by Linzi Basset
“Do you want her to stay, poppet?” He chose to respond with a question rather than say something that Lauren might misconstrue. He desired and lusted after her but there would never be more than that between them.
“Yes, please, Daddy. I love her.” Beckie chewed on her lip. “I still talk to Mom, you know. My real Mom when I pray at night. I miss her too, Daddy and I will always have a special place for her in my heart. No one can ever be her, but Mom Lauren . . . she’s . . . I can’t lose another mother, Daddy. Please,” she said with a tremulous smile. Her voice sounded haunted as she did her best to articulate what she was feeling.
“Then she’s welcome to stay.”
Beckie let out a cry of joy and flung herself into his arms. Keon met Lauren’s eyes. She stood watching them quietly. For the first time he couldn’t decipher the emotions in her gaze.
Lauren struggled with the desire to rush around the counter and be enveloped within Keon’s strong arms. It was something she’d craved over the past sixteen years. To be cherished and loved. Just to be held, cocooned in the warmth such closeness offered.
She rushed to set the table in the corner of the kitchen. It had been designed as a place where the family could gather. Keon liked to have all his meals there while looking out over the lush garden and the serene river flowing in the distance.
Keon might not have said the words but omitting them had sent the message. He would tolerate her in his house and as part of their lives for Beckie’s sake. As far as he was concerned, she could stay or leave, it wouldn’t make a difference to him.
Lauren knew she shouldn’t take it to heart as much as she did. They hardly knew each other.
But her stupid heart had a different opinion. In many ways Keon was her savior. She’d believed that the person she used to be before the murder of her family, had died with them. Especially from the day Adam Baxter had walked into the hospital room and offered to take care of her.
Until the day Keon had yanked her against him and spat into her face, “You will not take my daughter from me. If you want to be part of her life, you come with us; otherwise, stay the fuck out of my way.”
That was when she’d felt the rebellion unlock deep inside her and realized that the old Lauren was still inside her; buried deep. She’d become a meek woman because of Adam. And it took this furious man and his fiercely protective nature to yank her out of the dome Adam had cast around her.
She’d cowered at Adam’s feet that day to keep Beckie from harm while she’d been scrambling around in her mind for a plan to escape. One look into Keon LeLuc’s crystal clear eyes had been enough.
In that moment she’d seen the future flash in front of her eyes. She was destined to be by his side. But it didn’t take a genius to see that he’d locked his heart against love for another woman.
But I haven’t and I deserve it as much as Samantha does.
She frowned, wondering if perhaps Keon wasn’t a coping mechanism for what Adam had done to her; a rebound. She shook her head. No, it wasn’t. She was too levelheaded, always had been and if it hadn’t been for Beckie, even Adam Baxter couldn’t have forced her into the situation he had.
Keon LeLuc made her heart beat faster, he touched something so deep inside her, it scared her but she knew instinctively that fate had stepped in to offer her life a new direction.
Lauren was so involved in her own thoughts that she didn’t join in the fun and laughter between father and daughter during dinner. She startled when Beckie gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Thanks for making my favorite, Mom. It looks like Dad licked his plate. There goes my hope for left-overs tomorrow.” Beckie laughed at the expression on Lauren’s face. There’d been enough for at least six people. “You forget how big Daddy is. He needs lots of energy.”
She skipped toward the side door. “I’m gonna play with Baloo.” She waved at them and disappeared outside. “Ballloooo. Where are you baby boy?” Her chirpy voice echoed in the back of the house.
Lauren began clearing the table and stacked the dishes in the dishwasher.
“If you don’t want to stay here, Lauren, please don’t feel obligated because of Beckie. It’ll be difficult for her but she’ll understand,” Keon said quietly, his unwavering gaze was on her tense body.
“What makes you think I don’t want to stay?”
“You went quiet. It doesn’t take a genius to deduce what that means.”
