Jaxson (10 page)

“If she can’t love all that you are, it means she wasn’t the right woman anyway. Why the hell do you think your Aunt Kalani stuck by me all these years?”

“They don’t make ‘em like that anymore,” Jax argued.

Sam snorted. “Nobody’s ever made for it, boy, they grow to it. Hell, look at you. You didn’t just pick up a rifle and become a gunslinger presto-bango-boom. You grew to it, you learned how to be one. And you did a damned good job of it.”

He clapped a hand on his massive nephew’s shoulder.

“But at the end of the day, even hardass gunslingers need somebody to go home to. Go tell her the truth.”

“Think it’ll do any good, Uncle?”

“Only one way to find out. And if it don’t, well Aunt Kalani’s making Portagee sausage empanadas tonight.”

“If that’s the case, I may just let Kehau sleep on this and talk to her tomorrow.”

Sam punched his arm. “Knock it off. Go talk to your lady, boy. And don’t screw up this time.”

*****

Kehau didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there, looking out across Ka’elepulu Pond. She knew she’d been there long enough for her bottle of Budweiser to go completely flat. It was the second bottle she’d grabbed out of the fridge. She'd wanted something harder, but nobody had gone shopping yet for more. The first bottle was drained in a single pull, but the second, that one she was nursing. Damn that man, why couldn’t he just tell her what he did? Was it that hard? Lifting the bottle to her lips, she realized it was empty. Disgusted, she threw the bottle in the direction of the trashcan.

“You missed.”

Kehau jumped out of her seat with a scream. Standing there not quite twenty feet away, still dressed in bloody pants and shirt, was Jax. Calm, deliberate. As always.

“I didn’t tell you what I do for a lotta reasons
.
Mainly for your security.”
He shrugged his shoulders
.
“Whatever, cat’s outta the bag
.
You know now.”

“Yeah I kinda do.”

“Also didn't tell you because most of my clients demand privacy. It's written into the contracts.”

“I don’t like contracts a whole lot.”

“If you wanna walk away from us and whatever we are, go right ahead
.
I don’t blame you
.
But if you stick around, understand that I
'm not
changing my profession
.
It’s what I’m good at, and what makes me happy.”

Kehau was taken aback by this
. She was so used to Sione’s guilt trips and pleadings. But there was Jax, as unrepentant as ever.
The more she thought about it though, the more she realized she couldn't blame him
.
She'd watched him kill nearly a dozen men in a loud, shockingly violent manner
.
The same hands which held her had been used to sever a man's head from his shoulders
!
She'd watched him throw another man out of a building
!
Their blood was liberally sprinkled across his clothes
.
Could she see anything good in him ever again?

Yes
.
The answer boiled up with a huge swell of pride
.
Her man
ran toward danger
.
Her man
risked life and limb to protect her
.
Her man
had saved all the children with her
.
Her man
had more courage than anybody she'd ever met
.
But first things first.

She slapped him
.
As hard as she could
.

"That's for walking away
!
You have a problem with me, sit down and talk
,
we'll figure it out together
.
Got it
,
Marine
?"

Then she kissed him
.
Hard and fast and greedily,
her
hands wrapped around his neck.

"I love you
,
" she whispered huskily into his ear
.
It was the first time she'd ever said those words to him
. “
I love you
,
Jax."

She kissed him
.
"Still need a date for that fancy event of yours?"

"Normally, I'd take my girlfriend, but I hear she's mad at me
. Might have decided I’m no good and she should dump me.
I was thinking of taking Aunty Ipo instead."

Kehau smacked his arm
.
"You punk!"

"I'm kidding, I promise
,
" he swore, wrapping her up in another kiss.

"If I go dress shopping day after tomorrow, I should be just fine
,
" she told him
.
“But first I have a question
.
Every time I kiss you, you get super-tense
.
I know that's not normal
.
I just don't understand why you do it
.
Who hurt you?”

Jax’s face took on a
sad
look for a moment
.
“Her name is Shyler Williams
.
She was my fiancée
.
I was three months along in Afghanistan on my last trip when I got a letter from a friend full of
pictures and an SD Card of videos. She was cheating on me,
with a sailor she met on base
.
Fucking and sucking him in our bed, in the house I bought for us to live in after we got married.”

Kehau’s hand flew to her mouth
.
“Oh that's awful!
I'm sorry, Jax.
”

“I was on suicide watch for a couple days
.
They wouldn't let me go on patrol or be near ammo at all
.
I called the friend up via
Satphone.
He promised to handle it.”

“W
hat did he do?”

