She moaned softly as his fingers penetrated her. “Oh, god, yes…”
Again, came that momentary frustration that she could be so responsive, when so much needed to be dealt with. Only his carnal need had him suddenly pushing himself inside her. James gasped to feel himself in her. Her desperation was evident as she rocked her hips against him, her vaginal muscles already clenching with a pending climax.
After so much time without each other, it was never going to be a drawn out affair. James, too soon, was attending his own need, thrusting harder and deeper into her, holding her firmly to satiate his cock. It was not intimate or reciprocal, but certainly delivered the ecstasy of his release with all its carnal pleasure. For a minute it was incredible, but soon James was aware of what he had done, and was chiding himself for it.
“I’m sorry.” James kissed her shoulder, his arm around her, ready to lie to cover his guilt. “I didn’t mean for that to happen quite that quickly.”
Mairead turned back to him, grinning. “I’m surprised you lasted that long. Oh, my god, that was wonderful.” She kissed him and rested her face against his chest. “I love you so much.”
James sighed quietly and kissed the top of her head. “I love you too, baby. Why don’t you finish your shower and we’ll go get some lunch?”
She nodded. “I’m going to do myself up a bit today. Do you know how long it’s been since I bothered with my make-up? Too long, and it’s time to start living again. I’m going to get through this, James. For you, for me and our baby. Dylan would want me to, wouldn’t he?”
“He would.”
Mairead grinned. “He’d have some wisecrack to make about me. He’d tell me to stop sulking and get up off my arse, just to wind me up.”
James heard the slight tremor in her voice. “That’s exactly what he would say.” He patted her bottom. “But you just go at your own pace and I’ll be right beside you.”
“Thank you.” She pecked a kiss to his lips and returned to the shower.
When he was out of the bathroom, James shook his head, feeling ashamed and frustrated. He had purposely denied her the pleasure he could have given her. While Mairead was lovingly expressing her absolute faith in him, he was betraying her by not being able to summon the same for her. He could scarcely imagine her hurt if she knew what had been discussed with their parents.
His father had suggested bringing in a full time nanny once the baby was born. “You have a living to make, James, and you can’t be with her all the time. She will have long hours alone with the unrelenting demands of a baby. Do you really feel she is ready for that?”
Sitting on the bed, James wrung his hands struggling to know how he would answer that question. An icon was flashing on his phone screen, three missed calls from an unknown number. As much as he didn’t want to talk to anyone, he picked it up as it rung again.
“Yes?”
There was a pause, before a quiet, deep voice spoke. “James, it’s me, and I assure you, I’m not calling from heaven or hell.”
It took a moment for James to respond. “Dylan?”
“Yeah, I’m alive and by now, you’ve probably heard enough to hang up on me, but I’m hoping you won’t.”
James stood up and paced the room, holding the phone down. He laughed quietly and shook his head, before bringing it up again. “It’s bloody good to hear you, Dylan, but do you want to tell me why you haven’t rung sooner?”
“I’m only a day out of bed, and still fucking sore. Otherwise, I would have called you. How is Mairead?”
“Not great. She’s traumatised and distraught and blaming herself for your death, and after what she’s told me…” James paused as he tried to calm. “What the fuck happened, Dylan? I need to know.”
“Right now, I’m stuck in my house and you’re about the only one with a car who knows where it is. I’d be happy to answer all your questions if you want to come out and get me.”
“How has that happened?”
“My slaves have decided to put me under house arrest for my health’s sake, but I need to get out of here.”
“I can’t leave Mairead, not the way she is. It was only yesterday she was able to speak to me about any of it.” He glanced towards the bathroom door. “Dylan, I need to know. Did Mairead fuck up? Did she put herself, you and everyone else in danger through doing something completely irrational?”
“No, James, she didn’t. I’m the one who fucked up, and if it wasn’t for Mairead, none of us would be here, and that’s the absolute truth. You, me, Vanessa… we all owe her our lives. How the hell do you think she got you away the day you got shot?”
“I don’t know. My memory of much of that hasn’t been reliable. All I know is that four people died, crashed into a logging truck and Mairead was somehow involved. She hasn’t spoken of that.”
“Four men who had every intent of finishing you off. Mairead singlehandedly got you and Esther away… quite spectacularly. I’ll tell you about it one day.”
‘I’ll work my way up to that one. What about this Russian bitch? Mairead tried to abduct her. Tell me that wasn’t madness on her part.”
“Mairead was the only one who figured out who Asya was. If I hadn’t had my head so far up my arse, I might have worked it out too, and been there for Mairead when she put her plan together. Instead, I let her down, thinking she was safer away from me. Once again, Mairead has managed to show me the extreme errors of my ways.”
“You don’t think the wisest response would have been to lay low? Mairead is pregnant and had the baby to think about. Instead she endangered her own life and that of our child’s.”
