by Kelly Favor
Joe was still howling by the fire, and Raven looked at him. He was on his back, legs splayed out, holding his shoulder and crying like a tortured animal. She almost—almost—felt bad for him.
Jake put Dave’s hands behind his back, handcuffed him, and left him there with his pants down. Then he crossed to Joe, knelt down and examined the shoulder as Joe cursed him and howled.
“Sit up dipshit,” Jake said, helping Joe to sit. Jake examined the wound closely. “It’s a clean shot, it went in and out.”
“Fuck you,” Joe moaned. “I’m dying.”
“If you’re lucky.” Jake went to their bags and came back with dressing and bandaged Joe’s gunshot wound as if he was also a medical doctor on top of everything else.
Raven simply stood in awe. Maybe she was in shock, too.
“Is he going to survive?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Probably the night, at least. He’s lost a lot of blood and I took out his rotator cuff, so his arm’s useless and likely always will be.”
“Motherfucker…” Joe groaned.
“He’s lucky I don’t just kill him like the dog he is,” Jake said, more for the man’s benefit than hers.
“I don’t want anyone to die,” Raven said.
Jake looked at her and his eyes grew flinty and passionate. “They almost took you away from me,” he said, and his throat worked and she saw that he was emotional after all.
“I’m fine,” she said, and then she went to him and he hugged her tightly.
“I should’ve taken you with me,” he whispered in her ear as he held her in his strong arms that were infinitely protective.
“You found me, that’s what matters.”
“I’ll always find you,” he said.
Finally, they stopped hugging and Raven looked around her at the carnage. “What now?” she said.
Jake looked deeply into her eyes. “Now it’s our turn,” he said.
Raven found herself starting to smile. “I think I’m ready for that,” she told him.
He started to smile back at her. “Good,” he said. “Because we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“Tell me what you need from me.”
“I don’t need anything from you,” he said. “All I need is you.”
As they stared into one another’s eyes, Raven realized that he’d spoken the truth and everything else fell away.
Those men who’d come to hurt her had never stood a chance at all, because the man who loved her would never have stopped until he found her again.
Jake’s words echoed and echoed in her ears and the last vestiges of her doubt fell away.
The words faded but the memory of them would remain with her forever.
All I need is you.
All they needed was each other.
And now she was ready to prove it to the world.
End of Book Six
The Debt 7
Three of Jake’s military buddies had arrived at the cabin.
Raven and Jake hadn’t been back for very long before his friends had arrived.
They were dressed in full gear, with packs and weapons at the ready. Raven was sitting beside the stove inside, a blanket around her, spooning soup into her mouth that Jake had made for her just minutes before.
Now she watched as Jake conferred with his men. They acted as if he was still their commander and this was just another day in Afghanistan. Their bearing was focused, with some of the gallows humor that men like them seemed to naturally possess, joking crudely about the men Jake had wounded in the woods.
Using some piece of equipment that looked like a giant handheld computer one of the men had brought with them, Jake showed his three friends where he’d left her kidnappers. Jake was holding a stylus and pinpointing their location. “Right about there, maybe a click or two North.”
The largest of his three buddies nodded appreciatively. “We’ll handle it,” he said, taking the handheld computer thingy back and studying it momentarily.
Jake folded his arms. “Do whatever you need to do to ascertain who exactly gave them their orders—find out by any means necessary. And then send them home, with a clear message that we mean business.”
“Do we kill if necessary?” the smallest one in the group asked.
Jake shook his head no. “There’s no threat factor posed by those two grunts anymore. Get the info, as much as you need to send the message. And then send it loud and clear. But no kill is required.”
The three men nodded their understanding.
“Message will be sent and received,” the one with the electronic map said, tucking it into his belt line, where it hung easily. “Time to move out, boys.”
“Bud,” Jake said, getting the attention of the big man.
Bud stopped and looked at him. “Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
“You never need to thank me, Sir. Not after what you did for us on the big stage.” He gave a quick salute and then led the others out of the cabin.
After the door closed behind them, Raven stood and watched through the window as they trooped into the woods. It was very early morning, the dawn had only just come. That meant those two men who’d tried to kidnap her had been in the woods, alone, for hours. Jake had left them both immobile, handcuffed, feet bound together so neither could crawl or walk away from their spot.
Jakes unit disappeared and Raven sat down by the fire again.
She spooned some more wonderfully hot soup into her mouth, savoring the taste. Nothing had ever tasted so good, so warm and comforting.
The mug she was holding was hot and the blanket around her was like a hug from Jake, as he was the one who’d draped it over her shoulders.
Now he came over to her again, his grin coming back. “You look happy as a clam right now.”
She grinned back. “Is it weird that maybe I am happy right now, even after everything we’ve been through recently?”
“Definitely,” he said, sitting down next to her, his hand resting on her leg, sending a jolt of excitement up her thigh.
She lowered her mug and looked at him. “What are they going to do with those two men? Torture them?”
