Seth was grinning, the arm with the gun lowering by accident in his surprise. “Good fucking job, Mark!”
“You, too, Seth.”
“What?”
“Put your gun down.”
“Fuck you, Mark. You ain’t the boss of me.”
“I am now, asshole. I said put the fucking gun down.”
“Fuck off.”
“Well, if you like, I can put my gun down and let these two shoot your ass. How’s that?”
Riley said, “Sounds like a plan.”
Seth glared at the three of them, hand squeezing the gun harder. Everyone was out to get him today. He’d make them all pay. Feigning cooperation, he snidely said, “Alright, have it your fucking way. They put the guns down first.”
“Fine,” said Mark. “Guys, do it please. Nice and slow.”
Connor glanced at a frowning Riley, who nodded. They reluctantly put their guns on the ground. Riley had several more on him, some obvious, others not so much, but no one seemed to notice. Ryan and Quinn would come up behind Mark in a matter of minutes.
“Make that dog behave,” Mark warned.
“Lay down, Coby,” said Riley. The dog obeyed, its ears perked up. The Marine had trained Coby well; the dog only appeared to no longer be a threat.
“Okay,” began Seth, “now Riley can tie up Connor and then himself.”
“Yeah?” Riley asked. “With what?”
Seth sneered. “Don’t play dumb with me, asshole. I know you got something for that on you. And another gun. Ditch that one, too.”
“Sure thing.” Riley slowly put down the other obvious gun from his waist and took his time getting out plastic zip-tie handcuffs from a pocket. Mark backed up warily, giving the Marine a wide berth.
Riley pulled Connor’s arm in front of him and put the ties on. That wasn’t best practice, as the hands should be behind, but no one told him to do it right. He didn’t tighten them particularly well either. He then put another zip-tie around his own wrists and used his teeth to mostly tighten that one. Mark then tossed their guns into a bush.
“Now sit down!” Seth barked.
The brothers complied, Connor’s eyes desperately seeking Sophia’s and finding them staring into his.
“Well, you’re not so tough now, are ya?” Seth continued, smirking. “Looks like two country boys was all it took to capture you.”
Riley calmly replied, “You are not long for this world, boy.”
Coby looked over at Seth, who swiveled the gun at his master. Before Seth could say anything, Jess stepped up to him and gently pushed the arm with the gun down.
“C’mon, Seth,” she began. “It’s over. Just turn yourself in. Others can’t be far behind. We’re never getting out of here without getting caught. Everyone knows what we did, so even if we got away, there’s nowhere to go.”
He glared at her, then at Mark, who’d walked past Riley and Connor to stand in the camp, his gun lowered. “What’s this ‘we’ bullshit? I saw you and Mark making moon eyes at each other. What the fuck happened tonight? You two are together now? Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck is going on? Has everyone gone insane?”
He stepped away from her toward the cliff with its long drop below. For a second he wanted to just jump off and get it over with. Everyone gets to be with someone they love but me, he thought. Nobody loves me. They never have. Never will.
His gaze fell on Jess and Mark, making moon eyes at each other again. Even that loser Mark was coming out of this better than him, on what was supposed to be Seth’s triumphant night. What a crock of shit this was proving to be. Everyone was going to win except for him. He had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Sudden anger filled Seth, who aimed the gun at Jess this time.
“I ought to shoot you,” he said, voice beginning to shake. “You betrayed me with him.” He barked out a short, bitter laugh.
“I told you to drop the fucking gun, asshole,” said Mark.
Seth saw to his amazement that the little prick had the gun aimed at him. “You wouldn’t fucking dare.”
Mark snapped, “Watch me, asshole.”
Seeing that Mark was serious was too much. Seth’s face contorted in rage and malicious intent as he swung the gun toward Mark, whose days of playing a fool were over. Mark pulled the trigger and a shot rang out in the night. Seth jerked backwards, a scream of pain splitting the air. His hand came away from one shoulder, covered in blood.
“You motherfucker!” Seth screamed, seeing red. “I’ll fucking kill you!” With a grimace of pain, Seth lifted that arm and aimed at Mark. As Jess screamed, another shot rang out. Mark dropped the gun and shook his stinging hand, for the bullet that missed him struck the gun, jarring it loose.
