ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 29

━━─── • ───━━━

• Amir •

Amir and Luna's legs were tangled and their bodies were wet while they slept together in bed. With her chin on his shoulder, he drew loose lines from her hip to her navel. The heart design drew her in, making it his go-to.

Even though they weren't invited into Eric's elegant house, it felt like they were on vacation and should have been. He didn't care about Eric whatsoever. By getting into the Defective's memories and thoughts, Amir made the second-best choice. The first one was falling in love with Luna and marrying her.

Once they climbed out of the tub, water splashed everywhere, and when Luna leaned to grab towels from the cupboard, Amir had a peek at her perfectly curved rear. He had taken her by surprise.

He hoisted Luna with one quick movement after turning her around, locking her body between himself and Eric's bookshelf. He placed his mouth over hers and then completely rammed into her entrance. It wasn't because of any slow, delicate seduction that her body submitted in a way that made him want to dwell inside of her. He had no choice but to keep going once her legs were wrapped around his hips.

She reacted to every thrust while their bodies merged quickly and passionately. He could only take so much of her wetness once she began to convulse all around him. He had followed his wife into a release within seconds.

Countless times.

When he was sure his knees wouldn't give out, he carried her to the master bedroom. He had every intention of letting his wife sleep at the time but seeing her covered in those sumptuous silk sheets, her hair cascading over her exposed shoulders and cleavage, sparked an insatiable hunger in him.

He desired her yet again.

Luna was on her knees when he pulled her up because he saw the same hunger in her eyes. His arm was wrapped around her exquisite waist, and her magnificent rump was pressed against his hips.

Their sex hadn't been delicate, but she hadn't been either. By reaching around and grasping his hips with her fingernails, his wife had forced him forward. Their moans and heaving gasps were all that could be heard. It was a delightful, beautiful symphony. She was ravenous for him in the manner that a woman needed her lover.

And, as Luna's  spouse, Amir was willing to go to any length for her.

Until now, the last few days had blown his freakin' mind.

The urge to be inside of her, close to her, always outweighed the hints of a deeper craving each time.

What was going on with me?

The anticipation for her before the trip had been torturous. Inside of him was a fire that filled his groin and shot down his spine. He supported Luna by slipping one arm between her thighs, while his pelvis pounded against her body and his thrusts lost rhythm. There were a few dramatic outbursts here and there, but nothing compared to the previous few instances.

They dropped onto the bed, weary and stuffed.

He lifted her red, plump lips to his and kissed them slowly and gently. They stopped moving after that.

"Did I . . . stretch you?" he asked, half-joking because he didn't want her to be too sore from how he'd taken her.

Luna's hand curled over his stomach, her shoulders shook with laughter. "No. Did you think you did?"

He brushed her hair away from her cheek. "I was . . . needy."

When she looked up at him, she lifted herself, her eyes sleepy. "And that made everything better."

"I bet. You want more."

"You're so conceited."

"But you like me the way I am. Don't pretend you don't, Moon. I can read your thoughts."

"Okay. You've won." She laughed. "Am I going to wake the sleeping beast again?"

"The sleeping beast is constantly awake around you."

And Amir would be damned if the "beast" wasn't stirring while his heart throbbed.

He hugged her instead of moaning about it. He grabbed a piece of Luna's hair and wound it around his pinky finger while they rested.

"Can we connect to our family before we see Zander?" she asked quietly. "I want to check on Sarah."

"I'm not sure if that would be a good idea." Amir unraveled her silky strand and laid it back down. "I want us to be careful until we have this meeting."

"Same."

He smiled when he looked at her. "I promise we will see our daughter once we reach an agreement with the underground crew. I miss Sarah, too. A lot."

Luna whispered between kisses, "I just . . . I hope she's okay."

"We'll get back to her as soon as we can."

"I'm also worried about Liberty."

"I know."

She smiled playfully while holding his hips. "You've never treated me like this. So . . . dominate. Is your sexual appetite linked to Eric since you've consumed everything about him?"

Amir inhaled before exhaling. "No. We're making up for lost time since we're were separated for so long underground. Get what I mean?"

"I see where you're going with this." When Luna's lips touched the middle of his chest, he shivered. "All I want is to hold on to us and stay this way."

"We will, Moon."

"Hmm, you feel so warm and comfy," Luna said, looking up at him. "I don't want to move."

He chuckled. "I can tell."

"You know, you're mistaken," she began, her gaze drawn to the window. "About us and having children. We've seen it."

Amir sniffed and then locked his attention on her. "We could see our future, but it wasn't set in stone. Things have been changing all around us, and who knows if we caused any kind of ripple effect."

She sighed and muttered, "True. We may have done something to prevent our babies from being born. Our little boy and girl."

"Hey," he murmured, placing his finger on her chin. "Let's not get too caught up in what we've done or what we've probably prevented. Let us rally more people to our side and win this war. Okay?"

His wife moistened her lips after a small nod. "Okay. I know you want to stand guard, but will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

Amir brought her into a brief, passionate kiss before whispering, "Absolutely. I'm not going anywhere."

Luna eventually fell asleep while he held her tightly. When he looked at the time above the TV, it was after eleven o'clock at night, so he slowly climbed out of bed and strolled to the living room, where he noticed Greer entering through the side door.

"Hey, man," Amir said when he approached him.

"I see you've finally come up for air," Greer snickered.

"Ha-ha."

Amir's smirk vanished when he stepped to the front window to peer outside, listening to thunder hammering in the sky, or at least the sound of a storm brewing. Unless it started raining, it was difficult to determine what it was these days. He just hoped it wasn't bombs going off somewhere near them.

Greer, who was standing next to him, said, "A storm is coming. It's expected to arrive around three and last until noon."