“But it doesn’t mean she was wrong. Don’t underestimate who we were up against. This was a Bratva vendetta and they were always going to come after her to get to me, and eventually they would have got her. They just didn’t count on Mairead fighting back and if it wasn’t for her, I may not have found them before it was too late for any of us. Whatever you’re thinking, James, this time you’re wrong. Mairead probably hasn’t told you half of what she went through, but before you fuck up, James, you need to remember, when it comes to Mairead, nothing is ever black or white. I’m humbled by her courage and the debt I owe her, the debt we all owe her, and if you can’t accept what she did for you, then you don’t fucking deserve her.”
James sat down on the bed and swiped at a runaway tear. He breathed for a moment and nodded. “Thank you.”
“Don’t sweat it,” Dylan replied. “No one knows more than me, when it comes to the women who love us, we have the tendency to be total pricks.”
“Yes,” James nodded. “And it doesn’t help when I make the mistake of listening to others, instead of trusting her, so thanks for the kick up the arse.”
“You’re welcome, but this is not over yet. Some of them are still out there and they have Esther. My people are trying to find her and keep me grounded, but it doesn’t work like that. I need to be out there finding her myself, but I can’t do anything stuck here. All I need is to get into the city and I can take it from there. I wouldn’t ask if there was any other way.”
“Yes, I know, and I owe you for what you did for Mairead.”
“It wasn’t an issue. I got her out and she got my foot in the door and then I blew it sky fucking high and half the cunts with it. Not as many as I would have liked to.”
“Dylan, someone else got stung badly in all this. Vanessa is blaming herself for what happened. She feels she should have suspected something about Sophie.”
“It wasn’t possible. I’ve since learned that Asya was FSB, and I know how well they train these operatives to blend in.”
“But she’d probably like to hear that from you. I trust Vanessa with my life and I’m sure she’d be happy to help you. I don’t want to let you down, but Mairead needs me.”
There was a pause before Dylan replied. “Yeah, she does, and I’d trust Vanessa as well. I’ll give her a call.”
“I’ll give you her new number.”
“Already have it.”
James grinned. “Of course you do. Good luck, Dylan, and it’s fucking great to hear from you.”
“Thanks. When I can, I’ll come and see you and Mairead. In the meantime, just tell her I’m thinking of her.”
“I will.”
James hung up and sat there thinking of what Dylan had told him. Glancing toward the bathroom, he wondered how Mairead would take the news. Tossing his phone onto the bed, he strode back to join her. Mairead was at the vanity, with a towel around her, trying to put make-up on with a trembling hand.
She smiled. “I won’t be long.”
“Forget that,” he said firmly, stripping the towel from her body. “Get back in the shower.”
“James,” she grinned. “I’m not getting wet again.”
“Oh, you are definitely going to get wet. In fact, I want you sitting back in that chair with your legs spread over the arm rests.”
She stared at him wide-eyed. “James, what’s got into you?”
His stern gaze fixed on her. “Let’s get something straight, right from the outset. While I may not be able to tan your arse until you’ve had this baby, there are many other ways to discipline you when you feel a need to question me. Now, little girl, are you going to do as I told you or would like to spend the afternoon writing an essay on why you should obey your husband?”
Mairead giggled, but tried to look contrite. “No, James. I hate writing essays.”
“Chair, now.”
She bit her lip as she went to the chair and sat down. Leaning back, she hooked her legs over the high padded rests. She watched James approach, discard his towel and kneel down between them. His hands gripped her thighs as he kissed and gently bit the inner flesh of one, moving upwards towards her vagina. He did the same with the other, taking his time until he could hear her heavy breathing.
His thumbs spread her labia and he captured her engorged clit between his lips and softly sucked on it, pausing to admire it before tormenting it again.
Mairead whimpered as he made long, slow licks of her vagina with each of them ending with his tongue flicking her clit and then thrusting deeply inside of her. James knew she was holding back and he was determined to make her fail. Pushing his fingers inside of her, his mouth renewed its assault on her clit.
“James, please…” Mairead moaned loudly.
His timing was perfect, taking his fingers from her and plunging his tongue inside as she climaxed. His face pressed into her as her come filled his mouth and her cunt bucked against him. When the tension had gone out of her, he withdrew and placed a soft kiss on her clit, before grinning up at her.
Mairead was breathing heavily and gazing at him. “That was… oh, my god, that was fucking awesome. Would you… would you like me to...?”
“I’d like for you to know how proud I am of you,” he smiled, standing up and holding his hand out to her.
She took it and James drew her up from the chair and into his embrace.
Mairead smiled and shook her head. “I wasn’t sure if you were.”
“I’m never going to let you doubt that again.” He gazed at her. “Mairead, I’m as terrified as you are of becoming a parent, but one thing I know absolutely, this child will have one incredible mother.”
Her lip trembled. “Do you really believe that?”
“Are you questioning me again?”
She grinned. “No Sir.”
He smiled at her. “Mairead, I have some news for you, good news but I’m still worried that anything is too much at the moment.”
“I’m alright, James.” She stroked his face. “My greatest fear has always been losing you.”
“That will never happen.” He clasped her hand and kissed it. “I love you more than anything that exists. Nobody will ever tell me again that you are anything other than the most courageous woman I have ever known. You alone are my best friend and I’ll do everything never to let you down again.”
