by Alta Hensley
“No, not really as I wouldn’t have even known how to tell that story. I was just thinking how amazing it is that everything with you just seems so right, so easy. I’m wondering if I’ll ever need to tell you a story, as you seem to know what I want without me ever speaking.”
Maddox bent to kiss the top of her head. “I’m sure there are fantasies you’ve had that I won’t know and those will make incredible stories.”
She nodded and Maddox closed his eyes, thinking she was falling into sleep. He opened his eyes when she said, “Maddox?”
“Hmmm?”
“Remember you told me that you understood how I felt… about losing my family?”
“Yes.”
“You really do, don’t you? Jennie told me about your mother, your sister. I am so very sorry.”
“Thank you,” Maddox said, not surprised that Jennie had shared something so personal with Adira. The two had seemed to form an instant connection from the moment they met. “It was an awful day. We not only lost people we loved, but that was the day Pops discovered that the trust he placed in the government was unfounded.”
“What do you mean?”
Maddox took a moment to gather his thoughts, appreciating that Adira didn’t push him. “My father worked undercover for the Department of Justice. He’d infiltrated a branch of the mafia, spending almost a year gathering enough intel and evidence to make sure they’d be put away for a long time. They put us, his family, into a safe house in order to assure him that we’d be safe while he testified. We had agents, bodyguards, with us at all times. Two died that night as well. The only reason my father and I survived was because your grandfather made that phone call.”
“How did he even know?” Adira asked, moving to tilt her head up to look at him.
“Evidently they were looking for another source to move their money out of the country. I’m sure they were hedging their bets, not willing to assume they’d come away scot-free and wishing to have a source of ready income. However, what they didn’t realize was that your grandfather, your family, had yet to have dealings with those who deal in drugs. Hadi not only turned them down, somehow he also learned of the plan to assassinate my family. His making that call didn’t save my mother or sister, or the two agents in the house that night, but it saved my dad and me and, as it turns out, his decision came full circle in that we were able to repay the debt… not as we wished, but at least in that we managed to get you out. It was another agent, one who had been turned and was working for the mob, who told them where to find us. From that moment on, my dad decided that the only person he could truly trust was himself. He began to help others, teaching me and my brothers to follow in his footsteps.”
“Learning that my grandfather reached out to your father… it isn’t really logical but it helps balance some of the other things… bad things they’ve done. I’m glad to know that there are people like you and your family… most people would assume that anyone who strays outside the boundaries of the rules… the law, deserves whatever comes to them.”
“Pops’s motto is that no innocent should pay for the crime of their father.”
“Jennie told me your father saved her from a cult.”
Maddox smiled, remembering the day his dad had brought Jennie to the ranch. She’d been pissed as hell, demanding she be allowed to leave. He’d never heard such swearing… on both their parts during the following days. It took his dad a long time to convince what he called “the wild child” to settle, often punctuating his lectures with his hand or belt to her backside. Eventually Jennie had learned to accept her worth, to acknowledge that it wasn’t her destiny to give her life for some asshole megalomaniac’s vision. Once she had, she became the Jennie they all knew and loved. She was still a bit wild, had a free spirit, could curse up a blue streak and debate until she was blue in the face, but she’d brought them love, peace, and a sense of family they’d lost with his mother’s and sister’s deaths. Her mere presence gave them a sense of serenity that they sorely needed to fall back on when returning from missions that forced them to live on adrenaline and go full out, risking their lives to save another.
“She is an amazing woman,” Maddox finally said, moving his hand down to rub against Adira’s ass. “But, young lady, if I find you stoned out of your mind, you can bet that you’ll find yourself back in the dungeon getting another dose.”
Instead of pulling away, she pushed her hips back, filling his palm with her flesh. “Hmmm, is that supposed to be a deterrent?”
