To Love & To Protect (4 page)

“I don’t want to go,” Amber said.

“I know, but we will be together soon, come give me a hug and a kiss.”

Both girls came quickly.

Marisol messaged, Ethan to let him know that they would be on the move soon.

Ethan knocked briefly on the door then entered. “We are ready to move out, ladies,” he said standing by the door.

Amber started to cry. Ethan looked at the small framed ten year old girl and his heart just melted. He reached for her and picked her up then reached for her sister’s hand. Marisol followed behind them.

Jasmine began to cry. Nicole grabbed up some tissue, and told her not to cry.

Donna came in and began to hook up all of the machinery. In a soothing voice, she reminded Jasmine that crying would elevate her blood pressure. Having an evaluated blood pressure was cause to keep her hospitalized. Donna then encouraged Jasmine that the hardest part was almost over.

The tears still rolled down her cheeks, unchecked. The medicine kicked in and she began to dose off. It was the second day that she had cried herself to sleep.

Chapter 10

Later on that evening, Jasmine came awake on her own. Her mouth was dry. She looked around the room; Trenton was standing by the window looking out into the night. Kimberly was drinking coffee. Alexis was walking toward her bed with a cup of ice water.

“I am glad you are awake. I thought that you were going to sleep through my whole visit,” Alexis said good naturedly.

Jasmine smiled. She attempted to adjust her body but found that she was just as stiff as she had been before. Kimberly eased beside her and lifted her a little so that she could drink some water.

Jasmine said thank you, and began to drink. Donna walked in and began to check her vitals. “Do you want to go freshen up and use the restroom,” Donna asked.

“Yes,” Jasmine said, “But give me a few minutes, okay?”

“Okay,” Donna said sweetly. “Can I go ahead and start unplugging you from the equipment?”

“Yes,” Jasmine answered.

Jasmine took a few deep breaths, and slid one leg to the side of the bed, then the other. She used her good arm to continue to push herself up off the bed.

Donna helped her to the restroom. They completed what had become a routine. She undressed slowly. Her bandages were removed. She stood under the spray of the shower. Donna helped her to soap up and sponge cleaned her wounds. She helped her to towel dry then put a thin layer of antibiotic cream on both sides of her arm, and on her upper thoracic area, and lower lumber area. Then Donna would re-dress the wounds, and help her to get dressed. Lastly she helped settle her into the bed.

“Donna, how long will it take for the wounds to heal?” Jasmine asked.

“It’s important to remember that no two patients are the same, so recovery times are different. Yet on average it should take anywhere from 10-14 days to heal,” Donna answered.

“What could set me back with healing?” Jasmine asked.

“I don’t foresee you having any setbacks with healing at this time. Michael was very thorough with the debridement of the wounds. He removed all the bullet fragments, cleaned and sutured you up beautifully. You will have very small scars. You were given blood because you lost a tremendous amount of blood before you arrived here. He started you on fluids and antibiotic via the IV as soon as you were set up in recovery. You haven’t run a fever since yesterday, you are eating, and you have an incredible authentic support system.”

“When can I start physical therapy for my arm?” Jasmine asked.

“When Michael signs off on it,” Donna said. “Look, I know that this has probably gotten old really fast,” using her hands to indicate the whole hospital scene. “But the worst thing that you could do is push yourself before your body has done the healing that it needs to do, and have a major setback.”

Jasmine let out a long sigh, and relaxed into the pillows.

“May I have a newspaper please?” Jasmine asked.

“Sure,” Donna said.

Alexis walked over to the bed. “Nicole went to get you some dinner. I am really sorry that you got shot, but so happy that you have survived this.”

“Me too,” Jasmine replied, accepting her friends hand.

“I miss my girls, I miss working, I don’t know how to sit still,” Jasmine said.

She looked over at the window where Trenton was still staring out the window.

“Trent,” she said softly, “I am so sorry that you are hurting. I can’t say that I am not glad you and your staff are here to help us. I guess you do still love us,” Jasmine said, her voice getting shaky with emotion. “I can’t imagine what you all went through over there. Even through you came back in one piece like we prayed for, it’s like we still lost you. It’s like you died over there because you didn’t come back home to us. Please, fix everything with Alena.”

