3 Go Take a Drive

 

Abby

“This is the first lead we have after thinking Pro is dead, and I’m just supposed to leave. Such bullshit,” she snarled.

Abby pulled to a stop at the intersection and sat staring at nothing.

Her family had been a wreck for so long. Months ago, Mom wanted to have a funeral for Providence. She and her sister Bethany agreed. Losing Pro wasn’t something they’d ever get over, but they all needed to say goodbye and have a bit of closure. There was only so long you could search and grieve. But Dad refused to let Pro go. Hope and April sided with him. Now they just didn’t talk about it, and the tension was noticeable.

Then out of the blue, two strange characters, aliens, show up with a letter from Pro. The story they told was too good to believe. It dredged up feelings she’d done her best to bury, because they hurt too much to hold onto—hope. And yet somehow it was just crazy enough, it had to be true.

“And I’m just supposed leave!” She shook the steering wheel.

It was like a kick in the teeth. She had just as much right to know what the hell was going on.

“Screw it. Dad’ll just have to be pissed at me.” She smacked the dash, mind made up.

Abby turned around and started heading back home. She was a few blocks away when something large darted into the road.

“Fuck!” She threw on the brakes. Her eyes widened, recognizing the hooded figure. “What the hell is he doing running around the neighborhood?” She quickly rolled down the window and hollered. “Hey!”

The giant man paused and spun around. In the halo of the street lamp, she could just make out his ruddy complexion.

Jesus, he’s huge. She noticed it earlier, but it bore repeating.

The giant alien considered her for a second, glanced warily behind him, as if weighing his options, then hustled toward the car.

What am I doing? The bravado she was feeling a moment ago waned without her father around. Are you seriously letting a giant fanged demon alien into the car?

Her eyebrows hit her hairline, when a black clad soldier emerged from between two nearby houses, heading straight for the alien.

“Shit!” That’s who he’s running from. She didn’t think twice, leaned over and threw open the door. “Get in.”

The red behemoth swiftly dove into her car, and she slammed on the gas. In the rearview mirror, she watched the Spec-ops soldier stop short. She screamed and swerved when the back window exploded a second later.

“Fucking bastard!” She corrected, hunched low in the seat and drove faster, the tires screeching as she took the next turn. “I can’t believe he’s shooting at us.” Her hands trembled on the wheel.

Except she could believe it. It also drove home the reality of who she’d just let in her car.

“Thank you,” the alien man rumbled.

“What is going on?”

“Your warriors attacked your house.”

“Dad called in the troops! Unbelievable!” A frisson of disappointment struck her. Her dad was all about rules and order, but in this case, normal rules didn’t apply. Anyone could see that.

“No, they just showed up, Peanut.”

She nearly hit a parked car, hearing the alien call her by the nickname. Not only did it come out of his mouth, sounding rumbly and deep, but it also translated through the strange contraption on his arm. She glanced over, and a snort burst out before she could muffle it. The poor guy was folded up in the passenger seat, his knees in the dash, and his head tilted against the ceiling.

“Sorry about the cramped quarters. There’s a button beside the seat to adjust it.”

He adjusted the seat but didn’t look any more comfortable. The car was just too small.

She turned at the next intersection. If she knew anything about how the government operated, they had to get out of the neighborhood before they were penned in.

“My name’s Abby, not Peanut. What’s yours?”

“Ashtoret de Origa.”

The foreign rumbled words didn’t translate. The last part sounded more like a rolling series of growls that she’d never be able to recreate.

“I don’t think I can say that. Mind if I call you Ash?”

“That is fine, Peanut.”

She looked at Ash sideways. He can say Ash-whatever, I’m sure he can say Abby. She shook her head.

“So, what happened with my dad and your friend?” she hesitantly asked.

“Your warriors have them.”

She nodded grimly, already knowing the answer. This is insane. A bipolar dream where hope and horror play tug of war. She glanced over at the alien in her car, the one who looked like a demon. He was very real, even had a name. But he wasn’t the frightening part. If the aliens meant her harm, they could’ve hurt her already. And seeing Providence’s note helped assuage much of that fear. No, it was her own government that scared her. Dad and the other guy are probably being hauled to some clandestine facility. Oh, God. She started trembling.

