Darkest Desire (16 page)

Authors: Tawny Taylor

BOOK: Darkest Desire

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She scrambled for the remote and clicked the
RECORD
button. Then she grabbed her phone and dialed Vasquez's phone number. She figured he'd want to know about this.

His answer sounded surprised, “Hello? Lei?”

“Yes, it's me,” she said, pacing back and forth in her bedroom. “I just saw one of my attackers on TV.”

“When?”

“Just now. On Channel Two news. He's an Ann Arbor police officer.”

“Hmmm. You're sure it's him?”

“Yes.” She hit the button, pausing the recording. “I'm watching the report right now. He has some bruising on his face from the fight, though it looks like he tried to cover it with makeup.”

“Let me see what I can find out.”

“He's reporting on another dead woman, found in Detroit. The others have all been tied to my former pimp. I knew them both. But I missed the beginning of tonight's report, and last night when the murder was reported, they didn't identify the victim. So I don't know yet if I knew this victim. Have you found Heather or Kate?”

“No, I haven't. But that could be a good thing. If I'm having such a hard time tracking them down, there's some hope that your CIA agent is having a hard time, too.”

“Have you been able to verify whether Holloway is in the CIA?”

“No, I knew it was going to be tough.”

She started pacing, her gaze jerking from the TV to the window, back and forth, back and forth. “What should we do?”

“Are you safe? Have you received any more threats?”

“I think I'm safe, and no, no more threats.”

“Okay. I'm going to check out the station's Web site. Hopefully they'll have a clip of the report on there and I'll recognize him. And then I'll take it from there. You stay put.”

“Okay. Thanks. And be careful. You saw what that man did to Malek.”

“Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll call you if I get something.”

“Okay, bye.” Her stomach rumbled as she clicked the button, ending the call. Feeling jumpy once again, she headed to the kitchen to scrounge up something to eat. She was in the middle of putting together a sandwich when Malek came into the room. Alone. He was moving stiffly, one hand pressed to his abdomen.

The air between them seemed to crackle, thanks to the tension between them. Even so, she worried at the dark circles under his eyes.

He should be resting, healing.

“You look tired,” she said as she put away the deli meat and cheese.

“I'm fine.”

Fine? Not.

He eyeballed her sandwich with hungry eyes. “What're you making?”

“Sandwich. Would you like one?” She slid the plate across the counter. “Take this one. I'll make another.”

“Thanks.” He eased himself onto one of the bar stools at the counter.

She didn't like the way he was wincing. And his face looked pale. “Has Talen figured out the visiting nurse situation yet? You should have someone with medical training checking on you for at least another couple of days.”

“We both decided against it. It isn't safe to have anyone here.” He focused fully on her, and instantly she felt awkward. “Lei, I don't know if I can stay in this house with you.”

“Then don't.”

“You aren't safe anywhere else, and I'm not leaving you out here by yourself.”

“What about Talen?”

“Someone needs to stay at the house. I can't go back there yet either.”

“Then I guess we're stuck. I'll do what I can to make it easier for you.” She finished making her sandwich, gathered up a napkin and a glass of cola, and started circling the counter.

“Stay with me,” he said, tipping his head toward the stool next to his. “I hate eating alone.”

She didn't budge. “Didn't you just tell me you can't be alone with me? Where's April?”

“Sleeping. I guess it was the drive from hell coming out here. Snow the whole way. Her little car isn't the best in bad weather.”

If that right there didn't tell Malek something about the woman he was about to marry, Lei didn't know what would. “She drove all the way out here by herself. To be with you.”

“You have a point.”

“That's a woman who really, really cares about you.”

“Would you? Drive three hours in a snowstorm for me?” he asked.

Lei stared at her sandwich as she thought about her answer. Would she drive three hours to take care of a friend who needed her? Yes, especially if it was Malek. But would she drive three hours to be with a man who she knew was looking for a wife?

Probably not.

“Malek, it doesn't matter what I would do. Please stop looking at me as a potential wife. It's clouding your judgment.” She left the room.

Y
vette's body was absolute perfection. Soft where it should be, smooth and lean where it shouldn't. Her legs went on forever, the miniskirt barely covering her ass. And what those fucking shoes did for her calves and thighs. Damn.

She moved with the grace of a dancer as she stepped into the foyer and gave Talen an up-and-down look. “This house is amazing.”

“I'll give you the grand tour.” Beginning with the hot tub. Talen took her hand and led her toward the back of the house. “You look amazing tonight.”

“Thanks.”

He stopped outside of the indoor pool room to open the door for her.

“Oh, I didn't realize we were going to be swimming. I didn't bring a suit.” The expression on her pretty face suggested she wasn't at all concerned about having a bathing suit.

He opened the door, leading her inside with a hand on the small of her back, just above her round little ass. Weak by nature, he let his hand slide down, cupping the soft flesh as he followed her inside.

