Hail No (Hail Raisers Book 1)

by Lani Lynn Vale

  Two hours later, I was full of chicken fajitas and white cheese queso, staring at the bowl of dwindling chips with a worried expression.

  “So you’re telling me that Balthazar had exotic peacocks…and that that dog killed the peacocks, too?”

  Rafe nodded. “Information I’m getting from his two men, yeah. He went over there to confront her, just like you did. Gave him the same bitchy attitude.”

  “You give this information to the cops?”

  Rafe looked at me, and then over to Kennedy, who was still shoveling food into her mouth from her plate. Rice and beans. Yuck.

  Assured that she wasn’t paying as much attention as she would have normally if we had her full attention, I nodded at Rafe to continue.

  “You know I can’t do that,” he muttered. “Part of the gig.”

  Rafe wasn’t here for just me. He was here for a few things. One of those things was a lot bigger fish than Balthazar.

  Balthazar was a tiny little guppy compared to the massive, five-hundred-pound tuna that he was after—whatever that may be.

  I gritted my teeth.

  “Well, how do you suggest I get this information to the right people?”

  “Call your brother.”

  I looked over to Kennedy, who was no longer eating, and grimaced.

  My apologetic eyes flicked up to Rafe, and I winced.

  He shrugged it off.

  But I knew that shrug wasn’t a throw-away move. He trusted me to take care of her and, essentially, him.

  If she told the wrong people that Rafe wasn’t just here to help out at Hail Auto Recovery, people would start asking questions. Questions led to answers. Answers led to death.

  It was a vicious cycle, and I wouldn’t put Rafe in danger like that. Not when he’d had my back when nobody else did.

  Still did.

  He was putting his own mission in jeopardy to ensure that I got out of this whole fuckin’ mess unscathed, and I wouldn’t let him down by allowing Kennedy to do anything that could possibly harm him. Even inadvertently.

  “Okay,” I said. “Why my brother?”

  I didn’t like talking to my brother. Talking to my brother led to me getting angry, and I’d already had one too many visits with jail this week.

  The old feeling of claustrophobia had reared its ugly head while I’d been in there for those few hours, and it’d been enough to remind me that I didn’t want to do that shit again. I’d run away to Mexico or fuckin’ Timbuktu if I had to in order to stay out of jail.

  The only problem now was that I would have to take someone with me.

  But I could do it.

  I always had a backup plan.

  It was funny that Rafe and Kennedy had mentioned who the rest of the boys had brought in. Silas, the man who was offering up whatever information he could dig up on Balthazar and the police chief was the same man who had helped me with my backup plan— the one that was going to get Kennedy and I out of the country if it ever became necessary.

  I just hoped that I never had to use that plan, because using that plan meant never coming back, and despite the fact that my family was all a bunch of assholes, I would still worry about them.

  “Your brother, I think, saw the error of his ways,” she wiped up what was left of the sour cream from her enchiladas with one finger. She brought the white cream to her mouth and licked her finger clean before continuing. “He wants to help, even though he’s not sure how.”

  I gritted my teeth against the moan that threatened to spill from my lips at the sight of her licking her finger clean.

  “Goddamn,” Rafe muttered, looking away.

  I grinned at him.

  Kennedy had no fucking clue what she did to people. Even a man like Rafe; a man I’d never seen with another woman in the entire ten years that I’d known him, wasn’t immune to her innocent little move.

  “I’ll call him. Give him the information,” I cleared my throat and stood up. “Thanks for all that you gave us, Rafe.”

  Rafe wasn’t stupid.

  He knew that I was more than affected by Kennedy’s impromptu show.

  “But wait, I haven’t eaten my sherbet yet!”

  I looked down at the colorful frozen dessert that the waiter had put down in front of her the minute that I’d paid the check and picked up one of the spoons that hadn’t been used. “It’s to-go sherbet, now.”

  Then I hauled her up by her hand and pulled her in my wake, all the while listening to Rafe’s chuckling laughter behind us.

  “Evander,” Kennedy said, tugging lightly on her arm. “What are you doing?”

  I pulled her with me until we were out the door.

  The moment that we were buried in the shadows of the building, I pushed her up against the brick wall and dropped my mouth down onto hers.

  Again, it was only meant to be something short and sweet, but the moment my lips touched hers, I forgot all about short and sweet. All I wanted was her. All I tasted was her. All I craved was her.

  Her hands went to my shoulders, and one of those shapely legs lifted to curl around my hip.

  I dropped one of my hands to that leg and leaned into her, allowing her to feel what she did to me.

  “We’re leaving.” I told her, breathless from the kiss. “You fuckin’ kill me.”

  She gasped when I ground against her once more before pulling away.

  “What brought this on?” she breathed heavily, pressing the sherbet cup to her chest and drawing it along the tops of both breasts.

  I watched her, and then grinned.

  “Get on my bike.”

  I was glad that the truck was switched out for my bike. The idea of her pressing up against me was highly appealing.

  Chapter 25

  I think the heat index is somewhere between OMG and WTF.

