by Jools Louise
Chapter Nine:
The Navy Begins Manoeuvres
Murphy had returned. He brought with him news of our Triad poachers and a request to use the island as a base for a new Special Ops mission as well as helping protect us in the future. They were after the Triad gang, realizing we had started something, and with us now a target for the gang’s wrath, for the top brass this was an ideal place to set up a trap to catch the criminals.
Jackson and I had a meeting with Murphy and two highbrow senior officers from the Australian Navy. This wasn’t just about poachers. The Triads operated a network of gangs which preyed in Australasia, the Orient, Indonesia, Philippines, and beyond. They were brutal, highly efficient, and backed by billions of dollars in untaxed earnings. The Australian government had a vested interest in deterring the gangs, since they were responsible for the illegal trafficking of weapons, drugs, and exotic animals. The weapons and drugs were brought into the country, while the animals were pilfered from protected sites and sold on to greedy pet traders.
New Zealand had also shown an interest in helping with the operation, but for now it was the Ozzies who were in a position to negotiate. Strictly speaking, this wasn’t under their jurisdiction, but since Jackson owned the island outright, it was up to him to say yes or no to having a base here.
My objection, and Jackson’s, was that this was a place for people to heal. By bringing in the Navy, we worried that we would become a target.
“Jessie, luv, you already are a target. The Triads know you’re here. You’ve already stuck a great big boot into their operation here and they will be back. Do you really want everyone here murdered when they come back to wage World War III on you guys.” Murphy was deadly serious. I realized that he was a man to be reckoned with. Under the brash Australian charm, he looked like a man who didn’t mess around when it came to his job.
“Jess. We realize the sensitivity of what you are doing here and under normal circumstances we would suggest you pack up and move. We don’t want to warn the Triads what is happening here, however. If they think we have left the area they are more likely to come back sooner. We want them stopped.”
The officer who spoke was more than a little patronizing, as though he was speaking to a slightly dim-witted child.
“Sir,” I answered succinctly, the bite in my voice showing my irritation. “I really don’t think that you understand what happens here. You are not going to traumatize any more people by planting a bunch of muscle-bound morons here playing Rambo games. This is called El Santuario—sanctuary—for a reason. Perhaps you need to look up what that means. If we agree to have the Navy here, you will conduct your operations with as little disruption as possible. There are children here and people who want to heal. I won’t risk the lives of people here anymore than necessary.” I glared at the pompous ass of a man, searing him with anger.
He shifted uncomfortably and I heard the muffled snicker from Jackson and Murphy.
“Just how long have you been after this gang, anyway? It seems to me that after such a long time you would have more information as to his whereabouts,” I directed the question at Mr. Pompous’s colleague.
The man cleared his throat, throwing a swift glance to his right.
“The problem is this gang cover a large area. The ocean is a large place and it’s easy to hide in the myriad of islands here.”
I snorted in derision and the man flushed in embarrassment.
“Please! Are you telling me you don’t know who they are by now? We already handed you one boatload in a ten-minute battle. We’ve only been here a year and they’ve visited us three times already. Working on that basis, and the fact that your reports show an increased activity in this area of poaching, perhaps instead of playing at war games you could actually put some serious thought behind it. There are three young boys here who were caught up in that mess, they could have been killed. I don’t intend for that to happen again.” I was getting angrier by the second at all the bullshitting being flung about.
“Jessie, luv, these bastards are clever. Someone is hiding them. Someone with money and power. We don’t have the authority to just show up on foreign soil. It would cause an international incident and we’d be right back where we started. They’re one step ahead of us each time. It’s like someone knows we’re coming.” I stared at Murphy, my mind whirling as I thought hard.
I looked over at Jackson, who arched a brow at me. I knew the look. He was amused by my ferocity and waiting for my brain to process the problem at hand. Having the Navy here, even a small contingent, altered things. El Santuario was all about healing and escaping from the world. But the world was not to be ignored. It was encroaching on our shores and the alternative to having a well-equipped and deadly force protecting us was more abhorrent. A deadly force trying to kill us.
Logically I knew that the poachers would come back. And, as Murphy suggested, they probably would come armed to the teeth. Pride, power, and profit were at stake for the gang. The leaders of the murderous gang would not let a bunch of misfits with mental issues interfere. If the Navy didn’t stay, then we would be left open to an invasion. I certainly believed Murphy when he told me that they would kill everyone here just to make a point.
I grimaced, scowling, and left the office. There was a little too much testosterone and top brass for my liking. Mr. Pompous was just the sort of jumped-up little twit I despised. Too much into the title and not enough into what the title meant. I couldn’t believe the amount of time wasted chasing armed gangs around the Pacific, instead of using their brains and trying to figure out where they were based. He reminded me of a certain ex-boss who had ended up in prison a year ago before I moved to the island.
A creep and self-important, it felt like the arrogant officer had something to hide. Nothing I could put my finger on, but he couldn’t look me in the eye and I had seen a flash of pure rage in his expression when I dressed him down.
