Avenger (Impossible #3)

by Sykes, Julia

  His kisses were feather-light as he moved lower down my neck, between my breasts, leaving a burning trail in his wake. He paused when he reached my sternum. A shocked cry escaped me as his tongue traced the curve of the underside of my breast. The sensation was exquisite, and my eyes rolled back in my head at the decadent pleasure of it.

  “Look at me,” he commanded. “I want you to watch what I’m doing to you.”

  My eyes snapped open as I instinctively obeyed his order. I desperately craved for him to continue touching my breasts, but he abandoned them, resuming his trail of kisses as he progressed down my abdomen. By the time he reached the upper edge of my black lace panties, my clit was pulsing madly in time with the beating of my racing heart. It took all of my determination to stop myself from thrusting my hips up toward his hot mouth. I gritted my teeth and held back, confident that he would soon touch me where I wanted it most and finally slake my need. A frustrated whine escaped me as he pulled away. His expressive eyes glowed with a cruel satisfaction as he smirked down at me.

  I couldn’t hold back. “Bastard,” I hissed out through clenched teeth. His hand was a blur just before the pain hit. The intensity of the sting on my inner thigh took my breath away, trapping my shocked cry in my chest. Before I could gasp in air, his palm came down on my other thigh, and this time a strangled yelp escaped me. I tried to close my legs to protect myself, but he ruthlessly shoved them apart, positioning his knees between my legs so that I was held open for him. Blows rained down in sharp succession. The pain as he abused this sensitive area was almost unbearable, but after a few moments, I realized that it was doing funny things to my insides. The sting was awakening a delicious warmth that curled upward from my thighs to tease at the edges of my pussy lips.

  “Please,” I begged, and I wasn’t sure if I was asking for the pain to stop or for him to touch me.

  He glared down at me forbiddingly as his hand came down on me once more. “What did I tell you about using such language? You will address me with respect.”

  “Sean!” I gasped. “I’m sorry! Please…”

  “I want you to address me as ‘Sir’.”

  My mind went momentarily blank with shock. He couldn’t possibly be serious. I bit my lip, uncertain. He raised his hand threateningly, and my resistance cracked.

  “I’m sorry, Sir,” I whispered.

  His grin was twisted and positively evil as he brought down his hand. But this time he didn’t strike my thigh. The harsh blow landed directly on my clit. The pain intertwined with sweetest pleasure as he finally touched my aching bud. I screamed as I shattered, my inner walls contracting around nothing as the world went white. As much as I wanted to lose myself to the bliss, I blinked hard against the urge to allow my eyes to roll back in my head. Sean had ordered me to keep my eyes on him, and I wasn’t about to disobey him again.

  When my vision cleared, I could see that he was naked above me, his glorious body fully exposed. His wolfish grin was still in place as his hands fisted in my panties. With a jerk of his powerful arms, the delicate material gave way. I moaned at the eroticism of the act. The aftershocks of my orgasm were still racing through me, but my need flared to life once again as I craved for him to fill me.

  His harsh expression told me that he could no longer hold himself back. I watched as the overwhelming possessive need that he had described took over. All vestiges of his careful self-control vanished as he drove into me to the hilt in one thrust. My sex was still hyper-sensitive from my orgasm, and I let out a strangled cry as pleasure washed over me again. I came immediately, my muscles fluttering around him and heightening his own pleasure. He let out a low growl as he took me roughly, a primal, animalistic urge driving him as he pounded into me. The ripples of my orgasm were fading, but bliss was still coursing through my veins. I was high on pleasure and adrenaline. I could feel him beginning to jerk within me, heralding his own completion. He leaned into me and bit down on my hardened nipple. The pain sent me over the edge a third time, and my entire body began to shake. The motion caused me to jerk against the cuffs, but the pain of their unyielding bite only heightened my ecstasy. Sean’s howl mingled with my delighted scream as we found our ultimate pleasure at the same time, our bodies in perfect tandem with one another. It seemed to go on and on, completely consuming my body as I shook beneath him. Eventually, Sean collapsed atop me, breathing hard, and my shudders abated, my body too exhausted to manage anything but small shivers as the occasional residual shower of sparks brushed against my skin. Sean kissed my forehead, my eyelids, my cheeks, before finally tenderly brushing his lips against my own. I let myself go completely, sighing up into him happily.

