by Aliyah Burke
It’s going to be so hard to walk away again.
“Siddy?”
Tucking some hair behind her ear, Sidra placed her empty mug on the cushion and looked at him. “What?”
“We need to talk about after.”
After. As if they had one. She forced a grin. “Don’t worry. I am sure they’ll give you a proper document to sign this time.”
His beautiful blue eyes hardened. When he shook his head, Sidra put two fingers over his mouth.
“I need to not think about anything else right now.” Truthfully, she didn’t want to think on it at all. Her insides fluttered when he kissed her fingers.
“When are you telling me where the chip is?”
“I…just don’t know.”
“Come on,” he said.
She let him pull her up. “Where are we going?”
“For a walk.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?”
Pete cupped her cheek. “Positive. Come with me, Siddy.”
She never had been able to tell him no. Soon, they were bundled up and walking through the woods around the cabin. Snow still fell and they were surrounded by silence. Glancing at him, she smiled.
“You’re looking all serious and pensive over there. Why?”
“Not pensive or serious, Siddy. Just enjoying spending time with you.”
His thick accent made her toes curl in her boots.
“Is that a fact?”
He looked at her, eyes searing. “Yes, ma’am, that’s a fact.”
She nudged him with her shoulder. “Promise I’m not keeping you from work? I don’t want you in trouble.”
“No need to worry, Siddy. I’m on leave.”
On leave. Yet another reminder of how different their lives were. Pete had a job. She didn’t.
“Okay. If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure I want you.”
“You are completely crazy if you think I’m stripping down out here. Winter. Snow. Cold. Any of that ringing a bell?”
He pulled her close and kissed her nose. “Heat. Undeniable passion. Adventure.”
Her body quivered. “Oh no, you are not sweet talking your way into my pants. Not out here.”
Pete lifted her over his shoulder, eliciting a scream from her.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you inside,” he said calmly.
This time she did struggle. Soon, they fell to the snow-covered ground. Laughter burst from her mouth as she jumped up and ran.
“Siddy!” he hollered.
Sidra didn’t look back, just pushed harder across the landscape, struggling through the deep snow. There was little warning before he tackled her. They rolled through the snow ‘til they came to a halt. She laid on her back, looking up at him, chest pounding from the run. The cold seemed to drift to the back of her mind as he stared at her. His eyes heated her up all over.
“Does this count as spousal abuse?” He lifted a brow, and Sidra continued biting back her laughter at his expression. “I was fearful. Running for my life and—”
Pete kissed her silent. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms tight around him. Her body ached for more of his touch. Breaking the kiss he bit her lower lip. Longing pulsed through her and her pussy creamed.
“Pete,” she whimpered.
“Oh, I’d love to, Siddy. I’d love to drive my cock deep into your hot pussy. Fuck you long and hard.”
Her nipples hardened to painful points. “Yes,” she sighed.
“I want you to come all over my cock.”
Yes! Her belly quivered.
“Then I want to come deep within you. Coat your womb. Make you understand no other man will ever be what you want, that I’m the only one for you.”
I don’t want any other man but you, Pete. Haven’t since I met you. And you are the only one for me. But she couldn’t say that aloud.
His head dropped by her ear and he whispered in a darkly seductive voice all of the things he longed to do to her. Flames flowed through her veins as she arched into him.
“You said no, Siddy, not out here.” He drew back and looked at her.
She watched his face from beneath lowered lids. With a tortured sigh, she wrinkled her nose. “So I did.” Sidra locked her desire up in a box. She wasn’t sure how long it would stay there but it was worth a shot.
“Come back inside with me, Siddy.”
“You were the one who wanted to take a walk. And as long as I’m down here, I may as well make a snow angel.”
“You truly are hell on a man’s ego, Siddy.” He shook his head and got off her.
Her eyes drifted up his body and lingered over the evidence of his desire pressing against his jeans. She licked her lips and stood. Stepping in close to him, she put her hands on his chest.
