A Friend From The Past
written by:
DG Hear

A Friend From The Past By DG Hear

This Earth Day submission falls into a number of categories: Loving Wives, Interracial Love, Romance, Erotic Couplings, and Novels and Novellas, among others. A big thank you to Mistress Lynn for taking of her time to edit this story and make it a much better read.

****

Wow! Where do I begin when talking about Earth Day? When I think about the earth, I visualize that big round ball in the universe shown in the movies or the pictures from our astronauts.

Here on the ground, I think about the Earth Day groups picketing against the coal companies and lumber businesses. It always bothered me because the bottom line was that while men and women were working their asses off to earn a living, a bunch of hopped up, too much time on their hands college kids were busy trying to get these places shut down.

I want a clean earth as much as the next guy, but sometimes I think they go too far. I do love going through the country looking at the fields of golden grain, or corn stalks as far as the eye can see. What about beautiful places like the Grand Canyon or the Rocky Mountains? I love watching the tides come in from the rivers and oceans. It is always peaceful yet eerie when sitting on a dock as the sun sets.

My name is John Jones and I want to tell you about a childhood sweetheart of mine. To tell you about Aliana, I must go back twenty years ago to when I was a kid of eight years old.

I come from a middle-income family where my parents both worked. I had one sister Marie who was two years older than I was. We had a decent relationship even though she used to say I always got on her nerves.

We lived in a rather divided area of town. On one side of the tracks, it was normal housing, but on the other side of the tracks was the projects, for very low or no income families. We still all attended the same school so many of the kids from there were my friends. They couldn't help it that their parents were out of work. My parents brought me up to treat all people the same as long as they treated me right.

Aliana was seven when I first saw her, and a year behind me in school. Most people called her black but I never liked that word. To me, she was a light colored chocolate; she was of mixed race and had the most beautiful green eyes.

I remember one day on the playground that a couple of white guys were teasing her. It pissed me off and I went over, jumped the biggest one, and started beating the shit out of him. A few seconds later, his buddy jumped on my back. I elbowed him and caught his nose. Blood went everywhere. The teachers showed up and we all got detention for a week.

I got grounded at home even longer by my parents, even though deep down I know that my dad was proud of me.

It was funny but those guys never teased Aliana again while I was around. I found out she lived in the projects and went to visit her whenever I could. I brought her over to our house and my parents were surprised she was of mixed race. I guess I didn't really have many black friends especially girls. She was so darn cute and nice they had to like her.

We were pals; we didn't spend all our time together but when we did, we always had fun. My parents invited her go to the zoo with us and even once to the beach. As I mentioned, she was my pal. I never thought of her as a girl.

When I was about ten years old, my parents bought a home in the suburbs. I was really happy in our new house. The only problem was I missed my pal. My dad explained that was how life went. People we cared for would come and go in our life.

I remember when we said goodbye. Aliana had tears coming down her cheeks and it made me cry. I told her to stop it because I was a guy and we weren't supposed to cry. She leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. I had never ever kissed any girl on the lips. "I'll never forget you John," she said as she ran home.

I was glad that Marie was there to give me a big hug. "Life sucks sometimes little brother," she said.

All of that happened over twenty years ago.

Life went on and my memories of Aliana were just part of my past. After graduation from high school, I entered the service, where I spent two years overseas. It was rough but I felt I was there for the right reason.

It wasn't bad in the sexual department either. Some of the ladies had their own way of saying thank you. I've been with women from every race I can think of. When you're a young guy having sex in a strange world, it doesn't matter who's under you. The result would always be the same, one full condom. Some didn't even speak English but ‘Oh god" or "Fuck me" sounded the same in every language. Damn, I was one horny bastard back then.

I moved down to the Miami Florida area after I got out of the service and went to college for a couple of years. I wanted to manage my own business and knew I needed to learn the fundamentals.

After graduation, I started my business as a tour guide of the Everglades. It's one of the nicest places I have ever been to, tranquil, yet a bit scary because of the alligators and such.

The appeal of this nearly untouched wilderness and its plentiful wildlife is what attracted me to the area. I figured the ways to experience it were by boat, airplane, van, airboat, bicycle and even walking tours. Of course, the best would be by boat where you could go deep into the swamp.

Contrary to what the average visitor might expect, the Everglades isn't a huge swamp inhabited only by large snakes and alligators. To me it is a masterpiece of nature's beauty in a mysterious forest containing many forms of wildlife and birds in their natural habitat.

My business took off like a bat out of hell. So many people wanted to tour the Everglades. I owned three boats that were out every morning until it started to become dark. We didn't want to take chances with tourists after dark. Too many alligators, snakes and other swamp creatures were hard to keep track of after nightfall.

Two buddies that were in the service with me were both great friends, and they started working for me after they received their discharges. I also had two great gals in the office that did all of the scheduling.

I did hire a couple of local college students part-time so we could all have time off. I figured that within the year I would be adding at least two if not three more boats. The kind of boats I'm talking about are the kind you see in the movies with the big fans on the back. A lot of the waterways are very shallow and you would ruin your motors if they hit rock bottom or dragged through the sand.

After working non-stop since leaving the service, going to college, and starting a business, I decided to take some time off and go see my family back in Ohio. My two cohorts, Jim and Bob were very capable of running the business for me.

I drove so I would have a way of getting around when I got there. It was so good to see my parents. My sister Marie, her husband, and two kids came by for a big cookout, where we talked over old times.

Marie was a doctor and married one. They had a nice practice in our little town. Dad was still working at the local plant and mom was a full time volunteer. She was a woman who just had to help people. I was ready to oblige her and eat all the homemade meals she made.

One day I was driving through our old neighborhood; it sure changed. Half the buildings were either empty or torn down. The houses looked like drug-infested rattraps. I felt bad. After all, I used to live there and it was part of my early childhood.

After leaving there, I went to visit a few friends from my school days. My old friend Matt was glad to see me. He told me he was recently divorced, blaming it on himself for spending too much time at the bars. His wife left him for another guy. He told me they just got married too early. They both needed to spread their wings.

We decided to go to one of the local bars and have a couple of drinks.

"John, there is a waitress there that will take your breath away. She's either black or of mixed race and has the most beautiful green eyes."

It made me think back when I was a kid how everyone used to say that about Aliana. Of course, she was just a kid too but I remembered her being my gal pal. Matt asked me why I was smiling and I told him I was just thinking about an old friend.

We went in and found an empty booth. It was then that this beautiful chocolate skinned, green-eyed waitress came to our table. We stared at each other for a few seconds and I saw her mouth open in surprise. I looked at her nametag and it said Aliana.

"John! It's really you; I can't believe you're here, it's so good to see you."

Somehow, she'd recognized me. I quickly stood up and gave her a big hug.

"Aliana, I can't tell you how many times I thought about you over the last twenty years. How are you? How have you been?" I asked.

"Hey John, do you know her?" asked Matt.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Matt, this is Aliana, my childhood sweetheart. She was my gal pal till my family moved away when I was ten. Aliana, this is my friend Matt. He was my best friend in high school."

They said hello and we ordered a couple of beers.

"I can't believe you know her," said Matt after Aliana left to get our order.

"I hate to tell you John, but you better stay away from her."

"What are you talking about, Matt? She's just an old friend and a great looking one at that."

"Exactly! She's married to DJ, a real mean black dude. He had one guy put in the hospital just for flirting with her. He'd have you killed if he saw the way you hugged her."

"You're crazy man; no guy is going to put me in a hospital for hugging an old friend. What's the DJ stand for anyway?"

"Darrel Johnson, he was locked up a couple of months ago for possession. I think he's due out next month. I'm just saying John, he's bad news."

"She's coming back. We'll talk more about this later. Hello again, beautiful lady," I said to Aliana as she set down our beers.

She smiled and told me how good it was to see me again.

"Aliana, I'll be here for around two weeks. Maybe we could get together and talk about old times?" I asked.

"John, I would love to but I'm married and I'm sure my husband wouldn't approve of me talking to you."

"What? What kind of a husband is he? I'll tell you what. I'll take both of you out for dinner. Surely he wouldn't mind that." I didn't tell her that I knew he was presently locked up.

I could see she was extremely nervous. She kept looking around the bar to make sure no one was watching us. "John, for your own good, please don't pressure me." I could tell she was distressed.

"Aliana, please, you're an old friend. I can see you're scared and not happy. I don't like seeing you this way. Is there anything I can do?"

"John, I'm afraid of DJ and I don't want to see you get hurt. Please, just stay away from me for your own good." She had tears in her eyes and went straight to the restroom.

"Matt, I can't sit here and do nothing. Tell me all you can about this Darrel Johnson."

Matt told me how DJ was a drug dealer. He was lucky he wasn't sent up for dealing instead of possession, since he was the main man in this area. They just caught him at the wrong time.

I asked how he and Aliana got together and he said he didn't know much other than Aliana had a child a couple of years ago. He didn't believe it was DJ's but really didn't know for sure.

Aliana was a dancer in this lounge but after having her child and marrying DJ, she stopped working. When DJ went to jail, she needed the money and got this waitress job.

Aliana came back to our table one more time. "John, I'm sorry for the way I talked to you. You deserve much better. It's just that DJ has a horrible temper and he doesn't allow me my own friends. It's been so good seeing you again. Please take care."

As Matt and I got up to leave, I squeezed Aliana's hand and she gave me that beautiful smile. I knew she had problems and I wasn't going to leave without trying to help her.

