Bad Guys Finish First: The Sandman and The Librarian (BWWM) (The Sanctuary Series Book 1)

by T. C. Clark

  “Say what again?” Lily ran a shaky hand through her short black hair, slicking it back against her head. She looked at him and waited. It was as if she knew what he wanted, but she needed him to acknowledge it.

  “Say you love me.”

  “And why should I do that when you haven’t said it back to me?”

  “Because I need to hear it tonight.” Something in his tone got through to her and she stopped smiling. She placed her hands on either side of his head and pulled him down until they were nearly nose to nose.

  “I love you, Sandy. I love you, Ivan. I love you, Sandman. I love you,” she said against his lips. He closed his eyes as emotions nearly choked him. This was why he was here. He didn’t care about protecting the world or saving the people. He only needed this woman to be okay. That would be enough for him.

  “I love you too, Lillian Denton, and no matter what happens next, I always will.” He picked her back up and placed her against the wall. He drove into her, thick and hard, pushing himself deep. She gasped as he pressed the full weight of himself into her body, pinning her against the wall.

  She trembled around him, her body clamped around his so tightly that he had to force himself not to move. He needed her with him as he went over the edge. When she arched against him and adjusted her legs to let him go deeper, he moved.

  He thrust deep over and over again, trying to control the pressure building behind his eyes. His hands tightened painfully on her hips, but she didn’t complain. She was as lost as he was riding out this storm.

  The sounds of their bodies coming together filled the air as his hips pounded into hers. She screamed as she started to come around him. Her tight clenching muscles contracted over the velvet steel impaling her.

  He kept up the pace until he let go. His release was vicious. It roared through his body until there was nothing left. He ground his hips into her, forcing his seed as deep as it could go. An age old ritual of mating. He didn’t stop moving until she relaxed against him.

  He kissed her upturned lips and leaned her against the shower wall. He washed them both and then picked her up and carried her to his bed. She climbed under the covers and he followed. He moved over her as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  “What, Sandy?”

  “It’s going to be a long night for you, Lillian.” She gasped when he widened her hips, and thrust back inside. Sandy stole the sound from her lips. He needed to store some memories tonight.

  Five

  Chapter 5

  * * *

  Lily woke up and winced as her body protested. Sandy had one arm and leg thrown over her, trapping her against his side. She didn’t know what the hell got into Sandy last night, but he hadn’t let up until the early rays of dawn crept in. She moved carefully, slipping out from under him.

  She stood up and stretched her back. It felt like she’d gone a few rounds in the boxing ring. She wanted to check on Nancy and get them some breakfast before they left. She dressed quickly and brushed out her hair. It was starting to get frizzy after last night’s shower session.

  Lily checked on Nancy and grabbed them some fruit from the kitchen. As she walked back, she realized they were docking. It wouldn’t be long now. She threw the fruit on the bag and put on her gear.

  She slid the knives the Surgeon gave her into her pockets. She was surprised at how lightweight they were. She couldn’t believe he’d given her a set. He must have been really worried about Rhea’s reaction if anything happened to her. She had to admit she appreciated them. There was nothing else like them on the market.

  Sandy walked in with a grim look on his face. He had his gear on as well. He made his way to her and hugged her from behind. She patted his arm and smiled at him in the mirror. His large arms moved up around her neck and before she could react, he tightened his grip.

  She clawed at his arms as the pressure increased. Fear, rage, and despair were the emotions playing out in her head. How could he do this to her? Why was he doing this? She kicked at the table and pushed them back against the bed, but he didn’t let go. She kept pulling at his arms drawing blood with her nails.

  Lily pulled at his wrist and dropped her weight. The move made them fall to the ground but he still didn’t let go. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She forced her body to relax even as she struggled to breathe. She reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the knives the Surgeon had given her. She started to use it and stopped when she caught a glimpse of Sandy’s face.

