by A J Storm
She checked in with Maggie by phone to see if everything was all right at the office. Maggie drilled her about Creeper’s condition, and Willow gave her all the information she had. Maggie was just telling her Howler, Sadie, Mac, and Lyle had stopped by the office and they were on their way upstairs when the elevator doors opened, and all four walked in with pizzas.
Willow guessed Lyle was the one with the baby and diaper bag since he hadn’t been with Mac at the hospital. Howler carried his luggage into his room, then made a straight jaunt across to Chaos’ room. It wasn’t long until she heard yelling and what sounded like the hitting of pillows from behind the door.
Sadie had been ogling the baby and finally asked Lyle if she could hold him. Lyle placed the bundle in her arms, and Sadie appeared to be in heaven. Howler raced, laughing, out of Chaos’ room before he was hit with another pillow. The big cowboy stopped inside the doorway, watching with devotion in his eyes at Sadie holding the baby.
Willow watched him walk to the beautiful woman and sit next to her, reaching out with a large finger and picking up the tiny baby’s hand. When the baby grasped the digit, Sadie and Howler smiled at each other. Willow melted.
Chaos walked in and looked at the spectacle. Willow peered over at Lyle, then to Chaos. Both men were heavy in thought, not saying a word. She wondered if they were thinking what she was.
“We brought pizza if you’re hungry, Chaos,” Mac suggested.
“Is there any coffee?” Chaos asked.
“Yes, I made coffee when I got up,” Willow answered.
He strolled over to the coffee machine and poured a cup, took a drink, and sighed. “Better.” He sat on the arm of Willow’s chair. “You let me sleep until my brother jumped in the middle of my bed.”
“I thought you needed it after yesterday.”
“How’s Creeper this morning?”
Mac answered as Howler and Sadie continued to focus on the baby. “He was alert and griping about wanting real food. The man is always hungry. He was madder than a bull at the rodeo that he let himself get shot, then at Viper getting away. He’s ready to get back out there before the guy comes after us.”
“I bet he is,” Chaos replied. “The kid loves tracking bad guys more than I ever did—it’s in his blood. Who’s staying with him at the hospital?”
“Three of his unit. He complained he didn’t need babysitting, but we all insisted since Viper knew who he was now, he needed guarding. They divided into teams and are taking shifts.”
“Good,” Chaos answered.
A small soft voice spoke across the room. “What happens to this baby?” They all turned their eyes on Sadie.
Chaos answered her question. “Right now, they’re letting us keep him because of a few connections I have in the local police. But it won’t be long before Child Services will knock on our door and take custody of him. Then he’ll be placed in the system because the woman whose body was found didn’t have any family. They’ll do DNA tests to be sure she’s the mother, but we’re sure she is.”
“That can’t happen.” Her soft voice was no longer soft. She bellowed her emotions at Howler, “Howler, we have to do something. He can’t go into the system only to get lost in it. You know what happens to those kids.”
“We’ll talk about it,” Howler answered.
“No!” she roared like a mother bear protecting her cubs. “I want to do—not talk.”
Chaos interrupted, “Sadie, you have a few days, maybe even a week. Think long and hard about it, and if you both want him after the DNA comes back, we’ll help you.”
That seemed to smooth her ruffled fur, and she went back to cooing at the baby. It was at that moment while Willow had been watching Chaos’ reaction to Sadie’s maternal instinct, she realized she loved him. Inside his heart, the man had so much empathy for others, it was no wonder he fought so much with his PTSD.
Hours passed into the evening with tall tales of growing up a Jackson brother, sharing pizza and an occasional beer or two. As much as Mac and Lyle hated it, they left to go back to the townhouse, taking the baby with them. However, not before they promised to bring him back to let Sadie cuddle him for the day.
“We’ve been up since this time last evening. I’m beat, and I know Sadie is. Good night, you guys. We’ll see you both in the morning,” Howler said, taking his woman by the hand and leading her into his room.
