Текст книги "Wicked Edge"

Автор книги: Rebecca Zanetti

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

Chapter 24

Daire’s penthouse was still smoky, and the boarded-up window turned the place a little dark and gloomy. He ignored the state of his once pristine place and concentrated on his mate, nudging her toward the bedroom. The talk with Zane had exhausted her, and she’d been through enough of an emotional turmoil for now. So it was time to take care of her.

Zane sat in an only slightly damaged chair by the stone fireplace, reading property records, while Felicity had been drinking tea in the kitchen. When she’d returned, she’d looked pale and wan. “You need a warm shower and some sleep,” Daire said.

She shook her head. “Ivan will call.”

“No.” Daire leaned down and smoothed hair from her face. “He’s going to let you stew for a while, and he’s going to make plans for the moment you walk into his trap. He’s not hurting Logan, but he’s preparing for a fight.” Daire turned her around and pushed gently. “In order to fight, you need a hot shower and sleep.” She’d been pale and shivering since they’d talked in the rain, and he was finished with that.

Zane glanced up from the table. “I agree, Mom. Shower and sleep.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “Don’t gang up on me.”

Daire pointed at her still wet socks. “Go. Warm. Up.”

She twisted her lip and glanced down. “A shower wouldn’t hurt.” With a defiant toss of her still damp hair, she grabbed her cell phone off the sofa table and squished over the wooden floor to the bedroom.

Zane waited until the bathroom door had closed. “I don’t think Bychkov will call tonight.”

“I agree. It makes more sense to wait it out and make us tense.” Daire rubbed a hand over his hair. “He’s also not interested in Logan and doesn’t have a history of torturing people.”

Zane nodded. “Are you trying to reassure me?”

“Aye.” If it was Daire’s brother being held, he’d want all the logic he could get. “Bychkov goes for the quick kill, as you know, and he won’t kill Logan while your mother is safe here.”

Zane nodded. “I know.”

Daire exhaled slowly. “There’s a guest bedroom off the kitchen. Both your brother and Garrett have stayed there, so I make no claims as to the cleanliness, although I do have a service that comes through once a week.”

Zane leaned back in the chair near the fireplace. “You are not setting foot in that bedroom.”

Daire grinned. He couldn’t help it, although the last thing he needed right then was a fistfight. “Listen, kid. That horse is out of the barn.”

Zane leaned forward. “I can put the horse back if I cut off your head.”

True. “Your mother is a grown-up, and she can make her own decisions. If she wants me out of the bedroom and here on the sofa, I give you my word I’ll be out here.” Daire turned for the bedroom.

“I’m more worried she wants you in there,” Zane grumbled.

Daire swallowed down a chuckle and shut his bedroom door, heading immediately for the bathroom, shucking clothing on the way. He was nude by the time he reached the bathroom.

Steam coated the mirror and the phone set on the counter. He prowled across the stone tile and stepped around the stone wall to find Felicity, pale in the soft light, under a hot stream.

She jumped when he walked in behind her. “Daire.”

“It had better be,” he rumbled, sliding a palm down her hair.

“Um, you shouldn’t be in here,” she said.

He grinned and squirted shampoo in his hands. “This is exactly where I should be.” Indulging himself, he threaded the soap through her thick hair and then rubbed it into a lather. “You have the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen.” His fingers went deeper, and he massaged her scalp.

She leaned into his hands with a soft moan.

The sound licked along his skin to kiss his cock. He kneaded her nape, noting the knots and working on each one until she’d relaxed. She turned around.

He bent her back. “Close your eyes.”

She complied, and he washed the suds from her hair. He wiped a couple of suds off her forehead. Her eyes glowed a dark onyx in the steam, a sexy contrast to her light hair. The warmth cocooned them. “We shouldn’t.”

He chuckled. “There’s nothing else for us to do right now.” A part of him wanted to relax her so she could sleep, while another part, one deeper and more primal, wanted to plant himself deep inside her and keep her safe. “I know you want to meet Bychkov by yourself, but that can’t happen.”

