Unbridled and Unjustified [The Double Rider Men's Club 11] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (14 page)

“Shit. I’m really sorry Ava Campbell got mixed up in this mess.” Jake wiped a hand across his mouth. “It never even dawned on me that anyone else would get a copy of the picture. Especially not the monsters who killed Sasha and her husband in the first place. The photo was supposed to be locked up with the closed case.”

Clay tried to be reassuring. “I’m not blaming you. Shit happens. I’m just saying we need to do all we can to help Ava Campbell.”

“Are we sure the explosion wasn’t an accident? Could it have been a gas leak at her home or something? I know it’s a huge coincidence.”

“Nope. Not an accident.” Clay handed him a paper. “I have a friend who had access to the initial reports completed right after the explosion. The whole house was wired with enough explosives to bring it down completely. If it had been a gas leak, according to those in the know, the explosion would have covered a wider blast radius and damaged things in a different way. No, the house imploded on itself. Anyone inside the structure would be dead with minimal damage to the perimeter of the home. I believe this was done by a professional with an agenda”

“A professional. Like a hitter?”

“Yes.” Clay nodded. “Who might have hired the assassin for this particular job? A high-profile job in the middle of Arkansas guaranteed to generate news, rumors, and quick knowledge of any bodies inside the house?”

Jake shrugged. “Got to be a member of the crime family or whoever blew up my witness Sasha and her husband a year ago, right? If they also got a hold of the picture and thought that she maybe got away, there’s no question that they’d hire a big gun to take her out. They don’t believe in loose ends.”

“Can you make me a list of assassins they might have hired?” Clay handed him a pad of paper and a pen.

“Yes. From memory. There are only a few in their permanent employ doing any killing for them. But they might have used any number of guys to do an out-of-town job.” Jake pushed the legal pad back across the table.

“Well, we have to start somewhere. Let’s start with any you know have done jobs for the family Sasha would have testified against.”

Jake nodded. “Okay. Then beyond their own local ‘wet work’ guys, there are only a few professional names these mobsters have been known to use for more long-distance hits. The one most usually associated with this group unfortunately never uses bombs to kill. He prefers knives because he likes to see a lot of blood. Next in line is a Danish guy. He uses any means necessary to kill, but I heard that he just got released from jail a couple of days ago on a disorderly conduct charge of some sort, with the help of the mob’s lawyer. Regardless, he didn’t have time to get here.”

“So that leaves who else?”

“My money’s on Demetrius Barkova. He’s been around forever. And he loves to blow shit up. I thought he’d retired a while back, but a house bomb is exactly his MO. He’s the one we think blew Sasha’s house, although we’ll likely never prove it. He also enjoys blowing up the vehicles of his victims on occasion. Not like a car bomb incinerating the entire vehicle, but he’ll blow the brakes or key engine parts and cause catastrophic failure.”

Clay had a bitter flash of memory. His wife had been killed in a car after her brakes failed due to a minor explosion. Riding along with her had been their partner Mark. Neither had survived the crash. During the investigation, they’d discovered Clay’s house had also been wired with some premium explosives. The familiar name Demetrius Barkova circled his mind. Barkova’s name had come up back then in relation to his wife and partner’s murder, but had been quickly dismissed.

He had a lot of enemies, but Clay hadn’t ever had any association with the criminals that used Barkova as a professional killer. It was possible, however unlikely, that Demetrius had done it as a freelance job for someone, but Clay had never found any shred of evidence to support that long-ago theory. He’d been dropped from consideration.

Thinking about Larissa and Mark and their tragic end put Clay in a dark place. A place he couldn’t afford to visit. He and Jake needed to focus on this problem. Clay settled himself and found a calm place. In order to move forward with Jake, he’d vowed to let that darkness go.

