“I don’t know whether to knock you the fuck out or hug you,” I grunt. “It’s a good move for the op. I agree with you as much as that annoys me. But I’m not forcing her to get pregnant for an op. She’s given enough of her body for this agency and I refuse to let her give anything else. I’ll talk to her about it and see where she is. We’ll take the shot with us and I’ll let you know what we decide,” I say with a shake of my head. “And if I find out you try to push her into this I’ll take you out myself…my way.”
He smiles a dazzling grin at me.
“Now I trust you with her life and her heart. Don’t fuck up.”
Shane turns on his heel and approaches the SUV. He pulls the backdoor open for Jess and Cara to slide out. Kat follows and wraps Shane in a tight hug. She loves him and he loves her in some warped way. I move over to the group to say goodbye.
“Bye, Cara,” I say softly, gazing into her haunting eyes one last time.
“Bye, Nick,” she whispers. “Tell Jake thanks for the hoodie.”
“I will, sweetheart.” She blushes when I say it, but not the same way she did at Jake.
“Will I see you again?” she asks Kat shakily.
“Yes,” Kat answers emphatically and engulfs her in a tight embrace, but Cara remains rigid.
Kat hands Cara over to Jess, but Cara refuses the contact and just stands next to Jess. Jess doesn’t push the issue and they move off together. I see a few people on the plane waiting for Cara. It looks like a medic and maybe someone from psych. God knows she needs both. Shane and Kat talk a bit before the medic runs out to us with a box in hand.
“Agent Russell,” he greets and hands her the package.
“Thanks,” Kat says nicely and the guy runs back to the plane.
“Nick, have you got anyone left in Chicago you can reach out to?” Shane asks cautiously.
“I’m a dead man, Shane. What the fuck do you think?” I growl.
Kat watches us with big eyes. I haven’t given her many details and now this asshole has just opened a can of worms. Dick.
“How dead?” he asks honestly.
“Have you fuckin’ taken a look at me lately?”
My natural hair color is back from the blond it was dyed for six months after I “died”, but the contacts alone change my appearance greatly. I also had a bump removed from my nose. Those two changes allow me to move through life without looking over my shoulder too much. That and the fact that the people that would want to kill me if they knew I was alive are either in prison or idiots that couldn’t pull off the hit necessary to take me out.
Even so, I’m a dead man in Chicago. Well…mostly dead.
“You’re right. Sorry. I just thought if you could dig back into Chicago we could figure Cara out quicker. If she’s been gone a decade this is gonna be difficult,” he says backing off.
“I’ve got a guy I can reach out to, but it’ll be expensive,” I huff at the prospect.
“Budget is a non-issue. But don’t risk your safety. We can work this ourselves.”
“Mindfuck,” I mutter and Kat giggles.
“I’ll talk to you soon, Shane,” Kat says through a giant smile before nuzzling into his chest.
I stamp down the feeling in my gut, knowing he’s been her friend for years. I still don’t want her touching him like that. Now I know why Shanny’s man always looks at me like he wants to eat me for breakfast. Not that I’ll stop hugging my best friend for his benefit, but I get it now.
“Keep her safe,” Shane orders as Kat disappears into the SUV. “Jake too.”
“I will. I’ll let you know what my guy in Chicago says. I’d tell you to be gentle with Cara, but Jess seems to have your ass under control,” I say through a cocky grin.
“Wait till Kat has you by the balls. You won’t think it’s so funny then,” he chides through a kind smile glancing at his friend. I snort, but fear he’s right.
“Safe flight.” I offer him a low wave and join my wife. Time to kick this op into high gear.
As I drive away, Kat interlaces our fingers and I pull our hands into my lap. She’s pissed and relieved just like me. It’s nice to have someone to share the op with. I’m done being alone. I have a family now…and I may be adding to it sooner than later.
Kat
Nick and I amble into the house, exhausted and bone weary. Jake comes charging into the kitchen from the family room looking as worn out as us.
