CEM Book Five: DARK WATERS

... He Came For Her

He kept his broken arm still, that hand resting on her hip as he let his good hand, starting at her knee slide up her creamy thigh and under her skirt. Her eyes widened at his gentle touch. He smiled at her quiet moan. Yes. Let her come to him. Cleansing her was going to be very easy.

***

Rayne smiled in her sleep as Kevin approached the bunks. His bunk was above Avi's so he'd have to use a stool and stand in front of Rayne to get up into his bed. She was mostly sleeping but was aware of his presence. He didn't make her uncomfortable in any way.

Eventually everyone crawled into their respective bunks and got lost in their own peaceful dreams.

Her dream was soft and sweet though woefully brief. She woke the moment the bus stopped moving then slipped out of the bunk and Avi's warm embrace. He moaned once and pulled the blanket closer to him, but otherwise didn't stir. She walked quietly over to the area that served as the living room of the bus. Ester was sitting on the couch.

"I know it sounds cliché but," Rayne paused, a smile in her voice, "are we there yet?" Ester looked at Rayne's tussled hair and fought to contain the laughter that tried to escape her. How many times a day did Avi and or Scott ask her that very question? Everyone was sleeping. She needed to keep the noise down so she didn't laugh out loud, she let her eyes show her amusement. "May I sit with you for a while?"

"Sure." Ester replied and gestured for Rayne to sit across from her. Rayne took a seat and leaned back into the small chair. She watched Ester's face for any signs as to what she might be thinking. Normally she would open the wall a little and let her feelings in, but she didn't need to. Ester was an open book. It was clear that she was concerned for her little brother, hell if she had one she would be too. "Just got off the highway. We should be at the hotel in about ten minutes." Ester said lightly. "Why are you up? I figured you'd be sleeping with everyone else." Rayne didn't miss the undertones in her voice. That tiny touch of anger and frustration was clearly there; she wasn't just paranoid. Rayne wondered if she and Avi were breaking many rules by sleeping in the same bunk.

"The bus stopped moving. Does it have a back door? Will there be people there waiting for your arrival? Do they do that? How do I get off the bus without anyone seeing me?" Rayne let her worry and concern take shape and show itself. What had she gotten herself into? She loved Avi. That she knew as sure as rain, but she wasn't ready to be associated with his name or get caught in his and the band's growing popularity and fame. She wasn't there for the attention from anyone other than Avi. "Can I pretend to be a member of the crew? Is there something I can do to help unload or something like that? An extra set of hands to help is always good." She wrung her hands nervously. Ester could not believe what she was hearing.

She felt the need to protect Rayne from whatever she needed protecting from. She was just so sweet and seemingly innocent despite the cozy way she cuddled with her brother. Before her sat a sweet and beautiful young woman who was clearly very nervous about being in a crowd and very in love with Avi. She leaned forward and took Rayne's hand before she could rub her skin off them. She kept her voice low and calm. Somehow Rayne's fear over the attention that Avi would definitely garner was comforting to Ester. It was a relief to know that she wasn't seeking attention. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She didn't want the attention.

"There may be some people there, but people mostly leave us alone at our hotels. We should be able to get in and out without a problem." She smiled warmly. "Now on the off chance that there are people there you'll want to stick with me, your bags will be off loaded and get sorted later. Does your carry on have your night things in it? Just follow us in and don't worry about a thing. You are going to be fine Rayne." Ester was very good at talking to people, keeping them calm when they needed it. She found that she genuinely cared for this wayward angel Avi brought home.