by Bree Younger
“Maybe.”
“No maybe about it, dude. And it’s not like you’re watching a movie or eating at some fancy restaurant. You’re in a life-or-death-type situation. It shows you the real person a helluva lot faster than dancing at a club or walking on the freaking beach.”
Hawk considered what Ty was saying. He was right in a lot of ways. He’d certainly gotten to know Claire and how she felt about things that really mattered in a short amount of time.
“I hope you’re right. Because I don’t think I could let her go now.”
Ty clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I know just how you feel, my friend. Now”—he stood—“let’s go see what the ladies are doing.”
When they strolled into the kitchen, Hawk’s eyes widened in stunned bemusement. Claire was sitting on one side of the table with Libby on the other. Between them were a bottle of tequila and two empty bottles of blood. Claire was listing slightly to one side as Libby lectured her about how to handle a man.
“And if that doesn’t work, you might have to cut him off.” Libby emphasized her statement with a punch into the air that almost sent her tumbling from her chair. “Shit.”
Claire looked horrified. “Will it grow back?”
Libby blinked owlishly. “Will what grow back?”
“You know. His man parts. After you casca…castra…cut them off. I knew vampires had great healing powers, but man, oh, man.”
“No. No. You cut him off from it. Not it off from him.”
Claire looked even more confused. Probably because Libby was slurring her words so badly that it was hard to understand what she was saying.
Ty let out a bark of laughter, and the women turned to look at the men.
Claire just stared at him for a long moment and then turned to Libby. “I like his man parts.”
Hawk rolled his eyes and walked over to where Claire sat, reaching out a hand to prevent her from sliding to the floor. “I think you’ve had enough, sweetheart.” Gently he removed the empty glass from where she clutched it and set it down on the table. Then he cupped her cheek in his hand.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough,” she sighed and rubbed her cheek against him.
Hawk stifled a groan as Ty cracked up. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you upstairs.” As he lifted her, he told Ty, “The garage apartment is out the back door and to your right. You can ask Cade if you need help finding it.”
Ty waved him off. “We’ll be fine. Go take care of your lady.” He looked down at Libby where she grinned up at him and rolled his eyes. “I apologize for my wife getting your woman shitfaced. On the bright side, I think they’ve bonded.”
Hawk shook his head ruefully and turned to walk out of the kitchen. Claire wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ty scooping up his own sweet burden.
When he reached their room, he crossed to lay Claire down on the bed. As he started to rise, she clutched him tighter. “Don’t go, Hawk. Kiss me.”
Knowing it was probably not a good idea, he couldn’t resist bending down to taste her sweet mouth in a slow, deep kiss that seemed to last forever. He felt his body stirring as Claire returned his kiss, arching up against him and making the most arousing little mewling sounds deep in her throat. He tried to pull back, to break the kiss, but Claire wrapped herself around him like a limpet, her tongue spearing into his mouth demandingly.
Finally he was able to lift himself up enough to separate his lips from hers, and he murmured, “You’re drunk, Claire. Maybe we shouldn’t do this right now.”
“Maybe we should,” she whispered back and ran her hands down his back to cup his buttocks and pull him more tightly against the vee of her thighs, wedging his cock there. “I’m not that drunk.”
She rubbed against him, dropping light kisses across his face and down his neck. Then she bit him on his throat, not enough to break the skin with her fangs but enough to have him hardening even more at the sexual threat. Her hands released his ass and moved around to begin tugging at his belt, trying to unfasten it in the limited room she had. She got the belt undone finally and then went to work on his zipper. She worked it down and slid her hand inside, seeking hot flesh. When she cupped her hands around his cock, he lost it.
Snarling, he took her mouth in a rough kiss, his own hands sliding down across her breasts, pinching the hardened tips through the fabric of her shirt. With a rip, he pulled her shirt apart, buttons flying, and pushed the cups of her bra up so that his mouth could feast on her breasts, licking and biting, sucking them into his mouth with a ravenous need that had her moaning and tossing her head on the pillow. He needed her, needed to feel her flesh closing tightly around his own. He needed her in a way he hadn’t had her before. With a quick movement, he had her pants undone and pushed down around her ankles. Then he flipped her over face down on the bed. He heard her moan and bent to whisper in her ear. “I promised you, sweetheart, that I would have every hole. Tonight I’m going to keep that promise.”
He rose and crossed to the connecting bath and grabbed the bottle of lube he’d put there earlier. When he walked back into the room, he saw Claire’s eyes were open and staring at him. She didn’t look drunk anymore. Instead she looked partly terrified and partly eager for what was about to come.
He smiled wickedly and moved to join her on the bed. Stroking his hand slowly down her back, he allowed his touch to soften, to linger, even though ever cell in his body cried out for more. He bent to kiss her. “You’ll love this. I promise.”
She just nodded and bit her lip. He opened the bottle of lube and let the slippery liquid dribble onto the rounded curve of Claire’s ass. Gently he massaged the lube in, delving between the cheeks of Claire’s ass to slide one slick finger across her anal rose. She flinched slightly, so he asked, “You okay?”
