CHAPTER TWELVE
Utica, New York…
Bastian drove into the barn slowly. As his car slowly lowered to the basement level, he looked over at the small box sitting on the seat next to his. With Sawyer’s help under the influence of the truth serum, he knew exactly where to look for the missing item. Now that he had it, he knew his time with Sawyer was running out.
He raised his gaze and glanced into the rearview mirror. His battered blue eyes looked weary to him. The bruise on his cheek told its own story. He was two hours later getting back, but then he never expected to run into Malvin at the church either.
Malvin had caught him unaware. He must have been waiting in the shadows until someone came for the Hand. He’d turned his head at just the right moment. The flashlight in Malvin’s hand was set to crack his skull but Bastian turned and caught it alongside his face instead. The pain from the blow would have laid him low except for one thing—Bastian was used to setting his own pain aside. His survival instinct often put him in this position and he needed to push through it.
The battle between the two men was over quickly as Bastian instinctively struck him with the heel of his hand in the throat. Unfortunately, for Malvin, Bastian had been holding a small screwdriver in his hand when he struck out. He watched as the other man collapsed on the floor. The screwdriver he’d been using on the pew bench had gone deep into Malvin’s neck and it didn’t take long before his wheezing stopped altogether.
Rather than stay and explain things to the police, Bastian had dragged the man into the confessional booth and closed the curtain. He was thinking about the awful surprise someone was going to get when they opened the curtains to confess their own sins.
Bastian went about taking the loosened board off the outside bench. Reaching inside, he found the relic, then after replacing the board, he tucked the relic inside his pocket and left the church. Snapping off the latex gloves, he shoved them in his pocket and escaped the area before anyone knew he’d even been there.
Now after a two hour trip back, Bastian was exhausted. His head was pounding and he could feel the skin around his wound cracking as the dried blood broke with his every movement. He made sure he closed the doors behind him then checked the outside cameras. Nothing moved outside, so he went down the hall.
Sitting down heavily at his desk, the first thing he checked was Sawyer. Turning up the volume, he heard her calling his name.
“Hey, Priest. Where are you? I need to talk to you.”
“Can you give me a little time to clean up?” Bastian asked. His words echoed back through the microphone in the speaker.
Sawyer nodded.
He closed his eyes for a moment as his head pounded, then got to his feet and opened another door opposite of the one that led to the room Sawyer was in. He entered his bedroom, stripping off his clothes as he went. Going to his dresser, he grabbed a clean pair of jeans and T-shirt then walked naked to the shower. After a short cleansing shower, he dried himself off and got dressed.
Going back into the office, he checked the monitor again. Sawyer was still laying on the bed, blindfold still in place. Bastian ran his fingers through his hair. His wound hurt but it had stopped bleeding. Straightening his body, he went to the door pausing in front of the mirror. He studied his face. The bruised eye and cheek didn’t hurt as much anymore but he still had his headache.
Not wanting to think too hard about it, he pushed open the door and went over to the bed. Sitting down beside her, he asked quietly, “What can I do for you?”
~* * * *~
His voice made Sawyer tremble, but not from fear. It caressed her and made her feel warm inside. The clean soapy smell of him was pleasing but she could still smell his real scent. It smelled clean and fresh almost like being outside in the woods.
Why wasn’t she afraid of this man? Her feelings puzzled her. She did know that whenever he was near, her heart pounded and it wasn’t from fear either. “So did you find the Hand?” she asked.
“Yes, I did. It was right where you told me it was.”
Sawyer shook her head. “I never would have remembered that day. My mother told me to forget everything that happened, then Max’s evil twin told me the same thing. I was so scared I didn’t want to remember. What was that stuff you gave me?”
He didn’t answer for a moment then he replied, “It was a simple truth serum. I’ve used it before. Then all I did was ask the right questions.”
“I remembered things I thought long forgotten.” Sawyer shuddered. “I had forgotten the church we went to after the meeting with Max.”
“Fear will block a lot of things. You were only a child at the time and Max’s brother threatened your whole world.”
