“Torrian I am so close.” Gwen’s voice was a soft whimper, pleading for her release.
“Cum for me baby.” His own orgasm was nipping at his heels, his balls were so tight they began to hurt but he had to take care of his woman first, she came first and damn did she.
Gwen’s body was in utter pleasure. Cries of passion erupted from her their throats, Gwen’s high-pitched cry mixed with Torrian’s deep baritone holler. She was deep in the throes of orgasm, there was no way she could stop it even if she tried. Her nails dug into Torrian’s strong back, she greedily fanned her fingers over his muscles every single one bulging as they came together. Their bodies rocked simultaneously as they released. She could feel her body bare down on his, milking him over the golden edge.
They were spent. Gwen’s chest heaved up and down while she tried to catch her breath. Torrian’s body shifted, he pulled from her body leaving her achingly empty, he pulled Gwen into his side under the safety of his arm; she sighed as she inhaled his strong scent that washed over all her senses. She passed into sleep, no longer worried about what was coming Monday.
Monday did come… Gwen was slightly sore from the night before. Flashes came back to her while she readied herself for another workweek, another Monday. She tried to recall all the details from her illicit time with Kody, she had banished from her mind for so long that it was now painful to relive it, and cognitively try to remember it. Each memory that came back to her was like a fresh punch to the heart. Torrian’s arms slipped around her from behind to steady her, she did feel better slightly at his touch but the thoughts were still there. Gwen leaned her head over and kissed his cheek with a gentle smile. She loved Torrian, and his strength gave her more in order to do this. It was time to go to work, and possibly see her ex for the last time.
Stepping onto dry land the lump in Torrian’s throat began to expand fast, he almost couldn’t breathe. Today was the day Kody McQueen would stick the needle in his own vein. Torrian took one more look at Gwen; she could stop a man’s heart with how she looked. She was wearing a tight black pencil skirt, and soft peach colored button up. Her hair was down and makeup was subtle. No woman had a right to look this attractive, but this was his woman and the other men here knew to keep their hands and eyes off. After kissing Gwen goodbye and she started towards the offices, he started towards the guards’ area to get his equipment ready. His day started by making the normal rounds, he checked each block and with every other guard on post. Time passed slowly…
Gwen took her time through the day, she did not have any appointments to keep, her clients had been transferred so she could be outfitted with a wire, and they could prepare her for what she was about to endure mentally. The lead agent, or whom she assumed to be the lead agent on the case came to her, and sat close. They went over case file after case file that were all filled with the rage that resonated within Kody. In her heart Gwen knew that Kody committed these vicious crimes.
The photographs were gruesome, and Gwen’s stomach gave a strong lurch at a particular one. The female had been blonde like her, had blue eyes like her, and was of a similar build to her before Kody’s hands got to her. The wounds to her face and chest were inflicted with a small pocketknife; Kody was close when he did this. Gwen could imagine the terror in her eyes. She had numerous gashes taken from her skin, angled marks marring her breast area; the killing blow had been the slashing of her throat. The blood loss was fast and tremendous. This was undoubtedly an attack unmentionable rage. Gwen’s breath caught in her throat.
“Are you ready?” The agent asked suddenly.
“What?” Gwen was caught off guard.
“I asked if you were ready to do this.” His brows furrowed as if doubting her ability.
“Yes I am.” Gwen bristled because of his tone; she was the only one that could do this what would be their other choice?
After Gwen’s affirmative answer the clock seemed to grow louder with each second that passed. The seconds became minutes, and the minutes were marked by more tension in the room, everyone cleared and had to pretend to act normal like the federal government were not breathing down their neck and causing them all to tense up. Torrian had even come from the tower to watch and ensure safety. He was going to be locked in with the warden for the duration of this. They brought Kody in, his shackles still in place. The guards sat him in the chair and left, the door closing Gwen in with the one that had come to torment her again.
