Chapter Twenty-Seven

Quinn

"I wonder how your parents did it," Eli says as he washes his toothbrush in the bathroom sink. "And all the other parents who have more than one kid. How do they stay sane?"

"Who says they do?" I shrug as I lean on the door frame. "Anyway, having a lot of kids may be hard when they're young, but it gets easier. When they're older, you can all go on fun trips. You can play team sports. You can have them do all the chores. And then when you get old, you'll have more visitors at the nursing home."

Eli tosses his toothbrush in his glass, grabs the hand towel on the rack and turns to me as he wipes his mouth.

"You sound like you want a lot of kids."

I give another shrug. Well, I did when I was younger, before I had Clive. Maybe I still do, but it's not for me to decide on my own. Eli has to want it, too.

Wait. Me and Eli with more kids? We're not even married.

"And what if those kids end up getting into trouble with the law when they grow up, huh? Then you'd have more people to bail out of jail. Or what if they get into debt? You'd have to pay it off."

I frown as I cross my arms over my chest. "You just have to be so negative, don't you? If you're going to imagine something, you might as well imagine something nice."

"Oh, I am imagining something nice."

Eli stands in front of me. His gaze goes over my pajamas. I blush.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you own pajamas."

"You look disappointed, though," I tell him.

He runs his fingers over my collar. "Well, let's just say I was hoping for something... sexier."

"Like my witch costume?"

"Or what you wore when you brought Isaac Banks down." Eli runs his hands over my arms. "I have to say I was almost jealous."

My eyebrows crease. "Jealous?"

He touches my cheek. "You were all alone with him wearing such a hot outfit. I was afraid he'd do something to you."

"Well, he didn't." I place my hand over his. "I was the one who did something to him."

He frowns. "Yes, I saw."

I feel more confused. Why does Eli seem angry?

"Don't tell me you want me to spank you with a riding crop too?"

"No. But I guess I do want you to seduce me."

He grabs my waist and pulls me towards him. The bulge between his legs presses against my stomach.

I close my eyes for a moment and suck in my breath. "It doesn't seem like you need seducing."

"I guess not. Even seeing you in your pajamas with pink cupcakes is enough to make me hard."

He grinds against me and I gasp.

"I'm still jealous, though."

"You shouldn't be," I tell him in a shaky voice. "It was all part of our plan, remember?"

"Your plan," Eli reminds me.

"Well, it worked."

He whispers in my ear. "But I still feel like punishing you for being so naughty."

He licks my earlobe. I shiver.

"And for scaring me. It took all of my willpower to stay in that other room while you were alone with him."

He licks my neck.

I guess he really must have been scared. Come to think of it, if I was in his shoes watching him while I acted as bait, I would have been scared, too.

I grab his shoulders and look into his eyes.

"Fine then. Punish me."

Eli's eyebrows go up.

I stroke his shoulders. "Just for tonight, I'll let you do whatever you want."

For a moment, he just looks at me with confusion still in his eyes. Then his lips curve into a mischievous grin.

A lump forms in my throat.

Uh-oh. What switch have I flipped?

It's too late to take back what I just said, though. With one swift motion, Eli carries me in his arms and brings me to the bed. He drops me on top of it and places my hands over my head.

"Keep them there," he orders, kissing me as he cups one of my breasts through my pajamas.

A shiver goes through me. He pinches my nipple lightly and I moan in his mouth. His tongue rubs against mine and my hand goes to the back of his head to get lost in his hair.

Eli pulls away and frowns. Only then do I realize I've disobeyed his command.

"I should have known you'd be misbehave," he says.

I glance at my hand. "It moved on its own, I swear."

"Then I guess we'll just have to stop it from moving."

He gets off the bed and goes to the closet. He returns with a blue necktie moments later. I know exactly what he's thinking.

"You're going to tie me up?" I try to hide my concern.

"You did say I could do whatever I want," he says as he grabs my wrists.

He ties them above me, not so tight that it hurts but tight enough so I won't be able to use my hands.