“Max’s brother?” Sawyer frowned. “I didn’t know he had a brother.”
“Neither did anyone else,” he whispered. “He didn’t want anyone to know about his brother, or the fact that his brother was living with him.”
Sawyer stretched her arms out uncomfortably. “Is there any way you can untie me? I can’t lay here anymore.”
Bastian studied her for a moment. “As much as I’d like to I can’t. I don’t want anyone to know what I look like or where I am.”
Sawyer stilled for a moment then asked, “If I promise not to move the blindfold, can you let my hands go? My arms are sore from being tied so long.”
“Do I have your word that you won’t take the blindfold off?”
Sawyer nodded. “I promise.”
“Before I do that there is something I’ve wanted to do for a while now,” he whispered.
“What would that be?” Sawyer asked.
He kissed her. It wasn’t a gentle kiss but a needy kiss.
Sawyer felt his lips on hers and something strange lit up inside her. Her breath quickened and her heart began to race. She opened her mouth and his tongue slid inside. Colors spun out of control behind her closed eyelids. She groaned as her body heated from within.
She felt something unfurling inside her and she wanted so much more.
~* * * *~
This was the kiss that Bastian had held back for a whole year. He didn’t realize the depth of passion he felt for this woman, until this kiss. They both were breathless after a couple of minutes and he pulled his mouth from hers.
“Please…” she begged.
“What? What do you want?” Bastian whispered brokenly. His lips found hers again and his tongue began doing what he wished his body could. It went in and out of her mouth. Then he knew he needed to stop himself from going too far and he pulled his lips from hers again.
“I want you,” Sawyer whispered to his lips. “I need you.”
He brushed his groin against her thigh. “I know it’s too soon for this and you aren’t ready for any of it, but I just want a small taste, just a sneak peek of what we could be together.” He unbuttoned her jeans. His fingers traced a path along her leg inside her jeans. His lips kissed along her skin as he made his way back up her body. “I can smell you. Your need is getting stronger as is my own.”
She paused then whispered, “It’s insane, truly, but I do want you to show me what passion is. I want you to take me where no other man ever has.”
“Or ever will,” he whispered back.
Sawyer groaned when his lips nibbled their way along her neck to her collarbone.
Bastian stopped and laid his forehead against hers. “I can’t do this.”
“Why?” she cried out.
“I promised your father I wouldn’t hurt you. I promised Leon.”
“How can this hurt me?” Sawyer asked. “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you right now.”
“I just feel as if you may just be feeling fear and its’ not—”
“Please?” she pleaded. “You were right before. I cannot see or touch you, but somehow my other senses know you so well. Like you were meant to be the man for me. I have never felt anything for a guy before. Some tried to kiss me or touch me and it just felt wrong. Your touch is so…” She bit at her lip. “…It’s like I know your touch. I even love your scent. I know just when you are near. It’s like you’ve crept right into my soul.”
Bastian let out the breath he’d been holding as he couldn’t believe this woman was saying what she was. “I don’t want you forced or to feel like you need to bargain for your life by—?”
“It is of my own free will. I already know that you won’t kill me. You may even love me?”
Bastian tilted his head. Yes, he might indeed love her. He should have caught her before this, gotten his info and then dumped her, but no…he’d instead, followed her around for almost a year. Dreaming of her at night. Thinking of her instead of other things. This is in fact is what he’d dreamt of. Her lying beneath him, wanting him. He reached for her shirt and began unbuttoning it. He parted the material and sucked in his breath at the sight. Her breasts were full and barely contained in her bra. With his knife he cut the material away from her skin. Her rosy nipples stood erect. Waiting for his mouth, his fingers. Her skin looked smooth and slightly tanned. Her bruises were mostly gone but faint traces could still be seen on her ribs from her ordeal with that scum. His gut twisted. The man was lucky he was dead or Bastian would kill him for what he’d done to her.
He clenched his fists telling himself to stop right here…right now. He just wanted a taste is all. He would just take a taste. It may have to last him a very long time. Then his lips were on her unbound breasts. Kissing and caressing her skin. His teeth nipped on her nipples.
