Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Killian
After that night in the club, Aria seemed determined to not only accept but embrace her role as his woman.
During the day, she sat with him, discussing everything from business plans for the store he was looking at opening downtown to strategies for taking down Richard Williams and everyone who had shown him even an ounce of support.
His princess was shockingly bloodthirsty when she put her mind to it, and as often as not, those strategy sessions ended with him kicking everyone out of his office to show her how much he appreciated her insight.
And then there were the nights. She hadn’t quite moved into his space, but she came to his bed every evening. Some nights they explored each other's bodies until well after the sun peeked over the horizon. And some nights he simply held her until she fell asleep.
It surprised him that those were some of his favorite moments. Simply cradling the woman he loved in his arms, his hand cupping her belly and the child growing there as she slept.
According to Dr. Byrd, Baby O’Rourke was growing right on schedule. All in all, life was… better than it had been in a very long time.
Now, if he could just find a way to get his best friend back on his side and dispatch his enemies once and for all, everything would be perfect.
Unfortunately for all of them, Braden had dug his heels in even more after their trip to the club.
He no longer tried to contact Aria, other than a single text every day asking if she was ready to come home yet.
And when the answer was, inevitably, “No” he went radio silent again until the next morning.
It was wearing on his princess, more than she let on, and if he hadn’t been very sure it would only make things worse for Aria, he would have been at Braden’s already, demanding he get his head out of his ass for his daughter’s sake.
That option still wasn’t entirely off the table.
He was brooding about the situation yet again when the door to his office swung open and Brody strode inside, his expression grim. “We’ve got trouble.”
There was an urgency to his cousin’s tone that had Killian sitting up straighter in his chair, Braden and his stubbornness shoved firmly to the back of his mind. “The DeLucas or the Russians?”
“Neither. The cops.”
Fuck. “Local or feds?”
“Local.” Dropping into one of the visitor’s chairs, Brody scowled. “Just got a heads-up that they’re planning a raid tonight.”
“A raid?” Annoyance pricked at the back of his skull. “What possible reason could they have for a raid?”
“Apparently they got a tip that you’re keeping a woman here against her will.”
Annoyance erupted into fear. “They’re coming for Aria.”
“Yeah.”
“Goddammit. Go find Reagan. I’ll get Aria. We need to figure out a game plan.”
“On it.”
Leaving Brody to deal with his sister, Killian headed for the stairs. Aria had gone up for a nap a little over an hour ago, and though he hated to disturb her, she needed to be part of this conversation.
That thought pulled him up short just outside her bedroom door. Whenever he’d imagined himself with a wife, he’d imagined someone more like Portia. Content to sit in the background, pretending not to know anything about anything while he went about his business.
Instead, he got Aria. Even if he’d wanted her to, she would never be that woman. And it surprised him to realize he wasn’t just okay with that, he wanted her by his side. Wanted her as an equal partner in all things.
Deciding to keep that revelation to himself for now, he eased open her door and slipped inside.
Goddamn, she was stunning, even dead asleep with her mouth hanging open and a string of drool dripping down her chin.
His heart clenched painfully in his chest at the thought of waking her, but she’d be furious with him if he didn’t.
“Time to wake up, princess.”
Her brows scrunched adorably as she rolled onto her side. “Go ‘way.”
“I would if I could, baby, but then you’d have to kick my ass for letting you sleep, and neither of us wants that.”
At least part of his words must have pierced her consciousness because she twisted to blink owlishly up at him. “What’s going on?”
“We have a… situation. Brody and I will explain downstairs.”
And just like that, she was wide awake, as if she’d lived her entire life in this world, prepared to snap out of sleep at a moment’s notice. “I need to pee.”
“Of course. Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” she called over her shoulder as she hurried to the bathroom.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he shot off a text to Reagan, asking her to grab the chicken salad that had become Aria’s latest food obsession as well as some of the muffins they’d picked up from Rev and Roll that morning.
They weren’t as magic as Holden’s muffins, according to Aria, but she could at least keep them down most days.
He was just tucking his phone back in his pocket when Aria stepped out of the bathroom again, her expression twisted with worry. “Okay. I’m ready. What’s wrong?”
“Downstairs. Reagan is getting lunch and we can talk.”
“All right.”
It occurred to him, much like it had when he’d realized how much he wanted her by his side, that even two weeks ago she would have argued with him, demanded to be told immediately.
Was she simply getting used to his cryptic ways? Or did it go deeper than that?
More questions he didn’t have time to answer, so he settled for guiding her down the stairs with his hand at her back. Reagan and Brody were already waiting in his office, with the former pacing restlessly while the latter munched calmly on a sandwich.
“Killian.” Reagan pounced the second he stepped through the door. “What’s going on? Why the secret meeting?”
He nudged Aria toward his chair and placed a sandwich and a muffin in front of her before turning to his sister. “Brody has some news.”
His cousin picked up the thread. “We’re being raided tonight.”
As he’d expected, Reagan let loose a string of swear words that would have horrified their mother, blistering the air around them as her pacing sped up. “Who?”
“Locals,” Killian supplied, letting his hand rest on the back of Aria’s neck as she ate in silence. “Apparently they have some… concerns about Aria’s presence here.
Beneath his hand, Aria stiffened. “You’re being raided because of me?”
“If I had to guess, we’re being raided because of your father.”
“No.” Setting her sandwich down, Aria shook her head. “He might be pissed at you, but he wouldn’t call the police.”
“Really? With a brother and brother-in-law who are both ex-cops you don’t think he might be desperate enough to call in some favors?”
It was, in Killian’s mind, the only explanation that made sense, though he could understand why Aria might be resistant to believing it. He saw that resistance in the set of her jaw, the flash of anger in her eyes.
