Up in Flames (9 page)

“Walter, we have a problem that needs to be addressed,” Lucas spoke up as everyone was getting ready to leave.

His boss looked over to him and nodded. “I know, we need a safe place for Meredith, because the second floor is no longer safe.” Windows had been blown out this afternoon, and several of the exam rooms had sustained heavy damage. Meredith’s little studio hadn’t really been affected due to its location at the far end of a hall, but Walter no longer felt safe stashing her there.

He thought about it for a second and then stated, “Okay, here it is, guys. We have several safe houses that are unoccupied at the moment. And I know since Lucas is her mate, he will be with her unless he is working. But, as proven the other day, if Eddie sends too many of his goons at once, Lucas may not be able to fight them all off. So, we are going to need security. Also, if there is a mole among us, he will be found quickly, since her location is to stay strictly with us.” He stopped there and made eye contact with every Ranger in the room. “Do I have any volunteers?”

Lucas was happy to see every last Ranger in the room immediately volunteer. He had worked with most of these guys for years, and the thought of a possible traitor in their midst ate at his gut.

*****

Across town later that night…

“What do you mean she didn’t get injured? Did you have the flowers delivered to her like I instructed?”

“Yes, sir. They came in and I had to pretend I didn’t know she was up there. I took the flowers upstairs myself, but the doctor they have up there told me to leave them on the nursing station counter and he would get them to her. It’s not my fault the explosion went off too early,” the pathetic human whimpered.

Eddie sat back in his executive chair and prayed for patience. Humans. Stupid cows, nothing more. The only good they provided was a never-ending source of food for him and his kind.

“Let me get this straight. First, you don’t deliver the flowers directly to her like I specifically instructed you. Then, you have the nerve to show up here and tell me they have moved her somewhere else and you have no idea where?”

The pathetic excuse for a man was shaking in terror, and rightfully so. “I…I guess so,” he mumbled.

“Daryl,” Eddie called out.

A moment later one of Eddie’s goons poked his head in the boss’s office. “You call, bossman?”

“Yes, please remove the trash out of my office, and make sure he fully understands what happens to those who don’t follow my orders to a T. Oh, and be sure to get the smell out of this room by morning.” Eddie got up and walked out of his office, and then continued out the front door of the building. He hated the smell of urine and feces, and the pathetic piece of shit he had planted in the Rangers’ building had just pissed all over himself. As he unlocked his car door, he could hear the man’s scream piercing the air. The human would be dead by morning, but now Eddie would need to find another way to get information.

*****

The following evening Lucas was sitting in Walter’s office when Ethan stuck his head in. “Hey, we might have a problem. Joe, the security guard, never made it home last night. His wife called to see if we knew anything and is very worried about him. Evidently Joe is on some medication that has to be taken daily. She says he never stays out, and is always home right after his shift is over.”

Lucas and Walter looked at each other and Walter cocked his eyebrow. “Ethan, run a complete background check on Joe, including financials. Meanwhile, I think I am going to pay a visit to his wife. If he got in with Eddie, I wouldn’t put it past him to go after Joe’s wife if in fact he has Joe. I am hoping maybe something in the background check comes to light as to his whereabouts.” Then he glanced back over to Lucas as he put his jacket and hat on. “We might have just been handed our first real lead in the case.”

“You may be right. Whoever our mole is, I don’t think it was anybody in the meeting last night.”

Walter nodded and sighed. “Yeah, after watching everyone, I seriously doubted it also. But that doesn’t cover the fact we do still have one.”

An hour later Walter called in, asking to speak with both Ethan and Lucas. “Ethan, have you come across a money trail yet?”

“Oh yeah, they have been paying off debt right and left, but the only thing hitting their checking account is their salary checks. But a charge card and a car have been paid off in the last six weeks. What did his wife have to say?” Ethan asked.

“She claims he told her he was being paid cash for a little side security work. Gentlemen, I think we may have just stumbled on our mole. The wife is upset of course, but I have convinced her it is not safe to stay here by herself.”

“What do you plan to do with her?” Lucas inquired. His gut was telling him their security guard was their mole, and he was in fact dead.

