by B. B. Hamel
“Did the Navy train you for that?” I asked him.
“Nah. I just learned that one on my own.” He paused, looking around. “Come on. You’d better get in.”
I climbed out of Travis’s car, gathering up Mason and all his things. Mason’s cries had gotten softer, no longer screams of pain. I got him set up in the back seat, transferred over the rest of my stuff with Travis’s help, and then climbed into the front seat of the truck.
“Ready?” Emory asked.
“Where are we going?”
He started driving. “I have no clue.”
We lapsed into silence as he headed out of the city, driving farther south. We were moving away from Dayton, away from Indianapolis, away from everything I knew.
It had happened so fast again. One second I was comforting Mason and giving him medicine and the next there were men in the house trying to kill me. I was so beyond grateful that Emory had shown up when he did and taken those guys out. Otherwise, I had no clue what would have happened.
“What’s the plan?” I asked finally after a few miles of silence.
“Right now we’re going to put as much distance between us and Indianapolis as possible,” he said. “We’ll stop for the night soon, get some rest, and then figure out what to do in the morning.”
I nodded. “Can we stop sooner than that?” I looked in the back. “Mason is sleeping, I haven’t eaten anything in a few hours, and I need to give Mason his medicine.”
“What time is it?” he asked.
“Nearly five in the morning,” I said.
“Fine,” he said. “There’s a rest stop coming up. We can grab something there.”
“Thanks,” I said.
We drove in silence again, my thoughts ranging over the last few days. Emory had gone from a stranger to the only person I trusted in the world. As far as I knew, he was the only person who understood what was happening to me and could do anything about it.
We turned off the highway a half hour later and drove down a long off ramp toward a rest stop. The place was basically deserted, and Emory parked as far away from the other cars as possible.
He cut the engine and looked at me. “Okay, do your thing,” he said.
I nodded. “Watch Mason?”
“You got it.”
I climbed out of the car and walked quickly toward the building. I pushed open the doors and stepped inside.
The place was empty and most of the stores were closed. The only place that was open was a fast food place, and I just couldn’t’ stomach that kind of food. Instead, I bought some crackers from a vending machine and ate them while leaning up against a wall.
I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t. I wanted to feel something, fear or mourning or anything, but I was just numb. After this most recent attack, the only thing I felt was a numb nothingness. And that scared me so much more than anything else had so far.
At least before I’d had the good sense to feel afraid. During the attack I’d felt fear, real terror deep down in my bones, but it had been for Mason. I hadn’t felt any fear for myself at all, and now that it was over I didn’t feel anything else. I was totally blank, a clean slate, empty.
I finished the crackers and went into the bathroom, feeling unsatisfied. It was empty, like everything else in the rest stop.
I didn’t know what was happening to me. I didn’t understand it. I knew I should probably feel afraid now that we were out of the safe house and on the run again, but as I looked at myself in the mirror and splashed water on my face, I couldn’t bring myself to care. We’d drive and drive and the terrorists would get to us again eventually. Either Emory would save us or he wouldn’t. It was all going to end eventually anyway, so I might as well just stop trying to fight it.
A movement to my left caught my eye. I looked over, and standing there, framed in the door, was Emory.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
He took a few steps toward me, the door closing behind him. He kicked a trashcan in front of the door and then looked up at me, his eyes dark and heavy.
“Emory?” I asked again.
He walked up to me and grabbed me by the hips, pulling my body against his.
He didn’t say a word. He just kissed me hard, his lips soft and hard against mine, his mouth hungrily kissing me hard.
I pushed him back. “What are you doing? What about Mason?”
“Travis is with him,” he said, and he grabbed me back, pressing me against his body.
His eyes, his lips, they stared into me. Travis was with Mason. Emory was with me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him again.
“You know why I’m here.”
“We’re in a rest stop bathroom. Someone could come in.”
“Nobody’s coming in, princess,” he said. He began to kiss my neck again, pushing me back up against the wall. I moaned as he unbuttoned my jeans.
“Emory, someone could. We can’t do this. We need to get back on the road.”
“I need to feel this soaking pussy,” he said, slipping his hands down my panties. I gasped as his fingers found my clit, and I realized in that moment how incredibly wet I was.
As he stroked my clit, fingers rolling around my skin, I felt something suddenly wash over me. I had been numb the whole time, but suddenly something rushed into me, took me over, put life back into my limbs.
It was Emory. He was the thing that kept me going. I was walking and fighting for Mason, but Emory was what gave me any strength at all. Without Emory, I’d be dead, and my family would be dead. Everyone I loved and cared about would be gone.
I pressed myself against him, grinding down against his fingers, kissing his lips hard. I needed this, needed it just as much as he did. I needed to feel again, to feel him. Emory gave me strength, and I needed him to give me everything he had.
His fingers worked me, pressing deep inside my wet pussy, stroking in and out, rolling along my clit. Pleasure and desire flooded through me as I rolled my hips, kissing his lips harder, my arms locked around his neck. He pressed his fingers deep inside me and I gasped, kissing him and moaning against his lips.
