Chapter 26

Chloe walked out of her office, a smile plastered to her face as she hummed. Brady came behind her, swooping her into his arms and pushing them both through the change room doors. Chloe turned in his arms, catching his lips as they descended on hers. He ran his fingers through her hair, moving her head back to get to her mouth from a different angel. She tasted perfect, sweet. Groaning into the kiss, Brady let his tongue work its magic against Chloe's, as he backed them up against one of the standing lockers.

"You're like a drug," he whispered, finally pulling away, breathless.

"Is that so?" she asked, smiling into another slow kiss.

"I need to see you tonight," he told her, his breath still ragged. Not waiting for a response, he pulled her back against him, crushing his lips to hers. His hands roamed her body, almost of their own accord. Lifting his mouth from hers, he trailed her skin with his lips and tongue.

The sweet, fruity smell of her hair was driving him insane, as he flicked his tongue against her throat, smelling her hair as it swung around him. "God, you smell so good. What is that? Strawberry?" he asked and then continued to suck on her earlobes and gently scrape his teeth against her neck and collarbone.

"Kiwi," she corrected him, while she ran her hand through his short hair. Chloe closed her eyes in response to him. She felt his hand reach inside her shirt, touching her skin at a fevered pace.

"Your skin is so soft," he told her between kisses. "What do you use, some type of moisturizer?" Brady asked, then continued to explore under her shirt, finding the lace of her bra.

Chloe moaned into him when his large hand covered her breast, gently coaxing it out of her bra. "Vaseline...oh...Intensive Care," she managed to get out as she found her own way inside his shirt, prying it open and scattering the buttons across the floor.

Brady smiled into the kiss. ""I just bought that shirt," he purred softly against her ear, sending reverberations through her entire body.

"Sorry," she moaned when he succeeded taking her shirt off and bra, throwing them both to the ground.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered.

Chloe ran her hands over his taunt muscles. "So are you," she told him.

Wrapping his arms around her, he picked her up and leaned her against one of the lockers. She scraped her hands down his back, just about breaking the skin. He took a deep breath, as her own tongue explored his neck, jaw and throat. Lightly, she bit down on his shoulder, unable to control herself. Brady was perfect, and this was heaven.

Just as Chloe's hands came to the button of Brady's jeans, the door burst open with a few men coming to change for their shift. Chloe held onto Brady, so her chest was covered. Her face immediately flushed.

"Sorry, boss," the men said, exiting the change room with fits of laughter.

Brady gently put Chloe back on the ground, breathing hard. "I guess we got carried away."

"That's one way of putting it," she laughed against his chest.

"Let's get dressed, but this isn't over."

"Tonight. My place," she said, taking the initiative to make plans.

"Tonight it is. I still can't believe you did that to my shirt," he laughed.

Chloe slapped him lightly. "It's not like I meant to. It's your fault anyway."

"My fault?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Yep. You're the one that dragged me in here."

"True," Brady admitted, with a cocky smile on his face.

"You're pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

"Great. Now everyone knows, and they probably think I'm just another one of your playmates," she scoffed, hardly serious.

Brady's face hardened. "You aren't like those other girls," he said quietly.

"Oh yeah, why not?"

"Because I didn't love any of them. I've only ever loved you. I thought I loved Lisa, but it wasn't like this. I've never felt this way. I want you to know that. I want you to know that you're not just some girl. You're my girl. I love you," he told her, the expression on his face totally serious and maybe even a little hurt.

"I feel the same," Chloe told him, caught up in his deep gaze.

"Until tonight then," he whispered against her ear, before lightly kissing her cheek.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Brady walked down the street, carrying flowers in his hands. Who would have thought he would be back to the guy that brought flowers? Certainly not him. He'd given up everything in the last few months since he became closer to Chloe. The drinking, the smoking, the drugs and of course, the casual sex. It wasn't him. It never had been. He was sick of playing the ""bad boy"" role. All he ever wanted was to be himself, and with Chloe, all of that was possible.

He smiled to himself as he took in the scent of the flowers, almost rolling his eyes at himself. He was even early, really early. But he couldn't wait to see Chloe, not even another hour or two. The time they spent apart was just not healthy, he decided. Together they were whole, and he loved that feeling, just as much as he loved her. So he would bring her flowers and make up an excuse if he had to, but he figured Chloe was just as eager. Chloe was different though. She wasn't just some girl. She was his lover, his soul mate. She deserved all the love and adoration he was ready to finally give her.

Taking the alley as a shortcut, he noticed they still hadn't replaced the smashed bulbs from months before. He'd have to talk to the superintendent about that.

"Brady Black?" a voice called over his shoulder.

Brady turned to look and saw several figures shadowed in darkness. "Yeah, who wants to know?"

"We've met before," Derek said, coming into the light.

