From The Ashes (After The Burn Series) (4 page)

Cain popped the top button of her jeans and moved his hand into her pants
. “We want to see you come to life because you like what we’re doing to you. Feel you come in our mouths, and on our cocks, over, and over again, until you’re a quivering mess who knows we will always take care of you. Hand over the control and put yourself in our hands. We’ll make it worth your while.”

She panted, squirming on the couch.

Cole nipped at her bottom lip, capturing her gaze. “Out in the field, you took our orders without question and trusted us with your life. Give us that same courtesy indoors.” He breathed against her full lips, a few inches from the pliant plushness that made him forget himself. Her sweet taste transported him to the back of his old car with cheesy eighties rock blaring on the stereo. Where the only thing that mattered was the girl beneath you, and the connection you’d discovered together.

“B-but it-
”

“Don’t think, feel,
” Cain said. She bucked her hips, and Cole smirked. Classic Hart fingers of fire.

Her lids slammed shut
, and she rode Cain’s fingers. The rapture on her face entranced Cole, and he leaned back to study her. Freed from their lacy prison, her breasts bounced. Full lips parted, and her hands gripping the couch, she presented the prettiest picture he’d seen in a long time. People had forgotten how to feel. Not the case with, Devon.

“Fuck his fingers
, Devon. Come for us.” Cole stroked her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. Her eyes fluttered open, and locked with his brother.

“So tight and hot,
” Cain said. “Do it for me.”

“I’m going to come.”

“That’s right, squeeze my fingers tight.”

Her mouth fell open
, and she cried out shaking as she gave them what they wanted, her surrender.

“Clothes off, now!
” Cain’s animalistic snarl made Cole proud.

“You heard the man, sweetheart, time to strip.” Cole grabbed the hem of her shirt, and pulled it over her head, helping her ease the bra down her arms.

She stood, swaying. Cain knelt down in front of her hooking his fingers in the sides of her jeans and pulling them down along with her underwear. Vickie’s secret looked good on her, but Cole enjoyed seeing it taken off more. She held Cain’s shoulders as she stepped out. Cain lifted her into his arms, carrying her to the bed behind him.

“That a boy, Cain.” After watching the studious warrior who’d served his country to pay for college get pulled back into
a war when the virus hit, Cole lived to see Cain restored to some semblance of the man he’d once been. Cain tossed her onto the bed and stripped down in record time, spreading her legs wide.

“I
want to taste you now.” Cain hooked her legs over his shoulder, lifted her ass and dove between her thighs like a dehydrated man at a fresh spring.

Cole walked over to the head of the bed, pinching her sensitive nipples. She gripped the comforter and arched. Cain placed a massive hand on her waist, holding her down as he continued to explore her folds.
Her mouth opened and Cole leaned in, stealing her cry for his own. Her eyes focused on him and her tongue wrapped around his. They battled, pausing only for air as Cain worked her over. Her eyes went unfocused, and she cried out into his mouth as she came, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

He rested his head on the bed beside her. “Are you ready to take
him, Devon?”

“Yes.”

“You hear that, Cain? She’s wants to feel you move inside her. Complete us.”

Cain stood, and knelt on
the bed, lining up with her center.

Unlike before, Cole
hung back, content to watch. Everyone had their fetishes, voyeurism did it for him. Cain sank into her silken depths. Cole groaned, unbuttoning his jeans he slipped his hard cock out and squeezed, matching his stroke in time with their pace. The headboard knocked against the wall. Devon’s cries mingled with their raspy breaths. His balls drew up against his body. Pressure built at the bottom of his spine.

“Fuck, I’m going to come. Do it now
, Dev,” Cain said.

The bed rocked
, and Devon screamed.

A dam broke inside Cole. He
released a stream of come that flowed over onto his fingers and his pants. Spent he rested his head against the wall.

Cain collapsed beside her on the bed and they remained still, basking in the delicate new bond.

Chapter Four

Devon tugged at the long sleeved t-shirt that hugged her curves. Two months later, life as a woman still felt awkward. She glanced across the room and caught Cole’s eyes. He winked, and she grinned. They’d settled into a routine. All the sex they could handle with bits and pieces of their past trickling through in the quiet moments after. With ten years of playing things close to their chest, none of them were ready to spill their guts. Still, she felt secure, confident that their word was solid, and they meant to stand by her. So far, pregnancy hadn’t taken. But the doctor said it could take up to a year and not be odd.

She made her way into the middle of the room. The others had accepted her truth
, but she kept her distance, and stuck with those she trusted like David.

“I saved you a seat.” David patted the seat beside her and grinned.

“Thanks, D.”

“Are you kidding I’m with the coolest chick here
? Adds to my street cred.”

“You’re what?”

“You know street credit.”

“Yeah I know, I’m just wondering where the hell you got it from. Nineteen Eighty called, it wants it
s slang back.”

David laughed. “What? Retro is cool.”

“Not that kind.” She rolled her eyes and snickered.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

Devon laughed, clutching her stomach.

“Okay, that’s not doing anything for my self esteem.”

She calmed, and placed her hand on his shoulder. “D, you are unbelievable. You don’t have to start a new trend to prove that.”

“Yeah?” He tilted his head.

“Absolutely.”

“Good, now can you remove your hand before Cain storms over and hulk smashes me?”

Devon followed David’s nervous stare and froze. Cains’ nostrils flared. His eyes were narrowed, and his body was tensed. She removed her hand, and he relaxed. One could never be too careful in this strange new world. Friends fast became foes and mean spirited females away when no one watched.

“
All right open floor,” Cole said leaning back in his chair. This was the last task before the meeting before dismissal time.

“I want to talk about
Devon Brown.” Micah’s voice rang out in the instantaneous silence that had fallen.

