by A. J. Macey
Instead of her usual snarky comeback, she moaned. Her hands slipped between us to work my pants open in a flurry of hurried and fumbling movements. A shudder ran through me as she slipped her hand into my boxers and curled her fingers around my throbbing cock. Each pump and stroke was accompanied by a nip or suck from Mila’s mouth as she shifted beneath me. With a soft nudge, she flipped us over, her lean legs settling on either side of my hips.
I couldn’t keep my hands off her, rubbing and massaging her thighs as I drank her in. Mila had always been pretty, even though I had never admitted it out loud. Now? She was fucking gorgeous as she pumped my cock, her lower lip tucked sexily between her teeth as she watched me.
“Alright, that’s it,” I growled after a few minutes of her slow, taunting pace. After heaving her off my lap and laying her back on the bed, I shucked my pants, leaving both of us naked. Mila reached over to the side table, digging out a foil packet and opening it. “I see you’re prepared,” I smirked. She laughed, eagerly rolling the condom on me.
“Can you blame me? Now, less talking, more fucking.”
“My pleasure,” I murmured. Tackling her, her head was thrown back. I gripped her thighs, forcing them apart until she was fully on display. I took a moment to soak up the glisten of the skin on her pink, swollen pussy, but I couldn’t hold back.
A moan filled the room as I lined up, pushing in slowly. My fingers dug into her soft muscles, imprinting on her tanned skin. With each inch, my control crumbled further as her warmth tightly gripped me.
“Fuck, baby,” I groaned when I was fully seated. Releasing her thighs, I braced my hands on either side of her head and captured her lips in a kiss. She wiggled her hips with a soft whine, wanting me to move.
How can I deny the pretty woman what she wants?
I pulled my hips back until I almost slipped out before slamming home. The sharp movement ripped a loud cry from Mila, her fingers clawing at my arms. The pain from her grip mixed with the pleasure coursing through me in a deafening siren song, egging me on.
My pace hard and steady, the sound of our hips meeting joined her increasing cries and my groans. Burying my head in the crook of her neck, I lapped at her slick skin, listening to the panting breaths as she slowly crept closer to release. I wanted to feel her come, wanted to hear her say my name, but I didn’t want to rush, so I slowed the hard movements. Slipping an arm between Mila and the sheets, I held her tightly until we were pressed together in a passionate embrace.
“Theo,” she moaned.
The sound of my name on her lips sent a shuddering wave down my spine, and I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I was breathless, gasping for oxygen as my thrusts grew faster and more frantic, coaxing her release forward. Her teeth dug into my shoulder as she shattered. Trembling with each wave, her pussy clamped down tightly around my cock. I didn’t slow, too blinded by my own orgasm building. She felt too good, sounded too enticing to drag our first round out. We had the entire night to be wrapped around one another, but right then, I needed to come deep inside her, even if I wore a thin barrier.
“Mila,” I breathed in her ear. She whimpered, clutching even tighter to my shoulders as I pounded into her.
“So close,” she murmured, nails once again digging into my skin. “Don’t you dare fucking go slow.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I growled, claiming her in another heated kiss as she came once more. Her cries were muffled by our locked lips. When she nipped my lower lip, my release slammed down on me, my pace faltering with each sputter from my cock filled the condom.
I slowed, refusing to pull away until we came down fully from the high that clouded our minds. I was too wrapped up in the heady sensation of Mila to do much other than hold her close, but she didn’t seem to mind. She held me back, her fingers tracing lazy circles over my back. As we laid together, I realized something I hadn’t allowed myself to acknowledge until that moment. I was so far down the Mila Walker rabbit hole, and I didn’t even care. She was too important to walk away from—now or ever.
I will do whatever I can to keep her safe.
11
Mila
“Mmm,” I moaned sleepily. Curled up next to Theo, I nestled my face into his naked chest. “Morning.”