“Fuck I needed this too,” I gasped as he kissed my neck and tugged my jeans down over my hips. “I really needed this.”
He dropped down to his knees in front of me, his hands on my ass, pulling my hips forward. His lips kissed my stomach and slowly moved down over my panties to lick and suck at my pussy.
“Nothing better than fucking after a fight,” he said. “And there’s no pussy I’d rather fuck than yours.”
He pulled my panties down with a swift tug and then began to suck at my pussy and clit as I stood there, back arched, shoulders against the wall. I held onto his hair as he held onto my ass, supporting most of my weight with his powerful arms.
His mouth was up between my legs, his tongue working my pussy, licking my clit and sliding up inside me. He ate my pussy like a starving man, working my body, driving loads of pleasure through my skin. It pulsed and worked, rolling through my clit, up my soaked pussy, all around my skin.
I fought to stay quiet, but small moans escaped my lips as he kept working me.
“Emory,” I gasped. “Oh my god. You make me want to scream.”
“So scream,” he said between licks. “Go ahead. Nobody’s coming.”
“I can’t,” I gasped.
“You’re embarrassed,” he said, “but I wouldn’t be embarrassed of this tight, delicious little cunt.”
His hands squeezed my ass as he worked my clit, sucking and licking, his tongue rolling in circles, alternating pressure, working me. I could feel my muscles tensing, pleasure rolling through my body, delicious pleasure, intense feelings returning like tingles in a frozen limb.
He suddenly stopped and stood, unbuckling his belt. I watched him, soaking wet, practically dripping onto the ground. He grabbed a condom from his jeans before kicking them aside and sliding his boxer briefs down.
I took his thick, rock-hard cock in my hands and stro
ked him. I spit down on his cock and used that to slide my palms along him, working his length. I jerked him like that with two hands as he grunted and tore open the condom wrapper, his eyes dark with lust and desire.
He pushed me back roughly against the wall, his hands between my legs, mouth against my ear. “Tell me you want this cock,” he whispered. “Tell me you want me to fill your cunt up until you come again and again.”
“Please,” I whispered. “Emory, fuck me. I need it.”
He rolled the condom down his length and then grabbed my hips and turned me. I gasped as he pressed me forward, my hands up against the wall, my legs spread wide.
“Fuck I love this thick ass,” he said.
I felt him grab my hips and then slap my ass, hard. I gasped but didn’t have time to say a word, as he pressed his cock deep inside me.
I moaned, feeling him fill me to the brim. I couldn’t believe how easily he slid inside me, probably because I was so damn wet. His thick cock filed my every inch, and I loved his grunts of pleasure as he slowly began to fuck me, his cock sliding in and out of me, his hands hard on my hips.
I couldn’t believe I was letting him take me this way, in the middle of a public bathroom. But I couldn’t stop it, didn’t want to stop it, needed it more than I could have said. He began to thrust deep inside me, insistently and needing, rough and hard. His hand slapped down on my ass, sending bolts of painful tingles down my spine, mingling with the pleasure, making cool waves of good along my mind.
He pulled my hair, tipping my head back as he fucked me, his body rocking against mine. His strong chest and arms controlled me so easily, made me do what he wanted, made me take him how he wanted.
“Your pussy is so fucking tight,” he whispered in my ear. “I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t get you out of my brain.”
I rocked my hips back, moving my ass, rolling around his cock as he fucked me. “Keep going,” I panted. “Keep going.”
My whole mind and body were tense, balanced on the edge. I needed him so badly, needed his thick cock filling me, needed his strength as he took me. I was dripping wet with intensity, pleasure rolling down my spine.
It was his strong arms, gripping my body, pulling me close. He pressed me against him and I moved my hand, putting it on his head, gripping his hair as he fucked me hard and fast. His cock thrust savagely deep inside me, taking me, making me his. He reached around and pushed my legs open wider as he began to rub my clit in circles, working me as he fucked me rough, deep, and hard. I moaned loudly, out of my mind, pleasure rocking through me, no longer caring who could hear me.
And as he fucked me deep, his hand working my clit, I knew I was about to tip over. My whole body tensed as the orgasm exploded through me, my whole body trembling. It was almost too much, too intense. The feeling overwhelmed me as I twitched and trembled, moaning his name over and over, but he didn’t let me go. He fucked me unrelentingly, pushing through the incredible, intense pleasure, pushing me over the edge.
And in the orgasm, I knew what I needed. I needed Emory, his strong arms, the way he controlled and worked me, the way he could so easily tip me over the edge and make me come. But more than that, I needed his protectiveness, his amazing smile, everything about him.
As my orgasm finished, I bent over again, pressing my ass against him. “Come inside me,” I gasped. “Fuck me hard, Emory.”
He grinned and fucked me deeper, harder, his body thrusting against mine. The cool slap of his skin against mine sent chills all over me as he groaned and grunted his pleasure, working me and fucking me hard.
And then I watched him tense, his face locked in a blissful look. I could feel him coming deep inside me, his cock spurting its pleasure deep inside me.
“Fuck,” he groaned as his orgasm slowly passed and he rocked slower and slower in and out of me. “Fuck, Tara.”