“I need to get to my cruiser.” Ash looked at the tablet strapped to his thick wrist. “We are heading the wrong direction.”

His comment snapped her back to the moment. Just focus on getting this big guy to his goal.

“It’s going to be difficult going the other way. I’m sure the Spec-ops are looking for this car now.” She frowned. The Feds probably called it in already, and every cop in Cocoa Beach would be looking for them. With the broken back window, they’d stand out like a sore thumb. “We need to ditch the car.”

“Is the vehicle malfunctioning? Can’t you just bring it to a halt? Why do you need to pilot it into a ditch?” Ash’s thick dark brow furrowed in concern as he braced himself against the dash.

Despite the crazy circumstance, she burst out in laughter at Ash’s misinterpretation. He looked at her funny, his obsidian eyes going wide.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll just pull over,” she giggled.

Ash’s concerned expression shifted into a smile. The corners of his mouth tipped up, showing off the tips of his fangs, and she grew instantly quiet. The smile was compelling and frightening at the same time. His powerful build, dark features and fangs projected a sense of danger that made her shiver. But there was also something easygoing about Ash’s demeanor. Despite being alien, he wasn’t bad looking. In fact, Ash was rather sexy, looking a bit like Alexander Skarsgård. It wasn’t really surprising her sister cozied up to one of the demi-gods.

“You are laughing at me because you weren’t serious, were you?” He chuckled with a deep rumble, making her smile again.

“No. It’s just a saying. Where should I park?”

“Near the river.”

Abby returned her attention to the road, keeping an anxious eye out for patrol cars or military vehicles. Every blacked-out SUV made her nervous as she headed for a side street near the Banana River.

“I think this is as close as I can get.” The longer they stayed in the car, the riskier it was.

“This is fine.”

She stopped at the end of a cul-de-sac and cracked the door to get out. Her eyes widened in horror as the dome light lit up Ash.

“You’re hurt!” There was a large red stain on the thigh of his cargo pants. “You were shot.”

“It is nothing. The projectiles merely grazed me.”

“Projectiles? You were shot more than once?” She gaped at him.

“It’s not a concern at the moment.”

Ash studied the door then grabbed the handle and opened it. It took him a moment to maneuver his oversized body out of the car. She blinked in shock then quickly yanked off her belt and got out.

“Are you sure? Cause that looks bad.” She waved at his leg.

“I’ve suffered worse. A Cadi warrior heals quickly.” He shrugged, like being shot was nothing.

Okay. I guess if he’s not worried about it. She turned her attention back to the car. It felt strange just leaving it. Dad will understand. What next? What next? She needed to get as far away from here as possible. If they hauled her dad in for questioning, they’d do the same with her. But what then? Fuck! I am so out of my league with this shit.

“Come, Peanut. My vessel is this way,” Ash rumbled in his natural deep, growly voice which was translated a moment later. He pulled his hood low and headed toward the river beyond the houses at the end of the lane.

“You want me to go with you?” She stared at the giant alien man.

“Yes. It isn’t right for you to be out here alone, especially with those warriors on the hunt. I do not appreciate the way they fired their disrupters at a female. Dishonorable,” he snarled, surprising her with his vehemence.

Abby nibbled her lip as she considered Ash. Granted she helped him evade the military, but she wasn’t sure if going with him was the smartest option. Then again, Ash was her only link to Providence, and he was alone with an army of hostile men after him. She couldn’t just abandon him. As frightening as all this was, that would be a supremely shitty thing to do to him.

“Okay.” She nodded.

She double-checked to make sure she had her purse then noticed her phone.

Crap! She grabbed it, quickly yanked the battery and SIM card, and stuffed them into her purse. Hopefully she hadn’t jeopardized everything.

Abby glanced around, nervously looking for Spec-ops hiding in the shadows as she followed Ash. It was weird creeping between the houses. She’d been a teenager the last time she did something like this, sneaking into the neighbor’s pool with her girlfriends. They’d been caught.

