“We’re fine. Em’s sleeping and the baby is sleeping soundly in my arms.” Nick could hear the pride in his brother’s voice.
“Any word on Hulk?” Nick sighed.
“Nothing. His sister and brother got here about an hour ago. They said they’d keep me up to date. As far as I know, they lost him during surgery and had to revive him.” Keith sighed. “It’s not good, bro.”
“He’s a tough guy. We need to stay positive and pray.” Nick tried to sound convincing, but it was hard when he’d witnessed just how badly Hulk was hurt.
“He banged his head on the metal door handle when he fell, and they’re worried about swelling. I don’t know, Nick.” He could hear Keith blow out a heavy breath. “He’s only thirty-one.”
“And he’s one of the toughest men we know.” Nick reminded his brother.
“I know. If you remember the prayers Father Wallace taught us, send one up.” Keith sighed.
“I will. Keep me in the loop.” Nick was about to end the call when his brother stopped him.
“How’s Lora?” He asked.
“Exhausted but she wasn’t hurt. The fucker didn’t touch either of them.” He was more thankful than he ever thought possible.
“Good. That’s good.” Keith murmured.
“I’m gonna catch some shut-eye.” Nick yawned.
“Later, bro. Give that woman of yours a hug for me,” Keith said.
“Ditto.” Nick ended the call and made his way around the house to make sure all the doors and windows were locked.
He wasn’t taking any chances. The police lost the stalker on some side road after a twenty-minute chase through the side streets of St. Johns. They were still searching his house, so he wouldn’t be able to go back to the place where he’d planned to keep Lora and Kristy. Nick needed to make sure the house was secure because this guy wasn’t getting near Lora ever again.
When Nick entered the bedroom, Lora was curled up on her side, but her eyes were open. She gave him a smile as he made his way to the bed.
“What’s wrong?” Nick sat next to her and brushed his knuckle against he cheek.
“Besides the fact that I just escaped from a crazy man who locked me in my childhood home with your cousin?” Lora exhaled.
“You’re safe now.” Nick cupped her cheek.
“There’s just something needling in my head. I’m sure I know who he is, but I can’t figure it out.” Lora sat up, and the blankets fell from her naked chest.
“You’re exhausted. Get some sleep, and we can talk it out later today.” Nick smoothed his hand over her head.
“Kristy is one bad ass woman.” Lora grinned.
“She grew up with seven male cousins and a father who was a cop.” Nick brushed his lips against hers.
“Hmmm.” Her eyes fluttered closed as her hands slid around his neck.
“You. Need. To. Sleep.” Nick placed a kiss on her lips for each word.
“I want you, Nick. I need you.” She opened her eyes as she slid her hands down the front of his chest to the hem of his shirt.
“I want you too but…” She pressed her finger to his lips and shook her head.
“No buts. I need to feel you inside me. I need to feel your skin against mine. Make me forget last night. Just for a while.” She tugged his shirt over his head and ran her fingers lightly down the center of his chest to his stomach.
“Baby,” Nick groaned and cupped the back of her head. “I need you too, Lora I need inside of you more than I need to breathe.”
Lora unbuttoned his jeans as she fumbled to her knees, as Nick stood up and attempted to push them down over his hips, but she pushed his hands away.
“Mine.” She growled.
Lora wiggled his jeans and boxers over his hips and down his legs. He kicked them off as soon as they pooled around his ankles.
“You’re pretty possessive.” Nick chuckled, but lost the humor when she wrapped her hand around his hard length.
“Your body is so perfect.” Lora’s voice was reverent, and Nick couldn’t help but feel pride in the way the woman he loved worshiped his body with just her eyes.
Nick wrapped his hands around her waist and attempted to push her down to the bed, but she shook her head. Her hand slid painstakingly slow down his length. When she reached the base of his cock, she lowered her head and swirled her tongue around the swollen head several times.
“Fuck, baby. Your tongue feels so fucking good.” Nick groaned when her hand tightened around the base of his dick.
