by Brook Greene
“There’s only one person who can help with a situation like this.” Leo sighs.
“Should we call him?” I ask.
“No, let’s wait and see what it is exactly they want from us.” In the years we’ve been here, we’ve on more than one occasion had to make alliances with men on the other side of the law, and I’m sure those are the ones they’ll want us to use.
~~~~~~
Hollis
Not able to go back to sleep after Roman left, I came downstairs and poured myself a whiskey, not giving two shits about how early in the morning it was. The burn of the whiskey stings as much as the truth about my past, and it seems my mother keeps offering up pain and hurt to me even from the grave.
I’m afraid that the further I go with this, the more I’m going to regret asking. Maybe I should just let Roman sort out my social security number issue and leave it at that, because I’m not sure a man who wouldn’t even sign my birth certificate is worth the trouble it seems it’ll be to find him.
With my head spinning in circles, I pour myself another drink and sit watching the sun come up, becoming more and more conflicted and worried about the things Roman and the others are going to find out. I always heard some things are better left buried, and I hope that isn’t the lesson I learn from all this.
I drift off to sleep, right as the sun breaks the horizon, wrapped up in Roman’s shirt, feeling like his arms are tight around me.
~~~~~~
Roman
I shoot Hollis a quick text, letting her know I’m all right and that I’ll be home later. Avery had cleaned and stitched my shoulder, shooting questioning looks at me the whole time. She didn’t ask and I didn’t offer any details for why we are all so somber, or why Leo was extra irritable.
Avery kisses Leo, giving us all one last glance over her shoulder before leaving. She’s been around long enough to know that when we act like this, we saw more than we wanted to on a mission, and she definitely isn’t wrong.
“Three of the girls have been identified. They’re waiting for information on the others.” Leo comes up next to me at the bar, dropping a file folder down before pouring himself a drink. “They’d all been raped, drugged, beaten, and nearly starved to death and on the brink of dehydration.” His words are laced with the disgust that I feel. “They were just children, the oldest barely past her twenty-first birthday. The youngest was fifteen. She and her older sister were spending three days at the beach.” He throws back the liquor in the glass and pours himself another. “She doesn’t know how long it’s been since she watched them drag her sister out of that hole and hasn’t seen her since.” He throws his tumbler, shattering it against the wall behind the bar.
I reach and grab him another glass and hand it to him. “Do you think he’ll agree to do whatever the hell it is they want?”
Leo scoffs. “If not, I’m sure they’ll press us to persuade him.”
“I’m pretty sure he can be persuaded to do just about anything.” Matt comes up beside me, pouring himself a drink, saluting us with a strangely confident smile. “The old boy doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, you all know that. And everyone has a price.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience, Matt.” I turn to study the man standing beside me.
He purses his lips before taking the last drag of the liquid from the glass in his hand.
~~~~~~
I walk through the front door to find Hollis asleep in my recliner, balled-up in one of my flannels. Her perfectly painted, blood red toenails are peeking out from where she has her knees pulled up under the material around her.
She’s truly a stunning creature, and she’s all mine. Regardless of what we find out about her history, her mother and who the hell her father is, I will always love her.
The morning sun streaming through the window illuminates her left cheek and the scar running up the side of her face, reminding me of her sacrifices. She could’ve died that day and I would’ve never gotten a chance to beg for her forgiveness, which is something I never could’ve lived with.
After the night I’ve had, all I want is a hot shower and to fall into bed surrounded by the arms of the woman who is my life.
I don’t want to wake her, but I’m about to fall over from exhaustion and my fucking shoulder is killing me. I lean in and rub her soft hand. “Hollis.”
She stirs, blinking away the sleep from her eyes and turns to me with a soft smile on her lips, but as soon as her lazy eyes land on the bandage around my arm, she jumps to her feet with a gasp. She gingerly touches my arm. “Roman, what happened?”
I take her fussing hand away from my shoulder. “It’s nothing,” I reassure her as I kiss her hand and pull her warm body into mine, wrapping my good arm around her.