Muttering to myself, I went to visit Caleb at the café. It was midmorning and after my stressful morning so far I could use a fix of caffeine, sugar, and Caleb’s sexy smile.
As I rounded the edge of the pool, the place was buzzing with activity. The three young Filipino children frolicked in the water, batting a large inflatable ball about. Ray, Sylvia, and Cara were there, too, playing with the kids.
Louis, Marcus, and Marty were sharing banter and insults as they lounged beside the pool. Caleb and Michael sat in the shade of the café’s canopy and Dean, Max, Raphael, and Riley shared a tray of cool drinks.
“Uh-oh! The meeting didn’t go well, did it?” Max gave me a sympathetic smile, getting up to fill a coffee mug and grab a couple of cupcakes from the counter.
I sat down with a sigh, thanking Max with a kiss as he leaned down to place the snack in front of me.
“I don’t want this place to become some kind of military bolt-hole. I understand we need some kind of protection, but from what those idiots were saying they intend to treat this place like their own personal theme park.”
Raphael put a beefy arm around me, squeezing me against him.
“This island is already being targeted, sweet. You can’t stop what’s going to happen next. Those murdering bastards will come back. We just need to stack things in our favour. Without Murphy here we’re sitting ducks.” Raphael kissed my temple soothingly.
“We need to help all those people who need it. What happens if this place gets turned into…?” Raphael kissed me again, interrupting me.
“The point is, are we better off with or without the Navy here?” He looked at me, brown eyes serious, one brow arched.
I sighed again, shrugging.
“They’d better not upset any of our guests or I’ll be pretty upset.” I scowled, grabbing a cupcake and taking a big bite from the sweet confection.
Raphael chuckled.
“I think by now Murphy will have told anyone who hasn’t met you to watch out, and those he hasn’t…well, the fireworks will be fun!” The others laug
hed as well and I couldn’t help the twinge of amusement.
Giving in to it I flipped them off.
“Are you trying to say I’m scary?” I asked the question to the group.
“Jess, we love you dearly. We wouldn’t dream of calling you temperamental or fierce.” Max gave me an innocent smile as he replied.
I blew him a kiss.
“I am not temperamental.” I smirked at him as he laughed aloud.
“My love, if I had to choose between you and a mama lion as to who was the fiercest, I would definitely choose you!” Riley uttered the words and I stared at him in amazement. He flushed bright red, ducking his head in embarrassment at uttering the teasing slam.
“Riley, thank you so much! I always feel like I’m dealing with a bunch of kids whenever I’m around certain members of this group!” I gave Max a pointed stare and the group at the table erupted in laughter.
Riley laughed, too, and I shared a smile with him. He was definitely coming out of his shell. He practically glowed with love and good health, his messy ginger hair spiked in all directions. His slim body was filling out, taking on more definition and giving a glimpse of the strong young man who had managed to win a place in the US Navy’s toughest divisions. Icy blue eyes sparkled with mirth and each time he looked at Raphael his expression softened with love.
“Are we still friends, Jessie luv?” Murphy’s cheerful voice sounded behind me and I rolled my eyes at him.
“No shooting the natives. No blowing holes in this island. No upsetting the guests.” I watched as his eyes widened for a moment before he let out a roaring laugh.
“Yes, ma’am!” He saluted me, standing tall and proud in his dress uniform.
“Are we still friends?” Jackson nuzzled my neck teasingly, giving me a light kiss on the cheek.
Leaning my head back I gave him a rueful grin.
“Jacks, you’re the boss. This is your decision.”
He snorted, ruffling my hair.
“Like hell! I haven’t been in charge since we met. You’ve taken hold of our hearts and we certainly would never let anything hurt you or upset you. If you say no to having the Navy here, then they leave, it’s as simple as that. We’ll figure something out, even if we have to leave and set up El Santuario elsewhere.”
I stared at him, seeing the sincerity in his brown eyes. He really would pack up and leave if I wasn’t happy here.
“How much of a risk is this Triad gang?”
“Jess, the gang is already here. They’ve been in this area for a while. By putting two Special Forces crews here we can give them a nasty surprise when they come back for another go at us. We have the backing of the Australian government to patrol the waters around here indefinitely.”
“What happens if the Australian government decides on an air strike to finish the gang off? What happens if their solution is worse than the problem?” I couldn’t shake the very bad feeling that our idyllic retreat was about to suffer a catastrophe.
“Miss Jessy. The bad men killed my mother and sisters. They raid our villages and kidnap our children. We will help you kill the bad men for what they have done to our families.” Benji’s timid voice pierced my confused thoughts.
I looked at him, at his thin little body which bore the scars of his time with the Triad gang. Thin scars marred his back, legs, and shoulders. A scab on his forehead was testament to the brutal blow he had suffered which could have killed him.
“Miss Jessy. We fight the bad guys. They go away and hurt no one no more.” Bayani had also joined us and spoke as well, his equally thin body showing marks of past abuse.
“The Navy men will help us send the bad men away. We help,” Datu added his determined promise.
I looked down at the table, my eyes flooding with tears.
Then I met Jackson’s eyes.
