by Aden Lowe
The Jeep slowed. "Road block ahead, man." Flag sounded tense, and with good reason. If anyone had discovered Lauren missing and called in law enforcement, that road block could very well be for us. Unless we came up with something, this could very well spell the end of Lauren's bid for freedom. Not to mention, prison time for Flag, X, and me.
The cars ahead moved through fairly quickly and within moments, we reached the first patrol car. The officer waved us on to the next cop, who directed the beam of his flashlight into the car, looked all of us over, then told us to drive safely. Once the glow of the blue lights faded from inside the Jeep, I breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever they were looking for, it apparently wasn't us.
"We've got about two hours ahead of us. I'm going to stop to take a leak and stretch. You all want anything?" X-Man tilted his head and popped his neck.
I had no intentions of waking Lauren, or giving up having her snuggled into my side like this. "I'm good."
Flag glanced back with a grin. "I'll just bet you are."
No amount of bullshit from the pair of them would prevent me from making Lauren mine. So instead of telling Flag to fuck off, I just smiled, and let my fingers taste a little more of the silky skin of her arm.
The return to my little fantasy felt way too easy. Like Lauren had always been there, just waiting for me to realize. My conscious mind shied away from the feeling. No need to create some attachment that could never be there. I could fuck her, enjoy it immensely, and let her go on her way. It couldn't be anything more, because I had absolutely no future to offer a woman. Even though I had no doubt when I finally had her, things would never be the same for me again.
When the time came, I wasn't going to rush it. She deserved more than a quick bang up against a wall. Just in case I only got one chance, I wanted to make it count, and do everything I might regret not experiencing with her.
Champagne and dancing wasn't my thing, but the idea of her body pressed up close to mine as we swayed to soft music had me throbbing for her. Those curves would fit every angle to perfection. My hard-on would brush against her lower belly with every movement. Suddenly, it no longer felt like a fantasy.
My hands slid down to cup her ass and draw her closer, while I dipped my head to taste the tender flesh of her neck. The music continued to move us, and I moved my hands up her back to unzip her dress, the same one I helped into the night I met her. The fragile fabric slid from her body in a whisper, leaving her naked.
Lauren moaned for me, and I couldn't wait any longer. I peeled off my shirt, and fumbled with my pants, in a rush to get rid of them. The first touch of her skin against my nakedness made me hiss with shock. She felt like…words failed me. There were none to describe the perfection that was Lauren. I groaned, lost in her already.
Laughter intruded. "Trick, dude, wake up and put the wet dream away for a while. Prater's place straight ahead."
Fuck. I must have dozed off, and my thoughts followed me to become a dream. My balls ached for release, and I was pretty sure if Flag hadn't spoken up, the dream would have taken care of the issue for me. What was it about this woman that turned me into a horny kid again?
X-Man cut the lights and slowed the Jeep. "Might want to wake her. Prater said stash this thing in the lower barn. He's meeting us there." The sky in the east glowed with early morning light.
Fully awake now, I skimmed my fingers across her lips. Not the time, or place, to kiss her awake. "Lauren, wake up, baby."
Her eyes fluttered open, the gray depths startlingly clear in the rosy dawn. Lauren stayed relaxed against my side while she took in her surroundings, and finally, looked at me while her mouth tilted into a small smile.
"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." Very aware of Flag and X-Man listening in, I refrained from saying anything more incriminating. "Time to wake up."
Slowly, as if reluctant, she drew away from my side to sit upright. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you. I hope I didn't snore." She looked mortified at the very possibility.
I chuckled a little. "No snoring from you. I might have though, since I fell asleep, too."
Flag laughed. "Neither of you snored. A few other sounds, but definitely no logs being sawed."
The increasing light revealed the flush spreading across Lauren's cheeks, and I had to fight the urge to kiss her. That look would tempt a saint.
"Shut the hell up, Flag." The slight growl in my voice sounded unfamiliar, but I recognized it as possessiveness. No one else should ever hear Lauren make those sweet little sounds in passion, even when she only dreamed of it. "You talked to Prater?"
