As I was about to head back into the bedroom, a figure came into view.
My breath hitched.
Coby stood at the end of the hallway, dressed casually in jeans, a white shirt and his black leather jacket. His hair had grown in some since the last time I saw him but what I noticed most, was the dark shadows casted over his face. I could only imagine that the mission hadn’t gone well. Not that they ever did.
Dropping his bag on the ground beside him, he waited, staring me down with that intense heat I had grown accustomed to.
Not giving him a chance to say anything, I ran toward him and jumped in his arms. I didn’t want words. I didn’t need them. I wanted his touch instead.
He lifted me, crushing his mouth to mine. It was rough, needy and bordered on desperate. It had been weeks since I touched him. Since I felt him. Any part of him.
Coby ran his hands through my hair, tugging my head back and fucked my mouth with his tongue.
I moaned, scratching my nails into his thick neck.
Slamming me up against the wall, he massaged and kneaded, his fingers moving over my body. He played me like an instrument, tuning me to the point of utter destruction.
A growl escaped him, his tongue sliding in and out of my mouth, dancing along mine. Our breath mixed as one. Our touch tangled and entwined together.
I whimpered, needing him inside of me before I completely lost it.
Coby cupped my rear, pushing his waist between my hips, and rubbed his erection over my aching center.
I cried out, reaching between us and undid his belt.
His lips curled up into a smile, his hot breath leaving him in short bursts of air.
He was giving me the control. For the moment, at least.
Pulling out his straining cock, I dropped myself on him, crying out at the thick but delicious invasion.
Coby snarled, sinking his teeth into my neck and thrust his hips upward.
Another cry escaped me, my eyes brimming over with tears at the delirious pain.
My sounds only made him fuck me harder.
Grabbing my knees, he pushed them up to my chest before pulling out.
I looked between us, watching his slick cock leaving my body and thrusting into me hard. My head slammed back against the wall.
His eyes darkened, his body hard and rigid. Something was wrong and he was using me to make him feel better. Well little did he know, that I was doing the exact same thing. It was a battle of who would let go first. Who would give up their control and who would jump over that delicious edge.
Coby leaned his forehead against mine, his breathing quickening. Sliding his fingers between mine, he pulled my hands above my head.
Tightening my thighs, I held on, letting him take from me what he needed.
He grunted, thrusting hard and fast. The veins of his cock, rubbed at my center, sliding in and out until I was a trembling mess.
Once. Twice. Three times before I fell.
I screamed, the unexpected burst of pleasure hitting me right in the center. His name left my lips on a hard cry.
A wicked grin spread on his mouth before he dropped me to the ground and spun me. Pushing my head against the wall, he thrust back into my body, lifting me with each powerful move of his hips.
“Oh, god,” I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. This angle was my favorite. I could feel every inch of him. His power. His strength. The most intimate parts of our bodies fusing together as he fucked me from behind.
He pulled me upright, wrapping his arms around my body. “I’ve missed you,” he muttered in my ear, holding me tight against him.
“Take what you need, baby,” I told him, pushing back into him.
“Fuck, little one,” he roared, his thrusts turning violent.
“That’s it, Coby,” I reassured him. “Take me.”
“Shit.” Cupping my throat, he bit the sensitive spot below my ear, his cock swelling deep inside me. His hips sped up, pushing me forward until he came on a hard growl. My name left his lips, his grunts and groans sliding in my ears.
I moaned, reveling in the feel of him letting go.
The warm bursts of his release coated me from within. His orgasm was so strong, he collapsed against me, dropping us to the floor.
I turned in his arms, raining soft pecks on his face and mouth, until his body reacted to my touch again.
He pushed me back, deepening the kiss until he slid back inside my body.
We never did make it to the bedroom.
***
“I guess you missed me, huh?” I smiled softly, cupping Coby’s face a couple hours later. The scruff of his jaw scratched at my palm.
He leaned into it, kissing my hand.
“What happened?” I asked, touching him like he needed me to.
“So much shit, I don’t even know where to start.” His gaze met mine. “But I shouldn’t have just fucked you. I should have talked to you and told you how much I missed you.”
“You did tell me,” I kissed him hard on the mouth. “You told me with your body, Coby.”
He pulled me tighter against him, rubbing his face into the crook of my neck. “Dale.” His shoulders tightened.
“Coby? Tell me. What happened?”
“We got hit. There was nothing I could do.”
Oh, God. “Please …” I shook my head. “I can’t handle any more death.”
“He’s alive.”
A breath left me on a whoosh. “But?”
Coby’s body stiffened. “He’s in a coma.”
The guilt seeping from Coby’s pores hurt my heart and made me hold him closer. “What happened?”
“We found a bunker with girls.” He shook his head like he was trying to force the nightmares from his mind. “Before we could get them out to safety, an explosion hit. The girls never had a chance.”
“Oh, God, Coby,” I cupped his nape. “And everyone else?”
