“The two million dollars I disposed of almost thirty years ago. The money I served time in prison over.”
Claire swallowed a hysterical laugh. “Two million dollars?”
Sarina took a deep breath, seeming to gauge her words. “Mack was a drug dealer. And before you say anything, I wasn’t aware of that fact when I married him. He was larger than life, very charismatic, and one of the most handsome men I’d ever met.”
Victoria interrupted. “Was being the key word here. I don’t know what happened to him, but he looks like he fell from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.”
“Yes, well, prison life will do that to a person,” Sarina interjected. “He’d made a deal with a group of Columbians not long before the night of the raid. He sold them four million dollars worth of coke for half price, mostly to move the drugs but also as a show of good faith.
“Mack received a tip a couple days later about a sting operation involving him and that the feds were en route to our home. He got rid of as much of the drugs as he could gather, handed me the money and sent me to hide it, stating that without evidence of money, they would never make the charges stick on what little drugs they could find on the property.”
“You see, Mack was a convicted felon and would have gone to prison for a maximum of twenty years if caught. So, he convinced me to claim the drugs they found were mine and tell them he was innocent of any wrongdoing. Since I didn’t have a record, I should have gotten a slap on the wrist. Not the case.”
“What happened?” Tori asked in a stunned voice that Claire could relate to.
“I hid the money, confessed to the drugs, and spent three years locked up behind bars for a crime I didn’t commit.”
“Are you going to tell us what you did with the money?”
“It’s in a safe place for now.”
“What about Mack? He isn’t going to leave without it, Mom,” Claire pointed out. “Maybe you should just give it to him.”
“If I do that, we’re all dead. He’d never allow us to live if he got his hands on that cash.”
“Sarina’s right, Claire. As long as she holds onto the money, she has a bargaining chip.”
Ben stepped into the room without knocking. “Who has a bargaining chip? And, Little Bit, you need to rest.”
“I think you’re right. I’m opening Scruples in the morning, so I’d better get some sleep. Mom will fill you in on everything, Ben.”
“You’re going back to work? But Doyle is still out there. And what about the baby?” Tori blurted out.
“I’m aware that Mack is on the loose. And I’m pregnant, Tori, not an invalid. Besides, Jaxon and Ben will be with us.”
“Us?” Victoria raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. We all stay together, and Scruples is the safest place for us to be right now. Doyle won’t come near it with the police department across the street; not to mention it’s crawling with people.”
“Claire’s right,” Sarina piped in before kissing her daughter on the forehead and signaling for Ben to follow her from the room.
Victoria stood also. “I’ll let you rest. I’m kind of exhausted too. I think I’ll shower and get some shut-eye myself.”
“I love you, Tori-face.”
“Back atcha, doll.”
Chapter Twenty Six
Jaxon stepped into Claire’s bedroom to find her lying on her side facing the opposite wall. He took off his boots and tiptoed across the floor.
“You don’t have to be so quiet. I’m awake.”
The exhaustion in her voice pulled at his heartstrings. “How are you feeling? You should probably eat something, love. You are eating for two now.”
She rolled over with a sleepy smile. “I am kind of hungry.”
“What can I get you?”
“A turkey sandwich and some crackers would be perfect. Oh, and a soda. They’re in the bottom drawer in the fridge.”
“How about milk instead?”
Her hand automatically moved to rest over her lower abdomen. “I wasn’t thinking. Milk, please.”
He bent and brushed a kiss across her lips. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Jaxon padded down the hall and into the kitchen in his socks. He made Claire’s sandwich along with two for himself. After pouring a glass of milk and grabbing a pack of crackers, he rushed back to the bedroom, juggling his burden.
Claire sat up in bed as Jaxon deposited her milk onto the nightstand. He handed her the turkey sandwich made the way he’d seen her do so many times, and sat on the side of the bed to eat his own.