She flattened her palms over his pecs. “Getting him alone has always been my plan.”

Crazy woman. Why did her insanity arouse him so? He reached around and palmed her ass, lifting her up against the stone. “The idea of you in danger makes me want to really hurt somebody.”

She smiled and clapped her knees around his ribs. “Ditto.”

Now wasn’t that sweet? He lowered her and pressed against her sex.

She hummed and lifted her head, arching against him.

He slowly slid inside her, taking his time, enjoying the devastating heat surrounding his shaft. The warmth slid through him to take root in his chest. If he had a heart, she was in there.

Her cheeks flushed and her eyes darkened. “I love when you’re inside me.”

Such sweetness. He leaned down and took her lips, teasing her with soft licks at the corners of her mouth. “There’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be,” he said, meaning every word. He’d lived long enough to contemplate the afterlife, and he was fairly certain heaven existed. But he knew without question that heaven on earth did, and right now, he was there.

Her smile was slow and so sexy his heart ached. “Just so you know, even though it has been crazy, I’ve really enjoyed the last week,” she whispered, tilting her pelvis and taking more of him.

He pulled out and thrust inside. “As have I.” He stilled as her words sank in. “That almost sounded like a good-bye.”

“No.” Her nails dragged down his chest. “It’s a true statement just in case. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

He did. He was going to take down Bychkov, get Logan home safely, and keep her away from danger. Everything had happened so quickly between them, and there had been excitement after dangerous missions after close calls. She needed time and peace to figure out what she wanted, and he was going to give her that. Then they could figure out the mating and slowly get to know each other.

He’d never been in love, but this was probably how it happened. Forget docile and sweet. He wanted wild and willing.

She bit his bottom lip.

Desire roared through him. He kissed her deep, seducing her mouth, tasting the desire in her kiss. His hips moved on their own, thrusting harder, taking him home.

Felicity returned the kiss, moaning under his onslaught. The cool stone behind her back was no match for the heated male along her front. He angled her up, just enough that he brushed across her clit.

Stars flashed behind her eyes. A moan built in her throat, and the muscles in her thighs trembled.

He held her weight with such ease, butterflies winged through her abdomen. His hot mouth peppered desperate kisses along her jawline and down her neck to nip the bite wounds near her shoulder. His bite.

Her body convulsed around him in a mini-explosion. More. There was so much more coming. The steam surrounded them, providing haven in a dangerous world. The man holding her so tightly, dedicated to keeping her safe, was more than she could’ve wished for while so alone the last few decades. Her last love had been calm and gentle, and she’d appreciated him.

Daire was anything but calm and gentle, and he brought out a side of her she hadn’t even known existed. A crazy, free side that just wanted to ride his wildness.

He licked the bite again, and she shivered.

“You like that bite,” he murmured as a satisfied statement.

She nodded and clasped her feet at the small of his back. “That feels amazing.”

“Hmmm.” His lips enclosed her collarbone, and his tongue lashed her.

She moaned.

He kissed the wound. “I wonder if that’ll work with other bites.”

At the mere thought, her body trembled.

“I’ll have to bite your inner thigh and see.”

She groaned and he chuckled.

Yeah, she knew they needed to slow down and figure out reality, but a part of her wanted to keep living hard and fast with the tough enforcer. Though dangerous, he had a sweetness to him that she doubted many people had ever seen.

For the first time in way too long, she felt special—and she owed that to Daire Dunne.

His fingers brushed across the brand on her hip, and she gasped. Coils unfolded inside her. She caressed down the hard planes of his chest and hummed while tracing each rib. Slowly, wanting to hold on forever, she moved around and flattened her palm over the Z he’d allowed to remain on his hip.

They were both strong enough to heal the burns, and yet, neither of them had done so. The thought brought tears to her eyes, the emotion coupling with the raw desire setting her on fire. Fire made up Daire, and he was sharing that warmth with her.

He stopped moving, embedded deep. “Felicity.”

She blinked, her nails curling into his flesh. Time slowed down.

“Say my name,” he whispered.

