25. Isla
25
ISLA
I didn’t want to open my eyes. Nausea swirled in my stomach, threatening to make an appearance if I moved even an inch. Everything in me hurt from my hair down to my toenails. If I made it through this hell, I was never leaving my house again.
“Gorgeous, it’s time to open those beautiful eyes.”
IKE. I sighed internally at the sound of his voice. It was nice to hear him, even when I felt like shit. Not that I wanted him to see me like this. I couldn’t imagine I looked too pretty right now.
“You can’t hide from me forever.”
Yes, I very well could. When he held my hand throughout the night, I wanted to throw the table across the room. Getting the fentanyl out of my system was not fun, and I thought I deserved at least five days on the couch with Jujyfruits for what I had to deal with.
And now he was trying to get me to wake up and face the day.
I didn’t want to.
“Fine,” he sighed. “I know you’re awake, but you can lay there and pretend for another hour. I was going to take you somewhere nice and let you sleep in bed all day in front of a fire, but?—”
My eyes popped open and he laughed at me. “So, you are awake.”
“Don’t tease me like that,” I grumbled, pushing up in bed. Oof, that didn’t feel good.
“I found a place to take you that will be perfect. They have a hot tub. You can soak your muscles.”
“Mm, that sounds nice, but what about Jane and IRIS.”
“Fuck them. They can find their own place.”
“IKE,” I warned him.
“What did I tell you about calling me IKE?” he growled, fluffing my pillow.
“Fine, Knox, you can’t let them fend for themselves when they’re only out here to help us.”
He rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed beside me, pulling me onto his lap. “Don’t worry. They got their own place. It’ll be fine.”
Sighing, I rested my head against his chest. I could go back to sleep right now. It was amazing how much those drugs took out of me. I still felt like shit even after they countered the fentanyl.
He turned his head and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“It’s not your fault. It happened so fast.”
“It was the patch,” he said, his voice rumbling against my cheek. “The way dealers make them now, all it takes is a small amount to kill a person. We were lucky we got you to the hospital when we did.”
“I feel gross.”
“I know.” His body tensed. I could feel it in his arms as they held me tight. “And that’s why I’m taking you home after our little vacation.”
I sat up, my body jerking in his lap. “You’re what?”
His bright blue eyes stared intensely at me as his hand came up to cup my cheek. “I’m taking you home.”
“But—What about Shawn?”
“I have guys sitting on him right now. As soon as I give the order, they’ll bring him in.”
Maybe it was the drugs still lingering in my brain, but I was so confused. “Bring him in where?”
He took a deep breath and sighed. “To OPS.”
Shock rippled through me at his statement. I couldn’t believe it. IKE was a lone wolf, and yet…he was taking Shawn to OPS. Why?
“IKE, I need to know something.”
“Anything.”
I took a deep breath. “Are you forming a wolf pack?”
He stared at me for a second before his lips twitched. “Why would you ask that?”
“Well, it started with IRIS, and now you’re relying on others to watch Shawn. And on top of that, you’re taking him home to OPS. I don’t know what else to assume.”
“You can assume that my priorities shifted slightly.”
“Revenge isn’t everything, you know.”
“No, but keeping you safe is.”
“I thought you were letting me make the decisions on whether or not I needed to be kept safe,” I said, quirking an eyebrow at him in challenge.
A low rumble worked its way through his chest. I knew he was having a hard time keeping his protective instincts in check right now, but I appreciated the effort.
“To an extent. If you choose to go after Shawn right now, I’m gonna have to throw you over my shoulder and kidnap you.”
“And what would that look like?”
“I’d have no choice but to tie you to a bed and do unspeakable things to you until you gave in and realized that I know what’s best for you in this case.”
My breath hitched when his hand slid down my neck, skimming over my gown. His fingers brushed lightly over my breast, taking extra time to circle my nipple.
“Torture would definitely be involved. I wonder how long you could hold out?”
At this rate, not long. “What else?”
He pinched my nipple and twisted, drawing a raspy cry from my throat. “Begging. Lots and lots of begging.”
My eyes fluttered closed as he slid his hand around the side of my neck and his mouth latched onto the other side. My breasts ached as he slowly twirled my nipple between his fingers, sending a torturous ache straight to my clit. I desperately needed him right now.
“Knox…” I whimpered.
“I fucking love when you say my name,” he growled, twisting my nipple hard.
I cried out, needing nothing more than his touch and his lips on my skin to bring me to orgasm. The noise died down in my head, leaving me in a blissful state of nothingness as I collapsed in his arms. I was thoroughly drained, but that might have more to do with the overdose than the orgasm he just gave me, but I’d take it either way.