“They’re fine. Beat up but alive. Dale got hit the hardest because he was standing watch at the door. We never should have been there. We were looking for a known terrorist after taking out some of his men. None of it made sense. It shouldn’t have gone down like that.”
“Do they know how long he’ll be in a coma for?”
“No.” Coby leaned his forehead against mine. “They don’t know anything. They said he’s lucky to be alive. If he dies …” Coby swallowed hard.
“Oh, baby.” Tears welled in my eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“There’s more,” he muttered, gripping my arms.
“Okay.” I took a deep breath. “Tell me.”
“We found Benny’s picture.”
“What?” I sat back. “What are you talking about?”
“We’re looking into it,” Coby said, running his hand down my back.
“I have to tell you something.” I took a breath, bracing myself for his reaction.
“What?” he searched my face, frowning.
“That man I met at the bookstore ...”
“Yeah? What about him?”
“He showed up here. It was Zane.” I told him about the guy breaking in, how I had the security guard fired, and what Zane said about Benny.
“Fuck,” Coby boomed, pushing me off him, and shoved to his feet. He paced back and forth before meeting my gaze. “You should have told me.”
“And what would you do, Coby? You had enough shit going on. I didn’t need to worry you and have you distracted.”
“Well, clearly that didn’t fucking help because my brother is still in the damn hospital, fighting for his life,” he yelled, the cords in his neck straining.
“The bastard didn’t do anything,” I cried, jumping to my feet. “He was fucking with my head. He told me how he and his sister wanted Benny. But I can’t even confront him about it because he’s fucking dead.”
“Brogan.” Coby’s gaze softened.
“No.” I pushed him. “At least Dale is alive.” A sob left me, tears streaming down my cheeks and burning a pa
th in their wake. “Benny …” I hiccupped. “I can’t do this.” I fell to my knees. “I feel like a part of me died with him.”
Coby knelt in front of me, wrapping his arms around my trembling body. “You’re strong, little one.”
Throwing myself in his arms, I cried against him. So many tears fell for the man who had taken care of me for most of my life. The man who had been my role model. The man who fought for our country and lost a piece of himself because of it. “I’ll kill him.”
“I know, baby.” Coby cupped my cheeks. “And I’ll be right by your side, watching.”
***
(Coby)
I knew going into the military that I would become close with the men and women I fought beside. No matter how many times our lives were on the line, it never dawned on me that we could actually die. It was naïve to think but still came as a shock when one of us became hurt or worse. Vincent Stone had lost several brothers in his career. Henley and Lian, just the same. They were rough, hard around the edges—made me look like a fucking kitten. I needed to see my brothers but for right now, I savored the feeling of Brogan holding me.
I sent up a silent prayer to whoever would listen. I believed. Sometimes. It was hard in my line of work. Seeing the shit I did, it was difficult to understand why a God so great would let this evil happen. Knowing the human race was given a freedom of choice, it still didn’t bode well with me when my brother was currently fighting for his life.
“Does Max know?” Brogan asked, rising from the couch.
My chest constricted. “We told her before I came here.”
Brogan’s head whipped around, her eyes widening. “Really?”
I nodded.
“Oh, God. I can’t imagine how she handled that information.”
“I’ll never get the sound of her screams out of my head,” I muttered, ringing my hands together in my lap.
“We need … We need to go.” Brogan slipped on her shoes. “Please. I need to be with her. You need to be with your brothers. We all need each other right now.”
I nodded, following suit even though I didn’t feel like being social. But Brogan was right.
“Is everyone at the hospital? Yeah, that would make sense. What if something happens to the baby? No. She’s strong.” Brogan’s string of questions and answers forced anxiety to rush through my blood. She was losing control, and it pissed me the fuck off.
“We have to make a stop,” I told her. I needed to see my old friend and get some damn answers before my little one completely fell over the deep end.
“But we need to go to the hospital,” Brogan argued, placing her hands on her hips.
As hot as she was, standing there with fire in her eyes, ready to kill anyone in her path, the hospital could wait. As much as it panged me to think, Dale wasn’t going anywhere and Angel would call me the moment something changed.
“Coby?”
I pulled on my jacket before pinching her chin. Placing a hard smack on her mouth, I breathed her in and landed a light swat on her ass. “I’m not happy about that fucker showing up here, breaking in, and fucking with you. But right now, we need to go see Lucas.”
“Lucas?” she frowned. “That I guy a spoke to over a month ago?”
I nodded, grabbing her hand and lead her out of the apartment. I made a mental note to double check all the security and locked the door up tight. If something would have happened to Brogan, I didn’t know what I would have done.
“Did you get a name?” I asked once we were in my SUV.
“If you’re talking about that bastard who fucked with me…” I braced myself. “It was Zane. I knew something was off with him. I just never expected him to be … well … him.”
I grunted. If I had it my way, the fucker would be wrapped around my knife and bleeding out at my feet.
We drove in silence, heading to Lucas’s shop in a dangerous part of the city.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in this area before.” Brogan sat forward, staring out at the dingy buildings surrounding us.
