Page 14 of Chasing Storm

I drag his stumbling body into the shack without saying another word. Several punches, kicks, and threats later, I deliver a blow to his head that knocks him out. There’s an old dirty sponge in the corner of the shack, which I stuff into his mouth, and left over rope used to tie his ankles and body to the pole behind him. His wrists are still handcuffed. Hopefully, it will take him a long time to get out of these or before someone finds him.

In the driver’s seat, I start the engine and notice Tea’s eyes drifting to my bloody hands.

“He’s alive…maybe with broken bones, but he’s still breathing.” I rub the back of my hand on my jeans. “When we get to the apartment, let’s pack up and hit the road.”

Teagan doesn’t say anything. With her hands folded in her lap, she sighs, gazing out her window. Every situation rattles her further, making her paranoid.Fuck! I want to take it all away. Make her feel safe and smiling every day. From this day forward, I swear I’ll get us there. We’ll have our own place. Security. A family. Whatever it takes, I’m going to give Teagan a beautiful life. For now, I’m going to keep her alive by staying ahead of everyone else.

Back at the apartment, we pack our stuff and take off for New York. It’s time we become invisible in a big city. I steal another car along the way, with plans to ditch it in some back alley once we get there. With every mile between us and that town, I’m beginning to think there wasn’t a GPS in Teagan’s IUD. I’m going to keep this discovery to myself. Tea and I are in a good place, so there’s no reason to shake things up any more than they already are.

The black market hit on me spread like a disease. I miscalculated the demand five-million dollars has on a man’s appetite. We’re on everyone’s radar. The cop found us by mistake. Even in that little town, no one followed us. They were bikers who got word of our whereabouts. Every step of the way, someone’s calling and tipping off a contact. Besides, if a GPS was on Teagan’s IUD, James would have come for us on his own instead of putting out a hit. He’d be privy to our whereabouts, which means he would have been prowling around the lake house.

I glance at all the mirrors, wondering if someone is following us or contacting a group to take us out. Teagan is asleep in the seat next to me. I let out a heavy sigh, hoping we can get lost in the Big Apple. At least until I come up with a plan.

Chapter 6

On our drive to New York, I replay what happened to me, and after Joey mentions the guy was a cop…well, it put me on edge even more. The reality of our situation darkens. Not only are criminals after him, but any greedy person who peruses the dark web.

When Joey went to work with Richard that morning, I dressed, and opened the windows to let some fresh air in. In my stupidity, I left our apartment door open to take out the garbage, and when I came back, some guy was hiding behind the door. He snatched me up so fast, I didn’t have time to scream, especially after he jabbed a gun into my ribs. We drove to a small, broken-down shack where he tossed me inside, never bothering to muffle my screams or tie me up. I assumed he believed it wouldn’t take much time to kill Joey. The realization broke my heart. As old as a shack it was, I couldn’t find a way out, so I spent hours kicking, punching, and screaming, only catching my breath for short periods of time. The loss of Joey and never seeing him again was incentive enough. But after each passing hour, hope began to dwindle along with my fight. It wasn’t until I heard a car driving over the gravel road, that my fists, feet, and voice were spurred into action.

Once Joey unlocked the shack, I fell into his arms and held on for dear life. Knowing he was alive had me breaking down. I love this man. This strong, beautiful man who’d risk his life for me. Yes, it happened because people are after Joey. And yes, I decided to run with him. But I don’t regret it. The circumstance might have drilled in the gravity of our survival, yet it hadn’t swayed me from abandoning Joey.

Now we’re in the Big Apple. Joey found an apartment in a middle-class neighborhood and ditched the car after we unloaded our belongings. He believes that with all the people in New York, we’ll be undetected. After things settle down, we can move onward, which I’m glad to hear. New York appears to be twice as big of a place as Chicago and possesses the same seedy darkness and corruption.

It’s been a week, and we spend much of our time in the apartment, sometimes not even changing out of our pajamas or we remain naked. In Joey’s arms, nothing can touch us. This morning is no different, except Joey breaks our seclusion by telling me to get dressed.

“Where are we going?” I’m walking through our bedroom in a towel, tossing sweaters on the bed, unsure of what to wear.

“Exploring and then dinner.” He smacks my ass and blankets me in his arms, kissing my temple. “I want to show off my little Teacup.”

I laugh at the new nickname. “Teacup, huh? What does that make you, my black kettle?”

He snorts, nips at my ear, and whispers, “Yeah. I fill your pussy with my tongue, cock, and cum.”

Joey cups my chin, turns me toward him, and plants his lips on mine. It’s an intense, rich kiss, hovering close to an all-consuming one. I moan into his mouth. This part of Joey can easily destroy me. Any independence I have, any defiance I possess, melts into his dominance. He’s masculinity at its finest.

He releases me, points to a blue sweater, and says, “Wear that one. It highlights your blue eyes.”

Fitted into boyfriend jeans, boots, and the sweater, I bundle up under a winter coat and gloves, and we head out into the cold winter day. Snow flurries decorate my hair. My eyes burn from the freeze, so I huddle close to Joey, who has a protective arm around me. We take the subway to Times Square, jostled by the crowds, until we have some room in Central Park. There are different walking trails, which allow us to take in the statues, Bethesda Fountain overlooking the lake, and an ice-skating rink. Unfortunately, Joey refuses to ice skate. I pout all the way to a concession stand where he buys me a hot chocolate.

The hot chocolate warms my fingers and toes, and Joey guides me to the buggies for a horse ride. My eyes pop open with excitement. Bundled under the warm blankets, my head resting on his shoulder, the horse strolls through Central Park. Large snowflakes shimmer downward, coating the ground, making it feel like a fairytale.

By the time we finish the ride, it’s late afternoon, and I’m starved. We settle on Thai food. The inside of the restaurant isn’t the typical Asian ambiance. It’s trendy, bearing black pipes adorned with lights and macrame hanging plants. Once the food arrives, conversation ceases at our table, and Joey and I devour all the appetizers and dishes.

Stuffed and exhausted, we hop onto the subway and Joey grabs a seat, pulling me onto his lap, cuddling me close. People pack into the car like cattle, standing in the aisle, and crammed by the doors. Joey and I steal kisses. Our eyes wander over each other’s faces. We’re oblivious to our surroundings.

Next stop.

The overhead speaker snaps us out of our delirium. We notice a group of people exit, and the crowd thins out. Our attention returns to each other. Kisses. Joey’s whispers make me giggle.

Next stop.

More cargo leaves. Aside from us, there are six other people left in the car. I glance out the window at the busy platform. People are getting off and on, except no one has stepped into our compartment. The doors close and the train stutters and takes off. Joey’s hands grip my legs and ass while my hands cup his face. This has me forgetting about the lack of people in our compartment. Kisses become daring, no longer a quick peck. The train slows down for the next stop and the rest of the people in our compartment exit. Joey and I look at each other, confused. This is another congested platform, yet our car doors open for people to exit, except no one else comes on. I stand, hold on to the metal bar, and as soon as Joey rises, the train jerks and moves.

My head turns in all different directions. “Joey, why didn’t anyone else come into our compartment?”

He kisses the top of my head. “I don’t know, Tea. Sit back down before you fall.”

I do as he says while he gathers by the doors. The lights flicker and then we’re plunged into pitch blackness, causing me to scream.

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