Chapter Sixteen

SIXTEEN

His woman, protecting him again. Maestro let himself into her little studio apartment. Immediately, he heard the muted sound of her crying. His heart reacted, hurting. Aching. He desperately wanted to take her back to Caspar, to his home. Somewhere safe. They could put her in the Torpedo Ink clubhouse, and Billows wouldn't have a hope in hell of finding her. He knew he wasn't going to be able to take much more.

He'd searched her home and backpack numerous times for the key they needed to access the underground rooms. He wasn't the only one. Each time he took her away from her apartment, several of the others searched it. It should have been easy to find. She didn't have a car, and the apartment was tiny. They were well-versed in ferreting out secret places in floors and walls and even the ceiling. It was nowhere. He no longer believed she kept it in her home. But where, then?

She'd worn a necklace when she was at Billows' offices, but Maestro hadn't seen her with it on. She'd gone to the apartment, hung her backpack in the closet and spent the night with him. He was tempted to just ask her where the hell it was, explain everything and take her to safety. If he did and Billows suspected something was wrong because she wasn't available, if the man was holding prisoners in his underground labyrinth, he would move them or kill them. Neither was a good scenario.

Maestro followed the sound of Azelie's soft weeping straight to the bedroom. " Solnyshkuh. " He sank down onto the bed to remove his shoes.

"No." She sat up, trying to drag the covers with her, but he was sitting on them. "You can't be here. You can't, Andrii. You saw Billows come into the club. He was looking at my friend Lana in a way I really didn't like. If he knows about us, and he could have found out from anyone at the club that you were singing to someone, he could have you killed. I know he would. You have to believe me."

He simply reached out and picked her up, settling her onto his lap, his arms around her. Her face was wet with tears, swollen from crying so much. He bent his head and feathered kisses from the corners of both eyes down her soft, wet skin to her chin.

"Shh. You're breaking my heart."

"My heart is already broken. I was so selfish, Andrii. It was already such a risk with you coming here. I wanted to believe you could hide yourself from Andrew McGrady. You seem so capable, invincible even, and I needed to believe with your skills you could easily outwit Billows' man. But I knew better than to be seen in public with you."

He stroked caresses down the back of her head, massaged her scalp through the thick hair tumbling down her back in an effort to soothe her. The curls and waves were everywhere, a wild mess. He found it more appealing than ever.

"You aren't in the least selfish, Zelie. If you had your way, we would have remained hidden away from everyone. I was the one insisting you go out with me. I wanted to give you new experiences. It was important to me, and you knew it, so you pushed aside your reservations. You did it for me, not for you."

Azelie buried her face in the crook of his neck, her arms winding around him, holding him tight. "I don't want to give you up, Andrii. I don't. But I can't have you in harm's way. I couldn't bear it if Billows managed to have you killed."

"Babe." He said it gently but with a hint of amusement.

He had to hold back a little snicker at the thought of Billows pitting his considerable bullying tactics and henchmen against an assassin trained from the time he was six or seven. Maestro knew more ways to interrogate, torture or kill than Billows could ever conceive of. Maestro had been trained by the cruelest of men. Experts in their field had worked with him and the others, never once suspecting that those children were already crawling through the vents and executing the worst of their brutal jailers.

She lifted her head and glared at him. A hard thing to do when her eyes were glistening with tears that dripped like diamonds off her long lashes. Her lips trembled slightly, just enough that he had no choice but to brush them with his to steady her. He tasted the salt of her tears and could have sworn there was a hint of strawberry on his tongue.

"Don't do that. Just because you believe you have skills, don't discount Billows. He's ruthless and cunning."

"Not nearly as ruthless as I am. He doesn't get to take you away from me. It won't happen. If you prefer to lie low for a while, tell him you need a vacation. I can get you somewhere safe where he won't be able to find you."

Her eyes widened with suspicion. "You do plan to do something to him."

"We're not talking about that. We're talking about you being on the verge of flight again. You need to make that commitment to us and stick to it. You need to believe in us as a team."

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he knew he'd made a mistake. She sat up, pulling a little away from him. Her blue gaze went cool like the liquid in a deep pool. A little stormy, as if a tempest was brewing out over the ocean.

