Take the Money and Run

by Samantha Cole

  His fingers caressed her thighs and hips, but then she slid further down on the bed as his hands went to her upper arms and shoulders. She felt him shiver as her tongue darted across his dark nipple before sucking on it. Reveling in the power she had over him, Moriah continued down his taut abdomen. He flinched as she nipped at his oblique muscles and threaded his hand into her silky hair, urging her on.

  * * *

  KC knew she needed absolute control over their lovemaking this time. Her life had spiraled out of control, and he was willing to give her this chance to regain some. He might end up insane from the excruciating torment she was putting him through, but he was a tough guy. He could handle it if he had too. Holy fuck! Her tongue circled the head of his penis and he damn near exploded.

  He gasped in near ecstasy and half-heartedly tried to pull her off his dick. “You—you don’t need to do this.”

  “I know I don’t, but I want to.” Her answer was husky and seductive, giving him no choice but to lay there as her mouth began a full-fledged assault on his cock and his sanity.

  KC tilted his head so he could watch her through half closed eyelids. Fuck, he had never seen a more erotic sight than this woman taking him into her mouth, her pouty lips encompassing him, her teeth scraping lightly along his length. Her long, silky hair lay across his hips and thighs, tickling his skin. Reaching out, he grasped the top of her head as she bobbed up and down. Her tongue licked the thick vein on the underside of his cock all the way up to the notch just below the tip. Opening wide, she took him all the way to the back of her throat and sucked, making him groan loudly. His hips thrust in time to her mouth taking him in and out.

  Holy fuck, he’d died and gone to heaven. If she kept this up, he wouldn’t be responsible for shooting his load down her throat. Just a few minutes longer. He could last a few more minutes of this erotic agony. He had convinced himself of that fact a second before her hand gently squeezed his balls, and she increased the pace of fucking him with her mouth. When the tingling started at the base of his spine, he growled, then tightened the grip on her hair and pulled her off him. “Stop! I can’t take it anymore. Get up here, you.”

  Moriah allowed him to tug her upward until she was straddling his hips. He ran his fingers through her folds and found she was drenched with desire and more than ready for him. Grasping his cock, he held himself erect as she lowered herself down onto him. The tip of his cock parted her pussy lips as she eased down his length, her heat almost burning him alive. But it was too slow for him, and he couldn’t take it anymore. He thrust upward while clutching her hips and pulling her down hard until he was buried to the hilt inside her. She gasped as her clit hit his pelvis. Lifting her off him, just high enough to make an impact, he slammed her down, again and again, setting an intense rhythm which he couldn’t slow if his life depended on it. Her inner walls stroked him higher until he felt his balls draw up, ready to explode. Shifting his hand, his thumb stroked her clit, and she flew, taking him with her. Holding himself deep within her, he came in streams as she milked him dry. Biting her lip, she muffled her scream to keep his brother from hearing her broadcast the intense orgasm that was pulsating through her body. As the last of her tremors faded, she fell in a heap across his upper torso with him still inside her.

  Lying there on his heaving chest, completed sated, Moriah struggled to regain her breath. She closed her eyes as KC slowly ran his fingers up and down her back. He wanted to fall asleep like this . . . with her body draped across him, and the two of them still joined below. As the orgasmic fog began to clear from his brain, reality gave him a shock. Holy fuck! He froze in disbelief, and she sat up to stare at him, her brow furrowed in confusion.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked staring at his stunned expression.

  “Um, fuck, I’m not sure how to say this . . .” Shit, he was a stupid ass. “But we didn’t use a condom.”

  “Oh, my God!” she yelped as she leaped off him to the other side of the bed. Her eyes were wide in alarm. “I’m sorry! I didn’t think.”

  “That makes two of us. And don’t apologize for my stupidity. I’m the one who’s supposed to wear the damn thing, so it’s my responsibility.” Pulling her into his arms, he coaxed her into lying next to him, then touched his lips to the top of her head. “I’m clean, sweetheart. I had my routine blood work for the military a few weeks ago, and it’s been quite a while since I’ve been with anyone else.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’ve always used protection, and it’s been a very long time for me, too. But what happens if . . . if . . .” She let the end of her thought hang between them.

  His fingers lifted her chin until her gaze met his. “If I just got you pregnant, we’ll deal with it. I promise. I would never run from my responsibilities.”

  “I know. I just don’t want you to think I did this on purpose.”

  “I’m more at fault then you are, Moriah. I was obviously thinking with the wrong head.” He chuckled and let her go for a moment so he could pull his jeans back up from around his knees. Turning on his side, he settled her into a spooning position, tucking her tight against him. “Think you can get through the rest of the night without any more nightmares.”

  Moriah nodded, her hair brushing against his cheek. “I think so.”

  “Good.” Relaxing against each other, they both eased back into a satisfying and comfortable sleep.

