The Psycho's Reign

Twenty Four- Absolutely Free

Sterling POV 

Another day passed, and we finally come upon the house, or rather the cabin that belongs to the one Darren Spike. I step out of the black SUV first and approach the house. 

I give a few knocks, but no reply nor footstep is heard. I knock again, and the same response is given. I look over my shoulder to Jack and give him a nod. He quickly rams the simple door and it flies open. 

My men begin to file in, looking around, guns ready for a fight. To my surprise, there is nobody in the entire building.

I make my way up a small flight of wooden stairs to a loft and find what I am looking for. 

Laying on the floor is a small pile of used clothes. I immediately pick a shirt up and bring it to my nose. The smell of vanilla and flowers fills my nose and I instantly know it belongs to my Reign. 

"She's been here," I yell to my men as I walk down the stairs. "We stay until she returns and we will give her and that man she is with the surprise of their lives," I say with an evil grin. 

I'm waiting for you Reign. 

Reign POV

The next morning we packed our tents and blankets and started the hike to a new unknown location. As we walk through the forest, a peaceful wind blows on my cheeks, making my hair wrap around me. 

After around two hours of hiking, the trail opens up to a sight I may never forget. A field full of colorful wildflowers and the greenest plants stood in front of us. My mouth opened and a smile invaded my lips. 

As if by instinct, I let my backpack slip off my shoulders and land on the ground. I began to walk into the flowers. I hear another backpack drop and Cory comes running past me laughing. I begin to chase after him. Darren soon joins us and we begin a game of tag. 

We chased and laughed for at least two hours in that field. At that moment I felt absolutely free. Free from my past, from my demons, from Sterling. I couldn't stop smiling, to the point where my heart fluttered and my cheeks hurt. 

Suddenly I am tackled from behind by a strong, tall body. It rolls me over and Darren has me pinned down, a smile of adoration fixed on his face. A smile creeps on my face and our eyes meet, my green ones seeming to be glued to his deep ocean blue ones. 

The world stood still in that moment. Our eyes fixated on one another's. Our smiles faded and his full lips parted slightly. His eyes flicked down to my own lips as I lightly bit the bottom lip and let it slide out from between my teeth. His head slowly moved in, and my heart stood still as his lips crashed into mine. 

The kiss was so gentle, but there was power behind it. It was only a single meeting of our lips, but it must've lasted a while because a cough broke our moment. 

"Listen I'm all for the lovey shit but we probably should finish our little hike and find a camping site for the night before it gets dark," Cory said. 

I smiled up at Darren who gently got off of me then offering me a hand to help me up. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and we walked back to our backpacks. Once we had gotten everything we dropped, we continued our hike. 

The trail picked up on the opposite side of the field. It was a bit more rugged than the first half, but every bit as peaceful and amazing. More birds seemed to chirp on this side, almost as if we were getting deep into the heart of mother nature herself. 

It didn't take us very long to get to a good camping spot. It was flat and a small stream with a large tree across it next to it. As we set up the tents, I caught Darren looking up at me once in a while. Every time our eyes met, a smile would pop onto his face. 

Later in the night, we sat around the camp fire and cooked cans of beans for dinner. Darren sat closer to me than he had previously. Cory kept smirking up and winking at me. I was glad he felt the same way towards me as I did him. He saw me as a sister and I saw him as a brother. With the way we acted, we could be siblings. 

We roasted marshmallows and chatted for a long time, until the sun was long gone and the crickets and peeper frogs were taking over the noises of the forest. I looked up to the sky to see a beautiful starry sky above us. The sky was bright and the tree tops above us were simple black silhouettes. 

I felt an arm snake around my shoulder and pull me into it's body. I looked over to Darren, who was looking down at me already. 

It's funny how relationships can blossom in such a short time. It had only been just over a week or so and I already felt a strong connection to this man. We shared similar demons. He knew more about my past than anyone. 

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my forehead as I closed my eyes. I looked over to him and Cory. 

"Thank you guys," I said genuinely. 

"For what?" Darren asked.

"For saving me. For freeing me and taking me in as if you've known me for years," I said. 

"I'm pretty sure you'll be the last girl we take in, you're kind of a handful," Cory said laughing. 

"I wouldn't want to take in anyone else," Darren said with a small smile. 

"Well! It's bed time!" Cory said as he got up leaving me and Darren chuckling. We too got up and made our way to the tent. 

As we climbed in, Darren zipped the tent. We made ourselves comfortable under the blankets we shared and simply looked at one another. Once we turned off the light, I could feel his eyes on me still. 

"Darren," I said softly. "I really meant what I said. I've never really felt like I had a home, but with you and Cory I feel like I do," 

"Rey, you'll always have a place with us. We can be your family forever. I've honestly never seen Cory so energetic and happy than he is with you. He needed a sister or mother figure that he never had, and you're it. And I..." he started. "I need you too. I feel complete when you're around," he said softly. 

"Can I ask you something?" I asked. 

"Sure," 

"Why did you let me go when we were in the van? Why didn't you grab me and keep me or something?" 

"Because I never agreed that kidnapping and selling you off was a good idea. I wanted your freedom. That and I felt something for you the moment I saw those beautiful green eyes that had that burning fire in them. You're really something else," he said and I could almost hear his smile. 

I felt his body shift and come closer to mine. His lips found mine in the darkness and passion and fire burst through our contact. This kiss was enough to light up the entire world. His lips were soft but strong mixed with mine. His tongue gently pressed against my lips and I willingly parted them. Our tongues began to dance with one another's, making the situation's heat increase. 

His hands found the curve above my hips and he ran his hand over it. Our lips never disconnected for at least thirty minutes as his hands explored my body and mine his. 

I fell asleep that night in Darren's arms, my head on his warm chest. His stable heartbeat soothed me to a peaceful sleep. I was free right now. Absolutely free.