Laying belly down on the mattress, I sketch, drawing the van we’re in, and the trees behind it. Huey lays next to me, sound asleep.

“Hey!” Warner slides up behind me, his warm chest flat on my back. I can’t help but grin and push back into him.

“Hey yourself.” I continue drawing. He’s been working on a fire behind the van, he’s really getting into this camping thing. It’s nice.

“Wanna go get a shower with me?” He kisses my neck, and I nibble my bottom lip, thoughts of him having me pressed up against the shower stall making my clit throb.

Rolling underneath him, my chest to his, I brush a hair behind his ear.

“Yeah, let me grab some stuff.”

“I’ll go warm up the shower.” He gives me a chaste kiss and leaves. My body slumps, the cold void slipping over my body like an isolated mask.

Pulling my bag out, I grab a tank top, some jersey shorts, and a bottle of soap from one of the hotels.

“Hey!” Screaming, I jump and turn around. “Sorry!” Ilsa stands there with her hands up, a wary expression her face.

“You scared the shit out of me,” I huff, holding my things to my chest. Huey is now up, his ears perked and alert. Her dark hair is everywhere like she just woke up, and she has on white shorts with the pockets sticking out against her pale skin, her white shirt with a skull on it barely covering her sports bra.

“So.” She crosses her arms and tension builds between us. Fuck. I don’t even know what to say. This is awkward. “You guys okay?” Ilsa asks.

Shooting her a look, I swallow and nod. I wasn’t expecting that, I figured she’d ask if we killed that guy. Though it was obvious we did.

“After the gas station or the donut?” I glare at her, and she smirks in knowing.

“You know the police are looking for you guys hard. They know you killed that guy. Was it on purpose?” She doesn’t beat around the bush, so I decide not to either.

“Look, it’s not what it looked like. That guy was nuts and wasn’t going to let us leave, I didn’t know what to do and –”

“With you guys already being wanted in Warner’s dad’s poisoning, nobody would believe it was an accident?”

My eyes widen, and my heart falls to the pit of my stomach.

“Wait, what’d you just say?”

“Yeah, when we saw your pictures on the TV, they said his dad was poisoned or something like that. It’s been all over the radio and TV.”

Closing my eyes, I try and get my shit together. Poisoned? Holy shit. Goosebumps race along my arms, and I suddenly can’t think.

“Look, about the donut, it’s nothing personal it’s just. It’s survival, we need shit to get where we are going to,” she tries to explain. Basically telling me she was trying to get us both sick, so what? She could steal our shit? Which means they’ve been following us.

I look up to the shower house, nervous that Warner may be noticed if we really are plastered all over the TV like Ilsa says we are.

“Anyway, I was just coming over here to tell you—”

Pulling the gun out from under the seat, I point it at her aimlessly, and she shuts up. I have nothing to lose, so why not shoot her.

“Get the fuck away from me before I shoot you, bitch.”

She runs her hands through her hair and takes a deep breath. “We’re not as innocent as we look either, none of us.”

Frowning, I try to understand what she means by that, but she takes a few steps back, gives a small wave and heads back to her van. I wonder what they got themselves into. Where she’s from… what they’re running from? Shaking my head, I focus on getting to Warner without being noticed. I push the gun back under the seat and grab Huey.

Getting out of the van I shut the door, and head to the shower house. My flip-flops the only noise on the paved road.

Passing a nearby camper, he chuckles poking the fire with a stick. The glow from the embers pressing an intimidating look across his face. Long hair, long beard, treacherous eyes, and a worn face. Averting my eyes, I look down at Huey who is following me, and hurry along. Hopefully he doesn’t know who I am.

Making my way up to the building with lights, there are four showers. There are bugs that are larger than I’ve ever seen hover under the lights, ones that could take small cats away in the night and nobody would be the wiser.

“Warner?” I call out his name nervously. What if there’s a fucking snake around here?

Huey barks, and I jump where I’m standing. He scratches at the corner, and I tiptoe over to see what he’s found.

A dead fish. Looks like someone gutted it and tossed the rest of it out. Using my foot, I shoo Huey away from the scaly carcass.

“That’s icky, no!” I use my motherly voice. Huey looks up at me, wagging his tail, tongue sticking out of his mouth. He has a way of finding dead stuff like no other dog I know. It drives me crazy. “So gross, dude.”

A door on the right clicks open, and Warner pops his head out, his blond hair wet and face flushed.

Oh thank God. I pat my leg, and Huey reluctantly leaves the fish to follow me.

Stepping into the shower room, he locks it behind us. His mouth is on mine, his tongue passionately taking mine into his. I need this. I need him to take my mind off the day I had. Using both of his hands, he skims the skin on my thighs and trails them upwards, taking my dress with him. He fists my tit, and my mouth parts, my eyes becoming heavy with desire. His lips are on my neck, his hands all over my body.

“Take me right here, Warner. Fuck me.”

