by Susan Stoker
“I know. They’re awesome. They’ve all been texting me nonstop since the barbeque. I’ve never had friends like them. They accepted me without reservations. Unlike anyone else I’ve known in my life, aside from your dad. I’ve always been the newcomer. The outsider. But to them, I’m already one of their inner circle. It’s crazy, and so nice I can’t even describe it.”
“I’m glad. Zo?”
“Yeah?”
“How much longer do you think Phantom’s going to be?”
She smiled. “At least another ten minutes, I’d say.”
“Good. Time enough for me to get you off at least once.”
“Mark! No, I—”
Her words were cut off on a groan when Bubba’s fingers deftly undid the button on her jeans. He turned and dumped her on her back on the couch and slipped his hand inside her panties, groaning when he felt how slippery she already was.
As it turned out, it took Phantom another thirteen and a half minutes to return, but by then, Zoey was sitting primly upright on the couch once more with Bubba by her side. Her cheeks were a little flushed, but otherwise no one would be able to tell minutes ago she’d been writhing and screaming his name as she came all over his fingers.
Surreptitiously licking his finger, Bubba winked at Zoey when she blushed once more. Being with Zoey was exciting…and fun. He couldn’t remember the last time being with a woman had been fun. He couldn’t wait until later that night when they went to bed. He wanted to be inside her more than he could explain.
Forcing himself to be patient, Bubba went to the sink to wash his hands and help with setting up dinner.
The seafood smelled delicious, and Bubba realized his stomach was growling. This trip to Juneau hadn’t turned out so bad so far. Tomorrow, he’d take care of his inheritance, then he and the love of his life could get back to California and get on with their lives.
Five hours later, Bubba was exhausted. He’d been helping Zoey pack up her things and she had the energy of that popular little pink bunny. They’d put things in piles to keep, donate, or throw away, and she’d been making a list of things that needed to be fixed before the house could be put on the market.
“Zo, enough, I’m beat,” Bubba told her when it looked like she was going to start tackling the kitchen next.
She looked at him in surprise. “Oh, what time is it?”
“Late.”
Zoey looked at her watch and winced. “Shit. I had no idea. I’m so sorry. Go on to bed, I’ll be there as soon as I get through this one cabinet.”
Bubba shook his head and took her by the hand and practically dragged her toward the back of the house where the master bedroom was located. Phantom had given up and said his good nights about two hours ago. He was probably dead to the world in the guest room upstairs. Bubba knew if he left Zoey on her own in the kitchen, he wouldn’t see her the rest of the night. One thing about her, once she got her mind set on something, it was as if she had blinders on. It was both endearing and frustrating at the same time.
“Mark! Seriously, I need to finish sorting the cabinet. It’ll drive me crazy if I leave it half-finished.”
“Nope. I’m taking you to bed. Right now.”
She didn’t say anything, and he looked back at her as he entered her room. She was smirking, and he recognized the look of lust on her face.
“Take me to bed or lose me forever,” she said dramatically.
Bubba frowned. “What?”
“Oh my God, you don’t recognize that movie quote?”
“Obviously not,” Bubba told her as he put his hands on the bottom of her T-shirt and slowly started pulling it upward.
“It’s from Top Gun,” Zoey told him, her voice muffled from the shirt being removed over her head.
“Hmmm.” Bubba made the noise in the back of his throat, his attention on her tits and how they jiggled in her bra.
He couldn’t take his eyes from her as she reached down and undid the button on her jeans. “Am I the only one who’s going to be naked here?” she asked as she climbed onto the mattress.
Quick as a flash, Bubba got his clothes off and was hovering over her. He was already hard and ready to go, but as usual, he wanted to make sure she got off first. His mouth was watering with the need to taste her. He eased his way down her body, his eyes glued to her own.
The smile fled her face and she licked her lips in anticipation of his touch.
“I love you, Zoey,” he told her, before he buried his face between her legs.
“I love you,” she replied.
