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Chapter Twenty-Eight

MERRICK

Now that Colette is somewhat on the same page, and by that, I mean that I’ve informed her of what the fuck was really going on with her father and Ravet, she doesn’t seem surprised to know that her father essentially signed her over to the monster for a chance at becoming a big-time politician and then didn’t even get what he was going after.

Sounds about fucking right, too.

“What do you need me to do?” she asks.

I wish I could tell her that I want her to do nothing, not a goddamn thing, but I also know that this isn’t going to get solved without her. We need Ravet, and we need him not only taken care of but taken out.

“Grayson and Merrick are going to stay right here and handle this shit. The rest of us are going back to North Carolina to run the business, but at the same time, when the coast is clear and ready to go, Lucille is going to take care of the financial part.”

I wince hearing Lucille’s name, especially knowing what I asked her to do and keep secret. It’s not that I asked her to do anything terrible. It’s the keeping it a secret part, but I wasn’t ready to pull that trigger yet.

I fucking sure as shit am now.

Adriano can rot in fucking hell for all I care. I hope he does. I want to watch him burn for what he’s done to Colette.

And he will burn.

One way or another, I am going to watch Adriano Bellucci go fucking down.

“That sounds solid,” I state. “How do we lure him out of the shadows without getting taken care of in the process?” I ask.

Boden hisses and looks down at his shoes, no doubt thinking that this is going to be sketchy as fuck, and I agree. Vaughn clears his throat but stays otherwise silent, which also makes me believe that he’s not confident in this plan. I’m not either. To be honest, having a price on our heads is really changing this shit up and fast.

“I’m going to ask my father to contact him,” Colette announces.

Our heads all swing to the side, and our eyes find hers. She lifts her head slightly, her gaze flicking between us, and then I watch as she shifts her weight from side to side before she clears her throat and begins to speak.

“That is the fastest way to get Malcolm to appear from whatever darkness he resides in. I can call my father and ask him to set something up, maybe tell him that I want to apologize for disappearing.”

“He knows where we are,” Theron says.

“I personally don’t want to wait for him to come to us,” Colette says.

No. I don’t want to wait for him to come to us either. Because I know that when that happens, no matter how prepared I am, I will never be prepared enough. I will freeze just like Theron did. I know it. I’ve been waiting for this moment for far too long, dreaming of it, dreading it, anticipating it.

“Then, after the others leave, call him,” I say.

Colette’s gaze shifts between us. My lips twitch into a smirk. “And I’ll get you some clothes tomorrow,” I murmur before I close the distance between us.

Taking one step closer, then another, I lift my hand and wrap my fingers around the side of her neck. Leaning forward, I touch my mouth to hers. “Although, I would much rather you stay naked and in my bed,” I mutter.

I press my mouth to hers before I take a step backward and drop my hand from her face. My lips curve up into a smirk as I watch her. I cannot believe that she is mine. This beautiful, quiet little wallflower is my woman.

Except I’m not so sure she’s just a shy little wallflower, after all. I’m thinking that there is a lot more to her. Every moment that passes with this woman, she surprises me and shows me a new side of herself.

Naked and riding my dick is by far my favorite side of her.

The men pack up, and I send Colette to bed. I doubt she’ll fall asleep. I know I probably wouldn’t if I were her. But as Theron stands at the doorway of the hotel suite, his gaze meets mine, and he jerks his chin.

“You’re going to be good?” he asks.

“We’re going to be good.”

He dips his chin, his gaze lifting to mine. “Stay safe, brother.”

My lips twitch into a smirk. “You know I will. He couldn’t take us down back then, and he sure as shit is not going to take me down now. I don’t give a fuck what I have to do. I will come out of this alive.”

Theron lets out a low laugh. “Shit, yes, you will. Keep me posted, and come home soon.”

With that, they are gone, everyone except me, Colette, and Grayson. I close and lock the door behind them, then turn around to face Grayson. “I need a fucking drink,” I announce.

“Me too,” he agrees.

So, together, Grayson and I share a whiskey in silence as we think about all the fucking shit that is about to come our way—a whole goddamn shitstorm. I don’t know if I’m ready for it. But I’m going to drink until I am.

