DECEIT (B723)

by Hazel Grace

Dressed in ripped black jeans and a pink Coach sweatshirt, her white hair contrasts against the dark color with her Chucks.

  My girl who can’t make up her mind which side of the fence she wants to play on.

  From where Emmy is, everything is good and moral. I believe she’s tapped into something that scares her a little.

  “You mad, baby?” I close the space in the overly large room, cocking my head to the side in silent challenge.

  I’m aware of what she wants to know, and as hard of a decision that it was, I’d never purposely upset Emmy and her life.

  “Should I be?” She lifts a brow and waits for me to step closer, not bothering to get up and greet her man.

  I shrug. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why?”

  “Why, what?”

  Her eyes narrow. “Bishop…”

  “Oh, you wanna know if I ripped you from your dream job and family.” She blinks, and I pivot for the minibar.

  Communication.

  This woman and I are going to learn how to fucking do it right this time.

  “Bish!”

  “Mhm?” Something flies by my head but I don’t bother to look at what it was. It must’ve been soft because nothing shatters or breaks, so at least I know it’s still safe to turn my back on her when she’s pissed.

  “What did you tell Ledger since I’m your property now?”

  I roll my eyes and grab two beers of shit I’ve never heard of before. “I couldn’t keep you down even if I were that type of asshole.” I turn to face her, popping off the caps. “Well...I’m sorta that kind of an asshole.”

  “Speak fucking English.” She takes the beer I hand over to her and chugs it down.

  “Emmy, what kind of monster do I think I am?”

  “Depends.”

  I sigh. “You’re still on B723, Emmy. I wasn’t going to make that decision for you. Even though—“ I bring my beer to my lips. “—I would’ve gone on every single one of your missions, been your helpful sidekick, and took the target out on the first day. That way, you and I could spend a few days alone.”

  “I’m doing the hacking job he mentioned?”

  “Yep.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” Emmy shoots from the chair, her metal chain rattling and falling to the floor with a heavy thud as she wraps her arms around my neck. “Watch the beer.”

  “Shut up.” She smiles at me, a beaming and Earth-shattering smile. “I promise no more fieldwork.”

  “Right.” I drawl out the word like this woman has no clue I don’t know who she is. What she’s capable of doing. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

  “Almost was just now.” She presses a kiss to my bearded chin. “But you saved yourself, see?”

  I wrap my arm around her waist. “I took care of everything.”

  And by everything, I mean we shipped Alexander’s body to North Korea and told that little Cheng-Ho asshole that if he keeps dabbling around here, he’s going to get more bodies.

  The luxury of private planes and all that.

  Emmy bobs her head and keeps her focus on my chest.

  “Ems.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Can we get rid of the condo and live somewhere else? I’ll follow you anywhere, but…I think it might be for the best for you and the kids.”

  “Where will we go? I’m not going to tear you away from Hardy and Scarlett.”

  “I own twenty acres of land around my house. You wanna build?”

  “Bishop…don’t start spoiling me now I’ll think I broke you.”

  My lips quirk. “You did, but it’s okay. I’ll keep it our secret.”

  I can see her mind run a mile a minute as she takes another sip of her beer and keeps her browns locked on my blues.

  “Can it be close to the one you already have?” she asks. “So Madelyn can see the kids, and they can grow up together.”

  My heart fucking seizes in my chest at how thoughtful and awe-inspiring she is.

  “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  “Are we gonna live happily ever after? Is this real?” She studies my face, and it’s then that I realize she’s not gone over to the dark abyss that I landed in.

  Nah, my girl is too bright for that.

  “I love you, Emmy. This is real.” She rises on her tiptoes and presses a chaste kiss to my lips. “But we’re not having ten thousand visits from Mills and his annoying fucking ass. I think that fucker is hunting for my sister.”

  Emmy’s eyes widen. “Really? Wow, that’d be—“

  “Don’t you dare,” I scold through narrowed brows. “No one on this squad is going after my sister.”

  “Bish, seriously? Mills is the best guy out of all of you.”

