Darkest Caress (13 page)

“You got something for me?” he asked, sliding into the vinyl booth.

The man’s hard black stare bored into his, as though sizing him up. “You’re Iceberg?”

Rick lifted a mocking brow, making it clear he wasn’t the least bit intimidated. “Yep. Why, you disappointed?” Maybe the guy had assumed someone with his rep would be taller. More muscular. But standing five-foot-nine had never been a handicap in Rick’s work. He could pull a trigger just as well as a six-foot-four bruiser, only he was one-hundred percent accurate. A skill he’d acquired over a decade ago as an army sniper.

“The OL wants you to take care of this personally.”

Rick hid his instinctive reaction to that name. The Obsidian Lord was the only man he was afraid of, and for good reason. Any man who could bend someone as hard as Rick to his will was deserving of a twisted kind of respect. And a shitload of fear. He was glad the bastard was currently on the other side of the world, no doubt preying on other hard-ass criminals who wouldn’t have a clue until it was too late. The same had happened to him. It was the biggest regret in Rick’s life of violent crime.

“That’s because he knows I’m the best he’s got.” He figured that was still true, though there was no way to tell how many others the OL had turned into Dark Army members. Had to be in the hundreds by now.

The man grunted, passing a manila folder across the scarred table. Rick opened it to find various property listings. They all had waterfront views, each of them worth at least ten million, easy.

“I’ve narrowed down the search to these nine possibilities. You need to check them all out and find this guy.” He slid an old photograph across the table. It showed a dark-haired, pale-eyed WWII vet in British putties. “Name’s Daegan Blackwell. We think he’s the new Coven Leader.”

Rick handed it back, already thinking of ways to perform the hit. “You want it to look like an accident?”

“We don’t care how you do it, but he’s not your target. There’s going to be a woman with him.”

He frowned. “The target’s a woman?”

The man lifted one haughty dark brow. “Yeah. That a problem?”

“No.” He’d killed women before. Didn’t like doing it, but sometimes it was necessary. “What’d she do?”

The guy shrugged. “Nothing. But she’s his mate. You take her out, he’ll die too.”

“I’m supposed to off this chick because she’s his mate? Why don’t I just take out the Coven Leader and call it a day?” Would certainly make things a lot faster than waiting for the effects of being without a mate to take hold.

The man huffed out an irritated sigh. “Because that’s the way the OL wants it. Apparently it makes the Coven Leader’s death more satisfying for him.”

A whisper of unease began to creep in. “If he wants the Coven Leader, killing her doesn’t make any sense. If I snatched her, at least that would guarantee the Leader coming after her. We could get him and the others in one operation.” Wasn’t that the point of all this? Rick’s plan was a much better strategy, even though the Empowered were damn hard to kill.

“That’s not how he wants it done. He wants the female taken out.” His contact’s smile was thin, taunting. “If you’re getting cold feet, say so now. He won’t tolerate failure.”

Rick clenched his hands into fists, bared his teeth. The fucker deserved to be shot through the forehead for talking to him like that. “I’m not getting cold feet. Just tell me what she looks like and I’m outta here.”

“We don’t know, but Blackwell will be sticking to her like Velcro. Shouldn’t be hard to ID her.”

“That it?”

The man nodded, held out Blackwell’s picture. “Better take this.”

“Don’t need it. I’ve got a photographic memory and a mind like a steel vault. I never forget
anything
.” He made sure the veiled threat was obvious, smiled inwardly when the man’s expression tightened in apprehension.
That’s right, asshole. I can get to you anywhere, anytime, and kill you without you even knowing I’m there.
Maybe he’d off this guy once the job was done. The thought cheered him up considerably.

The man shifted in his seat, breaking eye contact. “I’ll call you—”

“No, you won’t. That’s now how I operate. I say when, and I call the shots from here on out.” Rick took the folder, slid out of the booth. “I’ll contact you once I find them,” he said over his shoulder as he walked away. He shoved the door open and stepped out into the muggy night air.

Tucking the paperwork into his leather jacket, he fired up his bike then headed back to the clubhouse. His gang brothers didn’t know the kind of deep shit he was in, but they could at least help him find Blackwell and the woman.

