“No…” My words trailed off.
I wanted to punch him, but while the punch would have been satisfying, I would have just ended up face down in a pool of my own blood after he ordered one of his goons to put a bullet in my head. That would probably put Rachel in danger again too, just because he knew I cared about her. I was trapped. I made the deal too soon—before I knew Billy would come back with the money. It was necessary because I didn’t want to be pushing midnight when Robert Townsend could come for Rachel, but if I had only waited just a little bit longer. The hopelessness of the situation began to set in as I stared at the intent look on Robert Townsend’s face. I had played right into his hands. The instant he realized I worked for Chief Dade, he realized I was a lot more valuable to him as a pawn than as a corpse.
“Go have a drink at the bar. Enjoy yourself.” A smile spread across his face when he saw the defeat on mine. “You’re a member of my club now—and it’s not a membership you get to cancel.”
I left him and went to the bar. One thing was for sure—if I was going to be caught up in Robert Townsend’s scheme, I had to distance myself from Liam, Rachel, and Billy. There was always a chance it could go south, and that reality was terrifying. It could put us all at risk. If there was going to be a coffin, I had to make sure I was the only one who went inside it early. The ache of that realization caused me to ask for a drink once I got to the bar. I felt truly hopeless. I promised Rachel I would never abandon her—and I was about to do the same thing I did the first time I held her in my arms. There would be no coming back from that. My only solace was in the fact that she had Liam. He would make sure she was taken care of, and hopefully, the void my betrayal created would be easier to handle if he was there to pick up the pieces. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it was the only version of forever I could offer her. There was no way I was going to pull her closer than she already was when I could end up in handcuffs.
Robert Townsend might be powerful, but powerful men never last. They either snuff out their own flame because of greed, or someone finally takes a stand against them. I’m going to be on the wrong side of history here—and I don’t have a fucking choice.
I got word that Liam was trying to get into the club. The guys at the door were happy to deal with him, but I was going to have to face him eventually—so I told them to let him come inside. I couldn’t tell him the entire truth about the situation, but I told him enough to make sure he understood that I wasn’t going to leave with him. I was happy when I heard the protectiveness in his for Rachel. He realized what she was going to go through. I hoped he understood enough to help her get through it. That would have to be his cross to bear. I had one that was a lot heavier on my shoulders. Whether I liked it or not, I was in league with Robert Townsend. There was no way to change that without endangering the woman I loved—and I loved her enough to let go of her if it meant she was safe.
“I hope you’re finding things to your liking.” Robert Townsend walked up and sat down beside me after Liam was gone.
“It’s fine.” I lied through my teeth, but I didn’t feel like I had the option to tell him how I really felt.
“Your friend—the one that was just here. Is he going to be a problem?” Robert Townsend tilted his head to the side.
“No, he’s harmless.” I shook my head back and forth. “I got rid of him.”
“Good.” He smiled. “Well, if you’re not going home to Billy’s sister anytime soon, feel free to choose one of my girls to keep your bed warm tonight.”
“I’m alright.” I lifted the glass to my lips and took a sip.
There’s only one woman that I want in my bed, and if I can’t have her, then I’d rather sit here and rot.
“Suit yourself.” Robert Townsend patted my shoulder and started to stand. “You should probably call in sick to work tomorrow—they won’t need you.”
“Why?” My head snapped in his direction. “What are going to do?”
“That’s nothing for you to concern yourself with right now. I need you ready to start giving speeches when the time comes for you to take your place behind Chief Dade’s desk.
But that’s not the real issue—it’s what will come next that makes me worried.
All I could do was get drunk—and I did that quite nicely. I couldn’t go home, so I checked into a hotel near the club. I sent a message to Chief Dade to let him know that I wasn’t going to be able to make it in the next day. I had never called in sick, so I didn’t expect him to ask any questions. Thankfully, all he did was respond with empathy and wish me a quick recovery. I sat down on the edge of the bed with my head in my hands. I hated Robert Townsend. I hated him for what he was going to make me do. I hated him for depriving me of the woman I loved—even if it was a necessity to ensure her safety. Following his orders was necessary, but it burned me up inside. I was indeed in a bind—one that I couldn’t escape without doing precisely what Robert Townsend wanted. But I did have one alternative—one that I had never even thought about until I was inches away from rock bottom.
