CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Alison
MY BACK WAS aching from sitting in the damn SUV for so long, and my ribs were still sore from when Slasher beat the crap out of me. We’d been driving since we stopped at the last gas station and I really had to pee, but I didn’t dare say anything. Gabe still looked at me like he wanted to kill me. Best not to give him a reason. Besides, nobody else was complaining, so I needed to suck it up and let them do their jobs.
I shifted in my seat again, trying to get comfortable and caught Gabe’s glare in the rearview mirror. I quickly averted my eyes and looked out into the darkness. There was nothing to see, but I couldn’t stand to look at anyone in the vehicle. Claire was out like a light next to me. I wished I could be that lucky. I glanced back and saw that Caitlin was also asleep. She looked so sweet in her carseat and I prayed that her mother was alright. The guys weren’t telling us anything, so I had no clue what was going on. Axel, of course, was asleep against the window without a care in the world. I shook my head as I smiled. That kid could sleep anywhere through anything.
Becky was in the front seat on her computer. I had no clue what she was doing and frankly, if she tried to explain it to me, I doubt I would understand. I had big dreams after high school to go away to college. I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to do yet, but I was leaning toward becoming a doctor. Becoming a nurse was as close as I would get to that and I hadn’t studied anything to do with computers. I was past the point of wanting to go back to school. Now I just wanted to live my life in peace.
I stretched for what felt like the tenth time in the past five minutes and groaned slightly when I pulled at my sore ribs.
“Relax, Princess. We’re almost there and then you can get your beauty rest,” Gabe snarled from the front seat.
“Why do you call me Princess? Do you really think I’ve been living the good life all these years?”
“Even gangs have women they hold in the highest regard.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I’d like you to show me one of those. There’s not a single gang member I know that wouldn’t shoot his own mother if it meant that he could move up in the gang. Believe me, women are only good for one thing to a man in a gang.”
“I hope you get yourself tested before you plan on seducing Chris. He doesn’t deserve all the diseases you would give him,” Gave sniped.
I felt my face flush red and then saw Becky smack Gabe in the arm, reprimanding him for being such an ass. But the truth was, Gabe wasn’t wrong. While I hadn’t been passed around to all the other members, Slasher had definitely taken his fair share of the women that hung around. Who knew what diseases I could be carrying at this very moment.
I stared out the window for another half hour until we finally pulled down a dirt road and drove for another mile or so. When we finally stopped, I was ready to jump out of the SUV, but when I reached for the door, Gabe stopped me.
“Just hold on. We have to secure the perimeter.”
He stepped out of the vehicle and Becky turned around to face me. “You know, Gabe’s not normally a bad guy. He’s just being very suspicious because we’re all under attack. He’ll come around.”
“I get it. I would probably be suspicious of me too.”
“Well, give it time. Chris’s word means a lot around here. Gabe’s just being a hard head.”
“That’s not what I would call it,” I grumbled. I heard Becky chuckle, but sat in silence for the next ten minutes as the guys did whatever it was they needed to do. When Gabe came back, he glared at me and I immediately started to tremble. What had I done now?
“Let’s unload,” Gabe said sharply.
Claire yawned and stretched her arms out over her head. “Where are we?”
“New safe house,” Gabe said with a softer voice. Apparently his angry voice was reserved for me. I spun around in the seat and woke up Axel. He looked like he was perfectly rested and ready for the day, even though it was about 2 a.m. I unbuckled Caitlin, careful to not wake her and held her tightly to my body. She was so sweet. Her little thumb was in her mouth and she held a little unicorn tightly in her fist. I ran my hand over her soft red curls and wished that I had gotten the opportunity to have a little girl of my own.
I stepped out of the vehicle and followed everyone inside. The place was huge. I couldn’t really see anything from outside, but once the lights were turned on, it was clear that this was some kind of mansion.
“Knight bought this just in case?” Jackson asked. “In case of what?”
“Maybe he was planning to host a state dinner,” Chance remarked. They looked at each other and started laughing. I didn’t quite get what the joke was, so I shrugged it off and walked over to Chance.
“Where should I have her sleep?”
“Take your pick of rooms. We haven’t been here before, so I don’t have any idea what the best rooms are for kids.”
“I think I’ll stay with her. I don’t want her waking up alone in a strange house.”
“Right, just with a stranger,” Gabe muttered.
“That’s enough,” Chance said sharply. Then he turned to me. “I’m sure Cap would appreciate it if you could stay with her.”
I nodded and headed for the stairs, feeling Axel behind me. When we reached the top of the stairs, Axel grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. “Why do I get the feeling that we’re not any more welcome here than with Slasher?”
“Chris will be here soon. I talked to him and he was on his way. We just have to hold out a little longer.”
“These people don’t trust us,” he said angrily. “I don’t like the idea of being here without Chris.”
“Axel, we’ll be fine. None of them would do anything to us.”
“I’m staying in your room tonight.”
It was like I was looking at my little seven year old boy again. I smiled sadly at him and rested a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to be scared. I’ll protect you.”
