In Pieces (A Finding Peace Novel)

by Christa Lynn

  “Jo, you’re freezing,” Kane says as he takes my wet clothes off and wraps a large towel around my shaking body.

  “I can’t, Kane. Leave me alone,” I say as I try and pull away.

  “Jo, you’re borderline hypothermic. I need to warm you up.”

  “Fuck warm, I want to be cold. You should have let me freeze in there,” I scream as I beat on his chest. “I don’t want to do this anymore, Kane. Just let me go,” I cry as he pulls me against his bare chest. I don’t even know when he took his shirt off, but he needs to get away. “No, Kane, please. I can’t …” I heave into his chest as he carries me out of the bathroom and into my room.

  He sets me gently in the bed and takes his jeans off and crawls in next to me. “No, go away!” I cry, his naked body now flush with mine.

  “Sleep, Jo, you’ll feel better when you wake up.”

  “I don’t want to wake up, let me die, please!”

  “Never, I’ll never let you go, Jo. You can cry, argue, scream, hit me … I don’t care, I’m not letting you go.”

  “Why the fuck not? I’m damaged goods, I’ve been abused and raped, I’ve killed men, I’ve lost everything, and I don’t want to do this anymore,” I snub.

  “You know why not? Because you are the strongest woman I’ve ever met. You put up a good front for everyone, but I know deep inside how vulnerable you are.”

  “And yet you lay here naked beside me, taking—”

  “I am not taking advantage of you, Jo. Damn it, you should know that by now.”

  “I don’t know anything, Kane. I’m frail, I’m weak and I’m done, just let me go.”

  “Never, Jo. You mean more to me that that, and I’ll die trying to prove that to you.”

  “You lied to me,” I cry. “After all the shit that I’ve been through, you fucking lie to me. You beg me to trust you to take care of me, and then you lie! I can’t Kane, I just can’t. Leave me be and let me do what I need to do.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “End it.”

  “Not on my watch, you don’t,” he says, pulling me closer, his fingers running through my hair trying to calm me.

  “I’m not your project, Kane. I’m a woman that’s been through some shit, shit you’ll never understand. Now I know how Emma feels, she just let her feelings out quicker than I did. But no more, I’m tired of faking being strong.”

  “You’re not faking it, you are strong. Look at Luke, you took him out without fear. You stood for what you believed in and you didn’t let him take that from you again. You are strong, and it’s time you admitted it. And you can’t do that to your brother,” he says.

  “My brother,” I whisper.

  “Yes, Hank. The one person in this world you wanted to find, I found him.”

  “Thank you for that, but I need to be alone right now,” I say, trying to pull away from him.

  “Not on your life,” he says, tugging me back.

  I can’t stand it anymore, so I just beat my pillow with my hands and let the tears flow like rain, soaking the cotton pillow case. He holds me until exhaustion sets in, and I finally settle and fall asleep, my dreams taking over and taking me away from this shit hole of a world we live in.

  When I finally open my eyes, I’m a little calmer than I was. Kane’s warm body is still pressed against mine, his arm draped over me and his hand rests on my hip. His breathing is shallow, and I can tell he’s asleep. I lie here and wonder why he stayed, after all I said earlier. He betrayed me by not telling me he was going to Arrow’s Crossing, and after realizing my brother is here, I totally lost it. I am stronger than that, and I can’t let my vulnerability show again. I lie here and think about what I’m going to do next.

  Then Kane’s fingers start to move against my skin, gently caressing me, letting me know he’s awake. I lay still, because I’m not ready to talk to him yet. I’m still angry that he lied to me, after begging me to trust him. I’m sure he had his reasons, but still. He wants trust, it has to go both ways and he can’t be hypocritical about it. “I know you’re awake,” he whispers.

  I turn in his arms and face him, staring into his brown eyes but before I can speak he kisses me, a soft and sweet kiss, as his fingers come up and stroke my cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth,” he whispers. “But we’ll go back one day, after the war is over.”

  “This damned war will never be over,” I say as I try and get out of bed, but he pulls me back to him, my naked body falling on top of his.

