by S. M. Shade
“Any more of that and my hand is going to find your ass,” Airen whispers into my ear, biting the lobe.
“He’s gay,” I whisper back with a giggle. Not to mention too gorgeous to even dream about. Of course, so is Airen.
“That’s the only reason you aren’t over my knee right now.”
“After all the sweet things you said earlier?”
“I’ll say them again while you’re begging me to spare your pretty pink ass.”
“Stop,” I admonish, feeling my face ignite. I’m glad it’s so dark.
“We need to talk about something,” Troy announces. “It’s pretty serious. We didn’t just come to visit.” Troy gazes at Joseph. “We need your help.”
“What can we do?” Joseph asks.
“A few weeks ago, a little boy showed up in my back yard. He was filthy, and dressed only in a pair of underwear. He was sitting in our garden, eating raw vegetables out of the ground. His body was emaciated, and covered in sores and bruises. It took a few days before he’d talk to us. The poor kid is afraid of his own shadow, and with good reason.” Troy’s voice falters, and Nic places an arm around him reassuringly.
“He was kidnapped and held prisoner,” Nic explains, picking up the story. “A group of men held him and abused him for months. He doesn’t know exactly how long, only that there was snow on the ground when he was taken.”
Airen’s voice is rough when he asks, “What kind of abuse?”
“They did everything to him that you could imagine,” Troy whispers, his eyes on Joseph. “They beat him, sexually abused him. He has…scars.”
“How old is the boy?” Airen asks, his jaw tight.
“Twelve. His name is Sammy.”
“Fuck.” Joseph sighs. “How is he doing?”
“Physically, he’s healing, but he’s an angry, frightened young man,” Nic replies. “With enough time and attention we hope he’ll be okay. He has a lot of guilt about the kids he left behind when he escaped. That’s why we’re here. We want to rescue them, and we need your help.”
Shit, this can’t be happening.
Airen leans forward in his seat. “What do you know about who has them?”
“Sammy says there are six men. They live in a hotel, and keep the women and children locked inside. Five women and five kids. They’re sex slaves. There’s no easier way to describe it.”
“Are they armed?”
“He said they use guns to hunt, but they didn’t threaten them with a gun. They prefer to beat them into submission,” Troy says. I can’t imagine how this is affecting him after suffering such a similar situation.
Airen nods. “When do you want to leave?” What?
“Airen!”
“Hush, Abby, we’ll talk about it later,” he replies distantly. All his attention is focused on Troy. Normally, I’d be royally pissed at such a dismissal, but I’ve watched the change in him as he listened to Troy’s story. His posture is rigid, his jaw set. Tension radiates from his body. He’s like a rubber band stretched taut, a millimeter away from snapping.
He jumps when Joseph touches his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Of course,” he growls. “When do we leave?”
“Let’s get everyone together tomorrow and discuss it,” Joseph suggests. “We absolutely want to help, but the more men the better. If Gary and Eric come along that’s six of us. We’ll outnumber them at least.”
“I’m in,” Jon speaks up.
I remain silent when everyone turns to me. I don’t give a frog’s green ass what Jon does. Once again, I’m in danger of losing everything, but how can I object? I couldn’t live with myself.
Finally, Nic nods. “My buddy, Mac, will go along as well. That makes eight.”
“How far away?” I ask softly.
Troy reaches across the table and takes my hand. “Two days by car. The back roads aren’t bad. We got the truck and camper through with no problem. I’m sorry, Abby. I know what you all went through this past winter with Airen. I hate to do this to you, but we have no chance on our own.”
“I understand. They’re kids. We have to do something.”
“We have to do something,” Airen argues. “You’re staying here.”
“The fuck I am.”
“Abigail.” His voice is soft, but threatening.
“I won’t raid the hotel or whatever you plan to do. I’ll hide out, and help with the kids after you get them out, but I’m going.” Last winter without Airen was a nightmare. I’d never have made it through without Joseph. No way are they both leaving me.
“We’ll discuss this later,” he snaps. Jon watches our argument with an amused expression.
“We can discuss it all you like, but you may as well include me in your plan because if you leave me here, I’ll follow you. I’m going. End of.”
