by Coralee June
"Mind if I join you?" I asked while climbing the ladder that led to him.
"Was wondering when you'd find me."
I settled on a lounge chair beside him, and he handed me a glass of wine. "They have all the cheap stuff at the bonfire. I like to raid Mrs. Jameson's wine cabinet on the boat."
I laughed and began guzzling down the heady liquid. It wasn't as sweet as the punch on the shore, but it burned away the emotions rising up my throat. "Whoa, whoa, slow down," Ryker said while sitting up.
My tongue felt heavy as I slid back in the chair. I let the liquid burn my bones and coat the emotions swirling in my gut.
Ryker and I enjoyed companionable silence as we relaxed beneath the stars. He must have understood that I needed a moment. There was never any pressure with him. He enjoyed the silent moments with me, and I appreciated that now more than ever.
"Blaise says pretty things," I finally said, after staring at the stars for a while. Each muscle felt relaxed, and I had an easygoing grin. "He's good at saying the right things. Like following me to Boston? He probably said it because he didn't want me to be sad. He’s always trying to make me happy, that one."
My speech was a little slurred, but I was still aware of what I was saying. "And Gavriel? He's a tease. He likes to dance across the line and fuck with my heart ’cause he knows he can. It's not fair," I moaned while propping my head on my hand and looking over at Ryker. "I mean, have you seen him?"
Ryker stared back at me. "What about me?"
"You?" I hiccuped.
Ryker nodded.
"I want to live in your brain. I want to see things the way you do."
"No," Ryker began while standing. "You don't."
He held out a hand to me, helping me off the lounge chair. I was reluctant to move. I’d found solace under the stars. I collided with his chest, stroking his muscles with my fingertips. "Why not?"
The moonlight illuminated his dirty-blond hair, making a halo around his head, and the water lapped up along the boat's sides as he stared at my lips. "The things I want to do to you may scare you," he whispered before pulling away.
My lips parted as I let out a gasp, and a shiver of arousal traveled down my spine. "I understand being afraid to be left behind," Ryker said while grabbing my hand and leading me inside.
The houseboat was nicely furnished. Plush couches filled the space, and the wood floors were slippery as we glided across them towards the bedrooms. "Everyone I've ever loved has left me." His voice sounded strangled. I wanted to sooth the pain in his voice, kiss the furrow on his brow.
"I've been thinking a lot about LA," he then said. "I've been thinking about this beautiful girl that stole my heart. She's forbidden to touch, but oh so tempting."
Forbidden? What did he mean by that?
The master bedroom was large. A king-sized bed sat in the middle with white bedding, the plush down comforter looking like a cloud. The nightstands on both sides were dark chestnut brown and covered with candles. Ryker let go of my hand to light them.
"I’ve been a punching bag all my life," Ryker said while striking a match. One by one, he ignited each wick before walking back towards me. He looked beautiful. Haunted. Stunning.
"I can handle pain. Rejection. My mother left me as a kid, and my father taught me how to bleed. I'm going to love you, Sunshine. I’m going to do everything I can, even though I know you’ll leave. Everybody leaves." He trailed a finger down my arm. Goosebumps flared up where his skin touched mine as shadows from the candles danced around us.
"You’re going to be the one hit I can't take, but I don't care."
How could he think so lowly of himself? What pain had Ryker endured to assume that he wasn't worthy?
Before I could assure him that he deserved love, his lips descended upon mine in a frenzy. I moaned into his touch, melted into his kiss. My hands wrapped around his neck as my thighs wrapped around his waist.
"God, yes.” My voice was breathy as he set me down on the bed and took off his shirt. This wasn't slow and testing. I needed every inch of his body on mine. Desire spread through my belly like fire as I kissed him. My Ryker. So perfect.
He saw the world like none other, but he couldn't see himself. He couldn't see his thoughtfulness or selflessness. He couldn't see how handsome and strong and observant he was.
Ryker couldn't see how I'd fallen for him.
"Ryker," I whispered as he trailed kisses along my collarbone. I pulled him flush with me, the pulsing in my core throbbing when I felt his skin on mine. Was this really happening? I whimpered a little when he pulled away.
