by Em Petrova
He offered her a crooked grin. “I spend a lot of time behind the scenes. Madeline and I share that office way more than we’re out in the field.”
“Which do you prefer?” she asked.
“Both. Though you know what my favorite T-shirt is, so you must realize I like the computer stuff.”
Somehow that only seemed hotter to have a boyfriend who was a self-professed tech nerd and who possessed all the muscle and skill to protect a woman. Not to mention the scars he bore…
“Any chance I can keep the T-shirt?” She was only partly joking. When he nodded, she gasped. “Seriously?”
“It looks better on you.”
Could she even see the shirt without envisioning the owner of it? She could consider it a memento of their time together, but it would hurt too much.
“No, you keep it,” she said. Maybe he’d think of her wearing it. Somehow, it felt better to know he was thinking of her once they parted.
He got that crease between this eyes, and she needed to look away or risk asking him to stop the car and get into the back seat with her. There was a young woman to save, and her own desires must take a backburner. She might be clueless about how to deal with these emotions, or if she really did love Bodhi. At this time, she needed to focus on someone besides herself.
When she stole a look at him, she found him looking back. His lips tightened, and that tendon pulsated in his jaw, though he didn’t speak.
As they drove past the route sign, she said, “I got a lead that Scarlett could be living nearby, and I followed it down that road.” She swung her head to Bodhi. “Is that where she lives?”
“No.” His throat sounded dry.
“You won’t tell me where she’s at, will you?”
“No. We’ll get her out—it’s better that you don’t see her yet.”
Her stomach bottomed out, and for long minutes she struggled to process the things he’d told her about her sister. Indoctrinated—just thinking the word made her want to throw up.
She opened her mouth to ask Bodhi a question, and he held up a hand. “All you need to know is that we’ll see her safe very soon. I’ll fill you in after that.”
“You don’t need to shield me from it, you know.”
His eyes softened. “Believe me, you don’t want to know more. Not right now, when we’re about to break up this meeting. You need to keep your wits about you as much as I do.”
“Yes, you’re right. What will happen? Can you ready me for it?”
He didn’t immediately answer. Then he sighed. “I don’t like having you anywhere near this danger. Fuck.”
Watching the struggle cross his rugged features, she wondered if a man who felt nothing for her would seem so knotted up. Surely, he couldn’t make love to her the way he did and feel nothing.
“I’ll be okay. I’ll be with you.”
He sliced a look at her. “Yeah. What will happen is we wait until we know the man has his daughter inside with Flint. Then we storm in and take them down. If things go well, everyone will end up cuffed. If not, well…someone leaves in a body bag.”
She shuddered.
“Madeline will take the young woman away and place her far away, with a good family, where she can continue to grow up without fear.”
“And Flint?”
She heard his teeth mash together.
“Flint will be held for questioning. After that, he’s looking at a long prison sentence. With as many counts as he has against him, it will be life. I’ll make sure of it.”
Her insides wobbled at the harsh tone he projected. She possessed no doubt in her mind that Bodhi could ruin the life of anyone he chose to. She’d seen it firsthand, when he killed the man who kidnapped her.
They took a right turn, bumping out along a country road. She tensed. This was it—they approached the place where everything would go down. She asked to be included, though now she wondered why she hadn’t remained at the house with Oz and Rose.
Suddenly, she turned to Bodhi. “Why do you think I put myself in danger?”
He arched a brow. “You tell me.”
“I mean, no other women I know sneak into places in the night. What’s wrong with me? Am I looking to be killed?” Why all these questions bombarded her right at this minute, she couldn’t guess. She’d never asked herself them before—only done what needed to be done.
“Do you take the action roles for the same reason?” he prompted.
“No! I fell into that type-cast. I guess because I don’t look fragile.”
He gave her an appraising look that sank like a warm stone through her belly.
“Are you asking if you’re self-destructive in some way, Sloane?”
She nodded. “That’s exactly it. Am I?”
“Why did you go find that first girl?”
“Because I can’t leave those girls behind to suffer the same fate my sister did.”
He nodded. “You just answered your own question.”
Breathing a sigh, she realized she did—and she felt satisfied with her response. Bodhi slowed and turned down yet another narrower road.
“Why do you do it?” she asked him.
“Maybe I have a hero complex.”
“You answered that quick—have you thought about it before then?”
“Yeah, a time or twelve. All I can come up with is I’m driven to do something to make this world better.”
Unable to stop herself, she reached over and squeezed his thigh. “Thank you for it, Bodhi. Thank you for helping me and fighting for what I believe in along with me.”
His throat worked as he swallowed. “You do it for such pure reasons, it was impossible for me to walk away. Actually”—he covered her hand with his and squeezed—“I fear even after this is done, I won’t be able to walk away from you.”
* * * * *
“Walk, asshole.” North shoved Flint, propelling him forward. He was still gritting his teeth against the stench of the man and what they’d come upon. He couldn’t even bring himself to think of the asshole on top of that poor girl.
