by Dora Blume
“Jessie, Oh God, Jess,” his voice was ragged. He captured her lips in a fierce kiss. She moved her hand to slide up his shaft. His answering moan in her mouth sent a thrill of delight. There was something about hearing the pleasure you created through another's moans. She wanted to make him feel as good as he’d made her. She slid her hand over his length, spreading a bead of precum over him and working her hand quickly over him. His head rested in the crook of her neck. She knew he wasn’t able to concentrate while she worked him over. After a minute he pulled back from her, a fire in his eyes. She knew she wouldn’t have to wait for much longer. She wanted to feel him inside her.
He dropped down to her pants his eyes never leaving hers as he pulled her pants down her legs slowly. He kissed the side of her ankle, her calf, her inner thigh. She gripped his hair as he dipped his head between her legs. She gasped as he ran his tongue up her folds. He worked her clit and she whimpered. He sped up, and she raked his hair through her fingers. He answered her with a flick of his tongue against her clit, and she pulled harder.
“You like that?” she asked. He moved his tongue faster, and she gasped, pulling his hair harder. “Oh, Fuck, I guess that’s a yes.”
He plunged his tongue inside and worked her clit with his thumb. She gripped his shoulders as the building orgasm crashed through her sending sparks of pleasure through her entire body. He took a moment to kick his pants the rest of the way off his legs. She blinked up at him, riding the waves of her orgasm. He kept her focused as he surged into her. He licked his lips as he stared down at her, giving her body time to adjust. She yanked his neck down so she could kiss him. He began thrusting slowly in time to their gentle kiss. She took time to worship his mouth as his thrusts increased, slowly, building her up again.
When he circled his hips just like she wanted, she gasped. She ran her hands up his chest digging her nails into his biceps as he quickened his thrusts. “Erik, are you reading my thoughts?” she asked. He dipped down to capture her mouth. She knew that was a yes. She knew he didn’t do it often, but he’d told her he often did it when they were having sex. She still wasn’t sure if she liked that, but he always gave her exactly what she was thinking. Right now, the way he thrust and circled, he was hitting all the right places. Who the fuck cared that he’d read her thoughts when the result was this fucking good.
“Oh, God, Erik, Oh Shit,” she said. He moved faster, then slowed, knowing she was close. He kissed her deeply. She put all the love she had for him into that kiss. He quickened his strokes while she savored his mouth. This time, when she was close he sped up driving her over the edge. She cried out in one long moan. Her lips trembled and Erik bent to capture them in another fiery kiss. As she gripped him, he thrust twice more before he found his own release. They held each other as they rode out the last waves of their release. She kissed him again, slowly, enjoying the feel of his mouth. He kept her wrapped in his embrace. She never wanted him to let her go. He kissed her like they had all the time in the world to enjoy each other.
He ran his hand through her curly blonde locks. He liked to wrap the curls around his finger in an absent gesture that Jessie adored. She sighed against his mouth. She let her body relax against him. He moved away from her lips, kissing the tip of her nose. “Is it wrong that I’m not ready to let you go yet,” he asked, tightening his arms around her.
Jessie chuckled, “No, it’s never wrong.” She clutched him tighter. He let himself slip out of her but didn’t unwrap his arms. He kissed her again, focusing on her bottom lip. She loved when he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. After a long kiss, he let her go.
“I know, we need to get some rest.” He pulled the sheet up over them both. She turned and adjusted the pillow. He wrapped one arm around her, pulling her against him.
“I love you, Erik,” Jessie said, resting her arm over his.
“I love you, too, Jess.” He kissed her shoulder.
“You know we just did it again, right?” Jessie said.
“Did what?” he asked.
“Forgot the condom,” she said. He tensed and clutched her closer.
“Shit,” he cursed.
“Yeah, Erik, if I didn’t know better, I would think you were trying to get me pregnant.” She turned her head and narrowed her eyes at him. He closed his eyes and kissed her forehead.
“Get some rest, we have a big day tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I know. We have to find my mom.” There was a quiver in her voice.
