by Jami Gray
She locked her hands on his shoulders, using them to lift her torso while she tried to wrap her other leg around his hip, in an effort to trap him in her silken embrace. He put a halt to it, by wrapping his hand around her ankle, forcing her foot back to the bed, keeping those scant inches between them. ‘Damn you!’ Her curse came out on a hiss, sexual frustration making the gold flash in her eyes while the flush deepened on her cheeks.
Staring down at the picture of decadent temptation, part of him wondered if he was insane even as he kept pushing. ‘Answer me, Mercy, or this stops.’
Her body stilled and her eyes narrowed. ‘You wouldn’t dare!’
To prove his point, he let go of her ankle, dropped his weight, using his lower body to pin her to the bed, and shackled her wrists, locking them in place by her head. Holding her gaze, he leaned in being careful not to let their skin touch, his hair falling around them, and whispered, ‘Wouldn’t I?’
She struggled, not to get away, but to get closer, but with the way he was positioned, she failed. The wariness shifted to a quiet panic, a change he caught even as she tried to hide it. ‘Dammit, Havoc, you’re asking me to share something that isn’t mine to give.’
If it wasn’t so admirable, he might just end up hating her damn depth of loyalty despite the faint wish she’d give it to him instead. Watching the wash of emotions on her face, he knew she was in the midst of an emotional battle. The urge to give in, to make it easy on her, ground against his deeper ingrained distaste for deception. Fucking her didn’t require trust. But lying there, he admitted he wanted more than a quick fuck. Self-preservation was a bitch, but the woman was there under his skin and sinking deep. Before she managed to get to a level that would shred him if he was forced to dig her out, he needed to know where she stood when it came to him. ‘You have to give me something, because, woman, I’ve watched you—with Istaqa, with me—and your balance is starting to waver. Fair warning, you need to make sure you land on the right side or I’ll make that decision for you.’
Her face wrinkled with confusion and her ‘What?’ came out on a whisper.
He laid it out, not bothering to hide the edge of ice in his hard voice. ‘I need to know you aren’t using me. To get to Istaqa. Or, even worse, Reaper. Too much unexplained shit is circling, and when it lands, things are going to be more fucked than they are right now. I get you’re playing some long game, but I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find I’m pinned to the dirt with your knife in my back.’
She jerked against his hold, hard enough to shake the bed and there was no missing the pain in her denial. ‘I wouldn’t—’
Anger, jealousy, frustration, hunger, it gathered, gaining strength and he hissed, ‘How do I know?’ He stared down in to her face, watching the erotic flush ebb and her skin go pale. He refused to let her expression touch him. ‘Even you admitted you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get a job done. And, babe, in case you missed it, I am not a job.’
She twisted her wrists breaking his hold. He braced both palms beside her head on the bed. She reached up, cupped his jaw and her voice was soft, like she was talking down a rabid dog. ‘I know.’
He blinked at her careful tone, but was thrown by what he saw in her eyes. Yearning, vulnerability, a strange resolve, and something he couldn’t afford to acknowledge. All of which he would’ve missed if he had been anywhere but where he was because she tucked it back behind her mask between one blink and the next.
She kept going. ‘You’re not a job, Havoc. I’m not out to screw you over. I’ll give you everything I can, everything but my boss.’
And just like that, he witnessed her finding her damn balance on the razor thin line. It should’ve pissed him off, instead he was weirdly relieved. It didn’t stop him from asking, ‘Why would you do that?’
Her hands left his face and began stroking their way over his chest. Her touch drifted down his stomach and then dipped lower. He didn’t bother stopping the instinctive thrust of his hips at her butterfly brush. She did it again, her lips curving into a wicked smile as her abs contracted as she rolled up and pressed an open mouth kiss to the base of his throat. ‘Because.’ Her lips moved against his skin, and he jerked when he felt her tongue come out to play. She began a path of destructive kisses in time with her teasing touches, a combination guaranteed to tip the erotic scales and shatter his control.
