Chapter 21 Kelli gasped and threw a hand over her head to brace herself against the headboard as Flash thrust in and out of her, hard. "Yes!" she exclaimed. She'd needed this. After everything that happened, she'd needed to feel alive. And there was no better way than to have the man she loved lose control as he fucked her. Yesterday had been scary. Terrifying. She'd come way too close to dying. If Flash and Smiley hadn't shown up...No, if Bree hadn't been in the parking lot at the exact right time, the outcome would've been much different. But Bree had been there, and Flash and Smiley had shown up. Her leg throbbed, but even in the throes of passion, Flash was careful not to grab the bandaged appendage. He'd been reluctant to make love to her at all, but Kelli was insistent. It was probably way too soon, but she didn't care. She'd gone to the hospital, where she'd received stitches, and where Flash had paced and generally made everyone uneasy with the amped-up alpha vibes emanating from him. A detective from the Riverton Police Department had arrived and taken her statement while she was waiting for the doctor to stitch up her leg. Since the man was already familiar with Brant Williams and their case, and he knew he was wanted for the kidnapping back in Jamaica, Flash and Smiley weren't in imminent danger of being arrested. Especially not after seeing Kelli, and hearing her harrowing story of how she was kidnapped...again. Kelli didn't know where Smiley and Bree had gone, though she assumed they were at his apartment. He and Flash had immediately switched back to their own homes, the rest of their teammates generously pitching in to pack up and move everyone's belongings to the appropriate apartments. By the time she'd finished at the hospital the previous evening, they'd been able to go straight to Flash's place, where they both crashed hard. However, Kelli had woken up just hours later thanks to a horrible nightmare, and she'd decided what she needed to get back on track, to wipe away the bad dream, was her boyfriend deep inside her. Injuries be damned. And now here she was, getting fucked hard and fast, just the way she wanted it. "Get there," Flash ordered, as he moved one hand between her legs and began to strum her clit, just as roughly as he was thrusting inside her. Kelli had already been close, but his touch sent her soaring. She barely heard his triumphant yell as he let himself come deep inside her. They were both sweaty, and Kelli could feel her heart beating hard in her chest. She smiled. Yup, this was what she needed. To feel alive...to celebrate the fact that they'd won. "Damn, woman," Flash complained, as he gently eased out of her and arranged her carefully on the bed so he wouldn't jostle her leg. Then he snuggled up against her, on his side, one arm over her belly, his leg hitched up on her uninjured thigh, his head on her shoulder. This position was a reversal of how they usually slept. Usually it was Kelli who was draped over him, but she actually loved being the receiver of the snuggles, rather than the giver. "Did I hurt your leg?" "No." "Are you sure?" "Yes." "You were kind of...aggressive...are you sure you're okay?" He wasn't wrong. Kelli had been aggressive. Insistent that he fuck her, overriding all his objections about her injuries. "When I was on that floor, looking up at him holding that knife, I knew that was it. I was going to die. Even when we were in that bus underground, I hadn't felt that way. I don't know how, but the possibility of us being able to escape was always there in the back of my mind. But yesterday? Even knowing Bree had been in the backseat, and that she had her phone, I didn't think anyone could get there in time. Not when all it would've taken was one quick stab. And the only regret I had was that I wouldn't get to see you again." She felt Flash's surprised inhalation. But she kept going. "I wasn't going to just lie there and let him stab me to death. I was going to fight, but I knew the chances were slim that I'd be able to hold him off for long. Life is short, Flash. I've spent too much time just going through the motions of living. I'm done with that. I'm sure people will look at our relationship and smile to our faces, but behind our backs, say that we won't make it. That we moved too fast. That I've got some sort of savior complex thing going...or whatever it's called. That I'm only with you because you rescued me...twice. But that's not it. Not at all. "I love you, Wade Gordon. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to get my degree in electrical technology and be able to go over to Remi's house and fix her lights when they conk out. I want to fix that light that's out at Aces Bar and Grill. I want to cry when you go on a mission, and rejoice when you return. I want to hang out with Wren and the other girls and get drunk and talk about how great our sex lives are. I want to be an honorary aunt to Maggie and Addison's babies. I want to have my own. I want to have wild monkey sex with my husband when we're in our fifties, sixties, and even later. I want it all, Flash. I'm greedy. And I realized all this as I watched Brant come toward me with that knife, with a maniacal look in his eyes. "So, yeah. I was aggressive. Because I knew you weren't going to touch me, since you were afraid to hurt me. But you'd never hurt me. Ever. I