by Lexie Ray
Hunter shook her head, as more Federal Agents swarmed around Sarah and Grizzly, cuffing them. Then, they infiltrated the storage unit, removing the boxes.
“I’m Detective Charles Linden,” he said. “I was your mother’s partner, that is, until we put together that she was at the center of her husband’s child trafficking ring.”
The shrill cry of a siren filled the night, drawing attention to an ambulance that drove through the facility. Medics jumped out and immediately tended to Ash who lay motionless on the ground.
Linden watched Hunter, as her eyes filled with tears. Whatever he needed to ask her, to tell her, could wait.
“Go to him,” he said. “I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
Hunter looked up at him, her expression a mix of gratitude and disbelief.
“Take your little friend,” Linden said, nodding towards the far aisle.
Hunter turned her head, and there stood Twitch, arms folded, eyes wide with fear and excitement at the scene before him. She caught his gaze, and Twitch immediately ran to her.
Hunter wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. “Thank God you’re ok. We didn’t know what happened to you.”
“I’m fine,” he said.
Hunter pulled Twitch with her, running to the back of the ambulance.
Linden watched as the two of them climbed in the back, joining Ash. One of the medics shut the back doors then jumped in the passenger’s seat. The ambulance rolled away, heading for the hospital.
And there was Sarah. Linden made his way over to the woman who had treated him like an idiot their entire partnership. This was going to be good.
“Save it,” said Sarah by the time Linden stepped in front of her. The federal agent behind her held her still.
“No, I don’t think I will this time,” said Linden. “All these years, Sarah,” he began, “you must have thought you were so smart.”
“Think of how stupid you are that you didn’t know, didn’t even suspect a thing,” she spat. “Some detective you are.”
“I want it to come from me,” he went on, “I want you to know how we knew you were involved. Your husband left a DVD at the farmhouse with your name on it. The footage it contained was a lengthy montage of you abducting children.”
Sarah’s mouth dropped open, and she whipped her head towards Grizzly, staring at him with rage filled eyes.
Cops carried box after box out of the storage unit while forensic analysts popped DVDs into their laptops, confirming that the footage was in fact child pornography, as they expected it would be.
“It’s all here!” One of them called out.
“You’re going away for a very long time, Voss,” said Linden. “A very, very long time.”
Chapter Fourteen
The hospital waiting room was too bright. The florescent lights buzzed overhead with an incessant hum that put Hunter on edge even worse than she already had been. This was torture, she thought, staring at the pink wallpaper and empty chairs that lined the room.
“Hunter, your knee,” said Twitch, who sat beside her. Hunter’s knee was bobbing, causing Twitch’s chair, as well as her own, to vibrate terribly. She stilled it.
During the ride over in the ambulance, it had been impossible to see Ash’s condition while the medics worked on him, hovering and blocking Hunter’s view. She hadn’t even really learned where Blair’s knife had pierced down into Ash. Had it been his chest? His abdomen? He had also been shot. The police had taken too long to get there. All that blood...
Her leg started jumping again.
“He’s alive,” said Twitch, placing his hand on Hunter’s knee. “That’s all he needs to be, and he already is, ok? He’s alive. That isn’t going to change.”
“Did you see where he was stabbed?” Hunter asked, desperately looking into Twitch’s eyes, searching for a shred of hope to latch onto.
He shook his head. “You just have to trust that the doctors know what they’re doing. He’s gonna pull through this.”
Hunter nodded. If only she could get a drink or something. If only she had a pill left, a Xanax, anything to calm her down and shut her brain off for a second.
“He said we were related,” said Hunter in a whisper.
“Who?”
“Me and Ash,” said Hunter, shamed.
“You and Ash are related?” questioned Twitch. “Who told you that?”
“Who do you think?”
“Bullshit,” he said.
“He’s fucked up, but he doesn’t lie,” said Hunter shaking her head. “That’s why he’s so good at fucking with your head, you know? It’s ‘cause he’s telling you the truth that you don’t want to know.”
