by Fall, Carly
“Blake, we’ve gone over the issues you’ve had the past months. Cohen and Annis have said they believe that you didn’t shoot Annis, and Sophia also says you didn’t, but she didn’t have a clear view. Are you willing to let Liberty or Jovan test you for truthfulness?” Noah asked.
“Yep. Bring it on.”
Jovan stood and came over to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Did you shoot Annis?” he asked, his voice indicating he was sorry he even had to ask.
“Of course not, you donkey dick,” Blake replied.
Jovan fought a grin, but then closed his eyes. After a moment, he looked at Noah. “The half-breed tells the truth, Noah.”
Noah nodded. “I figured, but I wanted to make sure.”
Jovan sat down, and Noah leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head, his ankle resting on his knee. He studied Blake for a moment and then said, “Blake, the truth is that I’m worried about you.”
Blake didn’t answer. When it came right down to it, he wanted to stay with the Saviors. However, the fact of the matter was that he didn’t have anything to say to Noah—he’d already said it all. The apologies had been given, the why’s explained. He wasn’t going to repeat himself again, as that would be mundane and boring for all listening. He was done groveling and apologizing for his past when he so desperately wanted to look toward the future. If they kicked him out, that was that, and he’d go and survive just as he’d been doing all of his thirty-five years.
“You don’t have anything to say?” Noah asked.
“Look, Noah. Here’s my plan.” Blake leaned forward and put his arms on the table, lacing his fingers. “I’ve said I’m sorry. I’ve explained why I was such a fuck up. I feel good. I feel like I’ve at least got a chain on my beast—it’s not running wild within me any longer as it was just a few weeks ago. I think that—”
“That’s good, but it’s not enough,” Noah said.
Blake glanced over at Hudson, who gave him a small smile and a nod of encouragement. Support could be found in the strangest places.
“What do you want me to do, Noah? I can’t atone anymore. I don’t know what else to do to say I’m sorry.”
Noah shook his head. “I’m not asking you to say you’re sorry. I’m asking you to get your shit together. Right now it seems like you’re hanging on to sobriety by a thread. We need to make that a rope, then a steel bar. It needs to be solid because I’m not putting up with the crap like I did in the past.”
“So you want me to go to rehab?” Blake asked.
Noah smiled. “Sort of. Let’s call it an SR44 rehab.”
“What exactly does that entail?” Blake asked, not sure he was willing to sign up for it.
Just then, the door swung open and Sophia stepped in. She took in all the Warriors, her eyes settling on Blake for a moment, and then on Noah. Man, did she look pissed off.
“What’s up, Sophia?” Noah asked, getting to his feet. “We’re kind of in the middle of something.”
“I know. There is no way that male is anything but honorable and good,” she spat, pointing at Blake. “He has saved my daughter and me from a hellish future, and if you are even considering kicking him out of here, you are making a very big mistake.”
Blake glanced around the room and couldn’t help but smile. It was Sophia as he’d never seen her before: haughty, angry, and determined to get what she wanted. He was glad he wasn’t the one tangling with her, and his respect for her grew even more. He never thought that possible. And damn, she looked really hot with her fury burning pink in her cheeks, her dark eyes sparkling, and her fists at her side.
“Actually, we were just discussing—”
“As long as Blake remains here, I don’t care what you were discussing, Noah.”
Noah grinned. “We were just going over the particulars of Blake staying.”
“They want me in an SR44 rehab,” Blake said.
“What does that mean?” Sophia asked.
“I was just about to find out. You want to sit down and hear about it?”
Sophia nodded, and Blake pulled over another chair for her. They sat down, and Sophia grabbed his hand under the table. It was a gesture of friendship and caring.
“Cohen and I have talked at length, and we think with him doing regular healings on you, the cravings can subside faster than if you were to check into a human rehab facility.”
Blake glanced over at Cohen, who gave him a small smile.
