“You need to tell her first. It’ll be better coming from you, not that puta.”
I chuckle. “You’re very sweary lately, Teresa.”
“Lo siento, sir. It’s just . . . you and Lily have been through too much. Don’t let that woman ruin everything.”
She turns her back on me, twisting on the faucets, and begins washing dishes. Zoning out, the light click of the front door snaps me back to attention. I jump up and twist, freezing as Lily and Dresden stroll into the house . . . holding hands.
Her eyes meet mine and she lets go of him, rushing to me and throwing her arms around my neck. She smells of sweat, blood, gunpowder . . . and Lily. I bury my face in her hair and squeeze her to me.
“I love you,” I whisper into her neck, kissing her skin and nipping gently at it.
She shivers under my touch, a sensual response that gives me an instant erection and an ache to be inside her.
“I love you, too.” She kisses my chest and runs her hands through my hair.
Too soon, she pulls away and turns toward Dresden, but slides her arm around my waist.
“That was some crazy shit you two did,” I say to him, my tone clipped as I extend my hand to shake his.
He smiles, shaking his head and my hand at the same time. “Welcome to our world. I’ll see you all tomorrow. I’m going to shower and see if my woman is still awake.”
“You hungry, Lily,” Teresa says shutting off the water.
“No, Teresa. Thank you. Honestly, I want a shower and to take all this shit off. It weighs a ton.”
Teresa nods, giving Lily a small smile before trudging off toward her bedroom. I take Lily’s hand in mine, running my thumb over her engagement ring. I bring it to my lips, planting a kiss on the diamond, and she smiles, a slow blush creeping onto her cheeks.
“Come on, let’s take a shower.”
In the bathroom, I throw on the shower as Lily peels the blood-sodden clothes off and sets them in the sink. Her left cheek is a light purple, matching the faint bruises spotting her ribs as she pulls her shirt off.
She throws her remaining weapons on the counter. Everything in me fills with desire as her shoulder muscles flex from her leaning forward to grip the counter. She cracks her neck, bowing her head, and softly, I trail my fingertips up her spine, unclasping her bra in the process.
She shivers again as I press my erection into her side, sliding the straps down her arms. Goosebumps rise on her arms as I cup her breasts, running my thumbs over her nipples. Pressing my lips to her shoulder, she arches her back, moaning softly.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Hmm,” she hums.
“Did anything happen between you and Dresden while you were gone?”
Her body tenses and straightens as she turns to face me. Confusion clouds her beautiful blue irises. “What do you mean?”
I huff, my anger dancing again. “Did you fuck him while you and he were off playing assassins?”
She shrinks back visibly as if I’ve just slapped her. “No. Why the hell would you even think that?”
Relief floods my limbs so fast it’s almost euphoric. I reach for her, but she pulls away from me.
Shit.
“Why would you think that?” Her voice is soft and full of hurt.
“Lily, I didn’t mean anything . . . I . . . it’s just the way he looks at you now. The way he hugged you earlier. You guys were holding hands when you came in tonight. You’ve been gone a year; I didn’t know if maybe . . .”
“Dresden and I are friends, Blake. Very good friends, yes, but nothing more.”
Sincerity rings in her words and a sickening feeling slams into my gut. Lily has shown me so many times how much she loves me. Everything she’s done in the last 18 months has been for me, for us— to protect us and keep The Taurus away from me and Sorina.
I cup the side of her face and she leans into my touch this time. “I’m sorry, Lily. Forgive me. I’m still trying to deal with everything.”
She cradles her hand over mine and steps toward me, running her other hand underneath my shirt and up my chest. “I know. I’m sorry, babe.”
Leaning forward, she presses her lips to mine. Passion courses through me, lighting every nerve I have on fire. My shoulder smarts as I wrap her in my arms, but I ignore it. The kiss deepens and I yank at her pants, hungry to be inside her.
