13
Jeremiah woke a couple of hours later, hard as a rock. Soft fingers trailed sensuously over his skin, lips kissing, sucking, tongue licking. A low groan left his throat when those fingers found his cock and began stroking him slowly. “Rikki.” His beautiful mate. So strong and courageous around others, but soft and feminine with him. She was everything to him. His world.
Those lips made their way down his stomach, teeth nipping, her tongue sneaking out to soothe the small marks of pain. His dick jerked, and he dug his fingers into the bed, clutching at the sheets to stop himself from guiding her where he wanted her. She was playing, and as much as it killed him, he was going to let her.
Rikki’s hand moved up over the tip of his dick, and then down again. “You’re so hard, but the skin is soft,” she murmured. “Like velvet.”
He groaned, unable to stop himself from arching his hips and pushing into her hand. “Feels so good.”
She looked up at him, a mischievous grin on her lips. “Yeah?”
“Hell yeah.”
“How does this feel?”
Her tongue snuck out, wetting her lips, and then she lowered her head, licking the head of his cock. Jeremiah froze, his body alive with sensation. His dick jerked again and a shudder ran through him. Yes, she was definitely going to kill him before this was over.
“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted your lips around my cock,” he growled, watching those lips curve into a smile, before she took him into her mouth. He felt a hand on his balls, the tentative touch as she explored them. Then, she cupped them in her hand and tugged. He couldn’t stop his involuntary reaction, and cursed when his hips jerked and he found himself deeper in that hot, wet mouth. “God, baby, that’s so fucking good.”
Tightening her mouth around him, Rikki sucked gently as she moved up and down. Her tongue stroking the tip of his dick when she raised up, and then sliding down the side as her mouth engulfed him again. It was too much, and he found himself close sooner than he wanted to be.
“Pull back,” he rasped, his fingers sinking deep into her silky hair. “You gotta pull back, baby. I’m gonna come.”
She growled around his cock, sending a burst of pleasure zinging through him. Her eyes glowed as she looked at him, those gorgeous pouty lips still wrapped around his length. “Mine,” she snarled in warning, before swirling her tongue around the tip of his dick and swallowing him again.
His cock hardened to the point of pain at her declaration, and Jeremiah rasped, “Yours.” Groaning, he gave in to the need to move, and slowly began to thrust his hips. Soon, he had to stop. It was too much. His body held taut with desire, shaking as he tried to hold back the orgasm that was already spiraling through him, he groaned, “Faster, Rikki. Harder. Suck harder.” She did exactly as he wanted, and he found himself going over the edge, shouting as he came in her mouth.
Rikki swallowed all of him, licking him clean, and then slowly crawled up his body until she lay next to him, playing with the curls of hair on his chest. “I’ve never done that before,” she admitted softly.
“Never?”
She shook her head, tugging gently on a curl. “No.” She paused. “I liked it.”
“I loved it,” Jeremiah growled, pulling her over on top of him and guiding her hips where he wanted them. He saw her eyes widen in surprise when she felt his thick shaft nudging at her sleek, wet entrance.
“How?”
“I will never get enough of you,” he growled, grasping her hips tightly. Slowly, he lowered her over his cock, gritting his teeth when he was enveloped by her heat.
“Never?”
“Never,” he vowed, groaning when he was finally completely inside, pausing to make sure she adjusted to him before he began to thrust slowly inside her.
“Me neither,” she whispered, before placing her palms on his chest and taking over.
“We need to get moving soon,” Rikki said, placing a soft kiss on Jeremiah’s chest. She’d been plastered to him all night long, waking up two more times to make love. The thought of what was coming next, what could happen when they reached Virginia, was tearing her apart. If anything happened to him, she knew she would choose to follow wherever he went. She couldn’t live in this life without him. Didn’t want to. “Angel will be here in an hour.”
Jeremiah gently ran a hand over her back, holding her close. He didn’t respond at first, just leaned down to place a soft kiss on the top of her head. Rikki fought the tears that wanted to slip free. She’d cried enough lately. She needed to be strong for her man. He was the only thing that mattered right now.
