by Coralee June
I kept incredibly still, knowing that each movement could potentially hurt Gavriel. And Blaise, who was beside me, did the same. His arm brushed against me. It was uncomfortable and difficult to fall asleep, but it was the most content I’d felt in ages.
“You can relax, you know,” Gavriel whispered. He turned on his side to face me, and I did the same as Blaise’s hands lingered on my side then slipped under my shirt to hold me at my stomach.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I replied sheepishly, hating that he could sense how tense I was. Gavriel lifted his hand up and cupped my cheek, stroking my lips with his thumb. It had been so long since he had touched me like this that I gasped at the contact. Gavriel put his thumb in my mouth the exact moment I parted my lips, and I sucked on his finger wrapping my lips around it instinctually.
“So beautiful,” he mouthed just as Blaise’s fingers dipped lower, reaching beneath the waistband of my yoga pants to stroke my cunt. “It hurts me to see you tense,” Gavriel whispered. Blaise guided my ass back, forcing it against his hard erection before grinding into me. I let out a little whimper as he silently stroked me, the only sounds in the room were my barely audible panting and the sounds of our bodies moving against the crisp sheets.
Gavriel shuffled closer, squeezing his eyes shut for a brief moment at the jostling before chasing away the momentary lapse in control. At that moment, I saw how completely he owned his body. Gavriel then snaked his hands up my shirt to cup my breasts as Blaise moved his fingers faster. I was riding his palm, fucking his rough skin as Gavriel massaged my perky peaks.
A moan escaped my lips. “Oh God, you’re killing me,” Ryker groaned, but it turned me on to know he was listening. The room might have been pitch black, but something wicked within me wanted Ryker and Callum to hear the pleasurable sounds coming from my throat.
Blaise and Gavriel—the original Bullets—were playing me like an instrument, stroking, petting, coaxing my body into bliss. Blaise flicked his tongue out and trailed a line down my neck, stopping at my shoulder before sinking his teeth into my skin. Gavriel continued to grab and pull at my breasts. Lying there between them made my body grow hot. Blaise then withdrew his hand from my pussy and licked his fingers before pulling at my hair tightly, baring my neck to him.
“Finish her, boss,” Blaise said, and I could feel his grin against my skin. Gavriel didn’t waste a moment, he dove between my legs with his hand, bracing his palm against my throbbing clit and sliding back and forth. Blaise brought me to the front door of my orgasm, but it would be Gavriel who knocked. I moved my hips in time to his movements, keeping my eyes on him and taking in the determined look on his face. He was wild, rubbing me as if an orgasm was all that was standing between him and me. Like sex could mend his broken body.
He was daring me to let go, and I met that dare with a moan as I came in his palm. “Yes, Sunshine,” he coaxed as I rode each wave, arching my back against Blaise and panting. Blaise wrapped his arm around my mouth to muffle the screams. I guess he didn’t want to wake the house. And it turned me on more, feeling a bit helpless between the two of them. I never thought I’d want to be at anyone’s mercy, but there was something hot about having Blaise’s hand over my mouth and Gavriel’s fingers stroking me.
“Fuck,” Callum finally choked out from the other side of the room, and I wondered if he was stroking himself, picturing what was happening in the dark room and wishing it were him who brought me to that peak.
Once my heart rate slowed, I adjusted my pants and moved to lie on my back before reaching for Gavriel and Blaise, prepared to return the favor. But both of them stopped me. “Go to sleep, Beautiful,” Blaise said before nuzzling my neck.
Gavriel placed his hand on my upper thigh, stroking me over my yoga pants just one more time before whispering, “Goodnight, Mrs. Moretti.”
Chapter Ten
I'm not exactly sure when I fell asleep, but I knew the exact moment I woke up. It wasn't an alarm or soft words from my guys that lured me out of my dreams.
I woke to the sound of a gun going off in the house.
I’d heard guns go off before, and the loud boom sounded more like a shotgun or rifle. In my early morning daze, I almost wondered if someone let off a firework in the house. I shot up in bed, jostling the men on both sides of me. Gavriel let out a slow groan and took a moment before sitting up. Blaise was immediately on high alert, shifting out of the sheets and going to the door, where Callum was already standing.
