He shook his head. “I couldn’t get close enough to the room he was in.”
“How did you manage to get out?” I asked.
Nathan cleared his throat. I pulled away from Kellan, having forgotten, for the moment, that Nathan was also there.
“Trace arranged for a... small diversion outside the warehouse.”
“All I heard was an impressive racket outside. It was enough to distract them, and I managed to slip away.” Kellan swallowed hard, looking at me. “I would have gotten him out, if I could have.”
“I know that,” I said softly. I hadn’t even let myself hope that Kellan had somehow managed to get Dad out. However, now that we knew where he was, I wouldn’t let another minute go to waste.
Dad was alive. That was the main thing. It hung in the air between us – a silent ray of hope.
I turned to Nathan, straightening my shoulders.
* * *
“We’re going in tomorrow. Our goal is to get Mario Mansten out of the building, and to arrest as many individuals on the property as we can. A SWAT team will go in first to liquidize any threats. You'll be there as a backup of sorts–" there was a stir in the room, nobody seemed to like that very much, "–to make sure that nobody manages to get away. The warehouse will be on immediate lock down afterwards with only a few select seniors going in to view the place and catalogue the possessions inside,” Nathan said to the room at large. It had taken a lot of phone calls and a lot of hustling about, but a plan had finally been made. “Kellan, any words?”
He shook his head, hair falling into his face. “The only thing I noticed was that one of the exits, the one at the back, was blocked off.” He pointed at a spot on one of the floor plans, his face dark and thoughtful. "There were piles of boxes stacked in front of the door. They could be gone by tomorrow, but we can't know for sure.”
Nathan nodded seriously, turning to Max, who'd shown up about half an hour ago with a few other guys, a bloody bandage on his face. He'd shrugged cheerfully enough when I'd exclaimed at the sight of him, so I assumed it wasn’t too serious.
"There were a number of men at the exchange tonight. Most weren't even helping with the shipment – I guess Tony wanted a good show of force. He was there himself, with a man named Frankie,” Max told us. Frankie. I'd heard the name before, a few hours ago, through the speakers. “Frankie had quite a few blokes with him tonight, way more than us, more men than probably the whole LSG. He was in charge of the shipment, and was giving out orders left and right.”
Nathan nodded, turning to the rest of us. “Many of them will talk to avoid prison time – especially the cops who will not have an easy time of it in there,” Nathan said with relish. There were similarly pleased murmurs around the van and from the guys gathered by the open door. “Anyone not there tomorrow, I'm confident we can track down later.”
He turned to Trace, who straightened his jacket. “I think that’s it. Any questions?"
There were headshakes from everyone.
“We'll be moving as fast as we can. Go home and rest, we'll be meeting back here at fourteen-hundred, and we go in at eighteen-hundred on the dot. That seems like the busiest time of day. We’ll get that bastard Antonio Rossi back behind bars.”
“And this time,” Trace said with quiet conviction, “it’ll be for good.”
* * *
“This time tomorrow, it could all be over. We could have Dad back,” I said, hardly able to comprehend it. "It seems too good to be true."
“I can’t believe I missed everything. I was only gone a few hours,” Phoenix said, shaking his head in amazement. He’d just gotten back from his date about half an hour ago, and we’d all listened to the recording on the computer in fast forward. Not one word had been spoken since I'd left – though occasionally the sound of closing doors and operating machinery came through the speakers.
“More like several hours,” I said, looking at the clock on the wall.
“I guess the date went well, then?” Kellan asked, smiling good-naturedly.
“Yeah, it did.” He blushed to the tips of his ears. “But still.... I'm gonna miss having you guys around.”
“We’ll come and visit all the time,” I told Phoenix encouragingly. “And you’ll have to venture out of your den every now and then.”
“I will.” He looked determined.
"Do you and Poppy have another date planned?” I asked curiously.