After dropping off Matt, I went back to the lounge at closing and waited on Aliana. When she walked to her car, I pulled up next to her.

"John, what are you doing here? You can't be seen with me."

"Listen, I want to talk with you and help you if I can. Please! There is an all night restaurant outside of town. Follow me there and we'll have some coffee and breakfast if you like. I just want to talk with you."

"Oh god, John, you never did listen to me. I shouldn't go but it's been so long since we've talked. Okay, let's have coffee, but it can't be anywhere around here. Just follow me."

She got in her car and we must have driven a good twenty miles before pulling into a small all-night diner. When she got out of the car, I could see she had been crying. I took her in my arms and just held her.

"What is it Aliana, what's the matter? Let's go inside and you can tell me everything."

Once inside, Aliana broke down and told me her story. I sat back and just let her speak, without interrupting, sensing she needed to get it all out.

"John, I thoroughly screwed up my life. When I was younger, I was foolish. I thought I cared for a man that promised me the world. I got pregnant by him and then he left me before Ashley was born. That's the name of my little girl; Ashley‘s, my pride and joy. I was scared and wasn't sure what to do, but I went ahead and had my daughter. She means everything to me.

"I was a dancer at one of the local lounges. It was actually one of the better ones to work at. The tips were good and the clientele was mostly businessmen. I dated a couple of them but it never got very serious. That was until I met James; he seemed special. He actually wined and dined me for a few months.

"He worked for his dad who didn't like him dating a mixed race woman. I remember after we broke up he told me his dad always said it's okay to fuck her but never marry her. When I got pregnant, his dad was furious. He told James he would disown him if he married me or accepted my child. I cried so hard after hearing that.

"I told them I would have a DNA done and make him pay. His father laughed and said if that happened he would see that I was considered a whore and he would make sure I never got to see the child again. I didn't know what to do and there was no way I could fight a wealthy man. So I just kept my mouth shut.

"I wasn't able to work as a dancer after about my third month of pregnancy. Luckily, the manager kept me on as a waitress till my eight month. After that, we had to live on our savings until after Ashley's birth. A couple of weeks later, I was back on the dance floor trying to make enough for a life for Ashley and me.

"Mom and dad did their best and stood by me. They helped me all they could. When Ashley was about a year old, she got sick and had to go to the hospital for almost a week. The bill ran close to thirty thousand dollars. We had insurance, which covered eighty percent of it, but I was now making payments on the other six thousand dollars.

"Things were a bit tight when I met DJ. He started coming in to the club and kept coming on to me. He asked me out and I decided to go. He was black and the others were white. I guess the color doesn't make a difference, I just can't pick a good one.

"I hadn't been out with anyone since having Ashley. DJ was nice to both of us in the beginning. I thought I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We could become a family and Ashley would have a father. He asked me to marry him, but soon after the wedding, he changed.

"He made me quit my job. He became jealous and violent to me when I didn't listen to him. I was scared and not sure what to do. I left him one time and he came after me and beat me. He said if I told anyone what really happened he would harm Ashley. I knew he was serious. He'd hurt people before.

"I was so stupid and dumb. God, I've made so many mistakes. After going back with DJ, I asked him if Ashley could live with my parents. I loved her so much but I didn't want her around this man. He told me he didn't want the bastard child around him anyway.

"I cried when I took her to my parent's home. They knew that DJ was abusive to me and that I brought Ashley to them to save her. My parents kept telling me to leave him. I wanted to so bad, but he told me if I ever left again that not only would he hunt me down but that he would kill my family also. I just couldn't take that chance.

"He told me, ‘As long as you obey me and do whatever I tell you, you'll have a good life and your family won't be harmed.' So I do what he tells me to. I thought about shooting him but I'm just not that brave yet. I wouldn't know where to start without getting caught. I would be willing to go to jail to save my family and especially Ashley.

"I get to see her most every day. I go there before going to the lounge. It's been a blessing since he has been locked up. I know it's wrong but I pray daily that someone will take his life while in prison. He's due out next month.

"When I first met him, he told me he was a businessman and had a realty office down in our old neighborhood. I've since found out that it's a front for his drug deals. He has two scumbags that work for him, Terrence and Lance. They have been overseeing his business since he went to jail.

"They're supposed to be checking on me daily and report anything out of the ordinary to him. So far, they have come in most every evening. They try to get me to have sex with them. In fact, they have said if I didn't that they would make up something and tell DJ.

"I told them both to get lost. If DJ didn't believe them he would probably do them in. It's been enough for them to leave me alone. They still paw at me and grab my ass when they can. I constantly tell them I'll let DJ know when he gets out. They just laugh. I guess we have each other at a stalemate.

"That's why I was crying John. I want out and away from him but I have no way of doing it. I should have never told you all this stuff. It's just that when we were kids it was like you were my guardian angel. People didn't bother me and I felt safe knowing you were there even though we were just kids."

I listened to Alana speak; my heart went out to her. I wanted to help her in the worst way. All my feelings for her when I was a kid were back. I knew I had to help her, I just didn't know how yet.

I asked her about these two guys who were supposed to be checking up on her. She told me that they said they weren't baby sitters and that they only came by once a day around six o'clock.

The next day being Sunday, they wouldn't be around. She always spent Sunday at her parents so she could be with her daughter. Her parents lived about five miles away from the office and they didn't want to waste their time just to find out if she was there.

After she finished, I paid for our coffee and we left. We stood by her car. She was so damn beautiful. I couldn't help myself as I leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. God, it felt so good. I pulled back quickly and saw tears in her beautiful green eyes.

"I'm so sorry Aliana, I had no right . . ."

"No John, please don't feel sorry. It felt so nice. It reminded me of the time I kissed you when you went away."

I leaned forward, put my arms around her, and kissed her again, very passionately.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to do everything I can to help you." I called her sweetheart, I don't know why.

"John, I can't involve you in this mess I made of my life. They'll kill you; I can't live with that on my conscience. Please just stay away, I'll manage."

I knew that I was now involved. My childhood pal, who would have ever believed we would even have seen each other again. Now, she was in big trouble and I would have to find a way to help her.

She gave me her parent's address and I told her I would be there to see her tomorrow. She hugged me and thanked me for just being there.

Damn, I couldn't believe that I could have feelings for her. Was I just feeling sorry for her, or were they genuine? All I knew was that I made her a promise and I was going to see it through.

*****

That night I went home and had a heart to heart talk with my dad. The nice thing about dad was that he was a good listener and wouldn't try to pre-judge me. We'd had many man-to-man talks in the past.

He did tell me that I really had to watch my step. After all, Aliana was a married woman and I really might not know her that well since we hadn't even talked since we were kids.

"John, people change. I remember that sweet little girl that used to go places with us too. I trust your judgment. All I'm asking is that you be careful. You're out of your element in this situation."

"Dad, I understand. It's just that I know she's made some regrettable mistakes in the past and I want to help her. I guess what I'm saying is that I just can't walk away. I promise I'll be careful."

The following day I did go to her parent's house. Aliana came to the door and smiled after she saw me. She asked me in and re-introduced me to her mother and father. They greeted me but seemed hesitant about why I was there. All parents worry about there kids and I hadn't seen Aliana for over twenty years.

While I was talking to them, a miniature Aliana came up to me. It was her daughter Ashley.

"You must be Ashley. I'm so very glad to meet you," I said as I asked Aliana if it was all right to pick her up. After her approval, I reached down and picked up the four-year-old girl.

I gave here a big hug and she actually hugged me back. I set her back down and she asked me, "Are you John, mommy's friend. Are you going to take me and mommy someplace?"

"Ashley," said Aliana. "You don't ask people to take you places."

"But Mommy, you said maybe he would take us to the zoo. I was just asking him."

"Ashley, would you like your mom and I to take you to the zoo today?"

She shook her head yes while her mom shook hers back and forth but smiled.

"OK then, if it's all right with her, the two of you get your coats or whatever and we'll head out to the zoo."

When they went to get ready, Mr. Brown told me that he wasn't certain that I should be with Aliana, her being married, even though her husband was in jail. He told me that she'd had a very rough life and hoped it would improve.

He did say that my being white had nothing to do with it. Apparently, his father was white and his mother black, so he knew how hard it was for a mixed race person to find acceptance by either race.

"Mr. Brown, I'm not a racist. I do my best to treat all people the same. Aliana was never black or white to me. She was always just my friend while we were growing up.

"Sir, let me assure you of one thing. I would never do anything to harm or hurt either Aliana or Ashley. We're going to the zoo as old friends. They both deserve a day of having fun."

Aliana came back into the room and we said goodbye to her parents and headed out. The day was great. Aliana and Ashley wanted to see all the animals. We fed all the ones with signs allowing us to. Just to see the two of them laughing and smiling made my heart feel good.

Ashley wanted to stop at McDonald's on the way home. I had to admit, it was a pretty cheap date. It was just starting to get dark when we arrived back to her parent's house.

Ashley had fallen asleep on the back seat, so I picked her up, carried her into the house, into her room, and set her on the bed. I went and talked to Mr. and Mrs. Brown while Aliana got Ashley ready for bed.

"Thank you for taking them," said Mrs. Brown. "I could see by the smile on their faces that they had a wonderful time."

When Aliana came out, I told her it was time for me to head home. She walked me to the porch and we talked for a couple of minutes.

"John, thank you for everything. It was probably the best day I've had as far back as I can remember. It was nice to see you again."

