Dagger

by Delilah Devlin

  The previous morning, they’d hovered over Brian’s shoulder as he’d accessed “the list.” Dagger had run a finger down the screen then paused on one particular entry—a $100,000 bail bond for one Marcus David Pruitt. Pruitt was up on charges for armed robbery—his second offense—and he’d failed to show up at court in Great Falls. The bail bondsman’s paperwork had listed all kinds of contacts—friends and family—in Libby.

  Dagger had glanced sideways. “What do you think?”

  Lacey barely restrained herself from squealing—at last, a target sure to push some adrenaline through her veins. “I’m feeling a little nostalgic for Libby. It’d be nice to stop in and see how Lila’s doing.”

  So, they’d pulled up chairs to desks and split the list of contacts. Posing as a girlfriend, hoping to hook up with Marc, she’d gotten a couple of family members to admit they’d seen him hanging around in recent days.

  On the long drive to Libby, she’d narrowed the search even further. Marc was planning to meet up with some old friends at Willie’s Bar & Pool Hall. A last chance to see his old friends before he “relocated” up north.

  Dagger read that little bit of news as Marc Pruitt was planning to make a run for the Canadian border.

  A thought popped into Lacey’s head. “You know, Dagger, the two of us might draw too much attention walking in there tonight, together. You look like a cop.”

  Dagger groaned. “What do you have in mind? Is it something I’m not going to like?”

  “Trust me?” she asked, giving him an innocent sideways glance.

  “Not when you give me that look,” he muttered. “Do what you’re going to do.”

  Grinning, she quickly googled the number to Apehanger’s Service and Repair.

  Well after dark, they rolled into the parking lot outside Willie’s. As they strode toward the door, Jasper Hollingsworth peeled away from the shadows.

  Lacey couldn’t help noticing he cleaned up nicely. Dressed in jeans and his leather bike club jacket, sure, he looked a little sinister, but he was sexy as well. She gave him a wide smile and slipped her hand into the elbow he crooked.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she fluttered her fingers at Dagger. “See you inside.”

  Once through the door, Lacey removed her fluffy coat.

  Jasper’s glance swept her body, and he whistled. “Damn, girl.”

  Indeed. She’d dressed in her figure-hugging, powder-blue sweater that reached her hips, and wore her skin-tight black leggings and zip-up boots. Lacey knew she looked good. She’d used her Kat Von D Serpentina palette to smoke up her eyes and add a pop of sparkle to the center of her lids. Then she’d stroked a Julep lipstick in “Vixen” red across her lips. With her hair straightened, she looked just slutty enough to draw every gaze in the room. Which gave Dagger cover to slide inside unnoticed.

  Jasper waggled his thick eyebrows and slid his arm around her waist.

  “Don’t get too friendly, now,” she warned.

  “Just making sure your boyfriend knows you’ve got options if he doesn’t treat you right, little girl.”

  She giggled and couldn’t help glancing back at Dagger, who was heading toward a booth. His scowl was so fierce his eyebrows formed a single irritated line.

  Jasper cleared his throat. “Pruitt’s playing pool in the back.”

  “How’d you know what he looks like?”

  “Didn’t, until one of his friends called him Marc.”

  She gave him an approving nod and noted the sparkle in his eyes. “You’re enjoying this.”

  “Might consider a career change. Can’t let you have all the fun.” He steered her into a larger room beyond the bar. Shaded lights on drop cords hung over several pool tables. The corners of the room were dark.

  “Look to your left in the far corner,” Jasper whispered beside her ear.

  Glancing slowly around while trying to look nonchalant, her gaze snagged on none other than Marcus David Pruitt. He was hard to miss. At five-foot-ten and two hundred twenty-five pounds, he was one round man. Add the ginger hair and bushy beard, and there was no mistaking they’d found their man.

  “I have eyes on him, Dag,” she whispered.

  “How many with him?” Dagger said, his voice coming in crisply in her earpiece.

  “Three.”

  “Be sure to move away when I get close to him.”

