Liberty Begins (The Liberty Series) by Leigh James

Liberty. Sleep. You’re safe. I’m right here.”
     

     
    I was dreaming about pizza, of all things. We used to get the best pizza in Eugene. Thin crust with extra cheese. It was about as fancy as we ate. My mouth was watering remembering the smell. I felt some saliva slip out of my mouth and as I sat bolt upright, suddenly awake, I realized that I was drooling.
    I clapped my hand over my mouth and wildly looked around. John was in the back talking to some of the guys. Phew . I lifted my shirt up to wipe off my mouth. My stomach started growling then, loud. I’m just a mess. I needed a hot shower, some food, and some privacy, so I can think about John in peace. Without him touching me and making me so crazy that I tackle him in public.
    I looked out the window: it was twilight. The fields were gone and we were on a highway in a more urban area. I had no idea where. The furthest from Oregon I’d ever been was Vegas. I figured I must have slept for eight hours or so. Again, I had to pee. I needed to brush my teeth and change my clothes. The tour bus was cool and all, but I really wished I was someplace alone, or someplace alone with John, so that I could take care of my human needs without being on display.
    I stood up and stretched my legs. “Liberty,” John said, walking up from the back. “You must be starved.”
    I nodded. “I have to use the bathroom,” I said, suddenly dreading walking by Darius again.
    “I’ll walk you back,” John said. “I have some clean clothes for you if you’d like to change, too. Although I’m fond of that outfit.” He smiled at me and my heart stopped. I looked down at my stripping outfit, which was badly wrinkled and wet from drool. I had long ago kicked off my shoes, and they were under the seat in front of me somewhere. I shook my head and looked down at my bare feet.
    “Forget the shoes,” John said, “I have new sneakers for you so you’ll be more comfortable.” I nodded and he let me out into the aisle first, ever the gentleman. “After you change, would you like dinner? You must be starving.”
    My stomach howled again and I felt my face start to turn red. “That’d be great,” I said, thankfully, trying to at least have good manners.
    We were getting closer to Darius’s aisle. I looked straight down at the floor. I didn’t care if he glared; he couldn’t do anything to me, but I still found him unpleasant. I looked up out of the corner of my eye and there he was again, shooting me a filthy look, trying to say something through his taped-over mouth to me. “Shut up!” said the guard next to him. He pushed him back roughly into his seat.
    But that wasn’t good enough for John.
    Before I knew what was happening, he leaned over the row of seats. He slammed Darius in the nose with his fist. Blood spurted everywhere. I yelped and I could hear Darius’s muffled howl.
    John grabbed the prisoner’s chin, ignoring the blood, and looked him in the eye.
    “Don’t you EVER look at her like that again,” he said, and his voice was fierce, scary. “Or you’re going to have some other body parts bleeding. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” I could see Darius’s jaw clench through the blood smeared on his face, but he nodded.
    “Clean him up,” John directed. “Liberty, go ahead.” He nodded towards the bathroom.
    I went in and gratefully locked the door. Holy hell , I thought. Now he really seemed like a bounty hunter. I was shaking; adrenaline coursed through me. Am I scared or excited? I wondered. John was a little scary, but I’d never had somebody stick up like that for me before. Both, my inner voice offered. You’re both. Plus, John was pretty hot when he was mad. It must be some sort of testosterone thing, I thought.
    I was starting to worry myself.
    I took a deep breath and steadied myself for a moment. Then I unlocked the door and stuck my head out. John was standing there, drying his hands off with a towel.
    “John?” I asked. He looked at me expectantly. He