Resistance (18 page)

Why should this time around be any different? He sensed Cade
felt differently. He seemed confident she would always belong to them. It
showed in his easygoing, laid-back attitude. No fucking worries for Cade
Outlaw. Blade wished he could be like that. Wished he could just live hour by
hour without thinking about reality.

Truth was, though, he just couldn’t settle down, because
last night while Cade and Reena had slept, he’d been working on the satellite
phone. And he’d fixed it. Out on the porch, he’d gotten a signal. All he needed
to do was tell Reena and Cade.

Problem was, he didn’t want to tell them anything. He didn’t
want to leave here. He didn’t want to leave her. Ever.

Chapter Ten

Early the next morning, after another wild night of hot sex,
Cade awoke to discover Blade staring out the back window. From the angle of
Blade’s head, Cade could see the frown on his lips. Until now, Blade had always
been the last one out of bed. The guy seemed to need a hell of a lot of sleep.
So having him up and frowning the way he was didn’t sit well with Cade, and his
gut twisted at this deviation from the norm.

Irritation slammed into him like a freight train.

Reluctantly he moved away from Reena’s warm, naked body and
got out of bed. Slipping on his underwear and jeans, he donned a pullover and
joined Blade. Gazing out the window, he inhaled at the sparkles of early
morning sunshine dusting the pristine white snow. Pine trees were draped in
white and the sky was so blue and bright it actually hurt his eyes. He averted
his gaze from the scenery.

“It’s way too early in the morning to be pissed off. What’s
wrong?” Cade asked as he moved to the kitchen. He grabbed a mug, spooned some
instant coffee into it, and then grabbed the aluminum teapot off the hot
woodstove. He poured himself a full cup, dashed some sugar into it and stirred
before rejoining Will.

“The storm’s over.”

Cade almost choked on his coffee. “And you’re just getting
that? The storm’s been over for days, my man.”

“We’re running out of food,” Blade replied and a cold wave
of worry washed away Cade’s amusement.

“I know.” He’d seen it coming for days. Reena had brought in
just enough food to last two weeks for one person. They’d located some
unspoiled dried food in the cupboards—years old, but still good. But they were
down to just coffee, a couple of tins of canned meat and a package of raisins.

“We have to think about what happens next. Any ideas?” Blade
asked.

“I know how to hunt and skin. We’ll have meat. I can go out
later and look for something to tide us over for a few days. But sooner or
later SKULL is going to wonder what happened to you. They’ll also want an
explanation why you didn’t kill her.”

“Been thinking on that. The only way they aren’t going to
send another assassin to take her out is if we pretend she’s dead.”

“So we’ll pretend she’s dead,” Cade countered, instantly
liking that idea.

“There’s only one flaw in your plan, gentlemen.” Reena’s
drowsy voice floated over from the bed.

“What’s that?” Blade asked.

“I’m not going to play dead. Ever.”

* * * * *

Raw anger surged through Red. She’d been following their
conversation and wasn’t pleased with Blade’s suggestion of her playing dead.

Tossing aside the blankets, she sat up and ignored the flare
of excitement in the men’s gazes as they latched onto her nudity.

“I am the leader of the Resistance. I was given that
position for a reason and it’s because I do not bow down. To anyone. I will not
abandon my people. I will go ahead with my plan and my women will resist and
protest this abhorred treatment.”

“And guess what you’ll get for your troubles, Red? A bullet
between the eyes,” Blade said coolly.

She truly didn’t like his tone. Confident. A premonition?

“Because that’s what’s going to happen, Red,” he said. “Lots
of people want you out of the way.”

“Screw them. Women want their freedoms back. If we become
baby machines then at least we want the right to choose our men and how many
husbands we take,” she snapped. “And we’ll keep causing civil discord until we
get our way.”

“How about I present your case to the government,” Cade
interjected. “Blade can come with me. We’ll speak for you. You can stay here
where it’s safe.”

Damn them both!

“Safe and a coward.”

“Red—” Blade said, but she held up her hand to silence him.

“There’s one thing you two don’t know about me. When I make
up my mind, I will not change it. I will not back down to the United States Government.
I will not stop our demands. I will not have an audience with that dictatorship
and I will not play dead. Not even for you two.”

