The Shikari 3: The Order

by Dora Blume

  “Sloane, what are you doing?” his voice was husky as she began unbuttoning her jeans.

  “I told you. I’m taking a shower. The ad said there was a working washer and dryer here. I’m going to pop my clothes in it. It’d be pointless to take a shower if my clothes are still covered in dust,” she shrugged as she slid her jeans down her legs slowly. She blinked at Mike through her long lashes.

  “Dammit, Sloane, you planned this.” He let out a frustrated breath.

  “No, I had no idea I would be stashing a device in a dusty attic.” She turned to go find the washer. There was still some laundry soap from the last person who stayed. She threw her shirt and jeans in the tub and set it to start. Mike’s footsteps entered a moment after she did. Turning to look at Mike, she saw the heat of desire in his eyes. Sloane stood in her plum bra and panties. A shiver ran through her at the heated look in Mike’s eyes. He closed the distance between them, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss. Her breath caught as his hands grazed her sides to wrap around her lower back. He pulled her body flush with his. Her hands slid over the hard lines of his shoulders and back. A little thrill ran through her at getting exactly what she wanted. Mike couldn’t resist her. He pulled back from her mouth to trail kisses along her jawline, down to her neck. Sloane bit his earlobe, and he let out a little grunt as his hands reached down to grip her thighs. He lifted her into his arms and deposited her on top of the washer.

  He captured her mouth in another fiery kiss. His lips were soft and demanding on hers. She knew a little of the heat he was radiating was his temper flaring. He would get her back for stalling them. He always had interesting ways of making her pay for not listening to him. His hands roamed up her thighs to the waistband of her panties.

  “Have I told you how much I love when you wear these.” He slid them down her legs, his eyes focused on hers.

  “Well, not in so many words,” A sly smile spread over her mouth.

  “I’m much better at showing you than telling you.” He pushed her thighs further apart as he dipped his head between them. His tongue licked up her folds, and she let out a moan. “I think I’ll show you just what I think of your little stunt today.” His tongue lapped at her clit. She leaned back against the cold metal of the washer. She could feel the sloshing of her clothes as it continued through the wash cycle.

  “Oh shit,” she cried as his tongue worked over her sensitive nub. Her hands reached to twine in his long curls. When she grasped them even tighter, he slipped a finger inside to find another pleasurable spot. A zing went through her as he worked one then two fingers against her, playing her like he would the strings of a guitar.

  “Oh fuck, Mike!”

  The pleasure inside her was building, she was so close to release. Mike’s fingers slowed, and she gasped, leaning up to look down on him. His fingers still worked her over slowly but a devilish smile was plastered on Mike’s face.

  “Oh no, you’re not going to come yet.” Sloane’s mouth opened as she gaped at him. “I told you I was going to pay you back for this.” His fingers slowed even further. The climax that was building slowed. It remained a steady hum, but she needed more for a release. She bit her lip staring at him.

  “Please,” she begged. His rhythm increased slightly.

  “Have I told you how much I love when you beg me?”

  “No,” she panted. His fingers sped up a little more. “Mike, please, I need more. I need to feel you inside me.”

  He dipped his head back down. His tongue went back to her slit, stroking it oh so slowly. Damn him and his games. She was so tight. All her muscles felt like they were coiled and ready to spring. His fingers quickened along with the speed of her tongue. She was on the verge of spiraling out into what she could only imagine would be the best climax ever. Her hands twined back in his hair, gripping onto him for dear life.

  “Fuck, Mike,” her words were failing her. She let out little moans as he continued. He brought her to the edge. She thought she was just about to let go and Mike slowed again. She flew up.

  “What the fuck, Mike!” She narrowed her eyes. This wasn’t funny. Every muscle in her body was tense. She needed this orgasm so bad, it hurt.

  “Oh, you thought I was done with you.” His fingers stroked inside her. She slid forward and yanked at his belt. His hand stopped hers. “No.”

  “Mike, I need you inside me. If you’re not going to, I will go finish myself off because this is torture.” Her gaze held his.

