Louis Collins: A Post-American Odyssey

Chapter 95

Before midnight, the pavement began to break apart as they climbed into the mountains. It was patched at first, then cracked, with roots lifting the edges and runoff cutting through the shoulder. The road narrowed until branches brushed both sides of the van. Tree trunks passed through the headlights, dark with moisture. They passed a rotting ranger sign marked by bullet holes. The lettering was too faded to read.

The van slowed when the headlights reached an iron gate sagging open between two posts covered in brush. A cut chain had been looped around one post, leaving the entrance clear. The main lodge appeared ahead. It was a broad timber building with a deep deck supported by heavy posts. It was larger than Louis had expected.

Barlow said, “There.”

Savannah drove around the crushed-stone circle in front of the porch and stopped. When she shut off the engine, Louis heard wind moving through the treetops.

“Welcome to my little piece of heaven, y’all,” Barlow said. He let out a breath and rested his head against the seat.

He got out first and caught the door frame when he stepped down. Louis climbed out with the cane and looked up at the lodge. The windows were dark. Barlow went up the steps and reached into his jacket. He tried two keys before finding the right one, then worked it in the stiff lock. He pushed the door open and disappeared into the dark entry hall. A small wall lamp came on beside the coat hooks. Its light reached the wood-paneled walls, a hall table beneath mounted antlers, and a staircase along the left side. Barlow moved farther in and switched on the lights over the main room.

A stone fireplace rose to the second floor, with leather sofas arranged beneath exposed beams. Glass doors opened onto the rear deck, where what looked like a covered hot tub stood outside. Another light came on in the kitchen, showing clean counters, copper pans, and stainless-steel appliances.

Barlow braced one hand on the kitchen counter. “It ain’t the French Riviera, but it’ll do.”

“Are you kidding?” Gladice walked into the living room and put her hand on the back of one sofa. “This is beautiful.”

“Costs a hell of a lot to keep up,” Barlow said. He pulled out a stool at the kitchen island and lowered himself onto it. “Worth it when you need somewhere to disappear.”

“Do you need me to take care of your wounds?” Donya asked.

“If you don’t mind.” Barlow nodded toward the first-aid kit on the counter. “Got what you need in there.”

Donya opened the kit and took out gauze, antiseptic, and tape. She wet a cloth in the sink and came to stand beside him.

“Close your eyes,” she said. “I will clean your face.”

He did. Donya wiped the blood and dirt from his face. Willa checked the latch on the nearest window without opening the curtain. Gladice crossed the room, looking over the doors and the staircase. Savannah went down the hall beyond the kitchen.

Louis stood for a moment with one hand on the cane, then went to the bar at the far end of the room. He poured whiskey into two glasses and brought one to Barlow.

“Thanks,” Barlow said without opening his eyes.

Louis took a sip. The whiskey burned his throat and warmed his chest. Donya pressed the cloth carefully against the cut on Barlow’s lower lip. He barely reacted.

“You done this before?” Barlow asked her.

“My dad is a surgeon back in Chicago.” She rinsed the cloth and wrung it out. “I watched him a lot.”

“Chicago?” Barlow opened his eyes and looked at her. “You a long way from home.”

She nodded, keeping her eyes on his face. “I know.”

“Well, you got steady hands.” He took the tape she offered and began wrapping the cut on his arm. “Better than some nurses I dealt with.”

Donya smiled a little. “Thank you.”

Louis drank again and looked toward Angelique. She met his eyes. When he headed for the stairs, she followed without speaking. Gladice picked up her backpack and came after them.

The master bedroom at the end of the second-floor hall was beneath the sloping roof. Angelique turned the bedside lamp on. The room held a king bed under a worn dark-green quilt, a gas fireplace, a dresser, an upholstered chair, and a writing desk beneath the window. One door led to the bathroom and another to a closet. The balcony doors reflected the room. From downstairs, Louis heard Donya ask Barlow whether he had been hit in the ribs too.

Gladice dropped her backpack beside the chair and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress sank beneath her, and she let out a long breath with her palms flat beside her thighs.

“Damn,” she said.

Angelique went into the bathroom and switched on the light. It had white tile, a claw-foot tub, a separate shower, and clean towels folded in the cabinet.

“His staff must still come in,” Angelique said, returning to the room. “It’s clean.”

“Good,” Gladice said. “I need a shower.” She paused and smirked. “Together?”

