Men shouted in Italian, rushing up the main stairs. The muffled sounds on their radios sounded with instructions to kill the intruders. Vasily demanded he become fluent in numerous languages. It did come in handy.
“Fuck!” Cayden gritted out.
He was down. Shot in the leg. Hawk was halfway up the second staircase.
“Just go. Get Sophia.”
Hawk took a couple steps, but his conscience wouldn’t let him go farther. He rushed back down, hoisting Cayden up onto his good leg, and supporting much of his weight as they walked up the last staircase together.
They were waiting for them on the third floor. Hawk leaned Cayden against the wall so he could ensure no more men came upstairs. Then he pulled out his big gun, the shotgun he had strapped to his back. He blasted his way through the guards, their bodies flying back from the impact.
The heavily guarded door had to be where they were keeping her. He leaned back and kicked the door open with one blow. Wood slinters rained down.
“Hawk!”
Sophia rushed over to him, but he used a hand to halt her. “Wait.”
He took down another man rushing him from the long hallway, then motioned for her to take his hand. It felt like that night all over again. Vasily’s assassination. Only things were so different now.
Where was Antonio Jr.?
He wouldn’t give up his prize easily. If they got out of here alive, they’d need to go into hiding until they killed that prick.
They made their way back toward the staircase, Sophia clinging to him. He didn’t have time to savor having her back. Not until they were out of danger.
“Cayden!” She squatted down when she found him sitting on the top stairs, a pool of blood under his thigh. His face was blanching of color.
“Sophia, stay close to me.” He pulled his belt off his pants and bent down to create a tourniquet around Cayden’s thigh. Then he forced Cayden to his feet, and helped him down the stairs, both aiming their guns in every new direction.
“Guess you were right about the daylight,” said Cayden.
It could have been a hell of a lot worse.
“Hey, tell me that once we’re out of here in once piece.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Throw a grenade,” said Hawk.
Cayden reached into one of the pockets on his harness and tossed it into the foyer once they were outside.
Sophia was terrified and relieved. When she’d heard gunshots, she knew something was going down. She’d kept far from the bedroom door just in case. Thank God it was them.
They were on the front lawns, in the daylight. Cayden was shot and unable to walk properly. Hawk kept his eyes peeled on everything, his breathing heavy.
The grenade went off, the earth quaking beneath her feet.
Chaos.
Confusion.
“Where’s the car?” she asked.
“A couple blocks away,” said Hawk. “Come on. Keep close.”
Cayden grunted as they picked up the pace. “Leave me here. You won’t make it to the car in time. Neighbors could have called the cops by now.”
Hawk stopped, and she thought he’d leave Cayden behind. She was about to protest, but he surprised her, bending down and hoisting Cayden over one of his shoulders. Hawk’s strength shocked her because the other man was just as heavy with muscle.
They jogged up the street, continually checking behind them.
Hawk pulled out his cellphone without missing a beat. “I need a doctor. A surgeon. Gunshot to the thigh. I’ll pick them up in seven minutes at the corner by the old church.”
Her heart raced, adrenaline pumping wildly through her veins.
When they reached the car, Hawk hauled Cayden into the backseat and tossed a shotgun onto his lap. “Get in, Sophia.”
She jumped in the passenger seat, and Hawk immediately did a U-turn on the road and sped away.
No one said a word until they were a good five minutes down the highway.
“Will they follow?” she asked.
“Antonio won’t give up so easily. Do you know where he is?” asked Hawk.
“He’s gone most of the time. They’re busy planning our wedding.”
“Did he touch you?” asked Cayden.
She twisted around in her seat. “Oh God, we have to get you to a hospital.”
“Did he touch you?”
“No, he kept me trapped in a room,” she said. Sophia grabbed Hawk’s sleeve. “He doesn’t look good. We have to get him help.”
“I’ll handle everything. Let me think.” They exited the highway. An elderly man with a black bag waited on the corner. Hawk pulled up next to him. “Get in.”
