Fallen Daughters: A Dark Romance

by Alta Hensley

  Reaching down with one hand, he pressed his finger onto her clit and began moving it in small circles. “Yes, that’s it, baby. Come for me. Come,” he coaxed.

  His deep voice issuing an order was all it took. Lights flashed behind her eyelids and she screamed out his name as her body rocked beneath his. Her cries of passion must have been all it took to snap his control, because he followed her mews with a growl of satisfaction as he filled her with his seed.

  Breathing deep, and feeling more satisfied than Jessa could ever remember, she whispered, “That was…that was—”

  “Yes, it was,” Decker interrupted between his own deep breaths. He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her deep, claiming her mouth as he had just claimed her sex. “You may not be mine when this mess is all over. But for right now, you are, and after that…it’s going to be really hard letting you go.”

  God, what was wrong with her? There was a part of her that actually hated the thought of being rescued. It would mean leaving Decker. What in the hell was wrong with her? She must be losing her mind. She was going insane. Everything is so God damn dark. Everything is hate.

  “I fucking hate you—or at least I should. I fucking want to kill you—or at least I should try to. I should fucking want to see you die in misery by my hand and yet…I would rather feel your cock buried deep within me. I want to feel your hand on my ass, spanking me until I scream for you to stop. I want, Decker. I want so bad. Everything that is so wrong.”

  Decker remained silent, but nodded his understanding as he peppered her face with the most tender of kisses.

  “Everything about this is wrong. It screams against who I was, who I thought I was. This is not the woman I once believed to be. And yet, I want that woman to die just as bad as I want you to die. I want us both to fucking die and only have what is right now.” Jessa began crying, insanity had broken through her moment of sexual bliss. “Two people who are hollow. Fucking for the sake of being fucked. Fucking for survival. We must survive the right now, but we must also survive the darkness that has always been.”

  “We’ll get through this,” he whispered between kisses. “I promise you, we will.”

  “Help me survive. Please. Help me survive this hole of hate that I am in—that I am afraid I will always been in.”

  “We will get out of this alive, and we will heal. I will be there to help you heal. I promise. But for right now, we focus on getting out of here alive.”

  “Is it wrong? Is wrong that I like the feel of your hands on my throat? I like the feel of being the prey of the hunter. I like feeling like I could die by your hand, or feel mercy by your grace. I like knowing that I am yours. You have the power to decide if I even exist.”

  “No, it’s not wrong. Something has been awoken inside of you. Maybe that is the only thing good that will come out of this fucking situation. Maybe you will walk away having discovered that there is a part of you hidden deep inside that enjoys the sharp edge of sex, of dominance and submission. Don’t ever be ashamed for how you feel.”

  “I feel like I’m losing my mind. I want to cry. I want the tears of lust, hunger, passion to soak my face. I want to taste the salty taste of naughty. I’m a bad, bad girl and like it. I like the feel of correction. I like the biting sting of your punishment. I like the pain. Fuck me! I love the fucking pain!”

  All the chaos and angst going on in her brain was being countered by Decker’s light touches, soothing words and gentle kisses. Somehow he made her feel safe. Not only in the immediate now, but safe to feel the way she did. Jessa knew she wasn’t a foolish woman. She had made some pretty stupid decisions in her life, but she considered herself a strong, independent lady with a decent amount of pride—even though she did manage to get herself kidnapped by two hillbillies with an IQ of a turkey. Regardless, she knew that her feelings for Decker were genuine. Her body and her responses to his touch were unlike any she had ever experienced before. It wasn’t love or anything of that nature. She wasn’t that type of woman to fall head over heals in love. But maybe if they had met at a different time, in a different place, there really could be something. For now, the sexual chemistry was off the chart, and he was right that something may have been awoken inside of her. A little pain equaled a lot of pleasure—this much she had learned.

  “Do we really have to go out there?” she asked, dreading seeing Rune again and all the awful men.

  Decker sighed. “Soon. For now, let’s just close our eyes and rest a little.” He rolled to her side and cradled her into his arms. “Let’s just enjoy this moment for a little bit longer.”

  35

  A loud explosion woke them from their sleep. The sheer force shook the floorboards the bed sat on. Shouts, then the sound of machine guns going off surrounded them. Chaos had erupted.

  “What’s happening?” Jessa asked, terrified for both her and Decker.

  “They’re here. They’ve come early.” Decker grabbed her by the arm and led her to a corner in the room where a desk stood. “Crouch down over here and cover your face. I’ll be back soon and come get you. Do not leave this place.”

  “Wait! Please don’t leave me. I’m scared.”

  Decker squatted down next to where she sat shaking on the floor. “You will be fine. I promise.”

  “You can’t promise that!” The continual gunfire and explosions outside forced her have to yell to be heard. “What if something happens to you? They are shooting outside.” Another explosion shook the cabin. A sharp ringing in her ears caused her to almost not hear his next words.

  “If I somehow do not come back, you wait until men in uniform come. You stay under this desk until that happens.”

  A sob escaped her shaking body, and she clung to him. “I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want you to leave me.” Another explosion went off causing her to scream. “Please!”

