Knight, p.4
Knight, page 4
Reaching forward, I slip one of those hard nipples into my mouth, nipping and sucking the same way she did my neck. Going to town on them through the cotton of her tank top. Immediately I realize she’s not wearing a bra underneath, feeling the tightening of the flesh is enough to have pre-cum moistening the fabric of my boxers. My cock is punching at the zipper holding it back, hoping to get lose. What I wouldn’t give to just reach down and pull it out, give it some relief.
“Mason, I want you,” she moans, throwing her head back, thrusting those fingers of hers through my hair and holding me close to her.
With superhuman strength, I push her away, turn her around so that she’s facing away from me, and slide those short shorts off her body, taking a scrap of lace with it. Before she can ask me what I’m doing, I’ve unzipped my pants, pushed them and my boxers down, so that the only thing I can get out is the only thing that matters. My rock-hard length. Pulling her hips back to me, I watch as those legs of hers straddle me, and then come down hard on my cock.
Her sexy back, that tapers down into two dimples over her ass, is a feast for me to look at. Her ass bounces as she uses those thighs of hers to push up and down on my dick. “Mason,” she breathes loudly as I move my hands around to cup her tits up under the shirt, using my fingers to worry the evidence of her desire.
“Yeah, baby?” I pinch harder, causing her to lean slightly forward.
“Don’t stop!”
Using one hand to strum her clit, the other to twist the flesh begging for it at her chest.
I go after her hard, bracing my booted feet on the floor as I pound into her, grabbing her hair up in one hand, pulling it back the way she likes. I don’t stop working her clit furiously and she doesn’t stop riding me, never slows down, never gives an inch.
When I feel her tighten against me, when I hear her scream of pleasure, I let go, moaning, groaning, grunting as I pull her back to my front, rest my forehead on her sweaty back, and ride out the conclusion of the best sex we’ve ever had.
“Fuck,” I almost whimper as she gets off me, leaving my cock standing in the breeze.
“Feeling’s mutual, big guy, wanna take a shower?”
As I look up at her body, naked on the lower half, nipples still hard on the upper half, hair a mess, I grin at her, knowing I made her look like a beautiful mess. Looking down at my lap, I see stains on my pants, my release running down my cock. For some reason I want to remember this moment, etch it into the database of memories I don’t ever want to forget. When I do that, I reach out for her hand.
“Yeah, let’s go get cleaned up.”
She steps into my arms, kissing my throat. “I love you, Mase.”
I grip her ass tight in my hand, giving it a squeeze as I kiss her forehead. “Love you more, Rina.”
Chapter Eight
Menace
Sighing, I reach up and take the hat off my head and throw it across my desk. I’ve been out in the field most of the day, following up on tips that came through last night. Nothing has panned out, not that I thought it would.
My gut is something I’ve trusted since before I started this job. In the Army, it turned me away from an IED three times. Today, it’s saying Taylor isn’t here anymore, and it’s going to be a lot harder to find her than I thought it would be when this started. It says she didn’t know her kidnapper; he saw her at some point – whether it be at school, or with her family.
Another sigh breaks through as I reach forward, pulling my laptop closer. This is the mundane shit I knew would be part of the job, but didn’t necessarily plan for.
Pulling up the footage Laurel Springs High gave me, I settle in for what could be a very long afternoon.
Before I get started, there’s a knock at my door.
Glancing up, I grin. It’s the smiling face of my daughter. “Hey, Kels,” I give her a wave. “Where’s Ella?”
She rolls her eyes. “With her Daddy. He and D are showing her off.”
“Why isn’t D-Man in school?”
“Therapy appointment,” she says quietly, leaning in. “We’re starting to make some headway with what happened to him before we adopted him. I tend not to make him go back to school after an emotional session. Instead, we went and picked up Ella from daycare, got some ice cream, and now we’re coming to see y’all.”
“Well, it makes my damn day.” I hold my arms open, welcoming her in for a hug.
“How are things going with Taylor?”
“I wish I had some answers,” I mutter and shake my head. “But the fact of the matter is we’ve been chasing our tails since we were called out to their house. I’m fixing to spend a very long afternoon looking at some video footage.”
“Then you’ll love what I brought.” She reaches behind her, into the stroller.
When I can see what she’s holding, I dip my knees and groan. It’s one of those bougie coffees from Eden’s. They’re a vice, and I had to quit going and getting them myself because my work pants were starting to get tight. One thing I don’t do though? I don’t turn it down when someone else brings it to me. “You love me, don’t ya?”
“Sure do,” she smiles. “While I got you here to myself, have you noticed anything with Caleb and Ruby? I swung by there the other day… he was gone, and she was crying.”
The first drink goes down smooth and cool. I savor it for a few moments before answering my daughter. “There’s definitely something going on, but he won’t open up to me yet.”
“She wouldn’t either, but she was really upset – not like I’ve ever seen her before, either. I’m worried,” she admits as she bites on her fingernail.