He gave me a funny look and shook his head. “I’m not scared, Mom. I’m staying in your room so I can protect you. I want you to get some sleep and I’ll keep watch. I still have that gun Chris had me practice with and I intend to use it if any of them even looks at you wrong.”
I shook my head, completely amazed by my kid. Just a few days around Chris and he was already becoming the man that he would have been had he been raised by Chris. We walked down the hall to a medium sized room with a double bed. I laid Caitlin down on the bed and then slipped under the covers with her. I saw Axel opening doors and then walked through one, coming back a few minutes later.
“This has an adjoining room,” he said.
“Why don’t you take that one?”
Axel moved a chair to face the door and sat down, resting his gun on the table beside him. I was a little nervous about him having a gun out, considering he had only just learned to use it, but he instantly quelled my fears.
“Relax, Mom. I took the magazine out. Chris taught me how to quickly assemble the weapon. I’ll be ready if I need to be, but you don’t have to worry about me accidentally shooting someone.”
I nodded and it wasn’t long before I was drifting off to sleep.
✯✯✯✯✯
“Get the fuck out of here.” That was Axel’s voice. I couldn’t register what was going on. My brain was in a fog and I couldn’t pull myself out of it.
“Kid, I think you’re mistaken on who gives the orders around here.”
“I’m not mistaken at all. You’ve had it out for my mom and I since we arrived. I wouldn’t put it past you to put a bullet in our heads and then say that we were trying to kill you.”
I finally shook my head awake and sat up, checking on Caitlin before I assessed the situation. Caitlin was still fast asleep, so I slipped out of the bed and slowly moved over to the door where I saw my son holding a gun on Gabe. My eyes widened as Gabe took a step forward, but Axel took a step back, not allowing him in his space.
“Just stay the fuck
away from us,” Axel growled.
“I’m just here to check on Caitlin.”
“And you can see that she’s over there sleeping in the bed. She’s fine, so you can get the fuck out.”
“Kid, you’re on my protective detail. It’s my job to make sure that you’re safe and that includes everyone in this room. You shouldn’t even have a fucking gun.”
“He only has it because Chris gave it to him,” I interjected.
Gabe huffed in irritation. “I can’t believe he just handed over a gun to a kid that he’s known all of five minutes. He may think that he can trust you, but I’m not quite that stupid. How do we even know that this kid is really his? This whole thing stinks like shit to me.”
“What the fuck is going on in here?” Chance stepped in behind Gabe.
“This kid is holding a gun on me.”
“After you made it perfectly clear that you think Mom and I are here to infiltrate Reed Security or some shit like that.”
“Gabe, we talked about this,” Chance chastised.
“They’ve got Cap’s kid in the room with them,” he said incredulously.
“Yeah and Cap was the one that said we trust them like we would any other family member of Reed Security. Get the fuck out of here and cool off. Chris is gonna hand you your ass if you don’t knock it off.”
Gabe’s jaw tensed, but he walked out of the room and stormed down the stairs. Chance sighed and ran a hand over his tired face. “I’m really sorry. Gabe’s not always the most trusting person. He won’t be coming near you again. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll put Jackson on your personal security until Chris gets back and I fill him in as to what’s going on.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
“Sorry, kid, but I can’t let you walk around with a gun. That’s not the way this shit works.”
“I’m not handing it over. If I do, what the hell am I supposed to protect my mom with?”
Chance smirked at him. “You know, you’d do good in the military. You might want to think about that when this shit is over. Just do me a favor and keep the safety on.”
Axel grinned at him. “The magazine is empty. I didn’t think Gabe was actually going to try anything, but I don’t trust him either. I just wanted to show him that we were protected.”
Chance threw back his head and laughed. “I won’t tell him that. He’ll be pissed that you slipped that past him.”
“When will the rest of them be here?”
“They should be here in a few more hours. They had some hang ups along the way, but it shouldn’t be too much longer. I would suggest getting some more sleep before they get here.”
I nodded and turned to Axel as Chance closed the door. “You’re just like your father,” I said with a smile. “You haven’t even known him that long, but I can already see the same bravery and determination that he’s always had.”
“Thank God I didn’t take after Slasher. I would have been such a disappointment.”
“Let’s not think about Slasher anymore. Soon, he won’t even be a part of our lives.”
✯✯✯✯✯
I was woken for the second time a few hours later by hushed voices coming from outside the door. I looked over to see Axel fast asleep in his chair. I crept over to the door and slowly nudged it open, relieved to see Chris standing out in the hall. I ran and threw my arms around him, not even caring that everyone was watching. Tears pricked my eyes as the last twenty-four hours finally caught up with me. It was bad enough with everything going on, but then to be driving with people that I didn’t know and didn’t trust me, it was just a little too much to take.
“Hey, it’s alright, Ali. I’m here now,” Chris whispered as he stroked my back.
“Is everyone okay?” I asked as I pulled back. Darkness crept over Chris’s face and I swallowed hard, not wanting to hear what had happened because of me.
“Maggie’s not doing so well right now,” Sebastian cut in. “She’ll be fine with some rest. Chance said that you’ve been watching over Caitlin. Do you think you could continue to do that during the day until Maggie’s doing better?”
“Of course. She’s a very sweet girl.”
