LOCK

by Debra Anastasia

  Her beautiful lips weren’t just made for blowjobs, I know that. But my dick had other plans. He was all about fucking the hell out of her mouth. The silk of her hair tipped between my legs and she adjusted her angle. She lay on her side, opening her throat to take as much of me as she could.

  At my disposal was her beautiful, naked body. I had serious concerns that she would rush me into an embarrassingly quick orgasm, where I might scream just like a monkey beating up another monkey.

  But my dick didn’t care; it didn’t care about anything but the beautiful pleasures of her mouth. Her tongue was warm and so, so busy. Her tongue was so busy it probably had its own Google calendar. Maybe a briefcase.

  Oh shit. I had gone full mental. I was giving her mouth its own career. I clenched hard on my release, knowing my eyes were probably pointing in different directions.

  A quiet voice deep in my head started screaming to mount her, to stop looking like a disaster and try to be sexy if I could.

  I pushed on her hips and stared at her gorgeous face. I positioned myself over her and stopped. “You are…” and I stopped. Her beauty had gotten her kidnapped. She touched my cheeks and then slid her hands behind my neck.

  She bit her bottom lip and looked from my eyes, to my lips, to between her legs. It was the single hottest thing I’d ever experienced. And I slid inside her. If I thought her mouth was heaven, then her vagina was heaven on fire. I grabbed her leg and pushed it up. And then I let go of any restraint I had been pretending to have.

  Chapter 58

  Ember

  I’D BEEN LOOKING AT the door, half-concerned that it was unlocked until he was on me. And then there was only him.

  Lock. His hands on my hips. He was strong and he was home somehow. This wasn’t sex. It was salvation. A tiny bit. Since I’d been here I’d been on the edge, waiting for my demise.

  But this took everything away. There was only his beautiful face and muscles working for my pleasure. When he was inside me, the tension that I’d been feeling ripped through me. He hushed me as I moaned out loud.

  If there was something the opposite of a punch, Lock had found it and used it between my legs. I was getting slammed with adoration.

  The second orgasm was all clenching until it was spellbinding. I became softness. And he followed soon after. I reached up for him and encouraged him to land on top of me. The weight of him pressing me into the mattress grounded me. Made me feel real. Reminded me who I’d been before this whole nightmare.

  Our night became a test of our endurance and pent-up feelings.

  Even when morning came, and Lock had left, I could still feel his hands all over me. I tried to catch them, which was pointless. He’d added color back into my life, even if only for a night. I was missing him and our old lives. We’d just been starting out. Discovering each other.

  But he’d given me hope. It was time to try to get out. Olin Feybi was dangerous. Cosmo and Felix were very, very grateful that I’d stepped between them when they were caught. But this morning over coffee, they both looked worried. I was in with them both now. I had not touched my mug. Cosmo leaned toward Felix. Felix glanced at Cosmo’s hand over and over like he wanted to hold it.

  “How long do we have before your father comes back?” I hated to bring it up, but we were all living in suspended reality.

  Cosmo took out his phone. “Not anytime soon. Dad left on the plane this morning. So the guys say.”

  Felix stood and got my textbooks from the ottoman in the living room. “Maybe we learn while we wait?”

  Cosmo tapped his fingers on the table. “Who was it last night?”

  I felt my face grow pale. I was positive we’d been quiet enough. I didn’t answer.

  Cosmo cleared his throat as Felix put the books down on the table. “Because, we could maybe go on a little trip? And I’d want you to bring whoever that was.”

  I snapped my gaze at him, my eyes narrowing. Naming Lock seemed like a horrible idea for keeping him safe.

  “What do you mean?” I needed more information.

  “Well, I wanted to go skiing. And if we went together, you could bring someone as protection—your choice. Like whoever was here last night, as a guard. And we’d keep your education going as well. With Felix. We have a cabin…” Cosmo rubbed his thumbs on his fingertips.

  Cosmo was living in a dream world. I was no expert on the Feybi family, but I knew the mask of rage on Olin’s face would come to some sort of reckoning. But then there was last night.

