Savior (An Impossible Novel) (28 page)

His gentle smile returned as he entered and settled himself down in a chair on the other side of my bed.  “I’m not going anywhere unless you ask me to,” he assured me.

“Thanks,” I said softly, enveloped by a warm, safe feeling as the two powerful Doms watched over me.  I knew nothing bad could happen to me so long as they were by my sides.

But now that I had overcome the hurdle of thinking that Clayton hated me, questions began to buzz through my fuzzy mind.  “How did you find me
?”  I asked.  I had thought locating me would be impossible.

Clayton looked slightly reticent, but Smith answered me smoothly.  “Mr. Stickler here is hesitant to break the rules,” he jerked his head in Clayton’s direction.  “But everyone’s used to me not giving a shit about the rules, so I’ll probably be able to get away with telling you this.”  He fixed me with a serious look.  “But it is classified, Rose, and if it leaves this room an agent’s life will be at stake.  You can never talk about this to anyone.”

I nodded my understanding.  “I won’t.  I promise.”

“Santiago – the man who tried to stop those motherfuckers from hurting you – is one of ours.  He’s been in deep cover with
Los Muertos
for over a year now.  He risked his life by going into unstable
Furiosos
territory in order to locate you.  As soon as he was able to get word to us about where you were being held, we came for you.”  His expression was slightly pained.  “I’m just sorry we didn’t get there sooner.”

I dropped my eyes.  “You got there in time,” I said quietly.  “I…  They didn’t…”  I trailed off, unable to force out a description of the
terrible things those men had wanted to do to me.

Smit
h’s jaw tightened.  “I know they didn’t,” he said angrily.  “But it still wasn’t soon enough.  I saw the recording.”

My stomach clenched painfully, and I shot a terrified look at Clayton.  Oh, god.  Had he seen…?

“I didn’t watch it, Rose,” he reassured me.  He glanced over at his friend.  “Smith wouldn’t let me.”

“Believe me,” Smith said, “I’m going to have more than enough nightmares for the both of us after seeing that.”  His hands were clenched into fists, but his eyes were haunted.

“What did you do to them?” I asked quietly.  “I heard gunshots and screaming.”

“I didn’t do enough,” Smith said roughly.  “Clayton was more vicious than I was for once.  I shattered the leg of the guy who was holding you, but Clayton shot the other one’s dick off.  Neither of them bl
ed out, but I’m pretty sure Ramirez’s time served will be short and incredibly painful.”  His mouth was twisted in grim satisfaction, and he was looking at Clayton with respect.

I nodded sharply.  “That’s good to hear.”  And I meant it.  I wasn’t a violent person, but that demon o
f a man deserved everything he had coming to him.

But the sharp movement sent pain spiking through my skull, and I cried out as I clutched my pounding head.

Something warm and wonderful oozed into my veins, and I dropped my hands from my face in puzzlement.  I saw that Smith was holding down the button that dispensed my pain medication.

“Hey!”  I protested.  “You can’t do that!”  But my words were slurred as my tongue suddenly felt thick and unwieldy in my mouth.

Smith just shrugged, not looking apologetic in the slightest.  “I just did,” he informed me coolly.

My body became wonderfully light, and the bed fell away from beneath me, leaving me floating on warm, fluffy clouds.  My vision began to waver at the edges, and Clayton’s face blurred.  I panicked.  I didn’t want to lose sight of him.  I didn’t want to be alone.

I tried to reach for him, but my hand barely twitched.  A low, frustrated sound fought its way up my throat.

He was by my side in an instant, his face hovering just over mine.  “
It’s okay, Rose,” he reassured me.  “You can sleep.  I’m not going anywhere.  I love you so much.”

I love you too.

The world was a blur of shifting colors, but the multifaceted shades of his cerulean eyes were sharp and clear.  I surrendered to the drugs as I allowed myself to fall into their blue depths, where no pain could ever possibly exist.

