by Krista Wolf
Now it felt like I was the one being grounded and brought back to earth.
“Feel good?” Dakota smiled, pulling back just long enough to kiss me. Together our gazes swept downward, to watch as he disappeared, like some perverted magic trick, in and out of my body.
“A—Amazing,” I breathed.
Kyle’s hands gripped harder, stippling the flesh of my ass. Pushing and pulling me up and down on him, developing a similar rhythm to Dakota’s own fucking.
“Oh God it’s so fucking amazing!”
I could feel them together somewhere inside me, sliding against one another. Driving themselves hard and fast, deep into my core.
God, it’s even better this way…
I felt utterly weightless, floating happily in the warmth between them. And I felt loved, too. Totally and completely loved and adored.
“K—Kyle…”
He stirred beneath me, and I realized I loved him so much. I loved saying his name. Saying both their names.
“Dakota…”
They were thrusting together now, pulling out every last ounce of pleasure from my endorphin-fueled brain. I could feel their energy, working together as one. Making me a happy, happy girl…
“Oh YES…”
My body was limp and exhausted — a lump of clay, easily molded into any position by their strong, powerful hands. My mind however, was every bit as greedy as always.
“God yes!”
Somehow I found the strength to bounce back against them. I felt even fuller, even more in control as I pounded my ass downward against Kyle. I was so relaxed, the threat of pain was all but gone. Only gratification existed; that, plus the twisted fulfillment of connecting both my alpha lovers in the most intimate of all possible ways.
“Fuck me!”
They took my words literally, increasing the speed and intensity of their thrusts. Dakota crushed me against him, my chin nestled over one massive shoulder. My eyes squeezed tightly shut with the thrill of being so totally dominated. Physically… emotionally…
“OhhhHHHHhhHHHhhhhh..”
I began groaning, and my groans rose and fell in pitch as I was bounced back and forth between them. The noise coming from my mouth emanated from the very core of my being. From somewhere deep and primal, at the basest levels of raw feeling and instinct.
“UNNNGGHHHH!”
My orgasm didn’t just come on, it actually consumed me. It was like an out-of-body experience really, my mind soaring off completely independent of my churning, writhing body.
“FUCKKKKKK!”
Dakota erupted, and for a moment we were convulsing together. Our eyes locked as he filled me from within, and the look we exchanged was one of pure, undiluted lust.
Our connection had never felt so powerful. It was just the three of us and no one else, creating this mythical moment together. A moment I would experience and remember for the rest of my life, still staring into Dakota’s eyes as Kyle went off behind me, thumping and pumping and emptying his balls into my hot, squirming ass.
When it was over I collapsed backwards on the bed, oozing their come from both flowing holes. It was everywhere, and it was literally amazing. Lifting my chin, I glanced downward to revel in the messiness.
“Why…” I gasped, halting mid-sentence.
My lovers squinted down at me curiously.
“Why don’t we do this all the time?”
Kyle’s chest was still heaving so deeply, I actually took pride in having tired him out. “Dunno,” he gasped, flopping to the bed beside me. “But I’m all for it.”
Dakota was standing near the foot of the bed All of a sudden he began laughing.
“And what the hell are you so happy about?” Kyle demanded.
He pointed downward, to the ever-growing puddle between my legs.
“I’m all for it too,” he chuckled. “As long as we keep doing it on your bed!”
Forty-Six
SAMMARA
After that things returned to normal, or at least what passed for normal in our house. The tension was gone, though. Our sense of normalcy and everyday life returned, and we’d even fallen back into our old household routines.
The guys took turns making dinner again, still cooking up some of the most outlandish combinations of food I’d ever seen. On one night I’d be eating peanut-butter and curry noodles, and the next, fresh tuna on pizza. It was almost like they took some of the more exotic foods they’d experienced while overseas, and mixed them together with American food without blinking an eye.
Either that, or they enjoyed secretly fucking with me.
“What?” Ryan asked one night, as I side-eyed him dipping his french fries in Nutella.
“Nothing,” I said, forcing a smile. “Absolutely nothing.”
The size of our meals was never consistent either. Kyle’s meals were sparse, and Dakota’s meals usually produced ridiculous amounts of leftovers. Ryan put ketchup on just about everything he cooked, and even added bowls of ketchup to the table like it was some sort of a side-dish.
All of it made me laugh, and endeared them even further to me. When it came to my Rangers I loved every little quirk, every last idiosyncrasy. I wouldn’t trade these things for the world, even if my own meals appeared bland by comparison.
Work progressed quickly, and I was forced to find even more funding. Luckily, Cindy’s efforts had paid off handsomely. She’d hired herself an assistant — Tina — and landed the job with Merrick Studios. Their advance came in just in time to further my new construction along.
I’d even subcontracted some work out to Dawn. Sort of, anyway.
It had happened when I was still in Iowa. I’d needed a dozen or more design decisions made on the fly, and I couldn’t be there for the approval. Oddly enough, Dawn had called me that day to see how Sarge was making out. I mentioned my problem, and she’d offered to go over to the job sites and act as my eyes and ears.