  In Lock’s arms. Feeling almost safe. Feeling almost home. It could get him killed. I was already on track for either death or prison. A shiver ran up my spine and over my shoulders.

  “Let’s say we saw it was Lock? Would you be amenable to having him come along?” Felix flipped open my math textbook. He posed the question like it was part of a pop quiz.

  The selfish part of me nodded once. Affirmative. I wanted Lock to come with me. I wasn’t sure if I’d just signed his death warrant with my neediness.

  But I was in love with him. And my heart wanted him. If this was the only power I got to have, I just prayed it wasn’t going to hurt him.

  _______________

  It turned out that the Feybis had more than one plane. I was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. So incredibly understated for what was usually asked of me. Ann was staying here. We brought Felon, Lock, Volt, and Skinny. Felix and Cosmo stayed on opposite sides of the plane, letting me know that not all the men here were to be trusted. Lock acted like I hadn’t had my legs wrapped around his neck last night, though I felt like the information was broadcast on my forehead.

  How was he even hotter now?

  He’d packed a light bag. I watched him as he checked the contents in his chair. I was more than a little curious about the hatchet he shined up briefly before tucking it back inside the bag. He caught my eye as I watched. His tongue peeked out, then a slow smile pulled up his lips on one side. When I bit my lips together, it evolved into a full grin. And then he dropped his attention back to his bag.

  Cosmo leaned over to me and whispered, “Breathe, rainbow girl.”

  I gave him a quick look. “How’d you know about that?”

  “I Googled you. I preferred the colors. I like rainbows.” He gave me a wink, and I shook my head, chuckling.

  “Thank you again,” he whispered into my ear as the plane began its takeoff. “I damn near shit myself when you stepped between us.”

  I knew what he meant. It had been an impulse. I was still waiting to see if it made sense. I felt like every breath I took was through Olin’s stranglehold on my neck.

  Chapter 59

  Animal

  THEY HAD LEFT ON a plane. That was the last intel I had. We were working hard on taking down not only Olin Feybi but also his entire empire. I was pulling in the big guns. When we got Ember out, no one would be left alive to mess with us. Or her.

  Merck pulled his old man car next to my SUV. This man was my secret weapon. He may have been a retired cop, but he loved his own. It was time to clue him in to the danger Ember was facing.

  I held the envelope that proved that Ember was his daughter. I’d broken into his house myself to get the sample from his brush. Ember’s hair was all over her room. After getting it tested, it was beyond a reasonable doubt that he was Ember’s father.

  Ember and Nix’s mother had tried to leave Nix’s dad years and years ago. Ember was the only evidence that she had loved Merck. He didn’t need this proof to help me. He’d help because I’d asked. Just because Ember’s mom, Elise, had asked.

  Patrick Merck was a true man. A good man. He was devoted to his horrible wife. He was almost my adoptive father. Circumstances had changed the paperwork but not the reality that he was devoted to me. And I was to him.

  I got out of the driver’s side and embraced the man. He seemed a bit faded now. His hair grayer, his midsection a little soft. But he whacked my back with the same vigor.

  “Hey! How’s it going? You got me
any grandchildren yet?” He kept a hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

  He insisted on treating me like a son and I never missed it. We shared a mutual respect that ran deep.

  “Nah. Not yet, big man. T’s holding off on that for a bit.” I smiled wide and it was echoed on his face. We didn’t mention that T was a talented assassin and that play dates at the local park weren’t in her future anytime soon.

  “Listen, I hate to cut to the chase, but we have a situation that requires all hands on deck. Even yours.” I handed him the envelope that would confirm what he’d known unofficially for the entirely of Ember’s life.

  He took it and held it. Whatever I was asking, he knew I was desperate, because I’d never tapped into his contacts on the right side of the law before.

  Merck let go of my shoulder to hold the envelope with both hands. The smile fell from his face. I’d gotten serious fast on him. I needed to remedy that with a visit if we all lived through what I was proposing.