“I tried to talk to her, I just can’t reach her,” Trent responded. “I would have never let her go through any of this alone if I could have helped it.”

Alexis answered, “Trent she wrote you. She called and left you messages. She got nothing back. She soldiered on for the three of you. Her pregnancy was a high risk pregnancy. Even though we all tried to be there for her, she always felt alone. She has worked very hard to earn her degree, be a great single mom, and manage a multi-million dollar business that grosses a forty percent profit year after year. Trent, I love you and always will, but don’t start the,
oh I want to be a part of my sons life campaign
if you aren’t going to stay the course,” Alexis finished.

Trent let what Alexis said sink in.

“I want to get to know my son,” Trent said humbled by her words. “I promise if I am given the chance I will stay the course.”

“I will talk to her for you then,” Alexis said. “Thank you for coming home now, we love you and have missed you greatly,” Alexis said walking over to hug him.

“Alexis you have really grown up,” Trent said. “Where is the shy quiet girl I use to know?” Trent teased.

“She had to grow up,” Alexis said with a smile.

Nicole came in with bags of food and was saying turn on the news.

“Turn on the news,” Nicole said excitedly.

Trent turned on the news. The anchorwoman was recapping the details of the shooting of South Carolina State Representative Jasmine Anderson. Then a picture of Ethan walking to the car outside of the hospital, carrying a weeping Amber with one arm and holding Alyson’s hand with the other one popped on the television. Alyson was holding on to a small brown teddy bear by one foot with her other hand. He radiated power and strength. He looked focused and determined while being warm and caring all at the same time. The anchorwoman said the picture had been uploaded to YouTube and had gone viral. It was the first glimpse into Representatives Anderson’s life during this tragic ordeal. She touched on the press release that Jasmine had authorized earlier that morning.

“Who is this mystery man, is the question that is on everyone’s mind?” anchorwoman, Sonya said.

Claire who was in the opposite anchor chair responded. “That is the question that is on your mind. Seriously this picture will go down in history books for years to come. For a little while, an act of pure violence, rocked our world and made us feel unsafe. This picture shows both sides of this ordeal. These girls world was rocked harder than anyone of ours yesterday during that tragic moment and their spirits are a little bit broken. He, whomever he is, is strength in the eye of the storm. It is beautiful,” Claire declared.

“We can agree that it is a beautiful picture that hits you right in the gut. We here at the station are pulling for you Representative Jasmine Anderson, and pray for justice to be served on the responsible parties. We will be back with you after these messages from our local sponsors.”

“I am ready to go home, “Jasmine said.

“You will be tomorrow Michael said. Well not exactly home, but out of here. Ethan has had three guest homes on Blake-Moore Estates cleaned and set up for your arrival tomorrow. One for the team to do their work, one for you, the girls and Renee and the last one for Donna and her son and myself. He set up a home office for you with Ms. Jeffcoat’s help. You all will have someone on you at all times for protection and get to be with each other.”

“I am getting out here tomorrow, what a relief? When did Ethan have time to set this up?”

“He started on it this morning when he initially arrived, once he got a yes from Donna and myself, he continued to work on it after the interviews with Alena and Ms. Jeffcoat, and then put the finishing touches on the plan when Trent and Kimberly relieved him of duty this afternoon.”

“Wow,” Jasmine said.

“Trent is like a dog with a bone when it comes to an assignment. Every case he takes personally. He works on every case with great passion and attention to detail,” Kimberly stated.

“Duly noted,” Jasmine said in response.

Jasmine ate her dinner, and drifted off to sleep when everyone had finally left her. For the first time, she had nightmares about the shooting. She would wake up when the gun would go off or real pain from her moving around in the bed broke through her unconsciousness. She had declined narcotic pain reliever tonight and was beginning to think it was a bad idea.

Chapter 11

Donna came in and gave her a strong dosage of pain medicine. It wasn’t long till Jasmine was drifting off into a deep sleep.

