by Paula Cox
“Where?”
“To the police station,” said Riley.
She drove out quickly. Tania checked the rearview mirror but the bastards weren’t behind them yet. Good. They had the lead. Maybe this was over for now. “Let’s get this wound treated first,” she said.
“No. There isn’t any time. We need to report this, and maybe even demand police protection,” he said. When the car came to a stop in the parking lot, he marched along as they went inside.
Seeing all the blood on his clothes and the pale color on his face, she felt devastated, but there wasn’t much that she could do. The cops surrounded them as soon as someone detected Riley’s condition. Luckily for Riley, the cops were trained in first aid and while they gave their statement, someone tended to his wounds.
“You’ll have to show this to the doctors,” said the cop who tore off Riley’s shirt to check and clean the wounds. “The good news is that the bullet didn’t hit the bone. The bad news is that it’s inside, and you’ll need professional help to remove it.”
Tania thought she would faint. How could Riley take it all in a stride? They gave their statements and were led to the hospital by the police while the detective in charge of the case went to Riley’s apartment to check things out. She doubted Raymond was still there to talk to the police. The man was insane, but he wasn’t stupid. He must’ve fled with his goons a long time ago when he realized he couldn’t achieve his goals. Would he try again?
One good thing that happened was they had police protection now. A detective was assigned to watch them, and that meant Raymond would have to be ten times more careful to try something. At the hospital, she sat beside Riley after he was stitched up.
“It would be better if you stayed the night.” said the doctor who’d tended to him. “We’ll keep you under observation.”
“My arm was hurt, not my head. I would like to go.”
“You can stay here for one night,” Tania tried when the doctor gave her a pleading look.
“No way.” He got off the bed. “Look, I’m fine. There isn’t any need to worry. I don’t want you to stay at the hospital with me, and I definitely don’t want you to stay alone in the house so we’re both leaving.”
“But…”
“No buts.”
She raised her eyebrow at his curt tone. Since he was the one who was hurt, she didn’t mind cutting him some slack. “Fine.”
Tania completed all the paperwork and took an early discharge from the hospital. They left together and were followed by the police to Tania’s house. “One patrol car will be outside at all hours,” said the detective.
Tania was glad they were being taken seriously. Hopefully Raymond wouldn’t try anything stupid now. He wouldn’t even find it that easy to get to them. All they needed to do was stay inside, remain safe, and keep a low profile until he went to jail. It was going to take a long time to achieve that, but patience was a good virtue, and it was time to practice it.
Chapter Twenty Five
Riley felt terrible. Perhaps getting shot at did that to a guy, but he was plagued with guilt and remorse. He shouldn’t have dragged Tania into this mess. He should’ve been more cautious from the first day. If only he’d paid more attention, he might’ve realized these guys were up to no good. Not all the members in Devil’s Mafia Brotherhood were bad, but they would all have to pay the heavy price. Each one of them would be dragged to the police station. He hoped those who were innocent would escape unscathed, but the aftermath of such an investigation was bound to be painful for everyone associated.
A week passed in relative quiet. Jason came to visit them and, much to their surprise, he’d already written a first draft of the screenplay and wanted to show it to them. “It’s not perfect, far from it, but I have the basics down. And now, I’m going to hire a screenwriter and ask him to work his magic and turn this good story into a great, riveting one.”
“Great isn’t a word I would use for it,” Tania said as she got him a cup of coffee. “Scary. Dangerous. Crazy. Those are the words that spring to my mind.”
“That’s because you can’t see what I can see.”
“What is that?” Riley asked, picking up his cup. Although he felt a slight twinge of pain every time he lifted something, his arm was much better than before. “What do you see?”
“I see a blockbuster, my friend and since this is your story, I’ve decided to do things the official way.” Jason took out some papers from his briefcase and plopped them on the table. “These are the contracts for both of you.”
Tania wrinkled a brow as she took a seat. “Contracts?”
“Yes. In exchange for your story exclusively to me, I’d like to pay you guys a handsome amount.”
“We don’t need money,” said Tania.
“Hush, sweetheart,” said Riley as he picked up the contract and began to read it. His eyes popped when he saw the amount. Jason was damn serious about this. “I would take the money.”
“Spoken like a true businessman,” said Jason in a dry voice. “So here’s the deal. You can’t sell this story to anyone else. If the movie doesn’t get made, the rights of it are reverted back to you within two years. I’ll pay you half now and half once the movie is ready to be released. If there’s no movie, you don’t get the second half. How does that sound?”
Riley wasn’t one to throw away money that crawled to him. He signed on the paper and then pushed the pen towards Tania. “I say yes.”
Tania stared into his eyes. She turned to Jason who nodded. Picking up the pen, she nodded. “Fine.”
“Great. So that’s all in order. We should go out and celebrate.”
