Daniel (17 page)

“Mom, do you think I could have a word
with O’Reilly? She and I have some things to talk about.” His voice sounded
calm, but the look in his eyes was lust, need, and a little anger. “I’ll help
you to the den if you need it.”

“I’m fine. But whatever you have to say
isn’t—”

“It is.” He helped her from the couch
and led her to a door she’d seen Kasey go into a few times. Even the others had
gone in and then out. She figured it was to use the phone in quiet. There was
enough noise in this room and the kitchen to make someone think a war was being
executed.

She went with him like she had a choice.
She saw Benny with the little boy, and when he stood, she shook her head. They’d
be leaving soon, and she wanted him to have as much fun as he could before they
did. The door opened, and she stepped in. She moved to the desk and one of the
chairs in front of it to sit down. Daniel closed the door, and she heard a
small click. He had locked it.

While he stood there staring at her, she
looked at the room. It was a nice sized room with bookshelves and lots of books
crammed on them. The desk, where she was sitting, was huge and took up most of
one whole wall. She thought it was cherry, but couldn’t be sure. She did know
that it was old, but the computer on it didn’t look out of place.

“You and I need to talk.” She looked
back at him when he spoke and waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she
shrugged at him before speaking.

“So you’ve said. Anything in particular,
or just talk? I don’t do that often. I like it when it’s quiet, but what topic
did you want to speak about?” She put her finger to her lips and pretended to
think on it. “Could it be the price of pork bellies on the market, or the
rising costs of gasoline?” She waited for several seconds before she dropped
her own boom. “Or could it have to do with your mother’s comment about you
loving me?”

“You said you loved me,” he snarled at
her. “Or was that simply telling me you loved me fucking you?”

“No,” she said to him honestly. “No,
it’s the first one. I love you. But I know you don’t love—”

“I do love you, damn it. I don’t want to,
but I fucking do. But don’t think you can get your claws into me. I’m not going
to marry anyone. Especially no one with a bunch of kids.”

She stood up then, and he advanced
toward her only to stop five feet from her. “You’re smarter than I’d hoped. I
wanted to knock you on your ass. Would have, too, if you’d of gotten close
enough.”

He waited, standing there, and so did
she. She knew she could get around him but didn’t want to hurt either of them
to do it. She wanted out of there, out of that room and house so she could go
somewhere and lick her wounds. Crying was going to be a big part of it, as
well.

“You’ve nothing else to say?” She looked
at him and saw the anger. “Nothing to say about not marrying you?” She threw
back her head and laughed. Even to her ears it sounded hollow and forced.

“I wouldn’t marry you if you were the
last man on earth. And as I’ve been telling you from the start,” she said as
she moved to the door. “I don’t want you or your family to come around again.”

He grabbed her arm. There was no time
for her to get away before he had his mouth over hers. She was suddenly hungry
for him. Despite the pain in her lower back, she wanted to crawl all over him
and eat him alive. Before she knew it, she was on the floor and flat on her
back. He’d never moved his mouth from hers.

Her shirt was up and over her breast,
and then his mouth was covering her. Her nipples were being suckled and nipped.
She moaned when he moved to the other breast as he did the same to it. She
needed him, and knew with a clarity that scared her that she always would.

When he sat up, he stripped off his
shirt and tossed it away. He yanked at her pants, gym pants she’d borrowed from
one of the woman in this house. Before she knew it, she was naked and he was
touching her again.

He didn’t say a word as he settled
between her thighs. She knew what he was going to do and couldn’t for the life
of her think of a single thought beyond wanting him to taste her. When he ran
his fingers over her mound, over her thigh, then repeated the path in the
opposite direction, she closed her eyes.

“Watch me. Open your eyes and watch me
eat you.” She did as he commanded, but couldn’t seem to open them wide with the
heavy feelings of need pounding at her.

When he lowered his face to her pussy,
she watched. He moved as if he had all the time in the world, and she wanted to
scream at him to hurry please.

“This changes nothing, Daniel. I never
want to see you again.” He grinned at her before he pressed his finger deep
into her. “Christ.”

He teased her. Bringing her close to her
climax only to back off and start again. Reilly wanted to scream out that she’d
had enough, either finish her or let her go. Her legs trembled with need, the
need to come, complete this. But he continued until she was sure she couldn’t
take it anymore. Then he sat up.

