by A. R. Ford
Luca found the things he needed in the barn loft. Combat boots, tactical armor, grenades, a bow and arrows, and firearms. The armor fit him like a second skin. The flat black mirrored the rage and terror that still raced through his mind.
One man alone made much better time than a group with a captive. Luca followed their trail, watched them that night at camp. Their patterns were ingrained in his mind. They were amateurs with no experience. That much was apparent after the first hour or so he watched them.
They tied Nyssa to a tree, her head slumped. He feared the worst, wanting to take her there, but knowing the odds were not in his favor. He would bide his time, pick them off one by one.
The first to fall was a sentry who strayed too far from the perimeter. The man stood in the wide-legged stance adopted by men when emptying their bladder. He sighed, head thrown back. The Bowie knife nearly separated his head from his body. Luca eased him to the ground, searched the body, took what he wanted and left the man lying in a pool of blood.
A fine mist of snow floated from the sky near dawn. Luca peered from the vantage point, throat convulsing as he saw Nyssa. One side of her face was covered in dry blood. She shivered from the cold. A tendril of something pulsed inside Luca’s mind. A cry of fear and pleading. Nyssa.
It came again, stronger, more intense. I need you.
Could she sense his thoughts, his plan? Yes.
Good girl. I’m coming for you. Show me everything you can about where you are, what’s going on around you.
A gentle tendril caressed his mind. Nyssa again, the same touch he felt on his chest a few nights ago. The touch that was a sign she was coming back to him.
Five men. It was the first bit of information she fed him.
Four now. He hoped she would take his thoughts and know he was coming for her.
The four remaining men rolled from their sleeping bags. It took seconds before they realized something was terribly wrong. One staggered outside the perimeter, found his fallen comrade, and puked on the ground. The others began breaking camp. One man had the audacity to untie Nyssa’s bonds before jerking her to her feet. A fist was her reward when she stumbled and nearly fell.
Luca forced back the urge to kill him. That would put Nyssa in danger. Slow. One at a time. The Hunter would pick them off.
He followed them, feet moving silently through the underbrush. Moving along the upper slope of the mountain gave him an excellent vantage point. They forgot the basic rules of the hunted. They stayed on the path, never varying. No one served as a sentry. A straggler fell behind the group.
Luca took the bow, strung it, and nocked an arrow. The muscles of his arms were accustomed to holding this position for as long as it took to get the perfect shot. It did not take long before the straggler’s back presented the perfect target. Fingers loosened, the arrow flew silently toward its target. The straggler fell with a muffled grunt, dead before he hit the ground.
Three. Thank you.
Nyssa’s thought pulsed through his mind after he fed her more information. It brought a grim smile to his face.
The trio stopped to rest and eat as the sun reached its zenith in the cloudless sky. It was only then they realized the fourth man was no longer with them. Their fear earned Nyssa a kick to the back of one leg. She fell to the ground with a cry of pain. One of the men stood over her, cursing while he kicked her hard. Time after time.
Luca took aim at the man who stood over her cursing. He could almost feel her pain. The instant the man straightened, Luca’s fingers set the arrow free. It drove straight through the center of his chest. The stream of blood pouring from the wound indicated the shot was fatal. The man was dead before he hit the ground.
Two.
Two who ran, screaming in terror as The Hunter came for them. Luca closed the gap, running, massive legs powering through the underbrush and debris. He tackled the slowest one, Bowie knife flashing in the sun when he drove it into the man’s chest again and again. The sole survivor he kept alive, for now at least. He hauled the man back to where Nyssa lay on the ground before tying him to a tree.
Nyssa’s eyes fluttered when he lifted her upright. “I’m here now,” he reassured, handing her a canteen filled with water. “Drink. Are you badly injured?” An intense sense of relief flooded him when she shook her head. “I need to speak with our friend here.”
Luca knelt in front of the man. “Who sent you.”
Blood-stained spittle arced toward Luca, landing uselessly on the ground inches from his knee. “I’ll die before I tell you anything.”
