We all knew what was coming in two weeks’ time. War. We just didn’t know the details.
As soon as we finished breakfast, Rylen turned to me. “Top says you can have the day off to scout with me. You interested?”
“Just the two of us?”
“Yep.” He grinned, and I smiled back.
“Then of course I’m interested.”
We hopped up and I followed him to get strapped with weapons, then outside to one of the vehicles. To my confusion, he drove us farther into base instead of the entrance.
“Where are we going?”
Again, he grinned, but this one was mischievous. “We’re doing an aerial scout.”
I gaped at him. “We’re flying?”
“You scared?” He challenged me with a bounce of his eyebrows.
“No.” I crossed my arms. The last time we were both in planes, he was being shot at, and I thought for sure he was dead. He reached across the seat and pried my arms apart to take my hand.
“Don’t worry, Pepper. Nobody else will be in the sky.”
I exhaled, feeling stupid for worrying.
And then we got to the hanger and I saw the plane. Could it even be called a plane? More like a two person go-cart with propellers. Rylen had the nerve to laugh at the look on my face.
“Come on.” He held out a hand and I took it, climbing up into the back seat and putting on the helmet that was there. Rylen jumped into the front with total grace and had his helmet on in half a second while I still fiddled with mine, then the seatbelt straps. My heart was galloping, and all I could think was, Well, at least if we crash, we die together. How sad that that consoled me.
The engine was a loud buzz, and my stomach swooped wildly as he gained speed and left the ground. This was nothing like riding in a passenger plane. The whole contraption shook and bounced, and I couldn’t hear anything but the whir of propellers and growl of the motor. When Rylen turned around to check on me, I nearly panicked, pointing for him to watch where he was going.
He threw his head back in laughter, shouting, “There’s nothing up here!”
All right, fine. I eased back and held the side straps, letting myself relax a little and look out. What I saw was breathtaking.
So. Many. Trees. And from up here they looked like rich, green fluffiness. I wanted to run my hand over them. And the mountains looked fuller and wider than they did from the ground. Bodies of water glistened in the sunshine. It was perfect. This time when I sensed Rylen glancing back to check on me, I let him. And I smiled.
The place he decided to make a landing was not anywhere I’d expected. We were literally on a gravel road that led into a gorgeous valley. Mountains surrounded it on all sides, and a lake sat in the middle, so still that it mirrored the clouds and landscape like a painting. I was silent as I got out, taking his hand, and letting him lead me to the edge of the water. What could I say? I felt . . . small. At one with nature. And then it hit me.
This is our Earth. Ours. We hadn’t always appreciated it, and we definitely hadn’t treated it right. But I couldn’t stand the thought of those Baelese bastards having her. Rylen took my hand and turned me toward him. Both of our hands twined now as I looked up into his cloudy eyes, made brighter as they reflected the sky.
“In two weeks, we go back to Nevada,” he said.
I nodded, sad and scared, but then I lifted my chin against those useless feelings.
“They’ve tried to break us.” Rylen released my hands and brought his fingers to my neck, weaving them through and down my hair. “They wanted to break us apart.”
“And they failed,” I said.
Rylen lowered his face, touching his nose to mine as he closed his eyes, whispering against my lips.
“Will you marry me, Pepper?”
I sucked in a surprised breath, and his eyes crept open. He kept his mouth close to mine, cupping my face now. I brought my hands up to his, holding on to keep from swaying.
“Today?” I asked. “Because I think it should happen today.”
He let out a deep laugh that felt like a shiver rippling under my skin.
“I’m betting we can make that happen,” he said. “But first . . .”
His lips met mine, warm and soft, then hot and firm as we pulled each other closer. Outside, with nobody to witness but Mother Earth herself, Rylen stripped me down and lay me on the cool, smooth pebbles by the shore of the lake. Then we made love, kissing every time our faces neared. Every inch of my skin was bathed in his love and the crisp, fresh air surrounding us. I turned him so he’d have a turn with the pebbles, while I rode him, making a memory that nobody could take from us.
Two more weeks.
That night, in an impromptu ceremony at the mess hall, I married Rylen in front of our friends and allies. We officially declared everything in our hearts. J.D. cried, and Sean took his hand. Even Tex’s eyes got misty. Then Devon fell to his knee and said to Shavontae, “Marry me, baby. Right now!” And she dragged him forward to the Chaplain with a smile, as everyone laughed and cheered, rejoicing for all we held dear. We clung to all of the ideals our enemy would see torn away. And we vowed to love fiercely for as long as we had left.
Rylen drove us to a lodge-style mansion on the side of a local mountain. We sat in the vehicle staring up at its beauty as he turned off the ignition.
“The boys found it on a scouting run,” he said quietly. “It’s ours tonight.”
Morbid sadness consumed me. “This was someone’s home.”
Rylen took my hand. “I think the owners would be happy that two newlyweds are going to respect their home and think it’s beautiful enough for a honeymoon. Especially when those two newlyweds have sworn to kill the fuckers who murdered them.”
Well, when he put it that way. I squeezed his hand, nodding. “Okay.”
