Hot Redemption (4 page)

She's a possible partner on a job, not a bedmate. Concentrate.

I stepped into the hallway. The triplets stood on my right, shivering behind Mimi with gaping mouths.

“What's wrong?” I asked.

Mimi pointed to my left. I turned that way and gazed into the barrel of a gun that was held by red-and-green fingers.

“Playtime's over. Give me a reason why I shouldn't shoot you . . . again,” Nix hissed.

I swallowed. “It'll traumatize my sisters.”

“You mean the little cretins who decided I was full of Christmas cheer?”

“How did you get out of the chains?”

“Me and chains had an intimate relationship once. We broke up, now we're just friends.” A murky gloom shined over her eyes for a second. It quickly disappeared, but my artificial eyes caught her pain.
Someone hurt her.
I hoped I could meet the person who harmed her. They would be dead in seconds.

I tilted my head out of the barrel's view. “I got a job for you. It'll be lots of money.”

“I don't need a job now that I have
my
money back.” She gestured with the tip of the gun to her feet. The bag from last night's hit sat by her toes. She'd kept the bandage I put on her arm from when Shade shot her. It didn't seem like it hurt much.

Shade crept up behind her wielding two guns. She had no idea. He made no sound and unfortunately wore no clothes.
God, we're shitty parents. If this altercation between Nix and me doesn't scare the girls, Shade's nudity surely will.
He'd just got penal beading last week. Thirty beads pushed up against the skin of his erect cock. The big thing resembled something diseased and bumpy, but the ladies loved it. At least that's what he claimed.

“Give me a chance to explain the job to you.”

“I've got plans of my own, so no, I'm not interested in working with you.” Nix shrugged, still not realizing Shade was behind her.

“No one's watching your back.” I shook my head. “You think you can survive by yourself?”

“No one's ever not alone. The only person you can ever really count on is yourself.”

“You'll be dead in a year. You need someone at that sexy rear, making sure it's safe.”

“I don't need you or anyone else to watch it.”

Shade placed the guns on her back. “You sure about that?”

CHAPTER 4

Phoenix

I ignored the voice from behind me and kept my gaze locked on Epic. An already familiar smile tipped up the corners of his mouth, making me want to claw it right off. He was so full of himself, and it rankled me. I was still pissed that he and his gang had gotten the drop on me in my motel room last night. And to add insult to injury, I was now covered in red-and-green paint.

Imagine my shock that morning when I opened my eyes to three identical redhead little monsters painting my face. They giggled as they lathered my skin with cold paint. The thick liquid made me shiver. I tried to talk through the tape stuck to my mouth. They held single fingers to their mouths, told me to shush, and then returned to painting me as they sang Christmas songs. While the evil cretins had fun, I studied the room serving as my prison. Posters of famous actresses stuck to the walls. Most of the women wore tight, form-fitting clothes. I figured it was a guy's room and wondered if it were Epic's.

Once the teenage girl entered the room and spotted the triplets painting me, she rushed them out. Her gaze went to my chains. I struggled to say something. She shrieked and left me alone in the room, which was perfect. I could get out of chains in no time when left to my own devices.

Twin boys with black curly hair stepped out into the hallway. They couldn't have been more than eight or nine. A shaggy green-haired dog trotted out with them.

Are all these kids his and his brothers'? Clearly they don't know how to keep it in their pants.

“You and your crew ever hear of birth control?” I narrowed my eyes at Epic. The teenage girl laughed behind him.

“What?” His jaw dropped open in surprise. “You think the kids are ours?”

I raised my eyebrows at him and quirked my head. “Yeah, that's what I implied by my question. You're not very smart, are you?” It was a shame too, because he really was a magnificent specimen of a man. It was the first time I'd seen his long blond hair loose and not pulled back out of his face. My red-and-green fingers itched to run through the luscious locks to see if it would feel as soft as I imagined it would.

“Siblings, not my kids! They're my siblings,” Epic snapped. “And I'm not stupid.”

I grunted in response, because I'd just been wondering that. “This doesn't need to get ugly. I'm just going to walk out of here and forget I ever laid eyes on you.”

“Not with
our
money.” The voice came from behind me again.

“I stole it fair and square. Deal with it,” I stated to everyone present.

“And we stole the money and you last night. Does that mean you belong to me now?” Epic had the nerve to smile at me again. I ground my teeth together.

“Nobody owns me.” My nostrils flared against my will. My temperature rose to boiling. Teddy had tried to own me, and I'd made him pay for that mistake with his life.

Cold metal pressed up against the back of my neck. “Drop it, or I'll drop you, sweet lady.”

“Tell your brother to take his gun from my back.”

“Shade does what he wants.” Epic crossed his arms over his chest.