Jake watched her evenly. “Do you really want to know? Because I’ll tell you, but I don’t think you want details.”
She thought about it for a moment. “No, I guess I don’t. I just…I hope they don’t hurt them too badly. As cruel and terrible as they were to me, I can’t say I like the thought of us doing the same stuff to them that they threatened me with.”
“My guys aren’t animals,” Jake reassured her. “They’ll do everything the right way, and the force they use will be appropriate for what those clowns deserve, based on their own behavior. If they cooperate, they’ll be treated reasonably. But if they don’t cooperate…” he trailed off, giving a slight shrug, as if to say, they deserve what they get in that case.
Raven realized she was basically okay with the situation. And she trusted Jake implicitly. The important thing now was that they were both safe, and both together.
“And now what?” she asked.
He continued smiling at her. “You’re a piece of work,” he laughed.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because,” he chuckled, “most people—even soldiers—who went through what you went through would be a puddle right now. But you’re fine. You’re already moving on to the next thing.”
She felt her spine straighten as she took in his compliment, remembering how her instinct had been to fight when she’d thought the kidnappers were going to truly force themselves on her. She’d been calm, ready to die in a sense—and Raven had never known she possessed that kind of strength and fearlessness.
But Jake saw it inside her. And he respected it.
Raven felt her cheeks flush. “I want to make you proud.”
He stared at her and reached out, caressing her cheek so softly. “You don’t need to make me proud,” he whispered. “You’re the most amazing thing I’ve ever w
itnessed. I don’t just mean that you’re just the most amazing person I’ve ever met,” he continued. “You’re actually the most beautiful, strangest and wonderful of anything I’ve ever come across in my entire life. How could I not be proud just to know you?”
She felt tears spring to her eyes at his words, and then he was leaning towards her and their lips were meeting in a wonderful, passionate kiss.
In that one kiss, Raven felt the emotion of a lifetime, felt the love that had so quickly formed and blossomed between them, and everything in her relaxed and rejoiced because of it.
Finally, Jake broke off from kissing her. “You asked what’s next,” he said, still watching her closely.
“Yeah,” she answered, waiting.
“We should go back,” he said. “This place has served its purpose.”
“Back where, though? Are you going on tour again?”
At this question, he looked away for the first time, his gaze flitting uncertainly to the window, as if contemplating. “I don’t know.”
“Well…don’t you sort of need to? I mean, financially?”
He sighed. “Maybe. That’s part of the reason we need to go back. I have to check on the state of my business and make some big decisions.”
Raven nodded uncertainly. “You know I’ll support any decision you make.”
He smiled briefly. “It’s not you that I’m worried about.”
“That’s a first.”
Jake glanced at her, his grin reappearing. “Don’t be a smartass,” he said, grabbing her waist and pulling her close.
“Careful! My soup’s going to spill.”
“I think it already did,” he said, touching her shirt lightly. “We need to get that off you, it’s dirty.”
“Jake,” she giggled.
But he was already pulling the blanket off her, as she put the mug down on the floor, out of range. And then Jake was tugging her t-shirt off, sliding it over her shoulders, leaving her completely naked from the waist up.
He pushed her gently back, so her head was on the floor, as she looked up at him. His eyes were intense, filled with a need so great that it almost frightened her.
More than that, however, his need seemed to attract and awaken her own need. Maybe that was the scary part.
Raven reached out and touched Jake’s hard chest, running her hands up and down, and then sliding down to his stomach, which tightened in response to her greedy touch.
She spread her legs, tugging at his pants, which he helped her unbuckle and pull down.
They were suddenly frantic, both of them pulling at one another. Jake was trying to take her panties off as quickly as possible.
Raven slid Jake’s boxers down too.
She wanted to feel him now—she couldn’t wait, suddenly, and her pussy was dripping wet for him.
It was as if all the emotion that had been pent up, all of her fears and worries and terrors of the last day were spilling out, and the only cure was him inside her. The feel of Jake’s body pressing into her, his cock pushing into her sacred space, bringing him into her in every possible way.
“I need you,” she gasped, as Jake placed his hands on either side of her body, elevating his muscular frame over her, protecting her from his weight.
She placed her hand on his large, throbbing member and stroked it, feeling the intensity of it, the warmth and hardness of it, pulling it towards her spread legs.
Looking down, she could see Jake pushing the head of his cock ever closer to her bare pussy, until it finally made contact with her quivering folds.
She gasped in ecstasy.
“Are you all right?” he asked, pausing.
“Yes, yes…” she urged him, extending her hips upwards to meet him.
It was exhilarating, thrilling. She wanted to watch it happen, wanted to see him entering her.
Slowly, slowly, he penetrated her, and she watched as her legs opened wider, as if instinctually knowing what to do to fit him into her. Her body could accommodate him, and she let it, let herself do what she desperately needed to do.
Soon, Jake’s entire cock was inside, buried in her, taking up every last bit of space, and they both sighed in unison.
“You feel amazing,” Jake said, looking into her eyes. He wasn’t moving now, he was just waiting.
