by Jen Davis
Nathan snarled. “Your father is nothing to me. A political pawn. The only reason I have anything to do with him is that it gives me access to you.” He bit his lip. “You and that sweet pussy of yours. Of mine, honestly. Because let’s be real, you and I both know you belong to me.”
She fumbled in her purse, then pulled out the same gun she’d displayed the night she broke things off. She’d gone nowhere without it since the day he’d strangled her. “I have a gun. I’m warning you. I won’t let you put your hands on me again. Walk away. No one has to get hurt.” She scurried around the desk, putting the heavy piece of furniture between them again.
“Someone does have to get hurt, but it’s not going to be me. You and I both know you’re not going to shoot me.” With a sweep of his arm, he knocked everything from the top of the desk. The papers and files fluttered almost silently, but the lamp clattered onto the floor. “You wouldn’t risk the scandal to your precious father. No. You’re going to put the gun down and take your punishment like a big girl. I’ve waited for a taste of you long enough. When I’m done, you’ll be lucky if you can walk again for days.” He lunged forward, pushing her into the tall bookcase and tearing the sleeve of her coat.
Books tumbled down on top of them both, and the tall piece of furniture swayed, threatening to tip over.
“Get away from me. I said no!” She fired the gun twice.
The shock on his face was almost comical as blood bloomed on his left side. He dropped her arm and went down to his knees.
She pushed past him, back to the other side of the desk where she grabbed her phone, putting it to her ear. “Hello? Is anyone there? I need help.”
A soothing male voice responded. “Yes, Miss Griffin, the police and an ambulance are on the way. Are you all right?”
The door flew open and two officers came in with their service-weapons drawn. She dropped her gun and the phone, raising her hands high in the air. “Don’t shoot,” she croaked.
“It’s okay, Miss,” the African American officer said, lowering his weapon. “We’re here to help.”
His partner, a middle-aged white guy with a mustache, approached Nathan. “Stay right there, sir. The medics are right behind us.”
“H-how did you get here so fast?” It may have seemed like Nathan had her cornered in here forever, but it was probably only a few minutes.
“I called them, ma’am. As soon as I saw your father leave you two alone.” Terrence kept his eyes on his feet as he passed the threshold. “Mr. Shaw said some terrible things to your father about what he would do to you the next time he saw you.” He glanced at Nathan’s prone form with distaste. “Folks like him tend not to see the help when we’re around.”
The medics rolled in behind him, making a beeline for Nathan. Kane and Brick were on their heels. Two men she didn’t recognize rushed in last.
“Mandy!” Kane shouted. He looked crazed as he shouldered his way toward her. Her legs nearly gave out once she was inside his arms. “What’s happening? What are the police doing here?”
“Mr. Hale? Is that you?” Terrence’s eyes rounded like saucers.
Kane nodded. “It’s been a long time, Terrence.”
“Mr. Shaw tried to attack Miss Amanda, and she shot him.” He pointed to the medics who were loading Nathan onto the gurney. “I’m so glad you’re here, sir. I always thought you were the right man for her.”
“This is the one you’ve been fucking? Does everyone know?” Nathan shouted, lunging off the gurney toward the white cop. “I’ll kill you, you bitch.” He grabbed for the gun in the officer’s holster.
Kane spun Amanda in his arms, ready to use his body as a shield. But before Nathan could fire, the cop closest to her started shooting.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
She lifted her head from Kane’s chest and craned her neck to see what happened. Nathan was on the floor, his sightless eyes staring up at the ceiling. Blood gushed from two fresh holes in his chest.
“Damn, Gleason,” the white cop muttered, toeing the body with the tip of his shoe. “You shot Nathan Shaw. You know what kind of political nightmare this is going to cause?”
Gleason grunted, then tapped at his chest. “The hell it is. I’ve got my bodycam on. I don’t care if he was the fucking pope. He went for your gun.”