He'd never fucked Yvette. He'd scened with her at the club a few times, but he never fucked his subs there. He'd been hoping to take their relationship to the next level for a while, and was glad when their schedules had finally coincided.

Already sporting a painful hard-on, Talen eased her around to face him, then pulled her closer, until her small body was flattened to his, cupped the back of her head, and kissed her.

The kiss was everything he'd expected. It was nuclear hot. The way her body molded to his, the way she smelled, tasted, the sound of her little gasps.

He tilted his hips, pressing his erection against her, and she gave a little groan. Taking advantage of her open mouth, he slid his tongue into her sweet depth and savored her flavor. Her tongue found his, stroked along its length, making him hungry for more.

With great effort, he broke the kiss and stepped back. Up and down his gaze traveled, following the glorious curves of her body, emphasized by her snug black clothes. She'd dressed exactly as he'd asked. Ironically, he was already eager to get rid of the garments. They were in the way.

He hooked his fingers under the hem of her top and pulled it up, over her breastsâshe wasn't wearing a braâand over her head. Next, he rid her of her skirt. Then he knelt down and unbuckled her shoes, easing one foot out, then the other. Finally, she stood before him as he wanted, nude and proud and absolutely glorious.

“Now, this is hardly fair. Do I finally get to see you?” she asked, giving him a faux pout.

“I guess that would be okay.” He let her undress him, enjoying the way she sprinkled little kisses on his exposed skin as she peeled his garments away. The minute she had his clothes off, he resisted the urge to sink his cock into her hot pussy and instead scooped her into his arms and jumped into the pool.

Cool water enveloped them, easing the simmering of his skin. Even though they were separated when they plunged underwater, she quickly found him the minute they both broke through the surface. She wrapped her legs around his waist, arms around his neck, and pressed her mouth to his.

Now this was the kind of swim he liked.

The water chilled his heated body as her slick breasts flattened against his chest. Thanks to her strong leg muscles and her buoyancy, he didn't have to hold her, allowing him to explore her back, shoulders, and, eventually, her ass while they kissed each other to oblivion.

They both moaned and groaned, petted, pawed, pulled, and clung to each other until he could hold off no longer. Grabbing her hips, he positioned her against his cock, warned her, “I can't wait another moment,” then slammed his hips forward.

His teeth gritted with the agony of that first penetration. Her tissues gripped him like a tight fist.

Moving carefully, he walked to the edge of the pool and extended his arms to grasp the smooth surface for leverage. His hips slammed back and forth now, his possession of her feral. He couldn't help himself. It was her response, the gasps and pleas for more that drove him to the edge. His body was one big ball of knotted muscle. His nerves were on fire. His teeth were gritted.

So fucking good.

He was on the verge of coming. Already. She was trembling against him, her hot skin searing his.

“Ohmygod,” she chanted. “More. More!”

With one hand, he reached down, found her anus, and pierced it with his index finger.

She shuddered against him, screamed his name. Her pussy spasmed around his cock. He withdrew to the tip, then rammed deep inside. His cum was right there, ready to go. Almost there.

His fucking phone rang.

Ignoring it, he fucked her harder. She clawed at his shoulders, begged him for more.

All too happy to oblige, he added a second finger in her anus, sliding it in as far as he could.

She curled her legs up, hooked her knees over his arms, and contracted those hot tissues around his cock.

He shuddered, thrust once more, and his cum blazed down his rod and filled her.

Once again, her pussy spasmed, milking his rod and his fingers.

Now that was a fucking orgasm.

Feeling a little spent, he kissed her and pulled out. He was about to lift her up out of the pool when his blood turned to ice.

He was staring into the barrel of a gun.

There was a
pop
and Yvette's head slumped forward.

The water around them turned to blood.

Malek cussed at his phone and shoved aside the feeling of icy dread coiling deep inside. Talen hadn't answered, and he'd called six times. That wasn't anything unusual. Talen tended to leave his phone lying around. He shouldn't feel the way he did, so fucking anxious.

At least there was another way to get ahold of his pain-in-the-ass brother.

Malek wobbled to his computer and fired it up. After the Chimera's last attack, Drako had beefed up their security system and added a remote access feature to it, so any of them could see what was going on in the house at any time. Malek hit a few buttons, impatient with his sluggish computer.

Once the operating system loaded, Malek signed on to the remote system and waited for the connection to link up. Finally, his screen clicked on, a view of the closed front door reassuring him that Talen was either intentionally ignoring his calls or had left his phone where he couldn't hear it.

Still, a niggling feeling made him change cameras.

The living room was clear, too. Empty. He used the mouse to adjust the camera's angle, checking the whole room.

The hallway upstairs was empty.

The outside looked good, too.

A check of the garage's camera confirmed Talen's car was there.

