Alexa
I’D MADE IT through the day without further incident and was looking forward to hanging with my other “refugees.” There were eleven of us being hidden from the Spiders and the Mob. We were all dressed in nun habits and trying our best to fake being Catholic (some better than others… well, better than me anyway). The youngest victim, Molly, was actually being fostered by the Reverend Mother, so she simply got a new name… no costume required. I found out that another material witness was among the women being held at the crack house, and she and I had become fast friends, especially when we started swapping stories.
Summer and I were in the chapel just off the main cathedral, setting up for a youth service beginning in a couple of hours and discussing some of the specifics of our predicaments.
“I can’t believe Bogdan Romanov was your father,” Summer said, her voice sounding slightly awed. “I never met him personally… just heard rumors.”
I sighed. “Most of the rumors you heard were probably true. Believe it or not, he was really good as a dad. As a man, not so much.”
Summer nodded. “Murdering countless people kind of makes that impossible. No offense.”
“None taken.” I was still working out my feelings toward my father. The disconnect between the man I knew as “Papa,” and the man who got rid of people who threatened him, real or perceived, was narrowing. I wasn’t so delusional to think my father was perfect, but I also loved him and nothing he did would change that. My question was, how did you continue to justify loving someone so evil? I still didn’t have that answer. “How long did you work for Mr. Markell?”
Tony Markell had been the “family’s” accountant and as crooked as they came. I had a feeling Summer had been hired not because of her skill-set (although, she seemed quite intelligent), but because of her looks. She was exotically beautiful with a Maggie Q quality about her.
Before Summer could answer my question, however, a surprise guest walked into the chapel. “Sisters,” Cameron said.
“Agent Shane,” Summer said, her smile quick and her cheeks pinkening.
“Hi, Cameron.”
“Summer, would you mind giving me and Lex a minute?” he asked.
“Of course,” she said, and gave me a questioning look as she walked out of the chapel.
“I’m not speaking to you,” I grumbled.
He chuckled. “I figured.”
I crossed my arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“About letting Reese take over or that I had someone watching you?”
“Both,” I said.
He waved to a pew and we sat facing each other. “I got stuck on somethin’ and should have put someone a little more senior on watch Alexa duty.”
“You don’t really call it ‘watch Alexa duty,’ do you?”
Cameron smiled. “No, but we probably should.”
“Sergei―”
“Was in trouble. I get it.”
“But why Reese?” I whispered. “You must know our history.”
“Didn’t have a choice, Lex. He’s been in this since pretty early on.”
“What?” I squeaked.
He sighed. “Thought that’d be less of a surprise.”
“I haven’t seen him in eight years, Cameron. How would he even know where I was?”
“Ryder.”
“Wait,” I said, trying to wrap my head around everything he was saying. “How would Ryder know?”
“His sister was being held in the same place you were.”
“Ohmigod,” I breathed out. “How did I miss that?”
“Outside of the fact you and Scottie were separated? Ryder didn’t want you to know, Lex.” He squeezed my arm. “But when Reese found out, it took all of Ryder’s efforts to keep him from getting involved.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Reese,” I conceded.
“What the hell is going on here?” Reese’s angry voice echoed through the room.
I glanced up to see him stalking toward us. My stomach flipped. He must have snuck in through the tunnels. There were secret passageways throughout Portland, believed to have once been used during Prohibition, and the church had utilized them when we’d been snuck in.
I focused back on Reese. Lordy, he looked edible. Dark jeans, motorcycle boots, and a ribbed, long-sleeved shirt stretched taut over his muscular chest.
“Hey, Reese.” Cameron smiled, slowly rising to his feet as though the fact a very angry ex-biker wasn’t walking toward him looking like he was itching to murder him.
“What the fuck are you doin’ here, Cameron?”
“Filling Lex in,” Cameron said.
“That didn’t answer my question,” he seethed.
“What do you want, Reese?” I asked.
“I need a moment of your time, sister,” Reese said, still glaring at Cameron.
“Well, as you can see, I’m busy,” I said.
