With a long groan, Ink continued to rest his forehead against mine, and he panted hard as his thrusting increased in speed and strength. Harder, faster, more. The feeling of an impending orgasm began to build again, and even though Ink had said this would be painful, any pain was quickly replaced by a tingling pleasure. The walls of my channel clenched at Ink’s cock, and he groaned, pushing himself into me so hard that the bed creaked and groaned beneath us.
“I can feel you,” he grunted with another sharp thrust.
And with that, I was caught in another orgasm, cast into that foggy ocean where everything disappeared except the feeling of my pleasure. It wasn’t as powerful as the orgasm he’d given me with his mouth, but it was no less pleasurable. Ink jerked roughly, growled loudly and sighed with my name on his lips. Eventually, we stilled, and the room came back into focus. With the curtains drawn it was filled with a dull light, the chirping of birds outside the only sound. Resting his head beside mine on the pillow, but otherwise remaining on me and in me, Ink took a long breath in, then out, before lifting to show me those sated eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh-huh,” was all I could manage.
I was, after-all, in a post-orgasmic haze, my body stretched and heated, my virginity gone. Holy shit, I was no longer a virgin. I’d given that precious piece of myself to Ink. My Ink.
“What’s that smile for?”
“You’re mine.”
His nostrils flared with a deep inhale, and his face grew serious. “I’ve always been yours.”
“Not like this.”
His features softened. “I was just waiting for you to grow up, Gracie. You’ve always been mine, and I’ve always been yours.”
We continued to lay there as Ink softened inside me, touching each other, expressing our love without words.
“I didn’t use a condom,” Ink eventually murmured. “I’m safe… I’ve never gone without one. Even with… her.” His body tensed above mine and his eyes slipped off me and peered at a spot over my shoulder. I knew he was referring to his unwanted moments with Jeze.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, wanting to wipe that memory from his mind. “I’m safe, too, I always washed my hands before and after I masturbated.”
Both of us froze, Ink watching me with disbelief and my cheeks flaming with mortification. I’d wanted to move his thoughts away from Jeze, and apparently, I’d succeeded in spectacular fashion. Ink grinned, and I groaned covering my face with my hands. His grin turned into a low chuckle that grew as he finally slipped free of my body and rolled to one side, laughing loudly. I had never heard the sound before, so carefree.
“Glad I was able to amuse you,” I said, trying to sound mulish though it was impossible when I was completely awestruck with his deep timbered laughter.
“You surprised me, is all,” he said when he finally gained back control of himself, kissing my forehead lovingly.
“What now?” I asked after a long silence.
My body and mind were exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep. Even as fatigued as I felt, there was too much going on inside my head. Thoughts of Connie spinning around and around on a never-ending loop. The way her body amongst the leaves with morbid gracefulness. The blood.
“I need to go see David and make sure Slink got off okay. Then I need to talk to my men. We’ve got a small stockpile of weapons, and it’s probably not enough, but we need to move. We’re going to take the barracks back. I believe the NIM in the basement will protect us from Jebediah burning it to the ground.”
“What about the people? He’ll use them to flush you out.”
Ink glanced at me, his intelligent gaze thoughtful in that moment. “We take everyone in, the building’s big, like an apartment complex. We create a diversion, sneak everyone in and hold his NIM for ransom. The supplies he has down there must be valuable.”
Rolling from my side to my stomach, I turned my head and lay it on my arms, watching Ink. I could look at him all day long and never get enough. Ink reached out his hand and traced an invisible line up and down my back.
“When will we do it?” I wondered, rays of hope touching the dark puddles of despair.
Ink shook his head. “I don’t know, that’s something I need to talk to my men about. Creating a diversion large enough to draw the soldiers away and allow our people in, is going to take something big.”
He looked at me and grinned. I’d seen so many smiles from this man’s sexy mouth in the last hour, more than I’d seen in my entire life. It made me happy to see him happy.
“We got this,” he whispered. “Get some rest, baby, you’re going to need it.”