He heard a whispered, “Yes,” so he kept going, pressing one finger against her opening until it slid inside. He began a slow thrusting motion, continuing the gentle movements until he felt her relax into his touch. Then he added a second finger to the first, moving them both in and out of her, spreading them in a scissoring motion to open her body for the coming penetration of his cock. As he continued the movements, he bent and trailed his lips across the silky skin of her back, raising small goose bumps in their wake.
When he thought she was ready, he stripped off his pants and rose to kneel behind her, pulling her hips up and spreading her legs wide apart. He poured more lube into his hand and smeared it up and down his erect cock to ease his entry even more. Then he closed the bottle and tossed it aside. Moving his hand around her hip, he cupped his fingers over her pussy. He stroked over her clit, circling and pinching it, until he heard her moaning and felt her pressing back against him.
“You ready, sweetheart?”
“I guess.” Her voice was a ragged gasp of need. “Yes. Do it. Fuck my ass, Hawk.”
“Push down for me, sweetheart.” Unhurriedly he pressed his cock against Claire’s rear entrance, keeping the pressure slow and steady, until he felt the head move past the tight sphincter muscle and slide inside. He bent for a moment, resting his head against Claire’s shoulder as he took several deep breaths in an effort to keep command of the raging desire that threatened to overtake his rigid control. Then he felt Claire move, arching against him as if eager for his full penetration, and he lost it.
He took her hard and rough and deep, pounding himself into her over and over, a savage need to prove to both of them that she belonged to him, to wipe out any memory of those others from her mind. He felt himself climbing closer and closer to orgasm and moved faster, his thrusts changing to short, hard strokes. Just before his climax claimed him, he took her blood. Distantly he heard her cry as her own orgasm rocked her.
When it was over, he pulled from her body and rolled onto his back, rubbing his hand across his face guiltily. What could he possibly say to her to excuse his behavior? He’d been an animal. He’d been too rough, too ou
t of control. Had he hurt her?
“Claire, I…”
“That was wonderful. I definitely like your man parts, Hawk. I’m not gonna cut ’em off ever,” she whispered drowsily.
Surprised, he turned his head only to see that she’d fallen asleep, a smile on her face. Relaxing back into the bed, he drew a deep breath of relief that he hadn’t hurt her or frightened her with his demands. He thought of her smile and felt the peace that only she could give him. He just hoped that she would still be smiling tomorrow and that they would find her sister safe and unharmed. But deep down he was afraid that Cassidy might very well be dead already.
Chapter Seventeen
Hawk shut the door of the van, trying not to notice the worried expression on her face. She would wait there with Ace while he and his men entered the house and looked for Cassidy. Still unsure if he’d made the right decision in bringing her with him, he leaned through open window to give her a quick kiss before he strode off. When he reached the stone wall, he turned back to give her a brief wave. It took him only a moment to climb over the wall, landing gracefully on his feet on the other side. He waited, listening to the earpiece that was embedded in his ear for a few moments as his men reported their positions before speaking into the small microphone he wore.
“All men clear and ready to move.”
He heard Ace acknowledge his words on his headset and then he gave the order for the men to take down the dogs with the tranq darts that they had brought for just that purpose. In the distance he could hear the barking sounds growing closer. A howl pierced the darkness for half a second, and then there was total silence.
He listened as the men responsible for the dogs reported in to him.
“Confirmed the dogs are down. Rhys, get started on the alarm system. Everyone else, hold positions.” The seconds ticked by. If Rhys made any mistakes, a silent alarm would signal the guards that they had company. Then they would have a fight on their hands.
Several long minutes of silence passed before Hawk spoke again. “Rhys?”
“Almost there,” came the quiet reply from the electronics expert.
“Get ready, everyone. Keep it sharp.” Hawk kept his voice calm and commanding.
“Done.”
“All right, men. Remember, tranqs and stuns when possible. Deadly force only when necessary. Let’s go.”
Hawk moved forward, his gun held at the ready. Once he reached the tree line, he paused, knowing that this would be one of the most dangerous parts of the mission. He would be an easy target if he were spotted crossing that grassy expanse. Keeping low to the ground, he ran forward in a zigzag pattern designed to foil any would-be snipers from getting a bead on him.
From out of the night, the whiz of a bullet buzzed by his head. He cursed and fell to the ground, rolling quickly to the side. “To the left. Shooter. Take him out,” he bit out, peering into the darkness for any sign of the man.
There were a few seconds of silence, and then one of his men quietly reported, “Got him.”
“Did he have time to send out an alarm, Nate?”
A pause. “Negative.”
Saying a brief prayer of thanks, he climbed back to his feet and continued forward.
“West quadrant clear,” another voice sounded quietly in Hawk’s ear.
“Proceed to the house. Enter and continue sweep.”
The men acknowledged the command and moved forward. Hawk arrived at the back door where two men waited for him. He pulled out his set of lockpick tools. Moments later the door opened, and he stepped inside followed by the two other vamps. He pointed to the right and the two men nodded and moved off in that direction. Hawk went left. He did a slow sweep, listening to his com link as his men cleared each section of the house, taking out targets as they found them. He stepped through a doorway and caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye.
