by Stone, Piper
“What...” She bit back the question, flexing her fingers as she tossed back and forth.
“Trust.” I waited until she settled down before smacking her pussy with several fingers. Her crazed moan was exaggerated, her body bucking. “See? One day I’ll shower your sweet pussy with hot wax, but not today.”
“Yes. Yes, sir.”
I smacked her pussy several more times before leaning over and sucking on her clit. With every whimper she made, she further ignited my raw and savage needs. Her juice filled my mouth, trickling down the back of my throat, the taste of her even sweeter than before.
She lolled her head to the side, strings of hair sliding across her cheek, her entire body quivering from my touch.
And from her burning needs.
“I can’t wait to be inside of you.”
“Please,” she said in such a small voice. “Fuck me. Just... fuck me.”
I crawled between her legs, lifting both all the way against the comforter. As I leaned over, breathing across her, she offered a mischievous smile. I slipped my cockhead past her swollen folds, taking my time as I eased in an inch at a time. I wanted to savor every moment, to share in what I’d never experienced before.
Utter joy.
“Oh, yes...” she mused, rattling her bindings as she attempted to buck her hips.
I closed my eyes as my cock became fully seated, marveling at the way her muscles clamped around my shaft, pulling me in even deeper. The hard throbbing was repeated in my rapid heartbeat, every sensation like a wild torrent of fire bursting from within. I pulled almost all the way out, taking several breaths before plunging again.
And again.
“My sweet little girl,” I managed, every syllable laced in darkness.
Her toes were pointed, her legs in a perfect position as I powered into her, driving in even and deliberate thrusts. It was difficult taking my time, the rush of desire almost too much to bear. I threw back my head, every muscle tight and aching, wanting nothing more than for her to come.
“Oh. Oh. So good. So... good that I...” As her words trailed off, her lovely mouth twisted, and I could tell she was struggling to keep her eyes shut.
“Come for me, baby. Come.” I wasn’t entirely certain I’d issued the command, my balls swelling and my cock aching to the point of sheer agony.
When she jerked up once again, her entire body shaking, I thrust in a brutal manner. I was nothing but an animal claiming his mate, unable to think clearly about anything but filling her with my seed.
“Oh, yes. I... I...” Her scream was strangled, her chest heaving as the orgasm rushed into her.
I gritted my teeth, trying desperately to hold back, dragging her legs up and over my shoulders one at a time. The switch in the angle was almost too much to bear.
Stephanie was thrown into another climax, her body convulsing, biting back a series of screams.
There was no control left, no method of holding back the tide. The moment I erupted, filling her, my mind taken to places of sheer ecstasy, another sound interrupted the moment of pleasure.
One that would forever haunt me.
Bam!
* * *
Fuck! I’d know the sound of gunfire anywhere. My instincts had been right, my inability to trust the crew something that would piss me off for days. Fuck me. I shot off the bed, darting glances out the window. There was nothing to see but the shimmering moon, but I could no longer ignore my gut.
We were under attack.
“What was that?” Stephanie tried to jerk up as I rushed to unbuckle her cuffs, laying out a plan in my mind. I was some stupid bastard for not having asked our immediate location.
“I need you to listen to me. I have to find out what’s going on. That could have been just an issue with the mechanical systems, but you need to stay here.” As if she was going to accept the lie.
She rubbed her wrists after the second cuff was removed, shaking her head. “I’m a smart enough girl to know that wasn’t some boom from a boiler exploding. That was a gunshot.” Shaking, she crawled off the bed, grabbing and pulling the sheet around her naked body.
I hissed, moving quickly toward the closet, grabbing jeans and a shirt. My entire body was shaking from another shot of adrenaline, rage filtering into every system. “Just stay here and lock the door behind me. Get dressed. Do not challenge me on this.”
“Don’t fuck with me. What is going on?”
I moved closer to the dresser, still keeping a close eye on the partially open blinds. “Nothing good, sweetheart.”
“Christian, wait. What if you don’t come back?”
“Don’t worry. I will be back.” I heard a series of hard thumps, followed by at least one bellow.
Stephanie gripped the sheet, glancing toward the window. “They found us. Whoever these enemies are you keep reminding me you have.”
“I don’t know yet.” I yanked on a pair of shoes, moving quickly to close the blinds. “But I am going to find out.”
“I think you know exactly what’s going on.”
Sadly, I thought I did, the Council issuing orders to have us assassinated. I grabbed the Glock I’d left on the nightstand, shoving it in my waistband then yanking a second bag from the closet, retrieving a small flashlight and shoving it into my pocket. I wrapped my hand around a second weapon I’d brought, debating what I was about to do. “I don’t know what you think of me, Stephanie, but right now the only thing that matters is to make certain we survive whatever the fuck is going on. Do you know how to use a gun?”
“There are many things about me you don’t know, Christian, and the answer is yes. I can cut a man down if necessary.”
I was shaking from the boosted flow of current and when I handed her the weapon, I said a silent prayer for perhaps the first time since I was a child. “Stay here. Period.”
