Scarred: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Cheri Marie

  I stride across the dining room just in time to push the door shut before she can slip out. She spins around defensively ready to put up a fight.

  "Goddammit, Owen. Let me go."

  "No, not this time. Not a fucking chance in hell."

  Grabbing her chin with my hand, I pin her back against the door and crush my lips to hers. For a moment, she tries to push me away but then her body melts into me as she kisses me back. I run my tongue along the seam of her lips, and she opens her mouth, granting me access as our tongues dance in unison. Just the way they used to. Her hands come up to wrap around my neck and she laces her fingers in my hair.

  I release her chin, as my hands roam every inch of her body, branding every new curve and dip of her body to my memory. My hands find the hem of her shirt and I break the kiss. We stare at each other for a moment, breathless, then to answer my unasked question, she nods her head yes and that's all I need. I grab the hem of her shirt, quickly pulling it over her head and toss it to the floor. My lips find hers again as I wrap my hands around the back of her thighs, lifting her and carrying her to my bedroom.

  Gently laying her on the bed, I unbutton her jeans and slip them and her panties down her legs, tossing them to the floor before undoing my own. I climb onto the bed between her thighs, kissing the scar on her ribs, just beneath her left breast, from the dirt bike accident when we were sixteen, before trailing kisses down to her neatly waxed pussy.

  Eager to taste her, I dip my head between her thighs, running my tongue along her opening before giving her clit a flick with my tongue.

  Her body bucks upward as if searching for more, and a moan escapes her lips.

  "Mmm…I've missed that sound."

  I wrap my arms around her hips to hold her in place as I bury my tongue inside her, licking and sucking on her clit as she writhes beneath me, attempting to pull my head closer as her moans get louder. Releasing my hold on her hips, I bring my hand down and slip two fingers inside her, twisting them with every thrust to stretch her.

  "Owen," she moans my name, "I'm going to come." Her hands entwine in my hair, pulling as she nears her orgasm. I pick up speed with the thrust of my fingers and as I suck her clit between my teeth, her thighs tighten around my head as her body bucks and she reaches her orgasm. When her body stills, I climb up, letting my body hover over hers and I lean down and kiss her lips again.

  “You don’t know how fucking long I’ve waited for that,” I admit.

  “I hope that isn’t all you were waiting for,” she says, wrapping her legs around my waist and pulling me towards her.

  I reach across the bed to the nightstand and grab a condom. Rolling it on, I reach between us and place my cock at her opening, pushing in just enough to tease her.

  “Is this what you want?” I tease and she tightens her legs around me.

  “Please fuck me. Fuck me and make me forget all the bad shit that has happened over the last eight years,” she begs as a tear slips from her eye and runs down her cheek. The pain is evident in her eyes as I lean down and leave a trail of kisses where the tear just fell. I quickly slip inside her, filling her as I give her what she so desperately wants and needs. What I so desperately want and need.

  Chapter 11

  Camryn

  I can’t believe I let my guard down with Owen last night. I have missed him so much, and when his mouth took mine, all the resolve I thought I had was gone, and I couldn’t hold back any longer. Opening my eyes, I take in the sight of Owen asleep next to me. It’s been so long, yet it still feels like yesterday. I realize that I still love him, and if I’m not careful, I’ll get us both killed.

  I can’t bring myself to move, just get up and leave before he wakes up. I want to see his sleepy eyes when he realizes that I’m still here. That I didn’t run this time. I want to see if the love I feel for him is reflected back to me in his eyes. But at the same time, I want to see nothing there. I want him to hate me; it would be so much easier.

  I must have fallen back to sleep, for when I wake up, Owen is not in the bed with me. At first, I panic, thinking he left because he regretted last night. Then, I hear his voice…he’s singing. I can hear noises coming from the kitchen, and I swear it’s the best noise I’ve heard in over eight years.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” Owen is carrying a tray with him. He places it on the nightstand and sits himself down next to me.

  “What’s that?” I nod my head towards the tray, raising myself up on my elbow.

  He moves a tendril of my hair out of my face and places it behind my ear before answering me. The look in his eyes answering my questions from earlier…he still loves me.

  He smiles and leans in, placing a soft kiss on my lips. “That, my darling Cammie, is my famous banana pancakes.”

  “You better not be joking with me, Owen Branson?” I try to sound serious but the smile on my face shows my happiness at the thought of his pancakes.

  “Me? Joke about my banana pancakes? Never, Miss Barrett.”

  “Ohhhh, the smell of them...is like heaven.”

  “I’m sure they taste the same as they smell. But there’s something else that I think smells and tastes much more heavenly.” He leans in closer to me.

  “And just what would that be, officer?” I put my arms around his neck and slide my body beneath his.

  “Well, let’s see. I would definitely say this.” He kisses my lips once, and then again. “And this.” He slides his mouth down to the hollow of my neck, drawing a little moan from me.

  “Mmmm…is it heavenly yet?” I coo beneath his lips.

  “It’s definitely getting there.” He moves his mouth down my body, leaving little nips and licks until he reaches my belly button.

  “Owen.” I moan. His mouth is driving me crazy and I don’t want him to stop.

