Quake

by Jacob Chance

  NO.

  When his fingers dig into the skin on my hips, my mouth opens and I scream as loud as I can.

  Somebody, please hear me.

  “Get the fuck off her or I’ll blow your fucking brains out.”

  I stop screaming at the sound of Kyle’s voice and I hold my breath, waiting to see what happens.

  He found me.

  “If he doesn’t blow your fucking brains out I will.” I recognize Derek’s voice and I’m relieved Kyle’s not alone.

  The guy by my head holds his hands up in the air and backs away from me. As I glance at the smaller guy perched between my legs I notice the glint of the knife in his hand.

  “He’s got a knife!” I yell just as he turns to throw it. Kyle’s gun discharges like a clap of thunder and is back in his holster before the knife hits the floor. There’s a grunt of pain as the guy slumps off the bed holding his shoulder. Derek grabs the knife from the floor where it landed and then he kicks the guy in the ribs for good measure.

  “Get down on the floor, put your arms behind your back,” I hear Kyle order and then the metal of handcuffs latching.

  “I’ve got them. Go see to your girl.”

  The sound of sirens can be heard and I breathe a big sigh of relief, knowing the police will be taking over the situation.

  “Janny, are you okay?” He removes his sweatshirt and drapes it gently over me, covering my nakedness while he moves from one side of the bed to the other unlocking the handcuffs holding my arms. I bite my bottom lip and nod my head, too overcome with emotion to speak, while he massages my arms one at a time to get the blood flowing again. He undoes the cuffs on my ankles, before he kneels down next to me on the bed and cups my cheek in his hand. I look at him through the blur of my tears and then I start to sob. He pulls me into his lap, wrapping me up in his arms. There’s no place I’d rather be at this moment.

  “I love you,” I whisper, raggedly in his ear while I continue to cry. “I love you and I thought I’d never get the chance to tell you.” I hold onto his neck and burrow myself into his body needing the safe feeling only his arms can give me.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kyle

  I’m lying in bed next to Janny for the first time in a week and I can’t sleep. The scene I walked into earlier today keeps playing over and over again in my mind. If we had been seconds later she would’ve been brutally raped by both men at the same time and she may never have recovered.

  I haven’t given much thought to a higher power for years now, not since my shooting. Surviving a gunshot to the head would probably make most more spiritual, but it had the opposite effect on me. I felt like my life had been stolen from me, like I’d been punished for something. It’s only now, as I watch the gentle rise and fall of Janny’s chest while she breathes, that I find myself believing in divine intervention. How else did we make it there just in the nick of time?

  Once the police took Janny’s abductors into custody and they sold each other out. They also revealed Ben, my tech guy as the mastermind behind this whole scheme. When he went looking into Bryan for K.D. Investigations, he discovered his ability to launder money. He hid what he found from Derek and I and he formed a partnership of sorts with Bryan. Ben had him laundering money he’d stolen online. When Bryan eventually demanded a bigger stake, Ben refused. Bryan retaliated by stealing some money from him, hiding it in offshore accounts. Ben hired the Martelli brothers, who are known for their mob connections, to kidnap Janny and persuade Bryan to give back the money.

  I don’t know if Ben realized what the Martelli brothers had planned for Janny, but I’m sure they weren’t going to let her walk away. It’s a huge relief to know they’re all going to be doing some serious time and she’ll be safe from ever having to deal with them again.

  The one silver lining to this whole situation is Janny and I are back together and I have no plans to ever let her go. I’m going to do everything I can to be worthy of her love and one way or another, I’m going to convince her to spend the rest of her life with me.

  ***

  I’m trying to keep Janny busy today so she won’t dwell on the events of yesterday. I’ve brought her to her favorite bookstore and told her to pick out whatever she desires. I even agreed to read the books out loud to her. Not sure how I got talked into this, but I think at this point I’d do anything she asked me to.

  We decided to eat lunch at the cafe attached to the bookstore. While we’re leisurely enjoying our meal, I decide to broach the topic of her moving in and see what she’ll say. I know I just got her back, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past few years it’s you never know what life has in store for you. I’m not looking ahead a few years to the future I most likely won’t have. All I can do is enjoy the here and now and I need her to be a part of it.

  “Will you move in with me?” The question comes out of nowhere and she looks shocked at first.

  Then a smile slides across her lips and she gazes into my eyes. “Are you sure this is something you want and it’s not just because of what happened yesterday?” She raises her eyebrow at me and tips her head to the side while she studies my face.

  “I’m one-hundred percent sure I want you with me every minute of every day. I never want to spend another day without you. I’ve been miserable this past week.” I reach over and clasp her hand with mine. “Please move in with me.” I hold my breath as I wait for her answer. If she says no, nothing will change, I’ll just give her more time and ask her again at a later date.

  “Yes, I’ll move in with you.”

  ***

  Three weeks later

  Janny moved in my condo yesterday. I love having her here with me all the time. She’s finished with school and she aced all of her finals. She’s got her graduation coming up and she’s going to begin looking for a full time job.

