Let Us Prey: BBW Military Paranormal Romance (Wild Operatives, #2) (17 page)

Unwilling to go without a fight, the sheriff swung his heavy fist around and clipped me in the temple. I blocked another punch and flipped him to the floor. The chunky, out of shape police chief didn’t have a chance against me, but I lacked mercy.

“You sent men to kill my wife.” My fist pounded into his face, cracking cartilage in his nose. My eagle craved vengeance
and
his blood, demanding his death for daring to put my mate in danger.

“Ian,” Juni spoke up through the communication channel.

Montgomery groaned, his attempt to speak coming out as a hoarse croak.

“You’re going to pay for what you’ve done here, Montgomery. All this time, you knew about the bullshit happening here.” I punched him again, bruising my knuckles. He grunted and spit blood to the side.

“Ian, stop!” Juni cried. “You’ll kill him if you keep up like this.”

“Maybe I want to kill him,” I growled out.

“You don’t,” she disagreed, adopting the placid tone reserved for our detainees.

“She’s right, Ian,” Nadir said. “Listen to us. You do not want this man’s blood on your hands. You’re better than that.”

Montgomery’s head lolled back. Blood trickled from his nose and split lip, and all I wanted was to finish what I began.

“Fine,” I hissed between my teeth. I waited for the anger to recede, breathing in deep and measured breaths. Even my eagle had been ready to surrender to our shared anger, enraged by the man’s decision to place Leigh and Sophia in danger. “Get to talking, Montgomery. Tell me everything.”

“Ian. Ian, you don’t understand. There are things going on in this town that you can’t comprehend. Things you won’t want to be involved in. You’ll wish he killed you and Leigh both if you go through with this.”

“Right now, my squad is leading a raid against three different meth labs and crack houses set up in the boonies. We’re taking your supply line down.”

“You’ll never find the supply line. Those are only decoys. They don’t mean anything.”

“Then tell me where to find the real source. Tell me now and it’ll look good on you later when the DA presses charges against you. Maybe they’ll cut you a deal.”

Montgomery’s bitter chuckle unnerved me and shattered my righteous indignation. “You can’t stop what’s happening here. No one can.”

“You won’t be able to get any information from him, Ian. That guy’s out of it. Give it up,” Nadir said.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I replied. I stood and left Montgomery on the floor to look out the window. There wasn’t any sign of Kevin. “Our witness is gone.”

“I saw it,” Juni reassured me. “Thomas has him cornered outside.” The wolf growled low to confirm. “Your help is on the way, Ian, not that you need them.”

“Sit your ass on the floor until the Rangers get in here to arrest you,” I barked at him.

I patted Montgomery down and found a second firearm concealed in his boot. About five minutes later, tires screeched on the blacktop to herald my backup’s timely arrival.  Somehow, I hadn’t given in to my bestial nature. Death was more than he deserved for everything he’d done.

Montgomery’s wet cough held too much amusement for my taste. Crossing to the window, I glanced outside at the two trucks with their flashing lights. Once I verified my friend was one of the responding officers, I pulled open the door and stepped outside.

Shamed and stripped of his authority, Montgomery surrendered to his own cowardice in the early hours of the morning a week later. Officers found him hanging by a bed sheet in a cell. He’d taken his secrets with him.

Four Months Later

~Ian~

“L
eigh? Baby? I’m back.”

Three weeks away from my wife and daughter felt like a lifetime. I loved my job and hiring out my services to the government, but for the first time in my entire career, I couldn’t wait to be home.

Following the dramatic end of Chief Montgomery’s reign over Quickdraw, the drug trade calmed down and the remaining police officers quietly resumed cleaning up my hometown. Everyone knew about my upcoming campaign for County Sheriff, and thanks to the part I played in bringing the crooked chief to justice, my election was guaranteed.

Shortly after Leigh, Sophia, and I spent our first Christmas together, I resumed taking government contracts. Russ and I planned to build a comfortable savings account to allow us to remain home for the unforeseeable future. He wanted to spend the next year with Dani and their child. I wanted to be there for Leigh to provide the support she needed.

This is it. The last job until Leigh’s out of school. Nothing to stand between her and me now. And even then maybe I am done for good. Maybe it’s time to retire and pass the torch to Nadir. Maybe it’s time to become a real family man and run things from behind the scenes.