“I’ll talk to Eric and Gary in the morning, and we can meet here at lunchtime,” Airen says, ignoring me and directing his words to Nic.
Nic gets to his feet and takes Troy’s hand. “Sounds good. We should go.”
“So should you,” Joseph tells Jon, glaring at him.
“Good luck, guys. She’s a stubborn one. I’ll see you at noon.” Jon laughs and saunters off. The table rocks as Airen leaps to his feet and stalks into the house, leaving me and Joseph alone.
“Are you pissed at me, too?” He embraces me so tight I can hardly breathe. “No, ladybug. I’m terrified.”
“Me too. I can’t stay here and wait.”
“I know. We’ll work it out. Try not to be too upset at Airen. He’s afraid too, and trying to protect you. Let’s go to bed.” He keeps his arm around me and leads me to our bedroom.
I’ll never fall asleep. Joseph’s arm is warm and comforting around my middle, but Airen’s distance fills me with a terrible hollowness. My time with them may be very short. It’s just too painful to think about. I need him, even if he’s pissed at me, and I know what Joseph would encourage me to do.
“Air,” I say softly, placing my hand on his back. Could he get any closer to the edge of the bed? “I know you’re mad, but…I need you.” My voice is small and embarrassed.
He rolls to face me, his eyes softening as his fingers comb gently through my hair. “I’m right here, darlin’. What can I do?”
“Just hold me. Tight. Give me a night to feel safe before everything goes to hell again.”
I’m enclosed in two sets of strong, masculine arms, caged between their bodies while gentle hands stroke and reassure. “Everything will be okay, sweetheart,” Airen murmurs. “Please don’t worry.”
“I’ll do whatever you want, Air. I’ll watch from a distance, but please, don’t ask me to wait here. I can’t take it.”
He sighs. “They take women for sex, Abby. What if we get hurt or killed and they get their hands on you? We may not get to you in time.”
Shit. I hadn’t thought about that. “They won’t know I’m there. I’ll stay out of sight.”
“We’re going to Troy’s place first. Maybe Abby could stay there and at least be close by,” Joseph suggests to Airen, resting his chin on my shoulder. “She won’t have to wait weeks for news.” His arms tighten around me. “Airen’s right, if one of them touched you, I’d never forgive myself.”
“How far is Troy’s house from the hotel?” Airen asks.
“Troy said Sammy walked a few miles after he escaped, so it can’t be too close. If he’s safe there, then Abby will be too.”
“Okay, Abigail.” He sighs and tightens his arms around me. “Come to Troy’s with us, but if you even think of following us any farther, I’ll tie you to a tree in his yard.”
“Does it have to be a tree? I’m sure he has a couch. It’s a bad time of year for mosquitoes, you know.”
“Then do what you’re told for once.”
Joseph snorts. “Because she’s so good at that.”
“Hey! I am when it counts!” I poke him in the ribs. “When the cult had us, I did what you asked me to.”
“Yes, you did. You can’t hesitate if we tell you to run or hide this time. These people are worse than Abraham and his followers. They won’t want to capture us. I’m hoping we can take at least a few of them out from a distance,” Airen states. “We should have everyone target shoot and see who our best marksmen are.”
You would think it would be impossible to fall asleep in the middle of such a conversation, but I’m exhausted from all the stress. Yesterday, my biggest fear was Jon running his mouth to my guys. Now, that takes a backseat to the threat of losing them to violence...again. Either way, I’m damned. My eyes slip closed, and the next thing I hear is Airen’s gruff cry.
“Air?” I mumble, still half asleep.
“Get off me!” he snaps, shoving me into Joseph hard enough to rattle my teeth.
The room fills with soft, dim light as Joseph turns on the lamp. “What?” he says, before he’s cut off by Airen’s growl.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” His eyes are squeezed shut and he’s soaked in sweat.
Joseph snatches my hand and pulls me out of bed. “He’s having a nightmare, Abby. Stay back.” He tugs the cover off of him before he can get tangled in it, and we both freeze. He’s rock hard, a wet spot spreading across his shorts. I didn’t know men could climax from a nightmare. What the fuck is he dreaming about?
