"Then don't. Let me go before things get worse."

He shook his head slowly, lips brushing my cheek as he did it.

"I can't, sweet girl," he replied, and if I didn't know he was a soulless b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I would've called that regret in his voice. "My brother's life is at stake."

My breath caught and for a second I thought I might cry. I didn't want to die. I didn't want anyone in my family dead.

And I didn't want my Liam dead, either. Intellectually I knew "my Liam" had never existed, but I could feel him and smell him all around me. My body refused to believe he'd betrayed us.

f.u.c.k.

"Toke doesn't care about me, so it's not like he's going to turn himself in to save a couple of women," I said carefully. "And the rest of the Reapers can't make it happen. I don't know what's going on, but I do know this-if my dad could find Toke, he'd be dead already. Club business aside, my father would not let a man who hurt me live. Period. Kidnapping us isn't going to get your brother back any faster."

Hunter kissed me, catching my mouth and sliding his tongue deep inside. Need exploded through me, curling up from my pelvis through my body like fire, and the world slowed as his hips nestled between mine, spreading me open beneath him. His big, rough hand caught my breast, his callused thumb sliding back and forth across my nipple as the kiss deepened.

Oh s.h.i.t ...

I'd love to say I fought valiantly to preserve my virtue, but that just wasn't an option. I don't even have the words to describe how much I'd wanted him earlier that night, but that was nothing compared to this. I was pumped full of adrenaline and anger and fear and so many emotions.

In an instant they all turned to l.u.s.t.

My hips cradled his as he started slowly rocking into me, our jeans a barrier I suddenly hated. His thumb and tongue played me in time as a slow burn built deep inside. This was different than it'd been at the bar, darker somehow.

Probably because back then I'd had hope.

Now every rock of my hips was a betrayal of my club, my family, the father who'd given everything to take care of me through the years. But I was empty, and the growing ridge of Hunter's erection would fill me perfectly-I knew it as surely as I knew he wasn't real.

He started moving faster, pulling his mouth away from mine and dropping his head down into my neck. He'd let my hands free somewhere along the way, which I discovered when I brought them around his back, tugging at his shirt. Not that I was undressing him, at least not consciously.

I just needed to feel his bare skin under my fingers.

Each movement of his hips sc.r.a.ped the long, strong length of his jeans-clad d.i.c.k along my core, the rough fabric causing just the right amount of friction mixed with delicious pain. His shirt rubbed at my nipples and I found myself wishing he'd tug and play with them.

Then he gave a long, low groan and things changed.

Before he'd been almost tasting me, and whatever had been between us was almost painful in its restrained intensity. Now the wildness I'd felt from him at the bar, the darkness from the alley, they all came back. His muscles grew tight and his body stiffened. Then his hands came down on either side of my head as he pulled up abruptly.

Now Liam-no, Hunter-looked down at me, his eyes still full of that horrible tension I'd seen when I'd told him about Toke. His gaze burned into my face as his hips pinned me down into the mattress. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist, finding a better angle as he started pumping against my jeans-clad opening.

I think that's when it hit me-I didn't even need to take off my pants.

I was going to come, right here, right now, just from the feel of his c.o.c.k rubbing me through the fabric, and I gave a little gasping moan of something between horror and incredible, terrible need.

"Please," I whispered as my leg muscles quivered. "Oh, s.h.i.t ..."

Hunter bared his teeth at me in what I suppose could be called a smile. But he wasn't smiling. He looked like he wanted to eat me and I felt fear because I knew I'd let him. I'd do anything, so long as he didn't stop moving until it ended and I shattered apart.

"Em," he said, and my name came ragged off his lips. "Em, baby. C'mon, Em. Now."

His hips pressed me deep into the bed then, rotating with rough efficiency. The stimulation was so intense it hurt. But the hurt wasn't a bad thing. Something about it, the way his eyes burned into mine, the way I couldn't have fought him off if I tried ... my utter helplessness.

f.u.c.k.

I loved it.

I felt my back arch as his hips crushed mine, and then my world exploded and I screamed. It wasn't a pretty, s.e.xy scream, either. It was full of all the rage and anger and hurt and incredible f.u.c.king need I felt for him as it burst out of me.

Seconds later his body shuddered and he shouted, punching the mattress right next to my head. Then he collapsed on top of me, panting.

Unreal.

That's when it all hit me and I started laughing.

I'd just had incredible, indescribable s.e.x with the hottest guy I'd ever met-and I was still a f.u.c.king virgin.

Jesus. Just like high school.

I couldn't give this s.h.i.t away.

Chapter Four.

HUNTER.

I flopped down next to Em, trying to make my brain work again.

I'd come in my pants like a f.u.c.king kid.

Yeah. If the brothers saw this, they'd crucify me.

"You're gonna kill me," I muttered, reaching over to tuck a strand of her hair behind one of those perfect little ears. Her crystal-blue eyes looked up at me, dazed, and not entirely homicidal. d.a.m.n, I liked that way too much.

d.a.m.n, she was pretty. Smelled good, too.

"No, it's Dad who'll kill you," she said quietly. Thoughtfully. Great, because thinking wasn't going to make this any better on her end. "Liam-wait, what the h.e.l.l is your name, anyway?"

"It's Liam. Hunter is my road name."

A shadow crossed her face.

"Are you really one of them?"

I didn't pretend not to understand.

"Yeah, I'm a Devil's Jack. Nomad. Been my job to keep tabs on you and your sister for a while. Among other things."

"Why?" she asked, her face genuinely confused. "We're not important."

I laughed, wondering how she could be so impossibly naive.

