9. Blakely
The room is filledwith the comforting scent of freshly baked goods, the sweet smell of sugar leading the way. The music envelops me as I whisk the dough, my body moving in rhythm with the beat. Baking is my favourite way to relax, and I’ve been finding peace in whipping up batches of cupcakes and cookies lately. I carefully remove the tray from the oven, feeling the heat radiating from it just as the main door creaks open.
“Wow, that smells incredible,” exclaims Bailey. She walks into the kitchen and tries to steal one of the cookies from the tray. With a disapproving glare, I slap her hand away.
“Tss, they are still warm, and that’s for tonight,” I scold her.
“Party pooper. What’s happening tonight?” she asks while shrugging off her jacket.
“Tonight will be us, movies, wine, and treats.” I give her a playful wink.
Her smile stretches across her face, but it quickly fades as she gives me a suspicious glare.
“What?” I ask. She surveys the mess I made in the kitchen, noticing the spilled flour and sugar on the bunker. I said I loved baking, not that I was Gordon Ramsay keeping the kitchen clean.
“You baked. What’s happening?” I should have expected that from her. I meet her gaze, holding eye contact.
“What do you mean, what’s happening? Nothing.” I say as I turn towards the sink.
“Blakely Persephone Reed, do not bullshit me. Baking is a coping mechanism for you when something is bothering you or something happens. And I’m not buying any explanations that start with, ‘It’s about France and stuff.’ Really. Did something happen with Aidan? He is the only thing that could get this kind of reaction out of you.” Her deduction scares me sometimes.
I kept quiet about it because, truthfully, there was nothing noteworthy to share. We had a moment. And the best orgasms I’ve had in years. Nothing worth telling.
I”m lying to myself.His closeness awakens a wave of emotions I never expected to experience again. I can’t deny the hurt I feel, but the depth of my longing for him is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced with another man.
I remove my glasses and press my fingertips to the bridge of my nose, trying to alleviate the headache that’s been nagging me all day.
“Nothing, really.” No matter how convincing I try to be, she always sees through my lies. I sigh. “We might have had a moment.” Almost naked. But I skip that part.
“A moment?” she repeats, walking towards the fridge and reaching out for the bottle of wine I set out earlier.
“A moment,” I say again. Even though I know she won’t judge me, I can’t help feeling embarrassed.
“Do you want to expand on that, or should I let my imagination run wild?”
“We… hmm… things might have gotten out of hand… resulting in him putting his fingers inside me.” There, I said it. She gasps, causing the glasses she’s pouring to clink together.
“Wait. What? Are you telling me that your vagina accidentally fell on his fingers?” A wave of warmth spreads across my face, and I know my cheeks are turning red.
“I was training in the dojo with Tim when he and Scott made their appearance.”
“WHAT? Scott was there?”
“What? No. Eww. No.” The thought alone is enough to make me recoil in horror. “Aidan made a snide remark about being able to fight better than Tim after I kicked his arse. Scott and Tim left, and the dojo was completely empty. Seriously, how does your brain work?”
With her mouth full of cookies, she manages to say, “Dunno.”
Cheeky. She sneaked one without me noticing.
“Hey, my cookies!” I say with a pout.
She shoves me with a hand gesture.
“So, you’re telling me that Aidan gave you the big O in the middle of the dojo? Kinky. It’s like watching an enemies-to-lovers, but in real life. Except that the enemy”s part goes just one way.”
“What are you talking about?” The smooth, velvety texture of the wine fills my mouth as I take a large sip of it, providing much-needed comfort.
“I mean, you may hate him, but the guy is completely head over heels for you.” I can’t believe what she is saying. My face must have shown it because I look at her as if she has two heads. She doesn’t know him well if she thinks that.
“Do I need to remind you what he —” Her hand slices through the air, stopping me mid-sentence.
“Listen to me carefully. Though I may not have your expertise in identifying lies, it’s evident that he is hiding something. I refuse to believe he’d have done that.”
