Chasing Fire (The Fire Duet Book 1)

by Billie Lustig

  “Yes,” I whisper against her luscious pink lips, answering her question.

  Every day since the day I met you.

  “I’m sorry you’re in this position, but I can’t back out now. I need those diamonds back, and I need to make a statement. I can’t let this happen without making a move. You know why,” I explain, hoping she understands.

  Personally, I don’t give a shit about those damn stones anymore. I wasn’t bullshitting her when I told her she was priceless. She is priceless.

  Those stones mean nothing compared to her.

  But I can’t let the rest of the world know that. If I don’t respond, it will only be a matter of time before the rest of the world starts waltzing over us like we’re a goddamn dancefloor.

  And the only ones dancing on top are going to be Liam and I.

  “I know. I know. Don’t worry … I’m not backing out. I will get you your stones back, Kane.” She tells me this while her gaze is fixated on me, making sure I hear every word.

  “Reality just hit me hard. That’s all. I’ll be fine,” she continues with a small smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

  “That’s okay,” I murmur against her lips, wanting to take her mind off things. “You know what else is going to hit you hard?”

  The corner of her mouth rises, tilts up, and I can feel her soften in my arms. She hums in agreement before her tongue darts out to find mine and her hands run through my hair. I lift her up and walk us towards the bed before I throw her on it.

  My hand grabs the hem of her jeans, yanking them off her ass with one move. I snatch her ankles and rapidly flip her onto her stomach before my hands reach out to cup her between her legs.

  “No,” she asserts adamantly before she rolls over onto her back and looks me in the eye.

  She reaches up and fists my shirt, forcing me down to her. My body hovers over hers, my arm beside her head with my lips poised just millimeters from hers.

  “No?”

  “Not like that.” The tone in her breathy voice is both seducing and desperate at the same time, going straight to my dick. “Take it slow and kiss me.”

  “Is that right?” I ask while my lips brush over hers and my hand brutally rips the small piece of fabric making up her thong, tearing it off her body. My finger instantly finds her folds, and I exhale at the sensation of her slickness as I push two fingers inside of her.

  “Always ready for me, aren’t you?” I tease her for a while before I stand up and push my jeans and boxers down to give my dick the freedom it’s longing for.

  She nods before she bites her bottom lip with a pleading look.

  “Nice and slow, Kane.”

  “Whatever you want, baby girl,” I promise while I push my hard shaft inside of her, knowing I’m fucked because I mean every word.

  I will kill.

  I will steal.

  I will torture.

  I will do whatever she fucking wants.

  39

  Callie

  Present Day

  We are watching a movie on the couch in the living room, cuddled up like we’re a normal couple even though we are anything but that.

  “I want you.” His breath is fanning my ear, making my skin crawl as he softly growls into my ear.

  I can’t deny how he makes me feel. I know I should be able to shut the feelings off, ignore them. Push them away.

  Anything.

  But I still melt under his touch. I still long for more after every kiss, every touch on my body. I still can’t resist any of it.

  But I know I have to.

  His arm is wrapped around my neck while my body is pressed against his. The tips of his fingers stroke the skin of my upper arm in a slow rhythm, and it fucking confuses me how safe I still feel with him. I’m trying my hardest to make him believe I still trust him, but at this moment it’s not a lie.

  Like last night wasn’t a lie.

  Not for me. I can still feel him thrusting inside me, nice and slow, just like I’d asked him to. His warm body against mine while my nails left their marks in the skin on his back. For as long as it lasted, I felt as if things between us were real. That our relationship was real. That our souls were merging into one, like two people in love. And for that brief period of time, I truly let myself believe it all.

  “Just watch the damn movie.” I slap his leg before I shoot him a scowl.

  “What’s wrong?” I can feel his piercing eyes looking down at my head.

  I keep my eyes focused on the TV, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

  “Nothing.” I shrug.

  “You seem tense.” He gently places a kiss on my hair, and my eyes instantly tear up.

  “I’m just … I’m nervous about tomorrow, okay? Just let me watch the movie so I don’t have to think about it.” I take a deep breath, pushing my tears away before I give him what I hope is a reassuring smile.

  He gives me a sympathetic look before his lips land on my neck again.

  “I can take your mind off of it.”

  “Kane,” I scold with a reprimanding tone.

  “Okay. Okay. No touching until the end.” He chuckles as he squeezes me closer to him.

  I quickly glance at him, trying to hide my annoyance. I desperately want to spit out the words that are laying on the tip of my tongue. Call him out on his bullshit. Compliment him on his acting skills and beg him to tell me that I’m wrong. That I heard wrong. That he meant everything he said to me over the last few days. That this is all one big misunderstanding.

  But I know it’s not.

  Two days ago, I would have jumped him the second he initiated sex, but last night was the last time.

  It has to be.

  I can’t let him break my heart any more than it already is.

  I won’t survive that.

  “Jesus fuck, you guys look all lovey dovey. It’s disgusting.” Liam walks in with a white towel around his neck. He’s wearing black shorts and a gray tank top, his forehead dripping with sweat. He pulls a face and drops his ass on the coffee table right in front of us while he rubs the towel against his sweaty head.

