Chapter 24
MAGGIE
The house was no longer a sanctuary. Instead, it was a gilded cage.
Oh, it was still home. The skateboard at the kitchen door and the pompoms that were almost permanently in the living room were a clear indication of that.
Not to mention the pink glitter that managed to find its way into nearly every nook and cranny of the house.
The only one who seemed to keep his shit together was Hayden.
Even his bedroom looked like it was ready for a magazine photo shoot.
For three days after finding that polaroid we’d been on a full lock down. Even Zoe and Connor had been forced to stay home. The result was more kids in the house. Both teens had invited their friends around since they could not leave.
And even though the house was home, it still felt wrong.
The blinds were drawn, giving each room that gloomy feel that affects your inner clock.
Both the front and back door had keyless entry and each time my phone beeped with the code for the next twelve hours, it was a stark reminder of the world I now lived in. A world controlled by other people.
One where my children’s sperm donor was trying to terrorize me.
I wasn’t sure what the point was. Surely, he couldn’t want me back.
We could barely stand each other before he went to prison.
All I knew was that I was terrified. I hadn’t seen Fred since he had been back in town. Yet, I could not deny his presence.
He was everywhere. He’d gotten to my friends. That bird on the doorstep of Forte Femme had only been the start, but it gave Tiffany nightmares for weeks. Not to mention what that polaroid had meant. Even with a zoom, it was still obvious he could get to my kids if he wanted to.
Each time I dared to look out of a window my body tensed. The security guard standing there reminded me why I needed to stay indoors. They changed shifts regularly and while I understood the need, it was still frustrating having to learn new names and faces each day.
The “new normal” we had established weeks ago had vanished.
It was the middle of summer and the kids couldn’t sit and play at the pool or even go for a swim without an armed guard following us.
Theo had worked from home more often than not.
It seemed that the whole point behind the original reason for moving in had evaporated.
I walked toward the kitchen, the sound of subtle movement sounded more and more ominous. My steps halted at the entrance. Flour and food coloring touched every surface. It wasn't a happy chaos of a kid enjoying their summer vacation. Rather, the mess was a result of cabin fever.
With Hayden at summer camp, Jaycee was bored and missing her brother.
Originally, Theo wouldn’t allow Hayden to go.
I understood the reasoning but I convinced him, eventually.
A bored four-year-old girl was a lot easier to manage than a seven-year-old boy who needed constant mental stimulation.
That was another beast entirely. The result was that we all looked forward to Hayden getting home in the evening.
It also helped that Zoe was a volunteer camp councillor.
“Mama, why can’t I also go to summer camp?” Jaycee sat with her arms crossed. “I don’t get to do fun things. Only Hayden and Zoe. I also want—”
“Enough.” My voice was louder than intended.
Connor walked in and picked up a crying Jaycee. “Come on, munchkin.”
“Connor.” I stepped fully into the kitchen and gave him a small smile. “I know you’ve seen it about a hundred times in the last few days but can you put K-Pop Demon Hunters on, please?”
“Sure.” The teenager threw his head back and I was so grateful for his patience.
I took a deep breath and headed upstairs. Theo had suspiciously disappeared earlier and I wanted to see him, but more than that I needed to hold on to him.
My flip-flops slapped against my feet as I walked down the hallway.
As I stepped into the bedroom I stopped.
Theo wasn’t on a call. He wasn’t on his laptop either.
He was staring down at the bed, as if studying it.
But it wasn’t the way he was standing that bothered me. It was what he was staring at.
On the bed was a black Kevlar vest and a handgun that looked heavy and scary against the white duvet. He was shirtless, wearing only a black tactical pants that had more pockets than I had in my entire wardrobe.
He looked up as I entered. The shift in his eyes was immediate.
The cold calculating look of an operator had vanished, replaced by something softer.
The edge was still there, no doubt about it, but he couldn’t be that person with me.
That was why he stared at those items. He was trying to get into the right headspace.
Too bad, I needed him for a little longer.
“Hey.” He walked up to me and held my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Everything okay downstairs?”
“Not at all.” My voice sounded hollow even to my own ears. I stepped away and walked over to the bed. “What time do you have to leave?”
He let out a sigh. “Nick wants us on site in an hour.” Something about the way I was looking at the array of weapons on the bed must’ve bothered him. “Look, Mags. All this is just standard precaution. We may not even need it.”
That lie fell from his mouth far too smoothly.
