Page 20 of Ghosted in Arkadia
I squirm in his hold, realizing, above all else, that I do not want one of the others to walk in on whatever is happening.
“If I can’t get you to scream,” he whispers in my ear, low and seductive. My body immediately responds as if he can control the flip of arousal inside me, whether I want him to or not. “I have another idea for those lips.”
A gloved finger comes up from my neck to run across my bottom lip, encouraging me to open my mouth.
“It’s not like it will be your first time getting on your knees in a bathroom.”
Heat rushes through me, a mixture of emotions. Shame and lust swirl together. I can’t decide if I’m angry that he had the audacity or if I need to stop my knees from their urge to buckle.
“Are you out of your mind?” I hiss, feeling his hand against my throat with every word. “Half a dozen officers are clearing the building as we speak.”
“Let’s hope Alexander didn’t cheat because you give shit head, or I might have to kill one of your friends.”
Rage wins, and I fight earnestly to get free. Just as quickly, he overpowers me by tightening his grip around my throat, this time not allowing air to pass. I go lax in his grasp, desperately waiting for him to allow me to breathe again.
“I know you need it to hurt,” he whispers in my ear, giving me mercy for a sin I had yet to voice. “We were made for each other, kitten.”
My head swims, and he finally releases his hold, and I take a deep breath. The tight band holding my waist releases me, and I fall to my knees.
“There’s a good little kitten,” he purrs as a gloved finger pushes into my mouth.
I hear a zipper pull, and he pulls his finger free, releasing me. He takes a step back, and I feel a rush of cold in his absence. My eyes close as I take a deep breath, listening for approaching footsteps and finding none.
“Can you please close and lock the door first?” I whisper, knowing I’m not as good as Cathy, and my abilities aren’t something I want to risk a life on.
I open my eyes, feeling a cold absence, and I turn and squint into the darkness. My knees grind on the floor as I turn fully, my arms reaching out but finding nothing.
Like a ghost, he disappeared again.
I push off the ground and stand while my head feels like it’s spinning. Somehow, I made my way through the labyrinth of computer hardware and back into the hallway. Opening the door to the stairs, I find it silent, someone turned the speakers off.
“There you are.”
I look up in the stairwell to see Tommy’s dark hair flopping around his head like a mop while his bright teeth shine in the dark.
“Two clear?” he asks.
I give him a thumbs up, not trusting my voice, but I’m not sure he can see the signal either.
“We’ve got five in the truck. Let’s get out of here and make sure Killian writes up the reports correctly. Can’t skip out on learning opportunities,” Tommy says melodically as he makes his way down the steps toward me. “You good Blackwell? Your neck’s red.”
I reach up and rub my slightly raw throat. “Struggled with one of them earlier,” I say, my voice only somewhat more husky than usual. It was more like I had spent the previous evening bent like a pretzel and screaming. “But someone got him, and I’m sitting at zero. Please tell me Killian didn’t get any either.”
Tommy’s smile beams. “We should definitely find out.”
Once I get outside, I look around and note Smith and Jason securing the back of the van. A quick look tells me my ghost isn’t inside, and I’m not surprised. James is leaning against the hood of the Mustang with a smug smile on his face.
“Two.” He points to himself with both of his thumbs.
“Where’s Killian?” I ask.
“What the fuck happened to you?” James stares at my neck.
“I got grabbed from behind. It’s not a big deal. Where is my rookie?” I say, taking a few steps toward the Hellcat. Rex is sitting in the back seat, alert and watching, but alone.
“Miss me already?” Killian says from behind me, and I turn to see him walking out of the warehouse. “I didn’t get anyone.” He holds his arms open as if showcasing the empty part.
“What the fuck were you doing this whole time?” James says playfully while everyone moves to get into their respective cars.
