by Tate James
There was a long pause, long enough that I quirked a brow at Zed in question and his hand shifted to his gun. Then came the subtle slide of someone moving the peephole cover.
"Oh, shit," a male voice said. "It's Hades and Zed."
Nadia's voice was unmistakable as she barked back, "Which one of you shits called the boss?"
"Um... can we come in?" I asked, raising my voice to be heard through the door. "This is starting to get a bit suspicious." Understatement.
"Well?" Nadia snapped. "Don't just stand there with your dick in your hand, boy, let her in! You don't keep the boss waiting; learn that now."
The door bolts clunked as they were hastily unlocked, then the door opened to reveal another of Rex's sons, whose name I couldn't remember for the life of me. The resemblance to his older brother, Ford, was uncanny, though.
"Hades," he said with a gulp, his eyes wide. "Hi. Hello. Zed. Sir. Sirs. Um, we haven't met yet, not officially. But I've heard... you know. A lot."
"Oh my god, Shelby, shut the fuck up," Seph bellowed from further inside the cafe.
Shelby. Now I remembered. Stupid Rex had named his three boys after cars: Ford, Lincoln, and Shelby. The man was obsessed.
She appeared in the doorway, shoving the boy out of the way, and gave me a wide, slightly feverish smile. "Hey, Dare, you probably wanna see the body, huh?"
I blinked at my little sister a couple of times. "Excuse me?"
"Did you say body?" Zed added, his hand still on his gun.
Seph's brows shot up high. "Oh. You're not here about the dead guy? Wow. This is awkward now."
Pushing past my sister and Shelby both, I marched into the main cafe and skirted around the pallet of plastic-wrapped furniture blocking the rest of the room from the doorway. Sure enough, there in the middle of the gorgeous, decoratively tiled floor, a man lay spread eagled in a pool of blood.
"Boss," Nadia greeted me, "I take it you're here about this?" She waved a bloody frying pan at the dead man.
Diana was perched on the counter and sent me a sly smile. "He had it coming, Hades. We swear."
38
Just like Hannah, someone had tried to kill Nadia. What he clearly hadn't been prepared for, though, was how handy Nadia was with a skillet or how quick-thinking Diana had been in running to get Seph and Shelby, who'd been about to drive away.
Shelby had officially earned his way into the Timberwolves by killing Nadia's attacker with one shot as Nadia had defended herself with her cast-iron saucepan.
After we’d gotten the full story, I'd told Shelby to get in touch with Cass for a Timberwolf tattoo. He'd proven his worth in blood. The kid had been ecstatic, but Seph looked less than pleased.
Cass and Lucas were called to help Nadia clean up, while Zed and I continued over to Magnolia to collect the security footage of Hannah's attack. We were both wrecked enough, and I was cold in my wet skirt, that we just collected all the tapes and took them home with us.
That was why Cass and Lucas found the two of us later that night curled up on the couch together, fresh from the shower, eating popcorn and watching Hannah hand her attacker his ass.
"Holy shit," Lucas murmured, standing behind the sofa to watch it when we rewound the tape. "Hannah's a secret badass. Where did she learn that?"
Cass huffed in irritation. "She used to date that little prick Johnny Rock. Sounds like he liked to test out his punches on her, so she must have learned a thing or two to eventually fight back."
That made me feel sick… and at the same time, so fucking glad she'd learned to fight because it'd saved her life today.
"The caliber of Chase's paid goons has definitely dropped," Lucas observed as he came around the couch to sit beside me, then snaked the bowl of popcorn out of my lap. Zed flicked the TV over to an action movie instead, since we'd seen enough of Hannah kicking ass.
"He was probably using a lot of Wayne's muscle," Cass suggested, dropping into a recliner and stretching his arms over his head in a way that made me stare straight at the V-line of muscles disappearing into his pants. Goddamn.
Zed gave a short laugh. "Probably. Two birds with one stone the other night."
"Did you see some of those shots Steele took?" Lucas asked Zed, his voice full of awe. "I didn't even see half of those targets until they dropped."
Zed rolled his eyes. "Less than I hit."