She trailed behind me to the door leading to the outside. I only moved when I heard the lock clicking into position.
I crouched low and against the exterior of the ship as I headed for the bridge, keeping my eyes peeled. Within seconds, I found one of the crew members. He’d been shot execution style, his body lying in the doorway to the main salon. I yanked the Glock into both hands, listening for any sounds. One came sooner than expected, the two gunshots ringing out from close to the bridge. I moved quickly, trying to maintain silence as I approached.
I could see the captain arguing with a second man, only the visitor wasn’t dressed like a crew member. Either the asshole had stowed away on the ship or he’d been a plant. All the security efforts I’d taken, making certain the crew were people that could be trusted no longer mattered. I took aim as I moved closer, a single misstep causing the assailant to turn sharply, a shot going off, pinging against the side of the ship.
There was no time to waste. As the asshole prepared to take another shot, I simply pulled the trigger.
The man went down, the captain falling against the console. As I walked closer, kicking the gun out of the asshole’s reach, I could see the captain had been injured. Strings of blood trickled down from a wound against his temple. I swung my weapon back and forth, certain there would be at least another attacker. Finally, I took another step onto the bridge. “What the fuck is going on?”
“I honestly don’t know,” he said breathlessly. “Two of the staff members were new, but they came highly regarded, their references outstanding. I was jumped from behind.”
A staff member. This was nothing but sabotage.
I moved toward the fallen man, crouching down and turning him over, searching for any kind of identification. There was nothing except for his weapon. I shoved it into the waistband of my jeans. After checking for a pulse, I eased into a standing position. “What about the others? You have one dead crew member on the deck.”
“I don’t know about the others. They’re off duty. I need to call this in.” The moment he reached for the communication system, I bristled.
“No, you’re not going to do th
at just yet.” While I didn’t point the Glock in his direction, I shifted it into an active position.
“What about the others?”
“You just make certain we’re on a course back to the Hamptons. I’ll check on the other members of the crew, but I want complete radio silence. Do you understand?” If whoever was responsible believed we were dead, I might have a chance at determining who was behind the assassination attempts.
The quiver in the same hand remaining on the communication device told me that he either feared for his life or had been a party to the planned assassination.
“I’ll ask you one last time, Captain Shelling. Do. You. Understand?”
“Yes, of course,” he said as he yanked his hand away, rubbing his palm against his pants.
As I walked over the assailant’s body, I made certain I registered his face in order to find out who he really worked for.
I wasted no time, moving to the crew’s quarters near the engine room. The moment I shifted the flashlight over the first bunkbed, my rage surged. “Fuck.” With the gun pointed, I inched further inside, realizing that the two crew members who’d retreated to the confines of their bunks had been eliminated.
That left one unaccounted for.
While the deck was below the stateroom, there was no way we wouldn’t have heard the shots.
A silencer had been used.
My hackles raised, I bounded up the stairs, racing toward the stateroom. The door had been kicked in. I heard Stephanie’s muffled cry, a sound woeful and full of anguish seconds before a hard thud occurred. The sounds of a struggle pushed my rage beyond measure. A roar slipping past my lips, I bounded toward the bedroom. The dark form had the woman I loved on the floor, his hand wrapped around her throat, the barrel of a gun positioned at her temple.
“Get... off... me!” she wheezed, shoving hard against the asshole pinning her down.
There was no time to react, no care about the assailant’s identity. I did exactly what had to be done.
A pistol shot roared.
Chapter Twelve
Stephanie
I couldn’t breathe, my vision foggy but I was able to hear the sound of his voice as he called for me.
“Come on, baby. You’re okay. Wake up for me.”
Finally able to open my eyes, I didn’t need to be able to see his face. Christian. He’d come to my rescue. “What... happened?” I took several gulping breaths, my throat constricted to the point my voice was raspy.
I heard his savage growl, could feel a heavy weight lifted off me then his powerful hold as he dragged me close to his chest.
“It’s all right. Just breathe.” Christian lifted me into his arms, carrying me away from the bedroom doorway.
“What...”
“We were sabotaged. We’re still on our way back, the captain in charge.”
As he placed me onto the couch, I glanced over my shoulder. “He was just a crew member. He brought us dinner.”
“Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving.” Christian moved quickly around the room, finally disappearing for a few seconds.
I hunkered over, rubbing my neck, every part of me aching from the attack. What in the hell was going on? Only five minutes after Christian had left the door had been kicked in, the gun driven out of my hand by a hard smack. The way the asshole had sneered at me was sickening, lustful, and brazen. The freak had even licked his lips and the moment he’d been able to knock me to the floor, he’d slid his hand between my legs.
But that hadn’t occurred until I’d smacked him hard across the temple, nearly knocking him off his feet. I was so damn cold, shivering as I crouched over, trying to make sense of anything.
A single light was turned on in the background, the glow giving me some level of comfort.
“The asshole is dead but there’s no identification, just like the other guy.”
