“Bono. What do you need?” Another voice asked over the line.
“I need Rex to dig into the missing files in the Dolmilo case and see what turns up.”
“I doubt there’ll be much,” Rex said.
“I do too, but if you can get a possible date of when they went missing that may be a start. Who was your handler in WITSEC?” he asked, turning his attention to me.
“Special Agent Craig Weathers,” I answered.
Bono squinted as a set of lights grew brighter behind us, filling the car with a blinding glare.
“Fuck,” Bono said.
“What is it?” A third voice shouted over the open line.
“We’re not alone.” The last words were barely out of Bono’s mouth when the vehicle behind us clipped the rear bumper.
Bono wrestled with the wheel and got the car under control. I screamed when the car behind bumped us again. This time, when our car swerved, we skidded sideways towards the guardrail.
“Rex,” Bono shouted, reminding me that we were still on a call. “Trace us. Now. We’re going over.” He gave me a tight-lipped smile. “Hold tight.”
The sound as we crashed through the guardrail would haunt me in much the same way the gunshots that killed Kate had. It was followed by the whoosh of the airbags as they deployed. Although we were doing at least sixty, for a frightful second, time stood still, and we were trapped in a moment where the front of the car was in the air and the back still on the road. I screamed but the sound was muffled by the bag in my face and the rain. My bag deflated and I was able to glance at Bono. He wrestled to get his own out of the way and return his hands to the steering wheel. Clasping on, he looked for any way he could to guide us to safety. If I were a better person, I’d feel regret for dragging Bono into my problems and putting him in this situation, but mostly I was just glad that if I was about to die, at least I got to see him one more time.
In the darkness, everything was a flash of confusion. The right headlight went out with the first jarring impact. We headed into a tangle of shrubs and careened down the steep incline, out of control, pinned to our seats by our belts. Stones, branches, and rocky mounds of mud pummeled the tires and the underside of our car. We hit something and the car spun on its axis. My breathing came in shallow gasps, and my body felt heavy. I was too stunned to move or even think when we finally came to a stop.
“Are you hurt?” Bono asked, instantly moving. When I didn’t respond, he unclipped his belt and shifted to face me. He took my head in his hands and stared into my eyes before looking up and down my body. “Are you hurt?” he asked again.
I shook my head and shifted. A shot rang out and a voice shouted along the still open line. Bono unclipped my belt and delved between my legs to grab his phone.
“We have to move.” He kicked open his door and came around to my side of the car. Headlights shimmered through the rain and illuminated the sky from above, but we were in complete darkness. Bono wrestled with my door for a few seconds before wrapping his elbow in his jacket, smashing my window, and helping me climb through. A second shot rang out. Its echo reverberated through the canyon like thunder. Someone shouted to grab the night vision goggles. Bono pulled me down to shelter by the side of the car. We crouched in the mud. Bono shook out his leather jacket and placed it over my shoulders to help keep the worst of the rain from seeping into my clothes.
“They’re firing blindly, but that won’t be the case for much longer,” he said while I threaded my arms through the sleeves.
“Bono.” The voice on the other end of the line made me jump.
“We’re still here, Cane.”
“We’ve got your location. Pull the battery from your phone. Rex said that they probably traced your location through it the same way we have. Hide. Stay back from the sight of the road, but don’t lose your bearings. We’re on our way.”
“Got ya. See you soon, brothers.”
“You bet you fucking will. Stay safe.”
Without waiting for another word, Bono ended the call and pulled both the battery and sim from his phone before pocketing them.
“It’s not gonna be easy in the dark, and we’re at a distinct disadvantage, but we’ve got to move. You ready?”
I took a deep breath to steel my nerves and looked up to the headlights above us again, raising my hand and blinking through swollen drops. The incline was as steep as I’d imagined as we’d bounced down into the canyon. With the jagged rocks and outcroppings, it was a miracle we weren’t dead or at least severely maimed in some way. But apart from a few bruises that weren’t even worth mentioning, I was unscathed, and Bono looked to be the same.
Bono held his hand out to me, and I took it. “Keep low,” he said as he pulled me to my feet and dragged me towards the scant tree line.
Chapter Seven
Bono
We raced along a barely-there trail, the muddy ground grasping at our feet and making Hope slip.
“This way,” I said and reassured her that I doubted our attackers would climb down the cliff and pursue us further. The best thing we could do was get as far away from the area as quickly as possible.
My eyes adapted to what little light there was, but from the way Hope dragged her feet, she was obviously struggling. The flimsy running shoes she wore were not up to the task they faced. Without my jacket I had no doubt she’d be shivering by now. Not that the limited protection that provided would do her good for long. We had to find shelter and fast.
“I feel like I’m wading through a swamp,” she said and cast a wary glance back. “Or a minefield.” Despite her attempt to make her words light, tension poured from her with every step, as though she were either waiting to trip and be laid flat by a crag or worse, a bullet.
I squeezed her hand tighter and hoped that my assessment of her physical state had been correct. There was no time to check her over thoroughly at the car, and it was difficult to get a good read on her given the weather. But her eye movement had been controlled and measured and she’d followed my actions with no problems. For now, I’d ruled out the possibility of a concussion. Which was always a worry when an airbag deployed.