I listened carefully, wondering if I had imagined that sound. I heard a door open and close down the hall, and we braced ourselves, preparing for whatever threat was in the house. Our doorknob jiggled, and Callum started frantically searching for a weapon. But when the door opened, it was Nix and Grace that were on the other side. He was holding her hand as he yanked her into our room. Nix very quickly checked me over, making sure I was okay. Then, with his free hand, he held a finger up to his lips, wordlessly telling us to keep quiet. I rolled my eyes. A fucking shotgun just went off. Like we needed to be told.
For a moment, we all stared at one another while listening for the sounds of approaching people. As expected, everyone looked at Gavriel. He was the leader, wasn't he? He was always the one making sure we were safe and happy. He would be the one to get us out of this. I briefly remembered the time at Blaise’s apartment and how Gav took charge of the situation, ordering everyone around to make sure we got where we needed to go.
But looking at him now, I couldn't help but notice how pale his tan skin appeared. Gav’s chapped lips looked white, and his eyes, although gazing at me, seemed to be far away. First thing in the morning was always the worst. He was so sore and stiff from the night before. "Are you okay?" I asked in a whisper, mentally slapping myself when I realized I not only asked him the question he hated most, but I also brought everyone’s attention to his current state.
Shaking his head, Gav rid himself of whatever paranoia was taking over, and he glared at me before responding through gritted teeth, "I'm fine."
Still, we waited for his guidance. Did we go downstairs and meet the problem head-on? It was odd, watching his indecision. And although I knew that only seconds had ticked by, it felt like hours. It was unlike Gavriel to seem so stuck and indecisive.
A movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I turned to look at Callum as he pulled a gun from the small kitchenette where Gavriel usually enjoyed breakfast. He cocked it back, putting a bullet in the chamber before pointing it up at the ceiling. "Stay behind me, we're getting out of here."
Callum looked around the room then jogged over to the dresser where a spare burner phone was. Picking it up, he swiftly unlocked it and sent a quick message. I searched the ground for the boots I usually kept in Gavriel’s room and put them on before grabbing an oversized sweater that was lying on the floor. It wouldn’t be enough to handle the Vermont winter, but it was better than my thread-bare pajamas.
Callum stepped into his boots without socks, and Ryker grabbed one of Gavriel’s button down shirts. We were wildly unprepared. Blaise was the only one dressed appropriately, wearing sweats.
"You sure that’s safe? They could be tapped in," Nix said while nodding at the phone.
"We don't really have the time or the options," Callum answered. Once again, we all looked at Gavriel as if wondering if he would step up now. Was he really going to relinquish control to Callum like this?
He swallowed, wincing a bit as his spit traveled down his throat. "Let's do it," he finally whispered.
Ryker grabbed my wrist as Callum went to the door. Nix immediately stationed himself in front of Grace, holding his arm back to block as much of her body with his as he could.
We were on the second floor, and we would have to travel towards the left and down the large staircase that led into an open entryway. We would be very vulnerable but didn't have many other choices. Was Joe still here? Was he okay?
When we left the suite, the seven of us traveled down the
hallway, pressing our backs against the wall as we tried to move as quietly as possible. Another gunshot boomed, and I jumped. Ryker's hand around my wrist tightened as he pulled me along, urging me forward faster.
I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, or if the house was on fire, but I smelled smoke. Maybe my brain was trying to recreate the trauma I had just experienced, but my body began to shake, drawing the attention of Ryker.
One. Ryker was here.
Two.
Another gunshot went off, ruining my train of thought. I had to start over.
“One,” I whispered as we stepped forward, not sure I could come up with a rationale for tricking my brain into feeling like it was safe.
Ryker looked at me from the corner of his eyes, and he took another step before whispering, “Two.” His steady voice was guiding me through the steps I needed to count to feel centered.
