Blindsight: The Series (Complete Erotic Suspense STANDALONE) (20 page)

"Love teasing this pretty cunt," he hushed as his eyes watched where we connected.

"Fuck me already," I ground before he stilled and hovered just far enough away to startle me.

"Sure you know what you’re in for?" His eyes glistened with amusement and sex.

"I have an idea." I bit my lip as my eyes danced. Hunter’s eyes flared before he gripped my thighs and thrust into me, forcing himself to the hilt, his brute force spurring me on. With my fists twisted above my head, Hunter fucked me against the tree like he was searching for the secret to life. His head dipped and eyes shadowed, he bit at my neck and fisted at my thighs until he left bruises. His rough hands pulled at the leather as he angled his cock deeper. I couldn’t feel my back eaten up by the bark, I couldn’t feel the cold against my aching nipples. I only felt him.

"You fucking saved me, Princess," Hunter murmured as his thrusts lost rhythm and he seated himself fully inside me. Hunter’s hands rubbed circles across my body before landing at my clit. He thrust slowly again working up to a sensual rhythm before matching it with the quick figure eights of his thumb. "Fuck, Erin," Hunter roared through the still night when his muscles went rigid and his jaw clenched with his orgasm. My thighs shook as my own release rocketed through me. I sucked my lip between my teeth and my eyes fluttered open to find his heavy body resting against mine, the bite of the leather of little concern compared to the way I felt every time he fucked me like this. Drained. Used. Deliciously abused.

"Jesus." His head finally lifted as his gaze caught mine. A slow grin lifted his lips as he looked down between us, my body still tied to the tree, his dick still buried inside me. "You look really fucking good like this." His green eyes danced.

I laughed, feeling the world come back into focus. "If I wasn’t tied, I would smack you." I shook my head, loving every minute of our banter.

"Exactly why I tied your ass up," Hunter countered, placing a slow deep kiss on my lips. Our tongues tangled as one hand slid to my throat, caressing the delicate flesh before the other traced up the underside of my arm and worked at the knots around my wrists. My hands were free seconds later, and I was thankful to have my heavy limbs wrapped around his broad shoulders.

"Wow," I sighed, utterly content.

"That’s it? ‘Wow’?" He chuckled as he untied the belt and finally set me free. Hunter shook out the blanket before wrapping us both in it.

"It was more than wow. It was fan-fucking-tastic.”

"Okay, smart ass." He smacked at my ass under the blanket. I erupted into a fit of giggles, feeling equal parts exhausted and blissful. I wasn’t sure how I could find happiness in circumstances of complete upheaval, but it seemed I had in the form of a tall, handsome, golden god named Hunter.

fifteen

WE ONLY STAYED FOR two days at the cabin, but not by choice.

Hunter had attended to both phones with constant focus the entire first day we were there. What took all of his attention were texts from JW and some of his enforcers. They hadn’t threatened anything, but the tone of the messages were clear.

Need you soon.

Work to do.

Not done yet.

Don’t forget who your family is, Son.

That had been the last one, and I’d watched it visibly take the air from Hunter’s lungs. He’d looked up at me, coffee steaming out of both of our mugs the third morning at the cabin, and I knew then we had to go back.

“There’s no escaping him.” Hunter’s eyes shone with anger as he stared out at the glistening lake in the distance.

“I know.” I tried valiantly not to choke on the sob in my throat. “Will it ever be over?” I took his hand in my own, caressing his knuckles with my thumbs and tracing the black ink that decorated his skin.

“I can’t answer that. I thought I could. I thought this was it. But I don’t know what the fuck these texts mean.” He ran a hand through his hair and I knew there was so much more he wasn’t telling me. I could see it in his eyes. He couldn’t hide all his secrets. Just as plainly as he’d said that I would blow the plan, he couldn’t keep his emotions from betraying him. At least not from me.

“So we go back.” I tightened his hand in mine. His eyes swung to me, surprise and empathy radiating in their depths.

“We go back.” He nodded slowly. “You’ll stay with me. I’m not letting you out of my sight.” His hand gripped mine with fierce strength.

