THE OUTLAW’S BRIDE Page 65

  “Of course,” Lucky immediately replied. “I’ll talk to you later,” she said, turning so she could give Riley a discrete wink.

  Fiona closed the door once Lucky entered, making sure it was firmly closed.

  “Are you feeling better now that you talked to your brother?” Lucky asked, falling back onto the bed.

  Fiona grabbed Lucky’s wrist, pulling her up into a sitting position. “I need your help,” she demanded.

  “What do you mean?” Lucky said, confused. “Help with what? With Ace?”

  “No, not Ace,” Fiona said bitterly. Ace wasn’t any help at all right now. “I need help with my brother. He just called me to tell me that Alexei and Vlad found where he was hiding out.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Lucky exclaimed. “Is he okay?”

  Fiona bit her lip, trying to keep the tears from overflowing. “I don’t know. He was talking, then I heard screams, then…then…there was a gunshot. Maybe more than one, I can’t remember,” she said, now openly crying.

  “We’d better tell Ace!” Lucky said, getting up from the bed.

  “No!” Fiona cried, grabbing Lucky’s arm to stop her. “He can’t do anything about it. He won’t do anything about it,” she said, correcting herself. “I’m the only one who can help my brother right now, and if we tell Ace, he’s just going to keep me locked in here while my brother is out there, dying.”

  “Ace’s just trying to keep you safe,” Lucky said.

  “Why?” Fiona asked. “It’s obviously not because he cares about me. He made it very clear to me that he’s moved on. He even told me to do the same.”

  “Well, that’s just plain not true,” Lucky said, rolling her eyes and sitting back down on the bed. “Ace’s obviously crazy about you—that’s why the gang is so pissed off. He’s putting you over everyone else. Whatever he told you, it’s not true.”

  “I wish I could believe that,” Fiona muttered. “Either way, it doesn’t matter,” she added, louder. “I’m the only one who can help Niko. Will you help me?”

  Lucky looked around. “Who are you talking to? Because I know you don’t expect me to walk into the lion’s den next to your crazy ass.”

  “No, I don’t,” Fiona said. “I need your help busting out.” She nodded towards the door.

  “Well, that’s a different story, then. What’s the plan?” Lucky asked.

  “I feel skeezy asking, but do you think you could…y’know…distract Riley?” Fiona asked hesitantly. “I only ask because I thought I caught him looking at you that way when you came in earlier.”

  “Oh yeah?” Lucky said, a grin spreading across her face.

  She was absurdly pleased to find out that Riley was giving her looks behind her back. Fiona was giving her a look right now, but it was a very odd one. Lucky quickly stopped smiling.

  “Um, yeah, I could try to do that,” Lucky said in what she hoped was casual, but not too casual, manner. “He’s pretty quiet, though, so who knows if it’ll work.” Yeah, right, she thought to herself.

  “Right,” Fiona said slowly, still staring at Lucky. “Anyway, if Alexei is driving Niko back from Boston—”

  “They will be,” Lucky interrupted, reassuring her. “Crowds, security—it’s too hard to fly with a hostage.”

  “Okay, that gives me some time,” Fiona said. “So, if you could distract Riley early tomorrow morning, maybe say you came to check on me or something?” she suggested. “Then I can sneak out and go rescue my brother.”

  “What if Ace wants to check in on you after you’re gone? You’ll need someone to keep him busy,” Lucky pointed out.

  Fiona scoffed. “I don’t think that will be a problem. He’d have to care to want to check in on me.”

  Lucky rolled her eyes, ignoring Fiona’s comment. “You need a backup plan. Lianna could help.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to tell anyone that’s going to tell Ace.”

  “You can trust Lianna. I promise,” Lucky assured her.

  Fiona bit her bottom lip. “Okay, but no one else,” she warned. “It’ll get back to Ace and he’ll try to stop me. Alexei and Vlad grabbed Niko from my uncle’s place, so I need at least thirteen hours, ten if they’re really pushing it.”

  “Okay,” Lucky said. “When I leave, I’ll mention to Riley that you’re tired and don’t want to be bothered. Maybe that’ll keep anyone else out who thinks of visiting you.” She stood to leave, then stopped suddenly. “Wait! How are you going to get to…wherever you’re going? Where are you going? Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all…” Lucky was beginning to have second thoughts. “How are you going to do anything if you’re all by yourself?”

  “If you’re worried about me being on my own, don’t be,” Fiona said. “I’ve been taking care of my brother by myself half my life; I’m used to it. As for a ride, you guys aren’t going to hold Bobby here the whole night, right?”

  “You’re going to ask that kid to come back here early tomorrow morning after the late night you just put him through?” Lucky said.

  “Don’t judge me,” Fiona said flatly, her temper rising. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to get my brother back home safe and sound, and don’t you dare tell me that if it were someone you cared about, you wouldn’t do the exact same thing.”

  Lucky thought about Riley, the man she loved, who stood only ten feet away on the other side of the door, and she knew Fiona was right.

  “All right,” Lucky sighed. “I’m going to get in so much trouble,” she muttered to herself.