  -Texas Facts

  Kennedy

  I’ll never, ever, ever look at a cup of sherbet without thinking about the last three hours ever again.

  No, not after what Evander had just done to me.

  At first, I hadn’t realized just how little Evander was in control until we got to the stoplight right outside of the restaurant.

  I’d innocently started stroking his abs, burying my face in between his shoulder blades.

  I loved his motorcycle. I’d also begged him to go get it before dinner, thinking that after we were done eating, we could go for a ride.

  And that’d been my every intention, but the moment we’d left the restaurant, I knew that Evander had no intention of going anywhere but home.

  Why?

  Because I could practically feel the sexual tension leeching off of him.

  Thinking to soothe that burn in him, as well as me, I’d slid my hand up and under his shirt, allowing the nails of one hand to trail down over his abs.

  It’d been almost innocent, but the surprising reaction from him had set me back on my ass. Or would have had he not held onto my hair.

  At first, I thought he was only going to return the loving gesture, but then he’d surprised me by shooting his hand out and grabbing hold of my hair, roughly bringing my mouth down to his in a kiss that went on so long that the people in the car behind us had to honk to let us know that the light had turned green.

  After he’d let me go, he’d pulled through the intersection just in time for it to turn yellow, causing all four of the cars behind us to miss the light.

  I’d giggled, dropping my head to his shoulder, and he’d latched onto my knee with one hand and held on for the duration of the ride.

  Once we’d arrived at his house, he pulled the bike into the car port beside the side door.

  I could hear Gertie barking to be let out the moment he shut the motor off, and just as I moved to dismount, he growled something.

  I felt my body moving and found myself sitting on the gas tank in front of him.

  Then my shirt was ripped off over my head, and my bra was being
yanked down.

  The next thing to happen was his mouth finding the sensitive peak of my nipple as he sucked it inside his hot mouth. My eyes rolled back in my head, and my back arched, urging him to take more of me.

  Which he did, sucking my nipple into his mouth completely and giving it a few hard tugs.

  My hands went to his hair as I searched for something to hold onto.

  And then he bit down.

  It wasn’t too hard, but it was enough to have my pussy spasming as desire shot through my body.

  “Oh, God,” I breathed out shakily.

  All of that from just a little nipple play.

  Though, sitting on the back of his bike, pressed in close to him while his bike vibrated beneath me was likely also a contributing factor.

  Whatever the reason, I was so gone for him that I didn’t realize he was pulling his zipper down until I felt him wrap my hand around his hard cock.

  I clenched onto him, automatically starting to work his cock in time to his sucks on my nipple.

  The abrasive rasp of his beard against the sensitive flesh was also really doing it for me. The entire situation, right down to his hauling me around bodily to the front of his bike, was so much of a turn on that I didn’t realize I was only moments away from an orgasm until I was already falling over the edge.

  It was enough to steal my breath.

  “Fuck me,” he growled. “You just came?”

  I blinked open my eyes, unaware that I’d stopped working his cock, and nodded.

  “Fuck yeah,” he growled.

  Then I found myself standing beside the bike.

  “Take off your jeans.”

  I didn’t hesitate.

  I only shoved them down over my hips—without unbuttoning them, might I add—and kicked off my tennis shoes all in the same moment.

  Before I could ask him what was next, he picked me back up around the waist, this time my back to his front, and he sat me down onto his lap.

  His cock was trapped between our bodies, and I began to writhe in his lap in attempt to urge him to hurry.

  “You remember what we talked about earlier?” he asked. “When I came to get you?”

  I licked my lips.

  “About you wanting me pregnant?” I confirmed.

  I wasn’t so sure about that.

  I’d never thought of myself as mom material, but I’d do damn near anything for this man, even bear his children out of wedlock if he wanted me to.

  “I want them,” he growled.

  He lifted me slightly to reposition me over his cock, my breasts pressed to the cool metal, as he stood behind me.

  “I’d do damn near anything to see you swollen with my child,” he murmured against my neck, lining his cock up to my entrance.

  I bit my lip and looked at him over my shoulder.

  The only light offered was from the motion-activated flood lights that were shining on his front yard, but it was just enough to allow me to see the veins in his hands throbbing. I could also see the determined expression on his face.

  I closed my eyes when I felt that thick head pressing into me.

  “Fuck,” he hissed, pausing after he’d barely breached my entrance. “Forgot how tight you are.”

  And then he sank inside, one slow inch at a time, until his balls were pressed against my skin.

  I could feel the rasp of his pubic hair on my ass and legs, and I was panting with how full he made me feel.

  And that’s about the time that I felt the first drip of cold sherbet slowly making its way down my exposed breasts.

  I looked up to find him tilting the little plastic cup over my left breast.

  Drip. Drip. Drip.

  One drop hit my nipple and slid down. The next hit me along the outside of my breast, curling around it and rolling all the way down to my side.

  The last fell between my breasts, traveling down my body, around my navel, and disappearing into my pubic hair.

  I closed my eyes and swallowed.

