“Don’t move, Angel, I’ve got you,” he coos, trying to soothe her.
“I knew you’d come,” she says, between the sobs that are racking her tiny, crumpled, naked body.
“Always, Angel, and forever,” he whispers, unable to speak any louder because of the constriction in his throat, sobs threatening to overtake him. He reaches for whatever he can find to cover her now shivering frame, mostly likely convulsing from shock.
Brian’s tall frame fills the door, along with Marco’s.
Both Marco and Brian quickly assess the situation as Rico drags the lifeless male form out the door. Brian steps around Marco, to go to his friend and Elsie, fury engulfing him. He looks around for something else to cover Elsie with, his possessive instincts kicking in as well for the brave little pixie. He has to be calm and collected for her, so he puts a tender smile on his face, pushing the rage to the side, as he bends to place the covering over her body and stroke her hair.
“I’m sorry, man, I was across town with Brian at a meeting, we tried to get here as fast as we could,” Marco explains, out of breath, he was obviously running.
“Elsie smashed that piece of shits face in, Bro,” John proudly boasts of the woman in his arms.
“Yes, I did, and I would have done more, scumbag that he is,” comes her little voice, from John’s lap.
“I’m proud of you, Angel, so proud,” John says, the pride so loud and clear in his voice.
“Me too, Dollface, you did good, I’m very proud of you,” Brian tells her affectionately.
Sirens screech to a halt outside the trailer, but none of them move. After a few moments of John holding Elsie close, Brian stroking her hair, and Marco standing guard in the doorway, Rico comes back to the trailer.
“There’s an ambulance here to take Elsie to the hospital,” Rico explains patiently.
“I’m coming with her and don’t give me any shit about it,” John states sternly.
Throwing his hands up defensively Rico replies, “I understand, and you have plenty of clearance, so there’s not much I can do to stand in the way of whatever you want to do. Apart from pulling that piece of shit apart, which he fucking deserved, off the record.”
“I’ll take your bike back to your house, John, and meet you over there,” Brian says.
“I’ll follow you and give you a lift, Brian,” Marco adds in.
“Thanks, Bri, thanks Marco,” John says to his friends before turning his full attention back to his beautiful Baby Girl, lying in his arms.
“Can you walk, Angel, or do you want me to carry you?” John asks Elsie.
“My arm, John,” Elsie says tentatively, hating that she has to seem so weak.
Another pang of anger shoots through John before he asks, “Can you move it, Baby Girl?”
“No…,” Elsie answers, choking back another sob.
“It’s ok, Angel, we got you.” John looks over Elsie’s head, “Brian…”
“I’m on it, Bro, one second,” Brian answers, already in motion. He’s stepping around everyone to look for something to make a sling for Elsie’s arm. The less it moves the less discomfort it will give her. Brian searches through the clothes and accessories tagged and hanging in the back of the trailer, until he finds a sundress. If he cuts it up and ties it together it will be perfect, lightweight and unencumbering. He grabs the garment between his two hands and tears it down the middle, then he ties the two pieces together to lengthen it, giving it enough slack when it’s tied around Elsie’s neck. He turns back to John, waiting.
“Angel, your clothes…?” John asks Elsie quietly.
“I’m not going out there without them, it’s bad enough…,” Elsie stops, the last word cracking as the newest round of sobs threatens to burst out.
“Ok, Baby Girl,” John says, stroking her back, wanting to pull her into him and wrap her in his arms, and never let her go.
Brian turns to look for Elsie’s clothes. Her jeans are sitting on the floor, inside out with her purple thong tangled in them, along with her sneakers. He picks them up and rights them, pulling out the shoes, he then hands the thong to John. He turns and sees her shirt across the room. He takes a couple of steps and bends to pick it up, along with the matching purple bra, which is twisted up in her Paramore t-shirt. Under it is Elsie’s phone, the screen is smashed, probably from the impact with the wall. Brian’s jaw tenses as he fights to keep his anger in check, Elsie doesn’t need any more commotion right now. Her shaking is visible despite the garments placed over her naked body, and she’s in shock. He keeps his movements smooth, relaxed, and without surprises, all the while forcing himself to remain calm. If he wasn’t a soldier and didn’t have the training of a fighter, Brian doesn’t know if he’d be able to control himself, because right now, all he wants is to see the blood of that low-life scumbag coloring his hands.
They are beyond the point of shyness with each other, these three, who have shared such deep moments of intimacy together. Elsie allowed herself to open to them, proving to herself that she can trust them, and they cared for her with a tenderness she had never known before. In their arms she feels protected and safe. In John’s arms she feels his deep affection. She feels home.
“I’ll close the door so you have some privacy, take your time, I’ll hold anyone off out here,” Marco gently says from the partially open trailer door.
It’s quiet now, just the three of them in the small cocoon of the trailer, the sounds of sirens and men’s voices are just muffled noises in the background. They have been alone together before, sharing her, making her body come alive, but this is different, and somehow so much more intimate. These two men