After yet another argument yesterday, we’d spent the rest of the afternoon and evening rolling around in my sheets before showering and fucking yet again when we returned to the privacy of the master bedroom. I had no clue when we finally fell asleep, cuddled together in a tangle of spent limbs and panting breaths, but the warmth of the sunrise peeking through the curtains gave way to the next day.
“Morning, Mila.” His voice was rough with sleep. The arm curled around my shoulders and back tightened, holding me flush against his side. “You sleep okay?”
I smirked, angling my head so I could look at him. “Going right to the domestic fluffiness, I see,” I teased softly. “I think that was the hardest I’ve slept in years. You?”
“Same. I probably should get in contact with Sam and the others. I’m sure I’ll get my ass handed to me for not checking in yesterday.”
Laughing, I agreed, knowing that would probably be the case if Sam’s reactions the other morning were any indication of his protectiveness for King brothers. I sat up and stretched. Warm, calloused fingers brushed over my back, and a wash of goosebumps pebbled in the wave of Theo’s gentle strokes. Glancing back, he was checking his phone with his free hand, his exposed torso practically glowing in the early morning light. My mouth watered at the bite marks and hickeys littering his chest. I could get used to him being marked by me, I realized in surprise.
“Well, looks like Sam is, in fact, ready to bite my head off, but he wants to do so in person,” Theo told me with a grin. “You’ve been requested to come with me.”
Surprised by the extended offer, my mouth opened, but nothing came out. Shaking my head, I got my thoughts back in working order.
“I’m wanted at the Auckland Kings’ compound?”
“Yes, to go over what the file holds, what the next move is, and all that shit. And I think Sam told my father about you.” My blood ran cold, and he seemed to understand my worry, shifting to sit next to me and press a tender kiss to my shoulder blade. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
“Yes, I’m sure the boss of my lifetime rival gang will just absolutely love that I’m with his oldest son and heir,” I stated sarcastically.
“With me, huh?” he teased.
“Really? Out of that entire sentence, that’s what you picked up?” Try as I might, I couldn’t stop laughing.
“You’re not denying it, so I’m going to take that as a score for me, baby,” he admitted, nipping sharply at my skin. The unexpected pain made me moan, but much to my disappointment, Theo didn’t continue. “I’m glad, and my father and brothers will be as well. Besides, I’m sure they’ll be focused on an arrest warrant waiting for me, more so than that we spent hours fucking.”
“Such a gentleman.” I rolled my eyes, a happy grin still curling my lips as I slipped out of bed. “Fine, fine. When are we going?”
“As soon as possible. Is that okay with you?”
“I would rather get the whole ‘meet the family’ thing out of the way as soon as physically possible if it’s up to me,” I admitted, dressing quickly in a pair of skinny jeans, loose plaid button-up, and signature knee-high boots.
“Alright then, what the lady wants, the lady gets,” he teased.
“What I would really want right now is another bout of marathon sex, but clearly, that’s not on the table.”
Theo smirked, striding to me once he pulled his jeans pulled. Kissing me fiercely, he whispered something that made my body spark with anticipation.
“Maybe not right now, but definitely afterward.”
Good, it better be.
I took a deep breath as we strode toward the front door to the Auckland Kings’ mansion. My head was held high to not seem terrified about walkin
g into once-enemy-turned-ally territory, but based on Theo’s hand squeezing mine gently, I didn’t succeed.
“Let’s get this over with,” I muttered before he could open his mouth, stepping forward and tugging on his hand. I tried my best not to strangle the strap of my bag with my free hand as we entered.
The looks that filtered toward me were a range of surprise, suspicion, and—unsurprisingly, utter hatred—pretty much what I expected. No one said anything, though when they saw Theo’s hand clutching mine and his intense stare and harsh expression, their eyes widened. I could take care of myself, but I couldn’t deny the sliver of me that enjoyed his protective streak.