He looked at me with hooded eyes before asking, "What?" I knew this was a pivotal moment. With wine on my tongue and truth in his kiss, I knew that there would be no going back once I said these four little words.
"I'll never leave you."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Present Day
* * *
"Come on in, Callum," Gavriel said with a mischievous grin. I went still, too nervous and scared to move. What was Gavriel planning? Shame filled me. Callum had made his intentions clear, and I'd thrown it in his face.
"Blaise said you needed me. I didn't realize you were...indisposed. I'll excuse myself," Callum replied, his voice choked with emotion. I could hear the pain in his words. Feel the anger in them. I sat up, clutching the satin sheets to my chest as I stared at Callum's back. He'd turned away and had a hand lingering on the heavy, wooden door.
"Get back here, Mercer," Gavriel said, his voice holding no room for doubt. Squeezing my thigh, he then stood and began getting dressed. He moved with slow intensity, methodically fastening each button of his shirt. I was hanging onto each of his movements as the three of us remained silent. What was Gavriel planning? I didn’t want to hurt Callum more. He was already battling his code of ethics. Being here could push him over the edge, but I was curious how far he’d go before he broke.
Was I awful for wanting to test the boundaries? Maybe Gavriel was right. We were alike.
When his pants were on, Gavriel spoke again. "You can turn around now."
I watched Callum's shoulders rise and fall as if sucking in a courageous breath. When he turned to face me once more, his eyes took in every inch of my exposed skin. "Baby," he murmured under his breath before thrusting a hand through his dirty-blond hair.
"Go to her," Gavriel ordered, pulling the gun from the table and holding it in his palm. Callum looked between us, unsure what to do.
"Fuck you, Moretti, I'm not like the people you own," Callum spat.
"But you want to be," Gavriel replied. "You want to feel accepted. You want a family again, don't you?"
I watched Callum’s chest heave as he planted his feet firmly on the wooden floors. Outside, the waves crashed beneath the starry sky. My heart crashed against it’s cage. I wanted to hope that he’d cave and claim this. Claim me.
"You want this, stop pretending like you don't. This was never just about finding Sunshine. This was about finding a family, and you know it."
Callum still remained firmly by the door, and a piece of my heart went solid. I began to feel my emotional walls going up, preparing for his rejection. Callum couldn't handle the type of love and acceptance that Gavriel offered. It took a certain personality to accept his control. Being in the family was more than a decision, it was a life sentence. No matter what happened to me: once a Bullet, always a Bullet.
Gavriel took a look at me, noting the tears streaming down my face with a frown. After holstering his gun, he stormed up to Callum. "You need a push, Mercer?" Gav asked while moving behind him. Gav wrapped his hand around the back of his neck, forcing him forward.
Callum's legs moved with reluctance. Each sinking step closer to me made his face scrunch up in pain, but Gavriel was relentless. "Kiss her," Gav shouted, spit forming at the corners of his beautiful mouth as he pushed Callum's head to me.
I stared at Callum, getting lost in his blue eyes before closing the distance between us. I refu
sed to give him an opportunity to flee. My tears covered his face as I urged him forward. His lips felt hard against mine, but as I worked mine against his, they melted. "Oh fuck," he whispered before opening to me.
"Keep kissing her, don't you fucking stop," Gavriel ordered while pulling away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him head back to the liquor cart to pour himself a drink. My lips swelled as Callum’s tongue snaked in my mouth. He abandoned his suit jacket, and I scooted back on the bed. He followed my movements, matching each dip and keeping his lips on mine. Once both his knees were on the plush mattress, I unbuttoned the first two buttons of his dress shirt as he unbuttoned his cuffs. Then I lifted the hem over his head, letting my hands trail across his heated, freckled skin.
The silky sheets around me fell, giving him access to my heavy breasts. "Baby," he whispered my name like it was a secret only for him.
"Grab her," Gavriel ordered. Callum tore himself from my lips, remembering we had an audience. He looked at Gavriel in disbelief, and I watched the fire begin to fade from his eyes. I grasped his hands and placed them over my heavy peaks, begging him to knead my flesh.
