Excessive Force (Force of Nature Series) (18 page)

He had to free his cock
, though, or hurt himself. Using his free hand, he opened his pants and pulled his cock out. He knew that he was close when his hand was covered in his own juices. Standing up, he pulled his jeans down and leaned over her. She ate his mouth when he kissed her as he’d done her pussy.

Reid moved his cock over her clit several times before he slammed deep. She arched up off the table
, screaming. When she wrapped her legs around him, he rode her hard, pounding into her as hard as he could, sliding the table across the room.

“Come.” He moaned when she shifted again. “
Christ, Jodie, come for me. I need to fill you now.”

She
cried out and dug her nails into his back. Reid felt his own climax race up from his balls and spew from the tips as she sank her fangs into his shoulder. Crying out, he bit her shoulder as well, even as he felt a second climax take him by surprise. Drained and sated for now, he sealed the wound closed and dropped on her. Her giggle made him lift his head to look at her.

“You are getting really good at this biting thing. I thought you’d
be a little squeemish.” He’d never thought of it and told her that. “Yeah, I got that. I’m glad. I do need to feed once in a while, but when you bite me, it makes me come harder.”

Reid picked her up in his arms and sat down in the chair again. He
knew that he was going to stick to it and made a mental note to get cushions. She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

“What do you think about having a baby
?” he asked her after several minutes. “I’m thrilled if you want to know the truth.”

“Me too.
But I worry. What if he’s like me?” He lifted her chin and looked at her, trying to understand why that would be a problem. “I’m a shifter and we’re not really accepted well.”

“Bullshit.
You’re perfect, and if our daughter is anything like her mother, it’s doubtful anyone will give her any shit about it.” He sat her on the table and stood up. “Now, my dear mate, I’m going to lock up the house and make a payment on my promise to tie you to the bed.”

She went up the stairs as he locked the front door. When
someone knocked he was glad now that he’d pulled on his jeans. The man standing on the other side of the door didn’t look like anyone he knew. Pulling the door open quickly had the human step back.

“I have a delivery for Mr. or Mrs. Reid Atkins.
Would that be you?” Reid nodded and took the envelope. “Can you sign here?”

After signing his name
, he reached for his wallet to tip the man when he realized it was in the kitchen with his shoes. The guy shook his head, telling him that he’d been taken care of and left. When the car was out of sight, Reid shut the door and set the alarm. He was nearly to the bedroom when he looked at the envelope.

“D
o you know any one by the name of ‘T. Shipwreck’?” She told him no from the closed bathroom door. “We just got something from them.”

She came out of the bathroom wearing a towel and nothing
else. He crumpled the envelope in his hand when she walked toward him. She took the envelope and danced away while he stood there trying to get his brain to work again. When she stopped suddenly and turned to him, he was almost afraid to ask.

“It’s from Titus. He said that we were to receive the reward for taking care of Ethan.
He sent us a check.” She held it out to him, and he put his hands behind his back. Her face, shocked and a little afraid, told him he didn’t want to know. “You have to see it. It’s made out to us both.”

“Tell me.” She shook her head. “Please tell me. Is it a lot?
A little? Are there a lot of zeros?”

Her answer of a simple yes was no help at all.
When she shoved it into his hand, he had no choice but to look then, and he had to sit down. The accompanying letter didn’t help either. Jodie started to read it to him when he kept staring at the check.

“
Reid and Jolene, I hope that this letter finds you well and full of questions. The check enclosed is only for your help in dealing with the mage. I should have given it to you while we were there. But, alas, I forgot in all the excitement.

“I would like to tell you that this money is for services rendered.
The money that you’ll be making for us will be a great deal more.”

Reid put up his hand to stop Jodie from reading any more.
“What does he mean ‘a great deal more’? More than this?” She said apparently so. Reid pulled her to him and kissed her. “Enough, woman. I want you on the bed now.”

Chapter 1
8

“Do you think they’ll do it?” CJ looked at her mate in the mirror. He was so handsome he took her breath away. “Hope said that it paid well.”

“I don’t know. She seemed pretty set on not doing it. Titus did ask me if there was fee they had to give me when they were paid. You think he’s going to pay them for killing Ethan?”

She shrugged. CJ knew that the house that Reid had bought was paid for. She’d helped Tristan go to the bank and do it. The man had also put their names on the deeds to several of his houses, as well as on a substantial bank account. She told Austin.

“Then that takes a great burden off him. I know he has some pretty stiff student loans to pay back. And when I suggested that the pack pay them
, he said that he’d rather they didn’t. He’s a good man.”

CJ turned to look at him. She wondered if he knew what a great man he was as well
, and decided that he more than likely didn’t. She stood up and sat on the edge of the bed while he got undressed.

“Do you know what they’ll have to do working for Titus?”
Austin said he didn’t. “I asked Hope. She told me that Jodie would be like their enforcer and that Reid would be asked to sometimes help her out when the case was big. They will be asked to fight people like Ethan was.”