She took the utmost satisfaction in their silence. Perhaps
they were actually listening to her?

“Now please, gentlemen. Let’s make love, not war. Yes, the storm
has stopped outside, but it doesn’t
have
to stop inside…despite our lack
of food.”

“If you aren’t the most stubborn­—” Cade began.

“Most headstrong—” Blade interjected.

“Pigheaded, most gorgeous—” Cade said.

“Sexy seductress.”

“Who needs an orgasm so she can start her day,” Reena
purred, smiling at them. After they’d quickly undressed and joined her beneath
the covers, she didn’t waste any time reaching out and wrapping her hands
around each of their shafts. She grinned when both men groaned as she squeezed
their flesh.

“Christ, most women prefer coffee in the morning, but this
one wants an orgasm,” Cade gasped.

“She’s too demanding, don’t you think?” Blade countered.

“Gentlemen, please,” Reena soothed. “I want my orgasm.”

She sucked in a deep breath when both men bent their heads
and each took one of her nipples into his mouth. Heat zapped through her
breasts. She moaned her delight.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

* * * * *

An odd sound shifted through the layers of Cade’s sleep. He
didn’t really give a shit. Either Reena or Blade, or maybe both of them, were
moving around inside the cabin.

She was an independent, sexually active woman. He finally
understood times were different now. Traditions were gone. Group sex was the
new norm. And Red could have sex with whomever she wanted.

Over my dead body
, an angry voice roared from deep
within him. He’d allow only Blade to be with her—besides himself. No one else.

The unmistakable crunch of someone skiing in the snow somewhere
outside the cabin snapped him back to reality. He opened his eyes and it took
only two precious seconds to realize Blade and Red were still asleep in the bed
with him.

Shit!

“We’ve got company,” he said as he threw the blankets aside
and tried to remember where he’d left his weapons.

He drew a blank. He’d become slack while lying around this
cabin.

Dammit!

The weapons were stashed in a back room. In an instant, Blade
and Red scrambled with lightning speed from beneath the blankets. Before he
could blink, Blade was tossing them guns and knives. Yeah, Blade was a heck of
a better contingency planner than he was.

“Anything?” Cade asked as he joined Blade at the ice-frosted
living room window. He’d smudged a clear spot near the side and was peering
out.

“A ski line in the snow. Looks like one set. He came in from
the north and headed past the cabin toward the west. Already gone.”

“Hunter?” Red asked as she sidled in beside Cade. Her female
scent tickled his nose and he wanted to take her again, but that sure as hell
wasn’t going to happen now. He concentrated on what was transpiring outdoors
and immediately spied the dark ski tracks laced through the snow.

“Could be just a hunter,” Cade admitted, but he doubted it.
Something, a premonition, nagged at him that trouble floated in the air.

What a bummer. And he was really liking it here.

* * * * *

“We leave first thing in the morning. First light,” Blade
said as he got dressed. He didn’t like the idea of staying the night. Didn’t
like the idea of someone lurking around out there without introducing them self.
Sure, he or she could be just a hunter as Red suggested, but he didn’t want to
take any chances with her life.

Not take chances with her life
? Oh man, how was he
going to explain all this to SKULL? To hell with them. He should have quit them
long ago. He needed to protect Red.

“We should go now,” Red said as she buttoned her top and then
threw on a sweater. She shoved her hands under her red hair, lifted it out of
the sweater and down to her shoulders like a flaming waterfall. Oh yeah, he
liked the way her hair fell like that.

“I feel like a coward hanging around in here. I need to get
back to my people,” she complained.

She felt like a coward? Heck, that comment stung like a son
of a bitch. He thought she’d been enjoying herself getting fucked by two men.

“Could it be a Resistance scout? Checking up on you?” Cade
asked. He was fully dressed and peeking out another clear spot he’d smeared
through the lacy frost on a back window. His gun was out and pointed up at the
ceiling, his body tense and ready for action.

“Gentlemen, if people from the Resistance were here, we’d
know it. Whoever is out there has a fire going just beyond the trees to the
west.”

Blade stiffened at her casual announcement. He caught Cade’s
surprised glance and they both joined her at the window she’d been covering.

She moved away, allowing Blade to peek out first. Sure enough,
just beyond the trees a thin spiral of gray smoke was meandering into the
quickly darkening sky. He moved aside so Cade could look.