  “Thank you, Lucky,” Fiona said, giving the younger woman a warm hug. “I’ll never forget this.”

  Something tells me neither will I, Lucky thought.

  The next morning, Fiona woke early in anticipation. For the next half hour, she had her ear pressed up against the door, listening for Lucky’s approach.

  “Hey, hot-stuff,” Lucky said, strolling up to Riley. “How’s the hostage?”

  Riley raised an eyebrow at her. “I haven’t heard anything. She must still be asleep.”

  “It’s been an emotional couple of weeks for her. God knows I’d be sleeping hard after the time she’s had.”

  Lucky was tensely aware that Fiona was listening in on her conversation with Riley. Therefore, she was tasked with the difficulty of getting Riley into bed without seeming like they had done it several dozen times before.

  “Standing here all night must have you feeling a bit stiff,” Lucky said, rubbing her fingers up and down Riley’s arm slowly.

  “No. I am fine,” Riley said, quickly catching Lucky’s meaning. He was resolutely determined not to fall victim to his desires. Ace had ordered him to stand guard, and Fiona had already given one of them the slip.

  Poor Andrew, Riley thought, remembering the ridicule the huge man had faced upon returning to the house. He’s never going to live that one down.

  Ace had called Andrew after discovering Fiona was at the house and reamed the man out. Andrew had burst into the room, startling Melanie from what had been a very satisfying nap, and had come back to headquarters to a ruined reputation.

  “Come on, Riley, everyone’s still asleep,” Lucky whispered, stretching up on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. “We can make it a quickie. She’ll be passed out until noon; you’ll be back in a half hour, tops.”

  Lucky slid her hand down Riley’s broad chest to the front of his jeans. Slipping her hand into his pocket, her fingers found the outline of his long shaft. At her touch, it immediately began to harden and swell. Lucky smiled. She knew she was only a few deft movements away from convincing Riley to join her in her room.

  Lucky reached up to press her lips to the hollow of Riley’s throat—a spot she knew he loved. His large hands came down to meet around her waist, drifting lower and lower until he could cup her ass.

  Lucky moaned into him, her hand gripping his cock through his pants. Riley tweaked her nipple in response, lightly flicking her nipple ring the way he knew she liked. Lucky moaned again,
louder this time.

  Fiona, still listening in, blushed and stepped away from the door, embarrassed to be overhearing her friend in such an intimate setting.

  Lucky unbuckled Riley’s belt, tugging on one of the ends as she pulled him towards her room. “Let’s go,” she said, panting with desire, an eager grin on her face.

  At this point Riley didn’t even know who Fiona was, let alone that he was supposed to be guarding her. Plucking at the buttons on Lucky’s shirt, he followed her into the room, kicking the door shut behind him.

  The second the door closed, Lucky jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and pushing his jeans down with her feet. Riley met her enthusiasm by unhooking her bra and taking her breast into his mouth, his tongue encircling the metal piercing.

  “Oh fuck, Riley. You know just how I like it,” Lucky said, smiling sweetly down at him.

  Riley dumped her onto the bed, chuckling as he climbed on top of her. “Of course. I know everything you like,” he said, looking deep into her eyes.

  Lucky let out a soft, satisfied sigh as he entered her. She hooked her arms around his neck, letting him fill her body. They moved together, Riley murmuring in her ear as Lucky climbed higher and higher.

  She came, Riley following barely a moment later. They pressed their foreheads together, panting as they smiled at one another.

  Riley rolled over onto his back, pulling Lucky in close to his side. “That was amazing,” he said, kissing her forehead. He closed his eyes. After the stressful week everyone had been having, that was exactly what he needed. He let out a deep sigh, satisfaction sweeping through his body.

  He drifted off to sleep, feeling the pulse of his lover’s heartbeat against his chest.

  ***

  Fiona cautiously opened the door, cringing when the hinges squeaked. Screamed, more like it, Fiona thought, glaring accusingly at the offending hardware.

  She paused outside one of the rooms, hearing the familiar noises of two people locked in the throes of a passionate tryst. Fiona’s stomach twisted, remembering how only a few days ago, Bobby had been sent to tell her and Ace to keep the level down on their own rendezvous.

  Fiona began to carefully make her descent down the steps when the stair beneath her foot groaned loudly. She froze, holding her breath, waiting to see if anyone had heard the seemingly deafening sound. At the base of the steps, a face appeared around the corner. It was Lianna.

  She held up her hands, motioning for Fiona to stay where she was. Lianna looked into the room to her left, then waved her hand for Fiona to continue down the stairs, holding one finger to her lips.

  Fiona got to the first floor without any more problems, thankfully. She looked into the side room to see Ace sleeping on the couch and suddenly she was very, very grateful for Lianna’s help.

  “Thanks,” she breathed once Lianna had led her past the living room, to the back door of the house.

  “Don’t worry about it—it’s nothing none of us wouldn’t do for each other,” Lianna said, checking over her shoulder to make sure Ace hadn’t suddenly materialized behind them. “Bobby’s parked in the alley at the end of the block. I’ll do my best to keep Ace occupied when he wakes up, but there are no guarantees,” she warned Fiona.

