Ivan (An Out of the Cage Novel Book 2)

by Lane Hart

  But tonight, I need to kiss her and hold her in my arms one last time.

  “Let me help you relax after a stressful day,” Maylin says against my lips. She’s referring to murder as stressful, and it’s so damn cute that it makes me smile.

  “What did you have in mind?” I ask her.

  “There’s a big tub in the bathroom that adjoins my bedroom,” she informs me. “Want to soak for a little while with me?”

  “God yes,” I agree. “But are you sure your dad won’t go ballistic?”

  “He likes you,” she says with a grin. “No clue why, but he does.”

  “I seriously doubt if he likes me enough for me to get naked with you while he’s in the house with us,” I point out.

  “Daddy knows you took my virginity, and you’re still breathing. And today you killed his enemy who wanted him dead. I think you’ll get a pass,” she says.

  “Either way it’ll be worth it to spend some time alone with you,” I tell her, reaching up to brush a long strand of her red hair out of her beautiful face.

  “What about Knox?” she asks.

  Blinking in confusion, I say, “What about him?”

  “Are we gonna leave him locked outside?”

  “Oh, right,” I say in understanding. “Yeah, I think he deserves to be locked out for at least a few more hours after the shit he pulled on us all.”

  “You’re mad at him for seeing the detective?” she asks.

  “No, I’m mad at him for not telling us the truth about their relationship and then putting us all in danger without considering how stupid he was being.”

  “And you feel betrayed because he’s your best friend and he didn’t trust you enough to come to you?” Maylin asks, so perceptive.

  “Yeah, that too. I thought we told each other everything, like I told him and Cain months ago that I wanted to find my mother’s killer and make him pay for what he did to her. But he couldn’t tell me that the woman he’s sleeping with has the power to throw all of our asses in prison for a few decades.”

  “I’m sorry,” she says, placing her palm on my chest. “I’m sure he had his own reasons, like you wouldn’t understand how he feels about her and would tell him he should stop seeing her.”

  “That’s exactly what I would’ve told him!” I exclaim.

  “So that’s why he kept it from you. He must care about her if he couldn’t walk away or be honest with you, right?” she points out.

  “I guess,” I agree. “Whatever. I don’t want to think about him or Jimmy or anything else for the rest of the night. Just you.”

  “Then let’s go,” Maylin says, climbing off the sofa and grabbing my hand to pull me to my feet. I let her lead the way down the hallway, cringing past her father’s room but figuring he can deal with letting me be with his daughter for one last night, and then into the bedroom where she shuts and locks the door behind us.

  I start pulling my shirt off while Maylin undresses, forgetting everything that’s pressing on my mind when she reveals all of her naked skin. Regardless of what she thinks, taking a life wasn’t as easy as I expected it to be. It’s not that I feel guilty, it’s just I don’t really like the person I am now. That may also have something to do with finding out who I’m biologically related to.

  “I’ll get the water started,” Maylin says, strolling into the bathroom, so I hurry up and get rid of my shoes, pants and boxer briefs to join her, needing this distraction with her.

  When I get into the bathroom, the water is pouring from the faucet into the deep garden tub, and Maylin puts her hand underneath the flowing water to check the temperature.

  While we wait for the water to rise, I grab some towels and washcloths from the closet and toss them on the counter within reach for when we’re ready to climb out.

  Maylin pours some liquid bath soap into the faucet to make bubbles, and then it’s ready.

  “Here, let me help you,” I tell her, holding her hand as she steps over into the suds, and then I follow her.

  Maylin shuts off the water, and then, keeping ahold of her hand, I sit down in the warm, sweet-scented water with my back against the wall and pull Maylin onto my lap so that she’s facing me.

  “This feels so good that I don’t even remember what I was stressed about,” I tell her when I reach for the side of her face to bring her lips down to mine.

