Mayhem’s King: Operation Mayhem

by Cross, Lindsay

  “Good, I hope you’ve learned that in your time with us. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  Laura’s anxiety took a whole new direction. She knew before he spoke exactly what he wanted to discuss. “My brother.”

  Reaper nodded slowly. He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “As much as King wants to deny it, we were all in that same bad place as your brother, Dawson. We all managed to save each other from the darkness and I think Dawson can be saved too.”

  Laura sat up straight. “You mean the experiment?”

  “I guess it would be too much for me to hope that King would have explained to you what happened. But yes, the experiment changed all of us. But I don’t think your brother realizes it.” Reaper paused and then leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees as he pinned Laura with a deadly stare. “We’ve got to find a way to bring him in, safely and securely.”

  Laura licked her dry lips, fighting the urge to fidget. “I can do that. I can talk to him. John always listens to me.”

  “But that was before, Laura. I don’t know if I’m willing to risk that.”

  “Listen, I know that everyone here thinks my brother is a threat, but he’d been staying with me for the past few months. He never acted out in any way. Why do you think he would hurt me now?” She hadn’t been able to convince King but maybe Reaper would listen.

  “Because he knows we have you and your daughter. I promise you, the only reason he hasn’t attacked us now is he either doesn’t know where we are, or something is physically keeping him away.”

  The frustration flamed through her and Laura jumped to her feet, needing to move around. “You don’t understand. He would never harm Faith.”

  She could feel Reaper’s steady gaze on her. And that made her even more nervous.

  “As much as I hate to say this, you’re family to John, but he may not see it that way anymore. He could’ve just been using you as a safe place to hide out until he figured out his next step.”

  Laura twisted her hands at her side, her anger and frustration winning out over her fear. She squared off with Reaper. “That’s not possible.”

  “Why not? You don’t know what they did to him. Hell, we don’t know what they did to him.”

  Through clenched teeth she said, “It’s not possible because Faith is his daughter. And he would die before hurting his daughter.”

  * * *

  Reaper slowly rose to his feet, his neutral expression fading. “What did you say?”

  Laura realized her mistake a second too late. Why hadn’t she kept her big mouth shut? Reaper closed the distance between them and she beat a hasty retreat behind the chair, using it as a shield. He stopped and scowled, as if her being afraid of him bothered him.

  “Laura, I need you to be completely honest with me. Is Faith your daughter or your niece?”

  She gripped the chair, hard, and said in a barely audible voice, “Niece.”

  Reaper’s voice dropped low and menacing, “Did King know that this whole time?”

  Her chin wobbled. “No.” She lowered her gaze, unable to hold his. “I haven’t told him.” And now she didn’t know if she could. Their relationship had been tenuous before the hospital, if he found out she’d lied to him like that, whatever thread that was holding him to her would surely be severed.

  “Thank God,” Reaper said under his breath.

  That drew her attention. “Why do you say that? I lied to him, to all of you—”

  Reaper raised a hand. “Yes, you did. But that’s not as bad as if King had put us all in jeopardy by lying to cover your tracks.”

  “How would that make a difference, if he knew or not?”

  “Because John Dawson might forget about a distant niece, but he won’t forget his daughter. He’ll come for her and it won’t be pretty. If King had kept that from me, it would have been to use the kid to lure Dawson and kill him.” Reaper crossed his massive arms and then scratched his chin.

  Laura stumbled back a step. “I haven’t told him.”

  “Could he have figured it out?”

  Her heart felt like it fell to her toes and she shook her head quickly. “No. I don’t know. I haven’t told anyone else.”

  But she and Faith had signed openly about it, could he have figured out what they were saying?

  “I need to go. Are we done?” Laura spit out, already walking to the door.

  “Laura—”

  It was her turn to hold up a hand. “I need to check on Faith.” She shoved through the door, her entire body trembling. Could King have been using her this whole time? She racked her mind for any hint of deceit, any sign of a betrayal.

  She practically ran back to the kitchen, where Audra and Faith were eating. “Audra, can you watch Faith for a little bit longer? I need to find King.”

  Audra waved her on. “Sure thing! We wanted to go down to the gym anyway and work on some tumbling.”

  Laura was already headed out the door. “Thanks!”

  * * *

  She found him in the bedroom wearing his usual black get up from head to toe, only now he had on a black Kevlar vest with pockets and was stuffing them with ammo. Laura sucked in a breath and stood frozen just inside the door. On the bed was laid out a multitude of weapons; pistols and rifles and grenades. “King, what are you doing?” Her words shook as she eased closer.

  He didn’t look up. He grabbed the pistol, checked the barrel and shoved it into a pocket. “Getting ready.”

  “Getting ready for what?” she whispered. It couldn’t be true, not after everything they’d shared.

  He cleared another pistol, the loud click making her jump as it snapped back into place. He scooped up a handful of bullets and tucked them into another pocket. And then a knife, and then another one in his boot.

  “King, answer me.” She drew closer, her pulse thrumming hard and fast, as the possibility that King had been using them the whole time grew.

  He spared her a glance and then snatched up a grenade and clicked it on his belt. “You should go and be with Faith.”