“You’ll die regardless. It’s up to you if the death is quick and painless or slow and agonizing.” Luca glanced over his shoulder at Nyssa. “Perhaps I should let her decide. Nyssa, come here.”
Nyssa hobbled to him. A laceration on her forehead appeared responsible for the blood staining the right side of her face. The man laughed, his knees drawing up. “You’ll let a mute decide what happens? How the hell can she tell you what to do?”
Luca’s fist shut the man’s mouth. The man groaned and coughed, fresh blood trickling from one corner of his mouth. “You’ll see. Now, I know better than to believe you found my cabin without help. You came for the girl. I’ll ask once more. Last chance. Tell me who sent you.”
“Screw you.”
“Nyssa, what should we do with him?” he asked, fingers tracing the bruises on her arm.
Her response was to pull the Bowie knife from the sheath on Luca’s right thigh. She held it out to him, handle first, eyes fastened on the man who groaned and cursed them.
Luca held the man’s shoulder in one hand when he prepared to drive the knife deep in his chest. Fear of death motivated his confession. “Cinnamon! I swear it was her, not us. Let me go...I told you! Please let me go!” the blubbering man cried.
“When I say last chance, I mean last chance,” Luca grinned. The knife slid effortlessly into the man’s gut. He gave it a twist. “You’ll die slow.”
Luca cleaned the knife’s blade on the man’s pants. He stood and took Nyssa’s hand. They walked at until Nyssa could no longer continue. Luca picked her up and carried her the remaining distance to Jack and Mary’s cabin.
Mary was waiting inside the cabin. Luca insisted on staying to see the extent of the injuries she had suffered. Bruises and minor lacerations were the worst of it. She favored her right side where the kicks landed.
“You sure are lucky, Nyssa. Let me wrap your ribs. That might help,” Mary said after conducting a brief examination. A glance in Luca’s direction caught his attention.
“What?” he said, brows drawn together more from worry than anything.
“Seems you might care for this little thing more than you let on,” Mary laughed. She gave Nyssa a hug after the bandage around her ribs was secured. “You two should stay the night. We have an extra room.”
“I appreciate that, Mary. I think Nyssa could use a good night’s rest after everything she’s been through today.”
That night he held Nyssa close, only loosening his grip when she whimpered in pain. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “It seems all I do is hurt you.”
Her hand stroked his cheek, chocolate eyes catching and holding his gaze. “No.” It was the first word she had uttered in weeks.
“What does no mean?” he queried.
“You do more good,” she whispered. “You saved me, twice.”
“I’m glad you still believe in me. I wasn’t sure what would happen after Arkala.” Her finger silenced the self-denigration. Her breasts pillowed his head, her heartbeat quieting the remains of anger and guilt.
Luca knew at that moment that Nyssa wielded great power over him. She could ease the rage and the need for love and compassion. And he was perfectly fine with that now that she was in his arms again.
Chapter 9
Nyssa
Dark specters stretched claw-like fingers toward her. Their touch tore her skin. She fought bravely, twisting and turning and dancing just out of reac
h. When she fell, they closed in with grim purpose. A scream ripped from her throat.
“Nyssa? Wake up, you’re dreaming.” The familiar deep voice that vibrated her very soul ripped her from the nightmare. It was dark in the room. Luca hovered over her, face inches from hers. “Better now?”
She shook her head, body still damp from the nightmarish struggle. Luca comforted her, callused hands caressing her face and arms. With arms around his neck she pulled his face to hers. Lips feverishly met, hers the aggressor.
He needed little encouragement. Fingernails dug into his back when massive thighs spread her own. The sweet stretch and burn brought a whimper. He sensed her needs before she knew them.
Their joining was brutal yet set her free in a twisted sort of way. It took her mind from the nightmare and events of yesterday. Her womb ached with the force of his thrusts. The white-hot heat of an orgasm broke over her without warning. Her core clenched the thick shaft until scalding seed bathed her womb.