Despite all sorts of warning alarms going off in my head, she’d performed more than admirably. Dawn’s choices were spot on — her design always was — and she’d helped keep my projects moving even though I’d been away. She’d even thanked me for the opportunity to see what I was up to, and thought Modern Vintage was an amazing idea overall.
And if Dawn thought it was amazing…
“Sammara.”
I glanced up to find Dakota’s lovely head poking into my bedroom. I was seated cross-legged on my bed, chewing a pencil.
“Yes, love?”
“Come downstairs for a few,” he said. “Family meeting.”
I cocked my head at him curiously. We never had ‘family meetings’, just meetings. And there was a seriousness to his voice that I didn’t like.
“Everything okay?”
He nodded once. “Just… come.”
I put away my work and headed down to the kitchen, our usual meeting place if there ever was one. But the kitchen was empty. Instead, voices floated in from the living room. The three others… plus one I didn’t immediately recognize.
Not until I walked in, and saw Markus Ladrone.
“Ah, good,” he quipped upon seeing me. “The boss is here. Now we can really get down to business.”
He was leaning against the fireplace, arms folded, looking as smug as usual. Kyle and Ryan sat on either arm of the couch, looking on. Jason stood between them, arms folded.
“Tell her what you just told us,” said Jason.
Markus looked a little surprised. “What? You share everything with her?”
Dakota let out a short, barking laugh. “After what you pulled here last year? Oh yeah. Everything.”
“Fine,” sighed Markus. “Here goes…”
He turned to face me, and I found myself being led to the couch. I sat down between Kyle and Ryan. From there, I listened as Markus went on to explain everything he knew about Colonel Charles Goddard. From the origins of their arrangement, to how he handled Markus’s dismissal from Di Spatia, I was told every grim detail regarding th
e rogue US soldier.
“Taking Briggs was a calculated risk,” he finished, “but you need to understand it wasn’t his end goal. Goddard is hellbent on reinstating a new high-level contact. Someone who will continue to ensure his flow of weapons and munitions, without anyone in the military being any the wiser.”
I looked him in the eye, and he stared right back. I could tell he was here for something other than just to warn us.
“What does he want?” I asked, turning to Jason.
“I want nothing more than exactly what I was promised,” Markus answered himself. “I want my mercenary company back.”
Kyle stiffened beside me. He was about to say something, but Jason stopped him.
“You’re not getting Di Spatia back,” he said. “I don’t care what she promised.”
Markus said nothing, but I could see his whole demeanor change. His jaw tightened.
“Look,” said Ryan. “It’s not that we don’t appreciate what you’ve done for us. But even you of all people should realize Sammara was making promises she couldn’t keep.”
Markus Ladrone nodded slowly. He looked at Dakota.
“And what about you?” he asked. “You were there. You know what happened.”
“I know we came to you in desperation,” Dakota said. “And you came through for us. And we’re grateful for that…”
His voice trailed off. Markus’s face wrinkled into a frown.
“But?”
“But nothing,” Jason jumped in. “Look, you’re not getting Di Spatia. I don’t know that your men would even take you back, considering what you did. These are ex-soldiers, Markus. And you were responsible for arming active insurgents, even indirectly.”
Beneath his hard demeanor, a pained look crossed the ex-mercenary’s face. It was similar to the expression I saw on his private little beach.
“I’ve explained this before,” he said, glancing my way, “but that wasn’t my intention. It began as a small, forced arrangement that spiraled quickly out of control.”
“Doesn’t matter,” said Dakota. “Briggs is right. The men won’t ever take orders from you. Not in a million—”
“They would if you endorsed me,” Markus interjected. He looked almost angry now. “They would if you kept up your end of the bargain.” He jerked a thumb my way. “A bargain she promised. A bargain without which you’d still be rotting away in some—”
“Wait,” I said, leaping in. “Just… just stop.”
Everyone looked at me expectantly, as if I suddenly had something important to say. But I still wanted answers.
“This man,” I said. “This… Charles Goddard. Where does he stand now?”
“The Colonel’s been laying low,” replied Markus, “ever since he realized he lost Briggs. Right now he’s ‘vacationing’ at his little compound in upstate NY. But trust me when I say that won’t last forever. He’ll want to come out of hiding, eventually. And when he does, he’ll want an insurance policy that none of you four come after him.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means your boyfriends are going to score some pretty shit assignments in the near future,” said Markus. “Some very dangerous assignments, if you catch my meaning. The ones still active, anyway.”
My stomach dropped. I whirled on the others. “That… that can’t happen,” I gasped.
“Of course…” said Markus, contemplatively. “If I were to lead Di Spatia again, Goddard would immediately try to re-forge our arrangement. Especially if he thought you guys were out of the picture.”
“And why would we let you do that?” sneered Kyle.
“Because if you did put me in charge…” Markus said, in low, even tones. “Even temporarily?”
Very slowly he glanced around the room, from one person to the next.
“We could all set a trap for him.”
Forty-Seven
RYAN
We walked together for a while, just the four of us, with Kyle hanging back to watch over our guest. Soon we were stomping across the grounds in the chill night air, down where the moonlight played across the lake in a silvery blur.
