Gage (Contract Killers Book 1) Read online

  “Get dressed now.” His voice was hard, unyielding.

  Quickly putting on the clothes she’d had on before, she tried to calm herself, but it was no use. “Have they found us?” she whispered.

  “I’m not sure. It’s two men in street clothes driving a beat-up pickup. It could be nothing, but I want you to be prepared to leave if I give the word.”

  “How long have I been sleeping?”

  “Just a few hours.” He looked down at her, the light from the setting sun painting his face in a muted gold hue. He leaned down and kissed her gently, his attention going back to the window. And then after a second he stepped away and started rifling through his duffle bag, his movements brisk yet coordinated. He strapped a gun to his waist, one to his ankle, a knife to his calf, and put another handgun at the small of his back. He moved back to the window and for a second was motionless, hard as stone.

  In the next instant, Gage grabbed her arm and was pushing her into the bathroom.

  “They’ve found us.”

  “What? How do you know? How can you be sure?”

  “The manager pointed our room, and I saw them get guns off the back of their truck.” He moved in front of her, popping open the window as if he had done it a million times.

  She looked between him and the window, finally realizing he wanted her to go through it. “What? You want me to squeeze through that small hole?” He already had her hand and was dragging her toward the window. “I can’t fit through it.”

  “We’ll make you fit through it, because the alternative is not an option.”

  Her heart slammed hard against her chest, and she looked at him, fear surrounding her. “I’m scared, Gage.”

  “I know, baby. I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you again, but you have to trust me and listen to everything I say, okay?” He cupped her cheek. “No matter what you see or hear, I want you to promise me you’ll leave if things get too fucked. Can you promise me that?” He shoved the keys to the SUV in her hand.

  She shook her head, but he was already pushing her toward the window. “You’ll be out soon, right?” There was obvious fear in her voice.

  “Yes, but I have to hold these men off if it comes down to that, which I’m sure it will. There will be more coming, no doubt about that.” He pressed his mouth against hers before lifting her up.

  The fit was tight as hell, but she squeezed through the window. The wind blew dirt around, and she held her breath so she didn’t cough. She gripped onto the edge of the window and slowly let herself slide down the wall. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the bathroom window shut silently. She looked up at the dingy, frosted glass, gripping the keys so tightly they dug into her palm. The SUV was no more than five feet from her, but she didn’t get in, not right away, and not even though that was the smart thing to do. She couldn’t leave Gage.

  I can’t leave him. I care about him, maybe more than I should.

  She pressed herself against the wall, and only seconds later heard knocking on the front door. There was silence for what seemed like forever after those knocks, and the longer she held her breath, the more her heart pounded.

  And then gunshots rang out along with the sound of breaking glass and loud swearing.

  Get in the SUV where it’s safe.

  She heard Gage’s voice in her head, that deep, husky timbre that didn’t take no for an answer. She made her way toward the SUV, not about to leave Gage, but knowing it was safer and smarter. She started the car, but sat there for a second, feeling sweat line her temples as she thought of what to do. And then she realized she had to help Gage. Maybe she was nothing compared to him, had no training or expertise when it came to these situations, but she was tired of being a victim and tired of being afraid.

  Pulling out from behind the motel, she maneuvered the big vehicle to where their room’s door was and came to a stop, her breath stalling.

  She could still hear the sound of a gun going off and worried about Gage’s safety, even if she knew he could handle himself.

  “Come on, Gage,” she whispered to herself. And then a body flew through the window of the motel room she was just in, and a cry of surprise left her.

  It’s not Gage.

  The bloody body of the man that crashed through the window lay no more than five feet from her, shards of glass embedded in his face, blood starting to pool around him. She shivered at the sight as she pressed herself against the back of the seat.

  Come on, Gage.

  And as if he’d heard her, Gage and a huge looking man crashed through the partially open front door. They were wrestling on the ground, each of them holding a gun and trying to aim it at the other, trying to get the upper hand. One of the guns went off and the bullet slammed against the car door, having an involuntary scream leaving her.

  God, what in the hell were you thinking? You should have stayed in the back.

  Yes, but she’d been thinking she could be the getaway car if Gage needed it.

  You’re a fool, a fucking fool. He is a trained killer. He can handle himself.

  The man beneath Gage lifted his hand, the gun he held pointing straight toward Gage’s head. And as she was ready to jump out of the car, do something, anything, Gage twisted out from under him and started beating his face with his fist.

  Neeka couldn’t tear her eyes away as she stared at Gage hitting this man over and over again, blood covering his knuckles. And when the man lay lifeless Gage grabbed his gun, aimed it at the center of his head, and pulled the trigger like it was nothing.

  And as she sat there, stunned, not sure what to think, Gage was already off the man, grabbed his duffle bag, and was striding toward the SUV. She scrambled into the passenger seat, and when he was in his SUV and peeling out of the parking lot, dirt spraying up everywhere, she felt the chill in the air.

  “We aren’t even going to fucking talk about why you were out front.” His jaw was clenched tightly, and his hands were gripping the steering wheel hard enough his knuckles were white.

  He’s pissed at me, too.

