Blackness Within (The Blackness Series Book 5)

by Norma Jeanne Karlsson

  Natasha

  I settle Jessie in her bed and sweep a few inky curls from her face. She has her father’s hair and her mother’s eyes. Olivia has her mother’s hair and her father’s eyes. These two girls are gorgeous. They’re also really easy to take care of. Olivia sleeps and eats like a champ. Jessie’s easily entertained with just about anything and hasn’t hit her terrible twos yet. The last few days here in the Cooper house have been great.

  I walk into the living room and Kat smacks the cushion next to hers. I sit down and fold my legs under myself.

  “I’m not gonna say thank you again, but know that I am thankful,” Kat says sweetly.

  “I’m glad I could help you out. With Mia, your boys away at school and this case Kav and Sully are trying, it’s busy.”

  “How are you and Brian? If you don’t mind me butting in and getting the juicy details.”

  “I don’t mind,” I respond with a chuckle. “We’re really great. He’s so good to me. I’m kind of taken aback by it sometimes. We actually had our first fight the other day. It was just a misunderstanding where he was trying to help me and I thought he was pushing me away.”

  “It’s hard when you’ve been alone for a long time. Getting used to that help and consideration. Nicky bombarded me with his caretaking. Our beginning wasn’t roses and rainbows, but he worked his way under my skin by taking care of me.”

  “It’s hard to let go of old insecurities, but Sully’s doin’ his best to alleviate my fears as often as he can. I’m lucky to have him,” I say wistfully.

  Kat reaches her long fingers out and wraps them around mine before telling me, “He’s lucky to have you.”

  “Can I ask you something?” I’m tentative with this request.

  “Sure.”

  “Do you think Jake’s coming back? I think you know I spend time with Cara and there seems to be a lot of tension around his whereabouts.”

  Kat’s glowing face clouds with sadness. Now I feel like shit for asking.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. We don’t have to talk about him if you’re uncomfortable.”

  “No,” she dismisses me with a wave of her hand. “I love talking about my boys. It’s just hard with Jake. He’s in the DCA. I tried my hardest to talk him out of staying with the agency, but he was dead set on it. He still had a year and a half of training to complete when we moved here. I thought he’d come home once training was over, but he decided to go into the field. He’s been dark for almost a year now. I know he’s alive because we’d be informed if something happened to him. But I haven’t heard my son’s voice in over a year. I haven’t seen his face since the day Nicky and I got married. He’s never seen Jessie other than pictures and he doesn’t know about Olivia. It’s hard. It’s just really fucking hard.”

  Her hazel eyes are brimming with tears as she finishes and it’s my turn to curl my fingers around hers.

  “The worst part is the boys and Cara. Dane’s mad. Cole’s hurt. Sawyer feels betrayed. And Cara feels abandoned. They’re all taking it hard and Nicky and I can’t do anything to make it better. We don’t have any answers for them. Nicky’s the most understanding. He trusts that his son will do what’s best. I fear that he’s torturing himself instead of healing. I don’t want my son in pain.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s good for me to talk about him. You’d love him, Natasha. He’s kind and gentle. There’s a loyalty to him that makes you proud the moment you lay eyes on him. He’s funny,” she says through a smile, recalling something that makes her feel good. “I miss being able to wrap my arms around him and have him crush me back. He always held me so fiercely. He keeps his brothers in line. And the way he beams around Cara makes my heart dance in my chest.”

  “He sounds like a good kid.”

  “The best.”

  “You’re a great mom, Kat,” I whisper, thinking about what my life might have looked like with a woman like Kat as my mother.

  “You’re a great friend,” she states firmly, wrapping me in a rough hug.

  “I’m next,” Kav’s voice bellows from the foyer.

  Kat and I both chuckle as we let each other go.

  “I’m here for baby duty. Not baby doody. I’m done with doody. I’m all good for duty.”

  Kat and I continue to laugh at the big man as he walks toward us. He’s in a navy suit, perfectly tailored to his massive chest and narrow waist. His blue-grey eyes are as mischievous as ever as he shrugs out of his jacket, removes his crimson tie and pops the buttons of his crisp white shirt at his neck.