Luca nuzzled her neck, tugged an earlobe between her teeth. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head, not daring to tell him that the hurt was what she needed for now. He rolled onto his back, arms holding her tight. His cock remained thick and rigid inside her. The broad chest beckoned. She pillowed her head there before drifting off to sleep again.
Luca’s movements woke her. He had rarely taken her twice in one night. His fingers dug into her hips as he thrust into her core. Her tongue found his nipples, suckling and nibbling as pleasure raced through her body. Her body bowed, fingers digging into his arms when she reached the peak. A soft groan fell from his lips when he filled her with his release. Exhausted, she slept, once again pillowed on the mountain’s chest.
Light streamed through the tiny window set high in the wall above the bed. Nyssa was alone in bed. She ached all over. Each breath brought a twisting finger of agony through ribs that hurt more today than yesterday. She washed the stickiness of his seed away with a cloth and water from the basin near the bed. The smell of frying meat and cooking food made her stomach growl. She dressed and went in search of Luca.
Luca sat at the table with Jack. Mary worked at the fireplace preparing breakfast. She felt self-conscious and uncertain, wondering if they knew what had taken place last night. Luca cradled her gently against his chest when she sat on his lap.
“Would you like coffee?” Mary asked in the soft sing-song voice.
“Please,” Nyssa replied. She took a drink of the bitter brew the instant the mug was in her hand.
“Are you in pain?” Luca rumbled against her forehead.
“Some.” Nyssa refused to tell Luca that sharp thrills of pain bit into her ribs each time she breathed.
“I’m surprised you’re out of bed, Nyssa” Jack said. “Looks like those boys did a number on you.”
“Cinnamon,” Luca explained. “She’ll pay.”
“Hell hath no fury like a lover scorned,” Mary laughed from the fireplace. “It’s about time someone set that old whore straight. She’s created enough havoc in this world to last a lifetime.”
The conversation came to an end when Mary approached with skillets and pots containing breakfast. Mary provided a grand sampling for them. There was the usual fried venison, a pan of bread, and cooked apples. Nyssa moved from Luca’s lap to a chair at his side. She ate something of everything that Mary prepared for the morning meal.
Luca spoke again when the meal ended, and they sat drinking coffee. “I’m thinking about moving from the cabin. If Cinnamon sent someone once, chances are she’ll send someone again.”
“You could always put something here,” Jack offered. “There’s plenty of land.”
“Would you mind if we stay here until the cabin is raised? The old place is compromised.” Luca’s eyes came to rest on Nyssa, and he smiled. The skin at the corner of his eyes crinkled with the show of affection.
“Of course, you can,” Mary offered. “I’d enjoy having another woman around. What about the old barn? Could you turn it into a place to stay? It was here when we settled this place. I don’t think there have been any animals in it for years. There’s only the one door on the front. We could help you chink the logs…”
“I like the cabin,” Nyssa murmured. “And I learned something that might help.”
“What did you learn?” Mary asked.
“I can hurt people with my mind. I didn’t know until the men got me. I got better at it when we were walking. They didn’t know what I was doing. One of them thought he had a headache. It was me.” Nyssa shrugged after revealing the latest information.
“Show me,” Luca’s eyes were gentle, encouraging.
“But I don’t want to,” Nyssa protested, instantly uncomfortable with what he wanted her to do.
“You won’t hurt me. I trust you.”
Nyssa took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and concentrated. An electrified tingle danced along her spine, inside her mind, and with a pop, she was in Luca’s mind. Things were different now. The roadblocks were mostly gone. She found a vulnerable area, quite the undertaking given Luca’s mind was strong and fortified. A pulse of energy into the vulnerable area was all it took. With a pop and a yelp of pain she returned to her mind.
Luca crouched on the floor, gasping for breath. Mary and Jack sat unmoving, their eyes wide, jaws slack at having witnessed the event. Nyssa went to him immediately, kneeling in front of him, her brave dark warrior. “I tried to be gentle...I hurt you!”