“Fucking hell,” I heard IRIS muttered from the doorway. “You know, you said to get you coffee. If I had known it meant sex, I would have stayed away longer.”
“Shut the fuck up,” IKE rumbled. “And turn around.”
“Get my coffee. Turn around,” IRIS rumbled. “Geez, it’s like I have a new boss.”
I chuckled into IKE’s neck as he lifted me off his lap and set me back on the bed. Only after I was tucked back under the covers did he allow IRIS to turn around. I would have been embarrassed, but I had been blown up, shot at, locked in a shipping container, and drugged, all within the span of a few months. I deserved a fucking orgasm.
“So, any word from the doc on when she’s being released?” IRIS asked.
“Another few hours.”
“Is that normal?” IRIS asked, his brows drawing in confusion.
“No, but I insisted.”
I had the feeling IKE bullied them into keeping me for longer to make sure I was fine. Whatever. All I wanted to do was sleep. “Riley. Has anyone talked to her?” I murmured, my eyes already drifting closed.
“She’s fine. Bowie took her to OPS when we found your in-laws.”
I peeled my eyes open. “Does she know?”
“That you were drugged? No,” he shook his head. “I thought I’d leave that to you. Call me crazy, but when I knew you were going to be fine, I didn’t want to get yelled at by her.”
“Great,” I grumbled. “So, you leave that to me.”
“She won’t kill you,” he pointed out.
“I doubt she could kill you.”
“No, but I wouldn’t stop her.”
My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. Not literally, but it surely felt that way. “You’d let her kill you?”
“For not protecting you? She’d be well within her rights.” Then he smiled at me. “But is it really a victory if someone lets you kill them?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “If she really wanted to kill you, I doubt she would care if the victory was just or not.”
“Maybe not,” he chuckled.
“Great,” IRIS said, his eyes going wide for a moment. “So…we’re done here? We can get on the road and go to this resort?”
“Why are you so eager to get there?” IKE asked.
“No reason,” he shrugged.
Even I thought there was something off about his excitement. No man actually wanted to go away to a resort where he would stay with a woman for days on end with nothing to do but watch TV and have sex. It sounded fun in theory, but only to new couples. He’d been with Jane for years, which meant the days of laying around in bed all day and humping like rabbits were a thing of the past.
“Uh-huh,” IKE said, entirely unconvinced.
“Well, I’ll be in the waiting area. Just…hanging out.”
He turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with IKE.
“That was…weird.”
IKE sighed heavily.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m gonna have to check him for explosives.”
Warmth encapsulated me. I smiled as I rolled in IKE’s arms, pressing my nose into his chest. Breathing in his scent, I pressed a kiss just below his collarbone.
“Feel better?” he asked, his voice a low rumble in the afternoon light.
“So much better.” I couldn’t sleep another fucking minute.
His fingers trailed lightly up and down my back in a steady rhythm as he tried to lull me to sleep again. He could go pound the sand. There wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to fall for that again.
“I know what you need.” His voice rumbled through me as he shifted, working his way down my body.
Nope.
This wasn’t happening. He had kept me trapped in this bed with sex and sleep for the past three days and I couldn’t take another fucking minute of it. He was scared and this was his way of trying to make me do things his way, but I had tricks, too.
“Actually,” I said, tugging on his hair. “I’m really hungry.”
His head popped up and his eyebrow shot up in a questioning arch. I traced it with my finger, smiling at how sexy he looked. Yes, I was trying to get out of sex with this man. There was only so much a girl could take, even with a man like IKE. My lady parts needed a breather, and my legs needed a stretch, something that wouldn’t happen as long as IKE was in charge.
“You haven’t been very hungry since we got out of the hospital.”
“I know. It must be all the exercise I’ve been getting,” I grinned.
“What are you in the mood for?” he asked. His tongue swirled in my belly button, trailing up my chest to my breasts. My nipples responded, tightening with need, but my pussy was begging for a break.
“Um…Chinese food.”
“That’s too far away, and they don’t deliver here.”
I pouted, knowing I could get him to do anything for me at this point. I sighed heavily. “I really wanted it.”
“Sweetheart…” He glanced up at me, his deep blue eyes melting the longer he looked at me. “Alright. I’ll get it for you.”
A bright smile broke out across my face. “Thank you.”
“Only for you.”
He got on all fours and kissed me hard before tossing off the blanket and pulling on his pants.