  “Who’s first?” he asks seriously, stopping at the edge of the couch.

  “Me!” Kat plays along and he swings her body up to his in a sweet embrace.

  Observing Kav is important. His mouth is foul and his actions are dirty when there’s an audience. But if you watch him, you’ll see he’s one of the kindest men. He watches over the people he loves. He takes care of the women in his life like they’re rare antiquities. He dotes on the children around him like the proud uncle he is. And as he holds Kat to his chest, there’s happiness in his face. I love watching Kav.

  He sets Kat back down and rips me off the couch in a swift easy movement. I cling to his thick neck and bury my head in his chiseled chest. At the end of a long day, a good hug from Kav is a close second to where I’d like to be.

  “Put down my woman,” Sully commands from behind us.

  “I shoulda called dibs,” Kav mutters in my hair.

  “Your loss, asshole.”

  Sully rips me away and palms my ass as he devours my mouth. He pulls away when I’m breathless and flushed from head to toe.

  “What’s dibs?” I ask as the sex haze fades a little.

  Kav has flopped on the couch next to Kat and started flipping through the channels.

  “It’s our code. You gotta call dibs on a chick if you want her. Once dibs are called, the rest of us back off,” Kav explains.

  “You called dibs on me?” I ask Sully.

  “Yup,” he responds with a wide grin and a pop of his p.

  “Finn made him. If he didn’t call dibs, Finn and I were gonna arm wrestle for you. See what you’re missing out on? You coulda had all this, Tosh,” Kav says, pointing at his crotch.

  “Finn made you?” I ask a little hurt that he needed a push.

  “No, Finn didn’t make me,” Sully sneers at Kav who shrugs in response. “It was after the backyard incident. Finn and Kav weren’t happy with what happened and threatened to call dibs. I didn’t want them anywhere near you because even that day you were mine. So I called dibs to make sure I didn’t have to kill my best friends.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I kinda like Finn,” I tease. Sully’s chocolate eyes scowl at me as I continue. “And Kav’s pretty hot.”

  “See,” Kav chimes in.

  Sully sweeps me up over his shoulder and stalks toward the front door as I squeal and laugh. I wave at Kat as I go who chuckles at our departure. Sully slaps my ass with one quick pop when we hit the driveway and I yelp.

  “You’ll pay for that,” he growls with sex in his voice.

  O’Sullivan

  I raced down the street in my car and then carried Natasha over my shoulder, up to my wing, where I just deposited her on my bed.

  Her grey eyes are warm and wanting as I peel out of my suit. She was fucking with me about Finn and Kav. I know she was fucking with and it still pissed me off. The idea of her with anyone but me makes me see red. She’s mine.

  Once I’m naked, I grab my hard dick and stroke it slowly. Natasha’s eyes flame and her tongue darts out at my demonstration.

  “Panties off,” I order.

  She stands up and slides her thong from beneath her black and white chevron dress that hits her knees. I grab her by the hips and spin her to the bed. She steadies herself on the large wooden post of the footboard.

  “Don’t move your hands,” I purr in her ear and ra
ise her dress up to her hips.

  I drive two fingers into her tight, wet pussy and continue to pump my cock. I work her clit with my thumb and when her walls close down on me I stop. I don’t move.

  “Who’s making you come right now?” I growl into her ear.

  “You are,” she whimpers.

  I flick her clit and ask again, “Who?”

  “Sully,” she moans.

  Her fingers constrict around the wood as I rub and pound her until she’s drenching my hand. I pull her cramping hands away from the post and turn her to face me. I hold my glistening fingers between us.

  “I did this. I made your pussy quiver and shake before you came so hard you screamed. Not Finn. Not Kav. Not anybody else. Me, Grey. I did this.”

  I lick each finger clean as her eyes flame with desire. I tear her dress over her head and remove her bra in matter of seconds.

  “This mouth is mine.”

  I trace her lips with the tips of my fingers.