In an effort to reset the scales, he began his own assault, dipping to kiss one bare shoulder even as he stroked a hand from her waist up to her breast. Filling his hands, he played, his gaze going to her bent head. ‘Because why?’
She tilted her head back, her face revealing her hunger and need. ‘Because I like the burn.’
He was still processing her answer, when her hands went to his chest and she shifted her hips, using her weight to push him to his back. He let her take him down, because he wasn’t stupid. If she wanted to be on top, he was down with it. He had one condition. His hands caught her hips before she could settle astride him. ‘I want these off.’
She got to her feet, standing above him on the bed, her hands going to her pants, fingers undoing the buttons. He matched her movements, shoving his pants down as she did the same. He kicked his free and hers followed, but before he could enjoy the view, she dropped back to her knees and settled in. The feel of her, hot and wet, shot to his balls, probably because his dick couldn’t get any harder without shattering.
He gripped her hips, holding her in place as his hips rose, sliding his cock through her silky heat, and he did it again, before forcing his body to still. Her head was tilted back, her hair spilling down her spine, her tits rising and falling above him. He bent his knees up, curled his abs and came up, forcing her to lean back against his thighs. Her lashes fluttered up and when he had her focus, he went in for a carnal kiss. Lips, tongue, teeth, it stoked the flames into an inferno. When he lifted his head, he growled, ‘Time to burn, babe.’ She braced against his shoulders as he lifted her and ordered, ‘Position me.’
She wasted no time wrapping her hand around his aching dick, her touch making it jump. Together they watched as she rubbed his tip along her wetness, then she held him steady as she sank down, taking him in a slow, destructive glide.
He gritted his teeth as hot silk swallowed him, holding him tight. When she had all of him, she let go and gripped his shoulders. Then she made them both burn. Every undulation, every sigh, every groan, stoking the inferno into an incandescent wildfire. Caught in the searing beauty of Mercy, Havoc lost himself in the burn. Moving together they rode the tumultuous fury until it exploded, her cries mixing with his as it swept through them both with a breath-stealing wave. He gathered her close, rolled her to her back and took over, riding her slow and sweet as the reverberations ebbed.
* * *
Havoc laid on his back, one arm behind his head, the other curled over a boneless Mercy, eyes open but aimed unseeing at the night-shrouded ceiling. Her head lay on his chest, one arm around his waist, her leg hitched over his thigh. He found he liked her curled up against him. His hand stroked through her hair, enjoying the slide of silk through his fingers. Twice more, he and Mercy dove into the storm. Once their initial edge was blunted, he managed to remember the condom for round two. Round three, they got creative so protection wasn’t needed. For now the hunger that had been riding his ass like a demented demon was sated.
‘Havoc?’ His name rode just above a whisper.
‘Yeah?’
She pressed a soft kiss against his chest. ‘Thanks.’
His arm tightened. ‘For?’
‘Lighting me up.’ The raw emotion in her admission set off shockwaves as it sank deep inside him, but she wasn’t finished. ‘I really like your burn.’
Rocked off balance by her confession, he managed, ‘Good, because I got a feeling it won’t be the last time we go up in flames, babe.’
Her head lifted, and she tucked a hand under chin. Despite the gloom of the room, he could make out her features, seeing the
softened lines of her face as she dropped the mask she wore and gave him a vulnerable Mercy. ‘You sure you want that?’
Was he? Nope, not by a long shot. What he did know was he wanted a little more time to enjoy the burn with this woman who managed to get to him like no-one else. She swore he wasn’t a job, and as much as he hated to admit, he wanted to believe her. He took his hand from his head so he could trace her cheek. ‘Yeah, Mercy, I’m sure.’ He got to her chin and hooked a finger under it, holding her in place, the gentleness in his voice replaced by a hard warning. ‘Don’t fuck me over, babe. It won’t end pretty, for either of us.’
She shifted up until she could kiss him. She did it long and sweet. When she broke away, she stared into his eyes. ‘I might fuck up, but I won’t fuck you over, Havoc.’
