Primal Obsession

by D. M. Mortier

  Colt cleared his throat loudly.

  Justin released her lips, but he held her gaze and didn’t remove his palm from her stomach.

  She wrapped her hand around his arm and shifted to press her aching nipple against his massive bicep. She almost moaned out loud when he moved his arm to cover both pebbled tips.

  “Despite you going back and putting Victor out of his miserable life, his boss remains determined and has escalated his attacks.” Colt went on as though the sexual tension in the room wasn’t suffocating them all. “Your wife, Melissa”—he deliberately drawled the name—“seems to be even deeper in with them.”

  Nakia was disappointed that they had to discuss that topic because Justin’s body became a block of ice beneath her.

  “I’ve finally finished my assignment with the government. Now I can focus on Victor’s boss. Give Melissa whatever the fuck she wants to secure my divorce.” Justin seemed to be seething with disgust. “And let me get on with my life.”

  “That bitch has just gotten more demanding and unreasonable over the past few months. You may regret offering to give her whatever she wants,” Colt warned him.

  “She knows that there are no more assets for her to sink her claws into, and my only source of income is my meager government salary. So, let her demand away. Get us a hearing before a judge and end this shit.”

  “And your assignment days? Does the US government have any more hold on your time?”

  Justin laughed without humor. “Thanks to that genius wife of yours, we got more done in a year than we’ve gotten done in the eighteen years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have better intel and know more clearly how the Russians and Chinese are attacking our cyber infrastructure. Knowing that Imani was only helping because I was there had them sending me on more assignments than I’d initially signed up for. But I had enough of their shit. Besides, as long as humans breathe in this world, there will be evil men determined to inflict their evil on others.”

  “Agreed. I hope that’s enough to keep the Pentagon happy and lessen the focus on Imani.”

  “Oh, they aren’t happy, but they’re sure as hell scared shitless of her. They now appreciate exactly what havoc Imani can bring on their asses if they piss her off.” Justin laughed again, and his affection and admiration for his sister-in-law was more than evident. “She gave them a few toys that will keep them happy for a while.”

  “And the shield and the gun?” Colt asked mildly.

  “All safe for now. She convinced them that the toys she did give them were more useful for their covert operations and not killing weapons.”

  “Thanks for that. At least that’s one less group of powerful people after my wife’s inventions.”

  “Yeah, now we just need to deal with a persistent lethal mob family and my vindictive wife.”

  “Guys, can someone please explain what’s going on? I feel as though I’m watching a movie that’s already midway in,” Nakia muttered. What she needed most was for them to slow down and explain what the hell they were talking about. Was this about the threats she’d heard about? And what inventions?

  “Melissa told the mob that Imani builds weapons. And she also told them that you’re my lover. That’s why they’re after you in some hope of getting to me or Colt, and therefore Imani.”

  “That’s a lot of ifs.”

  “Yeah, and we’re going to have a long talk later about your extracurricular activities on some of Austin’s more unsavory streets. However, now you know why you need to always have your guards with you. No exception. They’re right about one thing though. Nothing can happen to you. I don’t think I could handle that shit.”

  “Look, don’t start that again. Despite what you think, I can take care of myself.”

  “Is your woman as stubborn as mine?” Justin asked Colt drily.

  “Imani has mellowed since having my son.”

  “I’m not your woman, so…”

  “Says the woman currently sitting contently on my lap,” he teased.

  “I’m in it for the body, so sue me,” Nakia dismissed and then tried climbing from his lap. “And you’re damn hot, but so damn strong.”

  “Not so fast.” Justin’s hold on her was absolute. “We’re not playing this game, Nakia.”

  “Dude, we haven’t even been on a date or anything. How are you deciding my future already?” Nakia didn’t try to hide the annoyance in her voice.

  Colt laughed. “Damn, bro, I’m sure I taught you to at least take a girl out first.”

  “That’s an easy fix,” Justin drawled.

  “Not if I strangle you first,” Nakia hissed. “You can’t just disappear for months, come back, and expect me to just accept that we’re in a relationship just because you said so.”

  “Nakia’s got a point.” Colt smirked.

  “Whose side are you on?” Justin grumbled.

  “Wait, you can’t go in there!”

  They all turned at the sound of Janice’s anxious voice from behind the closed office door.

  “I am a Ragnarson. I can go where the fuck I want!”

  The office door was thrust open, and Melissa strode in as though she owned the place. The look on her face was instantly murderous when her gaze landed on Nakia sitting on Justin’s lap.

  “You bitch! Get off my husband’s lap!” She flew across the room, but Justin’s harsh words made her stop in her tracks.

  “I’m not your fuckin’ anything.” He tightened his arm around her. “And Nakia can sit wherever the hell she wants.”

  “I should have known you couldn’t help flaunting your whore,” Melissa raged.

  “What the fuck do you want? Did my filing for divorce, liquidating everything even remotely linked to you, and leaving the country not tell you how I feel? State your damn business and get the fuck out.”