When Christian walked back in, I could just make out the holster strapped to his shoulder. He moved quickly toward the door, closing it as much as the broken frame would allow. All the while he was cursing under his breath.
“The other guy?” I asked, unsure I wanted the answer, but I could guess given the three shots I’d heard.
“Yeah, an asshole attempting to take over the ship. The captain is hurt but able to continue.” He shoved his gun into his waistband, glaring at me before scanning the room.
“Jesus.”
He took a deep breath before moving closer, dropping to his knees in front of me and taking my hand, placing the gun I’d dropped into my palm. “All the crew members are dead. The captain is the only one left. I was a fool not to have security detail with us, but we’re going to be all right. Radio silence until we arrive back at the marina.”
“What about...” I had difficulty even understanding what had occurred.
“I’ll toss the asshole overboard. Then you can rest.”
“Wait a minute,” I whispered. “Do you think there are more on board?”
He glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head. “I doubt it, but there is no way to know for certain. Lots of places to hide on this boat.”
“Who is responsible?”
Christian had the same look in his eyes I’d seen before, a man riddled with rage and the need for revenge.
“You think the Council is behind this, my father? He insisted I marry you.”
“You have to remember that there are five members of the Council. They don’t always agree. That reporter. Did he accost you, ask any questions?”
“You think he’s behind this?”
“I don’t think the man is who he purported himself to be. I need you to be honest with me. Did he say anything threatening or provide any information?”
I swallowed hard, looking away until his hand gripped my chin, making certain I looked directly into his eyes. “Look, I already told you that shit happened before the wedding.”
“And?” he huffed.
“I had a threatening call from a man who identified himself as a reporter. He said I needed to look into what happened eighteen years ago.”
He sucked in his breath, his grip tightening. “You should have told me this before.”
“I didn’t think it mattered! For God’s sake, I also had a call from an unknown person threatening me if I attempted to leave the sect.”
His anger seemed to abate, his face taking on an almost serene quality. “When?”
The moment I hesitated, he yanked my face closer. “Stop. You’re hurting me.”
“When did that happen, Stephanie? I need to know.”
I bit my lip then pressed my hand against his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat. “Four days before the wedding. I was still trying to figure out a way how to get out of it even though I’d been forced to sign the contract. The reporter called a day later. I tried to ask him questions but he hung up.”
“The same man as on the marina?”
“Honestly, Christian, I don’t know. The voices were different but yes, the asshole at the marina peppered me with accusations about the sect and all the secrets. Murders. Ties to the White House. I punched him.”
He seemed surprised at first then laughed. “That’s my girl.”
A hard thump drew his attention, the growl rumbling from his throat terrifying.
“Your illness. The fact you almost drowned. I don’t find that coincidental.”
I heard his words and although I’d wondered about both events in my life, the way he’d put them together was chilling. “What are you thinking?”
“That you almost died twice for a reason. That my name was placed in your Box only weeks or months ago.”
“Why?” He was hiding something significant. I could tell by the way his brows furrowed.
Huffing, he shook his head. “As we discussed, a method of control.”
“Okay, two children of five of the Council married. Let’s say that someone, either your father or mine switched the names on purpose. The other three Council members wouldn’t want you to
ascend to the throne.”
He only nodded, moving to check the windows.
“That’s why this reporter warned me that evil things are occurring behind closed doors.”
This time, he smiled at my question. “Maybe so. The sect is all about gaining power using whatever method they can. Murder. Extortion. Digging into secrets so many wouldn’t want revealed then threatening their livelihood. Nothing is out of the scope of what they are capable of.”
“Including my father,” I whispered. Either my father was a damn good actor or he’d honestly been surprised. “You didn’t see his reaction when the father opened the Box.”
He snorted, rubbing his fingers across my forehead. “Of course he would need to act surprised.”
“Maybe Father McGivney didn’t know. The seal was intact. Besides, he’s a man of God.” As if I truly believed that.
“Is he? Or is he just a piece of the puzzle, a man playing a part in order to keep the secrets of the Sacred Sect. My guess is that he’s paid very well to keep his mouth shut while following orders.”
I bit back the bile in my throat, still shaking. Still terrified. “Then we need to figure out who is behind this.”
“That’s all I’ve wanted to do.”
I nodded, wrapping my hand around his wrist as he caressed my skin. “This is insane.”
“You mean dangerous, sweetheart.” We were plunged into darkness and immediately Christian was on high alert, yanking his weapon into his hand. When the ship lurched, an odd rumbling occurring beneath our feet, he jerked to a standing position.
“The boat stopped.”
He nodded first, pulling his gun between both hands and quickly moving toward the window. “Fucking shit. There has to be another person on board. This isn’t good. Not good at all.”
There was another odd sound in the eerie quiet, metal hitting metal.
Hissing, Christian slammed his hand against the wall. “Sounds like the winch on the lifeboat.”
I eased onto shaky legs, inching closer. The weight of the cold, hard steel in my hand was comforting. “What are we going to do? I’m not staying here.”