Brady's face fell. He wasn't looking for trouble, but the sight of Derek angered him more than he thought was possible. "Look, asshole, leave Chloe alone. She's moved on with her life, and she doesn't need you any longer. So why don't you just take your gang of thugs and go back from wherever the hell you came from?"

"I'm afraid we can't do that. At least not without killing you first. See, the thing you have to understand is that Chloe is mine."

"Chloe belongs to no one. She's her own person."

"Right. Whatever. That's your opinion. But see, Chloe owes me. I took care of that little slut long before you even knew she existed."

"Watch your mouth," Brady seethed. "Don't you dare come here and think you have any right to talk about her like that."

"What are you going to do about it pretty boy? You think you know what she needs? You don't know shit."

"I know she hates you," Brady told him, anger penetrating his handsome face.

"And what she loves you? Is that what you think? Is that what the little bitch told you?"

"Don't call her that!" Brady yelled, letting all his self-control all but dissolve.

"Let me tell you something about girls like her. She'll tell you whatever you want to hear. She told me she loved me, and we both know that was a lie."

"She never told you that!"

"So what makes you think you're so special? Oh, I get it. You fucked her, right?" Derek asked with a snide smile on his face, his lips curled into a devious smirk, knowing he was getting the better of Brady.

"I'm warning you!" Brady said calmly, even though the veins in his neck were throbbing.

"Yeah, that's it. She fucked you. I have to admit that was always her best quality. Yeah, I remember the first time we fucked. She didn't want to at first. Said she was waiting for marriage. Do you believe that bullshit? Anyway, after a little persuading----and by that I mean I slipped her a little something----she was into it. She's such a dirty little whore," he laughed cruelly, in the most inhumane manner Brady had ever heard.

If he didn't think Derek had serious issues before, he know knew just how demented he was. "All right. Now you've crossed the line!" Brady snapped at him, clenching his fists and dropping the flowers to the ground in the process.

"Is that right? Have I made you mad, Black? What are you planning on doing about it, huh?"

"Let's go. You and me, man to man."

"Man to man? Do you believe this crock of shit?" Derek asked over his shoulder to his friends.

"Scared?" Brady mocked.

"No, man, not scared. Didn't Chloe tell you? I'm a crazy son-of-a-bitch! I'm not just going to hurt you. I'm going to kill you."

"You talk a lot of shit for someone who needed to bring his buddies to help him out."

"I've had enough of you. Kick his ass," Derek told his friends behind him.

The men lunged at Brady, grabbing his arms, rendering him immobile. Derek struck him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Brady stared into the eyes of the man that had hurt Chloe so badly, and something came over him. He gathered all the strength he had in him and broke loose of the men holding him, barrelling after Derek and knocking him to the ground.

"You will never hurt Chloe again. Do you understand me?" Brady yelled as he punched Derek repeatedly.

"Get him off me!" Derek yelled to his buddies, as he tried to block Brady's powerful fists.

The men did as they were told and again had Brady in their clutches, holding tighter than before.

Derek stood, spitting the warm blood from his mouth and wiping the rest with the back of his hand. "You fucking asshole! You made me bleed. I'm going to enjoy this. Yeah, you're in for some serious pain now," he told him, kicking him square between the legs.

Brady's knees buckled, and he struggled to stand through the cursing pain.

"Yeah, we'll see if you can fuck Chloe after this," he laughed coldly.

Brady sneered at Derek, hating him, and not being able to do anything. Derek jabbed his fist out, striking Brady hard across the bridge of his nose, sending blood to spurt out everywhere.

"Not so pretty anymore, huh, Black?" Derek struck him again and again, until his face was bruised and bloodied.

His eyes were already swollen from the repeated blows. Brady struggled against the men, trying to free himself, but it was no use. Derek paced the span of the alleyway, as if contemplating what form of torture to inflict next. "Is that all you've got?" Brady asked antagonistically. Why he wouldn't be quiet, he didn't know. It was like he had to get the better of Derek. He had to make him loose his cool. Hell, who was he kidding? If anything, he was stalling. The longer they chose to beat up Brady, the less time they had to get to Chloe.

Derek enraged by Brady's comment, ran at him, crushing his knee with his steel-toed boots. Brady buckled and fell to the hard pavement, the pain draining his system of coherent thoughts. "You're not so strong now!" Derek spat out. "What, no witty comment?"

"Just one." Brady smiled, despite the throbbing sensation that came with it. "I bet when you were in prison, that was the only time you didn't have to force anyone into sleeping with you," he laughed, for no other reason than to piss him off.

Derek had nothing to say. The anger was evident on his features. If he hadn't wanted Brady dead before, he most certainly did now. Derek reached into his pocket, pulling out a large switchblade. "Say goodbye, Brady!" With that, he plunged the knife deep within his abdomen and pulled it out just as quickly, striking his shoulder next.

