WASHED AWAY

by RC Boldt

  “Go ahead. Now you do what I just showed you.”

  I dart a glance over at Saint and find him regarding me with an unreadable expression even while he continues his own task. I will my hands not to shake as I ensure the muzzle points downward before I insert the ammunition and rack the slide.

  “Good. Now remove everything from it.” Liam’s simple praise stifles the swarm of nerves in my gut the slightest fraction.

  I remove the clip and bullet from the chamber before setting the gun on the table. Exhaling slowly, I lift my gaze to his, and he nods.

  “The important thing is you need to feel comfortable handling them.”

  A little voice in the back of my mind whispers, I feel comfortable with knives. I instantly smother it.

  Liam stands up the bullet on its flat side. He appears almost lost in thought as he toys with it. “We need to form a plan.”

  Saint finally pipes up. “I’ve already found where the lead asshole’s headed.” Liam and I turn our attention to him, and he continues. “He’ll be on the outskirts of Orania, South Africa.”

  Saint’s eyes flick up, meeting mine for a beat as if to gauge my reaction. Just as quickly, his gaze moves to Liam. “They’re still deep in the money-laundering shit.”

  “Interesting.”

  “I thought so, too. So, this is how I think it should go.” Saint leans back and folds his arms across his chest. “You and I will go—”

  “No.”

  “No!”

  Liam and I erupt in a simultaneous protest before darting a surprised look at each other.

  Addressing Saint, I rush to explain. “Look, it’s not that I don’t appreciate you wanting to help, but this is my mess, and I can’t bear to put anyone else at risk.”

  Saint’s expression remains nonplussed, even when Liam’s voice cuts in. It’s evident from his tone that he’s pissed and wants no part in involving his friend.

  “I already told you no.”

  Saint tips his head back on a laugh. “Since when do I take orders from you?”

  Liam’s jaw tenses while the two remain locked in an intense staredown.

  I’m compelled to interject. “Look, I’m the reason Liam’s almost died twice now. I’m the reason his house was riddled with bullets. I’m the reason he’s on the run.” My tone is pleading. “I can’t bear to drag anyone else down.”

  Saint eyes me sharply, giving me the impression he’s privy to my thoughts. “Well, Alex. Here’s the thing.” He cocks his head to the side, his fingers rhythmically drumming against the table. “Friends don’t give a fuck about any of that shit.”

  His eyes shift to Liam. “You’d do the same for me.” Saint says this as a statement, not as a question. “So, I should be automatically involved in this.”

  Liam glares at his friend for a long moment, muscle flickering in his jaw. “To be determined.”

  Saint grins wide as though everything’s been settled and has worked out in his favor. “Good.”

  He rises from his chair and heads toward the large desk in the far corner where a computer and three additional mounted monitors are located.

  “Now, let’s go over the intel I dug up on these bastards.”

  Chapter 57

  LIAM

  After breaking for a quick lunch, we got down to the bare bones of things. Saint and I argue—good-naturedly…mostly—back and forth over tactics and execution, but we finally arrive at a good strategy. By then, it’s dinnertime.

  Saint grills steaks, and Alex makes some garlic mashed potatoes. Then he breaks out a bottle of red wine, and we toast to our upcoming plan to take on the Russians.

  The conversation is surprisingly easy. It’s not that I thought Alex and Saint wouldn’t get along, but with so many unknowns surrounding not only her but also our relationship, I wasn’t entirely certain.

  Saint likes her—a lot. He’s at ease around her, and that speaks volumes. Guys like us don’t trust easily…or, in some cases, at all.

  Once our plates and wineglasses are empty, Alex rises from her seat. “I’ll get started on the dishes.” She collects our plates and disappears from the dining room to the kitchen. The faint sound of the faucet turning on drifts past the doorway.

  Saint releases a long sigh. “I like her.”

  I remain silent, knowing there’s more.

  “But I think you’re a fucking idiot for not telling her the truth.”

  I drag a hand over my face, my scruff rasping against my palm. “I know. I will, but I need to find the right moment.”