Her words echoing in his head, he centered his attention on the prize in front of him. He’d never get tired of this. Of her. He licked his lips, and got to work showing Zoey exactly how much he loved her.
An hour later, with Zoey curled into his arms, snoring lightly, Bubba couldn’t get his mind to shut off so he could get some sleep. Things were so great. Zoey was moving permanently to California, selling this house, packing up her stuff. She loved him, and he loved her. He wouldn’t have to deal with the pesky daily things that came up with his pop’s business after tomorrow.
But he hadn’t heard from Tex again. And he had no idea if selling his ownership in the company would make whoever had tried to kill him happy or not. He hated not having the information he needed to make decisions. That’s how people ended up dead. He felt as if his life was just starting, now that he’d met Zoey. The last thing he wanted was a lethal surprise to be waiting in the wings.
After his meeting with Malcom, Sean, and Kenneth in the morning, he’d call Tex and see what the man had been able to find out. He needed this situation to be done and over with once and for all. Only then could he truly relax.
It took another thirty minutes or so, but Bubba finally fell asleep. The heavy weight of Zoey comforting in his arms.
Chapter Eighteen
“This place is called GonZo Café?” Phantom asked the next morning.
Zoey nodded. “Yeah, weird name, but excellent food. Their breakfasts are the best. I’ll go shopping later today and get some stuff to tide us over for the rest of the weekend, but trust me, you’re gonna love their food.”
“Fine. Bubba, you good staying here?”
“Yup.”
“He’s good, but I’m starving,” Zoey teased. “More movement, less talk, please.”
She knew Mark was laughing at her, but she didn’t turn to look at him. She was in the best mood this morning. Even though she hadn’t been able to finish going through the kitchen and figuring out what she wanted to keep and what she was going to donate to Glory Hall and other homeless shelters in town, she couldn’t be upset with the way the evening had ended.
Mark loved her.
It was almost unbelievable.
She’d never been happier.
Even though Mark was going to talk to Kenneth, she still wanted to call Tracy and find out what happened with the realtor who was supposed to arrange to get the house staged and ready to sell, but even that couldn’t dim her happiness this morning.
Remembering the way Mark had gone at her the night before was almost embarrassing, but so freaking hot. Every time he ate her out, he made it seem as if he couldn’t get enough. She had nothing to compare it to, but she didn’t think most men were that enthusiastic about the task. She was very lucky.
She was still sore between her legs from the way he’d taken her hard and fast after she’d come on his mouth and fingers. It was sexy as hell, and it was hard to believe this was her life.
Nothing could get Zoey down this morning. Not even Phantom being grumpy about having to go out in the cold and pick up more food.
“You owe me for this,” Phantom said as he got ready to head out the door.
“I know. I’m going to make a pecan pie this afternoon. Trust me, you’ll love my pie.”
“That’s my pie,” Mark said under his breath as Phantom turned to go.
Zoey was about to make a smartass remark about Mark quoting from the movie The Rev
enge of the Nerds when Phantom spoke.
“Watch your six. The air feels heavy today.”
Zoey frowned. She didn’t know what that meant, but Mark obviously did, because he said, “I will. You too.”
Nodding, Phantom went out the door and closed it behind him.
“What was that about?”
Mark shrugged. “Sometimes we get feelings about things. Phantom’s obviously feeling uneasy about something.”
“Do you think you should postpone your meeting today?” Zoey asked worriedly.
“Absolutely not. The sooner I can get this done, and we get things here at the house wrapped up, the sooner we can get on with the rest of our lives. Together.”
Zoey smiled and wrapped her arms around Mark’s waist. She leaned into him and felt his cock stir. “I’m all for that,” she said seductively. “Think you have time to give me another lesson on oral sex before Phantom gets back?”
Mark groaned, and she felt him twitch against her stomach. “I don’t think you need any more lessons, wench. You’re already perfect, and you know it.”
Zoey knew he was being generous, but she didn’t call him on it. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him as he bent his head toward her.
