Chapter 23
Chapter
Twenty-Three
“Not yet,” Cassandra whispered when he went to move.
“It’s cold out,” Dragon reminded her. And he had her coat tangled around her head and arms, plus her pants pulled down enough that he’d been able to bury himself inside her.
“Don’t care,” she murmured, her tone all content and sleepy. “Like feeling you against me.”
Nuzzling her neck, he slid his arms beneath her body, lifting her slightly off the hard forest floor and pressing a little more of his weight on her. If he could keep her like this forever, safe and in his arms, then he would be more than happy to.
Even as his now softened length was still inside her, reality began to creep back in. His little rabbit wasn't safe. So long as the mystery woman and Dr. Gardner were out there, she never would be. They were all lucky they’d survived that explosion, but what happened next time?
As badly as he wanted to say there would never be a next time, he knew that the world was full of evil people.
Once this threat was erased—and he refused to believe that they wouldn't wipe Ridge Gardner and everyone who worked with him off the face of the Earth—there was always the chance there could be another.
While his protective instincts screamed vehemently at him, he knew the best way to keep her safe wasn't to lock Cassandra away, wasn't to restrict her ability to live her life, wasn't even to stay glued to her side.
The best way to keep her safe was to train her.
“Starting tomorrow, I want you working out with the guys and me. Rose too,” he announced.
“Working out with you? You have to know there is zero percent chance I can keep up with you guys.”
“We’ll work something out. But I want to work on your skills.
Shooting, self-defense, using a knife, other weapons, I want you ready to face anything that might come your way.
As badly as I want to lock you away from the rest of the world, I know I can't. I want you to be happy, free, and at peace, so I need to make sure that you are as trained as I can get you.”
“Okay. And moving silently like you can do,” she added.
Her ready agreement surprised him. Dragon had expected a little resistance. He knew that she’d killed to protect herself and her sister before, and her brothers had made sure she knew the basics, but at heart, Cassandra Charleston wasn't a fighter.
“Yeah?” he asked as he sat them both up and pulled out of her so he could turn her on his lap and tug her coat back down.
“Of course,” she said when her green eyes met his.
“We both know I'm never going to be able to match even what you could do before the drugs you were given, but I want to learn more. I want to feel more confident if I'm ever in a situation like I was yesterday. I want to help you in this fight, Dragon. I don’t want to sit on the sidelines anymore and let other people fight my battles for me. This was your fight, but I became part of it when that woman approached me, I want to stand by your side until we win this war.”
“And then?” He slipped a hand between her legs and found her swollen bundle of nerves.
Cassandra gasped as he pressed his thumb against the sensitive bud. “And then I want to stand at your side in a different way.”
“Forever,” he reminded her as he roughly worked her until she was panting and writhing against him.
“Forever,” she agreed, just like she had before. Maybe it was wrong, but Dragon was pretty sure he was going to need to hear it a whole lot more before it finally sank in.
“Come,” he ordered as he pressed hard against her bud, and she flew apart for him, his name falling from her lips as he drank in the sight of her face flushed with pleasure, eyes bright with arousal.
“Hmm, two orgasms should not wear me out that much,” she said as she snuggled down to rest against him.
“Because your body is still recovering from yesterday,” he reminded her as he brought his fingers, coated with her arousal, to his lips and licked them clean.
After being knocked unconscious, drugged, and almost assaulted the day before, she should be resting today, but they’d already played this morning, and again now.
Fixing her clothes, Dragon stood with Cassandra in his arms and began to walk back to the house.
With his girl snuggled safely against him, he felt almost normal for the first time in his entire life.
All the things he thought about himself, all the reasons he never believed he would be safe enough to be this close to another person seemed to fly out the window when it came to this woman.
The right woman for him.
There was no one else who would give him the perfect mix of sweet, sunshiny, and light to counter the anger and darkness that had been born and bred inside him, and the outlet for that anger in the form of rough sex where he could take what he needed, secure in the knowledge that she was enjoying it too.