  He straightens his body above mine until his entire length is on top of me. He looks into my eyes and lowers his mouth to take mine in a slow, devouring kiss. He moves his hands up and down the length of my body, as if remembering my curves.

  I run my hands over the span of his shoulders and back, pulling him closer into me. I need this, I need him. Fuck what’s going on outside of this apartment, outside of the bar, in the world in general. For once I’m going to do what’s best for me, even if it may break my heart in the near future.

  “God, Owen. I need you,” I whisper against his neck.

  “Promise you won’t leave me again, Cam. I need to hear you say it.” He draws back so he can look me in the eyes.

  I hesitate for a second but then I answer him. “I won’t leave you, Owen. Not if I can help it. That’s all I can promise.”

  “I’ll take that.”

  His mouth takes mine hungrily; this time it’s not so slow. We both fall under the spell of each other’s heat, of each other’s wants and needs. My hands slide down his body to his hips, pulling him closer to me for a moment before I tug at his sweats, trying to pull them down to get to his rigid cock. Owen pulls away from me long enough to remove them. Placing himself between my thighs, he leans in until his mouth takes mine again, his hand reaching between us to rub my clit.

  “Ohhh, God!” My body feels like currents of electricity have just shot through it, my hips rocking up to meet his hand.

  “You want this, Cam? Hmm?” Owen rubs the head of his cock against my wetness.

  “Yes, Owen. Please!”

  Owen reaches across the bed to the nightstand for a condom, his mouth still crushing mine. He stops for only the time it takes to tear the foil open and to roll it on. Placing his mouth at the nape of my neck, he nips as he enters me. All I can do is close my eyes and ride the wave of the feverish roller coaster his body is taking me on.

  As my body reaches its climax, I can feel that Owen is reaching his own. I swear I black out for a second as my body erupts with its orgasm, and as I’m regaining my senses, I barely hear Owen say words I hadn’t heard in such a long time.

  “I love you, Cammie.”

  He
must have felt my body tense at his declaration. He sighs deeply, places a couple of little kisses across my collarbone before raising himself to look me in the eyes once more. I can see everything he is feeling in those eyes. I smile and run my hand along his sweat drenched cheek. We stay like that for a moment before I push him off me and laugh.

  “Banana pancakes!” I try to make light of the whole situation before it gets too out of control.

  “With whipped cream.” Owen gets up from his position on the bed and sidetracks into the bathroom to clean up before going into the kitchen, coming back with a can of whipped cream and a menacing grin on his face.

  “Owen, put down the whipped cream.”

  “Or what?”

  “Or…” I didn’t know how to answer that, so I just smile.

  “I’ve missed you, Cam,” Owen says, as he squirts the whipped cream from the can onto my pancakes.

  “Me too.” I say in a low whisper.

  We spent the next hour laughing and enjoying each other’s company, making sure to stay away from the questions we both wanted to ask but were afraid to at this time. I just wanted to spend some time with a person that knows the real me. Someone that can make me laugh from deep down and be happy that I am alive. Something that I haven’t felt in a long while.

  “Thank you for the…ummm…pancakes, O,” I say, standing at the door.

  “I only make banana pancakes for you, Cam.” He leans over and kisses me on the forehead.

  “I have to go. Work, you know.”

  “I know.” The look on his face speaks volumes. I can tell that he doesn’t want me to leave.

  “Maybe we can have dinner soon?” Did I really just say that? What are you doing Cam?

  “I would like that.”

  “I’ll call you soon. Later, O.”

  “Later, Cam.”

  I turn to walk out the door of his apartment, knowing that I wanted more, but more would have to wait until after I have found MacKenzie.

  Chapter 12

  Owen

  The last week has been the strangest week I think I’ve ever had. After the night with Camryn, I honestly thought it would be our last. I thought she would run like she’s always done. But she didn’t. She’s still running undercover with Murphy, and I’m still watching her from the corner booth to make sure nothing happens to her. The strange part is that she’s texted me a couple of times and slips me a wink or a smile as she walks past me at Skylines.

  I don’t know if she’s really trusting me, or if she’s trying to play me. I hope that she’s trying to trust me, I really need her to, for everyone’s sake. This is not a case that any of us can handle if things turn south. There’s too much riding on the Donnely’s gang getting busted and I can’t let my feelings for Camryn get in the way of that.

  I look at my watch and wonder where my informant is. She should have been here five minutes ago. I glance around the area and don’t see anyone, not even another car. We meet in this location because it is so desolate. I’ll give her ten more minutes and if she’s not here by then, I know something’s up.

  I lean forward to turn the heat up a notch or two. The rainy night has the car windows fogging up and I need to keep an eye out just in case my position has been compromised. A tap on my passenger window startles me. I push the button to roll it down part way to see if it’s my informant.

  “Jesus Christ! Where have you been? You’re almost fifteen minutes late.” I tap my watch face.

  “I know, I know. Give me a break Owen. I had to make sure I wasn’t being followed.” She opens the door and slides into the passenger seat, the rain falling off of her hat and coat, and onto my leather seats.

