by Marla Monroe
“Bitch! You’re going to pay for that.” He had grabbed her by the neck and slammed her into the side of his car. “No one hits me.”
Dave and Kathy had tried to pull her off of him, but he’d pulled a gun and aimed it at them.
“Get out of here before you piss me off, too.” He’d laughed when they had turned and run for their car. “Looks like we’re all alone now, bitch. You should have accepted my offer when I was in a good mood.”
Jessie had known he was going to hurt her. It was in his eyes. She could see her pain there. He was going to enjoy it, too. She struggled, but he was much larger than her, and with the gun at her jaw, she didn’t dare struggle too much for fear he would just pull the trigger and be done with her.
“Eddie, please don’t hurt me. You know my brother will hunt you down if you do.” That had been the wrong thing to say. Eddie had just laughed at her.
“You think I’m afraid of that punk? He’s nothing, Jess.” He’d dragged her around to the passenger side of the car and shoved her in. “Scoot over and drive where I tell you to. Don’t try anything or I’ll hurt you, bad.”
Jessie had followed his directions, driving them further outside of town and deeper into the scrub. When she’d pulled into a clearing where it was obvious there had been beer busts in the past, he had her park the car. Once he’d dragged her across the seat again, he’d shoved her back against the trunk of the car and ripped at her blouse. Jessie knew she was doomed but fought anyway. There was no way she was going to make it easy on him.
All that had done was excite him more. He laughed as he toyed with her. Letting her get the occasional punch in then punishing her with one of his own. As if suddenly growing tired of the game, Eddie had hit her hard enough to knock her to the ground in a daze. Then he had fallen on her and tore at her clothes like an animal. Somewhere in all of the action, she had managed to get her hand on the gun, and she’d pulled the trigger.
When the noise had receded and the ringing in her ears was a loud buzz, she realized he wasn’t moving any longer. Jessie shoved him off of her and realized he was probably dead by the looks of all of the blood. She’d scrambled away from him on her hands and knees and curled up in a ball, no doubt in shock. She had no idea how long she had lain there before her brother and his gang had pulled up. Nor had she ever questioned how he’d found her. All she knew was that he’d taken care of everything.
“When I was able to think again, Tussler told me that he’d taken care of everything. No one would find the body, and I wouldn’t go to jail.” She sighed and shook her head. “It wasn’t until the first time I refused to obey him that he brought it up again and showed me the gun in a plastic bag.”
“He used that to control you.” Rhodes’s voice startled her.
“Yeah. As long as I followed his directions, he wouldn’t clue the cops in on where the body was and give them the gun with my fingerprints on it.”
“Son of a bitch!” Vernon’s growl at her feet barely broke a whisper.
“I’d had enough. I just wanted to be normal, you know? I wanted to have friends and go shopping and work like everyone else. Dumb dream, huh.”
“No, baby. It’s not dumb at all.” Rhodes wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple. “Everything’s going to be okay. Trust us, Jessie. Let us help you.”
Jessie looked down at where Vernon was gently squeezing her feet. She met his eyes and almost gasped. Instead of the disgust or disappointment she’d expected to see, his eyes held unshed tears.
“Jessie. I swear to you that if you give us a chance, we’ll make sure you get the kind of life you want.”
That was all it took to crack the control she’d managed to keep on her emotions. Tears filled her eyes and overflowed down her cheeks. She believed him. He would never break a promise.
Rhodes kissed away her tears and held her close until she’d managed to regain some form of control. Embarrassed that she’d made such a fool of herself, Jessie pulled away from them and stood up. She needed to wash her face.
“What’s next?” She scrubbed at her face with her hands.
“We get you and Ginger somewhere safe while we figure out our next move.” Vernon pushed to his feet.
“She has a job here. She can’t just disappear.”
“They won’t think twice about using her to get to you, Jessie.” Rhodes’s voice, though gentle, didn’t hide the seriousness of the problem.