“She okay?” he asks me urgently.
Jake is smitten and I love it and hate it. I love it because he was soft and strong for her at the same time. He was a man caring for a woman that he had an instant connection with. It was beautiful to witness. I hate it because if he tries to go after her, it’ll be a rough time for the two of them. Jake comes from ugly and Cara’s been in a living nightmare for a decade. I can only hope maybe they’ll heal each other.
“She will be,” I say through a sad smile. He nods in understanding.
“Let’s make pancakes,” I encourage, hoping it will get all of us out of our haze.
“How about Jake and I make pancakes and you grab a shower?” Nick murmurs into my hair.
“’Kay.”
“You know how to make pancakes?” Nick asks Jake, letting me go.
“No,” Jake says through a laugh as they go off to make some surely disgusting pancakes.
I climb into the shower and scald my skin trying to wash the night from my mind and my body. When I locked eyes with Cara for the first time in the back yard, I felt like I’d been shot. It jolted me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I expect the unexpected at every turn, but I never thought I’d find a kid in our backyard basically naked running for her life. Some sick fuck in Maybelle had her as a sex slave for a decade. When I find him…I can’t even formulate a proper punishment but it will be gruesome.
The only good thing about finding Cara was getting the chance to see Shane and Jess. Not that I got to talk to them much, but just seeing their faces gave me a piece of joy that I miss when I’m away from them. Shane and Nick seemed to have a heated discussion while Jess and I were in the SUV with Cara. I didn’t pay much attention because we were trying to get Cara comfortable with Jess, but Nick definitely looked pissed a few times while Shane was talking. Shane also looked tense. I hope they worked out whatever they needed to because it’ll make the op a pain in the ass if they’re butting heads.
The strangest part of this whole thing is Cara. She looks like the pictures I’ve seen of Nick’s best friend Shannon Kelly. Even in blurry cell phone pictures the woman is drop dead fucking gorgeous and Cara is right on par with her. Nick looked like he’d been stabbed in the gut when he got a good look at Cara. I hurt for him in that moment. I hurt for him now as I remember the anguish washing out his always strong features.
I have the feeling we’re up against more than we know with this and I hope it doesn’t destroy the people I’ve fallen in love with. I’ll protect what’s mine to the death and I fear that tenacity could end up costing me everything. But more than fear, I feel strength in knowing I have a family to love and a family that loves me. My parents are gone and I’ve hidden myself away from anything resembling a family since the day I entered the DCA. I told myself it was because I was a good agent and I needed to be completely unattached to be the best I could be. All bullshit when I think about it. When you lose everything you love, you tend to not want to love anything again. I love Shane and Jess, but what I feel for the boys and Nick goes beyond. It fills the cracks that my parents left. It’s healed my heart and opened my soul to the possibility of moving forward.
I roll out of the shower feeling better, but still wiped. I’ll be napping today. I pull on my go-to pricey leggings and the biggest fluffiest heather grey sweater I have. I’m actually comfortable in my clothes and with my toes warming in a pair of sweater boots I feel normal. I don’t give a crap if my outfit goes against the manual or if the entire town sees me and decides I’m no better than shit on the bottom of their shoes.
I feel good and that’s all that matters right now.
I don’t put on any make-up and just pile my half-dried hair in a messy lump on top of my head. Fuck, I feel good looking like a mess.
I leave our room to be met with the smell of burning food. Yeah, they can’t cook. I chuckle all the way down the stairs and burst into full-blown laughter when I enter the kitchen and all five of my boys are in the kitchen, trying desperately to salvage breakfast.
“We suck,” Sawyer admits in a shrug.
“At cooking…yes.”
“Good thing we’ve got you,” Cole says in relief like he was afraid he was going to starve.
“You’ve got me,” I say, pressing a kiss to his flour-covered cheek.
It looks like a bomb of ingredients has gone off in here. I think I spy some batter on the ceiling too. What the hell have they been doing?
“Hey, mine turned out okay,” Dane protests.