  Our kiss starts out slow and gentle, but it doesn’t stay that way. As soon as our tongues start diving into each other’s mouths, we both lose our restraint. Maylin winds her arms around my neck and grinds her pussy down on my hardening cock as we kiss like we’re trying to climb into each other’s bodies.

  Slipping a hand between us, I tease her opening with just my fingertips before easing one finger inside of her to get her ready for me.

  Her low moan into my mouth makes me so desperate for her that I don’t know how much longer I can wait.

  I pump my finger in and out of her a few times before adding a second while my other hand grips her perfect round ass.

  “Please, Ivan,” Maylin begs against my lips. I remove my fingers, and then she’s the one who reaches down and wraps her fist around my cock to guide it to her entrance. She sinks down nice and slow, taking me one wonderful inch at a time.

  “That’s it, baby. Don’t stop,” I encourage her as I throw my head back to savor every second of the sensation, her pussy so hot and gripping my dick so tight it’s all I can do not to come right away.

  Finally, she bottoms out, resting her thighs on mine and staying still long enough to adjust to my size. I fit her like a glove, one that was designed just for me.

  “So fucking perfect,” I tell her as I grip her narrow hips with the urge to pick her up and slam her down on my cock over and over again. But I know I need to let her move how she wants in whatever way feels good to her.

  “It’s…it’s too much,” she says, resting her forehead against mine. “But I want more.”

  “Take it,” I tell her, using my hold on her hips to drive her down further to apply pressure to her clit.

  “Oh God,” she moans. “Right there.”

  Doing the same move again, I ask, “Right there?”

  “Yes!” she cries out, and that’s all it takes to get her going. From that moment on, Maylin holds my shoulders and bounces on my cock without any encouragement from me, fucking me so good that I want to stay right here in this bathtub with her forever.

  Unfortunately, as soon as her orgasm hits and starts milking my cock in the best way possible, it’s all over for me.

  Maylin collapses against me, burying her face in my neck as I hold her tight and we both catch our breaths. Even when we have, I don’t let her go, wanting to stay connected to her, remain inside of her and never leave.

  For some reason it’s like the last six years choose that calming, vulnerable moment to catch up with me. All the sadness and anger of not being able to save my mother or tell her goodbye comes roaring back. The impact is brutal, breaking through all the strength it’s taken for me to try and keep those feelings locked up this long…

  Now all of my secrets are out, and I’m left bare for everyone to see — a man who still feels like a boy all alone in the world without a mother or a father.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” Maylin says as I sob on her shoulder. “Everything’s gonna be all right.”

  I’m not able to tell her that’s not true, that soon she’ll be leaving too with her father. My friends are moving on with their lives. Cain will probably get his own place with Gabby soon, and Knox is gonna be a father and have a family of his own. Then, I will be completely and utterly alone for the rest of my miserable life.

  Being alone has to be better than getting hurt again. Sure, it may be depressing as fuck and lonely as hell; but if I don’t have anyone to lose, I won’t ever get my heart ripped out of my chest again. That’s the one good thing I’ll get out of it.

  “Talk to me,” Maylin says with a light kiss on my neck when my tears begin to
dry up.

  “I still miss her, you know?” I admit.

  After a silent moment, she says, “Yeah, me too, and my mom was just a bitch who left us, so I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for you.”

  “I never looked down on her, even when I thought she had no idea who knocked her up with me and when I thought she had never been anything but a whore,” I explain. “Even with what she was doing for a living, I still loved her and knew that she was doing the best she could for us because she loved me. I had no idea that she did what she did to try and keep us safe from him. To keep me safe, and it ended up getting her killed.”

  “I’m sorry,” Maylin says.

  “Maybe that’s why it’s worse for me to know the truth. Before, I just thought it was some random asshole who killed her, not that she turned in my father and died for doing it just to protect me.”

  “That’s what you do when you love someone,” Maylin says with a kiss on my shoulder. “You protect them, no matter the cost, because unconditional love means caring about their safety more than your own.”

