“All Doves and little ones to the bunker. Two men stay with them, the rest, go to your homes and get ready for the worst!” he yelled.
“What’s going on?” a woman yelled.
“Should we arm up?” a man yelled.
Somehow, Pike had become the leader of the group, whether he wanted to or not. I imagined if Lauren’s husbands were here, especially Bentley, he’d step up too. Alé would’ve in a heartbeat. Dominic? He looked afraid.
“Go,” Pike yelled. “It might be nothing, but it’s not worth the chance. Just do what I said till this is sorted out or until one of the Seven says different!”
I heard the sound of the crowd scattering. Kicked grass, blankets and picnic paraphernalia scooped up, kids complaining as they were yanked by their arms.
My eyes were glued on Pike. He didn’t look scared at all but strong and ready.
“We should go,” Dominic said as he wrapped his arm around my waist.
I didn’t listen. I wanted to know what was going on and I didn’t feel afraid. Somehow I felt that Pike would protect me.
“Jess,” Pike yelled. “Go with Dominic. Get to the bunker. Please”
Out of everyone in the crowd, he was worried about me. He’d picked me out to give orders to. He wanted me protected. He’d said please.
He approached us and slapped a heavy hand on Dominic’s back.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” he said. “Probably the security team spotted a mountain lion or a bear or something. But follow emergency procedures just in case.”
Dominic only nodded.
Then more gun shots.
“Go! Now!” Pike ordered.
And I would have obeyed if I hadn’t heard the motorcycle roar to life. The sound of the metal beast sent shivers down my spine. We never had unexpected visitors and definitely never following gunshots.
From my spot in the park, I watched as a motorcycle barreled over the dirt road that led through town, kicking up a cloud of dust. It swerved. I knew very little about bikes but even with my limited knowledge I knew the way it jerked wasn’t normal. I couldn’t see the driver through the smoke but the motorcycle suddenly lost control and smashed into the chapel.
The crash was loud and the whining of the bike was louder. Half in and half out of the church, the motorcycle finally puttered and stalled.
Pike ran toward the church and I followed. Dominic raced after me. From behind I could hear him yelling for me to stop, but instincts took over. I was born to be a leader of this community and my man was jumping into action.
My man. He wasn’t yet. But he would be.
“Pike!” I yelled.
“Stay back,” he shouted with a hand out to try and hold me back. “They might be armed.”
I stopped and watched as he leapt over debris and grabbed the man driving the motorcycle. He was a big bearded biker with tattoos covering his arms. He was bleeding through his dirty tank top.
Pike lunged at him, grabbed his shirt, and yanked his face close to his.
“What have you done?” he asked.
The man tried to speak but was close to unconsciousness.
“Who are you?” Pike asked.
The man’s beard was full of blood and spit. He tried to answer but he couldn’t get a word out.
“Leave him alone!” came a woman’s voice from behind us.
I turned to see a girl dressed in all black, charcoal colored jeans and t-shirt. Her hair was long and brown with streaks of red in it. Her makeup was a mess and her face was soiled with road dust.
“They shot him!” she yelled.
Behind her several members of the security team were limping down the road. It seemed they were helping someone stand. They were. One of them was injured and was losing a lot of blood.
We were under attack. Security had shot the biker. The strange woman reached Pike and started pummeling his back with closed fists.
“Get off him!” she yelled.
I was young and I was naïve but I was also courageous. No woman would hit my man. I charged at her and smashed an open palm into her face. With a fist full of her hair I yanked her stupid ass to the floor and kicked her.
“Bitch!” I yelled.
I don’t remember any other words that came out of my mouth but I know I was shouting. I was so mad, instantly furious, like I’d been waiting my whole life to go crazy on this tramp. It was almost like I’d blacked out but with my fists swinging.
Then I was pulled off her. Dominic gripped one arm and Lauren the other.
“Jessica, what is wrong with you?” Lauren yelled.
“They’re attacking us!” I replied.
“They’re not. Get them inside,” Cutty, one of the security officers, said. “It wasn’t them. The Venenum attacked when they were coming up the mountain, trying to steal this woman. We tried to hold them off but Johnny took one in the leg and the big fella, he…he took one in the chest.”
I shook my arms free and collapsed to the ground where I sat staring at the woman I’d attacked. She was innocent. And the man…the big ape, he was innocent? He was a victim?
I got up and left. I stormed away from the church.
“Jessica!” Dominic yelled.
“Leave me alone,” I said. “I need to be alone.”
I didn’t know where to go but I didn’t want to go home. I couldn’t face Dominic right now. I couldn’t face anyone. I’d lost it out there. Something was wrong with me. I wanted to hurt that woman and I don’t know why.
I needed to be alone.