"Fantastic," Amir muttered.

Greer laughed. "Our trip keeps getting better and better."

"Yep." Amir gave him a wry smile before returning his gaze to the window. "I'm guessing you've already patrolled the area?"

Greer nodded. "There isn't anything out there. Nothing but deer. And bears."

Both of them laughed, and Amir took a step back, stretching his arms out and yawning.

"Are you tired?" Greer asked, turning to face him. "I can stay up and keep an eye on things."

Amir shook his head quickly. "No, I'll be okay. To be honest, I'd prefer to get on the road as soon as possible."

"Really?"

He cast a glance upstairs before meeting Greer's stare. "I just want to get this meeting over with. And for some reason, I don't feel as at home here as I did originally. We came only for the stones and whatever was useful."

"True." Greer shifted his attention to the kitchen and then back to Amir. "Have you checked what's on the other side of that door?"

"No," Amir replied. "I thought it was the pantry."

The men then strode slowly toward the door and came to a halt.

Greer explained, staring at him, "The stairs lead down to a cellar with underground tunnels that allow anything or anyone created within BARDA to travel undetected. This house serves as both a refuge and a form of transportation for them."

Damn.

Amir had underestimated how daring the organization was. But it didn't shock him. "But I don't recall this detail from Eric's memories."

"Maybe he rarely goes down there," Greer suggested.

"That might be it." After he cleared his throat, Amir's brow furrowed. "Have you found anything else about the tunnels?"

Greer said softly, his eyes focused on the main staircase, "According to a map, one of these connects directly to Le Claire, Iowa. It is located beneath the Mississippi River."

"Do you think there is a direct tunnel to Chicago?" Amir asked.

Greer nodded. "I'm sure there is one. These tunnels could lead to Canada."

Amir raised a brow. "Wow. Talk about having no problems crossing the border."

"I know, but it's a nine or ten-day walk from here to Canada," Greer finished.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that the tunnels could be rigged. So, exactly how do we get to Chicago undetected?"

Greer looked at the Explorer and then back at Amir. "I don't know for sure, but the map showed all of the organization's outposts within a hundred miles." He cleared his throat. "We can either drive there or walk through the tunnels, where we might encounter more agents."

Amir stomped over to the sofa and sat down on it with an exasperated sigh. The sound of the heavy thud echoed around the room. His breathing quickened when he leaned back. "Okay. This is a temporary setback. We should go for it and drive."

"But the tunnels might be easier," Greer added, handing Amir one of two water bottles he'd taken out of the fridge.

"They won't be faster," Amir grumbled. "Either way, we're doomed to hell if we want to make it to Chicago in peace."

He swallowed, not liking what he was seeing as he recalled more of Eric's memories.

BARDA was so big that it ran out of most government buildings, hospitals of all kinds, and even small towns with only a few hundred registered citizens. They picked up anyone, whether or not they were Tethered Souls. Almost no one was seen again after that. They had more power than anyone could imagine in the government and did every experiment they could think of. They were the big bad wolf that couldn't be brought down, and Amir would do everything in his power to avoid getting caught by them again.

He sat back, his eyes settled on Greer. "Are you familiar with flying a small plane?"

"Like a charter plane?" Greer asked, sipping his drink.

Amir nodded, and the two of them kept looking toward the front door and the cellar door. Agents ambushing them was the last thing they needed.

Greer took a deep breath. "Oh, man, I don't know. I hadn't flown a plane in over a year, and that was when they let me learn after finding new captives."

"But you remember how to, don't you?"

"Yeah . . . sort of," he said quietly. "Why?"

"Because we might have to do that," Amir explained. "Fly from here to Chicago."

Greer rubbed his brows. "You're insane."

He took a deep breath and gripped his bottle. "That may be true, but we don't have any other options for getting over there without being noticed. Chicago is an hour by plane, and driving is too risky."

"But the city isn't that far at all now. We're only about two hours away."

Amir arched his brow, biting his tongue. "We have to find a way there. We'll take every back road. Nobody is going to catch us."

"That's the plan, Mr. Khan."

Amir nodded slightly, inhaling deeply.

"You remember what Titus said about flying," Greer proceeded. "That was the whole point of driving all this way."

"I remember."

But knowing that didn't make it any easier for Amir to plan their trip to O'Hare International Airport. All he could think about was meeting with Zander and convincing the leader of the underground crew to join their battle for freedom. Even if it meant it was a long shot. It was better to try than not try at all.

Greer cast a nervous glance at him. "I know nothing about this road trip was planned, but our goal is to get to Chicago." He paused. "We're in it for the long haul."

"That's why we started this mission, Greer: to do whatever we could to bring these people down." Amir swallowed. "How were we supposed to know we had a bounty on our heads or that there were a few outposts in the north of the United States, but not as many as in the other states we'd been through?"

Greer let out a soft sigh. "That is why this organization has operated so flawlessly over the years, and why they have remained hidden from everyone all this time. They had no problem giving people a cement bath if they learned the truth. If we can convince everyone who despises BARDA to join our fight, it will be worth it, even if any of us are caught in the middle of it."

Amir was less than enthusiastic about driving to Chicago after encountering a bounty hunter who had been sent after them and learning that Illinois, of all states in the United States, had outposts planted in various locations along the way. Things would be a lot easier if they could just take a plane to the airport.

He was good at hiding his emotions, and he didn't want Luna to know how worried he was about this operation. Showing her that he was terrified was not part of his plan after he'd came all this way to save her from a deranged and dreadful predicament. Greer recognized this and was trying to be supportive.

If things went south, he might wind up killing everyone who attempted to harm their group.

None of them were going to get captured if he could help it.

━━─── • ───━━━