They were so into each other that they didn’t hear the back door open until it was too late. Mark spun around and shoved Zoey so fast, she didn’t realize what he was doing until she was behind him.
“Jeez, Malcom! You scared me,” Mark said, relief easy to hear in his voice.
Zoey’s eyes about bugged out of her head when Malcom raised a pistol and aimed it right at his twin.
“Good. You should be scared,” he said evenly.
Every muscle in Mark’s body tightened, and Zoey had a sinking feeling that Phantom’s mysterious feeling had been right on the money. Shit.
Bubba stared at his brother, his heart breaking at the realization that the person who wanted him dead was his brother. His twin. He’d been leaning toward Sean being the culprit. Not Malcom.
He held up his hands. “Easy, bro. We can work this out.”
“It’s too late for that. If you had just stayed gone, this wouldn’t be happening right now.”
“How do you figure?” Bubba asked. He needed to drag this out. The longer he could keep Malcom talking, the faster Phantom would return. Between the two of them, they could easily take Malcom down without anyone getting hurt. But at the moment, all Bubba was concerned about was Zoey. He couldn’t move without putting her at risk, and that was the last thing he was going to do.
“With you and that bitch dead, I would’ve gotten all your money and the shares Pop left you, and she wouldn’t’ve been around to collect what should’ve been mine.”
His brother’s reasoning was a little off. He was right in that if Mark was dead, his will left everything he had to his only living relative—Malcom. They may not have talked much, but he was blood. But if Zoey died, the house, money, and part of the business Pop had left to her would go to her relatives.
Maybe, in Malcom’s mind, it was enough that Zoey herself wouldn’t get it.
He needed to stall some more. “You wanted this house?” Bubba asked his brother.
“Fuck this house,” Malcom sneered. “I don’t give a shit about this dump. But I could’ve sold it and gotten the cash, just like she’s planning on doing. That money should be mine.”
“I told you why I was here yesterday,” Bubba said. “At ten o’clock today, you can have what you wanted.”
“No, I can’t!” Malcom yelled, the gun wavering slightly as he spoke.
Bubba pushed Zoey farther behind him. If the gun went off, the last thing he wanted was Zoey accidentally getting shot.
“You want to sell your shares to me and Sean? What a joke! I don’t have the money to buy you out. And even if I did, I shouldn’t have to. Who was the son who was here when Pop needed help firing an employee? Me! Who was the son who was here to work a shift when someone didn’t show up? Me! Who was the son who listened for hours and fucking hours as Pop talked about his precious business plan, and gave him advice on how to make more money? Fucking me! That’s who. Not you. Not the golden boy who was off gallivanting around the globe playing hero. I’m gonna get your share of what should’ve been mine—without paying!”
Malcom’s voice had risen with each sentence until he was practically screaming at Bubba by the end.
“If you’d hurry up and quit talking about it and just fucking shoot him already, this would be done,” a feminine voice sounded from behind Bubba.
Shit. Things had just gone from concerning to critical in a heartbeat. Bubba spun sideways, keeping Zoey at his back.
Tracy Eklund was standing just inside the living room. They hadn’t locked the door when Phantom had left, and she’d obviously just waltzed right on in.
He’d told Zoey that most people killed for money or sex, and it looked like in this case, it was both.
“Let me guess, you and my brother have been having an affair.”
Tracy looked smug but didn’t reply.
When Malcom spoke, Bubba turned his attention back to him. The situation sucked. They were in the middle of the two people who’d done their best to kill them. He couldn’t protect Zoey from both Malcom and Tracy at the same time. Shit, shit, shit.
“I love her. She’s the other half of my soul,” Malcom said.
“She’s way older than you,” Bubba said, trying to get his brother to think clearly. “I’m guessing she approached you, didn’t she?”
“Shut up!” Tracy screeched. “I’m not that much older than Mal. I’m only forty!”
“With those gray roots, you could’ve fooled me,” Zoey said. “Kenneth’s…what? In his fifties, like Colin was? What happened, your gravy train dry up?”
