Inferno (SKALS) Read online

  “Which side of me is it that you are wanting now, Taylor?” he growled against her ear. “You wanted me to let you in, now here we are. The good the bad, you get it all. Are you regretting that now? Do you think you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?”

  Her heart hammered faster. A tiny voice in the back of her mind screamed ‘yes’ and all but begged for her to stop fueling the fire before it was too late. Another part clung to the uncertainty and danger he offered. Fear was an intoxicating drug when mixed with desire.

  “Answer me,” he rasped, yanking her head back until her body bowed against him.

  There was no softness now, no playfulness easing the hard lines of his handsome features. Stilling, Taylor forced herself to meet the savage intensity of his eyes.

  “No,” she whispered.

  His head tilted ever so slightly. A cruel smile threatened. “No?” he questioned, brushing his thumb across her lip. “You know you are playing with fire here, sweetheart. Aren’t you afraid you are going to get burned?”

  “No. Your punishments might hurt, but you’d never cause me harm. There is a difference.”

  “Interesting,” he mused softly. “But you are basing your assessment on the past. Who is to say that won’t change?”

  “It won’t because you love me.”

  “I do,” he agreed. “But has that love spared you from me before?”

  “No. It hasn’t, but you would never do anything to jeopardize my life. Especially not now.”

  The corners of his mouth tightened in response. “Are you really so confident about where you stand with me?”

  Holding his stare, she refused to back down. “Is there a reason why I shouldn’t be?”

  He kept her pinned, his expression unwavering. The seconds stretched by into a full minute as his pale eyes held her as hostage as his hands. Releasing her, he straightened with a stiff nod. “I am glad you finally understand your value in my eyes. It’s about time you learned that lesson.” His fingers skimmed the underside of her chin. “Perhaps it’s time you learn another one as well. Go inside.”

  “Seb, I…”

  He clamped a hand over her mouth with a hard shake of his head. “No more talking. Do as I say.”

  She levered to her feet and made the slow trek through the house, her heart pounding as she climbed the stairs. His thoughts were too veiled, his actions too hard to read. Maybe it hadn’t been so wise to push him, even if it had been done with the intent to bring him comfort.

  “Strip,” he ordered, not waiting to see if she complied.

  That much was expected.

  Numb, Taylor peeled out of her clothes, watching with an odd combination of curiosity and dread as Sebastian disappeared into the vast confines of their walk-in closet. Time hung suspended with her fate weighing in the balance. She heard the telltale jingle of metal clang on the other side of the wall and her eyes drifted shut in a wordless plea. Her pulse became a violent hammer. It roared, crashing through her veins like a surging ocean tide. Hearing the soft whisper of his feet move across the carpet, she lifted her head to watch Sebastian stalk toward her in a deliberate and predatory prowl.

  Sure enough, a thick leather strap dangled from his hand along with two silk ties. Her muscles cramped and tensed as he pointed to the foot of the bed. Panic threatened and she tried to force herself to comply.

  “I’m not going to ask again. Move, Taylor, or I will assist you.”

  His callous tone warned that was a not a mistake she wanted to make. Her arms trembled beneath her as she crawled to the foot of the bed, careful not to meet his gaze. It was best not to look a rabid animal in the eye, lest they mistake the gesture as a challenge. Without a word, Sebastian grabbed her hands and pressed her wrists together on either side of the thick wooden post at the foot of their bed. She winced, fighting the urge to pull back when he wound one of the ties around her wrists before looping it through the belt and cinching it off tight. The move gave her just enough leeway to rock back onto her knees, but no wiggle room to escape. After testing the strength of the restraint, he wrapped the other tie around her eyes, casting her into blindness.

  “Do I need to gag you as well?”

  Fighting back the tears that threatened behind the blindfold, Taylor offered a mute shake of her head. She couldn’t help but worry if he was asking out of necessity or just the mere desire that she submit to his whims and obey.

  “That’s a very good thing, Taylor. See that you stick to those claims. The only time I want to hear anything come out of your mouth is if I ask you a question or if you believe I am endangering our baby. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Sebastian.”

