Brotherhood ~ Chapter 10

Oh, man – you blew it, Commander, I berated myself.  This was accompanied by one healthy dose of self-loathing.  Sitting there with my knees drawn up under my chin, I watched the poor creature as she slumbered.  Sierra was stretched across her bed roll, out-and-out exhausted from her playtime with me.

That the woman had had no idea what she was getting herself into had been more than obvious.  But what did I do?  Instead of backing off like a gentleman, I let it get out of hand.

If she had ever wondered whether or not I was a passionate guy, then our coupling should have left her with no room for doubt.

Closing my eyes, it was with a sigh of regret that I rested my forehead to my knees.  What did it matter?  If Aidan found out how it went down, he’d remove me from the face of God’s Earth.  Quickly – and with pain, I was of a mind.

When Jonesy had accused me of always thinking with my cock, my Colonel had been thoroughly accurate in his assessment.  And that’s what had done all the thinking this go around – my will had not been my own.  I had been held prisoner by my penis.

There.  I admitted it.  That didn’t hurt half as bad as I thought it would, the admission.

So long to wait, not only to take Sierra, but to just have sex with a woman!  Granted, my wait had not been as long as Aidan’s, but long it had been none the less.

My first inclination, once Sierra had drifted off to a troubled sleep, was to get up and slink away.  That would have been distinctly ungentlemanly and out-and-out cowardly – although why I was concerned about that I had no idea.  I had not even remotely resembled a gentleman during coitus with the woman.

It would not be the first time you’ve messed things up, O’Reilly, I considered in harsh reminder.  It was not only how Sierra would now view me that had my mind in a troubled state.  Or at least – not as much as the concern that she might not be inclined to fully cooperate in our endeavor.  We needed her assistance in aiding Kevin to hack into the DoD database.  An unwilling partner in crime was a handicap that Captain Kevin Andrew Wong did not require.  The geek was on edge enough as it was about the task to which he knew he would soon be set.  A gorgeous female hacker who was a case would be the wrong kind of distraction.

However, I had a hunch that Kevin and Sierra would hit it off, even so.

But nothing should be left to chance! I now scolded myself, releasing another weighted sigh and this one somehow managed to rouse our sleeping beauty.  Just a tad, enough for her to crack an eye open and spy me sitting there.

“Hey, Chiquita” I greeted her, offering up the best smile I could muster given the circumstances.  “You ok?” I asked, not really wanting an answer for fear that she might just lay the brutal truth on me.

Sierra now lifted her head, craning her neck around – looking for my brother, no doubt.

“Where’s Aidan?” she asked, making me feel like an even bigger cad than I already did.

“Uh – still hunting, I guess?” I posed, not sure what was taking him so damn long – game was plentiful along the river.  The light had just about left the sky so what prey could he be hunting?  It wasn’t like the man had night vision, although I did not doubt he could smell his prey in the dark and down it with a single well-aimed arrow.

Now shifting my position to sit crossed legged, I long held her eyes.  An apology was forth coming, and clearly expected by her.  Swallowing my pride, I did just that.

“Forgive me, Sierra” I implored.  “I… I told you there would be no turning back” I reminded her in defense of myself, as if that was going to hold any water.  “I’m… sorry, my dear.  It won’t happen again – at least, not like that… unless you request it?” I tacked on, not wanting her to think I was expecting after such a rut that we would not ever again couple.  Once dipped into the honey jar, after all – there would also be no turning back for me.  I just needed to pay my dues before she and I could share pleasures once more.

Right?

Cross that bridge when you get to it, O’Reilly, I cautioned myself.  One day, one hour, one minute at a time.

“Would you mind?” she prompted in return, making a spinning motion with one finger.  Blinking at her like an idiot for a moment, I then finally got what she meant.

“Oh… yes, certainly” I accepted and then got to my feet.  Walking off a several paces I kept my back to her so she could get dressed.  Bad sign number one, I thought in dismay.

Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I rocked on my heels while I waited.  After the rustling sounds of her getting dressed had died down, I then turned round to face her.

She was sitting cross-legged on her sleeping bag, elbow to knee, hand to chin and staring straight at me.

And none too kindly at that.

Staying where I was, like a coward, I crouched down – feeling myself being viewed by her as a cat who was considering batting around the mouse just a little bit more.

“Thank you” I said – again, as if I had not said it enough after our coupling.  “May I come closer?” I actually heard myself ask – decidedly not like the Commander-General I was known to be, the one who was an uncompromising hard-case.  However, out here and with this woman?  I was anything but myself these days, I considered in distress.  “I promise not to pounce” I added for good measure and with a sigh born of aggravation, Sierra nodded in acceptance.  Apparently still not speaking to me.