His cock was free. His fist moved up and
down it so quickly that she was sure he was going to come on her any second. When
he let himself go and lifted her hips up to his thighs, she felt dizzy, dizzy
with not just need but love. But she bit her tongue, refusing to tell him ever
again.

“I will say when we’re through, you
understand. I decide.” He reached down and pulled her up to his body as he
rested on his knees. “You’re mine until I say different.”

She shook her head. “Never. I belong to
me.” When he lifted her again and impaled her onto his cock, she grabbed his shoulders.
She hung on as he laid her back on the floor.

They never spoke again. She was so close
to coming again that she didn’t care if he came or not. Moving her hips, she
tried to get him to hit her sweet spot, but all he did was stop.

“Say it. Tell me you love me, baby, and
I’ll let you come.” She glared at him and shifted again. “No, don’t. Say it.”

She needed to come, needed it more than
her next breath. When he shifted on her, touching her spot, she cried out. She
knew the moment that he started fucking her that she’d given him what he wanted,
and when her climax strangled her, nearly tore her breath from her, she clawed
at him. She felt her world slip as he filled her. Felt as if nothing, never
again, was going to be the same.

Chapter
17

Berto read the report three more times. Micky
was dead. So was Jeannie. And now his contact in the Feds was being taken away
in chains. Chains for Christ’s sake. He glanced up at the screen again when he
heard the news anchor say Snodgrass again.

“It is said that he has been under
investigation for nearly four years, and sources are saying that he’s been a
known associate of some of the biggest names in crime. He is currently being
put into a secret location until it can be determined what, if any, prison will
be safe for him to reside in.”

“None will be safe, you stupid cunt. I
have men everywhere.” Berto threw his glass toward the large television stand,
narrowly missing the set. “She fucking makes it sound as if he’s going to be
living in a posh hotel and not getting the chair. Residing, my ass.”

Berto looked around the room and decided
that he’d better let the lady of the place come in soon. It was beginning to
look a little like a hovel that he’d told Jeannie that it was. He thought about
her as he leaned against the headboard of the bed, closing his eyes.

Dead. He knew that he had planned to
kill her, but it should have been his pleasure and not some stupid fuck of a
cop. And why the hell was she with Dotson anyway? The man was reputed to be the
best of the best. But now…dead. Both of them shot by a cop trying to get into
the fucking Harlequin compound. And the targets weren’t even there. And now
thanks to Snodgrass being caught, he couldn’t even leave this place.

If he said a single word that even
sounded like his name, Berto knew that he was going to have him killed. Smiling,
he thought of what he’d already managed to get accomplished. The Fed was dead,
anyway, just as soon as the one person he had planted in the building at the
police station followed through.

Berto knew that they’d take him there
first. He himself had been arrested enough to know how it worked. Station,
hidey hole, then some prison that would be named later. Yes, within the next
four to five hours Snodgrass would be dead, and he’d be flying back to his own
bolt hole across the ocean. It paid to have plans. He frowned at his phone when
it chirped.

“Mr. Carver. It is Rogers, sir. The
house is being raided as we speak. I have told them that I know nothing as to
your whereabouts, but they have a warrant. What would you have me do?”

Berto closed his phone, only to open it
again. Snapping it in two, he took out the battery as well as the simcard and
pocketed it. The rest he tossed in the trash can. They knew him. Motherfucking
slimy bastard had given him up. Son of a bitch, he was so fucked. And the
fucking Rogers had called him.

He knew enough about technology that
they could trace him. Hell, he wasn’t sure even now how long it would take to
do so. Minutes? Seconds? He had no clue. He slid off the bed and started pacing
the room.

He had to move. But where? Money he had,
ways to get there very little. He thought about the fact that he was in Ohio
and where in Ohio. Did they have this place on their grid yet? He would bet
not. The service here was spotty at best, and even that wasn’t so good. He
decided that he’d stay put for now. Hell, a town this tiny, he’d probably hear
about it way before the place was hit. No, here was his best bet.

He looked at the tickets that had
arrived this morning. Three of them to the art show of the girl that had
everything to make his prison stay a death warrant. Jeannie had done one thing
right before she’d gotten herself killed, it seemed. Now he had to figure out
how to get there. The small knock at his door distracted him.