“It was just a scratch,” he groaned before standing. A finger beneath Nyssa’s chin lifted her face. Chocolate eyes welled with tears. “You did nothing wrong. I’m fine.”
“Can we go to the cabin?” Nyssa asked, rising on her tiptoes, fingers closing on the fabric of his shirt. Luca chuckled as he held her against his body.
Luca smiled again. It was a real smile that reflected in the icy blue depths. “Yes, we’ll stay in the cabin. We should leave soon and get back to make sure everything is in order. We have a lot to do before nightfall.”
Parting greetings were exchanged. Luca strapped the armor onto his body and collected the weapons. He held Nyssa’s hand as they took the path toward home.
Nyssa stayed by his side while he created more booby traps. She traced the faint remains of cerebral energy indicating the path the kidnappers took to the cabin.
He gave a nod and set to work to ensure no one used that against them ever again. They returned to the cabin when the work was done. He observed as she struck flint and eased a spark into a tinder bundle. She nursed the flames to life and fed it leaves and twigs.
Once the fire blazed within the hearth, he bolted the door and pulled a blanket over the solitary window near the door. The heavy tread of his footsteps did not startle her as it had before.
She gasped when he picked her up, mouth devouring hers with a ferocity that was frightening. He released her long enough for her to undress. He picked her up again, a hand gripping her bottom. Her legs instinctively closed around his waist. He released the zipper and button of his fly before guiding the searing steel of his cock inside her.
“You. Are. Mine.” He growled the words against her neck, bracing her back against a wall. The power of his thrusts ached in her womb. This was the promised place, where she was meant to be. In his arms, possessed by Luca and only Luca.
“Yours!” she cried and came undone around him moments before his seed filled her.
He eased her to the bed and followed. “We deal with Cinnamon tomorrow.”
“Am I coming with you?” she murmured, fingers tracing the outline of his brows.
“You’ll never leave my side,” he rumbled. “Never again.”
Nyssa lay against Luca, soothed by his warmth and strength. “I don’t know a lot about you other than the things I saw that first day.”
“There’s not much to tell, really. My parents died before the resistance began fighting One World. I have no siblings or other relatives that I’m aware of. I’ve lived alone fo
r so long I wasn’t sure how to treat you, Nyssa. I’m sorry for being such an ass,” he muttered. “I thought I’d lost you after Arkala.”
“I saw your vulnerability the first time I walked inside your mind. I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure how you would handle it if I... if I said it out loud.”
Luca kissed her cheek, a knee sliding between her thighs. He hovered over her, tongue and lips teasing both breasts until she whimpered. “What was your life like before?”
“I don’t remember having parents or anyone really. I lived in an orphanage in Walden.” A sigh of pleasure came when he kissed her navel, tongue circling it briefly. “The Snake Eyes just came one day. Word got out that I could see inside minds. Their leader wanted me to win money gambling for the gang. That part of my life is blocked off like a big door slammed shut and it’s blank there.”
“You’re mine now. You’ll never be alone again, Nyssa.” He kissed her lips gently when she yawned. “Go to sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us.”
*****
Nyssa followed Luca with a nearly empty pack strapped to her back. There was no need to make a useless trip. A supply run was a handy excuse for a trip meant only for retribution.
Nyssa chattered about the land, things she saw along the way such as the remains of a school bus long since rusted. The faded school-bus yellow bore the testament of time. Decomposed tires allowed the skeletal remains to rest on warped rims.
They stopped briefly to rest and drink water. Nyssa clambered onto Luca’s lap facing him with legs spread around his hips. Her fingers traced the planes and ridges of his face. A fingertip came to rest against the fullness of his bottom lip. Her lips parted, breath catching in her throat. Something about Luca pulled at her heart and core. She did not understand it and dared not try to decipher the mystery. He craved their connection, what they had become, more than she did. Last night convinced her of that much.
“You’re tempting me again,” Luca muttered, a hand sliding from her shoulders to cup the curve of her bottom. “I thought after last night you would be sore.”