It was time to end my career. For Leigh and Sophia, I’d give up anything.

I stepped through the door, eager to pull my two favorite girls into my arms. Once I found them. Leigh’s scent led me to the backyard and I leaned against the door, watching. She had a large blanket spread out over the grass and Sophia playing beside her. Petunia napped in the sun nearby along with the single puppy we’d kept. Wedding magazines piled up within her reach, another sight that brought a smile to my face. Russ and I had been in full agreement with the girls’ plan for a double wedding.

I wanted Leigh to have the fairy tale ceremony she deserved.

“Hey, beautiful,” I called out loud enough to catch her attention.

“Ian!” Leigh jumped to her feet and met me halfway across the yard. Her kisses welcomed me home; the joy surpassed only by the toothless grin Sophia gave me from the blanket.

“I didn’t expect you back so early.”

“Well, we managed to wrap everything up sooner than expected. A couple of the guys hung around to play at being tourists, but Russ and I couldn’t wait,” I indulged her in another kiss, “to return where we belong.” Now that Dani was in her approaching her third trimester, Russ didn’t plan to take another job for a while.

“Da da da da.” Sophia clapped and held her arms up toward me when we approached. I scooped her up and kissed her cheek.

“Yup, I’m home, princess.” Tiny hands touched my face and unshaven jaw. Patting my cheeks, my soon-to-be adopted daughter gazed deep into my eyes.

“Da daaaaa.”

“I hope you love me as much when I’m chasing boys off our porch with a shotgun sixteen years from now.”

“Ian.” Leigh swatted me.

“I’m joking.” With both of us around to teach her good from bad, hopefully, I’d never need to do it.

“I was about to take her inside for naptime.”

“I’ll carry her up,” I volunteered. Both dogs roused and followed on my heels, dancing behind me every step of the way.

Sophia settled in for her afternoon nap without fuss, as if she’d been waiting for me to tuck her in. Leigh met me at the bottom of the stairs, shaking her head.

“She always falls asleep so quickly when you do it,” she complained.

“I have a way with women.”

“Come back outside with me, the day is beautiful.”

Leigh pulled me by the hand to the patio. I chuckled at the college textbooks piled on the table. “How’s the schoolwork going?”

“Great, actually. Dani proofread my essay, and I have a project I have to give for some of the senior citizens at the assisted living center near school.”

“Yeah? What’s it on?” With encouragement from Sasha, Dani, and even me, Leigh had returned to school. I couldn’t be prouder. She’d graduate with her degree in another semester.

“The healing properties of music therapy and its effect on individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.” She rattled out a mouthful of words that made me grin. Leigh had an amazing singing voice to begin with, but she was thrilled to discover her area of study benefitted from our bonding. She wanted to use the powers transferred through our link to help others as a music therapist.

I whistled. “Sounds like good stuff.”

Leigh’s cheeks colored. “It is, I think. Will you listen and be my guinea pig before I go perform?”

“Of course. You know how much I love to hear your voice.”

She blushed again, a trait I never tired of. “There’s something else, actually.”

“Yeah? What is it, hon?”

“While you were gone, I got myself a new doctor and had a visit.”

“Are you sick?” A concerned wrinkle creased my brow. I glanced my wife over as if any illness would be visible in her appearance, still haunted by the memory of Katie Hawkins sunken cheeks and thinning hair. She’d tried to endure chemotherapy without Russ, afraid informing her husband of her illness would recall him from active duty to be at her side. Maybe it was too early to make the determination that I couldn’t live without Leigh at my side, but I could easily and honestly say I didn’t
want
to be without her.

“No, silly.” Leigh only laughed before giving me a reassuring pat to one thigh. “I visited the lady doctor. I, um... had something put in.” She showed me the tiny scar on her arm and guided my fingers to touch the slim, hard presence beneath her skin. “I didn’t know how you felt about kids, but I know Sophia is all I need right now.”

“Leigh—”

She held up a hand to show she wasn’t finished. “Right now, Ian. But one day after I’m out of school, if you’d like me to get it removed, I’d like that too,” she whispered.

“A little sibling for Sophia.”