I am too, but to her, I’m diplomatic. “They’re adults who know what their marriage can handle. If they need our help, they’ll let us know.”
“I guess you’re right…”
“Kels, don’t go making them confess to you when they don’t want to. It won’t end well.”
“I know,” she sighs. “Ruby’s one of the people I look up to the most, ya know? I don’t want to see her hurting.”
“I don’t either, but I think we need to respect their space until they ask us not to.”
She nods, a frown marring her face, before splitting into a grin. D comes into view carrying his little sister.
Carefully setting my frosty coffee cup down, I hold my hands out. “Gimme that girl.” Ella’s kicking feet and toothless smile makes everything better. I make a noise and tickle her stomach, getting rewarded with a squeal. “She’s happy today, huh?”
“She had ice cream. I mean we’re all happy when we have ice cream,” D replies and folds his arms as he leans against my desk.
“True that.” When I look up again, my office is crowded with Nick and Caleb. “Since I got all y’all here, your mom wants to have a cookout this weekend. She’s tore up about this Taylor situation, and it’d do her some good if we could get some family time.”
“Aren’t we all on mandatory overtime?” Caleb argues.
“Not after tomorrow. The city commissioner is cutting it out. We’ll keep doing what we can, and the FBI will remain here throughout the month, so there’s no reason for you not to make an appearance. It’ll make your mom happy.”
Caleb scowls, but mumbles his agreement under his breath before walking away. Nick looks at me, making a motion with his hand to not mention it. He mouths he’ll talk to me later, and I take him at his word. Turning to face D, I tag him on the chest. “If you want, after we’re done eating, we can head out and take a driving lesson.”
“In your Jeep?” he grins.
“In my Jeep,” I confirm.
“Dad, it’s a stick,” Kels argues.
“Which he should learn how to drive,” I argue right back at her. “He’s not gonna hurt it any worse than Caleb or you did when you first started learning how to drive. Let him grow up.”
“Yeah, Mom,” D grins over at her. “Let me grow up.”
In the back of my mind, I wonder if Taylor had ever told her parents the same thing.
Chapter Nine
Rina
"Are you sure you're up for this?" I ask Mason as he stands in the hallway, glancing down at his phone. "We can have a cookout later. It's not a must have."
He gives me a look. "Yes it is, you and I both know it. This is the type of shit you live for. When you can have all your kids and grandkids together, you can get me behind the grill, and you can make a cake that everyone will be talking about for weeks. This is you. Am I distracted? Yeah, I am. But I'm always gonna be here for my family."
"What's got you distracted today?" I ask, putting my hands on his hips.
"There's a tip that came into the line. I feel good about it, but I need to do some research first."
"Have you gotten any leads that look as if they'll be leading you to her?" I'm careful in how I ask. Sometimes it makes him angry; the fact he hasn't been able to find Taylor. Other times he's sad.
"I've gotten more leads than I ever expected, but they haven't been good. Most of them have been shit. This one that came through last night, though? When we're done here and the kids go home? There's some video I want to look at."
"Video from what?"
He levels me with a serious look. "The school. I have a fucking feeling this guy found her at the school."
Dread flows through my body. I hate to hear that. The kids that go to Laurel Springs High mean everything to me. I've spent most of my adult life there, trying to make sure the kids in our district have the best of everything. To know they might have been targeted on our watch cuts deep. "Do you really think so? That's dangerous, Mase. What are we doing if we can't keep these kids safe?"
"It's not even about keeping them safe," he replies, running a hand through his hair. "It's about changing what that means. These predators, they get smarter. They share info with each other, and then they're on the dark web, making programs that teach others how to stay out of our crosshairs. We've got to be smarter than them, but we always seem to be behind them. I don't know what we're gonna do, Rina. I live in fear that Ella or Molly is next, and that's exactly why I work so hard, why I wanted this job in the first place. If I can't overcome this obstacle, what kind of a cop am I? What kind of a man am I? What kind of a father, husband, or grandfather am I? I can't live with myself, babe. If I can't find this fucker and nail his ass to the wall, I absolutely can't live with myself."
I know this about him; that he takes everything he does personally. That he refuses to let himself fail, even if it's to the detriment of what he's trying to do. "You're going to figure this out."
"I love you for thinking so, but I'm trying to be realistic."
Standing up on my tiptoes, I press a kiss to his lips. "You be realistic and I'll believe in you like I always do. Now come on, we gotta get the food going. The kids will be here soon."
Taking his hand I lead him into the kitchen, hoping to distract him from the thoughts running wild in his mind.
"Did you already start marinating the steaks?" he questions, staring into the fridge he just opened.
"Yeah, started them last night while I was waiting for you to come home."
He grimaces. "Sorry I was so late."
"Mase, I knew what I was in for when I married you. There are long nights, early mornings, days when I don't hear from you and I'm terrified, but I understand that's what I signed up for. None of that bothers me."