Her waistline was bare as were her breasts, but Bastian couldn’t help himself. He had to see all of her—taste all of her.
He slipped her jeans all the way down and off her legs and now the only barrier between them was a pair of dark blue panties. Bastian rubbed his hand over her hot wet core. He could feel her excitement and smell her arousal. Her scent was driving him crazy.
He leaned down and began tonguing the wet spot on her panties. Her essence was diluted but still there. He growled when he couldn’t get close enough to what he wanted. Then he pushed the cloth aside and went after it again. This time, he could taste her and her flavor drove him wild. She smelled of chocolate and tasted like sweet cream. His fingers brushed against her mound and found their way to her core. He smoothed her dark brown hair away from her clit and she gasped in awe as he parted her lips and thrust two fingers deep inside her.
Bastian reached inside her as far as his fingers could go. His own body betrayed him as the blood rushed to his cock. His muscles bunched as he tensed. He wanted to replace his fingers with his cock. He closed his eyes and could smell her arousal and it was driving his need to possess her.
“I need you,” she whispered. “Please…”
He pulled away and his fingers found their way into his mouth. He closed his eyes again while he tasted her essence and groaned aloud. This was what he’d wanted for so long. He fought with himself even harder now. Taking a virgin wasn’t something he ever wanted to do. Despite his reputation, he’d never delivered pain with sex and never violated any of his assignments in that way.
“Why have you stopped?” she asked in a breathless voice. “I know there’s more. I want you to be the one to show me.”
Bastian watched her bare breasts heaving with her panting, he leaned forward and swiped a finger through her cream between her thighs again. She was soaking wet, her nipples were hard an erect while her body was quivering with need. She did want him. He tugged her thighs apart, gathered her into his arms and groaned again, as her wetness covered his face. His tongue speared inside her body and she cried out in pleasure. He nuzzled her outer lips and found her clit. Licking it roughly, he heard her moan. Sucking the tiny nub inside his mouth, she screamed.
Bastian knew she just came and the sensation made his cock hard. He lapped up her sweet nectar and he knew he was a doomed man. She was made for him. He could feel her body responding and he slipped two fingers inside her again. Her core walls tightened around his digits. As he fingered her, he leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, “I want to fuck you so bad right now.”
“Please do it,” she begged as she panted. “Fuck me. I need you so much. I don’t think I could stand it if you don’t take me. I have never wanted anything so badly.”
Bastian couldn’t deny her what they both wanted so badly. He quickly shed his clothes before he could think about the consequences again, and moved over her. He settled between her thighs and pressed forward. His cock felt her tightness and he pushed in gently. He felt her maidenhead and halted. He knew it would kill him to remove himself, but he pulled himself back. What the fuck was he doing? He couldn’t do this…take her while she was bound as his captive! God dammit, it was wrong. His body told him how right it was and his mind disagreed. He raised himself up, intending to move away. He couldn’t have any innocents on his conscience.
Just then, Sawyer wrapped her legs around his waist and tightened them tugging him forward into her.
His pelvis pushed forward again, breaking through. He sucked in a breath as he paused. “Are you all right?” he whispered as his body went rigid. She was so dammed tight. It was he who was imprisoned now. At the mercy of her. The realization floored him.
“I-I—more!” She tugged him closer with her thighs wrapped more tightly around his waist. “I need more.”
Pulling back and thrusting deeper, he set the pace. Each thrust went a little deeper and soon, he was bottoming out. Closing his eyes, he simply let himself feel. Leaning over her his lips suckled her breasts.
She moaned. “Harder, I need more of you. This is so wonderful!”
Bastian picked up the pace and soon, lost himself in everything that she was. He felt her pussy flutter and contract and he knew she was close but so was he. Plunging deeper, he felt her give in to her passion. Her muscles clamped down on him and he felt lightening run along his spine as she came on his hard cock, then like a speeding train drove him, he felt himself give in. His cum flooded her insides, filling her.