“
Honestly? I hope they don’t take it. With Jodie having a baby, I think it would be great if they could just be couple. I don’t even think they have any help in that house of theirs either.”

Reid had asked her and Nancy to help him out
with that too. He said he didn’t want his mate worn out all the time trying to keep it up. He’d even hired a newly formed lawn service that she and Austin used. The man was getting his head together.

“I don’t think I want them to either. I think like you that being a parent will be enough for them.
Especially since they never thought they’d have any kids.” When Austin was ready for bed, she got up to go to the other side. As soon as they were under the blankets, she rolled to him and settled herself over his body. He held her as he did every night. “Austin, what if I told you I’d like to have another baby?”

“I’d say you were insane and that we just got the last one in school.”
He didn’t move for several seconds. “Do you think we could have another little girl? I just love little girls in the house. Of course, a son wouldn’t be so bad either. How about one of each?”

CJ sat up on his chest and stared at him. “I don’t know what we’re having yet.
I’ve only just found out today that I was.”

He nodded and held her.
CJ waited for his mind to catch up to what she’d said. When it did, she nearly wet herself laughing at him.

“
You’re pregnant now?” She nodded. “I don’t understand. You just asked me if I wanted to have a baby. And you’re already pregnant?”

He got up to pace the
room, and she laughed. “Actually I was pregnant before I asked you, so I didn’t suddenly get this way. And if memory serves me right, and you know that it always does, you were a big part of me being in this condition anyway.”

Austin stopped pacing to stare at her.
“You’re really going to have another baby? Our baby?”

“Yes.
Are you happy with this?” He shook his head, and she felt her heart crush. “I’m having this baby. I’m not going to—”

He put his hand over her mouth as he crawled back
into the bed with her. “I’m not just happy, I’m ecstatic. I’ve never been happier in my life.”

When CJ la
y back down with him, she had to fight the tears. She’d been so worried that he’d be upset. Their other children were in school now so having a baby meant they would have to start all over. She smiled when she thought of the look on Nancy’s face when she found out.

“I love you
, CJ. I’ve never in all my life loved anyone as much as I do you.” She did cry now, the tears flowing from her eyes like a fountain. He lifted her chin up to look at her. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I’m just so happy right now.” He held her while she cried. “Austin, never change. Please. Just stay the same loveable man you are right now
. Okay?”

