In Wicked Chains (The Wicked) (13 page)

He brushed a thumb over her bottom lip. “I’ll follow you home. We can order in, watch some movies, or something else if you had plans.” He raised an eyebrow.

She shook her head. “I had nothing planned so yours sounds good. Make the take-out sushi and you’ve got a deal.”

“Deal.” He kissed her again and opened her car door. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Nine

They lay on their stomachs in the middle of Elina’s living room, food spread before them, watching the DVD Kingston picked,
The Italian Job
. She made a few grumbles, but secretly Elina loved that movie. It may or may not have something to do with Jason Statham and Markie Mark.

She munched on a lobster roll, glancing at Kingston from the corner of her eye. He didn’t move. His eyes were glued to the screen while chewing.

She sipped her sake, then asked, “Any news yet on who was following me today?”

He met her gaze. “No, but Maysin’s working on it.” He sat up and grabbed both her hands in his. “I want you to promise me something, El.”

She frowned at the compete seriousness of his eyes and words. “Okay.”

“Be careful of your surroundings. I won’t always be on hand and I need to know you’re okay. Always let someone know where you’re going if you’ll be by yourself. Sasha, me, even Adrian.”

“Why are you asking this, what’s going on?” She pulled her hands away with a small whimper. “It’s my father’s enemies, isn’t it? They want revenge by killing me.” Elina clapped a hand over her mouth to smother her cries.

“Don’t panic.” Kingston pulled her onto his lap. “I don’t know who’s following you, if someone’s really been following, but you still have to be cautious. Your face was all over the media when your father died.” He held her close. “Your father pissed off a lot of people. Retribution can be coming from any direction and we have to be on the lookout.”

Elina inhaled his scent. “Do you think it could be the person who killed him? He’s still out there.” She trembled at the thought of someone in the shadows, watching her, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“I don’t know, baby. Maysin still has no clue who killed your father, but he’s not giving up.”

“We need to find him.” She leaned back and met his shadowed eyes. “We have to find the killer. I don’t care about justice for my bastard father, but this person is like a dark, low-hanging cloud over all of us. We need to put a name and face to the deed.”

King kissed her eyes. “I know, but so far it’s been one dead end after the other.”

“We can discuss it more tomorrow at game night.” She unfolded her legs and wrapped them around his waist. Fingers digging into his scalp, she purred, “Care to join me in a hot shower?”

“Hell, yeah.” He rose off the floor with her wrapped around him, using nothing to steady himself. Elina squealed and held on tight, but he didn’t even falter.

“Nice.”

He chuckled. She slid down his body, hands grabbing at his belt buckle. He watched her with hooded eyes as she unbuckled his belt and tugged on his jeans. Kingston offered no help, just stood with his hands behind his back as she pulled his jeans down and dropped to her knees.

Elina removed his boots and socks, then the jeans, eyes tracking the dark and heavy cock swinging free. She found no underwear in sight. Eyes on King’s face, she moved forward, nuzzling his balls, inhaling his musk before opening her mouth and taking him deep.

“Fuck!” He grabbed her hair, hard, propelling her head back and forth.

Elina sank her fingers into his thighs, moaning around him. She used her tongue, swiping over the slit, dipping in, before tracing the ridged underside.

“God. Shit, El.” His hips sped up, cock swelled and jerked.

“Mmm. Hmm.” She hummed as the tip of him nudged deeper down her throat. He groaned.

“God, El. You’re bringing me down.”

Elina dipped a hand between her legs, flicking her clit. A moan strangled in her throat. Kingston bucked. She fucked two fingers into her soaked pussy, thrusting to the rhythm of her sucking, body shuddering. Heat rippled over skin, burning her so good. Tightening her lips around Kingston’s cock, she sucked harder.

“Ugh, shit. Shit.” His fingers tangled in her hair as he cupped her nape. “I’m coming, El,” he rasped above her head. “Swallow me down.”

She did. His bitter-saltiness flooded her mouth and she swallowed, gulping him down with a moan. The fingers between her legs turned to four and she rode them with fluttering lashes, disembodied noises flowing from her throat.

Kingston yanked her head up. “Hand and knees. Now.”

Head spinning, she did as ordered, dropping on all fours, ass in the air, pussy clenching. King did the same behind her and she felt his breath on her ass before his mouth covered her pussy and his tongue stabbed deep.

“Fuck!” She melted under the onslaught of the fiery orgasm, crying out as her body shook. “King.”

He circled her waist from behind, holding her steady as he feasted, eating her like a fucking Sunday dinner. Elina clawed at the carpet, the stings on her knees going unregistered. All that mattered was the man licking her senseless. He parted her labia gently and went back to sucking like she hadn’t just exploded all over his mouth and chin.

“King. King.” Elina rolled her hips and chanted his name until he finally smacked her ass.

“Shower time.”

The next day at work, Elina couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. All during the ride to work, she kept an eye on her rearview, but no blue pickup was in sight. Nothing stood out, but still uneasiness encased her spine in ice. She went through her day, constantly glancing over her shoulder. Game night over at Sasha and Niko’s was cancelled, as Sasha had to attend Harper Royce’s engagement party.

Elina frowned. Something about Harper Royce got to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on what or why, maybe jealousy that Harper and Sasha were friends in a way Elina and Sasha weren’t. Hell, she’d never even met the woman. All she knew about Harper she read in the papers. Sasha rarely spoke of her, only to say Harper and Elina had more in common than either realized.

Whatever the fuck that meant.

The slow day finally wound down and she and Adrian locked up the day care.

“Are you going straight home?” Adrian stood beside his car, jiggling his keys.

She shook her head. “‘No, I’m cooking for King tonight. I have to stop at the supermarket for some stuff.” Sweet and Sour stir-fry was on the menu. Mostly because it was the only thing she felt safe making. Cooking remained far outside her comfort zone.