“We haven’t been out in a week,” Tania told him. “Raymond still hasn’t been discovered, and until he’s no longer on the loose, we’re in danger. The police have told us to stay put, so that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
“I bet you’re both ready to pull out your hair. Damn that man.” Jason stood. “Okay, then. We’ll celebrate once you guys are free to do so.”
After he left, Riley picked up the contracts and put them in a file. “I’ve got an idea.”
Tania cleared the table. “What?”
“There’s enough money in this for us to start our own real estate agency. What do you think?”
She halted and then glanced at him. Her expression was incredulous, surprised. “You mean…we should go into business together?”
He watched her face, not sure what she was thinking. As far as Riley was concerned, they were in for the long haul. He couldn’t imagine a life without Tania. She was the real reason why he lived. But doing this would entwine their business with their personal lives. Was she willing to do it?
“That’s the plan,” he said.
She ran a hand through her hair. “I got a call from Martha offering me the job, but I think you’re right. It’s time we hit out on our own, and this money would give us enough to start the business. And we’re damn good together.”
Happiness exploded in his gut. He raised his hand towards her. “Better than the best. You and me together, sweetheart! We’ll set his town on fire.”
She put her hand in his and he drew her forward. Her breasts pushed against his chest as she stood toe to toe with him. This felt right. It was perfect. “You bet we will.”
His lips claimed hers. The kiss was slow, gentle. The desire that skidded over his skin was hot and needy. He wanted her. Riley had thought that as time elapsed, perhaps his passion for her would simmer down, but it seemed to gain in momentum. He wanted her more now than ever before. Her hands traveled up his chest and settled on his shoulders as she pushed her tongue deep inside his mouth.
He tasted her mouth while she plundered his. It felt good and right. As always, he took delight in the feel and touch of her. It was enough to drive him insane. Riley picked her up.
“Your arm?” she protested.
“It’s fine, sweetheart.” Once again, he kissed her as he walked to their room. Sometimes h
e couldn’t believe he was so lucky. They had made it. After all the trouble, the fights, and the fear, they were now safe. And from now, they were more than lovers; they were business partners. Surely, this said something for their relationship.
Once he reached the bed, Riley laid her down. She wriggled out of her clothes. The desire that skipped through his heart also gleamed in her eyes. He took off his shirt. Naked, Tania stepped off the bed and helped him take off his trousers. As he stepped away from his pants, she bent on her knees and before he understood what she intended, she ran her hands up his legs.
He froze.
Seizing the opportunity, she licked the tip of his cock with her tongue. He groaned. Her hand cupped his balls, rubbed, and caressed as he shuddered. There was a sudden roaring in his ears as she swept her tongue over his cock, sending blood rushing through his body. He sucked in a deep breath as she took him inside her mouth. The sensations, strong and heady, enveloped him.
He was close, too close. Riley pulled out of her mouth before she could bring him to climax. He didn’t want this to end without feeling her pussy around him. When she rose, he kissed her once more and made her lie on the bed. He couldn’t wait any more, but he wanted to take his time. He wanted to savor and take delight in this moment.
As he gazed down at her naked, magnificent body, his heart thundered inside his chest. She was so goddamned beautiful. He loved her more than he could explain, more than he could understand. There was no going back for either one of them. His gaze traveled down her gorgeous face to her swan-like neck, her heavy, firm breasts, to her flat stomach, and down to the lips of her pussy that were already wet with arousal.
He bent over her, and his mouth covered her swollen nipple. Her fingers ran through his hair while he played with her sensitive bud. She arched under him. Soft moans escaped her lips as he gorged on her breasts to his heart’s content. His cock was hard and demanding, growing larger as he fondled and creased her breasts. Finally, his lips traced a line down to her taut stomach where he took his time and paid homage to her belly button.
“Riley, please,” she begged.
He loved it when she was on the same page as him. Riley slipped down her torso until his head was bent between her legs. He inhaled the musky scent of her arousal, and licked her pussy, tasting how sweet she was just for him.
She buckled under him, unable to do anything but succumb to the torture he inflicted on her. He could feel her need and responded to it by picking up pace. When his tongue pushed down on her sensitive clit, she burst into a scream and the orgasm rippled through her. She shuddered and trembled while he gave her a moment to recover.
He was bristling with impatience, needing to take her then. He climbed on top of her and took position. As if understanding his need, she opened her legs and wrapped them around him. His cock found her wet pussy, and he dove inside without pause. Her muscles expanded to accommodate him, and he slipped inside. For a moment, they were joined together, hip to hip, and there was nothing better than this.
Riley put his hands on the bed and moved out. She gasped as he rose up, and squealed when he thrust deep inside her once more. He watched the play of emotions on her face, loving the fact that he could drive her to such heights. Her eyes were closed and her lips trembled. He kissed her once more, needing to feel the intimate connection. He raised his head and bore down again.
