For the Taking Read online

  “Stephen, I suggest you stop there.”

  “I’m not going to stop. Every single day for the past ten years when you’ve been on this crazy plan, I have supported you. I’m the closest thing you have to any kind of family, and you think I’m going to look the other way?”

  “I expect you to.”

  “No. I got out of the life, and you helped me when you should have killed me. You’re the reason I can practice medicine. Why I have a wife and kids. It’s all on you.”

  “And it doesn’t come without its cost. You fix me.”

  “I would do it without any price. You know that. I only take your fucking money because you make me.”

  “Well, I’ll double your price if you stop talking about Bethany.”

  Stephen stopped digging around in him and glanced up at him. “You like her, don’t you?”

  “Bethany?”

  “Don’t play dumb. You like Meghan.”

  “Just do your job.”

  “You know, she talked a lot about you as well when I was fixing her up.”

  He really shouldn’t care what Meghan was rambling on about when he wasn’t with her.

  “I don’t have time for this. Just fix me.”

  “That I am doing, quite well, as well. She’s in love with you,” Stephen said.

  Riley jerked at the words and hissed. “Fuck! Go easy.”

  “Do you love her as well?”

  “I will shoot you if you continue.”

  “I will take that as a yes.”

  “You can take it any way you want. I will still shoot you.” He didn’t know if he loved Meghan. “I barely know her.”

  “I knew my wife thirty minutes and I knew I wanted to marry her,” Stephen said. “Love makes no sense at all. No one really understands it. We only really know how it feels to be with the person you love and to have them taken away. That pain, that love, those feelings, it’s worth holding onto. Even if you are filled with guilt.”

  “I promised Bethany,” Riley said, hating himself for how weak he sounded.

  “If she was supposed to be here, she would be. She made a mistake.”

  “Because of me.”

  “No. She shouldn’t have ever trusted anyone, Riley. You know that, and you believe that, if you give yourself a chance.” Stephen pulled out the bullet, and Riley grunted. “You need to stop feeling guilty. You need to put the past to bed and move on. And you should consider doing it, living and breathing.”

  Stephen patched him up, and Riley gritted his teeth at each stitch. He didn’t make a sound, but his thoughts were on Meghan.

  “You’re all done. Let me go and clean up. Meghan’s in the kitchen.”

  “No, Meghan’s here.” They both turned to see Meghan, holding a large tub of ice cream. “I wanted to check and make sure you’re okay. I can come in here with this, right? It’s not a real hospital.”

  “You can. I always clean it after every visit. I will give you two some privacy,” Stephen said. Without another word, he was gone, leaving him alone with his woman.

  Was she his woman?

  Meghan stepped into the room. She wore a pair of sweats and a tank top. The red dress was long gone, which was such a shame.

  “How’s your arm?” he asked, noticing the bandage above the cast.

  “It’s hurting. He gave me something for the pain. He also checked out my broken arm. I’ve got to stop trying to use it, as otherwise it will take longer to heal.” Her broken arm was the one holding the large tub of ice cream against her body. “This is helping. You want some?”

  “Sure.”

  She put the spoon in and held some up to his lips. “How about you?” she asked, feeding him chocolate ice cream. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’ll live. It’ll be fucking painful. But I’ll live.”

  “Do we have to leave?” she asked.

  “Not straight away but I don’t want to stay here too long.” He wanted to keep David on his toes. “It won’t be long now.”

  “Will you consider what that guy offered you?”

  “David’s place?”

  “Yeah.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “It’s not who I am.”

  “You worked for him though. Wouldn’t you know everything there is to know about taking over? About being the right guy for the job.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I don’t think it has to be,” she said.

  “Meghan, we’re not talking about this.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. So, what is the plan now?” she asked.

  He saw right through her smile as she put one on for him. He wasn’t good at this, never had been.

  Running fingers through his hair, he didn’t have a clue what to say to make it right with her. There was nothing to be said.

  “Look, you don’t have to come with me. I can pay Stephen and you can live with him for a time.”

  “Really? You want to be rid of me now?”

  “It will be easier for you.”

  “No.”

  “Meghan.”

  “I said no. I’m not leaving you. We do this together, or we don’t.”

  “You want to die. That’s what you’re saying to me.”

  “I’m telling you I don’t want to be here alone when I can be with you. That’s all I’m saying.” She sat down beside him. “You’re stuck with me, Riley. Live with it.”

  He didn’t feel stuck with her. Far from it.

  What had Meghan Short fucking done to him?

  Chapter Eleven

  Riley’s plan didn’t really consist of much. They moved from motel to motel, sometimes only staying long enough to shower and nap. They weren’t just moving though. Riley went to each of David’s businesses, and either tore it up, burned it down, or had it exposed for what it was.

  For over a week they were able to dodge David’s men, the police, rest, and not get killed. During that time, Riley burned down three storage warehouses, exposed six illegal brothels, and also a crooked politician. There was also a raid on an underground fighting facility. A lot of people were arrested, and she got to watch from the motel across the street with Riley, and he bought popcorn to see it all happen.