"But we aren't a team, Andrii. You know Kasimir, don't you? And don't try to lie and tell me he follows your band."

"That wouldn't be a lie. Kasimir works as a bartender in the roadhouse where we play on a regular basis."

The intelligence in her eyes gave him a curious pride in her. He liked that she was so damned smart. Quick to figure things out. He really could worship her for her intelligence alone, although right at the moment that meant things were going to get dicey between them.

"You're looking for a way out because you're afraid for me, Solnyshkuh . Don't do that. Say you'll stay no matter what. I'm not easy. I'll never be easy, but I'm loyal, and I can promise you that no matter what comes our way, I'll be willing to work it out to both our satisfaction. I might need to be the one in control, but that doesn't mean I want to control you. I want to know you're safe and healthy and happy."

"That's what I want for you, Andrii. You aren't the only one in the relationship. We're supposed to be partners, but we aren't."

"Only because I can't give you all the answers you need right at this moment." He caught her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "I swear to you on our first child that as soon as I can, I'll give you everything. An answer to every question."

The merest hint of a smile curved her lips briefly. "You can't swear on our first child. You don't know we're going to have a child."

"We're going to have several children." He placed his hand over her belly, fingers splayed wide as if cradling his baby. "If you can't carry or don't want to, we'll adopt. I'm good with adoption. We can be like a friend of mine, taking in all the throwaways out there."

"You have a friend who takes in throwaways? What are throwaways?"

"Survivors of human trafficking. Young boys and girls with no families and no one who can deal with their trauma."

"But your friend does."

"My friend and his wife. His wife is the central figure in teaching all of us how to be better people."

"All of you?" she echoed.

He was wading into quicksand. He felt the earth moving beneath him, warning him subtly to be very careful. It was important to him that she know as much about him and the others as possible, so when the time came to tell her the things he was holding back, she would be more accepting. He would be more than grateful for her intelligence, knowing she would understand once he explained their mission.

"Throwaways like me," he said. "Children whose parents were murdered, and who were handed over to the cruelest people imaginable."

She was silent, her eyes soft. Lashes still wet. "Kasimir."

He didn't respond. She knew. She'd figured it out. She was accepting of Kasimir, but the blow was about to come. He saw her piecing it all together.

"Lana is Kasimir's birth sister. He has that curly hair, and her hair is straight and black. But they have similar features. She wasn't lying to me when she said Kasimir is her brother, was she?"

He remained silent. Hurt crept into her blue eyes and his heart stuttered. His gut clenched. He'd known this confrontation was coming. He'd assessed the risk and thought they could pull it off. They were all used to playing roles. The problem was he didn't want the members of his club to play a role with Azelie. They were his family, and he wanted her to know them as his family. That risk had been his. He'd tossed the dice and he lost.

"Lana is part of the throwaways, isn't she? Just like Kasimir. That makes it probable that she didn't just happen to have seen me at the college or to have rescued me from Billows at the bus stop. You had her watching me."

He listened carefully to her tone. There was hurt but no condemnation. He stroked one finger down her face, traced her cheekbone and then her ear. His fingers settled over her pulse. A little too fast, but steady.

"She was at that horrible school with you, wasn't she? If it was a school for assassins, she's most likely lethal, just as you are."

"I refuse to take chances that Billows is going to hurt you. Or that the maniac he has watching you decides to act on his impulses."

That wasn't exactly answering her, and yet it was.

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth, Andrii? I don't like being made a fool of. I believed Lana had befriended me because she liked me."

"She does like you. How could she not? You're genuine, Azelie. We don't get a lot of genuine."

"The probability is extremely high that Kir, Lazar and Gedeon are part of your family of throwaways." She made it a statement.

"Baby, don't be upset over Lana. That was my decision, not hers. She would have been happy to tell you the truth."

"But you felt it necessary to keep me in the dark."

"I don't know how good of an actress you are." He tugged on one of her curls. "I can read you like a book. I don't know if that's just our connection, or if everyone can."

"I can't ask you why, can I?"