They ate in silence as Jaxon reflected on the last couple of months. His chest ached when he thought of how close he’d come to losing Claire.
“What are you thinking about?” Her soft voice washed over him like the warmth of the sun.
He met her gaze. “How close I came to losing you. Both of you.”
“I’m so sorry I hurt you, Jaxon. I—”
“Don’t apologize. You did what you had to do to protect the ones you love.”
“And hurt the only man I’ve ever loved in the process.”
“You listen to me. None of that was your fault. The man responsible for it is Mack Doyle.” Jaxon quickly recited his talk with Alfred. “He’s not entirely blameless here, but I’m relieved to know he meant you no harm.”
Claire sighed. “Me too.”
“It doesn’t change what he did to you on your prom night.”
A surprised look entered her eyes. “How did you? Oh, yeah, Tori. Right.”
“Don’t be upset with Tori. She was trying to help. And if she hadn’t told me, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
“No, I know. I’ll forever be grateful to her for everything she’s done.”
Jaxon noticed Claire fighting a yawn. “Get some sleep, love. We can talk about this later.”
She slid down deeper into the covers. “Make love to me, Jaxon.”
“Is it safe? I mean, I don’t want to hurt the baby.”
“It won’t. Lots of pregnant women have sex right up until their babies are born.”
Jaxon was achingly hard before she finished her sentence. He stood and stripped out of his clothes without taking his gaze from her. She was still naked from when they’d showered earlier.
He crawled up on the bed and gripped her ankles, spreading her legs open to make room for his large frame. The look of love shining in her eyes only made him want her more. He leaned forward and gently nipped one of her nipples with his teeth. Claire flinched and a small gasp escaped her.
Jaxon stilled. “Did I hurt you?”
Her answer was to grab the back of his head and coax his mouth back to her breast. “You didn’t hurt me. I’m just sensitive right now. Please don’t stop.”
That was all the convincing he needed. He sucked the small, tight bud into his mouth, reveling in the sexy moans coming from her throat. Her nipple popped free of its confinement as he moved to the other breast, giving it equal amounts of attention.
“Jaxon.” Her pleading tone brought his head up.
He looked into her heavy-lidded gaze in wonder. It was still hard for him to believe she was actually here, splayed out before him, and she belonged to him.
“Patience, baby.” He grinned and licked his way down her body, stopping to drop a kiss on the place their child rested.
Claire squirmed beneath him and tilted her hips, instinctively offering herself to him. He wrapped his hands around her thighs, opening her wider for his waiting mouth. Her feminine scent invaded his senses, making it difficult to stay gentle when all he wanted was to devour her.
With infinite care, Jaxon brought his hand around and lightly coasted a finger through her slit before inserting it inside her wet heat. The moan that came from her, coupled with the feel of her squeezing his finger, threatened to unman him. But nothing prepared him for what she did next.
Chapter Twenty Seven
If Claire lived to be a hundred, she would never f
orget the rush she felt or the pure, unadulterated groan that came from Jaxon when she locked her legs around his torso, flipped him over, and straddled his face.
She’d seen the position in movies, had even read about it a few times, but staring at Jaxon’s erection now, she suddenly felt insecure. And then he swiped his tongue over her aching heat and all doubts fled.
Claire wrapped her hand around his thick shaft and lowered her mouth to the tip. She could barely think beyond the sensation of him sucking on her sensitive bundle of nerves as she coasted her tongue through the small opening of his sex.
Jaxon’s entire body tightened with the contact, and a growl came from him that sounded inhuman. She didn’t care as long as he didn’t stop the onslaught of his tongue.
The feel of his thick erection entering her mouth simultaneously with his fingers penetrating her sent Claire on a high she’d never known existed. His flavor was unbelievable, like nothing she had tasted before, and she wanted more, all of him, now.
Claire let her instincts take over, and she gripped him tighter, following her hand down with her mouth only to trail back up with her fist. The noises coming from him matched her own as she attempted to pleasure him while teetering on the edge of coming apart above him.