“She’s coming over for lunch tomorrow. She'll be working for the rest of the day," Phoenix told us, looking a little bashful.
I beamed. “That’s awesome! I'm so glad that you both hit it off.”
“Me, too,” Phoenix said, smiling. He checked the time, a yawn interrupting his smile. “I should head up to bed. I didn’t sleep a wink last night.”
There was a short silence after he left. Bracing myself, I turned towards Kellan. He was already looking at me, his stare smoldering and intense. I moved closer to him, watching the greys of his eyes darken to considerable depths.
“You’ll come and see me, won’t you?” I asked, Phoenix’s question having raised one of my own. Once this was over, and Dad was back, would things go back to how they were before?
“Nothing will keep me away,” he promised, his eyes never leaving mine.
My breath hitched in my throat as he leaned towards me. His warm hands moved my hair behind my ear, lingering at my neck. He kissed me slowly at first, but it built up in intensity, until we were both breathless.
His jaw was clenched, his arms tense as though he was trying his hardest to gain some semblance of control.
“Why do you do that? You pulled back before, too,” I whispered, biting my lip as soon as the words left my mouth. His gaze lingered there, and despite my uncertainty, heat pooled deep in my gut.
"I respect your Dad a lot," he said, slowly.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" I asked, mystified.
"We haven’t even been on a date,” he said, eyes on mine. “I wouldn’t... I want to do this right. I want a relationship with you.”
“You do?” My heart was hammering in my chest now.
His laugh was breathless as he shook his head. His hand moved slowly, deliberately, down my back, pushing me ever closer to him. "April Mansten, you drive me crazy with your stubbornness and persistent attitude. I love watching you play your guitar. I love the way you constantly challenge me, and the way you bite that bottom lip of yours when you’re unsure. I've loved every minute of being around you these past few weeks, even when you were driving me crazy. I want to be with you. Of course I want to be in a relationship with you.”
“Good,” I breathed, and he chuckled.
“After all of that, all I get is ‘good?’”
I nodded, struggling to form a coherent sentence.
I kissed him, my hands tugging at his hair. “Let’s go upstairs,” I whispered against his mouth.
Holding hands, we quickly made our way to my bedroom, moving in a flurry of motion. Both our shirts were swiftly discarded, and I unbuckled his belt as his mouth ravaged mine.
His lips moved down my neck, his nose nuzzling me slightly. I felt hot all over, my body thrumming everywhere he touched.
He leaned his forehead against mine, beautiful grey eyes, that had grown so familiar to me, gazing into my own. "Are you sure?” he whispered.
In response, I kissed him again, need encompassing every cell in my body.
“So sure,” I told him, loving the feel of his warm, hard body pressed intimately against mine. I ran my fingers through his hair, the heat between us mounting to an impossible level.
We fell back onto the bed, a deliciously slow ache forming below my stomach as his body covered mine. I trembled when he ever so gently bit my bottom lip, my hands clenching hard on his massive shoulders. God, he was so big. Everywhere. It made me feel safe and enveloped.
In that moment, I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted
anything in my life.
He pushed back when my hands moved to his boxers, unwinding his arms. "I'll be right back," he said. Placing a quick kiss against my mouth, he disappeared through the door.
I stared after him, my body aching, and my mind struggling to think. Where the hell had he gone?
He was back the next instant, slightly breathless, clutching a box to his chest.
He shut the door, his eyes moving slowly over every inch of my body. “God, you’re beautiful. So beautiful.”
This time the kiss was slower, more reverent. He stroked my face and my hair, placing warm, hot kisses all over my body.
His boxers came off. The condom came on.
"A whole box?" I said breathlessly when he placed the pack back on the bedside table.
He shrugged, his dimple flashing as a wicked smile played on his lips. “We have all night.”
And that we did.
