Celtic Dragon Read online

  “Fuck, Emma!” he says when he sees us.

  “Hey, Cade,” I say meekly. I’m so ready for the shit storm that’s about to happen that I actually brace myself by holding tightly to the arms of the chair.

  But instead of receiving Caden’s rage, I experience something much worse. I get the calm and collected Ice. He walks over to me and carefully pulls me up from the chair. His arm wraps around my waist as he pulls me in close. Our bodies are so close that I can actually feel his dick growing hard against me. Holy shit, he’s getting a hard-on in front of all these people and he only has a pair of loose-fitting sweatpants to hide it.

  He leans in and I think he’s going to kiss me. But instead, he finally speaks. “I’m not gonna ask why you’re here. I’m not gonna ask why you’ve pulled my sister out of school and brought her with you. I’m not gonna ask why you didn’t give me so much as a notice that you were coming. But if I wasn’t so fucking happy to see you right now, I would put you over my knee and spank your ass!” His last words cause the wetness between my thighs to pool even more. He leans in closer and greedily claims my lips with his.

  He releases me from the kiss, leaving me breathless in his wake. He steps back and looks me over. Then his eyes move to Ari and then Honey. Shaking his head, he turns back toward Rebel. “Did you know about this?” he asks.

  “No! I’m just as surprised as you,” Rebel replies.

  “You can say that again,” Ari says. At her words, everyone busts out laughing. That is, everyone but Caden, who just looks confused.

  He turns back toward me and asks, “What the fuck is so funny?”

  Smiling, I say, “I’ll fill you in later. It’s a long story.”

  “Fine, so tell me why the fuck you’re here. Did something happen?”

  “Another long story,” I reply.

  “Well, is someone going to tell me what the fuck is going on here?” he says and I can feel his anger rising.

  “Babe, I’m really tired. Can we go to bed now? I’ll tell you everything, just not here.” He nods grudgingly, seeming to be placated for a while. I then turn toward Rebel and ask, “Do you have room for us?”

  “Of course,” Rebel replies. “Emma, you’re in with Ice, of course. Honey, your room is the first one at the top of the stairs, to the right.”

  Ice walks over and grabs Honey’s bags as well as my own, and then starts to head for the stairs. Rebel grabs Ari’s and does the same. As he walks up the stairs, Caden says, “It’s been a long day and I’m sure you girls are tired. Let’s go to bed; we can talk in the morning.”

  “Look, I know you’re tired, but do you mind telling me why you’re here?” Cade asks once we’re in our room.

  I shake my head. “Like I said, it’s a long story and one I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”

  “Did something happen to the baby?” he asks worriedly.

  “Oh, no. The baby and I are perfectly fine,” I say, reassuring him.

  “Then what would bring you all the way here?” he asks, confused.

  I reach into my purse and pull out the three notes, then hand them to him. “Read them in order. The first one was on my windshield the morning after you left. The second was found on our bed that same night accompanied by a red rose. The third one arrived two days later and was found on the front porch. Next to the note was a pretty basket; inside the basket was a rattlesnake.” He looks at me in shock and then looks back to the notes. He begins to read.

  “Holy shit! I assume the person these notes are referring to is Grayson?” he asks.

  “That’s what Hawk and I think. At first we thought it was Skid, but Hawk said that Skid wouldn’t lurk in the shadows. He would make it known that he was the one making the threats. Something about his ego.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like Skid. Did Hawk have any other ideas?”

  “No. He had Spike and Dbag staying with us. When the rattlesnake arrived, it became clear that whoever is doing this knew my every move. I decided that I needed to leave. I didn’t want to get the club involved in another one of my dramas and it was clear that this person was not targeting the club. They’re after you and me.”

  “And Ari and Honey?” he asks. “Why are they here?”

  “I didn’t intend to bring them, but they insisted they go with me. They blackmailed me, so to speak. Ari knew where you were and Honey threatened to tell Hawk everything. I knew if she did that I would not be able to leave.”

