Page 1 of Redemption
Part 1: Redeeming Qualities
“Better to fight for something, than live for nothing.”
— George S. Patton
U.S. Army General, WWII
Chapter One
Jax
Earlier that morning...
The middle of the bed dips as a warm body shuffles around. They’re trying to be inconspicuous but failing spectacularly, the not-so-subtle movements rousing me from a very deep slumber. Even still, I smile to myself, content, happy, and surrounded by my family as we welcome the first morning at our newly adopted forever home: Tryon Palace.
We left my cabin at the southern end of Lake Waccamaw with every intention of arriving here within a week. Unfortunately, plans never turn out exactly how you expect them to, no matter how much you prepare. Those seven days soon turned into several weeks’ worth of delays. Sure, we knew there was a good chance we’d come across some zombies, or that we might have to reroute due to blockades, abandoned vehicles, or neglected infrastructure, but what actually happened... I’m at a loss for words just thinking back on it.
Suffice it to say, we’re all lucky to have survived the journey. Also fortunate that, when we got to Beaufort—and subsequently, Tryon Palace—we found absolutely no one occupying this place. It’s crazy when you think about it. Thisentire estate is... absolutely perfect for what a survivor might need during these end times.
The dual fence lines—offering twice the amount of security to the acres of land within—are more than I could have ever asked for. Then, add in the location, and the open space; our options are limitless. I can already see our future laid out before us, hidden amongst the disheveled wisteria vines and overgrown dogwood trees. Once I get the gardens going, and then the orchards and the apiary, we’ll have everything we’ll ever need right here at our fingertips. We’re going to be unstoppable.
Speaking of unstoppable, I’m surprised, after last night’s marathon session, Aly’s even able to move this morning. Between the three of us, we made love to that beautiful goddess of a woman in every way imaginable, on every surface available. Fuck, evenIdon’t want to move right now. But I find some reserved energy to do so as she slyly shimmies out from underneath the covers, inching her way off the bed and around to my side—
“Nope. No running off. Get your sexy ass back over here.” I wrap my arm around her waist, holding her against the bed and away from wherever she planned on escaping to so early in the morning.
“This sexy ass needs to pee!” Aly whisper-shouts, trying to pry herself from my grip.
My lips lift as delightful mischief takes over. My hold tightens, squeezing around just the right spot to make her feral. In return, she aims a growl in my direction while clawing frantically at my constricting grasp. “Jax!” she pleads, crossing her legs at the knee and bouncing slightly in place.
With a warm chuckle, I release her. “Ok, ok. Let’s go.”
Free of my hold, she bounds off to the other side of the room, placing just enough distance between us that she’s able to go about retrieving her clothes scattered amidst the chaos. Her pants, hanging off the side table, are the first item she finds. She, then, snags a shirt hanging from the edge of a wall-mounted picture frame—Hawk’s, I’d have to assume, due to the obscenely bright neon unicorn decorating it—and places the two items in a pile on the bedside table. Two mismatched socks, from only God-knows-where, are placed on top of the other clothes before she, finally, spots her underwear. Somehow, in the midst of all the debauchery last night, the dainty little cotton polka dot bikini briefs and matching bra found themselves all the way up on top of the chandelier in the middle of the room. Being as short as she is, Aly climbs back onto the bed next to me and lifts herself onto her tiptoes to grab them. I, on the other hand, lie back down and tilt my head to the side, drinking in the angle and admiring the way her ass looks as she does so.
If I said it once, I’ll say it a million times: We’re the luckiest bastards in the world.
With a muted cry of victory, she plucks them off the chandelier and puts them on before creeping back down to the mattress and returning to my side a moment later. Continuing her oblivious torment to my early morning libido, she crawls over me and straddles my hips—her underwear-clad pussy gliding over my now painfully hard erection while her beautiful tits swing only inches away from my eager lips. It’s all I can do to keep myself from burying my face between them.
Focus.
Regretfully, her feet land on the hardwood floor only a second later, her hands going right for the pile of clothing she’s procured as she begins to get dressed. It’s only after she lowersher shirt, when I get one last glance at the pale skin of her lower back, that I’m finally able to breathe.
I take a moment to gather myself and tame my unruly junk before I push off the blankets and stand, lifting my arms above my head with a groan and stretching out all the kinks that have worked their way up my back throughout the night. The addictive sound of Aly audibly sputtering behind me draws my attention back to see her completely consumed by my nakedness. After her little unintended show earlier, I can’t help but tease her, drawing her mesmerized gaze to my chest, to the muscles in my arms and abs, as I flex them just for her. To my cock standing at attention,alwaysfor her. She catches herself staring and shakes herself out of her stupor. Our eyes meet a moment later and I smirk, knowing all the dirty things scrambling through her mind right now are there because of me.
Although she was just dancing around the room trying to escape a moment ago, she stays rooted to her spot in front of me, no longer aching to relieve herself... at least not in the way she originally intended.
At her hungry perusal, I lazily lower my palms from the back of my neck, dragging my fingers over every available inch of flesh I have on display before hanging them at my sides. I tilt my head back and forth, furthering the stretch and enjoying the fact that I have the power to make her squirm, even from across the room. My shoulders join in a moment later, rolling forwards and backwards, as I slowly prowl towards her. From behind my lips, my greedy tongue peeks out, already imagining what it would be like to reenact our fourth round from last night.
Unable to hide her desire, her mouth drops open, her breaths turning quicker as I close the distance between us. I lift my hand to her face, rubbing my thumb along her plush lower lip before leaning in with a whisper against her jawline. “I haveto warn you, baby. If you keep eye-fucking me like you are, I’m not going to allow a single toe of yours to step from this room. In fact, I think I might just find a way to keep all ten of them in the air for the foreseeable future. So, if you’d rather stay and play, I’m happy to seal off that door right now and restart where we left off last night.”
With a startled gasp, she pulls her head back, gaining just enough clarity to see my answering grin. “I take that as a no, then?”
Lifting her own hand this time, she wipes away the lingering drop of drool seeping from the corner of her mouth, muttering something about “...being dick-matizedby the three of us is going to be the death of her,”before turning back to the doorway and aiming for her shoes. I smile, pleased with the effect I have on her, and take a moment to look at the mess we made last night.
Since I was in charge of patrolling and clearing Tryon Palace’s fence-line, Cole took care of food and supply inventory, while Hawk set up our shelter for the night. In which case, he literally turned the bedroom into abedroom. There are at least ten of them in total, butted up against one another to form a giant snuggle shack, or in last night’s case, a fuck fort. Blankets, pillows, and all manner of bedding are thrown everywhere, covering up nearly all of the floor as well as our clothing lying somewhere underneath it all.
At least Aly found something to wear relatively easily. I, on the other hand, am going to have to go on a treasure hunt.
After a few minutes of searching, I manage to find a large but soft lump over against one of the far walls, concealed by a well-worn, yet still plush, quilt. At first, I think it might be Sadie, but Hawk gifted the queen herself with her very own single-sizedbed piled high with her own ridiculous amount of bedding in the corner of the room.
