by HELEN HARDT
“No, you need to stay with Jade and the boys. I’ll handle this.”
“But—”
“I got this. I’ll find her. I promise.” I ended the call.
I raced to my car as my phone rang again. I looked at the name. Ted Morse. Seriously?
“What is it, Morse?” I said angrily.
“Hello to you too.”
“I don’t have time for this bullshit. What do you want now?”
“I know where she is,” he said.
My heart nearly stopped. “If you’ve so much as touched one hair on her head, I swear to God I’ll fucking mutilate you.”
“Why are you threatening me? I called to help you.”
“You have no intention of helping me.”
“Why do you think I’ve been warning you—”
“Shut the fuck up. You know where she is, huh? Where is she, then?”
“In town. At the hotel. With my son.”
Jealousy tore into my gut. “At the hotel?”
“Relax. They’re in the bar having a drink.”
I didn’t reply. I ended the call abruptly, got into my car, and raced into town.
“Hold it like this, son,” my father said.
I smiled from ear to ear. I was holding a pistol. A real pistol. Not the toy cap guns Joe and I played cowboy with.
“Keep your finger off the trigger. Never put it on the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.”
“Tom, he’s awfully young,” my mother said, coming out from the cabin.
“A man is never too young to learn how to handle a gun, Evie. I was younger than he is now when I learned.”
My mother shook her head. “Whatever you say. Lunch will be ready in a half hour, so don’t get too involved.” She went back inside.
My father had set up some old soda cans on a big stump several yards ahead. Was he really going to let me shoot?
“You’re little yet, son, and you’re going to get a lot of kickback.”
“I can do it, Dad. I wish Joe were here.”
“We’ll bring Joe along next time. This time it’s just a father-son thing, okay?”
I smiled again. A father-son thing.
I had the best dad in the world. The very best.
I jerked as I steered the Mustang back onto the road. I wasn’t prone to daydreaming while I was driving. It was well into the evening, and the country roads into Snow Creek were pretty deserted. Good thing. I’d veered across into the opposite lane.
I had the best dad in the world.
Boy, had I been deluded.
I’d first held a pistol when I was seven years old. Pretty damned young. But he’d taught me gun safety, and by the time we were nine, both Joe and I were crack shots.
We were good at it. Damned good at it. Even now my Smith & Wesson was strapped to my ankle. I’d never shot at another person. Never had to.
But I would if life necessitated it.
I would to defend myself or someone I loved.
Absolutely.
Marjorie was at the hotel bar with Colin Morse, if Ted was to be believed. Colin Morse was hardly a threat. Still, I’d come prepared.
What was she doing meeting Colin Morse this late on a weeknight in town? I was pissed off just thinking about it. Colin had already met with her and Jade. Why the hell couldn’t he stay away from us?
A half hour later, I’d parked the car in a loading zone and stalked into the hotel bar.
There she was, sitting with him.
Then she looked up.
Straight at me.
I stalked toward her. “Why haven’t you been answering your phone?” I demanded.
“I haven’t heard my phone,” she said. “Who do you think—”
I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her chair.
“Bryce, what—”
“Come with me.” I walked quickly to the front desk. “Give me a room. Now.”
“Hello, Bryce,” the night manager said. “What can—”
“Whatever you have. Now.”
He arched his brow.
“Now,” I said, “or I’ll come behind the desk and do it myself.”
He quickly typed on his computer and then handed me a keycard. “Room twenty-one. Second floor.”
This old hotel was small and had no elevators. Once we made it to the staircase, I lifted Marjorie into my arms and carried her up the one flight to the second floor. A few seconds later, we were inside room twenty-one, Marjorie pinned against the wall, our lips smashed together.
I kissed her angrily. Possessively. Without gentleness.
No, tonight I wouldn’t be gentle.
She’d scared the shit out of me, and she’d pay for it.
I didn’t have to pry her mouth open. Her lips parted quickly, and her velvet tongue met mine. I thrust into her mouth, jabbing, swirling, taking.
I wanted to drug her with this kiss, poison her against anyone but me.
Truly make her mine and only mine.
Never again would I find her in a hotel bar with another man. Never again would she not answer her phone.
Never again.
Mine.
All my thoughts jumbled together into that one word.
Mine.
Mine.
Mine.
Her fingers dug into my shoulders, and I felt her lever her body against mine, attempting to push me away.
No.
I would have her, and I would have her now.
I deepened the kiss, my heart racing and my cock already fully erect inside my jeans. I ground it against her belly, still pushing my tongue farther into her mouth. Her moan vibrated into me, mingling with my own.
Mine.
Mine.
Mine.
When I finally broke the kiss to draw in a deep breath, her brown eyes were glowing with embers. “Bryce.”
“No talking. Nothing except me inside you.”
She nodded slightly, kicking off her sandals and pulling her jeans and panties off. I freed my cock and shoved it into her heat. She was already slick and ready, and as I sank into her body, my thoughts finally became less jumbled, and my heart found peace.
