Chapter 22

chapter

twenty-two

Pierce woke to the feel of Rhiannon's fingertips tracing patterns on his chest, feather-light caresses that sent shivers racing over his skin.

"Good morning," she whispered.

He hummed back, not wanting to take his arms from around her to sign. Instead, he pulled her closer, loving the way she fit against him. She was warm and soft, and he wanted to stay right there in that moment with her for the rest of his life.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, her hand drifted to his neck, hovering over the jagged scars. "Can I…?"

He tensed, an instinctive reaction, but forced himself to relax and nod. When her fingers brushed ever so gently against the marred skin, he squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't watch her expression, couldn't bear the pity he might see there.

She shifted beside him, propping herself up to get a better look. Her touch was reverent as she explored the raised lines and valleys that marked his throat, but still, he didn't dare look at her. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing beneath her fingertips. He'd never allowed anyone this close, never let them see the vulnerability etched into his skin. He'd always worn scarves or high collars to shield himself from judgment or revulsion, but Rhiannon didn't flinch or look away. Instead, she leaned in, pressing her lips to the raised tissue with a sweet awe that stole his breath away.

She wasn't disgusted by the imperfections.

She wasn't disgusted by him .

"Does it hurt?" she asked, her breath warm against his skin.

He shook his head, but the truth was more complicated than that. The scars were a reminder of everything he'd done wrong in his life. So, yeah, they hurt. Every time he looked in the mirror, he saw a failure staring back at him. A coward. A man who had made all the wrong choices. Every time he saw the scars, he was reminded of the chaos and destruction he'd helped bring into the world.

But, somehow, her touch eased that pain.

He finally opened his eyes to find her gazing at him with a look of such open adoration that it made his chest ache.

"You're beautiful, Pierce."

His hands trembled as he reached for her and pulled her down until their foreheads touched. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, how she'd awakened parts of him he thought long dead. But the words caught in his scarred throat, trapped behind lips that couldn't give them voice.

Instead, he poured everything he felt into his kiss, deep and passionate, hoping she could taste the emotions he couldn't speak.

As the kiss deepened, he rolled them over, pinning her beneath him. Rhiannon responded instantly, opening her legs to cradle his hips as she twined her fingers in his hair.

He broke away, drinking in the sight of her flushed cheeks and swollen lips as he signed, "I want you."

She gave a smile that was equal parts sweet and seductive. It sent a bolt of lust straight down to his cock.

"I'm yours. Show me how you want me, Pierce."

God, did she have any idea what she did to him?

His lips crashed down on hers again, hungry and demanding. He took his time exploring her body, mapping every curve and plane with his mouth and hands. When his lips closed around her breast, Rhiannon gasped, her fingers tightening in his hair. He lavished attention on each sensitive peak and loved the way she writhed beneath him, loved the way her voice went all soft and needy when she said his name.

"Pierce…"

He shifted off her and slid his hand over her belly, tracing the curve of her hip before dipping between her thighs. Her breath hitched as he stroked her, her hips rising to meet his touch, and he watched her face intently, memorizing every flutter of her eyelashes, every parting of her lips, every gasp, groan, and moan she made.

She was wrong. She was the beautiful one here.

He looked down as her legs dropped open and groaned softly. She was all pink and wet and freshly bare. He'd been in such a desperate hurry to have her last night that he hadn't noticed she must have shaved everything while in the shower.

He slipped a finger between her slick folds and asked with his free hand, "Did you do this for me?"

A flush worked its way up from her perfect breasts to fill her cheeks. "Do you like it?"

He fucking loved it and slid down her body to show her just how much he loved it with his mouth and tongue.

She bowed off the bed with a loud, throaty moan.

That's it, he thought. Let go for me, beautiful.

He worked her body with single-minded focus, his only goal to bring her as much pleasure as possible. He alternated between teasing licks and firm suction on her clit, his fingers curling inside her to find that spot that made her shake apart.

Rhiannon's hands fisted in the sheets, her thighs trembling around his ears, her hips undulating against his face as she chased her climax. He could feel her inner walls beginning to flutter around his fingers, her body tensing as her climax approached. With one final hard suck on her clit, he sent her flying.

"Oh God, Pierce… I'm going to…" Her words dissolved into a keening cry, and the sweet taste of her orgasm filled his mouth.

He growled with triumph but didn't let up, continuing to stroke and suck her through it until she was a boneless, quivering mess.

