Trixie sniffed. “What’s next? This is just one website. You know they’ve had detectives searching for years.”
“Yes,” Pippa said. “We need to find all the footage of the shooting the other day. Just to make sure we’re not in there.”
“I’ve watched every channel and looked at every online newspaper I could. No problems yet.” Trixie audibly swallowed and then coughed. “Man. This stuff is strong straight out of the bottle.” She sighed. “Have you ever thought that maybe Isaac is the real deal? That we’re being punished for leaving the family? For our sins?”
Only in Pippa’s darkest nightmares. “No. If he was the real deal, we wouldn’t have been able to evade him for this long.” How was it possible the bastard still wanted them?
Trixie’s voice wavered even more. “Click on the link for ‘Pray for Our Members.’”
Praying had been a big part of living with the family. Pippa clicked on the link and stopped breathing. “Mom.” Fear burst through her chest. The picture was recent, and her mom had new lines at the sides of her pretty eyes. Pippa quickly read. “It says she has cancer.”
“It’s probably a lie,” Trixie said. “Just to get you there. He’d do anything.”
Pippa reached out and traced the screen. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. “I hope she’s okay.”
“Me too,” Trixie said. “They’re in West Virginia now. I thought at first they’d found us because they’re so close, but then I saw their mansion, which was given over by a new member. Generosity first, remember?”
West Virginia? They were that close? Maybe fate had brought them full circle. “Should we head to California or something?” Pippa asked, her heart breaking at the thought. “They seem to be staying near the East Coast.” Though members were from all over, there were numerous satellite recruiting areas, if she remembered right.
“Maybe. What about your hot ex-cop?” Trixie asked, her voice weary.
A knock sounded on the door outside. Pippa went from worried to breathless in a second. “He’s here. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She clicked off and erased her browser before running into the other room and opening the door.
Malcolm stood in the bright porch light with a carton of ice cream in his hand. “I didn’t know what kind you liked, so I brought vanilla with all sorts of toppings to choose from.”
Her heart lifted into her throat. He was so big and strong and sweet standing there with his ripped jeans, dark shirt, and leather jacket. A fresh smell came from him. New detergent? “Come on in.” She moved aside.
“Thanks.” He strode past her to the kitchen.
“How was New York?” she asked, following him.
He set the groceries down, and his head dropped.
Oh crap. She moved up behind him, wrapping her arms around his strong torso and resting her cheek against his spine. “Forget it. You don’t have to talk about work.” Gently, she turned him around. His eyes were cloudy and his mouth tense. Must’ve been a bad day, talking about the shooting. “Shhh.” Rising up, she pressed her mouth to his.
His large body shuddered. “Wait.”
“No.” She’d give anything to get lost with him again. Just for a night. “Please, Malcolm.” She had to stand on her tiptoes to run her hands through his hair. Then she kissed him again.
* * *
Her soft touch was going to kill him. After a shitty day of being somebody else, standing here with Pippa, having her hands on him, was a blessing he didn’t deserve. They needed to talk. He was tired of the lies.
Then she pressed her small body against him and bit his bottom lip.
He went from exhausted to ready in a nanosecond. His heart rate increased, and lava flowed through his veins. “Pippa,” he murmured against her mouth.
“Yeah,” she whispered back, sliding her hands down to grasp his whiskered cheeks. “It’s just you and me tonight, Mal. No jobs, no worries, no outside world.” On her tiptoes again, she licked along his bottom lip. “Please. I need this.”
So did he. Right or wrong, so did he.
A low rumble rose from his chest and he ducked, lifting her into his arms. If they were going to get lost, he was going to treat her right this time. Gentle, and with a reverence she probably deserved.
Even if she was brainwashed and lying to him, he could forgive her after spending one day in that place with Isaac Leon. In fact, it was amazing she could even be here offering herself to him.
She nipped and sucked her way up his neck, biting gently into his earlobe.
Heat rushed down his torso to his balls, landing hard. Slow. He needed to go slow this time. Laying her on the bed, he divested her of clothing before tossing his shirt to the floor. Next, he kicked off his boots. “God, you’re beautiful,” he rumbled, gently caressing the smooth lines of her collarbone to her breasts. “So perfect.” Her skin was the softest thing he’d ever felt.
