“You’re so hot and tight,” he rasped out, continuing to rock against her body with deliberate, controlled strokes. Winn clawed at his thighs, trying to bring him closer, needing more contact. Cord already knew her body well. He immediately shifted and began to roll his hips so his body pressed against her clit, giving her the delicious pressure she needed. Her moans soon turned to screams as she climaxed so hard it was almost painful.
Cord continued to move against her until the spasms subsided. When her mind finally began working again, she found him watching her. “You’re so incredibly beautiful when you let go like that.”
Not waiting for a response, he gripped her hips and began to thrust into her body, hard and fast. Winn pushed back with each powerful thrust, surprised her second orgasm was already building.
Cord’s thrusts became frenzied, his eyes remaining locked on where their bodies were joined. Winn screamed with her orgasm, thrashing beneath him. Tears spilled from her eyes at the intensity of her climax.
Distantly, she heard Cord shout her name as he found his own release. Their bodies were slick with sweat when her mind started functioning again. Cord’s finger brushed a tear from her cheek before he brought that finger up to his lips to kiss it.
“I feel the same,” he murmured. “Nothing has ever been like this. It’s more than a physical reaction.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s more than I ever thought I was capable of,” she admitted.
Cord pulled out of her body and cuddled beside her. “As crazy as this might sound, I’m falling in love with you.”
“That’s good to know, because you’re never getting rid of me,” she told him with a sleepy smile.
“I’m going to hold you to that,” he said, his voice filled with emotion.
“I certainly hope so,” she uttered. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything,” he replied.
“Why do you have rings on the wall by your bed and two on the ceiling?” she asked. “The ones on the ceiling make sense, but the others seem too close to the ground to hang anything from them.”
Cord let out a started bark of laughter. “That’s a conversation we should definitely have later in our relationship.”
“You don’t want to tell me what you use them for?” she asked.
“I want to show you what I use them for, but not today,” he told her. “Get some sleep, honey.”
Winn let out an exasperated huff. “Fine, you can show me what you hang from them later. Maybe I can even find something to hang from them.”
Cord bit back a laugh. “Just pretend they aren’t there for now.”
“I’ll try, but it’s going to be hard not thinking about what you’d hang so low to the ground.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Treasure Island offered a sense of peace Abram hadn’t known before. It had always been kill or be killed in his world. His father had been a guard for the leadership at the settlement he’d grown up at. It had put him in a strange position, separated from those living in the basic housing, even though he’d lived there himself. His father’s position as a guard hadn’t earned them special living quarters in the main building where there were amenities the rest of them went without. His family had better food than most, and he’d received a better education. On really cold days, his father had often brought him to the main building while he’d worked. Abram had learned the importance of being invisible during those days.
Abram had witnessed many atrocities committed by the leaders in his old settlement. At age five, he’d watched a woman being raped after her throat had been slit, and that had been one of the tamer things he’d seen, one of many reasons he was so fucked up. Sanity didn’t come easy when you’ve seen truly insane people at work your whole life. Eventually, the brutality began to seem like the norm, and you started to believe only the ruthless survived. Abram had long since stopped trying to convince others he was sane.
Despite his insanity and the occasional dark impulse, Abram was proud of the settlement he led. None of his people were starving, and no one was being abused. There had been a few issues he’d had to deal with when they’d first arrived, but now, his followers understood he wouldn’t tolerate abuse behind closed doors. He still had some vampires who weren’t comfortable with the change yet. Some only drank enough blood to survive, so they looked skinny and malnourished.
“There’s some asshole named Richard demanding to see you,” Paul told him before spitting on the ground.
Most thought Paul was newly turned because of the constant spitting. When a vampire first got their fangs, it was hard to control their urge to spit. The new fangs tended to cause an overproduction of saliva, but that usually went away within the first few weeks. Paul was one of the unlucky ones who still had issues. They’d been childhood friends, both having had fathers on guard detail for the leadership. Now, they tried to keep each other from going off the deep end.
“No one told me about any fuckers from Fangri La coming here,” Abram grumbled, hating that he had to align himself with the council in Fangri La. While he was on better terms with Connor now, he wasn’t sure Connor would give his people access to the trade ports. If Abram pissed off the council, he risked having his people lose the amenities they enjoyed.
“It’s possible he’s here to talk about the issues with our communication devices,” Paul suggested.
Abram nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“Yep,” Paul agreed before spitting again. “How the fuck do you expect them to call us when we don’t have phones?”
Their communications had been down for over a week. This was the first time they’d been down since the council had set things up for them, and Abram had no clue what he was supposed to do about it. If he were on better terms with Connor, he’d have sent someone to his settlement to ask what they should do. There was no vampire settlement on the side of the bay Abram could access without breaking his agreement with Connor. They’d have to travel for over a day to get to the closest vampire settlement, and that would mean passing some hostile human settlements.
“I got so used to us having all this stuff, I didn’t even consider that they can’t contact us while the communications are down,” Abram said mostly to himself. “Where is the asshole?”