  Decker wrapped his arms around her body, and began rocking her back and forth. “Say goodbye to me. Say goodbye to this nightmare. Close your eyes and say goodbye to the demon of what your life has become. Soon. Soon you will see the light. Some men will come rushing in this door with guns, wide-eyed and ready to kill. Put your arms up high. Stay still. Allow the rescue to happen. You will be saved. You will be free. Say goodbye to me.” His statement came out like a lullaby, soothing her deep-seeded panic. “I promise you this will all be over soon.” He kissed her fast and hard and then reached for a gun in the drawer of the desk. “You’ll be okay, Jessa. You’ll be okay.”

  Jessa cried out his name as he ran out of the cabin into the haze of bullets, screams, and death.

  She remained under the desk for what felt like an eternity of war and destruction took place on the other side of the wall. Part of her knew the sounds were of rescue, but what if the Delta Force lost? What if they weren’t prepared enough and were no match to this crazed militia? What if they found out that Decker was a Delta Force infiltrate and then killed him, or tortured him for information? Holding her hands over her ears, she waited and listened until finally, the gunfire ceased, the explosions were no more, and she could hear voices of men giving commands and orders.

  “Please, please, please,” she whispered to herself. Please let those commands be from Decker and the good guys.

  When the door to the cabin flung opened, and it was Decker standing there with a smile on his face, Jessa burst into tears. He rushed to her and wrapped her in his arms. “It’s over, Jessa. It’s all over.”

  Jessa sat on the bumper of a military jeep, and pulled the blanket securely around her shoulders as a woman asked her questions. Her body shook, and no matter how many blankets she had around her, Jessa worried if she would ever feel warmth again. Ambulances, undercover cars, jeeps, and even cop cars filled the area, their lights swirling around her as men shouted out orders. Women like her were being shuttled out to be questioned. Jessa’s heart lurched as she realized that some of the women were holding babies—babies born in the deepest circle of Dante’s hell. Would the tears of happin
ess of rescue being shed by their mothers be enough to wash away the taint of their conception? Jessa prayed to the God she’d believed had forsaken them, and that each mother and child would find peace.

  “How many men?”

  Jessa looked up at the woman writing on the clipboard. “Excuse me?” Jessa tried her best to focus and answer all the questions being asked, but she just wanted to be with Decker. When he was pulled away for his own debriefing, Jessa wondered if she would ever see him again. The mission was over; the women were saved. Decker could move on to whatever his next job demanded of him.

  “I’m sorry,” the woman answered. “I have to ask these questions. How many men would you say raped you?”

  Jessa shook her head. “None.”

  The woman looked up at her surprised. “None?”

  “No, I was one of the lucky ones.”

  The woman wrote on the clipboard and then asked, “Is there any way you could be pregnant?”

  Jessa almost said no, but then paused and realized there was a chance she could be. She and Decker hadn’t used protection. Looking beyond the woman, she saw that Decker was surrounded by people. One after another conferred with him before saluting and turning towards whatever task he set them to. Yes, there was a very small chance she could be pregnant and yet, if she were, she really only had herself to blame. He’d pulled out of her that first time and she had been the one to beg him to fuck her a few hours earlier.

  “No, like I said, I wasn’t raped so there is no way I could be pregnant.”

  After a few more questions which the woman dutifully recorded on the form, she said, “I’m glad you were lucky. Soldiers sign up for war, but no one signs up for the hell you went through. I wish you the best. The EMTs will take you to the hospital to make sure you are okay.”

  “Thank you,” Jessa said, waiting until the soldier moved away before standing up and approaching a policeman. One of the questions asked she hoped would allow her to complete her plan.

  “Hey, shouldn’t you be in one of the ambulances?” the man asked when she reached him.

  “Oh, no, I’m fine,” Jessa said. “That soldier over there said you needed to see where the men kidnapped me from. I can take you there.”

  The policeman looked to where she’d pointed. “You mean Captain Cassidy?”

  “Yes.” Fearing that he would go over to validate her statement, she pulled the blanket a bit tighter. “Look, I’ve been cleared and I can help the investigation. Besides, I’m hoping my rental car was left there. I’d really like to get into my own clothes, if you know what I mean.”

  Perhaps he thought she was stark naked under the blanket or perhaps she was a better actress than she believed, but he finally nodded and led her to his car.

  “Shall I sit in back?”

  “No, ma’am, you aren’t in trouble. You can sit up front.”

  She almost asked if she could run the siren but remembered her intent was simply to disappear. As the cruiser pulled away, she said, “It was by a large lumberyard.”

  “I think I know where you mean.” Wishing to avoid any further questions and not wanting him to see the tears that had begun to well in her eyes the moment Decker was out of sight, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window.

  Four months later, Jessa sat in the swing on her front porch, her hand rubbing against her belly. She’d been truly surprised to discover that she had become pregnant that day. Taking a sip from her bottle of water, she looked down. Her baby would never know that its daddy was an incredible man and a hero. She might not have Decker, but she would have a bit of him for the rest of her life.

