“You’re mine,” he growled, working me faster, harder. “Mine.”
“Yes,” I moaned, thrusting against his fingers, still on my clit. Fevered, desperate, I’d never felt that way before, the pressure so intense, the edge between pleasure and pain so sharp, so close.
With him in to the hilt, I screamed, quaking under his onslaught, right at the brink. “Please,” I begged, not even aware where I was anymore, a quivering mess, every nerve bundled tight together, pleading for release.
He fisted my hair, pulling it as he thrust hard and deep. “Cum for me.”
“Yes!” I screamed out. With a mighty groan, he ground into me, jetting his hot cum into my tight asshole. Crying out, I pushed into his fingers, throbbing, cumming along with him, mewling and creaming and incoherent.
“Sky.” He fell down on top of me, bearing the brunt of his weight on his hands, but pressing against me with his broad, strong chest. “So good,” he panted.
“Oh, Jax.” I was crying now, real tears of release. It had felt so intimate, so intense.
“Come here.” He withdrew and pulled me to him, my breasts crushed against his chest. “Shh.” He stroked my hair, calmed me as I shook. “Are you all right? Was that too much?”
“I love you so much, Jax.” I sobbed, feeling it overwhelm me, shake me to my core. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Sky.” Against his chest, breathing him in, I calmed down, my breathing still ragged.
“I’m OK,” I tried to reassure him. “I didn’t mean to lose it like that.”
“You can lose it like that any time you need to.” He kissed my forehead, nuzzled my cheek. “I’m an intense man, Sky. And I’m not holding back anything with you. But if you need me to back off—”
“No.” I clutched at him, pressing my lips up to his. “No, I need you. I need this. I’m just…” I shook my head, not wanting to say it out loud. “What if, later on, things go wrong? I might lose you.” My voice cracked and tears spilled from my eyes yet again.
“No, baby.” He kissed me again, rubbing my back, pulling the covers up over us. “No. Nothing but blue skies for my Sky. I’m going to take care of you, the rest of your life if you let me.” He held me, wrapping me in his powerful arms until I could feel the certainty in his hold. He meant it. I sighed, feeling exhaustion finally overtake my senses, a heavy curtain of sleep drawing over me.
§
The next day, mid-afternoon, Jax and I were lying in wait. He was sitting in the back of the SUV. I was waiting down the block, standing in front of a donut shop, hoping I looked inconspicuous as I sipped a cup of coffee. I’d already been standing there for half an hour. Were the people in the shop starting to wonder what was up? I didn’t want to change location, give away where I was too soon. What if Mike rounded the corner when I was unaware? I couldn’t let my guard down for even a second.
But as I stood, my anxiety spun and grew. Was it obvious, the same black SUV parked in the same spot yet again? Maybe it was clear that we were staking out her apartment? Maybe Mike had already seen us, was already on to our plan. He might have someone watching us that very second.
But then, the moment we’d been waiting for, Mike rounded the corner. I could barely breathe, but I forced myself to do it, to remember the plan. I took off my cap and shook out my hair to make sure he’d be able to recognize me when he saw me. I watched out of the corner of my eye until he’d passed the blue car. Close enough, but not so close he could catch me before I got to the SUV. At least I hoped.
Chin down, not looking his way, I strode out onto the sidewalk. Like I’d just bought myself a coffee. Now I was headed to my car. I had no idea my violent husband was mere feet away, about to go visit his girlfriend. Did he see me? I couldn’t look up to check. Was he running right at me? I couldn’t peek to see that, either. If he wasn’t, it would ruin the whole plan. If he was, I just had to pray to God Jax was quicker.
Hand shaking, I pressed the unlock button on my keychain and opened the car. Sliding into the front seat, I locked the doors and started the engine.
“He saw you,” Jax assured me from the back seat. I couldn’t breathe. I had to wait a few seconds, give him time to get to his bike. But that also left me vulnerable to sudden moves. What if he decided to draw his gun and appear at the driver’s side window instead, demanding I come out? Jax had assured me the SUV had bullet proof glass, but what if it didn’t?
“He’s gone to get his bike. It’s working.” Jax’s words sent a shiver down my spine. So far the plan was working. But it was far from over. “I’ve texted them. But wait another few seconds.” We sat there, both silent. The Reapers were on their way, speeding toward the warehouse. But we had to wait and see whether Mike was going to go in for the chase.