  “Says the one smelling like a fucking animal,” Kane grinds out, wrinkling his nose. “Get your ugly head out of the way, fuckface.”

  “No, the ones fucking like animals are YOU!” He points his finger at both of us, and I just stare at him. I can pretend with Kane, but I can’t pretend with Liam anymore. I know it’s not fair to blame him because Kane makes his own choices, but I hate Liam for still feeling the need to eliminate every Reyes he meets.

  Including me.

  I do my best to hide my scowl when his gaze moves to me.

  “Are you ready for tomorrow?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” I shrug. “What’s the plan?”

  “You tell us where your father is, and we ambush him before the exchange.” Liam’s face looks serious, even though his lips are curved in a smile.

  “Ambush? Are you kidding me?” I move forward to break my connection with Kane so I can look at both of them.

  “You said you wouldn’t hurt my father.”

  “We won’t,” Kane answers.

  “You can’t say that if that is the plan. It will be a massacre, and you know it. No, I’m not doing that.” I firmly shake my head. “Besides, he’s going to try and give you fakes.”

  “Fakes?” Liam’s brows raise up in question.

  “For sure. He won’t want to give up those diamonds. The greedy bastard will want it all. Me and the diamonds.”

  “What do you suggest?” Kane’s hand lands on my back in affection, and a shiver runs through my body.

  Fuck.

  I take a deep breath, knowing I need to really sell this. If I want to have a chance to end all of the mess that is circling around me, I only have one shot at it.

  “You stay here, and I’ll get you the diamonds.”

  “Abso-fucking-lutely not!” Liam barks as expected.

  I roll my eyes at him before I ignore him a
nd point my gaze at Kane. His eyes have darkened, teeth gritted, but he doesn’t say a word.

  “Do you trust me, Kane?” I ask, pleading.

  “I’m the one who can get you the diamonds without a massacre. Send a few men with me to the location and let me pretend to escape your convoy before we get into the caves. You know they’ll buy it, you saw me when you captured me. They know I always try to escape. I’ll get the diamonds, and I’ll walk out of there without a scratch. They won’t even know I have them until I’m out of there. Jeremy can pick me up somewhere. By the time they realize anything, I’ll be back here, which will piss my dad off even more. It’s a win-win for us.”

  “Kane,” Liam growls under his breath.

  He glowers at his brother before moving his eyes back to mine. I do my best to keep it together while I feel his piercing eyes burn through me. I’m used to his dominating energy by now, but lying straight to his face still makes me nervous as fuck. If I give him any reason to doubt me, I have no clue what the fuck he’d do to me, but I don’t want to find out. I saw what he did to Fernando.

  He’d probably feed me to his army.

  “I will get you your diamonds back, Kane.” My eyes never deviate from his, and I hold my breath, waiting for his reaction. He just keeps staring at me, and I’m squirming inside, doing my best to stay patient.

  “I know.” He finally agrees, the corner of his mouth raising in a proud grin.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Liam huffs out as he crosses his arms over his massive chest.

  “We won’t be at the exchange,” Kane forcefully informs his brother while he runs his fingers through my hair. “But I won’t send you back into those caves without protection. You’ll take Jeremy and a dozen men.”

  “They’re my family. I think I’ll be fine.”

  “I don’t trust that your brother will just let you walk back out. You need a team. And a gun.”

  “You’re giving me a gun?” I snap my head towards his, feeling my heart leap with hope.

  “What in the actual fuck, Kane? Are you fucking crazy?” Liam jumps up and hovers over his baby brother. He doesn’t seem angry, more annoyed that he’s being ignored.

  “Sit the fuck down, Liam.” Kane looks up to his brother, looking like he doesn’t give a damn that he’s towering above him like he’s the fucking Empire State Building. Kane’s face is stoic, but I can see a muscle in his jaw tic, and I know he’s not kidding. I don’t like Liam. In fact, at the moment I hate him, but I’ve got to know these two for the most part, and it is true what they say. Kane is more impulsive, he’s the one you don’t want to piss off. The one who will throw a knife through your brain if he wants to, while Liam is the more rational one. He’s pretty predictable, and even though they’re evenly matched physically and verbally, Liam knows to pick the battles with his brother wisely.

  A disappointed look washes over Liam’s face before he sits back down on the table, his lips in a thin line of disagreement.

  “We are sending her in without us because it will make them think they are at an advantage, thinking she escaped. We use Callie as the expert, making sure we get the real stones, while Jeremy makes sure she has an escape. They won’t know what hit them when they realize she is on our team. Not on theirs. Besides, I know what will keep them in line.”

  Ignoring his cryptic comment, a relieved breath escapes my mouth, finally seeing some light at the end of this fucked up tunnel I’ve been trying to crawl out of.

  I shoot him a grateful look before I look at Liam.

  He purses his lips as I mimic his stance, waiting until he opens his mouth. His dark blue eyes are narrowed as if he’s trying to figure me out.

  “I still don’t fully trust you, Reyes. How can I trust that you won’t screw us over and disappear into those caves with your bastard family?”

  “You can’t,” I admit, his eyes widening with curiosity. “But just think about how much fun you’ll have chasing me around the world if I do.”

