Signal Fire
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Somehow, though he knew she was long gone, she was still there. He felt her deep in his bones. It was inexplicable, but there she was, seeped within him. And he wondered if she would always haunt him, or if this was merely an after effect of the serum they’d given him. He couldn’t believe it. The serum had worked, just as it had on Tess, and several times during his shower, he’d had to examine himself searching for signs of a bullet hole. Each time he checked the spot on his chest, there was nothing. It was as though he’d never been shot. And the swollen features from Oliver’s fists. Gone, as though he’d never been beaten.
Philip, freshly showered and dressed in black fatigues once more sat on the edge of the bed, hunched over, tying up a bootlace as Lex stepped into the infirmary room. He sat up straightening, lifting his head in acknowledgement at the man who probably now owned his soul. The knowledge was not comforting, not like the comfort of Chloe’s presence that still seemed to flow in his veins, but was fading gradually with every new beat of his heart. It was useless to hold onto it and he vaguely wondered how many times Chloe had healed Oliver Queen of injuries, and if that had anything to do with their connection. No, that wasn’t entirely it. She was in Queen’s blood, in his soul, and probably always would be, never to fade.
Philip felt no dread as Lex stepped into the room, eyeing him. It was more like resignation. Facing your lot, and living with it, even if it wasn’t what you wanted. Acceptance of something you had no control over.
“I’m glad to see you’re well,” was all Lex said as he scrutinized Philip with an expression that dared him to defy. Lex knew he had Philip exactly where he wanted him.
“Better than ever.”
“This isn’t over, you know.”
Whether Lex meant for Philip, or for Chloe and Oliver, he wasn’t certain. Either way, it didn’t matter.
“What about Tess?”
Lex’s eyes turned steely blue, narrowing, his shoulders lifting in a near shrug as though she were of no consequence. “You did me a favor. I returned it.”
“You could have saved her instead of me.”
“Let’s just say, you’re more valuable.”
“How so? This entire scheme was orchestrated for her.” Philip rose from the edge of the bed now, his frustration evident. Chloe’s kidnapping was designed in part, to restore Tess to health, and yet, Lex had ultimately allowed her to die. It made no sense, and seemed a waste of resources and time.
Lex turned away from him, to stare through the opened doorway of the infirmary, his gaze not particularly focused on anything. “Tess forgot her place among the ranks,” he spoke with a quiet coldness. “She didn’t know the meaning of discipline. Tess was power hungry. Thought she could control me.” He turned his head in Philip’s direction, speaking over his shoulder. “She’d been making decisions about Luthorcorp in my absence that were contrary to my wishes, behind my back. She wanted it all for herself.” Lex turned fully to face Philip once more. “And now I have to clean up her mess.”
“By getting rid of her.” Philip never liked Tess, but taking her life was not what he’d planned, and that he’d unwittingly done Lex’s bidding by disposing of her, did not sit well with him. Had he once again been Lex’s puppet, controlled by invisible strings?
“It’s a start. Unfortunate, but necessary.”
Somehow Philip didn’t believe Lex thought it unfortunate at all. He swallowed visibly, wondering if Lex knew he was the one to let Chloe and Oliver go. “So now what?”
“We carry on,” Lex stated matter-of-factly. “We know the true identity of the Green Arrow. That’s a victory in and of itself.”
“'He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight,'” Philip retorted. “'If your enemy is in superior strength, evade him,'” he continued, quoting the passage from memory.
The corners of Lex’s mouth curled up slightly at the reference as he took a step closer. “Sun Tzu also said, ‘The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.’”
“I’ve seen them together; I’ve had a chance to observe them more closely than you have. Their bond is stronger than you think.”
“There will be another opportunity, Philip. I’m not worried.” And he wasn’t. He knew despite whatever misgivings Philip might have over the entire situation, that Philip would follow him. He owned Philip body and soul as surely as he owned Luthorcorp down to the last brick.
Philip knew it too. And as this realization dawned, the reluctant acquiescence that appeared on his face spoke volumes, as he watched Lex turn away, leaving the room, victorious even in this.
* * * * *
They slept the entire night through, too exhausted to do much else once they reached the manor house. Light filtering into their bedroom caused them both to awaken moments apart from one another, and though each knew the other was awake, neither of them spoke, simply holding one another, eyes closed, unwilling to leave their bed. They shifted, Chloe lay her head, cheek pressed against his chest, as strong arms moved to cradle her.
