by Dale Mayer
Still within the circle of Levi’s arms, Ice turned to look at them. “Did you get what he said about the other teams coming in?”
“Yes, and we have snipers outside picking them off one by one.”
“I doubt they got them all,” she said, stepping from Levi’s embrace. “He sounded way too smart for that. We need to keep an eye on the tunnel, make sure nobody is coming in that way.”
She dashed out of the bedroom to the top of the stairs and raced down them two at a time, Levi and Rhodes right behind her. On the main floor, Ice headed to the double doors in the tunnel. Finger to her lips, she then motioned toward the door. It moved slightly.
She stepped back as Levi and Rhodes eased forward. They pulled the door open and out tumbled one man in full night gear, combat ready, and equipped for war.
And he never had a chance to pull a gun. Levi was on him in seconds.
With the man subdued and Ice watching, the two men slipped down the tunnel to make sure nobody else was creeping their way in.
She stood there for not more than five minutes when Dave and one of his men came by and saw her holding a gun on the man on the ground. They quickly stepped in.
They tied him up and dragged him off to the single room they deemed the prisoner’s room.
As she watched them go, she realized they still had more modifications to do to the compound. Levi’s uncle had done a lot, but he hadn’t exactly been considering dead bodies and prisoners. After what they’d been through in the last couple days, she realized they were necessities. Tired but worried, she waited at the double doors for Levi to return.
And he did, ten minutes later. She searched his face. “Well?”
“All clear.”
“Any other prisoners?”
Levi threw an arm around her good shoulder and said, “Not alive.”
She winced. “We need a very large cooler, and a secure room for prisoners.”
“It’s already under consideration. I’ve been talking with Bullard about that. He has plans to convert the cooler rooms to a holding cell for prisoners and likely now a morgue.” He glanced around the place. “We have more than enough space for both.”
“We’d left off discussing further development on the assumption we’d know what we needed better down the road.”
“Right, and we certainly needed more than we thought we would.”
He led her back to the med bay. From the doorway she watched as six men were laid out on the ground. “We have to get Rodriguez from the bedroom to this area.”
He patted her on the shoulder and said, “I’ll go get him right now.” Rhodes walked out with him.
She counted the dead bodies and said to Stone, who came in carrying one more man in a fireman’s hold, “Are they all accounted for?”
“More on the hill to bring in.” He slowly lowered the body to the floor next to the other men. “They’re coming in right now.”
As she stood and watched, Bullard’s men brought in another two bodies and laid them down. She looked at the row of dead men and wondered how the hell Levi would handle this.
At a sound behind her, she stepped out of the way as Levi brought in Rodriguez’s body. As soon as he lowered his burden, Levi pulled out his phone and took a picture, first of Rodriguez, and then went down the aisle and took one of each man’s face. Then he stepped off to the side and made a call.
With any luck Jackson would have all the bodies collected fast. She glanced at Stone and, just to confirm, she asked, “Do these numbers match those we saw getting out of vehicles?”
“Yes, this is all of them.” Stone nodded. “Dave and his men checked both vehicles, and they were empty. They are bringing those here.”
With one last glance at the dead men filling the room, she turned and walked out. The last thing she wanted was to deal with the aftermath.
Ice headed into the kitchen to see Alfred busy making a meal for everybody. “Is it really that time already?” After all the bloodshed, she just wasn’t sure she could get a bite down.
“The men worked hard, an all-night thing. It’s definitely time for them to eat.”
Ice poured herself a coffee and sat down at the table. Sure enough, within ten to fifteen minutes, the room filled as the men came to tank up on food.
Even Sienna arrived and joined in. This time she was laughing and joking with Logan and the others. With a shy smile she took her place quite comfortably. Ice didn’t know the full story, but, from the sound of it, Sienna had made a place for herself here. And that was good.
The smell of the food hit Ice. Her stomach heaved. She quickly excused herself. Thankfully Levi’s room and bed had been cleaned up. She was heading there right now. A place she didn’t intend to leave any time soon.
*
Levi watched Ice go. Dead tired, she looked shaken. Then, of course, she had reason to be. She’d just been through a hell of an ordeal. She also hadn’t been impressed with the idea of food. He, on the other hand, needed to eat. And he proceeded to clean off his plate as fast as he could.
When he was done, he filled up his mug and quickly followed Ice upstairs. By the time he arrived and opened the door without knocking, she was already tucked into bed, her arm in a sling held close to her chest.
But the tears slowly cascading down her cheeks broke his heart. He stripped off his clothes and crawled into bed on the opposite side. He slid across the mattress and slipped his arm around her body, gently pulling her into his embrace.
And he just held her. He knew why the tears were coming, after what she’d been through. He just waited until the storm passed.
Ice was still in her underwear. She’d been trying to undress, he could see that, but at this point, she’d only gotten so far. That he could do for her. Pushing the covers down gently, he quickly unhooked her bra and slipped her arm free of the sling. Her creamy breasts rested freely against her chest. In a smooth motion, he pulled the covers farther down and slipped her panties right off. Then he grabbed the blankets and pulled them back up to her chest.
