We drove for hours down Indiana. Cornfield after cornfield interspersed with soy fields flashed by. I saw more fucking cows than I ever wanted to see in my whole damn life.

Up north, Indiana used to have a bunch of marshes, probably leftover from whatever big ass glacier created the great lakes. Down south, though, was more like the plains. Everything was flat, so fucking flat. I missed the hills and forests of New York, but it didn’t matter.

We were on a mission, and sightseeing wasn’t a part of that mission.

I last spoke with General Maron two years ago, just before I deployed for Syria. We hadn’t left things on a good note, and I had no clue how he was going to receive us. Truth was, he might laugh in my fucking face and tell me to go sit on a ten-foot pole, and I might even deserve that.

But I had to try. If there was one person in my life that could help us, it was Maron. He had serious connections, political and otherwise. He was the kind of person that you could count on to solve a complex problem like this.

I was a hammer. I could break shit, and break it very well. But Maron was subtler than that. Maybe I’d be that way too one day if I ever decided to embrace post-war zone military life like Maron wanted me to, but I liked being a hammer. I was good at being a hammer.

I didn’t know anything else.

I couldn’t just turn off the parts of me that needed action and craved excitement. I was a killer, trained in combat. I couldn’t just come back to civilian life and sit behind a desk like Maron did. He understood how to play the game, how to amass power without using hammers like me all the time.

Maron had subtlety. I needed to learn that skill, and learn it fast. Otherwise, I might be failing Piper. I knew what I was. I was a bad man, a dangerous man. I had skills that set me apart from most of the people living in normal society.

I was going to have to use all of those skills and then some if I wanted to make sure that we got out of this alive.

The base was situated in a small town at the very southern edge of the state. It was in the middle of nowhere, basically, and that was on purpose. The commanders didn’t want their trainees sneaking off base to go drinking or some shit like that, and so they made sure that the only thing worth doing in a fifty-mile radius was strictly controlled by the military.

Which meant there was just one motel near the base. It was about five miles away, a little Motel 6 chain place that was a total fucking dump, but it was better than nothing. We parked in the lot and I was already experiencing some intense memories as we stepped out of the truck.

I did a lot of my early training at this base. I was an idiot back then. I knew absolutely fucking nothing, and through the military’s training I became something. They broke me back then and remade me into the man I had become, and I was thankful for it.

But fuck, those were some good times, too. I remembered some of my squad mates, Jimmy and Leon and Bridges, all good guys. We used to go buy cheap moonshine from a nearby farmer and drink that garbage out in his fields until we were practically blind-drunk. Then we’d stumble back to base, sneak back over the fence, and puke our fucking guts out the next morning during physical training.

Jimmy was dead now. He took a sniper shot in Iraq. Bridges lost a leg during an IED attack that took out his convoy in Afghanistan. I couldn’t remember what had happened to Leon.

It seemed like I was the only one left that was still intact. None of those guys went through SEAL training, which was what set me apart in the end. Maybe it was what kept me alive through all the shit.

“Nice place,” Piper said as we headed toward the front desk.

“It’ll do,” I said. “What did you expect?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t expect to risk getting an infection tonight.”

I laughed. “Sorry, princess. We can’t all live up to your standards.”

“It’s not about that,” she said. “This place is just gross.”

She had a point, but I wasn’t going to agree with her.

We got a room from the kid working the desk and headed back up to our room. It was a good spot, in the very back corner facing the parking lot.

We got inside and instantly Piper went into the bathroom. She turned on the shower and sighed. “Hot water,” she said.

“We’re not in a third world country.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “But I haven’t had a good shower in too long now.”

“We need to get some new clothes, too,” I admitted.

“We really do.”

“Tomorrow morning we’ll stop in town and get some stuff.”

“Okay. But for now, I’m showering.” I watched as she took her shirt off and stepped out of her pants. She was fucking gorgeous in just a bra and panties and she stepped out of my line of sight toward the shower.

I was hard as fuck before I even knew it. All I needed was one look at her body and I knew what I wanted. She was gorgeous with curves in all the right places, and instantly I forgot about all my issues and problems. The only thing I wanted was her body, and I had to have it.

I stood and walked into the bathroom. I leaned against the towel rack.

“Gates?”

“I’m here,” I grunted.

“You startled me.”

“I guess I make you nervous.”

“That’s not it. I’m just on edge.”

“I know,” I said. “You’re on edge around me. I get it.”

She laughed and looked out from behind the shower curtain. I smirked at her and crossed my arms.

“You’re not so scary, you know.”

“You think so?”

“Nope. You’re a big teddy bear.”

“Didn’t you watch this teddy bear kill a guy earlier?”

“Who knows what I saw.”

“You should be a little afraid of me, Piper. I’m not a good man.”

“Why would you say that?”

“I’ve done things. I’ve seen things. I’m a killer.”

She went quiet for a second then shook her head and disappeared back into the shower. “I don’t care about that.”

“Maybe you should. I’m a bad man.”

“You’re not. You wouldn’t be doing what you’re doing for me if you were.”

“I just want something from you, that’s all.”

“What do you want?”

“You,” I said simply. “I want you. I want your lips wrapped around my cock. I want that wet pussy against my tongue. I want to hear you say my name again and again.”

“Is that all you want?”

“Maybe it is,” I said. “And you wouldn’t complain if it were. Because you’re dripping wet in there right now, and I don’t mean from the shower.”

“Gates,” she said.

“Go ahead. Pretend like you don’t have one hand between your legs right now, touching yourself as I talk.”

