Chapter Seventeen

Ashley wanted to like Kara, but she struggled to.

The omega was funny, snarky and tough. She felt like an older sister that Ashley had never had.

It hadn’t taken more than ten minutes before Kara had started to offer Ashley suggestions on how best to outsmart the alphas.

Still, each time Ashley felt like giving in and being nice, she’d remember that Kara and Liam had slept together.

Multiple times.

Suddenly all that sweet forgiveness she generally had drifted away, and Ashley wanted to scratch the woman’s eyes out.

Which was not only stupid, because they were both adults and fighting over men was for teenagers, but also because Kara was so far outside of Ashley’s weight class when it came to an ability to fight.

None of that stopped the jealousy, though, or her annoyance that a woman who was so obviously a part of their lives—and would no doubt continue to be a part of their lives—had slept with one of the men Ashley loved.

“We won’t be long,” Erik said for the third time.

“I could have stayed at the apartment,” she pointed out, even though she knew exactly why they’d refused that. They had a meeting and didn’t trust hired security to watch her without them.

It meant that when a meeting would require all three going, they had decided to ‘drop her off’ with Kara, as if she were in need of a babysitter.

Again, the other omega’s history with them chafed.

Torrin answered her. “I didn’t want you to be stuck there and bored. You’ve had no time with other women since moving in with us.”

Yep. Other women, meaning the ones they’ve slept with.

“Right,” Ashley said, because she couldn’t bring herself to say the things she thought, especially in from of Kara.

She didn’t need anyone else to see her insecurities.

Erik nodded toward the back room. “Kara, could we have a word?”

And isn’t that overly obvious? Ashley huffed softly and crossed her arms, refusing to actually state how much she hated feeling excluded.

Liam tilted his head, having caught her reaction. He waved the others off without him and didn’t move until only he and Ashley stayed in the room.

She tried to look around the house, at anything other than the alpha still there. It worked at distracting her, at least until he set a hand on her hip and pulled her against him. She looked up to meet his gaze, since ignoring him probably wasn’t possible, what with his body against hers.

“What?” Ashley knew she’d snapped the question out, but she couldn’t help it.

His eyebrow lifted, as if her reaction proved something was wrong. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Nothing.”

He leaned in closer. “Haven’t I told you that you are horrible at lying?”

Ashley let out a slow sigh. “How about nothing I want to talk to you about, then?”

“Aren’t you feisty today?” He stepped back but grasped her arm and tugged.

Ashley pulled, but he wouldn’t relent. “Where are we going?”

“To talk.”

He led her into a bathroom, then shut the door behind them.

“We don’t need to talk in a bathroom.”

Liam twisted Ashley, grasped her hips, then lifted her so she sat on the sink counter. He moved forward, between her thighs, then grasped her chin so she had no choice but to look him in the eyes. “Why does Kara bother you so much?”

Just the name on his lips drew a flinch from her, and Ashley hated that. She didn’t want to be the jealous woman, but she couldn’t shake that feeling.

She opened her mouth, but Liam cut her off first. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t. I’m not above paddling your ass if you keep lying to me.”

Heat spread across her cheeks at the thought of that.

A smile crept across his lips. “Well, good to know you like that idea, though it means it might not be the best threat. Come on now, sweet, just talk to me.”

Ashley blew out a breath, then looked down to avoid his gaze. “I know I shouldn’t be bothered, but I am, okay?”

“Why? Just because I’ve slept with her?”

There was no way to get out of there without being honest, so Ashley admitted the truth. “I just keep thinking about it. She’s pretty, tough, and you clearly love her.”

“I love her like a friend. As far as the rest, yeah, she’s basically me with a vagina, and I have no desire to spend any more time with myself. I don’t know how to help you understand this.” He locked his gaze to hers, and for once, she didn’t feel like he was hiding anything.

“You haven’t even slept with me yet,” she finally said. “So she’s had you in a way I haven’t.”

The curl of his lip into a smirk said Ashley had just either made the best decision or biggest mistake of her life. “Well, lucky for you, that can be remedied right now.”

His words didn’t even register at first when he found the button to her jeans with his deft hands. He flicked it open and had the zipper down before she realized why she should probably fight him on this.

