Chapter 15

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

Raid didn’t usually do this. Didn’t ask for a meeting with his friends. They hung out when the women were doing their thing, and of course they talked after a search and the person was found. But never in all the time he’d been a member of the Eagle Point Search and Rescue team had he asked for a meeting with all the guys.

So they were all looking pretty concerned when they gathered in the conference room at the library. Raid wasn’t willing to leave Khloe alone, even though he had no proof Garcia was anywhere near Fallport. Until he knew where the man was, Raid wouldn’t relax. Not only that, but Jason and Scott Mather were still out there, probably scheming on how next to harass his woman.

Not being one to beat around the bush, Raid didn’t attempt any idle chitchat after everyone had arrived. “There’s a possibility my past might come back to haunt me,” he started. Then proceeded to tell the best friends he’d ever had all about Pablo Garcia and what happened on that boat several years ago.

He expected his friends to be pissed. He expected them to be concerned. He didn’t expect to be put in a position where he was the one trying to talk them down from their extreme anger on his behalf.

Rocky had already heard the story, but the others were beyond shocked. Not that a man like Garcia existed, they’d all seen their own versions of the evil that was inside the drug dealer, but at his utter ruthlessness when it came to the dogs he’d killed.

“I have no proof he’s going to come here,” Raid said.

“But you have no proof he’s not either,” Zeke pointed out.

“Exactly. I have no doubt he spent his time behind bars coming up with all sorts of ways to torture you and Tonka,” Drew agreed.

“What does your friend say?” Ethan asked.

“He’s not happy. He’s over in New Mexico, and he has a family. Not to mention a barn full of animals he looks after and a bunch of friends he works with. He’s just as concerned as me,” Raid informed the group.

“As he should be,” Tal said. “Are we hunting this asshole down? Who are we calling?”

Raid couldn’t believe he was smiling. His friends’ reactions were reassuring. He wasn’t overreacting or being paranoid. They were just as concerned as he was.

“I thought Ethan could contact his friend Tex. Maybe he can do some searches and see what he can find out about the man. See if he can figure out if he stayed where the immigration officials left him or if he’s in the wind,” Raid said.

“Rex, my acquaintance in Colorado, mainly deals with domestic sex traffickers these days, but I’d bet everything I own he’s still got connections who could find out more information for us,” Rocky said.

“Don’t forget Silverstone,” Zeke added. “From what I’ve heard, they’re not really in the business anymore, but men like that don’t just go cold turkey. And they have plenty of connections in the FBI and other government sources.”

Everyone nodded.

“I’ll call the fucking president if I have to in order to get info,” Ethan growled. “How the hell someone like that could’ve been let out is beyond me. Someone fucked up big, and I intend to do everything I can to make sure whoever made that decision is fucking fired.”

“So what’s the plan in the meantime?” Drew asked, a little more calmly than his friends. “What about Khloe?”

“Not to be butting into your business, but you two seem exceptionally close lately,” Brock added. “I’m assuming things have progressed beyond boss and employee?”

“Yes,” Raid said simply. He’d never been the kind of man to kiss and tell, but he had no problem with his friends knowing how much she meant to him.

“Right, so we need to make sure she’s covered at all times,” Drew said with a nod.

“Which we already are, because of Tweedledee and Tweedledum being in town,” Zeke grumbled.

“Fuck, forgot about those two assholes,” Drew said with a shake of his head.

“You know, I kind of miss the days when the only thing we had to worry about was if and when we might get called out on a search,” Ethan said wryly.

“You do not,” Tal said, throwing a pen across the table at his friend.

“Okay, you’re right. I wouldn’t change having Lilly in my life for anything. But life sure seemed a lot easier before stalkers, psychos, and exes were in the picture.”

“Easier, maybe,” Brock conceded. “But not nearly as awesome.”

He wasn’t wrong.

“Other than covering Khloe, what else are you thinking?” Drew asked.

“Khloe suggested we spread the word about Garcia,” Raid said. “Not everything, but enough to make sure the good citizens of Fallport are on watch.”

“You okay with that?” Ethan asked with concern. “You haven’t exactly been an open book since you’ve moved here. Hell, we’re your best friends, and we’re just now hearing about the shit that went down on that mission.”

Raid nodded and made the decision to open up to these men even more. It was the least he could do after all their help with Khloe’s situation…and because it was time.

