“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she panted.
I pushed inside her and her walls contracted around me. I groaned, knowing I wasn’t going to last long. Sadie rolled her hips towards me again, and her face relaxed into a smile. Then, her breath became more ragged as we found our rhythm. Her silken, velvety pussy gripped me tighter and I moaned into her skin. She dragged her fingernails across my back and I bit her shoulder, grunting.
This was more intimate and more intense than anything I’d ever experienced. Her body trembled and bucked towards me, her eyes wide with surprise and discovery as I drove my hard cock inside her. She had no fucking clue how beautiful she was.
Every move that I made elicited a response from her. Every touch, every kiss, every thrust made her lurch and quiver and jump towards me. Finally, I sank my cock inside her all the way. I buried it to the hilt and she moaned. Pleasure relaxed her face and I thrust into her again.
“This is the only cock you’ll need, angel,” I growled. She bit her lip and nodded, spreading her legs wider. “You hear me? No one will fuck you like I will. No one will make you come as hard or give you as much pleasure as I will.”
“I know,” she gasped. “I knew that the second I saw you.”
Her breath hitched and I throbbed inside her. She wrapped her arms and legs around me, and I drove my cock deep inside her tight, wet, virgin pussy.
Then, I exploded. It was a release like no other. Her walls contracted around me, milking every drop from my swollen cock. I moaned into her skin and she clung to my shaking body.
Stillness settled over us, and I sighed. I rolled off her, tied off the condom and disposed of it before turning back towards her. She was inspecting the towel. A spot of blood stained it, and she touched her thighs tenderly. I kissed her shoulder.
“Did I hurt you?”
“A little,” she admitted. “But not in a bad way.” My heart squeezed, and she smiled.
“Are you happy we did that?”
Her smile widened, and she stroked the side of my face. “Yes. More than happy. I feel… good. I feel good. Was it… was it okay for you?”
“Sadie,” I grinned, falling back on the pillows. “It was so fucking good, you have no idea. Don’t worry about me.”
She laughed, cuddling into my shoulder. I kissed the top of her head and wrapped my arms around her. She took a deep breath, running her fingers across my chest.
I caught her hand in mine and brought it to my lips. “You didn’t come, did you?” I asked quietly.
She looked up at me and smiled. “Not that time, but I wasn’t expecting to. I feel like that would be a sensory overload.” She shook her head, laughing. A dusting of freckles on her nose got brighter as her cheeks flushed. She leaned her head on my chest again.
“It still felt good, though,” she said quietly. “You can make me come next time.”
“Deal. I’ll make you come like a fucking train.”
She laughed, pressing herself against me. I pulled her close and sighed. I’d make it up to her a thousand times. My heartbeat slowed down and I inhaled the scent of her hair, closing my eyes and holding her tight. Soon, her breathing became regular and she was asleep in my arms.
I woke up to the sound of a car engine turning off outside. Immediately awake, I laid completely still as I listened. I heard the crunch of shoes on the gravel outside, and I knew someone was coming towards the house.
Sliding out from under Sadie, I peeked behind the curtains and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Chris heading towards the door.
With a glance towards Sadie, I headed downstairs. I opened the door before Chris could knock. He nodded at me, and I let him in. I glanced around outside to make sure we weren’t being watched, and then I closed the door. I locked it firmly before turning towards my comrade.
His jaw was clenched. Deep lines ran across his forehead, and my heart sank. I knew that look.
“Something’s going down,” he grunted. He pursed his lips. This wasn’t good.
“What do you mean?”
“The Russians are on the move. They’ve been watching Blanchet 24/7. Something’s happening tonight, but I don’t know what.”
“What would Ivanov do?” I frowned. “They need Blanchet. Even if they know about Balmoral and GPS, they wouldn’t risk cutting Senator Blanchet out of the deal too soon.”
Chris sighed. “There’s something we’re not getting. When Sadie ran away, something changed.”