“This could be a huge mistake…” I fell back against the mattress and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
I want to keep Rachel safe, but—I can’t let her go without a fight. I just can’t.
I picked up my cell phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found the number I was looking for. I was about to take considerable risk, but I didn’t have a choice. There was no other alternative. The thought of losing Rachel was too much for me to handle, especially after the way things ended the last time, we were together. Not only that, Chief Dade had always been kind to me. The thought of betraying him was like a second dagger in my heart next to the one that was ready to be permanently lodged there if I didn’t have Rachel in my arms. My finger hesitated on the screen. I honestly didn’t know how far Robert Townsend’s reach extended—but it wasn’t likely to get any shorter if he had a pawn sitting at Chief Dade’s desk. I wasn’t an honorable man—not one that would ever serve Robert Townsend blindly because I shook his hand. I finally found the courage to dial the number that my finger was hovering over—terrified of what it would mean if the voice on the other side proved to be an ally of Robert Townsend.
“Hello? Is this Special Agent Jones?” I pushed the phone close to my ear. “You may not remember me, but we spoke a few times when you were here working on the arsonist case in New York…”
“Gerard?” His voice sounded both excited and confused. “Holy shit, I never thought I would hear from you again. Please tell me you don’t have another issue at the fire department…”
“No—not exactly.” I sighed. “My problem is a whole lot worse. Have you ever heard of a man named Robert Townsend?”
17
Rachel
“This isn’t betrayal—this is different.” I sat on the edge of the couch with tears forming in my eyes after Liam told me why Gerard hadn’t come home.
“He struck a deal, and I don’t think it’s one he’s going to be able to get out of.” Liam exhaled sharply. “I did everything I could to convince him otherwise, but I saw the look in his eyes. He fully understood what it was going to cost him…”
“Whatever he’s going to do—whatever Robert Townsend is going to make him do.” I squeezed my eyes shut to block the tears. “We can’t let him go through with it. He could end up in prison—or worse.”
“I know.” Liam nodded. “I just don’t know how to get through to him at this point.”
“I lost Gerard once, and I didn’t have a way to fight for him. I’m not going to go through that again. I know he meant what he said when we were together—we’re only in this situation because of Billy.” I shook my head back and forth. “Gerard shouldn’t be the one cleaning up his mess.”
“Neither should you.” Liam reached out and took my hand.
“My Dad will be back tomorrow.” I sighed and looked down at the floor. “I know how he is, too. If he figures out that Billy put us in this situation, he’s going to lose hi
s mind.”
“This might be one secret you should keep from your father.” Liam squeezed my hand. “Anyone who gets involved is in danger. I could be in danger just because I walked into that club—I’m pretty sure you were in danger from the start.”
“Yeah.” I nodded slowly. “But that doesn’t mean Gerard has to sacrifice everything. There has to be another way.”
Liam and I continued saying the same thing over-and-over as we sat there on the couch. We both wanted to save Gerard from whatever deal he had made with Robert Townsend, but neither of us knew how. Gerard hadn’t been very forthcoming with information, which made it a challenge. We had no idea what Robert Townsend wanted from him. We might as well have been trying to stop a hurricane with a hairdryer. Nothing we could do would prevent the storm from crashing into us—stop it from sweeping Gerard into Robert Townsend’s vile clutches. We were finally decided to go to bed, and despite all of the despair, I needed something to distract me—even if it was just a momentary respite to take my mind off things. I slid close to Liam and moved my hand down his abdomen, hoping that the stress wasn’t too much for him to chase a distraction with me. He gasped when my hand moved into his boxer shorts, and I felt his cock twitch when my fingers brushed against it.
“I need you.” I pressed my lips to his ear and purred.