“She is packing a bag now. I think I’ll take her home with me. At least there she will have Sissy and Betty.”

“Okay, well, I am getting ready to grab Meredith and head out for the night. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

*****

Lucas stepped into the living room in a pair of low-riding jeans and a towel draped across the back of his neck. His hair was still damp from the shower he had just finished. Meredith was sitting on one end of the sofa turned sideways, her feet stretched out in front of her, talking with Kade.

Kade was sitting across from her in one of the wingback chairs. Lucas walked over to the couch and picked up Meredith’s feet, quickly sitting down where her feet were just seconds ago and depositing them into his lap. He then picked up one and using his thumb, applied a bit of his strength to her pressure points.

Announcing to no one in particular, Meredith stated, “You know, yesterday when the vase of roses was delivered, I cheated either severe injury or total death. I am sick of living like this. I’ve had it with Eddie still fully controlling my life by not allowing me to do anything. This is no kind of life to live. I’m finished. I intend to kick his little ass the next time I see him.”

Lucas couldn’t help a chuckle. He was happy to see his mate get a backbone and stand strong. She had been through a lot over the past eighteen months, and it was beyond time for her to take her own life back and live it as she wanted to.

A few minutes later when his foot massage hit a particularly sensitive spot, she moaned. Kade shot up from the chair, wasting no time in grabbing his jacket and heading for the front door.

“Umm, I’ll be outside checking the perimeter. If you need anything, just yell.” This was stated over his shoulder as he made a beeline to the front door.

Meredith looked at the now closed front door and then to Lucas for answers. She didn’t understand what was going on.

“Honey, you have no idea how sexy you sound when you moan like that,” Lucas informed her, as he allowed his hand to travel up her calf.

“Oh! I didn’t mean for him to be uncomfortable.” Now she felt bad for practically kicking him out of the house.

“Hmm, it was time for him to go,” Lucas growled as he continued inching up her leg as he stroked her skin with a feathery touch, making butterflies flutter in her belly. She could feel her underwear dampen as her body prepared itself to take him. His hand continued upward, up under her skirt, and she immediately opened her legs for him. He smiled up at her.

“Baby, I can smell your arousal from here. I want you to recline back and let me have you for dinner tonight.” He stopped and shoved her skirt up around her hips, then tore her panties off with one good tug. They went sailing through the air and landed on the light fixture, high up on the ceiling.

Neither seemed to notice the underwear now dangling down off the light fixture. Lucas helped Meredith slide down and get comfortable on the couch. Then, he went back between her spread legs and raised her to his mouth. The first long leisurely lick had her trembling, and she bit her lip so as to not scream out.

Lucas stopped after the first lick to glance up at her, a twinkle in his eye. “Now, babe, you might want to stay quiet, else you are going to run the risk of sending Kade crashing in here thinking you are in trouble.”

Meredith nodded, her eyes already hooded. “I am in trouble, oh, Lucas, do that again, please?”

Lucas smiled at her as he leaned down and ran his tongue through her copious juices. “Oh, my baby is so polite in asking me for what she wants. Don’t worry, I plan on being down here for a while driving you crazy.”

And drive her crazy he did. Every time she got right to the point of jumping off the cliff into the sea of endless pleasure, he would pull back. By the fifth time of doing this she became agitated.

“Lucas!” Meredith growled out his name.

He never even stopped eating her pussy as he replied, “Hmm?”

She was panting by this point. “Please, Lucas, I need…I need,” she trailed off there to bite her lip once again to stop the scream from escaping.

And then suddenly she felt his teeth lightly scrape over her outer lips and she exploded. Her body convulsed on and on, and still he didn’t stop sucking down all of her juices. Just when her orgasm seemed to be fading, he inserted two thick fingers that had her pussy quivering immediately and grasping those fingers as if to never let go. Another huge orgasm tore through her, bringing spots dancing in front of her eyes. Her body convulsed and writhed in ecstasy, and finally he slowly brought her down from her high.

