Chapter 56

The police returned the next morning and took statements. As expected Ed's recollection of the event was blurry at best. The cut on the back of his hand and the illegal knife and guns they'd seized was proof enough for the police he'd been attacked and had defended himself. The extreme lengths he'd gone to in his defense was… disturbing but Zoe explained that Ed didn't get into fights and wouldn't know how to so in his tipsy state he just… did his best. Just the same the officer handed Ed a summons to appear before a judge in the district courthouse. The judge would interview Ed and review the evidence to determine if further criminal charges would need to be laid. The officer assured then that the statements he'd taken from the witnesses painted the event as a very clear case of self-defence.

They learned that the prison's doctors hadn't been able to do much for Luis as the damage had been so severe. When the storm abated a medivac helicopter picked Luis up but odds were slim that he would keep his arms. Ed looked a little ill when he heard that and the officer felt better about Ed's innocence for it.

Ed grabbed a shovel from the Inn and helped dig the cars in the parking lot out from their snowy tombs while Zoe watched from the warmth of the lobby. Ed made a lot of friends as he helped each motorist with a smile. Ed's truck was at the far end of the lot and it took almost three hours to free them all. By the time Ed and Zoe got back on the highway then back to the city it was noon.

He planned to go right to work but he dropped Zoe off at Angie's home first. Before she exited the truck she crawled up onto his lap and kissed him. Ed moaned at the sensual feel of her lips on his. Then his left hand was tangled in her thick hair and his right was squeezing her ass hard as his tongue probed the hot depths of her mouth. Ed pulled back from the kiss with an enormous effort of will. Zoe was panting and looking at his lips intensely.

"God! Zoe- I- I have to go- go to work!" Ed gasped. He slowly pulled his hands back.

Zoe nodded and pushed herself back from Ed onto the bench seat. They saw movement and realized Angie had been outside and saw them.

Ed's joy collapsed when he caught the uncomfortable look on Angie's face as she turned to go back inside. Zoe looked between them and remembered what Ed had said about Angie. She'd seen the troubled expression on her friend's face and now she saw the pain on Ed's.

"I'd better get moving. You have a good day Zoe. I- I'll see you at the Christmas party on Friday." Ed said in a subdued voice. He recalled the party was here at Angie's and worried about how that was going to be.

Zoe felt tears rising in her eyes hearing his pain. She had to get out of the truck before he saw them and thought he was responsible for them. He didn't deserve the extra pain. She nodded and slid from the truck and pushed the door closed. With a wave she ran to the front door. She heard his truck pulling away and she took off her coat. She needed to get out of these clothes but first she wanted to talk with Angie. She marched through the house and found the blond in the kitchen making lunch.

"Welcome back!" Angie said with a strained smile. "That was one hell of a goodbye kiss! I take it the prison visit went well?"

Zoe struggled to find the words to respond to the false cheer but she blanked out. Then words popped into her head.

"We got snowed in and had to stay at a local inn. Luis Ramos showed up." Zoe stated.

Angie cried out in shock when Zoe mentioned Luis. She'd heard the horror stories and saw the pictures of the injuries Zoe had suffered at his hands. Zoe's current look was the result of multiple painful cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries from those days.

"He was surprised to see us there but he enjoyed telling us that he was going to kill us." Zoe was shaking with reaction as she relived the moments. Angie moved forward to comfort her but Zoe held up her hand and she stopped.

"Ed saved my life last night."

Angie blinked, confused. Ed? What could such a sweet man have done against such a psychopath-

"Ed pulled his arms off." Zoe answered Angie's unasked question.

Angie cried out in surprise and put her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were wide and shocked.

She wanted Angie to think about what Ed had done for her and the potential cost. "Ed has a summons to appear before a judge to see if criminal charges should be brought against him." She didn't bother to mention the cop's opinion that it was a formality. She'd let Angie sweat.

With that she spun and ran up the stairs to get cleaned up. She ignored Angie's shrieks to come back and give her more detail. Hurt Ed would she? Let her sweat.

Ed got to work late and pushed through the door into the lobby still wearing the clothes from the previous night. He had a scowl on his face from worry. He was so late!

