by Nina Levine
Kick got up and returned Nash’s grin before smacking him across the head. “Rematch tomorrow, fucker. And put your fucking dick away.”
Nash’s smile only grew larger as he grabbed his crotch. “You wanna see it, brother?”
Nitro chuckled, which was fucking odd for him. But that was what Nash did.
I stood, needing to get out of here. “We’ll go over everything at church tomorrow.”
Nitro nodded before turning his attention back to the ring.
I headed inside to check on a few things before leaving. Fuck knew where I’d end up, but I couldn’t sit around doing nothing any longer.
Skylar met me as I walked the hallway to the office. “Oh good, I’ve been looking for you! Can you do me a favour?”
“What?” The question came out harder than I intended, but I was so fucking tense I couldn’t stop it.
She frowned. “Why are you so cranky? I just asked you a question.”
I worked to rein my shit in, but failed. “Fuck, Skye, just ask the fucking question.”
Her lips flattened. “Fine,” she snapped. “Can you drop some meals over to Lily’s? Annika and Kree cooked some up for her family, and I promised her I’d get them over to her today.”
I stilled, my shoulders rocklike. It wasn’t a good idea for me to see Lily in the state I was in. Not when I was wired for sex. Not when all I wanted to do was wrap my hands around her neck and fuck the hell out of her. When what I needed to do was fuck the dark shit out of my head.
“Get Devil to do it.”
The scowl she directed my way let me know what she thought of that. “Why are you being such an ass about this? Like, is it so hard for you to do something nice for her after everything she’s done for us?”
“I’ve got shit to do. Ask Devil. And if he can’t do it, find someone else.”
“No,” she said with force. “I think you should do it. I want this to come from our family, not from the club.”
I stared at her for a long few moments, warring with myself over this decision. I wanted to do it. Wanted to see Lily. Fuck knew she was the only woman on my mind. While I always used sex to come down after a day like today, I wouldn’t go looking for it with anyone else tonight. But no fucking way would I show up looking for it from her when she was dealing with her sister in a coma. Doing what Skylar asked of me would put me in dangerous territory. I wasn’t convinced I could be near Lily and hold myself back.
I never did the right thing, though.
“Jesus fucking Christ, okay,” I barked.
“Good. They’re in the fridge. You should go now,” she said, lifting her brows, daring me to argue with her.
I ignored that and continued on my way towards the office, my mind already focused on what I had to do. I wouldn’t be going now, that was for fucking sure. I’d give myself a few hours to get my head together before seeing her.
“And stop being a dickhead,” she called out as I rounded the corner of the hall.
The women in my life would be the fucking death of me.
I entered the office, my phone ringing in my pocket as I did so.
“What’s up?” I answered it after seeing Hyde’s name flash across the screen.
“Where are you? There’s a fed out the front to see you.”
And so it all fucking began again.
“I’m on my way.”
This was the first we’d heard from them since discovering Ryland had been removed from the case. I wondered if the new guy would be as determined to see us go down. At least this time we weren’t distracted by Romano. This time I could dedicate my attention fully to the motherfuckers.
I made my way out to the front gate, slowing as I laid eyes on the new fed I was up against.
She stepped forward, her gaze full of steel, her features schooled into an unreadable blank canvas. “Mr. King, we finally meet. I’m Detective Stark.”
I levelled a harsh expression on her and crossed my arms over my chest. The sooner she got her ass off my property the better. “What do you want?”
“Just wanted to stop by to say you left us a hell of a mess today.”
I’d only just met the bitch, but my first impressions of people were usually spot on. This one had brass fucking balls. “I’ve been busy today, so I have no fucking clue what mess you’re talking about.”
“We can agree on one thing—you have been busy.”
“Now that you’ve said what you came here for, you can leave.”
“I also wanted to tell you that Romano was the least of your worries.” She took a step away from me. “Strap in. We’re in for some fun now.”
I watched her leave, my mind going crazy with a million thoughts. A million fucking more than were already in there. As she drove away, I pulled out my phone and dialled Bronze.
“You find Brant yet?” he asked as he answered.
“No, but we’ve dealt with Romano. That’s not why I’m calling, though. I’ve got a question for you.”
“What?”
“You ever work with Detective Stark?”
He whistled low. “I haven’t worked with her, but I’ve heard of her. She’s a ballbuster.”
“Yeah, that’s what I got from her. She ever had any dirt on her hands?”
“Not that I know of. I’ll do some digging.”
“Don’t fucking put yourself at risk, Bronze. Axe has a contact we can use.”
“I’ve got nothing else to fucking do,” he muttered.
“Yeah, you do. Get the hell out of town and never look back.”
He ignored that. “I’ll call you if I find something.”
After he hung up, I looked at Hyde. “She’s gonna prove more difficult than Ryland.”
He nodded. “Yeah, brother. My thoughts, too.”
I jerked my chin at him. “Do whatever you need to do tonight to get your head focused. Tomorrow we make a new plan. No fucking way are we lying down for these feds.”