I glanced towards the stairs and took a deep breath. Bringing my hands to my temples, I massaged in slow circles as I thought.
“So, Blanchet wanted to marry his daughter off to Thomas Balmoral, right? He wanted to do that, even when the man assaulted his daughter. He’s either a complete piece of shit, or there’s something riding on that wedding that we don’t know about.”
“What does Balmoral gain from marrying the girl? Why not just go through with the deal without the wedding?”
I sighed, staring a spot on the floor.
Think, Zane, think.
“So, Blanchet and Balmoral have a deal to start a weapons trade with Mikhail Ivanov and his men. One of the conditions of their deal is that Balmoral marries Sadie, right?”
Chris nodded.
“Right, so Blanchet is trying to broker a deal with the Russians at the same time. He’s going to push this bill through Senate, which will allow them to basically trade freely. A lot of the sanctions and restrictions on Russian trade will be lifted.”
“Right.”
“When that happens, it’s basically one big gravy train for Thomas Balmoral and Nathan Blanchet. Sadie is just the guarantee. When she left, Senator Blanchet was left exposed. He’s nervous. He doesn’t trust the Russians or Balmoral.”
“He also basically marched into Ivanov’s house and told him that Thomas Balmoral was his supplier.”
I snort. “All Blanchet cares about is money, and power. This deal gives him both, but without Sadie, he risks having nothing.”
“It’s a fucking dick move to do that to his daughter.”
He had my parents deported and ultimately killed for his precious career. His scruples aren’t exactly rock solid.
I nod. “Yeah, it is.”
“So, when Sadie ran away, she broke the deal.”
“In Blanchet’s eyes, yes. He thinks Balmoral will fuck him over.” I ran my hands through my hair, sighing.
“And if he’s not part of the deal, Blanchet makes nothing from pushing the vote through Senate.” Chris finishes for me. “Which means the Russians would probably just get rid of him.”
“He went straight to the Russians when Sadie left. He thought they’d taken her. Why would he think that? Going over there was so fucking stupid of him.”
“He was paranoid. Men who have no one left to trust always are.”
“Even without taking Sadie, now Ivanov holds all the cards.”
My face darkens and I nod my head. “They didn’t know who his source was for their weapons deal, but they damn well do now. He basically walked in with a big billboard that said Balmoral was the gun supplier.” I exhale, shaking my head. “Fuck.”
Chris stared at me. “Blanchet is at his office. I should go keep an eye on him. The last thing we need is a dead Senator.”
“Where’s Thomas Balmoral in all this? We don’t know who the Russians will hit first.”
“Well they still need Balmoral to supply the guns. They don’t need Nathan Blanchet at all anymore. Balmoral’s home, as far as we know.”
“We need eyes on him.”
“Berk wants everyone on the Russians and Blanchet.”
I exhaled and stared at the ceiling. “Balmoral is the key. The Russians don’t need the Senator anymore. They don’t need Sadie. We need to get to Balmoral before the Russians do.”
“Zane, you can’t go rogue on this one—”
“You know I’m right, Chris. Go to Blanchet, and I’ll keep an eye on Balmoral. It’s the only way.”
“
What about Sadie?”
“She’s safe here.”
Chris nodded. “Alright.”
He slipped out the door, and I walked back upstairs. Sadie’s eyes were open and she stared at me from the bed. She was wearing one of my tee-shirts. I sat on the edge of the bed and cupped her cheek in my hand.
“I need to go out for a bit, Sadie.”
“What’s going on, Zane? Am I in danger? Where is my family.”
“No, you’re fine. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”
“Don’t leave me, Zane.”
“I’m not leaving you. I just have to go take care of something. I’ll be back before the sun comes up. You’re safe here.”
She nodded, chewing her lip. “Okay.”
With one last kiss, I got up and pulled on some clothes. This was going to be a long night.
18
Sadie
Zane gave me one last kiss before he walked out, and my heart sank. I watched him walk through the door with his shoulders thrown back and his jaw set, and I didn’t know if I would see him again. It felt like he was leaving me here, on my own, and going to fight my battles for me.