“You mixed up the sugar and the salt. It tastes like shit,” Jake says pointedly.
“At least it’s not burnt,” he says shoveling a bite in his mouth and then immediately spits it out. “Yeah, that tastes like ass.”
“Tasted a lot of ass?” Sawyer snarks.
“Only when I kiss you,” Dane fires back.
We all fall into laughter as I wrap my arms around Nick’s waist. He’s trying at the stove, but I can tell he’s just burning more food.
“Why don’t you let me take over?”
“I’m a failure as a husband,” he huffs as he turns around.
He looks down at me and his breath hitches at my appearance.
“I know I look like crap, but I’m too tired to care,” I explain.
“I’ve never seen you look better,” he says in a husky sex-filled voice.
Oh.
“Oh.”
Nick slams his mouth on mine as he picks me up under my arms. I dutifully wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist as he palms my ass aggressively. He slants his head and plunges his tongue into my mouth. A moan purrs from my throat and coaxes a groan from him. Whistles and cheers break out behind us and I start to laugh again. Nick follows me with a chuckle deep within his chest as I slide down his body. He pats my ass twice before I move to the island to fix our pancake mess. Okay, there’s no fixing, I just have to start over.
My pancakes are a success, much to the glee of my boys. Our doorbell rings as the boys are finishing cleaning up the giant mess that they created in the kitchen. Nick stalks to the door his mask firmly in place. I can only imagine who’s here. If it’s Trish and her apology muffins, I may choke her to death with them. I’m not in the mood today.
“Kat,” Nick bellows and I hurry toward him. Jake and the boys fall in step behind me.
Cock sucking Officer Burke is at our door with sweet Officer Harrison. Game face on Kat.
“Good morning, officers,” I greet them brightly.
Nick sweeps me to his side.
“Missus Johnson,” Officer Harrison responds with a kind smile.
“How can we help you?” I ask knowing why they’re here.
“There was a report of a suspicious person in the neighborhood last night. We’re just making the rounds to see if anyone saw anything unusual.”
“I didn’t,” I lie. “Boys did you see anything unusual last night?”
“No,” they answer in unison.
“Like I told you,” Nick grunts. “We didn’t see anything.”
Burke glowers at Nick and Nick rumbles with tension.
“Well, we’ll be in contact if any of us remember anything. If there’s nothing else, we have a food explosion to clean up,” I say sweetly.
“Ma’am.” Officer Harrison offers a departing nod. “Great game last night boys.”
“Thanks,” Jake and Cole reply in harmony.
They turn off our porch and climb in their cruiser with Nick and I watching them retreat. Once they’re out of our driveway Nick shuts the door and releases a giant breath. The boys left when the cops did and are either cleaning or making another mess based on the noise filtering in from the kitchen.
“Go take a nap, Nicky,” I suggest running a hand up to his cheek.
“Come with me,” he murmurs into my palm.
“The boys need me.”
“They’ll survive a few hours on their own,” he assures me while tugging me up the stairs. “Boys we’re gonna take a nap. Don’t burn the place down.”
“’Kay,” a few of them yell back.
Nick shuts and locks the door before backing me to the bed and collapses on top of me when my knees hit the edge. His large hands run beneath my sweater and palm my breasts as his mouth teases my jaw.
“This isn’t napping,” I chide weakly.
“I’ll be quick,” he mumbles into my neck.
“A true romantic,” I tease and then moan as he pinches my nipples and rolls them.
I stop talking because Nick captures my mouth in a rough kiss at the same time he threads a hand into my pants and a finger deep inside me. His tongue matches his thrusts and I’m writhing in moments. Okay, quick it is. Nick adds a second finger curling them up to hit my spot while he circles my clit with his thumb. Oh, that’s it. I buck my hips and encourage him onward as I suck his tongue causing a growl to roar from his throat.
“Shit,” I sigh as my orgasm lights from my core.
Before I have a sense of what’s going on I’m naked and so is Nick, thrusting in me.
