The Strand Brothers Series: Complete Set

by Lora Ann

  I growled, taking her mouth with mine while viciously biting down on her bottom lip, and captured her scream of terror. When I pulled back, blood was dripping down her chin. I warned, “Find control or I will do things to you that nightmares are made of.”

  She nodded, schooling her features. My guess: she was finding her happy place. “Good. Yes, just like that.” I encouraged, licking the blood off her face. She was a delicacy I would have trouble avoiding. I reared back and tugged the covers with me. She’d been dressed in a virginal white, cotton gown. A sacrifice lay before me. Though I wanted to rip that nightgown off and plow into her, I knew better. I needed her trust. After re-covering her body with a blanket, I rose from the bed and yanked on a pair of pants. Her eyes were glued to my large, throbbing cock I had just tucked behind fabric. Uncomfortable wouldn’t be a sufficient description, yet I invited that agony. Wasn’t just the pain I inflicted that aroused me, it was mine as well.

  When her gaze met mine, she licked her lips and eased the covers off. I cocked my head to the side studying her. Next, she removed the gown as my eyes roved over her body. She had big breasts for such a small frame. “Touch yourself,” I commanded. She did as I asked. While she may be a virgin physically, she’d had some experience with pleasure. That much was obvious.

  She whispered, “Like this?” as her hand traveled to her bare nether lips.

  “Who taught you?” I groaned as she inserted a finger inside her core.

  Shame cast an ugly stain on her face as she mouthed, “My father.”

  Ah, so the judge liked to watch his little girl masturbate. Sick. Though, I’d be a liar if I didn’t appreciate this piece of information. Something more to ensure I had his full compliance. Nice. Very nice of him to give me one more thing to hold over his disgusting head. Her jaw had gone slack due to how close she was to an orgasm. I strode over to the edge of the bed and placed my hand on hers. “Remove it.”

  Her hand slid out of her sex with a wet sound. I placed those slick fingers into her mouth. “Taste yourself.” With wide eyes she sucked off her own juices. Seemed he’d never taught her that. I searched for just the right object. My eyes alighted on an engraved pen from the first election I had won. Never taking my eyes from hers, I reached for the pen and demanded, “Take your fingers out of your mouth and suck this.”

  She obeyed, looking down at her cunt. I wanted her arousal to trickle for me. No such luck. So I dipped my finger along her crevice, capturing what I’d been hoping for. “Fuck yourself with that pen.”

  Again, she did as I told her. Meanwhile I licked my fingers clean, watching in fascination. “Break it,” I growled.

  “What?” she stilled.

  “Either you do it or I will,” I leveled a look at her that told her I meant it.

  Before she could bust through her hymen, someone knocked on the door. I bit out, “This better be a matter of life and death.”

  Helga responded, “There’s a detective here to see you.”

  That snapped me back to the here and now. “I’ll be right down.”

  I turned to the nude form before me. “One word out of you and you’re dead. Clear?”

  Her eyes were on the floor as she answered, “Crystal, sir.”

  Once dressed, I inquired, “Your name?”

  “Lilly.”

  “You will do as Helga instructs. You will follow her directions implicitly, Lilly. If you do not, I will punish you.” I walked over to her and grasped a handful of hair, yanking back. “You won’t enjoy it,” I vowed, releasing her and turning to leave the room. I locked her inside that room and heard a sob coming from the other side of the door. Yes…that was what I wanted, for Lilly to realize I was the one who held not just the key to her freedom but her life. About time she understood there was no escape from me. Only one had left my captivity, and she would pay dearly. Once I got my hands on her, Keeley would beg for the death. And I would drag it out for as long as possible. All while she watched me destroy Aimee. My plan was forming quite well. After I took care of this detective, I’d begin to make arrangements. Nik would snap at the loss of his beloved wife. As for the other two Strand boys, well, I would just have to find their Achilles’ heel. Everyone had one, just a matter of time before I found out theirs.

