NOMADS The Box Set

by Erin Trejo

  “Need to cross with a girl. No questions.” I can hear him sigh into the other end of the line. I hate asking him for favors but I’ve done plenty for Armand in return. The least he can do as border patrol is get me and Giselle over the fucking border to Mexico.

  “She wanted?”

  “Not in the way you’re thinkin’.”

  “Fuck, Remi!”

  “I know, man. I wouldn’t ask if this wasn’t important to me, you know that.” I listen to the silence on the other end thinking he may have just hung up when he speaks, “You remember the old Cunningham place?”

  “Yeah, dead goats and shit?”

  “Yeah, that one. Be there in an hour I’ll get you over. You better stop and say hi to mi Madre for this shit, Remi,” he warns me. I chuckle into the line.

  “Damn straight I will. No one makes tamales like her.”

  “See you in an hour.” The line goes dead when I look down and dial Landon.

  “Tell me you got news?” I ask hoping to hell he’s heard something.

  “Not much. Dad put a call into the local hospital, planned on havin’ her admitted. As you know that didn’t go over well,” Landon laughs into the phone. I watch the window of the store, watching her as she stands there paying for her stuff with a smile on her face. “Burner phone was used to call me. Should be callin’ back soon for an update.”

  “Give them one.”

  “And tell them what, Remi?”

  “Tell them to fuck themselves, that’s what.” He laughs once more when Giselle comes walking toward me.

  “Need to get movin’. I’ll get a new burner once we’re settled, yeah?”

  “Be careful, Remi.”

  “Hey, make sure that Tip has my work phone scattered, man. I don’t want anyone findin’ me.” Tip is good at rerouting my work phone so that it never hits the same tower twice. No one can trace that fucker back to anything when he doesn’t want to them to.

  “He’s got you covered.” I hang the phone up and turn just as Giselle stops in front of me, holding out a bottle of water. I take it and uncap it, swallowing down nearly half the bottle in one go.

  “Are you okay? You look tense,” she says softly, offering me some beef jerky. I snap off the end and pop it into my mouth as she watches me.

  “I’ll be better once we get where we’re goin’,” I tell her honestly.

  “Which is where?” She asks me with those big blue eyes full of question. I reach for her, brushing her hair behind her ear before gripping her cheek in my hand.

  “Somewhere safe. Somewhere I can figure all this mess out.” Her eyes search mine and it’s almost unnerving. It feels like she can see into the depths of my goddamn soul when she looks at me like that. A small smile curls her lips before she says, “I trust you.”

  “And Suzi?”

  “After what you did at the hotel, she’s coming around.”

  “Would you be okay if she wasn’t around anymore?” It’s just a random question that I’ve been wondering. I know my friend from long ago went insane when I asked him that but they are so different.

  “I honestly don’t know. Suzi makes me safe. Maybe if there was some guarantee that I would be safe forever…maybe.” She shrugs her shoulders and I understand her completely. Too fucking bad I can’t offer her that.

  “Come on. We need to go,” getting off the subject, I grab the helmet and pass if back to her. I watch her as she finishes off her water, the way the little droplet leaks down her chin. Fuck, she is tying me in knots here. Giselle tosses her bottle into the trash and slips the helmet on. She carefully sticks the rest of her jerky in the inner pocket of my jacket before grinning up at me. What is it about this girl that sets me off? I don’t know but I sure as hell like it. Climbing on the bike, she quickly climbs on behind me. Sliding her body closer so that she’s pressed against me, I suppress a moan. It’s been too long since I’ve had her naked. Next stop I plan on having her ride my goddamn face until she breaks.

  12

  Giselle

  I never thought I’d like being on the back of a motorcycle as much as I do. It’s a freeing feeling where nothing else exists but me and Remi. It’s a high that I would love to have all the time. We stopped at some dump of a house right near the border and met up with one of Remi’s friends. Suzi has complained non-stop about crossing the border. She’s gone from one reason to the next and frankly I am tired of hearing her. The adrenaline that courses through me is amazing. It’s all the strength I need to keep her at bay.

