by MINK
“Daphne!” I shout, having forgotten all about her coming out here to meet us. I take off in a dead run. Charles mutters a curse. I’m guessing he’s trying to find clothes.
We weren't joking when we said we were in shape. It was a part of our daily routine for the most part. I pride myself that I’m the fastest in our little group. I’m out his door and down the hall before anyone can say anything.
I push open the door. The cold air assaults me, reminding me I don’t have anything on under Charles’ shirt. At least it falls to my knees. The snow is still falling pretty heavily. Although it’s cold, it also makes everything look so clean and pretty. I can barely see Daphne coming my way.
“The gate!” I point to where I’m running. My feet feel numb as the snow penetrates my sneakers. I obviously didn’t think this through. It’s then I realize who she’s running from. I don’t have to look behind me to know Charles is now hot on my heels. I can hear the heavy tread of his feet, and he’s also shouting my name as well.
I’m the first to the gate, and I punch in the ten-digit code. The metal doors open just as Tiernan gets his hold on Daphne. He lifts her, causing her feet to dangle off the ground. She flails and cusses and tries to claw him, all to no avail. He doesn’t let go, so she gives up and wrinkles her nose.
“Why is this monster chasing me?” she asks. She turns her head to look up at Tiernan. She stares at him for a while, her eyes narrowing.
No one answers her.
“How the hell did you know the code?” Charles asks, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me around to face him. There’s a sudden look of distrust on his face.
Ouch.
“Can we have this talk inside? I’m about to turn into a popsicle,” Daphne suggests.
“I’m about to redden your ass is what is about to happen.” Daphne stiffens in his hold. Tiernan looks angry but also deeply … interested.
I think Daphne may have finally bitten off more than she can chew.
Charles keys in the code to shut the gate before grabbing my wrist—instead of holding my hand—as he pulls me back toward the lodge.
He’s clearly pissed. As for me, I’m just sad and hurt, and I don’t know if this is something we can come back from.
12
Charles
She knows the code. She could’ve left at any time. Here I was thinking I had her on lock-down and completely safe, but that’s not the case at all. If I can’t protect her, then what am I even doing? I don’t deserve her if I can’t keep her safe.
“Come on. You’re freezing already.” I take her back to my room and set her on the bed, then wrap my blanket tightly around her.
“What are you—” Her chin wobbles, and I realize there are tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” I kneel in front of her and look up. “What’s wrong, pretty eyes?”
“Why did you seem so…mad? Are you angry because I knew the code?”
“No.” I blink, surprised she thought I was mad.
“You just grabbed me and dragged me back in here like you were livid, so I—"
“No.” I press my palm to her cheek. “Mad at you? Not a chance.”
“Then what’s going on?”
I can’t bear for her to be upset like this, especially when I’m the reason. Goddammit, I’m screwing everything up right at the start. I take a deep breath to ground myself.
“I was just scared,” I admit.
Her eyebrows shoot up. “You?”
“Yes.” I smile despite myself. “Is it so hard to believe?”
She nods slowly. “Absolutely.”
I scoot closer and pull her into my arms. “I admit fear has never meant much to me. But now that you’re here, everything’s different. I have this—” I don’t even know how to explain it without sounding like some sort of caveman. “Need to protect you. And maybe it’s over the top, but it scared me when I realized you could’ve opened the gate to anyone. Or even opened it to … leave.” God, it hurts to even think of her walking away from me.
“That’s why you were mad? You were scared I’d leave?” She sighs and runs her fingers through my hair. “I thought you, I don’t know, noticed how weird it is that I can remember the code after seeing it just once.”
I slide my hands beneath her and grip her ass through the blanket. “That is weird. But a good kind of weird. Photographic memory?”
“Yes. You’ve heard of it?” When she seems relieved, I can finally breathe again.
“Just in passing. Some of the guys in my line of work have the same talent, among others, and they use it to full advantage.”
“Yeah? How’s that?”
“Same way you did, pretty eyes. They get one look at a code or a secret message, and then they have it forever. It’s powerful.” I ease her back onto the bed and open my blanket like she’s a gift. Because she is.
“You ran out of here without telling me anything.” I lower my lips to her throat and nip her with my teeth. “Just left. Could’ve been running into a trap or an enemy of mine.” I grip her wrists and pin them to the bed. “Promise me you’ll never do that again.”
She moves her hips against me, her legs opening to welcome me closer. “Promise to never run from you?”
“You’re what I want. Nothing else. Just this.” I yank her shirt up and fasten my mouth around one of her nipples.
She moans and arches. “Charles,” she gasps. “I can’t … I can’t stay here … forever. Aurora has shows and—”
“I’ll go wherever you go. The two of us, always together. I’ll follow you into any pop culture pit you want, just so long as you’re by my side.” I can’t believe I’m offering this, but I can’t help myself. If her work is important to her, then it’s important to me, too.
She giggles and gasps again when I take her other hard nipple. “What about a Britney Spears show in Vegas?”
I groan but don’t stop sucking her perfect tits.
