Jake’s Silence

by Joy Blood

  She watches me, and even before she speaks, I know she has more questions. “I only know some of the story. Ellie doesn’t talk too much about it. Not that I blame her. But will you tell me? Sometime?” she asks.

  “Sometime, Key,” I rasp out, then finish off the water.

  We hike a bit more in comfortable silence, soaking up the sounds around us before coming to a decent clearing. It’s a spot that has been used before and already has a fire pit dug out. I drop my pack to the flattened ground and go about unpacking the big tent I had to buy because they couldn’t find me a smaller one. Yes, small. I wanted to be as close to her as possible. I almost “accidentally” forgot a sleeping bag so we would have to share, but decided that might have been pushing it. She still needs her space, and I’m going there yet. Not even if she begs me. I went so far as to not bring condoms. That’s how committed I am to not sleeping with this woman until the time is right.

  I look up from my unpacking and see her face flushed from the hike. She has stripped off her pack and her shirt, leaving her standing there in her jeans and a fucking white tank top. Goddamn it, why do I have to be so fucking noble? I push all thoughts aside and start pulling out tent stakes along with the poles. Kimi joins in, getting down to pick some of them up.

  “What the hell? Are these all connected?” she asks, more to herself, as she pulls up one pole and five others follow.

  “Stick ‘em together.” I take a pole from her hand and stick the rounded end in the joint.

  “Oh, cool. Okay, this job I can do,” she says with a smile, continuing her task.

  She gets all the tent poles lined up while I find the most level spot to place the tent. I go about showing her how to thread the now longer poles into the tent, and before long, it takes shape. “This is so cool. Thank you, Jake. I’ve never done this either.” She gives me a shy smile like the one she had when we went bowling. I take it and hold it close. Every moment with this girl should be cherished, and I’m starting to realize what an ass I was for driving off that day two years ago. I’m here now, I tell myself. Here right fucking now.

  “Good,” I tell her with a smile, then show her how to get the stakes into the ground after finding a sizable rock to use as a hammer. “Bags are in your pack,” I tell her as I pound in the last stake. She comes back seconds later with a skeptical look on her face. Holding up our sleeping bags, she raises a brow.

  “Are these it? They are tiny. I thought sleeping bags were, like, I don’t know. Bigger.” The compact sleeping bags are thermal insulated and perfect for hikers. Small enough so they don’t take up space, and light enough not to weigh your back down. I give a nod of confirmation, and she just shakes her head. “Do we have micro pillows too?” Her playful sarcasm makes me chuckle. Sassy woman.

  We get all our things into the tent, then I tell her to go find firewood while I search for that spring I remember being around here. I don’t find it, but what I do find is a pump. Guess shit has changed in the last few years. It’s been maybe two decades since I have been here, and it's good to see it hasn’t been forgotten.

  A shrill scream jars me out of my thoughts, and I instantly drop everything I’m holding to run right toward the noise.

  Sixteen

  Kimi

  This is probably the coolest thing I have ever done. I haven’t done much, but this is at the top of my list. Camping. When Jake told me to gather firewood, I wasn’t sure what to do. I mean, I’m not stupid, I know we’ll burn wood, but as far as finding it, I was drawing a blank. Was I supposed to break branches off a tree or gather the dead limbs from the ground?

  I decide to gather the branches off the ground—less work that way. I have a decent arm full when I reach down and place a nice large log in my arms. I don’t even notice the hitchhiker on top before it’s in my arms, and let out a shriek that pierces my own ears as I throw the wood and take off for the tent, determined to zip myself in until it’s time to go home. Maybe this isn’t the coolest thing ever.

  I’m about to dive inside the tent when a concerned Jake comes rushing from the opposite direction, worry written all over his face. He wraps his arms around me, and I finally stop my heaving and settle into him.

  “What happened?” he asks, pulling me back to look at my face.

  “There was a…I don’t know what it was…a lizard or something…on my firewood. He was so close to me. Oh god, I think I touched it…” I trail off as his body shakes against mine. I look up at his face to see his lips forming into a giant smile.

