Page 36 of Resurrection
“What’re we clucking about, boys? Anything I can help with?” I call out as I look at Hawk and Jax sitting at the little table in the kitchen, their hair, equally wild and disheveled. It looks like they’ve been pulling at it from the roots for hours now. Jax seems to have gottensome sleep, but not nearly enough if the deep, dark bags under his eyes are any indication.
Jax sighs, drawing me in to his arms for a quick kiss. “Hey baby, how we feeling? Did you get any rest?”
“I got what I got,” I say quietly, not wanting to elaborate on what rest I was able to get, or the ghosts that visited me when I did. Mindful of my grogginess and my lack of wanting to explain more on the topic, Hawk reaches a hand out, guiding me into his arms before pulling me down onto his lap. I release a comfortable breath as he surrounds me with his strength before bringing us back to the original discussion. “So, you two were trying to come up with a plan? Replacement cars and whatnot?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Hawk replies, kissing the spot just behind my ear.
“What if we just keep on going? We were walking all night long, surely there’s got to be something or some sort of town coming up soon,” I suggest just as Sadie trots up to us. Dropping my hand, I give a few scratches behind her ear, causing her tongue to flop out in a happy puppy grin. “This is a major road in the south. I can almost guarantee there’s going to be a diner or a truck stop in the next five to ten miles.”
Jax leans forward at my suggestion, resting his elbows on the table, his hands clasped together under his chin. “Hmmm, you’re not wrong but humor me for a second as I play devil’s advocate. Say we do find a vehicle. First thing’s first: does it start? We got luckyback at the estate since there were dozens of vehicles to pick from. But that was a special occurrence and, statistically, not very likely to happen again anytime soon. But, for the sake of argument, let’s say we hit the lottery and manage to find a car or a truck that miraculously starts. We still need to make sure it also has fuel. It’s not as if we can just walk up to a gas station and fill it up like the old days. Gas pumps run off electricity and, even if we procured some sort of syphon, we then need to find a gas station all the way out here in bumfuck nowhere to suck it up out of the tanks.”
I side-eye Jax and purse my lips, drawing out my rebuttal. “Buuuuut,what if we manage to find a car... at a gas station... that also has some sort of syphon thingyinsidethe gas station itself? What then Mr. Doubty-face?”
Jax decides to growl at my optimism, squinting his eyes skeptically in my direction. “While thatistechnically a possibility in the realm of a very rare probability, let’s be honest and look even further ahead. Even if the extraordinarily unbelievable happens, and we’re able to find a car within the next day or two, there’s no guarantee that there won’t be any blockades between here and Tryon Palace. You saw how overcrowded the roads were as we got close to Jacksonville, the piles of cars literally blocking access to certain areas. We were lucky to escape that as we did. Tryon Palace is located in another large town. What if it’s worse up ahead?” He adds, pulling me out of Hawk’s lap and into his, rubbing his hands down my sides soothingly.
He's right. I don’t even know why I’m expending any effort on fighting to find a vehicle. It didn’t work for me on my journey down here from New York. Why, then, would I think it would work now? The answer is easy: it wouldn’t. At least not for long, anyways.
“It’s just not something I’m willing to take another chance on, baby.” Jax sighs again, tensing up a bit, but ultimately relaxes when he rubs my thigh. It’s shitty, but I know he’s right. Jax has always been the unofficial leader of the group. If he says it’s a no-go, there’s a good reason for it. I trust him and whatever he decides we need to do in this and every situation, even if this particular one puts us back three steps.
“Where is Cole, anyways?” I noticed his absence when I came into the room but didn’t question it at the time. However, with the guys talking logistics, you would think he’d want to be present for any decisions that are about to be made.
“He’s in the living room, sorting through the gear and taking inventory, deciphering what we absolutely need to travel with, and what we can ultimately lose or use while we’re here. I know we’ve already slimmed down once, but we really have no choice but to scale back on supplies even more. While I thought otherwise originally, it’s simply not feasible to continue our journey with overly-filled packs. They’ll weigh us down too much, and aren’t safe. Especially if we have to make a run for it. I’m not saying we’re leaving tonight, but we need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Just in case.”
