“No you aren’t.” Frank saw the gun and felt the shots hit his chest. Felecia screamed, then he felt nothing.
* * * *
“I don’t believe this shit. It looks like they’re going to bust the guys responsible for selling the drugs, and maybe even our killer, too. They’re raiding a warehouse as we speak, and then they’ll be making arrests. I’ll call you as soon as I have a list with any potential suspects for us to further investigate, Cassius,” Alex told him over the phone.
“Will do. Hopefully we’ll get lucky.” Cassius ended the call and exhaled as he rubbed his eyes and then continued to head home. It was past midnight, and not much for him to do now with the investigation.
He glanced at his cell phone. Still no word from Emerson. As he headed closer to the house he saw the jeep driving up the road. He thought for sure the ladies would be out late. As they parked the jeep, he pulled up into the driveway by his house. Emerson didn’t run over. Instead her friends were hugging her and she glanced over like something was wrong. He felt it in his gut. He got out, locked it up and started to walk toward them. “I thought you would be out later. Is everything all right?” he asked. He hadn’t expected the tears or for Emerson to be standing there crying. He closed the space between them and pulled her into his arms. “What happened? What the fuck happened?” he barked at them all.
The women began to explain. “Her ex was there. He confronted her and she told him to leave her alone. He got fresh,” Genesis said. “We got her away from him, but he’s a big guy and he did leave a mark on her neck.”
“What?” He pulled back and Emerson kept her hand over her neck.
“What’s his name? Did you call the police? Press charges?” he asked her, demanded to know.
“No, Cassius. It’s over. He knows about you.”
“What the hell, Emerson. This is the same fucking guy who assaulted you, who hurt you, cheated on you and wanted to force him and his team on you. Were they there, too?” Her friends definitely looked shocked and fearful. He needed to calm down.
“What’s going on?” he heard his brother Raven as Emerson replied yes to his question. The fear that they could have taken her, abducted her right from the bar. Cassius was furious. Four fucking asshole soldiers with no respect for women who wanted Emerson in their bed still. He hugged her to him and she cried harder. “What happened?” Raven asked and her friends were explaining things to them.
Now Raven, Beretta, and Harley were fuming mad, too. “We should call the sheriff in Benter. If those assholes are still there they can lock them up,” Harley said.
“No, Harley, they didn’t do anything. Blake threatened me, said things, but I stood my ground. I told him it was over. To leave me alone.”
“He touched you, hurt you,” Cassius said.
“Hurt her? What did he do exactly? You better not leave a fucking thing out, Emerson.” Beretta raised his voice now, too.
“Let’s calm down. It’s obvious that she’s upset and we’re making it worse. Let’s go inside and talk. Are you ladies okay?” Cassius asked them.
“Yes. We were right there with her, Cassius. We didn’t leave her side and she really did stand her ground,” Genesis told him.
“She did, and told him he had no right to touch her, to talk to her. She even pushed him away and told him off,” Faith said.
“You ladies should have called over a bouncer and then called the police,” Harley said to them.
“It’s over, Cassius. I’m back here with you guys now. Please. Let’s just calm down,” Emerson said to him. Her friends then hugged her goodnight and then they headed out of the driveway. The guys walked with Emerson to the cottage.
Emerson started walking toward the bathroom. “Where are you going?” Beretta asked her.
“Just let me wash up really quick. Please,” she said and they could see the tears in her eyes.
“Cassius, what do we do? She should press fucking charges if he touched her and threatened her,” Harley said to him.
Cassius was breathing through his nostrils. He walked toward the bathroom, Raven on his heels, and she was washing her neck and ear, then drying it. “Let me see,” he said to her and she jumped. She held the towel against her neck.
“Now,” Raven demanded.
The tears escaped her eyes. “He’s big and strong and I couldn’t stop him as he held me around the waist and whispered hard against my ear and neck.” She held on to the sink. Raven cursed and Cassius pulled her into his arms. He ran his hand along her hair and pulled it to the side so he could see her neck in the reflection in the mirror.