With that, Tracy reached over the counter and grabbed a big kitchen knife from the block that Zoey had wanted to pack away the night before but hadn’t gotten the chance. “Shut up, bitch! You’re nothing but a leech. Latching onto Colin and taking his money from the people who should have it. Namely, Malcom!”
“Easy,” Bubba said, holding up a hand toward Tracy.
“I’m gonna carve you up, bitch,” Tracy said with narrowed eyes fixed on Zoey.
Bubba put his hands behind his back and clasped Zoey’s forearms. To Malcom and Tracy, it probably looked like they were holding hands behind his back…but Bubba was making sure he had a good grip on the woman he loved so if he had to fling her out of the way in a split second, he could.
Bubba’s phone vibrated on the kitchen counter with an incoming call, the sound irritating, but everyone ignored it.
“Yeah, she came to me when we started seeing each other,” Malcom said, the pistol wavering. “And things were great. But then you emailed Pop and mentioned a possible visit. He was so fucking happy, it was disgusting! He made an appointment that same day to change his will, swearing that if you came back and saw how great the business was doing, you’d fall in love with it and move home. He was delusional! Everyone knew you weren’t coming back. But it was clear then that I had to do something.”
Bubba’s blood ran cold. “What’d you do, Mal?”
“Shut up, Malcom,” Tracy warned.
Malcom ignored her. He stared into his brother’s eyes. “She said it was the only way. That you’d always be the golden boy. His favorite. That I’d never measure up. I had to!”
“What’d you do?” Bubba demanded.
“It was only a little at first, to see what it would do. It worked really well. He got sick almost immediately…”
Bubba heard Zoey inhale sharply, but she didn’t speak. He felt sick. “You killed Pop?”
“I had to!” Malcom shouted. “Tracy said it would be easy. That he wouldn’t feel a thing!”
“But he did, didn’t he?” Zoey asked softly. “Colin suffered. He must’ve been in so much pain.”
“Yeah, but that was because I messed up and didn’t give him enough. When you left to go visit
your mom, it was time. I gave him enough arsenic to make his heart stop.”
Bubba clenched his teeth together so hard they hurt.
“And it was all for nothing, because you guys didn’t fucking die!” Tracy spat out. “You and that bitch pilot were supposed to die after takeoff. The guys I hired to sabotage the plane took my fucking money and ran. Leaving you out in the wilderness to die was just the ridiculous plan we concocted so Eva would take the job. She had no idea that flight was supposed to be her last.”
Bubba couldn’t believe how heartless the woman in front of him was. She not only wanted to kill him and Zoey for money, but had no qualms in killing an innocent woman as well. Well, Eva wasn’t completely innocent, she’d gone along with the plan to strand him and Zoey, but she hadn’t outright killed them.
He felt Zoey shifting behind him, and he panicked for a moment, until he realized she was simply pressing herself even closer to his back. That was okay with him. The closer she was, the easier it would be to protect her.
The fact that he had to protect her from his own flesh and blood was insane. But at the moment, Malcom’s pistol was more of a danger than the knife Tracy was holding. “I guess you were the one to tell Malcom what was in Pop’s will, huh?” he asked her.
“Of course. I’m my husband’s assistant, after all. Who do you think prepares all his documents?”
Bubba’s phone vibrated again, and he wished like hell he could answer it. Whoever was on the other end was very insistent on talking to him.
“Kill them,” Tracy ordered Malcom. “This has to end now.”
“How exactly do you think this is going to end?” Bubba asked. He felt Zoey shift against him once more…then realized she was slowly taking his KA-BAR out of the sheath at the small of his back.
God, she was smart as hell—and also scaring the hell out of him.
“If you kill us, what are you going to do with our bodies? How are you going to explain our deaths? Sean and Kenneth are expecting me at the office in about an hour and a half. And you might get my shares of the business, but that won’t give you enough to override Sean. And Zoey’s will go to her mom. What then, Mal? You gonna kill Sean too? Then his wife, since his shares will probably go to her? When does it end? When will you get to stop killing?