The medics loaded Nathan back on the gurney he had escaped. The female part of the pair stopped as her partner wheeled him out of the room. “I saw the whole thing. I’ll testify if you need it.”
“Do you need a statement from her?” Kane tilted his head toward Amanda. “Or can I take her home?”
Officer Gleason shook his head. “She can come in tomorrow. I have to warn you, though, once the media catches wind of this, you guys are not going to have a moment’s peace.”
“Thank you.” She offered the cop her hand, and the man looked a little surprised, but he shook it. “We’re going to be okay.”
The officer nodded thoughtfully. “Somehow, I don’t doubt it for a minute.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kane
Kane had never been so grateful for someone interfering in his life. He’d never be able to repay Brick for knocking at the clubhouse door. Though he realized his presence hadn’t changed the end result, he would’ve never forgiven himself if Mandy would have had to face Nathan again all this on her own. God knew the bodyguards Mike hired hadn’t done shit. They didn’t even know anything had been going down until the cops showed up at her father’s house, and they followed the cavalry inside. Then, when Nathan pulled the gun, who knew where they were. Needless to say, they no longer had a job.
He shook his friend’s hand. “I don’t know how to thank you, brother.” The words felt inadequate.
Brick inhaled the cold air through his nose. “It feels good to be on the other side of the crazy shit for a change.” He smiled ruefully. “Besides, that’s what friends do. I didn’t have any of those until you came around. If there’s anything else you need, I’m only a phone call away.”
He watched Brick’s blue pick-up until it turned out of the driveway, then focused his gaze on Mandy. “You want me to drive?”
Slipping the keys into his hand, she climbed in the passenger seat of her car. She kept quiet for the entire drive, and he gave her the space she seemed to ask for without words. He took her to his place instead of hers.
Mumbling something about taking a shower, she disappeared into the bathroom.
He shrugged off his jacket, then sat at the table to tug off his socks. Instantly, his eyes caught on a note in Mandy’s handwriting.
I know you’re hurting, and you’re scared. Even if you can’t face it now, eventually you’ll remember: we are stronger together. I’m willing to wait. As long it takes. I Love You. Forever.
She was right, of course. Losing Scott had broken his heart. Losing Mandy would have broken him entirely.
Stripping down as he walked, he dropped his shirt on the back of a chair. His jeans, he left in a pile on the floor. Then he joined her in the shower, circling her waist from behind. “I’m so sorry,” he said hoarsely. “I’ve made such a mess of things.” Breathing in the scent of her hair, he silently thanked God he hadn’t lost her tonight.
She leaned her head back against his chest, giving him an unobstructed view of her perfect, creamy breasts. “You were grieving.”
“Yeah.” He kissed her shoulder. “But it wasn’t your fault. None of this is your fault, but here you are, stuck in the middle between me and your father.”
Mandy turned in his arms. “I’m not stuck between you. Fuck my father. The only thing I am to him is a bargaining chip, and I refuse to be one anymore.” She lathered the soap in her hands and ran the foam over his chest. “We’ll figure out how to deal with him, but not now, okay? Right now, I just want to feel you and forget about the rest of the world.”
“Hell yeah.” He ran his finger from the center of her chest, in a slow line down to her trim patch of auburn hair. “Get your ass in my
bed. The condoms are in the top dresser drawer.” He’d been sure to stock the place once he gave her a key.
She scampered out, and he rinsed quickly before facing himself in the mirror above the sink. He couldn’t do much about his hair, but there was one thing he could do. Grabbing the razor he’d used to shape his beard, he got to work removing all the hair from his face. It was surreal to look at his reflection when he was done. If not for the scar, he’d look a lot like he did in college.
As he’d demanded, Mandy waited like a naked fucking goddess on top of his sheets, her red hair spread out like a fiery halo on the pillow. She gasped and sat up straight when he stepped out of the shadows into the dim light of the lamp.
He sat beside her, allowing her hands to smooth over his cheeks.
Her lower lip trembled. “I really have you back.”