She scoffs at me, rolling her eyes. “Nothing my ass. You were shot.” I tuck her head into my chest. “Do I want to know?” I hesitate, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. She lifts her head again, and I watch as her features fall when she reads my expression. “Oh God.”
I sigh. “Yeah.” I stroke her soft cheek with my finger. “I need some sleep. Sound good to you?”
Chapter Eight
Roman
I wake up in an empty bed, the mid-afternoon sun streaming through the windows. I yawn, rubbing my hand down my face and scratch my bearded jaw, still unable to get the images of those girls in that hole out of my head. Rolling to the side, I place my feet on the floor, feeling like I’m moving through mud.
The similarities between finding those girls and returning them to their families, and finding Hollis’s family for her are not lost on me. It’s amazing how the two most important aspects of my life are running parallel to each other, again.
I fall back on the bed. “Is it too much to ask for shit to be simple?” I ask the universe, who seems to keep butt fucking me and expecting me to bring the KY.
“Did you say something?” My eyes jerk open and I sit up to find Hollis standing in the doorway of our room.
I sigh at the sight of her and hold my arms out, asking her to come to me. “No,” I reply as she walks between my legs. I slide my arms around her and bury my face in her stomach, inhaling deeply. She runs her fingers through my hair, tugging on the longer locks, pulling my head back. She has a smile on her full lips, and her eyes study me the way they do when she knows I’m holding something back.
She smooths her hands down the sides of my face and bends to place a kiss on my lips. “Did you enjoy your nap?”
“I did. I needed it.”
“After last night?” Her questions holds more than just the words.
“Hmm.” I nod, giving her a nonverbal answer.
“Want to talk about it?” She continues to run her fingers through my hair.
I reach to stop her, holding her hands still. I lower my head and close my eyes, trying my best to push the thought of those girls out. I shake my head no without a word, afraid if I speak my voice will betray me. I’m a man that’s seen a lot in my life and done things I’m not proud of. But what I saw last night was enough to break any man.
She leans in again kissing the back of my head, and I feel the breath from her sigh warm my skin. “So, you want something to eat.”
“Yes, please.” She removes her hands from my hair and I stand, letting her lead me out of our room.
~~~~~~
I feel a set of warm lips drift across my chest, then a long bare leg come across my middle. The lips move up to my neck as a hand wraps around my dick, gently moving up and down. “Roman,” she moans into my ear, waking me up fully, and I encircle her naked body with my arms, finding her mouth with mine. I push my tongue in, right as she slips me inside of her, both of us letting out a moan.
She stills on top of me and I reach out, taking her full breasts into my hands, pinching the tight little pink nipples between my fingers, making her cry out in painful pleasure. She leans in and I soothe each of the taut little nubs with my tongue. She begins to move up and down on me
slowly, methodically, taking me all the way into her each time she comes down.
“Oh God, Hollis,” I groan, pushing the words between my gritted teeth. I grip her hips hard, shoving up into, her making her gasp. She digs her nails into my pecks, and I feel as the skin breaks under the pressure, the pain only making me fuck her harder.
The sound of our skin slapping together fills the room, along with the scent of heady sex. No longer able to take it, I flip us, her on her back and me on top of her. “Roman.” She runs her nails down my back and hooks her heels into my ass as I drive my cock into her sweet pussy. Her breaths are coming in pants, and I can feel as a bead of sweat rolls down my temple.
We fuck. This isn’t sweat or tender, but hard and ruthless. She rolls her hips up into me, seeking that carnal release I’m chasing each time I drive into her, pushing her body down into the mattress beneath us. And with each thrust, she gasps as I drive deeper and deeper into her. With each passing moment, our movements become more desperate, her body moving with mine, searching for the wave of euphoric passion to crash over us.
With a scream, I feel as her sweet pussy tightens around my cock and her body jerks with pleasure as she finds her release. Not slowing my pace for her to bask in her afterglow, I fuck her like I’ve never fucked before in my life, laying claim to her body and soul, owning every piece of her. She screams again, and this time I follow her over the edge, shoving my cock so deep inside and emptying myself into her.
