The Marshal

FORTY-ONE

It had taken hours and hundreds of questions before the deputies let Rob and Britney go. Rob seemed to take it all in stride, but Britney was ready to gnaw through someone's throat in frustration. Just like Martinelli, the police kept asking the same questions over and over in slightly different ways until she was ready to scream. It seemed to her that a dead guy with a gun in their house, and another guy on their property with a high-powered rifle, made a compelling case of self-defense, and she couldn't wrap her head around why they were being questioned so severely about the shooting. Rob even went so far as to take one of the deputies into the house to show him his cell phone wouldn't get a signal unless he was standing right by the windows, and thus Britney and Rob couldn't have called for help.

In the end, she guessed they were cleared of any suspicion or wrongdoing, but she was exhausted. It was nearly one in the morning, and the stresses of the day were dragging on her. The soft drone and gentle motions of the car as Rob drove them to Bangor was starting to lull her to sleep.

After the cops left and the body in their house had been removed, she packed as Rob cleaned up the blood and glass. He didn't have any way to cover the broken windows or door, but he didn't seem concerned about it. He was going to return tomorrow and cover the broken glass with plastic and do something about the broken door until it could be replaced.

She reached over and placed her hand on his leg. He took her hand and squeezed it gently. She was feeling guilty. If he'd never met her none of this would have happened. Now she was going to have to move again, and worse, she might have to leave him behind. He said he'd follow her, but what if the Marshal Service wouldn't relocate him? Rob loved his job. She didn't want him to give up something he loved for her. It wasn't fair. She slowly pulled her hand back.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"Tired."

He nodded, his face barely visible in the glow of the instrument panel. "Yeah. It's late."

"What are we going to do?"

"Check into a motel."

She exhaled in annoyance. He was intentionally ignoring the elephant in the car. "I mean about tomorrow, and the next day, and next week, and next year."

He said nothing for a moment. "I don't know. I need to try to find out who sent this guy, but it's clear somebody knows you're here. We're probably going to have to relocate you again."

Hearing him say the words made tears threaten. "I don't want to go."

"It's for your own safety."

"I know, but I don't want to leave you. I don't want to leave Wurth."

"I don't want you to either, but you can't stay here. You saw what happened. We were too isolated and got pinned down."

She nodded in understanding. The urge to cry became stronger. She'd found true happiness for the first time in her life, and after only a year, it was being taken from her.

They were silent for the remainder of the drive. He pulled into a homey motel and stopped under the portico. He was grass-stained and dirty from his fight with the hood, and a nasty looking bruise was starting to show on his left cheek. She followed him into the lobby where a sleepy man waited. He watched their approach to the desk with wary eyes.

"May I help you?"

"Need a room for a week," Rob said.

Had she not been so tired and down in the dumps, she would have smiled. Rob spoke like showing up at a motel, beat up and dirty, at 1:30 in the morning was the most common thing in the world.

"For two?"

"Yes."

"Fill this out," the clerk said, sliding a card across the counter.

Rob filled out the information, presented his credit card, and the room was theirs. The man slid the two electronic keys across the counter.

"Room 18," the man said with a casual wave in the direction of the exit door.

Rob led her to the room and opened the door. "Wait here. I'll get the luggage, park the car, and be right back."

She sat on the bed after he left, so tired, both physically and emotionally, she could barely function. She stared at the wall, wondering who wanted to kill her and why, if not Kwang-hoon. She'd been shocked when Rob said he no longer believed Kwang-hoon had sent the killer. It obviously had to be someone from the Han organization, but who? And why? It didn't make sense.

She pulled her little Glock.380 from her purse, removed it from its compact holster, and placed it on the bed beside her. She'd been practicing semi-regularly with her sidearm, and while she was no Rob Cogburn, it made her feel better to have it near at hand.

She yawned mightily. She was supposed to go to WBEA and WQFT in the morning--later this morning, she mentally corrected--but she suspected Rob wouldn't allow it now. Truth be told, she didn't feel much like working.

