Chapter Forty-Two
Another explosion rocked the gulf floor, shaking the ground beneath Tony’s feet. “Are you all right!” he yelled, running into the bedroom where Naura stood, dressing in her sharkskin clothing.
The sight of her breasts peeking out from the material of her vest as she quickly laced it up made Tony’s mouth go dry.
“I am fine,” Naura assured him, tying off the laces and taking a seat on the bed to pull on her boots.
She stood and tucked a knife into the waistband of her pants, followed by a smaller blade that she slid into the lining of one of her boots. “The walk will be long. I have fashioned a makeshift sling for Arcanum that will allow us to take turns carrying him.”
Tony watched as she hooked the material over her shoulders like a backpack.
Skirting the foot of the bed, he laid a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “No matter what happens, you stay next to me. Understand? Do not leave my side for any reason.”
“I will stay with you no matter—”
He slanted his lips across hers, silencing the rest of her words. She tasted of warm honey and home.
Tony could spend the rest of his life kissing Naura. He wanted to peel her clothes off and make love to her forever.
Breaking off the kiss, he stared into her amazing eyes. “I’ve never known love on this level before. It excites me and scares the hell out of me at the same time. I’m going to be overprotective, unbearable, and a royal pain in the ass. A lot. But I’ll cherish you until I draw my last breath.”
Naura’s jade-green eyes, sparkled with unshed tears. “You have made me unimaginably happy, my mate. Once the human threat has passed, I look forward to beginning our life together.”
“Me too.” With one last kiss, he threw his black bag over his shoulder and took hold of her hand. “Let’s go.”
They struck out down the hall toward Hauke and Abbie’s room, only to meet up with them halfway.
“Do you have everything?” Tony inquired, glancing at Hauke.
“We do.”
Naura turned and presented Abbie with her back. “I made Arcanum a sling. If you will place him inside, I will take first shift carrying him.”
“What a great idea,” Abbie breathed, tucking the small child safely into the soft harness.
The four of them trekked off north toward the hidden wall that would lead them to land and possibly into the lion’s den.
* * * *
Vice President William Pratt hung up the phone and dropped heavily into the chair in his living room.
His heart pounded as he replayed Rueben’s words over and over in his mind. The Incola virus continued to mutate, killing its victims at an even faster rate than before, drowning them in their own blood.
A shudder passed through him at the fear of his wife and child becoming exposed. His baby daughter had yet to celebrate her first birthday.
He snatched up the phone again and dialed his wife’s cell. She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Jackie, it’s Bill. I’m cancelling the order to have the jet pick you up tomorrow.”
She grew quiet for a moment. “Why? What has happened?”
William filled her in on his phone conversation with Rueben, ending with, “If it’s mutating that rapidly, it’ll be airborne before long.”
“Then come up here with us.”
“You know I can’t. At least not right now.”
“But—”
“Listen to me, Jackie. Your mom’s place is secluded. She has a lot of land on the coast. You and Lily will be safe there.”
“And we won’t be safe with you?”
“For the time, yes. But God knows how bad it’s going to get. The president is bombing in the gulf as we speak.”
“What?” Jackie gasped, her breathing growing choppy. “I thought they needed the Sutherland woman alive.”
“They do. I don’t know what they’re thinking. But bombs in the gulf? There are a number of things that could go wrong like blowing an oil well…creating a tsunami. And that’s just to name a few.”
“Oh, dear God. Rueben’s lost his mind,” Jackie cried in a high-pitched voice.
William thought the same thing. “He’s taking this too far. He’s setting things in motion that our future grandchildren will feel for decades to come.”
There was a long pause. “What are you going to do, Bill?”
“I don’t know yet, but I can’t think and worry about you too. Promise me you’ll stay in Maine.”
“For now,” she agreed.
Relief poured through him. “I love you, honey. Kiss Lily for me.”
“I love you too.” She disconnected the call.
Bill remained seated for what seemed like hours. Rueben had to be stopped. If the president continued on the route he was headed, mass chaos would shortly ensue.
No. Bill had to figure out a way to clean up the mess Rueben had started before it was too late.
He slowly got to his feet and moved to stare out the window into the woods beyond. Life as he knew it had changed greatly in the past year and continued to change with each passing day. Before long, there would be no life left.
Pulling himself out of his reflections, Bill picked up the phone once more and dialed the White House.
“Vice President William Pratt,” he murmured to the familiar female voice that took his call. “Get me the president.”
“He’s in a meeting, sir. Can I have him call you back?”
“That won’t be necessary, Sally. I’ll see him in person this afternoon. Pencil me in for one o’clock.”
“I’ll let him know to expect you, sir.”
“Thank you.”
Returning the receiver to its cradle, William strode off to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. He had a long day ahead of him and probably wouldn’t get to eat again until dinner. If then.
He thought of his little family tucked away on the shores of Maine. He would do whatever he had to do to keep them safe, even if it meant exposing the CDC for the mutation of the Incola virus and the government for covering it up.
Someone needed to be held accountable for the viral catastrophe sweeping the nation. And that person was Rueben Howell.
William wasn’t stupid. He was fully aware of the position he would be in if he bucked the system and exposed the president. But the people had a right to know. They needed to take precautions for their future. A future that wouldn’t exist as long as Rueben remained in office.
Chapter Forty-Three
Naura entered an uninhabited cavern, holding the moonstone she’d been carrying high above her to light the room.
