Little Dove

by Layla Frost

  “You’re not even all the way in,” I panted, my words clipped.

  “Doesn’t matter.” That didn’t stop him from pushing in deeper. “Every inch of you is mine now. Your sweet pussy, your fuckable mouth, and this tight ass.”

  His claiming words did it. A guttural scream ripped from me as the most intense, blinding pleasure-pain tore through my whole body. Destroying me. Eviscerating me.

  One orgasm immediately rolled into another as his low groans mixed with my moans. His come filled me as he rumbled, “All of you. Mine.”

  We stayed locked like that for a long moment, slowly coming back to earth as we caught our breath. I hissed out a moan and winced as he slipped out. He didn’t give me his weight like he usually did, which was good because I wasn’t sure I could take it. As he climbed from the bed, I collapsed into a graceless heap.

  I felt high—or what I guessed being high was like. My head was floaty and empty. My body was hyperaware of everything and yet nothing. I couldn’t think or move or function. I was just… there. Happy and peaceful and detached and high.

  I didn’t even jolt when I was suddenly up in Maximo’s arms, not having the energy or desire to ask where he was carrying me. A moment later, we sank into a hot bath before he settled me on his lap with his arms locked around me. Resting my cheek on his chest, I savored the bubble of serenity I was floating in.

  The heat and water soaked into my tense muscles, soothing the raw skin and deep ache I’d gotten from his palm and his dick. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed before I sat up and became aware of multiple things at once.

  First, I was starving. My stomach was growling loudly for carbs and comfort food.

  Next, I was completely at ease—mind, body, and soul. It was an all-encompassing tranquility I’d never experienced.

  Last—and possibly most surprising—Maximo was hard. Long and thick, his cock stretched between us.

  “How are you hard again?” I asked.

  “Still,” he corrected.

  “Still?”

  “Never fully went down.”

  “How?”

  I’d have jokingly asked if he was popping little blue pills like Tic Tacs, but knowing Maximo, he’d have taken that as a challenge.

  “Had my cock jammed in your tight ass,” he said. “Made you come so beautifully. And now I’ve got you naked in my arms, happy and calm. Trusting.” His dick jerked against me. “You’ve given me all of you.”

  I hadn’t understood why my trust was so important to him. If I was already obeying, what difference did it make if I trusted him?

  A lot, as it turned out.

  I felt it every day, down to my bones. The happiness. The lack of stress and anxiety. The stability. I no longer felt temporary.

  I belonged. With him. In our life together.

  Other than his love, that feeling of belonging was the best gift he’d given me. It was beyond anything I’d ever imagined was possible.

  “Thank you for wanting all of me,” I whispered.

  His arms constricted around me. “‘Til the day I die.”

  Not temporary.

  Permanent.

  ‘Til the day I die.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Protect What’s Yours

  Maximo

  “GOT A PROBLEM, boss.”

  Jesus.

  For nearly a month, I’d worked every damn day, from early morning until late at night. I’d taken Juliet to work with me a handful of times, but I needed a day off with her. Since preparations for the new resort meant that wasn’t possible, I’d settled for working from home.

  Of course something would jack it up.

  “What is it?” I asked Ash.

  “Someone is here.”

  That got my attention.

  No one came to the house without an invitation. Few people even knew where I lived. The route was winding and secluded, nothing for miles.

  It wasn’t a house someone would coincidentally stumble across.

  “Who is it?” Setting down my mail and letter opener, I clicked a few keys to switch security cameras.

  A man stood outside the gate next to a sleek red sports car. He leaned against it, patiently waiting.

  “No idea and he wouldn’t say,” Ash said. “Just said he has something you might like.”

  There was nothing I wanted that I didn’t already have. Except… “Carmichael?”

  He tilted his head to the side for a moment. “It’d make sense.”

  That jowly bastard had been in the wind since going after Juliet. He had to know he was being hunted—and not just by me.

