Captive, Mine(31)

“Nothing you need to worry about. Come on, make the call, tell him you’re okay. The sooner he testifies, the sooner this is done and the sooner we can stop running.”

“You know we’ll never really be able to stop running, don’t you? I mean, I don’t fool myself with the naive idea that once my dad’s testified and Randall is behind bars where he belongs, that he’ll just call it good and live out his days locked away in a prison in peace. That’s not how he works. That’s not how this will work. You and I will be on the run for the rest of our lives, Lake.”

Lake ran a hand through his hair and walked to the door. “I know that, Lily. Now get up.”

I finished the coffee and set the mug down before standing. There was a lot going on in my mind too. Questions I’d been able to keep at bay but that still nagged at me. “What’s going to happen afterward?”

He looked at me, exhaled, and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I mean, after my dad testifies. What are we… what are you going to do?”

He stared at me for a long minute, and I couldn’t make sense of why this was so important. Why I felt so anxious waiting on his answer.

“I’ll disappear, like you will, if you’re smart.”

I looked at him, taking in the words he’d chosen, trying not to allow the disappointment to show on my face, not sure at all why I felt disappointed. It was the last thing I should have felt, wasn’t it? I mean, I would be free again, free of Lake, at least. I did not entertain the delusion that I’d go back to my New York City apartment and pick up where I’d left off. That life was over. And I was sure as hell not going into the witness protection program, even if they put DeSalvo away with Randall. There were probably a hundred like that asshole, a hundred pricks who could easily be bought. I would disappear too.

I guess I just hadn’t expected to have to do it alone.

“Where’s the phone?”

He studied me for a minute, and I wondered if he, too, felt disappointed, but trying to read Lake Freeman was an impossibility. The man was like a vault, any emotion buried deep down, the tiniest glimpses of their physical expression fleeting at best.

“Inside.”

“Okay. Let me get dressed first.”

He nodded, picked up the empty coffee mug, and walked out of the room.

I snatched up the jeans and pulled them on. They were a near-perfect fit but for being a little short at the bottom. The navy-blue hoodie he’d chosen still had the tag on it. I tore it out and slipped it over my head, making a stop in the bathroom before heading into the living room.

Lake stood leaning against the counter, drinking coffee. On the kitchen table, he’d laid out two revolvers, one smaller than the other, both deadly. A few days ago, I might have made a run to grab one, but that thought didn’t even cross my mind. Instead, I picked up the phone that sat next to the guns and looked to him for the okay.

“You don’t tell him where you are, not the tiniest description, understand?”

I nodded.

“Tell him you’re with me and that I’ll keep you safe until he testifies. The sooner that happens, the better.”

“Okay.”

I dialed the private number my dad had given me, pulling out a chair and sitting down as I did. It rang twice, and a male voice came on the line. Although my dad was behind bars, he had different privileges than the other inmates. Different rules to live by.

“This is Lily Cross.”

I didn’t have to say another word before my dad came on the line, his relief almost palpable from this side.

“Lily?”

“It’s me, Dad.” Emotion I’d not expected to feel flooded me and I sat at the table suddenly sobbing, holding the phone to my ear, listening to my dad thanking God on the other side, laughing pitifully in relief. “I miss you, Dad.”

“Are you okay, honey?”

I nodded, sniffling. Lake handed me a tissue and I took it, wiping my nose. “I’m okay.”

There was a pause. “Where are you, Lily? Is there someone there with you? It’s not safe for you to call me.”

“You don’t know what happened, do you?”

“What are you talking about?” A longer pause where I could almost hear my dad thinking.

“I’m with Lake Freeman.”

“What the hell?”

“He saved my life, Dad. DeSalvo works for Randall. He was going to hand me over to him to keep you from testifying.”

There was a pause while my dad processed. “You with him now?” he asked more calmly.

“Yes.”