They lay there naked together, each of them lost in their own thoughts as the dreamy, comforting fog of sleep lifted, and they had to face the harsh reality of the events of the past few days. Chloe didn’t think the visions of Oliver’s mutilated body strung up before her, would ever leave her for as long as she lived, and her hand rose once more to caress the smooth skin of his chest, over the hard contours to trail down his sculpted torso, as though to reassure herself for the umpteenth time, that there were no marks or injuries.
Oliver divined her thoughts, taking her hand and pressing it against his ribs, holding it there, his hand large and warm covering hers. She had checked him over a least a dozen times, running her hands over him, making him turn around for her inspection. She’d even healed his bruised knuckles against his wishes. He wouldn’t fight her over it, knowing how tortured she’d been after she bore witness to what was done to him. But he had endured it too, and thoughts of Tess tormenting him with words, the slice of the blade, against his flesh, the plunging of her knife into his gut and then his chest, made him grimace at the thought of it. And Lex. His face swam before Oliver’s closed eyelids, taunting him with threats against Chloe, lashing him with the whip so that his entire body was flooded, engulfed in a shock of pain. Oliver pressed his lips to Chloe’s hair, nuzzling her in an effort to rid himself of the visions.
Tess. He should have killed her while he had the chance. After all she’d done to him and to Chloe, he’d have felt no remorse over it. Chloe moved against him in answer to his kisses, snuggling closer, her leg rubbing up and down over his. She made a sleepy sound of contentment. He could have killed Tess, but would Chloe have forgiven him for it? Maybe she would have, but Oliver couldn’t take that chance. She was always the voice of reason, whenever he’d acted impulsively, yet he knew that she had attacked Tess as well, and maybe she would have understood. She’d reminded him once that it wasn’t up to them, that it was what separated them from people like Lex. If he had killed Tess, he’d have become what she was.
Lex was alive. Where he’d been, and what he’d been doing for the past year was a complete mystery. They’d tried to find him, and even when Chloe had once possessed Brainiac’s intelligence, she could not locate him. Lex knew. He knew the identity of the Green Arrow. What would he do with this knowledge? Now more than ever, he and Chloe would be targets. Oliver didn’t think Lex would go public with the information. It would be too difficult to prove, and unless Lex was prepared for a lawsuit of libel or slander, he’d have to keep his knowledge of the Green Arrow’s true identity to himself. But that made him more dangerous.
Maybe there was a way out of this, a way to buy them some time, and lots of it.
“If your thoughts were any louder…” she murmured playfully against his skin.
“You woke me up with yours,” he teased softly.
There was a long pause before she spoke. “Ollie…I can’t… I can’t get it out of my head. I can’t stop picturing you…”
“Shhh…” he soothed, stroking her hair, pressing more soft kisses to the top of her head.
“Lex and Tess. They aren’t finished with us. You know that,” she whispered. “And the Green Arrow…. They know, and…” her voice began to rise in panic. “What should we do? We have to do something, Ollie…”
Oliver rolled them, effectively quieting her, moving her onto her back. Large hands encircled her wrists, holding them captive against the mattress near her head, he pinned her with his body. His head descended, pressing soft kisses to her cheek, lips trailing softly down over her jaw line and throat, where he stopped to nuzzle at the curve of her neck. He breathed more kisses there. Oliver didn’t want to think. Not right now. He wanted to forget Lex, Tess, Philip, his torture; Chloe’s tear streaked face as she wept over his broken body. She’d suffered, probably more than he had. She not only had to witness his torture, she’d endured his physical pain as well, upon healing him. And then there was Philip, with his hands all over her, creating a jealousy Oliver could no longer pretend he didn’t feel… and now all Oliver wanted was to make her feel good, make her forget for awhile, give her some pleasure in the only way he could at this moment.
They both needed to forget, right now. God, he needed her. It was an admission he could no longer cast away. She did things to him – made him feel things that he’d never felt for another woman, ever. Made him dream of a future he never thought he could have. A family. A home. Some semblance of a normal life. He needed her like he needed the air to breathe, and now his need to show her how much he loved her grew more desperate with every kiss he pressed to her warm skin.
“Ollie…” she whispered, vaguely wondering what had come over him.