Part of me didn’t want to sleep, I wanted to drag Ink from my cabin and set in motion the rough plan he had begun to piece together. Yet, even as excitement coursed through my veins, my eyes drifted shut. My body was languid mush, my mind finally quieting. My last thought before sleep pulled me into its embrace was how for the first time in weeks, I actually believed we were going to be okay.
CHAPTER 20 – Ink
Slink was gone, outside the compound and on his way to find help. David, Niall, and Ace had been able to distract the guards long enough for Slink to find the same break in the fence Hadley had used to get out to Skye. We just needed to hang in there a little longer. If Slink kept up a good pace, he’d be in town in three days. Then, depending on how far away Harrigan and his forces were, it could be anything from a day or two to maybe a week before we had our help. I wasn’t sure we could wait that long. My next NIM run was scheduled for two weeks, and if I was on that truck with Jeze again, I’d kill the bitch. There was also the fact that Slink might not make it to town. Even though he was our only solid chance of getting out of this cluster-fuck of a situation without losing too many innocents, I needed another plan in case Slink didn’t get through.
Leaning against the corner of the wide, open garage I watched as Trigger, Max and a couple of Jebediah’s soldiers unloaded barrels and boxes from the back of the same truck I’d been in on the NIM run. Just glancing at the damn thing made me want to puke my guts up. A heavy fall of snow had descended on the compound overnight, covering everything in pillowed white.
“More supplies?” came a gruff voice from beside me.
Fury was standing with his big arms crossed over his chest. The bruising from the beating he took trying to protect Gracie while I was out of the compound was fading fast. The fact he’d taken a beating for my girl meant I owed him, not that he’d expect that. I wouldn’t forget the fact he’d tried to protect her when I couldn’t.
“Yep, came in this morning. They’re unloading into the basement of the barracks.”
Fury grunted, but kept quiet, one hand playing with his short beard.
Trigger stood and arched his back, laughing at something Max said. He looked so much like the old, carefree Trigger in that moment, but as soon as he glanced my way, the smile disappeared, and his face became a blank mask. He was wearing a shiner from my punch, and it gave me no satisfaction to know I’d left a mark on him.
“What’s his problem?” Fury asked, nodding his head in Trigger’s direction.
“No idea, but he’s not privy to our inner circle at the moment.”
The inner circle was myself, Fury, Max, Henry, Charlie, and Niall. Five men I knew couldn’t be swayed by Jebediah or his addictive drugs.
“From what Slink saw, they’re storin’ weapons down there, too.”
As expected, Fury didn’t comment on the fact my best friend and a trusted Liberty soldier had been excluded from the inner circle. Either he didn’t care and trusted my judgment or had his own reservations about Trigger.
“They’ve kept everything in one place. That works in our favor,” I thought out loud. “How long do you think it would take to move our people in there?”
“Few hours,” Fury answered after a short pause.
“He’s doing his gladiator thing in a few nights,” I continued.
“The barracks won’t b
e as heavily guarded.” Fury seemed to be catching on to what I was thinking. “We could use a diversion on the other side of the compound, pull them further away, somethin’ that goes boom, maybe.”
“Things that go boom are great diversions. Do we have something like that?”
“We can make somethin’ like that. We’ll still need to take out the guards that will remain back at the barracks.”
My mind continued to race over scenarios and probabilities. “A small team, Axel, Charlie, Isaac and Ethan, they can take the weapons we already have and secure the barracks. Then they can help Gracie, Ashlynn, Hadley, and Skye get our people inside while we create the diversion. We can make some noise and keep the militia on the run for a while.”
Fury didn’t say anything else, his thoughts obviously in the same place as mine. It was time to fight back. Hadley approached us, her eyes cautiously watching Fury. “H-H-How’s your r-r-ribs,” she stuttered, her delicate hand rising to her throat as if to somehow soothe the words out.
“Good,” was Fury’s curt reply.
“How’s Skye?” I asked.