  “Torture? And all the things you’ve done lately haven’t been?” His eyes darkened.

  “I knew you were going to pay me back, but this is cruel.” She slid even further back on the machine. Her clit throbbed with need as the cycle beneath her switched from wash to rinse.

  “You were making out with Ely while you were supposed to be getting the device. That wasn’t cruel. I thought he was going to join us in bed occasionally, not that you were going to start a whole new relationship with just him. I loved what we did the other night together, but I didn’t think you’d fall for him quite so quickly.” Mike dropped his head.

  “You said you were fine with it.” Sloane’s voice pitched to an almost yell. “Were you lying to me?”

  “No, I want to make you happy. I was just hoping you would realize that I make you happy. That maybe you didn’t need more than one guy.” Mike took a step away from Sloane.

  “Holy shit, Mike. I wouldn’t have kissed him if I’d known. I don’t want to jeopardize what we have.” Sloane moved closer. “You have to be honest with me.”

  “I thought I was, but when I knew you were together, I couldn’t help it. I was jealous. I love you, Sloane. I like experimenting but at the end of the day, I want to be with you, only you. I know I said I was okay with everything, but I’m not sure if I am.” His voice was ragged. He moved closer to Sloane. She held her hands out to him. He took the final step and Sloane wrapped her arms around him. He looked into her eyes before kissing her. His kiss was soft and desperate. She could feel his need for her in the way he devoured every inch of her mouth. Her clit still throbbed.

  “Mike, I love you more than anything.” She gripped him tighter. Wrapping her legs around him, she rocked her hips. She could feel the bulge in his pants. Her clit throbbed, needing attention. Mike let out a chuckle.

  “Sorry, now where was I?” His head dropped between her legs. His tongue moved so fast against her clit that within seconds her orgasm hit. She fell back against the washer as wave after wave of pleasure rocked her body. She let out a contented sigh. Mike’s hands pulled her back up. “Come on love, I believe I owe you a little more than that.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the first bedroom. He placed her gently onto the bed and kicked off his jeans. Sloane loved the sight of his lean body. He stood there for a second taking her in, the love and admiration in his eyes mirrored her own. “Maybe you were right, we needed this time together.”

  The bed dipped as he crawled up to meet her lips. His kiss was soft and sensual. His lips moving slowly against hers. She ran her hand down the hard muscles of his back. Her fingers closed around the velvety soft skin of his cock. She stroked her hand down his length, and he let out a gasp. She caught it with another soft kiss.

  “Mike, I need you and only you.” She guided him to her entrance. Sloane loved the feel of him resting at her opening. He backed up to look into her eyes as he slid himself in to the hilt. She marveled at the fullness of him. His strokes began slow as he built her to a steady hum. He dipped out of her occasionally to glide his cock up her folds. A moan escaped her every time his cock slid over her sensitive clit. Her hands dug into his back as pleasure built up inside her.

  Mike was everything to her. Sloane liked Ely and the thrill of someone new, but Mike was her home. He’d been there for her through everything. He even took her back after her disappearance. He would always be her rock, protecting her from everything, including herself. There was no one she trusted more than Mike. She stared up at his e
yes as he rocked inside her. Her hips moved of their own accord as they met each other. A sheen of sweat covered their skin. Mike dipped his head to capture her lips.

  He bent next to her ear, “Come with me, love.” His husky lilt sent her over the edge. Her body quaked and she felt Mike shudder. He gripped the sheet on both sides of her as she gripped his back. When the last ripples of pleasure washed through them, Mike collapsed on top of her. His weight felt like bliss against her. She absently stroked her hand through his long dark curls. His hair was one of her favorite things. She loved running her fingers through the soft silky strands.

  After they caught their breath, Mike rolled over onto his side, pulling her against him. She felt his breath hot against her neck. “Sloane, I love you so fucking much.” He gripped her tight against him.

  “I love you too, Mike.” She turned her head to kiss him. She knew they didn’t have long before they had to go running back to the others. This moment was exactly what she’d wanted. They needed time to reconnect before they went into another battle. She had to show Mike how much she loved him. “No matter what happens, we always have each other,” Sloane said, nestling herself against Mike.