God he hoped so, for both of them. Knowing that was the best he could expect, he gave her a hard press of lips and tucked her back against his chest. ‘Sleep. Morning will be here soon.’
She snuggled in and he closed his eyes against the cynical bastard in the darkest corner of his mind shaking his head in disgust.
Chapter 18
Mercy woke up with Havoc’s mouth on hers and his hands stroking the embers of last night’s flames back to searing life. She let the incandescent burn cauterise her doubts and relished the sensuous respite. When they finally managed to bank the wildfire, she lay in his arms, listening to the steady beat of his heart as she traced random patterns on his chest.
What the hell are you doing?
She blew out a soft sigh as self-preservation raised its ugly head. Guess it was time to face the music. Sure enough, it didn’t wait long to hook its shredding claws into her newly found centre.
You really think you can survive it when he razes your world to ash?
Since her current life expectancy was up for grabs, she figured better to go out in a blaze of glory than a sputtering spark. It wasn’t like she ever expected someone like him would find his way to her well-guarded heart. And she sure as shit wouldn’t be sharing that little fact with him.
And you don’t think he’ll figure it out?
She mentally rolled her eyes. Please, she wasn’t an idiot. Right now, Havoc enjoyed fucking her. That’s all this was. It didn’t matter if there was a tiny, stupid part of her that wished she could be more to him. Ever since she could remember life had been very explicit about her role in other people’s lives. So long as she proved useful, they stuck around. Besides, no way in hell would she let Havoc know how deep he’d gotten, because the minute she did that, she’d be choking on the dust as he hauled ass.
The press of lips against the top of her head brought her out of her self-induced therapy session. ‘You want a shower?’
Time to get back to business. ‘Sure.’ She buried her face against his chest, snuck in a quick kiss and then pushed off. ‘Want to conserve water?’
He grinned and rolled to the side of the bed. ‘Works for me.’
‘What’s on today’s agenda?’ Buck ass naked she sauntered to the bathroom, adding an extra swing to her hips as she felt Havoc’s attention zero in on her ass.
He crowded in behind her and began sharing options when it hit her that as a solo operator, she had never asked that question before. As surreal as it was, there was a strange comfort in bouncing ideas around with Havoc even as Suárez’s clock kept ticking relentlessly down.
They took turns washing each other as they talked. While both of them had various occasions to visit Salt Lake, Havoc’s trips were more recent and when dealing with those who skirted society’s fringes, it was best to use the most current information at hand. Therefore so she had no problem letting him pick their first stop. Her decision had nothing to do with the fact that he was buried balls deep in her and refusing to let her come until she gave in.
Once they were ready to head out, they went downstairs and found the clerk had a brief message from Dog asking for a meet later in the day as he was busy sniffing out a possible lead on Felix. This left them free to follow their own scents. Armed with their morning plans, she and Havoc hit the nearest cafe, grabbed coffee to go and made tracks.
They took their bikes because Havoc’s first stop sent them deeper into the older sections of the city, closer to the lake’s edge. As they wound their way down narrow streets coiling between multi-storied buildings lined with empty window frames, their glass eyes long gone, and draped in vegetation reclaiming what humans built, Mercy tried to shake off the disconcerting feeling that oozed from the bones of the past.
Not all of the buildings were devoid of life. Smaller structures had been reclaimed, some as homes, some as vendors intent on trading goods and services. The upper floors of the taller buildings may be crumbling, but the lower ones had been salvaged to create a strange warped cityscape. Here the old world wove itself into the new because humans were nothing if not resourceful. As they rode through the outskirts of the city proper, she couldn’t help but notice the friendly smiles were quickly surpassed by watchful visages.
She followed Havoc down the street as they hit the old mall that stretched over two blocks. The majority of it managed to survive the passing years, including the unusual bridge connecting the top level of the buildings. Repurposed into a two-storey, open-air market place, it housed numerous businesses, both legit and not so legit. They rode past a wide entrance to their left, skewed metal letters spelling out Lark Planium, the uneven gaps between indicating some letters were lost to history.