Where the fuck was Talen? Shower?

He hit the final camera, the one in the hall leading out to the back door. As the camera panned the wall of windows, opening to the swimming pool, his breath caught in his throat.

There was a man holding something at arm's length. That something looked a lot like a gun. And it appeared to be pointed at the swimming pool.

Malek hit a button, magnifying the image.

Yep, it was a fucking gun.

“No!” he said.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Drako's number.

Drako sounded sleepy when he picked up.

“Armed gunman in the house,” Malek said.

“Which house?” was Drako's response. He didn't sound sleepy anymore.

“Ann Arbor. I'm watching now. Camera eight.”

“Fuck. I'm signing in. Give me a minute.”

Malek made some adjustments to the camera. The man had the gun pointed at Talen, who was in the pool. But it looked like Talen wasn't alone in the water. And what the hell was wrong with the water? Malek squinted at the slightly grainy black and white image. “We've got to do something about these fucking cameras.”

“I didn't think it was worth it.”

“I get what you're saying.” The camera caught something dark in the water. “Shit, I think someone's already been shot.”

“What the fuck is Talen doing?” Drako asked.

Malek shifted his focus back on Talen, catching him as he dove under the surface. “Trying to dodge a bullet?”

“No, he dove down once, then resurfaced. Now he's doing it again.”

“What are we going to do?”

“There's nothing we can do. We can't call the cops.” Drako's sigh was heavy. “We'll have to wait, see if they're Chimera. If they are, we'll be hearing from them soon.”

“Bullshit.” White-hot rage flared through Malek. He curled his hands into fists and fought to resist the urge to pound something. “I can't sit here and wait.”

“Bro, you've just had surgery. You're in no condition to do a goddamn thing but stay where you are. And we don't need the Chimera taking down two of us. One's bad enough.”

“I don't like this.”

“Neither do I.” After a beat, Drako added, “Talen knows what to do. We've all known this could happen to any of us at any time.”

Malek cut off the connection. He couldn't watch it anymore. It was too horrific. He turned, teeth gritted, and tried not to vomit. “Goddamn it, Drako.”

Talen couldn't believe it.

The guy with the gun had been telling the truth, and he held the proof in his hand: a syringe. Yvette had been about to inject him when she'd been shot.

So, there could be no doubt that Yvette had been there to do more than fuck.

But what about this guy?

The man in question clicked the safety and slid his gun back in the shoulder holster. He took a step back, giving Talen room to lever himself out of the pool. “Name's Canfield. Will Canfield.”

Talen set the needle on the edge of the pool, then making sure to stay clear of it, pushed himself out. He snatched a towel off the rack and wrapped it around his waist. “Will Canfield, what are you doing in my house?”

“Besides saving your ass?”

Saving his ass. “Yeah.”

“Tim Dickerson sent me over, in a way.”

“What does that mean, sent you over? For what? I told him he was done with the job. I didn't need any more help.”

“Yeah, so he said.”

“So ...?” Getting the impression this guy was as dangerous as Yvette had been, he kept his gaze locked on that gun.

“So I came to tell you otherwise.”

Talen made a beeline for the security panel, expecting the silent alarm to have been tripped. It hadn't been. “How did you get in?”

“Dickerson made a copy of his key. I stole it and used his code.”

“He was told not to make a copy.” Keeping one eye on his armed visitor, Talen punched keys on the panel, inactivating the security guard's code.

Canfield motioned to the security panel. “Now you see what I'm getting at.”

“What are you saying?”

“I'm saying Dickerson was up to something, and I felt I should tell you.”

“Why?” What did this guy want? Nobody came to a coworker's ex-client's house to warn him about something that might not be ...all out of the kindness of his heart. Talen's gaze traveled up and down his visitor's form, noting the expensive shoes he was wearing, the watch, the sunglasses.

Had to be money.

A guy that willing to do something so potentially dangerous for money wasn't worth a fucking penny to him. After all, if he was willing to take money from him, how easy would it be for the Chimera to buy him for a higher price?

“Okay. Well, thanks.” Leaving the system off, Talen escorted Canfield to the door. “I appreciate the heads-up.”

“You're welcome.” After stepping outside, Canfield handed him a card. “In case you need to reach me again.”

“I'll hang on to it.” Talen shut the door, then tossed the card in the trash on his way to the swimming pool. He was about to handle the ugly task of fishing his would-be assassin out when he heard his cell phone ring. He grabbed it, checked the number, and answered.

“What the fuck is going on there?” Malek snapped.

“Long story short, there's a dead woman in the pool, I think one of the guards was Chimera, and our new security system has been compromised.”

“I'm coming home.”

“No.”

“But you're aloneâ”

“I'm fine. And you're not. No offense, but I don't need the added stress of having to watch out for your disabled ass right now.”