Circle of Danger (12 page)

 

C
HAPTER
F
OURTEEN

F
or two hours they'd been searching for Marie. Ryker squeezed the steering wheel, trying to refrain from breaking it. Another road was shut down due to maintenance. How in the hell did Atlanta expect people to get around? Where in the world did they get their money during the bad economy?

A ringing filled the SUV. “Answer,” he ordered the voice-activated phone.

“Boss, she's moving. Considering where you're at, she should be coming in range and heading toward you.” Jack was at the van, keeping an eye on the tracer equipment. Not exactly what his second-in-command wanted, but Ryker had laid out the terms, and he should consider himself lucky to be that close.

About that time, Ryker caught a glimpse in the crowd of a woman with long blonde hair streaming behind her as she came around the corner, running full tilt. The traffic surrounding his SUV came to a standstill, again. A couple seconds later two stringy-headed men ran a few steps behind her. Then a big bald-headed man, huffing and limping, followed.

Ryker hit the wheel with his fist. He couldn't wait any longer. The traffic could be stalled for hours. He jumped out and stalked down the sidewalk, heading straight for Marie.

“Ryker! Oh, gawd, watch out!” She clutched his arm. “Run. They're crazy.”

The men came barreling toward them. As Ryker tripped one and brought his double fist down on his back, Marie kicked the other one in the groin. Several people standing out of the way groaned.

The large man with the bald head hobbled to a stop. Marie took a step toward him. He threw up his hands. “No, don't!” Then he scrambled away with the other men clambering behind him.

Ryker quickly hid his gun as she turned.

“Did you see that? He was scared of me. What a pussy!” Marie looked so cute in the zipped-up overalls and dirty bare feet, her chin thrust out in defiance. With her hair all mussed, she looked like the scrappy little girl he remembered.

“Let's get out of here.” No time to reminisce. Ryker wrapped an arm around Marie's shoulders and headed back to the SUV parked in the middle of the road. Horns blowing behind him, he cranked it up and made his way out of the traffic. “Are you okay?” He glanced over. She grinned so big, her beautiful eyes twinkling with news. “What?”

“For a while last night, I thought I would go crazy if I couldn't get back to you and let you . . . you know. But this morning I was able to control it and it got weaker by the hour. Then as soon as I touch you, danger all around us, all I can think of is this.” She unbuckled her seat belt and slid her hand up his thigh and cupped him.

He jerked the steering wheel. “Bloody hell! Give me a warning next time.”

“Ryker?”

“Yeah?” He swallowed and looked at her again. In a split second, he returned his attention to the road. The expression on her face burned in his brain. Such hunger revealed in her sweet face, her white teeth biting her bottom lip while she stared at his groin as her hand massaged him.

“Don't wreck us,” she whispered. Then she unhooked and unzipped his pants. Her hand dipped behind the cloth and slipped out his hard cock. “Move your seat back a little bit.”

How he found the strength, he wasn't sure. He shook his head. “No. We don't have time—”

“Do it now,” she said in a tone as firm as his cock. Her small hand stroked from tip to balls.

What man in his right mind would turn her down?

“Mercy, Mother Mary,” he muttered, and then pushed the button on the side of the seat.

Her hand slid up. She had a firm grip, not unlike his on the steering wheel. Just thinking about her mouth, his testicles tightened.

Then her mouth engulfed the sensitive, moist head. She sucked and licked her way down, and returned to the tip in a spine-tingling slide of her tongue. His eyes watered from fighting the urge to close them and immerse himself in the moment. The woman had talent.

She swallowed his cock. Her throat squeezed, and he felt her muscles flutter.

Damn, damn, damn.
His stomach and buttocks clenched in an effort to hold back.

When his eyes started to roll, he shook his head and stared hard at the road ahead. Damn, he wanted to cry.