I didn’t want to be safe at home. I wanted to be by his side.
I’d crept out to the top of the stairs and listened to his conversation with Chris. My heart broke all over again, even though I knew everything they were saying.
I’d been a pawn, a trading chip, a product used to seal a business deal. I knew that, but it still hurt. Tears stung at the corners of my eyes. Crushing, overwhelming loneliness came over me.
I was alone.
All the people that I thought cared about me, didn’t. My father, Thomas… even my mother. In the end, she didn’t stand up for me.
The only people I could trust were Mags and Zane. It’s not like I could call Mags to come over, and Zane was off saving the world.
How did he expect me to just sit here and wait for him? I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t think straight. I could hardly breathe.
I’d sat on my hands for long enough.
My whole life, I’d let other people make decisions for me. I went into law to make my parents happy. I’d isolated myself from my peers, missed out on parties and events just to be the perfect daughter. I’d even stayed a virgin because I thought that’s what was expected of me!
The space between my legs ached from last night. I felt raw, but from that rawness I drew power. I wasn’t a weak little girl. I wasn’t my parents’ daughter, I was my own person.
I wasn’t going to let anyone throw me around anymore.
For as long as I could remember, I’d been tossed around like a doll. I’d been made up and dressed up and trained to act like the perfect little version of a Senator’s daughter.
Well, not anymore.
I was taking back my life, and it was starting tonight. It was starting now.
I needed to protect the things that were important to me: my mother and Dart. They were innocent in all this, just like me. My mother was weak, sure, but she didn’t deserve to be dragged down. If I could convince her to come with me, then I might be able to get Zane to put us in witness protection, or to help us in some way. He had resources—he could help.
I just needed to get them out of harm’s way. I’d heard what Chris had said. The Russians were watching our house.
My blood ran cold at the thought. Fear gripped my throat and I took a deep breath.
I am strong. I am brave. I can do this.
I repeated the words to myself over and over and over until the fear loosened around my neck. Filling up my lungs, I pushed back the covers and made up my mind.
Fear wouldn’t stop me. Nothing would stop me. I needed to do something for myself, for once. I needed to stand up to the fear, and spit in its face. I couldn’t sit around waiting to be saved anymore.
I needed to save myself.
I slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans. I went to the guest bedroom and pulled on the rest of my clothes—a dark sweater, sneakers, and a cap. I pulled my hair back in a low ponytail and tucked it into my sweater. I grabbed the wad of cash that Mags had gotten for me, and the cheap burner phone.
When I walked down the stairs, the old house creaked. My heart jumped in my throat. Was there someone else here? I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, craning my ears for any noise.
All I could hear was the thumping of my own heart.
In the same drawer where I’d found the office key, I found a spare set of car keys.
With a deep breath, I headed for the back door. As soon as the cool autumn air filled my lungs, it was like a burst of energy. I glanced around furtively, hugging the shadows around the house. I pressed the button on the key fob, listening for a beep. I saw a faint flash of light around the side of the house.
Zane had a car parked beside his house, hidden from view from both the front and the back of the building. I took a deep breath and unlocked the door, pausing to glance around again.
It wasn’t stealing if I was going to return it, right?
Everything was quiet. Zane lived in a safe, well-to-do neighborhood. Everyone was asleep. They probably had kids to bring to school and good jobs to go to in the morning. They weren’t worried about Russian spies and international weapons deals.
As I flipped my hood up and started walking towards the back gate, I almost started laughing. Fear and adrenaline battled with logic in my head.
This was ridiculous. Did I think I was in some spy movie, or something? I was just a regular girl, about to graduate from Georgetown Law, with a successful family and a great dog.
I was normal.
Then, a black sedan drove past the back alley and my heart raced. I hid behind the gate, unmoving, until I was sure the car was gone.