In and out, he moved, setting a demanding pace, but she matched him stroke for stroke. He rode her hard, but she wasn’t one to tire easily. Her breasts heaved as his hips jerked while his legs clung to her.
Over and over, he pounded into her with enough force to make her squeal. Finally, she shuddered and screamed, her orgasm rushing through and enveloping her. He felt her entire body vibrate, and only then did Riley allow himself to give in to his own pleasure. He came inside her, his orgasm hard and wonderful, and before his weight could crush her, he rolled off. His heart beat so loudly he thought it might break free from his ribcage. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “I love you, Tania.”
“I love you, Riley.”
Chapter Twenty Six
Tania was feeling restless, bored. After being inside the house for more than week, she wanted to get out and do something exciting, but, unfortunately, until Raymond was no longer roaming free, there wasn’t much they could do. The man nearly killed them, and she didn’t want a repeat performance. There was always a patrol car in front of their house and, even though it gave her courage, it also made her agitated. When would this nightmare come to an end? When would they be free to do whatever the hell they wanted?
On the morning of the ninth day of their confinement, Riley’s cellphone rang. He picked up. “Hello.” His quiet and somber expression told her something was up. She held her breath as she tried to gauge as to what the news was. Who called him? Was it good news or bad? Was it Raymond on the other end, ready to deliver another threat? “Sure, thanks.”
“What is it?”
He pumped an arm in the air and then enveloped her in a hug. “It was the police. Raymond has been caught while he was trying to escape the city.”
“Yay!” She closed her eyes in relief as Riley delivered a kiss on her forehead. “Now, we’re free.”
“We are, indeed. The police have removed their patrol car as there isn’t a threat to our lives anymore.”
“What about Charlie and the others?”
“I doubt they’re in the city, and, even if they are, they are too busy trying to find a good hideout. The police are looking for them, and I bet now that Raymond’s inside, it wouldn’t take Charlie long to cave.”
She wanted to know more. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to go to the police station and get more information as to who was arrested and which members of the Devil’s Mafia Brotherhood were still running in the town, but she thought better of it. Tania didn’t want to be confined to her house again. Now that they could go out, she didn’t want to borrow trouble. If she mentioned her fears to Riley, he would err on the side of caution and force her to remain inside, and if she did so, she was bound to go mad.
“So what should we do to celebrate?”
“What do you want to do?”
“How about we catch a movie and have dinner outside?
He kissed her on the lips. “Get dressed, sweetheart. We’re going to paint this town red.”
Showered and dressed, they walked outside two hours after they got the news. Tania took a moment to breathe in the cool air. It felt good to be out of the house. She felt positively giddy with excitement. Rather than take the car, they decided to take Riley’s new motorbike that was delivered only a day before. He was still grieving over his old one, but was in love with his new one.
It reminded Tania that she intended to buy one of her own. Just because Devil’s Mafia Brotherhood failed as a biker’s club didn’t mean they dropped their love for biking. Soon, they were in a mall. In their haste, they didn’t even check as to which movies were playing, but luckily there were a couple of good ones.
“How about that action thriller?”
Riley breathed a sigh of relief as he lifted his gaze way from the poster of the romantic saga. “Good choice.”
She laughed. “Next time, we’re watching that romantic one.”
He grinned. “Sure. I’ll take a sleeping tablet and catch a snooze through it.”
She punched him on the arm as they marched inside the cinema hall. It felt good to do something so ordinary. This was life like she wanted it: a good man, an interesting movie, and freedom. What more could a girl want?
The movie was thrilling, exhilarating. The high-speed chases and fights reminded her of all that they endured. Sure, it wasn’t as exciting what they went through in real life, but it was certainly as dangerous. She shuddered, reminded of the way she felt when Raymond shot Riley. He could’ve killed them and he would’ve if they had remained passive. It was good that during a crisis neither of them froze. As if sensing her mood,
Riley put a hand around her shoulder and she relaxed. That was in their past; they were moving forward and she didn’t want any bad memories to follow them into their new life.
The movie finished. Riley held her hand as they strolled out. “Did you like it?”
Her ears were still ringing from the loud noises. “Yep! And now I’m hungry as a goat.”
“We could go to Clover,” he mentioned the name of a fancy restaurant.
“I’m not dressed for that and I don’t want to wait for that long. Why don’t we grab a bite to eat at one of those roadside pizzerias?”
He agreed and they sauntered out of the mall. It was nearly dark. The sun was a distant ball of orange light in the far horizon. Fat, white clouds filled the sky. It was going to rain. A brisk wind flipped her hair. She loved the weather, and it felt so good to be outside. “We should start looking for new premises.”