by Maddie Wade
“Public shows of affection set my teeth on edge. If I want sickly sweet this is my go-to,” she said and shoved it in her mouth.
“What are they?” Lauren asked.
“It’s called korovka candy. It’s Russian.”
“Where do you buy it?”
Roz shrugged, “No idea.”
“Well, where do you get it?” Lauren asked,
Roz narrowed her eyes and glared with a look that would make most people back away. Lauren held her glare with a smile.
With a sigh Roz caved. “It just appears in the saddlebags of my bike. I’ve tried to stake it out but whomever it is, is really good.”
“Roz has an admirer,” Lucy sing-songed.
“I should have just kept my mouth shut,” Roz said and went to stand.
Celeste grabbed her arm as she went to walk by. “Please stay,” she asked, “I’m having the best night, let’s not spoil it.”
Roz searched her face and then relented. “Fine,” she sighed and sat with her arms crossed in a huff.
“Hey, does anyone know what happened to the girl that was shooting at my house?” Celeste asked.
“They let her go,” replied Lucy, “we couldn’t hold her, but I think Zack is watching her and seeing how it goes.” Celeste nodded as she pictured the spirited young woman and something about her made Celeste feel sorry for her.
Changing the subject, she asked, “How about we have some fun with the boys?” Lucy said with mischief in her voice.
“Oh yeah, what are you thinking?” asked Skye. Lucy started talking. They all giggled in glee.
This was going to be fun.
~~~
Zin’s phone buzzed, and he took it out to read the message it was from Celeste.
Hey handsome, hope you and Samson are okay on your own. I miss you, I wish I could feel your hands on me as we danced.
Zin fought hard not to look up and over at her, she was horny in a club full of men, and she had no clue he was there. He texted back.
We are fine, miss you too, why don’t you come home, or I can come and pick you up?
He watched the bubbles on his screen dance as she sent a text, back.
Can’t do that. Lucy would be so disappointed. It’s a shame though I can almost feel your heat as you hold me close, your erection pressing into me and making me want to drop to my knees and taste you.
Fucking hell, that’s where he was, in fucking hell and it was all Zack’s fault for suggesting this stupid idea. He sent her a text back and turned so his back was to her, so he wouldn’t be tempted to walk over and throw her over his shoulder.
I’m coming to get you!
No, it will take too long, I’m going to ladies to take the edge off.
He felt his face heat at the thought of her in the ladies’ toilet touching her sweet pussy and bringing herself to climax. No. No fucking way. Without looking, he strode to the ladies’ toilets and barged in.
What the fuck? The girls were all waiting behind the door. He searched for his Pixie and found her giggling behind Roz. The door pushed open behind him and in barrelled Nate, Jace, Dane, and Zack.
“What the fuck?” asked Zack as he looked around angrily.
“What the fuck indeed,” said Ava as she stepped up to her husband, hands on hips.
Zin shook his head and pointed at his Pixie with his index finger. He crooked it at her, and she shook her head with a giggle. He raised an eyebrow and crooked it again. She wanted to play, did she? Well, he could play. She shook her head again. Zin decided it was time to play his game now.
“You followed us,” said Lucy in mock outrage.
“And?” Jace replied.
“Well, that’s out of order. This is girl’s night, and you crashed it.” Lucy had her hands on her hips and fire in her eyes. Jace took two steps towards her and pushed her back with his body until she was pressed against the wall. He bent and started talking in her ear. Within seconds she had spun him around, pushed him into a stall and slammed the door.
“Ewe gross,” Dane spat and walked out dragging Lauren by the hand after him.
They all filed out after them and down towards the seating area.
“You might as well join us now,” Ava said, and the guys did not need asking twice. Celeste slid in beside him and leaned into him, her hand on his thigh, he curled his arm around her and whispered close to her ear. “You are going to pay for that little stunt later. Bad girls get punished.”