  C

  HAPTER 19

  L eo Simmons shifted restlessly in the back of the stolen black Ford Explorer. They had picked it up from one of Hernandez’s chop shops before leaving Chicago—this time, they were heading to Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The dashboard VIN had been changed along with the plates, so they shouldn’t have any problem in case they were stopped by the police—as long as the cops weren’t suspicious of anything and gave the vehicle a closer look. And why should they? Leo and Adrian’s two goons in the front seats were just three buddies heading to North Carolina for a little vacation and maybe some fishing at the Outer Banks. He only hoped they caught the “Big One” so Adrian would get off his back. It wasn’t his fault Susan’s bitch of a sister had taken the gun and money. He just hoped she still had them in her possession. They had been on the road for over four hours, and he was anxious to finish this whole mess so he could get off Hernandez’s shit list.

  Back at his girlfriend’s apartment, he had killed her mother first. Before he put a bullet in Susan and her bratty kid, she revealed her sister had taken the bag to work. Then, the sniveling whore begged for their lives—like he was going to let her live after all the trouble she’d caused him. Unfortunately, Leo had killed her and the brat before he remembered to ask where her fucking sister worked. Dennis had been so fucking pissed and called him every name in the book before breaking his nose with one punch.

  Tossing an empty bottle of Mountain Dew into the rear of the SUV, he kicked the back of the front passenger seat. “How much, fucking longer?”

  Goon Two, as Leo thought of him, tossed a newspaper in his direction. “About eight more hours. Read the paper, that is if you know how to read.”

  The two assholes snickered at the lame insult while Leo glowered at the backs of their heads. He wasn’t stupid enough to start a fight with them since they both outweighed him by a good fifty pounds—he knew his limits. Fucking jackasses.

  It was after three o’clock in the morning when they finally arrived in Elizabeth City and found a local no-tell motel. At the office, they got the rooms they’d requested—two adjoining, ground-floor units around the back of the bi-level establishment. Goons One and Two took the end room and left Leo the other, which was fine with him. He would rather have made the trip with a few of his own men, but Adrian insisted upon sending those two assholes to ensure there were no further screw-ups. Leo figured the best way to get back in favor with the drug lord was to do things his way for now. As long as they got the job done, it didn’t matter who did the dirty work with him.

  Flopping down o
n the bed, he used the remote to turn on the television and then shoved another pillow behind his head. Pulling out some rolling papers and a dime bag of primo pot, he quickly made a joint. It would help him get the sleep he needed for a few hours before they went searching for Investigator Malone. Once they found him, they planned on tailing him for a bit, and, hopefully, it wouldn’t be long until he led them straight to the fucking bitch and the all-important duffel bag.

  * * *

  Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Moriah awoke in KC’s comforting embrace. A glance at the bedside clock told her it was a little after eight in the morning. She rolled over carefully to get a better look at his face without waking him. The penetrating hazel eyes she loved so much were behind closed lids, his long black lashes fanning across his cheeks. A lock of his dark brown hair had fallen across his brow, and she fought the urge to brush it back into place. His hair was even longer now than it had been when they’d first met. God, had it just been a week ago? So much had changed since then.

  She’d been a blah in bed with men before but now, in KC arms, she felt sexually powerful with a passion she had never known. And she was one hundred percent positive she was safe with him. No matter what happened from this point on, he would be beside her all the way.

  “I love you,” she whispered, placing her hand on his chest.

  She was startled when his eyes flew open, and he rumbled, “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

  Staring into his eyes, she knew it was true. She loved him with all her heart, and he loved her in return. Closing the distance between them, she kissed him. No more words were needed as they lost themselves in each other’s touch and made love again, blocking out the danger she was in, if only for a short while.

  An hour later, they emerged from the bedroom after taking a luxurious and entertaining shower for two. At first, Moriah had been embarrassed when KC had joined her in the small stall. She had never taken a shower with a man before but quickly discovered she never wanted to shower without KC again. After soaping up her body, he had taken her up against the cool tiled wall as the warm water beat down on them. She had hung on for dear life as he fucked her like a man possessed. When they’d towel each other off afterward, she’d been shocked to see where her nails had made bright red scratch marks across his back. Worried she’d hurt him, an apology had tumbled from her lips, but then giddiness had taken hold of her when he told her he liked the fact she had branded him, even though the marks would eventually fade.

  As they walked hand-in-hand to the living room, they found Sean at his computer with a cup of coffee in his hand. “Uncle Dan is on his way with bagels and stuff. He got old-man Turner to watch the store for the day and already met with Sheriff Griffin and brought him up to speed on the situation. The sheriff is going to tell his deputies to keep their eyes out for Illinois plates and anyone who looks out of place wandering around town. He’s also assigning an extra deputy to patrol Whisper, just in case, and said to call him if we need anything.”

  Whisper was part of Dare County, and Sheriff Griffin had lived in the town all his life, so he made certain his hometown was safe and secure. There were always, at least, two deputies who could be found driving around the tiny town at any given time, and the residents appreciated his efforts to keep them safe.

  * * *

  Brian Malone strolled to his assigned, unmarked car with a black duffel bag containing his personal equipment in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. After Sean had filled him in with the updated information on the murder of Moriah’s family from the DEA, Brian had gone to work a little early this morning and had a meeting with his supervisor. With the DEA’s confirmation that Moriah wasn’t a suspect, and there were dirty cops in the Chicago Police Department, Captain Culpepper agreed it was in the best interest of everyone involved to keep her location a secret. They would follow the DEA’s lead for now.