Angelique’s mouth twitched. “If you are not too tired.”

Gladice’s smirk became a grin. “I am never too tired for you.”

Angelique smiled. “Should we invite Louis as well?” She looked at him over her shoulder.

Louis looked from Angelique to Gladice. Both were watching him.

“Sure,” Louis said. He set the glass down. “Why not.”

Gladice’s smile widened. Angelique nodded once. Louis bent to unlace his boots. He followed them into the bathroom and closed the door. Gladice stepped in front of him and pulled his shirt over his head. Then she took off her own shirt and bra. She pushed her pants and underwear down together and stepped out of them. Louis looked at her naked body. Her breasts were full and her waist narrow. The hair between her legs was dark and slightly overgrown after days on the run. His cock hardened beneath his trousers. Angelique undressed more slowly. Her breasts were larger than Gladice’s, her hips wider, and her belly softer. Louis took off the rest of his clothes, and the three of them stood naked in the light.

“Come on,” Angelique said softly.

They got into the shower together. Louis held Angelique from behind, her wet back against his chest. Her ample ass pressed against his cock. Gladice faced them and took the bar of soap from the ledge. She lathered her hands and moved to Louis’s chest, then to Angelique’s. The scent of pine filled the steam. He suddenly thought of the parking garage in Atlanta, Gladice bent over beneath the stairwell while Angelique waited at the motel.

“Angi,” he said. “I need to tell you. Gladie and I fucked yesterday. In a garage, when we were out.”

Angelique turned to face him. Water streamed down her face and chest. She searched his eyes, then looked at Gladice, who had stopped washing.

“Okay,” Angelique said.

“I wanted to tell you,” Louis said. “I love both of you.”

Angelique leaned in and kissed him. Her lips were warm, and he tasted water on them. She pulled back and looked at Gladice.

“Did you come?” Angelique asked. He felt her nipples harden against his chest.

“Yes,” Gladice said. She met Angelique’s eyes. “He’s good.”

Angelique smiled. “I know.” She turned back to Louis. “Anything else I should know?”

“We also fucked in the hotel room in New Orleans the day we arrived,” Louis said.

Angelique’s smile faded. She looked at him for a long moment, then at Gladice.

“While I was next door?”

“Yeah,” Gladice said. “It just… happened.”

Angelique looked back at Louis. “Did you tell me because you’re sorry, or because you wanted me to know?”

“Both,” Louis said. “I didn’t think of it after everything. But now I want to be honest. I don’t want to keep any more secrets.”

“Okay.” Angelique’s shoulders relaxed. She nodded slowly. “Tell me about it.”

Gladice looked away and ran her hands through her wet hair. “Well. I invited Louis for a drink in the lounge. He was upset after watching me kill the prisoner back in Houston. So I offered him a distraction. And he accepted.”

“Tell me the details.” Angelique wrapped Louis’s cock in her soapy hand. “All of them.”

Louis took a breath. “We went up to the room. I took off her clothes. We kissed. Then I went down and licked her pussy. She came fast.”

“He has a good tongue.” Gladice closed the distance and drew circles on Angelique’s breasts. “Very good.”

“I see.” Angelique stroked him slowly. “What happened next?”

“Then I got on top of her and fucked her.” Louis slid his hand down between Angelique’s legs and found her clit. She was already wet. He stroked it gently. “She was tight. And hot.”

“I liked it.” Gladice nipped at Angelique’s ear. “He made me come twice.”

Angelique leaned back against Louis. He held her with one arm around her waist and kept stroking her with the other. His cock throbbed in her grip. The water beat down on them.

“I came inside her,” Louis said.

“Did he?” Angelique asked Gladice.

“Yes,” Gladice said. “Every time.”

Angelique’s strokes quickened. Louis’s breath caught.

“What else did you do?” Angelique asked.

“You know the rest,” Louis said. “It was good.”

“Good isn’t good enough.” Angelique’s hand tightened on him. “I want to know everything. What did you feel? What did you think? When you came inside her, what did you want?”

Louis’s breath quickened. “I wanted to feel her pussy tighten around me. I wanted to watch her tits bounce. I wanted to see my cum leak out of her.” He increased the pressure on Angelique’s clit.

“Good.” Angelique moaned. “Now show me how you did it.”