“All my life, I’ve done what I could to fade into the background. When I was in school it was because I’d do anything not to be noticed by the bullies. As I got older, it was because I didn’t fit in with the popular crowd. I was a nerd who enjoyed spending time with his video games more than people. When I was in the Coast Guard, I had Dagger to keep me company. I still spend Friday nights playing Dungeons and Dragons with some people I met online. And I prefer my own company. That doesn’t mean I don’t like you guys, just that…I guess I never really thought you’d want to know the real me. But I also know I didn’t give you the chance.”

“I played D&D when I was in high school,” Drew said. “I might be interested in joining you…if you wouldn’t mind.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being a loner,” Zeke added.

“And I wasn’t saying it was a bad thing that you’ve kept to yourself,” Ethan told Raid. “We like you exactly how you are. But being the center of gossip around Fallport isn’t exactly fun.”

Raid leaned forward. “I don’t care. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Khloe safe and get Garcia off the streets. He’s a menace. There’s not a chance in hell he’s going to go home and just count himself lucky for getting out of prison early. He’s a psychopath. He doesn’t care who he hurts.”

“That’s obvious, after you told us what he did to Dagger and Steel,” Brock said in a hard tone.

“I have no doubt he’s eventually gonna come for me and Tonka. I can handle him, but I need all the eyes I can get on the lookout, so he doesn’t ambush me…or Khloe. Or any of you, for that matter,” Raid said.

“You mean, we can handle him,” Ethan said firmly.

“This isn’t your fight. And you’ve got a wife to worry about. All of you do. Zeke and Brock, your wives are pregnant. And then there’s Tony and Marissa,” Raid said with a shake of his head.

“You’re so fucking wrong,” Drew said. “Your fight is our fight. We’re teammates. Friends. And if you think I’m gonna sit back and let this psychopath hurt someone I love, you’re as crazy as him.”

Raid swallowed hard. This was what he’d wanted his entire life. Friends like these.

It was just hitting home that he’d done these men a grave injustice. He’d kept them at arm’s length because of his own prejudices, his own insecurities. He’d assumed they wouldn’t like him as much simply because he chose to read or play a fantasy game, instead of going camping, hunting, or other more physical pursuits.

He’d let his oldest childhood fears follow him into adulthood.

“Don’t underestimate him,” Raid said quietly. “He’s smart. He’s not going to simply stroll into town. He’ll do reconnaissance. He’ll want as much information as possible before he strikes. And he’s not afraid to hurt people to get what he wants.”

“We’ve all known men like him,” Zeke said. “He’s not going to win. No way in hell.”

The others all agreed and, once more, Raid was overwhelmed with gratitude for his friends.

“All right, so we’re contacting anyone and everyone we can to find out where this asshole might be; we’re going to carefully share intel about how someone might come to town wanting information on Raid; we’ll make sure Simon and his deputies are informed; and we’re gonna do our best to keep our eye on Khloe and our women and kids. Now can we talk about Raid and Khloe?” Tal asked with a grin.

“Yeah, I thought you two didn’t like each other,” Brock said.

“Oh, they liked each other.” Ethan laughed. “It was obvious.”

“Right? The more they bitched about each other, the more I was sure they were going to get together,” Rocky said.

“They’re actually perfect for each other…neither love the company of others and they like animals better than people,” Drew noted.

Raid crossed his arms and didn’t even try to stop his friends. He knew from experience when they had something to say, they’d say it no matter what anyone else thought.

“That’s so true!” Ethan exclaimed. “I mean, Duke likes Lilly, but he loves Khloe.”

“Wait, does she know about your D&D games?” Rocky asked.

Raid smirked. “Yes. She’s even played with me. She’s really good.”

His friends all beamed.

“Right, so…if everyone is done being Nosey Nellies, I need to get back to work,” Raid said with a shake of his head.

“Yeah, we all do,” Ethan agreed.

“We’ve got your back,” Brock told him.

“Yeah,” Tal agreed. “No matter what, Garcia’s not going to win.”

“Neither are the Mather brothers. And Khloe’s gonna open her vet clinic and put Ziegler out of business in no time,” Zeke said with a grin.

Each of his friends clapped Raid on the back as they stood and filed out of the conference room. Raid couldn’t say that he felt better about the entire situation, but he was content in the knowledge that he was doing all he could. He had no doubt Tonka’s friends at The Refuge, the retreat they all owned together, were doing the same thing.

After he’d said goodbye to everyone, Raid turned and wasn’t surprised to see Khloe nearby. He jerked his head toward his office and she eagerly made her way toward it.

The second the door was closed, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “How’d it go? Is Operation Keep That Fucker Away From My Boyfriend underway?”

