by R. M. Walker
He admitted it openly. The truth was exposed but I didn’t feel better about his confession. My heart broke at his cruelty. He didn’t deserve to live. Prison was too good for this man. His hatred tainted everything in his path. “You’re a sadistic asshole.”
Arturo’s steps were purposeful as he approached and slid his hand inside his suit jacket. The gun he pulled out was the same one he used that horrific night. “Recognize this?”
Trembling with rage, I was torn between releasing my true identity and allowing him to follow through with his murderous intentions. Arturo Valente would kill me again this night. What he didn’t know was that I would never remain buried for long. “Yes.”
“It’s the same gun I used on your parents.” He paused and lifted the gleaming metal as it aimed at my forehead. “I killed you too quickly last time. I think today I will make sure the job is done before your body finds a final resting place with the fish.”
Veronica screamed, running toward her father as Vinny caught her and held her within his arms. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, no doubt trying to comfort her. He couldn’t blow his cover, so I didn’t look their way.
“It’s time we all took a walk.” Arturo gestured to Sergei as he left his men and headed toward the broad-shouldered Russian. “Do you still want in?”
Sergei’s dark gaze swept over me with disgust but lingered on Veronica. He wanted her and was willing to pay any price to obtain her. Gesturing with his hand, he let Valente take the lead. My bonds were cut, and my body was hauled upward by two vicious looking Russian soldiers. I trailed behind Veronica who was led out by Arturo, one hand holding onto her elbow as the other held the gun.
Outside, the salty ocean air swirled in the breeze. Evening wore on as the stars twinkled in the sky. We walked the length of the warehouse until we reached a deserted part of the pier, just a short distance from the loading docks.
“Hold him,” Valente ordered as I struggled enough to be convincing. “This is the end, Pierce. Say hello to your parents.”
Even though I knew the gunshot was coming, I couldn’t hide the wince as he fired. The bullet hit my chest directly in my heart, nicking a lung as I was flung backward. Dazed, my vision faded as black shadows pushed in from the sides. I could only hope all the equipment under my clothes was still intact. It had to be enough to put Valente and Ivankov away for a long time.
Blood pooled in my chest as I coughed, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I felt a hand cup my cheek. My eyes had momentarily closed but opened with Veronica’s touch. Groaning, I fought waves of pain as they washed over my body. My chest was tight as my lifeblood oozed out from the wound. No oxygen could fill my punctured lung as a gurgling sound replaced normal breath function. I would be dead soon, just like Valente wanted.
As far as he knew, I would stay that way this time.
“David, Geron, please,” she cried, “Don’t die on me. You can’t.” Her sobs filled the empty night air with sorrow and forever cemented her father’s fate. “I can’t lose you again.”
“I love you,” I whispered, gripping her hand tight. “Believe, please.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
“Believe,” I repeated, giving her hand a last squeeze before it fell limp at my side.
My body jolted a few times as the last of my essence faded.
Death had ripped me away from the love of my life once again.
“Noooooo,” she wailed, clutching my body closer as sirens echoed in the distance.
Jay had received the confession and knew the location of the warehouse as proof of Valente and Ivankov’s partnership. Their crimes would be exposed. My parents were vindicated.
At least this time, I didn’t die in vain.
9
Geron
“David,” a soft sweet voice called out my name in agony. “Come back to me, please.”
“You can’t keep holding onto him, V. I’m sorry. He’s gone.” Jay’s sad tone joined the sounds of the night wind and ocean waves as they filled my ears. “You have to let him go.”
I wasn’t sure how much time had lapsed since I was shot. My body felt stiff and sore as I lay there and listened for confirmation the squads, sirens, and police were gone. I only wanted two people to witness my transformation. Anyone else was a risk.
“Come, I’ll call the coroner.” Jay’s connections with the local authorities were the one thing keeping me from landing in the local morgue.
“No,” she whispered as I heard her hiccup, “not yet.”
“Veronica, this is killing me too. David is my best friend.”
“He’s the love of my life.”
A sigh escaped. “Fine, we’ll wait a little longer.”
As they talked, my consciousness floated in and out of coherency. I wasn’t fully restored, not until the flames burned away all traces of my death. The heat in my body rose as I remained perfectly still. The rise in temperature was part of the process. Refinement took time and had to follow a specific chain of events. Painful bursts of agony scorched my bones, muscles, and cells as my body slipped into the final stages.
I was being remade.
“Hey, is that smoke?”
“Where?” Veronica asked. “Is that coming from David?”
Running feet approached where I was lying on the ground as the first sparks lit up the dark night. I heard Jay’s gasp and V’s sharp intake of breath. They needed to back up. It was dangerous lingering this close. The combustion could harm them both.
“What the hell is happening!?”
Starting at my head and feet simultaneously, small flames hovered above the surface of my skin and traveled from one end to the other. Igniting all at once, my body lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July. Every inch of my body was singed.
I felt the burn, but it no longer caused the same level of pain and agony as before. Welcoming the heat and fire instead of fearing it, I let scorching burn run along the length of my body. My clothes and shoes caught fire as my entire frame was engulfed in a raging inferno. Spreading fast, black smoke soon rose into the sky as I was consumed from the inside out.
