Road to Absolution

by Piper Davenport

  “No.” I pulled away so I could grab his dinner from the microwave… again.

  “Why the fuck not?”

  “One, if I quit and he does this to someone else, I’ll feel guilty, and two, if I quit, I won’t get severance or unemployment. I don’t have enough saved to just up and quit my job, Carter.”

  “I do, Cass. Walk out tomorrow and I’ll take care of everything.”

  I frowned. “I like my job, honey. I like the people I work with… for the most part, it has great benefits and it’s also in Vancouver, which means I don’t have to pay income tax. Those jobs aren’t easy to find right now.”

  He dragged his hands through his hair. “Cassidy, if you never wanted to work again, you wouldn’t have to.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously,” he said.

  I bit my lip. “Well, that’s good to know for the future, but right now, I’m young, I’m healthy, and I don’t have a reason not to work, so I’d feel weird.”

  Carter stared at me but not for long. “If tomorrow doesn’t go well, you quit.”

  “How about,” I countered, looping my arms around his neck, “if Tom doesn’t stop his unprofessional behavior, then I quit? He might not fully understand how uncomfortable he’s making me, and one word from HR will shut it down.”

  “I don’t like it, Cass.”

  “I know, baby, but it’ll be okay,” I promised “Why don’t you eat and then we can do something fun?”

  “Mav asleep?” he asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Let’s skip food,” he said, leaning down to kiss me and lifting me so I could wrap my legs around his waist.

  I smiled against his lips and slipped my hands in his hair as he carried me into the bedroom and closed the door. He lowered me to the mattress and tugged my shorts—panties and all—down my legs. God, I loved how he always started right here. Even if we weren’t completely naked, he’d start with his face between my legs, and I’d forget about everything.

  This time, however, he didn’t spend as much time as he usually did. Don’t get me wrong, I came and I came hard, but this was the first time I’d only come once before he was removing the rest of our clothes and sliding into me… and I loved it.

  Ohmigod, this was definitely going on the approved list of sexual standard procedures.

  “So fuckin’ wet, baby.”

  “Yes!” I drew my knees up higher, wrapping my calves around his back. My ballet training gave me the ability to contort my body for optimum pleasure, and holy crap, tonight was most certainly optimum pleasure.

  His mouth covered mine and his tongue slid into my mouth as he wrapped his big hand around my breast and squeezed. He rolled the nipple between his fingers as his hips surged into me, his tongue matching the motion with each thrust.

  I lost his mouth on mine, but he moved his lips to my throat and I arched my neck to get more. “Drop a leg, baby.”

  I dropped a leg onto the mattress and mewed as he slid his hand between us and fingered my clit. “Love my baby’s cunt. Fuck, so tight and wet.”

  I tilted my hips and groaned. “Carter. Oh, God, I love you!”

  “Come baby,” he said, his breath coming in pants as he slammed into me again and again.

  “More, honey.”

  He did as he was told and pressed in deeper and I exploded around him. He wasn’t far behind and he collapsed on top of me, rolling us to our sides to keep our connection. I felt him pulse inside of me for several seconds and I wrapped my leg back around him. “Wow,” I whispered.

  He chuckled and kissed me. “Yeah, wow’s good, babe.”

  I stroked his cheek and ran my thumb across his lower lip. “I had no idea.”

  “About?”

  “How good this would be. Is it always like this?”

  He nibbled gently on my thumb and shook his head. “It’s never been like this for me.”

  “Liar.” I narrowed my eyes.

  “Never lied to you, Cassidy,” he said, sounding a little irked.

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re telling me, that with the multitudes of women you’ve been with, you have never had sex this good?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.” Carter smiled. “There’s a difference in making love and getting’ off, and until you, it’s been the latter.”

  I closed my eyes and smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I love you so much it hurts sometimes.”

  Carter pulled me close and held me for a while before sliding out of me and making his way to the bathroom. He returned with a warm washcloth and cleaned me up, we dressed just enough in case Maverick came in during the night, and then I fell asleep in his arms, dinner and troubles forgotten.

