Sifting his fingers into my hair to pull it away at either side of my head, he moved it until I caught his eyes.
“Bring me back home, baby, so you can sleep.”
Oh yes.
I grasped hold of his still-hard cock, bending my knees to straddling him, and took him, watching his teeth sink into his bottom lip and his now-brown eyes get lazy, then hearing the snarl roll up his throat when my pussy convulsed around his cock.
“Now, come here, pussycat,” he muttered when he was seated deep.
I dropped over him, chest to chest, cheek to his shoulder.
He yanked the covers over us.
Once he had them settled and we were in our warm cocoon—connected, replete, his arms wrapped around me—he asked, “You’ll sleep for me tonight?”
I took in a deep breath.
Yes, fuck yes, he was good at this.
“Yeah, baby.”
“Right, give me a kiss before you do that for me.”
I lifted my head and looked down at him through the moonlight coming from the windows. I looked down and I hoped with everything I had that he’d remember this. He’d remember falling asleep inside me. He’d remember me falling asleep on him, holding him inside. He’d remember how he was so good at taking care of me when I lost my friend. He’d remember it and know how important it was. He’d remember it for always and it would give him some peace.
Then I kissed him. I gave it to him soft and wet and long and I hoped he’d remembered that too.
When I was done, I whispered, “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“My job, pussycat. One I like.”
I sighed at Abel giving me more.
Then I settled in, pressing close, squeezing him inside, and whispered, “Sleep good, honey.”
He tightened his arms around me. “Impossible not to, bao bei.”
I smiled, giving myself that moment.
Another moment of feeling myself falling in love.
Chapter Thirteen
Just Breathe
Delilah
The next evening, just prior to sunset, I walked down the steps behind the compound, steps that led to the bay, and I did it hand in hand with Abel on one side, my father on the other.
Behind us walked Moose and Poncho.
Behind them walked Jian-Li with Xun, Chen moving slowly with Wei two steps behind.
And behind them came Lucien and Leah, Sonia and Callum, Gregor and Yuri, Callum’s cousin, Ryon, and Callum’s brothers I’d met earlier that day, Calder and Caleb, as well as the woman I’d met the evening before, Stephanie.
Callum, Ryon, Calder, and Caleb were all carrying bows, each with one arrow.
I nearly lost it when we rounded the rock and I saw it, the flat boat with its rising bow and stern, the wood of the bow a carved bust of the torso and head of a proud, wild-haired lady. It had been dragged up so most of the hull was on the beach.
Along the small, pebbled shore that was encased with rising juts of rocks, lit torches were stuck in. Further up the shore, a big bonfire had been built, surrounded by logs with blankets over them.
Snake lay in the boat, all but his face shrouded in black, a large Harley-Davidson patch resting on his chest.
I took it all in, fighting tears, thinking when they said they would arrange things, they meant they’d arrange them.
Perfectly.
Jabber was already down there, having been brought down without an audience since he had to be carried. He was in a wheelchair on the rocks by the boat, five bottles of Jack Daniel’s sitting on the rocks by his wheels.
We got to the bottom and everyone traversed the beach toward Jabber, but Abel let me go when I got close.
I looked up to him even as Dad kept pulling me.
Abel nodded toward the boat.
I nodded back and let Dad guide me to Jabber. Moose and Poncho followed.
The rest stayed behind, fanning out along the beach, silent.
I tried not to look at Snake, but I couldn’t help it. His throat was covered, but I could see his face in the waning sunlight.
They should have covered him. He looked peaceful. He never looked peaceful. He always looked…something.
“Let’s do this,” Jabber grunted, flinching as he reached down to a bottle of Jack.
Moose and Poncho went to get theirs and Dad let me go to grab the last two. He handed one to me.
I looked around, not knowing what to do, then followed their lead as they busted open the caps, lifted them to their lips, and took a deep tug.
My throat was burning and my eyes were on fire when I was done, but I sucked back air and controlled the burn as Dad turned to me.
“Say good-bye, little girl,” he murmured.
I knew what he meant by that, so I swallowed, nodded, and moved to the side of the boat.
I squatted down and stared at Snake.
“Thanks for teaching me checkers,” I whispered. My throat started burning a different way as I croaked, “And thank you for dying for me.”
The tears slid down my cheeks as I lifted my hand and touched my fingertips to the gold crucifix I’d clasped around my neck. I then moved my fingers to my lips and got out of my squat to lean over the side of the boat, reach out, and touch them to Snake’s cold cheek.
I held them there until I felt hands on me. I looked behind me and saw Dad and Moose.
I moved away. Moose moved in. He did what he had to do. Then Poncho did. After Poncho, Moose wheeled Jabber close and he did. And finally, Dad did.
Then Poncho and Moose moved to the other side of the boat, Dad motioned for me to come to him, and Jabber stayed where he was, close to the stern of the boat.
“Hup-ta,” Dad grunted the nonsensical words they always said before taking a shot. All the men lifted their bottles, grunted “Hup-ta,” then poured and shook them all over the inside of the boat.