by L. Wilder
“It’s beautiful, but …”
Big turned to me and said, “Gotta keep up the show. Nitro is supposed to be a high roller. It’s expected that he’ll stay in the best place in town.”
“Supposed to be? Hell, I am,” Nitro snickered. “Highest mother fucking roller around.”
“And that’s why you eat ramen noodles most nights,” Big taunted.
“No. I eat ramen noodles because they are the shit, brother. Pop those suckers in the microwave, and a minute later, you have yourself a hot meal.”
“You need yourself a woman.”
Nitro’s brows furrowed and his lips dropped into a frown. “I need a woman like I need a fucking bullet to the head.”
“Just saying… there’s something to be said for coming home to a hot meal on the table.” Stitch smiled as he waited for Nitro to respond.
“I’ll settle for a hot piece of ass any day.”
Listening to their banter made me realize why women don’t travel alone with three men. I think they’d all but forgotten that I was still sitting there, so I added, “The trick is finding someone who will give you both.”
I kept my smile to myself when they all turned and looked at me with surprise. Choosing to end the conversation there, Big parked the truck and we all got out. I did my best to act unfazed as we walked into the fancy hotel. It was like walking into another world and hiding my apprehension wasn’t easy. Everything glittered and shined, including all the people who stopped in their tracks and watched as we approached the front desk. The beautiful blonde receptionist smiled as she asked, “How may I help you tonight?”
“Checking in. Nathan James.”
After a few clicks on her keyboard, her eyes widened with disbelief. She quickly collected herself and purred, “Yes, Mr. James. We have the penthouse suite ready for you, along with two other rooms.”
He took out his credit card and slid it across the counter in her direction. “That’ll be perfect.”
After she rang everything up, she looked up at Nitro. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she leaned towards him and licked her bottom lip as she offered him the electronic room cards. “You’re all set. Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. James?”
There’s friendly, and then there’s the “I’m a whore, come screw me later tonight” kind of friendly. This chick was the latter, and Nitro seemed amused by her advances. A mischievous grin crossed his face as he took the cards from her hand. “This will do it… for now.”
“I’ll be right here if you need anything at all.”
After a quick nod, he turned and started for the elevator. No one spoke as we made it up to the top floor. Once we reached the penthouse, Nitro placed the card in the slot and the door clicked open. We followed him inside and I marveled at how big and luxurious the room was. I found myself staring at Nitro with visions of bank heists and large crates of drugs crossing the border. When the men started talking amongst themselves, I started to meander through the room, running the tips of my fingers across the soft fabrics and the cold marble countertops, and I was amazed at how spectacular everything was. I’d always wondered what these rooms were like, but I could’ve never imagined they’d be like this. I was still lost in wonder when Big walked over to me. “You ready to get settled?”
“Sure.”
Big took a few steps and opened the door to the side suite revealing an additional bedroom. “I’ll bring your bags up in a bit.”
“Wait. I’m staying up here… with Nitro?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“Like you said, Nitro isn’t the kind of man who has to pay for arm candy.”
“Seriously? I’m supposed to be with him?”
“It’s just for show, Josie. He’ll stay in his room, and his guys will crash on the sofas. Consider it a small sacrifice to get your sister back.”
I fought the frantic frenzy that was building inside of me, knowing I would do anything to help them find Tristen. Even though I wasn’t thrilled with the arrangement, I accepted my fate and stepped inside the room. “Fine.”
I was about to shut the door when I felt Big’s hand on my arm and I was suddenly pulled back over to him. His eyes locked on mine with a fierceness that demanded my attention. “Just so you know, I don’t like this any more than you do. If I had it my way, you’d be in my room… in my bed.”
His words hit me like a two-ton truck. I knew there was an attraction between us, I’d felt it since he’d pulled me down from that hook, but he’d never acted on it. Before I had a chance to react, he released his hold on my arm and walked away, leaving me standing there in a complete daze. Damn. I couldn’t tell if I was coming or going as I closed the door and walked over to the bed. I didn’t even bother changing clothes before crawling under the covers. There were so many emotions swirling inside of me, making me just want to curl up into a ball and cry. Tristen was just a few miles away. I wanted to go to her, tear her away from those monsters, and run far, far away from this place. Without even realizing I was crying, I felt my tears trickling down my cheeks. I’d tried so hard, did everything I could think of to get to her, and the fear of messing things up scared me to death. One wrong move and everything I’d tried to do would be in vain. I’d just about worked myself into a complete meltdown when I heard a tap at my door. I quickly wiped my tears from my face and sat up on the bed.
“It’s open.”
Nitro stepped inside with my duffle bag in his hand. “Big just dropped this off.”
“Thanks. Just leave it by the door.”
With his voice filled with concern, he asked, “You doing okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just tired.”
“I could order some room service or something?”
It was sweet of him to offer, but I wasn’t in the mood for food or company. “I’m good. Just need to get some sleep.”
“Suit yourself.” He turned to leave, but before he left, he turned back to me and said, “It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to have a complete meltdown and trudge through the damn swamps. Do what you gotta do, but by morning, you’re gonna have to shake that shit off. We need you, and your sister does, too.”