  “I’ll take whatever I can get,” Fiona said.

  “Then take this,” Lianna said. She opened the top drawer of the kitchen cabinet. Inside were two guns, the smaller of which Lianna pulled out and handed to Fiona. “Do you know how to work it?” she asked.

  “Make sure the safety is off and pull the trigger?” Fiona said.

  “Basically,” Lianna agreed. She leaned back to glance out the window; everyone was still outside, but Fiona needed to hurry. “Keep the safety on until it’s time to use it. Otherwise you’ll end up shooting your tits off.”

  “Thanks again, Lianna,” Fiona said, hugging her tightly.

  Lianna hugged her back until she heard movement from upstairs. Someone had woken up and was walking down the steps. “Go!” she whispered roughly, pushing Fiona out the front.

  Fiona stumbled across the back porch and down the steps, nearly falling flat on her face. Righting herself, she looked up the alley one way, then the other, trying to spot Bobby’s car. The early morning sun blinded her, making it difficult to pick out the old Toyota. A car at the end of the road started its engine, tapping its brake lights and catching Fiona’s attention.

  She jogged down to the end of the block, double checked that it was, in fact, Bobby behind the wheel, and hopped into the car.

  “Hey, Mrs. Connor,” Bobby said, nervously checking his rearview mirror.

  “Just call me Fiona, Bobby,” she tiredly replied. Fiona was terrified; she had no idea what she was going to do, or how she was going to do it, and the last thing she needed right now was to be constantly reminded of Ace and his betrayal.

  “Okay, Fiona,” Bobby said, her name feeling awkward and uncomfortable in his mouth. “Where are we going?”

  Fiona didn’t reply for a long minute—she needed to think.

  Niko won’t even be inside the city limits for another three hours. How do I get Alexei to come to me before he can hurt him?

  Her plan was simple: get Alexei to come to her, then blow his brains out. Fiona knew that as long as Alexei was out of the picture, Niko would be safe. Anything that happened after that was just collateral.

  “I need to go home,” Fiona said flatly.

  Bobby stared at the townhome as he pulled into the driveway twenty minutes later. The garage was demolished, the windows were boarded up, and bullet holes were lodged in the siding. “You’re going to stay here?” Bobby asked doubtfully. “I don’t know, Mrs. Con—I mean, Fiona. I never thought I would say this, but Mr. Connor’s house seems like a safer place for you to be.”

  Fiona opened the car door and got out. “I’m not looking for safe. I’m looking for my brother.” She leaned onto the car door, peering at Bobby through the open window. “Thanks for everything, Bobby. I hope we see each other again.”

  Waving goodbye as he backed the car out of the drive, Fiona sighed and turned to go inside, carefully checking to make sure she still had the gun in her bag. Even though Alexei wasn’t supposed to be back for another couple of hours, Fiona wanted to search her home top to bottom for the man, just in case.

  Once she was satisfied that she was the only one in the house, Fiona began to scope out the best vantage point for her to carry out her plan. The problem was it all depended on which way Alexei decided to enter the house, and Fiona didn’t know how to predict that.

  She was sitting in her bedroom, trying to get inside the mind of a sociopathic Russian mobster, when she heard a car outside. Fiona panicked immediately, thinking it was Alexei come early.

  Calming herself, Fiona remembered that Alexei still didn’t know she was here. So who could it be? Not Ace, or I would have heard his bike instead of a car. Bobby? Did he forget something?

  Holding the gun at her side in a tense grip, Fiona carefully tiptoed her way to the front entrance. There was a small window near the top of the door which allowed Fiona to see the top of someone’s head—someone who had very shiny, straight black hair.

  Fiona threw open the door, grabbing Melanie’s wrist and yanking her inside.

  “Hey!” she protested. “Watch it, I bruise easily.”

  “What are you doing here?” Fiona hissed. “You can’t be dropping by whenever you feel like it! It’s not safe!”

  Melanie abruptly stopped rubbing her pained wrist and gave Fiona a cold look. “Funny, that’s exactly what I came here to tell you.”

  “How did you even know I was home?” Fiona asked, peeking through the door window for overly observant neighbors.

  “I didn’t,” Melanie said, annoyed. “When you didn’t call me, again, I made my rounds. I stopped by Ace’s, but when Lianna answered the door, she just slammed it in my face, the fucking bitch. I took that to mean you weren’t there.”

  Fiona sigh
ed. “Sorry. It’s not Lianna’s fault. She probably just didn’t want Ace to see you.”

  “And why would that be a problem?” Melanie asked confusedly.

  “Because I sort of escaped this morning,” Fiona confessed.

  “Why are you escaping from your boyfriend’s house?”

  “He’s not my boyfriend!” Fiona snapped, her eyes flashing. Melanie raised an eyebrow, and Fiona’s lip began to tremble. “You were right, okay?” Fiona said. “Ace was just using me. He made that very clear last night. So, go ahead, say ‘I told you so.’”

  Melanie wrapped her arms around her friend. “I think you’ve had it bad enough that you don’t need me rubbing your face in it.”