“Well Lyon, since it’s your house I say you get to do the honors.” Connor grinned but I could tell he wasn’t too pleased by this turn of events either. From what I gathered, all the women in there except mine and the youngest one were breeding. If these boys were anything like me, and I was beginning to suspect they were when it came to their women at least, that wasn’t gonna go over too well. A man would go to any lengths to protect his woman and unborn child.
“Scared of them are you?”
“You have no idea.” He clapped me on the shoulder as we made our way towards the house. My boys, the ones who go on certain runs with me, had been brought up to speed. Tomorrow Mallory would be here if his kid was doing better and I’ll let him in on whatever he didn’t already know.
***
Inside the talk had turned to babies, but the tension was still thick in the air. “Kat, what were you talking about earlier? And before you answer, your daughter already told me.”
“Dammit Colton you put her up to it.” She wasn’t looking too happy the little sneak. Her friends had looks of confusion on their faces until I told them what had happened.
“We know nothing, just girls sitting around getting to know each other.” The one named Gabriella sat back and crossed her legs and arms with the most innocent look on her face. Logan walked over and leaned over to whisper something in her ear that made her twitchy.
“Quit it Logan we weren’t doing anything wrong.”
“Who told you about the trafficking?” He stood back and folded his arms like a general but the look she gave him said she wasn’t scared. “Duh, there were rumors around town before you guys showed up, and you spend an awful lot of time down there snooping around, and let’s not forget Dani and Nessa and I…”
“Yes I remember, and I would hope that that one experience would’ve taught you to stay out of it. How many times must I tell you?” She was out of her chair and in his face before he could get the words out. “Listen you, these fools whoever they are-are interfering with the most important day of my life. I can’t even go get my nails done anymore because you have me under lock and key. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out something is going on Logan, and unless you think I’m a brainless twit it only stands to reason I’m gonna go searching for answers…”
“Sit down.” She pouted but found her ass in her chair. I wonder if he’d teach me that trick. Fifteen years and counting and I still can’t bring Kat’s little ass to heel. He walked around the room with his arms behind his back and a look on his face. I see why the others let him take point he has leader pouring off him in spades.
I held my peace for now. I’ll deal with Kat’s ass later behind closed doors. I guess I can’t fault her, or any of them for wanting to know what was taking up so much of their man’s time, but I didn’t want her anywhere near this shit. Not because I didn’t want her knowing what I’d done in the desert all those years ago, but because I’d made a promise, a promise to her. That nothing like this would ever touch her again, and I mean to keep that promise.
The room looked like a standoff, men on one side, women on the other and these girls looked ready to throw down. I guess they were shoring each other up, strength in numbers or some shit. Whatever Logan was coming with had better be good.
“Fine, so you all know some but not all of what’s going on, what do you plan to do with this knowledge?” Their eyes opened wide and the Georgia peaches looked at each other like ‘what the fuck?’ I wasn’t sure myself, but if these men were anything like me when it came to dealing with my nosy ass hardheaded woman, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“No one?” Damn, he does leashed cool like a pro.
“Well since you’re asking, we’d like to know more about why our lives have been turned upside down. If we’re in some kind of danger it’s only fair that we know what’s going on.” Dani spoke up but she kept taking sneak peeks at Connor, sweet, she’s making sure she doesn’t overstep.
I took each one’s measure as they spoke their piece, gauging how much they knew beyond what my little spy had told me. Logan had the floor. The others just stood back and listened as he grilled them like a paid interrogator. They teach these boys some serious shit in the navy because he was good.
“I guess there’s no point in telling you lot to stay out of this, you’ve proven that you don’t listen worth shit.” He glared at his woman who pursed her lips and looked away. “So here’s the deal and I’m sure every man here will back me up. Gabriella, you don’t drop this shit I will march your little ass down to the courthouse and put my ring on your finger, there goes your big to-do.”
She huffed and opened her mouth but he cut her off. I hope Kat was seeing this shit and taking notes hardheaded fuck. “Don’t say one more word. I brought you here for a change of pace, to have a nice holiday with new friends. This man invited us into his home and what do you do? You bring this shit here, to these women.”
“Hold it, she didn’t bring anything to my home. If you’ll excuse me, we don’t know each other but I’ve been married to your twin for the better part of almost sixteen years and I know when I’m being played. We’re not backing down, we wanna know what’s going on, why all the secrecy and high security.” That’s my wife she’s been taking lessons from fucking Elena again.
Logan shrugged his shoulders with a smirk. “Well boys I tried.” Dammit that means I still had work to do, fucking Kat. There were more glares going around the room being ignored before we headed back out. “Dude they played you in there, those women are not easy. I guess they have to be that way to put up with you goons huh.”
Jared the ass always has something smart to say. I guess he expects us all to leave our balls at home with the wife like he does. “No, they didn’t. We now know what they know and it’s not much. The trafficking thing like my delightful fiancé said, was a rumor long before we came on the scene. They’ve been playing the guessing game since we nabbed the two assholes on the waterfront and we have to surmise that Vanessa told them about grabbing Dani’s ex employee. Other than that they know nothing.” Damn Logan’s good.
