Liberty...And Justice for All (2 page)

He blew air softly against my clitoris, and it sent such harsh shivers through my body that I almost cried. Then he put his mouth on me, licking me for a few strokes, and then took my clitoris in his mouth and sucked hard.

“Oh my God,” I cried out, surprised, as waves of pleasure wracked through me. He was in charge of my body, and I gave myself over to him completely. I was no longer in control. He was relentless, sucking and licking until my whole body shook. I shattered beneath him, yelling his name, my orgasm shaking the bed.

Momentarily satisfied, he loomed over me, watching me with hooded eyes. He held my hands again, above my head, and positioned himself against me. I couldn’t stop shaking.

“I need to be inside you now,” he said, his voice urgent.

I moaned my assent even though I could barely catch my breath. He eased inside of me. He was so hard but he was so gentle with me, making sure that my body was ready to accommodate him. As always, I was greedy, already needing him again. The after quakes of my orgasm drew him in further as he pulsed inside of me.

I closed my eyes and moaned as he started to thrust. He was finally going to give me what I so desperately wanted.

At first, John took his time. But with each thrust I could feel him getting closer to the edge. Each time he went deeper I could feel the base of his shaft against me. Again, he was in charge, and I was at his mercy and at the mercy of my own body. He let go of my hands and pinned my hips to the sheets, thrusting into me, owning me. My vision went blurry around the edges as my body started to shake again. Another orgasm ripped through me.

“John,” I cried out, shattering again.

My husband looked down at me as I shook beneath him. His body went rigid. Heat rolled off him in waves. With one final thrust, he filled me hotly as he came, his powerful body spasming against me, our orgasms becoming one.

“Mine,” he said fiercely as he emptied himself into me. Both of us were shaking. “Mine.”

“Always,” I said, and cradled him against me.

U
nfortunately
, the honeymoon couldn’t last forever. We left Turks and Caicos and came back to Rhode Island the next day. John’s business, Quinn and Son Enterprises, required his attention.

John fought bad guys as a Retaliation Operative, alongside Matthew, Sean, Corey, and other hand-picked, military-trained men. Unfortunately for us, bad guys didn’t take holidays, or care that it was our honeymoon.

So John had to get back to work.

I wasn’t happy about that for a number of reasons. The most important one was that I was tired of him getting shot at.

I tried not to think about the new case he was considering as I drove around the property. It was my turn to pick up Matthew from his perimeter scan. Since the house had been broken into, we were taking security much more seriously.

I spotted all six-foot-five of Matthew jogging alongside the road and sped towards him. Then I whirled the convertible around and slammed on the brakes, coming to a screeching halt on the dirt road. A cloud of dust flew up into Matthew’s face.

“Get in,” I ordered.

“The boss lady sure is bossy today,” he said, wiping the dust off, hopping in and grinning at me. When I hit the gas, he clicked his seatbelt.

“I’m not bossy,” I said, as we cruised down the dirt road to the compound. “I’m upset.”

“About what?” Matthew asked.

“The one thing I asked John to avoid, and he’s going back to it,” I huffed.

“White flour?” He asked, grinning.

“This isn’t a joke, Matthew,” I wailed. “And I
wish
I could get him to go back to white flour. ‘Cause maybe then, I could have some, too. Or some processed mac n cheese,” I said, wistfully.

“So what’s the problem?”

“Cruz called, remember?” I asked. “John finally talked to him today. He has a friend who owns a club in Vegas. The friend wants to hire John—one of his strippers went missing. They think drug dealers kidnapped her.”

“Why does Cruz’s friend care about some stripper?” Matthew asked, grinning at me. He was teasing me and I was used to it, but I still thought that maybe I should smack him. Except that it would hurt my hand too much.

“It’s not a joke, Matthew. She happens to be the mother of his four-month old,” I said, watching the green countryside fly by. I could smell the ocean air even though the view was just out of reach.

“How’d she get mixed up with the dealers?” He asked.

“There’s usually only one way to get mixed up with them,” I said, thinking of my mother, who was always mixed up with dealers. I shuddered a little. “We’ll have to find out the details from John. But Matthew, I want you to back me up on this: we’re not taking this case. We’re supposed to find out who stole the necklace from the house and then move onto something else. Something safer. Mall security services, or something.”

“Um…Liberty?” Matthew said. “No offense, but I’d rather wear women’s thong underwear than be a mall cop.”

“I can arrange that,” I snapped.

“Lib. You need to relax a little. John’s not going to do anything you don’t want him to do.” Matthew went quiet then, watching the road.

“What,” I said, not bothering to make it a question. “You’re trying to say something without actually saying it.”

Matthew sighed and looked at me. “He’ll do whatever you want. But I don’t think that’s necessarily the best thing for him—or for any of us.”

