I couldn't hurt you or your mom. But violence follows me. It has my entire life. I can't bring it into yours." When Sam made to protest, he scowled fiercely at her. "Stop. This is the life I know better than you. Don't worry about getting harassed at school. I'll make that stop. Don't—I said, I'll make it stop." She'd looked like she was going to ask how and he wasn't about to involve her. "I can help you with homework if you need it, but that's as far as we can go. I'll take care of myself. I-I know someone. He can get me... work." The word tasted sour in his mouth.

The physio nurse arrived with a wheelchair for Raph's daily torture session, and he actually looked at her in relief as she'd be giving him an escape. "Sorry, Sam. I have to go to physio." He swung his legs out of bed and spotted the book bag Sam had brought in with her. "You can leave my homework. The hospital is releasing me this weekend. I'll see you at school on Monday." As he settled in the chair and was wheeled away, he purposefully didn't look at Sam. He knew he was powerless against seeing tears in her beautiful eyes, and now, especially now, he had to be strong for her. Her life needed to go on.

-=-

Suzanne looked up in surprise as Sam burst into her office. Her eyebrows went up as Sam paced back and forth in front of her desk, wringing her hands together nervously. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she looked more frightened than sad.

"What's happened?"

"HE'S SO STUBBORN!" Sam yelled, then threw herself down on the couch, where she burst into tears.

Suzanne stood and carried her box of tissues around her desk to kneel next to the couch. She stroked her daughter's head. "Talk to me," she said softly.

Once Sam managed to get control of her crying, she slowly outlined her conversation with Raphael.

Suzanne was also surprised that Sam had offered to let him live in their home, but she held her tongue until Sam finished.

"So because of everything he's gone through in his life, he thinks that violence is somehow linked to him and will put us in danger?" Suzanne asked, and Sam nodded. The worry hadn't left her eyes. "What else is bothering you?"

"I-I think he's going to do something bad. Something that will ruin his chance at the future he was working for. He wouldn't say what it was, but his attitude was... almost like... he was giving up," Sam gasped as new tears began.

"You can't force people to make the right decisions," Suzanne said gently to her daughter.

Sam's expression suddenly turned fierce again. "But we have to make him see he's making the wrong decision for the wrong reason!"

Suzanne smiled at her daughter's passion. Then it dawned on her. Sam was in love! "You love him?"

Sam's expression collapsed once more. "YES!" she sobbed.

Suzanne handed her daughter some tissues and pulled her into a hug, letting her cry. Her baby was in love! She'd known Victor had been more of an infatuation. The boy was handsome, popular, and charming. Sam's emotional connection to Raphael seemed much deeper.

She was glad Victor was no longer in Sam's life. Seeing the rape video had been frightening as that could've been Sam. She was glad he was now in jail for aggravated assault. The video of the fight had been particularly damning for Victor, but his lawyer pleaded down from attempted murder to the lesser charge, and the case never went to trial. The judge set his sentence to fifteen years with parole possible after ten as Victor failed to show he was repentant.

She understood what Sam was saying, though. Raphael might be giving up. She didn't know what options he was talking about, but she was sure, if it involved something he was exposed to in this life of violence he mentioned, it wouldn't be good for his future.

Suzanne realized he didn't know any life outside of his own experience. He didn't know how life could be. He assumed the violence would continue. He was also determined to protect Sam and her from this. She knew he wouldn't listen to their arguments, but she thought she might know someone he might listen to.

"Do you think Raphael would mind staying in Malcolm's office if we converted it to a bedroom?" she asked Sam, who pulled back from the hug to look at her mother as surprise, confusion, and finally hope showed in her eyes.

"Men, always trying to protect the damsels in distress, even when the dragons only exist in their heads. We're not going to let him waste a perfectly good future," she told her daughter.

Chapter 20

It had been a while since a woman had given him a good talking to, setting him straight and clearing away any male misconceptions he'd been harboring. Gary smiled at the memory of Suzanne's fierce yet beautiful face as she put him in his place.

She'd made her point, and he knew he was as guilty as the next guy when it came to being overly protective.

Suzanne had explained what was happening with Raphael and how he seemed to be throwing away his future. They weren't standing for that, so they needed him to talk some sense into the young man. They were taking him into their lives and their home. That's where Gary had put his foot in his mouth. He'd said that wasn't the best idea as they didn't know Raphael, and he'd confessed to being violent.

Twenty minutes later, his ears were burning, but he couldn't wipe the adoring smile from his face as he listened to Suzanne clarify what he needed to be doing instead of being overprotective. Oh, he'd gotten the message, but he was more in love with the woman than he'd ever been. He knew he had to give her some time, but he wasn't going to let her get away.

It was Saturday night, and the hospital staff had cleared away the patient's dinners. He'd have Raphael's undivided attention. The only other patient in the ward was discharged earlier, so the young man was alone, which was helpful for Gary's purposes.

"Good evening, Raphael."

The young man looked at him in surprise, then looked behind him and saw they were alone. "Good evening, Sheriff Cooper."

"Call me Gary."

Raphael's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?" Gary asked.

Raphael nodded cautiously.

Gary pulled up a chair.

"I understand the hospital will be releasing you on Monday. You've spoken with someone from community services?" Gary asked.

Raphael nodded but remained silent. Gary sighed. He understood. The young man didn't have the best relationship with the law. From where he grew up, his interactions with them would have focused on crime and violence, and the police were seen more as a means of containment. Keeping it, and them, in that one area of town.

"What did they offer?" Gary asked.

Raphael shifted on the bed. "There's a room available in a halfway house I can share," he said, but it was clear he had no intention of accepting that offer.

"Damn, that's a shitty option," Gary confessed but just got a shrug.

He paused to look at the man in the bed. He was tall, strong, and had experienced a rough upbringing. It didn't look like life had given him any soft edges. There was also a distinct wariness to his bearing, like he was expecting shit to go south fast, and he wasn't going to be caught unprepared. Gary's concern over Suzanne's plan flared once more, but he'd promised. That didn't mean he wasn't going to make sure Raphael wasn't a threat.

"I suppose you're used to getting shitty options," he said and watched the man's eyes narrow slightly, then another nod. "Yeah, you see them so often you can't even conceive of something better. A life without fear, violence, poverty, drugs, alcoholism, crime, and desperation."

The wary look was back in full force as Raphael studied him but held his tongue.

"Would you know how to live that kind of life?" Gary asked, looking him right in the eye and waited.

Raphael's wariness became annoyance. "That's a meaningless question. I don't have anything but shitty options."

Gary nodded to himself. "As I said, you can't even conceive of it. A better option is presented to you, and you shy away from the unfamiliar."

Annoyance became anger. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Suzanne and Samantha Harris. They want you to live in their home until you graduate and head off to college to become a doctor. They refuse to let you waste your potential," he said calmly.

"You know that's not an option! They aren't safe around me!" Raphael barked.

Gary leaned closer. Here was what he needed to know. "You'd hurt them?"

Raphael rocked back as if struck. "NO! I-I wouldn't! I couldn't hurt them. But that doesn't make them safe. I told Sam. Violence has followed me my whole life. Bad shit happens when I lose control of my temper."

Gary pinned him with his eyes. "We've established you can be violent. That's a given. May I assume your alternate plan might involve using that proficiency for the owner of a certain exotic dance nightclub?"

Raphael froze as he stared at the sheriff in suspicion.

"I checked. Your mother worked at the club for years. You'd have intimate knowledge of the man and his associates. Getting work as muscle for him would probably be easy for you. But that's a dead end."

"That's all I get! Dead ends!" Raphael growled.

Gary shook his head. "No. That's no longer true. You were already working on a plan to get out on your own. The fire didn't destroy that plan. It took someone very important to you, but you still have a chance to complete it. You just need somewhere to live. Somewhere safe. A place where you aren't facing poverty, crime, and violence every day." Raphael looked away in anger. "Look at me." The man's eyes came back, but the anger in them was intense.

"The violence didn't follow you your whole life. It wasn't a part of you. It was part of the environment you've been living in. Yes, you adapted to it. You learned how to use it to survive, but it was never you. Your plan is going to help you escape that environment. Once you do, you'll have to adapt again. This offer from the Harris family is the perfect opportunity to get a jump start on that. You can learn how to live without the violence."

Raphael was no longer looking like he wanted to punch him, which Gary was grateful for. It looked like he was thinking about what he'd been told. Gary waited until Raphael was ready.

"I-I still have so much rage inside me," he said quietly.

"You had years to build it. Your school record shows a distinct improvement in your ability to control it. I'd say you just have to keep doing what you're doing," Gary replied. "There will be lapses, but that's okay. You've shown remarkable restraint in the worst situations." He took a deep breath. "Do you believe you're a direct threat to Suzanne and Samantha Harris?"

Raphael stared at him and shook his head, then froze. "You're attracted to Suzanne."

It was Gary's turn to freeze.

Raphael bristled. "Her husband just died! She hasn't had time to mourn yet!"

"I'm well aware of that! I'd never do anything to hurt Suzanne!" Gary said defensively, then caught himself. He fixed his eye on the younger man, who was already being protective of Suzanne. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. "A word of advice from someone who's already faced their wrath due to being an overprotective male. Don't do it. The Harris women are fully capable of protecting themselves."

Raphael's expression relaxed somewhat, and he gave Gary a small nod. He'd obviously experienced it too.

"Take them up on their offer. Adapt. Complete your plan. Fulfill your promise," Gary said gently.

Raphael looked at him in surprise. "Sam told you."

Gary nodded with a sad smile.

Raphael's expression became pained. "I have nothing. The money I've managed to save, which isn't much, is going towards living expenses while I'm in college. I have one set of clothes which are in my locker at work, by the way. I won't allow myself to be a burden on Suzanne and Sam."