"Aliana, it's not over. It's just the beginning for us. I'm going to help you with your problems. There is no way that I will turn my back on you or that sweet little girl. We will find a way out of this. Please, just trust me. By the way, tell Ashley that next Saturday we're going to the Aquarium," I said and smiled.

I leaned forward and gave her a light kiss goodnight. "I'll be by to see you at the lounge."

I could see tears running down her cheeks as I turned away.

****

I started organizing a plan. I figured I had three weeks before DJ would be returning home from prison. Till then I just had to worry about his two friends, Terrence and Lance.

I talked with my friend Matt who agreed to go to the lounge with me each night. I wanted to see Aliana even if it was for a few minutes as our waitress. Matt was more than happy to watch the girls dance.

We stopped in most every evening and had a couple of beers. I would see Terrence and Lance come in and pester Aliana. I wanted to go kick the shit out of them but that didn't work into my plans. I had to watch my temper right now.

Matt and I discussed the drug realty office. He told me that his brother in-law was a cop and was the one who made the bust on DJ. No one knew he and Matt were related. Jeff, Matt's brother in-law, had a big bust set up that would have sent DJ up for a long time.

"The cops hit the office too late in the day and they could only slap DJ with a charge of possession. Matt said Jeff was really pissed and wished they could have sent him away for a long time. He figured Terrence and Lance got wind of the bust and got the drugs out before the cops arrived. DJ's possession charge was for what he still had on his person," said Matt.

"Matt, would you like to get these bastards? I'm going to help out Aliana but I could use some help."

"John, my brother in-law is a cop. I can't do anything illegal. Buddy, these guys are into some serious shit. I wish I could help you and your girl out but I don't have any idea what I can do."

"Matt, she's not my girl, just an old friend."

"Look John, if you're going to help this woman out you'd better realize you more than just care for her. It's all over your face when you look at her. Face it good buddy, you're in love with her."

Matt was right. I guess I just didn't want to believe I could fall for a girl so easily. I guess that I should have realized that Aliana wasn't just any girl. I tried to avoid Matt's response and he just laughed.

"You're a bastard," I replied and laughed at Matt.

"Yeah! And you're in love with your old girlfriend and didn't even know it, you dumb ass."

He said it pretty loud and I'm almost certain Aliana overheard. She didn't look up but I could see she was smiling.

"All I need for you to do is make a couple of phone calls on a non-traceable phone to them when the time is right. Also, to keep me abreast of what if anything you might see. Nothing illegal. In the end, your brother in-law might get his man."

"I can do that for an old friend. What's your plan?"

"I can't tell you everything yet. The less you know the better, but I'm working on it. I'll tell you all you need to know by the weekend. I still need you to tell me what you can about Terrence, Lance and the business."

I found out that money was kind of tight for the two scumbags and they couldn't do any big scores. It seemed that DJ didn't trust them with the big funds. He wanted to make sure they didn't take over his business and figured when he got out he could hook up with his big scores again.

I talked as much as I could to Aliana and found out that DJ handled the money but never gave her any when he went to prison. She had to make ends meet on her waitress job. What a fucking creep he was. I should say that I ended each goodbye with a kiss but we didn't go any further.

I wanted to but she told me she couldn't but would always kiss me again. I wasn't going to push the issue. Her life was already full of turmoil and I didn't want to make it any worse.

The creeps Terrence and Lance would look at Matt and me whenever they came into the lounge. They never stayed long but made their passes at Aliana and even questioned her about Matt and me.

"How the hell do I know who they are? They're customers just like you, only nicer. Please, just leave me alone," she said to the two creeps.

On Saturday, I went to her parent's house where she had been spending her nights since DJ was in prison. When I knocked on the door, a grinning little Ashley opened it and asked if I was taking her to the aquarium.

I stooped down to talk to her. "Yes, pretty little girl and then we'll eat at the place of your choosing."

She gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her grandparents even smiled when they saw her with me. I guess they decided that I wasn't out to take advantage of their daughter. We said our goodbyes, got in the car and headed to the aquarium.

We had another great time together. I told Ashley about where I lived in Florida and that I saw alligators and all kinds of other wildlife every day. She told me she wished she could live in Florida by the water. I looked over at Aliana looking for a reaction.

"Maybe someday sweetheart," she said to Ashley and then smiled at me.

After leaving the aquarium, we headed out for pizza. Ashley told me this was as good as having a birthday. "I like you John," she said and gave me a big hug.

Once I'd brought them home, I asked them if they wanted to come to my parents for a cookout the next day. Ashley jumped for joy. I think she just liked going places. I told them I would be by around noon to pick them up. Aliana walked me to my car, thanked me, and kissed me. She looked so sad though.

"Aliana, what's the matter?"

"The time we spend with you is the kind of life I have always dreamed of for Ashley and me. I just screwed my life up so damn bad. I'm sorry, I don't usually swear." She kissed me again and went back in the house.

On Sunday when we arrived at my parents, Aliana was a bit cautious till my mom came over and gave her a big hug. They greeted Ashley as though she was family. My sister and her family were there also. She had a son who was seven and a daughter who was six who took Ashley out in the yard to play.

Marie came out and gave Aliana a hug too. She told her she remembered way back when Aliana had a crush on me. I guess it was just a girl thing. It was a great day as everyone talked and caught up on family happenings. Everyone knew about DJ so his name wasn't mentioned.

I was talking to my brother-in-law and didn't realize that Aliana had something on her mind.

"Marie, this is kind of embarrassing, but since you're about my age, maybe you can help me with this problem I'm having."

"Sure Aliana, what is it?"

"Let's go over here, away from the others," Aliana said as she walked toward a shady spot several yards away.

When I saw my sister with Aliana, I just smiled. It made me feel good that they were getting along so well.

"I would like for you to give me tests for any HIV or other diseases. You see, I've lived a rather bad life. I made tons of mistakes and am paying for them now. My husband as you probably already know is a real asshole. He beat me and twice gave me to other men for a trade-off of dope. I wasn't willing but I just kept my mind blank till it was over.

"He has been locked up for a few months now and will be out within the month. I don't know what I'm going to do but I'm going to try and get away from him."

Marie didn't say anything, but she felt sick inside for the terror Aliana must have gone through.

"My problem is that I'm in love with John. I know it seems stupid since I've only seen him the last couple of weeks, but I'm sure of it. Ashley is crazy about him too. Just yesterday, she told me she wished that he was her dad.

"I know John wanted to make love to me and I told him not now. See, I don't want to give him any kind of disease that I might have caught. It's been five months since my husband shared me. He had sex with me the day before he went to prison. It was sex, not love. Anyway, can you test me? I haven't been with anyone else and I don't want to hurt John in any way."

"You know I'll help you any way I can. Come to my office first thing in the morning and I'll run some tests. We will have your answers in the next few days. Unfortunately it won't be before John goes home," Marie replied, laying her hand on Aliana's arm.

"Thank you, and whatever the results are, please don't tell John. He's the last person in the world I'd want to hurt."

"Aliana, it may seem funny, but he loves you too. That's the way love hits. I would suggest you tell him about the tests at some point. Knowing my brother, I‘m sure he will understand. He should hear it from you."

"I'm so afraid for him. God, I pray that he won't get hurt," said Aliana.

"Believe me Aliana, John is one smart guy. I'm sure he'll be fine. Now you be sure to come in and see me tomorrow."

"Thank you, Marie. You're such a cool sister. John's lucky to have you in the family." We both just smiled.

After the cookout, I took Aliana and Ashley back home. My parents said they were welcome back anytime and I knew they really meant it.

****

I was to go home on Wednesday so I had to get my plans started. I told Aliana that whatever I did she would have to trust me and go along with it. She promised to do as I asked because she trusted me to make things right.

Matt and I were in the lounge as usual on Tuesday. I told Matt a little about my plan so he wouldn't be overly surprised. I saw Terrence and Lance come in and do their usual bullshit with Aliana. They stared back at me and laughed.

When Aliana came back to our table, I stood up and kissed her. She looked shocked because the two scumbags were staring at us. A bit rattled, she went back to work, and they began talking to each other before leaving the bar. Later Aliana came over and asked me what I was doing.

"I'm coming back two days before DJ gets out and taking you to Florida with me. I will talk with your parents tonight and tell them my plan, which is to say that we took Ashley with us, but I want them to watch over her for maybe a week. For now, the less you know the better, just in case it doesn't work out. Just trust me like you promised."

Though she looked a bit worried, Aliana nodded.

I told Matt that I was going to walk out of the bar alone but for him to come out a few minutes later, just in case I needed help.

When I stepped out to the side parking lot, there stood the two scumbags, each holding a knife. I didn't act scared because I knew I could handle them.

"So, what's up guys?"

"Hey white boy. What the fuck you trying to prove putting your hands on Aliana? You signed your own death warrant."

"Look guys, either we fight it out here with you two getting hurt or I give you a large sum of money to look the other way. Your choice."

"What the fuck are you talking about? That's DJ's wife. If he finds out about you, you're dead meat," Terrence said.

"I have ten thousand dollars to give you for turning the other way."

"What the fuck? You're going to give us ten thousand dollars because you kissed her? Do you think we're fucking morons?"

"The money is because I plan on taking her away from this rat hole and the ten thousand buys your silence."

"No, I don't think so white boy," Lance said as they came toward me.

It took all of ten seconds to disarm both of them and put them on the ground with my foot on Lance's throat.

"Now guys, I'll be back tomorrow and you tell me if we have a deal or not."