“No! It hurts!” His hand clamps over his ass and he flips to his back. Tears run down his face. “I don’t! I don’t like it!” he sobs.
“Go wait in the bathroom, Abby,” Joseph orders, his face pale.
“We should wake him,” I whisper.
“I’m going to, but it’ll kill him if he knows you saw him like this. Go.”
I nod and quickly retreat to the bathroom, leaving the door ajar so I can hear. Joseph yells his name three times before he wakes.
“What the fuck is going on?” Airen snaps. I can hear the fear in his voice.
“You were having a nightmare. I had to wake you up.” Joseph’s calm demeanor lessens his panic. Their reflection is visible in the vanity mirror, and I watch through the crack in the door. Airen looks around wildly as Joseph lays a tentative hand on his shoulder. When he cringes, Joseph quickly withdraws.
“Sorry,” Airen mumbles. “I guess I’m still jumpy.”
“It’s okay. Do you want to tell me what you were dreaming?”
“No…I don’t remember.” With a trembling hand, he wipes the tears from his cheeks. Blood rushes to his face when he looks down at the remnant of his wilting erection, and the wet spot on his crotch. Silently, Joseph walks to the dresser and retrieves a clean pair of boxers. “Where’s Abby?” Airen asks, fearfully.
“In the bathroom. I guess the lasagna and alcohol didn’t agree with her,” Joseph lies.
“Did I scare her? Did she…?”
Joseph sits beside him and this time he allows him to slip an arm around his middle. “She didn’t see anything. I woke up when she turned on the bathroom light. Then you started yelling, so I woke you up.”
“What did I say?” he asks in a horrified whisper.
“All I could make out was the word ‘No’,” Joseph lies again. Airen nods, reassured. “Are you okay? Is there something you want to talk about, Airen? We can keep it between us. You know that.”
“No, I’m fine. It was just a really vivid nightmare. I’m sorry if I freaked you out. I should check on Abby.”
That’s my cue to flush the toilet. After refilling the tank, I wash my hands and join them. “What was all the racket?” I fake a yawn.
“Airen had a nightmare. Everything’s fine.”
“Are you sick, sweetheart?”
“No, I just needed to go to the bathroom and get a drink of water. What was the nightmare about?” I crawl into bed, and Joseph turns out the light.
“I don’t remember. Let’s just go back to sleep.”
“Okay.” We cuddle up together and they’re both snoring in a matter of minutes. Whatever he was dreaming about was obviously sexual and disturbing. It’s no wonder he doesn’t want to share. It was probably all the talk about sex slaves that triggered such a violent nightmare. Burrowing deeper between them, I fall asleep again.
* * * *
The RV’s are packed and ready to go. Airen found us a nice roomy one in the next town over. It has a small table with booth seating, a long soft couch, and a bed large enough for the three of us. Nic and Troy stick with their pick up truck and pop up camper while Eric, Gary, and Jon share another large RV.
Julie, Lexi, and Emma know the real reason for our trip, but the kids think we’re going to help Troy set up his electric power. It breaks my heart to leave my boys, but I know they’re in good hands. “Make sure they come back, Abby,” Lexi sobs, hugging me goodbye before embracing Eric again. Emma doesn’t cry, but she looks royally pissed off. Gary put his foot down when she insisted on coming along, and since I’m the only woman going, I’m not her favorite person at the moment. Somehow, I’ll have to find the strength to carry on.
“We’ll see you in two weeks,” I reassure Carson, hoping it’ll be far sooner.
“Have fun. We’ve got this.” He grins at Airen. “I’ll keep these women in line while you’re gone.”
“Let us get down the road before you beat his ass for that remark, ladies.” Airen laughs.
Finally, we’re on the road, heading to a small, southern Missouri town called Woodbriar. Airen drives the first day while Joseph and I goof around, trying to find ways to pass the time. After a short rest stop, Joseph lounges on the couch while I sit up front with Airen.
It’s hot out, and he’s dressed in a pair of baggy cargo shorts, his chest bare. My hungry eyes trace the lines of his hard muscles, just begging to be touched and licked. He’s cut his hair short, and sweat glistens on the back of his neck.
