Hope (15 page)

George walked into the kitchen. “I can’t believe the crap
that’s happening. The boys were terrified. Are you all right, Pearce?”

“I’ll live. I’m calling it a night though. See you all in
the morning.” Pearce got up and left.

“If it is all right with you two, Penny and I are going to
call it a night as well.” Damon stood up.

“Good night.”

Penny moved in front and led him upstairs to their room. She
opened the door, let him inside, and then shut it behind her. Damon dropped the
books on the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair. His body ached for a
nice warm bath.

“You can use the bath through there. Laura’s kids have been
bringing up hot water from the kitchen. It should be nice and warm now.”

“Come and wash with me,” he said.

He needed to know she was fine. Damon wanted to feel her against
him and to know in his head that she was better than fine.

“Okay.”

She moved ahead of him to the bathroom. “Laura said the
water should be warm enough.”

“We’ll be sharing it.” He pulled his shirt over his head,
throwing it to the floor. Damon watched as she leaned over and tested the water.

When she stood up, he moved behind her, pulling her shirt
from her body. He kissed her shoulder.

“What has gotten into you?” she asked. “You’ve barely
touched me since you gave me an orgasm.”

“I’m an asshole. Forgive me.”

She leaned back against him. “I’ll forgive you for today. It
has been a long day.”

He removed her bra and then got rid of her trousers. She was
naked in a matter of moments. Penny got into the tub of warm bath water. He
removed his shoes and jeans then joined her in the water.

Damon pulled her against him.

“I’d hate for anything to happen to you.”

His cock thickened against the flesh of her ass.

“I fought back, Damon. I’m not going to be at another man’s
mercy anymore. I liked how it felt being able to fight.” She let out a sigh,
leaning against him. “My face hurts, and I wish I hadn’t done it, but I feel
good.”

“I’ll check your stomach when we get out.”

He wrapped his arms around her, content to simply hold her
in his arms.

“Do you think it is safe with them out there?” she asked.

“Those bindings were pretty darn tight. If they get out of
them then I’d expect them to run.” He rested his chin on her head.

“What if they bring more men back like you said?”

“They will. We’ll be ready for them. I won’t let anything
happen to you.”

They lay in the water for several minutes, neither of them
talking. Then he reached for the wash cloth. He washed both of their bodies.
Penny stood up while he examined her bruised stomach. He’d hurt the man who’d
struck this blow. He laid a kiss to the marked flesh.

She winced but didn’t pull away from him.

“You were very brave today,” he said.

He stared up the length of her body. Her tits looked
fabulous in the low light. Her pink nipples were thrust up and tightly budded. Damon
reached up to cup one of her breasts.

Penny caught his hand. She shook her head. “I’m not ready
for you to push me away again,” she said.

“I won’t. I’m different now.”

“And I’m not ready to take that chance. Please, give me
time.”

Damon stared up the length of her body. He knew he could
convince her to let him have his way with her. She’d come apart in his arms
only days ago.

Instead of losing her trust, he stood up and got out of the
bath. He grabbed a towel and folded her inside it. “I’ll prove to you that I’m
not running anymore.”

He walked into the bedroom with a towel around his own hips.

Staring at the books, Damon wondered what had changed his
mind about Penny. He’d not wanted to get attached to a woman. He liked living
alone and without fear. Penny represented everything that frightened him.

He thought about George and Laura downstairs. Their lives
were a constant battle, and yet they’d found love with each other. Damon wanted
that chance with Penny.

****

Penny wrapped the towel around her body. Her pussy was
soaking wet. She couldn’t believe she’d told Damon to wait. The moment he’d put
his hands on her she hadn’t wanted him to stop.

She walked out into the bedroom. He sat on the bed looking
down at the books. Folding her arms, she watched him glaring at the books.

“You can’t
read,
can you?” she
asked.

The way he’d looked in the shed, she’d known then he didn’t
understand the words on the page. Her face ached, and her stomach hurt like
hell. She moved farther into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“No, I can’t read.”

“How can you not read?” she asked. Her mother had taught her,
and she had assumed everyone was taught by someone. She must have been wrong.

“It never felt like a priority to me.”

Penny picked up one of the books. “Do you want me to read
them to you?” she asked. “I can show you where I’m reading.”

“Who taught you to read?” he asked.

“My mom did. She loved reading and would keep any book she
found. I remember her sitting by the fire and reading to me until I fell
asleep.”

He smiled. “She sounds like a nice woman.”

“You’d have liked her. It was horrible to wake up and know
she wasn’t going to be around anymore. I miss her all the time.”

Damon stood and grabbed the books. “We can work these out
another day. I’m tired, and we’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

She watched him put the books on the side table before
getting into bed. Penny used one of his shirts to wear before climbing into bed
beside him.

His arms were around her in a matter of seconds.

“Good night, Princess,” he said.

“Good night, Damon.”

Penny lay against him hoping to relieve the unease inside
her. Damon not being able to read had no effect on her. She looked forward to
helping him out. He’d done so much for her. She wanted to repay him for his
kindness.

His snores made her smile. Turning her head, Penny glanced
at his relaxed face. He looked at peace in the throes of sleep. Closing her
eyes, she let sleep claim her.