Louis turned her around and pressed her against the tiled wall. He entered her from behind in one smooth motion. She was tighter than Gladice, but she took him deep. He grabbed her hips and began to thrust. Water streamed down their bodies. Gladice leaned against the opposite wall and watched, her hands between her legs.

“Harder,” Angelique said. “Make me feel it.”

Louis obeyed. He drove into her, feeling her inner muscles clench around him. He reached around and fondled her breasts, pinching her nipples. She arched her back and pushed against him.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Just like that.”

Gladice stepped forward and kissed him, her tongue probing his mouth. He kissed her back, still thrusting into Angelique. His balls slapped against her ass. He slid one hand to explore Gladice’s body. Her breast was soft, the nipple erect. She gasped as he pinched it lightly. Angelique moaned louder, her hands braced against the wall.

“I’m close,” she said.

“Come for me,” Louis whispered in her ear. “Come all over my cock.”

She cried out as her orgasm hit. Her pussy convulsed around him, and he felt a wave of warmth spread through him. He kept thrusting. The sound of their bodies slapping together filled the bathroom. Gladice’s breathing became ragged.

“Don’t stop,” she said.

He thrust faster, deeper, harder. Angelique’s body trembled. Her pussy clenched hard around him, pulling him closer to orgasm. With a final groan, he came inside her. He held her tight, his face buried in her wet hair. Gladice rubbed herself faster as she watched them. A moment later, she came with a broken moan, her thighs trembling. A thin, milky fluid ran from her pussy and down the inside of one thigh before the water carried it toward the drain.

Louis pulled out of Angelique and turned her around. He kissed her. The water ran over their faces. Their tongues met.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” she replied. “But don’t lie to me again. Ever.”

“I won’t.”

“I mean it,” Angelique said. “I can share. I can even forgive. But I can’t live with lies.”

“I know.” He looked from Angelique to Gladice. “Both of you. I promise.”

Gladice looked at Angelique and smiled. “Angel’s always been the serious one.”

“Someone has to be,” Angelique said.

“And someone has to be the fun one.” Gladice smirked. “That’s me.”

Louis wrapped an arm around each of them and held them close. Their breasts pressed against his chest. Their bodies were slick with water and soap.

“There was another thing,” he said.

Angelique tensed slightly. “What?”

“Gladie made me wipe her in Austin after she peed.”

Gladice burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you’re bringing this up now.”

“You made me do it,” Louis said.

“And you liked it,” Gladice said.

“Did you?” Angelique asked, raising an eyebrow.

Louis hesitated for a moment.

“Yes,” he said. “Part of me did.”

Angelique smiled. “Interesting. Maybe I’ll let you do it for me sometime.”

Gladice grinned. “See? I told you he was a pervert.”

“I’m not a pervert,” Louis said.

“Yes, you are.” Gladice kissed him on the cheek. “And that’s why I love you.”

They stayed under the water and began to wash each other. Louis worked shampoo into Angelique’s hair while she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Gladice helped rinse it, drawing her fingers through the wet strands until the water ran clear. Angelique then washed Gladice’s hair, massaging her scalp while Louis held the dark strands away from her face.

“I’ve always liked straight hair better than curly hair,” Angelique said. “My hair is a nightmare to take care of, even with servants. I look like a poodle in the morning.”

“I like your hair,” Louis said.

“You’re just saying that because you want to fuck me again,” Angelique said.

“Can he be blamed?” Gladice ran her hands over Angelique’s hips. “Men are simple creatures. They see an attractive woman, they want to fuck her. If they like her, they want to fuck her twice.”

“Not all men are that simple,” Louis said.

“Most are.” Gladice grabbed his cock. “And you’re no exception.”

Louis laughed. “Alright. You got me.”

Gladice began to wash his cock with her hands. “It’s different when it’s not hard. Softer. Cuter.”

Angelique looked down at it. “It looks like a snail. Without a shell.” She giggled.

“Great,” Louis said. “My dick is a snail.”

“More like an escargot.” Gladice kissed the tip of his cock. “The kind you eat with garlic butter. Very expensive.”

“You’re going to make me hard again if you keep doing that,” Louis said.

“Maybe that’s the point.” Gladice smiled.

“Let’s get clean before we get dirty again.” Angelique took the soap and began to wash Louis’s back.

“Okay.” Gladice sighed dramatically. “Fine.”