Epilogue
Clayton

One Month
Later

Claudia was undeniably beautiful in her floor-length, form-fitting white gown, her beatific expression as she stared up into Sean’s eyes only making her all the more breathtaking.  I was standing at the altar, listening
to the sweet, sincere vows she made to Sean and those he made to her in return.  They were looking at one another as though no one else existed in the world as they pledged themselves to each other forever.

But I only noticed this with part of my mind, because I was staring at Rose with the same fervent light where she sat with the congregation.  Trapped in the intensity of my gaze, I saw her blush slightly.  Her eyes were shining as she was caught up in the palpable joy that filled the small chapel.  She was the most hear
tbreakingly exquisite thing I had ever seen.

The service ended, and Rose cheered and whistled alongside everyone else as Claudia and Sean r
an through the rose petals their guests tossed at them.  Sean’s grin was wide and almost boyish as he was completely possessed by the perfection of his happiness.  And Claudia’s answering grin was just as silly.

Only a few weeks
ago, the sight of their happiness would have stirred up jealousy that I would have had to ruthlessly tamp down.  But now that I had Rose in my life, I could fully appreciate the insurmountable depth of their feelings for one another.  Because I felt exactly the same way about her.  She had blown into my life like the force of nature she was, turning my world and all of my preconceived notions about myself upside down.  Before I had known her, I had lived every day with the weight of what had happened to Jen, struggling down my path to redemption that I knew would never have an end.  I had allowed myself to become consumed by the need to make up for what I had done to her, and I had allowed my life to stall out because of it.

But Rose hadn’t given up on me, and even when she was deeply hurt by the thought that I saw Jen every time I looked at her, she had forced me to see that I wasn’t responsible.  I hadn’t even been aware of what a heavy burden I had been carrying all those years until the weight of it was lifted from me.  Rose’s refusal to allow me to continue blaming myself ha
d freed me to be the person I was supposed to be, to live the life I had been meant to live.

And now I fully intended to live it with her.

An hour later, the sultry sound of Etta James singing “At Last” surged around us as we danced, Rose’s body pressed so tightly against mine that it was almost obscene.  But I didn’t care.  Hell, I wanted people to see.  She was mine and no one else’s.  Unless I decided to share her.

Her delicious, sweet scent surrounded me.  She always smelled positively edible.  It took all of my willpower to stop myself from wrapping her hair around my fist and holding her where I want
ed her so I could plunder her mouth in an effort to consume her.  But now wasn’t the time for that.  This was Sean and Claudia’s night.  I could devour Rose after the reception was over.

In moments like this, I was struck by the incredible changes that Rose had wrought within me.  No.  That wasn’t right.  She hadn’t changed me.  She had shown me an integral, essential part of me that I had never allowed myself to recognize, just as I had done for her.  If
someone had told me two months ago that I would own a beautiful submissive and be frequenting BDSM clubs, I would have politely told them they were batshit insane.  But now nothing felt more natural or perfect than controlling Rose’s body, than earning her sweet submission.  I was overawed every time she willingly placed herself at my mercy, trusting me completely.  The feeling was both heady and deeply passionate on a level that transcended physical pleasure.  Although the physical pleasure itself was pretty fucking phenomenal.

The song ended, but I didn’t let Rose go.

“Hey, Clayton.  Do you think you could stop dry-humping Rose for long enough for me to get a chance to talk to her?”

I laughed and pulled away from Rose, but I kept my arm firmly around her waist where she stood at my side.  “Okay,” I told Claudia.  “But you’re only getting away with that because you’re the bride.”

She grinned at me.  “Yes, I am.  And as the bride, I demand to be allowed to talk to your girlfriend, if you can manage to let her go for more than thirty seconds.”  She turned her smile on Rose.  “I’m pretty pissed at him for not bringing you to Indianola sooner.  I hear all of these great things over the phone, but then he keeps turning me down every time I invite the two of you to come over for the weekend.”

“Really?”
  Rose asked, shooting me a disapproving look.  “I had no idea.  It must have slipped Clayton’s mind to ask whether or not I wanted to come.”