  Merck tore into the envelope like it was a bill to be paid. It was so much more. I watched his eyes as they raked over the page. I knew he was seeing that he had for sure fathered a child with the woman he loved. Nineteen years earlier. I saw the goose bumps raise on his forearms. He swayed a bit and I put out an arm to steady him.

  “She’s mine.” He looked from the page to the sky.

  “I knew you said that you didn’t need to know. But…” I watched as his knees almost collapsed. I stepped up to him and held his shoulders.

  “She’s so beautiful. Just like Elise. So much fire in her.” Emotion hit him. His eyes filled up. It brought a lump to my throat.

  “She’s amazing. And I’m not surprised that you’re her dad.” I made sure he was solidly on his feet before stepping back.

  “Why are you telling me this?” He patted the paper with one hand.

  I sighed deeply. This was the part I needed to have him trust me with. “She’s being held.”

  And like that, his professional demeanor snapped over him like war paint. He wanted details, time, places. And I’d give him all the things he was asking for. “But first, I need you to understand what’s at stake. And how illegal this is all going to be.”

  “I’ll save her if it’s the last thing I do.” I’d heard that said in the past, but I’d never seen a gun cocked in someone’s eyes before. He meant it.

  Chapter 60

  Lock

  SHE WAS NESTLED NEXT to Cosmo and they were trading confidences. Well, that’s how I thought of it. And I didn’t want to think about it.

  When Felon told me I was going on the plane with Ember and her boys, I thought it was a shit idea. Taking off to a different part of the country seemed like a needless risk. But then I realized that we’d be off the compound, which would increase the possibility of getting away without getting about 400 million bullets lodged in our backs.

  Felon was sitting in the back. I was so used to him being quiet in front of others that I didn’t even try to ask him questions anymore. I’d shined my hatchet. I pictured chopping off Olin’s head. I put it back and then she smiled at me. Over her shoulder, full-on smiling at me. Then she seemed to remember herself. She turned to talk to Cosmo again.

  Her naked body slammed into my imagination again. Between them both. And then on her bed for me. So different. When she was for me, spread for me. Coming for me.

  I had to adjust myself. Thinking of her like that was complicated surrounded by dudes. I couldn’t stop the boner, so I moved my hands to cover it as casually as I possibly could. I needed to stay on point. Ready to move. She was clouding my head. Well, she always did, but now I had actual images of her nude body in my head.

  I didn’t have time to tell Nix, Animal, and T about the impromptu visit to the mountains to ski. I hoped they knew. I tried to imagine where we were going, but no one was even telling me if we were going across country or north a few states. I glanced back at Felon. He was sensing my restlessness because he raised his hand and lowered it, as if to request that I turn down my anxiousness a notch. I listened and took my seat.

  We’d been on the plane at least three hours, so I was figuring we were up by Canada, maybe. When we landed, it seemed like a private airport, judging from the staircase they rolled over to us to disembark. After Cosmo helped Ember down the stairs, we all carried the bags behind them to the waiting cars.

  I didn’t like it. Too many ways for Olin to track us. But then I realized Cosmo didn’t mind if his father knew where we were. He wanted the whole “your future wife is a giant bed swapping maniac” thing to blow over.

  I flashed to her, her face etched with pleasure. It had been so special, I felt rage that she had to use her body to save Cosmo. Though doing it had saved her as well, I think she’d put that together when she saw them naked. The minute that Olin realized they were a gay couple Ember was doomed. She was a clever girl. Quick on her feet. Thank God.

  Cosmo, Felix, and Ember led the way. Rumors had gotten around, so I saw Volt and Skinny hitting each other and wiggling their eyebrows. They didn’t know about me. Felon and I went in our own car. He still said nothing, but offered me a piece of gum. Happy it wasn’t a Tootsie Roll, I took it.

  We sat in silence for the hour ride. Judging from the signs we were in upstate New York. We’d passed the sign for Poughkeepsie a while back.

  Pulling up to the cabin, I realized it was more like a resort. Or a wooden mansion. The layout was perfect if you wanted to sequester yourself and your gay lover far away from prying eyes.

