Destiny's Shift

by Fall, Carly

  “I think it will be fine. We’ll get the others out and get the hell out of here and on with our lives.”

  The silence stretched, and he could swear she was asleep, except he could still see the light pink glow from her eyes.

  “I want your words to be truthful, Jovan, but I’m afraid I have my doubts.”

  He hugged her close. “Don’t jinx it, Liberty. Think positive thoughts, okay?”

  She nodded, and her hand made absent circles on his stomach. “I just hope you won’t be injured tomorrow.”

  “Me too,” he said, chuckling.

  A few minutes later, she turned her gaze up to him. “Jovan, I feel sleepy now, but if it is okay with you, I would like to stay.”

  He kissed her forehead, deciding he liked the sound of that. “Sounds good.”

  Minutes later they were sound asleep.

  Chapter 37

  Liberty woke up to Jovan’s hand running up her hip, his lips on her neck, and the soft patter of rain outside.

  It felt wonderful.

  She turned on her back and met his green stare. He said nothing but brought his lips to hers, and the ache in her belly bloomed.

  Threading her hands through his hair, she held him close.

  His hand moved up her thigh and under her shirt, stopping at her breasts and gently massaging them.

  She ran her hands down his arms, marveling at the beauty of the male form, tracing the lumps of hard flesh, and her core warmed further.

  His touch went to her panties, and he gently massaged her through the soft fabric. It was as though the world around her disappeared and all that mattered was the behemoth of the man that hovered above her and what he was doing to her body. Her blood hummed, her heart pounded, and she found her hips gyrating to his touch.

  Lifting his lips from hers, he sat her up and slowly pulled off her shirt. She lay back down on the pillows, and he grabbed the strings of her underwear and brought them down her legs.

  She looked him over as he sat before her on his knees, and her eyes fixed on his hips and the large tent his boxers were making. Nervousness coursed through her and she met his eyes.

  “It’s okay, Liberty,” he said in a hoarse voice. “We’re going to be okay.”

  She nodded and watched as he removed his boxers.

  Oh my word. That was going where?

  He lay down on top of her again, and she felt the long length against her belly.

  He kissed her again, and her worry dissipated.

  She longed to ask him what he felt, but couldn’t find her words. Instead, she opened herself up to catch a glimpse of his feelings.

  Sadness. A sort of finality. Longing. Desire.

  Such a mix of emotions. She wondered what was causing such a conundrum.

  She found his tongue with her own and loved his taste. It was raw, and just a little sour, but delicious nonetheless.

  He urged her legs apart with his own, and she yielded. She felt the tip of his sex against hers, and her breath caught. Lifting himself up so that he loomed above her, he said nothing, just looked down at her.

  She noticed a sheen of sweat on his skin, and she ran her hands up and down his arms, feeling uncertainty.

  She simply nodded her head, and his hips thrust forward. A searing, red-hot pain tore through her, and she gasped and closed her eyes. He didn’t move for what seemed like an eternity, and as the discomfort finally eased, she met his eyes again.

  And simply nodded.

  His hips retreated and thrust forward again. A lesser pain rippled through her, but behind it was a wave of pleasure. He came down to her, his lips meeting hers again.

  As his hips moved, she allowed herself to be swept away in the moment. She ran her hands through his hair, down his back, over his behind, marveling at the way his body moved during the intimate act.

  He moved at a faster pace, and the tidal wave she had experienced earlier began to brew.

  No words had yet to be spoken, and it seemed that there were none that needed to be said.

  The sheen of sweat over his body grew, as did his breathing. She opened herself up even more, allowing the exploration of his feelings.

  She felt a drive, an unmitigated wanting . . . and . . . love?

  That inkling of a feeling quickly disappeared.

  Shutting her gift down, she focused on the sensations going through her body.

