Revealed (The Found Book 1) (22 page)

It’s not the same thing at all.

“It is. It either works both ways, or it doesn’t work at all. If you block me, I’ll work on blocking you. You know what, Noah? After everything they put me through in the fucking little room, I bet I’m even better at it than you are.” She watched him wince. Felt his pain. Ignored it. Ignored him. She rolled in on herself.

No baby, please no
. He curled up behind her, tucking up close. After long moments his warmth seeped through. He crooned softly in a language she didn’t know, and her tears slowed.

“What is that?”

“It’s a Hawaiian lullaby, one my mother used to sing to me. You’re right love. Forgive me.”

He gently rolled her over, and she looked into eyes more familiar than her own. He rested his forehead against hers.

“Let me show you.” His thoughts swirled into her mind, a kaleidoscope of memories, thoughts, and feelings. Kali could almost taste his anguish when he realized she suffered his beating along with him. It felt like she was pushing against a steel wall of determination as he made the decision she would never endure such pain on his behalf again. Then there was the fire of his will as he promised he would protect her at all costs as he figured out who was behind her kidnapping, even if it meant doing things to add more scars to his soul.

“No Noah, I’m not going to let you do this,” she cupped his cheeks and brushed kisses against his lips. “We’re in this together, and you are
not
going to take the law into your own hands.”

You’re never going to be hurt again. I love you too much. You are my life.
He pressed urgently against her, instantly her need ratcheted up, her body blazing to life needing the connection with Noah’s mind. Noah felt it too, and his need transmitted to her, raising her higher.

He pulled at the front of her blouse and buttons pinged across the room. She wished she had his strength, but all she could do was thrust her hands under the hem of his shirt. Relief. His hands on her flesh, hers on his, blessed relief. He ripped her bra open, and his mouth was on her breast, sucking, she arched up and tried to grab his hair and realized her hands were stuck under his shirt.

“Noah. Stop.” He did, lifting up, but not enough, his hands bracketing her torso. “I need you naked.” The words came out so fast they blurred together as one. He understood and got off the bed, as she shed her clothes. No seduction, just a greedy need. She fumbled her zipper twice as she watched his cock pop out of his jeans.

“Kali, concentrate.” Then he was on her, naked. Pulling at her jeans, until they joined his on the floor. He shoved her thighs apart. “Fucking gorgeous.” Using his thumbs he spread the lips of her pussy. She stretched her legs even wider knowing what was next. The exquisite feel of his tongue lapping at her wet entrance. There was not the slightest unease, his pleasure and her pleasure crashed through her brain, and she cried out in wonder.

Make more noise.

His tongue speared deep. She could taste herself, the flavor, an explosion of spice.

Yes, more noise.

“Need you in me,” she moaned

I am in you. Come first.

“Please Noah. I need to be one with you.”

An orgasm first, and then I’ll fuck you.
She bucked against him, grinding upwards. She felt him laugh, his tongue vibrating. So close.

Oh I like this, a how-to manual.
She felt his laughter.

Two fingers plunged deep and hooked, as his tongued latched onto her clit and for the first time, brought his teeth into the mix. She hit the stratosphere. Stars.

He kissed her face, and brushed back her hair.
How could it keep getting better?

You like rougher play than I imagined my love.
He gave her nipples a sharp pinch and then drove deep, she moaned filled with bliss and felt his rapture. Drawing her knees up, she squeezed his hips.

He plunged in and out in the strongest rhythm she had ever experienced, and all she could do was cry for more, plead with him to fuck her even harder, and faster, pressing her breasts against him as an offering.

You were made for me.

His mouth dipped and took a nipple and suckled hard, his teeth scraping just right. Her cries were incoherent, but he understood every one of them.

Up and up and up until they achieved the perfect moment transporting them through time and space. Gazing into each other’s eyes they realized what they had knew no bounds. Embracing, there was nothing left to be said.

Kali fell asleep secure in the knowledge there never again would be a barrier between her and the man who was the other half of her soul.

* * *

She loved coffee. Probably because it was the first scent she remembered. Waking up to it was wonderful. Wait a minute, she hadn’t set her coffeemaker.

No you didn’t.

Noah. She rolled over and he was sitting on the edge of the bed holding a mug of the magical liquid in equally magical hands.

I heard that.

“I wanted you to. Good morning,” she said taking the coffee. Kali couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. “So what’s on today’s agenda?”

“You join the morning briefing and I get my ass handed to me.” Noah’s hand trailed lazily down her bare leg.

“As the lieutenant, aren’t you in charge?”

“When a final decision needs to be made it’s mine to make, but we’re really a team, everybody has input and a say. Now we even have Cyrus. He’s going to realize if you’re attending the meetings then the only person who isn’t is Sarah. That’ll last a nanosecond, and he’s going to want her protected from this ugliness. So yeah, this isn’t going to be pretty.” His hand drifted upwards, and she was having trouble focusing.

“Stop, Noah. This is important.”

“Nah, I’ve been beat up by the team before. Are you finished with your coffee?” He plucked the mug from her hands and put it on the nightstand.

“How long before your meeting starts?” she asked as he nuzzled her neck.

“We have time, it doesn’t start for an hour.” He easily lifted her to the center of the bed, and then spread her hair so it fanned across the pillow. “You’re so beautiful Kali.”

“I have to talk to Sarah. I have a plan,” her voice didn’t come out nearly as firm as she intended. The man was still staring at her breasts. “Noah seriously, go to your apartment. Sarah and I will see you at the meeting.”

“Can’t go to my apartment.” He dipped down and lapped at the sensitive peak of her right breast. She had seconds before all words would be beyond her. She tried again.