Lydia, Mr. Drakos' daughter and the office's dispatch/receptionist/human resources officer looked up with a smile. The smile froze on her face when she saw the tall mountain of masculinity marching up to her desk.

"Good day Lydia." Ed rumbled in his fatigue. It had been a tiring morning.

"Ed?" she mumbled, her mouth hanging open.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't have time to change into my coverall. I just got back from visiting the penitentiary. We got snowed in last night and had to stay overnight. We ran into some trouble in the bar and I hurt a bad man, I think he's going to lose his arms. I had to shovel the cars out this mor- …ning. Sorry. I guess I'm babbling. Still tired." Ed refocused on Lydia and she was staring at him with her mouth open. He reached over and lifted her jaw and she snapped out of her shock.

Lydia was seriously impressed with Ed's new look! His story of getting into a fight in a bar was cute as was the exaggeration of the man losing his arms. That was a dead giveaway that he really didn't know how to tell a tall tale. She gave herself a shake and smiled at him.

"Nice coat!" she said.

He smiled and modeled it for her and her grin got wider. This was the sweet Ed she knew. He flipped open the lapels and an envelope fell out of his inner pocket onto the floor. He picked it up and frowned. He opened it up and flattened out the papers on her counter.

"Oh yeah, I'm going to need to book a day off in January to go to the courthouse to speak to the judge about the man I hurt. The police officer thinks it will be ok even though I hurt the man so bad. Can we book the date now?" Ed asked.

Lydia picked up the papers and saw it was a court summons. A real court summons. She read the date and pencilled it onto her notepad to enter it later into the office calendar. Her grin was gone as her shock returned. It was real!

Ed tucked the papers back into the envelope and put it back into the inside pocket of his coat.

"Dad… dad wants to see you." Lydia mumbled as she took in his new dark look. Sweet Ed? Dangerous Ed! Suddenly her date tonight with Julian, an actual lawyer, seemed dull in comparison. Why had she overlooked Ed again?

He nodded to her and walked down the hall to Mr. Drakos' office. Lydia watched him all the way.

He looked in the door and the old gentleman was on the phone but he looked up and smiled. He waved at Ed to enter, pointed to the door to get Ed to close it, and gestured to the chair across his desk. Ed sat in it and waited. He yawned mightily and his boss caught the motion.

Drakos ended the call and smiled at Ed. He noticed the fatigue and recalled how hard he had been working Ed in the past few weeks. He felt bad about that but Ed had become such an integral part of his business and he was so good at what he did. Now he got to reward him. He opened his side drawer and pulled out a thick envelope.

"Ed, I just wanted to let you know there will be a bonus in your next paycheque. It's a Christmas bonus and all the government taxes have been deducted so it isn't as high as you deserve." He shook the envelope. "This is the fun Christmas bonus. This one is for your 'above and beyond' efforts this year. The people we work for, who will remain nameless in this conversation, put together this bonus for you. This is not to be reported in your income tax." He handed Ed the envelope.

Ed looked inside and his eyes opened wide in shock. There had to be at least ten thousand dollars in there! He looked at his boss in surprise.

"That's just between us. No mention of it to any of the others. Everyone got a little extra for the amazing year we've had but we don't mention it to each other. Is that clear?" Drakos instructed. Ed smiled and nodded. This would go a long way for Grace's education!

"I know you've been putting in a lot of hours these past few weeks. I want you to head home now, you look a little tired, and you're off until next Tuesday, right?" Ed smiled and nodded. "Have yourself a Merry Christmas Ed and thank you very much for your excellent work!"

"Merry Christmas Mr. Drakos! Thank you for being such a wonderful mentor and boss!" Ed said with a grin. They stood and shook hands. Ed tucked the envelope away and made his way back out to the lobby.

Before he got there he heard the rattle of a chair suddenly being pushed back and Lydia was kneeling on her desk leaning over the counter. She was holding something over her head as she rested her chest on her other arm on the counter. She had a nervous smile on her face and she was looking up. Ed glanced up and saw it was a piece of mistletoe. He grinned at her and she began to giggle. Before she could prepare he leaned forward and took her face between his hands and kissed her sensually, stroking her lips with his but no tongue, and she swooned.

