Somewhere Between the Depths

Chapter Twenty-Six

Silas

The dream always starts out the same. I'm back in the last good day Nora and I had together. We're in my backyard, laying on a blanket staring up at the stars while she lays her head on my chest. I'm content, happy, blissed the fuck out laying there with her. I couldn't imagine a place I'd want to be more than right there with her in my arms. She turns her head upwards, smiling sweetly at me before leaning up to place a soft, full kiss to my lips and then she's straddling me, her long hair flowing behind her as she tips her face toward the sky.

I'm the luckiest man in the world, I'm in love. But then her face transforms into a sneer and before I can blink, she pulls a gun and shoots me in the chest. Pain pulses around my heart and I can't breathe. I struggle, trying desperately to move but I'm paralyzed to the ground. And even though she's the one who hurt me, I still try to call out for her, but my voice cuts off. She laughs, a dark and taunting laugh before she stands and walks away without a second thought. I scream for her, thrashing against the confines of the dream but I can't wake up. I'm trapped. I'm dying... I'm alone, and it hurts. It hurts worse than anything else I've ever endured. And I can't wake up.

When I do finally wake up, I'm usually alone, staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling while my injured heart beats wildly in my chest. I always reach for her, but she's never there. She's always gone. Like the dream refuses to release me even in my waking hours, forever haunting me from the edges of my brain. But this time, when I wake with a startled jerk, gasping for breath that always evades me, cool hands slide up my chest until they cup my face and then I'm staring into twin storm clouds.

"Shh," Nora soothes lovingly, "You're okay. We're okay. I've got you, baby."

At the sound of her voice, I relax instantly, swept into the disbelief that she's really here, in my arms, in my bed, back where she belongs. With me. I'm desperate for her touch, to be reminded that I'm alive, that this is reality. I roll us, until I'm leaning over her, mouths inches apart. I kiss her temple, her cheek, jawline, the corner of her mouth until I can feel her erratic pulse beneath the hand I have on her throat.

"Silas." She breathes, back arching, begging.

I swoop down, pulling her nipple into my mouth as the sheet falls away from her naked frame. She moans lazily, fingers threading through my hair as my other hand slides lower, down her shoulder, her side, until I'm between her legs. Her breaths are coming in sharp pants now and she spreads her legs for me, staring up at me from her place on the bed. A light sheen of sweat has coated her skin as my fingers glide over her clit. She sucks in a breath, eyes squeezed shut as I trace circles around that bundle of nerves. I watch as her mouth parts on a groan, one hand snaking down to grip my wrist as her body vibrates.

"Fuck." I moan as she comes undone beneath my hand.

I'm kneeling between her legs only seconds after her orgasm, tangling my fingers in her hair as I crash my mouth to hers. I'm lost in this kiss as she wraps those long legs around my waist, pulling me in until my cock is pressed to her entrance. I press my forehead against hers, breaths coming faster as I slowly slide inside.

She tips her head back, the pulse in her throat throbbing in sync with my own. I fist her hair, bringing her mouth back to mine again as we fall into a steady rhythm. I lean back onto my knees abruptly, pulling her up with me until we're chest to chest, her full breasts brushing against my chest with every stroke. Our sweat slicked bodies slide against each other, our hips snapping faster and faster as we chase our release.

Nora buries her face into the crook of my neck as her thighs tighten around my waist, her cry of pleasure ringing in my ear and spurring me on even faster. I slam into her brutally, partly punishing her for all those years I went without this, without her, and partly making up for all that lost time. I wanted her to feel the ache between her legs for days, to remember who she belongs to. Because no matter the distance or the time, she would always be mine. And I would always be hers.

"I love you." I murmur against her temple, pulling back to look into her eyes.

As the words tumble from my mouth, I realize how true they are. Three years later and I'm still as in love with Nora Prescott as I was that summer. She slides both hands around my neck, rubbing her thumbs over the base of my throat as tears well in her eyes, and I know, even before she speaks it aloud, that she feels the same. 

"I love you. I'll always love you." She whispers, voice broken.

Tears track their way down her cheeks, and I lean in, catching the wetness on my lips. I pull her tightly to my chest, lost in the scent of her shampoo, the softness of her skin against mine, the way she feels, pulsing around me. I'd gladly stay lost forever.

#

Nora

"Holy... Shit."

I chuckle at Ellis's response, keeping an eye on the patio door in case Silas wakes. He won't be happy about my newest revenge scheme, but I owe him this much.

"Okay. Wow. So, your dead boyfriend was never actually dead and now we're getting revenge on someone else?"

I could practically hear Ellis rubbing a hand over his face through the phone.

"Delancey still has it coming but we've added someone else to the roster. He's top priority now."

Ellis sighs heavily, and I can hear a pen scribbling as he makes a few notes. He'll have Knox's information pulled and ready within the hour, and I'll be well on my way to putting a well-deserved bullet between his eyes within twelve hours. I know the Horsemen have their own brand of justice for rats, but this is personal. I want to look Knox in the eye when he goes down. I want him to see that for all his scheming, he still lost. 

Ell and I go over a few more details until the patio door slides open and I look up to find Silas leaning against the doorframe with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. But it isn't the promise of caffeine that has my mouth watering, it's the sight of my gloriously handsome biker, half naked, with a pair of black sweatpants slung low on his hips that has me suddenly forgetting how to speak. I marvel at the sight of him, still unable to fully accept the fact that he's still here. Alive and well, and all mine. It still feels like a dream and has a lump forming in my throat, even now. 

The delicious ache between my thighs grows even more pronounced when he reaches an ink covered arm up to grip the top of the doorframe, accentuating all those ripping ab muscles until I nearly fall out of my chair. My eyes trail from his short hair down to waistband of his sweatpants until they finally drift back up to those glowing green eyes that seem to sparkle in the morning sun. He gives me a dazzling smile and I can't help but to return it with a sheepish one of my own. After all this time, he still has me blushing like a schoolgirl. 

"Nora!"

I clench my fingers around my phone to keep from dropping it on the concrete. 

"What?" 

"He's standing there, isn't he?" Ellis chuckles, getting plenty of entertainment out of my unusual predicament.

I blush a fiery crimson, unable to deny the accusation. We agree to reconvene in a few hours, and I hang up just as Silas saunters onto the patio, handing over the cup of coffee with a lazy smile on his lips. He leans down, pressing his mouth fully against mine and I can't help but groan into his kiss. 

"Do you have any plans today?" He asks against my mouth. 

Oh, nothing special. Just a bit of murder... 

"Not really. I need to check on Gran's place, but other than that, I'm free." 

"Good. Because I promised Cash we'd meet him and the guys for breakfast. That okay?" 

Tears prick my eyes when I think about Cash. I haven't seen him since our meeting days ago, but I'm dying for more time with him. I agree to breakfast, sprinting into the bedroom so we can get a move on.  Breakfast first, then Gran's and then... I'll deal with the Horsemen's little rat problem.