No, I didn’t. I needed Pike. I flipped out because of him. I’d envied the way he sprang into action. The way he’d immediately started barking orders with the intention of protecting us all. The way he ran at the big man and grabbed him, unaware of whether or not the big burly biker was armed. He didn’t care. He did what had to be done.
Then she hit him. And I hit her.
I pushed my way into the suitor cabin and sat down. I lit a candle and sat there. It was dark and I was alone. I looked down at the floor and remembered my first time with Dominic. I was a virgin. I hadn’t had sex, not real sex, until that night. And I hadn’t stopped thinking of sex ever since.
Thoughts of sex with Dominic, sex with Lauren’s ex, Alé, sex with Kent, and God…sex with Pike. I’d fingered myself three times in the shower with thoughts of Pike. He drove me fucking nuts and always sent my heart racing.
I thought of him as I looked over at the toy box. Would Pike want to use some of those toys on me during our suitor visit? I was a little bit scared of what Pike might do. With Dominic I was the aggressor. He’d been a virgin too.
But Pike…I knew Pike would take control.
I opened my legs and closed them. I thought of Pike leaning against the tree, watching me with Dominic at the park. Had he seen us making out?
I opened and closed them again. I was wet. I was soaked. For fuck’s sake I was horny. I thought of Pike jumping on the biker. The look of rage on his face. I wanted to sit on that mean, pissed off face and smash it. I wanted to push my pussy onto Pike’s face until he had to fight for breath.
I was soaking through my panties.
“You ok?” came a deep voice from the darkened doorway.
“You scared me,” I said.
And he did. I didn’t know anyone was there.
“You went batshit crazy back there,” he said as he stepped into the candlelight, the glow lighting up his blood stained t-shirt. He looked down and saw that I was looking at his chest. “The dude’ll be okay. The bullet went through clean. Johnathan’ll be alright too. Leg shots suck but he’ll live. The doc’s with ‘em both right now.”
Pike grabbed an overhead beam and held onto it with both hands, his tattooed, muscled arms flexing as he leaned forward. His goatee and long hair made him look almost comic-book like in the shadows.
I thought of asking him to eat me. Just saying it like that. What if I suddenly said, “Eat my pussy, Pike.” Would he do it? I thought he proba
bly would but for some reason I was nervous. I couldn’t say it.
“You plannin’ on stayin’ in here all night?” he asked. “Alone?”
“I don’t know,” I said.
It was the truth. I hadn’t thought much about what I’d do for the rest of the night. I supposed I’d go home at some point. I was being kind of drama queen(ish) and it probably wasn’t necessary. Dominic would be worried. He didn’t deserve to be.
“You want me to stay in here with you?” he asked. “You already said yes to our suitor visit so why not do it tonight?”
Fucking yes.
I wanted to shout it but I didn’t.
“We could do that,” I said.
“You sure? Cause I ain’t assuming anything this time around. Last time I did that shit I got tossed through a fuckin’ window. And a guy…
He paused and rolled his shoulders. He took a breath.
“A man who I suppose was a fairly stand-up guy got kicked out of town.”
“That seemed very difficult to say,” I said.
“It was,” he admitted. “I’m not really the sorrowful type. Anyway, the past is the past and everything happens for a reason and all that jazz.”
“The past is the past,” I repeated. “God, I hope so cause what happened today…”
He dropped his thick arms from the ceiling and stepped my way. He crouched down and took my hands in his.
“Don’t worry about what happened today. You did good. Considering the circumstances.”
“I beat the shit out of that poor girl.”
“Poor girl? Something tells me that leather clad biker chick has done something in her past that’s deserving of it.”
“You think so?” I said as I looked up into his face. I wished I could see him better but the candle light off to our side was dancing around and wouldn’t quite settle on his features.
He touched a hand to my face.
“You were brave today,” I said. “I was impressed.”
“Me?” he said. “Nah, I was afraid, Jess. More afraid than you’d know.”
I had to laugh. He wasn’t afraid. No way.
“You weren’t afraid. I saw you.”
“I was. But not of bullets or bad guys. I was afraid of losing you.”
If he wasn’t crouched between my legs, my knees would’ve knocked. I wanted him. Suddenly I felt weak, not nervous, but like I might actually pass out. I felt feverish.
I couldn’t breathe. My throat was swollen and dry and my hands were shaking. Pike noticed and took one of them. He rubbed it and held it still.
“Pike, if you do this, you can’t ever leave me. Do you understand that? I’m a Dove. You’ll be mine. Bonded to me. You’ll have to share me with my other husbands. You’ll…”
“With all due respect,” he said. “Shut up.”
And I did.