“Sir, I’ve been sent to clean the rooms.
Is this going to be a good time for you?” The maid. He vaguely remembered
telling her that he was in the middle of some business deal or another and told
her to come back today. Why not?

He opened the door with his gun at his
back. He was sure that the Feds had no idea where he was just yet, but there
was no reason to take any chances. When he saw the woman on the other side, he
opened the door wider without putting his gun away.

“Sorry. You’re going to be in for a
surprise, I’m afraid. I’ve been a somewhat messy person. Business isn’t going
as well as I’d hoped.” No shit, he thought. “If you get me on the straight
here, I’ll pay you nicely.”

She stopped when she walked in, but said
nothing. He could imagine what she was thinking. Pig. And he’d been so. The
place looked like he’d been living in it for a month rather than the few days
since someone had been there last. But she only nodded and pulled on gloves. He
had no idea why that made him mad, but instead of letting his temper get the
better of him, he simply walked out of the room and out to the porch that he’d
noticed the first night he’d been here.

He had to get to the showing tonight. Was
there such a thing as limo service? He knew that there was a taxi service, but
he didn’t want to show up in a taxi at the gallery. He found it to be less than
showy. He reached for his phone and cursed a blue streak when he realized that
it was now in the trashcan in his room. He’d have to take care of that soon, as
well.

Stepping off the porch and onto the
sidewalk, he began walking toward Main Street. He hadn’t been all that
impressed so far. Why anyone would think a B&B in this nothing little town
could survive was beyond him. There were several buses at this end of town. Large
ones that said things like HAPPY TRAVELS or BUS OF FUN. Bus of fun? He doubted
that. But there were hundreds of people milling about, going in and out of what
he’d first thought were houses but discovered where shops. Must be a tourist
trap, he thought, and looked around for means to get to the next big city. He
found it in a gas station.

The pick-up truck was probably on its
last legs, but the kid putting two bucks worth of gas in it must have seen a Porsche.
Berto watched as he dug in his pockets for the correct amount of money to pay
for what he’d just pumped.

“I’ll fill her up for you if you can
take me to the next town. My car isn’t running right now and I lost my cell.” The
kid looked up at him with intelligent eyes. Berto was startled by that.

“Zanesville or Columbus? I can’t really
do the latter. I have to be at work in a couple of hours and that would make me
late. But I can do Zanesville well enough.” Berto didn’t answer him immediately,
once again taken aback by the boy. “Of course it would also depend on how long
you want to spend there.”

“Not long. A Wal-Mart. Do you have one
of those around here?” Berto wanted to go there to get a phone. He knew that’s
where his butler had picked up the few that Berto had needed. “And if you could
tell me where to find a rental place for a limo and tux, I’d appreciate it.”

“Sure. We have all that.” The kid pulled
the nozzle off the pump. “How much you willing to put into my brother’s truck? When
I borrowed it this morning, I walked off and forgot my wallet.”

Berto believed him. The kid looked much
too smart and was too good looking to drive such a piece of shit. He told him
to fill it up, then walked into the station to get a bottle of water for
himself and the kid and paid cash for everything. Forty-six bucks later he was
seated in a clean but worn truck speeding down the road.

“You aren’t a basket person,” the kid
said. “So what brings you to our little town? I’m thinking banker or investor.”
The kid put his hand out to Berto. “I’m Harland James. Most call me Harley.”

“Carl Peterson. And no, not either of
those. I’m here to do some business in Columbus but can’t stand the noise. I
thought the B&B would be a nice change. I have some business there
tomorrow. That’s the reason for the limo.”

The kid nodded. “I’m going to school
there, at Ohio State. I have one more year and I’m finished up. Then off to
Harvard to finish my law degree. My ma has been helping me find my own place,
and that’s what I’ve been doing today. Moving out.”

Berto only nodded. What the fuck did he
care? And maybe he’d have to kill the kid after all. The world did not need
another lawyer to clutter up his work.

By the time he’d gotten everything taken
care of he’d begun to like the kid. He was smart and was probably going to go
places. Didn’t mean Berto wasn’t going to kill him, but he’d found a great deal
of humor in the boy. When he dropped him off at the limo/taxi, Harley stayed
outside to use his phone. Berto turned when the door opened behind him and
looked at the kid.