“Want some company?” Adrian tried giving her that wide eyed, innocent look but she saw right through him.

“No, I don’t need company.” She crossed her eyes. “I’ll be in public, not that I think anything’s going to happen.”

“Uh-huh. I saw the way you kept looking over your shoulder today.” He frowned. “You’re on edge, babe.”

Elina climbed into her car. “It’s nothing a good orgasm won’t cure. King will take care of that, but I gotta feed him first. You know, build up his strength.” Winking at him, she drove off.

Nothing lurked in the shadows but her own unfounded fears. It’d been months since her father’s death. His killer, and enemies, had ample time to find and hurt her. She didn’t hide who she was, but she didn’t announce it either. Everyone knew Johan Vicente’s daughter. She looked like him, the eyes, the nose. Most thought she’d been doted on, loved, sheltered since her mother died when Elina was three. Very few actually knew the hell she went through under the monster that fathered her.

She drove to the supermarket three blocks from her condo. The uneasy feeling dissipated and she shook her head at herself.
Nothing to fear, but my own damn thoughts.
Cruising up and down the aisles, her thoughts drifted to last night, to Kingston and the love they made.

Heat fanned across her face and neck. That man made her body purr like no one’s business.
Hmm.
She held up a cantaloupe to her nose and sniffed.
Fruit for a salad?
She added the cantaloupe to the basket already filled with strawberries, grapes, and watermelon. She moved on to the veggies for the stir-fry.

Elina had everything she needed except the sweet and sour sauce, but as she started down the condiments aisle, the unease from earlier reared up. She braked and swung around, gaze darting this way and that. No one watched her, at least no one she saw, but Elina couldn’t shake the feeling of dread.

Snatching the sauce she needed, she ran to the front of the store, headed for checkout. Removing the items from her basket with one hand, she used the other to fish her cell phone from the front pocket of her jeans. Breath left her lungs in loud pants, her chest heaved, and she pointedly ignored the strange stares from the bag boy and cashier.

Handing over her credit card she pressed speed dial one on her cell. She bit her lip, ignoring the tremors in her hand.

“Hey, El.”

“King, I need you.” The desperate plea fell from her lips as she pocketed her credit card and grabbed her bags.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something’s not right.” She used her shoulder to hold the phone to her ear. Idling in front of the automatic sliding doors, she whispered, “I can’t shake the feeling that someone’s watching me. I can’t shake it.”

Kingston swore savagely in her ear. “Where are you, baby?”

“The supermarket, three blocks from my place.”

“Okay, take a breath.”

She did.

“Now walk straight to your car, as quick as you can. I’ll stay on the phone with you.”

“Alright.” Elina took another deep breath to calm her nerves and walked through the doors. The overcast sky and blustery wind mirrored her sullen mood. “King, I-I’m scared.”

“I know, baby.” That deep voice soothed her. “I’m heading to your place now. I’ll be there soon and I’ll take away your fears. I’ll make you feel safe again.”

“Yes.” She nodded. “You make me feel safe. Loved.”

“That’s because I love you, El. So much.”

She approached her car, remote starting it while still a couple feet away. “I love you, too.” Opening the vehicle, she slid inside, dropping her bags on the passenger seat. “I’m in the car.”

“Good, good.” Heavy relief flowed from him to her. “Now drive and don’t stop till you’re home. I’m coming to you, but I’m clear across town so lock your doors until I get there.”

“Okay.”

He stayed on the phone, reminiscing on their last time together, distracting her from the intense fear struggling to gain a foothold in her throat.

“I’m pulling into the garage,” she said. “We should hang up, the reception is really bad.”

“Fuck! Alright, but call me as soon as you get upstairs.”

“Okay.”

“I mean it, El. I need to know you’re safe.”

“I will. I promise. Bye.”

“Bye.”

She hung up as she pulled into her allotted parking space. Elina took in her dark surroundings before climbing out, heavy shopping bags in tow. She hurried to the elevator, eternally relieved to find it waiting. The ride up to her condo was quick and smooth and she heaved an audible sigh as she stepped through the door.

Fina-fucking-lly
.
The longest trip ever.
Dumping her bags beside the door, she kicked it shut and pulled out her phone to call King.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

She spun around at the pounding on her door, heart beating triple time in her chest.
Fucking King trying to give me a heart attack.
She flung the door open with a scold on her lips. The stench hit her first and she staggered back. The dark giant with familiar eyes grinned from the doorway, blocking all the light and exposing that horrible set of teeth.

“Wha…Who—” His fist shot out. Pain and stars exploded in her head, darkness descending even before she hit the floor.

* * * *

“Come on, come on.” Kingston muttered under his breath as he rode the elevator up to Elina’s Penthouse. It’d been half an hour since he heard her voice. She didn’t call him back like she promised and King couldn’t shake the cold fear gripping him.

Something was wrong. Tapping a foot, he clasped his hands behind his back and commanded the fucking elevator to hurry up. Could someone from Johan Vicente’s past be after his daughter? King didn’t for a minute contemplate Elina might be off when she said someone had been following her.

They had to find out whom before he made a move. An image of Elina hurt flashed in his mind and King’s breath seized. Nothing could happen to her, nothing.

The elevator doors opened and he rushed out only to skid to a stop. Elina’s door hung wide open, a couple bags of groceries inside the entrance were turned over, bell peppers, carrots and broccoli littering the floor. Kingston pulled his SIG from the small of his back and approached the apartment slowly.

Swallowing, he fought for calm as he called out. “El, where are you?” Gun pointed ahead, he stepped into the condo. A few dark spots on the carpet caught his eye and he bent with one knee, dipping a finger into the spot.
Warm, sticky.
He sniffed it.