It felt like an eternity, but it couldn’t have been more than twenty seconds before we saw Mike pull to the corner on his bike.
“Now,” Jax said. With a quick look out my side mirror, I merged into the street. Hands shaking, I drove up to the intersection where he waited to my right. If the light was red, I was supposed to turn left. If it stayed green, I could push on through. I didn’t turn my head as I drew near, but I could see him out of the corner of my eye. He looked ready to murder, venom pumping through his veins.
The light stayed green and I drove on through. I could hear the roar of his engine pull out behind me. The chase was on.
“OK, you remember. Second right, then left to get onto the freeway.”
I’d headed from downtown Cavallo onto the freeway a couple hundred times over the past four years. But this time, my hands were shaking and sweaty. My brain felt like it was filled with white, hot static. I didn’t mind Jax giving me directions. I needed them.
In the rear view mirror, I could see Mike following me, close on my tail. Did he think I’d spotted him? He probably didn’t care. He was just going to wait until I stopped. He didn’t care where or when, he’d be there to strike.
I made it to the freeway. Traffic was moving, thank God. “You’re doing good, baby.” Jax reached a hand around to my leg, giving me a reassuring rub. “So good.”
I nodded, unable to manage more than that. I knew he hated that I had to play this role. He wanted to be the one on the line, the one taking the heat and driving the car. But I had to do it. If Mike thought I wasn’t alone, he might get suspicious. He might already be. If he called any other Skulls, the plan would fall apart. Or blow up, escalating into gang warfare.
No, I needed to do it. And, frightened as I was, it felt right. I’d gotten myself into this mess. Now I was getting myself out. True, I was leading him into other’s hands but in a way, he was dying by his own sword. He’d been a sick, twisted fuck, to me and to others. Now the jig was up.
Realizing he wasn’t trying to catch up, that he was trailing me, I breathed a little easier. A little. He clearly thought he was following me, as if he’d caught me unaware. Just like we wanted him to think. Part of me had worried he’d try to pull up alongside the SUV, waving his gun or even shooting out my tires. He was crazy enough to do it. But it looked like he was playing into our hands instead.
“Into the right lane. Exit after this,” Jax reminded me. I put on my blinker, merging into the right lane like I did this every day. Leading my husband who wanted to murder me to a bunch of people who wanted to murder him. I pulled off at the warehouse, heading down the driveway, the dilapidated building in my view. Mike was right behind me. It was going to be tight. I had to pull right up to the door and run in fast. We had no room for error.
“Right by the door, baby.” Jax’s voice guided and calmed me and I pulled in just like we
’d planned. Just like we needed. Key out, door open, I jumped out, heart pounding. Jax got there before me, yanking open the door, grabbing my hand to pull me through.
I saw no one in the gloom, but I knew they must be there, the Reapers waiting for their delivery. We ran toward the barrels. I could see the door beyond them, the one we needed to escape through.
The door we’d entered through banged open with a loud clatter.
“Where you think you’re going, bitch?” Mike’s voice rang out even louder, rage and hate pumping through his lungs.
Gunshots rang out from everywhere. Behind me, next to me. I shoved my hands over my ears, the acrid smoke in my nose, disoriented as Jax pulled me forward.
18
Jax
Shots ringing out, I could tell Sky was completely disoriented. I was sure she’d never been in anything like this before. She’d experienced violence, having spent four years with Griller, but there was no way she been in anything like this.
I’d hoped we’d get out before Griller made it in. But the guy was fast. He’d gone for the bait, just like we figured he would. Seeing Sky proved irresistible, just like it had to me. Only I’d never wanted to kill her. Griller obviously had exactly that in mind. The murderous look in that shithead’s eyes? I’d seen a lot of crazy before, but he brought it to the next level.
The second the door opened behind us with a deafening bang, I sprang into hyper-speed. I’d already been running, staying behind Sky so I could protect her. If a bullet came our way, I wanted to take it. I was prepared to throw my body over hers, roll her to the ground and get her safely under cover. But then the door we’d come through opened, and I knew I had to take the lead.
“This way.” I grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the exit door at a faster pace, accelerating our speed. Shots fired all around us, Reapers emerging out from the shadows. I could see two overhead, one over in the corner. They’d staked the whole place out, had every angle covered.