He felt her shiver in his arms before she turned towards him and lifting her sweet mouth to his ear whispered in a voice husky with desire, “I had best make it worth it then.” She then bit the lobe of his ear and heat flooded to his dick.
“Celeste,” Ava called, and she looked up.
“We’re going to dance, you are coming?”
“Yeah sure,” she answered and lifted her mouth to his for a sweet promising kiss before standing and walking away. Zin could have sworn she was putting an extra sway in her hips. When she looked back and winked, he was certain of it.
“Well, I need a drink,” Kanan said before he got up and headed to the bar as the others watched their women dancing. Zin could practically hear the teeth being ground into dust as the girls all shook their stuff on the dance floor. A commotion at the bar made him look over just in time to see Kanan haul Roz against him for a very heated kiss, which she was fully on board with before she pulled back and hit him with a left hook that would down most men. She then spun on her very high heels and walked out, with Kanan following and calling her name.
He looked at the others who looked as surprised and amused as he did and then they all went back to surveying their wives or partners. A few minutes later Dane stood.
“That’s it, I’m done,” he said and strode to Lauren picking her in a fireman’s lift and walking for the exit. All they heard as he walked past was, “Come on Cinders, let’s get you home before you turn into a pumpkin.” He chuckled as he watched Lauren lift Dane’s shirt and start smacking his ass.
“Doesn’t my man have the cutest ass?” she called as the door shut behind them.
He saw the others were in similar states. Nate had commandeered Skye and was dancing with her in a slow embrace, whispering in her ear. Jace and Lucy were slipping out the back door, and Zack had pulled Ava into a dark corner.
He spied Will at the bar chatting up some blonde with big boobs and whistled. He looked up then with a look of regret and quickly excused himself but not before she slipped him her number.
“What’s up?”
“You need to make sure Emme and Megan get home okay,” he said and motioned towards the dance floor and the three women who were still dancing.
“Fine,” Will responded with a sigh. Zin stood and went to claim his woman. Standing at the edge of the dance floor he watched as she giggled and laughed and shook her sweet ass to the beat of the music. This had been so good for her and despite the theatrics he and the other men had gone to it was worth it see her so happy.
A slow song came on, ‘One Call Away’ by Charlie Puth. She turned and saw him looking, their eyes connected. Suddenly the room emptied for him, there was only him and Celeste. He stepped onto the dance floor and again crooked his finger, this time she came to him.
Silently he took her in his arms and pulled her close, his arm going around to rest on her lower back and the warm skin there. His other hand holding hers between them as she rested her head on his chest. He felt the light touch as she snaked her arm around him and the sigh that escaped her was a sigh of contentment, he knew because he felt it too.
They swayed as the words washed over them, his lips pressed against her hair in a light kiss. He knew that no matter what it took, he would always be her superman and save her like she had saved him.
Her head came up, and she looked at him, their eyes only for each other. Zin felt an emotion like he had never felt before flood him till it clogged his throat. He wondered if he would ever find the words to tell her how he felt. Sh
e was simply his entire world, and he loved her beyond reason.
He saw the emotion he was feeling mirrored in her eyes and dropped his head to kiss her, teasing at her lips and putting every feeling he had into it. She looped her arms around his neck and tried to deepen the kiss, but he had to control it, or the whole bar would get a show.
“You ready to go home?”
She nodded, and he took her hand and pulled her towards the exit. His bike was parked around the side, reaching it he handed her the helmet as he helped her on. Then he took his Pixie home.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The tension in the conference room was palpable. It had been a week since the girl’s night, and the bond between them all had strengthened immeasurably. As for her and Zin, they had gone from strength to strength. He had started to open up to her about his childhood while she had shared some of the loneliness she had felt growing up despite having loving, adoptive parents.