"You're pretty f.u.c.kin' important, babe," I told her. "That club loves you, even more than your sister because you stayed in Coeur d'Alene. Half the guys consider you their daughter and the other half want to bang you. All of 'em are scared of your dad. Still can't quite figure out why he's not national president. When Atlas retired last year, we figured he'd step up for sure."

"He's not interested," she said absently. Then she leaned up on one arm, studying me. I kept my eyes on her face, because clearly she'd forgotten that corset thing was wide open and showing off her t.i.ts. Not my place to remind her ... Fortunately, her puffy lips provided a nice distraction. I kept picturing them wrapped around my c.o.c.k. "Tell me the truth, Liam. Was there ever anything real between us?"

I should tell her it was all real. Tell her it was love at first sight, that we were Romeo and Juliet and I'd defy my club to be her one and only.

But for once I was just f.u.c.king sick and tired of lying.

"I have no idea what's between us," I said, not even sure that was true. The first time I'd seen Em, it'd felt like a gut punch. I'd wanted to nail her on the spot. That hadn't changed, but now that I had her laid out on a bed, for some reason making her feel better was more important than sticking my d.i.c.k in her. Go figure.

"Not sure I know what real is," I said. "But I don't believe in love, babe. I believe in gettin' laid."

"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard."

I shrugged, feeling almost philosophical about the situation. There's a certain freedom in being totally screwed-and that was definitely what this was shaping up to be. Cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k all around.

"Well, I do know I've got come all over my pants, and that's not something that happens every day," I told her. "You're f.u.c.king hot, babe. No matter what other stories you tell yourself, don't doubt it for a minute. I can't remember the last time I blew like that. Not sure what it means, but that part's sure as s.h.i.t real."

"Heh," she said, then rolled onto her back and looked at the ceiling. "Am I gonna end up dead?"

I considered the question seriously, rolling it through my mind. I felt certain about one thing. I'd kill myself before I hurt her-well, hurt her physically. I was relatively sure I'd already done serious damage emotionally. But so long as I needed her making phone calls to Daddy, I couldn't afford to let her feel safe. Those calls needed to motivate him, and that required fear.

c.r.a.p.

I didn't like this feeling, I decided. I didn't like feeling at all. Half the guys in the Jacks thought I was some kind of killing machine, and they were probably right. Give me a target, I'd neutralize it. But that usually involved guns or knives ... or on one very memorable occasion a particularly sharp deer antler. Sometimes you just have to improvise. I tended not to talk to my victims much, let alone try to comfort them.

But for reasons I didn't care to consider, I wanted to make her feel better.

"I don't want anything bad to happen to you," I finally said, compromising. "I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"What about Sophie?"

"I got nothing against her, either. All I want is my brother back. Alive."

Silence fell again. I could almost hear her thinking.

"What would you do for Kit?" I asked her abruptly.

"What do you mean?"

"How far would you go to save her life?"

Would she make the connection? Understand why I had to fight for my brother?

"I'd do anything I had to," she replied softly, and I heard a hint of despair in her voice. Yup, she was starting to get it. Somehow that was even worse. "I'd steal. I'd lie ... I'd kill. Anything."

Silence fell again, heavy between us. s.h.i.t. I pushed up suddenly, rolling off the bed. Her eyes followed me as I walked across the room to the closet, opening it to find my bag and pull out a clean pair of briefs. I thought she gave a little gasp as I slid down my pants and kicked them off, but that could've been wishful thinking. I pulled up the fresh ones, then tugged my shirt over my head.

Her eyes went wide as she watched me come back toward her. I wanted to believe my body impressed her, but h.e.l.l-she was probably just looking over my tats to decide which one she hated most. I didn't have a back patch with my full club colors on it, but there were a few DJMC symbols here and there.

"You should put on some clothes," she said.

"Need some f.u.c.kin' sleep. Might as well get comfortable," I told her, and that part was the truth. Apparently I'd shot all my adrenaline out through my d.i.c.k, and while a second round would finish things off nicely, I didn't think she was up to it. I leaned down over the bed and swung her up, setting her on her feet. Then I reached for the snap of her jeans, figuring she'd be more comfortable without them, but also pretty sure she wouldn't take them off herself.

That's when she punched me in the stomach, and it wasn't a girly punch, either.

Christ.

It f.u.c.king hurt.

Em glared at me, backing away slowly. She had her fists up and was balanced lightly on her toes, clearly ready to defend herself. Cute. But if she was a martial arts specialist of some kind, I hadn't seen any evidence over the past six months.

Jesus, you sound like a f.u.c.king stalker, a.s.shole.

I suppose I was.

"Glad you didn't go for my nuts," I commented, taking in the sight of her. b.o.o.bs out, pink nipples all hard, teasing me. s.h.i.t. Maybe a second round wasn't out of the question?

"Next time I'll rip your d.i.c.k off," she muttered, eyes narrowing. Okay, so round two was definitely out for now. Noted. Still, fearsome Em was f.u.c.kin' adorable. Kind of like a really angry baby mouse.

"What were you trying to do, anyway?" she demanded.

"I want to sleep," I told her. "You need sleep, too, and it's more comfortable without jeans. That's it, babe, no big, evil plan to get you out of your clothes. It's gonna be a long haul, you should rest while you can. G.o.d knows what'll happen tomorrow."

"My dad's killing you tomorrow," she muttered, but she didn't sound entirely happy about it. Interesting.

"You sound almost sad," I said. "Don't tell me you've decided I should live after all?"

"f.u.c.k you."

"That an invitation?"

She turned away from me and started doing up her corset-thingy, which was a d.a.m.ned shame. Then I caught a glimpse of the bandage and sobered.

"You in any pain?"

"It's fine," she muttered. "You aren't sleeping in here, are you?"