“I may be gone when you both get up. I need to go back to work. It was a pleasure to meet you. Wish it could have been during better circumstances. Good night,” Willow said.
21
Willow moved over to the window, staring out at the city lights. “They really do want that baby, but you’re right. They need to talk it over—think it through,” she was thinking out loud.
Chaos came up behind her, embracing her in his arms. “It’s beautiful out there. I love looking at the lights of this town.”
Her hands moved up to hold his. “Yes, but there’s a lot of evil lurking out there. I hadn’t thought about it until you guys were talking. They know who you are now, Chaos. They know about the company, your parents—everything. He’s not going to stop.”
“Now, don’t you go flaky on me, sugar. We’ve got a lot more technology and people on our side than he does. It will all be fine.”
“Chaos, what you told me last night—about your tats—I want to help. I want to be the one you talk it through with. Can we do that?”
He didn’t say anything for a long time, and Willow was afraid she’d overstepped her bounds. Here it comes… he’s going to tell me to back off just the way he did before.
“I’m not very good at sharing my feelings, Willow. You know that already, but for you—because I care about you—I’m willing to try. Just don’t get angry or hurt if I come back to you and say it’s not working, that we need to stop. Okay?”
“Okay… it will be okay.”
“I need to go to the hospital and visit Creeper for about an hour. Do you want to go or stay here?”
She scrunched her face up, almost afraid of how he’d take her answer. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to stay here while you go. I want to soak in a hot tub and relax—me time. Do you mind?”
“Not at all. How about I stop and bring Chinese on the way back?”
“Sounds great—I didn’t eat much pizza. What about Howler and Sadie?”
“We’ll let them sleep. I’ll bring extra in case they get up, but I doubt they will.”
Viper sat alone in the home of one of his minions. He’d gathered his information, plotted different scenarios, and weighed the outcomes. A plan was formed in his mind, and he sent his helpers out to contact others scattered around the outskirts of Austin. Now, the only thing he needed to find was a meeting place where he wouldn’t be found. He had more than enough time to find one.
Viper leaned back in his chair, chugged on his beer bottle, and felt smug about his plan so far. They would never know what hit them, and once Nova found out, she’d have to show up. He’d heard through a few friends from his law office Creeper was alive and heavily guarded at the hospital.
He was pissed the Jackson dude had disrupted his personal franchise. The man had the nerve to come in, pretending to be a gay couple having trouble adopting a baby. Viper bent over backward to accommodate them and bought their whole story. He’d been a fool to let softness creep into his personality. Never again, once I can establish it back in another place. Of course, after I get Nova.
A few of his men had been killed and the rest arrested. They won’t talk. Those were his close brothers in his gang. The more he thought about Creeper, the more he hated him and wished his shot had hit him in the heart. He thought it had until he heard different.
Well, they better keep him guarded because he’s on my hit list.
Chaos peeked into Creeper’s hospital room to find three men who had to be guys in his unit. They resembled Creeper in personal dress code. They also raised their eyes to focus on him before he ever investig
ated the room. They were just as creepy as his little brother.
Creeper was sitting up in bed, talking with the men, the conversation suddenly halting when Chaos waltzed in.
“Hey, bro, you’re looking much better. How are you feeling?” Chaos asked.
“Better. I’m ready to get out of this place. Doctor says I can check out tomorrow if I have help at home.”
Chaos could feel the frustration coming from him. “We’ll bring you to the penthouse. You’ll get lots of help there and protection too.”
“Hell, no, Chaos. I want to go back to the townhouse. I’ll be fine there.” Chaos noticed his eyes darted to connect with his guys.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Creeper. We can handle you and things better at the penthouse. It’ll be easier for Mom and Dad to come and go there. You need to stay there for a few days.”
“Chaos, no. I’ve got people at my place who will be more than able to take care of me. My PC is there and is loaded with all my information on Viper. Plus, there’s someone who really requires me to be there. And you talk about protection? There’s nowhere else I’d be better protected. These guys come and go at all hours. Sorry, brother, I appreciate the offer, but I’m going to my place. You can come check on me whenever you want.”