"I'll tell you everything you want to know as soon as I can. You'll have to trust me." Maestro found he was holding his breath. He was asking a lot of her. How would he react if the roles were reversed? He'd just admitted that he'd had Lana deceive her. Never mind that it was for a good reason. It was his reason, unknown to her. Deception hurt.

Azelie liked Lana. She believed they had become friends because they shared the college experience. She'd been grateful to Lana for her timely rescue. Now, through no fault of her own, she would be leery of the friendship, not believing it was genuine.

"There's that word again. Trust. I seem to be the one having to give all the trust. You don't trust me though."

"Zelie." He said her name like a reprimand. "You know that isn't the truth. I trust you implicitly. I'm protecting you and a great many others. That's the most I can give you right now, and it's most likely more than I should."

She pushed back the heavy fall of hair, tucking wayward strands behind her ear. The wild curls and waves simply escaped. There was no loud clock ticking, but he heard it anyway. The countdown to the bomb going off. Azelie didn't speak for a long time. She sat still in his lap, contemplating their future. Or her next move. He thought he could read her, but she felt closed off to him.

Then she let him have her weight, her head against his chest, back pressed firmly into him. "I think I need my head examined."

"What does that mean?" He stroked the pad of his thumb down her vulnerable neck and once more found her pulse. Beating too fast, but steady. That was his woman. She took her time thinking things through before she made a decision.

"It means I'm probably going to get my heart broken because I'm going to let you get away with not answering me."

Relief was overwhelming. He dropped his chin on top of her head, feeling her soft curls tangling with the bristles on his jaw. "You aren't going to ever have a broken heart, Solnyshkuh . I'm going to do everything in my power to make you happy."

"I am happy. I made a life for myself, and I've been happy in it."

"You forgot to include a future with a husband and children. Somewhere safe you can write your stories in peace. Those are important things, Zelie. I'm the man to give them to you."

He nibbled his way down her neck, scraping his teeth gently along the way. Tasting her skin on his tongue. Savoring that faint taste of strawberries. "Want you again, Solnyshkuh . I want to go to sleep with you in my arms and wake up seeing you first thing. I love to breathe you in."

He was making a statement. He wasn't leaving. She might be nervous about him staying, afraid of Billows and McGrady, but he wanted her to realize he wasn't in the least bit worried. He wanted her to have that kind of faith in him—in them as a couple. They were stronger than Billows. They always would be.

"I want those things too, Andrii. But more than anything, I need to know you're safe."

This woman. He tightened his hold on her. "I'm a badass, baby. You don't want to believe it, but I am. Have a little faith in my abilities. I need to stay."

He waited. Watching her. He saw the capitulation in her eyes and then she turned to him and lifted her face to his. Bog , her mouth. She tasted like wildfire. It was Azelie who pulled back first. She tugged at the hem of his shirt, and he complied with her silent demand, removing it one-handed. Then he tugged off her little top to give him free access to her full breasts. He loved looking at her body. All those lush, feminine curves. To him she was beautiful.

Azelie placed little butterfly kisses over the hard muscles of his chest. Her mouth kept climbing, finding his throat, and then she kissed along his jaw. Little kisses. Barely there. He shouldn't have been able to feel them, but he did. Those featherlight kisses were like dozens of little flames leaping from nerve ending to nerve ending.

"I want to learn how to please you, but you'll have to instruct me. And you'll need your jeans off."

His heart leapt. Went crazy. He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. She looked shy but determined. "Are you asking me to teach you how to suck my cock?"

That rose color he loved so much infused her skin, but she didn't look away. She nodded.

"It's important to me to learn how to please you. What gives you pleasure. You always give me so much, Andrii. I need to be able to do this. I want to."

"We might not be ready for that yet, Solnyshkuh , as much as I want it. When I have my cock in your mouth, I'll want to control the action. I like it a little on the rough side. That might scare you. It's important that whatever we do together, you have faith that I'm going to make it good for you. That means building up to the wilder things slowly."

Her gaze didn't leave his. "I want this, Andrii. It's important to me. I want you to control everything. That makes me feel safe. It also takes the burden off me of knowing what I'm supposed to do next."