  It was filled with pain, determination, and something else. He was adjusting his strength to make sure that he didn’t crush her windpipe; that meant that he wasn’t trying to kill her. If she used the Surgeon’s special knives on Sandy, he would die. She couldn’t risk that. But how did she make him stop? Just as she thought her brain would figure it out, the darkness came and the decision was made for her.

  Sandy carried Lily’s limp body off of the boat. He disregarded the worried looks from the two fishermen. They were smart enough not to get involved. They had already put Nancy in a separate car on the other side of the boat. They didn’t want her to see Lily like this.

  The retired Sanctuary member who was meeting him had earned his codename the Fireman because of how many people he’d rescued. He was older now. His brown skin showed signs of aging. A former navy seal, the man had a hard edge to him that made him difficult to get along with, and for some reason he’d taken a liking to Sandy.

  “The girl wants to see Lily,” the Fireman explained with a frown. He was a short, stocky man.

  “Well, she can’t. Tell her she left this morning for an errand, but she will be with her soon.

  “Can I ask why she’s knocked out and hanging over your shoulder?”

  “Trust me, you don’t want to,” Ghost answered for Sandy. He was carrying their bags. He opened the car door and Sandy put Lily in the backseat. He buckled her in. His eyes examined her face one last time. He’d hated what happened this morning. He could still see the look of shock and rage in her eyes. He’d seen her staring at him in the mirror when they fought.

  Right now she looked peaceful. She was a beautiful woman inside and out. It hurt to walk away from her. He didn’t doubt she loved him and that made it worse. He dropped a kiss on her lips and leaned down and placed his head against hers.

  He took a moment. He didn’t notice Ghost or the Fireman watching the tender display. He wasn’t a man who wore any emotions on his sleeve. The people who’d raised him had taken a lot of time to beat out softness he had.

  “Goodbye, Lillian,” he whispered against her ear.

  He stood up and cleared his mind. He had a job to do, one that would probably be his last. The Fireman had a small team of women with him. They were all watching him suspiciously, but they stayed quiet. They obviously trusted the Fireman enough to keep their questions to themselves.

  “This was the only way for me to keep her safe,” Sandy said closing the car door. As the metallic latch locked into place his mind cleared of emotion. He pushed his feelings down and locked them away. He was the Sandman now.

  “She’s not going to be okay with this when she wakes up.” The Fireman checked his watch and then nodded to one of the ladies watching the group. They disappeared around the boat, most likely going to the other car.

  “So I’ve been told.” Sandy took his bag from Ghost and held out his hand for the package the Fireman was holding. He rummaged through it. Dmitri had sent another burner phone and three different maps. Shit, this was going to be complicated. He would call him after the others left.

  “Sandy, I still think you need to contact the others and tell them that Lily isn’t going to be with you. They could probably work out a way to get someone here to help you out.”

  “No, we don’t have time for that. We are down to six working members and all of us have our tasks lined up. I can handle this alone.”

  “Get them there safe. I’ll have my money man make sure both of you are compensated after the miss
ion. But if their location gets out and it’s traced back to either of you, I swear to whatever God you believe in, you’ll regret it.” The Sandman was back and the coldness in his eyes was clear.

  “I’m going to ignore what you just said because of the amount of stress you’re under. I’ll give you a pass, but don’t forget who I am, boy. I’m not doing this for money. The Forecaster told me everything. I’ll get them there safe because it’s what I do,” the Fireman snapped. He walked around the car and got into the driver seat.

  Ghost hadn’t taken offense to Sandy’s comment, but he wasn’t the hero type anyway. He would have done this for money. “Try to stay alive, Sandy. She’s going to want someone to kill when she wakes up.”

  “Make sure you dose her every six hours until you get her to that island. Lily’s smart. If she wakes up, it’s going to be hell putting her back down. “

  “You think this is my first dance with Lily? I know how angry she is going to be. Don’t worry. I have my alarms set as a reminder.” Ghost gave Sandy an awkward hug. Sandy was confused by the action and kept his hands at his side. He wasn’t used to receiving hugs from anyone other than Lily.