“I don’t want to impose, Keon. I know you resent me. You and Beckie have so much to make up for. I don’t want to be in the way.”
Keon didn’t reply. His direct gaze disconcerted Lauren and she shifted her weight on her legs.
“Do you love Beckie, Lauren?” He finally asked in his deep, soothing voice.
“You know I do. She’s the only thing that has kept me sane over the years. I . . . in the beginning when he said she’d just lost her parents, I told him to take her to the welfare; that they could find a good family to care for her. I didn’t want . . .” She swallowed back the lump at the memory of all the changes that day had brought about. “I didn’t want her exposed to him. But then he told me that I belonged to him and that Beckie would be my only chance at playing mother. I do love her like my own daughter, Keon. She’s become a lifeline for me over the past six years. I can’t imagine not being with her.”
She saw the coldness frost over the warmth in his gaze, realizing that he might resent her for taking his wife’s place in his daughter’s life. She continued softly, “I never tried to take her mother’s place, Keon. I only wanted to offer her love and protection. I have done my best to keep the memory of your wife alive in Beckie’s mind, but I didn’t know her and a five-year-old’s memory fades over time.” She fisted her hands and looked outside where she could see Beckie running around with Baloo bounding excitedly next to her. “I’m sorry.”
His arms dragged her into a warm embrace. Lauren leaned into him. She closed her eyes and breathed in the familiar woody scent of his aftershave. Her hands itched to crawl around his waist and hug him.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Yes, I admit, at first, I did resent the fact that you had watched my daughter grow up. Now, I am grateful that she had you. She has grown into a loving and caring young girl.”
Keon held her chin between his fingers and tilted her head back. He searched her eyes.
“I don’t like you hiding from me, Lauren. But I will get past the barriers you’ve managed to erect no matter how hard you try. I have ways and means . . . some you wouldn’t want me to use.”
The promise in his eyes sent chills down her spine; not cold and scary, but hot and promising.
“But, understand one thing. You stay because of Beckie. Don’t start daydreaming of us becoming a loving family. It’s never going to happen. I loved my wife and it was enough for me. You’ve become Beckie’s mother and I accept that but you cannot become my wife or infiltrate my heart.”
“Life without love is a lonely place, Keon.”
“You’re welcome to search for love, Lauren. We won’t stand in your way but I have more than enough love in my life. My friends, my parents and now my daughter. I don’t want or need more than that.”
He leaned closer and brushed his lips over hers in a soft, feathery caress until her lips opened in an involuntary invitation. He accepted by swooping in, surprising her when he kissed her deeply but with gentle persuasion. She could feel her toes curl in her shoes and a flush of heat filled her loins with every brush of his tongue over hers. He owned her mouth in that moment and just as easily, slipped into her heart.
Lauren didn’t even try to fight it. She clung to him and returned his kiss with her passionate demands, which shook him. He was breathing hard when he pulled back.
“But, I won’t say no to a live-in lover.”
Her back went as straight as an ironing board in a blink of an eye.
“I’m afraid I’m not on the menu, LeLuc. Me staying in this house doesn’t give you free access to
my body. In the club I will submit to you and any other Dom who wishes to scene with me. In here, I decide when and if, I want to fuck you. Remember that, mister convenience!”
She flounced out of the kitchen, aware that his heated gaze followed her until she disappeared from view.
Lauren fumed at the audacity of the man to assume she’d be willing convenient bedmate.
Well, I would, but he can’t just assume I would fall at his feet.
She would’ve been surprised to know that Keon was struggling with the fury her statement elicited in him.
Scening with other Doms? Over my fucking dead dangling bits.
Chapter Eight
“I know you’ve denounced all association with the mob, Colt, but do you have any idea what Vito Vitale is doing in Washington?” Rhone asked with suppressed anger and quickly explained the reason for his question.