Kody didn’t know if he was dreaming. When he had tried to show Gwen his love, his passion she reacted badly. He was told he would never see his beloved again. Little did the paper pushing bastards know his Gwen came to him at night and told him exactly what he needed to do in order to have her at his side again. His brown eyes locked on her blues, she wasn’t speaking beyond their normal introductions. His hands wrapped around his head, how could she not remember? How could she not come to him as she did in his dreams the nights before? She had been coming more often as each day passed. She had to remember the ways she came to him, and made his body feel on fire with her caresses.
Almost an hour had passed in silence. Kody’s knee bounced up and down swiftly he couldn’t control himself. Gwen moved and his eyes zeroed in on her chest. Everything about her exuded class, the sun was coming in behind her. Kody would never forget this vision in front of him. The way her hair fell around her shoulders, perfection was achieved. The sunlight caught a glint off something. It was a ring. Kody’s world came crashing down. That bastard Ford must have followed through and forced her into a marriage. Kody began to shake in anger.
“I see you have new jewelry.” His sneer was obvious in his tone alone.
“Yes,” she simply said while adjusting the ring with a smile, “I need to talk to you about something important Kody certain women you may have known.”
“What women?” Kody said with a big sneer on his face.
“Women you knew before you came here. Kody their families want to know if you are the one who did this, they need closure.” Her voice was soft but she had betrayed him, her body shifted and she pulled out photographs for him to look at.
“I fucked them, I tortured them, and I killed them.” Kody said with barely a second glance at his work.
“Why?” Gwen couldn’t help but ask, Kody decided to give her the real reasons.
“They pissed me off… they looked like a cheating whore I used to be with.” Kody was still locked on the ring on her left hand, he knew what it meant but it pissed him off nonetheless.
“Kody listen. You need to be calm and tell me the exact situations behind each one, and more if you have the confessions to make.
With her words Kody stood. He couldn’t remember all the people he had killed. All the lives he had taken, all the eyes that had fallen lifeless at his feet. Even if he could, he would never give them to her. She was tainted to him. She was no good anymore. Kody stood from his chair and began to pace. Gwen tried to stand and calm him by making him look at her, she only wanted answer and his paranoia was beginning to show. He stopped right in front of her seething before exploding. Everything happened fast.
“You bitch.” Was the only warning he gave her.
Kody may have been in cuffs but he worked fast, his movements were as fast as a viper’s, before she could move or call for anyone to disrupt them again, his elbow was fast and sure, it smashed into her eye socket. This was no longer his Gwen. She was impure. The cuffs were too strong to break so Kody’s next move was a doubled up punch to her sternum. She began to fall, he saw the ring shining as a loud bang from the door came and he was taken to the floor hard.
Torrian had sat through enough. When he saw the tape of Kody standing, he stood as well. This was too close; this was not how things were supposed to go. Torrian could almost feel Kody’s anger. Then it happened. Torrian’s heart stopped and he nearly ripped the door from the hinges. Kody had hit Gwen. Kody had hit Gwen and hurt her again. In the time it took Torrian to close the distance and get to Gwen�
��s office there had been more damage. Gwen was on the ground, and Kody’s body was above hers, he was pummeling her.
A vicious snarl came from Torrian as he launched himself without word at Kody. Gwen’s instinct to curl up had saved her from having too much damage to her face. Kody on the other hand would be a different story. It took three agents to pull him off of the inmate. When he finally let go Kody’s face was bloody. Torrian shrugged away from the agents that held him and went to Gwen to check her injuries. He kissed her already bruising cheek and eye tenderly and could kill Kody for the soft wince she tried to hide from him. The other guards took over at that moment. They must have felt Torrian’s extreme anger. They dragged Kody McQueen out of the room directly back to solitary confinement. The other guards took no pity on the prisoner they carried from the room.
Kody had attacked her yet again. The federal agents that were there did not follow through on their promise to keep her safe, after the sudden blow to her face she curled to prevent further injury as best she could, her legs flailed and eventually her hands joined in fighting against him. She took pity on Kody and for some reason did not prepare for the danger she should have known she was in. Then all of a sudden Kody was hauled off of her. The air almost shimmered with anger. She tried to sit up, and felt more pain as the blood rushed to her head. The agents soon surrounded her once she was pulled into Torrian’s lap. The video and voice recording should be enough to give closure to the families brought up this day. Gwen struggled to her feet, Torrian caught her shoulder and with one decisive sentence.
