Bane (15 page)

I TOOK A sip of bourbon as I watched Maren sleep in the suspended foldout bed. Her brunette hair feathered out on the pillow. She truly looked angelic and peaceful.
Angel.
I shook my head from my thoughts and checked the monitors again. All was clear.

I’d placed portable cameras at various parts on the train as well as a few trip wires. If anyone tried to land on the top of the train, I’d know.

Eric-fucking-Thornhill was alive. Anger simmered to the surface as I went through all the damning evidence of his betrayal that lead to Jasmine and Faith’s death. My little girl had never been given a fighting chance to survive. It was because of me they’d both been sentenced to death. My presence alone caused that. I couldn’t let someone else innocently die because of me.

Maren shifted and the black nightie rode up higher as the blanket fell down. My dick instantly hardened. I stared at her creamy white skin. For what we’d been through, Maren had been a trooper.

Earlier, when she’d referenced us being married, a sickening knot formed in my stomach for the things I wanted.
Once wanted
, I clarified mentally. Any thoughts of marriage or kids were gone. I didn’t deserve those things. My fate had been sealed when I watched our unborn child die in her mother’s womb.

Focus back on the task, Bane. This isn’t a walk down memory-fucking-lane.
The last thing I needed was for my nightmares to make themselves known. If I slept in forty-five minute increments I should be fine.

At some point when it was secure, I needed to call Sarge at Black Division and talk to Hampton. Sarge would blow a fucking gasket knowing that a traitor was alive.

Since Maren fell asleep, I’d searched public records to see if there was any chance of a twin. Nothing looked out of place. How did someone survive a bullet to the head? That was the damn fucking question of the day.

In Colorado, at my cabin, I had proper equipment with secure links to look further into this mess. Maren and I would be safe there. No one knew of the cabin. Eric and whoever else was involved were probably in the final stages of being organized. With the other fake tickets I’d bought in several states, they’d be looking for a needle in a haystack to find us. Once we got to the cabin, I’d feel better. Having Maren with me was a game changer.

“Bane?” Maren sleepily raised her head. “Come to bed, it’s late.”

I hadn’t slept in the same bed with anyone since Jasmine. I wasn’t sure if I could do it as my heart went to my throat. Was I betraying her memory?

Maren got out of bed and came down the steps, her lingerie riding up until she stepped away from the ladder. I finished off the rest of my bourbon. Coming to straddle my lap, Maren didn’t say a word. Hell I wanted her again. Watching me, asking me for permission her hands roamed to the hem of my shirt. The shirt bunched and came over my head, baring my chest to her.

Prominent scars from the years of fighting looked like a war zone on my chest. Leaning in, Maren kissed them as her hands caressed my body. I was speechless as I fell under her spell, letting the warmth of her touch spread. My belt was undone, followed by the zipper coming down. The noise loud in our otherwise quiet compartment. I was commando and my dick sprung free, hard as a tire iron.

Petite fingers rubbed the tip as we looked down, watching the drip of pre-cum escape. Maren massaged it around. Sexy as hell. As I looked at her face, a shy smile graced her lips. The heat from her pussy beckoned my dick. Leaning back slightly, she pulled the nightie over her head, revealing perfectly perky tits.

She stood. And I went to protest, but her finger came to my lips. “Come to bed. Bring the condoms.”

Gloriously, her naked, toned ass shimmied up the steps. I turned on the sound alert to my phone, shucked my jeans, and grabbed a handful of condoms. Over the next two days, I had a feeling neither one of us would be able to walk. By the time I made it to the ladder, I’d already sheathed myself.

Laying sprawled across the bed, gloriously naked, Maren opened for me. I touched her pussy making sure she was wet and ready. Earlier, I’d taken her when I’d become consumed by her. Seemed like Maren needed it as bad as me.

I felt the wetness and she groaned. “You’re wet, angel.”

“Because I need you.”

Those words vibrated through me as I positioned myself above her, ramming in. Maren grabbed on to my shoulders and held on. When I was with Maren, nothing else mattered but bringing her pleasure. In and out. Faster. Harder. Sweat formed between our bodies. I fucked us to oblivion.

“Angel,” I said as a prayer on my lips. The release was like no other, but left me craving more of her. The thought sobered me. Going to get off the bed, I disengaged our bodies.

Maren pulled me closer. “I won’t bite. I won’t get the wrong idea. You need to sleep.”

Apprehensively, I took off the condom before lying beside her. Legs intertwined with mine as Maren cocooned herself around me. “I’m so glad I remembered those condoms.”

I chuckled. Out of all the things in the hotel room, she packed the condoms. “Me, too, angel.”

“Why do you call me that?”

“Because that was one of the first thoughts I had about you when we first saw each other at Discrete Encounters.” I slid my fingers up and down her spine, melting her further into me.

She yawned against my chest. “Do you think we were setup from the beginning?”

That was what I needed to look into next. “I don’t know how they’d of known we’d be attracted to each other like we are.”

