Riding for a Fall (Get Your Rocks Off Book 2)

by Sam Hall

  Inside, it arrowed, breezing past the hangers on and roadies, sending them spinning in wild dances of pleasure, then flaring when it reached the court. The golden motes of light that had filled the whole area sparked brighter, sending shafts of ecstasy though every person they touched. Jen’s head jerked up and out from under the cluster of bodies she was bound to, her eyes closing as she felt it pulse through her, pushing her body to further heights than she’d managed to seek with all of her partners that night. My view shifted to the reservoir, where a shower of massive chunks of power stones erupted, crashing down on the darkened floor, the armed roadies guarding the locked room falling to the ground.

  And then it found them—my targets, my dream lovers, each glowing brighter and brighter. Billy smiled, a curiously innocent thing, before his eyes fell closed, his head tipped up as if towards the sun, and Jake fell into his arms, doing the same. Lucas looked torn in two, every muscle tensed against what was coming, but he couldn’t stop it. It rushed into him, into all of them, filling them in ways they didn’t yet understand, and neither did I, until the Viking man screamed. His hands were thrust up, muscles twitching and jumping on his bones as lightning erupted, burning through the roof and into the sky above. His cry was one of agony, though it wasn’t the lightning that hurt him, I realised, but me.

  And Liam, the architect of this all? He leaned back in his throne, eyes gently closed, and rode the waves, the perfect golden king. The only indication of what was happening were in the involuntary twitches of his body, the final hard jerk of his hips as he erupted, his pleasure joining ours.

  Johnno’s arms went around me as I fell down beside him, my body jerking along with his in sympathy as we rode the aftershocks. The squiggles I’d always seen at the edges of my vision came back with a vengeance, as if irritated they’d been held at bay for so long by my transformation. But they were bright now, my inhuman body finally able to reveal what they were. They were lightning strikes, great untrammelled gouts of electricity stabbing at the earth by a furious atmosphere, but there was no pain. Whatever transformation I had been through had freed me of that, no mortality fighting what I so obviously was—an avatar of an alien power.

  One that bent over me now, placing a gentle hand on my forehead, like a mother would her child’s after they had worn themselves out.

  “Well done, little butterfly,” the voice said, familiar, yet unfamiliar. “Well done.”

  10

  “Quick, get him in here. Skin to the skin, Aen said.”

  I dimly heard the sounds of someone’s pained groans, as if shouted out through clenched teeth.

  “Fuck! He’s fitting again!”

  “Lie him down next to her now.”

  “He’s gonna fucking hate this.”

  “He can hate me all he likes in the morning. Won’t be any different than normal, anyway.”

  Something heavy and warm was laid beside me, joining the little cocoon we’d created. I felt the body twitch and jerk, and knowing what that was like, I threw an arm around whoever it was and snuggled in. That’s what had settled us.

  “Now the rest of us?” The voice was hopeful and wary all at the same time.

  “Strip down, Jakey. It’s gonna be one big group hug tonight.”

  “Mmm…just the way I like it.”

  “I told you it wasn’t Rhiannon.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know that now. You get what game Rutherglen’s playing?”

  “Of course, but it’s way too transparent for him. There’s something else at play here.”

  “Something to think about in the morning.”

  I heard the rustles of clothes, felt the bodies settle around me, and something inside me rang, clear as a bell as I did so. All was right with the world, so I dropped down deeper into sleep.

  11

  I woke to the feeling of being stroked.

  Sometimes non-sexual touching can be the most luxurious thing. Being stroked with no expectation, not in preparation for sex, not because you paid someone to work on your sore muscles, just that endless swooping feeling of skin moving against your skin, drawing your attention to all the points of your body in equal order of importance. Last night had destroyed me, tore me apart, and shoved The Changelings inside me, and now I was being slowly remade.

  By them.

