“Like what?” Storm asked Dmitri.
“Drugs, the prostitutes, and liquor scores.”
“That bastard. We haven’t been out of the city a full week yet,” Storm replied.
“That isn’t all he working into. I went to make some final arrangements for some of our bigger deals downtown and get a call that Perkins may not be interested in dealing with us anymore. Seems someone else can get the protection he needs for a little cheaper.”
“Then we need to do something about it.”
“You have a choice, Storm. You can let him take this shit out from underneath you and deal with Nicolai, or you can have me handle it all for you and I’ll be the one you allow to take things over.”
“I need to talk with the team. This is their decision, too.”
“Ultimately it’s yours. You’re the boss. For now anyway,” Dmitri teased. Then he disconnected the call.
But it wasn’t a total playing-around comment. There was truth to it and a bit of a threat. Storm had taken over the territory quickly with the help of his team and their friends. It was an area meant to be Dmitri’s, but he got jammed up and wound up in the slammer for a few years. It was partially over a woman. Andrei was somehow part of it, and part of the reason Dmitri got caught and went to jail.
His cousin was seeking some of his own revenge.
Storm thought about Aspen. She wasn’t out of danger with Andrei. The man would get back at her and even them. Especially when he found out Aspen was now their woman. Not that it would stop a man like Andrei from taking her. He had done it years ago to get back at Porter. Andrei should have been relieved of his duties by the higher-ups, but instead they turned their heads and felt that Aspen hadn’t been important enough to protect.
Storm and his team, along with Porter and his team, felt otherwise. He would never forget that night. How drugged out she was, beaten, bloody, and about to be shipped off to some foreign country.
They risked everything to save her, and when they reached her in the nick of time, one look in her eyes, at her fragile, battered body, and he, Winter, Zin, York, and Weston vowed to protect her from danger for the rest of their lives. They never expected to fall in love with her. He wondered how she would feel when she found out it was them who had saved her.
* * * *
The atmosphere was filled with anticipation. Even Aspen felt on edge, needy, ready to explore making her fantasy a reality and let go completely. It made her feel on edge, antsy, a little resistant to giving so freely of herself. Yet, as she made small talk with the men after dinner, let them run their hands over her skin, lightly brush her elbow as they cleaned up together and then kiss her gingerly, she couldn’t seem to settle her nerves.
She made love to them already. Experienced the kinds of orgasms people dreamed about, raved about if they’re lucky enough, so why, as she looked around the kitchen at these men, did she feel ready to lose her mind.
She jumped slightly, showing her anxiousness as Storm returned and placed his hands on her shoulders from behind. The men all stopped talking. Ceased to do whatever they were doing to keep busy and raise her anticipation level to a point where she would beg for their touch.
How did they do that?
Storm pulled her body back against his. She felt his hard body, and even harder erection as it pressed against her ass.
His warm breath feathered over her sensitive skin by her neck and shoulder. Storm. Blond hair, dark eyes, the man was the epitome of intimidation and sex appeal. She absorbed the feel of his hands, warm, strong, powerful as he began to massage her shoulders, causing her head to roll back against his chest.
One hand gripped her shoulder, repeatedly working the muscles and tension from the spot, while he pushed her baggy shirt away from her shoulder exposing more flesh.
She fantasized about him and the others so many times. She wondered what it would feel like to be touched by them, held by them.
Now, here she was with Storm, a well-known made man, holding her in an instantly possessive manner. There was no d
enying the man’s power and abilities. His strong fingers took control, possession of her much smaller, feminine frame.
He moved lower, pushing aside her lace bra with one slide of a finger and cupped her breast. He licked her neck and tugged on her earlobe as he took from her whatever he wanted. She knew she was out of control, and instead of panicking, freaking out about needing to stay afloat, she relinquished it to Storm and took a chance on what he was giving her. The freedom to let go and just feel everything they had to offer her.
She shivered and pressed her body snugger against his front. Eyes closed, she imagined his body naked, filled with dips and ridges of pure muscle as well as old scars that she was sure he had stories for each of them. Would they ever be so close, so connected and bound that he would share those stories with her? He would want the same from her. To know the details of the one event in her life that altered her destiny. He would want to know about her abduction and near-death experience.
She felt him pinch her nipple between his thumb and pointer. It aroused her, made her moan softly, and took her mind away from the fearful, dark thoughts of her past. She didn’t want to feel that way ever again. It was her deepest weakness. If something like that ever happened to her again, she would die. Whether at the hands of strangers or by her own hands to avoid being taken against her will.
Storm applied more pressure, pulling, pinching the tiny nub until she could only focus on the sensations he was causing.
“I love the sound of your little purrs,” he told her.
“Do you?” she asked.