In My Custody

by Stella Marie Alden

  “That’s it?” I shut my surprised mouth, worried I’ll catch one of the tiny black flies buzzing about.

  “For now. Let’s go before he changes his mind.” Andy grabs my arm and leads me across the field to the SUV where Dahlyla waits in the front seat.

  Jack shakes hands with one of the cops, gives him a business card, then slides into the driver’s seat. Leaning across my friend, he places his gun into the glove compartment and starts the engine.

  Overhead, dark clouds clear, leaving the air thick as we head down the dirt road. Apparently, we aren’t going to get a storm anytime soon.

  “Where to, now?” My stomach growls as the crime scene fades from view.

  Andy strains his neck so as to watch out the back window. “Someone is following. Best not to stop until we get to my office.”

  I guess that means we don’t get to eat.

  Damn.

  Chapter 9

  Andy

  I wish we could stop and eat but don’t dare. The police were too damn close to arresting Sienna and I can’t say as I blame them. How the hell did she get mixed up with one of the biggest crime families in New York?

  I’ve had my hand clasped around hers since we got back in the car with my thumb caressing the soft flesh. When her eyes lift to meet mine, her lips part for a kiss, and I groan. We can’t. First, I need to hear the damn audio file. She was smart to keep it from the police until I get her out of town.

  No one has said anything for miles, not even Dahlyla. However, about thirty minutes into our drive, she turns around in her seat and glances out the back window. “Do you suppose they’ll tail us all the way to Manhattan.”

  “No doubt.” Jack darts in and out of traffic, speeding up, then slowing down randomly. “I don’t think they believed Sienna when she said she didn’t have a recording.”

  In the rearview mirror, he shoots his gaze to Sienna. “No offense, but you’re a terrible liar.”

  She sits up so she can glare back at him, her voice defensive. “I said I didn’t have it, and I don’t. Damn.” Shivering despite the heat, she closes her eyes and leans back into the seat. “What if Peter was the one who killed his brother?”

  I’m surprised it took so long for her to put two and two together. I’ve been thinking it was him since we found the body. The fact she just arrived at that conclusion shows me how shook, or perhaps exhausted, she is.

  My hands rub her tight shoulders until some of the knots release. “Can you get at the audio from your phone?”

  “There is an app but I never downloaded it. The data charges would blow my budget all to hell.”

  I hand her my phone. “Use mine.”

  Biting her lower lip, she thumbs through the internet expertly. In a few moments, the sounds of a forest fill the car. She turns up the volume and holds the cell phone over the front seat so Jack and Dahlyla can hear, too.

  “Let me fast forward.” She plays with the controls until the sounds go by at high speed. The warbling is consistent but then there’s a bit of a glitch. She stops and plays back normally, water trickling over rocks. Suddenly, twigs crack, someone grunts, and a male voice says, “Why the hell did you bring me out here?”

  Sienna shakes, her worried gaze finding mine. “That’s Adrian.”

  “I needed to talk to you.” The second male voice must be Peter.

  Adrian sounds angry and agitated. “I told you not to come back, not yet. You’ve fucked up everything. Now, the money may not ever come through. How the hell did she get a recording of your fucking voice?”

  “She couldn’t have. The insurance investigator is blowing steam out her ass. The judge will rule in our favor. I’ll see to it.”

  “He better.”

  “That’s not the issue right now, is it?” When Peter Olafson’s voice gets low and menacing, Jack glances at me in the rearview.

  Poor Adrian has no idea he’s about to die. “You got something to say, just come right out and say it.”

  “Okay. I will. Kevin talked. He told me your plans to cut me out of my share.”

  “He’s lying.” Adrian hisses as leaves rustle and more branches crack.

  Peter’s so loud, he must be standing right under the mics. “I had our accountants look into it. You made a big mistake. My people are loyal.”

  “Shit no. Dammit, Peter. I’m your brother.”

  “More’s the pity.”

  There’s a loud blast and almost simultaneously, Adrian screams. Another two shots follow. Then, there’s footsteps, followed by nothing but peaceful forest sounds.

  “Oh shit.” Sienna sits back in the seat and hands me back my phone.