“We’re going home, you can all fuck off.” He almost growled and led Gwen away from the prying eyes of the men that were now working on her office to remove cameras, he was too angry to look at the agents that failed.
Kody was attacked by Ford yet again, his retribution ruined. Gwen was still filthy and she needed to be redeemed. He needed to redeem her in his eyes. The lackeys that Ford commanded dragged him back towards his cell in solitary and threw him into it. He sat in the bed and rocked himself back and forth after he was tossed in without care. The males were full of pithy words for him. Kody didn’t care. His plan had been ruined once more, but this was not the end.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Another four days off for Gwen, Torrian refused to let her go back to work immediately. He had brought her home and cared for her even though she wasn’t hurt too badly. Her injuries looked worse than they were to her. A black eye shined in the mirror when she was applying makeup, and she was slightly tender but she had taken enough days off lately, she liked her job and now it would be easier because the agents were drafting papers to remove Kody McQueen from the McNeil Island prison. Gwen thought over the conversation she had with one of the agents in her home, the agents had come to get her statement and signature on all the documents for the move. Shaking her head she came back to the reality, the papers were signed and Kody was getting transferred to another prison but not for long, he was going to be put down like the rabid animal he was. She gave a heavy sigh; it wasn’t out of dismay or sorrow it was out of relief. Gwen felt honest relief for the first time since she discovered the secret she buried so deep had come back to haunt her. She was relieved at his impending death, but that also brought some guilt, as a psychologist she should never revel in someone’s demise or pain but in this case she had to break her own opinion of propriety and admit, even if it was just to herself that she was glad to see that Kody McQueen had signed his death warrant.
She finished her daily ritual and was ready for her day. She could not handle sitting still any longer; she hated feeling as if she were to be placed on a shelf away from the realities of life. Sometimes you got knocked down but you always get up one more time. She pulled on her most comfortable slip on shoes and picked up her keys. She was taking advantage of this day to go to the Farmers Market in downtown. She loved the fresh produce and beautiful flowers for her table. She was going to have fun on her day of hooky since she was forced to take one.
Torrian checked his cell phone, he spent hours convincing Gwen to stay home for the rest of the week. The inmates did not need to see the bruises. His argument that the bruises would encourage more violence towards her won, now, Torrian did not know if it was true or valid, or if Gwen just wanted to shut him up and agreed just so he would be quiet was another issue he intended on dealing with, after the biggest one on his mind. Kody Lee McQueen had been a thorn in his side for what felt like forever now even though it had only been a couple of months in reality. In Torrian’s opinion Kody was lower than pond scum. After he clocked out, he pulled Justin to the side.
“Justin I need the security camera to conveniently be down for a couple minutes in solitary.” Torrian’s urge for revenge had taken over; no one would blame him for what he was about to do.
“What?” Justin was confused.
“Just accidentally stop the camera on solitary in about five minutes, for about fifteen minutes. You feel me?” He was looking the lower ranking guard in the face, hoping he understood the gravity of the situation.
“You got it, and give the fucker one for me as well.”
Torrian patted Justin on the shoulder and smiled. “You got it. We need to be tight on the timing, you text me the second the camera goes off.”
“As I said, you got it. Now get going.” Justin took over the controls.
Torrian didn’t need another word with the other corrections officer he just took off towards the solitary confinement area, since it was one of the last nights Kody would be spending with them he needed a proper send off, and Torrian needed to exact revenge for his woman. As soon as the text came from Justin that the machined were now “malfunctioning” he opened the door and slipped into the solitary area with his keys in hand, he opened McQueen’s cell and left his baton in the door to keep it open.
“Wake up, naptime is over you piece of shit.” Torrian announced himself; Kody almost flipped himself out of the small bed.
“Ford.” Kody was sneering.
