I am up and gone before another word can be spoken. I run into her room; Chief is by the bed. I see her and my lip quivers.

"Oh baby." She says in a hoarse voice.

I run over and bury my face into her neck. "I'm so sorry Momma."

"It's not your fault honey."

"I...it is. He wants me."

"Not your fault."

"I am so sorry."

"I am sending you away Mandy," Chief says. "To your Ma's."

"Ok." She whispers, she doesn't even argue.

He strokes her cheek. "I'm real sorry."

"I only ask one thing of you Caden, don't let anyone hurt my baby. I couldn't bear it."

"I swear it to you."

CHAPTER 14.

A week passes and my mother comes home from hospital; Chief sends her away immediately. She goes to my nan's house but not without intense protest. She wants me to go; she doesn't want to leave me. When I tell her about Jeremy it only gets worse. I know she needs to be away from all this; her mind is in a bad place and her body is even worse. She cares about me more than all that though, and I can't go safely away with her.

She finally gives in when Chief tells her I am staying with Travis and the building will be fully secured. I will be dropped to and from work and have an escort at all times. I promise to call her twice a day, and when the case comes I promise to go with her until Demon is found. I don't like that because it means months without Travis and I don't know if I can deal with that right now. I hate that I have to be watched and guarded at all times. I hate this situation.

"There's my gorgeous girl."

I am in the tub at Trav's house and he has just come in from working in his office. I grin and wiggle my toes at him.

"Hey handsome."

"Handsome? You wound me."

"I always wound you. Sorry, hey there hot stuff."

He laughs and slides off his shirt. "Shift over."

I do, and he slides in behind me, when his hard chest presses against my back; I sigh.

"Oh Trav, I have missed this."

"Mmmmm; Reagan called before."

"Oh?"

"She wanted to know where I lived so she could come and get on the 'charge' with you."

I laugh. "That's Reagan."

"Your mother also called, I told her you were in the bath but perfectly alive."

I snort. "Maybe you strung me up and fucked me to death?"

"Maybe." He chuckles.

"Speaking of which..." I say, shoving my bottom against him.

"Now?"

"Travis, have you turned gay? You can tell me? We can be friends."

He bites my shoulder. "No."

"Then why have I been deprived for two weeks?"

He stills. "It's been a hard time."

"My mom is ok, she is safe. I am ok...I am doing ok."

"It's still been a hard time."

"So we can't make love? Can't fuck against walls?"

"Of course we can..."

"Trav...are you unattracted to me?"

He groans. "No, god, no."

"Then please..." I plead, pressing against him. "I need you."

"Oh yeah?" He whispers, nipping my ear.

"Yeah."

I stand and enjoy the hiss of his breath; I turn slowly and look down at him.

"I need you to fuck me every which way you can, and I need you to do it now."

He grips my legs and turns me in a swift movement so I am perched on the side of the bath. He spreads my legs and growls with satisfaction. He leans in and swipes his tongue through my flesh. I moan and let my head fall back, it slams against the tiled wall. I don't care. He sucks my clit into his mouth, bitting and licking it until it is swollen and aching. He slowly inserts one finger, then another until I writhing and calling his name, begging for more.

"Patience, my beautiful girl."

"Travis, I need you now."

"Slowly."

He pulls away, and I mewl in protest as he lifts me and carries me out.

"Trav?"

"Hmmm."

"I don't want it on the bed. I want you to fuck me against the wall, hard and fast."

He stills and looks down at me.

"I am fairly sure I just about blew my load."

I grin and pull him in for a deep kiss. He puts me on the ground and backs me against a wall. He reaches over to the bedside table to get a condom and slowly rolls it on, then he has my legs around his waist. He grips my bottom and squeezes, causing a yelp to come out of my mouth.

"Trav, one more thing?"

"God, you are killing me as it is."

"Spank me; I want you to spank me."

His eyes widen, and he makes a rough sound with his throat. He nips my ear and then my neck before releasing one of my legs and keeping hold of the other. He bends his knees just a touch and drives upwards. I moan when he slips into me, and I scream when his hand comes down on my ass. I bite down onto his shoulder as he repeats the process, thrust, slap, thrust, slap.

"Travis, fuck, Trav..."

"Come around me, let me feel that pussy come."

I do, erupting around him with an intense scream. He thrusts harder, faster, bringing me to the edge once more. I am hoarse by the time my second orgasm erupts.

"Going to come so fucking hard." He pants.

He lets out a strangled groan and slaps my ass once more as he releases. My head falls onto his shoulder; I have nothing left. He picks me up and carries me to the bed, then lays me down and crawls in next to me. I lean up on my elbow and stroke the tattoo on his lower abdomen, the one that says 'Eternity.'

"What is this for?"

He looks down. "Oh...just a saying."

"And the rest?"

"Just ink."

"Tell me something about yourself Trav, something I didn't know."

He thinks a moment. "I love kids."

Wow, that one came out of nowhere. "You do?"

"Yeah, always have."

"Me too."

"I always wanted to learn how to play the violin."

I still and stare at him, waiting for him to say 'Just kidding.'

"You did?"

"I love the way it sounds, I think it is one of the most beautiful sounds on this earth."

"You know what I think is one of the most beautiful sounds? Your voice."

He smiles. "Oh yeah?"

"Hmmmm and hearing you sing to me is even better."

He strokes my cheek. "Your turn."

I think for a moment. "Did you really think of me when you were away?"

He strokes my hair. "Every damned minute."

"Why Trav?"

"That's four questions."

"Please?" I plead.

"Why? Because you were my heart."

I stare at him. "I...was?"

"Yes, I loved you from the minute we sang in the rain when you were twelve, and I was eighteen. I was a boy; I should have been out grinding against girls, but all I wanted to do was hang out with the twelve year old and her dark pigtails."

"I remember that day, so clearly. The rain was extra heavy, back before I was afraid of storms. We lay on that grass, giggling and playing like we always did. It was the first day I noticed you Trav, the first day I truly saw you. I remember realizing you had grown muscles, your body was thicker, bigger, and you were so handsome."

"And then when you were sixteen, and you begged me to kiss you."

I close my eyes and take myself back to that memory.

The moon is shining down on his face; I can see his grey eyes so clearly under it. He is smiling at me; he has these beautiful dimples. I can see Annabelle in the corner, staring at him. She wants him; she likes him...but he doesn't want her. He never wanted her. He moves with the music, his arms are wrapped around me tightly, and I am breathing in his scent.

"I am going to kiss you now Mischief because if I don't I may just die."