Battlefield (15 page)

He supposed it was the fact that she was crying that caught him off guard the most, though he had never seen her look this vulnerable – not even when she was worried about life during the Game – was also there.  Her back was too him, and she was sitting down, her knees curled up to her shoulders as she looked out her window.  Gerard wasn’t exactly sure what Devyn was looking for, exactly, but then again, he highly doubted she knew what she was looking for, if she was looking for anything at all.

He absolutely hated seeing her cry because there really was nothing he could do to make her stop.  Though Gerard was experienced when it came to physically pleasing a woman, he had yet to learn the tricks and trade of pleasing her emotionally and spiritually.  The male inside of him wanted nothing more than to find Stewart Hall and snap his neck while simultaneously rescuing Hugh so everything would be all right.  But he was slowly starting to realize that women didn’t want their problems fixed, per se.  In fact, there have been times when Devyn had talked to him about something she was clearly upset about, and after he offered her numerous and excellent solutions, she ended up leaving more upset than when she got to him.

For the life of him, Gerard would probably never understand women completely.  But when it came to Devyn, he wanted to try.  Very badly, he wanted to make her feel better, and though he knew nothing could be done regarding Hugh until the next few days, he didn’t want Devyn to suffer for that long.  Whatever she needed from him, he would give to her.  Even if it wasn’t solutions to fix the problem.

After he gently closed the door behind him, he walked over to Devyn and slowly kneeled in front of her.  Though her cheeks were stained with tears, it was the eyes that killed him.  Devyn had the kind of eyes that were easy to read, and all Gerard could see in them right now was pain.  And he hated that.

“Listen,” he said in a soft tone, his Scottish brogue not as rough as it usually was.  Devyn lifted her head and looked at him.  The tears were still coming, but at least she was somewhat distracted.  “I’m not good at… comforting people.  I’m good at fixing things.  But… I don’t think you want me to fix anything right now.  The thing is… I really don’t know what to do to make you feel better, so if you could just tell me, I would be incredibly grateful.”

Though Devyn felt like smiling, she was in too much pain to make the effort to even try.  But at least her eyes sparkled a bit, showing Gerard that what he said was incredibly appreciated.  “I’m coming with you,” she told him, her voice steadier than she had expected.  But it was just as well; it would help her cause and only enhance her determination.  “To get Hugh.  It’s my fault he’s there, and I want – I
need
– to get him back.”  She clenched her jaw, exhaling slowly.  “For Rachel.  For all of us.”

“None of this is your fault,” Gerard whispered, and before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, hoping to kiss her tears away.  He only lifted his head so he could move a fraction and place another kiss on another tear.  Moments later, he reached up and took hold of her chin, turning her head so he could kiss her other cheek much easier.

When he finished, he rested his forehead gently on her own, biting his bottom lip as his eyes descended down to her mouth.  God, how he wanted to kiss her again.  Once just wasn’t enough when it came to Devyn.  His thumb reached up from resting on her chin, only to caress her bottom lip with his fingertip.  Gerard’s eyes widened when Devyn’s lips pursed, as though she was kissing the pad of his thumb.  At that moment, nothing could stop him from delving into his temptation and claiming her lips with his own.

The kiss was soft and lingering, tender and loving.  Gerard didn’t want to take advantage of her state, and yet, when Devyn reached up and lost her fingers in his hair, he couldn’t help but tilt her head back to deepen the kiss.  His tongue took an excruciating amount of time exploring the contours of her mouth, tasting her, memorizing her, losing himself in her.  He probably should have known that one passionate kiss wasn’t enough, and Gerard knew that it was selfish of him to want her so fully. 

Yet Devyn seemed to want them same thing.  Her tears had dried, and now that she was able to focus on something that had nothing to do with the International Genealogy Laboratory, she took advantage of it.  She pulled Gerard closer to her, dropping her hands until they slipped underneath the material of his shirt and rested on the muscles that made up his stomach.  He inhaled sharply, breaking their kiss when he felt her touch his bare skin.  His muscles twitched in response, only arousing Devyn, as though only her touch could illicit such a response. 

Much like a tiger pouncing on her prey, Devyn pushed Gerard back so that she was on top of him and he was lying down.  Her hands pushed the shirt up slowly as Gerard grabbed her hips and clung on to her.  Devyn could feel that he wanted to her.  His masculinity pressed against her thigh, and it took all of her focus to refrain from taking him right there. 

It wasn’t long before his shirt was off – with some of his help – and Devyn dipped her head, trailing long kisses down his neck, across his collarbone, and even lower as her hands continued to caress his bare skin.  Gerard’s breathing became heavy, and he felt his hardness throb at the seduction she was pulling on him.  God, he wanted her, and he wanted her right then, so he wrapped his sturdy arm around Devyn’s waist, and flipped her over so he was on top of her and that she was writhing beneath him.