This was where I belonged. Where she belonged. She sucked me into her body, and with each upward thrust, I became more a part of her—no longer Bryce but Marjorie’s Bryce.
“Mine,” I groaned as I pushed into her again and again, her back still against the wall, her legs curved around my waist. “Always mine.”
I didn’t last long. Within seconds, my balls had tightened and the tiny pulses began, flowing through my cock and into my Marjorie.
“Mine,” I growled again. “Mine.”
When my release finally settled, I eased back, helping her feet hit the floor.
Her eyes were still on fire. She wanted more. She hadn’t come yet, and she wanted more. She walked past me toward the queen-size bed, stripping along the way. Her shirt and bra lay on the floor, and she was now naked, lying supine.
I wouldn’t let her down. I quickly rid myself of every piece of clothing, including the gun strapped to my ankle, and joined her on the bed. She said nothing, which surprised me. I knew Marjorie Steel. She’d want to know what had brought this on.
But first I’d give her an orgasm that would blow her mind. Maybe two or three.
Her tits were swollen, the nipples erect and beautiful just waiting for my mouth and fingers. I fingered one, squeezing it, while I lowered my head and nipped at the other.
She arched her back and moaned. The texture of the nipple was silky against my tongue, and her skin tasted slightly salty. I inhaled. A lavender fragrance accented her natural apple musk. Her rosy flesh a sharp contrast to my tan hands. She was a feast for all my senses.
I could nibble at her breasts for hours, so beautiful they were, and the raspy sounds from her throat spurred me on further. So lovely. So gorgeous. So perfect.
So mine.
Always mine.
I replaced my mouth with my other hand,
squeezing her rosy globes as I kissed down her flat abdomen to her luscious pussy.
Her fragrance was ripe and fresh. I inhaled first. I could go slowly now that I’d gotten the edge off my own need. I’d looked before, touched before, tasted before, but now I wanted to truly take my time. Savor her.
She was pink and swollen, her labia engorged and ready. I kissed her first. Kissed her wet opening, swirled my tongue over her slit, and then tugged at her lips. Next I nipped her clit lightly. Just lightly, but she arched her back and moaned, bending her knees and lifting her hips to give me better access. I moved my finger to her canal, teasing the bottom of her slit as I sucked at her hard clit. She tasted like springtime, like perfection, like the perfect storm of love and lust.
The sucking sounds mingled with her moans were a treat to my ears. All my senses were on high alert, and I continued to nibble at her, teasing her with just the tip of my finger.
“Bryce, God! Please!”
I smiled against her wet folds. I’d tease her more, make her wait. In a way, I was punishing her for not answering her phone tonight. For making me crazy.
Now I’d make her crazy.
Still just the tip of my finger. Just the lightest of sucking on her clit.
Until I couldn’t take it anymore.
I wanted my fingers inside her, wanted to feel the suction of her pussy walls around them as they’d been around my cock only moments before.
I plunged two fingers into her.
And she shattered around me.
“Yeah, sweetheart.” I let go of her clit for only a second to watch the pink hue scatter across her flesh. “That’s it. Come for me.”
Her pussy walls were wet and clamped around my fingers, and every part of me reacted. I was hard again, even after a short time, and I wanted more. I wanted to be inside her again.
Wanted it badly—but even more, I wanted to torture her further.
When her contractions slowed, I went back to her clit and sucked hard.
And she began again.
Again.
And again.
She fisted the comforter as I continued to torment her, pleasure her, make her mine. So sexy, so perfect, so delicious.
She was mine, mine, mine.
Her wetness had doubled, and I slid another finger into her. Three fingers, and she took them. Took them all as I continued to force her into nirvana again and again and again.
“Bryce, please.” Her voice was raspy as she panted. “I can’t. I can’t. No more.”
I looked toward her, my lips and chin wet from her honey. “You can,” I said. “And you will.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Marjorie
I lay limp. I couldn’t give any more. Couldn’t. He’d worn me down. My body was replete. My pussy had no more to give. I had no more to give.
Yet still he fucked me hard with his fingers, tormented me with his tongue. Tortured me with his sparkling eyes that looked upon me with raw lust.
“Can’t,” I said again. “Can’t.”
He didn’t stop, only thrust his fingers harder and harder into me, finding a spot so deep that took me to a new level.
Passion whirled around me, almost visibly cloaking us. And he forced another climax from me.
And then another.
I shivered. I quaked. I sank into the bed and became nothing. Nothing but the pulses of climax after climax. Marjorie Steel was gone. All that was left was her pussy that wouldn’t stop pulsating. Would never stop pulsating.
Each pulse pushed outward, taking my whole body with it, sinking me deeper and deeper into something, something, something…
Until the last shred of Marjorie Steel was gone, the light flickered out.
Only Bryce. I was here only for Bryce.
For a moment, I was okay with that.
But only for a moment.
“Stop,” I said softly.
I meant it. I couldn’t lose myself. Not tonight. Not until we found my mother. She was as innocent as a child—as Talon had been at ten—and she needed me. Needed all of us.