As I inhale sharply, I can feel my throat constrict with anger.
“I was there. I saw him with my own eyes, so aye, it’s definitely something he did.”
“I love you, but I stand behind what I said. There’s something more. The guy loved you with all his soul, and —” the click of heels entering the flat stop her in her tracks.
“Something smells divine,” says Emilie as she steps into the kitchen, bending down to remove her shoes before stepping onto the tiled floor. “What did I miss? I can see it all over your faces.” The sound of her footsteps fills our silence as she walks towards the cupboard, pulling it open and grabbing a glass before settling onto the stool beside me.
“I was saying that Aidan still loves her.” She points in my direction, her mouth still full. How many did she take? “And I think there’s more to it.” She pauses. “I think,” she continues, punctuating her words with a pointed finger in the air, “that was a setup. I don’t know how, but people tend to see what they want to see. You know, like with magicians.” Exhaustion hits me suddenly, and I feel drained. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Em’s side glance.
“Hmm, I have to say, with all I’ve heard about him prior to that, I find it hard to believe he’d hurt you without a reason.” Em lifts her two hands in the air. “Don’t shoot me,” she pleads. “That’s just what I think. You’re a lawyer; you find evidence. Maybe you should check into that.”
“I’m not going to check anything. It’s in the past. I’ve moved on.”
“Did you really?” asks Bai. “Because with what just happened, I don’t think it’s in the past.”
Em furrows her brow in confusion as she looks my way.
“What just happened? Don’t leave Mama in the dark.” I don’t need to repeat myself because Bailey is more than happy to repeat what I said.
“YOU DID WHAT? AND WHERE? Why didn’t you tell me? Don’t answer that. Okay… Okay… I stand by what I said. The guy had murderous eyes when Mr Muscle came to talk to you at the club. Definitely a guy in love. C’mon Mama, if it wasn’t for you, I’d climb him like a tree.”
The sudden sound of my phone ringing cuts our conversation short. Checking the caller ID, I sigh in relief. Scott has saved the night. They wouldn’t dare speak about that with him in the room. I answer.
“Hello, beautiful sis of mine. Did you miss your brother?” I snort. Placing the phone in the middle of my baking mess, I put the call on speaker.
“You’re on speaker, arsehole. Do you have any plans? I made cupcakes and cookies,” I tell him.
“You baked? Damn, I’ve missed your cupcakes. Perfect timing. We’re nearby. We’ll be there in 5.” And with that, he hangs up.
We look at each other, and Bai is the first to confirm what I heard.
“We?”
I sigh because I know oh so well that this ‘we’ is not him and someone else. He’s coming. And with Aidan.
The ‘we’ was, in fact, Scott, Aidan, and Tim. Saying that I wasn’t relieved to see Tim with them would be a lie. I love Tim. Not like that, but he has been by my side for years now. He is a natural flirt and enjoys the attention it brings. And I am no exception to the rule. Although it has always been a game between us, our relationship is more platonic, like siblings.
“You’re cheating.” The sound of Emilie’s complaints reaches my ears.
“It’s not my fault if you don’t know how to play a simple game,” my brother fires back.
I swear, leave these two in the same room, and we might have to call an ambulance. Their mutual animosity has been a mystery since the day they met five years ago.
“You’re an arsehole. That’s not how we play this game. You can’t put two reverse cards down at the same time,” she replies.
Oh, yeah, because we’re playing Uno. This game has been made to destroy families and friends.
“Tss, have you read the rules, Cherry?” he asks. She shoots him a piercing glare as their eyes meet. “Yeah, I thought so.”
Tim’s laughter echoes through the room, and he bends over, clutching his stomach with both hands.
“Are they always like this?” he asks me, still laughing.
“Each time they’re in the same room.” My response comes out muffled as I chew on my cupcake.
“Are they…?” As he speaks, he makes a slight gesture between them to emphasise.
“Hooking up?” I finish for him. “No idea. But if something happens between them, he better be prepared. She’s going to eat him alive.”