He had to do this, he reminded himself as he sped south toward the highway. He had no choice. Killing the woman was his only shot at getting free of the Obsidian Lord, because the bastard owned him body and soul.

Daegan knew the instant the need awoke Liv. One moment she was sleeping peacefully, and the next she jerked in his arms and sucked in a sharp breath. He could already feel the unnatural heat coming from her skin when she turned her head to look at him.

“Daegan?” she mumbled sleepily.

“I’m here.” Steeling himself, he stroked his palm over her silky shoulder, down her arm. This wasn’t working, and he was hard as a spike against his fly. Even though he’d known it would only prolong the inevitable, part of him had still hoped he could relieve her intense need without actually bonding to her.

It looked like that wasn’t going to be an option. God help them both.

Liv shivered and rolled to face him. Her arms wound around his back, breasts pressing against his naked chest. She made a soft sound, rubbing her hard nipples against him. In the faint light coming through her bedroom window, he could see the feverish glint in her eyes. Sweet Jesus. He didn’t know if he had the strength to hold back this time.

“It’s not going away,” she whispered, arching into him. “Why isn’t it going away?”

His hands were unsteady when he threaded them into her thick hair. “Because you’re still in your Heat Cycle, and the hormones are in the highest concentration during the night.” He withheld the rest, though he felt like a shit for hiding even a little of the truth from her. But she couldn’t handle it right now, and he’d be damned if he’d take advantage of her weakened state.

“How long does it last?”

“Depends.”

“Is there a way to make it stop?”

He hesitated. This was dangerous territory, but he’d promised he’d never lie to her. Withholding information was one thing, but outright lying wasn’t okay. Either he stuck to that now or his words wouldn’t mean shit to her later on. “Yes.” Only he prayed to God it wouldn’t come to that.

“Make it stop,” she begged, her voice a mere whisper, laced with exhaustion.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Daegan bent his head, begging for strength. His body was primed to explode. He wanted to fuck her hard until he couldn’t hold on anymore, bind her to him in the most elemental way possible. But he wouldn’t bond with her like this. He’d never force his mate into the same situation that had killed his mother. He’d vowed it to himself the day he’d buried her broken body in that lonely grave back in Ireland almost two centuries ago.

Shoving aside the ugly memory, he focused on the needs of his mate. His control was already tested to the limit with Olivia. Once he was inside her he didn’t know if he could hold back. Sure as shit he wasn’t going to be gentle about taking her. Already he could feel his incisors starting to sharpen against his inner lip. The driving urge to bond with her overrode everything else. If he fucked her he wasn’t sure he could stop himself from sinking his teeth into her skin and marking her forever. She was his, dammit, and he wanted the world to know it. But first he wanted everything she had to give.

Liv hummed in encouragement and rubbed against him, pushing his arousal to a dangerous level. Daegan pulled her close, kissed her deep and hard. A mate’s claim, an unspoken demand.

“I want you inside me.” She wrapped one leg around his hip as she nibbled on his bottom lip, bringing the damp folds of her sex against his pulsing erection.

Daegan clenched his jaw and bit back a snarl. As much as he’d love it, his cock inside her wasn’t what she really needed. But he’d do that if there was still a chance of breaking her Heat Cycle some other way than marking her.
Please God, let this work.

Fighting for control, he pulled out of her embrace to collect himself as he grabbed his jeans. He took a condom from his wallet, put it on, steeling himself for the most brutal test of his self-control. When he stretched out atop her, Liv made a frustrated sound and twined around him, bringing his aching cock flush against her slick folds. He hissed in a breath, shook his head sharply. She was too beautiful, too sexy. And this was dangerous as hell.

“Hold still.”

She did, her fingers digging deeper into his back.

He moved into position, levering up on his arms to see her face, wanting to see every expression that flickered through her eyes. Setting his jaw, he pushed the tip of his erection into her. Her body closed tight around him, encasing him in smooth heat.

Liv gasped and held her breath, watching his eyes.

Fighting the need to plunge in and jackhammer his hips until he came, he eased into her delectable body inch by agonizing inch.