  Dahlyla is pale and says nothing, which is odd for her. Maybe, she’s thinking she won’t get her cut of the insurance.

  Jack notices her behavior too, and I get an almost imperceptible nod in the rearview. We need to ditch Dahlyla and get Sienna someplace safe. As soon as her husband learns she hung mics over the scene of the murder, he’ll have a contract out on her. That is, if he doesn’t kill her himself.

  I put my arm over Sienna’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Jack and I will protect you.”

  She closes her eyes and moans. “As soon as you send the police the audio file, I’m as good as dead, aren’t I?”

  “I promise, I won’t send it until you’re safe.”

  “You don’t get it. There is no safe for me. The Buonanno’s have people everywhere. I saw it on his hard drive. They own cops, PI’s, Transit Authority, airport security… You have no idea. Can’t we just hold onto the file? Pretend it never existed?”

  “Sooner or later, they’ll get a warrant for your cloud space.” At the mention of police, I search out the window for the dark sedan following us but it’s nowhere in sight.

  She unbuckles her seatbelt, gets on her knees, and faces out the back. “We lost them?

  I nod and she turns back to me. “How about I erase everything?”

  “You’d do that?”

  “Yes. No. Shit.” When she pounds her palm to her forehead, I tug it away with a kiss.

  In the front seat, Dahlyla comes to life, pulls her phone out of her purse, and starts clicking away at the keys.

  “Who’re you texting, now?” Jack eyes her with a frown.

  “Home office. I’m telling them we have proof positive Peter is still alive and to let the judge in the case know.”

  “What’s your percentage for keeping Peter’s insurance from being paid out?” Jack passes an eighteen-wheeler doing about eighty, then slips into the fast lane, hiding us between two trucks.

  Dahlyla shrugs. “I’ll probably end up with a small bonus and a pat on the back.”

  I still have a bad feeling about her but keep my mouth shut, for now. “Where would you like us to drop you off, Dahlyla?”

  “Fifth and thirty-first. My office.”

  With a finger to my lips, I instruct Sienna not to say anything and for once, she obeys until after we drop off Dahlyla.

  Jack glances in his rearview as he circles the block to head south. “You should pack a bag then we’ll go.”

  “But my gig? My work? I can’t leave.” Sienna clutches my arm but Jack is right.

  He points at all the people passing by us as he stops at the light. “Believe me, all of Grayson Security couldn’t keep you safe in the city.”

  “So, what? I hide out forever?” Eyes sparking, my spitfire reappears. Her, I can deal with. Tears, not so much.

  Taking a deep breath, I tuck my finger under her chin, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, here. All we need to do is get out of town while we figure this out.”

  She nods, struggles to get out of my hold, and stares out the window. After a few miles, she asks, “What about Sam? Will he be safe?”

  Jack fields this question, tapping his fingertips on the steering wheel. “Does your husband know about him?”

  Sienna moves her gaze from outside the car to the driver. “Please don’t call him my husband. We are not married. An
yhow, I don’t think Peter knows about Sam. We connected after he died. Dammit, I mean after his plane crashed.”

  “I’ll have someone at Grayson Security keep an eye on him, just in case.” Jack eyes her in the rearview and she sinks back into her seat. “Thank you but I’ll never be able to pay you guys. This blows. Again, Peter ruins my life.”

  Not long after, Jack double parks the car outside her apartment and pulls out his gun. I have mine as well because we both notice her door is open, the lock smashed. Inside, her furniture is sliced, dresser drawers upended, and broken glass strewn all over the floor. Her freezer door hangs open with frozen dinners melting. It’s one of the most thorough searches I’ve ever witnessed. If she was hiding something, they surely found it.

  “Oh my God.” Sienna’s mouth drops open as she races to her bed and grabs a teddy bear with the stuffing torn out of it. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she holds it to her chest, closes her eyes, and rocks back and forth.

  “Clear.” Jack comes out of the bathroom and holsters his weapon.

  Safety on, mine goes into my waistband.

  “I’ll let CJ know you’ll be needing my services a little longer.” His face is as grim as mine when he exits her apartment.