My skin prickles with awareness as I sense Aidan’s unwavering gaze fixed on me. My eyes narrow challengingly as I stare him down.
Tim comes closer to me and whispers into my ear. “Do we have any information about the number of girls?”
He’s part of Aidan’s team, so I already know he is aware of the location.
“Not yet,” I answer. “We’re looking into it. We know where they are, and I don’t know if that’s good or bad news. The last time was chaotic for your team.” My eyes dart towards Aidan, and I can still feel his piercing stare on us. “Please, be careful, okay?” I say.
“I’m the one that needs to tell you that. You’re unpredictable. I never know what you’ll do next.” I smirk at him.
“That’s the beauty of my job. And I had a great coach, so no need to be worried.” Now, he’s the one to look at me with a grin.
“You have a magnificent coach, that’s true.” Shaking my head in amusement, I let out a small chuckle. “But don’t make me kick your arse because you did something reckless,” he says, his voice laced with a warning.
Faking a shocked expression, I put my hand on my heart dramatically.
“Me, reckless? I think you’re talking about the wrong sibling here.”
“Smartass.” I sink into his embrace as he envelops me in a hug and plants a gentle kiss on my head.
I’m startled by the sudden ring of my phone, breaking our moment. Seriously, tonight has been a parade of phone calls. I can feel Tim’s eyes on the phone as I answer it. His body language is tight with tension.
“Reed speaking.” I move further away to ensure that nobody can listen to my conversation with Cailean.
“We hacked into their camera surveillance. There are approximately 25 to 30 women from what we saw. No children. And we counted around 10 guards. One main entrance and one in the back. We’re still checking if there are any underground.”
“Any idea who’s behind this?” I ask, trying to keep my face emotionless. I hear him sigh on the other end of the line.
“Not yet. From what we saw, they are all masked, similar to The Twelve. But we’re making progress and getting closer to unlocking the audio.” I sigh. While The Twelve is composed of powerful businessmen, the masks allow them to hide their identities. But if the other party deliberately wears something similar, that makes me think that they want them to be mistaken for The Twelve.
“Alright. Keep me updated. The mission needs to happen tomorrow. I’ll let the team know.” I take a deep breath. “Cai?”
“Aye, boss?”
“Any news from Jonas, D, and Rocky?”
“Not yet, boss. We can’t track them, but we know they’re alive.” I sigh in relief.
“Good. Go get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day. And Cailean? Good job.” He thanks me before we hang up.
I take in the scene before me. I don”t know what I would do if something were to happen to Bailey or Emilie. We need to find these girls. And soon.
Needing a few minutes to myself, I move toward the bathroom. Too bad I don’t smoke because a cigarette would be welcome. As I finish my business, I open the door when I bump into a chest. A hard one.
“Fuck. Aren’t you tired of sneaking up on me?” Aidan’s green eyes bore into mine.
“It’s not my fault if you get scared easily.” He shoves the door open behind me, sending me stumbling backward into the bathroom.
“What are you doing?” It’s becoming frustrating to be cornered by him repeatedly.
“Who was on the phone?” I have no choice but to step back into the bathroom as he walks closer.
“None of your business.” I glance around, desperately searching for anything that could hurt him, but the only thing in sight is a bar of soap. Great.
He takes another step forward, caging me against the bathroom sink. Seriously? This guy corners me every time he gets the chance.
“None of my business?” he repeats, his words slow. “Was it a guy? Because I didn’t hallucinate you flirting with Tim. Are you seeing someone?” I can feel my heart racing as my breath comes in quick gasps.
“Again, none of your business.”
“Hush. If I recall properly, those were my fingers deep into your cunt a few days ago.” He leans closer, putting his face extremely close to mine. My chin is grasped tightly, forcing me to look into his intense eyes. I can feel the heat of his body seeping through my clothes as his hand lingers on the soft curve of my waist. I’m completely fucked and feel a rush of desire.