9
Lily
“Call me if you need me, okay?” Adelaide said as she exited the house, stepping out into the dark of night. We’d had a downpour of heavy rain earlier. A cold wind lingered, reminding me we were heading into the time of year I wasn’t a fan of. I didn’t mind autumn; it was winter I wished we could skip every year.
I reached for her arm and pulled her back so I could hug her. When I finally let her go, I said softly, “Thank you for today. I promise I’ll call you if I need you.”
She smiled. “I wish I could take tomorrow off, too. I’m not far, though, so call and I’ll come as soon as I can.” The sound of a car pulling up drew our attention, and Addy said, “Good God, it’s almost ten o’clock. Who would be stopping by now?”
I squinted into the dark trying to see who it was, but I knew the only person who would come by at this time of night was the one person I really didn’t want to see. King. My belly fluttered, betraying me, the bitch. She’d done the same thing this morning when he’d dropped by the hospital.
I was a mess over this man.
Completely confused and flustered.
“Oh no he doesn’t,” Adelaide muttered as she saw King approaching. “What the hell makes you think it’s okay to come here at this time of night?” she snapped at him.
His scowl was unmistakable as he walked up the stairs onto the front porch. My gaze dropped to the casserole dishes he held. Odd. My attention, though, was quickly drawn back to his face as he looked at me and said, “Skylar asked me to bring these over.”
It was totally King not to bother answering her question about why he’d chosen to come so late. And as hurt and angry as I still was with him, I couldn’t move past the way he watched me with concern blazing in his eyes. It was so unlike anything he’d given me at any other time.
Shit.
Addy started in on him again. “Well, you can give me those and turn around—”
I placed my hand on her arm. “It’s okay, babe, I’ve got this.”
She spun her he
ad to look at me, eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re not seriously going to let him in?”
“No, but I’m not going to stand here and get into another argument,” I said, giving her the look I reserved for when I needed her to let me fight my own battles. Adelaide was the kind of bestie every girl needed, always going into battle for her friends. Sometimes, though, she didn’t know when to back away. This was one of those times. King and Addy both had strong personalities. If I let her continue her tirade, God knew where we’d end up.
We stood making eyes at each other for a few moments, the kind of eyes best friends made when they were trying to communicate “are you sure” and “yes, I’m sure” and “I don’t think you are” and “I promise you, I am.” Finally, she took a deep breath and glanced back at King. Pointing her finger at him, she said, “You hurt her again, you’ll have me to answer to, buddy.”
The intensity with which he looked at her and nodded his agreement took my breath away. What was going on here? Three days ago, he’d told me we were done. Now he seemed determined to disregard that decision, so much so that he took Adelaide’s warning without argument. This wasn’t the demanding man I knew.
After giving me one last questioning glance, Adelaide left us and walked to her car. I watched her in silence, refusing to give King my attention straight away. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. God, I needed more than a freaking moment, but I knew he wouldn’t give me that.
As she pulled out of the driveway, he moved closer and said, “I’ll put these in your fridge.”
I turned my face to his, trying hard not to trace my gaze over his skin. The man was far too good-looking, though. Or maybe it was those eyes of his that did me in. They revealed the depth to him I knew was there. The things I’d desperately wanted to know about him, but hadn’t had the time to learn.
He remained quiet while I examined his face and then his neck. I lost myself for a beat, remembering how his mouth had felt on me, how his lips had grazed my skin, how his eyes had tracked my movements making me feel more desired than I ever had. Making me feel like the woman I’d always wanted to be.
Oh God.
No.
I could not go there with him again.
“Lily,” he rumbled at the same time my mother joined us.
“Lily, I want to call the priest,” she said, her words as disjointed as her actions had been since Brynn was shot.
I frowned at her. “Why?”
She looked at me like I’d asked a silly question. “I want him to give Brynn the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.”
Her words winded me. I struggled to breathe as they worked their way through me. I understood what she said, and I understood the significance of asking for that, but my world spun at the thought of my sister being close enough to death to call on a priest.
She isn’t going to die.
We do not need that sacrament.
“Lily,” Mum said again, cutting through my fog. “Can you please get me his number?”
“No, we don’t need him,” I snapped. “Brynn’s not dying, Mum.”
My outburst caught her by surprise, and her eyes widened. But she came back with, “You don’t know that, and I want to make sure—”
“No! Don’t you dare say that!”
I was wild.
Livid.
I would not entertain the thought my sister was at death’s door.
Mum stared at me and then without another word, she turned and walked back inside. This conversation wasn’t finished, though. Not by a long shot. I stalked after her, ranting as I went. “Do not walk away from me when we’re in the middle of a conversation!”
She ignored me and continued moving towards her bedroom.
I followed. “Mum! Stop. We need to discuss this.”
Finally, she spun around to look at me. The agony lining her face killed me, quieting me long enough for her to get a word in. “Lily, shhh. You will wake the children.”
That was what she was worried about? I knew I should have thought about that, but the only thought in my mind was that I was nowhere near ready to give up on Brynn.
“Brynn isn’t going to die, Mum. You can’t call the priest. The doctor said they are weaning her off the ventilator. That has to be a good thing.”