  I felt him release me from the cuffs, and he brushed kisses against my tender wrists. He pulled me into him, and I wrapped my arms around him, snuggling into his chest and breathing in his familiar, comforting scent.

  For a short, blissful time, he had erased my emotional pain through combining physical pain and pleasure, allowing me the release that I so desperately needed.

  Chapter 7

  Sean and I followed the FBI’s directives and remained holed up in my house for our own protection. We spent the following three days in each other’s arms, and I found solace from my grief in his touch. I was still devastated about Clayton, but Sean brought me fleeting moments of happiness when he took me, releasing me from my worries. And I couldn’t begin to express how much his presence comforted me. After the agonizing days of dealing with the weight of my grief and guilt in cold isolation, finding succor in my easy companionship with Sean helped me maintain my sanity even in my darkest moments.

  Although I accepted his comfort, I couldn’t bring myself to talk to him about Clayton, and mercifully he didn’t press me on the matter. He didn’t understand the depth of my relationship with Clayton, and I didn’t want to deal with voicing my tangled emotions over what I had shared with him. I was scared that I would hurt Sean, and the last thing that I wanted was to drive him away. It was selfish, but I couldn’t bear to lose him again.

  On our fourth night together, I broke my silence.

  I heard the crack of the bullet rending the night air, saw Clayton falling. He lay broken on the ground as he bled out beneath my hands. I had to save him, I had to.

  “It was worth it.”

  But I wasn’t worth it. He shouldn’t be dead. His usually tanned skin was so pale. Unlike on that night, his eyes were open. I watched in horror as the light slipped from them, his face going slack. He was looking at me, but he couldn’t see me.

  Someone was grabbing my shoulders, trying to pull me away from him. I fought against them, not wanting to leave his side. But tendrils of darkness were twining around Clayton, creeping over him with insidious intent until the shadows hid him from me completely. I screamed in fury at the loss.

  “Claudia, wake up,” Sean’s voice was shaky as he called me back to reality. I could feel the wetness of tears on my cheeks as my eyes fluttered open. I could just make out Sean’s face in the early dawn light that was filtering into my bedroom. I flung myself against him, and he tenderly kissed the top of my head as he held me to him, allowing me to sob into his chest. He rocked me gently, murmuring reassuring words that didn’t quite penetrate my mind. But the low, rumbling sound of them eventually calmed me, and I gulped in ragged breaths.

  When my sobs had quieted to silent tears, Sean addressed me directly. “Claudia, tell me what happened that night. Talk to me.”

  I shook my head weakly. I couldn’t tell him about my relationship with Clayton. If I did, he would leave me. “I can’t tell you,” I whispered.

  “Yes, you can,” he said firmly. “You can tell me anything, Claudia. Let me help you.”

  “If I tell you, I’m afraid… I’m afraid you’ll leave me. I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

  He hugged me to him more tightly. “I promise that I won’t leave you, no matter what you say. I’ll never leave you again, Claudia. Even if you do hurt me. I swear.”

&nbs
p; I trembled against him, uncertain. I needed to tell him, to let everything out. The pain of keeping it bottled up inside was nearly unbearable. Selfishly, I resolved to open up to him. I prayed that he would keep his promise. I had to trust him.

  “Clayton was my friend,” I said haltingly. “The only friend I’ve had since my parents died. And he’s been taken from me. He gave his own life to save mine, and I can’t bear that.” I peered up into Sean’s eyes.

  His hand stroked up and down my back. “I’m so sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t know you were so close.”

  I drew in a shaky breath. I had to tell him everything, had to admit my crimes. “It was more than that. Clayton… He cared about me. He… He kissed me.” I dropped my eyes, unwilling to see the inevitable pain in Sean’s expression.