“I was just leaving,” Cameron said. “I’m gonna be out of pocket for a little while, Lex, but if you need me, or Reese can’t help you with something, leave me a message and I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”
“She won’t need you,” Reese snapped.
“Can you kill someone and not get caught?” I asked, and scowled up at Reese. “I might need you to take care of a six-foot-two rat.”
Cameron chuckled. “Well, I’ll let you two talk.”
“No, it’s okay,” I argued. “You can take him with you.”
Cameron leaned down and kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
The six-foot-two rat forced his way between us and Cameron smirked before walking out the way he came.
“Just how close have you two become?” Reese snapped.
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t stutter.”
“He’s my handler.”
“No. I’m your handler.”
“You are unbelievable!” I snapped.
“We can talk about this in private.”
“No.”
“Lex.”
“No,” I repeated. “You don’t get to walk in here and stomp your jealous little foot and then demand we speak.”
He sighed. “Baby.”
“Oh, hell no,” I snapped.
Reese ignored my anger and waved me toward one of the offices in the back. “Shall we?”
I wrinkled my nose, but reluctantly led him out of the chapel. Reese laid his hand on my lower back and gave me a gentle push when I hesitated at the door, then closed us in.
I put distance between us and crossed my arms. “What’s up?”
He smiled slowly and leaned against the closed door. “I wanted to give you an update.”
“Cameron just gave me the low-down.”
“Not about that.”
I gasped. “You’ve found Sergei?”
“No…,” he said, but then added, “well, yes… sort of.”
“What do you mean, ‘no, well, yes, sort of’?” I demanded.
“We know who the mole is and who’s pulling Sergei’s strings, so the Dogs have a plan to get him out without it touching you.”
“What plan?”
“Can’t share that—”
“Why can’t you share it?” I snapped, throwing my hands in the air. “Gah! This is so like you. You refuse to share anything with me!”
“I can’t share with you, ’cause I don’t know the plan.”
“Then why are you here if you can’t tell me anything?”
He grinned. Slowly. Sexily.
Jerk!
“I’m here because I promised I’d keep you in the loop with information when I had it,” he said. “I wish I had more.”
“I bet Cameron would know.”
Reese hissed out a rather vulgar curse.
I shrugged. “Well, he would.”
“Doesn’t mean he’d tell you.”
“Maybe not,” I conceded.
Reese sighed. “Sergei’s gettin’ out, baby, and being watched until he does, so I figured you’d want to know.”
I nodded. “I would… I do.”
“Good.”
I crossed my arms. “Don’t you have a job?”
“I have many business interests. I own bars and some commercial properties… Ryder’s lookin’ out for them so I can be with you.”
“Sounds pretty convenient.”
“Just brothers who have each others’ backs.” He studied me. “You doin’ okay?”
“Golden.”
He sighed. “Lex.”
“What, Reese?” I made my tone as acidy as possible.
He continued to study me and I dropped my head to stare at the floor. I’d counted the pattern on the carpet twice before the toe of his boots appeared in my view. I raised my head to find him standing very close… too close. I tried to step back, but a large, wooden desk stopped me. “What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Makin’ sure you’re okay.”
“I told you. I’m golden,” I repeated.
His hand slid to my jaw and his thumb gently brushed my cheek. “You’re lying.”
“I am not.”
“You know how I know?”
“Oh, please, handsome, enlighten me,” I deadpanned.
“You have a dancing freckle.”
I pulled away from his fingers. “Ohmigod, Reese, freckles don’t dance.”
“Yours does.” He touched my cheek again gently. “But only when you lie.”
“You’re demented.”
“Talk to me, Lex.”
“About what exactly?” I challenged.
“Anything. Everything.”
I shook my head.
“Did you forget I’m a good listener?”
“You’re a terrible listener,” I countered, and realized this had been his ploy all along. “But you’ve probably changed since then.” I squared my shoulders. “I have.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
“You still do this little thing with your nose when you’re irritated with me.”
My hand flew to my nose of its own accord. “What thing?”
“It flares a little… like a rabbit.”
I let out a snort of derision and lowered my hand. “It does not.”
He leaned in and kissed my nose quickly. “It so does.”
“Move away.”