  Her gaze turned toward front office and she saw the woman who’d checked Gage in come running outside screaming. Gage slammed on the gas, and the force sent Neeka pressing into the cold leather seat. She was vaguely aware of him reaching over and buckling the seat belt across her body.

  “You weren’t supposed to go back in the room, Neeka.” His voice was like steel. “You could have been hurt, or, fuck, killed, Neeka.”

  She looked over at him, hearing what he was saying but not comprehending any of it. Was she in shock? Was this what it felt like to have her mind becoming unhinged?

  He looked over at her and breathed out wearily, running his hand over his hair as he continuously checked the rearview mirror.

  “Damn, I wish you hadn’t been put in this situation, or seen me take out those fuckers.”

  “I could have gotten you killed, Gage. I missed, which distracted you and left you at a disadvantage.” She stared at the road in front of her, the reality of it all slamming into her with such excruciating force it sucked the air from her lungs. “I’m so glad you’re okay, though.”

  “Oh, Neeka. You were so brave, baby.” That anger faded, and in its place was this sincerity, this emotion she’d never imagined seeing from him.

  He sounded so genuine, his focus bouncing from the road to her. She let her tears fall, and Gage lifted his hand and brushed his fingers across her flesh, wiping the tears away. She took a big, steadying breath and looked out the window.

  “How much longer until we reach my father’s home?” He dropped his hand from her face, and his voice went hard again, like the solider he truly was. “I’m going to drive straight through. It was never safe for us to stop, but doing it now would be out of the question.”

  She knew he had stopped for her, knew that everything he had done was for her.

  “What will happen when I see my father?” What she really wanted to know was what would happen between them, and what would
happen with her. They might have shared a night of intense pleasure, but she couldn’t forget that her father had hired Gage to find her. She was a mission, a job, and she couldn’t let herself think a happily ever after would be a result of that.

  She let her head fall back against the seat. Instantly, the memories she had of what Gage and she shared washed away, now only terror filling her every cell at what her future would hold.

  ****

  Gage looked over at Neeka for the tenth time in the last twenty minutes. She was sleeping, the illumination of the lights from the dash casting an ethereal glow upon her pixie-like features. He had been driving for hours upon hours now, the sun starting to rise as they entered Hillcrest, a small, but wealthy country town on the outskirts of Shyloh. He was about an hour or so from Edward McCarthy’s home, and as much as he hated seeing Neeka go, he knew it was for the best.

  He was a trained solider, a killer. If he were to start something with Neeka, it would give his enemies a target, and that was something he could never live with, could never risk.

  Neeka made a small noise and shifted in her seat, the blanket he’d draped across her body sliding down slightly. He knew letting her go was for the best, but it didn’t make his heart ache any less. She slowly woke, blinking several times before turning a drowsy look his way.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi.” Her voice sounded sleepy, slightly hoarse.

  “We’ll be at your father’s house in about an hour.” He watched her, gauging her reaction. “I’ve already contacted your father and his staff, and they’re expecting us.”

  She blinked a few times and looked out the front windshield, nodding several times.

  “Do you need to use the restroom? Are you hungry?”

  “No, I’m fine. I just want to get home.”

  He nodded more to himself than to her. It was better to just get her there and not drag this out.

  “Gage?” she said his name softly.

  “Yeah.” He looked over at her, her vision still trained on the road in front of them.

  “What happens next?”

  He knew what she was referring to. It was the same thing he had asked himself repeatedly the entire trip. “I drop you off with your father, make sure you’re safe, and then I go back to the compound.” His focus was straight ahead. He didn’t trust himself to look at her for fear he might say something that shouldn’t be said.

  “It’s for the best.” Her voice was soft.

  “Yeah.” His words were void, his emotions being pushed deep inside of him so that he would be able to say goodbye to her forever. They might have shared that one night together intimately, but she had awoken something in him that had never been touched, a feeling that warmed him and gave him strength, that broke down his wall, but only for her.

  He drove for another ten minutes in silence until he couldn’t take it any longer. He pulled the car off the road and parked it behind an outcropping of flora. He turned the car off and checked his surroundings, making sure everything was all clear.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, sounding confused.

  He turned to look at her, knowing that he should just keep driving, but unable to stave off his emotions. He reached up and cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip, back and forth. Her breaths became shallow, quick. They stayed silent, just looking at each other. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers gently. It wasn’t supposed to be anything more, just a soft kiss goodbye, something to hold him for the rest of his life.

  That soft and gentle kiss turned into something stronger, more passionate. Neeka tilted her head and moved closer. He speared his hands in her hair, caressing her scalp as their tongues stroked along each other. She made little mewling noises, the sound spearing straight to his cock. She started to shift, and soon she was straddling him. She ground her pussy on his erection while she pressed her breasts into his chest.

  “I want you, Gage. I need you.”

  She breathed against his mouth as her hands moved to the fly of his pants. He didn’t stop her. No, as much as he should have, he was a selfish bastard. He wanted her just as much, wanted to bury his cock deep inside of her until she was branded as his.