Matt came out and said, "What the fuck?"

"These two men tripped and fell and I was just helping them up."

After they got up and left Matt asked me, "What branch of the service were you in?"

"Special Forces," I replied and smiled.

We left and I gave Matt the next part of the plan. I told him to call DJ's cell phone number. Aliana told me that Terrence had it. I wanted him to say that he was working for Pedro Castro and wanted to speak to DJ. He was to say he wanted fifteen thousand dollars worth of crack and that their old supplier was in prison and they needed a new one. The agreement was that if their shit was good that he would be purchasing a minimum of fifteen grand a week.

Matt did a great sell job on the phone. When they told him they didn't have that much on hand, he just said he would look for a different supplier. Of course, they did everything they could to promise it to him. He agreed to call them back in three weeks, giving them the time to get the order together.

Before he hung up, he instructed them to have the first two orders ready and he would call them the day before to set up the buy. He repeated to them that they better not be pulling any shit over on him by wasting his time.

I read that there was a Pedro guy who was a big dope pusher down in the southern part of Ohio, and figured Lance and Terrence probably heard the name mentioned.

Ten grand could easily buy enough crack with a street value of well over thirty thousand. Of course, they would have to give Pedro some kind of deal or thin their powder down somehow. The first thing was they had to get the money and then the crack. DJ was always the leader and had made the same type of buys before.

I had to wonder if they thought about telling him about it but figured if they made the deal then they could reap all the profits. They probably also had to question if my offer still stood seeing I made fools out of them the day before.

The next evening I was at the table by myself. I didn't want to get Matt involved here. I really did go to the bank and withdrew the five thousand dollars. If my plan worked, it would be well worth the price.

The lounge was pretty empty and I was talking to Aliana when Terrence and Lance came in. They came up to my table and started to say something to Aliana then looked at me and thought better of it. Lance asked if they could sit down. I pointed to the chairs.

They asked Aliana to bring their usual. She looked over at them and then kissed me before leaving. They kept quiet but I could tell it bothered them.

"The name is Mr. Jones if you have something to say." I wanted them to know I wasn't afraid of them.

"Mr. Jones, does your offer still stand? You know, ten grand if we don't tell DJ about you and Aliana?"

"You guys know it would be easier to kill you, but then I'd have a mess to explain. I'll tell you what. I'll give you five grand now in good faith and five when I take Aliana with me in a couple of weeks. That way if I find out that you bothered her or didn't keep your promise, I'll rescind our agreement and deal with it accordingly."

They got up and walked away a bit where I assumed they talked it over. I figured they needed the money to buy the crack. This would at least make a down payment. When they came back, Lance told me they'd agree to my offer. I reached down and handed them the sports bag with the money in it. They knew better than to count it.

I asked them to go sit elsewhere because I needed to talk to Aliana. I told her loud enough so that they could hear that if they bothered her in any way till I got back, to call me and I would take care of the situation.

I left the bar and went to talk to her dad. I explained how I was going to take Aliana and Ashley away to Florida to live, but that I would just take Aliana for a few days and we would come back for Ashley. I needed him to protect her. He told me he would have no problem with that and wished me luck.

After her shift ended, I was there waiting and took Aliana out for breakfast. I told her how much I cared for her and that I would be back to get her. In the car, we kissed and did some heavy petting but she wouldn't go any farther. She offered me oral sex but I told her not unless I could return the favor.

She just said, "Not yet." I didn't know why she kept saying no; I was sure she cared for me but I wasn't about to push her.

I headed home to complete my plan. Between Jim, Bob and I we would be ready.

*****

When I returned home, my friends were all there to greet me. I explained to them that I had met an old friend and that she might be moving to Florida. They chided and laughed at me for ‘being caught' as they put it.

I then explained that trouble was ahead. Without going into too much detail, I outlined my plan.

"Are you sure about this John? They sound like some pretty nasty guys," asked Jim.

"Jim, what would you do if the woman you loved was living the type of life that Aliana is? I didn't mention it but she has a four year old daughter who is the sweetest little girl. Aliana took Ashley to live with her parents to keep her away from this asshole drug dealer. She'll admit to making mistakes in life but should I just tell her that she made her bed, now sleep in it? I can't do that to her."

"How does she feel about you John? Does she care for you or just using you to help her out of a bad situation?" asked Bob.

"I don't know for sure. I believe she's sincere but either way I can't let her fester in a life like that. You guys all know me. Once I make a promise, I keep it. I promised I would help her and I'm going to do just that."

"We're behind you as always John. Just tell us what you need and we'll be there," said Bob.

For the next two weeks, the three of us marked a special path through the Everglades. This area was not for touring. It was loaded with alligators, but the worst was it had a couple of quicksand bogs. It was an extremely dangerous area. ‘Do not enter' signs were posted all over the area.

I made trial runs over and over, making sure of the exact path. I couldn't afford a mistake.

Almost every night I called Aliana to make sure that she was okay and that the scumbags weren't bothering her. She said they had backed off a little but she was getting scared knowing DJ would be out of prison in a couple of days.

"Don't worry, I'll be there for you, I promise. You just have to act normal."

"It's not easy John. I'm scared to death for Ashley, myself and my family. I'm also scared for you too. John, I've never told you this, but I love you. I just want you to know that in case this plan doesn't work out."

"It will work and I'll see you in a couple of days. By the way, I love you too."

*****

All our plans were ready here in Florida. I said goodbye to Jim and Bob and told them I would see them in a few days, and then took the next flight out to Ohio. Matt was at the airport to greet me and give me a ride into town.

We made our arrangements for him to call Terrence to make sure they were still going to do the drug buy. They promised him the drugs would be there the following week. Matt told them he would buy the thirty grand worth and call them the day before making the trip up. They assured him the drugs would be there.

I went to see my parents and told them that I asked Aliana to come to Florida with me. I explained that we would be gone a few days so she could see the area and if she wanted to move there that we were coming back to get Ashley.

When they asked about her husband who was in prison, I told them that she was going to get a divorce. She deserved a better life. They agreed but told me to be careful and take it a day at a time. I didn't tell them anything about my other plans. There was no need for them to know and scare them.

They asked me if I would like to bring Aliana and Ashley over for a cookout before we went back. Of course, I said yes.

I headed over to the lounge to see Aliana. When I walked in, she ran up to me and gave me a hug. I mentioned the cookout and she said she would love to go. It would also be the last time she would see Ashley till we came back for her.

As I drank my beer, Terrence and Lance came in and sat at my table. They were acting a little braver today. I wanted to get up and kick the shit out of both of them but I needed them in one piece for now.

"You got the rest of our money, whi—?" Lance started to say white boy but I figured he must have decided that might not be a good idea.

"Yeah, I have it. Now, let's get this straight. When DJ gets out you will tell him you have no idea where Aliana went, you got it?" I said in a very stern voice. "Ten grand should buy a lot of silence."

"We heard you, now give us the damn money," said Lance.

I know a lot of people will think I'm crazy for giving ten grand to these two scumbags but it was worth it to me to get my plan working. The main thing was to get Aliana and Ashley away from this life.

I handed them the sport bag with the five grand in it. While they were in the bar, I had Matt attach a tracking device to the underside of their vehicle.

They were driving DJ's Cadillac. The only problem was the tracking device was only good for a two hundred mile radius. That could present a problem if we didn‘t keep an eye on it. I did have two trackers to receive the signal. I gave one to Matt and kept the other myself.

*****

Everything was becoming quite tense. It was good to go to a cookout at my parents just to relax a little. My sister Marie and her family were there too. I saw Aliana glance at Marie, and my sister smiled back.

Mom gave Ashley a big hug and told her the other kids were out back playing and Ashley ran to join them. I was talking with dad and telling him that we would be leaving first thing in the morning. Matt was dropping us off at the airport.

Aliana and Marie were talking and they both had big smiles on their faces. I was happy to see that the two of them got along. I was hoping that someday they might become sister-in-laws.

Dad and I talked for a while and he told me he hoped everything worked out well with Aliana and me. He added that he and mom both liked her and hoped her life situation would improve.

"Dad, you know I love her; I know you do. If she feels as strongly about me as I do her, everything will work out fine. I guess only time will tell."

After we'd all stuffed ourselves, it was time to take Ashley back to her grandparents. Aliana explained to her about going away for a few days but that she would be staying with her grandma. Aliana then pointed out that she would be back to get her real soon.

"Where are you going, Mommy?"

"I'm going with John to Florida to see where he lives on a little vacation. Maybe some day we can go visit there."

"That would be fun. John said it was like living near the aquarium we went to see. When can I go?"

"I don't know yet, sweetheart. We have to see how it works out."

"OK, but I can‘t wait to go."

Matt and I stopped by and picked up Aliana early the next morning, then headed to the airport. DJ was getting out on parole from prison the same day.

I left some special instructions with Matt in case DJ asked about me. I told him an address of a camper I kept at a docking zone of a boat ramp used mostly by seasonal campers. I had it to rent to visitors or loan to friends. I also gave him the number of a disposable cell phone that I kept.

We said goodbye to Matt and I shook his hand, then Aliana gave him a hug. I saw a big grin cross his face.

"What is it Matt?"

"I've always wanted to do that, hug Aliana. She sure does feel and smell good," Matt admitted.

"Sorry good buddy, but she's taken." We all laughed at that.

Aliana told me this was her first time on an airplane. She asked if she could have the window seat so she could see more. I had to chuckle. She really made me happy even with all the problems surrounding us.

