Page 60 of Following Their Heart

Someday soon,I promise myself.We’ll do this again someday soon…with Jud.

Chapter 23

Rev

Cora is asleepon the couch, double wrapped. Once in a quilt, and again in Brawn’s arms. The big guy is out cold, hugging her like a teddy bear. He took the first hour’s watch while the rest of us got some much-needed shut-eye, and ever since, he’s taken over Grim’s place protecting our treasure. Our, gorgeous, come-filled treasure.

Making love to her with the others transported me to some place beyond the present. I saw heaven, and even though I try to keep what Scrap and I have going on private, I had to include him in what I was feeling. Now, what was known in a low-key, unoffensive way, is right there for all to see. And I don’t regret it.

Scrap might. He’s got a chip on his shoulder the size of Mt. Everest. But he’ll be fine. It’s not like the rest of the guys didn’t suspect we were fucking. They were just too polite—or maybe too uncomfortable—to say anything.

But having Cora on my cock and having her pleasuring so many of us at the same time gave me boldness. I felt invincible. I felt whole.No need to hide anything here. I’m a bisexual daddy to two beautiful little ones.

I’m temporary leader here. Keeping secrets can only compromise my authority. So I’m fully out, now, and so is Scrap. And you know what? None of the guys are looking at us different. In fact, I noticed that when I started kissing my boy, that was what tipped Brawn over the edge, making him spill his seed all over Cora’s hand and breasts. And what a beautiful sight that was, seeing my baby girl covered in a giant’s dripping spend.

Was tempted to clean her with my tongue but figured I wouldn’t push my luck. All of us have been to prison. Even the straightest of us have probably gone to a place that puts the termbisexualto the test. But what you do when you have no other options and what you crave when you’re out are two different things.

It’s my turn to keep watch now. I’m walking the perimeter of the lodge and making a trek through the kitchen and common room on every other pass. All is quiet. Inside and out. I don’t expect to confront anything major. Raptor and his crew are long gone.

I know it because the woods are still. The security cams aren’t picking up anything bigger than a possum. If there were unfamiliar people out there, the wildlife would be complaining about it.

As for coyotes and bears, they’ll smell the birds soon and be all over us, but I think the smell of gunpowder and chopper fuel is making them too skittish to get close for now. Not to mention one of us constantly making rounds.

Fortunately, we’ll have plenty of time to clean up this mess before leaving to get Jud. The Working told me so.

While I dozed in my armchair, sated from filling my baby girl with my seed and my love, I had a clear Knowing. What we have to do became plain to me. Some of the guys might not like it, but it’s what’s going to happen. It’s what needs to happen. It’s the best shot we have at getting Jud back, and I’m damn grateful for the knowledge. Because leading ain’t natural for me. I’ll be ready to hand over that torch to its rightful bearer as soon as possible. I want our leader back. I want my friend back. And I’m not stopping until we make it happen.

Dawn is coming. My shift is up. I tread up the stairs to the dorm and shake Doc by the shoulder. “You’re up, man. Take my place in five.”

He rubs his eyes and nods. “Sure thing, boss.”

He won’t be calling me that for long. Still, it’s nice to hear. The title is one of respect. Hope I’ll still have it after sharing what the Working showed me.

Doc

The camp is quietas dawn approaches. It’s strange not hearing the birds greeting day from their hidden homes in the vast forest canopy. Even Richard, our rooster, is uncharacteristically silent. I check on him and the chickens and find them alert and awake but acting far from normal. Richard’s not screaming bloody murder, like usual at five in the morning. Instead, he’s pacing the chicken-wire fence, cocking his head from side to side, acting confused. And the chickens are all scratching at the dirt aimlessly and staring at nothing. It’s like they can sense the avian death at the lodge. Maybe they even felt the pull of Raptor’s Gift. But chickens aren’t the best of fliers, so maybe they were spared the urge to throw themselves at the lodge. They’re lucky they weren’t possessed, for lack of a better word, and killed in an attempt to escape the barn.

I wonder what the other animals thought of all that ruckus. I check on them, letting everyone out, and they seem fine. Frisky, even. Mabel and Harriet leap and prance around, happy to be outside after their temporary imprisonment. The cows greet me with affectionate head-butts, and Garfield shows me his asshole with a dismissive wave of his orange tail.

Other than the dead birds around the lodge, the camp feels normal. Quiet. My gut tells me Raptor’s gone. And so is Jud. I hope he’s okay, but I’m betting he’s not. He’s not the type to go quietly into captivity. He’s the type to mouth off and piss off everyone around him, which makes me worry for him.

We’ll get him back. I’m sure of it. We’re too smart and too strong to fail. But I worry about what kind of shape he’ll be in when we do. I’ll go crazy if I dwell on it, so I put it out of my mind.

I make another perimeter check around the lodge and do a pass inside, and I find Cora awake and in the kitchen. She’s stirring a pitcher of reconstituted orange juice, wearing Brawn’s sleeveless flannel shirt like an oversized nightgown.

“Hey, pretty baby.” I wrap her in my arms, and she clings onto me. Her eyes are sad. “Having a hard time sleeping?”

She nods. She doesn’t have to say it. She’s worried about Jud. “I figured I’d get a head start on breakfast.” She yawns and nuzzles into my embrace.

“Sounds like a plan. I’d give you a hand, but I gotta keep a lookout.”

“I know,” she says with a forced smile.

I kiss the top of her head, remembering the feel of her mouth moving over my dick last night. God. That was amazing.Sofucking hot. Having everyone involved was a rush. That’s for damn sure. Wouldn’t mind doing that again. And again.

But we need Jud with us. He’s part of our family. He’s my brother. We’ll never be complete here at Eagle Peak without him. I literally can’t imagine moving forward, doing life here, raising kids here, without Jud presiding over it all.

Speaking of kids… I tip Cora’s face up to me.

---