by WL Knightly
“I’ll do it,” Finn said. “You promise?”
“Don’t insult me, Finn. I gave you my word. But in case it’s not enough,” he gave Finn a quick peck on the mouth, “does that seal it?”
“Yes.” He wasn’t sure he liked having to make a deal to get his way with Bay, but if that was what it took, he was down. This might be his only chance.
Bay moved closer to his ear. “Good, get me that fucking tape.” He rose up and took Lila’s hand to help her down from the platform. She righted her dress and Bay rubbed her tummy. “See, darling? You did just fine.”
“Thank you. May we, please go home now?” She didn’t seem to be able to look the other three in the eyes, and Finn wondered if Bay was going to make her stay and perform for Seth.
“Very well, let’s go.” Bay led her out, and Finn made his way over to the rest of the group at the other side of the private room.
Seth was lying back with his thick cock in his hand while Kari sucked his balls and Raven serviced Kari with her long fingers.
“They had to leave?” Raven asked, sounding disappointed. She always liked to taste everyone in the room.
Finn nodded. “Yes, Lila was tired.”
“I’m afraid we’re not too far behind them,” Seth said. “Which is such a shame. I was hoping that Kari and you would get to play a little bit. I’ve told her about the past a little. She loves to get off to our shower stories.”
The ladies sat up, and Kari wiped her lips which were spread into a smile.
“Does she?” Finn asked. “Well, I was hoping that maybe we could hook up again before you cut out of town.” Finn knew if he wanted Bay, he’d have to make it happen.
“Yeah, we’re not staying long, but I know we’ll have time tomorrow evening sometime. It might be a bit spur of the moment if that’s okay?”
Finn passed him his card. “Hit me up. I’ll make time.” Raven took his hand, and he helped her to her feet as she gathered her clothes.
Seth and Kari left shortly after, leaving him and Raven to walk out alone.
“I hope you had fun,” Finn said. He hadn’t expected the night to go that way.
“It was amazing. We’ll hook up again before you leave town?” She looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
“Yes, I promise.” He just had one thing to do first. He couldn’t believe the lengths he’d go to for that man.
4
Darek
Darek rolled over and felt the warm body of someone next to him. He opened his eyes and realized that Lizzy had fallen asleep, too, and the movie they’d found on cable was long over. He glanced at the clock and couldn’t believe it was just midnight. It felt like he’d been asleep for hours, more than the two since he’d crashed.
Lizzy had been in a bad mood for at least an hour after the encounter with the manager at what was now Gas and Guzzle. When they go to their reserved room, they unloaded their stuff and settled in to discuss what had happened.
She was most upset about the fire at Camp V and that no one had even told her about it. Even though Darek wanted the trip to fail, he felt horrible for her.
It was hard to live this lie, but it was all he could do. He had to do his job, he had to protect her, and most of all, he had to support her while steering her away from anything concrete that would reveal his secret connection to the camp. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like someone had already taken care of the evidence by burning down the Camp, but he would find out more about that in the morning.
He moved closer to Lizzy, knowing he should be a gentleman and get the fuck up and move to the other bed, but he didn’t want to. He was content to hold her for a moment and pretend he was someone else with a different life.
She stirred a little and then sat straight up in the bed. “Shit, did I fall asleep?”
“We both did.” He sat up and grabbed his pillow. “I should go to my own bed.”
“Only if you want to.”
He knew things couldn’t get too heated with the fucking brand on his shoulder, but then she leaned over and turned off the lamp.
“Are you sure?” The last time they got this close, they nearly let things go too far, but she nodded.
She rested on her side. “It’s not like we can’t control ourselves, and besides, we’ve already slept this long together. Why move now? Housekeeping will thank you.”
“Fine, but I can’t promise I’ll stay on my own side.” Darek planned on lying as close as possible, and he wasn’t going to apologize if his hard-on offended her.