“He lies all the time,” said Twitch.
Hunter looked at him.
“Sarah has brown eyes. You have brown eyes. What color are your dad’s eyes?” He asked.
“I don’t know,” said Hunter.
“They’re dark,” said Twitch. “Muddy. If they aren’t brown, then they’re hazel at best.”
“So?”
“The only way Ash could have blue eyes is if one of his parents did. Period. Two brown-eyed parents don’t have the genes to make a kid with blue eyes. He was fucking with you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m completely sure,” said Twitch. “Not to mention Ash was one of the little kids on a video I saw being abducted by Sarah.”
Hunter thought that news would calm her, but she was as tense as ever. “What happened to you that night?” she asked Twitch.
“That detective, Linden found me,” he said. “He brought me down to the station to ask me some things. I thought if I didn’t go he’d arrest me.”
“If Ash and I go to prison after all we’ve been through,” said Hunter. “If we wind up in cells next to my parents...” she trailed off, realizing her hands had balled into fists.
Twitch grit his teeth. He had made a deal with Linden and had helped him recover the girls. He trusted the guy; but, Twitch had no way of knowing what Linden would do about Hunter and Ash. Linden was, after all, a cop.
Hunter lifted her gaze when a doctor stepped into the waiting room. Before she knew it, she was on her feet, waiting, but not ready to hear the news.
“He’s stable,” said the doctor.
Hunter sighed an intense moan or relief. It was as though her entire body had relaxed, weakening her in the knees, but Twitch held her up.
“We were able to locate two bullets and extract them from his leg and lower abdomen. The third bullet went all the way through him, luckily missing vital organs. We sutured a very deep stab wound to his shoulder. Again, no vital organs or arteries were damaged. He’s extremely lucky. He lost a lot of blood, but we were able to replace it. He’s conscious if you’d like to come see him.”
Hunter and Twitch followed the doctor down the hall to a room tucked all the way in the back.
Ash was propped up on a hospital bed. His chest was wrapped in layers upon layers of gauze. His leg was elevated in a sling that was somehow attached to the ceiling, and various IV’s were taped to his veins. But he was alive, and Hunter couldn’t have been happier.
“Hey,” he whispered in a raspy voice.
Hunter took his hand gently in hers. “I was so worried,” she whispered.
He looked at her with wide eyes. His throat too sore to ask the question.
“We got him,” said Hunter. “We got them both.”
“Dead?” asked Ash.
“No,” said Hunter. “They’re going to be put away for a very long time. I’m ok with that—maybe I didn’t need to kill him.”
Ash pressed his lips together. He knew that had to have been hard for her. Hunter had wanted nothing more than to take Grizzly out, killing him. But it was good that she didn’t. Ash hadn’t wanted her spirit to slip away like his had after years and years of killing. Her heart was intact, and his would be, too—with time.
“I love you,” she said.
“I lov
e you, too.”
Linden stepped through the doorway.
The smile faded from Hunter’s face.
“We should talk,” said Linden.
It was the last thing Hunter wanted to do.
Chapter Fifteen
The morning sun pierced through the blinds, brightening the apartment with the fresh rays of a new day. It warmed Hunter’s otherwise chilled face, cold nose, and hair that was cool to the touch. She snugged the comforter down around her shoulders, trapping the body heat, savoring the cozy feel of a warm bed in a cold room and the loving embrace of her boyfriend, Ash.
It was late autumn. The treetops beyond her window had turned red, orange, and golden yellow over the past month with the dropping temperature and decreasing daylight. This was Hunter’s favorite time of year—when the city had cooled off and she could think clearly. There was no greater feeling than a scarf around her neck and a hot cup of coffee in her hand, as she walked to work each morning. She took a deep breath, remembering that today was her day off. She could take her walk with Ash. Maybe they could go to the park, meander around, see the foliage, and walk through the falling leaves.