"That's better." Eli admires his work. "Now, where were we?"

He claims my lips once more. His tongue slips in between. His fingers work on the buttons of my pajamas, and one by one, they come off.

He pulls away again and grins.

"I guess pajamas can be convenient."

He pushes the flaps aside and plants a kiss between my breasts. His mouth lingers there as his fingers twist and tug on my nipples, which swell as my breasts tingle. His thumbs flick the pebbly nubs and I gasp.

Then he takes one bare breast in his mouth and sucks. I throw my head back. My fingers curl above me.

He continues to play with my other breast as he savors the one in his mouth. His tongue wraps around my nipple. Then he switches.

All I can do is tremble and moan on the bed. I feel a stain grow in my underwear.

Finally, Eli moves on. He drags his mouth down to my belly button and licks that. My back arches as a laugh escapes my throat.

"That tickles!" I complain.

But that just encourages him. His tongue circles my navel and dips in over and over. I squirm as my laughter spills into the air. My knees rise and my hands strain against the necktie that binds my wrists.

The dampness in my underwear spreads.

Finally, Eli stops. By then, I have tears in the corners of my eyes. When he looks at me, I frown.

"Meanie."

He kisses my tears apologetically, and then my lips, and all is forgiven.

He moves back down. He takes off my pants and my wet underwear. He plants a trail of kisses down the insides of my thighs all the way to the backs of my knees and I gasp. Then he settles between them.

I feel his hot breath against that wet, sensitive part of me and I hold mine.

When Eli's tongue comes out to play with me, I give a loud gasp. I tremble and my toes curl.

With each swipe of that wicked tongue, I can feel myself leak even more. Sparks travel up and down my veins. My skin burns and buzzes. The fact that I can't hold on to his hair or shoulders - or anything, for that matter - only makes things worse.

I'm at his mercy, and all I can do is writhe in pleasure as my body goes out of control.

His tongue explores and I begin to moan. It rubs against my nub and I go wild.

"Eli!" I cry out his name as the pleasure heightens.

But he just keeps licking until I reach the peak and fall off. My body shakes all over. My moist eyes squeeze shut.

When I open them, I find him above me still licking his lips.

"Happy now?" I ask him.

"Not yet."

Eli turns me over and lifts my hips. A moment later, I feel him begin to enter me.

I bury my face in the sheets as I try to clutch them with my fingers. I don't like this position. Not at all. It makes me feel like some animal in heat. Plus it's too deep.

He gives a particularly deep thrust and I give a muffled moan. The ripples of pleasure travel all the way to my head and make it spin.

Fuck.

He grips my hips as he pounds into me. Skin slaps against skin. My breasts sway beneath me.

Eli cups them as he moves faster. My nipples become trapped between his fingers and the friction adds to the pleasure. I only just came, and yet my body seems ready to explode again at any moment.

He reaches between my legs to touch my nub and I do explode. I cry out against the sheets as my knees tremble beneath me.

I'm still riding it out when he suddenly flips me onto my back. He reenters me with one thrust, then captures my lips before continuing his pace.

And I continue to come undone.

My chest hurts as I struggle to breathe, so I pull away to gasp for air. My vision blurs and fresh tears bead at the corners of my eyes. My nails dig into my palms.

Eli continues to move in and out of me, grunting and gasping. Then, just as I start to feel on the verge of passing out, he fills me to the brim. His nails dig into my thighs as he lets out a growl. Then he lets go.

My eyes remain closed. I feel like if I open them, I'll just get dizzy. My mouth parts as I continue to force air into my lungs. I can hear Eli chasing after his own breath above me.

He pulls out and lies beside me. He unties my wrists, which I'd forgotten were still bound, and then he pulls my exhausted body into his arms. I feel his lips against my neck.

"Happy now?" I ask again once I've caught my breath.

"Sorry," he mumbles. "Was I too rough?"

"You were mean," I tell him.

"But you liked it."