They were in a bathroom at someone else’s house, with other people in the other room.

It was so not the right time for this.

She shoved at his chest, but he wouldn’t give her an inch of space. “We aren’t alone.”

“Well, in case you’ve forgotten, I don’t mind an audience.” He teased her with kisses along the side of her throat, his warm breath and soft lips helping to convince her more than his words could. “And besides, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, anyway. I’m tired of waiting.”

He worked her jeans down, then yanked off one boot so he could get her pants and underwear off that foot, leaving them hanging on the other.

It felt debased and wild and crazy, and Ashley moaned at the first touch of his skilled fingers to her clit.

“You are everything I could want,” he whispered as he worked a finger into her, his thumb at her clit, his touch demanding. He wasn’t going slow, almost like he intended to prove something to her right then, as quickly as he could.

Ashley leaned back when he pushed so her shoulder blades touched the mirror, angling her pussy for better access.

“What happened with Kara was nothing. It wasn’t important to either of us, and was more like an uncomfortable physical than sex. I can assure you, I didn’t feel like this with her.” He exchanged the single finger for two, as if making a point, as if proving to her that this was different.

And she believed it. It helped to have him there, touching her and praising her and soothing the fears that had spawned from her inability to trust.

He flicked the fastening of his slacks open, then pulled down his zipper. Ashley let herself stare, enjoyed the sight of his cock, thick and hard and hers. He stroked himself with his free hand, the action hypnotizing her.

“You see, sweet, this is how fucking badly I want you. I’ve never felt like this, never needed someone like I need you. I’ve gone my whole fucking life not needing anyone, never wanting to need anyone, then you came along. I think it’s one reason I did that with Kara, because I knew neither of us wanted the other, so it was safe. With you? With you it’s different, and I love it and I hate it and it’s more than I’ve ever had before.” He withdrew his fingers, and the hot, blunt head of his dick pressed to her drenched and needy cunt. His voice dropped low, losing that smooth quality he usually had, as if some of that civility had been stripped away. “So you’ve got no reason to be jealous of anyone, ever, because you’ve got your claws in me in a way no one else ever has.”

Ashley cried out, not caring if anyone heard when he plunged into her. It wasn’t how Erik or even Torrin had taken her. They’d eased her into it, where Liam took everything. He seated himself in one hard thrust—not that she wasn’t ready—that made her feel every millimeter.

He was thick, stretching her in a wonderfully sinful way. Liam slid his hands beneath her thighs and to her hips, forcing her legs wide as they rested over his forearms. With his grip, he pulled back and slammed into her again.

Her head bounced against the mirror, but she hardly noticed with the sparks of pleasure that sprang up throughout her body. He didn’t touch her clit, but she didn’t think she even needed it, not with how his shaft hit every single spot inside her that lit her up.

Being so lewdly displayed for him did something for her as well, especially how his gaze heated. The cool air of the room slid across her damp, swollen clit like the most torturous tease, causing her nipples to tighten despite being tucked into her shirt and ignored.

But Liam didn’t slow at all. He fucked her with hard thrusts, pulling back then plunging deeper. The sounds of the bathroom were filthy, the slapping of bodies, the moans and gasping, panting breaths.

The point was clear, though. Ashley already knew well that Liam could slow down, that he could tease and play her body like an expert with an instrument. He could keep her along that edge of orgasm or shove her to one with ease.

That wasn’t his lesson right then.

He was showing her his passion, showing her how much he wanted—and needed—her. This wasn’t calculated, it wasn’t him showing off—it was him giving her a glimpse of how deeply he felt.

And that did everything to assuage her fears, to let her release them as she drowned in the passion he shared with her.

He fucked her like a man possessed, and when his knot started to swell, she didn’t fight it.

What was there to fight? Liam had taken her over entirely, made her want to give in, to give him everything and take everything in return.

He knotted her, and the moment he locked into place, it pushed her into a breathtaking release without him having to even touch her clit. She squeezed down around him, the sensation of his hot cum filling her better than all the teasing touches or sweet nights. It was instinctual and primal and a bond nothing else could replicate.

