Broken Vows (Domestic Discipline Romance)

by Mariella Starr

  "I worked for everything I have," Kevin snarled. "Something you have never tried."

  "Shut the fuck up!"

  Mila's eyes widened when she saw Jenny's head peek around the corner from behind the man holding a rifle on them. Kevin saw her too. The armed man noticed their reactions and whipped around to confront her, but not fast enough. Jenny pointed the revolver and fired as Kevin tackled Blake Parker.

  Mila dove to the floor as the bullet missed Blake and ricocheted off the steel vault with a ping. Josh, who had his back to the others while trying another combination, jerked at the sound of the shot and immediately ducked, as well. Somehow, the bullet found its mark. Blake Parker had given a half scream before Kevin pounded a fist into his face.

  Two seconds was all it took to reverse the hostage situation. Mila and Josh were still processing the 'what and who,' when Jenny squeaked, dropped the revolver and ran.

  Mila grabbed the gun and handed it to Josh. Kevin backed off his old nemesis still trying to figure out what had happened. "I've got Jen," Mila shouted as she bolted down the narrow hallway after her sister.

  "Jesus," Josh exclaimed.

  "He's done," Kevin said still on his knees. "She got him," he barked out with a laugh. "The ricochet must have hit him." He ripped Blake's shirtsleeve from the shoulder to check the gunshot wound. "Come on, we have to get this piece of crap out of here before he wakes up. I have wanted to smash his face in for a long time. I finally got my chance."

  "Jenny," Josh suddenly exclaimed jumping to his feet.

  "Mila went after her. Come on, the quicker we get to the top, the faster we find out what the hell is going on," Kevin said, grabbing one of Blake's arms and dragging him toward the stairs.

  Kevin took Blake's arms, Josh his feet, and they half carried, half dragged him.

  Mila was fast on her sister's heels. She had not known Jenny could move so quickly, she was barefoot and flying. She followed as Jenny jumped over Bubba, burst through the front door, ignored the alarms, and ran upstairs.

  "Jen," Mila screamed stopping her sister at the stairs. "Little Kevin?" she demanded.

  Jenny mouthed 'yes,' pointed down the hall, and ran again.

  Mila deactivated the alarm and went back to the deck to check Bubba. He was out cold.

  Jenny appeared at the top of the stairs with both Adam and Little Kevin in her arms. Emmie was behind them holding Buddy by the collar. Jenny put Adam into his playpen and the infant in his port-a-crib. She hugged Emmie before setting her in the playpen too. All three children were screaming and crying. With one leap, Buddy jumped into the playpen to comfort the children.

  Jenny ran to help Mila, who was trying to drag the nearly three-hundred-pound man inside.

  Once Bubba was inside, Mila felt his skin, opened his coat, and tried to find a pulse.

  Jenny ran over, retrieved the phone, and handed it to her sister. It was still an open line.

  "Hello? Hello?" Mila shouted.

  "Ma'am," the emergency operator responded.

  "We need help, police, ambulance…" Mila exclaimed.

  "They are on the way, ma'am," the operator responded. "Can you tell me what is wrong?"

  "A man is out… unconscious, and we don't know why," Mila exclaimed as she heard sirens. "They're here!" She tossed the phone aside to open the front door and run outside.

  "In here!" she screamed as a fire truck and an ambulance careened to a stop. A rescue squad and three police cars followed them.

  Mila directed the EMTs into the guesthouse and screamed at the police. "Go to the main house, the library!" She went inside as EMTs scattered, some towards the children and some bending over Bubba.

  "The children aren't hurt, just scared," Mila yelled over the noise.

  Jenny grabbed Mila's arm and shook it. "Tak_ car_ __ ki__," she squeaked before running out the door.

  Carrying the dead weight of an unconscious man up eighty feet of stairs was not easy. Kevin held Blake under the arms while Josh held his feet, everything in between dragged and bumped. They had to stop three times simply to catch their breath. They were twisting and turning the body down the spiral stairway when suddenly the library filled with cops with drawn guns.