  It’s been a few weeks since the kidnapping and she’s doing as well as can be expected. She’s been suffering from nightmares here and there, but she found a therapist she likes. She’s been seeing Dr. Sutton a couple times a week and it already seems to be helping. She told Janny that she needed to go visit Bryan as part of her therapy. We made plans to go see him next week at the jail he’s currently being held in until his trial takes place.

  We had Sharon over for dinner last week. She was actually happy that Janny and I ended up together. She was relieved that something good came from all this turmoil. She’s divorcing Bryan, putting their house up for sale and she’s moving closer to her own family. I know Janny is sad about this news, but they’ve already made plans to meet for lunch in a few weeks.

  ***

  I took Janny out for a romantic dinner tonight and now while I’m driving her home all I can think of is how much I’ve missed the feel of her pussy wrapped around my cock. We haven’t had sex at all, since we got back together. I’ve been keeping my distance, giving her time to heal from the trauma she endured, but there’s a part of me hoping to fuck the memory of what happened right out of her.

  We walk down the hallway, hand in hand leading to our condo. I use my free hand and put my key in the lock to open the door. It’s in this moment that Janny speaks and the words coming out of her mouth shock me.

  “When are you going to fuck me again?”

  I stare at her, not sure if I imagined her saying those words or if she really did.

  “You heard me. When are you going to? I’ve been waiting, thinking you needed the time, but I can’t wait any longer. I need you to help erase what happened.”

  I push the door open, pull her inside with me and kick it shut with my foot. I throw my keys down on the table and scoop her up in my arms. Her legs go around my hips as I join our lips. I walk toward the bedroom as we continue to kiss, but the need to be buried inside her is too much to resist.

  I push her short skirt up and run my hands over the curves of her ass before pushing her back against the wall. I undo my pants, pushing them down just enough to free my cock. I grip both sides o
f her panties, ripping them off of her. She lowers her legs to the floor and then pushes on my chest.

  “Back up,” she orders and my dick twitches.

  I’ve never seen this take charge side of her and it’s fucking hot. Her warm hands travel down my chest to my stomach as I take a step away from her. She follows and sinks to her knees. Oh fuck. I take a deep breath when she grips my cock in her hand, caressing up and down its length. I clench my fists as she licks the pre-come that’s building up on the tip. When her warm wet tongue slides over me I groan and when she takes me inside her mouth, swallowing my length, I almost lose it. Fuck. My hands cup the back of her head as her mouth slides up and down my cock.

  “Fuck yeah. Suck it,” I say as I watch my dick sliding in and out of her mouth, my hips moving faster and faster. The sight of her lips wrapped around my cock is fucking incredible and the feeling of her taking me all the way to the back of her throat is indescribable. I know I’m going to come if she doesn’t stop and as much as the thought of her swallowing it all down turns me on, I want to finish inside her tight pussy. I pull on her hair tipping her head back and take in her shiny, wet lips when she releases my cock. I bend down and lift her up bracing her against the wall as she wraps her legs around my hips. She gasps at the ferocity of my first thrust. I can’t be gentle; I need to claim what’s mine. I bury my face in the clean floral scent of her hair before drawing my hips back to slam inside her.

  “Yes. I want you to fuck me hard. I need you to make it all disappear,” she whispers in my ear.

  I raise my head and look down into her pleading eyes before I pull back and thrust forward again. Her head tips back against the wall and she moans. Her thighs squeeze my hips while she clenches around me every time I pound into her wet pussy. Being inside her is my fucking nirvana. I walk toward the bedroom, my dick still clenched in her wet heat while our mouths own one another. I set her down on her feet and turn her away from me.

  “Kneel on the bed,” I say, placing my hand in the middle of her back, guiding her until she’s kneeling face down.

  Her skirt is shoved up around her waist and it’s too much temptation for me to resist. She gasps when I slap her ass, leaving a perfect red handprint on her skin. Seeing my mark on her is such a fucking turn on. I slap the other side and she moans. I climb between her legs, leaning over her back to whisper in her ear.

  “Your ass is so fucking perfect. One of these days I’m going to claim it.”

  “Yes,” she moans, the fingers on both of her hands gripping the comforter.

  One of my hands wraps around the front of her throat and the other moves between her legs to tease her clit. I thrust inside of her over and over again. Having her here beneath me gives me the ultimate sense of power—as if her every tremble belongs to me. I want to own it all. I’ll take everything from her she has to give.

  “This pussy belongs to me. It’s mine,” I growl as I drive my cock into her. The sight of her ass in front of me, the way my cock looks slamming into her over and over again has me on the verge of exploding. I barely hang on until she cries out my name as she comes and then I let go, releasing deep inside of her.

  ***

  Nine weeks later

  Janny and I’ve been living with each other for over two months now. We don’t butt heads over much, but we do fight over the thermostat temperature. I love the condo to be freezing cold and Janny prefers it to be less so. I keep reminding her it’s mid-July, with hot and humid temperatures and since the humidity makes me grouchy, it’s in her best interest we keep the air on at all times. She jokes she can improve my bad mood and then she does so by showing me how much she loves me with her mouth wrapped around my cock.

