Safe With Us

Chapter 21

21

LOGAN

I didn’t get home until after 2 AM, but it was worth it working on that case. My job has good days and bad days, and nights like last night are sickening, but rewarding, knowing we tracked down everyone involved in the child pornography case. Kelli’s case still had no new breakthroughs. One of my coworkers was able to get a ping in Farmington, New Hampshire from one of the Instagram accounts he had created to message her, but that was it. There are no hotels in the town, and he wasn’t able to triangulate an exact area. While it is possible that her stalker lives there, it’s unlikely since he was in Boston so much the first few weeks he was watching her. My skin crawled with the thought of him possibly looking around for her, but he was still far from us, if that was even where he was at one point.

I rolled around in bed, unable to get much sleep, until I heard Josh and Kelli heading down the stairs for our morning workout. Nothing sounded better than rolling over and closing my eyes again, but I had promised Kelli we would do everything we could to keep her ready for anything. I rolled out of bed, throwing on the closest shorts and shirt I could find on the floor, and made my way downstairs after them. Kelli was wearing the tiniest shorts I have ever seen and a sports bra that gave her ample cleavage, which absolutely made up for being up despite only about two hours of sleep.

“You look like shit, what time did you get in?” Josh points to my reflection in the mirrored wall.

My shirt is inside out and my hair is sticking up in all directions. “Late,” I run my hand through my hair and shrug at my shirt. “You want to play attacker today so I can just sit here and give pointers?” I ask Josh as I let myself slide down the wall next to the edge of the mat. Kelli looks up from where she’s stretching and begins crawling over to me. My foggy sleep brain zaps to life as I watch her hips sway and tits swell over the top of her sports bra as she makes her way over to me.

Josh bites his knuckle and grunts from behind her, as infatuated with the sight as I am. She plops on her heels as she makes it to me, leaning in for a quick kiss. “I think you look cute as hell, all sleep rumpled,” she purred.

I pull her into my lap, nuzzling my face into her neck. “Thank you, but you can’t do that again, baby girl. Josh is drooling behind you, and I’m not faring much better.” She throws her head back in laughter, exposing her neck which I nip at.

“Maybe I’m feisty this morning. Maybe that’s the reaction I wanted from you both.” Her breathless voice floats over my skin.

Josh stalks across the mat, pulling her up from my lap. “You can take it out on me, pretty girl,” he says before we practice. I coach her through ways to take him down while trying to avoid hurting herself. She was able to escape from a few scenarios, but neither were taking it seriously today.

Kelli crouches into a wrestling stance, eyes narrowed at Josh. “Come on, big boy, I know how much you like me on my knees. How about you put me there?” she taunts. The wide grin that takes over his face lasts just a moment before his feral side takes over, as he pins her to the mat holding her arms down with his legs. His erection strains through his shorts, inches from her face. They’ve been laughing and wrestling throughout it all, spending most of the time enjoying their sweaty bodies rolling around together.

“One more, baby girl. You’re going to grab Josh from behind, and he’ll show you how to get out of it.” She doesn’t even wait for him to set up, she just runs up and jumps onto his back like a spider monkey. Josh is the best for a reason, though, and he grabs her thigh before dropping his shoulder and flipping her onto the mat. Before I can coach her through how to get out from under him, he drops his hips to hers and brackets her head with his hands. Their mouths crash together in a torrent of passion as they roll their bodies together. “Alright, alright, training is over. Time to cool it down.”

Josh takes his sweet time pulling his body off of hers before helping her up. With a kiss to her cheek and a swat on the ass, he sends her off with me to shower while he wipes down the mats. Despite the rearranging of my dick, it was tenting my shorts as we went upstairs. Kelli made her way to my room with me, sneaking into my shower while I climbed right back into bed.

A phone chime wakes me up around 10, the chime being the one I had set for Kelli’s cloned phone. The screen lights up with another direct message, this time the screen name was ‘Your.Man.W.’ When I tapped on it, there was a photo of a map with little red x’s on it. It showed the lower parts of Maine and New Hampshire, and the upper parts of Massachusetts. Small towns throughout had red x’s on them, including Farmington and our town. He has clearly been busy searching, but we must be doing something right if he deemed her not in our town.