It was time to fall back on the age-old trick used by many women everywhere. Cry. I wasn't above using it if the tears helped me out of a tight spot. I forced myself to think about something really sad.
Dying puppies. Think about dying puppies and people clubbing baby seals.
Yep, that did the trick every time. My lower lip trembled. My vision blurred.

“Please,” I whimpered. Huge, fat tears escaped from the corners of my eyes and tracked down my cheeks, dripping to my shirt. “I really need the money. Just let me have it and you'll never see me again.”

“You don't expect me to buy that, do you? I have sisters.” Epic laughed and shook his head.

Time to turn up the heat
.

I hated thinking about him, but at least I got something out of our twisted relationship—a way to give myself an instant panic attack. I pictured Teddy, the way his dark eyes glittered at me when he had been torturing me—branding me for his, the sharp tip of his knife, the sting of his teeth when he bit into my flesh, the sound of his lighter when he flicked it on and off, taunting me with the possibility of fire. My breaths began to come in short little spasms, my heart pounding so loud I couldn't hear anything else. Images of him wielding a long flame flashed in my head. I gritted my teeth. Sweat streamed down my face. I knew what I must've looked like—pathetic, scared, and lost. But the emotions were authentic and therefore Epic wouldn't be able to deny them as the truth.

“Let's go in the back,” the teenaged girl carrying the baby said as she guided three young little redheads down the hall and away from the scene.

“But she's so sad,” the girls said in unison.

“Epic will make her feel better.” The teen shoved them along.

“Shade, lower the gun.” Epic motioned with his hands.

“You're going to let her go? With our money?” It was Shade's turn to sound incredulous. I kept my attention directed to the floor and battled with myself to not smile.

“Does she look like she's in any shape to go anywhere?” Epic asked.

“You have a point, but that doesn't mean she can take my money,” Shade argued.

“Move the gun, man.”

The cold metal of the gun disappeared from my skin. It took me only a moment to push the memories back down into their locked box so I had control of myself again. Once my breathing evened out, I whirled around to point my gun at—a completely naked Shade.
Why is it my eyes always seem to go to the one place I wish they wouldn't
? My eyes widened as I stared in complete shock at Shade's disgusting-looking dick.

“Wha-what the hell is wrong with your dick?” I stammered. Bumps covered it, and the bumps were huge. He had a big one, I had to admit, but that didn't stop his dick from looking like it had some kind of weird disease.

Shade tried to wrench the gun out of my hand, but my grip was tight and held fast. Epic grabbed me. It felt like two large bands of steel wrapped around my body, pinning my arms down to the sides.

“Nothing is wrong with my cock. I got beaded enhancements under the skin.” Shade glided forward and pried the gun from my hand.

“Why would you do that?” I scrunched my face in horror. There was no need to stress about being found out for faking. They already had my gun. And Epic's hold on me was unyielding. I'd need super strength to break out of his arms.

“The beads vibrate when it's surrounded by warmth.” Shade grinned. “The ladies love it. My beads rub against all of their favorite sides and make them come in seconds. You want a try?”

“No way.” I struggled in Epic's arms. He pressed my back against his hard chest. Shade chuckled to himself and backed away.

“I can't believe I almost fell for that,” Epic murmured in my ear. His voice was low and sensual, eliciting a reaction from my traitorous body. It'd been months since I'd had anyone worth remembering between my thighs. That fact combined with the very manly, spicy aroma that was emanating from Epic had me contemplating other ways to separate him from my bag of money. I thrashed about and tried to wriggle free in his arms, while very conveniently wiggling my ass against his crotch. I didn't want to make it too obvious, but I knew I was doing the right thing when a low groan left his lips. His hardness pushed up against my behind.

“Let me go,” I growled—okay, more like purred—but hopefully I would be the only one who could tell the difference.

“I think you and the chains are going to have a surprise reunion,” Epic rumbled.

Oh fuck no
. I wasn't getting chained up again. That's when I began to fight in earnest.

“No!” I screeched. “I'm not going back in those!” I did everything in my body to get out of Epic's arms—kicked, scratched, tried to head-butt him, but he didn't let me go and all I got was exhausted and aggravated.

“Fuck, she looks like a crazed kitten. Need any help with her?” Shade chuckled some more. “I'm good at taming kitties.”

“No. I got her.” I could hear the smile in Epic's voice. He turned me around and I managed to knee him in his impressive erection. A shame, really, but I wasn't going back in those chains.

“Fuck.” He grunted and finally let me go. I grabbed the money bag and sprinted down the hallway. A friggin' ton of bricks hit me from behind and knocked the air out of my lungs. I crashed to the ground. The impact of my body hitting the carpet hurt so much I cried out in pain.

