by Terra Wolf
“Well that's what I'm about to do, then.” I paused and thought about what I was going to say. I honestly had no idea how to tell them this. They heard about Penelope when we had that one night stand; well, at least Gavin had. I couldn't remember if I told the other guys about her. I wasn't really the feeling and sharing type. Especially because every time I mentioned going home alone, all that I got was more jabs and joking comments about how I couldn’t keep a woman around. This time, it was something completely different. This time it was real.
“I have something to tell you guys. But it's going to come as a bit of a surprise for all of you, because it certainly surprised the hell out of me.”
Sarge's eyebrows came together. “What’s going on, Harrison? You know that no matter what it is, we’re here for you, man.”
I did know that. That's how it always was. We were a team. “Do you remember Penelope?”
They all shook their heads except for Gavin. He looked right at me. Grady looked completely lost.
“One night stand? The diner waitress?” Gavin asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. It turns out she's going be a little bit more than a one night stand.”
“We already knew that. You were so hung up on that broad. There was something about her that you just couldn't shake.”
“Turns out that she can’t really shake me either. Especially since we have a baby together.”
Sarge and Gavin both smiled, Grady looked absolutely horrified, and Jackson just sat there looking stoic. His typical way.
“You have a kid? You, James Harrison, have a kid? That blows my mind!”
Sarge patted me on the back while looking proud. Grady was still dumbfounded. “I mean, do we even do that? We have kids?”
Everyone got quiet. No one at the table had any children. But obviously someone had us. “Less brains than this cup of coffee,” Sarge said to him. It lightened the mood and everybody laughed.
“So Penelope, then? What’d she name the little bugger?”
I nodded, “His name is Camden. He's two months old. And I just found out yesterday.”
Sarge looked confused. “Why now? What made her come out of the woodwork?”
“That's why I brought you all here. She and Camden are being hunted.”
Happiness quickly drained from the group. “Hunted? How?”
Gavin looked at me knowingly. His observations of the crime scene were right. All shifters were in trouble.
“This guy from some agency approached her at work. Offered her a lot of money for her and Camden to come to some facility. They want to do tests on him. So she packed up their things and she ran. Don't tell me that one of you didn't know that she was coming for me. She got my information from the precinct.”
They all exchange nervous glances. Finally Sarge spoke up. “Listen man, we knew how broken up you were when she left. You’re kind of the emotional one of the group.”
I couldn't help but laugh at him. “This from the guy who wrote his own vows.”
He playfully punched me in the arm. “And don't you forget it. But she just came in looking like a mess, man. I knew when she said she really needed to talk to you that it must be important. I couldn’t turn her away.”
“Well, it was important. She's hiding in my house for now. Guys, we gotta do something about this. All these grisly murders and now this? Someone is targeting us.”
“So what's the plan? You didn’t just come here to tell us this news. I know you, you’re an action man,” Gavin said.
“Yeah, I have a plan. It's been a while since I’ve been in deep like this. I want to go undercover. I want to break into this facility from the inside out. I want to know everything that they're doing. Why bodies? Why a blood trail? What do they want with my kid?”
Everyone nodded at me from around the table. I knew I wouldn't even have to ask them. They were in.
Sarge looked directly at me. “How long until this plan of action goes into play? I mean, we need to get moving. We’ll help you out in any way that we can.”
“I don't really have one yet. I was thinking of pretending to be some type of security officer? Maybe looking for a job? See if they would buy it.”
Grady spoke up. “I've got a guy in tech who can make a pretty realistic looking email, like a for a job opportunity. If he can work something out for you, that would get you in. But a testing site? This is going to be insane. You’ll have to do a lot better than just showing off an email. You’re going have to convince them.”
“I guess we’re lucky that convincing is one of my strengths.”
8
Penelope
I wore an apron. I knew it was insane. I also knew that guys like James Harrison liked girls like me in an apron making them dinner. Camden sat in the corner in a bouncy chair cooing to himself.
He had a bouncy chair now. That was something new. So much was new. It wasn't that I hadn't been able to provide for him before, but now, Harrison had money for everything. I mentioned that I saw a bouncy seat that I thought Camden would like and suddenly we were taking one home. I needed a couple of new bottles. so when I went to pay, Harrison was there giving them his credit card. I felt bad taking his money. I knew that I shouldn't, that Camden was his baby, but I didn't come here because it was his responsibility to raise our son. I came here for help, for safety. I didn't want him to think I was taking advantage of his generosity.
I played a quick game of peekaboo with Camden as he sat in the seat. I stirred the pot on the stove. Homemade sauce, just like my mother used to make my father. I had a feeling that Harrison would appreciate a home-cooked meal. I wasn't sure if he could cook or not, but I kind of doubted it. Before he asked me to move in, he said he ate by himself almost every night. He was definitely a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Hopefully he would appreciate a real meal. He only ever drank water, which was still evident by the lack of anything in his fridge.