She settled into a sweet dream. She was on her patio balcony, overlooking the waterfront. There were candles lit and soft music was playing in the background. Jasmine was wearing a white spaghetti top that stopped at her belly button and relaxed fit white cargo pants. Her feet were bare and her toes were painted a rich plum color. Her hair was a mountain of loose curls tumbling down around her shoulders. Her body was healed. She wasn’t alone. Ethan walked onto the balcony. He was relaxed for the first time ever. His didn’t have on a shirt. Her eyes roamed over his broad chest, his well-developed six pack, the tangle of blonde curls that sprayed across his body. He handed her a glass of champagne, which she gladly accepted. Jasmine turned her attention to the glass of champagne. When Ethan grew tired of watching her fiddle with glass, he gently removed it from her hands and placed it on a nearby table.

He said in a deep rich voice, “Come here?”

Jasmine walked shyly into his arms and began to sway back and forth to the slow jam that was playing. Ethan placed his hand in the center of her back and pulled her closer to him. She looked up and met his hungry eyes. She began trembling in his hands from anticipation. She could feel his warmth through his thin slacks. Jasmine took in a deep breath as she also felt his swelling manhood pressing against her quivering stomach. He reached down and lifted her face upward, and took her mouth in a passionate kiss. Jasmine gave back as good as he gave her. The next thing she knew, Ethan had scooped her up off of her feet and was carrying her into the living room. He trailed kisses from her full lips, down her neck. Ethan pulled her shirt over her head and released her bra, in one quick flick of his wrist. He cupped her full breast; one in each hand like was weighing them. He bent down and flicked his long pink tongue over one aroused nipple then repeated the action with the other. He kissed her stomach and down to her belly button. Jasmine moaned softly under her breath. Ethan was making love to her whole body. He slid his hands around her round bottom, and pulled her pants down. He slid her lace panties to the slide and dipped his fingers into her creamy goodness. He took his fingers out of her and licked his fingers.

“Damn you taste good baby?” Ethan said.

He pulled her down to the carpeted floor, removed her panties and began to devour her aroused secret treasure. He licked and stroked her until she was pushing his face deeper and deeper between her thighs.

She came and he savored every single drop.

She lay in his arms for a few minutes, before she started to kiss his neck, and running her fingers across his chest. She trailed kisses down his chest over his pink nipples, down his belly button. She planted butterfly kisses over a portion of his scar.

Then she place herself between his legs and placed his aroused manhood into her mouth. She sucked him in long slow strokes, taking more and more of him in each time; until she was deep throating him. She played with his balls as she made love to his dick. Man he was so big, in length and in diameter.

“Can I ride it,” Jasmine asked.

“Come on,” Ethan said back.

Jasmine mounted him and took every glorious inch into her tight wet goodness. Her body stretched to accommodate him. She set a slow pace, her deliciously round bottom was slapping together. Ethan had penetrated her as much as he could, but still he wanted more. Her big breast bounced with the rhythm they had set. He reached in and pulled her closer, kissing her deeply. Then he placed one of her breast in his mouth and suckled as their pace increased. She was soaking wet with desire and was close to coming.  When her vagina started to suck and pull him deeper in. She let out one more long moan and arched her back as she came.

Ethan used one arm to position her in doggie style and he pounded that beautiful caramel colored bottom from behind until he came.

As Ethan came, Jasmine aroused from a dream that had rocked her world. It had seemed so real. She was most definitely in need of a cold shower. She looked over the room and fortunately Trenton had drifted off to sleep and Kimberly was probably getting their beloved coffee.

A shutter rocked through Jasmine’s body. That dream was way too real, and where had it come from. Jasmine went to rub her hand over her face and winced in pain; her right arm was so stiff. Jasmine lay her head against her pillow thinking that she needed to clear her head.

She wanted her life back in order. Her life was so fast paced that she always had something to do. She had taken two days off from her life. She was allowing him, them, whoever was responsible for this to win. Starting tomorrow she would be back in the driver’s seat of her life, promise.

When Donna came in to check her bandages and adjust her medication output, she asked her to have someone take all the cards off the flowers and redeliver to patients who did not get as many visitors as she had. She also had Donna to message Sasha Jeffcoat, her administrative assistant, and Katrina Bradley who also helped with administrative items. Lastly she messaged Nicole and told her that she needed a makeover and Claire to give her an exclusive.