And that's what I did. Counting the steps down the hall and starting over when a gunshot went off. The highest number I got to was four. Callum paused at the end of the hallway, one turn and we would be at the staircase where we were most vulnerable. What if the house was surrounded?
As if answering my unspoken question, Blaise then whispered. "I didn't see any movement on the west side of the home when I looked out Gav’s bedroom window. Once we're out of here, go left and run to the trees. Don't stop until you can't move anymore," he instructed.
I nodded in understanding before looking over at Ryker. I didn't want to ask him out loud to help Gavriel move, but he would need help getting through the woods. I didn't want him to trip and tear his skin grafts, and I knew that too much movement was a lot for him, especially in the dry, winter air. He needed the moisture to keep his skin from getting too dry.
But before I could ask Ryker, Callum spoke up. Keeping his eyes on the hallway, he spoke under his breath to Gavriel. "Stay with me."
A small whimper escaped Grace, and Callum ignored it. Taking a step forward, we all followed after him and traveled down the stairs. I kept my eyes peeled and my ears open. I listened for signs of anyone, but no more shots had fired. The front door was open, and blood covered the floor.
Oh God, the blood. You never realized how much was in the human body until it spilled out at your feet. I went rigid with tension, knowing that panic was on the horizon but swallowing it down with a forceful gulp. We had just a few more steps to go, just a few more paces.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
The fourth step creaked under the weight of my feet. A sound to the left of us erupted just as we landed on the bottom step. I turned to look and gasped when I saw Alessandro striding towards us as he held up a shotgun. Splatters of blood covered his white sleep shirt, and his hair was a matted mess of gore and sweat. He held his weapon up just as Callum aimed at him.
Time stopped. Alessandro was tall and wild, feral eyes looking murderously around the room. He was barefoot and wearing flannel pajamas, standing in shattered glass, curling his toes and letting the sharp shards slice his feet. Just before another gun went off, Alessandro yelled, "Get down!"
The shot was loud and echoing, slicing through the air with a bang. I wasn't fast enough to follow the trail of the bullet, but I looked at Callum with fear, knowing that this was it. It was over. I was going to lose him.
I screamed a bloodcurdling sort of thing that held my regret and fear within its fist. As my heart raced, Callum dropped to the floor with a grunt. I bit my fist to muffle the screams as another body hit the floor.
A groan sounded, and I looked down towards the front door at a strange, large man now clutching himself as he writhed on the floor. For a moment, I stared at the way he suffered, groaning and crying out in pain. “Callum?” I whispered.
“I’m fine,” he replied from his crouching position. “Alessandro...saved me.” We didn't stand in shock for long, my men went into action almost immediately, and Alessandro stepped closer to Grace, looking her over before glancing at the front door once more.
"Get out, there's three more."
Not needing to be told twice, Ryker yanked me forward past the group. We stepped over the man lying on the ground, who was completely still now. It all happened so fast. I looked over my shoulder and saw Nix urging Alessandro to come with us, but he shook his head. "I've been wanting to kill these bastards for a while now. I'll catch up with you later," he said.
I wasn't sure if it was just Callum's training that made him go check on the dead man on the floor, but I watched as he kneeled beside him, holding his index and middle finger up to his throat and checking for a pulse. The gaping hole in the man’s chest was brutal. The powerful gun plowed through his organs. It wasn’t like the gun Gavriel used on Santobello’s son. It inflicted as much damage as it could with a single pull of the trigger. And when Callum didn't find his pulse, he then stood, straightened the sweats he was wearing and stalked towards us. "Run for the west woods."
Blaise pushed by us to lead the way, and Ryker and I followed behind him. I gasped when the door opened, the cool air shocking my senses. It swirled in with the adrenaline and made me press my body to Ryker’s.
There was at least a foot of fresh powdered snow on the ground. We were in the thick of winter in Vermont, and the bright white blanket of ice covered every available surface. It gave us little cover, and we couldn't be sure that no one else was out there.
Almost immediately, my hot, heaving breaths created a cloud of fog in front of me. “Sh-shit, it’s cold.” The footsteps behind me let me know that Gavriel, Callum, Grace, and Nix were following closely.