Luthor hopped up onto the bed. His body spilled over her legs, trapping her in place and warming her. They had completely forgotten about the poor cat when they had abruptly fled to New Hampshire. Luckily, it hadn’t been that many days and Luthor—being clever and immensely lazy—had reserved his energy and managed to stay alive in time for Hunter and Ash’s return. He had lost a little weight in their absence, but managed to gain it all back, and then some, since then. He was purring on her legs, kneading the comforter, pricking her ever so slightly at times.
Luthor still hadn’t gotten used to Ash. He refused to accept him and often ignored his presence. Luthor seemed to enjoy purring for Hunter’s pats, then he would abruptly stopping when Ash laid a hand on him. He was an odd, plump cat, whose personality was far grander than his size. His efforts to protect Hunter were strange and wildly misguided, but she loved him. She was glad he was ok.
Ash stirred beside her, running his hand across her stomach until it found its grip around her waist. His wounds, the stab wound at his shoulder and the gunshot wounds to his leg and abdomen had all healed nicely. They left scars that Ash wasn’t too happy about, but Hunter didn’t mind them. In fact, she thought they were sexy. They both had long straight scars across their shoulders, matching scars Hunter had said, mementos from all that they’d survived.
She still couldn’t believe it was over, but it was. She had spent years waking up in the morning with a sinking feeling in her stomach, a deep dread that the men from New Hampshire could come for her that day. Every morning had been the same worry. It had nagged at her quietly, but unrelenting, all day and all night. Whenever Hunter thought to herself that she couldn’t believe it was finally over, she reminded herself that the nagging dread was gone. She didn’t wake up to it anymore. It didn’t rumble like a tremor in her mind until she fell asleep. It was gone. It was time to believe that the nightmare was in fact completely over. She had finally woken up.
The girls from the farmhouse, the last survivors who had been rescued by Hunter and Ash from Grizzly, and again recovered by Detective Linden from Ash’s cabin, had since been reunited with their families with Linden’s help. None of them had ever thought they’d see their mothers or their fathers again. The miracle of it all had been overwhelming.
Hunter had a chance to say goodbye before returning to Brooklyn with Ash. She had promised to stay in touch. With Grizzly and Sarah incarcerated, Hunter felt like she could go back up to New Hampshire any time she wanted. They had all agreed she would visit—that way it didn’t feel like a goodbye. She hated goodbyes.
Ash opened his eyes, waking to the sweet scent of his girlfriend’s hair and skin, just under his nose. He brushed his hand over her stomach, feeling its taut shape across her hips.
“Hey,” he said, his voice deep and raspy with sleep.
“Hey, you sleep ok?” she asked lowly in a sultry tone he had come to absolutely adore.
“Always,” said Ash.
“You’re not working today, are you?” she asked, her hand finding the side of his head, her fingertips gently brushing through the shaggy locks.
“No, you have me all day,” he said, sensing she was already smiling.
It was such a luxury to have a normal conversation like this. Hunter wasn’t sure she would ever get used to it. It didn’t feel mundane. It felt like a slice of pure heaven.
“Good,” she said, exhaling.
Ash had come to love the rise and fall of her breathing and her warm exhales. There were mornings where he could watch her breathing, feel her stomach expand and detract under the weight of his hand, and it would give him a feeling that he was home. Hunter was his home, and finally they had a real home, a stable life, in a new apartment near the park. He had given up his guns, his weapons, and his life of killing. It had been the easiest decision he had ever made. He had taken a job in Hunter’s coffee shop, as a cook. There were days where they didn’t share a shift, but those were seldom. Most of the time they went to work together, flirted their way through their shift, and left afterwards for a drink. These days they would go straight home, unable to keep their hands off one another.
His body grew stiff at the thought, straining hard for her. Her body was so soft, so smooth. Touching her made Ash want to fill her and feel her incredible softness tight around him.
