The Darkest Link (Second Circle Tattoos)

by Scarlett Cole

  “How bad was it? For Harper, I mean. When Nathan attacked her. She told me about it on the phone, but just the logistics of what happened. I don’t want to dig if it makes her feel uncomfortable,” Reid said.

  Lia thought back to the fear that had gripped her when Cujo had called her to tell her that Harper was in the hospital. She’d never fully understood what fear was until that moment. She shivered to think of the terror Harper had dealt with.

  “He literally took her off the street. She’d been taking self-defense classes at an MMA gym that Trent and Cujo fight at and was walking home with the owner’s son, a boy she was mentoring. Nathan left the boy and forced her into the back of a van before he drove them to an abandoned hotel. Guess the guy didn’t really have a plan after that because she was able to free her hands and run from him. She was still fighting him off when the police arrived. Trent pretty much arrived just in time to catch her as she passed out.”

  “Her injuries? Were they bad?” Hating the way his voice cracked, he coughed to clear his throat.

  “He managed to stab her again and she needed more stitches. It was traumatic, and her wounds were deep, but there was something incredible about the way she handled it. Not like it was nothing, but that she felt less like a victim, if that makes any sense. I saw her that night in the hospital, and I have to say that Trent looked worse than she did.”

  “Fuck. So what’s the deal with Nathan now? How long is he away for?”

  “That’s part of the problem. He’s been charged in Illinois with breaking the conditions of his probation. I don’t really understand the details, but I guess he had to stay in the state and prove he was settling back into society or something. So there was a trial there, or maybe it was a hearing—Harper could tell you better—but he was ordered to return to prison, and now there will be a trial here for the new crime.”

  “So this is where your father comes in? What do you mean when you say he’s the best defense lawyer in the state?”

  “I mean he has one of the best win rates at trial. In more cases than not he manages to get his clients cleared of all charges, and in those that he doesn’t he manages to get significantly reduced sentences. As much as I hate to admit it, especially when the people he is defending are actually guilty, he really is amazing at his job. He has a law firm here in Miami but isn’t taking on any clients right now.”

  “So he isn’t actually representing Nathan?”

  “No. But I’m guessing he might be providing Winston with advice in return for campaign donations. My dad treats the law like medieval battle strategy . . . he favors terrorizing the opposition ahead of the fight, and this kind of case would be right up his alley.”

  “Wow. He sounds like one hell of a guy. So why would you even consider helping him out with his election campaign? It doesn’t sound like anything you would agree to.”

  “Hear me out. I think there’s a way to solve two problems. The first is that if my dad is helping Winston with trial advice, wouldn’t it be useful to know ahead of time what advice he gives?”

  “Lia, I don’t think—”

  “I’m not going to do anything stupid, but it’s amazing what you can learn from just paying attention, and being in the right place at the right time. If I could find or learn something to help Harper, then it’s worth it.”

  “You do something that risks that pretty little neck of yours and I’ll break it for you myself,” he said gruffly, and it warmed her that he meant it in the most protective way.

  “I’ll be careful, I promise. The other thing is that my mom has been . . . incapacitated . . . for years. Somewhere between isolation, anxiety, and depression. But my dad is just plowing forward as if Mom’s issues will just disappear when he becomes governor. He’s forcing her to participate in these events even though she isn’t up to it mentally. And he’s using that fact to coerce me to help. It would be my fault if my mother has a breakdown because I had the opportunity to help her.”

  “Jesus, Lia. That’s all kinds of fucked up. What are you going to do?”

  “I promised Granny Emmeline that I’d look out for Mom, but I know that he wants to turn me into Mom. Not in some weird, deviant way. Just make me become a more subdued version of me.”

  “What exactly do you mean by subdued?”

  “Less . . . this,” she said, gesturing up and down her own body. “Less ink, less makeup, less opinionated, more conservative, more mainstream, more compliant.”

  “But you’re not going to change who you are for him, right? I’m sure your mom doesn’t blame you for her own situation.”

  Lia didn’t answer. The truth was that it was irrelevant what her mom thought. “Dad is right. I’ll blame myself if Mom has a breakdown over his aspirations.”

  “Fuck. Don’t do it, babe. Seriously. Take it from me, being someone you aren’t never works, no matter how hard you try. Come here.”

  He spun on his stool and waited for her to walk around to him. Large hands gripped her hips and pulled her to stand between his legs. “I need you to promise me that you will never let anybody dim your light. It’s the most goddamn beautiful thing about you. Don’t dim it for anyone. Ever.”

  Lia put her arms around his neck. “Would it scare you if I said I had fallen for you just a little bit?”

  Reid leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. “I’d be fucking honored.”

  This time she kissed him, their lips meeting and parting. She loved the taste of him, and she ran her tongue along the tip of his. His hands moved from her hips to cup her face, and she sighed against him.

  Lia slid her hands along his denim-clad thighs, savoring the strong muscles under her palms.

  “You know, babe,” he murmured against her lips, “it might be fair to say that I’ve fallen for you just a little bit, too.”