She asked where I lived and wondered about my house. I told her a bit about the three-bedroom house right on the lakefront I had and that I thought she would like it. Talk about Earth Day and a beautiful area to live in, it didn't get much better.

"If you're there, I'm sure I will," was all she said.

We talked about life in general and about the area that I lived in. A person had to love the peace, quiet and tranquility, to live where I did.

Listening to her talk about when we were kids and how she had this giant crush on me made me smile. Remembering back, I really enjoyed that time together too.

When we got to Florida, Jim was waiting there for us. He greeted us and then stared at Aliana for a few seconds. "Yes, she's of mixed race," I stated, a little annoyed at what I imagined my friend was thinking.

"No, I'm sorry, it's not that John. You mentioned that to us. It's that she's every bit as beautiful as you told us," said Jim.

He then told Aliana, "John has a way of telling tall tales. When he used to get drunk, we wouldn't know who would be in his bed in the morning. Believe me, there were some pretty bad sights."

"OK, Jim, enough of my past," I remarked. "We don't want to scare her away. Besides, I don‘t think she wants to hear about that."

"Jim, when you have time, I'd like to here more," Aliana said and winked.

"That's enough guys, let's get going," I said.

All the people at the office loved Aliana and made her feel at home. We all went out for dinner after we closed up and went to a seafood buffet. After a great meal, everyone left the table except for Jim and Bob and me.

Bob asked, "I don't want to put a damper on the festivities but what comes next?"

"We will get a call from Matt telling us if DJ is coming our way or just staying put. Till then it's wait and see, business as usual. If we get the call, we know he will be down here within twenty hours if he drives. Of course we don't know if he'll come alone, which I hope for but very much doubt."

"What if they fly down?" asked Jim.

"That's unlikely seeing he's on parole and can't leave the state. If they drive, no one would know. Either way, Matt will let us know if there is movement on the tracker. We'll deal with it if and when the time comes," I said.

We dropped the subject when everyone came back to the table. I didn't want to involve anyone other than Jim and Bob. The fewer who knew about the situation the better. As far as everyone else knew, Aliana was my girlfriend and here on a vacation.

After dinner, we all headed home. Of course, Aliana came with me. We went into the house and I told her to make herself at home.

She said a hot shower would be nice and I showed her where all the clean towels and things were. I usually slept in my underwear but thought I'd slip on a pair of shorts.

I was watching the weather when Aliana stepped into the room wearing a sexy robe and what looked like a teddy under it.

"I put your suitcases in the middle bedroom. I hope you will be comfortable there."

She looked at me with a sad but serious look. "I was hoping that I might be able to share your bed while I was here," she said.

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. "Aliana, you gave me the impression that you were not ready to be intimate with me. I just assumed . . ."

"John, please let me explain. If when I finish telling you this you want me to sleep in the spare bedroom, I'll understand. I haven't told you everything about my past. I haven't lied to you; I want you to know that. I just didn't tell you all of it. As you know, I was a dancer and I did lead a somewhat loose life."

"We all did Aliana, I understand."

"John, I have to get this out, I can't keep it from you. You know about Ashley and that for some ungodly reason I married Darrell. I told you how he hit me and abused me. What I didn't tell you was the son of a bitch forced me to have sex with his customers.

"I hated it but there wasn't anything I could do about it. That's why I ran away. But he caught up with me and beat me then told me next time he would kill me and Ashley.

"The last time he shared me was about six months ago. He also had sex with me the night before going to prison. I was on the pill ever since I gave birth to Ashley, so I wasn't worried about becoming pregnant. However, I was worried about passing a disease along to you.

"The only person that knows this besides you is your sister Marie. I went to her to have a physical to make sure I didn't have HIV or any other diseases. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you in any way. It was the only reason I always told you not yet. I wanted you so badly.

"When you saw us hugging at your parent's house it was because she gave me a clean bill of health. So, I can understand if you don't want me in your bed. It‘s just that I had to be honest with you and have you hear it from me instead of anyone else."

"Sweetheart, I love you. We both have done things in the past that we're not proud of. I would love to share my bed with you. I won't have sex with you though."

She looked very surprised at me, almost in tears.

"I want to make love to you, to kiss and touch every inch of your body."

She came to me and kissed me passionately. Soon we were both naked, lying on my bed. I began with her lips and then moved back up to her forehead to kiss each spot of her gorgeous body. She laughed as I nibbled behind her ears.

I sucked on her nipples till they became hard. God, her skin was a beautiful shade of chocolate. I wanted to eat her up. I kissed my way down her stomach and then felt her tighten up when I my lips slid below her belly button.

Damn, what a turn on it was, rubbing my face on the dark fuzz between her belly button and her mound. She kept making mewling sounds and told me how much she loved me and wanted me. When I began to rub my face through her mound, I could smell her sex. She was so hot and wet and nearly came when I pushed my fingers inside her.

I kept pumping them in and out while moving down and started to lick her clit. She screamed out and had her first orgasm. I licked faster and faster while she came. I didn't give her a chance to rest as I removed my fingers and replaced them with my mouth.

She had her hands on her pussy lips opening them so I could face fuck her. With my tongue deep within her, I pushed my face all over her pussy. She was so damn wet.

I couldn't take it much longer as I raised up and inserted my hard cock into the entrance of her very pink pussy. Slowly pushing in, I felt her lips tighten around me. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back very long. She raised her hips up as I kept pumping harder and harder.

I felt myself ready to come so I pushed in till my balls were touching her ass and filled her with my load of cum. She then lowered her hips and I half laid on her till my cock became soft.

I rolled off her onto my back so she could rest against my chest as we fell asleep. The last thing I remembered hearing was Aliana whispering, "I really do love you John."

The phone rang at two in the morning. It startled me and woke Aliana.

"Hello," I said into the receiver, half-awake.

"Sorry to bother you John, but you told me to keep you updated. DJ, Terrence and Lance are on their way to Florida to find you and Aliana. I looked at the tracker and they are entering Kentucky. They must have left a couple of hours ago. If they drive straight through, they should be there by eight o'clock tonight. Sorry I'm late calling but I just got home," Matt said from the other end.

"That's fine Matt, is there anything else you can tell me?"

"I think they looked all over for Aliana. Terrence told him that they had seen you hanging with me in the bar. They came in all loud-mouthed and asked me if I knew you. I did exactly what you said.

"I admitted that we went to high school together and that you lived in Florida. In a not so nice way, he asked me if I knew where and if I had your number. I told him you were just an old friend, and sure, I'd give him your number, but that this was the first time I'd seen you in ten years, so I didn't know anything else about you. He took the address and told me not to ever expect to see you again."

"They didn't start a fight or hurt you in any way did they, Matt?" I asked.

"My pride was hurt a little but with three to one odds, I didn't think fighting with them would have been a good idea."

"Thanks Matt, you're a true friend. I'll call you when I know something more; take care."

"Good luck John. I sure hope you know what you're doing. He was one pissed off dude."

After I hung up the phone Aliana asked, "What are we going to do John?"

"Nothing right now, but we have plans in place just for if this was to happen. Tomorrow I'll explain more of it to you. If Matt's estimation is correct, they should arrive here around seven or eight tomorrow night."

"John, what about my parents and Ashley? Did Matt mention them?"

"No, which is a good thing. He would have said something if there was a problem. You can call them first thing in the morning to help put yourself at ease. Right now, would you please push your butt up against me? You feel so damn good."

She did as I asked and we cuddled till we were able to go to sleep.

The next morning she called her mom and dad first thing.

"Mom, is everything all right? Is Ashley OK? Did Darrell show up at the house?"

"Easy honey," her mom said. "Here, I'll let you talk to dad."

"Hi Aliana, everything is fine here. I did just as John said. When DJ pulled up, I told him you and Ashley left with a John Jones to Florida. He started to act smart till he saw I had my loaded shotgun aimed at him. I told him to get the hell off my property and if he ever came back, I would shoot him.

"John was right. Darrell was just a bully. He backed away when he found out I was serious about shooting him. I would have done it too if he would have stepped inside our house."

After talking to her dad, she talked to Ashley for a few minutes. She told her she would see her in a few days. It was nice to see her smile knowing her family was fine.

I updated Jim and Bob on the call I received from Matt.

"Hey guys, it looks like our plan is in play. Jim, you stay here and watch the business. Aliana, if you wouldn't mind helping in the office, I'd appreciate it. You don't have to, but you might feel better with something to keep you busy. Bob and I will be gone for a couple of hours. The girls can show you what to do."

Aliana nodded and headed into the office. She had met the staff at dinner the night before and they all got along great.

Bob and I took two airboats and headed into the dense Everglades past the danger and no trespassing signs. We very slowly made our way a couple of miles into the swamp area. I drove deep into an overgrowth and onto a sandbar.

I anchored the boat but knew it wasn't going anywhere. I then got into Bob's boat and we headed back to the office. We took two trawler boats with small motors and oars and took them to the other campgrounds that DJ knew the address. We docked those boats there.

We headed back to the business. It was nice to see Aliana helping. She said it helped keep her mind off what might happen later. I asked Bob to take her for a ride on one of the airboats. That way she might not be as scared when we rode one later.

They took off on a ride in our general area. When she got back, she came to me and kissed me. She smiled, and Bob laughed. There was no doubt to anyone that she was my woman.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"Because I love you," she replied as we kissed again.

My cell phone rang just then. I wasn't surprised when I saw it was DJ. I figured he might call.

