by Piper Stone
Every one of them acknowledged our presence.
The attorney had been right. I was damn proud of my brother.
I knew without a shadow of a doubt that if someone had hurt him intentionally, they would face the kind of wrath and vengeance that I’d been trained for.
To kill in cold blood if necessary.
Chapter Ten
Hawk
“Stay low to the ground. You will shoot on my orders only.” My instructions were whispered, but my men heard every word.
“You sure about this?” Mustang whispered as he crawled forward, his gun positioned toward the camp.
“He’s sure,” Scorpion answered for me, already in position and waiting for my order.
“This is the only chance of getting him out alive,” I answered, hissing as I noticed a group of soldiers hovering near the dilapidated bunker. I knew their movements, had studied them on the infrared scanners for three nights, always the same. Tonight, the fuckers were alternating their pattern. Goddamn the worthless pieces of shit.
I waved my hand to the others, drawing Vader and Reaper closer, pointing to altered positions. Patience had never been my virtue and tonight, the entire situation was grating my last nerve. The insurgents had never been on the radar as far as the military was concerned, yet their numbers were growing.
As well as their methods of punishing any captured American soldier. It was time to eradicate the faction once and for all.
Too bad not everyone followed my belief.
The night was quiet, far too much for the mission in front of us, but I refused to succumb to fear. We would locate Snake and we would rescue him.
As the soldiers laughed, the smoke of their cigarettes blowing in our direction, I held my breath until they disappeared.
“On the count of three,” I whispered. “One. Two...”
Fuck.
I couldn’t get away from the visions, the memories clouding every inch of my mind. Drake’s death had only fueled the ache burning in my loins, the need to retaliate against the enemy.
Only this time, it was on home turf, the enemy someone Drake could have known, even trusted.
Meanwhile, I trusted almost no one.
“You okay?” Bryce asked, as if sensing my sudden tension.
“I’ll be better when you learn to follow my rules,” I muttered before nipping her earlobe.
“And you know that’s never going to happen,” she said, her body quivering against mine.
I tried to concentrate on the moment, yanking myself away from both the war and the ugly memories. A lot of fucking good that did. I could still see Snake’s smiling face, could hear his laugh. He’d been the practical joker of the group, the one who’d often kept the rest of us from going insane. He’d also been careless, forgetting his extensive training.
Gracie’s soft snorts brought me fully into the present.
As I rode through a bank of trees, I allowed Gracie to take the lead. She remembered the path, the time she and I had spent alone in our effort to get away from the family. The spot had been my place to think and plan. I’d never even taken a single member of the posse to the location, preferring to keep it to myself. If they’d known, parties would have occurred, destroying the quiet reverence I’d learned I needed.
I’d also never taken a girl here before, something that struck me the moment Gracie shot through to the clearing. Why did I want to bring Bryce here? The question was yet another in a long list that I wasn’t prepared to face or answer.
Memories were funny things. Often you would remember a special place fondly, only to find out that what you’d been pining for was entirely different. There wasn’t a human alive who didn’t need a place of respite and peace. The small lake had been mine. Fed from mountain springs, the water was crystal clear, rippling over small rocks. The secluded spot was just as tranquil as I’d remembered, although only a few hundred yards away, it spilled into a portion of the river.
“This is incredible, Hawk,” she whispered. “Picturesque.”
“This is the very reason my parents wanted the property. They even thought about building the house close, but the property lines would have backed it up to our neighbors and that didn’t suit my father.” I took a deep breath, able to smell the pine trees and the various wildflowers stretching out to the brilliant late summer sun.
“I could see a beautiful little cottage right over there,” she said, pointing to the bank on the opposite side. “One that has a wraparound porch with a hanging swing. And flowers. Lots of beautiful pots spilling with vibrant color.”
To hear her talk about the same kind of environment that my mother had wanted was as cathartic as it was touching.
“That’s exactly where my mother wanted it.” I eased off the horse, pulling her down. When her foot accidentally caught in the stirrup, she stumbled into my arms.
“Oh!” She pressed her hand against my chest, her mouth pursing as she took several shallow breaths.
Gracie offered another snort as she turned her head.
“What are you looking at?” I murmured to her before turning my attention to Bryce.
“You’re a very complicated man.”
“I told you, I’m dangerous. You should learn to stay away from me.”
“What if I can’t?” she asked, her tone laced with seductiveness.
I lifted her chin with a single finger, slowly shaking my head. “Then you might find nothing but heartache.”
Damn if her lower lip wasn’t trembling, her reaction driving straight into what was left of my heart. I knew in my gut that she deserved a hell of a lot better than me. I also didn’t want to hurt her, but my desire was something I had difficulty fighting. As I lowered my head, pressing my lips against hers, she arched her back, crowding closer.
She clung to me, rising as far onto her toes as much as her boots would allow. Parting her lips, she brushed them lightly across mine, finally darting the tip of her tongue just inside my mouth. Everything was slow and easy, a complete one-eighty from the powerful round of passion we’d shared before.
This woman was addictive, a drug I couldn’t resist.
Her smile.
Her insidious laugh.
Her haughty attitude.
