Forever Is Not Enough [Council Enforcers 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (18 page)

While Percival’s attention was solely on the guard, Jacqueline slowly made her way around the gurney toward him. She reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the syringes. It contained a cocktail she had made just for Percival and was intended to kill the man. The lethal combination in the syringe would kill him quickly, which was more than he deserved, but Jacqueline didn’t care, as long as she was free of him for good.

Taking a breath to calm her nerves, Jacqueline lifted the syringe and stabbed it into Percival’s neck. She had her thumb on the plunger and had started pressing it down just as a large explosion shook the ground. Jacqueline was thrown away from Percival and lost her hold on the needle. She was unable to brace herself because she used her hands to cradle her stomach, which caused her head to bounce against the floor several times before she came to a stop against something solid.

The room had gone dark, and Jacqueline wasn’t sure if it was from the explosion or the head injury she surely had. She smiled, not caring either way because her mate was there. She felt Ben coming, getting closer and closer with each rapid beat of her heart.

“You bitch! I will kill you for this.”

She heard Percival groan and saw him staggering to his feet through the smoke filling the room. Jacqueline gasped as every nerve in her body felt as though it had begun to vibrate at the closeness of her mate. She couldn’t see him yet, but she could hear booted steps getting closer and closer. Percival must have heard them as well because he paused his steps toward her and hesitated as if trying to decide if he had enough time to kill her. Evidently, he decided she wasn’t worth it because he turned and ran into the other direction.

“Don’t worry, little one,” Jacqueline whispered to her baby. “Daddy is here to take us home.”

Ben came into the room just then, and Jacqueline felt her pulse soar at the sight of seeing him. She watched as he scanned the room until those chocolate eyes of his finally landed on her. When he saw her, he rushed over and dropped to his knees. He gently lifted her into his arms and cradled her.

Jacqueline felt safe and protected for the first time in four months. “Hi,” she whispered as she smiled up at him. Now that she knew he was there and wouldn’t let anything happen to her, she gave in to the throbbing of her head and let the darkness wash over her.

* * * *

Ben pulled his little mate against his chest and held her as tight as he could. He hadn’t been able to let her go since he had found her lying on the floor in Percival’s bunker. They’d gone back to Mitch’s home, and he had immediately carried her up to his bedroom. After gently undressing her, he put her in his bed and climbed in behind her. He needed to feel her skin against his, to feel her warmth, and to smell her spicy cinnamon scent. Ben needed all of those things to let him know his mate was really there and it wasn’t some dream.

He ran his hand down to her stomach and rested it on the swell of her belly and smiled. When Jacqi had gone away, her stomach had been flat. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to tell her she was pregnant. Now, his pup was resting there, safe and sound.

“We both missed you.”

Ben lifted his head at the sound of Jacqi’s voice. “You have no idea how much I missed the both of you. I thought I was going to go crazy.”

Jacqi turned over on her back so that he was above her. “I’m so sorry, Ben. He got into the house somehow, and all I could think was that he was there because of me. I couldn’t let Tessa and Nico be hurt because of that. You have to believe me. If I had known I was pregnant, I would have never risked my life like that.”

Ben kissed the tears from his mate’s eyes. “Shh, little mate. You did nothing wrong. From what Tessa told us, you saved their lives.”

“Does she hate me for what I did? I said some awful things to get her to go into that safe room and close the door without me.”

“No one blames you for what you did. Tessa understands, and so do I. I’m just glad I have you back.” Not able to resist any longer, Ben leaned down and kissed her. He meant to take it slow, but as his mate’s scent surrounded him and her taste exploded on his tongue, four months of longing for her caught up with him. Ben lost control. As he deepened the kiss, his mind told him to take it easy and slow down, but her moan and the way she writhed against him spurred Ben on.

