Sanctuary (the Affliction Trilogy #2)

Chapter 22

Twenty-Two

F or weeks now, I've spent as much time as I can with both my father and brother, engaging them in a variety of topics about the Sanctuary. I know little more than I did in the beginning, but I'm sure they're both starting to trust me. My father has asked me to accompany him on more of his outings in the community, and a young women's group invited me to talk at their yearly summit. It hasn't been easy, but I've done everything I can to come across as the perfect daughter.

What my father doesn't know is how I spend the better part of my evenings conversing with Noah and River, gathering information on how to break out of here. It's been a slow process, since the six of us cannot meet in one place, making Noah the middleman between me and the other boys.

But the hardest part of this all is my relationship with Ryland. We pass letters back and forth through Noah, and once a week, we find a way to see each other. It's typically in a very public place where we have to sneak off into a dark corner for a maximum of ten minutes together. I'd kill for our thirty-minute dinners in the park again.

Tonight, we've thrown caution to the wind and step outside of our norm to discuss a significant development in our escape plan. Noah has spent countless hours searching the Sanctuary's servers for a way to send communications to Giran but has come up short. The facility is completely disconnected from the rest of the world, except for a flight radar. Noah has learned that there are flight patterns coming and going from a small island just off the southern coast of Stern. With such a big discovery, Ryland and I feel it’s best to meet in person.

My bedside clock flashes midnight. I slide out of bed and slip on my running shoes. Since Ryland and I “broke up,” I’ve taken to late-night jogging to relieve some stress—another guise to make it easier for us to meet when needed.

I follow the path around the park until I reach the rows of leafless trees. Taking a quick look around to make sure nobody is watching, I break from the trail and slip between two tall trees.

“Shit,” I mumble, scanning the shadows.

The plans Ryland and I make to meet are pretty spot on, but this time, we didn't pinpoint a location. We just knew wherever we rendezvoused needed to provide us with some cover. The trees in the back of the park seemed like the best place.

I stretch my arms in front of me, sliding my fingers over the rough bark to guide my way through the dark. The snow blanketing the park during the Harvest Festival has melted away, exposing the dead leaves littering the ground. They crunch under my feet with every step. The noise is like an alarm going off all around me.

If William found out what we were doing, it wouldn’t just be the end to creating an escape plan. He would have us judged as traitors and the punishment would be death. I don’t believe he would even spare me. I’d be the ultimate example. No one would dare cross him after that.

An arm wraps around my waist and jerks me back. I open my mouth to scream, but a hand clasps over it before I can.

“You've lost your edge, love,” Ryland says against my ear.

I smile and ease his palm away from my face. “Maybe I was wanting the right person to catch me.”

“Is that right? And then what?” He places a kiss on the side of my neck.

My eyes flutter shut as I lean my head back on his shoulder. “He would take care of this constant ache I have.” I guide his hand from my waist and under the top of my leggings. “Do you want to help me, Ry?”

“Fuck,” he hisses, his finger gliding through my slit. “You’re so wet for me.”

I hum in agreement. “That’s what happens when I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

“Tell me what’s been going through that pretty head of yours.”

My heart races. The words I imagined saying to him play at the tip of my tongue. Nothing that I pictured was sweet or soft. I want to be able to feel the ache of him deep inside of me long after this night is over. I need a new memory to help me get through the nights without him.

“You fucking me… hard.”

One hand slips to my neck, his fingers curling around it and digging into my pulse points. My breath comes in shallow pants as I surrender all control to him. His fingers sink inside me, curling until they stroke along that place that makes my eyes roll into the back of my head. “Is this what my girl needs?” he asks, his breath warm against my ear.

“More,” I beg.

I gasp when his thumb circles my clit. This is what I’ve needed for days. It doesn’t matter how hard I try, how lost I am in fantasies about him, nothing is as good as his touch.

He eases another finger into me, stretching me. Pleasure and pain swirl within me, pushing me closer to the edge. My hips rock against him, pressing his hard cock against my ass. It feels so good.

His fingers still inside me when I’m hanging on the cusp. “Tell me again. What was it that you want?”

“For you to fuck me,” I whimper, desperate for him to keep going.

He pivots us until I’m pressed against a tree trunk. The bark digs through my clothes, rubbing against my nipples. The added sensation has me writhing.

Ryland squeezes my neck a little harder. “Do you want my cock, love?”

“Yes.”

He continues to fuck me with his fingers as he releases my throat and unzips my lightweight jacket. I shrug out of it, letting it fall to our feet and leaving me in my sports bra. My hands reach behind me, and I frantically work to open his pants. The warm, soft skin of his cock brushes my fingers. I grip it and slide up and down until he is whispering words of praise in my ear.

“You weren’t the only one dreaming about me fucking you. You consume my thoughts. It’s like you run through my veins, Quinn.”

His fingers leave me, and the saddest sound slips out of me. The emptiness I feel is almost painful. I need him filling me, pumping inside of me, erasing everything but us.

The chilled air bites my skin when he pulls down my leggings. He locks my wrists together with one hand, pressing them against the tree. His body heat leaves me, and I look over my shoulder to find him staring down at my naked bottom. A gentle caress traces the seam of me, starting from the top of my ass to my clit.

“Spread your legs for me.” I widen my stance, fighting against my pants around my knees. “Fuck, that’s pretty.”