Chapter 13
Big
After spending the entire night with no sleep, I was irritable and on edge, and to make matters worse, my bad night was rolling over into a bad afternoon. I’d spent the early morning hours trying to get everything ready for the following night, and my list of things to do was steadily growing. I was busting my ass to pull it all together while my buddy Nitro was having himself a relaxing afternoon by the fucking pool.
I walked over to his lounge chair and growled, “Stitch and I are ready to set up. Gonna need the location.”
Nitro took a drag off his cigarette. “What’s with the mood? It’s a beautiful day.”
“Nitro.”
“Should have it sometime tomorrow evening.”
Everything depended on us hacking into their security feed. Without it, we’d have to go in blind, leaving us no idea what the hell we were up against. “This shit takes time. We need it now.”
“They won’t give the exact location until a couple of hours before the auction. Nothing new there, brother.”
“And you didn’t think to mention that shit?”
“Figured it wouldn’t take you long to get in there and get what you needed, especially with her helping ya.” His head motioned over to the back gate.
All the blood rushed to my cock when I spotted Josie walking in our direction. She was wearing a tiny black bikini and dark sunglasses. Her hair was pulled up into some fancy braid, and she was wearing big silver hoop earrings with silver bangles dangling at her wrists. Damn. She looked like something out of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition as she lowered herself onto the lounge chair and leaned her head back. “Afternoon, boys.”
“Looking good, sweetheart.” Nitro winked at her, and it took every ounce of my restraint not to slam my fist into his thro
at.
“Thanks, pumpkin,” Josie purred.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You wanna tell me what the hell you think you’re doing?”
“What?” She shrugged and cocked her eyebrow. “It’s all just for show, Big. You know… just a small sacrifice to get my sister back.”
After throwing my own words back in my face, she took one of the magazines off the side table and pretended to read it. Damn it all to hell. The woman was going to drive me over the fucking edge and make me do something we’d all regret.
I decided not to rile up Josie any more than she already was, so I turned my attention to Nitro when he spoke. “We’ve got company coming.”
I’d learned a long time ago that Nitro answered to no one. He ran things his way – and only his way – but now was not a time for him to keep me in the dark, especially with Josie being involved. “What kind of company?”
His eyes skirted over to Josie before he answered. “Just a friend looking to discuss a business opportunity. I have no interest in starting up anything with this guy, so it shouldn’t take long.”
“And Josie needs to be here for this shit? Dressed like that?”
She pulled her sunglasses down to the tip of her nose and glared at me. “It’s a bikini, Big. It’s not like I’m getting ready to slide down a stripper pole or anything.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, visions of her twirling around in that fucking bikini and a pair of high heels came crashing through my mind. I had to stop thinking with my dick and focus. “And this friend of yours… is he someone I should be concerned about?”
His eyes widened as he cocked his neck to the side, letting me know he didn’t want Josie to know there was trouble coming. “Business as usual. Why don’t you grab yourself a drink and take a load off?”
I took a quick glance around the pool, looking for anything suspicious, and spotted Stitch sitting across from us. He was leaning back in his chair as he sat under an umbrella with his jeans and a white t-shirt. I’d love to say that he was blending in and no one had even seen him sitting there, but a group of women were eyeballing him from across the pool. I was about to walk over to him when I spotted four men scattered along the edge of the balcony. “Aren’t those your guys?”
Nitro looked up. “Yeah. Got two more around back.”
“That’s six, Nitro. You only brought two.”
“Called the others in when my friend requested a meet.” His voice was stern and almost reprimanding. I knew he was trying to get me to drop it, but he always left out information I needed to know. I felt certain this time was no different.
“I’m gonna go get that drink,” I told him as I started walking towards the bar. After ordering a glass of ice water, I sat down at one of the tables under the canopy and waited. It didn’t take long for Nitro’s guests to arrive. They strolled in wearing short-sleeved dress shirts, revealing all their ink and gangster-style hats. The ring leader walked in front while his thugs strolled behind him checking out all the chicks at the pool.
Nitro slowly stood from his chair and greeted his so-called friend. They bantered back and forth for several minutes, and then the guy turned his attention to Josie. The way he looked at her, like she was a fucking piece of meat, made me come out of my skin. Thankfully, their conversation ended quickly and the men turned and left. Before Nitro had a chance to sit down, I whistled and motioned him over to the bar.
Now that we were alone, I asked, “What the hell was that?”
“That was me ensuring that things will go our way tomorrow night,” he smirked. “The guy? That was Pacheco.”
“Who the fuck is Pacheco?”
“The boss’s right-hand man.” He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “My guy got to bragging. Wanted me to come off as a big player. He was sent to make sure I was legit.”
“You think he bought it?”
A smug look crossed his face as he answered, “Absolutely. Why wouldn’t he? I am a big player, brother. Hell, the guy even wanted to know what kind of girl I was looking for. All but guaranteed I’d have whatever I wanted.”
“Well, at least there’s that.”
“It’s all set. So now we just wait.”
When Nitro started walking back towards Josie, I growled, “Tell her she can wait inside and to put some damned clothes on.”