I relax, keeping my full weight off of her, but lying skin to skin with her as we fight to catch our breath. “Shit, woman,” I pant out between kisses.
She giggles. “I woke up horny.” She shoves at my chest. “Let me up.” I roll to my back as she slides carefully off the bed and heads to the bathroom. I roll over enough to watch her go. Her ass is ripe and round, her breasts are perfect. Her hips flare out right before they slide into her trim waist. Beautiful. Simply and utterly beautiful.
~~~~~~
Hollis
Spontaneous night sex has always been my favorite, but Roman takes it up to a whole new level. Yes, normally he takes his time with my body, coaxing out my pleasure several times before he finds his in me. But night sex, midnight fucking, is something a couple needs every once in a while. A no-holds-barred fuck session and scream fest. Where each person is being selfish and trying to find their own pleasure, using the other’s body for their own needs. Quick, hot, and dirty.
I clean myself up and head back out to find a sleeping Roman flat on his back, snoring. I smile as I round the bed and climb in under the covers, only disrupting him a little, but just enough for him to know I’m there. He rolls to his side, reaching a heavy arm over me, dragging me into his hot, naked body. I snuggle back into him as he buries his nose in my hair, sighing contently. “I love you, woman.” His breath ghosts across my bare skin, making me shiver, and smile because I know he does, just as much as I love him.
~~~~~~
I roll, working out the kinks, to Roman’s back. He and I had separated some time during the night as usual. I place a kiss between his shoulder blades, but he doesn’t move. I look at the clock that blares the start of a new day at me, so I turn and place my feet on the floor, needing some caffeine in a bad way. I gently pull the door closed behind me and make my way down to the kitchen to start the day.
It’s not long before a rumpled Roman joins me, smiling as he comes through the door. I turn to pour him a cup of coffee as I feel him stop flush against my back and his lips at my ear. “I hope you start waking me up like that more often.” His hot breath tickles my skin, making me shiver. He rubs his hardening cock against my ass. “Care to join me in the shower?” He takes me by the hand, setting the cup I was pouring him on the counter and leads me up the steps with a devilish look in his eyes.
~~~~~~
After a much longer shower than I think both of us planned, we hurry around, getting dressed. “What are your plans for today?” I ask as I sweep my hair up into a messy bun. Roman, in jeans and a T-shirt, is a sight to behold, but his fine ass body in a tailored suit that fits it to perfection is a life-altering experience.
He stops tying his tie when he catches me staring at him. “Like what you see, Ms. Keaton?”
I return his wolfish grin. “You know I do. I’ve showed you several times in the past twelve hours how much I like what you have under that mouthwatering suit.” He has his overly long blonde hair styled, and what tattoos he can covered.
He adjusts himself with a huff. “Yeah, this is great. Let’s walk into the field office with a raging boner.” I reach to rub him, but he jerks away quickly. “Don’t, I’m late already. But,” he holds up his finger. “Keep that thought and I’ll frisk and interrogate you when I get home.” He wiggles his eyebrows with a devilish grin on his face. “I might even bring a pair of handcuffs with me.” I smile at him, giving my body an over exaggerated shiver.
“And I can play merry maids.” I shove one foot into my tennis shoe. “You know, wearing those yellow elbow high gloves with the slightest hint of Clorox and Lysol smell on my clothes,” I say, laughing as I put on my other shoe and turn to him.
He has his hands up in the air in surrender. “And just like that, the boner has left the building.”
I pout. “Oh, should I have gone with a French maid?” He growls in reply before leaning over to pinch my ass, making me jump.
I rub the spot as I run out of the room with him fast on my heels. I love this part of us, the playful side. I hope we never lose it. I understand that sometimes, because of his job, he might need time to decompress, be alone with the things he sees and must do. Those are the times I step away, not far, but enough to give him the space he needs to reconcile whatever it is going on in his head.
