by K. C. Lynn
His fingers move to my hips, digging into the soft flesh as he starts fucking me harder and faster. All the air leaves my lungs, my nails clawing at his chest as I fight for leverage, my body so close to destruction.
“Give it to me, Ryanne. Come all over my cock.”
Pleasure floods my body, my cries ripping through the humid night, bouncing off the trees and echoing around us. He hooks a hand behind my neck and pulls my lips to his, swallowing my moans, then quickly follows, his cock pulsing as he fills me with his hot cum.
I fall forward, my body depleted, lungs begging for air. His arms wrap around me, holding me close as his lips press against my damp shoulder. The act of tenderness brings a warm smile to my face.
Moments pass before he shifts beneath me, withdrawing himself and pulling up his pants. Gathering me in his arms, he stands and heads inside. I’m thankful for it, knowing there’s no way I’d be able to walk right now.
He walks into the master bedroom, depositing me on the cold mattress, then finishes removing my dress from my body.
“I should shower,” I mumble. It’s the last thing I feel like doing right now but I’m a hot sticky mess, thanks to him.
“Later.” He removes his own clothes then crawls in next to me, pressing a deep kiss on my mouth. His lips travel lower, down between my breasts then belly, stopping at my cesarean scar. He presses a gentle kiss to the puckered skin then rests his head on my stomach, his fingers grazing over the jagged line.
My heart warms in my chest and I place a hand in his hair, holding him close. “We’ve been taking a lot of risks lately,” I say on a whisper, breaching a subject we should have had long before now. “We need to start using protection.”
I know my cycle fairly well, and so far I think we’re okay but that will change soon.
“That’s not necessary. We’ll just let nature take its course.”
I tense, the comment taking me by surprise. “What does that mean?”
He lifts his head, looking up at me. “It means, let’s see what happens. If it’s meant to be it will happen.”
I frown, my mind scrambling to understand the direction of this conversation. “Are you saying you want to have a baby?”
He shrugs. “It’s about time, don’t you think? Hannah is going to be six soon.”
I blink down at him, realizing he’s completely serious. “Justice, we are in no position to have another baby together.”
“Why not?”
My eyes widen at the ridiculous question. “Well, for starters, our lives are a mess right now and we barely have what I would call a stable relationship.”
“You just came all over my cock. I’d say we have a pretty good relationship.”
“I’m being serious here.”
“So am I.”
I shake my head, frustrated.
“We’ve been fucking for the last week without any protection,” he reminds me. “Why are you making it a big deal now?”
“It’s something we should have talked about from the beginning. We are in no place to have a baby. Not when we have no idea what our future holds.”
“I know exactly what my future holds. You and Hannah.” His claim penetrates my frustration; hope igniting deep within my heart. “Hannah wants it, too,” he adds.
The information has me going still again. “How do you know that?”
“She told me at the zoo. She wants a bigger family and so do I. And this time, I want to be there for all of it.”
Guilt infiltrates my chest as I’m reminded of something we still have yet to overcome. “I want that one day, too,” I whisper, “but our commitment isn’t there yet.”
“Fine. Then let’s get married.”
I rear back for the second time, my mouth dropping open. “Excuse me?”
“Let’s get married.”
He doesn’t even balk as he says the words.
“Are you drunk?” I finally ask.
He stares at me blankly, his expression void of any emotion.
“You are unbelievable.” I push from the bed and reach for my robe, feeling the need to cover myself.
“What’s the problem, Ryanne? You want more of a commitment and I’m willing to give it to you.”
“How romantic,” I mock sarcastically. “It’s exactly how I always imagined my future husband proposing to me.”
“I’m not a romantic guy. I never have been.”
“You got that right!” I snap.
“I’m practical. You want me; I want you. We want this family. Getting married seems like the perfect plan to me.”
“Yeah? Well you can take your plan and shove it up your ass because I am not marrying you!”
“Why the hell not?” he asks, offended.
“Because you’re an asshole!”
He grunts but I don’t stick around to hear what he says next. Feeling close to tears, I turn on my heel and storm out of the room, refusing to let him see how much his insensitivity has hurt me.
I walk into the bathroom and lock the door behind me before turning on the shower. Once the water gets hot enough, I step under the spray and it’s not long before my tears break free, spilling down my face and mixing with the water.
Marrying Justice Creed has been a dream of mine for a very long time, but in my dream he loves me. He wants to be with me because he couldn’t imagine life without me. Not because we have a daughter together. Not because he thinks it’s the right thing to do.
I grew up my whole life without anyone ever loving me and I’ll be damned if I marry a man who doesn’t either.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Justice
“It started a few months back,” my father begins, his eyes moving over each of us as we sit at the kitchen table. He waited until Hannah went out back to play before starting the conversation we’ve all been waiting for.
Ryanne moves about the kitchen, clearing the breakfast dishes while continuing to ignore me like she has been since last night. I don’t like it and I especially don’t like that she slept with Hannah instead of me. Something that won’t be happening again.