In the sudden chaos, Coby began to charge at Seth until Riley ordered him to guard Sophia, who ran for Connor and Riley. Her hands ripped at the ties as she tried to free them.
“My waist,” said Riley. He’d pulled the tie too tight to get out of it fast. She took the knife he’d indicated and began cutting at the bindings on Riley, her gaze on Connor as she breathed heavily.
Seth laughed, a cold, malicious sound that chilled the now defenseless Mark. “Not so cocky now, are you, asshole? I’ll teach you to talk to me like that. Or shoot me. Or fuck my whore!”
He aimed the gun at Jess and pulled the trigger as Mark leapt in front of her. The bullet struck Mark in the chest but he still charged a startled Seth, two more bullets striking him before he collided with his lifelong tormentor, sending both careening toward the precipice. Jess screamed as they fell over the edge and out of view.
A freed Riley and Connor ran for the cliff and found both men dangling a few feet away from the top and each other. Any farther and a sheer drop of seventy feet to the rocks and trees below awaited. Blood had soaked Mark’s shirt and he nearly fell before Riley snatched his arm and hauled him up silently, despite muscles in the Marine’s neck bulging and his face turning red.
That left Connor trying to save the man who’d broken into his house, shot at him, fought with him, knocked him out from behind, burned his inn down, kidnapped the love of his life, and then threatened to rape and maybe kill her. Even so, Connor wasn’t going to let Seth fall to his death and grabbed the closest arm, which happened to be the one Mark hadn’t shot. Seth’s hand closed around his forearm.
“Give me your other hand,” said Connor.
“Can’t lift it,” said Seth, sounding tired.
“Then use your foot to support yourself.”
Seth sneered, his face a mixture of contempt, rage, self-pity, and fear. “You don’t think I’m going to let you of all people save me, do you?” When Connor didn’t say anything, he added, “I fucking hate you, you know that? I hate your whole fucking family. If I could kill every last one of you, I would.”
“I know.”
“Yeah you do, don’t you?”
“I’m sorry, Seth.”
“Oh don’t you fucking pity me, man. I won’t take that from you. Not from you. Not now.”
“C’mon, let me pull you up.” Connor heard Riley coming down behind him but there was no way for them to switch places or for his brother to help. Seth was beginning to slip.
Seth said, “No.”
“I can’t hold you forever.”
“Just let me go.”
“I’m not gonna do that.”
“Why the fuck not? I deserve to die, and you deserve to be the one who kills me.”
“No one is killing you, Seth.”
Seth laughed bitterly, looking down at the brutal death below. “Aren’t they? People have been killing me my whole life, bit by bit. You wouldn’t know anything about that, though, would you? You’re the kind of guy everyone loves.”
Connor didn’t say anything. He tightened his grip, but it wasn’t helping. And then Seth let go, so that only Connor’s sweaty hand was keeping him from falling.
“Let go,” said Seth.
“No. Damn it, Seth, grab on again.”
“No. Maybe it’s the last thing I can do to you, make you not be able to save me.” He laughed, a cold, hollow sound. He felt delirious with the certainty of death seconds away, as if his imminent demise had cast his whole life into stark relief. No more bullshit. From anyone else. Least of all from himself.
Connor said, “This isn’t about me.”
“Yeah, it’s about me. Goodbye, Connor Kendall.” Seth started to wiggle his arm to get out of Connor’s grip.
“Damn it, Seth, stop moving.” To Connor’s surprise, the other man did exactly that.
Quietly, Seth said, “Connor, look at me.” Their eyes met, and in that moment, sudden tears appeared in Seth’s eyes. He began to breathe hard, fast and deep, a torrent of emotion bursting from him so that tears streamed down his face. For the first time in forever, humility, kindness, and compassion consumed Seth, an overpowering depth of sorrow shattering him.
Clearly meaning it, he choked out, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. I didn’t mean it. Any of it. Please tell Sophia I’m sorry.”
Connor opened his mouth to reply, but Seth suddenly wrenched his arm so violently that he ripped it from Connor’s grasp. Seth plummeted down the face of Sugarloaf Mountain without a sound, crashing into several branches before landing with a sickening crack on the rocks below, a blast mark of blood from his skull staining the stones around him.