With a throaty moan she arched her back and wrapped her legs around his hips. When he was all the way in her lashes fluttered, finally resting against her flushed cheekbones. A soft sigh escaped her. Her body stretched around him so perfectly, hugging every last millimeter of him in a tight grip.

Sweat broke out over his forehead.
Hang on. Hang on.

She moved before he was ready for it.

Her hands clutched at his back as her hips pistoned in a hard, quick stroke. An erotic gasp spilled from her lips. Daegan squeezed his eyes shut. His body was on the verge of exploding but he instinctively thrust harder, deeper, taking control of the rhythm. Fast, sharp strokes that buried him as deep as he could go. Beneath him, Liv lifted into his movements with a feral cry. He could feel how close she was to coming. Could hear it in her quick, shallow breaths and sounds of enjoyment.

Helpless in the grasp of the most intense pleasure he’d ever known, Daegan dropped his head and began nuzzling the side of her neck. She let out a sob, moving restlessly under him, arching her head back. Both her hands slid into his hair, fisted tightly, holding his mouth against the fragile skin of her throat.

“Liv,” he groaned, trying to hold back. She had no idea what she was doing to him. What her body was demanding. The edges of his top incisors were sharp against his lower lip. He wanted to bite her. Needed to.

Daegan captured her head between his hands and got lost in the haze of sensation as he moved within her, kissing the side of her neck. He licked the smooth flesh beneath his mouth, reveling in her wild response.

“Mmm,
there
,” she insisted hoarsely, rubbing against his lips.

He dragged the sharp edge of his teeth along her skin, both a warning and an erotic punishment. She jerked in his arms.

Daegan shuddered but kept pumping into her, dangerously close to orgasm. The pressure in his groin built until he thought he’d explode. He had to pull away from her neck. Right now, before it was too late.

But Liv held him fast, desperately seeking something from him that she didn’t understand. Something he needed to give her more than he needed to breathe. She tightened around him, gasping with pleasure, her hips rocking against his. Her moans became louder, rougher.

Daegan pressed soft kisses to her cheeks, her lips. A low sound of torment ripped free from her despite his efforts. He smelled the salt of her tears as it mixed with their combined scents. It pierced him. He couldn’t leave her like this. Couldn’t bear to let her keep suffering when he had the power to stop it.

You can’t. Don’t do it,
his conscience warned.

I have to. She’s
mine.

He fought the driving urge back, every muscle trembling with the effort. But his control began to slip. The animal inside him snapped at the bonds holding it captive. Hungry for freedom.

Liv was still frantic beneath him, straining for a release she couldn’t reach. He stroked inside her again and the sensual agony on her face destroyed him. After two more thrusts the orgasm slammed into him like a tidal wave. It took him under and blotted out everything else, wiping out coherent thought, leaving nothing but instinct in its wake. The ravenous beast inside him roared in victory, snapping the chains holding back its need to mark her.

* * *

Lost in sensation, Liv was dimly aware of the way Daegan’s muscles corded as he found his release, his strangled roar of ecstasy against her neck.

Triumph soared within her as she held him to her, but her body remained trapped on the brutal edge of orgasm. His luscious scent infused the room, enveloping her senses. Yet the powerful climax she sensed building eluded her. No matter how high he took her, her body wouldn’t let go. She shook in his arms, needing something more, ready to scream, to shatter.

His arms tightened around her. Holding the endless rhythm he’d started, Daegan lapped a spot on the side of her neck that made her see stars, nibbled tenderly for a moment. He was still rock-hard inside her, stroking the delicate nerve endings that made her shiver and writhe. His angle and pace were perfect. At the end of every in-stroke his body caressed the pulsing knot of her clitoris. She strained to meet his thrusts, tightening around the hard length that stretched her inner walls so deliciously. The ecstasy intensified until she wanted to shriek.
Oh God, so close.

He sucked gently at her skin for a moment, but then started to lift his head.
No!
Liv moaned in protest, dug her fingers into his scalp.
There
, she silently begged him.
More
.

He groaned, shook his head like a man in torment. Tugged harder against her grip. He was shaking in her embrace. Straining to hold back. She didn’t want him to.