He pulled back slightly. “You have to stop, baby. I won’t last much longer this way.”
The desperation in his voice brought a powerful rush crashing through her. She took him deep into her mouth once again, amazed that she could blindly bring this big man such pleasure with her lack of experience.
Jaxon shifted his weight and rolled out from under her. He covered her with his large frame immediately, staring into her eyes with a hunger that matched her own. His breathing had accelerated, and he shuddered above her.
“I need to…” Jaxon began before looking away briefly and then slowly lifting his gaze back to hers. His eyes gleamed in the shadows, different yet the same. Something lurked in their depths, something she’d never seen before. Oddly enough, she felt no fear.
“Tell me.” She laid her palm against his cheek, noticing his skin was hot to the touch.
“I need to mate with you. No, it’s more than a need; it’s like a craving, a drug that I’ll die without.” His voice dropped, part human, part animal. “You’re mine.”
Emotion overwhelmed Claire in that moment. He was letting her in, allowing her to see all of him not just the man that lived on the surface, but also the beast that dwelled within. “Yes.”
Relief was evident as he shut his eyes and dropped his forehead to hers. “I need to mark you. You will feel a little pain, but I promise to—”
“Jaxon?”
“Yes, baby?”
“Mark me.”
Another growl vibrated from his chest, and Claire opened her thighs, cradling his narrow hips. He nudged her head to the side and buried his face against her neck. “You smell so good.”
Claire held her breath as Jaxon licked her neck and touched his erection against her opening. “Don’t tense up. I’ll go slow.”
She took a deep breath and forced her body to relax as he gently eased inside her, inch by aching inch. He was suddenly touching her everywhere. The slide of his calloused palms on her arms, her face, and ribs only added to the pleasure of him filling her, stretching her.
“Jaxon,” she moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist, taking his unhurried thrusts with a building frenzy that would soon have her biting him if he didn’t help her find what her body desperately craved.
“Claire, relax. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Fire raced up her back, through her stomach and straight to a place he brushed against on every gentle slide inside her body. “More. Please, Jaxon. I—”
“I got you.” His arms came around her, wrapping her in a tight embrace as he ground against her over and over. She wasn’t sure where she ended and he began. They became as one, moving together in mind, body, and soul.
He suddenly tilted his hips and Claire saw stars. Her mind blanked of everything but the guttural sound of his voice in her ear. His words blended together to form a haze of nonsensical declarations of love, lust, and desperation.
The sharp sting of his teeth sinking into the fleshy part of her neck rocked Claire to her core. Her entire body seized with an orgasm so intense her eyes rolled back, her nails dug into his shoulders, and she flew off into an abyss of bottomless wonderment she never wanted to return from.
Claire was vaguely aware of Jaxon’s shout and the slide of his warm tongue on her neck shortly after. Her mind remained centered on the feel of him throbbing inside her. Small pulses of mini aftershocks still had her in the grips of the most mind-blowing orgasm imaginable.
“Are you okay?” Jaxon’s deep voice seeped into her psyche, filling her with overflowing love for this man.
Tears swam in her eyes, and she turned her head to face him. “I love you, Jaxon. More than I ever thought possible.”
His gaze bored into hers. Gone were the insecurities, the doubts, and in their place lived adoration, a promise of things to come, and an unmistakable bond. “You’re mine, Claire, forever and even beyond.” Jaxon brushed his lips across hers once, twice. “Mate.”
“Mate,” Claire repeated softly.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Claire arrived the next morning to find Scruples abuzz with activity. Jaxon was practically glued to her back as they entered the front door with Ben, Sarina, and Victoria in tow.
They’d awoken to find Alfred gone, which was fine by Claire. She wasn’t ready to face the man who had been partly responsible for her last two months of hell on earth.
“You’re back,” Chelle announced with a grin, wrapping Claire in a hug.
