Page 48 of Salvation

Elbowing Renald Antoinette in the face with my uninjured arm, I feel his nose crack beneath my bone. He screams in pain as the aftermath of my rough adolescence jumps to the forefront of my mind. I fought dirty then and I’m fighting dirty now.

The fingers of my bloody hand ram up his nostrils to aggravate the already gushing wound as I try to reach for the gun at my back with my uninjured hand. Lunging at me unsteadily, he swings his revolver at my face. I duck, but not fast enough to avoid the blow completely. The butt of the gun ricochets off my cheekbone and I feel it split from the force of the impact. A stream of sticky liquid, my lifeforce, runs down my face while my shoulder wound throbs and pulses. My arm is going numb and I’m getting lightheaded from blood loss and pain.

Shit!

Did he hit something important?

Jerking my head up, I again slam my forehead into his mangled nose. He screams out as he gurgles with his blood, finally dropping his gun. It clatters to the floor, and he frantically dives, scrambling after it. My left hand is able to reach my gun and I use my knees to help me stand. Renald reaches his weapon just as I center the barrel at his head. I’m barely able to see through the haze of the smoke filling the room from the fires and the gun blasts. The air is thick, and breathing is becoming increasingly difficult. Renald’s eyes go wide as he looks up, realizing the barrel of my gun is pointing directly at his forehead from six feet away. Before he can blink, I pull the trigger.

He attempts to scream, but it’s immediately cut off as the bullet pierces his skull. The back of his head explodes. Dark blood and brain matter splay on the walls, creating a gruesome art piece. It’s almost poetic as it mixes with the other rancid smells and sounds in the room. Turning away from the dead man on the floor, I squint and try to remain on my feet as I attempt to regain my bearings. The combination of smoke and my injuries have me too disoriented to remember where the door is. I can’t see through the smoke and the blood loss and pain have me befuddled. A hand grabs my elbow and I raise my gun.

Max’s face swims in front of my eyes. I can see him but barely; his voice is muffled as though he’s speaking under water. Somehow, I make out his words, “Whoa… Easy now. It’s me. They’re dead.” He glances behind me to the body on the floor. “They’re all dead. Everyone who came with that cretin. None of ours are, but three were shot.”

Nodding weakly, trying to hold my head upright, I slur, “That makes four of us then.”

His eyes widen and he looks down where thick, rich blood is running down my limp arm, dripping from my fingertips, and pooling on the dirty floor. “FUCK!Okay, come on, Gabrial! We gotta go. This piece of shit cabin is kindling and if we don’t hightail it out of here, we’re not going to make it out.” Smoke is so thick I can’t see anything. Between it and the blood loss, I can barely stand.

Max half carries, half drags, me out of the cabin as the walls groan, and shriek, and the ceiling splinters and caves in behind us. Beams of enflamed wood fall around us as he barrels through, practically dragging me behind him. Once we reach the outside, he tosses me over his shoulder and carries me, racing to the Escalade while the cabin is consumed with flames behind us. The heat from the blaze feels as though it’s cooking me. Through my haze of pain, I hear him yell, “You’re going to have to drive. Get them in the other vehicle and follow me. Whichever one of you can handle the car, get in the driver’s seat and follow us. Stay on our ass! Gabrial needs medical attention. We’re going to have to get to Breaux Bridge. And we’re breaking a shit ton of laws to get there fast.”

I’m thrown onto the seat, and I groan as I feel Max press something to my shoulder and tighten it. Then we’re flying over bumpy ground. It feels like we’re bouncing over continuous speed bumps. My body can’t take it anymore and I succumb to the welcome blackness.

* * *

Hopeand I didn’t have suits of course, so we strip down to our underwear and jump into the lake. The water is warm. We swim a bit and splash each other, taking turns dunking the other under the water.

Hope is floating on her back staring at the clear night sky and I’m just watching her.

Finally, she murmurs, “I can feel you looking at me, you know.”