  Kevin's immediate reaction was to drop his end of Blake and grab the banister on each side him, swinging his body up and over Blake's unconscious form. Josh dropped Blake's feet to step down the remaining four steps and get out of Kevin's path.

  "Put your guns away, it's me," Kevin growled. "Shawn, Dave, drag him the rest of the way out of here. Make sure you cuff him tightly.

  As the police returned the guns to their holsters, Jenny sprinted past them into Josh's waiting arms.

  "Easy sweetheart, easy," he crooned.

  * * *

  The police were treating it as two separate crime scenes. They would not allow Kevin, Josh, and Jenny to leave the library for a long time. Bubba was awakening in the guesthouse and he was like an angry bull. Most of the EMTs agreed Blake had used a stun gun on him. They found one in Blake Parker's coat pocket, as well as a bag filled with tools inside the front entrance of the house.

  When the police allowed the library group to leave, Josh carried the barefoot Jenny to the guesthouse. He finally let go of her or she loosened her grip on him, he was not sure which, but he set her down. Jenny joined Mila, who had climbed into Adam's playpen with all three children and the dog to keep them calm. As Jenny stepped into the playpen, Mila stood up and stepped out holding her baby.

  "I need to feed him," she said, slipping upstairs.

  Josh plucked Emmie out of the playpen and into his arms. He and Jenny spent the next few minutes solely concentrating on calming their children.

  Three hours later, their little guesthouse was still full of police. At least the fire engines had not hung around. The EMTs had finally taken a disgruntled Bubba to the hospital, probably for overnight observation. A voltage strong enough to knock someone his size out for twenty minutes had to have been massive.

  Blake had regained consciousness and complained endlessly that he had only wanted what Mrs. Dougherty promised him. He had been the one who had painted the cabinets for her and installed the flooring and carpeting. He said she promised to leave everything to him when Old Man Bentley died because she was his beneficiary.

  Josh did not correct Blake, but the man's reasoning was faulty. The housekeeper had died before Harold Bentley. She could not have inherited anything from him. Regardless of what she verbally promised Blake, she had not left a will, nor owned any property. Harold Bentley had paid for her funeral.

  Kevin glared at Blake and clenched his fists, which hurt because he had busted his knuckles badly from pounding on the man earlier. It figured Blake had been the one to destroy his father's craftwork. He regretted not hitting him in the mouth and taking out some teeth.

  Blake even told them how he had broken in. He had built a six-foot crawl space underneath the housekeeper's residence along with a false wall in the back of one of the closets. He accessed the main house through an air-conditioning vent.

  Blake did a lot of talking before realizing the cops were recording and writing down everything he said. Then, he tried to bluster his way out of trouble by saying he was drunk so they could not use his words against him. Chief Michaels explained to him for a third time that they had Mirandized him twice… anything he had admitted to them 'could and would be used' against him. After that, Blake demanded a lawyer and clamped his mouth shut, effectively stopping all questioning until a lawyer was present. Blake became increasingly belligerent as the police escorted him to a police car. By then, he was threatening them all with lawsuits for brutality.

  "Is he really so stupid?" Josh asked Kevin.

  "Yes. He would work himself to death trying to steal something rather than ask someone if he could have it," Kevin agreed.

  "Captain Michaels, how much longer will you be here?" Josh finally asked.

  "I'm only trying to do the job right," Chief Michaels said.
"Your wife's laryngitis doesn't help."

  "You asked your questions and she wrote her answers," Josh countered. "She can't do any better. You need to wrap this up. The incident lasted twenty minutes, yet you and your men have been asking questions for three hours."

  "I am trying to be thorough."

  "I appreciate it," Josh said patiently, "but I have kids who need to be put to bed and my wife has been terrorized. She needs peace and quiet and rest."

  "She shot a man," the Chief said. "She's a spunky one."

  Josh cracked a smiled. "She accidently shot him. I agree she is spunky, still you need to finish here so we can settle down."

  "You are still claiming you don't know what's in the safe?" Chief Michaels asked for the umpteenth time.