"Are you sure? There's something going on with Ruby and Caleb. I think she's having a hard time coming to grips with what his job entails. I think they're marriage is suffering. If you're having any sort of issue, tell me. I want to get in front of it."
Closing the distance between us, I wrap my arms around his neck, forcing his eyes to meet mine. "I have no issues with you or our life together. As far as Caleb goes? He's an adult and we have to let him handle his marriage how he sees fit. We can be there for all of them, but they're adults."
He groans. "I know."
"C'mon, we gotta get this stuff going before they get here."
"Alright, I'm heading out to the grill," he says as he grabs the plate with all the marinated meat on it.
Watching him leave, I hope that when he does find Taylor, he's able to let go of the fact he wasn't able to find her within forty-eight hours. This man of mine takes his job as seriously as anyone else I've ever seen. In the end, I hope it doesn't destroy him.
*****
"Do you need help, Mom?" Kels asks as she comes through the back door.
Everyone got here about an hour ago, and I'm in my element. "I wouldn't say no to it. Can you grab the deviled eggs out of the fridge, and stick those rolls in the oven?"
"No problem." She does as I asked then leans back against the countertop, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mom, do you think something's going on with Caleb and Ruby? They haven't spoken to one another since they got here. He's not wearing his wedding ring, [KN1] and he hasn't touched her, which we all know is super odd for them," she hisses. "He's never been able to keep his hands off her. And the ring?"
"It's not our business, Kels." I remind her, although I want to know, too. "I can't imagine whatever it is, is good. We both know how hard they've fought to be together. If he's taken off his wedding ring and they aren't speaking to one another, it's bad."
"I know," she sighs. "He's my brother, one of my favorite people in the world, and I don't want to see him upset. If she's done something to him, I wanna kick her ass."
I laugh, cutting my eyes over at her. "Who's to say he didn't do something to her? We both know how he was before he met her. However, I go back to it's not our business. If they want us to know what's going on, they'll tell us."
She blows out a breath so hard it moves her bangs. "Okay, Mom."
"C'mon, let's take this out to your Dad. He should be done with the steaks and burgers by now."
Chapter Ten
Menace
"Can we take that drive?" D asks after we're done eating.
"Yeah, if you want to."
"Taking a drive?" Rina asks, leaning her head over on my shoulder. "What kind of drive?"
"D's going to be getting his license before we know it. I told him he could practice in the Jeep." I give her a wink as I stand up.
"The Jeep?" she questions, her eyes shining brightly. "You sure you wanna do that?"
"Yes, the Jeep. What is it I told you, D?"
"Chicks dig the Jeep."
"Am I wrong about that, Rina?" I look over at her, taking a last drink from my glass.
"Can't say that you are. Your Jeep was one of the first things I noticed about you. It definitely kept me coming back."
"See, D? Take note."
"Y'all mind if I come with ya?" Caleb asks. "Been a long time since I rode in a Jeep."
"Jesus Christ, Caleb, I told you to go buy another one if you want to," Ruby snaps, cutting into our conversation.
He turns on her and I'm taken aback, because I haven't ever seen the disdain in his eyes that are there right now. "Did I say anything at all about the Jeep I sold?" He speaks through gritted teeth. "Don't begin to assume you know what I'm getting at, because you haven't asked and really wanted to know in almost a year."
My mind immediately starts counting backward a year, trying to figure out what's happened between the two of them. There's only one thing I can think of, and surely to God that incident didn't cause this. "How about we not do this in front of everyone?" I play the mediator. "Caleb, if you wanna come with us, that's fine, but we're not gonna sit here and do this."
Chastised, they each look away from one another. "I'm gonna head out with Dad, D and Nick, if that's okay with you."
"We'll be here when you get back," Ruby answers quietly.
It looks as if Caleb wants to say something else, but he doesn't. "Alright, we'll be back in a bit."
"Be good for your Mom," he says, pointing to Molly and Levi. "Next time you can come," he tags his son on the chest. "Sound good?"
Levi nods. "Have fun."
He takes off at a run as the three of us walk to the garage where I keep the Jeep. "This is a manual," I remind D. "You're gonna grind them, and it's gonna sound like you're killing it, but this is where you're gonna learn."
"Okay," he nods. "I just don't wanna do anything to hurt it. RiRi will never forgive me."
I laugh loudly. "I'll work on her for ya if you do. Let's do this."
We all get into the Jeep, and like always, I'm flooded with the memories inside. The first date I went on with Rina, the times we've snuck out here to be alone when that wasn't an option indoors when Kels was a baby. The night I decided to apply for Chief of Police, we came out here and had a discussion about how that would change things for us. This has been a safe place for us, and now I'm allowing my grandson into it. He's sitting in the driver's seat, and he's looking at me for instructions.
"I can do this, right?" he questions.
"You can do anything you want, D. I promise."
Those words seem to settle whatever nerves he has. The unsure look is wiped from his face, and almost right in front of me he becomes resolute and seeming to accept the instruction I'm about to give him. "Okay, I'm ready."
