by Rhavensfyre
Victoria nodded vigorously, her movements jerky and awkward. The whites of her eyes gleamed in the shadows and she was breathing too fast. Then she was gone, a shadow fading inside the shadows behind the paneled door. Ransom waited until she heard the solid snick of the door seating itself in its frame, then the metallic hiss of the bar being dropped into place.
Cautiously opening the door, she avoided looking at the bright circle of light spreading away from the house so she wouldn’t ruin her night vision. Stepping out onto the darkened porch, she stood perfectly still for a full minute; just listening. Nothing sounded out of the ordinary, so what tripped the lights? Taking a convoluted path out to the barn and the garage, she avoided tripping any of the other lights she had placed around the yard. Anyone else wandering into the yard would have tripped more than one light.
She ducked into the barn and stood stock still while her eyes adjusted. An odd scrambling sound followed by a high-pitched squeak spun her around, searching for the unexpected noise. A pair of shiny-black-button eyes peered out at her from the far corner of the barn, running along the edge of an old horse stall that hadn’t been used for anything other than storage for decades. Tiny hand like paws grasped at the stalls edge, followed by another pair, until she found herself being observed by an entire family of very curious critters.
“Raccoons.” Ransom let out a relieved chuckle. There were five of them, a momma and four half grown babies, and from the looks of them, all fat and sassy from stealing from her garbage bins. Ransom raised an eyebrow at the little thieves. “I wonder.”
The security lights weren’t set to go off if a small animal wandered by, but all of them together? It was very possible. Their combined mass might be sufficient to fool the system.
She took a different route back to the house, padding across the cool grass in almost pitch-black conditions. Raccoons might have set off the security lights, but she didn’t relish the idea of being spotlighted in the middle of the yard either. As she zigzagged across the property, she noted a few weak spots where she could readjust the lights, something she would do tomorrow after Victoria’s first real shooting lesson.
“Everything’s okay,” Ransom announced the second Victoria opened the cellar door.
A small hellion greeted her in return, subjecting her to something between the most erotic pat down she ever experienced and a rough attempt to seduce her. Ransom was trapped between the door, the steep stairs, and Victoria’s body. All she could do was hold her arms away from the woman, keeping her gun out of the way while Victoria pulled her in so close, she could feel the distance between them between each breath.
“This cellar. You told me it was a safe room? No one can get in once the door is locked?” Victoria demanded in a rough voice. The yellow glow from the single bulb below them brought out a primitive amber light to her eyes that reminded Ransom of dark caves and glowing bodies dancing around a raging fire.
“Yes,” Ransom managed to say. Victoria’s hands on her body were sending delicious chills down her back that she was having trouble ignoring.
Victoria closed the space between them, kissing her gently at first, then more forcefully. When Victoria moaned into her mouth, the erotic sound sent reverberations through her body that set off sparks deep inside her. Ransom wasn’t made of stone, no matter what she professed. She moaned and gave into the kiss, swearing to herself that it wouldn’t go farther than that.
Victoria kissed her once more, nibbling lightly along her lower lip just enough to make Ransom shiver, then brought her lips close to her ear.
“Lock the door,” she whispered, then disappeared back down the stairs.
“Christ,” Ransom muttered. Her head fell back, resting against the unyielding wall behind her while she tried to catch her breath. Victoria felt so good in her arms and she moved so deliciously against her. The 9mm tapped out a rhythm against her left thigh, once, twice, thrice, then a pause before she counted out again. Her heart thudded in her chest, beating faster and harder from a single kiss than it had when she thought there was an intruder. She rubbed her forehead, chasing that thought away. Now wasn’t the time to self-analyze what parts of her psyche were broken and how. The thrill running through her veins tasted sweet without the bitter dregs of fear or anticipation of combat to accompany it, which was all that mattered. She should thank Victoria someday for giving that back to her.
