"That's what happens when you do twenty four hour shifts," Cleo grunted as he threw my pants across the room, aiming for the large laundry hamper in the corner of the room.

My eyes got heavy, sleep already settling in to take me under.

"I enjoyed it a lot, though. Let me know when you're hiring," I teased.

His hand smoothed down my back. "You got it."

The day had gone well.

We'd gotten the little boy to the hospital in Dallas, and from what Cleo told me earlier in the day, the boy had lived through surgery after they cut a hole in his skull to reduce the intracranial pressure.

They expected him to have a full recovery, and go on to live a full life.

We'd run two more calls after that. Both had lived.

And both would've died without Life Flight.

"The seed's been planted, hasn't it?" Cleo asked as he settled next to me, pulling me into his chest.

I snuggled deep. "Yes, the seed's most definitely been planted."

Chapter 18.

Life isn't a fairytale. Sometimes one has to pull up her big girl panties and get the f.u.c.k over it.

-Life Lesson Rue Rue: I took a naked picture of myself. You're welcome.

Cleo: It's black. I can't see anything.

Rue: There's only so much one can do while in the dark.

Cleo: Tease.

Rue: Yep. You want to know why? Call me ASAP.

It'd been two months now since I'd been on Cleo's helicopter and a lot had changed.

The trial that I was testifying in had started, but I'd yet to be on the witness stand.

Neither side wanted me there.

In all honesty, I was as neutral of a party as I could get and neither side had a need for somebody that wouldn't help their case.

In the past month, Silas had bought Life Flight.

Layoffs had started at our hospital, and my Nonnie had gone into a decline.

The one positive thing about the last month was that Cleo and I seemed to be doing really well.

Even though I knew he was keeping secrets.

It didn't escape my attention that he had people following me.

I wasn't stupid. However, I wasn't sure they were trying to keep it from me, but more or less just not talking about it.

I guessed it had something to do with the damage that was done to my car that was related to the break in.

Cleo had asked me to stay at his place when he couldn't be with me and I'd obliged.

I couldn't tell you why, though.

Maybe because I was comforted being surrounded by all of Cleo's things. Or maybe it was because I knew he was just making sure I was safe.

Whatever the reason, I'd practically moved in.

It was my day off and I was hotter than h.e.l.l.

The power had gone out twenty minutes ago, and I was so hot that I'd stripped down to my bra and underwear in a vain attempt to try to keep cool.

It wasn't working, though.

Sadly, Cleo was on the back half of a forty-eight hour shift, and that text I'd just sent him was the first one he'd answered in well over twelve hours.

They really must be busy.

I'd reported the power outage myself, yet some drunk on the highway that ran along Cleo's place had taken out a power pole with his big rig. Effectively stranding nearly two hundred people in the entire grid without power.

So there I lay...doing nothing.

A timid knock came from the direction of the living room, and my body froze.

It was nearly eleven at night...who would be over here that late?

Then I heard Molly's voice, annoying and soft, as she yelled for Cleo to 'open up.'

Sighing, I reached down for the discarded shirt of Cleo's instead of my sweats and tank top.

Shuffling carefully though the doorway, I took it slow, not quite remembering if I'd picked up all the socks I'd been pairing only an hour before.

It was amazing how somewhere in between Cleo taking off his socks and the dryer that he could lose so many, but he managed to do it.

So I started a box of mismatched socks, and today it'd been so full that I thought it time to pair them.

Out of the thirty pairs I'd made, only five of them had been mine.

"Cleo," Molly's enraged voice came through the front door. "It's dark out here, I'm in heels and I need to pee. Open up the door."

If I wasn't mistaken Molly sounded a tad drunk, too.

Joy, oh joy!

Unlocking the three locks on the door, I swung the door wide and was nearly ran over with Molly's rush to get inside.

"Jesus, it's about time. Turn on some freakin' lights," Molly whined.

She must've been walking to the bathroom, because her voice got less annoying the further and further away she got.

Then I heard an, "Eeek!"

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Must've not gotten all of the socks after all.

Heh.

"Owww," Molly groaned. "Why aren't there any lights?"

Sighing, I answered. "The power's out."

"What are you doing here?" Molly seethed.

I wanted to shout out, 'I live here,' but I felt it prudent not to. That wouldn't be good to diffuse her anger.

I really wished I knew why they hated me so much. What had I ever done to them other than make their brother happy? I didn't break his heart, he broke mine. I didn't leave him, he left me!

What had I done, I wanted to wail.

Did I do any of those things? No. Of course I didn't.

I never yelled at anybody.

"I'm staying the night at Cleo's, but he got called into work. Are you okay?" I asked, staying where I was so I didn't fall on top of her.

It really was pitch black.

With Cleo's place being in the middle of nowhere, and the lights being out on top of that, there was only pitch black darkness. There wasn't even a moon tonight, on top of it all.

My phone was also on the verge of a low battery to boot, so I couldn't use that for a light if I wanted to be able to use it to make a call later.

"I'm fine," she snarled. "Can you take me home? I got the cab to drop me off here since I was closer to Cleo and I only had ten bucks."

I thought about the fact that Cleo probably wouldn't like me driving without him knowing I was out, but then I thought about the alternative of having Molly here all night, and I came to a quick decision.

"Alright," I said as I walked slowly forward. "I'll go get some clothes and shoes on. I'll meet you by the front door."

Rue "Thanks for the ride," Molly said reluctantly.

I nodded, and watched her step out of the car and slam the door without waiting for a reply.

"You're welcome," I said to empty air.

b.i.t.c.h.

I watched her as she wobbled up the stairs, praying that she wouldn't fall backwards.

I gave a sigh of relief as soon as she made it through her door, and pulled a U-turn before heading back towards Cleo's place.

The purple taco bell sign called my name, and I may, or may not have stopped and gotten three tacos.

I'd just finished the final taco when I pulled into Cleo's drive, and was stunned with what I saw.

In the thirty odd minutes I'd been gone, huge stadium lights had been erected sporadically throughout the area, and no less than five police cars, six bikes, and two large four wheel drive trucks filled the small area.

"Holy s.h.i.t," I breathed.

The blue and white lights on one police car was on at the bottom of the drive, and he stopped me when I turned in.

Coming to a stop, I rolled down my window and was blinded by the cop's flashlight shining into my eyes.

"Ack!" I said as I flinched away from the light. "Why?"

"Ma'am, we have a situation here. You'll have to turn around and go back the way you came." The police officer said.

I blinked. "But...I live here!"

The cop turned his head, and then reached for the radio on his shoulder.

"Yeah, we have a woman down here claiming to live here," the cop said.

I pursed my lips. Why on earth would I lie about that? Who in their right mind would say they live somewhere where there were five cops and who knows how many bikers all standing around looking p.i.s.sed?