  “Are you already becoming a traitor? Best guy?” I scoff and place down my beer. “Woman, I’ll have you know that I’m the best fucking guy that gets to—“

  “Kace Bishop, if you keep throwing around that you get to fuck me every five seconds, I’m going to clobber your ass.”

  “I do get to fuck you.” I capture her bottom lip between my two and lightly suck, letting my teeth graze down it when I release. “And I’m going to keep reminding you in case you ever get the idea of leaving me.”

  “I never left you—“ I perk a brow, halting the crock of shit that was going to spill from her mouth. “Fuck…guess you better hand over that last name.”

  “Oh, I’m gonna make you a t-shirt and everything when you make it official.”

  Emmy looks down at her wrist. “It’s been five seconds already.”

  I chuckle, plucking her beer out of her hand and downing the rest of the contents. Then I fireman-carry her ass to the king-sized bed and toss her onto it.

  Crawling over her, she’s ready for my mouth and tongue as she wraps herself around me with her arms and legs.

  We make out like teenagers, our pace quick then slow. Every time she runs her hand down my chest and torso, then stops right above my jeans makes my cock twitch like I’m sixteen.

  My lips fall to the crook of her neck, lapsing the sensitive area as I undo my jeans. Emmy, though does not.

  “You gonna make me do all the work?” She gives me an innocent grin then bites down on the inside of her bottom lip. “Alright.”

  Flipping her over, I pull her back by her hips and get her on all fours. Undoing the button of her tight jeans, I yank them down and over her ass, down to her knees.

  My hand mindlessly runs down the curve of her butt as her thighs press together from being bound by the material of her pants.

  Leaning over, I use the tip of my tongue to find her clit, and Emmy shutters above me, attempting to open her legs wider but falls short.

  “Fuck these pants.” She moves her legs to shred them, but I slap her ass.

  “Don’t move,” I growl out, then shove my face into her wet pussy just to tease before I trail up to the tight hole she let me get to the other day.

  She writhes and curses under her breath. I pepper back down to her pretty cunt with kisses and a few licks of my tongue when Emmy arches her back for me to take more.

  “Bishop, please.” She begins to tremble under the pads of my fingers, and I know she’s close, but I’ve never made her come like this before—teasing both of her holes—and I’m looking to start new beginnings.

  With my thumb, I circle her clit and go back for more of her wet cunt before I miss her ass already. I’m already a fucking fiend for it.

  Emmy moans and labels me as an asshole eating her asshole, but she loves me.

  I love her.

  We’re a team.

  “Ride my face,” I order while I have two fingers at the ready for her to sink into. She finger-fucks my digits as I lick her tightness and bite her perfect cheeks.

  A few more thrusts, and she comes hard, riding anything she can to get her fill.

  Rising, I kneel behind her and slowly inch my cock inside her wet cunt, feeling her shudder against me.

  “Come
here,” I order before she rises and presses her back to my chest. “Promise me you’ll never leave without—“

  “I’m never leaving you,” she breathes. “I couldn’t.”

  “No, baby...without telling me that you love me. That we can be this way forever. That we won’t have any secrets. That we’ll communicate.”

  She bobs her head in agreement as I slowly go deeper. “Fuck, your cock feels amazing.”

  My lids snap shut on their own when she squeezes around me on purpose. “Shit.”

  She impatiently thrusts her ass against me and sets the pace, which is obviously not in the mood to go at a steady one.

  Each time her butt meets my pelvis, the new spot makes my balls clench and forms the creation of my own orgasm.

  I kiss the area behind her ear and trail a path with my tongue down her cheek and neck, peppering kisses here and there.

  “Even with your eyes closed, you still know it’s me your fucking,” she mutters. “I’ll erase every painful memory or woman you’ve ever had. All you’ll see is me.”

  My eyes flutter open. “Is my girl getting possessive now?”

  “When you fuck me like this, hell yeah, I am…I already feel bad for every woman who eye fucks you in front of me.”

  “And does that happen often?”

