by Chrys Fey
“Keep eye contact with me…the whole time.” He slipped into her. Her eyes fluttered. “Keep eye contact with me,” he repeated.
Her gaze met his. He could feel her uncertainty at first. Holding someone’s eye contact could be an uncomfortable feeling for most people, but as he stroked inside her, her eyes widened as her pleasure built. He could see her fully let go. She was giving him all of herself. Gazing into her eyes, seeing her changes, only increased his own desire. He breathed with her, inhaling and exhaling to the speed of their love making. He kept his pace slow so he could take it all in—the feel of her and the sight of her. Her mouth opened to release the cries bottled up inside her. Seeing and hearing it made him groan. It was a beautiful thing to witness. Only at the moment of release did they break eye contact.
****
In the morning, Donovan woke excited to leave the cramped motel room and take Beth home. He kissed her shoulder. Her sleeping mouth quirked up at the corners. “Are you ready to go home?”
Her head nodded on the pillow. “Mm-hmm.”
He smiled and kissed the delicious curve of her bare shoulder again. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Okay.” Beth spoke without opening her eyes. “I’ll make us breakfast.”
The other day, Thorn had dropped off a few groceries for them so they could make breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Donovan couldn’t wait to have more food to eat than the few items in the fridge. For dinner, he was thinking about steak and potatoes. “Thanks, babe.”
On his way to the bathroom, Beth said, “If I make breakfast, can you do something for me?” She was sitting up in bed, holding the comforter to her chest.
He leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb. “Sure.”
She offered him a dazzling smile. “Can you shave?”
Chuckling, he ran his hand over his cheeks. “You don’t like my whiskers?”
“I think you’re handsome either way, but I like to see…and kiss…all of your face.”
He rubbed his jawline. His mouth tilted up. If your wife wanted to kiss your face, then you shaved so she could. He nodded. “I’ll get my razor.”
****
Eggs scented the air when he stepped out of the bathroom. Beth stood in the kitchen with the bedsheet wrapped around her body like a dress. He sucked in a breath between his teeth. “This is a great way to seduce me.”
She turned around. In her hand, she held the spatula.
“Even better,” he said.
She peered at the spatula and threw her head back in laughter. “Very funny.” She sauntered up to him. With her other hand, she caressed his smooth cheek. Then she pressed her cheek to his. “Mm. I like this a lot.”
“And I like this a lot.” His hands molded to her hips. “I’d like it even more if it was off.” His fingers reached for the knot of fabric between her breasts.
Beth swatted his hand and slunk from his reach. “Thorn will be here soon, and I need to take a shower.” She slid eggs onto a plate. “You can eat. I had a piece of toast.”
“Not hungry?”
“Not really. The smell of the eggs is actually making me a little queasy.” She waved her hand in the air. “It’s nothing. I get nauseas sometimes before my period.”
Donovan frowned and put his arms around her. “Maybe that stomach bug you had isn’t fully gone.”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
But he didn’t remove his arms as he continued to study her face. She didn’t look sick. Her face wasn’t pale. Her eyes sparkled, and there was a touch of pink to her cheeks.
She placed a quick kiss on his lips. “Seriously, I’m okay. I’m going to shower.”
He reluctantly released her. While she showered, he ate his eggs and toast and then gathered items from around the motel room. He set the duffle bags and backpack on the bed and started to pack for their return home. What would they do to stay safe while at home? Sure, they had an advanced security system, but that wouldn’t stop Viper from breaking into their house.
He wished they had a panic room, but he didn’t have the kind of money it would cost to build one. Donovan lowered onto the edge of the bed as he thought about what they could do if Viper came for them at home. Without police posted outside, they’d be on their own. Only one defensive tactic came to mind—fight. Followed by another—kill. Viper would try to do that, so they’d have to do the same.
Beth came out of the bathroom wearing a black T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was in a high ponytail that swayed as she moved. She picked up her sneakers and sat down on the bed next to him to slip her feet into them. “I’m going to go checkout and return the room key. Thorn should be here in a minute.” She tucked the baseball hat Donovan had worn onto her head and took a step toward the door.