The doctor started examining Cayden as they drove to the other end of the city, the rush hour traffic leaving the business district as they came in. “I’ll park in the underground because we can’t bring him in the front doors bleeding all over the damn place,” said Hawk.
“Will he be okay?”
Hawk ignored her, driving down the dark, winding underground parking garage of a high-rise hotel.
“Does my father own this one?”
“No.”
In their world, there was an entire underground of professionals. Doctors, teachers, lawyers, and even cops had been on her father’s payroll. She was thankful Hawk was getting help. It was surreal seeing Cayden again. She thought she’d lost him forever when he’d dropped her off last time.
Her heart felt at peace being close to both men. If only it could last forever.
Hawk helped Cayden to the elevators, then left them there to rent a room in the lobby.
“Does it hurt?” she asked.
Sophia pressed her forearms to Cayden’s chest, grabbing handfuls of his shirt.
“Not so much anymore.”
Cayden’s voice sounded weak, his pallor getting worse. He started to close his eyes. “Cayden, stay with me,” she shouted. “Hawk will be back soon.”
She cupped Cayden’s cheek.
“He loves you,” Cayden said. “He’s a good man. He’ll take care of you.”
“Cayden, don’t say that.” He was talking like he was already gone, either a dead man or running away again. She wouldn’t allow him to leave her. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry, baby.”
“I love you, Cayden. I can’t lose you.”
When he started to collapse, Hawk was there to support him, dragging him into the elevator. “Nineteenth floor.”
The doctor had cut off his pant leg in the car, and the bleeding had stopped. “He’s in luck. The bullet didn’t hit the femoral artery,” said the doctor. “But he needs blood.”
She sighed in relief, continually jostling Cayden so he wouldn’t go to sleep.
As soon as they got inside their suite, Hawk dropped Cayden on the sofa. “Take care of him, doc. I’ll get some boiling water.”
Sophia unbuckled and unzipped Cayden’s black jeans, tugging the remaining material down past his hips. He was a dead weight, making it difficult. When she pulled her hands back, they were coated in blood. She held them in front of her face, staring at the crimson fluid, going into shock.
“Sophia! For God’s sake. Go sit down.” Hawk tore the jeans off the rest of the way and dropped some towels on the floor.
The doctor went right to work, opening his black bag on the coffee table. Hawk poured a bottle of booze over the wound and Cayden passed out.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” she asked.
“He’s one of the best, Sophia. Dr. Zelwik used to work for your father.”
She watched, unable to look away, and angry that the sight of blood still affected her after all this time. An IV had been set up, and the doctor began a blood infusion between the two men. Hawk was O negative. She remembered her father mentioning it may come in handy for her.
Sophia stayed glued to the wall until it was done.
The doctor stitched up the side of Cayden’s leg a while later. It was a small h
ole for all the blood she’d seen. “He’ll be fine. Missed the bone. Mostly blood loss. Just let him sleep it off tonight. Tomorrow, he should be up and walking. I’ll leave pain killers.”
He set a bottle of narcotics on the table.
The doctor left the suite.
“He won’t take them. Cayden has a thing about drugs, prescription or otherwise. He’s a stubborn bastard,” said Hawk.
“How do you know that?” she asked.
“We’ve had a couple days to reminisce while planning your rescue,” he said. “I guess bringing you along the other night wasn’t the best idea. I was afraid to leave you alone at the hotel.”
“It brought the two of you together. I like the sound of that.”
“Why?”
She shrugged, keeping her mouth shut. Sophia had to remind herself her feelings were abnormal. Good women fell in love with one man, not two.
Hawk pulled down his sleeve, just a Band-Aid on his arm. He stood up and approached her. There was fire in his eyes.
“You should rest. The doctor said you could get dizzy if you do too much too soon.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
She wanted to back away from him, but she was already pinned against the wall. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice barely forming a whisper.
