Monster Slayers MC Book 2

3rd person POV

Just then they both heard what sounded like someone stumbling through the woods behind them and then what sounded like “OW!” then someone crying. They both jumped up and peered into the woods. “Go get us some flashlights and let Rooster know that we heard something.” Boomer told Hulk quietly.

Hulk took off running across the yard and Boomer listened carefully to try and pinpoint where the sound had come from. It sounded like a child but he couldn’t be sure.

Within two minutes Hulk returned carrying two flashlights and half the club house was behind him. They fanned out and began walking through the woods slowly. It had sounded to have been no more than 40 or 50 yards away and every so often Boomer and some of the others heard what sounded like someone trying to muffle their crying.

Finally, Boomer spotted what looked like a child curled up against the base of a large tree. Her face was hidden behind a tangled mess of hair as she tried to hide. Her clothes were torn so badly that there was barely any material left to them and she was filthy dirty.

“Hey! What are you doing out here?” Boomer asked her, trying to make his voice as small as possible.

She looked up at him and when she saw his cut, her eyes got huge and suddenly she began to cry in earnest “Please don’t hurt me. I’m sorry. I won’t run anymore. Please. I’m sorry.” Her face was filthy dirty and she had big dark shadows under her eyes. Her cheeks were sunken slightly and she was painfully thin, like she had been starved. It was hard to determine her age because she was curled into a tight ball, holding her legs tight to her chest.

Hunter heard her and came over to where Boomer was stooped down in front of the child. “Back off Boomer. She’s terrified. Prospect, go get Marley. Tell her we have a female rescue out here and I need her.” Hunter turned and told everyone to go back to the house. “Too many men out here. We’re only going to scare her more. You guys, go on back to the house. We’ve got this.”

“It’s okay, little one. We are not going to hurt you. We just want to help you.” Boomer whispered to her but she just kept crying and shivering.

Boxer stepped up behind Boomer and said “Where did she come from?”

The girl saw him and stopped crying and just looked at him. Just then Marley showed up and stopped right beside Hunter who pointed out the child huddled at the base of the tree, staring at Boxer like he had just become the center of her world.

Marley slowly approached the little girl, talking softly. “Hi. My name is Marley. What’s your name?”

“Tiana.” The girl answered softly.

“That’s a beautiful name. How about you come with us and we’ll get you cleaned up and something to eat and a safe place to sleep. How does that sound?” Marley asked.

“Marley is a nice name but I’m afraid. He’s scary.” She said, pointing at Boomer, so he backed away. Then she pointed at Hunter and said “Him too.”

“That’s Hunter. He’s my husband and the other one is Boomer. They won’t hurt you, I promise, but they will go if you are not comfortable. But that means you are going to have to walk because I am pregnant and I can’t carry you.”

“I hurt my ankle when I fell. Is he okay? He doesn’t look as scary as the others.” Tiana said, pointing at Boxer, who instantly got the most comical look on his face but then he smiled at her and she gave him a shy smile in return.

“Sure, sweetie. I’ll carry you and I promise, I won’t hurt you.” Boxer said softly as he slowly moved forward and put his arms out.

She held out her arms to him and Boxer picked her up, bridal style. She instantly put her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder like she had finally found home. Boxer couldn’t have described the feeling that settled over him when he had picked her up if he tried. All he knew for sure was she felt right in his arms and he didn’t want to let go but then felt like a pervert. She’s just a child!

Marley told Hunter to get a blanket or something to cover her with and to tell the guys to go out front until they could get her through the main room and down the hall to Doc. Marley didn’t know he wasn’t here.

Hunter pulled out his phone and texted Doc that he was needed at the compound right away, that they had found a rescue on their land and she had hurt her ankle in addition to being all scratched up.

Just as Marley and Boxer and the little girl reached the patio, Hunter stepped outside with a throw he had gotten off the back of one of the sofa’s. The bar was empty and they carried her down the hall to the clinic. Marley had Boxer carry her right into the bathroom and then told him to tell Hunter to find one of her nightgowns for the child.

Tiana didn’t want to let go of Boxer but he quietly explained that Marley was going to help her take a bath and it wouldn’t be right for him to see her like that. She looked at him quizzically and started to say something but she finally let go of him and whispered “You smell really nice. Will you be here when I get finished with my bath?”

“Thank you, sweetie. And yes, I’ll be right outside the door.” Boxer said softly.