“It didn’t slip my mind,” I
shrugged.  “I just thought you would want to stay focused on Greg and on your first semester at school.”

I did my best to hide my disgust at the mention of Greg.  He had gotten through rehab, and once he was clean he had been able to testify against
Los Furiosos.
  The fact that he had helped us to eradicate one of the tribes of the Latin Kings did little to dilute my distaste for him.  But despite what he had put her through, Rose still loved him fiercely, so I would put up with him for her sake.  That didn’t mean I had to like him, though.

“Rose is on a full scholarship at the Fashion Institute of Technology,” I told Claudia proudly, deciding to focus on the positive.

Claudia rolled her eyes at me.  “Yes, I know.  You’ve told me that a time or twenty.”  But her exasperation melted when she turned her smile on Rose.  “Congratulations!  That is seriously awesome.  Do you think I would be able to see any of your designs?  Do you have a website or something?”

“You’re looking at one right now,” I told her.
Even though Rose had said she was trying to wear something understated so that she wouldn’t compete with Claudia, she still looked stunning in her indigo silk cocktail dress.  The color highlighted the dark blue rings that surrounded her irises, making her remarkable ice green eyes pop.

“Wow!”  Claudia said, sounding truly impressed.  “You made this?  I am
so
raiding your closet the next time Sean and I are in New York.”

Rose smiled at her, blushing slightly at the praise.  She still wasn’t used to people being impressed with her designs.  “No closet raiding will be necessary,” she assured Claudia.  “I’ll make something for you.”

“Really?”  Claudia’s eyes widened slightly.  “That would be amazing. You really don’t have to do that.  I know how busy you are.”

“I’m happy to do it,” Rose assured her.

“You’ve been gone a long time, beautiful.  I was worried you might have run off.”  Sean’s arm snaked around Claudia’s waist as he pulled her tightly up against him.

“Did you hear that?”  She asked him.  “America’s Next Top Designer is going to make something just for me.”  She arched up onto her tiptoes and planted a swift kiss on his cheek.  “And running would be futile.  You would catch me in a heartbeat.”

Sean wrapped his other arm around her back and pulled her up into his chest.  His eyes narrowed dangerously, but there was a small smile playing around his lips.  “I dare you to try, little one.”

When Claudia answered, her voice was slightly breathless.  “Oh, I wouldn’t dare.  Besides, we still have all of season three of
Game of Thrones
on our TiVo.  I’m definitely not leaving until I’ve finished watching it.”

Sean gave a low growl at her flippant words, and his hand closed around the nape of her neck as he crushed his lips to hers in a fierce, possessive kiss.

Rose tugged at my hand.  “Ah, I think we should give the happy couple some space,” she whispered.  I allowed her to lead me through the crowd, following her out of the tent and into the cool night air.  The reception was being held in a park just outside Indianola, and the lack of city lights allowed the stars to be visible overhead.  Rose sat down on the edge of a picnic table, looking up at them and smiling.

“I really would like to come here again sometime,” she said.  “I love living in New York, but it would be nice to get away from the city from time to time.  You feel so isolated out here.  It’s really quiet and peaceful.”

The smile I turned on her was predatory as her words brought to mind a decidedly wicked scenario.  I gripped her chin between my thumb and forefinger, holding her so she was forced to look into my eyes.  Her breath quickened instantly at my touch.

“Yes,” I agreed softly.  “It is rather isolated out here.  I think I’m beginning to share your appreciation for the great outdoors.”  I placed my hand on her shoulder, pushing her firmly down until her back was against the damp wood of the picnic table, her legs still dangling over the edge.  I lowered my lips
to her ear, loving the way she trembled beneath me as her desire began to claim her.  “This would be one of those times when you’ll call me ‘Master’ outside of the bedroom,” I informed her in a low voice. 

“Yes, Master,” she moaned softly beneath me, arching her back so that her breasts were pressing up against my chest.