Vanguard Security

by S. J. Bishop

  I screamed into his lips as his cock stretched my every inch. He filled me to the brim, and still I wanted more – much more.

  And Ned had no intention of disappointing me. Quickly, he began ramming into me, rocking my entire world.

  God, it felt so good. No. It felt amazing.

  My eyes rolled over, my body tensing and my pussy quivering.

  Damn. I was already close.

  I did everything I could to hold back my orgasm, wanting this glorious moment to last forever.

  But as he continued to ram into me harder and harder, there was nothing I could do to stop the flood of orgasm.

  It washed over me, leaving me breathless and shaking.

  To my surprise, Ned didn’t even skip a beat. He kept going, his stamina unmatched, like a well-oiled machine that was capable of perpetual motion, harder and faster with each passing moment.

  The bed rocked, creaking with our efforts.

  Even so, he did not stop.

  A deep, guttural growl emerged from his throat as he lost himself to his most primal desires. As his lust intensified, his balls started to slap into my pussy, the noise echoing through the small space. All the while, our lips danced together, hungry for a taste of each other.

  I held on tight to him, feeling like if I didn’t, this magical moment would come to an end.

  And then, it happened.

  My second orgasm happened just in time to meet his.

  Together, we screamed in ecstasy, our bodies becoming one before we collapsed onto the bed, completely spent.

  19

  Ned

  I lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, Stacey in my arms. She was still fast asleep, her features relaxed and angelic. I kissed the top of her head, cherishing the moment.

  A part of me still couldn’t believe what we had done, but at the same time, I was so happy it had happened. My body still surged with energy. I felt like I could take on the whole world, and I thought I just might. One way or another, I needed to take care of Emil. If he remained at large, then there was always a chance he’d try to hurt Stacey again, and I just couldn’t let that happen.

  Hesitantly, I rolled out of bed and put my clothes back on. As quietly as I could, I grabbed a few weapons, fitting them on my body. I stuck with knives and the sort, but I also grabbed a gun, just in case. I prayed I wouldn’t have to use it.

  Just as I was finishing up, Stacey woke up and looked at me, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

  “I have to go after him.”

  “You can’t.”

  “I have to.”

  “But… you can’t just kill him. He’s not as bad as he seems… Yes, he’s not the same Emil I used to like… but it’s not his fault. Something or someone is changing him.”

  Gently, I placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Stacey.”

  She shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. He’s…”

  I tilted her chin so she would look at me. “He hit you, Stacey.”

  She didn’t bother to say anything else after that.

  “Now, I want you to stay here until I come and get you, alright?”

  “No. I can’t just stay here.”

  “You’ll be safe here.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  I could tell by the fiery look in her eye that it would be difficult to convince her otherwise. “Please… Stacey, you have to trust me. Think of Missy. Do you really want to put her in danger?”

  “And what happens if he finds me here? I’ll just be a sitting duck. At least if I’m with you, I know you’ll protect me.”

  I sighed. “I can’t bring you with me.”

  “Please.”

  I shook my head. “Look… my bosses just came back to London, and they’re ready to help. They should be here any minute. One of them will bring you wherever you want and keep you safe. I promise you that.”

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  “Stacey. This isn’t negotiable.” My voice was colder than I’d intended it to be. “Please, I just want you to be safe. Now, do you have any friends you could stay with?”

  “If I did, don’t you think I would have asked them for help when my baby was starving to death?”

  “No one at all…?” I asked with a frown. “Anyone.”

  She was quiet for a long time. I was starting to think she would refuse to answer, but then she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I have this one friend… she just got back from the Peace Corps. I haven’t been in touch with her but she recently updated her status. But, I really don’t want to just show up there…”

  “She’ll understand. This is an emergency.”

  Stacey bit her lip. “Ned, it won’t be easy to explain.”

  “You have to try. For Missy’s sake. Please.”

  “I’ll call her but there’s no promise that she even has a place of her own yet.”

  “Okay.” Patiently, I waited for her to contact her friend. After a short conversation, she hung up, frowning.

  “She said I can stay for a couple nights.”

  “Good. Franklin will take you there. He’s a good guy; he knows how to handle himself. He’ll keep you safe.”

  “But… I don’t want to go with this Franklin guy. I want to stay with you.”

  “You can’t.” I took her cheeks into my hands and kissed her hard. All of my emotions flowed into the kiss, speaking the words I couldn’t express.

  I loved her.

  That much was certain.

  When I pulled away, I looked into her eyes, my thumb caressing her soft, silky skin. “I promise I’ll come back. You won’t be able to get rid of me so easily.”

  She chuckled. “I’m going to hold you to that promise.”

  I smiled back and kissed the top of her head. “Alright, grab Missy and anything else you might need.”

  She did as she was told, grabbing a bag of supplies before following me back up the steps.

  Outside, Franklin and Cruz were already waiting for us.

  “We leave for two weeks, and you somehow manage to get yourself in trouble.” Cruz shook his head.

  “Don’t give him a hard time. We were young once, too,” Franklin interjected. “Come on.” He held out his hand toward Stacey. “I’ll take you somewhere safe.”