  * * *

  Waking up with Lia was a hot and funny mix of morning wood, too much hair, naked breasts, and an internal core temperature of at least two hundred degrees. It really didn’t matter how they went to bed—although in this instance it had involved a most vocal sixty-nine, and a position he’d found on page twenty-eight of Lia’s copy of The Kama Sutra—they always ended up wrapped around each other, something he hadn’t really been a fan of in the past. But an armful of Lia draped over his body caused his rock-hard dick to ache like a bitch. And the visuals of the previous evening’s sexual performance playing through his mind, reminding him how flexible Lia had been and how turned on she’d gotten when he’d pulled on her hair, didn’t help at all.

  He reached for his phone and looked at the time. It was still early. Only eight o’clock, but given that he was used to getting up a little after six to work out before opening the garage, it still felt like he’d slept in.

  Lia was crushed up against his side, one of her breasts in plain sight. He reached down under the covers and grabbed hold of his cock, squeezing it hard, and enjoyed the sensation. He was certain that the woman whose bedside table contained the world’s most famous sex guide, two vibrators, condoms, and all-important lubrication wouldn’t have a problem with him taking himself in hand.

  Lia moaned and turned her face toward his chest. For a moment he thought she was still asleep—until her hand joined his. He removed his hand and grinned when she took over. She held him nice and firmly, just how he liked, and stroked him all the way from the top to the bottom and back again in a smooth, lazy motion.

  “Good morning,” she said, her voice still rough with sleep, which was sexy as hell.

  Reid sucked in air as she ran her thumb over his tip, stroking the come that had leaked over his head. “Too fucking right it’s a good morning, babe.”

  Lia kissed the side of his chest and made her way across his skin until she sucked his nipple into her mouth. Her mouth was wet, her tongue soft as she laved him, but when she bit down gently it sent energy flooding down his spine and straight to his balls. With urgency, he reached for her hand and gripped it.

  “Too much more of t
hat, and this good morning will be over way too quickly.”

  Lia placed her forehead on his chest and laughed. “But it was just getting interesting,” she complained.

  “No,” he said, taking her wrist and pushing her until she was flat on the bed and he was hovering above her. “This is things just getting interesting.”

  He brushed her hair away from her face and cupped her face gently. Without any real hurry, he kissed her cheek, her nose, her forehead, and finally made his way to her lips. They were pliable under his, and Lia, who he’d already realized remained half-asleep until after her first cup of coffee in the morning, sighed dreamily against him.

  Reid ran his hand along her thigh, over the curve of her ass, and along the length of her ribs, until he held the breast that had been taunting him earlier. He slid down her body a little and took it into his mouth, sucking on her nipple firmly the way he had been daydreaming about. Lia’s back arched off the bed, and he took the opportunity to switch to the other nipple.

  Her hands ran up his back, her nails dragging along his skin until her fingers were deep in his hair, holding him tight. He sucked harder, wanting more of her flesh in his mouth. Lazily, he ran his hand down the flat of her stomach until he reached what he wanted. She was so wet for him already, and his fingers slid along her opening, separating her lips. Back and forth he moved, occasionally circling her clit, until she was grinding against him, desperate to relieve the ache he was certain she felt.

  “Is this what you need?” he said. He kissed her one more time and slid his finger deep inside.

  “Oh, Reid. That feels so good.”

  After a few more strokes, he pulled his fingers from within her and put them in his mouth, sucking them clean. “You taste good,” he said and got up to get one of the condoms from the drawer. Once he’d sheathed himself, he climbed back onto the bed and carefully nudged Lia onto her side, facing away from him. He lay down behind her, savoring how smooth her back felt against his chest and the way her ass perfectly lined up against his cock.

  Using his knee, he slid his leg between the two of hers until he could rub himself against her. While the need to slam into her was strong, he wanted to tease her a little more. He licked his fingers before sliding them over her hip and down the crease of her thigh until he could play with her clit as he continued to slide up against her.

  “Please, Reid. I want you in me,” she cried.

  Ignoring her demands, he continued to push her by increasing the pace. “Not until you come for me, babe.”

  Lia cried out, and he made it his mission to get her off before the feel of her ass grinding against his cock tipped him over the edge first.

  He pressed a little harder with the tips of his fingers, dipping them into her wetness before circling her again. Just as she started to come, he slipped deep inside her, shuddering as she squeezed him tightly, reveling in the fact that she was calling out his name.

  Grabbing her knee with his hand, he lifted her thigh higher. He was so deep in her and yet he still wanted to get closer. One thrust followed another, faster, harder until he was nothing but sensation. Each moment taking him one step nearer to the orgasm he craved.

  “Oh, fuck. Reid. I’m going to . . .”

  But she didn’t have time to get the words out before he could feel her coming around him again, could feel her walls tightening again, forcing him over the edge.

  Blood rushed through his temples, keeping rhythm with the pounding of his heart. Perhaps he was overanalyzing things, but he was pretty certain that was the most amazing orgasm he’d ever had. He loosened his grip on Lia’s hip, hoping there wouldn’t be a bruise later, and slid his hand around her waist. His other arm covered her breasts as he held her close, placing kisses along her shoulder.