"You white mother fucker. I'm coming after you. You stole my woman and I'm going to gut you out. You tell that fucking whore that after I kill you, I'm going to beat her to a pulp and then sell her ass to the highest bidder. You messed with the wrong man, you mother fucker."

"Hey Darrell, we can work this out. Just give Aliana a divorce and you can have everything. Let her have her freedom. There doesn't need to be any violence. Just let her go."

"Mother fucker, nobody takes my property and I own her."

"Listen, you black bastard," I looked over at Aliana, my silent message an apology for the language. She gave a slight nod showing she understood. "I tried to be fair and nice about this. She's my friend, not your fucking personal property. The only way you'll get near her is over my dead body, you black piece of shit. You fucking scum of the earth."

"Mother fucker, I'll be there and you're right. I will take that whore over your dead body," he said as he hung up.

"What did he say John. I heard your side of the conversation and I have to tell you it scared me." Aliana shook as she spoke, fear in her eyes.

"He says he doesn't like me and apparently he doesn't like you either. He won't give you a divorce."

"John, please what did he say?" she implored.

"Pretty much what I told you but he used a much more colorful language," I replied. "Don't worry, we have it under control."

At around four o'clock, the tracker started beeping. We knew we had less than four hours before they would be here. At six thirty, Jim, Aliana and I headed over to the campgrounds. I gave Aliana a pair of boots and hip waders to put on. I had another pair for me.

"What are these for John? Are we going fishing or something?"

"Something like that. We may be waist deep in swamp and scum water. I won't force you to wear them, but you‘ll be glad you did."

We had our two trawler rowboats ready. We didn't want them to be moving too fast and take a chance of catching up to us or getting bogged down in the swamp.

Jim saw the Cadillac pulling into the parking area. We started our boat and headed out. I took a machete with me, knowing I would have to cut down some more growth.

"Hey man, have you seen a guy named John Jones?

"Yes Sir. That was him with a lady friend in that boat that just pulled out."

"Do you have a boat we can rent? We're in a hurry."

"Just this trawler boat here. It's good around the Everglades. It's a —"

"I don't care how much it costs. Here's a fifty; you can give me the change when we get back."

They jumped in the boat and started after us.

"Be careful and get the boat back before dark," Jim yelled after them.

We didn't usually do business like this but this time we made an exception. They could have just taken the boat for all I cared.

We saw them coming about a hundred yards away, but kept moving along at full power, which was only a few miles an hour. We entered the ‘Danger Area', scaring Aliana.

"John, it said danger back there. I'm scared."

"Don't worry sweetheart. I know this area like the back of my hand. I promise that I won't let anyone hurt you."

As they followed us through the everglades, Aliana held on to me while I slowly guided the boat around the difficult curves. I knew it was dangerous but this is what I had to do for the plan to work.

We turned off the main streams onto smaller ones. I even had to slow down so that DJ and his guys would follow us. After making a number of turns, we were in a marsh type swamp.

"My god John, they are still behind us. Where are we going?" she asked, crying.

"Just trust me Aliana, I know every inch of this swamp. I need for them to keep following us."

I pulled up to a sand bar, got out and reached for Aliana's hand. "Hurry, we will have to walk now."

Bob and I had cut a path earlier in the day. We were on sand and mud bar with growth on it, so we could walk decent. A few times, we sank to our ankles but were able to keep moving.

We heard DJ, Terrence and Lance shut off their boat and begin following us on foot. We just kept moving along ahead of them. Aliana was scared to death but trusted me to take care of her.

"We're coming for you white boy. You and that whore are going to pay the ultimate price for crossing me. I'm going to fucking kill you," DJ screamed from behind us.

Soon we reached a plateau where it was all wet sand, about twelve feet across and a good twenty feet wide, surrounded by swamp growth.

"Follow me, hold on tight because we have to go around this sand."

"God, I'm scared John." She stumbled but held on to me.

We dropped about a foot into the swamp water. Aliana even gave out a little scream as we waded through it and around to the other side of the sand before ending up directly across from the path we were on minutes ago. Right then we saw the three scumbags approaching us about fifty feet from the sand bog.

"Stop right there or we'll shoot you where you stand," yelled DJ. "You take another step and your whore girlfriend is dead."

About twenty feet away from the sand bog, Aliana was crying and holding on to me.

"Did you really think you could get away with this shit? You did all this for a fucking whore. Did she tell you how she fucked everyone I told her to? You‘re one stupid bastard," DJ hollered, then laughed as he started to come across the sand at us, his two buddies standing behind him.

All of a sudden, he started to sink, losing his gun as he threw his arms in the air. He'd stepped in quicksand.

He yelled to his two buddies to help him out. They started to approach him when I said, "If you save him, he'll boss you around the rest of your lives. You might want to think about it."

"You dumb fucks get me the fuck out of here." They weren't reacting.

"I got money, it's all yours if you get me out of here," yelled DJ, now waist deep in the quicksand.

"Where's the money at?" asked Terrence. "Tell us and we'll help you. You don't have a choice."

"There's a key in my apartment. It's to a locker at the bus station; now get me out of here."

They started to move forward but decided not to. They knew they could now have it all, the business and the money. They watched as he sank to his neck and went down calling them fucking black bastards.

Aliana couldn't watch it. She was in my arms crying on my shoulder as DJ sank in the sand.

"I can't watch it, I just can't," said a scared and crying Aliana as she clung to me.

I watched as his head went under, buried for eternity in the quick sand.

"From the earth you came and to the earth you return," I said to myself.

I looked over and saw Terrence and Lance standing there staring at us. We each stood on opposite sides of the bog, Aliana and me with a machete and them with guns.

"Looks like if we do away with you two, we'll be home free," said Lance.

"People know we're here and saw you get in the boat. Besides, if you make a wrong turn, alligators will eat you. It's getting dark and they'll be hungry. Oh shit, there is one behind you, look out," I yelled.

They quickly turned around and fired shots into the ground behind them. It gave me enough time to pull Aliana into the high swamp growth behind us. When they turned back around, all they saw was empty space where we had been.

"What the fuck are we going to do?" asked Lance.

"Forget about them Lance. We need to get out of here before it gets any darker. We didn't do nothing wrong, besides we need to get back."

They had over a mile to walk back through the swamp. Aliana and I waded through waist high swamp water for about twenty-five yards where we had our airboat docked. We quickly boarded it and headed back to the campground area where Jim was waiting.

"Sure is good to see you two. We could hear the sound of gunshots. What happened?"

"DJ couldn't make it through the quicksand and his buddies will probably be here in a little while. It might be best if you stay out of sight and see what they do. We're taking the airboat back to the business. We'll get the trawler tomorrow. Call me as soon as you know something."

We headed back to the house and went to clean up and change into something dry. Aliana took a shower while I docked the boat. I took a quick shower and when I came out, Aliana greeted me with a kiss.

"You're my guardian angel and hero all rolled into one. I really do love you John Jones. That will never change."

My phone rang and it was Jim. "John, they just arrived back. They didn't even tie up the boat. They just got out and went right to their car. They did look scared. Do you want me to call you and let you know where they're going? I still have the tracker."

"Just call if they head anywhere other than north. They have to be tired. My guess is they will drive a while and find a cheap motel away from this area."

"OK, sounds good. I'm heading home myself after I go dock the stupid boat. I'll keep an eye on the tracker for a while and hopefully talk to you in the morning."

Back at my house, I went back to kissing Aliana. "John, I owe you my life. How can I ever repay you?"

"I'm sure we can think of a way. Let's start by letting me kiss your body all over again."

"Wait, you did that last night. It's my turn to return the favor."

She walked with me to the bedroom and when I started to undress she said, "Stop, I'm supposed to be doing this."

Before I knew it, she'd stripped me of all my clothes and began to kiss my body. I was as hard as a rock, and when she got to my cock, I told her to turn so I could eat her pussy at the same time. She had no objection to that as I pushed my tongue into her very wet tunnel.

We continued to make love till we both fell asleep in each others arms.

*****

The phone rang at six the next morning waking us both up again. It was Jim.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything," said Jim laughing.

"You woke us up so you interrupted my sleep. What's up Jim?"

"You were right about those other two guys. They spent the night in Georgia. They started on the move again this morning. I'll probably lose them in the next hour or so but it sure does look like they're headed back to Ohio."

"Thanks Jim, we'll see you in a couple of hours. I'm going to try and get a little more shut-eye."

"Yeah, right," Jim said and chuckled as he hung up the phone.

"Is everything OK John?" asked Aliana.

"Everything's fine. The scumbags are headed back to Ohio."

"Would you like a little morning sex?" I asked Aliana looking sexy as can be.

"I'd love it," she said as she grabbed me around the neck and brought me down to the bed.

The next two days went by without much new happening. Matt called and said Terrence and Lance returned to Ohio but he never saw DJ. I just told him DJ found a permanent residence in the Everglades. He didn't ask any more about him.

I mentioned to Matt about calling the scumbags and setting up a meet. I told him that we believed they got some of DJ's money so he might want to ask for a bigger buy.

He called us back later in the day and said he asked them if they could handle sixty grand worth of crack instead of the original thirty. He added they hesitated but agreed they could do it. They had a meet set up at the reality office for seven the next morning.

I told Matt to turn it over to his brother-in-law and explain the whole deal. I suggested he stay clear of it all after that.

