It was working in his favor.
Of course, he was biding his time. He wanted to give them a chance to get comfortable back in Dallas, to stop looking over their shoulder. He had waited this long, what were a few more days? Even weeks? He had time.
Walking into the spare bedroom, he picked up the pillow Dani had slept on. Inhaling deeply, he smiled when the scent of tangerines filled his nostrils. That was her scent. He’d smelled it a million times. And one of these days, he was going to get up close and personal with Danielle Davidson, enough that he could do to her exactly what her father had done. He dreamed about it, fantasized even. He would strap her down, rip her clothes from her body, and watch as she sniveled and cried, begging for her freedom. Maybe for a day, possibly two. He wanted to see the fear in her eyes, the uncertainty.
He grabbed the pillow with both hands and ripped it at the seams.
He wanted Danielle to know the excruciating hell his sister had experienced at the hands of that madman.
Oh, Danielle would know what his intentions were. He would rape her again and again, taking exactly what she deserved until she was so battered and bloody she would welcome death.
Then he would do it again and again until she begged for mercy.
Once her pain filled the cold, dark hole in his soul, he would kill her.
Slowly.
Very, very slowly.
Then, he would make sure to send the pictures to her family so they could feel the same fucking pain his had.
Granted, he just might have to take out Dennis Moroso before that could happen. The man and his hired assassin were proving to be somewhat useful, but there would come a time when they would just be wasting too much fucking time.
FIFTEEN
Three days later…
HUNTER WOKE BEFORE ANYONE ELSE. He peered over at the two people sleeping in his bed. Although they’d only been there for the past two nights, it had started to feel natural for Hunter. He wasn’t sure he ever wanted to sleep alone again. He watched them, both looking so peaceful as Kye spooned Dani from behind.
Since that first night after the three of them had made love in his bed, for the first time in as long as he could remember, Hunter hadn’t dreamed. With them there, he slept soundly, Dani cuddled up next to him, one arm and leg thrown over his body as though she couldn’t get close enough.
He knew how she felt. These past couple of days had been incredible. And not merely the sex, although that was phenomenal as well.
But today was a new day and he had to get up. He had taken yesterday off—something he was not prone to do—and he knew the office would be bubbling with chatter about what was going on. Hunter needed to check in with Conner and RT, see if they’d found anything out. Before leaving the safe house on Saturday, Hunter had talked to Conner, asking him to do some digging into the Moroso brother. He wasn’t sure who was after Dani, but if Max was convinced it was Moroso, there was probably a good bet that he was. But Hunter was tired of sitting on the sidelines waiting for Max to reveal whatever he was hiding.
Forcing himself out of bed, Hunter headed for the shower. He quickly washed up, eager for some coffee. Once he had downed some caffeine, he’d be ready to do a little digging of his own.
*
Twenty minutes later, Hunter sauntered into the kitchen. He found Dani sitting on the counter beside the coffeepot. He paused to watch her, the way her long hair hung down over her shoulders and all the way down her back. The woman was so beautiful, but she always had been. There was something about her now. Something a little darker than before. Or maybe it had always been there, and he hadn’t seen it. Being that she was part of a family who used people as pawns, he had to admire the fact that she had a good heart. Oh, he hadn’t seen it for years. Hadn’t suspected she even had a heart when she disappeared on him, but now he understood.
Her eyes remained on the coffeemaker. It was gurgling and hissing, so he figured she was waiting for it.
Hunter shuffled into the kitchen and her eyes flew up to his face.
“Morning,” she said hesitantly.
Without missing a beat, Hunter walked over to her, stepping between her legs and leaning in to kiss her.
When he pulled back, she smiled brightly. “Well, that’s a nice way to be greeted in the morning. Want some coffee?”
Hunter retrieved two mugs from the cabinet. “Kye still asleep?”
“Yeah. I think we wore him out last night.”