Raid couldn’t help it, he laughed. If someone would’ve told him yesterday that he could find anything humorous about this situation, he would’ve told them to fuck off. But Khloe had a way of making things seem not quite so desperate.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Now, since you were so stressed and grumpy this morning, I didn’t get my morning kiss. Think you can remedy that now, Bjorn?”

Raid was still smiling when he lowered his head. Only his Khloe would use his D&D character’s name as a term of endearment. He kissed her long and deep, apologizing for neglecting her. She returned the kiss enthusiastically.

When she pulled back, she stared up at him with a serious expression on her face.

“What?” he asked.

“We’re going to be okay,” she said firmly. “I don’t know what the future holds, but after everything we’ve been through, there’s no way either Alan or Pablo is gonna win.”

A shiver shot up Raid’s spine, but he ignored it. “Damn straight,” he told her.

She beamed up at him. “Now, can I talk you into doing the inventory on the returned books while I work the checkout desk?”

Raid snorted. He knew restocking shelves wasn’t Khloe’s favorite thing, but he had some calls to make and he couldn’t do that if he was out on the library floor. “Nope,” he said. “But I’m thinking I can make it up to you tonight.”

She shivered in his arms. “Deal,” she whispered. Her hands slid under his shirt and caressed the bare skin of his lower back for a moment, before she took a step back. “Is it hot in here?” she asked with a grin.

“Very,” he agreed.

Then she sobered. “Raid?”

“Yeah, Khloe?”

“I wasn’t ready for you. I thought I was fine on my own. But being with you these past several weeks has made me see what an idiot I was for keeping you and everyone else at arm’s length for so long. No matter what happens…I know I can trust you to make it right.”

After dropping that bomb, she turned and left his office and headed to the drop box to gather books.

Raid stood there for a long moment. Her words had left him dumbstruck. She’d said exactly what he felt. He’d waited too damn long to acknowledge his attraction to her and he regretted it with everything he was. And her trust in him meant everything. He wasn’t going to let her down. No matter what, he’d do whatever it took to make sure they could both lead a very long happily ever after. Together.

And the first step toward that was to call Tonka. Now that they’d both had some time to come to terms with the fact that Garcia was free, they needed to talk. No one knew the bastard like Tonka did. He’d spent a hellacious couple of hours with the man, and if anyone had any idea what he might be planning, it’d be him. It sucked that he was all the way on the other side of the country, but maybe that was best, considering Garcia’s vengeful personality.

* * *

That night, as Khloe frantically rode his cock, Raid couldn’t take his eyes off her beautiful face. She was his life. She’d gradually slipped under his shields over the last year or so, but recently she’d completely shattered them. He was a different person because of her. The kind of man he’d always wanted to be.

His fingers dug into her hips as she smiled down at him. Her tits bounced on her chest and she was completely uninhibited. As he watched, she arched her back and brought her hands up to tweak her nipples, doing her best to tease him.

Raid’s hand moved between her legs to roughly flick her clit, which had to still be sensitive after the two orgasms he’d already given her. He’d let her climb on top of him to give her some semblance of control, but it was a façade. He couldn’t help taking over anytime they were together. And he knew she loved it.

The second he touched her, she moaned and stilled above him. Raid mourned the loss of the friction of her sheath stroking his cock, but loved how tightly she clamped around him.

“Raid,” she begged as she began to shake over him. Her hands came down on his chest to brace herself when he continued to rub her.

“Come for me,” he ordered.

She shook her head, but her body continued to tense.

Raid wondered if there was something wrong with him for loving how much he forced her to orgasm. Nothing made him feel more powerful than watching Khloe fly over the edge at his touch and command.

The second she started to convulse, he sat up, keeping her impaled on his dick, and put her on her back. Then he thrust hard, pushing through her tight muscles as they spasmed through her orgasm.

She groaned and Raid thrust harder. She felt so damn good. He’d never felt anything as wonderful as being deep inside her like this.

Her legs wrapped around him and her heels dug into his ass as his balls drew up closer to his body. He was on the verge of exploding when Khloe reached up and pinched his nipples. And she wasn’t tentative about it either.

The shock of the stinging pain and the way her pussy still fluttered around him made him lose any control he might’ve had. Shoving inside her as far as he could go, Raid came. And came and came and came. He didn’t think he’d ever stop spurting. It was all he could do to hold himself and not collapse on top of her and crush her under his much bigger body.

When he couldn’t hold himself up anymore, he fell to the side, taking her with him, not willing to leave her pussy just yet. It was several moments before he could speak. “Damn, woman, you about killed me!” he mock-complained.

“Which you do every time we’re together,” she said with a smile on her face. “You liked that.”