So damn competitive. I smiled and relaxed back into the couch as they chatted about sniper shots and trajectory and tossed out hypotheticals about whether being good at real life guns automatically meant you'd be good at Call of Duty.
Cass wasn't really participating, so when he extended a hand to me, calling me over, I peeled myself up and went to him.
Holding my gaze, he pulled me into his lap on the recliner and cupped my face with his huge hand. "Rough day, huh?"
I offered a tired smile in return. "Could have been worse. A lot worse. I'd happily sacrifice my bars if the trade-off is keeping Hannah and Nadia alive."
His thumb stroked across my cheek, and his dark eyes studied mine. Then without a word, pulled my face closer and kissed me with staggering intensity. When he released me some time later, our breathing was equally rough and my lips buzzed with warmth.
"What was that for?" I asked in a husky whisper, leaning into the way his arm had wrapped around my waist, strong and possessively.
Cass gave a low chuckle. "Don't act like I need an excuse to kiss you, Red."
"Quit it, both of you," Zed snapped, shooting us a glare. "We're trying to watch a movie here."
Lucas snickered. "Zed's crabby because now he has to watch a Jason Statham flick while he's hard."
Zed walloped Lucas with a pillow while Cass shifted me to sit in his lap with my ass pressed against his own hardness. Well shit, now I really wasn't interested in watching a movie.
“Stop squirming, Red,” Cass rumbled in my ear, his teeth nipping my lobe. His hand splayed across my stomach, holding me tighter against him as my breath caught and my core tightened.
Lucas tossed the pillow back at Zed and shot me a knowing smirk. “Keep squirming, Hayden. Torture his ass.”
Zed snapped a sharp glare over at me. “Don’t you, Dare.”
I found that way too damn funny and started laughing, shifting on Cass’s lap without even really meaning to do it. Or hell, maybe I did. Maybe my subconscious was sick of waiting for my mind to heal and just wanted some dick. Some long, hard, tattooed dick that was only a couple of layers of clothing away from—
“Shit’s sake, Red,” Cass growled, bucking his hips and sliding his hand lower on my belly. “You were warned.” His fingers dipped under the waistband of my sweatpants, delving straight into my panties without a moment's hesitation and making me squeak.
Lucas and Zed both snapped their heads toward us, their eyes sharp as I let out a gasp and arched my spine, pushing myself onto Cass’s hand harder.
“Seriously?” Zed asked, sounding pained.
Cass hummed a happy sound in his throat as his fingers slid into me with ease. “Shut up and enjoy the show, Zeddy Bear,” he growled back.
Biting my lip against a laugh, I tugged my sweats and panties down, then kicked them off completely so there was nothing to block Zed or Lucas seeing exactly what Cass was doing to me.
Fuck the damn movie, I was getting back on the horse. Maybe all three horses, if the night treated me right.
“Spread your legs wider, Angel,” Cass purred in my ear, his spare hand hooking under my knee to drape it over the armrest. I obeyed his command, lifting my other leg up in a mirror image, and writhed my hips as his fingers stroked inside me. “That’s it. Beautiful.”
Lucas gave a low laugh, his head dropping back against the couch. His heavy-lidded eyes were on me, though. On my pussy and Cass’s fingers working in and out, slick with my arousal. His hand shifted to his pants, grasping his erection through the fabric like he was trying to control it.
Soft moans slipped from my lips, and Cass sucked
the flesh of my neck, driving me wild as he slipped a third finger into my pussy.
Zed’s gaze was like pure fire, totally unblinking as he watched. The lights were turned low, the flickering from the TV offering more illumination than anything, but I knew he could see everything.
I watched him right back, taking in the subtle way he shifted in his seat when I moaned. Or the way he ran his tongue over his lower lip, leaving it glistening. The naked, raw emotion in his eyes rocked me, though. There was nothing to fear there. No possible way I could ever confuse this Zed, the real Zed, with that bastardized, drug-induced version Chase had conjured up. No way.
“Are you gonna come for us, Angel?” Cass rumbled. “Do you want me to make you fall to pieces here in my lap?”
I wanted so much more, but my mouth wasn’t listening to reason. “Yes,” I panted, moaning and writhing, the pulsing of my impending climax growing more intense with every thrust of his fingers. “Yes, please, make me come, Saint.”
