What's a Witch to Do Part 23

"What about Adam?" she asks.

Oh c.r.a.p. "Adam! He wasn't breathing!" I leap up and start running again even though I'm still dizzy. "Get a doctor!"

What felt like seconds before when I was chased feels like hours as I race back to the creek. No. He hasn't moved an inch or regained consciousness. I fall to the ground beside him, resting my head on his chest. Still no heartbeat or breath. "No, no, no, no, no," I whisper.

d.i.c.kie and Bethany stop a few feet away. "Is he dead?" d.i.c.kie asks.

That word hits me like a knife to the gut. "No!" I roar. "Help me!"

I start CPR, hesitating only a millisecond about putting my mouth on his. Some of the creek water dribbles out of the side of his mouth. "Come on, Adam, please," I mutter as I pump. I press and press with all my strength. It's enough. It has to be enough. I have to stop the second round of chest compressions for a second to wipe my tears because I can't see. I breathe into him. Once. Twice. Another round, then another. My arms are killing me, but I push the pain away. Fifth round, still nothing. I can do this. I will do this.

A minute pa.s.ses. No reaction. f.u.c.k. This isn't working. Why isn't this working? It has to work. I look down at him and gasp. He's so pale, so peaceful. That beautiful light of his has vanished. Extinguished. He's gone. He's ... left me. I pull my hands away. It's over. He's ...

No, a voice inside my head says. No! He wouldn't give up on me. Never. Rage fills me like an invading spirit. You can't have him. Not today. He's mine.

With all my strength, I pound over his heart. More water dribbles out. "No!" I shriek with another pound. "No, you will not do this! Not now!" I slap his face more from fear than anger. The tears can't stop now. I start CPR again, breathe into him, and then let a sob escape me. "Don't leave me alone! Fight!"

"Mona ... " Bethany says, touching my shoulder, "he's-"

"No!" I breathe twice into his mouth again and start compressions. "He cannot leave me! He promised!" My arms are close to buckling and there are spots in my vision, but I keep going. I will until the ambulance gets here. "You promised," I whisper. I place my mouth on his, my tears rolling off my cheeks onto his eyes. "Please, don't leave me."

"Wait! His eyes!' d.i.c.kie says. My lips touch his again, and his body jerks. Adam sputters water into my mouth with a cough, and I pull away. His body is wracked by coughs as more water spills out. He's ... he's ... I'm too happy to do anything but sob. d.i.c.kie smacks Adam's back to help as Bethany chuckles from joy.

"Oh G.o.d," Adam croaks. "Ow." The three of us chuckle at the absurdity of that statement. Adam grabs onto my skirt and pulls his head into my lap. I can't stop chuckling and crying, even as I kiss his wet hair then plant kisses in his cheeks and forehead. "What-what happened?"

"You died," I chuckle/cry. "Don't ever do that to me again, okay?"

"Oh. Okay. I promise."

I don't take my arms off him until the ambulance arrives.

Go to the hospital-again Medical mysteries become miraculous recoveries. Both Clay and Adam fight going to the medical center, but Bethany, Dr. Sutcliffe, and I all insist. Though he may be a complete a.s.shole, he is a good doctor. Bethany rides with Clay, Sutcliffe with Adam, and I follow behind in Auntie Sara's Monte Carlo. My car will have to be towed, thanks to the four flat tires, and as I drive, I arrange for Clay's and Bethany's to be taken to their homes. Least I can do after almost getting them killed.

I refuse to leave Adam's side even as Dr. Sutcliffe examines him while occasionally shooting daggers at me. Doesn't penetrate my armor a lick. He checks Adam's lungs and heart, both of which are going strong. Less than an hour ago he was dead and now he's sitting up in bed, holding my hand and asking when he can leave. Sutcliffe can't find a single thing wrong with him except the rapidly healing gash and black eye. In light of tonight's revelation and his intense need to stay as far from me as possible, he listens when Adam gruffly tells him where to stick his blood tests and CT scan. I do convince Adam to stay another hour attached to the monitors just to be safe. He pa.s.ses out the minute the doctor leaves. Dying takes it out of you.