  “Sienna? We need to go.” I squat down near her tear-stained face which about breaks my heart. I raise her to standing and bring her to my chest. It was meant to comfort but there’s so much pent up passion, my dick, who can be a real dick, stands at attention. Hoping she doesn’t notice, I hold her for the longest time, patting her head.

  When she looks up at me, God help me, I take her mouth in a kiss, one of the most unprofessional things I’ve ever done. When we part, I ask, “Sienna? Did you take Peter’s hard drive out of his safe?”

  She nods, searches her purse, and hands me a key. “It’s in a safety deposit box.”

  Jesus Christ Almighty. I say a prayer of thanks to the Big Guy, then wonder how the hell I’m going to get her out of this mess.

  Gently, I place her about a foot away from me. “Find a bag, pack a few things, we need to go.”

  Once outside, I check up and down the street but Jack and our ride is gone. I text him, call, and when he doesn’t respond, grab Sienna’s hand.

  “Run!”

  Chapter 10

  Sienna

  Andy grabs my knapsack and races us up the street until we get to the nearest subway station. A train arrives within minutes, we get out on Fourteenth, cross over the tracks, and head uptown to Fifty-Seventh.

  On the way, he texts for an Uber while I fight to keep pace with his long legs. “What’s going on? Where’s Jack?”

  “I don’t know.” Face grim, he searches up and down the street, his hand clamped onto my upper arm.

  Soon, a red Toyota pulls to the curb, we get in, and yet every few minutes I check out the back window. “Where’re we going?”

  “I called Grayson and he sent a shitload of former special ops to Brooklyn. If Peter tries anything, he’s as good as dead. We’ll get a few hours of sleep and head out in the morning.”

  “Listen, I appreciate everything you’ve done but I can’t let you upend your life, not for me. Peter was my mistake and I need to live with the consequences.”

  His worried expression lifts as he grins and kisses my cheek. “Are you firing me?”

  “Don’t smile. I’m serious.”

  “Hold that thought.” His phone rings, he checks the callerID, then turns the screen so I can see it’s Jack before swiping to answer.

  “Jack?” He holds the speaker to his ear. “Uh, huh. Yeah. I figured. Okay. See you there.”

  “So? What happened?” My heart thumps until he squeezes my hand and sighs.

  “He chased after a couple thugs outside your apartment.”

  “Damn. They must’ve been looking for the hard drive but why now? Peter’s been dead for almost two years.”

  Andy chuckles, eyes warming me with their heat. “Good thing he’s dead. I don’t sleep with married women.”

  Oh, wow. Did he imply we’re going to have sex? My face heats, my toes curl, and the lips between my legs jump for joy. The snappy comebacks for which I’m famous fail to arrive in my brain. Instead, synapses fire, making noises like fried electronics.

  Xzsssst

  Soft lips part, his nostrils flare, and he lowers for a long, soul-wrenching kiss. When his tongue demands entrance, I open my mouth and we tangle. Just moments ago, I was scared shitless, now I’m consumed with lust. I want this man. I want him so badly, I can’t wait. When the kiss ends, we gasp and stare.

  Out the window, we pass under signs for the Triborough Bridge, leaving Manhattan. Thank God it’s dark because his left-hand moves high up my thigh, his pinky finger touching my core. “Fuck Sienna, you’re wet. Holy shit.”

  My face heats and I glance up at the driver but his eyes are focused on the heavy traffic on the bridge. That’s good, because Andy’s hand is inching even higher making my nipples tingle. I squirm and close my eyes while he blows into my ear with the side of his hand pressing between my legs.

  Arching to meet him, he gives a low groan and unbuckles his seat belt. Then, he leans over to shield me from the front seat, slips his hand under my shirt, and squeezes my breast.

  Red faced, I push on his chest but he just chuckles and whispers, “It’s dark. No one can see anything. Relax.”

  Are you kidding me? Relax?

  His clever fingers pinch a nub and I bite down hard on my lower lip with my heels dug into the carpet under the front seat. My undies are beyond wet when he slips his hands down the front of my jeans. To be fair, I try to touch the thick bulge in his pants but he’s tightly pressed into me. Up and down his finger slides across my nub, my urgency growing. Oh God, I’m practically there when he stops, letting the tension mount.