He murmured his approval, then found my clit with his other hand. He stroked the pad of his index finger over that hyper-sensitive spot, firmly and confidently, and I spasmed in his arms. My cunt was soaking; I could feel the dampness on my thighs as he pumped his fingers into me.
“Holy shit,” I gasped, dropping my head back against his shoulder as he played with my clit. “Cass...” His name turned into a low moan as my orgasm started sparking.
His motions grew rougher, meeting the demand of my bucking hips, and continued even as I cried out and convulsed with my release. My toes curled, my pelvis pushing forward and begging for more as I came in long, shuddering waves and my breath came in rough gasps.
“Zeddy Bear,” Cass rumbled before I fully came down from my climax. “Get over here. You know you want to taste this.”
Just the suggestion of that had me shaking with hot anticipation, and I cracked my heavy lids to lock eyes with Zed, offering silent encouragement. He still hesitated a moment, until Lucas scoffed.
“If you don’t, bro, I will. Hurry the fuck up.”
Zed scowled at Lucas, who just grinned back at him. Then a second later, Zed was on his knees in front of me. In front of my spread out and soaking wet cunt.
“Dare, is this—“
“Yes!” I snapped, arching my hips. “Quit fucking asking for permission. If I didn’t want it, I would’ve kicked you all in the balls and left.”
Cass and Lucas both laughed at that, but Zed just did as Cass had told him. He leaned forward, bringing his mouth to my throbbing pussy to lick the slick cum from my flesh.
“Fuck,” I hissed, my belly tightening once more. Oh yeah, I could go again, no question. I glanced over at Lucas, but he was slouched back on the sofa with his dick out and in his hand, stroking it lazily while he watched. A wide smile sat on his lips as he did so, too.
Cass shifted his hands to hook under my thighs once more, holding me open while Zed pushed his tongue inside my cunt. I groaned, tucking my face into Cass’s neck and biting him, but I wasn’t protesting. It’d been too freaking long since I’d had Zed’s face between my legs.
“You gonna come again, Angel?” Cass murmured, his fingers gripping my thighs tight enough to bruise. “You make the sweetest sounds when you do. Gets my dick so fucking hard I could burst.”
Zed shifted his mouth to my already swollen clit and slid his fingers into my pussy, making me buck. Cass gave a low chuckle, the fucking dick, and muttered something about how it would take no time at all.
He wasn’t wrong, though. I wet my lips, looking over at Lucas and the weapon in his pumping fist. Oh yeah, I was definitely ready to get back on all the horses in my stable.
Zed’s tongue teased me, dancing around my clit and only lightly brushing across it when I rocked harder on his face. His fingers worked faster, though, pumping into me in an echo of how Cass had just fucked me up.
Breathing hard, Cass released one of my thighs and brought his hand up to my face. “Suck,” he ordered me, pushing two fingers into my mouth.
I didn’t question him, sucking those fingers and tasting my own arousal in the process. Zed went harder, sucking my clit as I ran my tongue all over Cass’s fingers. He grunted in approval as he withdrew them from my mouth and hooked them back under my leg once more—but not to hold my thighs open anymore. He took those fingers, slick with my saliva, and went straight to my asshole.
A scream of pleasure ripped from my throat as he pushed one finger inside, then quickly added the other. He was rough, but I fucking loved rough. Between him and Zed, they fucked both my holes with their hands, and Zed’s mouth worked over my clit until I was a thrashing, trembling mess.
My orgasm hit hard enough to make me see stars, and I just barely peeled my eyes open long enough to see Lucas spill his load all over his own abs. Fuck me, that was hot.
“Don’t fall asleep yet, Angel,” Cass teased when I went boneless across his lap. “We’ve only just started.”
Grinning, Zed sat up on his knees and licked his lips. Christ, that move in itself almost had me coming again. Especially when his hands shifted to his belt.
The shrill tone of a phone ringing cut through our little impromptu orgy, and all four of us paused a moment like we were all trying to remember whose phone that was.
“Shit,” Lucas cursed. “Mine.” He fumbled to tug his T-shirt off the rest of the way and swiped up his own cum with it before pulling his phone from his jeans.