He found her lips with his, sweet despite the waves of pleasure that still crashed over her from the way his cock jerked, from how his knot kept her stimulated and trapped.

He told her more with that kiss, which was a funny thing since Liam was the one with a way with words, but while the things he said were suspect, his body told the truth.

He’d claimed her, taken her apart with his passion and his need, and now those gentle touches put her back together.

And it worked. She didn’t care about Kara. She didn’t care about any female in his past, about anything beyond them.

He’s mine, and I won’t let him go without a fight.

* * * *

Liam shouldn’t have been smiling so widely, having been clearly caught having sex with his mate in a bathroom at a friend’s home, but he was shameless enough not to care.

When he’d finally been able to pull free of Ashley’s luscious body, when they’d dressed and left the bathroom, Kara, Erik and Torrin had all been waiting in the living room. The alphas had the good sense to not say anything, since Ashley wasn’t the sort to want to bring attention to it.

Kara, on the other hand, had the largest grin he’d ever seen and had been quick to point out that she’d purposely made sure that countertop could easily hold the weight of a person for that specific reason.

Leaving Ashley hadn’t been easy, and Liam kept trying to bring his mind to the task at hand, yet he couldn’t seem to forget how good she smelled, how wonderfully she had wrapped around him.

And all the things he’d said that he’d never uttered before.

Declarations of love were not his thing, yet he’d poured them out to her without a second thought.

And stranger still? He’d meant them.

He had no issue lying when he needed to, feigning interest in a female for information when it would benefit him. His words to her hadn’t been fake, though.

He’d meant every one of them.

“Did you work everything out?” Torrin leaned against the table.

Liam nodded, arms crossed. “I think so.”

“This is why it isn’t smart to shit where you eat,” Erik said. “You should have never touched Kara.”

“Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“No it didn’t,” Torrin said. “You just liked the idea of having someone you knew you’d never fall for.”

Liam snarled in Torrin’s direction, with no real heat behind the action. He hated having others dissect his behavior, even if they were right.

Erik huffed a soft laugh. “It’s funny that you fell so hard after how you worked to never do so. It feels like cosmic justice.”

“Laugh it up, you two. You’re both as deep in as I am.”

“True enough,” Erik said. “We’re all fucked if that girl decides to call it quits.”

Torrin didn’t speak, but he nodded. A shadow on his face said his fear was not quite the same, and Liam could tell in the expression he was thinking back to Gilly. He didn’t fear she’d leave—he feared she’d die.

It seemed they all had their fears, their fuck-ups, but Ashley had managed to get past them all.

Not by tearing down walls, but by turning them to dust out of persistence and sweetness.

That gentle nature was something they’d never had, something that had never been a part of their lives. Even as children, they’d lacked any of that.

She offered something they craved so desperately, something they hadn’t realized they needed.

The door opened, drawing Liam from his thoughts. This meeting needed focus.

They weren’t playing with people to take lightly.

They’d sent the address for the meeting—an office building in the upper area of a mall. Dangerous meetings had two possibilities. Somewhere out of the way or somewhere busy. They both had their benefits, but when dealing with people who liked to stay in the shadows, busy won out. They were likely to remain on their best behavior, because dealing with bodies in crowded spaces was a hassle.

Three men entered. One was obviously in charge, while the other two had the stance of bodyguards. None had guns, something that the extra security outside the door had checked for.

The man who stood at the center didn’t shake hands with Torrin, though after a slight nod, he took a seat at the other side of the table. “Thank you for meeting with me.”

“I was interested in what you wanted to discuss,” Torrin said. “A good businessman never ignores a potential deal. I would appreciate a name, though.”

The man sat up straight in his chair, with the same bearing as Torrin. He appeared used to dealing with meetings and negotiations. “You can call me Mr. Bisson. I would prefer not to spend too much time pretending. Let’s be frank.”

Torrin waved Bisson on, as if to agree.

“We have the same problem. Gregory has become more unstable as time has gone on. He’s become a liability.”

“I wouldn’t disagree, but that doesn’t explain why you wanted to see me. From my understanding, your organization is more than large enough to deal with him on his own.”