Theo didn’t bother to stop at the set of double doors leading to a large conference room, and with his solid grip on my hand, I couldn’t wait at the door for admission. A large lump formed in my throat when I saw not only Sam but Theo’s father and two younger brothers in the room. All but Sam eyed me with disdain, but I refused to look away. My father may be a bastard and expect me to be a submissive little baby-making machine, but I could and would hold my own.
With or without the help of the Auckland Kings.
“Son,” Theo’s father, Oscar King, greeted coolly. The older man’s expression was a blank mask, refusing to give me a glimpse of what was flitting through his head.
“Father,” he echoed, not reacting to the wall of opposition we were currently facing. “Sam, Hunter, Liam.”
“Care to introduce your... companion,” Oscar egged. I barely restrained the urge to roll my eyes at the tone he used.
“Mila, this is my family. Not that you don’t already know them and vice versa.” Theo glanced at me with a smirk before turning a stony frown on his father. “Can we skip past the ridiculous attempts at small talk and civility and get on with the intended purpose of this conversation?”
“Wow, never thought I’d see the day,” Hunter muttered in surprise. “Theo, openly challenging our father for a fucking Phantom.”
“Fuck you. I’m nothing like them,” I spat, my lip curling in a snarl. “If you hadn’t noticed already, I’m here with information, not there.”
“Who’s to say you won’t sell us out or are still working with them?” Hunter countered, standing to brace his hands on the table and lean menacingly toward me. “Besides, it’s not as if you have actually handed anything over yet.”
“I hate my father,” I enunciated, then continued despite the slight widening of everyone’s eyes. “He’s a bastard, and if I can keep him from orchestrating the murder of more innocent people, I fucking will, whether or not you believe me. And since you’re so insistent on information, here’s the file on Travis Dorchester’s murder.” I tossed the thick manilla folder on the table.
“So, you’re concerned about saving your hide, is that it?” Hunter asked, Liam nodding.
I cocked a brow at him, reaching into my bag before I realized what it would look like. Everything happened at once. Liam and Hunter pulled weapons out, aiming them at me, and Theo blocked me from their line of sight. The silence that followed was tense. I stood frozen, my wide eyes on Theo’s back. I had never expected the day anyone would stand between me and a bullet, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
“Does this mean you would give your life for hers?” Oscar finally asked, his stern, deep voice cutting through the silence like a knife.
“Yes.” Theo’s answer rang out, my heart squeezing happily.
“Lower your weapons,” Oscar commanded his two other sons. Neither argued though I was sure they wanted to. As soon as there was no imminent threat to my safety, Theo shifted out of the way.
“I’m not going to attack you,” I explained, glaring at Hunter as I retrieved the rest of the files from my bag. Setting them on the table, I slid them to Oscar, my eyes never leaving the elder King. “The rest of the files from my father’s safe, though I didn’t look at them, so I have no clue what’s in them, but I assume they’d be more used to you than me.”
Their shocked expressions almost made me chuckle, but I forced back the urge. There was a tentative show of trust between us, and if I opened my mouth, it might ruin it. Standing upright, I felt Theo’s arm around me, his thumb stroking my lower back. I noticed his eyes taking in my profile, but I didn’t look away from his father.
From this point onward, there was no going back.
Come hell or high water, I will be free of the Phantoms.
Theo
“Did you arrange this?” Sam asked me, waving a hand toward the large pile of paperwork now sitting before my father.
I shook my head. “I didn’t know she had it,” I admitted honestly.
“Well, that’s certainly unexpected,” Liam muttered low enough. I wasn’t sure if he realized he’d spoken. At his statement, Mila snorted next to me.
“It would have been a missed opportunity not to take it while I could.” She shrugged. “If anyone can take him on or dismantle the Phantoms, it’d be you.”
I took in Sam’s and my family’s expressions, reading their body language. I knew they were still skeptical, not that I could blame them, but willingly handing over something so important had earned her at least some trust, even if it was only a sliver of a truce.
“Alright then, Mila. We will help you,” my father finally agreed.
