Nicola dragged Coco from the floor and out of the path of Antonio, who leapt over their bodies, straight for the throat of her corrupted son. Before he could cry out or run or even wet his pants, Ramon was on the floor, dead. One single abrasion marred the smooth skin of his throat. His head lay at an odd angle. Antonio had not drawn blood.
Nicola moaned at the sight, covering her eyes. “Damn you, Antonio Silva.” She looked up, tears staining her face. “Damn you and thank you for taking him from this Earth.” She sobbed and knelt on the floor over his body, rocking and pulling at her hair. There was no one to mourn Miguela. She laid, eyes wide open, a look of horror etched on her face.
“I thought you couldn’t do that anymore.” Coco rose to her feet, using Antonio’s broad body to steady her. She was disoriented and dizzy, seeing, hearing and smelling so much more. She felt whole. Complete.
“I can’t. But she didn’t know.” He bent and picked up the broken twine that Coco had dropped. He took the other piece from her hand and placed them on the flat of his palm. As she watched, they turned to dust. She bent close and blew the residue off his hand.
“Antonio. What shall we do with these two? And her…” Jedidiah nodded at Nicola. “Is our secret safe with your Tia Nicola?” In a heartbeat, Antonio stood in place of the tiger. Coco walked into his arms, burying her face against his naked chest. Strong arms wrapped her up and held her tight.
“Even after I maimed Ramon, she didn’t tell. I don’t expect she’ll tell now.” The woman was still crying softly, rocking back and forth. He looked down at the blonde woman on the floor. “You scared her to death.”
“Not a nice way to go. But I assure you, she earned it. The first time she bargained with me, it was for the death of another child. She was not even in her teens.”
“And you did it?” Coco turned to the demon in shock.
“Of course not. Even I have standards… of a sort. I simply made a point to return when she was older. She wanted her sister’s husband and wealth. From there, her damnation was assured.” He nudged the body with his foot. “The coroner will find she died of an aneurysm. Ramon is a bit more of a problem. Thankfully, you didn’t tear out his throat.”
“I’m not completely stupid.” Antonio sounded offended. “I never meant to hurt him back then, it was a panic reaction. Tonight, he meant to kill us all. They’d hurt Coco. It had to end.” He tightened his arms, drawing her closer. “I am so sorry, Tia Nicola. So sorry.”
She wiped tears from her face, rising to face them. “Carry my son to the base of the steps. He fell down the landing as he ran to find help for Miguela. I found them both this way.” She nodded, tears starting in her lovely eyes again. “We come into this world alone; we go out alone.”
“He wasn’t alone, Nicola. He went with the woman he loved.” Coco’s eyes burned with tears for the old woman.
Nicola gave a slight, sad laugh. “I was talking about me.” She walked to the front door, back straight, shoulders back, and opened the door. “Be on your way. There’s no moon tonight; you should run on the beach. Welcome your animal home.”
Antonio returned to the ruined circle, picking up the ruins of his clothing. He shook his head, bundling it under his arm. Jedidiah laughed. “Look at it again.” When Antonio shook it out, the clothing was completely whole. “I may be a fallen demon, but I’m not completely useless.”
Antonio stepped into his pants, not bothering to button his shirt. He took her hand, and they stepped into the darkness that was alive with movement and sound and color. Coco turned back, expecting to see Jedidiah behind them, but he was gone, and the door was closed. When they started down the porch steps, the dark shape of Ramon’s body was sprawled before them. “We’re alive, Coco.”
She looked solemnly up at her mate. Her lover. He picked her up, lifting her past the body and setting her down on the still warm pavement.
In the next moment, a large black tiger and a small red Siberian trotted down the sidewalk, never looking behind them.
Chapter Eleven
“You’re sure you’re all right?” Antonio surveyed her critically. Her arms were secured to a hook above her head. He’d left her legs loose this first time in bondage.
“I’m fine. More fine than you. I don’t know how someone as vanilla as me ended up with a freakin’ kinkster.”
He snorted in amusement. “Last time I had a sub tied up, Jedidiah and…” He stopped, deciding it was best not to share the fact that her brother had been with him. “Jedidiah dropped by and offered me a job. To find you.”
He stalked around her body and she twisted her head, following him. He was vain enough to take pleasure in the fact that he looked appealing to her. The dim light gleamed off the burnished gold of his naked torso. His white cotton pants flowed with his movement, doing nothing to hide his erection.
Yup. If a husky could purr, she’d be rumbling now.