“I know.” I nodded. “I’ll pack up.” I had to leave before the tears overflowed and seared paths down my cheeks. I wouldn’t let him see me cry. Not again.

He let my hand drop and I stood, padding down the small hallway and veering into the tight bathroom. I shut the door and locked it quietly as my stomach twisted painfully. I bent over the toilet and felt my insides coming out one empty heave at a time. What had happened to land me here, hiding out on a stranger’s bathroom floor? How was it that the FBI didn’t have a search warrant out for me by now? Where was JW in all of this? And above all else, why did this feel like just the beginning of the war?

My insides ached with turmoil before I finally succumbed and flushed the toilet moments later, swiping a handful of tissues at my eyes before catching my reflection in the mirror.

I frowned, my heart feeling shattered into one thousand tiny pieces. I was a girl suddenly caught in a war zone, looking lost and terrified. I wiped at the stubborn tears one more time before sucking in deep breaths to try to compose myself for the fight of my life.

“I’m droppin’ you at my house first, then going to see JW,” Hunter said when we were a few minutes out of the city. We’d left only an hour after the last ominous text had come in.

Don’t make enemies of family.

It’d had my heart fighting to fly from my throat with fear.

“What? I’m not leaving you.” I shot a deadly stare at him. “Besides you said you wouldn’t leave me, and I won’t leave you either.” I crossed my arms, ready to stick to my guns.

“Not a chance in hell. I don’t trust him.” Hunter glanced at me then, his eyes holding me for a brief moment before flicking back to the road. “I won’t have you near him,” he growled and I saw the whites of his canines flash in the bright sunlight. He looked dangerous – deadly. I wouldn’t want to be the man to oppose him.

“Hunter, I don’t want you to go alone.”

“I’ve decided,” he deadpanned as his hands gripped at the wheel. “I put you in danger once with him, it’s not happening again. My house has top of the line security, and I can tap into the cameras from my phone whenever I want. And there’s a panic button in every room. If there’s a problem, push one, and the cops can be there in ninety seconds. They’re right around the corner.” He quirked an ironic grin at me. It did not settle my nerves.

“Hunter-”

“Sorry, Princess.” He dropped one hand from the wheel and tightened it on my knee. “I’ll take you everywhere with me, around the fucking world and back, but not there. Not ever again.” His grip tightened in both warning and anger.

I sighed, defeat settling into my bones as Hunter turned down his peaceful tree-lined street. Kids skipped rope and played outside, a peaceful summer Sunday in a picture perfect Midwestern childhood.

More irony. Step-son of the leading criminal gang of Chicago cruising by in his Lexus right now. He pulled the car into the garage and then shut off the ignition. “Ready?” He turned and placed a hand around my neck.

“Let’s do this.”

“There’s my girl.” Hunter placed a swift kiss on my lips and then was bounding out the door. He was around my side and escorting me out, carrying bags over his shoulders, as we entered his home.

“Code is 0618, day we met.” He winked at me as he punched it in.

“You changed it to the day we met?” I laughed as his unexpected sweetness melted my heart a little.

“I change it often. It seemed the happiest date in recent memory, so I went with it.” He grinned, his cheeks lifting as they colored just slightly.

“You’re cute.” I pressed on my toes and nipped at his jawline.

“You say that now.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and gripped my ass in one tight squeeze. I broke into a fit of giggles and fell into his arms, releasing the tension that had been building since the morning when we’d first headed south.

“Let’s get this security tour over with. I’ve got a meeting to get to.” Hunter placed a kiss on my nose, causing reality to crash in on me.

“What do I do while you’re gone? How long until I worry? And who would I even call?” The anxiety ratcheted my voice to extreme decibels.

Hunter smiled wryly before swiping a palm across my cheekbone and into my hair. “You’re cute when you’re worried.” His smile deepened as his eyes roamed my face. “Does it make me a selfish asshole that I like that you’re worried about me?” His rakish eyes twinkled.

“Shut up.” I swatted his chest before melting into his embrace again.

“I took care of myself just fine before you.” He placed a kiss on my forehead.

“That was before,” I murmured against his sweet lips. “What about now?”