She wanted to crawl into a hole and die. It seemed everyone around her got hurt. Joel and Lisa were innocent bystanders who were murdered, and Rob had put his life in danger several times because of her. The door clicked as the electronic lock released. It was almost certainly Rob, but she put her hand on her weapon just in case.

Rob came in, her suitcase in his hand. He looked tired too. He placed the case on the floor as she rose. She melted into him and sighed as his arms surrounded her. She'd known him barely more than a year, but she was more comfortable in his arms than anywhere else she'd ever been. When he held her, all her troubles seemed much more bearable.

He slowly released her and brought his lips to her. The kiss was warm and tender. "Love you."

The words, no matter when he said them, no matter how often he said them, made her smile and a pleasant warmth to swell within her. "I love you too."

He kissed her again, quicker this time. "Let me take a shower, then I'll be ready for bed."

She winced as he took his shirt off. He had a large bruise forming on his side to match the one on his face, and another smaller, lighter one, starting to show on his chest. She touched the more painful looking of the two spots carefully.

"Does that hurt?" she asked.

"Some."

"You're always getting hurt because of me."

He smiled, his eyes soft. "Yeah. I don't care much for your friends."

He stripped out of his pants, and as he turned, she noticed some unusual redness on his back. "What happened to your back?"

"Same thing that happened to my side and my face."

She thought about following him as he disappeared into the bathroom but changed her mind. She was tired and out of sorts. She wanted him to make love to her, but at the same time she just wanted to be held. Sleep dragged heavily on her, but she was also wired up. She was relieved they weren't hurt, not seriously anyway, while she also worried about their future.

She yawned again. She was also hungry. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Between Rob calling and rushing her out of the house and the scare with the sniper, she hadn't had an opportunity to eat, and Rob probably hadn't either.

She flopped onto the bed. Her life was so fucked up. The best thing she could do for Rob was to kick him out of her life forever. She was more trouble than she was worth. If she got out of his life he could find some normal girl, settle down, and have a house full of kids.

The thought of leaving made her want to cry. She didn't want to go, but she wanted what was best for Rob, and what was best for him was for her to get out of his life. She knew he'd do anything to try to protect her, and someday that could get him killed. She'd rather let him go than see him killed. As he'd said almost a year ago, after they'd spent three months in hiding at his house and they were returning to New York, 'She'd rather miss him than mourn him.' She'd made a grab for the brass ring, but she'd missed and didn't want to drag him down in her fall.

The water shut off in the shower. She stood and began to undress. Maybe she was just tired and things would look different in the morning. She couldn't see how, but knowing Rob, if she could convince him she really wanted to leave, he'd step aside.

She was removing her underwear when he stepped out of the bathroom wearing nothing at all. She'd seen him naked every day for the past year, but she never failed to feel a thrill and tickle of desire each time she did.

"You ready for bed?" he asked.

She nodded as she flipped the linens back and slid between the cool, crisp sheets with a sighing groan. He joined her a moment later after clicking off the bedside lamp. Compared to New York, the room was dark, but compared to their home on the lake, it fairly blazed with ambient light. He pulled her into his arms, and she could feel his hardness pressing against her ass. He sighed heavily, the whisper of his warm breath on her neck relaxing her.

She wanted him, but she needed this. She wrapped her arms around his. "I love you."

She felt him nod. "I love you too, more than you'll ever know," he whispered as he briefly tightened his embrace.

She yawned as he kissed her on the shoulder. He was excellent at reading her. She'd give herself to him if he were to ask, but he seemed content to hold her. As her drowsiness became overwhelming, she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to pull her into oblivion.

-oOo-

Britney lay on the beach, the sun warming her naked skin as Rob's kisses fanned the heat of her desire, her groan of pleasure and desire lost in the soft tropical breezes murmuring in the palms. It was growing dark, the sun sinking into the ocean to dye the waters with beautiful ambers, golds, and reds. She was covered in sweat and oil as she lay on the sun warmed sand, the whisper of the waves in perfect time with her soft sighs of pleasure.

She groaned again as Rob's kisses become more intense, his tongue swirling and probing, his lips dancing and pulling, his fingers caressing her body as they soaked up the last of the sun's rays. They were alone on their island, the nearest human thousands of miles away across the vast ocean. She moaned again as she propped on her elbows to watch him as he pleased her with lips and tongue.

