She almost seems relieved. I wish I could tell her the money was all they wanted. We could solve that. But the money is just a means to find who murdered Niko, and now that the hit has been ordered on me, it’s too late.
“Not the only thing. Doesn’t really matter now. Long game is to slaughter those two families. I can’t take any chances.” I flip through my address book, not bothering to hide who I’m about to call. “But at the moment, I’m prioritizing.”
I wiggle my fingers inside her wet heat to emphasize what one of my priorities is, even as she shivers from my murder plans, but the gesture is overshadowed.
Panic seizes her when she sees the contact I dock on. “Why the hell are you calling my father? Why do you even have his number?”
I cast a disbelieving leer at her.
“Fine,” she huffs. “Stupid question. You fucking stalker.”
“Don’t be a brat when we both know you love that I’m obsessed with you.” I pause to see if she’ll dispute it, but she doesn’t give me anything, so I go on. “I need to speak with him, so you have choices—stay quiet, come for me, or back me up.”
This is a brilliant scheme to keep the glow on her face while we deal with something that threatens to rob it. There’s only one way to convince her though.
I stare her down in challenge because Tessa doesn’t know how to bow out, and despite our less than favorable circumstances, I’m eager to see how she meets this one. “Want to be my good girl and let me play with your pretty pussy during this call, Tess? Or is it too risky to let your worlds collide like that?”
MADDOX
Idon’t wait for her agreement; I remove my fingers from inside her and swipe her arousal across her lips. She doesn’t disappoint. She slurps them clean, draws them into her mouth, and sucks with a flattened tongue before issuing a vicious bite on my knuckles.
That’s her endorsement, an understood,Do it at your own risk.
My fingers prickle with drops of crimson fantasies, so I plunge them back inside her drenched opening, press the Call button, set the phone on a nearby railing, and endure the trilling rings until her father finally picks up.
“Hello?”
At the sound of his voice, Tessa’s sculpted brows dart for the ceiling. She didn’t protest me contacting him because she expected him to dodge the call. He hasn’t picked up for her since we were at the house. She hasn’t shared much about it because I think she likes that her father and I bonded, but I’ve been monitoring her phone since she texted Hunter. And frankly, her father’s apathy infuriates me.
“Yes, sir. This is Maddox Noire—”
“Is Tessa okay?” It’s abundantly clear how much he loves her with that frantic inquiry.
“Your daughter is fine. Perfect actually.” I drive my fingers deeper with a smirk at my little Nightmare. “But I’ve found myself in a bit of a bind.”
“I’m listening.”
“This isn’t the way I intended to relay this, but Tessa and I are together.” A boulder of regret slams into my chest. I really did appreciate the connection I’d made with him, so I wanted to do this with far more respect, but desperate times … “I will be marrying her the second she stops gasping at the mere mention of it.”
She locks her jaw, swivels her hips against my aching cock, and narrows those turquoise eyes. Such a brat.
There’s no way she assumed I’d ask permission, so she’s probably simply irritated that I’ve taken to announcing she’ll be my wife to anyone who will listen. It’s all part of my plan. When things simmer down, and I insist she sayI do, she’ll be more compliant.
Her father chuckles. “That doesn’t sound like a bind, unless it’s that you assume she’ll never stop gasping or making it a challenge. I can’t help you there. She’s my fighter.”
“That she is. And the impending nuptials are certainly not the bind.” I grin because it’s evident that praise was something my girl needed to hear. Unfortunately, I have to burst this quaint bubble. “However, there are some men who aren’t very happy with me, and I need to be certain they don’t retaliate against someone I care about. Tessa loves you all very much, so you, your wife, your mother-in-law, your grandchildren, your daughters, and their significant others all fall under that category.”
“Okay.” His tentativeness is audible, so I plow forward.
“I’m going to have my men pick you up. We’ll provide wonderful accommodations here until things cool off.”
Tessa’s muscles tense, and her pussy clamps down on my fingers, soaking them. I’m not giving her enough friction for her to orgasm while we’re in this conversation. It’s just a distraction. And a few minutes of fun during an otherwise frustrating task. Maybe payback for the blow job ambush too. But my coated hand attests to the fact that my beautiful Nightmare is as depraved as me.
“Surely, you know that my wife will not be setting foot on La Lune Noire property. She can barely even …” He loses his argument, but I give him space until he finds it. “I’ve needed to call Tessa. I was just trying to smooth things out here first.”
Maybe I should feel sorry for him, caught between his wife and daughter. That must be hell. I probably would if her mother had a leg to stand on. But as it is, I’m just fucking pissed.
Tessa shakes her head, aware of where this is going, though it’s not emphatic. Deep down, she knows she deserves someone standing up for her.
