Ties That Bind Read online

  “Holy shite,” Jed whispered, his Irish roots apparent in his voice. “Who can blame her? I’m not sure I’d forgive that easily. That’s pretty rough.”

  Riley agreed. Jed wouldn’t get over it and neither would Christina. Jed would want revenge and take it. The Irish had long memories, but Christina? She’d internalize her rage, allowing it to fester into something out of proportion, and she was unforgiving. He knew this from experience.

  “Who attacked her?” Riley demanded.

  “I don’t know. She won’t tell me who did it,” Johnny said. “She said it’s in the past and she doesn’t want me or you doing anything stupid, especially you.”

  Riley mulled this over. He concluded that in this instance, “stupid” was a relative term. His version of ‘stupid’ would include breaking faces and burning their houses down. He had no idea what Johnny’s type of stupid would be. Probably, memorializing them in song: Johnny was a lover and not a fighter.

  “I’m sure Gabby knows or Bonnie and Mandy would,” Johnny mused. “Dina said the cops weren’t interested in pursuing charges. She hates this whole town, man… like hates it.”

  Riley stood up and started pacing. Asking those women would be a waste of time. Dave might know or Steven? If so, why hadn’t they ever told him? He had a million questions, but right now, he had other more pressing matters, such as smoothing the waters with Dina.

  Opening his hand to Johnny, Riley asked, “Can I have your house keys?” It wasn’t a request and both men knew it.

  Johnny stared at him like he feared for his sanity. “You want to go over there… now?”

  Riley nodded. “Yep. It’s either the keys or I bust in somehow.”

  Johnny reluctantly handed him the keys. “She’s in my old room. Don’t give the old man a heart attack, okay? I’ve only got one parent left.”

  Riley would do his best, but he’d make no promises. “Hey, can you take care of Cartman until I’m back? Her stuff’s in the truck. I’ll get it.”

  Johnny yelled out, “Riley, you remember it’s Dina’s birthday today, right? I mean, yesterday?”

  “Sure. Of course I do,” Riley lied. He hadn’t, but he’d pretend he did, and it gave him an opening with Christina. He calculated her age. She’d be twenty-eight now. It also made today their former wedding anniversary. They would have been married ten years if they’d stayed together.

  Jed came outside with him and solemnly handed Riley his motorbike helmet. “You’re going to need it, brother,” Jed grinned, patting his arm sympathetically. “If you don’t want to wear it – maybe you can fend her off with it? See? It has multiple purposes.”

  Riley laughed and headed for his truck. He was just about to turn the key when Jed poked his head in the truck’s window. “Listen, brother, if your woman doesn’t scare the shite out of you a little bit, they’re not the right one.” Jed’s brown eyes glinted with humor. The bastard. “You sure you don’t want to take the dog?”

  It was seriously tempting, but he didn’t want to endanger Cartman. Shaking his head, Riley grinned, started up the truck, and made his way toward the Martins’. He hoped like hell this wasn’t a suicide mission. In his view, it was an attempt at peace.

  **********

  There were no lights on in the Martin household, but Riley knew the place well enough even in pitch darkness. He made his way to the back door, opening it without a sound. Taking his shoes off, he tiptoed down the hall to the stairs. Halfway up, one of the stairs creaked, and he froze. If he was doing this on a regular basis, he was going to have to fix it.

  Riley paused outside the bedroom door before gently turning the handle and silently crossing the threshold. “Dina,” he whispered into the gloom, but there was no response or movement from the bed. He crept further toward her, whispering louder. “Dina. Wake up. It’s me.”

  The bedside lamp flicked on and there she was: all gorgeous with crazy bed hair and glaring dark eyes. Christina Martin: ex-wife, love of his life, and the woman that made him equal parts happy, and crazy. He noticed her olive skin had paled out over winter and she was startled: her eyes blinking trying to adjust to the light.

  Riley’s mouth went dry at the sight of her. He had longed for this moment, maybe not with her angry and wanting to kill him, but being close to her in the flesh. “Oh, baby,” he groan-whispered. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  They hadn’t seen each other for nearly a month and all he wanted to do was kiss, and grope her. Real bad. Riley watched her blink at him in shock and then her eyes – those eyes that haunted him - narrowed.