"I'll bring you your clothes from your locker. I'll take up a collection from the guys at the stationhouse, so you'll be able to afford to get a couple more sets of clothes. Just to get you started." Seeing Raphael's scowl, he continued. "It's not charity. Think of it as... a very unofficial thank you for all those years of helping us get the bad guys off the streets in Wellington Heights. Not that we want you to do it anymore," Gary insisted.

Raphael watched him closely, then nodded. "Thanks. The locker has a combination lock on it: ten, forty-two, twenty-five. Everything I own is in that locker."

Gary wrote the combination code into his notepad. "I'll bring them tomorrow morning." He stood up. "Now that you've made the right decision, I can tell you the Harris women will be bringing you to their home tomorrow afternoon."

Raphael snorted.

Gary smiled at him. "I told you, they don't give up. Formidable women!"

With a final wave, Gary walked out of the ward. Once Raphael could no longer see him, he pulled out his cell and called Suzanne's number as he walked to his cruiser.

"Gary? How did it go?" she asked anxiously into the phone nervously.

"Wow, such faith you have in me!" he replied with a smile.

"Gary! Don't tease! It's too important!" she insisted.

"Fine. I was able to get Raphael to realize it wasn't him that the violence came from but his environment. He's going to take you up on your offer to take him in."

"HE DID IT!" Suzanne yelled as she covered the phone. He could hear Sam squealing with glee in the background.

"Listen! Suzanne! Listen, he's feeling very uncomfortable about his situation—"

"What do you mean situation?" she asked.

"How little he is bringing to the table."

"That's silly! His home burned down! How much was he expecting to have? We understand he has nothing. We have plenty—"

"Raphael isn't comfortable with the concept of charity. Everything he's received in his life he's worked for. He doesn't trust generosity as it's not something he's had good experiences with. We need to work to make this work for him. He could very easily slip back to his fallback plan, which... would be bad for everyone but especially him. Check your expectations at the door. Confirm he is ok with the decisions you want to make for him. Let him decide the pace for changes to his life. It's going to feel alien to him to not be in mortal danger just walking to the bus stop. It will take him time to adapt. Be patient."

There was silence at the other end of the phone. "Suzanne?"

Her voice was trembling a little when she came back on. "You're a good man, Gary. You really do care."

He stopped walking as he reached his cruiser and took a deep breath.

"He's important to you and Samantha. He's also a pretty nice guy who had a crappy life so far yet turned out pretty decent. He deserves a chance. I want to help make a difference for him. We need to make sure he doesn't give up." He glanced at the time. "I promised him I'd collect his clothes from his locker at his work so he'd have something to wear tomorrow. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow at the hospital, all right?"

"Thank you so much, Gary. It means so much to me—to both of us!" Suzanne gushed.

"My pleasure! Good night, Suzanne."

"Good night, Gary."

He hung up and drove over to the garden center. It was almost closing, so he hustled to get to the door before it was locked. There was only one older couple in the store buying some flowers. He spotted the owner and waved as the older man walked over.

"Mr. Polane, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm well, Sheriff Cooper. What can we do for you?" he returned.

"I was just speaking with Raphael at the hospital—"

"How is he?" Jackie asked in concern. "I called, but they said he wasn't accepting visitors."

"Yes, he went through a pretty rough time with the loss of his mother, but he's coming around now. He'll be getting out of the hospital tomorrow, and I promised him I'd pick up his backpack from his locker. Apparently, it contains the only clothes he now owns."

"The lockers have combination locks," Jackie stated.

"He gave me the code," Gary said, and Jackie nodded and guided him back to the locker room.

"This one is his," Jackie said, pointing to one. "Will he be able to come back to work soon?"

"He tore something in his knee, so he's been getting physiotherapy, and I understand for the first little while he'll be using a cane," Gary said as he worked the lock.

He opened the door, and something slid out and hit the floor with a thump. They looked down to see an envelope that had split open on impact. A large number of one-hundred-dollar bills were wrapped in a folded piece of paper. Gary and Jackie looked at each other in surprise.

Gary picked up the envelope and did a quick count. "There must be close to five-thousand dollars here!" he tugged the letter clear and opened it.

They leaned forward and read it together. It was from Emily Manning. The letter began with her expressing her thanks to Raphael for believing in her so much that she had to believe as well and escape from the horror that her life had become. They read on. Gary was grateful she didn't include any details on where she had gone.

Once they finished, they glanced at each other. With a sigh, Gary folded the letter and wrapped the money with it once more. Emily had explained in the letter that the money wasn't stolen. At least it wasn't stolen from the bank. Emily freely gave Raphael all the cash from their home safe. Cash that had come from her husband's personal account.

Everything went back into the envelope. He looked at Jackie as he tucked it back into the backpack after pulling the bag from the locker. "We never saw the envelope. Okay?"

"What envelope?" Jackie said with a grin. They shared a smile and walked back out to the front door.

Gary shook the man's hand and headed off to the station. He was still going to ask for his guys to pitch in a little cash. It would do them good to feel they contributed to the uplift of one of their citizens.

He was already feeling pretty good about it himself.

-=-

Raph was fading. He'd gone through his homework again after the sheriff left, and he was so fucking bored. The day had been one long, dull nothing peppered with physical pain (physio), emotional pain (recalling his mom), and raw nerves (the conversation with Gary), so he was worn out.

He reached for the pull chain for his overhead light when he saw he had another visitor entering the dimly lit room. He watched the big man walk up to the side of his bed. Out of context, he couldn't place him for a second, then it clicked. It was Yuri, the bouncer from the dance club.

"Apologies for late visit. Mr. Kirov, very sad. We are too. He will not come to hospital. He send me. Mr. Kirov say tell you she is missed. Her dance is like magic. Is beauty."

Raphael's raw emotions took another hit. He knew exactly what this man meant, and he gritted his teeth to contain the grief that swept through him once again. He nodded stiffly as a tear escaped to roll down his cheek.

"Mr. Kirov say, you need place to stay, job. Just call." Yuri continued.

In his moment of weakness, the offer sounded so easy he was severely tempted to say yes. These people appreciated his mother. Yes, they used her, but they knew her dancing was her art, and she was second to none.

He thought about her, and he could almost feel her by his side. He knew what he had to do.

"Please... please tell Mr. Kirov... I'm deeply moved by his kind and generous offer. I'm grateful for his giving mom a place to practice her art for so many years. Even during her bad times." He sucked in a deep breath and got control of himself once more. "Please tell him a new opportunity has opened for me, and I must take it, but I thank him."

The brute of a man just nodded to him and left without another word.

Alone at last, Raph turned off the overhead light, pushed his face against the pillow, and released his tight control over his tears. He was asleep before they stopped.

Chapter 21

"Is it okay?" Sam asked, trembling half from nerves and half from excitement. Raphael, gorgeous, sexy as hell Raphael, was standing in her father's main floor office, which she and her mom had converted to a bedroom for him. He was looking around at the queen size bed against the inner wall, and the large desk tucked back against the windows overlooking the backyard.

Sam had suggested they just put Raphael in the guest room between their bedrooms, but her mom said definitely not. So, they moved the desk from its dominant position facing the door to its new home against the windows and removed the two big chairs that had faced the desk. The bed from the guest room came downstairs, and the chairs went upstairs. Then they carried the dresser and the end tables down as well. By that time, it was midnight, and they were exhausted. They went to bed and got up early to finish decorating the room. While the room didn't have curtains on the windows, it did have Florida shutters so he could have privacy.

Raphael was still silently taking it all in. Her mom made a noise, and he glanced at her. "Sorry. It's beautiful! It's just... so different from what I'm used to."

Her mom's smile was replaced by a worried look. "If there is anything you don't like, we can change—"

"No! I mean, it's perfect," he said, turning to face them.

Sam tingled like mad as she took in how handsome he looked in the white dress shirt and black jeans. The black cane he was leaning on didn't diminish how powerful he looked in any way.

"There's a private three-piece bathroom through that door," Sam said, pointing to the door in the far corner, on the other side of the bed. "We'll need to do a little shopping today to pick up the shampoo and soap you prefer to use."

"Clothes," Raphael blurted and gave them a brief smile. He seemed uncomfortable.

"Yes, we'll take you over to the mall next," her mom offered with a gentle smile. "How's your leg? Are you up for a little walking?" He nodded.

Sam was so looking forward to taking him to the mall. She was ready to show the world that Raphael was hers, and she didn't give a damn about what anyone else thought.

"Okay, just give me a few minutes, and I'll be back to drive us to the mall."

Then Sam and Raphael were alone. She wasted no time walking up to him and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so glad you decided to come to stay with us! This is going to be so good!"

She felt him wobbling a little and looked up at him in concern. Then his mouth was on hers, and her tingles exploded into fireworks. She clung to his hard body tighter and kissed him back. The kiss went on and on...

"Ahem."

Raphael pulled back abruptly, leaving Sam dazed. "I'm sorry! I—maybe my being here is a bad idea," he said hoarsely.

"NO!" Sam yelped and squeezed him tighter.

"Sam! Let him breathe!" her mom scolded.

She released him and stood back, looking at him nervously as she bit her lip. She saw his eyes lock onto her mouth, and a tremble ran through both of their bodies in reaction.

"Listen, I get it. You two just discovered you're both attracted to each other, and there's a lot of... lust in the air. But you're both young, and you also have to complete your final year in high school. I'm not going to ask for you to abstain, but I do expect you two to show some restraint. Never while I'm in the house, please! Sam, are you taking your birth control pills?"

"Mom!" Sam gasped as she stared back at her mother in embarrassment, but the woman was fixing a steely parent eye on her. "Yes, I take them," she mumbled.

"We'll pick up some condoms today to be extra safe. Remember, you both have plotted out plans for your lives. Becoming a parent in your teens isn't part of those plans," the mother reminded them.

Sam rushed forward and hugged her mom. "I love you, mom!"

"I love you too, baby."

They looked back and saw the sad smile on Raphael's face.

"I think Dotty would've liked you both very much," he said quietly.

Sam and her mom went to Raphael to hug him as well. Afterward, Sam noticed Raphael's face was red... as was her mom's.

