We Come Out At Night 5

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Gates
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I was exhausted. Izzy had just finally gone back to sleep after a long night of crying. She practically begged me to shoot her up and all I could do was hold her down until the feeling passed. She begged me over and over to get Matt for her and over and over I had to lie to her.

There was going to have to be a way to get this over with quick and have Shadows come to his senses about her because once again Izzy took center stage and Kristina was playing second fiddle.

There was a knock on the bedroom door and I stretched before getting up to go answer it. “You look as bad as Izzy.” Vengeance commented on my appearance and I glanced back at Izzy who was still sleeping before following him out to the living room. Mari was sitting on the couch with a Starbucks cup and I walked over and kissed her cheek.

“Hi, baby.” I said just as I collapsed on the other couch. It was hard not to like Mari. She was so young and innocent and granted she was also Marco’s daughter, but unlike London, she really hadn’t done anything wrong…yet. Vengeance was so in love with her, he rarely let her out of his sight.

“How is Bella?” She asked as Vengeance sat down beside her. She had known Izzy longer than any of us and it was plain to see her concern was genuine. I laid back on the couch with my arm covering my face. “She’s finally sleeping. She’ll be ok.”

“Why don’t you grab a shower and go see your girl? We’ll stay here.” Vengeance offered and I was grateful for the break, but still nervous that the only thing separating Izzy from Matt was one floor.

After sitting back up I rubbed my eyes wishing I had gotten a better night’s sleep, I hated to go see Kristina looking like this. She was already worried about me as it was. “Have you seen Shadows yet?”

Vengeance nodded and Mari turned to look at him hanging on his every word. “Yeah, we went there first before coming here.”

“And?” I knew that his answer wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“And the penthouse is completely trashed. He was sleeping on the living room floor with a whore on each side of him.”

I shook my head bewildered at the fact that he had gone this far. That he would actually give up on Izzy. Then again, if I had watched Kristina on screen having sex with someone else, I might have reacted the same way.

“Fuck, I knew it was going to be bad.”

I stood and walked out of the living room and went to my bathroom to turn on the shower. After fifteen minutes of standing under the hot water, I stepped out of the shower and got dressed. Grabbing my sneakers, I went back into the living room and sat down on the couch to put them on.

Mari had her head rested on Vengeances shoulders as she let out a yawn. “Why don’t you go lie down in my room? I’ll be out for a while.” I made the suggestion and Vengeance looked down at her sleepy face.

“Go ahead, I’ll be right out here.”

She nodded and got up off the couch. Vengeance’s eyes followed her as she left the living room and went to my bedroom. “I didn’t want to ask in front of her because I know London is her sister, but have you heard anything from The Rev yet?”

“No.” Vengeance shook his head. “I called him this morning to see if he wanted to join us for breakfast, but he didn’t answer his phone.”

After tying the laces on my shoes, I stood and straightened out my shirt. “Maybe I should stop in before I go to the hospital and see him. He was really pissed yesterday.”

He shrugged as if he didn’t care either way. “Call me if anything happens.” I told him before I walked out of the living room. I headed to the elevator and pushed the button for The Rev’s floor. When I stepped off the elevator, I headed right for his living room.

“You smell like a liquor store.” I said as I sat down on the couch and took in his appearance. He didn’t answer me.

“London, bring Gates a cup of coffee.” He yelled towards the kitchen and a minute later she appeared. Her hands were shaking as she handed me the cup of coffee. I set it down on the table and stood up taking her chin between my thumb and forefinger and turning her head to the side so I could survey her now bruised face. The left side of her face was swollen and purple and her lip had scabbed over.

“What the hell, Jimmy?” He was worse than Shadows.

“Leave.” He said glaring at London and she lowered her eyes and walked back into the kitchen. When she walked away I sat back down and looked at him. Obviously, he was still angry.

“Don’t you think this has gone a little too far?”

“Don’t you think you should stay out of my marriage?” He shot back.

“I’m not interfering in your marriage, I’m just saying you don’t have to hit her. There are other ways of dealing with this.” He wasn’t going to see it my way, but I had to try. London would need a shrink for sure by the time he was done with her.

“I’ll deal with it my way.” I don’t know why I cared because Kristina was my top priority right now, yet I had Izzy upstairs in my guest room and now had to wonder about London’s fate. I’m getting so sick of the blood on our hands. I still had Marco to deal with and in time, that son of a bitch would meet his “Maker.”

“I’m heading to the hospital. You may want to consider sobering up.” I left him there to think about what I had said and got back on the elevator to go down to my car. As I sat in the driver’s seat I saw Christ walking through the parking lot with his arm around Chelsea’s shoulder. They seemed to be laughing at something while they walked. At least one of us had a healthy relationship.

