Dirty Sex (31 page)

“I don’t know.” Reese shrugged apologetically, dishonestly. “But

he’s right. They’re never going to stop looking for us.”

That much I knew. Christopher just didn’t know that we weren’t

going to stop fighting him. I decided to let the twins keep their secrets

a while longer.

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Dirty Sex

There was sort of a sense of accomplishment when we were

digging for the final time. Sure, we’d have to come back for

the other half later, but for now, we were practically home free. We’d

gotten rid of the rental and picked up the 4Runner. All we had to do was

get across the border. Ryan even broke out another bottle of scotch. He

must have bought it in bulk or something.

“It’s easier to do this when we’re practically sober.” Ryan set two

more bars on the ground. He was in the hole this time.

“Yeah, it’s real easy,” I said.

They both glared. I wasn’t doing any work, just observing. With

broken ribs, I couldn’t do much. Payback was awesome.

“If you weren’t already hurt, I’d kick your ass,” Reese said.

“Anytime you like, babe.” I grinned. Now that I could sort of

move my face, I was much happier.

“Is it me or are you guys actually getting along?” Ryan straightened

to study us. “Since we’ve been in Vegas, you guys have barely fought.

Hell, if I’d known locking you in a room together for a couple weeks

was all it took, I would have done it years ago.”

That was the moment. The perfect opportunity to tell him. Reese

and I both stared at each other, mouths open, trying to figure out if the

other was cool with it. We took too long to decide. The moment passed.

Ryan bent down for more bricks.

“These are the last two.” He set the bars next to the others.

“Here.” Reese handed me two bars and picked up the remaining

ones. We walked toward the car in silence. When we were behind the

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AShley BArtlett

SUV, I glanced over at her. Both of us started laughing. Hysterically. It

felt a little mean.

“He has no idea,” I said. An unnecessary announcement.

“I know. We’ve got to tell him sometime.” Like we hadn’t already

had this conversation a thousand times.

“Yeah. Soon or he’ll be really pissed.” I pulled the blanket spread

in the back over the remaining gold bars. Then I dug around until I

found a fresh bottle of scotch.

“He’s already going to be pissed.” Reese held out her hand for the

bottle after I swigged some.

“So let’s wait until he doesn’t have a gun in easy reach.” I took

the bottle back.

“After we’re done here? When we’re driving?” Reese asked.

“I’ll drive. That way we know he won’t hit me or anything.” Yes, I

was afraid. No, I didn’t think either of us was actually going to tell him.

“Pansy,” she said.

“You like it.”

“I like it a lot.” Reese tucked her fingers into the front of my pants

and yanked me closer.

It had been way too long since I kissed her. Her mouth was all soft

and tasted of scotch. Even though my head was buzzed, she still tried

to play with my hair, working her fingers over my scalp.

“Reese, babe.” I broke away. “He’s right there.” My control was

already slipping.

“I know.” She kissed me again. I couldn’t stop it after that. She

felt too good.

“Come on.” I grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the

car, in the opposite direction from Ryan, into the darkness.

“You’re crazy,” she told me, but she followed anyway.

As we walked, I loosened her shoulder holster in order to push

up her shirt and suck one of her nipples into my mouth. It was hard to

walk, but who gave a fuck? Reese gripped the bottom of my T-shirt

and tugged it over my head so it and my gun were hanging off one

shoulder. Her hands worked at my belt so my pants only stayed at my

hips because I was holding them there, which was hard since I was still

carrying a nearly full bottle of booze. We were far from the circle of

light created by the headlights when we finally stopped. I reached for

her, but she smacked my hand away.

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Dirty Sex

“You don’t always get to be in charge.”

“Right.” I tried to grab at her again and was rewarded with another

slap. “Stop hitting me. I’m injured.”

“Shut up.” Reese punctuated her demand by kissing me. More

smooth tongue and hard liquor. Difficult to argue with that. She

flattened her hand against my stomach and leisurely started the teasing

glide over my scorched skin into my boxer briefs. We both dropped to

our knees in the dirt. I didn’t care. I couldn’t feel anything except that

so damn good feeling of Reese filling me, taking me, unlike any girl I’d

ever known. The easy, hard, cadence of her fucking me was like being

known. She knew when to stop, to tease, to go, to take me higher so I

was poised, wanting.

Through the groans pushing past our lips, mingling in each other’s

breath I whispered, “Fuck, Reese. I’m gonna…You make me….” I

couldn’t speak.

She didn’t stop. Not that it mattered. I was gone anyway, collapsing

forward into her. Reese placed an arm around my waist, the other still

in the depths between us. She let me feel strong when I had nothing

else to offer.

“Coop, Cooper.” Reese wanted my attention.

“Yeah.” I raised my face to hers, afraid of what she would say.

Nothing. She just kissed me and dragged my hands to her body.

Her muscles twitched as I brushed her stomach, traced her

bellybutton. I cupped those perfect breasts and gasped when her nipples

hardened against my palms. Reese buried her face in my neck.

“Please touch me.”

Without thinking, I cupped her sex in my hand, encouraged by

the waiting moisture. When I pushed to fill her, she started working her

fingers, still inside me, slowly, echoing my movements.

My thumb had just pressed against her clit when she froze.

“Come on. Don’t stop.”

“What the fuck?” She eased out of me and pulled her hand away

letting my underwear slap back against my abdomen. Not exactly what

I was hoping for.

“What?”

“That?” She pointed behind me, toward Ryan.

I didn’t see anything. “I don’t get it.” What was her deal? Reluctantly,

I removed my hand from between her thighs. This wasn’t going well.

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“I think someone is driving toward Ryan.” She pointed in the

direction of the freeway. “Do you see a car driving without headlights?”

“No.” I didn’t see anything and now I was way less turned on.