They finished washing and got out of the shower. Angelique grabbed a large, fluffy towel and wrapped it around her body. She took another towel and began to dry Louis’s hair. He closed his eyes. Gladice dried herself with a third towel, looking at them.

“Do you think Willa is a virgin?” Gladice asked.

Louis opened his eyes. “Why are you asking that?”

“Just curious.” Gladice dried her breasts. “She seems like a type who’s saving herself for a man who meets her high standards. Or a woman, I don’t know.”

“Maybe she’s just not interested,” Angelique said. “Not everyone is as horny as you.”

“I just like to fuck.” Gladice smiled. “It’s a healthy activity. And it feels good. I don’t see why people make it so complicated.”

“Because sex involves emotions. And emotions are complicated,” Angelique said.

“Not always.” Gladice finished drying her legs. “Sometimes it’s just sex.”

Louis dried his body with the towel. “How many men had you fucked before you met me?”

Gladice thought for a moment. “Six. Maybe seven. I don’t remember exactly.”

“Do you remember their names?”

Her smile disappeared. “Only one.” She looked away.

Louis waited.

“His name was Frank,” Gladice said. “We served together. He was in my squad.”

Angelique stopped drying her hair. “What happened to him?”

“We were ambushed outside Shreveport on a reconnaissance mission. The Dixies captured us and tortured him for days before they killed him.” She took a deep breath. “I was the only one who got out alive.”

Angelique put her towel down. “Oh, Glads.”

“When we returned with reinforcements, we found his body. They had cut off his cock, hands, and feet. His eyes were missing. I had to identify him from a scar on his arm,” Gladice said.

Louis put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched but didn’t pull away.

“I’m sorry,” Louis said.

“Don’t be. I killed every last one of them in that settlement. Fourteen people. Men, women, children. I marched them to the square and shot them one by one. The last one was a little girl. She begged for her life. I shot her too.”

Angelique stared at her.

“Harvey told me you were court-martialed once,” Louis said.

“I was. For war crimes. But Harvey intervened. He said he needed soldiers like me. Not saints,” Gladice said.

“What did you think when you killed them?” Angelique asked.

Gladice looked at her. “Nothing. I just did it. They had to die.”

“And the little girl?” Angelique asked.

“Her parents were dead. Her brothers were dead. And she would have grown up hating us. She would have taken revenge. It was better that she died. At least that’s what I told myself.” Gladice took a breath. “She had pretty blue eyes. Like you, Louis.”

Louis’s stomach turned. He pulled Gladice into an embrace. She stiffened, then relaxed against him.

“Is that what you still believe?” He asked.

“Yes.” Gladice paused. “No. I don’t know.”

“Maybe you can forgive yourself someday,” Angelique said.

“I don’t deserve forgiveness. I killed them. That’s what matters.”

“You deserve to be happy, Glads.” Angelique stepped closer and wrapped her arms around both of them. “You deserve to be loved.”

Gladice sobbed in their arms. Louis held her tightly.

“Frank was your first, wasn’t he?” He asked.

She nodded without looking up.

“He was a good guy. Funny. Kind. He wanted to open a bar in Miami after retirement. He even had a name for it. ‘The Drunken Parrot.’ He loved parrots for some reason.”

Louis patted her back. Gladice straightened up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Fuck it. It’s over. I moved on.”

Angelique nodded. “If you ever want to talk about it, I’m here.”

“I know.” Gladice gave a weak smile. “You always have been. Now I just want to get out of this country and get that vacation in Hawaii you promised, Louis.”

“You’ll get it,” Louis said.

“And a racing car,” Gladice said.

“And a racing car,” Louis agreed.

“Good.” Gladice dropped her towel on the floor.

“Now let’s go to bed. I’m tired of standing.”

They went back to the bedroom. Louis slipped between the cool sheets of the king bed. Angelique and Gladice followed him, one on each side. They cuddled close. He put an arm around each of them and felt their warm bodies against his. Their damp hair touched his chest. He thought of Jennifer. She would love this place. The thought hurt. He pushed it away. Then he thought of the little girl. He thought of her blue eyes and her pleas. He thought of the gunshot. He tried to push that away too, but it stayed. Gladice murmured something into his chest. He kissed the top of her head. Angelique shifted closer and put her arm across his waist. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He could not imagine the girl’s face. He could only imagine the sound of the shot. After a long while, he drifted into a restless sleep.