“You’re good. Trust me. I think it would be nice to have someone hold me. I haven’t spooned much since my divorce.” She blushed, and he reached up and pushed a stray hair behind her ear.
“I didn’t spoon much since I got married.”
“Your ex sounds like an ice-cold bitch.” She covered her mouth and smiled. “Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t say everything I think.”
“Yeah, that sums it up.” He laughed and rolled over on his back to stare at the ceiling. “And don’t worry about it. You’re absolutely right. She’s an ice queen.”
“At least she didn’t fight you in the end and gave you your house back.” Lizzy fluffed her pillow and eased closer.
“It’s the only decent thing she’s done.”
“Was that really true about the kissing?” Lizzy asked. “Or were you just kidding around?”
“Sadly, it was true. I thought I’d forgotten how for a while there.” It was the truth, and he remembered months and months where he hadn’t gotten more than a peck on the lips or cheeks. No deep kisses, no making out, and only a few small pecks when he left for work. A person would give a pet more fucking affection.
“I don’t understand it,” Lizzy said. “You’re really sexy and a great kisser. Is she mentally unstable?”
“You think I’m sexy?” He turned his head toward her, and she giggled in a way he’d never heard before. She sounded ten years younger and was suddenly acting bashful. “Since when do you blush?”
He turned his body to face her, lying on his right side in case she wanted to make out, his branded shoulder would get far less attention.
“Am I?” she asked. “I guess you do that to me. Or maybe because it’s been a while. My ex was like an overgrown child at times, and it was hard to get him to show me affection, too. He just wanted to get down to business, so to speak.”
Darek only wished he had that problem. He couldn’t even let Lizzy see him with his shirt off, but maybe taking it slow was the way to her heart. “I’d want to savor every minute.”
She moved closer. “Would you?”
“Yeah, at the right time. I mean, we are partners. Coworkers. You’re my superior, so to speak. Things could get complicated, you know? Then comes regrets.”
She let out a sigh as he ticked off the reasons they shouldn’t. “You sound like you don’t really want to.”
Darek reached out and rested his arm on her hip, and then he leaned forward to kiss her. The kiss was deep and lingering, languid and sultry. She moved her hips forward and hitched her leg up over his. The two fell comfortably against one another as if that was the way they were meant to be, and when he pulled away, he looked into her eyes. “Do you still think I don’t want to?”
“Then what’s keeping you?”
“Maybe I think good things come to those who wait.” He shrugged.
“Do you?”
“Yeah, I think what we have is worth more, and I want to make sure it’s the right time so I don’t lose you. I don’t want any room for regret. Besides, you putting in a word for me might go a little further if we’re not sleeping together.”
She laughed and rolled away from him. “I should have known. Are you worried about your promotion? Well, at least that makes sense.” She sat up and grabbed her fluffy pillow, but he took her arm and pulled her down to his chest.
“Don’t go anywhere. I’m just being honest. I want you, Lizzy. More than anyone ever.”
&nbs
p; “Then prove it,” she said.
“Lay down and I will.” He was hard as a rock for her, and as she moved back against him, he knew there was no way she didn’t feel his hard length pressing against her ass. But just in case she missed it, he pressed it against her and heard her breath hitch. “Does that prove it to you?”
She moved her ass against him and moaned. “Yes.”
She gave a little cry as he nuzzled his nose against her neck and breathed warm air that gave her chills. He felt them rise on her arms, and he reached up to cup her breasts. Soon, his hand was down the front of her panties, his fingers searching for her clit.
When he found it, he pressed hard, and she moved between his fingers and his thick cock. She came, and he pulled his fingers free and, with a moan, licked them clean.
“Let me help you.” She reached back and took his cock into her grip and rubbed him up and down her ass, her hand jerking him in a steady rhythm that had him on the edge of orgasm before he knew it.
“I’m close.”
“Come for me, Darek.” She met his eyes. Suddenly, her grip tightened, and his load splashed her hand.