  She could practically see the invisible wall going up between them. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m preparing, and you don’t need to be here.” He turned then, pinning her with that intense stare of his.

  “Is it John?”

  His jaw clenched, and his hands fisted at his sides. “I asked you to leave.”

  Tears burned the back of her eyes and she blinked them away rapidly, wrapping her hand around her throat. “So, it’s true.”

  He scowled and went back to the task of picking up weapons. Weapons to kill her brother. “I never lied to you about Dawson. He’s dangerous.”

  Her voice hitched, “So you’re going to put him out of his misery.”

  King slung the rifle over his shoulder. “One way or another.”

  “And you’re going to use me and Faith to do it.” She felt the sob rising in her chest and quickly clamped her mouth shut, refusing to let the weakness escape in front of him.

  “No, you two are staying here, where I know you will be safe and protected. Whether you like it or not.” King put another rifle over his other shoulder, the barrels crisscrossing his back. When he faced her this time, with enough weapons to take out an entire army, he truly did look like a pirate ready to kill.

  King made to brush past her, but she refused to move out of his way and instead blocked his path to the door, flinging her arms wide to stop him. “What do you mean stay here? Aren’t you using us as bait?”

  King picked her up, set her to the side and reached for the door. “I don’t have time for this.”

  Laura blindly reached out and snagged his belt, pulling with all her strength. “You’d better make time for this.”

  King paused and blew out a long, deep sigh that said he was very annoyed. He turned to face her, crossing his arms over his chest and scowled down at her. “I’ve waited long enough. And I’m not going to wait any longer. I warned you
about your brother. I can’t sit back and wait for him to lose control and hurt someone. I understand if you don’t want anything else to do with me because of it. I’ve accepted that fact. But nothing changes the fact that he is a wild dog that needs putting down.”

  “Who said I didn’t want anything else to do with you?”

  He drew up straight, studying her. And then he turned for the door. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t be with you. You’re better off forgetting about me.”

  “So, everything that happened between us for these last couple of weeks—is that nothing to you?”

  King turned his head, so that she could only see the sharp angular profile with his eye patch. “They were just distractions.”

  His rough words gut punched her. Her chin wobbled and the tears threatening the back of her eyes spilled over. “And Faith? She was a distraction too? And the stage you built for her? The training area you set up for her? Taking her to the hospital?”

  King threw his head back, thick veins bulging on his muscular neck beneath his beard. He ground out one word, “Yes.”

  “You’re a liar, King,” she bit out, her anguish turning to fury.

  He spun on her, midnight black eyebrows arched into sharp points. “What did you say?”

  Not intimidated in the least by his callousness, she advanced, jamming her finger into his thick chest. “So you’re blind and deaf now? I called you a liar.”

  She jammed her finger into his chest again, barely restraining the urge to ball her hand into a fist and pound against him until he caved.

  “No one has ever called me a liar,” he said, his voice carrying a quiet menace.

  “Sounds like I’m overdue then,” she ground out between clenched teeth. “If you don’t want us, at least have the balls to be honest about it. Go ahead, I’m a big girl. I can take it, I promise. You kidnapped me and Faith to use us as bait to draw out my brother. And then you screwed me so I would stay without a fight. And I was dumb enough to buy your whole wounded warrior act.”

  King stormed, “Stop it.”

  Knowing she was pushing his limits and totally uncaring of the consequences, Laura jammed her finger harder into his sternum, wanting to dish out some pain so he could feel it too. “Just admit it, you used me and turned me into your whore.”

  Like lightning, King captured her and yanked her to him, his other arm snaking around her waist and crushing her against his chest. He squeezed her, their bodies fully pressed together. “Don’t ever call yourself that word.”

  She struggled, uselessly trying to break his iron grip. “It’s the truth. You don’t care about me or Faith. All you care about is revenge.”

  King shifted, lifting her so that they were eye to eye. His obsidian gaze bored into her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s because I care about you that I can’t be with you.”

  She wanted to scream in frustration. Instead, she drew back her foot as far as she could to kick him in the shin. Pain arrested her toe and the stubborn man holding her didn’t even flinch. “You have to be the blindest blind man I have ever met.”

  “You’re wrong. It took me a while to understand, but I finally did. At the hospital, I realized I can do nothing but hurt you too. And when you calm down, you’ll realize the same thing.” He eased her to the floor, and stepped back.

  Unprepared, Laura wobbled for a second before she caught herself. King tried to move around her again, physically putting distance between them.

  Panting, trembling, crying openly now, Laura gave it one last shot. “I know it was because she called you—in the hospital. I know you’re scared. I’m scared too, but I’m willing to fight for us.” She closed the gap and put her hand on his arm. King flinched but she kept going. “Do you not see how special it is between us?”

  She felt it, how he seemed to take up the entire room. How the air between them crackled and talked. How when he touched her, the entire world melted away.

  King slowly cupped her cheek, his hand shaking. “It’s because I can feel how special this is that I’m leaving. I don’t deserve to have this again. And I know that in the end you’ll be taken from me too.” His voice broke. “And I couldn’t survive if that happened again.”

