by Faith Gibson
“Oh, that thing human mothers do. Why do you want to chastise me? I can think of many other pleasurable things you could do to me with your mouth instead of scolding me.”
“Exactly! You think I want to unpack fricking clothes when we can be rolling around the bed together? Good god, man. I know I’ve aged, but in the old days you would have had me naked by the time Uri’s car was out the driveway. Do you not want me?”
Sixx didn’t need any further coercion. He put his shoulder into Rae’s stomach and fireman carried her to the bedroom, where he unceremoniously tossed her on the bed. “Strip. Now.” His beast was clawing for him to get undressed faster, but he didn’t need coaxing. He had waited too long to finally claim his mate the right way. Rae wasn’t taking her sweet time, either. She was naked and waiting on her knees in the middle of the bed.
“Rae, before we do this, I have to ask you – are you ready to be my mate? Because if you aren’t one hundred percent sure, we can’t have sex.”
“Why? You’ve already bitten me.”
“It wasn’t on purpose. This time will be for one purpose only – because you accept me.”
“Can’t I just say I do and be done with it? Do you need to bite me again?” Her eyes roamed down his now nude body, resting on his hard cock which was pointing at her. She licked her lips, eliciting a groan from his chest.
“Maybe not, but there’s no way I will be able to stop myself once we get started. Yes or no?” Please say yes and say it quickly.
“Then yes. Get over here and claim me.” Rae held her arms out to the side, palms up, offering herself to him.
Sixx growled as he lunged at her. In one swift move, he was on his back with Rae straddling him, her wet pussy lined up perfectly with his aching cock. Rae placed her hands on his chest and slid her wetness up and down his erection. He remembered this move like no time had passed between them. She would slick his cock up with her arousal before inching her way down his body, taking him in her mouth. His Rae loved to blow him. He laced his hands behind his head, enjoying the show.
Her movements became faster, and her breathing more erratic. Rae wasn’t going to last long, and Sixx was glad. He was ready to watch his mate come apart. He loved it when she worked herself up, grinding her clit against his dick. When Rae closed her eyes, Sixx unlaced his fingers and grabbed both nipples, squeezing hard enough to send her over the edge. “Michael!” she shouted as her orgasm hit. Using every bit of control he had, Sixx kept his own orgasm at bay. He was going to come inside his mate and nowhere else.
Sixx didn’t give Rae time to go down on him, nor did he give her time to come down from the high she was riding. He flipped her over to her back and slid his hard cock home. There would be plenty of time for dick sucking and pussy licking later. First, there was the task of claiming her as his mate. Even though her core was slick from her orgasm, she was tight around him. He almost crowed at the fact she hadn’t been with many men. She was his fucking mate, and her pussy belonged to him. Her eyes were on his as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Rae.”
“Fuck me, Michael. Fuck me hard, like you’ve missed me. Then, when you’ve fucked me good, bite me. And this time, you better not run away.”
He had missed her sass. “Oh, there will be no running, Doll. From now on, I’m going to be so far up your ass, it’ll tickle your tonsils.” Sixx unhooked her legs and put them over his shoulders so he could thrust harder. Rae raised her arms and braced her hands against the headboard. When she gave him attitude, he gave her the ride of her life. It had been too long since he had felt her body molding around his, gripping him the way only a mate could. Her body was made specifically for his, and he was ready to blow. Not because he lacked stamina. No, he was ready to claim the beautiful female below him.
Sixx raked his eyes over her face, down to her perfect breasts. Her belly button had been pierced, but the shiny gem was no longer there. He needed to fix that. Her hipbones were decorated with twin sparrows, each with a tiny piece of driftwood in their mouths. They might have been cliché if they weren’t soaring above a beach, the waves rolling in underneath her navel. Gods, she was breathtaking. Claim her now! Yes, indeed. He could admire her skin later. Thrusting harder, he dropped her legs to the bed and picked up the pace, making sure to hit her clit on each upstroke.