Still holding my hand, he led me through the breathtaking foyer and down a corridor with pictures. I came to a halt in front of a framed family photo, emotions welling in my chest. It was one of those cheesy professional pictures taken on a beach, where everyone was in matching white shirts. A mom with her hair blowing in the beach breeze, and a smiling dad. Three kids ranging from about eight years old to teen. And a golden retriever. It was the dog that finally made the burning turn to tears. I imagined the animal running down these halls, barking, with the kids chasing it. Less than a year ago, this home had been full of life.
Rylen touched the corner of the picture with reverence and squeezed my hand again. When he gently tugged me, I went.
We came to a set of French doors. Before he opened them, he kissed the side of my head and made me look at him.
“You okay, Pep?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. I was as okay as I possibly could be. He opened the doors, and I sucked in a breath at the sight of the indoor pool and Jacuzzi. The room was glass, and warm inside, like a greenhouse.
“They tested the waters,” Rylen told me. “No poison. And then all of their dumb asses went swimming.” He crouched down and broke the crystal clear surface with his fingers, sending ripples. “It’s saltwater.”
Rylen stood and I stared at him. My husband. Holy shit. That was crazy.
“Ever been skinny dipping?” I asked.
“Uh . . .” He looked down sheepishly, and jealousy stabbed me at the thought of him swimming naked with some other girl.
“Never mind,” I said. “Don’t answer that.”
The jealousy passed as quickly as it came, with the sickening realization that whoever he swam with was probably dead now.
But we were still here, and I intended to live.
I pulled off my shirt, tossing it on a nearby lounger. Rylen crossed his arms, his eyes becoming hooded as he watched me remove my jeans, then my bra and underwear. My nakedness in the huge, open room felt exhilarating and naughty.
“Damn,” he murmured under his breath. His voice and heated gaze made my skin tighten all over.
“Race you to the other side,” I said. He shoute
d something with laughter as I dove in, relishing the burn in my arms as I swam as fast as I could to the other side. A few seconds later his splash sounded, and he moved like a rocket under the water. I screamed, laughing, when he got to me and tickled my thighs before bursting through the surface.
His smile. His white teeth. His cloudy, gray eyes. My Rylen.
He walked me backwards until my heels hit the steps of the shallow end, and then he gently pushed me back until I was sitting, holding the handrail. Rylen took a breath and went under, his face finding my core underwater. The feel of his tongue made me cry out, tightening my thighs around his head. He pulled my thighs apart and came up for air. Rylen picked me up and moved me to the next highest step, where he could kiss a trail up my wet belly, taking the tip of each salty breast into his mouth as I scratched my fingernails through his hair.
“Mrs. Fite,” he said against my skin. “My wife.”
“My husband.”
He kissed me, pulling me into his arms in the water, where I was so buoyant that my legs went around him without any effort. My back hit the side of the pool wall as he kissed me, rubbing his lower abs against my core to drive me insane, knowing the hard length of him was right there, ready, pressing up against my ass.
I took matters into my own hands, lifting up onto my elbows on his shoulders to align us, and then lowering myself with aching slowness. Rylen cursed against my neck, biting lightly until I’d taken the whole length of him. The water made fast movements difficult, so each thrust was pronounced, his strong hips pressing hard. It didn’t take long for my whole body to tense, and then detonate. My cries of pleasure echoed through the room, and Rylen grinned as he pressed again, making me shiver and whimper with sensitivity.
“Can you even hear how sexy you are, Pepper?”
I held him and took his wet earlobe into my mouth. “I think it’s my turn to go underwater.”
He kissed me, his lips lingering. “If you insist.”
I did. In fact, I’d insist on quite a few things that evening, and my wonderful hubby would deliver without complaint.
Remy
“No sign of a radio?” Tater asked me in the breakfast line as we pushed our trays down the counter. His sudden nearness beside me caused me to feel lightheaded.
“No,” I whispered without looking at him. Kelsey was ahead of me, and Ronaldo tucked into line behind Tater. I sent the boy a smile, and he gave me a small one in return.
I felt Tater’s tension. His dire need for something to happen. He took a cup of canned peaches and flung it to his tray, then one on Ronaldo’s.
“Be patient,” I said, trying not to move my lips.
“Has he touched you?”
His bold question took me by surprise and I thought about how Tater and I had left things at Dugway, about how I’d told both him and Matt that I didn’t want or need a man. That I needed to be alone. Did I still feel that way? As much as I cared for Tater, the more complicated things became, the more I found myself pulling away all over again, to spare us both. If Tater saw us as a couple, his jealousy toward the Senator would only grow.
I hesitated too long, and heard his sharp exhale and saw the clench of his fist.
“Nothing happened,” I swore. “Our hands touched once. That’s all.”
He huffed humorlessly through his nose. “I saw the way he looked at you when he brought them.” He jutted his chin down to Kelsey. “It’s only a matter of time.”
“Well, he’ll never make a move.”
“Do you want him to?”
“No.” I didn’t hesitate this time, but the answer left me feeling a pit of disgusting guilt. Did I want him to? No. In my mind I knew that was the right answer. No.