“Okay
, love, but I got to tell you, it’s hard being this perfect all the time.” She slapped him and closed her eyes. It had been a long week, and she was exhausted.

~~~

Tristan knew that he’d have to see her sooner or later, but right now he had his hands full. When his new cell phone rang, he nearly ignored it, but picked it up just before it went to voice mail.

“Well?”
He would have to figure out how to make sure that he knew who was calling him from now on. Tristan didn’t want to have to talk to Hope just yet.

“Well what?”
She laughed. “You should know that I’ve been meaning to come and see you. I’ve been busy setting up my house.”

It had been set up the day after he’d moved in.
His magic had seen to that, and he was reasonably sure that Hope knew it. When he started to tell her that he had to go, she spoke again.

“Good, since you have a nice house, we’ll be right over.”
The phone went dead, and before he could think to leave his house, she was knocking on the door. Tristan stomped to the door and swung it open.

“I’m not ready to talk to you yet.” She
, of course, ignored him and went into the main hall, looking around as she went. Her husband, Rod, walked by him and winked. He was not in the mood for either of them.

“You should know that I’ve spoken to your daughter.
And she is as pigheaded as you are.” For some reason, Tristan thought of it as a compliment, not the insult he was sure she’d meant for it to be. “And she and Reid shouldn’t take that job. That’s why we’re here.”

“What?”
He followed them, now anxious to see why they agreed with him. “You don’t want her to take the job. Why the bloody hell not?”

He
flushed when she raised a brow at him, but she answered him. “Because she’s done enough for our kind and needs to simply be a woman. And I would have thought you’d agree with me.”

“I do.
” She sat down, and he sat across from her. Rod stood near the fire place. “As much as I hate to admit to agreeing with you, I do on this. She and Reid can have a good life and one that doesn’t involve all this….” He waved his hand in the air, hoping she’d understand what he meant. Apparently she did.

“They are a lovely
couple, and the fact that she’s so powerful makes me know that they’ll have a long and happy life together.” He didn’t like the way she said that and asked her what she meant. “I know what you did to them. When they were both healing from this last ordeal. You gave them life.”

Tristan flushed.
He’d done more than that, but he didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned the tables on them. Rod burst out laughing, and Hope flushed. “What about what you did to them? At least mine was given to my daughter. You barged right in there and took away a gift I should have given them.”

“I didn’t know you cared.” They were standing toe to toe when Rod cleared his throat.
They both turned to him and glared. Rod simply asked them to sit on the couch.

“You do know that whatever you’ve given them is going to be secondary to what they already have
, don’t you?” They both nodded. “And so you know, I had a talk with Titus before he left the house today. They’ve both been paid for the job they did for the magic world. Quite well as a matter of fact.”

“How well?” Tristan wasn’t happy when Rod only smiled.
“You gave them some money too. Did you happen to think I might like to contribute some to the pot?”

These two were going to drive him nuts.
And he had a feeling he wasn’t going to be the only grandparent to the baby either. Damn it, they were going to horde in on his time with the little baby. When Rod handed him a sheet of paper, he smiled. This he could help them with.

As soon as
they left, he set to work on the list. First off was the new clinic for the pack. If he was going to live here from now on, they’d need the best. Especially if his grandchild was going to be born in it. By the time the sun was nearly half way across the sky he’d done it all and had spent a great deal of money. More than they’d been given in that check. Fifty million was a lot of money, but what he’d done was going to be fantastic.

As he laid to rest
, he smiled. This was going to be a great deal of fun trying to outdo the Campbell’s. But he had something that they’d never have and that was blood. His daughter was going to make him a grandfather. He was closing his eyes when something occurred to him. Getting up, he picked up the phone and called Reid.

“Are you going to marry her soon?”
Reid didn’t answer him fast enough, and he launched into all the reasons why he’d better get on the stick. “She will not have your bastard. You want her to stay there with you, then I would suggest that you make her your wife before you have sex with her.”

“Sir
, I don’t know if you realize this or not, but in order for her to have gotten pregnant, we’ve had sex.” Tristan growled at Reid. “But we are planning a nice, quiet wedding this weekend. Just the family. I think Jodie was going to call you today to let you know.”

That appeased him. For now.
“You’ll not be doing anything with my little girl until you’re married. Do you understand me?” Reid assured him that he did, but didn’t commit to anything. Then he called Jolene and told her the same things. It was time that he put his foot down as a father. He was just closing his eyes when his daughter appeared in his room.

“You overbearing
, pompous asshole. Where do you get off telling me when I can have sex? And calling my mate in the middle of the day when he’s trying to work and bothering him with this makes me want to punch you in the nose.” She looked at him, then around the room. He had no idea what she was looking for until she slapped her hand over her mouth and ran to his bathroom. He was standing near the door when Reid finally showed up.

“She just started throwing up. I was going to call an ambulance
, but she threatened me. Threatened me with all sorts of bodily harm.” Reid knocked on the door, and he was ready to tell him that she wasn’t letting anyone in when the door opened. He tried to slip in when she snarled at him.

Twenty minutes later
, they came out and he was aghast at how pale Jolene was. He had her sit down and held her hand. She jerked from him and glared again.

“I don’t think you should be doing that. The baby needs quiet and peacefulness.” She snarled at him something he’d never heard before
, and he backed up, looking at Reid. “I think she’s possessed. Maybe that baby is taking over her body?”

“She’s only having a bit of morning sickness.”
Tristan pointed out that it was nearly four o’clock. “Well, when she’s stressed, she gets sick too. I didn’t think it would start this early in the pregnancy, but all babies are different. Jodie needs for you not to stress her out.”

“Me?” When she tried to launch herself at him
, Tristin still had his doubt that she wasn’t possessed. She looked wild. “I will refrain from making demands on you.”

When she stood up
, he wasn’t sure she was going to kill him or not and decided his best course of action was to remain still, like a wounded animal. Jodie glared at him again before she took a step over him and moved out of the room. He looked at Reid.

“She’ll be fine. I’m going to have to go back to work now
, but from now on perhaps you should call me instead of letting her know what you’ve said. She’s a might touchy about this wedding thing.”

After they left
, he decided to get a couple of books on women having babies. He’d feel better if he was more equipped at handling things. Tristan thought he might suggest he move in with them for a little while. He was sure that Reid could take care of her when he was there, but the poor thing looked like she might have killed him. Her own father. Tristan moved out into the darkening yard and thought about what a gift he’d been given.

“Ah
, Kelley my love, you should see her. Spitting image of you when we met. And that Reid? He’s a man that I would have picked for her if I’d had the chance.” He didn’t lie to his wife, in life or death. “I think I might have upset her a little today. I’ll try my best to keep my options to myself.” He smiled when a sharp breeze blew over him. “Okay, you know I did say try.”

For several minutes
, he watched the lowering sun before he spoke to her again. “I know I said I wanted to come to you, but I’d like to spend some time with this new family they’re creating. I love you dearly, and I promise you that I’ll have such grand stories to tell you when I come to you. And the child will want for nothing.”

Tristan pulled out his list and looked it over.
“I’ve bought them a few things. And given them a few more. The house that you loved, I’ve given them, and the money. What use have I for it, I ask you? I’ve been around longer than most stones and haven’t used any of what we had. After buying this house and a few things, I’ve still fifty times more than we started with long ago.” He slipped the list into his pocket, ever so grateful that Rod had given it to him.