“Michael... oh god...” Rae’s breathing sped up once again. Her green eyes were dark now, filled with desire for him. He dropped his fangs, letting her get ready for what was about to happen. She grabbed onto his biceps and dug her feet into the bed, meeting him thrust for thrust. He couldn’t hold back any longer. His wings spread out behind him, and when she reached her hand out to touch them, Sixx groaned, “Gods, yes.” As soon as Rae’s fingers met the leathery edge, Sixx roared out his release and sank his fangs into her neck.
Once again, Sixx bit his female. This time, he didn’t run away.
Chapter Eighteen
Julian was ready to pull his hair out. Whoever Alistair had working for him was pure genius. It was as if they were playing a game of virtual chess, only the moves weren’t with pawns, rooks, and knights. They were using computer hacks and fixes to move and countermove against the other. If Julian wasn’t so tired of the cat and mouse game, he might be impressed.
An alarm sounded, and Julian rolled his chair to the monitor it was coming from – Rafael’s office. Julian picked up his phone to call Mason just as Nikolas came into the room. “What’s going on?” his brother asked.
“Alarm at Stone Inc.,” he replied as he waited for Mason to answer.
When the younger Goyle picked up, he said, “Mason, the alarm’s going off in the office. Can you go check it out?”
“I’m waiting for Willow to go to work so I can follow her.”
“You’re not at the apartment?”
“No, Rafe told me to keep an eye on Willow, so that’s what I’m doing.”
“Fuck. I’ll send Nik. For now, keep Willow at home until we find out what caused it.”
“Will do. I’m sorry if I screwed up,” Mason apologized.
“No, you’re following the King’s orders. Just stay put.”
Julian hung up and dialed Dane. When he answered, Julian asked him to hold while he conferenced Jasper into a three-way. “I’m sorry to bother you both, but the alarm’s going off at Rafe’s office, and Mason is on Willow duty. Can one of you get over there?”
“Jasper, if you would, please head that way. I have something else I’m dealing with already,” Dane replied.
“I’m on my way to the precinct. I’ll swing by and check it out. I’ll call as soon as I have something,” Jasper said.
Instead of leaving for the office, Nikolas turned on the television. Julian frowned at his brother’s back. “Dane, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Actually, I had just picked up the phone to call you. I take it you haven’t seen the news?”
Julian shook his head but realized Dane couldn’t see him through the phone. “No, I don’t watch the news anymore,” Julian said, his eyes on his brother’s back. Nikolas moved out of the way so Julian could see the special news report. Katherine Fox’s photo was in the top corner of the screen as a different reporter’s face filled the television. “Turn that up,” he instructed Nik.
“I think you should hear it from Dane and not second-hand from a reporter, Jules.” Nik didn’t turn the volume up. Instead he pointed to the phone Julian had forgotten about.
“Dane, why is Katherine on the news?”
“The Feds arrested her. They raided an old house early this morning and found some high-tech military equipment along with several crates of guns. They’re claiming she’s selling classified information.”
“She doesn’t have a house; she only has her apartment.” He should know. When he found out Katherine was his mate, he ran a full background check on her. “Something isn’t right. I ran an extensive search on her myself. I would know if she was leading a secret life.”
/> “Tell that to the Feds. Katherine lawyered up and isn’t talking. Instead of holding her here, I’m taking her to the Pen.”
“Why in the gods’ names would you do that? Fuck, Dane. Have a little heart.”
“I am having heart, Julian. At the Pen, you can have Gregor put her wherever you want her, and you’ll have access to her whenever you like. That’s why I was calling you, to give you a heads-up.”
“Sorry. It’s just a shock. When are you transferring her?”
“In about ten minutes. I’ve already called Gregor, so I’ll meet you there in half an hour?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.” Julian slammed his phone down and stared at the television screen. “Turn it up,” he instructed Nik. After a few minutes of the reporter dragging his mate’s name through the mud, he changed his mind. “Turn that shit off. Fuck! I need to go to her, Nik.”
“I know, Brother. You go after your woman, and I’ll call Lorenzo to come monitor the security system since he’s closest. I’m headed to Rafe’s office now.”