"Condoms. Remember to get them, Sam," she said quietly as she left the room. Sam's eyes widened as she realized what her mom had felt pressed against her.

"Let's go," Sam said to Raphael, who tucked his backpack into a drawer then followed her outside.

Sam locked up the house and got in the car's back seat behind her mom as Raphael squeezed his large frame into the passenger seat up front.

It didn't take too long to reach the mall, but the lot was pretty full, and they were only able to get a spot out by the far edge. Raphael insisted he could walk and didn't need to be dropped off at the door. Sam kept a close eye on him as they made their way across the lot and exchanged a look with her mother as they stepped into the cooler air of the mall. They checked out the store directory, and Sam saw a customer service desk not too far down the first corridor.

"Let's go to the right," she suggested.

Raphael nodded absentmindedly, and they were off. She noticed he leaned a little more heavily on his cane and knew she wouldn't have too much trouble with him when she asked for the wheelchair at the service desk.

Sam felt his muscles stiffen, and his pace slowed, so she looked forward and spotted Gerry walking towards them with a tall, slim blonde woman at his side holding his hand. She was bending slightly to whisper something in Gerry's ear, and he was nodding.

They stopped as Gerry came forward to face Raphael. Sam was relieved to see he didn't have his usual belligerent look on his face. He actually looked a little nervous. She glanced at Raphael's stony expression as he fixed his eyes on the man before him.

"Mrs. Harris, Sam, I'm sorry for your loss." Gerry began.

"Thank you, Mr. Jackson," Suzanne replied with a small smile.

He turned his eyes to the big man between the two blondes. "Raphael, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about how poorly I've been treating you. I was a real dick to be following Victor's lead. I'm through with him. I'm not going to ask for your forgiveness as I know I don't deserve it, but I wanted you to know I'm sorry. I-I'm also really sorry to hear about your mom. That's just awful." Raphael gave him a stiff nod.

Gerry looked at Sam again. "I also want to apologize to you for being so creepy."

Sam snorted and tried to hide her grin behind her hand.

Gerry smiled, too, but he continued. "Naw, it's true. I had a thing for you when you were with Victor, and it wasn't cool how I behaved. I'm truly sorry."

"Thank you, Gerry. I forgive you. You seem more relaxed now. Happy!" Sam gushed.

Gerry blushed and looked back at the slim blonde. "It's true love. I'd like you all to meet Madeline."

They reached out to shake hands, and the woman surprised Sam and Raphael by leaning in with a double cheek kiss. Sam's mom took it in stride. Sam's jaw suddenly dropped as Madeline's voice sank in. It was her!

Gerry caught her expression and smiled in embarrassment. "Yeah, we were the ones in the vid with Victor. He got what he deserved."

"What video?" Raphael asked, and Gerry's eyes widened with surprise. Sam looked at him too.

Madeline grinned at them. "It is difficult to find now, yes? It has been removed from many sites, but if you hunt, you can find it," Madeline said with her delightful accent. She wasn't in the least bit embarrassed by it.

"I was very impressed with your choice of words when you were punishing Victor," Suzanne said with a smile. Then she spoke French to Madeline, and the slim woman's face lit up. They traded a few sentences between them then burst into laughter as the others looked on in puzzlement.

"It was lovely to meet you and all the best in your future!" the mother said to the couple.

Madeline took Gerry's arm, and they headed off.

Sam's group got maybe five more feet when she suddenly stopped. "Madeline! Maddy! Oh my god! She's Mad Maddy!"

Her mom looked at her with a frown. "Sam! That's a rude nickname!"

Sam nodded as she looked back but couldn't see them anymore. "Sorry. Victor told me about her. She's Gerry's cousin. First cousin!"

"Oh? Oh!" the mother gasped and looked back as well.

Sam looked to Raphael, who held her eyes with his. He was watching her calmly, waiting to see what she would do. She suddenly realized how judgemental she was being. The couple was obviously in love. Who was she to deny that? She gave him a slight smile, and his returning one filled her with joy. She felt silly at just how good his smile made her feel.

They moved on, and Raphael was starting to show signs of fatigue. They stopped by the customer services desk. "I need to use the washroom," he said, and they nodded to him as he set off to the right.

Sam watched her mom arrange for a wheelchair, then her mother stepped closer. "There's a drug store up ahead where we can pick up the shampoo, soap, and condoms." She smiled tenderly at her daughter. "It's funny; I didn't worry about you and Victor having sex. I'm not sure why but I just got the impression that he wasn't the one. Maybe it was wishful thinking at the time. I didn't want to think of my baby growing up and becoming a woman."

Sam leaned in and hugged her mom. She thought about it and realized she'd been holding off with Victor for probably that very reason. He wasn't the one. He'd been a dreamy kisser, and he got her hot but not enough to want to go all the way with him. Victor had always held himself back from her. He hadn't invested completely in their relationship, so she'd reciprocated by not offering more than she was willing to give.

Raphael held nothing back. There was no hidden agenda or ulterior motives with him. He wanted Sam, and she could tell he was fully committed. He wanted her body and her mind as well. Victor was threatened by Sam's intelligence. Raphael hungered for it. He needed her, and fuck, that was sexy!

"Victor wasn't. Raphael is," she said, quietly looking into her mother's eyes and saw acceptance there.

They heard a noise of protest die on Raphael's lips as he returned to see the wheelchair. They smiled at him, and he sighed. He eased himself into the chair and put his feet up onto the footrests. Sam dipped down and kissed him for not fighting them on this. He watched her mouth hungrily as she pulled back, and she smiled at him, feeling those tingles return to her body. Her mom got behind the chair and pushed as Sam walked next to him.

They picked up the required items at the drug store, including a full toiletry kit for Raphael. One of the nurses had shaved him this morning in the hospital, much to his surprise. Now that he had his own supplies, he'd do it himself tomorrow before school.

As they continued along, Suzanne stopped beside a kiosk from a wireless phone provider. She moved to stand before Raphael. "I'd like to add you to our cell plan and get you a cell phone so that I can reach you in cases of emergency, or you can call me if you need a lift because your leg is bothering you. May I do that?"

Sam remembered what the sheriff said to her mom. They had to let Raphael agree to changes they wanted to make in his life. She watched his face. His expression seemed to indicate he was torn between accepting the logic of it and rejecting the change.

"It's a very practical idea. It makes a lot of sense, and having one has been a big help for me," Sam said casually. His eyes turned to her, and she saw he was a little lost. "Please. It would let me reach you faster at school as well." That seemed to sell it for Raphael. He turned his face to Suzanne and nodded.

"Nothing fancy or expensive. I've never had one. I don't need anything more than a basic phone," he insisted.

"My plan has set phones for the package deal, so it will be a basic touch screen smartphone," Suzanne explained. He watched her eyes, but she held his gaze calmly, so he nodded.

She gestured to the phones on display. "It comes in several colors. Black, red, gold—"

"Black. Please," he said, fidgeting on the chair.

Fifteen minutes later, he was holding the device in his hand, staring at it blankly. It made a bing noise, and he looked at it in surprise.

Sam smiled at him. "I just sent you a text," she said, wiggling her phone between her fingers.

He shook his head, so she showed him which icon to touch to open the chat app. He read the note and smiled at her. "Thank you."

"You could send me a text saying that," she suggested.

He frowned. "But you're right here. It's quicker just to tell you."

"He has a very good point," Suzanne snorted in amusement.

Sam rolled her eyes at her mom then looked at Raphael's puzzled face. "I'll teach you how to use the apps later."

"Clothes," he said.

They moved on, and Raphael used the money the sheriff collected from his staff to buy underwear, socks, and a few shirts. He dipped into the surprise money he found in Emily's envelope this morning to get three more pairs of jeans and a new pair of black work boots. He'd deposit the rest into his account on Monday.

"I'm done," he said, so they headed back to the exit.

After they dropped off the wheelchair, Suzanne looked at the others. "I need to pick up some groceries, so we'll do that on the way home. Do you have any food allergies, Raphael?"

"No."

"Anything you don't like?" He shook his head, so she smiled at him. "Easy to please."

"I wouldn't go that far," he said with a small smile of his own.

Sam smiled as she saw he was becoming more relaxed with them.

When they got outside, Suzanne insisted on fetching the car and made them wait on the curb. She took the shopping bags with her.

Sam wrapped her arms around Raphael and pressed herself against his body, sighing at how good that felt. She felt him tentatively rubbing his face against the top of her head, and she smiled. She tilted her face up, and he kissed her tenderly.

"Gross! It's the whore and the Spic!"

Raphael slowly pulled back from the kiss, and they faced the speaker. Sam saw it was Stephie, and she was clinging to Raymon Stenson's arm, whose face was still bruised and swollen from the fight. While Stephie was the one who spoke, Sam saw Raphael lock eyes with Raymon. He took a step towards him.

"Shut the FUCK UP, bitch!" Raymon barked nervously, yanking his arm away from the surprised woman to stomp off towards the mall entrance. Stephie gasped and watched him walking away with wide, frightened eyes. She looked back at Raphael, who glared at her next.

"If you don't control that poison tongue of yours, you might find someone controlling it for you." Raphael's voice was deep and quiet, hinting at the danger lurking behind his eyes. Stephie's bottom lip began to tremble as she stood frozen. Raphael jerked his head towards the mall entrance, and she rushed away.

Sighing, he turned back to Sam as the car drove up next to the curb.

Sam was tingling like mad. She moved close to his chest and looked up at him. "You make me so hot!"

He grinned at her. "Too bad we're getting groceries then."

She grinned as well and bit her lip, causing him to widen his eyes. "Should be fun!" she whispered.

Her mom quashed the flirting with a few stern looks as they shopped for groceries, and they settled down.

When they got home, Raphael took a nap as they began preparing dinner.

Her mom stopped in front of Sam and took her hands. "I believe it would be in Raphael's and your best interests if you both tried to take it a little slower. I'm not forbidding you from anything, but you'll both benefit from a slower pace. Again, I do ask that you don't do anything while I'm in the house."