  I can’t remember what my life was like before she came into it. I wasn’t living at all. I’d been merely passing time, but she’s changed everything for the better. Now, there’s a reason to look toward the future and to be excited about it. Each day that I wake up with her in my arms fills me with hope we can enjoy a long, happy life together. I’m going to marry her and I don’t plan on waiting long to make it official.

  ***

  I bring her to Mario’s, the same restaurant I took her on our first date. The sight of her sitting across from me makes my chest ache, I’m filled with happiness. I honestly don’t know if any man has ever loved another woman as much as I love Janny.

  “Do you know how much I love you?” I ask, my question coming out of the blue.

  She pauses with her fork midair, tips her head to the side and looks at me. “I think I do. Do you know how much I love you?” she asks, a smile hovering around the corners of her mouth.

  “I think I do,” I reply, winking at her.

  “I wonder what we’d both be doing if we hadn’t bumped into each other that night,” she mentions, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. I take hold of her hand, caressing the back of it with my thumb.

  “I don’t know what I’d be doing if we hadn’t met when we did. I guess we owe it all to Quake.”

  After dinner we decide to walk to Decadence, the same dessert bar we went to all those months ago. The box with her engagement ring is burning a hole in my pocket, but I’m waiting until we’ve had dessert to ask her if she’ll be my wife.

  I’ve had a nagging migraine for the past hour and I’m trying to forget about it. I don’t want anything to ruin this night for us. I need it to be perfect.

  My arm is wrapped around her shoulders as we slowly stroll down the sidewalk. It’s early yet, only seven o’clock and there’s a decent crowd of people moving along with us.

  “Do you want children?” she asks me. I’m a little surprised by this question because it’s never come up before.

  “I do.” I pull her to the side, away from the flow of the pedestrians passing by. “I want to raise a family with you and only you.” I tap her on the tip of her nose with my index finger and bask in the warmth of the huge smile she directs at me. While I gaze in her eyes and fantasize about having a daughter who looks just like her, my vision blurs for a moment. I blink a few times but I can’t seem to make it clear. I raise my hands up and rub my eyes when a sharp pain tears through my head and has me gasping. I grip both sides of my head and squeeze my eyes shut.

  “Kyle, what’s wrong?” Janny asks, placing her hand on my arm.

  I open my eyes to look at her and my vision is still distorted.

  I open my mouth to tell her what’s happening, but I can’t seem to get the words past my lips.

  My heart begins to race and I start to panic.

  What’s wrong with me?

  Her eyes are wide with worry and her lips are moving, but for some reason I can’t hear what she’s saying. It’s almost like I’m underwater; I can hear some, but nothing concrete.

  I open my mouth to say something, but no sound comes out. It’s like I’ve forgotten how to speak; my lips can move, but they don’t know how to form the words I want to say. When my gaze connects with Janny’s panicked one, pain like I’ve never experienced tears through my skull.

  I fall to my knees and hold my head in both of my hands.

  This must be it.

  These must be my final moments on this earth.

  I need more time with Janny, time to get married and start a family.

  I look at her one more time, focusing on her angelic face. Her beautiful cerulean eyes are the last thing I see before dark spots take over my vision—Janny—she’s my last thought when the blackness takes me.

  To be continued...

  More from the Author

  Copyright 2016 by Jacob Chance

  QUIVER – Releasing September 2016

  This excerpt is unedited and subject to change.

  Prologue

  Janny

  “Kyle, what’s wrong?”

  I place my hand on his arm and he opens his eyes. Staring at him intently, I watch as he slowly tries to respond. His lips move to answer my question, but no words leave his mouth.

  His eyes go
wide with panic. His confusion and fear are obvious. In this moment I’m certain that something is horribly wrong.

  “Kyle, what’s happening?” My voice is laced with fear.

  He acts as though he doesn’t understand a word I’ve said. His mouth continues to open and close, but the words still show no sign of coming out. His stare connects with my frightened one, as he grips his head with both hands and falls hard to his knees on the sidewalk. I notice how quick and shallow each of his breaths are becoming. I rub his back to give him some comfort and pray to God the pain will soon subside.

  “Kyle, can you hear me?” I question, raising my voice.

  His eyes are squeezed shut and his teeth are clenched. I know he must be in excruciating pain, but I don’t know why.

  What the hell is wrong with him?

  His beautiful golden brown eyes open and lock on mine. He stares at me and smiles.

  I close my eyes and breathe a sigh of relief. He’s going to be okay.

  When I open them, my moment of calm turns to chaos. Kyle is no longer smiling and I watch in horror as his eyes roll into the back of his head. Falling to the ground, his head hits the concrete with a sickening crack.

  “Kyle. Nooooo.” I drop to the ground and cry as I cradle his bloodied head in my lap.

  Chapter One

  Janny

  Four Days Later

  The constant hum of the fluorescent overhead lights in the room doesn’t even register anymore. The first twelve hours I spent sitting here, I thought the continuous beeping and the hiss of machines working to keep Kyle alive would drive me insane, but over the past four days, they’ve become a symphony of sounds that I no longer hear. I’ve taken comfort in knowing they’re helping him breathe, until he’s strong enough to do it on his own.