Page 4 of The Final Storm
Sam widens a hand on my thigh, and his eyes slit, looking underneath my dress. “And you’re my wife,” he grins.
“Now let’s go before I talk you into fucking me. I already begged you for that dick, and you insisted—“
“There’s nothing better than making you come,” he interrupts. “Watching you hit that peak and then feeling your body convulse in my arms, on my tongue, on my dick — it’s my favorite thing.” His eyes burn into mine, making my desire flare up once more.
My craving for Sam wraps around me, clenching my core. Everything about him draws me in, every time. I never knew desire, true burning and urging desire, until I met him.
There isn’t time, and I bite my lip until it hurts with the thought. My love for this man makes me ravenous, not just for his touch, but for moments like this.
I wish I could bottle this day and keep it forever. Our family, happy and safe, and together. There’s a finality in the here and now, and I know it in my soul. Things are changing, and I fear it’s not for the better.
He winks, puts on my other boot, then withdraws his touch. I stand up, huffing, and he yanks me into a kiss before I start a true tantrum. “Time to go,” he hums onto my lips. Reaching back, he unlocks our door, and I’m greeted with four eager boys jumping in place.
My legs are jelly as I struggle to keep up with everyone trotting through the soft rain. I crane my neck on the path, searching for someone, anyone, that might have already arrived. There’s nothing so far, but that doesn’t ease my nerves.
Luke keeps up with us but coughs several times. He notices blood on his sleeve but makes no mention of it to us, which frightens me. When someone finds blood for the first time when they cough or vomit, they panic or at least have a reaction. Luke rolls his sleeve to hide the stain and continues without missing a step.
A flash of him comes to my mind, catching me off guard. He’s on a bed in a medical unit, and the sound of the machines blares all around while blood covers the floor, creeping toward my feet. I almost yelp from the shock and clamp my hand on a nearby tree to keep my balance. When Sam looks back at me with concern, I flash him a smile. It’s not the time to bring it up, and my fears won’t change anything. Only actions will.
Even though I’m excited for the boys, I wish I could leave and see Gemma. I feel something inside me telling me to talk with her. An intuition. But Sam is right that the timing is off, and I need to find my patience.
I relax when we get to the clearing, not having seen a stranger along the way or being hit with another vision. The spot is a mess of the boys’ supplies and toys, and I see a few things they’ve snatched from the rubble on the island that we could use back home.
The slingshot, albeit ridiculous, is impressive. Two large trees have old clothing wound around their trunks, and they fastened the center with what looks like exercise bands. The island is an array of garbage left from the storms, so it’s hard to tell for sure. What I know for certain is they used a colander for the cup of the slingshot and I’ve been looking for one ever since we got here.
I grunt at the sight of it while Sam gives a quiet giggle. He’s an observant man and knows right away why I’m lamenting over their choice of scavenging.
The view of the ship is clear from this spot, and a shiver runs down my spine. It sits out on the water in the moonlight, daunting and unmoving. Waves make the lights shift outward from the boat as if it’s a beacon calling to us all.
“Well, boys, may I have the first shot?” Luke announces. He rubs his hands together and gives a maniacal grin. Tank sets up the bands, giving the cloth on both trunks a scoot upward. I step to the side and rest my body against another tree, letting the leaves above protect me from the mist of rain. Sam brings his arms to either side of my head, caging me in, and moves his lips to mine. The heat of his mouth stirs my insides, but the ship occupies my mind.
“What if we took the boat to them?” I whisper as he separates our lips. “What if we flip the narrative? Get our boat and go out there.”
“I don’t think our focus should be undoing what you’ve seen. Not everything is a warning. Not everything is bad.”
I bite my lip, thinking about what I just saw. He’s partially right. When I fight the visions, only the horrible things push through. It’s as if the sadness and tragedy are so great, that even sheer will couldn’t keep it hidden from view. It crashes through as night terrors, forcing the future into focus even though I hate every moment.
Now that I allowed myself to see, it’s everything that could be — good and bad. Some dreams bring fear, but others are full of joy and hope.
“I just think…” I trail off. Sam’s hand runs down the side of my neck and my thoughts leave me for a moment. I cover his hand with mine. “I see people arrive, and I see Luke on the ship, but I’m not sure how he gets there. I’m putting things together, and I could have it wrong.” I squeeze his hand hard and lean closer to his ear. “I’m worried Luke doesn’t have much time.”
Sam nods in agreement. “But are you sure it’s the Galene he’s on? Are you sure Dean isn’t there?”
“It’s the Galene out there, so I’m assuming that’s where I see him. But nothing is absolutely certain.”
“And Dean?” Sam’s eyes narrow.
I shake my head. “He’s likely dead, Sam. That would explain why I’ve seen nothing of him in my visions. The boys haven’t either.”
“Haven’t you heard evil lives forever?” Sam gives a lopsided smile, and I lower my eyes. Dean made horrific mistakes that almost cost us our lives. When I thought he hurt Sam, I swore I would kill him myself. But as the months pass, my hate dissipates.
I loved him once, and I grieve the loss of the man I once knew. I gave birth to his son and felt that life slip away in my arms. I would always have love in my heart for Dean Riggs, and the thought of his death hurts. It makes no logical sense, but emotions rarely do. I’m ashamed of my feelings, and I keep them to myself, buried deep.
“He’s dangerous,” Sam continues. “If there’s a chance he’s on that ship, we can’t risk it.”
I raise my hands to my hips. “I disagree. His superiors are on that ship, and surely it’s gotten out that he was involved with drugs and started a fucking fire on Thalassa. And they know you on the Galene. You have friends there.”
“You overestimate my former coworker’s loyalty.” Sam scoffs. “The end of the world changes things. It changes people.”