"I'm sorry, mom! I get it. We can slow it down," Sam apologized.

She was going to try, at least.

-=-

Raph couldn't get over how delicious the roast beef and vegetables had been for dinner. Thankfully they sat at the informal kitchen table by the bay window overlooking the back yard.

He'd slept so soundly on his new bed. There was no pit in the center of the mattress to get trapped in, and the pillows were so soft. If Sam hadn't woken him up for dinner, he might've slept straight through to morning.

After the lovely dinner, they cleaned up and went to the family room to sit on the big couch to watch an even bigger TV. He snorted at first at the sheer scale of the TV floating against the wall, seemingly wireless and weightless. The crystal-sharp picture and truer-than-life colors seemed almost comical in their exaggeration. The stark contrast between this experience and the last time he recalled sitting with Dotty watching their shitty little set with its three fuzzy channels suddenly overwhelmed him. A directionless frustration surged up, and tears began to fall as his emotions spiraled out of control. Suzanne touched his arm and handed him a tissue with a sad look on her pretty features. Sam cuddled in against his side. With their compassion to anchor him, he was able to gradually regain control.

As they sat there watching some home renovation show, Suzanne mentioned quietly that she would look for a smaller home much like the one on the show when he and Sam left for college. As he and Suzanne talked about this, he began to absentmindedly massage Sam's scalp like he used to do with his mother. When he realized what he was doing, he looked down, and she was gently snoring as she rested her face against his chest. He looked over to Suzanne, and she was smiling broadly.

"Sam has always been a sucker for a good scalp massage," the mother said with love in her voice.

Raph looked away as he felt a surge of loss and loneliness as he recalled his own mother's voice as she spoke to him that way.

"Are you all set for tonight? Do you need anything?"

Raph thought about that, and his face fell.

"What is it?" she asked.

Raph looked embarrassed. "I forgot to get shorts to sleep in... and I forgot to get an alarm clock."

Suzanne thought about that. "I doubt you'd fit any of Malcolm's shorts. I think he has a pair of track pants you could cut into shorts, though." She saw his expression closing up. "It's just going to go into a donation bin. All of his clothes are. Something good will come of this."

Raph thought about that and nodded. "Okay, thanks."

Suzanne pointed to Raph's pocket. "Your cell phone has a clock app with a built-in alarm clock."

He raised his eyebrows at her, so she held out her hand. He fished his phone from his pocket gently to not disturb Sam and handed it over to Suzanne.

"Lock code?" she asked, looking at the lock then glancing over at him.

"Sorry, it's DOTTY," he admitted.

She smiled and tapped it in. She pointed to the clock app and tapped it. Then she pointed to the alarm setting and tapped it. "What time do you want to wake up?"

He thought about that. "I don't know how long it takes to get to the school by bus from here." He paused. "Is there a bus that comes up this hill?"

She smiled and shook her head. "There is a bus stop at the bottom of the hill, but it's a long walk. I'll give you and Sam a drive to school tomorrow, but you two will need to make arrangements about getting home on your own. I'll set it for seven." Her eyes went to Sam, and her expression showed she was thinking of them being alone together in the house.

"We could come to the hospital after school to do our homework then come home with you," he suggested.

Her eyes went to him in surprise.

He looked down at the beauty... drooling on his shirt, and smiled gently. He looked at Suzanne and saw she was stifling her laughter. "I want to be with Sam, in every way, but I think we have time. I think it would be better for us to ease into this. We don't have to experience everything right now. There are so many expectations on us already. We need to graduate with top grades and, helping each other; I think that's going to be so much easier than individually. I-I need to know how to live in your world." He gestured to the big TV. "This is all so unreal to me still. I'm having trouble accepting it."

Suzanne had tears of joy and relief in her eyes. "We will be here for you, Raphael. So will Gary. You can ask us anything."

"You like Gary?" Raph asked her curiously.

Her mouth dropped open as she'd realized she'd walked into that question. She looked at him cautiously.

"I'm not judging. I think, for a cop, he seems pretty nice," Raph offered.

"Yes. Yes, he is," she said with a warm smile and a little blush.

Raph just nodded and looked back at the TV.

Suzanne went upstairs and returned with the track pants and a pair of scissors.

"Thank you," he said and yawned.

"That's my cue to tell you it's time for you to go to bed," Suzanne said with a cheeky smile.

"First, I have to wake this one." He looked at her completely relaxed yet still lovely face. "Sam. Time for you to go to bed."

"NNNNUUHHH," she moaned as she woke to look at him blearily. She looked down at his shirt and saw the pool of drool she'd left there. Her eyes went huge. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" she gasped as her face turned deep red.

She looked at him and saw he wasn't revolted or repulsed. He was smiling at her embarrassment. "It's your fault for making me so relaxed!" she said haughtily.

Raph snorted as he pushed himself to his feet with a wince.

"The laundry room is just off the kitchen. There is enough for a white load, so if you want to give me that shirt, I'll add it in and get it started tonight." Suzanne suggested.

Raph nodded, undid the top buttons, then tugged it up and over his head. He handed it to Suzanne, who was looking at his bare chest, hard muscles, and smooth skin.

"Good night, mom!" Sam said as she also gawked at Raph's body.

"It's time for you to go to bed too, young lady. School night," Suzanne said, tearing her eyes away to snag Sam's sleeve, tugging her towards the stairs.

"But, but, but..." Sam whined as she pointed to Raph. He grinned at her.

"Good night, Sam. See you in the morning," he said, and just for fun, he bounced his pecs at her. She broke free from her mom and rushed back for a kiss. She squeezed herself tight against his muscles, and he gave her a tender kiss. As the kiss ended, Suzanne took another grip on her arm and tugged her away.

"Moooooom!" Sam groaned, but they left. He heard them start the laundry then head up the stairs. Suzanne seemed to be telling Sam about their earlier conversation, which was good.

Raph picked up the track pants and scissors. He made his way to his bedroom and measured the pants against his legs to ensure nothing would be hanging out of the pant leg. Then he trimmed the legs off. He got undressed and slipped on the new shorts. Not a fashion masterpiece, but they'd work for pajamas.

He went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, and washed his face. Then he returned to slip under the covers of his wonderfully soft bed. He smiled as he thought of the two lovely ladies trying to make his stay as comfortable as possible.

Raph knew it was early days, but so far, so good. The potential for it to get better was there as well.

Sighing, he slipped out of bed and plugged in his cell before climbing back under the covers. He glowered at the device. He wondered if having a cell was going to prove to be an annoying leash.

Chapter 22

Sam was excited about going to school. The normal worry she felt about maintaining her grades no longer made her nerves buzz. She had Raphael to help her as she'd help him. They were going to finish this year as a team.

She was feeling a little nervous about what they were going to have to deal with at school. Raphael shut down Stephie at the mall pretty quickly, but there were a lot more kids in the school. She didn't care what they thought of her, but they could still make their day rather unpleasant.

Her mom dropped them off, and once more, she stood at his side as they faced the school.

"You okay?" he asked

She smiled up at him. "Yes. You?"

"Never better. Let's go."

She admired Raphael's profile as they made their way into the school. He looked so damn sexy in his new black dress shirt, tight grey jeans, and black boots. His black cane was a lovely accent. Especially as he wasn't leaning so heavily on it today.

They made their way through the hallways to her locker first. Someone had written spick lover on the door. Sam blinked at the words as she heard giggles from down the hall. She looked at Raphael. "That's not how it's spelled, is it?"

He shook his head and smiled at her. "No. Idiots."

She exchanged her books, and they made their way to his locker. They stopped to stare at the bent door. Someone had used a crowbar to bend the top down. The top of the door and the metal around it was badly scratched and dented as if the vandal had done it blindfolded. There was also the strong whiskey scent and a puddle of it on the floor under the locker.

Principal Jasper approached, looking apologetic.

"Mr. Graves, good morning. I'm afraid someone vandalized your locker. Did you have any personal items inside it?" the man asked with a pained expression.

"No, just some textbooks. I keep my stuff with me—"

"See! He's carrying drugs in his backpack!" Mr. McConnell barked as he lurched out of his classroom doorway where he'd obviously been listening in.

Sam looked at the man in shock. He looked awful! Bloodshot eyes, wild hair, rumpled clothes, and—she pulled back at the reek of booze, sweat, and vomit. He was trying to get at Raphael's backpack with his right hand while keeping his left behind his back.

"Mr. McConnell! Pull yourself together!" the principal scolded.

"What's that in your left hand, Mr. McConnell?" Sam asked loudly, and he turned to her with hate in his eyes.

Raphael glanced at her, then spun the teacher and pulled the man's left hand out behind him towards the principal.

"Let go of me, you fuckin' gorilla! AHH!" the teacher yelled as Raphael squeezed his arm. Harold's hand spasmed open, and he dropped the bag of pills at the principal's feet. Jasper looked down in surprise and bent to pick up the drugs. Raphael released his arms, and the teacher stumbled a few steps away.

"Harold?"

"They're his! They were in his locker!" the teacher gasped desperately.

The principal looked to Raphael apologetically. "Let your teachers know your textbooks need to be replaced, and they should speak with me. I'm very sorry for Mr. McConnell's behaviors."

"What about the... booze in his locker!" Harold yelled, stepping closer.

"You mean the whiskey you seem to have bathed in?" Jasper exclaimed.

The gym teacher looked at the principal and Sam like they'd gone mad. "What's wrong with you that you can't see him for what he is? He's a monster! He's a destroyer of dreams!" His voice was becoming shrill, and a crowd was gathering.

"Seemingly only yours," Raphael said.

With a scream of rage, the teacher reached into his pocket and yanked out a small pistol, but Raphael was already moving. He yanked Harold's right arm straight up, and the gun went off. The sound was deafening in the enclosed space, and bits of ceiling tile rained down on them. The crowd watching the drama screamed and ran.