It seemed to take some effort for Hadley to drag her gaze from Fury, a slight tinge of color filling her cheeks. “She’s u-u-up and about. D-D-D-Doing much b-b-b-b… ” Her eyes clenched together, and a line of frustration pressed her lips closed. Before she could try and speak again, Fury reached out and tugged her none-to-gently behind his hulking form.
“Better? Is that the word you’re looking for?” Jebediah asked as he strolled toward us, two armed soldiers standing close at his back. He was dressed in black leather pants and a black skivvy, wearing a shoulder harness that crossed at the back and held two guns on either side of his ribs. They were big, shiny, fancy fuckers and if I hadn’t known for a fact that they worked, I’d have thought them simply for decoration.
“You like?” Jebediah asked, drawing one of the guns and sliding his fingers reverently over the steel. “They were a gift from one of my buyers a few years back. They are pretty, aren’t they?”
They were both heavily embellished, and the one he was currently fawning over had the words ‘Pale Death’ in a scroll down the barrel. Suddenly Jebediah raised the gun, pointed it directly between my eyes and mimicked the sound of a gun firing, lifting his hand as if the recoil had jerked the weapon. My pulse hammered like an out of control beast, but I kept perfectly still, my arms folded across my chest as if his games didn’t bother me in the least.
“How you doing, Fury? You look a trifle worse for wear,” he asked while holstering his weapon.
Fury, of course, didn’t answer.
“You know, big fella, you really need to learn your place.”
It sounded like a threat and Fury tensed, also hearing the underlying message in the innocuous words. Before I could wrap my head around it any further, Jebediah dipped down low and set his crazy grin on Hadley who was still tucked behind Fury’s back. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure. I’m Jebediah, but pretty girls like you can call me Jeb.” Lifting out his hand, he held it forward presumably for Hadley to shake. Fury looked down his nose at the offensive limb, his body strung tight, the vein in his neck pulsing which told me he was a hairsbreadth away from losing his shit.
“Who’s fighting this week?” I asked, trying to divert Jebediah’s attention away from Hadley. It worked.
“No idea yet,” he confessed with an excited gleam in his eyes. “But I’m working on something big. Which reminds me, I was thinking we need to brighten up spirits around here. Everyone is walking about so mopey and miserable. When The Arena is happy, I’m happy. All this depression is making me twitchy.” Clapping his hands together and rubbing them almost gleefully, Jebediah paused. “We’re going to have a motherfucking party.”
Fury grunted, and I knew he wanted to take this shit-stain out, maybe even tear off an arm and beat the ever-loving shit out of him with it.
“At the fight this week we’re going to have a bonfire, and I want food, and that wicked moonshine I know you’ve got stored in the shed behind the kitchen.”
“You’ve got food restrictions in place,” I was quick to point out, not in the least bit interested in having a fucking party.
Jebediah waved away my observation. “I want food at the fight, and lots of it.” He then moved fast, ducking around Fury’s back and cupping Hadley’s soft cheek. Fury was also quick to respond, tearing her away from his grasp and wrapping his paw like hand around Jebediah’s wrist.
“You should let go,” Jebediah calmly suggested.
Fury didn’t, and one of the soldiers stepped forward, pressing the barrel of his gun not to Fury’s head, but Hadley’s.
“Stand down, Fury,” I murmured, my own fists clenched as I quickly assessed the situation. A few of Jebediah’s men who had been unloading the truck were now watching the interaction, their trigger fingers twitchy as they slowly reached for their weapons. Jebediah just grinned, his wrist clamped in Fury’s mighty grip.
With a frustrated grunt, Fury pushed the offensive arm away. “Touch her again, and I’ll rip your heart from your pale fuckin’ chest,” he seethed, pulling Hadley back behind the protection of his body.
Jebediah laughed loudly, drawing even more attention to our little standoff. “I’d have to have a heart for you to do that,” he chuckled. “Put them away, you idiots,” he then scoffed, noticing the guns his men had drawn. “I want my party. Ink, get it sorted.” Jebediah took a few steps away, trying to peek over my shoulder and get another glimpse of Hadley. “I’ll b-b-b-be seeing you later, H-H-H-Hadley.” The bastard laughed again, before turning his back on us and strolling away.