  Before he could tow her away, I stole one more kiss, feeling like it might be my last.

  No. That was no way to think.

  Emil was a twig, and I was going to be the force that snapped him in half.

  “Let’s go,” Cruz prompted as soon as we were alone.

  Together, we hiked through the woods until we found his car. “Never thought you had it in you,” he remarked, following the GPS toward our destination. While I was inside the Old Whiskey, I had managed to mount a tracking device onto Emil’s leather jacket. He never seemed to take it off. “Have you two…”

  I glared at my boss.

  “Sorry.”

  We were quiet for most of the ride, and I was glad for it. My mind was working overtime, trying to think through the rage. What was this guy after? Why was he hiding in an abandoned pub? There was something more to this story than what met the eye. He wasn’t just someone who liked to abuse women; he was something else.

  “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

  “Something seems wrong… like we’re walking into a trap or something. I can’t explain it, but I don’t have a good feeling about any of this…”

  “Well, I guess we’re about to find out.”

  The Old Whiskey.

  This was it. Do or die.

  20

  Stacey

  Franklin dropped me off at my friend’s house. I stood on the sidewalk, feeling numb. So much had happened so quickly that I was having a hard time coming to terms with all of it.

  Taking a deep breath, I walked up to the door and knocked. After all, what else was I supposed to do? I was already h
ere anyway.

  A few seconds later, Lisa answered, looking down at me with a confused expression on her face. “Stacey? What are you doing here?”

  “Um… they’re fumigating the apartment complex… do you mind if I stay here for a few days?”

  “Oh! Sure. I wish you had called first, but yes, yes, please come in.” She ushered me in. “Missy has gotten big, hasn’t she?” She started to coo over the baby, speaking in a high-pitched voice and making funny faces. “Jacob is doing well. His teeth are starting to come in, so he’s a bit fussy.”

  “I’m sure you’re handling it well. You were always better cut out for motherhood than I ever was.”

  “Nonsense. I’m sure you’re a great mother!” she chimed, heading into the kitchen and putting the kettle on. “You still a fan of Earl Grey?”

  I nodded.

  “Great. Since Jacob was born, I haven’t had much time to hang out. This might be a good change of pace for us. Why don’t you put Missy to bed and we can catch up?”

  “Okay.” Lisa had an actual nursery for her child, complete with elephant wallpaper. A spark of jealousy flared inside of me. In comparison, she had the perfect life. A loving husband, a steady job, and a cute dog.

  Meanwhile, I was living in a whirlwind of chaos, just trying to stay on my feet.

  I didn’t know what to do. On one hand, I couldn’t quite accept that Emil was as evil as he seemed to have become. On the other, I had fallen for Ned, the superior man, the one who would treat me right and protect me. I couldn’t just sit here and drink tea with my friend. There had to be something I could do.

  Back in the kitchen, Lisa was setting out a platter of cheese and crackers. “Oh, you’re back. That was quick. Is she an easy sleeper? At that age, Jacob always gave me such a hard time. So energetic. Kept me up until dawn most nights.” She spoke with adoration, her eyes shining brightly.

  “I need to go.”

  “Oh?” Her brows furrowed with confusion. “But you just got here? Where on Earth are you going?”

  “Look, I just need you to take care of Missy for a little while. Can you do that for me?”

  “I mean… of course, but where are you going?”

  “I can’t explain.” I hugged her tightly before I ran out the door.

  Down the street, I spotted Franklin’s car. I marched right up to it and plopped myself into the passenger seat. “Take me to him.”

  His eyes widened with surprise. “What are you doing?”

  “Take me to him,” I repeated.

  “You know I can’t do that. It’s not safe.”

  “If you don’t take me, I’ll just call a cab. I can’t let Ned get himself killed for my sake. I need to put a stop to this. It all happened because of me, and I’m going to put an end to it.”

  Franklin sighed. “Women,” he mumbled under his breath but nonetheless started the car.

  As he drove, all I could think about was Ned. Our time together had been amazing, and despite the fact that the setting, circumstance, and timing were all wrong, I didn’t regret it.

  Soon enough, we arrived. “I’m going to go inside in case they need my help. I want you to stay in the park. There’s plenty of witnesses where you should be safe. Don’t leave, got it?”

  I nodded. “I won’t.”

  “Good. Your life may very well depend on it.” He made sure that I was sitting down before he disappeared into the pub.

  My eyes were glued to the door, and my heart was beating fast, prepared for the worst.

  All of a sudden, someone sat down beside me.

  It was a woman. She was dressed all in black, her hair cropped, with a ring hanging on her upper lip. “Hey,” she said with the gravelly voice of a smoker.

  If I had to be honest, she scared me. I inched away slightly.

  “You’re Stacey, aren’t you?”

  My eyes widened. “How do you know my name?”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said mysteriously, her face expressionless.

  Goosebumps ran along my arm, making me shiver. I had the urge to get up and run as fast as I could, but what good would that do me?

  “F-From who?”

  “Emil.”

