Taking Shots (Assassins) (60 page)

“
Ready Elli?” Mark asked once Elli hopped off the last step.

“
Sure am,” Elli said with a grin.

“
Alright, off we go.”

Elli had been on a lot of boats in her time, but she had to admit Mark Adler’s boat was pretty. Really pretty. It was a massive 40 foot boat, it had a
generous cockpit, with a forward and aft sun lounges, it had a large walk around along with a swimming station and the operating spot, where Mark stood in his captain gear, which consisted of a captain’s hat and Shea’s jersey with the ‘C’ on the breast.

Mark sure was a sight to see.

Elli sat with a beer in hand and a large fishing pole in the other. She looked out at the large blue ocean and let out a lengthy sigh. Spending the afternoon with James and Mark turned out to be one of the best afternoons of her life. They talked about everything, it was as if Mark and James wanted to know everything about Elli, and she wanted to know everything about them. She loved learning about Shea’s family, these were his people. When the subject of hockey came up, they talked for hours, only stopping when Mark or James would get a bite and reel one in.

Elli learned quickly that ocean fishing was way different than river or lake fishing. These fish were big, massive even. After every catch, they would take a picture. Elli loved how much Mark loved James, it still blew her mind the way he treated James like a son. It was sweet, amazing really. Mark treated Elli the same way, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, giving her big grins, pinching her cheeks when she would say something funny, and Elli swore a hour didn’t go by without him say, ‘You are amazing, Elli, anyone ever tell you that?’.

Coming to Boston was turning out to be a good idea. Not only was she with Shea, but she got to know his family better. Yes, her family was livid with her, but hey, she was with someone now. Her life didn’t revolve around them anymore; it was about her and Shea now. The thought that her and Shea were about to embark on a new stage in their relationship filled Elli with such warmth that it was hard not to grin.

Shea was the kind of man one considered spending the rest of their life with. Elli could see her and Shea together for the rest of her life, having kids with greenish blue eyes, and long dark hair. Hopefully bone straight like Shea’s and not the fuzzy mess she had. Shea would make a great dad; he loved Amelia and Ryan like they were his. He was a good man, the kind of man that held her when she cried, bathed her when she was sick, and planned the most amazing parties, just for her.

He was a keeper.

The more Elli thought about it, the more she thought that if he did leave, get traded, or whatever, she would go. She would have to. After feeling like she almost lost him, when he was laying face down on the ice, she felt she would do anything for him, go anywhere. Life without Shea wasn’t even possible, she couldn’t even fathom it.

She loved him.

Elli stood slowly, right as her reel started going nuts.

“
Elli, babe! You got something!” Mark yelled, but Elli wasn’t listening.

She loved Shea.

She loved him so much it hurt her chest.

No, wait, that was the pole hitting against her chest.

“
Shit!” Elli yelled, dropping her beer and taking the pole in her hands. Whatever was on the end of the line was huge and strong. When the massive fish flung itself out the water, Elli let out a girlie scream, causing Mark and James to laugh.

“
Oh, hell, El, looks like a wolf fish to me!” Mark yelled, smacking Elli on the back like she was one of the guys.

“
A what?! Shit it’s strong!” Elli grunted as she reeled her little ass off. Why weren’t these men trying to help her!?

“
Massive strong fish. I got one last time I was here,” James said as him and Mark made their way to the side, looking over the side as Elli continued to reel her ass off. After what seemed like an hour of reeling, Mark got out a hook looking stick, and pulled on the line, finally helping Elli to get the fish up. When Mark flung the fish overboard, Elli let out a horrid scream.

“
It has teeth!” Elli screamed jumping up on the chair she had been sitting on, receiving herself a round of laughter from James and Mark as they admired the fish.

“
Damn, Elli, you got a big one. We’ll have to weigh it.” Mark said, hooking the ugly blue fish in the mouth and holding it up. The damn thing was as big as she was, and Elli was on the big side.

“
I say close to 30 pounds, it’s a biggie,” James said, leaning in closer to look at the fish’s face.

“
It’s a beaut, good job, Elli,” Mark said before sending her a grin, “Damn good job.”

“
Okay for one, that damn thing is ugly as all get out, and for two, I just sat there.”

Finally realizing, she loved Shea, not that she was gonna tell them that.

James and Mark laughed long and hard before Mark picked the fish up, motioning for Elli to come over, as James pulled out a camera. “Come on now, Elli, come hold your beaut, so we can get a picture,” Mark said, Elli shook her head.

“
I ain’t coming anywhere near that thing, it’s got damn teeth!”

“
Come on now!” Mark said more sternly, so Elli went, grabbing the pole slowly, before holding the fish up. It was almost as long as she was, and damn near the ugliest thing she had ever seen.

“
Smile Elli!”

Yeah, right.

Shea had never laughed so hard in his life.

The picture he held in his hand had him almost busting a gut as he laughed. His beautiful girlfriend stood on a boat holding a massive fish up, with a look of horror on her face. The fish was as big as she was and Shea couldn’t believe she got it out of the water all by herself. Grace and his mom stood beside him, laughing as hard as he was.

“
Oh, Elli, your face is priceless!” Jenna gushed, before kissing Elli’s cheek and turning back to the stove.

“
I tell you what, that damn thing was ugly as all get out!” Elli complained in her thick accent. With Shea being home around his Boston speaking family, Elli stuck out like a sore thumb.

“
I can’t believe you got it on the boat, Elli, I’m impressed!” Grace said, before leaving Shea’s side to go to James.

“
I’m having the damn thing stuffed for her Christmas present, it will look good over you guys bed,” Mark said with a grin just for Elli. Shea didn’t think Elli thought he was funny, though.

