“What?” I looked down at my hands. “I’m not the one draped in blood.”
Sergio sighed. “Your clothes… you have blood splatters all over you.”
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t be so messy next time.”
“Did you just make a joke?” Sergio was incredulous. “After I killed four people and tortured one of them?”
“What?” I shrugged. “Did you expect fainting?”
“Yes.”
Ignoring him, I crossed my arms. “This wasn’t on my honeymoon list.”
“No shit.” He barked out a laugh. “Really though, are you okay?”
A smile formed across my lips. “I will be.”
“Alright.”
“If you do one thing for me…”
He frowned.
“Buy me a gun like that… better yet, can I have yours?”
“Hell, no!” He gripped his gun like it was a small child. “Nobody touches my gun.”
“Which one?” I winked. “I’m game for both.”
“Unbelievable.” He swore. “How are you joking right now?”
I reached for his hand then jerked him against my body. The gun clattered to the floor. “Kiss me.”
“Andi—”
“You know you want to.”
His eyes were burning holes through me.
“And your fighting skills, kinda hot, minus the torture part.” I kissed him hard on the mouth.
With a groan, he lifted me into the air and slammed me against the picture less wall, his boots crunching glass beneath them.
I pushed back; he stumbled, his legs colliding with one of the coffee tables. A vase hit the floor.
I smirked as he pushed the rest of the contents off the table and lifted me onto it. My legs wrapped around his waist. His hands were already ripping my shirt off while I started unbuttoning his pants and sliding them off his narrow hips.
The man was ripped.
Chiseled, tightly packed muscles met my fingertips as I pulled his shirt over his head next.
I could really begin to like black boxer briefs.
His mouth was frenzied as he bit along my jaw then took my lips captive. His tongue wickedly teased. I couldn’t get enough. I needed him to kiss me harder. With a groan, I tried to pull him onto me, but he wouldn’t let me. Instead, he jerked back then reached for something next to me on the table.
The knife.
“Trust me,” he whispered, before pressing it against my chest and sliding it down the front, cutting off my bra. It slid lower, down my hip.
I shivered in response as goose bumps broke out across my skin.
The knife dug into my hip and then slid against my underwear. He used the knife to dangle them in front of me. They fell to the floor.
“Cute trick,” I breathed.
“I have lots of tricks.” Knife still in hand, he gripped me by the arms and slid me backward across the table then crawled on top. He was like a beast stalking his prey. I’d never been so turned on in my life.
He tossed the knife to the ground and pinned me against the table using his body.
“Fifteen.” He bit my lip.
What was with him and biting? And why did I like it so much? My body couldn’t help but respond, arching toward him, begging for release.
“Aw, you gonna count for me, Dracula?”
“I see what you did there.” He licked my lower lip. “I think I like that pet name better than Italy.”
“You bite,” I said a little breathless as his mouth hovered over mine, his body pressing me against the wood table. I could feel every hard inch of him. “I like it.”
He grazed his teeth across my stomach. His hands splayed across my belly as he slid then kicked his briefs off.
Sergio was right in warning me. He wasn’t about making love — but he was about making me want him more than anything in my life. Everything about him was hard — rough edges, nothing soft, nothing smooth. There was no taking his time or licking every inch of me. There was possession, plain and simple. No room for adoration in his mind. Just sex.
I shouldn’t have been okay with it.
But for some reason, it excited me to know that this man, the one who was so haunted by life — and so controlled and effortless in his killings — couldn’t control himself around me.
“I warned you.” His mouth met mine in a ferocious kiss, making me forget all the reasons I had in my brain for stopping him.
“More,” I whispered.
“Beg.”
“More!” I screamed.
He lifted my legs and hooked them over his shoulders. I couldn’t help it — my eyes widened.
And then a hard knock sounded at the door.
And another.
Sergio froze.
I blinked, my eyes most likely mirroring the horror in his.