Hawk tilted her chin up. “You love him. The man who killed your father.”
Sophia kept quiet. Her body tensed, her fears seeping to the surface. Loving two meant losing both.
“Never lie to me, Sophia. Do you love him?”
She shrugged. “Maybe I don’t know what love is.”
“Do you love me?”
This time she looked him in the eyes.
“I don’t want to hurt either of you, Hawk. I’m broken. Messed up in the head. I wish I was normal, but my life has always been far from it.”
He inhaled, his chest expanding, his features set. Hawk began to pace in front of her, one hand squeezing behind his neck. “I’m ready to commit to you for the rest of my life. You have no idea how much I love you.”
“Please don’t hate me.”
“I just want to understand,” he said.
She shook her head. There was nothing to explain. He already knew the truth. It made her stomach knot, nausea washing over her in waves. She felt like a monster.
“Tell me what to do,” she said.
Sophia held his shirt, needing to feel his affection, and desperate for a voice of reason.
He said nothing but leaned down to kiss her. She closed her eyes and savored the feel of his lips. The domination. His acceptance settled her nerves, her entire body feeling spineless and wanton.
“First things first. We need ice.”
Hawk grabbed the ice bucket from the top of the bar and then took her hand as they left the suite. Cayden was still passed out on the couch, his color already improving.
They walked down the hall, and Hawk held a door open for her to enter. The tiles were cool on her bare feet compared to the carpet in the hall. The large ice machine took up the corner, but rather than filling the bucket, Hawk set it on the ground, his eyes focused on her. He pulled a wooden wedge from his pocket and shoved it under the door, sealing them in the small room.
Her heart began to race in anticipation.
“I’ve been holding back since your birthday. All I’ve been thinking about is fucking you again. Especially after losing you again. I think you’ve had enough time to recover, no?”
She nodded.
“Good girl.” Sophia loved when he said that to her. It made her want to please him even more.
“Take off your clothes for me. I want to see you naked.”
Sophia wasn’t ashamed of her body. And she wanted Hawk, all of him, forever. She removed her shirt and pants, then unfastened her bra, and wiggled out of her panties. The room was chilly, and her nipples pebbled into tight little buds. Gooseflesh broke out on her arms. The exhilaration of standing there in the nude heated her from the inside out.
He nodded in approval, his jaw clenching. Hawk reached into the ice machine and pulled out a piece of ice, then approached her. “Is you pussy hot?”
Oh God, she was aching for him. She nodded, not trusting her voice.
He reached down and cupped her pussy with his free palm, making her yelp she was so sensitive. Hawk growled. He rubbed the ice over her clit, then up and down her folds. She braced a hand on his shoulder. New, intense sensations came to life, her breath catching in her throat.
“Take it, baby.” He pushed the ice up her cunt, and the erotic invasion took her by surprise. The coldness brought made her nerves fire with need. She shuddered, her eyes fluttering shut. “Think you can handle more?”
“Okay…”
“Hold this one in.”
He shoved another cube up her pussy, water leaking down her inner thighs as the ice melted. She gasped from the intensity. Hawk cupped her ass with both hands, squeezing hard. His fingers lingered close to her asshole. “I wonder if you’d even be able to handle getting double fucked. What do you think, baby? Will two cocks fit inside this little body?”
Then he lowered his big frame and sucked her nipple into his mouth. She tossed her head back and combed her fingers into his hair. Her pussy pulsed, and the only thing that would sate her was his hard cock.
She thought about his words. Was he considering sharing her with Cayden or just screwing with her head? It sounded dirty. Tempting. Perfect. But she wouldn’t read too much into it. After being kidnapped by Antonio Jr., she was just relieved to be free and in the arms of the man she loved—safe and protected.
“Come here, sweetheart.” He easily hoisted her up by the thighs, her back against the wall. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and legs around his waist, as he reached one hand down between them. She heard his zipper before he released his cock. “You’re my whole world.”