Clay is on the mend too, though I don't know if it's to do with the electrolytes being pumped into him or the fact Bethany is fussing over him. I called Auntie Sara from the car to tell her to bring the girls to her house since I didn't know when I'd be home and the phone's been ringing off the hook. I had her do a little research on Lilith. All Clay needs is twelve hours of sleep and a few good meals. There should be no permanent damage. He and Bethany look so cozy smiling and whispering, so I just slink away. At least some good came out of this mess.

Adam is still asleep when I return. I stand at the door, staring at him. He looks so peaceful lying there, my heart wrenches. I almost lost him, a voice whispers inside my head. My stomach lurches at this thought. If he died, I ... I feel fresh tears coming and push them away. He needs me strong. I sit next to him, take his hand, and rest my head over his beating heart. I fall asleep to that strong rhythm.

THURSDAY TO DO:.

Get Adam to bed Check on Clay Send Erica a gift basket for saving

my life/accusing her of murder

Work Pick up my car from the garage Send e-mail about dead demon E-mail George Help set up for the festival Wedding rehearsal Gas up Sara's car, new tires on mine Video store Finish fixing the shop Clean the litter box TWO HOURS LATER, AROUND one in the morning, we're woken by the nurse with Adam's discharge papers. Dr. Sutcliffe's orders. They're keeping Clay overnight for observation. He's asleep, so we drive Bethany home. We're all silent for the few minutes it takes. It's been a night. Bethany thanks me for the ride home, and I wait until she's inside before pulling away. I owe that woman my life.

I thought he'd sleep the second he got in the car, but Adam just stares out the window. His clothes were covered in mud, so they gave him sweatpants from lost and found and a white unders.h.i.+rt. The black eye is already yellowing and I doubt he even needs the bandage over his cut anymore. He died tonight and still looks good, except for the scowl. As the minutes pa.s.s, the scowl deepens as he grows angrier and angrier to such an extent I can feel it coming from him.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"I'm fine," he replies harshly. "Fine. Fine!" he says as he hits the door hard enough to shake it. He growls then runs his hands through his hair, making it stick up.

"What?" I ask.

"I just, I ... nothing. Forget it."

"No. Talk to me." I touch his hand. "Please."

Violently, he pulls his hand away and bunches it into a fist. I tense, not because I'm afraid he'll hit me-I know he'd never lay a finger on me-but he would hit himself. As we drive under a streetlamp I see the twinkle of tears in his eyes, which brings fresh ones into mine. I am a d.a.m.n wreck. He takes a few deep breaths to calm himself. "I failed."

"What?"

He turns to me, eyes wild. "I failed you! I couldn't protect you! You had to save me! You would have died if they hadn't shown up. It's my job-mine-to keep you safe. And I failed."

"You didn't fail me, Adam," I say, voice cracking. "You-you died trying to protect me. You were dead, Adam! You had no breath and no heartbeat for minutes because of me. Don't you f.u.c.king dare beat yourself up. Me. Be angry at me for putting you in that position. You died because of me."

"You brought me back," he says.

I roughly wipe the tears off my cheeks and sniffle. "You shouldn't have been there in the first place! My life is not worth yours! I am not worth it!"

He's quiet for a moment, then says, "Yes, you are."

I pull into my driveway and shut off the car. "I'm really not."

I'm about to get out of the car when he grabs my wrist, pulling me back in. His serious eyes bore into mine. My breath catches. "You are to me."

A million emotions run through me as I stare into those eyes. Fear, joy, apprehension, and I can't handle a single one of them right now. "Let go," I whisper. I yank my arm away and leap out of the car. All the lights are turned off in the house, but I don't need them. I run up the stairs into my safe haven, turn on the light, and slam the door shut. The world needs to go away. I can't do this anymore. He- I gasp when I see myself in the mirror. My once glorious hair is now a frizzy mess with some patches plastered to my head and others sticking up. I have dirt and mud all over my body and black splotches on my cheeks from the mascara. The dress, Granny's beautiful dress, is caked in mud and ripped on the side. Fat b.i.t.c.h ... monster. I'm an idiot. I am such a f.u.c.king idiot. I close my eyes but that offers no relief. The image of Clay lying in that hospital bed morphs into Adam on the ground the moment I actually considered giving up. I almost gave up on him. He almost ...