“You’re right.” He sighed and pulled me into a bear hug with his arms wrapped around my shoulders, enclosing me, tightening my muscles and making me feel protected like only he could. “I’ve got you, Princess.”

sixteen

HUNTER LEFT TWO HOURS after we arrived back in Chicago. I’d scalded myself in his bathroom shower until my skin was bright and burning, hoping to erase the chaos of the last few days.

And then I waited. I cleaned up his house, not that it needed much cleaning, and unpacked his bags, tossing dirty clothes into a pile and hanging the few he hadn’t worn while we were away. I stuffed my nose into the clean cotton and inhaled, the smell of his soap and the smoky scent of his skin calming my nerves. I fell back on the fluffy bed, landing next to my own bag to dig through it.

Hunter had packed well, bringing the few things I’d left at his house, some clothes, a hairbrush, a bottle of lotion, shower items, and tampons.

I sighed and flipped the box in my hands and then ran the dates back in my head.

It’d been only weeks since we’d met. It felt like a lifetime. I knew this had been the last box of tampons I’d bought because I’d had to buy them specifically for the trip to Lisbon.

That made it…too long.

My eyes shot up as I tossed the offending box back in the bag.

No fucking way. I pushed the bag off the bed and gave it a kick. My hands went to my stomach. It churned and pulsed with bile. I’d been too wiped to eat this morning, not normally a problem I had, but more common of late. I’d attributed it to nerves and poor sleep, but what if it hadn’t been that at all? We hadn’t used condoms, but I’d been on the pill for years. Maybe I wasn’t the best at taking them regularly, but with all the hormones pumping through my system, how could one day here or there make a difference?

I shoved the bag under the bed in the hopes of forgetting about the possibility completely. If I didn’t look at it, it wasn’t there. It didn’t happen. It couldn’t. Stress was keeping my period at bay, that was all. It wasn’t the first time life wreaked havoc on my system, and if anything was going to throw someone off kilter, it was an estranged husband with connections to a gang, right?

I sighed and tramped down the stairs, feeling better. I smiled as I fixed a cup of tea—Hunter had stocked his kitchen with a dozen varieties, ever thoughtful. I pulled a chai from the pack and brewed it, adding a generous dollop of honey before heading to the living room and my computer. I could keep myself busy with some work before my anxious nerves got the best of me and I was fidgeting, gazing out the front window, desperate to escape. How could he expect me to stay here, locked up?

Casting a sad look at my rapidly cooling tea, I decided it was time for something stronger. I found a bottle of Merlot in the pantry and was two glasses in and hitting Google News before I could think better of it. Pictures and videos splashed across the Tribune’s website of the house Brant and I had shared. There were pictures of the arrest from a thousand different angles. I watched videos taken by bystanders of my husband’s down-turned head, anger splayed across his dark brows, that had gone viral on Twitter with dozens of retweets and even more painful commentary from citizens who’d witnessed the raid on my typically peaceful street.

Apparently JW’s plan had been a little more than foiled at taking down my husband—it’d been front-page news. The city was buzzing with talk of organized crime flooding the streets. I sat stupefied, pausing, fast-forwarding, and doing it all over again looking for familiar faces. Had JW even showed up? How had this all been orchestrated? Law enforcement had surely been through my house with a fine-toothed comb by now, but I was confident they hadn’t found a single thing. I lived there, Brant didn’t. Brant lived out of hotel rooms across the world. It was me on my hands and knees cleaning under beds and organizing file cabinets. If there was anything to be found there, I would have found it.

And then I felt terrible, the idea of my husband sitting in a jail cell wondering what his future held. Maybe I should go see him. But maybe I didn’t want to. Maybe I held anger deep down that he’d thrown me into this. Anger because the newspaper articles had reported embezzlement to the tune of ten million dollars. Where had that money gone? Could they take our house? Suddenly my perspective became much clearer. None of that stuff was mine, all of it bought with stolen money, and apparently my instincts to find a better job and gain financial independence from Brant had been a good one. Thank God Hunter had come along, catching me in my fall in more ways than just one.