In the Crossfire

by L. P. Dover

  Kassidy was Logan’s wife. They went through hell and back last year when Logan went undercover in the motorcycle racing scene. But that was a whole other story.

  I extended my hand. “Thanks, man. I appreciate you helping me. I’ll get up with Logan soon.”

  Micah shook my hand. “He’ll be happy to see you.” He started up his bike and slid his helmet off the handlebars. “I know this isn’t any of my business, but things seem kind of hot and heavy with you and the mafia princess.”

  “And your point is?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “You’re walking on dangerous ground. If she finds out why you’re really around, she could turn on you. Being an enemy of the mafia, especially with the Corsinos, can only end badly.”

  “I know,” I said, huffing. “Don’t you think I know that?”

  Micah nodded and slipped on his helmet. “Whatever happens, I got your back. I’m sure your family would, too, if you let them know what’s going on.”

  “No,” I growled. “I’m not getting them involved.” And that was that. He nodded in understanding, and rode away. No matter what happened, I wasn’t going to get my family involved. I could handle it on my own.

  When I got inside, Layla was in front of the open refrigerator, dressed in a white tank top and pink running shorts, with a concentrated look on her face. “Studying hard on what you want for dinner?” I called out.

  She rolled her eyes and giggled, still keeping her attention on the contents of the refrigerator. “Hey, I want it to be good. We burned a lot of calories today.”

  I came up behind her and pulled out the steaks we bought from the store. “Why don’t we do these then? I’ll grill them.”

  “And I’ll make us a salad and some baked potatoes,” she said, shutting the refrigerator with a huge grin on her face. When she turned around, I realized why.

  Groaning, I set the pack of steaks on the counter. “You’re going to fucking kill me, Lemon Drop.”

  “What?” she said, poking out her chest.

  The white tank top did nothing to hide her taut nipples, thanks to the cold refrigerator. My cock sprung to attention, and I gripped her hips, pulling her into me. “Thought you were hungry?”

  She wrapped her arms around my neck. “I am, but I need you more. Seeing you go all alpha male and protective out there turned me on. I don’t think I can wait much longer.”

  Reaching behind her, I grabbed the back of her thighs and spread her legs around my waist. I slipped a finger underneath her shorts, and she was so fucking wet it made my dick harder.

  “Fuck me,” I groaned, burying my face in her neck. She moaned as the stubble on my chin grazed across her skin. Hearing her sounds of pleasure only made it harder for me to keep control. I carried her into the bedroom and tossed her on the bed. She giggled as I reached for her shirt, and ripped it off along with her shorts. I tore off my own clothes, loving the way she stared at me with those heat-filled eyes of hers. I crawled up the bed toward her, and she moaned, arching her back and making her perfectly plump nipples perk up higher, inviting me to them. I flicked my tongue across one of them and smiled when I saw her bite her lip. My dick was so hard it hurt, but I loved watching her squirm. I circled my tongue around her nipple before closing my lips and sucking as hard as I could. She gasped and clenched her legs tighter around me, trying to thrust her hips up.

  “Does it feel good when I suck your nipples hard?” I asked as I kissed my way down her stomach.

  “Yes,” she breathed. “It feels so good it hurts.”

  As I moved down her body, tasting every inch, she ran her fingers through my hair and held on tight. I loved it when she touched me and even more so when I could feel her shaking with the need to have me inside her. I kissed the insides of her thighs until I got to the delicious spot between her legs that was already swollen and ready to be touched. Spreading her legs wider, I teased her clit with my tongue and watched her tremble as chill bumps fanned out across her skin.

  “Please,” she begged.

  Her voice came out a strangled whisper, but it was all the motivation I needed. No more teasing…no more playing around. I pushed my tongue as deep as I could go, savoring her, and watched her face as I brought her to climax. She was so fucking perfect and she was mine…at least for now.

  Slowly, I crawled back up her body so I could gaze down at greenish-brown eyes when I made love to her. “Did you like that?” I asked with a smirk on my face.

