by Wade, Maddie
“I guess, but Pax had her reasons and I had to respect them.” Blake wanted to make it clear whose side he was on.
“Got that but now she has to pay the piper and explain why she did what she did. If it was me, she would be gone. If your team doesn’t trust you, they have no business taking orders from you.”
“You’d fire her?” Alex asked.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” Jack tossed the brick he had picked up from the floor to Blake and nodded to the note taped to the brick with gaffer tape. “It’s a warning.”
Blake looked down at saw Jack was correct.
YOU ARE NOT SAFE!
“A clear message.” Jack and Alex were both nodding their chins firm, jaws rigid.
“But for who?”
Jack asked the question Blake had been thinking and he had a distinct feeling it was for him. Something felt off about that attack. How did the guy know his moves before he did them? It was like they had sparred before, trained together and knew each other—and that knee wheel? It was a good move but not one used a lot. How did they know to go for his knee? It could have been a coincidence, but Blake didn’t think so.
* * *
“What the fuck is going on and don’t even think about lying to me.”
Roz stood in front of Pax’s couch, her body perfectly still. Roz had a way about her when she was angry that seemed to suck the air from the room and Pax had the unexpected urge to open all the windows to let some oxygen back in. Instead she stayed still.
This moment was always going to come. She would have just preferred it in her own time.
“Roz,” Evelyn began trying to calm their boss down.
“No, Evelyn, it’s fine. This is my mess. Let me explain.” Pax interrupted Evelyn, patting her on the knee. She looked up at the stunning face of her boss and swallowed. “Three nights ago I was attacked at the gallery. I was waiting for a client that had booked for seven pm. They were late and I started to lock up. I was just grabbing my backpack from the desk when two men attacked me. They beat me,” she said waving at her face. “As you can see, I didn’t exactly put up much of a fight. Then they warned me to keep my nose out of things that weren’t my concern and my dad couldn’t protect me this time. Then they left.” She looked down at her hands, waiting for Roz to blow.
“Why was there no evidence on the security cameras?” Roz began to pace slowly.
“I erased it. But I did make a copy,” she added quickly.
Roz swung back around to her and the look on her face was furious, her voice deadly quiet. “You fucking what?”
Pax met her look head-on. This was no time to wimp out, she had done enough of that. “I erased the footage.”
“Why the fuck would you do that?”
Pax didn’t answer for a second. How did she tell the person who had put so much faith in her that she was embarrassed because she wasn’t as badass as they were? It was time to ’fess up and if Roz fired her then she would just have to find another job. Maybe something in Europe would be fun. A fresh start so to speak but then her mind went to Blake. She would miss him and what had nearly started.
“Pax.” Roz was obviously done waiting for an answer.
“I was embarrassed all right,” she spewed standing herself, and pacing from the sofa to the window and back, rubbing her hands together in agitation.
“Embarrassed?”
Roz seemed confused and it was a tone Pax normally only heard when she was being told stuff about parenting. Roz was a feared assassin, a leader, and could probably take out a small army with her hands tied behind her back. But the girls she’d adopted after she’d rescued them from a sick piece of shit who planned to sell them, scared the crap out of her most of the time. She loved them with the fierceness of any mother but a natural Suzy homemaker she was not. It almost made Pax laugh—almost.
“Yes, I was embarrassed that I got jumped like that and couldn’t defend myself. That would never have happened to the others. Shit, Bebe or you—any of you—would have wiped the floor with those jerks. I got my ass handed to me. So yes, I was embarrassed and didn’t want you all to know. So I cleaned up and erased the file then drove home.”
Roz sat down heavily on the couch beside Evelyn as Pax stopped pacing and watched her, waiting for the inevitable explosion, but it didn’t come.
“I should fire you for gross misconduct. Wiping evidence and hiding shit that goes on in my organisation is a betrayal.” Pax held her breath her heart breaking at the thought of losing her job, her friends, the women she had come to think of as family. “But I won’t.” She included Evelyn in her look. “Even though I should, I won’t fire you either, not when it’s my fault.”
“Roz—”
“I’m talking now.” Roz’s glare stopped Pax from continuing. “This is on me. I’m to blame for you feeling this way. It is my fault. I should have made sure you had the same training as the others. Just because you’re our support coordinator doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to step up and do other jobs. The problem is, and I’m not trying to make excuses, I can’t afford to lose you from the office. Nobody can organise things like you do, Pax. If I asked you to arrange a military coup in a twenty-four-hour window you would do it.”
“I don’t know about that.” Pax felt a blush creep over her pale skin and inwardly cursed her red hair and fair skin.
“I do. You are so integral to Zenobi that I don’t know what I’d do if you wanted to go out on missions. But that’s no excuse for leaving you vulnerable and for that I apologise. That said, you will start training as soon as your ribs are healed.” Roz turned back to Evelyn. “I want you and Mustique to take over the office for a month while Bebe and I get Pax up to speed.”
Pax was in a state of shock as she listened. I’m not fired? I’m not the weak link? “I thought I was untrainable—”
“What?”