Leaning up, he crawled up her body, kissing her lips soundly. She could taste herself on his lips, and was surprised to realize it turned her on all the more. A moment later he broke the kiss off and looked into her eyes. “I see my baby likes my tongue in her pussy, don’t you, sweets?”

Meredith wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned up at him, her eyes half-lidded. “Oh, yeah, baby,” she purred. “That was wonderful.”

He smiled down at her in return. “Now, how about we take this down the hall to a bedroom to finish.”

He hopped up off the couch, pulling her up with him. Grabbing her middle, he had her in a fireman’s hold in no time and was strolling back to the bedroom. As worn out as Meredith was, she wasn’t sure how much energy she would have left for any more lovemaking, but she was determined not to let him down. After all, he had given her two wonderful orgasms back to back, while he was sitting untouched and judging from the bulge in his jeans, aching.

When he reached their bed he threw her down, watching in delight as she bounced a couple of times. Before she could get her bearings, he had yanked her shirt up over her head, and reached behind to undo the clasp of her bra. He made quick work of discarding the last bit of clothing she had on, then picked her back up only to throw her back down on the bed, smirking as he watched her tits bounce up and down. “Now,
that’s
more like it,” he murmured as he quickly discarded his own pants and came down beside her.

She gently wrapped her hand around his silken shaft, hard as steel, but encased in silky smooth skin. She placed a finger on top of his hole, rubbing the drop of pre-cum that had leaked out all around the head. “I’m all yours, baby,” Lucas murmured as he pumped up between her fingers. She leaned over and ran her tongue across the head of his dick, then down the length of him. She lightly nibbled on his balls for a moment, before sucking one in her mouth, gently rolling it around inside her mouth.

“Fuck, yeah, baby!” he yelled as he watched a testicle disappear in her mouth. His dick was standing long and proud, and soon she worked her way back up the stalk. When she reached the head this time, she sucked him down, until the head of his cock hit the back of her throat. And still she kept going. Lucas knew he was going to lose his load very quickly.

Pulling away from her, he pushed her down on her back, coming down on top of her, catching her lips in a searing kiss. He shoved his hand between her thighs, just barely stopping to check to make sure she was wet and ready before he was shoving his dick into her. He didn’t stop until his balls slapped against her ass. But he was too far gone to take things slowly. Besides, her insides felt like a hot, tight, wet glove, and those little noises she was making every time he sawed in and back out of her were putting him closer and closer to the edge.

“Baby, come with me. Come with me now!” he ordered as he felt the familiar tingling in his spine. And then he was bathing her womb in his cum, in an orgasm that seemed to last forever. It just kept coming and coming in jets, as she squeezed him harder as she liquefied and flew over the edge.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, both were so exhausted they couldn’t move. Lucas was never more thankful for the security that was not only patrolling around the house, but the neighborhood as well. He collapsed on top of Meredith and rolled, bodies still joined together, until he had her spread on top of him. He reached down and grabbed the blanket, pulled it over the two of them, and closed his eyes.

*****

The following morning, everyone met in Walter’s office. “Okay, this is what we know so far. Our security guard, Joe, has been missing for forty-eight hours now. The night of the explosion he left here after his shift, but he never arrived home and no one has seen or heard from him since. After Ethan got into his financials, we have reason to believe he is our leak. There have been cash payoffs on a charge card, a vehicle,
etc.
His wife, Susan, says he told her he was doing some extra security work on the side to help them out. She seemed oblivious to anything going on yesterday when I visited with her.

“Because I don’t trust Eddie, I am having her stay with my wife and me for the time being. But, guys, this has gone on long enough. I ran a list of missing persons and extended the boundaries. We’ve been going at this all wrong. After reading the report, I am convinced he isn’t taking the majority from around here, or even in this state. If I was a betting man, I’d bet he is involved with some human trafficking. The numbers are staggering.” Walter stopped and picked up a stack of papers and began to hand them out. “All of these missing persons are young females. This has got to stop. Just because we haven’t stumbled upon the bodies, the number of missing cases is escalating, and the police are already thinking they have a serial killer on their hands. The problem is they don’t know how correct they are on their assessment. We’ve got to find him, find the bodies, and do one hell of a cover up before this goes any further.”