Callum snapped his eyes back to me, then his eyes drifted lower. I leaned forward and kissed his neck. "Don't stop, Callum," I whispered between tastes of his skin. "Don't ever stop."
My words released a frenzy within him. He sought out my lips with his own. His kisses grew hurried as if committing each sensation to memory. "Take his pants off, Sunshine," Gavriel ordered. I felt a quiver deep in my bones. His voice and orders took the entire experience to a different level. I enjoyed knowing Gavriel had complete control of not only my pleasure—but also Callum's.
My fingers fumbled with Callum’s belt buckle. I eased his fitted pants and underwear over his muscular legs as he sucked on my pebbled nipple. Once freed, I took a moment to appreciate his glorious erection. Pure perfection. Long, thick, and hard, I ached to let it fill me.
His mouth on my breast sent shooting thrills through me. Gavriel set his glass on the table, and the clinking sound once again distracted Callum. He turned to stare, but I directed his attention back to me.
Grasping his hips, I shoved him over on the bed and blocked his view of Gavriel. "It's just you right now. All I see is you," I whispered, staring into the stormy depths of his soul. I kissed his abs, his hips, his thighs. I showed my complete devotion to his skin as he tensed in anticipation.
Grazing my lips over his thick cock, he lifted up, wordlessly urging my lips to close around him. I eased him across my tongue, closing my lips around his shaft before pumping him down my wet throat. Up and down, I moved as he groaned and squirmed. "Fuck."
Behind me, I heard movement, but I didn't dare stop. "Admit it, Callum," Gavriel said beside me. "Tell me you want to be a part of this. You want this."
Callum stiffened, but I held his thighs down with my hands. I moaned on his cock, thoroughly enjoying making him feel good. The higher he went, the wetter I got. I wanted to deliver him to oblivion with my just my lips. "Fuck off, Gav," Callum said, his voice guttural.
A hand wrapped in my hair, pulling me up and suspending me over Callum, my teeth just barely grazing across the tip of his cock. I wanted to cry out in frustration but knew Callum and Gavriel needed this. A drop of precum beaded at the top, and I ached to lick it up.
"Say it."
"No."
"You're gonna deny our girl the pleasure of sucking you off? I bet she's wet. Are you really that selfish? Say it." I tried to pull forward to kiss his glorious cock, but Gavriel's firm hold stopped me. I let out a groan and shuffled closer to ease the strain on my scalp.
"Stop, you're hurting her," Callum said while sitting up.
"No, you are," Gavriel yelled back. "You're denying her. You're denying yourself. Say you want to join my family, Callum. It's easy. The only way you can have her is through me."
A small tear streaked down my cheek, landing on Callum's thigh as I whimpered. I wanted this for Callum, more than I wanted him for myself. I wanted to know that he'd always have a family. He'd always be cared for. "Fine," Callum grit out. "I want to be a part of your family. I want this. All of this. I want her."
Slowly, Gavriel eased my head back down on Callum. My tongue swirled around him as I pulled him harder into me. Sliding down my throat, his velvety rod jerked in my mouth. "That makes you happy, Love? Sucking him off?" Gavriel asked.
My answer was a garbled "yes" as I tested how deep I could take his cock. With Gavriel guiding my movements, and Callum writhing beneath me, I felt stuck between holding all the power and giving it all up.
"I take care of what is mine, don't I?" Gavriel asked. His voice had gone smoky, each word laced with heat. I pulled up to stare at my commanding lover. He knew I needed this. Knew Callum needed a family. He needed control. How could this be so perfect? How could I be so lucky to find jagged pieces of a puzzle that fit so perfectly?
The door burst open, putting the entire room at a halt. Blaise bounded through the door, and I wiped my lip. Callum sat up with a groan.
"What?" Gavriel barked.
"Santobello's son is here and is about to leave. We have six minutes,” Blaise rushed out. There were no quips about the current state we were in or jokes about joining in. This was serious.
"Fuck," Gavriel cursed. Bring him to the beach. Two minutes. Send Joe up here." Blaise looked to me, a flash of concern in his eyes before he spun on the wood floors and exited through the heavy door.
