Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
NAOMI
Ilace my boots up as Mac does another scan of the warehouse. I was excited for what was to come—that was until it clicked in my mind that Paxton was going to be the bait. I sense him coming up behind me, his hand sliding around to span across my stomach and pull my back flush to him.
He’s over a foot taller than me; he could rest his chin on my head if he wanted. I let myself lean into him.
“I don’t like this,” I tell him.
“I know.”
“We could flush them out,” I suggest. Paxton turns me in his arms to face him.
“Then a few could slip away. If they have a target, they’ll move toward it.”
“Does it matter? As long as we get one alive, Eros and I will get them to talk.”
“The more we can get, the better.”
I know he’s right. I’m never this uneasy. I’m strung too tight. I have been since the plane landed. We’d moved over to an empty building under construction across from the dock to get ourselves ready.
Paxton owns it, but it isn’t in his name. At least not the name most know him by. I thought the Marinos were planners, but I’m finding Paxton is more calculated and a handful of steps in front of all of us. It’s impressive and hot as fuck.
“Come.” His hand grabs mine as he tugs me toward one of the empty rooms.
A few people glance our way. A few of Paxton’s own men were already here waiting when we arrived and have been here for days. He hadn’t been joking when he said he knew this dock would be hit, and he had let it happen. His men simply watched, wanting to draw out his enemies.
“What’s up?” I ask when he shuts the door behind us.
“Going to take care of you,” he tells me. I don’t get the chance to ask what he means, his mouth coming down onto mine. It might not be the time for this, but Paxton has a way of knowing what I need, even when I don’t, I’m quickly realizing.
His tongue thrusts into my mouth as he backs me up against the wall. “Pax.” I whisper his name when his mouth leaves mine to kiss along the column of my neck.
“You know how much it turns me on when you call me that.” He undoes the button of my pants, his hand sliding in.
“No.” I didn’t think I turned anyone on, but I also never gave that much thought until he came along. I tilt my head, loving the way his mouth can send these delicious thrills through my body. They are unlike anything I have experienced before.
I grip the front of his shirt, wanting to hold on to him, knowing that soon I’ll have to let him go.
I close my eyes tightly at the thought. When I’ve done other missions or jobs, of course I’ve had something to lose, but this somehow feels different.
The risk feels greater, which gives me a sense of uneasiness that I’m not used to.
“Stay with me.” He nips my neck, making me gasp. There is no pain to it. Each and every one of his touches only brings pleasure.
“I’m here.” He lifts his head as his fingers find my clit, my back slightly bowing.
“Do you ever touch yourself?”
“A few times,” I admit.
His nose flares. “I get to watch you next time.”
I swipe my tongue across my bottom lip. “Why would I need to if you’re there?”
“Because it turns me the fuck on. You don’t have a clue how sexy you are.
” His fingers roll my clit between them.
My sex contracts, and that need to be filled hits me again.
I have gotten myself off before, but it was for release and only from clit stimulation.
I’d never had that need to be filled like I do when it’s him pleasuring me.
“You know, I fucked my hand thinking about you.” He stares into my eyes, his fingers building me toward an orgasm.
“Really?” His admission takes me by surprise. I never imagined anyone would be using me as their muse to get off.
“Almost broke my dick doing it.”
A small laugh leaves me, and he kisses me, pressing more firmly on my clit. I sink my nails into him as the orgasm hits me, my whole body going tight before it bursts through my body, sending me into orbit.
My knees give, knowing Paxton has his hold only on me, my whole body relaxing and falling into him.
“That’s my girl.” He kisses my neck and gently lowers me back onto my feet. I watch as he pulls his hand out of my pants brings his fingers to his mouth and sucks them clean. “Fuck, I love your taste.” A small groan leaves him.
“Really?” Now I’m wondering what he tastes like. If I could give him the same pleasure. I want to. There is this need sparking to life inside of me to please him. To make him happy.
“Tastes like all my fantasies rolling into one.”
“Pax—” I’m cut off by a knock on the door.
“Don’t shoot; they sent me,” Bonte says through the door. Paxton rebuttons my pants.
“Okay,” I call out before I yank on the front of Paxton’s shirt, pulling him down for a kiss. He quickly deepens it, and I hate when he has to pull back, but there are things that need to be handled. Enemies that we need to bring down.
Whoever they are, and there are a handful of possibilities, they are going to learn that Paxton is off-limits. I’m going to send that message. He’s mine fully and completely. No one, and I mean no one, will touch a hair on his head but me.
Everyone is ready to roll when we return. Mac has already spotted two heat signatures that don’t belong there. There are likely more that are hidden. There are so many shipping containers loaded with all kinds of shit.
“If he dies, you die,” I tell Arturo. He’s never far from Paxton, and I’m sure they are expecting him to be driving Paxton down to the docks.
Mac hands me my earpiece to slide in. I want to say more to Paxton, but I’m not sure what that more is.
“If you die, I’ll have Bonte do her witchy magic to bring you back so I can kill you myself,” I tell him.
I expect his kiss to be hard when he leans down, pressing his mouth to mine, but it’s not. It’s soft and far shorter than I want.
“Burn 'em down, Sunshine,” he tells me before stepping back.
“Are we good?” I ask Eros, who is geared up and ready. I double-check my own weapons before we both head out together but part ways once we’ve cut a hole into the fencing to slip through and go to our designated locations. This is my favorite part. The live action.
I slip down the line of containers, staying in the shadows until I get to mine. It’s toward the center, where it opens up to a wide area for the two giant cranes. I take a beat, and when Mac doesn’t give me any updates, I know my target is still in place.