“Fuck,” he groans as I lift my pelvis to meet him stroke for stroke.
Nick buries his head in my neck and pounds me in such a quick pace that I have to give up meeting his thrusts. I wrap my legs around him and he threads his arm below my lower back pulling me flush with him as he drives into me. He’s panting in my neck, his breath warming my skin as his fingers dig into my hip. He’s grinding into my clit and bringing a second orgasm my way quickly. My eyes roll back in my head as I arch off the mattress, clenching around his dick.
Nick reaches a fevered pace, plowing into me. I hold onto his sculpted back loving every ridge and ripple. There’s a sheen of sweat covering his skin causing his musky manly scent to fill our room, intoxicating my senses. I do my best to roll him to his back and when he realizes what I’m doing he happily complies. I grind into him before riding him roughly.
He encourages my pace with his hands on my hips as he sits forward to capture my nipple between his lips. His stubble scuffs my skin adding to the warm sensation of his mouth devouring me. I dig my nails into his scalp as I feel yet another orgasm building. Nick’s hips power up from below me almost throwing me off him as he collapses to his back pulling me down on top of him.
I hold myself in place over him and let him lead. I offer him my mouth and he takes it aggressively while he gifts me with a swift smack to my ass causing my pussy to clench and my orgasm to topple over. I scream my release into his mouth as he finally lets go and fills me with long powerful strokes, groaning in relief.
When his hips still, I collapse, nuzzling into his chest. Nick pulls the duvet over us and a few moments later I pass out with him still inside me, encapsulated in his massive arms. Best nap ever.
Nick
I woke up from the best nap ever with a naked Kat draped over me like a flesh blanket. I rolled her beneath me and made love to her slow and sweet before I dragged her to the shower and took her again hot and heavy against the cool tiled walls. I’m like a teenager with her. I can’t get enough and she doesn’t seem to be complaining.
When we got out of the shower, she collapsed naked in bed while I left to take the boys to Bradford’s practice. I received knowing looks from all the boys but no comments about my day of endless sex. Fuck, I feel good.
That cunt Trish Booker wasn’t at practice, thank fuck. I didn’t have the stomach for her shit today. Bradford was ecstatic to see the boys and his coach appreciated the help at practice. I watched and worked some until it was time to head home. Bradford’s very nervous looking na
nny picked him up, avoiding eye contact with everyone as she did. She scurried around and collected him before he could say bye to the boys. Weird.
Now I’m home in the office getting ready to make an important phone call. Kat’s downstairs with the boys in her sexy ass tight pants and giant sweater with no make-up and her hair a mess on her head. It’s the sexiest I’ve ever seen that woman look. Maybe that’s why I’m counting down the minutes until I can get my dick in her again. I’m becoming concerned about chafing at this point. I’ll power through, no matter.
“Shannon Kelly,” she answers professionally.
“Hey, Shanny,” I breathe into the phone, relieved at her voice in my ear.
“Nicky,” she sighs.
“How are you?”
“Fat, tired, hands full with Johnny who has learned to sit up on his own, preparing like mad for Thanksgiving and fuckin’ thrilled you called.”
“You’re not fat, you’re pregnant with twins,” I admonish.
“I look like I ate an entire turkey. It’s hilarious,” she says through a warm raspy laugh.
“I bet you’re glowing.”
“Nope,” she pops her p. “I look like hammered shit on crap crackers.”
“You’re insane,” I say through a chuckle.
“How are you?”
“Workin’,” I offer little detail. I can’t and I hate it.
“All right, Jason Bourne,” she teases but doesn’t push for details. She respects what I do and the boundaries I have in place. If she wasn’t a mother and soon to be wife I’d try to get her in the DCA. Her skills are remarkable and if Shane knew what she’s capable of he’d trip over his own feet trying to get to her. She’s where she belongs in life though. I’m glad she has my back.
“I actually need a favor.”
Into the Blackness (Blackness Series Book 4) Page 17