“This isn’t just about you having to be a mall cop, Matthew,” I said. “It’s about his life.
Our
lives. I don’t want him getting killed. We’re going to have kids. Just like you. I don’t want you getting killed, and I’m sure Meredith doesn’t, either.”

I glanced at him; he was sulking, watching the road. “I’m trying to do the right thing for all of us,” I said, a pleading tone sneaking into my voice. He was silent. “Don’t you think Mer would rather have you doing some civilian work? So she doesn’t have to worry about you getting shot all the time?”

“She thinks she wants that,” he said, his handsome, chiseled face stony. “But she’s also used to a certain standard of living. The standard only John can provide. If I went back into the military, or had to do a civilian security detail…we’d have to move in with her parents. And Mer’s parents aren’t exactly huge fans of mine. It would suck. Especially with a toddler and a new baby.” He shuddered. “It would be like
Teen Mom.
Except Mer and I are in our twenties, so it would be that much grosser.”

“
I’ll
talk to Mer about it,” I snapped, “and see how she feels.”

“Awesome,” Matthew said, and sighed. “Next time, can you send Ian to pick me up from my perimeter scan? You’re a little testy these days.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be testy,” I said, feeling badly. I didn’t want to make Matthew, or any of the guys, upset.
But.

“I thought we were all on the same page, finally. Matthew—you’re family. All of the guys are. I don’t want to break the company up and leave everybody scrambling. That’s the last thing I want.” I sighed. “But because you’re family, I don’t want you getting killed. So I thought a civilian detail might be better. Safer, for everyone.”

“I’m too hot to be a mall cop,” Matthew said, stubbornly. “I couldn’t just stand there all day. My muscles would start to atrophy.”

I gave him an exasperated look. “It’s better than getting shot at all the time. And sleeping in jungles and fighting spiders. And breaking into cartel strongholds.”

“If you say so,” Matthew said. “To me, it sounds like giving up. I’d rather fight a huge spider than bust teenagers for shoplifting lip gloss.”

“Fine,” I said. “But I’m not promising anything.”

“It’s a start, Lib, it’s a start,” Matthew said. “Besides, I happen to know you liked killing that spider when we were in the jungle. You didn’t just kill it—you
pounded
it. You showed no mercy. And then there was Angel Morales…”

I shot him a filthy look. Mentioning Angel Morales was a double low blow. First of all, I’d shot him. Second of all, he was Catherine’s husband.

Was
being the operative word.

Matthew smiled at me and shrugged. “Everybody’s gotta do something,” he said. “Sometimes, the thing chooses you.”

“This ‘thing’ means bullets, danger, worry—and training. Forget it, Matthew. I’m over it,” I said.

“Never say never,” he said, and smiled at me.

“I didn’t say never,” I said.

“I told you to never say it,” he said, laughing. “And there you go again!”

I shook my head at him and sighed. It was good that he had small children. They could appreciate his sense of humor. Maybe.

Finally, we reached the gravel drive that led home. I punched in the code and the star-embossed gate opened. As we drove through, the beautiful house that John and I now shared came into view. The rolling green lawns spread out all around us, thrilling me.

I didn’t love this place because it was a mansion with enormous grounds. I loved it because it was home. And I never thought that I’d find a place to call home, so far from where I started. I could still picture myself alone, in my crap apartment in Vegas, sitting at that chipped card table. Back then, if you’d told me that I would soon be safe, married and have a family and friends on the other side of the country, I would’ve sworn you were hallucinating.

But here I was. I pulled the convertible into a spot and slammed on the brakes. Again, dust flew up.

“Lifestyle choices, Lib, lifestyle choices,” Matthew chanted, as we watched the dust rise up. “You like the fast lane. Even if you don’t want to admit it.”

I glared at him, not really meaning it, as he got out and trotted towards the barracks, the combination of low buildings where the guys stayed. That was where they ate, trained, and hung out.

The barracks were where I’d made love to John for the first time. And
finally
, at twenty-one,
cashed in my V-card.

Strippers can’t blush. And they sure as hell can’t be virgins,
I remember thinking
.
I was the anomaly that never should have existed. But there I was, in John Carter Quinn’s bed, a total virgin before he took me. My face flamed at the memory—I’d been so clueless, so afraid. And he’d been so gentle with me, unlocking the secrets of my body. He’d brought me to a new world, a place I hadn’t known existed. It was filled with love, comfort, security, and pleasure.
John.
I flushed when I thought of him.
My husband.

And when I looked up, he was coming towards me from the house. He’d obviously just finished his morning workout; he was wearing a tank top that showcased his enormous biceps and sweat glistened on his forehead.

I grabbed a lock of my curly hair and twirled it.

“Babe,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “What’re you thinking about? You have a naughty look on your face.”

“I was thinking about you,” I said, throwing my arms around his neck. “Although I wasn’t picturing you quite this sweaty…” I wrinkled my nose at him.

