by Adams,Claire
"Maybe he had some new idea?" Ryan suggested.
"It's possible, but it doesn't make any sense why he would pursue something so out of the realm of possibility," I mused. "Maybe if I can get the codes from the previous files translated it'll give us some insight into what this is all about and where the keys to his lab are hidden."
"I don't have a clue," he replied as his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, and then said, "Gotta go. Sorry. Not sure when I'll be back, so don't wait up."
I turned around in time to see Ryan grabbing his keys off of the counter and heading out the door.
"Where are you—," I said as he slammed the door hard enough to rattle the photos hanging on the wall. I thought about running after him, but decided against it. I wasn't going to step into my mother's role of helping someone who wasn't willing or able to ask.
I would not repeat her mistake.
#
I waited up for Ryan for as long as I could, but it had been a long day and the discovery of Dr. Powell's newest set of files has sent my brain spinning as I tried to figure out where I could hide the files so that Julian Baines could never get ahold of them. I considered buying space on a cloud server, but there was no way to ensure that he wouldn't be able to figure out the document path and figure out where they were hidden. The only way I was going to be able to keep the information safe was to download it from the server and erase all traces of it, but that meant I'd have to sneak back into TriCorp to erase the bug I'd left on my computer.
The problem was that I had no way of knowing how many files Dr. Powell had set up to send. If I went in too early, I'd fail to gather all of the materials and I'd leave something on the server for Julian to find. If I went in too late, he'd know that there had been a breach of the security system and that I'd been the last one to have access to it. I was working within a limited window of time and I needed to get back into TriCorp to scan the server. If I could do that, then maybe I could find all of Dr. Powell's encrypted files and remove them from the server all at once. I began plotting out ways to get back into the office without being seen, but by ten, I was worn out, so I headed up to bed.
A few hours later, I heard keys in the lock and the front door opening and closing. I waited until I heard Ryan lay down on the couch and then debated about whether I should say anything.
"Ryan, are you okay?" I called softly. "I was worried."
"Fine," he replied gruffly. "Sorry."
"You want to talk about it?" I asked as I lay on my back staring up at the ceiling wishing that her was up here laying next to me. The only problem was that if I was honest, I would admit that I didn't really want him up here talking.
"Not especially, but if you need to talk, I'll listen," he replied.
"I was just wondering what it was that you guys did at the funeral this morning," I said recalling the way the SEALs all pounded their Trident pins into the casket.
"You want to come down here and talk?" he asked. I recognized it as an invitation rather than a question, so I pulled on my nightgown and went downstairs where I found Ryan sitting on the edge of the couch with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
"You kind of rough, sailor," I said smiling. "Can I get you something to ease the pain?"
"There's nothing strong enough," he said shaking his head. "Believe me, I tried."
"Gotcha," I said as I sat down next to him and slowly rubbed his back. Soon he was humming with pleasure as I slowly ran my hand across his back in circles. "I'll just do this, if that's okay."
"Better than okay," he murmured. "You asked what we did with our pins."
"Yes, I was curious."
"The Trident is the insignia of the SEAL," he explained removing his shirt and showing me the tattoo of the SEAL insignia on his chest over his heart. "It has the anchor because we are Navy only people. The Trident is because we come from under the water. The first SEALs were bomb crews whose job it was to dismantle the bombs left in the water around the beaches during World War II, they were called Frogmen. The weapon is an old time revolver, which is not intended for self-defense, but only the defense of others. The eagle is the only recognized eagle form in America where the head isn't above the wings because SEALs attack."
"That's a lot of history and meaning in one insignia," I said as I ran my fingers over the tattoo tracing each element he'd described. I knew that to do this meant I was playing with fire, but I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to touch him. "So, why did you pound your pins into John Micheal's casket?"