  He lets out a chuckle, and a proud look appears on his face, clearly not expecting that answer.

  “I’ll have even more fun when we catch you.”

  “I know. But you won’t have to,” I assure him with a fake smile plastered on my face.

  40

  Callie

  Present Day

  I look out the window as I sit in the back of a black Escalade. Kane and Liam are both leaning on the railing of the lower deck of the yacht. I knew it was a damn big boat, but standing next to it makes me realize how colossal it actually is. It feels like they are staring at me through the tinted windows, even though it’s impossible for them to see through.

  I feel my eyes fill, and I take a deep breath to push them back while my fingers fumble with my phone. Kane gave it back to me last night saying, ‘Call me if things go south.’

  I’m doing my best to hate him, but I can’t. I’m angry as fuck, feeling played and toyed with.

  But I’m mostly heartbroken.

  I want to scream at him, punch him in the face, grab his hair before I slam his face against the wall.

  And most of all, I want to fucking kiss him like all of this never happened.

  I thought about doing it.

  Fighting my way out as soon as we were docked. I could have put the gun he gave me to his head and walked out of there, telling him I knew all about his hidden agenda.

  The devil twins on my shoulders were raising their forks, screaming at me to go for it, but I decided to listen to the angel telling me I’m better than that. He doesn’t deserve my tears; he doesn’t deserve my frustration, and he sure as fuck doesn’t deserve me.

  I can see Kane’s eyes narrow and confusion wash over his face as if he can read my mind even though he’s twenty yards away, his arctic eyes beaming like emeralds through the blacked-out window.

  Goosebumps appear on my skin because even though he shouldn’t be able to see me, I know he can.

  Jeremy jumps behind the wheel and starts the engine, giving me a reason to look away from the burning gaze that seems to penetrate through the glass to scorch me.

  Inhale.

  Exhale.

  Inhale.

  Exhale.

  Escorted by one car in front of us and two behind us, Jeremy hits the throttle. I can’t resist giving Kane one more glance before I face forward and watch all the different yachts pass by while we drive out of the marina. Within a minute, our surroundings change to the hilly landscape that Andalucía is famous for.

  Unintentionally, I look at the heavy black watch that is placed on my wrist while my phone buzzes with a new message.

  KANE: BE QUICK. I NEED YOU BACK IN MY BED.

  I let out a loud sigh, anger running through my veins.

  Arrogant-cock-sucking-motherfucking-son-of-a-bitch.

  He is in for a treat if he thinks I’m stupid enough to come back there without a fight.

  I close off my phone and look out of the window, determined to not think about him for another second even though I know it’s useless. Whatever I do, my mind wanders back to that boyish grin, his hypnotizing eyes, and how he is slowly crushing my heart in his hands.

  An hour later, I know we are getting closer to the hills of Granada as the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It’s a cloudy day, and the lack of sun makes the hills appear ominous. The longer we drive, the more it feels like I’m moving towards the enemy instead of my family.

  “You okay back there?” Jeremy glances at me through the rear-view mirror, shooting me a comforting smile. I don’t know what his instructions really are, so I don’t know if I can trust him, but I at least have to pretend I do until we reach Granada.

  “I’m fine.” The corner of my mouth reaches up to give him a coy smile while I rub my sweaty palms against my dark jeans.

  He moves his gaze back to the road, and I take in his profile from where I sit in the back seat.

  He’s shorter than the Carrillo brothers, but just as muscled. He has his brown hair
in a military cut, and his amber brown eyes make him look like the soldier boy next door.

  Rough and sweet. The American dream.

  “Can I ask you something?” I move my gaze to the rear-view mirror, and his eyes glance up to meet mine before he nods.

  “Have you ever killed without reason?”

  He furrows his brows, confused by my question.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know, have you ever killed someone when it wasn’t in self-defense? Have you ever executed anyone?” I do my best to keep my face as expressionless as possible.

  He cocks his head a little and quickly takes his eyes off the road to look at me straight in the eye, as if he knows exactly why I’m asking this specific question. Although it’s brief, his eyes penetrate mine, making sure I’m hearing every word that is about to leave his lips.

  “No. They do executions themselves.”

  I feel my eyes widen in surprise before I remind myself to keep my face straight.

  If that is true, why aren’t they here?

  I don’t have much time to think about it before I notice the white top of the Sierra Nevada, telling me we are almost there. I take off my seatbelt and move forward, pressing my head against the back of the passenger seat while Jeremy drives up the road leading up the hill.

  “You ready?” Jeremy asks while he glances at me with worry in his eyes.

  I nod while I put my phone in the inside pocket of my dark brown leather jacket before my gaze focuses on the road in front of us.

  Two miles farther up the dusty sand track, there are three black Jeep Wranglers waiting for us in the shadows of the trees.

  Reyes cars.

  The Jeeps are accompanied by ten of my father’s men, all dressed in jeans and black t-shirts, each carrying an AK-47, their eyes covered with sunglasses.

  Jeremy grabs his gun from the passenger seat and cocks it before he throws a set of handcuffs on the backseat.

  “Put these on.”