He strode into the room and plucked her off the couch, settling her on his lap. Before she overcame her shock and formed words, he put a finger over her lips, stilling the questions about to burst forth.
“Before you ask, I’m fine.”
“What happened? You work behind a desk. That’s what you said. You said you rarely go out in the field, like almost never. This isn’t almost never!”
He chuckled and planted a kiss on her lips, but she broke away.
“Seriously, what happened to you?”
“I’m fine. There was a situation I had to handle. This wasn’t necessarily a Guardian issue, it was personal.”
“Personal? What happened to your arm? There’s blood on that bandage.”
“Yeah, bullet holes bleed.”
Faith launched off his lap as she shouted, “Bullet holes! Holes? Plural? Who shot you? Oh, my God!” She ran her hands through her hair and pulled, trying to… well, hell, she had no idea what she was trying to do—other than not go insane.
Jason closed his eyes, and his head dropped back onto the couch. “Babe, really, if you could not shout right now, that would be great. I’m working on no sleep. I’m hurting, and I’ve got a headache that won’t quit.”
Faith dropped to her knees between his legs. She ran her hands up his thighs and tried to control the tidal wave of fear drowning her. “Please Jason, tell me what happened.”
“Horace Clement tried to blackmail me for $5,000,000.”
“Oh, my God! Hit? What could he possibly use to blackmail you? Wait… why would he blackmail you? Was he the one who shot you? What happened to your face?” Her hand trembled so much she couldn’t trust herself to touch the massive bruise that spread over his jaw and encompassed some of his cheek and throat.
Jason leaned forward, wrapped his arm around her waist, and drew her back onto his lap. “Hey—hey, calm down.” His hands wiped the tears she’d no idea she’d shed. He pulled her against his chest and she burrowed into him.
“You’re trembling. Just relax. Breathe with me. In… and now out… In… that’s right, now out. Everything’s going to be alright.”
Faith buried her face into his neck and clung to him with all her strength. She had known something was wrong. She just knew it! God, what would she do if Hit had killed him?
“He got lucky and got one shot off.”
“Huh?”
“You asked what you would have done if Hit had killed me.”
“I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
“Mmmm… the phone call last night was our people telling us that I’d received a call at the company that acts as a… well for simplicity sake let’s call them a storefront. Anyway, Mr. Clement left me a message. He wanted $5,000,000 or he’d file a custody claim for Reece. He had pictures of you, from before.”
Bile rose in her throat. After everything she’d done to be a good mom for Reece; the therapy, getting her GED, working hard to support him—Hit could ruin it all.
“I wasn’t going to let that happen. We worked through the night. It was insanely easy to build enough evidence against him to get a federal warrant. We flew to Detroit this morning.”
“We?”
“Jacob, Jared, myself and three teams.”
“Teams like Lima Team?”
“As a matter of fact, they were one of the teams that responded, yes.” Faith processed that information. She liked the men on Lima Team. They were loyal to Jason, and she’d seen the way they protected him both on the plane and when they were exposed at the airport.
“The initial breach was surprisingly easy. We cleared the first floor without any problem. The second floor was… interesting.”
“That’s where the patched members bring the hangers-on and their old ladies to party. It’s where those who live at the club have their rooms and where the bar and pool tables are. Some of those women would do anything to be the old lady of a full patch MC member.” Faith shuddered at the memories of how those women had treated her. The women didn’t like the competition—as if Faith ever wanted the scum to touch her.
“Well, the women there were doing anything… and then some.”
Faith snorted. “You mean they were having an orgy.”
Jason stroked her hair. “It took a while to get them separated and processed. Final count was fifteen women and twenty-three men. Every one of them high. We found weed, H, coke, Oxy… you name it.”
“The enforcers? They usually didn’t party with the masses.”
“Oh, no, the enforcers put up a pretty good fight, but they were on the third floor.”
“Protecting Hit.”
“Yes.”