Chuckling, I swim over to her. The water is about six feet deep right here. I stand on my tip toes and my head is still out of the water. She smirks over at me. “No fair, you can touch the bottom.”

Reaching out, I grab her, circling her waist with my arm and pulling her to me. She shrieks and wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. My breath hitches as I feel her wet curves press against me. She’s in nothing but a thin bra and some panties and I’m in soaked boxer briefs.

She gently rubs against me, grinning as I lose my tenuous footing. We both fall into the water, but she doesn’t release me. We go under. Finding my footing, I stand and start to walk with her still wrapped around me. She huskily asks, “Are we getting out?”

I look down at her. The water is running over her face and drops are glistening on her remarkably thick, dark eyelashes. Her lips also have tiny droplets of water, and her hair is plastered to her head with the ends floating around us.

Shaking my head, I mutter huskily, “Only if you want to.”

Smiling at me, she bites her bottom lip before throatily responding, “I don’t want to.”

My hands run over her body beneath the water’s surface. She purrs, arching her back as my palms cup her ass and pull her into me, letting her feel my raging erection. Her hands weave into my wet hair and she clenches her knees around my waist to raise herself up. She’s above me, looking down. The moon and stars are a canvas behind her head. Her eyes are luminous in her face, broadcasting her desire. I’m sure my own mirror hers.

Naked want is on both of our faces. It’s so hard to remember that I’m not supposed to make love to her when my body is screaming at me to sink inside of her while she looks at me like she wants nothing more than for that very thing to happen.

She whispers, “Luke, I know that you don’t want to, and I understand, but my body doesn’t… I’m on fire for you… My body has been on fire for you for over fifteen years.”

It’s too much. Too much to deny any longer.

Exhaling, I line our mouths up. We breathe in perfect unison. I exhale and she inhales. She exhales and I inhale.

My mouth captures hers and within moments, we’re overcome. She’s thrusting against me under the water and I’m rubbing my erection against the beckoning heat of her core.

Breaking the kiss with a gasp, I stride out of the water.

Our clothes are lying beside a blanket spread on the ground. It’s one that I had in my trunk left over from football season. Dropping to my knees with her still in my arms, I lay her back on the blanket. My body covers hers and my mouth and hands explore every inch of her. My palms cover every curve and nuance. Sighing and gasping loudly, sexual sounds that are driving me wild, she traces my body with her hands. Her knees are gripping me while her hand slips inside of the clinging material of my boxer briefs. Her fingers trace the length of me before she fists me, stroking me.

With a groan, I manage to remove her hand and separate our bodies. I stand. Her eyes are locked on me, watching me as I shove the wet material down my thighs. It sticks near my knees, and I bend to yank the offending material off. Standing back up, I just stare down at her. My erection is proudly jutting out from my groin. The tip is glistening with pre-cum and a smear of the liquid is on my abdomen.

Sitting up, Hope reaches behind her back. Her bra is unhooked, and she slowly slides it down her arms. Her nipples peak in the warm air of the night. Leaning back on her hands, she arches her back, presenting me with her chest. Looking at me, she says, “Whatever you want, you can take, Luke. We can do whatever you want. I respect you and I’m giving you the power.”

My nostrils flare as I stare at her. My need is animalistic. With a roar, I crouch down and crawl over to her. My hands cup her breasts, and her head falls back. She moans as I lean down and press kisses to her beaded nipples. After pushing her breasts together, my hands trail down her sides and over her hips. I trace the waistband of her panties with my fingertip. She squirms and bites her lip as she watches me. Gently pushing the center of her chest so she lays down, I grasp both sides of her panties and slide them off. As I reach her ankles, I lift one, then the other, and remove the soaked purple fabric. We’re both completely nude now.

She’s so gorgeous. Hope is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

Climbing back over her, I lean over her body and settle my length against her core. She opens her legs, and my hips line up with hers.

---