Jax’s face brightened
.
“Officially, absolutely nothing
.
Unofficially, a vid
eo found its way onto her company’s website of her and him, quite clearly engaged in sexual acts. S
he got fired in two heartbeats
. The same day
, my house caught fire and burned to the ground
.
She lost everything
. I might have had all my stuff sitting in somebody’s garage safe and sound.
”

“Wouldn't she have gotten insurance money though?”

“N
ot when everything was
insured
in my name.”
He cast his eyes around, bitterness woven all throughout his words
.
“I gave her everything and she betrayed me.”

“You still see her at times
,
don't you?”

“You'd think after three
years it gets easier
.
It doesn't
. Especially when she’s the last woman you were with
.”

She kissed him then
.
Slowly, and with purpose
.
Give yourself to me and we’ll make new memories together
,
Johnny Rocket
,
Kehau silently promised.

“I should probably let you know that I brought pizza
and cheesy breadsticks
over for dinner
,
”
he volunteered helpfully when they came up for air.

“Pizza
and breadsticks
sounds perfect
.
Oh and Jax?”

“
Yeah
?”

“
Us
needs to go visit my parents tomorrow
.
I should probably tell my mother about you before one of my cousins does.”

“I was curious about that.”

Kehau sighed. “I was very emotionally invested in my relationship with Sione. My parents and I got into a fight about it one night, and I stopped talking to them. That was almost ten months ago.”

“Well hell. Guess we should pick up flowers for your momma on the way over. In the meantime call her and tell her you're okay.”

“And this is why I keep you around, you think of everything.”

In walked her daddy

Standing six foot four

Said you ain't gonna swing

With my daughter no more!

Warrant

Marcia Makoa was in her element overseeing the family party going on in her back yard. Plenty of food, beer on ice, and cousin, Randall, had just brought a fresh tray of haupia out from the kitchen. Laughter filtered through the air, and she was at ease.

“So where’s that crazy daughter of yours?” a cousin asked.

Sigh. Almost at ease.

“I don’t know,” Marcia declared as she sat down in a chair, twisting open a beer. “She said she might come down today. Guess that shooting at the school yesterday really messed things up for her.”

“She’s not hurt, is she?” Randall asked.

“She said she’s fine. Just some crazies hopped up on drugs.”

The adults at the table shook their heads, muttering various derisive remarks on the fate of such miscreants.

Nearby, one of the teenagers piped up. “You should see the video from when the police went in. One of those lolos got thrown out the third story window!”

“Yeah right.”

“No, serious! It’s on YouTube!”

“The broadcast after by the police was better. Great big freaking hapa-haole stands up in front of the camera, tells the reporters his team of ex-Marine mercs went in there and cleared those crazies out,” AJ, Marcia’s nephew claimed from where he stood by the grill cooking huli huli chicken.

“Ain’t no ex-marines, boy,” Marcia’s husband announced officiously.

Grizzled and not as fast as he used to be, Jerry Makoa had once been a Marine gunnery sergeant. After retiring to Hawaii on his pension, he’d met a young woman and started a family there.

“There’s former Marines and dead Marines, boy,” Jerry continued. “And yeah, he was one salty looking leatherneck. Wouldn’t mind buying him a round. Now hurry up with that chicken.”

A low rumble filled the air much like thunder, except it was getting closer.

“One of your neighbors get a new truck?”

“Not that I know of,” Marcia said absently.

She turned back to her plate of rice and fried fish with unfeigned hunger. The smell alone was driving her crazy.

“Hey, everybody!”

Marcia turned in surprise at hearing her daughter’s voice. And froze.

Kehau had come through the side gate to the backyard. She looked like her usual lovely self, albeit this time she was in a short denim skirt that showed off her beautifully sculpted legs and a plaid shirt tied low in front. The cowgirl boots she wore had to be brand new, because Marcia certainly never remembered her owning a pair before.
Still, a very nice look for her.

But her daughter's clothing was not what had her standing still, no, it was the monster of a man standing beside Kehau that made Marcia freeze up. Easily the size of any present in the backyard, stolid, and immovable like an Easter Island statue. His Fu Manchu and goatee were long and thick, just like the wild mass of curls going every which way. Still, he looked presentable in jeans and leather vest. There was a way about him though, the way he carried himself. Confident with a side of arrogance and devil may care. Throwing a glance at her husband, Marcia could see that he was taking it all in stride so far. It was not the first time Kehau had shocked her family, but it had been a while since it happened.

Aunty Tuela down at the far end of the table spoke up first. “Kehau, who’s your friend?”

“Aunty Tuela, this is my boyfriend, Jaxson Kuznia.”