"Have a Merry Christmas Lydia!" Ed said to her as he pulled back.

"You too… Ed!" she sighed with a dreamy smile.

He went back out to his truck and drove home. He was going to take a shower then a nap! As he pulled into the driveway he saw Angie's Land Rover parked there.

Ed pulled into his spot in the garage and went in the side door. As he hung up his duster coat by the back door he heard voices in the kitchen so he kicked off his boots and let his feet carry him there. Rachel, Zoe, and Angie were sitting at the kitchen table. All three women looked up as he entered and all three stood up but Zoe reached out to Rachel and snagged her arm before she could move forward. She didn't stop Angie though and suddenly Ed had his arms full of a wonderfully soft blond.

"Ed, oh my god Ed! Are you ok?" she cried.

"I- I am now." Ed said, tightening his arms around her and letting himself bask in the glow of her concern for him. She felt so good in his arms. She tilted her head back to see him and he did the same. Then her mouth was on his, hungry for his kiss, and he was healed. The pain he'd been carrying washed away and tears escaped from his eyes.

When she pulled back she saw his face was wet and her expression became concerned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Ed's voice was rough with emotion. "Nothing, I'm sorry. It just… It feels so good to have you back in my arms. I thought- I thought I'd lost you forever."

Angie's heart ached at the pain and relief in his voice and she pulled him tight as her own tears burst forth. They held each other as they cried and soon Rachel and Zoe were there hugging them both.

It took a bit but they finally managed to get control of their emotions. Zoe and Rachel guided them back to the kitchen table and Ed snagged a napkin to wipe his eyes. He handed one to Angie as well and she smiled gently as she took it from his hand.

"You have to see a judge about the… violence of your response?" Angie asked Ed, her brows drawn together in worry.

"Yes, I've booked a day off in January for the summons. The police officer said it was a formality as all of the evidence showed it was self-defence." Ed replied calmly.

Angie's head whipped around to look at Zoe who had the most innocent look on her face. "You! You led me to believe Ed could go to jail for defending you!"

"Actually I said nothing of the sort. I merely mentioned he would go to court to see if criminal charges should be brought against him. I just left out the part about it being unlikely." Zoe smiled. Rachel was wearing an enormous grin though she covered it with her hand to stifle a snort. She knew exactly what Zoe was up to and she loved her friend for doing it before she had the chance.

Angie's mouth was working but no words came out. Finally she managed to squeak one out.

"Why?"

"You needed to be honest about your feelings for Ed! Especially to yourself! Ed's been nothing but honest about his feelings for you!" Zoe barked at her friend. "Loving him and being loved in return does not diminish what you had with Danny. Maybe that kind of love comes once in a lifetime but it's not the only kind of love and every kind should be treasured!"

Angie looked ashamed. Ed reached over and stroked her cheek. "Enough." he said gently. "No more angry words. If Angie can find a tiny place in her heart for me I'm happy. I don't want to replace her husband. That was magical! I would have loved to have met him. He sounds like an awesome man."

Angie's eyes teared up again and she held Ed's palm against her cheek. "Danny would have really liked you too."

Ed's stomach chose that moment to announce its displeasure at being so empty.

The women all laughed at his embarrassed blush.

Rachel stood up and patted his shoulder on the way by. "I'll make you a sandwich."

"Could I have two?" he asked.

"Yes, you can have two." She turned back and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. He smiled in surprise at her and she skipped out of his reach to make him lunch. She felt like a kid again.

Angie took Ed's hand and got his attention. He was like a big kid sometimes. Once he was looking at her she fixed her eyes on his.

"How badly did you hurt Luis?" she asked carefully.

Ed's eyes slid away from hers as a look of discomfort passed over his features. "I heard I pulled his arms off but I don't recall… exactly. I don't even know why I decided to do that. My head was hurting pretty bad so I had a fair amount to drink. I was also hungry and tired. Then he said he was going to hurt Zoe… again."

