From The Ashes (After The Burn Series)

by Colt, Shyla

  “I like it.”

  “Well don’t get too attached. I have the on suite, and we’ll be staying in there.”

  “We?” Her heart raced.

  “Oh yeah we’re splitting this thing fifty-fifty, sweetheart, and don’t look at me like that. The only one we’ll be touching is you.”

  She held up her hands. “I wasn’t thinking—”

  “You wondered.” He chuckled. “It was written all over your face.”

  Her lips twitched. She liked this newly discovered sense of humor. When they let down their guard, they were even more attractive.

  They walked by a door on the left.

  “That’s the bathroom. The other is another spare room, which looks just like the first one you saw. Let’s cut to the chase. You can explore later.”

  “Anxious to get me back into bed?” Her pussy still ached from the wild ride in their office.

  “I want to get you settled in so we can pick up a few things,” Cole said, pausing by the last door on the left.

  Her stomach tightened as image of ropes, and nipple clamps flooded her mind. These boys looked like they liked it rough. I feel like a damn sheep among wolves. Cole opened the door.

  “Consider this your home away from home.”

  She walked inside, and her jaw dropped. The massive room held a king size bed done in black. A large screen television hooked up to a DVD, and an extensive collection. Her fingers itched to browse the titles lined up on the display shelf. A mid-sized, black leather couch faced the television set.

  “This is like our movie room. We spend a lot of time in here. The living room goes unused most of the time,” Cain said.

  She nodded taking in the masculine elegance.

  “You ready for the magic moment?” Cole asked.

  “Yes?”

  Cain laughed. “Oh she’s smart.”

  “Shut up.”

  The playful bickering thawed the icy resistance she’d built up against being a kept woman. Would it be so bad to accept what they readily offered? She followed the excited male into the bathroom with Cain trailing behind them shaking his head. He opened a door and the gleaming white set up in front of her stole her breath. A glass stand in rested against the wall across from a deep set bath with spa jets, and a water fall style basin sink. White candles lined the wall. They’d never been used, so she assumed they were from the previous owner.

  “Amazing , isn’t it?” Cole wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Yes.” Her eyes glazed over at the thought of a real bath with no fear or rush.

  “Why don’t you…commune with your inner woman and let us get some things together?” Cole asked.

  “I am so okay with that.”

  “Good, then it’s settled.” Cole moved over wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Her cheeks burned, but her body molded to his hardness. He sucked her lower lip in his mouth and slid into her tongue seducing her with his intensity. She clutched his collar and purred. He pulled away.

  “Something to remember me by.”

  He released her with a wink and strode out the door with a grinning Cain stepping up for his turn. The kiss was gentler. His lips moved over hers making her feel cherished. He cupped the back of her head and she sighed into his mouth. They parted and he laid his head against her forehead for a moment before he moved back.

  “We won’t be long.”

  Her stomach flipped as he walked away. Can a person have Stockholm syndrome this early?

  ***

  Cole adjusted his cock as he took in the sight of the new and improved, Devon. Dressed in a pair of snug jeans, a form fitting thermal shirt, she was a wet dream come true. Tiny ringlets haloed around her fine featured face. Unmarred by the plight of most women, she held an innocence that drew him in like a skittish animal drawn to a kind owner. She sat on the couch between him and Cain, finishing up a romantic comedy. Not sure what else to do, he and his brother ended up with a fucked up speed dating scheme.

  They had a lot to talk about, but first they needed to gain her trust. He knew as a man she could hold her water. It didn’t make sense for the rules to change with her gender. But her ability to hide well, unnerved him. Once they knew they had her fully on their side it’d be an asset. Right now…it was a cause for concern. They didn’t remain on top because they had bleeding hearts, and walked on faith. They were paranoid bastards who did what needed to be done. He liked it that way. It cut down on the bullshit, kept them safe, and made life bearable.