“I wish I could say I was glad to see you but I can’t but I am glad to see you go east and get that fucking needle in your vein. I may bring my fiancé to watch the festivities as you take your last breath.”
Kody didn’t respond to Torrian’s attempt to rile him up. At his cool demeanor Torrian knew the other male was a true demon, a soulless being upon the Earth. Torrian’s two hands landed on Kody’s lapels and picked him up from his bed, slamming him into the cement wall opposite them. Torrian had to tell Kody one more thing before he carried on with his plan. “You’re going to feel pain. I fucking promise you.”
Torrian’s arm went against Kody’s windpipe, crushing it. This is when Kody began to react and make this fun. A kick landed to Torrian’s shin, Kody’s eyes were no longer blank and emotionless, and they were full of fire and evil. The kick was somewhat of a surprise and enabled Kody to get a few lucky punches in.
After he got back to his feet Torrian launched at the male, tackling him just right to send them both spiraling to the ground, Torrian landed on top of Kody, he quickly moved to straddle him. Torrian’s fists flew hard and fast at the other man’s face. The satisfying crunch sounded more than once, followed by the scent of copper sprung into Torrian’s nose as blood started to gush from Kody’s nose. Torrian’s cocky smile had to goad Kody on.
“I have Gwen, you will never see her again.” Torrian stood and spit on Kody and started for the door.
Torrian’s hand was on the door, the other hand reaching for the baton that held the heavy door open when a blow landed to his head from behind. Kody had gotten up; apparently it was time for round two. Torrian threw his arms up to protect from another assault. Kody’s fists were landing harder and faster than Torrian expected.
“I live for worse, let’s see if you can.” Kody hissed.
A newfound fervor was driving Kody; his eyes were wild and locked on Torrian like a predator. Torrian kept up for him, they were limited on the room in the cell but this was not go
ing to end well. Torrian’s thoughts were clouded with undiluted pure, grade-A rage. His only thoughts were of avenging the indignities Kody forced upon her. The physical violence was enough to drive Torrian to kill. The only sound besides hits landing to bodies was heavy breathing. Torrian stepped too far into one hit; his body did not recover quickly enough. Kody slithered his way behind him and caught him in a chokehold. Torrian tried to knock Kody off balance to no avail. His oxygen was quickly dissipating; Torrian could feel the fatigue and desperate need for air course through him, his struggles increased. His last thoughts before he was met with darkness were soft on his lips. “Gwen I love you, I’m sorry...”
Kody’s breath was ragged but he still heard what the imbecile said. It was a pledge of love to HIS woman. Gwen was Kody’s and now that he had finally done as the voice had said he would be able to claim her again, they were both ready for life. Kody was not satisfied, if Ford was found in time they could somehow bring him back to life, Kody snarled at the thought and before dropping the lesser male to his feet, Kody placed one hand on each side of his head and jerked them hard. He heard the satisfying pop of the bones in the neck snapping. Ford was dead at his feet. Now it was time for Kody to go to his woman and tell her the news.
Quickly Kody stripped the uniform from Torrian’s lifeless corpse with one more kick to the ribs for good measure, his anger at the other man was still palpable, but now that he had bested him in a fair fight Kody wasn’t quite as mad, more just filled with the intense need to see Gwen and caress her once more. Kody removed the uniform he had been forced to wear his entire stay at McNeil, the last symbol of his repression and put on Ford’s uniform, even kept the name badge in place leaving Torrian to rot in the cell Kody grabbed open the door and the baton and slipped out. He walked quickly lest someone recognize him. He walked towards the docks but as he got closer and closer to the sounds of water he veered off to his right and took off at a full speed run across the prison yards outside of the fence. Kody sprinted for as long as he could, he wasn’t sure how much time he had left, dinner rounds would be coming shortly and he knew that if he was still on the island by the time that alarm sounded he might as well kiss his new found freedom goodbye, he would be put down like Old Yeller. No judge, no jury, no trial, just sweet justice from the end of some fifty caliber weapon they surely had plenty of here.
The Deadliest Secret (The Deadliest Series) Page 23