Once wasn’t enough. Neither was twice. Our bodies moved in tandem, almost as though they were made for each other. My legs buckled once he was inside me, the orgasm coming immediately. His lips quirked in a small, satisfied smile, and then he was kissing me all over again, making sure I came again, and again, and again. I rode the waves of almost unbearable pleasure, loving every moment.
Later, much later, he pulled me close to his side, his big arms warm around me.
"You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me," the words were barely a whisper against my skin. He moved back, brushing damp hair away from my face.
His eyes met mine in the darkness of the room, and I was mesmerized by the intensity, the pure adoration, in them.
I moved closer, laying my head on his chest, as his hand moved in slow circles on my back. I could feel his heart still hammering in his chest, and I smiled softly when he pressed a kiss against my forehead.
For the moment, all my thoughts, my hopes, and my fears lay blissfully forgotten.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
* * *
- NOW -
I WOKE UP TO the amazing feeling of lots of small kisses being placed down my neck. It was a slightly ticklish, yet sensual sensation, and I relaxed into it.
The kisses came to a stop at the base of my throat, the soft lips replaced by the gentle grazing of teeth.
I was suddenly a lot more awake.
"Are you giving me a hickey?" I asked, the words slightly muffled by my pillow. I turned around and glanced at Kellan. He looked tousled and sexy, a lazy smile on his face.
"One more to add to the rest won't make a difference," he said, eyes turning wicked.
"What?" I said a little sharply. Slipping into his shirt, I padded over to the dresser in the far corner of the room. Kellan watched me through the mirror with heavy-lidded eyes.
I felt warm all over, remembering every single detail of the night before.
Moving my hair back from my face, I saw a scatter of hickeys on my neck that went all the way down to the curve of my breasts. The sight of them caused a flush to rise to my face as I recalled how they’d gotten there. "I can’t walk around like this! How am I supposed to cover them all up?"
"Don't." He shrugged, self-satisfaction clear on his face. "You're an adult. It’s nobody else’s business."
"And if we get Dad back today?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He paused, a line forming between his brows. "You can wear a scarf?" he suggested.
"All day?" I rolled my eyes, walking back to the bed. His eyes grew darker with each step I took closer to him. I felt a bout of feminine pleasure at the heady look in his gaze. "What time is it?" I asked, sitting down on the bed. I would have liked nothing better than to just lie back down and snuggle close to Kellan, but the light filtering through the window stopped me. I hadn’t forgotten about the importance of today.
"Noon. I need to leave for the briefing soon,” Kellan said, a somber mood settling in the air. After a momentary pause, he pulled me down next to him, kissing me sweetly on the mouth. "Don't worry,” he whispered.
"That’s impossible," I said. Kellan sighed, falling back onto the bed. It had been less than a day since I'd heard Dad’s voice, less than twenty-four hours since I'd received clear confirmation that he was alive. Worry and concern for him began to eclipse any lingering desire I had to stay in bed. "You want breakfast?"
"Sure–" Kellan started to say, stopping when we heard another door open and close down the hall.
I stood, remembering that Poppy was supposed to come over for lunch.
"April?" There was a knock on the door, and I froze.
Axel?
No, no, no, I chanted. What was Axel doing here? I couldn’t... this wasn’t supposed to be how he found out.
I looked at Kellan, still entwined in my sheets, and back to the door, feeling a lump rise in my throat. What did I do? Axel was my best friend, and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, as much as I would love to claim obliviousness, I knew that this would hurt him.
Kellan got out of bed and slipped on a pair of boxers. Before I could protest, he'd opened the door.
I met Axel's eyes, my stomach twisting. He looked at Kellan, and then he looked at me. He swallowed hard, his baby blue eyes conveying a mixture of pain, jealousy, and hurt before he turned around and walked away.
"Axel, wait!" I said desperately, knowing even as I spoke that it was stupid; he wouldn't be able to hear me. I shoved past Kellan and all but ran down the hallway. Axel had moved fast, and was opening the front door as I caught up with him. I touched his arm, tugging gently. He wouldn’t look at me. 'Please can we talk?'