She and Lauren had finished with the chip. The virus was now gone, which just left the bomb portion of it still in situ. She was shocked that Zin and Roz had lived with one for so many years and wondered what effect it had had on them long term. Of course, they had managed to get them removed, but she could not do that without signing Lizzie’s death warrant
Celeste had no idea what the meeting was about, just that it was not good. She and Zin had been in bed when he had received an urgent call from Zack telling them that he was calling a meeting for 0600 hours and that he wanted her to attend too.
So now here they sat with everyone around the conference table as they waited for Zack and Daniel to come in. She sipped her latte and felt her stomach turn over with nerves. Pushing the cup away, she turned to Zin who was sitting behind her, his body relaxed and open, his poker face perfectly set.
She, however, must have been wearing her heart on her sleeve because Zin sat forward and gently placed his hand on the back of her neck and began to rub his thumb along the pulse there in a soothing motion. She tilted her head into his hand and offered him a tentative smile.
“It will be okay, Pixie, I promise,” he said and kissed her bare shoulder.
“I know,” she smiled. “I just hate not knowing how or when the axe will fall.”
“I know Dushka, me too. But I promise you this; whatever happens I will be beside you, if not physically then in here,” he said as he took her hand and held it to his heart.
She melted at his words and knew that she would never love anyone like she did him. Tonight, she would tell him. She had been waiting for the perfect moment, but she knew it may never come and that every day was a gift not to be wasted.
Grabbing his hand, she dropped a kiss on his palm and then held it to her face. The door opened, and Zack strode in purposefully, Daniel behind him. She couldn’t tell anything by their faces, these men were the best of the best, and in that moment, she could see why.
Taking their seats at the head of the table they opened folders. Zack looked up and began. “Thank you all for coming in so fast. I won’t waste time. We received a call from Rhea Winslow in the early hours of this morning.” Celeste felt herself go pale at the woman’s name. “She has told us that she will be sending a car for Celeste,” he looked at her with something akin to pity in his eyes, “at ten this morning. Failure to send Celeste out will result in the live execution of Lizzie Bennett.” He said the words so clinically and calmly as if he wasn’t telling them that one or the other would be dead soon. Celeste knew it cost him though, Zack was a good man, and this was hard for him.
Celeste gripped Zin’s hand. She could feel every one of the emotions coursing through his body. Anger, fear, desperation, and the massive desire to protect her. He had never said it, but everything flowed through him right was now filled to overflowing with the emotion. She squeezed to offer him reassurance as Zack quickly continued.
“We have video footage of Lizzie and Smithy, and we have Will working on it to see if we can deem any clues from it. As you know, we did get some intel a few weeks ago with a possible location. We did find some evidence of them having been there, but we missed them. This may be difficult to watch so if anyone would like to leave the room, please do so now, for those that wish to stay, I warn you it is upsetting.” He looked around the room. Everyone shook their heads, including Dane and Lucy. Both looked as if they were in agony, but she saw Dane squeeze his sister’s hand. Her heart nearly broke for her friends.
Zack pushed play, and the monitor on the screen came to life. It showed a room with white walls and a concrete floor. Lizzie and Smithy were both tied to the chairs with gags in their mouths. They both looked relatively healthy if a little thin. Celeste heard Lucy gasp and turned to see Jace pull her to him, his jaw flexing in obvious anger.
Zin was a pulsing mass of anger beside her. She leaned into him, putting her head on his shoulder offering him comfort. He looked down at her and then kissed her head as he wrapped her in his arms.
Rhea Winslow walked onto the screen, immaculate in a white trouser suit and black stiletto heels. She stood between Lizzie and Smithy and ran a hand along Smithy’s shoulder and then caressed Lizzie’s face with a red-tipped forefinger.
Grabbing Lizzie’s hair, she viciously pulled her head back before holding a knife to her neck. Smithy went wild, trying to break free, to the point he nearly tipped the chair over. A large man with a black mask walked on screen and punched Smithy hard, knocking him out. He slumped forward, then the camera moved in close to Lizzie and the tears pouring down her face were evident.
