by Maddie Wade
“What happened?” Lauren asked enjoying the insight into him.
“I put on some smart trousers and got a haircut and went back, he gave me a job washing up for £1.20 on hour. I worked my arse off that summer. I thought it would be a good way to pick up chicks. But instead learnt about hard work and respect. I did a lot of growing up that summer.”
“Do you know he can look at almost anyone and know what they want to eat or drink, it’s amazing? I’ve seen him do it hundreds of times. I asked him once how he did it and he just said you could tell by their face and body language. I can’t do it though, and I’ve been trained by the best to read body language. I tried it once when I was about 17, I was on a date and thought I would impress her and order for her.”
“What happened?”
“She ran out crying when her rare steak arrived. I didn’t know until after she was a vegetarian. She never did call me back.”
Lauren laughed, feeling relaxed for the first time in weeks. This all felt so normal, almost like a real date.
“I wondered about that when he didn’t ask what we wanted to eat or drink, and just got it spot on. He seems like a lovely man.”
“He is. He and my dad have been my biggest champions.” He said taking a sip of his Cider. “They were so proud when I joined the army and when I made Special Air Service; they wanted to shout it from the roof tops. Luckily they suppressed that feeling, and were extremely discreet, nobody had a clue what I did except my family, and I still don’t really talk about it.” He went quiet then “Except with you, I have this habit of running my mouth when you’re around.” he realised aloud and frowned.
“Ah, saved by the waitress, thank you Maria,” he said, standing to take their food as she came over to them. He went to hand her his credit card and she pushed it away “Andreo say on house.”
“Thank him for me, please.” Dane said graciously.
Chapter Fourteen
Bridport, Dorset
Marcus threw the glass decanter at Michaels’ head, causing him to duck. He was apoplectic with rage. How could that stupid fuck miss such an easy shot? All he had to do was follow that pathetic excuse of a son of his and make sure he brought his lovely Lauren home.
He’d been furious when he found out Drew had betrayed him. After everything he’d done for the boy. He shouldn’t have been surprised though, as Drew had always been a disappointment to him.
He’d ordered Michaels to kill Drew for his betrayal, simple or so you’d think, but ‘NO’ Michaels had failed to kill his pathetic excuse for a son. He was tired of being surrounded by people who were just not worthy. He felt like he had to do everything himself.
The only upside to this was that now he knew for certain that his little girl had incredible abilities. The only reason Michaels was still breathing was because he had stuck around afterwards and gotten that vital information, otherwise he feared he would have killed him in a fit of rage.
“So tell me again what happened after you failed to kill the boy.” Marcus said as he clenched and unclenched his fists and tried to remain calm.
“I watched as the guy and the woman helped him back inside. About ten minutes later Lauren and that Dane guy pulled up in a hurry and ran inside. I decided to stick around and see what transpired. I kept out of sight so nobody saw me. Around seventy-thirty, the guy and Drew walked out of the building and he had no sign of the injury at all. He even jogged to his side of the vehicle. I’m telling you there’s no way he would have been walking properly, let alone jogging after that injury unless he had been healed somehow.”
Marcus was quiet while he processed the information. He had known she could heal as a child, but to learn that she could heal something as significant as a gunshot wound was exciting, he wondered what else she could do. Her powers would be invaluable when the end came and the new beginning began. They would need healers in the new world and her ability would give him great standing amongst the hierarchy of the Divine Watchers.
Resigned to the fact that he was going to have to bring his daughter back into the fold himself, he ordered Michaels
“Bring the car around, we’re going to go get my daughter.” Michaels ran to do his bidding. Marcus sneered as walked to the window and looked out on the beautiful lawn and flower-beds, pathetic man; he had been entertaining for a short while, but he’d exceeded his usefulness; he would have to have him dealt with after all this was sorted out. The higher-ups would not accept failure or weakness, and that is what Michaels and Drew had become-weak failures. Marcus watched as the gardener trimmed the hedges on the borders. He felt energised by the thought of getting his daughter back and it made some of the bile and anger in his gut ease.
This was the reason the superior ones had to rid the earth of these lower intelligence types and start the world again, so that superior beings could lead it.
His second mobile phone rang; it was the phone that they only called him on. He’d never met them face to face, but had been dealing with them for over two years now and felt that he was proving himself.
It had taken him years to prove he was a devout follower worthy of contact with the leaders of the group. He had been a follower of the Watchers for over 27 years, but because he himself was not gifted, it had taken him a lot longer to climb the ladder to where he was now.
He did regret telling them about Lauren, though. She could have been his ace in the hole. He should have just waited until he actually had her before telling them, instead of telling them as soon as he found her, but he’d wanted to impress upon them how important he could be to the cause and secure himself a place in the new world.
He answered on the next ring.
“We grow increasingly impatient, Marcus,” the robotic voice said. “You vowed that you would have your daughter brought to us by now. There are some among us that think you may have been lying to us. You have after all known of her whereabouts for some weeks now and still you have not retrieved her.”