“It’s good to be home.” Claire returned the embrace before stepping back to take in her surroundings. Nothing looked out of place in the dimly lit room. Familiar faces smiled at her from their scattered locations throughout the dining area, and Claire felt her shoulders relax.
“How about some coffee?” Chelle rounded the bar and began taking out several mugs.
Jaxon piped in from his hovering position. “Decaf.”
Chelle’s eyebrows shot up. “Since when do you drink decaf, Sanders?”
“Yeah, Sanders.” Claire glanced over her shoulder with a wink. “Since when?”
“It’s not for me, Chelle,” Jaxon responded in a teasing tone. “Claire can have very little caffeine and even less sugar. Something in her contract about weight gain and skin blemishes.” He shrugged.
“And pregnancy, I’m assuming,” Chelle quipped without looking up from her task.
Claire’s mouth dropped open. “How did you know?”
Chelle’s head disappeared behind the bar for a second before reappearing with a smirk. “I knew the moment you walked through that door.”
“Well, I’ll have mine with enough caffeine to fell an elephant,” Victoria boomed as she made her way to the bar and took a seat. Sarina and Ben sat on her right, leaving two vacant stools for Claire and Jaxon.
The seating arrangement wasn’t lost on Claire, nor was the fact that she’d be on the end farthest from the door and away from the window.
Jaxon helped her onto the stool and took up residence on the one next to her. “How are you feeling, Claire? Do you need to go lie down?”
“I’m fine, really. I could use something to eat though.”
“Chelle, can we get some food for the ladies, please?”
“Of course. Would you and Ben like something too?”
The corner of Jaxon’s mouth lifted. “Does a bear shit in the woods?”
“You probably do too, you gigantic freak,” Tori interjected from her position down the way.
The sound of laughter filled the room, and Claire soaked it up. It had been so long since she’d found anything to be happy about, much less find amusing. Leave it to Victoria to inject humor into an otherwise tense situation, she thought with a smile.
Chelle took everyone’
s order before scampering off toward the kitchen. Claire sipped at the milk that had been placed in front of her as opposed to the coffee she’d originally requested. She understood their need to coddle, but a decaffeinated coffee wouldn’t have been the end of the world as they knew it.
Sarina slowly climbed down from her stool and approached her daughter. “Can I speak with you a moment?”
“Of course,” Claire agreed, moving to stand.
Jaxon immediately got to his feet. ”I’ll escort you to the office.”
“I’m coming too,” Ben announced with a frown.
“Oh, for crying out loud. Will the both of you calm down? We’re not going outside, and Jaxon can check the room before we enter it.” Sarina nodded at Ben. “Keep an eye on Tori. We’ll be back soon.”
Claire hadn’t seen her mother move with such determination in years. It seemed she had more pep in her step, more energy radiating from her small frame. She wondered how much of it was a result of Ben’s presence. The tension between the two certainly hadn’t gone unnoticed, and frankly Claire was a little shocked that Tori hadn’t taken the opportunity to throw Ben and Sarina both under the bus before now. She must be slipping.
“I’ll keep the Murphy sisters off him, Sarina.” Tori chuckled. “Have no fear.”
Or, maybe not. Claire silently laughed and followed Jaxon to the office. Victoria never disappoints.
After doing a quick sweep of the area, Jaxon gave the all-clear sign before closing the two women inside the office.
Claire glanced around the small space, remembering her last time being in the room. She would never forget the man with the piercing blue eyes who’d delivered the contract for her to sign. There was something dark about him, an evil that ran deep. She shuddered and gestured for her mother to have a seat on the sofa.
Sarina got right to the point. “We need to talk about the baby.”
Something in her voice set Claire’s senses on alert. She leaned a hip against her desk and crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay. What’s on your mind?”
“I know what they are.” She nodded toward Claire’s stomach. “What he is.”
Knowing Claire (The Possessed Series Book 1) Page 9