  “Sure.” Like hell, she would. “Jasper, if you’d like to help yourself to a beer at the bar…”

  “And miss the fun?” He arched a fuzzy brow.

  She shook her head. “What is it with you macho dudes?”

  Blowing out a breath, she surveyed the men surrounding the table. One of them was racking up the billiard balls, preparing to start another round. The men slapped ten-dollar bills on the felt ledges.

  She turned to Jasper and shoved her coat and purse into his hands. “Hold these.” Then she tugged down her sweater to expose a little cleavage and made her way to the end of the table. With the men beginning to take note of her presence, she reached across and plucked the eight ball from the center and raised it to her mouth, knowing she had every man’s attention. She pressed her lips against the cool surface, leaving her mouth print, then placed it back in the rack. With dramatic flair, she pulled the plastic rack away, gave the group a sultry look, and said in her best, breathiest Marilyn Monroe, “I love a man who knows how to strike his balls.”

  Growls sounded in her ear.

  Yeah, she knew it was a cheesy, but the line accomplished its task. The men’s attention was riveted to her. One of them slowly rubbed a square of blue chalk across the tip of his pool cue, and then lowered it toward her mouth. “Sweetheart, wanna blow on it for good luck?”

  She smiled then puckered up and blew.

  Groans erupted around the table. Good. She was sure they were all getting boners, and she wanted their blood flooding south and away from their northern brains.

  From the corner of her eye, she watched as Dagger sidled up beside Marc Pruitt. He clamped a hand on the big man’s shoulder. “I’m a Fugitive Recovery Agent, Pruitt. I’m taking you to jail.”

  Every man froze. Pruitt’s gaze darted side to side.

  Don’t do it, asshole.

  Naturally, Pruitt didn’t choose the smart course. He jabbed back his elbow, catching Dagger in his gut, and darted to the side.

  With Dagger bent double, Lacey stepped back and turned. Jasper was right behind her. She grabbed for her things, while he began to circle the table toward Pruitt, who was shoving his way past his friends.

  Shouts sounded. Glass shattered.

  Jasper reached Marc, but the bigger guy swung his fist and hit Jasper square in the jaw. Jasper folded to the ground.

  Lacey dropped her coat and reached into her purse, digging frantically toward the bottom. Her fingers closed around a hard-plastic grip. She dumped her purse and raised the taser gun, tracking Pruitt as he ran toward the barroom. She aimed from his back and pulled the trigger.

  The prongs exploded from her gun and hit Pruitt square in the ass. He went still but didn’t go down. She pulled the trigger again, delivering a second jolt of juice.

  His knees collapsed, and he landed hard on the tile floor. Then he crashed face-forward, his body jerking.

  She moved toward him, stepping over the taser’s wires. But she’d dropped her purse, which held her cuffs.

  Luckily, Dagger was moving quickly toward Pruitt. He didn’t look her way, but efficiently snapped cuffs around Pruitt’s wrists and helped him to his feet.

  “Here you go,” Jasper said beside her, handing her the things she’d dropped. She accepted them with a small smile, and then winced as she looked at his face. Already, a deep red bruise swelled once side of his face.

  “I’ve had worse. It’s embarrassing how fast that fucker dropped me.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Thanks for your help. I don’t think we would have had the element of surprise without you getting me close enough.”


  “Sweetheart, I think you could’ve waltzed in all by yourself. Their tongues were draggin’ on the floor.”

  “If you’re ready,” Dagger interjected, his tone curt.

  “Oh!” She reached into her purse and crushed the hundred dollar bill she’d promised Jasper for his “assistance.” The money hidden in her hand, she reached for his and deposited it in his palm. “Thanks,” she said again.

  “Any time, darlin’.”

  Cheeks blushing, because all gazes followed her as she left the bar, she rushed to catch up with Dagger.

  Dagger made the overnight drive to Great Falls listening to both of his companions’ snores. With Pruitt’s restraints attached to the loop in the front floor well, Lacey had been consigned to making the journey in the back seat. She’d complained of carsickness until she nodded off.