“Yes you can go to your apartment, go now.”

“This is my apartment. I started moving in this morning.” He blew on her nipple, and rolled the other in his fingers and tears leaked out of her eyes. He didn’t mistake the reason why.

“We’re together forever, Kali.”

“Forever Noah. Forever.”

* * *

“Are you sure this is going to be okay?” Sarah asked for the third or maybe fourth time.

“No, it’s not. They are going to hate this. Do you really care?” Sarah rubbed her palms on her jeans. Not for the first time, Kali was blown away by Sarah’s beauty. None of the pictures had done her justice. Her energy made her so appealing, even if it was nervous energy like now. No wonder Nate couldn’t take his eyes off of her. It was a crap shoot as to who would hate having her in on these briefings more, Cyrus or Nate.

Kali reached for the doorknob and Sarah stayed her hand.

“Wait. Shouldn’t we knock?”

“Nope, we start as we mean to go on. We plan to push our way into this whole show no matter what their objections are, so we might as well walk in on them.”

Sarah finally nodded.

Kali opened the door and every head turned towards them. The curtains were drawn, and a video was being displayed against the wall over the sofa. It was immediately shut off.

Cyrus pulled back the drapes, and glared at them. “Do you mind telling me what the hell you’re doing here, Sarah?”

“I’m sick of being kept in the dark. But I see it’s how everybody is operating,” she said with a laugh. Cyrus chuckled. Sarah knew the right way to play her brother.

“You’re not part of this, neither of you are. You’re civilians,” Nate’s voice was forged in steel.

“Wrong. We’re
found
. We’re not
just
the targets, we’re eventually going to be the goats you’ll stake out to lure them in. Even if we’re not, we are coming into some interesting damn skills. We could make your operation a whole lot more successful if we help.” Kali kept her voice calm and level, knowing she had no hope of convincing Nate, instead, working to convince everyone else in the room.

“We don’t plan on using you as bait,” Kota said emphatically.

“You might not plan to right now, but eventually it will be the best case scenario, and I’ll be all for it, because I trust you to keep me safe.”

Not going to happen, baby.

“It’s never going to come to that,” Nate said.

“Fine, it’s never going to happen, but in the meantime, we refuse to be excluded. This is our lives, what’s more, we’re all living here together. We refuse to be treated like second class citizens.” Kali saw how that remark hit home with everyone.

“So what was on the video you just turned off, was it about Rixitron?” Sarah asked.

“No, it’s about Jade Melling. From everything we can tell, she actually funded the purchase of the office park where Kali was held and tortured. We thought her art galleries were just one more false trail, but it looks like this time it is the end game.”

“Who is she?”

Cyrus shut the drapes again, and Sierra turned the projector back on.

“Meet Jade Melling. She is one hell of an artist, who happens to own eleven galleries around the world. She also represents some of the most influential artists of our generation.” Kali looked at the woman on the screen. She was older and nondescript. There was not one thing about her that stood out, then Sierra flashed to a benefits program where Jade was presenting a check to a hospital. She was on stage with three children, and her entire demeanor changed, she was animated and effervescent. Her interaction with the children was delightful to watch, it was clear she managed to make them comfortable and happy, even though they were on a stage in front of hundreds of people.

“This can’t be the person behind my kidnapping.”

“We agree,” Noah said. “But Sierra has been digging into her financials, and besides the money spent on the office park, there have been many other large withdrawals made and unaccounted for.”

“How much are we talking?” Cyrus asked.

“Millions,” Sierra answered. “I sent a text to the lieutenant this morning. We were thinking someone would contact her when she returns from Europe tomorrow, but now I think one of us needs to go to New York and talk to her face to face.”

“If you don’t think this is the person behind Kali’s kidnapping, why are you going to meet with her?” Sarah asked.

“Because we think she’s being used, and probably by someone she knows. Meeting with her face to face will shake her up, get her to tell us what she knows,” Nate explained.

“Then, I need to go with whoever is going,” Kali said looking around the room. Kali’s statement was met with silence, and everyone turned to look at Noah.

“Why do you think you need to go?” Noah asked. She felt only support coming from him, support and love.

It’s all you’ll ever feel.

“If you think she is being duped, then she needs to know what her money caused, the harm it did. It would be best if she hears it from me.” Sarah leaned in closer, and took her hand in solidarity.

“She’s right.”

“Sierra, I guess you’re buying tickets again,” Kota said.

Chapter Thirty-One

The gallery was beautiful. Noah felt out of place. He had expected it to be like one of the many galleries in Hawaii where beautiful, wildly expensive, works of art were sold to tourists in shorts and flip flops. Here in New York, it was like he stepped into an eighteenth century men’s club with wood paneling and dark lighting. Hell, to get in they’d had to make an appointment. How in the hell did they expect to sell anything to customers, if the customers couldn’t come into the shop and browse at their leisure?

He could feel Cyrus clearly enough to know he thought the same thing. He and Kali joked about it in their bedroom while the appointments were made. The only one who wasn’t surprised was Nate. As a matter of fact, when the assistant came over and asked them if they wanted anything, he had immediately asked what kind of champagne they had, and the girl named three different vintages. How had Nate known to ask for champagne? Noah knew he’d grown up well to do, but this was ridiculous. Nate winked at him.

“Ms. Melling is currently on a call. She asked me to seat you in our conference room.” They followed the woman into a lushly appointed board room.

“Do you have anything to eat, to go with the champagne?” Nate asked.

“Certainly.” Minutes later a tray of cheese, crackers, smoked salmon and pastries were on the table.