Concealed Force

Chapter 4

"Hey Reidy, fun's over," skinny Danny said, opening the trunk. He eyed Laura. "Shit, looks like you were having some fun."

"We here?" Reid asked, jumping out. He reached back to yank Laura's clothes back into position before helping her out. They were at the edge of a trailer park, only it looked like most of the trailers had been burned out. What was it with these guys and setting fire to things?

It would have been an eerie place in the light, but in the dark it was like something from a horror movie, and Laura shivered despite the heat, letting herself slump against Reid, as if all the fight had gone out of her.

"What you do to her in there?" Danny asked, with a grin. "She looks fucking wrecked already."

"Where're the guys?" Reid asked, ignoring Danny's comments, but pulling Laura to his side.

His faded t-shirt was soft against her cheek, but the body underneath was hard.

"They'll be here. Not gonna be too happy about your plus one though."

"She's mine, they won't give a shit."

"Aw, mierda, you mean you're not gonna share?"

Laura didn't dare to look at either man, but she felt the way Reid tucked her even more firmly into his body and knew when Danny had backed off because the arm caging her relaxed. Danny cackled, swinging a chain of keys in the air, lighting a cigarette, flicking his lighter open then closed, over and over. He poked his head into one of the blackened trailers and Reid turned her quickly.

"Can't just stand here like your protector," he said, his mouth by her ear sending shivers through her body. "It'll look suspicious."

"Okay. What are you going to do? Actually, it doesn't matter...I'm ready."

He gave her a grim smile, as Danny wandered back over, and Reid took her chin in his hand. He squeezed her jaw, his eyes running over her face, his expression turning cruel. "You gonna be a good little bitch? Give me what I want? Whatever I want?"

Laura nodded in his grip, swallowing, trembling, not having to act fearful, as Reid seemed once again the menacing criminal. She just had time for that doubt to spin through her again, to question which was the real Reid, to wonder if he was playing some horrible game with her, before his mouth was on hers.

His lips were warm, firm, insistent, he made her lips part so he could push his tongue in, stroking, taking, telling her something. He pulled back for a second, a moment of eye contact, checking her, she knew, though anyone else would mistake it for a warning.

"Give me your tongue," he said, and she realized this was a rehearsal.

Danny was barely paying attention, but the real performance was coming; a tougher audience, and she was going to have to get this act right. To stay alive. His hand threaded into her hair, the other sliding down past her waist, pulling her close, closer, palming her butt cheek, squeezing.

And she wasn't cold, not like all those times with Kyle when she'd almost been kissing by rote: open lips, tongue up, down, side to side. Totally passionless. Not now, now she was tingling and warm, not thinking of what she was doing, just concentrating on the sensations Reid's body was giving hers.

There was even a roaring in her ears; she'd never experienced that, before...

Reid pulled away suddenly. And Laura realized the roaring hadn't been in her ears at all. A huge van (truck, she corrected herself) was speeding along the dirt road from the highway, three very loud motorbikes riding alongside.

This is who they'd been waiting for. Men in leathers and beards, as tattooed as Reid. Not quite as big, but unquestionably dangerous.

Two men jumped out of the truck as the others got off their bikes. They left the headlights on, making a circle of light. And then Reid was greeting them, giving them hugs that looked more like he was trying to shoulder them out of the way. Slapping their backs, nodding, and grunting their names, rather than saying hello, or how are you. It was like a meeting of primates or wolves. Laura felt small and fragile in comparison.