  * * *

  The next morning, the alarm went off and I slammed my hand on the snooze button, rolling over with a smile and opening my eyes. What met my gaze had me squeaking and scrambling from the bed. Carter dropped his head back and laughed, patting the mattress. “Sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to freak you out.” He waved the tiny troll doll gently, complete with bright pink hair, and a diamond ring hanging from his arm. “Torbig and I have a question.”

  I shook my head as I climbed back into the bed. “You are ridiculous.”

  I bit my lip as Carter sat up and raised a knee. “Cassidy Eleanor Dennis, would you do me the great honor of marrying me?”

  “Yes.” I nodded, giggling as he slid the ring on my finger. It was exquisite. A huge oval diamond sat proudly between two smaller diamonds and the setting was intricate on both the top and sides with filigree that sparkled in the dim light. “Wow,” I breathed.

  “If you don’t like it, baby, we can return it.”

  “It’s perfect,” I said, throwing my arms around him and kissing him. “Thank you.”

  He caught me and settled me across his chest.

  “Maverick, you can come in now,” Carter called.

  Maverick shoved through the door and jumped on the bed. “Did you say yes, Mom?”

  “I did say yes. But is that okay with you?”

  “Carter’s gonna be my dad, right?”

  I grinned. “He is.”

  “Yes,” Maverick exclaimed and pumped his fist in the air.

  I laughed. “So you approve.”

  Maverick crossed his legs and nodded. “He already asked me for permission, Mom.”

  “You did?” I asked Carter.

  “Of course I did,” he said. “I talked to your dad, too. Had to get the blessings from the two main men in your life.”

  I hugged his waist. “I love you.”

  “Are you guys gonna kiss now?” Maverick asked, a horrified expression on his face.

  “Yeah, buddy,” Carter answered.

  “Gross. Can I please leave?”

  “Sure thing,” Carter said.

  I giggled and dropped my head to Carter’s shoulder. “Eat breakfast while I shower, please.”

  “Okay, Mom.” Maverick left the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him.

  Carter kissed me, but not for long because my alarm sounded again. I groaned and broke the kiss. “I should get up.”

  “Or you could call in ‘never coming back.’”

  I giggled. “We have a good plan, honey. I’ll call you after I talk to HR and we’ll go from there.”

  “I’m going on record to say I still don’t like the plan.”

  “I know.”

  “We’re comin’ to take you to lunch today, yeah? I need to get you a burner, so I’ll bring that with me.”

  I sat up and turned off the alarm. “Why do I need a burner?”

  “Because we blocked Tom’s number and he still found a way to call you, so I want you to have a phone he doesn’t know about.”

  I crossed my arms and frowned down at him, ignoring the overwhelming desire to lick his perfectly glorious chest from top to bottom. “Who is ‘we’?”

  “Club.”

/>   “Wait. You’re telling me the club has access to my cell phone?”

  “No. Booker technically does, but Mack’s workin’ on some legal shit, so when I say the club, it encompasses those two… for now.”

  I gasped and widened my eyes in horror. “Does Booker have access to our texts?”

  “No. Don’t worry, babe. Those are just for us.” Carter grinned. “He can probably access them, but I trust that he won’t.”

  “Why did you just tell me that?” I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. “Now I’m going to be beet red every time I see him!”

  “Honey, he’s a brother. I trust him. He won’t access them without my permission, yeah?”

  “No, Carter, it’s not ‘yeah’! Gah! This is humiliating.” I stalked into the bathroom and started the shower. As I turned, I was pulled up against Carter and I sighed.

  “I promise you, no one will see the texts. We can delete them now if it makes you feel any better,” he said. “But they shouldn’t embarrass you, baby. We’re in love, we’re gettin’ married. It’s an expression of how we feel—”

  “A very, very graphic and dirty expression of how we feel,” I grumbled.

  He chuckled. “Fuck yeah, a very graphic and dirty expression of how we feel. How about I express a little bit more of my graphic and dirty feelings in the shower?”