  His laugh is muted but humorless. “Hate to spoil it for you, King, but there’s not gonna be a right moment.” He shakes his head slowly, and remorse fills his tone. “Not for this.”

  Resignation fills me as I stare at the open doorway of the dining room. Because he’s right. I’m running out of time, and I know it.

  The gutless part of me is what’s running this show, leading me to take every damn moment I can get with her because it will eventually end.

  And when everything’s obliterated, I’ll not only be left without my heart and soul, but I’ll be without the only woman I’ve ever loved.

  Chapter 58

  ALEXANDRA

  Liam emerges from the bathroom with a towel slung low around his hips, and my heart lurches in my chest at the sight.

  The cuts and curves of his lean, muscled body mesmerize me. My fingertips tingle with the urge to touch him once again. To learn every single dip and ridge of his flesh.

  My throat constricts with emotion at the recognition that it could all end soon. We agreed that we would leave tomorrow night and head to South Africa. One of Saint’s trusted contacts agreed to loan him his private jet and small crew, circumventing any issue of my lack of ID.

  It isn’t that I doubt these two men and their capabilities, but there’s no telling what we’ll be walking into.

  Freshly showered, I lean against the pillows with the covers turned down, just beneath my feet. Clad in only a T-shirt Liam gave me, I feel my nipples harden beneath the cotton in anticipation.

  Will I ever not want this man? Will I ever cease to crave his touch? It’s unfathomable to me.

  Liam leans over me, dragging my thoughts to the present. Bracing a hand on the headboard, he locks his eyes with mine. “I don’t like that frown.” His other hand reaches for my face, and he traces a fingertip over my lips. “I want my woman happy.”

  A rush of a sigh spills out of me. “I am.” And it’s true. This man makes me happy, even in the midst of chaos and fear.

  He lowers his mouth to mine to deliver a kiss so tender it has my pulse hammering. “I think I need to work harder.” His lips dust over mine again. “Make sure you’re so happy that you never frown.”

  I reach for him, sinking my fingers into his hair, and guide him to deepen the kiss. He groans against my mouth, his tongue gliding inside to toy with mine. Without breaking contact, he rests a knee on the bed before swinging his other over to straddle me.

  Pressing my palms against his chest, I give a little nudge, and he lets me roll him to his back, switching our positions. His towel comes undone, and our combined intake of breath reverberates within the quiet room when our bare flesh meets.

  I trail kisses along his jawline, leading to his earlobe. Capturing it between my teeth, I gently tug before soothing it with my tongue. His grunt and the hands that securely bracket my hips spur me on. I trace my tongue along the shell of his ear, and a shiver rolls through him.

  His hands climb beneath my shirt to cup my ass in his palms, urging me to rock against him. Already aroused and slick, when I lightly drag my pussy over his hard length, it’s one smooth, languid movement.

  Lips descending along the column of his neck, I leave tiny wet kisses in their wake while I continue sliding my pussy over the shaft of his cock.

  He clenches my ass tighter. “You’re fucking killing me.” His breath rushes past his lips. “You’ve got me on a hair trigger twenty-four seven. It’s
not nice to tease me with that sweet pussy. I’m liable to lose control.”

  I pause and raise my head, my eyes locking with his heavy-lidded ones. “What happens then?”

  His gaze singes me with so much fiery hunger, I’m surprised it doesn’t eviscerate me on the spot. A muscle in his jaw flexes rapidly. “What happens is, I handle you like a fucking caveman.” He swallows audibly. “And you deserve so much more than that.”

  My heart lodges itself in my throat, and I lower my face to whisper softly against his lips. “Maybe I want that.” Our eyes hold. “Maybe I want the caveman.”

  In a flash, his hands tangle in my hair, and our mouths collide, teeth clinking without care, in a wet kiss filled with frantic need. Tongues sweeping inside, we taste deeply before he tightens his hold on my hair and draws me away.

  His expression is filled with wicked intent and unbridled need. “Get up here and sit on my face. Let me taste that pussy right.”