  Ash and Marco had been quietly searching, watching the casinos and clubs off the Strip. When there’d been no sign of him, I’d made it known in the right circles I was looking.

  That made Carmichael a powerful bargaining chip. Even his closest friends would turn on him if it meant I owed them a favor.

  A lot of eyes were searching for him.

  I just didn’t know if the man in my driveway was one of them.

  I grabbed my cell and texted Cole the plate number before asking Ash, “He wouldn’t tell you anything?”

  “Said he’ll only talk to you.”

  I rubbed my jaw. “Set a meeting at Moonlight tomorrow.”

  “He said here and only here.”

  I didn’t like anyone making demands of me, much less some unknown asshole who’d shown up uninvited. But my curiosity was piqued. I wanted to know what he had to offer.

  More than that, I wanted to know where the hell he’d gotten my address.

  “Juliet still watching a movie with Vera?”

  “Yeah,” Ash said.

  “Confiscate our guest’s cell, keys, watch, and anything that can be used as a weapon, including his damn shoes.”

  “On it.”

  He was almost to the door when I asked, “You got your kit?”

  Tapping his suit jacket, he smiled with an edge of anticipation. “Always.”

  I lifted my chin. “Have it ready to go. Worse case, he takes a nap and we take a field trip to The Basement.”

  Ash’s smile grew into a grin—the sick bastard. “There’s always hope.”

  He left, and I leaned back in my chair to watch the cameras, switching them to follow their progress until they were inside. I shut off the monitors and checked my texts.

  Cole: Rental. Give me a few, I should be able to find out who rented it.

  That’s not good.

  I set my phone down just as Ash opened the door. Stepping aside, he let our mystery guest in before leaving and closing it behind him.

  I didn’t recognize the man, not even a flicker of familiarity. He was around my age, but the years hadn’t been kind. He had gray in his brown hair and his face was scarred from a life hard lived. His gaze was set in a glare as he scanned the room.

  In Juliet’s words, he looked like a ‘goon’.

  “Thanks for seeing me.” His tone held a sharp edge as he offered me his hand.

  I didn’t take it, and he didn’t look surprised. “You didn’t leave me much choice.”

  Despite my lack of invitation, he took a seat. “Sorry about that, but we felt it was best to talk in private.”

  “We? Do you have a mouse in your pocket?”

  He smirked. “My partner and me.”

  Bullshit. It’s his boss calling the shots and he’s an errand boy dressed up to look like a somebody.

  “And who is your partner?” I asked.

  “I’d rather not say.”

  His boss told him not to say.

  Talking in circles and coded bullshit lost its luster fast. “Tell me why you’re here.”

  Unlike me, he wasn’t annoyed. He enjoyed feeling like a big man. “We have something you want.”

  “And that is?”

  “Mugsy Carmichael’s location.”

  It could’ve been a bluff. I hadn’t been subtle about making it known I wanted Carmichael.

  His eyes travele
d the room before landing on me again. “And we’ll give him to you, delivered with a bow.”

  “In exchange for what?”

  “Giving our boxers a shot in your circuit.” He raised a brow, the implication heavy. “Either one.”

  Coming to my home uninvited and making demands was stupid and shortsighted.

  Following that up with implied knowledge of my business was stupid and suicidal.

  He was silent for a moment, waiting for a reaction. When he didn’t get one, his glare hardened.

  As if I’d wronged him.

  “What did you say your name was?” I asked, though we both knew he hadn’t given one.

  He didn’t answer, but it wasn’t a strategic avoidance. His attention was aimed out the window.

  Shit.

  I should’ve had made sure Juliet stayed in the media room until we gave the okay. I’d assumed their movie would last longer, but based on his stare going from nosy to rapt, I knew she was outside.

  Turning my chair to the side, I watched Juliet bend at the waist to set her iPad and Diet Coke down. She shoved off her shorts and slowly lifted her tee to reveal her gorgeous body in a white bikini that barely covered anything.