Victoria. She waited for her down below. Her fingers found the steel bar without shifting her gaze away from the stairs. It slid home, and she took her first step down into the cellar.
***
Victoria gazed up at Ransom as she popped one button at a time from Victoria’s shirt. She couldn’t move if she wanted too.
There had been no long speeches when Ransom joined her in the cellar. She had crossed the room, fierce and wild looking, her clothes still smelling of grass and woodsy things, the pistol in her hand something harsh and foreign that didn’t belong there. She had put the weapon down on the table, very carefully, then reached out to touch Victoria’s face. The kiss that followed made time stop, until the sound of that first button slipping from its cage set the clock ticking again.
“Ransom?” Victoria asked, surprised at how breathless her voice sounded. Ransom looked up from her lazy attempts to unbutton Victoria’s shirt, her eyes dark and smoky looking. Nimble fingers popped the last button, leaving the silken fabric of her blouse free to slither open across her skin.
“This is what you wanted, yes?” A smile appeared, creasing the corner of her mouth and adding a devilish aspect to the hazy, heavy-lidded gaze that stole Victoria’s breath and held her hostage.
“Yes,” Victoria said, trembling beneath Ransom’s touch. Ransom’s movements were as smooth and slow as a snake charmer and just as hypnotic. She used her fingertips to trace lines across her skin that left a trail of fire in their wake. When those same fingers danced along her waistline, slipping along the fabric’s edge without ever dipping below the surface, Victoria moaned out loud. The slow teasing was absolute torture.
There was no way the woman could maintain such restraint, not for long.
“Ransom, please?” Victoria found herself begging for a way to make the maddening woman lose some of that control and just take her. She wanted Ransom’s strength against her, claiming her, not these gentle ministrations.
Ransom growled something in response to Victoria’s plea. With a sudden, startling movement, Ransom pulled Victoria around, holding her tight around the middle while she pressed the length of her body against her backside.
Those searching fingertips, now not so gentle, found her breasts. She arched her back into the touch, eager for the contact between them. Somehow Ransom had unbuttoned Victoria’s jeans without her realizing it. Her hand snaked beneath her already ruined panties to cup her sex with her palm. At the same time, teasing lips found that point at the back of Victoria’s neck where the muscle curved down into her shoulder. She arched back, trusting Ransom to keep her balance as pleasure coursed along twin points of pleasure.
“Fuck, Ransom…” Victoria panted when Ransom parted her folds, dipping into the waiting wetness before sliding her fingers along the hard ridge hidden between swollen lips.
Finding her ready, Ransom slipped her fingers inside, feeling the silken muscles push against her sudden intrusion before grasping at her fingers and drawing her in deeper. Victoria arched her back, driving her fingers into her as she writhed against her. Pressing her palm against Victoria’s mound to increase the pressure on her swollen clit, Ransom let the woman use her own movement to bring herself close to the edge. When Victoria cried out, her voice ragged and sharp around the edges in unspoken frustration, Ransom cried out with her. Fingers splayed wide against Victoria’s stomach, she could feel every muscle as it contracted and rolled beneath her palm. She pushed past clamped down muscles that fought, then welcomed her fingers. Victoria’s entire body tensed, then spasmed. Only Ransom’s firm grip around her middle kept her sta
nding as she rode out her orgasm, bucking into and against the fingers now riding her swollen clit.
Ransom watched Victoria’s face intently as her orgasm took her. God, she was a magnificent creature to watch as she let passion take her. Hell, she was magnificent to look at any time, Ransom amended.
She smiled evilly when she pulled her hand up and out of Victoria’s ruined jeans, enjoying the sudden gasp of pleasure when her fingertips accidentally slid across the sensitive bundle of nerves. Her own arousal felt slick and hot between her thighs and she had only one coherent thought running through her brain.
“You have too many clothes on,” Victoria murmured, nuzzling her lips against Ransom’s ear as she spoke, hoping she would get the hint.