“How ya doin’?”
“I’m super, handsome. How ’bout you?”
“I’m good now, baby.”
“Well, that’s fabulous.” I pushed on his waist to try and get him to move away. He didn’t budge.
“Lex.”
“What?” I snapped. “Will you just move, please?”
“How are you really doin’?”
I rolled my eyes. “If I say I’m terrible, will you go away?”
“Nope.”
“If I say I’m great, will you go away?”
He smiled. “Nope.”
“Didn’t think so,” I said with a sigh.
“So…” He backed me up against the desk again. “How are you really doin’?”
“How do you think I am?”
“I think you’re holdin’ it together with duct tape and dental floss… MacGyver style.”
I bit back a smile.
He stroked my cheek. “Am I close?”
I shrugged.
“What can I do?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He cocked his head. “At all?”
“You could go.”
“Other than that.”
“Then, no.”
“Not even tenderloin from Serratto?” he challenged.
Like Pavlov’s dog, my mouth began to water. “You brought tenderloin from Serratto?”
“Nope, but I could make a run. We could have dinner together.”
I shook my head, even though all I wanted right now was tenderloin from Serratto. Damn him and his sorcerer’s tongue.
“No?” he pressed.
I shook my head again.
“Not even tenderloin and crème brûlée?”
I licked my lips and swallowed, forcing myself to shake my head.
“How long as has it been since you had all of that and a glass of merlot?”
“How could you possibly know I like Merlot? I didn’t drink—” I let out a frustrated squeak. “No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
“I’m going to pick up food and I’ll be back at six. We’ll have dinner.”
“Reese—”
His mouth landed on mine and I gasped, which gave him better access so he could deepen the kiss. Good God, I’d missed this. I gripped his shirt and leaned into him; hardly noticing that he’d tugged off my veil and released my hair from its tie.
Reese broke the kiss and ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “Missed this, baby.”
“Maybe you’d get more if you stopped acting like a jealous douchebag.”
He raised an eyebrow in silent admonishment.
“I don’t know what you want from me, Reese.” I threw my hands in the air. “This is emotional blackmail and it’s not fair.”
“I’m not tryin’ to put one over on you, Lex.”
“No?”
“No, baby. Fuck!” He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. “Look. This whole situation is shit. I didn’t think it would take me as long as it did to get shot of the sperm donor. By the time I felt it was safe for you, there was all that shit with your dad.”
“What shit?” I asked.
“The hit on him and the RICO shit with your brother.”
“What RICO shit with my brother?”
“Your brother’s helping to build a RICO case against the guys who killed your dad.”
“What?” I bellowed.
“What did you think he was doing?”
“Not that! Ohmigod, Reese, they’re going to kill him.” I shoved him. “Move please. I need space.”
He released me and stepped to the door so I could pace. “He’s covered, Lex. Hawk’s makin’ sure. The Dogs are watchin’ him.”
I dragged my hands through my hair. “You have a bird ‘making sure’? And why are dogs watching Sergei?”
Reese smiled. “Hawk’s the Road Captain of the Dogs of Fire MC. They’ve got guys watchin’ Sergei and they have a contact with the FBI who is going inside. It won’t be weird for him to be there.”
I crossed my arms. “Who is this FBI person? Do you trust him?”
“I haven’t met him, but I trust Cameron, so by extension, I trust him.”
“So Cameron set it up?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“How did you wiggle your way into being my handler?”
He sighed. “The day you snuck out, Cam had been pulled from your case to another one more pressing… his specialty is kidnap and ransom recovery, and they needed him there. If he’d been on shift, you would have never gotten out.”
“You don’t think?”
“Oh, I know, baby. And so does he.”
I wrinkled my nose, but didn’t disagree. Cameron always seemed to know what I was doing before I did it, but he never got angry with me if I tried to press the limits of my “protection.” Hence, his little talk with me earlier. He was always kind when delivering bad news.
“Jaxon Quinn is FBI and the brother of a couple of the Dogs of Fire members. He deputized me and Ryder so that he can call on us when needed. But it really only happened because I wasn’t lettin’ anyone else near you.”
