Mayhem's Betrayal: Operation Mayhem Book 5

by Lindsay Cross

  Her moans got higher and higher. Her back arched and her legs wobbled beneath him. He trailed his tongue lower and ripped her thighs apart, feeling like an animal. He wanted to suck on every last part of her. With his hands restraining her hips, he drove his tongue inside her hole.

  “John!” she screamed as his tongue filled her up over and over. He thrust it in and out, taking breaks to suck on her clit. She pushed against his mouth, craving more and more pressure. She was thrashing around on the mattress wildly, her body searing hot.

  She lashed and screamed, soaking the comforter and sheets beneath her, John’s mouth working magic she must’ve never felt before. Finally, a body-racking orgasm sizzled through her, until she stilled, left breathing so hard she might have started having a seizure just like Dawson’s.

  “That was amazing,” she breathed, her heart still hammering, her eyes closed as she stroked his hair. He planted a kiss on her stomach before working his way back up to lean above her.

  “You’re amazing,” he said. She opened her eyes and stared back at him, her chest still heaving but beginning to slow down.

  “I’ll show you how amazing I am.” She flipped him over so he was the one lying on the mattress now and she hovered above him.

  His body spasmed. She slowly reached down for the hem of his black T-shirt, her fingertips caressing his bare skin. His chest jerked as she trailed the fabric up and over his head. She lowered her head and gave him a brief kiss on the lips.

  He gripped her thighs, breathing hard. Her wet crotch was pressed against his stomach, just above his belt. His dick was so hard beneath his pants he was silently begging her to touch it.

  She smoothed her hands over his bulky chest, his ripped abs, all the way to the top of his pants. He felt more like he’d die right now than he ever did when he was locked in the cell, having seizures and migraines. This was the worst and best pain he could imagine.

  She reached down to unbuckle his belt, her eyes locked on his face the whole time. Dawson’s breaths came in short rasps as Melissa unbuttoned his pants next, taking deliberate time. She pulled the zipper down even slower. The anticipation building right in his cock. He didn't think he’d survive this sweet torture.

  She dipped her small hand into his briefs and gasped when she felt how hard he was. His full length throbbed beneath her touch. He trailed his eyes down the front of her body, her breasts swaying over his chest. He wanted to reach out and grab them.

  “Melissa, you’re killing me,” he panted. “I can’t take much more,” he begged, his head still digging into the mattress. He couldn't bring himself to hold it up any longer to watch what she was doing to him.

  She pushed his pants down over his ass and thighs and grabbed hold of his length with both hands, slowly working them up and down as his member pulsed.

  He let out an animalistic growl. “Please, baby, please,” he begged once more.

  His pleas made her sopping wet all over again, soaking through his pants that still sat around his lower thighs.

  She leaned down, still gripping him in her hands and planted a kiss to the side of his rock hard cock. His body spasmed again.

  “Jesus, Melissa,” he urged. “What are you doing to me?”

  Fluid appeared at the tip of the head as she planted another kiss on the other side. Veins bulged through his rigid flesh. She placed her tongue flat against the head and ran it all the way from the tip to the base. She then continued and ran her mouth across his balls.

  He made a deep guttural sound from the back of his throat and grabbed at her messy hair with his hands, urging her on.

  She licked her lips and opened wide, plunging his full length as far back into her throat as he would go. She sucked and slurped up and down, pumping him into her mouth. She sighed against him, her mouth still latched around him as she worked her tongue in circles, using her hands at the base the whole time.

  He growled and groaned, unable to still his hips. Melissa went faster and faster, her mouth wet and wanting as he lost control. He tightened his grip in her hair as he exploded into her; he saw stars burst behind his eyes.

  They both collapsed into a heap on the mattress, pooling in sweat and fluids, mingling in euphoria. John had never felt so alive. She had brought him back from the brink of death, and here he lay never wanting to let go of this life. She was everything he craved, desired, needed. She was his cure.

  Chapter 19

  “Melissa, I have to tell you something,” John said as they lay next to each other in bed. Melissa was just about dozing off. It was the first time she’d felt comfortable in her bed in a long time, like she could really sleep beside John, wrapped in his muscular arms and be protected and fulfilled.

  “What is it?” she murmured, pulling the sheet up to her chin, her eyes still closed.

  “It’s Rainier.”

  She sat bolt upright, fully awake. “You really do know something about Rainier?” She had thought Dawson might know more than they did about Rainier’s current status, given that he worked for him. But, she figured he would have told someone if they were in immediate danger. He had hinted to Reaper that he knew what Rainier was up to, and Reaper was convinced of it, but Melissa sort of thought it was a tactic so that John could get under his team’s skin, and then get out of his cell.

  Now that Melissa thought about it, it made sense he didn't tell anyone. The men were only just beginning to trust him again, why would he bother bringing Rainier into it after everything? Why would he be expected to trust them without their trust? He probably really did believe he was on Rainier’s side for a long time. The thought made her sad and angry at the same time.

  “He has a new lab,” John said, stroking her cheek, trailing his fingers along her jaw.

