House of Paine - (A Romantic Suspense - Book 2) Read online

  Lucas’s chest was heaving. Kevin could tell that it was taking everything in him to remain calm. “This isn’t over,” he said to Jackson. Then he turned to his brothers and the rest of his men and said, “Let’s go.”

  Jackson’s family stood silently once Lucas was gone. Jackson turned to Kevin then with his gun out still and said, “Where are they?”

  “Safe,” Kevin repeated.

  “Where is the evidence?”

  “Safe as well...with Damien and Paige. I trust them. Paige did what she came here to do. Caine is dead. Greg’s death is avenged. She has no reason to come after the rest of us. Damien wants to protect her, but he won’t let her bring the family down.”

  “You better hope that you’re right,” he told Kevin. Than as if Kevin wasn’t even there he turned to Alex and said, “Find them.”

  Alex brushed past Kevin with a glare. Kevin wasn’t worried. Even Jackson has no idea where Roxi is.

  Chapter 3

  Paige woke up with a feeling of panic, like something was sitting on her chest. She scrambled out of the bed and looked around. The room was dark and unfamiliar. She looked down at the bed and saw Damien asleep there. That was when everything came flooding back. I killed Caine. They’d driven three hours at two a.m. to get to Rhode Island. Once they’d gotten past the security at the front gate, his cousin Roxi had let them into the house and showed them to a room. She hadn’t asked any questions. She hadn’t really said much at all. She gave Damien a hug and Paige a suspicious glance.

  Paige quietly found the bag and started towards the bathroom when she heard Damien call out to her. “Paige?” He sat up, worried that she was gone. She felt warmth flood her chest. He’d risked everything for her. He had given up his own life...money...power...She owed him so much.

  “I’m here,” she said. She went back over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. Damien looked so relieved. “I just couldn’t sleep.”

  He rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

  “I have no idea.” She glanced towards the window and said, “It looks like the sun is just starting to come up.”

  “It’s too early. We didn’t get to sleep until five. Come back to bed, just for a bit.”

  Paige thought about how badly her throbbing head needed a cup of coffee...and then she thought about running into Roxi without Damien there...that didn’t appeal to her. The woman was drop-dead gorgeous, even at five a.m. But there was an edge to her that Paige had quickly picked up on. She would prefer not to see her without Damien as a buffer. She lay back down next to him and he wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her in close. It was strange...they were on the run from some very dangerous people...but in his arms she felt like nothing could touch her. She felt his hand move up and cup her bra-clad breast. She shivered. His touch was electric and even at a time like this when their lives may be in the balance, she still wanted him.

  She wiggled around so that she was facing him. He’s so beautiful. She’d never met anyone that she enjoyed looking at so much. His eyes are such an odd color, the way the green ring outlines the blue give him a sexy, mysterious look. His dark hair and tanned skin make them really pop. Reaching up to touch his face softly now she said, “Thank you again, Damien. I’m sorry that I got you involved...” her words were cut off by his lips and it only took about a second for her to forget completely what she was even talking about.

  He reached down between her legs with his left hand and began massaging her upper thigh. His right went to the clasp of her bra and off it went. His mouth slipped down from her lips to her breasts and he kissed them all around the outside of her nipples. He brought both hands up and grasped them, burying his ace in her chest. Her nipples were rock hard and begging for attention. He let his tongue come out and trace circles around the areola. Each time he licked around them, he came closer to the nipple, making her squirm.

  She quietly moaned as the tip of his tongue grazed one of them. Then he moved his face and gave the other one the same treatment. This time, he sucked her breast into his mouth and held it there as he licked the nipple. He moved his other hand back down between her thighs. She was soaking wet already. She felt him begin licking his way down her belly. When he reached her waist he hooked his fingers in the elastic of her panties and pulled them down. Then wasting no time, he buried his face between her legs and let his tongue get to work licking the outsides of her lips.

  Paige fisted her hands up in Damien’s hair, pressing his face into her deeper. He used one hand to part her lips and let his tongue make contact with her aching clit. She had to remind herself to be quiet. She wanted to scream. He pressed his full tongue against it...rubbing more than licking now. She moaned and quivered underneath him, her grip tightening in his hair. She was already on the verge of an orgasm and as he slid a finger up inside of her she had to take the pillow and bite down into it to keep from crying out.

  He slid in a second finger and he moved them up and down and in and out while continuing to apply pressure to the clit with his tongue. It only took a few short minutes before the orgasm took hold. She felt it to her toes as every muscle in her body went rigid. She lay there shaking as he kissed his way back up to her lips. She could feel his erection pressing into her. Somehow he’d lost his boxers...or had he ever had them on? She didn’t remember. As they kissed, she wiggled around again so that he was on his back and she was on top of him. She splayed her hands out and felt the lines of his hard chest with her palms. Pinching his nipples with her fingers, she kissed her way down to his stomach. She used her tongue to trace the lines of his six-pack, feeling her pussy getting even wetter as she did.