He pulled back, panting when breathing became absolutely necessary. “I need you, little mate. I’ve missed you so much. I thought of nothing but you every second you were gone, wondering if you were hurt, if you were cold or hungry. I was in hell not having you by my side.” He didn’t give Jacqi a chance to respond. He wasn’t trying to make her feel guilty. He just wanted to her know why he was desperate to have her. His skin was crawling with need.

Ben rested his forehead against her as he stared down into her eyes. They were shining with unshed tears, but he didn’t smell any sadness or despair coming from his mate. All he smelled was her arousal growing stronger as he trailed his fingers down her chest, lightly circling her breast until he got to her nipple, which was already standing at attention for him. Taking it between his forefinger and thumb, he pinched it and grinned when Jacqi shuddered and moaned. She arched her back, pressing her breast further into his hand, and Ben stared at the column of her neck that was revealed to him.

He saw his mating mark on her shoulder. The scar had been red and swollen the last time he had seen her. Now, he still saw the mark, but it had faded. Ben’s mouth watered to mark her again, to let her know she was still his. He felt his teeth begin to lengthen at the thought and felt his control slipping even further.

Leaning down, Ben clamped his mouth on her shoulder and flicked his tongue over her mark. His mate cried out in his ear as she spread her legs and wrapped them tightly around his waist. He felt the moist heat from her as his cock lined up perfectly with her pussy from the move. Ben flexed his hips several times, making his cock slide easily along her wet cunt. He made sure the tip of his cock bumped her swollen clit several times while he assaulted her mark with his tongue.

Jacqi finally threaded her fingers through his hair and held his head against her as she shouted her orgasm to the ceiling. That was all Ben could take. Gripping her thighs, he pulled until she released her hold on his waist. He rolled his mate to her stomach and lifted her so she was on all fours with her perfect ass swaying in his face. Ben bent down and lapped at the fluid that had gathered on her thighs before straightening.

Ben gripped his cock in his hand and gave it a tight squeeze, trying to gain some control back. He wanted nothing more than to plunge into her waiting pussy until they both passed out, but he didn’t want to hurt her or the baby. He placed the head of his cock against her entrance and paused.

“What are you waiting for?” Jacqueline panted. Her small hands were fisted into the bed sheets as if she was bracing herself for him. She looked over her shoulder at him. “Do it.”

That was all the permission Ben needed. Placing his hands on her hips, he pressed forward and gritted his teeth as his cock slowly slid deep into her pussy. Her channel was like a vise grip squeezing him tight, and he thanked fate for bringing his mate back. They were made for each other like two pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly.

When Ben was buried as far as he could go, he held himself still. Smoothing his hands up her back, he brushed her hair aside so he could see his mark and leaned over, molding himself to her back. “I love you, Jacqueline,” was all he said before he allowed his teeth to fully lengthen, sinking them into her shoulder. Ben clamped down tight and held on as he shifted his hips, pulling his cock out of her pulsing pussy before slamming it back in again. He did this over and over, never losing his grip on her shoulder until he finally felt the tingle at the base of his spine, signaling he was about to come.

He needed his mate to go over the edge with him, so Ben reached beneath her and used his fingers to massage her clit. He knew he was being rough, but he couldn’t help himself. Evidently, Jacqi had no problem with it because she was rocking back and forth beneath him, matching his rhythm as she slammed her ass against him with each stroke. Ben felt his rhythm begin to falter just as the walls of her pussy began to flutter and then clamp down on his cock. Jacqi threw her head back and screamed while Ben released his grip on her neck and howled as he shot deep inside her.

By the time he was aware of his surroundings again, Jacqi’s shoulder had already healed, but there was a trail of blood there. He forced his limbs to work and climbed out of the bed with a groan. He wanted nothing more than to collapse beside his little mate and pass out, but first, he needed to take care of her.

