Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT_
HAZARD
Another drawn-out week, days and hours of doing nothing but watching mindless TV with Decaf ten feet away from me and Scout around every corner.
Even if we didn’t have a no hooking up again until Decaf is better rule, Scout makes it impossible anyway.
And though it was my idea and it’s the right thing for Decaf’s recovery, I hate every second of being this close to him without being able to touch him.
To tell him how hot he looks. To have him say more sweet things like I could be his purpose.
Scout disappeared half an hour ago to take a phone call from Trav, and I should probably try to find him. If he’s still talking to Trav, something’s up, and if he’s not, something has to have happened. Maybe they found us, maybe—
The front door creaks open, and I stand, half on guard, half knowing it’s only going to be Scout coming back. He rounds the corner, phone still in hand.
“What’s up?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer me but asks Decaf a question instead. “Do you think you’re feeling up to making a move yet?”
“He’s not,” I say for him.
“I can speak for myself, and if we have to move, I can move.”
I want to argue the reason we haven’t had an orgasm in over a week is because he’s still in too much pain.
Of course, that’s not the best argument when Scout doesn’t know about us.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that if Decaf were remotely close to being ready to get out of here, he’d be sneaking into my bed every night, and I would welcome him with no hesitance.
I would’ve begged him to wake me up with his mouth if I thought he was up to it, but he’s not. He knows it, and I know it.
“It’s still not urgent that we get you out now,” Scout says. “But Zeus and his family are ready to leave, so we’re going to get them out. Will you two be able to be here on your own for a few days?”
Alone with an irresistible, sexy man where we wouldn’t have to rush through blowjobs in fear of being caught? Oh no, that sounds terrible.
“We’ll be fine,” Decaf says.
More than fine. Can Scout leave right this second?
“Maybe I should check all the cupboards to make sure there’s no rat poison anywhere he could put in your coffee.”
I roll my eyes. “Are we back on this rumor about me trying to kill Decaf? Don’t you think I would’ve done it already if I was going to do that?”
Scout holds up his hands. “I dunno. Every time he calls you a kid, you look like you want to murder him.”
“We’ll be fine. Go. Get Zeus, Callie, and their kids out of here.”
“We’ll be back for you two.”
“Who’s going?” Decaf asks. “If you can all get out now, get out now.”
I grunt. “Here we go again.”
“We’re only getting Zeus and his family, along with Lemon and Atlas, to the border and coming back. Atlas and Zeus will get them where they need to go. We’re not leaving any man behind. End of discussion.”
Thank you, Scout.
“Border to Mexico?” I ask.
“From there, they’re getting on a boat to Ecuador.”
“And then eventually meet us in Montenegro?” Decaf’s voice holds that air of doubt, like he already knows the answer, but he’s asking anyway.
“Atlas and Lemon will be, but for Zeus …” Scout bites his lip.
“Meeting up with us might not happen. Ecuador is a nonextradition country, and he and Callie have spoken about not risking the kids’ lives further by following us.
Making it to Montenegro isn’t the end of the road.
It should be a safe haven, yes, but we don’t know how far the government is willing to go to take us all out.
They could send covert ops, black ops, CIA …
anyone to come for us. Zeus wants to cut ties, and that’s his prerogative. ”
“I know, but it’s …” Decaf can’t find the words.
“It makes it real,” I say.
“I get it.” Scout shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “Even though we’re all split up, we all have the plans to meet up eventually. Zeus is the first one to leave. Properly leave.”
We fall silent, the heaviness of this whole situation settling over us.
“You sure you two will be all right for a few days?” Scout eventually asks.
“We’ll be fine,” I reassure him.
More than fine.
As we wave Scout off, taking our only car with him, the anticipation in my gut is almost too much to handle.
Decaf turns to me. “You know what I’ve been thinking about since Scout said he was leaving us?”
“I think I have an idea, yes.” I glance down at his crotch, where he’s already sporting a semi.
“Oh, good. Same page. It’s day one of week three of my recovery, which means I need to start doing light exercise. Like walking. We could hike around here.”
That better not be what he fucking meant. I turn in a slow circle, glancing around at the mountains around us. Nowhere to fuck out there. “Except we’re under strict instructions not to leave the house. Oh nooo. What are we going to do?”
He steps closer. “Hmm, I have no idea. What were you thinking?”
“Well, walking from your bed to the wall to the kitchen and back isn’t getting in enough cardio.” I close the small gap between us. “We might have to come up with a way to get your heart rate up.”
Decaf’s tongue darts out, wetting his top lip, but he tries to hide it by pressing his mouth together. Like he has to think about my overtly obvious suggestion. “What’s good cardio? You know, sit-ups are out because of my stitches.”
“Agreed.” Even if his internal stitches should all be dissolved now, and Scout already took his external ones out a week ago. Still, I’m not going to suggest we do a HIIT workout. “Would have to do something where you could expel some pent-up energy but maybe have you … horizontal.”
He nods. “Like horizontal running. That’s a thing.”
“That’s not a thing.” I grit my teeth. “Stop teasing me, old man.”
A sexy smile crosses his face as he leans in and presses his mouth to mine in a soft but promising kiss. “Fine. Let’s do your idea.”
“You don’t even know what my idea was.”
“Nope, but I know it includes orgasms, so I’m in.”
“So you’re going to let me take charge?”
He hesitates. “I don’t know where I said that, exactly.”
“You suck at giving up control, you know that?”
“This should in no way be a surprise.”
“It’s not, but if you’re going to fuck me, you’re going to have to let me do most of the work.”
Decaf’s brow pinches, and he groans, but I can’t tell if it’s from having to give up control or the invitation to fuck me.
“What do you say? Think you can let go enough to fuck me my way?”
“Do I have any other choice?”
My eyes lock with his. “Of course you do. You could not fuck me.” Don’t call my bluff. Don’t call my bluff.
“You say that like that’s even remotely possible.”
I smile. “Right answer.”
To prove that I’m the one in charge here, I don’t drag him inside. I walk away and make him follow me back inside.