Chapter 20 – Into the Light
Powerful hands hauled Connor upward and he turned to find Riley holding him. “I got you, brother,” said the Marine, pulling him away from the cliff.
Connor took a step or two with him, stumbling once over the rocky terrain, his mind still on Seth’s broken body below. The image replayed in his head and he briefly closed his eyes to block it out, to no avail. He’d never seen a man die before and felt responsible even though he’d done everything he could to prevent that death. It took a few words from Riley, who’d killed men on purpose for the United States, to snap him out of it. Unfortunately, Death wasn’t finished stalking those on Sugarloaf Mountain.
Mark lay on his back, his bloody hands on his chest, fingers and eyes locked with those of Jess, who knelt beside him, cradling his head with her other hand.
“It’s okay, Jess,” said Mark, his voice weak. He coughed twice, blood appearing on his lips.
“No, it’s not,” she protested.
“It’s been...the best day...of my life.”
“I don’t want to lose you. I just found you.”
“You’ll be okay. You found yourself, too.”
She nodded, crying. “Thanks to you.”
“You helped me find...myself, too.” He tried to squeeze her hand but his fingers wouldn’t move. “I love you for that.”
“I love you, too.”
He smiled, his sight beginning to go dark as his blood pressure dropped. “I know. I love you, Jess.” With those words, his head lolled to one side, and Mark was gone.
Suddenly Sophia was in Connor’s arms, burying her face in his shoulder and fighting back tears, from a blend of relief, grief, or horror. He held her close, stroking her hair. Only when he looked up did he finally notice that Quinn, Ryan, Kris, and Nick were all there, wearing somber expressions, halfway between being ready for deadly action and realizing it was over. The shaking light from a helicopter began sweeping the trees near them, finally settling on Jess and on Mark’s body. Connor had an image of Mark’s spirit rising up into the light and away.
* * *
The aftermath included all the usual things police do, from taking statements to securing the area and confiscating evidence. Sophia just wanted to leave, and Sheriff Ryan did what he could to speed things along, but with the state police involved, he’d lost authority over the case and couldn’t do much. A medic insisted on examining Sophia, who had no physical wounds. In fact, no one did except for the deceased. Mark’s body was easily removed on a stretcher, but it would be hours before anyone retrieved Seth’s corpse from the base of the cliff face. Jess was arrested, charged with a litany of crimes, and was later found to be pregnant with Mark’s child.
When the police finally released Sophia and Connor, the couple refused the offer of a ride back in a police car. That was so official, and stern, and everything unpleasant about tonight except for the safety implied in it. But they had nothing to fear anymore. With an escort of horses, ridden by Quinn, Riley, Kris, Ryan, and Nick, Connor and Sophia slowly rode home on Valentine, her arms wrapped around him from behind. Tristan, Victoria, and Tiger were waiting for them back at the house, where Chloe had also arrived. Nothing said “safety” to Connor, or even Sophia, more than his family. She knew then that she had to become part of it officially.
For a time, they all sat together in the living room, purposely surrounding Sophia and Connor with the feeling that they were safe and sound. Talk alternated between the mundane and about the kidnapping, everyone giving Sophia the option to not talk about it. But she wanted to. To get it out of her system, to purge herself, to be free forever from the black cloud that Seth had put over her head for years. A new reality had dawned. She sat in the middle of it. No matter what happened between Connor and her, a bond had been formed with the Kendalls forever.
When she finally became sleepy, from the stress if nothing else, Connor took her up to his old room and the queen bed there. It was cozier than the king he had at the inn, but they wouldn’t need the extra room tonight, wanting to wrap around each other.
“Let’s take a shower first,” Sophia suggested, turning to him. “I want to wash away everything.”
“I’ll wash you, and care for you.”
“I know.”