“I love you, Chloe,” he breathed against her flesh. “Love you,” he whispered, over and over again, the words leaving him repeatedly between kisses as his mouth traveled, lips grazing her skin with heart-rending tenderness. He’d bare himself completely, without fear because right now, she was the only thing worth clinging to, worth having, ever his anchor, his signal fire.
Chloe was nearly surprised at his gentle assault. The air suddenly grew thick with emotion, and she found herself helplessly swept up in him. He’d told her he loved her before this, but Oliver could be quite stoic, and his actions spoke louder than his words. Something about him in this moment was different. He was humbled, exposed, raw, and open after all they’d endured. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t meant it those other times, but now the power and purity of his words, spoken softly and fervently, not once, not twice, but over and over again, whispered like a litany, tingling against her flesh seemed to hit home with new clarity and realization. The ache in his voice telling her all she needed to know.
“I love you…”
A knot rose in her throat, her heart swelling in her chest at the depth of feeling this man had for her, and she wondered how she could ever have doubted him. She shuddered beneath him; his voice and his lips sending a whirl of sensations as one lone tear escaped the outer corner of her eye. “I love you, Oliver,” she returned his words on a near sob, meaning them every bit as much as he did.
His body grew hard with wanting, pressed against her. “Mine… only mine,” he breathed the words harshly as his ardor increased, a low growl in his throat, and Chloe wondered if he’d been thinking of Philip, and what he’d done, how he had touched her. Oliver released her wrists; fingertips sliding down her arms, sending shivers through her. He moved over her, mouth grazing, breathing a path between her breasts, and over her belly, his hands following, caressing her body, until he reached the juncture of her thighs. Fingers spread folds of soft pink flesh as the first swipe of his tongue sent her senses reeling, her breath catching in her throat in a soft gasp. His tongue swirled around the sensitive nub before suckling it gently. She writhed against his mouth, tongue laving her with increasing intensity. Sweet-musky, feminine, he loved the way she tasted.
He shook her to the core. Her hands balled into fists gripping the sheets beneath her as her body arched. “Yes…,” she managed to hiss breathlessly. There were a thousand questions and concerns to worry over, but in this moment, Chloe didn’t care about any of them. She was with the man she loved, safe for now and his mouth was making incredible magic, making her forget the pain of the past few days. “Yours… only yours.”
A moan escaped her. Oliver felt her convulse with pleasure, listened as she cried out softly from the stroke of his fingers at the place he’d been kissing her.
She reached for him, desperate with need of him, an urgent groan of want passing her lips as he moved across her body. Oliver cupped his hands beneath her bottom, tilted her hips, and let her take hold of him, her small hand guiding him to her. The force of need pulsating through his blood urged him to take her, possess her, sink himself so deep inside her, and find the comfort and ease of his soul that only she had ever given him. A rush of air escaped him as he slipped past the folds of her slick entrance, impaling her. Her hands gripped him the way the tight heat of her body gripped him. His hips began to move in delicious rhythm. Familiar, comfortable, and nothing on earth could be more right than this. The past didn’t matter, there was only now, and whatever the future would bring. Each of them knowing that no matter what tomorrow held for them, they would face it together.
Sensations rolled over her like a tidal wave as he pushed her into rapture, immersing himself deeper and harder with every thrust. Shudders wracked her body, until he knew she was so far gone, the last vestiges of his control shattered, and sweet release flooded them both in prolonged ecstasy.
Oliver dropped soft kisses on her face and throat as each of them struggled for air. But he wouldn’t leave her body. Not yet. He sank down upon her gently, his heart hammering in his chest. It was her turn to cradle him, stroke his heated skin, caress him. After a time, he slipped out of her warmth, and she pulled him to her breast, closer. Oliver’s eyes closed over; languid as her comfort surrounded him like a warm blanket, and for a time at least, they let the world fall away.
There was hope. Maybe. The slightest bit of hope that they could stop Lex or in the very least, cripple Luthorcorp. It was something that had been in the works for weeks. He’d been waiting for the phone call that would confirm it. “I love you, Chloe,” he murmured sleepily against her breast one more time.
“I won’t ever doubt you again, Oliver,” she whispered softly into his hair, knowing now, that after all that had happened, they’d never be the same again, and that no matter what Tess or Lex or Philip or anyone could do to them, no one would ever tear them apart.
End Chapter 13
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