by Luna Maye
“I was mostly rescuing people, but even then we came against bad men that wanted to stop us. I would do anything to protect the people I love and those who can’t protect themselves. So yes, I know what that feels like.” Her eyes watched him closely and he could sense she was waiting for a reaction from him, for him to condemn violence in all its forms and her by association. He took a deep breath, acknowledging the impact of what he was about to say before continuing. “It’s a difficult weight to carry, taking a life, and it’s important to be sure you don’t carry it alone. If you know you saved lives and prevented harm, it makes it easier to bear, but it never fully leaves you.”
She nodded, leaning down to bury her nose in his neck. He felt her warm breath against his throat and he wrapped his arms around her body, cradling her and treasuring her closeness. “You never have to carry a weight like this alone again, Mina. I’ll be right here when you need me.” He heard a faintly whispered thank you and felt a few small tears dotting his neck, before she quietly pulled away.
“You were right, the truck you saw from the air the other day was trafficking drugs, guns and women. They had one of my girls at their compound, getting ready to take her across the border.” She sat up and looked around as if searching for her clothes.
“Shelli left you some fresh clothes out on the porch, she was already up this morning when I texted Mattie. He’ll be in late to work this morning.”
“He and Moises kept watch over the girls while I came here, just in case something went wrong.” She popped out of bed and turned, offering her hand to help him up. He stood tall and stretched, watching Mina’s eyes devour him from head to toe before she shook herself out of it and continued. “We called in a tip to the ATF, so I need to meet up with Shelli, Isabel and Reina this morning to see if everything went down okay. We may need to offer to shelter some of the women once they’re released. It would be best for them to be around people that understand.”
“Have you had anyone take a look at your girl yet?” He said, watching as Mina traipsed through his house, making herself coffee and toast as if she owned the place. He was glad that she felt so comfortable here.
“Look at her? You mean like a doctor?” she asked over her shoulder as she busily popped bread into the toaster. “I’m planning on taking her to a rehab center up in Taos where she can safely detox, but she could definitely use some first aid before then. Shelli did what she could to help her last night.” She met his gaze and hopped up to sit on the counter, looking a little sheepish as she offered him one of the six slices of toast she made. She definitely worked up an appetite, but he took that as a good sign. He reached out and took a bite off the end of the toast, still in her hand, his eyes trailing up to catch a hint of blush on her cheeks.
“Here’s what’s going to happen.” He stepped between her legs, coming in close to where she was sitting on the counter. “We’ll spend today with your club. I’ll take a look at Tara and then we’ll give the rehab center a call to get her registered. If more girls need a place to stay, I’ll help you find them and then Mattie and I will walk your property and make sure there are no more packages or any other immediate threats.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that.” She anxiously nibbled small bites of her toast and alternated drinking deep gulps of black coffee as if it was water. “I’ll try not to be too bossy, but you have to understand I’m used to being the one responsible for making the plans.”
He laughed a little at that, his Mina’s fire and determination could rival some of his boot camp drill sergeants. “I’ll be at your beck and call today, but when it comes time for our date tomorrow night, I call the shots.”
He leaned down, kissing his way up the soft skin of her neck, his tongue peaking out for a taste of her skin before he pulled his lips back to nibble at the lobe of her ear. He stepped back when he heard her whimper, her legs shifting restlessly on the counter, unable to come together to stave off the ache between them.
He smiled and gave her one last kiss on the forehead and pulled back from a very dazed Mina.
“All right woman let’s go get dressed. We’re burning daylight.”
12
Mina
“Tell us again where you’re going tomorrow?” Isabel peeked out from under the brim of her wide hat, a knowing smile curving at the corners of her mouth.
“I’m going on a date.” Mina sighed. She never should have told them, but she didn’t want the girls to worry and she didn’t know how long she would be gone. “Don’t look at me all smug, Missy. I saw you with a certain twin last night, but I’ve been a good enough friend not to mention it.”
“Oh I missed that,” Shelli sat up from her prone position on a lounger in the courtyard. After getting everything squared away earlier in the day, the women were soaking up the last few rays of golden hour light and trying very hard to relax. “I bet it was Mattie, I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. You could start a fire with the heat.”
She dramatically waved her hands, fanning herself.
“Nope, it was Moises.” Mina said, popping her lips with a hard ‘p’. “He carted her off like a knight in shining armor, it was so romantic.”
“Speaking of romantic, I noticed you showed up this morning with your hair in a braid.” Isabel said, desperately trying to redirect the conversation, her cheeks radiating a bright red hue at the mention of the twins. “I know you can’t pull those off without my help, don’t tell me that huge hunk of man fixed your hair for you.”
“Ugh my heart can’t take sweet shit like that.” Shelli gasped a little and pressed her hands to her heart. “I want to hear all about this magical date and then hate you a little for it after — that is if you can keep him from going all caveman and barricading you in his house before then.”