He looked back over his shoulder and snickered, “Nope. I’m enjoying the view way too much for that, brother.”
Choosing to swallow my rage, I stormed out of the bar. I had no right to be angry. Josie was just doing what she’d been asked to do, and I was being an overprotective, jealous asshole. I couldn’t help myself. Every time I laid eyes on her, my entire body ached. I wanted Josie to be mine, and not having her was fucking with my head. Once I got back to the room, I went straight for the bathroom. I needed a cold shower followed by several stiff drinks. It was the only way I was going to shake the unwanted feelings that were burning in the pit of my stomach.
I don’t know how long I stayed in that shower, but it wasn’t long enough. I got out with the same feeling of hunger and one hell of a hard-on. I reached for my boxers and groaned out loud when my dick pitched a tent beneath the fabric. I was considering another cold shower when I heard a knock at my door. I should’ve checked to see who it was so I could’ve prepared myself, but my aggravation with my dick made me lose focus. Without reaching for my pants, or my shirt, or even a fucking towel, I yelled, “It’s open.”
The door eased open and my breath stopped as Josie stepped inside. She was still wearing that damned bikini, and my tent got three inches taller. Fuck. Thankfully, she was too pissed to notice. “What the hell was that at the pool?”
“If you don’t know, then there’s no point in saying it.”
She threw her hands up in the air with aggravation. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s nothing.”
A scowl crossed her face as she took another step towards me. “Don’t you give me that bullshit. You’re the one who asked me to play hooker for Nitro, and then you have the audacity to get mad at me about it.”
“I’m not mad.”
“Seriously? You’re gonna try to blow off that little display?”
“You need to remember that not everything is about you, Josie.”
I could see from the grimace on her face that my words stung, but they didn’t stop her from coming at me again. Without hesitating, she snapped, “Oh, no! This has nothing to do with me. This is about you.”
“Oh, yeah? What about me?” I crossed my arms and waited for her to continue.
She looked at me with defeat and said, “God, just forget it.”
Regret washed over me as I watched her turn towards the door. I should have let her walk out that door. Nothing good would come from having her stay, but the thought of her leaving made me call out to her. “Josie… wait.”
“What?” she pleaded as she spun around. “Just tell me what is really going on with you! Your words tell me one thing, Michael Davis, but your eyes…” she continued as she took another step towards me, “say something else entirely. For once, just tell me what you’re really thinking.”
Hearing the sound of my name from her lips was the ultimate seduction. I wanted her. There was no denying that, but I knew having her came at a cost. “Not sure I can do that.”
She walked over to me and gently placed the palm of her hand against my chest. “Tell me.”
I didn’t have the words to tell her, so I showed her. I took a step towards her and placed my hand on the nape of her neck, pulling her mouth to mine. The touch of her lips set me on fire, and I knew there was no going back, no more keeping my restraint. I would have this moment with her, and to hell with the consequences. I’d never felt such a hunger for a woman, and from the way she kissed me, there was no doubt she felt the same. It felt like I’d waited a lifetime to feel her in my arms, and now that I’d finally had her, I was afraid I’d never be able to let her
go. She felt too good, too right. The scent of her skin and the warmth of her mouth seduced my senses, making me want her even more. My hands made their way past the small of her back down to her perfect ass where I pulled her close against my body. A soft whimper escaped from her lips as they parted, allowing me to kiss her deeper. Her arms wound around my neck as I guided her over towards the bed and slowly lowered her down onto the mattress. She was absolutely divine, and I wanted to explore every inch. I trailed kisses down her neck, causing goosebumps to prickle against her skin as I made my way to her collarbone, then to her breasts.
I slipped my hands behind her back, gently releasing the clasp of her bikini top, and lowered it down her shoulders, revealing her perfect round breasts. I was in absolute heaven as I dropped my mouth to her nipple, sucking and nipping at her sensitive flesh. She was so damned perfect—just like I knew she’d be. Her heart, her body, everything called out to me, like she was made for me. She threw her head back and arched her back up towards my mouth as moans echoed around us. I looked up at her, seeing the effect that I was having on her, and my cock throbbed against my boxers. My mouth never left her breast as I drug my hard shaft against her center.
“Yes!” she chanted over and over. As much as I wanted to be inside her, my dick was going to have to wait. I wasn’t done tasting her. Her fingernails dug into my back as I gently squeezed her breast and raked my teeth across her erect nipple. She squirmed and groaned as I lowered my mouth to her ribcage and down to her stomach. Each kiss, each tiny taste, made me hungry for more. A gasp hissed through her teeth as I lowered my head between her legs. I tenderly licked and kissed her inner thighs, then planted soft kisses on either side of her bikini bottoms. Her hips lifted off of the mattress as I pressed the palm of my hand firmly against her center, rhythmically rubbing her clit. I smiled when I saw that she was already wet. The anticipation of what I was going to do to her was getting to her just as much as it was getting to me.
“Oh, god. Don’t stop,” she pleaded.
“I have no intention of stopping, Josie.” I kissed along her inner thigh. “I’m just getting started.”