"Pounding the Trident into the casket is part of the ritual," he said as he watched me trace the design. He didn't move a muscle as he explained. "Part of the reason we do it is because we don't want any of our brothers to be buried alone. Pounding our pins into the top of the casket means that part of us goes with him, and that he isn't being buried without his weapons or armor. It's symbolic, but we SEALs thrive on symbols and ritual as much as we do on the real world missions we carry out."
"That makes sense," I said looking up at his face. He was staring at me with his amber eyes flashing as he watched me touch him. "Does it help you?"
"I guess it helps knowing that I'm not alone," he said. "That if I die, the other SEALs will be with me, too. That's probably why we actually do it."
"Why?"
"To comfort ourselves," he said running a hand through his dark hair. "Rituals really are for the living."
"Is that what you told the Morgans when you talked with them after the funeral?" I asked he leaned forward again and I resumed rubbing his now bare back.
"No, I just listened mainly," he admitted. "I told them that their son had died a hero and that his last thoughts were about them."
"What did they tell you?" I asked as I slid my hand lower and rubbed his lower back. I knew I was playing with fire, but I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to feel his skin and if I was honest, I wanted more.
"They told me about Opie as a kid, how he had always wanted to be a SEAL," he said quietly as he rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands. "They told me about how he had planned to use his GI Bill money to become a certified electrician and that he wanted nothing more than to settle down in Woodlawn and raise a family with his girlfriend, Lydia."
"She was the pretty little redhead who sat with them, right?" I asked.
"Yeah, she's still in high school, graduates this year," he said then stopped and covered the back of his head with his hands as he breathed deeply for a few moments. "It just fucking sucks."
"But you guys know that's what you sign up for, right?" I asked as I stopped rubbing and just let my hand rest on the small of his back.
"We do, but I think most of us also think that it won't ever be us," he said shaking his head before lifting it and looking up at me. "We think somehow it's always going to be some other guy, someone we don't know, someone whose not part of our squad. We never think it's going to be us."
"Isn't that the way most humans operate?" I asked as I stared into his amber eyes and noticed the flecks of gold that were scattered in his irises. They were mesmerizing.
"Maybe..." he said as he sat up and reached for me. I knew I shouldn't do this, but the feeling of his hand brushing against my cheek and pushing my hair back so that he could stretch up and kiss me was more than I could resist, and so I gave in to the need that had been slowly burning its way through my body since the moment he'd first held me in his arms.
I wanted to lean forward and press my lips against his and feel the warmth of his hand on my cheek. Instead, I sat down on the couch and patted my lap as I said, "Here, come lay down and let me rub your head."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ryan
As I looked up into her beautiful blue eyes, I could see the concern she was feeling and I wondered if I'd let her see too much of my pain. I wasn't entirely comfortable with letting anyone see this much of me, but somehow Echo made it feel safe and kissing her felt like a natural extension of the emotion she was drawing o
ut of me. She tenderly returned my kiss, and I couldn't stop myself from turning and wrapping my arms around her waist. She slipped her arms around my neck and ran her fingers through my hair, as the intensity of the kiss grew deeper.
I'd never wanted a woman this much in my life, and yet I knew it was wrong. She belonged to someone else and it was wrong of me to be tempting her away from him. I knew I should stop, but she didn't pull back and the longer we kissed the more obvious it became that she wasn't going to pull away. I was confused and aroused, and in the end, I gave into the latter feeling and followed it.
Her body was soft and warm and her fingers were soothing as she combed my hair with them. I pulled back and looked into her eyes, they were bright and shining and as she held my gaze, I could feel the need rising and, afraid that I wouldn't be able to hold back, I looked away.
"Ryan," Echo said softly. "Look at me."
"I can't," I said looking out at the balcony. "It's not right, and I can't."
"But I want you to," she whispered as she leaned down and gently kissed my lips. "I want to."