  She felt, rather than saw, the cold smile he offered in response. His fingers trailed lightly over the bared arch of her spine as he leaned down and the warm, woodsy smell of his skin washed over her.

  “Good girl,” he breathed, whispering the endearment against her ear. He paused long enough to kiss against the outer shell, the contact enough to make a wave of goose bumps ripple across her skin. “Perhaps I should keep you like this for a while,” he suggested. “It would give you time to consider your actions and ponder the wisdom in disobeying me. You know better, Taylor. I warned you to stay away. Perhaps you think your love has weakened me or softened me to the point where I’ll no longer crack down on you if you choose to defy me.”

  The fragile hold she had on herself crumpled. Warm tears soaked into the silken tie covering her eyes as the last of her resolve slipped away. Her lips trembled with her efforts not to beg. Sensing this, Sebastian gave her a small measure of reprieve.

  “Is that what you want, Taylor? Is that the direction we are headed?”

  She shook her head in frantic denial. “No, Sebby. I swear…just please…”

  “I’m very glad to hear that, darling. I would much rather bring you pleasure, but if hurting you is the only way to save you from yourself and my sins, then that is a step I’m willing to take.”

  Shivering, she tugged against the restraints and tried not to jerk away from the sudden scald of his hand as it trailed over the curve of her hip. The mattress dipped behind her and she felt the long, velvety steel of his erection push between her legs. The raised ridge of his cock brushed against her, bringing a sudden jolt of pleasure. It was sick the way her body responded to him, but there was no way to fight it. Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she arched into him and bit back a moan.

  A stinging slap to the outside of her thigh stilled her and she jerked against the ties with a startled yelp. A quiet rumble of amusement rolled through Sebastian as he leaned over her. She whimpered as his heavy fist anchored in her hair and wrenched her head back.

  “I love the way your body responds to me, but don’t get greedy. This isn’t about you. It’s about pleasing me. If I were you, I would find a way to start doing that, sweetheart, or things are going to get very unpleasant.”

  She mulled that over for a long second. Panic sabotaged her thoughts, rendering her mind useless. He’d robbed her of speech and cautioned against her moving into the tormenting glide of his body. What else was she supposed to do?

  Leaning forward, Taylor rested her cheek against the mattress. The angle lifted her hips higher, allowing him more access, but put a slight strain on her arms. Sebastian tensed, his grip tightening on the ridge of her hipbones when she tried to edge forward to relieve the pressure on her shoulders.

  “Where do you think you are going, Taylor?”

  She shivered as his icy whisper swept over her. “I was just…I…”

  “Were you trying to get away from me?” he asked.

  “No. My shoulders are starting to hurt,” she mumbled.

  Much to her surprise, he snaked a sturdy arm around her waist and helped her ease closer to the edge of the bed. His lips plied the sensitive spot behind her ear. Nipping, he then eased the sting with a kiss.

  “Get comfortable,” he ordered.

  She shifted her weight, wishing she cou
ld peer at him over the scape of her shoulder, see his face, and gauge his mood. His actions were baffling. She didn’t have time to ponder them. Sebastian wedged her thighs apart and drove his cock deep with a powerful lunge of his hips. The intrusion was swift, stretching and stuffing her so fully that she mustered little more than a breathless scream. Sebastian seized a thick fistful of her hair and started pounding into her. Her back bowed with his hold, driving her into his momentum. It was hard, fast, brutal, and dirty, but it felt good. So good.

  Closing her eyes, she lost herself in the animalistic rhythm and the soothing balm of pain. There was beauty in the violence. A sweet, torturous agony that made her body shudder and sing. His ruthlessness and her surrender tied their souls together, making the circle complete. The borders between pleasure and pain formed their battleground. It was the place where they fought and found each other when everything else around them was coming unraveled and undone.