He jumped off me and threw one of the blankets on the couch in my direction, just as the door opened.
He didn’t bother to cover himself up.
I, however, wrapped up like it was zero below.
“Holy shit!” Chase burst out laughing. “Really, dude? You do realize there’s four dead bodies surrounding your little love nest?”
Sergio started stalking toward him. I grabbed his arm and jerked him back. Did he not realize he was still naked?
Nixon followed, his eyes scanning the mess of blood and bodies before turning to us. “Nice work…”
“Amazing,” Chase muttered. “Leave it to Nixon to comment on the dead bodies rather than the naked ones.”
Nixon smirked, but other than that, didn’t comment.
“Serg…” Chase shook his head and leaned down to examine the lone bloody hand. “…not your best work. The cut is off a few inches.”
“Yeah well,” Sergio started pulling on his jeans. “Russia here only managed to find the smaller of the two machetes.”
“I knew it!” I shouted.
“Russia…” Chase tsked. “…I’m disappointed. Always grab the bigger machete. Always.”
“Life lesson number one,” Sergio said under his breath.
“You just make a joke?” Chase tilted his head. “Hmmm, I’m amazed you’re in such a good mood, considering what I just walked in on…”
“Thus the good mood,” I finished, defending Sergio.
“Ah, the good mood hadn’t started yet… or… should I say… finished?” Chase chuckled.
Nixon joined Chase near the floor and sighed. “You gonna mail it out or should I?”
“Allow me.” Sergio’s jaw clenched. “You know what this means, right?”
“Yeah.” Nixon rubbed his face with his hands. “I know. It means you need security.”
“Because of me?” I said lamely.
Sergio wrapped his arm around my shoulders. It was completely unexpected but welcome. I curled into him, resting my head on his strong chest.
Nixon glanced up, his eyes piercing through the darkness in the room. “Sorry, Andi. It’s what’s best for now. Not only would it be horrible if anything happened to you, but if something happened to Sergio too… it would be too big for us as a family to ignore, meaning, a war we don’t want to start.”
“Hell, we’re already in it.” Chase nodded in my direction. “The minute we offered her protection.”
“They wanted me alive,” I offered. “They weren’t going to kill me yet.”
Nixon stood. “Well, that’s interesting.”
“Shit…” Sergio gripped me tighter. “…they’d only keep her alive for one reason, Nixon. You know that.”
Nixon’s eyes darkened. “Hell.”
Chase gave me a sympathetic look before reaching down and searching each of the men’s pockets. I assumed for ID.
“What?” I squinted at Nixon. “What’s it mean?”
“Intel…” Nixon sighed, then rubbed the back of his head with his hand. “They’d keep you alive only as long as you were valuable. They’d be banking on the fact that Sergio would either come after you, giving
them permission to start something — or if he didn’t, they’d simply torture you in order to gain as much information as possible before killing you.”
“Don’t.” I jerked away from Sergio. “Don’t you ever come after me.”
“Wait, what?” Sergio blinked in confusion. “You married into this, Andi. There is no out. I protect you. I keep you safe. That’s the deal.”
“And I’m saying no.” I shook my head. “Protect me as well as you can, but if something happens, if they take me, don’t follow.”
Sergio rolled his eyes. “Don’t be dramatic. I’d have no choice.”
I held his gaze. “If I even think you’re going to be going all Robin Hood: Men in Tights on me, I swear I’ll find a way to kill myself.”
Chase muttered a curse under his breath while Nixon held up his hands and made quick work moving the bodies.
Sergio stood still as a statue. “That’s not your call to make.”
“The hell it is!” I hissed, pushing at his naked chest. “You’re not putting your family in jeopardy. You’re not starting a pissing match with my father over me. It’s not worth it. I’m not worth it, remember? Weren’t you saying that just a few days ago? What’s changed, huh?” It was unfair, baiting him, making him see his own weakness when it came to me. I knew the walls were crumbling, and a few minutes ago I couldn’t have been happier, but now I knew there was a reason they needed to stay up.
it wasn’t just my life on the line, but his.