The order rippled through her, heating every nerve. “Daire,” she rumbled.

His cock stretched even farther inside her, swelling. Her clit pounded, and her nipples hardened even more. Hunger claimed her, stealing her breath.

“Your voice destroys me every damn time.”

She smiled. “Daire,” she murmured, allowing her voice to go deep and throaty.

He shuddered. “You’re a dangerous woman.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” She leaned in and bit right above his heart. They should probably talk about the markings and their future, but at the moment, she just wanted to feel. Life was going to get even more dangerous, and she fully intended to sacrifice herself for Logan, so maybe the present was as close to forever as they’d get. She couldn’t say that, so she said the only thing that was safe. “Daire Dunne, enforcer for the Council of the Coven Nine and the sexiest man I’ve ever met.”

He groaned and pulled out to hammer back in. He brushed her clit and pressed hard.

Time awoke and sound roared in. So much, and all at once. Her legs shook.

He pistoned out and thrust back in, pounding into a rhythm so intense all she could do was hold on and feel. So close. So damn close. The sound of flesh slapping together filled the massive shower and echoed off the stone tiles. Her body tightened and he went deeper. So much deeper.

Each hard thrust battered her clit, and she held her breath, exhaling when he withdrew. Dizziness played with her.

Her breath began to pant out with his rhythm, speeding up just as he did. His intense gaze pinned her in place stronger than any hold. Need dug deep into the lines by his generous mouth. His nostrils flared like a predator’s finding his mate, giving him a primal look right at home on his rugged face. Water dripped from his thick hair, sliding down his powerful shoulders to his abs. Fire danced down his arms, crackling with righteous hunger. The flames spread from his skin to hers, sizzling across her backside and wandering up to cover her breasts with sparks of heat.

She fell over the edge, sharply crying his name. Her eyes closed, and her head smacked the stone. An avalanche of pure pleasure consumed her, forcing her to ride the wicked edge until it finished with her.

So amazing. Daire Dunne was just amazing. He dropped his chin to her neck, as she’d known he would. The act of intimacy, of understanding what he’d do as he came, filled her with wonder. With joy.

He shook as he came and then slowly licked along her collarbone.

She shivered and clenched around him.

He groaned. “You’re garna be the death of me.”

She loved, fucking loved, that brogue. “Probably,” she murmured sleepily against his shoulder.

He leaned back, and water dripped from his hair onto her arms. “It’d be a hell of a way to go.”

She smiled, her eyelids dropping.

“Let’s get into bed and go for round two.” He carried her out of the shower and immediately surrounded her with a warm towel not nearly as heated as his ripped chest.

She bit into his shoulder again. “I could go another round.”

His chuckle filled her with pleasure, and she wished more than anything to be able to hear it forever.

Chapter 25

They spent the next day poring over documents in the still smoky penthouse and waiting for the phone to ring. Felicity held it together all day, as did Zane, but tension hung in the air like a heavy mist.

Finally, darkness arrived and Daire began to prepare for the phone call. He poured another glass of water and handed it to Felicity. Allies had been reporting in for several hours, and so far, they didn’t have a line on Logan.

Garrett leaned against the counter, his gray eyes taking on metallic vampire colors as yet another day wore on. “Titans of Fire is having a board meeting in an hour to discuss club business, and I’m thinking somebody knows something.”

Daire exhaled slowly. Since Adam and Kellach weren’t home yet, he was the only one with the rank to attend the meeting. Dealing with the human Fire members held little appeal to him at any point, and right now, with Logan in a killer’s hands, he didn’t want to waste time. But Fire distributed Apollo, and Bychkov mined the planekite that created the drug, so that connection was the closest thing Daire had to information on Logan. “This is so frustrating.”

Felicity looked up from a stack of papers, dark circles marring the pale skin beneath her eyes. “Do you think the Fire members know where Logan is?”

“No.” He said the word gently, wondering how he could reassure her. “But they may have information that leads to Bychkov.” It was the only in they had, so ignoring it would be a bad idea.