  She cried out, bucking against the restraints as he picked up the pace. Reaching around the front of her, Sebastian rubbed and twisted her clit. Growling, he ground it hard against her pelvic bone, his fingers stroking and gliding with every savage lunge of his hips. The pulsing throbs grew stronger, his touch more insistent and demanding. A strand of incoherent words left his lips, the sound nothing more than a low guttural growl that vibrated through her senses, pushing her closer to the edge. She fought to hold on, wanting to make the moments last, but it was too much. Her body was too eager, her flesh too willing and hungry to comply.

  Her climax barreled through her, the implosion so fierce she couldn’t even cry. Her mouth opened and closed around a soundless scream. Sebastian snarled in pleasure as her body clamped around him. His fingers tightened into a bruising press and his cock stabbed so fast, hard, and deep it wrested her breath away.

  Moments later, he arched into her, his voice hoarse as he roared in triumph. He kept her impaled, offering no quarter as he surged even deeper against her womb. Closing her eyes, she savored the thrill that ran through her each time he came. It was a powerful and humbling feeling to know she brought him to that point. To know that she, too, had the ability to render him so breathless he could no longer move or speak.

  It took him a few seconds, but he finally eased out of her. Leaning down, he kissed a slow path up her back before reaching up to undo the ties. Her arms shook as he pulled her against him and slowly rubbed the outsides of her wrists with his thumbs. His eyes searched hers as he eased her down onto the pillows and ran a gentle hand over the side of her face. She tried to muster a smile through the exhaustion. Though sated, her limbs now felt heavy and forged from lead.

  “I hope that was what you wanted,” she whispered.

  “Mm. It was, darling,” he assured, stretching out beside her. “Everything I wanted and more. Damp sheets and sweat be damned, I’m too tired to move.”

  She smiled against his skin. “Do you want me to get you a washcloth or something so you can clean up?”

  He buried his nose in her hair with a small shake of his head. “No. We’ll grab a shower later. I don’t want to think anymore and I don’t want to move. You’re the only thing that’s keeping me grounded,” he said quietly. “I need that right now. Just stay here and hold me for a little while.”

  CHAPTER 9 ~

  Setting his mug down, Sebastian grimaced. The bitter swill wasn’t helping. He was exhausted and his mood still sour. He’d made a beeline for his office the moment he’d arrived at work, but gauging from the drawn expressions he’d encountered on his way past, it seemed a few of his teammates were feeling the same. Perhaps that much was good. It implied their last mission weighed heavily on some of them as well. Bearing that in mind, he’d sent out a memo requesting to speak to a few of them in private.

  Lifting his gaze, he studied Vincent Pellagreeni. His newest Recon and Intelligence agent hadn’t spoken much since sitting, but the staunch look of discomfort stamping his face said it all. The deep lines etched across his forehead were an all too permanent fixture anymore and the past few weeks had aged his classically handsome features well beyond their thirty-seven years. Lowering his head, Vincent dragged a hand over his dark blond hair.

  “I don’t know, Baas,” he confessed with a lamenting shake of his head. “I just don’t know. I can tell you this much, though. Brad is out. He and Marx have been thick as thieves lately. There’s no way he’d turn his back on where this is going.”

  It took effort, but he managed to squash his annoyance. “I am well aware of that, Agent Pellagreeni. I suggest you make better use of your time and start telling me things I don’t already know.”

  The other man’s mouth snapped shut, silencing whatever he’d thought to say next. Then he perked, sitting up straighter. “It’s a gamble, but what about the kid?”

  “Jackson Lane is a wildcard. His mother used to have romantic ties to Marx.”

  Vince choked. His face purpled. Thumping his chest, he struggled to swallow the remainder of his coffee. “She what? Jesus!” he exclaimed. “Who would sleep with that man? Do you really think the asshole spawned a kid?”

  Frowning, Sebastian settled against the back of his chair. “It’s a possibility, but no. If that were the case, Jackson would be the one sitting here. Marx has spent decades building this organization. He would want to hand that legacy down to his son.”

  “Maybe, but let’s be honest. He’s not exactly the sentimental type. It’s all about power and getting things done with that man. Maybe he doesn’t think the kid is ready yet. Despite the differences you two are having, he knows you’re still the best man for this job.”