He grabs his dick, guiding it along the path his fingers took. The head nudges at my entrance, and I press back, trying to push him inside of me. “Eager for this, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Ryland.”

“Ease back on me, love.”

The head of his cock slips inside of me, and his grip on my wrist tightens. He shallowly thrusts, feeding me every inch of him little by little. I attempt to buck back on him, but he grabs my hip, holding me in place. It’s torture waiting for that full sensation that I need so badly. When his pelvis presses to my ass, I release a sigh of relief.

“Good girl, so tight and wet for me,” he says with long deep strokes. “Keep your hands on the tree.”

He releases me, and my nails bite into the bark, holding me in place just how he wants. His calloused fingers scrape over my ribs until they slide under my bra. I arch into his touch and the new angle has him hitting deeper inside of me. He pinches my nipple and groans when I clench around him.

Our pace quickens. Skin slaps against skin, mixed with the moans neither of us can contain. His front presses to my back, and his teeth sink into the soft spot between my neck and shoulder.

He kisses the sting and says, “I’m so close, but I need you to come for me first.”

“Put your hand around my neck again and touch my pussy,” I breathe.

“Your filthy little commands are my pleasure.”

He grips my throat as his fingers play between my legs.

“Harder,” I cry.

He thrusts deep and pinches my clit.

Everything turns to white hot ecstasy. I know nothing but his body slamming into mine. The pump of his hips, the dig of his fingertips into my neck, the sweet smell of our sex caught on the breeze. He chants my name as he pulsates inside of me. I don’t want to leave this time and space. It’s so fucking perfect.

When neither of us have anything left to give, I slump against the tree and Ryland rests his body over mine. It takes several beats for us to catch our breath. He moves away from me. The soft press of his lips at my lower spine sends shivers up it. He pulls up my leggings and runs his hand over the crotch, like he is sealing what just happened.

I turn around and fall to my knees in front of him. My arms circle his neck as my lips find his. I suck his plump bottom lip between my teeth, gliding my tongue over it before seeking his. The faint taste of mint and the heady smell of his woodsy soap wash over me. He pulls me with him to the ground, resting my body on top of his.

“I’ve missed you,” he says.

“I’ve missed you too.”

It's more than me missing him. In the past, we may have been fighting for our lives, but at least we were free. Even though others always surrounded us, we could express our love for each other. Simple things like a knowing glance or my fingers brushing over his as we walked side by side. I just want to openly love him again. And we are one step closer to being able to do just that.

I brush my lips over his a final time and roll off him.

He tucks his cock into his pants and folds me in his arms. I listen to his heartbeat for a moment before asking, “What are your thoughts on the flights Noah found leaving from the island?”

“I don't know. There doesn't seem to be an actual pattern to them. My guess, it is military efforts checking on the condition of the continent.”

I let his words sink in. If it's the from other continents’ militaries, it might not be a viable option out of this one. I play with the pendant hanging from his necklace and say, “It's worth a shot.”

“Can I ask you something? And I want you to be honest with me.”

“Okay.”

He glances down at me and says, “Are you trying to rush us leaving because we can't be together here?”

I trace the delicate lines of a tattoo peeking over the collar of his shirt. “It's not like you think. Those times you and I pass by each other and pretend like we don't notice, it's killing me. All I want to do is run up to you and hold you. I literally have to talk myself down every single time. I don't know how much longer I can do this, Ryland. One of these days, it's going to be too much, and I'm going to break down. When that happens, I'm going to put you at risk. I'm living in constant fear that William is going to take you away from me. So, am I rushing this? Yes, I am.”

He shifts under me and fishes around in his pocket. “Just remember that I made you a promise.” He holds up his ring; the twine still wrapped around the bottom. “There are days when I feel like saying to hell with it all. I'd rather take the risk of your father punishing me than not touch you. But the sacrifices we are making right now are for a better future, Quinnten.”

The conviction in his voice has goosebumps covering my skin. I scoot onto my elbows and take his face into my hands, studying every little detail—his lashes, the tiny dark beauty marks sprinkled on his jaw, and the pink of his lips. Every bit of him I love as much, if not more, than the next. “That's why we have to go. We need to be free to be us , and I can't let anything happen to you.”

Ryland takes my hand from his cheek and kisses my palm before placing the ring in the center. “If that’s what you think is best, we'll go. We’ve been taking bullets every time we have guard duty outside of the mountain. It’s the only time we're issued weapons. It’s been a slow process, but we have a nice little pile stored in a safe place in the fields. Noah is working on a program to override the security system, and I'm looking at the best route to get everyone safely out of here. I'm still hung up on how to hijack a vehicle. It’s going to be a necessity if we want to get to the bridge leading to the island.”

“When do you think we can do it?” I ask.

“A few weeks at best.”

I don’t bother hiding my frown. Weeks? He might as well have said a decade.

“You can handle a few more weeks, Quinn.”

I sigh and rest my head on his chest again. “I don’t know. I dread all the tasks William has me doing. Tomorrow, I have to do this walk-through with him, and I hate going into the military facility.”

“I can understand that, but you look sexy in all those dresses with the killer heels. I get hard just thinking about you in them.” To prove his point, he grabs my hand and places it over his hardening cock.

“I could take care of this for you and guarantee us both a really good night,” I say, squeezing him.

He wraps my ponytail around his fist and guides me down his body. “I think that’s the best plan we’ve come up with all night.”

I have to agree.