  Chapter Six

  Alex

  I squeezed Ari’s hand as she slept. From what I could tell, she had more color in her cheeks. “Thank you, Jesus,” I whispered.

  Her eyes opened into tiny slits. “You really believe in him, Alex?”

  “Yes, I do, sweetheart.”

  She nodded. “Have you been praying for me?” Her question was filled with not a little awe.

  “I have. And so has Nik and Aimee, Lacey and Even. Which that right there is proof, Ari,” I confessed.

  “How so?” her head was angled to one side as her eyes opened wider.

  “Even has struggled with his faith for many years.”

  “Really?”

  “Indeed. But I think Lacey brought him into the light.”

  She smiled. “Both of your brothers are very much in love with their wives.”

  “Nik absolutely is. Even and Lacey are engaged, but yes, his world revolves around her.”

  She reached for some water. I assisted her as she drew hard from the straw. Once she’d finished drinking, she inquired, “What are they waiting for?”

  I sighed heavily and then answered, “Keeley.”

  “Oh,” she muttered, fiddling with the blanket.

  “You miss her.” Wasn’t a question, the answer was written across her face.

  “I do.”

  The look she gave me broke my heart. Keeley had saved Ari’s life. Plus, they had survived hell at the hands of the devil himself. That formed bonds in which others could never break. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t take that friendship from my daughter. God, she still didn’t know that part. I acknowledged she was still too sick to be given that information. I was waiting for Sofie to arrive so we could be on the same page. I glanced at my watch and realized she was two hours late. While I didn’t know the woman, the girl I once loved was punctual to a fault.

  Ari hadn’t missed my distraction. “Is something wrong, Alex?”

  I stood. “Nothing for you to worry about.” I bent over and kissed her head. “I’ll be back in a little while, okay?”

  She reached for the remote. “I’ll be here.”

  As the door closed behind me I grabbed my cell phone, something just didn’t feel quite right about Sofie not being there.

  One thing about my brothers, if you placed a call saying you were concerned about someone or something, the cavalry was sent to your aid. Fucking amazing when you thought about it. I’d absolutely drop everything for them, had dropped it all in a moment’s notice and would do so again. No. Questions. Asked. I was pacing the main lobby as they walked in. The observation of several people stepping back at the intimidating sight brought a smile to my lips. Something I hadn’t done a lot of recently.

  “Now there’s the puss I know and love,” Even greeted. Leave it to my younger brother to point out what I had just been thinking about him and Nik—with his own flare, of course.

  Nik grinned. “’Bout damn time my brother smiled about something. To what do we owe this honor?” Once reaching me, he pulled me into a hard hug. This side of Nik took some getting used to. He truly had been a cold-hearted bastard for years. Though I couldn’t say I blamed him. Who wouldn’t after all he’d lived through? Yet Aimee had awakened him from his pit of ice and despair. To be honest, we owed her far more than thank you for such a gift. E was now clapping my back. He’d changed, too, thanks to the lovely Lacey. She was good for him in more ways than one. A true light to help him find the balance he’d always been missing. I blew out a long breath, refusing to admit—even to myself—how much I wanted what they had. My chance had come and gone. With not a little effort I shoved those feelings down deep, no sense wishing for things that would never come to pass. I glanc
ed over at Nik and answered, “Gratitude, my brother.”

  “Fuck,” E chimed in, “Don’t get all mushy, man.” His booming laughter drew more eyes to us.

  I motioned towards the exit as we all went outside to talk. Once away from prying eyes and listening ears, I proceeded, “I haven’t heard from Sofie.”

  Nik inquired, “Why would she contact you?”

  I shook my head out of frustration. “What I meant is, she said she’d be here today by noon.”

  E put two and two together. “It’s three o’clock and she’s nowhere around, right?”

  “That’d be correct,” I replied.

  “What’s the story there, Alex?” Nik queried as he sent a text.

  Hell…I knew this would come up sooner or later. The part of my life I had never shared with either of them was coming out of the closet with a vengeance. As I paced, they stood there and gave me space to order my thoughts. “Well, the H-bomb you know already. Ari is my daughter.”