Then there was one voluptuous body that would keep any man awake at night, dreaming of vile, incredible things.
Bryce could light up a room with her smile, even if her caustic mouth forced people to cringe. I knew how to handle her.
How to tame her.
Own her.
There was nothing or no one that was going to stop me.
Every part of me wanted to take her right here, ripping off her clothes and taking my time fucking her in every hole. I fisted her hair, savoring the softness of her curls as I held her still, allowing her to tease and explore. I’d never been a romantic, couldn’t care less for the pretense of dating or holding hands, but this was entirely different.
I longed to take my time studying every inch of her delicious body. Unable to stop my hunger, I captured her mouth, taking control. She didn’t fight me, yet ground her hips against mine, yanking the beast out of his lair. Her soft murmurs fueled my aching need, the electricity soaring between us.
My balls were tight, my cock swelling to an anguished point. The feisty woman knew exactly what she was doing to me, exaggerating the way she undulated back and forth. I thrust my tongue inside, entwining both as the kiss continued. I couldn’t get enough of her, my mind foggy, my vision blurry.
I ran my fingers down her sides, brushing them against the soft swell of her breasts. She shuddered at my touch, her entire body shaking. I felt the same as her fingers danced down my chest, moving dangerously close to my aching cock. There were so many thoughts racing through my mind, my head aching from the mind-bending desires that only fueled the unbridled hunger breaching the surface.
The adrenaline rush was almost crippling, my muscles aching.
When I finally broke the moment of intimacy, he
r eyes remained closed, her breath skipping. She dragged her tongue across her lips, allowing a soft purr. I was mesmerized by her shimmering skin, the way the sun reflected off her cheeks. A wry smile crossing her lips, she slid her hand down my chest, stroking me through the dense fabric of my jeans.
“Careful what you’re doing there, little lady. You already know I bite.”
“And I’m not afraid of you. Big. Bad. Wolf.”
“Hmmm... Then I need to remind you that I’m a wildcard, capable of doing any damn thing I please.”
She pulled away from me, taking long strides backwards, the smile on her face mischievous.
“Then you’re going to have to catch me.”
I chuckled, shaking my head as she attempted to run away, her laughter trailing behind her. I had to admit that I enjoyed the hell out of the way she tried to move quickly even in her stiff boots. Shaking my head, I shifted my gaze toward Gracie, the horse giving several swings of her head. “I know. The woman is incorrigible, isn’t she?”
Gracie snorted her answer, stamping her hoof onto the ground.
“You’re right. It’s time we teach her a lesson about who’s boss.”
The mare’s elongated whinny was her absolute approval.
Bryce’s laughter continued as she darted from one tree to the other, taunting me as only the woman could do.
“Uh-huh. Be careful what you ask for,” I warned her as I tugged the rope from the loop on Gracie’s saddle.
“Oh, I’m not asking,” she commented.
“Did I ever tell you that I was once the junior rodeo champion?” I rolled the rope between my fingers, savoring the feel of the knotted material against the rough pads of my fingertips.
“Sure you were. You can’t catch me,” she retorted, still laughing.
“Oh, the little girl has no idea, does she, Gracie?” I shifted my gaze back to the horse’s eyes, growling under my breath. I wanted to capture her.
Strip her.
Use her.
The barbarian cowboy in me surfaced as I knotted one end of the rope, tugging on it as I walked closer to Bryce’s location. Finally satisfied, I swung it in circles in the air, making certain that she was able to see what she was in for.
Even from the distance, I could see her eyes opening wide, her lovely mouth pursing in consternation. Then she took off running again, zigzagging her way in and out of the trees.
I took long strides in her direction, constantly swinging the rope as I approached. When she disappeared for a split second, hiding behind a massive oak tree, I shook my head. “You can run, Red Riding Hood, but there is nowhere on this earth where I won’t find you.”
There were no sounds for a few seconds, other than the leaves shifting in the light breeze and the water tumbling over rocks on the shore. I continued moving forward, catching a glimpse of her long hair.
“Tsk. Tsk. You have one chance to surrender or there will be hell to pay.” My voice boomed into the late afternoon sun, yet she didn’t make a sound.
At least at first.
I stood my ground, still swinging the rope, enjoying every minute of the chase. “Come out, come out wherever you are,” I bellowed.
“You won’t take me!” she exclaimed, bolting away from the dense bank of underbrush, running into the clearing.
Another growl erupted from my gut, the sound completely one of a barbarian hunter ready to catch his prey. All I had to do was take four more long strides, calculating the distance then tossing the rope. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as it careened through the air, falling ever so gracefully toward the ground, the wide arc drifting around her delicious body.
With one hard snap of my wrist, the rope snagged exactly as it was supposed to, the knot slipping until she was captured with ease.
“Oh!” she screeched, struggling to get out of my hold, falling to the ground seconds later.
Biting back a laugh, I walked forward as I yanked on the rope, dragging her gently over the ground. She rolled and tumbled, her arms caught in the giant sling.
But she refused to stop fighting, trying to dig her boots into the ground.
I took my time reeling her in, enjoying her strained and hateful expression. When she was dutifully positioned just in front of me, I hunkered down, remaining quiet while she cursed up a blue streak.