Leaning in, he caught her lip between his teeth before soothing it with his tongue, but Mandy had zero patience letting him take the lead. Her tongue shot out, tangling with his, pulling him into a kiss. There was nothing careful about it, no concern about any scratches to her tender skin.
She was passion incarnate, her kiss so consuming, he could almost forget they were both stark naked on his bed. Almost.
His thumb found her nipple, and he raked it gently with his nail. It pebbled instantly at the touch.
Mandy wasn’t interested in the subtle approach. Rubbing her cheek against his, her mouth found his ear, and she traced the shell with her tongue. Her hot breath sent a wave of goosebumps prickling across his skin. “Seeing you like this makes me so hot,” she whispered. Her hand tugged away his towel, then circled his erection. “Lie down for me, baby. Let me take the wheel for a while.”
Hell, yes.
He settled on his back, and she straddled him. “More kisses,” she murmured, licking, touching, and teasing his mouth before delving back inside with abandon. How did he ever think he could live without this woman?
All too soon she moved away. He very nearly protested until he realized where she was headed. Thank God, she didn’t tease him; she went straight for the prize. He almost came right then and there, the moment her tongue slid up his shaft. His hips lifted off the bed, and he made the mistake of looking down.
Her sultry green eyes stared up at him like a vision out of an amazing wet dream. Again, she licked him, root to tip, the flat of her tongue lapping over his skin as if he were favorite flavor popsicle. “You are so fucking sexy,” he rumbled.
She gave him a knowing smile, then swallowed him whole. Her tongue twined around his cock as she sucked him back, then teasingly backed off. Again and again, she pleasured him in the way she knew he liked best until his orgasm was so close, he was on the verge of spilling in her mouth. “Let me suit up, baby. I need to be inside of you.”
He reached for the condom the moment she came up for air. His body screamed for him to bury his cock in her pussy, but he forced himself to wait. She had to be ready for him first. “Get on your hands and knees.”
His Mandy didn’t hesitate, only did as he commanded. The position put her glistening sex on full display. Though part of him craved the intimacy of joining with her face to face, he needed to claim her, remind them both she was his in the most primal way.
Sliding his finger inside, he discovered her already slick and accommodating. She pushed back against the invasion. “Don’t play with me. I need you too much. Please.”
Who was he to deny her wishes? Spreading her open with his hands, he plunged his dick inside her in one long stroke. Her satisfied moan stoked the fire inside him even higher. Grabbing her shoulders, he forced her back to arch, giving him the perfect angle to hit the spot he knew always drove her crazy.
When she cried his name, he knew he’d found it. Snaking his hand around her hip, he sought the swollen bud at the top of her slit. He circled it with his finger in tandem with his thrusts inside her. Her soft mewls drove him crazy, emboldened him to strum her faster, ride her harder. She rewarded him with louder cries and a tighter grip from her internal muscles.
Finally, he felt her body tense, her breathing stop, and the ripples of her orgasm as it milked his cock. His balls drew up tight, and he came as she was still pulsing around him. They collapsed together on the bed.
Once his body started again obeying his commands, he unsheathed himself and tossed the condom in the trashcan by the bed. While he was turned away, Mandy’s fingers traced over the letters of her name on his back. He stayed frozen until her hand fell away, and he settled back on the bed.
“When did you get it?” she asked, once she settled back into his arms.
He let out a breath. “The day after I got out of the hospital. I used some of the money I’d saved for your ring. I know it sounds stupid, but it made me feel like you were still with me in a way.”
Her fingers ran through the hair on his chest in soothing circles. “It’s not stupid. It’s romantic. It…makes me want to fly. And it makes me want to cry at the same time.” She lifted her head. “Which is not your doing. It’s mine. We lost so much time because of me.”
She’d beat herself up forever if he let her, but he’d been about to make the same mistake. He’d be alone right now if it weren’t for Brick’s interference. “You thought you were protecting me.”