Something feral flashed behind his eyes. Zoe and Angie sucked in a quiet breath and shared a look.

"I couldn't let him do that. So I stopped him. That's all I really remember," Ed shrugged looking at the tabletop. Angie looked over at Zoe.

"While Ed was out shoveling this morning I got to talk with the cop. He had the medical report and since he knew Luis raped me he shared it with me. Luis' wrist bones were completely shattered. His elbows were dislocated. His shoulders were dislocated and there was a considerable amount of soft tissue and vascular tearing in both arms especially at the shoulder joints." Angie and Rachel were listening intently and Ed was trying not to listen at all as he felt queasy. "Six broken ribs and a cracked sternum. Luis is going to lose his arms. They'll have to amputate both at the shoul-"

Ed was up and racing for the small washroom. He heaved over the toilet until he became aware of soft hands rubbing his back. As he sat back a cool, damp facecloth wiped his face and he mumbled a thank you.

"I'm sorry Ed. I should have spared you the details." Zoe said from the doorway where she stood with Angie.

Rachel was kneeling next to Ed and handed him a glass of water. "Rinse and spit then drink the rest."

He looked at her fondly and she gestured for him to do it, though she had the hint of a smile on her lips.

Once Ed had himself sorted out he went back to the table and Rachel finished making him lunch. His stomach settled down so he was able to eat. While he ate his sandwiches Rachel brought out a vegetable stick tray with dip and the others nibbled at that and talked about the party. Ed remembered something. He waited for a moment to inject a comment into the conversation. Finally he raised his hand and they looked at him with grins.

"Are we talking too much Edward?" Rachel asked.

"No, I'd just like to say something," he replied.

"The floor is yours," she grinned.

"I met Victoria Rutledge at the prison last night. Her family has shunned her. No one visited her in prison. Her daughters are in England with her parents. Her lawyer managed to get her out of prison and she'll be released Christmas day. She has no one to go home to. I- I invited her to join us. I hope you don't mind."

Rachel looked a little upset at first but reined it in and nodded. Angie also nodded to Ed. "That's a very nice thing you did. Of course she's welcome."

Ed finished his lunch and by the end he was fading. He stood up and put his plate in the dishwasher and gave each of the ladies a kiss as he announced he was off to take a shower and a nap. He slogged up the stairs and walked into his room. He closed the door and sighed, looking at the bed. Soon.

He walked into his washroom and brushed his teeth. Then he pulled off his clothes which went directly into the bin. He loved his shower. He loved the room Rachel let him use but he especially appreciated the shower as the one he'd used back in Shirley's basement had been so small! He got the water running nice and hot and turned on the overhead rain-shower showerhead. The hot water was so good and he felt his muscles soaking in the heat and begin to relax. He hadn't realized how tense he'd been.

He closed his eyes and just stood there for a few minutes enjoying the pure sensual experience.

He started when he felt a soft body press against his back. The soft tits were pressing against his back and lips were gently kissing his shoulders. He peered over his shoulder and saw wet, white blond hair. Angie.

He tried to turn but her arms tightened around his chest.

"I want you to know how sorry I am Ed for putting you through that pain. I was so confused. Love meant one thing to me. I realize now how wrong I was. I was willing to deny myself love to protect an ideal that didn't need protection. I- I love you Ed."

Ed wouldn't be denied any longer. He turned in her arms and took her face between his hands. His mouth found hers, her lips soft, willing and hungry. His tongue caressed hers and he sucked it gently into his mouth and she clung to him as she moaned.

His hands moved down to squeeze her firm ass cheeks and she ground herself against him.

He pulled back from the kiss and moved his mouth down to her tits, sucking the nipples into his mouth and thrashing them with his tongue.

"Oh FUCK, ED! YES, that feels- AHHHH!'

He gently scraped his teeth over her areolas and tugged on her stiff nipples with his teeth. Angie ground her pelvis against his, feeling his thick cock pressing against her. Fuck he felt so hot!

Ed suddenly knelt before Angie and pressed his mouth to her pussy.