  All oxygen is sucked from my lungs, but somehow, I move, following his command. I straighten to slide forward on my knees while he shoves my shirt up, and I help him remove it and toss it aside.

  His hands guide me higher on the bed until I kneel with his head between my thighs.

  “Hold on to that headboard.” His voice is raspy with anticipation. “I plan to make you come screaming my name. At least once.”

  At least once? That’s my last thought before Liam uses the flat of his tongue to lick along the seam of my lips, scrambling every nerve ending in my body. With his firm hold on my ass, he guides me even closer. The wet friction of his tongue sends lust pouring into my veins until they’re burgeoning.

  Tugging me closer, he delves his tongue inside me and moves one hand to my clit, tweaking my sensitive flesh between his thumb and forefinger. My hands clench the wooden headboard so tight I expect it to crack into pieces. Unfamiliar keening sounds erupt from my throat, and my hips turn restless, seeking more pleasure.

  He devours me—there’s no other way to state it—with his mouth and tongue. Strong fingers tighten over my ass before he swats at one cheek.

  My mouth forms a silent O, but I’m helpless to deny the thrill it sent through me. I throb, growing even more sensitive to his touch, and my inner muscles clench. He moans against me, the vibrations driving me wilder. He swats at my tender flesh once again, and it has me rocking against his mouth.

  My nipples begin to throb incessantly, and I grant one of my hands a release from the headboard to reach for the tight points. Pinching them lightly between my knuckles, I arch, sending me sinking a fraction deeper onto his tongue.

  Liam works my clit, circling it, then tugging it, while his mouth works its wicked magic on me, his tongue plunging in and out, faster and faster.

  When he gives my ass another swat, all I can manage is a ragged, breathless, “Liam,” a split second before I tumble over the edge.

  He never ceases the divine torture while my inner muscles clench and release his tongue. Once the spasms ease, he releases my clit, and merely slows the thrusting of his tongue. It’s as though he’s savoring the taste of my release.

  When I attempt to lift my body off him, he gives a grunt of displeasure, and the hand gripping my ass tightens its hold.

  I part my lips, attempting to drag in much-needed oxygen and tell him I’m done for. Before I can utter the words, he shifts slightly and fastens his lips around my clit, sucking hard.

  Both my hands clench the headboard, the wood digging into my palms. My choppy breaths echo, accompanied by the muted sounds of Liam’s mouth suckling and licking my tender flesh.

  When he slides his hand to the bottom of my ass, veering to the center, before delving between, a ragged moan erupts from my lips. Two thick fingers dive inside me while his tongue lashes and swipes at my clit before fastening his lips around it in a savage kiss.

  “Ohgod.” My words mash together as I strain for release. His fingers thrust in and out in a rhythm bound to have me coming undone, and my thigh muscles grow tense. When he creates a strong suction around my clit while hooking his fingers inside me, pleasure overtakes me. Shudders wrack my body as I ride his tongue, coating it with my release.

  I still quake when he gently eases my malleable body down, fitting us chest to chest. He holds me tight as though he fears I’ll move away. As if I could muster the effort, let alone the desire to do such a thing. All I want is to lie here in his arms and will the rest of the bullshit of the world to go away.

  My breaths come out in harsh pants similar to his own, my heart thundering within my chest, and the main consolation is his heart wildly beating beneath my cheek.

  His arms band around me even tighter. “Fuck. There’s no way I’m ever gonna get enough of you. Enough of the sweetest little pussy I’ve ever tasted.”

  Shivers roll through me, his words so positively decadently dirty and arousing. The undeniable prodding beneath me ushers in a fresh wave of pleasure, commingled with satisfaction because his arousal means he enjoyed it.

  When I finally find the strength to rise and scoot farther down his body, his nostrils flare while his jaw bunches tight.

  Hands encircling my biceps, he stops me in place, brows descending. “I don’t do tit for tat.” His jaw works. “I devoured that pussy because I damn well wanted to.”

