Page 13 of Dangerously Deceptive

After Jamieson’s visit, the next couple of days passed by relatively quickly and it wasn’t long until the hospital said I could go home. I had healed enough, and passed a lot of their tests so they were convinced I wouldn’t get any worse. Obviously I was still very battered and bruised. I was in hospital for just over a week, and whilst that was amazing and gave me plenty of time to rest, I also knew that I wasn’t going to heal in that length of time. A bleed on the brain and fractured ribs take time to heal. I was very lucky that my traumatic brain injury didn’t worsen, which is what they were looking out for. They were waiting to see if the bleeding worsened, if I started to show noticeable effects across my body, or if the blood started to cause irregular clotting, meaning I could have a blood clot in my brain that needed dealing with.

The doctor who explained all this to me was lovely, if not a little stern and self-righteous. I know she was just telling me how bad things could have been so I would talk about what happened, but she was barking up the wrong tree. Although I do appreciate her honesty. Thinking about all the things that could have gone wrong, and all the residual side effects that I am still living with, has renewed how I feel about my freedom. The longer I spend with the Reapers, the more likely they are to kill me.

Kellan stays by my side each and every day. I had a physiotherapy session for one hour at the same time every day, where they helped me regain some of the grip strength I seem to have lost. Apparently, the beating, the location of the brain injury, and what they suspect is a poorly healed fracture that I clearly ignored a short while ago, have all meant that my left arm is a little weaker than it should be. So, I have been working with physiotherapists to gain my strength again.

During that hour each day, Kellan takes the time to go to the motel to get showered and changed before returning. Other than that, he has stayed by my side the entire time. He brings his laptop with him, so when I need to sleep he works. It surprised me how much I love watching him work. A lot of the time he doesn’t even realise I’m awake and staring at him because he is so engrossed in the screen. Plus, he put on these black-rimmed glasses with a Nike tick on the side, and he looks like the sexiest guy I have ever seen.

Things between us have just become incredibly comfortable. We have spent days just talking, playing whatever dumb board game or card game he brings back with him each day. You learn a lot about someone from the way they play Monopoly, and Kellan is determined, ruthless, very pragmatic and detailed in his planning, but fuck me does he hate to lose. I have no idea what he learnt about me during this time, but I didn’t mind. Mostly, we just had fun together. I have never laughed as much as I do when I am with him. He is just a nice guy with an incredibly sarcastic sense of humour, and I have loved getting to know him.

He didn’t exactly have the best start in life, either. I mean, compared to my family, his would win fucking Parent of the Year, and his mum abandoned him early on. After that, he was practically raised by his best friend’s family, now those everyone has heard of. The Doughty's rule Limerick, and even my dad won’t work with Desmond, claiming he is too mentally unstable to be a reliable partner. A few years ago, possibly just before I was born, the Reapers and the Doughtys fought for dominance over Limerick, each wanting to be in charge and run things. I have never really found out the details of how things ended, but they agreed to live in harmony, keeping out of each other’s way. Essentially, they divided up the land and we’re told to go home and grow the fuck up, but I have no idea who brokered the deal, or put an end to the war.

Kellan talks fondly of the Doughtys, telling me all about the siblings who he was raised with. But, mostly he talks about Liam. His brother, by actions not blood, and a world-class assassin. The gun for hire with a moral compass, we have all heard of him. The Reapers got pissed at him a couple of years ago because he refused to do a job for them. He said they were too fuelled by hatred and anger to have any real proof that their target should be killed. So he wouldn’t be the one pulling the trigger. I remember they went with someone else, having no choice since Liam refused, and the plan went sideways. The assassin they hired got caught and he sang like a fucking canary. Luckily for the Reapers, they had people in the right places. One of my dad’s boys, Fatboy, he went down for life after he was caught setting off a pipe bomb that killed twelve people, he now runs the prison. He basically makes sure the Reapers’ interests are looked after on the inside, and he ends up with people working for him who then owe him favours that Pres is only too happy to collect when they are out. One call to Fatboy, on his illegal phone, had him take care of the problem. Ever since that day, they have tried Liam every time, but his reply is always the same.

It’s such a small world that we know the same people. Then again, Limerick isn’t a massive place, so it’s not a big surprise. One of the favourite things we like to do is talk about what we would do, if we could do anything, after this. I know when Kellan started this game it was because I was overwhelmed. I had no idea about this fucking leaving clause, but then again, I’m not in their Church, and I highly doubt it will be clear in the contract. The idea that I would have to spend another two weeks minimum with them, knowing that I was leaving, was too much for me. I was convinced during that time they would kill me, for sure. So, Kellan distracted me by getting me to talk about the life I want away from this.