  He supposed he’d have to give up the Challenger and get something more suited to his work than a muscle car. Not that he minded. Now that his mind was calm, he had to admit Lacey had kept a cool head. She’s saved their bacon, bringing down Pruitt with the taser gun.

  At the time, he’d been furious with her little performance. Her tight, baby-blue sweater had lovingly revealed her full curves. And when she’d bent over the table, he knew every guy there could see the sweet crease of her ass. Not something he wanted to share. Ever again.

  When he could talk calmly about it, he’d tell her so.

  Still… He’d loved how brave she was. How cutely confident. Lord, he loved her. That fact he wouldn’t reveal without first having a hint of what she felt. He wasn’t about to wear his heart on his sleeve for her trample all over it. Neither did he ever want to see sympathy for his plight in her eyes. For as long as she wanted to continue this partnership, he was all in.

  “Hey, you two. Wake up,” he said. “We just passed the city limit sign.”

  A yawn sounded from the back seat. Slender arms reached high. When she pushed up to sit, her gaze met his in the rearview mirror. “You should have let me do some of the driving. You must be beat.”

  “I’m fine.” And he was. He knew a small hotel, very clean, which always had a vacancy and wasn’t far from the jail.

  She placed her hand on Pruitt’s shoulder and gave him a shake. “Marc, time to wake up. We’re almost there.”

  Pruitt stirred and groaned. “My head hurts like hell.”

  “I’m sure the guys at the jail can find you some aspirin.”

  Her tone was soft, full of sympathy, but she scrunched her nose at Dagger in the mirror.

  Dagger grinned. Having Lacey for a partner lightened the work. She made him laugh. When she wasn’t driving him bat-shit crazy. He supposed both situations were okay. He’d rather keep her close and out of trouble than have her off doing whatever-the-hell crazy thing she might come up with on her own.

  “Why are you smiling?” she asked, reaching out to run a fingertip over the curve of his ear.

  He shuddered because her touch tickled. “Just thinking about how we’ll spend the rest of the day.”

  “You mean making that long-ass road trip back home?”

  “Who says we’re heading home?”

  Her answering smile was every bit as sultry as the one she’d given Pruitt and his buddies when she’d kissed the eight ball.

  Chapter 11

  Dagger followed close on Lacey’s heels while she walked quickly toward their room, the key card already extended.

  Once she opened the door and stepped inside, he tossed their bags onto the floor and shut the door with his foot. Without pausing, she began to strip, tossing away clothes—her sweater sailing, her bra dangling. When she bent to unzip her boots, he grabbed the waistband of her leggings and smoothed them down her hips. Then he bent to plant a kiss on her right buttock.

  She laughed. “I have to shower first!”

  He swatted her bare ass. “Five minutes.”

  She popped up and looked over her shoulder. “Not joining me?”

  He shook his head. He wanted a mattress under her body before he touched her again.

  While she bathed, he texted to Brian, letting him know they had the signed paperwork from the jail, and that they’d be back in Bear Lodge that evening—late evening—if he didn’t mind.

  Brian typed smiley faces.

  Dagger tossed the phone and began removing his clothes.

  The door behind him opened and steam billowed out. He glanced back and froze as Lacey walked nude into the room.

  The woman might be short, but she was all curves and toned legs. Her breasts jiggled as she moved, and he felt saliva pool in his mouth.

  The woman was a vision. Intensely feminine and beautiful features. The body of a porn queen. His already heavy cock continued to harden.

  Her glance flicked downward. A Mona Lisa smile curved her mouth. “I want me some of that.”

  He gripped his shaft and gave himself a stroke. “It’s all yours, baby.” Then he grinned, feeling a dimple etch its way into one side of his cheek. His gaze went to her pussy. “You’ll have to wait your turn.”

  Lacey cocked a hip. “And why can’t we both get what we want?” She lifted her hand and beckoned him with finger, leading him forward with the sway of her beguiling hips.

