by Fall, Carly
“You’re going to get fucking busted,” he mumbled to himself.
That little threat did nothing.
“You need to look away. Like now.”
Right.
All of a sudden, Liberty rolled over and pushed her butt up in the air, diving for the bottom. Jovan was then able to turn around. He leaned against the counter and closed his eyes.
For some reason, memories of the first time he had ever been with a human woman came to him. It had been before his so-called gift had kicked in. Shortly after they had landed in the late 1700s, he found himself in a saloon in Northern Montana in the late afternoon. It had been the middle of winter, and the air was frigid. There were reports of a serial killer in the small town, and the Six Saviors had gone to check it out.
As he walked along the back alley of the saloon looking for black ash the Colonists left behind before, during, and after a kill, he had come across a male and female. Jovan watched as their mouths passionately moved over each other, and then the male lifted the female’s skirts. The male unbuttoned his pants, and Jovan watched him free his hard shaft and push it toward the woman. She gasped, and they moaned in pleasure, oblivious to the cold air. Jovan had felt his own cock grow hard, and he didn’t understand why.
“You like what you see there, honey?”
Jovan spun around and met the blue eyes of a woman who worked in the saloon.
He didn’t answer.
“I’ll let you have me for two bucks.”
He turned again to watch the couple down the alley. The man looked as though he had just struck gold, and Jovan knew he was missing out on something big.
“Okay.”
She led him up to a small room above the saloon. Jovan watched it awe as she removed her dress and underskirts, revealing skin that shined in the lamplight, full breasts with bubble-gum-pink tips, a small waist, and rounded hips.
She lay down on the bed and looked at him expectantly.
“Well, come on, honey, I ain’t got all afternoon for you to stand there and look at me. If you want some of this,” she took a breast in each hand and pinched the nipple, “then you best get movin’ on.”
Jovan undressed, and the woman smiled. “I may actually enjoy this,” she said, and Jovan wondered why she wouldn’t. The woman out back looked like she had.
He went to her, his cock a bar of steel. As he crawled on the bed, she asked, “You like it on top or do you want me up there?”
Being an SR44 male, he tended to be a little dominant, but he knew he was in new territory here. On SR44, joining with a female consisted of both smoky forms coming together and swirling through each other. He had a feeling this was going to be very different than that. And besides, getting used to his large human body was taking time, and every day he was finding out new things and functions it performed. Like now. He thought it best to let the lady lead, because he had absolutely no idea what he was doing, only that he wanted it done.
“You,” he said gruffly.
He lay on his back on the small bed, and the woman straddled him. He watched in fascination as his shaft disappeared within her, and then the sensations took over.
An hour later, they lay side-by-side, the flicker of light from the lantern casting shadows over the small room. She turned and gave him a sad smile.
“I don’t know your name, honey, and I don’t need to. But I do know that you’re welcome back here anytime.”
He smiled back. “Thank you, ma’am.”
He left, giving her five dollars.
Months later, he would realize that he didn’t have to pay for the incredible experience, and there were women who were more than happy to give it to him for free. And from that point on, he’d taken it when offered.
Opening his eyes, he looked out the window again and saw that the pool was empty. Then he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Glancing toward the stairwell, his gaze was met by Liberty’s. She stood there naked.
“Warrior!” she said with a smile, as if sauntering into a kitchen buck-naked and dripping wet was something she did every day. “I did not hear you enter.”
He stared at her for a beat, then forced his eyes to the floor, certain his erection was going to pop right through the zipper in his jeans, but he wasn’t sure if it was because of Liberty or his memories.
Forcing himself to turn around, he said, “Liberty, please take the clothes in the bag and go put them on.”
There was a beat of silence, and he heard the bag crinkle as she took it in her hands.
“Have I offended you, Sir Jovan?”
Offended him? No. Jacked him up? Maybe. It was either her or the memory.
“No, Liberty,” he said in a quiet voice. “No. You just can’t run around naked here. I know you don’t like clothes, but you need to wear them.”
There was silence for a minute, and then she said, “But I am in my natural form as I would be on SR44.”
“I know. But you need to cover your natural form on Earth.”
“Very well, Sir Jovan.”
He listened as she padded down the stairs, and let out a long, slow breath. Liberty was going to have to learn a few human rules and customs if she was going to make it.
Chapter 9
Liberty slipped on the jeans and t-shirt, aware that she had made a mistake. She thought that since she was with an SR44 male, things would be like they were back home where there were none of these cumbersome fabrics. There was nothing obscene or rude about their smoky forms, but perhaps he found her human form unworthy to gaze upon, and she felt tears sting her eyes.
She knew she would never return to SR44, and she didn’t know how she was going to integrate herself into this society being so terribly different. She was well aware that she talked differently than humans, even though she had learned the language, not to mention the fact that her eyes glowed when the sun set. Her whole thinking process was so contrary to those of who inhabited Earth.