I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and had no clear fixed goals. All I knew is that I wanted to get so far away that the name Celtic Reapers means nothing, where people don’t even know what a fucking one-percent motorcycle club is. A girl can dream.

The more time we spent together, the more I got to know him, the more I have come to like him, and not just personally. Fuck, my body practically hums when he is near. He looks at me and I start to flame, blood rushing to my cheeks before flooding a lot farther south. I’m starting to crave his touch. Every time he holds my hand, or holds me after I wake up screaming from a night terror. He is always there, and the softness of his skin against mine is driving me crazy. I’m glad the day I get to go home has finally arrived, because I don’t think I can keep my hands off Kellan Burke any longer.

* * *

Five daysI have been cooped up in this shitty motel room, and still nothing has happened between myself and Kellan. He is the perfect gentleman, and it is annoying the fuck out of me. I am done feeling fragile and breakable, I am done feeling lost. I need him, and I plan on taking full advantage.

When I left the hospital, Jamieson watched from a distance to make sure I bought a motel room, and that I didn’t intend on sharing it with Kellan. Kellan also wanted to make sure I had my own space. All these men fucking babying and cockblocking me. Well, two can play at that game. So, I made sure that I got the room to the side of Kellan, and I paid extra, under the counter to the man, or should I say teenage boy working the desk, for him to give me the key to the adjoining door. At first he informed me it is policy that both occupants must sign a consent form for the door to be used, as the rooms are normally booked together by families, and kept open then. However, when I handed him some euros, he quickly forgot about the form. I reassured him we were a couple and that Kellan would enjoy my surprise. Typical teenage boy practically came in his shorts at my suggestion, not even bothered by my black-and-blue face.

A lot of the swelling across my body had started to go down, the bruises were beginning to fade, and just generally I was feeling better. I was well under control with the medication I was taking, even able to lower the dosage some days. So, Kellan would have no excuse…unless he just generally doesn’t want me. Fuck, I hadn’t even thought of that. Self-doubt and some serious lack of confidence made me feel like I was drowning as I suddenly noticed every imperfection, every old scar, every memory from my time in Purgatory, and they began to consume me. I had only just plucked up the courage to do this, and now it was rapidly floating away.

It had to be tonight, Thursday, because tomorrow is the first day I have to return to the Reaper compound. I can’t walk in there without the strength I need from Kellan. I know he has spent all day trying to distract me, going over and over in detail the plan we created for our job. We even role played it a couple of times, but right at the part where I’m about to start my real seduction, Kellan pulls away. I can see it in his eyes that he wants more, yet he still backs off. I need to do this. I need to know how he feels.

After spending about an hour getting ready—shower, hair, make-up, getting dressed up—I finally feel like I am ready. The whole time I try to build myself up, not to let my demons consume me. Kellan and I said goodnight, and weren’t planning to see each other until morning. He thinks I need some time alone. We usually watch movies together until I fall asleep in his arms with my head on his chest. But tonight is going to happen very differently. I look at myself in the mirror, face fully made-up with deep red lips and dark, smoky eyes, my hair is lightly curled and falls around my face. I look alluring, as though I am ready for a night out. Except I don’t have any clothes that could even remotely pass as sexy. So, first I put on the sexiest black lace bra I could find. Pairing it with some black lace shorts that scoop upwards, exposing the round globes of my ass. Together they look amazing, and I really fucking wish I was confident enough to open the door like this, but I’m not. Instead, I pull on Kellan’s favourite football shirt, one he lent me because I had no clothes with me when I was first released from hospital. Kellan bought me a few things from a shop nearby, but with the Gardai and Reapers watching our every move, we are trying to lie low. It doesn’t matter, though, I know this baggy t-shirt that practically hangs to my knees will get him going all the same.

Once I am finally ready and I pluck up the courage to go, I look over at the clock. Fuck, it has taken me closer to two hours to get ready now. What if he has already gone to sleep?

Bollocks, I will just have to wake him up!

Without wasting any more time, or allowing any more doubts to creep in, I knock on the motel room's adjoining door, not feeling brave enough to use the key. Kellan answers fairly quickly and as the door swings open and I catch sight of him, he floors me. Like, I legitimately nearly die.