Snarling, Raphael squeezed, and Harold screamed in agony as the bones in his wrist snapped and splintered. He continues to crush the joint until the man fainted and slumped to sit on the ground, held up by his destroyed wrist.

"Mr. Graves! Release him at once! It was a starter pistol!"

Sam eased forward and gently took the small gun from the teacher's limp hand and looked at it.

"It's a real gun," she said in surprise. She touched Raphael's arm, and he let go, letting Harold thump to the floor like a rag doll.

"What?" the principal gasped.

"Look at the ceiling!" Raphael shouted, pointing up, and again, Sam calmed him. She handed the gun to the principal, picked up Raphael's dropped cane for him, then pulled out her cell. She called the number Gary gave them.

"Sheriff Cooper." The audio was hollow, so he must've been on hands-free.

"Hi Sheriff Cooper, it's Sam Harris."

"Sam, what's happened?" he asked, instantly alert.

"There's been a shooting at the school."

"WHAT? Are you all right? Is Raphael okay?" the man exclaimed through the phone. She heard the sound of his car accelerating and the siren coming on.

"We're fine. Mr. McConnell had a gun and tried to shoot Raphael."

"Shit. How is he?" Gary asked cautiously.

"He passed out. I think his wrist is broken. Badly. He only managed to shoot the ceiling in the hallway before Raphael disarmed him." She saw Mr. Jasper kneeling with his cell held to his ear. "The principal is calling for an ambulance."

"Hang tight; I'll be there in a few minutes." The line went dead.

She looked up at Raphael and saw he was scanning the faces in the crowd, looking for other challengers.

There were no takers.

-=-

Wally was standing at the back of the crowd, but he'd heard what his coach said, and he believed him. Graves was a monster. He ruined everything! It had to be his fault that Roxanne was dead. She lived in the same complex as him, and if the rumors were true, his whore of a mother was found with Roxanne. She probably murdered Roxanne! Like son, like... mother? Whatever, she was a monster too!

Graves also hurt Victor! He fucked Victor's mom! Who does that? Victor's dad was in prison too! That fucking monster sent so many of his friends to the hospital! Now it looked like he'd hurt the coach, bad! Someone had to stop him!

He'd keep an eye on Raph today, and if he had the opportunity, he was going to take him down.

-=-

It wasn't until after the lunch period that Raph's day got back to normal. He'd given the sheriff his statement and answered the same questions again and again with one of his deputies. It was only Sam's calming presence that kept his anger in check. Now he'd been through three afternoon classes, and his day felt like it might be settling back into a regular routine. He hung back and let the other students file out. He paused when he heard his phone buzz—a text from Sam. He slowly touched out a message. Bus stop across stret and hit send before he noticed the typo. He frowned at the phone.

"Shit!"

"A strong emotion for an emotionless piece of technology," Margaret Picton said with a happy smile.

"Oh, sorry. I sent the message before fixing an error," he grumbled. Then he looked at the woman. "I'm so sorry for what you went through because of my crazy neighbor."

She nodded and gave him another smile. "It's over now. All is forgiven."

"But not forgotten," he said with a grim expression.

"No, never forgotten," she agreed softly. Then she gave herself a shake. "Life moves on, and so should we. Have a good evening, Mr. Graves!"

He smiled at her as he moved to the door. "You as well, Ms. Picton."

As he stepped out into the hall, the school felt like it was almost empty. The students made their way out after last class like rats fleeing a sinking ship. He walked towards the staircase with a frown on his face. His knee was feeling better today, but stairs were still a pain. He made his way to the top and was just stepping off when he heard the rapid thump of heavy feet behind him. Margaret screamed as Wally slammed into his back, launching him out over the stairs to crash down on the landing and crash against the wall. He dropped to the floor, stunned by the impact, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead.

"Back off! He's mine!" Wally yelled back at the teacher from the top step. He turned to face Raph, who'd rolled onto his back to stare up at him. Wally grinned down at him, then took two steps and launched himself into the air to slam feet first onto Raph's chest.

But he wasn't there when Wally landed. Instead, he'd rolled aside and braced the black cane against the floor, the handle catching Wally between his legs with his full body weight.

The aluminum cane bent slightly from the impact, and Wally collapsed into a fetal position, nursing the agonizing pain in his groin. He moaned in misery from nausea and the sharp pain in his balls.

Raphael painfully pushed himself to his feet. He'd managed to put most of his weight onto his right leg when he landed, so his left knee wasn't too bad, but he'd hit the wall pretty hard.

Margaret rushed to the top of the stairs and gasped when she saw Raph standing over the big man.

"Good night, Margaret," Raph said, holding her eyes with his. She nodded slightly, then walked away to take the far staircase, leaving him to do what needed to be done.

Raph looked down at the brute. Wally was going to be trouble. He was too stupid to give up and was too confident of his strength to scare off easily. He leaned down to listen to Wally moan. "What am I going to do with you, Wally?"

"I-I'm gonna kill you." Wally ground out between his teeth. "Like you're crispy whore mom."

Raph almost stomped on Wally's neck. As satisfying as that would be, he wasn't going to jail for murder. Wally wasn't worth it.

Emboldened by Raph's lack of retaliation, Wally decided to up the ante. "After I kill you, I'm gonna fuck Sam. The whole team is. We're all gonna fuck her tight ass."

Raph froze. No one hurt Sam. He slammed his fist into Wally's temple, bouncing his head off the floor. Then he leaned down and took a painful grip on Wally's ear.

"Do I have your attention now? Listen carefully. Roxanne Sparks was a psychopathic murderer. Even still, she was far too good for you, and now, you're never going to have her. Not that you ever stood a chance. She was too big a fan of my cock."

He'd gauged Wally's state of mind perfectly. Wally gave an agonized roar of rage and despair from deep in his chest as he struggled to get up. "Pitiful. Even at your very best, you were never going to have that skank." A crazed look came to Wally's eyes.

Raph made his way down the stairs and leaned on the bent cane as he walked down the hall to the front entrance. He could hear Wally coming after him in a staggering shuffle.

Raph exited the building and looked for a good spot to take Wally down. He was going to beat the man to within an inch of his life for threatening Sam. He needed witnesses to see Wally instigate the fight. He looked to the bus stop across the street and saw a group of women surrounding Sam.

All thought of Wally left his head as he set course for Sam. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt her!

He reached the sidewalk when he heard Wally burst out of the front door.

"GRAVES! YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"

The girls around Sam jerked away from her as they looked back across the street, wary expressions in their eyes.

Raph glanced to his left and saw the school bus taking on its last two passengers and, in the distance, a car approaching. Glancing right, the road was clear. He heard the heavy breathing of Wally, who was pushing through his pain, trying to catch up.

Now.

With a final glance at the school bus, he stepped off the curb and walked calmly towards the bus shelter across the road, where Sam and the group of women stared back in fright. He held Sam's eyes and saw worry then puzzlement in them as he made no effort to run. He heard Wally's gasps drowned out by the roar of the bus surging out into the roadway.

He took three long steps in quick succession and saw Sam's eyes widen in horror as the women around her screamed. Wally's scream abruptly stopped as the bus rolled over his body before coming to a squealing halt.

Raph continued to walk calmly towards the bus stop while the crowd swarmed past him. He held Sam's eyes to see if she'd reject him.

At first, confusion filled her eyes. Then shock, as she realized he'd known what would happen. The brief moment of doubt in her eyes sent a shot of pain through his heart, but that look quickly faded as her intellect worked the problem of Wally as he had. Her shoulders pulled back, and confidence returned. Finally, he saw acceptance in her gaze. A huge surge of relief swept through him.

Sam pulled out her phone and made a call.

Chapter 23

Graduating Day finally arrived, and Suzanne was beaming with a wide smile as she watched Raphael accept the scholarship award from Mr. Jasper. He'd worked so hard for it! She glanced to her left and saw Gary smiling and clapping as well. She loved this man, and she knew he loved her in return. She was going to have to do something about that... soon!

She faced the stage again and waved at Raphael, who nodded awkwardly to her in return as he made his way across the stage, no sign of a limp now as he was fully healed.

He'd become the perfect houseguest. He kept the house clean, much to the concern of the housekeeper, Maria. The woman had been informed that Suzanne would be selling the home and ending her contract anyway once the kids left for university.

Raphael was quiet and polite unless it was necessary not to be. He was always the one to answer the door when someone rang the doorbell or knocked. He had a wonderful way of turning away even the most persistent solicitors.

While not a talented chef, he made yummy breakfasts for them every morning.

Best of all, he and Sam had kept their promise to each other. They helped each other study, and both graduated at the top of their class.

Sam told her privately that they'd made another promise. This one was to refrain from having sex until they'd achieve at least the first of their goals. And they'd managed it. It wasn't easy for Sam as he was a very good kisser apparently, and he made her knees weak when he gave her those intense, smoldering looks.

Tonight, after the graduation ceremony, Suzanne was taking everyone out to dinner. She'd just decided that after dinner, it was time to see Gary's place. Raphael could drive Sam home in her car. She smiled at Gary, and he caught something in her look that made an eyebrow rise in question. She just blushed and looked away.

The ceremony came to an end with a loud cheer, caps flying into the air as the graduates smiled and laughed. Susanne saw Sam kissing Raphael off to the side, separate from the other students. While all of her friends had shunned Sam after she chose Raphael, Suzanne knew Sam had no regrets. After the tragic crippling of Walter Peterson, the rest of the school populace kept their distance from the couple. Even the name-calling and dirty looks stopped, apparently. Suzanne snorted to herself. It was almost like they were terrified of Raphael, as if he'd pushed that boy under the bus.

Shaking her head, Suzanne stood up with Gary and moved to meet her daughter and her handsome partner.

Then she noticed another man approaching Raphael, and she gasped as she froze in place.

"What's wrong?" Gary said instantly.

All she could do was point.