“Help with what?” she asked, genuinely confused.
Does she really think they wouldn’t back me?
“Getting out,” Sam explained.
“Oh,” she murmured, her fingers tangling together in front of her. “Thanks, I guess.”
A soft chuckle bubbled out of me at her awkwardness. My reaction earned me a sharp elbow in the ribs, which made Liam and Hunter laugh, and the tense atmosphere lightened.
“We will comb through these. The two of you need to stay out of sight as much as possible. Understood?” my father commanded, looking between the two of us.
“Understood,” we said together.
“Good. I’ll have Sam contact with any information we find.”
We nodded and turned to leave.
“Don’t forget to be safe, big brother! You don’t need any little heirs running around just yet!” Hunter called out as we neared the door.
“Oh, God,” Mila groaned painfully, her cheeks tinting in a bright pink flush. I flipped him off over my shoulder, knowing whatever I said would earn another embarrassing comment. His and Liam’s laughter followed us out of the room into the hall.
“So, bad as you expected?” I asked when we neared the car.
“Surprisingly, no, but I won’t have to deal with all of them at the same time again. I think once was enough to last me for at least a couple weeks,” she said with a grin. “I forgot how ridiculous your brothers can be.”
“Don’t I fucking know it?” I agreed, opening her car door. She flashed me a sassy wink and sank into the passenger seat.
It was odd to talk about my family with Mila. She was closer to Liam’s age, but growing up, we’d gone to the same school. We had always been on opposite sides, though when we were younger, it was more taunts and silly children’s pranks, and she gave as good as she got. When we got older, the lines were cemented, and before long, we stayed away from one another.
Now, I was happy how things had turned out so far.
“Are you getting in the car?” she called as I moved slowly around the hood to get to my door. “I’d like not to get arrested… again.”
“Technically, you didn’t get arrested last time,” I reminded, getting behind the wheel. “There, happy now?”
“Yes, let’s get home.”
I couldn’t stop the thrill at the sentiment, even if I knew it was temporary.
12
Mila
“I’m sorry, you want to what?!” We’d only been at the safe house for a few hours, and the fucking idiot wanted to go out. Not sure what about ‘we have a damned target on our backs from the police’ he’s missing.
“We need supplies. You have some clo
thes, but I don’t, nor will the food last long. We have maybe enough for tonight and tomorrow morning,” he countered with a huff.
I ground my teeth to keep the urge to scream at him at bay. Taking a deep breath, I calmed, at least long enough to continue civilly.
“Why not ask Sam or another King? Or one of your brothers? Someone who’s not wanted for murder, you prat,” I hissed.
Okay, maybe I’m not capable of civil when it comes to Theo.
“I checked with them, and they’re all busy.”
“Why can’t we wait until tomorrow, then? I’m sure one of them could spare an hour or two,” I tried to reason.
“I don’t want to wear the same outfit again.”
“So, stay naked.”
His eyes narrowed, and his lips twitched with the urge to smile, but he didn’t let it slip. “I will, but I’m still getting new clothes and food for us.” My smile fell.
“Theo, please,” I whispered, almost begging. “Don’t leave right now by yourself.”
Striding over to me, Theo’s expression softened as he pulled me into a warm embrace. I reluctantly held him tightly, burying my face in his chest to hide my pout.
“I’ll be careful. It’s not my first rodeo dealing with shit like this. Both Liam and Hunter went through something similar with their girls. I know what I’m doing, okay?”
“You have two hours, that’s it. Got it?” I finally conceded, realizing it wouldn’t end the way I wanted. “If you think you’ll be even longer, you fucking call me.”
“Yes, Mila, I promise,” he reassured, dropping a kiss on my head. “As soon as I’m back, we’ll have another bout of marathon sex.”
My laugh was muffled by his soft t-shirt, but I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. With one more kiss, this time on my lips, Theo left with a final promise to be right back, safe and sound.