I don't answer. Even if I said I didn't, it would be a lie.

"You're dangerous when you're jealous," I say to him instead.

"You bet," Eli answers. "I could kill a man."

"That's not funny."

He falls silent. I turn around and see the seriousness in his eyes. I swallow as a tinge of fear creeps up my spine, but at the same time I feel a swirl of joy in my chest.

This is a man who would kill for me.

I touch his cheek. "Now I know where Clive gets his temper from."

Eli's gaze narrows. "I thought he got that from you."

"He got his stubborn streak from me. He got his temper from you."

"And his brains."

I frown. "I'm not stupid. I came up with that brilliant plan to get back at Isaac Banks, remember?"

The look in his eyes tells me he doesn't want to.

"Don't ever mention that man's name again," he warns. "Especially not in bed."

I nod as he gives me that look again. "Got it. But I'm not stupid, you know. I just tend to act before I think."

"And what do you call that?" Eli asks.

"Courage."

He snorts.

I stroke his cheek. "Hey, if I were smarter, Clive probably wouldn't be here. And you wouldn't be here with me right now."

"Why?" He looks puzzled. "Am I only here because of Clive?"

I shrug.

He takes my hand and kisses it. "You really aren't that smart, are you?"

I pout. "If you say that one more time, Elijah Strauss, I swear - "

He cuts me off with a kiss, and once I'm out of breath, he pulls away and looks into my eyes.

"I'm here with you right now because I want to be, because there's nowhere else I'd rather be and no one else I'd rather be with."

Those words make my heart soar. A smile forms on my lips as I rest my head against his chest.

If I'm dreaming, I never want to wake up.

~

The ringing of my phone wakes me up.

At first, I ignore it. I'm too sleepy. It stops, but then it rings again.

And it dawns on me - What if it's Daniel? Or what if it's Steven and he's calling about Chase?

I get out of bed. The other side is empty. Most likely Eli is out on his morning jog. I run to the desk where my purse is. I haven't taken out my phone from it. I grab it now.

The screen tells me it's Steven calling, or at least the home number. It also tells me that it's only a little past four in the morning, which means this call must be urgent.

I answer it. "Hello."

"Quinn, thank goodness." I hear the profound relief in my mother's voice.

Why, though?

"Mom, is everything okay?"

"Please come home. Right now. Oh, and don't bring Eli. Or Clive. Or anyone."

My eyebrows crease. I know I just woke up, but I also know what I'm hearing.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"Hurry." That last word is almost a sob and then the call ends.

I stare at the screen.

Should I call back and ask what happened? No. She made it clear she wanted me to come over, so that's what I have to do.

I run to the bathroom to wash my face.

I have a bad feeling about this, though.

~

"Mom?" I start calling for her as soon as I barge through the gate.

No answer.

There are lights on in the house, though, and the front door is slightly open. I push it.

"Mom?"

I stop in my tracks as soon as I see Steven lying on the floor face down, his hands tied behind him.

"Steven!"

I kneel beside him and find him unconscious. My heart stops. Then I feel a pulse and my heart starts beating again, racing.

What happened? Who did this?

I'm about to free his wrists when I hear a muffled moan. I turn my head to see my mother sitting on the couch. Her hands appear to be tied behind her, too, and a strip of duct tape covers her mouth. Her eyes look red from crying.

My jaw clenches.

"Mom!"

I run to her but stop when I hear the floor creak. I turn around and see a man with a black and purple Mohawk and a scar across the bridge of his nose. Multiple silver earrings stud his ears and black ink covers his neck. A goatee hangs from his chin.

Behind him, I see three other men with piercings, dyed hair and tattoos loitering in the kitchen.

A lump rises in my throat as the bad feeling I had earlier turns worse. A shiver goes down my spine.

Who are these men?

I swallow and find my voice. "Who are you?"

"It was nice of you to come alone, Ms. Hardy," the man with the Mohawk says. "If you had brought your boyfriend along, Sparky here would have shot him."