  “Make sure Maverick’s okay and then you can have me for ten minutes.”

  “Start without me,” he said, and left the room.

  I took a moment to study my ring again and decided to shower with it on. I wasn’t ready to take it off yet… I might never be.

  Carter and Maverick dropped me off and, after sending an email to HR detailing everything that had happened with Tom, I went about getting through my To Do list. I was ahead of the curve for the moment, so when I got a call from Lana, our HR director, I was able to meet with her right away.

  I headed to her office on the floor below me and closed the door.

  ACE TOOK MAVERICK with him to the club and found Hawk had brought Lily, so he settled Maverick in the play room with her and their President’s daughter Ashley who was on kid watch duty for the day.

  Figuring he hadn’t talked to one of his brothers in a while, Ace headed to the office Hawk used to run his bounty hunter business out of. Booker and Mack had offices as well, which kept the club self-sufficient. Carter knocked.

  “Come in,” Hawk called.

  “Hey,” Ace said, and pushed the door open.

  “Hey, man.” Hawk turned from his computer and set his feet up on the desk. “Heard someone’s fuckin’ with Cassidy.”

  “Yeah.” Ace sat in one of the seats facing the desk. “Booker’s dealin’ with it right now. You workin’ much this week?”

  “Got a couple assholes who jumped bail and went to ground. Got a lead on one, the other’s a ghost.”

  Hawk was really good at his job. So good in fact, he was paid accordingly. Two jobs a year could bring in as much as the average person’s yearly salary, which afforded him the option of working when he wanted to, which was less now the he had Payton.

  “What’d these guys do?”

  Hawk slid the files to Ace. “One’s a drug dealer, beat a murder rap, got brought up on another one, convicted then released on a technicality. Got another murder rap, this one stuck and he ran. He’s in Salem, so I’m headin’ down there tonight.”

  “Shit.”

  “He’s a dumb fucker, but he’s a lucky dumb fucker.”

  “Sounds like it,” Ace said.

  “The other guy’s slippery. Comes from money. Asshole who enjoys stalking and raping women. Two possible murders, but can’t make them stick with no body.”

  Ace opened the file and his blood ran cold. “Fuck!”

  “Yeah, he’s a—”

  “No, Hawk, this is the fucker who’s messin’ with Cassidy.”

  Hawk grabbed the file. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, seriously.” Ace skimmed the file. “He said he was going to London and Paris.”

  “He’s on a no-fly list, Ace. Don’t know how he’d get out of the state, let alone the country.”

  “Fuck!” Ace stood and pulled open the door. “Watch Mav, yeah? I’m getting’ Cassidy.”

  “We got ’im, brother. I’ll fill Booker in.”

  Ace nodded and headed to his bike. It’d be faster than his truck and he needed faster today.

  * * *

  I was leaving Lana’s office when I was bombarded by Janie who was flailing her arms around in frantic, chicken-like movements. “You okay?” I asked.

  “No,” she squeaked. “Your boyfriend’s in reception and he’s freaking out. I think he has a gun, Cassidy.”

  I frowned. “Okay, I’ll head there now.”

  As we walked toward the elevator bay, I felt a chill go up my spine, but the look on Janie’s face made me sick to my stomach. I turned to see Tom with a crazed look on his face and a gun pointed at the two of us.

  “Hello, Cassidy,” he said. “I think it’s time the two of us have a little talk.”

  “I’m sorry, Tom, but I need to get downstairs.” Okay, probably not the right thing to say, but I’d never had a gun pointed at me before. I felt like talking him out of his plan might be a good option. I was wrong.

  “You’re not going anywhere.” He turned the gun on Janie and shot.

  She and I both screamed and Janie fell to the ground. Before I could register the horror of watching someone get shot in front of me, I was yanked into a conference room and shoved against the table.

  “Sit down, Cassidy,” Tom ordered, and aimed the gun at me.

  “Is Janie okay?” I asked, sobbing as I lowered myself in the chair.