-=-

Raphael was tingling from Sam's kiss. She still had the most amazing lips he'd ever caressed with his own and looked forward to many more.

He was glad the ceremony was over. The envelope containing his scholarship was in his pocket, and he was finally free of this school. The path ahead was finally clear.

Suzanne had helped with their preparations for university. They had a place in the city lined up, and Jackie Polane had even put in a good word for him at his cousin's meatpacking plant. He'd be able to earn an income during his schooling with part-time hours.

Raph felt Sam stiffen in his arms and heard her small gasp. She was looking behind him, so his body immediately reacted to the perceived threat. He spun to face the danger while tucking her behind him. He found himself facing a man approaching them. He saw no weapons in his hands, he was moving cautiously, not aggressively, and his expression was... was...

"Raphael Graves?" the man asked with a definite Spanish accent. He was smiling in wonder.

He blinked at the man. There was something about him that Raph's brain refused to process.

"I'm Mateo Cruzado. Maybe your mother mentioned me?" he asked.

"Mateo?" Raph whispered, his mind spinning at the horrifying cruelty. Him? Here? Now?

The man's eyes widened, and he took a step back as a sudden rage filled Raph's face.

"YOU! YOU KILLED HER!" Raph roared. Only Sam's clinging to his arm kept him from attacking the older man.

Mateo scowled back at him. "What are you talking about? I've killed no one!"

"Dotty was in love with you, and you tossed her aside like a piece of trash. She never stopped loving you, never stopped wishing you'd come back, and it killed her!" Raph spat.

Mateo's expression turned defensive. "It was just one night. How could she have been in love?" he scoffed.

Raph surged forward until he was nose to nose with the older man. "It was deep, pure, and true, and you didn't deserve any of it, you worthless piece of shit!"

Mateo's rage flashed in his eyes, and he violently shoved Raph back, causing Sam to stumble back and release his arm.

Raph's right fist caught Mateo's cheekbone snapping his head back, and his left thudded into the man's solar plexus, taking the wind from him. He dropped to the floor, unable to inhale.

Gary was suddenly in front of Raph, pinning his arms and pushing him back.

"STOP NOW! Don't ruin everything. Not for him," Gary growled.

Raph watched the man wheezing on the floor and wanted to keep hitting him until he was dead... but Gary's words registered. He felt Sam's soft hands on his arm, and a deep tremor went through his muscles as he struggled to shake off the rage. As he sucked in deep breaths, he glared at Mateo; his jaw clenched in unreleased fury. "Why did you come back? Why now?" Gary released him but stayed close. Suzanne moved closer as well.

Mateo struggled to get back to his feet, but no one moved to help him. Finally, he faced Raph and gingerly touched his cheek, and winced.

"You... you were on TV. On the news... the story about the fire. When I saw you... it was like... seeing my father. Listen, what happened... it was a long time ago. I was a much younger man—a traveling musician living the dream. I had no time for relationships or entanglements. I fucked so many women! Fucked and forgot. I was free! Besides, I had no idea she got pregnant and that I was a father—"

"NO! Get this straight! You're nothing more than a sperm donor. You're not my father. You gave up the right to call yourself that the moment you skipped town like a cobarde."

Mateo scowled at him. "The bitch raised you wrong if you show such disrespect to your flesh and blood."

"Respect is earned," Raph said, spitting on the floor at the man's feet.

Mateo bristled at the insult and, for a moment, looked like he might come at Raph, but he caught the eager look in the younger man's eyes, and he smartly backed down. Raph snorted in contempt, which caused a brief and involuntary snarl to appear on the older man's face.

"Leave. Never come back. There's nothing for you here, tonto viejo," Raph sneered.

Struggling to control himself, Mateo turned and stiffly walked from the auditorium.

"I didn't know you knew Spanish," Suzanne said as she walked up to him.

Shaking off some of the tension, Raph looked at her. "I don't. I memorized a few insults when I was a kid, and I promised myself I'd use them if I ever met him. I never thought it would ever happen." He looked towards the door again. "I think I preferred hitting him."

Gary frowned at him. "Please don't do that in front of me."

Raph gave the Sheriff a serious look then nodded. "Sorry."

"Is anyone in the mood to go out for dinner?" Suzanne asked cautiously.

Raph looked away. Restaurants still made him uncomfortable. Besides, meeting Mateo killed his appetite. He shook his head briefly.

Suzanne stepped up and gave Raph a tight hug, surprising him. Then she gave Sam a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Congratulations to you both! Here are the keys to my car." They went into Raph's palm. "Drive home safely. You two can order pizza. Gary and I are going out for dinner to a nice restaurant."

"Sounds like a date," Sam said with a little smile as her eyes twinkled.

"About time," Raph agreed with a nod.

Gary was looking a little dazed, but that didn't stop the smile from spreading across his lips.

"We won't wait up," Sam said over her shoulder as she pulled Raphael after her towards the exit.

Raph paused briefly before Gary and held out his hand. Gary took it then looked at his hand in surprise. As Raph pulled his away, Gary saw he'd been palmed a three-pack of condoms. His eyes flew to Raph's, who looked back at him sternly then nodded as he followed Sam out of the auditorium.

"What was that about?" Sam asked curiously.

"Just making sure Gary had protection if he was going to be with Suzanne," Raph answered quietly, and Sam squeaked with surprise. Then she was laughing, and Raph let the joyful sound fill his being. Above all other things, he loved hearing her happiness. It gave him such a feeling of peace and contentment.

They dropped off their gowns and headed out to the parking lot. He opened her door, then got in his and drove them home.

As they entered the large home Raph once more felt out of place. He wondered if that feeling would ever go away. For now, he was looking forward to moving into the small apartment they'd found in the city.

Roughly halfway between the University and the meatpacking district, it was in a decent building on the third floor and had a western-facing view of the street and the apartments on the opposite side. All the units in the building had two small bedrooms, but he and Sam had agreed to use the second one for a study room. It was nothing fancy but was in a popular neighborhood for young families and students. It was a step up for him but a major leap down for Sam. He hoped she'd be able to deal with the culture shock.

Speaking of the beauty, she turned to face him in the entryway and tipped her face up to his. He needed no further invitation to brush his lips over hers.

She gasped gently and pressed her mouth more firmly to his, then sucked his lip between hers. It was his turn to feel tingles run up his spine. He pulled her tighter against his body, and the kiss deepened until they both pulled back, gasping for breath.

He read her intent in her eyes, and it matched his desires, but still, he needed to confirm.

"Are you sure you want—"

"I've never wanted anything more in my life! I'm ready," Sam gasped.

He looked deep into her eyes to be sure there was no doubt there.

She trembled in his arms. "God, when you look at me so intensely, it makes me wobbly in the knees!"

"Where?" he forced out as his need was growing.

Her eyes widened, hearing the lust in his voice. "Your bedroom. I-I'll meet you there." With that, she spun and rushed up the stairs.

Raph watched her disappear upstairs and forced himself to walk to his bedroom at the end of the hall. His need for her was almost overpowering.

He undressed and put the clothes on his desk. He'd bring them to the hamper later. He then pulled the comforter and top sheet down.

Hearing a noise behind him, he turned to look to the door.

Sam was leaning back against it, eyes wide as she took in his naked body. She was breathing hard as if she'd run from her room, and this made her lovely full breasts rise and fall under the sheer white baby doll she'd slipped into.

Raph stalked slowly across the room towards her, and she seemed mesmerized by the bob and sway of his member as it began to swell. He could see the outline of her stiff nipples against the silk cups of her sexy lingerie as her breathing deepened. He stopped before her and let his eyes drink in her curves, her smooth skin, and the flush on her beautiful face. He noted she looked a little nervous.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly.

She nodded as her eyes rose up to look into his. "Yes, oh my god, yes!"

He smiled and closed the distance to kiss her once more. She squeaked at the feel of his naked body pressing against her, and her hands slid down his back to cling to his ass. She moaned as she thrust her tongue into his mouth.

Raph felt himself reach maximum rigidity as Sam's hands squeezed his ass cheeks. He trapped his heat between their bodies and rubbed side to side against her mound.

Gasping, Sam pulled her mouth from his. "Oh! Oh! Raphael! Oh my god, yes!"

He suddenly bent and scooped her up in his arms, pulling a nervous giggle from her. He carried her to the bed and gently laid her down in the center. Then he climbed over her and gently plucked the knots loose on the baby doll. He parted the sides, and he gazed down upon her beauty. She blushed at his admiring look.

Sam had full, round breasts with perfect, stiff nipples in a darker pink areola. He dipped his head down and kissed them, everywhere but on the nipples themselves.

"please..." Sam whimpered cutely, so he sucked a nipple into his mouth and stroked the tip of his tongue across the stiff nub.

"YYYEEESSSSS!" Sam cried out and clung to his head, forcing his face into her soft flesh. He moved to the other nipple before she had a chance to recover, and she arched her back in bliss.

When he moved his kisses from her nipples to make his way down her firm stomach muscles, she gasped and shook from relief as her tits were tingling intensely. With her in a dazed state, he slipped her panties down and off and pushed her legs up. She lifted her head to stare down at him in surprise. Then his mouth was on her, and he saw she could no longer form rational thoughts. He sucked, licked, probed, and teased as the pleasure washed over her until she was shaking through a colossal release. His need for her continued to build.

She slowly returned to awareness as he gently rested his weight against her, and she began to rock back and forth against his stiff member. It was slick from her and so hard.

"Mmmm..." she purred, obviously recognizing the heat pressing against her.

He began to move away, and she grabbed his arms. "Why are you stopping?"

Fiercely intense eyes looked into hers. His need was consuming him. "Condom," was all he managed in a rasp.

"No. I'm on the pill. We're safe. I want to feel you the first time. Please!" she begged.

Hunger flared in Raph's eyes, and he knew he couldn't refuse her. He positioned himself against her wet lower lips. He pressed forward and watched her eyes grow wider. When he reached an obstruction, he paused and slid out again. Her eyes were rolling back with the sensations. He moved forward again until he was stopped once more.