His stomach knotted tighter, and he didn’t dare look away from the big, lumbering motherfucker for fear he’d run. Of course, with four other guards standing by, Flint wouldn’t make it one step before one of them shot him dead.
We want him alive, he reminded himself again. As he approached the SUV to shove Flint inside, the man spotted Sloane standing off to one side. His head whipped around and he took one quick step toward her. She raised her jaw and held her ground, but Bodhi saw the trepidation flash in the depths of her eyes.
“I said walk!” he barked, shoving Flint again.
“You bitch!” He took off toward Sloane instead.
North grabbed the guy’s bound hands and forced him down on the ground, though not before he saw Madeline throw an arm in front of Sloane to push her behind her back, and Asher stepped in from the other side.
“You don’t speak to her, you understand? You don’t even look at her!” Thankfully, Sloane agreed to abide by his wishes and remain outside while they cut off Flint during the deal. If she’d seen what he did, he wasn’t so sure he’d keep her from attacking the man herself.
“Let me through. I need to say something.”
With a knee in Flint’s back, he looked up to see Sloane trying to pass through the human barricade.
He met Madeline’s gaze and then Archer’s. “Let her pass.”
Grabbing a fist full of Flint’s hair, he jerked his head to the side so he could see Sloane’s approach. Shoulders thrown back, face wearing an expression of pure determination, she moved to stand by Flint. Christ, North couldn’t be prouder of her strength.
“I wish I could torture you myself, John Flint. You deserve all the pain in the world before you meet the fires of hell.”
He chuckled, and North smashed his head off the ground. Flint issued a low groan, but at least his laughter cut off.
“You hurt my sister. You broke my family. You broke so many famili
es and young women. We’ll make sure you never hurt another soul again.” She spat, and the glob hit the man’s scruffy, sallow cheek.
Satisfied she’d spoken her peace, North jerked the man up by the arms and propelled him into the back of the SUV, where he cuffed him in place and made sure to gag him against saying any more disgusting things.
When he slammed the door, North turned immediately for Sloane. She stood behind the wall of guards again, and on the surface, she appeared to be composed.
With a jolt, he wondered if he could know more about the woman than others did, the same as she did about him.
Madeline leaned in to speak with him. “We need to move her soon, North. Sanders sent word that the media caught wind of her.”
He nodded. “You go ahead with Roman and Archer. Take care of Flint.”
“I’m not leaving your six, man.”
Drawing back, he stared at his fellow guard. “Why the mother hen act?”
She shook her shoulders as if casting off his question. “We do better when we have each other’s backs. I’ll stay with you two.”
He eyed her. “You sure there isn’t more to it?”
“Like what? Do you think I approve of you two being together and I don’t want to see you separated or something?” She gave a harsh, fake laugh that drew a grin to his lips.
“Of course not. Not the Ice Queen.”
She chuckled and stepped aside to allow him to reach out to Sloane. She slipped her hand into his extended one, and he drew her close. What he really ached to do was wrap her tightly in his arms and never let go, but he bent his head to hers instead.
“Are you all right?”
She issued a low rasping breath that washed across his cheek. “Yes.”
“You’ll never see him again. You never need to worry about him or any of the guys he works with hurting another woman.”
She cast her stare downward. “Thank you.”
“Now we need to move fast and get you to safety. The threat against you isn’t over yet.”
She nodded, and he eased an arm around her to lead her to the waiting car. Madeline took the driver’s seat, and he and Sloane slid into the back. He automatically twisted to look out the window for danger that wasn’t yet there.
As her bodyguard, he took his job seriously. But after she returned to her normal life? What then?
I will protect her.
As Madeline drove, he thought on the events of the day, not only with Flint but Madeline’s words about approving of them being together. So little time passed, how could he trust his feelings on the matter? How could Sloane? They both needed more time.
Being thrown into a situation where she relied on him tugged at the protective alpha in him, though it wasn’t fair to believe after this all ended that either would feel the same way.
Her warm touch on his hand startled him from his thoughts. When she tangled her fingers with his, he couldn’t stop from squeezing lightly. The soft feel of her skin roused a deep-seated emotion in the walls of his heart. Now that he knew nobody within The Guard would care, he wasn’t certain how to proceed with Sloane.
I can’t ask too much of her.
They were in a dangerous, fucked-up situation. If not for that… If he met her out in the world… Hell, he’d never back off until she was his.
The realization didn’t come as much of a shock to his system as he expected. In fact, he possessed the strongest desire to return to the family cabin on the cove with Sloane, tuck her away from the world and show her just how damn much he cared about her.
His chest burned, and he rubbed at it through his shirt while gripping her hand tighter. When she tilted her head onto his shoulder and issued a soft sigh, his pulse gave an answering patter.
* * * * *
Sloane tucked her legs up to her chest and stared at her surroundings. She hardly knew where she was. After days of running, finding herself in yet another house under Bodhi’s protection began to feel normal.
Maybe it’s being with Bodhi that feels like the normal part.
In the other room, he spoke on the phone, too soft for her to make out the words. She listened to the low rumble of his voice, comforted by him being nearby.