“What’s the plan?” she hissed when they reached the shore.

“Follow the river.”

She cast Ash an incredulous sideways glance.

“How far? All these yards back up to the river, and some of them have fences.” She pointed several houses down.

“We get wet.”

“What?” Her hand flew to her mouth when she realized how loud she was.

Ash wasn’t joking. He waded into the water, then looked expectantly at her.

“Do you have any idea what’s swimming around in there? And you’re bleeding,” she pointed out.

“I do. I met your not so friendly scaly beasts on the way to your house. He wasn’t too pleased when I refused to relinquish my arm.”

“An alligator tried to take your arm?” She gaped at the giant man. “How the hell did you get away?”

“I’m the bigger predator.” Ash shrugged. “Come on. You can swim like your sister, yes?”

“No one can swim like Pro,” Abby laughed incredulously. Providence was damn near a fish, with her search and rescue prowess. “You really do know Providence.” She smiled.

“I do not lie. Now come. I will guard you against the curious reptiles.”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she mumbled.

She didn’t even like wallowing in the Banana River during the day. Ash watched keenly as she tied a knot in her purse strap and slung it around her neck to keep it dry, then waded in.

“Holy fuck, it’s cold.”

“I would carry you on my shoulders, but that would be conspicuous.” Ash looked toward the homes on shore. “We will get dry when we reach the cruiser.”

“I’ll be fine.”

She trudged along with the water lapping at her midriff, while Ash swam beside her in silence. It was rough going in the dark, especially once the mangroves got thicker. Her foot got tangled in a root, and she pitched headlong into the water. Large, strong arms encircled her, plucking her up before she took in a lungful of murky water.

“Dammit,” she sputtered.

“Are you all right, Peanut?” Ash pulled a bit of reedy grass from her hair.

“Yeah.” She wiped her face.

“Will you be all right if we head deeper?”

“Yeah. My frickin’ cell’s probably a paperweight now,” she grumbled as she stared at her soaked purse. It was probably for the best. “Wait, how is your translator thingy not waterlogged?”

“Our technology is more advance than yours,” he said, matter-of-fact.

“Of course it is. Stupid me. You’ve got a space ship.”

“Your people aren’t stupid. Your communicator is very similar to our handheld. I’ve also noticed you use a variety of technology in everyday life. In your home I was amazed to see several display screens. Many homes on Cadi do not have such. And you do not heat with fire, like we do.”

“Really?” Abby knew there would be differences, but she assumed any alien to visit her planet in a space ship would have technology oozing out their pores.

“Our civil war made it so we did without all but the necessities.”

“You guys are at war with each other?” she asked, suddenly worried for her sister.

“No longer,” Ash said proudly. “And we’ve resumed our trade with other races. It is a time of great change on Cadi, and you humans have ushered it along. Come on.”

She wanted to ask what he meant, since it sounded like more humans than her sister were on his planet, but Ash swam into deeper water, effectively ending their conversation.

We’re looking for his spaceship, not socializing. Remember the men in black.

She paddled after Ash. Surprisingly she did feel safe as they tread through the lazy dark current. Granted the things brushing against her ankles were creepy as hell, but for some reason she trusted Ash when he said he’d keep the alligators at bay. He was built like a tank. If any man could wrangle a gator, he could.

They passed alongside one of the many Thousand Islands as they continued further into the open river. She was not a badass like her sister, who made Olympic swimmers look like fish out of water. Soon Abby found herself floundering. Ash kept casting concerned looks her way, one dark brow cocked up. She didn’t dare complain, just pushed through, ignoring the cramp in her side. It was downright embarrassing how out of shape she was.

Please tell me we’re not heading out to sea. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, she silently chanted in her most cheerful inner voice.

 

Ashtoret de Origa

I should’ve dropped her off at the last little island we passed. He dismissed the notion as soon as he remembered the reptiles. They would have no trouble making a snack out of her.

Ashtoret glanced again at Abby. Her breath was heaving out harder the farther they went. He slowed his strokes, so she could keep up.

“Almost there,” he encouraged after glancing at the handheld strapped to his wrist.