  Shaking out her hair, she gathered it before securing it in a high ponytail.

  My wet dream was putting on a show that was only supposed to be for me.

  I spun back to the man and cleared my throat.

  It took him far too fucking long to drag his eyes away from her. When they met mine, they were calculating and sharper than I’d given him credit for. “Our offer is generous. You get Carmichael and your pick of fresh boxers. They’re good. Fast, young, and ambitious.” He smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly one. “We’re doing you two favors.”

  His words were affable, but his tone spit fire and disgust. The longer he sat there, the heavier the chip on his shoulder became. And the harder it was for him to hide it.

  I’d pissed off a lot of people personally. Even more by domino effect. It was impossible to keep track of everyone who hated me.

  But this man was undeniably one of them.

  It was evident in his eyes, his voice, and his body language.

  I just had no clue why, and he clearly wasn’t going to tell me. Not why he hated me. Not who he was.

  And not why he was actually there.

  Because I was willing to bet Nebula the only boxing he was involved with was the cardboard variety.

  I was about to call bullshit on the whole thing when my phone rang.

  “I have to take this,” I said before hitting accept. “Black.”

  “Car was rented by William Janson,” Cole said, his voice quiet.

  Why’s that name sound familiar?

  Shit.

  Tommy Janson.

  He’d been the squirrelly little shit caught stealing at Moonlight. The one who’d worked for Viktor Dobrow.

  “Is it the same as last time, Sophia?” I asked, keeping an eye on my guest.

  His own eyes were busy darting around my office and out the window, searching for something.

  “Brother,” Cole said.

  “Okay, put it on my schedule.” I hung up and smiled at the man across the way from me. Just like the smile he’d thrown my way, it was far from friendly.

  I stood fast, and Janson jolted and tensed. Pocketing my cell, I rounded my desk and sat on the edge of it in front of him. “Tell me more about the boxers.”

  He relaxed, leaning back in his chair. His expression morphed from loathing to victorious. “You’ll have to see for yourself.”

  Even with me closer, he wasn’t smart enough to stay on guard. His focus drifted out the window to Juliet, gawking even as his features tightened.

  “Trying to figure out how a bastard like me got someone like that?” I asked as I casually leaned back, rearranging my hands until I felt what I needed under my palm.

  He gestured around, his jaw clenched. “I can guess.”

  “No, it’s not the pool or the house or the clothes or any of the other shit my money buys her. She’s mine because I keep her safe. And I don’t let other bastards eye-fuck her, Janson.”

  His brows shot up.

  Couldn’t have planned that better if I tried.

  Gripping my letter opener, I swung fast but with restraint because I didn’t want to kill him—yet. The sharp steel sank into its target, his eyeball making a sickening squelch as blood and fluid spurted.

  His blood-curdling scream was music to my ears.

  Ash threw the door open but stayed in the doorway.

  Janson jerked back, the pointed steel dragging and more blood spurting.

  “I could kill you right now,” I said calmly, gripping the handle. “Another couple inches and this is buried in your brain.”

  His cries of pain didn’t stop, but his thrashing did.

  “Do you work for Dobrow like your brother did?” When he didn’t answer, I twisted the opener until he retched. “Do you work for Dobrow?

  “Yes!” I slid the steel free, and his hands covered the massacred eye. “You’re fucking crazy.”

  He wasn’t wrong.

  Especially when it came to Juliet.

  My possessiveness got the better of me and didn’t think twice before stabbing him in the other eye.

  The dumbass should’ve expected it.

  Always protect what’s yours.

  “Fuck!” he screeched before throwing up on himself.

  “At least it’s not piss,” Ash pointed out.

  Janson covered his face, bloody tears streaming.

  “Why’d Dobrow send you?”

  The only answer I got was another retch and more screams.

  “Use the rental and take him to the plant,” I told Ash.

  Ash lifted his chin, his anger palpable.

  Despite Juliet and I insisting it wasn’t his fault, he had a lot of pent up rage and guilt about Carmichael getting to her on his watch.

