Say Something (6 page)

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“Great, Rebecca asked for some time off so I'll need you to start covering her shift.”

“Okay, no problem.”

“Great, see you tomorrow.”

“You too.”

When I walk out the door, I see Marshall standing by my car. I smile and run to him wrapping my arms around him.

“Done for the day?”

“Yeah, go home with me?”

“You don't even have to ask.”

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him. He moans and pulls back. Getting in his car he follows me home.

Home... even after the smallest amount of time it feels like home when he is there with me. It scares me that I am quick to feel all these emotions for him, but at the same time it feels right, and I know I wouldn't want him to be anywhere else.

Chapter Eleven

The week has been pretty normal with Marshall being a new permanent in my life. We sit on the couch with me wrapped in his arms. He has stopped coming and sitting in Frank's during my shift, but he or Trevor sit in the parking lot every once in a while to make sure things are okay. Promising that if I don't answer their texts within a certain amount of time they will be inside the restaurant.

“My mother wants us to come to dinner next week.”

“Okay. Does she remember me?”

“How could she not? You were the cutest little girl on the block,” he says and kisses my head.

I moan and turn in his lap kissing him slowly.

“Don't do that, baby. You have to leave for work in an hour,” he says.

“I don't care.”

He smiles and grabs my shirt bringing it over my head and throwing it to the floor. His hands waste no time making it to my jeans and unbuttoning them.

“Take them off.”

While I stand to take my jeans off, he starts with his own clothes throwing them on the floor, landing all around us. He grabs my hand and lays me down on the couch kneeling between my legs. His tongue tastes my clit slowly, sucking it into his mouth. His hand runs up my stomach and to my breast. My head rolls back and I scream his name.

“Mar... Marshall, pl... Please… I need you inside me,” I whisper breathless.

He climbs up my body and slams inside me. His pace is fast.

“Oh… you feel so good around me, Joslynn.”

His words cause me to scream louder. He slows down and leans in to kiss me softly on my lips, eyes and nose. When he leans back, his eyes connect with mine.

“Look at me, I want you to see the pleasure you give me. I loved you then and I love you even more now,” he says.

His motions tell me he's close as I lay with our eyes locked. I see his jaw tense, and his pace picks up. His grip on my hips is tight, almost too tight, I am sure I will have bruises tomorrow but in this moment all I can think about is the love in his eyes.

“Close, Marshall,” is all I can get out before our orgasms hit. Both of us yelling out each other's name.

He falls across my chest and my hands rub his back. I can feel his heart beat and the sweat running down his face.

“I love you, Joslynn. I know it may be too soon to say that, but I have always loved you; even as a child I knew that one day you would be mine.”

I know that I love him too, but the words scare me. I have never known true love. I have only ever loved Taylor. She was always the only best friend I ever needed, but with Marshall it is so much more than best friends. Even in our short time together, I know I would never want to face another day without him in my life.

I remember him and some of the things he tells me about us as a child.

“You don't have to say it yet I know this is all new to you. I just want you to know that I do love you.”

I nod my head and tighten my arms around him.

“As good as this feels I do have to get ready for work.”

He whimpers and stands holding his hand out to help me up.  I smile and kiss him once more before I run to the shower and get ready.

****

Something doesn't feel right as I pull into the parking lot at work. It's that gut feeling you get when you know something wrong is going to happen and all you can do is sit around and wait. The last time I had this feeling someone tried to hit me with their car and demolished my house. I reach my hand in my pocket and make sure I have my phone. Marshall also gave me a small thing of pepper spray to keep in my pocket.

When I get out of the car, I look all around the parking lot. Nothing seems unusual. I don't see anyone around. I shake my head, walk in and go to the back to clock in and put on my apron. When I look up, Frank is standing behind me. I can see a different look in his eyes, and I know this is the bad thing my stomach was trying to tell me. I should have put my car in drive and went home and told Marshall.

“Your hair is down, Joslynn.”

I reach my hand up and realize he's right. I was almost late and forgot to pull my hair up before I left.

“I'll run and pull it up.”

He smiles and nods his head stepping back so I can walk past him. My nerves are on end. I know that anyone in my situation would have run the first chance they got but I stayed and now I am second guessing that decision. I go to the restroom, and I text Marshall.

Me:
Hey where r u?

I pull my hair up while I wait for him to text back. After getting my hair up, I check my phone and see that he still hasn't answered. It never takes him this long to write back.

Me:
Hey Trevor have u talked to ur brother?

Trevor:
Naw I am headed to your house now.

Me:
Ok tell him to txt me when you get there something doesn't feel right.

Trevor:
No shit. He's not here. His car is but he’s not.

Me:
WTF

Trevor:
I am on my way to you to tell Frank you need to take today off.

Me:
Ok

I put my phone back in my pocket and look in the mirror once more before I walk out the door and smack right into the man I never thought I would ever have to see again.