  “More than I like.” She wraps her arm back and around my head. “Maybe I’ll make you a t-shirt.”

  I chuckle into her neck and drive in harder. My name is off Emmy’s lips on repeat as I bite down on her shoulder, following it by my mouth to soothe it away.

  “Come on, baby,” I whisper against her skin. “Give me that pussy and finish all over my cock.”

  Together we sound like we’re running a damn marathon, and when she cries out again, I fuck every single one of her exhales out of her until I’m heaving my orgasm inside her.

  We fall in a heap on the bed, and Emmy comes up to cuddle into the crook of my arm.

  “Bishop?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Will you marry me?”

  My chest rumbles with laughter as I kiss the top of her head. “Yeah, baby. I’ll be your bitch.”

  A MONTH LATER…

  “Are they mine, Auntie Em?” Madelyn hovers over Alaric like she’s hardcore studying an ancient artifact and aware of all their actions.

  Anyone who holds the twins, she’s near.

  Anytime someone feeds them, she’s overseeing it, and the only reason she’s not near Atlas is because she can only be in one spot at one time.

  “You can’t own babies,” I vouch softly, watching Alaric watch me as I feed him. “They’re your cousins.”

  “But Uncle Kacie says they’re his.”

  “Because he’s their daddy.”

  “But I’m their cousin, you said.”

  I smile at her. “I did, sweetheart, but…sure, they’re your babies too.” Madelyn beams at me, only took her two seconds to wear me down to get what she wanted.

  “I have babies! Daddy, daddy!” She sprints away from me, dark curls bouncing behind her as she finds Hardy.

  The twins and I moved into Bishop’s house, which calmed down his nerves after my meeting with Ledger. It’s a tight fit, but Scarlett loves cooing and playing with the twins. We take turns making dinner and talking shit at night about anything and everything on the front porch.

  Hardy has been amazing and helpful too, with taking the kids if only for a little while to give Bishop and I some peace.

  I ask for nothing, yet his siblings took the babies and I in, just like family. Especially on the late nights when I was planning Alexander’s brother’s demise with Bishop hovering over my couch with snacks to feed me.

  Turns out Warren was planning on running for President. And the campaign money he was receiving came from drug lords and prostitution rings.

  You see, the apple ended up not falling far from the tree. Warren had his own problems, but it was raping young girls, and if they opened their mouths to accuse him, they disappeared.

  He’s currently serving time for his crimes, and I got him a cellmate that hates rapists.

  “I think I did it correctly.” Kyson carefully sits across from me with Atlas in hand. “If she shits all over me, I guess I’ll know, right?”

  I laugh and watch him pluck her bottle off the table. Behind him is the start of our new house, literally within forty yards of this one. Scarlett has helped me pick out colors and windows. She has an extremely good eye while Bishop tells me whatever I want.

  “You really didn’t have to go change her,” I reply. “I could’ve—“

  “Gotta learn sometime.” He shrugs. “I have a feeling I’m going to have a lot of babysitting hours in my near future.”

  “Only if you want.”

  “The kids are gonna need a break from your man. I’m doing them more of a favor than I am you.”

  I lean back, shaking my head at the reality of how we’re actually here. Marty and Stormi are playing a game of horseshoes with Bishop and Hardy. Mills is talking to Scarlett while he BBQs dinner.

  He didn’t start the conversation, Scarlett did, but Bishop is going to give him hell probably because he’s already eyeballing them with disgusted interest.

  “Can you believe this?” I ask. “Me with twins. Bishop a father? I never thought I’d be a parent.”

  “Why, you’re one to the boys. And it’s the best thing that’s happened to Bishop,” Ky replies. “This is what he was always meant to do. His dad was a really good man.”

  “You remember him?”

  “Only a little. He used to give us money for the ghetto ass ice cream truck or to run up to the party store for snacks. He was the coolest guy in the trailer park. Always willing to lend a helping hand. Took out people’s garage bins and shoveled sidewalks.”

  “What was his name?”