"Oh Raphael, so good but such a tease!" she whimpered.

Again, he pulled out almost all the way, and he felt her trembling under him. He drove himself forward but didn't stop at the obstruction this time. He felt her jolt under him, and he stopped to hold still.

He dipped down and gently kissed her cheek, where a single tear was rolling. She turned her face to bring her lips up to his, and he kissed her tenderly. He throbbed inside her, and she gasped.

"I felt that!" she said in a daze.

He smiled and began to move once more, slowly at first, but gradually, his need drove him faster and deeper.

Sam was clinging to him and gasping.

"Is—should I stop? Am I hurting you?" he managed.

"God, don't you dare stop! I'm so close!" she hissed as her grip on his hips tightened.

Raph couldn't hold back any longer, and his hips began to rock as he drove himself into her, pounding her hips with his and bouncing her roughly against the mattress. The intensity was too much, and he felt his body rushing up on his release.

"OMIGOD! OMIGOD! CUMMING! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Sam screamed as Raph felt himself tip over into absolute bliss. He held himself against her, slowly rocking against her and pinning her to the bed.

She clung to his chest, and he felt her shaking. Then he realized she was crying. Frightened he'd hurt her, he tried to pull back, but she wouldn't let go of him.

"Sam! Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" he gasped.

"No... Raphael, it was... it was better than I ever dreamed. I just... I suddenly recalled the time in the hospital when you tried to push me away. I realized I would've missed this intense intimacy with you, and that was so incredibly sad."

He kissed the top of her head. Gary's words came to him. "The Harris women are formidable. They don't give up. I didn't stand a chance," he said gently.

She pulled her face back to look up into his eyes, and he saw love there. It took his breath away.

"I love you too," he said, and her eyes flew wide as more tears flowed.

But these were of joy, and he was ok with that.

-=-

The night was getting late, and most of the customers had drifted out of the bar. Only two women were swaying half-heartedly on the stage as a few men watched or stared into their drinks.

Mateo had stopped watching the ladies a couple of hours ago as he'd spotted a TV set up behind the bar. On it played a ten-minute loop, playing over and over, of a woman who danced like no one he'd ever seen before. She moved like... music. There was an almost unearthly beauty to it.

He'd had maybe a little too much to drink, but he needed to deaden the pain of his injuries and to salve his hurt pride. That little bastard of his threw some mean punches. He'd taken his advice, though, and headed out of town. He only stopped at the club on the way out because his face and chest hurt so much, and he needed the drink.

The bartender was moving past, and Mateo waved his hand to get his attention. Another tattooed thug, he scoffed to himself. "Who is the woman on the TV?"

The man glanced over his shoulder then back. "Dorothy Graves. She died in a fire not long ago. Most incredible dancer! DVDs are twenty-five dollars. Two for forty," the man said in his best Russian salesman voice.

Mateo leaned back on his stool. "This is Dorothy?" he whispered in shock. The bartender nodded. "She had a son?"

The bartender's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You know her?"

Mateo stood up and slapped the surface of the bar. "I fucked the bitch and gave her a son." He pointed to his face. "And this is what that hijo de puta does to me! To his father!"

Mateo's steam ran out as quickly as it began, and his eyes returned to the TV screen. Her movements were unreal. He slumped back to his stool, eyes trapped by Dorothy's dancing. The bartender moved away and left him with his thoughts.

A short time later, Mateo became aware of someone sitting down on the stool next to him. He glanced at the large man in annoyance. The stools were all empty except for his, and he had to sit so close?

Then he noticed the man was looking at him with a slight smile. He was older, maybe late sixties? Grey hair cut close to his scalp, powerful arms, and a thick neck. He was just a little overweight, but there was a lot of muscle there, and he noticed scars. Many of them. Tattoos as well.

"So you knew our Dotty?" the man asked quietly.

"Dotty?" Then he recalled Raphael calling her that. "Oh, Dorothy. Yes. But only for one night. One very good night." Mateo smiled, impressed with his cleverness.

"My name is Anton Kirov. I am owner of this establishment." He gestured around.

Mateo looked back over his shoulder and saw the dancers were gone. The few other patrons were gone as well. There was a big ugly man over by the door, and that was it. Looking forward, he saw even the bartender was gone.

"You say Dotty's son did this to your face? Why would he do such a thing?" Kirov asked with a surprised tone.

Mateo's instincts were telling him something was up, but the hurt to his pride was stronger. "The bastard said I killed her!"

Kirov's eyebrows rose. "You set fire?"

"What? No! He said she fell in love with me after our one night of fucking and died of a broken heart or something equally stupid!" Mateo growled in annoyance, then his temper flared. "He told me to leave and never come back. He spat at my feet!" He sat on his stool facing the TV again, watching the angel dance, and a sudden longing shot through him. He wondered what it would've been like if he'd stayed.

Kirov's heavy fist struck Mateo's throat, crushing his windpipe and knocking him backward off his stool to hit the floor. He lay there, looking up in shock as two grim faces moved to look down at him. He couldn't breathe or talk, but he could hear.

"Put him in trunk and crush his car. It will go with rest of scrap." Kirov said to the other man, who just nodded. Then the huge man bent down to look into his eyes, which were beginning to fade.

"You are leaving. You won't be back. Raphael's wishes. Anton's way."

Chapter 24

Sam was separating the laundry before putting it into the laundry room washers at their apartment building. Raphael had advised her to bring a book as she'd have to keep an eye on the laundry and the machines. She'd seen someone try to hijack a washer she was using, so she was extra vigilant now. It was just one of the new elements of their life together in the big city. She smiled to herself as she really didn't mind this little thing when she weighed it against being here with him.

The building was mostly younger people who'd been moving in over the last month to get ready for the next semester of university. She and Raph had been here for a couple of months. He worked at the meatpacking plant and made good money while he took prep courses for med school. Sam was looking forward to beginning her classes as well.

She heard laughter as a group entered the laundry room with bags over their shoulders. She smiled at the two young women who may have been her age or a year older and the three equally young men. There was a good mix of races in the group, something Sam was still getting used to, having grown up in such a homogenous and limited environment.

"Who have we here?" one of the men said with a bold smile.

Sam recognized his cocky expression as she'd seen it on Victor's face so often. She pushed that memory aside and smiled at him. He was tall and fit, with blue eyes and a strong chin, and wore his mane of shiny blonde hair like some kind of rock star.

"I'm not giving my name to a stranger. Who are you?" she returned. The girls laughed as she put him in his place instead of succumbing to his roguish charms.

He grinned as if he enjoyed the challenge, but Sam could now recognize the signs of his being put off his game. Yet, he rallied. "You happen to be in the presence of Lucas Klausen. Soon to be this city's greatest investment manager!" The boldness was back two-fold, and Sam saw that even his female friends were a little impressed by his confidence. His male friends were just shaking their heads and getting on with the business of doing their laundry.

Sam knew what true confidence looked like. It was friendly but quiet. It was calm and gentle. And it didn't need to gather an audience. She smiled at him, nonetheless.

"So, you're enrolled in the university then?" she asked and glanced at the wall clock. She had dinner in the old oven in their apartment. She still had time.

Lucas still seemed a little put off, and the ladies were enjoying this immensely, throwing her happy smiles as they moved to the available machines. The two men were beginning to enjoy the show as well. Maybe they'd never seen him strike out before.

Sam waited for the answer as she moved her wash into the dryers. When she finished and stood to start the machines, she saw Lucas had moved closer. A little too close.

"Lucas, do you know what personal space boundaries are? I don't think you do. Take a step back, please," she said.

His smile flickered, but he did as she asked as the other ladies glared at him.

"I think if you got to know me, you'd appreciate the closeness," he said smoothly.

She quirked a smile as she caught motion in the doorway.

"Lucas, in your case, the most important thing you need to know about me is, I'm not available," she said with a sympathetic smile.

"Sam? Who have we here?"

Lucas turned and found himself looking slightly upwards into the dark, intense eyes of a very strong-looking man with... were those bloodstains on his white t-shirt? The brute was in his personal space, but instead of complaining, he moved out from between them. The big man seemed to flow into the space he'd just occupied to stand next to the pretty blonde.

Sam smiled at Raphael's inadvertent repetition of Lucas' own words.

"Raphael, this is Lucas Klausen. He's going to be an investment manager when he graduates," she said helpfully.

"Raphael Graves. Nice to meet you, Lucas," Raphael said as he held out his hand to shake.

Lucas looked at the hand, but he couldn't back down in front of his friends. He placed his hand in Raphael's and was surprised not to have it crushed. There was obvious strength in the grip, but no excessive force was used. He found himself smiling in relief.

"I'm Sam Harris. I'm going to university as well. I'm going for a Master of Business Administration with a healthcare specialization," she explained.

The two ladies walked closer. One had skin darker than Raphael's, very pretty brown eyes, and a full head of curly black hair. "Rebecca Jackson," she said as she shook their hands. "I'm in Business Administration as well." She grinned at Sam.

"Chantel La Fontaine," the other girl said, and Sam picked up the French accent. She was fair-skinned and had straight red hair worn to her shoulders. "I'm majoring in Languages and plan to be a diplomatic attaché."

The two men joined them to shake their hands as well. Sam was intrigued by their ethnic differences. "Jun Hwan, going for a Communications major," said a slim man with no accent at all, which surprised and disappointed Sam, a little.

The final man leaned forward and shook their hands. He was short and stocky, had dark-rimmed glasses, and wore a neatly trimmed beard. "Maxim Danilenko. Engineering." Sam was fascinated by his thick European accent? She was still learning how to identify them.

Trying to get control over the gathering once more, Lucas smiled at Raphael. Besides, his curiosity was burning. "You seemed to have spilled something on your shirt. Juice? Wine?"

Raphael looked down and sighed. "Yeah, that's blood. I have a part-time job at a meatpacking plant. Why they insist we wear white..." He looked to Sam. "Have you washed the whites yet?"