  As we keep riding, the leather of Remi’s jacket sticks to my overheated skin. Sweat trickles down the back of his neck making me want to lean forward and taste him. The thought has crossed my mind more than a few times since we’ve been riding. My fingers involuntarily dig into his abs. I can feel the chuckle vibrate through his body but he just keeps going. It doesn’t take us a long before he pulls off down a tiny dirt path. A small house sits at the end of it, looking abandoned at best. Remi pulls right in front and kills the engine before climbing off.

  “What is this place?” I ask him as I do the same, losing the helmet and peeling my sweat slicked body from the leather jacket. Remi’s eyes move over my body, noticing the wetness of my t-shirt as it clings to my chest.

  “An old hideout. We’ll be safe here for now,” he says in a husky tone, his eyes still lingering on my chest. I giggle a little when he walks toward me, wrapping his arm around my waist and tugging me against his hard body. His eyes burn straight through me, seeing me for who I am. I know he can and it doesn’t even startle me. Should I be afraid of that fact?

  “We need to talk but first I need you, Giselle. I need to taste you, feel you, be inside of you.” God his admission makes me wetter than I thought it would. I nod my head slowly but Remi just smirks. Shaking his head, he turns and pulls me along with him toward the front door. Grabbing his keys, he unlocks it and ushers me inside.

  “You don’t come here much?” I ask looking around. Although the outside looked to be run down, the inside has been kept up nicely.

  “It’s a safe house. Only come when we need to be hidden.” Just as he says that a noise startles me. Remi laughs. “It’s just Lupita. She takes care of the place and in return she gets to live here.” Nodding my head, I watch Remi as he walks toward the sound. I follow closely behind him when I see an older woman at the sink.

  “Fancy seein’ you here,” he says in a sly tone. The woman turns, her face lighting up.

  “Oh, mijo! You’re here!” She moves quickly, throwing her arms around his middle and hugging him tightly.

  “For a little while. Need to figure some things out,” he tells her sweetly. I can’t help but smile at them. He’s so different with her. It’s almost like a mother son moment.

  “And who is this?” the woman asks, her accent heavy and thick.

  “This is Giselle.” Reaching for me, Remi pulls me up next to him. Lupita’s eyes light up as she watches me intently. She leans in as though she’s going to shake my hand but pulls me into a hug instead. Remi grins next to us as I look up at him. I’ve not had so much physical contact in a long time. I was used to my mom when she was around but daddy was never much of a hugger and Andre only did it out friendship. This is different, almost motherly and the thought alone has tears filling my eyes. When Lupita pulls back, she smiles softly at me while Remi wraps his arm around my shoulder.

  “We’re gonna get cleaned up,” he tells her. She nods, “I will cook!” The way she gets all excited is beautiful. Remi leads us down a hallway, stopping at the last room at the end and ushering me inside. As soon as the door closes, his lips are fastened to mine, my body being pressed into the heavy wooden door. His hands wander to the hem of my shirt, slowly making their way underneath. I gasp into his mouth when his fingers find my already harden nipples ready for him. He groans, pulls away from me and drags my shirt over my head, tossing it to the floor. His head leans down, his lips covering my nipple through the fabric of my thin lacey bra.
I gasp and bring my hand up to tug at his hair.

  “Oh, God. Remi, that feels so good,” I whine helplessly. His teeth sink into my flesh and a cry of pleasure erupts out of me. I quickly bring my hand up to cover my mouth as Remi chuckles and stands in front of me.

  “She’s heard worse, darlin’.” His words slam straight into my chest, nearly knocking the air from my lungs. Suzi just laughs saying, I told you he wasn’t good for us. Was she right? I side step Remi, reaching for my shirt and holding it to my chest.

  “What the hell, Giselle?”

  “How many have you brought here?” Suddenly I’m feeling a little pissed and defensive. I spin to face him and watch the heat in his gaze.