  “Listen, we have an issue at hand. We need to get things underway, and quickly.”

  “I know. I saw her. Does she know?”

  “No. She has no idea, and I’m not about to tell her. Not until we get Murphy and the rest of the gang behind bars. They’ve done enough damage to her family.”

  “Well, what I’m about to tell you might just bust the whole damn thing wide open.”

  “That’s great news! Finally… now spill.”

  “Not until you put in writing that I will have full anonymity and be placed in the witness protection program.”

  “Come on. I’ve put my ass, and my life, on the line for you long enough already. You can’t expect me to put all of that in writing until I know what you have to offer.”

  “You know I wouldn’t ask you to do that, unless I knew what I was offering you would end all of this for everyone involved. Have I led you wrong yet?”

  “No, you haven’t.” I close my eyes for a second, running my hand over my face before I continue, “But you have to give me something, otherwise I won’t be able to get any of that in writing.”

  She looks at me long and hard. We’ve been working together for the last two and a half years and she’s been honest with me the whole time. I hate to put her on the line but I’m putting myself out there as well. By getting her a written contract, I’ll have to expose her real identity, and that alone can get us both killed if the wrong prying eyes sees it.

  “Fine, Owen. There are two different shipments coming in. One is guns, coming from the south. The other is coming from Seattle.” She looks around the perimeter outside the car. I can tell she’s getting nervous.

  “Seattle? Drugs?”

  “Not just any drug, Owen. The Grey Death.”

  “Carfentanil?” I look at her in disbelief. “Fuck.” I sit back further in my seat to take in the information. The Grey Death.

  “Exactly. Owen, I need to have immunity, and be put in the witness protection program. If you can’t give me that, then I’ll have to disappear on my own. Hopefully before they find out that I’ve been helping you. If that happens, we’re both dead.”

  “I’ll get you what you want. I’ll talk to the Chief tonight. You better go before you’re noticed by someone. I’ll call you when I get things together.”

  “Don’t let me down. I’ve been in this too long. You owe me.”

  I reach across the car and take her hand. I squeeze it before I pull it to my lips and leave a kiss there. We sit like that for a minute, a lot of emotions running between the two of us, before she pulls her hand away and looks out the window.

  “I won’t let you down. Now go. We’ll talk soon.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No thanks needed. I’m just glad I can help put this gang where it belongs.”

  She nods her head, puts her hat back on, and opens the car door to disappear into the pouring rain. I sit there in the car for another ten minutes or so trying to take in the information she gave me. I have no doubt that I can give her what she asks for. I also have no doubt that with the extra information that she gives us, the time of the shipments and where they will be coming in, that we can put most, if not all, of Donnely’s gang behind bars. The only thing I’m worried about is Camryn. How do I get her away from them without blowing her cover? Without her hating me for the rest of her life. I’ll just have to take that chance if it means she’s safe.

  “What’s up, Branson?” Chief Malone’s voice answers the other end of the cell.

  “Chief, I need to see you right away.”

  “Is it important? I’m with my family.” His voice comes across as being irritated. He doesn’t get much time with his family and I feel like a dick for asking him to meet with me.

  “I wouldn’t bother you on your night off if it wasn’t, Chief.”

  “Fine. Skylines?” he asks.

  “No, that’s too dangerous for what I need to tell you. How about McGregor’s instead? I’m only ten minutes from there.”

  “McGregor’s it is. Have my usual waiting. I’ll be there in fifteen.” The phone beeps once as Chief Malone ends the call.

  “Fuck,” I say out loud. How the hell am I going to pull this off and have everyone come out in one piece?

  I look behind me before pulling out of my spot. I go through
the conversation in my head, hoping to get all of the information I have in place before I meet Grant at McGregor’s Bar. I only have one chance at this; if something goes wrong, it will go horribly wrong.

  A few minutes later, I pull into the bar parking lot. It’s not too busy for a weeknight, which is good. I don’t need a lot of ears around that could overhear some major information.

  “Fuck,” I say once again before walking through the doors of McGregor’s.

  I find a seat away from the bar and order two whiskeys. The waitress places them on the table just as the Chief walks through the door. He sees me and walks my way. I take my shot and wave to the waitress to bring another.

  ‘It’s do or die time, Branson.’ I think to myself as the Chief sits down across from me.

  Chapter 13

  Camryn

  I’ve spent the last few weeks weaving my way further into the gang and getting closer to Murphy to earn his complete trust. It’s actually been quite a bit easier than I expected. Murphy is a very intelligent man, not to mention easy on the eyes. If he wasn’t such a hardcore criminal that wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone who crossed him rather than look at them, I might actually find myself attracted to him.

  Since offering me my own territory, he’s shared other inside information with me as well. We’ve had late night dinners together, and from anyone on the outside looking in, it would appear that we could be a couple. That’s what I wanted, not for us to be a couple, but for people to think that we were that close, and for Murphy to grow to trust me. The information he’s shared with me has been phenomenal. I’ve garnered so much information on Donnely’s gang, such as what they’re moving, when they’re moving it, and how they’re moving it, that it won’t be long before I can shut them down. Hopefully for good.