Finally, she collapsed back onto the mattress, her chest heaving and body trembling with aftershocks. Pierce placed a tender kiss on her inner thigh and then crawled up her body, leaving a trail of hot kisses along her sweat-dampened skin. He hovered over her, drinking in the sight of her flushed cheeks, parted lips, heaving chest. She looked utterly wrecked, and it was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. The pure, sated bliss on her face made a deep, primal satisfaction roar to life inside him.

Rhiannon's eyes fluttered open, hazy and unfocused with pleasure. A slow smile curved her lips as she reached up to cup his cheek.

"I think… I just had an out-of-body experience," she breathed.

Pierce grinned and dipped his head to capture her mouth in a deep, languid kiss. She could no doubt taste herself on his tongue. The thought sent a fresh surge of desire crashing through him. His cock, achingly hard, throbbed against her hip, desperate for relief.

He broke the kiss to sign, "I need to be inside you. Now."

"Yes." She wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him closer. "Please."

He felt her heat, her wetness coating the tip of his cock as he positioned himself at her entrance. With a slow, deliberate thrust, he pushed inside her welcoming body.

They both groaned at the sensation, Rhiannon's nails digging into his ass as he stretched and filled her. He buried himself to the hilt and stilled. She was so tight and perfect around him. He could live to be a thousand years old, and he'd never get enough of this.

Enough of her.

"You feel so good," she breathed against his ear. "So big. So deep."

Pierce closed his eyes and dropped his forehead to hers, overwhelmed by the feeling of her surrounding him so completely. His body screamed at him to move, to thrust, to chase his own release. But he wanted to savor this moment, to burn it into his memory. He never wanted to forget a single second of this. Of her.

Finally, he couldn't resist the urge to move any longer and set a slow, deep rhythm, putting his entire body into each stroke. He was going to make this last, to draw out their pleasure for as long as possible, because he didn't know what dangers today was going to bring. This might be his last time with her.

Rhiannon met him thrust for thrust, her hips rising to take him deeper. Her hands roamed his back, fingers digging into his flexing muscles. The room filled with the sounds of their lovemaking—the slap of flesh against flesh, their ragged breathing, the creak of the bed beneath them.

Her hands roamed his up and down back, her nails digging in as the pleasure built. "Harder," she panted. "I need... oh God..."

He obliged, snapping his hips faster, driving into her with increasing urgency. The headboard slammed against the wall with each powerful thrust, but he was beyond caring about the noise. All that mattered was Rhiannon and the way she felt sheathed around him.

"Yes, just like that," she moaned, throwing her head back. "Don't stop, Pierce. Please don't stop."

He couldn't have stopped if he wanted to. He was a man possessed, chasing their mutual release with single-minded focus. Her legs tightened around his waist, and he could feel her start to tremble, her inner muscles fluttering around his pistoning cock.

He knew she was close. Determined to send her over the edge first, he leaned back, shifting the angle of his hips to hit that sweet spot inside her with every deep stroke, and slid a hand between their straining bodies, seeking out her swollen clit.

"Come for me," he mouthed.

Rhiannon cried out, her body bowing off the bed as her orgasm slammed into her.

Pierce groaned as her walls clamped down around him like a vise, milking his shaft, and the exquisite pressure was too much. With a final, rough thrust, he buried himself deep and let go, spilling himself with a silent roar. He filled her in long, hot pulses, ecstasy exploding through his veins, whiting out his vision and stealing the breath from his lungs.

Boneless and spent, he collapsed on top of her, his face pressed into the crook of her neck as aftershocks wracked his body.

They lay twisted together for a long moment, hearts pounding and chests heaving as they slowly came back down to earth. Pierce knew he must be crushing her, but he couldn't bring himself to move. Not yet. He wanted to stay like this forever, wrapped up in her warmth, surrounded by her scent.

Rhiannon hummed and combed her fingers through his sweat-dampened hair. "That was…" She huffed out a laugh. "God. I don't even know what that was. I don't think there are words for it."

Pierce lifted his head from the crook of her neck to meet her adoring gaze. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest, emotion rising in his throat. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, how empty his life had been before her, how she brought light to his darkness.

Sometimes he really fucking hated that he had no voice.

His hands shaking slightly, he propped himself up so he could sign. "Rhiannon, I..."

The words evaporated as a sharp knock sounded at the door, shattering the intimate bubble around them.

Pierce tensed, years of instincts kicking in as he rolled to his feet in one fluid motion, automatically reaching for a gun he didn't have. Rhiannon sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest, eyes wide.