He was a god, sun-kissed golden brown, his perfect body oiled so that he glowed in the fading light. He was lying on the sand, the ocean caressing his skin as the water washed over him to his waist. She began to pant, her orgasm rising within her. They'd been making love for hours, as they did every evening, their bodies intertwined as they gave and took pleasure, freely announcing their desire and bliss to the ocean breezes.

She cried out as she fell back to the sand, her hands twisting in his hair to pull him harder into her flower. He licked her harder, his tongue caressing her button to cause her pleasure to soar. Rob had brought her to this place, far away from the dangers of the world, and they wanted for nothing. The island provided for all their needs, and they only had to reach out a hand for food or cup their hands for water. They made love for hours on end in the warm, soft sand before sleeping, only to wake and start again.

"I'm going to come again!" she cried, her voice hoarse and strained from her many screams of rapture.

"I love you, Han Bo-bae," he whispered into her womanhood as he watched her eyes.

She could read the truth of his statement in the infinite depths of his eyes as her orgasm began to burn through her, consuming her in its cleansing fire as he devoured her, his tongue entering all her secret places, dancing, probing, and battering her clit until she began to wail.

She kicked at the sheets, incredibly hot, groaning hard and deep as she clawed her way out of slumber while desperately trying to hold onto the dream. As she became aware of the small motel room, she moaned as her back arched. She wasn't dreaming anymore, but the pleasure didn't disappear with the island. Rob was lying half off the bed, his face between her legs. She grabbed his hair as she had in her dream, her orgasm rising to towering heights. She waited, waited, waited for the cleansing rush of pleasure.

She cried out with a shuddering groan as her climax raced through her, destroying her with pleasures she wasn't prepared to accept. He must have taken pity on her as she thrashed and squirmed in sweet torment, because as she relaxed out of her brain-melting orgasm, his lips were waiting for her. She took them greedily to replenish her strength with his kiss.

She sighed as their lips slowly parted. "What a way to wake up. What time is it?"

"About four," he murmured as his lips danced over hers.

"You're up early," she purred as she reached between them to slowly caress his diamond hard cock.

"You started it," he murmured with a smile.

"Me? How? I was asleep!"

"Talking in your sleep. I couldn't make out what you were saying, but you were squirming around and making all these sexy noises. I touched you, and you opened your legs for me."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I was having the best dream."

"What?"

"I can't remember it now, but I think you were doing something wonderful to me." She tugged on him, directing him to where she wanted him. "Are you going to finish what you started?" she asked as he positioned himself between her legs.

"Always," he breathed as he caressed her with his cock, rubbing the head over her pussy and teasing her clit, their juices mingling, before he slowly slid into her depths.

He settled over her and braced on his elbows as he took her lips. He began thrusting into her in a slow, pleasurable rhythm, their bodies and souls becoming one. After a long moment he rose on braced arms as she reached up to caress his face. She loved the darkness of their house, but here, in the soft light of Bangor, she could see the softness in his eyes and the tenderness of his face.

He made slow, tender love to her for many long moments before he dropped over her, clasped her tight, and rolled, positioning her on top. She adjusted her position and took him inside again. As she slowly pumped her hips, enjoying their lovemaking, he took one of her breasts into his mouth to tease the nipple with his tongue. It felt so good she had to taste his lips again and lowered her mouth to his.

As she kissed him, he began driving into her harder, taking over their lovemaking, his deep, heavy breathing a sure a sign he was approaching his orgasm. Knowing he was rising to his climax excited her, and her own rapture began to stalk her. He pushed in hard and deep with a low, soft groan, and held himself there. His sudden extra deepness thrilled her, while giving himself a moment's respite to regain his control, but not this morning. With his legs pushing up, he limited her ability to move, but she made good use of what range of motion she still had.

His face twisted as he grabbed her breasts. Rob was incredibly strong, but he was also gentle, never handling her roughly unless she wanted him to. This morning she didn't, but she wanted to make him come so she could watch his face in the romantic half-light of the city.