  “These tits are mine.”

  I pinch and roll both nipples before squeezing each plump mound.

  “This ass is mine.”

  I palm her cheeks and dig my fingers in before pulling her cheeks apart and tracing her little hole. Her breath stops and her eyes bug out, but she doesn’t push me away.

  “This pussy is mine.”

  I run my hand through her soaking folds and then bury two fingers in her again.

  “This heart is mine.”

  I place my other hand over her heart and continue to work her pussy.

  “You’re mine. Every fuckin’ piece of you.”

  Natasha’s hands come up and cup the hand over her heart and she sighs.

  “I’m yours, Sully. I love bein’ yours. I never wanna be anyone else’s.”

  I keep my eyes locked on her tornadic greys and move us to the edge of my bed. I guide her back down, keeping my hand over her thrumming heart.

  I take my hand away from her pussy and ram my dick inside her all the way to the balls. Her legs fly up, resting her ankles on my shoulders as I pound into her.

  My hand never leaving her chest and my gaze never leaving hers.

  I thrust long and powerful, holding her hip for leverage. Natasha’s eyes roll back in her head as her orgasm quakes through her, heart racing beneath my palm.

  “I’m yours,” she moans with a final shudder.

  I remove my hand from her chest and push her legs wide before leaning my hands into the mattress, folding myself on top of her.

  “You’re mine.”

  I attack her mouth and set an intense pace with my hips. Her hands cling to my tattooed shoulders as I slam into her. I swallow her screams as she comes again, tearing at my flesh. The base of my spine tingles as my own release builds. I drop my head to her neck and grunt my way through my climax, heaving and panting.

  I remain transfixed as Natasha wraps her legs around my hips and strokes my back with her delicate fingers.

  “I was just teasing you,” she murmurs into my hair.

  “I know.”

  “You were still mad.”

  “I was still mad.”

  “Love you, Sully.”

  “Love you, Grey.”

  O’Sullivan

  September

  “Can you drop me at the apartment?” Natasha asks as she folds into my car after her shift.

  “Need more clothes?” I ask, kissing her cheek before heading to Blake’s.

  “No, I’m gonna stay there tonight. Maybe for the rest of the week actually. I haven’t seen much of my brother in the last few weeks. Poor Zeus must feel like the child of a divorce with how much he’s bein’ bounced around.”

  “I can run past my place and pick up some stuff and stay with you,” I suggest, feeling a little uncomfortable.

  She’s been basically living with me for over a month. I like her with me. We haven’t talked about where we’re going in our relationship. I’ve told her she’s it for me and she’s basically told me the same, but we haven’t gone into the specifics of what that means for our future.

  I sure as shit don’t want us living separately. I don’t want her living at Blake’s where I need to have sex in silence. I want her with me, in my wing, in my bed.

  “That’s okay. You’ve got that meeting early tomorrow. You can drop me off at the apartment and I’ll see you tomorrow or the day after,” she says nonchalantly.

  “Grey, what’s goin’ on?” I ask turning my gaze to her at a red light.

  “Huh?” she asks with a furrowed brow and a crinkled nose.

  “We haven’t spent a night away from each other since July. What the fuck is goin’ on?”

  “Sully, nothing’s goin’ on. I just wanted to spend some time with my brother. That’s all. I miss him.”

  She’s telling the truth. She’s an awful liar so it’s easy to tell if she is. Although she basically never tries because she knows she can’t.

  “I don’t wanna spend the night in my bed alone,” I grumble.

  “Okay, I’ll spend the evening with Blake and then I’ll come over,” she says sweetly, giving me what I want.

  I pick up her hand and place a kiss on her knuckles, grinning triumphantly. It’s time to talk about what we’re doing and where she’s going to be living. I’m ready to call the guys and have them pack her shit up and bring it to our place. It’s time for her to be with me. I’ll talk to her tonight about it.

  Natasha

  I can’t believe I left my purse at work. I never do that, but I was in a rush to leave work tonight. I knew Sully was waiting for me and I was running late.