  “So Hawk didn’t know you were leaving?” he asks.

  “No! Hawk had no idea until ten minutes before I boarded the plane. I called him from the airport, knowing he couldn’t stop me at that point. He still tried to, though—he pulled out all the stops.”

  “I see.”

  “Please, Cade, don’t be mad at him. He didn’t know. This is all me. If you want to be mad at someone, take it out on me.”

  “I’m not gonna take it out on anyone. I understand why you came here. But what makes me mad is that you took risks. If you would’ve called me and told me what was happening, I would’ve made arrangements for you to come.”

  “I didn’t want to tell you over the phone. I knew you were busy and I knew what you were doing here was dangerous. I didn’t want you to worry until I got here.”

  “Then you should have gone to Hawk with your concerns. He would’ve listened and had one of the boys travel with you. What if this person followed you?” He holds up the notes and shakes them in my face. “You didn’t think, Emma. You put yourself and my kid at risk recklessly. You ran scared.”

  “I thought I was protecting the club like a good old lady. I didn’t want them to suffer because of me and Grayson anymore.”

  “Emma, when are you gonna realize that the club is your family now? They don’t care how much shit you bring down on them. They don’t care about the danger. All they care about is protecting every brother and their families. Our family—it’s the most important thing to us.”

  I realize that he’s right. Feeling ashamed of my actions, I say, “I’m sorry. I guess the whole extended family thing is hard to get used to. You know I’m an only child; I don’t have aunts, uncles, or cousins.” I pause and then add, “I was blinded by fear and the only thing I could think was that I needed to get to you.”

  He sits down on the bed next to me and pulls me to him. For the first time in days, I finally feel safe. This is what I need. He is what I need. This is where I need to be. He will never comprehend how his presence grounds me, or how his arms around me make me feel that nobody can hurt me. I snuggle up against him while we sit there for several minutes. This is perfection in the simplest form.

  Several minutes later, he releases me and gets up from the bed. Pulling me up with him, he says, “C’mon babe, let’s get some sleep.” He laughs seductively and starts to remove my clothes, saying, “I think you need to get more comfortable.”

  “So you’re really happy to see me?” I say as I place my hand on his growing erection, gently stroking him through his sweats. Damn, he feels so good.

  “Oh, hell yes!” he says as he moans into my neck. “And I’m about to show you how much.” He moves his hands to my hips, digging his fingers into my flesh as if he is holding on for dear life. Looking into my eyes, he reaches down to my skirt and slides his hand up along my left thigh. Traveling to the apex between my thighs, his thumb brushes against my panties and he moans when he feels the wetness that has settled on the silky fabric between my legs. A growl slips from his lips as he takes his finger and moves my panties to one side. My breath hitches as his slips his finger inside me. He nuzzles against my ear and says, “You are so fucking wet for me.” It was my turn to moan, his words lighting a fire within me that rages with desire. I need him, now!

  “Caden, please,” I beg.

  “What do you want, baby?” he huskily says in my ear.

  Dazed with pleasure, I reply, “You.”

  “You have me,” he teases. “You need to be more specific, darl’n.” />
  “Fuck me,” I breathe. “I want you to fuck me.” Hesitating, I add, “Now!” He doesn’t need anything more specific than that, and he quickly begins to remove my clothes. I grasp at the drawstring on his sweatpants and loosen it, urgently pushing them down to his ankles.

  He removes my shirt and bra as his eyes greedily roam my body. My heart is racing from the burning heat I see in his eyes. He bends down and captures my left nipple between his lips, sucking it into his warm wet mouth. Oh God! His fingers are still working me and I can feel my orgasm building. Just as I am about to find my release, Cade bites down on my now very erect and sensitive nipple, sending the most incredible pain and pleasure sensations through my body as my orgasm lets loose and my body begins to convulse.

  He doesn’t give me time to ride my pleasure out, instead turning me around and bending me over the side of the bed. He slaps my ass, hard, and then plunges himself deep inside me.