Flag chucked. "Yeah. He'll give us a ride up to the hunting cabin, and see that this vehicle gets dumped. He said the cabin is supplied with non-perishables, and we can hole up there as long as we need, and no one will know."
"Good." I knew we could count on Prater. He was one of us for a while, but unlike the rest of us, he managed to deal with his shit and move on. Now he was back with his family, living a good life. "It'll be good to catch up with him for a minute."
"Yeah, it will." Flag's voice went quieter. "Kinda gives me a little hope for the rest of us."
"Yeah." Nothing more needed to be said. Flag and I still harbored a great deal of anger, and most likely, all the others did, too. I lost a military career to a tangle of red tape and secrecy. If it hadn't been for Rufus and the rest of the Unwanteds, I would probably have landed in the bottom of a bottle in three seconds flat.
"You think this will cause problems above our pay grade?" X-Man gave voice to something that had nagged at me from the moment I decided to accept this mission.
"If it does, I guess we'll deal with it." Whichever black ops branch of the government assembled the Unwanted Soldiers, and sent us on unofficial missions the US military couldn't be implicated in, could be connected to Richardson. I doubted it though. I figured our bosses operated with impunity, far above the petty politics of Congress, maybe even above the White House.
Our shadowy commanders seemed entirely outside the sphere of elected officials, or their appointees. They never indicated we should avoid any private missions—only required we be available whenever they called for us. Some of the others had contracted for assassinations, and other questionable missions, with no repercussions from the bosses. If they took any notice of the situation at all, I would be surprised.
Beside me, Lauren stretched a little. "Where are we, anyway?"
"Still in Texas. An old friend of ours will help us, until we figure out the best move to make next." I took her hand, since she had moved away from my side. "It'll all work out."
She clutched at my hand, threading her fingers through mine, instead of pulling away as I half-expected. "I hope so."
Chapter twenty
Trick's friend, Prater, seemed like a nice guy, even if he was a little intimidating at first. Roughly the size of three men put together, with a deep booming voice, and an unfortunate scar marring his handsome face, Prater's handshake was surprisingly gentle.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Johnson. My woman sends her apologies. She would prefer to have you at the house, but with the possibility of people searching for you, the cabin is the safer choice for you." The almost genteel manners caught me by surprise. Based on his appearance, I expected gruff, even borderline rude.
"I wouldn't want to impose, either way, but please tell her thank you for me." It felt good to have a normal conversation, to be concerned with things like genuine courtesy. I'd worn a mask of politeness for so long, I found great comfort in the real thing.
"I'll tell her. Let's get y'all moved to the cabin and settled in before anybody comes along asking for you."
Trick refused to allow me to walk, or attempt it, the few feet to Prater's big pickup truck. Instead, he lifted me like the most precious, fragile thing in the world, and then settled me gently in the rear seat.
The men moved several items from the Jeep into the truck, then conferred quietly at the back, out of earshot. For the time being, I was too
tired to be very curious. The truck offered far more comfortable seats than the Jeep we'd just left, but for some reason, I seemed unable to get settled in.
When Trick finally climbed in and sat close beside me, I figured it out. The warmth and security of his body more than made up for the Jeep's hard seat, and without him, the truck wasn't up to par. I forced myself to remain sitting upright in the center of the seat, sandwiched between Trick and Jones…Flag. Poor Trick. I couldn't force myself on him again, no matter how accommodating he seemed.
Trick seemed to feel the same intense attraction between us as I did, and even though he had mentioned it, he might have no desire to act on it. And I couldn't blame him. Women probably threw themselves at his feet on a routine basis. I had no intention of acting like that, no matter how much I might want things to go further than a couple of stolen kisses, and some seriously hot dreams.
The truck, however, seemed to have other intentions. Just moments after Prater put it in gear and started driving, the wheels hit a deep rut, and the jolt sent me tumbling to the floor. Exactly at Trick's feet. He offered a devastatingly wicked grin, along with his hand, and helped me back up to the seat.