  “When the fuck did you and Sofie get together?” E’s brow was furrowed as he searched his memory.

  “Was it a one night stand?” Nik queried.

  I met his gaze and spelled it out. “The summer you were in prison I fell in love.”

  “Holy shit!” E gasped. “You never said a word.”

  I leveled a look at Even. “Wouldn’t have mattered, little brother. You were in more trouble than Mom could handle.”

  He grumbled a few ripe cuss words under his breath. I knew that wasn’t a time in his life he was proud of. Just like I acknowledged Nik still had guilt over his time in lock-up. Even spoke up, “I get it now. You were in Sac that summer.”

  I nodded. “And having a great time, while my brothers suffered and our mother was going through hell. Didn’t seem appropriate to gloat.”

  Nik confirmed my suspicions of guilt when he responded, “I’m sorry I wasn’t around to share in your happiness.”

  “I was happy,” I scoffed, “until she didn’t show at our prearranged meeting place.”

  “Back up a minute. So, you knew she was pregnant?” E inquired.

  “Yes,” I affirmed. “We had decided to run off and get married. We were supposed to meet on the Golden Gate Bridge. She needed time to get away from her father. And it was the perfect place to meet since we were planning on going to school there.”

  Nik motioned with his hand to continue.

  “When she didn’t show, I called her. But she never answered. After a week of not hearing from her or knowing if she was all right, a letter arrived.”

  E stopped me. “Hold up. You didn’t go to her parents to make sure she was safe?”

  I glared at him. “Fuck, Even. Of course I did. Or at least I tried.”

  “Expound there,” Nik piped up.

  “Simple really,” I explained. “Her father had me removed from the property. Said she changed her mind and had left town.”

  E ran his hand through his hair. “And you believed the lying SOB.”

  “Unfortunately, I did.”

  “So this letter,” Nik continued, “What’d it say?”

  “That she didn’t love me. Never had. She was disgusted by the fact she carried my spawn and would be terminating the pregnancy immediately. She threatened if I tried to contact her in any way she’d file for a restraining order, which would ruin my career.”

  “Fuck a duck,” Even hissed. “That’s cold, man.”

  “Ya think?” I responded sarcastically. “To answer your next question, I never tried to contact her again and went on with my life.”

  “Hiding your pain from us,” Nik pointed out.

  “Well, what would I say, exactly? There was this girl I fell in love with, turned out she was a real bitch and took my heart with her when she left.”

  “God, Alex,” E replied. “You still think that about her?”

  At that point, I sat down hard on the nearest bench and rubbed my face with both hands. “No. That’s the problem I’m having.”

  Nik had joined me and was steepling his fingers in front of his mouth. “Her father was behind the whole thing.”

  “Apparently so,” I confirmed.

  “You still love her,” E stated.

  I fought back my emotions hard and refused to answer or make eye contact, which was telling in and of itself.

  E went on, “All these years I just thought you were the free spirit. Always smiling, always laid back. Never seemed to let much bother you.” He then glowered at me. “You’ve been living a lie.”

  “I-I,” I stammered. Never in a million years would I have thought my brother would be angry with me.

  “You’re out of line there, little brother,” Nik cautioned.

  With eyes wide, E scoffed, “The hell I am.”

  For all intents and purposes, E viewed me as a fraud, putting on a show and never really letting either one of them in. While that hurt like hell, it was the truth. “I’m sorry,” I said as my head hung in utter disgrace.

  “Fuck your apology, Alex,” E snarled as he made an angry departure.

  Nik rested his hand on my shoulder. “Give him time, brother. Even has a hot temper, you know that.”

  “Yeah, he does,” I conceded, “though this time he has every right to be pissed at me. I’ve been lying to everyone I love for years, including myself, honestly.”

  “Hey,” Nik consoled, “you never meant to hurt anybody. I get it. By the time you could’ve shared, the wound had healed, scar tissue formed. I mean, why open that shit back up if you didn’t have to.”

