‹ Prequel: Bound to You
Blanket of Fear
Chapter Four
It seemed like only minutes had passed since Michelle had been taken out of the Solitary room when Zack and Johnny walked in, both of them sporting little more than bruises and a few scrapes that would easily be healed within a few hours.
“Come on. We have to move fast if we’re going to avoid a follow up attack.” Zack said to them, his voice soft. He briefly met Eliza’s gaze, and sent her a look that made her knees buckle with weakness. It amazed her that a single look directed at her could make her feel so weak, and so overcome with emotion for a man she used to hate in the not-so-distant past.
“Where are we going now? China?” Leana asked sarcastically. “Running away isn’t going to solve the problem, Zack. Killing him would have been.”
“Killing him would have sparked a war that we can’t handle right now.” Johnny told her quickly, causing Eliza to wonder if there was perhaps tension between the two of them. She’d never seen Johnny snap at someone like that.
Leana finally nodded, and then sighed. “You’re right, I was jumping the gun a little. Sorry.” She told him. When Eliza glanced in her direction, she saw that the woman meant the apology. She sighed, relieved that there at least wouldn’t be any drama between them for the moment.
Zack crossed the floor, and wrapped his arms around her quickly. “I was scared for you.” He whispered into her ear. “I know he wants you back, even if he said this isn’t about you right now. I was scared that he…That he was going to break down the door and take you.”
“We had Leana.” She gave him a soft smile, glad to know that he cared about her still. Glad that he was showing how much he still cared about her. He pulled her even tighter against him, and kissed the top of her head.
“You don’t realize how dangerous he really is, Eliza. If he’d have wanted to kill us to get to you…He might have been able to.” Zack whispered in her ear, his voice unsteady. That worried Eliza. She didn’t know Zack to show fear, yet here he was, doing just that. In turn, it scared her.
“Let’s just get out of here, ‘kay? I’m tired of sleeping on cots.” She said with a smile, trying to make a joke to lighten the atmosphere. Someone heard them, and muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear the words “Amen to that,” fill the Complex.
“We’ve got Brian in the back of the Escalade. ‘Coby’s with him to make sure Sean isn’t still in the area.” Benji’s voice called into the Solitary room.
“The computer and monitoring system?” Zack asked him, turning his head to look at his friend. Benji nodded.
“They’re already loaded into one of the SUVs. Everything else personal is already loaded, as well. We’re ready to head out any time you give the order.
“Then let’s get going.” Zack told him, grabbing Eliza’s hand in his. She didn’t say a word as he led her out of the room, and finally out of the Complex that had become their home for the last God knew how many weeks.
-x-
Eliza didn’t know where they were going, like usual, but when they pulled up in front of a large seaside home, she assumed that this was the place they were going to start calling home. Zack thought she was asleep, so he picked her up bridal style and carried her out of the vehicle and into the house.
“Don’t bother setting up the computer tonight.” He told Benji in a quit voice that was just loud enough for Eliza to hear him as she leaned her head into the crook of his neck. “We weren’t tracked. Just enjoy the night.”
“Got it, man.” Joel replied. She felt Zack start walking again, but still said nothing. The sound of a door opening and closing filled her ears before she was laid down on comfortable mattress. She sat up and blinked, rubbing her eyes as her eyes tried to adapt to the darkness of the room to spot Zack.
“I’m right here.” He whispered from the other side of the bed. She smiled, and reached for him. In the few short seconds since they’d gotten into the room, Zack had already taken his shirt off, and was now sitting beside her. She scooted closer to him, until she was sitting on his lap.
“I missed this.” She told him quietly, nibbling on his neck absentmindedly as he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them off of his body, leaving him clad in only his boxers. “The privacy, I mean.”
His chuckle filled the room as he tilted her head up and covered her lips with his own. “We probably shouldn’t do anything tonight, love.” He whispered to her, pecking her lips with his own as he pulled her next to him on the mattress and they were both laying down. “Tonight, let’s just sleep.”
“Come on. We have to move fast if we’re going to avoid a follow up attack.” Zack said to them, his voice soft. He briefly met Eliza’s gaze, and sent her a look that made her knees buckle with weakness. It amazed her that a single look directed at her could make her feel so weak, and so overcome with emotion for a man she used to hate in the not-so-distant past.
“Where are we going now? China?” Leana asked sarcastically. “Running away isn’t going to solve the problem, Zack. Killing him would have been.”
“Killing him would have sparked a war that we can’t handle right now.” Johnny told her quickly, causing Eliza to wonder if there was perhaps tension between the two of them. She’d never seen Johnny snap at someone like that.
Leana finally nodded, and then sighed. “You’re right, I was jumping the gun a little. Sorry.” She told him. When Eliza glanced in her direction, she saw that the woman meant the apology. She sighed, relieved that there at least wouldn’t be any drama between them for the moment.
Zack crossed the floor, and wrapped his arms around her quickly. “I was scared for you.” He whispered into her ear. “I know he wants you back, even if he said this isn’t about you right now. I was scared that he…That he was going to break down the door and take you.”
“We had Leana.” She gave him a soft smile, glad to know that he cared about her still. Glad that he was showing how much he still cared about her. He pulled her even tighter against him, and kissed the top of her head.
“You don’t realize how dangerous he really is, Eliza. If he’d have wanted to kill us to get to you…He might have been able to.” Zack whispered in her ear, his voice unsteady. That worried Eliza. She didn’t know Zack to show fear, yet here he was, doing just that. In turn, it scared her.
“Let’s just get out of here, ‘kay? I’m tired of sleeping on cots.” She said with a smile, trying to make a joke to lighten the atmosphere. Someone heard them, and muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear the words “Amen to that,” fill the Complex.
“We’ve got Brian in the back of the Escalade. ‘Coby’s with him to make sure Sean isn’t still in the area.” Benji’s voice called into the Solitary room.
“The computer and monitoring system?” Zack asked him, turning his head to look at his friend. Benji nodded.
“They’re already loaded into one of the SUVs. Everything else personal is already loaded, as well. We’re ready to head out any time you give the order.
“Then let’s get going.” Zack told him, grabbing Eliza’s hand in his. She didn’t say a word as he led her out of the room, and finally out of the Complex that had become their home for the last God knew how many weeks.
-x-
Eliza didn’t know where they were going, like usual, but when they pulled up in front of a large seaside home, she assumed that this was the place they were going to start calling home. Zack thought she was asleep, so he picked her up bridal style and carried her out of the vehicle and into the house.
“Don’t bother setting up the computer tonight.” He told Benji in a quit voice that was just loud enough for Eliza to hear him as she leaned her head into the crook of his neck. “We weren’t tracked. Just enjoy the night.”
“Got it, man.” Joel replied. She felt Zack start walking again, but still said nothing. The sound of a door opening and closing filled her ears before she was laid down on comfortable mattress. She sat up and blinked, rubbing her eyes as her eyes tried to adapt to the darkness of the room to spot Zack.
“I’m right here.” He whispered from the other side of the bed. She smiled, and reached for him. In the few short seconds since they’d gotten into the room, Zack had already taken his shirt off, and was now sitting beside her. She scooted closer to him, until she was sitting on his lap.
“I missed this.” She told him quietly, nibbling on his neck absentmindedly as he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them off of his body, leaving him clad in only his boxers. “The privacy, I mean.”
His chuckle filled the room as he tilted her head up and covered her lips with his own. “We probably shouldn’t do anything tonight, love.” He whispered to her, pecking her lips with his own as he pulled her next to him on the mattress and they were both laying down. “Tonight, let’s just sleep.”