The man with the blue hair chuckles. My chest tightens as I catch the gleam of the gun hanging from his hip.

These men are armed.

"Who are you?" I ask again. "Do you work for Fuller? For Banks?"

The man with the Mohawk laughs. So do the others. Then he turns serious as he steps forward.

"We don't work for anyone, Ms. Hardy." He shrugs. "Do we look like we follow orders to you?"

No. They look like they don't follow any rules or respect anyone, which is why I can't stop my hands from shaking. Or my voice.

"Who are you, then, and what do you want?" I almost croak.

The man with the Mohawk grins. "My name is Arnold Drake. Everyone calls me Drake. Or Draco."

I lift my chin. "And what do you want from us, Drake?"

"Money."

I'm confused. They're thieves?

"We don't - "

"Oh, by the way, we're Chase's friends."

My breath catches.

"Well, we were, but Chase ran away from us. And when he did, he took a lot of money."

My face pales.

"We want it back. Every cent. And since we can't find him, we decided we'll take the money from you."

I meet Drake's gaze. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"

He frowns. Then he rubs his knuckles against his palm. "Are you calling me a liar, Ms. Hardy?"

One of the men in the kitchen stands up.

I step back. "I simply meant - "

"I'm just fucking around." Drake laughs. "I hope I didn't make you pee in your panties."

He didn't, but...

"It's up to you whether you believe me or not," he says. "But if you don't get us the money, your mother and your brother will die."

I suppress a gasp. My mother sobs.

I try to hang on to my composure. "We don't have money, Mr. Drake."

"Oh, I know." He sits on a chair and puts his feet up on the coffee table. "But according to the news, you have a wealthy husband. Oh, that's how we found you, by the way. We saw you on the news. And then we asked around."

Then this is all Banks's fault. That asshole. I should have kicked his balls when I had the chance.

"I don't have a husband." I show Drake my bare fingers.

"You don't live here, though. You live with him."

"Yes, but - "

"That should be good enough," he cuts me off. "That means you can get me what I want."

I draw a deep breath. "I can't - "

Drake draws his gun and points it at Steven. My mother screams behind the tape. Fresh tears brim in her eyes.

"Your family or the money, Ms. Hardy."

I force myself to move.

"Okay, okay." I stand next to Steven and raise my hands. "How much do you need?"

"Now we're talking." Drake puts away the gun. "A million dollars."

My eyebrows arch. "A million?"

"Just a bit, right? I mean, your boyfriend is a billionaire. He won't notice a million missing."

Missing?

"Are you telling me to steal the money?"

Drake shrugs. "No, but I'm telling you if Elijah Strauss gets involved, the price is going to be much higher and I can't guarantee that it'll be payable in cash."

So I can't ask Eli. Not that I could even if Drake allowed it. I could never ask him for a million dollars.

So I have to steal it, huh?

"When do you need it?"

"I'm in a good mood, so I'm giving you until midnight tomorrow." Drake glances at his watch. "That gives you around 43 hours to get the money. That's plenty, right?"

43 hours to get a million dollars. My mind can barely register it, much less fathom it.

Drake stands up. "In the meantime, we'll be bringing your mother and your brother with us."

"No!"

"We won't hurt them. Well, not any more than we already have." He glances at Steven. "And we only hurt your brother because he fought back."

Of course he did. I would have done the same.

Drake signals to his men and one of them hauls Steven over his back. Another gets my mom.

"Mom!"

Drake grabs my arm and holds a finger over his lips.

"Don't worry. Get the money and you'll have them back. Oh, and remember, don't get anyone else involved."

I watch as his men take my mother and my brother. Then Drake heads out the door, too. At the doorway, he turns to me.

"It was nice meeting you, Ms. Hardy." He grins. "Oh, and by the way, you look a bit like Chase."

He leaves. My knees collapse beneath me and I fall. I have no strength left and my body feels numb. My thoughts are in chaos, though one prevails.

What am I going to do?