Renegade

by Jeanne McDonald

  Jude parked the car inside the garage and cut the engine. At lightning speed, he was out of the vehicle and at my door, pulling me from the passenger seat. Our lips locked in a kiss that could set the world on fire. I heard the car door shut behind me, but it barely registered that Jude was walking me backward through the garage and into the house. His mouth was like flames licking at my skin. It burned red hot, but the beauty of his kiss was too tempting not to touch.

  Through the door he pushed me, shoving me against the wall. A small gasp expelled from my lungs, as Jude lifted me off the floor. He drank in my air as if it was his only means of survival.

  His lips scorched down the column of my throat, stopping at the v-line of my shirt. He tugged the fabric between his teeth, sucking on it. I dropped my head against the wall, my eyes fluttering closed. All I heard and felt was Jude. He was everywhere.

  His tongue dipped down into the hollow of my breasts, licking away the remnants of the rain that still crashed down outside. Warm and wet, he lapped at my skin, causing it to pebble with cool heat. I dug my fingers into his dark hair, and Jude groaned at my hands threading through his locks. The sound enraptured me so much I tugged a little, eliciting an even more seductive noise from this ravenous man. Needing to feel more of him, all of him, I wrapped my feet around his inner thighs, forcing him to widen his stance. Oh the pressure it brought as their desperate needs collided.

  “More,” he growled, pulling me away from the wall. My head spun with the sudden movement, as Jude rushed through one room and up a flight of stairs to a bedroom door. He practically kicked the door down, desperate to enter the room. Animalistic desire had taken over us. Driving us to what we both wanted the most.

  Jude crossed the room in a few steps, dropping me down on the bed. He stared into my eyes, a kaleidoscope of emotions flashing across his features. I shivered with anticipation. The pang of desire that boiled deep in the pit of my stomach.

  Without hesitation, Jude crawled on top of me. My gun dug into my hip, but the ache didn’t faze me. All I felt was the deliciousness of his weight pressing me into the mattress. Before his mouth found mine again, I lifted a hand to touch the scar above his brow that had developed after his fight with Ringo. My fingers brushed along the line. It was rough, still scabbed slightly.

  “Does it hurt?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “You know, you shouldn’t have jumped him. I could’ve handled him myself.”

  Jude gripped my wrists, pulling them up over my head. “I couldn’t let him hurt you,” he admitted in a quiet, forbearing tone, almost too low for me to hear. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you.” I stared at his mouth, unsure what to say. This man had risked his life for me, more than once, and was unashamed of his actions, even now, after all this time.

  Jude trailed his finger down my throat, along my sternum, between my breasts. I breathed through gritted teeth when his fingers pinched and tugged my rounded nipple. I tried to squirm, but his weight captured me. My hands remained trapped. I was at his mercy.

  A thousand thoughts ran through my head, but not a single one of them was to run. This man held my will in his hands. I wanted anything and everything he had to give me, and nothing would stop me from taking it.

  He pulled my nipple higher, the cotton of my bra and shirt digging into my skin. The pain was delicious. Unlike anything I’d ever felt.

  Jude leaned in, breathing in my ear, his hand moving to my other nipple. “You like that. I can tell. And I bet if I slip my hand in your panties right now, I would find that pussy of yours dripping wet. Wouldn’t I?” He pulled my nipple higher, the wire of my bra dug into my skin. The pain was delicious. Unlike anything I’d ever felt.

  “Y-yes,” I stammered.

  Jude moved away from my body, leaving me restless and wanton. “Take off your pants.” I looked up at the man, standing at the foot of the bed staring down at me, confused. “You’re wearing your gun.” He nodded toward my hip, his brows raising in the process. “You need to disarm yourself and take off your fucking pants. I want to see how wet your panties are.”

  I sat up, removed my firearm, and placed it on the nightstand. I rose to my feet, kicked off my sneakers, popped the button of my jeans, and wiggled free from them. As I reached for my panties to tug them off, Jude grabbed my wrists. “I said I want to see how wet they are.”