  I park my Prius, tell Zeus I’ll be right back and walk toward the hospital to see a familiar face walking in my direction.

  “Ben?” I call out and his gaze snaps to mine.

  “Hi, honey,” he says sadly as he stops in front of me.

  “Why are you here?”

  “Dad’s cancer’s back. Been back a while now. We’re getting ready to move him to hospice care.”

  “Oh, Ben, I’m so sorry,” I say wrapping my arms around his small frame.

  Ben’s dad is a nice guy. He’s been battling cancer since Ben and I first met. I’m sad to know he’s losing this time. And Ben’s losing his dad.

  “It’s been a rough week,” he mumbles, pulling away from me and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

  “I can only imagine. How’s your mom holding up?”

  “Not good.”

  I feel like an asshole. I haven’t reached out to him since that weird night at the apartment. I wanted to talk to Ben, but I never knew what to tell him. So, I just avoided him. He’s the only person that stuck by my side while Blake was struggling and my mom was being my mom. Now his dad is dying and I didn’t even know it.

  “You wanna get some coffee or something?” I ask, nodding toward the hospital.

  “Actually, I have some of your stuff in my car. I grabbed what I could from the fire. You wanna come get it? It’d save me a trip.”

  “Sure.”

  I follow him to his car. A brand new gunmetal Porsche.

  “Nice car,” I compliment as he unlocks it.

  “Thanks. I noticed your boyfriend drives a Mercedes. Cars never used to matter to you, Natasha,” he says sardonically.

  I feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Someone’s watching me. Fuck, I’m sick of this feeling. I also don’t want to fight with Ben about Sully. It’s pointless.

  “I don’t care about cars. I was just complimenting you.”

  “So you don’t care how much money Brian O’Sullivan makes? You don’t care that he lives in Mission Hills behind a gate? You don’t care that he defends murders and rapists?” Ben snarls leaning into the hood. I forget that’s where the storage is in a Porsche.

  “I don’t wanna fight with you, Ben. Just give me my stuff and focus on your father. He needs you right now.”

  “That’s where your wrong,” he says in a cold voice I’ve never heard h
im use.

  I move to pull my mace out of my purse, only to remember that’s why I’m here in the first place. Shit.

  He slams the hood shut and prowls to me. I back away until I see something in his hand.

  “Ben,” I say shakily.

  Then he lunges.

  That’s the last thing I remember.

  O’Sullivan

  Buzz, buzz.

  “Hello?” I answer groggily.

  “Mister O’Sullivan?” a male voice asks.

  “Yes,” I say clearing my throat, looking to my alarm clock that reads 2:03 a.m.

  “This is Doctor Blankenship. Zeus’s vet.”

  “It’s a little late, Doc,” I huff into the phone.

  “Yes, it is. I just got a call from Animal Control in North Kansas City. They have Zeus. His microchip was scanned and they contacted me when they couldn’t reach Miss Reynolds. Can you go collect Zeus or contact Miss Reynolds?”

  “Shit. I’ll be right there.”

  I hang up and spring from the bed. I’m still in my sweats. I passed out waiting for Natasha. She never showed up and now Zeus is in North Kansas City. What the hell is she doing there?

  I call her phone, only to end up at her voicemail.

  I try again.

  No answer.

  I text.

  No response.

  I call Blake.

  No answer.

  What the fuck is going on?

  I hop in my car and fly toward Zeus, dread creeping up my spine.

  I can hear Zeus barking and snarling from the parking lot. He’s pissed off. I don’t blame him. I’m not too happy either.

  “Please tell me you’re here for him,” a slight man at the desk says.

  “I’m here for him,” I assure the guy that looks like he’s gone a few rounds with Zeus.

  “I was gonna sedate him, but I’m here on my own and the dart gun broke last week,” he explains, leading me down a short hall.

  We stop in front of a door and he says, “I’ll stay out here if you don’t mind.”

  I clap the guy on the back and open the door to find Zeus snarling and gnashing his teeth until he sees me.

  “It’s okay, Zeus. I’ve got you.”