In the bathroom, Ben wet a washcloth with warm water before padding back out to Jacqi, who was still in the same position he had left her in. Gently rolling her over, he cleaned the blood off her shoulder before washing between her legs. Ben gave his cock a swipe before tossing the cloth across the room, not caring where it landed. All he cared about was holding his mate. As he climbed into bed and pulled Jacqi against him, he had a feeling it would be a long time before he was able to go longer than a few seconds without touching her in some way. He knew what it felt like to have his mate taken from him, and Ben vowed he would do anything in his power to never let that happen again. He placed his hand on her stomach and sighed. He had her back, and they had a pup on the way. That was all that mattered to him as he snuggled against her. The outside world and all its problems could wait a little longer.

“Do you think it’s wise to bring a stranger there?” Ryan asked Mitch. He was concerned for his friend. It had been a month since they had gotten Jacqueline back, and they’d still had no sign of Percival. The sniveling coward had somehow escaped them again. The last thing they needed was to be on guard because a stranger was in the house.

“I have to, Ry,” Mitch grumbled. “As much as I don’t like it, Tessa is eight months pregnant. We have no idea when she will deliver, and I have no plans of taking her to a hospital where it isn’t safe. The midwife coming here is the best solution for everyone. If it works out, then we already have someone lined up for Jacqueline when it’s her turn.”

“Did you at least check this woman out?” Ryan knew it was a dumb question the moment it left his mouth. The snort Mitch gave him through the phone proved that.

Mitch scoffed. “As if I would let someone into my home that I haven’t personally checked? National Security and the Secret Service have nothing on my background checks. I know everything from what this woman had for breakfast on her first day of school down to the diary entry about her secret crush in the tenth grade.”

Despite his arrogance, Ryan knew Mitch wasn’t lying. The man loved his naps in the sun and lying around generally being lazy, but when it came to his family and friends, he stopped at nothing to keep them safe.

Ryan sighed into the phone. He and Ken had come home for a little privacy. They had only been there about two weeks, and now it looked as though they were about to pack up and leave again. There was no way he could rest knowing there was a stranger in Mitch’s home when they weren’t there to watch his back. “When will she be there?”

“Three days,” Mitch grunted.

“We will be there in two.”

Ryan held the phone away from his ear and stared at it when he realized Mitch had hung up without saying goodbye. He shook his head as he went to find his mate and wondered how Mitch had any friends at all. Ryan found Ken in his “den,” as he liked to call it. The living room was his mate’s favorite room besides the bedroom. Ken was lounging on the custom couch. They’d had it made so it was large enough for him to be comfortable on. He was surrounded by dozens of fluffy pillows.

When Ryan sat on the couch, he sank down into all of the cushions until he was almost swallowed up. He heard Ken’s deep chuckle before he was plucked up and placed on the man’s lap. Ryan wiggled until he was comfortable then rested his head against his mate’s chest. This was hands-down his favorite spot. “We have to go back to Mitch’s.”

Ken wrapped his arms around him. “I heard.”

Ryan closed his eyes and relaxed against his mate. Before he’d met Ken, he had never even looked at another man romantically. It had been the same for Ken. Now he couldn’t imagine not being able to touch his mate or feel his touch every day. Being with each other had never felt strange or weird for either of them. They simply accepted the fact that they were mates and had learned to adapt. They both agreed, though, their mating didn’t feel complete. There was a part of them still missing, and that part was the female who was meant for the both of them. They both had faith they would find her, but until then, they enjoyed being in each other’s arms.

“She gets there in three days, so I told Mitch we would be there in two.”

“That gives us plenty of time.”

Ryan lifted his head and looked at Ken. He knew the answer from the tone in the man’s voice, but he still asked, “For what?”

Ken’s answer was a growl before he leaned down and kissed him.

* * * *

Talia Westin cursed for what seemed like the hundredth time as she peered into the dark. She was already starting to regret her rash decision to agree to go to a perfect stranger’s home and stay for at least a month. The only reason she was doing it was because she knew Enforcer Ericson was a good man. Her mate had talked about him all the time with what seemed like hero worship to her. According to her mate, the man was trustworthy and honorable.