  When she reached her destination, she let one of her hands wrap around the thick shaft of his cock and she stroked it up and down. Damien had his eyes closed but when she let her tongue come out and lick the tip, he opened them. Seeing the desire in those baby blues only spurred her on. She wrapped her lips around him and sucked him into her mouth. While she sucked, she let her tongue play along the underside of his shaft. Damien was moaning now and he had two handfuls of her hair. Paige flicked her tongue up and down, swirling the head each time she reached the top, and then flicking back down again. He was groaning and finally when she felt him begin to grow and swell in her mouth, he reached down and pulled her up. He kissed her like a starving man, devouring her lips and tongue.

  He broke the kiss and nudged her to the side. Laying her on her belly, Damien got behind her. She felt him rubbing the head of his cock against her pussy from behind. She pushed back against him. She needed him inside of her. She ached for it. He pushed into her slowly and then he reached his hand around her belly and as he pulled back on her, he shoved forward, letting his cock plunge all the way in, hitting bottom. Paige bit down on the pillow again. He felt so good inside of her...but it would be so much better if she could scream.

  He reached around and put his fingers on her clit as he thrust in and out of her. They were both moaning and she could tell that Damien was already as close as she was to exploding. He let out a loud groan. Paige cringed; scared to death his cousin would hear them. At the moment, Damien was so into it, he didn’t seem to care. He pulled out of her and lay down on his back. She mounted him and he reached down and put his cock back up inside of her. Paige moaned and began riding him.

  He reached up and held onto her bouncing breasts with both hands as she bounced up and down. The faster she moved, the faster he thrust up underneath her. He was pinching and pulling on her nipples and she felt him begin to harden even more and swell up inside of her. She rode him harder, he grunted and let go of her breasts and grabbed her ass, pushing up as he pushed her down onto him. Her orgasm ripped through her then and he held her there until they had both rode through their massive climaxes.

  When they were both finished, she collapsed down on top of him. He wrapped his big arms around her and held her there until they both recovered. Then he kissed the side of her face and said, “The sun is all the way up now. I gue
ss we should go out there and see if Kevin has called.”

  Paige nodded into him. She kissed his neck and then reluctantly, pulled herself up. She smiled down at him. “Thank you.” Damien laughed.

  “Any time,” he said.

  Chapter 4

  Damien and Paige found Roxi already up and in the kitchen. “Good morning,” Damien said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Roxi smiled at him. In the full light of day Paige thought she was even more beautiful than she had early this morning. She had the same dark blue eyes that Damien and Alex sported and her blonde hair fell softly around her face. She looked at Paige then and dropped the smile.

  “Good morning,” Paige forced herself to say.

  “Morning,” Roxi said. “The coffee is ready. Cups are over the sink.” Roxi took her cup and went out the glass doors to the back patio. Paige could see a man out there now. He was big, as tall as Damien or maybe a little bit taller. He had dark hair and really pretty eyes. She couldn’t see the color of them from where she stood. He was dressed nicely in a casual suit, but the stubble on his chin gave him kind of an edgy look.

  Damien handed her a cup of coffee. “Thank you. Is that her boyfriend?” Damien turned and looked out the window just as Roxi kissed the man. He laughed and said,

  “I’ve never met him, but for her boyfriend’s sake, I hope so.” Paige had to smile at that. She couldn’t imagine what things might have been like without Damien. He was truly saving her life.

  “I don’t think she likes me,” Paige said as she watched Roxi flashing her brilliantly white teeth at her boyfriend. She had yet to smile at Paige and her eyes held nothing but suspicion when she looked at her.

  “Roxi is just...hard to explain. I don’t know her that well myself. She was already gone by the time I came to New York. I’ve only seen her a few times when she visits for my uncle’s birthday or Christmas. She has this edge to her though. I’m not sure what happened to her when she was younger...or maybe it just comes from growing up in this fucked up family. She doesn’t trust anyone off the bat, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Do you want to go out there?” Paige giggled. She’d stood up to Jackson...she’d killed a man...and something about this tiny, beautiful little woman scared the crap out of her. It was funny.

  “Sure,” she said. She followed Damien outside. Roxi looked up at them and said,

  “Jake, this is my cousin Damien and his...step-sister?” she said with a cocked eyebrow.

  Paige forced another smile and said, “Ex-step-sister.” Jake looked amused. He shook Damien’s hand and then Paige’s. His smile was genuine and warm and now that she saw him up close, Paige could see that he was also drop-dead gorgeous.

  “Nice to meet you,” Paige said. Looking at Roxi she said, “Your home is beautiful. Thank you so much for letting us come here.” Roxi’s eyes seemed to soften just a hair.

  “I didn’t really have much say in the matter. Dad said you needed a safe place. This place is safe. But since it’s my place, I’d like to know who you’re running from.”

  “I killed Caine Kramer,” Paige blurted out. Jake looked like he would choke on his coffee and Roxi actually smiled.

  “Well, I guess I don’t have to worry about your ability to be honest. I like that,” Roxi said, “Get the heavy stuff out of the way right off the bat.”

  “He killed my brother,” Paige said.

  “The cop?” Roxi asked. She’d obviously kept up with what was going on in the family.

  “Yes, his name was Greg. Caine killed him because he was trying to bring their family down. I killed Caine because....”