“I’m sorry, Pete. Trust me, I want you just as much, but I’d kinda like to stay outside for a while. Can I make it up to you tonight?”
His gaze darkened with longing. “You can make it up to me whenever you want, Siddy.”
“I’ll even ask your brothers if they have handcuffs with them,” she said with a wink before walking off and finding a pristine spot of snow.
Sidra fell back and laughed at the cloud of snow which floated up around her. She made her snow angel, thinking back to the last time she’d done one. Many years. Pete came into view and he reached out a hand to help her up.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she stared at her creation. “That was fun. I haven’t made one of those since I was a little girl.”
Pete held her tight and kissed her cheek. “Are you ready to talk, Sidra?”
She hung her head. “Sidra, huh? Must be time for serious-talk.”
“I can’t let you vanish after this is over, Siddy. Not like last time.”
“What do you think is going to happen, Pete? Really. We wouldn’t have been brought back together if not for the false document you were given.”
His eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that if the paper you were given hadn’t said we had a child, you wouldn’t have sought me out. You would have signed and gone on your way.” Sidra forced out the words as she stepped away from him and crossed her arms. “Can you honestly say I’m not right?”
“I don’t know, Sidra. Did you ever think that maybe we’re still married because it’s supposed to be that way?”
“No. I didn’t think that. Pete, let’s look at this logically. You’re a Navy pilot stationed out in Virginia Beach. I’m sure you never lack for female companionship. If you were ready to settle down, don’t you think you would have married one of them by now?”
“You are talking nonsense, Siddy.” Pete shook his head. “Absolute nonsense.”
“I don’t think I am. Pete, we’re too different. I saw the look on your face when they told you Julie wasn’t going to be working as your wife. I don’t want you to wake up from this a year from now and hate me because I kept you from going out and dating as you have been doing.”
“So sure I’ve been out dating, Siddy?” he asked on a low growl.
“Yes. You’re a single, damn good-looking male. Not to mention a pilot.”
“And that’s okay with you? Me out with other women?”
No! Hell no! “It doesn’t matter, Pete. The point is you went back to that after we parted ways. So that’s what you want. Not to settle down. Plus, I don’t know if I am ready to.”
Rage filled his expression. “Listen to me, Siddy. It doesn’t matter how we got brought back together. We are back together. And we’re still married.” He stepped closer to her. “I find I like that a lot. A hell of a lot.” One hand reached out and wrapped in her hair. “I like knowing you’re mine, Siddy. That I get to lay beside you at night, that I am the man who makes you scream to the heavens in ecstasy. All of it makes me arrogantly proud.”
Her knees trembled and her heart rate increased tenfold. “Look, this just—”
He kissed her. Held
her head in place with the hand in her hair and plundered her mouth like a dying man searching for thirst. Sidra gave in with a whimper. Grabbing onto his coat with her hands, she returned the fervour, submitting to his domination of her mouth.
He tore away from her lips and stared down at her, eyes alive with blue lightning. “I’m gettin’ mighty tired of you making excuses, Siddy. Simple question. Yes or no. Do you want a divorce?”
She swallowed a few times, trying to get moisture into her mouth. “I’ve already signed them.”
The muscles in his jaw clenched and his gaze narrowed. “That wasn’t my question, Sidra Bonnaire. I asked you, if you wanted a divorce from me. Tell me if you want to remain married to me or not.”
He dropped his arms then crossed them. His eyes refused to release hers. Sidra opened her mouth to answer when a movement behind him caught her eye. Dread filled her.
“No,” she said on a half whimper.
Chapter Five
There was no way he could explain the pain which lanced through him at the single word that slid from her mouth. No. She said no. As in, no, I don’t want to stay married to you. Being told he could no longer fly couldn’t have hurt as much as that one word did from her lips.
“I see,” he bit off.
“No, Pete, he’s here.” She spun him around. “Larson’s here.”