“I was first approached by Forrest Hamilton just weeks before he passed away. He offered me a generous amount to sell. He said he wanted the land for a development project he had in mind.”
Hamilton was one of the wealthiest men in Winchester until he died two months ago of a heart attack. He’s from the older generation of the founding families, same age as my father. There’s always been bad blood between them, more than any of the other families which is why I’m surprised he would approach my father to begin with.
“How much was the offer?” Knox asks.
My father sits back in his chair and crosses his arms, his expression solemn. “Four million.”
Braxten’s low whistle penetrates the thick silence.
“Obviously, I declined. It didn’t matter though, he came back twice more and when I gave him the same answer both times he really put the pressure on.”
“Did he put his hands on you?” The thought sends a dangerous rage pounding through my veins. If he was stupid enough to do that I have no doubt my father handled himself just fine. Thatcher Creed will only take so much and if you push him past his breaking point you better fucking run.
“No, nothing like that,” he says. “It was more or less just subtle threats.”
“That sounds like him,” Ryanne cuts in, as she continues to collect dishes from the table. “None of them like to be told no. When they don’t get their way they start throwing their money and power around.” Amongst the anger in her voice lies pain.
Before she can walk away, I grab her hips and pull her down on my lap, her body stiff. I press my lips to her shoulder, letting the contact linger until she eventually relaxes into me, the curve of her body fitting perfectly against mine.
“I figured when he died that would have been the end of it,” my father continues.
“But it wasn’t.” The statement comes from me, a brief moment
of silence falling over the table.
“No, it wasn’t,” he confirms. “Weeks later, Archer Bishop and Mayor Lancaster came to see me.”
Ryanne tenses against me. “What did they want?” There’s a slight tremble in her voice, but I’m not sure if it has to do with Lancaster or Bishop.
She went to school with Lancaster and as far as I know they got along, which used to piss me off. I’ve always hated the guy. I saw the way he looked at her. He wanted her but the arrogant fucker never stood a chance.
He ended up marrying Lacey Bishop, Archer’s daughter. He’s the district attorney and holds a lot of power within this town. He’s one cutthroat son of a bitch and his family has a lot of ties in the political world. Which is no doubt how Lancaster got the position in the first place.
“They told me they wanted to follow through with Forrest’s development project and dedicate it in his honor. They offered me even more money to sell. Once again, I declined.”
“I don’t understand,” Ryanne says. “Why do they need your land? Why not build it somewhere else?”
“That’s the million-dollar question,” my father says, bringing his coffee mug to his mouth for a leisurely sip.
“Have they ever expressed interest in your land before now?”
“No, but they’ve never hidden the fact that they don’t want me here. Maybe this is their way of finally pushing me out.”
“It’s more than that,” I say, voicing the suspicion forming in my gut. “You have something they want.”
My father runs a hand down his tired face, a weary breath escaping him. “I agree. They’ve gone to great lengths to try and force me to sell. They’ve even been messin’ with my finances.”
I tense at the information. “How?”
“They froze my account so I couldn’t access my money then said it was a glitch.”
“No doubt it was done by my father,” Ryanne seethes, her voice thick with disgust.
He doesn’t confirm or deny her accusation but he doesn’t need to. It’s a given. August Lockwood is a wealthy investor. He funds most of the projects that are done by the founding families and has ties into all the banks around here.
“I never usually keep much at the bank anyway. I like to keep my money close and easily accessible, but I do have a business account and I had just gotten a large sum of money from a sale I’d made. Some of it went missing when that glitch happened.”
“How much?” Braxten asks.
“A few thousand.”
“Son of a bitch!” Knox spews heatedly, jumping to his feet. He begins pacing, his body wound tight with the same rage I’m feeling.
“I moved the rest of the money out and now have it in safe keeping. However, it seems they are now making good on their threats. I have no doubt the damage to my property was done by them. I just need evidence to prove it.”
“Evidence won’t matter,” Braxten spits. “They have the fucking law deep in their pockets with Toder.”
“He’s right,” Ryanne intervenes. “Between Sheriff Toder and Archer Bishop, if there’s any evidence it will be destroyed.”
“I say we eliminate them all and be done with it,” Knox says, revenge dominating his expression.
“I second that idea,” Braxten adds.
My father shakes his head. “Not yet.”
“If there was ever a time to take action, Dad, it’s now,” I tell him. “They’ve gone too fucking far this time.”
“I know and they won’t get away with it. I’m putting a plan together.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Last night I spoke with Jaxson Reid.”
My brothers and I share a look as he talks about a SEAL he met during one of the training sessions he instructed years ago. I’ve never met the guy myself but my brothers and I did a job for him a while back at the request of my father. It was a bloodbath but a necessary one, and it made the world a hell of a lot safer.
“He has a friend in the FBI who is going to be contacting me soon. He said he would be able to help us.”
“I don’t know, Thatcher,” Ryanne starts quietly. “For all we know they have someone on the inside there, too.”
“It won’t matter if they do. This agent can be trusted and is known for taking down prominent people. He’s the one who brought down Senator Michaels a few years back.”