Josh and Brian were going to freak out that he had even gotten that close. The fact that I didn’t even know he had been in our area pissed me off beyond words. This was my area of expertise, my career for god sakes, and even I couldn’t track him. I was failing Kelli, and I despised that. She was relying on us to not only keep her safe, but to catch this guy so she could live her life and return to work. It was my fault that wasn’t happening, I should be better at this. She had to know that finding her stalker was on my shoulders, and I haven’t been able to do anything about it yet.

I find Brian in his office and drag him outside with me where Josh and Kelli are throwing a football around. We join in on their little game of pass, and I explain what my team found last night and tell them about the new message that came through this morning. I watch as Kelli’s shoulders sink in on themselves the longer I talk, while the guys' spines straighten and their expressions grow dark. My feelings on the matter are reflected on their faces. We were all feeling the pressure of him closing in on where she was, and the failures of not having found him yet were strong.

“So, where do we go from here?” Kelli asks, taking a seat in the grass.

“We keep doing what we have been doing. My team is doing everything they can, and we won’t stop until we find him. I won’t stop. I’m sorry I don’t have more for you, baby girl.”

“It’s okay, Logan, I know you’re doing all you can and I appreciate it.”

Brian crouches in front of her, pulling her chin up with his finger. “We will find him, Kel, we will help you get your life back, I promise. We’ve got you.” He drops a kiss to her forehead and squeezes her knee before getting up and nods toward the house, indicating he wants me to follow him.

We walk back into the house together, leaving Josh to cheer up Kelli outside, something we never thought we would say. Brian still looks like he hasn’t been sleeping well, but he was more active and engaged with all of us, which was an improvement. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, I just hate that we can’t do anything to find him. It’s killing me to know there is a threat out there, and I feel like we are just sitting on our asses, failing her over and over again.”

“I get it. I’m the only one failing her, though. I should be able to track him, and I just haven’t been able to. He’s too good, and he knows exactly how to hide his tracks. Maybe we need to start stalking him, finding people with criminal histories in the area that have the knowledge and skill to be able to hide from us.” I know I’m not the best or anything, but I pride myself on being damn good at my job, and this case is killing me because we have yet to solve it.

He grips my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s not just on you. You and your team are doing everything you can. We all feel the same way. Whatever we do isn’t good enough since he’s still out there hunting her down, yet here I am, twiddling my thumbs. This is not falling all on you. If you want to blame someone, blame me for not coming back for her years ago like I promised.”

We make our way back to his office, sitting across from each other. He was wrong, though. This isn’t on him and Josh, but it’s nice to hear they don’t blame me for not having found her stalker yet. “Remind me again why you won’t let yourself be with Kelli? Josh told me you said it’s because she needs her best friend right now, but you know you can be both at the same time. You love her too much to ruin the friendship if things don’t work out. And the bullshit of you feeling like you can’t keep her safe is not an excuse I’m accepting anymore.”

“Am I really keeping her safe here, though? We have been falling back into the easy friendship we used to have and that has to be enough.” There’s an edge to his tone telling me to drop the subject, but I’m tired of tiptoeing around him. We’ve all struggled with our PTSD and have made great strides; he just won’t accept that he is getting better and healing.

“We both know that’s not going to be enough for either of you. So, honestly, what is it?”

His body goes rigid as his eyes darken. “You want honesty? Fucking honesty? Well, here it is. She is my happiness. I will never be as happy as I am when I am with her. She is my EVERYTHING, Logan. For four years, I have let little chunks of my heart and soul break off and die being away from her. Pieces of myself I will never get back.” His glassy eyes on me show every inch of pain and truth in that statement. “The thing is, I don’t deserve happiness. The possibilities of a future with her, or anyone for that matter. I took away Caleb’s future. I robbed him of that happiness when I led our convoy into that trap. This is my consequence from that, something I have to live with for the rest of my life.”