“You do too,” Raven replied, her breath catching in her chest.
He leaned down and began urgently kissing her mouth, and then he began pumping his hips slowly against hers. Jake wasn’t so much pulling out and going in again. Instead, he kept himself buried all the way inside, slowly rotating his hips, grinding his pelvis against hers.
The sensation was incredible, and an explosion of sensations moved through her, shooting up her torso, lighting up her body with a barrage of pleasure.
Raven moaned, crying out, her hands raking down Jake’s back as he continued to work his magic inside her.
“You’re so fucking tight,” he whispered.
“You’re going to make me come,” she whimpered in return. Her eyes closed, rolling back in her head as Jake slid his hips against hers rhythmically, each miniscule thrust igniting a firestorm in her pleasure centers.
“Raven,” he said, “I’ve never felt this before. Never. I…I hope you know…”
“Oh, God,” she cried.
“I hope you know this is real.”
“Jake,” she moaned, clutching him, grabbing his bare butt in her hands and squeezing as he thrust again, making her come so hard that she lost her breath.
Her entire body shuddered and she couldn’t even scream, it was so intense.
“Holy shit,” Jake said, “Your pussy’s amazing.” He slid out and in again, finally making larger movements with his hips.
Now he was sliding almost all the way out before plowing himself back inside her fully.
Raven opened her eyes wide. Everything he did to her was something new, something she’d never suspected, could never have imagined in her wildest dreams.
“You’re so wet, Raven,” he murmured. His breath was hot on her face and then he was kissing her neck, sucking her skin, as he fucked her harder and faster.
It was true, she was wet. She had almost nothing to compare it to, but Raven couldn’t imagine she could get any wetter.
The sound of his skin slapping against hers was exciting, sensual, and the feelings generated as his pelvis collided into hers was absolutely amazing. She threw her head back as her body was wracked by yet another miraculous orgasm.
This time she had enough air in her lungs to cry out loud.
“I’m coming,” Jake told her, and then he picked his hips up high and slammed them down against her in a series of aggressive motions as he exploded inside her, bursting, pulsing, letting out his essence.
Raven’s body was still shuddering in wonder, every fiber, every cell alive and dancing, a smile overcoming her face as she realized the extent of what he’d done to her.
“Oh my goodness,” she whispered, as Jake collapsed his full weight on top of her and lay breathing as if he’d just sprinted across a football field.
She ran her hands along his back, then scooped a handful of his hair into her palm, stroking his head with love.
Finally, he rolled off her, to the side, but remained close, still breathing quickly. She turned and looked at him.
His eyes were searching the ceiling, as if he could see into the future. A blend of emotions passed over his face, and Raven just watched, in awe of the beauty of him.
“You saved me,” she told him.
He turned and looked at her. “We saved each other, didn’t we?”
And then they both smiled, knowing it was the truth.
Raven was exhausted.
They’d trekked from the cabin to the road, where Jake’s driver had been waiting with his car to take them both back to civilization.
She slept for a brief time in the car, but then she woke and noticed all her messages on her phone and knew that she needed to get in
touch with people who were worried about her.
So Raven contacted her family and let them know she was all right. They were apparently safe and sound and able to conduct their lives from the new residence Jake and his team had arranged for them. Even her brother had little to complain about.
Raven didn’t spend a lot of time telling them where she’d been or what had occurred in her short time away. She just made sure they were safe and relatively happy.
Danny tried peppering her with questions about the future and she told him she had no idea what was going to happen next. “Jake will figure it out and we’ll be in touch.”
“So we all just wait for Jake to decide our fates?” Danny scoffed.
“Be patient,” she told him. “Soon things will be back to normal.”
She got off the phone with Danny, feeling a little guilty, knowing that she was somewhat responsible for his life and the lives of her parents being turned upside down.
Next, she called Skylar.
“I thought something terrible had happened to you!” Skylar said.
Raven apologized for dropping out of touch. “We’re back now, though, so I’ll be coming around again.”
“You don’t worry about me,” Sky told her. “I’m doing just fine.”
But Raven didn’t believe her. She thought her friend sounded tired, ragged, and maybe a little scared beneath the brave exterior. Skylar didn’t want Raven to worry or feel responsible, so she was putting on a brave front.
“I’m going to be checking in with you as soon as I land somewhere for more than five minutes,” Raven said. “But you can always call me, day or night. Promise me you’ll call if you need anything, Sky.”
Skylar agreed she would, but once again, Raven got off the phone feeling more confused and disturbed.
Jake told her it was all going to work out, to relax and sleep the rest of the ride back to Boston, but Raven was unsure.
Finally, they arrived back at the hotel in Boston, and surprisingly there were no paparazzi even waiting for them. At least they’d caught one break, she thought wearily.
Inside the penthouse suite, she collapsed into bed and fell asleep for a long, long time.
When she woke up again, she heard voices in the outer suite and sat up, confused. There was a note next to her, stickied to the comforter.