It was likely true. Hunter hadn’t been able to keep his hands off either of them. He found he was insatiable, needing them both at all times of the day and night. And for the past three days, he had taken advantage of every opportunity.
“And what about you?” he asked, making his way back over to her. He found he couldn’t stop touching her. It was as though he needed to assure himself that she was real, that this wasn’t some fucked up dream that would have him waking up, the cold, stark reality of his life too much to bear.
“Oh, I’m definitely sated.”
“Yeah?” He ran his hands down her thighs. She was wearing his T-shirt and he wondered what she had on beneath it.
When his fingers slipped below the hem of her shirt, Dani’s eyes widened. She stared back at him, anticipation glittering her pretty eyes.
With his palms flat on her thighs, he inched them higher until his thumbs brushed her smooth mound. He smiled, loving that she had nothing on beneath his shirt.
“Are you sure about that?”
Her brow lowered, her words a breathless whisper. “Sure about what?”
“About being sated.” When his thumbs shifted lower, separating her pussy lips, she hissed in a breath. “Or could you use another orgasm this morning?”
Dani was panting heavily as he teased her with his thumbs.
“Hunter…” Her hands reached for his arms, her nails sinking into his triceps. “I’ve missed your touch.”
“I know, baby,” he whispered, leaning in and kissing her again. He couldn’t help himself. In fact, he wondered if he would ever get enough of her. “Put your feet on the counter.”
Dani pulled her legs up, her knees pointed toward the ceiling as she put her heels on the edge of the counter.
“Spread your legs wide. I want to see your pretty pussy.”
Without a word, she did as he instructed, her gaze never wavering from his. Hunter only looked away long enough to admire the smooth, slick flesh between her legs.
“You want my mouth on you, don’t you?”
Dani moaned as she nodded.
He took one step back and leaned down so that his mouth hovered right over her pussy. He licked her gently, groaning. She tasted so good, so sweet. It had been so long. Too long. It would likely take months for him to make up for all the lost time.
Not that he minded one fucking bit.
Dani’s fingers twined in his hair as he leisurely licked her, teasing her clit with the tip of his tongue.
“I want you to come for me, baby. Don’t hold back.”
She giggled. “I won’t if you won’t.”
Taking her challenge, he dove in, licking, laving, suckling. He worked Dani into a frenzy as he fondled the swollen bundle of nerves at the top of her sex. Her hand tightened in his hair, but he didn’t let up. He wanted to hear this woman scream for him. And once she did, he would be inside her. The first night, he’d taken Kye because he knew he couldn’t be gentle with her. And last night, Hunter had let Dani ride him until she came, still worried he would be too rough with her. Fortunately, Kye could handle anything Hunter needed from him. It was one of the things he loved about the man.
Love.
It was hard to even think that, but he was tired of living in denial.
“Oh, God … Hunter…” Dani panted and moaned. “Please. Please make me come.”
Suckling her clit between his lips, he flicked her with his tongue until she was rocking against him, holding his head as though he would stop. No way. He wasn’t sure he could ev
er stop.
When Dani screamed his name over and over, Hunter reluctantly released her. He stood to his full height, shoved his jeans down his hips, then pulled her ass to the edge of the counter before pushing in deep.
Her arms came around his neck as she held on.
“God, baby,” he moaned as he held her close. “I’ve dreamed about this. About feeling your pussy squeezing my cock. You feel so good.”
Too good.
And he knew exactly why.
Hunter wasn’t wearing a condom. Back when they’d been together, he hadn’t worn them. But she’d been on birth control at the time. Now, he wasn’t sure that was the case. Dani had been on the run for so long, and according to her, she hadn’t been having sex, so it would make sense if she wasn’t. Not that he gave a shit. If she wasn’t, then they would deal with it. Having a baby with this woman…
His heart swelled in his chest. Hunter could practically see her, soft and round, pregnant with his child. He welcomed the mental image.