He stroked her body, loving her curves, cupping her breasts. Quickly, he slipped a pair of nipple clamps on, stepping away to evaluate the effect. She wasn’t too bothered by the sensation, so he slipped her tank top back on, saving those nipples for later. She twisted and watched, pivoting on her toes.
“Be still, Coco.” Something in his voice demanded her obedience, so she gave it… for the moment. “Good girl.”
“Woof.” She smirked until his hand came down on her ass in a stinging slap. She squealed, pulling hard, scooting her bottom away from his hand. He spanked her again; she shrieked and did the one thing neither of them expected.
“What the hell are you doing up there?” He fought down laughter at the surprised expression on her face.
“The butt is sacred. Never hit the butt.” Upside down, she clung to the chain, which swayed back and forth. She’d wrapped her ankles around the tackle that mounted it to the ceiling and swung several feet above the ground.
“If you fall, you’ll hit your head.”
Nimbly, she slipped her hands from the loose leather cuffs. “If I fall, you’ll have to put on your running shoes if you want to catch me.” She glared at him. “Tail and ass are sacred, tiger. Come up with some other punishment.”
“Come down and we’ll talk it over.” He smiled guilelessly and she glared some more. He ran his tongue over his teeth; they were a bit sharper than they should be.
“What big teeth you have there, Grandpa…”
“I love the exquisite control you exercise over your subs, Antonio. There’s much I could learn from you.”
Coco shrieked and tumbled down from the chain. Antonio cursed, catching her before she hit the ground. Carefully, he set her on her feet. He hissed in anger. “I hate when you do that!” Coco was slapping at his hands, brushing him away. She was still angry about the swat to her ass. Her round, delectable ass. It was indeed worthy of worship. His waning erection revived, until he turned to look at Jedidiah, who sat at his ease in a large, overstuffed chair. The chair hadn’t been there before. He sighed in resignation. Thankfully, Coco was wearing clothing. If she and her nipple clamps had been bare to his sight, Antonio might have had to kick some demonic butt.
Jedidiah burst out laughing.
“Did you just read my mind?”
“He didn’t have to, Prince Charming. You sprouted fangs.” In spite of her anger, Coco leaned into him for a moment. She did that a lot. When they were walking down the street or just hanging around the apartment, she’d brush up, bump him and be on her way. He didn’t think she even knew she did it.
“So are you two honeymooners happy back here in Seattle?”
Antonio glanced down at Coco, who was leaning on a spanking bench. Really, as a sub, she was a disaster. But he’d never had a sub who’d dangle upside down from a tree branch and give him a blow job.
She was perfect. But Seattle wasn’t.
“It’s kinda dreary. No place to go boarding.” Coco glanced at him apologetically.
He smiled and turned to Jedidiah. “What she said. Too much coffee, not enou
gh sunshine.”
“Well.” Jedidiah rested his chin on his fist. “You did an excellent job in Miami, both of you. Antonio, you managed to find her and unravel the mystery behind her disappearance very quickly. And Chloe --”
“Coco.”
He smiled up at her. “Chloe, you most likely saved the life of our young vampire. She’s been taken in by a friend of mine in Ontario, by the way. And I’ve decided it’s time for Worth and Associates to expand to the States. I take enough cases here that it’s time we have an official presence.”
“And you want us to work for you? Full time?” Antonio tilted his head, glancing at his mate. Her mismatched eyes were huge. “Coco, you wouldn’t have to hide who you really are under a suit anymore.”
“Could I be an investigator? Like Tony?”
“Tony?” Jedidiah asked. “Now really…” He grinned. “Chloe, you’ll continue as an attorney, but as your operation will start small, and under your control, if you wish to --”
“Whee!” She launched from the bench into Antonio’s arms.
“You will not endanger yourself!”
“How can I be in danger when I’m with you?” She batted her eyes at him. Together, they turned back to the demon. “So, Jedidiah, where will the offices be located? Here? New York?”
He rose, looked around their little basement once again and smiled slightly. “It’s your office. You pick the location and make the arrangements. I’ll open the coffers for whatever you need. Once Mya and the twins are ready to travel, we’ll be out for a visit. Your grand opening. She’s organizing a caseload for you even as we speak.” He glanced at his watch. “I really must be going back now. I’m on night watch, Brutal is covering for me.”
“Brutal? With babies?” Antonio shook his head. Frankly, the idea boggled his mind. His mind boggled just a little more when Coco grabbed his hair, bringing him around for a long, lusty and very happy kiss.
“We’re going home!”
“To Miami.” He smiled down at her, and then turned to thank Jedidiah. Who had vanished. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the spanking bench. “On your feet, woman.” She frowned and pouted when he faced her to the bench, gently pushing her over the end. “Put that sacred ass up in the air, kitten.”