Lora teased, licked and sucked only the head but kept her grip tight and unmoving where his cock met his body. Her other hand cupped his balls as she slowly slid her mouth down his hard length taking him into her hot mouth.
“Ahh… Jesus.” Nick cupped the back of her head with one hand and used his other to cup her full breast.
Lora hummed as her mouth slipped up and down his length. Nick bit down on his lip to keep from shouting when her teeth graze the underside of his sensitive head.
He had to stop her before he lost all control. He was ready to explode inside her mouth, but he wanted to be inside her sweet folds before that happened.
“Baby, I want to be inside you.” Nick pulled back with a gasp.
“I love your taste.” She purred.
Nick knew how she felt because he had never tasted anything as good as her wetness. At that moment his mouth watered at the thought of driving his tongue deep into her moist pussy.
“It’s my turn to taste.” Nick eased her back onto the bed and crawled over her.
Nick ran his tongue over her lower lip, and she nipped at it just before she sucked it. This woman was going to be the death of him. He covered her lips with his and tasted every part of her warm mouth. His tongue swirled against hers as her nails grazed down his spine.
He pulled back from her addictive mouth and kissed his way across her jaw and down to the nape of her neck. Lora raised her hips off the bed as if begging for him to touch her. Nick held himself over her with one hand and slid the other down under her breast. Nick flicked his tongue against the hard nipple once, then sucked it hard into his mouth. Her dark nipples stood out against her creamy skin, and the color reminded him of ripe partridge berries, but she tasted so much better.
“Nick,” She gasped, and her nails dug into the top of his back.
“I love these nipples. They are so damn responsive. All I have to do is touch them, and they pop up waiting to be sucked.” Nick covered it with his mouth and sucked it again.
As much as he loved her breasts, he wanted to taste her sweet pussy. Nick knelt between her legs and continued to lick, suck and nibble his way down her body to her wettness. He could smell her arousal as his finger slipped between her slit. Her body jerked as his thumb lightly touched her sensitive clit.
“Fucking beautiful,” He whispered just before he pushed one finger inside her and swirled his tongue around her swollen nub.
“Nick… God, I need to come.” She squirmed under his teasing.
“I’ll always give you what you need.” He growled as he drove a second finger inside her and sucked her clit into his mouth.
His cock was painfully hard and wanted nothing more than to drive deep inside her, but he loved to see her come undone as he brought her to orgasm with just his fingers and his mouth.
He sucked her clit hard into his mouth as she tightened around his fingers and her body convulsed when her hips thrust off the bed.
“That’s it, sweetheart. I love watching you come apart for me.” He watched her practically melt into the mattress as she worked to control her breathing.
Nick eased his finger from inside her and rubbed the dampness around her sensitive pussy. She convulsed a couple of times as he slowed his ministrations and eased himself up until he hovered over her.
“My bones are gone.” She giggled when he nipped her earlobe.
“I still have a hard bone,” Nick growled in her ear.
“Oh my God, that's s
uch a man thing to say.” Lora lifted her knees allowing him to settle between her thighs.
“That’s because I’m a man that can’t wait to bury myself deep inside you,” Nick whispered into her ear right before he sucked her earlobe between his lips.
“Ahhh… When you talk like that it makes me so hot.” Lora raised her hips, and the tip of his throbbing cock slid between her folds.
“You’re playing with fire, sweetheart.” He moaned. “I haven’t put a condom on yet.”
She reached under her pillow and pulled out the gold package. She dangled it in front of his face making him grin. He didn’t know when she’d grabbed it out of the drawer, but at the moment, he didn’t care.
Nick grabbed it with his teeth and opened it. After he slid it onto his hard length, he moved over her again. For a moment he just stared at her beautiful face and wondered how he got so damn lucky. Nobody was ever going to take her away from him again. With that thought, he guided his thick length to her opening and slowly slid inside.
“So. Fucking. Beautiful.” Nick groaned.