  “I need to explain some things to you. You’re the one I want, Cassidy. You and I are going to get married and have children, and we’ll live together in London.” He waved his hands around as he spoke and I was worried he’d shoot me. “You’ll love England, sweetheart.”

  “Tom—”

  “My name’s not Tom!” he bellowed.

  “It’s not?”

  “No! It’s Robert.”

  I swallowed, nodding, trying to get my breathing under control. Who was this guy? As he stared at me with a hollow look on his face, all I could think about were Carter and Maverick. Why didn’t I listen to Carter? He was right. I should never have come back to work.

  “Say my name, Cassidy,” he demanded.

  “Robert,” I rasped.

  “As soon as it’s clear—” Tom, or Robert, whoever he was, said “—we are going to walk out of here together. I will take you home and we can start our life.”

  “How—how will I get on a plane without a passport?” I asked.

  “I have one for you.”

  I hiccupped, sobbing as I rubbed my arms, the fear suddenly making me cold. I caught movement through the window of the conference room door and tried to look somewhat covertly. Robert was watching me, his back to the door. I bit the inside of cheek to keep from crying out. Carter was there, although, I couldn’t hear anything he was saying. I just had to trust that he had a plan and he’d protect me.

  * * *

  Ace had Lana, the HR director, pinned against the wall. “You fuckin’ did this, lady, so you’re not leavin’ until my woman’s out of that room and safe.”

  Another woman was kneeling beside the one who got shot, keeping pressure on the wound in her shoulder. It didn’t look like it was life threatening, but Ace kind of wished it was. Fuckin’ whore used Cassidy as a human shield. Bitch.

  “I swear I knew nothing about him. It wasn’t even my call,” Lana cried.

  “How the fuck did you people not know who he was? It’s called a background check!”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I don’t know.”

  “Ambulance is on its way.” He released her with a scowl. “You need to get these people out of the fucking building. Quietly. And when my people get here, you don’t give them sh
it. They go wherever the fuck they want to go.”

  She nodded and rushed away from him, ushering people as quietly as she could to the stairs.

  “Ace, what the fuck’s goin’ on?” Hawk demanded as he, Booker, Aidan, and their prez, Crow, walked toward him.

  “Bastard’s got Cassidy in that room,” he said, waving the men to the wall out of sight.

  Hawk nodded and pulled out his cell phone.

  “What the fuck are you doin’?” Ace whispered.

  “I’m callin’ Brock,” he said.

  “Not gettin’ into bed with the feds,” Crow said.

  “Trust me.”

  Ace didn’t much care who Hawk called. He just needed a clear shot of this fucker’s head. So far, despite the glass, Robert never stayed within sight long enough to shoot.

  * * *

  “Tom—Robert, can we please talk about this,” I begged. “I have a son. I can’t just leave him and run away with you.”

  “We’ll put him in boarding school and we’ll have our own family, Cassidy,” Robert said. He pulled a chair in front of me and smiled. “You’ll see, sweetheart. I’ll make you so happy.”

  “I can’t live without my son, Robert.”

  “You were so beautiful,” he continued, obviously not listening to me.

  “What?”

  “On the video call. I saw you sitting at the end of the conference table and I knew you were the one. I made them transfer me that day.”

  “I don’t understand,” I whispered.

  “From the New York office.” He frowned like I should know what he meant. “You remember the call, right?”

  I nodded. “When you were being introduced?”

  “Exactly. I saw you and knew you were the one for me.”

  “But we don’t know each other, Robert. There must be someone else who knows you—”

  “No! It’s you, Cassidy,” he screamed. “It’s always been you!”

  He started waving the gun at me again and I raised my hand as some lame attempt to shield myself. “Okay, Robert. I’m sorry.”

  * * *

  Outside the room, Jaxon slid the tiny camera under the crack of the conference room door and studied the screen at the end of it.

  “Is she okay,” Ace demanded.

  “Yeah,” Jaxon said. “The guy’s sitting across from her, the gun’s on his lap.”