the morning when the officers drove off with Michael cuffed in the back of the patrol car.
Taylor leaned into the open window of the SUV. He smiled at Gwen and said, “It’s over, now.”
Gwen pulled her blanket snug around her. “I just want to go home.”
I felt the same.
We packed into the SUV and drove off.
22
Gwen
In retrospect, seeing Axel walk along the beach with a girl I didn’t recognize, brood about it for days then take off to Los Angeles into the sleazy company of my sleazy ex-boyfriend might have been a bit of an overreaction. Then again, even though I had to fight him off and I ended up bound and gagged, locked in his bedroom, I did get to see Michael writhing in pain on the floor then handcuffed and summarily driven away in the back of a patrol car. So, at the end of the day, it might have all been worth it. And my Marines had come to my rescue!
Axel took my hand. “Your knuckles look scraped.”
“Yeah, that’s because I punched the bastard in the face,” I said proudly.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Santiago chimed in from the driver’s seat.
I shook my hand out. “Actually, it kind of hurts.”
Axel kissed my sore hand and each of my knuckles.
“And my cheek kind of hurts, too,” I said.
He laid a soft kiss on my cheek.
“I feel a little soreness in my shoulder,” I said.
And he laid a soft kiss on my shoulder.
“Where’s your car?” asked Santiago.
“Augh,” I groaned and leaned back in my seat. “Back at the bar.”
“Shall I take you there?”
Going back to that place, let alone getting in my car and driving it, was the last thing I felt like doing at the moment. I felt so good, comfortable and secure, packed in tight with my Marines in their SUV.
“Just take me home, Santiago. I’ll deal with my car when I’m ready to deal with my car. Not now.”
“Your wish is my command,” he said.
I put my hand on Axel’s knee and snuggled my head against his shoulder. “I like the sound of that,” I said.
“Strap in, guys,” said Santiago. “This won’t be a bumpy ride, but it will be a fast one.”
He wasn’t kidding. I hadn’t thought of an SUV as being a sports car, but Santiago treated it like one. He took a turn a bit too fast, and I slammed into the door. “Owe.”
“Ou, sorry about that, Gwen,” said Santiago. “We’ll be on the highway in a minute.”
“Before you do that,”—I pulled my legs onto Axel’s lap and turned to him—“Will you switch places with me?”
Axel lifted me onto his lap then he slid over, lifted me and set me down between him and J.P. “Better?” he asked.
I leaned back, one hand on Axel’s knee the other on J.P.’s. “Much.”
We hit the highway, and that’s when Santiago really kicked it up a notch. It was a smooth ride, but I could feel the speed. It was exhilarating. I held onto the legs of my Marines and I did not keep my hands from wandering. They seemed to have minds of their own-and dirty minds, at that. They wandered along the thigh and over the crotch. I could feel that my Marines were happy to be seated next to me.
Seated in front of me, to my left was Manny, his head bowed slightly forward yet still pressed against the roof of the car. I reached over and slapped the back of his neck.
“Hey!” He turned and glared first at J.P. but then saw me smiling. “What was that for?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Your neck just looked like it’d be fun to smack.”
“And was it?”
I beamed. “Very.”
He twisted his lips into a pensive expression. “You know, if you smack me again, I’ll be forced to retaliate.”
I fluttered my eyebrows. “Is that a promise?”
“It is, yes.” He eyed me suspiciously then turned back around, slowly.
I didn’t smack his neck again. It wouldn’t have been as fun if he was expecting it.
Tristan, sitting directly in front of me, turned to me and said, “Are you comfortable?”
“Very,” I replied. “Are you?”
He frowned. “It’s a tight fit, still it’s a shame you aren’t closer.”
I slipped off my shoes, squeezed my leg between the two seats and set in on his armrest. “Here, you can be close to my leg.”
He gave my leg a hug like I had just given him a brand new puppy. He kissed my shin, slipped off my sock and kissed the back of my foot.