“Wait.” Donovan pounced to his feet. He went to the corner where Thorn had sat during the first night they were there. He scanned the parking lot. A cop car was still sitting across the way, in full view of their room. The rest of the parking lot was empty. He shifted to get a good view of the sidewalk that led to the right. A few rooms down sat the reception room. He would be able to keep an eye on her the whole way there.
He nodded. “Okay. I’m going to watch you.”
“You mean, make sure I’m not kidnapped again?”
His gaze flicked to her. “That’s not funny.”
“You have to admit, though, I have an impressive streak.”
“Still not funny.”
“I know. It was a pathetic attempt at lightening the situation.” She kissed his cheek. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She unlocked the door, stepped out, and shut the door behind her.
She walked along the sidewalk at a steady pace. Her head stared straight ahead. He was proud of her for not looking around and tipping off anyone who could be scrutinizing her. She got to the reception room and entered it, moving out of Donovan’s line of sight. He glanced at the cop car, satisfied they’d monitor her return.
He unceremoniously stuffed their dirty clothes into the duffle bags and zipped them closed. The final item he had to pack was his laptop, which he slipped into the backpack. He piled their luggage beside the door.
Our guns. He had almost forgotten about them. He took a step toward the headboard, but a knock on the door made him stop. That was fast. At the door, he peered through the peep hole. Beth wasn’t on the other side, though. It was Thorn. Donovan took off the chain, spun the deadbolt between his fingers, and opened the door.
Thorn’s hands were lifted on either side of his head. The stance amused Donovan. “What are you surrendering for?” he snorted.
Thorn’s dark gaze penetrated Donovan. The despair there struck Donovan in the chest. Thorn’s head marginally shook from side to side. His eyes shifted to the right.
Donovan’s spine straightened. Ice laced his vertebrae. His hand went cold around the door handle. The barrel of a gun came into view from behind the wall and touched the right side of Thorn’s head. Another barrel appeared from the left.
Donovan swallowed. His heart pummeled his chest like a sledge hammer trying to break through a concrete wall. A shape shifted into his line of sight. His gaze latched onto Viper as he stepped from behind Thorn, placing yet another gun to Thorn’s head.
“He’s surrendering to me,” Viper sneered.
Donovan prayed Beth had caught sight of what was happening and had sought refuge in the reception room. He wanted her to stay away. Far away. He looked past Viper to the cop car. Behind the windshield, the two cops were motionless.
“Don’t worry about them,” Viper said. “They’re dead.” He moved the gun from the back of Thorn’s head to over his shoulder, pointing it at Donovan. “Invite us in, so we can get this over with.” He jabbed the barrel into Thorn’s head again, knocking Thorn’s head forward. “Or I’ll blow out his brains. If I’m lucky, the bullet will take you out, too.”
Donovan took a step back. He had no other choice.
Two men forced Thorn in. One had dreadlocks
to his shoulders—Omar. The other had a short afro—Anthony. They were the cousins Beth had identified. Omar redirected his aim toward Donovan. He refused to put his hands in the air, but he let the man muscle him into the kitchen. When he was pushed toward the table, he tried to go to the middle chair where the gun was hidden, but the man shoved him into the adjacent chair. Anthony pushed Thorn into the opposite chair. Neither of them would be able to reach the gun without them noticing.
“I’m sorry, Goldwyn, they snuck up on me,” Thorn said.
“Shut up!” Anthony rammed the butt of his gun into the back of Thorn’s head. Thorn cursed and winced from the pain, but he kept his shoulders back, his spine straight, and his head up. “No one said you could talk, pig.”
Viper leaned against the kitchen counter. He crossed his legs and held his wrist over his belt, so his gun was always visible.
Viper smirked at Donovan, revealing a gold canine tooth. Donovan thought about punching him until that tooth fell out of his mouth. Oh, how badly he wanted to do that. “We’ll just wait here for Beth to return,” he said. “And I know she’ll be back.”
“How’d you kill those two cops?” Donovan asked.
“Easy. Their windows were rolled down. We snuck up and popped a bullet into their skulls.” He lifted his gun to mimic the action. “Bang, bang.” He laughed. “A better question you should ask yourself is how we knew you were here.”