Ethan's terse voice floated through the door. "Downstairs. Now. We have company."

Everything inside Pierce went calm and still at the news when, just a week ago, it would have sent him into a panic. He grabbed clothes from the duffle bag, pulling on his pants with quick, efficient movements. He was in battle mode, he realized. For the first time in years, he was ready to fight instead of run.

Rhiannon scrambled out of bed, sheet still clutched to her chest. "What's going on?" she whispered, fear edging into her voice.

He cupped her face in his hands, stroking his thumbs over her cheekbones.

If only they had more time.

He leaned in, pressing his lips to her forehead in a tender kiss before pulling back to sign, "I don't know. But I need you to get dressed and stay behind me."

She nodded, dropping the sheet to reach for her clothes with shaking hands. Pierce tried not to let his gaze linger on her naked body, knowing he needed to stay focused, but it was an effort. He wanted nothing more than to pull her back into bed, to lose himself in her warmth and forget the danger that lurked outside their door.

But he couldn't.

He had a long overdue job to do.

If he wanted any shot at a life with Rhiannon, he had to destroy Tectra-X.

He grabbed his shirt off the floor and shrugged into it as he moved to the window, peering through a gap in the curtains. A dark blue SUV was parked at the curb, but he couldn't see any movement on the street.

If this was an attack, wouldn't Ethan have sounded more concerned? Instead, he'd sounded almost… bored. And maybe a little annoyed.

Pierce turned from the window as Rhiannon finished dressing, her hands still trembling slightly as she buttoned her jeans. He crossed to her in two long strides and pulled her into his arms, needing to feel her warmth and softness one more time before they faced whatever waited downstairs.

She melted into his embrace, her arms snaking around his waist as she pressed her face into his chest. He could feel the tension thrumming through her body, the rapid beat of her heart against his.

After a long moment, he reluctantly released her and signed, "Stay close to me, okay?"

She nodded, determination settling over her delicate features. "Always."

Together, they made their way out of the bedroom and down the stairs, Pierce keeping Rhiannon slightly behind him, ready to shield her at the first sign of a threat. Muted voices drifted from the living room, and he frowned, straining to make out the words. One voice in particular sounded strangely familiar...

They found Ethan waiting on the landing at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed over his broad chest. His face was carefully blank, but there was a tightness around his eyes that set Pierce's every nerve on edge. He glanced past Ethan into the living room and froze, shock punching through him like a fist.

Rylan, Zak, Cal, and one of Ash Rawlings' female deputies—he couldn't remember her name—stood in the center of the room, surrounded by Ethan's men.

"About time," Ethan muttered.

"Aw, leave them alone," one of Ethan's men said with a smirk. "They had a good time last night."

"Yeah, keeping us all awake," Gage muttered.

Rylan's gaze snapped to them, and Pierce watched the realization dawn in the other man's eyes—realization that was quickly replaced by a protective fury.

Rylan took a step toward them, his high-tech prosthetic hand clenching into a fist like he was considering putting it through Pierce's skull. "What the fuck, Pierce? You fucked my sister?"

Pierce pulled her protectively—and, yeah, possessively—into his side, meeting Rylan's furious glare with a steely one of his own. She was his. Rylan was just going to have to get used to that fact.

But Rhiannon ducked out of his arms. Her chin lifted in defiance as she poked at her brother's chest.

"Excuse me? Not that it's any of your business, but yes, we slept together. Because we're both consenting adults who care about each other. I don't need your permission or approval, Rylan."

Pierce's jaw clenched, guilt and anger warring inside him. He knew he didn't deserve Rhiannon, but damn if he was going to let anyone, even her brother, make him feel ashamed for loving her.

"Hey!" Zak barked, inserting himself between them. "Stand down, both of you. We have bigger problems than your pissing contest right now."

"Jesus," Ethan muttered, dragging a hand over his face. "I knew this was a mistake."

"He's right," the deputy said, her voice calm but firm as she set a hand on Rylan's arm. Pierce thought her name might be Stella.

No. Isabella. Izzy. That was it.

Her touch seemed to soothe Rylan. He tore his gaze from Pierce to look at Izzy, a muscle ticking in his clenched jaw. After a tense moment, he gave a short nod and took a step back, but the fury still simmered in his multicolored eyes.

Pierce wrapped his arms around Rhiannon and drew her back to him, not willing to let her go. Not when everything inside him screamed to keep her close, to protect her from the danger that seemed to come at them from all sides. Even if that danger was her own brother's wrath.

