by Shady Grace
She turned to him, really looked at him with eyes wide, throat tight. The sincerity written all over his face made her break down right then and there. She barely managed to keep hold of her fishing rod as her knees gave way and she slumped down onto a rock. The tears she tried holding back slipped down her face like the force of the river at her feet.
Violent sobs racked her body as she let go of all the fear, the pain, and the desperation in her battered soul.
Terry was right behind her in seconds and wrapped his arms around her, slowly rocked her against his chest. This had to be the first time she’d ever cried so hard—even right after Tom died. The second time she’d let her guard down in front of Terry McCoy.
She turned and sobbed against his chest until she had nothing left to give. And he crouched there without moving for what felt like hours. He petted her hair and told her everything would be okay. Nobody would ever hurt her again.
If only those words were true.
Terry hugged her tight and kissed her forehead. “Come on. Let’s leave the trout to live another day. I’ve been craving squirrel all afternoon anyway.”
She lifted her face and let out a raspy laugh, rubbed her tears away with her sleeve. “Okay.”
He wrapped his arm around her, grabbed their gear and walked her home. This time he had no troubles getting through the gnarly brush. He didn’t say another word on the walk home, just held her close, a strong wall of protection. The spicy, male scent of him was a small comfort in itself.
When they finally reached the house, Mary was completely exhausted and a little embarrassed by her emotional outburst. But if it bothered Terry, he didn’t show it.
Like a man on a mission, he ushered her into the house, straight to the couch. He sat at one end and patted the seat next to him. “Come on.” He lifted his arms for her to cuddle up to him.
How embarrassing to be this vulnerable with a man she barely knew. “You don’t have to do this, Terry. I’ll be okay. I’m sorry—”
“Don’t ever be sorry to show your emotions. Come on.” He pulled her down and onto his lap before she could argue further. She tensed at first, but finally relented. “Being human isn’t always easy.”
It felt childish to be in this position as he petted her hair and told her everything would be all right. But it felt good. Maybe Terry McCoy wasn’t such a bad man after all.
“Nobody will hurt you when I’m around. I promise you that,” he whispered.
After a while of comforting silence, in the arms of a criminal, Mary closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
He slipped the little blue pill into his mouth and continued down the hall.
The long corridor was unlit as he made his way to one of the bedrooms, but after many years spent in this house, Colton McCoy didn’t need light to know where he was going.
Today a handsome deal had been made between the McCoy’s and the Montesano family. After receiving his son’s finger with the gold ring, his old friend had no choice but to comply or risk losing his other child. Colton still had yet to find out exactly who the other child was in case Montesano went back on his word and they needed a pawn. He had an inkling who it could be, but this night he felt truly blessed and carefree to enjoy himself. Business could wait until tomorrow.
His son was away and safe. The boys were tending business as usual. He was home alone.
Today was turning out to be a good day, indeed.
Without a creek, the door swung wide, revealing a massive bedroom with dark hardwood floors, mahogany furniture, and a canopied bed with sheer, white curtains flowing around it. Lying in the center was a beautiful brunette wearing nothing but a white gown, her captivating beauty glowing in the lamplight filling the room.
Her breasts were magnificent, large and pert with dark, taut nipples.
He swallowed, allowing his hungry eyes to follow the movement of her undulating hips, and what moved in delicious slowness between her luscious thighs. There, crouched on her knees with her long tawny hair touching her perfect ass was his favorite housekeeper, licking his newest pet, Taffy, like a dirty girl.
Ensconced by the torrid scene, he parted his robe and stroked his cock. It would take a little while for the pill to kick in and give him life worth sharing. As he touched himself, Colton quietly closed the door and made his way to the chair beside the bed, careful not to disturb his favorite girls as they moaned and writhed together.
Cassandra, having heard her master approach, moved to the side to offer him a better view of Taffy’s wet lips.
“Stay still,” he ordered.
