by Fall, Carly
Please ask me to kiss you, to hold you in my arms. I want to see you smile again, a true smile that lights up your eyes. I want to take away your sadness and tell you that everything will be okay.
“What?”
“I just remembered we forgot my car at the bunker.”
Her words felt like a fist to the gut, but he grinned. Here he stood, wanting to pull her to him, and she thought of her car. He had to remember that she didn’t know him the way he knew her. Finally, he could put some distance between them; the spell had been broken.
He moved to the other side of the kitchen and noticed a bottle of whiskey on the counter. Perhaps a large dose of the booze would calm the hum vibrating within his body.
He found a glass as Holly continued to rummage through the vegetable drawer, her pants rolled up at the waist and hanging down over her feet.
“I’ll take one of those, too,” she said with a grin, pulling out some lettuce and a couple of steaks. “Let’s grill these babies up. I’m starving.”
He nodded and poured her one, as well.
Standing against the counter, he watched her delicate hands chop the lettuce. She’d have to stop every now and then to pull up her pants, and he remembered he’d brought other clothes for her.
“I was able to get some different clothing for you, some that will probably fit a little better.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, I should have told you earlier.”
“Where did you get them?”
“My friend.”
She smiled again. “Your friend is very resourceful as well as wealthy.”
“I suppose so.”
“Would you mind putting them in my bedroom?” she asked. “I’ll finish up here in few minutes, and then I’d love to change.”
“Of course.”
He took his drink and headed downstairs.
A short time later, Holly gazed at the small stack of clothing on the bed. She pulled out a pair of leggings and a tank top, then slipped them on. It felt good to be in clean clothes, and she looked forward to a shower later.
As she ascended the stairs to the kitchen, she wondered what had happened between her and Justice a while ago. He’d looked at her as if he wanted into her pants, and that had both excited her and made her uncomfortable. After all, he was her superior, but at the same time, she did find him very attractive, as well as just an all-around nice guy. He’d really gone out on a limb for her.
She’d wanted him to kiss her, but as usual, her brain had been operating at warp speed, and she’d realized they’d forgotten her car. If she hadn’t blurted out that mood-killer, would he have kissed her? Would they be wrapped in a tender embrace? Perhaps they’d be screwing right there on the kitchen counter. She grinned at the thought.
Or maybe, which would probably be the case, she’d misread the situation entirely. They were basically strangers.
She found the kitchen empty, and she glanced out the window to the patio below. Justice stood in front of the barbeque, a confused look on his face. As she sipped her whiskey, he bent down and pulled open the door underneath, stuck his head in the cabinet, then stood up again and walked around it.
Didn’t he know how to turn it on?
She grinned. She had grown up in a traditional family where her father went out and made the money while her mom took care of the household chores. Despite Holly being a tomboy, her mother had insisted she learn to cook, and she wasn’t half bad.
Justice must have never learned.
She poured a little more whiskey and headed back down the stairs and outside.
“There’s not an ‘on’ switch,” she teased.
He grinned at her. “Busted trying to fake my way through it.”
“I’ve been watching you from the kitchen. It’s been amusing.”
She opened the lid, reached down and flipped the gas lever, then hit the starter button and turned the knob. A second later, a whoosh emanated from the grill. “We’ll give it a few minutes to heat up, and then I’ll put the steaks on.”
The sun had almost fully set, casting the sky in pinks and purples. Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling of loneliness overcame her, tinged with a bit of guilt. Why had that guy chosen her brother, and not her? Had it just been fate?
“You look like you’re deep in thought,” Justice murmured.
“I … I was just thinking about my brother. Why did that guy choose to kill him?”
He shrugged. “Maybe it’s something as simple as you just weren’t there. Based on what you’ve told me, you’re obviously not dealing with someone normal who’s capable of rational thought. He sounds crazy.”
“I supposed you’re right. I just have a feeling that I’m never going to fully understand what happened.”
“Most likely not. You’ll just need to accept the tragedy and try to move on the best you can.”
She nodded and sipped more whiskey, the burning liquid keeping the sobs in place.
“I better get those steaks,” she said.
As she walked into the house, her thoughts wouldn’t leave Billy. Her brother never should have died, and she felt responsible, which was exactly what the killer wanted. He wanted her drowning in her own guilt and sorrow, feeling accountable and certain that her actions had caused Billy’s death. It felt as though the weight of the world rested on her shoulders, and if she didn’t find a way to relieve it soon, it may crush her.
Chapter 29
Justice lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Dinner had been a somber affair, which had been understandable. Both had tried to keep a smile on their faces as they ate. Holly had discussed her brother a little more, and he’d tried to cheer her up, but both of them suffered from the swinging emotions that the death of a loved one brought on.
He felt them.
Just when he thought he’d be okay, he’d see his mother’s smoky form in front of him, and he’d find himself on the brink of a breakdown again. His chest constricted and the tears stung his eyes as the ache of loss washed through him.