She pulls my shirt over my head and trails her tongue down my chest. My fingers knot in her hair as she unbuttons my pants and yanks them down. I press my lips to hers, stepping out of my clothes, pressing her against the sink.
I want to hear her scream my name.
Shimming out of her pants, she kicks them across the bathroom, and I grab her ass and lift her onto the edge of the sink. She screams as I slam into her, squeezing her hips, forcing her down onto my erection.
“Mmmm. All. Mine,” I say through gritted teeth as I thrust into her repeatedly.
“Blake!”
“That’s it, baby.”
Wrapping her legs around me, I lose myself in her. She gasps and moans as I grind into her, harder with each push, both of us tensing as we climb toward heavy climaxes.
“Ah, Blake,” she yells, tightening around me.
I slam into her three more times and find my release. My heart pounding as I cradle her to my chest.
“God, I missed this. I missed you,” I pant against her neck.
She lightly runs her nails across my back. “I missed you too, baby.”
It’s in this moment I know, no matter what it takes, I’ll move heaven and earth— walk through the fires of hell to keep her. She’s mine and she’s all I’ll ever need or want.
†††
~Lily~
Blake and I spend two days in bed only getting up to shower. Teresa brought our food to us, and for the first time in a year, I’m sated and content. He’s snoring softly next to me, his face peaceful and serene.
I slide from bed and shrug into a pair of jeans and a tank top. As much as I’d like to stay with him, I need to stretch and touch base with Hyde. Unplugging my cell, I slide it into my pocket and quietly head to the front porch. Blake needs to sleep. He’s pushing too hard for his arm to heal and the last two days haven’t been good for it.
Hyde isn’t likely to be up at six in the morning, but I dial his cell anyway.
“Monroe.”
“Oh, you’re up. Good morning, sir.” I can’t hide my surprise.
“Morning, Viper. What’s going on at the safe house?”
“Nothing much, sir. Mine and Dresden’s first assignment went well. Everyone is settling in for the most part.”
He chuckles. “How are things between you and Agent Johanson?”
“Other than I’d like to kill that bitch? They’re fine, sir.”
“Lily. I’m working on getting her out of there, but Bates is adamant that she stays. I’ll keep trying.”
“Thank you, sir.” A gunshot echoes from the side of the house. “Let me call you back, sir.”
I push the phone into my pocket and jog around the house, stopping short. Sorina is sitting on the ground watching Agent Morris practice with a 9mm. He smiles at her, chatting happily after each shot. My heart warms, watching her laugh, the morning sun glistening off her black hair. It’s grown a lot in the last year, nearly down to her waist now.
Quietly, I stroll toward them. Morris is a good shot. He’s firing on a body outline, hitting head or heart with every round. Not bad for a nineteen-year-old who’s never been on a real assignment before.
“I’d like to learn to use weapons like your mom,” he says before firing another round. “I mean, did you see her with that shotgun? And the hunter’s knife? No wonder she’s got the reputation she has.”
“Yeah. She’s something else,” Sorina mutters.
“Well, that doesn’t sound flattering.” They both jump at my voice.
“Agent Williams,” Morris says, stiff and professional.
I chuckle as S
orina stands, her shoulders squared, eyes apprehensive. “Relax. You can call me Lily or Viper. Everyone else does.”
His shoulders sag as he lets out a relieved breath. Sorina puts her arms around my waist and presses her head into my chest. I hold her tight, thankful she isn’t still being so distant. She steps back and runs her fingers across the bruise on my cheek, sadness pulling at her eyes.
“Are we ever going to have a normal life?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.” I tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ears. “I hope so.”
“Interpol hasn’t given you a time frame on this WITSEC stuff,” Morris asks.
“What’s your first name, kid?”
“Uh, Samuel,” he stutters, blushing a little.
“Well, Samuel, we’ll be in WITSEC until Dresden and I kill every Taurus member we can and ensure Sorina and Blake’s safety. You’re one hell of a shot, but if we get ambushed that gun may not do you much good.”