  During that time, neither of them had sex.

  They didn’t have time to move.

  She stared down at Riley’s watch that he’d placed on the bed. She’d already showered, and she knew without even asking him that he was going to face off with David soon. This was the fourth motel in two days. They wouldn’t be able to go much longer before David had them.

  In such a short time, Riley had gotten under her skin.

  He’d made her feel so many different things, and it wasn’t just the sex either. It had been nice, more than nice, but it was more.

  She enjoyed being with him. She felt like she belonged when she was with him. No one ever made her feel that way.

  Putting the watch on the bed, she got to her feet and glanced at the mirror. Her hair was a mess from the shower. She still wore the bath towel and hadn’t tried to dress herself.

  Licking her dry lips, she knew this was what she wanted to do.

  If they didn’t have much longer to live, then she wanted to spend her last moments with Riley.

  Feeling him alive against her.

  When she stepped into the bathroom, the room was full of steam. At least this motel liked hot water.

  “Meghan, you okay?” Riley asked, pushing the curtain aside to look at her.

  “Yes, I am.” She dropped the towel and stepped into the shower with him.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I—I don’t know, but unless you want me to stop…” she said. She went to turn away, to leave. He caught her arm, stopping her.

  “No, I don’t want you to stop, or leave.” He turned her back to him and cupped her face. “What’s wrong? Don’t look at me like you’re going to cry. I don’t want your tears.” He stroked
beneath her eyes, and she tilted her head back to look at him.

  “I don’t want to cry. I want to be with you, Riley. You and me. Right here, now. Before we have to leave. At least once more, before everything changes.”

  “Meghan?”

  She pressed her fingers against his lips. “No words. No … regrets. Please. If you really don’t want to, I get it, and I’ll leave you alone. Don’t you want me?” She laughed. “I’m not saying that to try and guilt you or anything.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t feel guilty about this. You don’t have to do this with me.”

  “I know. It’s why I want to. Because this, with you, it’s what I want, Riley.” She put her hand to his chest, and slowly stroked it down his body until she found his rock-hard cock. Gripping the length, she worked from the tip down to the base, and back up again. “Push me away. Tell me to stop if you don’t want me the same way.”

  He pushed her against the wall.

  He took hold of both of her hands, lifting them above her head, but so he didn’t hurt her hand. He held onto her wrist, keeping her in place.

  With his other hand, he slowly stroked down her body, cupping each of her breasts in turn before pinching her nipples. The pleasure was instant, intense, and she felt an answering call in her pussy. She wanted his hands all over her, for him to never stop touching her.

  “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he asked.

  “No.”

  He took her lips in a hard, bruising kiss, biting on her bottom lip before trailing those lips down to her neck, sucking on her pulse. She let out a cry and a moan. He knew just the right spots to touch her to make her ache for him.

  “You make me want to give up everything and to just take you. You could be my reward, Meghan.”

  He pulled back enough to look her in the eye, and she didn’t know what to say or do. Could he be serious? Was it possible?

  She’d give up everything to be with him.

  “What about David?” she asked. “You want to kill him for what he’s taken from you.”

  Was it possible for her to risk wanting a future with this man?

  “You want to kill him for what he did to your wife. Has that all changed?” She pressed her lips together and hoped he wanted something more than to die.

  He stroked her hair, gently.

  Silence fell between them.

  He didn’t make a sound, and she was scared of what he might say. There was a chance she could be pregnant. The short time they’d been together, he’d never used a condom, and she’d never even asked him to.

  Nibbling her lip, she let out a little gasp as he ran his thumb across her bottom lip.

  “No matter what happens, I’ve got to take him out. David has to go. We’ll never stop running, and if we start now, he will think he won.”

  “We could make it, Riley. We’d find a way to survive.” She’d been surviving her entire life. For Meghan, it wouldn’t mean a lot to her to keep on running, not if she had Riley in her life.

  “I couldn’t make you do that. Not for me.” He pulled away. His mouth opened as if to say something, and his cell phone went off. “I’ve got to take that.”

  He let her go, and rather than fight and beg for him to stay with her, she watched him step away, and answer his phone.

  Riley turned from her, and she stared at his back, knowing it was an important call with the way he tensed up.

  “You’re sure? Excellent. I’ll be right there.” He ended the call, snapping the phone shut. “I’ve got to go. Here’s my chance to end David right now.”

  “Then go,” she said.

  “I’ve got to take you with me. If for some reason he found out where we were staying…”

  They moved constantly.

  “I’ll be here when you get back. You really don’t need to worry about me.” She smiled at him. “Go. End this for yourself once and for all.” She stepped up to him, running her hands up his chest to circle his neck. “You deserve this more than anything.” She went onto her toes and kissed him. “Thank you so much for everything.”

  “You’ve got to be here when I get back.”

  “Riley?”

  “I mean it, Meghan. You will fucking be here.”

