The deadliest sin series.., p.109
The Deadliest Sin Series Complete Collection, page 109
“Cutter and I grew up in a very small town in Wisconsin. Farm country but near the lake. We weren't exactly close as kids, but I wouldn't say things were ever bad or strained. He was protective. Then, I met Warwick…”
Galen’s hand tightens on my knee, and something else green flashes in his eyes. An envy I never thought I’d see from a man who can have whatever he wants whenever he wants it. “Who is Warwick?” His jaw tightens. “Your boyfriend?”
“Ex. We were high-school sweethearts, and he was around a lot. Cutter and War really hit it off and became close friends, even though Cutter was a few years older than us. Then Cutter enlisted and left, and when Warwick was set to go off to college, he broke up with me, pretty much out of the blue.” I take a shaky breath, trying not to let the pain of the past affect me now. “We had planned to get married after he finished school. I was going to the community college to become an EMT, and he went off to university to get a business degree so that he could run the family fishing business.”
Galen stiffens, his brow furrowing, tugging at that scar over his eye. “Part of Valentina’s crew?”
I bob my head and try to breathe through the years of heavy memories. “There’s a whole hell of a lot more to it, but basically, after he was discharged, Cutter joined Warwick’s crew and that pissed me the fuck off for obvious reasons. I felt like he had betrayed me, and it caused a lot of tension between us that we haven't exactly sorted out yet.”
Galen nods slowly. “And Warwick is the reason you left Wisconsin.”
Shit.
That makes me sound like some sort of lovesick, jaded woman when really I just wanted a fresh start.
I grimace. “Sort of. Yes. Warwick still lives in the same area with his girlfriend and baby.”
Galen’s eyes widen slightly, and a muscle in his jaw tics. “You still love him?”
The hint of jealousy in his voice makes my chest ache in a whole different way for a whole different reason. “God no. I haven't loved him for a long time. But that doesn't mean I want to see him constantly. See the way that he looks at her. The way he looks at that baby.”
The hard green of Galen’s gaze softens slightly. “How does he look at her?”
I release a little wistful sigh—one that I hate. “Like she means the fucking world to him.”
Tears prick my eyes, and I swipe them away, suddenly very aware of Galen’s hand on my knee and how close we are. How stupid it is to be in this position with him again.
“He used to look at me like that. Need me like that. Want me like that.”
Strong fingers slide up my thigh and grip it tightly, and I drag my focus from it to meet Galen’s gaze again. Something burns deeply there. A fire that has nothing to do with his anger at me hiding my connection to Cutter or what I know that could do him in.
His voice deepens. “You're afraid you'll never have that again.”
“I don't know.” The words barely come out, and I swallow back the emotion threatening to clog my throat. “I guess I just couldn't stay up there anymore. Couldn't handle seeing that plus all of Cutter’s friends all the time. My relationship with him is just…too complicated.”
Galen snorts and squeezes my thigh again, leaning toward me slightly. “You don't have to explain complicated relationships with siblings to me. I shot my sister, remember?”
I offer a chuckle and shake my head. “How could I forget?”
It’s what started this disaster. If Rowan had never come looking for him, if Luke and I hadn’t sent her back to Galen’s office to wait for him…none of this ever would have happened. I would have figured out who and what Galen was after a few days of working there, and I would have left before I got pulled into that world.
Now, I’m smack dab in the middle of it without a way out that I can see.
I look over to Galen’s arm, the wounds now concealed by the clean shirt. “Did you get that taken care of?”
It shouldn’t bother me that I never finished stitching him up before all hell broke loose with my confession, but the thought that he might still be bleeding or in pain makes my gut churn uncomfortably.
“I did. I’m grand.”
“You're sure?”
“Do you have to question me about everything?” He leans a little closer, hovering just above me even in his squatting position, his wide, lean shoulders keeping my legs spread and me from moving.
“Apparently…”
The corner of his lips twitches. “I think you just like arguing with me.”
“Normally, I don't like arguing with anyone.”
I don't like confrontation. Which is exactly why I wanted to get the hell out of dodge and away from potential run-ins with people who are going to set me off and make me act in a way I'm not proud of.
Yet, here I am, with a man who's dangerous and volatile. A man who's so much like Cutter, who pushes my buttons and messes with my head in a way I never thought I would let someone do again. And all I want him to do is close the distance and press his lips to mine again.
I dart my tongue out to wet them, and his gaze drops to my lips for a moment before it flickers back up to mine.
“I'm a very dangerous man, Nicki. You've seen what's gone on just in the last week. You must understand this world, knowing who your brother is.”
“I don't.” I shake my head. “I don't understand this world at all. Or you. But I know you're dangerous.” I lean in even more. “I know this is dangerous.”
“Then why are you looking at me that way, a chuisle?”
A tiny thrill shoots through me, tingling every nerve in my body. “What way?”
He inches closer. “Like you want me to fucking kiss you. Like you want me to take you back into that room and slip my cock inside your cunt.”
My pussy clenches, and I bite back a tiny little moan that I know would only further encourage him. “You know who I am now. You know how dangerous this is for you, too.”