He tilts his head to the side and chuckles. “I know. I figure while we’re here, I can learn to use some other weapons.”
On a table to the right, he’s laid out a handful of other things.
At least he’s willing to learn.
“Have Rhett teach you to wield a machete, he’s deadly with those.”
Samuel’s eyes widen in disbelief and Sorina’s mouth drops open.
“You mean . . . you all will teach me?”
I nod. “Talk to Dresden about hand-to-hand combat. You’ll see how he got his codename. Vlad can teach you to use hunting knives. He taught me. And this . . .” I unravel the leather whip. “I’ll teach you to use.”
“Who taught you, Mom?”
Sadness fills my heart, memories of me at seventeen, blindfolded in a training room, nothing to protect myself but a whip. Strong hands grasp my shoulders and massage gently.
“Jax taught your Ma how to use one of those. But, eventually, she became even better than him,” Dresden says in a low voice, knowing that’s one person I don’t want to think about yet.
I sigh as he snakes his arms around my waist, pulling my back against his front. Dresden is a safe haven now. He’s a better friend to me than I deserve, and after a year trudging through shithole after shithole, my affection toward him is unwavering.
Sorina raises her eyebrows and I tilt my head, questioning her with my eyes. She’s wondering about the embrace, which is strange for her to see since she and Blake are the only people I used to tolerate this close.
“Agent Scholl, Viper says I should ask you about training me in hand-to-hand combat,” Samuel says stiffly.
It’s clear this kid wants to do well and wants our approval. He’s nothing like his partner, thank God. If he were, I’d have to slap him to death.
Dresden releases me and steps toward the clearing. “Sure, kid. Show me what you got.”
Samuel squares his shoulders and follows Dresden into the open space. Sorina and I sit on the ground as they start with basic blocking techniques. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, and she leans into me, her eyes following Samuel’s every move.
“You like him?”
She tenses. “Yeah, a little.”
“He’s a good bit older than you.”
“Only five years. You and Dad are eight years apart.”
I chuckle. “True. But, I’m over eighteen. You’re not.”
“Mom, I’m not like kids my age.” The defiance and agitation in her voice are palpable.
Kissing her temple, I squeeze her shoulder. “I know, sweetheart. Just . . . don't start a physical relationship with him. Fact is you’re young and legally, he’d lose his job and probably go to prison.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Interpol finds out and they take statutory rape seriously. Whether you consent or not, you’re not old enough.”
“How old do I have to be?”
“As long as we’re in Maryland . . . sixteen.”
Her brows crease as she runs a hand through her hair. “Okay.”
We sit in silence, watching as Dresden puts Samuel through his paces. The kid keeps up for the most part, but I know Dresden isn’t going full force. Not like he does when we train.
“Mom, can I ask you something without you getting angry?”
“Sure.”
“Is something going on between you and Uncle Dresden?”
I cough, choking on the breath flowing into my lungs. “Why does everyone think that? Christ, no. There is nothing going on between us, Sorina. We are friends. That’s it.”
“Dad thinks there is. So does Agent Johanson.”
Anger boils in my veins. “Well, your father and I have already discussed this. Agent Johanson can go fuck herself.”
Sorina opens her mouth but closes it quickly. Shaking my head, we turn our attention back to the boys.
If this shit keeps up, I’m going to gut someone.
8
~Lily~
The dinner table is quiet, except for the hushed conversation between Sorina and Samuel. Blake keeps his left hand on my thigh, gently squeezing it every few minutes. I’ve been trying to get him to put the sling back on, but he’s as stubborn as ever.
“So, Blake,” Vlad says, finally breaking the silence. “Have you and Lily decided on a wedding date, yet?”
I laugh. “Vlad, can we get through one thing at a time, please.”
“Yes. His father and I would like to give them a large wedding, not some hidden thing here.” Carmen’s tone is sweet, but still sharp around the edges.
