I could hear Alex talking now, not to us but obviously to someone in the same room as him. He was issuing out instructions, as only Alex could.
‘OK… we’re zooming in on the image now.’ Once again I could hear Alex’s deep voice in my ears, but only the bass tones. He was discussing the picture with someone I could only presume was Edwards.
The first sound we heard that was actually directed back at us, was a low appreciative whistle. ‘Hell… remind me when you become my sister-in-law not to fucking cross you, sassy. That’s a fucking beauty!’
I felt Nathan speak before I heard him, a profound sound that seemed to come up from his boots.
‘So we have a positive ID, then?’ he questioned.
‘We sure as hell do! John has had to leave us but I will get Hunter to notify the British authorities that the Antonescus have absconded court bail.’
Where the hell had Edwards gone?
The by now familiar feelings of being out of control and rising panic took a hold of me. I started to go through the process of inwardly trying to calm myself down. My voice however still showed the traits of alarm. Edwards was the epitome of reliable, strong and competent.
Who the hell was Hunter?
‘Where has Edwards gone?’ I interrupted them once again. ‘Why has he left when we need him here?’ I asked the question, but I needn’t have as the answer suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. In my shock and fear I sat bolt upright, pushing myself away again from Nathan’s body as I did so.
‘HOLD THE FUCK ON… NOW!’ I heard Nathan yell at me. My body was so attuned to his that I complied almost immediately.
‘I’m sorry, Nate… Alex please tell me my family is OK, please say he hasn’t had to go to them?’
I heard a deep exhale of breath. ‘I can’t tell you that, Bella… the boys on board needed his specialist help. They were unhappy about some of their fellow passengers. John has left today, he is flying into Madrid where he will board the ship. Brent is on board already with some of our other guys… It is under control… I promise you.’
‘I didn’t realise Brent even worked for you?’ I had met Brent last year, when Nathan had taken Frankie and me to watch Alex play rugby. We had been introduced to Brent before the match started. It had become evident then that he had served with Alex in the Navy. In turn they had all been part of the unit that had been deployed with Frankie’s cousin JJ, when he had been killed in Afghanistan.
This was all too much to take in. I thought my family had gone away on a nice little holiday whilst my past and present collided. I hated the thought that they were now under threat, too. This was fast becoming much more than I could handle. I had to trust Nathan and Alex, I had no other choice. They had shown me before that together they could handle anything, I just hoped they were strong enough to take on the sick bastards and all of their abhorrent friends.
‘Bella… Hunter is John’s right hand man; I assure you… you have nothing to fear. We will protect you.’ Alex carried on talking to Nathan, but I heard no more, my brain had hit full-on freak mode. I was having palpitations. I fought to control my overwhelming emotions. Clutching hold of Nathan, I dug my fingers into the worn leather covering his chest. I needed to be closer to him, for him to erase the feelings coursing through my body. I wanted him. I reached into the slight gap where his jacket wasn’t quite zipped all the way to the top. By pushing my fingers in first and then moving them around, the zip started to lower even more, until eventually I managed to find the new barbell he was wearing in his left nipple. Over the top of his T-shirt, I grazed it with my long blue finger nail.
‘Yeah… Ok, Al… we’ll speak to ya soon.’ He inhaled sharply. I heard the line go dead inside the cocoon of torture that I was being forced to wear daily. ‘What the fuck are you up to, darlin?’
I didn’t answer with words but pushed my hand very slightly further in, between the warmth of the leather and the hard muscular contours of his body. My own movements, in trying to tempt him, were creating a ball of fire deep within my core. I could feel him begin to tense up and the noise from the engine told me the bike was starting to slow.
“Bella… you haven’t fucking answered. I know what ya game is. I understand, more than you know, exactly what you need, but darlin you keep poking at the bear and I’m tellin’ ya, you will awaken more than you can fucking handle at this moment in time. Sit the fuck still and stop rubbing your cunt into my ass… I will sort you out, on my fucking say so… when I know we have some room to goddamn breathe…’ I heard him take a calming breath. I couldn’t remove my hand completely, I needed the connection, but I did what I had been told and stilled the movement in my fingertips. That was bloody amusing in itself, as I fought very hard against ever doing as I was told. It seemed as though this was becoming a habit around Nathan. It was liberating to let myself go and trust someone again.
I hadn’t thought about how much the information we had just heard would actually affect Nathan, but his taut posture and deep calming breaths told me all I needed to know.
He was bloody livid.
I knew at this moment in time there was no more discussion to be had. I settled down as much as I could in my fear and panic, and listened to the music that Nathan had turned on for us. I wasn’t stupid, it was his way of getting some space between us, when quite obviously that just wasn’t possible trapped together on the motorbike. He wasn’t happy with something he had just been a party to, or maybe he wasn’t happy with any of it.
I couldn’t lose him now, not when we had just started to find each other once again. I refused to believe he would walk away from me. He hadn’t shouted Alex down when he had said “when you become my sister-in-law, sassy.” I quickly stopped that bud of hope from blooming within me. The only trouble was, until I finally summoned up the courage to tell him, Nathan didn’t know just how badly damaged I was. No man in his right mind would want me in his future.
