Текст книги "Reciprocity"

Автор книги: K. I. Lynn

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

CHAPTER 9

The alarm went off, blaring in my ear, and I groaned as I slapped my hand down on it. I stared at the time, sighing as I registered it was Monday and we really did have to get up.

Going back to work was rough. Being on vacation had been a heaven of sorts, and reality was brutal, making me appreciate every moment away that much more.

Granted, it wasn’t all bad—Lila was with me. My wife.

“Come on, get up,” I said as I yawned, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and stretching.

She whimpered, face down in her pillow. “Only if you promise Starbucks.”

I snickered. “Trust me, baby, I don’t want to leave this bed either. And I promise we’ll stop.”

Her head tilted up and she huffed, blowing the wild strands of hair from her face. She was pouty and grumpy, making her fucking adorable and my urge to hug her ferocious.

With a growl and a graceless stiffness, I jumped on top of her. She squeaked, trapped beneath me. I nibbled at her neck, biting like an animal, making her writhe and me stiffen in another way.

I smacked her ass and pushed off the bed before I got carried away. “Come on, before I shove my cock in you and we miss the chance to get coffee.”

Her eyes popped open wide and she jumped from the bed. Apparently coffee won out over my dick—what the hell?

A few minutes later, we were out the door and on our way. The smile never left her face. I’d never seen her smile so much.

Sitting at a red light, it dawned on me. “You’re thinking about the Boob Squad, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” Her voice was light and playful.

“Ready to rub it in their jealous noses that you are Mrs. Nathan Thorne.”

“Maybe.” Her smile grew wider.

“You don’t have to admit it. I know you are, and so am I. Those insipid bitches piss me off.” My fingers flexed on the steering wheel. “I hate the way they think they can treat you, and for no reason except that you’re with me.”

She shrugged. “Before you came, they pretty much ignored me and were never friendly. Then again, I didn’t make it easy—I didn’t want to get to know them.”

“They’re shallow cunts anyway.” I shivered in disgust when I remembered Jennifer grabbing my hand and putting it up her skirt. I’d been inches from her pussy and whatever disease it held.

She nodded. “Pack mentality, with Jennifer at the helm.”

I snorted. “She is the worst of them, followed up by Tiffany.”

Lila laughed. “Oh, yes, Tiffany trying to seduce you in the copy room. That was priceless.”

I quirked my brow at her. “You saw that?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I stuck around, waiting to see if you needed rescuing.”

I shook my head and brought her fingers up to my lips, placing a kiss. She never failed to surprise me. Or turn me on.

By the time we arrived, she was buzzing with energy, staring down at the rings on her fingers. I glanced at mine, still getting used to something being there after so long.

“I wonder if my new nameplate is up.”

I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close as we walked in the building. “Another way to stick it to them, huh?”

She nodded. “Oh, yeah. Plus, I love my new name. I want to scream it from the rooftops.”

I laughed and kissed the side of her head. “You still need to get it changed legally.”

“Yeah. I’m doing that tomorrow at lunch.”

I quirked a brow as I held the door open for her. “I’m surprised you can wait that long.”

She elbowed me in the ribs. “I figured there wouldn’t be time today. I’m afraid to see what my desk looks like…and poor Owen. He hasn’t been in the position long.”

I pushed the call button for the elevator. “He can handle himself.”

She pursed her lips, silent as the doors slid open and we stepped in. A loud sigh came out of her, and I looked down.

“What?”

“Yesterday we were on the beach. I want to go back.”

The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened to our floor. I took a moment to lean into her. “Soon.”

“Tomorrow?”

I chuckled as I grabbed her hand and started walking down the hall. “Not quite that soon.”

Of course, turning the corner would put us right in front of the fucking BS bitches—some of their cubes were right in the hallway. I fucking hated seeing the lust light up their eyes, then turn to disdain when they noticed Lila. Then again, I’d rather have them not look at us at all.

“Another vacation? Jeez, Delilah, I’m surprised Mr. Holloway still has you on.” The vile skank known as Jennifer rolled her eyes.

The other diseased one, Tiffany, held her hand up to her mouth, as if we wouldn’t hear her. “You know she’s only still here because Nathan was his son-in-law.”

My eye twitched as my jaw tightened and flexed. When did my past start circulating? We were already water cooler gossip, but my relationship with Jack had been kept quiet.