Long ago, someone who hated him had attempted to kill him, but instead had caused the death of his loved ones. Clay had spent way too much time looking over old scores that might have wanted him dead, only to find absolutely nothing. No one on the planet, it seemed, had put a hit out on him. At least not as near as he could find out.

After several years, the anger dissipated bit by bit. He didn’t want to be in revenge mode all the time. He couldn’t keep looking for the unknown killer without allowing retribution to conquer his soul. Revenge wasn’t sustainable as a life choice. Clay didn’t want to get lost in the insidiously dark place where retribution thrived.

So he’d moved on.

He poured his energies into the DRMC to soothe his anger and redirect his focus to more positive pursuits.

Recently, after a long time alone, he’d reconnected with his old friend Jake, the man who’d introduced him to the ménage way of life long before his marriage.

Together they were starting a new life with the DRMC as the backdrop of the lifestyle they wanted to enjoy. No revenge was allowed in the new life he’d created.

The only thing they currently lacked was the perfect woman to share permanently. He had no doubt they’d find her. Eventually. Once all of this mess with Ava Campbell, Troy, and Declan was resolved, he and Jake would make a more assertive stance to find a woman to forge a trio and enjoy their unique ménage lifestyle to its fullest.

Jake snapped his fingers near Clay’s head. “Where are you, man?”

Clay shook his head, clearing the fantasy that was so close he could almost taste it. “I’m here. I’m just operating on zero sleep. Sorry if I drift off occasionally.”

“No problem.” Jake’s face sobered. “This is my fault anyway. I should have let the search for Sasha go when the case closed.” He sent a troubled gaze to Clay. “She was so frightened about testifying, you know? Scared for herself. Scared for all the rest of her family.” He shook his head as if the memory of her fright still rattled around with unwanted clarity in his head.

“That’s understandable.” Clay certainly understood his need to verify her death.

Jake kept talking. “When her house blew up and she was killed, I felt like I let her down. My boss talked her into testifying. I didn’t stop him. We needed her to make our case. When her home exploded before we took her into our custody, it almost destroyed me. After it was all over and I was almost past it, the damn computer spit out that photo, and a possibility was born. One I couldn’t ignore. The glimmer of hope that she somehow managed to escape to the US was so slim I should have ignored it. I wanted her to be alive more than anything, but deep down I knew she was dead.”

“It happens.” Clay shrugged. “I
get
wanting to be sure about it.” He also didn’t want his friend to beat himself up about something he knew in his heart he would have also done, to be certain.

Jake’s expression bordered on self-loathing. “I let a witness get to me, that was my first mistake. The second was getting caught up in finding her after the computer found that picture. I should have destroyed that fucking photo and let it end.” He put a hand up, covering his eyes as a long sigh escaped his lips.

“I don’t blame you, Jake. In fact, given the circumstances, I probably would have done the exact same thing. You are allowed to be human regardless of all the training we get to make us emotionless.”

His hand lowered enough that Clay saw his eyes. Jake allowed the barest of smiles to finally surface. “Thanks, Clay.”

“No problem. And no regrets. Let’s move forward. What do we do now?”

Jake crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. “I’m not sure. I do know that the mobsters will not stop until they are assured she’s dead.”

Clay frowned. “Even if it isn’t her? They have to know Ava Campbell wasn’t your witness.”

He shrugged. “This may have started out as precautionary. But now they’ve come after her in a big way with a heavy hitter. The pro is the one we need to concern ourselves with. If the explosion had killed Ava, the family would have confirmation one way or another. No further action needed. But the assassin fucked up and missed. Trust me,
he
will keep going after her until he’s caught or he kills her. And if it is Demetrius Barkova who’s after her, then we’re screwed because he’s never been caught. Not ever.”

Clay drilled him with an intense look. “Well, then, perhaps we’ll have to find a way to fake her death.”

Jake shook his head. “I don’t know. It would have to be an amazing feat of skill. In fact I’d wager to say it would have to be a Hollywood-level faux demise. Barkova won’t be fooled easily.”