  “He was scum of the earth?” Roxi said, casually.

  Paige laughed. “Oh, so you knew him.” She knew it was awful, joking about killing a man...but at the moment, it was keeping her sane.

  “Unfortunately, I grew up with Caine. If there was walking piece of shit on this earth, Caine Kramer was it. How is his little sister?”

  “She’s...”

  “Still a bitch?” Roxi asked. Paige laughed again. She looked at Damien. He was smiling.

  “Yeah, she still is.”

  “She was born that way. I never could stand either of them. So Damien, how are you involved in this mess?”

  “When Paige’s brother died, he left some evidence against the Kramer’s and...our family. I don’t know if Uncle Kevin told you...but I’ve wanted out for a long time. I have my own evidence. Neither of us is sure what to do with it.”

  Roxi looked at Jake then and said, “This is what my father meant when he said you may be able to help, I guess. Do you mind talking to them about it while I shower?”

  “Of course not,” Jake said. Roxi got up and bent down to give him a full open mouthed kiss. She wasn’t shy about PDA’s that’s for sure. She pulled her robe tighter around her and started into the house. Just as she got to the door her phone rang.

  “It’s Dad,” she said. Putting it to her ear she said, “Good morning, Dad.” Her eyes fell on Paige and Damien as she said, “They’re doing fine. Okay, I’ll tell them. See you in a bit.” Roxi ended the call and then told them, “Dad will try and get here when he can. I’ll be out in a few.”

  She went inside and Damien turned to Jake and said, “I don’t know how Paige feels...we haven’t had much time to discuss it...but I’d really like to do this without bringing my father down.” Paige felt her stomach roll. Was Damien backing out on her? She looked at him questioningly and he said, “If we bring my father down, Alex and Uncle Kevin and all of my aunt’s and uncle’s fall with him. I want out, but I don’t want to ruin my entire family in the process. That will be my bargaining chip.”

  Paige understood his reluctance...and she wanted him out, but she was going to have a hard time walking away and leaving Jackson sitting at the top...King of the Roost as always. Caine may have killed Greg, but Jackson should have protected him. She looked at Damien’s blue eyes and she could see he’d made up his mind. Asshole or not, Jackson was his father and Alex was his brother. Loyalty to family she could understand...and respect. “That’s fine,” she said. “We’ll take the Kramer’s out of business and walk away.”

  “What is it that you have?” Jake asked them. Damien told him what he had and what Paige had. Jake looked like he was contemplating it and then he said, “I’ll have to check into some things...bringing Kramer down with the evidence that also implicates your father, while leaving his family intact, won’t be easy.”

  “Not easy?” Damien asked, “But possible?”

  Jake smiled. “Anything is possible. It will just take some time to figure out how to do it right...and safely for all involved.”

  “Do you need to see what we have?” Paige asked him.

  “I do,” he said. “I’m leaving soon to head back to New York. I’d like to take it with me. The only person who will have eyes on it besides me will be my father. We can trust him. He’ll do what I ask.”

  “Okay,” Damien didn’t hesitate. Trust is big in this family. Roxi trusts Jake so Damien does too. Paige was doing her best to trust anyone these days...but she knew they needed help. She didn’t have any choice.

  “I’ll get it,” she told them. As she was making her way down the hall towards the guest room, she came face to face with Roxi. The other woman stopped and looked at her. At last she said,

  “It took balls for you to deal with your brother’s murderer the way that you did.”

  Paige wasn’t sure what to say to that. Finally she said, “Thanks. My brother was an amazing person. He didn’t deserve to die...especially not the way he did.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss. I can tell by the way Damien looks at you that he cares a lot about you. Just keep in mind that no matter how much he wants to leave the family and be with you, it’s not going to be an easy transition for him. It took me a long time to adjust to life outside of that circle. I had a lot of trust issues.” Paige hadn’t even realized her face gave her away until Roxi threw her pretty head back and laughed. “Fine,
you’re right. I still do. But you should have met me ten years ago. I might have even rivaled Kelsey for bitch of the year award.”

  “That’s hard to imagine,” Paige said with a grin. Roxi laughed again.

  “I think you’re okay, kid.” Roxi walked away and Paige was left standing there smiling.

  Chapter 5

  By the time Kevin arrived, Jake had already left with the evidence. Kevin hugged his daughter and his nephew and then he looked at Paige and said, “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m doing okay,” she said. “Considering.”

  “Killing a man is not an easy thing to deal with...even if he needed it.” Paige was grateful that at least none of these people seemed to be judging her too harshly for what she’d done. She knew that Damien had killed people...he told her. She was sure that Kevin must have at some point in his life, and she was beginning to believe that Roxi would, if she deemed it necessary to protect what she valued. This was a whole different world than the one Paige came from...she hoped that she and Damien would be able to return to that other one someday, not too tainted from their time in this one.

  “I told Jackson what’s going on,” he said. Paige felt another pang in her belly.

  “What did he say?” Damien asked.

  “What you would expect,” Kevin said. “He’s worried about the evidence. He wants to know where you are so he can send Alex to collect it.”

  “You didn’t tell him did you?” Paige asked with terror gripping at her chest.