'We have nothing to talk about,' he signed. His hands were stiff, his eyes not meeting mine. 'You didn't answer the phone, and you were so vague about what was going on. I thought I'd come and see if you were okay. I can see that you are, so... I should go.'
'Please don't,' I signed miserably. He had called yesterday when I'd been focused on the conversation coming through the speakers. I couldn't remember if he'd called again. I couldn't remember where I'd left my phone for that matter. Calling him back had completely slipped my mind.
'I knew. God, I knew, but I still had some foolish hope–' He shook his head.
What could I say? That I hadn't known how he'd felt? That would have been a lie. I hadn't dwelled on it, had refused to even think about it, but some part of me had known. We hadn’t discussed it. At first, I hadn’t wanted to bring up something that might embarrass him. Then, I came to rely on him, to love him, and I hadn’t wanted to risk losing him.
'You're my best friend,' I started, my hands dropping to my sides when he turned back to the door. He opened it, and I followed after him, stepping in front of him. He side-stepped me and carried on walking. "Please," I said desperately. Grabbing his face with both hands, I forced him to look at me. "You know I love you," I started, but Axel’s eyes slipped away from my mouth, hardening as they looked sideways.
I turned to see Kellan standing behind us. He'd pulled on a pair of jeans, his arms crossed over his very naked, hard chest. His eyes were shadowed, his expression unreadable. I looked at Axel, almost involuntarily, when I saw his hands moving.
'I know you do. But it was foolish of me to wish that you loved me as more than just a friend,' he signed. "I wish my sixteenth birthday could have meant more to you than it did to me," he said aloud, the words leaving me feeling cold. He'd brought up the unspeakable. He turned then, taking deliberate steps towards the path. I didn't try and stop him again, sensing that he needed the escape.
Kellan had disappeared by the time I looked back. I walked inside slowly, my heart feeling incurably heavy.
Kellan was in his room, the door slightly ajar. He was pulling a black t-shirt over his head, a gun holster strapped to his side. Normally, I'd have been distracted by the way his shirt stretched across his taut stomach, but I only felt fear at the sight of the gun.
"I need to go," he said, picking up his jacket. "Don't worry. I'm sure lover
boy's probably well out of here. Still, I'll take my time going down the path." His voice was stiff as he shrugged into the jacket. “See you later.”
“Kellan–“ I started, but he was already out the door.
How had things gone so terribly wrong?
- KELLAN -
She loved him. Loved him. I didn't know what last night was, except that it was the best night of my life. I wasn't sure what I'd been thinking this morning... but I felt pretty stupid now that I'd heard her say that she loved him.
I'd suspected for a long while that there was something there between them. Seeing his face... my suspicions had been confirmed.
I walked briskly down the familiar beaten path, trying to get my head on straight. I wouldn't think about the blonde–headed vixen back at the house, dressed in nothing but my shirt. I needed to focus on getting Mario back.
- APRIL -
My stomach was a flutter of nerves as I rounded the corner to wear the SWAT vans were. Phoenix had insisted on coming along with me. He and Poppy had heard pretty much everything that had gone down between Kellan, Axel, and I.
They’d been in the kitchen in the middle of an early lunch. Phoenix had told her to make herself at home and that he’d be back as soon as he could. He'd insisted on driving me. I guess I hadn't looked too good. But I felt guilty for putting a damper on what would otherwise have been a great second date.
"We don't need Kellan distracted – not today of all days," Phoenix had said after I’d protested, and that had shut me up pretty quickly.
I wasn’t sure what I'd even say to Kellan when I saw him. All I knew for sure was that I couldn’t leave things the way they were. I couldn’t let him go into the warehouse thinking that last night meant nothing to me.
Everyone was out in the open when we arrived, having a discussion. Kellan was there, alongside Trace, Nathan, Max, and a few of the other agents from last night.
Above all Else Page 26