My father is standing in front of me; beer in hand and a smug smile on his face. He looks the same as I last remember him. His hair is a shaggy black mess all over his head. His eyes are bloodshot and swollen. When he smiles, his teeth are yellow from smoking too much. I don't have to be close enough to know what his breath smells like.

His face is scruffy like he hasn't shaved in weeks, and his clothes are tattered. He really hasn't changed at all. Just the sight of him makes my skin crawl and tears rim my eyes as I remember all the times he told me he hated me and I was in the way of his life. My own mother didn't want to stick around.

“Well, look at you,” he says and smiles.

Chills run along my skin, and my stomach is in knots.

“What do you want?”

“What I have always wanted. You not to be here.”

I look around me hoping to see Marshall or Trevor. Neither are in sight. I know I could never make it to the door quietly without him getting to me first.

“Don't think about running I have no issue snapping your neck in front of them. And I asked my buddy, Frank, to clear the place out. Closed for family emergency,” he says winking.

I reach my hand in my pocket for my pepper spray, and his hand is around my throat pinning me to the wall.

“Don't. FRANK, bring me our little friend,” he yells.

Frank walks around the wall holding Marshall's hands, Tank is at his feet. They walk around the hallway and drop him to the floor. He moans in pain. They have his hands tied and he's blindfolded. I know Marshall told me I couldn't trust them, but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to think they were the big brother and father I always wanted. It hurts to know the whole time they were working for the one man that hated me more than life itself.

“Oh my gosh.”

My father tightens his fingers around my throat and laughs. My eyes water and the room starts to get fuzzy. He lets go, and I drop to the floor. When I try to move towards Marshall, he bends down in front of me.

“This is how it's going to work, Joslynn. And if you think I am playing games you better take a trip down memory lane and remember I don't play.”

I spit in his face and try to move past him.

“I just want to know he's okay. Please.” I look to him and plead with my eyes.

I know what he wants and I know he will waste no time doing it. If I am going to die I want to at least know that Marshall is alive and okay and has a chance at a life after all of this.

“He is fine. We just knocked him out. He should be waking up soon.”

“Please!”

His hand is across my face before I have time to blink. Marshall starts to moan and I breathe a sigh of relief. Tank bends down and takes his blindfold off. Marshall looks around until his eyes lock with mine and I see the shock in his eyes. They slowly find their way to my father and he stills.

“Joslynn, are you okay?”

His voice at this time is all I need. The tears rush forward as I nod my head, and I know in that second without a shadow of a doubt I love him. I have always loved him. I put my emotions into my eyes, and he shakes his head. I lower my eyes to the floor and then look back to my father. He's watching us with his smug smile still in place. He sits on the floor in front of me and lifts his beer to his lips taking a sip, closing his eyes and moaning.

“Ah, isn't this beautiful. Family reunion. As much as I would just love to sit and chit chat I haven't had enough to drink yet so let’s get to the point shall we?”

“I think we all know what the point is.”

“Oh my, haven't you gotten cocky over the years. You ruined my life the day you were conceived. I tried to kill you so many times and you wouldn't fucking die! Now I am going to kill you myself. But first I want to have some fun.”

“Let her fucking go!” Marshall yells.

As soon as the words leave his mouth Frank kicks him in the ribs.

“NO! STOP! Frank, look at me! You were like a father to me. Why are you doing this?”

Frank looks at me and laughs kicking Marshall again. Marshall doubles over and moans. My father laughs with him like this is all fun and games to them. Like this is something a normal father and daughter would do on their down time.

“Please don't! He has nothing to do with this!”

My father’s laugh makes me want to vomit. He is going to torture me before he kills me. I know he is. He has been planning this day since I was born and now he is going to hurt me in as many ways possible. I have never hated anyone as much as I hate this man before me.

“Oh lookie there you don't like that do you? Maybe I should kill him in front of you.”

“No, please no, just kill me. Let him live. He didn't ask for any of this.”

“NO, JOSLYNN, NO!” Marshall yells.

My father smiles at me and lifts a gun towards Marshall. He wastes no time pulling the trigger and shoots him in the stomach. Marshall and my screams fill the room. I kick my feet and hit my father in the nuts. He goes to the ground, and I run past him to Marshall.

He's sweating, and his face is white as a ghost.

“Marshall, no, baby, no. Say something... PLEASE, MARSHALL, don't leave me! I love you. Please don't leave me. I need you!”

My father grabs my head slinging me back and standing over me pointing the gun at my head.

“Why?” I ask.

He laughs again and spits on the floor beside me.

“My life was fine before you came. I wanted a son not a snotty nose little girl. You ruined everything! And Frank and Tank here? Well, let's just say that money talks and bullshit walks, Joslynn. We have been planning this for some time now. I want you dead and they want money, simple as that.”

I shake my head. I didn't ask to be born or hated. I didn't ask for any of this. A father should love his child no matter what. My own mother didn't want to stick around and deal with me.