“You're not going anywhere.” White teeth flashed in Shade's dark face as he turned me over and dragged me back toward my doom. His bumpy monstrosity rubbed against my legs.

I jerked away from him with dread. “Control that thing.”

“Not even I can control it.” Shade winked.

“I think I just threw up a little in my mouth from your oversized ego. It's about to get worse if you don't back off.”

“You throw up in this hall then you clean it up.” Shade lifted me like I was a feather, slung me over his shoulders, and rushed me back into the room I'd been locked up in all night. I still hadn't quite caught my breath by the time I realized I was back on the same bed, in the same chains I'd managed to escape from earlier.

“Fuck,” I rasped. “These won't keep me. You know that, right?”

“Say you'll give me a few minutes to explain the job to you without shooting me in my arm, taking my money, or ramming your knee into my precious balls,” Epic limped into the room slightly hunched over, “you promise that, and I'll take them off of you right now.”

I bared my teeth at him. “I told you, I already have plans.”

“Not anymore you don't, if the bag of money is part of your plan. You want out of those chains—agree to listen to me.”

Back to my seduction strategy.

“Maybe you and me can come to some other kind of arrangement.” I rolled my hips off the bed seductively. “How about asking him,” I flicked my eyes in the still-very-naked Shade's direction, “to leave, so we can, you know, talk?”

“Don't do it, Epic.” Shade waved his hands from side to side. “That kitty has claws and is definitely going to scratch the shit out of you.”

“I'll play nice, I swear. Unless you don't want me to.” I bit my lower lip and let my gaze run over the length of Epic's large body.
Yeah, I could play nice with him to get what I want.
Epic scrubbed his hand over his face and his eyes turned from ice blue to burnt orange.

“Why do your eyes shift to different colors?”

“They change with my mood.” He directed those flaming-orange pupils my way.

“What does orange mean?”

“I don't know.” Frowning, he blinked and his eyes transformed back to blue.

“It means he's horny.” Shade laughed. “Are you sure you don't want help with that kitty?”

“No. Maybe I like claws,” he muttered.

“Your body.” Shade left and slammed the door behind him.
Immature much?

“Unlock these chains, so we can talk,” I cooed.

But Epic stayed where he was. “First you knee me in my junk, and now you want to what—kiss everything and make it better? What's your angle now?”

Ignoring his questions, I lifted my ass off the bed in invitation. “Only one way to find out.”

Epic moved forward with the grace of some kind of large predator. I swallowed. My nerves jittered about. I gripped the sheets next to me, not liking the vulnerability the chains forced me into or the possibility that I couldn't tame this huge man. When he came to sit next to me I arched up my head toward him.

“Unlock me, and then we can play.” I licked my lips and watched his eyes follow the movement.

He chuckled to himself. “First a kiss, and then I'll release you.”

“No—”

He brought his index finger up to my mouth to silence me.

“I have the key, I make the rules.” His eyes glittered with amusement as he seemed to be waiting to see what I'd do next.

“Fine,” I grated. “One kiss, and then you unlock me.”

He leaned forward, inch by inch, and my breath hitched. Damn if I kind of really wanted him to kiss me.
What the hell is wrong with me
? Maybe I had a concussion from being knocked out last night? Yep, that could explain it. I wasn't thinking clearly at all.

When our lips met, an undercurrent of electricity coursed through me, emanating from the point of our connection. I heard myself moan in pleasure as his tongue slipped into my mouth to tentatively explore. He tasted sweet and masculine both at the same time, and raw lust pulsed in my core.
Having sex with Epic . . . well would be epic
. I internally giggled at my joke just as our kiss deepened. I welcomed the abrasive feel of Epic's unshaved face as he pressed into me more aggressively, a groan escaping from his mouth to mine when I nipped at his tongue.

In seconds, the full weight of his body was suddenly on me, trapping and confining me to the bed. A sliver of cold panic slid into my heart, serving as ice water to my system. I had no control with him on top of me, and even worse, it reminded me of another, one that haunted my nightmares. I reached the end of the chains but still managed to push at his massive chest and break our kiss.

“We kissed. Now unchain me.” I hissed into Epic's much-too-close face. Even though I felt trapped and weak, it was so hard to think with his hard body pressed into mine. It took everything in me not to grind against him and ask for more. He dragged himself off me slowly and then walked away from the bed. He muttered something under his breath.

“Where are you going? To get the key?” I asked with hope, but I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, one that told me I was about to be played.

“I changed my mind.” Epic's voice cracked, an octave lower than normal. He placed his hand under his shirt and clasped his fingers on to whatever little ornament hung on his chain. “I don't think I can trust myself around you if you're not in chains. I can barely deal with you
in
them.”