“I thought you didn’t think I had it in me to be like the others. That perhaps I was soft.” She sat down suddenly exhausted.
“You are soft but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a deadly badass too. Look at me.” Pax and Evelyn snorted with laughter at Roz’s smirk. “You are every bit as important as the girls that go out on missions. Never forget that and if you decide that’s the way you want to go, then I’ll have to suck it up and find someone else to keep Zenobi running efficiently.”
“I don’t. I love my job.”
“Oh, while I remember I’m going to need a copy of that CCTV footage.”
“Of course, I have it here in my safe.”
“Good.” Roz’s eyes turned wicked then, her grin huge. “Now, bring me up to speed on your sick as fuck father and how that sexy blond playboy is in your house in the middle of the night. And why is he going all alpha protective on you? That’s hot as shit and makes me want to go home and wake K for some hot sex.” Roz and Evelyn bumped fists as they both laughed.
“My father is trialling a new drug illegally and I’m going to stop him with Blake’s help. As for what’s happening with Blake, it’s new but I like him a lot. He isn’t the guy he shows the world. He’s deep and sweet, and he cooks for me and washes my hair, and kisses like the devil.”
“Good for you. Blake is a genuinely nice guy and it’s good to see you opening up.” Evelyn stood as they heard the men come down the stairs.
Blake walked straight over to her standing a few feet away and eyed her closely. “Everything okay?” he asked softly.
“Yes.”
She moved forward a little and leaned her body into his as she settled herself with her arms around his waist, her head on his shoulder. Blake didn’t hesitate in lifting his arm over her shoulder and holding her tight before dropping a kiss to her head.
She was making a statement and he got it. They were going to do this and see where they ended up.
Chapter Ten
“We make a right pair, don’t we?” Pax laughed as she walked towards him with an ice pack and some ibuprofen. Blake was sitting on his couch with h
is leg on the coffee table trying to get the swelling in his knee down.
Last night they had decided it would be best to go to his place until her bedroom window was fixed properly. Jack had taken the note with the warning on it to get it tested for prints although nobody was hopeful of finding anything.
Pax and Evelyn had packed her a bag while the rest had secured her home. They had crashed here, falling asleep on the couch with Pax tucked into his side. It meant they both woke stiff and achy from the awkward position they had been in especially as they were now both injured. His knee ached like a bitch and had swollen up like a balloon.
Roz had granted Pax some leave to sort her father and the situation out as long as she promised to call if they needed back-up and she would commence her training as soon as she returned. Blake was fucking thrilled that she was going to get some training. Being able to protect herself from assholes would give her more confidence.
He laughed in agreement as he took the ice and applied to his knee. “We certainly do.”
“Will we still make the flight tonight?”
“Yes and no. We’re flying out tonight, but Jack has offered us the use of the company plane. We can sleep on the flight and it won’t be so bad on your ribs.” He took in the fading bruises on her face. “You also won’t have to face as many people.”
“That’s kind of him. I need to make a list of things we’ll need to do when we get there. I think pretending I’m not in the country is futile. My father has spies everywhere and judging by the attack on me, he knows I’m on to him.” She said the words clinically even though her father having had men attack her must still smart—a lot.
“You don’t have to be brave about that, Gracie. I know that hurts you.” Blake laid a hand on her bare thigh just above her knee. Pax looked at him and then down at her leg, idly tracing the veins on his hand.
“I know but if I give in to it, it will only make things harder. He was my hero for so long and finding out he isn’t the man I thought he was, hurts even now. As awful as it sounds, if it had been my mom, I don’t think it would have been so bad. I love her but we aren’t as close. But I was a daddy’s girl growing up.” She shrugged as if it wasn’t important, but Blake knew it was.
“I get that. It’s like the person you loved died and you need to mourn them, but don’t believe it was all a lie. Even bad people can do good things sometimes and I’m sure he loves you in his own way.” Blake surprised himself at the notion of shades of grey. He had always convinced himself that life was black and white but maybe that wasn’t the case.
“Maybe. How’s the knee?” She was changing the subject and he let her, knowing that she would talk about it when she was ready, and he would be there to listen.
“It feels a little better. You want to grab the first shower?” He had to fight the urge to suggest they share even though he wanted nothing more.
“Sure, then I can make some toast while you shower. Toast is my speciality.”
“How can toast be a speciality?”
“You’ll see,” she said as she walked away to shower.
Blake smiled as he leaned his head back against the couch. He needed to check in with Waggs about this knee and he also wanted to know if anything had been found on the CCTV around the time of the attack on Pax’s home. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this was aimed at him not her.
Picking up the phone he dialled Waggs.
“What did you do now?”
“What makes you think I did anything?” Blake replied with a laugh.
“Because it’s you, Blake.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t my fault this time. In fact, it wasn’t my fault last time. I’m the victim here.”
“So what did you do?”
“Some asshole attacked Pax’s place. We fought, and the fucker did a knee wheel move on my injured leg.”
“Fuck, that’s going to potentially set you back weeks.”
“Yeah, fuck. I’ve got ice on it, ’cos it’s the size of a football again. Started the anti-inflammatories too.”