“So what do you think?”
The question came from Briggs. He walked with his usual confidence, right past the spot where he’d fought off one of Markus’s hired attackers. I couldn’t believe it was almost four long years ago.
“His plan is solid,” Dakota admitted. “Especially since Goddard’s back is to the wall. At least for now.”
“Yes, but can we trust him?”
At this Dakota shrugged. “We did before,” he admitted, nodding in the direction of Sammara. “And he didn’t let us down.”
“Yes, but this time he’d have control of Di Spatia,” Briggs warned. “He’d be in command, with the entire company at his disposal.”
We walked some more, and Sarge ran up alongside us. I was suddenly jealous of how obliviously happy he was, just trotting along, wagging his tail.
“What do you think, Ryan?”
Up until now I’d been quiet. I didn’t like either one of our options, to be honest. Trusting Markus Ladrone seemed like an all-too obvious mistake. But not doing anything…
Well, that wasn’t an option either.
“What if we let some of the higher officers in on it?” I asked. “The ones we trust?”
“That might be good,” Dakota agreed. “The only problem is the mole. One or more of them is working with Goddard. If we tell the wrong one…”
I made a sour face, indicating he was right.
“So then let’s go with the only option we have,” Sammara said, matter-of-factly. “We give him a shot.”
Everyone stopped walking at once, except for her. She got another three steps before turning around.
“What?”
“Sammara, you do realize we’re talking about Markus Ladrone here.”
“And?”
“The guy who almost abducted you,” Briggs went on. “The one who almost got us all killed.”
She shifted one sexy hip and folded her arms. Sarge ran up happily to sit next to her foot.
“Also the guy who rescued you,” she pointed out. “The guy who left his own private paradise to fly halfway across the world to come find you.”
Briggs laughed. “Yeah. Because you promised him something you couldn’t deliver.”
Her expression went instantly cold. She didn’t look outright angry… but she didn’t look happy either.
“I would’ve promised him anything in order to get you all back,” she said icily. “Anything.”
A long moment passed. We stood there in the silence, facing off. It must’ve looked terrible, like us against her. Hell, it felt terrible.
“Listen,” Sammara finally said. “I know there’s good reason not to trust Markus. And you’re right to be wary. But I’m also a believer in second chances.”
Something small moved in the bushes, like a chipmunk or a squirrel. Sarge’s ears perked straight up. A split-second later he was running off after it.
“I ran into Dawn while you were gone,” she continued. “And I sort of… well… I sort of gave her a second chance.”
My eyes went wide. “Dawn?”
“Yes.”
“The one who robbed you?” Briggs asked incredulously. “The one we had to help you steal everything back from, in the dead of night, like thieves and—”
“YES.”
Now she did look a little angry. Or maybe it was more along the lines of frustration.
“Maybe she’ll burn me again,” Sammara said with a shrug. “If so, that’s on me. I’d deserve it. But there’s also a good chance Dawn learned her lesson. That she’s suffered enough for what she did, and she realized that making it better — making it right again — would bring her a lot more happiness than continuing down the path she was on.”
No one said anything. Dawn! Of all people! I still couldn’t believe it, even when as she spun to face me.
“Ryan, do you love your father?
”
I swallowed hard at the question. Right away I knew what she was going for.
“Yes,” I had to admit.
“And your sisters?”
My thoughts floated fondly to Jennifer and Mariah. My two half-sisters were beautiful, funny, caring. So well-adjusted. And I was making up for so much lost time with them, too! With them and my father, Gabriel. The father I’d missed out on — and who’d missed out on me — for just about our whole lives…
That is, our whole lives until Sammara.
“Of course I love them,” I said.
“Well you wouldn’t even know them if not for second chances,” Sammara pointed out. “By contacting your dad, you opened yourself up to the possibility of getting hurt. But instead you found love, respect, happiness.” She looked at me pointedly. “And all because you took a chance.”
Damn, she was convincing. She should’ve been a lawyer.
“Maybe Markus is like that,” she said, shifting her gaze back to the others. “You heard what he said about his dealings with Goddard. How it went south quickly, how it snowballed before he knew what was happening. How he couldn’t get out from under it until it was too late.”
Dakota looked uncomfortable. So did Briggs.
“Yes, but—”
“He’s got every reason in the world to hate Goddard too,” Sammara jumped in. “Maybe even more than any of us. Remember, this man took Markus’s good name. Indirectly, he took his company as well.”
“So you’re saying we should just… what? Give Di Spatia back to him?”
“Temporarily,” she nodded. “Yeah.”
Sarge came bounding back, covered in thistles. His little nose looked packed with mud.
“And if he burns us?” asked Briggs. “If he keeps the company, and jumps right back into bed with Charles Goddard? What then?”
There was another long stretch of silence. Eventually Dakota stepped forward, to stand beside Sammara. He folded his arms as well.
“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
It was two against two. Kyle would side with Sammara, I was guessing. I thought about Markus, showing up out of nowhere in Anbar. Finding me. Bringing me to where to Briggs was being held.