When I was satisfied that we were far enough away from the road, and I could no longer see any lights, I pulled us to a stop while making a map in my head.
From the sounds, and the brief glimpse, I’d managed of our pursuers, I estimated that three guys were in the car that rammed us off the road. Although I couldn’t be sure that any were Dolmilo. If I was by myself, I would have risked trying to take them out, but I couldn’t leave Hope alone and unprotected in the rain. She’d been through enough already. She was trying to be brave, but the Hope I knew was a city girl through and through. She wasn’t one for camping and had little hope of surviving in the wilderness without help. Hell, neither of us would without a fire and shelter.
Although, I reminded myself, I’d have to revise that assessment. She was always resourceful. And she’d evaded Dolmilo when he murdered Kate ten years ago, and then again, a few days ago. I shook my head. Running through a city and built-up suburban area was one thing, stumbling through the trees and mountains in the pouring rain was something completely different.
“Do you think they’re following us?” Hope asked after a moment.
Despite my earlier conviction that they wouldn’t, I thought about her question. They’d mentioned night vision goggles, but it was doubtful they had the equipment to make it down the slope. Hell, they probably thought our chances of walking away from the crash were slim to none. As we’d hit the guardrail, I’d thought the same myself. If the car had flipped, I’d no doubt we’d be goners.
No. It was more likely, they had already checked me out and had the number of every one of my brothers. Instead of chasing us blindly into the great beyond, it would make more sense for them to wait for me to contact someone from home and get a new location for us.
I took a deep breath and looked at Hope. The furrow in her forehead had returned, but e
ven in the dark through the rain, I could see the rest she’d had at the motel had banished the worst of the dark circles under her eyes. God, I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her that everything would be alright. But how could I? There was too much time between us, too much life we’d lived apart.
“We need to find shelter. When we were driving, I noticed a rocky outcropping on the other side of the road where we might find some small caves or, at least, a ledge we can take cover under until my brothers arrive.” Before I’d finished speaking the words, Hope was shaking her head, no. “It’s the best option. You have to trust me, okay?”
Hope shuddered, but her eyes never left my own. “I trust you.” She nodded, smiled, and stood tall.
It was though a switch had been flicked inside her head. A new energy filled her. She may be scared, wet, and cold, but she was my sexy, stubborn soldier. All she ever needed in life was a plan. I’d seen it a million times. With no direction, she would stumble around like a lost lamb, but the second she’d decided on an action, she focused all her energy on it and wouldn’t stop until that goal was reached. Thinking of this reminded me of her plans to return to college all those years ago. I hoped she’d managed to fulfill that dream. It would have eaten her up inside to have abandoned it.
If my estimations and spatial awareness were on point, we were a good mile behind where we went off the road when we approached the incline leading back up to the interstate.
“Okay,” I said after finding us the best spot to start climbing. “We’re going to climb up here. And when we reach the top, we’re going to make sure the coast is clear and then make a run for the other side of the road. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. When we’re across we’ll look for that shelter.”
“And if we can’t find any?”
“Then we’ll hike north, following the road at a distance.”
She nodded and smiled weakly. We both knew we were still a good three hours out of Castle Rock. More than enough time to get hypothermia. The rain was easing, but that wouldn’t help dry our clothes.
We trudged up the gravel incline and braced ourselves for the more difficult climb ahead. It wouldn’t be easy, given the poor light and the wet surface. It would also leave us fully exposed should our attackers still be around. My hairs bristled at the thought of Hope getting hurt, but having accessed the situation, I knew we had no other choice.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
I gave her hand another squeeze and pointed up the rock face to where the best hand and footholds could be found. “You’re going up first. I’ll be right behind you.” I’d be better able to guide her from behind, and hopefully, grab her if she fell. “When you reach the top, lie flat on the ground and don’t move.”
“Lie flat. Don’t move.” Without another word, she reached for the first handhold and climbed.
Despite my worries, she made her way easily upward, and I found myself relaxing and admiring the shape of her bottom in the leggings. When a rock came away beneath my foot and I had to scramble for another purchase, I decided it best to focus on the task at hand and not Hope’s delectable rear.
When I reached the top, Hope was flat on the ground just as I’d instructed. I did the same and surveyed the area. There was no sign of anyone or any vehicle. Of course, there was always the possibility that the car had driven off, leaving one man behind to see if we returned and take us out, but my instincts told me that wasn’t the case.
“Okay. It looks clear. We’re gonna make a run for it. You see those rocks to the right.” I pointed at an outcropping that looked to provide the best shelter in the distance. “When I say go, head there as fast as you can,” I said when Hope nodded. “Okay, go.”
Hope didn’t hesitate, she took off like a soldier trained to follow commands. And she was fast. Faster than I could hope to be. I’d kept in shape over the years, the shape of Hope’s body had shown me she had too. Even more so the way she moved now. She hopped over a boulder as easily as a gymnast.
I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face when I joined her.
“I think I spotted a good place to shelter,” she said, matching my grin.
