“Panties too.”
Cambria didn’t know why she blushed, but she did, stepping out of the thin fabric and leaving them to fall in a puddle on the floor.
While she undressed, Tom unzipped his own pants from where he lay on her bed, shoving them down just enough to expose his rigid member. Cambria’s eyes widened and Tom’s smile was one of self-satisfaction. She was surprised when he donned a condom, but she didn’t question why he had it.
She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t secretly hoping to make love to him when she’d first knocked on his door. At least one of them had been prepared.
He motioned to her to come to him, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him. She moved to straddle him and he grasped her breasts roughly again, pinching her hard nipples between his fingers before releasing them and moving his large hands over her body and onto her hips.
Tom dug his fingers into the flesh of her backside, pulling her onto him before sliding into her heat. She moaned, her face pinched slightly as her body stretched around him. He threw his head back, eyes closed.
She was tight and hot, and she felt wonderful around him. He began to move beneath her, holding her hips and matching her movement to his. She sank down further onto him before leaning forward to rest her hands on either side of his head.
He lifted his head slightly, catching one nipple in his mouth and sucking hard. He let his head fall back onto the pillow, but he didn’t release her. She leaned even closer to him, angling herself to accommodate him.
He thrust deeper inside her, letting go of her hips with both hands at once and slapping both of her ass cheeks hard as she continued rocking with him. Her body was on fire, simultaneously screaming for him to stop and never to stop.
The sound of his hands repeatedly making contact with her tight ass filled the room. He released her breast, holding her nipple until the last possible moment.
“The other one,” he ordered, and Cambria shifted herself to offer her other breast for his attentions.
His hands continued to punish her backside as his thrusts got quicker and deeper, alternately pinching and slapping, sometimes rubbing tenderly for a moment before he grabbed her to give himself leverage beneath her.
Cambria’s head was spinning, her heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears. Tom’s hands roamed up her back until her found her thick curls. He threaded his fingers into her hair and pulled her closer.
All at once, he released her from his mouth, burying his face in her neck and holding onto her hair roughly. He thrust into her roughly and quickly, biting down on her shoulder when his orgasm overtook him.
She felt the heat of him through the thin material and held on as he took his pleasure from her body.
She could tell the moment that the passion consumed and then released him. His hands slowly released her hair and his thrusting slowed until he stopped altogether.
Cambria’s body was begging for more, and she flexed herself around him. He smiled at her.
“That was great. Your turn.”
Cambria was relieved. She was starting to think that Tom was a selfish lover.
He remained inside her, sliding his hand down the front of her and reaching between her legs to find the tiny nub nestled in the folds of her heat.
He stroked roughly, the sensation growing in her rapidly as her body trembled around him. Moving his fingers expertly, he worked her into a frenzy until the tension built so forcefully that her orgasm surprised her. She threw her head back, stifling her screams of pleasure as he worked her ceaselessly.
She tried to move away from his touch, but he held her with his free hand, locking her in place and forcing her to endure the pleasure until he was through.
When she was spent, she fell forward onto his chest. She started to feel the heavy pull of sleep the instant before his voice pulled her from the fog.
“Oh no, sweetheart. We both have things we need to be doing.”
Cambria was startled by his crass words. She’d just bared her soul to him and he was admonishing her for resting on him?
She sat up, feeling exposed and wondering if sleeping with Tom had been the right move. Feeling embarrassed, she moved to cover her naked breasts, but Tom stopped her.
“Don’t even think about it.” He grabbed one breast in each hand, squeezing them roughly. “These are mine. Never hide them from me.”
He thrust his hand into her hair and pulled her down for a kiss, rolling her so she was beneath him and standing up.
He used her bathroom to clean himself up quickly, zipping up his pants and tucking his shirt back in neatly. He was so quick that she didn’t even have a chance to get off the bed before he was telling her goodbye.
She sat there, feeling slightly dejected as he walked by. He grabbed both her hands and pulled her up to stand before him.
He admired her naked body, motioning for her to spin so he could take in all of her. His hand shot out and he gave her a quick swat on her ass before walking away.
He paused at the door, giving her a wink.
“I like that you didn’t try to hide yourself from me again,” he said. She managed a weak smile from her place beside the bed, wishing he would leave so she could shower and get dressed. “You’re more fun than I thought you’d be, but next time, we’re going to do it my way. I’ll be back in an hour for rounds. You’re my partner tonight.”
He blew her a kiss and slipped through the door. Cambria moved to lock the door behind him, rolling her eyes at his last remark. The sex had been fun and enjoyable, but Tom was more arrogant than she’d realized.
She gathered her dirty clothes and deposited them in the hamper before stepping into the shower to wash away the day.
When she finished her shower, she stood before the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection. She was still thinking Laskin’s plan, wondering how to reconcile something that felt so wrong with an outcome that was so right.
Her parents had both said more than once that if the end was what you wanted, how you got there wasn’t important. This statement was generally to justify something horrible they’d done to get something they wanted.