  “You,” she hissed and pointed. “You-you-bastard!”

  He grinned at her, dropped his shoes to the floor, and moved toward her with his palms up in submission. “I came for your birthday, baby,” he lied. “Happy birthday, sweetheart. I know I’m late and you’re mad with me, but if we’re going to fight, can we do it naked.”

  Christina glared at him, looking him up and down. “Okay,” she nodded and took her pajama top off.

  Riley needed no further invitation and launched himself across the room, wrenching his clothes off as he went. He lay on top of her holding her face and kissing her. As her arms went around his shoulders, he ran his hands down her body, taking her boobs in his hands.

  He closed his eyes and groaned, breathing her in. He had missed her so badly. “I’m so mad with you,” she whispered.

  “I know. You can punish me anyway you want, just let me touch you,” he breathed.

  Riley buried his face in her chest and she squirmed. “Ouch,” she whispered, making him grin. The beard. It definitely had to go.

  “I’ll shave it off tomorrow,” he offered.

  “Don’t,” she murmured. “I like it.”

  He looked at her in surprise. “You do?”

  She grinned. “It makes you look like a wild man.” Wild man? Right now, he could do that.

  Christina reached for the box of condoms and when he had it fixed in place, he ripped the covers off her, pulling her pants down. She was giggling and he loved that sound. She snapped the bedside light off and he felt his way around her body in the dark.

  As he rocked inside her, she gasped. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of being inside her. She wrapped one leg around his waist and ran her foot to his butt, pulling him closer. When he was as far as he could go, he felt her foot move to his calf holding him in place. It was her signature move and he loved it.

  Resting his weight on his arms, Riley began to move. He watched her face in the dark and felt that connection when her eyes bored into his. He could never explain it. It was like their souls connected and no words were necessary. He loved her and she loved him. Whatever trouble they were having could be put aside, because in this space they inhabited, they understood each other completely.

  Her breathing became labored and she began to pant. “Don’t stop, Riley,” she begged. “Please. Don’t. Stop.”

  Riley could feel the heat spreading out from his spine, but he was going to wait for her. He stared at a point above her head and concentrated on holding off until she got there first. Dina began to gasp, whispering her love, and urging him on.

  He put his face in the hollow of her neck, nipping her, as he ran his tongue up her throat. She was so close. He could feel it and he started talking dirty in her ear.

  Riley felt her body go rigid and then she began to shake. Her head shook from side to side and as soon as he felt her contract around him, he let go, burying his face in the pillow as he garbled her name. He lay on top of her, resting on his arms, kissing her face.

  They were drenched in sweat, but he wasn’t prepared to withdraw from her just yet. “I love you, Dina,” he said.

  “I love you too,” Christina replied. “But-”

  He grinned. “I know, but…” Aaagh. Butt! Fuck. Something was attacking him on the back and ass.

  Riley looked at Christina. He’d told her to punish him, but this was over the top. It felt like he was being la
cerated. “AAAAAGH,” he roared. “Stop it!” He started arching his back and trying to shrug her off.

  “Riley!” She cried out. “What is it?”

  He stared at her. It-wasn’t-her. There was something on him. He didn’t care if he screamed like a girl. “GET IT OFF ME! GET IT THE FUCK OFF ME!”

  **********

  Christina

  Oh, no! Riley is having some kind of seizure on me – in me. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? She actually didn’t have a clue and started to panic.

  “Riley,” she shrieked. “What is it?” But he just kept arching his back and shrugging his shoulders, yelling at a deafening level, making her ears ring.

  She couldn’t see anything and as she was about to push him off to help, he lunged forward and fell on top of her. All the air left her lungs in an, “OOF”. He flung himself onto his back and then she heard it. “YEOWL!” It was a cross between surprise and anger. And it wasn’t human.

  Riot, formerly known as Mrs. Gustafson’s cat, Schubert, fired out underneath Riley’s back and onto the floor. Riot, the black and white monster, scrambled under the bed, but Christina knew he wouldn’t be there for long. Like Johnny’s greatest fear, the Terminator, Riot would be back.