“Too true,” Ransom conceded, “But as you already noticed, there’s no bed in here.”
“You didn’t need one, and neither will I.”
Ransom shrugged and pulled off her flannel shirt, then laced her fingers along the bottom edge of her tank top and stopped. Victoria made an impatient noise in her throat and Ransom grinned at her. She was enjoying the slow tease, but was almost outmaneuvered by a small pink tongue darting out between Victoria’s lips. Her tank slid up slowly, exposing her abdomen to Victoria’s hungry gaze inch by inch. It was absolutely delicious torture for both of them.
She tossed the tank top next to her flannel and turned her attention to the next article of clothing.
“These too?” Ransom asked, popping the top button on her jeans.
“Oh, yes, especially those,” Victoria said, licking her lips suggestively.
Ransom could hear her pulse thundering in her head and thrumming through her body as it sang in tune to her arousal. Nothing else existed around her except for hot skin, wet heat, and the promise of sweet release. She swayed beneath Victoria’s touch, closing her eyes so that every kiss down her body was a surprise and every tentative lick made her thighs tremble in anticipation of the next.
Wound tight and so close to coming she could barely think, she dug her nails into the oak tasting table behind her, gripping the edge tight enough to make the wood creak. Her elbow struck something cold and hard. The 9mm skidded across the polished surface and stopped just outside of her reach. The deadly reminder of her place in the world sent a chill down her spine and generated an uninvited question.
Would I have been aware enough, fast enough to stop an intruder if I had been so pre-occupied?
Ransom growled in frustration. She was so close. Her gaze slid to the pistol again, then the darkened doorway above them.
This cellar. You told me it was a safe room? No one can get in once the door is locked? Victoria had asked her these questions for a reason. She knew Ransom needed to feel safe, too. Ransom took one last look at the 9mm. There was no need for it here, she could enjoy this and not worry that she was putting Victoria in danger.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Victoria whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Just let it happen. I have you.” She kissed Ransom’s neck, then brushed the lightest of kisses across her lips. “Can you do that for me, for us?”
She teased along the pale curls at Ransom’s thighs, just alongside her swollen clit, then retreating to lightly massage her outer lips. Ransom could feel everything she was doing, manipulating her own slick arousal against herself. The sensation was incredibly erotic, and it pushed her higher than she’d ever gone before without tumbling over the precipice.
“I will not ask where you learned how to do that,” Ransom panted.
“Just as well, I wouldn’t tell you,” Victoria answered, her eyes blazing with a fierce joy. “I can tell you are close. Tell me what you want.”
“I want,” Ransom started to answer, then inhaled sharply. Victoria had changed tactics, choosing a direct assault that left Ransom momentarily speechless. “That was cruel.”
“Mmm. Got your attention, didn’t I?” Victoria purred in her ear. “You don’t have to answer; I think I know what you want.”
***
The mental health field is a strange animal. You have the concept of sick people, then you have the concept of therapy to treat the sick people. What’s therapy? Talking. That’s it. The only difference between therapy and religion is the “Come to Jesus” moment, that’s my opinion.
Now Psychiatrists? They just medicate the crap out of you. Doctors with fun drugs. That’s an interesting way to go. If we can’t fix you, we’ll drug you till you’re practically a zombie, or so screwed up in the head it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re not dangerous to society, who cares, right?
The question to ask, then, is…how easy is it to turn someone deemed not dangerous into something else? Treatment, goals, end results, all perfectly wonderful things-but totally dependent on intent and a moral code.
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. If you’re a manipulative bitch, it can be deadly.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Breathe, concentrate on what you’re doing. This is going to feel strange to you, and some of what I’m going to tell you will sound like it contradicts itself.” Ransom stood just beside and behind Victoria. Every word was spoken calmly, with a patience that the overly nervous woman appreciated more than she would ever admit. “Now, just like we did earlier. Inhale, exhale…slowly. Good. Now squeeze the trigger.”