At least that way she’d sleep peacefully. Nothing worse than being constricted by clothing when you need a good rest.
Throughout his movements, neither said a word. She just let him do what he wanted. Her silence bothered him the most. He slowly rolled her over, being careful to not touch her injured arm, and asked her quietly, “Do you need another painkiller?”
She looked at him with huge tear-washed eyes glazed in pain. “Yes, please.”
He hopped up gingerly, so not to jar her arm, and got a glass of water from the bathroom. Back at her bedside he found the bottle of pills on her night table. He popped two out of the container and helped her to sit up so she could swallow them.
“Now rest.”
With a grateful smile she leaned against the pillows and closed her eyes. He walked around to his side of the bed and got in, then reached across and turned out the lights. It wasn’t exactly how he’d hoped to celebrate the end of a very long but successful day. Still it was more than he’d hoped for even a few days ago. She was beside him in his bed, living in his suite, and he was holding her in his arms.
In truth he was a very lucky man.
Chapter 20
When Ice woke, the pain in her arm had diminished, and she was warm and cozy. It was still evening because the light outside the windows was anything but bright.
She shifted to her back and smiled as Levi’s arms tightened around her. This was her man. He’d never been shy about saying what he wanted. Until he’d been injured, she’d thought the fight had been about children in their future and Bullard, but she realized it really hadn’t been those things at all.
It’d been about fear.
His fear.
And she understood. He’d been afraid he’d die, leaving her alone to raise a family. He’d been afraid he’d be a father like his own had been, and lately afraid about the extent of his injuries. Levi was a man’s man. Having always been big, strong, and virile, he’d
have a hard time if he was no longer that man.
Only how would he know when he hadn’t tried?
Because they hadn’t slept together since. And, instead of finding out early on and putting it to rest, it had become this huge issue in his head. She loved him no matter what. They’d have to find a way around this point if any of his fears came true, but she highly doubted it. This man was rock hard—all over. And if Rodriguez hadn’t disturbed them …
Just maybe this was the time to take them both over this hump.
With a sexy smile that she knew he couldn’t see, her fingers drifted across his huge broad shoulders, the ripped abs, muscled chest, the scars she used to know, each and every one. And a few new ones.
Ice lifted up on her good elbow to look at him. Lowering her head, she smoothed soft lips across his scars. She kissed his collarbone and the hollow beneath it. She stroked his chest and the curve of his neck, the shadow of whiskers overtaking his chin. He lay on his back, napping gently, as she explored the body of the man she loved so well.
With a flick, she tossed off the blankets and sat up so she could admire the beautiful male before her. Then her gaze landed on his hip and thigh at the groin where he’d taken such a heavy blow in the last accident.
Tears came to her eyes.
No wonder he’d been worried.
Ice hesitated to touch the mangled skin but couldn’t help herself. She reached out and stroked his hip, her fingers gently soothing over the still pink scars. Dear God, it had been close.
Unable to help herself, Ice reached down and kissed it, her tongue gently stroking the shiny flesh, leaving a trail of kisses across his hip and pelvis. With her head against his belly, she just lay there for a moment holding him close. If she’d lost him … she wouldn’t survive.
And seeing his injuries open like this … all he’d hidden from her …
Dear God, it brought it all back again. The fear, the pain. The shock and horror of the loss.
Instead of tears welling up this time, all she wanted was to hold him close and keep him safe. When he shifted under her, his thighs stretching out and wrapping around her … she smiled.
Not because of his instinctive leg movements, but because of another one. One between her breasts.
His erection swelled to a hard insistent rod between them.
Perfect. She raised her head and dropped kisses across the breadth of his hips, loving the way they moved underneath her ministrations. She softly ran her hands down his thighs, gently teasing his kneecaps before sliding smoothly to the inside, climbing with slow, gentle strokes as she moved up his inner thighs.
She smiled when she heard his protesting murmur.
He’d always been ticklish.
But he could deal with it. He always had.
Because she loved to tease.
She reached up to caress the soft globes hanging down between his legs. At least they didn’t appear to be damaged. She felt a little scar tissue at the top and definitely found a change in the hair pattern from the scars. But, all in all, it didn’t look to be that bad. Now.
But what she could see went deeper. There were indents where there should have been muscle. She shook her head, her smile falling away as she slowly sat up, realizing how close he actually came to losing his leg, his genitals, and so much more.
“Don’t look. It’s ugly.” Strong hands reached down to pull her up, but she refused.
Instead she sat back and glared at him. “The scars are nothing. It’s the first time I’ve seen how badly hurt you were. How much you tried to keep from me.” She shook her head. “My God, you could have died.”
“But I didn’t.” His gentle voice reached her ears. “I’m all healed now.” There was a bit of a pause, then he added, his tone wry with innuendo, “Obviously.”