Bisson nodded, as if conceding that point. “There are still a few who wouldn’t dare stand up against him, not because they care about him but because they’re afraid of what could happen if they fail. To be fair, so am I. Gregory isn’t known for his understanding nature.”

“So you want me to do your dirty work?”

“You would be well compensated,” Bisson explained. “I wouldn’t ask you to do so for nothing. I’ve had time to look over your business here in this city, and you’ve done a respectable job. I think, if given the right resources, you could easily expand that range of influence much further.”

Liam held in a curse at that. If there was one way to tempt Torrin, that would be it.

Thankfully, Torrin played it close to his chest. “I thought we were going to be frank?”

Bisson smiled, then set his arm on the table and leaned forward. “I want you to remove Gregory from being a problem. His obsession with that omega has gone too far, cost us too much. He isn’t trustworthy, and if I can’t trust him, I don’t want him around. Do this and you’ll take over his position.”

“Those people you work with will happily take me in after I kill their associate? Because I feel like that would be a difficult sell.”

“Like I said, they know it needs to be done. There have been enough whispers, but no one has been willing to act, to put their name on it in case it fails. You, though, you have the thing he wants the most—that female. You’d be able to get close enough to him to get rid of him. Draw him out with an offer to turn her over and deal with him.”

“Gregory placed a contract on the female. If he dies, she ends up with a price on her head.”

Bisson waved the detail off. “I know the broker he uses. I’ll have it removed.”

Torrin nodded, folding his hands together, lacing his fingers as if thinking. “I don’t usually deal in human trafficking.”

“Everyone has their lines. That’s fine. This area has proven too troublesome for that anyway. We have one more large auction coming up after scouts procure a few more omegas, then we’re moving that out of the area. That isn’t the only use, though. You think we don’t handle drugs, weapons, blackmail—anything that needs to be done? With the grip you have in this area, you’d be useful to us and we could help you expand past here, further than you could imagine.”

Torrin didn’t answer right away, using that silence as he did so well.

If it unnerved Bisson, he didn’t show it. “Take some time to consider it, but not too much. I don’t know how much longer Gregory’s patience will last.” He rose, his bodyguards flanking him. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Kansas, and I look forward to doing business with you.”

They left, the noise from the mall flooding in when they opened the door.

Once the door shut and they were alone, Erik turned toward Torrin. “Well, that’s not what I expected.”

Torrin shook his head. “Me either. Though…”

“You can’t really be thinking about it,” Liam argued. “Even if we aren’t involved in the trafficking directly, it’s a line we’ve never crossed.”

“We’ve walked that line enough before, dealt with people who did things we didn’t agree with. If we do this, Ashley is safe and we gain a lot of useful resources.”

Liam cut a harsh look at his cousin, at the man who had always reached for too much when it came to power. “This isn’t about her—it’s about you. It’s about you extending your reach.”

“And with that, I could better keep her safe, keep you all safe. Besides, what other option do you see?”

Liam opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. He didn’t know, but he was sure there had to be something else. “We’ll figure it out, but it can’t be this. This is like crawling into bed with snakes. Eventually, you get bit.”

Torrin turned his gaze to Erik. “And you? What do you say?”

Erik pressed his lips together, the look of a man who didn’t care to answer. Finally, he sighed softly. “I think that there are a lot of things they’d ask me to do when they realized my skills, and very few of them I would like to do. I think we’ve worked well without masters, and while they call themselves associates, they would be masters.”

“For a time, perhaps, but we always come out on top.”

Erik shook his head. “Always is a dangerous game to play, because the more you play it, the more the odds turn against you. Eventually, it won’t go our way.”

Torrin’s gaze drew away from them and landed on his cane, the one leaning against the wall, out of reach, which would mean he’d either need to limp there or ask one of them to get it, and didn’t that speak volumes?

Liam could see it there, the need for power, the taste of it on his tongue a way to distract himself.

Torrin drew his hand into a fist, his face a mask of certainty. “I’ll call Gregory tonight and set up an exchange. By next week, he will be dead, Ashley will be safe, and we’ll have enough power to never have to worry about it again.”

Liam pressed his lips together and watched as Torrin made a choice he wouldn’t be able to take back.