He didn’t believe in coincidences and the appearance of the powerful Don in Washington DC has set off alarm bells. Vitale had seemed just as startled, as him and Keon had been, when they’d literally bumped into him outside a restaurant, a couple of blocks from the George Bush Center where the CIA headquarters were. They had met him at Club Wicked Cove during Colt’s dark time with the Occhipinti family a couple of years ago.
Colt Fargo was Quade Cutter’s cousin and the erstwhile leader of the Occhipinti crime family as Damiano Vitale. Colt had set the overall hierarchy rule of the Occhipintis over the five big crime families in the US in place, just before he withdrew from his forced engagement with the mafia. However, Vitale had chosen to follow his own way of ruling and not what Colt had intended.
“I hope you’re wrong in your assumption that he’s involved with someone in the CIA, Rhone. I warned him before I left to keep away from Government matters. I’ll be highly annoyed if he didn’t heed my warning.”
“We’ve become wary, Colt. To find him close the CIA headquarters at the same time Adam Baxter’s supposed murder seemed just too much of a coincidence. We’ve come across information linking Baxter to the Sixth Order.”
“And Vito wouldn’t like them to have an upper hand through the CIA. I suppose Baxter was the reason why so many cases against the Sixth Order were thrown out of court recently,” Colt contemplated. “Vito isn’t stupid and I’ve come to realize over the years, he’s more cunning than he’s let on. If he knew about Baxter’s involvement with the Sixth Order, he would’ve found a way to end it or turn it to his own advantage. Especially if Baxter had been trying to infiltrate the mob on their behalf.”
“But not kill him?” Keon asked. The team were in the boardroom, with Colt on speaker.
“It’s not Vito’s style, especially if he can gain more by way of manipulation. Let me talk to him and see if I can get something out of him without letting too much out of the bag.”
“Colt, if Vito is involved and out to hurt my friends or their family, none of us would hesitate in killing him.”
“I would have it no other way. If Vito can’t see the bigger picture and has become power-hungry money-chaser, he’ll have to face the consequences.”
They ended the call. Rhone was once again pacing in front of the window.
“Lance, I need to have additional security set up at the entrance of Club Devil’s Cove. It’s the easiest access to our properties—Keon’s and mine.”
“I’ll see to it. I’ve already changed the codes at the main gate. All the members have been informed but I’ll ensure we have our own guards in place to check all membership cards before allowing anyone through the gate.”
“I suggest we ban members from inviting any guests. Not until we are sure Baxter is dead and out of the way for good,” Jack said while chomping away at their usual morning fare—chocolate croissants.
“I agree. We might have screened all our member’s backgrounds but we know better than anyone how easy it is to corrupt someone,” Max inferred.
“Keon, please ask Pamela to send out emails to that effect to all our members. Max, please fetch Richard. I need to pick his brain,” Rhone instructed as he sank into his chair at the head of the table.
Max returned with Richard maneuvering his wheelchair through the door. “Ah, just in time,” Richard joked jovially. He’d become part of the team in their hunt for Baxter.
“Help yourself, mate. Want some coffee?” Jack asked, already busy filling up his own cup.
“Yeah, thanks.” Richard glanced at Rhone. There seemed to be a truce between them at the moment and he hoped, for Samantha’s sake, that one day they might become friends. “What’s up?”
“You helped Samantha break into Baxter’s house. I want to get in there.”
Richard chewed at the tasty morsel in his mouth while considering his response. “The CIA might have eyes on the property now, especially if they believe there is criminal involvement with Baxter’s death. Or supposed death, like we all believe.”
“I’m aware of that, Richard, which is why I need you to run a check on his house and establish what we’re up against. I want the files on the Sixth Order.”
“Yeah, it’s a pity Samantha didn’t have time to scan all those documents last time. Okay, I’ll get on it straight away.”
“Oh, and Richard,” Rhone’s voice stopped his exit from the boardroom. “We’ve discussed your working here and—”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Greer, I’m only here to see that bastard brought to justice for what he did to Samantha and her sister. Then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“We want to make you an offer,” Rhone finished unperturbed.