  “How?” Melissa pulled the sheet up over her breasts as she rested her head against the bed frame. She was now picturing John as the evil soldier he had been when he worked with Rainier. Her body went cold and she inched away.

  “Remember that gold from a few months ago that he acquired?” Dawson sat up and pushed the covers off him. “Well, that wasn't just for his own wealth. You know he’s been trying to find a way to get the men back. His test subjects,” John spat the words, his fists tightened on top of his bare thighs. “He had enough gold to start his own lab though and get new researchers. So, now, he doesn't need the men back. He only needs them out of the equation since they’re the last super soldiers alive. He tried to use me to make that happen and it almost worked, but it won’t again.” He looked at Melissa with the most intense blue eyes she’d ever seen, like frozen balls of ice in his perfectly sculpted face.

  Her exterior melted a little bit. She knew what Rainier was capable of, and although all these men weren’t quite human, they still were just that—men. Dawson wasn't himself when he’d been with Rainier, and he really did think his team had abandoned him. Now, he was making up for it.

  “The other thing,” John said quietly. “The lab isn’t far from here.”

  Melissa gasped and dropped the bed covers. “He’s here?” Her eyes widened. Her blood pounded in her ears.

  “I don't think he’d come after the team here, because this place is so protected. But, I think this threat could be getting more imminent now.” John continued to stare at Melissa as he stood up.

  “We should tell the men what you know.” Melissa stood up along with him to get dressed. She had been ready to fall asleep in John’s arms moments ago but all this talk of Rainier and his new lab and new researchers, and probably, new men had her remembering she had a lot of work to do. She still hadn’t finalized the new serum, but she was getting closer after a couple failed mixtures.

  The sex she’d had with John was quite literally mind-blowing, but she needed to get her mind back on track now. She couldn't afford distractions.

  “I don't know if I can,” John said, joining her in putting his clothes back on. “They might not even believe me.”

  Melissa pondered that for a second as sh
e combed her hands through her hair, her fingers snagging in the tangles. The men were starting to trust him again. Though he still had a lot of mending to do where they were concerned, especially with King who he hadn’t even spoken to yet.

  “Well, I trust you.” All the seduction was gone from her voice now. She was back to her calculated and straightforward self. Something about talk of Rainier and the realization of who Dawson had been before he was captured had pulled her away from John and whatever chemistry was between them. She trusted what he was saying was valid, and definitely needed to be addressed, but that was all it was now, however wonderful she found him.

  She couldn't help but reminisce on the fact that the DNA injections were purposely designed to bind certain areas of the brain and body and enhance others. The project’s goal was to create actual soldiers who could operate with limited emotions and still have the functional capacity to make good decisions.

  She’d had this exact conversation with Hicks when he began to feel attracted to her sister, Whitney. She told him that she knew for a fact that arousal was left out of the equation. John’s attraction to her was real, but the limited emotions part of it was real too.

  She watched all these men fall in love and it seemed to be working out well for them, but she wasn't just a random woman coming onto this team. Every single one of them needed her undivided attention, not just John.

  “Melissa…” Dawson reached out to embrace her in a hug before the two headed back to the lower level where the lab—and his cell—sat.

  Melissa let herself melt into his arms for one brief moment, inhaling his clean scent. If only there weren’t so many other factors to consider they could truly be together.

  She forced herself to pull away, and then she crossed the room and turned the doorknob. “Neither of us can afford distractions right now, John.”

  He hung his head like she’d slapped him with her words. She didn't intend to hurt him, but she couldn't focus on whatever was between them right now.

  “This isn’t a distraction. It’s a connection.” He met her eyes.

  She shook her head slightly and gestured for him to come out of her room, however painful it was.

  He followed her down the grand staircase, through the foyer, and back to the space in the wall that opened into the stairway for the lab. They walked silently the whole way. Melissa didn't look at John but she felt his strong energy penetrating her. She noticed the hunch of his shoulders in his shadow on the walls. When they arrived at the lab, she didn't look up to meet his eyes.

  “Melissa…”

  She finally met his stare, the emotions swimming through her body. She couldn't let it consume her right now. If Rainier was a ticking time bomb, she had to get this cure underway sooner than later.

  John leaned in, briefly pressing his lips to hers. The moment had passed, no matter how much she was drawn to him. She headed back to her test table.

  John awoke in his cell and heard Melissa transferring beakers around across the room. He had fallen asleep to the noise and now it was the first one greeting him when he opened his eyes.

  He wished she would sleep more and take better care of herself. He stood up and walked to the door, pushing the glass open to greet Melissa.

  He poked his head out and made his way around the corner when he heard Melissa’s voice. “There we go, nice and easy.”

  It wasn't the sound of beakers John had awoken to; it was metal instruments she’d been using to test Quantum’s health. Melissa had a hold on Quantum’s arm and was helping him walk without his cane.

  “He’s getting better,” Dawson said from the entryway. Melissa and Quantum both whipped around to look at him. Dawson shifted from foot to foot, hoping the magic between them hadn’t vanished in the night.

  “Hey.” Quantum smiled through the exertion of walking on his own.