Sergio’s eyes flashed. “Right.” He bit his bottom lip and stomped away from me. The front door opened, a few more men shuffled in and started bagging the bodies.
The hand, however, was left on the floor.
It stared at me.
It represented so many things — all things that could be prevented if Sergio would just get his head out of his ass.
Nixon motioned for one of the men to grab the last body. “Put enough weights in the bags for them to sink fast. I don’t want evidence anywhere.”
The man nodded, and then Nixon held up his hand and stopped him. He walked over to the last body and snapped a picture of the horror-stricken face.
“Kodak moment.” Chase nodded. “Gonna print that out and send it to Pops?”
“With some vodka attached.” Nixon smirked. “He’ll expect one present… not two.” He brought his attention to Sergio, who was leaning against the wall as far away as possible from me. “Think you could bug the hand somehow?”
Sergio shrugged. “It’s not a matter of not being able to, but hiding it is a bit difficult. Besides, it’s not like they’re going to keep the hand hanging out on their kitchen table for a few days so we can gain intel.”
“The watch.” I pointed. “Put it in the watch.”
“Shhh…” Chase winked at me. “The men are talking now.”
I rolled my eyes and stomped over to the hand. With a flourish, I picked the bloody mess off the floor and unbuckled the Rolex watch. I flipped it over and held it out. “Put the device inside the watch. I may not know my father, but I know how he operates. The Rolex is always given as good faith that money will be dished out once he completes his assignment. It makes sense, right? Give the guy a Rolex, something more expensive than the car he drives, and suddenly all he sees is money. My father will keep it, believe me. He won’t let the hand and the watch go into the trash.”
“Because he can’t afford more?”
“No.” I sighed. “Because he’s stingy. He’ll use the same watch next time. I guarantee it. It would be a waste not to, and Petrov hates waste.”
I tossed the watch to Nixon and smacked Chase on the back. “I’ll just let the men have their talk now.”
Chase glared while Nixon handed the watch to Sergio. “Make it happen.”
“Yup.” Sergio was already inspecting the watch like a chocolate addict inspects a Hershey bar. I’d never understand what was so fascinating about listening devices and hacking, but Sergio seemed to be on high just thinking about the technological possibilities.
“Get some sleep.” Nixon’s voice interrupted my blatant staring.
“Right.” I nodded. “I’ll get on that.”
“Don’t you mean under that?” Chase whispered.
I elbowed him in the ribs.
“You forget she stole Tex’s gun and landed Sergio on his ass.” Nixon chuckled. “Tread carefully, or Mil’s going to want to know how you got a black eye.”
“Or two,” I finished sweetly.
“Fine.” Chase yawned. “I’m going to go back to bed now.”
The guys left, the door closing softly. I quickly walked over to the lock and turned it hard.
“Nixon will leave men, Andi.” Sergio was behind me, his hand placed over my trembling hand. “You’re safe tonight.”
“Of course I am.” I turned to face him. “I have my own Italian assassin in my bed.”
His eyes didn’t heat.
They were empty again.
Great. I’d successfully pushed him away. At what cost?
“Listen…” He backed me up against the door. “…you tell me what to do in front of the guys again, and I’ll follow through on that spanking I promised earlier this week. If I want to jump off a cliff to save your life, you don’t talk me out of it. You don’t complain or whine. You say thank you and cheer me on.” His mouth was hot. I could almost taste him as he leaned in and whispered, “When I said I’d protect you with my life, I meant it. So stop being such a damn martyr and for once in your life let someone save you.”
He tilted my chin up, his eyes searching my face for a few seconds before he pulled back and walked away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Sergio
I WASHED THE BLOOD FROM MY HANDS, not really sure why I was putting forth such an effort when it wasn’t going to come off unless I scrubbed like hell until my skin was raw.