“I thought I’d lost my mind that day in Discrete Encounters with the magnetic pull I felt.” It was hard to contain the smile. We were helpless against each other. If we’d seen each other anywhere, I was sure it would’ve ended with us in bed together. Once would not have been enough.

“Any regrets?” I hoped to hell she didn’t regret anything.

Her hand came up and caressed my cheek, intensifying the moment. “I don’t regret anything in my life. It’s what makes us who we are—the good, the bad, the ugly.”

I didn’t respond because I was the
bad
and the
ugly
in people’s lives. The sharp pain of remembering Jasmine being able to see past my faults sobered me. This was too much. After Maren fell asleep, I’d slip out of bed and catch some sleep on the couch.

Arms tightened around me as I came to. Light seeped through the drawn curtains. What time was it? I looked at my watch and saw it was after eight. Hell, I’d slept four hours. I’d slept with Maren. My instinct was to pop out of bed like I’d planned. Maren nuzzled into me, still fast asleep and I stayed put while I worked on relaxing my now rigid muscles.

Bane, calm the fuck down.

I waited for the guilt to assault me. It happened every time after I slept with someone—like I betrayed Jasmine. That feeling had yet to consume me like it normally did. The lack of guilt bothered me. I deserved to pay for what I’d done for as long as I lived. I hadn’t pulled the trigger, but I’d led them to my family.

Discrete Encounters had been involved, but the question that bothered me was if Hampton set all this in motion. Or was Hampton a pawn in this game of revenge? It was shitty of me to think he’d betrayed me after all we’d been through, but I trusted no one. I hoped to hell that wasn’t the case.

There was no one else I could call that I either trusted or wanted to drag into the middle of this mess. With Eric Thornhill still alive, there was no telling who else he’d sold me out to with the amount of intel I knew he’d given the drug cartel.

“You’re tense.” The sexy sleep-ridden voice had my dick stiffening and pushing away my other thoughts.

Not commenting, I rolled Maren onto her back and grabbed a condom from the pouch where I’d put the stash I’d brought to bed last night. Grabbing the wrapper, Maren tore it. “How many more of these do we have?”

“Not near enough.”

Sucking on her neck, Maren fumbled as she tried to roll on the condom. “Bane, I can’t concentrate.”

“You’ll get it.” I moved farther down to her nipple, gliding my tongue around the area. Her hand fell from my dick only rolling the condom on halfway. I traded nipples while finishing the job for her. Maren was boneless to my assault. Lining myself up, I took her mouth as I pressed against her core, entering at an achingly slow pace.

As her heat closed around me we moaned in unison, seeking that release that let us escape.

Breakfast had been delivered. An array of muffins and fruit laid on the small table. There wasn’t much in the choice of food on the train, but hopefully Maren liked some of this. I’d relocated the surveillance equipment.

Maren was in the shower as I checked all the cameras. None of the alerts went off through the night. I took a sip of coffee. What I needed to do would have to wait until Colorado. With the sound of the train, I couldn’t make a phone call. And the connection wasn’t secure enough to investigate in depth.

Coming out in fresh clothes, Maren sat at the table. Delicately, she tore the wrapper and ate. For now, the fewer people who saw us the better.

“Any progress?”

A frustrated sigh escaped. “Nothing new. I’ve combed over my saved files of Eric’s death and there’s nothing out of place. Everything down to the tattoo on his hand matches the photos.”

I spun the computer around to pull up the two photos side by side only showing the hands. One was from the day Eric Thornhill supposedly died and the other was from my house when he’d looked into the camera.

It was a small tattoo of a double infinity symbol.

Cocking her head, Maren studied the photo. “Wow. They are the same.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t make a damn bit of sense.” I scrubbed a hand down my face as the train temporarily stopped at a station. A few people boarded. Continuing, I added, “The timing feels off for everything. Why introduce us and then come after us right away? Frank was not in control of himself. Anger took over and eliminated his rational thinking. The guy in the back of the truck was clearly agitated with him when he came down. I’m not sure if he was meant to stall me or not expose his hand so soon.”

Maren took a pensive sip of orange juice. The long-sleeve shirt hugged her tits. I wanted to take her again. Hell, my need was only growing and I needed to get control over it. “Is there anyone you can think of that would want to hurt you?”

“The right information in the right hands. Yeah, there are a lot of people out there. With what I did, the job I had before walking away, I made enemies except my identity wasn’t known.” Rubbing my forehead, I knew I’d never be free of my past unless I completely vanished.

Maren’s eyes grew a little wider. “Oh.”

“Yeah, angel. I’m dangerous.” There was no mistaking the truth in my voice.

“I don’t think you’d hurt me. You’re a good person, Bane.” Her voice was small as she looked down. I wasn’t sure if that meant she didn’t believe her words or didn’t want to see my reaction.

“No. I’m not. I’m as bad as they come, angel. But, I’ll keep you safe.”

I would not fail this time.