I groaned loudly as I felt her lips brush across mine again. I hesitated for a moment, and then reached up and slid my hands deep into her thick golden hair and pulled her to me. I ran my tongue across her bottom lip and heard her moan softly as she kissed me more insistently. I wanted more of her; so much more, but I was afraid that if I moved too quickly, she'd be scared off, so I focused on exploring her mouth.
I ran my fingers through her hair as I gently pushed her lips apart with my tongue and slid it between them. I felt the low moans coming from the back of her throat and vibrating against my tongue as I slowly probed. Her tongue met mine and I felt the soft roughness pushing back as her fingers played with my hair. I could feel the need building, but I held back waiting for a clear sign.
"Ryan," she moaned into the kiss. "Oh God, Ryan..."
"Mmm hmm," I murmured as I ran my fingers up her cheek and sunk them in her hair again and again.
"Please?" she moaned.
"Please what, Echo?" I replied as I traced a light path down the back of her neck and then back up to her face. I could feel her need and I knew she wanted more, but I didn't know exactly what she wanted. I knew what I wanted. I'd been stiff since she walked out of the bathroom dressed for the funeral, but the thought of this beautiful woman asking me for what she wanted pushed my arousal to a new level.
"I want...I want....I need...,” she moaned trying to get me to read her mind. I kissed her deeply, my tongue swirled around hers as she let loose a long low moan.
"Tell me what you need," I whispered into her lips. "Tell me everything you need, and I'll give it to you. All you have to do is tell me."
"Oh God, Ryan," she whimpered as she moved her hands down to my chest and began running them across my bare skin. The sensation drove me closer to the edge of desire, and I gripped her head and kissed her hard as I sat up and swung my legs around, positioning her between them before I ran my hands down her back and cupped her perfectly round cheeks. Her eyes widened, but she didn't pull away.
"Is this what you want?" I asked as my hands caressed and gently squeezed her bottom. "Tell me, Echo."
"I need you, Ryan," she said breathlessly. "I just need you."
"Wrap your arms around my neck again," I said. I knew that she was giving me as much as she could, and as soon as she had done what I asked, I stood up and lifted her off the floor. I made a sharp turn and set her down on the sofa. Her eyes were wide as she watched me kneel in front of her and gently pull her nightgown over her head. I smiled as I ran my hands down her body and then back up to her breasts. They were full and heavy and her nipples were already erect, I watched her as I captured them between my fingers and gently squeezed. She sighed and arched her back as she reached out and grabbed my forearms.
"You like that, do you?" I said softly as I increased the pressure and was rewarded with a moan. I could see her pushing her hips forward in a subtle attempt to find relief for the ache between her legs. I knew the feeling, my erection was painfully pressing against my shorts, and I had to fight to keep from thrusting forward and grinding it against her.
"Ryan, Ryan, Ryan," she chanted. I knew she was somewhere on the outer edge of arousal, I could feel it. I could smell her desire and I knew that if I slid my hands down between her legs, I'd find that her panties were soaked through. I bent forward and gave her a long slow kiss that made her groan and spread her legs wider.
"You want it, don't you?" I whispered as I ran a line of kisses up her cheek. "You want me to take you over the edge?"
"Oh God, yes!" she cried as she grabbed my hand and shoved it between her legs. I smiled as I broke her grip and moved her hand up over her head. Somehow doing it this way eased my guilt about her connection to Mando, which faded into the background as I looked up at her.
"Can I trust you to lock your fingers and keep your arms up or do I need to secure you to the couch?" I asked as I grabbed her other hand and pushed it up to join the first one.
Her eyes widened as I cupped her face and kissed her again. Her body softened and she nodded.
"Good because I'm going to make you feel very good," I murmured as I traced a path with my tongue down her neck and across her chest before taking a turgid nipple into my mouth and sucking. I let go and bathed the hard flesh with my tongue before sucking again. Echo was moaning softly as she looked down and watched my mouth moving on her breast. I kissed my way across her chest and gave the same attention to her other nipple. Her legs were spread wide and I could feel her rocking back and forth seeking something to rub against.