  Oh-my-god, Christina thought in horror, Riot’s attacking Riley. “RIOT – STOP IT!” She shrieked, but that wasn’t in Riot’s nature. He wasn’t the scourge of the neighborhood for nothing.

  Riley was on his front groaning in pain and Christina got a look at his back, and his ass. Usually she’d be admiring his body, but Riot had left claw marks on him and he was bleeding. “Riley,” she garbled. “Are you okay?”

  “WHAT THE FUCK, DINA?” Riley bellowed.

  “It’s Riot,” she explained, her voice shaking. “He attacked you. Stay there, honey. I’ll – I’ll get something to help.” She needed a first aid kit and fast.

  “WHO IS RIOT?” Riley yelled.

  “Um, he’s our cat now,” she mumbled and then started to ramble. “He used to be Mrs. Gustafson’s cat. His name was Schubert, but we renamed him Pussy Riot after the feminist protest group. Well, Gabby did, but it made Dad uncomfortable when we’d call out ‘pussy’, so he’s just called Riot now.”

  Christina knew she should shut up, but she couldn’t. It was like a switch had been turned on. “Please, Riley,” she continued in her ever-increasing rant. “Keep it down or we’ll wake up the whole house. We’ve got a reputation for waking everyone up… and other things… ”

  Riley, however, wasn’t interested in keeping it down. He was furious. “Wait,” Riley scowled, “the cat? The creepy, rapist one?”

  Okay. Yes. Riot had issues, but they’d worked it out and he was her little Love Monkey now. Yes, he was highly aggressive, but they were working on that too and Christina took offense at the slight.

  “He had… issues,” Christina said stiffly, “but he doesn’t do that anymore. He’s pretty well behaved and a great cat.” Until now, but Riley had no right to judge him and neither did anyone else.

  Christina jumped off the bed to get the first aid kit, but Riot returned with a vengeance, firing up the length of the bed, and launching himself onto an unsuspecting Riley’s back. She watched in horror as Riot bit Riley on the shoulder. She flung herself onto the bed, blowing in Riot’s face to make him stop, but the gauntlet had been thrown.

  “AAAGH,” Riley shouted. “I’M GOING TO KILL THAT THING! I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL IT!”

  She stood frozen as Riley threw himself over the side of the bed and onto his feet. His green eyes were wild and furious, and his dark brown hair seemed to be standing on end. The beard made him look crazier and wilder than she’d ever seen before.

  Riley was wrenching the room apart trying to find Riot kicking out with his long legs and his private parts flapping in the air. He was equal parts comical and frightening. He started searching for Riot like a crazy-naked-lacerated-bleeding-bearded-man, hissing, “Come here you asshole thing. I’m going to kill you. I AM GOING TO KILL YOU.”

  Over my dead body. “LEAVE HIM ALONE!” She screamed at Riley. “DON’T YOU TOUCH HIM! RUN, RIOT, RUN!”

  But Riot didn’t run. It wasn’t what Riot did. Riot jumped on the end of the bed and stared balefully at Riley, who opened his mouth in shock. Riot locked eyes with him and smiled, flattening his ears and baring his teeth.

  Uh-oh. This isn’t going to be good.

  **********

  Riley

  It was evil. That black and white thing was goddamned evil and it was smiling at him - smiling at him. Did cats smile? Riley had never had a cat and he was pretty sure they didn’t, but this thing did.

  The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he swore he could hear The Omen music playing. Jed was right. He should have brought the dog, a priest, some holy water, and a vampire hunter for good measure.

  Riley knew it was stupid to be frightened of a cat, but anyone who wasn’t wary of this thing was an idiot. When Dina started yelling, “RIOT,” Riley thought it’s a fucking riot all right. He didn’t realize it actually referred to a specific creature.

  He grabbed a chair, turning it over legs first to try and herd the damn thing out of the room. He started poking the chair toward the cat, but it didn’t budge. It just stayed on the end of the bed, flattening its ears and glaring at him with unholy menace.