"I'm sorry."

Rhiannon shook her head, her expression softening as she touched his cheek. "You have nothing to apologize for. This is between me and Rylan. He'll get over it."

Somehow, Pierce doubted that.

But before he could respond, Ethan cleared his throat pointedly. "If you're done with the soap opera, we have actual pressing matters to discuss. Every second we waste puts more lives at risk." He leveled his gaze on Pierce. "You built the damn weapon. We need you to tell us how to destroy it before it's too late."

All eyes turned to him, and Pierce felt the weight of their stares like a physical force. He glanced down at Rhiannon, saw the trust and love shining in her green-gold eyes, and drew strength from it. She gave him a small nod, her hand finding his and lacing their fingers together.

Squaring his shoulders, he began to sign, Rhiannon translating his words for the others.

"Destroying Tectra-X outright might be impossible. Its outer shell is virtually indestructible. But there's a flaw in the design, a weakness we might be able to exploit."

Pierce took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "The device is powered by a rare isotope called Xenarium-136. It's highly unstable and the only element capable of generating the immense energy required to trigger seismic waves."

One of Ethan's men spoke up. "I've never heard of it."

Pierce turned toward him. The man had hawkish features. Straight black hair that desperately needed a cut fell into dark, slanted eyes that hinted at Asian ancestry. He had stayed on the outskirts of the group, watching the commotion from a bank of computers in the corner of the room. He must be their version of Sawyer.

"And you are?"

"That's Oz," Ethan said before the other man could respond. Then he jerked his chin toward the man who had made the off-color joke about Pierce and Rhiannon having had fun last night. "Nolan, our pilot." He continued around the circle until he'd named everyone: "Leo, interrogation specialist. Rafe, demolitions. Alistair, medic."

Each man nodded a hello, except for Nolan, who gave a cheeky two-finger salute, and Oz, who merely grunted, too busy typing on his laptop to acknowledge anything beyond his screen.

"Gage, here, is under our protection," Ethan continued. "And you know my second-in-command, Trent."

Cal's lips compressed into a scowl, which looked weird on the guy's face. Cal was usually all smiles, with boundless energy like a puppy.

"Yeah, we've met," Cal muttered. "But I knew him as Vigil. I thought the cult killed you."

Trent's hard mouth tipped up at the corner. "I'm hard to kill."

"What about Clarity—Evelyn—and her daughter?"

Trent's smile vanished. "I got them out of there before the shit hit the fan. They're safe."

Cal relaxed a fraction. "Okay."

Pierce glanced back and forth between them. He'd been at the cult's compound, too, but he hadn't seen Trent there. Of course, he hadn't infiltrated the compound like Cal had. He'd just been on the outskirts in case Cal or Ellie needed help.

Ellie.

He was surprised the thought of her didn't make his chest ache. He'd liked her but had never made a move on her because he hadn't wanted to put her in danger. And it was obvious to anyone with a brain that her heart had already belonged firmly to Cal. Still, that knowledge hadn't stopped the ache of loneliness that filled his chest every time he saw or thought of her.

Except, now, that ache was gone.

He looked at Rhiannon, and instead of pain, warmth bloomed behind his ribs.

It never would've worked between him and Ellie because, even then, his heart had belonged firmly to Rhiannon. He just hadn't known it yet.

"Can we get back to the weapon?" Oz asked with unrestrained annoyance. "How come I've never heard of Xenarium-136?"

Pierce took a second to force his wandering train of thought back to the right track.

"Because it doesn't occur naturally on Earth," he signed. " It was created specifically for the weapon and has to be synthesized in a lab under extremely precise conditions. Without the Xenarium core, Tectra-X is nothing more than a billion-dollar paperweight."

"So we remove or destroy this core and neutralize the weapon," Ethan said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Pierce shook his head. "Destroying the core is possible but too dangerous. It's essentially a bomb. We need to remove and secure it very carefully so we don't kill ourselves."

"Ah, cakewalk," Nolan said with a wave of his hand.

Zak crossed his arms. "Yeah, except for one problem. We still have no idea where it is or who has it."

"Oz is working on that," Ethan said, nodding toward the grumpy tech guy. "We should have the location within the next…" He trailed off and looked at Oz, who scowled.

"I'll get it when I get it. I can't give you an exact time."

"Guess," Ethan said dryly.

Oz winced. He obviously didn't like guessing about anything. "Twenty-four hours. Give or take."