Idioms...sayings understood by native speakers part sixty one
Rick sipped quietly on his beer. He sat on the back steps of his deck wondering ,,,, his head was spinning. Uncle John had his sites set on Jenny and Charlie. The scenarios spinning through his head was beyond imagination. John was capable of anything. The man was a sociopath. A rich one, protected by the family not only because his last name was Matthews, but because, Rick felt sure of this, they used his special talents to be security for their organ trafficking business. He held the key looking at it. The key to his heart.... Steve obviously meant his daughter. She would have that bear. The man knew that he did not have much time after his daughter got a heart... Knowing Steve, this was his last chance at redemption. Damn, as he took another sip.
Lynn left Charlie sound asleep on the couch. The boy kept murmuring until he fell asleep about his magic key to the heart. She found Rick sitting staring at the trees, sipping a beer.
She sat down beside Rick and gently touched his shoulder.
Rick sighed. "It will cost you a dollar." He paused and gave a slight grin. "Inflation you know."
Lynn's mouth curled a little at the corner. "I guess I will have to take a loan out then."
"Ah, at twenty percent interest?"
"Stop. I don't want to do the math. Tell me about your Uncle John. I know the Chairman is obsessed with women. A.J. seems to be obsessed with control. What is your Uncle John obsessed with?"
"Excitement. He loves to make people entertain him."
"Really?"
"yeah. Lynn, don't mess with him. He has no morals. He tries to figure out how to manipulate those around him so he can play them. Believe me. It is not pretty."
"You entered that house when you were a teenager, right?"
"Yeah."
"Without knowing anything? Did your mom not know they were such degenerates?"
"I don't know. In her will, she simply said that she was sorry she did not get to see me grow up. That I should return to my father's family and learn of them to complete myself."
"Well, that was clear as mud."
"Mom was into philosophy... What doesn't kill us will make us stronger." He took another sip. "Damn, this is depressing."
"Rick?"
"What?"
"I think your Mom was right. If nothing else, you know your Uncles. With that knowledge you are stronger than them. Right?"
"You really believe in me that much?"
Lynn nodded
"I am not superman. Lynn, there are four of them and one of me."
"So, Charlie and I have your back. We may not look like much, but we are loyal, and not without some skills."
Lynn got up and held out her hand. Rick got up taking it. Wordlessly, the two went into the house and walked into Rick's bedroom.
"Lynn..."
"Shut up. Charlie is asleep. Sir, I am twenty eight years. I never knew I could meet a man like you, Rick Richardson." She stepped back and swallowed hard. She pulled her blouse out from under her skirt and started to unbutton it. Rick came up and grabbed her hands.
"What are you doing, Lynn Johnson?"
"Um, er, I thought I was making my intentions clear." Her hands were shaking.
"You don't have to do this. It is okay."
Lynn looked at him. "Am I that bad at it?" Turning red in the face with tears forming.
Rick pulled her into his arms. "I love you... on so many levels that even I cannot understand it."
"I...I... love you, too, Rick" She reached up on tip toe and kissed his cheek. Then something occurred to her and she pushed his away. "I hope you don't think I would do this with just anybody;" The sound of her need in her voice made Rick catch his breath.
"Lynn, what am I going to do with you?" He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him.
"Anything." She whispered so quietly Rick almost did not hear her.
He set his jaw. He reached down with his hand and pulled her chin up so their eyes could meet. "Do you know what the best part of Christmas is, Lynn?"
She looked at him confused, "I don't know, Presents, I guess. Why? What has that got ot do with..." Lynn never finished. Rick kissed her.
When they broke apart, Rick whispered. "The best part of Christmas for me is unwrapping the gifts myself." He gently took her hand and sat on the bed, guiding her beside him.
---
Deshaun concentrated on driving. Dejuan looked back at their two guests. The van was cramped because of the equipment in it.
"Guys...Are you okay back there?"
"Yeah." Larry lay on the floor with Joey beside him, Joey settled himself close to Larry. He whispered, "Lean on my chest a little." Joey saw Larry pull himself up into a sitting position and Joey got behind him and then placed his two casted arms around him. Larry settled back and whispered. "I have missed you."
"Shush. They will hear us."
"Joey. I am so sorry I got you in this mess."
"Give me a break. Without you and your sister, I would have been dead years ago."
Larry gently patted his best friend's hands. "Do your arms hurt much?"
"They healing just fine, Larry. This ride is going to be at least an hour or so with traffic. Just get some rest."
Dejuan looked back at two sleeping men.
"Well, I guess we know where their tendencies lie."
Deshaun concentrated harder on the road.
"Are you going to be okay with this, bro?"
"Doesn't matter to me. I guess it takes all kinds in this world, Deshaun."
"I think I should tell you how they got hurt. They told me while you were gone. The Matthews targeted them because Rick's cousin Carl likes Larry's sister."
Dejuan looked a little surprised. "And?"
"And after Larry fell from having his legs broken, that little guy saved him from further damage."
"That little guy?"
"Yeah, he suffered two broken arms and had internal injuries."