"Get dressed, now."
I moved quickly, scrambling to find my clothes and shoving them over my head. Callum did the same. Gavriel was zipping up my dress when Joe walked in, dutifully keeping his eyes on the ceiling. "Need me, sir?"
"Bring him with us, I want him to see this."
Joe looked at Callum then stalked across the room. "What's happening?" I asked as Gav grabbed my wrist and guided me out the door. Behind us, Joe was dragging a struggling Callum. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead as the bulky brick wall of a guard carried him down the hall.
"Gav? Callum doesn't have to come," I said, wincing as he yelled.
In the lounge, a guard was standing at a side door, holding it open for us. "Joe? Leave Callum here," I pleaded as Gav pulled me with him. It was the first time Joe offered me a sympathetic look. With kind eyes and thin lips, Joe grunted while pulling a screaming Callum outside.
No one batted an eye at the spectacle, and a sickening feeling gathered in the pit of my stomach. The fluffy sand beneath my feet made each step sink. I could turn around if I really wanted to. I could run. I should run. The air was humid, and the sound of the waves seemed too relaxing for the terror I felt. I made note of the parking lot in the distance. The club behind us. The pier to the north.
Joe was likely tired, I could run if I had to. Hands circled my waist, and I was pulled into a comforting chest. Ryker.
"What's happening?" I cried out.
Ryker just stroked my hair in response, whispering comforts against my neck. Joe dropped Callum in the sand, and when his knees hit the ground, he let out a groan. Callum’s guttural moans destroyed me.
I sucked in the humid air as I tried to get a better grasp of my surroundings. Gavriel's guards were everywhere, circling us. I started to feel trapped. Joe left Callum on the ground and stationed himself beside me.
Gavriel approached Callum. "You want to be in my family?” he asked. His voice wasn't commanding like before, there was a menacing nature to it now. The tone was unyielding and matched his black, emotionless eyes. “Consider this your initiation. You're now an accomplice to murder, Officer Mercer. Welcome to the Bullets."
Callum struggled once more, but two men grabbed his arms, holding him still. I pulled against Ryker's hold, but it was useless. "You can't do this!" he screamed as someone duct taped his mouth shut.
In the center of the circle, I noticed a lanky man. From what I could tell in the dark, he had black hair and was short and thin. His voice stood out to me. Nasally and pleadin
g. "Gav, man. You know I'm just a pawn. Dad gives me an order, and I follow."
Santobello's son?
"Makes sense." Gavriel's response was dark and low. He removed his jacket and handed it to a nearby bodyguard before unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt. While rolling up the sleeves, he continued, "You're not smart enough to think for yourself."
"You don't want my father as an enemy, Moretti!" he exclaimed as Gav stalked closer.
Aside from the crashing waves, everything was eerily silent as Gavriel bent over the trembling man. "I'm the enemy here. I want my money back, or I want blood."
Santobello started promising everything, then. Money, hookers, drugs, weapons, servitude.
Information.
"My father knows a lot of shit. He's got the politicians in his pocket. I could give you names. Info. You don't want to kill me. I'm valuable," he began with a shrill cry. "He does some really fucked up shit in exchange for them pushing his policies. I...I have information about lots. Paul Bright? You know the guy running for Lieutenant Governor over in Virginia? I know loads about him!"
I gasped as my legs went weak. I'd known Santobello looked familiar. Oh god. A swarm of realizations hit me at once. Coming here was a mistake.
Ryker caught me before I hit the sand. "Sunshine? His voice sounded distant. My heart pounded as sweat poured down my face, the salty droplets hitting my tongue. Was someone sobbing, or was that me? Or Santobello's son? Or was it Callum?
Or all those that'd died because of me?
"Sunshine? Sunshine! Listen to me!" A penetrating voice called to me. It stabbed at my paranoia, poking holes through the fog and bringing me back. I tried to wade through the pain to get back to him.
"No, no, no," I moaned. Strong arms cradled me as the loud sound of a gunshot rang in my ears, the echoes of the bang were overpowered by the roaring waves.