The chapter of her life involving Flint and terrified young girls was over. Knowing the man would never harm another person made her feel like fist-punching the air. Though she still had her sister to worry about.
The rumble stopped. As she looked toward the doorway, Bodhi filled the opening. His broad shoulders and muscled chest took up so much space. She saw what those muscles could do to protect her—and she knew how perfectly they cradled her too.
With a soft sigh, she started to go to him.
“Don’t get up. You look so comfy.” He moved toward her. and she knew by the set of his jaw something bothered him. He sank to the sofa next to her.
“Is it my sister?” she asked.
He gave a light shake of his head. “No. Nothing’s changed there.”
She brushed her hair back off her forehead. “We can’t leave her there, Bodhi.”
“I have no intention of leaving her there. I’m working on it. Just trust me.”
Gazing at him, she said, “I do trust you.”
“You do?”
“You sound surprised.” He chuckled.
“I am. I haven’t put trust into many people, and I certainly never share every aspect of my life with anyone, like you. Ever since my momma left, I had to stand up for myself. Then I stood up for Scarlett and all those girls.” She ticked off their names in her head, one by one, giving them credit for surviving. “I couldn’t trust anyone to help me take down Flint, but you and your teammates did it.”
“I’m glad you confided in me and let me handle it. Which brings me to my next topic.”
When she studied his expression, she saw the tense creases around his lips and that deeper crinkle between his brows. She reached out and smoothed it with the pad of her thumb. With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes.
“I have a feeling I won’t like what you’re about to tell me,” she said.
He opened his eyes. “No. I want you to remember what you just told me about trust.”
Her throat constricted. “Tell me.”
“There’s a threat that must be neutralized, and we believe taking it down will end your ordeal.”
She blinked rapidly, processing his statement. Her mind wandered from what the threat could be to how they would stop it, to where that put her, because she knew Bodhi enough to realize he wouldn’t allow her to go with him this time.
“Go on,” she urged.
Catching her hand, he enfolded her fingers in his. “I’ve arranged for some guards to come here and stay with you.”
Oh God. She knew it. Suddenly, she smelled the exhaust fumes in that trunk and felt the rising terror.
“No, no. It’s going to be okay.” He drew her against his side. “You’re going to have three guards. Nobody will be able to break through their forces. You’re safer with them than with only me. You’re going to remain here in this house and read your next script. I got it printed and delivered. You’ll find it on the kitchen counter.”
She straightened to stare at him. “You what? How do you pull strings like that?”
He only answered with a gentle smile. Lifting a hand to her hair, he directed the locks over her shoulder. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“When do you leave?”
“Ten minutes.”
“So soon? There’s not even time for…” She focused on his hard lips and thoughts of never having his kisses all over her body sent a pang through her. If he didn’t return, if she never got another chance with him—
“No time for what, baby? For this?” He pulled her into his lap, tipped her head up and kissed her. The soft heat of his mouth sent the flames that never truly died inside her surging high. She coiled her arms around him and parted her lips for his tongue. The instant he stroked hers, she issued a low moan.
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br /> Wasting no time, he slid his hand under her top and cupped her breast. He swiped his thumb over her hardened nipple and then pulled down the cup to draw her breast free. When he pinched her bud, she gave a raspy cry.
In a flurry, he laid her on the sofa. Still kissing and nibbling her lips, he plunged his hand into the stretchy waist of her leggings. She wiggled to get closer to his calloused fingers, her pussy soaked and wanting. Wanting this—him.
He strummed his finger over her clit, launching her hips off the cushion. With a growl, he angled his head and kissed her until she grew dizzy with lack of oxygen and the sensations running through her body. Electric fire enveloped her. She rode his fingers and cried out again as he closed his other hand around her breast.
Braced on one elbow, his body felt like a tight wire, humming with energy and power. She dragged him closer, deepening the kiss until she had no thoughts except to surrender to this man body, heart and soul.
As he slipped his fingers into her pussy and stretched her, she flooded him with a cry. He fucked in and out of her in quick, sure movements, the heel of his hand crushed oh-so-good against her clit. She ground into him over and over, her breaths quickening, her pulse hammering, her mouth open on the sheer bliss of…
He brought her over the edge.
“Bodhi!” She clung to him and threw herself into the endless kiss as her pussy clenched and released around his thick fingers and her clit became electric fire under his hand.
“Hell, baby. Fuck, I want to get inside this tight, wet pussy of yours.”
She shook under the force of her release, helpless to even squeak a syllable. Asking him to take her now would only end in an answer she didn’t wish to hear. She remained silent, and he brought her down from her high with slower strokes of his fingers. When he drew his fingers out of her body, she moaned out.
Breathing heavily, he closed his eyes and tipped his forehead into hers. “Remember that while I’m gone, baby. Remember how good I’ll make you feel when I return.”
She grasped at his big shoulders. “I want to make sure you’re safe. How will I know you’re okay?”
He leaned away to look into her eyes. “I’ll be safe.”