There had to be a seatbelt in this thing. I searched as much as possible, without running my hands under Trick's butt, or down the back of the seat. No luck. "Um, where's the seatbelt?"
Prater chuckled. "I took them out. No time for being strapped in around here."
"Oh." I looked around for any sort of handhold, again with no luck. Prayer for smooth travel seemed my only option.
"Here. Let me help." Acting as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Trick slipped one arm around me, and settled me closer to his side. His other arm crossed over and he took my hand.
"Thank you." An overwhelming sense of security struck me again. Being tucked against Trick's side, sheltered by his body, and his will, reminded me once more how incredibly safe he made me feel. I liked it. Too bad I couldn't get used to it. He would be on his way to some other damsel in distress all too soon.
The truck jolted, and tipped, and nearly stood on end, more times than I could count. Each time, Trick held me more securely. After one particularly rough rut, he gave up trying to keep me beside him, and pulled me into his lap.
"Easier to hold onto you this way."
The warmth of his breath on my neck raised goosebumps of anticipation. "If you say so." As awkward and self-conscious as I might feel over this new position, I couldn't help but relax a little and lean against his solid chest.
The truck crawled over more rough ground, and Trick braced his legs and cradled me closer. So close I could feel his erection pressing against my hip as my butt settled into the space between his thighs. My pulse raced in response and heat pooled in my belly. To my shame, I practically melted against him.
He gave an almost inaudible groan. "That's my girl." His lips brushed against my ear, and the whispered words shot straight to my core.
What was I getting myself into? I could no more resist him than a leaf could resist the sun. His every touch, every gesture, every word, created a need within me so basic, and so strong, my will dissolved under the assault. So if he wanted me, he would have me, regardless of the consequences to my heart.
Now that I had broken up with Jared, nothing prevented me from moving on, being involved with someone else. Even it had only been a matter of hours since I told him I was finished. The gravitational pull Trick exerted only increased with the realization that nothing stopped me from being with him. I tried to watch the passing scenery to keep my mind off the ever-increasing ache for more contact.
As if he sensed my thoughts, Trick shifted positions a little, so I sat even lower, cradled more between his thighs than actually on his lap. "Relax. We still have a while to go." He made it too easy. He kept one arm around my back, his hand resting possessively on my thigh. The other hand sat lightly on my knee, scorching my skin through the thin fabric of my yoga pants.
I gave in to gravity and rested against his chest, my head on his shoulder. The steady thud of his heart in my ear lulled me into a sense of privacy, as if the others no longer existed.
When his hand began a slow slide up my thigh, my pulse raced, but I didn't object. He stopped, far short of where I wanted his touch, when one of the others spoke.
"There any outside communications at the cabin?" The one I'd overheard Trick call X-Man broke the silence in the truck.
"No outgoing. There's a TV that picks up one of the more local channels, but that's it. No cell reception, either." Prater maneuvered the truck between two small trees. "There's a flare gun if there's an emergency and you need help up there."
The men continued to talk, but Trick stayed silent, strong fingers gently massaging my thigh. Judging by the pressure of his erection on my hip, it was probably a good thing they interrupted. I could have easily gotten carried away, and disregarded my surroundings, and I suspected Trick might have, too.
Eventually, Prater pulled up to a squat building in the middle of nowhere, and stopped the truck. "Here we are. Home sweet home."
The men climbed out of the truck, and Trick helped me down. "Come on, let's get you inside."
I insisted on limping under my own power, but Trick refused to leave my side. The others opened the cabin door and disappeared inside for a moment, then came back out to carry in things from the truck. No one seemed to mind that Trick stayed with me rather than helping them.
Inside, the cabin surprised me a little. My father's old hunting cabin had been sparsely furnished with worn out cast-offs, a grill and cooler for the kitchen, and an outhouse for a bathroom. Prater's place, while rustic and masculine, was outfitted with a big leather sofa, chairs, a braided rug, and a massive stone fireplace. The other side of the main room held a big gas range, a real refrigerator, and a heavy wood table. I stood there, looking around with awe, as they brought in everything.