Raid couldn’t help but chuckle. “Duh. But so we’re on the same page, what exactly is the ‘that’ you’re talking about?”

“Me pinching your nipples,” she said.

Raid came up on an elbow and stared down at her. “I like everything you do to me.”

“Except letting me be in charge,” she retorted.

He shrugged. “What can I say? I like having you at my mercy.”

She giggled, and Raid felt it on his dick. Which reminded him he needed to take care of the condom. “Don’t move,” he ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

He waited until she nodded before pulling out of her and rolling out of the bed. He was back in less than a minute, a grimace on his face.

“Why the frown?” she asked as he turned her around in the bed and got them situated under the covers.

“The condom broke,” he said, not beating around the bush.

“Oh.”

Raid waited, but she didn’t say anything else. “That’s all you have to say about it?” he asked.

Khloe shrugged. “I have an IUD. The chances of me getting pregnant are very slim.”

“You do?”

She nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before.”

“Why didn’t you? I mean, I’m glad you’ve taken the steps to protect yourself, I’m just curious.”

“Are you the kind of man who’s going to go crazy if I talk about being with someone else while we’re in bed?” she asked.

Raid thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. “No. I’m forty-one years old. I know I haven’t had the kind of sexual experience most men…and women, for that matter…have by my age.”

“Okay. But for the record…I’m definitely the kind of woman who gets possessive and jealous, so I don’t want to hear about your other women and how you got to be as good in bed as you are.”

“The internet,” Raid said without hesitation. He should be embarrassed about this, but with Khloe he couldn’t be.

“What?”

“That’s how I learned how to please a woman.”

“There’s no way you learned that thing with your tongue and how to give me a G-spot orgasm through porn,” she said skeptically.

“You’re right. A lot of porn is gross. And the hardcore stuff is mostly about violence toward women, and I can’t stand it. But there are a lot of tutorial type videos out there. Where men stay fully dressed, and it’s all about demonstrating how to bring women to orgasm.”

Khloe was quiet for a moment. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Well…all right then. And to answer your question, I didn’t mention the IUD because in the past when I’ve told men that I have it, they pressed me hard to have sex without a condom. And while I’m not opposed to that after being in a relationship for a while, there’s no way I’d let someone I just met inside me without one. I don’t know where his dick’s been, and I don’t want to get the creeping crud because a guy was too much of an ass to suit up with other women.”

Raid couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, you don’t have to worry about me having the creeping crud, because it’s been a very long time since my cock’s had anything but my fist. And I’m okay with using condoms to protect you for as long as you want.”

“Do you want kids?” she asked.

Raid couldn’t help but tense at her question. It was too early to be talking about children…wasn’t it? Then again, she hadn’t asked if he wanted them with her, just if he wanted them.

Raid hadn’t ever admitted this to anyone before, but this was Khloe. “Yes,” he said softly. “I’ve always wanted them. But I’m not sure I’d be the best dad. If I had a boy, I wouldn’t know anything about throwing a baseball back and forth or fishing or any of that dad stuff. And a girl? Forget about it. I know nothing about girls.”

“Oh, I’d say you do,” Khloe said suggestively. Then she rolled over until she was lying on top of him. “I think you’d make an excellent dad. And who’s to say your son would even want to throw a ball around the yard? Maybe he’d be more into putting together Lego sets with you. Or you could teach him how to play D&D. And your daughter would have you wrapped around her little finger. She’d be a daddy’s girl for sure.”

“Do you want kids?” he asked.

Khloe shrugged. “I told myself I didn’t. That I was content to take care of the animals in my clinic. I’m also forty-three…it’s probably not even an option anymore. But with you? Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

They were no longer talking in abstracts, and Raid felt his dick harden between her legs.

Khloe smiled and sat up. She scooted back until his cock was right where she wanted it. He was only half hard, but she rose up and notched the bulbus head between her pussy lips. Then she sank down on him.

The feel of being inside her without a condom was indescribable—and his dick grew even harder.

“Oh, wow! That feels so weird…but wonderful,” she said with a groan. “I can feel you getting hard inside me.”

“I don’t have a condom on,” he reminded her.

“I know. I trust you, Raid.”

Fuck, she was going to make him blow like a teenager. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled, staying inside her as he did. When they got situated again, he stared down at the woman who’d turned his life upside down. “Hold on,” he warned her.

“To what?” she asked.

“To me.”

Then Raid proceeded to show Khloe how much she meant to him. How he’d never be the same if she left him. How he’d do whatever it took to keep her safe from anything and everything.