He growls, nipping my neck. His fingers finding my urgent desire between my thighs. My knees nearly buckle from the pleasure shooting through me.

Water sprays against my back as he pushes me against the shower wall. The spray now rushing down my front. He sucks the cascading droplets from my nipples, lapping one into his mouth. Butterflies explode in my stomach, God I need more of him.

Grabbing me by the thighs he lifts me, and I wrap my legs around him. The tip of his dick slides against my heat with ease and I want nothing more than to push myself down on it.

“Fuck.” He stills.

“What?” I pant.

“I forgot to get a condom.” Looking at each other, we try to decide if it’s worth going to the van for.

Fuck, I’m not on the pill. He needs to go get it.

Letting my feet down, I sigh. “Go get one. I’ll wait.”

Stepping out of the shower spray, he jerks up his jeans and zips them, not caring to button up.

“I’ll be back in like two seconds!”

“Better make it quick or I’ll take care of myself.” I glance over my shoulder, my hair hanging down my back.

Biting both of his lips, he gives me a once-over.

“Don’t you dare!”

He leaves, and I decide I better wash now because when he gets back, we’ll be too busy to think about washing.

Pouring some green soap in my hand, I lather it onto my skin and look down at Huey who is asleep on the floor, away from the splash of the shower. The smell of a wet rainforest lavishing my skin feels so good I close my eyes. Being on the road sure does make me feel dirty.

I hear the door open, and I hum to myself waiting for Warner to pick up where we left off.

“About time,” I state sultry.

Large hands slide up my wet hips, and I open my eyes. The hands are too large, and rougher than Warner’s. Just as foreign fingers touch the mounds of my breasts, I glance down and find greasy fingers groping me. Gasping, I turn where I stand to find the creepy man from the neighboring campsite. I scream, and he clasps a hand over my mouth. The smell of campfire smoke and sweat filling my lungs.

Fear ripples up my spine and the water splashing down on me suddenly feels ice cold.

Huey whines and shoots out the door the best he can with his cast, barking hysterically and leaving me alone with this monster. He better not be leaving me to go back to that damn fish.

“Pretty little nipples you got there,” Creepy Camper growls in my face, looking down at my soapy breasts. His long greasy strands of hair hang low around his chin. A tear falls down my cheek, but you wouldn’t know it from the spray of the shower. His dull gray eyes try and pierce mine, laying a blanket of forever lasting fear. So I look away, not allowing him the power to ruin me. He chuckles as if he knows what I’m doing, this must not be the first time he’s done something like this. It terrifies me more.

“Here, tight little pussy pussy,” he laughs, and I close my eyes, trying to breathe through what’s about to happen then I hear it. The faint song “Never Be The Same” by Camila Cabello. Glancing up through wet lashes I spot a radio on a windowsill, my eyes trailing down the cord into a plugin. I didn’t notice it before, but I was so caught up in Warner, how could I?

The man grasps me by the neck with one hand, the other on my wrist against the wall. I tug away, trying to fight him, and he fights back. Gripping my wrist, the force breaks one of my bracelets and beads scatter to the floor, thrusting me against the wall using my neck his face is inches from mine, his rancid breath toxic and making me want to hold the little breath I have in my lungs.

My back slides along the cold tiles as he lifts me up, and my toes barely touch the slippery floor. Both of my hands try to pull his fingers away from my neck, but it does not good. He’s too strong. His dirty fingers tickle the pubic hair between my legs and I cry out, trying to kick him away. He laughs, getting off on my fear.

“Feisty little pussy!”

My body suddenly feels cold as I slip into survival of what’s about to happen. I’m going to be raped. It’s really going to happen this time. Maybe I should pretend I’m someone else. Not River. This isn’t happening to me, it’s happening to someone else.

“You probably won’t like this, but I will!” He laughs, and I begin to shake. This is as real as it gets.

“WARNER!” I scream hysterically. The man cups my mouth and I have to breathe through my nose, my eyes wide with panic. He jerks his jeans open and pulls out a dirty looking cock. It’s got lint sticking to it, and the musty smell makes me gag behind his cigarette smelling fingers.

Huey barks and the bathroom door swings open. Warner steps in and his eyes go wide at the scene before him.

“Get the fuck off her!” Warner starts punching the guy, his face red and muscles bulging. The nasty camper lets go of me and drop to my knees.

Quickly I crawl underneath them, my palms slipping on the wet tile, making my way to the door.

The grimy man slips trying to swipe at Warner and falls to the floor.

Warner jumps back and looks to me, his eyes noticing the radio on the ledge. His face drops and his hand reaches for the black electrical cord that’s attached to it.

“Warner, you don’t have to.” I try and stop him. Killing someone is something he’ll never come back from. I should know.

“Nobody will touch you and get away with it. I told you that.” His voice is so stern and strong I don’t recognize the feral beast that stands in front of me.