Everybody was in shock
.
Even the kids had stopped eating to stare
.
Everybody knew about her break up with Sione
by now.
But when did she pick up a new guy
?
And how?

Kehau kissed her mother on either cheek and gave her a hug, followed by a dozen yellow roses.

“You’re the man from TV,” AJ blurted out. “The Marine that went into the building and saved those kids in the dance class.”

Jax grinned. “I had some help doing it.”

Marcia turned to Kehau. “He doesn’t mean your dance class, does he?”

Kehau blushed. Jerry drained his beer and set the bottle down. “I’ve got a feeling there’s a story to this.”

He pulled two new beers from the cooler and tossed one to Jax. “Why don’t you sit and tell Gunny what you’ve been up to with his little girl, eh, devil dog?”

It took several minutes, with interruptions from various aunts asking questions and the need for more beer before the history of Kehau’s new boyfriend was satisfactorily explained. By the time the young couple had finished telling their story, Marcia was looking at Jax in a new light. And she couldn’t help but notice how her daughter was looking at him. Even when she’d been with Sione, Kehau had never looked at him that way. Marcia sighed mentally.
You knew this day was coming
.
You just wish it didn’t have to be so soon.”

Jerry seemed to take it all in stride. “Who’s the Sergeant Major over at 1/3 these days?”

“Sergeant Major Caldwell.”

“Big popolo, wears the old Birth Control Glasses?”

“Yup.”

Jerry barked out a laugh. “I remember when he was my boot.” His eyes took on a faraway look. “Those were some very good times.”

Jax glanced around for a moment, as if looking for something. “Hey, AJ, right?”

“Yes, sir?”

“There’s a quad-bike out front. In the saddlebag is a burlap sack. It’s heavy so carry it from the bottom. Bring it on over here.”

“Yes, sir.”

As the boy scrambled to obey, Jerry gave Jax a quizzical look. “Everything all right?”

“Oh it is, Gunny, but I figure if the two of us are gonna be sharing sea stories, we’ll need something better than Heineken and PBR.” AJ returned in a moment, setting the burlap sack on the table and stepping back a respectful distance.

Within was a tall mason jar full of liquid the color of dark amber. Cinnamon sticks and slices of apple floated within it.

“Apple pie moonshine?” Jerry asked.

“Yep. Surprised you know what it is.”

“Me and moonshine go way back, son. Used to be, middle of winter during a field op, we’d make coffee at night, with a slug of something special to help us stay warm. Moonshine in coffee is the second best thing God ever gave me. First best is still my pretty wife.”

Marcia’s cheeks dimpled at the compliment, but she gazed at her husband with new insight. Of all the men who’d come over to her house chasing Kehau, Jax was the one who’d bonded the fastest with her husband. And Jerry had never told her he liked liquor in his coffee! She made a mental note then to see what Jerry thought of some Kahlua in his morning cup. Or maybe a little moonshine if Jax had an extra jar lying around somewhere.

Opening the jar, Jax poured them both a shot, then held up the glass, “Absent comrades.”

“Absent comrades. Oorah.”

Jerry sipped, letting the liquid coat his tongue and throat.

“Goes down smooth,” he declared.

“Family secret. It’ll clean paint off concrete, but it tastes good too.”

Jerry smiled. “Best kind.” He looked at Jax quizzically. “What was your MOS?”

“0351, assault man.”

Jerry grunted. “That's what I like to hear. What's your nickname?”

“Johnny Rocket.” He pointed at the three black rings wrapped around his forearm, near the elbow.

“Iraq, during the invasion.”

“Wide stripes too,” Jerry remarked.

“Yeah well our tanks were a little slow getting through the city. That, and I was sick of lugging so many AT4s in the back of my Humvee and not using them.”

“I don't get it,” Kehau’s uncle Jeremy said from the far end of the table. “What are you talking about?”

“Assault men carry rockets,” Jerry explained. “They hunt tanks. Wide stripe means he’s got three tank kills. Three wide stripes means nine tanks.”

So that's why he has those
particular
tattoos
,
Kehau realized.

“Where'd you learn that?” Jax asked around a spoonful of rice.

Jerry pulled back the sleeve of his floral print shirt. One wide black band wrapped around the meaty portion of his bicep, with a single thinner band just below it. “Vietnam 1972. Got lucky dropping mortars on an NVA tank platoon one night. Now, you mentioned something about sea stories. Lemme tell ya bout a trip to Thailand back in 1980…”

In the hours that followed, Jerry Makoa gave his family a gift they’d never seen coming. For years, he’d been closemouthed about his time in the Corps, sharing little with anybody. A taciturn man by nature, he loved his wife and doted on his only child, which was the extent of his kindness, and as much as he felt comfortable sharing. But Jax came along, and the next thing anybody knew, they were carrying on like fast friends. Kehau couldn’t remember ever hearing her father laugh so hard as she did now, trading stories with Jax about what it was like being young enlisted Marines overseas.