It didn't take long until I was out of breath. The dry air made it feel like my lungs couldn’t expand, and I was struggling to keep warm. I hadn’t been outside much since moving to this safe house, and my body wasn’t prepared for how cold it actually was. I looked down at my feet. My boots were wet, and my toes were so cold that I couldn’t feel them. It reminded me of the time I ran away from the Bullets. Each step was agony, and my lungs threatened to burst out of my chest. But still, we ran. I wondered if any of Gavriel's men survived.
"Was Joe there?" I asked breathlessly, my teeth chattering as I tried to think of anything but the way my skin burned. From now on, I was sleeping in winter pajamas. You never knew when you needed to make a late night getaway.
"They went to stay at a bed and breakfast last night," Grace called from behind. Her small voice sounded weak, and I wondered if this was too much too soon for her. We slowed down to go up a hill, and I chanced a look back at her. Nix was clutching her tightly to his chest as he checked me over. I slipped on a patch of wet mud and tried to right myself again.
"Hey, boxer bitch," Nix called to Ryker. "Put those damn muscles to good use and pick up my girl. She's slipping all over the place. You can also keep her warm with that hot body of yours," he said. Though his tone was authoritative, he was also out of breath.
Ryker turned his attention to me as if just realizing that I might've been struggling. He was one of those athletic types that just assumed everyone could run for miles on end without feeling like they were about to die. He took one look at my wet boots then lifted me up, hoisting me over his shoulder as he climbed the rest of the steep hill.
Nix chuckled, "Just pretend it's some of that CrossFit crap crazy people enjoy."
I didn't dare look at Gavriel and Callum. Because if I did, I was sure I would see Gavriel in pain and Callum trying to overcompensate for it. I knew that Gavriel didn't want to appear weak in front of me, so I was determined to keep my eyes forward and not look at him.
But oh did my heart ache. With each step that Ryker took with me over his shoulder, I wondered how Gavriel was faring. He started coughing; it was a gagging sound that blended in with his grunts and moans. I squeezed my eyes shut and bit back my concern.
It wasn't until we were at the top of the hill and could see down below that Callum told us to stop. I watched everyone climb the last of the hill, Gavriel and Callum arri
ving at the top last. Gav had his arm wrapped around Callum and was leaning against him, gritting his teeth and locking the coughs and rasping breaths in his chest. Once at the top, Gavriel collapsed and rolled up his pant legs to inspect his calf, where there was a cut bleeding onto the white snow surrounding him. “It missed the graft,” he whispered in relief.
"What the hell just happened?" Grace asked as Nix set her down. Once she was stable, he held his arms over his head, stretching them out as he expanded his lungs and took in deep breaths.
"Looks like Santobello sent his men after us," Callum said before glancing at Gavriel. He was scarily pale and out of breath as he leaned against Callum’s leg.
"Do you think Alessandro's okay?" Grace asked softly. Nix rubbed small circles on her lower back, a gesture I knew was meant to comfort her—because he’d done it many times to me—but I couldn't help but notice how he, too, needed reassurance. Was he worried about Alessandro as well?
"Did you see how Alessandro took that guy out with a shotgun?" I asked. "He seems kind of like a badass. I'm sure he's okay," I said. I chose not to mention the pools of blood covering the safe house floor and the other gunshots we heard. I suspected that Alessandro killed more than just that man this morning.
By now, the sun was high in the mid-morning sky, a bright orange light surrounding us. My clothes were soaking wet, and the moment my adrenaline subsided, and I realized how little my pants and sweater insulated the heat on my body, my teeth began to chatter.
For the first time since reconnecting with the Bullets, I honestly felt like we had nothing. We’d been hiding behind Gavriel's lavish lifestyle, but this felt more like the Bullets I knew. Stripped bare with nothing but their grit and will to survive. I didn't necessarily know where we would go from here, I also didn't know how my brain would respond to the never-ending trauma. But I knew that at the core of the Bullets, they thrived as underdogs. They just didn't know how else to be.