He ran his hand up her stomach, tracing the thin indentation at the center of her abdomen until his hand rested between her breasts. He scooped one up into his hand and played with it, brushing his fingertips over her nipple, grasping the fullness of it in his palm, and massaging the flesh gently. He liked feeling her and knowing that she was all his. He loved that he could touch her whenever he felt the need and that she would satisfy his desires, as though she was made for it. It turned him on to no end to have a girl like Hunter, a woman, to make love to whenever the thought arose.
Ash began kissing Hunter’s neck in soft pecks that almost tickled. Her hardened nipple under his fingers was highly sensitive, and each caress he gave it sent waves of heat reeling downward through her body and swirling in a sweet ache between her legs.
“Roll on your side,” he whispered in her ear.
Hunter did, rolling away from him and causing Luthor to grunt and jump from the bed, annoyed.
He neared her, meeting his hard chest to her back, pulling her round ass into his lap. He grabbed her hips and tipped her ass back, arching her body at a more dramatic, erotic angle. The way he moved her so effortlessly, molding her shape to meet his naughty ideas, was really hot.
Ash reached around, discovering her hot and wet between the legs. He traced her slit, up and down, almost teasing her with his touch, getting his fingers nice and wet.
Hunter was throbbing for him. These days it took her no time to become aroused and ready for his entry. She lifted her leg, draping it backwards over his legs, allowing room for him to press inside.
He could feel her pulse once he slipped his fingers inside and began stroking her frontal wall. Hunter moaned under his sensual touch, lifting her leg higher for him to play deeper between her legs.
“You feel like silk, hot silk,” he whispered into her ear, his warm breath grazing over her dewy skin sent shivers of arousal through her body. “Do you want me?”
“Yes,” she exhaled, a breathy yearning response.
“Does this feel good?” he asked, as he pressed his thick tip just barely inside of her hot, throbbing body.
Hunter moaned. She loved it when he teased her and made her beg for more of him until he completely filled her. It had become something of a game between them.
“Want more?”
“Yes,” she said, pressing her bottom back against him in an effort to take more of him inside, but he wouldn’t allow it. He was in charge of her pleasure. Hunter smiled. “Give me more of you.”
Ash did, press
ing a few more inches, feeling her tightness pulse around him, as she gradually expand to accommodate his large size.
Hunter was throbbing for him. The ache burned increasingly, a hot mixture of pleasure and pain. “More, please,” she whispered.
He grabbed hold of her leg, hooking his strong, muscular arm underneath it, so she could fully relax and enjoy what he was about to do to her.
Without warning, he thrust hard into her, quelling the erotic ache. He pressed deeper and deeper until his straining body was met with firm resistance, a sign he had filled her entirely.
“Is that what you wanted?”
“Yes,” she said, her body melting around his. He held her up. He was so strong, his hard muscles flexing effortlessly in the task of thrusting, squeezing, and rocking every inch of her. She moaned, her eyes floating closed.
Ash ran his fingers through her hair and grabbed its thickness, stabilizing her head. She loved the way it felt, his hand in her hair. She loved the way he could dominate her, make her go limp in his arms, and work her body to the heights of extreme pleasure. He pulled her hair, though gently, arching her head back, as he began thrusting harder and faster.
“You gonna come for me when I say?” he asked, his voice deep and gruff, hungry for the feeling of her tight clenches. It was a sensation he had come to crave.
“Mmmmmm,” was the only response that escaped her lips. Words were beyond her, she could barely think. There was nothing except for the sweet pain of Ash filling her, of him bringing her there.
He released her leg, finding the sensitive mound above her loins and began circling it in a firm massaging motion, as he continued to thrust in and out—hard.
It was building inside, and Hunter knew she wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. His body would bring her over the edge if he kept going. Hunter’s breath quickened as a wave of pleasure swept through her. She couldn’t fight it any longer.
“I’m going to come,” she called out.
“Don’t you dare, not until I tell you,” he said.
“You’re making me,” she laughed.