Richard stared at him, completely deadpan.
“But you don’t like me,” he said wryly.
“I didn’t like your attitude when you first arrived, Richard. I never said I don’t like you.”
Richard looked around the room. He’d become friends with all of them. With them, he’d come out of his shell, the deep well of loneliness he’d dumped himself into years ago. The thought of going back to that had been weighing heavily on his mind.
“What kind of offer?”
Keon smiled at the skepticism in his voice. “As you know the five of us, and Ethan, own this company. We all agree that with your skill set, it would be beneficial to us to offer you shares. That is, if you’re interested, otherwise, we’re willing to discuss employment as an alternative.”
“Shares?”
“Yes, Richard. Obviously, we’ll offer a certain number as part of your remuneration but the rest you will have to pay for,” Rhone explained. “Our attorney, Pamela Seegers, has already drawn up all the paperwork. I’ll ask her to email them to you. Go through it at your leisure and then decide. You’ve become a valuable asset to us, Richard and we’d be stupid not to bring you onboard as part of the team.”
“I’ll have a look,” Richard said solemnly.
“Oh, and mate,” Jack interrupted him as he reached the door. “We’d like to see you at Club Devil’s Cove as well. Samantha told us that you accompanied her to Club Pearl.”
“As you can see I am somewhat limited to which clubs I can play at,” Richard shrugged.
“We catered for that when we designed the club. There are slipways and a small, one man elevator leading into the dungeon. We have a couple of members who have the need for it, besides you. If you’re interested, chat with Pamela and she’ll get you signed up,” Keon said with a grin which Richard returned before he left.
“Lance, has Lexie been able to give you any information on their forensic findings of that wreckage?” Rhone wanted to know. Lexie Calvert was the State Forensic Coroner and also the daughter of Lance’s neighbor.
“Nothing conclusive. According to her it was a long shot at best to believe they’d be able to separate DNA from the ashes.”
“So there’s no way to confirm whose body was in that fucking wreck,” Keon ground out bitterly.
“We don’t need proof, Rhone. The bastard isn’t dead and we need to find him. Fast. I’m fucking tired of looking over my should
er wherever I go,” Jack said with a chilled look in his eyes.
* * * * * * * *
“What are you doing out of bed?” Rhone snapped the moment he entered the kitchen. He had followed the voices and found Samantha propped up on one of the high stools in the kitchen.
“And hello to you too, Mr. Grumpy,” she said with a tentative smile.
“Not going to work, Samantha. And you,” Rhone said coldly, glancing at Enzo, his chef. “How can you allow her to traipse around the house?”
“Vraiment? You ask me that? You should know by now that this little missy doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do,” he responded with a smile in her direction.
“Please, honey, I couldn’t stand another day alone in that room. I was going out of my mind,” she beseeched him, running her hands over his chest when he came to stand next to her.
“Alone? You’ve had your sister and Beckie here almost every day. Not to mention Enzo jumping to your every command. Care to try again?” Rhone asked softly. He leaned closer and placed a row of tender kisses across her forehead.
Samantha leaned into his strong body. She’d been longing to feel his strength and warmth inside her, not just surrounding her as she held her in his arms.
“I’m completely healed, Rhone. Ethan was here earlier and he said I can get out of bed. You’re the one who won’t let me move around. Please, honeybuns,” she lilted with eyelids fluttering.
“Honeybuns? Did you just call me honeybuns?”
Her delighted giggle turned to a shrieking laugh when he swung her high against his chest and carried her upstairs to their room.
“Noo! Please, Rhone, I don’t want to spend the evening in bed,” she protested loudly.
He stopped and turned back toward the stairs.
“Well, I guess Enzo won’t mind watching me eat your delightful pussy. He might even get a few . . . ouch! What was that for?” he asked with a pretend frown when she pinched his nipple.