After my kidnapping and the estate invasion, our individual bug-out bags have since been upgraded to include all kinds of new items—a sleeping bag, a water purifier, a whistle, a small tarp that can be made into a temporary shelter, a poncho, and a multi-function-survival kit, among other things. I’ve got to say, the kit is pretty decent. Is it just a shovel? Nope! It also contains a hatchet, a knife, a bayonet and even a saw! If I didn’t love Daisy so much, I’d change out my weapon of choice for Harriet the Hacker.
You seriously named the hatchet, that?
“Damn straight!”
Jax and Hawk grin and chuckle at my outburst, not knowing I was actually talking to myself… Or maybe they do. I don’t know anymore. But still, stupid inner me, trying to make me look crazy.
“While I appreciate your enthusiasm for preparedness, why don’t we go and help Cole dig through everything and repack the bags so he’s not doing it all by himself?”
“Sounds good.” I stand up from Hawk’s lap, about to turn to the cupboards to finish my search for a present from the caffeine gods, but it looks like Cole’s already beaten me to it. He calls out to me saying, “Right here, gorgeous,” and shoots his arm above his head so I’m able to see it over the back of the couch. Even at this distance, the glorious scent of coffee wafts in delicious streams towards me.
How did he know I was going to—?
At my slight hesitation, he continues dancing his hand around, taunting me with the bean juice like he thinks he knows me so well.
Fuck me right in the ass, hedoesknow me that well.
I walk over to him and his dirty, all-knowing smirk and move to sit down next to him, but, as usual, Cole has other plans. With a wink, he wraps his free hand around my waist and lifts me onto his lap, refusing to let my ass touch the floor. The coffee mug is placed into my hand a moment later, just as he moves my hair off of my shoulder and presses a kiss against my neck. He lingers there, holding so still I’m almost afraid to breathe. At my tense anticipation, I feel him smile against my skin.
“Good morning, beautiful.” His deep, rumbling voice travels right down my spine with every syllable.
“Morning, Doc.” I shiver as he continues to explore my shoulders with his mouth, barely touching my skin but igniting my senses all the same.
“Everything alright?” Cole continues, giving tiny little whispering kisses as he speaks.
“Mhmm.” I nod. I love it when Cole does this. Our check-ins. He always likes to make sure I’m ok, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It feels good to be cared for, even if I refrain from bringing up the fact that my reminiscent nightmare still clings to me.
“And how about now?” He drifts his fingertips across my collarbones, drawing goosebumps along the path and a soft moan from my chest.
“Mmmmm, good.” His hands follow a line along my shoulders, gliding down my arms before landing on my thighs with a teasing squeeze. The panty melting groan he releases instantly throws my body into a shuddering, dick-crazed frenzy, my mind immediately pushing my morning woes to the back of the line. “Cause after everything yesterday, I know that I, for one, am dying to lose myself in that sweet body of yours,” he continues, his voice taking on a deep, gravelly tone as he whispers his dark desires directly to my soul and awakening my inner harlot. “I’m sure the guys are feeling the same way. And since we don’t know how much longer we have in this place, I’d say, tonight, after we get situated and finish going through everything, we make the most of the space.” He kisses down my jaw, his lips finding my frantic pulse when he grazes my throat. “Take advantage of the security it offers.” His fingertips sweep below my waistline, skimming the sensitive skin just above where I ache for him and drawing small sensuous circles that drive me absolutely insane with lust, and want, and need. “Maybe try out a few new things. What do you say?”
My brain skips a beat at the endless possibilities we have waiting for us tonight. All I can manage are a few visuals in my head of all three of them taking me over and over and over again. It’s like a montage of kink, cum, and sweaty limbs.
“Aly…”