  He dropped to his knees before me, gripped my thighs, and forced me to spread my legs. His nose grazed along the line of my center, and my body quaked as he breathed me in. “Just as I thought,” he murmured, his tongue lapping at the outer shell of my undergarment. If I wasn’t already wet before, I was now.

  Without so much as removing the article of clothing, Jude’s tongue began long, deep strokes over the cotton. My knees shook and wobbled as his teeth grazed across my sensitive place. He peered up at me, his dark eyes wide with lust, as he continued to lick and bite me through my panties. With each stroke of his tongue against the impeding cotton, my body soared higher. To keep myself steady, I rested my hands on his shoulders, digging my nails into his back.

  “That’s right, my beautiful girl,” he hummed against my pelvis. He dipped his tongue into my navel, and I was certain I would lose balance at any moment. And just when I thought he was finally going to remove my panties and give me what I wanted, he lifted himself from the floor and towered over me. He bit his lip and brushed my hair back from my face. “My beautiful girl, I’ve only just begun.” He leaned in, his tongue trailing the shell of my ear as his hand moved to my cloth covered center, massaging my throbbing need. “You feel this?” He pressed harder, rubbing in circles. “I’m going to make your hot, little cunt sing tonight. By morning, you won’t remember anything but the pleasure and pain I’ll bring you.” He shoved my panties to the side, dipping his middle finger inside of me. I hissed at the intense sensation. “Your pussy is mine for the night. Now,” he growled, “tell me to fuck you.”

  I lifted my eyes, barely able to breathe. I opened my mouth, my chest rising and falling with desperate need. “Fuck me,” I whispered.

  Jude removed his finger from inside of me. “I didn’t hear that. What did you say?”

  I drew in a deep breath and bellowed, “I said fuck me. Fuck me now. Fuck me hard.”

  Jude gripped the hem of my panties and ripped them down my hips. I couldn’t explain it. Never once did I hear or see him undo his pants, but in one swift movement, he had me off of my feet, back on the bed, and his dick buried deep inside me.

  “Fuck,” he hissed, our eyes locked together.

  Jude gripped my wrists, slamming them over my head, holding them against the mattress. His mouth collided with mine, licking and biting, taking everything he wanted.

  No one had ever been this way with me before. Not even Ian. Not even Jude when we were kids. That night was sweet, innocent, two young kids exploring. This was the skill of a man who understood what I needed. He was aggressive, certain, raw, and intense.

  Teeth clashed against each other. Tongues wrestled in a pursuit of unbridled fervor. His speed increased, creating such friction that I became lost in the sensation of Jude piercing me.

  In a flash of light, my climax consumed me. The sound of my own voice seemed distant but close. Nothing in the world made sense, yet it all seemed to be revealed to me. I was lost and found all in the same instance. Darkness turned light. As clear as day.

  Jude jerked and grunted, his body seizing with his own release. I clasped my hands around his face and kissed him as hard as I could until he stilled. His body slumped on top of me, a mess of sweaty limbs and heaving chests. When he tried to move, I held him there, savoring the feel of his weight on top of me.

  In an effort to give us both some comfort, he lifted himself up on his elbows, brushing the matted hair from my face. He stared down into my eyes as a smile formed on my lips.

  “That was amazing,” I murmured.

  Jude kissed the tip of my nose and suddenly froze. “Fuck.” He withdrew f
rom me and stood to his feet. His hands went into his hair and he appeared to be a man in terror. Though I was concerned about his sudden change in demeanor, I couldn’t help but admire his body, including the piercing I now realized had been buried inside of me. Between the works of art that adorned his skin and the sensual piercings on his nipples and cock, I was mystified by his naked form. To me, any other man would appear dirty with that much art on his flesh, but Jude was a priceless canvas of ink and metal.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m usually not this careless. I swear. I’m so sorry.”

  I lifted up and grabbed him by the hand. “Stop. We both wanted this.”

  He ripped his hand from mine and pointed to his cock. “Not this, we didn’t.”