I’ve hardly seen any of them in the month we’ve been here. Everyone’s kept to themselves. It’s hard for Dresden and me to get out of our routine, every morning we’ve trained for two hours, and he spends the afternoons training with Samuel.
“If there’s a wedding,” Maria mutters under her breath.
Blake gives her a look that could kill. “Don’t start,” he snaps at her.
“Whatever. I’m sure Dresden won’t mind sharing now that they’re home.”
I slam my fist on the table making everyone jump. “If one more person accuses me of that, I swear to god, I’ll put a bullet in every motherfucker in this room and then we won’t need WITSEC anymore. I did not, have not, and would not have sex with Dresden. No offense, man.”
“Is this why everyone has been so standoffish? You all think something is going on with Lily and me.” Dresden’s voice is deadly low. “Shannon?”
She’s the only one who looks as agitated as I feel.
“No, Dresden, I don’t. Everyone else does, but I know neither of you would do that. My brother is everything to Lily. Unlike some people, I don’t doubt she’d stay faithful to him, and I don’t doubt you’ve stayed faithful to me.”
Her gaze meets mine, and sadness flashes in her brown irises.
Something is up . . .
“Right. She’s fucked how many men in her lifetime, and you don’t think one more would make a difference?”
Before I can stop myself, I vault out of my chair and slam a right hook into Maria’s face.
“Lily, don’t,” Vlad yells as I land another punch into her face.
“That’s right,” she says, scooting across the floor away from me. “Hitting a pregnant woman is sure to win you a Medal of Honor.”
“What!” Several voices boom, as everyone gets up from the table.
Maria gets to her feet, wiping the blood from her lip with the back of her hand, a wicked gleam in her eye. “You didn’t think he’d wait forever, did you? I mean, after all, according to Interpol, you were dead.”
I sway as dizziness hits me like a Mack truck, the warmth draining from my face, coldness creeping into my bones.
No . . . he wouldn’t . . .
“You’re pregnant?” Blake’s voice breaks through the fuzziness.
“Yes,” she says with a sinister smile playing at her lips. “And if that bitch touches me again, she’ll find herself out of a job.”
“Don’t call my fiancée a bitc
h again,”
“Ex-fiancée,” I whisper, my breath catching in my throat as I gently pull the engagement ring from my finger.
My hands shake as I unclasp the bracelet, squeezing them tight in my hands. Blake’s eyes well with tears, his face pale.
“Lily, please, let me explain,” he begs.
“Explain what? That you accused me of being with Dres when you were with her?” I set the ring and bracelet on the table.
His eyes dart to them and back as the tears spill over his cheeks. Everything hurts— my chest, my arms, my legs. It’s as if someone threw me in front of a bus and instead of dying, I got up and kept going.
“I told you to tell her,” Vlad snaps, anger saturating his tone.
My head snaps up, the air flowing unevenly from my lungs. My eyes dart around the room, and it hits me . . . they all know. Every person in here, except Dresden, whose eyes shine with a gleam I’ve only ever seen when he kills, knew Blake fucked this bitch in my absence.
And no one told me.
“Lily, just calm down, honey,” Carmen says as if she’s talking to a caged animal.
“Fuck you,” I say, clutching my chest. “Eleven years. Eleven years I’ve spent with you all, and not one of you thought to tell me.”
Vlad rushes to my side and grabs my shoulder. I push away from him and without thinking, punch him as hard as I can. “Don’t touch me.”
“Shannon,” Dresden whispers behind me. “You knew?”
She sniffles. “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t my place, Dresden. Blake has to fix his own mistakes.”
“This isn’t a mistake,” he yells. “This is downright bullshit. You all remember what she was like when we started this assignment. You learned about what she’s been through. None of you stopped to think, ‘Hey, Lily’s been hurt enough.’”
“Dresden, please,” Shannon whispers.
“No. We’re supposed to be a family, Shannon. Family doesn’t lie to one another. I’m done.”
“What?” Her voice cracks.
The Gallows at Midnight Page 6