“I should have claimed you years ago,” Jeremiah said, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “I’m so sorry I didn’t, Rikki. I wasn’t rejecting you. You were just so young. I didn’t want to take your life from you. Didn’t want to pressure you into a relationship with someone like me.”
“Someone like you?” Rikki asked in confusion.
“Older, hard, set in my ways.”
“I don’t know,” she murmured, skimming a hand down his chest to his abs and lower. “You don’t seem that old to me. And I love the hard part.”
Jeremiah grunted when her hand connected with his already thickening cock, and he grabbed it to pull it back up to his chest. “You are insatiable, woman.”
“Good thing I’m yours,” she said, laughter in her voice. “I need someone who can keep up with me.”
Jeremiah shook his head, chuckling. “You are going to be the death of me, mate.”
Rikki went quiet, her arm going around Jeremiah and holding on tightly at the thought of his death.
“I am sorry, Rikki. For not telling you about us before, for not claiming you when I should have. For not being here these past few months.” Rikki froze when she heard the pain in his voice. “I thought I was doing what was right. Getting on the inside to fight the bastards who hurt you. I wanted to take down the entire organization, and I feel like the only way to do that is from deep inside. That’s no excuse, though. I should have checked in. Should have called. Should have…”
Rikki placed a hand on his lips, tilting her head back to look at him. “Stop. It’s enough that you’re here now.” And it was. She’d been so angry before, but she was beginning to understand the pull of mates more now that she had her wolf with her. With that understanding came the knowledge that she would do anything for hers. She would live for him, kill for him, die for him. How could she fault him for wanting to take care of her in whatever way he thought best when she felt the same way. Who knows what she would have done if the positions had been reversed. Probably the same damn thing.
“I hurt you,” Jeremiah rasped, his eyes darkening in pain. “There is no excuse for putting your mate through what I put you through.”
Rubbing her hand over his chest to try to soothe the beast she could tell was rising, she kissed his neck. “It’s over and done with. We can’t change the past. Neither of us can. We can only go forward.”
“Together,” he said gruffly.
“Together.”
“Will you tell me what it was like? These past few months?”
She didn’t ask him to clarify what he meant. She knew. Rikki sighed, doing the only thing she could. She told him the truth. “It was horrible. Scary, terrifying. I felt so lost and alone. The only thing that kept me going were the visits from my teammates. My family.”
“You were aware the whole time?”
“Most of it, I think. It’s hard to explain. There was a time when the darkness threatened to push me under and not let me back up. It was a struggle to hold on, to stay in this world. A part of me wanted to give up so badly.” A low growl vibrated in his chest, and she buried her head in his neck, rubbing a hand over his skin. “I found out a few days ago that it was because one of the General’s people, Ashley, had a gift where she could seep into someone’s mind and make them feel things like that. Like they didn’t want to live.”
“What?” Jeremiah snarled, his
arm tightening around her.
“Steele found her, and Chase killed her. After that, things began to get better. It was as if I were sleeping, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t wake up. But the darkness was gone. I had the will to fight again. Doc Josie thinks it was more of a healing sleep.”
“Dammit,” Jeremiah growled, tugging her up until her entire body covered his. “I should have been here!”
Raising her head to look in his eyes, his gaze turbulent with emotion, she smiled. “You’re here now.”
“I’m never leaving you again,” he vowed, his lips capturing hers.
Rikki lost herself in his kiss for a moment before pulling back to whisper, “I love you, Jeremiah Black. With all that I am. Whatever the future brings, we will face it together.”
“God, baby, I love you, too.” His lips found hers again, almost desperate this time. “Always. Forever.”
14
“You’re sure no one will be able to detect it?” Jeremiah asked, flipping down the collar of his shirt. The uniforms the guards were required to wear were all black, from the button-down short-sleeved shirt, to the cargo pants, to the shitkickers on his feet. The tiny black listening device that Jaxson had inserted under the collar in the back of the shirt was so miniscule, it would easily blend in.