If I had been in a better frame of mind, I would have fully appreciated the change in the scenery as it began to transform. The Maryland countryside was opening up before my eyes and it was beautiful. From a distance away I could make out the change in the landscape as it started to become more mountainous, flower filled and greener in colour, if that was even possible?
We travelled through a cut out in one mountain. I had been able to see it from miles away and I had been trying to work out if we were going to go over it or around it, when it finally opened up wide and we went straight through the middle.
All of these games that kept going around and around in my head, were just tricks I had learnt over the years, to keep myself focussed and resolute. I used to play similar games in the car as a kid, with my sister Jasmin and brother Jack, our favourite game was spot the yellow car. We used to play games like this on long and tedious journeys, such as going on holiday. That brought me back to my family again. God my mind was a mess, it whirled frantically around, thinking one thing after another, unfortunately it always returned to the same worries.
The one thing that was gnawing away at me, aside from all this, was my need for a cup of tea and a substantial breakfast.
‘Nate?’ I decided to break the silence that surrounded us like an oppressive bubble.
‘Yeah, you OK?’
‘When are we stopping for something to eat? I’m starving.’ I stated.
‘I’ll pull over at the next rest stop… OK?’
‘Mmm hmm… I could do with a full English breakfast.’ I heard my stomach growl at the thought and my mouth drooled. ‘I’m going to need Dairy Milk chocolate as well.’ I always turned to comfort food when I was stressed. Some people can’t eat when they’re sad or unhappy, but it always had the opposite effect with me.
I wasn’t sure quite when Nathan had started to throw off his tense stance, but as I heard him begin to laugh I was as pleased as hell to realise he had begun to leave the heavy weight of our circumstances behind us, even if the lighter mood only lasted for a while.
&nbs
p; ‘Ya know, I can always find you a huge sausage…darlin,’ he said. I was so pleased I had left my hand inside his leather jacket.
The teasing bastard.
I caught hold of the barbell again between my index finger and thumb and gave it a small roll between them, creating a slight twist. I expected at least a yelp or gasp of surprise, but all that I got in return was a low, carnal growl that travelled straight down in between my leather-caressed legs.
‘Just for the fucking record, I like it harder than that, Bella. That little piece of fucking metal runs a line straight to my prick…you of all people, darlin, know how I like a bit of pain.’ The bastard roared with laughter as every muscle in my body froze with his exclamation. Our mood had lifted. I fitted my body back as close to his as possible and squeezed him tightly to me to offer my thanks.
BELLA
The outline of Charleston finally came into view. I was pleased to find that I was now able to do most of our journey with my eyes open.
Mentally I high fived myself.
I had always wanted to “road trip” in America. Although these definitely weren’t the circumstances I had envisaged.
I hadn’t had my required hit of Dairy Milk chocolate earlier, and it appeared that probably wasn’t going to happen either, as no one seemed to stock English chocolate, but I had eaten a huge breakfast at the rest stop. The food had stopped my stomach from gnawing away at me, I wished it had done the same for my head.
‘Ok… once we’ve gone across the river Kanawha, we’re scheduled to make our stop for the night… I need to make contact with Alex, just to see how things are going his end.’
I felt an enormous sense of relief at hearing those words. My back was killing me from constantly having to lean over, and my hips had begun to ache by being fixed wide open. We finally went through Charleston, crossed over the river and followed the road out the other side. Nathan pulled into a small and very classic looking motel.
Oh who am I kidding?
I was trying to be positive, it was pretty bloody shabby looking. It was the sort of motel I had seen in old films back home.
In fact, the one it really reminded me of was “Psycho.”
By the look of it that was the last time it was decorated, too. The browns, creams and oranges I could make out on the faded, flowery curtains, just screamed of the seventies.
I made no attempt to move until Nathan had secured the stand under the bike and had begun to remove his helmet. I wasn’t sure what sort of state my legs were going to be in, so for a few minutes I stretched my tired, complaining back upwards towards the sky. Leaning back on the seat rest behind me, I started to undo the straps beneath my chin as I watched the helmet come off the man seated in front of me. I loved to watch him when he was unaware of my fascinated stare. After placing the helmet down in front of him, he ran both of his hands through the long hair on top of his head. I removed my helmet now as quickly as I could. I knew that I would be able to smell the “Nathan” aroma that I loved so much. The spicy sandalwood that had just been released to the world flowed into my nostrils. I closed my eyes and breathed in as much as I thought I could get away with, without it sounding like I was going to have an asthma attack.
‘You OK back there?’ I heard the squeak of leather as he shifted slightly in his seat and when I opened my eyes he was there staring at me quizzically. His head was very marginally tilted to one side, he was wearing his lopsided grin and both dimples were out to play. His eyes sparkled at my very obvious discomfort at being caught inhaling him.
‘Leave me alone,’ I scolded him. ‘I was just inhaling the fresh air, it’s so good to be off the road,’ I smiled back, knowing I hadn’t for one minute pulled the wool over his eyes.
