Chapter 26: Chapter 26

JAKE

“That’s it,” I said, handing Vada a fan blade from the ’67 Chevrolet we’d picked clean.

“I can’t believe we’ve been at this for twelve hours,” she groaned. “I need a hot bath and a comfortable bed.”

“I don’t think you’re going to find either of those things in the bunkhouse,” I said with a heavy sigh.

“Can’t we go to a hotel?”

“It’s two in the morning, babe,” I said, pulling her into my arms.

“So?”

“It’s too far back to the city.”

“Will you sleep with me?”

“In a single bunk?”

“Please.” She leaned up and pressed her lips to mine, her tongue skating suggestively over my mouth.

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m never too tired to have my donut glazed,” she whispered with a seductive wink.

“That’s a new one,” I chuckled. “I’ll snuggle with you, but that’s about all I can offer tonight. I’m exhausted.”

“I’ll take it,” she said.

“Looks like we picked the right property.”

I whirled around at the sound of the strange voice. Three men stood in the doorway, dressed in ill-fitting clothing, looking as though they’d crawled through a dirt pit.

“Can I help you with something?” I asked, eyeing them warily.

“Yeah,” the older one said. “Give me the keys to one of these cars.”

“Most of them won’t even start,” I advised. I couldn’t tell by his accent where he was from, but he spoke fluent English.

“You’re lying,” he snarled.

“I’m really not, but all the keys are hanging on the wall. You’re welcome to try for yourself.”

“You some kind of mechanic or something?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know how to get a car running.”

“None of these cars are fit for the road, man,” I explained.

“You’re covered in grease. That means you’re fixing them.”

“No. We’re stripping them for parts.”

One of the younger men elbowed him, whispering something in his ear as he pointed toward Vada. She was standing in the corner, her body rigid, her beautiful face masked with terror.

“What’s your name, sweet thing?” the older man asked, three sets of eyes roaming hungrily over her body.

I glanced past the intruders to the open doorway.

~Where the fuck were Evan and Garrett?~

“I said what’s your name, bitch!” the man bellowed.

“Hey, now,” I said. “That’s enough. I think you boys need to move along.”

He reached into his jacket, pulling out a large hunting knife. “What’s the girl’s name?” he asked calmly.

“Mary,” I lied, working hard to keep my voice steady while fear gripped my gut in a tight vice.

Vada shot me a confused look.

“My boys think you’re pretty, Mary,” he drawled. “They’d like to take you out in the woods while your boyfriend gets one of these cars going for us.”

“She’s not going anywhere,” I said firmly.

“I don’t remember asking you!” he yelled, waving the knife around. “Don’t worry. You can have her back once they’re done with her. Hope you don’t mind sloppy seconds. Or thirds, I should say.

“Actually, fourths. I wouldn’t mind taking her for a ride. I bet she’s got a nice, tight cunt.”

I clenched my fists at my sides, wagering my chances of surviving a fight with this guy and his two sons. They weren’t good. But I’d die before I’d let them lay a hand on Vada.

A side door opened, Beth and her sisters appearing with their rifles drawn. A mixture of relief and dread flooded my gut.

These creeps wouldn’t get near Vada now, but we were trapped in the barn with three scary women with guns and a trail of dead husbands.

“Drop that knife,” Beth ordered, pointing her gun at the older man.

“We don’t want any trouble,” he said slowly.

I jumped, my teeth rattling when she fired the rifle at the wall above their heads and chunks of wood rained down. My ears popped before horrible ringing ensued.

“Get off our property!” Beth yelled as the three women chased the intruders outside.

Vada sprinted across the barn and jumped into my arms, her body trembling with powerful sobs.

“It’s okay, honey,” I murmured, pressing my lips to the top of her head while I held her tight. “There was no way I was letting them touch you.”

“They had a knife!” she cried. “They could’ve killed you!”

“Nah,” I scoffed. “They were just bluffing.”

“You don’t know that, Jake.”

“We’re safe now.”

“What the hell happened!?” Evan bellowed, appearing in the doorway with Garrett behind him.

“Are you guys okay?” Garrett asked. “We heard a gunshot. Then these three guys came running out with the women chasing after them with rifles. That crazy chick, Beth, kept firing into the sky.”

“Is Vada okay?” Evan asked.

“Yeah,” I said, shifting her weight while she continued to cling to me, her legs wrapped tightly around my waist. “She’s just a little shook up.”

“The cops are coming,” Evan said, glancing over his shoulder as sirens screamed in the distance.

“They didn’t hurt her, did they?” Garrett asked.

“No.”

Evan walked over to us and leaned down to kiss Vada on the forehead. Garrett joined in, the three of us hugging our woman while she cried softly on my shoulder.

***

The first rays of light cast shadows across the flat Texas landscape when the border patrol agents finally left, their cars stirring up a cloud of dust as they sped down the laneway.

We sat side by side on the back bumper of the van, Vada curled up in my arms. She hadn’t let go of me since the ranch owners chased the men out of the barn.

I had no idea illegal aliens were such a big problem for people living along the border.