My eyes fly open, and I start to hyperventilate as huge sobs escape that cannot be contained.

"Mona?" Adam asks as he rushes through the door. His warm arms wrap around me, and I practically collapse against him. "It's okay, baby. It's okay," he whispers. "Just breathe. Breathe." I inhale but the sobs don't stop. "Good. There you go, baby." I cling onto him, digging my nails into his back. He hugs me tighter.

"I'm sorry," I sob. "I'm so sorry."

He kisses the top of my head. "There's nothing to be sorry about. Nothing." Another kiss to my forehead follows. "Oh baby," he says after another kiss. "Don't cry." Another kiss. "Don't be sad. Don't cry." And another. "It'll all be okay. I promise."

As he says it, I believe him. With his arms around me, his heart pounding against mine, his warm breath against my exposed skin, I have faith for the first time in a long time. Faith in him. The sobs lessen enough for me to lift my head off his shoulder. He gazes down at me, his eyes filled with sadness. Not for long. The moment I meet them l.u.s.t explodes out of me. If he wasn't holding me, my legs would buckle. He doesn't move. He can't. His breathing stops from shock. "Adam ... " I whisper.

His lips are on mine before I can say another word, soft and tentative then as hard and greedy as mine. I brush my tongue against his pursed lips. He opens his mouth to accept me in. Oh h.e.l.l's bells, can he kiss. He sucks on my tongue and the taste of him is better than chocolate. This isn't enough. Not nearly enough. The hand running my fingers through his soft hair moves to his hardness. Me. I did that. The moment I touch it, he breaks the kiss and groans, eyes glazing over in ecstasy. My reprieve lasts only a second before those lips find mine again with fierce intensity as his hand tries to breach my top. The f.u.c.king dress it too tight. That doesn't stop him. He rips the fabric right off and pushes up my bra, tongue finding my nipple. I almost o.r.g.a.s.m right then.

Even this isn't enough for us. Not by a long shot. We fall on the bed, literally tearing each other's clothes off. Before I realize it, we're naked. Oh G.o.ddess, he is a sight to see. Hard muscles everywhere, flat stomach, and more than ample manhood. He's gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Then panic grips me. I'm naked and the lights are still on. I do not look good naked. I really don't. Instinctively, I grab the quilt on the bed, but Adam's hand grasps my wrist. He pins mine down and kisses me again, slow and lingering as if savoring the taste of me. I return the favor. His free hand runs a feather light finger from my knee upwards, moving a trail over the sensitive inner slope of my thigh into the core of me. I cry out in shock and pleasure, lost in a dream of amazing sensations, then again as another finger joins in. I'm so slick and ready for him. "You are so beautiful," he whispers. I believe him.

The fingers disappear. It's a surprise, but nothing compares to the shock of his tip replacing them. He thrusts inside me, and I shudder. It's been so d.a.m.n long I might as well have re-grown my virginity. I'd forgotten what it feels like to be invaded, but it isn't unpleasant. Adam tenses and looks down at me, concerned once again. "Did I hurt you?" he asks. "Do you want me to stop?"

I grip his cheeks with my hands and look him dead in the eye. "Don't you f.u.c.king dare." I smile and pull his lips to mine again. He plunges in deeper, and I cry out from pleasure this time loud enough to wake the dead. Glorious.

I get the hang of it very soon, and within seconds we're completely lost in each other. My hips thrust to meet his strokes over and over and over again as I grip onto his luscious b.u.t.t. The beautiful tension I feel grows and grows with each coupling overtaking my entire body and soul with its brilliance until I scream and shatter into a million pieces underneath him. He groans at the same time, his fingers tangling in my hair, spilling inside me.