“All right, little brother. I can’t force you to do something you don’t want to do. Just don’t come whining when it doesn’t work out, and Maggie gets on your case. She’s worried about you, you know.”
Creeper looked over at the counter by the sink at all the flowers lined up and laughed. “I know she does. She sent a butt load of flowers—she said to cheer up my room. Me? Flowers? Silly woman, but I do love her.”
Chaos stayed an hour—an uncomfortable hour at that. One, he was pissed Creeper refused his offer, and two, he felt as if he’d interrupted one of Creeper’s planning meetings. No one was talking now. So, he stood, rubbed his little brother’s head, and said his goodbyes to the room.
He’s hiding something from me, and I get the feeling it’s big. I only hope he doesn’t go after Viper before he gives himself time to completely heal.
Chaos kept his promise and stopped to get Chinese food, taking it back to the apartment. Willow set plates out on the table, and they both spooned what they wanted from the cartons scattered about. He’d placed the extra cartons in the refrigerator for Howler and Sadie, except for the rice. No one liked rice once it was placed in the cold fridge. It never warmed back up the way it was when it was bought no matter how you tried to do it.
“You’re quiet, Chaos. What’s wrong?” She knew he was deep in thought about something.
“Creeper’s fine, in fact, he’s going home tomorrow. I think he’s hiding something from me. He refused to come here. Says he has people staying at his townhouse who will take care of him and has one person staying there he must be there for. Something feels off. I feel like doing some snooping on my own. He did say I could stop by his place whenever I wanted to. Well, I think I want to once he’s settled and not expecting it. Want to come?”
Willow shook her head. “Chaos, I know you’re anxious about your bother, and I know you wanted him here. Why don’t you give him a few weeks to recover, then give him a surprise visit? I’ll go with you, and it’ll be like a regular get together. I’m sure he’ll feel better then and be more receptive.”
After he put a forkful of sweet and sour chicken in his mouth, he shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head, giving into her. She smiled at him and continued to eat her dinner. Chaos was shoveling it in. When her tummy was full, she pushed her chair back, rose from her chair, and walked around to him to massage his shoulders.
“I have to drive home early in the morning before I head to work, so I’m going to bed. You coming?” Her arms wrapped around his neck.
“I’ll be in in a little bit.” He grasped her arms with his hands and nuzzled her head. “I won’t be long—just need to pick up in here.”
She kissed the top of his head before backing away and strolling into his bedroom. Chaos watched her saunter into his room and close the door. Willow was important to him—no—she was everything. So was his family, and he needed to keep them safe. Creeper tended to be a reactionary with his problems. Chaos’ worry was he’d jump into a show of power he wasn’t prepared for. But he knew Willow was right and very smart—enough to know his little brother needed to recover without being spied upon.
Thinking about all this isn’t getting me anywhere. Time to sleep.
The moonlight poured through his window when he walked into his bedroom, lighting up Willow’s body lying across the bed in one of his t-shirts. She was on her tummy with the shirt barely covering her ass, her long, smooth leg stretching to the foot of the bed.
Damn… my woman.
His rapid heartbeat moved down to his crotch, making his dick hard. Chaos crawled onto the bed right up beside Willow’s body. He grabbed her around the waist, pulling her ass against his erection. She giggled, and he smiled, rolling his hips against her butt with her pressing back.
“Sugar,” he whispered, running his hand over her hip and under the front of her shirt. His fingers dove in between the lips of her sex, coating them. “I want you, baby. My fingers are wet, and I’d say I can have you. Tell me you want me, sugar.”
Willow moaned at what his fingers were doing, turned in his arms to face him, and fisted his stiff shaft in her hand. Twirling her fist as she moved over the erection, she groaned.
“Baby, you know I always want you. I want you to put this”—she gave a hard squeeze — “inside me. I want to taste you before you do.”
