AllFreeNovel
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1
2021
Sylvie walkedinto her kitchen and looked out the window beyond her yard, which was slowly disappearing under the black waters of the Mississippi River. The dense stands of water hyacinth were stopping the oxygen from keeping the water in balance and everything seemed to be dying right before her eyes. She wondered how much longer she could suffer living there, but she couldn’t afford to leave, and she couldn’t sell what was only half hers. She knew she was only living there because Marvin wanted her back, but that was never going to happen. She needed another emotional rescue from him, but the last man who had come to her aid had disappeared…she thought, into the depths of Old Man River.
Her body was melting in the heat of summer and her heart began racing as soon as she looked at what was lying outside. It didn’t take much to get her heart racing, and it was never for a good reason. Her nerves were frayed, and her adrenals shot.
She grabbed for her cell phone and called René.
“I’ll send Gator,” he said after she spoke in a panicked voice to him. She was usually subdued when she talked, as if she lacked the energy to speak. He always felt sorry for her. He'd known her since they were much younger when she was the vivacious girl everyone loved to have around. The spark that lit up every party and the one who was always on hand to help anyone who needed help. He wished he could help her too.
She was on edge…not even thinking about what he’d said. “I don’t need a gator…that’s why I’m calling. I’ve got one the size of an elephant in my back yard right now.”
“An elephant?”
“Listen, René, just get over here, alright? Sorry…please. You know I’ll pay.”
“I can’t, Sylvie. I’m tied up. Gator is the best there is. He’s been taught by the Babineauxs,” René said.
“Blackheart? The Jokers?” she said.
“Yeah, Evan. And Gator’s paw worked for and was trained by Jean Luc…Evan’s paw.”
“OK, thanks. And I’m sorry…I just need this monster gone.”
“Any other monsters you’d like gone, too?” he asked.
She sighed. “If only.”
“You know we might be able to arrange that,” René said.
“Thanks, René. I just need this one gone for now,” she said. “Sorry.”
“For now?”
“I’m joking. You know that, right?” she said.
“I don’t want to find that you’ve been buried somewhere one day, Sylvie.” She laughed but he could tell it wasn’t real. “Seriously, Sylvie… you gotta get out before it’s too late.”
“I told you, René. I’m always telling you. I’m good. I don’t know why you’re always worried about something that’s nothing. I’m sorry for worrying you. Anyway, I gotta go…thanks.”
“OK, Sylv. We’ll catch up sometime soon,” René said. “And stop saying sorry. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”
“Yeah…OK, sorry.” She heard him sigh. “Oh, sorry. Damn. Habit. Anyway, thanks for helping, René. Thanks.” She ended the call and stood staring at the phone for a long time.Fuck my life.
She carried on scrubbing the clean kitchen bench before checking to see that everything else in the kitchen was exactly where it should be. All the while she kept an eye on the huge beast in the yard…that was sunning itself, without a worry in the world.
She heard the sound of a Harley pulling up in the drive and she stopped what she was doing as fear gripped her. She tried to control her breathing as she’d been told to do, but her chest was raising and falling so quickly she was beginning to feel faint. She was on the verge of hyperventilating, so she sucked in a long slow breath through her nose and held it before letting it out slowly through pursed lips. Her heart was still slamming against her chest so hard she felt like it was about to explode. She turned slowly away from the kitchen bench and looked at the door, waiting for it to open and the “monster” to step inside.
When she heard the knock, she jumped, but then she realized that he wouldn’t be knocking…it was someone else. Still unsure of herself she skulked up to the door and looked through the peephole. She let out the breath she’d been holding and turned the handle, pulling the door slowly open.
“Hey,”Godsaid as he looked at her with his piercing blue eyes. “I’m Gator.”
“Fuck,” she said without thinking. He smiled. He had the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen in her life. He had a vest on, but it was open, and he didn’t have anything on under it. He was wearing jeans and they were stretched tight from his big thighs. She didn’t even realize that she’d been running her eyes over his body from his massive, tattooed chest to his boots and back up to those pretty eyes again, when he said:
“You got a problem?”
“No, not at all.” She was talking her mind and she didn’t even realize until he said:
