Emmerson & The Guardian

Boom Goes The Dynamite

        When I wake up, we are tangled up together.  I feel his eyes on me as I wake.  He gives me a gentle smile accompanied with a kiss.  Electricity.  Does this ever go away?  I know my mother says yes- but I hope not.  “Hungry?  We skipped dinner and went straight to dessert.” He asks as he plants another gentle kiss on my lips.

“I am.  What do you want?”

“Well, I need to shower, then I figured we could go search for something interesting.  Like the place that sells the biggest donut or something cheesy like that.”  He can’t keep his boyish grin suppressed.

“I’d love that.  Do you have to make any more stops for work before we make it to South Carolina?”

“Yes.  One more stop today, then we will be in South Carolina late this evening.”

        He stands, covers me back up and slaps my behind.  I cannot believe I’ve fallen for a man while I was married.  I guess people really do fall in love in mysterious ways.  I lay under the covers as images of the last few days flit through my mind.  His kiss, his electric touch, his eyes molten pools of passion, his playfulness, and his authoritative man in charge side.  I never thought I could say this, but I’m blessed.  Maybe there is light for my kind.  Maybe we aren’t damned- maybe we can have grace and live a normal life with the one we love.

After we dress, we collect our things and hop in Blaze’s car.  I see Blaze fiddle with the GPS in his car, and soon a ton of local eateries pop up.

“Pick one.” He says energetically.

“Oh. I. Ummm…. I couldn’t.  You pick.”

“What’s that about?  You seem nervous.”

        It’s only I’ve been married to psycho that only allowed us to eat in the apartment except for rare occasions…OH, and I almost forgot, I’m a vampire and I can’t taste many foods. “oh, is that all?  He won’t go running for the hills after he finds out the latter…I’m sure…” I know my subconscious is right, but I’m not ready to give this up just yet.  I need to stay in our little bubble a bit longer, at least until I can find the right way to tell him I’m a vampire.  

Nervously I point to a local eatery on the map while biting my bottom lip.

“Baby, that’s a Starbucks.”  He says with a chuckle.

“What can I say?  I’m not a super adventurous eater?”  I say with a shrug.

“Your wish is my command.  I could use a grande Americano and a chocolate croissant.  Mmmmmm”. Just as he says that his stomach growls, and it sends us both in a fit of laughter.

“Hahaha.  You are adorable.  Make this whip get us to Starbucks before you waste away in front of me.”

“Yes mam.”

            After we ate our breakfast, we pulled out of the Starbucks parking lot, and pull onto the highway.  Kelly Clarkson is singing quietly on the radio and I take the I time to rest back in my seat and take in the view.  Blaze is an Adonis.  Even if I weren’t smitten with my captor, I could see why any woman would throw herself at his feet.  While he drives, I notice he’s not only focused on the road but on me too.  He has one hand on the wheel, and one on my knee.  With every caress of his fingers, I feel electrical currents making all the way to the apex of my thighs.  A sigh escapes my lips, and I’m instantly embarrassed, but when my eyes meet his I see he loves what he’s doing to me almost as much as I am.

“You are so beautiful.”  He moves his hand back to the steering wheel, and I want to whine like a petulant child.

“We are almost to our destination.  Like I said last time, please don’t get out of the car.  If I am not back in half an hour slide over to the driver seat, and leave.  Do not come looking for me.”  

“I’m not going to leave you, Blaze.”  I roll my eyes at him because the thought of leaving him is ridiculous.

“If I do not resurface within a half hour you will have to.  I won’t be coming out at all if I’m not out within a half hour.  I pray to God it doesn’t go down like that.  But I want to prepare you if it does.”

        What the hell is he doing?  “If something seems too good to be true…. Wake up!”  I refuse to believe my subconscious.  He is a good man.  Let’s just get to South Carolina, I’ll tell Freddie I’m done, and then see what happens with Blaze.  “Ok…but Blaze what is going on?”

“The less you know Emmerson, the better. Just please stay put and remember if I’m not back in 30 minutes…”

“Yeah. I know leave. I heard you.”  I’m frustrated to no end.  I know he is in the private investigative circle, but what could he possibly be doing that is this dangerous that I’d have to leave him stranded… “He would be dead you idiot.” s**t.  Blaze would be dead.  The realization of what he’s told me is sickening.  I feel my fangs wanting to distend at the thought and I can feel my hangy ball in the back of my throat swelling.  I allow my senses to heighten, and I try to source Blaze’s emotion.  He’s calm.  I’m literally screaming inside of my head, and he’s acting like he’s about to do the most mundane task ever. 

        Blaze pulls the car down a long dirt road that is lined with grass as tall as me.  The whole vibe sends shivers down my back.  We drive for about 3 miles down this road until we finally stop in front of an old house.  It looks to be at least one hundred years old, and in its original state.  There is a wraparound porch, what looks to be a cellar, and a second story.  The home , a very old plantation style home, looks like something that comes out of a horror movie.  I half expect someone to jump out with a chainsaw and attack us, but Blaze doesn’t look phased.  He fishes out his cell phone from his left front jeans pocket.  He punches in a number and waits for a response. “….I’m out front…..I see….How many?...I can handle it….Did you require any extra barbed wire?.....I see……Well I’ll be in to finish the task.”  Click.

        He puts the phone into the cup holder and points to the glove compartment.  “Open it.”  I do as I’m told, and a small handgun sits fully loaded.  I glance up at Blaze who has a pained expression- it makes his forehead wrinkle.  

“What am I to do with this?”  I gesture to the gun.

“Use it if anyone other than myself emerges from that house.  Em, I mean anyone.”  He annunciates the word anyone like a zombie is going to emerge from the four walls of the home to eat me.  But I decide to nod my head yes.  We can discuss this further when he’s back and we are on our way to South Carolina.

        Without another word blaze reaches for the door handle, pulls, and climbs out of the car.  I can feel his emotions beginning to build.  He walks back to the trunk to get his leather jacket once more.  After closing the trunk, he comes around to my side of the car, so I roll the window down.  Blaze leans in and plants a kiss on my lips.  It was quick.  Like we do it every day and will do it every day from here on out.  Which puts me at ease ever so slightly.  He pulls away so I roll the window back up and watch him place his palms the hood of the car.  I can see him whispering something unintelligible, make the sign of the cross, and kisses his necklace.  The he starts to stalk towards the house.  He is slightly crouched down as he moves so gracefully toward the home, almost like a predator stalking their prey.  

        He slowly inches toward the house watching every direction for an ambush.  Once he disappears inside, I notice I’ve been holding my breath.  Now that my brain is getting oxygen, I allow my subconscious to reel once more.  I know being a P.I. is a dangerous gig- but should it be this dangerous…wouldn’t he involve the police?  “Now you are using you pretty little head!” 

        And just when I was about to reprimand myself, I can hear shouting coming from- where the basement?  Then I see white smoke coming from the double doors of the basement.  My gut tells me Blaze is in trouble.  Without hesitation I grab the gun and scurry quietly toward the double doors only to find them chained.  I search the perimeter and spot an axe on a stump- it was once used for chopping wood but has since rusted on the stump from exposure to the elements.  I retrieve the axe and pull it over my head in hopes of breaking the lock, but just as I’m about to slam it down on the chain- someone grabs me from behind.  Blaze.  He has an expression of anger and admiration rolled into one.  He takes the axe from me and tosses it aside.  

“RUN!” He orders.  Blaze grabs my hand and pulls me with him to the car.  Once again, he’s covered with a strange greyish ash.  We quickly get into the car and he puts it in reverse and punches the gas.

            We barely get out of the way before the entire house explodes.  Fire and smoke billow out of the roof.  Blaze lets out a loud sigh and visibly relaxes in his seat as he watches the aftermath of his work in the rearview mirrow.  Bright red embers that were spit from the explosion land in the high treetops catching them ablaze as well.  Blaze finds his iPhone once more and dials a colleague.  “It’s done.  We need a disaster recovery team here stat.”  Click.  He’s so short with them.  No sugar coating anything- short, sweet, and to the point.  After placing the phone in the cup holder, he looks at me- and he is MAD.  I answer before he can say the words.

“I saw smoke.  I panicked.  I thought you needed help.” I shrug as I explain myself.

“And you really thought you were the person for the job?”

“Well, if not me, then who?  You could say thank you.  If someone that loved me tried to come to my rescue- I’d say thank you.”

            He gazes at me in shock.  His mouth is agape, and he is stiff.  He shuts his mouth, opens it again as if he is going to respond, but closes it again.  Finally, he leans over- kisses my temple- and whispers “I love you, too.”