He’d followed in his father’s footsteps into the military, just as Holly had done. In a way, their lives almost mirrored each other, except his age happened to be more than seven hundred years over hers, even though in his human form, he could easily pass for thirty or thirty-five.
Letting his mind wander, it took him home to the tall, golden buildings of the city and the lush foliage of the forests.
He and his family had lived in the city. They’d been what humans would describe as ‘middle class’—neither rich nor poor. They got by fine, but there didn’t seem to be enough for any frivolities.
His father had rode him and his brother, Lew, hoping they’d both follow him into the military. Lew hadn’t, but Justice had, hoping for the acceptance from his father he craved so badly.
Unfortunately, his accomplishments were never enough. His father held his praise, always striving for Justice to do better. When he’d been assigned to bring home the Saviors, he thought his father might burst with pride. How he wished he could have seen his father’s face upon returning to SR44.
After the Saviors left and didn’t return for two hundred years, they had been elevated to an almost god-like status, true martyrs for the cause. They’d been hand-chosen to hunt the Colonists that had escaped, and when they hadn’t returned, the whole planet had mourned them.
Being one of the soldiers of Rescue One to bring them home had been a huge privilege.
Why hadn’t he left when the Saviors hadn’t met at the rendezvous sight?
He recalled the message that had been received on SR44 with clarity:
Our mission is complete. We are ready to come home, but we will need a little time. Here are the coordinates of the pick-up site.
Time. Two years to a SR44ian didn’t constitute a long period; however, he supposed to someone on Earth waiting, that length of time would be far too long. He’d craved the glory of bringing the Saviors home so badly, he’d never questioned what �
�a little time’ meant. He should have realized something had been wrong.
Never in a million years would he have guess that his planet had been destroyed and that a dead Savior had sent the message because he wanted to go home so badly. He obviously hadn’t found happiness on Earth as the other Saviors had.
Rolling over, his eyes burned, not only from the tears that threatened to fall, but from the contacts he wore to cover the glow of his eyes. He wondered what Holly would say if she saw his true form shining from his eyes.
Getting up, he went to the bathroom to remove the discs. No, he shouldn’t take them out, but if he didn’t, he may never get to sleep. He needed to be rested and ready for tomorrow.
As he lay back in bed, he closed his eyes. Visions of Holly danced beneath his lids. He’d gotten an eyeful of her hard, compact body in her leggings and tank top. The female looked strong and athletic, and he knew from the stories of Parkour, she could deliver.
In his visions, her sad, blue gaze stared at him, a grin on her face that didn’t meet her eyes.
How he longed to make that smile light up her whole face.
Chapter 30
Holly woke early and decided to make a huge breakfast. Cooking soothed her, and right now, she needed to be calmed. Her night had been plagued by nightmares of her brother, blood, and a strange, evil man. As her feet hit the carpet, she decided she definitely needed to take her mind off all that for at least a little while.
Later, they would go and get her car, and then maybe she’d have a name to give the police. She hoped like hell they’d be able to find something to tie him to the murder. If they could place him there, then she had a chance at her freedom.
Justice came up the stairs an hour later, just as she pulled the omelets from the stove and set the plates on the kitchen table.
“Perfect timing,” she said, smiling.
He looked at the spread—vegetable omelets, cut fresh fruit, bacon and sausage, coffee, and fresh-squeezed orange juice.
“Would you like some coffee?” she asked, worried because he hadn’t said anything. Maybe he would turn out not to be a breakfast eater. It definitely was her favorite meal of the day.
“Yes. Thank you.” He sat down at the table. “This is amazing, Holly.”
“It’s the least I could do.” She poured the coffee with one hand and gave his bicep a squeeze with the other. It felt like a rock under her touch. “You’ve done so much for me already.”
“This is really nice, and something I didn’t expect,” he said, taking a bite of his omelet. “And delicious.”
A moment later, he softly moaned. “This is damn good.”
Pride welled within her. She may be a lowly corporal, but she’d just made a lieutenant groan in appreciation with a couple flips of a spatula.
After a few moments, he spoke up. “When did you want to leave to get your car?”
“Well, I’d like to take a shower.”
“I’ll clean up the kitchen while you do.”
“That would be helpful. Thanks.”
How did she broach the subject of his very wealthy, very well-connected friend? She’d never been one for dancing around a subject, so she decided she wouldn’t change now. “Have you heard from your friend yet? About the guy in my apartment building?”
He shook his head and brought the paper napkin to his mouth. “I haven’t. He said it would most likely be sometime today.”
“Okay.”
She wanted to get moving, to find her way back to legal freedom, and put that son of a bitch away. It would be her word against his, but somehow, somewhere, there had to be evidence in the apartment that would lead to him.
As they ate, she caught glances at Justice. His strong body, jawline, high cheekbones, and dark eyes oozed confidence, and she felt good about him being on her side.
“Do I have something on my face?” he asked.
The heat in her cheeks traveled throughout her body, sending each nerve ending on fire. It seemed almost unbearable as she stared at her plate. “No. Why do you ask?”
“Because you keep staring at me, Holly.”
Oops.