Many ranch owners dealt with people trying to sneak into the country through their properties on a nightly basis. Most were harmless, but some were violent criminals.

They were all desperate enough to risk life and limb for a chance at a new start in the USA.

“I think we’re going to head out,” Evan announced when Beth approached.

“Is she gonna be okay?” she asked, nodding at Vada.

“She’ll be fine,” I said. “She’s tough.”

“Thank you, again,” Garrett said. “I don’t even want to think about what might’ve happened if you and your sisters hadn’t come along when you did.”

“We have cameras everywhere,” she explained. “Got no choice.”

I carried Vada around to the side door. “You gotta let go, sweetheart,” I whispered. “We’re heading out. You need to get your seatbelt on.”

“Are you sitting in the back with me?”

“I can do that.”

“Okay,” she sighed, releasing her hold on my neck. “I’ll sit in the middle.”

“What’s the plan?” Evan asked as he got behind the wheel.

“You’re the travel supervisor,” Garrett said.

“Let’s get as far away from the border as possible,” I suggested. “Just drive north and don’t stop.”

“So we’re going to Canada?” Garrett asked, glancing back at me with a smirk.

“Very funny, Garrett,” I muttered. “How tired are you, Ev?”

“I’m not too bad right now, but I have a feeling once I get on the open road, my eyes will get heavy pretty damn quick.”

“We were supposed to stay in Albuquerque tonight,” Garrett said.

“There’s no way I can drive that far, guys,” Evan said. “We don’t have to be to the reunion until Sunday. Lots of time. I built in a buffer, so we wouldn’t be rushing.”

“Why don’t we just find the nearest decent hotel, and crash,” I suggested.

“That sounds like a great plan, Jake.”

“Can we get away from Del Rio though?” I asked. “I don’t want to stay near the border.”

***

“Probably should’ve looked at a map,” Evan grumbled after an hour of nothing but desert and open fields.

“Yeah,” Garrett chuckled. “There’s nothing but cheap motels for hundreds of miles.”

“I want to stay somewhere nice,” I said. “With a comfortable bed and a clean shower.”

“Then one of you two is going to drive,” Evan announced, pulling off on the shoulder.

“I’ll drive,” Garrett offered. “I don’t want to disturb Vada.”

She’d been asleep in my arms since we left the ranch in Del Rio. We were both covered in sweat and car grease, neither of us smelling great, but I didn’t care.

Vada was safe. That was all that mattered.

Vada was tough and independent. She’d been that way since she was a little girl. Rarely cried. She didn’t take anybody’s shit. But I saw a vulnerable side of her that night.

***

I awoke with a start, momentarily disoriented.

Vada was still sleeping, her head nestled into my armpit. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and glanced out the window at a busy street filled with fast-food restaurants and chain stores.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Lubbock, Texas,” Garrett replied.

“It’s weird,” I said. “Very flat. And everything is spread out.”

“According to Google, there should be some decent hotels on this street,” Evan said, studying his phone.

Vada stirred, rubbing her eyes as she sat up and stretched. “Where are we?”

“Lubbock, Texas,” I said.

“Why?” she asked, wrinkling her nose when she looked out the window.

“I don’t know, babe,” I chuckled. “We left Garrett in charge and fell asleep.”

***

“This is actually not bad,” I said, glancing around the two-bedroom suite.

“Only one bathroom though,” Evan noted.

“How big is the shower?” Vada asked.

“It’s one of those walk-ins with dual heads.”

“Let’s all shower together,” she suggested, stripping her T-shirt and shorts off.

She glanced up at us with a crooked grin as we all stood there like a bunch of doofuses. “You guys are too cute right now.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” she laughed. “I slept for five hours.”

“You were pretty upset last night,” I said gently.

“I don’t want to think about that. I want to take a shower and then sleep for twelve hours.”

She reached behind her back, releasing the clasp on her bra before pushing her panties down over her hips. “I’m going in the shower. You’re all welcome to join me.”

We watched her bare ass disappear into the bathroom. I pulled my shirt over my head and kicked off my shorts and boxers. Evan and Garrett followed my lead, trailing behind me.

Vada was already in the shower. We surrounded her, barely fitting in the glass enclosure. It was designed for two, not four.

I grabbed her lavender shampoo from the ledge and squirted some in my hands before I lathered up her hair.

Garrett soaped up her poofy pink sponge and started washing her breasts while Evan knelt down to clean her legs and feet with a face cloth.

She rinsed her hair while she watched us wash ourselves, her eyes taking in the three ~very~ erect penises pointing at her.

She squirted some more soap on her sponge and washed my dick and balls before moving on to Evan and Garrett, giving them the same treatment.

Then she opened the shower door and stepped out, wrapping herself in a towel. “See you in twelve hours, boys.”

***

I was ripped from a deep, dreamless sleep when I heard Vada’s cries for help.

“No! Jake!”

I rolled over and rubbed her arm. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” I whispered. “I’m here.”

She yanked her arm away, thrashing violently under the covers. “Somebody help!”

“Vada,” I said. “I’m right here. Wake up, baby.”