“You have me—always.” He let out a groan, and I felt him getting hard.
Passion couldn’t undo everything, but it could give us a glimpse of something beautiful—that was what I needed at the moment. I pushed his boxers down and started stroking his cock once it was engorged in my hand. Even in the dimly lit room, I could see the desire in Liam’s eyes. He needed the distraction as much as I did. His hand moved over to my hip and then dropped to my inner thigh—where it slowly started tracing the tender flesh that led to my pussy. My panties were already getting wet, just from feeling his desire, and when he brushed against my pussy, a surge of bliss caused me to moan. I needed him—more than I wanted to admit. The closeness wasn’t going to bring Gerard back to our bed, but it would allow me to believe that he would be there one day—even if I had to lie to myself to quell the madness forming in my head.
“I want this.” I gave his cock a gentle squeeze and stroked his cock. “I don’t want you to be gentle—please don’t be gentle.”
“Okay.” He nodded as turned towards me, stripping my panties off my hips as he did. “I won’t.”
Liam seemed to sense what I needed—the fury that could quieten the storm because it was more intense than the blazing nightmare that wanted to consume me. I needed to be consumed by something else, even if it was just a lie in my head. I could let go of my fears and believe Gerard would walk through the door—that he wanted to cave into his desires as severely as I did. I could have felt the hurt from realizing I might have the same sting left behind, but I chose a different path. I decided to have faith in Gerard—to believe he would keep his promise. Whatever he had to do for Robert Townsend couldn’t be the end of us. I wasn’t going to let it. I was going to find a way to save him from himself because it was the only path that would lead us back together. The fear that I might already be too late—it was what I truly needed to forget until the sun was up, and I could find Gerard.
“Don’t hold back…” I felt the head of his cock against my pussy. “Please…”
The fire was in Liam’s eyes, but I needed the inferno. He started to enter me, and I shifted my hips to force him deeper. I guided his hands to my wrists, forced him to pin me to the bed, and moaned when he was all the way inside my pussy. He understood what I needed—he read me like an open book. He kept my hands pinned to the bed and started to thrust. It immediately pulled me into the bliss I needed. The situation had trapped me, but I craved the physical manifestation of that. He leaned forward and started to kiss me as the thrusts got faster. That was it—the feeling I craved. He crushed my lips beneath his and kept my body pressed underneath his weight. I wouldn’t have been able to move if I wanted to—be made sure of that—even when his quick thrusts made me squirm.
“Yes!” I moaned against his kiss and mouthed my words even though they were barely audible underneath his lips. “Harder!”
Liam listened to my words and let my body guide him towards what I craved. I struggled against his grip, and he squeezed my wrists tighter. That feeling sent euphoria coursing through my veins. I didn’t know why—I didn’t need to understand why. I just had to experience it. I had to break down the mental barriers and let it happen. The fury was getting more intense. He kissed my neck, bit down on my ear, and I heard a growl resonate in his throat. I purred in response—begging to be the victim of the beast that was coming to life as his dominance was asserted. I wasn’t sure that Liam had it in him—but he surprised me. Hot, beautiful, Liam. He was so much more than the pretty-boy I crushed on in high school. He was everything I needed at that moment. The moment got more amazing by the moment, and I felt the familiar pressure building inside me as his heat made the fire burn bright.
“I felt that.” He growled into my ear. “You’re trying to come before I’m even close.”
“It feels so good.” I moaned, and my mouth opened with a gasp rushing across my lips.
“Wait for me.” It was a command, not a request. “I want to feel you erupt when I explode inside you.”
I had no idea how to stop myself once the orgasm was building. I tried to concentrate on it—to mentally take hold of the bliss—but Liam’s hips were moving so fast that every second was bringing me closer. I could feel myself on the edge of bliss, and I was ready to spiral into my ultimate euphoria. My body was begging for the endorphins that the orgasm would unleash—the afterglow of passion that might leave me exhausted enough to sleep. I needed to deprive myself of it, or I had to find a way to make Liam get to that point as quickly as possible. I closed my eyes and visualized what I wanted—walking the tightrope without falling into the nirvana my body craved. I found something that resembled balance—a way to hold back. I kept myself there, but it wasn’t easy to do. Liam’s lust was getting more intense by the moment. I could feel him throbbing against my g-spot.
