CoriDuke taught me crazy eights. We played for several hours until we were both cheating so badly we couldn’t stop laughing and the game became ridiculous.“Thank you,” I said after we had the deck put away.His expression questioned my statement.“You took my mind off everything and I enjoyed playing cards. It’s not something I would normally admit to. Thank you,” I repeated.He gave me a quick hug. Duke grabbed my hand and pulled me up from the bed. He then lifted the side of the mattress and hydraulics did the rest. Underneath there was a trap door. Duke moved the lever that kept it locked and pulled it open. I could only see darkness down the hole.“Escape tunnel,” he typed into his phone. “Exits in the garage.”“Good to know, I guess. Your grandfather was paranoid.”My phone chimed.“For a reason.” He didn’t share what that reason was.We went upstairs to eat and Duke opened the front door and a few vents I hadn’t noticed in the ceiling. They drew the cooler outside air inside w
CoriThe next two weeks went much like our first two days. Duke taught me signs to look for in the desert. He taught me how to find my way back to the house. He made me get us home after the second day. We probably did some extra hiking but we made it and I felt proud of myself.My body was no longer sore and I was actually using my left hand. Bumping it didn’t hurt like it had. My calves gained muscle and I began gaining control over fear. I wasn’t in the city so it would need to be tested. I didn’t feel like there was a man waiting to cut off my fingers and rape me around each corner. Being away from everyone allowed me to see the fear for what it was. Trauma. With my head clearer, I could finally divide out the memories and think of them in small bits without becoming overwhelmed.I didn’t have the words to explain it to Duke. He was my rock and I would always be grateful to him for understanding what I needed when I did not.The second week, nature began speaking to me. The land a
DukeSex simply happened.It wasn’t as a form of payment and Cori was magnificent.It changed us.We stayed in bed the following day, exploring each other’s bodies. She sucked me off while I pulled her amazing hair.Her only comment was, “Harder, baby.” With my dick down her throat, she still managed to moan it. I gave harder and faster and she took it.We shared a bath in the tiny tub to clean ourselves after eating a large dinner, laughing the entire time. Cori was propped between my knees and chest, her legs hanging far over the edge. We didn’t come close to fitting. Water spilled everywhere in the kitchen and we laughed even harder. It took my mind off the earlier text from Dax that I hadn’t yet shared. I didn’t want to ruin the day.The following morning, we set out on another hike. I couldn’t stay still. Cori looked at me a few times with a question in her eyes but she didn’t ask. When we took a break for lunch, I showed her the text.“They came after Sofia and the kids when she
DukeWhat Cori meant by play was spend my money or more precisely rack up charges on my card. My grandfather left me the property and a heavy chunk of change. He’d worked for the railroad and had a good pension and great life insurance policy. I could live on his property and never work another day in my life.He gave me freedom.“I need phone numbers from my cell and I can find out everything we need to know about Miles’ club,” Cori said. “Chances are good we’ll need an invite and I know a few girls who play the animal circuit.”“Do I want to know what the animal circuit is?” I typed.Cori laughed and patted my hand.“Don’t worry, you’ll be the master and I’ll be the fox.”We spent the afternoon shopping. Her idea of master was an expensive suit.“Most masters will be in leather gear but if you want to make a stir, stick with a fifty shades suit. It will attract more attention,” she explained.I didn’t know what a fifty shades suit was and decided not to ask. If her skimpy fox outfit
CoriDuke was a biker and nothing threw him. I hadn’t mentioned public sex because I didn’t know how he’d react. He had no problem showing off his cock. It made me wonder what his real kink was. I would find out.At last, we were on the offensive. I’d been running for too long. I wasn’t a hunter but I also wasn’t prey. I went after Fernandez. I’d wanted him and Goose dead. When it came time, I freaked at pulling the trigger. Not again. I would not live this way. If killing stopped this madness, I was all in. My mental stability was better now and I wasn’t running on fear. Duke gave me that confidence and I was ready.We had to tell Dax about Cartwright and McDowell. Dax would get the word to Moon’s people. Duke and I wanted the setup in place before that happened. I wasn’t wrong about Cartwright and McDowell. They were the scum behind the attacks.Dangerous scum with money to hire killers.We packed our things at the hotel and changed locations. The new room wasn’t expensive. We plann
Cori“You fucking let them get away. Duke said you would be there,” I shouted at Dax.I was losing my mind and needed someone to hurt. We were at Moon’s home which was his compound when it came to safety. Moon weathered a full-out attack here and it was probably the safest place in the state. None of that went through my head. All I could picture was Duke being tortured.Alex was pacing because he needed to murder someone. I was screaming at Dax, and he was trying to keep me from killing him. Sofia wouldn’t appreciate it and I didn’t have a gun on my skimpy fox outfit so thankfully he was safe.Dax didn’t argue with my assessment and I could read the guilt in his angry expression. He should have been there. Now, Cartwright and McDowell had Duke. He could already be dead for all we knew. It wasn’t like he would talk to them. They wouldn’t know that and it would be considered defiance. His silence would be his death sentence. Hell, even if he could talk, he wouldn’t. I was going crazy.
Cori“The women do not leave your sight,” Dax said to Skull for the fifth time.The poor man had no idea what he was walking into. Skull was somewhere in his forties with a beard full of white hair. His old lady was a hair stylist though Skull was bald like Duke and didn’t need her services. He’d stuck with Dax when Dax took over the club. I’d never mistaken the cuddly bear for anything other than what he was. Killers R Us would hire him.I was still half out of it and it played into our story about getting me out of there. I felt sorry for myself. I was in love with Duke and didn’t know it until he was taken from me. What a stupid cunt.We took two vehicles. Skull drove Melina in a truck and Celina drove me in an SUV courtesy of Moon’s bulletproof fleet. Gabriella packed enough food for a week and there were supplies on hand at the house that would last months if we needed them. This would be over before Gabriella’s food ran out. If not, I would go hunting for Cartwright alone and on
CoriI took her hand with my left one and she took Melina’s. I’d told them if they couldn’t swim with one arm to come back up and I would take them individually or use the rope as a guide. We’d try together first.“Don’t panic. There’s one ledge down there and everything else is wide open. Swim up or follow the air bubbles back here if you get turned around.”We took several deep breaths before going under. I had to do this quickly before they panicked. I used my right hand to feel along the wall. The flashlight gave about one foot of visibility from above. The rest of the way was pitch-black.The ledge jutted out a foot and was easy to find. If they panicked this would be the time. I gave a heavy jerk to Celina’s hand and pulled her low. I kicked off the rocks and slid completely under the ledge. When Celina was through, I dropped her hand. She came up and then Melina. We did it in one try.I had a flashlight wrapped in a plastic bag on my waist. I swam to the side, then felt around