“
He has teeth, Shea. Tell them they are crazy,” Elli pleaded beside him, looking at her picture, shaking her head.

“
Honey, you did good. You should be proud,” he said, smiling down at her.

“
Proud of that? He’s ugly!”

“
He’s a beaut!” Mark complained as he came over looking at the picture, “Wicked pretty fish.”

“
You're nuts,” Elli laughed as she took the cup of hot chocolate from Jenna.

“
He sure is,” Jenna said with a laugh. Everyone laugh along as Shea leaned into Elli, kissing her cheek softly.

Shea was a little upset when he found out that Elli had left with his dad and James, but then thought maybe it was good. Letting Elli bond with them was good, since he didn’t see her going anywhere. He wanted her to love his family, he wanted them to love her, and it seemed to have worked too. Mark and James joked around with Elli and she gave them just as much as they gave her. He loved when she had such a full smile on her face and knowing that his family was the ones to put it there, made him just as ecstatic as if he had done it.

Shea life was basically complete, well it would be if he could play hockey and Elli loved him, but he was feeling pretty damn good at that moment standing in the kitchen with all the people the loved.

The next day, Shea and Elli went for a drive to Shea’s old neighborhood. He showed her his old house, his old school, and then the place he learned to play hockey at. After seeing that the place was turning into a dump, Shea made a call to his accountant, telling them to make a donation to the rink. He’d be damned if the place he learned how to play man’s greatest sport at, was going to be ran into the ground.

Cold day in hell.

After leaving his home town, they headed into Boston for some shopping and to get some lunch. Shea was starting to notice that Elli had a spending problem. He never noticed it before, but then again he never really went shopping with her. When she saw something she liked, her eyes would light up like a Christmas tree and she would gush as she explained the reason she needed that particular thing. She was crazy; Shea had never spent as much money on one item like she did on shoes. He had the best of everything, too, but the girl sees a pair of thigh high boots and goes nuts and drops over two grand on them.

Shea stood beside her, shaking his head as she ran her little black card.

“
What?” she asked, smiling at the lady when she handed her her bag.

“
Two grand on a pair of boots?”

“
Shea, they’re Gucci.”

“
Okay?”

“
I bought you some shirts, too; the boots were only fifteen hundred.”

“
Only? And why are you buying me stuff?” Shea said with an annoyed look on his face, he didn’t like her spending her money on him. He was supposed to spend all his money on her.

“
Cause I want to, crabby pants, now come on, there are so many stores I want to hit!”

“
I bet, are we gonna be here all day?”

Elli smiled sweetly at him, before running her hand down his chest, over his limp arm that was tapped to his chest, “I think they have an Intimacy here. “

“
What’s that?”

“
A lingerie store.”

It took Shea two second to comprehend what she was saying, and another second to grab her hand before saying, “Lead the way.”

After dropping more money than Shea needed too, they headed home. When they arrived back at the house, they sat down for dinner with his family. Afterwards, Elli helped with the dishes. When she was done she met Shea up in the room, where he laid on the bed as she went through all her treasures that she bought that day. She had promised to model some of the things for him, so when she got up, locking the door and stripping, he took in his fill.

He loved how she wasn’t shy around him anymore; she was starting to trust him more, which was great. He knew in his heart that she was starting to fall in love with him, she had to be, or he was going to go bat shit crazy.

It was that simple.

Shea watched as she slid the grey lace panties and bra set on that she had gotten at Intimacy. His mouth watered as she slid some knee high grey socks up her legs, before putting on the ridiculous priced boots that she had to have on. They were suede and had a sexy little heel on them, but still--fifteen hundred dollars!?

When she stood up, placing her hands on her hips and looking over at him, with her hair falling down her shoulders over the top of her breast, Shea took in a breath, gawking over the beauty of her body.

Okay, maybe the boots were worth fifteen hundred dollars, because they sure made her ass look amazing.

“
Why don’t you bring that sexy ass over here, let me play a little,” he asked as she moved around the room, testing out the boots he guessed.

“
No way, I said I would model for you, not let you touch me.”

“
Don’t make me get up,” he warned, but all she did was giggle.

“
Don’t make me tell your momma.”

“
Okay, that’s just dirty.”

Elli smiled sweetly before changing into another lingerie set she had gotten, by the end of her little fashion show, Shea was as hard as a rock, and Elli wasn’t going to help him out at all. All she did was grin, as she left the room to go join his mom downstairs.

“
Evil woman!” he yelled as the door shut.

Elli opened it back, smiling over at him before saying, “And you love me just the same.”

Elli shut the door, and he groaned. It was going to be the longest recovery ever and Shea wasn’t sure he was gonna make it. If he had to deal with the nagging of his mother, sister, and girlfriend, he should at least be getting laid while suffering.

Was that too much to ask for?

Shea decided it wasn’t too much, so he got out of bed carefully and marched his ass down stairs. When he entered the kitchen, Elli and his mom sat at the table, looking at some photo albums of course of him, probably naked.

“
Okay, this isn’t going to work!” Elli and his mom looked up at him; Elli narrowed her eyes, as Jenna just smiled.

“
What honey? I was just showing her some pictures of you in college.” Jenna said sweetly, but he wasn’t going to let her distract him.

“
That’s fine! But if I’m gonna be nagged by all you women, I need some kind of release!” Shea complained, causing Elli to turned deep red as her eyes widen.

“
Shea!” Elli yelled, as Jenna looked over at her confused, when his mother caught on she high tailed it out of the kitchen with a quick goodnight.

“
Shea, really? I was spending some time with your momma! You couldn’t wait until I came back up there?”

“
No, I couldn’t. I’m mad as hell, I want you.”