Marcus tried to swallow, but his mouth had gone dry. The last time he heard of someone disappointing them, they had wound up hung from their arms and disembowelled. The picture had been sent to all followers as a warning of what would happen if they felt people were not trying hard enough.
“I’ve found her,” he said quickly. “I’m just on my way to get her now.” His voice came out weaker than it should and that made him furious with Drew and Michaels for putting him in this position.
“Ah, good, you have seven days to deliver her to us. We will contact you with instructions.” The line went dead. Marcus fought the temptation to throw the phone. He needed to stop this fucking around and retrieve his daughter.”
~~~
Looking out over the Thames from his corner office, the distinguished looking man disconnected the phone and turned to his colleague.
“We will have her in seven days, my friend,” he said, addressing the perfectly tailored man next to him.
The man nodded and smiled.
“I will contact the international clinics and put them on standby.” Turning back to the window, he let the satisfied smile tilt the corner of his lips.
Soon the end would begin and he and his associates would watch as governments fell and the world was returned to its perfectly natural state, with the Divine Council ruling.
It had taken more than fifteen years to put the wheels in motion and assemble all of the weapons they would need. It had taken longer than that to get the correct people in place, but now it was all coming together and soon the Divine ones would show the world how things should be. He placed a call to the Divine one to let them know.
Chapter Fifteen
Clearing the plates away after the most amazing dinner she’d had in a long time. Lauren placed her hand over her full stomach she felt full to bursting and strangely content, considering everything that had happened in the last few days.
Pulling her down onto his lap, Dane nuzzled her neck.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed, you m
ust be beat.” And she was. She felt all relaxed and floppy, partly down to the food baby she was having and partly down to the wine earlier. Coupled with a healing and the stress it was a wonder she could keep her eyes open.
But no matter how tired she was, she couldn’t stop that tingle of awareness that shot through her every time he touched her, even when it was in a non-sexual way.
She felt him lift her into his arms and nestle her against his chest as he carried her to her bed. She enjoyed the heat of his body and luxuriated in his rich spicy masculine scent. The hair on his chest tickled her nose as he moved.
~~~
Dane pulled the covers back and gently laid Lauren down and began removing her clothes. He knew she was tired and tried to keep it as non-sexual as his body would allow, even though it was causing him to grind his teeth into dust. Being a gentleman sucked sometimes. He left her in just her underwear so as not tempt his control to breaking point, when she was so exhausted. He turned to go back out to the living room, and she reached for him.
“Stay.” Just one word, but it betrayed such vulnerability and trust.
“Of course, honey, I’ll stay.” Stripping down to his boxers, he climbed in beside her and cuddled into her back. Spooning they called it. He had never really been into cuddling, all that clingy stuff made him feel itchy on the inside, but this felt nice; natural. He could hear her breathing even out as she fell into a deep sleep. His last thought before sleep claimed him was he could do this forever.
~~~
Lauren woke to the sound of the birds, and bright sunshine filtering through the pale yellow curtains.
She stretched and felt a hard male body pressed up against her. Propping herself up on her elbow so that she could see him better she saw, Dane laid on his back with one arm thrown behind his head and the other wrapped around her thigh.
Her leg was thrown over his muscular thighs. She should have felt embarrassed or shy that she had been so brazen in her sleep, but she didn’t. Lauren took the time to enjoy looking at his body while he was sleeping. She let her gaze roam from his beautiful face past his strong jaw, shrouded in dark stubble. Her eyes moved lower down over the graceful curve of his tanned neck to his muscled shoulders and large biceps. She continued he visual journey over his highly defined pectorals with the sprinkling of dark hair and down to his ripped eight pack, her gaze continued toward his happy trail to his Oh my god! she gasped.
“What did you expect?” A gruff voice said, “You were devouring me with your eyes.”
“I can’t believe you let me do that, I thought you were sleeping.” she said, embarrassed to have been caught looking.
“I was,” he said, “until you started eye-fucking me.” Lauren laughed and poked him in the side playfully.
“I was not.” He laughed as he sat and grabbed for her tickling her ribs unmercifully. She wriggled, trying to fight him off. Tickling was her weakness; she was the most ticklish person she knew. Before she could catch her breath though things turned from playful to hot.
One minute tickling, the next he had flipped her on her back and was lying between her thighs with the ridge of his hard erection pressed against her core.
~~~
He looked down into her eyes. Her beautiful breasts heaved as she tried to catch her breath. God, she was beautiful and she was killing him. He could feel the heat of her through his boxers.
“Make love to me, Dane,” she said in a voice made husky by arousal.
“God, I thought you’d never ask,” he replied thickly.
He quickly stripped his boxers off and settled back between her soft thighs. He could feel the wetness of her arousal through her panties as she rubbed against his straining cock. He leaned forward and trailed kisses along her collarbone, moving down he slowly peeled the shoulder strap of her bra down, and with quick fingers reached around, and unclipped the back. He pulled the lacy bra away and allowed his eyes to feast upon her breasts.
He captured one sweet pink nipple in his mouth and sucked it into a hard peak; then moving across to the other, he gave it the same attention. Slowly walking his fingers down the soft skin of her quivering stomach, he slid her underwear down her legs.