“Aren’t you going to shower first?” I asked, leaning on my elbow. I thoroughly enjoyed the view from behind as he got dressed. It was just as impressive as the front view. That nice, tight butt felt so good when it flexed as he thrust inside me. My hands gripped tight to both cheeks last night as he took me over and over again.
“No need. I’m just gonna get filthy again when I get back here,” he said, shooting me a cheeky grin.
I found it interesting how much he had smiled over the past few days. IKE didn’t normally look happy too often. He was more of a broody character, but recently, it was like he was trying his hardest to prove a point or something. Maybe show that he could make me happy.
But I liked him the way he was. I liked the broody side of him as well as the more playful side. I didn’t want him to change who he was just because he thought he needed to show me he could make this work between us. I’d have to talk to him about that when he got back. But right now, my needs were just a tad more important.
He leaned over me, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Get some rest while I’m gone.”
“I’ll try to.”
He pulled the covers up and tucked me in. I smiled at him, though I really wanted to punch him in the face. Was there such a thing as being too sweet?
“I won’t be gone long.”
That just wouldn’t do. I needed at least a little freedom. I popped up as he headed for the door. “Could you also find a coffee shop on your way back and bring me a cappuccino?”
He quirked an eyebrow at me. “You want a cappuccino and Chinese food?”
I shrugged. “The stomach wants what the stomach wants.”
“You’re so weird. Should I get Jujyfruits while I’m out?”
“It couldn’t hurt,” I grinned.
He rolled his eyes, swinging the door open. Then he was gone. I counted to ten, staring out the window as he walked toward the car, then I tossed off the covers and jumped up, nearly falling over. My legs were like jelly from being thoroughly fucked for days on end. Not to mention, he hadn’t let me out of bed at any point other than to pee.
I didn’t have time to waste on a shower. That was for suckers. I was desperate to escape, so I threw on some clothes and shoes, then tossed open the door and burst out into the frigid air.
“Holy shit! Coat. I need a coat.”
I ran back inside and grabbed my coat, pulling it on, then yanked the door closed. I had to get out of here now. I knew IRIS and Jane were staying in one of the cabins around here. I just had to find her. Dammit, if only I had my phone, I could call her. But that was something else IKE had taken away from me, insisting that I needed my rest. He was a freaking tyrant.
I had no idea how to locate her. How did one find another person out in the middle of nowhere? Was there some code for knocking on someone’s door?
“Jane!” I hissed, wandering around the property. Cabins were scattered everywhere. Surely, she was in one of them. It couldn’t be that hard to find her.
“Jane!” I called out again.
When she didn’t answer, I knew this would be harder than just calling out her name. I crept over to the first cabin and slunk around to the side window. I could just peek inside. That would be easy enough. That way I wouldn’t have to knock on any doors and interrupt someone on their vacation. God forbid I spy on someone doing what IKE was doing to me.
When I was just under the window sill, I slowly stood up just enough to peer into the window. Empty. There wasn’t a single sign of movement in the cabin.
“Rats,” I muttered.
Sighing, I turned and ran through the snow to the next cabin. My legs burned with the effort. I was already out of breath by the time I reached the porch. Bending over, I wheezed in a deep breath. “Holy shit. I really need some exercise.”
And not the kind IKE had in mind.
After calming my racing pulse, I repeated the process of creeping over to the window. Ever-so-slowly, I peeked inside, gasping when I came nearly face to face with a man who was thrusting hard into a woman. I ducked down quickly, covering my mouth as I pressed my back to the cabin.
I looked around wildly, sure I was going to be caught at any second. Had he seen me? Was he still pounding away inside?
I needed to get out of here before he decided to come after me for spying on him. I wanted to run, but couldn’t make my feet move. Turning back to the window, my boots crunched in the snow as I made my way over. Keeping my movements slow, I peered inside once again.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The woman was bent over at an unnatural angle and the man… I cocked my head to the side, trying to figure out how he was contorted in that way. And his leg…I lifted my own leg, mimicking what he was doing, but I just couldn’t figure it out. It was some kind of weird tantric sex thing. It had to be. I had never seen anyone so…bendy.
This was so wrong. I shouldn’t be watching. And yet, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it.
“You know, some people don’t like it when you spy on them.”
I gasped, slapping a hand over my mouth as I shrieked and dropped to the ground. My heart hammered in my chest as Jane tossed her head back and laughed hysterically at me.
Hissing at her to be quiet, I waved her over. Catching my drift, she crept over and leaned against the cabin with me. “What are we doing?”
“There’s a couple in there having sex.”
“And you’re spying on them? I didn’t know you were so kinky.”
