Read To Love a Soldier for Free Online

ma’am is for her.”
    He blushed. I had to leave to make the dinner shift at Carmine’s, so I gave Liz a hug goodbye. John, a gentleman, stood as I was making my exit.
    “I can walk you to your car,” he offered.
    “What, you don’t think I can handle myself?”
    “Oh, believe me, I know you can. My jaw still hurts.”
    “I can help with that,” I said in my best seductive voice. I climbed up on my tippy toes and kissed his cheek. It wasn’t enough to satisfy me, so I grabbed him by the back of his head and planted my lips right on his. Pressing harder before pulling away, I bid him goodnight with a wink.
    Making my way out of the room, I made sure to shake my hips as I left him behind. I knew he was still standing in the same spot, dumbfounded. I could make out Liz’s laughter as I turned the corner. If anything, I’m glad I gave her a good laugh.

Chapter Six
    Onward and Upward
    Liz

    John and Mandy had a spark as soon as they met in my hospital room; now, they seemed inseparable. There was also a spark between John and Brady, but it wasn’t a pleasant one, like with Mandy. Brady came back to the hospital later that night, after he stormed off, right after Mandy had just left. John wouldn’t leave my side.
    Brady was still angry when he showed up, which gave my brother the wrong impression. He mistook Brady as Mike or one of Mike’s friends. Before I could even introduce them, John sprung up from my bedside and jacked Brady up against the wall by his throat. Poor Brady didn’t even know what happened. To me, Brady was a big guy, but seeing him with his feet dangling in the air, held up by just one of my brother’s arms, made him look like a teenager. I yelled for John to stop, but he balled his right hand into a fist and cocked back. Just then, my mother returned with the news that the doctor was releasing me today.
    “John, I see you’ve introduced yourself to Liz’s boyfriend, Brady,” she said and grabbed hold of John’s fist.
    John lowered his arm and began to release Brady from his death grip. “Oh, you’re Brady? Nice to meet you. I’ve heard good things.”
    It took Brady a few seconds before he regained some composure. “Thank you, sir. Nice to finally meet you, too.”
    “Don’t call me sir.” John said, as he brushed off Brady’s shoulder in an attempt to iron out the wrinkles with his hand. “I’m only a few years older than you.”
    “Right, right. Sorry, man,” Brady said, catching his breath.
    “Uh, sorry about that. I thought you might have been that douchebag who did this to my sister.” John’s hands clenched into fists at his side and, although I couldn’t see his face, I’m sure his expression was murderous.
    “No worries, man. I’m glad to see what’s in that asshole’s near future.”
    My mom stopped the testosterone party before it could go further. “Don’t worry, Brady,” she snickered. “If their father was around, he would’ve introduced himself to you the same way.”
    Brady wasn’t sure how to react since he knew my dad was a hard subject for me and was looking to read my expression, but the rest of us just started laughing. “Patrick, their father, was a real laid back guy,” she explained. “But when it came to his little princess there, I wouldn’t want to be the boy interested in her.”
    My life slowly got back to normal, although there were still many sleepless nights as the memories of my attack slowly surfaced, one painful memory at a time. One night I spent throwing up for hours, with visions of that disgusting asshole touching me and forcing himself on me. I even called Mandy in the middle of the night, crying. I was not crying for me as much as I was for her. To think that he actually did to her what he only tried to do to me was more than unsettling.
    It didn’t help to get the news the morning after I got home that the police had to cut Mike loose. Apparently, the detectives stated there was insufficient evidence, and they