“Hunter … Harder. I need more.” Her head tipped back as he slammed into her again and again.
He leaned in, latching on to the smooth skin of her neck. He wanted to mark her like a teenager, but he refrained.
“I’m…I’m…” Her arm tightened around him, but she didn’t complete the sentence.
Not that he needed her to. Dani’s pussy clamped down on his cock, milking him. Her orgasm nearly shredded him. Once she relaxed a bit, he continued to drive into her, slower this time.
“I need to come, Dani,” he mumbled against her mouth. “But we both know I’m not wearing a condom.”
He waited to see if she would say something.
She didn’t.
“Tell me I can come inside you, baby.”
Her hips rocked in rhythm with his. “I’m not on birth control, Hunter.”
“I don’t care.” It was the truth. “In fact, I’m glad you’re not.”
Sure, it had only been a couple of days that she’d been back in his life, but he didn’t give a shit. Too much time had passed. Too much wasted time. He wanted her with every ounce of his being and he knew that wasn’t going to change. Six years hadn’t done a damn thing to diminish his feelings for her, no matter how much he had tried to convince himself otherwise.
“Tell me, Dani,” he ordered.
His hips were moving faster as he stood up straight, so he could look her in the eye.
“Yes,” she whispered, her eyes glassy. “Come inside me, Hunter.”
He did, and it might’ve been the best fucking orgasm of his entire life.
“WHERE’S THE COUSIN, DMITRI?” DENNIS demanded to know. “She should be dead by now.”
“She’s holed up at the Kogan compound,” the man on the other end of the line stated.
“Well, fucking go in and get her!” Dennis was tired of playing this game already and it had only been four days since his man had missed her the first time at Devil’s Playground. How the fucker could miss was beyond him, but Dennis was starting to think this little arrangement they’d made was a mistake.
The Russian’s accent was thick when he said, “That would be suicide mission. I’ve staked it out for past twelve hours. They’ve got place armed to teeth.”
Armed to the teeth? “Why the fuck would they do that? Max isn’t protecting the others that way. Why her?”
“Maybe because of boyfriend?”
Dennis huffed as he stared out the window at the fucking corn. He hated this goddamn place. He was ready to be back in the city, back to getting his organization under control. He’d made plenty of headway during the past year, but taking over the Adorite territory was proving to be damn near impossible. At the moment, he couldn’t get a single fucking gun shipment through the state. No one was willing to work with him on it, either.
“I seriously doubt that,” Dennis said, thinking it over. “They aren’t even together. She bolted on him on their wedding day. I’m sure he’s as sick of seeing her as everyone else.”
Dennis didn’t know that to be true, but he had to wonder why all the fuss over a cousin.
“I will get her,” the man stated firmly. “It might take time.”
“I don’t have time!” Dennis yelled. He could feel himself unraveling. This was worse than fucking prison. “Go get the fucking cousin and bring her to me. You’ve got until Friday. After that, you’ll be moving into the top spot on my hit list.”
Dennis stabbed the phone to end the call.
Seriously. Why all the fuss over Danielle Davidson? Something else had to be going on if Max had ordered her protection. Dennis knew the wife was connected to Sniper 1 Security. He even knew the old boyfriend was Courtney’s brother. He simply didn’t know why Danielle had become the main focus. It didn’t make any damn sense.
He had to do something. As it was, Sabrina had refused to let him hide her, insisting that she was better off as far from him as possible. Didn’t matter that he had threatened her and his nephew. His sister was a stubborn bitch when she wanted to be.
Maybe it was time to do something drastic. Something that would shake up the Adorites’ world once and for all.
Since Sabrina wouldn’t allow him to protect her, maybe she’d be willing to work with him. After all, the two of them together…
Yeah. It just might work.
SIXTEEN
Thursday morning…
“I’M GOING TO LOSE MY mind,” Dani announced when she walked into Hunter’s living room. “I have got to get out of this house.”