“How did he shoot you?” Faith lightly touched the gauze wrapped tight around his bicep.
“When clearing a building that size you go room by room. Clement had about a dozen men with him and at least that many more that tried to join the fight. Things got dicey and the bastard got a shot off.”
Her eyes fell on his hand that lay over her thigh. The dark-red, bruised knuckles, the cuts, and the swollen fingers were familiar to her. She’d seen what a man’s hands looked like after a fight.
“Did you kill him?” Her finger brushed the knuckles of his hand, her whisper barely loud enough to hear.
“No, he’s alive.” Jason stroked her arm just to ground himself. He knew she was trying to grasp what he’d told her.
“Did you want to kill him?”
He tipped her chin so she was forced to look at his bruised face. “I will do whatever it takes to keep you and Reece safe, but I have never wanted to kill anyone. That bastard threatened to try to take Reece from us. I did what I needed to do to protect my family.”
“How would he take Reece? And how did he know? About us, I mean.”
“He knew you were involved with me from your father. Your old man must have been watching you. From what we can piece together, he used the information to get in good with Hit. He didn’t have much, just my name, which led them to the storefront information.”
Jason kissed her forehead. Comforting her was bringing him down. He needed the connection.
“Why was my father watching me?”
“I don’t know. He was shot during the raid and hasn’t regained consciousness. I’ll clear it with the Detroit Police Department and get you in to see him.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“I didn’t know if you would want closure. He’s your father.” Jason knew he’d never forgive the son of a bitch, but Faith, well, he’d support her no matter what she decided.
“The day he gave me to Hit, he gave up the right to be my father. I don’t ever want to see him again. I’m not going to lie to you. I’m so upset I could chew nails and spit tacks, but I’m not going to see him. I’m not going to think about what pictures of me that asshole might have had, and I refuse to let them take away the happiness I’ve found.”
“I’m so glad. I was worried about how you’d react.” Jason couldn’t stifle a yawn.
“But I am upset at you! You could have died. He shot at you.”
“Nah, he just pissed me off.”
“But it was dangerous!”
“For him, yeah. For me? The asshole got lucky. Twice. Once when he got a shot off at me, and the second time when Jared and Jacob hauled me off the bastard. I was pissed when they did it, but in hindsight, if I’d killed him, I’d be stuck in Detroit doing the paperwork, and I wanted to come home, so… there’s that.”
Her huff of air resembled a wet laugh. “Well, thank you for coming home. I prefer you here. I’m not sure I’m okay with you getting shot at.”
“Doesn’t happen often.” Jason closed his eyes when her hand cupped his cheek.
“So you say. Come on, Superman. You’re exhausted. Shower, sex and sleep in that order.” Faith stood and extended her hand.
Well hell, that sounded like a plan. He let her pull him off the couch and down the hall. Her luscious curves would have drawn him like a
magnet anyway, but he’d let her lead—for a moment. After all, he liked plans, especially ones where he ended up naked with her. Naked and wet was even better.
He stopped Faith to peek in at Reece, allowing Tippy to take his place at the foot of Reece’s bed. Jason pulled Faith back against his chest and kissed the top of her head.
“If I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me up.”
“You’re not dreaming.” He closed the door and took her hand to lead her into their bedroom. He didn’t stop or release her until he’d turned on the hot water for the shower.
“Do I take the bandages off?” Faith’s focus traveled from his bicep to his eyes. The love that shone brilliantly from those huge chocolate orbs made the stress and effort of the last twenty-four hours disappear. He was where he needed to be, with her—as sappy as that sounded.
“No. Get in the shower, I’ll wrap this up and come join you.” He lifted the camisole top she wore and swore under his breath. Fuck, he’d never get used to seeing the beauty of his woman. Her pale, soft skin glowed in the diffused lighting of the bathroom. He couldn’t stop his hands from cupping her breasts. His thumbs circled her nipples and the buds hardened and peaked. A shiver ran over her. Her eyes closed and her mouth parted, inviting his kiss. He ghosted over her, barely touching her plump lower lip.