Her beautiful face crumpled into the kind of sadness that tore at my heart. I hated watching her struggle for the past few days. No mother should have to go through this. “We don’t know what will happen when they do that. Brynn needs this.”
Pain cut straight through me as I allowed her words in.
I didn’t want to think about my sister not being around anymore. Not being my person.
I need a person.
And I don’t want anyone but Brynn.
I had never experienced pain like this. It was an ache that sat sharply and deeply in my body. It felt like a knife had sliced a line from my heart down to my toes. I wanted to cry every second of the day. I wanted my anguish to be ripped from me so I didn’t have to feel it ever again, because surely one jagged tear like that would never hurt as badly as this.
This pain was merciless.
It felt like it could literally kill me.
“Lily,” Mum said, her voice softer, “you must understand I’m doing this to help her heal.”
I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. “Yes,” I choked out, “but I can’t get behind it, because to me, it feels like you’re saying you agree she might die. I never want to agree with that.”
The silence consumed us as we each stayed rooted to the spot, unable to talk, and unable to move. At a time when we desperately needed the other, we had nothing to offer. I wondered how long it would take for my sister to wake up. I prayed it would be soon, because I wasn’t sure how we would survive this otherwise.
Mum turned away from me and walked the few feet to her bedroom. I stood alone in the hallway as she closed the door, shutting me out. I wished I had it in me to reach out and provide her some comfort, but I didn’t. Instead, I had to carry on with life. Had to get through the day, so I made my way back outside to where I’d left King. He wasn’t there, though, so I went in search of him.
I found him in the kitchen, rifling through the fridge.
He straightened, his gaze roaming over me before settling on my face. “I made room for them in here and pulled out some shit that looked like it had gone off.”
I eyed the bench where he’d placed two containers. “Thank you.” Such a simple gesture, but it meant something to me. At a time when life was so messed up, it was the little daily tasks that helped me focus. That helped me breathe.
Closing the fridge door, he came to me, eyes searching mine. I willed him to stop, but he didn’t. He did what King always did—he forced his way into my space and then some. By the time he was finished, he had me backed against the kitchen bench, his hand on my hip. “Talk to me,” he bossed. “How’s your sister?”
He had been right this morning—I did still want him. God, how I wanted him. The pull I felt toward King wasn’t something I’d ever experienced before. It scared me because he’d already cut and run once, had already hurt me, and that was after only a few weeks of knowing him. How could I trust he wouldn’t do it again? How could I trust him with my heart?
“Lily,” he ordered, “Talk.”
I looked up into his eyes and shook my head. Placing both hands to his chest, I pushed him away. It surprised me that he allowed that, but he did. “I told you this morning that I wouldn’t do this with you again, and I meant it. I appreciate you bringing food over, but—”
Something I said or did triggered a shift in his mood, and a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. There was heat there, too, and that caused desire to pool in my belly. Before I had time to process that, he came at me again, this time a ferocious energy blazing from him.
Crushing his body to mine, his hand came to my throat as he growled, “Tell me you don’t want this.” He ran his other hand down my body, over my brea
st, to the button of my jeans. Mouth against my ear, he said, “Tell me you don’t want my hand in your pants, or my fingers deep inside your cunt.”
I moaned. It fell from my mouth before I could stop it. And God, if my pussy wasn’t throbbing with the need for everything he’d just said. I was wet for him, and he hadn’t even moved past the button on my jeans.
He ground himself against me and popped the button. His hand tightened around my throat as a grunt sounded from deep within him. Cutting some of my air supply off, he rasped, “I’m wound so fucking tight for you I can hardly think straight, and while I didn’t come here to fuck you, just laying eyes on you is enough to snap any restraint I have.” He lowered the zip on my jeans. “Tell me you fucking want me as much as I want you.”
He practically had me panting. Everything he said and did turned me on to the point where I wasn’t sure I could say no to whatever he wanted. All he had to do was slip his hand in my pants and I would cross the line of no return. I had to stop him from doing that.
I gripped his hand that held my zip. “I don’t want you.”
He gripped my throat harder, and when he spoke, his tone had turned harder. Edgier. “You’re lying to me.” Before I knew what he was doing, he lifted me onto the bench, took hold of my hand, and guided it into my panties. With his hand over mine, he pressed my finger to my clit and rubbed it.
It was too much. Felt too good. A whimper escaped my lips as my head fell back. I was his to do what he wanted with, and there was no denying it.
His mouth claimed mine in the kind of kiss I craved. Brutal in his intensity, King reached deep into my soul, arousing the side of me I’d never known until he came along. He was savage and demanding, and I gave him what he wanted.
I kissed him back with everything I had.
My moans matched his growls, and when he directed our fingers inside my pussy, I grasped his bicep with my free hand and dug my fingers in hard.
Oh God.
Fuck.
He’d lit me on fire, and I would burn from his heat.
He tore his mouth from mine and found my eyes. The ferocity in his should have scared me, but it didn’t. I may have been scared he would walk away from me again, but I was never scared of him.