“It’s none of your business how I use my vacation time. I have a lot saved up over the years, and still plenty to go—I’ll use it how I want to.” Lila was cool and collected, and the venom in her voice turned me on.

My fingers flexed on her hip. I loved to see her fight back—it was so fucking sexy. She wasn’t weak, no matter what that shithead or the bitches in front of us thought.

They rolled their eyes. “I’m surprised you have any left after all the time you took off last year.”

Lila shook her head before narrowing her gaze on them. “You really are the stupidest bunch of rat-pack bitches, aren’t you? I was hit by a car, unable to take care of myself, let alone work. That classifies as sick time and medical leave. Company policy allows a certain number of weeks to be taken with half pay in the event you are unable to work for medical reasons. Vacation time is not used for medical leave.”

She glared at them as she explained in terms their collagen-filled brains might understand. I cringed and backed up when Jennifer puckered her lips at me. Fuck, if her lips got any bigger, they were going to explode. It was bad enough she put her hands on me and shoved her breasts in my face every fucking chance she got, but there was no way I’d want those monsters near me.

The BS bitches were tsking and getting riled up and yammering—pissing me off. It was too fucking early to listen to their squawking. I’d had enough.

I grabbed the back of Lila’s head and turned her to me, fisting her hair. My other hand grabbed on to her jaw as I devoured her lips with mine. I turned, pressing her against the wall as I shoved my tongue in her mouth, claiming her as mine, hips thrusting as I practically fucked her in front of them.

It made me remember our honeymoon, just two days prior when I had to lay claim to her in front of a bunch of idiots who were trying to buy her a drink at the pool bar. I kissed her harder, deeper, fucking her mouth with my tongue. She was whimpering and moaning, her hands gripped tight on my lapels.

I pulled back, panting, happy at the complete desire and want on her face. I looked over to the bitches, their stunned expressions making me want to laugh.

“My wife.” More than one of them gasped in shock, apparently unaware what had transpired the week before. “I don’t want anyone but her, so stop trying to tear her down to make yourselves feel better or think you have a chance at getting to me. Women like you make me sick.”

“You can’t!” Jennifer screamed out, jumping up from her seat.

My spine straightened, and I turned to face them, glaring down at them. Tiffany’s eyes widened and she scurried back behind the cube wall. Kelly, the least aggressive of the bunch, sat down in her seat when my head cocked in her direction, scooting it back to her desk.

“What can’t I do?” My voice was even, smooth. From their shuddering, it also had the desired chilling effect. “I’ve been fairly tolerant of your advances, but your bleached brain doesn’t seem to grasp that I am in a relationship and therefore unavailable. You have chosen not to respect that, and are no better than an insect, in my view.”

Jennifer was defiant, yet to be broken. “She’s an insect.” Her lip curled up in insolence as she looked at Lila.

I stepped forward, looming over her and flashed my left hand so their leader could see. “I asked Lila to marry me, to be my wife. I wanted to marry her, to have her with me forever, to have her body on mine whenever and wherever I want. Not you. Never any of you. Only her.”

Jennifer’s jaw jutted forward and her arms crossed over her chest. “So, what you’re saying is you married your whore.”

My eyes widened and my body vibrated.

“Jenn, I think you should stop.” Kelly’s voice was low, reserved.

“Say that again, skank. Call my wife a whore again and I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” She stepped forward, her body so close I could feel the heat of her devil fire on my skin.

“Have you fired.”

A hand clapped down on my shoulder and I turned to Jack. The BS bitches all gasped, and Jennifer’s mouth was gaping open, stumbling over words as she stepped away from me. I relaxed back toward Lila, my muscles uncoiling at her touch.

“M-Mr. Holloway, welcome back.” Jennifer blinked at him, a bead of sweat forming on her brow.

“Hmph. I don’t see how getting accounts of you threatening another employee while I was away, witnessing the beautiful wedding of Nathan and Delilah on the beach, as much of a welcome.”

She shook her head desperately. “No, sir, I didn’t do anything like that.”

Jack rocked back on his heels and stared at her. “I don’t much like emails like that while I’m away on vacation. Especially when they are from your supervisor’s supervisor with multiple accounts from different women in the office stating they’d been attacked by you.” Jennifer’s face paled and she sunk back. “Make sure your schedule is clear this afternoon, Miss Watson.”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Now, I believe you all have work to do.” He smiled at them with an almost eerie calm.