  He pumps into me hard and fast, and my body is taking every bit of it. I want to scream, but I know it probably wouldn’t be a good idea in a house full of people. So instead, I murmur with each thrust, trying desperately to remain as quiet as I can. He’s close; I can feel him growing inside me and before I know it I can feel his warmth fill me. He pumps so much into me that I feel it dripping down my leg. He fucking owns me. He always has and he always will. As he catches his breath, completely spent, he leans over me and says, “God, baby, I’ve missed you.”

  He pulls out of me and I am surprised to see that he is still hard. He lies down on the bed next to me and says, “Come here, baby. I need to see you cum.” I straddle his waist, but he pulls me forward until my knees are nestled on either side of his face. He lightly kisses up my inner thigh, rendering me weak with desire. I place my hands on the wall above his head to maintain some semblance of balance as his tongue slides across my clit. Oh, fuck! I desperately need to cry out, but I hold it in.

  He continues to lick at our combined juices; right now, nothing else matters in this world but his warm, velvety soft tongue and what it’s doing to me. My entire body trembles as he continues to swirl his tongue over and around my clit. I begin to grind into his face, increasing the friction that he’s generating.

  Just as I’m about to release again, he slides his fingers into me while his tongue continues to wreak havoc on my clit. My orgasm floods my entire body with spasm after spasm as my pussy clamps down on his fingers, milking him for more. When I can’t take any more, I move off of him and lay down on my back next to him.

  “You ok, baby?” he asks.

  I look over at him and smile, completely satisfied. I have no words, but I am convinced that the purr that comes from deep in my throat tells him that I’ve never been better. I inch myself closer, snuggling into his side.

  We lay like that for a while until sleep finally consumes us both.

  Chapter 17

  Caden

  Rebel and I knock on Liam’s door first thing in the morning. When he opens the door, I find that I am surprised to see him awake and already diligently working on the laptop we provided him. “Hey, good morning,” I say as I peek into the room. “You got anything yet?” I ask.

  “Yeah, I made some calls last night. We can get them out the day after tomorrow. That gonna work for you?” he replies.

  I shake my head in disbelief. “So soon? Damn, you’re quick. We can definitely work with that.” I pause and then say, “What’s the plan?”

  “Before I go into that, there’s one thing you’ll need to secure.”

  “And that is?”

  “You better make damn sure that you’ve got transport out of Ireland immediately after the breakout. And that includes the two we’re breaking out,” he says.

  “You’re telling me that my parents can’t stay in Ireland?” Rebel asks.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

  “Why?”

  “They are extremely high-profile prisoners. The British intend to make examples of them. The only reason they’re still alive is that they don’t want to make martyrs out of them. My sources tell me that the Brits are biding their time with the O’Byrnes,” Liam says.

  What Liam says makes sense to me. And once Rebel realizes it’s the only way, I know he’ll be on board too. Looking at Rebel, I say, “I’ll call Willie. You need to call Dbag. We need IDs for them, DLs, and passports.”

  Nodding, Rebel says, “Got it.” He pulls out his phone as he steps out of the room.

  “Liam, now that Rebel has left the room, I need you to be straight with me.”

  “Ok … what?”

  “Is this gonna work? I don’t want to get my brother’s hopes up if this is going to turn out to be a total bust. I’d rather lay it out on the line for him now so he knows.”

  “I won’t lie to you, it’s definitely risky. But when you place it against the alternative, ‘cause they’ll surely die in the hands of the British, you have to ask yourself, is it a risk worth taking?” He pauses and then adds, “If it were my family, I would say it is.”

  I think about his words and then reply, “Yeah, I’d have to agree with you. I don’t even know them and I feel like I have an obligation to them as well as to Rebel.” I wait to see if he says any more and then add, “I’m really sorry about the way we pulled you in here. Before we got to you, we encountered some real winners, one of whom even tried to kill me. By the time you came, we didn’t know who we could trust and who we couldn’t.”