Giving her a swat, adoring her squeal, he moved her to her back, positioning himself over her, bending to trace her lips with his tongue before pressing between them. Her hands came up to wrap around his neck, fingers sliding into his hair. Maddox explored her mouth, his tongue dancing with hers until she was moaning, her body arching into his. Pulling away, he said, “You’ve had your snack, it’s time for me to enjoy mine.”
Her hands slid from his hair to his shoulders and then down his arms as he moved down her body, his tongue licking, his teeth nibbling and his lips nuzzling her flesh. Pushing her thighs apart, he was glad to see that the chafing from her ride was healing, softly stroking over the tender skin, watching tiny bumps appear as she trembled. Using a single fingertip, he separated the lips of her labia, loving her soft mewl and her much louder gasp as his tongue flicked along the seam, dipping into her pussy which was growing slicker with every moment. She was so incredibly responsive, so eager to experience, to learn and he had so very much to teach her.
Slipping his hands beneath her buttocks, he tilted her hips up, settling his mouth over her sex.
“Oh… oh,” she moaned, fingers once again finding his hair. The slight discomfort of the pull against his locks, her unconscious lifting of her hips, the press of her body, told of her need. Thrusting his tongue into her pussy, he explored, licked, suckled, lapped at her cream until her mewls turned into the softest of one word repeated again and again. “Please… please… please.”
She asked so sweetly, he thought with a grin against her sex, giving a last long, sweep of it before settling on that tiny bundle of nerves. Suckling it into his mouth had her hips jerking and her hands dropping from him to grip the sheets. It was time to allow her to fly. Taking her clit between his teeth, he gave it a soft bite.
“Maddox!” she screamed, her body freezing for the merest moment before it began to convulse and though her hips jerked from side to side, her hands began to push against his shoulders, his head, he easily kept her in place until she practically bowed in two as she splintered beneath his mouth.
Lifting his mouth and his body, he reversed the path of his journey, kissing her belly, her breasts, her nipples, her neck until his lips were a breath from hers. “Absolutely delicious,” he said before moving that last fraction of an inch and kissing her. Her eyes were glazed, her cheeks a soft deep rose color as he reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a foil wrapped object.
“May I?”
His cock jerked at her soft request and he handed her the packet. The feather light touch of her fingers as she rolled the condom down his shaft had him growing even longer. No woman had ever affected him as Adira. When she bent forward and kissed the tip of his latex covered cock, it was his turn to moan.
She lay back, lifting her legs to wrap around his waist, her hands moving to grab his buttocks. With his cock pressed against her opening, he looked down at her. “Do you have a tale to share?” he asked, grinning as she attempted to force him inside her body.
“Fuck me,” she moaned.
“Ah, a short story,” Maddox said, and her moan turned into a shriek as he thrust fully into her with one movement. She was incredibly tight, hot and slick as he stroked in and out, her whimpers as her body adjusted to his girth, driving him ever closer to his end. “Come with me,” he ordered, driving fully inside, remaining still as he bent to nibble on a turgid nipple.
“I… I don’t think I can…” she whispered.
&nbs
p; “You can,” he assured her, pumping his hips again. “You will.” And she did, her eyes wide as she exploded, his mouth capturing her scream and feeding her his groan as they came together. Withdrawing, panting, he grinned at the blissful look on her face. By the time he’d gone into the bathroom to rid himself of the condom and returned, her eyes were closed, her limbs splayed. Climbing back into the bed and lying on his side, he spooned her back against his front. “Mine,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her shoulder as he joined her in sleep.
Maddox and Adira enjoyed the next two weeks, spending almost every moment together. They rode horses and each other. He’d listened to her story about a poor maiden who’d been captured by a tribe of Bedouin and taken to a dark cave. Though there was no magic lamp or a genie to grant her wish to escape their evil grasp, there had been several apparatus that seemed “a bit out of place.” She’d giggled when he looked at her, his eyebrow lifted as he questioned how these desert nomads had managed to roll a huge oak barrel across the dunes to use as an instrument of torture for their captive.