"FUUUUUUCCCKKK! OH FUCK! ED! GEEZUS ED! OH! NNNNNNNGGGG!!!!" she wailed as he sank two thick fingers into her wet channel and sucked on her lower lips. Her fingers went into his hair as she held him tight against her while he pumped his fingers into her.

Ed looked up and was entranced by Angie's raw beauty as she looked down into his eyes while she gasped and shook through her rapture. Her tight stomach muscles were rippling and trembling from the waves of pleasure shooting through her nerves. He could tell she was getting close.

He slipped his fingers out and ran them quickly over his stiff cock. He pulled his mouth back and Angie's look became desperate. Ed stood and lifted her with his hands under her ass. She didn't even have time to gasp before Ed's cock found its mark and drove into her. He reached bottom in one stroke and she threw her head back as the sensation overwhelmed her.

Ed lifted Angie and slammed her back down, his pelvis slapping hers wetly. He sped up his motions as he felt his body ramping up for a release.

"AAAHH! AAAHH! FUUHH! NNNGG! FAAAA!" Angie cried out each time their bodies slapped roughly together. Ed was growling with his need for her. His movements sped up again and Angie felt like she was losing touch with her body as her mind began to float on a cloud of energy.

When Ed leaned Angie's back against the cold tiles she shrieked in shock and her mind returned to her body fast. Ed's hips began to drive up into Angie in short quick strokes like a machine. This position allowed Ed to free up a hand to squeeze her large breast and gently roll and tug on her nipple.

"ED! ED! ED! ED! ED! ED! ED! FUCK I'M CUMMING!!! I'M CUMMING! OH GEEZUS! CUMMING! ED! ED! OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUUUUUUCK!!!" Angie cried out and her legs shook uncontrollably as she gushed through an intense orgasm.

Ed's climax crashed over his senses and he tried to hold himself as still as he could as his body twitched and ground against her.

Both sagged and breathed hoarsely after their bodies finally finished their surges.

Ed carefully lifted Angie clear and she hissed as her abused flesh protested. Ed's cock was looking a little raw as well. He gently set her back on her feet but her legs wouldn't support her so he carried her under the spray and they rinsed off. Ed shut off the water and they stepped out onto the carpet. He wrapped a towel around her and sat her on the toilet. He dried himself off as she rubbed the towel over her body weakly. She looked as tired as he did.

"I think we could both use a nap," he suggested and she nodded with a smile. Once she was dry he lifted her in his arms once more and carried her to his bed. He used her feet to push the comforter down as she giggled at his efforts then he laid her down on the mattress. He moved to the other side and climbed in under the covers as well. He pulled her close and she sighed as she felt his body touching hers. Ed wanted to ask Angie where Rachel and Zoe had gone but before he could she was asleep and he wasn't far behind.

Ed woke suddenly feeling a soft hand caressing his cheek. He was gasping for breath and his body felt like it was shaking apart. Something about that flared a horrifying image in his mind and he cried out again.

"Shhh, Ed! It's ok. It was just a bad dream! Shhhh!" a soft voice whispered to him.

He panted for breath and let his muscles slowly relax. His surroundings came back to him. His bed. His bedroom. Angie lying next to him with compassion and love glowing in her eyes.

"It's over, Ed. The nightmare is over."

Ed's tormented mind drew him back to the moment he'd crippled Luis. The feel of the bone fragments grinding in his strong grip. The sickening sensation of tearing and popping ligaments and ripping muscle tissue. The sudden give of bones snapping under his boot. It all suddenly rushed back to him and he shuddered and shook as cold flashes rushed down his spine. Everything clouded by the booze and suppressed in his mind from that moment had been faithfully recorded in his memory. He recalled the depth and magnitude of the rage he'd felt when he'd punished Luis. It felt alien and it frightened him. Deeply.

She knew he was reliving the attack in the bar. She knew what he needed. "There was no other choice Ed. You protected Zoe. Luis would have killed you both. I'm so proud of you. We all are. We love you."

He clung to Angie, pressing his face to her soft bosom as he shivered, tears running down his cheeks. She held him, running her fingers through his hair and felt him slowly relaxing until he slipped back into an exhausted sleep at last.