  Rage and guilt that was about to be transferred to that motherfucker.

  Disappearing for a minute, Ash returned with two towels. He tossed one to me and shoved the other against the man’s face as he hauled him up.

  Wiping some of the blood from my hands, I followed them out of the room and found Vera waiting.

  Unfazed, she scanned me for injury, coming to the correct conclusion that none of the blood was mine. “Mr. Ash said you’d need me.”

  I jerked my head toward the open doorway. “My office—”

  “Maximo?”

  My gaze shot to Juliet’s pale face as she took in the gore.

  I fucked up.

  Again.

  “Close your eyes,” I barked, harsher than intended.

  She did as I said, but asked, “Are you okay? That’s not your… right?”

  “I’m good.” I wanted to touch her, but not with my hands coated in blood. “Keep them closed.”

  Vera reached behind me to slam the door shut as Ash covered Janson’s mouth and dragged him down the stairs.

  I took off for our bedroom and locked myself in the bathroom. After rinsing my hands, I pulled my cell from my pocket and called Marco.

  “Boss,” he answered.

  “I need you at the house.”

  “Be there in twenty.”

  I dialed Cole.

  “What’s going on?” he asked by way of greeting, already on alert since I wouldn’t be calling if it weren’t important.

  “Where are you?”

  “Home.”

  “Need tech and possibly a GPS wipe.”

  “Where?”

  “The plant.”

  “I’ll gather what I need and leave in ten.”

  Tossing my phone down, I turned the shower on as hot as I could stand before climbing in. The scorching water mixed with the deep red blood, turning it pink as I scrubbed.

  My thoughts switched between Janson, Dobrow, and unfamiliar regret. Stabbing Janson hadn’t been a mistake. Doing it while Juliet was home had been. I’d let
my temper get the better of me.

  I’d fucked up.

  My job was to protect her, and instead I’d traumatized her.

  Turning off the water, I dried myself and wrapped the towel around my waist before opening the door.

  Pacing the room, Juliet froze when I stepped out. Her gaze dropped to inspect my naked torso for injury.

  “I told you it wasn’t my blood.”

  “Just making sure.”

  Pulling her into my arms, I was glad she didn’t resist. I inhaled her sunshine scent as I ran my hands across the soft skin of her back. “You okay?”

  “A little freaked,” she admitted.

  Guilt hit my gut harder.

  Seeing it, she rushed to explain. “It’s not that. I’m just freaked because I thought you were hurt. I didn’t really see anything.” A sad smile I hadn’t seen in a while curved her lips. “Even if I had, you know I’ve seen a lot worse in my life.”

  I should dig Shamus out of his unmarked grave and shoot him again.

  “I have to go,” I said.

  “I figured.”

  “No more outside today. Marco will be here soon. Vera is always armed. You’ll—”

  “Vera is armed?”

  “She lived a rough life before coming here.”

  “I know,” Juliet said. “I didn’t realize she was packing heat. Makes me glad I’ve always been polite.”

  As usual, Juliet managed to make me smile despite the shitstorm brewing. “‘Packing heat’?”

  “It sounds badass… just like Vera, apparently.”

  “Which is why you’ll be safe.”

  But my girl didn’t need reassurances.

  “I know. I’m worried about you.” Her voice shook and her arms wrapped tightly around my waist, making me painfully aware that we were only separated by a towel and her thin swimsuit. My dick hardened and her eyes snapped to mine. “Really? Right now?”

  Cupping her head, I tilted it back. “With you? Always.”

  “You’re insane.” But that didn’t stop her from pressing tighter against me.

  As tempted as I was to sink into her and fuck away my anger, I didn’t have time. “I need to get dressed.”

  She opened her mouth but closed it and released her hold. “I’m going to grab a quick shower before more hell breaks loose.”

  After she closed herself in the bathroom, I pulled on a suit and holstered my Glocks before going to my office.