“Sweet,” he smirked. “She’s got a little of the devil in her, just like her momma.” Sebastian’s face turned down slightly before he shook his head and gave me a soft smile. “Thank you for taking care of her. I’ll take her for the rest of the night and come find you when I need help again.”
“No problem. I’m glad I can help.”
Sebastian walked over to the bed and lifted Caitlin into his arms, kissing her lightly on the forehead, then walked back to the door.
“Why don’t you all get some sleep and we’ll meet at noon to start planning?” Sebastian said to Chris. Chris nodded and I opened the door further for him to enter. I wasn’t sure what his plans were for sleeping arrangements, but I needed him close to me right now.
“Where’s Axel?” he asked as he stepped inside. I nodded over to the chair that Axel had passed out in. “He’s a good kid, watching out for you like that.”
“He is. He even went up against Gabe.”
“Gabe?”
“Yeah, he doesn’t trust us.” At Chris’s dark look, I quickly made sure he understood what happened. “Chance stepped in and set him straight. He has Jackson watching us now.”
“I’m gonna have to have a talk with Gabe.”
“Chris, I really don’t want to cause any problems for you. We’ve already-”
“Please, no more. Let’s just put a plug in it for tonight. I’m tired as hell and I need some sleep before we start planning.”
“Okay, I can go sleep in the other room,” I said, turning from him. He grabbed me around the wrist and yanked me back against him.
“Not a chance in hell. You’ll be sleeping in my bed from now on.”
“But, what about what I told you? You know, about needing to be tested?”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t hold you in the meantime. We’ve wasted too much time, Ali. I just want you in my arms right now. I don’t care if we don’t have sex. Well, for the time being, but believe me, I will be making love to you and it’s going to be a helluva a lot better than when we were sixteen,” he growled.
I felt shivers race down my body at his promise and wished that there was a doctor that could check me over now so that I didn’t have to wait. I wanted Chris more than I did when we were kids. The only experience I had other than Chris was at the hands of a man who never tried to take care of me. I was just a body to be used. I desperately wanted to know what it would be like to have Chris take care of me now that we were both adults.
I watched as Chris shook Axel’s shoulder. Axel immediately reached for the gun and then relaxed when he saw Chris. “Chris, I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me too, kid. I see that you’re taking care of your mother,” he said, gesturing to the gun.
“I didn’t keep it loaded since I’m not that experienced. I kept the clip in my pocket in case I needed it.”
“That was smart. We don’t need anyone accidentally shot. I’ve got it from here, though. Why don’t you go in the next room and get some sleep?”
“Thanks. I’ll do that.” Axel looked over at me and gave a chin lift, already so much like his dad. “You sure you’re okay, Mom?”
“I’ll be fine. Thank you for watching out for us.”
Axel went into the other room and shut the door behind him. I waited at the foot of the bed, a little unsure of how we would be sleeping. I knew that he wanted to stay in bed with me, but I didn’t know the dress code. I was so out of my element right now.
He walked over to me and slid his hand under my hair and behind my neck. “What’s going on in that head of yours, baby?”
“I’m nervous.”
“It’s just me,” he whispered. “You could always tell me anything. There was never any hesitation between us.”
“I know, but this is different. We’re adults now. We ha
ven’t see each other in so long. I don’t look the same and…” I didn’t want to say that my body had been used as a fuck hole for the past sixteen years. That would just make him mad, so I just stopped talking.
“Don’t worry about all that shit, baby. When this is over, we’ll do whatever we have to to make sure that you’re one hundred percent comfortable being with me. For now? Just get in whatever you wear to sleep so I can hold you in my arms.”
I smiled at the reassuring tone he took with me and slid out of my pants, tossing them on a chair. I also took off my bra. Having that on all day and night was so uncomfortable. I just wanted to relax and for once not worry about anything. I felt like I could finally do that here with Chris. I slid under the covers in just my t-shirt and watched as Chris stripped out of his clothes, but he didn’t stop with just his pants and shirt. When he grabbed onto the waistband of his boxers and started pulling them down, I almost choked. He was larger than I remembered and I couldn’t force my eyes away from him.
His body was so different now. When I last knew him, he was tall and scrawny because he never had enough food. I could see now that he not only ate well, but he did everything he could to stay in shape. His body was a work of art, with thick, muscular arms and legs and a chest that flexed and jumped with each move. God, I wanted him so much. He lifted the covers and I couldn’t help but notice that he was semi-hard. I closed my eyes, sad that we couldn’t do anything yet.
“Take off your shirt,” he grumbled.
“What?”
“I want to feel your skin against mine. Take off your shirt.”
I slowly slid my shirt up and pulled it over my head. My nipples pebbled as he stared at my breasts. They were softer than before and they weren’t as perky. It made me feel very self-conscious, but I willed myself not to cover up. If he wanted me after all these years, he had to see me for the way I was now. His eyes slowly traveled over my body, darkening with every inch he took in. I felt like I was under a magnifying glass, sure that he would see every flaw about me, but he only looked at me like he wanted to devour me.
Whiskey: A Reed Security Romance (Reed Security Series Book 7) Page 15