“Th
at’s not up on the topic ballot,” Cain said. His jaw tensed.

“No, he’s been dying to say this. Let him get it off his chest.” The icy look in Cole’s eyes told her
he had a plan that would end with Micah very bloody.

“You accept her lies so easily because she lies in your bed. What if we don’t trust her? She could be a spy. Why do we get no say
? Who can vouch for her?”

“We do.” Cain cracked his neck
, and she flinched.

“Not only are you doubting our intelligence, and questioning our rules, you’re insulting our woman
. Sounds to me like you want a shot at the throne.” Cole stood and spread his arms wide. “Well I’m right here. You think you can take it from me?”

Whispers swept through the crowd.

Micah raised his chin. “Yeah I do.”

“Then let’s take it outside.”
Cole strolled off the stage and up the aisle.

The sarcastic smirk on his face told her he’d been waiting for this. Micah followed. People rose from their chairs, and she and David found themselves swept along with the crowd. She peered over her shoulder
, seeking out Cain, and spotted him a few yards away, mowing through people to reach her. He gripped her shoulder and pulled her to him. Tucked under her arm he ushered her outside with David trailing behind them.

The crowd parted for Cain
, and they stood front and center in the circle that surrounded them. Cole rolled his neck, took off his navy blue jacket and walked over to where they stood. “Hold this for me, sweetheart, I’ll be back to get it in a minute.” He gave her a cocky grin. She wanted to grab him by the collar and devour his mouth, but PDA’s were a thing of the past. She accepted his token feeling like a maiden rooting for her knight. Cole meet Cain’s gaze. “After I wipe the floor with this douche we clean house.”

“
Agreed. Time to introduce the new rules.”

“What new rules?” Devon asked.

Cain pulled her to his chest, and leaned down to whisper into her ear. “We didn’t want to bring it up to you like this. We wanted to give you time to adjust to life.”

“
Just give it to me straight, Cain.”

“We want to change things here. Give women back their free will, and turn things less militant. The time for survival is over. This has become about living.”

“How do I fit in?”

“Every band of misfits needs a den mother, and we can’t preach it and now follow it.”

“That’s why the baby?”

“Yes.”

The smack of flesh on flesh drew her attention to the fight. Cole smiled and wiped away the blood that lined his lower lip.

“My turn pretty boy.”
Cole buried his fist into Micah’s belly bending him over, and followed up with a viscous uppercut that lifted Michal off his feet. Micah rocked on his heels, battling to stay on his feet.

Cole gestured him forward with his fingers. “Come get some more. You wanted this so bad
, and now you’re floundering like the spineless piece of shit you are.”

Micah growled, and charged, burying his head into Cole’s stomach. Cole grunted and wrapped his arms around his neck
and punched him in the side. Micah wiggled free, and Cole kicked him in the stomach dropping him into the ground. Cole followed up the kick with one to the nuts. A groan went up through the crowd as he moved to step on his neck, cutting off circulation. Micah gasped for air, struggling to raise Cole’s black boot.

“This is how this goes down. You get your shit, head out of town and don’t come back. I
f you do, you’ll be shot on sight. Anyone else want to help him?”

A chorus of no’s echoed around her.

“Secondly, Devon Brown is ours. No one gets to question, challenge, or even look at her too long unless they want to end up where this asshole is now. You got me?” The gruffness in his tone caressed her like a lover.

“All this battle is getting you hot isn’t it?” Cain sa
id.

“Maybe a little bit.” She smirked.

Cole removed his foot and stepped back. “Get this trash out of here.”

Men
rushed forward, dragging Micah off.

Cole
turned to face the crowd. “Tonight we talk about a new way of doing things.”

Excitement raced through her body. They were on the verge of a good change. A step back toward the way things had once been. Her heart pounded in her chest. Could she live up to their expectations? Be the guiding force who helped them remember
the old ways after so much loss?

Cain wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a gentl
e kiss on the side of her head.

Murmurs began.
Women weren’t seen using as individuals these day. The small sign of affection was a big deal. A new dawn had come.

Epilogue

Six months later

Dev placed a hand on her belly and smiled. The heir apparent had taken its own sweet time, but finally they’d’ accomplished their goal. The town had shed its dead weight. Got rid of the people, not on board with the new way they wanted to run things. It’d been a lot of work, getting the women to snap out of their haze and begin to think for themselves.

She worked closely with the Psychiatrists and counselors. As word spread
, they’d had an influx of new people seeking safe haven. It filled her life with a sense of purpose. The front door opened, and she rushed from their room to the stairs.

“Honey we’re home.” Cole’s boisterous voice made her laugh.

She stopped at the top of the stairs. “I swear you should’ve been an actor.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Those guys? No way
, I like to work with my hands.”

“Yeah you do,
” Cain said.

She giggled, and descended to meet them. Cole drew her into a kiss before handing her over to Cain.
They’d changed for the better over the past six months. Smiles came easy, and laughter filled their home.

She pulled away and grabbed both of their hands.

“I have a surprise for you.”

“Please tell m
e you made some sort of dessert,” Cole said.

“Better.”

Confusion furrowed their brows.

“We’re going to be parents.”

“You!” Cole pointed to her belly, and she laughed nodding.

Cain pulled her to him, burying his face in her shoulders.
“Thank you.”

“Hey you helped with this too
, you know.” Devon leaned back to look up at his face.

“
He’s right. I think we were waiting for you to come and then everything fell into place.” Cole stroked her curls away from her face and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. “It’s more than I deserve, but I’m taking it and running.”

Tears filled her eyes. “Cole.”

“Hormones,” Cain said lightening the mood as they laughed.

Together they redefined the meaning of life and spread hope.
She couldn’t have imagined this scenario a year ago. In the ashes of the old world, she found everything she’d ever dreamed of.