But he also saw the creeping doubt. The insidious worry that maybe he was right. And he didn’t have the heart to push the truth on her.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, waving the issue away despite the narrowing of Reagan’s eyes and the surprise on Brody’s face. “What matters is making sure all our stories are straight when they get here.”
Finally pausing her laps around the room, Reagan frowned. “Aria chose to come stay with us for her own protection. Problem solved.”
Brody shook his head. “We tell them that, and they’re all up in our business about why she needs protection. They’ll use it as an excuse to hold us and her.”
Annoying as it was, Brody was right. “He has a point. We need to keep it as simple as possible.”
“They’re going to look for reasons to hold you the full forty-eight either way.
” Aria’s voice was surprisingly calm given the situation, but when he glanced down at her again, there was fire in her eyes.
“Even if I go in there and tell them I’m here of my own free will, they’ll say I’m in fear for my life and they’ll use every trick they have to keep you there. ”
A grimace twisted Brody’s features. “She’s right, Kill.”
“I know. Our best bet might be to simply weather the storm.” It wouldn’t be his or his family’s first visit to the inside of a police station. And though he didn’t love the idea of Aria being interrogated, odds were they’d go easy on her since she was basically family.
He was about to say as much when Aria shook her head, leaning back in his chair as if she were meant to be there, a wicked sort of smile curving her lips.
“I have a much better plan.”
Aria
It took surprisingly little time to pull off what she’d considered a rather elaborate fraud. But, as she’d learned that afternoon, enough money could grease any wheel.
Including government ones.
Now, with her little deception in place, she lay in the dark. Waiting for the police to come and arrest the man she loved. The fact that they were technically right about their suspicions didn’t matter. Fury still burned in her veins at the very thought of anyone daring to threaten her family.
“You’re thinking very loudly over there, princess.”
Rolling to face him, she raised a brow in what she thought was probably a pretty good imitation of the look he gave her so often. “People can’t think loudly.”
“And yet, you manage it. Come here.”
She let him pull her into his arms, let her head fall back so he could capture her lips with his. Let herself submit the way she’d once sworn she never would as he swooped in, taking her over, dragging her under.
Unlike most nights, his touch was tender, unhurried. Offering comfort rather than stoking the fire of her desire.
But she didn’t want to be comforted. She wanted him.
Taking matters into her own hands, she shoved impatiently out of her pajamas before rising up over him, smiling down at him as she straddled his hips.
Those shockingly rough hands slid up her thighs to cup her bare ass, kneading the flesh there as his amused gaze met hers. “What do you think you’re doing, princess?”
“Whatever I want.”
It was a delight to find him already hard, already wanting her when she freed his cock. Sliding down onto him with a sigh, she let her head fall back as she rode.
“They could be here any moment.” There was a warning to his tone, but a begrudging one, and she couldn't help but chuckle.
“Let them come. If they’re going to invade our home in the middle of the night, then they get to see what happens in the dark.” Slow, steady pleasure built inside her with every roll of her hips. “Besides, it will help to sell our story.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the alarm on his phone signaled, letting them know the house had been breached.
“They’re here.”
“I know.” Though her heart was pounding so hard she was certain the SWAT team currently sneaking through their house would be able to hear every beat, she kept her movements slow. Easy. “As I said. Let them come.”
“Aria…” His voice was thick with emotion as his grip on her tightened. “It’s not too late to change your mind. You could let them take you, tell them the truth of what happened. I wouldn’t hold it against you.”
“So you’ve said.” Multiple times, ever since she’d laid out her plan. “And as I’ve said, I’m with you.”
The door behind them flew open and it took everything she had in her not to let loose the scream clawing at her throat. Instead, she looked over her shoulder, raising one haughty brow in a look befitting any queen. Thank you, Reagan. “Do you mind?”
“Aria?”
Fuck. She recognized that voice. Sergeant Duncan Murray, one of her uncles’ closest friends.
“Hi, Dunkie,” she replied cheerfully, deliberately using her childhood nickname for him. “If you could give me just a few minutes, we’ll be done here soon.”
“Give me some credit, princess.” Killian’s chuckle was full of wicked promise. “It’s going to take a bit longer than that.”
“Mmm, I hope so.”
Terror dug thick talons into her chest as she deliberately turned her head away from the men at her bedroom door to focus on the man beneath her. Even in the moonlight, she could see the pride shining in his emerald eyes, and it gave her all the strength she needed to continue riding him.
“Goddammit.” Poor Sergeant Murray’s voice was rather strangled sounding. “You have five minutes. There are men every-fucking-where, so don’t go getting any crazy ideas about escape.”
“We wouldn’t dream of it, Sergeant.”
The door closed again and she let out a surprised squeak as her world spun and she found herself pinned beneath Killian.
“I’m going to fill you with my cum,” he growled as he thrust into her, shocking a cry from her as unexpected pleasure flooded her veins.
“So when you’re in that police station, answering their questions, you’ll remember who you belong to.
You’ll remember Daddy is always with you, even when we’re separated. You hear me, Aria?”
Arching up into him, she clung to him, her nails digging into his back as they moved together, frantic now. “Yes. Yes, Daddy, I hear you.”
Some primal, desperate need welled inside her. The need to be claimed, to be branded as his. With every movement, the pleasure built, until it burst from her on a scream, one she didn’t bother to smother in the slightest.
Let them hear her. If it embarrassed them, well, that was their own fucking fault, wasn’t it?
Killian’s growl of release mixed with her screams as he filled her, emptying himself deep inside her. When they were both sated, he brushed his lips over hers, surprisingly gentle and sweet in light of the ferocity of what they’d just shared.
“All right, princess. Time to put your plan to the test.”