“I fucking know.” He brushes his lips over mine briefly, so softly, it almost isn’t there. Nothing more than a whispered promise of something explosive. “And that's what makes it so much worse.”
“Makes what so much worse?”
“The fact that I'm not gonna fucking stop.”
GALEN
Fuck.
This is such a bad idea.
I slam my mouth against hers anyway.
She could have ratted me out to Cutter at any time during that call. Could have told him where we are, what I had done to her, and let him come after me with all the violent force he has at his disposal. She could have offered me to Cutter Jackson on a silver fucking platter and given him every reason in the world to take me out, a move that would benefit Valentina and her organization greatly.
But she didn't, and for this moment, I'm going to believe it's because she actually gives a shit and doesn't want to see me dead. Even if that isn't true. Even if there's some ulterior motive I can't quite see yet. Because now that I’ve tasted her, I’m not going to fucking pull away until a bullet stops me permanently.
The two she already pulled from me aren’t enough to slow me down now.
My cock strains against my pants, begging for release, desperate to be buried inside this exasperating and intoxicating woman. She grips the back of my head, holding herself steady, shifting closer to me on the chair and spreading her legs even wider to let me settle between them and push my hard length against the apex of her thighs.
Fuck…
I'd give anything to be able to lift her up against the wall and drive into her right now, but even the thought of that strain on my left arm sends a wave of pain through me. I have to push it away to concentrate on Nicki, on the need coursing through my veins, the desire making me do something we both know is wrong.
Neither of us seems to care about the consequences of what we’re doing. All the outside forces working against us float away on a cloud of lust we can’t ignore.
I glide my tongue across her lips, and she inhales my breath with her kiss, just as frantic as I am, her nails scoring the back of my neck, urging me even closer. Her heart slamming against her ribcage vibrates through my chest and goes straight to my throbbing cock.
She opens her mouth, whimpering softly and tangling her tongue with my own. Her hips roll up, seeking something that I'm more than willing to give her any way I can. I may not be running at one hundred percent—not even close—but that won’t stop me now.
Nothing will.
I shift my hand from the top of her thigh over to the waistband of her yoga pants and slip it beneath the stretchy fabric to find her slick core ready for me. Devouring her eager mouth, I slip a finger inside her.
Her pussy clasps around me, and she pulls her head back and gasps. “Oh, God…”
Leaning forward, I brush my lips against her ear. “Do you have any idea how badly I want it to be my cock inside you right now, Nicki?”
She moans and clenches around me greedily, her nails digging into my skin. My cock twitches in response, and I push another finger into her and curl them both slightly to find her G-spot.
“How badly I want to hear you scream my name as I fuck you so hard that you can't walk tomorrow.”
“Oh, God…”
Her legs start to quiver against my waist, and I shift my position slightly so I can find her clit with my thumb. The second I touch it, her hips buck up and she rolls them against my hand, eager and seeking. Hooded blue eyes meet mine, swimming with desire. They pull me in, bottomless pools I want to drown in forever.
“I’m going to make you come, Nicki. And then, you're going to suck my fucking cock until I come down your pretty throat.”
She nods vigorously, pressing her face against my neck and issuing another whimper. “God, yes.”
Just the thought of sliding my dick between her lips and feeling them wrap tightly around me makes it twitch in my pants. If I had less self-control, I might come right now with her cunt wrapped around my fingers and her warm breath fluttering against my skin.
Fuck.
I curl my fingers into her, probing her and rolling my thumb against her clit in a hurried circular motion. Her hips jerk, and I take her mouth again and capture her final gasp as her orgasm slams into her. She bucks against my hand, her cry of release echoing through the room.
Her body stiffens. She clings to the back of my neck, her nails digging into my flesh, and finally, she sags back against the chair, releasing the iron grip her pussy has on my fingers.
Sweet fuck.
I pull back, dragging my hand away from her body, and raising my fingers to my mouth. She watches me lazily as I suck her release from my skin, making my body ache to be inside her.
“Fuck, a chuisle, you taste good.”
She reaches for my waistband and fumbles to free my cock while the flavor of her orgasm slides over my tongue and down my throat. Her small, warm hand wraps around the base of my hard flesh, and I groan, my eyes rolling back in my head. I shift closer, into a better position to drive my cock between her pink lips, into that hot, wet mouth where her greedy tongue will lap me until I blow my fucking load straight down her throat.
But the shrill ring of my phone in my pocket makes me freeze.
Fuck. Whoever it is can just fuck right off.
Nicki strokes her hand along my length, and my hips buck to shove me deeper into her grip. But the damn ringing doesn't stop. And as much as I'd like to push away everything that's going on right now, it would be stupid to ignore what could be an important call just to get my dick sucked.
No matter how good it would undoubtedly be.
I pull the offending phone from my pocket and stare down at Nicki who looks up at me expectantly, her kiss-swollen lips ready for me to slip between them. Her hot breath flutters over the head of my cock, making pre-cum bead there in anticipation. All it would take is her pulling me between her lips for me to explode, but instead of doing what we both want, I put the phone to my ear.