The tension in the conference room skyrocketed when Rhea nicked Lizzie with the knife, she then looked into the camera and spewed her bile. “I will have no hesitation in slitting this pretty little throat if Celeste Bourdain is not delivered to my car at ten on Wednesday morning. The car will be at the Cathedral Entrance on the main road. Any ideas about trying to out-wit me will result in her live death on the internet, that is after she has been violated in every way imaginable. She has been looked after thus far, and I will continue to do so if you do as I bid. It is now time for you to decide who matters most, Lizzie or the tattooed whore.”
The screen went blank. Celeste felt her body begin to shake as Zin pulled her onto his lap and held her tight. An animalistic sound erupted from Dane as he stood and kicked a chair across the room. “I’m gonna rip her fucking heart out,” he spat as he began to pace. Lucy looked angry but determined as she held tight to Jace’s hand, her emotions closed down.
“I can’t imagine how hard that was, but we now need to cut the emotion and do our jobs,” said Zack as he looked around the room. “We don’t have a lot of time, which I guess was her intention. This is not an easy decision.”
Celeste interrupted. “Yes, it is. She will kill her if I don’t go.”
“But she will kill you if you do,” Zin said as he turned her to face him.
She focused on him and cupped his cheek. “No, she won’t, because you will find me and fix this. I trust you.” She implored him to understand.
“I just. I can’t risk it, Pixie. What if I fail?”
“You won’t fail, Zin. You don’t know how to fail. Neither do the rest of you,” she said as she looked around the room. The mixture of feelings was written on the faces of the people she had come to love. Kanan had stayed silent through the entire video. Quiet grief and fear were etched on his face.
“I need to go. She won’t hurt me straight away, she wants me to die as she plans; with the world watching. That gives you some time to come up with a plan.”
“This is a big ask, Celeste,” said Zack as he rose and came towards them. “We have no idea how they will behave with you.” He was frowning as if he hated the idea as much as Zin and Kanan did. But if anyone would understand her need to do this, then it was Zack. She looked at Dane and Lucy, they both looked so torn, it hurt to watch.
She felt Zin squeeze her gently to get her attention, so she turned to him, his face was full of concern, but he was calm, and she won
dered if she would be as calm if the boot were on the other foot. “Pixie, don’t feel like you have to do this, nobody is forcing you.”
“No, Celeste,” said Lucy as she came over to stand beside them, her arm going around her. “We would never expect you to do this, you mean too much to us.”
“But she’s your sister,” Celeste said quietly and dropped her head.
“Hey,” said Dane from a crouch in front of her, “she is our sister and god knows we would do anything to get her home safe. But that does not mean we are willing to sacrifice you to do so. You are our friend, and we have your back,” he said, and genuine feeling was written all over his face.
Celeste felt her throat go tight and fought back the emotion. If she lost it now, she wouldn’t be able to do this, and she had to, needed to.
“Thank you,” she whispered and touched Danes shoulder lightly. “But I need to do this, and I trust you guys.”
Dane nodded.
“Okay, if you’re sure then let’s get a plan together.” Zack stood and walked back to the head of the table.
Zin let her go and stood abruptly pushing back his chair. “No, this is not fucking sorted. How can you even consider letting her do this?” he spat, and his Russian accent thickened.
Celeste quickly went to him as he paced and touched his arm. He was so afraid of losing her it was all she could feel from his mixed-up emotions. She turned to the group. “Can we have a few minutes?” she asked.
Zack nodded, and she took Zin’s hand and pulled him towards the door, then led him into Zack’s office and shut the door.
“Sit, please,” she asked, and he did. Sitting next to him, she angled her body to him and grasped his hand tightly. “You know,” she began gently, “I never felt accepted as a child. My parents loved me, they did, but they were a unit before me, a very close unit and I could never quite break that two into a comfortable three. Don’t get me wrong, they were kind, but they were so wrapped up in each other, I couldn’t quite break through.”