  She chuckled and wrapped her legs around my waist. “You have no idea how much,” she murmured in that seductive voice of hers. “Now I want to feel you inside me.”

  Pushing in just a little bit, I circled my hips to get her ready for me. “Like this?” I asked, thrusting in a little deeper.

  She shook her head and whispered, “No, I need more.”

  She was so tight, and clenching so hard, I felt like I was going to lose my fucking mind. When I entered her fully, she cinched her legs tighter around my waist and moved her hips along with mine as I thrust inside of her. I licked and sucked her nipples one after the other as I pounded my hips against hers. Her cries and moans were about to send me over the edge, especially when she groaned out my name.

  “Bryce…”

  The second her nails dug into my back and her muscles clenched tighter around my cock, I knew it was game over. She started to scream as her orgasm started to hit its peak, but I covered her mouth with mine and mingled her cries with my own as I came inside of her. Gazing down at her and that beautiful smile on her face, I finally realized how deep I was. There was nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for her. The worst thing about loving hard was falling hard when you lost it. I dreaded the day she’d see me as an enemy.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked quietly.

  I brushed the hair off her forehead. “Because you’re everything I never had, and now that I have you, I’m so afraid of losing you.”

  Her eyes welled up, and a tear fell down the side of her face. “I feel the same way, Bryce,” she admitted. “All I want is to have a normal life, to be away from the mess I was born into. I don’t want to be a part of it anymore.”

  I didn’t want her to either, but her father would never allow it. Taking her away to Wyoming was an option, but that would involve me telling her the truth. Lying down beside her, I pulled her to my chest and ran my fingers through her soft blonde hair.

  “Where else would you want to be?” I asked.

  She placed a hand over my heart and looked up at me. “With you. I don’t care where we have to go, or what you have to do, I want to be there.”

  “Even if I have to kill a mark? You’re okay with coming with me?”

  I stared right into her eyes, and her gaze never wavered. “Yes. I’m not afraid of what you do, Bryce.” There was nothing but truth on her face, but it was still hard to comprehend. My brothers had found women who were okay with their lifestyles, but I never thought it’d be possible for me.

  “No one’s ever looked at me the way you do. Why is that?”

  Her eyes glistened, and she sat up, straddling my waist. She cupped my face with her soft hands, and kissed me. “Maybe it’s because when I look at you, I see the man behind that hard exterior. You’ve protected me, and you didn’t owe me a thing.” She kissed me again, and rested her forehead to mine. “I’m falling hard for you, Bryce. It scares me, but I am.”

  I knew the feeling.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Layla

  It was strange how fast time flew by. Two weeks had passed, and we were already in August. It was a beautiful, warm day in Franklin, North Carolina, so Bryce and I decided to go for a drive. I wanted to see more waterfalls, and it turned out there were some movie-famous ones in the area.

  Closing my eyes, I breathed in the fresh air as the wind whipped through my hair. Jack Johnson played over the radio as Bryce expertly drove through the mountain curves. I looked over at him and smiled. Over the past two weeks, I’d realiz
ed how precise and smooth he was with everything he did, from driving and shooting, to even talking. He was good with words, especially when he’d accepted calls from my father when I wouldn’t. There was no hint of fear or uneasiness. To be a trained killer, I guess you had to have a level of ruthlessness and courage. Some would probably say I was insane for getting involved with a man like him, but I had no regrets.

  “Is there a reason you’re staring at me, Lemon Drop?” he asked, smirking slyly.

  “Because I can,” I replied back. “Do I need a reason?”

  He chuckled. “No.”

  I reached over and ran a hand through his wind-blown, dark hair. In New York, he used to gel it back, but I liked it much better now. He’d changed in the short amount of time we’d been away, and so had I. It was as if we were two totally different people than when we met each other.

  Bryce nodded toward the road. “We should be coming up on Bridal Veil Falls in a minute.”

  Just last night, I’d flipped through the TV channels and ended up finding The Last of the Mohicans. It turned out that part of it was filmed in the area, including one of the iconic waterfall scenes, which ended up being Bridal Veil Falls.