She brought a taste to her lips, and he thought he was going to pass out he was so lightheaded. She was overwhelming, and he couldn’t believe the two of them were so hot for each other. The irony was almost too much for him, and as much as he wanted to be closer to her, he couldn’t blow his cover.
“I need to wash my hands, but I’ll bring back a towel.” She got up and went to the bathroom. While she was gone, he wasn’t sure what to fucking think about what just happened. So much for being careful and not throwing caution to the wind. He knew that any act of intimacy was only going to make things harder for him, but he couldn’t help but be head over heels for Lizzy.
She came back to the bed, and once he cleaned up and righted his shorts, they curled up together.
“Maybe we should get a little practice spooning,” she said with laughter in her voice.
“I’m all for that.” He pulled her closer.
“I’m anxious for tomorrow. Isn’t it exciting that we’ll get to go to the camp?” She reminded him of a kid on Christmas Eve, with a gleam in her eyes and the hope for the morning to come.
“Yeah, I can’t wait. I always wanted to go to summer camp when I was a kid.” Darek didn’t find it exciting in the same way she did. The kind of excitement he had was going to give him an ulcer if he wasn’t careful. If he didn’t have one already.
His job was high stress enough without all of this, but at least he could try and do some good to help the other guys, who were not only targets now but who had moved on with their lives and repented in their own ways. He wasn’t sure that they weren’t about to blow the lid off the Zodiacs and the fact that he was a part of the group, but he knew he had to make arrangements to disassociate himself from them as soon as possible. The first thing he was going to do when he got back home was figure out how to do it. There had to be a way to get rid of the mark, even if he had to take matters into his own hands.
5
Finn
He hadn’t intended on waking up with Raven in his arms, but the excitement from the night before had given them a change of plans. After they shared a shower, she dressed and smelled up his bathroom with the fruitiest smelling perfume ever, and he stood at the window thinking of the task ahead.
He had always known that Seth and Bay were in a constant tug of war with one another, and even though Bay had always been the clear leader of the Zodiacs, Seth was always there to challenge him. Ever since the club had formed, the two had been posturing, and Finn often wondered why Bay allowed the other guy to be in his club at all. Maybe Bay couldn’t find another Aries.
Raven walked over to the window and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, lover. Call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Raven.” He gave her hand a squeeze. She’d been so good to him since he’d arrived in town, and if it weren’t for her, he’d have been lost. “You know I will.”
With one last smile, she shut the door behind her as she left. He brushed his hand through his damp hair and raked it back. The one unruly strand fell back into his eyes, and he left it, knowing putting up a fight with it was no use. It had always won. He decided he might as well dress and get ready for his day, but his phone rang while he dug through his suitcase for a clean pair of jeans.
The number on the screen wasn’t familiar, but he had a feeling he knew who it was. “Hello?” He held his breath and hoped he was right.
“Finn? It’s Seth.”
“Hey, man. I thought it might be you. Don’t tell me you’re ready for me now?” He gave a sultry laugh and hoped the man wasn’t calling to cancel.
“Actually, I was thinking tomorrow around five or six? I know it’s kind of early in the evening, but we have a late flight home, and I thought it would be nice to see you. Maybe you could give Kari and me a nice send off.”
“I’d like that.” He knew Bay would like it, too, and it meant that before he went, he’d have to go over to Bay’s and get the equipment.
“So, tell me, Finn, do you still work that mouth of yours like you used to?”
Finn didn’t hook up with many men intentionally, but occasionally, things in sex club orgies got a little passionate, and he’d found himself in the position. He’d always thought of Bay during those times, just like when he and Seth had been together in the shower at camp.
“I can sure as hell try if that’s what you want,” Finn said. Knowing Seth was down for exactly what Bay wanted to see had him turned on.
“You know I always liked it, and I think it’s something Kari would appreciate. She’s turned on when I top another man.”