He spun just in time to avoid the slash of a sharp blade as it whistled through the air by his shoulder. He dropped his gun as he reached out to catch the hand gripping the knife. He and his opponent wrestled in eerie silence for what seemed an eternity. Finally, he stepped forward, unbalancing the other man, who went down hard. A quick jab to the man’s temple rendered him unconscious. Just to make sure, he grabbed the tranq gun and fired a shot into the man’s thigh. That would keep him unconscious long enough for them to finish their mission and get out.
He moved again, heading to the door leading to the basement. Cade was there ahead of him. Hawk nodded his head, and Cade reached out to open the door.
“Entering basement,” he reported to the others, and then he and Cade began to move down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, Cade went right and he went left. The basement was a warren of narrow hallways and closed doors. A perfect prison.
“I’ve got something, Hawk,” Cade’s voice sounded quietly in the com.
“What is it?”
“Locked door.”
“Can you get in?”
“Affirmative.”
Silence. Then finally, Cade spoke. “It’s a woman, Hawk. African-American. Bad shape.”
Hawk made a quick decision. “Get her out and to Ace. Everyone else, hold positions. I’ll continue the sweep of the basement.”
Hawk tried each door as he came to it. They were all unlocked and empty, until he reached the last door. It wouldn’t budge. Pressing his ear to the wood, he listened for a few moments. He reported to his men, “I’ve got another locked door. I can hear sounds coming from inside. I’m going in.”
Again, using his tools, he picked the lock and pushed the door wide. His heart fell as he took in the scene before him. He moved forward quickly toward the body that lay curled into a tight ball on the floor in front of him.
* * * *
Claire had been listening to the radio chatter between Hawk and his men. She’d been frightened and worried as the men had moved to take over the house, terrified that something would go wrong. Now she waited breathlessly for Hawk to report what he had found. Long seconds ticked by before Hawk came back on. “I’ve found her. Repeat. I’ve got Cassidy. She’s petrified. Get Claire in here, Justin.”
Claire saw the guard who had been left standing near the stone wall turn and gesture toward her. Without hesitation she climbed from the van and hurried toward him.
“Let’s go quickly.” He took hold of her hand and led her to the wall. Cupping his hands, he nodded. “I’ll boost you over.”
Taking a deep breath, she did as she was told and in no time found herself on the other side of the tall stone wall. The vampire, Justin, followed and then led her across the grounds and to the house at a brisk trot.
When they reached the house, one of the werewolves who had arrived with Ty opened the door. “This way.”
Moving as fast as they could, they made their way to the back of the house and down the stairs into the basement. Claire’s heart was beating so fast she felt like it would jump from her chest. The basement was a confusing maze, but the werewolf had no trouble leading her to Hawk. As soon as they arrived at the room, Hawk stepped out into the hallway, blocking the door.
“How is she? Oh, Hawk. I need to see her.” Claire tried to push past Hawk.
He put his hands on her shoulders and stopped her, shaking her gently. “Calm down, Claire. You’re not going to do Cassidy any good if you go in hysterical.” She knew he was right and forced herself to take some deep, soothing breaths. When she nodded that she was fine, he continued. “It looks like she’s okay. Not in great shape but alive and ambulatory. She’s obviously scared to death. When I entered the room, she was curled up in the far-left corner. She looks pale and thin, and I can see some bruising. I want you to be prepared. Can you do this?”
Claire wanted to cry when she heard his description of her sister but nodded her head at his question. “Yes. Yes. I can.” She met his gaze firmly. “She’s my sister. I can do whatever needs to be done.”
“That’s my girl.” He stepped aside.
&n
bsp; Claire eased past Hawk and looked around the room, immediately spotting her sister. Just as Hawk had described, she had curled herself into as small a ball as possible, her hands over her head as if preparing for a blow. Taking a moment to consider the best way to handle her sister’s fear, Claire looked around the squalid little room that had been Cassidy’s home for the past several months. It was horrible. A single, weak bulb was the room’s only illumination. As a vampire, Claire had no trouble seeing clearly, but she knew it must have been horrible for Cassidy with her weaker, human sight.
A thin pallet and a few dirty blankets lay in the corner opposite where Cassidy sat hunched over protectively. A toilet and sink were next to it. The room stank, and it was all Claire could do not to gag.
A frightened whimper drew her attention back to her sister.
“Cass? Cass, it’s me, Claire.”
No response.
Claire took a couple of steps forward and then squatted down, afraid that she would frighten her sister even more looming over her.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. We’ve come to get you out of here.”
A slight movement encouraged her to creep closer, but when she reached out to touch her sister’s leg, Cassidy jumped and pulled away as much as possible. Claire sat back, working her bottom lip with her teeth and wondering what to do next. Her eyes studied Cassidy. Hawk was right, there were several bruises on her legs and arms, which were way too thin. She could also see bite marks which had been left to heal on their own. Some of them looked infected. She clenched her hands together, wishing that Hunter Garrison were there so that she could rip his heart out and stuff it down his throat.
“Cass?” she tried again. Again, there was no response.
“Cassidy Victoria Landry,” Claire snapped, needing something to shake the girl out of her fear-induced ball of misery. “You better look up at me right now.”