Shot by shot, they emptied the Mason jar several inches that night. AJ, days away from turning eighteen, tried a sip of the moonshine only after Jax cut it with a full glass of apple juice.

“Don’t need you going blind on us,” he’d declared over AJ’s protest.

He’d been proven right on the first sip when AJ turned a sickly shade of green. To his credit, the boy choked it down, causing even more laughter amongst all of the men present. But he survived, and the night went on.

At long last, the stars were fully overhead, the children laid out in the living room fast asleep on pillows and sheets. The torches were growing dimmer, their wicks nearly burnt up. Finally, Jerry flipped his glass over, signifying he was done.

“Keep taking good care of my little girl, devil.” He stood and kissed his daughter. “I like this one.” Taking his wife by the hand, he led her inside, a certain spring to his step.

“Where is my father and what have you done with him?” Kehau demanded.

Jax shrugged his shoulders. “I didn't do crap, sexy baby, you were right here the whole time.”

She picked up the jar, sniffing its potent contents. “So how are you not unconscious right now?”

“I'm the grandson of a shine maker, sexy baby, I know how to drink.”

“Obviously. I lost count after number seven.” She continued to walk around the table, clearing it of plates and food as she went. “So what do you think of them?”

“I love your mom’s cooking. And I like your daddy.”

“Good, I was hoping you would.”

“What time are you thinking of going shopping tomorrow?” he asked her.

“Sometime after noon, my mom likes to sleep in on Saturdays.”

“Want to hang out at the beach until then?”

She looked down at him indignantly. “Why, Jaxson Kuznia, somebody might think you were trying to get your girlfriend in a bikini!”

“Maybe I am,” he countered. “What are you going to do about it?”

Kehau sauntered over, straddling his hips as she sat down on his lap, her bosom right at eye level.

“And what if I told you I had a very patriotic red, white, and blue bikini waiting for a weekend like this?”

“God Bless America,” he croaked, even as she ran her hands through his hair and ground her pelvis ever so provocatively against him.

In response, he traced the edge of her shirt with his lips, running down to the slight crevice between her breasts that was showing.

“Oh really,” Kehau murmured in his ear. “Is that what you want?”

The snap buttons of her shirt popped open easily, one by one, revealing the bright electric pink bra she wore beneath it. Jax looked at it curiously. Something seemed off. Though what it was he couldn't guess. Without a moment’s further hesitation, he leaned forward, applying his lips to trace her collarbone, down across her heart to where the swell of her large bosom met her bra. He took his time, nipping her with his teeth just as much as he kissed the soft brown flesh. Jax placed his ear against her chest, listening to the beat of her heart for a moment. “Such a heart you have, my dearest love,” he whispered in a hushed voice.

Slowly coasting across the curvature, he moved up the opposite side of her neck, stopping to suck briefly, planting a hickey on her neck where the collar couldn’t hide it. Her breath caught in her throat and he could feel the vein of her neck pulse even faster.

“Tell me something, Jax,” she cooed in his ear, “what would you do if I did this?”

With a deft flick of her fingers, the previously unknown clasp in the front popped open. He knew what she was offering him.
But she’s a good girl
,
damn
it
!
She doesn't owe me anything
!
Another part of his mind spoke up then.
Refusing her right now would be a real good way to piss her off
.
This is part of how she knows she’s beautiful
. That she's wanted and desired.

His hands slid from where they rested on her waist, upwards to the open bra. Very gently, his fingers opened her bra wider as they skimmed across her nipples. They felt large against his palms and his erection grew even harder.
Mine, all mine.

The bra cups fell to either side. Her nipples were large, puffy, and hardened under his attention, they were the size of the tip of his index finger, with dark areolas at least two inches across. As he cupped both breasts, he marveled at how they seemed to fill his hands so well.
Better than any woman I’ve been with before
.

Letting go of her right breast, he trailed quick kisses around the generous brown orb. Quiet moans told him his ministrations were having an effect. Right before he got to the nipple though, Jax switched to her left and suckled on the nipple, dragging his teeth gently off the tip. Now he had her undivided attention. Then he switched back to the right, rolling it between his teeth with the aid of his tongue. His hand rose up once more to cup, pinch, and fondle the unattended tit. She ground her pelvis against him, and he could feel a wet spot on his lap from where her growing desire left its mark.