Running her fingers through her hair, hoping to calm the curls a bit, she willed herself to remain strong. She was safe now, and she had to remember that. She slipped on her black flats and made her way back up the stairs.
“We need to leave in about thirty minutes for the airport,” Jovan said when she emerged at the top of the stairs.
He sat at the small kitchen table where there was a light brown torpedo in front of him and one on the table across from him. Her stomach growled. Over the weeks, she had learned this indicated hunger.
Stepping over to the table, she bowed her head and looked at the floor. “If I may join you, Warrior, for this meal.”
There was a beat of silence as she waited for permission.
“Liberty, look at me.”
She met his gaze.
“We are equals. There is no difference between you and me. I know it’s going to take some time, but please really try to curb this servitude bullshit, and I mean this in the least offensive way, but it’s really starting to get on my nerves, okay?”
“But, sir—”
“No, Liberty. If I have to command you to stop calling me sir, Warrior, or anything else besides Jovan, I will.”
Yes, this life on Earth was going to take much getting used to.
“Very well, Jovan.”
She sat down and picked up the brown torpedo, wondering what it was. It certainly wasn’t a taco, and it didn’t look as delicious as macaroni and cheese either.
“It’s a sandwich,” Jovan said with his mouth full. “Turkey. It’s good. You’ll like it.”
She took a bite and chewed slowly, letting the flavors settle in her mouth. “Yes,” she said after a moment, “you’re correct. This does satisfy my hunger. ”
They ate in silence for a bit. “We need to get moving,” Jovan said. “We’re going to catch a plane to a safe place. The flight isn’t that long, and when we get there, you can tell us your story.”
“And is this ‘us’ you refer to the rest of the Six Saviors?”
“Yes.”
<
br /> She nodded. She had seen the planes in the sky, and the thought of getting on one made her sandwich want to make a reappearance, not to mention the thought of meeting all the Saviors in one room. To the people of SR44, their existence had been elevated to almost god-like proportions.
Dabbing her mouth with a paper napkin, she nodded. “I must confess, Jovan, the thought of flying does not sit well with me.”
He stared at her for a beat. “You’re afraid of flying?” he asked incredulously.
“Truthfully, the technology that humans use to fly does not look safe.”
Jovan threw his head back and laughed, and she liked the sound of it. It was deep and throaty, and she couldn’t help but giggle as well.
“We’ll be fine, Liberty,” he said, wiping his eyes.
She wanted to believe him, but she was definitely having a hard time doing so.
Chapter 10
Jovan drove to the area where the private planes board and was happy to see the guy who leased the cars there. He went over and talked to the short man with the salt-and-pepper hair, then handed him the keys to the Hummer.
“Thanks for everything, man,” Jovan said. The guy provided them with any car they wanted when they were in Phoenix, and he didn’t ask questions. But Jovan supposed with the amount of money the guy made off the Warriors, his silence was bought and paid for.
“Anytime, my friend,” the man said and drove off in the Hummer.
Jovan watched him go and decided that he really liked that car and would see about getting another one when he got to Reno. It was like driving at tank down the city streets, except it was legal.
He turned back to where he had left Liberty and watched her as she studied the plane, her arms across her chest. Her human form was pretty, but he couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that there was an SR44 female in there.
As he walked back to her, he realized that he was feeling particularly protective of her. Sure, he felt protective of the other females in their little clan, but maybe it was because of Liberty’s sheer innocence that he wanted to shield her from everything.
But having said that, he was the wrong guy for the job. His life was the hunt, keeping to himself and the less people he came in contact with, the happier he was.
Well, not really happy. That was the wrong word. The more . . . sane . . . he was. He couldn’t deal with all the negativity that people had rolling around within them, especially humans.
He wasn’t the one who needed to keep an eye on Liberty. He didn’t need interaction with others; he needed to remain in his closed-off box and keep his shit together.
It wasn’t a pleasant existence, and when he thought of the future it looked like an endless black hole with nothing to look forward to, nothing to be excited about. Destiny was a bitch like that. She set you on a path, and there was little you could do about it except roll with her uppercuts, hooks, and knees to the balls.
He often wished he could be like the others he lived with. They liked being together, interacting, and loving each other. He was okay with everything as long as he stayed on the sidelines and didn’t get too involved.
He was a spectator, watching those around him lead their lives, and participating as little as possible.
Although, he really did like Abby, Faith, and Beverly. Those were three very happy females, but even having too much contact with them wasn’t good because then he realized what he was missing out on.
No, he was best off hunting Colonists and remaining boxed off from as much of the world as possible. Except playing pool with Abby. Yeah, he loved that.
Jovan kept an eye on Liberty as they walked toward the plane.
Her face paled. “Jovan,” she said, grabbing his arm. There were two things he noticed as she did this. First off, she was afraid. He could see it in her face. Second, he couldn’t feel her fear, even though she was in contact with him, and that startled him into a momentary silence.
“I can’t do this,” she pleaded. “Isn’t there another way for us to journey there?”