Donovan didn’t give him the satisfaction of asking.
Viper turned his leer toward Thorn. His gold tooth flashed in the fluorescent lighting.
“The detective here led us straight to you.”
Donovan’s gaze shifted to Thorn. Thorn’s jaw was tight. His hands were balled into fists on the tabletop. Donovan knew Thorn was mentally beating himself up for failing.
“I couldn’t find you until we decided to tail your friend.” Viper’s smirk widened. “I saw your government license plate, so I hunted for your car in the P.D.’s parking lot. When you came and went, I was behind you every single time, but not the same vehicle each time. These boys know how to pick up discreet vehicles.”
Omar and Anthony laughed.
“You had no idea you were being followed,” Viper told Thorn. “Cops never think criminals can or will get so close, and that was your downfall.”
Viper faced Donovan. “He came here every day before and after work. Either he was getting laid, or he was stashing his friends. Then I saw Beth through the opening as this dumbass left last night. It’s too bad you hadn’t left a moment ago. I could’ve offed her, and you’d still be alive.” He studied his silver gun. “I guess it’s better this way.” He grinned. “No loose ends.”
Donovan tried to move his hand from his lap toward the gun, but when his arm started to stretch more than he wanted it to, he had to stop. He couldn’t afford to make a stupid move or let Viper know they had a weapon beneath the very table at which they sat.
His heart fell into his gut when he heard the door open.
Beth!
Chapter Twenty-Two
Thorn’s car was parked a few spots from their motel room when Beth stepped out of the reception room. She was glad to see it, as she couldn’t wait to get out of there. Hotel rooms for a vacation were one thing. Crappy motel rooms to hide out from people who wanted you dead was another thing entirely. She nearly skipped back to their room, but she restrained herself from acting silly in front of the cops watching her. Her gaze slid over to the cop car. She could see the cop in the driver’s seat through the opened window. His head was back, leaning against the headrest, probably napping after the long night while his partner kept watch.
She turned to the door. She twisted the handle by instinct. Her eyebrows lowered when the door opened; Thorn had been a stickler for locking the door even when he was there. She pushed it open. Sunlight filtered into the room from behind her. Their duffel bags were stacked up by the door, ready to be stuffed into the trunk of Thorn’s car. Her gaze swept across the room. She had expected to see Donovan and Thorn standing there, waiting for her to come back, but the room was empty. She pushed the door closed and locked it.
“Hey guys, where are you?” She stepped toward the kitchenette. “If Thorn brought food, I want some. My stomach feels better now, and that toast did nothing to fill me.”
A figure stepped into the open. He wore black jeans with a diamond-encrusted dollar sign belt buckle. A black tank showcased a snake head tattooed on a dark bicep.
She stopped mid-step. Her body flinched as if she had run into a brick wall.
No. Her heartrate tripled. Her underarms dampened. No!
Her thoughts jumped to her gun taped to the back of the headboard. Could she get to it before getting shot herself? She didn’t know, but she had to take the chance. She leapt in the direction of the bed and made two frantic dashes when the lamp in the corner shattered. The sound of it made her yelp. She ducked her head, hunched her shoulders, and lifted her hands. Frozen in place, her heart raced. She held her breath as she braced for a bullet to strike her. A year ago, she had felt the bite of a bullet. She didn’t care to ever feel it again.
“Beth!” Donovan’s yell came from the kitchen.
Her shoulders lowered a fraction. He’s alive. Thank God! But what about Thorn?
She slowly rotated to face Viper. He had a silver gun pointed at her. It looked like the same one she had seen resting in his lap while he lounged in a leather chair, like a king on a throne while his serfs got high all around him. The only difference was this one had a silencer. Her mouth was dry as she waited for him to unload his clip in her chest. Would it be a quick death? Or agonizingly slow?
“Hi, Beth.” Viper smirked. “Or should I say…hi, Felicia?”
Beth tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat.
“Come on. We’re having a party in here.” He flicked his gun at her, motioning for her to move toward the kitchen.