  When they’d first arrived across the town with their original merry band of survivors, they w had been idealistic, and stupid. It’d landed them on the wrong end of the knife. He never made the mistake of thinking this would be a democracy again. He trailed his hand over the faded scar on his neck. Jason, you son of a bitch. Cole watched the life fade from those azure eyes before the blood loss landed him on his ass. Nothing hurt like betrayal delivered at the hands of a person you considered family. Cole wrapped an arm around her slender waist, focusing on the softness and light she brought into their lives.

  They both needed it. It was no secret the two of them straddled the line between tough and cruel for awhile. Too much pressure with no relief, monotony, and no chance for change had them worn to the barebones. Then the idea for a revolution came to be during a late night conversation. He ran his fingers down her side, wondering if even now his seed had taken root, so much hinged on the success of this relationship. The credits rolled on the TV, and Cole moved his hand up to her breast. He wanted to cement the bond before the truth came out. Micah had a big mouth and wounded pride. Without a doubt, Micah would stir up trouble. Good, I’ve been waiting for an excuse to step on that asshole’s neck and boot him.

  Dev turned to look at him with whiskey brown eyes, glossed over with desire. Her nipple pebbled and he leaned down to suck it into his mouth. She buried her fingers in the short strands of his hair and gripped hard, he smirked against her. Still got it. He released her pert bud and blew on the dampened spot.

  “It’s time for Cain to stake his claim on you properly.” He pinched both nipples and her back curved. “Isn’t that right?”

  “Shit yeah.” His brother’s eyes came to life, and Cole grinned.

  “He’s eager.” Cole slid his hand down to cup her between her legs. “Can you handle it?”

  Cain held her face in his hands. “I’ll be gentle.”

  Cole found the contrast of tan skin against brown, beautiful.

  “I don’t want to be a disappointment.” She glanced down.

  Cole’s heart dropped. “Why would you think that?”

  “I’m not like the other girls. I- I don’t have experience and I can’t-” She shook her head.

  “You are exactly what we want,” Cain said.

  “Fuck them, Devon. We don’t want a living breathing blow up doll. We’ll teach you everything you need to know. How we like it. How to handle it rough and dirty.” Cole slipped his hand under her shirt, unsnapping her bra. He cupped the heavy weight of her breasts and growled. “You’re so fucking soft.”

  Cain popped the top button of her jeans and moved his hand into her pants. “We want to see you come to life because you like what we’re doing to you. Feel you come in our mouths, and on our cocks, over, and over again, until you’re a quivering mess who knows we will always take care of you. Hand over the control and put yourself in our hands. We’ll make it worth your while.”

  She panted, squirming on the couch.

  Cole nipped at her bottom lip, capturing her gaze. “Out in the field, you took our orders without question and trusted us with your life. Give us that same courtesy indoors.” He breathed against her full lips, a few inches from the pliant plushness that made him forget himself. Her sweet taste transported him to the back of his old car with cheesy eighties rock blaring on the stereo. Where the only thing that mattered was the girl beneath you, and the connection you’d discovered together.

  “B-but it-”
r />   “Don’t think, feel,” Cain said. She bucked her hips, and Cole smirked. Classic Hart fingers of fire.

  Her lids slammed shut, and she rode Cain’s fingers. The rapture on her face entranced Cole, and he leaned back to study her. Freed from their lacy prison, her breasts bounced. Full lips parted, and her hands gripping the couch, she presented the prettiest picture he’d seen in a long time. People had forgotten how to feel. Not the case with, Devon.

  “Fuck his fingers, Devon. Come for us.” Cole stroked her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. Her eyes fluttered open, and locked with his brother.

  “So tight and hot,” Cain said. “Do it for me.”

  “I’m going to come.”

  “That’s right, squeeze my fingers tight.”

  Her mouth fell open, and she cried out shaking as she gave them what they wanted, her surrender.

  “Clothes off, now!” Cain’s animalistic snarl made Cole proud.

  “You heard the man, sweetheart, time to strip.” Cole grabbed the hem of her shirt, and pulled it over her head, helping her ease the bra down her arms.