She smiled in the half light, and, with a wicked smirk, she said, “You know, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually seen this. Maybe I should take a closer look.” And she reached out with both hands and wrapped her fingers around his erection.
He gasped and arched his hips, pushing his erection deeper into her hands.
She gave a gentle laugh and stroked and caressed the full length of his shaft. Using her thumb, she gently spread the moisture beading over the head. He groaned. She smiled, then reached down and kissed the ridge, licking, until his cries couldn’t be ignored.
“Dear God, Ice, please come to me, please. It’s been so long.”
“And whose fault is that?” she asked with a gentle smile.
Because of her arm, she shifted up until she was straddling his hips, his shaft between her legs, and she gently rode the full length of him, but refused to take him inside.
His hands reached for her, but she pulled back just out of range. He fell back down, and his eyes burned with passion as he studied her. His voice guttural and deep, he said, “You’re so damn beautiful. I thought I’d lost you forever.”
She lifted up and positioned his shaft at the heart of her and reached out with her good hand to grasp his.
With her gaze locked on his, she lowered herself down, hearing his cries deep within his throat, her own welling up. She was almost fully seated when he let go of her hand, cupped her breasts, and then slid his hands to her hips, where he grasped her firmly and lunged upward, placing himself where he belonged—at the heart of her.
She let out a long, slow moan as she was filled to the hilt. Her muscles, not used to such activity any longer, took a moment to adjust to the stretch. She shuddered as her body rejoiced at being one with Levi. Once again being connected to him.
Only very quickly that wasn’t enough. She leaned forward, placed her good hand on his shoulder and started to ride.
And she was a natural horsewoman.
With his hands on her hips to hold her close, he let her set the pace. Passion twisted, coiling tighter and tighter within her.
When the tremor erupted deep inside, she arched her back and cried out.
Levi groaned beneath her. “No, no, not yet, not yet.”
Grabbing her hips, he surged upward and held her in place as he pounded into her.
She cried out as a kaleidoscope of emotions rippled through her. Beneath her, his body lunged up one final time before he collapsed on the bed, shuddering. She sank down on top of him, their bodies slick with sweat.
“So good,” he murmured, his hands running up and down her spine. “God, I missed you.”
She propped herself up on her good arm and stared down at him. “So why did you make us wait?”
He closed his eyes for a moment. She reached down and kissed the tip of his nose.
His eyes flew open. “It seemed like I couldn’t catch a break or find a way to fix our problems. Then with my injuries, I wasn’t the same. Not whole.”
She laughed. “You are as healthy and virile as you ever were.”
“Maybe. But maybe not,” he said in a low voice. “That doesn’t mean I can give you children.” He groaned. “And I hadn’t really realized how I would feel about that until that possibility came up. I do want children. As long as they’re yours.” He reached up and stroked the side of her face, bringing tears to her eyes.
“If you can’t, then that’s fine. The important thing is you’re alive and healthy and well. And I hadn’t realized just how close we came to losing you until I saw the scars. Please don’t ever hide something like that from me again. You pushed me away. And that hurt more than anything.”
“I wanted you to have the best. I wanted you to have someone whole, healthy. And, if it couldn’t be me, then I wanted you to be with Bullard.”
She leaned back slightly and said in an accusing voice, “And yet he’s the reason why we fought?”
“That was before I got injured,” he admitted. “Afterward, then he seemed like the better man for you.”
Frowning, she sat back up and slapped him lightly on the chest. Well, that explained a lot of the hot and cold that he had put her through. The mixed messages s
he’d been getting.
Now she understood.
And none of it mattered.
She loved him. That was the most important thing.
“You’re an idiot,” she said gently.
“Maybe, but I’m your idiot.” He tugged her down close. “Did you ever think about Mason and his group of Keepers?”
She laughed and snuggled close. “I sure did. But it doesn’t apply to us as we’ve been together since forever.”
“But still …”
“I know. What we have … it’s special. You’re a legend in your own right.” She leaned over and kissed him. “And in the words of the Keepers—worth keeping.”
He pulled her closer and held her against his heart, then whispered, “How about we create our own legend? Our own tale to be told—a legendary love?”
She burrowed against him. She liked that. Liked to think they had their own pathway in this world, unique to them. She tilted her head back and looked up at him.
“Forever?”
The corner of his lips tilted. “Forever,” he promised. And kissed her.
Epilogue
The compound was secure once again. Bullard and his men were gone. Everyone was in clean-up mode. Even the computer system firewalls had been upgraded. Dave had done a bang-up job on that. Bullard had done a final walk-through of the security system with everyone at his side.
They’d all done a great job. Now Stone was compiling a supply list for the compound. He’d already done the R&D room. Bullard had left a list for the medical clinic. Stone needed to check on Alfred’s list for the kitchen next. Having that many extra people, they’d cleaned out much of the food supplies. And it had all been worth it. Stone turned and walked into the kitchen.
And stopped at the doorway, a smile on his face. Levi and Ice sat together at the smaller table off to the side. By the window. Holding hands. Their quiet happiness warming his own heart.