  Minutes later, the wave grew stronger, the coil within her core intense, and she shattered apart from the inside. Jovan let out a groan. As he pumped into her harder and faster, she felt as though she couldn’t be stretched any further, but she didn’t care. She knew when he orgasmed; she felt the pulsing of his release within her. His breath caressed her neck as she gently traced her fingers up and down his back.

  He slid from her core and looked down at her. His eyes went from piercing green to black as the morning rays of the sun made their way through the blinds.

  “Good morning,” she whispered.

  He gave her a small grin. “Yes.” His smile faded, and he gently brought his lips to hers.

  He got up from the bed, and Liberty turned to her side watching him dress for the mission. Slipping on some dirt-colored camo pants, a dirt-colored t-shirt and combat boots, he moved to another bag where he put on two leg holsters. She couldn’t see the guns, but heard the metal sliding as he checked them and then he put them in his leg holsters. He came to the bed and sat down, running his hand through his hair.

  “Thanks,” he said quietly, looking at the floor. “Thanks for helping me make my life a little more livable again.” He looked at her and took her hand. “You’re a very special female, Liberty. You have a good heart and a strong spirit.”

  Liberty breath caught in her throat. This sounded like some type of goodbye, and this made her stomach hurt as fear coiled within her.

  “Jovan, please be careful today.”

  “I will.”

  “Why does this sound like goodbye?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I just wanted to let you know how I feel about you.”

  There was knock on the door. “Time to saddle up, Jovan. Let’s move.”

  They stared at each other as they listened to Rayner knock on Blake’s door. “Come on, Blake.”

  “I gotta go,” he whispered.

  He kissed her again and walked to the door, not looking back. As it clicked shut, she listened to the rumbles of the three male voices in the hallway. They faded, and then there was a deafening silence.

  She turned onto her stomach and felt the remnants of their sex pool between her legs.

  Again she had used her gift to get a read on Jovan when he took her hand in his. She didn’t sense any fear, but more of a loss, almost a sadness or a depression. Tears clouded her vision as she realized that Jovan didn’t think he would be coming back.

  Chapter 38

  Blake stared out the window of the brown Hummer, rain pouring out of the sky as though Mother Nature herself was crying as they flew down Highway 19 toward the Mexican border. Rayner drove and Jovan occupied the front seat. The two of them looked as though they were ready for war, while he looked like some fucking desk dweeb in his gray slacks, blue polo shirt, and white doctor’s coat.

  The hunt for doctors’ coats hadn’t gone well, and when he was the only one who fit into one, it was decided that he would play the role of the physician. They agreed that Jovan and Rayner could play the military escorts without too much acting.

  Like zero.

  There had been the worry that Blake would be recognized, so he visited the local hipster clothing store and bought some glasses that didn’t have prescription lenses. Faith and Liberty also decided that they would dye the stubble on his head blond, which he fought.

  That battle was quickly lost.

  Because his hair had gone from black to blond, that meant his eyebrows needed to as well. Faith had joked about the curtains matching the rug, and he had considered it until he caught the gazes of Rayner and Jovan.
The thought of two pretty women messing around with his junk had a high appeal, but the beat down that was promised in Rayner and Jovan’s stares caused him to draw the line at dying the carpet.

  Fuckers.

  So now they were on their way to Area 2, and Blake was feeling confident in their plan. They were going to get those aliens out of there.

  He’d been giving a lot of thought of what he wanted out of the Six Saviors for his Intel on getting their people back. He couldn’t go back to his old life, especially after they pulled this off; he’d be a wanted man.

  Looking at the back of Jovan’s head, he noted the guy looked like he had just rolled out of bed. His long hair was a tangled mess, and Blake wondered why he didn’t get it cut.

  “I don’t like people touching me,” Jovan said, turning around in the seat to glare at him.

  Blake smiled and looked out at the passing landscape again. He wondered how often the guy sat around and read people’s thoughts.

  “Not very often. I actually hate it.”

  “Well, then mind your own business and stay out of my head.”