He grimaced when Abby nodded and nearly sucked in a mouthful of water. There was a sudden roar that came to life, and his head swung toward it. In the dark he saw the silhouette of a boat, speeding toward them. Another joined from the opposite side of where his vessel was hidden in the murky depths. He could just barely make out figures in the water where his cruiser should be.

“Son of a metcor,” he snarled.

He didn’t know how it was possible, but the Earth warriors located his cruiser. Ashtoret wanted to kick himself. His concern for Abby distracted him from his surroundings. He should’ve known the human warriors weren’t going to give up.

“What?”

“Wrap your arms around me now.” He grabbed Abby. There was no time to explain, the boat was rapidly closing in on them.

Abby did as he commanded, his authoritative growl making her move fast. Her delicate arms encircled his neck, her legs wrapping around his waist. Swiftly he dove and headed away from their pursuers, kicking his legs to get to the bottom of the river. He would’ve attempted to reach his cruiser underwater, but it looked like the dark-suited swimmers already located it. He headed down the river as fast as his limbs could take him.

Soon Abby’s grip loosened. He wrapped his arms around her, to hold her in place, and kicked his legs harder to compensate. She started thrashing and attempted to break free, her small hands gripping his arms. He groaned, knowing she was out of air. He couldn’t possibly surface yet; he could still hear the growl of the boat engines echoing through the water. Ashtoret grabbed the back of Abby’s head and brought her mouth to his, making a seal around her supple lips. He forced his tongue into her mouth, to get her to part her jaws. When she relented with a gasp, he breathed a lungful of air into her, then kept swimming. She sucked in hard, taking all that he had to offer. Momentarily, he was distracted by the way her mouth tasted watery and sweet. His tongue lingered, testing the firmness of her full bottom lip. Abby pulled away bringing him back to their predicament, and he pushed himself faster.

When Abby again struggled, he surfaced for a brief moment. She sucked in several gasping breaths and made a dismayed sound, just before he went under again. He repeated this for several rounds, till he no longer heard the boats, and was certain they were far enough away.

“Please, not again,” Abby panted, looking paler than before, if that was possible.

“No, not again. I’m sorry, Peanut.”

Ashtoret looked toward the numerous islands with their branchy trees. They needed to find a place to take refuge. Abby physically didn’t look good. No female should be subjected to the harrowing events that occurred this evening. That she was taking this so well was further proof she was Providence’s sister.

He flipped onto his back, taking Abby with him. In this position her head was out of the water. Abby relaxed against his submerged chest, as he did the backstroke toward the islands. He too relaxed as her breathing eased. He never had to care for a female, much less one so small and delicate. The daunting honor and the way Abby embraced him had him entirely riled.

They bypassed the first island, opting for one deeper inside the cluster. He found a twiggy mound and headed toward it.

“Oh, not here.” Abby shook her head, seeing where he planned to get out. “That’s a gator nest.”

“Ah. We best not agitate it.” Many species were downright feral when their young were at risk.

He swam further, finding a more promising location in the dark.

“Here?” He pointed.

“It’s hard to see, but if there’s no nests it should be fine.” Abby nodded. “I guess this little inlet is too small for boats to pass.” She shivered against his chest.

“Yes. That is my hope.” Ashtoret trudged ashore with Abby cradled in his arms.

“Are we waiting them out?”

“You need sleep and I could use some, too.”

“A flat spot to lie down is going to be hard to find with all the twisted mangrove roots, but beggars can’t be choosers.” Abby scrunched-up her face.

“No.” He laughed at her moue of distaste. “I like that saying.” Ashtoret picked his way through the growth, away from the shore.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll hear more before this sleigh ride from hell is over.” The distress in Abby’s voice was noticeable.

“I appreciate your aid. You are in this situation because of me. I will find a way to liberate Vintor and your sire,” he promised earnestly.

“Thank you, Ash. I couldn’t leave you back there. Believe it or not, I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into.” Abby attempted to smile. And though it was uncertain and tired, it still lit up her face. “You can put me down now.” She wiggled to get free, her hips grinding into his abs.