"We're coming home day after tomorrow. We'll be driving my truck. It should take us two days to get there, since we don't plan on driving straight through. You can fill us in on how and if the drug bust was successful."

Once we arrived, we went right to her parent's house to see Ashley. She ran up to her mom and gave her a big hug. It just made me smile.

"Did you like Florida, Mom? Is it pretty there?" asked Ashley.

"Yes, it is very beautiful there; you're going to love it there."

She stayed there to talk with her parents. In the meantime, I went to see Matt.

"How'd it go Matt or did it?

Matt was grinning from ear to ear. "It went perfect. My brother-in-law didn't believe me at first till I told him the story about setting up a buy and I explained that somehow they got hold of DJ's money and purchased more crack with it.

"He talked to the undercover guys who went there and made the bust. They used the name of Pedro Castro just like you said. Two of the agents went inside with government cash and asked to see the goods. Once they opened the vault, the whole police department rained down on the building.

"It was awesome! I watched it all go down from on top of a building across the street. They recovered over a hundred thousand dollars worth of crack and other dope. God knows what the street value would have been. They were hoping to catch DJ there also but Steve told me that his partners said that he went to Florida and hasn't returned yet. I didn't tell him anything about you or Aliana."

"Please Matt; don't mention us in any way, shape or form."

"No problem. Steve is the man of the hour for organizing the bust, and he thanked me repeatedly. The paper reported it as one of the biggest busts in our area. Plus, they're going after the suppliers now. It was quite the ride, John. Thank you for inviting me along."

"You're welcome my friend, and thank you for helping Aliana and me. I'll try and stop by to visit whenever I'm up this way. Feel free to come and visit me in Florida also."

I felt happy for Matt and Steve. They said that Terrence and Lance would go to prison for a very long time. I went back to Aliana's and told her about the drug bust. She was very happy hearing the news.

I sat down and Ashley came into the room. "What's the matter honey, you look sad?"

I got down on one knee in front of her so I could talk to her at eye level. She came over, put her arms around me, and said, "I love you John and want you to be my daddy." Talk about something pulling at your heartstrings. "Will you be my daddy?"

I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight. I was trying to figure out what to tell her.

"Honey, I love you too but it's not that easy, it's complicated."

"What's comcated mean John?"

"Let me try and explain it to you. Your mommy is already married. A paper she has says she's married. She has to go to a lawyer and get a divorce, which means she will no longer be married. It can take some time to get that done, sometimes up to six months. After that she will have to decide if she wants to get remarried."

Aliana was watching me talk to Ashley. I had no idea what to say to a four year old, but I tried to tell her the truth. "If your mom wanted to marry me and move to Florida, she would have to go through all your things and decide what to take and what to leave."

"Mom would marry you. She loves you just like me."

"If we got married, then I would have to fill out papers that say I want to adopt Ashley Brown as my daughter, and your mom would have to say it was all right with her. When it gets approved, then they would change your name to Ashley Jones and you would legally become my daughter. So you see it would all take some time."

Ashley looked at me like "What the heck are you saying?" Aliana and her parents were smiling at my struggle in explaining it to her. They did all they could to keep from laughing. I finally realized I was getting nowhere.

"Honey, let me try this again so you might understand," I said, walking over in front of Aliana and kneeling on one knee.

"Aliana, I love you more than anything. As soon as your divorce is final, would you marry me and allow me to adopt Ashley as my daughter? Will you get all your stuff together, move to Florida with me, and share my house in the next few months? That includes bringing Ashley to live with us."

"Say yes mommy, tell John yes."

After a few seconds, Aliana looked into my eyes and said, "Yes, to everything you said. I'll marry you, you can adopt Ashley as your daughter and I'll do my best to get things in order to move to Florida in the next few months."

"Yeah," Ashley yelled as she jumped off the chair and climbed on my back. She was all smiles as I kissed her mom.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown smiled too, but I would have to believe they would miss having them around. They had two other daughters, a son, and seven grandkids, but they didn't live anywhere near them. They visited now and then but it wouldn't be the same as seeing them everyday. I hoped they just wanted the best for Aliana and Ashley though.

It was time for me to go tell my parents about our plans. I told Aliana I would stop by the next day and take her to pick up her belongings at the apartment she had with Darrell. That's why we drove up in my pick-up truck. I was wondering in what condition the place would be in seeing that Darrell told Terrence and Lance he had hid a key there to a locker at the bus depot. Since they brought in more crack I figured they'd found it.

*****

The following morning we arrived at her apartment. The front door had a crack in it and hung open. Someone had broken into the apartment. It looked like a tornado went through the rooms. Piles of clothes, the dresser drawers with the contents dumped, her TV and even the stereo lay scattered around where the vandals threw them.

The mattress rested on its side, ripped open with the inside shredded. When Aliana saw the mess, she closed her eyes for a second and shook her head.

"Why did they have to destroy everything? Breaking the TV and stereo was just plain destructive."

"It was probably their way of getting revenge on you. You should call the police and report the break in."

"They won't come out here for a robbery, not in this neighborhood," said Aliana.

"It's just that you want it on record. You might as well go tell the landlord too and then let him know that you will be moving. Are you on any type of lease?" I asked.

She gave a slight smile. "You've got to be kidding. The people in this apartment building change weekly if not daily. I'll let him know that I'll clean up the place and be out in the next day or so."

While she went and made her calls, I brought in a few boxes and bags and started gathering up some of the papers lying around. When she came back in, she said that she was just taking her personal things, and then started putting hers and Ashley's clothes in the large bags.

I had most of the papers gathered and put in the box but told her she should go through them when she found the time in case there was anything important. I walked into the bathroom and saw the busted lid on the toilet tank. Looking closer, I found a small baggie inside.

"Aliana, I think they found the key in the toilet tank lid. I can see where it was taped to the inside." Aliana started crying.

"I'm sorry honey, I don't know what to say or do. We can replace anything you want. I hate to see you cry," I said as I took her into my arms and held her.

"It's not things, John. Other than our personal items I don't want anything here in our house to remind me of the bastard."

"Why are you crying then?"

"I just thought about the money that he had hid. He didn't care enough for me or Ashley to leave us a little to help make ends meet. If it wasn't for mom and dad helping me, I don't know what we would have done. Yet all this time he had money stashed away for himself."

We spent the whole afternoon straightening up the room. I took the bags of clothing, the box of papers and a few of Ashley's toys out to the truck. We put the broken items and torn mattress and dumped them outside in the trash barrel.

After returning to her parents, we unloaded all the items and put it in a room for her to go through when she had time.

I spent the evening with them and had dinner. Her mom sure could cook. Before we ate, I played games with Ashley. She found a couple of puzzles we brought back and asked me to help her put them together. God, I loved this little girl. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for her. When I left to go home, she told me that she would miss me.

It was hard to say goodbye. Aliana had tears in her eyes when I was leaving. "I love you Aliana, and I promise I'll be back for you and Ashley. I‘ll call you every couple of days."

*****

Aliana went back to the lounge where she worked and told her boss that she would be leaving to move to Florida within a short time. He told her that he would miss her but wished her the best.

I called her at least every other day, since I missed her so much. I always had to talk to Ashley too.

Aliana did say the police came by twice looking for Darrell. She told them that she hadn't seen him and that when he got out of prison, she was in Florida. They said someone mentioned that the last time they talked to Darrell he was on his way to see her.

She told them, "He's a bastard and I went there to get away from him. I applied for a divorce, so if you find him please let me know so I can have the papers served."

She did tell them she was with me in Florida. We had talked it over and the main thing was that we never saw him. The local sheriff came and talked to me a couple of times. I told him I knew of the man but I had never met him.

Joe, our sheriff, was a friend of mine and told me to be careful. There was a warrant out for the guy for fleeing and he was considered dangerous.

"Thanks for the information, Joe. If I see or hear from him, you'll be the first person I'll call."

"Just be careful John. Tell your employees to keep an eye out as well."

A little over a month had passed when I was in the office and received a phone call. It was from Ashley.

"Ashley, honey, are you okay?" I was a bit nervous, this was the first time I ever received a call from Ashley.

"John, mommy said I could call you; is it OK?"

"Yes, of course it is. You just had me worried that something was wrong."

"Mommy isn't married anymore so you can marry her and we can come live with you."

"What? Honey, is mommy there? I need to speak with her."

"OK John, here's mommy, see you soon."

"Hello," said Aliana.

"Aliana, what's going on? Ashley said you're divorced? Is that true?"

"Well sort of, I'm so happy I had to share the good news with you."

"I don't understand. It's only been a little over a month," I said.

"I'll try to give you the short version for now. Remember the box of papers you told me to go through? Well, I listened to you and looked at them one paper at a time. It was boring but I felt I should do it. Most of it was old papers of Darrell's; I pitched those until I came across a divorce petition."

"What? He was going to divorce you?" I asked, confused.

"No, it was from a Lydia Stone. I took the paper to my lawyer and he had it checked out. Darrell was married to her before me. He called Lydia and you won't believe this story.

"He said Darrell beat her and she had him put in jail. Darrell convinced her to drop the charges and he would give her the divorce she asked for and wouldn't fight it."

Aliana took a deep breath before going on. I waited, letting her get it all out.

"She dropped the charges and he moved to Ohio from Pennsylvania. The only problem is, he never signed the divorce papers. This woman never remarried and didn't bother to check further. She was just happy to have gotten rid of him.

"It turns out that he was a bigamist when he married me. Harold, my lawyer, took the form to court and had my marriage annulled. So, if all those things you said about marrying me and adopting Ashley is true, we accept."

