moving from place to place. I can create some semblance of routine. But tonight, I will be sleeping on a roll mat in a tent which is hardly bigger than a janitor’s closet and I – I-”
I dropped to my knees beneath him, bowing my head, my breaths coming unsteadily as I hoped this was enough to help him regain his feeling of control. We needed Saint more than ever right now and I wasn’t going to let him slip into the chaos inside him. I was going to keep him here, keep him sane.
“You can do this,” I told him passionately. “You can do anything. You’re Saint Memphis.”
He fisted a hand in my hair with a low noise in his throat.
Laughter and whoops carried from the camp and I knew the guys were messing around which gave me an idea.
“You need to get our camp in order, Saint,” I insisted. “We need a fire and food and that tent ready to be slept in before a frost starts setting in.”
“Yes…” he said thoughtfully. “Order. That’s what we need. You’d best collect the firewood then, siren. Stand up and finish the pile.”
I got to my feet and moved to do as he said, gathering up branches and he started pointing out more for me to collect. When the pile was big enough, Saint scooped it up and jerked his head in an order for me to follow him.
We returned to the camp, finding the other guys at war with three large sticks they were wielding as swords.
“You have dishonoured me, sir,” Blake said in a posh voice, waving his sword at Kyan who smacked his with the full force of his strength, making both sticks split in half.
“Ha!” Nash struck Kyan on the back with his stick before hitting Blake across the arm. “Victory is mine!”
Blake and Kyan rounded on Nash, sharing a look before diving at him and knocking him onto the ground, trying to wrestle the stick from his hand. It was so good to see a smile on Blake’s face again that one immediately split across mine. I knew this was what he did; he buried his emotions deep when they got too much and painted on a happy face. And if it helped him then I was all for it. At least he wasn’t punching things anymore. I just hoped he wouldn’t ever do that again after our chat last night.
“What in the name of all that is fucking holy is going on?” Saint snapped, pointing at the tent which had half fallen down.
The guys broke apart, looking over at us like guilty kids caught by their parents.
“Well…we got busy building the toilet,” Blake said innocently, pointing at a tree where a hole had been dug in the ground and a branch was sticking up beside it with a roll of toilet paper perched on top.
I started laughing and Saint shot me an admonishing glare.
“Clean this place up,” Saint hissed, smacking my ass hard as he encouraged me towards the others. Damn that stings so good.
I jogged over to them with a mischievous grin as Blake and Kyan got to their feet. Monroe held his hand out to me to help him up and I grabbed onto it. He smirked, tugging hard and I fell down on top of him with a squeal instead. He kissed me shamelessly, squeezing my ass where Saint had just spanked me.
“You look so fucking hot in all this hiking gear,” he growled against my lips. “Like some sort of sexy mountain ranger. Have you come to punish me for setting a fire blazing in your panties?”
“Nash and Tatum, desist,” Saint snapped, but Nash drove his tongue into my mouth defiantly and I grinned as I kissed him back just as fiercely. Saint needed to be in control, so I was more than happy to give him a reason to punish me.
“Up.” Saint caught my hand, pulling me off of Monroe and eyeing my mouth with a hint of lust in his eyes. “Both of you.” He kicked Nash without tearing his eyes from me. “You will both be punished for disobeying me.”
“I’m not being spanked like Blake was though, man,” Nash said, and I looked over at him, biting my lip on a smirk.
“Are you sure? I’d really like to see that,” I said seductively.
“No,” Saint clipped. “You will both help to get this camp set up then report to me for your punishment.” He pointed us over to Kyan