“Thanks, Nik.” He didn’t bother waiting for Lorenzo to get there. Jules climbed into his Corvette and headed to the prison. He had no idea what he would say to Katherine to explain why he was there or why she was being held at the Pen. It was too soon to tell her the truth. The FBI had been trying to get its act together for the last thirty years. Ever since they failed to contain the Unholy, and Gordon Flanagan slipped through their fingers, the public had considered them a failure when it came to rounding up the bad guys. They were hell bent on proving they were more than capable, and they didn’t care how they did it. One petite redheaded reporter was just as good as an ugly drug lord.
If she was going to be monitored closely, Julian would need to keep his distance. They all would. That was going to prove difficult considering almost everyone at the Pen was a Goyle. The best thing for him to do would be to turn the Vette around and go back to the lab, but he couldn’t. He had to see for himself that she was all right. He wanted to make sure her lawyer was competent. If not, he wouldn’t hesitate to contact the Clan’s attorney. Fuck it. He hit the hands-free button on his steering wheel, and when it asked for a prompt, he instructed, “Call Victoria Holt.” He wasn’t going to waste any time making sure Katherine got the best representation available.
Nikolas arrived at the Walnut Street Towers at the same time Jasper was pulling into the underground parking garage that only the Clan had access to. They made their way to the elevators not bothering with small talk. Having spent the weekend together, there was no need. When they arrived on the top floor, everything was quiet. Nik tried the door, but it was locked. Using his personal access code, he unlocked the double glass doors, and he and Jasper entered quietly. Jasper pulled his service pistol from its holster.
They both used their shifter hearing before moving farther into the office. Sensing no one else, they eased down the hallway toward Rafe’s office and the conference rooms. “Let’s split up. I’ll start in here and meet you at the other end of the hall,” Jasper instructed. Nik nodded and ducked into Rafael’s office while Jasper strode down the hallway. Nothing looked out of place until Nik got closer to Rafael’s desk. The chair was not pushed underneath as Rafael would have left it. If Willow or Mason were to use the desk for some odd reason, they would know to leave the chair where they found it.
Rafael didn’t leave anything on top of his desk at the end of the day. Most things he carried home with him in his briefcase, including his laptop. Contracts he was working on were usually with him at all times unless he was going out of town. Since he was in California, it was possible he would have left some paperwork locked up in the lower desk drawers. Both were open, and the documents were missing. Nik swept the room, looking for anything else out of the ordinary. Seeing nothing, he moved to the next room.
“You need to see this,” Jasper said. Nik followed him to the apartment Mason had been using lately. Nik froze when he stepped through the door. The furniture was slashed and upended. “The back door was open. Whoever did this most likely came through the balcony.”
“We’ll need to get Mason here to tell us if anything else is missing,” Nik said.
“Anything else?” Jasper questioned.
“Yes. Rafe’s files are gone. He has them all scanned into the system, but whoever took them knows every deal the company is working on. Is this all you found?”
“Yes. I’ll call Mason if you want to reach out to Rafael and let him know what’s happening.”
“Why do I get to call Rafe?” Nik frowned. He was joking, sort of, but he seriously didn’t want to let the King know someone had invaded his personal space.
“Because you’re his cousin,” Jasper explained, as if that made it any better. He punched in Mason’s phone number leaving Nik to make the harder call.
It was early on the West Coast, but Nik felt like Rafael would rather be woken than to hear the news later.
“Nik, this better be important.”
“I’m sorry to bother you so early, but your office has been broken into. The files are missing from your drawers, and the apartment has been trashed. The balcony door was ajar, so whoever did this must have come in that way.”
“If that’s true, it’s either a Gargoyle or someone with mad climbing skills. I’m opting for the former. I’m also going to assume that Alistair is behind this. So much for a truce. Is Mason all right?”
“Yes, he was watching over Willow, so he wasn’t here. You know he’s going to blame himself.”
“He was doing as I instructed. If this is the work of a Goyle, I’m glad Mason wasn’t there. He’s strong, but he’s still learning. Have you had a chance to look at the security feed?”