Mina rolled her eyes a little at that. When Victor came over that morning, saw the extent of Tara’s injuries and heard Reina retelling the story of Mina’s solo entrance into the rival club, his protective instincts went off the charts. He stomped around and insisted on checking her for injuries or signs of shock again before lobbying to max out the club’s security to near Fort Knox levels. After adding security cameras to the four main gates and checking the access logs again to be sure there were no abnormal codes showing through, he relaxed a little bit, but not fully.
“I think you guys are blowing this whole thing out of proportion.” She lathered a bit more tanning lotion before passing it to Shelli, the poor girl was prone to burn. “I stayed there all night last night and this morning and he never tried anything sexual at all.”
And as much as she tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice, she couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated. Last night, Victor was the perfect caretaker and protector for her, just like she’d envisioned he would be in his truest PJ-mode. But this morning in the kitchen, she’d ached for just one more brush of his lips against her skin, for him to step closer into her and give her the friction against her core she desperately needed in order to come. She definitely wasn’t used to this drawn out sexual tension. In the club, it was mere minutes from the time a guy picked her out from the other girls until he was finished with her — if she was lucky they might play for a half hour. While Victor had made his interest clear from the beginning, he was still holding back. Although, if the erection she had felt this morning was any indicator, it wouldn’t be long before he gave in and she couldn’t help but hope the intensity, the attention to detail she’d witnessed from him in every other aspect of his life might carry over into the bedroom.
“Honestly, Mina, you have no reason to be worried.” Isabel reached over to take a sip from her glass. “From the very beginning that man has looked at you like he wanted nothing more than to peel off all of your clothes and make you scream for weeks. He’s just trying to be a gentleman about it. You heard him at dinner the other night, his momma taught him how to respect women.”
“Ugh, you got so lucky with that one. He was so gentle today with
Tara and kind.” Shelli turned her head to look at Mina over her sunglasses. “Where is he taking you tomorrow?”
“We’re going in to Espanola to the drive-in.” Mina sat up and looked at the other women. “Is it okay that I’ll be away? I know it’s soon with the new girls just now settling in, but it should be safe here without me for a few hours.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Reina got confirmation from her contact with the ATF that a successful bust was conducted at the roadhouse. Combined with the evidence left on their doorstep and witness testimony, they shouldn’t have problems with the Iron Legion again any time soon. One of the captured women testified the man Mina killed, called Rico, had been shot by one of the other men in the club and when gunshot residue was found on their hands, it was enough to relieve any pressure she might have felt. In total, four of the women set to be trafficked by the Iron Legion decided to stay with the Hellacious Honeys once they were released from protective custody, while the rest asked to be returned to their homes. Most of the women who stayed were older and had been picked up as hitch hikers or prostitutes. They looked to the club as the opportunity to start a new life and Mina was happy to help them.
Tara was holding up well, thanks to Victor’s first aid. He had carefully set her ankle and applied butterfly bandages to the worst of her cuts. The mental strain of it all would take longer to work through, but they were scheduled to move her to a nice rehab facility in Taos on Monday. Mina was hopeful that once she recovered, they could welcome her back into the club.
“It’s absolutely fine.” Shelli sat up on her lounger on the other side of Isabel. “Everything should be calm here now and you deserve some time to decompress. We’ll be here if anyone needs anything.”
“Mattie and Moises said they would come and hang out for a while if we want them to.” Isabel said, taking off her hat. “I think Mattie is pretty excited about this date for you, Mina. He has a little bit of a man-crush on Victor.”
Mina laughed at that. Mattie did fan-girl over Victor a little, but she was glad the two men got along so well. Their camaraderie was one of her first indicators that he was trustworthy.
“All right, I think it’s time for me to start packing it in. I need my beauty rest after all.” Mina stood, grabbing her towel off the back of the chair and adjusting her bikini top. Shelli stood too, saying she would water a few of the plants before she followed. Isabel’s little cottage was opposite the main building, so she said her goodbyes before turning the other way.
As Mina trudged up the steps to her little apartment, she felt like she aged ten years over night. The events of the last few days began roiling in her mind like a turbulent sea. She dropped her sun tan lotion on her vanity and an open lipstick caught her eye. Her favorite burgundy color lay on its side, with the tip smudged onto the table. She picked it up carefully turning it over in her palm. Maybe she left it like that in her rush the first day she met Victor or maybe it had been knocked over during her mad grab for tanning products before they laid out that evening. She set it down and looked around the room. Her bedding was mussed and clean clothes lay in a pile at the foot of the bed waiting for her to fold them but nothing seemed totally out of place. She shook her head and moved into the attached bathroom, trying to stave off the feeling that something was amiss.
She peeled back the shower curtain and undressed, stepping into the steaming water. She carefully undid Victor’s braid, smiling as she remembered the gentle, thorough way he washed her hair the night before. She felt wholly unworthy of the kind of care he had shown her and yet she wanted more. And she wanted to show him the same tenderness. He was so selfless in his attention, in his affection with her and with the people she considered family. She’d never experienced a friendship like that, much less a relationship, in her entire life. His openness, his honesty with his intentions filled her with hope, that maybe despite her shortcomings, her misdeeds and mistakes, a man like him could learn to love a woman like her. If he did, she knew she would be irrevocably changed, that she would never let him go for the rest of her life, come hell or high water.