He stilled for a time to catch his breath and heard her do the same. Moving to one side of her, he brushed his fingertips along her breasts. He watched the heaviness of her breathing slow to normal.
She smiled. “Wow,” she whispered.
“Wow, indeed.” He chuckled. He leaned closer and licked a bead of sweat as it rolled down the side on her face. “Are you all right?”
Sawyer smiled. “Yeah, I’m good.” She cocked her head and asked, “I don’t suppose you’d like to untie me? I would love to— well—feel you up with my hands next.” Her cheeks flamed with a bright pink hue.”
Bastian grinned as euphoria filled him though he knew she could not see his amusement. “I suppose I could but then I would have to kill you.”
~* * * *~
“What?” Sawyer gasped. Fear dried her mouth up and her heart beat rapidly in her chest.
“Sweetheart, there’s a reason for everything that I do. This…This is not how I usually do business. I had a job to do and for some reason with you, I just couldn’t resist breaking one of my own rules.”
“So now what? I already told you everything I knew and you found the Hand, did you not?”
He settled back on the bed and gathered her into his arms the best he could. “Yeah, I found the Hand but I also ran into some trouble at the church.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Malvin Bordeaux was waiting for whoever showed up what was lost. Apparently, he followed you guys that night but he didn’t know where in the church the Hand was hidden.”
“Malvin was the man I saw at Max’s house?” Sawyer asked.
“Yeah, Max’s twin brother. When you told me about a second man, I looked into Max and found he was one of two. Malvin was his twin and they looked enough alike for a kid to mistake one for the other.” He shifted his body around. “I also warned Leon about the hidden rooms. I didn’t want Malvin to kill any of his men without them being aware he was there hiding.”
“So what’s going to happen to me?”
“I can’t let anyone know who I am. I protect my identity for a reason. If I let you go, you could reveal who I am to the world and I can’t have that.”
“So you’re going to kill me anyway?” she whimpered. Her fear took over, but she felt her heart breaking too.
~* * * *~
Bastian sighed as he brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead, then saw her lips trembling and realized that he’d frightened her. He kissed her lips gently. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I was just—No I won’t do that but I can’t allow you to see me either. Don’t worry, you won’t be here long.” He touched his lips to her forehead. “Try and sleep now, little one.”
He watched for a long while, then her body slipped into sleep. He knew he couldn’t keep her no matter how much he wanted to do just that.
Bastian laid there a long time holding her and smoothing her hair gently, enjoying the feel of her body in his arms. He could see himself holding her like this every night of his life. He knew better though. For now, he would just revel in having her. Finally, he closed his eyes and let sleep take him.
~* * * *~
Lake Placid, New York…
Sam glared at the group of men in the cabin. Deke had his daughter in his arms. Both men had been happy to hear her cry out, “Daddy,” when they burst through the door. But they weren’t so happy to see Cricket laid out on the sofa with a bandage on her back. “What the fuck happened here Colonel?” Sam growled at his old Sergeant. He stared at the man who hadn’t changed all that much over the last thirty years.
He was still a bigger than life size man. His muscles were still tight, his hands still larger than a phone book. The only difference between now and then was the shock of white hair, instead of the dark brown he’d had before. It was also longer than the stock Marine cut he had thirty years ago but his dark eyes hadn’t changed much. They still knew how to cut through the bullshit of everyday life.
“We got here before they did and got set up just like we always do,” Stone explained. “But the little fucker got impatient and he hid the knife from sight until it was too late to stop him. We came up behind him and he had time to slide it into her before we took him down.”
“The wound is superficial.” Doc shrugged.
Sam snarled at the man.
Deke called out, “Dad, let it go. The girls are okay now.”
Raine knelt down beside Cricket. He brushed the hair away from her face. When her eyelids twitched, he called her name. When she opened her eyes and smiled at him Raine asked, “Are you okay, baby?”
“I am now. I am so glad to see you!” She closed her eyes again. Then she opened them and began looking around in panic. “Jemmia! Is she okay?”