know that down to my very marrow. I hope you don't mind that I jumped you...because I have a feeling I'm gonna be doing that a lot." "Marry me." Kelli stared at Flash. He'd picked his head up when she'd begun talking, so he could look into her eyes-and she was momentarily speechless. "I want all that too. I want to be the loudest person in the auditorium when you get your degree. I want to take pictures of you in your overalls and tool belt as you're on top of a ladder, fixing shit. I want to come home to you after every mission, and after every day of work. I want to hang out with my SEAL buddies as we watch over our women, getting sloshed during a girls' night out, then bring you home and fuck you drunk. I want to be a father, have babies that look exactly like you, teach them to be strong and confident, just like their mom. "And you already know I love you too. I almost lost my mind when I walked into that room and saw Williams trying to stab you. Fuck anyone who thinks we won't make it, because I intend to spend every day of my life making you happy. Proving I'm the man you think I am. Because the truth is, I'm kind of a dick. At least to people who annoy me. Marry me, Kelli. I'll gladly have wild monkey sex with you when I'm eighty, although I might need some medical assistance to get it up by then." Kelli couldn't help it. She laughed. This was a momentous occasion in her life, and she was giggling. Which made it all the more perfect. She didn't need the grand gestures. Him going down on one knee. She just needed Flash. "Yes." "Yes?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe what he'd heard. "Of course, yes. I love you," she said simply. In response, Flash's head dipped, and Kelli knew he was trying to regain his composure. When he lifted his head again, she saw that his eyes were sparkling. Flash might think he was a dick, but not to her. Never to her. "We're going to be wedding'd out in the next few months, huh?" she asked. "With Remi and Josie marrying Kevlar and Blink, our own ceremony, my cousin's and your sister's...it's going to be crazy." "We're eloping," Flash said without hesitation. "What? Really?" "That is, if you agree. I want my ring on your finger, and yours on mine, as soon as possible. I don't have the patience to plan a big thing, and besides, the people who'll be at Kevlar and Blink's party at Aces are the same people we'd invite to our own reception. I'd rather put that money toward a down payment on a house." "Yes!" Kelli said happily. "But we might need to invite my mom to whatever ceremony we have. I think she'd be heartbroken to miss it." "How about Vegas? It's a little cliché, but we can invite your family and mine, and have a party there on the Strip afterward." "Um...no offense, but after what happened to Bree in Vegas...no. Maybe we can just go to the courthouse here?" Kelli asked. "Done. So we're doing this?" "This?" "Getting married, buying a house, making babies, having wild monkey sex when we're in our nineties." Kelli giggled again. The age of them having this crazy sex kept creeping up. "We are," she confirmed. Flash smiled, then got serious. "Thank you for not giving up," he whispered. "Never," Kelli vowed. "Will your team be mad if they aren't invited to our wedding? They certainly weren't happy that they missed everything with Brant." "They weren't happy because they knew you were in danger and scared. Because Smiley and I didn't have them as backup. They won't be upset if we go to the courthouse and get married. Promise." "Okay. Um...do you think maybe we can take a short honeymoon to that resort in New Mexico?" "The Refuge?" "Yeah." "They're pretty booked up, but I can at least call them," Flash said without hesitation. That was reason number eight hundred and twenty-six why Kelli loved this man. "It's just that I'd love to meet the woman who tried so hard to find Brant. But with him staying in that abandoned house, I'm thinking there's no way she could've found him." "I think that's a perfect idea. I've heard such great things about The Refuge. You know about Melba, right?" "Who's Melba?" she asked. "Their resident cow." "No way!" Kelli exclaimed, her brows flying up. "Yup. And they have a bunch of other animals too. And from what I understand, the owners and their wives have had their fair share of drama, but they're now all settled and building a mini village on the property, where they're all raising their kids together." "That sounds awesome." "Maybe we should find a large piece of land where we can do the same. Convince everyone to build there, so we can all live together." "Can you imagine living with grumpy Smiley next door?" Kelli teased. Then she sobered. "He's not going to hurt Bree, is he?" "No! Why would you ask that?" Flash asked. "It's just...he didn't exactly look happy to see her." "You have to understand, Smiley's been trying to find her for quite a while now. It was driving him crazy that she disappeared into thin air. He was worried about her. I think something about her touched him in a way that no one else has." "She was scared," Kelli said. Then she sighed. "I have a confession. Bree was visiting me at Smiley's apartment for a week or so. She came to the door one day, looking for him. I think she was ready to ask him for help. And she thought I was his girlfriend because I was in his apartment. I invited her in, because