“No, I wanted to call you first. As soon as I hang up, I’ll take a look.”
“Kaya and I will be on our way as soon as the jet is fueled up and ready to go. I’ll see you soon, Brother.”
“Safe travels, my King.” Nik hung up and headed to the server room. He pulled up the security feed from overnight. “Godsdamnit!” The feed had been erased. Whoever was behind the break-in, more than likely Alistair, had gone to a lot of trouble to take a few files. If Julian’s nemesis was as good as Julian said he was, why not just hack into the system and take the documents electronically? Something about this rubbed Nik the wrong way.
“Everything okay in here?” Jasper asked when he entered the room.
“No. The security feed has been wiped. Is Mason on his way?”
“Yes, but he had to wait for Willow to leave on her own. Otherwise, he’d have to explain to her why he was waiting outside her apartment.”
“How are we going to play this?” Nik asked. “Do we tell her the truth of why we are both here, or do I let her think I’m upgrading the security?”
“Nik? Jasper?” Mason called from down the hall.
“In here,” Nik answered. When Mason found them, Nik asked the younger Goyle, “Where’s Willow?”
“Coming up the elevator. I scanned the apartment just now. There doesn’t appear to be anything missing, just a fucked up mess. I need time to get that shit straightened out, so if one of you could hang out with her while I’m taking care of things, that would be stellar.”
Nik spoke up, “I’ll do it. I will tell her I’m upgrading security, and Jasper, you can go out the back way once you’ve helped Mason pick up the apartment.”
“Deal. Come on, Brother. Let’s get this shit sorted.” Jasper and Mason disappeared into the back while Nik headed toward the lobby. He didn’t want Willow to be alone for long.
Desi had too much shit going through his brain all at once. If it wasn’t for the GPS system telling him which way to turn, he’d be well on his way to Mexico. Knowing he had a father somewhere in the world, but not knowing who the man was exactly had been a constant sore spot in his life. Now, he not only knew who his father was, but he actually liked the man. The Gargoyle. Michael Gentry was cool as fuck, and he wasn’t a lowlife douchebag. He was a
self-made millionaire. Or was it billionaire? Desi hadn’t bothered to ask because it didn’t matter. Desi was making his own money, but now he didn’t have to concentrate on his mom so much. She had a male who would take care of her.
Desi had his own mate to think about. Simone was gorgeous, but she wasn’t Desi’s biggest fan. That could be a problem. The band was scheduled to head to the East Coast in a couple of months, and the tour would wind up in New York. Maybe by that time, the shit storm with the old Greek would have died down and Desi could pay Simone a visit. Just to test the waters and see if her feelings had changed. Maybe he could ask her out. If they could spend some quality time alone without her trying to convince him she knew much better than he did about fangs, it was possible he could charm her instead of pissing her off.
The woman’s voice on the GPS rerouted Desi due to a wreck on Ninety-Nine. The two-lane wasn’t optimal for being in a hurry, but he didn’t want to sit in a parking lot of cars on the freeway, either. After the apocalypse, it had taken much longer for the less traveled roads to be opened back up. This one wasn’t as bad as some he’d driven on. He glanced behind him and thought it odd he was the only one exiting. Maybe the other drivers weren’t in a hurry. Yeah, right. Who in California wasn’t in a hurry to get somewhere?
Desi forgot about the detour and settled back into driving, thinking about his father. The best part of the last day, besides meeting Michael, was the fact Desi now knew he wasn’t a monster. For the last year, Desi had struggled with not knowing what was wrong with him. All the information Michael threw his way was a lot to take in, but it was better than not knowing. His mom had taken the news fairly well. He hoped Simone would, too, if they ever got to a point where she wanted to be around him. Maybe the mate bond would do the trick, and she would be willing to be his female. He hadn’t been kidding when he told his mom he was ready for someone to take the journey with. Now that he’d had a while to think on it, he was appreciative that the fates chose his mate. It kept Desi from dating random women that weren’t right for him.