Humming? She was humming. Did she want to kill him? He wasn't sure how much more he could take. Finally, he saw what he needed. With a sharp turn, his tires squealed into the parking deck. Four levels later he found the perfect spot. A light was out and no one was parked nearby. The vehicle's tinted windows would protect them somewhat.

He grabbed her shoulders and carefully pulled her away.

“No!”

“Don't fucking argue with me. Get in the back. Now!”

She looked around. Then a big smile lightened her face. Without another word, she scrambled between the front seats. He wedged his way into the back with her. She was already unzipping the overalls. The red gown took his breath. He forced the thoughts of how she came to be wearing it out of his mind when she dropped the straps. Her breasts were beautiful, soft, full. He cupped them and then tugged the tips. She moaned, arching her back. Unable to resist, he sucked one nipple into his mouth as he rolled the other.

“Please,” she pleaded.

He understood. They needed more. At first he tried to take off the gown but he was clumsy and frustration made him hesitate. So he ripped the gown down the middle.

She gasped but then reached for him. He plunged into her and continued to thrust over and over again. The SUV rocked and he didn't care.

“Oh, you feel so good,” she said between moans.

Sweat trickled down his face and back. He wanted to let go, but he couldn't, his body refused. Her hips met his with equal force. Flesh slapping flesh filled the SUV. The air became thick with their heat.

Marie screamed. He slapped his hand over her mouth and ground his groin into hers as he bit the side of his mouth, holding back his own shout. When her body stopped shaking, he wrapped her in his arms and pressed his forehead to hers.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice raspier than usual.

Tears welled in her eyes.

Damn! He'd hurt her. His throat constricted.

She burst out laughing. “Every time you and I have the best sex in my life—really, how can it get better each time?—you ask me that question.”

He smoothed the tears from her face and shook his head. “You're amazing.”

“You're the one who keeps it real—”

A hard knock on the glass caused them to jump. “Hey, you two need to get a room. Someone was complaining to the attendant on the main level about the couple getting it on in the SUV.” Jack stood next to the automobile, facing where oncoming traffic would emerge.

Ryker stared down into Marie's face. Her eyes were wide with panic. The drug's flashback had obviously run its course for now.

M
arie reached over the seat for her torn gown. No matter how she twisted or turned the material, she found little that would cover her properly. Embarrassment burned her cheeks as tears fell.

“I can't take this anymore.” She buried her face into the material and hunched over.

“Here. Put this on.” His voice was low as Ryker handed her the overalls.

Sickened by the thought of wearing them again with nothing between her and the filthy cloth, she shook her head.

“I can't stand the thought of it touching my skin.”

He pulled off his shirt and handed it to her. “Maybe this will help.”

The T-shirt was soft from being worn and washed so many times. As she dragged it over her head, the sexy scent of Ryker surrounded her—even the warmth of his body remained in the thin cotton. A tingle fluttered down her torso. She didn't worry it was a flashback. The feeling was similar to the one she had always gotten around him since she'd realized how much he meant to her.

It had been the day he'd returned to Main Sector the last time. His banishment ended without notice. Why would Master tell her anything? After using the house phone in the study to give final instructions about the dinner planned that evening, she'd been returning to Master. One moment, head down, walking slowly down the hallway, she replayed through her mind what else she needed to do that evening. The next she sensed someone nearby. He stood next to the doors leading to Master's private office. Ryker had grown and matured from the sad, lean young man to the larger, powerful one with pain and secrets etched in his face.

“Marie?”

The way he said her name always sent shivers through her. Feeling as if her body floated toward him, she picked up her speed and jumped into his arms as she had when she'd been younger. The few times she'd seen her friend, her hero since his exile, made the intervening years drag by.

“Arthur, when did you get back?”

He allowed only her to call him by his first name. She reveled being in his strong arms. Her grin grew bigger as she leaned back to look into his face. His hold tightened as if he didn't want to let her go.

“Today. Master said he needed me here. That Collin is giving him problems.” His broad hand rubbed her back. She remembered how he would do that after Master hurt her.