Leigh nodded. “Yes. I want a baby with you, enough that I kept thinking about it.” Heat suffused to her face, bringing a rush of pink color. “But even more, I want to feel you without anything between us. No more condoms.”

Certain traits of a shifter’s personality were ruled by our animal aspects, driving us to mate frequently to preserve our species. The arrival of spring brought mating season for eagles, a sensitive time for me. I was completely erect in the time it took to rise from my seat. Maybe she didn’t want the child now, but the only thing concerning my eagle was her confession of desire. She’d said it. She wanted my baby.

“I need to be inside you right now.” I fumbled with my belt, but then Leigh took over. She had my pants lowered and my cock out within seconds. I’d never been so hard in all of my life.

“Fuck,” I swore out loud when she took me into her mouth. Her lips formed a perfect ring around my dick, teasing only the tip with her tongue. It was the worst and best kind of torture. I wanted to fuck her so deep and so hard she saw stars.

“Leigh, baby, how long? Do I need backup?”

Her mouth came off me with a wet pop. “No. It’s been in long enough.” Leigh’s hand slid over my ass and squeezed. One forward movement slid my cock into her mouth again. I watched it disappear inch by inch until her nose nestled against the base of my dick and my balls touched her chin. My head tilted back in ecstasy.

I was already close to the edge before she began bobbing back and forth. Skilled fingers teased my balls, and then she pulled back. Her lips pressed against my hip while she left my dick exposed to the air.

“I love what you’re doing to me, baby, but I need to be inside of you. Right now.”

We didn’t waste time; Leigh’s clothes fell away between our united efforts. One swift yank pulled her against me, her back to my chest and her ass cradling my dick. She wriggled against me, sliding up and down until I couldn’t take it anymore and bent her forward.

Without a condom to separate us, I snapped my hips forward and drove into her. The exquisite sensation of her pussy surrounded me all at once, and required me to linger in place, buried balls deep in her body. I couldn’t move, overcome by how amazing she felt. Our fit was puzzle piece perfection, like two halves of the same whole merging together once more. When she adapted to my size, I set a fast rhythm like our usual lovemaking. I needed a hot and fast fucking, a primal mating to assert my claim of her. She could do whatever she wanted to me later, but right now, her pussy belonged to me.

“
Mine,
” I hissed out between my teeth, while Leigh moaned and clutched onto the edge of the patio table. I didn’t care that we were outside, her bared ass exposed, her gorgeous tits jiggling for anyone to see. I throbbed inside her and experienced every tremble of her walls. “Tell me you’re mine.”

“Yours, baby. I’m yours. I’ll always be yours,” she panted out.

If I could have called in victory like an eagle, I would have. Instead, I groaned my pleasure against the shell of her ear.

“Touch me, Ian,” she pleaded. “I want your hands on my breasts.”

I teased her full tits, pulling and rolling each pink tip between my fingertips, visualizing them in my hands. Each one was a perfect palmful. Leigh moaned and rocked back against me, her hands clutching the patio table edge for support. Keeping one hand on her breasts, squeezing and kneading, I slid the other down her side to her hip. The lush curve received a light smack, and then I gripped her thigh and plunged within her body with renewed vigor.

Flesh slapped against flesh as we both gave in to our carnal desires. My wife’s fast, breathy pants climbed higher and higher in pitch. Leigh’s pussy tightened around my cock, a vice-like grip that pushed me over the edge.

“Sweet God, Leigh, I love you so much.”

I gave her the words in my heart as I tightened in orgasm behind her, releasing burst after burst of my seed inside her body’s tight embrace. Leigh reached back with one arm and hooked it around my neck. We held each other close and rode out the aftershocks together, until she was limp and pliant in my hold.

I carried her off the wooden deck into the sweet smelling clover. After I sank to my knees and lowered Leigh to lie beside me, I held her close and secure in my arms. We didn’t move from where we lay in the grass, naked as the day we were born, our legs entwined and bodies close. We exchanged lazy, drugging kisses that made me linger on the border of sleep, and then I made love to her again face to face with one of her legs over my hip. Taking it slow gave me the chance to lavish her breasts with tender affection. I trapped one nipple between my teeth, stimulating the tender peak until her pussy clenched around my dick and she shuddered in orgasm.