An Illicit Gentleman

                         Chapter Sixteen

 “Eve?” A small woman with dark red hair said from across the room.  AJ looked up at the woman and then to Eve.  She was looking back at him with worry in her eyes.

“It’s ok, I’ll be right here when you get out.” AJ told her taking her hand.  “See Sports Illustrated, swim suit edition.” He said with a bright smile, and she lightly laughed.

It had been about two days since the break in and they were at a psychiatrist.  It was something the doctors at the hospital and the DA wanted her to do.  He knew she was nervous about it but he told her it would help her.  She looked back at him before she went in and he flashed her another smile, reassuring her it was going to be ok.  When the door closed behind them he lightly sighed to himself and returned his attention back to the magazine.

An hour later Eve was coming out of the room with the doctor and AJ wasn’t surprised when he saw the expression on her face.  “She wants to talk to you.” Eve told him as she picked up her jacket. 

“Eve said you wanted to see me.” AJ asked as he walked up to the doctor.  “Is she ok, I mean I know she’s not ok but…” AJ stopped figuring it was just easier too.

“She’s fine.” The doctor said with a light smile.  “She has a strong head on her shoulders but she will need more sessions, my nurse will call you with the next date.”

“Ok.” AJ said with a nod.  “Thank you.”  The doctor lightly smiled and went back into her office.

“How was it?” AJ asked when she joined Eve in the hallway.

“It sucked and she said I need to go more.” Eve sighed.  AJ smiled sympathetically as he wrapped his arm behind her.

“So home now?” He asked knowing the answer would be yes.

“I need to go to my place.” Eve said as they stopped at the elevators.

“Are you sure Cause you can write me a list.” AJ told her.

“No it’s ok.” She replied with a small smile.

They arrived at her apartment and went inside.  “I won’t be long.” She told him as she went into her room.  He walked over to the living room and sat down on the couch, it brought back the memory of the first night he spent with her. 

A sharp pain ripped through his head and then just as fast it was gone.  Nothing surrounded him, emptiness around him he found himself not being able to do anything, and then a sound, a voice calling to him.  His eyes fluttered open as the pain returned along with new places that hurt.

“Wake up Fuck head.” A familiar voice said and then he felt something hit his side hard.  AJ gasped in pain and then started coughing as his lungs tried to get the air back.  He rolled to his side and forced his eyes open.  “There we go.” The voice said as a figure stood over him.  As his eyes began to focus he saw who it was talking to him, Mats.  Quickly AJ tried to get up but he fell to the floor.  It made his senses tune in and he realized he was tied up.  “Careful.” Mats said with a smile as he looked over his shoulder.  AJ followed his gaze right to Eve being held in a chair, her mouth gagged, crying and looking at AJ terrified but he wasn’t sure if she was scared for herself or him.  “Wouldn’t want to do something you’d regret.” Mats said looking back at him. “Or she would regret.”

“I’m going to…”

“Going to what AJ kill me? Don’t think you’re in the position to be yelling out threats.” Mats said as he stood up.

“The police will…”

“The police will do sweet fuck all. I’m out on bail and apparently not important enough to watch.” Mats told him as he grabbed for AJ’s arm.  He tried to fight Mats from standing him up but he was thrown down into a chair. 

Mats walked over to Eve, he knelt down beside her and leaned in real close.  The closer he got the higher AJ’s blood pressure rose, the more he wanted to lunge from the chair and attack his former friend.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” AJ yelled.

“Too late” Mats said with a sinister smirk. Eve sat there terrified, crying, shaking as she looked at AJ. “You know how many girls he’s loved, you know how many girls he broke off engagements too? Poor Eve thought she was special.”  Mats whispered as he looked at AJ. 

“I treated you good didn’t I Evie?” Mats asked as his hand slid up her leg. He stood her up and grabbed her from around the waist.  She whimpered in fear as she stood face to face with him.  “Why wasn’t I good enough, why didn’t you take me into the booths, go home with me, why couldn’t it be us making love in your bed.”

“Mats I swear to fucking god!” AJ shouted but his friend ignored him.

“Didn’t I make you feel special in the van?” He whispered and Eve felt his lips on her neck, she closed her eyes tight and cried out as her body started to collapse but Mats held her up.  When AJ saw Mats kiss her neck he lost it.  AJ started yelling and jumping in his seat trying to get someone’s, anyone’s attention.

“Hey!!” Mats yelled and AJ stopped.  His face fell in terror when he saw Mats standing across from him and a gun pointed right at Eve’s head.  “I thought I said don’t be stupid.” AJ stared at her watching her tremble.

“Now that he’s calmed down lets have us a show.” Mats said as he looked at Eve. “Sorry we can’t play your song baby but it’s a private party.”  He stood there looking at her as AJ shook his head.  “Dance” Mats said looking at Eve.  She shook her head no.  “Right, can’t dance all tied up.” Mats said with a light smile.  He walked over and untied her, she took a step at him but he shoved her down and pointed the gun at AJ.  “I said dance.” He said raising his eyebrow slightly.  She looked at him terrified like she was trapped in a corner. “DANCE!!” Mats shouted in anger.