He turned into a crumbling building squatting across the street, the top floor nothing but spines of rebar while the bottom was gutted, leaving behind flat spaces in between cement pillars. When he stopped by the armed gate guard, the guard straightened and the thick chested dog at his side did the same, rattling the links of the chain attached to its collar.
Havoc set his feet on the ground, his bike still rumbling. ‘Need two, maybe three hours.’
The guard did a quick scan of Havoc and Mercy and their bikes, calculating the amount of trouble they brought. Coming to the correct conclusion, he said, ‘Five gets you two, seven gets you three, ten gets you eyes.’
‘Eyes.’ Havoc dug in his pocket, then flicked a credit to the guard.
The guard lifted his big mitt, snatched it out of the air, pocketed it, then waved them through. They stashed their bikes between the metal hulk of a bastardised truck now serving as a hauling wagon, and the back wall where the shadows hung heaviest. After shutting off her bike, she gave Havoc a raised brow.
Catching it, he explained. ‘Our bikes stick out, less obvious back here. Plus, not sure ten will keep that jackass’s vision twenty-twenty.’
Yeah, it would suck to get back and find nothing but a metal frame left behind. They left parking and headed over to Lark’s. Stepping inside, the noise hit them first, a low din of voices, with a few sharp calls mixed in. Smells came next, a cacophony of heated oil and salt with a twist of sweet. Food vendor stalls lined the rounded interior, allowing those who wandered by a chance to stop and examine the offerings.
As they stalked through the initial area, it straightened out, sunlight drifting in from above, and where storefronts once existed were new businesses. Some maintained the floor to ceiling glass windows that once displayed products, others had replaced those with boards and metal security bars. Regardless, both sides were lined and the space in between was dotted with stalls and wagons for those who couldn’t afford the more permanent real estate.
Without much to go on, besides a description of Felix, their search was going to be a bitch. Yeah, Lark’s was a great starting point because anyone up to no good passed through here. But with the abundance of people meandering about, trying to determine where he would be and why would prove difficult. Mercy followed in Havoc’s wake, keeping her attention on their surroundings and taking note of those who paid attention to their passage. It wasn’t like the market place in Navajo City, where the everyday flow ran calm. Here there was a tense undercurrent, a sense of get in, get
what you need, and get out. Gazes slid away or stared openly with an avid light of calculation, leaving her gut tight. Staying at Havoc’s back she slid a blade into her hand, finding comfort in its familiar weight.
Ahead of them a clamour of activity erupted. Havoc wove his way through the others until they hit a wide area dominated by a low rising stage. There he tried to make his way along the side, but the milling crowd forced him to slow. Falling in beside him, she clocked the dark frown on his face. Leaving off with her crowd surveillance, she followed the direction of his focus and stiffened. Her feet slowed, as fury began to boil. She didn’t realise she’d come to a stop until Havoc gripped her wrist. She turned her head to find him staring down at her, her anger reflected in the burning depths of his dark eyes. ‘Keep it together.’
Locking her jaw at his low voiced warning, she sucked in a deep breath and fought for control. The gathered crowd was staring at the stage where a line of five young women and three men, all in their late teens stood. Behind a podium set off to the side, stood a scarecrow masquerading as a man, and he was currently addressing the crowd. ‘These beautiful spirits come before you today to offer themselves to you out of love. They are here to serve you and by doing so, fulfil their divine duty to bring purity of blood to your families.’
Mercy studied the faces of the children on the stage, and fought back her nausea. Much like the dick at the podium, they were dressed in white, but with the sunlight pouring through the open ceiling above, their clothes were virtually see-through. It wasn’t that (okay not only that), but their expressions that bothered her. There was no fear, just sweet smiles and an innocence that would soon be lost. She switched her gaze to the asshole still spouting his delusional shit. It wasn’t hard to spot the sick perversion lying under the fanatical mask of false holiness.