Cassandra Charleston was quite literally made for him.
“Dinner, bath, and bed,” he told her as he walked up the porch steps.
“It’s six o’clock,” she reminded him with a giggle. “Way too early to go to bed.”
“Not after yesterday.” His tone brooked no arguments, because Cassandra had already told him that as much as she loved pain and roughness when it came to sex, she also loved aftercare, and this was part of taking care of his girl.
“And if I'm bad, will I get a punishment?” Her hand shifted between his legs, and she stroked him through his jeans. Didn't matter that he’d come only minutes ago, when it came to this woman, he was ready to go, anytime, anyplace.
“Ugh, I did not need to hear that,” Lion muttered as Dragon carried Cassandra inside at the same time the other man was walking through the foyer. But he saw Lion’s lips twitch and knew that his friend was happy for them and just teasing.
“Oops. Didn't see you there,” Cassandra said, her cheeks, already pink from the cold and arousal, reddening even further.
“Maybe we need a new house rule. All couples must lock themselves in their room before engaging in any sexual activity or discussion, because I just walked in on Steel and Rose going at it in the kitchen,” Lion said and gave an exaggerated shudder.
“Not on any counter or the table,” Steel yelled out from nearby, making them all laugh.
“Living room now,” Thunder called as he came streaking down the stairs, his enhanced speed making him look like a blur.
“What's up?” Voodoo asked as they all hurried to the main living room.
“Don’t you guys have your phones on you?” Thunder asked, his own in his hand.
“Left mine in the kitchen,” Steel said, a little sheepishly.
“Ditto,” Rose added.
“Didn't take mine with me when I realized Cassandra was outside,” he replied.
“Mine’s charging,” Lion said with a shrug.
“Got mine, and Blade just texted us all,” Voodoo said as he pulled his own phone from his pocket and scanned a message.
“What did he say?” Steel asked, tone all business, even as he kept Rose tucked against his side, his hand absently stroking her arm.
“Said he’s sure that the woman he followed is her,” Thunder replied, also reading a message on his phone. “The one who contacted Cassandra.”
“Here.” Voodoo held out his phone to Cassandra, who glanced up at him before reaching out and taking it.
One glance at the picture and she nodded. “That’s her. She’s the one who warned me that Dr. Garnder had an antidote to undo what he did to you all so he could do it again and try to figure out why you all survived and none of the others did.”
“She warned us, but then she tried to kill us,” Lion said.
“Makes no sense, but if she was there when the place exploded, she has to be the one who set the explosives. No other reason to do that than to wipe us all out. If she really wanted to save our lives, she could have warned us, or gotten us out before they went off.”
“Why would she do that?” Cassandra asked, handing Voodoo his phone back.
“No idea,” Dragon replied. But they were going to find out.
As though sensing what was about to happen but needing clarification, Cassandra leaned further into him. “What’s Blade going to do?”
“Whatever it takes to get answers,” he replied honestly.
“Torture her?”
“If that’s what it takes,” again he answered truthfully.
They’d been in this place before, when she found out what they had planned for Rose, and he waited to see if her response would be the same.
As far as he was concerned, this was different.
Rose was an innocent, and he knew going after her had been wrong, even if it had all worked out okay.
But this woman wasn't innocent, she was up to her neck in this, and whatever happened next was on her own shoulders, a consequence of her choices.
Looking around at all of them, Cassandra nodded slowly. “I still don’t like it, but our family comes first. We have to protect each other, and I understand why Blade needs to do whatever he does.”
Grasping her chin, Dragon tilted her head up and crushed his lips to hers, relief hitting him hard for everything Cassandra was offering with her acceptance. “Thank you.”
Blade will do whatever it takes to get answers from his pretty captive in the third book in the action packed and emotionally charged Prey Security: Delta Team series!
Sinful Revenge (Prey Security: Delta Team #3)