Protecting Salvation: A Shadow Elite Novel

Hurricane woke with the first stretches of light across the sky, his body not used to any kind of light in the morning. He stretched and took a momentary inventory of how he was feeling, something he’d started doing since his diagnosis. No pain or blurry vision, so he sat up slowly letting his blood pressure settle before he got up. Hurricane hated that he had to move slowly or adjust any of his actions or reactions, but it was what it was. This was the hand he’d been dealt, and he’d deal with it.

His feet hit the ground and he stood. When his body complied he set quietly about his day, starting with brewing coffee in Peyton’s tiny kitchen. Bertie greeted him and he sank to his haunches to greet the happy little guy with a scratch to his chin, before letting him out to do his business. His gaze caught on the office at the bottom of the garden and he wondered if Peyton would be okay working in there today.

She’d tried to hide her reaction but he’d seen how her body tensed and her skin paled when she talked about it. Her attack had been vicious and going back into the space where it happened would be hard.

Looking around the small house, he wondered if he could do anything to make it easier for her. Mug of coffee in hand, he stepped out into the early morning sun and strode to her office. The door was locked and the blinds were drawn but he knew what it looked like inside. He and Titan had cleaned it up and made it look as if nothing had happened.

He knew he couldn’t erase the memories though and hoped she’d spoken to someone about it but suspected she hadn’t. Doctors made the worst patients, and he had a feeling his stubborn girl was no different. A smile crept across his face at the realisation he’d called her his girl, even if it was only in his head.

He wanted her to be his, but was it fair to her? If he started something and it left her caring for half a man, was that selfish? He’d thought so, but Lotus had made some good points and now he wondered if taking away her choices was unfair. Or was he just looking for a way to have his cake and eat it too?

A yap at his ankle had him looking down at Bertie the little hero dog. “What do you think, fella?”

Bertie angled his head and yipped again as if to say pull it together man.

Hurricane huffed a laugh. “Yeah, good call.”

Heading back inside he heard movement upstairs and his body stirred with images of Peyton getting ready for the day. The shower starting took those images to a very distracting place which had his pants tightening. “Shiit.”

Pushing thoughts of her naked from his brain, he set about making them breakfast. He was humming gently when he felt her step into the room. The air seemed to still and then sizzle. A smile pulled at his lips as he realised she was trying to remain undetected and he let it go, loving that she was watching him. Her eyes on him felt good, made him feel like a man and not a patient with fucked up shit in his head.

“You going to stare at me all day or do you want coffee?”

He turned giving her a wink and caught a blush slide over her skin. Fuck, she was beautiful, but it was her strength that he couldn’t stay away from. He turned back to the plates of eggs he was finishing and smiled.

“Sorry, I was just admiring how nice it is to see a man in my kitchen.”

Her warmth at his back as she made herself coffee had his skin prickling with heat. The need to reach out and touch her was like a physical ache.

He took the two plates to her small kitchen table and she followed, taking a seat opposite him.

“Any man or me?” He regarded her, his face impassive, not wanting her to see how much her answer meant to him.

“You, Warren. I like you here with me. It feels right somehow, or maybe my nerves are shot and I’m a bumbling mess.”

His hand shot across the table and took hers, twining their fingers together, making her look up sharply. He saw every emotion reflected in her grey eyes, uncertainty, desire, fear, longing, and vulnerability, and he wanted to shield her from every negative thought.

“You’re strong and capable, smart, determined, loyal, and so damn beautiful I can hardly think straight around you. What you are not is a bumbling mess, and I feel the same. Waking up here this morning, letting Bertie out and cooking for us, felt right to me. Like it was where I belonged and, believe me, I haven’t felt that a lot in my life.”

Her smile was like the sun coming out and bathing him in warmth, he wanted to turn his face to it and bask in its heat. “Peyton, can I ask you something?”

Her head cocked at his change in tone. “Of course.”

“If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?”

He reluctantly let her hand go and motioned at her breakfast and she began to eat, as satisfaction moved over him.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe on a beach some place, watching a tall sexy man with huge muscles rub sun lotion into my skin.”

The growl of jealousy died in his throat when she winked at him and forked a mushroom into her mouth, the tines disappearing slowly and making him think of what else he wanted to see in her sweet mouth.

Her voice was flirty and light and he loved that, and even more that she felt relaxed enough to show him he was the sexy man in this imagining.

“Do you know where I would be?”

Peyton shook her head.

“With my head between your sexy thighs, making you come with my name on your lips.”

He knew he’d shocked her but he wanted her to know how he felt about her, how much he wanted her and he also liked the pink on her cheeks when he shocked her. Peyton coughed and grabbed her coffee to cover it.

She held up a finger and he wondered if he had taken it too far.

“I’d like to change my answer.”