I had tears in my eyes. It couldn't have been much better news.

"Of course I meant everything I said. I'll come up in a couple of weeks and we'll be married. I'll fly up and we can rent a moving van and bring back whatever you want."

Crying into the phone, she replied, "John, I love you so much. I promise you I will be a wonderful wife."

"Honey, can you give the phone to Ashley so I can tell her."

I heard her move the phone away before calling out, "Ash, John wants to tell you something."

"Hello," said Ashley.

"Honey, I'll be up in a couple of weeks to marry mommy and then you and her are moving to Florida with me. Then I'll file the papers to make you my daughter."

"Really? Can I tell everybody?" asked Ashley.

"Yes, you can tell everyone you want." I laughed at her eagerness.

"OK, here's mommy. I have to go tell grandma."

She didn't even say goodbye, she was so excited.

"You sure made her happy," Aliana said, coming back on the phone. "Do you want me to make plans for a small reception? I figure we can go to the judge that granted my annulment to get married."

"Whatever you want, honey. Call Matt and tell him I want him to be my witness. You should find someone to be a witness too."

"Would you mind if I asked Marie?"

"Not at all. I'll call mom and dad and tell them the good news. You can get in touch with them later and give them the time, place and dates. Other than my sister's family and Matt, there's no one else up there to invite from my side. I've been out of Ohio too long."

After we said goodbye and hung up, I went and told everyone about my plans to get married. They were happy for me but were a little mad that we were getting married in Ohio.

"Man, we always talked about throwing you a big party when you got married," said Jim.

"Sorry guys but both of our families are in Ohio. We're just getting married by a judge."

"We don't give a hoot about watching you say ‘I do', it was the reception we were hoping for," Bob added. "Can we throw you another reception when you get back?"

I had to laugh. These guys were married themselves and so were my office help. They all pleaded with me to let them throw a reception. They said it could be on the beach by the business.

"OK, we'll have a second reception the Saturday after we get back. I'm almost sure Aliana won't mind."

****

I was a nervous wreck for the next two weeks. I did my best to clean up the house and have a home ready for Ashley.

Jim and Bob told me to calm down, that I was almost irritating. They asked if I wanted a bachelor party and I told them I didn't think so, but I wouldn't mind the three of us doing a little fishing to get my mind off the wedding. We went and I damn near got drunk on beer. Didn't catch many fish.

I would have never believed I would be this nervous. A couple of days before I was to fly out, I received a call from Aliana. She said she had a surprise for me. I had no idea what it could possibly be and she wouldn't give any hints.

"Are you pregnant," I blurted out.

"What? No! I'm still on the pill. Do you want me to stop taking them?"

"That's up to you. It's your body. I love Ashley, you know that but if we had more kids, I wouldn't mind. God, I want you. I can hardly wait."

The time came for me to fly to Ohio. I was nervous as hell. Matt was there to pick me up and take me to my parents.

My parents were so happy to see me. They told me it was a surprise to find out it was so soon, so I explained about the annulment. Both loved Aliana and Ashley and welcomed them into the family.

I borrowed Dad's car and drove over to see Aliana. She greeted me with a kiss that could melt an iceberg. "There's a lot more where that came from."

I looked around and there came Ashley yelling "Daddy! Mommy said I could call you that if it's all right with you," said Ashley.

"Of course sweetheart, it's fine with me." It caught me a bit off guard but I sure didn't mind.

I looked over at Aliana. "So, you want more little feet running around?" I smiled.

"Yes, it's fine with me as long as I have you by my side," replied Aliana.

"OK, what's this big surprise?"

She handed me a sports bag. "What's this?"

"Open it and see," she said.

I unzipped it and it was full of money. "What the hell? Where did this come from? How much is here?"

"There is ten thousand dollars there. It's the amount you paid to help me," she said with a grin.

"Where did it come from? Who does it belong to?" I asked.

"Again, I owe it to you."

"I don't understand."

"You told me to take the time to look through all those papers. I mentioned to you how boring it was but then I came across those divorce papers. After that, I decided to double check everything.

"I came across two bank slips where money was deposited. It wasn't a local bank, it was in the next town. What drew my attention was my name was on one deposit slip and Ashley's was on the other. The bank official said he couldn't discuss it over the phone, so I went to see him."

"Aliana, if you didn't make those deposits, who did?"

She put her hand out for me to be patient before going on. "He asked for my identification; he then told me that a man came in a few months ago. According to the date of the deposit, it was three days before Darrell went to prison. Anyway, he wanted to deposit a large amount of money but did not want it in his name.

"The banker suggested he use a relative, preferably a spouse or child. The only problem would be that he would have to have the depositor's permission to withdraw the money. In the child's account, it would have to be a guardian.

"John, he used my name to make the deposits. Before he went to jail, he had me sign a bunch of papers. I was too scared to ask any questions. I figure that these accounts were some that I had signed.

"To make a long story short, these are mine and Ashley's accounts. I am the guardian over her and have full control till she turns eighteen. I guess Darrell figured his money was safe with me not knowing about the account and he would have withdrawn the money when he got out."

"Aliana, I don't want your money. Use it for you and Ashley."

"John, there was a hundred thousand dollars in my account and fifty thousand in Ashley's. I withdrew fifteen thousand, ten thousand to pay you back and five thousand to help us with the wedding and to get moved to Florida. I will never keep secrets from you. I guess Darrell supplied money for us after all. He just forgot to tell me about it," she said, leaning over and kissing me.

Figuring I'd use it for all of us, I accepted the money.

On Saturday, we went to the judge to get married. We'd gotten the license already and Matt and Marie were our witnesses. Matt's new girlfriend sat with Ashley and watched us give our vows. He'd asked earlier in the week if he could bring her along. Afterward, we all headed to a hall that Aliana had rented for the reception.

I was surprised to find out that all of Aliana's siblings were there with their families. They were all so happy for their sister and treated me well. They'd stayed away from her before because of her involvement with Darrell. Now they were a united family again.

Marie was probably as happy as anyone was for us. In the short period of time they knew each other since reuniting, they'd become close friends.

One of Aliana's sisters got us a good band on such short notice. I loved standing there and holding Aliana in my arms and swaying to the slow songs.

I picked up Ashley and held her in my arms as we danced to a couple of songs. I could tell life was going to be good.

At the end of the night, Aliana and I went to a swank hotel to spend our honeymoon night. Her parents took Ashley home with them and we told her we would see her in the morning. She was all tired out from dancing at the reception anyway.

As we entered the room, I removed my new wife's clothing piece by piece. Anytime some skin showed, I kissed it. Shoving her lightly on the bed, I stripped her and buried my face into her love tunnel, licking, sucking, tongue fucking her till she was moaning and squealing. I finger fucked her before rubbing my cock up and down over her wet pussy lips.

"Fuck me John! Give me your cock."

I couldn't wait any longer and pushed my hard cock slowly into her till my balls slapped her ass. I held still for a few seconds and then did a slow in and out motion feeling her need for me, moving faster as she began pumping her hips to meet my every thrust.

Then, I slammed in hard, held my position, and came as hard as I have ever come. Her pussy tightened with a grip that wouldn't let go as I felt her orgasm.

After we had rested, she slid on top of me. I loved watching her juices running down my cock every time she pulled her body up. It was one fantastic night and we knew it was just the beginning.

****

In the days that followed, we rented a moving van and put all of her belongings in it. We said goodbye to her siblings and their families, asking them to all come down and see us. We really hoped they would.

Then we said goodbye to my parents, Marie and her family, who all wished us the best. It was sad to be leaving our loved ones but we were happy that we were beginning a new life together.

We took a few days driving to Florida, stopping and doing a little touring in the different states. We vacationed during the day with Ashley and made love every night.

Late Thursday evening we made it home and decided to empty the moving van in the morning. Ashley loved looking out the door and seeing the beginning of the everglades.

"I'm going to love it here mommy. Are there any kids for me to play with?"

I answered her. "Yes, there are a lot of kids about your age that live around here. You'll probably be meeting some tomorrow. Right now it's time for you to sleep in your new room."

She went to sleep in her new bed, and Aliana and I went to our room, where we made love in our bed before falling asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, we brought everything in and Aliana and Ashley spent the day putting things away. Aliana said Ashley wanted to help but it was more of a hindrance. It took her twice as long because she had to answer all Ashley's questions.

The following day we had our second reception on the beach. It gave Aliana a chance to meet some of our neighbors and friends who lived in the area. Even Joe our sheriff and a couple of his deputies showed up.

Ashley got to meet a lot of the other kids and they became friends almost instantly. We really did live in a nice area.

Jim, Bob, and their wives made up the guest list. They had the food catered in and an open bar as well as a couple of kegs. We gave free boat rides to the guests and even had an open area for night swimming. Overall, everyone had a great time.

About a month later, we took a honeymoon to Disneyworld, taking Ashley along.

Epilogue:

It's been a year since the wedding. We've registered Ashley in kindergarten. We've kept in contact with our parents, talking with them every week. Anything that made my family happy made me happy.

One day Aliana came over to me and I rubbed her belly. Yes, she was six months pregnant. We made love so often that we couldn't even narrow it down to the day she conceived. All we knew was that it was a boy and he would be John Jr.

Falling in love with my old friend was more than I could have ever asked for. We hear that there aren't any perfect marriages but if there is, we are it.

Thank you for reading my story. Comments are welcome and appreciated DG Hear