Finding the hot wetness of her core, he slid a finger into her heat; he was shocked at how wet and tight she was. He felt her arch towards him and loved that she was so responsive. Withdrawing his fingers, he brought them to his lips; she tasted like heaven.
He could see her eyes dilate as she watched him suck the taste of her from his fingers. Just watching her face made his dick jump and he could feel the pre-cum leaking from him and coating her stomach.
“Please, Dane, now!” She pleaded, as she gripped his shoulders.
He’d wanted to go slow, but slow was going to have to wait. Lining his swollen, leaking cock up with her tight entrance, he drove into her hot tight body right to the hilt in one smooth stroke.
She was so tight, he shook with the strain of keeping still, she pushed against him and his control broke as he pulled back and started pushing back into her wet heat. He felt her body squeezing his cock so hard he could hardly think straight.
Dane fought the rising tide of his orgasm, he hadn’t been this out of control since he was sixteen and making out down by the river with Karen Somerby. He tried to slow down and get a slower rhythm, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and met him stroke for stroke.
He needed to go deeper-he needed to consume her. Lifting her leg, he hooked it over his arm, so that it changed the angle. He could feel himself hitting her inner walls and it made her clench around his sensitive cock.
He could feel her climax building, he was so deep and his pelvis rubbed against her clit every time he drove into her and he felt the first few pulses of her orgasm building. He reached down and pinched her clit and she shattered like glass into a thousand tiny pieces. The sensation was overwhelming.
Her body felt like it was squeezing him to death and he loved it. He pumped into her as she rode the wave of her release and it triggered the most powerful climax of his life. He pumped the last part of his seed into her womb before he realised what they had done!
Panting, they both slowly came down to earth. Leaning on his forearms, so as not to squash her with his weight, he looked into the eyes of a thoroughly-ravaged woman. One who was smiling a sappy smile of contentment.
“Honey, we didn’t use protection,” he said tenderly.
“It’s okay, I’m on the pill and I’m clean.” She sounded so relaxed and the trust she put in him humbled him.
“Me too, honey.” He leaned down to kiss her.
He couldn’t figure out why, but he was slightly disappointed, he liked the idea of her round with his child. Rolling off her, he grabbed her hand.
“Come on Miss Sleepy, we have to get to the office and we need a shower.”
“No, don’t want to.”
“Come on,” he scooped her up, tossed her over his shoulder and carried a giggling Lauren to the bathroom, where they discovered that showering together was definitely the way forward.
Chapter Sixteen
Lucy pulled her beloved Mazda up to the front of Fortis. She got out and tried to balance her handbag with all her essentials in it, lipstick, phone, gun, with the coffee tray and the bag of pastries she had bought for everyone. She loved mothering people, she knew it didn’t gel with her kick-ass persona, but that was half the fun.
Putting the box of pastries on top of the coffee she hauled her handbag, well more of a mini suitcase really, over her shoulder.
Walking to the front door, she nearly tripped over the pink gift box that was sitting on the doorstep. Shit! This could not be good news! Pink boxes left in the night were never a good thing unless it was from Santa.
Stepping round the box with her precious coffee, she unlocked the door and disabled the alarm. She locked the door behind her before striding into the tech room. She decided to deposit her pastries and coffee in the conference room first. Will Granger, thei
r resident geek was away on assignment in Paris, but he would kick her ass if she brought food near his equipment and she didn’t trust him not to have the room bugged.
She ran the security footage from overnight and stopped it at 3.30am when she saw a figure walk into the shot and leave the box. Their equipment was the best, but if someone hid behind a hat and dark glasses, it’s very hard to see enough to run facial recognition software.
Going back out to the front she was about to examine the box when Nate and Drew pulled into the car park. Nate got out with his usual smile and swagger, and Drew just grinned at her shyly.
“What’s this, Luce?” said Nate, pointing at the box.
“I don’t know, it was here when I arrived, but it can’t be good. I was just checking the security footage before I came to get it.” She knelt down to take a closer look.
“NO!” Nate yelled at her, causing her to jump. “Don’t touch it; we don’t know what it is.”
“God damn it Nate, I was just looking at it. I’m not a bloody novice you know.” Lucy said indignantly. She loved these guys, but they sure could be overprotective sometimes.
~~~
Nate just frowned and stepped closer, he knelt down to inspect the box carefully, and then put his ear to it. He looked closely round the edges of the box and then gently lifted the lid.
Nate swore viciously. Inside was a picture of Lauren and Dane sat in the local Italian bistro. The picture was grainy and looked like it had been taken with a long lens. Scrawled across the picture was RIP. Nate lifted the picture with the tip of a pen Lucy handed him. Underneath it was another picture, this one of Lauren on her own. This one had been mocked up to look like she was in a coffin. Sick fucks!
Leaning back so Lucy and Drew could get a look, he took out his mobile phone and shot off a quick text to Dane informing him of the situation, he quickly got a text back. Secure the box. Be there in five.
“They’re are on their way. Let’s get this box inside.”