  In the meantime, he had a few cases of his own he needed to run down a few leads on. Climbing into the unmarked unit, he settled in and pulled out of the parking lot, still mulling over everything that had happened over the past two days.

  Shit, KC had really stepped in it this time. They’d all had their share of problems over the years, but this one was a fucking doozy. And all because of a woman. Go figure. The Malone brothers were notorious chick-magnets, he couldn’t deny that. They’d been blessed with their mother’s good looks and their father’s physique. None of them had lacked for dates since their teenage years, but they each had avoided long-lasting attachments and complicated relationships until now. KC had it bad for Moriah. They may have gotten off to a rocky start, but Brian was convinced if they could clean up this fucking mess she was involved in, the two of them might have a chance.

  Despite his worry, Brian couldn’t help but like Moriah. He had, at least, found a new respect for her last night. The woman had gone through hell and back and was holding it together like a trooper. She had provided as much intel as she could on her sister’s boyfriend, had asked plenty of questions, and hadn’t shirked away from some hard answers. He had to give her credit for her courage.

  Making a left turn, he glanced into his rearview mirror. Two cars back, a black SUV made the same turn. It appeared to be the same vehicle that had pulled away from the curb behind him when he’d left the SBI headquarters. Was it his imagination or was he being followed? Time to find out.

  * * *

  KC’s cell phone rang at the same time Dan Malone arrived with breakfast, and he answered it as he unlocked the porch door to let his uncle and canine companion in. “Malone.”

  His brother’s terse voice came over the line. “I picked up a fucking tail at the office this morning—a black Explorer with Illinois plates. Three male occupants. I’ve been taking them on a very dull tour of Dare County. The tags come back to an Andrew Peters of Chicago.”

  Grabbing a pen and pad from the dining table, KC jotted down the name, plate, and address his brother rattled off. “I’ll have Sean call Agent Samson and have him track down the registered owner. In the meantime, make your way over toward the beach house. When you’re about five minutes away give me a heads up, and we’ll meet you in the driveway. I want them to see Moriah and identify her. They won’t dare fucking try anything with us surrounding her in broad daylight, especially knowing there’s a state investigator present.”

  “I take it you have a plan.”

  Not exactly, more like half a plan, which was still developing. “Yup. I’ll fill you in when you get here. Don’t forget to give us a couple minute’s notice.”

  “You got it. I’m about a half hour away . . . see you in a bit.”

  KC hung up the phone and found Dan, Sean, and Moriah staring at him, and he told them about Brian’s tail. “As soon as the guys in the Ford have a good view of Moriah, we’ll work on moving her from the cottage without them noticing. Uncle Dan, can you hide her at your apartment until this is over?” When the older man rolled his eyes at the stupid question, his nephew continued. “Good. In the meantime, we’ll make it seem as though everyone else is leaving Moriah and me here alone. Three against one guy and a woman? They’ll be cocky enough to try and take us on. They’ll wait for dark before attacking, but we’ll have a few surprises waiting for them.”

  Curious and unsure, Moriah asked, “What kind of surprises do you have in mind?”

  KC’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “The fun and nasty kind.”

  For the next fifteen minutes, while Moriah and Dan prepared breakfast, the two brothers made themselves busy by making a few phone calls. Sean called Agent Samson and gave him the license tags on the Ford which had been following Brian. The agent didn’t recognize the owner’s name as being involved with the drug dealers and would have someone check the guy out for him. He also advised Sean the DEA had just received word of a huge shipment of drugs being brought into Chicago tonight. Apparently, Adrian Hernandez was going to be present, along with several other key players and the DEA was scrambling to secure search
and arrest warrants for the huge bust. He promised to call Sean after all the arrests were made.

  In the meantime, KC had been on the phone with T3 arranging a few surprises for their Illinois guests. The man was going to pack some toys and pick up fellow teammates Troy “Trouble” Mason and Russell “Peanut” Banks before heading back down to Whisper. KC told T3 to pass on to Peanut that he was going to have to do a little cross-dressing. Banks was smaller than most SEALs at five foot six and 170 pounds of solid muscle, but he was one of the toughest sons of bitches KC had ever met. Due to his size, though, he was often used as a decoy. Armed with Moriah’s description, he would choose a wig and some clothes to play her part. KC trusted these men with his life and, even more importantly, he trusted them with his woman’s life. And Moriah was definitely his woman, and after she was safe, he planned on making the title permanent—if she would have him.

  His thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing in his hand. Checking the screen, he noted it was Brian calling again. “What’s your ETA?”

  “Less than five,” was the brief response before his brother hung up.

  “Showtime, people.”

  The three Malones escorted Moriah three-quarters of the way down the drive, flanking her so no one could get a clear shot of her. Being a federal agent, Sean had his holstered gun in full view. Jinx trailed behind the group, sniffing the ground. It wasn’t long before Brian’s unmarked state vehicle pulled up, further blocking any shot, but still making sure Moriah could be seen and identified.