by Eva Ashwood
He shut the engine off and turned to face me in the gathering dusk. I wasn’t quite sure why he hadn’t just taken me back to his place, but I had a feeling it was because his foster parents were home for once.
“What happened, Cora?” he asked, his expression serious.
In a halting voice, I told him everything. As I spoke, I watched his expression shift, and a part of me wished I had never said anything.
But that wasn’t who we were. That wasn’t how our relationship functioned. I had learned that lesson after lying to him and the other Lost Boys about my search to find answers about my dad’s setup and arrest. We were stronger as a team, and that team only worked when we were honest with each other.
When I finally finished speaking, the sun was all the way down, and light from the city behind us glistened on the water.
“I was wrong,” I said quietly. “About all of it. And you were right. My father—he doesn’t deserve to be free.”
My gaze was fixed out the front windshield, and I wait for Bishop’s words to come. For him to tell me I should’ve listened, or to blame me for freeing the man who had destroyed his family.
Tears leaked from my eyes and spilled down my cheeks, dropping from my chin. Everything Bishop might say to me, I had already said to myself a dozen times by now. And none of it was wrong.
But he didn’t speak at all. Instead, his fingers came to rest under my chin, and he turned my face toward him. Then he pressed his lips to mine in the gentlest kiss he’d ever given me.
I didn’t know how he knew that was exactly what I needed. Hell, I hadn’t even known. But as his lips pressed tenderly to mine, some broken part of my heart seemed to heal over.
These past few months had been a fast and furious lesson in the harshness of the world and the horrible things people were capable of. I had tried to keep hope and optimism alive, but the conversation I’d had with my father today had broken something inside me.
And Bishop healed it.
With one sweet, soft kiss, he reminded me that I was loved. That there were people in this world who saw me for me and not just what they could take from me. How they could use me.
I fell into his kiss like it was the vast ocean before us, the entire world seeming to dissolve around me until nothing else existed but the press of his lips against mine, his calloused hand cupping my cheek, and the shared breath between us.
When he finally pulled away, it felt like he took a piece of my soul with him. But I didn’t miss it at all, because he had left a piece of his with me.
His eyes bounced between mine, our faces still so close together our noses nearly brushed as he gazed at me.
“Coralee. I love you.”
I felt the warmth of his breath against my skin as he spoke, and my heart thudded hard and heavy against my ribs, every beat seeming to reverberate through my body.
The tears that had been falling before fell harder, pushed from my eyes by an overload of emotion that threatened to drown me.
“I love you too, Bishop,” I choked out. “So much it hurts.”
Maybe he was trying to heal my pain, or maybe he just couldn’t bear having any space between us, but he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine again. He kept kissing me as he reached down to unbuckle my seatbelt, only pulling back long enough to move the strap out of the way. Then he was pulling me toward him, hauling my body across the center console until I straddled his lap.
He scooted the seat back, cursing softly into my mouth as the mechanism on the old car got stuck halfway. Then we both grappled for his seatbelt, our kiss becoming deeper, more frantic as our lips parted and our tongues slid against each other.
I could feel him growing hard against me, his cock grinding against my core where our bodies were pressed together by the tight confines of the car. I rocked against him, rubbing my clit against his firm length, giving pleasure and taking it at the same time. My hands found their way underneath his jacket, and I helped him awkwardly shrug it off. I’d been in too much of a hurry to put mine on when I’d left the house, and I was glad for it now. I wanted less between us, always—never more.
His large hands slid up my thighs, pushing my skirt up as they went, and I cupped his face, breathing hard as his fingertips delved beneath the fabric of my panties.
“I love you, Bishop.”
His cock jerked beneath me, straining toward me as his hips thrust upward.
“Say it again.”
“I love you.”
With a growl, he moved his hands around to my ass, dragging me even closer and making us both groan at the friction. “Again.”
“I love you so fucking much.”
He gave me a smile that was boyish and feral all at once, his teeth gleaming in the dim light from outside, and then his hands latched onto the soft fabric of my panties and ripped.
The flimsy garment shredded, and he tugged it away from my body as I flipped open the button of his pants and pulled down the zipper. When my fingertips brushed the velvet skin of his cock, he sucked in a breath. The tip was already wet with precum, and the feel of it sent a shock of arousal through me, making my core throb.
“Now, Cora,” he grunted, grabbing my hips to help me rise over him in the awkward confines of the front seat. “I need to be inside you now.”
I didn’t make him wait. My hand fisted his thick, warm shaft, and I positioned myself over it and sank down, impaling myself fully.
“God, you’re fuckin’ gorgeous,” he muttered, gazing at me with something like awe on his face.
He dropped his head, finding my neck with his lips and teeth, and his next words were spoken directly against my skin as he rocked up into me in small thrusts.
“Do you remember the first night I came to your house?”
“When you climbed in through my window?” I asked, a grin tilting my lips despite the overload of sensations raging through me. “Yeah.”
“Do you know why I came?”
“Wasn’t it to check out your new acquisition?” I asked, biting my lip as I began to ride him harder, rising up onto my knees before dropping back down on his cock.