His cock was already diamond hard. He needed to strip his jeans off just to get some relief. He could see the mixture of nerves and excitement in her eyes. Deliberately, he brushed his hands down her shoulders to the full, inviting curves. He loved the sheer beauty of her breasts. Her nipples were tight buds but sensitive, reacting to his play. He'd been very gentle with her, introducing her to sex as lovingly as he could.

"You're certain this is what you want to do?"

She nodded. "More than anything I want to learn the right way to do it, to give you pleasure."

"Your mouth on me is going to bring me all kinds of pleasure, Zelie. There isn't a right or wrong here."

"There're ways you like sex, Andrii. There are ways you might prefer to be in my mouth. I want to learn those ways. Anything you like. But you have to teach me because I don't have a clue what I'm doing. It's important to me."

He didn't wait for her to keep explaining. He could tell it was difficult for her, and he was proud of her for communicating her desire. More, his body raged at him, impatient for her mouth.

"Take your clothes off, Solnyshkuh . Strip. Fast. I don't need a show right now; I'm not taking chances on getting any more aroused than I already am."

She slid off the bed and dragged down the drawstring pants she was wearing, and he was grateful she'd changed from her gorgeous club clothes into the more simple ones she wore to bed. He kept his body facing hers. Without a shirt, the Torpedo Ink tattoo would be very prominent on his back. He didn't want anything to mar this special moment.

"Lie on the bed with your head hanging over the edge. Spread your legs wide for me. I need to see how hungry you are for my cock."

She crawled up onto the bed and lay down sideways, so her neck was over the very edge, tipping her head back. She did as he commanded, spreading her legs for him.

"Wider." He bent over her, and without preamble worked two fingers into her hot, slick entrance. She gasped and lifted her hips. He slid his fingers out again, deliberately trailing the pad of his thumb over her clit. She made a little sound of startled pleasure. He flicked her clit hard, and he saw the answering ripple of her belly muscles as her sex contracted.

Holding her gaze, he licked his fingers, savoring the subtle strawberry flavor. "You are hungry for my cock, aren't you?"

She nodded. Andrii shook his head. "Say it. I need to hear just what you want."

He knew forcing her to tell him what she wanted would up the anticipation. He'd noticed from the beginning of their relationship that she responded to rough language and even cruder suggestions.

"I'm very hungry for your cock," she admitted in a low voice. The moment she did, her entire body took on a rosy glow.

"Where do you want my cock?" He kneaded her breasts and tugged and rolled her nipples. At first, he was very gentle but began to slowly increase the pressure of his play.

"In my mouth."

He loved the expression on her face—a shy look mixed with a darker lust. He could see her pussy gleaming at him, droplets of liquid caught in the fiery tangle of curls at the junction between her legs. She was responding to the rougher play, a good thing when rough was often his preference.

"What do you want in your mouth, baby? You didn't say."

Deliberately, he shoved down his jeans, standing close so that his straining cock was just out of her reach. Immediately, her gaze locked on to the prize. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. Her breathing turned ragged, and her nipples tightened even more, so erect they appeared to be two stiff little candlewicks waiting for him to ignite them. Bog , but he found her beautiful.

"I'd like your cock in my mouth, please, Andrii."

Her voice was breathy, a thread of sound, but it managed to vibrate through his body, pushing him into a brutal need. The broad head wept pearl droplets. Fisting the thick shaft, he smeared the drops over her lips. Her lips were soft. She looked sexy lying on the bed, eyes on his cock, waiting for his instructions. He didn't want to disappoint her.

"I want you to slide your hands down your body. Feel your breasts, tug on your nipples. Don't be gentle." He watched her obey him, her small hands following the path he enjoyed. The sight made his cock jerk and pulse. More droplets welled up. "Lick the head of my cock while you're giving yourself pleasure. Just lick up the drops."

Her tongue felt like a living flame, branding him. He couldn't decide which was sexier, watching her hands kneading her breasts, fingers tugging on her nipples, or that hot little tongue sliding over the head of his cock, sending streaks of lightning through his shaft and balls. He might not survive. It was important to him that she felt the same way.