I pull myself up to the top of the container, keeping flat and maneuvering to the center before I run my nails along the metal on the right side and roll to the other.
I hear the soft click of the container door opening, and as expected, the man slips out, going to his left to circle around, believing if there is a person, they’ll be on that side.
I watch the man outfitted in all black, a gun in one hand and another strapped to his thigh, move past, and I hop down, gripping my karambit knife tightly in my hand, the blade round, and I wait patiently, watching.
When he turns to go around the backside that I’d climbed up, I do the same light whistle all of us kids did growing up to let the others know if a parent was closing in while we were doing something we shouldn’t be.
The man spins around, and I use his quick momentum with my own, swinging my hand in the opposite direction, right across his throat. His eyes widen for a brief second before his body starts to fall.
I grit my teeth as I lean in so that he comes down partly on me, and then I can lower his heavy ass to the ground quickly. I don’t need to say a word. Mac is watching. When it’s quiet, that means everything is going according to plan.
I hoist myself back up on top of the container and crawl toward the front and get into my position. I peer across to the other side filled with more containers. I can’t see Eros, but I know he’s there.
Now we wait.
Holding is a skill set I’m good at. It’s a matter of being patient, really, but today I don’t have it. I close my eyes and take a few calming breaths to steady my pulse. I open my eyes, everything appearing peaceful, the sound of the water almost calming.
I see the lights of Paxton’s SUV before I hear it. It pulls down and into the center. I watch with bated breath as Paxton, Arturo, and another one of his men, Jeno, unfold from the SUV, appearing casual and talking. As though they don’t expect a thing.
Jeno, animated with his hand motions, proceeds to tell Paxton what had been hit, putting on a show.
That low whistle flutters through my ear, and I hear the creak behind me. I don’t move an inch, simply waiting, knowing a man is creeping up behind me.
“Now,” Mac whispers into my ear. I roll to my back as the man comes over me, a gun pointed down at me. I kick out, hitting him hard in the stomach. He stumbles back, and I push with my elbow to spin, kicking his feet out from under him.
He falls hard, and I know everyone heard it.
“Cunt,” the man grunts. I hope he doesn’t think he’s hurting my feelings. I don’t have those when it comes to outsiders. And I’ve been called far worse. If I had more time, I’d make him eat his words, but I need to stick to the plan today.
In one quick explosive motion, I spring from lying flat on my back right to my feet, over him this time.
Except I pull the fucking trigger. My shot is silent, but a scatter of others ring out.
I run toward the front of the container to see Paxton and his men, all with guns drawn and two bodies dead on the ground.
Damn, he looks fucking hot with a gun in his hand. I know now is not the time for these sorts of thoughts, but I can’t help it.
“Clean,” Eros says into my earpiece.
“Clean,” I repeat. A few seconds tick by, and I hear nothing.
This time, that silence is deafening. I turn and bolt back toward the fence line; without having to worry about sounds, I jump from container to container.
I don’t slow when I get to the last; in fact, I pick up the pace and launch myself off the side and flip, loosening my knees as I land on the ground, braced by both my feet and hands to be able to push off and keep going.
I don’t go for the hole we’ve cut. It’s quicker and closer to simply scale the fence, ignoring the jabs of the few barbs that get me. I can hear Eros’s breathing turning heavy through the earpiece.
“I’m east,” I tell Eros as I sprint across the road, not being as careful as I should be.
“Hiding” is whispered through the earpiece. Mac can somewhat handle herself, but she’s so quiet that I know she doesn’t have the ability to do anything at this moment, and we’re going in blind.
I burst through the side and up the concrete stairs.
“Third,” she whispers, letting me know the floor. I slow when I’m also there; no door has been installed yet; the floorplan opens right into the wide-open space. I step in; the only sound is of the wind blowing the plastic coverings on a few of the windows.
“They’re down!” I hear shouting over us. Mac pokes her head out from one of the rooms.
“That’s the only exit.” She points toward the stairway I just came from.
It’s not. I motion for her to not move as I step back into the open space and toward the center of the room where concrete beams hold up the structure.
A giant opening spans down and up; I’m guessing it’s a shaft for an elevator at some point.
When I get to the edge, I can see the next floor down too, but there isn’t time for a quick descent. Not when I have to get Mac down too. I hear the sound of footsteps on the stairs drawing closer. I hold up my arm; my eyes lock right on to Mac’s.
“Run,” I order her. “As fast as you can.” She only hesitates for a second before she barrels toward me. I see the men breach the doorway as Mac’s hand wraps around my forearm. I plant my feet and swing her off the side; a guttural scream leaves as I push with all the force I can.
The sound of gunfire fills the building. Mac’s hold pulls me with her, but she lets go before taking me over the edge, where I would have flipped down the two flights to the dumpsters below. Mac lets out a yelp as she hits the second floor and rolls.
My arm burns, and I know I can’t swing myself. I push back to my feet, my eyes locking on the two men in the doorway, their guns pointed at me. I recognize one of them, and he too realizes who I am. The recognition is clear, making him hesitate, his gun dipping.
My options are limited. None, really. I step slightly back, teetering on the edge. Three stories down and not a fucking clue what’s in the dumpster, so I do the only thing I can do when Luigi Esposito makes his decision and starts to lift his gun again.
I let out a breath, relaxing my whole body as I fall backwards, wishing I’d said so much more to Paxton in that moment when I was at a loss for words. Now I have so many.