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My guys all nod their heads in agreement. Then Rev makes Scrap and Doc get up and move to the kitchen with Stealth and Steel, so there are two chairs side by side for us to park ourselves in.
I smile apologetically at Scrap and Doc, adding a saucy wink, hoping they know I plan on making it up to them later.
Judging by Doc’s kissy-mouth-and-wink combo and Scrap’s huff of laughter, I think they understand.
After dinner, Rev’s sermon is short and inspirational. I love watching the soldiers give him their rapt attention. I think it’s a treat for them, having someone so in tune with the Working encouraging them. They strike me as being thirsty not only for friendship, but also for the sense of purpose that comes with belonging to a group. We’re followers of the Working, and now, we’re fourteen strong. Or at least we will be once we get Jud back.
The mood is heavy when Rev dismisses everyone for bed with a prayer. Everyone understands that tomorrow is a make-or-break day. At five a.m., we load up and drive to New Orleans, a ten-ish hour drive. We’ll arrive in time to set up a base outside the city before dark. Then, we break into teams and enter enemy territory.
We don’t know what to expect. There may be walls other than the one around the French Quarter or other kinds of barriers. There may be non-physical barriers, depending on the Gifts of Raptor’s crew. The residents of the New Orleans settlement likely won’t roll out a welcome mat for us and cheerfully hand over Jud. There are no guarantees, as Rev reminded us, but we are strong. Our Gifts are strong. We’re as prepared as we can be. And we have the Working on our side.
The soldiers all head to bed, and me and my six guys file to the back of the house, where a high-ceilinged game room looks out over a sprawling deck with darkened fields beyond. Against the azure sky, the tippety-tops of their wind turbines can be spotted far in the distance. Overstuffed leather furniture dotted around offers plenty of seating for the large, muscular men who live here, and in the center is a massive, red-felted billiards table with fringed pockets and oak legs so sturdy all seven of us could pile on top and be held up with weight to spare. There’s a wet bar at one side of the room, and the mirror behind it displays tacked-up pictures of men in military uniform. Southwestern-style rugs over hardwood floors make the space cozy, while the heads of game animals on the walls and wooden beams overhead give a lodge-feel.
“Is that a water buffalo?” I ask, wrinkling my nose at a large gray head with enormous, swooping horns. It stares at me with baleful eyes from above a stone fireplace that Doc turns on with the flick of a switch.
“Fancy,” he says with a smirk. “We should get one of these for the common room at the lodge. And yeah,chér. That’s a water buffalo. Big one, too.”
“We’re not converting the fireplace to gas,” Rev says. “Here, wood’s a commodity. Back home, we got wood to spare. That’s why the soldiers burn propane, and we clear dead trees out of the forest to stay warm in the winter.”
Doc flexes. “Oh well. Guess we gotta keep these muscles up somehow. Might as well be by chopping wood.”
I help myself to a squeeze of Doc’s biceps. I do have to admit that I like them very much.
“Someone got tickets to the gun show?” Scrap says, flexing both arms and strutting around me like a peacock in full plumage.
I laugh at his antics as Rev comes up behind me. He moves in close and secures my hips in his strong hands. The heat from his hard body seeps into my skin through our clothes. I sigh happily as I relax back into him.
“No gas fireplaces,” Rev says. “But those wind turbines out yonder gave me and Scrap ideas for back home.” His cheek nuzzles mine.
Scrap slouches onto the nearby leather sofa. “Rev and I figure we can use the infrastructure already in place at the Toston Dam to bring power to the whole camp. We can be totally wired and genny-free, like these guys. Hell, we could probably power all of Bozeman if we wanted to.”
“Wow,” I say. “That would be amazing.”
“Sure would make life easier,” Rev says. “With my electrical background and Scrap’s Gifts, I think we’ve got a shot at it. It’ll take some serious research and a lot of muscle, but it’s nothing the seven of us can’t handle.”
When he says “seven of us,” I know he’s not including me. He means the seven of them. For Rev, it’s a foregone conclusion that we’ll be getting Jud back. I like that, and I show him my appreciation by squeezing his arms as he wraps them around me from behind.
“Muscle is one thing we got plenty of,” Scrap says. I expect him to preen again, but instead, he’s watching Brawn dust chalk onto a cue. Brawn slides a look at Scrap, and there’s a familiarity to it that tickles my spidey sense.
But Rev doesn’t give me time to dwell on it. He places a big hand over the pool balls Shep just racked, and he addresses the room at large. “Gentlemen, I called us in here because I’m thinkin’ we could use a chance to blow off some steam before tomorrow.”
Scrap stretches an arm along the back of the sofa he’s taken over. He watches Rev with rapt attention. Brawn and Shep gather close, too. But Doc is behind the bar, inspecting the soldiers’ collection of liquor bottles, and Grim is across the room in a big leather chair half in shadow and far away from everyone else.
The room rings with quiet tension. They’re probably thinking about tomorrow, like me.
Rev leans back against the pool table, keeping me locked in front of him. “Thought we could take advantage of this fine game room. But I had something a little more intimate than a game of billiards in mind.” He rocks me gently, side to side. I feel his chin rest on top of my head. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I could use me some sweet, young pussy tonight.”
That gets Doc’s attention. He practically trips over himself joining us by the pool table. Grim moves to a closer chair. When he sits down, I see him spread his legs wide and adjust himself.
My entire body clenches with need. Rev’s dirty words, spoken in front of everyone, unleash something wild inside me. It begins pacing and craving.
“Everyone, gather round and take a seat.” Rev leans back against the pool table with me against his front, and the guys scoot and angle the furniture so it’s facing us. Leather creaks as muscular bodies settle in for what I hope is a demonstration in making Cora very happy.
Rev’s hands rub up my sides before cupping my breasts over my flannel shirt. He closes his teeth gently on my ear, and I shiver with anticipation. “Gonna love on you tonight,” he whispers. “All together. Gonna push you, baby. Can you handle what Daddy has for you?”
“Yes. Please.” I trust Rev. Because he knows me. He knows me so well that he’s making sure I don’t have to choose tonight.
He knows all of us. He’s taking care of all of us.