“Jemmia’s just fine darling,” Sam assured her as he squatted beside Raine. “Thanks to you, she’s just fine.”
“Yes, she shielded that baby from dumbfuck over there, the entire time,” Stone spoke up. “Protected her with her own body.” He looked like he was in awe of Cricket.
Cricket frowned and craned her neck to look at the others in the room. “Who are they?” she whispered. Turning her head, she looked at Sam. “They said you sent them.”
Sam grinned. “Yeah, I did. This is my old Sarge from when I was in the Marines another lifetime ago. He was in the area and I knew he could get here before we could. I asked him to stop by and protect you till we could get here.”
Cricket smiled. “Well, thank you very much. Michael was getting out of control.”
“What exactly was he after?” Stone asked.
Cricket motioned to the wall of weapons in front of them. “He wanted the daggers. They belonged to my father’s family and he wanted to win his father over by retrieving them.”
Stone and the others stepped forward and observed the weapons.
Reaper, one of the men in the group let out a low whistle of appreciation.
Sam nodded. “Orrin sure had a very nice collection of weapons and he’d kept them in pristine condition.”
The weapons were old and new. Medieval swords and knives were mixed in with modern day rifles and handguns. Old west Colts and Henry repeating rifles over a hundred years old could be seen as well as Vietnam semiautomatic weapons. In the middle of the wall was a clear sided storage case that housed a set of daggers. The blades sparkled like new and the hilts were covered in jewels.
Michael groaned as he returned to consciousness. He couldn’t move as someone had hogtied him with his hands behind his back. The rope went all the way around his ankles and back up to his wrists. “What the fuck?” he shouted as he struggled to get free.
Stone ignored him as he turned to Cricket and motioned to the weapons. “How long did it take your daddy to get all this together?”
Cricket sat up with a flinching from her wound and smiled sadly. “He worked on that collection most of his life. He was particular what he put into it.”
“It’s a damn fine collection,” Reaper commented.
Cricket frowned. “I hate it.”
Raine looked surprised. “Why is that?”
“I know guns don’t kill, people kill but guns are the weapon of choice for most people.” Cricket winced as she tried to sit up. “They are a fine thing to have when you respect them but not everyone respects the power they represent. My dad tried his hardest to teach us how to use the weapons he had but I never wanted to learn.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, your sister liked the knives the best, didn’t she?”
Cricket nodded. “Oh yeah, she did. When she turned twelve after mom died, Dad gave her a knife and showed her how to use it. She loved it. She spent every waking minute learning all she could about handling the weapon. She got to be very good with it. She used to beg my father to allow her to try the swords but he never would.”
“Why not?” Stone asked.
Cricket shook her head in disgust. “He knew she was too much like her father and would use her skills against whoever refused her anything.”
“Her father?” Reaper questioned. “Wasn’t he your father too?”
Cricket sighed. “Orrin was my father, but Cordy had another father. All three of us have the same mother but I had a different father than the other two. It’s a complicated story.”
Michael twisted around to glare at Cricket. “My father will kill all of you!”
~* * * *~
Cricket got to her feet. Every movement was painful but she did it. She carefully made her way over to the wall of weapons and took down a short sword. Walking over to where Michael was bound she knelt down beside him. “Your father might and I stress the word might miss you but he wouldn’t kill us for killing you.” She pointed the tip of the weapon on his nose. “He has no feelings, remember? Neither do you. I could run this sword through you right now. I could watch you bleed to death and that would bother me a hell of a long time. The act alone would haunt me for the rest of my life but the same act done by you wouldn’t register for five minutes in your world or your father’s. That’s the difference between us, Michael.”
A drop of blood dripped down from the weapon as it pushed against his nose and Michael sneered at her.
She ignored his reaction. “You brought me here as a hostage. You used the welfare of a baby against me to get me to do what you wanted me to do. You knew I wouldn’t do it willingly. You and Bane use people. Neither of you give a rats ass about anyone or anything that doesn’t revolve around you. I could give that damn collection away tomorrow and it wouldn’t bother me one bit. In fact…” She turned to the man Sam called Stone. “Do you want the whole fucking collection? You earned it by saving our lives. All accept the daggers, of course. Those I’m gonna shove up my uncle’s ass.”