  “I know. I’ve been there. My family was tied up with the IRA for years. I lost them all to the cause. Although I don’t actively participate in the cause, I’m always willing to help out where I can. When I realized who you were, there wasn’t a question as to whether I would help. It was a given,” he says.

  “Well, you’ve been invaluable. Rebel and I both are indebted to you for all that you have done.” I pause and then add; “I think the girls are making breakfast if you’re hungry.”

  “Girls?” he asks.

  “Oh, we received a few visitors late last night. My old lady decided to surprise me with my sister and a good friend in tow.”

  “They’re not gonna be involved in any part of the breakout, are they?” he asks, worried.

  “Oh, hell no!” I reassure him.

  We go downstairs to find Emma and Honey in the kitchen rummaging through cabinets and the refrigerator. Obviously, they’re looking for food and making themselves quite at home.

  “Ladies,” I say.

  “Ice,” they both say in unison. I’m just about to ask if there is any coffee left when Emma hands me a cup.

  “Thanks, love,” I say, kissing her on the cheek.

  Just then, Rebel comes in. “All good?” I ask.

  “Yes, they’ll be here first thing in the morning,” he replies.

  “Good,” I say.

  “What will be here?” Emma asks.

  “Need to know, babe, remember?” I tell her. She sighs and walks over to the coffee pot, pouting. One of these days, she’ll get it.

  Doc and Ryder join us and the kitchen suddenly becomes a little too crowded for me. Realizing that I have things to do, I look over at Rebel and say, “I’m gonna go call Willie.” He nods.

  My conversation with Willie goes better than expected; I’m pleased to find out that he has a transport leaving Belfast at midnight the Friday we’re doing the breakout. I was worried that we would have to get ourselves back to Dublin for a flight, but the Belfast departure couldn’t be more perfect if it was planned that way.

  Upon returning to the kitchen, I walk into a room that’s full of tension. Ten minutes ago everything was fine, but now the tension is so thick you need a fucking chainsaw to cut through it. I glance around the room to see what’s changed. Doc and Ryder are in the living room reading the morning paper. Emma and Honey are over by the stove, cooking something that smells fucking amazing. Ari has come downstairs and is standing next to Rebel, his arm protectively around her. And then, standing next to
Rebel, I see the root of all the tension. Ciara!

  The conniving bitch really pisses me off. It’s so transparent that she’s using Reb’s brother to make him jealous and she’s so fucking stupid she doesn’t even see that it is not working. But now, she’s not only fucking with my brother’s head, she’s also fucking with my sister’s happiness. It’s time that I step in and put a stop to her little charade. I’ll make this little twat come to terms with the fact that Rebel is no longer hers, and even more importantly, he’s never gonna be. I walk over to Ari and kiss her on the cheek. “Hey, sweetheart,” I say.

  She gives me a big hug and says, “Hey, Caden.”

  I turn toward Ciara and say, “Ciara, I don’t believe you’ve met my sister.”

  She stutters, “N…No … I haven’t. Not formally, that is.”

  “Imagine my surprise when Rebel here, my Sgt. at Arms, asked my permission to date my sister. But, as I’m sure you well know, Rebel isn’t just my sergeant, right? He’s my friend and cousin on my dad’s side. We bikers, we like to keep it all in the family, now don’t we, Reb?”

  Smirking, he replies, “Absolutely, Boss!”

  “And you wanna know something else about us bikers?” I ask.

  “Yeah, what?” she says defiantly. She’s still not getting it, but I see that changing real fast.

  “We don’t take kindly to bitchy ex-girlfriends fucking around with our old ladies. You got me?” When she doesn’t answer, I gesture over to Emma and I say, “This is Emma, my old lady. And over there is Honey, the woman who single-handedly takes care of all my boys.”

  I can tell by the look in her eyes that she is finally getting my meaning. By now, she should know that I’ll fuck with anyone who tries to ruin my sister’s happiness, even if it is a woman.