  I opened my eyes a crack, regretting it when the glare stabbed at my eyes. Photophobia. I’d always thought it strangely funny, that a photographer could experience periods of intolerance to light, because what was a camera but a way to freeze the light and how it fell over a subject? I groaned, and an answering set of firm fingers dug into my shoulders, another massaging my head.

  But I didn’t hurt. I didn’t want to open my eyes, because the great black beast of thoughts that had been sitting there, waiting for me to wake up was rising as I did.

  “Can I…?”

  That was Jake. His name instantly brought him to mind, imagining how he’d be crouched beside me, body taut, cock rigid, sitting on his hands and waiting, looking for permission to do all the things he wanted to do. Waiting for someone to make him.

  No, don’t think about that, I thought. I didn’t want that, or to consider what Billy had laid out on the table last night. Focus on your body.

  But to focus on my body was to open myself up to all of its sensory input. The feel of their hands upon me was one thing, but that which they omitted was another. My nipples, that they carefully skated by, had pulled up tight in the cool air and in sympathy with the rest of my body, my cunt slick between my thighs.

  “Not yet, Jakey.” That was Liam.

  “But she smells so fucking good.”

  “She is good, and she’s ours, if we don’t fuck this up. Last night, it…” That was Johnno.

  “There are no words for last night.” That was…Billy? It kinda sounded like him, but there was a strange cast to his voice. Was that…happiness? Satisfaction? I’d need to open my eyes to find out, and I refused to do that.

  “She’s hurting.” That was Marlow. “No, not hurting… Something.”

  “You can feel that? We need to get you out from under Rutherglen. Get you with us full time.”

  “I…I’d never considered that a possibility.”

  “We’re making a break for it. We won’t be leaving you behind.”

  “Come here, Jake.”

  That was a different voice, one I hadn’t heard yet. Lucas, it had to be Lucas. There was a shuffle on the bed, and then the sound of bodies moving against each other, then a long groan.

  “No, no, I need to—”

  Jake’s voice was all need and desperation, but Lucas evidently didn’t care for his protests. I heard the rhythmic rasp of someone getting someone off.

  So my eyes flicked open.

  They scared the shit out of me when I did—Billy, Liam and Johnno were looking down at me like I was made of glass and diamonds both. Like I was the most precious thing in the world. Where were those terrible mocking visages from their before party hijinks at Jen’s estate? This was much harder to look upon. They looked so fucking young, no cynicism or sneers, no hard looks. I was glad my eyes ached, it felt like if I looked at them for any length of time, I’d see all the way down to their very souls.

  I scrambled back on the bed, slamming into a hard body, looking up to see Marlow. Marlow—he was safe and good. I folded myself up and into his arms, and they locked around me.

  “It’s OK,” he hummed, low like you would for a child, over and over.

  “Kira…”

  My voice was a strangled invocation as Jake’s body flexed against the great wall of Lucas’s, his eyes boring into mine as the other man caressed him. The Viking man pushed his face into Jake’s hair, his neck, working his hand with a startling regularity along the redhead’s aching cock. But Jake kept calling my name in the place of groans of pleasure, his hip muscles thrown into sharp relief as he thrust himself into Lucas’ strokes. Marlow stroked his hand down the side of my shaking arms as I wat
ched, unable to look away, unable to stop the answering flood of heat inside me as their beautifully savage display played out.

  I wanted. I wanted to push Lucas back, to take over, to let his hand keep tormenting the other man, place my mouth over the scarlet crown, and capture every damn bit of the pre-ejaculate that leaked out in a steady stream. He looked up, staring me down as well. I wanted his hand on the back of my neck as I did so, making me hold still and take every hot blast of Jake’s cum as it shot out.

  Something he must have been able to sense somehow. Marlow patted my hair as the other man stared. Then I saw the crackle of lightning flicker across his eyes.

  I was up and off the bed in the time it took to take another breath, the guy’s cries starting as soon as the drowsy haze they all seemed to be riding right now dissipated. I snatched up bags randomly and dove for the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it.