She finished showering and reached for the towel she kept on a hook by tub, only her hand came up empty. She opened the curtain wider and looked out, seeing the towel across the room. A cold chill traveled up her spine. She leaned out carefully, snagging a fresh towel from the cabinet over the toilet and stepped out to dry off.
Her heart raced as she wrapped the towel around her body and ran out of the bathroom into the bedroom, grabbing a nightshirt out of her dresser. She forced herself to remain calm after she dressed, taking deep breaths and analyzing the situation. Nothing else had been moved, just the lipstick and the towel. Her patio doors were still closed and her main door had been locked when she came in.
She lay down on her bed, clicking on the TV on the dresser across from her and told herself she was just imagining things. But, after tossing and turning for almost an hour, she picked up her cell phone and made the call.
“Hello?” Victor answered on the first ring, his voice gruff and sleep-weary. “Mina, are you okay, what do you need? I can be there in five minutes.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m okay. I just psyched myself out imagining monsters in my closet and now I can’t sleep.” She curled deeper into her blankets, feeling infinitely more comfortable just hearing his voice on the phone.
“Do you want me to come over? I can check it out for you, make sure it’s nothing to worry about.”
She considered it, knowing how much it would help to have him near, but then she couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t ask him to stay. She must have imagined the disturbed things in her room. The club had tighter security than ever, the members of the Iron Legion had been taken in by the authorities, and her door was locked, there was no reason to believe anyone other than herself had been the cause. “No, just stay on the line and tell me something good.”
“Well I’m keeping a little chart on the fridge for Andy and he has gone exactly 2 days without a cacti accident.” He paused for a minute and then continued. “I saw two baby jackrabbits today and their huge ears completely out-balanced their little bodies. The sunset on the hills tonight reminded me of my time in Iran, but in a good way. It made me remember my purpose there and I feel good that it was fulfilled. I had a long talk with my momma tonight, about a special someone I met in my new town. And, I have a date with the most beautiful woman in the entire world tomorrow. Those are all good things.”
He kept talking about anything and everything. Little things that popped up in his head about his childhood or the new things he discovered every day in his new state. And after awhile, he heard her breathing even out but he stayed on the line, letting the static of the phone connect them as they slept.
13
Victor
Soft footsteps roused Victor from the depths of sleep. He sat up, on high alert as his ears tracked the light shuffling down the hall, nearing his bedroom. When the culprit appeared, silhouetted in the door by the hallway nightlight, he sucked in a deep breath. Mina stood in front of him, his t-shirt slipping off her shoulder, her hair down her back in a loose riot of curls. He shifted up in bed, taking in her fresh, make-up free face, the long expanse of her tan legs, perky unbound breasts and even her tiny little ruby red polished toes. Her face peered up at him, still a little groggy with sleep and full of need.
“Baby, what are you doing here? It’s late you should be resting.” He reached a hand out, beckoning her over to him. He was happy to have her near, even if he didn’t like the thought of her wandering across the property in the dark to make her way to his side.
“I can’t sleep, it’s been too long and it hurts,” she whined, moving toward him. She brushed her hair over one shoulder, her t-shirt rising up to give him a peek of her wet inner thighs. “I need you to help me. Can you fix it?” She met him at the side of his bed, lifting up the hem of her shirt to show him where it hurt, revealing her blessedly bare, needy pink pussy.
He reached o
ut one hand, cupping her butt cheek and pulling her closer to him, his other hand stroking softly up her inner thighs, gathering wetness as it went. “Of course I’ll fix it baby, you know I’ll give you anything you need.” He put a little extra pressure on her butt, scooting her even closer until she was straddling him up on her knees on the bed. “Hop up here so I can get a better look at it, spread your legs wide for me, that’s it. Keep holding up that shirt for me, baby, it looks so good on you.” He took a long look at the apex of her thighs, eager to get his fill after waiting to take her for so long. He made a study of her pink folds, the musky honeyed smell of her arousal, of her sleepy dilated eyes. He gave in to his desire and pressed his first two fingers against her clit, rewarded by a heady sigh and a precious little squirm of her rear. “Well of course you’re hurting baby, look at this swollen little button. Don’t worry though; I’m pretty sure I can fix it. Would you like my hands or my mouth?”
Mina’s body couldn’t contain the heated need pouring through her and he felt a stream of wetness coat his hand at his question. Her breasts heaved up with every breath and she kept holding them up with her hands as if they felt heavy. “B-both?” she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful. Victor nodded, once and lifted her up, scooping his forearms under her thighs and bringing her to rest facing him on his shoulders. He supported her back with one hand and spread her wide with the other. “Mina, baby, you’re so pretty here, why have you been hiding this from me. Did you know that once I got a taste it would never be enough?” He took a long lick down her center, his fingers easing into her slick opening. Locating the rough patch of pleasure deep inside her, he gently increased his pressure, simultaneously hooking his tongue around her engorged clit and sucking it deep into his mouth. “Oh god, Mina, I could taste you like this every hour of every day for the rest of our lives and it would still never be enough.”
