I look down at the last bomb in my hands and I light the cloth. I throw it hard and the bottle crashes hard against Sven’s chest. He screams and a shot goes off as the jar explodes over his body, setting him alight. I feel a slight sting on my right arm, but there’s no time to waste!

I run back to the corner of the estate and pull myself up on the wall. Once at the top I look back at the burning estate. I quickly find Sven’s burning body and I soak in the sight and screams around me. It’s a beautiful sound, listening to the monsters screaming and crying. When I see people slamming their fists against the windows and glass doors, I look hard trying to recognize them. They’re all gasping for air, trampling each other to try and find a way out.

I see Eduardo and my eyes start to search frantically for Cameron. One of the glass doors burst open and a flaming body comes running through the doors. A smile slowly creeps over my face. David. It’s only right that he goes the same way our mother did.

I hear a high pitch scream and then I see the old bitch - Westbrook. I watch until I don’t see anyone but the flames, and then I jump off the other side and run back to where we left the station wagon.

I see Adam pacing in front of the car, his whole body tense. When he sees me he hisses, “What the fuck took you so long?”

“I had to watch,” I say, and we get in the car. “I had to make sure they all burn.”

“And did they?” he snaps as he drives off in the opposite direction.

“Yes,” I say and then I sigh with relief, “and it was beautiful.”

I can’t describe all the feelings coursing through my body. Relief, liberation, freedom … I’m feeling so much that it makes tears spill from my burning eyes.

“I’m free,” I whisper to no one in particular.

~*~

Chapter Twenty Two

River~

Two long days. Two days that almost cost me my sanity.

That’s how long they were gone. Forty eight hours of raw fear eating away at my heart. A million thoughts kept bombarding my mind. It’s amazing what horrors your mind can conjure up when you’re worried about someone.

Sophia is the first to see Jack and Adam. She’s been living on the patio since they left, her eyes never leaving the entrance.

The men look tired as they come walking down the road. They must’ve left the station wagon somewhere, burning it like we always do, so we don’t leave any traces behind.

Sophia runs down the road and she flings herself into Adam’s arms. Adam needs someone like Sophia in his life and she needs him. They are good for each other.

Jack keeps walking up the road and I have to suppress the urge to run to him and to see if he’s okay. I want to inspect every inch of him.

For an awful second I wonder if he’s going to keep ignoring me like he’s been doing the past few days, but then he climbs the stairs and walks right up to me. He throws his arms around me and lifts me off of my feet.

“You’re home,” I whisper, getting all choked up on the happiness of having him back home.

He presses his face into my neck and whispers, “I’m home.”

He sets me down on my feet and then grabs my hand. He walks into the house, pulling me behind him. He goes straight for my room.

When we’re inside, he closes the door and then he yanks his shirt over his head. Instantly my eyes flit all over his body, checking for wounds. He has a gash on his arm and I rush to him.

“What happened?” I brush my fingers just under the gash. It just needs to be cleaned, it’s not that bad.

Jack doesn’t answer me and undoes the button on his jeans. He lets the jeans fall down to the ground and then he steps out of them.

“Jack, what are you doing?” I take a step back as he takes hold of his boxers and shoves them down his legs.

He stands up, as naked as the day he was born. “I’m going to shower and then I’m going to have sex with you.”

My mouth drops open as I watch his sexy ass walk away from me. I hear the water start to run in the bathroom.

I walk into the bathroom and say, “We can’t just have sex, Jack. There’s so much to talk about.”

I watch as his hands glide over his body and I have to admit, it’s by far the sexiest thing I’ve seen in my entire life. There is nothing as hot as Jack’s strong hands soaping up his muscled body. I can watch him shower all day long.

Jack rinses the soap off and then he steps out of the shower. His eyes meet mine and I must be showing exactly what I’m thinking, because he smiles.

“We can talk later,” he says. He grabs a towel and he quickly rubs his face and hair dry.

“No, Jack. We have to talk first. We have to talk about where you are emotionally …” he starts to come at me and I start to sputter, “ …and … and … what about what you just did?”

He stops a few steps from me and he tilts his head, just staring at me.

“Jack, we have to think this through. Sex is a huge thing for me.” Immediately I feel rotten for what I just said, “I’m not saying it’s not a big thing for you.” Immediately my eyes drop to his hard cock.

Oh my word! I’m making such a mess of this.

“River, keep quiet,” Jack murmurs.

I keep my mouth shut because of the look on his face. This is not the Jack I’ve come to know. This is someone else. This is a man.

Have I been blind all this time, not allowing myself to see the real man that’s been there all along? I kept telling myself Jack needed time, but I was wrong – I was the one who needed time, but not anymore. All I need now is Jack.

“Please don’t be mad at me,” Jack whispers. “I had to go do that. I had to kill them and stop them from hurting anyone else.”

How can I be mad at him for what he did? It’s something he had to do to find himself. I’ve killed for much less than what Jack has killed for. It’s not my place to judge.

“Please,” he begs me, and it’s only then I realize that I haven’t answered him yet.

“I’m not mad at you, Jack. I understand what you had to do.”

He rushes forward and grabs hold of me. He lifts me against his still wet chest. He then takes a few long strides and tosses me on the bed.

He follows, landing on top of me. We both gasp at the impact and then he kisses me. He kisses me hard, with the same need and hunger I’ve been feeling for him.

Jack is right. We can talk later. I get lost in his kisses, forgetting the past and only living in the moment.

This is it.

This is the moment we finally let go of our pasts that have haunted us for so long.

This is the moment we find ourselves in each other.

I’m never letting him go after this, and by the way his hands are roaming my body, I know he’ll never let go of me.

The first time I had sex was out of spite. It meant nothing. The second time was forced on me. This time I’m doing it for myself. I’m doing it for Jack. I want him to know how much I love him and how special I know he is.

I want this so much!

Excitement pulses through me. I quickly yank my shirt off and by accident my hand slams into Jack’s jaw. Hard! He grunts with pain and we both sit up. I can only stare at him wide-eyed.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

He looks at me, his eyes intense with need. He drives his body back against mine and his hands go to my hair. He pulls my face to his, our mouths greedily resuming the kiss.

He lays me back down on the bed and his one hand finds my breast. I can feel a wisp of ecstasy. I place my hand on his side and then suddenly he jerks away from me.

Breathless, he stares at me for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” I start to apologize. I must have tickled him.

“River, just relax,” he says. “No touching my sides and no hitting me.” I see the spark in his eyes and I realize he’s teasing me. He lowers himself back to me again and his fingers caress my cheek. “It’s just us here.” He kisses me once and then whispers against my lips, “It’s just you,” kiss, “and me.”