She ran her tongue down his shaft and over his scrotum. Chaos was ready to bust a nut, but she continued to tease him with her mouth. Finally, he grabbed her, throwing her on top of his body, and impaled her core as he sat her on top of his cock. She squealed, then moaned through her pleasure. They rocked together, matching rhythms, both on a path to the same outcome.
His shirt was still on her body, so when she slid down his erection, she reached up and ripped it off. Chaos sucked a nipple in his mouth once she bent down to continue her moves.
Her thighs were trembling against his. He knew it drove her crazy when he suckled her. Almost there, he increased his thrusts deeper and faster, hitting just where she needed him.
His name roared through the room when her body jerked and stiffened, rubbing against him. He followed right behind her, shooting his load in her channel. They held onto each other, pressing their sexes together, trying to squeeze that last wave out. She fell on top of him, her legs in between his. Exhausted, she rolled off to her side of the bed, and he quickly turned her to spoon. It didn’t take them long to fall asleep against each other.
22
Deep in the woods surrounding one of the many small lakes sprouting from the Colorado River sat a cabin abandoned and left to the tall grasses, vines, and every animal or insect that could creep its way inside. Dirt and cobwebs everywhere made the cabin appear haunted and a great place to hide. Once, the lake was a popular place for water sports, but since it was beyond the edge of civilization, no one used it for recreation any longer. Viper chose the cabin to meet with his most loyal followers.
Electricity wasn’t hooked up, so orders were sent to everyone attending to bring lanterns and coolers filled with ice and beer. He intended to present his plan to smoke Nova out of hiding. She was carrying his baby, and he was going to get her back.
Twenty very rough-looking men met Viper in the cabin. Dressed in denim, their jeans were torn, dirty, and either so tight nothing was left to one’s imagination or else baggy enough to appear that their butt hung down to their knees. Each had on a cut over a dark t-shirt or wife-beater shirt, but there weren’t any colors on the back of the cut.
Viper had never given the gang a name or symbol to wear on their cut. However, each man deemed loyal was required to tattoo a viper’s open mouth on their shoulder before they took their oath.
A few members w
ere good looking and displayed pride in their appearance, but most didn’t care how they looked. Various lengths of hair and beards were worn pulled back or left stringy and hanging loose. To look at them standing against the wall or sitting on the dirty floor, a regular person would fear for their safety.
And that’s the way Viper wanted it. His group was to be feared. The twenty men in the cabin were leaders of smaller factions of Viper’s marauders. Each man was hand-picked to represent his ideas, beliefs, and business interests to the others. Non-compliance was not allowed.
“Glad you could all meet here. You’re aware of the fucked-up mess that went down the other night with the baby adoption. We lost good men, either through death or arrests. I intend to get payback. First, I want my woman back, and I guarantee she won’t leave me again. I’ve been researching the two men who pretended to be a couple looking for a baby. One of them is a private investigator and a sniper, trained in the Marine Corp.”
“Are we going to target him then?” one of his leaders asked.
“Not at first. He and his two brothers run the business and through searching the companies, as well as the brothers’ lives, I discovered the one called Chaos is dating Nova’s sister. My guess is she knows something about where Nova is hiding, whether or not the company has her hidden, providing protection.”
“Hell, there’s only three of them, Viper. We’ve got nothing to worry about,” he spoke up again.
“Not true. The sniper seems to have several friends in the same business. We’re going to have to be smart about this. I had a few of you watching Nova’s parents’ ranch. Some of you studied the whereabouts of his ranch hands, and some watched the parents themselves. It appears anyone can come and go when they visit the ranch any time of day. Night is our best time to make a move to take over the house and take hostages. We’ll tie them up and hold them—the owner, his wife, a butler, maid, and cook from what I’ve heard. Then when everything is under my control, I’ll contact this brother who’s dating the sister and negotiate a trade—the hostages for Nova. She’ll find out and be willing to trade herself.”