The drive to the hospital took a little longer than usual as I stopped and picked up a few things for Kristina. As soon as I got there I headed straight up to her room. Her bed was made, but her room was empty. I set down all the things I had picked up and was about to head out to the nurse’s station to find out what happened to her, when I heard a very familiar voice. “Looking for me?” When I turned around I saw my girl sitting in a wheel chair being pushed back through the doorway.

“There she is.” I smiled and walked over to her. The nurse left her there with me and I knelt down in front of her. “And just where did you go?”

“Oh you know how it is, hot date and all.”

“Really?” I said raising my eyebrow at her.

“Oh yeah. Two nurses and a shower.” Just the mental picture I didn’t need after not getting laid in forever.

“I see so I guess you won’t be needing me anymore.” I stood and put my hands in my pockets. “I’ll just be going now.” I started to whistle as I headed for the door.

“Brian!” She giggled and turned her head to see me.

“Yes?” I turned back around and gave her a big grin.

“I love you.”

I walked back over to her and knelt down in front of her again. “That was low. But it worked.” She smiled and I leaned up to kiss her lips softly. “I brought you some things.”

“Like what?” She asked.

I got up and walked over to the chair that I set the bag down on and pulled it over in front of her. After picking up the bag, I sat down in the chair and set the bag on my lap. I looked in the bag and back at her to see her eyeing me curiously. “First, some lip gloss. Strawberry.” I handed her the tube of liquid and she immediately started to open the cap and ran the roller ball over her lips. When she was done, she puckered her lips hinting that I should kiss her and that’s exactly what I did.

“Next we have pink fuzzy slippers.” She laughed at I bent forward and slipped them on her feet. “Perfect! One size really does fit all, Cinderella!” Kristina tilted her head to the side and smiled at me as I continued to rummage through my bag of goodies. I pulled out a romance novel with Fabio on the cover. “Smut! A must have for every hospital stay.” I handed her the book and she was laughing a little more heartily now. If I could hear that sound every day for the rest of my life, I would die a very happy man.

“Crossword Puzzles! Gotta keep the brain functioning.” I set the puzzle book back in her lap and put my hand back in the bag. “Hair brush! Gotta look your best at all times!” I was teasing her and her eyes seemed to have a little glint in them as she smiled at me. “Last but not least…the teddy bear! Gotta have something to hold at night.” Kristina took the stuffed black bear out of my hands and circled her arms around it as she held it to her stomach.

“You’re too much. Thank you.” I leaned forward and kissed her again. Right now, I would do anything for her.

“Brian.”

“hmmm?” I said as I walked over to the end table and opened the other bag. I reached in and took out two cups of coffee while I listened to her.

“This was nice of you, but I’m coming home tomorrow.”

“Really?” I left the coffee sitting on the end table and walked back over to her.

“Yeah. The doctor said I can come home, but he said he’d have to show you how to clean the wound so it doesn’t get infected. I cant do it myself.” I took the books; the hair brush and the lip gloss off her lap and set them down on a table while she held on to the bear.

“How about I help you back into bed?”

“Ok.” She nodded and I slowly lifted her out of the chair. I could feel my emotions starting to get the best of me and I didn’t want Kristina to see. She was coming home and not just coming home, but also coming home to me and there was a day I never thought I’d see again. I set her down on the bed gently and pulled the covers over her legs before turning back to the end table where I had the coffee waiting. As she set the bear beside her, I handed her one of the Starbucks cups. “Thank you.”

I picked up the bear and held it as I got on the bed beside her. “What do you think we should call this guy?”

She laid her head on my shoulder and looked at the bear. “I think we should call him Gates.”

I laughed at the notion and kissed the top of her head. “That’s my name.”

“Yes, but look at him. He has the same dark hair and brooding dark eyes just like you. And he’s cuddly and warm.”

“I’m brooding, cuddly and warm?”

“Yes” She giggled just before taking a sip of her coffee. I reached over and picked up my cup and sipped my own coffee. It had warmed up quite a bit since sitting there so long.

“So, what do you want to do when you get home?”

She put her head back on my shoulder and I moved to put my arm around her. “Make love.” She replied softly. As much as that thought appealed to me, I was too afraid of hurting her right now. Things were going to have to move a little slow for a while.

“I think we need to have a movie night like we used to. Just you, me and some popcorn on the bed with lots of pillows and blankets.”

“Don’t forget Matt Dillon and Patrick Swayze!” She said looking up at me.

“I wouldn’t dream of it!” I’m still better looking than they are. All I cared about right now though, was making her happy and if I had to share her with Matt Dillon and Patrick Swayze, it would be worth it just to have her in my arms again.