"That was going in next," she smiled.

Raphael tugged his shirt up and off to hand it to Sam. Her eyes twinkled happily as she took in his sweaty, pumped, and glistening muscles.

Lucas stared at Raphael's lean, hard torso and saw the ladies were all admiring his tight muscles. He also had a strong physique, but he lacked the lean definition Raphael had. He couldn't exactly tug his shirt off now without looking desperate. Instead, he took a different tack.

"So, you're not a student? You're a meatpacker?" he asked.

Dark, intense eyes locked on his again. "As I mentioned, it's a part-time job. I'm going to Medical school. I'm going to be a surgeon."

Sam smiled proudly at Raphael. "Could I ask you to check on dinner? And you need a shower." She reached out and ran a fingertip across his sweaty chest as she grinned at him. His eyes locked on hers, and she felt that right down to her toes. A familiar heat began between her legs.

"Nice meeting everyone," he said and headed off.

Sam watched him leave and realized Rebecca and Chantel were as well. They looked back at her with wide grins.

"All that, and he's going to be a surgeon?" Rebecca gushed. "You go, girl!" She threw Sam a high five, and Chantel joined in. Sam grinned happily at them.

When she looked at Lucas, she saw he was looking utterly deflated. She patted his arm. "Don't give up hope, Lucas. There will be someone out there looking to score with the best investment manager in town."

With a small nod, he moved away to begin his laundry.

Sam finished up the laundry while chatting happily with the group. Even Lucas perked up and joined in, but he was definitely avoiding crossing any boundaries. That suited Sam just fine.

She headed upstairs after saying goodbye and let herself into the small apartment. It was fairly dark as the blinds were drawn, and she heard a deep, low rumble.

"Raphael?" she called out, feeling instinctive chills run down her spine.

The rumble grew louder, and she began to squirm as tingles started between her legs. She set the laundry bag down and stepped forward.

Raph pounced from his hiding place behind a large recliner and grabbed Sam around the waist and chest as she squealed. He pulled her back against his naked skin and gently ran his teeth down the side of her neck.

"FUCK!" Sam gasped as lightning shot through her body. His body felt so hard, and he smelled so good, fresh from the shower. Her toes weren't touching the floor, and his powerful arms were touching her so intimately, her heart raced with the thrill of it.

He moved, and she found herself folded over the back of the plush couch her mom gave them from the house. She saw he'd prepared by tossing a towel over it. She quickly pulled her top off and grinned as she felt his fingers flick the clasp open on her bra. It fell forward, and she pulled it off.

Before she could do more than gasp, he tugged her yoga pants and panties down and grabbed her ass cheeks in his strong hands, squeezing and kneading her muscles.

"AHHH! Oh, Raphael! Oh my god!" Sam was trembling uncontrollably as his aggressive need for her overwhelmed her.

Then his mouth was on her, and she screamed, which quickly rose in pitch until it went silent. It felt so fucking good; her mind felt like it was fragmenting.

When he pulled away, she sagged to the cushions and panted for a moment until she felt it.

Hot, thick, and incredibly hard, Raphael pushed himself deep into her hot depths, filling her completely.

"Yesssssss! Oh yesssssss!" she whimpered from the intense pleasure.

He rumbled deep in his chest as he took a grip on her hips and began to drive himself into her, slapping her ass with his hips at the end of each thrust.

"Oh! AH! MMM! Yes! Take me! Fuck yes, take me Raphhhaaaaaeeeelllll!!!" she screamed as he drove himself into her, again and again.

Her feet had no purchase, she was pinned against the couch, and all she could do was grip the cushions as he drove her bliss higher and higher. She felt like a leaf in a hurricane, and it was heaven. She was making involuntary gasps, moans, and squeaks, and his pace increased.

Raphael suddenly leaned forward to slip his arms around her once more and lifted her against his chest as he stepped back from the couch. He pinned her body to his with his right arm as he cupped one of her tits in his strong hand and gently tugged on the nipple. His left arm pinned her hips back against his as his hand rubbed her most sensitive flesh in rapid circles.

It was too much for Sam as her orgasm exploded, her muscles all tensing up and shaking as she grabbed his hands in hers. She was barely able to register Raphael's heat surging into her as he was buried so deep. She tried to speak, to scream out her joy, but all she could manage were squeaks and squeals, so she gave up.

Then she felt herself being carried like this into the small bedroom. When her twitching subsided, he lifted her from himself and gently laid her down on the towel he'd prepared for her on the bed. She sighed as he leaned down to kiss her lips tenderly.

She didn't know how she deserved to be this happy, but she thanked her lucky stars every night before she went to sleep.

She loved this darkly intense man.

Raphael smiled down at the beauty recuperating on the bed. He didn't know what he'd done in his life to deserve to be this happy, but he'd do whatever it took to keep it.

Lucas was fortunate that Sam was there. Raph had promised himself never to let Sam see how... dark he could become.

He glanced at the clock and saw he needed to get their dinner out.

He went out into the main room and saw shadows under their front door as someone was standing just outside. He picked up the sound of giggling. Frowning, he walked to the door, grabbed the towel from the back of the couch, and wrapped it around his waist as he went. He yanked the door open, and two women squeaked in surprise. Rebecca and Chantel were gaping up at him. Eyes dropped to the towel, and the bulge on the front then back up to his eyes.

"What are you doing, listening at our door?" he asked with just the slightest edge to his voice.

Rebecca's mouth opened and closed, but she seemed to be frozen. Chantel found her voice first.

"We were just coming back to our apartment," she gestured to the door opposite his, "and we heard a scream. We didn't know who it was or what it was... at first."

Rebecca swallowed nervously and smiled up at him as she struggled not to ogle his chest. "Our apologies for invading your privacy, but the apartment door doesn't block sound very well, and it was... a very nice sound."

Raph sighed. He'd have to confine their lovemaking to the bedroom from now on. "Duly noted... and yes, it was... very nice. Have a good evening." He closed the door and heard another burst of giggles. He allowed himself a smile as he walked to the kitchenette and grabbed the mitts to take the small roast from the oven. It smelled wonderful!

As he busied himself preparing the table, he heard a shuffling behind him and arms wrapped around him as Sam rested her cheek on his back. She was in her bathrobe.

"Apparently, Rebecca and Chantel live across the hall," he said.

She released him, and he turned to see her looking at him curiously. "It seems the front door did little to block the sounds we were making."

Sam put her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter as her eyes twinkled merrily.

"I suppose we'll have to restrict our fun time to the bedroom," he sighed.

Her expression turned to amused outrage. "Absolutely NOT! We will continue to express our love in whatever room the mood strikes. Let them listen! The blinds stay drawn, however. I don't want anyone watching, but I don't care if a little sound escapes."

He grinned and pulled her to him to gently kiss her soft lips.

"Mmm! You're so good to kiss! Now, go put some clothes on! It's dinner time, not sexy time," she said with a cheeky smile. He grinned and went into the bedroom to pull on a t-shirt and shorts.

As he came back out, he heard her purr. "Didn't I say it wasn't sexy time?"

He just grinned and shook his head and sat at the table.

"We got some mail today," she said as they began to eat. She reached over to the counter and handed him a small cardboard mailer pack. He looked at it curiously then opened it. Inside was a DVD, a letter, and a bank draft for eighty-five-hundred dollars. His eyebrows went up when he saw the money. Sam got up and rushed off to get her laptop to play the DVD as Raph read the letter.

Sam looked at him when she returned and saw a conflicted expression. "What's wrong?" she asked in alarm.

"The letter... it's from Mr. Kirov, the owner of the strip club where Dotty danced. The draft is my share of the royalties from a DVD they made of her dancing. They sold the rights to a film studio." He thought about how they were still making money from her, even after her death, and a spike of rage flared in him.

With a scowl, Raph picked up the draft and made to tear it in half.

"WAIT! What would your mom want you to do with that?" Sam exclaimed earnestly.

He stopped and looked into Sam's compassionate blue eyes.

He thought of Dotty. She'd be so happy if she could see him now.

She'd love Sam and Suzanne!

She'd love that he was living and working in the city, leaving behind the small town.

She'd love that he was enrolled in university and was going to become a surgeon.

All of her hopes and dreams for him were coming true.

He looked at the DVD and the draft and slowly realized she'd also love that she could continue to help him with her dancing as she'd done all through his life. He could almost feel her presence.

Now that Sam had blocked his knee-jerk reaction to receiving the money, he realized how smart that had been. He asked himself how Mr. Kirov might react if he didn't accept the money. It wouldn't be smart to offend the man, and he probably... no, it was a certainty he had connections here.

To keep Sam safe and unaware of that world, the smart thing to do would be to accept the money. Sam didn't need to know about this particular reason.

With a nod, he placed the draft on the table and smoothed it out. He picked up the DVD and gently placed it on top of the money.

"Thanks, mom. I love you too."

Sam smiled at him, her love for him glowing in her eyes. "May I?" she asked, pointing to the DVD.

Raph nodded, then held her eyes. "I don't want to watch it."

She nodded solemnly, turning the screen away from him, then popped the DVD into the laptop. Raph watched her face over the back of the screen.

Soon music began to play, and Sam glanced at him, smiling happily. He watched her eyes as they tracked Dotty's movements and saw the happy, if a little nervous, smile slowly give way to wide-eyed awe.

Blue eyes rose to look into his over the screen. "She-she danced... beautifully!" Sam whispered.

Raph nodded sadly. He'd come to realize that the true nature of Dotty's art was that it was a living thing. To truly appreciate it, you had to witness it in person. And now, that art was lost. A DVD was an incomplete experience.

Sam closed the laptop and moved to sit on Raph's lap. He returned her hug then looked into her eyes.

"Are you okay, big man?" she asked gently.

Her compassion for him still took his breath away. He nodded and kissed her sweet lips.

He looked into her dreamy eyes and smiled. "Every day, in every way, a little better. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!"