“On the bridge,” Paul replied. “Before you get pissy with me for leaving him there, he’s got a lot of people with him. I’m pretty sure some of them are feral turned vampires.”
“What the fuck?” Abram asked, suddenly getting a very bad feeling about where things were heading. The communications being down could be a coincidence, but something told him it wasn’t. That left them with a couple of possibilities. The council might have decided to destroy him and his followers. Since they were considered by most council members to be no better than the feral turned vampires, there were many who wanted them destroyed. Abram didn’t think that was the case this time. Richard had been involved in a plot to take down the current council. From what Abram had been told, Richard hadn’t been punished for his involvement. He’d even kept his position on the council. A smart man would give up on his rebellion plans and keep his nose down to avoid being executed, but Abram suspected Richard was still looking for a way to gain power.
“Which side of the bridge is he on?” Abram asked, motioning for the guards who’d been with him to follow.
“Peninsula side,” Paul replied. “There is a smaller group on the other side of the bridge.”
“Tavis!” Abram barked out, and the tall blond moved forward. “Grab as many fighters as you need to get the families off the island. Take them to the old island settlement before returning to help us.”
“What if they turn us away?” Tavis asked.
“Claire and Nate won’t turn the families away,” Abram assured him with confidence. Claire had good reason to hate him and might try to kill him if he showed up asking for help, but she’d never turn away the families, many she’d grown up with.
Tavis nodded and
went to arrange the evacuation.
“You think we’re going to lose?” Paul asked.
Abram shrugged. “I have no clue, but I’m not about to give those assholes a bargaining chip.” That was how he’d taken Treasure Island with no resistance from Connor; he’d threatened to kill a bunch of helpless humans, and Connor hadn’t been willing to let innocent people die. It was possible, when Claire and Nate heard about the problems they were facing, they’d tell Connor and he’d send people to help, but Abram wasn’t betting his ass on it. For now, he had another plan, one where his insanity would definitely benefit him. “Get Michael down here and have him bring the remotes for the explosives on the peninsula side of the bridge.”
“You’re going to blow up that span of the bridge?” Paul asked in disbelief.
Abram shrugged. “That may be our only option to keep them from taking the island. It might also give me a chance to kill that fucker, Richard.”
Paul looked stunned. “We promised Connor we’d use that side of the bay.”
“We don’t have much choice,” Abram said with a shrug. “Paul, you stay off the bridge. I’m only taking some of the feral vampires with me. If anything happens to me, you’re in charge.”
Abram wasn’t starving the feral vampires or using them to fight for him anymore. In fact, they were well-fed, and he tried to keep them confined as humanely as possible, not that he’d ever admit that to Connor.
“No,” Paul argued. “You need me there in case there’s a fight. I’m your second in command and the best fighter you have.”
Abram let out a bark of laughter. “There isn’t going to be any fight, Paul. That’s why I’m having Michael bring the detonators. Either Richard and his band of assholes will leave, or I’ll blow the fucking bridge out from under their feet.”
Paul’s eyes widened. “So, you’re just going to kill yourself?”
“You know me better than that,” Abram replied. “I have a great sense of self-preservation.”
Paul spit on the ground. “Then what’s your plan?”
“Find out what they want. I’ll probably blow up the bridge, but it will depend on how they react.”
“You’re going to be on the bridge,” Paul reminded him. “I find it hard to trust in your sense of self-preservation when you are talking about blowing up a bridge you’re going to be standing on.”
Abram shrugged. “That’s the part of my plan that sucks. I really hate it when I don’t have time to think through all the possible outcomes first.”
“You can’t swim,” Paul pointed out.
Abram wasn’t sure how to respond because that was part of the draw. In some ways, he craved the risk of death, or it could be death itself he craved. They both knew he was lying about his sense of self-preservation. “If I blow up the bridge, I’m pretty sure drowning will be the least of my worries,” he replied with a casual shrug.
Paul let out a frustrated sigh and muttered something about him being a crazy bastard.
Abram shifted his attention to Michael who’d just arrived with the remote. “I’ve got a second set-up, just in case they think killing you will stop us from blowing up the bridge,” Michael explained as if they were talking about the weather. That was why he trusted Michael with this sort of thing. Michael would never let emotion prevent him from doing what had to be done or from following orders. “If you don’t want me to blow the bridge if they try to kill you, let me know now.”
“Don’t hesitate,” Abram replied. “The most important thing is to prevent them from taking Treasure Island.”
With one last nod to Paul, he walked onto the bridge, flanked by six feral vamps. Paul hadn’t been kidding about the number of fighters with Richard. Abram could tell by the way many of them were shifting and salivating that they were feral. They’d stayed close to the shore, probably to prove they could make Abram come to them, or possibly to convince Abram they weren’t trying to take over Treasure Island. Stopping just past the middle of the bridge, Abram waited for Richard and his entourage to come to him, enjoying the irritated scowl Richard wore as he approached. While Abram had never met Richard, he was sure the asshole dressed in all black was the council leader. It was his arrogant stance that tipped Abram off to his identity.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from a council member?” Abram asked, keeping his stance loose and nonthreatening.