They all slunk back to their cubes, pretending to work—something I still wasn’t convinced they ever accomplished.

Jack turned to us and beamed. “I’m missing that beach about now.” He laughed as he patted my back and walked us down the hall.

“Thanks, Jack. I was about to lose it.”

Jack nodded. “I noticed. You didn’t even hear your wife calling your name and tugging on your arm.”

I looked over to Lila, who nodded. “I was afraid you were going to punch her.”

I sighed and pulled on my neck. “I almost did.” I glanced at Jack. “Was that true?”

Jack smiled and leaned close, looking around to make certain no one overheard. “There have been whispered complaints going on from some of the senior staff for some time. While we were away, Owen took it upon himself to detail their actions. Some of it was on video. He emailed Stanley Wick, stating that her supervisor refused to take action and it was upsetting many of his coworkers.”

Lila was right—Owen could hold his own. I laughed.

“Stanley looked into it. Seems Jennifer has been…coercing good progress reports from her supervisor, Daniel.”

Lila scoffed at the news. “Doesn’t surprise me in the least, especially after watching the way she went after Nate.”

Jack looked around again. “David and I have taken an interest in the matter, especially seeing as a supervisor was involved and in a way that violates many company policies.”

I looked at Jack when he referenced his brother—the other Holloway in the company name. “I thought David retired.”

“He still pokes around from time to time, keeping tabs. Stanley contacted him first, since I was away.” We stopped in front of Lila’s door and Jack held out his hand, shaking mine before taking Lila’s. “Have a good day, you two.” He turned to leave, then looked back. “I’ll keep you apprised of the situation, seeing as you both are involved and have had altercations. We’ll probably need to meet with each of you later.”

I nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” I pulled Lila close as he walked away. She looked up at me as she leaned in, arching into me.

“Ahem.”

We blinked at each other and peeked into the office. Owen was peering over his monitor, staring at us. “If you’re going to make out, can you do it somewhere else?”

“Ha.” I flipped him off and leaned down for one last succulent kiss to get me through the day.

It was hard to let her go, to be separated from her. She pushed away with a reluctant sigh and headed to her desk, a deep frown as she looked over all the files covering the top.

“Hey, thanks, Owen.” I tipped my chin at him.

He looked up at me and smirked. “For what?

I nodded in agreement to his sneaky maneuvers and gave him a thumbs up. “You’re all right, man.” I looked back to Lila and kissed the air at her. “Have a good day, Mrs. Thorne.”

She beamed at me. “You too, Mr. Thorne.”

CHAPTER 10

Later that day, I worked my way through an easier case file, when my email pinged with a new message from Lawrence, the prosecutor in Adam’s case. My eyes scanned over the message, and I cursed. Not news I needed to hear after such a wonderful week in paradise.

My knee bounced as I stared at the screen. The news was fucking up all of our hopes. It seemed that a dark cloud was now crashing down on us. I stood, throwing the door open and walking as fast as I could down the hall. I slammed my hand down on the open door, startling both the occupants of the large office.

Lila stared up at me. “Nate?”

“We need to take a break.”

My agitation must have been obvious, because she nodded and locked her computer. She looked over to Owen as she grabbed her jacket and swung it on. “I’ll be back.”

My fingers tangled with hers as soon as she reached me, and I practically dragged her down the hall. I pressed the call button for the elevator over and over, but she didn’t say a word. One finger slipped inside my wrist, followed by another, caressing the soft skin, and I settled down. It wasn’t enough, but it helped.

By the time we arrived at the main floor lobby, I’d calmed down enough that I was no longer dragging her along behind me. I still kept a brisk pace, one she had a little trouble keeping up with for the few blocks down the street and around the corner to Starbucks.

I shuddered, a sickening feeling overcoming me every time I passed the intersection in front of the store. The memories always bombarded me—her totaled car, her blood, her lifeless body. There was no doubt I would never overcome the images—they were burned in my brain.

The door swung open as we approached, and I caught it, holding it open and guiding her in. We ordered our drinks and waited at the end of the counter.

She never said a word, never asked what was wrong. I looked down and caught her curious gaze. In the depth of her eyes, I swear I could see every question she wouldn’t ask, and they were all laced in fear. I pulled her close and kissed her forehead, the action relaxing her a bit, and she blew out a long breath.