  “That we do,” He kissed her hair. She closed her eyes, basking in her few moments of bliss with the only man she ever loved.

  CHAPTER 18

  Sloane

  Sloane noticed the concerned look on Erik’s face before he spoke a single word. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Oh, hey, good you’re back. Bryant called. It seems the demons are acting on something important. Bryant called and said they needed help immediately. I’m not sure what’s going on exactly, just that Bryant seemed pretty panicked.” Erik sighed. “I want to tell you about my visit there earlier before we go. Bryant hasn’t really been doing the best job when it comes to trying to actually save the archives. I’m starting to wonder if he’s doing the exact opposite, actually.” Erik’s eyes looked to the floor before resting on Sloane.

  “So, you’re finally coming around to my side, huh, brother?” Her words were a little too harsh, and she regretted them when she saw him flinch. It wasn’t his fault he loved their back-stabbing father. Sloane had just caught on to his betrayal a little sooner than Erik had. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. It’s just that he pisses me off. Him getting away with his betrayal for so long. He even had me convinced after Minneapolis. I’m not sure he was being anywhere near honest, even then. He says he’s been doing everything to get revenge for our mother, and maybe in some twisted way, he believes that to be true. But I have a feeling his working with the demons has more to do with his own gains than it ever did our mother’s death.” Sloane crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Yeah, you might be right.” Erik swept his gaze over the others in the room. Sloane slid her hand into Mike’s twining their fingers together. She wanted to show Ely that their bond was stronger than ever. His eyes dipped to their hands, and he steeled his face into a solid mask. Sloane had seen the slight grimace before he was able to hide it. She wondered if it was because they were together or because of their fight earlier. She wouldn’t know until she was able to talk to him. It didn’t look like that was happening anytime soon. She had regretted being impulsive and kissing him. He was right about her screwing up the mission. She wasn’t sure she’d ever admit that to him though. She didn’t like having her flaws pointed out like that. Yet, Ely had no problem with asking her about them. He even seemed like he didn’t care if him asking her about her impulsivity hurt her. He acted angry after he’d asked. Like it was his pride she hurt. She wasn’t sure their relationship would be mended. After her talk with Mike, she wasn’t sure she should even try. Huffing out a breath she focused her attention back on Erik. She had other things to think about right now.

  “Bryant and Ethan haven’t been trying that hard to get help from other cities. He said there were demons attacking in all the other major cities so people didn’t want to leave them unprotected. I know we’ve seen an increase in demon attacks across the country but I can’t imagine no one wanting to come save the archives. The order is the center of our organization. Without them, we’re lost.” Erik shook his head. “I’m not all that sure Bryant or Ethan even contacted anyone. I don’t believe their story. It just doesn't make any sense.” Erik’s eyes looked from Sloane to Mike. “Have you heard from anyone in Minneapolis? I can’t imagine our friends not coming to help. We already took care of the threat there.” Erik’s eyes stayed trained on Mike.

  “Unless there’s a new threat? Amy had to have been possessed somehow. Maybe we hadn’t taken care of everything like we thought we had.” Sloane crossed her arms over her chest. It still hurt to know that Amy had been possessed and dragged into this mess yet again. She balled her hands into fists. She wanted to get her hands on whoever had been a part of that plot. She had a feeling her father had been involved. Who else would have known about Amy?

  “I can make some calls, see if Bryant has made any contacts. I’m sure my friend watching the bar would have let me know if anything big were going on there. On the other hand, I haven’t spoken to him in a while. I’ll make a call.” He held up his hand before stalking off, clutching his cellphone in his hand.

  “Okay, so there’s some emergency going on with the order. What did Bryant tell you exactly about what’s going on?” Sloane tried to relax her hands at her sides. It was no use, her hands kept clenching and unclenching as she thought about her father and Amy.

  “He said he thought the demons had something. They’ve become more active at the archive facility. He was concerned that if we didn’t do something now, it would be too late. He thought they may have figured out how to get into the vault.” Erik shook his head. “I don’t think they would actually be able to do that, so we need to figure out why Bryant would really want us all there now.” Erik gave Sloane a serious look.