  “Kira! Kira! Open up!”

  I heard the door handle twist, shuddered back as they hammered on the door, shrinking back until I ended up in the shower cubicle. A shower, yes, that’s a good plan, I decided once I saw the door was going to hold. Muffled conversations took place as I turned on the water, some loud and angry, some measured and calm, but I just grabbed the soap and went to work.

  “Kira?”

  Jen? I was dressed now, feeling like I’d put my skin back on when I’d done so. I was a lot less raw. But the sound of my friend’s voice was a welcome one, a lifeline thrown out in all this crazy. We usually hung out or talked every day, and I’d been drowning in dick since I’d transitioned. I looked into the mirror, at the girl with the big, scared, angry eyes. I was a shitty, shitty friend.

  But that wasn’t something I needed to continue. I put my hand on the door and opened it to quite an audience.

  This is all so flattering, I thought for a split second. The Changelings and Marlow were lined up like an honour guard as I came out, looks of concern on some of their faces, a whole lot less openness on all of them. I’d done that, I realised, my eyes dropping down, unable to see the confirmation of it. I didn’t know what I thought about all of this, but hurting other people wasn’t part of my plan.

  But what was?

  “Kira? Everything OK?” Jen said, coming forward, Vervain at her shoulder.

  I’d intended to say something to the guys, placate them, ask for some space, or something to try and keep the pain out of their eyes until I was ready to deal with whatever this was, but I didn’t get far with that. Tears pricked at my eyes at the sound of my friend’s voice, and I launched myself at her, wrapping my arms around that tiny, tough little frame as hers did the same. Exactly what I needed.

  “Hey,” she said, her voice soft. “What happened? Something huge, obviously, but—”

  “Not yet,” I croaked out. “I need to get out of here.”

  “Kira, no!” one of the men shouted.

  My eyes shut tight at that, the words scoring my nerves.

  “We need to talk through this, love. I know you’re scared but—”

  “It’s OK, Ki,” Jen said, patting my back, “I’ll get you out.”

  “Kira!”

  “Look, everyone’s gonna calm the fuck down.” Marlow’s voice cut across everything, creating a welcome moment of peace. “Kira is overwhelmed by what went on last night and just needs some girl time to get her head straight, right?”

  I pulled away slowly, not wanting to look at them, but I forced my eyes up and my body to turn to face them.

  If I thought the light hurt my eyes, they hurt them more. My whole hand spasmed with the need to shoot them right now, with all that half naked, bed headed intensity. I was their entire focus, even Lucas, which had me stepping back. And I was hurting them. I could see the drawn faces, the shuttered eyes, as if they were flinching back from me just as much as I was flinching back from them. And why wouldn’t we be? What the fuck had we just gone through?

  Don’t think about that now, deal with what’s in front of you.

  “Marlow’s right. And thanks for speaking up for me just then. I needed that, just as I need to get my head straight. I’m not walking away from anything or making decisions, but I need to process. That…the lightning…the lightning man…”

  They all flinched at that, none more than Lucas. Interesting. Disturbing.

  “I’m in a whole new country, I’ve seen nothing but backstage and a hotel since I got here. I need…out.”

  “We can take you out and show you—” Jake said, starting forward, his eyes shining.

  “I’d like that, later.”

  “I’m sending two of the roadies with you,” Liam said, his voice flat.

  “I’ll have the sentinels with me,” Jen said bristling. “You can’t say that she won’t be safe.”

  “If you knew what was hovering around, looking for a piece of her, you wouldn’t say that,” Liam replied. “And anyway, those sentinels have been in Rutherglen employ for many years. Take them, Kira, please.” That word seemed to have to fight its way out of his mouth. “It’ll make me feel better. Just put them by the front door and feed them. They’ll stay out of your way.”

  The arguing, the negotiating—it was all starting again, and I couldn’t bear it.

  “Yes, to everything that gets me out of here,” I said between gritted teeth.