His laugh was loud and bold as she grinned at him. “You’re something else, sugar.”

“So are you, Warren. I see you, and I want you to know I’m not afraid of what the future holds when I’m with you. Not matter what that is, you make me feel like I can face it.”

He didn’t know what his future held either but he knew he wanted today and tomorrow and as many tomorrows as he could get with this woman. He was done holding back. “Get your fine ass over here, woman.”

He pulled her up out of her chair as he stood and lifted her in his arms as he backed her toward the wall, his lips finding hers. Peyton wrapped her arms and legs around him, her hands on his shoulders as he kissed her, forcing his tongue between her lips as a sigh left her body. He cupped her ass cheeks in his big palms as she melted into him. Pouring her passion into him, her body submitted to him as sexy sounds left her lips. He stroked his hands over her ass, feeling the heat of her core pressed against his erection.

Her body writhed, her hands moving like she had no control over them. Months and months of foreplay clashed into this one kiss. He wanted to devour her, to kiss every inch of her, to make her come on his tongue, his fingers, his cock. He wanted to own her in every way, to make her feel like the Queen she was so that she never doubted herself again.

But first, he needed to make sure they were on the same page. Pulling back, he kissed her nose, her eyelids, and her cheek with gentle, soft touches as her breathing heaved against his chest.

“Sugar, look at me.”

Her heavy-lidded eyes met his, full of fire and need, and it took everything he had not to strip her down right here in this tiny kitchen and fuck her until neither of them could walk. “I don’t know what my future is, but I know in this moment there’s nothing I want more than you. I can’t make you any promises about tomorrow but for today, I know what I want and that’s you.”

Her palm stroked his cheek and he closed his eyes, revelling in her touch as he stood there, his hands holding her to his body, breathing the same air.

“I want today with you, and every other today you can give me, Warren.”

A sigh left his body as he bent his head and kissed her again, unhurried this time as if that one sentence had taken away the desperate fear snapping at his heels.

A loud bang at the front door had his head snapping up as they looked toward the sound.

“It’s probably the postman with a package.”

Hurricane gave her ass a final squeeze before setting her down. His dick was achingly hard in his pants as she tried to step around him and move to the door.

He snaked a hand out to grab her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Peyton blinked up at him confused. “To answer the door.”

His lips feathered her ear as he bent to whisper in her ear. “Sugar, when I’m here, you do not answer the door looking freshly fucked, and especially not when there might be a threat to you. We clear?”

Peyton rolled her eyes and he almost grinned but he needed her to know he was deadly fucking serious about this.

“Fine. Go get the door, neanderthal.”

His lips touched her cheek. “Good girl.”

He smirked and adjusted his cock in his pants before stepping up the door. He needed to get her a camera doorbell sorted out. Opening the door he saw it wasn’t the postie but Lotus and Titan.

Lotus looked him up and down, as he stood perfectly still not letting her see him flinch when she choked out a laugh. “Well, looks like someone had a good morning.”

She pushed past him and Titan shrugged and followed, offering his fist in greeting.

Hurricane bumped his. “What’s up, man?”

He closed the door and followed them in to see Peyton pouring Lotus orange juice.

“Why the early morning visit? You got news?”

He glanced at Peyton, watching her body stiffen at his words and cursed, moving past Titan to stand beside her. The two of them faced his team mates as one, and he knew Lotus and Titan didn’t miss it.

“Watchdog found something.”

He placed his hands on Peyton’s shoulders and pulled her back to his front as he worked the knots in her muscles. “And?”

He hated when Lotus was dramatic, but like the rest of the team, he was giving her some leeway after losing Rykov. He might have been a team member but he and Lotus went back further and their relationship was more, so the loss was heavier.

“There are no reports of ammonium nitrate being stolen, but large quantities have been bought up recently and guess what the delivery address is?”

He shook his head. “No, Lotus, I won’t guess, so just fucking tell me.”

“Urgh, I thought you’d be less grumpy when you finally got the girl.”

“I’m not grumpy, I just don’t want to play guessing games.”

A smirk crossed her face. “So you did get the girl? Damn, Hurricane, I can’t believe you swooped in and stole my wing woman.”

Peyton lifted her hand, and laid it over his on her shoulder, her body shaking with silent laughter.

“Lotus, Warren and I are taking every day as it comes, but yes, we’re together. Now, can you please stop with the attention-seeking and get on with it. I have a client at nine and I have notes I need to read over.”

“I’ll be your wingman, Lotus,” Titan added with a grin.

Lotus rolled her eyes. “Yeah, ’cos that will help me find a man when they see you at my back. Anyway, the address is Old Acreage Farm in Eardisley.”

He felt Peyton flinch and knew exactly why. That was her family’s farm, which meant this wasn’t a simple case of vandalism.