Page 32 of Descent
As soon as we turned onto Will’s street, windshield wipers swiping back and forth to ward off the light drizzle, Rafe killed the headlights. A block later, he slowed then came to a quiet stop outside a house the size of a small mansion that overlooked the ocean.
“Is this where he lives?” I raised a brow.
“Yeah, this is the place.”
“Isn’t this risky?” I lowered my voice. “Shouldn’t we drop him off down the road?”
“It’s risky, all right, but I need to make sure he gets home.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I understood where he was coming from. He’d gone through so much to keep his son safe, and he wasn’t about to drop the ball now.
Rafe turned to face his son. “You can go on in. It’s over now.”
Will glanced between the massive front entrance cast in shadow and Rafe’s stoic expression, his jaw clenched in an effort to keep all emotion in check because this couldn’t be easy for him. “Will they…will those men come back for me?”
“No, buddy. You don’t have to worry about them. I promise you that.” Rafe gestured toward the house. “Go on in.”
The boy sized up Rafe for several long seconds, a plethora of questions cutting across his young face. He pushed the door open, jumping out of the vehicle, and it slammed in his wake as he took off toward his grandparents home in a full-on run. As small fists pounded on the front door, Rafe tightened his hands on the steering wheel, preparing to flee.
One, two, three, four…
“C’mon, answer the fucking door,” he muttered.
Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven…
Someone inched the door open, and Will launched himself into the arms of an older woman.
Rafe shot off down the street, and we both prayed the cover of night would protect us from detection.
17. Unbridled
Alex
Rafe didn’t go above the speed limit until we were several miles down the highway, trees encasing us on either side as we made our getaway. He found a logging road about twenty minutes out and took the turnoff.
“Where are we going?”
“We need to get lost for a while.”
Disquiet ate away at my nerves as Rafe navigated the increasingly rough gravel road, taking random turns at the forks as they arrived. Apparently, he’d meant getting “lost” in the literal sense. But I was okay with it. The last thing I wanted was to return to the island. Unfortunately, we only had the clothes on our backs, so we couldn’t get lost for long.
We traveled the unpaved road for about fifteen miles before he pulled into a small clearing that overlooked the hilly terrain. Darkness existed as far as the eye could see. On the trip up the mountain, the clouds had opened again, and a steady barrage of rain pelted the windshield. He cut the engine, casting the space between us in comfortable solitude.
“C’mere,” he said, voice husky as he unbuckled and pushed the driver’s seat back as far as it would go.
I couldn’t get out of my seatbelt fast enough. Scrambling over the gearshift, I plopped onto his lap, thighs straddling his, and pressed against him. He wrapped his arms around me, one hand twisting in my curls, tilting my head back, and his mouth met mine.
And I was home.
Because home was with Rafe—whether at his side in a tunnel or chained to his bed in a safe house or on his lap in a vehicle in the middle of nowhere. The bittersweet reunion streaked down my cheeks in hot, salty tears, and he broke the kiss long enough to catch them on his tongue.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“Not more than I love you.”
His hands came up to frame my damp cheeks. “You’re my hero, Alex. You harbor so much strength inside your heart.” His lips pressed against mine for a few brief seconds. “I’m in awe of you.”
“Why?”
“Because you were strong enough to put Zach where he fucking belongs. You got away, baby, and your tenacity saved my ass.”
“I’m crazy about your ass.”
He gripped my bottom, hips thrusting upward until his hard-on rubbed me through our clothing. “Everything about you drives me crazy.”
As I worked the button on his pants free, a keening whine escaped me. “I need you.”
His hand covered mine, stalling me as I moved to unzip him. “I’m covered in blood and dirt.”
“I don’t care.”
“I care. Let me get out of these clothes.”
Scooting my ass onto the center console, I waited while he removed his jeans and tank, then I attacked him, urgency simmering my blood. I needed to feel him inside me, his cock snug where it belonged, filling me with the reality of his presence.
With the reality that we’d made it, had found our way back to each other, and now I needed him to erase the horror of these past few days.