Veronica screamed as Jay rushed toward the ocean. I could hear him yelling, panicking that he had nothing to douse the flames. It was just as well. No amount of water or liquid could destroy the healing and restorative fire that raged upon me. They didn’t realize how futile their efforts would be.
Soon the heat began to lessen, and the flames burned lower. The temperature decreased to a normal level as the ashes of renewal were left behind. A hard clump of grey and black rock coated my body like cooling lava, mixing together to form a protective shell. Once I was ready, I’d rise above the layer that kept my body hidden from view.
In the background I could hear Veronica’s cries but didn’t concentrate on her suffering. It would all be worth it. She would understand soon.
The familiar buzz of energy danced along my skin as I felt my spirit soar along with my true form. They danced in the air together and sank inside the layers of my skin, reunited after our tragic experience. It was the same as the night I died five years prior. Red and amber wings with hints of gold fluttered as they spread wide before engulfing me within their cocoon.
The transformation complete and my body restored, I lifted my hands and broke through the barrier above with my fists. Clumps of dirt, rock, and ash filtered into the wind and fell to the ground as I stood. Raising my arms high, I felt the flaming wings of my beast join my celebration. I was alive!
We are alive! A voice corrected as it whispered into my mind.
Jay and Veronica stood only a few feet away, staring with a combination of fear, awe, and disbelief. I knew my best friend would come around when he was ready, but it was the reaction of the woman I loved that held the most worry.
“Believe,” I whispered, holding out my hand as she blinked.
V took a few steps until she stood before me, her eyes wide and staring. “David?”
“Geron,” I teased, lifting a finger to brush along her cheek. “David was the first man you loved and then lost. I’m hoping,” I paused and cupped her cheek, “that Geron is the last man you will ever love or need.”
She lifted a hand and placed it on my chest, pushing lightly. “You’re real.”
Smirking, I pulled her closer. “Yes.”
“What are you?” She asked, swallowing hard. “Some kind of superhero?”
“No,” I laughed, “I’m a phoenix.” The flaming wings disappeared as I resumed control of my wild form. “I’m all man and very much alive.” She needed to understand that I was still the man she loved, and nothing would ever change that fact.
“Geron,” she croaked, gripping my shirt with her fingers, “is this all a dream?”
“No, darlin’,” I assured her, “if it was, I couldn’t do this.” Sweeping her up in my arms, I let my phoenix spread his wings and soared into the air. Spinning around, we hovered above the ocean as I held her close, my lips seeking hers in a kiss that conveyed the depth of my emotion and every ounce of devotion that filled my chest. Breathing in her scent, I landed back on the ground.
“I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven,” she confessed.
“Perhaps we both have,” I teased.
“What the actual fuck?” Jay’s angry voice penetrated the blissful moment I just shared with Veronica. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Were Valente and Ivankov arrested?” Making him focus on the details was important. Maybe this way he’d be less pissed.
“Yes,” he growled, “and charged with your murder.”
“Good. David Pierce died a long time ago. It’s time Geron Marshall righted the rest of the wrongs perpetrated against the good citizens of this city by Arturo Valente, starting with the legacy my parents started.”
“So, you are a superhero,” V concluded, a smile widening her flushed cheeks. “You’ve always been mine and you never forgot your promise. Did you?”
“No, never, my darlin’.”
“What promise?” Jay was agitated, his tone curt. He wasn’t going to make this easy on me.
“To rescue her and love Veronica forever.”
“Man, I think I’m stuck in some alternate reality. No way this shit is real. Are there cameras around?”
“No, at least I hope not.”
“CSI’s will be on the scene soon,” she reminded Jay as I tucked her in close. “I delayed the inevitable as long as I could. I guess it’s good I couldn’t part from you, Geron. It saved a lot of trouble, but they won’t find a body.”
Veronica was right. “No, but they will find enough DNA and ash to conclude my death was foul play. Your father will go away for a long time and his connections to Sergei Ivankov will prove the extent of his corruption. Did they raid the warehouse?”
“Yes, I made sure of that.” Jay ran a hand through his hair and smirked. “This is how you survived the first time, isn’t it?”
Nodding, I grinned wider as Veronica pressed a kiss to my jaw. “Yes. It’s not like I could have told you before today.”
Jay frowned. “Fuck, Geron. Just take Veronica home. I can’t deal with anymore shit tonight.”
Slender fingers tugged on the lapel of my suit jacket, bits of ash filtering into the wind. “Geron Marshall.”
Lowering my head, my eyes met the sexy hazel gaze of the most beautiful woman I’d ever met. “Yes, darlin’?”
“If you’re a phoenix, does that mean we can fly wherever we want?”
Not bothering to answer, I slid my arms around her and leaped over the side of the dock, my wings spreading wide as my phoenix glided over the gently rolling waves of the ocean. The nearly perfect moon reflected on the surface as amber and red flames danced across the feathers. A small fireball of light chased us as we weaved in and out, turning and twisting as the ocean glittered below.
Veronica’s light laughter trickled into the air while I held her tighter and pressed my lips to hers, sealing our love with a passionate kiss.