She raised her gaze to his, trying to ignore the gentle throbbing between her legs. “I’m sorry, lieutenant.”
Their stares locked.
“You need to stop calling me that. I told you, Justice is okay.”
She nodded and got to her feet, bringing her dirty dish to the sink. “Are you still going to do the dishes?”
“Of course,” he murmured, coming up behind her.
Their bodies didn’t touch, but she felt him as if he lay over her shoulders like a coat.
“I’ll go take my shower.”
A delicious chill ran down her spine as she descended the stairs.
Chapter 31
Butterflies tickled his stomach as the bunker came into view. Why, he didn’t know. Something seemed off, and as he jumped the fence and quickly opened the gate from inside the bunker, his instincts told him to get the hell out.
“Let’s get it started and get out of here,” Justice said as he pulled the Escalade around the back.
Holly nodded and slipped behind the wheel. The car didn’t come to life, and he muttered a curse.
“Try again, Holly.”
She did, and silence met their ears. He had no idea how to open the hood to look at the motor, let alone how to fix one.
“It sounds like it might be the battery,” Holly murmured. “Do you have any jumper cables?”
Jumper cables?
“I’m … I’m not sure. It’s not my car.”
“I’ll take a look. I’m sorry about this, Justice.”
As she leaned into the back of the Escalade, Justice took a moment to appreciate the view of her hard ass in yoga pants, but then he heard something in the distance that sounded a lot like a car coming.
He ran to the side of the bunker and peeked around.
Shit.
He couldn’t get caught here, and neither could Holly.
He ran back to her and she turned to him as he approached.
“Shut the back door,” he ordered, his voice harsher than he’d intended. “Shut it and follow me.”
She caught up with him in a second, her eyes wide with fear.
He found the handle he’d be looking for in the ground without much effort, the same grip he’d discovered when they’d first arrived.
Pulling on it, a hole appeared about four feet wide. He knew from experience that one man would fit, but with both him and Holly in there, it would be very tight. “Let’s go.”
“I can’t go in there,” Holly said, backing away. “I’m claustrophobic, Justice. I’ll have a panic attack in there.”
He grabbed her shoulders. “Holly, there are people here. We don’t know what they want.”
“Just tell them who you are!” she hissed. “I’ll stay out of the way so they won’t see me!”
He shut his eyes and reminded himself that when you lied, the truth would always come out … eventually. However, he didn’t have time to make up more lies so this situation made sense to her. “Holly, if we’re lucky, they won’t come around to the back. If they do … we need to be hidden.”
“But—”
“No more arguing! Let’s go!”
He pulled up the hatch again and jumped to the bottom. She glanced around once more, then scurried down the ladder, pulling the top down with her, sending them into complete darkness. He reached up and locked it and listened.
The hole was actually a tunnel that led into the bunker. If he lifted his foot, he could feel where it curved and became horizontal. If he were to crawl through there, he’d end up under the table in the main room, and he prayed that not too many people knew about this escape hatch.
“Justice, I can’t breathe,” Holly whispered. “Please. I need to get out of here.”
They stood with their bodies so close together, he could smell her shampoo and feel her breast against him. His cock thickened at
the contact.
“I’ll lift you up,” he whispered. Feeling for her arms, he placed his hands in her armpits and lifted her. “Find a ladder ring to sit on.”
She did as he instructed and placed her hands on his shoulders as she spread her legs to allow room for both of them.
He felt her short breaths on his cheek, and he imagined her looking at him, her blue eyes hooded with passion.
Lifting his hand, he cupped the side of her face, her skin silken beneath his fingers.
“Better?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
Before he knew it, his thumb located her mouth, and he traced her lips. He wanted Holly, and it seemed impossible to stop his actions.
Leaning in, his mouth found hers. Their lips barely touched, but neither tried to move away. After a few seconds, she laced her arms around his neck and pulled, the millimeters separating them now gone. Their bodies melded together as her tongue slowly traced his lips, parting them. Heat exploded within him as his hands ran up and down her rib cage and she pressed herself into him. He felt every inch of their contact, setting his body on fire and the ache of need pulsing throughout him while his cock throbbed.
Holly sighed and wrapped her legs around him. He forgot where he stood, that they could be in danger, that whatever this was between them had been built upon lies he’d told. He became consumed with their dancing tongues and the excitement that raced through his body, the desperate coil of need that built within him at such a quick rate.
Voices belonging to two men broke through his haze and he pulled away. Her body tensed, so she must have heard them as well. He realized they came from behind them, from inside the bunker.
“Everything’s fine in here. Let’s blow,” one man said.
“I can’t believe we have to check out these bunkers.”
“I know. It’s a dumb fucking job. Like anyone would ever come out here and hang out in one of these things.”
“Like they could even get in.”
The voices faded, and Justice concentrated, hoping to hear the crunch of tires. Holly’s hands rested on his shoulders, her breath warm against his cheek. When he thought he heard them leaving, he waited a few more minutes and then reached up and unlocked the hatch, pushing it open.