  “You have beautiful breasts,” he says as he takes them both into his hands, then sitting up to wrap his lips around my nipple.

  “Mm, stop. I’m still mad at you,” I say trying to pull my nipple out of his mouth, but he presses his teeth around it, sending a tingle through my body straight between my legs. “Fuck, stop it,” I say, though, he doesn’t stop.

  “You don’t mean that,” he says around my nipple, his tongue circling the hardened bud, his other hand squeezing and tugging on the other. My hips instinctively grind against his hard cock, and I can’t seem to stop it. “That’s it, baby, grind those hips,” he says around my nipple. He presses his teeth a little harder, and the wetness seeps from my pussy as I grind on his hard cock, his slick length pressing against my most sensitive area. “You’re so wet, I knew you didn’t want to stop,” he says as he raises his hips to add pressure. His fingers dig into my hips and he rolls with me. He reaches down and grabs his cock as he lifts me up a little higher, pressing the head of his cock against me. “Slowly,” he whispers as I lower myself onto his cock.

  “Mm,” I groan. I lean forward and he takes my nipple into his mouth and sucks so hard I almost cum on the spot, but I push it back. I slowly raise my hips so that nothing but the tip of him is inside, before I slam back down on him, just as his hips raise, a thick grunt rolling from his throat.

  “Fuck,” he groans as I ride his length, my hips grinding and circling against him, the friction hitting my clit. “Oh, no you don’t,” he barks as he sits up and grabs my hips, pushing me to my back before pressing into me slowly. “You’re not going to cum that fast, princess. I’m not done with you yet,” he says as he slows down his thrusts, his mouth kissing my neck. His thrusts are slow and deep, so unlike the last time in the arms room. That was pure, hard fucking, this is not. His mouth and lips trace my shoulder as his cock slides slowly in and out, pulling the desire from my bones.

  He’s driving me crazy, but he’s taking his time. He pulls out and pushes my legs back, exposing all of me to his gaze. His hungry eyes explore my body before he presses his face between my legs, and gently drags his tongue through my folds. His breath is warm, and as he groans against me, I feel my body tense up.

  “Relax, Jo. Let me make love to you,” he whispers as his mouth crashes down on my pussy. “Just lay back and feel, turn your mind off and focus on my mouth.”

  That mouth is lethal, in more ways than one. I tried to stay mad at him, but then he does this and I’m putty in his hands. My skin melts under his touch, his tongue, his breath. I’m heated and wet, and I feel like I’ve been transported to another world, which is exactly where I want to be; where I need to be right now. His fingers are rough against my skin as he spreads me open to his gaze, and his mouth, which is warm and fierce against my aching core.

  He feasts on me like a starving man, my legs shaking and tense as he pulls my orgasm from me. I close my eyes and focus on the sensations, the heat and the sensuality of his mouth on me. He pushes two fingers inside me, stroking in and out, as I feel the now familiar tingle running up my spine. Only this time not only is it familiar, but it’s different. It’s calming and soothing, not frantic and rushed. He’s worshipping my body, only giving and no taking. He’s loving me and giving me the comfort that I need, proving to me that he’s not the bad guy, that he only wants what’s best for me.

  As another orgasm wracks through my body, he lifts his head and crawls over my body, his eyes piercing mine. “That is the way it’
s supposed to be,” he says as he pushes his hard cock so deep inside me that my back arches and my pussy stretches to accommodate his length. He rocks against me, filling me with desire. He rests he body on top of mine, his lips caressing my neck as he makes love to me, slow and sweet. “You feel so good,” he moans against my neck as I drag my fingernails down his back. My hands find his ass and I squeeze, prompting him to go harder. Faster.

  “You need more, baby?” he groans.

  “Yes, I need more.”

  “Then you’ll get more, princess. You can have everything I am, and everything I desire to be,” he moans as he lifts my legs up, his cock going deeper and deeper inside me, hitting all of the right spots. The lust—or is it love—in his eyes as he strokes into me has my insides quivering as he spills his seed inside me, filling me with his own desire. “You can have all of me,” he says as his chest falls onto mine, the warmth of his body enveloping me.