“Tell Hunter to bring me my special soap, shampoo and conditioner too please. I’ve got a feeling her hair is going to be a challenge.” Marley told him.

Marley had started the water filling in the tub but realized that Tiana was so filthy that it wouldn’t be long before the water was like a mud pond. “How about we rinse you off in the shower first? You’ve got so much dirt on you, you are going to turn Doc’s bathtub into a mud pond if you get in like that.” Marley said.

“Can I take a bath afterwards?” Tiana asked, looking longingly at the tub as it filled with water.

“Sure. This one even has jets in it that make the water bubble and massage you. It feels really good.” Marley smiled at her as she turned the tub water off and turned the shower water on.

“It’s been a really long time since I’ve had a bath. I tried to bathe in a stream about a week or so ago but I didn’t have any soap and I had to sleep on the dirt and I kept falling down so I just got dirty all over again.” Tiana told her as she pulled off the rags that hung on her bony body. “Are we going to eat something after this? I’m so hungry.”

“Yes. I made a really good beef stew for the brothers tonight and there was some left over. And I made brownies too!” Marley said. “How long have you been on the run, Tiana?”

“I’m not sure but I’ve had my period twice now, so a couple of months?” She replied as she stepped into the shower.

“What? How old are you?” Marley said in surprise.

“What’s the date?” Tiana asked.

“August 28th.” Marley replied.

“Then I turned 19 ten days ago and to answer your earlier question that means I’ve been on the run for 2 months. I ran after they killed my friend, Betty on June 20th. I’ve been running ever since that night. I stuck to the woods as much as I could which believe me, in this part of the country is a challenge. But when the woods ran out, I made sure I only ran after dark so that it would be harder for anyone to see me. It’s also harder to know where you are going and to find anything to eat. It’s going to be nice to have something that didn’t come out of the trash.” Tiana explained.

She was standing under the water rinsing the mud out of her hair and turned her head when Marley didn’t say anything else. Marley was just standing there with her mouth open and huge tears rolling down her face.

“Horrible looking isn’t it? At least they didn’t mark my face the way they did Betty’s. They really carved her up. Bet you’ve never seen anything like this before, huh!?!” Tiana said.

Marley didn’t say anything but began taking off her clothes. She left her panties on but when she turned around Tiana gasped.

“Wow. That’s beautiful!” Tiana said.

“Run your hands over my back.” Marley said in a rather deadpan voice.

Tiana stepped towards her and carefully put her hands on Marley’s shoulders and lightly ran them down her back. “Oh wow! Your’s are even worse than mine. Who did this to you? He’s not here is he?” Tiana said, suddenly becoming frightened again.

“No! No, he’s dead now. His name was Snake. He belonged to the Grave Digger’s MC. Our president’s wife blew his head off with a shotgun.” Marley explained. “Well, let’s not think about them right now. Let’s get your hair washed out so that we can get you in that tub. Who knows. I just might join you. My baby is so heavy that she pulls on my back if I’ve been on my feet too much and I’ve been on mine almost all afternoon.” Marley said.

Hunter knocked on the door and Marley accepted the soap and other toiletries from him and he whispered “Oh I wish I could join you but I bet us fucking in the shower would really upset her.”

“Yes, I’m sure it would. Is Simon still asleep?” Marley giggled then asked and he nodded. He could tell something was wrong but wouldn’t push it for now. He kissed her gently and said “I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Okay. We’re going to get the mud out of her hair and then I think I’m going to join her in the tub for a bit. My back hurts.” Marley told him.

“Okay baby. Take your time. Doc should be back soon.” Hunter told her.

“Bring me my housecoat, please? I’ve been in those clothes all day and I’d rather not get back in them.” Marley smiled her sexy smile at him, knowing he would drive to the city for her if she wanted something he couldn’t get locally. He has done it twice now. Her cravings with this baby have been much more bizarre than with Simon.

Marley finally finished stripping off the last of her clothes, tied up her hair and got in the shower with Tiana. The stall was big enough to easily hold six people so neither of them felt as if they were invading each other’s personal space.

Marley helped Tiana shampoo her hair twice and when the water finally ran clear, she poured a heavy coat of conditioner in her hair and after working it in as best she could, they decided to leave it in for a while to give it time to work its magic. Tiana decided to bathe in the shower and she complimented Marley on the wonderful smelling strawberry soap. “Oh this smells so good. What brand is it?”