“Such nasty words for such a beautiful lady.”
She jerked her head in my direction, her body pitching back and forth. “I’m going to get you for this.”
I rubbed my temple, glancing out toward the water. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen. See, I’m the one in charge. The sooner you realize that the better.”
“Never!”
Every part of me was stoked like a raging fire, the flames licking at all portions of my body. While I enjoyed the game, more so than I would have ever imagined, I was hungry for more. Insatiable was the actual word. “You continue to need hard lessons.”
“No, I do not,” Bryce insisted.
“Hmmm... Let’s count the reasons why. You have a sailor’s mouth, a refusal to follow any rules, a need to thwart authority and... oh, yes. You have a nasty attitude.”
“Me? You’re the bull in a china shop. Ugh!” She fought even harder, rolling back and forth, the rope digging in.
“I think we have a dilemma here,” I finally said after a few seconds. “Now, I can strip you naked then tie you to one of the trees where I’ll leave you for maybe an hour. Or two. The creatures won’t feast on you too much, I mean not at first at least. I’ll return at some point to give you another well-deserved spanking.”
“Don’t you dare! That’s not fair,” she moaned.
“I think it’s extremely fair.” I could barely contain my laughter even as she further ignited the fire.
“I’ll do anything. Please.” Her face was twisted as she lifted her head, the venom in her eyes tenfold from where it had been before.
“Anything, huh?” I moved the rope from one hand to the other. “Let me think about this.”
“You’re a bastard!”
“Yes, I am well aware. So this dilemma we have.” I closed my eyes, taking a full minute before I held out a single finger. “Or, you could show your appreciation for me letting you go.”
“I already told you I’d do anything.”
“All right. I’ll accept your deal. Just remember that you said anything.”
“Fine. Anything!”
Goddamn, this woman was driving me bat-shit crazy, my cock pushing so hard against my jeans my balls were blue. Relief was desperately needed. “Then you’re going to give me one hell of a blowjob.”
She snapped her head in my direction as I moved closer. Instead of the nasty look of retaliation, the smile on her face would drive any man into committing pure sin. My heart slammed against my chest, the brutal hammering nearly suffocating.
“Do you accept?” I asked, watching as she managed to crawl onto her knees.
“Only if you release me,” she said coyly.
“Not a chance, sweetheart. I may be a cowboy at heart, but I’m no fool. I think you can handle yourself just fine while all tied up.”
Her brow furrowed, her look of defiance returning. “Oh, I can handle myself all right. We’ll just see how you handle my hot, wet mouth.”
“Challenge accepted.” I unbuttoned my jeans, taking a deep breath when she managed to rub the insides of my thighs, her fingers tickling every nerve ending. “See, you don’t have any issue working around your strict confinement. I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
“Don’t tease me,” she purred before taking her time pulling down my zipper. “You don’t know the kind of woman you just pushed over the edge.”
“And I’m certain you’re going to show me.” I shuddered, a breathless sound escaping my mouth as she tugged on both sides of the dense material, yanking until she was able to free my cock and balls. Damn, I ached all over, my sense of hunger off the charts.
She blew across m
y cock, her fingers caressing my thighs. I had to admit that I liked the sight of her wrapped tightly by the rope. I could do anything I wanted to her. Hmmm...
I would do all those things and more over the next several hours.
“Just remember what I told you,” she whispered then ran her hand under my shaft, drawing her finger up and down the length before wrapping it around my swollen sac.
The moment she squeezed, I let out a ragged hiss. “Fuck.” I realized my legs were shaking, my entire body electrified like some power grid.
Bryce slowly lowered her head, blowing across my cockhead before darting out her tongue, darting it across my sensitive slit only once. Then she eased back, gazing into my eyes, hers only half open.
“One bad girl,” I struggled to say, finally wrapping my hand around several strands of her hair, holding her in place.
Mewing, she rubbed her lips up and down my shaft, dragging her tongue around my balls in lazy circles. Every action she made drove me closer to the very edge of my own sanity. This was pure filth and I could do this every damn day.
She continued sliding her tongue up and down the length of my cock, slathering it with wetness, adding to the series of tingles cresting in my body.
I was forced to hold my breath as she sucked on my testicles, making the kind of guttural sounds that I could listen to forever. After a few seconds, I jutted my hips forward, merely as a reminder that I needed her hot little mouth wrapped around every inch of my cock.
The feel of her tongue darting back and forth until she took my cockhead into her mouth created a fog in my mind.
“Fuck. That’s it, baby. Suck me.” I wasn’t certain if my voice was audible. I kept my grip firm as she used her strong jaw muscles to suck on the tip, every sound she made exaggerated. She knew exactly what she was doing to me and as I gazed down with hazy eyes, I could see utter amusement. Another added fuel to the fire.
Allowing an exaggerated breath to escape, I finally closed my eyes, enjoying the sensations coursing through my cells and muscles as she sucked me.
Her sounds were more like a caged lion as she licked, rolling her tongue back and forth, her hands still able to stroke the base. As she twisted her long fingers, creating a serious round of friction, I struggled to be able to breathe.