“I’m not, but—this is really dirty stuff. Like…crazy weird.”
She popped up without even a second thought and looked inside. Her eyes bugged out as she dropped back down. “How is he bending that way?”
“How is she ?”
“I don’t know. I need a better look.”
She was up again before I could stop her, looking inside. I felt silly crouching down here on my own, so I joined her, looking inside at the sex-crazed couple. Although, it wasn’t too long ago that IKE had me tangled up in the sheets with him. It was only because of my supposed hunger that I got him to leave me alone for five minutes.
“Look at the way she moves. It’s amazing,” Jane said in awe.
“I know. I can’t believe she’s that flexible. I would pull a hamstring.”
Jane snorted. “That’s not all I would pull. Do you think we should be taking notes?”
“On what?”
“Position.” She cocked her head to the left and I followed suit as the couple shifted. “Man, they can really go on and on and on.”
“Forever,” I muttered. “He’s gotta be using lube. What woman would still be wet after being fucked that hard for that long?”
“Definitely lube. Unless…”
“Unless what?” I asked, my eyes still locked on the couple.
“Do you think they know we’re watching?”
My head whipped to face her. “What?”
“Maybe they know and they like it,” she grinned. “Maybe that’s why they keep switching positions. They could be giving us a show.”
My nose wrinkled at the thought. Yes, technically, I was out here watching them, but knowing they were watching us watch them gave me the willies. “That’s just gross.”
“Oh, so it’s gross for them to watch us, but not for us to watch them?”
“We didn’t know until a minute ago that they knew we were watching them. But now we know that they know we’re watching and it’s weird.”
“Well, I’m glad that’s all it takes,” she retorted. “So, tell me this. If they didn’t know we were watching and we invited IKE and IRIS over to watch with us, would that be weird?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
“Because then we’d be inviting them for a show. And what if they started…you know.”
“No, I don’t know,” she smirked.
I rolled my eyes, cursing her that she was going to make me say it. “What if they started getting excited?”
“Ah, and they wanted to join in the fun,” she nodded. “Yeah, that could happen.”
“And then it would be weird. It’d be like having a sex den. Out in the open,” I said, suddenly realizing that we were staring through a window outside where anyone could walk past and see us. God, we were so perverted. “We should go.”
“Yeah, definitely. We should.” She pursed her lips as her eyes flicked to the window again.
“You want to look one more time, don’t you?”
“You do, too,” she said accusingly.
I narrowed my eyes at her, knowing I was going to pay for this at a later date. “One more time, and then we swear to never look again.”
“Ever,” she nodded, holding out her pinkie.
I took it and we pinkie swore on it for good measure. I raised up on my tiptoes and peeked in the window again, but no one was there. Sighing, I slumped down.
“Well, that was disappointing.”
“Yeah, we should probably go before they come out and catch us hanging around outside. That might be a little weird.”
We both walked back to the main path, trudging through the snow. I had completely forgotten about how cold it was, but now that my focus was off the naked couple, I couldn’t get my mind off the freezing temperatures.
“Wanna get some hot cocoa?” she asked.
“Where’s IRIS?”
She shrugged. “Probably out blowing something up.”
“I guess, but only for a few minutes. I managed to escape IKE by a hair today.”
We headed toward the main house where they had a dining room and cafe. If IKE caught me outside, he’d probably be mad, but I was enjoying myself too much to care right now.
“Has he kept you chained to the bed all night?”
“All night and all day. My ass was getting sore.”
“Girl,” she grinned. “I had no idea you were so dirty.”
I smacked her on the arm. “Get your head out of the gutter. I meant from laying around the whole day.”
“Oh.” She looked at me and frowned. “When was the last time you showered?”
I tucked my hair behind my ears, hoping that helped my tragic look. “Don’t judge me.”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with getting laid, but you smell like you joined that couple back there for a few hundred rounds. You might want to take care of that. You’re probably attracting animals as we speak.”
I flushed bright red. I probably should have taken a shower before I came out, but I was too worried about gaining my freedom.
“Do you think that couple is staying again tonight?”
“I would assume so. It’s after check-out. Why?”
“No reason,” she said a little too quickly.
I grabbed her jacket and stopped her. “Jane, we pinkie swore.”
“I know,” she said, shrugging me off. “Like I said, I was just wondering.”
I didn’t want to know what was running through her mind. I had the feeling that our little voyeurism debacle had put her mind on a one-track course that was sure to get me into trouble. IKE said she snuck around a lot when he first met her, and I had a feeling she was going to be doing the same thing tonight.