“Fucking asshole. We need to call the cops,” Harley said as he and Beretta stood by the doorway.
“It won’t do anything. To report him for what? Threatening me? Telling me he made a huge mistake and wants me back?” she said.
“He said that to you?” Beretta uncrossed his arms and now he had fists by his side.
“Please, Beretta, don’t be angry.” She went to him, covered his fist and rubbed his arm then pulled his arms around her waist. He locked gazes with Cassius. “I’ll stay with you guys from now on. I won’t go out with friends like that again. Not without one of you with me, okay? He won’t be able to try that again,” she said, but she was scared and shaking. Beretta wrapped her up in his arms and he kissed her neck, right where the redness was.
“Let’s go sit down and talk about how it happened, what he said specifically and what his full name is. I think it would be smart to know more about him,” Cassius told her as they all walked to her living room.
“Definitely smarter. We can find out everything, no problem, Cassius,” Harley said to him very seriously. Cassius nodded. Beretta held her on his lap and she explained exactly how it happened and what he said and how angry he was.
“He wants her still. Son of a bitch, he threatened to abduct her. To force her to be in their bed,” Raven stated in anger and started to pace.
“No, Raven. No. That won’t ever happen. That life, those people, I never belonged there. I never should have stayed as long as I did as soon as I knew what they were into.”
“What do you mean what they were into?” Cassius asked.
“I don’t know for certain, I wasn’t privy to much until it was too late and I broke things off with Blake. I think they were selling drugs, or delivering them. Something.”
Cassius sat forward. His brothers cursed. “Hold up,” he said and took a few unsteady breaths. “Where did they live? Where were you from?” he asked.
“A small town outside of Closter. It’s not far past Benter.”
Cassius rubbed his beard. “Emerson, these men, your ex, his friends and this brother of yours, they all hang out at a bar called Freeway?”
She swallowed. “Sometimes, but mostly they go to Smith’s. It’s a small dive of a place but a bunch of soldiers and locals go there to hang out.”
“Holy fuck.”
“What is it, Cassius?” Harley asked him.
“I’m not certain, but your ex and these guys could be the ones we’ve been looking to question in the case we’re on.”
“What case? What do you mean?” she asked.
He looked at his brothers, then at her. “The person we believe has been raping, torturing and killing women is a soldier, and one from that area, or who frequents that area. Emerson, it could be Blake,” he said. She covered her mouth and began to sob. Cassius clenched his teeth and nodded for his brothers to take care of her. He stood up, pulled out his cell phone and called Alex Weathersen.
* * * *
Emerson kept her eyes closed as she snuggled deeper into the pillow. She was alone in bed, but sensed one of the men nearby. They were shaken up last night. Raven and Beretta were ready to go hunting. She heard them talking after Cassius left to meet up with the other detectives and federal agents. She was so tired, her head was pounding, her eyes felt swollen and her heart ached. As shocked as she was to learn that Blake could be a serial rapist and kille
r, her gut didn’t believe that was true or that it was him. One of his friends, his team members she wasn’t certain, but not Blake. He could be an asshole, demanding, more verbally than physically, but a rapist? It didn’t make sense. She brought her fingertips to her temples and rocked her body, trying to soothe the ache. It wasn’t dissipating.
“Emerson?” She heard Harley’s voice and then the bed dipped. She felt his hand caress her thigh and up her waist to her shoulder. “What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”
“Headache. Terrible one.”
He exhaled, the floor creaked. “Some water and aspirin,” he said and either Raven or Beretta went to get something for her. She blinked her eyes open and he pursed his lips. “You need to rest. You didn’t get much last night at all.”
“My eyes are swollen, and I feel so exhausted.”
“It’s the emotional trauma. You were talking in your sleep when you did finally pass out,” Raven said and brought over the aspirin and the water. She lifted up and took the pills and drank from the glass.
“I’ll just wait for these to kick in. Did you hear from Cassius? Any updates?” she asked.