“Let’s make this work. We make the bad guys go away.”
Murphy nodded, eyes fierce.
“We’ll blow them out of the water, Jessie luv. We won’t just cut the head off this snake, we’ll smash it to smithereens.”
I looked around at the group surrounding me. Everyone nodded, including Riley. Clearly they wanted to hurt those who would abuse young boys and murder entire families.
I worried about what would happen next, but one thing was for sure. We would be ready for the bastards when they returned.
Epilogue
I sat alone and naked on the large platform on my favourite beach. Two weeks had passed since the Navy had deployed two crews of Special Force soldiers. The men were pretty good guys. They were professional and blended in well at the resort. Posing as staff members, one crew would take turns in resort while the second went out and did whatever Special Force soldiers did elsewhere on the island.
The moonlight sparkled on the calm ocean like a million stars trapped on the surface. A storm had blown in two days before leaving the air fresh, with the scent of ozone still strong in the air.
New guests, twelve this time, had arrived the week before. Three women were among the group, all ex-military. Our second psychotherapist, also a woman, had landed from New Zealand and was just settling in.
The island was evolving, changing, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for it. I had liked the calm serenity of the place, even after the first arrivals. Now we had an imaginary bull’s-eye making us a target for a vicious gang. One man had died, Harrison, after threatening Marcus and me and stalking the man for years. Three children with nowhere else to go were being catered for, and their giggles and playfulness underlined the situation we were in. I had discussed with Jackson whether to send the Filipinos away, but they adamantly refused to go. I didn’t have the heart to push the issue, since they had already been through so much.
The old fuelling station was being modified. Since we were now informally a naval station, work had been done on the quiet to improve the facility. A bunker had been built as a bolt-hole for the children and guests if needed. The bunker was not new, merely added to as it was a relic from the Second World War.
Yes, the island was definitely evolving.
I was lost in thought, not realizing that I had company until I felt a hard, warm body sink down next to me. I yelped, startled. Max grinned at me, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey there, luscious.” I grinned back, turning my head and kissing him back, more firmly. His bare body gleamed in the moonlight, his muscles rippling enticingly. I gave his bobbing cock a teasing squeeze, giggling as it reacted in predictable fashion by thickening immediately.
“Hey yourself.”
I heard more noise and before too long I was surrounded by my crew. Michael sat behind me, his big naked body cushioning my back as I sat between his legs. Jackson sat on the opposite side to Max, with Dean lounging by my feet. Marcus had his arm draped around Jackson, sharing long, searing kisses with him. Louis and Caleb were sprawled together, legs intimately entwined as they caressed each other lovingly, mouths fused together intimately. No one had bothered with clothing.
I sighed against Max’s mouth.
This was what I needed. My crew, now reduced to seven. My magnificent seven. I loved watching them kiss, sharing their love for each other. Before meeting Jackson I had been quite sheltered, not really thinking about anything other than the normal loving between a man and a woman. I had been naïve. Love knew no boundaries. The tenderness and caring between my guys was absolute. They had their moments of friction, little irritations which were quickly resolved. They were best friends, though, as well as lovers. Their hearts encompassed all of us, and each one of us felt completed by being a part of the group.
Raphael had sought his own happiness, in a different dynamic. I was glad he had found love with Riley. And the pair were deeply in love. They weren’t to know but I had persuaded Murphy to perform a wedding ceremony should they wish it. I didn’t think it would be much longer. Riley still had a way to go, but he was certainly far more confident and the flashbacks were fewer and less intense. He also had
Raphael there to catch him when they occurred.
Michael’s mouth began to trail wet kisses along my shoulder, up the curve of my jaw, and found the corner of my mouth. I smelled Dean’s fresh scent, then moaned as he leaned up to kneel between my legs. I felt clothes being removed, my body lifted, and then lowered, my pussy sheathing the fat ten-inch cock. Dean, Michael, Max, and I moaned, sharing a four-way kiss which was sloppy and deliciously decadent. Dean’s fingers rubbed against my clit while Max and Michael tweaked and taunted my nipples into hard pebbles.
I felt the sexual heat ramp up. Moans of pleasure came from Jackson and Caleb and Louis and Marcus as they engaged in their own sexy romps.
My senses shuddered at the onslaught of pleasure, my heart clenching around the love I felt for my fellas.
Before sane thought left my addled brain and lust took over, I made a promise that I would defend this island from whatever threatened. Poachers, psychopaths, it didn’t matter. This was my family. And no one was going to take them away.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I’m a mid-forties single female who loves writing. I started a few years ago writing short stories and romantic fiction just for fun but never took it seriously until last year. Now I’m two books into my writing career and one more thing is ticked off my to-do list!
I live in the beautifully scenic north-west of England, a few miles from the Lake District, Beatrix Potter country. The sea is just ten miles away, the mountains are to the north and England’s longest lake is half an hour’s drive.
Writing sexy fiction is great fun, bringing all my ideal men together and certainly warms a woman up in the cold winter evenings!
Enjoy, as the next instalment is on its way. JL
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