Hope (11 page)

“You’re different, Princess.”

“He saved me from … something,” Penny said. “I’m with him
because he feels responsible.”

Shelley caught her hand. “I have a room waiting for you,
Princess. Damon doesn’t want you leaving his home. You mean far more to him
than some kind of obligation. Mad Dog was never about obligation. If he didn’t
want you around, you’d be in that room faster than lightning.”

She rubbed her hands together wishing she had the courage to
ask her about the orgasm.

“When are you going to learn you can ask me anything?”
Shelley chuckled and accepted the drink from Trevor. “What do you want to
know?” Shelley asked when Trevor moved away.

“The other night, he did something. A good something, but he
hasn’t come near me since.”

Shelley raised her eyebrows at her. “Princess, you’re going
to need to give me a hell of a lot more than he did something. There are
several
somethings
he could do. All of them
pleasurable.”

Penny looked around the club feeling her cheeks burn with
embarrassment. She leaned in close, placed her hand over her mouth, and
whispered what he’d done to her in Shelley’s ear.

When she was finished, she sat back waiting for her to
speak.

“Did you like it?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want him to do it again?”

“More than you know. He won’t come near me. He’s happier
watching your women get naked than touching me.”

“Yet you’re the one in his bed.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “It doesn’t seem to help. We
might as well be worlds apart.”

Shelley burst out laughing. “Honey, you’re worlds apart.
You’re an innocent, and Damon’s not.”

“I just wish he’d look at me with something more. Or at
least give me a sign that I mean more to him.”

Penny sighed, picking up her drink and taking a generous
gulp of the liquid.

Shelley didn’t speak another word. Penny looked at the other
woman and pondered if she’d upset her.
 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shared that with you,” Penny
said, wishing the floor would open up and eat her.

“Don’t be. You’re alone and needed to talk to someone. I can
understand.”

She didn’t feel any better. In fact she felt worse now that
someone else knew about her insecurity. Penny stared at the bottle in her
hands. Maybe it was time for her to leave Damon. If he saw her as a
responsibility she no longer wanted to impose on him.

“Have you ever thought of gaining his attention in a
different way besides nagging him?” Shelley asked.

“I don’t nag.”

“I bet you do. I imagine you ask him all sorts of questions and
constantly talk about how crap the world is. Damon doesn’t need reminding about
how crap everything is. His family is gone, and all that is left is him.
 
Damon wants to make new memories, or at the
very least survive this one.”

Penny felt tears spring to her eyes. “I never meant to make
it hard for him.”

“It’s not your fault. He’s had a lot of harsh shit to deal
with. I think you need to do something different. There is far more to a man
than conversation. Believe me.” Shelley smiled and lifted the drink to her
lips.

She stared at her thinking about what she’d said. Her
curiosity was piqued.

“What kinds of things?”

“The kind of things you’re going to have to get over in
order to achieve.”

Penny stared at the door. “What would I need to do?”

****

“I told you I need you out at the farms. These attacks will
only get worse, and we’re trying to maintain every fucking thing going. Why do
these fuckers persist in ruining it for us?” Don paced his office looking like
he wanted to murder the first person he saw.

Damon sat waiting. “I told you why I couldn’t make it. Penny
shouldn’t be alone right now. She’s not like the rest of the women.”

His boss turned and glared at him. “There is a room waiting
for her, Damon. I’ve never known you to become attached to your women. What is
so special about this one?”

He stared at the desk. Damon had been fighting his
attraction for Penny ever since she’d come apart in his arms.

“She’s different. I know you don’t understand. I can’t leave
her alone. Do you want me out at the farms while my mind will be elsewhere?”

Don let out a sigh before sitting down. “You can’t let her
get to you. You’re not like this. Why don’t you spend some time with Kelly? I’m
sure she’ll get this girl off your mind.”

Penny is not
a girl. She’s a woman.

Damon leaned back in his chair. His knuckles ached from the
fight he’d gotten into the night before. One of the regulars had gotten rowdy.
He’d taken him outside intent on letting the man cool down. When he’d said
something degrading about Penny, he’d lost it. Damon couldn’t stand to hear a
bad word said about her.

“Kelly is out of the picture.” It would be easier if he
could just take Penny. He knew it would save them a lot of time.

“Look, either get your shit together, or get rid of the
girl. I don’t care which one you chose. I need you out there.”

He sat back feeling like he’d been kicked in the gut. Damon
closed his eyes wishing there was something else he could do.

“Do you have a problem with me taking her with me?” Damon
asked.

Don glared at him. “It is dangerous.”

“I’d rather take her with me than worry about her here.”

His boss stared at him several moments before throwing his
hands up in the air. “Whatever. Do what you think is best.”

Damon smiled.

“Do you know anything about her?” Don asked.

Damon shook his head. “I know her mother died and she worked
on a farm.”

“Ha, she might come in useful after all.”

Don stood up from behind his desk, and together they walked
out to the main part of the club.

Damon stared at the table where he’d left Penny. She wasn’t
there. He frowned glancing around the tables.

“Ah, Don and Mad Dog, just the people we wanted to see. What
do you think?” Shelley asked. She stood on stage with several of the girls.
Kelly was not among them. They moved away, and Damon saw Penny. She was wearing
one of the costumes he’d seen another of the women wear. The skirt was short,
only just covering her pussy. The shirt was plain white with buttons down the
centre. The tall heels made her calves and ass look so tempting.

