by Aden Lowe
God, he sounded so confident. How could he be so sure things would work out the way he planned? "How do we do that?" Maybe if I knew his plan, my hands would stop shaking with fear. I finished in the bathroom and went back out to the other room in time to see him shove his jeans down and kick them off. My mouth went dry with wanting to see more.
Oblivious, he continued, hanging his jeans and a fresh shirt over the back of a chair while his snug boxer-briefs hinted at so much. "We lead him into a controlled environment. One where we can draw him into a trap." Low metallic sounds filled the room as he checked his weapons and placed one gun on the nightstand, and another under a pillow. The glance he sent my way showed nothing of his thoughts. "Climb in. Lights out in thirty seconds." He slid between the sheets with a low grunt.
Oh. His wound must be incredibly painful. "I think I have some painkillers in my purse. Give me a minute and I'll get them for you."
"Get in the bed, Azia. I don't need any fucking painkillers." The gruff command demanded obedience.
I sat on my side of the bed. "But your side must be hurting. You won't be able to rest."
"That's not what will keep me awake. Now lie down." He propped up on his elbow, ready to switch the lamp off.
Not exactly eager to fumble around the darkness, I hurried and slipped between the sheets, careful to stay on the very edge of the bed. "Okay. Ready." The light went off and the bed shifted with his weight as he settled back. "Goodnight Flag. Wake me if you need anything." I turned to my side, back to him, and took up as little space as possible.
His hand landed on my shoulder. "You're going to fall on the fucking floor, Azia. Come here."
I scooted back an inch. "There. Happy now?" Any closer, and I wouldn't be able to resist touching him. I prayed I wouldn't have to explain.
He grunted again. "What the fuck ever. 'Night." His breathing slowed and deepened immediately. How could he fall asleep so quickly? Especially while thoughts of cuddling into his arms tormented me, keeping me tense and wide awake.
Chapter Twenty-One
Flag
The bed practically vibrated with the tension rolling off Azia's body. She must have a pretty low opinion of me, to think I would do something she didn't want. Had I ever given her that impression in the past? All I could remember from back then had been sweet and gentle…a far cry from what I needed now. We were only able to slip away a few times, and really had no clue what we were doing. Things were different now that we were older and more experienced. And I still couldn't go there with her. If I ever had her again, I would never be able to let go. Not that she would give me the fucking chance, though. Her reactions earlier said she wanted me, but judging from how she kept as far as possible from me in the bed, she changed her mind.
I laid there, surrounded by her scent, tried to keep my mind off how much I wanted to touch her, and pretended to sleep. One of us should get some rest, at least. Besides, I was used to going long periods without real sleep. No big deal. All I had to do was keep my damn hands to myself. I recited through all the contact info for the other Unwanted Soldiers. Thought about what kind of missions they might be on right now. The last I heard, Kracken was in Columbia, and of course, X-Man was with me, and Trick at home with his wife and kid. Rufus never left his bunker sanctuary. The others were probably scattered all over the globe, just keeping busy until the shadow government called in another 'favor'.
Azia eventually relaxed enough to fall asleep, which allowed me to get a little more comfortable without her being afraid I was about to attack her. I turned to my side, facing her. The faint light from the bathroom silhouetted her form, tempting me to touch. The depth of my need should allow her to feel my hands roaming over her, but she never stirred.
I must have drifted off, because I roused up flat on my back with the heat of her body pressed close to my side. I stayed perfectly still, while my heart raced and my dick hardened. She moved a little, restless, and slid her leg over my hips. Fuck! Every muscle tensed with the effort to not thrust against her warm flesh.
She made a low sound, then her body stiffened with sudden awareness. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." She moved away gingerly, careful not to brush against my raging hard-on.
I might have growled a little. "Azia, get your ass back over here." I was done fucking around. She wanted me. I wanted her. To hell with the consequences.
She hesitated. "I thought you didn't want…"
I let go of the breath I'd been holding. "I wanted to fuck you the moment I saw you get out of your car at the park. Hell, I even thought I could. I realized after we left Carrie's place that I couldn't have you and just walk away. And just now, I realized I don't give a fuck. I need you, regardless what happens after." Those words cost me more than I cared to admit, even to myself. To admit needing another person was to admit weakness. In my life, weak did not mean survival.
After an eternity, she came into my arms. "We'll deal with later when it comes."
Doubt hit me like a Mack truck. "You're sure? I don't want you to feel like I forced you."
Bold fingers stroked my hard-on through the thin fabric of my underwear. "Positive. I'm tired of waiting."
I just fucking hoped she didn't hate me when it was done. Unable to wait another millisecond, I turned, pressing her onto her back, and leaned to taste the smooth flesh of her neck. She arched with a moan, fingertips tracing over my shoulders. I sucked hard, leaving my mark on that tender skin while one hand slid under the soft shirt she'd changed into. The heaviness of her tit filled my hand while her nipple hardened under my callouses, begging attention.
I pulled her shirt up, far too rough, but unable to stop. Instead of objecting, she lifted her shoulders and helped me get it all the way off her. Bare skin scorched mine, just before I let my mouth slide down over her chest, and across the swell of her breast to find her straining nipple. She whimpered when I flicked my tongue over her, then the sudden sting of my teeth brought a sharp cry of pain followed by a soft moan as I kissed the slight hurt away.
Before she could catch her breath, I licked my way to the other nipple and repeated myself while her fingers clutched at the back of my neck. "Mmmh, hands above your head, baby, and keep them there until I say." I grabbed her wrists to make sure she followed directions, then returned to her luscious tits. If she touched me now, I wouldn't be able to take the time I wanted.
Licking away the sting of a sharp nip to the underside of her tit, I slid my hand down her belly to hook my fingers in the waist of her silky shorts. Ripping them off was more my speed, but I saved that for another time. Instead, I peeled them away with her panties, groaning as the scent of her arousal hit me.
Fuck! Condom! "Hold that thought, baby." I scrambled for my jeans and dug one out of my wallet. Thank God. I nipped at her belly. "Sorry, didn't want to have to stop for this later." The impatient noises she made encouraged me, so I kept working my way down until I kissed along the front of one silky thigh, almost to her knee. Back up, licking and nipping, teasing, until her body stretched tight with desire.
A wordless moan came from her throat as I settled between her thighs and pinned them to allow me access. One stroke from my tongue and she forgot to keep her hands over her head. Nails scraped lightly over my scalp as she sought to bring my mouth closer. For the moment, I humored her, exploring her secrets with my tongue, learning her all over again.
Azia's body bowed with the need for release when I drew back. "Are you ready, baby?" The self-control I normally possessed neared the breaking point.
"Mmmh, please, Flag! Now!" The urgency in her voice did it.
My hands shook as I managed to open the condom and roll it on, and then my control snapped. Surging forward, I met her hot flesh with my cock, and barely managed to hold from ramming into her.
Her hips rose to meet me as her body adjusted to fit me. All that heat and the rippling muscles gripping my cock pushed me too far. I froze, trembling, trying to regain control, but then she lo
cked her heels behind my ass and took everything I had to give her. I fucking surrendered. Gave up on everything except getting us both to paradise as fast as fucking possible.
Except it didn't take long enough, since I wanted it to last forever. Azia gave a strangled cry as her body locked, and the rhythmic contractions of her inner muscles undid me. Overwhelmed with sensation, all I could do was try to make sure I didn't crush her with my weight. Spent and boneless, I managed to fall sideways when my muscles collapsed.
"Fuck, Azia…" I panted, unsure of what I wanted to say. My fucking brain resembled those old this is your brain on drugs commercials with the frying egg. Yeah, I was a fucking addict, and Azia was my drug, the one I couldn't live without. My breathing slowly returned to normal and I took care of the condom before I ended up making a mess. I tied it off, tossed it in the general direction of the little trashcan by the nightstand, and hoped I made it. Either way, it didn't matter. I wasn't moving.
I wrapped my arms around Azia and drew her close. "Tell me you're okay?" She'd been silent too long. She probably hated it. Just my luck. I finally find her, come to my senses, and she would never want me to touch her again.
"Mmm, better than okay." She took a deep breath. "Flag, I don't know about you, so I'll just say it. I'm not willing to give this up. You and me. I won't just sit back and watch you walk away." She paused, body tense, like she feared my response.
I couldn't let go of her, either, and that fucking terrified me. "Azia, you know it would be dangerous, right?" My fingers traced along her spine, memorizing each contour.
"I don't care." The fierceness in her voice made my heart fucking skip a beat. "Life without you isn't worth living. I know. I've tried it. So having you is worth any risk." Her arm tightened across my chest. "I'm not letting go."
I let the words soak in. "Okay. We'll figure it out. I've been half dead for so long, I forgot what it feels like to live." I leaned to place a little kiss on her forehead. "I never stopped loving you, Azia." The words threatened to choke me with the realization of how true they were. I might have been angry, or thought I hated her and wanted revenge, but through all that, I still loved her.
Her fingers explored, tracing my scars. "I never stopped, either. I think that's part of what made it so hard. I kept thinking, if you were really dead, I would feel it. I went to bed every night, wishing you were there." The pain in her voice fucking broke me.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that." I didn't know what else to say. Somehow, sorry didn't begin to touch it. I shouldn't have given up so easily.
A finger brushed over the edge of the lint roller tape still holding the tampon against my wound. "I am too, but I'm not. It gave us both time to grow up and be our own person. And it made me realize just how precious every single moment with you is. I'll never take our time together for granted again. Now, I know exactly how easily it could come to an end."
I smiled. Leave it to her to make a positive out of a tragedy. "You're right. That's one of the things I love about you."
She went still. "Do you still love me? Really?" Fear came from every cell.
I raised up on my elbow to lean over her. "Azia, I love you. Enough to fucking fight for you." I took her mouth, making sure she had no further doubts. She relaxed into me, giving everything I asked.
How the fuck was I going to fight for her? I had no goddamn clue how the bosses would react. For all I knew, they could kill her just because she meant so much to me. I knew for a fact they didn't appreciate anyone going against the rules. If they did, they would have to kill me too.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Azia
Waking up next to Flag, secure in his arms and with my body deliciously sore from his loving felt about as close to heaven as anything I could imagine. If I could spend forever in that moment, life would be absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, my bladder refused to wait until forever, forcing me to move.
Flag grunted and tightened his arms around me. "What time is it?"
"I don't know, but if you don't let me up, the bed will be wet." I wriggled to get away.
"Mmm. So if I tickle you…" The rasp of his voice tightened my insides with excitement.
I squealed, playing along, and leaped from the bed. "Don't you dare!" As I darted for the bathroom, his feet hit the floor behind me.
He took his time, so I finished before he reached the bathroom door. "We need to go ahead and get dressed. It'll be starting to get light soon, and I'd like to have us on the road before then."
Disappointment soured the morning a little. "Okay. I won't take long to get ready." This time with him meant everything to me, and I wanted it to last. Why did life have to intrude so soon?
While Flag used the bathroom, I gathered up our clothes and everything in the bedroom, and dug fresh clothes out of my bag. By the time he came out, I was nearly dressed, so I ducked back into the bathroom to brush my teeth, do something with my hair, and gather our things in there. Coming out, I got a look at exactly where all those weapons disappeared to after he checked them. With ankle holsters, concealed holsters inside his waistband, and hidden pockets in a leather bomber jacket, he practically bristled with guns. Several others slid inside his bag, and I assumed there were more still concealed in the truck.
I added the rest of my things to my bag, eyeing him carefully. "Does anyone else know where we're going?"
"Yeah, my buddy Trick will be there tomorrow. I'd rather not take any chances with this particular monster." He shouldered his bag. "Got everything?"
"Everything except coffee."
He chuckled. "We'll take care of that in a few minutes. Here, let me have your stuff. I want you able to move."
My independence asserted itself. "I'm fine. I can move with them."
An exasperated noise came out. "I don't think you understand. We have to act as if that motherfucker is still out there, with a gun aimed at this door. When we go out, we're both potentially targets. I need you to be able to run like hell, and dodge around cars in the lot. And I need you to get to the truck before me, get it unlocked and the key in the ignition. So give me your shit, now."
I rolled my eyes, just to make sure he knew I disagreed, but then I realized with the light so low, he probably couldn't even see. "Whatever." I handed my bags over, followed by my purse when he gestured for it too. "Just run straight to your truck?"
He pressed a keyring into my hand. "No. There are two rows of cars between us and it. I want you to dart randomly between them, stay low, and move fast. While you're doing that, I'll be looking for him and ready to lay down cover fire for you. Once you're in the truck, I'll be coming your way. If something happens and I don't get there, you start that truck and get the fuck out of here. Use the phone behind the visor to call X-Man, his is the only programmed number. He'll meet you and keep you safe."
My heart stopped. "If something happens? You think he might shoot you again?" Panic cracked my voice, and a deep tremor started from the marrow of my bones.
Flag wrapped one hand around the back of my neck and drew me to him. "Stop, Azia. He isn't going to shoot either of us. We're expecting the best, but preparing for the worst. Being ready is the best deterrent for the worst case scenario." It made a kind of sense, but did nothing to slow my terrified heartbeat.
"We can't just stay here and let X-Man get him?" God, I sounded like a frightened child. But then, that was exactly what I felt like, too.
The warmth of his mouth against mine calmed me for a moment. "No, baby, we can't. That's not how I operate. You can wait here if you want, and stay holed up, but that would mean separating, and I'd rather not do that."
I took a deep breath, trying to draw in a little of his strength and courage. "Okay. Let's do it."
"That's my girl." He opened the latch. "Ready?"
I nodded, even though all my common sense dictated I should stay put and call the authorities.
"Good. On three." He counted off, jerked the door open, and stepped out, then motioned
me to run.
Thirty feet of open space loomed between me and the nearest parked car, but it seemed more like thirty miles. I ran forever before I could safely duck down and dart between parked cars. All around the night waited, eerie and silent. My lungs burned with the effort of dragging in enough air, and the muscles of my legs trembled, but I finally made it. Flag's truck had an old-fashioned key lock, so it took forever, but I finally managed to get it. No interior lights came on, sparking more fear, but I felt around until I found the other door lock, and got the key in ready to start it.
I barely started to settle into the passenger seat when a thud hit the driver's door, hard. My heart tried to jump out of my throat as I sat frozen, waiting for the killer to get in with me.
Instead, the door opened, and I caught a glimpse of Flag's features right before he slung all the bags inside and hopped behind the wheel. The truck started with a roar and jumped forward with a lurch.
"Get the seatbelt on."
I didn't argue with his tone.
As soon as the buckle clicked into place, he issued the next order. "Under the dashboard on your side, reach in with your fingers. You'll feel two hard plastic clips, like a tool box. Open them, and a gun will drop into your hands." Once more I followed directions, though I struggled with one of the clips for a few seconds. At the end, though, I held a heavy, wicked rifle. "It's loaded and there is no safety. I want you to hold it, pointed straight up, with the stock between your legs. If I need it, you'll hand it to me."
He drove smoothly now, following the traffic laws despite the empty pre-dawn streets. When we paused at a light, I glimpsed fresh blood trickling from above his eyebrow. "You're hurt again! What happened?" My heart thudded with fresh fear.
Driving once more, he took his time answering. "He waited for us. Luckily, we did the unexpected and caught him napping. He got me a glancing blow with his gun barrel as I came out the door, but when I didn't go down immediately, he ran off." His matter-of-fact tone chilled me.