Hell, I thought he had made progress in therapy. He shouldn’t be punishing himself to a life of solitude for something that was completely out of his control. There was no way for any of us to know we were driving into a trap, and Ashley’s death is not on him. “That’s a bullshit excuse and you know it. You’re scared, so you’re taking the easy way out.” I didn’t get to finish that statement before he jumped out of his chair and yelled.

“There is NOTHING easy about this! About not being with the woman I love. Her friendship is still more than I deserve, but I’m a selfish bastard and I can’t be away from her any longer.”

“We aren’t going to get anywhere with this conversation if you don’t get it through your thick skull that you have nothing to atone for. You nailed it on the head admitting you’re selfish, though, because you are stealing Kelli’s happiness as much as you are stealing your own. Every day that she is here with you, knowing she can’t be with you, is killing those same little chunks of her heart. That’s the consequence you should be thinking about.” I stood and walked toward the door, but stopped before I walked all the way out. “I love you, man. You are the best person that I know, and you deserve the best life has to offer. I’m quickly discovering that, for me, that is Kelli. I know it is for you, too. I hope you get yourself back in therapy or pull your head out of your ass and see that before it’s too late.”

The rest of the day was glum with all of us in our own heads. Kelli’s target practice with Brian lasted twice as long as the previous days. They stayed out there until it started to get dark. This whole situation was rough on Brian, and after our conversation today, I realized he isn’t just hurting; he is on the point of breaking. I didn’t dare interrupt their time together. That was probably the only time in the last few weeks where he felt in control of his emotions and surroundings. Josh and I had talked about me joining Kelli tonight, and I felt like I really needed the time with her. I needed to be able to hold her in my arms all night and know she was safe, know that she was mine.

When she came in with Brian that evening, I slipped into her room while she went to shower. In nothing but my boxers, I made myself comfortable on her bed and waited. Not knowing how she would respond to me here had my body brimming with anxiety. Kelli’s sweet floral scent drifted into the room as she stepped in, relaxing me again. She had her hair in a big bun on her head, a towel wrapped around her with water still dripping down her neck, slowly rolling down her chest in between her beautiful breasts.

Her smile was immediate and bright when she saw me waiting on her bed. “Hello there, handsome, I was beginning to wonder when I was going to find you in here.”

“Is this okay?” I ask, my eyes still tracking the water droplets moving down her golden, sun-kissed skin.

She walked to the end of the bed, waiting until our eyes met. Her dainty hands made their way to the small knot holding the towel in place, tugging it until the towel fell down around her. “Beyond okay,” she whispered, her gaze trailing down my body. My body’s reaction was instant, all the blood rushing to my quickly hardening shaft. My focus was pulled from her tantalizing hips, down to her strong legs, back up to her perfect pink, hard nipples and stunning, ocean blue eyes that were fixed on mine. She got on the edge of the bed, crawling over me until she sat, straddling my hips, lining us up perfectly with only my boxers in between.

“I want to take care of you tonight.” My hands reached for her scrunchie, pulling it from her hair as the wild curls flowed down around her shoulders. My hands itched to pull her to me, so I did exactly that. Letting my hands weave through her hair, I tugged her down to me, taking her lips in a scorching kiss. Feeling her melt into the kiss, I moved one of my hands to grip her hip while grinding up into her. I had to bite her bottom lip to stop a groan from passing my lips at the feel of her naked body on top of me.

Her hands reached for both of mine, grabbing them and holding them above my head as she laced our fingers together. “What if I want to take care of you?” She breathes onto my lips. I don’t think I have ever had a woman take charge in the bedroom, but I liked it. Her hips rolled over mine in a slow, tormenting rhythm, her lips gliding down my neck until she nipped at my ear. Blonde curls curtained around our faces as she kissed her way back to my lips, my hands squeezing hers to keep from taking control.