He frowned at the display, and a cold chill ran through me. I hadn’t forgotten the day we’d just had, all the coordinated strikes Chase had taken against us, and how he’d failed on two of them.
Cass and Zed sensed my panic. Zed got to his feet and Cass let me close my legs as I leaned forward to hear Lucas as he answered the call.
It only took a moment for his face to blanch, and I just knew. Hannah and Nadia had survived, but Chase’s third strike had hit home.
“Who?” I barked, stuffing my legs back into my pants with angry movements.
“Maria,” Lucas croaked, still with his phone to his ear. He paused another moment while he listened, then let out a long, shuddering breath before ending the call. He immediately dropped his face to his hands, taking a moment before he looked back up at me. “Car bomb. Doc caught some shrapnel and is being taken to emergency surgery now, but Maria was behind the wheel. She’s dead.”
Those words echoed through my head, stunning me. Maria was dead; Doc was in surgery. Chase was responsible, without a doubt. I was tearing apart his network, cutting down his allies, so he was returning the favor.
“Fuck,” I whispered, swiping a hand through my hair and feeling utterly helpless. There was nothing I could do for Maria now; she was already dead. But I could damn well hit him back.
Good thing the Gala was less than twenty-four hours away.
39
Hannah, bless her tenacious heart, had tuxedos for both Lucas and Cass delivered first thing the next morning, while I was still yawning into my coffee. As she’d promised, Alexi had dropped over my dress and shoes the night before, so we were all sorted for the mayor of Cloudcroft’s charity gala.
It was being held at the Cloudcroft Museum of Modern Art—because all charity galas need wealth dripping from every wall—and the guest list was impressive, to say the least.
I was only interested in one guest in particular, though—a certain gentleman by the name of Conrad Holmes, deputy mayor of Cloudcroft and third on my hit list.
“So, are you going to tell us what the plan is for tonight?” Lucas asked, munching on his bowl of cereal opposite me at the table.
I smiled back at him. “Nope.”
Zed gave a soft laugh, already privy to my plans. “Gumdrop, you’re only coming as arm candy, didn’t you realize?”
Lucas flipped Zed his middle finger but tilted his head to me in question. I rolled my eyes and whacked Zed’s stomach as he leaned close to refill my coffee.
“Zed’s being an asshole,” I murmured. “You�
��re so much better than arm candy, Lucas.”
“Although, gumdrops are candy,” Cass mused, still looking half asleep as he scuffed his feet into the kitchen. He yawned hard, then blinked at the three of us. “What are we talking about?”
Lucas glowered. “I asked about Hayden’s plan for tonight.”
Cass grunted, scrubbing a hand over his head. “Oh yeah. It’s a good one.”
Lucas’s jaw dropped, his spoon hanging loose in his hand. “What the hell? Cass knows the plan?”
I had to bite my cheek not to laugh, instead shooting a pointed glare in Grumpy Cat’s direction. “No, he doesn’t. He’s messing with you, Lucas. Don’t pay any attention.”
Lucas looked like he wasn’t sure who to believe, so I came around to his side of the table and slid into his lap with my arms around his neck.
“Hey, they’re just being shitheads. I promise tonight’s plan is the easiest one yet. I just don’t want to ruin the surprise by telling you the details.”
Dark circles sat under Lucas’s eyes as he gazed up at me. He’d barely slept, having spent most of the night waiting up for an update on Doc’s surgery. He’d been doing a lot of his practical EMT training with Doc and Maria, so this attack was hitting him hard.
“I trust you.” He heaved a sigh. “Sorry, I’m just tired. Crabby.”
“Horny,” Cass teased, and Lucas threw his cereal spoon at his face.
Cass and Zed both snickered like fucking children, but I cupped Lucas’s face between my palms to kiss him.
“I get it,” I whispered. “Give me ten minutes to wake up, and we can go visit Doc, okay?” He’d come out of surgery around three in the morning and been moved to the recovery ward. So far, it seemed like he might survive.
Lucas grasped my waist, kissing me back for a long moment. Then he gave a small sigh. “No, you already have a full day. I’ll head over there on my way to see my mom. Besides, you still need to check in with Hannah.”