His cock got hard. Don let out a whistle, and several of the
men who worked at the club stood looking up at her. Her hair was brushed around
her. The length seemed to highlight her beauty and innocence. Damon couldn’t
tear his gaze away.

“I knew you’d like it, Don. Princess has agreed to start
some dancing lessons. She wants to give the stage a go,” Shelley said, resting
her arms over Penny’s shoulders.

“What do you think?” Penny asked. Her gaze was on him.

“You’re not stripping, and you’re not fucking,” he said. He
wasn’t the boss, but there was no way he’d survive Penny stripping in this
club. He could only just handle her giving out drinks. He’d seen plenty of
women starting out dancing, and then it led to taking men for the night. Damon
wouldn’t allow it. Penny was his woman.

“What?”

“You’re not the boss, Damon. If the Princess wishes to dance
then dance she can. When she’s ready men will exchange for the pleasure of
being between her thighs”

“Shelley assured me I wouldn’t need to get my clothes off.
There are other ways to dance,” Penny said. All colour left her face, but she
didn’t dispute what Shelley said.

He knew he’d upset her with his words. “That is going to
have to wait. We’ve got a job lined up. Get that crap off and let’s go.”

Damon turned away and walked to the bar. He grabbed the
nearest bottle and took a gulp. “Is the Princess spoken for?” the barman asked.

Damon glared at him refusing to answer. He didn’t know the
fucking answer.

“Hey, handsome.
I had
nothing to do with her trying to get on stage. I don’t think she’ll do that
well.” Kelly wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

She’ll do a
hell of a lot better than you.

Damon didn’t say the words. He knew Penny was having trouble
from the woman behind him. “Get your hands off me, Kelly.”

“What is your problem? There was a time when you liked my
touch.”

“Until I want your touch, get off.” He pushed her off and
then turned to see the stage was empty. Don was talking with several of the
men.

“She can’t give you what I can give you.” Kelly folded her
arms over her chest. The pout on her lips looked ridiculous. She was older than
Penny, yet she acted more like a child.

“Find another man to sink your claws into, Kelly. I’m done.”

Penny walked out of the changing room. Shelley gave her a
hug, and then she was walking over to him.

She looked disheartened. When she glanced up and saw Kelly,
he knew it had upset her.

“It won’t be long before you’re crawling back for more,”
Kelly said, walking away.

Damon didn’t bother giving her the time to respond.

“I’m ready to go home now,” Penny said.

He grabbed her hand, remembered to collect his food, and
then they walked out of the club.

The walk home was silent. She let him hold her, but she
didn’t say a word. Damon wanted to hear her voice. He tried to think of
something to say. Nothing came to mind. What could he say to make her feel
better? There were no words to describe how he felt.

He knew she was unsure about what had happened between them.
Since the moment he gave her an orgasm he’d been pushing her away when all he
wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and never let go.

She stayed by his side all the way up to the apartment. He
put the locks in place and then followed her into the kitchen.

Damon put the bag of food on the side. Her eyes lit up when
she saw the fresh produce. “I didn’t know you got fresh.”

“Don likes to make sure there is a selection available.
He’ll be present at market day along with several men. The farmers try to get
as much to Don and the people as possible.” “They need the fresh food to make
sure everyone is safe?” she asked.

He wrapped his arms around her waist resting his chin on top
of her head.

“Yes. M3 ruined everything. Food is the only way to continue
on.”

“He doesn’t want to run this area for the rest of his life?
You know, keep control with bribing food or something?” she asked.

“If you had a chance of walking down the street without fear
or living the rest of your life like this, which one would you chose?”

“Being free to walk without fear,” she said.

Damon kissed her neck. “We all still have
hope
to repair the mess that has been made.”

“What would you do if we did get to live in a world like the
old one?” she asked.

“I’d go out with you without taking a weapon. It would be
nice not to have to worry all the time,” he said.

She started laughing. The sound eased him.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

The laughing stopped.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Don wants me to go and protect one of the farms. I don’t
want to leave you here or at the club. I’ve asked for you to come with me, and
he agreed.”

“You’re taking me out to the farms?”

He nodded.

“How will we get there?”

“There is a jeep that runs on solar energy. One of the
mechanics built it as a prototype before everyone went to ground after the wars
started. The guy who invented it died, but he left a lot of the paperwork for
us to try to make some more. There are a few of the men left who understand his
scribbles and are working at building more with the materials they can find.”

Don had a lot of things in place. Damon knew his boss wished
for the old ways. It was shocking how much so. Damon wondered if they’d ever
see a real change in their lifetime.

Chapter Ten

Don knocked on Shelley’s door after everyone had disappeared
for the night. He waited until everyone was asleep before disturbing her. She
answered the door several minutes later.

“What are you doing?” she asked, looking past him to see if
anyone else was around.

“No one is here but me.”

She let out a sigh before letting him enter. Everyone seemed
to be sighing around him. Life was getting harder even as he fought to try to do
something to change everything. There were times he lay in bed wishing he could
do more. The farms were working slowly. No amount of reading sped the process
up. He was in his forties and still hadn’t achieved all that much in the years
as being leader of Area One.