Chapter 9: ZAK

"Damn sis you look green." I pulled out a chair for her and looked at Con who looked like he was ready to kill someone over this shit.

"I have to run her into the doctor's this morning, I'm not putting up with this shit no matter how normal she says it is." The two of them started bickering, which was funny as hell, because Con wasn't listening to a word she said.

"Hey, Bullwinkle, it's natural for a woman's body to do that while she's with young. Don't embarrass us, what're you gonna do, run to the doctor every time she pukes?"

Ty the expert put his two cents in. I'm pretty sure if he doesn't stop his shit either Con or Lo is gonna put his lights out. The only reason none of us had taken his ass out as yet was because we knew this was his way of not dealing with what we suspected had happened to the commander. A pain in the ass Ty was better than crazy Ty any day.

The talk was light as we sat around drinking cups of coffee while we waited for whatever Gaby was gonna dish up this morning.

One thing about these Southern Belles, they knew how to put a meal together. It was almost surreal sitting here like this, shooting the breeze, talking bullshit, like Ty teasing Cord about moping because the little firecracker wasn't here, when all the while there was a shit storm brewing.

Of course we didn't discuss shit in front of the women, they didn't need to know and after last night I'm pretty sure they'll keep their asses home. I knew I didn't have to tell my brothers not to share any of this with my woman, she was out of the marines and she damn sure wasn't putting herself in the middle of this shit, not while I'm around.

I was pleasantly surprised when the door opened five minutes later and she walked in looking all nervous and shit. But when our eyes met she gave me that shy smile that I remembered so well and came over to sit on my lap.

That I did not expect and I had to kick Ty the nosy fuck under the table to get him to keep his trap shut. The idiot started humming the wedding march and rolling his eyes around in his head. "I have to leave today." She said it low enough so that no one else heard.

"No." I shut the fuck down and concentrated really hard on not getting up and destroying my brother's kitchen. She wasn't doing this shit to me again; fuck that. "We'll talk later, but you're not going anywhere."

She looked scared, uncertain and I didn't know what that was about, but one thing I did know, no matter what, she wasn't leaving me. Lo seemed to sense that something was up and asked me in that silent way of his. I just shook my head slightly at him, but I knew there was no putting him off.

We'd all grown accustomed to sharing everything with each other over the years; it was just natural for all of us to be in each other's business like that. I guess once you'd faced life or death with someone you tend to see the small shit as nothing.

"Excuse us." I'd lost my damn appetite. No one said anything as I stood from the table and pulled her along to the door with me, but I could feel their stares and knew they were gauging the situation for danger.

I wasn't feeling homicidal yet so they relaxed and went back to what they were doing. That was the one drawback to being so close to people that knew you so well. My brothers would stand in the way if they thought I was a danger to her, and that shit could get ugly.

I didn't stop walking until we were back at the house. As soon as we were safely behind doors I turned to her, caging her in with both arms on the wall beside her head.

"I want you to listen to me, don't say anything just listen. Did I or did I not tell you that if our paths ever crossed again in this life or the next I was keeping you, and your worries and fears be damned? Answer me." Fuck Zak you just told her not to speak.

"Just move your head yes or no." She nodded her head looking miserable. "I asked you if you had a man waiting for you back home, you said no. Not that I would've given a flying fuck, other than to beat the living shit out of you for cheating on me..." She opened her mouth but I cut her off. "I know what you're gonna say but I don't give a fuck.

I haven't been able to even look at another pussy, much less fuck anyone else in the time we've been apart, because what we had was real. If you told me it was that easy for you to let some other dick top you, I would've strangled your ass no joke."

"Now back to this bull-fuckery, I don't know how much you know about shit like this, but it is in poor form to spend the night with my dick inside you and then get up the next day with 'I'm leaving'. If I did some shit like that to you, you and the rest of the bra burning fucks would be up in arms, not gonna happen.

At some point after things have cooled down around here, I will take you to get your shit, until then you stay put. If you have a job to get back to I suggest you call whoever the fuck is in charge and hand in your resignation, you can fax that shit in duplicate. Call your landlord, work shit out until we get there, we'll pay the rent for a couple months until I can get there. I can't get there now because you see what the fuck is going on, work with me here, what the fuck?"

She held her hand up like she was in class or some fuck, and asking the teacher for permission to speak, cute.

"Talk." I know she was dying to roll her eyes at my high handedness, but she had the good sense to restrain herself, which was a good thing because I wasn't in the mood.

"You do realize I have a life right, and that I can't just pick up and move here just because you say so." I just looked down at her as she stood in front of me with her adorable self. I see she had forgotten who the fuck she was talking to. That shit might've worked once because my hands were tied, but not this going down. She was mine; all the way mine.

No one else had ever had her but me, that meant something in this fucked up world we lived in, it meant something to me. How can I get her to see that she had nothing to fear because of my over possessiveness? She should know that when it came to me, she was the safest person on the earth, but I wasn't about to give in, not even a little bit. There was only one way for us to work, and the sooner she got that through her thick fucking skull the better.

"This isn't a fucking democracy Red, you had your shot I let you walk, now you're here, end of story. Let's eat." I pulled her along behind me because as far as I was concerned the conversation was dead. "Zak wait, there's something..." I stopped and looked back at her.

"What is it?" What the fuck, she looked scared as fuck, and that in turn made my heart almost stop. I softened immediately and took her little face in my hands. "What is it baby are you sick?" Please don't let it be that, anything but that, fuck. I started to pull her into my chest to offer comfort.

"No I'm not sick, it's nothing like that." She stopped and bit into her lip, looking worried as fuck. Whatever it was it was weighing on her heavy. "Tell me what's bothering you and I'll make it stop." I didn't even have to think twice about making that offer, there was nothing I wouldn't do for her, nothing. She shook her head and took my hand in hers. "It's nothing, I'll call mom later and have her take care of it for me." I wasn't sure if I could trust that smile on her face, but I let her drag me along behind her.