The second he laid his gaze upon the man, protectiveness roared to life within Pete. Reaching into his pocket, he swore when he realised he had left the phone which would alert his brothers there was trouble in the house. Then he focused on Sidra.
Her body was tense but it was her eyes that snared him. Never before had he seen such anger and rage in them. He watched her briefly close them, take a deep breath and open them again.
“Larson!” she yelled, heading off towards the cabin.
“Sidra, no,” Pete said reaching for her.
She shook him off and continued on her way. There was a bad taste in his mouth as Agent Larson, former Agent Larson, began to walk towards them. It wasn’t hard to recognise the shape of the object in his hand. There was a gun pointed at them.
“Sidra Bonnaire,” Larson said as he neared. “You are a hard woman to catch up to.” Those green eyes looked at Pete. “And you, Lieutenant Pete Kysenzki, had I known that’s all it would take to get you to find her, I would have done it sooner. Damn, you were like a bloodhound tracking her down.”
Pete put himself in front of Sidra. “It won’t work, Larson.”
The man tsked. “See, this really doesn’t concern you, Kysenzki. I never had any use for you anyway. I didn’t want you on the case to begin with. I knew you were going to be trouble. That’s why I had to get rid of Julie. I knew she would fall for your charms and pick you over me. I just didn’t expect Sidra to be such a slut with you.”
Pete barely kept the snarl from slipping up past his teeth. “Watch how you talk about my wife, Larson.”
Thin lips peeled back into a nasty smile. “So you’re claiming her now? Well, should have known. She looks like she’d be a hot piece of ass.”
Sidra’s hand on his arm stopped him from jumping at Larson. “Don’t give him a reason.” She stepped up beside him. “I think we need to talk, Larson.”
“Not really. I just need the chip.”
“Hmm,” Sidra said. “And I need assurance that you won’t kill him once you get it.”
Pete lifted a brow at her choice of words. She wasn’t bargaining for herself, but for him. Oh no, Siddy. I’ll not let you bargain yourself away for me.
“I don’t know about that. I really don’t like leaving witnesses.”
Sidra shrugged. “Fine. But you’ll live the rest of your life uncertain when and where it will pop up.”
“I don’t think so,” Larson said.
Pete flinched when something hit him in the back of his neck. Reaching back he felt a dart sticking out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sidra weave and fall forward. Larson was there to grab her.
“No,” Pete slurred as the ground rushed up to meet him.
* * * *
“Wake up, Pete.” A large hand on his shoulder shook him, bringing him back from the fog surrounding him.
Pete groaned and opened his eyes to find both brothers hovering over him. Past their blond heads, he could see the ceiling of the cabin. His mind was foggy. “Siddy?”
“She was gone when we found you. What happened?” Cort asked.
Pushing to a sitting position, he moaned. “Larson. But he’s not working alone. We were facing him when I got hit.”
He ran a hand over his face and swore. He had to get to Sidra before she gave Larson the chip. There was no doubt in his mind Larson would kill her once he got what he wanted from her. And Pete wasn’t about to let that happen.
“I have to find her.”
Taber disappeared only to return carrying guns and ammunition. “Let’s go bring her back.”
Cort looked between the two of them. “There are plenty of old logging cabins dotting these mountains. We need to split up.”
A cold anger settled around Pete. He had always joked about being blood thirsty but for the first time in his life, he could say he was, without a doubt, looking forward to spilling that man’s blood.
“Fine,” he snapped. “But…if either of y’all find that bastard, you bring him to me. I want him.” He reached for a rifle and also took Sidra’s SIG Sauer Taber must have found and brought along, and shoved it into the back of his pants. Spearing Cort and Taber a look, he reiterated, “I mean it. That fucker’s mine!”
They bundled up in and headed out. Cort pointed them each off in a direction and they made sure they had working coms. Pete smiled at Taber, grateful his brother always packed like he would be on an op whenever he went somewhere.
