On the Edge

I looked at Kyle; I could hardly believe what he was telling me.

“Except,” he continued.  “You were the one who was stabbed.”

“Is he after me, or is he just playing games?  What’s this guy’s deal?”  I took a breath.  I’d started to babble.  “I’m tired, Kyle.”

“Does your abdomen hurt, baby?”

“Only during exercises, but I’m still on a special diet and all the antibiotics.  Are you on duty now?  You’re not in uniform.”

“It’s my day off, Evan, but a friend called me when they discovered him.  The guy’s killed a cop.  Everyone was on high alert because he could be a serial, but things are even tenser.”

“Can you stay with me?” I tried to make it a calm question, but I knew Kyle could read the stress in my voice.

“Sure.  Let me text Mitchell.”

Kyle text to Mitchell:  Miller is OK.  Ranch hands guarding the house.   Staying with him.  I’m not armed.”

Mitchell text to Kyle:  Stay with him as a friend.  Sending two officers to assist coverage.  You are off-duty PTO for the next two days.

Kyle looked at me and smiled.  “It’s always best when your partner knows where you are.”

I led him to my bedroom.  I could see flashing red and blue lights.  Kyle pulled the curtains.  I got into bed.

“Will you hold me?”

“You know I shouldn’t; not until we catch this guy.”

“But you’ve already kissed me, and you called me ‘baby’.”

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

I felt like pouting.  What the hell was the matter with me?  I’d gone from walking up to sexy guys, telling them they were sexy, telling them I wanted to fuck them, then fucking them to a whiny baby.  Had they cut out my Alpha when they did the surgery on my insides?  Or did I assume my handsome police officer needed to be in charge?  Fuck this, I thought.  I wanted him.  I needed him.

“Get over here,” I ordered.

“What?” he seemed surprised, even confused, but he walked toward me.

“Kiss me.”

“Evan.”  His tone seemed submissive.

"Kiss me now.”  

He leaned forward.  I grabbed him and pulled him toward me.  I kissed him.  When I let him up for air, all he could say is, “Wow.”

“Think about this, Kyle.  You’re not saying, ‘wow’ because I’m such a great kisser; you’re saying it because together we make a great kiss.”

He kicked off his shoes and crawled on top of the bed.  “Next to me here, on top.”

I moved next to him and faced away.  He put his arm on my chest and pulled me to him.  I could feel him get hard, but I didn’t say anything.  My heart told me that he was mine.  I fell asleep feeling happy and safe.

Sometime in the middle of our sleep, Kyle rolled over.  His butt was against mine.  I rolled over as well.  One of us had moved in the other direction, and my hand now rested on his cock.  I didn’t want him to wake up and find my hand there, so I pulled a pillow around and pressed it against his abs and groin.  He stirred slightly then fell right back asleep.

I woke up to screaming.  A dark figure was punching Kyle.  I reached down where I had put my childhood baseball bat and swung at the figure.  There was an awful crack as the metal bat made contact with the figure’s head, and it collapsed to the floor.

I called out for help.

“I think I’m bleeding.”  Even in the dimness of the room, Kyle seemed pale.

I hurried around to the dresser where Kyle had put his phone.  

Text to Mitchell:  Need ambulance; Kyle hurt bleeding; intruder in the room

I clicked on the light.  The door to my room was slightly ajar.  I ran back to Kyle.  There was a growing circle of reddish-brown on his shirt.  I pulled a pillowcase from the pillow and folded it.  I moved his shirt to find the wound.  He had a laceration in the same place I had been stabbed.

Placing the folded cloth over the cut, I pressed down to help alleviate the bleeding.  I heard men coming up the stairs and sirens in the distance. 

 “They’re coming, sweetheart.  Hold on for me.”

Kyle smiled weekly before his body went limp.

I’m not sure how long before the ambulance arrived, but police officers took over taking care of Kyle.  After I told the officers arriving first what I had done, they had me wait downstairs.  He was taken to the hospital before Mitchell arrived.  I told her what happened, and I accompanied her to see whether he was the same man who had attacked me.

She asked me to wait at the door.  After lifting the sheet they had used to cover him, she told me that I would have to wait to identify him.  I was disappointed because I wanted everything to be over.

The truck was located the next day.  My belt buckle and items belonging to the second victim were found.  A driver’s license for Eddie M. Nathool was also found in the truck.  I identified him from the picture on the license.  Forensics identified the man I killed as Nathool.  He must have turned toward the bat just before I struck him with it.  His entire face had been crushed.

The district attorney’s office determined that my actions were in self-defense.  I never slept in that bedroom again.

Kyle slowly recovered.  He had less damage than I did because the pillow prevented a deeper injury, but the healing process for him took a lot longer.  He eventually returned to the police force.  I continued working with my brother to keep the land we would inherit sustainable and profitable.

Kyle and I developed a stronger relationship.  On the day he got out of the hospital, I picked him up and took him to his apartment, where we ...