A. Arthur - Passion's Prey

“What did you give me?” he asked licking his lips and blinking uncontrollably fast.

“We thought you needed to get more rest so we fixed you some tea,” she told him.

The glass was gone and Sabar’s hand had dropped from her arm. He’d tasted this tea before, at dinner he thought. Or maybe it was lunch yesterday, he couldn’t remember, but knew it was familiar. He fell back on the pillows as if someone had pushed him. Attempting to turn to look at Bianca again wasn’t easy. His head felt like lead.

“What did you put in the tea, bitch? Are you trying to kill me?”

She leaned in closer. He couldn’t really see her clearly, but he smelled her, the rich intoxicating scent of her pussy filling his nostrils as he inhaled slowly.

“We would never hurt you, Sabar, baby. We’re only trying to take care of you so you can continue to lead us.”

“We?” he said his voice becoming slurred. “Who the hell is we?”

He heard her laughing then, a deep-throated chuckle that echoed throughout the room. Then her lips were at his ear, her tongue lapping along his lobe.

“Sweet dreams,” she whispered in his ear. “Sweet fucking dreams.”

Friday, 10:38 PM

Rome and Kalina had just finished a hot shower. Their just-dried bodies lay entwined on the cool silk sheets of their king-size bed.

He wrapped his arms around his wife, loved the feel of her backside pressed firmly into his front. As his palms cupped her breasts—their favorite resting spot each night—he’d kissed her neck and muttered a sleepy, “Good night, my gato inferno .”

She’d sighed into his embrace. She loved his nickname for her, loved to hear him whisper it while they made love and afterward. He never let her down. Kalina was the other half of him he’d yearned for but hadn’t the good sense to search for, wasting far too much time without her. But now that he had her, Rome was determined to keep her safe. He was determined to keep them all safe.

And as he slowly drifted into the place just before sleep where he thought about his duties and responsibilities and the conflicts that waited in the distance, his cell phone rang.

Not letting Kalina go, Rome reached one arm behind him to fumble on the nightstand until the sleek device was in his hand. Sliding his hand across the screen in the security pattern he’d memorized, he accepted the call.

“Reynolds,” he answered.

“Sabar’s making a buy tonight. You want to stop this war you need to stop him now! RSE Warehouse in Woodland. Midnight.”

The call was disconnected before Rome could say another word. At the mention of Sabar’s name he’d shot straight up in the bed. Kalina, light sleeper that she was, sat up beside him. The moment he pulled the phone from his ear she was talking.

“Who was that? What’s wrong?”

Rome was already dialing another number. “Got a lead on Sabar, meet me at the door in ten. Get three teams to go with us, and find X.”

Kalina was throwing back the sheets, climbing out of the bed. She’d already reached for her robe when Rome grabbed her arm.

“You’re not going,” he told her firmly.

She opened her mouth to speak and he kissed her lips hard. Resting his forehead against hers for a few seconds after the kiss, he said, “It’s too dangerous. You stay and help Ary get the medical center ready in case there are injuries.”

“Rome,” she started.

He shook his head. “No, Kalina. I don’t care how much training you have on these streets. There’s no way I can do this if I’m worried about you getting hurt. I need you to stay here. I need you to do this for me, baby. Please.”

Rome understood her need to work, to fight beside him; he knew that urge and respected it. But she was his wife, his First Female, and he would not risk her for anything in this world.

When she nodded her agreement, cupping his face and kissing his cheek, he realized how much he truly loved this amazing woman.

“I’ll be waiting,” she told him quietly. “I’ll be right here waiting.”

“Caprise is with X,” Nick said the moment he disconnected the call.

Ary had already gotten out of bed and was slipping into dark blue scrubs and black Alegria nursing clogs.

“Then she’s safe,” she told him as she pulled her hair back and secured it tightly in a ponytail.

Nick was already dressed. He reached into his closet, all the way in the back where he kept his personal firearm. Nick was accustomed to carrying his weapon when they were out at public events, and even more so lately. He checked the nine-millimeter for bullets and made sure to put the safety back on before tucking it in the back band of his dark jeans.

“She should come here to wait with you and Kalina,” he said, moving toward the door, then stopping to wait for Ary.

She walked slower these days, her stomach protruding a little more each day. Despite the circumstances, as he watched her, Nick’s excitement piqued. He couldn’t wait to see what he and Ary had created.

“Do you really think Caprise is going to come back here to twiddle her thumbs with us?” she asked, moving by him and looking up with a smile.

Nick shrugged. “I can only hope.”

X disconnected the call with Nick and instantly got out of bed. Caprise, of course, was right behind him. They hadn’t been asleep, far from it actually. After their lovemaking, which she was intent on calling it no matter what X said, they’d showered together. When he’d had that shower designed, he never imagined he’d enjoy it so much more with a female beside him. But not just any female; it only worked because it was Caprise. He knew that now without any doubt.

“What’s happening?” she asked, standing in front of him as he tried to make his way to the door.

She was gloriously naked, not a modest bone in her entire body. God, he was crazy about this woman.

“Rome got a tip about Sabar making a deal tonight. We’re going to head him off,” he told her honestly. There really wasn’t any other way to be with Caprise. For a woman who hadn’t wanted to tell him about her own past, she’d been like a pit bull trying to get the details of his, and she hadn’t done background checks and phone searches like him. She’d simply gotten in his face and hadn’t backed down. He had to respect a woman for that type of tenacity.

“Okay, I’ll get dressed,” she said immediately.

Her bag that Seth had brought over a week ago still sat in the corner of his bedroom. X had a feeling more of her things would soon occupy the space and miraculously wasn’t bothered by that fact.

“Caprise, this is going to be dangerous,” he told her, reaching for his own jeans out of the closet.

“I know. I’ll get my gun.”

X hadn’t been facing her, but he turned quickly at her words. “Your what? You have a gun?”

She nodded as she pushed her leg into her jeans. Her breasts were still bare and for a minute distracted the hell out of X.

“Yeah, I carry a Glock 19. I don’t like to carry heavy. This fits my hand like a glove. Don’t worry, I’m good,” she said after pulling the weapon from her purse.

He was already shaking his head. “No.”

“No, what?”

“No. You’re not going. Take my truck and go to Havenway. I’ll get Nick or one of the guards to swing by here and get me.”

“That’s ridiculous. We’re going together,” she said, pulling a shirt over her head.

Oh, hell no, she was out of her mind if she thought she was going to this fight with him. And wearing no bra at that. Shit, he’d never keep his mind straight knowing that.

“Caprise, listen, you’re not a trained guard.”