  I exhaled loudly, “Still doesn’t make it right, Nikko. But I really appreciate your support.” I reached over and clapped his back. “Thank you.”

  “Fuck, Alex. Don’t thank me. I put you all through the wringer. I’m grateful you even speak to me at all, let alone love me.” He half-smiled, “Besides, we’re family. We tend to hurt the ones we love most, y’know?”

  Hell yes, I totally and completely agreed with him on that. I had never meant to cause any form of anguish on my brothers. Just like Nik hadn’t when his life spiraled out of control in circumstances he really couldn’t dominate even if he tried. There was the difference between us. I could’ve rectified this years ago and chose not to do it. Now, I had to reap the consequences of that choice. The piper had come for his due whether I was ready to pay it or not. E’s anger was justified. Problem was, it only made me dislike Sofie more. How fucking stupid was that? She was as much a victim, more so actually, than anyone. Yet, I blamed her. Held her accountable for her actions. What kind of monster was I? Where would that lead us? Nowhere good, that was for damn sure. So why bother worrying about her? Best to just leave it all alone. She was a grown woman who could make her own decisions. She didn’t need or want me to give my two cents. Yet, I couldn’t stop this deep ache inside that she was in need of protection. Danger seemed to ooze around her profound and copious. Something wasn’t right. I bolted upright. “Nik?”

  “Yeah, my gut’s telling me the same. Let’s make some calls.”

  I nodded and followed him back inside. The woman may drive me bat-shit crazy but she was still the mother of my child. That alone demanded I look out for her. The fact that I wanted to bury myself deep inside her luscious body had to be ignored. I’d control that base side of myself if it was the last thing I did.

  As we rounded the corner, there she stood. The reason for all this damn turmoil. Beautiful, intelligent, stubborn as hell, and no, that should not turn me on. However, I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t. I searched her face and realized something was wrong. Oh, God, please don’t let it be Ari. I rushed to her side. “What’s wrong?”

  She was shaking out her hands in front of her. “I can’t find her.”

  “Who are you talking about, So?” I grabbed her hands and began to rub circles along the underside of her wrists. The calming effect was what I aimed for. But when her eyes met mine, I saw desire spark. Shit. I also saw terror there, so I latched on to that instead. “It
’s okay. You can tell me.”

  “My daughter,” she let out on a long exhale.

  “I’m confused. Ari is in there,” I inclined my head towards the hospital room our daughter was recovering in.

  She licked her lips and confessed, “Stepdaughter, actually.”

  I dropped her hands instantly. “You’re married?” My voice rose with what all that entailed. Fuck, I had taken her in that storage closet without even considering she had a husband. What kind of bastard did that? Then, it hit me. “Wait a damn minute. You have a husband and you’re just now saying something?”

  She shook her head and began to pace. “Ex-husband. God, Alex, I’m not a whore.”

  The appalling tone I heard in her voice told me that was exactly what I’d accused her of. “Sofie…I didn’t mean it that way.”

  She scowled, “The hell you didn’t, Alex. At least call it what it is, you don’t trust me. You still hate me for my betrayal, and I’ve really given you no grounds to change your mind.”

  Absolute truth. Yet, this wasn’t the time or the place to get into all of that. “How long has your stepdaughter been missing,” I inquired, pulling my phone out from the inside of my suit jacket.

  She shot me a look over her shoulder. “Her father says she’s with him.”

  “But?”

  She handed over her cell phone, and I read the text on the screen. “Fuck. Sofie, how long ago was this?”

  “Last night,” she confessed.

  “And you’ve been out searching for her alone,” I stated. The answer was obvious on her face, no use questioning.

  “Yes,” she confirmed. “Before you get your undies in bunch, I didn’t call the police because my ex-husband has most of that department in his back pocket, so to speak.”

  “What does he do?”

  “Judge,” she sighed.

  “Well…isn’t that special,” I mocked.

  Her brow rose. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Let me make a call or two, I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay,” she whispered as I walked down the hall.