With a certain amount of relief, but with unease as well, I moved in closer to once more crouch down.  Close enough to reach out and touch her – but I didn’t… not just yet.

“I won’t tell if you won’t” she said, rather flat in her delivery.  Huh?  Since I failed to respond in the proper amount of time, the woman forged ahead in clarification.  “I won’t tell Aidan if you don’t.”  What was that supposed to mean?  Like I would tell him anyway?  “Is that how you used to treat women?” the little Latina beauty wanted to know and how would I be able to tell her that there was another side of me?  The side that liked it long and slow and tender – where I would indulge her every whim and desire, putting her pleasure leagues ahead my own?  After my unbridled display of carnal lust, she’d never believe a word of it.

“Only when they wanted it that way” was my idiotic sounding response.  “I… I said I am sorry, Sierra.  You have no idea what it’s been like” I added, which admittedly didn’t sound much better.

“Aidan never treated me that way” was her comparative statement.

“Please – spare me the details” I now snapped out of jealousy as I got to my feet.  Stalking off a few paces I stood there with my back to her.  My brother – God’s gift to women, after all.

“Which is what I’ll do – at least, with Aidan” she reiterated.  “He’d kill you dead if he knew.”  Yeah – if she only knew, I thought in irony.  Long ago in another time and place, I had been unjustly accused of rape, and by my brother’s wife, no less.

History repeats again and again and yet again.

“Thank you, Sierra, for your graciousness” I accepted as I turned to face her, reeling in my emotions before they could spin out of control and make matters worse.  “I appreciate the gesture, I truly do.  I never meant for it to get so out of hand,” I openly admitted, “but you are so beautiful!  So desirable – woman, you are knockout, I hope you realize this?” was my hopeful inquiry, but is came off like just one more excuse in defense of my own bad behavior.

“And that gave you the right to get so rough?” the woman demanded, now on her feet.  Stomping out to where I stood, I was actually in fear of this diminutive creature as she closed the distance between us.

“Forgive me” I said once more – and how many times was that now?  “What can I do to make it up to you?” I asked as she stopped right in front of me, afraid that she might say something like never touch me ever again.

Instead, she surprised me by reaching out a hand to take my own in hers.  If the woman turned out to be a tease then she was in for a shitload full of trouble, or such was my glum consideration.

Regarding at my hand for a moment, she then raised her eyes to meet mine.

“You’re shaking again” she remarked.  No shit – and I had no idea why, either, which in turn was scaring the crap out of me.  Could this possibly get any more embarrassing? I now wondered, feeling utterly disconcerted by this point.  My ego was taking one serious browbeating here.  “Afraid of what Aidan will do if he finds out?” was the woman’s dead-serious inquiry.

But that wasn’t it at all – well, not mostly at any rate.

“I… no” was my adamant denial, pulling away my hand as I retreated, backing up a step or two.  “Look – I’m not like Aidan, you know.  I actually have emotions, my dear.  If you find that disturbing, then I’m sorry.”

“Aidan has them too, he just has control over his” was Sierra’s overt slam.  Keep racking up those points, Chiquita, I thought as a haze started to creep in around me, threatening to affect my judgment.  Judgment which I had pretty much already demonstrated to Sierra was piss poor.  I could only take just so much badgering, though, before I would remind her that I was a man.

Once back in civilization her directness would have to be curtailed, however – and I looked forward to teaching her a lesson or two on that account if need be.  But all in good, clean fun, though – sex had always been, to me, like playtime.  Unfortunately, the romp had come pretty close to being a rape – at least in her eyes.

For the time being, however, I knew I had to stroke her along, just like I had been stroking Aidan.  There was a lot more at stake here than just one woman, even if my ultimate personal goal was to make her mine and mine alone.

“Just who are you anyway, Collin?” the woman now boldly diverged, and unwisely at that.

“You might as well ask who Aidan is, too,” was my cool counter, “but that wouldn’t be any wiser, my dear” I warned her, now reducing the distance between us.  Sooner or later she would have to be tamed – either by me or by my brother.  Too long Aidan had let her run wild, which was something that had made no sense to me whatsoever.  Aidan was a stickler for discipline and yet he had practically indulged the woman’s every whim.

Which could only mean one thing – that he truly did love the beauty.

“And that is supposed to mean… what?” Sierra shot back, bravely trying to stand her ground.  However, as I encroached upon her the woman’s resolve began to falter and hence a single backward step she took.  I had to admit, the difference in our statures was a turn on for me – I was six foot two and Sierra?  Well – she was five four, if even that.  The power over her that I had felt during our coupling was full of animal excitement, to say the very least.