  At the bed, she crawled onto the mattress, and then knelt, facing him. He sat and stretched out his legs toward the headboard. He knew how this was done, but despite his experience in the years since they’d dated, he’d never once done this particular act. A pang struck his chest at the thought that he’d be sharing this first with her.

  Lying back, he waited while she slowly turned and then straddled his body, scooting awkwardly backward until her pussy grazed his chest.

  “Lift up, babe,” he said. With his hands, he helped guide her farther back. Now, with her knees spread wide and her pussy hovering over his mouth, he burrowed his face into her folds.

  “Oh! Bristles,” she ground out.

  “You don’t like that?”

  “Didn’t say that,” she said, gasping as he parted her folds and continued to rub his lower face against her tender sex.

  Her hips undulated, a shallow scoop downward then a gentle lift. He sucked a fold into his mouth and drew on it, letting it go with a pop. Then drew on its sister and growled.

  More ravenous now, he barely registered the fact she gripped his shaft and was licking up and down the sides. He was hungry. Starving. Eager to eat her out and give her the same intense pleasure he derived every time he sank his cock inside her.

  He gripped her ass and moved her as he gave her long licks of his flattened tongue, stroking through her folds again and again as she began to quiver and squirm.

  She teased his balls with her fingernails, raking over them, then ticking the tender flesh behind them, making him growl.

  Her tongue wet his cockhead and the point fluttered against the narrow slit. When she took him into her mouth, he pointed his tongue and fucked her, sinking as deeply as he could to lick around her inner walls, capturing her essence as it oozed down her channel.

  Soon, they were both bobbing, licking, tugging. He pushed fingers inside her and sucked her clit, listening for her gasps and moans. When he was nearly there, thrusting deep into her throat, he shoved her off his body and turned to crawl over her. He lowered his body to trap hers with his weight, his cock resting atop her mound.

  Her mouth was blurred and swollen. Her gaze equally unfocused.

  With his palms framing her face, he bent and laid a gentle kiss on her mouth. When he pulled back an inch, he held her gaze and opened her legs with his knees. Drawing back his hips, he nudged her sex until he found her moist hot center and drove deep. Watching her expression while he entered her caused his chest to tighten. Pure joy seemed to light her from within. “Lace…”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “I love you.” He held his breath, afraid he’d said it too soon.

  Tears welled in her eyes, and she smiled. “I love you, too. Always have.”

>   “Never stopped,” he said, his voice thickening with emotion.

  She traced a finger down his cheek to his mouth. “I don’t want to ever be without you…again.”

  Spearing her with his gaze, he kept his voice steady, promising, “I won’t ever let you go.”

  Then he moved in earnest, plunging deep, thrusting hard. Claiming her in the most primal way a man can. Trapping her beneath him, barely giving her space to breathe.

  But she was with him, scratching his shoulders and back, marking him. Claiming him right back as she undulated against him, bringing up her legs past his hips, curving her body to invite him to stroke deeper.

  When he was close, he reached behind him and captured her wrists. He placed them beside her head and laced his fingers with hers. Then lowering his full weight closer, he fucked her, rubbing his body against hers, loving the feel of the pebbled tips of her breasts catching in his chest hair, the gusts of her breath against his mouth.

  Her pussy clenched hard, adding friction to his movements.

  “Baby, come with me,” he whispered as he pistoned his hips, so fast he grew breathless.

  Her head thrashed on the mattress. “Yes, yes, yes!”

  When he came, he felt her grow stiff beneath him, heard her muffled cry in his ear. As his balls exploded and sweet release poured into her, he gave himself to her. Body and soul.

  After their hearts slowed, they lay on their sides, facing each other. Smiling.

  “Would I be rushing you if I said I want to live with you?” Lacey whispered.

  He shook his head, relief filling him that she was a eager to move forward as he was. “We’ll get a place. A house. I’ll get with a realtor tomorrow.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I wasn’t meaning this second. Don’t we need to save?”

  “I have money in the bank, babe.”

  “But it shouldn’t all fall on you.”