Gerard reached and suddenly slowed down.  It was an odd thing.  Though he felt this insurmountable bout of passion for the woman underneath him and wanted nothing more than to continue on with his passion, he realized he wanted nothing more than to slow down with her and enjoy everything about her.  There was really no rush – they had the whole night.  And Devyn meant more to him than some quickie. 

He locked eyes with her and slowly began to unbutton her shirt before pulling her up so he could slip the shirt off of her shoulders and allowed it to stay on the ground.  With that, he picked her up and moved so they were both on the bed.  Though the floor would be a fascinating place to take Devyn, he wanted their first time together to be somewhat traditional.

Even through her bra, Gerard could see that she was just as aroused as he was, and as he reached behind her and snapped off the thin material, he allowed a delicate smile to touch his face.  Once the bra was gone, he leaned towards Devyn and captured her lips with his while his hand reached up and cupped her breast.  Devyn gasped in surprise, but her back arched up in pleasure, wanting more of what Gerard was offering. 

Gerard broke apart from the kiss only to capture one of Devyn’s nipples in his mouth, suckling on it so it hardened.  Her soft moans only furthered the torture he inflicted on her body, and upon hearing them, he curled on arm around her waist territorially.  The sound of her panting had haunted his dreams since the moment he met her, and now that he could hear them now, at this moment…

“Mine,” he murmured against her skin.

“Yours,” she agreed breathlessly.  “Gerard …
Please
.”

“We have all night,” he murmured, but his eyes were dancing mischievously in hers.

“But I want you now,” she pleaded.

And ready she was.  He couldn’t help but hasten his ministrations until both of them were completely naked, caressing and exploring their bodies.  It took everything in him to not thrust into her at that moment and make love to her.  However, he managed to restrain himself, and using his knee, he spread her legs so she was inviting and comfortable.  Throughout this, Gerard’s eyes never left Devyn’s, and without warning, he had the sudden urge to kiss her once more.  And so he did.

As his lips invaded hers, he eased himself into her.  Both sighed upon the contact, and they realized that they had wanted such a thing more than they believed.  He began to move inside of her, and he had to concentrate on her in order to control himself.  Just watching her watching him, this entire experience, was the most beautiful experience he had ever been a part of. 

When her breathing quickened, he recognized that she was going to peak soon, and as a result, continued to go in and out, hoping to go deeper than he had before, wanting to touch her very core.  When she shattered around him, Gerard felt his own climax take a hold of him, and he released himself inside of her, grabbing on to her tightly.

He rolled off of her, both trying to catch their breaths.  But Gerard quickly rolled on his side and pulled her against his chest, needing to feel her, to hold her.

Both spent, they soon fell asleep.      

The next morning, Devyn found herself awake before her bedmate, her thoughts drifting to him, which wasn’t all that surprising.  What they had done the previous day – what they had continued to do – was something Devyn had longed for and yet never actually believed would happen.  It was something she wouldn’t even allow herself to hope for.  And yet, it did, and Devyn loved every minute of it.

Of course, this wasn’t exactly all that surprising, given the fact that she found herself completely and irrevocably in love with him.  Devyn, for a moment, wondered just when she had felt herself start to fall for her assigned breeding partner.  She knew she was attracted to him from the moment she first laid eyes upon him.  He was the very definition of masculine, and yet, yesterday proved that he could be tender and gentle, caring and considerate.  Then she got to know Gerard, and though there were times when she wanted nothing more than to flog him due to the mouth that always seemed to run away from him, she couldn’t deny that there was something about him that she enjoyed, more than just his looks, deeper than just her attraction.

After he and Rachel and Hugh left, after she chose to stay behind with Stewart Hall, the Director, she was alone.  What was worse, she couldn’t remember anything that had happened to her.  Devyn had tried to ask Gerard about it, but he avoided the question, and she wasn’t exactly sure she really wanted to know.  But she remembered seeing him in her dreams.  When she was numb and couldn’t see things as clearly, when she didn’t care about anything at all, his face haunted her dreams.  She remembered him.

Of course, she had grown to trust him concerning their time together.  When they planned things together, when they spent time together, when she had kissed him just before the game had officially begun…  She still retained those memories, as vivid as if she was experiencing them once again.  She loved him, completely and fully, and she wanted nothing more than to start something with him, just to see where it would go.

However, she couldn’t exactly think of things at this moment.  Their first objective was to get Hugh back today, and once that was accomplished and once the International Genealogy Laboratory was destroyed so something like this could never happen again, she could focus on her future with Gerard.

A butterfly kiss was placed on the blade of her shoulder, causing Devyn to smile. 

“’Morning sunshine,” he said in a tired voice.  “Sleep well.”  He stifled a yawn, but the act itself was in vain, and she masked a chuckle. 

Devyn turned around so she could look at Gerard, and for a moment, the two just stared at each other.

“You don’t,” Gerard began, but cut himself off.  There was a note of hesitancy in his voice, and Devyn furrowed her brow, wondering what would cause it.  Gerard never hesitated before.  “You don’t regret what happened yesterday.  Between us.  Do you?”