No, I wasn’t normal. I’d heard the conversations, I’d seen what my father was prepared to do when he brought the officiant over to our house. I’d seen the kind of man Thomas was when he assaulted me in the stairwell. This wasn’t just a regular night.
I was in danger. I needed to trust my instincts, not talk myself down from being on guard. I pulled the gate open and jogged back to the car. The engine turning over sounded loud—too loud. But with a deep breath, I started driving. I didn’t want to get out to close the gate again, but that would be suspicious to anyone walking by. I had to make it look like everything was normal.
As quickly as I could, I jumped out of the running car and closed the back gate behind me. Then, I got back in the driver’s seat and headed towards my father’s estate.
The streets were quiet, and I drove as calmly as I could. Every time I hit a red light, my heart rate would increase. I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, whispering my mantra under my breath until the lights turned green again.
I am strong. I am brave. I can do this.
As I drove, I formulated a plan. I’d go in the back gate and find my mother. I’d convince her to come with me, and I’d take her and Dart back to Zane’s house. If anyone followed us, I would call Zane with the burner phone and tell him where I was going, then I would toss it and live off the cash until he could come help. My mother, my dog, and I would be out of danger for the time being.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was a plan.
As I laid it out in my head, my resolve grew. Once I convinced my mother to come with me, I would be in control of my own destiny. I could do this.
Without traffic, it only took me about fifteen minutes to get to my house—my parents’ house. When I looked at the big, white building with the sprawling gardens around it, my heart broke.
It wasn’t my house anymore. As soon as my father told me I had to marry Thomas, I knew it wasn’t the place for me. Tears prickled my eyes and I shook them away.
I could cry later. Right now, I needed to get Dart, and my mom, and any last things that I wanted from my room. Now was not a time for weakness. This was critical. This was time for action.
I felt in my pocket for my phone, wondering if I s
hould call Zane. I closed my eyes and thought of his face, his touch, his smell. I’d never felt as safe and protected as I did when I was in his arms.
But I couldn’t call him. If I told him I was here, he’d come running to me, and I couldn’t do that to him. I’d heard him—no one was watching Thomas Balmoral. Zane had to deal with that, and I needed to deal with this. I needed to do this on my own. I hoped he would understand that.
I parked the car two blocks away and headed for the back garden gate.
Then, I reconsidered. After how I’d left last time, they would definitely be watching that gate. I had to use a different way in.
It surprised me how alert I felt. Maybe it was because I’d never been in this kind of situation before, but I felt like every sense was heightened—my hearing was sharp, I could smell things I’d never have noticed before. The grass on our estate had been freshly cut. The sweet, acrid smell of fertilizer wafted towards me when I neared the hedges.
I crept along the side wall, trying to be as inconspicuous as I could. When I got to the back gate, my fears were confirmed. One of our security team was posted outside.
Well, not my security team anymore. He was part of my parents’ security team, which meant he was my enemy. I couldn’t trust him. I took a deep breath. It was James, a young, imposing man who looked at my father as if he was a God on earth. James lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply. He glanced out towards the back alley, and I hugged the wall.
He kicked a stone and then started walking back towards the house.
I watched him, my heartbeat ticking as the seconds went by.
Maybe I could use the back gate after all. I reached for it, and then I noticed a device near the latch. It was alarmed.
“Damn,” I said under my breath. I watched James walk away, and then jogged past the gate. There was another spot, on the east wall, where a tree would allow me to jump the wall. I’d watched Mags do it once after we’d snuck out a couple years ago. She jumped the wall and then ran to the back gate and unlocked it for me. I would have to do the same today.
I found the big oak tree and took a deep breath. Heaving myself up to the lowest branch, I groaned. My muscles burned as I pulled myself up, and my legs shook as I stood on the thick branch. The yellowing leaves trembled with me and I took a deep breath to steady myself. I clambered up to the next branch, and then started scooting towards the wall with one leg hanging on either side of the branch.
His Vow: The Protector Series: Book 1 Page 14