“Don’t.” I held my forefinger up. “Don’t try to sanitize this. I know what is happening. This is a war, and you mean to win.”
At least, he didn’t deny it as he took me into his arms once more. He raised a brow, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Is there a reason you came up here?”
“Maybe.” I trailed a finger nail down his chest and abdomen. I licked my lips as I looked back up at him. “Do we have time?”
He turned away and picked up the items off the bed and moved it to the dresser. “There is always time to make you feel good.”
He stepped back up to me and lowered his mouth to mine.
The kiss was desperate and filled with need.
My nails dug into his back muscles as I held him close, wanting to pour everything I felt into the kiss.
It wasn’t the right time for the words. I wasn’t going to say it in a heated moment before he went off to battle. But still, I needed him to know.
His hands trailed down my back to my sides and his fingers found the hem of my cropped top.
Our lips parted as he pulled it over my head.
And then his mouth was back. Our tongues tangled in a little dance, both fighting for dominance.
My hands went to the button on his pants and I dropped to my knees.
“Fuck, Maggie.” His voice was little more than a rough growl. His hand fisted my hair. “This is a sight a man could get used to.”
I undid his zip and lowered his pants and boxers at the same time.
His cock sprang free, the piercing twinkling in the low light of the bedroom.
As I gripped his thighs, I dragged my tongue up the underside of his cock.
His sharp hiss sent a jolt of satisfaction through me, before I ran my tongue around the head, making sure to toy with the piercing as I went. “You never told me when you got this.”
“Woman, now is not the time for talking.” His grip tightened on my hair. “Stop teasing me and take my cock in your mouth.”
I hadn’t given many blowjobs. Fred asked for one occasionally, but it wasn’t something we did regularly. And I had to wonder if I knew what to do. “You’ll tell me if I’m doing it wrong.”
“Maggie.” He grunted my name through gritted teeth.
Finally, I decided to take pity on him and lowered my mouth down his length. I couldn’t take his full length, but Theo didn’t seem to mind. His hand on my head kept me steady more than it directed me and I soon found my rhythm, taking a little more each time.
“Fuck, baby.” His grip tightened but I didn’t stop. “Maggie, you need to stop.”
Instead of letting me continue, Theo let go of my hair and pulled out. “Hey, I always let you stay down there until you’re done.”
“And I am not coming before you do.” He shoved off his shoes and socks before he removed his pants all the way, taking his boxers with it. “I can come down your throat another time but I need to be inside you right fucking now.”
He helped me out of my clothes until we were both naked. “On the bed, hands and knees. Head down, ass up.”
I did exactly as commanded. It was what I needed, to get lost in him. To forget about everything going wrong and focus on him and only him.
Before I could even sense him behind me, Theo pushed in, with a hard trust. We both groaned as he buried himself to the hilt before pulling out and repeating the motion.
His movements were hard and punishing, and I needed every bit of it.
I needed him. Over and over he drove into me, filling me, loving me in the way I needed.
“Maggie, love.” I loved when his voice took on the pleading tone, it meant he was close. “You feel so fucking good. Your pussy was meant for me. Meant to be mine.”
“Yes.” At least, that was what I think I said.
Harder and harder he pushed. “Say it, love. I need the words. Tell me this is mine.”
“It's all yours.” Like there was any option to not give him what he wanted.
His hand went around me and found my clit. He pinched the bundle of nerves, stopping just shy of pain, but it was exactly what my body wanted. Pleasure zapped through me, as I clenched around him. My vision blurred, and I buried my face in the mattress to stifle my cry.
Theo’s roar was more obvious as he fell over the edge with me.
As I came back down to earth, my breath regulating, and the sheen of sweat evaporating, I turned to look at my man. “I guess you need to go.”
“I promise, it will all be over after today.” He kissed my forehead before he stood. “According to our intel, Fred is involved in this shipment. Which means he's in violation of his parole. That will put him away for a very long time.”
I smiled at him as I picked my clothes up off the floor. “I believe part of that is true. Fred will be going to jail today.”
“But?” He lifted a brow.
“You love this. You like the adrenaline spike.” I stood in my jeans and nothing else. “Being a hero is part of who you are. It was always what you wanted to be.”
He shook his head. “I’m no hero. Just a man fighting for his wife. And I cannot get that, while he’s still out there.”
“Then go get him.” I slipped my arms around his waist. “Finish this so we can make the rest of our dreams come true.”