Lora squirmed under him as her legs wrapped around his hips and grabbed his ass with her hands. The slight sting of her nails digging into the flesh had him painfully hard.
“Fuck, Nick. I need you to move.” Lora pushed her hips up against him, and she squeezed his dick inside.
Nick pulled his hips back and slammed into her. When he did it the second time, she groaned against his ear. He wouldn’t be able to last very much longer. He was desperate to feel her come around his dick. Nick snaked his hand between them and pressed his thumb against her swollen clit as continued to pump in and out of her.
Her muscles inside started to clench around him, and her body shuddered under him. He increased the pressure on his thumb as well as his thrusts. As her walls clamped around him, he pushed deep inside and exploded. Her name left his lips in a deep guttural groan.
“Lora,”
How could his love do this to him? He’d saved her, and she ran away. Right back to that cop. He was touching her again. That bastard was fucking his love.
She’d been brainwashed, but he’d underestimated how intense it was. She didn’t understand who he was and even if he’d shown her his face, he doubted it would work.
It was time to regroup, but it would be difficult since his home had been breached. It had probably been an error in judgment to bring the other woman. After all, she’d been part of his love’s abduction. He’d just got excited about the baby and figured he could at least save the child.
He should have kept his mind on what was important. Saving his love and making sure he got her away from the people that kept them apart.
He stared at the screen as he watched her writhe under the cop, and it made him want to vomit. Cleansing her was going to take a long time, but then she would be clean. Then he could take her as his own.
“I’ll have you soon, my love,” He whispered to the screen in front of him. “And that cop won’t know what hit him.”
Chapter 29
Lora rolled over on the bed and reached for him. He wasn’t there, and she opened her eyes. The clock at the side of her bed told her it was after three in the afternoon.
After she and Nick made love, he’d held her in his warm arms until she fell asleep. She must have slept pretty soundly because she hadn’t even felt Nick slip out of bed. She still couldn’t believe what happened the previous night.
Lora turned her head toward the window. It was closed, and she could see it was locked as well. It made her smile. Nick must have made sure all the windows in the house were secured. She hadn’t done that in a long time. At least not until she had been in Hopedale for a few months.
Lora threw the blankets back and for some reason had the overwhelming feeling to grab her robe and cover herself. It was weird because the feeling of being watched eerily overwhelmed her. She wrapped the robe around her body and hurried to the bathroom.
She found Nick in the living room when she’d finished her shower and gotten dressed. He was on the phone and Lora didn’t like the way his jaw clenched. She wrapped her arms around herself as she waited for Nick to finish his call. For what seemed forever, Nick only listened to whoever was on the other end of the call. When she was about ready to shout at him to tell her something, he nodded.
“Thanks, Keith. Tell his brother and sister we’ll keep them in our prayers.” Nick took the phone from his ear and blew out a shaky breath.
“Nick, what’s going on?” Lora couldn’t stop shaking.
“That was Keith.” Nick dropped his phone on the coffee table and walked toward her.
“Nick, no. Hulk?” Tears filled her eyes.
“He’s not in good shape.” She saw Nick swallow hard.
“But he’s going to be okay? Right?” Lora prayed he’d give her the answer she wanted to hear but had a feeling he wouldn’t.
“He’s in critical condition.” Nick took her hands in his.
“He’ll be okay, Nick. Please tell me that.” She swallowed hard.
“From what Keith told me, they had to do another surgery. The crack he got on the head fractured his skull, and there’s a lot of swelling.” Nick tipped his head back and glanced up at the ceiling, then swallowed.
“Nick,” Lora’s voice cracked.
“They have him on a ventilator. The next forty-eight hours are critical.” Nick explained.
Lora couldn’t say another word because the huge knot in her throat wouldn't allow her. Hulk didn’t deserve any of this. He was only doing his job. He was fighting for his life because some crazy bastard wanted her.
“We need to stay positive.” Nick wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her into his warm embrace.