“Really,” I droned. “The FBI ‘made’ you a deputy because you demanded it. If that’s the case, then the FBI isn’t quite the powerhouse it makes itself out to be, is it?”
Reese chuckled. “It’s a little more complicated than that, but it’s essentially a one woman dispensation.”
“So, let me get this straight. The FBI gave you special “dispensation” so that you could make sure I was safe.”
“Yes.”
The tears I’d been fighting back slipped out and I dropped my head again, but Reese closed the distance between us again, lifting my face and wiping them away.
“I’m gonna fix this,” he whispered.
“I don’t think you can.”
“You gonna let me try?”
I bit my lip, staring up at him. Was I going to let him try? I didn’t know if I could let him in again.
If I took Paisley’s advice, I’d never see him again. But if I listened to my heart, I’d have the chance of seeing him every day for the rest of my life… or risk the chance of my heart being broken again. But, damn it. I wanted him back. All of him. His quirks, his vices, his sweetness… all of it.
I nodded and he kissed me again, pulling me closer. “I thought you’d make this harder,” he admitted.
“I can.”
He chuckled. “No, I’m good.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Don’t break me again, okay?”
“Look at me.” I met his eyes and he stroked my cheek. “I love you, Alexa. That hasn’t changed. I wish I could say that if I had it to do all over again I’d do things differently, but I wouldn’t. My number one priority in everything I do is protecting you and I won’t apologize for that.”
I scowled, leaning away from his touch. “Wrong thing to say to me, Reese.”
“But it’s the truth. If I hadn’t done what I did, you’d be dead and I wouldn’t have been able to deal with it.”
“I wouldn’t be dead, Reese.”
“I wasn’t willing to take that chance.”
“But you didn’t let me weigh in on that,” I countered. “I won’t do that again with you. We either start off as partners or not at all.”
He studied me, then his stupid mouth went up into a slow, stupid smile.
“What?” I snapped.
Reese chuckled. “I’m in.”
“Oh. Good.”
He grinned again.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
“Because you just made me a commitment.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh is that what you heard?”
“You bet your ass it is,” he said, leaning down to kiss me gently. “I love you, Alexa Romanov and from this second on, you’re mine.”
“I was yours before.”
“Yeah, but this time, I’m not lettin’ you go.”
“How can I trust that?”
“Well, first, I said it and I don’t lie… second, Paisley already threatened to cut my dick off, so—”
I gasped. “What?”
He filled me in on the story and I covered my mouth with my hand in an effort to hide my mirth. Reese grinned. “It was pretty funny.”
“She was defending my honor,” I said. “You should be scared.”
“The day five-foot-four, one-hundred-thirty pounds soaking wet, Paisley Bell scares me, I will probably be dead.”
“Well, you should at least feign fear.”
“Ya think?”
I nodded. “Especially since she’s the one who picked up the pieces after you broke me.”
He sighed. “How long am I’m gonna have to suffer for that?”
“For as long as we’ve been apart.”
“Eight years?”
“And a day.”
Reese rolled his eyes. “We’ll have to work on that.”
“You’re gonna be working on a lot of things, buddy.”
“Yeah?” I nodded. He stepped closer to me again. “But we’ll be together.”
I bit my lip and nodded again. “We’ll be together. But I reserve the right to make your life hell on occasion.”
“Fuck me, I love you.”
I giggled. “Well, fuck me, I love you, too.”
He slid his hands to my neck. “You know what it does to me when your sweet mouth utters filthy words.”
I shivered. “I remember.”
“Don’t do it again unless you expect me to do something about it.”
“What if I want you to do something about it?” I challenged.
“Not fucking you in a church, Alexa.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Well, that’s stupid.”
“You frustrated, Freckles?”
I squeezed my legs together. “Yes,” I whispered.
He locked the door and pushed me against the desk, running his lips across my neck as he lifted my habit. His hand slid under the waistband of my panties and between my legs. “So wet.”
“Little backed up, Reese,” I rasped.
“I’m gonna take care of that, baby.”
Before I could comment, he tore my underwear from my body and shoved the shredded lace into his jeans pocket.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He grinned. “Already told you.”