  "No idea. Regardless, it doesn't change the charges against Blake Parker."

  "When you find out, will you tell me?" the man questioned.

  Josh grinned. "Curious?"

  "Damn straight."

  "If it's not too private, I'll call you."

  "Good enough," Chief Michaels agreed. "I'd still like to know how Bentley built it without anyone knowing."

  "We haven't figured it out yet," Josh said.

  "Another mystery," the Police Chief agreed.

  * * *

  It took the kids another hour to settle into their normal routine after the police left. Eventually, though, they fell asleep in their parents' arms. Josh and Jenny carried them upstairs and tucked them into bed leaving the ever-vigilant Buddy with them. Emmie did not really understand most of what had happened since they had given her an edited kid-sized version of the truth.

  Josh caught Jenny around the waist and pulled her into his arms in the hallway. "You saved our lives today."

  Jenny burrowed into him before pulling him into their bedroom, "Can we…"

  He stopped her raspy whisper by putting his fingers on her lips, "Shhh."

  She picked up a pen and pad, and wrote, "Can we let it go for now? I want you to hold me until I feel safe again."

  He tightened his arms around her and kissed her. "Yes, we can. Get ready for bed. I'll tell Kevin and Mila you've had all you can take for one day."

  * * *

  Josh found Kevin and Mila sitting side-by-side on the couch with Little Kevin lying on Mila's lap.

  "Jen is frazzled, she needs rest. We can take this up again tomorrow."

  "We were saying the same thing," Kevin said. "We have all been through the ringer today. I'll check the main house to make sure everything is secured. Then, I am spending the night at Mila's place.

  Kevin and Mila prepared to leave. Although they were only walking down the deck, it was twenty degrees outside and they at least needed coats. Kevin turned back to Josh from the door. "I called the hospital. Bubba is royally pissed someone got the best of him. Blake had better pray he never crosses Bubba's path again."

  Josh smiled as he closed the door behind them and set the security system. He wouldn't mind it one bit if Bubba took a little aggression out on Blake Parker.

  He went into the kitchen, put two cups of water into the microwave, and found Jenny's stash of teabags. She liked the fruity ones. He quickly fixed a tray of tea and cookies and went up the stairs to comfort his wife.

  They sat in bed quietly enjoying their snack and cuddled. Tonight was all about comfort and feeling safe. She would guide him to what she wanted.

  Jenny wanted security. As Josh wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body into his, she held onto him for a long time as he whispered sweet things to her. He made no overt moves. She finally stopped shivering and let her mind drift away from the fear, cocooning herself in her husband's warmth and gentle love.

  Soon, she nuzzled him. She lifted her tee shirt and placed his hands on her stomach then raising them to her breasts. With her hands covering his, she squeezed, and he began to massage.

  Josh lent himself to her and let her control the pace. They knew each other's bodies, each other's needs. They needed no words. The way she held her breath, how she shuddered at his touch, told him everything he needed to quench her desire. Her smile was still tentative, her eyes damp, but her love for him was evident. He touched her gently and filled her gently as she lay beneath him with her eyes half-closed. She sighed and suddenly their rhythm changed.

  Jenny gave so much of herself to everything and everyone, but in lovemaking she took, and only from him. When he had coddled her enough to feel safe and secure again, she wanted him… her way.

  Josh withdrew and kissed her, first gently, then hard and bruising as she demanded more. He tossed off her tee shirt and tiny panties, which were nothing more than a crotch and strings. Since the beginning of their relationship, nothing came between them. He got to his knees, spread her legs, and hooked them over his shoulders. He loved her nimble, yoga-trained flexibility and he drove into her hard.

  He loved to watch her beautiful, expressive face. He saw her pleasure and need reflected in it, and knew how to give her what she desired. Their lovemaking was rarely silent, it wasn't this time either as she purred like a kitten while he lightly spanked her bottom.

  "No sounds," he ordered quietly before he slammed his full length into her, pounding hard. He touched her clit and she tightened around him, panting. He lifted her up higher and drove deeper, never letting the pace slow. Suddenly she tensed and arched up, she was so close. He waited until her body contracted and then took her over the edge into full climax while he continued to pound gripping her buttocks and emptying himself into her.