  “I never understood or appreciated what she did for me when she was alive. I never thanked her for taking care of me the best way she could…”

  “She didn’t do it for the gratitude,” Maylin replies.

  “No, but she still deserved some,” I argue.

  “I bet she would be proud of you today,” she says, leaning back to look at me with sad, emerald eyes. “You got vengeance for her, and you saved me and my father too. That took a lot of courage.”

  “I don’t feel very courageous,” I admit. “I’m pretty damn terrified of what happens next.”

  “What happens next is that you come with me and my dad, flee the country, and then never think about that man again,” Maylin says confidently.

  And even if I wished I could go away with them and everything would be exactly the way she described it, deep down I know that will never happen.

  “Let’s dry off and get ready for bed,” I tell her. “I’m exhausted.”

  “Me too,” Maylin agrees with a sigh.

  And planting one last kiss on her lips, I finally find the strength to let her go.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Maylin

  I’ve just drifted off to sleep when I hear a bell chiming followed by banging.

  “Dammit, Knox,” Ivan mutters, reminding me that we left his friend locked outside when we came to bed after our emotionally and physically exhausting bath.

  “What the hell do you want?” It sounds like my dad asked Knox, yelling so loud I can hear him all the way from the living room.

  “This is important,” Knox says. “Jade sent me a text saying they had a break in the investigation and we need to call her now!”

  “Who the fuck is Jade?” my father asks.

  “The detective…” Knox starts.

  “Jesus Christ!”

  “Shit,” Ivan grumbles. “I better go see what’s going on.”

  “I’ll come too,” I tell him.

  “No, you just rest,” Ivan says when he rolls out of bed.

  “How can I rest now?” I ask him as I push myself up into a sitting position and then turn on the lamp so that we can both find some clothes to put on since we were sleeping naked.

  Ivan’s out the bedroom door a few moments later, and I’m right behind him.

  “I’m not even gonna ask,” my father says with a shake of his head when he sees us, probably assuming we were sleeping in the same bed. I can tell he’s not really upset, just uncomfortable with the situation.

  “What’s up?” Ivan asks Knox.

  “Not sure, but it doesn’t sound good. I figured I should call Jade when you can all listen so that you’ll know we can trust her,” Knox says.

  “Whatever, just do it,” Ivan urges, crossing his arms over the chest of his tee.

  Knox pushes a few buttons on the phone and then hits the speaker button, so we can hear it ringing.

  A woman’s frantic voice comes on and says, “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s me,” Knox says as he holds the bottom of the phone up close to his mouth. That’s when the yelling begins.

  “What in the hell were you thinking?” the woman I assume is Jade asks. “The police didn’t have any evidence to narrow down a suspect and the guards you kidnapped wouldn’t talk…but then they looked at the fucking video surveillance from the lobby! You and your friend wearing ball caps look a little out of place. And the hotel staff said that they didn’t recognize you as guests!”

  “How do you know it’s me?” Knox asks with his brow furrowed in confusion.

  “Because the fucking tattoo on your arm proves it’s you!”

  “Oh, fuck,” Knox mutters as his jaw drops and his tan skin goes pale. The dark wing tattoo on his triceps is noticeable, sticking out from underneath his shirtsleeves.

  Jade goes on to tell him, “There’s no footage of you in the parking lot with my car yet, and you better hope there’s not any.”

  “Don’t worry, I switched out the license plate with a phony before we left the city. And just the fact that I was in the hotel doesn’t prove anything,” Knox remarks.

  “There’s footage of you leaving the hotel right after the estimated time of death and not long after Liam O’Donnell! My sergeant thinks Liam hired you and your friend to take out Jimmy!”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “So now you two are the most likely suspects, along with O’Donnell. They want to bring all three of you in for questioning, but they are fairly certain that O’Donnell wasn’t the trigger man.”

  “So what? They don’t even have a fucking clue who we are,” Knox says. “They may know Liam’s name but not ours.”

  “That’s why they’re about to go national with the damn video footage!” she yells at him.

