Dark Horse (24 page)

“
Everything that happened was terrible. But some good can come out of it.

“
You’re right. I don’t deserve someone like you.  But I’m going to do everything I can to try and prove to you that I’m sorry. Henry…”

He looked back at me without saying anything. I looked up at all of the scars on his face. I reached up and gently put my hand against his cheek, hoping that he would
understand what I was feeling. He stared at me then slowly started to close his eyes. He moved his face closer to my hand. The rough feeling of his face against my palm hit me with a flood of emotions. I felt more tears pouring from the corners of my eyes. I closed my eyes and enjoyed this moment with him, knowing that it wouldn’t last forever.

I slowly opened my eyes and pulled my hand away from his face. I had done everything I could to let Henry know how I felt about him. It was his decision to make. Bu
t if he were the man I thought he was, he wouldn’t let me go. Not like this.

“
You’ve changed me for the better, Henry. You can’t just leave me now…”

Henry took a deep breath as he looked down at me. Our eyes locked upon one another. He reached his arms out
then wrapped them around me. His face slowly drifted toward mine. I closed my eyes and felt his lips press against mine. I kissed him as hard as I could, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him in closer.

We slowly pulled away, our eyes still loc
ked upon one another. When I finally saw him smile, I felt all of the pressure lift off of my shoulders.

“
Okay,” he said. “If you break my heart—”

“
I won’t. If I do, yours isn’t the only heart that will be broken.”

Chapter 27 - Lanea

Maxwell wasn’t as open to trusting me as Henry was. After everything I’d put them through, I couldn’t argue with him. But I was willing to do everything I could to let them know that I no longer viewed them how I used to. I only wanted to be a part of Henry’s life and have him in mine.

The Pit was completely dismantled. The parties with all of the millionaire and billionaires in the city were no longer held. I no longer spent time with any of them. It wasn
’t just that I no longer wanted their company but there simply was no need for them. I didn’t want their money or their approval.

Instead, I began spending more time with Henry. With the help of my advisers, I was able to invest my money in things that were more appropriate. I opened up a small shelter for people who did
n’t have a place to stay. I opened another office to help people find work when they were desperate just like Henry. I even maintained a soup kitchen that Maxwell was more than happy to be a part of.

Despite the amount of money they had made from Henry
’s last fight, that still didn’t stop either Maxwell or Henry from venturing back into the city to look for work. While Maxwell worked to serve the homeless, Henry found a job with a small shipping company. He was responsible for preparing products for shipping and at the end of the day, he would always look exhausted. All of the hard labor was nothing to him though. After everything he’d been through, this was easy.

After the end of another long day, I showed up to greet Henry at work. I picked him up and we h
eaded back home. As we drove through the city and his neighborhood, I looked around and started to smile.

“
What’s so funny?” he asked me.

“
This. All of this. It’s… It’s weird.”

“
Weird? How is it weird?”

“
I just never imagined it would be like this. All my life, I never thought that I would be picking someone up from work, someone that I cared about, and then heading home. It feels like…”

“
Feels like you’re part of a family.”

“
Yeah…”

I looked over at Henry
and he smiled back at me. All of my effort and energy was spent on trying to improve upon everything I could. I no longer cared about just myself. Henry was the man I had been looking for all my life and now that I had found him, I had changed.

I pulled up
to his house. I followed Henry inside and could see how tired he was just from the way he walked. He collapsed on the couch in the living room and I took a seat next to him. His head leaned back and he sighed.

“
Are you okay?” I asked him.

“
I’m fine,” he said. “It’s just a long day at work. I just need a break.”

“
Let me give you a massage.”

He tilted his head up then looked at me skeptically.

“You want to give
me
a massage?”

“
What’s that supposed to mean?”

“
I don’t know,” he laughed. “You seem like the type to receive them instead of giving them. What do you know about giving a massage?”

“
Well… I’ve been pampered all my life. I know what I like. That means I know what you want, too.”