“Jonas Brothers?” she teases. “Bieber?”
I bite her a little harder and draw a moan from her. “Don’t push it.”
“What if I do, mountain man?” Her voice is a sexy purr that takes me apart at a cellular level. She’s not just under my skin; she owns my skin. I kiss up the valley of her breasts to her throat, and she rocks her hips, looking for that special kind of friction only I can give her.
“You need me, pretty eyes? You want me in that tight pussy? Tell me.”
“Yes,” she says huskily. “I want you. All of you.”
She doesn’t have to say more. I’ll never deny her a damn thing. Reaching between us, she scrabbles at my pants. I lift up and unfasten them, then yank them and my boxer briefs to my knees. I need to be inside her, to feel that connection, so I don’t bother shucking them all the way off.
I nestle between her thighs and run the head of my cock along her slick slit. And when I plunge inside, I groan as she digs her nails into my shoulders. “I’ll never give this up, pretty eyes. Never let you go.” I thrust hard, punishing her as she moans and spreads as wide as she can, taking every stroke I give her.
“I won’t run,” she breathes as I bite her nipple. “I’ll never run from you again.”
I reach down and squeeze her ass as I pound inside her, feeling every bit of her sweet skin as I make her mine again and again. “Promise me, pretty eyes. Promise me you’re mine.”
“I promise.” She works with me, our rhythm fast and deep. “Yours, Charles.”
Fuck, that sounds so good coming from her. My cock stiffens even more as I surge deep. When I push my hand between us and stroke her clit, she tenses and falls over the cliff of her orgasm almost instantly. I follow her down, my cock kicking inside her, giving her my seed as I give her my undying love.
We fall into a heap of heavy breathing and sweat, the blanket thrown aside as we lie together, my cock still inside her as we catch our breath.
“Why do you feel so good?” she whispers, amazement coating her words.
I thrust a little, my cock almost ready, and that’s when a perimeter alarm sounds.
13
Clover
“Ahhh! The story of my life.” As painful as it is to pull away from Charles, I have to.
“Perimeter alarm,” he says.
“They’ve found us,” I mutter as I pull my clothes on. I don’t think there is anywhere in the whole world the paparazzi couldn't find us. They always find Aurora one way or another.
“Who?” Charles asks, pulling on his own clothes.
“It’s either the paparazzi or obsessed Kent.” I pull my shoes on, looking up at Charles. “Or could it be someone that’s after you?”
“Doubtful. Things have been quiet around here. Well, until—”
“A popstar and her crew came crashing into your life?”
“Something like that.” He agrees with me but with a smile. He doesn't seem worried at all about whatever it is that might be out there. I watch as he grabs a gun. He fastens one down by his ankle and the other to his back. Even with the added chore of strapping himself with weapons, he’s gotten dressed faster than I have.
“Drones were circling,” Diego informs us as we descend the stairs. He’s got what I’m guessing is a sniper rifle in his hand. “I took them all out.”
“It was hot,” Aurora says, popping her head out from behind Diego. I hadn't noticed Aurora at first. The man is giant. Aurora bites her bottom lip and looks up at Diego. I swear I see little hearts dancing over her head. I’ve never once seen her interested in a man. She always says she didn't want the attention that came with it. I think she just doesn’t want someone to want her for her fame. She doesn’t want to drag anyone into a life in the spotlight. I know she loves what she does, but she hates the lack of privacy that comes with it.
My eyes shift back and forth between the two of them. Diego actually looks afraid of Aurora. Most men are trying to get closer to her. He looks like he wants to run. I’m guessing Diego had no clue who Aurora was before we all came crashing into their lives.
“There are vehicles coming up the road. They’re not far from the main gate,” Tiernan says as he enters the main space of the lodge. He’s got Daphne by the arm. I don’t think he’s let her out of his sight since he laid eyes on her.
“If you don’t stop manhandling me, I’m going to cut off the one thing that makes you a man.” Daphne pulls at her arm, but he still doesn't let go. He only looks down at her with a smirk on his face.
“I think we’ve been found.” I tell Daphne the obvious.
“I swear I was fucking careful. At least I thought I was.” Daphne’s face is filled with remorse. Tiernan doesn't look like he believes her. I didn't think for one second that she brought them here. Why would she? She wants the exclusive story. Daphne is competitive; there is no way she would have risked someone else getting the scoop.
Charles runs a hand down his face. I’m starting to see that he and I are alike in a lot of ways. In the same way I watch out for the girls he watches out for his men.
Everyone is here but Bells and Barrow. I’m guessing he hasn’t alerted her to what is going on because he wants her to continue to rest, which is for the best. Bells has a bit of a temper, and she gets excited easily. More so than the rest of us.
“I’ll go out there and tell them all to fuck off,” Daphne says. She shakes her arm again but still has no luck getting free of Tiernan. Based on the way he keeps looking at her, I’m starting to think that she’s never going to get free.
“I’m going to the gate. The only reason they should be here is because Diego shot down their drones,” Charles says.