  “Jesus! Can’t you like destroy it or something?” he asks as I wrap my arms around Ivan’s waist in concern.

  “You did not just ask me that,” Jade mutters. “Do you know how many officers have seen that video? The original is now locked up in evidence, but there are copies on flash drives floating around every media outlet!”

  “So, what the hell am I supposed to do?” Knox asks. “Turn myself in and deny everything?”

  “No! You can’t turn yourself in! They’ll never release you until after a trial. And if there are no other suspects by then, you’ll be fucked!” she tells him. “You could try and leave the country, but honestly I don’t think you’ll make it across the border before you’re caught.”

  “Fuck,” Ivan curses under his breath, and I can tell by the pain on his face that he’s hurting for his friend.

  Glancing over at my father, I try to see what he’s thinking since he’s been quiet. He looks…relieved. But he shouldn’t. This is all our fault. If he hadn’t made that deal with Jimmy, I wouldn’t have had to marry him, and Ivan and his friends wouldn’t have had to kill him in the hotel.

  “I-I’ve got to go,” Jade says over the speaker. “Just…don’t call me again, okay? It’s too dangerous. Good luck, Knox.”

  The phone clicks before he can respond, so Knox is left standing there frozen with the phone in his hand.

  “You’re not going down for this,” Ivan tells his friend.

  “What the hell am I supposed to do?” Knox asks, looking up with wide, scared, blue eyes.

  “Nothing,” Ivan tells him when he removes my hand from his arm. “I’ve got this,” he tells Knox.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Knox asks.

  Ivan goes back to the bedroom and then returns with his phone up to his ear. “Cain, hey, man. I need a favor. Do you think you can remember the way to the safe house?” Ivan asks him.

  “No! We don’t need anyone else leading the police back here!” my father steps forward and argues, but Ivan puts his palm up to quiet him.

  “Never mind,” Ivan says into the phone. “I’ll come to you. Can you meet me at Classic Ink in about two hours?” He wait
s for a response and then says, “Thanks, man. I owe you,” before hanging up.

  “Ivan, what are you gonna do?” I ask in confusion.

  “Hell no!” Knox shouts having apparently figured it out. “You’re not doing this! I’m the one who fucked up…”

  “Yes, I am doing it,” Ivan declares coolly. “You and Cain were only there to back me up. I’m not going to let you take the fall for something that I dragged you into!”

  “What do you mean?” I ask. When Ivan doesn’t respond, I turn to Knox. “What is he talking about?”

  “Dumb ass here thinks he’s going to get Cain to ink him with my tat so that he can turn himself into the police,” Knox informs me.

  “You’re gonna do what?” I exclaim when I turn back to Ivan.

  “Cain won’t do it,” Knox says. “I’m calling him back right now and telling him not to.” Knox starts dialing on his phone.

  “Fine! But there are hundreds of other tattoo artists in this state that I can get to do it if he won’t,” Ivan declares.

  “In that case, I’ll go turn myself in right now, before you have a chance to get inked,” Knox threatens, patting the front of his pants as if searching for his keys.

  “No, Knox. You can’t!” Ivan shouts. “You’ve got a baby on the way! I’m not gonna let you spend the rest of your life in prison and miss out on being a father!”

  Ivan’s words clearly affect Knox, who bites down on his lip while tears swim around in his eyes.

  “Fuck, you think I haven’t thought about that shit?” Knox asks him. “I have, but as much as it kills me to do it, I can’t let you take the fall for me being stupid enough to get caught. Besides, do you really think Jade will ever let me be a part of their life now?”

  “You’ve got a lot better chance of convincing her she should if you’re not in prison for murder,” Ivan remarks.

  “And what about your life? Huh?” Knox asks. “You’re ready to give it up? Leave Maylin behind and spend the rest of your days fighting for your life in a cellblock?”

  “I belong behind bars!” Ivan yells as he points his finger to his own chest. “I’m a murderer just like my father! Prison is what I deserve.”