“Must I be the only one with an imagination?” she’d pouted, slapping his chest. By the time he allowed the barrel to roll to a final rest and removed her restraints, she’d been as pliable as the falls of the soft leather flogger he’d used to paint her skin.
Every day had them growing closer and him reminding her that she was truly his… now and forever. Adira had spoken to her grandfather several times but this call was the one that Maddox had been waiting for. It was the one that set the entire ranch on alert.
“No doubt remains,” Hadi said, his voice having gone from easy while talking to Adira to steel once he’d directed his attention to Maddox. “Our government has recovered portions of the explosives used. They are definitely of Russian origin. Poplov used his go-to henchmen, Mikhail Sokolov and Nikolai Orlov, to plant the bombs on the yacht.”
“That doesn’t surprise me, but I still don’t believe they managed this on their own. My gut tells me they had help,” Maddox said.
“I agree as there is also no question that they left the country immediately. Though it remains a bit unclear how as there is no record of their names on any travel manifest, there is a record of planes that departed,” Hadi agreed, pausing, his eyes seeming to darken, his expression to harden. “Legeaux and Forrest… men I welcomed into my home, men who bought my stallions—their planes left within hours of my family’s massacre.”
Maddox explained how Basara told him that both men had left Dubai with their purchases. “We’ve already thought of that and just had the final piece of intel that clears Forrest. He’s dead. A freak car accident that we believe is no accident. I’m afraid he was considered a loose end as I know he and Legeaux were meeting for drinks after the auction. Legeaux was inebriated, probably spilled his plans.”
“So you’re saying that you believe Charles had him eliminated?” Hadi asked.
“That’s what I’m saying. And the fact that Legeaux has dropped out of sight, missing several prestigious races, tells me the man is in hiding.”
Hadi nodded. “So if we find Legeaux, we might find some answers?”
“That’s what I’m hoping,” Maddox agreed.
“How do we do that?” Hadi asked.
“Who have you told of your suspicions?” Maddox asked, and upon hearing that the man had shared nothing except with his most trusted advisors and the Steeles, Maddox nodded. “Good, then this is what you do.” He went on to set a plan in motion.
“I’m not happy about using Adira as a pawn…”
“Jidd, you forget, I am your granddaughter. Your blood runs in me. I cannot just sit back. I want to do my part… I must…”
“She’ll be safe,” Maddox promised, his hand moving to Adira’s neck. “There’s not a man on this ranch who wouldn’t die to protect her.”
“I have no doubt of that,” Hadi said, nodding. “All right, I understand my granddaughter’s need and I’ll trust you.”
“Thank you, Hadi.”
Hadi paused, the two men looking at each other, communicating without words. Maddox understood how much inner strength it took for the older man to place his granddaughter into his hands. Finally, Hadi nodded. “I’ll make the call.”
“And we’ll make preparations to welcome the asshole to the ranch,” Maddox said, his tone calm, his eyes dark, his jaw clenched.
Chapter 20
When the black escalade crossed the threshold of the entrance to the property, driving beneath the sign of The Black Stallion Ranch, Maddox turned away from the video monitor to face everyone standing behind him in the operations room and said, “The bastard is here.”
“It’s important that we all stick to the plan,” Drake instructed. “Are there any last minute questions?” He paused to look at Anson, Stryder, Jennie, and then at Maddox and Adira, none of the group speaking. “All right then, let’s go give our guests a proper Black Stallion welcome,” Drake said as he led the way out of the room.
Adira took a deep breath and tried her best to appear strong. Despite her insistence to her grandfather that she be allowed to participate in the plan, in all actuality, she was terrified. There was so much that could go wrong, and she had already lost more people than most do in a lifetime.