Lora rested her head against his chest and blinked back the tears. She wasn’t letting this guy hurt one more person she cared about, but Lora had no idea how she could do that.
An hour later, Lora sat on the sofa at Nick’s parent's house with Molly, Olivia, Colin and Grace crowded around her as she read them a story. If someone asked her about the book, she wouldn’t even be able to tell them the name of the characters. She couldn't concentrate on anything at the moment and the only thing keeping her from falling apart was the way Molly snuggled into her side.
The house was filled to the rafters with Nick’s family and extended family as well as the men that worked for Keith. The concern on their faces was evident, but so was the determination. The whole group were hell-bent on finding the man who took her and Kristy, as well as put their friend in such a critical situation.
“I made ya a hot cuppa tea, Lassie.” Nanny Betty placed the teacup on the side table next to where Lora sat.
“Thanks, Nan.” Lora smiled at Nick’s grandmother.
“Doncha worry. My b’ys and girls will figure dis out and our Hulk is gonna be jus' dandy.” Lora nodded at the woman, but for the first time since she’d met Nanny Betty, she could see concern in the tiny woman’s blue eyes.
“That’s right, my darling. He’s a strong, lad.” Tom wrapped his arm around Nanny Betty’s shoulders.
Tom Roberts was a very well-known businessman in Newfoundland and around the world. Although he was technically retired, he still kept his feet wet in all the businesses he started from the beginning.
He was also Nanny Betty’s boyfriend, for lack of a better word, and he doted on her. Lora didn’t know the whole story, but they’d dated as teenagers and because a series of terrible events they’d been separated. Nanny Betty later married Jack O’Connor and started the amazing family Lora now knew. Jack passed away ten years earlier, and Tom came back into her life six years ago.
According to Alice, Nanny Betty would never admit she and Tom were dating, but with the way they gazed at each other when they thought nobody was watching, it was clear they loved each other.
“Now, lets get dis sleeveen so we can get back to narmal.” Lora smiled at Nick’s grandmother.
Because she grew up in Newfoundlan
d Lora had no issues understanding her accent or the words Nanny Betty used. Sleeveen was a nice way of calling someone an asshole and narmal was just her accented way of saying the word normal. Nanny Betty’s accent could probably be mistaken for Irish to anyone that wasn’t familiar with the dialects around the province.
“Excellent idea.” Tom kissed the top of Nanny Betty’s head, and the couple left Lora with the four young children.
A short while later, Molly crawled into her lap with teary eyes. Lora cupped her daughter’s cheeks.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Lora met her daughter’s gaze.
“Superheroes are not supposed to get hurt.” Molly sniffed. “Hulk’s a superhero how come he’s hurt?”
Lora’s heart broke as her daughter snuggled into her neck and sobbed. If Hulk didn’t make it, Molly would lose her belief that superheroes existed. Not only that, Lora would have to try and explain his senseless death to her little girl.
“It’s okay, Molly. You know what?” Ian’s daughter, Lily, sat next to Lora on the couch.
“What?” Molly sat up and looked at the beautiful blue-eyed young girl.
“Hulk has lots of people asking God to make him better.” Lily smiled.
“That’s right.” James oldest son, Mason, sat on the arm of the chair next to his cousin. “Hulk's a tough guy.”
It made her heart swell to see how these kids were doing everything to make Molly feel better. Especially since they’d known Hulk a lot longer than Molly did, and were probably worried about the man themselves.
“Just wait, he’ll get really tired of being in that hospital bed, turn green and he’ll be back here before we know it.” James’ other son, Danny, flexed his arms and growled as if he was turning into the Hulk himself.
Molly’s giggle made Lora smile, and she felt a wave of relief as her little girl ran off with the other kids to the backyard.
She glanced into the large dining room and studied all the men and women gathered around the table. Most were standing, but Sandy and the guy everyone called Smash, sat in front of laptops clicking on the keys. They were doing everything they could to find the guy they now referred to as the unsub. She’d heard the term before on crime shows but didn’t know real law enforcement used it.
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