Zane sat at the table next to his mother with deeds spread out in front of him. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Go ahead to the meeting and see what you can find out. We’ll be fine here.” His gaze remained shuttered.

What had Daire gotten involved with? Patience had never been one of his strengths, and he was losing what little he had. He didn’t take orders from a demon, and he sure as shit didn’t take orders from Felicity’s kid. The door burst open behind him, and he instinctively turned, putting his body between her and the threat. Zane was already up and over the table to stand by his side before the newcomer skidded to a stop.

Black hair, green eyes, cut features.

“Sam!” Zane said, striding forward to clasp what had to be his younger brother in a hard hug. They were more like two wild broncs clashing horns than a couple of guys hugging.

Daire moved to the side as Felicity hustled by him to hug her boy. The vampire-demon was twice her size and held her gently.

The door hung drunkenly from one hinge, damaged even further. Daire sighed. At this point, he should probably just move.

Felicity drew back.

“Logan?” the vampire-demon asked.

She shook her head. “Zane called you?”

“Of course.”

Felicity turned and drew him by the hand. “Sam, this is Daire. Daire, this is my middle son.”

Daire frowned. With a mental shrug, he held out a hand to shake.

Sam shook his head. “We haven’t met, but I’ve heard of you and your brothers.”

Felicity coughed. “We, ah, mated.”

Sam’s eyebrows went up. He glanced at a hard-faced Zane, down to his mom, and then at Daire. In one incredibly smooth motion, he freed his hand and jabbed it toward Daire’s chin.

Daire caught the fist, and the echo of skin pounding skin echoed around. “I’ve already taken one punch from a Kyllwood, and that’s all it’s going to be.” He shoved back.

Sam didn’t move.

Nice.

Zane chuckled. “We can kill him later, Sam. For now, let’s find Logan.”

The demon leader probably wasn’t kidding. Daire sighed and glanced down at his mate. “I swear, you had better be worth it.”

Her smile settled something deep inside him. “I figured out in the shower yesterday, when we got all hot and heavy, that I totally am worth it.”

Yeah. He figured. Grasping her hand, he led her toward the hallway. “I’d like a moment before I go.” His back stiffened, but he chose to ignore the tension suddenly emanating from Zane and Sam. Once outside in the hallway, he turned and grasped her hands. “Logan is a smart kid, and he’s tougher than most soldiers ten times his age. I’ll get whatever information I can from the Titans of Fire, and we’ll go from there.”

Dark circles marred the pretty skin under her midnight-dark eyes. But her chin was up, and her shoulders remained back. “I know. Thank you for helping.”

He couldn’t help rubbing his knuckles along her cheekbone. Her skin was unbelievably soft. “We’ll get him back, Cee Cee. I promise.”

She blinked and her eyes filled.

His chest ached. Slowly, not wanting to spook her, he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers.

A throat cleared. “Ah, Mom? We have some files to go over.”

Daire slowly turned his head to catch Sam’s hard glare from the demolished doorway. Jesus. “Go ahead. If you hear any news, call me,” Daire said, nudging Felicity toward her nosy kid.

She nodded and headed back into the safety of the penthouse. Sam cut Daire another threatening look before turning on his heel. Daire glanced up at the ceiling. What had he ever done to fate to deserve the Kyllwood three sons as family? At least he could be sure Felicity would be well protected while he was gone and dealing with Fire.

“Boy have you stepped in a pile of it,” said a soft voice from the penthouse down the hallway.

He turned and grinned at Simone. “No shit.”

Her dark eyes sparkled. Dressed in faded jeans, black boots, and red leather jacket, the woman looked like an Amazon queen. “Kellach and Alexandra just landed at the airport. She’s heading into the station to see if there have been any police gains on the Apollo issue, and he’s coming here to help find Logan. I’ve been going through surveillance for cameras along the route we think the redhead took Logan, but all I’ve found is one picture of them leaving the bar.”

“Send it to my phone,” Daire ordered.

“Already did.”

He rubbed his eyes, caught between two duties. “I need Kellach on the files pertaining to you and whoever is trying to set you up. Enough people are working Logan’s case.”