“I made it. I’ll give you some. I make them every year for Christmas gifts and to put in my drawers. Hunter loves the smell of it too. I can also make it in coconut and with blueberries and raspberries. I tried blackberries one year but it didn’t turn out for some reason. I think the berries needed to be overripe or something.” Marley said. “I think I’m going to go ahead and get in the tub, if you don’t mind. My back is really bothering me tonight.”

“How far along are you?” Tiana asked.

“39 weeks. Only 3 more to go! Thank goodness. She’s not as big as Simon was and she has ridden so high all this time that there are days I feel like I can barely get my breath but lately she’s been kicking the hell out of my bladder and sitting on my spine.” Marley said as she eased herself down into the hot water with a sigh.

“Are they sure about your delivery date?” Tiana said as she scrubbed her legs and feet.

“Well......... my doctor said at my last appointment that we might be off by a bit but not by much, hopefully. I mean, I want her out, for sure but really not looking forward to the actual birth.” Marley said.

“I heard someone say earlier that you have someone here called “Doc”? Does that mean someone here is a doctor?” Tiana asked.

“Yes. Doc is great. He’s been here a long time and takes good care of us all. He actually went to drive a lady friend home from the hospital tonight. Kaylee and Boomer kind of set them up. Kaylee is Boomer’s lady and Dixie is Rooster’s ole’ lady. Boomer is our Sergeant of Arms and Rooster is the president of the Monster Slayer’s MC.” Marley told her.

“So that’s where I am? At the Monster Slayers MC club house?” Tiana asked in a nervous voice.

“Yes. We rescue mostly kids who have been neglected, abused and sometimes molested from their predators. We work closely with an organization called the Rescue Farm and the state’s child protective services to help rescue kids and the Farm helps them to get over the trauma of what they have been through, to help them find foster homes and even help them get adopted into better families. I was a rescue at the Farm when I met Hunter. We took one look at each other and knew we were meant to be together.

Hunter and I don’t normally stay at the club house because we have our own place about 5 minutes away but since Dixie is in the hospital and Rooster is there with her so much, we moved back into our old bedroom here so that Hunter could be here for work. He doesn’t like me being home alone, especially not with a new baby coming. Our son, Simon, is only 3 years old and can be quite a handful.” Marley told her.

“Do you think I should rinse this conditioner out now? I’m finished bathing.” Tiana said.

“Yeah, try and see if you can get your fingers through your hair. If not then we’ll add more and I’ll really rub it in and start trying to comb through it with the conditioner in. That we can do in here.” Marley said.

Tiana rinsed her hair and while she was able to get her fingers through part of it, it was still badly tangled. “Oh good lord! I’ll never get all of these tangles out. I bet I’m going to have to cut it all off!” She said and sounded like she was going to cry at the thought.

“Hopefully not. Come on. Bring the conditioner and that comb on the counter and get in here.” Marley told her.

Tiana had to hop to get around but she grabbed the bottle of conditioner and the comb and Marley averted her eyes as she climbed into the tub. She had already seen how skinny she was and frankly, the sight made her feel ill. Tiana sank down into the water with a sigh. “OH this feels nice. Stings my cuts a bit but not too bad.”

“Turn around so I can get this conditioner in your hair.” Marley told her.

Tiana turned her back to Marley and Marley tried not to look at her back too closely. It brought back so many bad memories but she had to ask. “You never said who it was who did this to you.”

“His name is Daemon. He’s with the Cobra’s MC. He has a whole room where he has all kinds of ways to hurt you. He’s a sick, twisted, sadistic bastard. When Yank and the others bring in a new batch of girls, he’ll go down the line and pinch them on their nipples or the inside of the thigh to make them cry out. If he likes the sound of it, he takes them to the room and “has fun” with them. I was one of his favorite “toys” for over 6 months.

He used to keep me and Betty chained with dog collars around our necks to control us and would let others come up and fuck us from behind, sometimes in our behinds. We had to sit next to his feet when he was in the bar and had to sleep on the floor next to his bed at night, even if he was fucking someone else.

The night I ran away, he beat Betty so badly that she couldn’t move, couldn’t talk or anything. He finally let me off my chain so that I could care for her but no matter what I did I couldn’t save her. I held her in my arms as she took her last breath. I was terrified that he was going to come back any minute so I dragged her to the door and propped her against it, blocking it so that it would be hard for them to get it open.