With Cassandra’s tight bum perched high, he retrieved the glass vial from his robe pocket and tapped a white bump onto her soft flesh. Cassandra giggled but remained still as Colton leaned down and snorted a lift off her fine ass.
Their new shipment turned out to be one of the best yet.
As the blow lifted his spirits, Cassandra went back to business, kneading Taffy’s thighs with her expert fingers while her busy little mouth kissed and licked Taffy to shuddering madness. She cried out and arched off the bed, gripping Cassandra’s head, holding her there until her climax slowly subsided.
He thickened in his palm. Yes. There you are.
Smiling at her master with eyes that spoke of pleasurable things to come, Cassandra licked Taffy’s beautiful clit slowly, hungrily taking in all that sweet juice, and motioned for Colton to join them. He pushed away from the chair, his cock hard in hand, and approached the edge of the bed.
“I’m so happy you arranged for this meeting, my sweet. Now you know what I like.”
Cassandra looked at him with cat eyes and smiled. “It’s all for you, sir.” She grabbed Taffy by the hair, yanked her head back and kissed her roughly, making a show of her wet tongue darting in and out and around her mouth.
Colton moaned and stroked harder.
Then, like a cat on the prowl, Taffy crawled around him, massaging his shoulders and kissing his neck, as Cassandra got on her knees in front of him.
Colton smiled with greed, knowing exactly what treat he would receive from his favorite housekeeper. She knew what to do with her bad little mouth. How wonderful his darling wife had been when she hired this special woman with such raw, uninhibited talent.
She crawled to him, swaying her lush bum before his lusting eyes. She took him in hand and pumped him gently. He moaned and closed his eyes, enjoying her warm grip on his hard cock.
As she pumped him, his hips rocked forward, needing the wet hot comfort of her mouth. She kissed his shaft and licked her way from base to tip before taking him right to the back of her throat.
“Yes,” he moaned, cupping the back of her head to take him deeper. She was a vixen, and she had skills.
“Enjoy it, Mr. McCoy,” Taffy whispered in his ear, stroking his back with her long fingernails. The sharp scrape of her nails gave him instant gratification. He shuddered and released a deep, wrenching sigh.
His balls tightened as Cassandra flexed her throat around him, sucking hard as she palmed his balls and tickled his anus, just as he liked it. He felt the rush, the tingling heat wave right from his toes to the top of his head. He would come soon. He couldn’t hold back as long as he used to—not with these talented girls.
She pulled back and whispered, “Let go. You know you want to,” and impaled her mouth right to his base as she palmed his balls more forcefully.
Colton stilled and let out a deep grunt as he spilled his seed inside her hot mouth. He leaned forward, needing her body for balance while she milked him dry. His knees buckled and he panted for air. Being able to come sucked any energy he’d had.
When he felt strong enough to pull back, he took her face in his hands to kiss her cheek.
Something sharp and cold wrapped around his neck and viciously yanked him back. Stunned, he whimpered as his body was pulled so hard he rolled back on his heels and his toes lifted from the floor.
He gripped the cord, tried
to pull it away from his neck, but he didn’t have enough strength.
His eyes bulged. He had no control. No power. He stared down in disbelief as Cassandra wiped his come from her lips, an evil grin on her face. “I hope you enjoyed it,” she said. “It was your last.”
He stumbled back as the wire cut into his throat. He struggled to remain on his feet, and tried to turn to see who was behind him. Taffy? No. She would never hurt him. She was too small to overpower a large man.
The wire cut deeper and deeper, cutting off his air supply, as he coughed and tried to break free. “H-how cou-could y-you—?” His arm swung out, smashing into one of the bedside lamps. It sailed through the air and landed with a smash a few feet away. Still, he couldn’t shake off the other man.
A faint vision of Terry and Eliza filled his heart with sorrow. How could he do this to them? How could he betray them all like this? Everything was his fault. His pride and his need for wealth and power would be his undoing.