I cringe, not wanting anyone here to get in trouble because of us. These men not only saved us, but they have been keeping us here safe.
“Everyone stay put,” Charles orders.
I hear Aurora asking Diego where he learned to shoot like that. She leans into his side, making him tense up.
I stand there for a moment. I want to go down there, too. These girls are my responsibility. I don’t have to take orders from Charles. Except in bed. That’s different.
“You’re with me, pretty eyes.” He grabs a big heavy coat for me to put on.
My heart melts that he knew I’d want to be a part of talking not only to the police but the paparazzi. He holds the coat open for me. I walk over to him, allowing him to help me put it on. “Stay behind me until I assess the situation.”
I nod my head even though I don’t really plan on doing that. He grabs my hand, leading me to the door.
My mind begins to race thinking about what lies outside. A pang of guilt hits me as I think about the fact that maybe we’ve really put everyone here in danger. They’ve all been living here in peace and quiet. Trying to lead normal lives, and now we’ve brought all this attention to their doorstep. By helping us, they’ve been exposed.
Charles grabs me and kisses me hard. Everything leaves my mind for a moment as I kiss him back. “Everything is going to be fine. This is restricted land.”
“The drones?” I’m guessing you can’t go around shooting drones out of the sky. If only. I would have been doing it for years.
“Fair game. This is a restricted fly zone.”
My eyes widen because I know what that means. Charles must know some very important people or do tasks for them sometimes. There aren't many no-fly zones in the States. I know this because Aurora owns a plane.
“What’s on the gate cameras?” he asks.
“Can’t see shit. The assholes spray-painted them or did something to take them out.” Tiernan sounds almost murderous.
“Sounds like them.” I wince. I hate them so much.
“Let's get this over with. I’ll tell the paparazzi to fuck off, and you tell the cops to fuck off.” What does it matter at this point if the paparazzi know we’re here? The whole point was to get away, and from the look of Charles’ face, no one is getting anywhere near any of us.
14
Charles
I keep Clover behind me. She cozies up to my back as I slowly open the door leading from the lodge down to the gate.
The snow has stopped, and the sky is so bright it hurts my eyes for a moment. I wait so they can adjust, then move slowly down the snowy slope, keeping a grip on Clover just in case it gets icy.
“I hate the paps. They are the worst. How did they find us here? It’s insane!” She sighs. “Now we’ve gone and gotten everyone looking at you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You’re my lucky Clover.” I don’t blame her for once second. “You showing up on that road is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
She yanks my hand, and I stop and turn to her.
“That is seriously the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Her big eyes are full of something like adoration.
My chest squeezes just looking down into such a hopeful, beautiful face. I kiss her hard, staking my claim. She’s mine. No one will take her from me. And if the paparazzi bother her? They’d best get the fuck off my property before I start shooting.
A high whistle catches my ear. Diego is in position along the roofline. I didn’t have time to link us up with Bluetooth earbuds before I walked out. Which is shitty, since it would be nice to know what he sees from his perch up there.
I drop one more kiss on Clover, then turn back to the gate. It’s a full sheet of metal, no cracks or bars. No one is getting a view of this side unless I let them in.
We ease closer.
I don’t hear voices or even the snap of cameras. Something falls into the pit of my stomach like a rock, and the hairs on my arm stand on end.
“Down!” I turn and tackle Clover into the snow as a slug hits the ga
te, the sound of the shot coming after.
“What is—”
“A sniper. At least a hundred yards out.”
Diego lets out a low whistle, one that tells us to stay down. No doubt he’s scanning the trees for the shooter.
“Why is someone shooting at us? I thought it was the paps!” She clings to me. “What is going on?”
“I don’t know, but I think you may have had a tail this entire time.” I think back to the shadow in the woods. “No, not a tail. They were waiting for you on that road. Someone snitched about your plans to drive to Frozen Falls. Is this Kingston guy a real threat?” I need to get a view of what we’re facing.
She pales. “He’s obsessed with Aurora. Not in a cute ‘do anything for her’ way. It’s more of a ‘I want to own her body and soul’ way.”
It occurs to me that I want my sweet Clover body and soul, too, but now doesn’t seem like the right time to make that point.
Another slug hits the gate, and the crack of the shot sounds soon after. He’s moving closer. Fuck.
I wait for Diego to take his shot, but it never comes. Whoever is stalking toward us is a professional. Diego is a stone-cold killer with a sniper. If he had a shot, he’d take it.
I get to my knees and pull her up with me. “Is he the type that thinks if he can't have her, no one can?”
She swallows hard. “Yes.”
The sort who’d hire an assassin to take her out. “Shit.” I point to the small door in the side of the garage. “We’re going there. Can’t risk heading back up the slope.”
“Okay.” She gives me a nod. Brave girl.
“I’ll protect you. Always.” I kiss her forehead, take her hand, and lead her toward the bottom of the compound.
That’s when I hear something metallic clanging behind us. A grappling hook embeds on the lodge’s stone wall. They’re coming. I don’t have time to stash Clover.