  She stood, swaying. Cain knelt down in front of her hooking his fingers in the sides of her jeans and pulling them down along with her underwear. Vickie’s secret looked good on her, but Cole enjoyed seeing it taken off more. She held Cain’s shoulders as she stepped out. Cain lifted her into his arms, carrying her to the bed behind him.

  “That a boy, Cain.” After watching the studious warrior who’d served his country to pay for college get pulled back into a war when the virus hit, Cole lived to see Cain restored to some semblance of the man he’d once been. Cain tossed her onto the bed and stripped down in record time, spreading her legs wide.

  “I want to taste you now.” Cain hooked her legs over his shoulder, lifted her ass and dove between her thighs like a dehydrated man at a fresh spring.

  Cole walked over to the head of the bed, pinching her sensitive nipples. She gripped the comforter and arched. Cain placed a massive hand on her waist, holding her down as he continued to explore her folds. Her mouth opened and Cole leaned in, stealing her cry for his own. Her eyes focused on him and her tongue wrapped around his. They battled, pausing only for air as Cain worked her over. Her eyes went unfocused, and she cried out into his mouth as she came, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

  He rested his head on the bed beside her. “Are you ready to take him, Devon?”

  “Yes.”

  “You hear that, Cain? She’s wants to feel you move inside her. Complete us.”

  Cain stood, and knelt on the bed, lining up with her center.

  Unlike before, Cole hung back, content to watch. Everyone had their fetishes, voyeurism did it for him. Cain sank into her silken depths. Cole groaned, unbuttoning his jeans he slipped his hard cock out and squeezed, matching his stroke in time with their pace. The headboard knocked against the wall. Devon’s cries mingled with their raspy breaths. His balls drew up against his body. Pressure built at the bottom of his spine.

  “Fuck, I’m going to come. Do it now, Dev,” Cain said.

  The bed rocked, and Devon screamed.

  A dam broke inside Cole. He released a stream of come that flowed over onto his fingers and his pants. Spent he rested his head against the wall.

  Cain collapsed beside her on the bed and they remained still, basking in the delicate new bond.

  Chapter Four

  Devon tugged at the long sleeved t-shirt that hugged her curves. Two months later, life as a woman still felt awkward. She glanced across the room and caught Cole’s eyes. He winked, and she grinned. They’d settled into a routine. All the sex they could handle with bits and pieces of their past trickling through in the quiet moments after. With ten years of playing things close to their chest, none of them were ready to spill their guts. Still, she felt secure, confident that their word was solid, and they meant to stand by her. So far, pregnancy hadn’t taken. But the doctor said it could take up to a year and not be odd.

  She made her way into the middle of the room. The others had accepted her truth, but she kept her distance, and stuck with those she trusted like David.

  “I saved you a seat.” David patted the seat beside her and grinned.

  “Thanks, D.”

  “Are you kidding I’m with the coolest chick here? Adds to my street cred.”

  “You’re what?”

  “You know street credit.”

  “Yeah I know, I’m just wondering where the hell you got it from. Nineteen Eighty called, it wants its slang back.”

  David laughed. “What? Retro is cool.”

  “Not that kind.” She rolled her eyes and snickered.

  “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

  Devon laughed, clutching her stomach.

  “Okay, that’s not doing anything for my self esteem.”

  She calmed, and placed her hand on his shoulder. “D, you are unbelievable. You don’t have to start a new trend to prove that.”

  “Yeah?” He tilted his head.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good, now can you remove your hand before Cain storms over and hulk smashes me?”

  Devon followed David’s nervous stare and froze. Cains’ nostrils flared. His eyes were narrowed, and his body was tensed. She removed her hand, and he relaxed. One could never be too careful in this strange new world. Friends fast became foes and mean spirited females away when no one watched.

  “All right open floor,” Cole said leaning back in his chair. This was the last task before the meeting before dismissal time.