“We’ll find her, Jess.” He rubbed his thumb over her arm, holding her in his embrace. She didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but as long as they were together, she felt like they could do anything.
CHAPTER 3
Sloane
“I hate airplanes, how do I always end up next to the kid with all the food? I don’t look approachable. Why do parents think their kids should sit next to me? I really need to work on my resting bitch face.” Sloane bent to wipe crumbs off her black jeans.
“Oh, Sloane, your resting bitch face is just fine. I might have suggested you liked kids to the nice couple who got on after us,” Erik smirked at his sister’s glare.
“Erik, I will fucking kill you.” She lunged at him. Mike wrapped an arm around Sloane’s waist pulling her back before she could make a scene in the airport. He kissed the crook of her neck when she turned her head to glare at him.
“You can’t say the whole flight was bad,” he whispered in her ear and a whole new wave of desire swept through her. There was something to be said for joining the mile-high club.
Sloane felt her cheeks flush. “Yeah, there were definitely some highlights.”
“Uh, yeah we all heard you in the bathroom. Most people try to keep it down when they’re trapped in a plane with that many people. Sloane, every single person on that plane heard you come. There were parents covering their kids’ ears. Did you not see all the glares you got when you stepped out of the bathroom?” Jessie shook her head.
“I hope they enjoyed the on-board entertainment. I know I did.” She winked at Mike.
“You two are ridiculous. You know we have some important stuff to do here, right?”
“Yes, Jess, we know. It’s not like we could do anything to find your mom while on the flight. Besides, it’s not like we had anything else to do.” She shrugged and rolled her eyes. Somehow she still managed to leave the plane covered in some toddlers’ crumbs.
“It wasn’t even that long of a flight. You couldn’t wait?” Erik shifted his weight.
“Come on, Erik. You’re just jealous you didn’t get the chance.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.
He answered with a scowl. “That’s because you two took up the bathroom for half the flight. The attendants actually had to tell a few people to use the other bathroom because you were in there so long.” Shaking his head he looked between her and Mike. She honestly didn’t give a shit what her brother thought. He needed to lighten up.
“Whatever, you guys, we need to get a car and get to my mom’s friends. It’d be nice to make the drive without rush hour traffic.” Jessie hefted her bag onto her shoulder.
“Oh, honey, you’re in LA. It’s always rush hour here.” Sloane rested her hand on her hip.
“How do you even know? When was the last time you were here?” Jessie narrowed her eyes at Sloane. She gave her an answering smirk. Looks like Jessie’s claws were out today.
“Ladies, can we move on? We have a lot to get to today.” Mike rubbed Sloane’s shoulder.
“Yeah, Mike’s right. Come on, Jess, let’s find your mom.”
“Um, we have to find the car first.” She shook her head.
“Oh, I have a car service picking us up. Then we’ll meet a friend to borrow one for our stay. Follow me.” Mike escorted them to a group of men in suits holding signs.
“Well, this is a little too familiar,” Sloane muttered.
“I doubt this will be like last time,” Erik commented.
“True, Magnus stood out
a bit. These guys are all actually wearing suits.”
“He’s down here.” Mike took Sloane’s hand, and they met a tall man in a black suit with a thin black tie. “Hello, I believe you’re our driver.” Mike met the man’s eyes.
“May I see some identification please,” the man asked.
Mike handed him his driver’s license. “Ah, yes sir. Can I help you with your bags?”
A chorus of “no’s” filled the air. The man smiled. “All right then, if you would follow me.” He opened the door for them, and they followed to a sleek black SUV. He held the back door open, and they each filed into the sleek car. When they were all in, he closed the door and got in the driver’s seat. Sloane rubbed her hand over the smooth leather seats.
“This is nice, babe.” Sloane leaned against Mike in the back seat giving him a peck on the cheek.
“I’m glad you like it, love.” He leaned over to give her a proper kiss.
“Okay, so where are we going first?” Jess asked.
