Page 14 of The Sniper (Club Southside #9)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

DANIELS

T he Cerberus safe house was nothing more than a high-end townhouse in the outskirts of Chicago—anonymous, forgettable, and wired with enough security to keep a small army at bay. The kind of place where people disappeared, either for protection or because someone needed them off the grid. Tonight, it was the former.

Sebastian Rowe sat in one of the leather chairs in the living room, elbows on his knees, head bowed. He hadn’t said much since they’d gotten him here, and Daniels wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

Daniels barely felt the stitches Reyna had put in pulling at his side as he stood near the window, his back to the room, watching the shadows stretch across the empty street outside. He was wired too tight, the adrenaline from the fight still burning through his system. His ribs ached like hell, and his patience was razor thin.

Reyna had been quiet. Too quiet.

She stood by the fireplace, arms crossed, her posture deceptively relaxed. But Daniels knew better. Her shoulders were too stiff, her jaw locked tight. She hadn’t looked at him since they’d arrived, and that wasn’t like her.

Fitz and Anton would keep Rowe under wraps. The man might be good at keeping secrets, but whoever had tried to take him tonight wasn’t finished. The killer had slipped through their fingers, and now they were back to playing defense.

Daniels breathed out slowly, pushing away from the window. “We should head out. Fitz and Anton have him covered.”

Reyna nodded once, clipped. “Yeah.”

Still no eye contact.

Daniels bit back the urge to push her. He wasn’t sure how this night was going to go, but there was a storm brewing in her—he could feel it.

They left without another word.

Back at Cerberus headquarters, the silence hung between them as Daniels pulled the SUV into the underground parking garage. The moment the engine cut off, Reyna unbuckled and threw open the door, climbing out with a sharp, clipped movement.

Daniels took his time.

She was wound too tight. He was too damn tired. But neither of them was going to let this go.

By the time he stepped out of the vehicle, Reyna was already at the elevator, arms crossed, waiting. As the doors opened, she stepped inside and Daniels got in beside her, not speaking, letting the quiet stretch. The doors closed, and the enclosed space made it worse.

It wasn’t until they reached the private Cerberus floor and stepped into the war room that she turned on him.

“You were too slow.”

Daniels arched an eyebrow, leaning against the table. “Excuse me?”

“You were too slow,” she repeated, her voice sharp, controlled. “That knife shouldn’t have touched you. We should’ve been faster, should’ve had backup. Hell, I should have taken the shot earlier.”

Daniels inhaled slowly. He wasn’t in the mood for this, but he wasn’t about to let her run herself into the ground either.

“You did your job, Reyna,” he said evenly.

She shook her head, her hands curling into fists. “Did I? Because from where I was sitting, I let the fucking bitch get away. And you...”

Daniels watched her carefully. He could see it now—the frustration, the anger. But underneath it all, he recognized something else.

Guilt.

He straightened, crossing the space between them. “If I hadn’t taken that hit, I wouldn’t have gotten Rowe out of there in time.”

She lifted her chin, refusing to meet his eyes. “That’s not the point.”

“Then what is?”

Her breath hitched, barely, but he caught it.

And then she shoved him. It wasn’t much—just a hard press of her palms against his chest—but it sent a sharp sting through his side, making him hiss.

“Damn it, Reyna...”

“You could have died!”

The words burst out of her, raw and angry, and for the first time that night, she met his gaze. Her eyes were blazing, furious and full of something he hadn’t seen before.

Fear.

Daniels’ heart slammed against his ribs.

He didn’t move. Didn’t say a word. Just let her breathe through it, let her feel it.

And then, softer this time, “You could have died.”

His throat tightened. “I didn’t.”

She let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. “You don’t get it. You don’t...”

She turned away, pressing her hands to her face.

Something inside him cracked.

“Reyna…”

She dropped her hands, turning back to him, her expression vulnerable in a way he’d never seen before. “Just stop acting like this doesn’t matter. Like it’s just another op, another night, another near-death experience.”

“Stop,” he said. “You think I don’t know what this is doing to you? That I don’t see you shouldering every loss like it’s yours alone?”

Reyna clenched her jaw. “It is mine.”

“No.” He shook his head. “It’s ours .”

The room was quiet, too quiet, the tension between them felt like a coiled snake ready to strike. He was searching for something to say, something that would make her understand. But before he could come up with the right thing to say, she did something he never expected.

She stepped closer, pressing her hands to his chest again—this time, gentle. Testing.

Her hands slid up, fingers curling into the open collar of his shirt. “Say something.”

He couldn’t. Because if he did, he wouldn’t stop. He’d say things she wasn’t ready to hear.

Reyna let out a sharp breath, frustration warring with something deeper. “Damn it, Daniels...”