His hand stopped. It was as if he read her mind and remembered the last time he'd held her. Such innocent comfort. Only Master had made the innocence dirty.

He released her. She stepped back and soaked in the feeling of having him near once again.

“How long do you get to stay this time?” She rubbed her arms. The hallway was cool.

“I don't—” His forehead wrinkled and his gaze narrowed as he glowered. “What are you wearing?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. The see-through material alternately revealed and hid every inch of her body. Her nipples ached. His stare had her craving his touch.

Yet he'd always treated her like a little sister, protecting her, comforting her. Only now she was grown, though Master believed her to be seventeen. She wanted to forget the horrible things done to them when they were younger. Arthur had suffered more than she had. Each time he'd defied Master, he'd been sent away and punished daily, from what she heard.

“The girls who attend him are only allowed to wear these.” Her cheeks warmed. Nothing was allowed underneath.

He jerked his gaze from her breasts and cleared his throat. His Adam's apple dipped as he looked into her eyes.

“You better get inside then. It's warmer in there,” he said.

“How long are you staying?” she asked again. Seeing him made her realize how lonely she'd been without him nearby. Every empty day felt like a lifetime ago.

“As long as it takes.” Then he walked away.

She'd wanted to know what he meant but days passed without a word. When she heard the news—Master was dead—she understood what he'd meant. Long live the new Master.

“W
hat are you thinking about?” Ryker pulled the SUV into traffic, heading back to Tennessee and The Circle.

Jack and the other operatives had left ahead of them, giving Ryker a little time alone with Marie. She'd never been a talkative person, but in the last hour, she'd been absolutely mute. The moments leading up to Jack's interruption had been so intense for both of them. Ryker had been unprepared for her tears. All he'd ever wanted for her was to be happy and safe.

He noticed the chill bumps on her arms despite the late evening sun coming through the windshield. He stretched in front of her and flipped the tab on the air vent to blow away from her.

She blinked and shook her head. “About the last time you returned to The Circle.” Before leaving Atlanta, he'd sent one of his people to purchase her some clothes. She looked beautiful in the vivid blue top and matching snug pants that ended above her ankles.

Just on hearing her voice, his shoulders relaxed. At least she wasn't thinking of leaving. For the last four months, he'd expected her to pack up and walk away, and there wouldn't be anything he could do to stop it. Unlike Theo, he refused to kill operatives when they wanted to leave.

“I'd heard about what you went through. I'm really sorry,” she said softly.

No way would he talk about that. “I tried to return more often, but Theo blocked me at every turn. There wasn't a day I didn't worry about you.” Hell, at least he held back from saying he loved her.

“Thank you.” She placed her hand on top of his where he held the gearshift between the seats.

They sighed at the same time and fell quiet. This time the silence comforted. The sun dropped below the tree line and a feeling of isolation from the world filled the vehicle.

Ryker relaxed for the first time since she'd been injected with the drug. The dark interstate stretched in front of them, broken by the occasional red taillights. He felt as if they could work things out. They had a lot in common, both damaged by the same man. Maybe if he explained a few of his hang-ups to Marie she would understand and not condemn him.

“Marie—”

An identical black SUV sideswiped their rear quarter panel. Ryker fought with the steering wheel, trying to keep them on the road and not doing a three-sixty off the side and rolling down the bank.

“Oh, no, not again!” Marie screamed.

“Hold on.” He pressed the gas pedal to the floor and watched the headlights become smaller in the rearview mirror. “Damn! I wish I could see who was in it.”

“Mulcahy?”

“No. He would never do his own dirty work.” He glanced into the mirror. The headlights started growing bigger. “Here they come again!” The big SUV slammed into their rear.

Ryker and Marie jerked forward and their seat belts snapped them back.

His foot pushed the pedal the half inch he'd let up. Nothing. He could only see the glow of headlights reflecting off his bumper. If the SUV pushed any harder, they would go into a spin and tumble down the side of the road.