Her parents had been horrible people, but they’d never done anything as awful as Laskin was proposing. Not only was he going to kidnap and possibly torture a human woman in order to trap two shifters, he wanted to kill a young child as well.
The entire plan made her feel more than just a little uncomfortable.
She checked her watch. She needed to get moving. Tom would be knocking on her door in a few minutes so they could start rounds.
She was pulling a pair of black cargo pants on when Tom’s soft knock sounded at the door.
“Just a minute,” she called out, quickly pulling her long-sleeve black shirt over her head while she walked to the door.
She released the flimsy lock and Tom let himself in. Cambria braced herself for an awkward encounter, but Tom was all business.
“Can I do anything to help you get ready faster?”
“No, I just need to put my boots on and I’m ready.”
She sat down on her bed, pulling her black, combat-style boots on and tightening the laces.
Cambria stood quickly and followed Tom out the door and into the dark night.
They walked in silence for some time before Tom started talking.
“There was a meeting earlier today.”
Cambria suppressed a groan. She couldn’t count the number of times there had been a meeting and she hadn’t been invited. Even though she’d been at the compound longer than any of the other recruits, there were times that she was kept in the dark simply because she was a woman.
“What was it about?” She tried to keep her voice level so he didn’t know how annoyed she was at being left out.
“Things are getting intense and people are starting to take notice. Shifters are being removed from political offices and other positions of power and placed where they belong. But there are those that resist the inevitable, and they’re
a danger to us, to all humans really.”
Cambria got a sick feeling in her stomach, but she said nothing. She knew where he was going with this.
“We need to flush them out, and Laskin has given me a special mission. I leave before dawn so I can carry out the plan.”
She could feel the excitement in his voice, and she wondered how he could feel that way. “Do you really think that it is right to kidnap an innocent woman?”
“She’s far from innocent. Grace is just as culpable as her friend and those shifters.” He said the last word as if the very taste of it filled him with disgust.
“But what about the child? A child isn’t responsible for the sins of their parents.”
Tom stopped, pulling her to face him, even though she couldn’t see him in the darkness. “That child will soon be a full-grown shifter. Already, that child is certainly being trained to shift into the most vicious tiger that ever walked this earth. No matter what you want to believe, those shifters and their child will show humans no mercy. We can’t leave them free to hurt more innocent humans. Look what they did to Laskin. Had it not been for Gary, Laskin would surely be dead.”
“I understand that, but I still don’t think that kidnapping the woman and torturing her is the right thing to do.”
“Perhaps that’s why they didn’t ask you to help. It’s an important job and they can’t entrust it to someone who isn’t completely loyal.” He words were harsh and he walked away abruptly when he was finished, leaving her to stand there in the dark or follow him.
His words stung, but Cambria realized that he was right. Laskin had done nothing but provide a safe place for her. He’d nurtured her and helped turn her into the woman she was today. And how did she repay him? By giving in to her doubt and allowing herself to question the very man who had gotten them this far.
She raced to catch up with Tom, who was all but stomping through the forest. He was mad, that much was obvious. How could she blame him?
“I’m sorry. You’re right. We have to do what needs to be done, even if we don’t like it.” She reached out and grabbed his hand. “Tom, please don’t be mad at me. I get it. You’re right.”
He sighed, slowing his pace slightly so she could keep up and gently working his hand out of her grip.
“I’m glad you’re alright with it,” he sneered, “because I’m the one who’s been chosen to bring her here. We will give her every opportunity to work with us. Whether she is tortured or not will be entirely up to her. As for you, just be thankful that I don’t tell Laskin the things you’ve said.”
Cambria lowered her head, but she said nothing. She’d already told Laskin how she felt, but Tom wouldn’t understand and he wouldn’t believe her anyway.
The light from his watch face glowed softly as he checked the time.
“Time to head back. I have bigger things to do than walk the perimeter with a coward.”
He strode away, cutting a path straight towards the cabin and leaving her standing in the darkness, alone.
She stood there, defeated by his anger and her failure. Hot tears streamed down her face but she remained silent.
Cambria took her time walking back, trying to get her thoughts together. But all she could think about was how foolish she’d been to say aloud what was in her head. Her one job was to be loyal to the cause, and she’d failed miserably. Tom had every right to be angry with her. She was angry at herself.
She walked quietly into the cabin, going straight for her room and sweet solitude. It was early, just before midnight, and the grounds were still a flurry of activity. But all Cambria wanted to do was get into her bed and sleep the hurt away.
Her door was unlocked, and Cambria scolded herself for being so careless. She didn’t remember locking the door because she hadn’t.
She opened the door and turned on the light, nearly jumping at the sight of Tom sitting on her bed. She quickly closed the door behind her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. She was surprised to see him at all, let alone in her room waiting for her.
“I was hard on you and I feel awful.” He patted the bed beside himself, but she stood her ground. “I should have chosen my words more carefully. You’re wrong to question Laskin, but it wasn’t my place to come down on you like that.”