  Jovan flipped him the bird and said, “You’re not that interesting anyway.”

  Blake chuckled. So after this mission, he wondered what he would do. He really did like the Warriors, and they were hidden. He thought about what he could bring to the table for them. Being a now ex-FBI guy, he could bring his knowledge of the agency and how it worked. Besides that, he couldn’t think of a damn thing besides his good looks and sterling personality.

  He and Jovan seemed to get along the best out of all the Warriors. Rayner was pretty wrapped up in Faith, but he seemed nice enough. Noah had been cool, and Hudson wasn’t too bad once he was convinced that Blake was on his side. He never met Cohen, and Talin was a mess, but seemed like an okay guy.

  What would happen if he asked to stay with them? Be a part of their group, help them catch Colonists, and now dodge the FBI? Not to mention The Platoon that had landed and wanted the Six Saviors dead. Yeah, these guys had a lot on their plates, and maybe they’d appreciate another set of hands and another broad body. He’d ask. If they said no, he had no idea what he’d do. Maybe get a new identity and move to another country.

  The thing was he felt like he belonged with these people. He was part SR44 after all, just not a good part.

  “You’re going to want to turn right up here, Rayner. By that rock.”

  Rayner veered off the road, almost clipping the rock, and they bounced through the desert.

  After a few minutes, Rayner asked, “Are you sure this is the right way? I’m not seeing anything but cacti and sagebrush.”

  “Yep. Just head for those rocks up there.”

  “Is that it?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Smooth.”

  “Just pull up like we own the place.”

  “That’s the way we roll.”

  Jovan slipped a headset on. “Can you hear me, Talin?”

  There was a brief pause as he waited for Talin’s response. Talin was tapped into the government system and making all of Jovan’s commands happen. “Okay, we’re about a quarter mile out. Kill the cameras on my go,” Jovan said into the headset.

  A minute later, Jovan gave the go, and they pulled up to the pile of rocks. It was only when you were right on top of the structure that you could tell it was fake.

  “Okay, ladies,” Jovan said, “it’s show time.”

  Jovan and Rayner got out of the Hummer, and Jovan opened the door for Blake. “Don’t get used to this,” he mumbled as Blake stepped out.

  They fell in line with Rayner and Jovan flanking Blake.

  “Open the doors, Talin, on three,” Jovan said quietly.

  Blake made a pass with his hand over a pad to the left, as if he were carrying a key card. Jovan muttered “three” into the headset and the doors opened into a lobby area.

  The walls were stark white, and the only piece of furniture in the small space was a wooden desk with a guard sitting behind it who looked like he might die of boredom.

  “Hey, doc,” he said, standing up. He was about thirty years old and terribly average looking with brown hair, brown eyes, and crooked teeth. Blake took note of the gun at his hip, and did a quick glance around the room for any other weapons.

  “Soldier,” Blake said in his best I-am-a-far-superior-being-than-you voice, “I’m here to transport our guests to a new facility.”

  The soldiers frowned. “I didn’t get any paperwork about that.”

  Blake rolled his eyes. “Of course you didn’t. We don’t issue paperwork on such highly classified transports until the day it’s going to occur.”

  The guard looked over Blake, then turned his gaze to Rayner and Jovan. Blake noted Jovan’s hand resting on top of one of the guns strapped to his leg.

  Blake pulled out a stack of papers from his pocket and slapped them on the desk.

  The soldier picked them up and looked them over. “Everything seems to be in order . . .”

  It was close, but not perfect, and if this guy had any experience, he would catch the inconsistencies.

  Blake leaned his hands on the desk. “I’m really in a hurry,” he said in a quiet tone. “And I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

  The guard nodded and pushed a button. The wall to their right slid back, revealing a hallway with a white floor and white walls. It almost looked like a path to heaven, except Blake knew what really went on, and the actions that took place down that hall didn’t exactly fall on the heavenly side.

  “Go ahead,” the guard said.