  She undid his pants and pulled his cock out, stroking it in pressurized motions. Neeka went back to kissing him, licking his lips, teasing him to the point of madness. He all but ripped the button from her pants in his attempt to get them off.

  When they were gone and she was naked from the waist down, he molded his hands against her breasts, teasing and tweaking the stiff peaks, her nipples hard, slightly elongated from her arousal. She continued to grind her cunt against his cock, her juices coating his shaft with slick, hot wetness.

  “I want you so fucking bad.” He nipped and licked her throat as he growled against her flesh. She sighed and moaned as she thrust her hips against him. She reached between their bodies and gripped his dick, and he hissed out in ecstasy. She lifted slightly and aligned the head of his cock with her pussy hole. She didn’t go slowly, just sank down his shaft quickly and ravenously.

  They both groaned in pleasure as she started to lift up and then slam them back down. He gripped her waist and lifted his hips in time with hers until the sound of her soaked pussy sucking at his cock filled the interior of the SUV.

  He grunted at the pleasure-pain of it, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hold off from coming. She was so tight and hot that he was doing everything in his power to make sure he didn’t get off before she did. She bounced on him, her head thrown back in ecstasy, her tits bobbing right in front of his face. He tore her shirt up and tugged down her bra. Her breasts were perfect with quarter sized areolas the color of a ripe peach. He latched his mouth onto one and sucked like he was a man dying of thirst.

  He felt her pussy contract and ripple around his cock right before a gush of hot liquid spilled from her, coating his shaft and sending him precariously close to the edge. She groaned loudly and pressed her pussy all the way down, grinding her clit against the root of his dick and crying out her orgasm. He didn’t hold back, just pulled his mouth from her nipple and buried his face against her chest. His climax tore out of him in hot, thick jets of cum, filling her with his seed.

  He held her tightly as they both rode out the pleasure. She sagged against him, and he ran his hand up and down her back, wishing he could tell her what she meant to him. A man like him wasn’t supposed to have emotions, wasn’t supposed to feel anything but determination and concentration. He was supposed to be powerful, strong, and levelheaded. Emotions caused weakness, and weakness caused death. He continued to hold her, knowing this was the last time he’d be able to do it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  An hour later they were pulling up to her father’s entrance, the massive wrought-iron gates looming before them. She gave Gage the code to type in, the gate opening before them like welcoming arms. It felt wonderful to be home, to know that she was safe again. But there were things that still frightened her, and things that her mind wouldn’t let go.

  Neeka looked over at Gage, his jaw set hard, his expression unreadable. She thought about the way they’d just fucked no more than an hour ago. It had been powerful and ravenous. She wondered what he was thinking at that moment. Neeka felt something for him, something intense and powerful. It was something she didn’t want to forget.

  Does he feel the same?

  He drove up the paved driveway, past the guards that had been by the gate, and finally pulling around the circular courtyard. He turned the vehicle off, and they sat there in silence.

  “I thought you would have jumped out before I even stopped it.”

  She faced him, wringing her hands together, wanting to talk about them, but knowing talking about it probably wasn’t something he’d be comfortable with. “What if they come back for me, Gage? Rye knows where I live, knows every aspect of my life. I know he won’t let this go.”

  “As long as he’s still alive, he will always be a threat. This w
orld isn’t safe, but I promise you, Neeka, Rye Vincent will not hurt you again. I’ll find him, hunt him down, and take him out. That’s what I’m good at.” Gage grabbed a small bag from under the driver’s seat and unzipped it, pulling out a quarter-sized piece of metal. He handed it to her, and she held the cool metal in her hand.

  “What is this?”

  “It’s a tracking device, a panic button. Although I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, if something were to happen you could press this,” he said, pointing to the piece of metal. “It’ll transmit your location immediately to my compound.”

  “That sounds pretty high-tech.”

  “It’s not as elaborate as some of the things we have, but it’ll make sure I can find you anywhere. Our engineering department created these, and it won’t matter where you are. If you push that I’ll know where you are.”

  “That makes me feel better,” she said and smiled.

  “I’ll be able to find you no matter where you are, Neeka. Don’t worry.”

  There was such conviction and determination in his voice that she did feel monumentally better. Just a few days ago, she was Rye’s prisoner, and then Gage came along. He was her rescuer and protector. All it took was a few short days for her heart to realize what it wanted, but now she was faced with the reality of never having it. Some would call her crazy and a fool, but she knew the truth. Gage had given her something that no other man would be able to do. He’d given her protection and safety when the world around her had been dark and dangerous.

  She turned her attention to the front doors, saw them open, and felt her tears start to crest. Her father was in there, waiting for her. She ripped the door open and raced forward, not seeing him, and assuming he was so very weak. But there was her father, in his wheelchair, looking frail but happy.

  “I thought I would die before I saw you again, sweetheart.”

  She dropped to her knees by her father’s chair, laying her head in his blanket-covered lap and feeling his thin legs beneath them. His voice sounded weak and strained, like he was using too much effort to speak to her. She looked up into his dark eyes, tears slowly making tracks down both of their cheeks as they stared at each other. His fingers were loose skin over bone as he brushed his knuckles over her cheek, wiping away the tears like he used to do when she was a child.