  Sebastian shrugged. That was a possibility as well, but not a likely one. A man’s outlook on life and things in general tended to change once he knew he had a child. Though a skewered bastard, he couldn’t imagine Marx relinquishing the chance to pass on his name or empire down to his own flesh and blood.

  “None of this matters,” he stated, shifting the focus. “What happened yesterday was unacceptable. That family was innocent. The fact that they were living off the grid in the middle of nowhere made them a convenient experiment in Marx’s playbook. Nothing more. Given how well that worked, he no longer seems interested in finding Patrick James. We already have new orders.”

  “Sir?”

  “We’re shutting down a community outside one of the black sites this week. I haven’t briefed the rest of the team yet.”

  Vince sagged. Dropping his chin to his chest, he cursed beneath his breath.

  “I wish I had better news but, after yesterday’s debacle, the direction this operation will be taking is clear. I no longer have the luxury of biding my time, Vincent. I already have other agencies breathing down my neck. My family’s lives are at stake, as are those of my men. I need definitive answers about where this team stands and I need them now.”

  “I understand that, sir, but…”

  “Do you?” Sebastian asked, cutting him off. “If you truly understood me, you would realize ‘but’ is the last word I want to hear. Get on it, Vincent. I want this done.”

  He glanced up in surprise as his office door burst open. Pushing the guard away with an annoyed shove from his forearm, Josh charged inside. His steely gaze landed on Vincent, and he froze, his jaw locking.

  “Get out,” Josh ordered bitterly.

  Sebastian offered a slight nod of consent when Vincent’s startled hazel gaze swung his way. Keeping silent, he watched his partner drop into the newly vacated seat. Josh stared back at him until the door latched shut behind them.

  His partner’s eyes were cold and rimmed with bruise like shadows that said he hadn’t slept much, if at all. The rigid stance of his jaw spoke volumes about his demeanor. Though curious, Sebastian kept his face passive as he lifted his gaze to his partner’s and waited.

  Josh let out a shaky laugh and plowed a hand through his dark hair. “I don’t know where to start with you, Baas,” he said. “Yesterday, you avoided me at all costs. You come in
today and don’t say so much as two words to me the entire time. You stay holed up in your office as much as possible. You’re not taking calls. Apparently, the only person who can get any insight into your head or any time with you at all lately is Vince. What the fuck makes him so special?”

  An amused smirk rode his lips as he leaned back in his chair. Perhaps his partner still cared after all.

  “Agent Pellagreeni is assisting me on a project, Joshua. That is all.”

  “Right. And this project,” he said, making air quotes with his fingers, “is so important, that it happened to warrant a promotion on his end? A promotion, Sebastian? This is the same guy that failed to mention he was taking a piss and damn near got us killed. Or have you forgotten about that little incident?”

  “I remember it quite well, Josh, but it’s his loyalty I am interested in, not his bladder control.”

  The comment drew a dry snort from his partner. His humor fled as his expression grew more serious. “What about my loyalty, Baas? Where does that fit into the equation?”

  “You tell me,” Sebastian stated quietly.

  “How could you even ask that?”

  He stood and circled around the back of his desk. Refusing to look Josh’s way, he twisted the top of the decorative globe in the corner and watched it spin. Letting his finger glide over the raised ridges of the continents, he spoke without turning.

  “Partners or not, you of all people should know better than to try and keep things from me. I paid our friend Mr. Vant a visit yesterday morning and, I must admit, I was a bit surprised by the things he had to say.”

  Pushing out of his slouch, Josh sat up straighter. “You did what? Jesus. What…is he okay?”

  Sebastian gave a wry smile in response. “He will live. How long did you really think I was going to wait?” He paused, his sharp stare swinging to the man seated across from his desk. “Don’t answer that. The only thing I am interested in hearing right now is why you would keep Marx’s visit a secret from me. You know how I feel. You know I suspected his involvement in Taylor’s accident. You claim to be on my side, but I am seriously starting to question your loyalty and where it lies.”