“Yes,” she whispered, eyes squeezed shut. He was erotic perfection against her sensitized skin, filling her so exquisitely. So heartbreakingly tender and unselfish with her despite his size, his obvious hunger. But she needed something more now. Something darker. More possessive. “Harder,” she urged breathlessly.

In answer he bent his head to nip at her neck. Something sharp scraped over her. The slight sting sent a ripple of heat over her skin. He drove into her body in a slow, firm stroke and rubbed his pelvis against her to caress her clitoris as he bit down a little harder. Her inner muscles clenched around him, making her whimper brokenly.

On a ragged groan he licked her neck, as though savoring the taste of her skin. She shuddered. The need was too much. A raging fire in her veins.

“
Daegan
…”

He shook his head again, harder this time, then pulled away. “No. I can’t. You don’t understand.” His voice was rough, ragged. Almost pleading.

Liv only heard the unspoken pain in his words and held on tighter, bringing his mouth against her flesh again. Whatever he was holding back from, she sensed they both needed it.

“Stop,” he panted, trembling in her hold even as his teeth grazed her skin.

Sensing his weakening resolve, Liv arched her neck and rubbed against his mouth. A rough growl shot out of him. Goose bumps erupted all over her body, but she didn’t let up. Rough sex wasn’t normally her thing, but she wanted it from Daegan right now. Whatever this was, he needed it as much as she did. His unsteady breaths were hot against her skin.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Without warning his hands gripped her head tight, twisted it to the side. She gasped as a ribbon of fear slithered through the arousal. Her throat was exposed to his mouth, his grip implacable. Her heart thudded hard against her chest wall as she hung there, waiting. A low, primal snarl ripped out of him and he bit down. Hard.

Her body exploded. The sudden stab of pain in the side of her throat was instantly dimmed by the rush of pleasure. In the space of a heartbeat the intense sting of his teeth faded to a burn, then disappeared under the brutal orgasm. She cried out as the climax ripped through her in an endless torrent of sensation, leaving her limp and gasping for breath.

When it ended she could barely breathe. Daegan had her pinned against the mattress, her head still trapped between his strong hands as he tenderly sucked at the spot he’d bitten. Soothing the sting away. His tongue flicked at her ever so softly, sending delicious aftershocks rippling through her exhausted body.

Liv melted into a boneless puddle and tipped her head back, enjoying the pleasurable little waves that shuddered through her each time he drew on her skin. She ran her fingers through his thick hair while he stayed like that, a feeling of complete contentment washing over her.

A minute later he gently nuzzled the side of her neck, pressing a lingering kiss there before raising his head. His eyes glittered like aquamarines in the dimness. She smiled and stretched beneath him, loving the feel of his warm weight atop her. She felt like a sleepy cat ready to nap in a sunny window.

Only he didn’t smile back. His unreadable expression made her feel strangely bereft, like he was shutting her out though he was still buried deep inside her.
Oh, no you don’t. Not with me.

Lifting her head from the pillow, she kissed him. Her tongue entered his mouth to caress his and she caught the faint coppery tang of blood. She pulled back, frowning. God, was that his blood or hers? Had he actually pierced her skin? No, he couldn’t have. He hadn’t been that rough.

She peered up at him, wondering if he’d bitten his lip. “Are you bleeding?”

His jaw flexed as he shook his head.

She flicked her tongue over her lower lip again, certain she’d tasted blood. Something wasn’t right. Despite his orgasm, he wasn’t relaxed at all. His big body was almost vibrating against her. Muscles tensed to the point of snapping. And he was still fully erect inside her. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

Jaw clenched, he stared back and nodded.

His silence was starting to unnerve her. Worried, Liv cupped his stubbled cheek with one hand, smoothed the other over the taut muscles along his spine. The need to soothe him was overwhelming. “You don’t feel all right.” She was sure he’d come earlier. Was he ready for more already? She’d love to make him come again.

Before she could ask, he eased back and withdrew from her body. His face twisted with a grimace of what looked like pain as he pulled out of her.

His sudden withdrawal made her feel empty and alone. Wanting to soothe him, craving his warmth and weight again, Liv sat up and tried to draw him back. “Daegan, let me—”