  “I’m not the only one that uses this place, Giselle.” Remi snaps, pulling his leather cut down his arms and tossing it onto the bed. I watch him strip down the rest of his clothes until he stands there in nothing, his cock hard and ready to be taken. His hand moves to fist it, stroking up and down as the tip glistens with pre-come. Fuck, I want to ride him all over again but not until he tells me the truth.

  “How many?” I know he’s lying to me. I know there has to be more than just me. Look at him! Suzi decides to chime in as well, just leave. You can walk out and we can call Andre. Maybe he won’t tell dad this time. For my protector Suzi can be so fucking naive. Daddy sent men after us. To take us to another hospital! We’ve been there and done that and I refuse to go back again.

  “One. You happy now?” With his cock still in his hand, he storms past me into the bathroom and starts the shower. I drop onto the bed, wondering what the hell I’m really doing with him. Weeks of sex with Remi has been amazing and of course, he makes me feel different, hell, he doesn’t even care about Suzi but he isn’t the type to settle on one girl. I saw that much at the clubhouse. Sitting on the edge of the bed, images of his hard, naked body in that shower drift through my mind. I lick my lips and figure if he can get off himself so can I. I stand up and tug all my clothes off, leaving me completely naked in the empty room. Suzi is telling me to stop but the more I think about the way his lips felt against mine, the way his body invades me, I want it, I want him. I lay back on the bed, my legs spread wide. I let my hands drift all over my body, plucking and tugging at my nipples, massaging my breast. I let my mind wander to Remi, to his lips, his fingers. Sliding my hand down my stomach I find myself so fucking wet for him. I slip a finger inside myself slowly and work my way to two. Sensations race through me as my eyes flutter closed. I never knew thinking about a man and touching myself could feel so fucking good but damn I love this. Reaching down with my other hand, I slowly circle my clit. Heat races through me and my fingers begin to speed up. The rising heat nearly burns me down but the faster I do, the more I need it. A few more strokes and I burst apart at the seams, a little cry escaping me as I float on a cloud of pleasure. My pussy pulses and clenches and god, it feels so good. Out of breath and sated, I let my arms fall to my sides. Only when I close my eyes do I let myself drift into a sleep I hadn’t known I needed. Every dream to be filled with Remi and those hands and lips of his.

  13

  Remi

  We’ve been out of sight for a week. A week that Giselle has decided to avoid me at all costs. The first night I came out of the shower ready to take her and make her ride me but when I saw her naked body laid out on the bed, softly snoring in her sleep, I didn’t mess with her. I watch her now as she stands outside, enjoying the light breeze that blows her long blonde hair around.

  “You love her, mijo?” Lupita comes to stand next to me, her arm wrapping around my waist.

  “I don’t know her that well, Lupita. She’s different and I like that but it also scares me,” I admit. If I was to open up and admit that to anyone, it’d be her. Lupita has been around for a long time and as long as we’ve used this as a safe house, she’s been like a mother to me. She’s always happy to see me and it doesn’t matter to her what I do for a living.

  “Oh, hush now. The sparkle in your eyes tells me all I need to know, Remi.”

  “Our lives are very different.”

  “Have you asked her what she wants in life? Maybe it’s not so different from you,” she says. I pull my gaze to meet hers and wonder if Giselle said anything about it to her. Lupita wouldn’t tell me if she did.

  “I doubt she wants to travel all the time. That’s my life.”

  “But did you ask her?” I chuckle and sigh, throwing my arm around her shoulder.

  “No, I didn’t ask her.”

  “Take her to town, to the market. I need some things, si?” nodding my head, Lupita retreats and heads back inside no doubt to make her list while I turn to see Giselle staring at me. Slipping my hands into my pockets, I walk toward her slowly, never breaking eye contact.

  “Hi,” she says softly.

  “Hey. Lupita needs some things in town. Wanna go check out the market?” Giselle watches me, her nerves and Suzi ripping at every thread that holds her here with me. Sometimes when I look at her, I can feel that internal war she fights and it hurts me to see that, to feel it so deeply. It has to be hell on her. Giselle swallows hard before she smiles.

  “Yes. Is it safe?” I know that’s Suzi wanting to know. Giselle is carefree and would take the challenge but Suzi makes her pull back and rethink it.