“I’ve also been talking to Beverly,” Noah continued. “I want you two to meet three times a week until she says otherwise. She’ll be in charge of keeping your mental state intact. She called it a ‘sponsor.’”
Blake nodded. It all sounded good to him, and he was humbled again by how the people he had hurt the worst were now the ones who were stepping up to the plate and investing their time and energy into him.
“I can live with that,” Blake said as Sophia squeezed his hand. “So I guess that means I’m staying?”
Noah nodded. “Yeah, it does. Welcome home, Blake.”
Chapter 66
Two weeks later
He totally saw that one coming.
Before Jovan’s foot connected with his chest, Blake spun around and caught it, placing his Nike in Jovan’s gut. Jovan doubled over and Blake let go of his foot. Jovan stared up at him from the mats, and Blake couldn’t help but smile.
“Nice one, man,” Jovan said, breathing hard. “You’re almost back at one hundred percent.”
Blake fell on the mat next to him. “I don’t know about that, but I feel better than I have in months.”
He’d been meeting with Cohen on a daily basis for a healing. Cohen worked within him to not only mend the damage on his internal organs he’d injured with the drugs, but also tinkered on his brain to lessen the cravings. Blake could actually now go hours without thinking about drugs. He still had his moments, but they were becoming fewer and farther between.
He’d kept his appointments with Beverly where they shared their stories of addiction, their feelings about it, and she gave him different ways of coping. “Exercise, healthy eating, and getting plenty of sleep are mandatory, Blake. You need to keep the body on the right track.”
Jovan volunteered to be his workout partner, and in just two weeks, he’d put on ten pounds thanks to healthy eating and Jovan constantly pushing him in the gym on a daily basis.
Noah had put him back on computer detail, and he’d been surprised when Sophia mentioned she wanted to learn how they worked. With Noah’s blessing, Blake taught her some basic programs, like how to look up lineage of criminals for Colonist ancestry, and he also showed her how the security system worked. She learned quickly, and was now mastering code to build her own computer programs. She said when her skills were proficient, she would start teaching Megan the basics as well. For now, Blake and Sophia worked side-by-side for many hours a day, looking for any possible Colonist activity.
The more time he spent with Sophia, the more he liked her. She had found her groove working on the computers, and to her, every day was exciting as she ran the programs they needed to do their jobs. She was in her element, her dark eyes sparkling with life and enthusiasm.
“So what’s the deal with you and Sophia?” Jovan asked.
Blake shrugged. “There really isn’t one. We work together.”
“But you like her,” Jovan commented.
“What does that mean?” Blake asked, looking over at his friend.
“You like her, as in really like her, man. I can see it in the way you look at her. You’ve got that puppy-dog look combined with the desire to rip her clothes off all in one.”
Blake rolled his eyes. “I do not.”
“Yeah, you do, man,” Jovan laughed, getting to his feet. “And I think she’s got it for you as well.”
Blake remained on the mats, considering Jovan’s words. Yes, he liked Sophia. He wouldn’t deny that. However, she’d been through some pretty wicked shit, and he bet the last th
ing on her mind was getting into a relationship. He recalled the way she’d grabbed his arm one day when they were working. “Blake, this is so exciting! I could sit her all day and mess around with this program! Thank you for showing it to me!” Then, she had given him a quick kiss on the cheek.
And don’t even get her started on the Xbox. She loved the virtual world, and yelled and screamed louder than Rayner when she played. Honestly, Sophia seemed to be turning into a geek girl, and he really found it quite cute as he remembered her when he first met her. She’d been so serious, her only outlets being her garden and Megan. She was in her element in the technological world.
Sophia had been his rock. Yes, everyone in the house was helping him, but Sophia had become his cheerleader, always upbeat, willing to share a laugh or a hug. So, yeah, she seemed to like him, enjoyed being with him, but he didn’t think she liked him that way.