“Someone from SKULL?” Cade asked.

“Doubt it,” Blade answered truthfully. “Sure, they could
have sent someone to search for me. But I never gave the coordinates where I
was and if by chance they’d discovered we’re here, Red would already be dead.
Any sniper could have taken her out the minute she’d stepped by one of the
windows. Besides, a SKULL assassin wouldn’t be sitting nearby with a smoky
fire. Whoever is out there wants us to see them.”

“I suggest we go and take a look then,” Red said, and Blade
and Cade joined her in strapping on their weapons.

Blade grabbed his rifle. One thing for sure, friend or foe
was not welcome here. They’d totally ruined another hot night with Red. And he
for one was quite pissed off about it.

* * * * *

They waited until complete dark and for their eyes to adjust
before the three of them—wearing old snowshoes—slipped out the back door of the
cabin.

Gun in hand, Reena stomped outside last. The cold late-November
air slamming deep into her lungs made her gasp. The snow wouldn’t be melting
any time soon. An odd sense of loneliness swept over her as she moved into the
nearby tree line. Branches creaked overhead and a volley of snaps and crackles
flew through the air as the ice shifted beneath the snow on the nearby lake.

From somewhere to her left came the soft swish of Blade
moving through the woods on his snowshoes. She focused on their plans. Blade
would flank her on the left and Cade on the right with her coming right down
the middle, running parallel to the ski trail created by the intruder.

Uneasiness curled through her tummy over what had
transpired. She’d become cozy with two men who’d meant her harm in the
beginning but had given her so much pleasure since. Now they were out of sight
and a raw, deep emotional ache grumbled inside of her. She just wanted to see
them again. Wanted to make sure they were okay.

Okay?

Reena pulled up short. Good grief! What was the matter with
her? They were grown men. Professionals with weapons. They would be fine.
Wouldn’t they?

She frowned in annoyance and started shuffling forward,
following the ski trail, keeping her eyes and ears glued for any noise or movement.
Of course they would be fine!

Stop thinking about them and concentrate on keeping
yourself out of harm’s way.

Whoever was out there had kept their campfire going at an
even pace. As if they wanted to be seen, just like Cade had suggested. Or maybe
this was an ambush? There could be others around, using this one person to give
a fake sense of security.

Okay chill, Reena.

They’d gone through all these possibilities back at the
cabin. Going out to confront the situation—no matter the dangers—was the best way
to go. Unfortunately, now she wished they’d simply hightailed it out of here
and gone the other way without checking on the newcomer…and without looking
back.

The moon was rising, washing the snow in an eerie blue glow.
The wind was picking up too, a cold breeze that snapped through her clothes and
made her shiver. Man, what she wouldn’t give to be back in that warm cabin
again.

As she neared the campfire, she made out a figure huddled in
front of the flames and wondered if maybe it was just a dummy propped up as a
decoy. But then it moved and Reena tightened her grip on her gun as the person
reached into a nearby packsack for something. Probably a gun. She really should
shoot first and ask questions later. But ambushing someone wasn’t her style. He
could just be an innocent person.

She wondered if Blade and Cade were already in their
positions and decided to chance that they were. Before the person could pull
out whatever they were searching for, Reena stomped behind a tree for cover and
called in a loud, commanding voice. “You! In the campsite! You are surrounded!
Raise your hands so we can see them!”

Reena held her breath as the figure did as she instructed. She
tensed as Cade and Blade simultaneously erupted from their respective positions
and covered the intruder with their guns. She shuffled into camp, joining the
trio.

Both men were silent as they stared at the newcomer and, as
the person turned to face her, Reena gasped in surprise.

“Maggie? What the hell are you doing here? We could have
killed you! Do you have a death wish?”

Maggie—the person Reena had left in charge of the Resistance
when she’d decided to go into temporary seclusion—smiled at her. Her startling
blue eyes glittered with happiness and, without warning, she threw her arms
around Reena, holding her tight.

“I was wondering when you’d break free of your bonds and
come out of that cabin for a visit,” the woman said and grinned widely.

“You two know each other?” Cade asked as he lowered his
weapon. Blade, on the other hand, wasn’t as trusting and kept his gun on
Maggie.