“Positive,” Jaxson promised, moving away and handing out ear pieces to the team. “We will be able to hear you, but you won’t be able to hear us. That part sucks, but can’t be helped.”
“Don’t worry,” Trace said, patting his sniper rifle. “I got your back, man.”
“Me, too,” Sapphire promised, lifting her rifle in his direction.
Jeremiah’s lips quirked up into a grin. “Until I get inside.”
“I’ve seen you in action,” Flame drawled. “I think you can handle yourself until we get in there.”
Rikki slid in close to him, her arm slipping around his waist. “I’ll be in a tree several yards away, my rifle pointed at the building the entire time.”
Jeremiah heard the worry in her voice, but it was still strong, sure, determined. “I know you will,” he said in a low voice. Leaning down, he captured her mouth with his, slowly tracing the plump fullness of the bottom one with his tongue. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he muttered against her lips, wishing he didn’t have to leave her, but knowing there was no choice. If he didn’t, everyone in that facility just ten miles down the road would die. He couldn’t have that on his conscience.
The sound of the Hummer filled the air, and Jinx pulled up next to them. Putting the vehicle in park, he slid out but kept it running. “You need to hurry before they become suspicious.”
“I’m sure they already are.” He knew they were. He would be if it was him.
“Maybe we need to find another way,” Flame said hesitantly, her gaze going from Jeremiah to Jinx. “I feel like we are throwing Jeremiah to the wolves.”
“That’s because we are,” Angel ground out. “Unfortunately, we have no choice.”
Jeremiah looked down into his mate’s eyes, the dark pools of brown sucking him in. Lowering his head to kiss her gently on the forehead, he said, “There is no other way.” Giving his mate one last, hard kiss, he let her go and made his way to the Hummer. Glancing back, he let his gaze roam over her, from the dark hair pulled back in a pony tail, down her small, curvy body covered in black, to the toe of her combat boots. His woman was a fighter, but she was also soft and loving, and so damn beautiful it made his heart ache.
“I love you.” She mouthed the words to him, her lips turning up into a gentle smile just for him. Her hand closed into a fist, and she pressed it to her heart.
Swallowing hard, Jeremiah returned the gesture, mouthing the words back to her. His heart. His soul. His world.
Jeremiah entered the Virginia facility through a side door, using a five-digit code that was dedicated solely to him, so whoever was watching could see when he came and left each place he was assigned to. And they were watching; of that he had no doubt. They were all a paranoid bunch of bastards, as they should be. Some of the places were more lax, but not this one. It was one of the worst. Very tightly controlled by the man in charge, Lenox Keaton. You had to enter your five digits every time you went from one floor of the large three-story building to another. In the basement, you had to enter your code to enter the scientists’ lab. Hell, he was surprised he didn’t have to use his code every time he took a piss. He’d given that code to RARE, but had no idea how long it would work. If their suspicions were correct, his head was on the chopping block, along with most, if not all, of the people in the place. It only stood to reason they would deactivate the codes and lock them all in the building. He hoped he was wrong, but his gut told him he wasn’t. He just prayed they didn’t blow the thing up with him in it.
Straightening his shoulders, Jeremiah stalked down the long hallway, headed for the offices at the end. It didn’t matter what they did. There were innocent people that were about to die because of Ebony. He had to do everything he could to save them, even at the risk of his own life. He gritted his teeth as a thought hit him. He and Rikki were now mated. If something happened to him, it would affect her, too. She would have to choose to live a long, lonely existence without him, or follow him into death. He knew what he would choose. It was unacceptable for her to do the same. She was important, her life was important. Which meant, he would survive. He had no choice.
Pausing in front of one of the doors, he lifted his hand and knocked.
“Enter.”
Jeremiah opened the door, his gaze instantly meeting the ice-cold blue ones of the man sitting behind the desk.
“Jeremiah. Good to see you.”
Bullshit. He didn’t have to be a shifter to tell the bastard was lying. “Sir.”
“Was there an issue with the Hummer?”
Jeremiah allowed his brow to furrow in confusion. “Issue?” Nope, no issue. Not any that wasn’t caused by him, anyway.