"Damn."
"Love sure is one powerful emotion."
"You got that right, bro."
---
Jenny felt her phone ring.
She did not recognize the caller id, so she let it go to voice mail. Then picked up the message.
"Um, Miss Jenny Lundstrom. My name is Dejuan Hopkins. We are friends of Rick Richardson. Um, we have your brother and his ... friend in the back of our van. They wanted to leave rehab, so we sprung them. Please call me back."
Jenny hit the return call number and waited.
Carl emerged from his sleep to see Jenny smiling.
"Thank you. Thank you so much. You will be here in about ten minutes. Way cool."
She paused...listening.
"I will meet you in the lobby."
"I will be wearing a black T shirt and Jeans. Blond hair."
"Thank you again."
She hung up and was smiling.
"Jenny, what happened? Is it good news?"
She sat down beside Carl in the chair, picking his hand up and kissed it.
"My brother and Joey are coming this way. I guess that rehab wasn't a very good place. But they are safe."
"So you are going to meet them?"
"Yeah."
"Please be careful."
"What? I am always careful."
Carl pulled the hand he was holding up to his lips. "I love you, Jenny Lundstrom. Don't do anything stupid like getting lost or something."
Jenny got up and leaned over to kiss his forehead.
"Me? Do anything stupid? Give me a break." She shyly pulled away. "I er love you, too. Be back in less than an hour. Okay?"
"I will be waiting."
Jenny almost skipped out of the room in her excitement. She headed out to the lobby.
Smiling with anticipation, she did not notice two men come up behind her.
"Miss Lundstrom?"
"Er, yes." Not turning around, but watching through the outside window.
She felt a hard metal point in her back.
"Come with us."
"But I have other plans."
"No. You will come with us right now. Our boss wishes to speak with you and he does not take No for an answer."
"Okay, Okay. Let's just be cool. But I have to fix my strap on my sandal first." She turned and squatted down messing with her sandals, slipping the back straps down on both of them, grateful for these old loose jeans that really fit like her karate gear. If the boss was who she knew it would be, he would not want his prize to be hurt.
Jenny surveyed the surroundings quickly. Children, women, men were coming in and out of the hospital through this lobby. Knowing going with them would be suicide and knowing doing anything here might also be a problem, she kept fidgiting with her sandals
"Come on. We have to go."
"Okay," She got up and saw a grey green VW bus pulling up to the front of the lobby, right behind a limousine. Barefooted without those two noticing, she sighed. Luck and timing, she whispered a little prayer as she walked slowly out the front door. Jenny saw a tall African American man get out of the van.
"I don't like threats. Use that gun or let me be."
She turned, dropped to the ground and did a fast leg sweep. Both men fell like dominoes.
She crab walked back, then sprung up to a standing position.
"Like I said, use that gun or let me be."
The two men started to right themselves as they struggled to stand.
Dejuan ran over to the woman.
"Miss Jenny Lundstrom?"
"Come on." She grabbed him and ran to the van. Larry opened the sliding door and pulled her in. Dejuan jumped into the front seat.
"Go!!!!!"
Deshaun did not need to be asked twice, shifting the old girl, he headed out of the hospital entrance.
John got out of his limousine. It happened so fast, that he could not believe it. Knowing he should be frustrated, he smiled instead. She was magnificent.
---
Rick was trying to take this slow. He wanted to make it as easy as possible for Lynn, but in her inexperience she was really making it tough on him.
Suddenly Lynn's cell phone played Eye of the Tiger.
Lynn looked up at Rick confused. "The...the tone is Jenny's."
Rick pulled back and gave her a rueful grin. "Answer it. It might be important."
She nodded. "Jenny?"
"You are going to Rick's house? It's okay. We are all here."
"With your brother and his friend?"
"You are turning down the lake road right now and will be here in five minutes. Okay, honey, Charlie is resting on the couch. Could you maybe keep it down a little? Okay. Love ya, bye."
Lynn took a deep breath.
Rick was already up and getting dressed. He threw her the clothes on the floor.
He swallowed his frustration down.
"Rick... I don't know what to say... I am so sorry."
He smiled. "Get dressed. Like any good romance... this will be continued."
---
.
Deshaun stopped by the little grocery store.
"We need to get some supples. Wait here."
They exited the van and walked towards Gertie's store.
"I think we might have rained on brother's parade." He said, to Dejuan.
"I know." Remembering Jenny hanging up and saying that Lynn sounded funny, like she was out of breath.
"So, let's get some drinks and meat... I mean a barbecue would be good to celebrate today."
"It has been a very good day."
The two came out with four grocery bags and put them in the van.
Dejuan felt his cell vibrate. He looked at it and smiled.
"What?" Deshaun asked.
"Someone took the bait. They tried to delete those files."
"So you are getting the transmission. Yeah. Hold up a minute."
He jumped out and got in the back of the van and hit the power switch, placing the phone in a holder and wired it to the computer.
Then he hopped out. Climbed into the front seat, "Let's go."
To be continued.