  “I want to talk about Devon Brown.” Micah’s voice rang out in the instantaneous silence that had fallen.

  “That’s not up on the topic ballot,” Cain said. His jaw tensed.

  “No, he’s been dying to say this. Let him get it off his chest.” The icy look in Cole’s eyes told her he had a plan that would end with Micah very bloody.

  “You accept her lies so easily because she lies in your bed. What if we don’t trust her? She could be a spy. Why do we get no say? Who can vouch for her?”

  “We do.” Cain cracked his neck, and she flinched.

  “Not only are you doubting our intelligence, and questioning our rules, you’re insulting our woman. Sounds to me like you want a shot at the throne.” Cole stood and spread his arms wide. “Well I’m right here. You think you can take it from me?”

  Whispers swept through the crowd.

  Micah raised his chin. “Yeah I do.”

  “Then let’s take it outside.” Cole strolled off the stage and up the aisle.

  The sarcastic smirk on his face told her he’d been waiting for this. Micah followed. People rose from their chairs, and she and David found themselves swept along with the crowd. She peered over her shoulder, seeking out Cain, and spotted him a few yards away, mowing through people to reach her. He gripped her shoulder and pulled her to him. Tucked under her arm he ushered her outside with David trailing behind them.

  The crowd parted for Cain, and they stood front and center in the circle that surrounded them. Cole rolled his neck, took off his navy blue jacket and walked over to where they stood. “Hold this for me, sweetheart, I’ll be back to get it in a minute.” He gave her a cocky grin. She wanted to grab him by the collar and devour his mouth, but PDA’s were a thing of the past. She accepted his token feeling like a maiden rooting for her knight. Cole meet Cain’s gaze. “After I wipe the floor with this douche we clean house.”

  “Agreed. Time to introduce the new rules.”

  “What new rules?” Devon asked.

  Cain pulled her to his chest, and leaned down to whisper into her ear. “We didn’t want to bring it up to you like this. We wanted to give you time to adjust to life.”

  “Just give it to me straight, Cain.”

  “We want to change things here. Give women back their free will, and turn things less militant. The time for survival is over. This has become about living.”

  “How do I fit in?”
>
  “Every band of misfits needs a den mother, and we can’t preach it and now follow it.”

  “That’s why the baby?”

  “Yes.”

  The smack of flesh on flesh drew her attention to the fight. Cole smiled and wiped away the blood that lined his lower lip.

  “My turn pretty boy.” Cole buried his fist into Micah’s belly bending him over, and followed up with a viscous uppercut that lifted Michal off his feet. Micah rocked on his heels, battling to stay on his feet.

  Cole gestured him forward with his fingers. “Come get some more. You wanted this so bad, and now you’re floundering like the spineless piece of shit you are.”

  Micah growled, and charged, burying his head into Cole’s stomach. Cole grunted and wrapped his arms around his neck and punched him in the side. Micah wiggled free, and Cole kicked him in the stomach dropping him into the ground. Cole followed up the kick with one to the nuts. A groan went up through the crowd as he moved to step on his neck, cutting off circulation. Micah gasped for air, struggling to raise Cole’s black boot.

  “This is how this goes down. You get your shit, head out of town and don’t come back. If you do, you’ll be shot on sight. Anyone else want to help him?”

  A chorus of no’s echoed around her.

  “Secondly, Devon Brown is ours. No one gets to question, challenge, or even look at her too long unless they want to end up where this asshole is now. You got me?” The gruffness in his tone caressed her like a lover.

  “All this battle is getting you hot isn’t it?” Cain said.

  “Maybe a little bit.” She smirked.

  Cole removed his foot and stepped back. “Get this trash out of here.”

  Men rushed forward, dragging Micah off.

  Cole turned to face the crowd. “Tonight we talk about a new way of doing things.”

  Excitement raced through her body. They were on the verge of a good change. A step back toward the way things had once been. Her heart pounded in her chest. Could she live up to their expectations? Be the guiding force who helped them remember the old ways after so much loss?