My voice must have resonated the anguish I felt. Bryce finally unclamped his mouth from my pussy and looked up, his lips and chin awash in the shine from my juices.
He said nothing.
“It was wonderful,” I said. “Truly wonderful. But I have no business getting lost in you right now. No business getting lost in anything, for that matter.”
Again, nothing.
Did he understand? Or was he still full of raging lust? He’d come already, but clearly he was hard again.
Finally—
“You’re right,” he said.
I gave him a weak smile.
“I went a little crazy when you didn’t answer your phone. And then, to see you with Colin…”
“Colin means nothing to me. He isn’t any threat to you.”
“I know that. But he’s dangerous, Marj. He and his father—”
“Colin is not his father. In fact, he was getting ready to tell me some stuff when you stormed in and dragged me off like a pirate’s prize.”
This time he gave a weak smile. “I won’t apologize for that.”
“I’m not asking you to. I love it that you want me that much.”
“I do. Don’t ever scare me like that again. Answer your damned phone.”
“I would have if I’d heard it.”
“Was it noisy in the bar?”
“Not really. Maybe the phone died. Or maybe I put it on silent by accident. I promise I didn’t ignore your call on purpose.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“No, I wouldn’t. Do you need to…finish?”
He shook his head. “I’m okay. My dick is a lot less important than everything else going on.”
I smiled. “Your dick is plenty important, but we have a lifetime for sex.”
I hoped I spoke the truth. My mother’s disappearance had made me realize what a dangerous situation we might be in. When it was just Ted and Colin and their enigmatic statements, I’d been concerned, but now?
I was frightened. All-out frightened.
Why? Why couldn’t our family be left in peace? Hadn’t we been through enough?
And why take a mentally ill woman who had no way of defending herself? Preying on children was the worst thing ever, but this was a close second.
We had to find her.
“Tell you what,” Bryce said. “Call Colin. Get him back here, and we’ll both talk to him.”
“It’s late.”
“So? He didn’t mind bothering you when it was late.”
“Good point. He’s staying here at the hotel, so we can go back down to the bar.”
“Or we can talk here. Or in his room,” he said. “Here would be better. If he’s been staying in his room for more than a day, it could be bugged. No one knew you and I were going to be in this room. It’s probably safe.”
I rubbed at the invisible creepy-crawlies on my arms. I hated the feeling of being watched, monitored. After knowing members of my family who’d truly been violated physically, I hesitated to call it a violation, but it was.
A violation.
If we were all being watched, we were all being violated.
I felt sick. Really sick.
“Well?” Bryce said.
“Well what?”
“Will you call Colin?”
“Right.” I nodded. The creepy-crawlies had clouded my mind for a moment. I quickly dialed Colin.
“Yeah?” he said into my ear.
“Let’s finish our conversation,” I said. “Come to room twenty-one.”
“I’d tell you more if I could,” Colin said. “I honestly don’t know exactly what my dad is up to.”
“But it’s not anything good,” Bryce said, his eyes angry. “Why did you want to talk to Marj in the first place?”
“Because something’s coming. I’m not sure what.”
“You said your father didn’t want you to marry Jade,” I said, “b
ut you never elaborated. Why?”
“I told you. He didn’t think she was good enough for me.”
“Why didn’t he make that clear once in the seven years before you actually got to the altar?” I asked. “Seems like there was plenty of time.”
“Jade had no contact with the Steels at that time, so this isn’t related,” Bryce said.
“It wasn’t then,” Colin said. “But my father’s a master manipulator. He twists things. And he covets things. He’ll do almost anything to get what he wants. He fucks with people’s minds, and he’s good at it.”
“And you’re saying he fucks with yours?” I said.
“He has since I was born. The whole thing with Jade was a test, I think. He told me I should call it off, but when I did, he called me a coward.”
“How was that a test?”
“He wanted to see how far I’d go to please him, but in the end, he had less respect for me.”
Bryce regarded Colin sternly but said nothing.
Silence for a few minutes that seemed like hours, until—
“Who’s watching us?” Bryce asked, though it came out more like a statement than a question.
“I don’t know.”
“Your father called me tonight,” Bryce continued. “He told me where Marjorie was, that she was with you. How did he know that?”
He shook his head. “I’ve given up trying to figure my father out.”
“Tell me more about this person your father has been meeting with.”
“I told Marj all I know. White guy. Dark hair. Average height.”
“What was he wearing?”
“Nothing memorable.”
“Not good enough,” Bryce said. “Think harder.”
Discomfort and unease whirled through me. Bryce was getting angry, and if he was anything like Joe when he was angry—
“Jeans. A hoodie.”
A hoodie. That got my attention. “What color was the hoodie?” I asked.
“I don’t know. That heather-gray color, I think.”
Gray hoodie. Dale had said the guy who spooked him had been wearing a gray hoodie.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Bryce said to me. “Gray hoodies are a dime a dozen, sweetheart.”
Colin’s brow lifted ever so slightly at Bryce’s endearment, but that was the least of my concerns.
