Word of Honor, Book 2 (30 page)

What a cruel, harsh, ugly world. It gives little, but takes so much…

Mia pulled herself away from the concerns that threatened to give her nightmares, and focused once again on the fact that she was standing smack dab in the middle of countryside heaven. Everything around her was simply so damn beautiful and once she stepped inside of the property, she was rendered speechless at the unbelievable sights before her, temporarily forgetting all of her troubles and worries.

The house boasted 8,500 square feet of wall-to-wall cedar magnificence. Thirty feet high panoramic windows were featured in the living loft area, showcasing a breathtaking view of the surrounding land. Aaron’s house was fit for a spa retreat, a blank canvas that surrounded the senses and threatened to take one under. Though she loved her old abode and would surely miss it—after all, it had been her first big purchase and her baby—this right here made her salivate with the notion of untapped possibilities. One home was old, broken in, and lived in to the fullest. This one was stylish and magnificent, yet a little sterile, cold, and impersonal. She could put her mark on it, give the place a pulse. That thought got her juices flowing.

Aaron walked her inside then encouraged her to take a tour and venture about as she may. He appeared to be wrestling with more internal turmoil, the kind that only got heavier with time. He undoubtedly needed a moment to collect his thoughts, and his subsequent actions proved just that after he pointed to some main areas of the home for her review, then disappeared into the gourmet kitchen. She watched the man move about, his shirt sticking to his back from perspiration. He ripped the thing off and tossed it onto the floor, revealing a muscular, slightly tanned back, heavily tattooed with the heinous illustrations she’d learned to gloss over, move past, force to disappear – at least inside of her mind.

Regardless, somehow, his flesh that told tales didn’t compromise the place’s splendor. Matter of fact, Aaron blended in with his home in a seamless manner, as if they’d been made for one another. The black, granite countertops, two large double ovens, maple cabinetry, and a walk in pantry large enough to be a small bedroom within itself occupied the massive space.

“I had the refrigerator stocked before you arrived,” he mumbled as he shot her a glance from over his broad shoulder. “I’ve got those sparklin’ waters you like, some salad dressing, soups, you name it.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle opener.

“Thank you, baby.” She took careful steps toward him.

“The pantry has a few boxes of cereal and tea and coffee, too. You can have whatever you want. What’s mine is yours. I’m gonna take a shower. Hopefully, the other movin’ truck will be here soon.” And then he disappeared down the wide, expansive hallway with a cold beer in his hand, forcing her to stop in her tracks.

…So much for a hug…

She turned and took a long, solo expedition of the place, going from room to room. He’d explained on their way up that the house was built for a family, the one he intended to have that had eluded him for so long. He had it constructed for such a purpose, and that’s what he intended for it. The dwelling had an expansive, formal dining area with double chandeliers that cast rainbows against the glass, just like her engagement ring. There was glossy hardwood flooring throughout, five bedrooms, two of which featured their own fireplaces, and four full baths along with a half bath on all three floors. She made her way into the lower level and discovered a foosball table, two leather couches, and an area rug with Aryan symbols all over it. She treaded upon it, pushing the dirty soles of her sneakers deep within the fibers.

Upon opening a smaller room off to the far right, she discovered Aaron’s arsenal of weaponry. Two axes hung on the wall as if he were some medieval Viking. Also included was a rather extensive display of various guns, all locked away behind a glass enclosure with some sort of digital alarm system.

Aaron… why would you need all of this?! I understand your company, but this is overkill! Well, yes, literally!

She swiftly made her way out of there and ventured into the heated four car garage, which boasted two huge Harley Davidson motorcycles that appeared to be in impeccable condition. An old, white ’69 Mustang was partially shrouded in a black car cover and an expansive area covered in tools lay only a few feet ahead. Mia made her way back upstairs and paused as she once again took in the view. Right by the creek was his old, aluminum fishing boat, seemingly waiting for them under the kiss of the rising moon. Smiling, she made her way into the kitchen, plucked her suitcase filled with clothing and a few toiletries from the table, and made way to what she presumed was the master suite. She pushed open a set of tall white double doors…

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

There in the center of the room sat an oversized bed covered in blood red sheets with four ribbed black pillars framing it. The walls were rounded, in the shape of an oval, giving the room an unexpected futuristic look that took her aback…

I’m surprised by this. It doesn’t match the woodsy feel of the home, and it doesn’t seem that it would be his taste…

It was nothing like the more traditional décor that greeted her on the first two floors. Rather, this room had touches of art deco, an explosion of passion and life. One wall featured a large artistic painting of a map of the United States. She looked at it a bit more keenly, soon realizing it was a Civil War era image. More Civil War memorabilia filled the space – a statue of a soldier here, a framed sketch of an 1800s American flag over there…

A large, pivoting television that doubled as a fireplace spun slowly around like a globe while the Black Crowes’ song ‘She Talks to Angels’ piped throughout the entire house, playing softly in the background. Mia had no idea how long it had been on; she’d been caught up in her daydreams once again.
Perhaps he just switched the stereo on.
The acoustics in the place were incredible.

Exhausted, she set her bag down, then removed her grimy, mud-stained sneakers, freeing her feet and leaving only her socks. Taking a deep breath, she looked over at a set of dark dressers that appeared to have a slightly Asian design.