He was and always has been a man who lives in his head, thinking things through, rationalizing everything around him. Unlike the others who verbalize their opinions and wear emotions on their sleeves, Roman holds it in, watching as it all unfolds around him before forming any kind of view.
The light that he had when we were in school is slowly dying out, and it breaks my heart to watch it happen. Whatever he’d seen the other night is weighing heavily on him, more so than any other case they’ve worked. Sometimes, I wonder if him stepping away from the job he loves would be the best thing for him, but I don’t dare suggest it. I’ll keep that thought to myself for now.
I reach out and smooth my hand down his tie, then push up on my tiptoes, placing my lips on his. “Have a good day.” He wraps me in his arms, holding me tight to him.
“You too, baby,” he responds, right before kissing me. He pulls away to lean around and open my car door for me. “And please, God, leave those damned yellow gloves at work.” A little giggle escapes me before I slap my hands over my mouth.
Chapter Nine
Roman
I contact the office of the Inspector General to call in a favor from one of their agents who I’ve done several favors for.
“Thank you, Janine, I really do appreciate you doing this,” I tell her, catching Eno’s attention as he walks by my office door. He looks at me, lifting his eyebrows in question. I nod my head no, but he comes in anyway, closing the door behind him. He settles himself in the chair across the desk and props his foot at the ankle on his knee, his foot bouncing impatiently, as he waits for me to get off the phone.
“I’m more than happy to do it for you, Agent Jefferys,” she purrs. “I’m sorry you’re being taken off the market, but I’m happy for you.” Janine had spent an ample amount of time in my bed before Hollis came back. She was a good lay, but I couldn’t give her what she really wanted from me, which was my heart. I’d given that particular organ away long before I’d met her.
“Thank you again, I really appreciate it. Call if you find out anything?” I look at Eno and roll my eyes.
“I still have your cell number. I’ll call you as soon as something comes up,” she chirps, right before hanging up.
I place th
e handset back into the cradle of the phone on my desk. “Janine, huh?” Eno says with a laugh. “When did she change jobs?” It doesn’t surprise me that Eno hadn’t noticed Janine had left the agency.
I inhale a deep breath and let it out slowly. “A few months after Hollis got back. She showed up at our house one night drunk off her ass, crying like a jealous girlfriend.”
“No shit, she did?” He winces. “I stuck my dick in her a few times. Thank God she didn’t get all Glen Close on my ass.” He closes his eyes and shudders. Living the lifestyle we had before settling down, I’m surprised there weren’t more instances of us getting jacked by the women we fucked. “What did Hollis do?”
“She wasn’t at home. She was out with the girls that night, thank fuck,” I tell him, remembering back to that fucked up night and how long it had taken me to get Janine home.
“No shit. Did you tell her about it?” He looks almost scared for me.
“Yeah,” I tell him with a nod of my head and a slight smile on my face. “She actually laughed about it.” I shrug my shoulders at his shocked look. “She said as long as Janine gets the point my dick was off the market, she was fine, and she also kinda felt sorry for her.”
“Shit,” Eno scoffs as he gets to his feet. “It’s about that time, brother.” He straightens the tie he’s wearing.
I get to my feet. Reaching for my suit jacket I’d hung from the back of my chair, I stab my arms into it, buttoning it at the waist. “I’m really fucking dreading this,” I growl as I join him to walk out the door, where we meet the others on their way to the meeting room too.
“I have a feeling our new CO is a real douche.” Dalton slaps me on the back in greeting. His statement gets grumbles of agreement from all of us.
Proving Dalton’s point, our CO, aka douche, is fifteen minutes late to a meeting he wanted. He walks in with a smile on his face, but it melts when he sees the grimaces on ours. “Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen.” He closes the door behind him. “But you will be happy to know I was late because I was getting updates on the ladies that were found the other night.” He starts shoving papers at us as he continues to talk. “They have all been treated and their families found, and they are all on their way home as we speak.” He looks at us with a satisfied smile, like he single-handedly did all this himself.