“You’re forgetting one thing, they got Mancini’s name according to the kid.”
“Yeah but Creed said no one knows much about him Law.”
“Vanessa might, she had clearance; if this guy is on anyone’s radar she might’ve heard something.”
“Well fuck Zak.”
“No need to panic Ty, that just means we stem the flow.”
“And how do you propose we do that Con?”
“By talking to our women and letting them know the consequences if they disobey us on this shit, by letting them know that this is not child’s play and it is definitely nothing for women to get mixed up in.”
“Good luck with that shit, if they’re anything like my bloodhound, then they won’t quit until they get what they want and from the looks of them, they’ve banded together. So unless you plan on monitoring their every move I suggest you come up with another plan.” And tomorrow we have Elena and fucking Char coming, more reinforcements.
“Seriously, what the fuck are you all on? Since when do we let women dictate to us?”
“What’s your big suggestion Creed?”
“Well Law, I just tell Babygirl how shit’s gonna be and that’s that, she better not be getting mixed up in this shit, I don’t want her knowing anything about that fucking book.”
“You fucks are all newbies.” I shook my head as they turned to look at me. “You have only two options when it comes to dealing with these women, you give them fucked up info or you make damn sure they stay put. It’s getting late and I have to go deal with my pain in the ass and see how much she got from yours because I know for damn sure she didn’t get anything from me.”
Chapter 16
Lyon
***
Part of the crew headed to Elena’s while the others stayed here. I had my guys give them an escort though I was sure they didn’t need one, but it was
courtesy. “You, upstairs.” I’d waited until she said her goodbyes to all her little friends and locked up.
“Don’t you start, you’ve been holding out on me and that’s not part of the marriage code.” She rewrites that shit every chance she gets.
“Feeling brave are you?” We rounded up the kids and packed them off to bed after fighting with Catalina about waiting up for the fat fuck. The baby was the last one we checked on before heading for bed.
It was well past midnight and tomorrow was going to be a long one. “So, what was it that you were trying to find out?” She started getting twitchy as we got undressed for bed. I think my tones be tipping her off or some shit, I guess it comes with years of marriage.
I have no issue with her snooping- she’s a female-it’s in the genes or some fuck. But what I do mind is that she went behind my back. I hadn’t taken her to task for doing it with Law, things were too hot then, but this, no excuse.
“Did you ask me what was going on? I asked you a question, I expect an answer.”
“Colton…” One lifted brow was all it took to get her talking.
“Yes I did.”
“And what did I say?”
“You said it was nothing but I know…”
“Hey.” Her voice had gone up one too many octaves there and since she was already teetering on the brink of an ass whipping I was trying to save her seeing that it was the fucking holidays and we had company.
“I told you to leave it alone, so you decided to go elsewhere for answers, what does that sound like to you Kat?” Of course she pretended great interest in folding her clothes and putting them in the hamper before giving me an answer.
“We were just talking, it’s not like we went out trying to hunt these people down ourselves. We’re not children you know, we have just as much right to know what’s going on in our lives, in your lives…” I listened to her rant and rave as I got undressed myself and climbed into bed. I waited until she was close to winding down.
“You done? Get over here.” If she thought I was gonna waste my breath with her hardheaded ass she was wrong. I talk long enough to be clear on the infraction and then I act. I opened the top drawer of the nightstand and took out what I needed. When she saw the lineup her voice started cracking up but it was too late.
It wasn’t that she’d disobeyed so much as she’d shown our hand in front of the others. I don’t know how those boys deal with their women and it’s none of my concern. But for my wife to pump our guests for information after I’d invited them to our home was a big fucking no-no.
I’m sure her mind wouldn’t see it that way, fucking female. But if a man can’t control his home he can’t handle shit else and no one will respect him. She was halfway to the door by the time I finished tying the last rope to the four corners of the bed.
“Get your ass back here.” I didn’t turn to make sure she was obeying me, I knew her ass better do what I said. I hate doing this shit to her, it had been a while since we’ve been here, but this shit we were dealing with was heading south fast and I didn’t want her little ass nowhere near it.
She sat down hard on the bed with a heavy dose of attitude, but she knew better than to open her mouth. The tears had started but I ignored them, too bad for her, she’d brought this shit on herself. “Lay down.” I helped her into the middle of the bed and tied her arms before gagging her.
After I was sure her ties were snug, I retrieved the leg spreader for the real fun. She made noises around the ball gag but I was already in cold mode. I couldn’t hear shit. I spread her legs open and kept them in the air. Next came the belt. She screamed bloody murder when the first lash landed on her inner thigh, and was weeping uncontrollably by the tenth.
She hadn’t stopped fighting against her restraints though, so my work was far from done. Next I went after her clit with the vibrator while fingering her pussy, pulling out each time I felt the little tremors that signaled her orgasm.