“He’s not hurting you, honey, is he? I’ll fucking kill the bastard if he touches one hair on your head.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. My dad, my hero. Always coming to my rescue. “I’m okay. Listen, Dad,” I began when Lake gestured for me to get on with things. “I need you to testify. Randall’s looking for us, obviously. We don’t know how close he is. The sooner you testify and he’s prosecuted, the sooner this is over.”

“Where are you? No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know where you are. Put Lake on the phone for me.”

“Okay. Hold on.”

“Honey, I love you. No matter what happens, I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”

“I know, Daddy. I love you, too.”

I held the phone out to Lake and took another tissue.

Lake’s conversation with my father was brief, a lot of “yes, sirs” and “I understands.” The conversation was one sided and I smiled through my tears thinking about how Daddy was probably threatening him with all kinds of awful things if anything happened to me.

If he only knew.

Lake hung up, shoving the phone into his back pocket.

“Ever shot a gun, Lily?”

* * *



It took us about an hour to walk to a clearing after a quick breakfast. Lake had determined I needed to learn how to shoot a gun, and I figured that wasn’t a bad idea. We now stood with Lake explaining the various parts of the handgun to me while I listened, taking in as much as I could.

“Here, this one’s yours.”

I looked at him, still surprised at this change. Not too long ago, I was his prisoner. Now, he was handing me a pistol.

I took it from him, the metal cool in my hand. Although it didn’t weigh much, it felt heavy to hold.

“All right, can you take the stance I showed you?”

I nodded and moved into position with Lake watching, my right leg slightly back, holding the pistol like he’d shown me and raising it, my right elbow locked, the pistol at eye level, taking aim.

“That’s good, very good,” he said, stepping closer, his body pressing against mine to adjust my position, the thick length of his cock unmistakable against my hip. I rubbed against it, unable not to. It had become my body’s natural response to complement his arousal with its own.

“Pay attention, Lily,” he said, squeezing his hands around mine.

I groaned my displeasure, his breath at my neck only making me want him more.

“Ready to fire?”

“Yes.”

He held me close from behind while explaining how to take aim before pulling the trigger.

The sound startled me even though I knew it was coming and I wasn’t prepared for the recoil. Lake chuckled at my response and set me up again, making me do it on my own several times until I got used to it, or at least as used to it as I was going to get. He moved off a little ways and watched, instructing me from a distance to adjust this or that. I had to admit, I liked the feel of it, I enjoyed the weight that had intimidated me at first. I could do this. I felt powerful holding the revolver, and I could protect myself. I wouldn’t have to rely on Lake or anyone else.

“You’re doing really well, just one more thing,” he said, coming up behind me. “Hold it right there, a hair higher.” He adjusted the level at which I held the pistol before his hands roamed down to undo the button of the jeans I wore. Without undoing the zipper, he pushed his hand inside, cupping my sex. I gasped in response as he ground himself against my back.

“There’s something about a beautiful woman holding a deadly weapon in her hands that makes it possible for me to think about only one thing.” He licked my neck then kissed it, his fingers working inside the jeans, making it difficult for me to hold any position at all.

“I think you’re always…thinking…about only one thing.” I turned my face, licking my lips as I looked at his before locking eyes with him. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted him to kiss me more than I wanted him to fuck me and I wanted that badly. I’d never been a shy girl. I took what I wanted, at least I used to, but with Lake, it was different. Maybe that was why I wanted it so badly.

Eyes wide open, I kissed him, tasting his lips, his breath, and, to my surprise, he opened to me, letting me slip my tongue inside his mouth for a moment before everything shifted and he took over. Our bodies pressed against each other, my breasts crushed against his chest, one hand cupping my ass, the other at the back of my head while with his mouth, he took.

His cock stood like a steel rod between us and he walked me back a step, two, before we both fell to the ground, breaking the kiss. His eyes dark and lustful on mine, he wasted no time pushing my sweater up, baring my breasts, cupping them, squeezing them hard before scratching short fingernails over the nipples. It hurt but it aroused at once and I reached for the crotch of his pants as he pulled the zipper of my jeans down and tugged them to my knees.