No beds or comforts were available, but the floor was fairly smooth and would do nicely to take a break on.
“Would you like for me to hold Arcanum?” Naura offered, setting the moonstone on a nearby rock.
Abbie sent her a small smile. “I can hold him, but thank you for asking.”
Tony took a seat on the floor and opened his bag. He retrieved some squares wrapped in shiny green packages and passed them around.
Naura readily accepted the gift. “What is this?”
“It’s called a granola bar,” Tony responded. “It’s not much, but they’re good for you.”
Naura tore open the granola bar and hesitantly took a bite. The flavor burst across her tongue in a delicious salty bliss. “I love it.”
Tony shot her a wink before turning his attention to Hauke. “How much farther to the hidden passage?”
Hauke opened a folded parchment. “I have never been there, but according to my father, it lies here.” He pointed to a circled landmark that had been hand drawn on the makeshift map.
“We have already come about fifteen miles,” Tony stated. “Which should put us at the passage in about an hour.”
Hauke shook his head. “We shall stay here for a while longer. Abbie and Arcanum could use the rest.”
“I’m fine,” Abbie protested, lifting her baby higher against her chest. “I refuse to slow us down any more than I already have.”
Naura noticed moisture on Abbie’s face. She leaned forward and touched the other woman’s arm. “Why do you cry?”
Hauke scrambled closer to his mate. “What has you upset, soul of my soul?”
Abbie wiped at her tears with the back of her hand. “I was just thinking about Henry.” She paused and patted Arcanum’s chubby little back. “And how he never got the chance to know his grandson.”
“I am sorry, my mate,” Hauke soothed, wrapping an arm around Abbie’s shoulders and hugging her close.
Tony jerked his chin toward the back of the room, signaling to Naura that they should go and give Abbie some alone time with Hauke.
Naura cleared her throat. “Tony and I are going to scout the rest of the rooms. You both should get some sleep if you can.”
Hauke nodded his thanks and tucked Abbie’s head beneath his chin. “We will be ready to move in two hours’ time.”
Naura accepted Tony’s hand, following close behind him as he guided them through the dimly lit room and into the darkness beyond.
“This is far enough,” he murmured, dropping his bag to the floor and taking a seat, pulling Naura down beside him.
Using his bag for a pillow, he offered her his shoulder. “Get some sleep, baby. We still have a long hike ahead of us.” He popped a piece of gum into his mouth.
Naura snuggled in close, loving the sound of his heartbeat beneath her ear. “What are we going to do if the entrance is no longer there? I mean, what if the humans have constructed above it?”
Tony inhaled deeply. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“Cross a bridge?”
The rumble of Tony’s laugh warmed her heart. “It means we’ll deal with the problem if we’re faced with it.”
“Naura nuzzled his neck. “I like your human phrases.”
“I’ll teach you as many phrases as you’d like once we get safely away from this place.”
Her stomach clenched. “This place is my home…”
Tony ran his hand up and down her back. “I know. I didn’t mean to sound insensitive. I only meant that it’s only a matter of time before they find it, and as long as we’re down here, we’re in danger.”
Naura pressed her nose against his throat and drew in a deep breath. “Your scent makes me want to take you into my body again.”
A deep growl rumbled inside his chest. “Naura,” he warned, tightening his hold on her.
“You do not want to be inside me?”
Tony gripped her hand and dragged it across his hip, stopping on the thick hardness of his erection. “More than anything.”
She gently cupped him in her palm. “You worry about us being heard?”
“Your brother and my niece are only about fifty feet from us.”
“Then we will move deeper into the cavern.”
With a groan of surrender, Tony stood, taking Naura with him.
He carefully maneuvered them away from their traveling companions, not stopping until they came up against a smooth rock wall.
Tony slowly turned her until her back touched the cool stone barrier. He leaned in, placing his mouth against her ear. “Don’t make a sound.”
Naura could only hang on to his shoulders as he unlaced her pants and slid them off before sliding his zipper down and freeing his swollen shaft.
He reached between their bodies, softly touched her aching center with the tips of his fingers, and slipped one inside.
Naura fought a moan as sensations scattered throughout her abdomen, leaving her weak in the knees.
Tony pressed his mouth more firmly against her ear and whispered,” You are so hot and wet. Do you like it when I touch you here?” He circled his thumb around the sensitive area.
Naura’s breath rushed out on a trembling sigh. “Y-yes,” she breathed, arching her hips against his hand.
Tony continued to manipulate her with his fingers until that incredible feeling she’d had the last time they were intimate began to build again.
He suddenly eased his fingers from her heat, gripped her ass, and lifted her onto his rock-hard shaft.
Naura wrapped her legs around him, biting into his shoulder to keep from crying out as he began to pump into her, holding her suspended for every deliberate thrust.
Fire raced up her thighs, centering on the place their bodies were connected, only to explode within, rocking her to her core.
Her entire body shook with the force of her orgasm, leaving her helplessly caught in the whirlwind of sensations contracting inside her.
Tony suddenly tensed, his head flew back, and his hips jerked in short, quick bursts. The snarl that left his lips ricocheted off the cavern walls, leaving no doubt to anyone within listening distance as to what had just taken place.
He shuddered and gently pulled from her depths. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Only my ears,” Naura teased with a quiet laugh.
Tony dropped his forehead against hers, his breathing uneven. “Very funny. Think they heard us?”
“Us?”
“Damn…”