“What makes you think that?” Blake called, heaving himself off the mats and heading toward Jovan who was picking out some hand weights.
He shrugged. “She kind of looks at you that same way. How about one-fifties today? Think you can manage that?”
Blake stood next to Jovan and looked at their reflections in the mirror. Standing at right around six feet, Blake was a few inches shorter than Jovan. The guy also had about fifty pounds on Blake. As he studied himself, he saw the old Blake emerging again. His biceps were defined, his chest filling out again. He rubbed his hands over his washboard abs. Yeah, he was almost back to the old Blake.
Scratch that, he didn’t want to be back to the old Blake. The urge to better himself and move beyond the old Blake was strong. He wanted a life, not just move day to day with no future plans, goals, or dreams, and in his talks with Beverly, he realized that was one of the catalysts leading to his downfall. Yes, Annis was part of it, but Beverly had helped him realize it was all about him and what was lacking in his life. He needed to get a clear plan for his future, and he needed to allow room for it to change.
“Let’s give the one-fifties a try,” Blake said. “If I can’t manage it, then we’ll try a lower weight.”
As he lay on the bench, Jovan put one weight in his right hand, and Blake felt confident he could manage both. “Give me the other one,” he said.
Jovan handed it to him and Blake pressed up, the muscles in his chest and arms screaming. “I’ve only known her a couple of weeks,” Blake muttered. “You SR44ians fall in love hard and fast. For us mere mortals, it takes a bit longer.”
Jovan shook his head and smirked.
“What?” Blake asked, bringing the weights to his chest.
“You are part SR44ian, you dumbass. You may be part Colonist, but a Colonist is still SR44ian. I think you’ve got it bad for Sophia, and I think she feels the same way.”
Blake pushed the weights up again, straining. “I don’t know about that, Jovan.”
“Trust me, I do.”
Chapter 67
Sophia sat with Liberty and Annis in Liberty and Jovan’s quarters. Annis leaned against the headboard, while Liberty stretched out on the bed. Sophia sat in the chair Annis had dragged over.
Liberty chatted excitedly about Annis’s baby, and Annis smiled widely. “I’m very eager now about becoming a mother,” she said. “I can’t wait to meet my little girl. She will become a Warrior, just like her mother and father.”
“She’s going to be so beautiful!” Liberty squealed. “And you don’t know what she will become, Annis. Maybe she will love motorcycles, tattoos, and piercings.”
Sophia and Annis laughed as Liberty fingered her purple-highlighted hair and then ran her hand over the diamond in her nose.
That brought Sophia’s thoughts around to Megan.
Megan had adjusted to life in the silo quickly. Long gone was the sullen little girl, and in her place was a happy child, which thrilled Sophia to no end. She loved watching Megan and Killian play together.
Sophia wondered what would become of her, what role she would grow into. She tried to imagine Megan as a Warrior, but couldn’t see it. She did have true Warrior blood in her from Micah, who Megan didn’t seem to miss in the least bit. However, it seemed she was becoming attached to Blake. Sophia had caught him sneaking cookies to her, and just yesterday he was giving her piggyback rides.
Perhaps Megan would master the computers and become an amazing technology genius. There was so much potential and opportunity in the silo; the possibilities were endless on what Megan’s future held.
“What’s going on between you and Blake?” Liberty asked, catching Sophia off guard.
“I . . . what do you mean?” Sophia stammered.
“When I have my vision, I notice how you look at him, Sophia,” Annis commented, a small smile on her lips.
Sophia’s cheeks warmed. Over the past couple of weeks with Cohen’s healings and meeting with Beverly, she felt she was seeing the new Blake. He’d put on weight, his skin had color, and she did find him very becoming. Working with her on the computers seemed to bring him joy. The color of his eyes had caught her attention at first, but now as a somewhat healthy male, he charmed her with his wit and intelligence.
Yet, they both had baggage. He had his addiction, and she lugged around her time with Micah, a period of her life that wasn’t easily forgotten.