  Up ahead, I could see the falls. It cascaded over the road where people could walk behind the water. There was no one around, so we had the place all to ourselves. Bryce pulled over to the side of the road, and we got out. He reached for my hand as we crossed the road, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

  We stood behind the waterfall, and I looked up at the water as it flowed down. “This is amazing.”

  Bryce squeezed my hand. “Figured you’d like it.” He pulled me to him and kissed me.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him again. “I do. Thanks for bringing me. It was nice to get away from the cabin. One day I’d like to have a normal life again—go to work, that kind of thing.”

  Bryce nodded. “That’ll mean going back to New York, though. You ready for that?”

  “Not yet.” I shook my head. “I can always practice law in a different state if I want to. I just have to pass their bar exam.”

  “Sounds like you’ve already thought this through.”

  “I have,” I confessed. “I already told Dominic I don’t know what I’ll do once everything blows over.”

  “Have you talked to your brother today?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Earlier, while you were in the shower. I talked to Faith too.” He knew I missed them. My brother and Faith made sure to keep in touch with me. There wasn’t a day that’d gone by that I hadn’t spoken to them. My father, on the other hand, was a different story. He had my new phone number, and he called me frequently, but I wasn’t ready to pretend that everything was okay between us. I couldn’t find it in my heart to trust him, not after everything he’d done.

  Bryce guided me over to a large rock, and we sat down. “I’ve been thinking. Maybe it’s a good time for you to meet Logan and Kassidy. They’re good friends of mine.”

  He’d talked about them before, but I didn’t know much about them. “How do you know them?” I asked.

  His lips pulled back in a small smile. “Family friends. We can trust them. They know who you are, so you don’t have to hide that.”

  That was a relief—although it would’ve been fun to pretend I was actually Layla Chandler. I really missed having a friend nearby. “Let’s do it,” I said. I was curious to see what kind of friends Bryce had, other than Micah. Micah had a tall, dark and dangerous feel to him, but he had a joking side. It made me wonder what Logan and Kassidy would be like.

  As we walked back to the car, Bryce called Logan to tell him we were on our way to his house. Once on the way, it turned out that their place was only about two miles away from our cabin. They had a long driveway lined with cherry blossom trees and a lovely white house with a wraparound porch. It was quaint and very beautiful.

  “What exactly does Logan do?” I asked, looking up at the house.

  Bryce parked the car, and turned his attention to the house. “He races sport bikes and owns a racing team with Kassidy. They got married a few months ago.”

  We hopped out of the car just as the front door opened, and a man who I assumed was Logan walked out. He was tall with blond hair, wearing a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. Following behind him had to be Kassidy. She was a little shorter than me, with brown hair tied back in a low ponytail. In her hands was a motorcycle helmet.

  Logan hurried down the front porch steps and held out his arms to Bryce. “Damn, it’s good to see you. It’s been so long.” Bryce smiled, and it was the first time I’d seen him look like that with someone other than me. Then again, I’d only seen him around my family, and with him knowing what my father had done, I could see why he was always tense and serious. It was nice seeing a new side to him.

  Bryce hugged Logan and patted him on the back. “It’s good to see you too.”

  Kassidy set the helmet down on the steps, and smiled at me. “Hi, Layla. I’m Kassidy, but everyone calls me Kassie.”

  She held out her hand, and I shook it. Bryce said they knew who I was, which didn’t give me much comfort. There was no telling what they’d seen or heard on the news about my family. “It’s nice to meet you, Kassie.”

  Logan turned to me, his blue eyes glinting with excitement. “Ready to have some fun?” He nodded toward the side of the house, and we followed him.

  I grabbed onto Bryce’s arm. “What kind of fun is he talking about?”

  Bryce put his arm around my shoulders. “You’ll see. But don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”

  I had no clue what was going on, at least not until I saw the motorcycles in the garage. Logan pointed at the metallic blue and white one, with two helmets on it, ready to go. “This one’s for you two. Micah’s already at Deals Gap, waiting for us.”