Her soft lips molded into mine, full of hunger as she swept her tongue along the seam of my lips. I opened up, letting her take what she needed, loving the feel of her tongue against mine. My hips ground up to meet hers, giving us more of the friction we were both craving. Our bodies flushed together, focused only on the pleasure we could draw from each other. We were so focused that neither of us noticed when Josh slipped into the room, taking a seat on the chair in the corner.

I slowly pulled back from our kiss, looking at the flushed beauty on top of me. “I came in here with the intention of making sure you were okay after today, and to ask if I could hold you all night, but this is just as good.”

Her eyes widened in mock horror, letting her nails trail down my chest. “You came here in only your boxers, knowing I was coming from the shower and would probably be naked, but you only wanted to talk and cuddle?”

“I’m with Kelli on this one, you wanted to fuck,” Josh piped in from his spot in the corner, scaring the shit out of us both. Kelli jumped and I tucked her behind me to keep her from falling off the bed while hiding her from view. Josh’s laugh was sinister, “Too late to hide her, buddy. I got the full, incredible view of her perfect ass grinding on you when I came in.”

I threw the pillow next to me at him, but he swatted it down. “How long have you been in here?”

“A few minutes, but don’t stop on my account. I’ll stay quiet over here.”

Kelli peeked from around me, giving Josh a saccharine smile. She climbed back on top of me, letting her fingers trace my lips. “I’m okay. Honestly, those messages to me all feel the same at this point. He is hunting me, and he will continue until he finds me or he is caught. I have accepted that.” Her gaze trails down me then moves to Josh. “While I would love to have you hold me all night, I really want to fuck you first. I don’t mind if Josh stays since it’s his thing to watch.”

The strength and resilience that she has continues to blow me away. I would give this woman anything that she asked for, and the fact that she was asking for me? Yeah, I would absolutely give her that. I grab her hips, flipping us over with her beneath me. “You’ve consumed my heart and soul. If you let me inside of you, there is no turning back for me. I will share with my brothers, but no one else. You are mine, baby girl, do you understand that?”

She blinked up at me, then leaned up for a kiss, but I pulled my head back. “Say it, Kelli. Say you understand that this changes things for me, and no matter what the future holds, you are mine now. Ours now.”

“I’m yours,” comes her soft voice before she reaches up to grab the back of my neck to give me a heated kiss. Her hips start rocking up into mine again, but I am not ready for that.

“Need to taste you, it’s all I have been able to think about,” I pleaded as I trailed kisses down her body, then settled in between her beautifully spread legs. Lavishing her soft thighs with kisses, I suck her skin into my mouth, leaving my mark at the apex of her thighs. I heard Josh’s chuckle and his muttered ‘caveman’ from beside us. Her floral scent fills my nose as I lick from ass to clit in one go, delighted in hearing her low moan. Circling her clit with my tongue until her legs squeezed against my shoulders, I then moved to spear her pussy. “You taste so fucking good, baby. You taste like mine.” I continue to lavish her pussy with my mouth. Taking my time, I licked every perfect inch of her pussy, trailing kisses on her thighs to rile her up as she pulled my head back to her slit where she wanted it most. With more slow licks I devoured every drop of her, winding her body tighter. My tongue flicked her swollen little bud before I sucked it into my mouth.

I feel her body start to tense around me, her breathing becoming more erratic. Inserting two fingers, I stroke her sweet spot as I suck her clit into my mouth, flicking it with the tip of my tongue. Kelli explodes around me, crying out my name as her orgasm crests.

With a satisfied smile, I sit up, licking my fingers clean. “She’s so pretty when she comes, I could watch it forever,” Josh’s gravelly voice sounds from the chair. I can’t hide my smirk as I look over at him, seeing him palming his hard cock through his pants as I slide off my boxers.

“Want to see it again?” His smile is down right feral as he finally pulls his eyes from Kelli to nod at me. He gets up to pull out a condom from her nightstand, handing it to me before sitting back in his corner to watch. I don’t think Kelli would mind if he joined, but the fact that he was staying there while we did this the first time shows how much he cares for us both. Maybe this sharing a girl thing wouldn’t be so hard to figure out.