“You had an X-ray or scan?”
“Nah, don’t need one.” Blake heard the shower go on and his mind instantly went to a naked Pax in his shower.
“Congratulations, man.”
Waggs’ words pulled his mind from thoughts of Pax. “What?”
“I didn’t know you’d qualified as a medic and were now able to self-diagnose.”
“Ha fucking ha.”
“Seriously though, you need a scan to see if the ligament is damaged again. Can you come in for eleven and I’ll get it done privately?”
“Yeah, fine. Meet you at Eidolon.”
“No, meet me at the Nuffield, and I’ll make the arrangements,” Waggs said mentioning the local private hospital.
“Okay, see you there.”
Blake hung up as he heard the shower go off. He sat there for a bit as water from the ice pack dripped down his calf. He was about to move when he saw Pax walk in with just his white towel covering her from chest to mid-thigh, her hair wrapped in a towel. Blake felt like he was going to swallow his tongue as he looked at her. The towel wasn’t that revealing but knowing she was naked and wet beneath it made his dick harden. She stopped in the doorway like prey sensing danger.
Her hazel eyes locked on his face and she pointed at the bag on the floor by his feet. “I forgot my bag.”
“Come and get it then,” he said, and the invitation was more of a demand.
He sat motionless as she walked forward and stopped beside him. She looked down at him when he touched her leg, running his hand up her thigh until it disappeared under the towel. Her skin was like silk beneath his palm.
“So soft,” he said as his eyes caught hers, both lost in the moment.
“Blake?”
He snagged her hand and tugged until she was on her knees on the couch beside him. “Do you have any idea how fucking beautiful you are?” he asked and saw her blush. His eyes followed the pink skin as it disappeared into her towel. “Come here.” He pulled her gently until she was straddling his thighs.
Pax sat forward so her weight was nowhere near his injured knee. Blake looked up and then cupped her hips through the fabric as he ground his hard cock into the soft heat of her pussy.
A moan of pleasure slipped from her throat and Blake felt his control begin to fray. “That’s how I’ve been around you since the minute I saw you. Hard as fucking stone.”
“Do you have to swear so much?” she asked as she rocked against him.
Blake felt his mouth curl into a grin. “You love my dirty mouth.”
“I do not.”
“Care to test that?”
He tugged on the fold of her towel and let it fall open between them. Pax looked down at her naked body and then up at him without an inch of self-consciousness. And why would she? She was perfect.
Pale, almost alabaster skin, a flat stomach, perky rose-tipped tits that just begged for a man’s mouth on them. Her pussy was almost bare except for a small landing strip of red hair. He lifted his hand and ran a finger down her cheek, over the pulse in her neck, and down through the middle of her breasts until he reached her navel.
He looked up at her eyes, their colour now greener than hazel. “Still want to test the theory?”
“Yes,” she said, and it was a husky plea.
Blake used his other hand to lean her into him so he could take her mouth in a hot kiss. Pax responded instantly as he dragged his finger over her mound and through the soaking wet lips of her pussy. “Fucking drenched,” he said and sealed his lips over hers before she could respond.
In all his years of whoring around, and it had been a few, he had never seen a woman with such an ethereal beauty as Pax. He’d had more than his fair share of beautiful women, some absolute stunners, but this right here in his arms was on another level.
Sliding his finger higher, he circled her clit with his finger as he broke the kiss and watched her face as he drove her towards climax.
Her mouth fell open, lips wet and swollen from his kiss, face flushed with desire and he knew he would never get enough of this woman. His head went to her breast as he sucked the tight nipple into his mouth, and she moaned as she gripped his head tight to her body, stopping him from pulling away and she rocked against his hard cock trying to chase her release.
His cock was hard as a rock and he wanted nothing more than to be inside her, except maybe to watch her come from his hand first. In fact, he wanted to watch her come in every way he could make it happen. He pulled away and looked up at her. Her head was thrown back in abandon, wet hair cascading down her back.
“Look at me, Gracie.” Her head moved as if it weighed too much and her sleepy sex-laden eyes found his. “Come for me, sweetheart.” He plunged his finger inside her tight hot pussy and fucked her. Pax came hard, her thighs shaking, hands gripping his shirt, her pussy clenching around him and she let out a longer keening sound that made his balls ache.
That was the moment he knew he was in trouble. Now he’d had his second hit of her, and it was just as good as the first, he knew he would crave more and more.
“Want to fuck you.” he growled not able to hide the husky desire from his voice, his fingers still inside her.
“Yes.”
Pulling away he watched her face as he sucked the taste of her from them. She was sweet and musky, and he wanted to eat her until his hunger was satiated but not now. Pax began to undo his zipper, sliding her hand in and taking hold of his cock, her thumb swiping off the bead of pre-cum and making him arch into her hand.
Now he needed to be inside more than he needed to breathe. Snagging his wallet from the side of the couch where he had thrown it earlier, he unwrapped a condom and slid it on as Pax fondled his balls, almost making him embarrass himself like a teenage boy.