Simone snorted. “One catastrophe at a time.”

“No.” Daire exhaled slowly. “It’s bad, Simone. Whoever is after you has excellent resources. If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I’d even be questioning some of the documents.”

She leaned against her doorjamb. “But you know, with certainty, that I’m not involved?”

He scowled. “Of course I know.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

Daire paused. “You said that Alexandra and Kellach are home. What about Jennie?” Alexandra and Tori’s mom was a kick in the pants but somewhat difficult to keep track of.

“She stayed in Dublin and is having a ball with a bunch of the Dunne sisters.” Simone shrugged. “Odd pairing, if you ask me. But who knows.”

Simone and Tori were an odd pairing for friends, too, but they seemed to be getting along like they’d known each other for decades. Daire glanced at the time on his phone. “Garrett said he and Logan have been staying with you.” He looked back up.

Simone flushed a light scarlet. “Those two idiots just moved in because I’m the only one with food. They’re like cockroaches. I can’t get them to leave.”

Daire smiled. The woman was definitely protesting too much. Why she hid her gooey center was beyond him. “It’s okay to like them.”

“I don’t.” She snorted but her eyes sparkled. “Go to your meeting. I’ve got things covered here.” She turned on a high-heeled boot and went back inside her apartment. Her door, unlike his, closed nicely.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Two steps took him to his cracked doorjamb. “Zane?”

The demon glanced up from the pile of papers on the table. “What?”

“Simone Brightston is next door, and she’s a member of the Council of the Coven Nine. It’s my job to keep her protected, and right now, she has enemies after her.” Daire spoke evenly.

Zane glanced at the doorway. “We’ll keep her covered while you’re gone. You have my word.”

He nodded. “Thanks.” He would’ve had to have been blind not to miss Felicity’s dazzling smile as he and her kid worked together. If only it were as easy as that. “I’ll be in touch.” Grabbing his coat decorated with the Titans enforcer patch from the closet, he strode down the hallway and stairs to the underground garage. Straddling his bike calmed him, but he’d have to hurry to make the meeting.

Garrett jogged into the garage just as Daire was about to light up his engine. “What?” Daire asked.

“Coming with you.” Garrett reached his Harley and swung his leg over. “The prospects and other members hang out in the bar while the board meetings take place. I’ll see if anybody knows where Logan is or if anybody knows about Apollo. I may ask to score some, if I get the right vibe.”

Good plan. Daire turned the key and his pipes roared to life. He drove into the misty Seattle evening and allowed the movement and rumble to ease his senses and focus his mind. The kid stayed on his six, and they easily made it through Seattle traffic and onto open road. The scents of pine and rain soon filled his senses.

His mind remained on one tiny blond demon. How frightened she must be with her youngest son in the hands of a bastard like Bychkov. But she’d held it together, showing the strength he’d come to expect from her. While she seemed to think he and her sons had reached a détente, he knew better. Family complicated everything.

Soon the road condensed, and way too soon he was parking outside of the Titans of Fire Motorcycle Club headquarters. Music and the smell of spilled tequila poured out of the open doorway to the main bar.

He crossed inside, catching several furtive looks. When he’d created a fake motorcycle gang in Ireland in order to merge with Fire, many of the Fire members had objected to the partnership. His driving both Harleys and Ducatis had also been a bone of contention and led to more than one remark about pansy foreigners. So he’d promptly put three Fire members in the hospital and then assigned Kellach to be the main contact with the club.

The three members remained in-patients for quite some time, and one guy still needed physical therapy. So Kellach hadn’t been bothered much when he’d started his duties.

Daire stepped inside, and the heat from many bodies slammed into him. The last time he’d made that step, he’d seen Felicity for the first time. It seemed like a lifetime ago. He crossed through the crowd toward the back of the bar, grabbed a beer, and proceeded into the long hallway of Fire bedrooms to the main conference room.

Garrett would probably wait a few minutes and then join the party. The Fire members didn’t know Daire was working with either Garrett or Logan, who were posing as prospective members.