She opened her eyes, glancing nervously around the room before she breathed a deep sigh of relief. “I was having a nightmare. Sorry for waking you.”

“Don’t be sorry, honey.” I found her hand under the sheet and squeezed it gently. “You’re shaking.”

“I’m not one to have nightmares,” she muttered. “I’m not a pussy.”

“You experienced something pretty scary last night. It’s okay to be upset.”

“Nothing happened to us. There’s nothing to be upset about.”

“They threatened to rape you,” I said quietly. “Is that what you were having a nightmare about?”

“No.”

“Vada.”

“Jake.”

“Talk to me, please,” I said. “What happened in your nightmare?”

“You got stabbed,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You were bleeding, and nobody came to help. I didn’t know what to do.”

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t want to lose you!” she cried. “Any of you! You guys have become my entire world over the past couple of weeks.”

“We’re not going anywhere.”

“I don’t like being dependent on other people, Jake.”

“There’s nothing wrong with letting people take care of you. It doesn’t mean you’re dependent.”

“I don’t like being dependent on other people for my happiness,” she explained. “If anything ever happened to one of you guys, I’d be devastated.

“And I don’t like relinquishing that kind of control to someone. My dad is the only person in the world who had that much power before this trip.”

“Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith, Vada. You can’t go through life avoiding love out of a sense of fear.

“It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. With great risk comes great reward.”

“Jake?”

“Yes?”

“You used three corny clichés in a row. That’s three too many.”

“Did I get my point across?”

“Yes.”

“I’m really glad to hear you’re getting attached to us,” I murmured, leaning over to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I never said that.”

“Did so.”

“Did not.”

“You’re falling for us, Vada Collins.”

“You guys ~do~ have huge cocks,” she teased.

“It’s time to stop fighting the inevitable, sweetheart,” I whispered, my lips finding hers. “Let us in. Let us love you.”

I claimed her mouth with passion and desire. She wasn’t ready for words, but I could show her my feelings through lovemaking.

I rolled on top of her, settling between her thighs. We were naked, never having bothered to put on underwear after our group shower. I could’ve easily slipped inside her. That’s what she wanted.

She arched her hips, trying desperately to line up her wet entrance with my cock.

Vada was afraid of falling in love, and her attempt at a quick fuck was her way of trying to avoid a meaningful connection.

She protested with a frustrated whimper when I moved my cock so it was pressing against her thigh.

I dropped light kisses across her jaw and down her neck, my fingers trailing over the smooth skin of her belly before caressing the underside of her breasts.

I brushed my thumbs over her taut nipples, driving her crazy with light strokes before I lowered my mouth to her breast.

She let out a long hiss, her hips bucking against me when I nipped her sensitive little bud.

I feasted on her orgasmic nipples, licking and sucking and nibbling until she was a quivering, moaning mess.

But I didn’t let her cum. I brought her to the edge over and over, preparing her body for an epic orgasm.

“Please, Jake!” she cried. “Why are you torturing me?”

“I’m not, baby,” I whispered, nipping her earlobe. “Trust me. Be patient.”

“Patient?! Don’t you know me at all?!”

“Yes, my love,” I chuckled, moving down her body, stroking every inch of her warm, flawless skin before I settled between her thighs.

I started at her knee, feathering her inner thigh with gentle kisses as I made my way to her delicious pussy, her swollen lips glistening with her sweet nectar.

With the first swipe of my tongue, her hips lifted off the bed, her hands reaching for the back of my head.

I removed my hair from her tight clutches, placing her hands at her sides. She grumbled when I put my hand on her hip and held her still while I teased her throbbing clit, stroking it lightly.

Vada was quite capable of coming from penetration. And that’s what I was after. I could’ve given her an orgasm before I pushed inside her, but I wanted us to come together.

That’s what this was all about. Making passionate love. Expressing our feelings through our bodies. And I knew if I held her off, our joint climax would be amazing.

I rose up from between her legs, bracing my body over hers with the head of my cock pressed against her entrance. She hooked her legs around my waist, trying unsuccessfully to impale herself.

“Patience, baby,” I whispered, nuzzling her neck.

“I need you inside me, Jake,” she moaned.

I gathered her up in my arms, her fingers gripping my shoulders when I slid inside her. Our hips rocked together, our bodies in complete synchronization.

I lifted her pelvis off the bed, angling her for deeper penetration. She cried out, her nails scraping across my flesh as her pussy tightened around my engorged cock.

“Open your eyes, babe,” I panted. “We’re gonna come together.”

She gazed up at me, our eyes locking in an intense, emotion-filled stare while we crested the hill together, roaring down the other side as our simultaneous climaxes rocked the bed beneath us.

I rolled us onto our sides so I didn’t flatten her, my arms locked tightly around her body while our chests heaved together.

My cock was still inside her, pulsating against her tight walls while I filled her with my seed.

She brought her hands to the back of my head, pulling my mouth to hers for a marathon of tongue-sucking, teeth-clashing kissing.

“I’m crazy about you, Vada,” I whispered.

“Be careful, Jake,” she murmured. “If you keep this up, I just might fall in love with you.”

“That’s the plan, sweetheart.”