She gazed at him tearfully. “You never have, but it’s always good to know you believe in me. Now you’d better tell me the news before I start to panic.”
James took a deep breath. “Baby, I’ve just been told how incredible you were by someone who has the deepest respect for you and always has, and is very much alive. Dylan is alive and well, sweetheart, and very much indebted to you.”
Mairead stared at him until her face crumpled. “Dylan is alive?”
“Yes, baby, he is and he promises to come see you soon.”
As she broke down into tears, James gathered her up and took her place on the chair, holding her in his lap and embracing her. He was content to allow her to cry as long as she needed, knowing she had held back these tears too long. Once the worst of it was over, he knew exactly what she would be needing.
CHAPTER SEVENTY
For a while, Lena stood in the kitchen doorway, watching Dylan prop himself against the counter, finishing the breakfast she had prepared him. His attention was mostly upon the papers in the folder next to his plate. The slight grimace on his face told her that he was still in pain.
Lena returned to the lounge to wallow in her guilt. A day had passed since she’d released and showered him. After seeing the entirety of his burns and severe bruising, it had awakened her to how selfish she had been about her own problems. What could have been an intimate moment between them had been completed silently. She had simply done what was needed and refused to look at his face, though her heart had raced, touching him, seeing every inch of his body.
Even the night had been spent apart. Lena had waited for him in the lounge, hoping they might talk, but by midnight, Dylan still hadn’t emerged from his study. That morning he had showered and dressed himself, and his ignorance of her was becoming hurtful and irritating.
Eventually, Lena returned to her bedroom and sought the one comfort she had in her misery. It had been an unexpected delight to discover a key to the wine cellar sitting in a kitchen drawer.
She’d taken a few bottles to keep hidden in her bedroom for emergencies, and this was one of them. It usually only took a few glasses of any alcohol to calm down, but it was nearly a bottle later before she sat back in her chair, still angry and brooding.
She should have been happy. Greta had looked wonderful on the computer screen. There had been tears of joy and forgiving words exchanged. In a week or so, they would be together again. Of course, Greta didn’t know that she was still drinking.
Lena knew she had to stop. It was the alcohol that had driven Greta away to begin with. Instead of comforting her through their loss of Danil, she had chosen to drown her emotions in an alcoholic binge that had lasted for weeks, during which time some awful truths had emerged.
Greta would never allow any criticism of her stepfather. To her, Danil had been a hero, martyred for his devotion to Ukraine.
Lena smirked bitterly and spoke to the empty room. “Love should begin at home. Where was he when I was running a restaurant alone, when tattooed thugs would waltz on in and scare my patrons or take the day’s takings?”
Tears ran down her face. “And where were any of you, when they held me down over my own kitchen bench and forced themselves upon me? None of you came and I picked myself up and I carried on. So to hell with the lot of you.”
Lena drank back the last of the bottle and decided it was time to talk. She checked herself in the mirror before leaving the bedroom and headed back to the kitchen. Dylan was on the phone talking to someone. She started towards him until he spoke again.
“There’s another I’m particularly concerned about, Asya’s uncle, Eddie Ivanchenko, and he’s extremely dangerous. I believed he had turned his back on his family a long time ago, but it seems blood is thicker than water. I nearly had him at a hotel, but he was gone before I got there. The next day it was him, bringing Mairead out to me, traumatised and with her eye swollen shut. I wanted to shoot the fucker right there and then.”
Lena backed away, confused and trying to tell herself
that he was speaking of a different Eddie. Her thoughts were flooded with images of the hotel that day, of seeing the tattoos on his body, of screaming at him to get out while he had tried to explain.
Was he going to tell her how he had changed? Had her harsh words driven him back to his family? The Eddie she had known had been far too gentle to hurt anyone. Something had gone terribly wrong.
“Oh, god, what have I done?”
Lena entered the kitchen and impatiently waited as Dylan continued to speak.
“Just follow the co-ordinates, Vanessa. You’ll find the place, and thank you again. If I don’t get myself killed by the end of this, I owe you one. See you in a few hours.”
He had barely hung up when Lena shouted at him. “Jahn, I need to talk to you.”
“What’s the matter, Lena?” His gaze narrowed in on her and his expression hardened. “You’ve been drinking again.”
“It doesn’t matter…”
“Yes it does, because you need to take a shower and sober up. We’ll be leaving here in three hours.”
“I’m not drunk and I know exactly what you’re doing…”
“Then you’ll know I don’t need you half cut before we leave. Where are you getting the booze, Lena?”
“I found the key to your wine cellar, but that’s not…”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” He walked away.
Lena ran after him, grabbing his arm. “Listen to me.”
He turned back to her angrily. “What? You’ve made your wishes clear. You don’t want me in your life and I’ll abide by that.”
“How?” she yelled. “By getting yourself killed? Is that the way you believe I wanted you out of my life?”
“One way is as good as another, and it shouldn’t make any difference to you.”
She slapped his face hard. “Don’t you dare say that to me, don’t you dare.”
He breathed through his fury, the palm of his hand aching to respond.
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