“No spanking!” She shimmied over and with a great sense of anticipation, Antonio flicked the tiniest bit of a claw through tank top, watching it fall to the bench. Next he cut away her panties.
“No spanking.” Instead, he slid his cock through her slit. He threw his head back in pleasure at the feel of her hot and wet and swollen for him. He pushed into her body, groaning as he sank deeply in to her heat.
“No barbs.” She was panting, clearly as turned on as him. He pulled out and thrust back in.
“You’re full of demands for a sub.” He grabbed her bottom, kneading and massaging, watching as he pumped steadily into her body. He groaned, leaned forward and set his teeth gently into her neck. His hands wandered around to cup her breasts. He played with the clamps there and then reached down, stroking her pussy, loving the feel of his own shaft pushing and pulling.
“Oh damn, Antonio… Touch me…” She gave little grunts and moans, rocking back into his body as he moved faster, fucking her harder. The sound of their rapid breathing filled the air; the sound of skin slapping punctuated their words of lust and love. Unable to stop himself, Antonio felt the wonderful, shivering feel of his barbs rising to tickle and sting her just the tiniest bit. She was wet and aroused and this time, it would be nothing but good.
“Ohhhh… fuck…” Prompted by his fingers on her clit and the barbs on his cock, she was coming. He waited for just the right moment, and when he felt the heat of his release break over his body, she was there, bucking, thrusting and cursing. Gently, he slipped the clamps off, thrust in and waited.
She lurched under him, letting out a bloodcurdling scream. Her channel contracted around him hard, again and again, and impulsively, he slapped her nipples lightly, bringing up another scream. He was still coming, thrusting hard, and then together they peaked, freezing for a moment that stretched out forever. As one, they came down from their high.
She lay still on the bench, trapped under the weight of his body. They were sweaty and sticky, their muscles lax and drained. His cock slowly softened, and he twisted his hips, reluctantly pulling out of her.
“Ow.”
“You okay?” He braced on his elbows, hovering just over her body. She nodded, her cheek pressed against the leather of the bench.
“Just… ow, on so many levels.” She tilted her head to look up at him. “That just rocked.”
He wanted to laugh, but was too relieved. “Vanilla my, ass. You might not be a sub, but you are the freakiest of freaks.”
“Kinked.” She sighed heavily. “Bent. Twisted. That’s me.”
“It’s exactly how I love you.” He kissed her cheek.
“Good thing, since we’re sorta stuck with each other. I mean, if we didn’t love each other, it’d be kinda uncomfortable, being mated and all.”
“You know, here’s what’s odd. Even if we weren’t mated, I’d have fallen for you anyway. I did, actually, right when I caught site of you spinning on that barstool.”
“Cute and quirky, eh?” She grinned at him.
“No, it was your sacred ass sticking right up there for all to see. Even then, I knew I’d worship your posterior.” Her laughter was low and husky, and made him laugh along, just for the joy of it.
“Well, why do you think I fell off the chair in the first place? I’d caught sight of you, Tiger.” She sat up unsteadily, struggling to get to her feet.
Antonio rose, gently lifting her into his arms. And she let him.
“Carry on, Jeeves. To the shower.” She waved a limp hand regally. “So that thing with your built-in ticklers…” He raised a brow in mock offense. “Okay, the barbs. So they’re supposed to make my body come into season?”
“If you were a tigress. It doesn’t seem to affect you that way.”
“Damn good thing I’m not a tigress then. ‘Cause, baby, I liked it.” She went limp in his arms, her head hanging back. Their laughter echoed off the walls as he climbed the stairs to their little bedroom. He tossed her on the bed where she bounced a couple times, finally landing with her head on the pillows and her legs sprawled open.
“Did you like it enough to do it again?”
She waggled a brow in an exaggerated leer. “Here, kitty, kitty…”
Belinda McBride
Belinda lives in the wilderness of the Siskiyou Mountains and at night, she runs naked with a pack of wolves…
Uhh…
Belinda lives near the Siskiyou Mountains and shares her home with a pack of Siberian Huskies who like to pretend they’re wolves. And she usually keeps her clothing on when she goes outside.
Belinda loves to travel, collect rare gemstones, make soap and spend precious time with her daughters. Her degree is in History with a Cultural Anthropology minor. On weekends, you will often find Belinda ringside at a dog show, comb and spray bottle in hand.
She invites you to visit her website at www.belindamcbride.com, or email her directly at [email protected]
Final Cut Miami Voodoo You Love? Page 8