Then I stole that shirt from his drawer and a pair of his boxers and two towels to tie around my feet once I got away. I climbed out his window. Thankfully he was on the second floor and the roof for the patio was just below his window.

I hid up there for a while until I didn’t see anyone moving around then I dropped to the ground and took off running. I’ve been running mostly at night ever since, until tonight.” Tiana told Marley as she worked the conditioner into her hair and slowly began to comb out the tangles until she had them gone. Now that the tangles were gone, her hair would hang almost all the way to her waist and wet, it looked like shiny dark chocolate. It was almost black.

“How’s your ankle now?” Marley asked.

“It’s throbbing but I don’t think it’s broken. Probably just a sprain.” Tiana replied.

“How did the Cobra’s get their hands on you?” Marley asked.

“Betty and I had been out at the movies with some friends. We took the bus home but the last stop for us was about three blocks from her house and we were walking back to her house. We were going to have a sleepover. We’d usually do that at least once a week and always at her house.

My parents split when I was 10 and my mom became a sleep around Sue. My dad had moved in with his new girlfriend and they moved to Washington state about a year later. I haven’t seen or heard from him since he left.

Betty’s mom is a nurse at the local old folks home and she’s great. Betty’s dad died from cancer when she was 12 so it was just her and her mom. I think I spent more time at her house than I did at home. Some of my mom’s “boyfriends” were real creeps and made me feel uneasy so I tried not to be there when they were in the house.” Tiana explained.

“I understand. Sometimes parents don’t make the best decisions or life choices. At least you are of legal age now and don’t have to go back to that if you don’t want to.” Marley said.

Just then, someone knocked on the door and they heard a man say “Is everything okay in there ladies?” It was Doc.

“Yeah, Doc. We’ll be out in a few minutes.” Marley called out.

“Marley, before we go back out there. Who was that man that carried me in here?” Tiana asked shyly.

“Oh! That was Boxer. He’s a nice guy. I don’t really know him all that well but he’s always been nice to me. All of the guys here are good guys and will protect you with their lives.” Marley told her.

“Wow, this place is the exact opposite from the Cobra MC, that’s for sure. All they did was hurt us. I’m just lucky that I never got pregnant because we were raped almost nightly. The only time they would leave us alone was when we had our periods. Where will I be sleeping while I’m here?” Tiana asked.

“Oh, we have a couple of empty rooms. I’m sure we can find you one that suits you. Do you want to be close to Boxer?” Marley asked.

“Yes, please. I can’t explain why but he makes me feel safe and he smells really good.” Tiana blushed and then giggled.

“Well, you could stay with him if you want?” Marley told her.

“No. At least not yet. I don’t want him to think I’m a whore.” Tiana said.

“Hon, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.” Marley said as she finished drying off and pulled on her robe. She helped Tiana get her hair dried out and even braided it for her so that it wouldn’t tangle again in her sleep and Tiana pulled on the nightgown Marley was loaning to her, then they left the bathroom.

Doc, Hunter and Boxer were sitting in the clinic talking when they emerged from the bathroom. Tiana felt very self conscious even though she was decently covered, she was still in a nightgown, she stayed behind and hung onto Marley since her foot was still painful.

“Go on you guys. Let Doc examine her. Boxer, isn’t the room next to your room free?” Marley asked.

“Yeah.” Boxer replied, never taking his eyes off of Tiana. He couldn’t explain what it was that was drawing him to her, hell, he felt like a pervert staring at her because he thought she was just a child but she had captured his attention.

“Can you please make sure there are clean sheets on the bed in there and that the bathroom is clean?” Marley asked with a small smile on her face.

“Sure!” Boxer said enthusiastically and took off to do as asked. Hunter left too, saying he was going to check on his son.

“Tiana, this is Doc. Doc, meet Tiana. She’s been through some rough shit, like what I went through. She twisted her ankle and has some cuts and scrapes that need attention.” Marley said.

“Well, Tiana, it’s very nice to meet you. Why don’t you get up here and let’s take a look at your ankle first of all.” Doc said with a gentle smile.

With Marley’s help, Tiana hopped over to the bed and pushed herself up on it, never taking her eyes off of Doc who was pulling a portable x-ray machine closer so that he could get a picture of her foot.

Marley had to leave the room while he took the picture but he let her know as soon as it was done and she came back in and pulled a chair up next to the bed while Doc went to develop the x-ray.