  I felt his arms tense around me. “But I didn’t kiss him back,” I continued quickly. “I told him that I didn’t feel the same. Even though I thought that you would never forgive me for betraying you, I knew that there would never be anyone else for me. He accepted it, but I could tell that he still had feelings for me. I should have sent him away after that, but I selfishly kept him close. I didn’t want to lose him as a friend. And then he took that bullet for me… I can’t help but wonder if he didn’t feel for me that way, he would still be alive. If I had just done the right thing and told him to assign someone else as my handler, then he’d still be here. But I was selfish and now he’s dead because of me.”

  Sean’s fingers were under my chin, re-directing my gaze to his. I was shocked to find nothing but compassion there. “I didn’t know Clayton as well as you did, but he was a good man. Even if you had been a complete stranger to him, I know that he would have protected you with his life. And if he hadn’t been there to save you, then he would have carried the guilt over your death for the rest of his life.” He paused. “Not to mention what your death would have done to me. I would have hunted Bradley and my father down and killed them.” He traced the line of my jaw. “I don’t think that I could bear to live without you, Claudia. Clayton saved both of us, and I’m forever indebted to him for that.”

  His stark admission made my heart twist, and I felt anger rising up within me. We were far from clear of the danger that lurked around us, and my death was still a very real possibility. “Don’t you dare say that, Sean,” I said harshly. “If something happens to me, you’re going to let me go. If you die for me, I’ll never forgive you. Swear to me that you’ll never do anything so stupid and reckless.” I was glaring at him.

  “Claudia, I -”

  “I don’t want to hear it, Sean. Promise me.”

  He returned my glare. “Only if you do the same.”

  I glowered at him. If I lost him, my life would become meaningless again. I wasn’t at all sure that I could survive if I was forced to return to my life of solitude.

  “Fine,” I snapped. “I promise.”

  “Then I promise as well.” I hoped that he wasn’t lying too.

  We settled back down beside one another, and he continued to hold me. It was too early to awaken, but neither of us found sleep again that morning.

  That evening, I opened my door to find Sharon waiting on the other side. Her eyes looked tired, but she smiled at me brightly as she offered a Chinese takeout bag. “Chicken lo-mein, as ordered.”

  “Thanks,” I smiled back. Neither Sean nor I was a master chef, so we had been subsisting mostly on sandwiches and delivery food. My lacking culinary skills had never bothered me before, but I suddenly felt the urge to buy a few cookbooks.

  “Can I come in?” Sharon asked politely as I took the food from her. “I have some updates for you.”

  My smile broadened. We hadn’t had much news on the FBI’s progress since our house arrest had begun. “Please do,” I invited.

  We settled down in my living room, where Sean had been occupied by reading A Wrinkle in Time. It had been one of my favorite books as a child, and I had held onto my battered copy as an adult. It might be a bit juvenile for Sean, but the story was a classic, and he had almost finished it in a matter of hours.

  “Mr. Reynolds,” Sharon nodded to him in acknowledgement as he set the book down on the coffee table.

  “Call me Sean,” he offered.

  Sharon smiled again. I liked that things were more informal with her and that we were on a first-name basis. After what we had shared on the night of Clayton’s death, I felt a bond with the woman.

  Once she was seated in the armchair opposite us, her expression turned more business-like.

  “Have you arrested Ronan?” I asked before she could speak.

  “No,” she admitted. “Not yet.”

  “Why?” I demanded. Surely the FBI had had plenty of time to build a case against him by now.

  “I swear we’ll bring him in soon,” she reassured me. “In fact, it’s likely that we’ll be able to get him tomorrow. Based on Sean’s information, we’ve arrested several lower-level Westies, and we’ve offered them deals in exchange for information on Ronan and other higher-ups. Not all of them are talking – they’re too scared – but a few have turned on him in order to save themselves. With their information, we’ve been able to link Ronan with several of the crimes where bullets matching the gun used to kill Garcia were recovered. It has solidified Sean’s claim that the gun used to belong to his father.”