“Great. You lead the way and I’ll keep a look out.” Within ten minutes, Hope had led me to a group of large boulders with a nook leading to a cavernous space large enough to house six men between them.
Chapter Eight
Hope
As soon as we were sheltered from the elements, the rain eased. Typical.
It felt strange to be sitting beneath the boulders with Bono. When we arrived, he’d made himself busy. First by digging two holes in the ground to one side of our shelter, and then he left for a short time to gather what little dry kindling and wood he could before asking me for the small cylindrical plastic box he kept in his inside pocket. He unscrewed the lid, produced a match from inside, and proceeded to light a fire in the larger of the holes.
“Won’t the smoke and flames be seen from the road?” I asked.
Bono shook his head. “I checked the road when gathering the wood, they’re gone. Even so, this is a Dakota fire pit. The flames are underground in the hole and because of the chimney pit,” he said, pointing to the second hole, “it burns hot and steady, reducing the output of smoke.”
Within minutes the fire was going, and I could sense the heat filling our nook. Bono asked me for a small mirror he kept in another pocket and used it as a means to direct the light from the fire into our corner of the nook. After that, he knelt by my side and gave me a once over.
“I told you, I’m fine. I’ve nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises.”
“We both need to get out of these wet clothes,” he said, his voice serious despite the cheeky grin that played on his lips. “If we lay them on the ground by the fire, they might dry out a bit before my brothers arrive.”
“How will we know when they get here?” I asked, still finding it strange that he referred to his club friends as brothers.
“We’ll hear them.” He dragged me to my feet and lifted his shirt, cleaning his hands on the wet fabric before tossing it close to the fire. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a towel to hand.”
Without saying a word, I handed him his jacket while trying not to look at his broad chest, sleek with muscle. I lifted the hooded top over my head and placed it on the ground by the fire. Heat emanated from the floor and suddenly our space felt far too hot. My leggings followed, as did Bono’s jeans. He sat on the ground, butt ass naked, and patted his jacket laid out next to him. I sat on it before removing my crop top, bra, and panties, and tossing them closer to the fire while drawing my knees up. All the while, I could sense Bono’s smirk even while not looking at his face.
My chest tightened and my skin flushed, and for once, it was nothing to do with worry or fear. We may have been in a car crash an hour or so earlier, and Dolmilo may be out there waiting to kill me — in fact, it was a safe bet he was, even if he wasn’t directly outside our nook — but I couldn’t seem to care at that moment in time.
Bono wrapped his arm around me. It felt so good, too good. Having his bare skin touching mine, feeling the warmth of his presence. I allowed myself to close my eyes and rest my head on his shoulder. If I wished hard enough, I could almost imagine the years washing away.
He shifted closer still and skimmed the back of his fingers over my cheek, turning my head to face him. I opened my eyes. Orange light flickered over Bono’s face. A small voice inside my head told me to resist, that this was a bad idea, a very bad idea. But his solid presence struck a deep yearning in the center of my core. Every part of him called to me like some strange magnetic pull. My body and soul needed him, to feel his lips and his body pressed against mine, the touch of his cock at my entrance.
He trailed his fingers over my lips. I opened my mouth slightly. He pushed his finger inside and I tasted the fresh, earthy scent of the rain. I bit his finger softly, and he laughed. I smiled. Arousal flared
in eyes that never left my own as he withdrew his finger and ran the tip over my lips.
I moistened them further with the tip of my tongue and held his gaze. My heart hammered and my breathing was ragged. Bono cut my oxygen completely off as he pressed his lips against mine. The taste of him was like a powerful drug, drawing me deeper into an enticing fantasy. His tongue darted between my lips in a kiss that was all-consuming.
He pulled back, looking at me again, right into my eyes. “My Hope.”
His words made my body ache with sheer pleasure.
He slipped his hand around the back of my head into my hair, and he pulled me forward, devouring my mouth again. Moisture built between my thighs.
I pictured myself on my knees before him and moaned. I wanted so much to suck on his dick and see if it tasted as good as I remembered. Years of stress could be washed away in just a few moments with Bono.
“I missed you,” I said.
“Not as much as I missed you,” he echoed in my ear, his hot breath like fire on my sensitive skin.
I grabbed his free hand and pressed it between my legs. He smiled and I felt myself become a puddle in his hands. He pinched my clit between his fingers, clasping on tight. I whimpered; my every nerve ending prickled in pleasure.
He moved his hand from my hair and roved over my thigh and up to my breast. He cupped it and tweaked my hard nipple as his other hand remained clamped on the swollen bud of my clit.
My head fell back, and I gasped. “Oh, my God.” I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation, and squirmed needing more.
“I want you,” I said.
“I’m yours to command,” he whispered, never letting go.
“I... I thought we agreed it was my turn to be yours.”
Bono laughed. “In that case, show me how much you want me.”
I opened my eyes and pulled back. Bono let me go. The release of his touch on my clit and nipple hit me like a great loss, but I smiled, leaned back, and spread my legs. All the shyness I’d built over the years flushed from my system. With Bono, I’d always been who I was meant to be.
Forever Midnight MC Collection: Books 1-3 Page 31