  I was just about to compose myself—somewhat—when I felt a cold drop hit my clit.

  My eyes shot open, and I stared, open mouthed, at the man holding the container of sherbet right above my clit.

  “Bet that tastes divine,” he growled, dropping his finger and swiping away all evidence of the melted dessert that was on the tip of my nipple.

  My pussy contracted around his cock, causing him to groan.

  “Fuck yes,” he growled, then forgot all about the ice cream as he reached to pull me closer.

  The only problem with that was that he dropped the ice cream onto me, spilling the partially frozen dessert straight in my lap, making the cold, melted goodness spill all over the both of us directly where we were connected.

  Did he care, though?

  No.

  Why?

  Because he’d lost any semblance of control.

  He took me like a man possessed.

  At first, he allowed me to act like I had some say in the way he was fucking me. But soon he was controlling all my movements with his big hands that were clamped around my hips. He rocked me hard and fast on his cock. I just grabbed onto his forearms and dropped my head back to rest against his shoulder.

  My breasts were flopping a bit uncomfortably with his rough movements, and to communicate this, I dug my nails into the muscles of his forearms.

  But then he changed the angle and started to hit that spot.

  The one that changed everything and made all the difference in the world.

  The fat, engorged head of him tapped against it, fast at first, and then he slowed until the tip dragged over it with each thrust. Over and over and over again.

  It was enough to cause something inside of me to change…there was this urge. One I’d never felt before, and I damn near exploded right out of my skin.

  He snaked an arm around my waist to keep moving me while one of the hands that had been digging into my hips trailed over my belly. With his thumb and forefinger, he reached down and pinched my clit, sending me detonating into the next time zone.

  If Evander had neighbors, I would’ve been worried.

  My scream was loud and terrifying.

  But the orgasm he gave me? So much more.

  I clenched around him, pulsing and coaxing the same in return from him.

  And I got it, too.

  Moments later he came, his muscles contracting. His arms squeezed me tighter as his entire body grew rigid while he grunted out his release.

  A release that I felt as it splashed inside of me, filling me up so full that I could’ve sworn that there was likely no more room inside of me.

  “I think,” I panted, “That you broke me.”

  He grunted something in reply, and then easily stood with me still impaled on him and hanging over his arms like some exhausted spider monkey.

  Our bodies slid together, as our commingled releases—as well as the melted sherbet—coated both of our bodies.

  “At least it’s not in my hair.”

  He grunted. “Guess that’s good.”

  I started to laugh, and then I pulled his face down to mine.

  “I’m glad you’re home.”

  He pushed open the door to his house, moved to the side to let Gertie out, and then returned the kiss.

  “Anywhere you are, baby.” he growled. “Home is where you are, and always will be.”

  My eyes filled with tears.

  “What are we going to do?”

  His arms tightened.

  “We’ll figure it out…tomorrow,” he replied, disengaging his body from mine. “Tonight, all I want to do is sleep in my own bed, with you in my arms.”

  I’d give him tonight.

  Tomorrow I’d worry about him. Tomorrow I’d worry about how I was going to make a living. Tomorrow, everything would be resolved…I just knew it.

  Chapter 26

  Don’t break anybody’s heart. They o
nly have one. Break bones instead. They have two hundred and six.

  -True shit

  Evander

  “Oh, shit,” Kennedy breathed. “Look.”

  I let my gaze drift to where she was pointing and winced.

  An officer was there, his squad car back behind him about a hundred yards, with a man about three times his size straddling his chest. The man was pounding his fist into the officer’s face, and I mentally calculated how many times it would take a punch to the head before the officer passed out for good.

  “Goddammit,” I growled, shoving the kickstand down and getting off my bike. “Stay here. And call the cops.”

  Kennedy nodded mutely, staying where she was straddling my bike, and staring at the commotion happening in front of her.

  I stomped across the street, flipping off a driver who’d honked at me when I’d been nowhere near close enough for him to hit me, and kept walking.

  “Watch where you’re going, motherfucker.”

  I turned my glare to the man who’d popped his fat head out of the window to let him see just how unhappy I was.

  The driver swallowed, ducked back into his car and peeled away as fast as his Honda Civic would take him.

  It didn’t take me long to realize that the officer getting his ass kicked was none other than my brother.

  But, regardless of my feelings toward the dumb bastard, I wouldn’t allow him to get his ass kicked.

  Not now, not ever.

  Which was why I walked up to the man straddling him, yanked him up by his collar, and bodily threw him straight into the open squad car’s backseat.

  He hit the other side of the car with a loud thump, and before he could make it back to his feet, I slammed the door shut.

  I stared down at my brother, watching him pant, as blood dripped down his face out of his nose.

  “You okay?” I asked him.

  My brother nodded, wincing slightly when he did.

  “Yeah,” he croaked. “Just fucking dandy.”

  I stared down at him.

  “I was trying to call you,” I informed him.

  He huffed out a short breath, then rolled over to his side, and then more slowly up to his knees.

  “I was a little busy,” he admitted. “What did you want?”

  I shoved both hands into my pocket.