  Every time was better than the last as they became more comfortable and familiar with each other’s bodies. And it certainly helped that Lia was comfortable with her own sexuality. A confident woman was as sexy as fuck.

  They lay together in silence as they caught their breaths and eventually dozed back to sleep.

  It felt like ten minutes later when the sound of a hair dryer woke him. The bed was empty; the spot where Lia had been lying was cool to his touch. Reid pushed back the covers and got out of bed. Naked, he wandered in the direction of Lia’s walk-in closet, which in all honesty looked part beauty salon, part Neiman Marcus.

  Lia was sitting in a long black silk robe, blow-drying her hair. He wandered over to her, placing one hand on the back of her chair and the other on the dressing table, and waited for her to switch the dryer off. Today’s choice of makeup was very unlike her. Not that he minded—she looked beautiful with it or without. But it bothered him because the first word that came into his mind was subdued.

  “What got you out of bed so early?” he asked when she placed the dryer down.

  “Shows how much you know, sleepyhead. It’s almost eleven o’clock.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Shit, sorry, babe. I made you late for work, didn’t I? If you wait five minutes, I’ll pull some pants on and take you over.”

  Lia looked away sheepishly. “I called Trent. I’m not going in today.”

  A white shirt was hanging by the mirror, and while he was certain that Lia would look great in just about anything, it reminded him too much of something his mom would wear.

  “You want to tell me what’s going on?” he asked, although he was pretty certain he already knew.

  “I need to do this. I need to go and at least see for myself whether this is just another ploy by my father to bring me to heel or if my mother actually needs me. I can’t bear the fact that something could happen to Mom.” She bit her pink-stained lip, eyes softening as they met his. “I won’t let my father win. This is something I can do, Reid.”

  “Oh, sweetheart.” His heart hurt for her. “Don’t you see? He’s already winning. Just by you turning up. By the way you went easy on the eyeliner. And seriously, babe, while the pink looks cute on you, those lips of yours aren’t siren red.”

  “I most definitely am not conceding, or agreeing, or letting him control me. I think I’m strong enough. It is a small event, private, and it will enable me to help my mom if she struggles. Plus, it will hopefully give me another opportunity to talk to her while Dad is busy, see if I can’t convince her that she doesn’t need to stay and support him if it makes her miserable. This is me choosing to go and fight for her, not give in to him.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  “You ever mind the speed limits, babe?” Reid asked, a pinched look on his face.

  “This coming from the man who drives a racing bike like the hounds of hell are on his heels,” Lia answered, but took a look at the speedometer anyway. Whoops. Somehow speed always crept up on her.

  They were both on edge as Lia veered off the bridge and took the exit to Star Island. All the moment needed was the gunfight music from that movie starring Clint Eastwood as a cowboy that she could never remember. It’d already felt like a battle of wills between her and her father, but as soon as Reid had insisted on coming with her it became a showdown.

  She looked out over the bay and focused on the water. The sky was gray and the water choppy. A storm was brewing, which seemed incredibly prophetic.

  As she pulled onto the road that ran down the center of the island, Lia killed her speed a touch.

  “Exactly how much influence does your dad have when it comes to the courts and stuff?” Reid asked, his elbow propped on the open window. “I’m curious whether your dad and Winston being friends could have any real implications on Nathan’s trial, especially since we might see him there today.”

  Lia had given it considerable thought. “It’s not just how good he is at what he does in the courtroom, it’s all the other stuff he does to make sure he wins. Like, he schmoozes all the influential judges. They’re part of the same golf club. He even went to law school with some of them.”

  “But wouldn’t the judge have to recuse himsel
f if he and your father were friends?”

  “The problem is that my father isn’t actually Nathan’s lawyer. And my father knows how to plant seeds without crossing lines. He would never do anything quite as flagrant as telling a judge which way to rule or which day-to-day decisions to make in the courtroom about what to allow or overrule, but he has this uncanny knack of making you doubt yourself until your opinion lines up with his.”

  “I can see that, babe. It’s the reason we’re on our way to his house. And it really bothers me.” Reid tapped on the outside of the car door, a steady drumming. “You honestly believe your father could have that much influence on the case?” he asked. He looked over at her, tilting his chin so he could look her in the eye over the tops of his aviator sunglasses. He looked so damn handsome in the dark shirt he’d decided to wear. When he’d said he was coming with her, she’d imagined he was going to make some kind of stand in one of his T-shirts with his tattoos on display. So she’d been surprised when he emerged after his shower in jeans and a black long-sleeve button-down despite the warm temperatures.

  “I do. And while there’s every chance I’m overthinking it, I don’t want to leave Harper out to dry. Perhaps being here, being around him, I can find out more about what they have been discussing.”

  “Do you really think Winston’ll be here today?” Reid asked.

  “I honestly don’t know. Possibly . . . But I don’t think it will help Harper at all if you confront him.”

  He reached across and gripped her thigh, rubbing his hand up and down slowly. “I can’t make any promises there, babe.”