Brady gasped for air as he felt the cold metal run through his body, penetrating his skin and organs. The blood immediately ran from the wound, coating the sidewalk with deep red plasma. Brady, now free from the other men's powerful arms, placed his hand against his stomach, feeling the gash alive with vital fluids seeping onto his clothes. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Deep, surging tingles inside his stomach threatened his very existence. It was as if his skin was pulling away from his body. He collapsed to the ground, scrunching his body into a tight ball as he tried to breathe through the incredible hurt. He was in agony, and that's just what Derek wanted.

"Let's go!" Derek commanded to his friends, turning up his nose at Brady.

"What about him?" one tubby man asked.

"Just leave him. Let him die. We'll come for Chloe tomorrow." Derek wiped his mouth again, looked at the blood that came away with his fingers, then looked down at Brady, kicking him one more time before he turned to follow his friends. So the three men walked away, leaving Brady wounded and half-conscious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An older gentleman with dashing tufts of salt and pepper coloured hair walked briskly down the street, letting himself be led by his Labrador retriever. The sandy blonde dog raced down the side streets, letting his tongue hang out of his mouth while puffs of cool air came out from his panting nature. "Slow down, Peanut!" the man called after his dog, breaking out in a light jog to keep up.

However, the dog had its own ideas as he barrelled down an alleyway, stopping and barking loudly, waiting patiently for his master to catch up.

"What is it, boy?" the man, whose name was Chuck, asked his canine friend.

Peanut just continued to bark, lightly scratching his paw against the metal dumpster nearby. Chuck pulled on the leash to regain control over his dog, but Peanut was not moving. His tiny whimpers got the best of the older gentleman as he came over to gently pet his dog. Then, he noticed, in the corner, what appeared to be a body, not moving, apparently not awake, and badly beaten.

"Jesus Christ!" Chuck whispered under his breath and pulled Peanut''s chain. He wasn't sure if the man was alive or dead but nonetheless rushed through the quiet streets to call the police, Peanut not far behind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The pavement was cold against his battered skin, and he shivered involuntarily, trying to warm up. He tried to move. An arm, a leg, anything to make sure he was all right, but he couldn't. He was weaker than he thought, and the blood pooled around him. Sticky against his skin, the cool crimson liquid was already drying, and he knew he had been there a long time.

He tried to keep his eyes focused and opened. He knew if he had a concussion he had to stay awake, but everything in him told him to just close his eyes and give up. Blurry images of Chloe popped into his head, and it gave him strength. Soon the pain became too much for him, and as he heard the eery call of sirens, he blacked out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Putting the final touches on the dinner she prepared, Chloe lit the rest of the candles and smiled to herself. Brady was in for a huge surprise. She tried his cell phone for the third time, wondering where he had gotten to. It just wasn't like him to be late. She paced around her tiny apartment once again, eyeing the phone, begging it to ring.

Chloe heard the sirens run down her street. Grabbing her coat, she walked down to the front lobby and out the door, blending in with the gathered people. "What's going on?" Chloe asked one of the paramedics blocking the alleyway.

"Nothing, miss. Just go back inside. Everything is being taken care of."

"Can you at least tell me what happened?"

"It's really none of your concern," the man told her, trying to brush her off.

"It is my concern, and I don't appreciate you trying to tell me otherwise," Chloe spoke harshly. "I'll have you know I live here, and if something is going on, I have the right to know."

Deciding it was easier to get rid of the pestering woman by telling the truth rather than saying nothing, the man spoke up. "We got a call about a man badly beaten in the alleyway."

"Oh," Chloe said quietly, looking at her watch. She knew Brady should have been there already. Scanning the crowd, Chloe looked to see if he was around. Giving up, she started to walk back towards her apartment. However, as they wheeled the stretcher around the corner, something made her stay. She was drawn back to the alley as the men lifted someone onto the bed on wheels.

"No, it couldn't be," Chloe whispered quietly to herself.

Chloe watched as the men brought the stretcher into view. She could feel her heart rate accelerate, pumping harshly against her chest. Lying flat on his back, still, silent, was Brady. Not just touched with blood, but covered in it. His own blonde mane was matted to his head with the wet, red substance.

No. No. No, Chloe's mind repeated with great disdain. Why now? After everything they had been through, why did this have to happen now? Chloe froze, unable to comprehend the world as the scene played out before her eyes. Air, space, time, seemed to all float together and mingle into a great bubble where they meant nothing. All the sounds and movements were dead to her ears and eyes. All she could focus on was the seemingly lifeless body the men had just revealed.

Then all at once, it seemed to click. Chloe let out a horrendous scream as she ran towards Brady. This wasn't going to happen to her again. She couldn't let it. She wouldn't let it.