Devyn smiled despite herself and she shook her head.  “Never,” she whispered.  “And as much as I’d like to talk to you about it, to figure out this whole situation between you and me, we have to get up.  We have to get Hugh.”

Gerard nodded.  “I know,” he agreed.  “If Rachel’s feeling anything like me when you were gone, I…”  He stopped and allowed himself to smile.  “Well, I’m glad I’m not in her shoes anymore.”

--

After everyone had breakfast, Rachel took control of the room.  With the help of Ted, she laid different maps on the small dining table as quickly as she could.  She was excited and nervous and anxious at the same time, and as a result, Rachel was jumpy more so than usual.

“Okay you guys,” she began.  “First, I should preface this with a ‘Ted’s going to help us, ergo, he’s actually going to travel with us and help grab Hugh.’”  She shot Gerard a look.  “And before you say anything, the reason for this is quite obvious.  While you and Devyn go and blow up the entire building, I need to get Hugh out of there.  And okay, I’m strong and I’m hot, and I can kick my fair share of ass, but if I get surrounded, I’m dead.  Or something.  And not only me, but Hugh too.  And I’m sorry, but I’m not going to let my boyfriend die over a pride issue.”

“Could you just get on with it?” Gerard asked with teasing anticipation.

For the next fifteen minutes, Ted and Rachel talked about what was expected and what should happen to guarantee the success of the rescue attempt concerning Hugh.  It was decided that Gerard and Devyn would split from Ted and Rachel, and while the former team would start setting the miniscule and hard to detect explosives Ted had practically invented, Ted and Rachel would get Hugh and exit the building.  It was only when Rachel, speaking in a headset, told Devyn that they were out, would Devyn and Gerard start the timer and exit themselves.  Gerard also pointed out on the map just where he had found Devyn, and Devyn tried to remember what to expect from Hugh’s state of mind, though she could only remember a small portion of the details.

Once the four reached the IGL, they split up and did what they set out to do.  Except Gerard and Devyn encountered a whole set of unfamiliar genomes. 

“This is the Y-series,” Devyn told Gerard.  “They’re more highly advanced… which is why it’s so hard to knock them out.”

Gerard didn’t ask just how Devyn knew this information, but it probably had to do with the fact that she had been there, and Hall was egotistical enough to tell her all about them.  So the Director had this backup plan the whole time, and the bullshit he was spewing to Devyn when he was making that deal with her was just that – bullshit.  So he really didn’t need except to test that drug on her.

Just the thought of Hall taking advantage of
his
girl inspired him enough to finally defeat the two Y-series genomes.  Gerard glanced over at Devyn and found her to be more breathless than normal.  Immediately, his concern for her skyrocketed, and he worried that she had jumped into this rescue mission too soon. 

“I’m fine,” she told Gerard once she saw that he was giving her a look.  “I’ve just been… out of practice, so to speak.”  Before he could argue with her or retort something, she continued.  “C’mon.  We have to set up those bombs all over this place if we want to ensure that this place can’t be rebuilt.”

Gerard couldn’t exactly argue with her, and as a result, followed her around the perimeter of the buildings.  They set up bombs in places where the explosives couldn’t be detected.  Any Whitecoats that got in the way were quickly dealt with, and the Y-series of genomes were offered a chance to escape.  None took the offer, however, and as a result, they were either knocked out or left.

“I knew you’d come back, 113089,” a voice announced on the loudspeaker, causing both Gerard and Devyn to freeze.  “And look, you brought me a present.  You know, 111369, I’m going to enjoy your time with me quite thoroughly.”

With that, the lights went out. 

The first thing Gerard did was reach behind him and grab Devyn’s hand, making sure that he stood in front of her no matter what happened.

“Come on out, Hall,” Gerard shouted, feeling his heart hammer in exhilaration.  “Come and fight me like a man.”

He stepped forward a couple of feet, trying to focus his eyes on something, anything in order to adjust his normally sharp eyes to this pitch blackness.

“I’m a lover, not a fighter like you, 111369,” a voice said from behind Gerard.  “But I would want nothing more than to see you go down in flames.”  Before Gerard could even react, Hall appeared and whacked Gerard in the back with an aluminum baseball bat, sending the Scot flat on his stomach.

Devyn jumped in surprise, biting her lip just in time to refrain from screaming.  At that moment, the lights flashed back on, and before Hall could react, Devyn punched him across the face.  The force of the punch sent Hall flying backward, giving enough time for Gerard to stand back up, shaking off the whack of the bat as though it was nothing, as though it didn’t bother him in the slightest.

“Devyn, you stay back,” Gerard told her, his voice rough.  And was that blood he tasted on his lips?  Oh well.  It didn’t matter.  Gerard turned and faced Hall, a dark smile touching his features.  “If that’s all you have, Hall, then your death will come quick.  None of this torture bullshit for me.  Just one snap of your neck, and you’re gone.”