  “It’s safe. My boys haven’t heard of anything.” I reassure her. “Besides, I have friends here too if we need them.” I give her a wink right before Lupita comes back out with her list. She passes it to me and pats my arm before heading back inside.

  “She cares about you a lot,” Giselle comments on what she sees. I fold the list up and stick it in my jacket, “Yeah. She’s a good person, like a mom or a grandma. She’s always here when I need her.” I lead Giselle back to the bike where we both climb on and get ready. The market isn’t far from here but I’d much rather ride than walk. I rev up the engine and pull out onto the road. Giselle sits closely as usual, her hands snuggly around my waist. There are so many things I want to ask her but I don’t know if I should. I want to protect her and keep her safe but I still don’t have all the facts and she hasn’t asked for any explanations either. I’m not sure if that should worry me or not. I pull out and onto the road enjoying the feeling of her wrapped around me the way she is. She feels too damn good and I hate for this to end, but in the pit of my stomach, I have a very unnerving feeling about it. The ride to the market was uneventful and as I park the bike and climb off, something inside of me just feels off. I ignore it, shake it off and grab Giselle’s hand in mine. Strangely enough, she lets me take her hand.

  “A lot of this stuff is handmade, locally grown. It keeps the people fed around here.” Giselle smiles up at me as I walk and tell her about the culture here.

  “I didn’t realize you knew so much about Mexico,” she says softly, stopping at a small stand with beaded jewelry. I watch as her fingers move over the small beads, her eyes wide in amazement.

  “I used to hang out here a lot when I first went Nomad. It was always calmed here.” Pulling my hand from hers, I reach into my pocket and pull out some cash. Thankfully I keep some pesos on me in case I have to make a stop down here. I lift the bracelet from Giselle’s hand and study it a second before paying the small old woman that made it.

  “Gracias,” I say before turning to Giselle. She holds her wrist out for me, letting me tie the string around it. I watch her eyes as she looks at the bracelet, the fingers of her other hand moving over each bead.

  “Daddy didn’t really like buying me anything. He always thought it would spoil me.” I reach up cupping her cheek in my hand.

  “I’d give you the world if I could, Giselle. I’m not that guy. Never was. I don’t like stayin’ in one place for too long. It’s in my nature to travel.” Giselle leans into my touch, her eyes shimmering in the sun.

  “All I want is you,” she admits. My stomach cramps, my chest tightens.

  “You don’t know me. You know nothin’ about me, Giselle.”
>
  “Maybe not but I want to.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see something that makes my stomach churn. Bile rises in my throat, my breathing kicking up a notch.

  “We gotta go,” I whisper softly. Giselle follows my gaze noting the men that are stalking around with blood on their hands.

  “Who are they?” I ignore her question and grab her hand, leading her quickly toward the bike. I keep my eyes open, watching the area for any other men that might be lurking out here. One thing I hadn’t planned on was meeting the assholes that Kred had a war with. They know me, they know that I’m his kid and now I’ve put Giselle in more fucking danger. The closer we get to the bike, the more my stomach sinks. When the bike comes into view, I stop in my tracks, jerking Giselle to a halt with me.

  “Oh my god,” she cries softly covering her mouth with her hand. My eyes fixate on the blood on the seat of the bike. Her ring sits there gleaming in the sunlight. A sign. Lupita’s dead. Taking a deep breath and calming the anger that races through my veins, I close the distance between us and the bike. I take a quick glance around before grabbing the ring and stuffing it in my pocket. With the jerk of my wrist I pull Giselle up in front of me.

  “Shit’s gonna get bad. I need you to hold onto me as tight as you can until I say, yeah?” Her eyes are fill of tears, a few slowly trickling down her cheeks.

  “She’s dead isn’t she?” With a slight nod she loses it. She breaks down, falling into my chest.

  “We need to go, Gis. Can you trust me?” Nodding into my chest, I sigh in relief. The next stop I have to make a phone call. One I never thought I’d have to make in my fucking life.

  14

  Giselle