With one stern yank, Warner jerks the old looking radio. It falls all the way down, right into the puddle the fucking jerk is laying in. It electrocutes him, the lights flickering as his body shakes and stiffens under the shower head. The smell of burnt flesh and hair making my nose scrunch. I don’t take my eyes off him, as finally the electricity gives and everything goes dark. I don’t feel numb, I don’t feel regret, I feel in control. This man tried to take my power from me, and I got it back by a simple tug of a cord by Warner.

I should have done something like this to Brick. The feeling of seeing this man hurt, and not move does something to me. It turns me on, it makes me feel powerful. Like karma swooped down and sucked the life from him.

Warner wraps his arm around my neck, kissing my temple.

“You’re safe with me,” he whispers. Closing my eyes, I take it in. The smell of burnt skin, and the security of Warner’s arm around me. I’m safe. I know it. Warner has done more than say it. He’s shown it.

Warner takes his arm from around me and reaches into the pockets of the grubby fucker who had his hands all over me. I feel dirty, the clean smell of bamboo and coconut fading away with something sour. I want to pull him out of here and leave him in the woods for coyotes to find, just in case he’s not fully dead.

“What are you doing?” I whisper.

“Taking his fucking money,” he growls, ripping a fifty-dollar bill from his wallet. Warner grabs the man’s wrist, a chunky silver watch dangles. “I’ll take that,” Warner clips, putting it on his own wrist. Turning his hand, he shows me.

“It looks really good on you,” I laugh. It does, it does something to Warner. Makes him look sexy and sophisticated.

His eyes come back to mine, worry creasing his forehead.

“Are you okay, did he…” His eyes fall to my torso and I swallow.

I look down, not wanting to think about it.

“I’m fine. Nothing you can’t erase,” I mutter under my breath. My eyes scan the man before me. Not a boy, or some high school dropout. A fucking man that saved me from a predator. Our love started out young and indifferent and grew into something dark and obsessed. Warner isn’t just any animal, he’s on top of the fucking food chain.

God, I need him. I need him to touch me. To take the ugliness away. Only Warner can bring me away from the ugliness that tries to taint my mind and soul.

Grasping me by the nape of my neck he kisses my forehead, and I close my eyes. Feeling only his hands on me. His breath, his scent all around me.

“Warner…”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck me now. Take his touch away now.” The vulnerability I was trying to mask, cracks through my feigned confidence. Tears fill my eyes, fear filling my chest.

Picking up my clothes, he pulls a shirt over my head, and my body shivers.

Bending over, he picks me up princess style and pushes the door open. The lava bead bracelet I gave him sliding down his wrist. My mind drifts to my grandmother telling me the story about if the beads were taken from the island, they’d cast a bad spell upon you until returned. I can’t help but wonder if these beads are spelled with bad luck.

Pulling Warner close, I breathe him in. What would have happened if Warner wasn’t here?

Warner takes me to the van, climbing inside, Huey jumps in beside us, and Warner shuts the door and hovers above me in seconds.

In between my legs, he kisses me softly, his hands all over my curves. The tip of his dick brushing up against my clit. Licking my lips, I unbutton his pants and hurry him along, needing him more than I ever have.

“Yes, touch me,” I whimper, needing the smell of Warner all over me, his body to take over my senses. “Touch me here!” Grabbing his hand urgently, I place it between my thighs. Gyrating myself onto his fingers.

“You’re mine River, this is all mine,” he groans, pumping eager fingers in and out of me.

“I need more,” I whisper breathlessly, reaching for his throbbing cock. I need him to touch me everywhere, to take my mind off of grubby men.

He sheathes his dick in a condom and pushes inside of me with one quick thrust, filling me in seconds.

“I told you, nobody will touch you like that and get away with it.” He promises me, his body heavy on mine. I lock eyes with him.

His elbows on each side of my head, he makes love to me like he never has before. It’s slow, but just enough. His skin sweating and leaving his scent all over me. The little touches on my skin, and the circling of his thumb on the side of my ribs I fall more than into ecstasy. I fall in love with him.

We both come at the same time, both silent, only heavy breathes giving away our satisfaction.

His head pressed to mine, his eyes closed, I breathe him in. Only him. God I was so scared tonight. If it wasn’t for Warner… I clench my eyes shut. It was just like Brick Chasings trying to rape me, only Brick didn’t have any repercussions. I made sure this asshole did, and if felt good to have that control.

“I love you, River Addington.”

My heart kickstarts, my eyes wide open. “Love?”

Opening his eyes, he looks at me. “Yeah. You’re all I think about when I’m away from you, when I’m with you all I’m thinking about is how to get closer to you. You make everything better, even the bad parts of my life.”

I cry. I cry because he’s not going to love me when I tell him something I was afraid of the day I heard his dad died.

“Warner…”

“Yeah.” He smiles like he’s waiting for me to say I love you back. I do love him, but before I give the last piece of myself to him, I need to tell him something even more important.

“I killed your dad.”