"Slide your hands down to your pussy, Zelie. Bury your fingers deep. I want you getting yourself off." His voice was that smooth velvet he used to compel her, but he knew he was on the verge of losing control. He wasn't going to last long if she had her mouth around him.

It was her gift. The need to give to him. The trusting look she gave him. Or the near adoration when he didn't deserve it. She wanted this for him—not for herself. The excitement and trepidation mixing together only added fuel to the fire burning in him.

***

Azelie glanced up at Andrii's face and her breath caught in her lungs. He was partially in the shadows, but his features were carved with stark sensuality. He looked like sin incarnate. Beautiful, like a long-lost warrior claiming his victory. His eyes were hot silver crystals moving possessively over her body as if she belonged solely to him. And she did. She knew there would never be another man for her.

Her skin under her fingertips felt soft and wholly feminine. Everywhere she touched herself, she left behind the feeling of flames dancing over her, licking at every nerve ending.

"Fingers in your pussy, baby. Need to see you giving yourself pleasure."

"It's distracting." Her voice was husky. Not her own. "I want this for you."

"Follow my instructions, Solnyshkuh . I'm in control here, not you. This is what I want. Trust me to know what you need to do."

The crown of his erection felt like hot satin as he rubbed it over her parted lips. The taste of him was exquisite, salty, but not at all bitter. She wanted his cock. She wanted to give him something back for all the things he'd given her. It felt strange to her to be the taker, not the giver, and this was something important that she knew if she learned, she could always give him when he was having a difficult time.

Her fingers moved almost of their own volition, finding the small bundle of nerves Andrii was so good at locating and driving her insane with. Every movement sent more heat spiraling through her. No matter how tight that coil in her stomach wound, her entire focus was on Andrii. She kept her gaze fixed on his. Every line in his face was carved deep with lust—for her. That realization sent waves of happiness and satisfaction rushing through her.

"Open your mouth, lyubeemaya ."

Just the way he gave the command, his eyes going to that piercing steel, his breath coming in raw heaves, sent more flames licking over her. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue and slowly parted them. Her heart pounded. Her sex clenched around her fingers in sudden fiery excitement. He slid the broad crown along her tongue, letting her taste the unique salty flavor that was wholly his.

She had never wanted to do something right as much as she wanted this for him. Andrii had given her pleasure beyond her imagination. He made her feel beautiful and sexy. He made her feel as if she was truly someone special. She wanted to give him back that same feeling. The trouble was, she had no idea what she was doing. Even now, it felt as if he was giving her more pleasure than she was giving him.

Her body was on fire, her hips rocking with each stroke of her fingers. She tried to tell him with her eyes that she needed to focus her entire attention on him. Very gently he caught her jaw, slipping his cock deeper into the hot haven of her mouth. He wasn't very far in, but he took up so much space she felt as if she couldn't breathe. But there was a look on his face she'd never seen before, and she relaxed, needing his expression to never change.

One of his hands went to her head, fingers fisting tightly in her hair so that her scalp ached. A growl escaped his throat. Excitement and joy burst through her. His control was slipping. She wanted him to keep giving her commands. The sound of his voice was mesmerizing to her.

"I love to see how wet your pussy is, Zelie. Knowing you're getting off on this makes the experience even better for me."

His skin was hot to the touch. She could smell his arousal and his primitive, wild scent. She found his taste addicting. The idea that she might be able to please him the way he brought pleasure to her would go a long way to making her feel she was on equal ground with him in their relationship. For her, it wasn't about the sex. It was about giving him complete surrender. Complete focus. Needing to take away his demons in a way no one else could ever do.

"Explore with your tongue. Get to know the shape and feel of my cock. You'll know what feels good. Don't like teeth, but that tongue of yours is perfect. Pay attention to my balls."

She never took her eyes from his, so she was able to see every shudder rippling through him. She wished she knew how he felt.

As if reading her mind, he gave her that. "Fire racing up my shaft to my belly and spreading through my body like you may have detonated a stick of dynamite. Even my balls are burning, but feel free to take your time learning."

She ran her lips up and down his shaft, trying to memorize every inch of him. Her tongue lapped at his balls and then once again curled around his shaft and moved back up to the sensitive crown. Another groan slipped out. A growl. His fingers tightened in her hair.

