DukeThis was my grandfather’s place. He decided when he turned sixty that he no longer wanted to live in society and purchased a hundred acres bordering thousands of acres of uninhabited state land. The small container shack he built with his own two hands was off-grid and self-sufficient. The property was in a trust that wasn’t directly traceable to me. I’d never mentioned the place to anyone in the club because it was my fallout shelter if things hit the fan and I had no safe place to go.I’d learned long ago that no matter how good life was going, it went to shit quickly. To stay alive, you needed a fallout. This property was mine.There were shaggy bark juniper trees along with tumbleweed bushes. If vehicles came from any direction, the dust cloud would signal us. Hiking in would take someone with experience. There were traps set in the higher hills around the property. My grandfather had shown me how to keep each one in working order and how to set up new ones. Where my father f

CoriPrimitive and amazing. I could breathe. I rested my coffee on the deck, then stretched my arms out and did exactly that. Closing my eyes, I allowed the fresh air to fill my lungs. When I opened them, Duke was watching.“Beautiful.” I breathed in the freshness. “I could stay for an extended period of time if there’s a mall within an hour’s drive.”Duke threw his head back and laughed, the sound so uniquely him. We finished our coffee in the double swing looking over the valley. I wasn’t sure why this man came into my life now but I was glad he had. He allowed me to heal in my own time and I never had to pretend. Even with Mak, I did. I didn’t want her pity or guilt. Duke, and his quiet presence, calmed the inner rage and fear that boiled inside my soul.We finished our coffee and Duke led me back to the house. He pulled out my new phone from his pocket and handed it to me. I hadn’t seen my true phone in ages. I lived off that phone and it contained all my contacts. This showed my

CoriThe cool water felt wonderful. I scrubbed myself, including my hair. I’d spotted olive oil on the counter. It would help to get a comb through the mess that would be waiting after the wash. I didn’t have a razor for my legs and armpits but could touch up those places later. I scrubbed my skin using the soap on a hand towel left on the counter. The cool clean water made me feel better and I wasn’t quite as exhausted.Duke came inside just as I finished. He quickly jogged down the stairs to the bedroom and returned with two towels, then made his escape out the front door again. After drying off, I went to the bedroom to moisturize. My skin had been through some shit and I needed to take better care of it. Today was a good day to start.Duke piqued my interest even more. I was beginning to think him a saint. I knew few men who would turn down a blow job when their dick was raging. Him wanting me wasn’t a question. I wanted him too. I knew I wasn’t ready.I walked away from my past m

CoriDuke taught me crazy eights. We played for several hours until we were both cheating so badly we couldn’t stop laughing and the game became ridiculous.“Thank you,” I said after we had the deck put away.His expression questioned my statement.“You took my mind off everything and I enjoyed playing cards. It’s not something I would normally admit to. Thank you,” I repeated.He gave me a quick hug. Duke grabbed my hand and pulled me up from the bed. He then lifted the side of the mattress and hydraulics did the rest. Underneath there was a trap door. Duke moved the lever that kept it locked and pulled it open. I could only see darkness down the hole.“Escape tunnel,” he typed into his phone. “Exits in the garage.”“Good to know, I guess. Your grandfather was paranoid.”My phone chimed.“For a reason.” He didn’t share what that reason was.We went upstairs to eat and Duke opened the front door and a few vents I hadn’t noticed in the ceiling. They drew the cooler outside air inside w

DukeSex simply happened.It wasn’t as a form of payment and Cori was magnificent.It changed us.We stayed in bed the following day, exploring each other’s bodies. She sucked me off while I pulled her amazing hair.Her only comment was, “Harder, baby.” With my dick down her throat, she still managed to moan it. I gave harder and faster and she took it.We shared a bath in the tiny tub to clean ourselves after eating a large dinner, laughing the entire time. Cori was propped between my knees and chest, her legs hanging far over the edge. We didn’t come close to fitting. Water spilled everywhere in the kitchen and we laughed even harder. It took my mind off the earlier text from Dax that I hadn’t yet shared. I didn’t want to ruin the day.The following morning, we set out on another hike. I couldn’t stay still. Cori looked at me a few times with a question in her eyes but she didn’t ask. When we took a break for lunch, I showed her the text.“They came after Sofia and the kids when she