He ran the tip of his cock up and down over her clit, slippery and wet, then pushed inside her. “Hawk…”
“You’re so fucking tight.” He sank in deep, inch after thick inch, filling her to overflowing. “So sweet and perfect. All mine.”
Hawk didn’t hold back. He said he’d been pent-up, and it showed. This wasn’t a slow exploration. It was sex. Fucking. Nothing fancy, but exactly what they both needed. The man pumped his hips at a furious pace, the friction and pressure against her clit had her hurtling toward a beautiful peak. She panted, and gasped with each up-thrust, her tits jostling. The sounds of hard, wet sex filled the small space. Hawk was well-endowed, so no cell inside her was left untouched.
She wondered is someone would come looking for ice and find them. The possibility of being caught spiked her arousal.
“I’m going to come,” she said between breaths.
“Such a good girl, Sophia. Come for me.” He continued to hold her, filling her with cock over and over until her body began to blossom.
“Yes!” she squealed, clawing at his shirt. And she came in a burst of heat, raw pleasure spreading like a wildfire. The sensations coursed through her womb, travelling all the way to her extremities. Wave after beautiful wave made her pussy clench. Hawk slowed down after coming inside her. He held her in place against the wall as their breathing calmed.
“I guess I better fill my ice bucket,” he said. Hawk kissed her temple, lowering her to her feet so she could get dressed. A mix of water and cum leaked down her thighs. She used the paper towel dispenser and cleaned herself up.
She wondered if they were going to talk about the elephant in the room. Would he tell her what to do? Demand she forget Cayden? She wasn’t sure what she’d do in that situation. Sophia didn’t dare bring up the topic again, too afraid of where it could lead.
Although she hadn’t lied to either man about loving the other, she also couldn’t make a choice.
****
Cayden woke up with a start, the morning light hitting him in the eyes. He sat up and looked around, the night before mostly a blur. He was l
aid up on the sofa in some fancy hotel. Alone.
He looked down at his leg, attempting to move it. It was sore, but he’d live. Another scar for his collection.
He got to his feet, trying not to limp as he walked over to the closed bedroom door. He peered inside only to find Hawk and Sophia asleep together on the king-sized bed. His heart clenched looking at them, an outsider beyond the glass. He closed the door and went in search of his cell phone. It was on the coffee table with his harness and guns.
His heart was still racing. He had to get out of there. It was one thing to step aside for her best interest. It was another to bear witness.
“Hey, Randy. What have you been up to?”
“I haven’t heard from you in days, Cayden. You have your phone off?”
“Long story.”
“There’s no more bounty on the girl,” he said. “You’ve lost your fucking window. I told you to cash out while you could.”
He exhaled, feeling a wash of relief trickle through his body. No more contract hanging over Sophia. She’d be much safer now.
“I’m not worried about it, so neither should you be.”
“You still have her?”
“No, I gave her back to her own people. I’m done. I feel like shit, look like shit, and I just want to get the fuck out of here. Can you arrange for my bike and some clothes?”
It must have been the tone of his voice, but Randy didn’t argue. Sounded almost sympathetic. Did he realize Cayden’s heartstrings were ripped to shreds, his sanity only a couple words away from fracturing into insanity?
He gave his friend the address and room number of the hotel. He couldn’t exactly leave in his boxers.
The urge for a smoke took him by storm, especially with his emotions at an all-time high. Why should he bother to quit now? He had no reason to better himself. Not a fucking thing.
He started up the coffeemaker. It was something.
Cayden walked around the room, squinting with each step, but refusing to listen to the pain telling him to sit his ass down. What did he think would happen? That he’d save Sophia and she’d run into his arms like a fairy tale? Tell him she picked him over everyone else in the world? He’d never been anyone’s number one, and that deep seated need to be wanted grew tenfold since he fell in love with the little mafia princess.
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