“I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid. I put her in danger by coming here.” Jessie pulled at her hair.
“Easy, baby,” Rhodes said. “We’ll make sure she’s okay.”
“Go have her pack up what she needs, and we’ll leave tonight.” Vernon’s deep voice soothed her despite the gruffness of it.
Jessie dreaded this. She hurried down the short hall to Ginger’s door and knocked. The other woman’s muffled voice bid her come in. Jessie stared at the sight of her friend shoving clothes in a suitcase.
“I’m not stupid, Jessie. I knew we were going to have to leave. I’ve already called the hospital and requested a leave of absence for a family emergency.”
“I’m so sorry, Ginger. I never meant to involve you in my trouble. I just wanted to be free for a little while.”
Ginger walked over and pulled her into a hug. “Shh, Jessie. It’s all right. Let’s finish packing and get on the road. I’m sure those men of yours have a plan.”
Jessie nodded and walked back out of the room to grab her things out of the bathroom. She didn’t have much to pack, so it didn’t take her long to fill her backpack. She needed to call the restaurant and tell them she couldn’t work there anymore. Maybe they should go by so she could return her T-shirts. Clutching them along with her backpack, Jessie returned to the living area.
“I–I need to return these and tell my manager I can’t work anymore.”
“We’ll stop on the way out of town,” Rhodes said.
Ginger emerged from the hall, dragging two suitcases. Rhodes walked over and took them from her as Vernon grabbed Jessie’s backpack.
“Are you ready to go?” Rhodes asked.
“Yes.” Ginger nodded.
Vernon opened the front door and led them outside with Rhodes bringing up the rear. Ginger snagged her purse as they walked out. Jessie couldn’t believe her friend was taking this so calmly. Ginger should hate her for screwing things up so badly.
As the guys loaded up the car, Ginger hugged her. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“How can you say that? Look at what a mess I’ve made of your life.”
“You didn’t do this. Your brother did this. He’s tried to run your life for as long as I’ve known you.” Ginger opened the car door and climbed in.
Jessie turned to walk around the car and ran into Rhodes. He pulled her into his arms. For once, she let him comfort her. The strength in his arms and the hardness of his chest made her feel safe. She wanted to stay there forever, but knew they needed to get on the road. Slowly she pulled back.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
Rhodes just smiled and escorted her around the car where Vernon opened the door for her. When she slipped between the door and Vernon, he pressed his lips against her forehead. Then he leaned inside the car as she fastened her seat belt.
“I’m taking the lead, Ginger. You’ll be in the middle with Rhodes bringing up the rear. We’re going to put as much distance between us and here as possible tonight before stopping.”
Jessie couldn’t help herself. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. The stubble there seemed such an odd contrast to the utter smoothness of his bald head. He stared down into her face before dropping a kiss on the palm of her hand.
“Stay safe, babe.” Then he pulled away and closed the door. She heard the sound of their motorcycles roaring to life.
Ginger started the car and slowly backed out of the parking place to slip in between the two bikes. Despite everything that she knew lay ahead of her, Jessie allowed a se
nse of safety to comfort her as they drove.
Chapter Seven
Vernon pulled into the Days Inn parking lot a little after midnight. They had made good time, and the miles they had put between them made him feel a little better. He could almost feel the weariness from the women. It was time to stop for the night. They all needed rest. There was no telling what was ahead of them at this point.
As he climbed off the bike, Rhodes pulled up next to him and did the same. Thankfully, the women remained in the car waiting on them. He walked over to Jessie’s door, and the window rolled down. Smart woman.
“Rhodes will get us some rooms. Stay in the car with the doors locked until we check them out.”
Jessie nodded and rolled the window back up. He leaned against the car with his arms crossed and waited on Rhodes to return. He was still trying to figure out what they were going to do to get her out of the mess she was in. No way would he let her brother take her from them. Neither would he let her go to jail for something that was self-defense. The entire thing smelled to him anyway. How had her brother found her back then in the first place?