she was in desperate need of a shower. I fed her, we did her laundry...and she came back a couple of times. That's why she was in the parking lot yesterday. She was coming to see me again. But it was later than she usually showed up." "Is that what was bothering you? The secret you couldn't tell me?" Flash asked. Kelli nodded, scared he was going to be really mad. To her surprise, he just leaned up and kissed her forehead before settling back down at her side. "I promised I wouldn't say anything to you or Smiley. She was gathering up the courage to talk to him face-to-face. I gave her my cell number, and Smiley's, just in case. And she used it when she hid in Brant's backseat. Are you mad?" "No. I think you did the right thing. She was obviously very used to hiding, to staying under the radar. Making friends with her was a good thing." Kelli relaxed. "For the record, I didn't like keeping her from you. But I promised." "I know." "What happens now? With her and Smiley?" Kelli asked. "No clue. I'm guessing he's going to want to hear her entire story. Find out who her ex is, and who the asshole sold her to. Then he'll want to track that fucker down and do what he can to end his reign of terror and break up any sex-trafficking thing he's got going on." "Um...is it going to be that easy?" "Not at all. There are usually layers upon layers when it comes to exploiting women. And honestly, most women who get into situations like that are groomed for months. It's not just a matter of kidnapping strangers off the streets. So whatever is going on with Bree's situation is unique. And unique isn't necessarily good. I remember a story from a while ago about a woman who'd been kidnapped while she and her husband were in Vegas, and she was taken out of the country and held for a decade." "Oh my gosh! But she was found?" "Yeah, by her husband, who never gave up hope that she was alive. He formed his own group of former military men who tracked down trafficking victims, all in the hopes he could find his own wife one day. And he did. They live in Colorado now." "That's amazing." "Yeah. My point is...what is my point?" Flash mused. "Bree." "Right. Bree's situation is going to be tough because someone's still after her. He seems desperate to find her, actually, and follow through with whatever plans he had for her. Which...seems strange. So whatever is going on there, it's not good." "And Smiley will be right there in the middle of it," Kelli surmised. "Yup." "Well, shit," she said with a sigh. Flash smiled. "Why are you grinning? This isn't funny." "No, it's not. But I'm not upset that you're worried about my friend. That you care." "I care," she agreed. "How about we get some more sleep? It's still a few hours until dawn. We can save the world when the sun comes up." Kelli rolled her eyes. "Flash?" "Yeah, sweetheart?" "I love you." "Lord, I'll never get tired of hearing those words from your lips. I love you too." Kelli sighed with contentment, ignoring the throbbing of her leg and the slight discomfort on her chest where Brant had pierced the skin over her heart. Both slight hurts reminded her that she was alive. And apparently engaged. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly. "Am I going to get a ring?" she blurted. Flash chuckled against her, and she felt his warm breath caress her chest. "Of course. I've already got what I want for you in mind." "I don't want anything too big. That's not my style." "I know. And it won't be." "Okay. Flash?" "One more thing, and then you need to sleep, Kelli," he said, trying to sound stern but failing. She grinned as she said, "You're the man I've dreamed of all my life. My superhero. My Flash Gordon." "That was corny as hell," he protested. "And I love it. Sleep," he ordered. Kelli closed her eyes and fell asleep with a huge smile on her face. Bree sat quietly on the couch as Jude mumbled to himself, pacing back and forth in front of her. He'd brought her straight to his apartment after the cops were finally done talking to everyone about what happened with Brant Williams, earlier that afternoon. He hadn't said much during the ride, and when they'd arrived at his place, he was surprisingly gentle with her. Getting her a glass of water, asking if she wanted anything to eat. As a result, she wasn't scared. More relieved that her running-from this man, at least-was finally over. He obviously wasn't completely happy though. The scowl on his face probably should've freaked her out. Had her running for the door, for the state line, for the other side of the country...but for some reason, it was actually comforting. Because Jude wasn't pissed at her, per se-okay, he was a little angry with her for hiding from him for so long. But he was more upset over the fact that she had so few answers to his questions. He wanted to know the name of the man she'd been sold to back in Vegas. She didn't know it. He wanted to know the name of her ex. She'd told him, but then explained that he'd been found dead in an alley in Vegas, not too long after she and Josie had been rescued. He continued to ask questions, and the more she didn't have answers to, the more he scowled and the more he paced. What Bree did know was that, here with Jude, she could finally get a good night's sleep. She'd been looking over her shoulder for so long, feeling as if she was being watched, like she was