“No. Stay. I can tell you’re exhausted, and I don’t want you to trip. From what I know of your kind, my sight is better in the dark.” He also liked having her pressed against him. He was tempted to shift the arm beneath her lush behind, so he could cup one full cheek, but refrained.

Don’t get any smart ideas. Focus on the mission.

“Um, okay.” Abby sounded unsure, yet she didn’t release him, instead snuggling further into his grasp.

Ashtoret smiled. Despite his attempt to behave, his thoughts returned to the taste of her mouth when he breathed for her in the water. He stared down at her full lips, wanting another taste. His expression shifted to a frown when she shivered, and he realized just how cold she was. Abby’s hands were like ice where they inadvertently rubbed against his shoulders, attempting to suck up his body heat. And her otherwise ruby lips had a slightly blueish tinge.

She’s freezing. That’s why she’s humoring you. He instantly felt guilty for his wayward thoughts.

“Ash, why are you growling? Is your translator broken? It’s not translating.” Abby looked up at him in concern, her blue-green eyes going wide.

He instantly ceased the rumble churning in his chest. Don’t scare her, you dolt!

“That’s because I wasn’t saying anything. I’m frustrated with everything, and you are freezing.” He noticed a relatively clear area and came to a halt. “This will have to do. Now take off those wet clothes before you get sick.”

He put Abby down and started to strip off his own wet clothes.

 

Abby

“What?” Abby asked, her voice going up several octaves.

With only the moon above and distant city lights it was hard to see Ash as he pulled the soaked sweatshirt over his head, then began tugging off his cargo pants, but she saw enough.

Oh, holy bejezus, I don’t think he’s got anything on under there.

“Peanut, clothes off,” he insisted sternly, and she shivered hearing the deep rumble in his voice.

Ash reached up and hung his clothes over a nearby branch, so they could dry. He then got in her personal space.

“Do you need help?” he asked.

“Um, no,” she squeaked. “Just turn around,” she insisted, recalling how he said he could see in the dark.

Of course he can see in the dark, she cursed her luck while nervously biting her lips. She wasn’t ashamed of her body, but she also knew she needed some work in that department. This evening just gets better and better, she bemoaned.

“Fine. You humans are funny with your issues about nudity. You are so bold in some ways, and timid in others,” he chuckled. “I will contact my main vessel while you take off those wet clothes.” Ash turned around and startled fiddling with the translator on his wrist.

The sound of his laugh was pleasant, but she was too embarrassed to truly appreciate it. She turned and begrudgingly started tugging off her soaked jeans. The damn things refused to cooperate, but she finally got them off along with her squishy tennis shoes.

“Son of a metcor.”.

“What’s wrong?” She glanced over her shoulder.

“I should be able to contact Aculus, but I’m not getting through,” he growled.

Ash sounded downright frightening when he was frustrated. She hoped to never be on his bad side. The man called himself a warrior and looked every bit the part.

Fucking government! Of all the stupid bullshit. What moronic suit thinks the best plan is to attack the people who clearly have tech that could kick our ass? They came to help, and we started a war.

That was too much to contemplate right now. She shook her head and shoved aside the abysmal thoughts. There was nothing she could do about it. The only thing she could hope is that the few humans Ash knew, like herself and Pro, were enough to convince his people humans weren’t all douche bags.

Abby pulled off her t-shirt, then looked down at her soaked bra and panties. These are staying on. She hung everything on a branch then screeched when the limb dropped out of the tree. The tail of the giant python instantly coiled around her legs and started squeezing. She tripped, stumbling to the ground.

Suddenly Ash was there, grappling with the overgrown snake. The python attempted to twist around his arm, but he captured its head. His other hand snared its tail, preventing the beast from gripping her legs tighter. She heard a crunch and felt the snake twitch then go still.

“Peanut, are you okay?” Ash unwound the dead python.

Abby nodded as she stared at the shadow of the thick beast. If she’d been alone it would’ve killed her. The massive snake was one of those aggressive species invading southern Florida. This one was probably responsible for several missing dogs, considering its sheer size.