“Then consider me your bottom.” Finn felt his cock twitch as his adrenaline pumped.
“Perfect. It’s so hard to find someone who is discreet. I know I can count on you for that.” He seemed confident, and Finn knew that being a fellow Zodiac, sharing the same secret, was what had built that trust.
“Of course,” Finn said. “You know, I’m surprised you came to town with all of this shit going on with the murders. You heard about Logan, right?”
“Logan? No, I read about Tad in the papers. Poor guy. His uncle really did a number on him, didn’t he? Do you think he just snapped or what?”
“You’re really that far out of the loop?” Finn wondered how Seth could not know what was going on, but then, it had all just gone down. “There’s someone in New York slicing up Zodiacs and the people they love. I’m on my way out of town as soon as possible, too. Most likely Sunday. I just have shit to do for work, and then I’m bailing. So far, they got Tad, his sister, Logan’s old lady, and I don’t know, like three or four others; and get this, Darek Blake is the investigator. Logan is on his way to the pen. You couldn’t have picked a worse time to come for a visit. But who am I to talk.”
“I doubt it’s as serious as all that,” Seth said. “Sounds like Logan was wrapped up in it with Tad or something worse. Bay would have called me, unless he’s the one killing us off. Maybe he’s in need of a new hobby.” Seth’s laughter sent chills down Finn’s spine.
“You think it could be Bay?”
“Who else do you know that’s as sadistic as that bastard? I’ll keep my distance, and if anyone comes for me, they best be prepared. In Dallas, we carry guns, and we know how to use them. If this killer comes at me, he better not bring a knife to a gun fight.”
Finn knew it was just like Seth to feel invincible because no other Zodiac had an ego that compared to Bay’s as much as him.
“Well, I hope you do shoot them. It would appear that you and I are next.”
“What the hell do you mean?” Seth asked.
“If this fucker is going in order, it’s me next and then you. It’s just a theory, but Bay thinks we’re safe as long as Logan’s kicking around in prison.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of, and how does Bay know so much? Aga
in, if someone is murdering Zodiacs, it’s him. And he can come at me all day; I’m not afraid of him.” He laughed like it was the most ridiculous thing in the world, and Finn wished he was as confident. “Think about what you’re saying, Finn. You just said that someone is killing Zodiacs, but that’s not true. Tad jumped out of a fucking window, and Logan is in jail. He’s not dead. Out of all the killings, not one of them has been a Zodiac.”
“Tad might have had help going out that window, and Logan’s girlfriend was nearly cut in half, Seth. Could you imagine if that were Kari? Either way, we’re the targets, and someone is making us suffer.”
“I think Logan got himself mixed up in something and Tad threw himself out that window for the guilt over killing his uncle. Case solved. Darek’s work should be a piece of cake.” He gave another laugh, and Finn knew there was no convincing the guy. He focused on the task and how he and Bay were going to set it up.
“Maybe you’re right. I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah, I’ll let Kari know we have a big send-off. See you then.”
The phone went dead, and Finn thought about what he’d learned. He couldn’t ignore that things were happening with Zodiacs, but maybe it wasn’t what it seemed.
He had to go to Bay’s to get the equipment and decided to make arrangements. Knowing Bay hated getting calls from out of nowhere, he decided to text. Bay sent a one-word response. Penthouse.
On his way to the penthouse, he thought about telling Bay Seth’s theory to see his reaction. He didn’t think that Bay was targeting him, but maybe he’d know more information that could help. He wondered just how much he didn’t know, considering Seth was in the dark. He also wondered why Seth hadn’t been contacted. Shouldn’t they let the others in on what was going on? Had Bay, as their leader, been in touch? Finn hadn’t gotten a formal call, but then again, he’d come to town to do his business with Bay.
He arrived at the penthouse where Bay conducted all of his business, and he wondered if he’d have to submit to a strip search as usual.