  “Lizard?” he laughs, then takes his hands away from me to bend down and place them on his knees just to brace himself for more laughter.

  “Yes, a lizard! I don’t like lizards! You didn’t tell me to watch out for them!” I shout. When he finally relaxes and stands up to wrap his arms around me again, I back away. This only makes him come at me faster, and I’m not quick enough for him. His big, strong arms pull me in tight, and I lose the struggle when his laughter stops.

  “Key,” he whispers, trying to calm me. “So damn cute.” He pulls back my head to place a kiss on my lips—just a soft, quick one—then links his fingers through mine and starts walking back to where he came from. Before long, we come to a small man-made pump and the water bottles he must have discarded when he heard me scream.

  I feel stupid for a second, but he shakes his head at the look on my face. “Fill ‘em up.” He hands me a bottle, then shows me how to pump the water. When I have the hang of it, he walks off, gathering sticks from the ground.

  Before long, I have all the bottles filled and make my way back to camp. When I get there, Jake already has a small fire going in the pit. He gives me that chin tip of his, gesturing to where I should put the filled bottles, and continues to go about his task. There’s a grate of some kind placed across the top of the flames and a pot with something inside. “What are we eating?” I settle down on a small rock sitting in front of the pit, and Jake holds up an empty package that reads Top Ramen. I laugh.

  “Not much of a cook,” he says, stopping a moment to take a drink from his bottled water.

  “That’ll do just fine.” I give him a smile and we both sit in the peace and quiet of the outdoors as the pot starts to slowly come to a boil. After we are done eating, Jake pulls out graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows from his bag, and I get giddy when I realize what we’re going to make. I see them everywhere—s'mores this and that flavor—but I’ve never had the real deal.

  “Favorite thing,” he tells me with a smile. “‘Nother first?” I nod in answer, and he continues. “Brother and I would spend all day perfecting our ‘mallow stick,” he says with a thoughtful smile.

  “Tell me about him,” I say, taking the offered stick from his hand and placing my marshmallow on the pointed end.

  “Was my twin.” I knew they were brothers, but twins? I didn’t know that part. “Always a step behind me. Doing whatever I did. Reek tracked us down to help Vin. We had a common enemy.”

  “Avil,” I say, and he gives me a curt nod.

  “How we come across Ellie. Hidin’ in one of his warehouses.” He swallows thickly and takes another drink.

  “If it’s too hard for you to talk, you can stop,” I try, but he shakes his head.

  “Got ‘er safe. Had a plan, but she went into labor. Way to the hospital, got ambushed.” He pauses for a drink. “Finn was first to crawl out. Avil’s men gunned ‘em down.” My heart breaks as he tells me the story of how he lost his brother. I don’t know what I would do if I lost Anthony or Dawn.

  “I’m glad Avil is dead.”

  “Yeah,” he agrees, then nods toward my stick where I have a very burned marshmallow on the tip.

  “Oh shit.” I start to bring the end to myself, but my marshmallow falls off, landing in the fire. “Crap.” I put another one on and do my best not to burn the living hell out of it.

  * * *

  “Can we, um…maybe share a bag?” I ask as we get settled in the tent. Jake raises a
brow, then chuckles his silent laugh. I have seen him do that so many times today, and it makes me happy he’s enjoying himself too. “In your bag, Key,” he says, then strips off his shirt, leaving him bare for my eyes to roam. I take in all the ink-covered muscle.

  “No lookin’ at me like that,” he scolds, crinkling his brows before stripping off his jeans to crawl into his bag. “Sleep, Key.” Those words come out more adamant, and startle me. I do as he says and finish getting ready for bed, pulling on the shorts and a tank top I found packed in my bag.

  When I’m situated, the rustle of his sleeping bag shifting closer fills my ears, then his arm with the raven woman tattoo wraps around me, pulling me into his embrace. Even through our bags, I can feel his body heat along my back, and I want so much to take away the barriers. “Not yet, Key,” he whispers before placing a soft kiss on the back of my neck. “Go to sleep.” And I do. I sleep comfortably despite the fact we are laying on the hard ground.