The pop still startled Victoria, she blinked despite trying hard to stare down the target, wincing in expectation before the gun even fired.
“Okay, one more time. This time try to relax a little more. Remember, squeeze, don’t pull the trigger. That’s a sure way to miss your target.”
“Got it. Don’t hold your breath. Just use the natural pause between one breath and the next,” Victoria finished Ransom’s speech for her, or so she thought.
Ransom grinned at her. “Don’t get cocky just yet, little lady. One more thing. Don’t stand there staring at the target. Two things will happen. Your eyes will start to play tricks on you and your muscles will start to get fatigued. It won’t seem like much, but believe me, it makes a difference. Just trust your instincts, the rest will follow.”
Victoria nodded and returned her attention back to the human shaped target set up between two small hills behind the house. From the looks of things, Ransom had been using the area as a personal range since she arrived. There were other targets set up farther downrange, some over a 100 meters out and several set up near trees or other cover that made them more difficult to see. The pristine tan and black target Ransom had tacked up this morning for her was almost embarrassing in comparison. Both in the fact it still lacked any bullet size holes anywhere near the concentric circles representing a kill shot, and for the fact the target stood barely 16 feet away from them.
“I suck.”
“It takes time,” Ransom piped in immediately. “Don’t worry, we have plenty of ammo.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about, but thanks a lot.” Victoria made a face at Ransom, just in case she didn’t notice the sarcasm.
“Focus, remember?” Ransom reminded her.
Victoria let her temper get the best of her. She was hot, tired and her ego wasn’t just bruised after two hours of trying to get the hang of the small .380, it had taken a thorough pummeling. “I don’t see you stepping in and showing me how it’s supposed to be done…”
Ransom moved without warning, faster than Victoria could respond. In an instant she was right behind her, one hand snatching the .380 out of her hand, then spinning her around until she was facing the opposite direction. A blur of motion along her periphery coalesced into Ransom’s left hand, holding her 9mm. Ten shots fired in succession, ten shots in less than 10 seconds, leaving 10 small holes in the center of her target that didn’t even qualify as a connect the dot puzzle…each one touched the other like the outline of a fuzzy caterpillar crawling across the paper.
The 9mm disappeared again, and she bent down to pick up the .380, dropped the magazine, popped the slide before slapping the weapon back down on t
he small table next to them. Only then did she turn and look at Victoria with flat-green eyes that somehow made everything worse. “That’s how a dick would do it. I’m not a dick. Please don’t make me do that again.”
That little demonstration took all the piss and vinegar out of Victoria and replaced it with something else. She went back to the table and tried again, loading the weapon with a resolute scowl that made Ransom smile, then sighted the small pistol downrange. This time she didn’t flinch from the small pops, and while she didn’t manage to Robin Hood any of Ransom’s shots, she did hit the target each and every time. Ransom grinned behind Victoria’s back. The good counselor had found her inner warrior.
“Very good. Let’s stop for the day and head in,” Ransom suggested, stepping in before Victoria could reload to shoot again. It was always best to end a day of training on a high note, and she couldn’t think of a better time than now.
Victoria hesitated, then nodded. “You’re right. I’m getting tired and I should keep going through my files. Also, Samuel had a question about one of my clients and I need to check a few things before I call him back.”
“Things would go quicker if you’d let me help you, you know.” Ransom made it sound like a joke, but part of her was serious. Victoria didn’t think like she did. She wasn’t looking for the things Ransom would look for. A fresh set of eyes would help.
“You know I can’t do that.”
“I know, I know.” Ransom raked her fingers through her hair. “I just thought it might help hurry things along. I know you need to get back to your clients.”
Victoria stopped dead in her tracks. She was learning a few things about Ransom Greathouse, and one of them was that she was a great deal more versed in manipulation than she let on. “Now you just wait a minute. I know exactly what you’re trying to do and it won’t work. I won’t let you see those files no matter how much you tempt me.”