  “Could it be because we got their device before they could actually use it. I bet Bryant assumes we’re the ones who hijacked their mission. The whole thing was a little too perfect. Why would demons care who saw them pick it up from Roscoe's unless that person was worried about being discovered? The only reason they would worry about that would be because they were afraid of being identified. Who else could it be, if not one of our own? Like, our father, perhaps.” Sloane rested her hand on her hip. Jessie and Erik were both nodding in agreement.

  “It has to be him. Do you think Ethan is in on it with him?” Jessie asked.

  “I don’t know. He could be. I can’t imagine Bryant would want to have to keep up appearances all day every day. We have to assume he’s in on it. Besides, it was rather convenient how he showed up with Bryant in Colorado. You’d think they had the whole thing planned.” Erik ran his hand through his hair.

  “The only hiccup was when we all decided to go look for my mother. I’m sure he didn’t think we’d all go. He seemed furious that you would have shirked your duty and went running off with me. He also couldn’t have known how right we were to go after her. It’s how we discovered the device in the first place.” Jessie crossed her arms over her chest. “He also knows my mother well enough to be able to play her. He had to think we wouldn’t have gone after her because she was being her usual flighty self.”

  Her mother stepped into the room. “Hey, I resent that.” She pressed her lips into a hard line as she stared at her daughter.

  “Come on, mom, you have to admit you have a track record for being less than reliable.”

  Tamslyn cocked her head to the side and nodded. “Okay, fine. I do tend to drift from one adventure to another.” She gave a half shrug and pulled out a chair to sit. Scott came up and sat next to her at the table.

  “Okay, so we agree Bryant had something to do with everything going on with the demons. Now, what are we going to do about it?” Sloane looked over to Ely. Leave it to him to get right to the chase. He gave her a tight grin. Nothing between them was good at the moment. She hoped she could rectify that. Mik
e didn’t want her to be with Ely without Mike, but he didn’t say anything about the three of them being together again. Mike certainly seemed like he had enjoyed himself when they’d been together. A little thrill ran through her. She needed to get her emotions in check. All of her attention needed to be focused on the matter at hand. Even if no part of her wanted to deal with the past.

  “We’re going to find out for sure that Bryant is in league with the demons before we do anything.” Erik folded his arms together and gave Ely a sharp look.

  “Erik, come on. Who else would have gotten this far? He has to be involved, if not the leader.” Sloane gave him a sympathetic smile. She’d hated her father since the day her mother died. Her brother had been younger, but Sloane had known, even then, that he was involved.

  “We need proof. Plus, Ethan at this point is a wild card. How are we going to go running in there without a plan to out them both?” Erik asked.

  “Um, I think I can help with that.” Sloane held one finger up to halt the others. “We have what they want. Let’s dangle the bait and see if they take it.” A slow smile spread across her face as she thought about just how she would trap her father.

  “Sloane, what are you planning?” Mike stepped up behind her, looping an arm around her waist. She turned to look at him over her shoulder.

  “I think I’ll let him know that I’m the only one who knows where the device is. See if he makes any move to get me to tell him.” Sloane blinked at him, a self-satisfied smile spread across her face. Her father would definitely try and get her to tell him where the device was if he was working with the demons. He’d do whatever was necessary to get to it.

  “Okay, so what are we going to do about the demons at the archives?” Erik’s eyebrow rose as he looked to Sloane. She smiled, it was usually Erik making the plans. This time, she was going to be the mastermind.

  “We obviously need more than just us. We don’t know how many we’re up against.” Ely shifted from one foot to the other. “I might have an idea about finding some help.” His eyes shifted to Mike. “Mike can find the most powerful people in the area. We can go around and see who we can find who’d be willing to help. Mike is also pretty connected. We can call in anyone who can make the drive. We can stall any happenings on the order until tomorrow. I can’t imagine anyone around here turning us down once they know what’s at stake.” He steepled his hands in front of his mouth. Sloane could tell he was lost in thought.