  The sound of a car had her looking up. When it pulled into her driveway, her brow furrowed. She wasn’t expecting a soul. When the door opened, she stood and at the sight of the man who exited the car, the bottle slipped from her fingers to spill at her feet.

  The moment she made a move towards the door, a sharply given command froze her in place.

  “Don’t you move a single muscle.”

  Just as he had been able to make her obey before, his tone and his very presence demanded her submission to his order. She didn’t move, but she did speak.

  “How… how did you find me?”

  “I think the better question is why did you run? I asked you to wait for me. I told you that I’d be back for you.”

  It was as if her body could feel him even before she heard him mounting the steps to the porch. Her nipples had tightened and her loins were moistening with the desire to be his and yet—yet he deserved far better than to have his life ruined by one moment of lust.

  “Others needed you. Other women were hurt, and I was fine. I led that officer…”

  “And the fact that he managed to remember the rental car sticker on the back window is the only thing that kept his face from meeting my fist, and the only reason that I don’t already have my belt off and against your bare ass.”

  God forgive her but the very threat had her practically gushing into her panties. “I didn’t mean to get him in trouble. I just… just wanted to get away.”

  “From me?” he asked and his tone had her clenching her eyes shut to keep a different flood at bay. “Of course, from me.”

  Though she couldn’t see him, she felt him backing away. “I’m sorry, Jessa. I just had to make sure you were all right.”

  She nodded, both hands splayed across the swell of her stomach. “I-I’m fine.”

  Suddenly, she felt him move again, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her to look down into her face. God, even through the film of her tears, she could see his eyes widen as his gaze dropped to the baby bump.

  “Oh, Jessa…”

  “It’s all right. I-I’m fine. You don’t have to…”

  “One more word and I swear to God, pregnant or not, I’ll remind you who is in charge here. Of course I would be here for the baby. Our baby.”

  She opened her mouth to tell him she was thinking he had a career that required him to risk his life and that he didn’t need to be distracted. She was going to tell him that he didn’t deserved to be held responsible for a child he’d not wished to create. She wanted to tell him that when he rescued her, she knew that her freedom shouldn’t steal his. Instead, the moment he pulled her close and his hand dropped to feel the first movement of the life they’d created, she said, “I-I wasn’t.”

  His gentle caress turned to steel as he crushed her to his chest and his mouth found hers. When he pulled away, he said, “I told you that I would always be by your side, Jessa.” He ran a fingertip over her lips. “I did claim you as mine after all.” He smiled, pulled her to him again and proved his claim by kissing her until she couldn’t breathe, and yet knew she’d found life again. This time, when he released her, he was shaking his head.

  “I’m not going to let you raise our child alone. This is our baby and our light from all the darkness of the past. I’m here to stay, and I’m not going anywhere, understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s yes, sir, young lady.”

  A shudder ran through her at the reprimand and the look in his eyes. Stepping back a bit, she lifted her right hand and saluted. “Aye, Aye, Captain.”

  “It’s Major now,” he corrected as he swept her off her feet, cradling her like a child and pushed through her door. “And I’m about to give you a major lesson on what happens to my naughty girl. I need to remind you that I claimed you.”

  “You are a sick bastard, you know that,” she said with a giggle.

  The rumble of his laugh reverberated against her cheek that she pressed against his chest. “Red, white and fucked, is what I remember you calling me.”

  Jessa shook her head. “No. You are anything but. You are my hero, Major Decker Cassidy. You are, and have always been, my hero in disguise.”

  Fallen Daughter #6

  36

  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.

  It was too la
te to stop now. My mesh bag barely floated on the scummy surface of the water. As the city around me rotted, I just stayed steady kicking my feet at the undercurrent of the dark waves. I took long and dry breaths, but the smell of something pungent—like that of decaying flesh—lingered in the back of my throat. A sodium-haze swept across the nearby shore. My friend, Lettie, flailed her arms with a flashlight in her left hand signaling her position to me.

  “Hannah! Over here!” she called out louder than I would have liked. Sometimes the girl was a complete idiot. She was not only getting my attention, but she could be drawing attention from every damn shadow lurking in the distance.

  Lettie pulled free a shredded strip of rope off a rail as I swam closer to the pier that appeared as if it were drowning in the filthy water. The pier had long since been thrashed by The Itch. Apart from small juts of broken wood, almost nothing remained of the harbor. Lettie braided one end of the rope, like a wreath, and tossed it to me as I approached.

  “Don’t let go,” she called out.

  I yanked the rope and reeled myself in hand-over-hand in water that had more of a consistency of oil and sludge than what was once a raging river. I grew weak by the effort required being nothing more than a symmetrical waif with matted blonde hair. I hadn’t had a morsel of food in days, and not much more in weeks. My clothes sagged off of my waist, and my pelvic bones stuck out of my skin. I couldn’t imagine how the fabric would stay on me when I was soaking wet on land. When I climbed the pier and stepped onto shore, neither Lettie nor I wasted time on reassuring welcomes.

  “The Church isn’t across the river,” I informed, relaxing my grime-streaked arms. “Not that I had much hope it would be. It’s just as dead over there as it is on this side of the river.”