He took me grocery shopping, and said anything I needed or wanted I should get. Mostly that meant fruits and vegetables and ingredients to make my pasta, and some formula for Camden. We didn't need much. We'd been living on a lot less. I protested about him paying for so much, but he wouldn't hear of it. He said that now that we were staying here, we needed to get used to being taken care of. If he only realized how difficult that would be for me, maybe he wouldn't have suggested it like it was no big deal.
My father had passed away when I was fourteen, and my mother had never really been the same after. And then it had just been the two of us, and while that was a great relationship, when she remarried, I moved away and our relationship changed. It wasn’t that he was a bad guy. He just wasn't my dad, and I struggled with that. But she was happy, and I was happy for her. My mother was a wonderful woman and she didn't deserve to live her life alone.
I remembered the night we got the call. The police officer on the other end of the line asked for my mom. When I questioned him, he wouldn't tell me what was going on. That was when I heard those words: it's going to be okay, it was an accident. What they didn’t realize was that how that accident completely changed my life. It changed how I viewed people and the rest of the world.
After a year, I packed my father's clothes and took them out of my mother's closet. I knew she'd never be able to do it herself. She never said anything to me about it afterwards. One day they were gone and she acted like she didn't notice. I knew that she had, but if that's what she needed to tell herself to make herself feel better, then so be it. They vanished, just like he did.
I never asked to see the body. My mother had identified him and that was good enough for me. I wanted to remember him as he had been, happy and healthy and whole. I didn't want to remember him lying in a morgue, splintered into a million pieces after a horrific car accident. That wasn't my dad on the table. I wouldn't let that be my memory of him.
I heard the door open, and suddenly I didn't know what to do. Should I welcome him home with a hug and a kiss? Were we even there yet? Sleeping togethe
r a couple times and having a kid together didn't mean that we were any sort of official couple. As he rounded the corner, I wanted to reach out and welcome him home, but he didn't move, so neither did I.
“I hope you like pasta. I remembered you always liked to eat it at the diner.”
His face brightened. “That’s great. I had a long day.”
“It seems like every day is a long day for you.”
“These past few weeks have felt like that. Thanks for making dinner. You didn't have to…”
I interrupted him. “Yes, I did.” He took us in without question, this was the easy part. “The least I can do is make sure you come home to a good meal. Besides, I haven't had anyone to cook for in a long time. At least, no one who appreciates my mother's recipe like I do.”
“Well, I certainly have an affinity for red sauce. But can we sit down for a second? We need to talk.”
There it was. The I don't think this is going to work conversation. I had been so sure that coming here was in Camden’s and my best interest. But maybe I'd been wrong. This was too much to put on Harrison. He hadn’t asked for this. Neither did I.
My heart clenched in my chest.
“Let's eat when we talk, it always seems to make these things a little less uncomfortable.”
He nodded and pulled down two plates, scooping out food for both for me and then himself.
“This smells amazing,” he said as he sat down at the table, immediately taking his fork and digging in while I sat quietly for a moment, before his eyes came up to my face.
“Oh shit, are you religious? I don't pray or anything, but you totally can.”
I laughed at him. “No, I'm not religious. I just don't think I've ever seen anybody eat like that. This isn’t your last meal on earth.”
He stopped shoveling for a moment and smiled at me between mouthfuls of spaghetti.
“I haven’t had a good meal like this in a while. Well, since the diner.”
“You stopped coming.”
“I thought you wanted me to remember?” He paused for a moment, looking pensive, then set down his fork.
I looked at Camden, who had fallen asleep in his chair. “I remember.”
“I wanted you to stay. I think I’ve made that clear.”
“Well, I’m here now.”
He reached across the table and pushed an auburn strand behind my ear. “You certainly are.”
I chewed on my lower lip. If he was about to push us out, I needed him to do it fast. Because my feelings for him had come flooding back. And I couldn’t stop them.
“Do you want me to leave?” I asked.
“Leave?” He looked concerned. “Why would I want that?”
“Because this is too much, because you can’t handle it.”
“Penny, no! I want you here always. I wanted to tell you I’m going undercover for the next week or so, getting information from the organization that came after you. I had the guys in tech look into the name and number of the man who gave you the card. It links to a chemical facility just outside the city. We think that’s the organization behind the attacks. Purest something or other. I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I wanted to tell you that you’ll be alone for a while, but I have people on it. There will be eyes on you.”
I sighed, feeling relief, but also fear. I didn’t want him to go. “Will you be okay?”
He lifted my chin. “Of course I will. I’ll come home to you, I promise.”
I leaned forward ever so slightly. He took it as a sign that I was finally letting him in. His lips grazed mine carefully at first, and then he kissed me fully. It nearly took my breath away.
All this time I had wanted him.
Needed his touch.
And it was finally here.
Our moment.
9
Penelope
“How long will he sleep for?” He whispered to me.
“Camden? A while yet.”
“So then we have some time. Let’s make good use of it.”
He took my hand and led me away from the table. “But what about dinner?”