Her almost silent gasp at his fingers’ increased pressure over her breasts had his cock weeping. Fuck, he loved the way she reacted to his touches, his kisses. He sipped at her lips while his hands examined and claimed her, inch by glorious inch. The touch of his hands alternated between barely-there caresses to possessive demonstrations of his desire. Her pajama bottoms pooled at her feet, but the wisp of lace that remained lasted ten seconds longer than it should have. Damn good thing he could afford to buy her new lingerie.
Faith’s fingers flew through the buttons of his fatigues. She pushed the uniform top off his shoulders and it dropped to the floor. He didn’t care. His web belt seemed to frustrate her. He couldn’t help laughing when she stomped her foot, even though she didn’t pull back from their kiss.
“Something bothering you?” His words came between kisses.
“Yes, get rid of these pants!”
“I have to take off my boots and wrap my arm. Keep the shower warm for me.” He chuckled at her pout and spun her, pushing her through the waterfall that separated the shower from the bathroom. He slapped her full ass and laughed at her small shriek.
The boots and pants lasted no more than a minute, and the waterproof wrap could have been wound neater, but not when he was dying from blue balls. He stalked toward the shower and stopped dead in his tracks. Faith had taken a hand towel and folded it to use to pad the stone floor. Currently kneeling in the center of the shower, she smiled wickedly and crooked a finger toward him.
His feet moved of their own accord, because higher functioning had ceased, simply stopped. All the blood from his brain now filled his raging hard-on. What his woman could do and would do with her mouth made him a very, very lucky man. A woman who loved to give head? Fuck, he’d won the lottery in all fifty states, at the same time, without buying a ticket.
“Baby, you don’t have to do this.” His cock perked up, and if it could have, it would have knocked his ass out. Yeah, it cost him to say those words, but hell… he meant them.
Her hand snaked out and grabbed the base of his shaft. Jason jerked into her warm, tight hold. The tension in her stroke pulled a deep groan from somewhere inside him.
“This is mine, and I want to taste you.”
Faith held his gaze with hers until her tongue circled the head of his cock. His eyes crossed, rolled into the back of his head and exploded when she deep-throated almost his entire length on the first attempt. His arm shot out to the shower wall to steady himself, and the other hand held her head, not forcing her to stay, but encouraging her nonetheless. Finally, she pulled back. Her tongue swirled his crown, and she took him deep again. This time, her lips reached the base of his shaft. He felt his cockhead push down her into throat, the tight grip unlike any other sensation. Faith pulled away slightly and moaned. The resulting vibration went straight to his balls, and it was everything he could do not to explode down her throat. Jason stepped back and pulled her up.
His arms banded her tightly, and his kisses branded the delicate skin on her neck. He pushed her back to the wall and grabbed her ass, lifting her to his waist.
Faith’s gasp echoed around the stone-lined walls of the shower. “You make me feel so small, so… incredibly safe.”
“I’d do anything to protect you. I love you.” Jason growled his words into her neck.
***
Wrapped in his arms, Faith pressed closer to the rock-hard muscles of the man who held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Need surged through her in a force stronger than anything she’d ever felt before. She needed to show him she loved him as much as he loved her—to somehow be worth the sacrifice he’d been willing to make. Every fiber in her body was pulled tight with the unquenchable desire to be his everything, because that was what he was to her.
She felt him guide his shaft under her. His huge mushroom crown slowly pushed in, sending tiny shivers of pain and pleasure through the fabric of her body. Heavy plates of muscles rippled under her hands as his back flexed and his body moved deeper into her core. His sure hold on her crushed her nipples against his coarse chest hair. With each thrust into her core, the abrasive rub of his chest against hers doubled the sensations her mind strained to process. But she couldn’t. The fear of the day, the relief of having him home again, the gut-wrenching knowledge that her past had once again reared its ugly head, all combined in a tidal wave of emotions.