“What it means and what you need to know are two different things” I laid out for her with a flick of my hand.  “You only need be concerned with this – Aidan and I will keep you safe, or as safe as we are able which, in this Post-Time world, is about as safe as you are going to get, dear heart.”  My frankness was not lost on her – and so she just blinked in response.  Too much she had heard that day between Aidan and me – and I was of a mind that Aidan had allowed her to hear more of our conversation than was wise, and more than he had led me to believe.  Another big question mark there – Aidan had his own agenda, most certainly, but what that was I could only guess.  His loyalty ultimately lay with The Brotherhood and The Order.  In the scheme of things, his lowly fraternal twin brother here did not rate, not one single solitary iota.

“You were in the military,” the woman now accurately assessed, “or still are?” she tested.  “But not like Aidan – he’s… different.”  At this I could only choke back a laugh.

“That, Sierra, is the understatement of the millennium” I assured her, rocking on my heels as I raised a hand to my mouth to conceal a burgeoning grin.

“Why are you guys not being straight with me?” the little pit bull pressed forward.  Sure, she was nervous – afraid, actually, but the woman was demanding answers none the less.  Answers that I was not about to give her – not yet, and perhaps not even by me.

All in due time, and that time was drawing near, unfortunately.  The plan I had crafted, in which Sierra was to play an integral part, must go forward as scheduled.  Sierra was on a need to know basis and honestly?  She needed to know very little if Aidan and I were to pull this off.  Too many puzzle pieces in her possession could spell failure for us.

“You should ask that of Aidan” I deferred.  “I’m just along for the ride, after all.”  Sierra, narrowing her eyes at me in suspicion, slowly shook her head.

“Oh, no, Collin – you are anything but just going along for the ride” was her shrewd deduction.

“Maybe yes, maybe no – but not to worry, Chiquita.  I have the power to protect you” I reiterated.

“Oh yeah?  After that display?” she attacked and now I was back to feeling like the world’s biggest cad.  “And what makes you think I need protection anyway?!”

“Trust me, Sierra – you do” I made certain in a low voice.  “However, you need not be apprised of all things, my diminutive pit bull” I chuckled, not being able to help myself since it was an accurate parallel.  “And don’t bother trying to melt off into the wilderness – you wouldn’t get far even should you should try.  Aidan would see to it that you don’t.”

“And you?” Sierra inquired.

“Aidan does my bidding” I now drew out one card, tossing it on the table as I put it into play.  I could at least throw the woman a bone upon which to gnaw – it would keep her mind busy at least.

“So you are in the military then” the woman decided but no confirmation would I yet give on this point.  In time she would come to know me and who I truly was – one puzzle piece at a time.  And besides, didn’t everyone love a good mystery?

“Let’s just say this – I will do everything within my power to keep you safe” I reiterated.  “I’ve got the backing, so don’t you worry.”

Standing there looking up at me, biting her lip, she searched my eyes.  Finding Truth, Sierra now audibly sighed and then looked away for a moment.  I took this opportunity to reach out and lay a hand on her shoulder, however, the poor thing actually startled.

“Sierra… I… please, it is important that you forgive me” I implored, swinging back around the other way now.  “Although there is no suitable excuse for my behavior, understand that in all things I am a passionate man” I tried to explain.  “I was not my intent to hurt you, or to demean you.”

“Military” she again accused.  “No one talks like that, at least not the grunts, anyway – you’re an officer” was her assumption, but she could assume away for right or wrong.  I was not about to confirm or deny at this point.

“I am only a man – one who could not help himself when presented with such an opportunity!  That of lying with the most beautiful creature upon which he’s ever set eyes” I declared with all sincerity.  “And you, Sierra, are a most gorgeous woman.  God has heavily favored you.”  Wrapping her arms tightly about her body, she shifted uneasily on her feet.  “That’s not a come on, or a prelude to more of the same, so please don’t go getting all skittish on me, ok?” I told her and then looking past her shoulder, I saw Aidan melting into view with dinner in hand.  I could not help but stiffen upon sight of him and as a result I was then quick to take my hand off Sierra’s person.

She now glanced behind her to see my brother striding up to us.  Looking one last time at me, it was hard to tell if she was going to rat me out to Aidan, but I suspected not.

At least, not wholly.

One thing I did know with certainty, though – my brother was pissed.  No outward sign did he give, but I could feel his anger rolling off him in waves and thus I would now make a well timed exit.

“Ah, the hunter returns!” I announced with a laugh.  “Now I can go for a short jog – if you two will excuse me?” I requested but did not bother to wait for approval.  With a curt bow to Sierra, I then turned on my heel, making my exit before Aidan decided to add fratricide to his list of deadly accomplishments.