  I stared at him, my mouthwatering. “Um, I know I did and still do.”

  “Luce, I forgot a condom. I never forget a fucking condom.”

  I reached for his hand. “It’s all right. I’m on the pill.”

  He stopped, his eyes meeting mine with a look a surprise. “You trust me?”

  “I do.”

  That was all he needed. In a flash, he was back on top of me. It was plain to see this was going to be one hell of a night.

  Hours later, we lay in his bed in that limbo between being awake and asleep. I struggled within myself over the two men in my life. I’d expected to have a clear decision now that I’d had a taste of them both. It turned out to be an even harder choice than I’d expected. Ian was a tender, romantic, and caring lover, while Jude was aggressive, passionate, and downright dirty.

  Both had their positives and negatives. To make matters worse, I began to realize that I had deep feelings for them both. That scared me more than anything. Being in love with one man was hard enough, but two…

  Worn out, I shoved aside my dilemma. I would think about it later. For now, I would lose myself in the warmth of this sexy man and allow sleep to carry me away.

  And so I did.

  Not wanting to get out of bed, and most definitely not wishing to deal with Sarah today, I called in sick to work.

  She didn’t need me, and it wasn’t like she trusted me to actually help her with the case. Through the night, I thought through the reason why she’d chosen me. I was a rookie. A nobody. She should command me around without worry because I didn’t have the expertise to know better.

  I was about to put a stop to all of it. I’d talk to the captain about reassigning me to the beat. I had no idea what I would say to him, but being Sarah’s sidekick had made me feel insignificant. I joined the force to do good, not chase after an illustrious bad guy who might never be caught.

  My eyes still closed, I rolled over, feeling around for Jude. The bed was empty. I craned my neck and opened my eyes to find the room still dark but no Jude. Disoriented, I scrambled out of bed and threw open the blinds. Clouds blocked the sunlight as the rain came pouring down.

  I found one of Jude’s t-shirts on the floor and slipped it on. A smile tugged at my lips when I noticed my gun and holster were exactly where I’d left them. For safe keeping, I tucked it into a drawer in his dresser. I had no clue if anyone else was in the house with us, but I didn’t want to take any chances.

  I stumbled down the stairs, the aroma of fresh bacon and coffee filling the air.

  “Good morning,” Jude’s voice rang out. I rounded the corner to be met by Jude, in an apron, cooking breakfast. “You hungry?” He kissed my cheek and placed a cup of coffee on the counter, indicating for me to take a seat.

  I slid on to the stool and took a sip of the coffee, gasping in relief from the dark, warm liquid coating my parched throat. “Famished.”

  “Great!” Jude picked up a spatula, tossed it in the air, catching it without even looking. “I definitely made enough for famished.”

  “Fuckface! What smells so good?”

  Jude and I smiled as Klaus entered the kitchen, scratching his ass. He walked right past me to the coffee pot.

  “What does it smell like?”

  Klaus poured coffee into a cup, before dousing it with sugar. I damn near gagged at the amount he poured in.

  “It smells like you’re trying to impress Lucy.”

  That was the wrong time for me to take a sip. A laugh bubbled in my throat, pushing the hot liquid out of my mouth and nose.

  “Score!” Klaus shouted.

  Jude slid a hand towel toward me, unable to hide his own laughter.

  “Fuck you both,” I grumbled, wiping coffee off of my face and neck.

  Klaus scooted in beside me, resting his elbows on the counter. Together, we watched Jude finish cooking breakfast. We laughed and talked about old times, like old friends do. The boys teased me like they did when we were kids; only because they knew I could dish out as much as I could take.

  This felt simple. Easy. Right.

  The only problem was I had a niggling in the back of my mind that it was all an illusion. Jude and I were different now. We lived entirely opposite lives on different sides of the law.

  For now, I wouldn’t think about it. I’d simply enjoy spending time with my old friends.

  Several hours later, I returned home, unable to contain my smile. At least until I noticed Sarah’s car parked in my drive.