“And it’s not something you need to worry about or ask me about ever again,” I said firmly.
I placed a cup of water on my tray for Kelsey, and coffee on mine. Then I touched the girl’s shoulder. “Follow me, sweetie. Hold your tray nice and tight.” I didn’t glance back at Tater because guards stood at the end of the line.
Kelsey was so small she practically had to stretch her arms all the way out to hold the tray. I could tell it was heavy for her, but she did it. We sat with the other young girls, who’d been paramount in showing Kelsey how to be tough and more independent throughout the day. Not to mention her time with Linette, who did not treat the child with warm and fuzzies. Kelsey still liked her, though, probably because she felt safe.
Nights were harder. Kelsey cried when we tried to put her in her own bed. Now, Kelsey would fall asleep in bed with Macy while I whispered our lessons and story time. And then I’d silently climb down and move Kelsey to her own bed. So far it hadn’t been a problem, but each time felt like a small victory.
I passed her off to Linette after breakfast, ignoring the woman’s scowl warning that she’d taken to giving me every morning. If I had to translate, I was betting she said something like, “Make yourself useful and find out some information, or screw the leader so we can get out of here.” Both of which left me feeling terrified and slimy.
Imagine my surprise when I walked into the school room at the palace and found the Senator already there, speaking with the children as they stared up at him.
I paused in the doorway, surprised, until the guard nudged me forward with the butt of her gun. I went in and placed my bag on the desk, giving him a polite smile when he approached.
“Are the new children acclimating to Primo Town?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” I made myself keep eye contact, though I felt shy and embarrassed. His eyes were deceptively gentle as he tried to read me.
“We should speak after the lessons.”
Oh, no. My belly bottomed out, swooping.
“Okay.” I tried to smile, pushing hair nervously behind my ears. He nodded and hesitated a moment before turning to leave. It took me a full minute to compose myself enough to address the waiting children. This was going to be a long day.
I was a bundle of nerves as I stood outside against the wall during the children’s afternoon exercise time. I’d learned not to watch, ignoring the thumps of kids falling, the shouts of pain. If the instructor needed me, she would call for me, but otherwise I stood there staring at the ground.
Outside of the fence, two vehicles zoomed past at top speed, making both the instructor and I look up. They rounded the corner, out of sight, but I heard them squeal to a stop, doors opening and slamming shut, feet hitting the ground at a sprint, voices shouting.
My heart kicked up inside my chest. What was going on? My first instinct was to get the children inside to safety, but they were under the instructor’s care, and she’d already gotten back to business. I stared around, and my heart nearly stopped. From afar, a plume of smoke rose into the sky. Fire outside of the base.
The doors burst open and a guard shouted at the instructor. “Get the children inside!”
She didn’t ask questions, and it only took a few seconds to gather all of the children and get them lined up. I took the front of the line and the instructor took the back. Once we were inside, the guard locked the door and ushered the children down a private hall. They stopped me when I tried to follow.
“You are to return to Primo Town.”
I nodded and did as I was told, following the female guard who was to drive me. My ears were peeled, catching snippets of conversations as we hurried down the hall.
Insurgents.
Rebels.
Humans.
Under attack.
Oh, my gosh.
Outside, we ran to the nearest Jeep. They always left the keys in the ignition. We climbed in, and I held on tight as she peeled off. Our camp was at the far end of base, away from where the action was apparently taking place. I stared back, heart racing, as Baelese ran with machine guns and ammo. And some, to my horror, were driving past us to the hangars where the fighter jets were kept.
Who was attacking? Was it Top and all the others from Dugway? I covered my mouth against a so
b. The Baelese were numerous here, and so heavily armed. Would we stand a chance?
“Are they going to kill us?” I asked the driver, trying to get information.
“Do not be stupid,” she shouted back at me. “It is a small cell. They are starving. We will end it quickly.”
Damn.
The guard skidded to a stop and we both jumped out. She pressed a code on the lock box, and opened the gates. The inside guards were running forward.
“Lock them in and come with me!” the driver shouted.
Without hesitation, the Primo Town guards abandoned their posts and locked the gates behind them, racing away. I stood there in shock, looking all around as people began peeking out from where they were working.
No guards. But we were locked in and surrounded by high fences with wicked barbed wire.
Linette and one of the men in the barn came sprinting out, and I ran to them.
“I think a local cell of rebels is attacking,” I told them.
Linette looked around wildly. “Where are the guards?”
“They all left!”
“Holy shit,” she breathed. “This is our chance!”
“They think they’ll squash it fast, whatever it is,” I told her.
“Now, wait just a damn minute,” the man said. “We can’t make it over that fence without mangling ourselves, and if we get caught trying to escape . . .”
As the two of them argued, a woman from the kitchen came out to see what was going on.
“Get all of the children into the dorms!” I told her, then I took off running toward the fields.
I was gasping. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d run so fast. The corn stalks were as tall as me.
“Tater!”
I looked down each row as I passed, and I nearly screamed when he stepped out from behind the giant pull cart, full of hay and grabbed my arm.
Undone (Unknown Trilogy Book 3) Page 14