COLETTE

Merrick climbs into bed behind me. I don’t know what time it is, but I don’t care, either. I feel a hand slide down my arm, curling around my wrist, and then his lips touch my shoulder. I wasn’t asleep, couldn’t sleep without him. I turn in his arm and touch my mouth to his.

“You should be asleep,” he murmurs against my lips.

Sliding my foot up his calf, I hook my leg around his thigh before I gently push my body against his. He grunts as he rolls onto his back. I straddle him. I had wondered earlier if I should have put panties on or something before I came to bed, but now I’m glad I didn’t.

I can feel his hard length against my center, and I whimper as I lower my face and touch my mouth to his. Rolling my hips, I feel his hardness between my folds and sink my teeth into my bottom lip as I glide my clit along his smooth length. He doesn’t ask me to stop, doesn’t make a move to stop me.

I’m sure he’s ready to flip me onto my back and take me hard and fast the way he likes, but he’s giving me this. I don’t know why I need it, but I feel like I do. It’s not just a craving or a desire. It’s a flat-out need right now.

Maybe I need control. Maybe it’s because everything else around me right now is a chaotic catastrophe that I can’t do a damn thing about. Maybe it’s because I’m scared to lose the man I have done nothing but desire for so long again.

I can’t lose him again.

When I shift myself up slightly, Merrick reaches for his length and positions himself at my center. With my gaze focused on his, I slowly sink down, taking all of him inside of me. Closing my eyes, I hiss as he stretches me and stops when I’m fully seated.

“Fuck,” Merrick grunts.

Fuck is right.

“Look at me when I’m inside of you, Colette.”

Tipping my chin down, I open my eyes and look at him. He’s beautiful, this man who consumes me. This man who fills me. I am so in love with him, and at the same time, I feel like I don’t even know him.

He’s this beautiful man who I was married to for a few months. This gorgeous stranger has consumed me since the moment I laid eyes on him. His fingers grip my hips as he holds on to me, digging into my flesh, remarking the fingertip bruises he’s already left there.

“Move, baby,” he urges.

But I don’t want to, because moving is going to speed this up. It’s going to mean that this moment will be over sooner rather than later. I want to stay right here, full of him, stretched and complete… inside and out.

Pressing my palms against his chest, I dig my nails into his muscles there, biting the corner of my lip before I shake my head from side to side.

“I don’t want to,” I lie.

Because I do want to.

My body craves movement right now, but in my head, I know that it will be over and done with far too soon. An hour would be too soon. A day would be too soon. I could stay here for a lifetime, and it wouldn’t be long enough.

Slowly, my body begins to betray my mind and starts to move, no matter how much control I try to take over myself. I’m terrible at the control aspect when it comes to Merrick. I have been since day one.

My hips roll, and his fingers flex at the same time my nails dig farther into his chest. I still want to trace his tattoos with my tongue, but I can’t think about that right now. My focus is on trying to hold back my orgasm because the way I’m feeling right now, a strong wind against my clit could possibly send me over the edge.

And I think it might.

I can feel myself climbing higher and higher with each roll of my hips. I’m so close to the edge, ready to tip over at any given moment. I don’t want to. I shake my head, careful not to look away from Merrick’s gaze. His eyes are on mine, connected, holding them as I continue to roll my hips.

“I’m not ready,” I whisper.

And I’m not. Mainly because I still want to stay here forever, even if my body is begging for release. My hips buck and jerk against my will. My back arches and my nails no doubt draw blood the moment Merrick’s thumb rubs circles against my clit.

I come.

Hard. Fast. Unrelenting.

My body is not my own. It’s uncontrollable as the orgasm consumes me, and then I collapse on top of him, nuzzling his throat as he continues to use my body to find his own release. I am a pile of mush, of muscle and skin and nothing else as he holds on to me, burying himself inside of me before he comes.

One of his hands slides up my spine, and a moan rolls throughout his body before he rasps. I almost don’t hear his voice, I almost don’t hear his words, but I do, and when I do, my heart flutters. I don’t know why he’s said it, and I’m far too exhausted to ask. My eyes slide closed as he says my name.

“I need you to have my baby, Colette.”