We found a small table and sat down. I didn’t speak, taking a sip instead. As we sat there, the anger and agitation slowly slipped away. The email had gutted me, leaving me feeling helpless, unable to protect her from the devil that haunted her.

“I didn’t know… I just found out, but they don’t charge habitual anymore for anything other than drugs,” I said, finally able to break the bad news.

Her face paled, and she dropped the cup from her lips. “Wha…what do we do now?”

I sighed and rubbed my face. “The prosecutor said he’s going to throw everything he can at him. There are a couple of class D felonies and some lesser offenses.”

“How much time is that?”

“Less than before.” I shook my head. My body felt like it was weighed down by a lead ball on my chest. “Not for the rest of his life, which is not good enough for either of us.” My anger began to boil at the thought of him on the loose, free to find her again. My jaw clenched, teeth grinding together. “It would be safer for him if he was in jail, because if I ever see his face in the world again after the trial, I will kill him.”

Lila placed her hands over my balled up fists for a brief moment before standing. I looked up at her but didn’t find the expression I expected. There was no fear. I’d just told her there was a possibility the man who’d tried to kill her more than once could be out in the world in a few short years, and she was smiling at me with tears in her eyes.

She sat down on my lap and grabbed my hands, wrapping my arms around her.

“Thank you,” she whispered. Her hand cupped my cheek and her fingers caressed my skin, lighting the familiar tingle of warmth I always got from her touch.

My eyes closed and I leaned into her hand, sighing as she soothed the beast in me. “For what?”

“For loving me that much.”

I blinked up at her. “Do you still not understand how much I love you? That I would do anything to keep you safe?”

“I do, but I also have my moments of doubt and disbelief. Fears that you’re a dream and I’ll wake up in hell again.”

My grip tightened, pulling her closer. “I’m not a figment of your imagination. Do you really think your mind would create someone so fucked up?”

She massaged the back of my neck with her fingers, making me groan. “Maybe. Why wouldn’t my mind think the perfect person for me is just as fucked up as I am?”

I smiled and leaned forward so that our foreheads were touching. “We are perfect together.”

Her lips met mine, but not in the soft kiss I was expecting. Nails scratched at my neck as her tongue asked for mine. I moaned—she was changing my mood in a very unexpected way.

“We fit perfectly together physically as well,” I said as she pulled away. Ideas of hauling her into the store’s bathroom began milling around my head. My hand moved up her thigh, grabbing the flesh beneath.

Yeah, I could use a quickie.

She rolled her eyes. “Such a horny bastard.”

“But I’m your horny bastard. And you should know, after all this time, what kissing me like that will do.”

She smiled at me all innocent-like, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. My head was spinning, all the blood from my brain draining down to my dick.

Fuck—the things she did to me.

Nothing told me how much better Lila was getting than when Noah, Lila’s foster brother, opened the door and she hugged him. Granted, she’d known him for a long time and trusted him, was open with him in ways only myself and few others knew of. It really shouldn’t have surprised me. Lila was reserved, except with those she trusted.

The only other time I’d seen him was that day with Adam, and I was too concerned with her to get a good look at him. Noah was average, overall—a little shorter than my six-two and about my weight as well. Dark brown hair was thick on his head, and his brown eyes were soft as he looked down at her.

When a short little brunette came to the door, I was shocked when Lila wasted no time wrapping her arms around her as well. It was obvious I didn’t know everyone who made up her very short list.

“Nathan, this is my wife, Camilla,” Noah said.

I held out my hand but was knocked back by the small woman practically tackle-hugging me. “It’s so wonderful to meet the man who was able to open up our Lila.” She pulled back, smiling at me.

I blinked at her, too stunned to find words. Lila wrapped her hands around my arm and kissed my shoulder.

Noah ushered us into the living room, offering up drinks as we went, and based on his tone months ago, I knew I’d need one.

“Thanks,” I said as I took a bottle of beer from him. A squeal drew my attention, and I turned to find Lila and Camilla going through the wedding photos we’d brought with us.

“You look so beautiful,” Camilla said to Lila. “I wish we could have come, but with the twins, money’s tight.”

“It’s okay. It would have been great if you could have made it.”

Camilla sighed, a wistful look on her face.