Connor slipped his fingers into hers and grabbed fresh towels from the hall closet on their way to the bathroom. The medic had looked her over, and Tiger had offered until she demurred, saying she was fine, but now Connor had his chance as he slowly stripped her and then himself. She seemed unscathed on the outside, her creamy skin as soft as ever. Her nipples had stiffened in sudden response to the cool air of the room, so Connor pulled her into an embrace that made those two peaks jab into his chest. Their lips sought each other while steam from the shower filled the room. He intended to avoid sexualizing this for her sake, but Sophia had different ideas. Something about death and her whole life being turned upside down made her feel the need for the all-consuming peace she felt when being intimate with him.
Once in the shower, as Connor’s soapy hands lathered her breasts, Sophia pressed them into his hands. He took the hint, giving her extra attention but keeping it low and simmering. Hard nipples stiffened more in his palms, his fingertips raking over them and gently pinching once, twice, three times. Her pussy ignited with desire. Sophia closed her eyes, putting one hand on the tiles to steady herself, the other on his shoulder. While Connor soaped her belly and reached around to her firm ass, Sophia tried to let the day’s events fade away. The here and now was all that mattered, and this feeling is what she wanted to immerse herself in.
“Your hands are so comforting,” she murmured, pushing against them.
“They worship you.”
“I can tell. You are a true sweetheart, Connor.”
“You bring out the best in me.”
She opened her eyes to see his proud cock straining into the air. “I can see that.” The hand on his shoulder slid down to fondle his balls, shaft, and finally linger on the swollen head. She scooped lather off her soapy belly, then returned to grasping his manhood, which throbbed in her hand.
“Be careful unless you want me to have you,” he warned. “You’ve had a long day. I don’t—”
“Being with you is just what I need. In bed. I want to fall asleep bare, in your arms, with you inside me.”
He lifted her chin so his tongue could part her lips and slip inside. Sophia moaned in pleasure, shuddering. This is just what she needed. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed all of her wet, slippery flesh against his, the hard shaft of his cock against her belly.
Connor’s hands soaped down to her ass and gently pulled her cheeks apart. A rush of cool air against her hot pussy made her feel exposed, but she trusted him with everything so that it turned on. She was damp with need and Connor’s finger came away from her swollen folds slicked with her essence. When the finger returned, Sophia thrust against it and Connor wondered if they’d make it to the bed. He dropped to both knees to finish this shower quickly, washing her feet one by one. Seeing him there, she turned around and bent over.
“Oh God, Sophia,” he purred. Both hands firmly shoved her ass cheeks apart and his tongue darted into her pussy to taste her sweet nectar. Trembling, Sophia lifted up on tiptoes to give herself to her man more fully. He took the hint, widening his tongue to lap at her like a starving dog. Sophia’s heart raced wild and she lay her face against the cool tile. A gasp erupted from her when his eager tongue caressed her sensitive clit. Within seconds, the small spasms turned into tremors. Feeling like she was being devoured, her pussy ravaged by someone who adored it, Sophia opened her mouth in a silent scream as an orgasm built deep in her womb. Her knees nearly giving out, she came hard and saw stars behind her closed eyes. Throaty moans of pleasure told Connor everything he needed to know.
“I have to have you,” Connor croaked, every fiber of his being screaming with need.
“Yes!”
He rose on shaking legs and pressed the head of his swollen cock against her dripping pussy. As both of his hands moved around to cup her heavy globes, Sophia slid back onto him, enjoying the fullness of his manhood as he entered her heaven inch-by-inch. Her pussy clenched him eagerly, claiming him, Connor’s balls coming to rest against her. The feel of his flesh against her ass delighted her as he ground himself back and forth inside as if to make it clear every last inch of his bare cock was in. When his fingers closed around both nipples and squeezed, she hissed a sharp breath between her teeth and trembled anew. Pulsing in ecstasy, Sophia came again, heat coursing up her belly and down her legs. Her pussy burned with fire.
Grunts of satisfaction split the air as Connor fucked Sophia. They groaned in tandem, like primal animals finding their mates. They’d intended to make love, but there was time for that later. His sac slapped against her pussy and Sophia held onto the towel bar above her so hard that she snapped it off. After the moment of surprise, she threw it down. Connor lifted her torso so she wasn’t bent so much, and changed to short, aggressive thrusts, one arm encircling her as if to hold her captive. The other sought the hidden nub between her folds and rapidly flipped across it.
Connor (The Kendall Family Series Book 2) Page 18