“I can’t hold out any longer…” My mouth opened wide again and I squealed with pleasure.
“Yes, you can.” His growl was more commanding.
The want was easier than the action. Every thrust was orgasmic, almost like a mini-orgasm that I knew was going to build to one that ripped my soul apart. I could already envision how glorious it would be, even if I hadn’t been able to taste it on my lips yet. Liam’s cock was throbbing harder—pulsating against my g-spot each time he went deep. He didn’t understand what that was doing to me—he couldn’t—not if he was telling me to wait. I felt myself descending into a dark place—a mental storm that raged against his control. My body shifted involuntarily, and I tried to pull out of his grasp as my muscles tightened, but he held me in place. I was his—no matter what. He wasn’t going to let me go until our lust had been satisfied—and it had to be satisfied his way, not mine. I kept holding on—leaving myself in the dark place—hanging onto the tightrope of euphoria by a thread for what felt like an eternity.
“Oh god.” He growled into my ear. “You’re going to make me come!”
“Yes—please!” I nodded quickly. “I need it!”
“Come for me baby.” He leaned back as soon as he said the words.
I didn’t need permission; I simply had to have it. As soon as it was granted, I felt him throb and send cum surging into my pussy. That was enough to send me so far off the tightrope I couldn’t even remember how I found the mental ability to walk on it. I plunged into heavenly bliss with Liam unloading inside me. The pressure released, my muscles spasmed, and my pussy milked his length each time he went deep. It wasn’t just an orgasm—it was perfection. It ripped through my soul, shattered my thoughts, and shredded all of my desire. It was so hard that it was almost violent, and if I hadn’t been trapped beneath Liam’s weight with my arms pin
ned to the bed, I might have started accelerating towards the heavens with every jerk of lust that shot more endorphins through my veins.
“You’re gonna make me come again!” I screamed as his continued thrusts took me to another level of bliss.
“Come as many times as you want—you earned every single one of them.” He started thrusting harder.
Liam slammed into me until every drop of cum had been milked from his balls, but that didn’t slow him down. He just kept crashing into my bliss with thrust-after-thrust sending me into euphoria. I don’t know how many times he made me come. I lost count as my body plunged into his beautiful embrace. It felt like an eternity—or it could have only been seconds. It was a moment that blinded me to every bit of chaos except what brewed between us in the middle of our heated passion. We threw gasoline at the fire, forcing it to rage until it finally consumed every ounce of accelerant we had. My body went numb. My orgasms had taken everything I had. Liam pulled back and shifted his weight before crashing on the mattress beside me. I immediately crawled into his arms. It was precisely where I needed to be.
“Thank you.” I gently purred into his ear. “You don’t know how bad I needed that after all of the emotional turmoil I went through today.”
“I needed it too.” He sighed and nodded. “More than I realized.”
The afterglow is going to let me believe everything will be okay, and that’s all I can cling to right now.
18
Liam
The passion I shared with Rachel in the midst of chaos was beautiful. I recognized the need in her eyes before I realized it blazed in mine as well. She was amazing—the one woman that pulled me out of my own mental despair when I didn’t think I would ever see hope again. I only had a brief glimpse of it before Gerard reintroduced it to my soul. Coming home to Rachel—seeing her reaction—and then being able to hold her in my arms was enough to let me believe hope could be found again. I expected a much different response from Rachel. I feared the worst. I thought she would feel like Gerard had done the same thing to her that he did the first time they were together, but it seemed that she had transcended the hurt he left behind. She refused to believe he would do it again. She had allowed herself to trust blindly, even when he didn’t deserve that a second time. It made me determined to find a way to keep Gerard from making a mistake—to pull him back into our bed, even he didn’t believe it was possible.
Blaze & Bind: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 10) Page 13