  I nodded, taking in the news. I was pleased that Ronan would be put away soon, but… “What about Bradley?” I asked, unable to keep my fists from clenching as I said his hated name. “Has he been arrested for…” I hesitated. “For Clayton?”

  Sharon shook her head, and her lips pursed, betraying her own anger. “We got a search warrant for his apartment, but we didn’t recover the weapon that killed Vaughn.” She looked at me intently. “He will be charged with murder and with your abduction and assault. Between your testimony and Sean’s, we’ll be able to get a conviction. The fact that your information will result in the downfall of the Westies will strengthen our case against him even without that physical evidence.”

  “But why haven’t you brought him in yet?” I insisted. Every day that Bradley went unpunished was an injustice to Clayton.

  “He’s too close to Ronan and he’s too close to you,” she answered gently. “By now, they have to suspect that someone has betrayed them to the FBI, but they have no way of linking it to you. If we go for Bradley too soon, then it will be obvious that you’re the one who’s been helping us. We have to wait and bring him in at the same time as Ronan. It’s for your own safety.”

  I was still irritated, but her words made sense. “Alright. I can wait one more day, then.” I thought back over everything that Bradley had done to me, everything that had happened to me since my abduction. A horrible thought occurred to me. “And what about the Latin Kings?” I asked. “Garcia attacked me twice. Do I still need to be worried about them coming after me?”

  This time it was Sean who answered. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Garcia attacked you because of a vendetta against me. He wanted to make a point. The Irish Mob has been traditionally based in Hell’s Kitchen, but ever since my father came to power, he’s been pushing his way into Brooklyn. But that’s established Latin Kings territory. By targeting me, Ronan’s son, they were trying to send a message. That put you in the line of fire as a means of getting to me.” He reached over and took me by the hand, squeezing reassuringly. “Once they find out that you and I are responsible for taking down the Westies and removing the threat to their territory, they should back off. We’ll have done them a favor.”

  Sharon nodded in agreement. “And hopefully we won’t have to worry about the Latin Kings at all in a few months. We still have Santiago planted in their ranks, and he’s been gathering strong intel. If all goes according to plan, the Westies won’t be the only gang we wipe out this year.”

  I smiled. “Thanks so much for the good news, Sharon. I really needed that.” I mulled over all of the information I had just received. “If
you’re arresting Ronan and Bradley tomorrow, can I go back to work?” I asked. Although I was happy to spend time with Sean, I was going a little stir-crazy from being trapped in my house. Besides, returning to normalcy would not only help me continue to heal, but it would also be a final act of defiance against the men who had tormented me; I would prove to them and to myself that I was finally free of them, that they hadn’t scared me into hiding for the rest of my life.

  Sharon looked hesitant. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Maybe you should wait a few more days.”

  “It’s a terrible idea,” Sean interjected, disapproval lacing his tone.

  I straightened my back and lifted my chin, my posture radiating defiance. “I need to do this,” I said firmly. “As soon as you make your move against Ronan and Bradley tomorrow morning, I’m going in.”

  “Claudia -” Sean growled. I shot him a forbidding glance and then looked at Sharon expectantly.

  “Well?” I demanded.

  Sharon looked reluctant, but after a moment she nodded. “Okay,” she conceded. “But only once we’ve moved against them. And you’ll keep your security detail.”

  “Agreed,” I said quickly.

  Sean’s hand tightened around mine. “I’m not going to let you do this,” he said angrily. My eyes narrowed.

  “You seem to have forgotten how I react when people try to boss me around. I have free will, Sean. I’m doing this. I need you to respect that.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Fine,” he snapped. “I’ll accept it, but I won’t respect it.”

  “Then we’ve reached an accord,” I said smoothly.

  “Ah,” Sharon interrupted our tense moment, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “How about I let you two eat your dinner before it gets cold.” She averted her eyes from Sean’s furious visage and focused on me instead. “I’ll come and get you tomorrow morning when I get the okay.”