He came back a few minutes later and said “Well, it’s not broken. Looks like it’s just a bad sprain. I’ll wrap it up and then I’ll check your scratches. Okay?”

Tiana didn’t say anything but just nodded. She watched him like a hawk watches a mouse but slowly relaxed as Doc had a very gentle touch and took his time, not moving fast or making any sudden movements while he wrapped her foot and then checked over her scratches. When he was done smearing some antibiotic cream over the worst of them and applying bandaids, he told her “I want to give you a tetanus shot. Were some of these cuts made with metal or wire?”

“Yes, sir. I got tangled in some barbed wire one night. I didn’t see it and stepped right into a bunch of it that looked like someone had just left it on the ground after mending a fence or something.” Tiana said.

Just then Marley moaned and bent forward, holding her stomach low.

“Marley, are you okay?” Doc asked with concern.

“I’m not one hundred percent sure but that sure felt like a contraction, Doc. But it can’t be. It’s too early.” Marley said breathlessly and sounded scared.

“Get up here on this bed and let me check if you are starting to dilate. I had a feeling your OBGYN was a bit off with your due date and I’ve noticed you’ve been riding lower than usual for over a week now.” Doc said, helping her to walk a few feet and to get up on the other bed. She laid back and bent her legs, opening her knees so that Doc could examine her. He came up a minute later and said “Well, for now, I’m going to assume that it’s just Braxton contractions because you haven’t really begun to dilate yet but your cervix is very thin so it won’t be much longer, I don’t think. Were you on your feet a lot today?” Doc asked.

“Yeah. I made dinner and brownies for everybody.” Marley said.

“Well, for the rest of your pregnancy, I’m going to say you need to stay off your feet as much as possible, bed rest would be preferable but I know you better than that. But I warn you now, baby has dropped and is positioning herself to be born so unless you want to deliver early, you need to slow down and let Hunter deal with Simon and whatever needs to be done. You need to rest and get ready to give birth. My guess is you’ll be going to the hospital in less than a week to ten days, if not sooner.” Doc told her.

“Well as much as I want this pregnancy to be over, I want her to be fully ready to come out, not rushed because I couldn’t be still.” Marley said. “Can you tell Hunter to come in? He’s waiting by the door, I think.”

“Sure. I’ll get Boxer to come take Tiana to her room too.” Doc said and saw Tiana smile.

A few seconds after Doc left the clinic, Hunter came rushing in and hurried over to Marley.

“Baby, are you alright?” He asked with concern.

“Yeah, it’s just Braxton contractions but Doc said the baby is in birthing position so I need to rest as much as possible for the next couple of weeks. Can you get me upstairs?” Marley told him.

“Of course.” Hunter said and picked her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing.

“Sorry I can’t see you to your room, Tiana but Boxer will take good care of you. Don’t worry. I’m just down the hall if you need anything. Charlie and Cruise have the room right across from yours so if you need something, just let her know.” Marley told her.

“Okay. I’ll try to come see you in the morning.” Tiana said, feeling a bit nervous.

Just then, Boxer came in and wasn’t sure what to do. “Boxer, can you get Tiana to her room, please? Baby is giving me issues and I can’t do it. She needs to eat too. There’s some leftover stew in the fridge. The brownies I don’t know if there’s any left but if there are, get her one of those too.” Marley told Boxer.

“Sure thing! I’ll take care of her, no problem. Come on sweetie, let’s get you some food. I put clean sheets on the bed in your room so you are all set.” Boxer told Tiana with a smile. He held his arms out and she gladly reached for him. He picked her up and had the biggest smile on his face as he followed Hunter and Marley out of the clinic. When they reached the bar area, he felt Tiana tense up so he just followed Hunter up the stairs.

Tiana noticed when Hunter stopped at the first door and carried Marley inside. Boxer continued down the hall until they got about half way when he stopped and said, “This is my room and you’re right next door. If you need anything, just knock on my door or bang on the wall. Okay?” Boxer told her. He stopped and opened her door and Tiana gasped when she saw the inside.

“Oh wow! This is like a fancy hotel room. That bed is huge! This is definitely several steps up from the cell room they first kept us in. And that bed looks a lot more comfortable than Daemon’s bare floor.” Tiana didn’t realize she had spoken out loud until she felt Boxer’s arm muscle’s flex and he seemed to pull her closer. He sat her down on the edge of the bed that he had already pulled the covers back when he had been up here earlier.

