John’s eyes scan the crowd again, just as he’s programmed to do. What most people would miss, he sees. This talent has saved his life, and many others, too many times to count. And right now his senses are pulling his attention towards the new guy from the gym. Everything on the surface says that he’s a stand-up guy, clean-cut, but he’s probably got a past. There’s something about him that sends a very loud warning to John not to trust him. His hand, resting on Elsie’s back, clenches into a fist. She can’t help but feel it and it causes her to jump, moving away from both of them.
“I’m sorry, Angel, I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought I saw something,” John gently tugs Elsie back.
“What are you going to see on Water Street at 9:00 in the morning, Mountain Man?” Elsie tries to joke, but she’s all too aware of John’s abilities. She’s seen him with opponents in the ring, and he can read them perfectly, his intuitions are sharp.
“You’re right, Angel,” John smiles down at her, keeping his expression soft.
Brian knows his friend well, too, and he looks to him over Elsie’s head for information. John directs him with only a subtle glance. They’ve done this a million times, their actions were perfected years ago, in the desert villages of the Middle East. Brian’s gaze falls on the man John’s indicated and his jaw instantly clenches, his instincts giving him the same signals.
Something’s not right.
CHAPTER 6 “It’s what you do, it’s what you see. I know if I’m haunting you, you must be haunting me. It’s where we go, it’s where we’ll be. I know if I’m onto you, I’m onto, you must be onto me…,” Lyrics “Haunted” by Beyonce’
The runners are gone and the crowd is beginning to thin out. They’ll make their loop and come back around here, as this is also their final destination. It’s a five kilometer, or three mile run, and although these are very well-trained athletes, it’s going to be a anywhere between fifteen minutes to an hour until they all return back.
There’s a DJ playing on the portable stage. A mix of Christmas music, top 40, and some beach music fill the chilly air. The DJ’s well prepared to cater to everyone in the diverse crowd this morning.
Elsie is so proud of her friend, Janie had only began running a couple of years ago, but once she started, nothing stopped her. Now she runs in these marathons, and races, regularly. While she might not finish in the top ten, she always finishes and she gives it more than a 110%.
“I have to go home and get a change of clothes, Mountain Man, if you’re kidnapping me today. And I’ll need a shower before the party. So, if you can’t make those things happen, then forget it,” Elsie tells him with a hand on her hip and one foot tapping on the ground.
“Angel Girl, whatever you want is yours, if it’s in my power, and those are such simple things to ask for. What I can’t wait to hear, is what you’ll be begging for,” he says, smiling mischievously at her.
John knows that Elsie is putting on her tough girl façade, it’s her coping mechanism and helps her feel empowered in situations where she feels intimidated. He’ll keep melting that front until she finally realizes she doesn’t need it with him anymore. And when she’s naked in his and Brian’s arms he’s going to enjoy taking her exactly where he wants her…to ecstasy. His dick grows hard just thinking about it.
Hang in there, boy, John tells his cock, soon, just a few more hours and she’s yours.
“You boys are pretty sure of yourselves, aren’t you?” Elsie asks, trying to sound cocky and self-assured. It might have worked if her voice didn’t quiver and raise an octave on that last word.
His smile gets a little bit bigger.
“No, Angel, we’re not sure of ourselves, you are,” he answers her quietly, his look so intent it touches her in her most intimate places.
Elsie’s face turns a flaming, bright, crimson as the heat rushes through her body, from the arousal instantly ignited within her. It flicks at her nipples and tickles her sex, making her walls clench in heated anticipation.
John chuckles wickedly at Elsie’s reaction and quickly takes her arm, leading her away from the crowd before she can argue with him.
“Come on, Baby Girl, let’s go get your things now, then I can get you to my house as soon as possible, we’ve got some other stops to make before home,” he says turning to look for Brian in the remaining crowd of people.
“Where at?” Elsie asks. Her nerves are starting to dance in her stomach.
“Got to get some last minute things for this afternoon. Let’s go tell Brian we’re leaving,” John says, scanning the clusters of people milling around.
They find Brian talking to the group of guys wearing the Evolutions Gym sweatshirts. When he sees John approaching, he walks towards them to put a few feet between them and the additional ears.
“You heading out?” Brian asks.
“Yeah, Elsie’s riding with me, but we’re stopping at her place first so she can pick up a change of clothes. You’re gonna come by early, right Bro?” John asks Brian.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a few hours and we’ll get everything finished outside, I’m bringing my ladder,” Brian answered. Then his attention moves to Elsie, “I’m glad the three of us are going to be able to spend some time together, hanging out, before everyone else gets there, Baby Girl. We’ll have fun.” There are so many unspoken promises in his words and it makes Elsie stomach do a somersault.
The sincerity in Brian’s voice and face disarms Elsie. All of the defense mechanisms she had finely honed over the years are of no help to