“Don’t.” AJ said looking at her as she stood up. 

“Oh Jesus AJ really?” Mats moaned.  “You know she didn’t seem all that special to me in the back of the van, but fuck dude she’s got you.  You’re willing to get your brains blown out over a fucking stripper.”  He said as he knelt down beside AJ.  Slowly AJ’s head turned and he looked at him eye to eye and then within a flash of a millisecond snapped his head forward, head butting his old friend. 

Mats yelled in pain as he fell back onto the floor.  AJ then scrambled to get out of the chair and fell to the floor.  He felt someone over top of him and he looked up, seeing Mats raising the gun at him.  Just as AJ winced expecting the shot to come out any minute, for everything to go black any second Mats whimpered in pain and then dropped to the floor in front of him.

“Eve” AJ sighed when he saw her standing over him with a bat in her hands.  She knelt down and quickly helped him untie himself.   As soon as his arms were free he reached for her, pulling her into a very tight embrace.  “Are you ok sweetheart did he hurt you?”

“No” She said as she shook her head.  “Are you ok?” She asked worried.

AJ was about to answer when he got shoved down to the ground, quickly he looked up and saw Mats over him.  Then Mats turned around and grabbed Eve as she went for the bat she used against him the first time.  In one motion Mats had picked up his gun and grabbed Eve holding her around her chest, trapping her arms against her body.

“Don’t fucking play hero!” Mats yelled holding the gun at her as AJ stood up.

“Let him go.” Eve gasped out.  “You want me so let Alex go please.”  Eve pleaded.

“Very sweet Eve but no.” Mats said as he pulled her tighter against him.  “He took you away from me and now he’s going to go through the same pain I went through watching you two.” He drifted the gun down her chest between her breasts.  “He’s going to know what it’s like to see someone he cares about go off and fuck someone else.”

Mats eyes drifted down Eve’s body and AJ took that moment of distraction to lunge for the gun.  As Mats reacted to AJ grabbing the hand his gun was in Eve got shoved to the ground.  With one hand on the gun AJ punched Mats with his free hand and both men fell to the ground.  Standing up he reached for Mats and grabbed him by the front of his shirt and head butted him again.  Mats stuck his arm out and stopped the second shot.  AJ felt his grip on Mats let go and both men went stumbling back.

As Mats returned to his feet something caught AJ’s eye and he looked over to his right.  He saw the gun sitting by the chair leg on the floor.  Quickly AJ scrambled for it and grabbed it in his hands but a shoe came down on his fingers and he shouted in pain.  Grabbing Mats ankle AJ pulled as hard as he could with his free hand and took Mats legs out from under neither him.  He heard Mats shout in pain when the man hit the floor and AJ immediately jumped on top of him. 

“Asshole!” AJ shouted as he grabbed him by the shirt and picked him up, slamming him back down against the floor.  “You took her!” AJ shouted.  “You took her smile from me!” He yelled at Mats as his fist slammed into the man’s face over and over. 

AJ shouted in pain as he felt Mats fist slam into his side and it caused him to lose his breath and his grip.  It was enough for AJ’s former friend to get leverage on him and shove him to the floor.  He coughed as he tried to catch his breath and then he rolled onto his back.

“You’re a tease!” He heard Mats shout.  “You’re a fucking tease, you’re a whore and you deserved everything you got in that van!” Mats continued as AJ looked up as saw his former friend pointing the gun at Eve. 

“No” AJ coughed out as he reached for Mats pant leg.  Then he felt a kick to the face, his nose stung in pain, and then a loud bang echoed around the room.

“Alex!!” He heard Eve scream and he turned his head to look at her confused on what was going on. She scrambled across the floor towards him only to be shoved to the ground by Mats.  AJ tried to sit up but the room was starting to spin and he was finding it harder to breath.  That’s when he realized his chest was burning and he looked down only to see red where a yellow shirt use to be.  He looked at his hand and saw blood covering his fingers.  The sound of people coming through the door made him relax a little and he watched them run by him and grab Mats as Eve wrestled to get him off of her. 

“We have wounded!” A man beside him shouted and AJ looked at him still not sure what was going on.

“Alex, Alex?” Eve said as she scrambled across the floor.  He looked at her when he felt her hand take his.  At that moment everything clicked in, the sound, the pain, the blood and he looked at her as she pleaded with the police to get the medics here faster.

“Evie?” He whispered as it was the only way he could talk, everything on him felt like it was getting weaker.  When she looked at him he softly smiled.  She started crying again as she leaned down lightly hugging him as best she could and he closed his eyes.

“I love you too.” She whispered through her sobs.  He opened his eyes as she sat up when the paramedics came in and looked at her as they moved her away.  It made him lightly smile again.  She was awake that night, or at least awake enough to hear him.   AJ wanted to tell her he’d be ok but as he opened his mouth to say the words everything around him faded into darkness.