The door opens just as I finish. Kraken fills the frame. Tall and broad and radiating that alpha energy that makes my knees feel unreliable. His eyes sweep over me once.
"We’re leaving the compound," he says. His voice sounds dangerously quiet. "It’s no longer safe here."
My stomach flips. "Leaving? Right now? Where are we going?"
He steps inside and closes the door behind him. The space shrinks with him in it. "I’ll tell you along the way. We move fast."
I nod even though questions bubble up fast in my head. He doesn’t offer more and I know better than to push right now. I grab the last few things from around the room. My mismatched socks go into the bag. Kraken watches every move I make. His presence feels steady. Protective. Like no matter where we go he’ll keep the bad things away. I zip everything up and sling the bag over my shoulder. Kevin comes with me of course. I tuck him carefully into the side pocket so his leaves don’t get crushed.
"Ready," I say after a minute. My voice comes out softer than I mean it to.
He takes my backpack from me without asking. His fingers brush mine and send little sparks up my arm. We walk down the hall together. The compound feels tense and quiet. Men move with purpose loading bikes and trucks. No one stops us. Kraken leads me out to the lot where his Harley waits. Black chromegleams under the morning sun. The engine looks like it could eat miles and spit out trouble.
He swings a leg over the seat and holds out a helmet to me. "Put this on."
I take it and slide it over my head. The fit feels snug. Safe. I climb on behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. Solid muscle meets my hands.
"Hold on tight," he says over his shoulder.
The engine roars to life beneath us. The vibration climbs up my thighs and settles deep in my chest. Kraken pulls out slowly at first then picks up speed as we leave the gates behind. Razor wire and floodlights fade in the mirrors. Key West shrinks behind us. Salt air whips around us. I squeeze him tighter and watch the road stretch out ahead.
12
Kraken
The sun has long dropped below the horizon by the time we roll into Ft. Myers. The ride up the west coast of Florida stretches long and deliberate. I keep the throttle steady and the routes quiet. I want the Cartel chasing shadows on the east side of Florida while we slip away on the opposite coast. Tia clings tight behind me the whole way. Her arms stay locked around my waist and her body presses close. The heat of her soaks through my cut and keeps my blood running hot even as the night air cools.
I kill the engine in front of a small bungalow tucked right on the beach. Palm trees sway overhead. The ocean murmurs dark and steady just beyond the dunes. No lights shine from neighboring houses. Perfect isolation. I swing off the bike first and help Tia down. Her legs look shaky after the long ride. She pulls the helmet off and shakes out her hair. Those bright eyes scan the place with open curiosity.
"What is this place?" she asks. Her voice carries soft in the quiet night.
"A friend owns it." I grab our bags from the saddlebags and nod toward the front door. "We stay here tonight."
She follows me up the short path. Her flip flops slap soft against the wooden steps. "What if the friend tells the bad guys we’re here? I don’t want to bring trouble to anyone else."
I unlock the door and push it open. The inside smells like salt air and faint cedar. "Not a chance. The owner’s actually your father. Gunny. This is one of his safe houses. Nobody knows about it but me and him.”
She nods. Relief flickers across her face as she steps inside. I lock the door behind us and flip on a single lamp. The place is simple. Open living area. Tiny kitchen. One bedroom visible through the open doorway. One bed. My cock twitches at the sight but I keep my face hard.
I drop the bags near the couch. "I’ll sleep out here."
Tia spins on her heels, facing me. Her fingers twist in the hem of her tank top. "I’d feel safer if you stay with me. In the bed. Please Kraken. After everything that happened I don’t want to be alone."
The raw need in her voice snaps something inside me. I step closer. She looks up at me with those big trusting eyes. Her lips part. My hands itch to grab her. To pin her down and taste every inch. Fuck it. I’ve held back long enough.
I cup the back of her neck and pull her in. My mouth crashes down on hers. She gasps against my lips then melts into the kiss. Sweet and eager. I growl low and deepen it. My tongue sweeps in claiming her taste. She whimpers soft and presses closer. Her hands fist in my shirt. I walk her backward toward the bedroomwithout breaking the kiss. The back of her knees hit the mattress and I ease her down onto it.
"Been wanting this since you first walked into my compound," I rasp against her mouth. "That little red bikini clinging to your wet skin. Those dancing taco socks. Every word out of your mouth makes me hard as fuck. You’ve got no idea how many times I stroked my cock thinking about spreading these thighs and burying my face in your sweet cunt."
I peel her tank top off. Her breasts spill free. Pink nipples already tight and begging. I groan and cup them both. My rough thumbs brush the peaks in slow circles until she arches with a needy sound. I pinch one nipple and roll it between my fingers. "These perfect tits. Been dying to get my mouth on them." I lean down and suck one hard peak between my lips. I bite gently then soothe it with my tongue. She moans loud and threads her fingers through my hair.
I kiss up her neck. Suck hard enough to leave a dark mark right where her pulse jumps. Mine. She shivers under me. I hook my fingers in her shorts and panties and drag them down her legs in one rough pull. The sight of her bare pussy glistening for me nearly breaks my control. Pink and swollen and dripping down her thighs.
"Look at this pretty cunt," I groan. I spread her thighs wide with my hands and settle between them. "Already soaked for me. Such a good girl. This pussy knows who it belongs to."
I drag my tongue up her slit, slow and deliberate. She cries out and her hips buck. I pin her down with one heavy arm across her stomach. "Stay still, baby. I’m going to eat this pussy until you scream my name.”
I lick deeper. Flatten my tongue and drag it through her wetness again and again. I circle her clit with firm strokes then suck it between my lips hard. She tastes sweet and addictive. I groan against her flesh and push two thick fingers inside her tight heat. She clenches around me instantly. Her walls flutter and grip. Her hands fly to my hair and tug hard. I pump my fingers steady and deep while my tongue works her clit faster.
