Chapter Twenty-Six
RIVER
The last thing I want is for Elliot to worry about me, at least not on top of everything else. Catching up to Richard and getting Mia away from him safely is all we should be focusing on.
I get it. He’s worried I’ll lose my cool—but if that means even the slightest possibility of him, Jax or Mia getting hurt in the process, then I’ll do everything to keep my wits about me.
“I’m going to go get my shit together,” I say, pointing over my shoulder. “I want to be ready once Jax lets us know the next steps.”
He nods. “I’ll do the same.”
I leave Elliot to go pack a bag. I also want to get my knives ready. I have no doubt that Jax will be making the necessary preparations to have some weapons in our arsenal, but I still feel better having my own knives at my disposal.Because something tells me we won’t be heading to Monaco in commercial. We’ll need to go incognito. And we most definitely need some additional help—power in numbers and all that. I know that there’s only a handful of people he’ll trust with something so personal. We’re already down a man while Tommy is with Lily. Getting Mia back to Lily safely and making that prick suffer for what he’s done is all I can think about.
It’s been too long since we last saw Lily; sure, we’ve spoken on the phone and on video calls, but it’s not the same as being in the same proximity as her. It’s impossible to ignore how much this is taking out of her, too.
I return to Elliot’s and find Jax already there, his bags by the door.
“We have just over twenty-four hours before we need to be at the airport?—”
What the fuck? That’s twenty hours too damn long.
“What? Wh—” Jax holds up his palm to stop my interruption.
“Because our flight isn’t until then. And I’ll have eyes on the Yacht within the hour. Besides, we have somewhere else to be in the interim.”
I cock a brow, waiting for him to enlighten me.
“We’re going to pay a little visit to see our girl.”
His response has my pulse racing. “Lily?”
He nods. “Yep, I think we all need to see her before heading out, don’t you?”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” I ask, hooking my thumb over my shoulder, ready to get our arses on the road.
Jax’s lips lift into a small smile at my eagerness. “For El to get all his gear together,” he says as the man in question continues packing up some of his equipment.
“Right, yeah, of course. Does Tommy know we’re coming?” I question.
“Yeah, I just spoke to him. He said it’s just what Lily needs. He’s going to let us surprise her.”
That makes me smile. The thought of finally seeing her again, holding her, and kissing her lightens some of the darkness festering away. The fact it will be before we take down that cunt once and for is all the motivation I need.I would have happily got on that plane right now.But knowing in a few hours, we’ll all be with her isn’t even a choice. It’s a deep-seated need.
It takes us just under four and a half hours to reach Torquay and, fuck me, Tommy and Lily were not exaggeratingat how amazing this place is, and we’ve not even seen inside yet. Being close to the coastline and knowing that Lily will be wrapped in my arms shortly, finally makes me feel like I can breathe again.
My knee bounces as Jax pulls up to the gate, and we wait for it to open. Elliot already texted Tommy our approach, so we knew he’d be waiting. Jax barely stops the car before I have my seatbelt off and the door open. I jog up to the front door, which opens before I even have a chance to knock.
“Where’s our girl?” I ask in greeting.
Tommy smiles. “She’s reading in her room.”
I approach him and cup his shoulder, squeezing it once before moving around him.
“Yeah, good to see you, too, man,” I hear Tommy mutter under his breath, but my main goal is reaching Lily.
I take the stairs two at a time; Lily’s signature scent invades my senses, drawingme to her like a beacon as I movetowards theopen door. Sure enough, cuddled up in a chair wrapped in a blanket, she has an e-reader in her hands, her cheeks reddening from whatever she’s reading.
The soft carpet cancels out the sound of my footsteps. I probably should have removed my boots, but in my haste to get to Lily, everything else fell short.
She still doesn’t notice me until I’m barely a few inches away, and her eyes snap up to meet mine, widening, her lips parting in a gasp of surprise.
“Miss me?” I ask.
“River?” She blinks at me as I crouch before her and cup her cheek .
“Damn, it’s good to see you, beautiful,” I say, reaching for her hand.
“You’re here,” she whispers.
I lean closer until my lips brush against hers in the softest of kisses, belying how much I want to consume her with my mouth.
Pulling back, I smile, taking a moment to breathe her in.
“Don’t hog her, Riv,” Elliot says, causing Lily’s head to jerk in his direction.
Reluctantly, I let go of her hand and stand. Moving aside, I allow Elliot to reach for her hands and gently tug her to her feet, where he wraps her in his arms. She buries her face into his neck before he pulls back and kisses her softly.
“What are you two doing here?” she asks, her expression wary. “Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine, Duchess,” Jax says.
“Jackson,” she says softly as he enters the room along with Tommy.
Elliot lets her go, and I notice his reluctance to do so. Jax approaches Lily, moving until he’s right in front of her, his hands moving to her hips as she slides hers up to cover his chest.
“We wanted to see you and tell you what’s happening before we head to the airport tomorrow. But first, Ineed to do this.”
His hand moves tothe back of her head as he angles her right where he wants her. She visibly swallows, and then he kisses her, but unlike Elliot and me, he doesn’t hold back. Her soft moans make my cock harden, pressing against the fly of my jeans. Maybe I shouldlook away and give them a moment, but I’m weak when it comes to this woman. If it were anyone else, other than the three men in this room kissing her, I’d be cutting their tongues out. Yet Lily’s pleasure is in tune with mine; I’m only jealous that I didn’t devour her in the same way.
When he finally ends the kiss, he gives her a peck to the tip of her nose, her breathing is ragged, and she sways on her feet, her fists still clutching his sweater.
“Just in time for dinner,” Tommy says, pushing off the wall he’d been leaning against while he watched them, too.
My stomach grumbles at the mention of food.
Everyone laughs as I grab Lily’s hand and tug her to my side. “I could eat,” I say, glancing down at Lily with a wink.
Her cheeks heat from my double innuendo because if I have my way, food will not be the only thing I’ll be eating tonight.