  Laura’s heart pounded so hard she could feel it thrumming in her fingers and toes. She covered the back of his hand with hers, and kissed his palm tenderly. He blew out a great, shuddering breath and she melted. “I couldn’t survive without you. Can’t you see that? Don’t you know how much I need you?”

  The battle raging inside him was so visible to her, she wanted to dive into his soul and fight for him. She wanted to take the demons of his past away, every hurt, every ounce of pain.

  “What about your brother? I can’t just forget about him.”

  She tilted her head into his palm, relishing his heat and strength. “I trust you, King. I know you’ll find a way to bring him in without killing him.”

  He brought up his other hand, cupping her face on both sides. “He’s strong, and fast. What if I can’t? What if he doesn’t give me a choice?”

  “I know you’ll do the right thing. You’re a good man. And I love you.” She’d known almost from the beginning. This soul deep connection had changed her entire outlook on life. He was made for her, no matter what happened, and she would find a way to make it work. She would fight for him.

  King groaned, “Laura, I don’t deserve you.” And before she could respond, he took possession of her mouth, slanting his over hers, his tongue delving deep within.

  She grabbed his hands and rose up on her tippy toes, meeting his kiss head on. Desire erupted in her belly, licked through her core and sent instant delicious chills racing across her skin. This is what she needed, him taking control, openly giving her everything he had. He was a gentle kisser, but now he was wild and forceful, exactly how she dreamed.

  He lifted her in his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist, curling around his body. She dug her fingers into his neck and thrust her tongue against his. She never wanted this to end. Her entire body was on fire. Wantonly, she flexed her legs, rubbing her core against the thick hard ridge beneath his pants. She shifted her grip to his shoulders, trying to lever up so she could get more friction. Her hand hit one of the rifles slung across his back and King broke the kiss. “Shit. Hold on.”

  He plopped her down to the floor, took off the weapons and leaned them against the wall. And he shrugged out of his vest and disarmed so quickly she could barely keep up. Then he grabbed up the corners of the bedspread, tied them up together and carried the remaining pile of weapons to the side of the room and placed them there.

  And then he stalked her, ripping off his shirt as he walked closer. She dragged her gaze down to his gorgeous rock-hard chest, drinking in the sight of every sinewy muscle. He caught her up again, his hands nearly spanning her waist, and picked her up, taking her to the now empty bed. He stood her on the mattress in front of him, ripped off her shirt, and buried his face in her breasts. Gasping with pleasure, Laura clutched him to her. He yanked down the flimsy material of her bra and drew her nipple into his lips, sucking forcefully.

  She cried out, rose up on her toes, ecstasy bordering on pain shooting through her every nerve. “King!”

  His answer was a low growl. Then King flipped her back, unsnapped her bra and threw it across the room. He stared with open lust. “God, you’re perfect.”

  He cupped and lifted her breasts, squeezing, gently rolling her nipples between his thumb and finger. She arched, begging for more. And he obliged, the liquid fire of his hot mouth laying claim to her sensitive flesh. He licked, he sucked, he nipped until she was dizzy with pleasure, and gasping for air.

  “I can’t get enough of you.” He laid her back on the bed, unbuttoned her blue jeans and yanked them down her legs. Her panties followed suit and then she was laid out completely bare for him, body and soul.

  He pushed her legs wide, dropped to his elbows and licked her from bottom to top. Se
aring heat shot through her and she arched off the mattress, gasping from the sudden intensity. He lapped at her again and again, driving her to the brink of orgasm. Unable to handle the torture, she buried her hands in his head and yanked him up, bending at the waist to rip open his pants. “Now, King. I need you inside me now.”

  He helped her unbutton his pants and then shoved them down his hips. She reached for his thick length, wrapping her hands around him. His velvety hardness pulsed in her grip, and her pussy clenched in eagerness.

  He dragged her hand from him and pushed her back. She let her knees fall wide, shaking with need. Then he was moving over her, his thick cock plunging inside her, driving her wild. She held on to his shoulders for support, riding the wave of pleasure to the end. He thrust hard and deep, over and over. Her orgasm burst over her like an explosion. She threw back her head and screamed her release. King thrust in to the hilt and roared. “Laura!”

  She closed her eyes, spent. King lifted her to the top of the bed and settled them on the pillows, shifting her so that her limp body lay stretched on top of him. Their bodies touched everywhere. She laid her head on his shoulder, her hand on his chest and tangled her legs with his. She wanted to stay here with him like this forever.

  * * *

  “I wouldn't do that.” Inside his employer's compound, John Dawson pressed his glock against Steven’s temple. “Not if you want to live.” Every word he spoke sent burning waves of pain down his side, but he stood tall and firm, determination driving him onward. “Because I need supplies.”

  Stephen lifted his hands in the air over his head, the black polo General Rainer outfitted all his security team with pulling tight with the movement. “You’re the boss. You don’t have to –”

  Dawson shoved his pistol harder against Stephen’s temple, squishing his head between his gun and the armor-plated Humvee, “Talking time is over. I already checked the lockbox, where are the keys?”