Page 101 of Direct Action

“No.”

“Two things,” he started. “One, the first time I hear you tell me you love me is when we’re in a fight in a room full of people. Two, you’re right. But actually that doesn’t piss me right the fuck off, it makes me want to hunt Blackwell down and tear his head off, because now I gotta do the last fucking thing I want to do and send you into the vipers’ den and pray to God when you leave you don’t have nightmares about it for the rest of your life. And check this, baby, listen real close, because if one fucking thing happens to you, one fucking person so much as touches a hair on your head, that’s exactly what I’ll do—rip their heads off.”

I didn’t need to listen closely to know he was deadly serious, though I’d been straining my ears to hear every word he said.

“I won’t have nightmares,” I told him.

“You better hope you don’t,” he returned.

“I won’t. I know I won’t because I’ll have you to give me sweet dreams.”

I watched his eyes slowly close. When they opened, he growled, and it was back to being the scratchy, rough, good kind. “Come here, Chloe.”

He still looked pissed way the hell off, yet I didn’t delay standing. And when I was within reaching distance, he lurched forward, his arm going around my middle to yank me against his chest.

Ryan held me tight. I held him back just as tightly. After a few beats, I felt his stiff body start to relax.

But I turned back to stone when Pete announced, “I’ll call Shep and get his friend to expedite jewelry for Chloe and Poppy.”

“I’ll pull the satellite maps and schematics for all of Blackwell’s properties,” Aiden put in.

“I’m taking Poppy home,” Gavin announced. “I’ll stay there and finish looking into the missing women Aiden found and see if I can connect them to any of the properties.”

I turned my cheek, resting on Ryan’s cheek, just enough to glance at Poppy. She gave me big eyes, looked up at Ryan, then back to me, and smiled.

She was happy for me. In the middle of a seriously bad situation, Ryan and I had found our way and were now together. Then in the middle of the dustup to end all dustups, which included Ryan copiously using the word motherfucker, he announced he loved me in conjunction with telling me to essentially shut up. So I got the big eyes. I’d also known her long enough to know her smile was mostly so she wouldn’t bust out laughing. Which, in the current climate, which was still charged with more than a trace of ferocity, wouldn’t go over so well.

“I’m taking Chloe home. We’ll be back in a few hours to strategize.”

“You can take one of the . . .” Pete trailed off when Ryan’s head turned in his direction. “Right,” he concluded on a snicker.

I couldn’t be a hundred percent positive what Ryan’s look communicated, though I was pretty positive, seeing as Pete sounded like he, too, was holding back laughter, that Ryan had clearly conveyed what our plans for the next few hours were.

Which worked for me since they aligned with my earlier thoughts. Though it was late, so I also hoped he’d factored in a nap before we drove back up to the mountains and strategized about sending me and Poppy into the vipers’ den. A place that scared the absolute shit out of me.

But I hadn’t lied. I could push through and be brave as long as I had Ryan watching out for me.

Chapter Thirty-Two

“Chloe,” I grunted my warning.

Her eyes tipped up, but the hand that was wrapped around my shaft kept jacking and her mouth kept working my cock.

Eyes that were hooded and totally turned on. I was close to coming, but seeing that, I changed my mind.

“Climb up, baby.” But I didn’t wait for her to follow my orders before I reached down and hauled her up. When she lost my dick, she made a cute, disgruntled sound that pushed me a shade closer to coming undone.

“Lean forward, hands on the headboard.” I guided my dick to her opening, but she did the rest and slammed herself down. I placed my hand on her hip to halt her movements, breathed deeply, and ordered, “Do not move.”

Once I got ahold of the need to let go, I slid my hand down, around, and slowly started thrumming her clit. Chloes hips jerked. I gritted my teeth and kept at her until her movement became agitated and her breaths were shifting into moans.

“I need to move,” she panted.

“Not yet. I need you close.”

“I’m close.” As if to punctuate her declaration, her pussy clenched.

“Want you closer, Chloe.”