As it was, they’d been cooped up in Hunter’s house for five days. At first, it hadn’t been too bad because they’d spent plenty of time getting intimately acquainted with one another. It had been enough to keep her preoccupied, stop her mind from racing with all the questions as to who was after her, why they wanted to kill her. But now she was going out of her head with boredom.
It wasn’t fair that Hunter and Kye got to leave but she had to stay there. Inside to boot. They were so overprotective she couldn’t even go outside and sit on the porch.
“I’m sure it’ll be over soon,” Kye said, flipping through the channels on the television. He’d been doing that for the past two days, yet he never seemed to find anything interesting to watch.
Dani paced. “We’re still no closer to finding this guy. I can’t stay under lock and key forever. More importantly, I don’t want to.”
“I know, baby. Come here.” Kye patted the couch cushion.
She pivoted, moving in the opposite direction. “No. I can’t sit down, either. I’m wired.” The six cups of coffee she’d downed already weren’t helping. Probably all the sugar.
Dani wasn’t used to sitting idle. Even when she’d been in hiding, she had always had something to do, someone to research, someone to hack for Max. Now, they wouldn’t even let her on the computer for fear someone would track her down.
Honestly, she wasn’t sure why it even mattered. She was locked up in a fortress. Between the security fences, the armed guards, and the numerous dogs roaming the property, she doubted anyone was coming for her here.
Nope. If Dani wanted to draw her attacker out, she was going to have to find a way to leave.
“Where’s Hunter?” she asked on her next pass in front of the television.
“At the office.” Kye hit the remote and the television went silent. “He’s meeting with RT and Conner.”
Dani stopped and faced him. “I want to go there.”
Kye looked surprised. “I’m … not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” She knew they were keeping her here for her own safety, but Dani was tired of hiding. She was tired of everything. For six years, she’d been running from the demons that chased her, never getting any closer to figuring out who was responsible.
While everyone seemed to think it was Dennis Moroso, Dani couldn’t see it. In the grand scheme of things, Dani was peanuts in the Adorite organization. Taking her out wouldn’t do a damn thing to the busin
ess’s infrastructure. So why would Dennis be targeting her? Unless it was personal, of course.
Kye didn’t seem to have an answer for why it wasn’t a good idea to go to the Sniper 1 offices. Maybe he feared someone there would take her out. Well, it probably wasn’t farfetched, but she suspected Hunter’s family would merely give her a piece of their mind, not any additional holes in her body.
“Call him,” she demanded. “I need to get out of here.”
Dani knew she sounded frazzled because she was. She’d never spent this much time locked indoors and she couldn’t take any more.
“Please, Kye.” Dani wasn’t above begging.
“Let me call him.” Kye pulled his phone from his pocket.
Dani headed toward the bedroom. She wanted to be ready to go as soon as he said it was okay.
Not that she believed Hunter was going to simply approve her request without an argument. Every time she’d tried to bring it up, he had shot her down.
“Yeah. I hear ya. We’ll go straight there.”
Dani paused for a moment, surprised by what she heard. That sure sounded as though Hunter had agreed to let her out of the house. Her belly quivered with anticipation. It wasn’t that she looked forward to going to Sniper 1 Security and being surrounded by people who hated her for what she’d done to Hunter all those years ago, but at this point, she would face a firing squad if it meant she didn’t have to look at these walls for at least a few hours.
“He wants you armed,” Kye said when he joined her in the bedroom.
“Of course.” Dani retrieved her gun from the nightstand drawer, checked the clip and the chamber, then ensured the safety was on. She turned to face Kye. “Ready.”
He was watching her, but he didn’t appear to be in any sort of hurry. In fact, the look on his face was hotter than hot and she got the feeling he was angling for something.
“You look so damn sexy when you’re packing heat,” he said with a smirk.
“Yeah?”
Kye took a step closer. “You look hot no matter what you’re doing, though, so it’s not surprising.”
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