Rhodes returned with key cards. “I got adjoining rooms.”
They quickly searched the two rooms before ushering the women inside. Each room had two queen beds, a TV, a desk, and a microwave. The beds were all they needed at the moment. He could feel the women’s exhaustion as they dropped onto the beds.
“Get some sleep. We’ll need to leave early in the morning.” Vernon walked toward the connecting door. He turned and looked at them. “Leave the door open.”
Neither woman said anything. They just nodded.
As soon as he reached the other room, he jerked off his shirt. Rhodes had already claimed the bathroom. His cock was hard as a rock. He wanted—no, he needed Jessie like he needed his next breath, and she was only feet away in the next room. He clenched and unclenched his hands at the thought of her smooth skin and the scent of her arousal. Cursing, he stalked over to one of the beds and sat down to remove his boots.
Rhodes stepped out of the bathroom with just a towel around his waist. His gaze immediately went to the door leading to the other room.
“They okay over there?”
“Yeah. I told them to leave the door open. I don’t want any chance something happens and we can’t get to them.”
Rhodes nodded and walked over to the other bed. He pulled back the sheets and climbed into the bed naked. Neither one of them wore underwear. Vernon shucked his and walked naked into the bathroom to take a shower. He needed some relief as well. His dick hadn’t wanted to cooperate on the ride and sure as shit wasn’t going to give him any rest now with the object of his desire in the next room.
He stepped into the water stream they called a shower and quickly washed up. Then he wrapped his hand around the base of his erection and squeezed. He pumped his hand up and down the length of his cock a few times then captured the drop of pre-cum that pearled at the slit and rubbed it around the head. It didn’t take much to imagine Jessie on her knees in front of him with her mouth teasing the tip of his cockhead. He reached between his legs and cupped his balls in his hand and gently squeezed them as he ran his other hand up and down the stalk.
Her mouth would feel like wet silk sucking his dick. The heat of it would burn him alive. It was a pain he would welcome in a heartbeat. The tip of her tongue would tease him as she slowly sank her mouth over him, taking the length of him down her throat. Nothing could compare to the feel of her throat contracting around him.
Vernon pumped his cock in his hand as his balls began to burn with the need to come. She would squeeze and roll them in her hand as her lips tightened around his dick. The memory of the taste of her sweet nectar drew a growl from deep in his throat as sparks erupted at the base of his spine signaling his climax was not far away.
“Fuck!”
His balls drew up tight against his body as cum filled his shaft. He couldn’t even last long enough to enjoy the thoughts of her pleasuring him. He squeezed his cock tighter as fire raced up his dick and erupted onto his belly and hand. He cursed and slammed his other hand against the back of the shower as his knees grew weak. If this was all he had in him, he would never be able to satisfy Jessie in the way she deserved. He had no control around her, even in his head.
* * * *
Jessie jerked awake with a moan. The dreams were worse than they had ever been before. She couldn’t escape the blood and death she’d caused. She could still smell the mixture of blood and terror as if it were right there in the room with her. There was no way she would ever be able to go back to sleep now. The bed shook from her fear.
Looking over toward the other bed, she could barely make out Ginger’s form beneath the covers. The light from the bathroom gave just enough illumination that she could tell that the other woman was still sleeping soundly. Jessie didn’t want to wake her up, but she couldn’t lie there any longer. Despite the warmth from the heater, her skin felt chilled as she slipped out of the bed and walked toward the open connecting door. Shivers ran up and down her body as she eased into the other room. It was dark enough in their room that she could barely make out the two beds. She had no idea who was in which bed. She didn’t guess it mattered, though she felt like Rhodes would be more forgiving if she woke him up.
She felt her way deeper into the room and carefully climbed into the first bed she located. The second she settled against the mattress, a warm body pinned her to it. Strong hands held her wrists to the bed on either side of her head as a heavy male body lay over hers.