He kissed her. It wasn’t the soft, sensual kiss he’d thought it would be. It wasn’t careful. It was every unspoken word, every near miss, every moment of conflict that had ever come between them melded into the second his lips crashed against hers. The world tilted on its axis.

Reyna responded instantly, a desperate sound escaping her as her hands fisted his shirt. He pressed her back against the wall, his fingers threading through her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. She gasped, her body molding against his, and he swallowed the sound, pouring everything he couldn’t say into this moment.

It was fire, frustration, and longing. It was everything.

Daniels pressed Reyna against the wall, his hands sliding over the silky fabric of her burgundy dress. His breath mingled with hers as he found the hidden zipper, slowly easing it down. The fabric parted with a soft whisper, revealing a lacy bra beneath. With deliberate care, he slid the straps from her shoulders, letting the dress pool at her feet, his dark eyes never leaving hers as his fingers traced the newly exposed skin.

Daniels’ rough hands fondled her ass, his lips hot against her left cheek, so near her mouth. His tongue flicked out, touched the edge of her lip as his hands moved down to pull at the black lace thong she wore.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she managed to mumble.

“Then tell me to stop.”

He waited, but no words came. Those were perhaps the longest few seconds of his life. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if she did tell him to stop, but she didn’t. His hand slid between her legs, his fingers toying with the entrance to her sex, teasing her arousal and making her nipples stiffen under the thin fabric of her bra.

For a woman who was most at home in tactical gear and camo pants, Reyna had decidedly feminine taste in lingerie.

“Tell me why I want you so badly. You’re difficult, stubborn, mouthy… everything a sub shouldn’t be.” His lips moved to whisper the words in her ear, hot and so intense the movement made her shiver. “But so responsive. It’s getting to the point I can’t sleep at night anymore, because you’re there, in my dreams, tempting me, taunting me with that snarky mouth of yours and your challenging eyes. Fitz says you need to be tamed; hell, maybe he’s right.”

“Daniels, just shut up and get on with it, or I’ll find someone who can,” she responded, fanning the frustration that always seemed to be a part of their interactions.

So, she wanted him to get on with it? He knew he should take control, slow things down and make her work for what she wanted, but she was almost completely naked, and he didn’t think he had it in him to resist. Steeling himself, he backed away.

He sat down. “Over my lap.”

“I don’t do impact play.”

“You do now.”

“What are you? Some kind of caveman?”

“I’m your Dom, and I’m going to start giving you what you need instead of just what you ask for. Now, Reyna, assume the position. It’s a count of five. If you don’t stop arguing and start moving, I’ll add to it.”

Daniels could almost hear the wheels spinning in her head, deciding what she wanted to do. He’d never been more relieved in his life than when she sighed quietly and placed herself over his lap, her belly pressed against his hard cock. He gave her the time she needed to get settled, finding her place.

His hand came down in a swift motion, breaking the silence of the room with a loud smack. Her pale skin immediately turned pink, and she let out a small squeal. She squirmed slightly as he delivered another strike to her other cheek.

He gave her a light slap in the center of her backside before slipping his fingers underneath to make sure she was ready for what was to come. As he’d hoped, Reyna was already dripping wet and becoming more aroused by the second. He wasn't losing any heat, either; he could feel his erection pulsing against her heated flesh. He slid two fingers inside her without hesitation, taking advantage of how slippery and ready she was.

He watched as her back rose and fell unevenly with each breath, focusing on following his commands. Her skin was now a perfect shade of rosy pink and hot to the touch. She responded so well to his discipline. Maybe Fitz had been right all along? Maybe he had been misjudging her needs versus what she claimed she wanted? Unable to resist any longer, he pulled his fingers out and delivered two quick smacks to her ass. He couldn't wait any longer, he needed her now.

He rubbed her pinkened ass.

“You handled that well. Are you all right?”

“Yes, Sir.”

It was the first time she’d used that honorarium. It sounded like she actually meant it.

“If we fuck, there’s no going back. You have to tell me you want it, that you want my cock, or I’m going to back off. Tell me you want my cock,” Daniels whispered harshly, his hand moving up her spine to unhook her bra and remove it as well. Her nipples resembled little pebbles and seemed to be begging to be sucked.

REYNA

She didn’t want to admit she wanted him—didn’t want to have to say it, didn’t want to have to truly submit, mostly because she knew there would be no going back. She’d never thought she’d enjoy being spanked, but from the moment his hand connected with her ass, she’d felt everything inside her go soft and gooey. His fingers inside her felt so good, and she’d had to fight to keep from coming.

Her tongue came out, licking her lips, but she was still bent over his knee, clutching his leg for support. She knew if she said no or used her safeword, he would stop and most likely never touch her again. King’s wife, Samantha, had warned her that there would come a day when Daniels would draw a line in the sand, and she’d either have to give over or he’d walk away. He’d picked one hell of a day to draw that line.