“I’m gonna kill that fucker,” Fury growled.
Turning, I took in Hadley who leaned into Fury’s back, her curious gaze watching Jebediah and his men. “You stay in tonight, Hadley. Stay with Ashlynn in the infirmary.”
Jebediah’s interest in her disturbed me, and now he knew Fury had a soft spot for the girl, I could only imagine the thoughts racing through the psychotic man’s mind. Hadley nodded and blushed furiously when Fury stepped away, causing her to stumble forward. Raising a hand he was quick to steady her. I knew he cared for Hadley, but he didn’t have a clue how to show her. He was all brusque alpha male, and Hadley was soft and submissive. There was no doubt she cared for him too, as her lips pursed in frustration when Fury turned to walk away. There was only so much of Fury’s shit the girl would tolerate before she’d dismiss him completely.
“What’s happening?” asked Trigger as he and Max approached.
“Jebediah wants a party at this week’s fight. Max, will you go to the kitchen and let them know he wants food… and lots of it,” I quoted. “We’ll need more firewood, too. He wants another fucking bonfire.”
“Last time he had a bonfire he burned our dead,” Max pointed out.
The irony wasn’t lost on me, and I could only assume he planned to burn some more. We needed to act before that happened.
“I’ll walk you back to the infirmary,” I told Hadley.
“Trigger… barracks, now!” Jebediah yelled from several feet away.
Trigger didn’t hesitate to move when called and it fucked me off. Either the man had him scared spitless, or he was using drugs to gain his compliance. Max disappeared to do as I’d asked, and Hadley walked quietly at my side. With the sun giving us a moment’s reprieve from the winter, there were plenty of people outside soaking up the warmth. And they were sullen and frightened, which they had every right to be under the circumstances. It was a far cry from the usual happiness that filled the compound before Jebediah, and his men, took it over. And no fucking party was going to help make it any better. No. The only thing that would return Liberty to its former glory was Jebediah buried six feet under and his men gone.
CHAPTER 21 – Grace
By the time Ink, Skye and I arrived at the field the bonfire was well alight, reaching high into the sky, the wood crackling. It helped fight away the bitter cold. It would
no doubt snow again tonight, and when it started this time, it probably wouldn’t stop for days. That’s how winter was in the forest. It would creep up gradually, then when it hit, and you could go for days, sometimes even weeks without reprieve. The smell of smoked meat filled the air, and I noticed the large tables filled with food, and unsurprisingly people were filling up their plates to make the most of the banquet. The food restrictions Jebediah had put in place meant we were starving. Music blared from a speaker which was tied off to the gutter of the garage at my back, the arena seats were beginning to fill, albeit without enthusiasm. We weren’t violent people, and this type of barbaric entertainment did more damage than good. You could see it in the terrified eyes of every person I walked by.
“What the hell is this?” Skye asked in bewilderment.
“This is the insanity of Jebediah,” I answered.
As we approached the platform Jebediah and Jeze sat upon, with their soldiers standing studiously at their backs, my steps slowed. Standing at the bottom of the ladder, struggling furiously against the two men who held her secured was Hadley. Her mouth had been gagged, and her hair was a tumbled mess. She’d obviously put up a fight.
Ink acted first, lunging forward but being brought to heel by a large steel pipe to the back of the head. He went down hard and heavy, and I screamed, dropping to my knees to protect him from another hit. They didn’t bother, though, Ink was groggy and struggling to get to his knees, the single hit removing him as a threat. Skye was frozen on the spot, her attention riveted to the platform above us.
“Ladies and gentlemen…” he paused. “Welcome to The Arena,” Jebediah screamed through a speaker that had been playing music only moments ago. “We have something special for you tonight,” he went on, signaling to Hadley sobbing behind her gag. “Tonight, we have up for grabs… a virgin.”
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