10
Veronica
The dark mask only partially hid the handsome face of the man I knew intimately as he stood towering above my kneeling form. I gazed upward, pleased to find him in the same costume as the first time we met, dark and muscled as every inch of him vibrated with sensual energy.
His hand was extended in silent appeal, palm out as his fingers twitched lightly. Was he afraid that I wouldn’t want to play?
Breathless, my chest rose and fell rapidly. “Sir?”
“Stand, V.” He purred the words, his low baritone gliding across my naked body with almost visible hands.
I accepted with a wobbly smile and placed my hand in his much larger one, pulled to my feet and swung up into his arms before I could protest.
“Do you trust me?” Geron’s lips brushed my forehead softly then lowered slightly to brush against each one of my eyelids.
I buried my head into his neck and pressed my lips against his skin, letting my tongue flick out and lick up the salty elixir. “Always.”
“I love you, darlin’,” he whispered hoarsely as his hold tightened.
“As I love you.”
My back met the mattress as cool silk slipped around each ankle, one by one. Geron moved with a grace that was surprising for such a rugged man. My wrists were tied next as I lay exposed, my thighs spread apart as he growled low, his gaze focused on my slick pussy. I couldn’t help my arousal. Just the anticipation of what was to come left me aching for his cock.
Climbing between my legs, he lifted a bucket next to the bed and picked up a large ice cube that had been used to chill the champagne. Geron lowered his head and flattened to his stomach. His fingers spread me apart as he popped the cube into his mouth. With a wicked grin, his lips met my clit and pressed a kiss before lowering to the place I needed him most.
I jolted when the cold wet piece of ice met my lower lips. He licked and sucked, rolling the cube over the area and in and out of his mouth. His tongue was skilled far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The alternating heat and chill left me writhing beneath him. It was exquisite torture.
The ice soon melted as his tongue thrust inside me. Two fingers joined the play as I moved my hips, humping his fingers as I begged him to take me.
“Not yet, my darlin’.”
I loved the way he said those words, so low and possessive.
“Make me come,” I begged, a light sheen of sweat covering my body as my head tossed from side to side. His movements increased as he flicked his tongue over my clit and bit down. I shattered in his arms as he lapped up every single drop, his fingers gripping my hips as he held me in place.
Climbing higher up my body, he paused as a sultry grin lifted the corners of his lips. “My cock feels neglected now.”
“We can’t have that,” I half moaned, still riding small waves of pleasure as they dissipated.
Geron straddled my chest with care, his knees on the pillow as I turned my head and opened my mouth. He didn’t hesitate but pushed his rigid length inside and down my throat, groaning as I swallowed. Pumping his hips, he began to move, and I wished I could knead the muscles of his buttocks at the same time. I gagged only once, and he fought for control over his body as he pulled out.
“I need your pussy now, darlin’.”
Geron untied my wrists and ankles, flipping me over on my stomach. Pulling my hips upward, he smacked my ass hard. I cried out, enjoying the sting.
“Fuck me,” I begged, wiggling my bottom.
“As you wish, my love.”
Geron shoved inside me in one hard brutal thrust, his balls slapping against my clit as he buried himself as deep as he could go. I screamed with pleasure as I waited for him to move. Warm lips met my spine as he trailed a finger all the way down. Pulling almost all the way out, he thrust again. Long strokes glided in and out as I felt my climax build.
Geron pumped harder, faster, bringing us both to the peak of ecstasy. One hand
reached around to rub my clit as I moaned his name. It wasn’t long before we crashed together, our cries filling the room. I felt him spasm and fill me as he roared my name, sinking against my back as he whispered in my ear.
“Me and you, forever. I love you, Veronica.”
Geron pulled out and fluffed the pillows, yanking me into his arms as I rested against his chest. Our breaths began to slow down as our hearts rates normalized.
Funny how time could change everything . . . and nothing at the same time.
As I gazed into his eyes, I knew I loved him. David or Geron, he was the same man. The one who loved, protected, and never failed to keep his promise.
As I lifted the mask over his head it slipped from my fingers and landed next to us on the mattress.
I smiled, knowing it would always carry fond memories.
“I’ve already been unmasked, but you darlin’,” he whispered seductively, “need completely stripped down and I don’t mean clothing. From this moment on, you’re at my mercy.”
“You always were demanding.”
He grasped my hips as I straddled him, a rumble in his chest proving my point. “Only when it comes to you. Surely you know, my V. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”
I did. The last week had been a whirlwind of emotion and plenty of surprises but one thing remained constant. David Geron was my hero. My savior. My heart.
Unmasked . . . he’d become my vindicator too.
“I love you,” I whispered, sliding my hands upward and into his hair, tugging lightly on the dark strands.
“As I will always love you, darlin’.”
When our lips met, sparks ignited the air and the familiar reddish amber flames in his eyes matched my own passionate desires. My phoenix had risen from the flames and in the ashes was reborn. Together, we would create our own destiny. After all, the world could use another pair of lovers willing to fight against the injustice of this world. I opened my eyes and met his sinful grin, all the affection and love visible within. We would make it.