  “Jett. Bishop is a lot like him when he’s not being a douchebag. He has a soft spot for idiots and a faithful heart for the ones he loves.”

  “Then he better leave Mills alone. He’s speaking to his sister.”

  Kyson doesn’t falter a bit. “Eh, Mills wouldn’t date her.”

  “Why not?”

  “Bro code.”

  My eyes narrow. “Seriously? That’s really a thing?”

  “Hell yeah, it’s a thing. Besides, it’s respect. Mills knows he’d hate it.”

  “But they’re cute together.”

  “Emmy,” Kyson warns. “Don’t be—“

  “I’m not, I swear.” I hold up a defensive hand. “I just…don’t want Mills to miss out because of some silly ass guy thing.”

  “It’s not silly, it’s code.”

  “You said that,” I mutter. “Dumb.”

  “Hey, sorry I’m late.” Blue plops down next to me, smelling of watermelon and citrus, and flicks her hair to the side. “I lost track of time.” She leans over Alaric’s head. “Hey, little man, what’s up?”

  It’s amazing how I could loathe her so much, and she still loves my children. That she still wants to come around to be with them after I shunned her over a zillion times since we’ve known each other and always pulled out my petty ass bitch.

  “Blue tell Ems about bro code,” Kyson digresses.

  “What about it?” She lightly touches Alaric’s nose and opens her mouth in a goofy smile. “You’re gonna be such a heartbreaker. Don’t bring any of those hoes around.”

  My eyes widen. That’s exactly what I think all the time.

  “That it’s really a thing,” Kyson quips, only further placing Blue in with one of the guys. I wonder if it bothers her. Her and I treated so differently here at B723. I know we’d all do for her what they did for me—even me—but sometimes it’s nice not to be handled so harshly like the guys do to each other. “When men don’t—“

  “You mean boys,” she retorts through her nose. “And it’s bullshit. What are you in a fraternity?”

  Kyson releases a heavy sigh. “Nevermind.”

  “Why are you
guys even talking about boy code anyway?”

  “Because Mills is talking to Scarlett,” I fill in. “And Bishop’s gonna have his ass.”

  Blue shakes her head. “Mills won’t touch that.” Kyson and I both look over at her as if she knows a secret. “Just a feeling. Ems, why don’t you go relieve your man. He’s staring at you like he’s gonna come in his pants if you don’t—“

  “Dude,” Kyson censures with slitted eyes. “The fuck?”

  I look over his shoulder to find Bishop stealing a glance at me. His blue eyes melting me right to my chair.

  In nothing but jeans and a red plaid shirt, he’s the poster for rough and an unpolished man who just got done chopping wood or some shit like any normal day. Not the killer who resides underneath his skin. And if he wasn’t mine already, I’d be figuring out a way how he could be right now.

  “Wanna hold Alaric?” I ask Blue, surprising the shit out of her because she just stares at me like I told her we were related or something. “Before they can walk?”

  Blue snaps out of it. “Yeah, yeah.” She holds out her arms, and I cradle my son, still sucking on his bottle into hers.

  “Be back.”

  I round Kyson’s chair and make my way over to the rugged male who watches my every move in his direction.

  His gaze shamelessly falls down the length of my white floral dress and sandals, creating my body to flush pink and up a few temps.

  I feel utterly beautiful and powerful in his eyes. The most compelling creature in the world that only he wants all the time. He makes it his singular job to make up for the years that I didn’t believe he loved me. I hear it at least twice a day, his hands are on me all the time, and his attentiveness to the twins is unprofound.

  Bishop hands his horseshoes to his brother and marches in my direction, keeping his heavy focus on me. And when we meet in the middle, he slowly shakes his head at me.

  “Why do we have to invite people over when we both know you’re going to dress up, and I have a hard time containing myself not to rip it off. It’s torture.”

  “I must be hanging around Marty too much,” I surmise with a smile. “You know that everyone is aware that we’re together. You can touch me.”

  “Not in the way I want to,” he gripes, almost pouts.