“Blake and his team, along with Peter, your stepbrother, and your sister Felecia, and a deputy who was corrupt are all missing. The feds think they found out about the raid,” Harley told her.
“Maybe they’re wrong about Blake. Maybe it isn’t him.”
“How can you say that when he’s their main suspect? The women who were raped and murdered looked a lot like you. Brown hair, eyes colored green like yours or light in color. Petite, sweet, approachable and a few of them worked at bars as waitresses, just like you. He was obsessed with you, Emerson. He threatened you last night and you were damn lucky he hadn’t taken you or God knows what he would have done to you. To this body.” Raven raised his voice.
The tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Raven. I’m rambling. I just want this over with.” She closed her eyes and then she heard him curse, felt the bed dip and then Raven pressed up against her back and wrapped her up close in his arms. She exhaled, feeling instantly protected and content.
“I love you, angel. I just can’t stand to think about how close we came to losing you. How that ex of yours is connected to all this illegal shit. That he touched you, hurt you and threatened you, and he could be the one the cops and Cassius are searching for. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
She turned around in his arms and hugged him. She kissed his neck and squeezed him to her. “I’m scared, too, Raven. The only place I really feel safe is with my four men and in your arms.”
Raven rolled her to her back and lifted her top up and began to explore her skin on her belly. When Harley’s phone rang Raven stopped and she looked up at Harley. “It’s Cassius,” he said and answered the phone.
“Yeah, what’s up?” he asked. “Okay. Hmm, so you’re close? Yeah, I can ask her.” He covered the phone. “Cassius wants to know if there was any other location besides Freeway that Blake and his friends would hang out at? Any secret bars, clubs, or places?”
She squinted. “There’s a private back room at Malloy’s. It’s a billiards and bar. They have this room in the back. I think Terrence’s uncle owns the place,” she said to him.
“You got that?” Harley asked. “Okay, keep us posted,” Harley said and ended the call.
Raven cupped her cheek, and looked down at her breasts in the T-shirt she wore. ‘”You hang out with him at that secret place?” he asked. Putting emphasis on the word secret.
She shook her head. She could tell they were angry and jealous, but mostly fearful. They believed that Blake was a rapist and a killer. That he killed women who resembled her. Tears filled her eyes. “I love you guys so much. I’m trying to process what’s going on. That Blake is responsible for some pretty horrific things.”
He rolled to his back. She turned to look at him. Raven, hand running through his hair, the flannel shirt rolled up to his forearms, his blue jeans, and all those muscles. That gruff along his cheeks a bit thicker, probably because he stayed with her so long. They all did. Except for Cassius. Cassius was helping to hunt Blake down. She reached over toward his cheek. He remained staring up at the ceiling. “Raven.”
He looked at her. “You don’t believe that Blake is the killer. Everything that the police have, that the feds have, point toward him. He’s been in the right places, is a soldier, was your lover.” He clenched his teeth. She climbed on top of him and straddled his waist. He ran his hands immediately under her top. She was naked underneath the shirt she wore.
Emerson caressed up and down his chest. “I’m sorry that this hurts so much. Yes, we were lovers, but you know how things went down. You know I gave him my virginity, my heart and he destroyed that. He made me feel like I was nothing. It took a lot of determination and time to get past the insecurities.”
“It seems like he still has a hold on you though,” Beretta said from the doorway. She looked toward him. Shirt undone, muscles showing.
She shook her head. “He doesn’t have a hold on me.”
Raven gave her hips a little shake. “Are you fucking sure he doesn’t?” Raven pushed.
She shook her head. “I love you guys. You’re my world, my family, you’re all I have. I took a chance and gave you each my heart. Made love to you together. I’m yours. Yours,” she said firmly and then lowered down to kiss him.
He ran his hands up her shirt and when she released his lips he pushed it higher. “Arms up,” he ordered and she complied. Raised her arms up in the air and then she started to undo his shirt.