Kelli’s eyes are locked on where I’m rolling the condom on. Her tongue slips out to lick her bottom lip before biting down on it. “Logan, I need you now,” she pleads.

My cock twitches as a growl leaves my throat, making me beg her to say it again.

“Please fuck me, Logan, I need you so badly.” I take a steadying breath so I don’t embarrass myself and come without her even touching me. Hearing those words leave her pouty lips while looking like an angel spread out in this bed under me was more than I could have ever asked for.

Gripping my cock at the base, I swipe it through her folds a few times before slowly pushing myself in. She is so tight, her pussy is like a vice grip around me, pulling me in further. My eyes squeeze shut as I focus on my breathing again, still sinking into her. Kelli’s whimper stops me, my eyes finding her focused on where our bodies are connected. “You like watching me take what’s mine, baby girl?”

She bites her lip again, nodding at me. My hips rock forward more, seating me to the hilt. Her stunning blue eyes met mine and stayed locked there while I slid out of her and thrusted back in. She felt incredible, this moment felt incredible. Finally being connected to her in this way was what I needed. I continued my slow, torturous pace of sliding out and slamming back in. One hand played with her pebbled nipple while the other rubbed her clit.

My body was begging me to really take her and claim her as mine, but I needed this to be as good for her as it was for me. I needed her to truly feel that this was more than just a first fuck. My hips picked up their pace, hers continuing to meet mine, thrust for thrust. I bent down to take her other nipple in my mouth, lavishing it with the attention it deserved before moving to the other. My hands moved to grip her hips as I angled her better and pounded into her faster, feeling her body start to tighten around me.

“Don’t… stop…” Kelli cried out beneath me.

“Are you going to come again for me, baby? Claim my cock like I am going to claim you,” I grit out. I could feel her holding back, so I sat back up, never slowing my pace and smacked three quick slaps down on her clit. Kelli came around me crying out her release, her pussy trying to suck me dry. I lightly rubbed her clit, drawing out her orgasm. Josh’s grunts pulled our attention, both of us watching as he stroked himself to completion, spurts of cum coating his hand. “You see what you do to us, pretty girl?” I whispered against her lips, picking up the pace of my thrusts, “Now it’s my turn to claim you.”

I pushed Kelli’s knees out, spreading her more fully for me. Looking down at her glistening pussy, I saw the hickey I left on her inner thigh. My need to mark her as mine again took over and I pounded into her, as her tits bounced in front of me, begging me to mark them. As the heat of my impending orgasm traveled down my spine, I pulled out of Kelli, ripped the condom off, and exploded onto her body. Ropes of my cum coated her breasts, stomach, and pussy until she was covered and my dick was spent.

I carefully leaned down, taking her lips with my own, as I uttered, “Mine.”

Josh groaned from beside me. “Yeah, yeah, you beat your chest and claimed her as yours. Can you get off her now so I can clean her up?”

Kelli’s giggle from below me sounded so sweet as I rolled over into bed next to her while Josh wiped her off with a warm towel. “Thank you,” she said, as she crawled out of bed and headed toward the door. “You make a good team,” she called over her shoulder as she walked out and headed to the bathroom.

I crawled under the blankets and waited until she made her way back to the room. Josh lifted up the comforter on the other side of the bed for her to get in, and she scooted over to my side while he climbed in after her. I reached out, pulling her body backwards into mine, kissing the mess of hair in my face. “You are incredible, baby girl. It’s my turn to take care of you now, though. Go to sleep; I’ll keep you safe and keep the nightmares away.”

She leaned forward to give Josh a kiss before snuggling back into me. “Thank you both for tonight. Goodnight, my guys.” We laid there until her breathing evened out and soft snores were coming from her.

Josh made eye contact with me over her head, whispering, “I liked the way that sounded. Being her guys.”

“Me too, buddy, me too. Night, Josh.” I was quick to follow Kelli into dreamland, where the three of us slept nightmare free all night.