Then there's nothing but stillness and silence except for our ragged breathing. I open my eyes and see him staring down at me, content and surprised at the same time. He rolls off me, out of me. I'm shocked by the void left in his wake. It feels unnatural. We lay next to each other, unable to do anything but catch our breaths for a few seconds. "That was ... unexpected," I say through the pants.

"Yeah," he says though his own. I hear him lick his lips and turn his head. I turn mine. G.o.ddess, he's s.e.xy. "Want to do it again?"

I take a few more breaths, then say, "Oh h.e.l.l, yeah." We both chuckle then do even better things with our mouths.

What a night.

Figure out what the h.e.l.l happened last night Meowing wakes me. I blink a few times and see the Captain a foot away on the nightstand. Probably hungry. I'll get up in a minute. G.o.ddess, am I sore. I pull the arm around my naked body in tighter and close my eyes again, only to have them fly open with a gasp. What the ...

I'm naked. There is an aroused man pressed against me and breathing on my neck. The night's events come back to me. The auction. The demon. Hospital. And ... Adam. I had s.e.x with Adam. Two, no wait, three times. I almost forgot that time we were half asleep, and I somehow ended up on top riding him like a bucking bronco before falling back asleep. My sore nethers tingle from the memory. The pleasure doesn't last long. The Captain meows again and leaps off the nightstand, right on top of my pillow. h.e.l.l's bells, it's past ten. The girls, the shop. I have to get out of this freaking bed.

Since I don't have time for a long, awkward conversation, I gently lower Adam's arm onto the mattress and slowly crawl out of bed. Even that hurts. I grab some clothes from the open closet and silently retrieve undies from my drawer before tiptoeing to the girls' bathroom. I turn on the shower and wash the night away. The dirt, the mud, the stickiness from between my legs. Oh holy s.h.i.+t, we didn't use protection. I bought the d.a.m.n things then ... ugh! After the trillion safe s.e.x talks I gave to Ivy and Debbie through the years, it'd serve me right to get knocked up. For a second, just a second, I happily contemplate this idea but push the thought away. No. No. A baby is the last thing in this universe I need right now. First on the agenda is to whip up a prevention potion. Never had a dissatisfied customer.

I don't linger in the shower or over hair and makeup. When I creep back in, Adam is still asleep on his side with a tiny smile on his face and torso exposed. This sight stops me dead again. d.a.m.n is he s.e.xy. l.u.s.t rushes down my spine, though it's just a snowflake compared to the blizzard from last night. I could just slink back into bed and ... no. Last night was last night, and today is today. Besides, I have no time. I sneak in and grab my shoes. The Captain, who has taken my spot on the bed, meows again. Wonderful. At least I know the potion to make him tolerate Adam is working.

Adam groans and s.h.i.+fts. I freeze. He feels for me but finds only fur. I don't wait to see how this ends. I scoop up my purse and run as fast as my sore legs will take me.

I check over my shoulder for s.e.xy werewolves as I scurry next door. I keep knocking until Auntie Sara opens the door and don't wait to be invited in. "Hi! Did the girls get to school?"

"Of course."

"Great. Good," I say quickly. "Listen, I need your car for today, but I'll bring it back tonight. Is that okay?"

"It's fine. Are you alright? You seem skittish."

"No. Fine. Just real late. I'll be at the store until noon, and then the park until five. Adam will bring the car back around three. Um, I think that's it."

"Okay." She touches my shoulder right over one of Adam's love bites, and I try not to wince. "Mona, are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should take the day off in light of-"

"I'm fine." I kiss her cheek. "Thank you for everything. Love you. Bye."

I check to see if the coast is clear then make a mad dash to the car and peel out of the driveway. When the house is out of sight, I can breathe again. d.a.m.n, I hurt. Gonna need a pain potion too, though some of the pain is rather pleasant. I touch the mark on my shoulder and shudder. I have two others, one on my inner thigh and one on my breast. The second time went much slower, though it was equally mind blowing. There wasn't an inch of me he didn't kiss or touch like a maestro. I almost came with each mark he gave me, and did on the third one. Twice. I finally get what the fuss is all about.