  Dawson locked eyes with Melissa; his body throbbed for her. Even with her hair pulled back, her glasses on the bridge of her nose, her too-big lab coat, she was breathtaking.

  “More good news.” Melissa gave her focus back to Quantum’s progress while talking to Dawson. “We had a meeting this morning and the team agreed to have you set up in your own room just with more monitoring. I was going to tell you when you woke.”

  Melissa wouldn't make eye contact with him. He hoped desperately that she was just preoccupied with Quantum and didn't regret everything about last night. He knew she felt what he felt, but he didn't want to distract her, despite their indescribable connection.

  Unless…maybe the serum was drawing him to her and everything between them was imagined. Maybe her senses for what had happened weren’t nearly as heightened as his.

  Melissa pulled a band tightly around Quantum’s bicep and tapped the crook of his arm a few times before wiping it down with antiseptic and plunging a needle inside his vein to withdraw blood.

  Dawson stopped looking at Melissa before he drove himself insane. He gazed at Quantum who was gazing straight back at him. A buzz passed between them and it was like they could read each other’s thoughts, like Quantum had already said once before. Dawson felt it too. Quantum broke the stare to look at Melissa, and then back at John. He knew. It was like something telekinetic between Dawson and Quantum. What had they suffered that they formed this bond? Somehow their altered DNA had them acting like identical twins.

  John had been thought dead, Quantum nearly did die, but now they were changed and bonded in some unknown way.

  Dawson cleared his throat, uncomfortable about the forces pulling on his brain—pulling him to Quantum, and to Melissa.

  “Have you made progress on the serum?” he asked Melissa. “We should talk to the team about testing it on me.”

  “What serum?” Quantum looked at Melissa as she switched out the vile of blood attached to the needle for his daily dose of serum.

  Melissa shot John a look that said she’d only told him about the serum in private and hadn’t meant to share with anyone else. But Quantum didn't qualify as everyone else. They were the same. Even if she told him during their intimate time, Quantum should be allowed to know too.

  “I have discovered a new possible way to make the serum. But I haven’t even finished it yet. I need someone to test it on once I get everything together.”

  “I already volunteered.” John walked closer to the exam table until he was shoulder to shoulder with Quantum. The energy circling between the two of them was even stronger now.

  “I can be the test subject,” Quantum said. “Dawson, you’ve been through enough already. At least you weren’t in a coma. I need help just to walk. I’m disposable.”

  “No.” Dawson slammed his palm on the table. “If anyone should take it, it should be me. I need to prove my loyalty to the team.”

  “Stop,” Melissa said, suddenly. She finished putting the Band-Aid on Quantum, and placed her hands on her hips. “I’m not even finished with it yet. We’ll see what Reaper says, maybe put it to a vote with the team. I might need a few days to get the mixture right still. Whatever the team decides—once the serum is actually finished—I’ll test on one of you—or someone else—then.”

  A silent understanding passed between Dawson and Quantum, each of them equally resolved to be the sacrificial lamb. She could tell the team—but they would make sure it was one of them to take the first dose.

  And no matter how Quantum felt, Dawson would ensure he went first, even if he had to give the shot to himself.

  Chapter 20

  Melissa had been sitting in the lab for hours, carefully measuring out another serum test, collecting what she needed for the cure, re-reading her notes on her computer, and completing calculations to make sure she had it just right.

  Every few minutes, thoughts of Dawson from the other night distracted her, her skin still vibrating when she relived that experience. The thought of him alone was turning her on, even as she meticulously measured chemicals in the lab. But this was exactly what she was afraid of. He was interferi
ng with her work. She was trying to get this concoction just right so she could save all their lives, so that subjecting a baby to being a test subject wasn't for nothing, and John Dawson infiltrated every thought.

  She took her glasses off and rubbed her temples, exhaling. Of course she wanted to be with Dawson, but how would that be possible with all these men depending on her for their cure? She couldn't focus, she just wanted to spend every second with him and that wasn't even close to possible. This was her reality right now and she wouldn't get to have a normal life until sorting the serum out.

  But she also couldn't deny that he was probably better for her than any other man who’d ever been in her life.

  It all started with her and Whitney’s father, putting immense pressure on Melissa from the second she opened her very first science set on her eighth birthday. Their father had gotten it for her on a whim, it was probably on sale or one of the first things that caught his eye at the local toy store, but then she spent every moment with that science set. The world was her lab from that moment on. She won elementary school science fairs, going on to receiving perfect scores throughout high school. Her teachers couldn't give her a problem difficult enough that she wouldn't be able to solve.

  Now, it all led to this moment where she had seven of the most difficult problems in front of her—eight if you counted Rainier.

  She pulled the safety goggles from her head and set the serum under the heat lamp, waiting observation. She wheeled her chair back in front of her computer, unable to process the calculations.

  When Melissa was at Harvard she found her first boyfriend—in Advanced Chemistry class. Only, the two of them had no chemistry at all. After about two months of dating, Melissa decided to let him take her virginity. She was twenty years old and had done nothing but devote her life to academics. She was so young, she’d never even had a drink at a high school or college party. She wasn't invited to parties.