  Ghost jumped into the passenger seat and Sandy watched as they drove off. He hoped that they would be okay. He didn’t like trusting other people to protect the woman he loved, but he had no other choice. He had a job to do.

  * * *

  Sandy forced himself to relax and got into the silver jeep. He pulled out the package he’d received from the Fireman. He searched through it until he found what he needed. The map of Turkey had a number scribbled it. It took him three tries before Dmitri answered.

  “Sorry, I was on the other line with the Forecaster. Let me speak to Lily,” Dmitri said his Russian accent was more pronounced. Like Sandy, he knew how to hide it when the situation called for it.

  “She’s not with me. I’m doing this alone.”

  “What the fuck did you do?”

  “She’s heading your way right now. She’s safer with Ghost and the Fireman. I know she’s going to hate me for it. My mind is made up so say your peace and move the fuck on,” Sandy snapped. He wasn’t going to keep justifying his actions to anyone who wasn’t Lily.

  Dmitri was quiet for a moment as he took in his cold words. He sighed into the phone. “I’m actually glad you did that, Sandy, because the mission has changed.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Now it’s a mandatory kill, no matter the cost. Something went wrong with the Mechanic and the Surgeon. They’ve gone quiet and we don’t know if that means that the Linguist took them out or if NICON knows what’s happening. If he did, then they know we are coming after them, and they are going to do everything in their power to stop us.”

  “Fuck. Lily is going to lose her shit if something happens to Rhea.”

  “I know. The funny thing is, we can’t find the Linguist either. Right now the Forecaster and the Hunter are staking out the Chemist, so they’ll be off the grid for the next few days. So we really are going into this blind.” Dmitri took a deep, weary breath and continued. “They are going to be on the Newton SSR train. It’s a uniquely designed armored train. It’s impossible to board once it starts its journey. You will have to get there before his team does and find a way on.”

  “That’s what me and Lily figured out on the boat. I think I know a way in.”

  “Here’s the thing, though. In your bag there is a small metal box. It contains a set of tracking beacons for a few missiles we borrowed from a dead Iranian. Once you get on board and you’ve verified that the Magician and the engineer he’s abducted are there as well, you need to activate them. Once they are on you have one hour to get as far away as you can. After activation, those devices will send a signal to four missiles located a few hours away from your route. I’m warning you, Sandy. Once they are activated, they can’t be cut off. The explosion radius means anything on board is going to be destroyed.”

  “I understand. I won’t be able to get out. According to Lily, once you’re on board when the train takes off, it locks down automatically and you can’t get anything open without blowing something up. We can’t risk losing him, so I’ll activate the devices immediately after verification.”

  “Shit.” Dmitri was slowly starting to realize what Sandy had known all along. Whoever got on that train was not getting off.

  “Yeah, I was pretty sure this was how it was going to go. I have a man who takes care of my money and he is going to contact you in a few days to disburse my accounts. He’s a good man. I need you to find a way to get Lily to take the money. I also have some set aside for Nancy, Ghost, and the Fireman. Whatever is left will go to you.” His voice was devoid of emotion as his mind worked to form a plan. Lily had summarized all the information she’d read about the different types of trains. He had a few people he could call on in Russia.

  “Sandy, maybe I can figure something else out…”

  “We both know once the Magician reaches the city he’ll disappear. It’s what he’s good at. We can’t risk it. If I can at least take out the man who created the weapon, then it should have some effect on their auction. I have to do this. I’ll contact you when I’m in Russia.”

  “I’m glad I met you, Sandy.”

  “Yeah, me too. Keep Lily safe for me.” He didn’t wait for a response. He cut off the phone, took the battery out, and destroyed the sim card. He would use it once more when he got to Russia. It was time for him to get to work.