Chapter
Fourteen

“This is not a good idea,” Pearce said, throwing his pipe to
the ground. Damon looked at the sun rising in the sky. He’d left Penny asleep
while he came to see Pearce off.

“Don needs to know what is happening. You’re the best one to
relay information. Please, do this for me.”

Damon couldn’t leave Penny a second time. If Pearce hadn’t
been present yesterday he’d never be able to find her. Grimes would make her
pay for running away.

“I’m the last person Don is going to want to see.” Pearce
ran his hand over his bald head.

“You need to do this. Don is the only one this affects. I’d
go myself, but I’m under strict instructions to help the farmers.” Damon
glanced at the shed behind him.

“What are you going to do about those assholes?” Pearce
asked.

“Question them. Put them to work. Or kill them. I’ve no idea,
but one will come to mind. Sending them back to Grimes would be a mistake. I
don’t want any more mistakes.”

Pearce nodded his head. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Take care,
Mad Dog, and watch your back.”

He waited until the other man moved off of the farm before
going back inside the house. George stood looking at the shed with a cup of
mint tea in his hand.

“You’re thinking a lot of thoughts there,” Damon said,
taking the cup off the table and joining him.

“I hate men like them. They’re thieves and steal other men’s
livelihood.” George glared at the house.

“Some men have few choices, George. They take what they can
get, and for some that isn’t a whole lot.”

They stopped talking when the sound of Laura and the kids was
heard coming down the stairs. “Go into the sitting room, kids. Do that fixing I
told you about.”

Laura walked through to the kitchen several seconds later.
“Morning, gentlemen.”
She moved to George’s side and gave
her husband a kiss.

“Morning, baby.”

Damon saw the love sparking between the two. He thought
about the woman he’d left upstairs. His gaze moved toward the stairs seeking
her.

“She’ll be down in a minute,” Laura said.

He nodded then turned back to assess the shed.

“Do you think any of them got away?” Laura asked.

“I’ll go and see.” Damon handed the woman his cup before
leaving the kitchen. He heard George behind him as he walked to the shed. Pulling
his knife out of his pocket, Damon flicked it open in case the prisoners had gotten
free through the night.

“You built this shed mighty fine,” Damon said.

“I had to. It stores plenty of food over the winter.”

Nodding his head in understanding, Damon counted to ten
inside his head. On the count of ten he pushed the shed door open.

All three men still hung with their arms above their head.
They looked tired and hungry.

Damon cut the first man down, letting the guy move his arms.

“Is that wise?” George asked.

Damon grabbed the man by his shirt, and with his other hand
he pressed the blade against his throat. “You’ve got two choices. Stay and do
as you’re told and not get killed, or fight me and I’ll end you right now.
What’s it going to be?”

The guy kept his gaze fixed on Damon’s.

“I want to live,” one of the men said who was still tied up.

He pressed the blade harder against his throat. If he went
any deeper the tip would be plunged into the guy’s throat.

“Kill him, Damon,” George said.

Damon wouldn’t be pressured into murder. The guy had a
choice, and he’d let him make it.

“I don’t want to die,” the man in front of him said.

“But?”
Damon asked.

“But if Grimes gets us then we’re as good as dead.”

He saw the real terror on the other man’s face. The rumours
that surrounded Grimes must be true.

Grimes
was
one vicious bastard who
must be stopped.

“I can’t make promises about Don.”

“And I can’t tell you Grimes’s plan. He’ll do worse than
kill us when he gets to us,” the man said.

Damon stared into his eyes. There was real fear hidden in
their depths.

He cut away the rope then moved onto the next man. When they
were all down he led them outside and asked Michael to prepare some food. He
grabbed some old crates to make a table.

Penny stood at the kitchen window watching him.

“While you’re here you will not harm any of the children or
women. You’ll be working for your keep.” Penny and Laura carried out a tray of
food while he was talking. He saw Laura was shaking from her nerves.

The men didn’t say a word to them.

They walked back inside. Damon’s gaze lingered on the sway
of Penny’s ass. George joined him outside bringing him a sandwich.

“You’ve got bread?” he asked, amazed.

“Lenny three farms down got the mill working. He’s been
growing some of the crops. Laura got her first batch of floor the other week.
She’s been trying her hardest to make breads,” Michael said.

He inhaled the yeasty bread. Laura had gone overboard on the
yeast, but Damon couldn’t complain.
 

The men dived into their food. From the way they were
shovelling the food into their mouths it was as if they hadn’t been fed in days
rather than hours.

“Thank you,” one of the men said.

“I need your names. Otherwise you’re going to be numbered,” Damon
said.

“I’m John,” the one on the left said. There was a tattoo of
a bird on his arm.

“Edward.” This came from the man on the right. His hair was
a light shade of red.

The one in the middle kept on eating.

“I need your name,” Damon said.

“He doesn’t have a name. Grimes
gives
him orders. No one knows his name,” John said.

“I’ve never heard of a man not having a name.”

John shrugged his shoulders going back to his food.

“Fine, you’re ‘One’.”

Damon turned toward the house. The man at his side kept his
eyes on them. Penny stared at him from the window. She held a cup in her hand.
He gave her a small wave, which she turned from. Damon frowned, not
understanding her issue.

“You’ve got a long day ahead of you. You’re going to do
everything George says,” Damon said to the men.