What is wrong with me?
“Don’t get your hopes up. I told you it would be a one-time thing.” I struggle to break free from his grasp. Why doesn’t he budge? Is this guy made of steel, or what?
“Is that so?” His grin makes me want to bite him. “And I think I told you it would happen again.” He catches me off guard by grabbing my arse and lifting me onto the sink.
God, if I break this sink, Bailey’s going to kill me.
He parts my legs and positions himself in between them. As my dress slides up, I feel the heat emanating from his body. The thin fabric of my underwear is the only thing separating us, making me painfully aware of his hard-on. Fuck me.
“Maybe I wasn’t clear.” His hands begin to explore my body, one travelling up to my breast while the other firmly grasps my throat. I can’t move. My knickers are soaked. “But it will happen again, Blake. And you know what else will happen?” As soon as I open my mouth, he cuts me off. “My cock deep inside your leaking pussy.” His warm, wet tongue glides gently beneath my ear. Fuck. My eyes roll involuntarily, and I let out an exasperated moan. He knows that’s a sensitive spot for me.
“And what? You think you can do better than the other guys I’ve been with?” I don’t know why I said that when, really, I’ve only been with two guys since him. One was a drunken mistake, the other one too sweet for my liking. As his eyes darken, his grip on my throat tightens.
“Other guys, huh? Baby, once I’m done with you, you won’t even remember their names or what a life without my cock is. Remember your safe words?”
His words take a moment to sink in, and I realise what he’s asking. “What?”
“Do you remember your safe words?”
Oh my god. I’ve never thought I would be using them again. Am I really going to do this?
He doesn’t look surprised when the word escapes my mouth. “I do.”
“Did you use them with someone else?” he asks, his body tensing. God, this guy is really something else. I could lie just to see if smoke comes out of his nostrils.
“Maybe.”
He raises an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he sees right through my lies.
“Do you really think it’s the time for you to be a brat when my hand is around your throat?” he asks, leaning closer. “Let me remind you of them. ‘Green’ if you’re good. ‘Yellow’ if you think you’re close to your limit. ‘Red’ if it’s too much. If you say ‘red,’ everything will come to a halt. Is that clear? No questions asked. You can say them at any time. Understood?”
“I remember them,” I answer, a rush of adrenaline coursing through me.
He wastes no time ripping off my underwear and slipping a finger inside me, causing a moan to escape my lips. I strain to keep my noises in check as I pick up on faint background sounds.
“That’s it, beautiful, better be quiet. Your noises are mine and mine alone.” He moves his finger faster before adding a second one. I’m so full. I close my eyes and surrender to the intense heat radiating from my core as he keeps touching me. My orgasm takes me by surprise. It’s fast and intense. I might hate him, but damn, he’s good with his fingers. He leans in close, bites my earlobe, and whispers in my ear, “I hope you’re ready for me. We don’t have much time, and I’ve been dreaming of being buried inside you again for years.”
Removing his fingers, he drops me to my feet. Spinning me around, he presses his hand on my back, pushing me forward, making my breasts press against the sink, the cool metal against my skin, my arse completely exposed for him. The sting of his hands hit me with no warning.
He spanks my arse. He. Spanks. My. Arse. And fuck, why is it so good?
“Hmm, looks like my Tink likes that.” I hear his zipper going down and feel him pressing into my entrance. My breath catches in my throat as he enters me, my back arching in response. “Fuuuck. I missed your pussy around my cock.”
I can’t speak. His words have a powerful effect on me, leaving me breathless and wanting more. He knows just how to push my buttons in bed, and the sound of his voice whispering dirty things in my ear is enough to almost send me over the edge.
“Look at us. Look at the mirror and look how good I fuck you.” I can’t resist his plea. My vision is hazy with lust. As he thrusts deeper, I can feel his grip tightening on my hips. “Colour?”
With no hesitation, I answer, “Green.” God, I want more. I need more.
“Harder.” I hear myself say. “Fuck me harder.”