The heavy oak door required a hard shove, and Daire pushed, prowling into the quiet room. A thick oval table took precedence with several chairs around it. Pictures of club members and several old cuts lined the walls. Pyro, the Fire leader, sat at the head of the table, his hair greasy, his eyes bloodshot, his cheeks red. An empty chair sat next to him, and three other members filled out chairs.

Daire slowed and then shut the door. The empty chair had belonged to Duck, Pyro’s nephew and former vice president of the club. Duck had been murdered just a week before, and from the look of Pyro, he wasn’t taking it well. Daire relaxed his body and tuned in to the club’s president, noting altered biorhythms, sluggish blood flow, and burning lungs. The guy had definitely been self-medicating with cocaine and alcohol.

“Is Kellach still in Ireland?” Pyro asked, his voice weary.

“Aye.” Daire leaned back against the door. “I thought I’d attend the meeting.”

Pyro shrugged a shoulder beneath a T-shirt stained with motor oil, ketchup, and something green. “Fine. Where are my guns?”

“Kellach is working on the holdup right now, and the new guns should arrive sometime within the next week.” The guns Daire had moved to the States and stored near the airport had somehow been confiscated by the Seattle Police Department. Aye, he’d called in the tip, and since Alexandra had been in Ireland, no way could the betrayal be traced to him. “When’s the next shipment of Apollo?” he asked.

Pyro flipped through a series of papers in front of him. “Tuesday.” He scrubbed down his face, his eyebrows rising when whiskers scrunched. “Our dealers are almost out of stock, and since they’ve been educating buyers about not taking too much of Apollo, we’ve only had three new deaths reported.”

The key to that sentence was the word reported. Daire lifted his chin. “Who’s supplying us?”

Pyro glanced up, his head swaying a little. “Who’s our gun supplier in Dublin?”

Daire forced a grin. “The supplier doesn’t like anybody knowing his name.”

“Neither does our contact for Apollo.” Pyro scratched his elbow and stared off into the distance.

One of the other members, a newly paroled longtime member named Jamm, tapped his fingers on the table. “You okay, Pyro?” he asked, his voice raspy after years of smoking without filters.

Pyro nodded his head. “Fine.” He glanced around as if surprised to find everyone at the table. “Uh, any other business?”

Jamm pushed away from the table. His dark beard reached his chest, while his hair had been cut short. Tattoos covered both of his arms to the wrists. “No. Just get some rest.”

Nobody mentioned the empty chair, although somebody would have to become vice president at some point.

Daire cleared his throat and reached for his phone. “We’re missing one of the prospects, and he left Short’s Bar last night with this woman. Any ideas?” He held out the phone.

Jamm took it and studied the screen. “We’re missing Logan?” His chest rose. “That kid is great with bikes. How long he been gone?”

“Almost twenty-four hours, and he’s not answering calls or texts,” Daire said.

Jamm twisted his lip. “With this chick, I don’t blame him.”

Pyro stood and grasped the table until he appeared steady. “Prospects are supposed to be reachable at all hours. Let me see.”

Jamm handed over the phone.

Pyro’s head jerked back. “That’s one of the Grizzly skanks.”

Daire reclaimed the phone and studied the picture. Tall redhead with presence and broad shoulders. Could be a bear shifter. “I’ll call Bear.”

“Hell no.” Spittle flew from Pyro’s mouth. “I’ve had enough of the Grizzlies. My nephew wanted to take them out, and I was too stubborn to listen. Enough is enough. Our men are hurting, and the only way to cure that is to draw blood.”

Daire slid the phone into his pocket. “I’ll talk to Bear first and see who the woman is. Our priority is finding our prospect.”

Pyro shook his head, his pupils so wide the blue was barely discernible in his eyes. “No. This is for Duck.”

“Amen,” Jamm said, smacking his hands together.

The other board members stood. A guy named Knife grabbed a blade from his back pocket. “For Duck.”

Shit. Daire couldn’t stop all of them without using plasma, and letting them know he was a witch was an incredibly bad idea. So he faked a smile. “I guess it’s war.”