“Jessie?” The gruff voice belonged to Vernon.
“Yeah. Sorry I woke you up.”
“What are you doing in here? Is something wrong? Where’s Ginger?” He released her wrists and started to pull away from her.
Jessie latched onto his body, wrapping her arms around his neck. She savored his warmth and the solid bulk of his body against hers.
“Ginger is still sleeping in the other room. I–I can’t sleep. All I can think about is that night and all that blood. Please let me stay with you.” Fear gave her voice a soft waver.
“You’re safe, Jessie. We won’t let anything happen to you.” He settled to her side and pulled her head to his shoulder.
“Vernon? What’s going on?” Rhodes’s voice startled Jessie.
“Jessie can’t sleep. Help me settle her down so she can rest.”
Jessie heard uncertainty in Vernon’s voice. It surprised her. He was never unsure of anything. Did he regret getting involved with her? The thought of that tore at her heart. She may not have chosen to go to them back home, but she still loved them.
The sound of Rhodes throwing back the covers in the next bed alerted her to the fact that he was going to join them in Vernon’s bed. All three of them would be in the same bed, and she had no doubt that Rhodes would be just as naked as Vernon was. A fact she had been trying to ignore unsuccessfully since she’d first felt him over her.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Rhodes wrapped his body around hers from behind.
His hand rested on her hip even as his hot breath licked along her neck. She couldn’t stop the shiver that ran along her spine. He pressed closer if that were possible.
“I–I keep dreaming about Eddie. It won’t go away.” She choked on a sob as she realized that for the first time she felt completely safe.
“Easy, Jess. No one is going to hurt you. We’ll make sure of it. Go to sleep, baby girl.”
Jessie wrapped one arm around Vernon’s chest and let her body relax into theirs. Nothing had ever felt so right. She belonged between them. If only she hadn’t killed a man. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t meant to. Her naivety had ruined any future she might have had with them. She had no doubt that her brother would see her in jail before he let her go. With her in jail, he would have control of everything. She had often wondered why he hadn’t handed her over to the police in the first place. It would have solved all his problems if he had. The only thing she c
ould come up with was that Ray wanted her, and he wanted Ray next to him bad enough to keep her secret.
“You’re still thinking, Jess. Go to sleep. We’ve got a long road ahead of us.”
Vernon’s gruff voice reminded her that she had something worth fighting for now. The fate of not only Rhodes and Vernon was in her hands, but so was Ginger’s. She wouldn’t ruin her best friend’s life.
Jessie slowly allowed her mind to slip away, and she fell into a dreamless sleep.
* * * *
The next morning, Jessie woke up alone in the bed. She rolled over and found Vernon sitting at the desk staring at her. The expression on his face told her nothing about the mood he was in.
“Where’s Rhodes?”
“Getting breakfast. Ginger is in the shower. You can use ours. I’ll go get your pack.” He didn’t move.
Jessie knew she was taking a chance, but she didn’t care. She didn’t know how long she had with them and what would become of her. Climbing out of the bed, she smoothed the oversized T-shirt down her hips and walked toward the big man. Though she wasn’t really afraid of him, she had good reason to worry. He had the ability to break her in so many ways.
Standing in front of him, she took one more step and wrapped her arms around him, settling her face at his neck. He stiffened at first, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against his body. There was no disguising his erection as it pressed between her thighs.
“You need to shower,” he said in a deeper-than-normal voice.
Good, he wasn’t unaffected by her nearness. A small part of her felt relief. The feminine side of her sighed. Despite her past, Vernon, at least, still lusted after her. She could work with that.
Pressing away, she took a step back then another. She turned and walked over to the bathroom, and after looking over her shoulder to find him still sitting where she’d left him, turned and closed the door. Leaning against it, Jessie sighed and closed her eyes. She wanted him more than she had ever thought possible. Maybe even more so than she had thought all those months ago when they had made love to her with their hands and mouths.