I kept that up for a good half an hour until I thought she’d had enough. I removed the leg spreader, tied her legs to the bed and walked out. “Good night.”
***
She was pissed beyond measure by the time I released her early the next morning. “Wait, I didn’t tell you to move.” She laid back on the bed and I took a few to clear my head before leaning over her. “Leave it.” I didn’t need to say anymore than that for her to get my meaning.
She’ll never know the fear that went through me when the guys and I headed back outside and the SEALs let the rest of us in on what we were dealing with. The lengths some of the people involved would go to. The thought of her getting close to that shit sent fear down my spine.
“You can get up now, we have company. If I see one pout today I’m not gonna be happy.” I headed for the shower while she went to get the baby who was starting to fuss. The damn temp in the room was sub zero, merry fucking Xmas to me.
My place looked like a biker’s convention by the time all our guests showed up. This was supposed to be an all day thing with people in and out. We’d done the charity rounds the day before so all I had to do today was keep the ice bucket full and the beer cold.
My mom showed up early to help my wife who was still not speaking to me and I noticed the other women weren’t looking too happy either, and the men had about the same look as I did. I guess a lot had been said and done behind closed doors last night after everyone went to bed. Hopefully the shit worked because it would only take one rogue female to fuck our shit up.
“Colton, what did you do to my daughter in law?”
“I have no idea of what you speak Elena.” She tried to corner me in the kitchen while she was reloading on eggs. “Well she’s not her usual self and I know the only thing that can do that is you since my grandkids all seem cheerful and gay.”
“Why don’t you get your eggs and quit harassing me ma.” I was dodging Char’s ass again since she had a million and one questions. I was surprised that she hadn’t told Elena or Kat about her hoodoo shit. The next time she tried to corner me I let her to ask her just that.
“Well Colton, thank you for my very lovely Xmas gift.”
“They’re not here for you Char but I do have a question. If you see what you claim to, how come you haven’t shared with your posse?” Her whole attitude changed and she looked around to make sure the coast was clear.
“I try not to worry my friends unnecessarily. If I thought for a second we could do anything about the situation you better believe I would’ve blown the whistle by now. But not on this one.”
“What is it that you see exactly?” It must be the first time I’d taken her seriously, the first time I’d ever asked her to explain. That day when she saw whatever it was she saw about Kat, I had felt it, the surety the fear. It was then I had begun to give credence to her many ramblings. Since then I’ve steered clear.
“I see darkness, great darkness and men with black souls. There’s a lot of murky water, death. But I do see an end to it, but there will be a lot of chaos surrounding the whole mess.” I wonder what the others would think if I shared this little powwow with them? Probably that I’d lost my damn mind
“Thanks Char, now go behave yourself.” I took five minutes to let her words sink in before joining the melee again. I don’t know how the women did it, but there was a never -ending flow of food and drink, and the kids were on their best behavior.
By mid afternoon, Kat was over her snit but I noticed her conversation was all about babies and weddings. She might be playing it safe since I was in the room but I don’t think so. After last night’s little lesson, I was sure she’d keep her ass still, but I didn’t fool myself that the shit would last longer than it took for the pain from her spanking to go away.
The phone rang on my hip and I answered without looking. “Lyon, Mancini here, I hear you’re looking for me?” I snapped my fingers to get Law’s attention and he alerted the others. “Are you there?”
“I’m here, trying to get to a secure locati
on.”
“No worries it’s taken care of.” I took the phone away from my ear and looked at it. Who the fuck? “Okay, well I have some others here who would like to hear what you have to say.”
“The call’s cleared for you, Lawton Daniels, Justice Creed and the SEALs no one else I don’t care how close you are.”
Well since this fuck knows so much…”You missed one.”
“Mallory’s not there he’s got a sick kid.” Fucking spook.
“Okay, we’re all in. I’m going to speaker now.” The noise outside the door was steady, but inside my study you could hear a pin drop.
“I did some digging into your situation. I don’t know how much the SEALs have shared with the rest of you, but you’re swimming in very murky waters.” I felt a cold chill run down my spine. Those were almost exactly the words Char had said to me not too long ago.
“If you go after this, you better be sure you know what you’re going into. They will come after your families, your friends and your businesses. Any and everything they can to stop you. The trafficking is only the tip of the iceberg, I have Intel that Khalil is on his way to the states but not for the reasons you may think.”
“What’s he after?”
“I’m not at liberty to share that at this time.” Fucking diplomat.
“Does that mean you don’t know?”
“I always know.” I like this fucker, never mince words.
“Mancini, Logan here, we already guessed that The Fox wasn’t coming here behind this, so you’re not telling us anything new here. I’m pretty sure you knew that already so what’s the real reason for your call?”
There was a snicker and then throat clearing. “Look behind you gentlemen.” We all turned to look at the door. “Catalina what are you doing in here?”
“I was here first daddy.” She had a doll in her lap as she sat quietly in the corner. I had no idea if she was telling the truth or not, I’d stopped eyeballing her about an hour ago when it seemed like she was gonna behave herself.
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