“Ah, I have a friend that lives off Lincoln Ave. in Anaheim. He’s borrowing us a car while we’re here. He’s one of us and a major player in the area.” His eyes flicked to the driver’s seat.
“Sounds good.” Jessie sat back, curling slightly into Erik. The driver parked across from what looked like a University.
“We’re here,” Mike announced.
“They live by the University?” Erik asked.
“Yeah, what better place to keep an eye on the school?”
“I guess that makes sense. Who’s the friend?” Erik followed Mike and Sloane out of the car, holding the door for Jessie.
“His name is Liam, he’s the head of the Anaheim area. In Los Angeles, there are so many people, they have to split by suburbs.” Mike took Sloane’s hand as they walked up to the house. Jessie hung back by Erik. Sloane watched as Mike rang the bell. The knot in her stomach grew. She knew something was wrong but wasn’t sure what it was yet.
A tall man with sandy blonde hair opened the door. “Hey, Mike, what’s happening, man.” Sloane watched as they grasped each other’s hands and Liam pulled him into a hug with a single clap on the back. Sloane mused that men’s hugs were always so quick. Like one pat on the back was acceptable but any longer and it was weird..She wondered how Mike was able to travel and know so many people while also running a bar in Minneapolis.
“It’s good to see you, Liam. This is Sloane,” He squeezed her to himself slightly. “Jessie, and Erik.” He motioned to each of them. Erik gave a half-wave and Jessie smiled. They really weren’t into meeting new people. Which was funny because they had been the ones running around fighting demons in Minneapolis while she was gone. You’d think they’d be better at it.
“It’s good to meet you. I know you’re kind of in a crunch, so I'll get right to it. The car is parked there.” He pointed to a sleek Dodge Challenger parked on the street. “I made sure she was ready to go.” Liam turned to Jessie. “I hope you find your mom.” He turned back to Mike. “Keep me up to date on what’s happening with the order. If you need any more Shikari, I have a group I can send today to help. I can’t believe they were able to take over the archives so easily.” He looked to the ground as he shook his head. “So many of us rely on the order. Who’s everyone in distress calling for help right now. This is such a mess.”
“I know, man. I know. We’re not sure they’ve been able to take over all the archives, only that they have the building and the remaining elders are in hiding. We’ll be joining them shortly. Maybe a few of your people can join us when we fly back.” Mike was always all business. He was good at rallying people to their cause. Sloane beamed at him for a moment.
“Thank you for all your help,” she said, staring up at the man with kind eyes.
“It’s my pleasure. I’m always here to help a Shikari in need. Now, if you’ll excuse me. We do have a similar situation to what you had in Minneapolis. Did you guys ever figure out why they were targeting college students? We have a few who have been possessed at the University, but the numbers are growing. We’re taking a watch and see stance for now. I want to know what it is they want with them. If they have the order, I don’t understand what would be their long-term plan for the colleges.” Liam scratched his chin in thought.
“We still aren’t sure. They targeted students in specific fields. Sloane was working on some robberies that we thought were connected as well. We haven’t been able to put all the pieces together. Let us know what you find out. The more information we have, the better we’ll be able to fight them.” Mike extended his hand to Liam.
“Will do, brother. Talk to you soon.” He shook his hand and turned back to the house.
Mike nodded and they headed toward the car. Mike slipped into the passenger seat. Sloane watched as her brother held the door for Jessie. She smiled. It was nice knowing Bryant hadn’t corrupted her brother too much. He was still a gentleman.
“Okay, onto Yoruba Linda. Let’s hope we can find the information and your mom as soon as possible. We need to get back to what’s happening with the order.” Mike reached for Sloane’s hand. Sloane’s chest tightened. Mike should know that family comes first, didn’t he? Sloane narrowed her eyes at him and turned to give Jessie a sympathetic look. Sometimes guys didn’t think before they spoke.
“I’m sorry to have us chasing my hair-brained mother. I know something is wrong.” Jessie pulled at a string on her shirt. Erik wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. Sloane watched her brother comfort Jessie in the mirror. She was glad that Erik had stood up for her. He chose to help her look for her mother instead of going to the order. It showed his maturity. Sloane wasn’t sure when her brother had matured, but she was proud of him.