He broke his grin to speak, ‘You always seem to forget… darlin… I know you, I can read ya like a book.’ He used his index finger and thumb under my chin to lift my gaze up to meet his, with his other hand he brushed my unruly hair out of my face. Then he winked at me, I was convinced just that small gesture made my heart beat just a little bit quicker.
‘I fucking love the fact that you seem to like… no, you seem to fucking need to get off inhaling my smell.’ He resumed his full on bad-boy smile. ‘Off you get. Let’s sort out a room and get our gear inside.’
I did as he asked, using his hard muscular shoulder for support and swung my leg behind me. I placed my nearly numb feet onto the floor, I had been flexing them for at least the last hour on the bike, but the blood didn’t seem to be answering my pleas. I knew why, it was because when I was around Nathan most of my blood collected at my core.
God give me strength!
‘I can’t wait for a bath, please try and get another room with a bath, Nate.’ I was stretching up high now, with my arms above my head. I felt my jacket and T-shirt lift away from my trousers, as the cooler early evening air hit my exposed midriff.
‘You know I won’t be using the bath water on you again, don’t ya darlin?’ His voice had dropped in depth.
My head shot down from the sky, where it had been watching the passing clouds, and I shot him a questioning look.
‘I meant… I need to soak, my muscles are so rigid and my hips feel like they have been forced open with a crow bar.’ I tutted at him for good measure and folded my arms over my chest trying to reprimand him with my body language. I could only watch as he leant closer to me and whispered into the shell of my ear.
‘I have a large muscle that is rigid, too… darlin… and I’m sure I could find something around here that we could use as a fucking spacer bar… if that’s what takes ya fancy?’ He moved away quickly and ducked out of reach of my arm that I had just thrust out ready to whack him with. He took a couple of steps away from me, his limp was more pronounced, probably due to the lack of use for the past five hours that we had been in the saddle. I watched, smiling at him as he thrust his fingers into his front pockets. Slowly and very leisurely his stare swept from the roots of my hair down to my heeled, boot-clad feet and then back up to my boobs. His tongue slowly came out and ran around his lips as he gazed longingly at my “rack” as he called it.
‘Just go… and don’t forget you need to get a room with a bath.’ I waved him off and watched as he spun around and entered the reception doorway.
I had a good look around me. The car park area was quiet, not a soul was anywhere to be seen. Shivers ran up and down my spine as I began to remember that I was being hunted. I was being hunted by the worst kind of men you could ever wish to meet, they wanted me dead in no uncertain terms, dead with a capital D. If they caught up with us, God knows what horrendous things they would subject us to. The warm banter that had been wrapped everywhere around me only moments before, was replaced with a cold sense of realisation. I knew all there was to know about the Antonescus. No way were they going to let me walk away. I had honey-trapped Ioan in a bid to put my past to rest. I stood there in the daylight, feeling like I was out walking in the woods past midnight. Every sound I heard, every movement I saw in my peripheral view made my heart fly up into my mouth. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms trying to put some warmth back into my body. Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more and was about to run into the reception, I saw him come out waggling a set of keys in front of him. It was like the keys represented an Olympic medal, they were that precious.
My heart sang when I saw Nate walking towards me once again. Such was the relief I felt, for the first time in my life I had to admit that I couldn’t bear my own bloody company.
The smell of food hit my nostrils and stomach as I dried off my body. That spurred me on to dry off quicker. So it was decision time, should I use the very old, minuscule bottle of body lotion, well hopefully that’s what it was if I’d read the faded words correctly, it could be embalming fluid for all I knew from the dog-eared, faded label. Perhaps I should just live with the sore skin in between my thighs.
God I was such a pathetic female. I had only been on the bike for two days. I ached and h
ad sore skin.
‘But you’re alive!’ I spoke out loud and stared at myself in the mirror, waiting for the words to penetrate. I plonked the bottle back on the stained corner of the bath.
Pain meant I could still feel, and surely that had to be a good thing?
Nathan’s voice carried through the cardboard door between us.
‘You coming out?... I took a vote and I voted for a pizza delivery…plus a carry out of beer.’
‘Yes, I’m just coming…’ I waited for a normal Nathan quip to follow, when none came I opened the door with some trepidation. A smile broke over my face. He was laying on the double bed, his boots, socks, trousers and T-shirt were off and in a ball on the floor. He was laid out on his back, in just his tight fitting boxers, with his right arm bent and up, almost shielding his eyes. His left hand was lowering a fat arsed piece of the most delicious, greasy looking pizza into his mouth. The cheese was literally sliding off the top of the tomato sauce. He looked and sounded like a kid with their favourite sweets. I stood stock still just for a minute and took in the gorgeous sight spread out in front of me. He really was a sight to behold, he had always worked out regularly when we were together six months back, and he had obviously continued that regime. The definition of his chest and abs literally had me dribbling and his Adonis’s V, well, I tore my eyes away quickly. The additional artwork on his upper chest was intricate and quite beautiful, I followed one of the lines as it twirled and split. I had no idea what the design was actually of, it was so complex. My eyes made it to his left nipple, the one that now contained the barbell. I examined the tattoo around it and unexpectedly fathomed out that the letter B was wrapped around his nipple and lay straight over his heart.
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