Did he do everything a father was supposed to do? Should he have sent Terry away to a private school instead of raising him in this business?
The underworld was the only life he knew.
But Colton loved his son more than anything in the world. He should’ve been a better father. Should’ve been a better husband. Should’ve…
Bile stung his throat. Maybe it was his own life’s blood.
“Shhh, it’ll be over soon,” a familiar voice whispered as the breath from his lungs departed.
He blinked in surprise, knowing that voice well. “But, how—”
“This is what you deserve for what you did to my family.”
“N-no.”
“Once I have your son the power is all mine.”
He tried to speak, to beg for his life and his son’s, but nothing more than a strangled whimper escaped his trembling lips.
No amount of money could save a man already dying.
Hot tears slid down his cheeks.
The room spun, his head felt heavy as his body weakened. His hands fell to his sides as violent tremors racked his body. He tried to fight it, but he was too frail.
And then he saw Eliza smiling at him, her beautiful face beckoning him. He reached for her, ready to be guided by his loving wife into the grey unknown.
His eyes rolled back as he expelled his last shuddering breath.
Chapter 6
Mary rolled onto her side and hugged her pillow, dreading having to face Terry today. After her little nap on his lap yesterday evening, she’d woke alone on the couch to a house filled with the delicious aroma of homemade pasta sauce.
Finding him standing there over the stove tasting the sauce and making his way around as if he’d been there for years, filled her with comfort, yet she couldn’t shake the terrible feeling that this was all wrong. Having a man in her house this soon after Tom’s death didn’t seem natural.
She wanted company, yet she wanted to be alone at the same time.
They’d eaten in relative silence, only a few words exchanged, and after several drinks, Terry decided to sleep in his vehicle for the night. When she’d asked why he didn’t return to the hotel he simply said he wouldn’t drink and drive.
She covered her eyes with her forearm, feeling like a total asshole and wanting to shrink away from the world, from him. She should’ve offered the guest bedroom, especially since he’d taken such good care of her, but she didn’t argue with his decision. She’d gone to bed with a full stomach, completely embarrassed and feeling like the worst hostess on earth.
With a big yawn, she pushed up from bed and put on whatever clothes were within easy reach. When she made her way into the kitchen, the scent of freshly brewed coffee was a pleasant surprise. The man was self-sufficient and clearly comfortable despite what happened yesterday. She poured a cup for herself and paused at the distinct sound of wood chopping.
She plodded over to the living room window and stopped dead at the view outside.
Standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, wearing jogging pants and no shirt, Terry lifted the axe and swung it down with deadly precision. The log split in half and tumbled to each side where a decent amount had already piled up. By the looks of it he must’ve started several hours ago.
She eyed his naked torso. Holy hell, he had a lot of muscle for a tall, thinly built man. But he was athletic and lithe, powerful and sure of himself. As he lifted the axe above his head, she eyed the delicious play of muscle rippling as he swung it back down to split another log.
She took a sip of coffee, content to stand there watching him. After all, she hadn’t seen such a splendid, half-naked man for many years. He rested the axe against his thigh and lifted his other arm to wipe the sweat from his brow. His blond hair was soaked, dripping down his shoulders and back. Maybe she shouldn’t be watching him like this, but she was a woman, and she had needs and desires like anyone else.
Terry turned at that moment and smiled. Mary stepped away from the window, her cheeks on fire, and the junction of her thighs too hot to handle. How embarrassing to be caught staring at him like this, especially after bawling like a child on him yesterday.
“Good morning,” he mouthed.
With a shaky hand, Mary opened the window. “Good morning. Aren’t you cold? June isn’t usually warm in the mountains.”
He grinned. “If it’s cold I sure don’t feel it. Does showing my skin bother you?”
God yes. Mary’s cheeks burned. “Of course not. How do you take your coffee?”
“Black.”