She groaned—a helpless sound of pure need. “I want you, Daniels.”

“What was that? I didn’t hear you?” Daniels asked in that low Dom voice, making everything inside her quiver as he continued to stroke her.

She hesitated, so determined that he wouldn’t win, but Reyna was so close to coming on his fingers. She didn’t want him to stop. She needed that orgasm more than she’d ever needed anything.

“I want you, you asshole. I want your cock.” she gasped as the orgasm exploded deep inside her, sending pleasure straight into her brain as he helped her up and into his lap. She shook in his arms as he wrapped them around her.

Daniels waited, letting her settle, but she heard the satisfied groan he made. He lifted her off his lap, scooped up both Reyna and her clothing and cradling her in his arms, carried her to one of the safe rooms he knew was on the same floor. Closing the door behind them, he set her feet on the floor and bent her over the footboard of the bed. Reyna closed her eyes as he pulled his hips back just enough to unfasten his trousers. She didn’t protest when he pulled her hips back just enough to place his hard tip against her opening.

The moment he entered her, Reyna’s world narrowed to the raw intensity between the two of them. Here in this moment, there was no Rowe, no killer; there was just them. It was madness, this need to match his desperation with her own, to take whatever he offered and give just as fiercely. She pushed back against him, seeking more, each movement igniting sparks that danced through her system. The line between hatred and lust blurred until she couldn’t tell where one of them ended and the other began, only that she craved the collision of both.

“You’re too beautiful for your own good,” he said, his breath hot against her neck as he leaned over her, thrusting harder and faster. His hands were unyielding on her hips, keeping her pinned in place.

“Too stubborn.” A grunt punctuated his next thrust, and Reyna could feel the vibration of it echoing through her. “Maybe now you’ll shut up and listen.”

“Fat chance,” she shot back, half breathless, but her voice was lost under the sound of his movements and her own heartbeat thundering in her ears. She was ready to snap back with more venom when he landed a hard smack to her ass.

“Enough,” he snarled.

She might have persisted except for his hand slipping beneath her to tease her clit. The sensation was unexpected, intense, sending a jolt straight through her.

“Please,” she begged. He reduced her to that, and she didn’t care.

All she wanted was more—more of his dominance, more of his discipline, more of him. She groaned into the bedding, her body language making it clear what it was she wanted more of. She writhed against him, her face pressing into the cool comforter, feeling the soft texture against her cheek.

Daniels seemed to understand. He pulled her hips back, angling into her deeper, and she nearly collapsed from the pleasure of it. She could hear his breathing, ragged and heavy, each soft exhalation like a whisper of the storm raging within.

And then it happened. All at once, like a dam bursting, she climaxed, her entire body tensing then quivering in his arms. Her muffled cry was buried in the bedding, and for a few blinding moments, there was nothing else in the world but Daniels and the overwhelming sensations crashing over her.

Daniels’s grip on her hip was iron, relentless as he pushed her harder into the footboard. The cool surface was a stark contrast to the heat between them. His movements grew more urgent, desperate even, as if he were trying to prove something, or perhaps lose himself completely.

“Reyna,” he growled low, his voice strained with the effort of holding back.

She could feel him shaking—his cock swelling and beginning to twitch—the tremors that ran through his body now echoed in hers. And then, with a final thrust, he fell forward, groaning into her hair, his breath hot and ragged, his release pulsing deep within her. As she felt his cum splash inside the walls of her pussy, she was glad they both knew the other was free of any nasty illnesses, and that Reyna had been on birth control for many years. Club Southside had rules about that kind of thing.

As he pulled away, there was a rawness between them, something new that went beyond physical satisfaction. His touch lingered for a fraction too long, betraying a hesitation that didn’t fit with the man who always seemed so in control, as he stepped back and tucked his cock back into his trousers.

Reyna shook her head in disbelief. He’d just fucked her while she was completely naked, and he was fully clothed.

“This isn’t over,” he muttered, almost to himself, as if he were surprised by his own words.

She straightened up, turned and faced him. Her grin was instinctive, a defense mechanism against the vulnerability that churned inside her.

“In your dreams, Daniels,” she said, her voice laced with challenge. “In your dreams.”

There was a flash of something in his eyes, anger, desire, maybe both, as he lifted her up and settled her in bed before stripping out of his clothes and joining her there. Reyna turned away from him, but he hooked his arm around her waist and dragged her back so that she was spooned against him. For a moment, she wondered if he might put her back over his knee. The thin line between defiance and something dangerously close to submission had definitely been crossed.

Enemies? Lovers? Or something in between? Whatever twisted game they were playing, it didn’t matter. In that charged silence, with her heart still racing, Reyna knew one thing for certain: this reckless dance between them was far from over.