I slid one hand between her thighs and lightly brushed my fingers down the center of her soaking wet panties. She cried out and thrust her hips forward to rub against my hand. I smiled as I continued sucking her nipple as I played along the edges of her desire. I wanted to take her as far out on the ledge of desire as I could before giving her the release she wanted so badly. For long minutes I ran my fingers up and down feeling her heat through the thin fabric.
Then in one quick move, I pushed her panties to the side and sunk my fingers between her velvety lips and played in her wetness. She writhed under my touch as my fingers found her hard little clit and began stroking it. I slowly increased the pressure as I watched her face and felt her pushing back.
"More?" I asked as I watched her moving her hips to press up against my fingers.
"Oh God, yes!" she cried.
"Mmmmm," I murmured as I pulled my fingers out and quickly hooked them over the waist of her panties and yanked them down. She lifted her hips and brought her legs together so that I could pull her panties off before spreading her legs wide, placing my hands on her thighs and splaying her open so I could see just how wet she was. I used my thumbs to massage her slippery folds sliding over her clit and teasing the edge of her entrance before I slipped my arms under her thighs and lifted her hips up off of the couch.
She gasped as I bent forward, buried my tongue between her lips and began licking a path from bottom to top. I focused on lapping up as much of her tangy wetness as I could as I lost myself in the sensation and scent of her desire. I held her up with one arm as I slowly worked two fingers into her. She bucked and tried to push them in faster, but I held back and began slowly moving them back and forth as I sucked her clit. She began panting and moaning as I increased the tempo, and it wasn't long before I could feel her muscles clenching around my fingers. I made my tongue into a hard point and pressed it against her clit as I moved my arm back and forth.
Seconds later she moaned my name as her orgasm began. It rolled through her in waves as I stroked and sucked. The intensity of her climax left me with an agonizing erection, but the feeling of her wetness coating my hand as I gently pumped the last bit of pleasure from her made it worth it.
I lowered her back down on the sofa and watched as her eyelids fluttered and then opened so that her blue eyes were focused on me. She looked a little dazed, but that was to
be expected. When I leaned down and kissed her she wrapped her arms around my neck and sighed into my lips.
"Come upstairs with me," she murmured as she tried to push herself up off the couch. She fell backwards laughing as she realized her legs were too weak to support her, so I swept her up in my arms and carried her up the spiral steps to her bed and gently laid her down. She grabbed my wrist and in a sleepy voice said, "Stay. Please."
I lay down on the bed, wrapped an arm around Echo. I heard gunfire out in the street and frowned as I lifted myself onto my elbow to see if I could tell where it was coming from. I quieted, so I slipped my arm around Echo again, but this time I felt a sticky wetness covering my hand. I lifted my hand up and saw it was covered in blood.
"Oh shit!" I yelled as I fell onto the floor. "Echo!"
"Help me, Ryan!" she cried as the gunfire exploded around us and the bedroom filled with the smoke from fired rounds. I could hear Echo screaming, but I couldn't find her through all of the smoke. I called her name and heard her screams from a distance.
"Fuck! Where are you?" I shouted as I sat straight up and realized I was still laying on the couch. I was sweating so hard the sheet underneath me was soaked. I shook my head and looked around trying to get my bearings before jumping up off the couch and dropping to the floor to do rapid-fire pushups.
"Are you okay?" Echo called in a voice thick with sleep.
"Yep, just fine," I replied as I pushed myself up off the floor and began pacing in the small space. I needed to get out of the apartment. I needed air. I needed to do something; find out something.
So, I pulled on my clothes, grabbed my keys and phone, and headed for the door. With one hand on the doorknob, I stopped and looked around the apartment. Then I went back into the kitchen pulled out a pad of paper and pen from Echo's junk drawer and scratched a short note. I nodded as I read it, and then headed for the door. This time I didn't stop.