"Stop! Stop!" he gasped. "You're going to make me come!"

His words caused her to tingle with excitement, her own climax rising like an approaching storm. "I want you to come. I want to watch you come," she panted, having to work hard against the press of his legs.

His face twisted into an erotic sneer, the one that told her he was battling his orgasm and trying to slow its inevitable arrival. He was so fucking sexy, his eyes intense as he grabbed her hips and helped her to bounce on his cock. With a groan he pushed his hips up even harder, driving his cock deeper into her as he came, his wetness splashing into her as his intense gaze held hers before his eyes closed in ecstasy, his head tipped back, and his mouth opened in a silent scream.

She slowed her driving hips as he relaxed with a long, slow exhale. She'd already had her orgasm, and though a second one had been stalking her, she was well satisfied.

"Are you going to come?" he whispered as he slowly relaxed.

She smiled as she lowered her lips to his. "It's okay."

He pulled her into the kiss, his hand wadding in her hair while clamping her to his chest. After he'd taken his fill from her lips, he rolled with her to come to rest lightly over her, the hair of his chest teasing her erect nipples. He smiled down at her as he slid into her again.

He kissed her again as she gasped slightly with his passage. "Oh no, babe. You're going to come again." He began plowing into her. "Fuck!" he muttered as he buried his face in her neck.

Rob was an incredibly dynamic lover who always took care of her and made sure she was well satisfied. He often fucked her into a stupor, but on the rare occasions when she bested him, as she had this morning, he always made sure to finish her, either by cock, mouth, or fingers. Using his cock was always the best because his soft gasps and grunts of pleasure, and the extra wetness as he plunged into her, never failed to turn her on, and tonight was no exception.

"God

damn

you feel so fucking good," he hissed before biting her gently on the neck.

She dragged her nails lightly down his powerful back and gripped his firmly muscled ass, tugging on him to encourage him to keep fucking her. He pushed up on his hands and began pounding into her hard and fast. His face twisted as he cried out with a long soft wail of pleasure. It was like he was coming again before he collapsed over her, pumping his hips slowly as his hot breath tickled her neck.

"Fuck," he panted.

She smiled, delighting in his erotic labors, his hard pounding strokes pushing her closer to the edge. He took her mouth in another passionate kiss before pulling out. She thought he was going to switch to his mouth, or maybe his fingers, but he rolled her over to her stomach and jerked her back and up before plunging into her again. He thrust into her hard and fast as she braced on her hands and knees, his hips slapping against her ass as he reached around and tickled her button with a finger.

"Oh God..." she groaned. It was just what she needed. "Don't stop," she murmured. "I'm going to come... don't stop."

He continued to pound into her, his cock hitting her sweet spot, her need increasing, the impending storm of pleasure growing larger with his every deep stroke. He stopped teasing her clit and leaned onto her back as he gripped her hair and pulled her head back in the way she enjoyed as he began pounding into her harder, his soft growls and gasps of pleasure and effort turning her on even more. She grunted low and deep with his tug. It was if her hair was attached to her climax and his pull on her locks had hauled her orgasm to within her reach. She closed her eyes and her breathing stopped as her rapture began to consume her.

She waited, his long, hard, thick cock stretching her, touching her, and caressing her in all the right ways. She moaned as she began her tumble into her climax, but it stalled, the orgasm torturing her with its nearness. He pulled slightly harder on her hair, taking her to the edge of pain and peak of pleasure as he rammed his cock incredibly deep with a grunt, holding himself there as he leaned over her back.

"Come," he rumbled into her ear.

His soft command caused her climax to surge again. She groaned long and deep as she jerked softly, her rapture roaring through her to drown her with pleasure. She quivered in bliss, her hands gripping and twisting the linens as she fought for control.

She relaxed with an explosive release of breath before Rob pulled her to the mattress. They tumbled to their sides, her back against his chest, both panting like bellows as he steered himself into her again. She moaned as he slid into her, but she was spent, done, unable to continue. He didn't start fucking her, instead twisting her face around for a long, slow, incredibly loving kiss. As the kiss dissolved, he gathered her into his arms and pulled her firmly into him.