  There was a bottom floor for security and the upper three floors were for Cosmo, Felix, and Ember. Felon was picky about rooms. He chose a weirdly laid out one for me, which required me to go through his room to even enter. There were no windows either. It was almost as if a walk-in closet was renovated to be a bedroom. There was a bathroom between Felon’s room and mine.

  After we’d unpacked our weapons and checked that they were properly working, Felon closed his door to the hallway. He opened a closet in my bedroom and pointed up to the air vent.

  I went to my tiptoes and pushed on the vent. It lifted to reveal the inner working of the old cabin. Felon pointed to it.

  “If your girl gets this bedroom on the third floor, that goes up a floor and you can climb up in there.” I nodded and pulled the door closed behind me. “I’ve made mistakes. But I think you deserve a bit of happiness, even if you only get it here.” Felon unpacked his stuff. The giant, bulk store-sized bag of Tootsie Rolls had a drawer of its own.

  Later that evening, I passed a note to Ember letting her know that I’d be climbing up the air vent to see her. Felon had assured me there were no cameras in her room. I said I would knock.

  I wasn’t sure what happened upstairs for dinner after the pizza man left the food with us. Felon volunteered to start guard duty and told me that I could swap off with him at six a.m.

  I showered and waited, wearing sweatpants and an old T-shirt. I thought of Mom and Rhy. This might be a place I could pinch off a note to them. I pictured the snowfall on the sloping hill behind the “cabin” until the dark fell as well.

  When it was solidly evening, I walked over to the closet and pulled open the door. The climb through the air vent was easy. I used the pipes to help me pull myself up. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who’d done this climb. There were worn spots that had shoe treads on them. Then I wondered how Felon had known about it. Maybe he took the same trek to see Cosmo’s mom.

  There was a good amount of light shining above me, which was puzzling until I arrived at the top of the vent. Her closet was wide open and my girl was sitting there cross-legged, waiting for me.

  She yanked on my shoulders and then my pants as she lay back and drew me on top of her. I kissed her gratefully for a few minutes. Eventually, I had to pull her forward underneath me until I could kick the closet door closed with my foot.

  We made out like it was stolen time, because it was.

  Chapter 61

  Ember


  I RIPPED HIS SHIRT off his body. I should get details. How were we going to manage this? Should we set an alarm? It didn’t matter because his lips tasted like a promise of pleasure. And I was a junkie for that feeling. I wanted him before I was trapped, but now that I’d had him, he was the answer to the hole in my heart. The emptiness I’d had since I pushed my brother and Animal and T away. He knew I was a prisoner. And he made everything melt away. I kissed his shoulder and then flipped him on his back. He held my thighs as I straddled him. I had lace panties under my T-shirt. He skimmed the hem of them with his fingers. I leaned forward and kissed his chest, licking and nipping from one nipple to the other. I pushed up to capture his earlobe between my teeth.

  He slid my panties to the side and found my clit. I swiveled my hips to encourage him. With his other hand he cupped my breast, rubbing my nipple though my T-shirt.

  I tilted my head back, sitting harder on his hand. He had a wicked smile as he let go of my breast and used both hands to bring me closer to the edge. Between the rubbing and having his fingers inside of me I knew I’d be done soon. His chest was lean, but the muscles moved as he watched me with lust in his expression. I pulled off my shirt, because he deserved the tits.

  His pupils widened. And then it was as if the sight of me in my panties sitting on him was too much. He growled a little and then lifted me off his hips.

  I waited to see what he planned for me. He picked me up and carried me to the bed, stopping to put his mouth all over my breasts. I arched my back in his arms.

  Like this for him, with him I wasn’t afraid of anything. The desire for him tripped a safety switch for me. There was only a carnal need to get his dick inside me. He tossed me onto the bed and slid my panties off.

  He looked between my legs and sighed. “That’s the prettiest pussy in the world.”

  I laughed as he treated me like I was art hanging in a museum. He pushed his sweatpants down and stood naked for me.