  “C’mon, Ki,” Jen said gently, but Marlow came forward, handing me something. I frowned for a moment, but then felt the softest, most buttery leather I’d ever felt between my fingers. I opened the bundle up and saw it was a gorgeous leather jacket.

  “It’s tailored for you. Should fit perfectly,” he said with an encouraging smile. It got wider, relaxing as I shrugged it on. He twitched my wet hair, so it lay just right, then pulled out a tube of lip gloss, pausing for a second to check I was OK with it before applying it with a couple of practised swipes. “There, gorgeous.”

  He went to move away, join the rest of the guys who watched every movement with hot eyes, but I grabbed him around the waist before he did so.

  “You need to blot it, remember?” I said.

  “No, you don’t—”

  I cut his words off, my slick lips landing on his. It was a soft kiss goodbye, but when I pulled back, I felt that same pleased feeling to see him marked by something of mine. I wiped a tiny bit of gloss that had smeared past his lip line and then turned to leave.

  “Man,” Vervain said as we emerged outside the bus, the cool air feeling good on my skin. “That’s a whole lotta testosterone in there. I haven’t seen that much sausage in the same place since the last staff BBQ.”

  12

  “I thought we’d try an honest to goodness American diner,” Jen said carefully as we drove away from where the buses were parked. Apparently, most of the crew had gone ahead the day we got off the plane to get the stage rigged in time, but now we were following their timetable, arriving well in advance of the show.

  “Sounds awesome.”

  “Ki—”

  “Tell me about you, about what’s been going on,” I interrupted. I felt her looking at me so I turned towards her. “I’m gonna talk, I promise, but once we get started on my shit, it’s gonna suck all the air out of the room. So catch me up.”

  We were installed in a booth now. We’d talked about their bus, but everyone carefully avoided talking about Rhiannon. I looked around when we arrived, open-mouthed. I’d always thought the vinyl seats and pastel teal walls combined with black and white chequerboard decor was a movie thing, but apparently not.

  “I’ll be right with you,” a woman in a red dress and a starched white apron said from behind the till. “Sit wherever you like.”

  “When you see these menus, you’ll be damn glad we don’t gain weight like humans do,” Jen said, passing me one. I opened it to see manna from heaven described in a tight black font. I closed my mouth, not wanting the drool to stream forth.

  “So what do you recommend?” I said, dizzied for choice.

  That was appare
ntly the right thing to say as the two of them peppered me with suggestions, and in the end, didn’t even need my input as they came to a final decision without me, which left me free to look around.

  I was in the United States. I glanced out the window and saw a whole other culture bustling around me, people driving on the wrong side of the road, signs for franchises I’d never heard of clamouring for my attention, but my eyes were dragged back to the booth in front of us. I saw a familiar head of sandy brown hair, turned away and facing Paulie, who was giving his order enthusiastically to the waitress. I forced my eyes back to the table and away from Mark. I had so many blokes on the go, I had no idea what I was doing. Mooning after someone who was patently not interested in me anymore was a waste of time.

  “Allow me, miss.” Mark had been all politeness when I approached the back door of the town car we were going to use. He opened it and stood stiffly to one side but I made him wait. It was purely perverse, hurting me and maybe him, but I couldn’t just do as he obviously wanted and get in the car. I stood there, listening to Jen chattering away to Vervain, distracted for the moment and raked my eyes along that big, strong form.

  Looks like he’s ready to bend you over his knee and call you Sassenach, Marlow had said with a grin.

  “Do you still feel the pain?” I asked, the uncomfortable pause growing longer and longer.

  “Miss?”

  “You said you experienced some kind of agony, watching me with my friends, wanting to reach out.”

  I placed my hand on the door edge, so close to his I could feel the warmth radiating from his skin.

  “I don’t get to—”

  “I’m not going to ask you to break your vow or become my sex slave. I’ll leave you alone if you answer me this. Do you still feel that pain you described so bloody eloquently?”