He pulled himself out and leaned against the wall next to me, panting. I pressed myself up against him as I sweated, and he wrapped his strong arms around me.
“I really, really needed that,” I said.
“I know you did.”
He grinned at me and I gave him a look. “We should get back out there, relieve Travis of his duty.”
“Yeah,” he grunted. “In a minute.”
I nodded, not wanting to move either. I stayed there in his arms, feeling safe, comfortable, warm.
But most importantly, feeling something at all.
Emory made me feel something, took the numbness away with his strength, and I knew that was more important than anything else.
24
Emory
I began to get dressed, relaxation running through my body.
I hadn’t been able to stop myself. As soon as Travis pulled up, I followed Tara back into the rest stop bathroom, desire rolling through my core. After what had happened, I needed her, couldn’t risk waiting another second.
She was going to pretend like she didn’t need me just as much, but we both knew the truth. She couldn’t turn me down as much as I couldn’t turn away from her. The attraction between us was intense, powerful, drawing me ever deeper into her.
She smiled at me as I pulled my pants on. “What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I grunted, realizing I had been staring at her. “You have something hanging out of your pants.”
“What?” She looked down at herself. “Oh shit. I forgot about this.” She pulled a little business card from her pocket. It had been hanging slightly out, just so that I could see the white tip.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Business card. I found it on the body of one of the guys.”
“Let me see.” I reached out and she handed it to me.
“I meant to tell you sooner, but I forgot in all the excitement. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You did good finding it.”
I studied the card. It was pretty plain, with only a man’s name on it, a company, and his contact information.
“Donald Richardson,” I read out loud. “Works for Atomic Contracting.” I looked at her, frowning. “I’m not sure what this means.”
She looked surprised. “I do actually.”
I cocked my head at her. “You recognize this guy’s name?”
“Not the name, but the company. They supply parts for nuclear power plants.”
Something clicked inside me, something I didn’t even realize I’d been thinking about.
“How do you know that?” I asked her.
“My dad works with them a lot. He’s something of a middle man, hooking up contractors to local nuclear power plants, mostly in Michigan.”
“Fuck,” I said, the plot falling into place all around me. “Your dad works for nuclear power plants?”
“Not just that,” she said. “Power stations all over the place, but yeah, he does nuclear power too.”
This was it. This was the reason Omar and his people were here. This was the reason they were targeting Tara and her family.
It was a fucking coincidence. Omar could have gone after any of the employees who did Roger Bright’s job, but they decided to target him because of me. They must have seen how it could benefit them: Not only would they get to go after the nuclear power plant, but they’d also get some revenge on me.
How could I have been so fucking stupid? I’d done a background on Tara’s family and seen that her dad worked in the energy sector, but I hadn’t delved any further into his job. I just hadn’t thought it was important. I was so focused on my own relationship with Omar, so convinced that the whole thing was just a personal attack on me, that I had missed this.
I’d missed the obvious. Omar wanted Tara’s father to help them attack a nuclear power plant.
“Fuck,” I said again. “Tara, we have to go.”
“What?”
I finished dressing quickly and Tara followed, sensing my urgency. I quickly left the bathroom with Tara right on my heels. The sleepy teenage girl working at the fast food place gave us a stup
id look, like she knew what we’d been doing, but I just ignored it.
I walked fast. “Emory, slow down,” Tara said. “What’s wrong?”
“You don’t see it for the same reason I missed it. You’re too close.”
“You’re freaking me out. Just tell me.”
I pushed open the doors and then stopped and faced her. “It was all about your father, Tara. Omar and his people, they want to use your dad to attack a nuclear power plant.”
She frowned, shaking her head. “I thought they were after me to get revenge on you.”
“That’s what I thought, too. And they probably chose your dad for that reason initially, but there’s a bigger plan happening here. That’s why Omar has been using American terrorists, why he’s risking so much. It’s more important than just personal revenge, although it’s that also.”
Her face slowly dropped as she realized the implications of what I was saying. I could see it etched clearly there, the worry and the fear coming back to her.
“Cooper is with them,” I said. “He’s more than capable.”
“But my parents are in danger.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I think they are. I bet those two guys who attacked us were the only two who even followed. I’m willing to bet Omar is still back in Dayton.”
“Shit,” she said. “Emory, we have to go back. We have to go help my parents.”
“Yeah,” I said, “we fucking do.”
I headed off again with Tara by my side. I could still sense the fear, but there was something else, too.
It was determination.
After everything that had happened, any other normal person would have curled up into a ball and given up. After all the senseless violence and fear, most people would be pretty messed up.
But not Tara. Yeah, she was fucking scared and worried. Of course she was. But she wasn’t giving up, she wasn’t begging for me to call the cops, and she wasn’t backing down. She wanted to run right back into danger to try to help her parents, because that was the type of person she was.
I truly admired that. It was easy for me to go into danger, because that was my job. I lived for danger and putting my life on the line. But Tara, she was just a normal person who got caught up in events so much bigger than she was. Tara was holding on and thriving, and that meant she was exceptional, so fucking exceptional.