seconds away from being snatched and disappearing forever. But now that she'd revealed herself to Jude, she knew without a doubt the man wasn't going to let her out of his sight. He was too shocked she'd been able to stay under the radar for so long, that he hadn't been able to find her. Knowing he would be extra vigilant-if for no other reason than so she couldn't escape him-was a comfort. She truly didn't know the name of the man who'd bought her, but she knew enough to know if he got his hands on her, she would wish she was dead. Whatever his plans for her might be, they weren't good. "What do you know?" Jude asked, sounding exasperated as he finally stopped pacing and sat on the couch next to her, his brow furrowed and his hair mussed from him running his hand through it in agitation. "That you'll keep me safe," Bree said without hesitation. That seemed to fluster him. He stared at her for a long moment. "Damn straight I will," he growled, sitting up straighter. "But you might not like how I go about it." "Go about what?" "Keeping you safe. Just remember that you came to me. You showed up at my door. I might not have been here at the time, but that doesn't negate the fact that you came looking for help. And I want to help you, Bree. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since you disappeared in Vegas. Haven't stopped worrying about you. Where you were. If you were safe." His words made Bree feel almost light-headed. She'd felt alone for so long, and here was the man she couldn't stop thinking about, saying all the right things. "I'm not an easy man, though," he said after a moment. Bree snorted. "I'm going to ask you to do things that will probably make you uncomfortable. That you might not want to do. But whatever I ask of you will be for your own good. To keep you safe. I need you to understand that." Bree nodded. She was tired of doing everything on her own. Of feeling alone. Vulnerable. Helpless. She needed help. That's why she was here in the first place. "I need your help," she said out loud. "It's why I came to California. For some reason, I trust you, Jude Stark. When I trust very few other people in my life. I'll do what you say. And if you can figure out the nightmare that is my life, I'll be forever in your debt." "I don't want your gratitude," Jude said, growling again. Bree opened her mouth to ask what he did want, but he talked over her. "I'll get you a shirt and a pair of boxers to wear to bed. We'll get your car, wherever you've stashed it, and the rest of your stuff. You can use my washer and dryer to clean your clothes. We'll also go to a store tomorrow and get you some new stuff, whatever you need." Bree's head spun. He was obviously very serious. She wasn't sure if she should be freaking out or falling to her knees at his feet. Both reactions would probably piss Jude off, so she settled for simply nodding. "You're tired," he said, in a softer tone. "Yeah," Bree agreed. "Shower, then bed," he declared, standing abruptly. "I'll be right back." Then he left the room. Bree was actually pretty familiar with the layout of his place, since she'd spent some time there with Kelli over the last week, and figured he was headed for his bedroom. Jude returned, holding some clothes in his hand. "You're sleeping in my bed," he stated. "I'll take the floor. I'm not risking you sneaking off in the middle of the night after you have some time to think, telling yourself that you made a mistake by coming to me for help." Bree could've reassured him that she wasn't going to sneak off again, but it was obvious he needed some time to learn to trust her. She understood. "I don't want you to sleep on the floor," she told him. "I've slept in worse places. It'll be fine," he told her without batting an eye. Again, Bree should've probably felt wary. It wasn't every day a man basically ordered her to sleep in his bed. But she hadn't been lying earlier when she'd told Jude that she trusted him. Besides, she was at the end of her rope. She literally had nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to. Standing, she walked toward him to take the clothes, grateful to have something clean to put on...after she'd showered, of course. But when she tried to grab them, Jude held on until she looked up and met his gaze. "Thank you for saving Kelli," he said gruffly. "It would've destroyed Flash if she'd died." That was all the reassurance Bree needed to solidify the fact that she'd done the right thing by coming to Riverton, and to Jude Stark. His friends were obviously important to him. And even though she could tell he was irritated with her, he'd still done what he felt was right and thanked her. "You're welcome," she said softly. "For the record? What I did was stupid," she admitted. "Getting into the car was pretty reckless. And dangerous. I could've been seen. He could've killed me. I should've written down his license plate number and gone to you immediately. I'm sorry I didn't." "Me too. I don't like that you put yourself in that situation. But...you did reach out to me. And you were able to tell me exactly where Kelli was being taken. It's very likely we wouldn't have found her in time if you hadn't done what you did. You did good, Bree. Really good." His words lessened her guilt somewhat. But she vowed to try not to do something so stupid again in the future. To not put her own