He looked at her, and his sad eyes weakened her resolve. She was angry and he’d hurt her, but he was sorry and he’d been right.
She went to sit beside him, letting him pull her in for a hug.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered into her ear.
He leaned back, pulling her with him. She hesitated.
“No sex, I just want to hold you. I’ll be up and gone before anyone wakes up.”
She sighed, letting him pull her down beside him. It was only for a few hours. What harm could it be?
CHAPTER FIVE
Cambria moved about the little cabin behind the main house. Like many of the cabins on the other side of the compound, this one only had a few tiny rooms. As long as Cambria had been there, it had only been used for storage. But Laskin had asked her to clean it out, securing it for the prisoner.
She worked tirelessly, moving bulky items into a large storage closet that smelled oddly of old potatoes and something else she couldn’t place. She’d only realized that the one smell was potatoes because she’d found several when she’d started transferring things from the other rooms into the dark closet. They were black and nearly liquefied, having been in the dark, damp closet for who knew how many years.
The cabin was covered in years of dust and grime, so Cambria didn’t worry too much about making it homey. They weren’t bringing the woman here for a spa experience.
The knot in her stomach grew and grew as she worked. Even after Tom had explained the purpose to her, she still didn’t like it. Understanding wasn’t the same as accepting it.
Cambria was securing the last of the windows when she heard a car drive up and park beside the old cabin.
A car door closed and Cambria quietly let herself out the back door of the little building. Tom might be just doing his job, but she wanted no part of it until she was forced to. Several steps from the cabin, she heard a loud thud as something heavy was dropped onto the decrepit wood floor. The sound was sickening, and Cambria was left wondering if the woman had made it there alive.
It sure didn’t sound like it.
She spent the day avoiding the shed, working odd jobs around the compound and keeping out of sight. She wasn’t on duty that night, so she was able to eat dinner and go straight to her room. Tom didn’t come around and Cambria didn’t see Gary once the entire day. Cambria went to sleep, the knot in her stomach hadn’t grown, but it was still there.
Cambria lay awake for some time before sleep finally claimed her. She couldn’t get the sound of dead weight hitting the floor out of her head.
The next morning, she woke up early and headed out again, tending to the garden and the animals beyond the cabins. When she ran out of things to do in the garden and with the livestock, she went to the mess hall and started prepping dinner.
Her plan worked and she managed to avoid the old cabin until after dinner had been served. When she saw Tom pop his head into the cafeteria, she knew he was looking for her.
He smiled when he saw her, his stride eating up the distance between them. A few of the recruits watched him as they ate, clearly wondering what was going on. Everyone was on edge and had been the entire meal. The news had spread like wildfire that the woman had already escaped once.
She was proving to be more trouble than she was worth.
“Cambria, can you make a plate of food and bring it to the storage shed?”
“Of course,” she said, finishing the final bite of her own food and clearing her plate before going to the kitchen to dish one up for the prisoner. She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and hurried out the door.
The shed was dark, and Cambria had to watch the floor as she walked once she got ins
ide. Gary came out of the room in a huff, giving Cambria an angry look before continuing down the hall.
“I don’t know why we’re feeding the bitch, but she’s all yours for a while. I wouldn’t untie her if I were you.”
He didn’t offer an explanation, just shoved the door open and let it slam shut behind him. Cambria opened the rickety door slowly, peeking through the crack to make sure that the woman was where she should be.
The prisoner sat against the wall, propped up awkwardly and tied like a pig being taken for slaughter. Cambria couldn’t believe what she was seeing and mentally cursed Gary. Surely he was the one who had left those bruises on her face. It was clear from her posture that she was in a great deal of pain.
As Cambria approached her, the woman lifted her head and seemed shocked to see her.
“Who are you?” Her voice cracked.
“I’m Cambria. You’re Grace, right?”
“Yes.” Cambria waited for the woman to speak, but she didn’t ask any further questions.
Cambria sat in front of her on the floor, balancing the plate of food on her lap.
“I’m not supposed to untie you, but you need to eat.” She motioned to the plates that were strewn angrily about the room, the food untouched.
“I’m not hungry.”
“I understand, but you still need to eat something.” Cambria dipped a spoon into the mashed potatoes and held it to Grace’s mouth. “Please. You need your strength.”
Grace gave her a withering look but opened her mouth. She struggled to get the potatoes down, and Cambria held the ice cold water to her lips to help her swallow.
Cambria fed her slowly, giving Grace a chance to swallow each bite before presenting her with another one. In no time, the plate was nearly empty and Grace told Cambria she couldn’t eat another bite.
Cambria set the plate down and helped Grace drink the rest of the water. She stood, fetching a wet cloth from the bathroom and gently washing Grace’s face. The bruises were darkening and Cambria couldn’t help but feel anger for the woman. She knew what it was like to be beaten by a man, and it broke her heart.
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