Richard gave him a pleasant smile that appeared forced. “I’m not here on council business. In fact, I’m here to make you an offer that will give you more power.”
Abram said nothing, just continued to stare at him.
“This one won’t help us willingly,” remarked a man standing beside Richard. Something in the man’s confident stance told Abram he wasn’t an underling.
“You still haven’t told me what you want,” Abram stated.
“It’s my plan to take over Connor’s territory and his trade ports. If you help us, I can promise you more power and stability,” Richard told him.
Abram had trouble not laughing at the offer since it sounded so similar to the one made the last time Richard had decided to start a rebellion. This time, he was doing it with more force, but Abram considered accepting the offer a death sentence for him and his followers. Richard was one of the council members who openly hated his kind. While Richard might be willing to use turned vampires to get what he wanted, he’d destroy them as soon as they were no longer useful. “I have a truce with Connor.”
“A truce that keeps you locked away here like prisoners,” Richard spat out. “Under my rule, you’ll have access to both sides of the bay, and you can get your supplies without groveling to the council in Fangri La. You’d be a fool to pass up this offer.”
“The way I see it, I’d be a fool to give up what I have on the chance you can get me more,” Abram told him. “We’re doing fine on Treasure Island. This may be hard for you to believe, but I don’t need more power.”
Richard snorted his disbelief. “Everyone needs more power.”
Abram had grown up around that mentality so he understood it. He’d believed it was the truth until recently when he’d discovered the true value of security. Security was the one thing he was not willing to lose. “So, you’re looking for an ally to help fight Connor?” Abram asked, not waiting for an answer before continuing. “The answer is no. Connor is my ally, and I will not fight against him.”
Richard laughed. “Obviously, you don’t understand the choice I’m giving you. You can either help us, or we’ll take your home and kill you. Some among us would rather keep you and your followers as play things.”
Abram laughed, and he was pleased when Richard’s smile faded. “Yeah, I think I’ll go with the third option.” He held up the remote. “As you’ve already noticed, the lower deck of this bridge is mostly inaccessible, but we managed to get some people in there to set explosives. It was the best way to keep the island secure. I came here on the off chance you really were with the council. Still, I didn’t come unprepared for your threats. You can either leave, or I’ll blow up the fucking bridge.”
“Idle threats mean nothing. You’ll be killed, too,” a man with a heavy accent scoffed.
Abram gave him his scariest grin, and he knew his gray eyes looked dead. “Your mistake is assuming I’m afraid to die. I’m getting hard thinking about blowing up this bridge. Wanna join me for the most explosive blow job of our lives?”
Richard’s confident smile slipped. “You’re insane,” he hissed.
“You finally figured that out?” Abram asked with a laugh. “In case you’re thinking about killing me to prevent me from blowing up the bridge, I’ve got someone with an extra remote. If I die, he’ll blow up the bridge before my body hits the ground. He’ll probably blow it up as soon as you raise a weapon. Michael’s been dying to see something explode. So, how would you like to do this?” Abram asked, knowing he looked excited rather than nervous.
“You’ll regret your decision,” Richard warned. “I pro
mise you won’t be laughing by the time I get done with you.”
Abram just laughed and watched them walk to the end of the bridge before making his way back to the island. Once he was safely on the island, he hit the button to blow up the bridge, knowing he’d lose any fight if he had to defend the island on both sides. With any luck, Connor wouldn’t consider it breaking their truce to go to the other side of the bay for what they needed. The explosion was loud, and it made the ground shake beneath his feet. As Abram watched the bridge crumble into the bay, he found himself fantasizing about being on the bridge. Sick fuck that he was, he almost craved the pain, wondering if the blast would have killed him or if he’d have drowned.
“I take it things didn’t go well?” Paul asked.
“He’s trying to take over this territory. I just made an enemy by refusing to side with him against Connor,” Abram explained, grinning when Paul laughed. “Yeah, I see the humor in that, too. Richard thought he’d threaten me to get what he wants.”
“Dumb move on his part,” Paul added with a snort before spitting on the ground.
“Yeah. He’s much more afraid of dying than I am. I guess we need to get word to Connor about what’s going on,” Abram told him, nearly laughing at the realization that he was going to help Connor again.
“You sent people to him,” Paul remarked. “I’m sure he’ll be in contact with us soon. I just hope he doesn’t turn the families away.”
Abram shook his head. “He won’t. The question is whether he’ll give two fucks about helping us now that we’ve sent the people who weren’t directly involved in the attack on Treasure Island away.”
“He will,” Paul told him. “You already know he’s too smart not to see you’re better as an ally than an enemy.”
Abram sure hoped Paul was right because his only other option was to abandon Treasure Island and blow up the other bridge span. There was no way he could allow Richard to take Treasure Island, and he couldn’t hold the island if Connor refused them access to the other side of the bay.
Untamed Winter Page 13