I park in the lot and power-walk to the shop. A few people try and chat about last night's event, but I smile and walk on. I don't feel secure until I'm in the shop. But he's everywhere. The shelves are only half complete, and the store's in disarray. It's like a hurricane blew in and complicated every d.a.m.n thing. I can't even look at it without seeing him, so I run into the back to safety. I take three Advil and start on the prevention potion. There's no real magic to it, just the right combination of herbs. I've just got them all together when the bell rings. I tense and hold my breath. Please don't be- "Mona?" Tamara asks. I literally breathe a sigh of relief. I have a feeling I'll be doing this all day. She walks in, still in her ap.r.o.n, and gives me a huge bear hug. "Are you okay?"

I pull away. "I'm fine. Just a little sore."

"What the h.e.l.l happened last night? The whole town is buzzing."

I keep working on the potion. The sooner I take it, the more effective it is. "What have you heard?"

"Just what was in the paper. That the rat b.a.s.t.a.r.d doctor freaked out on you, and when Clay, Bethany, and Adam went to check on you, a bear came out of the woods and attacked y'all. Clay fainted or something, and Adam hit his head and almost drowned. Erica heard you screaming, grabbed a gun from her date, and scared the thing away."

"That's the cover story?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, everyone knows it's not true. What really happened?" I tell her, leaving out the last part, and she listens with bated breath. "Is Clay okay? Adam?"

"They're both fine. More than fine, I'll bet. Bethany was fawning over Clay at the hospital."

"Well, he did almost die. He should get something out of it." She pauses. "So that doctor really did go off on you like that? Are you making a hex? No one would blame ya."

"Tam, after all that happened, I barely care."

She looks skeptical. "I know you really liked him and had a lot of hopes pinned on his lapel. No one should talk to another person like that. I vote hex."

"A project for another time," I say with a smile. I mix the last herb in. "So what's the bigger story? Me and the not-so-good doctor, or Erica and Smokey the Bear?"

"About even." She glances at the cauldron. "So is she off your suspect list now she saved your bacon?"

"That and the demon didn't look a thing like her. No, I have no doubt it's Cheyenne. Demon even had her smile. I just have to prove it, and my last lead is buried at the country club. I'm screwed." I drink the nasty brew and shudder. For once I can't wait until my period.

"Speaking of, where's Adam?" she asks.

My stomach clenches. "What? What-what do Adam and s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g, I mean being screwed, have to do with each other?"

Her eyes narrow. "Nothing. I just meant he should be here. Cheyenne's still loose and probably more p.i.s.sed than ever."

"He died last night. He's worn out. I gave him the day off." I turn my back on her, hoping she gets the fact I have no desire to continue with this conversation. "I have a lot to do today. Can I call you later?"

"Sure," she says after a pause. She hugs me from behind. "Glad you're okay."

When she's gone, I fall into my chair with a sigh. Thank the universe I have a trillion things to do today. First I call Clay, but there's no answer on his cell or at home. I try Collins, who tells me he checked out this morning with a clean bill of health. He must be at home asleep. I'll pop by later.

Next up I send a ma.s.s e-mail to the coven to tell them the demon is gone. I don't get into details, since I'm sure they have them already. The e-mail to George Black is longer. Maybe now someone came to physical harm, the preter police force my tax dollars pay for will do their d.a.m.n job.

The bell rings and once again I about jump out of my d.a.m.n skin. d.a.m.n. I force myself out there. Just customers, though they don't want to shop so much as gossip. My scowl does the talking, so they soon leave. I manage to get a few online orders done before the bell rings again. More cousins looking for the skinny. After five minutes of incessant questions, Billie walks in to rescue me. She's changed her hair to ketchup red since I last saw her and smiles as she walks in. I excuse myself, walking to the back room. The bell rings as the cousins leave.

"This place is a mess," Billie says as she comes in. "Hey, I heard. You okay?"

I am getting sick of that question. "Fine. Listen, Alice will be in around one today. I'll be in and out when I can get away from the festival setup. I'll be counting on you in the next three days."

"And I won't let you down. Are you sure you're okay? You seem scattered."