  “Come for me, baby.” He applies a little pressure but not nearly enough.

  Hissing, I buck against his finger.

  So damn close.

  With his mouth on mine, one digit enters me hard and fast while his knuckle presses on my nub. Oh Shit. I stifle a scream into his mouth and cum hard thinking he’ll stop but he doesn’t. He makes the orgasm last long past what should be humanly possible, sinking his finger into me repeatedly, hiding me behind his broad body.

  When he’s done, his eyes shine with satisfaction.

  “I should take care of you, too.” My hand rests on the thick bulge under his black jeans.

  “Oh, you will, in about five minutes. We’re almost there.” He licks my liquids off his index finger, dark eyes every so often reflecting the streetlamps of Queens.

  We make a quick right on Fifty-ninth Street, a left onto Fifty-ninth Avenue, a right, and so on until we get to Quackenbush which has a stop sign every few seconds. With each delay, the centers of Andy’s eyes get blacker until the brown is all but gone.

  I’ve never elicited this kind of desire from a man. It’s heady, powerful, and yet at the same time I’m humbled that someone so amazing would be into me.

  Finally, the Uber driver pulls in front of a hydrant and Andy slips him a bill. I think it’s a big tip because the driver grins widely as he leaves the curb. Then, with one hand on my back, Andy grabs my knapsack and leads me across the sidewalk. We run up five brownstone stairs and at eye level, there’s a historical marker which I’ll read later.

  His hand shakes as he places the key into the lock. Once we’re in, he kicks the door shut and drops my bag on the foyer floor. Pressing his lower half into mine, he pins me to the wall.

  “Fuck, what you do to me, luv.” His mouth crashes into mine, palms on my cheeks, hard want at my belly.

  When he changes the angle of the kiss, I work to untuck his shirt. My reward is warm skin and lots of hard muscles. My hands roam his back, unable to get enough.

  “Sienna.” He says it like a prayer as he cups my butt and lifts me.

  Impatiently, I tug my t-shirt over my head, then his.

  Oh my God. The man is
ripped. Like sexy-carpenter ripped. Not only that, his body is covered in ink.

  What the hell? There’s a real bad boy under those starched shirts.

  “So beautiful.” He doesn’t notice my surprise because his lips and hands are busy with my breasts. Squeezing, he plays with them while white hot desire pools between my legs.

  I lift my arms so he can strip me of the sports bra but he’s not ready. His mouth on the spandex, he wets the fabric. When his teeth nip at the tips, my toes drop to the floor, and with a hand behind me, he backs me up into the living room.

  We stop when my calves hit something soft.

  Under his brows creased in pain, his dilated eyes meet mine. “I want you so bad. Are you… Do you?”

  My answer is to pull my wet bra over my head, kick off my shoes, and unzip my jeans.

  “Sweet Lord all mighty.” A hint of his southern accent sounds in his exclamation and I grin until he takes a nipple into his mouth and sucks.

  “Oh.” Air whooshes from my lungs as he pushes me back onto a sectional couch.

  Both horizontal, we kiss, touch, and explore with heated passion until he stops and straddles me. Sitting on his heels. his hands massage my front from neck to lower abs. Every time he passes over my breasts, I groan as I reach for his cock, my nipples are so hard, they hurt.

  “Not yet, gorgeous. We’re just getting started.” Chuckling, he pulls me away and kisses my fingertips.

  Warm hands find their way to the waistband of my jeans and I lift so he can pull both undies and pants over my butt. Then, kisses start at my navel and lower until his face is in the curly hairs of my mound. When his tongue flicks over my nub, I moan and arch.

  However, instead of helping me reach my peak, he slides my jeans slowly down my thighs pausing to lick and nibble. Then, he’s at my calves and the sole of my foot. Oh God, every nerve is on fire when he kisses up my inner leg.

  When he reaches my swollen sex, I open wide. I have never wanted a man so bad. “Please, Andy, now.”

  “Patience.” As he licks and sucks my clit, liquid heat pours out of me.