  “You told me when we met, you have no wish to live past this moment. I’m not going to be here to watch you kill yourself or worse, you not return.”

  “Meghan, listen to me. I am coming back here, and when I do, you and I, we’re going to have a talk.” He cupped her face, staring at her intently. She didn’t want to look away from him, but it was impossible not to. “Promise me you’ll be here.”

  She didn’t want to make promises she had no intention of keeping. Rather than deny she wouldn’t be here she forced a nod.

  “Yes, I’ll be here.”

  He kissed her lips. “I will come back here. You’ll see me again. I have no intention of dying tonight.” He kissed her again, and she watched him prepare. Staying in the corner of their motel room, he packed his guns, dressed to kill. The bullet wound he got was slowly healing, but she had to change the dressing a couple of times while listening to Stephen on the phone. She had no idea how to be a nurse or do anything like that.

  Before he went, he stepped up toward her. “Don’t leave this room,” he said.

  “I won’t.”

  He left seconds later. She went to the room and flicked the locks into place, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

  “What am I going to do?”

  She placed a hand across her stomach. Was she pregnant?

  She moved toward her jacket. While Riley had been paying for groceries earlier, she’d picked up a pregnancy test, one which could detect early weeks.

  Pulling the test out of her pocket, she quickly opened it up, and read through the instructions. She didn’t want to wait any longer to find out if she was pregnant.

  Walking into the bathroom, she peed on the stick and placed it on the counter near the sink. Throughout peeing, she had been so nervous her hands shook, as did her legs, and her whole body.

  She was so nervous about everything.

  Linking her fingers together, she tried to think of anything but what it would mean if the test screamed positive.

  After washing her hands, she sat back on the toilet, resting her elbows on her thighs, and holding her head, waiting for the news.

  “You can do this, Meghan. It’s no big deal.”

  She checked the time on the wall, and sure enough, she was going to find out if she was going to be a mommy. Holding up the results chart, she checked the stick and nearly passed out.

  “I’m going to be a mommy.”

  Just as she was about to touch her stomach, the door to the apartment slammed open, and before she knew what was happening, David Peace was right in front of her, just as he slammed his fist in her face, and everything went dark.

  ****

  From the years of Riley working for David Peace, he knew the man had a thing for warehouses. There were so many empty, abandoned places. With the market going to shit and businesses going under, there were so many to snatch up. Some he used for storing his illegal products like guns, drugs, and other stuff. He used some for his legal business for storage, and then there were the kind like the one he was standing in. He couldn’t get a good view of the person tied to the chair, and he trained his gun on the spot. Two guards surrounded the man. Blood pooled beneath him.

  After what seemed like hours the door to the warehouse opened and three men, including David, entered.

  “I have to say I’m surprised we haven’t had a visitor,” David said. He snapped his finger, and Riley tensed as he recognized the captive man.

  It was Stephen.

  Fuck.

  He drew his gun and fired at the two guards, dropping them within seconds.

  “Riley, I suggest you come out now,” David said, with a knife pressed against Stephen’s neck. “Can anyone survive with a slash across the throat? I can’t remember. I seem to r
ecall it hits a lot of major arteries, and people can bleed out, right? That’s what I remember. My biology is a little … dumb. I never took the class.” He burst out laughing.

  “Let him go,” Riley said.

  His gun was trained on the man he intended to destroy.

  “You see, Riley, your problem is you think you have nothing to lose. First, you’ve got Stephen here. He was a hard man to track down, but I got to him. Don’t worry, his family is unharmed at this point. Once I kill him, I’m going to get his wife working and sell off his kids. There is always a market trading in kids. I can work with it.”

  “You sick fuck!”

  “Oh, come on, Riley. You remember me. If I can make money from it, I will. You’ve got to stop being so … prudish.”

  Riley gritted his teeth as he came down the stairs and allowed David to see him.

  He should have gotten Stephen out of dodge before doing this.

  This was his own fucked-up mistake, and now he was paying for it.

  “There, see, it wasn’t so bad.”

  “Now let Stephen go,” he said.

  He still held the gun.

  “Drop the gun.”

  “Not going to happen.”

  “You really think you have any kind of leverage here? You really are fucking stupid.” David flicked his wrist and nicked Stephen’s neck, not taking out an artery but enough to make Stephen jerk.

  “Just kill him, Riley. Do it.”

  “You know, anyone getting a sense of déjà vu right now?” David asked.

  Riley looked at Stephen. The nick David had made was leaking down his face, dripping onto the floor.

  “You okay?” Riley asked. It was a sign of weakness, but he couldn’t allow Stephen to die. Not after everything he’d done for him. It wasn’t right.

  “Yeah,” Stephen said. He was a mess, his face covered in bruises and blood dripping from cuts.

  Riley had to get him out.

  “This is so touching.” David snapped his fingers, and Riley heard the scream, the cry as one of the guards brought in Meghan.

  Within seconds, the knife was gone, and David had a gun, which he aimed at her head.

  Meghan had been crying.