The good news?
I didn’t work for the feds anymore, so I had nothing to hide. I could waltz right into Starbucks with a bloodstained shirt and tell people I’d just fallen off my Harley, and people would barely blink.
It irritated me that in the face of something so terrifying — had you not been raised in it, you’d assume it only happened on the movies — Andi had simply watched in fascination.
And then had the nerve to tell me I couldn’t protect her.
What the hell?
I slammed my hands against the marble countertop then slammed them again. “Damn it!”
“Easy tiger,” Andi said from the doorway.
I looked up at her reflection through the mirror. She walked hesitantly toward me.
I shook my head and moved away before she could touch me. It was too raw, killing them, nearly losing her, being reminded yet again that this little story wasn’t going to end happy. In the end, I would lose her.
It was up to me to decide how.
Shit.
With a scowl, I turned on the shower. “Not now, Andi, I’m not in the mood.”
“Not what you said about an hour ago.”
I started pulling off my clothes. If she wasn’t going to leave, I didn’t give a rat’s ass; I was still going to shower. I needed to get Russian slime off my body.
Steam billowed out the minute I opened the shower door.
After a few minutes, I assumed Andi had left.
I was just getting ready to turn the handle when a soft delicate hand met mine. With a curse, I closed my eyes and leaned forward, allowing my forehead to press against the glass as water dripped down my face.
Her breasts pressed up against my back; her arms wrapped around my waist. “I’m sorry.”
I couldn’t trust myself to speak. I’d always been good with words, even better with my intellect, but in that moment I had nothing. I didn’t know what to say because I’d never been in a situation so out of my control — so completely out of my element that all I wanted to do was push it to the farthest part of my brain so I wouldn’t have to think about it.
> So I wouldn’t feel.
“I’m sorry I told you not to come after me.” Andi sighed, pressing a kiss against my back. “And I’m sorry I did it in front of the guys… but what I’m most sorry about is that you’re in this position, somewhere you never wanted to be in the first place.”
I let out a heavy sigh, my chest squeezing tight. Slowly, I peeled her hands away from my waist and turned. Her brown eyes were large, focused, sad. It killed me, because Andi wasn’t one of those people. Sadness looked completely foreign on her.
I hated it.
I hated it so much I vowed in that moment to do everything in my power to extinguish that emotion forever.
I wasn’t a soft person.
A tender lover.
A thinker — when it came to the opposite sex. But everything about her made me think. As water cascaded down her soft face, I thought. I thought so hard I was convinced she could hear my thoughts.
She was beautiful.
Breathtaking.
Brave.
And mine.
My lips found hers. I kissed her softly, tasting the water on her mouth, sucking it between my teeth. “I’m exactly where I want to be. I just never knew it… until now.”
Our mouths collided in a heated frenzy as I lifted her into the air then pressed her against the shower wall. My hands slid down her thighs as she clenched around me tightly.
Her blond hair stuck to her cheeks. I moved my lips to her ear, licking the trickle of water down her neck, following its trail all the way to her small breasts.
My mouth sucked along every inch that the water traveled, my lips unable to do anything except taste. I flicked my tongue — and gained a painful jerk as she tugged my hair back and let out a moan.
I wasn’t gentleman enough to ask her if she wanted more.
Because I wasn’t going to be gentleman enough to stop if she said no.
I was desperate in a way I’d never been before, to feel her, to feel all of her and, most of all, to forget that in a few short months…
I wouldn’t be able to feel that heart beat.
I wouldn’t be able to lick her skin.
Her taste would be long forgotten.
A frenzied sort of madness over took my senses as I slammed my mouth against hers, willing her to live, willing her to fight, making promises with my lips that I knew I could never speak aloud — because if I did, it would make it real. It would make what we were going to go through real.
Elude (Eagle Elite #6) Page 14