“
I don’t think it works that way, Lanea,” he laughed.

“
Come on! Turn around!”

Henry reluctantly lifted himself up from the couch and turned his back to me. I placed my hands upon his shoulders and rubbed him down. I felt the thick knots underneath my grip. It took every ounce of strength to try and work them out.

“Wow, you’re really tense.”

“
It was a long day.”

“
You know, Henry… You don’t have to work there. I could…”

He turned around and looked at me.

“I know,” he said. “But that wouldn’t be right. Just because you have a lot of money doesn’t mean I’m going to take advantage of you.”

“
You’re not taking advantage of me. I want to help you.”

“
I think you can put your money to better use.”

“
Like what?”

“
Like getting some massage lessons. You’re terrible!”

He started to laugh at me. I rolled my eyes and slapped him across the arm. He put his hands on me and turned me around.

“Let me show you how it’s done,” he said. “Just like all of the massages you get.”

“
I haven’t gotten a massage in months. I’d forgotten what it felt like. But… this isn’t bad.”

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Henry rubbing me down. His hands pressed down upon my shoulders and stretched my muscles out. I sighed at the feeling of him holding me in his powerful grip. I wasn
’t tense or tired but I started to grow more relaxed in his hands. I leaned back and pressed myself against his chest. I felt his lips on me as he kissed the back of my head. I turned my head and looked up at him. With my eyes closed, I searched for him. Henry had the same idea and it wasn’t long before our lips became entangled. He kissed me passionately while his hands began to slide down my shoulders, past my arms and around my body. I reached up with my hands and back around his head.

As we kissed, Henry re
ached down and slowly started to lift my top up.

“
Henry, wait,” I stopped him. “Maxwell is coming home soon.”

Henry glanced over at the clock that was resting above the fireplace. I saw him count the numbers and do the math in his head.

“Then I guess we’d better be quick about it,” he said.

I turned around and smiled at him. We both stood up from the couch. I wrapped my arms and legs around him as he picked me up from the ground. We kissed each other deeply while he carried me up the stairs. As soon as we g
ot into his room, we tore one another’s clothes off and tossed them on the ground. I laid naked with him upon his bed.

I continued to kiss him while I enjoyed the feeling of his body. Despite no longer training, his work provided him the opportunity to mai
ntain his excellent physique. His hard muscles felt like rocks underneath my fingers. I trailed my hand all over his body to let him know that I enjoyed every inch of him. I reached my hand down between his legs in search of his length. He was already thick and erect. My body was calling out for him.

“
Is that how you do it?” I asked him. “Start with a massage and then get them naked in your bed.”

“
You’re the one who wanted to give me a massage. This is your fault.”

We both laughed as we continued kissing on
e another. He slowly worked me onto my back. I rested my head against the pillow, raising my arms underneath the pillow so that he had full access to my entire body. I spread my legs as he positioned himself between them. He pulled his lips away from me. I looked up at him as he knelt between my legs, the hard muscles on his body glistening from the light sneaking in through his window. I began to grind my hips up toward him in anticipation of what was next.

Henry reached over toward the dresser next to the
bed. He opened the top shelf and pulled a condom out. When he did, I reached out and grabbed his hand.

“
What are you doing?” he said as he looked at me.

“
Don’t use that.”

“
What? But—”

“
Do you remember what I said in the car? What it felt like?”

“…
Family.”

“
Right.”

“
Is that what you want, Lanea? You want to start a family with me? Are you sure?”

“
You’re a good father, Henry.”

“
Lanea…”

“
Henry, please.”

It didn
’t take me long to know that Henry was special. I wanted him in my life. There was no point in waiting any longer. I was eager to take the next step with him. It was time for me to settle down.

I looked over at his hand and watched as the condom fell out of it. He leaned down and began kissing me once again. My entrance was begging for him. I felt his ti
p pushing into me. I moaned into his mouth as he pushed himself passed my folds.