“Together,” Harley said as she undid Raven’s jeans and pulled them down. They adjusted her. She stepped off the bed as Raven stood up and got his pants off. As Beretta began to caress her back and her shoulders, she pressed Raven down to the bed and immediately took his cock into her mouth. She wanted to please him, to please them and make them see that they were her world, her everything. She sucked and bobbed her head and then felt lubed fingers insert into her asshole. She moaned against Raven’s cock.
“Fucking perfect. Making love to you is heaven, Emerson. It completes us,” Raven said and she rocked her hips and moaned deeper. Harley was on the bed now, too, joining in by cupping her breast and pulling on her nipple.
“She’s ready,” Beretta said.
“Up here now, woman. Ride me,” Raven ordered. She released his cock and Beretta helped her up, moving her so quickly she fell forward and Raven latched on to a breast. He suckled and tugged and she cried out her first release. Her men were wild, salacious lovers. As he released her breast, she sank down onto Raven’s cock. They both exhaled, but then Beretta applied a little pressure to her back with his palm and she immediately lowered. Harley was there, cock in hand, ready for her to suck on it. She opened her mouth and he pressed closer.
“You’re a damn seductress, Emerson,” he said to her.
She felt the tip of Beretta’s cock at her asshole. “Our seductress. Only ours,” Beretta said as she sucked on Harley, lifted and lowered onto Raven until Beretta slid his cock into her ass, completing their lovemaking.
In that moment her head spun, her emotions quadrupled, and everything was so clear. These were her men. She loved them. She loved Cassius and she hoped that he was okay. When he did get home to her she would love him thoroughly and make sure he knew that the only men with a hold on her were him and his brothers. Beretta thrust harder, deep into her ass. She felt like a rag doll between the men as they each held on to her and stroked their cocks into her mouth, her pussy, and her ass. The orgasm overwhelmed her.
“I’m coming,” Harley said, stroking her hair and holding her head as she sucked him down.
“Me fucking, too,” Beretta said through clenched teeth, gripping her hip bone and her shoulder as he thrust deep and fast. She moaned and Harley cursed, shot his seed down her throat and she swallowed and sucked him until he complained and fell back to the bed. Beretta cursed and grunted as he came in her asshole.
He pulled out and Raven gripped her hips and then cupped her hair and head, bringing her closer to his mouth. He kissed her, rolled her to her back, slid her arms above her head and pounded into her cunt. “I love you so fucking much. No one else ever but me and my brothers, Emerson. No one else ever,” he said and then roared as he came inside of her. He released her arms as he slid his palms down her body while crushing her to the bed. He was so heavy, so strong, and she didn’t fear his strength and capabilities, theirs. She loved them and trusted all of them.
Chapter 8
“I’m at a fucking loss right now. Why the fuck can’t we gather any forensic evidence off this fucking crime scene? I mean really? We got two dead bodies. One shot four times. Twice in the stomach and chest, and then in the crotch and head. A damn deputy we know is part of the illegal drug business. Now this woman, too? Raped, beaten, and her throat cut. This guy is fucking sick,” Special Agent Hernandez from the FBI stated with his hands on his hips and looking at all the blood and gore in the deputy’s house.
Cassius listened as the other detectives looked on. A forensics team was there and his expertise wasn’t needed, nor were Alex’s and Jeb’s. Cassius rubbed his eyes.
“Her sister. Jesus, man, this guy Blake, if he’s the killer, he just took out Emerson’s own sister,” Alex said to him.
Cassius shook his head. “I don’t know what the hell is going on. I don’t, but Emerson is going to lose it with this. She basically knows that Blake is killing women, raping them and torturing them, and choosing them because they look similar to her. That in itself is giving her nightmares. Now I have to tell her that her sister Felecia is dead, and in the same manner and more than likely by the same person,” Cassius said to them.
“We’re here for you, Cassius, and for Emerson and your brothers,” Alex told him and he nodded and wondered how he would tell her. What she would want to do, and how she would react?
“You should go home and be with her and your brothers. There’s nothing more any of us can do here. The FBI is taking over. We can remain being part of the investigation and can be here when they catch this sick fuck,” Jeb said to him.
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