  The next day, Jake is already outside the tent getting breakfast ready when I wake up. Well, getting the drinks to go along with our granola bars ready. His coffee is nearly gone, and the water for my hot cocoa is on the fire he started up again. “Early riser, huh?” I take the small silver cup he offers to mix my cocoa in and sit next to him.

  “Snoring kept me up,” he jokes.

  “Did not. I don’t snore. That is crazy.”

  “Yeah, you do.” His shoulders shake with laughter as he stands. “Right back, babe,” he tells me, then starts walking off, but pauses for a second. “TP is in your pack,” he says with a smirk, then continues his trek away from the camp.

  TP? I think to myself, then the urge to pee takes over and I realize what he was talking about. God, I have to squat in the woods! Not a first I wanted to experience.

  * * *

  After an eventful morning of trying to find a place to pee and being almost scared off by yet another lizard, we are hiking farther up the trail to find this waterfall featured on the information board where we started. It is even hotter out today, and I’m surprised, considering it is late September. I don’t let it bother me, though, even if I feel like I’m going to drop over from heat exhaustion. “How hot do you think it is? God, it feels like a hundred degrees.” Maybe it’s only eighty, but combined with the walking and lack of breeze, it’s hot. Jake doesn’t answer my question and has stopped on the small trail we have been following. When I’m about to ask him what’s wrong, I hear it. The sound of water. I quicken my pace and we walk together into an opening. What comes into sight has me breathless. A tall waterfall coming from two vast rock formations. “It’s beautiful,” I say, and without even thinking, I grab his hand and link his fingers with mine. “Thank you, Jake. This has been the most amazing weekend. Even if I had to pee behind a bush.” I let the last part out with a sarcastic eye-roll and glance back to the waterfall, getting an idea.

  Letting go of Jake’s hand, I saunter forward with as much confidence as I can muster and scan the area. There is a perfect beach spot for what I have in mind, so I walk that way, stripping off my clothes as I go. I don’t hear a sound behind me, nor do I look that way, I just keep going until my feet hit the sandy part. Tossing my shirt and tank top to the ground, I bend to undo my boots. When I get them off, my socks are next, and that is when I notice a shadow approaching behind me. Still, I don’t look his way. Unbuttoning my jeans, I pull them down over my hips, and swear I hear a growl behind me. Keep going, I tell myself, throwing my jeans onto the growing pile. I’m only wearing my sports bra and panties now. Just simple cotton boy shorts. Nothing sexy. Plain is more my style.

  One step at a time, I continue my mission. The air around my mostly naked body is warm, but when I step foot into the water, I’m shocked by how cold it is. I push forward, not wanting to chicken out, until I’m waist deep. And that’s when I finally glance back to Jake. His eyes are locked on me, and he seems like he’s caught between running back to camp or joining me. “Water is nice,” I say, and take a few more steps back until it’s right under my breasts. Letting myself fall back into the water, I float on my back for a second before standing up again. I don’t have to look down to know my nipples are now rock hard and more than likely showing right through the thin cotton of my white sports bra. Peering over, he’s stripping out of his clothes, his black boxer briefs the only thing remaining. His length strains against the cotton, and I draw in a sharp breath when he reaches down and grips himself over the material. One foot in front of the other, and he’s pulling me into him and crushing his mouth down onto mine. I let his strong arms pull me close, and his large hands grasp onto the globes of my ass. My legs go around him on instinct, aligning my core with his hard shaft. Despite the cold temperature of the water, he’s still rock hard.

  “Fuck, Key. Drive me mad,” he pants out before nipping at my bottom lip, then sucking on it. He lets it go with a pop. Before I can go back for more, I’m launched into the air. My limbs flail, scrambling to gain some sort of hold, but it doesn’t matter. I land with a splash, and the shock it gives me when I go entirely under jolts my body. Bringing myself back to the surface, I wipe the wet strands from my face and gape at him.