He helped her cover her legs and told her, “I’ll go get your food and be right back. There’s a bathroom through that door over there if you need it.”

“Thank you, Boxer.” Tiana said quietly as she lay back on the pillows that he had stacked against the headboard.

Boxer left the room and hurried downstairs to get her something to eat. He tried hard not to concentrate on the comments she had made about the treatment she had been made to endure from the Cobra’s because it was making him angry and he didn’t want to take it out on her.

He quickly made up a tray with a bowl of stew that he heated in the microwave, a big glass of apple juice and managed to score her a brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. He carried it upstairs and found Tiana watching TV. She sat forward as he put the tray across her lap and she said “Oh, man, this smells so good.” she said before she took a big bite. “Oh yes! This tastes as good as it smells.”

“Well, you enjoy your dinner and I’ll come back in a little bit to get your dishes.” Boxer said. He really wanted to stay and talk to her but he felt strange about the whole situation. She was a minor and he is 25 years old. He felt like a pervert staring at her.

Tiana watched him walk away and couldn’t help but admire how his jeans fit across his back side and down his legs. His entire back side was impressive, from his muscular, strong looking shoulders and arms to his narrow waist and hips. She couldn’t help but wonder how old he was. She hoped that maybe they would have a chance to sit and talk when he came back.

She just hoped she would be able to stay awake till then. This would be the first time she’d had a full stomach in over 7 months and she couldn’t even finish the wonderful stew. She took one bite of the delicious brownie with the ice cream but that was all she could manage.

Tiana was just sitting the tray on the ground when Boxer came back. He lightly knocked on the door and when she called out “Come in” he stuck his head in the door. “All done?” Boxer asked.

“Yeah, I couldn’t finish anymore. I’m stuffed. But it was very good. I just haven’t been allowed much to eat for a long time and I’m not used to so much at once.” Tiana told him.

“That’s okay. I had a feeling I might have put too much in the bowl but wanted to be sure you had all you wanted.” Boxer said. He started to pick up the tray and leave but Tiana said “Can you stay and talk with me for a while?”

“Sure, sweetie.” He said and put the tray on the table off to one side and then pulled a chair closer to the bed.

“How old are you Boxer?” She asked, deciding to get necessary stuff out of the way first.

“25. How about you?” Boxer asked.

“19 and 10 days.” Tiana smiled at his reaction when he sat straight up and his eyes got bigger. “How old did you think I was?”

“Honestly?” He asked and Tiana nodded and said “Always, please.”

“Maybe 14, at the most. You are so tiny.” Boxer said, with a slight blush to his cheeks.

“I guess to everyone here, I always will be. I’m 5’1” and before I got kidnapped, I weighed a lot more than this, in fact I was considered rather chubby but barely eating for over 7 months, you tend to lose weight.” Tiana told him.

“Who kidnapped you?” Boxer asked.

For the next hour, Tiana told him the same things she had told Marley and saw a range of emotions cross his face, from sympathy to outright rage. The only thing she didn’t do was show him her back. She didn’t want to run him off!

“I hate that happened to you, Tiana, but no one here will ever hurt you or allow anyone else to hurt you ever again. You are under our protection now.” Boxer told her. “But I’d better go and let you get some sleep. You’ve been through a lot and need to rest. Is there anything else I can get you before I go?”

“Can you help me get to the bathroom, please?” Tiana asked, shyly.

“Sure.” Boxer said and helped her pull back the covers and then picked her up.

“Oh, I just meant to help me to walk there so I wouldn’t have to put so much pressure on my foot.” Tiana giggled.

“That’s okay. I kind of like holding you.” Boxer said without thinking. He let her down next to the toilet and then left the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind him. He stood right outside while she took care of business and waited until she opened the door, then he picked her up again and carried her over to the sink so that she could wash her hands and then he carried her back to bed. He laid her down but before she removed her arms from around his neck, she kissed his cheek and whispered “Thank you Boxer.”

“Your welcome sweetheart. Now, you get some sleep. I’ll come get you in the morning for breakfast. Okay?” Boxer said. He was having to fight himself to keep from crawling into the bed with her but he knew she needed to rest. He normally preferred women with more meat on their bones but this skinny, tiny little woman had touched his heart and he was going to make sure she had just what she needed.