“What?”
“Galen…”
“Rowan?” She’s the last person I expected to hear from, and the distress in her voice makes any thoughts of what I was just about to do to Nicki flee immediately. “Rowan, what's wrong? Are you hurt?”
Nicki releases her hold on my cock and frowns slightly, shifting back on the chair and watching me carefully.
Rowan takes a sharp inhale. “I-I need to see you.” Her plea comes on a whisper, almost like she’s trying to conceal that she’s making this call. “Please…”
I tighten my hand around the phone. “What's wrong? Tell me.”
“I-I can’t. Not right now. We need to talk in person. Alone. I’ll text you the address.”
She ends the call before I can question her any further, and my throat tightens.
Fuck.
GALEN
I back away from the chair and the woman who has—yet again—somehow managed to wipe away any semblance of sanity I once held. Her blue eyes widen at my retreat, and her lips dip into a deeper frown. She watches me take another step away from her, then another.
“I have to go.”
Nicki’s mouth falls open, her pale cheeks pink, her breathing still heavy. “Seriously? Right now?”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I shove my still-hard cock back into my pants and secure again rather than answering her. There isn’t any explanation I can offer that justifies walking away from what we just started.
Instead, I stalk to the front door, unlock it, and yank it open. “Luke, get in here.”
He steps in and closes the door behind him. “What's up?”
“I have to go see Rowan.”
Luke tilts his head to the side. “Now?”
My fucking thought exactly.
“This isn't ideal. Believe me, I know.” But she didn’t sound right. Something’s wrong. And after what went down at the church and at the bar, I have to be sure she’s safe. “She said she needed to see me in person. So, I have to go.”
“Sir…” He glances toward Nicki, then steps closer to me, even though she'll still be able to hear us. “It could be a trap. You said you didn't trust the Rose brothers.”
“I fucking don't. But she's my sister, and she says she needs me. I have to go and find out what’s happening.”
If she’s hurt or in trouble…I don’t think I could handle losing her again. Not when I just found her. Not when I haven’t even had a chance to rebuild my relationship with her because Felipe snatched her away again.
I cast a quick glance at Nicki, whose confusion seems to have morphed into a fiery anger. "Coinnigh súil uirthi."
Luke is the only one who can keep an eye on her while I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with Rowan.
Nicki pushes to her feet, swaying slightly with the quick motion. “What did you just say to him?” She takes a step toward us, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed on me. “I hope you don't think you're leaving without me.”
I scowl at her, all the sexual frustration turning my balls blue now mixing with the familiar frustration this woman causes in all aspects of my life. “You are not coming with me. The situation is already complicated enough without me showing up with you and people asking questions.”
Her eyebrows rise and she throws up her hands. “I'll stay in the car.”
Shaking my head, I snort incredulously. “You are not coming with me.”
She steps up to me, getting more in my face than any of my men dare to. “I’m not staying here. If you leave me with him”—she points to Luke—“I'm going to do everything I can to get out. He'll be so busy trying to keep me from escaping that he won't be able to do whatever else it is you have your minions off doing all day.”
I scowl at her again and grit my teeth, my cock twitching against my zipper—her defiance both the biggest turn on and the most infuriating thing I've ever experienced in my life. The last thing I want is her tagging along out in the open or having to explain to Rowan and Felipe why she’s with me. But I also know her well enough to understand she’s serious in her threat. She won’t make this easy on Luke if he’s left to watch her. At least if she’s with me, I can attempt to control her.
“Fine.” I bite out the word between my clenched teeth. “At least if you're with me, I'll know you're safe and not fucking something else up for me. Since she already knows you, we'll tell Rowan you came to help stitch me up and that's why you're with me, that you came along in case she needed help.” I lean into her, so close our lips almost touch, and grip her biceps hard enough to make her flinch. “But don’t mention a fucking word about your brother. Got it?”
Nicki offers me a little smug half-smirk and nods. “Sounds good to me.”
She tugs out of my hold and brushes past Luke, whose jaw falls open as he watches us.
His gaze darts from me to her and back to me. “What the hell is going on with you two?”
I scrub my right hand over my face. “Don't fucking ask. Keep your eyes and ears open. Let me know if there's any movement from anyone. I'll get back here as soon as I can.”
Nicki opens the door and raises an eyebrow. “You coming?”
Fucking should be…
I should be emptying my load straight down her throat. Instead, I’m bringing this woman out into a war zone with my cock still hard enough to pound fucking nails.
But I’m not going unarmed. I grab my gun from the drawer in the end table and slide it into the holster at my waist. Luke offers me another look that screams what the fuck is going on as I let Nicki walk out in front of me. She rushes down the steps toward the car, while I scan up and down the street, alert for any threats that might present themselves.
She wanders over to the driver's side and holds out her hand. “Give me the keys?”
I shake my head and approach her. “No fucking way are we going to have this argument again.”
Her gaze darts down to my arm for a second before returning to meet mine. “I saw how much blood you lost last night and earlier today when you opened those wounds back up.”
“Luke stitched me up, and I feel fucking grand.”