“Dinner can wait,” he said with a devilish smile.
I’d go anywhere with him. I followed him into his bedroom. He pulled me towards the bed and tugged off my apron.
“How did you know I had a thing for girls to cook?” He whispered to me, nuzzling against my hair.
I smiled playfully as he laid sweet kisses down my neck. “Lucky guess?”
He moved up my neck and just underneath my chin leading back up to my lips. He tugged on my T-shirt pulling it above my head and over my arms exposing my voluptuous breasts. I had on neon pink bra and panty set, it was my favorite.
“I forgot how good you looked,” he said licking his lips.
He unclasped the bra and I moaned as his mouth devoured me, lingering on each breast as he took his time. “We have to do something about these pants.”
“I can't be the only one who's getting naked it around here,” I said as I tugged on his shirt. I yanked it off and threw it to the side relishing in his muscles. He was built like a statue, with thick pecs and a six pack at least. Maybe eight, if that was even possible. I pulled on his belt as I sat down on the bed. He climbed on top of me and licked his way up from my stomach all the way to my lips singeing my flesh as he went. I felt like I was on fire.
“I've waited so long for this.”
“You and me both,” I said. I thought about him so many times since that night, and not just because of Camden. Even before I knew I was pregnant I waited for him to come back to the diner, but he never did. Night after night I would leave his table open and always have a hot pot of coffee going, just for him. He was one of my only customers that liked decaf.
But he never returned.
Now I knew why, and we had a lot of time to make up for.
He unclasped the button on my pants and I wiggled out of them revealing the hot pink underwear I was wearing. He smiled at me and then grabbed them playfully between his teeth, also removing them. Once they were on the floor he kissed the insides of my ankles and then slowly placed his lips on the inside of my thighs licking ever so lightly. It sent a tremble through my body and I gripped the sheets for support.
I remembered what sex was like with Harrison, there was nothing like it. Our bodies intertwined and it felt unbelievable. He continued to kiss the insides of my legs until finally his tongue found my mound. His tongue flipped in between my folds while he thumbed my clit. He started rubbing vigorously and it sent me over the edge almost immediately. My body had craved this type of attention. My back arched as a quick orgasm jolted through my body. The feeling of ecstasy never leaving my skin.
He stood up and removed his belt. I sat up in front of him and unzipped his pants. I pulled both his pants and his boxers down to the floor releasing his member, already hard and erect.
“I can't believe we’re doing this again.” I said to him looking up into those beautiful gray eyes.
“Why? It seems to have gone pretty good the first time.”
“We made a baby.”
“And he's perfect,” he said as he pushed me back on the bed. “And I can't wait to make another one with you,” he said whispering against my skin.
I spread my legs as he entered me slowly teasing me with just the tip. “Harrison you feel so good,” I moaned.
I wrapped my arms around him and pulled his face so was just centimeters away from my own as he slid into me. Our bodies rocking forth so fiercely that the bed began to squeak. He kissed me and for a moment chewed on my lower lip as he continued to move our bodies back and forth. I turned my head to the side exposing my neck and he whispered into my ear, “I missed you so much.”
I put my hand up on his stubbled cheek pulling his head down again onto mine and kissing him again deeply and passionately. I didn't want to be anywhere but in James Harrison's bed. I had waited so long for a moment just like this.
A moment with him.
; He quickened his pace and it sent shivers through my body, I moaned in his ear, unable to control myself.
He thrust even faster grunting as he pushed into me. He quickened his pace for just a few more beats and then I felt him spill his seed inside of me. His final thrust sent me over the edge into my second orgasm.
Harrison fell down on top of me holding my head so that our mouths just barely touched. “I’m never letting you go again.”
“I don't want you to. This time I’ll stay, I promise.”
I still couldn't believe this was happening, after all this time I might finally get my happily ever after.
10
Harrison
I took a deep breath and entered the facility as soon as they opened. I didn’t want there to be an opportunity for a lot of discussion between employees before I arrived.
“I’d like to apply for a job, ma’am.” I knew that if I really turned on the charm, she might let me in even without an official interview. “Do you have an appointment, Mr.…?”
I wanted her to look more sinister, to have yellowing teeth or disgusting hair. I wanted her to look greasy and evil, but instead. She just looked like any other secretary. I wondered if she knew what was going on here, the things that they were doing to people. I had to assume that she didn't. It just made me feel better that way. All the things I planned on doing to her, to this place.
“Mr. Green, George Green.” I extended my hand for a shake. She took it gingerly and blushed. My flirtations were working.
“Oh, well, let me just check the computer. What time did you say your interview was?”
“Oh, I'm sorry, I don't believe I have one. I got the email though, about you needing extra security. Said at the bottom to show up. The head of security would meet with me.” I passed her the paper that we had made up. It looked authentic enough, so I hoped she bought it. We found an old ad for the company from last year and used it’s logo and information. We made the email look like it had been forwarded a few times, harder to track that way.