“It’s okay, Jess. We’re going to find her. The others will deal with what’s happening until we get back.” Erik rested his other hand on her knee.
“Yeah, it’s about time someone else steps up to save the day. I mean, we’ve been doing it enough lately. We have absolutely no problem helping you, Jess. You’re our family.” Sloane crossed her legs in the seat. Her gaze cut to give Mike a sharp stare. He shouldn’t be considering the order over someone’s family. She wanted him to know exactly what she thought of that. She gave Jessie a small smile. There was a flash of light in her eyes before her shoulders drooped again. Sloane couldn’t imagine the weight she was carrying. Sloane had never had to worry about her family. Her mom was gone before she ever got the chance. The pain which was usually tampered shot through her. Would there ever be a day where she didn’t think about the loss? Her mom was important to her. Jessie had gone through a lot with her mom and most of it was because of her. But the love between a mother and daughter couldn’t be described. Sloane just hoped they’d find her mother and save her if they had to. Jessie shouldn’t have to go through what her and Erik had at the loss of their mother.
“Hey, you okay, babe?” Erik asked Jessie in a low voice.
“Yeah, I’m just worried. I can’t seem to shake this bad feeling in my gut. I know something happened to her.” Jessie looked down to Erik’s hand rested on her knee.
“We’ll find her. I promise.”
“I think we’re at the house.” Mike pulled up to a single-story stucco house nestled into the hill. “Jess, you ready to find out what’s going on?”
“I’m more than ready, but I’m not sure we should all go in there. Julie is slow to trust others. I think maybe only Erik should go, just in case she thinks something she doesn’t share with me.” Jessie bit her lip as she looked to the two in the front seat.
Sloane’s hand made its way to Mike’s lap. “I think we can find a way to kill a few minutes while you find out about your mom,” she smirked.
“Yeah, can you guys not say that shit around me. Appreciate ya!”
★.•°★°•.★
Erik stepped out of the car and held the door open for Jessie. She slipped her hand in his and looked up into his cobalt eyes. His blonde hair stood out
in the California sun. Lucky, didn’t begin to describe how she felt about having Erik in her life.
Jessie pressed the doorbell and squeezed Erik’s hand. She was anxious to hear about her mom. The door opened slowly. A stout woman with her hair piled into a messy bun answered the door. When she saw Jessie, a wide smile spread across her face.
“Jessie, dear, I’ve missed you so much.” She opened her arms wide and Jessie walked into her embrace.
“I’ve missed you, too, Jules.” Julie held her out to look at her. She ran a hand down her hair stopping to cup her cheek. She gave Jessie a knowing look. Jules had been someone Jessie had turned to when her mother was on one of her benders. Tamslyn liked California and Jessie had spent much of her youth with Jules.
“You have gotten even more beautiful, dear.” Her eyes shifted from Jessie to Erik. “And who is this handsome young man?”
“This is Erik,” Jessie’s eyes flicked over to Erik. He held out his hand for her.
“It’s nice to meet you, Julie,” he said, giving her a slight bow of his head.
“Is this the Erik you used to spend all your time with, dear?”
“The very same.” She smiled. She’d spend hours on the phone talking to Julie about her boy problems. She had given her plenty of advice over the years.
“Well, then, it’s good to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. Please, come in, come in.” She moved to the side and held the door for them. She motioned for them to come into the living room. “Would you like something to drink? I can make tea.”
“No thanks, we’re kinda in a hurry. The demons have taken over the order and the elders are in hiding. We have to get back to that as soon as possible. I just couldn’t go without learning what happened to my mother.” Jessie took a deep breath. Her heart clenched at all the fears she had of what could have happened to her.
“Oh my, well, that’s something.” Her eyes shifted to the ground then back to the kitchen.
“Jules,” Jessie’s voice dropped. “What do you know about my mom?”