He chuckled, and I could feel his body tense as he lifted his hips to meet mine, stroking in and out of me.
“No. I came to try to get you out of my system.” He sounded almost tortured. “I should’ve known that would never be fucking possible.”
One of his large hands stayed on my ass while the other moved up to grab a fistful of my hair close to the roots, using the grip to tilt my head back and giving him perfect access to my neck. He bit down on the soft skin there just as he thrust up hard into me once more, his cock pulsing inside me as he flooded me with his release.
My world dissolved into only pleasure and the slight sting of pain as I gripped him hard and followed him into oblivion.
Eight
After I finally crawled off Bishop’s lap and we cleaned ourselves up a bit, he drove me back to his neighborhood. He pulled up outside his house and peered at the darkened windows, then nodded at me.
“They’re gone. Let’s go.”
His foster parents were nowhere to be found as we slipped inside the house. It was late evening, and I’d left the expensive new car my father had bought me in a part of Baltimore I didn’t know all that well, but I couldn’t bring myself to worry about it one bit. I didn’t give a shit if it got jacked or stolen. And I was beyond caring if my Mom got suspicious when I texted her to tell her I was spending the night at Caitlin’s house.
I didn’t want to leave Bishop’s presence right now, didn’t want to leave the comforting bubble of love and desire that surrounded us.
We fell into bed together, and now that we were outside of the constraints of his car, he took his time worshipping my body, making me come twice with his hand and his mouth before sliding inside me. We fucked long and slow and deep until we were both breathless and covered in a sheen of sweat, and when he came with a low grunt, I followed him over the edge.
I co
uld’ve fallen asleep easily afterward, but Bishop carried me into the shower and helped me clean up—and for once, I didn’t care that the water in these old houses was never quite hot enough. His warm body surrounded mine, slick skin pressing against me as he lathered soap over me with possessive, greedy hands, making me feel perfectly cared for and content.
After we toweled off, we crawled under the covers together, and I draped myself over his chest like a cat, my legs tangling with his. He kissed my hair and murmured comforting words as sleep finally claimed me.
“Oh, I see how it is. Nobody thought to call us for this little sleepover?”
I blinked awake at the teasing voice, catching sight of sunlight streaming through the windows of Bishop’s bedroom.
He grunted beneath me, a sleepy sound, and I felt him stir as he woke up too.
We both turned to gaze at Misael and Kace, who stood just inside the bedroom doorway.
Misael had been the one to speak, and he winked when he caught my gaze, letting me know he’d just been teasing. I knew the guys didn’t get jealous of the one-on-one time they each spent with me, especially since I had never shown preference or favoritism toward any one of them. How could I have, when I cared about them all equally? When my heart was bound to each of theirs just the same?
Still, I didn’t like even the hint of him feeling left out, so I threw the covers off, making Bishop grumble good-naturedly, and traipsed across the room, completely unabashed at my nakedness. There was a time when I definitely would’ve been, but now I relished the hungry glint that came into Kace’s and Misael’s eyes as they watched me approach. I threw my arms around Misael’s neck and kissed him soundly, rubbing my bare breasts against his chest as I did.
He reacted instantly, looping one arm around my waist to keep me close while the other roamed my body, sliding over the curve of my ass and squeezing.
“Oh, I see how it is…”
Kace’s tone was teasing too as he mirrored Misael’s words from earlier, and when I finally broke the kiss with the dark-haired boy, I stepped eagerly into Kace’s arms, letting him claim my lips with his own. His tongue swept the seam of my mouth, and as soon as I opened for him, he took the kiss even deeper.
By the time we broke apart, I was breathing hard. It had been meant to be just a sweet greeting, but as so often happened with these boys, my emotions had spiked beyond my control at just a touch. I could tell both of them felt it too, and when I glanced back over my shoulder at Bishop, I saw him watching me with heat and approval in his eyes.
He liked seeing me do this with his friends.
And I liked having him watch.
Misael groaned, sounding truly pained. “Dammit. Now all I want to do is crawl into bed and keep this goin’. But there’s actually a reason we came by this morning.” He glanced at Bishop. “Nathaniel needs us. He’s got a job he needs taken care of.”
Disappointment flooded me. I’d been completely on board with Misael’s “crawl into bed” plan, and I wasn’t ready to go back home yet. Hell, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be ready. I was tempting fate by staying out so long—it was only a matter of time before my mother realized I hadn’t actually reconnected with my old Highland Park friends. That I wasn’t spending all of my free time with those stuck-up girls, but with three boys from the wrong side of the tracks.
But still, I couldn’t keep myself from glancing around the room at each of the boys as I perked up a little. “Can I come again?”
Bishop smiled indulgently. He seemed a lot less nervous about the idea of me entering Nathaniel Ward’s home than he once had, and a strange sort of pride rose in me at that thought. Somehow, against all odds, I had won the crime lord over. It probably helped a lot that his wife liked me, and Nathaniel seemed head-over-heels in love with Josephine. I imagined there wasn’t much in the entire world he wouldn’t do for her.
“Alright, Princess. You can come.”