“Lucas has been here for as long as I can remember.” It had been way too long since I saw the guy, and I knew for certain he was going to give me shit for it.
“Is it safe to park here?” Brogan asked, unbuckling her seatbelt.
“Are you worried?”
She scoffed. “No. This place just makes the shit I’ve seen look like hearts and rainbows.” She smirked. “Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, Lucas will like you.”
Her grin widened. “He’s sick and deranged as well?” The joke left her mouth but never reached her eyes.
My stomach twisted with the knowledge that she truly believed that there was something wrong her. “You’re not sick and deranged. No matter what those fucking thoughts are that travel through your head or what people tell you, you’re fine.”
“Yeah.” She glanced out the window. “Maybe.”
Leaving the safety of the SUV, I walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. “Come with me.”
Brogan slid her hand in mine, letting me pull her from the vehicle.
Before we went into the tattoo shop, I gave her a soft peck on the lips, needing her to know that I was only as strong with her by my side. The words never left my mouth, though. I was a pussy, closed up, quiet as shit. Leah took that from me but she wouldn’t stop me from loving this woman standing before me.
***
(Brogan)
Coby’s reassuring words that I was fine and that there was nothing wrong with me helped me feel somewhat better. Benny had been the only one throughout the years to stand by me and support my dark ways. But with him gone and now Coby at my side, I knew it would get easier. It was like Coby was given to me as a saving grace. We had both done horrible things in our lives, trying to make up for our wrongs by masking them with good deeds. I did believe in religion but I believed in a higher power and I knew it was watching down over me. No matter where it was.
“He’s a tattoo artist?” I asked when we approached the large shop.
“Yes.” Coby placed his hand on the door. “The best.” He pushed it open, the door introducing our entrance.
“It’s about fucking time you show up,” a deep voice growled from a large man with his back to us. He was hunched over a half-naked woman, the buzzing of his tattoo gun sounding throughout the large room.
“I told you I would,” Coby said, crossing his arms under his chest.
“Ten years later?” The man grunted, placing the gun back on a tray beside him. “Sure.” He sat back, taped up the tattoo and tapped the woman’s butt. “All done, beautiful.”
“Thanks, baby.” She sat up, pulled her shirt down and kissed his cheek. “Tell that woman of yours to call me.”
“I will.” The man, who I could only assume was Lucas, helped her to her feet.
The woman slipped a wad of cash into his hands before coming toward us. She looked me up and down, giving me a small smile before her gaze finally landed on Coby. “I would be careful. People around here bite.” She blew him a kiss and left the shop.
“A friend of yours?” Coby asked, raising an eyebrow.
The man laughed. “Come on, Coby. We both know I have no friends.” He turned around.
I bit back a gasp.
Lucas wore a black eye patch, tattoos covering his thick neck and the one side of his shaved head. A black shirt clung to his torso, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showcasing sleeves of even more tattoos. He was dangerously beautiful.
“Are you checking him out, little one?” Coby whispered in my ear.
I smirked, turning my head to meet his mouth. “Would that make you jealous?”
He grinned, smacking me on the ass.
Lucas laughed, rubbing a hand over his shaved head. “Well, isn’t this cute? Coby Porter, after all these years, a woman finally has you wrapped around her finger.”
“You better fucking believe it,” I said, jutti
ng out my chin.
“Yeah?” Lucas raised an eyebrow. “And if I don’t?”
“I don’t care what you think,” I told the large man. “I’m not fucking you, now am I?”
Lucas’ gaze flicked between us both before he threw his head back, letting out a hard laugh. “I like her. You did good, Porter.”
I grinned.
“Sounds like you did as well.” Coby slid his hand to the small of my back.
Lucas’ smile widened. “I sure as fuck did. Although, I still have no idea why my girl puts up with my shit.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “So …” His face turned serious in a matter of seconds. “To what do I owe this unexpected honor?”
Coby stiffened beside me. “You know why we’re here.”
Lucas grunted. “Fine.” He turned and headed to the back of the shop. “Come with me if you want to live.” He laughed to himself.
I raised an eyebrow.
“He has a sick sense of humor,” Coby muttered.
A dominant air slid off Lucas, thick and inviting. It made me wonder what exactly his story was and who this woman was that was able to tame him.
We followed Lucas until we reached a set of double doors.
He stopped, his gaze locking with Coby’s. “As usual, if you blab shit, I’ll deny everything.”
Coby feigned a yawn. “Remember what happened the last time you threatened me?”
Lucas grinned. “Yeah. That was fun.”
“You enjoyed it when Coby kicked your ass?” I threw at him.
“What makes you think Coby kicked my ass, little girl? It could have been the other way around.”
“Because I’ve worked out with him, and I know how he is. He wouldn’t stop until you were on the ground beneath him.” I never said that I enjoyed it. I didn’t need to. Coby enjoyed kicking my ass in the gym because he loved rubbing out my sore muscles after the fact.
“All right children.” Coby stepped between us and clapped a hand on Lucas’s shoulder. “We don’t have a lot of time.”