Prater went over to the kitchen. "I'm turning the propane on, so the stove will work. Everything else is solar powered, with storage batteries. There's water in the cistern, supplies in the pantry and the cellar. As long as you don't hold any wild parties, you're good here for a few weeks."
"Thanks, Prater. I owe you one, man." Trick shook Prater's hand and they did the awkward man-hug thing.
Prater stopped in front of me. "Good luck, Miss Johnson." He leaned in close, as if to give me a hug. "You be good to my boy, okay?"
Surprise kept me silent for a moment, as I processed his words. "I'll try. And thank you." I accepted another of his gentle handshakes, and then he was gone.
"Lauren, why don't you have a seat. We'll get some lunch figured out in a few minutes. Missing breakfast is about to kill X-Man." Trick led me toward the big sofa.
"Wait, I can help." The last thing I wanted was for them wait on me like some kind of spoiled socialite.
"We've got it this time." Flag spoke up from where he rummaged through a big pantry. "The water won't be hot yet, but the bathroom is through there, and you can take your pick of the bedrooms."
Trick frowned. "She needs to stay off that foot."
"I've been off it. I really need to move a little." I got awkwardly to my feet, waving him away when he tried to take my arm and help. The sore, throbbing ache in my foot objected strongly, but I kept at it until I reached the bathroom. Relief soared when I spotted the real, functioning toilet, and I wasted no time making use of it.
From there, I checked out the bedrooms. One had two twin sized beds, and the other held one double bed. The sleeping arrangements were obviously intended for a couple and their children. How was this going to work? I couldn't take up two sleeping spaces and leave one of the men to sleep on the sofa.
I sensed Trick behind me before he made a sound, and turned to find him leaning against the door jamb. "Which room do you want, Lauren?"
"I'm not sure. Either one would mean someone having to sleep on the sofa, I guess." One other alternative filled my mind and heated my body. "It doesn
't seem like it would be very comfortable for sleeping."
He casually pushed off the wall and came closer, into my space, so that he looked down into my eyes. "Or you and I could take the double room."
My breath caught in my throat. "We could?"
A cloud of something, maybe hurt, flitted over his face. "You don't have to, of course. You can take the double, and I'll take the sofa."
It was now or never. Stand there in fear, and let it deprive me of something I wanted, or move forward, start my new life, by taking control. I stepped closer to him. "I'd rather share."
Heat flared in his eyes, and he bent to brush his lips over mine. "So would I."
"Lunch is ready!" That sounded like Flag from the kitchen.
Trick gave me a rueful smile. "We'll continue this discussion later. Come on, let's eat." He took my hand and kept it until he helped me sit on the bench at one side of the table, then sat beside me.
The other two had managed to put together a surprising lunch of beef vegetable stew and cornbread. I hadn't realized how famished I was until the savory aromas hit me full force. I stayed quiet and ate, while the men talked as they wolfed their food.
"You got any bright ideas what our next move is, boss?" Flag offered me another piece of bread.
Trick shrugged a little beside me. "Travel will be a big risk in the next couple of weeks at least, unless we use disguises. I wish we knew a little more about what was being fed to the news media."
"We need more information, for sure. I saw a couple of ATVs in the shed, all fueled up. Flag and I could take a ride this evening and see what we can find out." X-Man already looked exhausted, but I kept my mouth shut about that. They would do what they saw fit, despite any opinions I might offer. Besides, they were clearly the experts.
Flag nodded. "That's a good idea. We could catch some rack time, head out at dark. There's a little half-assed town a couple hours away. We could get some intel, and a few supplies, and be back by morning."
"Yeah, let's do that. I'll stay here with Lauren and try to come up with some ideas we can use to our advantage." Trick glanced at me, as if offering me a chance to object. When I said nothing, he continued. "You two crash as soon as you eat. I'll take care of cleaning up, and whatever else needs done."