He removed his shirt as he said, “I’m all covered in blood.” Then he stood and grabbed my hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. If I’m gonna do this, I’m not gonna do it like all the other folks. Let’s do this like man and woman was meant to do it.”
With that, he blew out the candle and led me outside.
We left the community and were making our way through the trees. It was dark and damp. But I trusted him to lead the way. For a second I worried about Dominic. He’d be concerned after I left the way I did.
For having lived most of my life in the mountains, I knew little about our surroundings. You can imagine how paranoid everyone is about any female leaving the protection of the group. With the Venenum always out and about, we’re forbidden to explore. I knew our community’s ins and outs but a hundred feet away was completely foreign ground for me.
I was nervous and tugged on Pike’s arm.
“This is bad,” I said. “I’m not supposed to be out here like this.”
He stopped, pushed me up against a tree, and kissed me. My scalp scraped against the bark. It was rough but I loved it.
“Do you wanna go back?” he asked.
“We should.”
“Then let’s.”
“How much farther were we going?”
“Not far.”
“It’s just…I’ve never been outside the community.”
The moonlight hit his face and his lip lifted in a smirk. It was sly and sexy.
“Shit, you’re serious,” he said. “You ain’t ever been outside? Well damn, thank God I didn’t ask you to elope to Vegas.”
I reached between his legs and grabbed him, squeezing hard to teach him not to tease me. I don’t think he learned the lesson as his mouth widened into a full smile.
He pinned me against the tree again.
“You want me?” he asked.
I couldn’t answer. My eyes were glued to the sparkle that were his, a slight shimmer off the surface, like they were glowing.
He kissed me, nibbling a bit at my bottom lip, letting his tongue tease my gums beneath my teeth. He laughed into my mouth and I inhaled, sucking in his breath, letting it fill my lungs. He was inside me, at least something that belonged to him was.
“Come on,” he said as he walked away, pulling my wrist along with him.
I heard the water running before we broke through the trees. Once we did, I was greeted with an open grassy patch of earth that led down to the river. Rocks sat on the bank creating a natural doorway of sorts, an exact spot where one would be expected to enter the water.
The moon shone down over us and glistened off the water. It ran slowly, softly, just quickly enough to let its gurgle mix with the symphony of crickets and owls. It was magnificent and for the first time in many years, I felt like a little girl again. I had no desire to be in control. I only wanted to be fascinated like I was now.
It reminded me of The Great Gatsby and Gatsby’s unquenchable yearning to impress Daisy Buchanan. That wasn’t one of the books taught to me growing up but I’d gotten my hands on it nonetheless. That one, Romeo and Juliet, and Pride and Prejudice. All great love stories of the past had a powerful man…and most ended in tragedy.
Still, at that moment out by the river with Pike, I secretly longed for the old days where it wasn’t a man’s duty but his need, his starvation that drove him to seek out and fight for the woman he loved. I didn’t want Pike to try to impress me. I’m no Daisy Buchanan. I only wanted him to take me.
I walked to the river and looked down at the black water, at the white bubbles that formed where the water branched out against rocks, and the freedom of it touched me. My eyes focused on an orange leaf floating by, and I watched it flow in a straight line. I wondered whether it would flow left or right when it reached the next big stone.
I realized I had no idea which way it would go. Nothing I thought about it mattered. It would flow wherever it needed to. Unlike me, its path wasn’t set. Unlike me it could go wherever it wanted. Unlike me it could roam freely outside the community.
Suddenly I felt trapped. I felt a little bit angry that I had no say in my future. Other than who my husbands would be, everything was written out, carved out actually in the Daughters of Venus rules inside the chapel.
Well fuck that. I was outside the community now and even though I knew I’d head back when this was all over, back to the safety and security of the world I knew, for a short time I was spitting in the face of Lauren and the others.
Lauren. What was it about her that bothered me? Why did I dislike her so much but love her so much at the same time? Was it jealousy? First, she had one of the hottest men in our world in Alé and then she had the man standing behind me. My man. He’d wanted her. That’s what bothered me. Everyone knew Pike was being groomed for me yet she still tried to have her way with him.
“Did you fuck Lauren?” I asked with my eyes still fixed on the water.
The leaf had gone left. I probably would’ve chosen right.
“Why do you care so much about all that?” he asked.
“Just answer the question, Pike. Did you fuck her?”
&nbs
p; “No, I didn’t.”
I pulled my dress down, the elastic stretching out past my shoulders, and let it drop to the ground.
I unclasped my bra and let it drop. My tits sprang free, nipples hardening as soon as the wind blew the night’s chilly air against them. It felt so good being free from constraint. I was the leaf and I was choosing right.
The Trouble with Virgins (A Dystopian Romance Novella): Daughters of Venus Book 2 Page 7