  “You refuse to give our marriage a chance because of her.”

  Justin lifted Nakia from his lap and placed her to sit on the chair he’d just vacated. He stood and moved closer to Melissa. “We haven’t had a marriage for years, Melissa. Nakia had nothing to do with that. That was all you.”

  “I’m not giving you a divorce until you give me another chance. You jumped to conclusions, Justin. You didn’t let me explain.”

  “There’s nothing to fuckin’ explain. You fucked a few guys, pretended that you were trying to have a baby with me when you weren’t, and then tried to make me feel like shit when you couldn’t get pregnant. All of that wasn’t the worst of it. You placed my family in the crosshairs of the fuckin’ mob, and you’re still plotting to finish the job. There’s nothing you can say that will justify that shit, nothing that will make me want to stay married to you.”

  “None of that matters. I love you, and you love me. We are a beautiful couple. Everyone says so.” She looked at him as though she expected that to seal her argument. “I’m not letting my husband go so easily. This bitch is not taking my place in your life.”

  “Nakia’s not taking your place, because you have no place in my life,” Justin snarled. “How the fuck did you know I was here, anyway?”

  “Justin, when will you realize that I love you? And I would do anything to keep us together.”

  “How…did…you…know?” He punctuated each word precisely.

  “Money can buy almost anything.” She smirked.

  “Who?” Colt growled.

  Melissa refused to answer.

  “Have Imani sweep the phone lines for anyone who called her when I entered the building,” Justin said coolly.

  “Please don’t throw away all that we’ve built together,” Melissa pleaded.

  “Leave, Melissa. Don’t ever come here again unless you come to sign the damn divorce papers.”

  “No!” Melissa screamed. “You just want to keep fucking this bitch.”

  Nakia stood, unable to listen to Melissa another second without defending herself. “You know I could get mad and beat your
little skinny ass for calling me a bitch and a whore, but I’m gonna let this one slide. You’re clearly having some psychological issues and need a doctor more than you need a cut ass.” She stalked toward the door and was disappointed when Justin didn’t try to stop her. He looked as though he wanted to kill Melissa, and his entire focus was on his wife. “Have a nice life, Justin, thanks, Colt, and, Melissa, you can just kiss my…” Nakia closed the office door deliberately soft behind her.

  She’d made it as far as the elevator before Justin grabbed her arm.

  “I’ll come by later,” he told her in a near whisper, trying not to be overheard by Janice.

  “I’ve had enough drama today. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “You’ve forgotten what I told you in there? We’re never sleeping apart again.”

  “Justin!”

  They turned as Melissa screamed his name from the doorway of his office.

  “Come back in here or fuckin’ leave and never return.” The chilling command in Colt’s voice had Melissa turning back to the room quickly.

  Justin turned back and looked down at her expectantly.

  Nakia sighed and pressed the button to call for the elevator. “Justin, go deal with your wife before I end up in prison. I’m not going to put up with anyone talking to me like that.”

  “She’ll not come near you again.”

  “You can’t guarantee that,” she whispered fiercely as she stood in front of the open elevator doors, horrified that she was so close to tears. Already her emotions were warring in her, berating the fact that she’d let him fuck her only moments ago, only to now have to leave because his wife showed up. When did she become that woman? When did she become the other woman?

  “I can’t be without you another day,” he was now saying.

  She couldn’t believe how desperately she wanted to believe him.

  “I don’t have the strength to be without you anymore,” he told her achingly. “I’ll make sure she never bothers you again.”

  She was suddenly filled with indecision. There was no doubt that she loved him, but the big question was, did he love her? “I’ve left a file on her in your folder that may be useful.” Nakia told him with a calm she was far from feeling.

  He leaned toward her and kissed her tenderly before stepping back and allowing her to enter the elevator.

  She couldn’t believe he’d kissed her like that in front of Janice. His “I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks” was making her want him more.

  “We have to talk about your risk-taking in getting files on people.”

  His words brought her back to reality fast. She remembered his attitude the last time she’d gotten a file on someone. She still hadn’t forgiven him for his highhandedness. “Will that talk include you wiping my files and demoting me again? Because if you try that shit again, I’m leaving.” She couldn’t believe she was doing this with him, with any man really. This was a leap of faith that she didn’t expect to be making when she’d woken up this morning.

  “Fair enough. But for the record, you were not demoted.” He kissed her again. “No more secrets between us. Agreed?” His voice was a soft caress on her senses.

  Nakia took a few moments on the ledge of commitment he was obviously offering, uncertain whether she was ready to take that leap of faith with him or not. But then the question became whether she was ready to continue being without him. After their activity of a few minutes ago, that was not an option. She was already dick whipped. How the hell was she supposed to resist him now? “Agreed,” she mumbled, still stunned by her addiction to him.

  “I’ll see you later,” he told her.

  She could only nod as the elevator doors closed and his image disappeared.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Melissa, your stubbornness is not helping your cause,” Colt was saying as Justin walked back into the office.