“The tracker doesn’t seem to be working.”
Jeremiah shrugged. “I have no idea. Didn’t even think to check.” He could play Lenox Keaton’s game. Lucky for him, the man wasn’t a shifter and wouldn’t be able to scent the lies. Not that he was technically lying. He hadn’t checked to see if it was working. He’d just made sure it wasn’t.
“And your phone?”
“Must have forgotten it in Arizona, sir.” He’d left it. On purpose.
Keaton nodded, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the desk. “We will get you a new one.”
Another lie. “Appreciate it.”
“There’s been a… development… since you were last here.” Keaton paused. “Vixen is no longer with us. It is unclear if she is dead or a traitor. If you should see her, your orders are to take her out. Understood?”
Interesting. For some reason, they thought the assassin might return. He wondered what that meant. “Yes, sir.”
Keaton raised an eyebrow. “Not even going to ask what happened?”
“No. Figured if you wanted me to know, you would tell me.” Whatever the son of a bitch said would be a lie, anyway. Just one more floating around the room, and the stench was starting to get to him.
“Your things?”
“Left them in the Hummer until I had my orders.”
“Bring them in. You will be staying where you did last time. Second floor, same room.” Keaton pushed his chair back and rose, glancing at his watch. “Your shift starts in fifteen minutes. Got here just in time.”
“Which floor am I working on?” he asked, although he had a feeling he already knew.
“Basement.” Yep. They were going to keep him down below, out of whatever was taking place above. Better to keep him in the dark.
Jeremiah nodded to Keaton before turning toward the door.
“And, Jeremiah.”
“Yeah?” He glanced back, stiffening slightly at the hard, calculating look on the other man’s face.
“I’ll be leaving toni
ght for a meeting. I’m taking Connors and Kozad with me. That leaves you as senior guard until we return.”
Damn, that was fast. They weren’t wasting any time. Which meant, he was going to have to move quickly himself. “Yes, sir. Who will be here with me?”
“A new guard, Jennings. Young kid, but good at his job. And another newbie, Rena Greyson. Been with us for a couple of months. Keep your eye on her.”
“Why?”
“Kozad caught her talking to a prisoner the other day. She may be a bleeding heart.”
Jeremiah scented the truth on him and nodded. “Got it.”
That could work to his advantage, because it was obvious that they were getting ready to implement their plan. Jinx and Vixen had been right. Leaving a kid who was still in training behind, along with a woman they were tagging as a possible traitor to their cause, meant they were going to be collateral damage. The same as he was. Screw that.
Five minutes later, he was outside by the Hummer leaning into the backseat. “You get all that?” he asked quietly, grasping the handle of his duffle bag. He saw a small flash of light in the distance, and went on, “They are going to move quickly on this. Not sure my code will work again once I get in the basement.” Another flash. “Jennings and Rena come with us. He’s young and stupid, but hopefully that stupidity is his biggest fault. Sounds like Rena could be on our side.” Another flash. “If I don’t make it out…” Two flashes. A small smile kicked up the corners of his mouth. “Love you, too, mate.” One flash.
Shaking his head, Jeremiah backed out of the Hummer and slammed the door shut. When he went to key in his code to get back in, the door slammed open and Quinn Connors walked out. Tall and stocky, with black hair and dark green eyes that seemed to miss nothing, he was the kind of man who caught someone’s eye and kept it. Quinn paused, his gaze skimming around the area before coming back to land on him. “Jeremiah Jenson. It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, it has.” Jeremiah watched Connors closely. While Quinn had always seemed dangerous, especially because Jeremiah could feel the overwhelming power flowing from him, he’d never scented the stench of evil that wafted off most of the other guards. He’d worked with the other man once before, and had wondered just what the hell Quinn was, but he’d never been able to figure it out. A shifter, he was sure, but somehow the man managed to mask it from him. “I hear you and your lapdog are taking Keaton away from here. Leaving me alone to babysit.” It was said with a sneer, because that was what was expected of him. He played the part, and he played it well.
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