“Gotta go, Carl. Boss called and he
needs me to come in early. You all set here?” Berto looked at the man behind
the counter.

Up until that moment no one had seen
them together. When the kid turned up dead later it was Berto’s plan to be well
and truly gone. But now there were witnesses. There were at least a dozen or so
people working in the limo place, as well as the half dozen customers in the
room with him. He nodded. The kid had no idea how lucky he was. When he started
forward, taking out his wallet, the kid shook his head.

“Nah, you filled up the tank. We’re
square. Have a nice stay.” And then he was gone. Berto put his wallet away
again, thinking the kid wasn’t near as smart as he’d thought. Putz is what he
thought of him now, and thought if he came this way again he’d show the kid how
stupid he’d been.

Twenty minutes later he was being carried
in a very nice stretch back to the B&B with not only a new phone but a tux
he’d bought and a laptop he’d decided he’d use instead of the phone. He figured
it was harder to catch a computer looking up stuff than it would have been if
he’d used his phone to call information.

Life was suddenly much better.

~~~

They let her go and get her dress and a
few things, but she was still pissed. Reilly had never met a pushier demanding
bunch of people in her life. She sunk down in the tub to her chin and thought
about the “rules” Daniel’s mother had told them last night before she left.

“You’ll not sleep together with that
child in the house.” Daniel laughed, and Reilly had only raised her brow. “Don’t
you give me that look, Daniel Robert Hunter. You know as well as I do that you
two aren’t married, and it’s not proper you sleeping with her without that
benefit.”

“And he’s not marrying me either. So
butt out.” Reilly saw the flicker of humor on the older woman’s face. “You
really are too much of a pain for my tastes. As for him, he’s a big boy. If he
wants to sleep with ninety women in this place, I’m reasonably sure you can’t
do too much about it. Besides, that boat has sailed. Next rule.”

“Are you using protection?” No, they
hadn’t. Not this time at least. Reilly didn’t answer. She had no idea what
Daniel looked like right then. She was having a hard enough time not blushing.
“I see,” was all his mother said.

“Look, Mrs. Hunter, I’m going home. Today,
as a matter of fact. And after that, our families won’t have to mingle again.” She
looked at Daniel when he growled low. “Oh grow up. You said yourself it was
just sex. So live with it. I’m going to the show tonight, and if you behave,
you can go with me. Otherwise, we are finished.”

She had walked up to this room where
she’d spent the night with him and filled the tub. That had been about an hour
ago, and she’d reheated the water twice since then. When she heard the knock at
the door, she ignored it. Reilly didn’t even move when the door opened and
Daniel walked in.

“You said you loved me.” She didn’t look
up at him when he spoke. It wasn’t until his shirt hit the floor. “I want us to
see this to the end.”

“You have. It’s over.” She glanced up at
him when his belt landed near the tub. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I need to take a bath. And you
look…yummy. Can I join you?” His pants were folded and put over the toilet. “I
can wash your back.”

He had nothing on under the pants. Her
mouth watered, and she felt her body respond to how hard he was. When he
stepped into the tub, she scooted forward so that he could sit behind her. When
she tried to turn to sit on the other side, he yanked her back to his chest and
held her.

“This doesn’t change a thing.” He just
laughed. “I mean it, Daniel. We want two different things. And I have Benny to
think of. He can’t handle losing another person in his young life. Let us go.”

He picked up the sponge on the side of
the tub. She knew it was new; she’d taken it out of the package when she’d
settled in the tub. He took his time pouring scented soap on it and then began
washing her arms.

“Her name was Alisha Crosby. She had the
most amazing green eyes and a mouth that would—”

“And this concerns me how? I don’t want
to hear about your past lovers. Not now, nor forever. I want you to tell me why
you won’t just let me not see you again.”

“I’m telling you what happened. And it’s
important to you because she’s the one that ruined it for me and marriage.” She
turned to look at him and then moved to the other side. He let her go this
time.

“You’re telling me that a woman that
I’ve never met, don’t care about, and haven’t the slightest interest in is the
reason that you won’t let this relationship continue to marriage.” He nodded,
but before he could speak, she put up her hand. “No, let me ask you something
before you tell me the woes of her. Do you love me?”