  “STOP IT, RILEY!” Christina yelled. Riley turned and stared at her. Him, stop it? He hadn’t done a damn thing to that beast - yet. He was the one with the lacerated ass and back.

  Christina swallowed hard, nodding at him, but he could tell she was nervous. He clenched his jaw, scowling at her. “I’ll-I’ll-I’ll take him out,” stuttered Christina. “Just lie down on the bed, baby. I’ll go get something to help with your, um, wounds.”

  “Come here, Riot, you little love monkey,” she cooed. “You leave Riley alone. You’re a naughty, naughty boy.”

  Ugh. Love Monkey? Naughty boy? This went beyond, way beyond, naughty. And Love Monkey? Well, that was just sick. Riley was her Love Monkey, not that thing.

  Riley’s face contorted as the thing rolled over, acting all cute. Oh yeah. Funny, he thought, I’m going to get you. Somehow, he was going to make that thing pay, even if he had to hire a hit man to do it.

  He lay down on his front, stretching out on the bed, and waiting for Dina to take that thing out of the room. He allowed himself a small smile. She was still naked and he was admiring the view.

  Riley was still smiling when the door opened and Jack Martin slapped his hand on the light switch. “What the bloody hell is going on here?” Jack roared.

  The light was blinding, making both Riley and Christina cry out. They weren’t the only ones. Christina’s father was confronted by his naked daughter carrying a cat and a bare-assed naked, lacerated, Riley. Christina tried to cover herself with the cat and crossing her legs, but the cat, at long last, jumped out of her arms, firing out the door.

  She folded her arms over her breasts, but it was too late. Her father had seen everything. “GAAAAGH,” Jack yelled, flinging his arm across his eyes. He left the room as quickly as he came in, slamming the door shut behind him.

  Jack Martin was British and notoriously old-fashioned about pre-marital sex, and nudity. Things Riley had found out the hard way. Riley loved Jack. He had been a friend and spiritual father over the years.

  Out of all the children, Christina favored Jack in looks. They had the same caramel colored hair, but Jack’s was now threaded with gray. Christina’s singing ability, height, size, and eccentricity came from her father.

  No matter how much he loved Jack, however, he’d never had any intention of being this naked with him. Groaning, Riley buried his face in the covers. This was unbelievable, but par for the course around the Martin household. Things never ran smoothly around here, just the opposite. It was the nexus of weird.

  “Dad!” Christina cried out. “Dad, please. Don’t go.”

  “I’m going to pretend I didn’t see any
of that and I’m not coming in,” Jack snarled through the door.

  “I really appreciate that, Dad,” cringed Christina. “We’re going to pretend it never happened too.”

  “I don’t know what you two are doing,” Jack seethed, “but I don’t want to be any part of it.”

  “It’s not like that, Dad,” Christina pleaded. “Riot attacked Riley. Can you please get the first aid kit? Riley needs some attention. It’s in the upstairs bathroom.”

  Christina grabbed a robe to cover herself and after a pause, there was a tap on the door. “I’m leaving it outside the door. Right here. I don’t want to see ANYMORE. Do you hear me? NO MORE,” Jack said with force.

  Riley couldn’t blame him. He didn’t want Jack to see anymore either. Christina opened the door and grabbed the first aid kit, placing it on the bed. He looked up and smiled at her.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her dark eyes full of concern. “I had no idea Riot would behave that way.” Taking out some antiseptic cream she warned him, “This might sting a bit, but I don’t want you to get an infection.”

  Riley gritted his teeth as Dina slathered the cream on. Yep. It did sting, but he bore it. “That thing has had all its shots, right? I’m not going to get rabies or something?”

  “He’s had all his shots, but you might need to go to a doctor tomorrow and get checked out,” Dina whispered. Oh, great. It just gets better.

  She was as gentle as possible and he found himself starting to drift off to sleep. When she finished, she kissed him on the face and lips. “You’re going to have to sleep on your front,” she said quietly.

  “Come here,” he said with a smile. She lay beside him and he wrapped his arm over her waist, pulling her closer.

  “I’m still mad at you,” she said.

  “I know,” Riley replied, “but I think I’ve been punished enough for tonight. Right?” She giggled and he fell asleep with his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat.