Sharing Hell (Hell Virus Book 3)

by Aurelia Skye

  “I’ve debriefed key people from yesterday, and we have a slightly clearer picture. We don’t know who these people are, or what they want, but we do know that they’re the type to shoot first and ask questions later. Shane and his group ran into them a few hundred miles ago and several months back in Wyoming, and they shot one of his team members without provocation or warning. We know they’re dangerous and heavily armed, and while the tank scared them away yesterday, who knows what else they have at their disposal?

  “With that in mind, I want to make sure we double up our teams, and everyone is armed with submachine guns in addition to your side arms. We still have a good supply of ammo, but as always, be judicious with its use. No one’s waiting around to manufacture more, and creating ammunition by hand is a taxing and lengthy process. Don’t shoot unless you have to, but if you’re forced to shoot, shoot to kill. This isn’t like the brief conflict we had with Camp Utopia a few weeks ago. I don’t think we’re going to reach a diplomatic solution, so keep your eyes open and watch each other’s backs. Otherwise, I’ll leave it to Avi to hand out assignments.”

  The meeting ended shortly thereafter, and we all reported to Avi to find our assignments for the day. We would be with Alyssa and her group, and Lian was due to be in it as well. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I thought we had grown closer, and the kiss just left me confused when it was followed by his snubbing behavior the night before.

  I didn’t have time to play games, and if he couldn’t figure out what he wanted, then I would just have to move on. That would probably be the simplest course anyway, since it seemed like none of the men I was involved with really liked Lian.

  We were all tense that day, but we completed our runs without incident. It was the same for the following two days, and the only source of tension came from Lian. He was even more reserved than usual, and I noticed he was careful never to be alone with me. It was frustrating, and I was sick of trying to guess his thoughts and figure out what he wanted.

  The confusion was compounded by the fact that when I wasn’t looking at him, or he didn’t think I was, he’d occasionally look at me with what I swore was longing. His mixed signals were driving me insane, and by the end of our third day working together as a larger group, I’d had enough. As we climbed out of the truck after its return to the armory, I grabbed his arm before he could move away. “I need to talk to you.”

  His shoulders stiffened, and I was certain he would pull away from me and refuse, but instead he sighed and nodded. Hesitantly, I release my hold on him, still convinced he would run away, but he followed me back to my room.

  I used my keycard to close the door behind us before turning to face him, arms crossed over my chest. My stance was aggressive, and I didn’t even make any attempt to really be polite. “What’s your problem with me? Do you hate me, do you want me, or what? Because I can’t tell what you’re feeling or thinking, and it’s maddening.”

  He ran a hand through his black hair, looking as frustrated as me. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to interact with you.”

  I frowned at him, wondering if that meant he was shy. Lord knows I’d been awkward with the opposite gender before, but that didn’t ring quite true. “What do you mean? What’s the confusion?”

  “Old versus new, and traditional versus a shot at happiness.”

  I blinked as I stared at him, finding no clarity in his words. “What does that mean?”

  He started pacing. “It means I feel kind of trapped. I’m trapped between my father’s traditional expectations, and what I want.”

  A headache was forming behind my eyes, and I squeezed the bridge of my nose. “What does your father want for you?”

  “A nice little Chinese wife, one or two children, and a strict adherence to traditional values.”

  I took a step back in surprise. “Has he lived through the same year-and-a-half that we have? Those things are scarce these days. If you search hard enough, you could probably find a Chinese girl, but it’s not like you’re going to have a perfect life.”

  He paused in his pacing to smile at me. “I don’t want a perfect life. That’s what he wants for me.”

  “What do you want for yourself?” I held my breath as I asked the question, forcing an exhale a moment later.

  “I think you know the answer to that.”

  I shook my head. “I might know the answer, but you’ve been giving off mixed signals. I need to know bluntly what you want.”

  “I want you.”

  His words should have made me feel better, but I could sense there was a massive but coming.

  “But it wouldn’t be fair to put you in a position where you’re facing off against my father at every turn. He wouldn’t approve, and he’d make your life miserable. You don’t deserve that.”

  I took a tentative step forward, and then another when he didn’t move away. He held his ground as I approached, though I could still sense the conflict in him. When I reached him, I put a hand on his arm. “I can take care of myself, you know. He can say nasty things, but I can just ignore them.”

  He shook his head. “It’s difficult to ignore my father. He makes no effort to hide his disapproval when anything is not done his way. He’ll punish both of us for getting involved.”

  “He’s not going to punish me. He’s not my father, and while I respect the position you’re in, are you going to let your father dictate how you live the rest of your life?”

  He let out a snort. “Of course not, and if things were different, I’d be doing what I wanted when I wanted. But I live in close quarters with him again, and I know what he’s like. I’m trying to protect you.”

  He didn’t flinch or move away when I put my hands on his face. “I don’t need you to protect me. I’m a big girl, and I can look out for myself. You want me, and I want you, and that’s the most important thing. The rest can sort itself out, and we’ll deal with any objections that might arise.”

  He shook his head. “There’s still a sweet edge of naïveté about you, but I fear my father would destroy that.”

  I let out a small sigh of exasperation. “He’s not some supervillain, and I’m not Peach, waiting to be rescued.” I saw his confusion but shook my head, not bothering to clarify the reference to the “Mario Bros” games. “My point is, I consciously choose you and any of the conflicts that come with it. I guess the only question is, do you do the same?”

  He hesitated for a moment, seeming torn between pulling away and moving closer. It was a small victory when his arms came around me a second later, though the tension remained in his body.

  I stretched upward, preparing to kiss him, but hesitated. I didn’t want there to be any misunderstandings between us. “If we do this, it’s more than a one-time thing. I might be involved with more than one man, but I don’t sleep around.”

  “Chris, Avi, and Finn.” He said the names with just a hint of disdain.

  I frowned at him. “They’re an important part of my life, and accepting me means accepting them too. If that’s something you can’t do, I’ll walk away right now. I don’t want to, but I will because—”

  His mouth coming down on mine silenced the rest of my words, and I took that as a sign of his acceptance. The kiss was hungry and intense, as though he’d been longing for it for ages. I could relate, having experienced a similar need for him that had been denied for too long.

  He was so much taller than me that it was difficult to reach him without a twinge in my back, so I pulled my lips from his and ghosted them down the column of his throat instead. That was more comfortable, and he moaned when I sucked the skin of his neck between my lips before nipping lightly.

  He backed me toward the bed, where we both sat about the same time and turned toward each other. It was still an awkward position, so I kicked off my shoes before climbing on his lap, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and burying my fingers through his thick hair. I could kiss him much easier this way and lost myself in his mouth for several m
oments.

  His hands skimmed my curves before moving down to roll up the T-shirt I wore and bunching it under my armpits. The bra was next to go, and then his hands cupped me, thumbs swirling around my nipples in a light, almost teasing, fashion. It wasn’t enough stimulation, and I shifted restlessly as I whined against his lips.

  Lian just chuckled as he slowed down his pace even further. He was barely touching me now, but each slight swipe of the pad of his thumbs over my sensitive nipples just served to make them more responsive to touch.

  I pressed my body more firmly against him, making his hands cup me completely. My breasts felt full and too heavy in his hands, but it was an exquisite sensation. I clung to him for a moment until I realized he was trying to ease me away. I looked down at him with a frown, though he was only about an inch shorter than me in our current position. Without speaking, he explained why he was pushing me away as he started to pull off my shirt. I assisted him, and then reached for the hem of his, having him stripped from the waist up in a few seconds too.

  His chest was only lightly furred, and the hairs tickled when I pressed against his body again. He held me there, hands cupping my buttocks for a long moment before they slid upward to find the zipper and snap on my jeans. He had those stripped from me in moments, leaving them around my thighs so that I couldn’t fully use my legs. The panties came next, and I readily cooperated with climbing off his lap to finish removing them.

  Lian stood up, taking advantage of the moment to finish undressing as well. As soon as our clothes hit the floor, we reached for each other again. This time, when we laid down on the bed, he was on top of me. I spread my thighs to give him more room before clamping them around his waist. The head of his cock was tantalizingly close, and I arched upward to rub myself against him. He was wet with pre-cum, and I was slippery, so he eased inside me with little effort on either one of our parts.

  Lian hesitated at the entrance, letting his head nestle inside me for a moment as our gazes locked. I saw every emotion flickering across his face as he slowly sank inside me. Chief among them was satisfaction, and I was certain my expression mirrored my own joy at the union.

  I moved my hands from his back to his butt, cupping his cheeks as I pulled him more firmly inside me. I angled my hips upward, making it easier to accept his length, and then we thrust together. Joining with him was as intense as I’d imagined it would be, and I clung to him as though my life depended on it.

  Our pace went from slow and steady to frantic and erratic as we both sought release. I started to convulse around him, and the rhythmic motions of my sheath appeared to be enough to send him over the edge, because he stiffened before he came inside me. I had a brief moment of harsh return to reality with the realization that we hadn’t used anything, and he hadn’t pulled out, but a quick count revealed I should have been on my birth control pills long enough now for it to be safe. I let go of reality and immersed myself in the bliss of being held in his arms as our pleasure swept through us before we faded away to a peaceful calm.

  He rolled over, taking me with him, and I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It still pounded against my ear, and I was certain that was a reaction he couldn’t fake. I don’t think he would have anyway. He seemed done with his hot and cold game, and he’d better be after what we had just done.

  I wanted him, and I would never regret what we had done, but he could hurt me deeply if he decided to go back to playing aloof and withdrawn to please his father. With Lian, I was perhaps more vulnerable than I’d been with any of my lovers.

  It was a scary thought, but also oddly exhilarating. The old me had been cautious about opening up to anyone after having been rejected. I tended to guard my heart perhaps overzealously, but here I’d found four very different men who all moved me in different ways, forcing me to be open to the possibility of love, even if it was accompanied by the specter of heartbreak. They were a risk worth taking, all of them.

  Chapter Nine

  I wasn’t certain if Chris, Finn, and Avi had observed me with Lian at some point, they’d had a sixth sense last night, or they’d all been busy, but none of the three had come to my room. I’d slept in Lian’s arms, though I missed the others. I imagined the first night was easiest for Lian, being just the two of us though, and if they were being deliberately discreet, I appreciated it.

  When Lian and I joined the rest of the group, no one seemed to notice we had entered together. It was just like any other day as we discussed strategy for today’s run. Alyssa and her group joined us, and I was relieved to be paired with them. We were developing a good rapport with everyone in Alyssa’s group, which made it easier to work together. Avi had probably deliberately arranged it that way, perhaps recognizing the growing friendship between Alyssa and me.

  We took two trucks, along with a slew of guns, and we were even more cautious than usual, because we were exploring a new area. We were entering a warehouse district, hopeful we would find food stores among the contents in the warehouses. This had been an industrial area before HLV, and the places we were targeting had been surplus stocking area for several large retailers around the area.

  As far as I knew, we were still well supplied, particularly with food, but we could never have too much. If we had excess, we would simply share some with Camp Utopia when it approached expiration.

  I wouldn’t pretend to be a soldier, but my senses were on high alert as we pulled up in front of the building we were assigned. Alyssa’s truck stopped right beside us, and my scalp prickled as we slid out of the truck. I was certain we were being watched, and I turned to express the concern to Avi, but he spoke first.

  “Something feels off about this. Everybody watch your back and your partners’.”

  My instincts were screaming at me to get back in the truck, and while I’d been trying to listen to them more, I had to suppress the urge this time. We couldn’t leave without checking out the offerings, and all of us were armed to the teeth. I tried to take some measure of comfort from that, but I was far more reassured by my men being with me than I was by the presence of the weapons.

  I was also reassured that Finn was safely back at base, unable to do runs because he was our main medical person. He grumbled about it, but I think he knew he was where he needed to be. And I was thankful he was safe from whatever we might face.

  Avi and Shane took point, with Chris and Lian bringing up the rear. Alyssa and I were in the middle, and we shared a rueful glance as we realized the men had surrounded us to put themselves between us and danger. She rolled her eyes, and I shrugged. I didn’t like them taking on the extra risk either, but I understood their need to be protective, at least as much as was feasible in the current situation. The truth was, Alyssa and I were bigger targets than they were if someone was watching us—assuming they wanted women.

  We moved down the corridor, clearly seeking out the main storage areas, and all the while, I was certain there were eyes on us. Everyone was tense, and it was almost anti-climactic to emerge from the hallway and into the main antechamber to find a contingent of soldiers surrounding us.

  Soldiers was the word that came to mind because they all held themselves with military precision, and they wore matching black uniforms. Their firepower was roughly equivalent to ours, but they outnumbered us by two to one. They also all had battle-hardened features, and there didn’t seem to be a flicker of hesitation in any of the faces—all white men–as they surrounded us, weapons pointing in our vicinity.

  A man who appeared to be in his mid-forties stepped forward slightly, distinguishing himself as the leader. “You’re under arrest for trespassing and looting.”

  “By whose authority?” challenged Shane.

  “Generals Barnes and Court, leaders of the New Order Militia.”

  Jamar made a scoffing sound. “We don’t recognize your authority, and this area isn’t claimed by anyone. It’s not looting. It’s survival.”

  “This is our territory, and you’re trespass
ing. You’re clearly looting, and violators are usually shot without warning.”

  “What makes us so special then?” asked Chris with a hint of snark.

  “The generals want you interrogated for information about your group. You have two assets that we have orders to recover at any cost, and one of those assets has a meeting with Mrs. Barnes-Court.”

  Alyssa sounded practically feral as she growled, “Kassandra. Is that who your Mrs. Barnes-Court is?”

  The leader nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And just who the hell are you?” snarled Lian. “Do you really think we’re going to just surrender peacefully?”

  “I’m Commander Chad Tucker.” He ignored the rest of the question. “If you’re smart, you won’t resist, because I have orders to shoot to kill if necessary. There’re only two of you that I must take back.” His gaze settled on Alyssa and me in an unsettling fashion.

  “That’s not happening,” said Jamar. “You can tell Kassandra she’s never getting near Alyssa.”

  “The hell with that,” said Alyssa. “I want to get near her so I can tear her apart.”

  “It’s an admirable goal, but now isn’t the time, Lyss,” said Han. “Live to fight another day and all that.”

  I was surprised when Alyssa gave a jerky nod and fell silent. It was clear she hated Kassandra beyond all sense of reason, so I was surprised she responded to Han’s logic.

  One of the soldiers came forward with a handful of zip ties, and Tucker nodded to us. “On your knees, hands behind your back.”

  The younger soldier reached Lian first, but he never saw the foot to the head that knocked him back, sending the zip ties in his hands scattering across the floor.

  As one, Alyssa and I moved to the front, forcing those soldiers to take a step back. When our men tried to crowd around us, we both held out our arms. It was as though we were reading each other’s minds. We reached for our guns, backing away as the sounds of safeties disengaging filled the air. My mouth was dry, and I’d never been so scared in my life, but my hands were surprisingly steady when I withdrew my guns and started firing.