“Be that as it may. Our only
other
choice is to capture and detain an assassin who’s never been caught. Ever.”

Energized after the amazing sex with Declan, Ava was ready for round two when Troy drove to the rest stop and parked. He opened his door and said with a grin, “You don’t really have to give me a blow job. I just stopped to use the facilities.” Troy shut the door with a soft
thud
and left them alone.

Ava wasn’t fooled. Whether he wanted the blow job or not, he was getting it. She was delighted to pay up what she’d promised. The anticipation of it sent spirals of pleasure already coursing thought her veins in contemplation of wrapping her lips around his cock and making him come. Declan would glance at them through the rearview mirror as he drove and add an extra layer of excitement to the whole process.

Declan drained his coffee cup. He then picked up Troy’s foam container and drained it as well before settling into the driver’s seat.

Troy returned to the minivan and Ava lured him into the backseat with her instead of sitting in the front passenger seat. Bone-melting half smile on his beautiful mouth, he slid into the backseat next to her and put his attention on her face. She reached down and rubbed her hand over his zipper. She was rewarded with his growing cock beneath his trouser front in seconds. Troy’s head fell back against the headrest as she tempted him.

The thrill in being sexy enough to continually arouse the two of them was great for her battered ego where men were concerned. They both acted like she was the best they’d ever had each and every time they were together. Both Troy and Declan were singularly and together the best she’d ever even thought of having.

Once they weren’t running for their lives, she’d miss them. They’d certainly surpassed all the lovers of her past and likely spoiled her for any future men.

Troy’s cock was about to push through the top edge of his waistband before Ava stopped stroking long enough to free his dick from his pants. She stroked his cock one-handed, snuggled closer, and kissed his mouth.

Declan pulled the minivan out onto the highway once more and had them cruising in no time. Darkness still filled the windows as she worked to bring Troy’s cock to full staff.

“How far is it to this cabin of yours?” Declan asked as Ava stroked Troy’s swelling cock. His eyes slid shut, and he seemed to ignore the question. Troy cleared his throat finally and responded, “Just stay on this road for another ninety minutes or so. The turnoff is only a few miles past the border into Missouri. Look for a place called Jed’s Gas and Go. Turn right on the narrow, paved road just beyond it.”

Ava glanced at Declan’s smirk in the mirror. He then asked, “Do you think we should get gas before we arrive there?”

“Whatever.” Troy’s tone of voice was more distant, like he wasn’t really listening to Declan’s questions in favor of enjoying the coming experience.

“Is Jed’s an all-night gas station?” Declan asked with a laugh in his tone. “Oh, and how close is it to the cabin?”

“I…” He stopped talking and moaned when Ava moved her hand a little faster up and down as she gripped his massive cock.

Ava kissed her way down to Troy’s cock and slid his huge shaft between her lips as Declan then asked, “Troy, what about Jed’s Gas and Go?”

He moaned again as she began to suck. “Fuck, that feels…what did you ask?”

Declan huffed. “You aren’t even paying attention to me.”

Ava grasped her hand around the base of his cock, squeezed as hard as possible, and then deep-throated him as best as she could. “Jesus!” he exclaimed and put his hand on the back of her head.

“Wow, that looks incredibly enjoyable. I have a feeling you won’t answer any of my questions until she sucks you dry.”

Ava laughed and broke the suction.

“Shut up, Declan,” Troy finally said.

“Am I ruining your blow job?”

“Nothing could ruin this blow job.” Ava put her mouth over him again and sucked him deeply.

Declan kept talking. “She’s really good at it, as I recall from my personal experience back at the motel.” He then added, “I should have let her finish me and then fucked her.”

“Foolish of you to turn this down.”

“You’re right.”

Ava stopped sucking and lifted her head. “Do you want to have a conversation, or do you want me to suck your cock?”

“Definitely suck my cock,” he said with a grin.