“You know you like it. You don’t have to play hard to get anymore, Mrs. Quinn,” he whispered, conspiratorially. He reached down and grabbed my ass. “I already got you.”

“Oh, I know,” I said, “and I’m happy to report that I’m thrilled about it.” He leaned down and gave me a long, lingering kiss, the kind that made my insides jumble together.

“I still can’t believe we’re married,” he said, beaming down at me. I felt enveloped by his power, his joy, his optimism. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

We stood there and beamed at each other for another minute like the lovesick newlyweds we were. And then I remembered the conversation I’d just had with Matthew.

“Matthew doesn’t think so,” I said. I pulled back a little and stopped beaming. “He’s upset with me about pushing you towards the civilian market.”

“Matthew just doesn’t want things to change,” John said. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No,” I said. “I’ll handle it. It’s actually
you
I need to talk to.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the house. “So talk.”

“I know why Cruz’s friend wants to hire you,” I said, still trying to sort my feelings out about it. “I know that the woman involved—what’s her name, again?” I asked.

“Mia,” John said.

“Mia. I know that she’s the mother of his child, and I know she’s been abducted—” I started.

“She’s being held hostage,” John said, staring straight ahead. We were heading past the house, down towards the windswept beach. “They grabbed her in a grocery store parking lot. Thank God her son was home with a sitter. The dealers—they’re called the Freeman cartel—won’t release her until they’re paid an undisclosed sum of money. To start with, they’ve asked for two hundred thousand dollars.”

He turned towards me slightly. “That’s just to keep her alive for the rest of the week.”

It was Tuesday.

I sighed, knowing exactly the direction this conversation was going to take.

“I won’t go if you don’t want me to,” John said, stopping near the water. He picked up a rock and skimmed it across the surf. “You’re the most important thing in my life, babe. I know what we talked about. I won’t go back on what I promised.”

“Can you send someone else?” I asked. “Matthew? One of the other guys?”

“I don’t think that they can do this particular job without me,” he said, watching the water. “All my guys are capable, but I always run the tactical end of things. They’re the muscle. That’s the way we’ve always handled things. I plan the job, map the area, and assess the approach. They blow things up and shoot people when I tell them to.”

“Don’t you think you can train them?” I asked. If he could, maybe it would be a way for us to stay in business—with John out of the range of fire.

“Of course I can,” he said, and turned to me. “But not by the end of the week.”

We looked at each other for a beat and that perfect understanding that existed between us clicked in.

I wasn’t going to say no to him. I wasn’t going to let an innocent young mother get killed because of my selfishness. So there: I had my answer.

“So…When do we go?” I asked, tugging on his hand and turning towards the house. As far as I was concerned, the conversation about
whether
we were going was over.

“When do
I
go,” he said. “I need you to stay here and handle something for me.”

“John, don’t try to pull this again,” I said, my voice a warning. “You know the drill: you go, I go.”

“I’m not trying to pull anything,” John said. “I need you to do something that’s probably even more dangerous.”

“What,” I said, flatly.

“Babysit Catherine for me,” John said, watching my face carefully. “She flies in tomorrow.”

I paused for a second, blindsided.

“John, you know I love you, right?” I asked him. I tried to keep my breathing steady. “But are you fucking kidding me?”

John shook his head. “Eva’s going away for a few weeks with her husband. He has to go to Prague for business.” Eva was John’s ex, and Catherine’s mother. She lived in California with her husband and more recently, with Catherine.

“She doesn’t want to leave Catherine by herself—I’m sure you can understand that,” John continued. “Catherine doesn’t want to go abroad with them. She doesn’t want to come here, either, but I’m sure she’d rather do that than go to Vegas with me.

“Liberty, I actually have another idea about this. I need to know if you’ll help me.”

“John, of course I’ll help you,” I said, exasperated. “I would do anything for you. But your daughter hates my guts. Don’t you remember? I killed her husband not that long ago?”

“She wanted you to do that,” John said. “And it’s not like you had a choice. Both of you would’ve been dead otherwise.” He looked back out at the water. “Catherine’s a pragmatist. She knew exactly what she was doing.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that she hates me. So this plan sucks in and of itself, just to start with. And you’re going to Vegas alone. That’s totally against our rules, remember?” I felt my panic rise at the thought of being separated from him.

“I know,” John said. “But you can’t come to Vegas, babe. Not this time. The Freeman cartel is deadly. They’re turning the Strip into a war zone. They’ve started supplying all the dealers with some synthetic drugs that are making all the junkies overdose. Any dealers who aren’t in line are disappearing. And the Freemans are moving into the clubs, strong-arming the owners into letting them deal there. Cruz said his friend is petrified of them. He’s worried that his girlfriend’s going to get killed sooner rather than later.”