  Eyes wide, I stood there, completely frozen. I’d never been on a motorcycle before, and a huge part of me was super nervous, but also exhilarated, at the thought of being on one. Bryce held out one of the helmets to me. “It’ll be fun, I promise. All you have to do is hold on.”

  Taking a deep breath, I slipped on the helmet, and Bryce fastened it up. “What exactly is Deals Gap?” I asked.

  His grin broadened. “Only one of the curviest roads in the country.”

  My stomach dropped. “Great.” He straddled the sport bike, and I climbed on behind him, holding my arms tight around his waist. The motorcycle roared to life, and I closed my eyes.

  “Don’t let go,” Bryce shouted.

  And then we were off.

  *

  I’d often heard the phrase, seeing my life flash before my eyes, but I’d never really seen it for myself until today. And no, it wasn’t because I was afraid of Bryce losing control of the motorcycle. On the contrary, it was something entirely different. The adrenaline, the speed, the danger. It was everything I’d never felt before, and it made me realize that I hadn’t lived life to the fullest. I was never allowed to until Bryce came into my life.

  We made it through Deals Gap unscathed, and now we headed back to Logan and Kassidy’s house with Micah following behind us. All of them together reminded me of what a family should be like. I envied them.

  Once at the house, the guys hooted and hollered as we pulled into the garage. I slid off the bike, and Bryce helped me with my helmet. My hair was a sweaty mess underneath.

  “We survived. Did you have fun?”

  My heart still pumped wildly. “Hell yeah. I was scared to death though.”

  Kassidy walked up to us, and laughed. “Count your blessings. Imagine riding with that one,” she said, pointing at Logan. “He’s a maniac.” Logan grinned and winked at her, and she did the same before turning back to me. “Do you want something to drink?”

  “Sure,” I said. I set my helmet on the bike, and followed her into the back door of the house. The kitchen walls were a bright yellow, which made the house seem even more inviting. I loved it. “You have a beautif
ul home, Kassie.”

  “Thanks. It’s the home I grew up in. When my mother died, she left it to me. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” She grabbed two glasses out of the cabinet, and poured them full of what appeared to be freshly squeezed lemonade out of the refrigerator.

  I never realized how many people lived without their mothers. Kassie lost hers and so did Bryce. We all had that in common. “I know how that is,” I confided. “My mother’s gone too. She designed my house, but my father lives there too. It breaks my heart that I can’t be there. It’s where I still feel close to her.”

  She handed me one of the glasses, her expression sad. “Yeah, I know why you’re here. I can’t imagine being in your shoes right now. Does Bryce know who those men were who chased you?”

  I shook my head. “No, but he’s making sure I’m prepared. We’ve been working on my shooting skills and self-defense moves.” Even though it’d been a while since my brother trained me, I picked it back up pretty quickly.

  “That’s good,” Kassie agreed. “We always need to be prepared.” She nodded toward the hallway. “Come on, let’s go sit on the front porch.” I followed her through the house and out the front door. She sat down on the wooden swing, and I sat beside her. We rocked gently and sipped on our lemonade. The view of the mountains from her porch was breathtaking.

  “I don’t think I’d ever get tired of this if I lived here,” I murmured.

  Kassie sighed. “I love it. Everything’s laid back and quiet. Plus, all of my family and friends are here—well, except for my sister. She’s a sports reporter and always traveling. In fact, you kind of remind me of her. She’s tall and blonde, just like you.”

  “Sounds like you miss her.” I finished off my lemonade and set my glass down on the small table beside me.

  She nodded, and I could see the sadness in her eyes. “I do. She’s my best friend. I’m pretty sure Micah’s bummed she’s not here, but she’s always busy.”

  “My brother and I used to be close. That is, until he got in deep with the family business.” I took a deep breath and listened to the sounds all around us. Birds chirped and crickets sung, mixed in with the sound of Bryce, Logan, and Micah’s laughs echoing from the back of the house. “To be honest, I feel more at home here than I do in New York with my whole family.”