life at risk as she'd done earlier that day. Being around this man was a balm to her battered and bruised soul. For too long, she'd been a nobody. A homeless person living out of her car. Ignored. Looked down on. A piece of property that someone had paid for. A commodity. But to Jude? She was more. She was Bree Haynes again. And it felt good. So she simply nodded. "Go on. Shower. I'll change the sheets and make the bed so it's ready for you when you're done." With that, he turned and headed for the bedroom, presumably to strip the sheets off the bed. Without another thought, Bree did as she was told. She hadn't lied. She was tired. Bone-deep exhausted from trying to stay one step ahead of the man who'd bought her. From trying to stay under the observant SEALs' radars. From being terrified that one wrong move would end up with her in a situation she couldn't even fathom. Bree needed Jude Stark. And she vowed to herself to do whatever he told her to do. It wasn't in her nature, but she'd do it. Because it was obvious the path she was on wasn't working. The truth was, she needed a knight in shining armor. And while Jude's armor was dented and not so shiny, she wouldn't want anyone else by her side while she tried to figure out who'd bought her from her ex, and why they still wanted to get their hands on her so badly. Mateo Castillo stared up at the apartment building that his property had entered earlier that evening. He'd been looking for her for months now, and had almost run out of patience when he'd found her. Turns out, her being here in Riverton was actually a good thing. It presented an opportunity that he'd waited two long decades for. When he was in his mid-thirties, he was living in Mexico, part of a sex-trafficking ring. A low-level partner at the time, it had taken years for him to work his way back up the organization after one of their most expensive acquisitions had been stolen right out from under their noses. He hadn't been at the camp when it happened; that was the only reason why he'd been allowed to live. The other dozen or so men who'd gotten drunk and passed out-allowing a US Navy SEAL to sneak into camp and steal the woman out from under their noses, plus another female asset-had all been eliminated. The senator's daughter, plus the mousy woman they hadn't been able to find a buyer for after three months of looking, had both been taken back to the States. But Mateo was a believer in fate...and here he was. In Riverton. Where those same women were now living. They'd moved on, married Navy SEALs. Were living what they thought were happy lives. But they'd soon learn that the past never truly went away. It could always come back to haunt you. And Mateo was there to take back what was his. Julie Lytle and Fiona Rain Storm were his. As was Bree Haynes. It was just a matter of finding a way to snatch them all back...then he'd get his money's worth out of all three. In the last decade, Mateo had partnered with a man in Peru named del Rio. He'd supplied the man with women from all over the world for his business, until del Rio's organization collapsed after he'd been killed by some assholes from Indiana. But Mateo had gladly stepped in. He was now based in Ecuador, and the current unrest in the country made it easier for him to get his property moved in and out under the radar. He sold women to the richest men in the world, and even knowing the sexual appetites of these men were depraved and downright sadistic didn't deter him. In fact, their proclivities only made the men willing to pay any cost to have a new plaything delivered right to their doors. Full circle. Things were coming full circle. Mateo would take back what was stolen from him and make a shit ton of money in the process. Thumbing his nose at the very men who'd stolen from him all those years ago was a huge bonus. If they came after him, he'd be ready this time. There would be no drunken parties in the jungle. No, the SEALs would die if they tried to take back what was his. And they would. They'd come for the women. Of that, Mateo had no doubt. Smiling, he started the engine of his black Mercedes. He knew where Bree Haynes was now. She wouldn't be able to hide from him anymore. He could take her tonight, break into the asshole's apartment and take back what belonged to him, what he'd bought fair and square. But now that he knew this man was connected to the other two women? He'd wait. Be patient. His time would come. He couldn't wait to see the looks on the other women's faces when they realized their worst nightmares were coming true...again. And when Bree Haynes understood that running had only put off the inevitable? Bliss. The terror they'd feel made Mateo's dick hard. He might not have the reputation del Rio did, but when word got out that Julie and Fiona had been taken a second time, people wouldn't be able to deny his authority any longer. He'd be the most powerful man in South America. Respected. Revered. Feared. Finally. The black Mercedes drove off without a sound, without anyone looking twice at the vehicle. Never knowing evil was on the move, and with it, a black cloud of terror was about to descend on Riverton. In a romance-themed observation show, several participants undergo a series of interactions and conflicts filled with love, misunderstandings, and power struggles. In the end, one couple rises to over...