“She wanted to go so bad,” Noah said from next to me, drawing my attention back to him. “But Mari was just in the hospital for a lung infection. Medical bills were and are piling up. Plus, there was no way I could get off with the short notice.”

“No need to explain. I know you would have dropped everything to be there for her.”

He stared at her, watching. “She’s changed so much in the last year, and I know that’s all due to you.”

“Even I can see the change.” I glanced over at her and smiled. Damn. She was so beautiful when she was smiling and at ease.

“It’s so much better than the sickly skinny, mousy girl who ran from the room as soon as Armando or I entered.”

My teeth mashed together. “After seeing the monster, I can understand why.”

Noah nodded. “She still had the bruises and cuts when she came to live with us.” I turned to him, and his eyes seemed far away. He turned to me, back to the present, and sighed. “Her arm was in a cast, and she favored her left side. It took over a week for me to hear her voice because she wouldn’t speak. Even though she was safe, she was afraid she’d be hit.”

I was reeling, my hand tightening on the bottle. She’d alluded to what Noah said, but never delved into it.

“Fuck… Dealing with walking on eggshells all the time, I have no clue how she could stand to be near my ass.” I blew out a breath. “I was a bomb waiting to explode, only to detonate and recharge.”

He took a sip as he contemplated. “The difference with you is that Lila knows what makes good and what makes evil. She could tell you were good long before she knew it. When she first came to us, her reactions were due to habit rather than fear. Granted, there was fear, but more because of the unknown.”

My gaze flickered back to her. “It’s amazing she had the strength to get herself out. Most don’t.”

“No, they don’t, but Lila’s an observer. That last attack only proved to her that if she didn’t get out, it would be no time before she was in a shallow grave and labeled a runaway. She was never going to get away—he’d never let her.”

The thought sickened me, even more so since she said okay to starting a family. Her hesitancy made more sense—she never thought she’d live long enough for a future. Her youth wasn’t about popularity contests or the clothes she wore. It was about survival. Getting through one day in order to wake in another. Every day since probably felt like borrowed time, so she never dreamed.

It was like Jack said—going through the motions, but not living.

I wanted to go to the jail and beat her fucking stepbrother with a crow bar, bash his skull to a pulp, then drive out to the fucking shack in the middle of nowhere that she grew up in, cut off her father’s balls, and burn it to the ground with him and his bitch wife inside.

The beast liked that idea.

Five babies. Grace miscarried four, and the fifth was lost in the accident. I’d lost five of my own, while he was helping his only one into an early grave.

“She doesn’t talk about that time, at least not in this much detail.”

He nodded. “I figured, but I also felt these were things you need to know. I can tell you know her better than anyone, but at the same time, you’re missing key pieces. Her scars weren’t a one-time thing. Adam is sick and twisted, out for her blood. He would have killed her, if you hadn’t gotten there.”

“I know.” I swallowed and dropped my head a little as my stomach twisted.

“The trial is going to be very rough on her. What I told you is going to come up. Every haunted memory of each hit, slap, threat… It’ll all come out.”

I glanced up from my beer. “You’ve been through this before.”

He stared at me and pursed his lips before letting out a sigh. “I put my father in jail for life.”

My head bobbed up and down. “Lila said you were in a similar situation.”

Noah stared out across the room, then took a sip. “He beat me and my mother all the time. When I was fourteen, he finally hit her so hard it killed her. I lost it. All my life he’d been taller than me, but at that time, we were the same. He was stronger, but I was still able to beat him unconscious.”

“So sorry.”

He shrugged. “It’s over and done. Now, I have a beautiful wife and kids. I only wish their grandmother was alive to see them. It’ll get better with time.”

“It’s going to be rough over the next few months, but I can’t wait until the trial is over.”

Noah’s expression changed, and his eyes flickered to Lila, worry filling his face. “The danger isn’t over then.” I tensed, remembering one of the reasons we were here—Noah had news on the Marconi. “They’re still watching you.”

I blew out a breath and pulled on the back of my neck. “Has it been recently?”

Noah nodded. “There are some dirty cops out there that are more interested in money. There’s a big case being launched against him, so he’s got tails on everyone involved in the case.”

“But I’m not involved.”

“No, but who has the most information against him? Who does he still hold a grudge against?”

“Fuck.” I understood then—we would never be safe.