“Where?”

“Right there.” She didn’t seem to be joking.

I actually looked where she was pointing, and sure enough. “Shit.

I think I see two cars. I thought you were fucking with me.”

“Fuck. There are two.” Reese grabbed my arm with both hands.

“What are we going to do?” The first car stopped behind the 4Runner.

The sound of car doors closing echoed out to us.

“Shit. Fuck. I don’t know.” The second car continued and parked

on the far edge of the circle from Ryan’s headlights, surrounding him.

“We have to go back. Help Ryan.”

“No shit.” I pulled my shirt back over my head and closed my

pants with shaking hands. Next to me Reese, started fixing her clothes

as well. We stood and started walking, not very well either. “How many

guys do you count?” I kept my voice low. “I can’t tell if it’s five or six.”

“I count six.”

“Damn. Why can’t they just leave us alone?”

“It’s not what they do.” That sounded ominous.

I put out a hand to stop Reese. “Is there any way I can convince

you to stay here?” The thought of dragging her back to those assholes

made me feel ill. Better that she stay out here in the relative safety of

darkness.

“Any chance I could convince you to let me handle my family’s

bullshit? Because I’d rather you didn’t get the shit kicked out of you

again.” Okay, I could see where she was coming from.

“We need a plan.” I blew off her question. No way in hell were we

going to run in, shoot the shit out of everyone, and hope for the best.

It took a couple minutes to work out what we were going to do.

Soon I found myself dragging my body over the sand behind the sedan

closest to the highway. I could hear shouting from Vito’s goons and

Ryan. Too bad I couldn’t understand what they were saying.

Careful to stay far enough away from the circle of light, I propped

myself up on my elbows, ignored the smoldering pain in my ribs, and

waited. This sucked.

“Come on, you stupid punk.” Vito was shouting at Ryan. “Where’s

the other half?”

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Dirty Sex

“Half of what?” Ryan spat back. Like with me, Vito’s guys were

surrounding Ryan, keeping him without holding him. Vic and Gino

flanked either side, Tommy and a guy I didn’t recognize behind, and a

fifth one was leaning against the car parked on the far side of the pool

of light in case Ryan ran.

“You little shit. We’ll get it one way or another.” Vito bitch-

slapped him.

“For once in my goddamn life, would you show me just a little”—

Ryan held up his thumb and forefinger—“respect? Would that be so

fucking hard?”

“If you acted like a man, I would treat you like one.”

“What could I possibly have that you want so much?” Ryan was

taunting Vito now, his default way of dealing with anger. “Balls?” He

cupped his junk. “Because there’s no way I can give you that.”

Where the fuck was Reese? She needed to get this show started. I

already had my H&K gripped tight enough to leave an imprint on my

palm.“You’re useless.” Vito shoved a fat finger in Ryan’s face. “Just

like your piece of shit father.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about my father.”

“I know more than you do,” Vito said. Mature.

“Fuck you.” Genius response, Ryan.

“You know, boy, I think I’ll put you out of your misery.” Vito

reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. “We should have put you

down at birth.”

I was practically hyperventilating. If Reese didn’t show in about

one second, I’d have to step up.

“Thanks, by the way.” Vito nodded at the hole and laughed. “I hate

digging, but you’ve already done all the work.” The men surrounding

Ryan started laughing too. “That must really get you, huh, kiddo?

Digging your own grave and not even knowing it.”

“You’re not going to shoot me.” Ryan taunted Vito, despite the

color draining from his face. “You’d never find the girls.”

“We found you.” That resonated. We were in the middle of the

fucking desert, the middle of nowhere.

“I think we both know they’re smarter than me. You’ll never get

them.”

“True,” Vito acknowledged. He raised the gun to Ryan’s face.

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AShley BArtlett

“If you’re going to do it then get on with it.”

“Sorry, Ryan.” Vito shrugged without a trace of remorse.

I was surprised he couldn’t hear my heart beating. Someone was

pointing a gun at the guy I loved. The only one I would ever truly love.

I started to stand. Vito heard my foot scuff on the ground and lowered

his gun as he pivoted to peer into the darkness.

Opposite me, a glass bottle spewing liquid flew into the light. It

clipped the guy leaning against the sedan in the head then shattered

against the car. He dropped to the ground. Damn, Reese could throw.

Air suddenly rushed into my lungs. I didn’t even know I had stopped

breathing.

Instantly, every man standing drew a gun. They rushed at the

darkness. Vic saw Reese’s outline and aimed at her. I focused on his

outstretched arm and fired. He dropped to his knees screaming. The

goons were confused now. Vito was shouting instructions at them.

Gino and the guy I didn’t know ran toward me. Suddenly, Gino pitched

forward. On the ground he shuddered, red blossoming from his shoulder

blade. Thanks, Reese.

I felt more than saw the moment his buddy finally made me out of

the darkness. He started to raise his gun. Without hesitation, I shot him

in the chest. My body was numb. I didn’t even feel the kickback. He

jerked, stumbled a few steps, and went down.

I didn’t want to kill anybody, and I was afraid. Afraid of that

place deep inside where my soul went as I pulled the trigger. That

place where I didn’t care about pointing a machine made for killing at

another human.

Christopher made me do it. They made me do it. When they

threatened the two people who mattered most to me. They wanted one

of them dead and the other they wanted something else from. I didn’t

know why they wanted her, but it seemed, somehow, worse than death.

I pushed myself to walk by the bodies on the ground, without

looking, trying to maintain the cold that pumped through my veins. To

my left, Vito and Ryan were fist fighting, their weapons thrown away. I

passed them to where Vic was kneeling cradling his injured arm. With a

kick to his chest, he landed on the ground. There was blood everywhere.

It made me wonder if I’d hit something important. Then I remembered