Those perfectly sculpted lips curl into a small smile, and he glances at me with amusement. “You’re thinking dirty thoughts, darlin’. If you keep looking at me that way, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
“It’s your fault. You shouldn’t be so damn sexy.”
“What were you thinking?” His voice is husky, and his eyes gleam with lust.
“Just wondering how you feel about highway head.”
“Hey!” Joseph calls. “I can take care of that urge without risking our lives.”
Ignoring him, I slide onto the floor beside Airen and gaze up at him. “Can you keep us on the road, gorgeous?” I stroke him through the thin khaki material, smiling when he grows solid beneath my fingers.
“We’re sure as hell going to find out now,” he growls, unzipping and tugging his shorts down his thighs.
Joseph slips into the passenger seat where he can watch. “Just here to make sure we don’t end up in a ditch.”
“Likely excuse,” Airen replies.
Before I can begin, Joseph tugs my shirt and bra off, and plants a quick kiss on each nipple. “Proceed.” I love his mischievous grin.
“You have an excuse for that?” Airen gibes.
“Nope, our girl has pretty boobies. I want to watch them jiggle.”
Airen laughs. “No argument here. You made her blush,” he teases. His laughter is cut short, and he hisses through clenched teeth as I slide my mouth over him. It’s an encouraging, sexy noise. Instead of teasing him, I try to get him off as quickly as possible. This really isn’t the safest of activities. Alternating my actions, sucking, licking, and taking him deep pushes him to the edge of his endurance quickly. I love how he feels, so hard but so soft.
“Eyes on the road, beautiful,” Joseph admonishes gently. I glance up at Airen just in time to see those midnight eyes fly open before he comes, groaning as I swallow him. Chest rising and falling as he pants, face pink and sweaty, he’s a sexy sight.
A shaking hand trails down my cheek. “So good, sweetheart. You just wait until tonight.”
Tucking him back in his shorts, I reply, “Oh, really?”
“You’ll be whimpering under my tongue
before I fuck you ragged.” My breath catches and a wonderful chill runs through me. I know he means every word.
“In the meantime, she’s mine,” Joseph chirps, scooping me up and carrying me to the bed in the rear of the camper.
Soft blond curls separate and bounce back between my fingers as I run them across his scalp. “Aw, are you feeling left out?” I tease, slipping off the bed to my knees and unzipping his shorts.
“No, baby,” he whispers, and I’m pulled back onto the bed. “I want you to come with me.” Stripping off my shorts and panties, he turns me to my side and presses up behind me, angling my leg back to drape over his thigh. Hot kisses trail down my neck while his fingers stroke between my folds. “So wet already.”
He eases all the way into me in one long firm stroke, making me cry out at the sudden fullness and the pinch of him pushing past my limit, stretching me. A wave of heat sweeps over me from head to toe. “You’re so deep,” I gasp.
“I need every inch of you, my girl. You were so hot, bent over Airen with those beautiful breasts waving in front of me.” As he moves slowly in and out, awakening every nerve ending, his fingers travel down my belly to slip between my legs, rubbing both of my sensitive spots at once, bombarding me with pleasure.
“Joseph,” I moan, reaching to slow his hand, desperate to manage the sudden overwhelming stimulation.
His other hand catches mine. “Go with it, baby. Feel me. Don’t fight it.”
“I’m going to come,” I whimper.
“More than once,” he whispers in my ear. My moan grows louder and louder as the overpowering sensation builds, stealing all cognitive thought and self control. His body doesn’t slow when I spasm around him, heat and raw pleasure rocketing through my core before branching out to roll through every inch of my body. I hear a cry that I can’t believe came from me. He continues thrusting slow and deep, and when his fingers return to rub and pinch, I climax again, right on the heels of the first.
“Yes…Abby…God, you’re squeezing me,” he gasps. With a loud sound somewhere between a grunt and a groan, he lets go and stills against me, squeezing my hip. Sweaty arms wrap around me, and without pulling out, we lie together in a blissful stupor until Airen’s voice permeates the bubble.