She nodded, and retreated from the window to prepare him a cup. A few minutes later she exited the back door and approached him at the chopping block.
Terry took the cup and stared at her as he took a sip. His lips glistened from the brew, tormenting her, reminding her of their long ago kiss. The urge to stand on tiptoe and press against his hard chest and kiss him deadly, made her pulse race.
“How do you feel today?”
Mary tried not to stare at his wet lips and looked down instead, right at the thick matte of chest hair. She swallowed and looked up to his eyes instead. “Better. Sorry you had to deal with that.”
She’d never touched chest hair before and the urge to reach out and skim her fingers through it made her face heat. Would it be soft or coarse? Did the hair represent the man beneath? Embarrassed and all tingly between her legs, she set her cup down and proceeded to pile the wood into the shed. She needed to do something other than think about him having his way with her on the chopping block.
“Don’t be sorry about yesterday, okay?” Terry picked up the axe again and drove it into another log. The pieces fell to the sides. “It felt nice to comfort you.”
Surprised he’d admitted that, she turned around and watched him, at a loss for words as he chopped another piece, having no clue how hard those words hit her. “You didn’t have to—”
“Mary, stop it.”
She swallowed, automatically assuming she was in trouble. “What?” Her heart hammered as she took a step back.
Terry leaned the axe against the block and strolled up to her. “You’re always apologizing.” Before she could retreat he put his hands on her cheeks, lifted her face, and brought his lips to hers. She stiffened, completely shocked by his sudden move.
So soft, light, yet he was confident as he explored her. His lips crushed hers, tasting, tormenting, taking all the time in the world. He tasted like coffee and man, passion and danger. And just like in her dreams, he had a hint of stubble to scratch and excite.
Her body shook with nervous excitement. But as quickly as it started, he pulled back.
It took a moment for Mary to open her eyes, and when she did, Terry stared down at her with lust and something else shining in those deep blue depths. “Are you sorry about that, too?”
She swallowed and shook her head. “No.”
“Good. Cause as long as you don’t push me away, I’ll make you not feel sorry every chance I get.”
Mary ex
haled a shaky breath as Terry went back to the chopping block, picked up the axe, and set another log on the block.
Wow. She touched her lips and stared at him in shocked silence as he chopped another dozen logs, the sweat slithering down his back, making it harder and harder for her to do something useful.
Why, oh why did I let him come here?
Her body still trembled. She felt ridiculous yet wonderful all at once. How could he make her feel this hot without any effort? Was she so inexperienced that a simple kiss made her soaking wet and ready to lie down right there?
He was dangerous. The son of a notorious crime boss. Maybe he killed people daily and snorted cocaine off of women’s breasts. She knew so little about him except for these scary things that made her nervous, she literally shook like a leaf in a steady wind.
Maybe now was a good time to discover more about this mystery man who’d wormed his way into her life. She needed some answers to ease the crazy thoughts kicking her frazzled mind.
“Do you like your job, Terry?”
He paused with the axe above his head and slowly lowered it. When he turned to face her, the tilt of his brow and straight mouth made him look different somehow. Perhaps angry yet indifferent at the same time, if that was even possible.
He shook his head. “No. I don’t.”
“Then why do you do it?”
He looked toward the trees as if he’d find his answer there. With his back straight and his shoulders square he looked completely miserable at that moment. “I guess it’s kinda like any family business you’re born into. You feel like it’s your only choice. And I would do anything for my father.”
Mary nodded, understanding the need to please a parent. “Have you ever told him what you really want?”
He sighed, his shoulders slouching. He looked completely lost and tired of life. “No. I’ve never told him. I wouldn’t know what to say.”
“You could start with the truth.”
He glanced at her then. “The truth is I’ve always been a little afraid of the old man. I know he loves me, but he expects only the best from me, like I’m just another employee. If I had my way I’d only run the hotel. I’m good at it. I seem to have a knack for knowing what people want.”