  We lie there for a few minutes before he rolls off of me and pulls me against him. “I have something for you,” he says as he reaches back to the floor and picks his jeans up. He pulls out a small piece of paper and hands it to me. As my eyes focus on it, I realize it’s a photo of my family, all four of us in front of our house, during better times. I finger the photo as a tear crests my eye. I know now, that I have to fight for our hopes and dreams, that I can’t let these bastards get away with tearing my family apart, with tearing this country apart. “When do we leave?” I choke out.

  “Soon, princess. Soon.” He smiles.

  Kane

  Jo’s eyes focus on the photo, and I see the hope come back into her eyes. “We have to gather more forces, but then we head to Brampton. That’s target number one. Once we gain control of that, we move onto the next,” I say.

  “Why Brampton?” she asks, her body tensing up. I stroke my finger down her arm in comfort, but I can tell that’s not where she wants to go.

  “Best place to start. I have two women under my care here that lived a nightmare there. I want revenge and once we take them down, our army will be bigger. Stronger. I can imagine there have to be some men there that don’t want to be there, that don’t agree with what the Heretics are doing, like Hank. He got out, I’m sure there are others that will be more than willing to help blow the place up.”

  “You’re going to blow it up?” Jo asks as she sits up, her eyes still focused on the photo.

  “Once we get everyone out, yes. We’re going to light up the sky and send Brampton into the upcoming history books.”

  She nods, but I can tell she’s not comfortable with this. “Look, you, Hank and Emma are the only ones that know that place. You can get us inside; you know who the bad guys are.”

  “They’re all bad, Kane,” she murmurs as she leans the photo up against the oil lamp.

  “Not all. There are men there that don’t want to be there anymore than the women do. We’ll find them, and they’ll help us. Abe is out and about today, visiting the other Merc compounds and setting up the plan. Only a few of us will go in, check it out. Then once we know who’s who, we’ll take it down. Hank says there’s an alley off to the side that we can get in and out.”

  “They change it up, Kane. What might have been an escape route before, might be heavily armed now.”

  “I know, but we have to get there first. And once we do, we set our plans into motion.”

  “What if …” she fades off.

  “What if what?”

  “People are going to die, Kane. More people, and the Heretics don’t care who they kill. And since it’s me they want, aren’t you putting me right in the line of fire?”

  She’s right, and using her for bait is not what I want to do, but Emma is to weak and vulnerable. “Look, if you think I like this, think again. I would prefer you somewhere safe and protected, but you’ll be better protected with me. And you know your way around. But I won’t force you, if you want to stay back I’ll do that too, but I’ll stay with you. I don’t trust any of my men to take care of you.”

  “Damn it, Kane! Haven’t you figured out that I don’t need or want yours or anyone else's protection? I can take care of myself, I’ve proven that,” she cries, so I pull her back against me again.

  “Princess, I’ve seen how you take care of yourself. You were borderline hypothermic in the shower last night. Had I not found you, you might not be here.”

  “Oh, so now you’re my hero?” she huffs. I press my lips against her ear, and I feel her body shudder. “In case you’ve forgotten, I sliced a man’s neck open and smiled as he bled out.”

  “Yeah, and that’s what’s gotten you into this mess. So either I stay here with you, or you go with me. Those are our only two choices, but you will be with me.”

  “You don’t own me, Kane.”

  “No?” I say as I kiss her frantically, her lips part and allowing my tongue inside. She sucks my tongue into her mouth and I roll on top of her. “I gave you all of me, Jo. Now, I need all of you.”

  She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before opening her eyes once again. “Okay,” she whispers.

  “Did I hear you say ‘okay’?” I ask, making sure she understands what she’s getting into.

  “Yes, okay,” she repeats. I kiss her on the nose and jump out of bed, tugging my jeans on. As I fasten the button, I see her eyes scan my chest.

  “Oh, you can have all of that too, princess. Later.” I wink. “Right now, we have plans to make. Get dressed and meet me downstairs, I’ll gather the others in the kitchen, and we’ll start our plan to take over the world,” I laugh an evil laugh. She smiles and sits up, pulling the blanket over her naked chest. “And I’ll have some of that later as well.” I grin, my eyes holding on her chest. She blushes, and it’s the most beautiful shade of pink I’ve ever seen. I lean down and kiss her, brushing my tongue against her lips. “I’ll see you downstairs,” I say as I exit the room, the door clicking louder in my ringing ears. My heart is racing and my blood is pumping. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever met is under my thumb and with me on this.