  * * *

  “So Sandy and Lily are a thing,” the Fireman said as the old car made its way down a dirt road. They’d been traveling for a few hours in silence.

  Ghost couldn’t hide his smile. He’d been shocked when he’d found out. Lily was so different from Sandy, and yet, whatever was going on between them was real.

  He’d seen it in Lily’s eyes whenever she looked at Sandy. She was going to be extremely upset when she woke up. “Yeah, it’s crazy how some things work out.”

  “You are telling me he did this to keep her safe? Lily was an excellent agent when I worked with her. Why doesn’t he trust that she can take care of herself?” the Fireman asked. Ghost looked at him oddly. How had the old man missed that. It was clear it was tearing Sandy up to leave her behind.

  “He trusts in her ability. It wasn’t about that; it was simple, really. He wanted to protect the woman he loved. You think he wants to face all this alone? He needs her help. Hell, he needs all of our help to handle this. He told me that he couldn’t see her die, it would destroy him. He would rather have her hatred than see her dead. I told him it was a stupid choice, but he didn’t care, and anyway isn’t that what love is all about? Sacrificing your happiness for someone else’s?

  “Why did you help him then?” the Fireman asked with a frown.

  “When I was hooked on drugs, I betrayed someone dangerous. When the Benefactor retired me, it left me in a vulnerable position. The man I betrayed came into my home, raped and killed my wife, and took my daughter as payment. I was at a drug den when the news got to me. I was so high that it took me over an hour to react. There I was, a former sniper with over a hundred kills under my belt and I couldn’t even protect my own daughter. I called everyone I knew for help, but I’d burned all of my bridges and no one believed what I was saying. I left a message for Sandy as a last resort. I knew he didn’t like me. The next day Sandy showed up and got my daughter back for me. He kept her safe for three months while I went through the most brutal rehab I have ever experienced. If you can believe it, the place was monastery.”

  “Ah, you went to the Nuns of Aberath,” the Fireman said with a wry grin.

  “You’ve heard about them?” The Fireman nodded and Ghost shuddered at the memory. Those women were vicious but effective. Several people who entered their program died, but the ones who survived, stayed clean for life.

  “Anyway, I owe him everything. Sandy never asks for help. I can only imagine how hard this decision was for him.” Ghost
shook his head. He wished there was some other way to do this. He didn’t want his only friend to die alone in Russia.

  The Fireman pulled out his phone and texted something. The other car in the caravan took a right and they stayed straight. This wasn’t a part of the plan. Why was the other car moving in a different direction?

  Ghost sighed. “Please don’t tell me they got you too,” he said coldly. Fuck, he was going to have to kill the Fireman. The old man just smiled and slowed the car down. He turned to address the sleeping woman lying across the backseat.

  “Did you hear that, Lily? He loved you and that’s why he wants you here. So you can stop pretending to be asleep and tell us what you want to do.” Ghost jumped forward but Lily moved quickly. He felt the edge of a blade at his neck.

  “Sit back.” When Ghost relaxed back into the seat, Lily yawned. “Now that’s a good boy.”

  “You didn’t remove her weapons. Kids these days, they never follow protocols.” The Fireman shook his head and waited to hear what Lily had to say.

  “You still got it, old man,” she said huskily.

  “How in the fuck are you awake? I gave you enough pentobarbital to keep you out for hours.”

  She smiled. She’d taken the time to build up a tolerance to barbiturates. She’d been drugged once before and she’d made it her mission to never have that happen again. It had taken years of taking small doses to get her to a point where the effects of certain sedatives lasted for only half the time. She was lucky he’d chosen that class of drug.

  “It’s called black girl magic,” Lily explained. She looked at the Fireman, “Tell the other car to head back and pick you up. I am going after Sandy. But we still need you to escort Nancy to the island.”

  “I think I would be of better use with you too. That’s why I told the other car to head on to the island. You can’t take on the Magician alone.”