  “I don’t care what you think. I like being married. And I especially like being a Ragnarson, one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Texas. You can’t expect me to give that up without a fight.”

  Justin ignored them to go retrieve the electronic file Nakia would have left on his computer. Despite being gone for over a year, he was aware of his new password, which had been reset by Colt last night when he’d called Colt to let him know that he was headed back Stateside. It hadn’t been easy completing their mission. And when one of their team members had been taken hostage after a friendly betrayal, it had taken almost six months to uncover the traitor on their team and another few months to rescue their captured teammate and the other American hostages. In between, he’d done a few side missions for the Pentagon that he didn’t dare tell Colt about. He’d been too deep behind enemy line for even his peace of mind and had gotten too close to death more times than he’d like to count. The things he’d done to survive, the things done to him, yeah, all of that would be sealed away and never spoken of again.

  He skimmed through the file quickly. As usual, Nakia had been thorough, and some of the details surprised him. Justin looked up at his soon to be ex-wife with the expression he usually reserved for combat. He knew that the color of his eyes would have changed from a brilliant green to icy gray. It was a signal that his men knew immediately to respond to.

  Colt stopped speaking as soon as he saw it and walked over to Justin. “What is it?”

  Justin didn’t bother speaking. He simply turned the monitor for Colt to read it.

  Colt’s sharp drawn-in breath and the stillness of his body told Justin when his brother had seen what he had.

  “You will sign the divorce papers and never come near me or my family again,” he told her coldly.

  “Are you deaf? I am not going to let you out of this marriage. You owe me. And I won’t let you go to marry your whore.”

  “Sign the papers or your sins will be on every front page of every paper in this state tomorrow morning.”

  “You don’t scare me. You don’t have anything on me.” Melissa tried to act brave, but Justin could see the doubt in her eyes. She wasn’t sure of what sins he was aware of, so she was hedging.

  “That’s the problem of not using reputable institutions to get shit done,” Justin drawled. The fact that she wanted to play this game with him had him starting to enjoy himself. He was glad she wanted to play this cat-and-mouse game. He was seriously thinking of fucking her up just for the hell of it. The evil of this woman was shocking, and he fought to hide his disgust. “Next time you should consider acting within the law, because you’re always at the mercy of having your business plastered in the open for all to see. Now you risk exposure and jail time.”

  “You know nothing.” The shakiness in her voice told of her growing fear.

  Justin laughed bitterly. He turned to Colt. “Can you get the papers please? I want this shit over with.”

  Colt left the room swiftly.

  “You won’t do it. I don’t know what you think you have, but whatever it is will taint your family too.”

  “Oh, I think my family will be fine. We had nothing to do with your breaking the law. You did that shit all on your own.”

  Colt came back into the office and placed the documents on the desk in front of Melissa, giving her a pen at the same time. ‘Sign it,” he gritted out.

  “I don’t—”

  “I’m sure all your friends would love to read about your late-term abortion, especially with your husband being gone almost a year before,” Justin began drolly.

  Melissa stared at him coldly.

  Justin smiled knowing that she wouldn’t feel embarrassed or contrite about that. She would only be pissed that he found out. “Or do you want them to read about you and your girlfriends prostituting for the mob?”

  When again her expression didn’t change, Justin turned the monitor for her to see the screen. At the sight of the explicit pictures, she blanched and immediately started signing the divorce papers.

  Justin smirked
. “Thought that might change your damn mind.” Yeah, she might have been able to ignore the gossip about her abortion of a child that was not her husband’s or even the scandal of her and her friends being nothing more than prostitutes for some lowlifes, but no one would forgive or ignore fucking her younger brother. The kid was only fourteen, big for his age but still only a child.

  “I want those pictures,” she demanded stiffly.

  “Sure, I’ll send you copies as soon as the divorce is finalized.” Justin smirked, not at all feeling anything but contempt for her. He thought that there was nothing Melissa could do to make him more disgusted with her, but she’d managed to surprise him.

  She glared at him. “You think you’re so damn perfect. You think that bitch you’re sniffing after is so perfect. Well, let’s see who is laughing last when Vincent and his men are through with her.” She squealed with wicked glee. “She’s probably knee deep, or should I say pussy deep, with their cocks as we speak.” She collapsed in another round of taunting laughter.

  “What the fuck are you babbling on about?” Colt demanded.

  “Do let me know how it turns out.” She cackled again before leaving the room.

  Justin picked up his cell and called Carlos’ phone. He needed to know that the other man had sight of Nakia. When Carlos didn’t answer his phone even after the sixth ring, Justin froze all thought and sprinted for the door.

  “Justin! Don’t leave here half-cocked. You’re going to get yourself and Nakia killed.” Colt ran to keep up with him and, at the same time, pulled his phone out to call Imani.

  Melissa stood by the elevator with a fiendish smirk.

  “If those bastards hurt her, I will have Baldacci’s balls in a fuckin’ sling. Your life won’t be worth living.” Justin glowered at her before hitting the button of the elevator to take him and Colt to the underground car garage.