"Take me deeper, baby. Suck hard. I want to feel the pull of your mouth."

That usually velvet voice had dropped another octave, sounding a little hoarse. There was a distinct rasp to his voice she'd never heard before.

Elated that she was getting to him, giving him pleasure, she did as he said, doing her best to take him deeper. There was a lot of him to take, but she focused on the shape and feel of him. On giving him her complete attention. She was very good at details, and her tongue had mapped each zone where he was highly sensitive.

She loved what she was doing, giving him an experience. He may have had the same thing a thousand other times, but she was the one who wanted to bring him the most pleasure she possibly could.

He swore under his breath, exciting her more. She loved that she was getting to him, shaking his control. She moaned around his cock, sending a delicious vibration through him. She worked at each of his most sensitive places, getting her reward when his body shuddered and his cock grew hotter and thicker.

"Never felt anything like this, Zelie," he praised. "You're working me and giving me something I've never had. All because I matter to you." He sounded a little shocked that he could matter to her.

How could he not realize he had fast become her world? She would try to find a way to give him the moon if that was what he wanted.

"You really do want to please me. That shocks the hell out of me." That soft velvet tone gave way to a sexy rasp. "Perfection. Seriously. You're so damned beautiful."

She loved that he thought so, but she loved what she was doing. Her mouth on him. The taste and scent of him. The way she could make his body shudder with pleasure when she tightened her mouth around him and sucked hard or used the tip of her tongue to dance along the sweet spot that had his hips making shallow, almost frantic mini-thrusts.

"Need to take over now. I'm going to go a little deeper. Don't panic on me. Trust me to give you the air you're going to need."

She did trust him. She loved that he was decisive. That he was commanding. She needed him to take control and tell her what to do.

"Want you looking at me and nowhere else. I can read you, baby. I'll know if you start to panic or want to stop."

She couldn't imagine wanting to stop. She actually felt powerful and as if she were giving Andrii something special. She loved that, and she loved looking into his eyes while he was feeding his cock to her. She could see the dark, carnal lust mixed with something too close to adoration. And love. It was there, stark and real, for her to see.

"Suck and use your tongue and relax for me."

She was very wet between her legs, her body on fire. There was no way she would take her gaze from his, not when he had that dark hunger carved deep into the lines on his face. His eyes were hooded and vividly intense as he slowly withdrew. His hands went to either side of her head, positioning her the way he wanted. Then he pushed his cock into her mouth again, holding her still.

He filled her mouth, pushing deeper. She never would have been able to do such a thing on her own. Never. His cock felt heavy on her tongue and filled the space in her mouth, stretching her lips. He held himself still, allowing her to suck hard. Very hard. She needed to give him this pleasure more than she needed air.

Her gaze clung to his to see his reaction, and she was instantly rewarded when a fine sheen of sweat covered his chest. When every muscle stood out in definition. When his eyes went molten. He looked like the epitome of sensuality to her.

He pulled back, allowing her to breathe, and then he pushed in again, thrusting this time, the action causing a rush of hot liquid between her legs. She used her mouth and tongue as best she could, catching his rhythm so she could suckle hard and tight. That got her feral growls. The sounds made her aware of her breasts aching and her body burning up in a fever of need. Tremors ran through her. For a moment she was tempted to use her fingers again, but he was far more important to her than her own satisfaction.

He sank deeper, so scorching hot he felt like a brand. So thick she worried she might not be able to use her tongue the way she wanted on the underside of the broad crown. She hollowed her cheeks, feeling his cock pulse. Jerk. His body shuddered, his thigh muscles rigid. He withdrew abruptly, and she made a single sound of protest.

"Want your sweet little pussy, baby. Get on your hands and knees. Hurry." His hands were already moving her, spinning her around, yanking her hips up and shoving her head down toward the covers. He kept one hand between her shoulder blades as he surged into her. A hard, claiming thrust. That was all it took, and she detonated. He kept pounding into her right through her first orgasm and then her second.

She came close to screaming his name when her body clamped down on his cock on the third orgasm, sending them both rocketing into sweet oblivion.