As she listened to the females in the house talk about how their males made them happy, Sophia longed for that connection with someone, both in the mental and physical sense. However, she didn’t know if she could venture into the physical aspects of a relationship, despite her attraction to Blake.
“Annis, I-I don’t know what to say to that,” Sophia murmured as she fiddled her fingers.
“I think you should just go for it. Tell him how you feel, just as I did with Jovan,” Liberty said.
“I don’t think either of us is ready for that,” Sophia said.
Liberty shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Sophia studied her hands. If she did tell Blake of her attraction to him, what if he didn’t return the affection? What if he rejected her? What if she wasn’t comfortable with the physical aspects of being with a male?
Annis laid her hand on Sophia’s arm. “I’ve found out the hard way that honesty is always best, Sophia, especially when it comes to males.”
Liberty nodded. “Don’t waste another day, Sophia. Tell him of your attraction. It’s very apparent to everyone in this house that you two belong together.”
“Liberty, I—”
“Sophia, time is precious. If neither of you are ready for this right now, then at least you know where it will be headed,” Annis said.
Sophia looked at her two fellow SR44 females who she thought were dead. Micah had lied to her about everything about this world. Perhaps her physical time with him hadn’t been accurate either. Maybe the act of making love in the human form was as lovely as the females led her to believe throughout their conversations over the past two weeks since her arrival.
“Let him know,” Liberty urged.
Chapter 68
Blake stretched out on his cot in the corner of the gym. Sophia and Megan had taken over his quarters, and he was okay with that. There was talk of splitting the Saviors up between the Phoenix silo and the silo outside Reno, but it was only talk at this point. Blake personally didn’t think it would happen, as everyone enjoyed being with each other too much to separate.
He rolled over when he heard the gym door open and shut. Sophia walked in wearing a nightgown and robe.
“May I come in?” she called from across the gym.
“Of course,” Blake said, sitting up on the cot. He wore nothing but his boxers, so he wrapped a blanket around his waist.
As Sophia approached, his body stirred with want, but his head gave a firm “no” when he realized she had something on her mind.
Her fingers twisted in front of her as she came toward him with hesitant steps. “What’s up?” he asked. “Is everything okay?”
She nodded a
nd stopped about a foot in front of him. “I-I need to talk to you.”
Blake looked around, trying to find a place for them to sit. A large stack of mats in the corner seemed as good a place as any. The cot certainly wouldn’t do—he’d be too tempted to lay her down.
“Let’s go over there,” he said. He took her hand—the gesture seemed so natural to him that he hadn’t even realized he did it until they were at the mats. He looked down at their intertwined fingers and the urge to touch more of Sophia roared within him. He shut his eyes, reminding himself that she had experienced a lot of crap.
They sat down, and she stared off into the distance, a crease in her brow.
“So what’s going on, Sophia?” Blake asked.
“I’m not sure how to begin.”
“What’s it about?”
Sophia took a deep breath and bathed him in the warm glow of her brown eyes. “Us.”
“What about us?” he asked.
“Blake, I like you,” she blurted.
“Well, I like you too,” Blake said, wondering what she was getting at. Certainly, she couldn’t be thinking along the same lines he was, could she?
“You do?”
“Well, sure,” he said.
“Do you like me in . . . that way?”
Blake’s breath hitched in his chest. “What way is that?”
“That way. When a male likes a female.”
He stared at her full lips, wanting to kiss them, but he held back.
“Sophia, I don’t know if we should go there,” he whispered, hating every word. “You’ve been through a lot, and I’m just starting to get it back together.”
She nodded as the pink tip of her tongue smoothed over her top lip. “I know. But if we like each other in that way, then maybe we should see where it leads.”
Excitement and terror swirled within Blake, the ache to kiss her twisting his gut, and he looked down at their hands, still intertwined.
“Are you sure want to do this, Sophia?”