He looked down at where her hand laid on his forearm and thought about pulling away, as he normally would when someone came in contact with him. Instead, he placed his hand over her hand.
Nothing.
Then he concentrated.
Not a motherfucking thing.
What the hell?
He didn’t know whether to start slamming high fives at passing strangers or to be worried he was dying or something.
“Jovan, please.”
Meeting her eyes, he said, “We’re going to be fine. I’ll get you a little something for your nerves, okay?”
She didn’t look soothed by any means, and he could see that she was fighting whether she should trust him or not.
After a moment, she bowed her head. “All right,” she said quietly, turning toward the plane. When her hand left his arm, he found himself missing the warmth of her touch. It had been so long he had touched, or been touched, by a stranger for more than a few seconds at a time, that the feeling surprised him.
He watched her walk toward the plane and wondered why in the world he couldn’t feel her emotions. As he followed her, he thought back to the alley where he had felt her anxiety and fear come off her, and he’d been about three feet away from her at that point. At the mansion there hadn’t been anything either, not that they were touching each other in any way. But now, there was skin-on-skin and . . . nothing.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t heard any of her thoughts since the alley either.
Interesting. Maybe this uncontrollable gift or curse, whichever way you wanted to look at it, was leaving him.
He caught up with her as she was about to take the steps up to the private jet. Glancing up, he agreed that it didn’t look like something that would be safe hurtling itself through space. It looked like a polished beer can on wheels, but these things had taken him more miles around the world than he could count.
The captain poked his head out and yelled down a hello. Now that’s a pretty passenger.
Jovan looked at the captain who was eyeing Liberty. As she approached him, he extended his hand.
I really need to call that lawyer about my divorce . . .
Jovan sighed.
So much for his gift leaving him.
Chapter 11
Liberty shook the captain’s hand and moved into the small tube that was supposed to carry them through the air. She quickly counted eight tan chairs and wondered which one she should take.
“Go ahead and sit wherever you want,” Jovan said, and it startled her; she wasn’t projecting her thoughts, but somehow he knew what she was thinking.
Sitting down in one of the chairs, she felt the fine material beneath her fingers. It was soft and smooth, and something that she had only felt in the Hummer vehicle and on the couches of the magnificent house they had just left. When the captain sat down in the pilot’s chair, she leaned across the aisle to Jovan.
“What is this material?” she whispered.
“It’s called leather,” he said quietly.
She ran her fingers over it some more and wondered if they made clothing out of it, and if so, perhaps she would get some as she imagined that such softness against her skin would feel wonderful.
A moment later, a female with long hair and a nametag that read Suzette approached them wearing a uniform and a wide smile. She asked them if they wanted anything to drink.
“I’ll have two shots of whiskey, and so will she,” Jovan said.
Liberty looked out the window. She had never tried whiskey, but it had been ordered many, many times at the club where she toiled.
Jovan reached across the aisle and pulled down a small table from the seat in front of her, and Suzette set down two small glasses that contained amber liquid. She watched as Jovan picked one up and drank it all in one long swallow, then did the same with the other.
Liberty picked up one of the small glasses. As she sniffed the brown liquid, she felt a burning sens
ation in her nose and her eyes watered. She wasn’t sure she wanted it, but then the door to the plane closed and the rumbling of the engines made her seat vibrate in the slightest way.
Her fear rose and she glanced over at Jovan. “It will relax you,” he said with a small smile.
Looking out the window, she saw that they were now moving. She took the small glass and drank it in one swallow as she had watched Jovan do.
The liquid burned her mouth, her throat, and made her eyes water. After she swallowed, she began coughing. When she finally got that under control, she noticed a slow warmth blossoming from her stomach outward, almost as if her bones were taking a warm bath, and relaxed.
After a moment, she looked out the window and noticed that they were airborne, and she found herself only slightly uncomfortable. Taking the second glass of whiskey, she drank that the same way as the first, except this time she didn’t cough as much.
The warmth throughout her body became stronger, and her brain began to fog in a very pleasant way. She put her head back on her chair. Turning to Jovan, she smiled.
“I do believe I like this whiskey,” she said lazily, and felt her eyes begin to close.
Jovan watched Liberty sleep and realized what a horrible caregiver and role model he was. Uncomfortable? Have a shot.
Or two.
Hungry? Macaroni and cheese or a Subway sandwich. Not that the sandwich was bad, but he imagined that his fellow Warriors could do a little better.
Yes, he was certain they could. He had spent so many years taking care of himself and distancing himself from everyone that he didn’t have much practice in taking care of others. He wasn’t equipped to have others in his care. Hell, he was barely able to keep all his mental ducks in a row.
What he needed to do was get Liberty back to the silo and let Abby and the other females take over and show her the ropes of life on Earth, and then he could go back to doing his own thing.
Alone.
A bad feeling was cooking in his gut ever since he laid eyes on Liberty.
He turned to look out the window and sighed.