It was a scandal that rocked the state of Georgia. The senator, among many other politicians, ran a sex trafficking ring with underage girls. Knowing this agent is the one who took them down gives me a little more hope.
“If we can find the evidence we need I have no doubt this agent can bring them down.”
“How do you suppose we do that?” Knox asks.
“What about her?” Braxten points to Ryanne. “She has a way in with her parents.”
“No!” I shut down the suggestion immediately, my hard voice leaving no room for debate. “She’s not going anywhere near them.”
“Why not?” Knox says. “It’s the least she can do.”
Ryanne stiffens, hurt bleeding from her.
“Watch it, Knox,” I warn, my eyes narrowing.
“It wouldn’t matter anyway,” Ryanne whispers. “My parents would never tell me anything. They know how I feel about Thatcher.”
Silence fills the room as we all attempt to come up with a different alternative.
“What about Gwen?” Ryanne suggests, talking about Hamilton’s widow. “She’s always been kind. She’s not at all like them. I’ll bet she knows exactly what they want with your land. I could ask her if—”
“Gwen stays out of this!” my father’s answer is clipped, a sudden hardness entering his expression.
My eyes narrow in suspicion, wondering why he wouldn’t want to involve her. She’s the perfect person considering she was married to the asshole.
“I understand. It was just a suggestion,” Ryanne says softly.
My father reaches for her hand, taking it in his. “I appreciate it. I just don’t want anyone getting hurt over this. Let me talk to the agent then we can decide what our next move will be.”
We nod, giving him our word.
“Good. Now excuse me while I check on my granddaughter and go feed some cows.” He pushes from the table and drops a kiss on Ryanne’s cheek then claps us boys on the shoulder before walking out.
Grim silence fills the kitchen before Braxten breaks it. “Fuck it. Let’s go hunting.”
I shake my head. “You heard him. We do it his way…for now.”
“And if his way doesn’t work?” Knox asks.
My eyes meet his hard ones. “Then we’ll take it upon ourselves but not until then. Right now we have to trust that Dad knows what he’s doing.”
Thatcher Creed isn’t a stupid man and he doesn’t jump the gun. He’s careful and calculated. If he’s waiting, there’s a reason, but I will only wait so long. One way or another these fuckers are going to pay for what they’ve done.
“They’ll never stop,” Ryanne whispers. “As long as they are alive and breathing, they will never stop ruining people’s lives.”
“Hey.” Grasping her chin, I force her gaze to mine. “I told you, it will be okay. We got this.”
She nods but doesn’t seem convinced.
“I’m going for a smoke.” Knox leaves the kitchen without sparing us a glance, the front door banging with his departure.
Braxten mumbles something about checking on him then follows out after him.
“They hate me,” Ryanne sighs, hurt laced in her voice.
“No, they don’t.”
“Yes, they do, especially Knox. He won’t even look at me.”
“He’s like that with everyone. Don’t take it personally.”
“Sure he is,” she grumbles.
I brush her hair to the side, pressing a kiss to her neck before tilting her face to mine. “You still mad at me?”
“Yeah.”
My lips kick up in a smirk, amused by her blunt honesty. “We
ll make sure you get over it by tonight because you aren’t sleeping with our daughter again,” I tell her on a growl, my fingers squeezing her hips.
Her pretty face pinches in a scowl. “Don’t you bark orders at me, Justice Creed. Once you stop acting like an ass then maybe I’ll share a bed with you again.”
The sass that rolls off her tongue makes my cock harden beneath my jeans. The need to bend her over this table and fuck the anger out of her burns in my blood. I consider doing exactly that but the creak of the screen door cuts through the moment, followed by Knox’s hard voice.
“We got company!”
The warning sends me to my feet, lifting Ryanne in the process. “Go get Hannah.” I leave her with the order and head for the door.
Through the screen I see it’s Sheriff Toder. My father rounds the house to greet him, my brothers not far behind. I push through the door and hop the porch railing to catch up.
“Sheriff,” my father greets him with a nod, the three of us flanking him. “What can I do for you this afternoon?”
“Just came by to let you know that we were unable to find any evidence that could lead us to the perpetrators.”
Braxten’s grunt portrays all of our disbelief.
“What about the fingerprints that were collected?” my father asks.
“No match.” His answer is as smug as his expression, my fists clenching with the need to wipe it off his face. “I’m going to assume it was just a couple teenagers causing some harmless trouble. Something I’m sure you can understand.” He makes the comment casually as he eyes the three of us.
Knox pushes forward but my father holds him back, placing a warning hand on his shoulder.
“I’d hardly call it harmless trouble, Rick. The damage is quite expensive. Some of it is even irreparable.”
Toder hefts his belt up on his thick stomach. “Well, I heard you were made a generous offer by the town. Maybe you oughta think about accepting it now.”
“You son of a bitch.” I push past my father, bringing myself toe to toe with him.
His head tilts all the way back, eyes narrowing as he meets my hard gaze. “Watch yourself, boy.”
“If I were you, I’d take your own advice, Sheriff, and share it with all your friends before someone gets hurt.”