Henry pressed me down into the mattress. He pulled my hands from underneath the pillow and held them down at my sides. At the same time, he drove himself into me with long and
deep strokes. He pulled his lips away from me and I looked up at him while he worked. I moaned little whimpers whenever he filled me up. I wrapped my legs around him and could feel the muscles of his back straining against the back of my legs.

Henry had me pinned down while he ravaged me. I groaned his name to encourage him to continue. He buried himself to the hilt. The sound of his base slapping against me grew louder. His thick length filled me up completely. His body started to sweat and th
e fluid dripped down upon my body.

Henry started to breathe harder. His groans became audible and the sound of our ecstasy joined the chorus of our bodies banging against each other.

I listened to the sound of a car in the distance.

“
Maxwell,” I moaned. “He’s… He’s here.”

Henry started to work frantically. It wasn
’t a long walk from the driveway to the house. I continued to encourage him to finish because there was no way I could tell him to stop.

“
Henry… Mmm… Henry, come inside of me… Hurry up…”

He whispere
d my name as his body started to jerk. I wrapped my legs tight around him and pulled him in closer. His body moved in spasms as he tried to remain silent. I enjoyed the feeling of him filling me up while I tried to pull him in close to me. Every muscle on his body tightened as he emptied himself into me.

His body became limp and fell onto the bed next to me. He kissed me softly and then we laid on the bed next to each other. As I looked into his eyes, we both started to giggle softly to one another.

“At least let me get you your own place,” I said. “That way you don’t have to be so quick.”

“
I don’t know. I think I prefer it this way. I like using you like this.”

“
You’re so bad.”

I slapped him across the arm again and shook my head while he laughed at me. We
laid in bed next to one another and enjoyed our little moment of bliss. I had experienced highs before but there was nothing like this. After all of the money I threw away, all of the blood that had been spilled, all of the people I had stepped on, I had finally found something that was more fulfilling than any of it. I’d found everything I’d been looking for in Henry.

Chapter 28

There’s nothing better than the smell of a steak rising from the grill. I poked at the pieces of meat with my tongs, trying to figure out how much they were cooked.

“
You know how well a steak is cooked based on how much it gives,” I said. “It’s really simple. If you time it just right, you can pick it up just as it’s cooked through before it gets overcooked.”

“
You really know what you’re talking about,” Henry said to me. “Maybe you should stop by the diner and let them know how to do it.”

“
Oh, I plan on doing it. Maybe before I stop by the soup kitchen tomorrow. I think it’s time I paid them a visit.”

“
It
has
been awhile, Maxwell. I’m sure they missed you.”

“
Definitely. Especially after the last tip I left. That waitress is probably crying while she waits for me to come back to her.”

Henry laughed at me while he continued to observe me. I ignored Henry
’s amusement and tended to the grill.

There was nothing better than having a barbecue in the backyard in weather like this. The sun was shining without a cloud in the sky. Henry and I had the day off from work so we didn
’t have to worry about getting drunk. At least, I didn’t.

“
So what’s this all about?” I said as I drank my beer. “You said it’s a special occasion.”

“
It is,” Henry said to me. “Lanea… I’ve been with her for a few weeks now but I feel like she… she’s really special to me.”

I looked at Henry and saw that he was having
trouble finding the words to say. I was still hesitant to accept Lanea as easily as Henry did but she didn’t give me any reason to protest. She said that she was a changed woman and didn’t do anything to disprove it. More importantly, Henry looked like he was genuinely happy being with her.

“
Shit, Henry. Is that what this is about? You wanted the best chef in the city to cook her a steak? You’re not going to propose to her already, are you?”

“
No, it’s more than that,” he chuckled. “I’m having someone over today.”

“
Lanea always comes over. I don’t even know why. If I was here, I’d stay in that nice ass suite she always—”

“
Not Lanea. It’s…”

Before Henry could finish, Lanea made her way toward us from the house. I watched as the two of them smiled and hugged one another. I turned back to the steaks I was grilling to make sure they were cooked to perfection.