Then, a shadow loomed close to her…

“Ahhh!” She jumped, pressed her eyes shut, and gripped the thin fabric of her white, over-sized T-shirt in a tight fist. “Aaron, damn it! You scared me!” He stood behind her, dripping wet as if he’d gotten caught in a horrible and sudden downpour. Her eyes drifted a bit lower…

He smirked in his customary way while tugging at a sage towel loosely wrapped around his well-defined waist. She glossed over his tattoos once again, but this time, for some reason, they refused to be silenced or ignored. Maybe it was due to the sheen of his skin under the lights, calling attention to every single muscle in the man’s frame. Or maybe it was because a confederate flag the size of Texas hung right above his head, from the ceiling, glaring down at her like some red, white, and blue fourteen-star spangled monster…

Chapter Fourteen

“I
DIDN’T MEAN
to scare you, precious…” He smiled down at her as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close before landing a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Everything alright?”

“Yes,” she nodded, trying hard to calm her beating heart. She itched in her own skin, feeling strangely out of place. The room was a tomb, a place where the old Aaron kicked up his feet and took pleasure in all the pain that surrounded him while he slumbered. “It’s beautiful here.”

“Yeah… minus this room, right?” He kept his eye on her, not letting her slip away from the moment.

“I hate it.” She looked from side to side, then back into his eyes.

“Yeah.” Releasing her, he made his way towards the bed and slumped against it. “I’d imagine you do. Due to the timing, Mia, I didn’t have time to do any spring-cleanin’ before you arrived. I only had time for Marshall, the groundskeeper, to do a bit of shopping so you’d have somethin’ to eat but had I been thinking straight, I woulda told him to get the paintings, rugs, and the—”

“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t live in the land of make believe, Aaron. I needed to see it. We will take it all down,
together
. I don’t want you trying to hide me from who you were. I knew full well, and I get it. Anyway.” She sighed and hugged herself, feeling a sudden chill. “The room itself is beautiful. It’s quite lovely, actually.”

“It ain’t exactly my taste. I did it on account of thinkin’ a woman might like it. Flowers ’nd pretty shit is in here. There’s even a built in lady vanity with those dumb rounded bulbs that look like tits in the master bathroom. It’s yours now… but I prefer your breasts much better.”

They both chuckled at that.

“Anyway, this place is why I came up here at least once a month. It’s peaceful. Just about perfect, really,” he explained as he ran his hand over his shoulder, massaging a muscle. “This is Braxton County. It’s slow here, quiet, nice ’nd clean. You can hear yourself think! We’re 840 miles away from home, give or take a mile or two.” He shrugged. “This is your house now too, Mia. You can do whatever you want. If you’d like to tear these walls apart, do it. I wanted you to walk around, get a feel for it. This is
your
domain. I’ll take you into town tomorrow and we can look at some things, get this bedroom squared away so you don’t have to spend more than one night ’round this shit. Matter of fact,” he tapped his chin as he looked about the place, “I can take this all down right now.”

“No, I meant what I said. Leave it alone, Aaron. We’re both tired. We can address it soon, but tonight is not the night.” She smiled sadly as she walked towards him and sat beside him, then took his hand in her own.

“I thought that uh, maybe, but only if you’re interested of course, you could use one of the offices in here. There’s a uh…” He paused to rub his forehead as if a headache was budding, trying to enter his cranium and wreck shop.

“Are you okay?”

He hesitated, studied her, then turned away. “Feelin’ kinda strange, I guess. It’s all catching up now that we’ve had time to stop movin’ and settle down.”

She nodded in agreement.

“I ain’t been here since a month before I went to prison. That was a bit over a year ago…” He looked about the place as if seeing it for the first time, too. In some ways, maybe he was.

“Anyway, as I was saying about the office, it’s a room with nothin’ in it, and you could have it. You could use it to write,” he said with a shrug. “Or maybe to do private tutoring or whatever you want. I know a lot of the schools ’round here will be happy to have you teach, too.”

“I hope to find work soon. It’s my element, you know?”

“Oh you will, I know you will. You’ll get a job just like that.” He snapped his fingers. “You don’t have to work, Mia, but I know you want to, that it’s important to you. I know teaching is your passion, your element like you said. You’re great at it. If you could teach someone like me, then you must be the best in the world.”

They shared a soft chuckle.

“It’s rewarding in so many ways. I honestly believe I was born to do this.”

“Mia, I know it ain’t about the money, not that it pays a whole hell of a lot, but it’s about what you do, the service.”

“Yes, it is.” She leaned in a bit closer. “And being with
you
is a passion of mine, too…” She slowly stood and stared down at him as she gripped her black jeggings and dragged them down her legs. A brush of cool air immediately kissed her thighs at the sudden exposure. Laying down onto the pillow, he slid his arm behind his head, gripped his towel, and unwrapped it with a swift movement, exposing his semi-erect nature. He watched her through narrowed, lust-filled eyes.

“I’m glad we’re on the same fuckin’ page…” he slurred.

She tossed her bra and panties off to the side as if they’d insulted her intelligence, and released her hair from her ponytail, allowing her curly tresses to fall loosely along her shoulders. The man licked his lips in anticipatory appreciation, making her want him all the more. She joined him on the bed, settling on her knees between his legs. She reached for his thick, long dick with both hands. It was so heavy and warm in her grasp. She studied it for a second or two – the way the thick veins ran the generous length and disappeared into a dense yet neatly trimmed thatch of dark brown, slightly wavy pubic hair.