Feeling the gentle squeeze of her hand as they walked down the hallway, she glanced up to meet Maddox’s eyes. “It’s going to be okay,” he reassured. “You just stay right beside me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She nodded in response, not sure if she could even speak. Yes, she trusted Maddox, but it wasn’t the thought of something happening to her that had her speechless. She loved him with every cell of her being. It was the thought of losing him like she lost her father…
There was a knock on the front door just as they entered the foyer of the house. She and Maddox, Drake, and Jennie all took a moment to look at each other, silently making sure everyone was ready to begin. Drake nodded to Jennie to go ahead and open the door while the three of them stood ready for phase one of their masterfully crafted plan. As Jennie had done a million times, she answered the door and greeted Charles and his two gunmen with a welcoming smile.
“Well, hello there,” she said as she opened the door wide, stepping aside so Charles could see Maddox, with his hand still gripping Adira’s, and Drake standing protectively beside her.
Charles nodded at Maddox. “Maddox.” He then did the same with Drake. “Drake. Nice to see the both of you again.”
Both Drake and Maddox remained silent.
Charles then looked at Adira and plastered a fake smile on his face. “It’s nice to see you alive, Adira. The whole world thought you were dead.”
Adira remained silent, just as she was instructed to do as part of the plan.
“I’m here for Adira,” Charles announced, crossing the threshold of the doorway with his men following, standing on each side of him. From the way his eyes flicked from one to another of his hosts and his sigh, it was clear he was losing patience with everyone’s silence. “She’s coming with me.”
“She’s not going anywhere,” Maddox countered simply, not moving in the slightest.
Charles smirked. “I guess you misunderstood me. I wasn’t asking.”
“I heard you clearly,” Maddox said. “And I repeat, she isn’t going anywhere with you.”
Charles’s jaw tightened, and both men at his sides pulled back their jackets just enough to reveal that they were armed. “I was asked by Hadi to fetch his granddaughter and bring her to him.” He glanced at Drake, then Maddox. “I’m sure you are quite aware that Adira being alive may upset some people. The assassination did not go as planned.” He cleared his throat and clenched his jaw again. “Hadi has reason to believe she isn’t safe here.”
“Really?” Drake asked. “Not safe here?”
“Yes. That is what Hadi told me.”
Maddox looked at Drake and feigned shock. “I wonder why our dear friend Hadi would think such a thing?” He lo
oked at Charles with venom painted on his face, casting from his darkened eyes. It was a look that Adira had never seen on him before, and it sent shivers down her spine. The rage was building in Maddox, and she wasn’t sure what would happen if it was unleashed. “Tell me, Charles, why do you think Hadi would feel that way?”
Charles shrugged nonchalantly. “You know how rumors are. Word on the street is that The Black Stallion Brothers, led by their father, may have had something to do with the bombing. You were in Dubai at the time.”
“Rumors?” Maddox looked at Drake and gave a wicked smile. “Look at that, Pops. The rumor is that we are ruthless killers, bombing innocent people.”
“I guess it helps our reputation,” Drake stared directly at Charles and deepened his voice for emphasis, “as being men you do not want to mess with.”
“Interesting, however, is why Charles wouldn’t want to claim the fact that he played a part in bringing down one of the world’s most powerful families?” Maddox said to his father, acting as if Charles was not standing a few feet away, listening in. “You would think that a man so power hungry as he is would want that reputation. Being feared usually has far more power than money. Surely he would know this.”
Charles laughed, the evil, high-pitched sound of it bouncing off the walls and ceiling of the foyer. “Ah, well maybe Charles doesn’t mind waiting in the shadows until just the right time to strike.”
“Or maybe Charles is just the errand boy for people far more powerful than he,” Maddox countered.
“Well, rumor has it as well that Charles Legeaux is nothing but Vasily Poplov’s bitch,” Drake said as he looked at his son and smiled. “I would much rather have the reputation that The Black Stallions are ruthless killers than someone’s little lapdog. Wouldn’t you, son?” he asked with a broad smile.
“For sure,” Maddox answered. “Sorry man,” he continued, looking at Charles, “it must suck to be you.”
“All right, I have had enough of these games,” Charles snapped as he took a step toward Adira, causing Maddox to step forward in retaliation. Charles was smart enough to stop. “I’m here for Adira, and she is coming with me.”