“So if it’s not Lanea, then who is it?” I said.

“
I think they’re almost here,” Henry said. “How are those steaks coming along?”

“
Hey, you don’t have to keep asking me. When they’re ready, they’re ready. You can’t rush an artist.”

I shook my head at Henry as he and Lanea started to laugh. I d
idn’t know why today was such a big deal but Henry had planned it on both of our days off. While the two of them enjoyed one another’s company, I continued to manage the steaks. Henry disappeared into the house and I was alone with Lanea.

We both stood the
re silently while we waited for him to return. I looked up at Lanea, still remembering everything she’d put him through. I didn’t need to say what I wanted to say. She already knew.

“
I’m lucky,” she said to me. “I know that. He’s giving me another chance. And I know you’re not happy about it. Just know that I’m doing everything I can to make him happy. You’re his friend. And I won’t ever break his heart again.”

I swallowed some more of my beer as I listened to Lanea speak to me. I had never given her a chan
ce to apologize to me but this sounded like one. I knew that I couldn’t hold a grudge against her. If Henry could give her another chance, then I could to.

“
Just don’t screw this up,” I said to her.

“
I’m not going to let him down, Maxwell.”

I looked at her
then nodded. I turned my attention back to the steaks as I listened to the sound of the house opening up. Lanea and I both watched as Henry made his way toward us. But it wasn’t just him. In his arms was a tiny little girl who looked familiar. Henry was beaming as he walked up to us.

“
I want you guys to meet my daughter, Elsa. Elsa, say hi to them.”

She sheepishly turned her back to us and wrapped her arms around her father. We all began to laugh at Elsa
’s sudden bashfulness. I looked past her and saw Nina walking out from the house. She didn’t look upset as she saw Henry continuing to try and convince Elsa to say hello to us.

While I stood next to the grill, I looked at the scene in front of me in slight disbelief. I never imagined I would see all of them
at once and in the same place. They all had smiles on their faces and were having a good time. I couldn’t help but marvel at the scene.

“
So, what do you think?” Henry asked Nina. “It’s a nice place, isn’t it? Away from the city. Good neighborhood. Friendly people.”

“
I don’t know how you did it,” she sighed. “But I’m glad to see you’re doing okay. Why is your hand in a cast?”

Henry and Lanea looked at one another.

“Um… work accident,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. It was paid for by my employer. It’ll be fine. Just know that I’ve got a steady paying job and I won’t have to worry about money any more. I can even get more time off if I need it. That means I can see her whenever I get the chance.”

Henry kissed his daughter and held her close as he held her in
his arms. I smiled at him then turned my attention back to the girl.

“
All right, everybody,” I said to them. “I hope you’re hungry. Get ready for the best meal you’ve ever had.”

Everybody else made their way to the table while I took the food off of the gr
ill. Lanea took a seat next to Henry with Elsa between the two of them. I watched as Nina slowly started to back away.

“
Thanks but I have to go now,” Nina said.

“
What? But you haven’t tried one of my steaks.”

“
I know, and thank you, but I really do need to go now. Henry…”

“
She’ll be fine,” he said to her.

Henry nodded to her as she made her way back into the house. Lanea continued to play with Elsa, who slowly started to warm up to her.

“She has your eyes,” Lanea said to Henry.

“
Yeah,” Henry replied. “Thankfully she inherited everything else from her mother.”

Henry and Lanea laughed at one another while Elsa remained silent between the two of them.

“Well, I’m not waiting for you guys,” I said to them. “True artistry needs to be appreciated.”

I fixed mys
elf a plate of food while I watched them play with one another. I was annoyed that they weren’t enjoying the meal I had prepared for them but it was only for a moment. Lanea and Henry smiled as they continued to play with his daughter. I sighed as I watched the three of them together. I thought about all of the circumstances that brought them together for this moment. Henry had walked through Hell and back. And he had brought Lanea with him. Now they could finally enjoy the peace that both of them needed but never realized they were looking for.