Stone looked impressed by her again, as he nodded. “Yeah, I’ll take it and give it a good home.”
“I don’t care if you bury it alongside the dammed road…just get it the hell out of my house.” She turned back to Michael. “What do you think your father would do if I gave him a choice? You or the daggers?” she paused then asked again, “Which one would he chose?”
“You fucking whore!” Michael growled. “You fucking know which one he’d chose.”
Cricket nodded. “Yeah, and lucky for you, I would never ask him to pick one or the other. He can have you both as long as you and him leave me the hell alone. I never want to see either of you ever again.”
“He isn’t going to get off scot free.” Deke growled. “I owe him for knocking out Cassie and taking Jemmia.”
Cricket smiled. “By all means make the little fucker hurt but don’t kill him. I want his father to see what happens when you piss off an MC.” She lifted her foot and slammed it into Michael’s head. “Just take him outside. I don’t want his blood on my floor.”
Raine, Sam and a couple of Stone’s boys hauled Michael outside.
Deke looked as if he wanted so badly to join them but he was holding Jemmina.
Cricket sat back down on the couch and stared at him while patting the couch seat beside her.
Deke stepped over and set his daughter down on the couch. “I will be back in a few minutes.” He then went out the door in a rush and then the screaming started.
Cricket kept Jemmia in the house and tried to distract her.
Stone stayed inside and sat down on the other side of her. “Are you okay?” he asked after a moment or so.
Cricket nodded. “I’ll be fine. The little prick didn’t do that much damage.”
“Were you serious about the collection?”
She nodded and wouldn’t even look at the weapons. “Yeah, I want them gone. I’ll take the daggers back to Troy with me but you can have the rest of it.”
“Would his old man really take the daggers, instead of him?” Stone asked quietly.
“In a heartbeat. My uncle Bane is a sweetheart like that.”
“That’s just wrong.” Stone shook his head. “Just fuckin wrong.”
“There isn’t anything about Bane Jessin that is right.” Cricket scoffed.
“Your uncle is Bane Jessin?” Stone asked in astonishment.
Cricket nodded. “Michael is his son.”
“Is this going to come back and bite us in the ass?” Stone demanded.
Cricket shook her head. “No I’ll make sure of that. If Bane gets the daggers, he won’t care about the beating Michael is taking.” She shrugged. “Besides, I’m saving his life. Michael told me he plans to learn what Bane can teach him then he’s going to take his place. I think he plans to kill his father to do it.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“Not in so many words but with people like him, you have to read between the lines. I could read his eyes though. I’ve spent my entire life with someone just like him. I learned to read her thoughts too.”
When Raine, Sam and the others came back inside, Raine asked if she was ready to go back to Troy.
Cricket went over to the wall and carefully brought down the case with the daggers in it. Her body felt sore and her wound throbbed. She placed it on the table and went to the cupboard to get something to carry it in. She grabbed an old backpack and put the case inside. She looked over at Sam and Deke. “Who is taking Michael back?”
“I put him in the truck of your car,” Sam replied.
“Yeah, that’s the perfect place for trash.” Nodding, she turned to Stone. “Get the weapons out of here. I don’t care how you do it but get it done. Then please lock the place up again.” Cricket picked up the backpack and said, “Let’s rock.” Then she went out to her car.
Deke was already there buckling Jemmia in the back seat. When he straightened, he held out his hand. “Keys.”
Cricket handed over the keys and got into the passenger side. “What about Raine?”
Deke shook his head. “He will need to ride my bike back. I had him ride bitch because he couldn’t ride his own bike with that head banged up like it was, a few hours ago. He seems fine now. I need to take my daughter back to Cassie myself.”
They started out and when they hit the highway, Raine pulled Deke’s bike out on one side of the car and Gator was on the other as their escort. Sam didn’t come back with them. He told Deke he needed to parley with Stone and would be back later.