  This world is not a happy place, but she’s made me happier than I’ve been in years, and I plan to make her proud of me, and glad that she agreed to be mine in this cruel world which has lost love and peace. Now, we’re going to make it together and bring those things back. It’s time we face the Heretics and take them down, once and for all.

  I enter the kitchen and Dale, Joel, and Walt are sitting quietly. “What’s up?” I ask.

  “We just heard about the woman that Luke guy killed, came up on her grave,” Joel responds solemnly. “When will this shit end, Kane?”

  “Soon, my friend,” I say as I pat him on the back. “Soon, we head to Brampton. Are you men ready to fight for what’s right?” I say, sounding like a high school cheerleader.

  They look up at me, a dim light in their eyes. “Brampton?” Walt asks.

  “Yep, that’s our first attack zone,” I say as Jo walks into the kitchen, her hair up in a ponytail and a soft glow upon her cheeks. Joel looks at me, then at Jo and smiles as Jo walks to the window and looks out. She stays there for a while before I finally walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist, effectively claiming my property in front of the men that sit at the table. I follow her gaze and see Hank and Emma sitting by the river, obviously in deep conversation. Jo glances at me, her eyes full of confusion. “Sometimes it just takes the right person to bring out the best in another. If Hank can do it for Emma, then we have two strong women on our team,” I whisper to her before kissing her cheek and walking to the door.

  “Hey, guys, can you come inside?” I holler out the door. Hank looks back and stands, holding his hand out for Emma to take. She blushes but takes it and stands up, Hank not letting go of her. They walk to the house hand-in-hand and I open the door for them. Emma drops her eyes almost in embarrassment before scooting past me into the kitchen. She looks up and sees Jo and they stare at each other briefly before Jo smirks in approval. Hank lets Emma go an
d hugs Jo, and I realize the bond between the two siblings never died—even after thirteen years of separation.

  When Hank releases Jo, he sits down next to Emma, and Jo joins them on the other side. Her eyes shift to Emma and Emma lowers her gaze in a submissive manor, a rosy color on her cheeks. I see Jo place her hand on Emma’s thigh and squeeze in approval before letting her go. I expect she’s letting her go to be with Hank—giving her permission. Emma bats her eyelashes before looking at Hank, and the chemistry between them is palpable. Emma needs a man that can gain her trust, to let her know that there is good in this world. That loving and being loved is okay, Hell, it’s more than okay. It’s a necessary fact of life. Seeing those two makes me believe it’s all possible.

  Abe barrels in like an elephant in a china shop and drops his backpack in the corner, then scans the room. “What’s going on in here?” he asks.

  I grin at him, though I expect he’s not going to be happy seeing Emma with Hank, but it is what it is. Abe has always had an eye for Emma, but he could never get past her barriers. I’m not even sure how hard he tried, she was too much work. Hank seems to have gotten past them pretty quickly, proof that the right person can bring out the best in someone else. Hank may be Emma’s Yin, and he may be her Yang. That’s a good thing, though, I think it might make our raid on Brampton a little harder. If he’s over protective her, it could be a problem.

  Abe’s eyes hit Emma and become a little softer, but when he realizes Hank is holding her hand, they grow cold and hard. I place my hand on his shoulder in reassurance that it’s going to be all right. “Let it go, Abe,” I whisper in his ear. He nods and turns to the sink to wash the dirt off. “What have you been doing?”

  “Rebuilding the barn,” he growls.

  “Well, hold off. Plans have changed,” I say. “Go grab Dale and both your teams and meet us in the arms room,” I say. He nods and leaves, but not before taking one last look at Emma. His eyes pierce her and she looks down as Abe looks at Hank. They stare at each other and Hank nods, confirming to Abe that he won’t hurt her. Abe nods back and then looks at me, before heading out to gather the others.