Standing before me, arm resting against the now open door, is a very bedraggled-looking Kellan. It’s obvious I have just woken him up. His hair is stuck up at all kinds of angles, like he has been running his fingers through it, and his eyes have that drowsy, just woke up look about them. He keeps rubbing at them with his free hand. But, as fucking gorgeous as his face is, that is not what keeps my attention. Dragging my eyes farther down, his entire glorious chest is on full display. Just the right sized muscles, not overbearing and bulging like the Reapers. His almost hairless chest leads down to perfect washboard abs. My vision trails over each of them and I swear I can’t help the little bit of drool hanging from my mouth. The drooling gets so much worse when I reach his happy trail and catch sight of the low-hung grey sweatpants that are exposing his chiselled hips and that V women love so much.

Kellan clears his throat. In fact, I think he may have done it a couple of times, but I was so deep in my lust I didn’t even hear him. When I finally do meet his eyes, I can see he has been checking me out too. His eyes that were sleepy when he first opened the door, aren't anymore. His pupils are almost blown and his crystal blue eyes look dark and fiery. Fuck, it’s like this guy has a direct route to my core, and he knows just how to set it on fire.

“Shay?” he asks, his voice gravelly and raspy. Clearly he is just as affected by me as I am by him. He said my name like it was a question, surely my intentions are clear? Maybe I need to make my feelings crystal clear.

Without a moment's hesitation, and with just a short, sharp breath to straighten my nerves, I practically launch myself at him, throwing my arms around his neck. He catches me just as my lips press against his. His lips are hard and unmoving, clearly in shock from my actions. I pull back slightly and that seems to be the trigger that snaps Kellan out of his trance. He reacts straight away, cupping his hands under my ass and lifting until I have no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist.

As he presses his lips against mine, running his tongue along my lower lip to demand access, which I instantly give him, I can feel us moving. He is walking, whilst carrying and kissing me, into his bedroom. Once we are in, using his foot to kick the adjoining door closed, he then presses my back against the wall. With me trapped in place, I can feel the heat of his abs rubbing against my panty-covered slit, as his very hard cock, that is still confined by those sexy sweatpants, rubs against my ass.

In between taking my lips and using his tongue to claim ownership of my mouth, he begins peppering kisses down my neck. Until his kisses drop lower, over my collarbone, and across the small bit of my shoulder that is exposed by the baggy shirt. When he reaches the edge of the fabric, he releases the sexiest growl, like he is actually annoyed that the fabric is in his way. He begins to claw at it with his free hand, only needing one hand to hold me up since I’m wedged between his hard body and the wall. He could probably let go with the other, but I love the way he is stroking and kneading at my ass.

Once the shirt is off and discarded on the floor, Kellan takes a moment to look down at my body. My breasts are sitting nicely in their push-up bra, and he seems to like what he sees given the way he licks his lower lip before biting it. Fuck, I want to do that to him. I try clawing at his back, but he maintains a little distance so that with his free hand he can unhook my bra, which he does with ease. Clearly he’s done that before. Shit, brain! I don’t want to be thinking about that right now!

Thankfully, Kellan distracts me by leaning down and sucking one nipple into his mouth while he uses his finger on the free one. Holy shit does it feel amazing. As soon as his warm, wet mouth touches my nipple, it sends bolts of lightning shooting throughout my body, lighting up all my nerve endings. I’m practically vibrating with how good it feels. I can’t control the moans that escape, or the way I am shamelessly grinding away, rubbing my pussy against his skin. I’m sure, even covered with a layer of fabric, Kellan will still be able to feel how wet I am.

I have no idea how long he spends alternating between each nipple, but I’m in heaven. I barely notice when he lifts me away from the wall and carries me onto the bed. I shuffle so my head is at the top of the bed, and Kellan is hovering over me, using one arm to hold himself up so his body isn’t crushing mine. Scooping an arm around the back of his head, I pull him in for a kiss which he is only too happy to reciprocate. He tastes amazing and I can't help the small whine when his lips break from mine and he begins to pepper kisses all over my body. His responding chuckle is not half as infuriating as the way he continues to lick and suck me all over, slowly turning me into a quivering mess.

As he travels lower, kissing and gently biting along my stomach, I freeze. I don’t know why it’s at this moment that my past decides to rear its ugly head, but it does. I think it’s the realisation that as soon as he travels lower, beyond the hideous tattoo he already knows about, he will see every scar and my lies will spring out into the open.

I’m not sure Kellan has noticed my little freak-out as I try to control my breathing. Hoping he thinks the way my body is quivering is because of how good I feel, and he would be like ninety percent right. He is making my body feel things that I have never felt before, but that isn’t difficult. With the exception of one drunken fumble when I lost my virginity at sixteen, all I have known is pain. So, when Kellan begins to remove my panties, and the flashbacks start, I can’t help but scream out.

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