“Peanut?” Ash asked again as he knelt in front of her.

“I’m fine,” she stammered, drawing her knees up to her chest.

Ash wrapped his incredibly warm arms around her and pulled her against his bare chest. He was so large it took nothing at all to envelop her. And the man radiated heat like a furnace. She shivered as the heat soaked in to chilled skin. There was so much adrenalin coursing through her, added to his sudden overwhelming warmth and she felt dizzy.

Hey, Abby, how was your summer break? Well, I met aliens, my father was abducted by our government, oh, and I ended up snuggling with a naked alien in the middle of a fucking swamp, she rambled at the insanity of it all.

She knew the intent was to warm up, but this was too disconcerting on top of everything else. Ash clutched her on his lap, her breasts pressed against his rock-hard chest, a leg tucked under each of his muscular arms, while his massive palms spanned her back. The most awkward part was how she was spread eagle atop his crotch.

Thank God, he is wearing something over his business. Although it wasn’t much more than a scrap of fabric from what she could tell, and there was a very impressive bulge beneath it.

For the life of her, she couldn’t find a safe place to put her hands or rest her cheek. His chest was a mass of muscles. It didn’t seem right to cup his peck, like they were handles. And she wasn’t about to tuck her hands beneath her breasts. That was perilously close to his junk.

The hang-up wasn’t that she found herself in a compromising situation with an alien. She would’ve been equally rattled doing this with any strange man. Especially one built like a demi-god.

Boy is he built like a god. It was shocking just how similar they were. Of course, we’re similar. Pro is pregnant. How do you think that happened?

She wanted to ask about that, but the subject of how her sister met and then did the beast with two backs with an alien seemed a little unwise given her current position.

“Try to go to sleep. I’ll watch over you,” Ash rumbled.

The idea of being squeezed to death in the night was disturbing, but it was Ash’s heroics as he rescued her from the python that now had her focus. The intense mental image mixed with the sensation of his massive hand rubbing her back in continuous circles, his yummy heat soaking in, made it hard to dispel the mounting fluttery sensation low in her belly. Sleep was the farthest thing from her mind.

“Um, Ash?” Abby resisted the urge to fidget while perched atop him.

“Yes, Peanut.”

She didn’t really know what she was going to ask, but now she had a different question.

“Why do you insist on calling me Peanut?”

“Your sire said it so fondly.” His chest vibrated, making her nipples harden to little points.

“Oh.”

She didn’t have a response to that. Abby hoped making conversation would distract her from the awkward closeness, but the comment and the way Ash’s body flexed as he spoke only made things worse.

“I also find it amusing the way your nose scrunches up in agitation when I say it,” he chuckled.

She swiftly looked up at his face. She was close enough to see his impish smile, even though it was dark.

“Oh, now that’s just rotten,” she laughed at the alien’s ornery sense of humor.

His grin widened showing off his sharp canines. They were the kind of teeth you only found on predators. The sight of them should’ve scared the shit out of her but didn’t. Probably because Ash’s personality was so opposite to his savage appearance. Not to say he wasn’t savage, he was. The man single-handedly evaded Spec-ops with her acting like a weight around his neck. He could’ve ditched her to get away but didn’t.

“I’m sorry for the way my people have behaved,” she felt obligated to say. Her government’s fear was shameful and going to start some shit that everyone would end up paying for.

“I was warned to expect it. What I don’t understand is how your warriors located us so fast. I double-checked we were cloaked when I landed the cruiser. I also can’t figure out why I’m unable to contact Aculus or the others. I’m not even getting a read on Vintor’s tracker,” he growled in frustration.

“Well, you know what they say, no good deed goes unpunished.”

Ash huffed with a mix of amusement and disgust hearing the proverb.

“I wish I could help. I know where the Air Force base is and that’s about it. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go there, since it’s crawling with airmen.”

“Tonight, we rest. Then I will attempt to liberate my cruiser.”

They grew quiet. Only the sound of Ash’s heartbeat beneath her cheek and steady breath could be heard. Exhaustion finally caught up with her, and she lapsed into a fitful sleep.