Revolution (Collide, #4)(67)

I wanted to wipe the tear that clung to my eyelid, but his hands were in the way. Instead I just stared up at my Keeper and watched him watch me. The world faded into darkness and it was just him. He let his smile make my breathing cease to exist. His lips were beautiful magnets and I reached up on my toes to reach them. He kissed me reverently. It had been forever it seemed since we'd been able to be together. But this kiss reflected none of the frustration from that. He sucked on my top lip gently and let out heads rest against each other. "Sherry, you're everything there is for me. I love your spirit, I do, but you have to let me take the lead on this one. Please let me protect you."

What could I say to that, but, "Ok."

He pressed closer into the place where my breath was his and his breath was mine. "Promise me," he whispered.

He spoke right to my bones when he said things like that.

"I promise," I told him and accepted my reward. He titled my head a bit and slammed his mouth to mine, and I accepted every bit of him. My fingers wrapped in his shirt front, his buttons in between my fingers. His hands didn't move from my face. He just held me there, captive in his loving grasp, a willing prisoner.

"Hey, mates," I heard and clung to one last kiss before breaking away. "That was a beauty, a real corker it was, but we've got things to do, eh?"

"You're right," Merrick agreed and grinned down at me. He growled, "This time when I say we'll finish it later, I mean it. Even if I have to embarrass myself to make it happen."

I blushed. I freaking blushed! I pressed my lips together to stop the smile. He ran his finger across the pink there making me blush harder. He groaned. "Oh, my… Wife, you're killing me. Do you have any idea how hot that is? After everything we've…done, I can still make you blush?"

I grinned, but Miguel with his big mouth interrupted. Again.

"All well and good. Let's skip the details on that one, love." We both turned and glared at him at the same time. "Glower all you want," he taunted, "as long as you're walking while you're doing it."

"Oh, Miguel," I goaded and let Merrick's grip on my hand lead me. "You've lost your romantic touch."

His gaze swung to Rylee. "I highly doubt that, love."

She just looked at us and then back to the destination. And then she smiled. My eyes could have bugged right out of my head.

"Miguel's right, you know," Billings spouted. "You two are sickening sweet."

"That's not an insult, Billings."

He shrugged and smiled. "I didn't say it was."

Merrick led the way to the back door we'd went through last time. The knob opened easily, still broken. "I wonder if anyone has been here at all," he mused and pulled me up the stairs.

Once inside, we went straight to the control room. Billings got to working on how to program a broadcast, and Merrick and I found where the old school tapes went. We plugged it all in and when the little wheels started turning, I sighed in relief. Billings said he'd found a way to program the timer. The tape would play at ten the next morning over every radio and TV station in the state.

We had to hope that Cain and Daniel had made it to the next station.

A noise at the door startled us all. Merrick pulled me behind him as Miguel jumped toward the noise. He backed up, hands raised, as Chesser and a few others came in with guns in their hands.

But that wasn't the bad part. The worst part were the real Enforcers and a Lighter behind them with guns in their hands, too. This wasn't a stick up by Chesser.

This was an ambush by the enemy.

A Long and Dusty Road

Chapter 27



Cain



"I just can't believe you've been on this planet for a year plus some and not heard of Johnny Cash before."

My point was valid. Daniel didn’t think so, as he groaned again and pretended not to hear me, but it was just weird.

"Your human ideals, such as music, are wasted on my kind. There's no-"

"Don't knock it 'til you try it." I got an idea. I searched the glove-box and sure enough, there was an old cassette tape in there. I pulled it out and almost peed myself. "Holy crap, there's a Beastie Boys tape in here!"

I popped it into the player and when I heard, 'Now here's a little story I got to tell about three bad brothers you know so well!' I said, "Yeah! Paul Revere!"

"Paul Revere was an American Silversmith, am I right?" Daniel pondered.

I laughed. "He was. He was also a Beastie Boys song."

He wrinkled his nose. "This is music?"

"Some of it. You don't like it?"

"It's painful to listen to."

I pointed out his window. "Stop the car and get out."

"I'm assuming you're using your usual wit and sarcasm, so I won't be pulling over."

"If we had radio signals we could listen to that, instead of just sitting here and pretending things aren't awkward because we hate each other."

"I don't hate you," he said and thought. "I just dislike immensely."

I felt the headrest hit the back of my head as I laughed. "Dude, you don't hold the punches, do you? Well, the feeling is mutual, Lighter boy."