“No,” she said, but I heard it, that throaty whisper of pleasure.

“You dirty fucking girl. Go ahead and rub your nice little clit. My cock is fucking rock hard for you.”

“I’m not.” She let out a soft gasp.

“Think about your legs spread wide, your ass up in the air. I’ll take your hips and pin you down, hold you there. I can do whatever I want with your soaking little pussy, and the first thing I do is press two fingers deep inside of you. I fuck your cunt like that, pressing you down into the bed.”

I heard another soft gasp and a stifled moan, and I knew what she was doing. I stripped off my shirt and pulled down my jeans, my own cock hard as fuck. I began to softly stroke myself.

“Just as I get you close, I’ll pull your hands behind your back and make you beg for it. I’ll make you tell me how badly you love cock, how badly you need me to fuck your tight pussy until you scream. I’ll make you admit to all the dirty fucking thoughts you have, because we both know you’re a filthy fucking girl.”

“I am,” she moaned. “I am filthy, Gates.”

“Once you’ve begged enough and you’re a quivering mess under my hands, only then will I let you take my big fucking cock. I’ll take your wrists and rip into your pussy, fuck you deep and break you. I won’t show you an ounce of fucking mercy, Piper, because you’re mine. You’re my fucking girl.”

She gasped and moaned, and I knew she was working herself. Desire surged through my body and I couldn’t wait any longer.

I threw open the curtain. Her back was pressed to the wall, her right hand between her legs, her left hand cupping her breast. She was rubbing herself with this look of pure lust on her face. I grabbed her by the hair and pulled her from the shower, pinning her up against the sink. I kissed her hard, my cock between her legs. She dripped water all over the place, and I loved it.

My fingers found her soaking pussy as I pushed them deep inside of her. She gasped as I slowly moved them in and out, fucking her tight pussy with my fingers. She was so fucking tight but so soaking wet that it was easy to make her gasp and moan.

I took her hips and spun her around. She braced herself against the mirror as I lifted one leg. I pressed my cock against her pussy and pushed my lips against her ear.

“Were you touching your own fucking pussy in there thinking about me?” I whispered.

“Yes,” she said. “I was. I was being so dirty.”

“Do you want me to take you and fuck you however I want? Make you mine and destroy you?”

“Yes, please,” she begged. “I’ve been a filthy girl. Please, Gates, fuck me.”

I slapped her ass and pulled her hair. “You need to be punished. You need to have your pussy spread wide open and fucked.”

“Yes,” she moaned, and I knew she was putty in my hands.

That was when I gave her what she wanted.

I pressed my cock deep inside of her, one easy and clean thrust. I filled that pussy up and she threw her head back, moaning loudly. I groaned as I began to fuck her, rough and without mercy.

I was like an animal rutting her, fucking from behind. My body began to sweat in the heat from the shower, but that only made me want to fuck her harder. I put her leg down and bent her lower, slapping her ass. I loved the red palm prints I left on her perfect round cheek. I did it again, and again, until she asked for another.

I took her hair, pulling her head back, and thrust deep inside of her. I was destroying her tight pussy, dominating her small body. She was tiny compared to me, and that was what I liked. She wanted my big cock to take her deep and wide, make her the dirty fucking girl we both knew she was.

I grabbed her and turned her around. I easily lifted her onto the sink, spreading her legs wide. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I pressed myself deep inside of her again. I took her breasts into my palms and squeezed her nipples, teasing her. I bit her lip as I began to slide in and out of her, fucking her deep, her legs spread for me.

“Gates,” she gasped. “Oh my god. I’m so fucking close.”

I took her by the chin and slid my hand to her throat. I didn’t squeeze, but I held her there as I fucked her deep. “You want to come?” I asked.

“Please,” she begged.

“You’re not ready,” I said, fucking her rougher. I began to work her clit with my other thumb. “You’ll come when I say you can.”

“Oh god,” she gasped. “Gates.”

“You dirty fucking girl. You really can’t hold back. You’re too much of a slut to stop yourself from coming on my big dick.”

“Fuck me, Gates,” she said. “Oh shit, fuck me deep.”

My cock rocked deep inside of her, pressing her against the glass of the mirror. “Come for me, you filthy fucking girl,” I said.

“Oh shit,” she gasped, and I felt her whole body tense. Her pussy gripped my cock like a vice as her eyes rolled back.

She came hard and I continued to fuck her, working her clit. I wasn’t going to show her any mercy, wasn’t going to hold back. I needed this, needed to destroy her, dominate her, make her fucking mine. I could feel my own orgasm building up, building as the pleasure and intensity mounted.

Her orgasm slowly ended and she bit her lip, dripping wet and staring at me.

I couldn’t hold back. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I pulled my cock back and jerked it fast, coming in thick spurts all up along her chest. I covered her stomach and breasts with my hot cum, grunting and groaning the whole time.

“Yes,” she moaned. “Come for me, Gates. Come for me.”

“Oh fuck.” I came hard, the orgasm destroying my mind, making everything blank except for her.

Nothing mattered but Piper. I loved coming on her perfect fucking tits.

Slowly, the orgasm passed. I helped her down from the counter and we got into the shower together.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her like that as the water washed us both clean. I was suddenly exhausted, more tired than I’d ever been before. We held each other, not saying a word, because we didn’t need to say anything. We both knew what the other was thinking somehow, or maybe we didn’t, maybe it just didn’t matter.

It was comfortable and right. After all the shit that had happened, that was what I needed in that moment. Piper was mine, and Piper was right. She was comfort.

I had to hold on to that.