“Let’s go,” Pete said.
He shared a look with his brothers before, as one, they split off. He moved in the direction where he’d been hit with the dart. Crouching down, he scanned the ground. It may have been a few years since he’d gone hunting, but he could still track. Moving swiftly yet cautiously, Pete proceeded deeper into the forests of the Cascade Mountains surrounding his brother’s cabin.
Up ahead, he saw a small rundown shanty perched on the hillside. “I’ve found them,” he whispered, knowing the microphone against his throat would transmit the message clearly.
“Coordinates?” Taber’s voice reached him.
Checking his watch, Pete relayed them even as he put his eyes back on the cabin. There was no smoke coming from the chimney but the unbroken windows were fogged up and the snow on the front step was cleaned off. He wanted to rush in there, but the knowledge Larson wasn’t working alone kept him back.
Moving slowly, Pete began creeping closer to the cabin. Loud voices came from inside, and each time one echoed through the air, he flinched. Jesus, I don’t know how much more of this I can take without running in there.
“Bitch!” the pissed off masculine voice streamed out from one broken pane.
“Fuck you!” Sidra hollered just as loudly.
Pete was glad to hear her but not pleased she seemed intent in pissing Larson off.
“I’m on the south side,” Taber said.
“Coming up from the north,” Cort added.
“She’s alive, I heard her yell, but she’s not happy and neither is he.” Pete slung the rifle over his shoulder and put the SIG in his hand. “I have to get to her.”
“We’ve got you covered, Pete,” Cort said. “On your mark.”
“Don’t forget he’s not working alone. I’m moving on three. Three. Two.” He went. Low and fast through the snow to the wall of the cabin. The noise coming from the building didn’t much register; Pete was focused on one thing. Getting in there to Sidra. Crouching, he moved to the door and hesitated before he kicked it hard and rolled in, coming up, gun palmed and ready to fire. A quick survey of the room told him Larson and Sidra were the only ones there.
A low roar of anger left
him as he saw Larson on top of Sidra. They were fighting and Larson obviously had the upper hand. Even so, Sidra didn’t appear to be going down without a fight.
“His partner’s not here,” he muttered before he fired two quick shots into Larson’s shoulder, knocking him off of Sidra.
His rage grew even more when he took in the battered condition of her body. Not that he got to see it much, for when Larson flew back, she rose up and followed him down, continuing to strike at the bleeding man.
Pete reached for her and pulled her off. “Stop, Siddy, stop.”
Her body shuddered against his and he longed to let her finish beating him until she was content. “Cort. Siddy’s hurt and I need you to cover this piece of shit.”
“On my way.”
He refused to look at her again until after Cort had entered and trained a gun on Larson. Then Pete put on the safety and shoved it in the back of his pants. Cupping her bruised and bleeding face in his hands, he stared down at her.
“Siddy? Oh my God, baby, I thought I’d lost you.”
She pulled away from him and jerked the gun from his waistband. “I need to borrow this.”
He restrained her. “No, Sidra. Not like that.” Pete wasn’t going to let her go against her beliefs.
Sidra shook. “He was going to rape me,” she said in a monotone voice.
Pete looked at her clothing and noticed her turtleneck was ripped almost apart. Was going to. As in hadn’t. He kissed her cheek careful of the bruising. “Don’t stoop to his level, Sidra.”
“Get him out of my sight,” she snapped, “before I shoot him in a place where it won’t ever stop hurting.”
Cort jerked the man to his feet and slapped a pair of cuffs on him with an ease that Pete would have admired on any normal day. “Let’s go, you bastard,” Cort growled.
“My arm,” Larson wailed. “You can’t do this!”
“I’ll let her shoot you if you prefer,” Pete offered.
Larson shut his mouth quickly, but continued to glare at Sidra. Cort herded him out and Pete followed with Sidra. He was shocked to see Taber waiting there, for he didn’t know the man had moved from his position, but he was glad he was there.