  Blake led the way.

  There were a few doors open, most of them doctors’ offices.

  “We’re in,” Jovan whispered into the headset.

  Blake marched down the corridor with Rayner and Jovan behind him. He nodded to a few people they passed as though he knew them. It was all about looking like he belonged there.

  “Twenty seconds until we need the door open, Jovan,” he whispered.

  “On my go, Talin. Door number one.”

  At the end of the corridor, he stopped in front of a white door.

  “Go,” Jovan whispered, and Blake ran his hand over the side panel as he had done at the entrance.

  The door opened, and there was a body lying on a cot in the corner. Blake recognized the being right away. “Jovan, I believe this is Annis. Stay here with her and get her ready to go while I take Rayner into the next rooms, okay?”

  “Here,” Jovan said, handing Rayner the headset. “You need this.”

  Rayner strapped it on and followed Blake down the hall.

  The same routine was replayed again, but this time the room was empty, as was the third room.

  On the fourth door, it popped open to reveal a man sitting on bed with his wrists and ankles shackled. He stood to his six-foot-eight height as they entered and gave them a long, hard stare.

  Blake hadn’t seen him before. He was bigger than any of the Six Saviors, both in height and girth. His brown hair hung to the collar of his snug, black t-shirt, and his legs looked like they would burst the seams of his black sweatpants. The guy looked like he could snap Blake in half with a flick of the wrist, and his dark eyes were menacing.

  “Do not come near me, you piece of shit medical practitioner,” he hissed.

  Rayner stepped around Blake. In a language Blake never heard before, Rayner said something that made the man more enraged.

  “Are you one of the Six Saviors? The ones who are responsible for the decimation of our race, for our homeland being destroyed?”

  “Look, asshole,” Rayner said quietly, stepping up to the man. “I’ve got orders from Noah that all of our people are to be taken out of here. You, unfortunately, qualify. You can either stay here and die, which you will do, or you can forget your inaccurate bullshit for a few minutes and help us get you to safety. You have about two seconds to choose before I decide to leave your big ass here to be sliced and diced in the name of science.”

/>   There was a pause.

  “One. Two.”

  Rayner turned and Blake was right on his heels.

  “Wait!” the guy said.

  Rayner and Blake turned around.

  “All right. Get me out of here.”

  Rayner nodded. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

  “It’s Micah.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  “Yes.” He pulled up his t-shirt to reveal a slew of white bandages.

  Rayner nodded. “Fine. I get you out of here, and then you go your own way, understand? I don’t like rude people.”

  “And I would much rather be on my own than anywhere near your treacherous soul.”

  “Whatever.”

  Rayner took out a small knife and went to work on the shackles. A minute later he had the iron clasps free.

  “Let’s go,” Blake said.

  They went to the door and Blake peeked out.

  Stepping into the hallway, he tapped on the door where they had left Jovan. It opened, and Jovan stood with Annis.

  “Her leg is still messed up,” Jovan whispered. “She’s not too steady on her feet.”

  “I shall be fine, Warrior,” she stated.

  Blake noticed how beautiful she was. She stood at about six feet tall with skin the color of dark milk chocolate. Her hair fell to her shoulders in small braids, her mouth a lovely red pillow. She looked thinner than the last time he saw her, but there was still that spark of defiance in the way she carried herself that he had noted before. He remembered her screams as they shoved needles into her eyes.

  Since it was daytime, she was blind, so this would be a challenge. As if Jovan was reading Blake’s thoughts, he took her arm and wrapped it around his neck, then put his arm around her waist.

  “So to get out of here, me and you, we’re like glue, okay?” he said with a slight smile.

  She grinned. “Very well.”

  “Liberty wanted us to tell you that she’s waiting for you, Annis. Where are the others?” Blake said, looking to Annis and Micah.

  “There were four of us taken from the crash site. I believe two have passed on to another life,” Annis said quietly.