  “What the hell!” I shout, but he’s already coming my way. I know his intent before he reaches me and try to scramble away as fast as I can, but I might as well be wading through molasses.

  “Tease,” he says as he pulls me from the water. “What you get.” He chuckles out, and in the air I go again, making sure to hold my breath before I hit the surface this time.

  Seventeen

  Jake

  We ended up staying one more night, then packed up and drove back in the morning. I think Kimi had fun, even if she had two more encounters with the salamanders, and I managed to keep my dick to myself and kept my hands from her panties, though it came at a huge cost to my aching balls. This is the first time my dick hasn’t been hard since I dropped her off yesterday and drove back to the club. And that’s because I just took care of it in the shower. My hair is still damp as I make my way to the room designated for church.

  While I was gone with Kimi, the clubhouse was finished enough for us to start moving our shit in. All that needs to be done is painting. My brothers are already gathered around the table we just brought in yesterday, patiently waiting for me to take my seat to the left of Rock. “Nice of you to join us, VP,” he grumbles, then nods for the door to be closed. “Right. We got the girls coming up this weekend to paint the shit out of the place. Buggs should be here Wednesday to start setting up the store in town and business has picked up in the shop. Anyone got anything to add?” he asks, leaving a pause for someone to speak up. When no one does, he continues. “Good. Now, onto the more illegitimate part of shit. Jake?” I nod to let him know he has my full attention. “Got approached by an outfit in Cental. Needs transport muscle. You and Sage taking point on it. Pick one more. Keep your eyes open on this one. New people make me nervous, but we need new alliances and the fuckin’ money. They are paying big.”

  Sage asks the question that has been plaguing me since Rock started. “What are we guarding?”

  Rock shrugs. “Said it was small electronics. TVs and shit. But still, I wouldn’t trust ‘em until we know ‘em,” Rock says, getting head nods all round.

  Church is adjourned, and Rock tells me to hang back. Knowing full well what he’s going to say, I sigh and resign myself for the talk I’m about to get.

  “You been gone a lot. Your loyalty still to this club?” he asks, not beating around the bush.

  “Course it is.” I scowl at him.

  “Sorry, man. Shit. I hate to question you on this. I know your loyalty, but your absence isn’t missed.” I nod, knowing full well I should be here more.

  “Know it, Pres.”

  “Good. Going to need your head on straight for this job. Dealing with new people always makes me uneasy.” I can relate to that. “Who else you thinking ‘bout taking? Brand is good with his gun while ridin’,” he s
uggests.

  “Think I might.”

  “Good. Didn’t want to put G on it.” My brow quirks in question. “Think he needs a break from the life—from this place. He said it was going to be hard, but damn if it ain’t fuckin’ with the man bad.” I nod in agreement.

  “I’ll talk to him,” I say, then move to leave.

  “Bring that girl of yours this weekend. Could use the help. Needs to get comfortable with the place. That is, if she’s going to be sticking around.” He leaves the last part dangling in the air—a thick question I know the answer to, but at the same time, don’t want to answer. So, I give him a noncommittal nod and walk out of the room.

  I take off to the shop to work mindlessly on someone’s vehicle until the sun starts to set. Bringing the sky into pink and yellow hues, dimming the walk back to the clubhouse. “Jakey Boy! How’s that little woman of yours?” Gin’s slurred words catch my attention and I decide to pull up a stool next to him. A prospect I haven’t seen yet is manning the bar. He grabs a bottle of water and places it in front of me. Kid has done his homework.

  “Water, VP?” he asks. I give him a nod, then shoo him away. Can’t be too nice to them.

  “Key’s doin’ good. Bringin’ ‘er here this weekend,” I say, surprising myself.

  “No shit? Good to hear, brother. Glad you finally got your head outta your ass.” He laughs and takes another pull from the whiskey bottle in front of him.

  “Yeah,” I respond, taking my water in hand and chugging it down. “You might want to lay off that shit,” I suggest.

  “Yeah, maybe. Not your fuckin’ problem, though,” he grumbles and takes another swig. Guess that’s how this conversation is going to go.