  The name struck me like a bullet through the heart. How did this woman know about Emil? Could it be that she was his new lover? My replacement?

  My heart tightened at the thought.

  She chuckled. “He’s a dick, isn’t he?”

  “Huh?”

  “He loves to come into our lives and use us.”

  I turned to look at her. “Huh?” I repeated.

  “You aren’t the only one he’s hurt.” She lifted her bangs, showing off a large scar that ran all the way from her forehead to her ear. “He did this to me.”

  I gasped.

  “But I didn’t have a knight in shining armor to fight for me like you do. I had to fend for myself.”

  “I’m so sorry…”

  She scoffed. “Sorry? Oh no. I should thank you for bringing those VanGuard swine right to my doorstep. Once they’re gone, London is mine for the taking. No one will be able to stop me. I’ll be sitting like a queen.”

  My eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t you get it? I’m the one you should be scared of, not that pathetic excuse of a man,” she snarled.

  21

  Ned

  I’ll take the back entrance, and you take the front,” I told Cruz as soon as we arrived at the pub. “I don’t want anyone to escape. This ends now.”

  Cruz chuckled. “I leave for a few weeks and come back to find a brand-new Ned. What happened to you?”

  “Let’s say that I learned that life is much more than takeout meals and late-night movies.”

  He nodded. “Ah, you fell in love.”

  I didn’t answer. Instead, I got out of the car and headed for the back entrance. Without looking back, I slipped inside.

  Everything was dark.

  I used my phone as a flashlight, squinting into the gloom. The hair on the back of my neck prickled. Something about this wasn’t right. I kept my eyes peeled, scanning my surroundings for any signs of danger. For a moment, I felt like I was back in combat, about to apprehend a Russian spy. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, making my senses sharper.

  My fingers tightened around the hilt of a knife strapped to my belt. I really didn’t want to use it, but if it came down to it, I would.

  Suddenly, however, before I could even suspect their presence, someone came up behind me, his arm wrapping around my neck, and reeled me into the darkness. My phone fell to the ground, its screen shattering.

  I tried to shrug him off of me and free my arms for a fight, but I was pinned against the bull-like man who held me tight.

  He laughed ominously right before plunging a needle into my arm.

  “No!” I shouted, but it was already too late. Whatever was in that syringe was already deep inside my system.

  I blinked, trying to fight it, but there was nothing I could do.

  Abruptly, my knees gave out, and I collapsed to the ground, crumpling into a heap. With the last of my strength, I drew my knife, but it was a futile effort. There was nothing I could do at this point. My body became as heavy as lead.

  I had failed her.

  When I woke up, I was laying on a couch that was much too small for my tall frame. My head felt like it had taken a hit by a sledgehammer. Groaning, I tried to get up, but as soon as I moved, someone placed his hand on my shoulder, trying to keep me down.

  Instantly, I grabbed his wrist, prepared to throw him into the ground, but luckily, I had the sense to look up.

  Franklin?

  Confusion washed over my features.

  Wait…? Were we in HQ? How did I end up here?

  My temples throbbed as I remembered my last few moments before unconsciousness. I had been pursuing Emil, and now I was here.

  “What’s going on?”

  “You might want to take it easy for a
minute or two. Here, drink this.” Franklin offered me a cup of water.

  “No. Tell me what’s going on. Where’s Stacey? You were supposed to stay with her – to make sure she was safe. Where is she?”

  Franklin frowned. “I lost her.”

  “What do you mean you lost her? How could you have lost her?” I stood up quickly. Big mistake. The room started to spin as dizziness swept over me. I fell back onto the couch, my stomach clenching with queasiness. I took in a sharp breath of air.

  “I asked her to wait for me at the park. I thought she’d be safe there while I checked on you and Cruz.”

  My teeth ground together in anger. A part of me wanted to lash out at him, but I knew that doing so would accomplish nothing. “So what’s going on? Why are we just sitting here in HQ?”

  “We are trying to figure out what happened.” For the first time, Cruz joined the conversation.

  I turned my head slowly to find him sitting at his desk.

  “What do you mean?” My mind was still a little foggy, but piece by piece, I was starting to come back to my senses.

  “They broke in.”

  “Who broke in?”

  “Well, your girlfriend’s ex is much more than just a scumbag,” Cruz explained. “He’s caught up with the X-Gang.”

  My eyes widened. “Haven’t we been trying to bust them for a while now?”

  “We have. We could never find them. Who would have thought their hideout was an abandoned pub?”

  “I don’t get it. What do Emil and Stacey have to do with any of this?”

  “Well, as far as I can tell, Stacey just happened to fall for the wrong man.” Cruz turned in his chair to face me. “Emil is the muscle for X-Gang. He commands the foot soldiers in their heists. There’s someone else behind this, but I can’t figure out who. We haven’t been able to identify a leader for the group. Whoever it is, they are a mastermind.”

  “Let me try.” I got up, unsteady on my feet.

  “Franklin has tried everything. He’s looked at every possible route they could have taken, but it almost seems like they broke in here just to deposit your body in my office. A taunt.”