  All happiness disappeared inside of me, as I strolled toward the door, ready to unlock it, only to be stopped when Michael opened the door.

  His arms wrapped around my body in such a tight grasp, the air inside my lungs couldn’t escaped. “You scared me half to death. Where’ve you been?”

  I hugged my foster dad back, feeling guilty for having worried him.

  “She’s been with Jude Wallace,” Sarah announced, stepping up behind Michael. He released me from the hug and allowed me entrance into my own home.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Sarah?”

  Sarah took a step back, coffee mug in hand. “I came here to talk. Michael was kind enough to let me in while I waited.”

  “Sarah and I have been chatting about what happened yesterday.”

  I pushed past them both, tossing my belongings on the table. “What if I’m not ready to talk?”

  “Honey, I think you need to listen,” Michael instructed. “I have a few things to check into before my flight home tomorrow. I’ll be in my room if you need me.” He kissed the top of my head and patted Sarah on the shoulder before leaving us alone.

  When Michael was out of sight, I turned to Sarah. “Look, if this is about me missing work today, you don’t have to worry. I plan on talking to the captain tomorrow to be reassigned. That way you can get a new partner.”

  Sarah crossed the room, plopping down in the chair by the window.

  “Aren’t you the least bit curious as to why I know you were with Jude this morning? And last night for that matter.”

  Coming to realize she wasn’t leaving, I sat down on the sofa, bringing my knees to my chest. “Since you practically demanded I get as much intel out of him as I could, I figured you assumed I was there and took a lucky guess.”

  Sarah placed her mug on the coffee table, resting her elbows on her knees. “Wrong, Diamond. Think again.”

  “So, you had me tailed.”

  Sarah rushed her fingers through her hair, clearly flustered. “Closer.” She closed her eyes and stared at the floor. “You really do have the makings for a great cop, if you’d only stop being so damn emotional.”

  “Screw you,” I sneered. “I have every right to be emotional when my partner constantly lies to me. You know, George would never have done that to me.”

  Sarah raised her eyes, meeting mine. She nodded her head and sighed. “You’re right, unless he was under orders like I was.”

  My legs hit the floor. “What do you mean?”

  Sarah grabbed her mug and took a long sip. Her fingers drummed around the ceramic. When she lowered the cup, she sighed. “It’s probably best if I start at the beginning.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded, settling i
nto my space. It was best to be comfortable for what I was sure to be a long story.

  “Before George passed,” she began, “he’d been briefed on the extent of this case and all of the details involved. You see, Diam – Lucy, from the start, we’ve been working in conjunction with the FBI in an attempt to catch Sutcliffe.”

  “M-kay.”

  “That night you and I went to the boardwalk,” – I nodded – “that lead came from an FBI informant who told us where and when the crew was to meet. They had no idea what was going down, but they knew it was something big to Sutcliffe. I was to meet my FBI contact there, but the captain wanted you in on the case for three reasons. One was because of your connection to George. Another was because of your history. He thought you’d be a good asset.”

  I chewed on my lip, my nails digging into my knees as I took in what she said. The more Sarah talked, the harder it was for me to listen, but the clearer everything was becoming. “Ian’s your FBI contact, isn’t he?”

  Sarah shook her head. “No. Logan is. Ian’s an undercover agent. He’s been working with Sutcliffe for years, infiltrating his operation.” Sarah moved from the chair to the sofa, sitting next to me. “Ian is what Sutcliffe calls a cleaner. Until recently, it’s always been money Sutcliffe had him clean up. You see, Ian wasn’t lying to you when he told you that he’s an economist.”

  “Wow! One truth in the midst of all these lies,” I grumbled, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

  Sarah sucked in her bottom lip, gnawing on it.

  All this time I was in the dark, and for what? There was no reason for them to have hidden anything from me. The longer I listened the more furious I became. Then it struck me.

  “You said there were three reasons why the captain wanted me on the case. What’s the third?”

  Sarah closed her eyes, her hands clenched tight in her lap. “Sutcliffe has a hit out on you.”