Desperate to get closer, be closer with Jason, she clawed at his back. His hissed response and sharp thrust spurred her further. She kissed his neck and sucked the salty skin into her mouth. The mark she’d leave didn’t matter. Her need to devour and be devoured by him remained her only concern.
“Ahh!” She pulled away from his neck to gasp or scream or… hell, something. His cock was pounding inside of her now, the heat and hardness pushing her closer to that sexual ledge. “More. Please… Jason… more.”
She grasped his shoulders when he shifted her weight. With his hands under her arms he bounced her on his cock. Sharp pulls of pain, mixed with delicious, desperate, building need. Her breath exploded out of her lungs at each percussive thrust. Jason’s lips found hers. His tongue invaded her mouth with the same possessive thrusts as his cock. The exquisite cornucopia of overwhelming sensations concentrated deep within her and exploded. White and red spots filled her vision. Jason’s kiss swallowed the scream that his lovemaking ripped from her. She clung to him. His motions shuddered and became jagged as he came, pushing himself deeper while trapping her against the wall and his body. He pulled away from her lips and growled a guttural sound as his hips stuttered through the finale of his orgasm.
She pushed his wet hair back from his face. Jason’s eyes opened, their vivid green not quite focused. Exertion or satisfaction flushed his face. He was absolutely beautiful, and he was hers.
Slowly, he lowered her to a standing position, still trapping her against the travertine wall. She ran her hands up and down his back, feeling the muscles jump and contract under her touch.
They held each other as they came down from the delicious high they’d chased together. Jason’s soft caresses and lingering kisses told her as well as his words how much he loved her. Her past had conditioned her to believe no one would love her. Theo had shattered that assumption when he pulled her out of the cesspool in Detroit. Jason’s unconditional love was a blessed gift, one she’d cherish forever.
They cleaned up and toweled off. She could see the exhaustion etched in the lines around his eyes. They pulled on pajamas and fell into bed moments before Jason snagged her waist and tucked her into his side. He sighed, “Love you.” His words carried on an exhale into the stillness of the room. She smiled in
to the darkness at the small snore that immediately followed.
***
“Hey, what’s wrong, little man?” Jason’s voice woke her with a start. The bed dipped as Jason moved. She lifted her head to see over his shoulder. Reece stood at the side of the bed with his hand on Jason’s arm. The nightlight from Reece’s room illuminated their bedroom.
“Tippy got scared.” Reece grabbed the blanket and tried to pull himself up the elevated bedframe.
Jason palmed Reece’s bottom and pushed him up onto his chest with no apparent effort. “He did? What scared Tippy?” Jason’s hands ran up and down Reece’s back. The little boy relaxed on Jason’s massive chest and tucked his head under Jason’s chin.
“Maybe he had a bad dream.” Reece’s voice wavered. Faith reached out and took Reece’s hand in hers. Jason adjusted his arm and she laid her head on his shoulder so she and her son were face to face. He wiggled his fingers in her grip and she lifted them to her lips to kiss the tips.
“Maybe. What do you think he dreamed about?” Jason’s soft voice rumbled in that deep, raspy way that had become imprinted in her heart.
“’Splosions. He got scared ‘cause he doesn’t want this house to blow up, too.”
Jason’s hand stopped momentarily and then resumed rubbing the little boy’s back. “How about we tell Tippy that he never has to worry about explosions again. I can promise him that.”
“You can?”
“Yes, sir, I can.”
Reece shook his hand free from her grip and lifted up onto his elbows. He stared at Jason hard and asked, “We gets to stay here and you’re going to be my daddy, right? ‘Cause you love us. Right?”
“This is our home. You, me and Mom will live here as a family. I do love you, buddy, and I am so proud to be your daddy.” There was a catch in Jason’s voice that brought tears to her eyes.
Jason (Kings of Guardian #4) Page 19