  I reach up to frame his face, a mix of amusement and affection coursing through me.

  “I know,” I say softly. “But what if I”—a mischievous smile forms on my lips—“damn well want to put my mouth on you?”

  He closes his eyes for a moment as though he’s wrestling with whether to concede or not. Finally, he grits out, “You’ll be the death of me.”

  “Is that a yes?” My tone is hushed, but there’s no denying the hopefulness threaded in it.

  His expression turns incendiary, his voice guttural. “There’s no way I could ever say no to you.”

  Triumph courses through me, and I ease myself farther down his body until I’m faced with his prominent arousal. When his hand locks around the thick shaft, giving it a slow pump, I’m transfixed by the bead of moisture at the tip. I lower my head and stick out my tongue, gathering his taste.

  “Oh, fuck,” he heaves out, his fingers combing my hair away from my face. “That tongue is gonna do me in.”

  Eyes glittering with lust, they hold me captive as I place my lips at the very tip. His abs contract and ripple as I slide my mouth down his length.

  “Woman…fuck, fuck, fuck.” His voice is like sandpaper, raking over me with need, our eyes locked as I create a strong suction around his cock.

  His fingers tighten their hold of my hair, expression hovering between torture and bliss. As I glide my mouth up and down in a steady rhythm, his chest heaves with each breath.

  His words are jumbled, but the fact that I’m having such an effect on a man who’s normally so self-assured and levelheaded is heady and intoxicating.

  “Goddamn, that mouth…”

  “You’re ruining me…”

  “How am I gonna live without you?”

  He gives a slow pump of his hips, a groan falling from his lips, his thigh muscles turning to granite beneath my palms.

  “Get up here.” Need strains his voice, and his eyes blister me with heat. The cords along the side of his neck strain. “Better fit that pussy over my cock right now.”

  My body moves before I even register the action. With his thick cock in my hand, I guide him to my entrance and ease down over him. An onslaught of decadence floods me as I sink down deeper, my outer lips stretching wider around his thickness.

  “Look at me.” His command is hoarse, and my eyes lift to his. Expression raw, his gaze flicks between my face and where our bodies are joined.

  His cock pulses inside me, growing thicker, and I arch, attempting to drive him even deeper with every roll of my hips. “You’re so goddamn beautiful.”

  Palms molding the curve of my ass, he holds me tight while his chest rises and falls with each panting
breath. When he punches his hips upward, driving his cock in and out of me in a near desperate rhythm, I soak him with more of my arousal.

  The veins in his neck stand out, his bicep muscles straining as he works me over his steely length. “Touch that clit for me.”

  My inner muscles flex around him, and his jaw clenches in response. I reach for my clit, my middle finger circling the sensitive flesh, and his eyes track my movements.

  “That’s it.” His thrusts grow wilder, his hips pump harder, and it has me grappling for the orgasm just out of reach.

  Our choppy breaths echo in the room, and a keening cry claws its way up my throat as his powerful upward thrusts send me over the edge.

  Tremors wrack my body, and my pussy clutches him impossibly tight. A rough hand cups my nape, steering me toward him and he fits his mouth to mine in a hot, carnal kiss. A groan rumbles from deep in his chest a moment before he spills inside me, his hips jerking, body taut.

  Collapsed atop him, I gentle our kiss, our heaving breaths mingling. With his arm around me, his other hand lazily toys with my hair. It feels like we’re in our own little world where nothing can hurt us.

  Burying my face in the crook of his neck, I whisper softly, “I wish we could stay like this forever.”

  His chest rises and falls beneath me in a steady, soothing rhythm. Tracing a leisurely path along my body, he sweeps his fingertips along the inside of my hip over the scar from the knife wound.

  When he finally speaks, his voice possesses an odd mixture of both fear and melancholy. “So do I.” He releases a long, tired-sounding sigh. “So do I.”

  Chapter 59

  ALEXANDRA

  Liam and I head to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. On the way there, he stops me multiple times in the hallway, backing me against the wall to kiss me breathless.