The other two boys nodded in agreement, and I kissed Kace again, rising up onto my tiptoes before sauntering across the room to collect my clothes. All three of the Lost Boys groaned as they watched me, and I bit back a smile.
The butler didn’t seem at all surprised to see me with the boys when we arrived at Nathaniel’s house, and I realized that whether I had wanted to or not, I had become a part of this world.
That thought didn’t scare me anywhere near as much as it once would have.
When we were brought to Nathaniel’s study, I expected the older man would tell me to wait in the library like usual. I was actually hoping to have a chance to talk to Josephine. I hated to burden her with my troubles, but I wanted to ask her advice. Although I was actively trying not to think about it, the confrontation with my father in his office was weighing heavily on my mind. I felt like an animal in a trap that was slowly tightening around me, and I had no idea how to get out of it.
But instead of sending me off, Nathaniel waved me inside his study with the boys. I shot Bishop a questioning glance, but although his brows drew together, he nodded.
When the door closed behind us, Nathaniel strode around his desk to take his seat, picking up a half-smoked cigarette from the ashtray and taking a long pull before speaking.
“Have you three heard of Claudio Vega?” he asked.
All three boys shook their heads. I didn’t even bother shaking mine, since I was almost positive the question hadn’t been directed at me.
Nathaniel nodded, not looking surprised. “He’s a new player on the scene. A lower level criminal who’s been rising up the ranks and gaining more strength. He’s not big enough to be a threat to me—yet. But he could be. So I’d like to cut off that possibility by bringing him into my fold now. I want to form an alliance with him to keep Luke Carmine in check.”
I stood silently as all three boys reacted to that. I still wasn’t quite sure why Nathaniel had wanted me to be here for this, since I certainly didn’t know the ins and outs of the power struggles among the criminal organizations of Baltimore.
“Makes sense,” Kace said. “So what do you need us to do?”
“I’d like you to start a conversation with Claudio. Pay him a visit and deliver a gift for me.” He inclined his head toward me, a smile curving his lips. “Bring her with you. She won me over. Maybe she’ll have the same effect on him.”
I could feel the boys around me stiffen, but before any of them could speak, Nathaniel went on. He gave them instructions on exactly what message to deliver to Claudio, then pulled open a drawer in his desk and retrieved a small Manilla envelope.
“Give him this.” He handed it to Misael. “I believe he’ll appreciate it.”
My gaze flicked to the small package. It looked innocuous enough, but I’d spent enough time in this world to know by now that its contents certainly weren’t. Whether it was money or photographs or documents, it was certainly something that would benefit Claudio in some way.
“Okay,” Kace said flatly. “That it?”
“Yes.” Nathaniel nodded. “This isn’t meant to be a grand overture. If we’re going to form a worthwhile alliance, it will happen slowly. Let me know how it goes.”
He dismissed us, and all four of us headed downstairs and back out to Bishop’s waiting car. As soon as the last door closed and Bish cranked the engine, the tension I had felt gathering in all of them broke.
“Well.” Misael huffed out a breath. “This is some bullshit.”
“I know,” Kace growled.
I glanced into the back seat at the two of them. “What? What’s wrong with the assignment?”
“It’s not the assignment they’re pissed about, Princess,” Bishop said quietly, reaching over to rest a hand on my leg. “It’s the fact that Nathaniel is trying to use you as a bargaining tool now. We never should’ve brought you to his house in the first fucking place.”
I blinked, considering his answer. It was true, I supposed. Nathaniel was using me. But for some reason, I didn’t really mind. It occurred to me that even though we were
leaving the house of one crime lord on our way to see another, I felt less anxious than I did every day I stepped through the doors of Highland Park Academy.
As if I belonged in this world more than my old one now.
“It’s okay,” I told them. “I want to go. Besides, you’re just starting a conversation, right? It’s a peaceful mission, so I shouldn’t be in any danger.”
Bishop’s grip on my leg tightened, and although he didn’t say anything to contradict my statement, I could feel the answer resounding through the car.
In this world, there was no such thing as guaranteed safety.
But that was the same in my old world too, wasn’t it? The wealth and privilege of my social class was hardly more than an illusion of security—and that too could be ripped away at any moment. Personally, I’d rather live my life without the illusions. I’d rather see the danger and deal with it at face value.
We drove in tense silence to a nightclub on the west side of the city. It was barely noon when we pulled up outside, but it didn’t matter that the club wasn’t open yet. We weren’t here for dancing anyway.
Kace led the way as we walked around to the side of the building, and when we reached a door at the back, we were allowed inside by two burly men with tattoos creeping up their necks from under the fabric of their shirts. They seemed less than impressed at the sight of us, but none of the Lost Boys appeared ruffled by that at all.
Bishop told them why we’d come and who we’d been sent by—and I watched the men’s faces transform instantly. Although their reaction wasn’t overt, I could tell that Nathaniel’s name had just made all four of us a lot more worthy of attention. I just hoped it was the right kind of attention.
“Come with us.”
One of the men jerked his head, leading us through the back hallways of the building until we reached the main part of the club. I had expected to find Claudio behind a desk like Nathaniel usually was, but instead, the two men led us toward a man standing behind the bar and pouring himself a drink.