“Yeah, well, it might have all been for nothing.” She rubbed her eyes. “My father still has the video from back then. He’s threatening to release it to the police all over again. He reminded me right before he left me in the room with Nathan.”
How a man could do that to his daughter defied his understanding. “Your dad makes mine look like father of the year, which is saying something because my dad is a selfish dick.”
She wrapped herself back around him with a sigh. “We’ve got to get rid of the video once and for all.”
“We will.” He kissed the top of her head. “Now get some sleep. I plan on loving you again when the sun comes up.”
***
Amanda
Kane kept his promise, waking her with whispered words of love and a slow, languorous journey into pleasure. Her body was loose and satisfied, but she had too much weighing on her mind to relax fully. Like her father’s threats. The fallout from Nathan’s death. The fucking motorcycle club.
She’d deal with it all, one step at a time.
When they were finally dressed and sharing some buttered toast at his kitchen table, she tackled problem number one. “What are we going to do about my dad?”
Kane swallowed his toast down with a sip of coffee. “I have an idea. Do you trust me?”
“With my life.” Her face warmed, but she didn’t regret saying it. The truth could set you free, right?
His smile made his entire face light up. God, he was beautiful. It should have been illegal to hide his face under all that fur so many years.
“It involves getting the club involved, and I’ll need you to make some serious threats. You think you can manage it?”
“Threatening my father?” She laughed. “Yeah, I can manage it. After all he’s done, the hard part will be keeping myself from following through.”
He filled her in on a few more details before kissing her forehead and leaving to solicit his friends for help. If he was successful, they’d all meet at the Griffin house in an hour.
If she wanted, it gave her time to go back to her condo and change, but she felt safe at Kane’s place, and safety mattered way more than what she was wearing. She had far more concern about coming face to face with the guys in the club again. None of them had ever liked her.
But Kane had faith in them, and she had faith in him. If he said it would work out, she would believe him. In the meantime, she needed to get her shit together. She smoothed her hair into a tight ponytail and touched up her make-up. No way would she confront her father looking bedraggled.
Satisfied her appearance looked as good as it would get, she retrieved the key she’d left under the mat the morning before.
What a di
fference a day makes.
She arrived at the house at the agreed-upon time, and though she didn’t see Kane, she had no doubt he was there. With a fortifying breath, she climbed out of her car, up to the front door and knocked twice.
Terrence opened the door, his face filled with apprehension. “Your father’s on a tear in the study, Miss Amanda.” His voice was pitched low. “It might not be the best time for a visit.”
She squeezed his hand gently. “Thank you for looking out for me, Terrence. You probably saved my life yesterday.” Now it was her turn to whisper. “Kane will be at the door in a few minutes. He’s going to let himself in, and he’ll be looking out for me. Maybe now would be a good idea for you to consult with cook about the menu for New Year’s.”
He nodded in understanding. “As you say, ma’am.” The aging butler turned slowly and shuffled toward the kitchen.
Amanda confirmed the front door was unlocked before striding to her father’s office for the second day in a row. The churning in her stomach reminded her of the feeling she’d had on the way to the hospital when her father demanded she break up with Kane. Dread, combined with the knowledge there was no way out; she had to see it through.
The door to the study hung partially ajar. Amanda didn’t knock; she pushed the door until it was completely open and walked in. It looked like a hurricane had torn through the room. Books, files, and papers were strewn across the floor. All the desk drawers hung open, and a chair rested on its side. Her father stood at the center of it all, muttering to himself and pacing.
The room had looked bad when she left yesterday, but now the chaos was infinitely worse. “What are you doing, Dad?”
He stopped pacing at the sound of her voice and craned his neck to face her. “I don’t recall inviting you today, Amanda. Perhaps you should call my secretary and make an appointment.”
She swept her hand over the room, acknowledging the mess. “And miss all this?” She shook her head. “Tempting as it is, you and I have some unfinished business to attend to. Afterward, you can go fuck yourself for all I care, because we are done.”