“With my panties?” I clarified.
“I’m keeping those,” he said as his hand went back between my legs. “Now, shush.”
His thumb went to my clit and I shushed. Kneeling in front of me, he disappeared under my skirt and his mouth replaced his hand.
“Ohmigod,” I groaned out.
As his tongue slid along my clit, my knees started to buckle, but Reese lifted me onto the desk and guided my legs over his shoulders. “Shh, baby. You need to be quiet,” he warned in a whisper.
I bit my lip and nodded, and he went back to his task. This time, he sucked my clit as he slid two fingers inside of me and I almost came apart right then, but Reese still knew me and my body, and adjusted in an effort to make me squirm… literally. “Reese,” I hissed.
Keeping his hand between my legs, he shifted so I’d have to wrap my legs around his waist, and leaned over to kiss me. He continued to work my pussy with an expertise that always amazed me, and as my climax hit, his mouth covered mine again and he kissed me as I whimpered.
I gripped his biceps and kissed him back with a desperation I hadn’t felt in a long time. Reese smiled against my lips and helped me sit up. “Better?” he asked.
I nodded and he ran his tongue over one of his fingers. “Still taste like honey, Lex.”
I squirmed again. “Don’t make this harder.”
“Don’t think that’s possible.”
I ran my hand over his rock-hard cock. “Let me return the favor.”
“No.”
“What?” Reese Alden never turned down a blow job. Ever.
He kissed me again. “Until I have all night to show you exactly how I feel about you, I’ll suffer.”
I couldn’t help but shiver again as I let my habit fall back to my ankles. “And when will this all-night thing happen, exactly?”
“As soon as it’s safe.”
“That could be forever.”
“It won’t be forever,” he promised.
“Tonight?”
He chuckled. “No, but soon, baby.”
I scooped my hair back into its tie and Reese helped me with my veil. “Are you still bringing me dinner?”
“Of course I’m still bringing you dinner.”
“Are you really not giving me back my panties?”
“Nope.” He kissed my nose. “And if you don’t replace ’em, I’ll make it worth your while tonight.”
“As much as I appreciate the modicum of relief you provided, honey, if you’re suffering, I’m suffering.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded.
“Then I better make a plan, huh?”
I nodded again. “Definitely.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Do you really have to go?”
“I do.”
I felt my veil slide off my head again, and I groaned. “Reese. Why do you keep doing that?”
“Because kissing a nun creeps me the fuck out, Lex. Even if it’s you.”
I snatched it from his hand. “Do you know how long it takes me to put that thing back on?”
“The plan is you won’t have to wear it for much longer.”
“I don’t testify for six months.” I slid the veil back on and Reese helped me fix it.
“Yeah, well you’re not stayin’ here for six months.”
“Don’t get my hopes up, sugar bear.”
Reese let out a quiet grunt and my veil was off my head again as he pulled me close and kissed me deeply.
I broke the kiss and raised an eyebrow. “What the heck was that?”
He kissed me again and I slid my arms around his waist.
“Fuckin’ sugar bear, baby. Gets me every time.”
I giggled. “I thought you hated it.”
He smirked. “Never said I hated it.”
I smacked his chest playfully. “You led me to believe you did.”
“Did I?”
I rolled my eyes. “Crazy man.”
He grinned and helped me with my veil again.
“I should get going,” he said.
I sighed. “Probably.”
He smiled. “I’m gonna be back in a couple hours, Lex. Don’t cry.”
“Oh, suck it, big man. I’m going to use the next two hours to plan your demise.”
“Make sure it has somethin’ to do with dying while fuckin’ you, yeah?”
“Sure, sure. But only after I come. You might die frustrated, but I will have finished nicely.”
He dropped his head back and laughed. “Damn I’ve missed you.”
I jabbed a finger into his chest. “Then, don’t leave again.”
He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my palm. “Rather have my dick cut off by Paisley.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Well, that’s a visual I’d rather not have.”
He kissed me again. “I’ll see you at six.”
I nodded and followed him out of the office. The chapel was still empty, so I headed back into the abbey and Reese headed for the tunnels.