She took a halting footstep. Her body screamed for her to run. But her heart told her to stay. If she got shot in the back while attempting to flee, she wouldn’t be able to help Donovan or Thorn. She’d be condemning them to death. She couldn’t do that. Forcing her feet to lift, one after the other, was tough, though. Each step brought her closer to Viper. Her stomach whirled. Please don’t let me puke now. Not only would that be demeaning to do in front of Viper, but it wouldn’t help things. She wouldn’t be able to defend herself while shaking from illness.
When she was close enough, Viper grabbed her arm and tugged her into the kitchenette. The two men she had seen in mugshots were standing on either side of the table with their guns pressed to the backs of Donovan’s and Thorn’s heads.
Her gaze landed on Donovan then sprang to Thorn. They looked okay. But they’re not okay. They have guns pointed at them. And so do I.
Viper poked the barrel of his gun into her temple. “Sit, bitch.”
She lowered into the chair between Donovan and Thorn. Her body was rigid. A million questions circled in her mind. What was Viper going to do to her? How would he kill her? Would he kill Donovan and Thorn, too? How the hell could they flip the scales in their favor and overpower Viper and his peasants?
Viper stood across from her. She stared at him, not knowing what to expect. He could pop a bullet into her forehead at any moment. Her breathing was fast. She tried to slow it, but her heart rate wouldn’t ease by a single heartbeat.
“If you want me,” she said, “you have me. Why not let them go? You could kill me and get out of here before they have time to call for backup.”
Donovan glared at her. She could practically hear his thoughts screaming at her to shut up, but she couldn’t. If she could find a way to spare them, she’d take it. Her odds of surviving this was slim, anyway.
“I already explained that to them,” Viper said. “I don’t like loose ends.” He pointed his gun at Donovan. Beth’s heart came to a shuddering stop. “Loose end number one.” He waved his arm through the air, so the gun was now
in Thorn’s face. “Loose end number two.” The gun came back in her direction. He cocked his head to the side. “Which loose end should I snip first? I’ll let you choose.”
She clenched her teeth. Her temples throbbed.
“No? That sucks. Now I’ll have to do it at fucking random.” His smile became manic. “But random can be fun.” He swayed the gun back and forth, aiming it at Donovan, then Thorn, then back to Donovan. “Snip, snip, snip—”
Back and forth. Back and Forth.
Beth’s heart punched her chest. She felt like she was going to be sick, spewing her fear and anxiety all over the table. What can I do? What can I do?
“Snip, snip, snip.” The gun stopped in front of Thorn. “Snip.”
Horror stabbed Beth in her heart. Not Thorn. Not her best friend. Not the man who deserved something so much more than this bloody ending.
“No!” Beth’s panicked shout echoed in the kitchenette.
Viper’s gaze flashed to her. A sick gleam sparked in his eyes. “Ah. Do you have a soft spot for the detective?” He tilted his head at Donovan. “That’s interesting.”
Beth’s hands tightened in her lap. He was thinking she had something with Thorn and was trying to taunt Donovan with it. That’s not going to work.
“Maybe I’ll do you a favor, man, and get rid of this piece of shit first.” He modified his aim. A muffled bang sounded.
Beth screamed.
Thorn bent forward with a shout of pain.
Beth tried to go to him, but Viper’s arm swung toward her. “Nuh-uh. You stay right there.”
Tears blurred her vision and choked her. She looked to Thorn. He sat up, clutching his arm. His eyes met hers. They were drowning with pain. “It’s okay,” he said and felt his wound. “It was just a graze.”
“Just a graze for now,” Viper corrected.
Beth gripped her knees. Her perspiring palms soaked her jeans with sweat. The cotton of her T-shirt was also wet with sweat under her arms. Please stop this, God. Please stop this.
Viper let out a hideous laugh. “This is fun. Hell, I don’t need to rush. I think I’m going to enjoy this a little longer.” He gazed at Beth. “After all, I’ve been imagining this for a while.” He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down in it. His body slunk down low, and he spread his legs. He hooked his left arm over the back of the chair and set his right hand, with the gun, in his lap. Everything about his posture exuded confidence.