  Spooning into him afterward, Jenny backed into him until his cock rested in her folds. She pulled his arms around her waist and closed her eyes. It had been a scary day, but it was over. Now she felt safe, sheltered and loved. She was exactly where she belonged.

  Three times in the night, she woke quivering. He held her and reassured her until she relaxed again in his arms. It was a night full of gentle soothing and tender kisses.

  Chapter 24

  Kevin bunked down on the couch at Mila's, but he didn't sleep well. His knuckles were aching and stiff, which only acted as a reminder of the more extensive damage done to Mila's hands. He was bringing a crew in the next morning that would carefully inspect every square inch of the main house. Yeah, Blake had inside information, and he had probably created the entry points he told them about for the sole purpose of returning to steal whatever he could find. However, when Kevin's crew was done, a gnat would not find its way in.

  He rolled over yet again, and then heard first Little Kevin and soon Mila stirring in her bedroom. He padded down the hall to tap on her door. She was on the bed nursing the baby. She gazed at him with her serene Madonna look that kicked him in the gut every time he saw it.

  "You can come in," Mila said softly.

  He went over and sat down on the bed, leaning against her headboard and pulling her into him.

  "Why are you awake?" Mila asked.

  "Thinking about what happened today. You were great, calm, and cool-headed. You are something else."

  "I was terrified," Mila admitted. "Jenny was our hero today. As a little kid, I resented her so much. I was the tomboy. She was the quiet one, the girly one. My big sister was so perfect. Our mother doted on her and compared me to her, in a negative way. Why can't you be more like Jennifer? I must have heard it a million times until she finally rebelled too."

  "She doesn't seem the rebel type."

  Mila put the baby on her shoulder and patted him. "Oh, but she a streak of wild in her. I was only nine when she became my hero and role model for later when I needed to escape. If she could do it, so could I. Our family life wasn't good. Yes, our parents were wealthy. However, if we did not conform to their vision of how we should act, speak, and behave, they could be cruel. It wasn't physical abuse; it was verbal abuse. My mother could eviscerate you with words and guilt. It was their way or no way."

  "You both chose to go your own way?"

  "Jenny worked her way through college, became an ar
tist, and married Josh at twenty, all of which went against our parents' master plan. I left home two months before my eighteenth birthday and enlisted the day after I turned eighteen. It took six years to get my degree while serving in the military. I went to school every second I wasn't on duty. I was lucky in that the military paid for a big chunk of it, so I wasn't saddled with a lot of school debt."

  "Both of you are strong women," Kevin said. When Mila got up to put Little Kevin back in his crib, he stood up.

  "Do you have to go?" Mila asked.

  "Mila, we can't…."

  "You can hold me."

  "I can do that," Kevin agreed.

  Mila woke up to his strong arms still around her. She looked back at him and realized Kevin could not possibly be comfortable. He had propped himself up with pillows against the headboard and had held her for the entire night. She heard the baby and slid out of bed as her breasts automatically responded to his call.

  When she returned, Kevin was gone. She heard the shower running. She glanced at the bed where she had slept so well with him. It seemed to her nearly everything they did together was—what were her sister's words—comfortable? He was there for her.

  Mila walked over to her dresser and picked up the plastic bag she used to cover her cast to protect it from water, and secured it with two rubber bands. She went into the bathroom, pulled a towel from the rack, and pulled her nightgown over her head. She pushed the shower curtain back and stepped inside.

  "Mila, we…"

  "We can't have intercourse yet," said Mila, kissing him while her good hand stroked him. "We can do other things. I can do this for you. She dropped the towel on the hard, slick tub and went to her knees.

  Kevin threaded his hands into her hair. Every instinct telling him it was not time yet, shriveled and died as her hand stroked his shaft and her fingers toyed with his balls. When her lips touched his cockhead and her tongue encircled it, he gave up any thought of resistance. In this, she owned him. He gave into the pleasure of her mouth.