Keegan POV:
I tapped my fingers on my knee, nervously waiting. More people filed down the aisle but I still hadn't spotted Vianne. If everything had gone according to the plan, she should be boarding the plane by now.
I knew she'd be in disguise, which one she'd use, I wasn't positive. She seemed partial to wearing the red wig, while I loved the real deal. I knew Jarred and the others wouldn't be able to reach me. Between the media and authorities, there was no way they'd be able to sneak in a call. However, a text would be great.
As a couple of people took their seats nearby, I noticed the absence of others moving down the aisle. Did that mean everyone was on? That shit made me nervous because Vianne was not on the plane. I stood up, ready to get the jump-off to find out what was going on, even though I'd likely get into trouble. I stopped when a woman across the aisle rose to her toes, trying to stuff her carry-on in the storage overhead.
Her blonde hai
Keegan POV:"I understand."Smiling, I laughed at something I remembered. "My daughter loves the camera.""She looks like she does," she said, gesturing discreetly toward the passengers in front of us still listening. Claire was not a topic we could discuss too openly, since Benedict had asked where his granddaughter was when Vianne and her family were sped away. We definitely couldn't risk using her name out in the open.For a few minutes more, we talked about some of the things we liked about different tourist destinations, discussing the theme parks that a certain little girl would no doubt love to visit.I leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear, "Go to the bathroom in a few minutes and I'll meet you there a couple after."At her nod, I sat back in my seat and we continued to talk about nothing in particular, some of it made up. Our conversation was to keep those that were too nosey for their own good from realizing that we knew ea
Claire POV:I hummed a song as I colored in my coloring book. Mommy often said it was okay for me to color outside the lines. The first time I did it on purpose, I gave the apple a mustache and a little army of chopped fruits and I became an artist!Mommy pinned it up on the fridge with a magnet and smiled every time she opened the door. After that, I did my best to make her happy, so I kept drawing and writing. She bought me colored pencils when she saw how good I was and I got even better. I loved it so much that I asked for notebooks and pencils.Mommy said that it was my creative outlet. I never told her it was my happy place. When my bad dad yelled at Mommy, I would write and sketch all the time. Now I had a new happy place. My mommy and daddy loved each other and me in that place. They loved to make each other smile, too. That was important because Mommy's smile lit up the room, at least that was what Daddy said. Then again, he said that about me, to
[WARNING: Explicit sexual content in the first part of the chapter. Read at your own risk!] Keegan POV: God, she was beautiful while she slept. None of the worry, her dark past, and uncertainty were on her face as she lay peacefully on the plush pillow. Her hair seemed longer even though she'd been gone for a little less than two weeks. It was ridiculous to think such a thing, but I couldn't help it. Her lips were in that soft, natural pout that always made me crave a taste and test their softness with my mouth. One of her delicate hands cushioned her cheek, as the other lay over my heart. "So beautiful," I whispered, kissing her cheek. Her slim thigh urged me to move, to accommodate her, allowing it to slip between my legs. My fingers skimmed her hip as she moved, and I could feel the muscles stretch under my touch. I wanted my hands on her, all over. I reminded myself that she had to sleep since she had very little of it for weeks. I kept myself from seeking more of her warm sil
Keegan POV:"Are you nervous?" I asked Vianne as she paced the living room. The flat-screen on the wall displayed the news from Darwin that I routed through my wireless network."Today's the funeral," she whispered, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "Plus, there's another crucial step to our plan going down today."I nodded. "So far it looks like the asshole might get away with all this," I growled, feeling the same tension she felt. Dennis managed a call, which was never easy, and some evidence against the Congressman suddenly disappeared, Pratt and Hampson were pissed as hell.There was a leak in their network, which nobody was aware of. The warrant authorities had tried to obtain also proved futile, considering the bastard knew each judge in the state. No one seemed to want to go against him. We had to find a way to make them spring into action.I wished that I had taken the shot, and killed the asshole from the rooftop that day. Howeve
Benedict Moore POV:It had been three days since the explosion occurred, the one that sent my already spiraling life into a tailspin. On nearly constant rotation was the news feed of me threatening to kill Clement Slater, the encounter at the funeral, and Vianne's shooting. Occasionally, one of the broadcast's remembered that my son was dead, murdered by his wife, but it was already old news.What everyone seemed to focus on was me, and because of that, my world was crumbling around me. A life that took me years to build. To give me more than what my past could let me have. After my parents died when I was a child, the Smith family took me in and saved me from a terrible life.However, it wasn't an easy one. We were barely a step above the poverty level and though we learned to live off the land, I needed more. I was a small lad back in my youth and it was my larger brothers that protected me, aware of my intelligence and because I was family.By the time
Keegan POV:When we received the news of Benedict's suicide, it was late at night and we were already asleep. I had to wake Vianne to tell her, and she remained restless for hours in bed, as I tried to offer her some comfort. However, it seemed something she didn't want.She wanted vengeance. She wanted revenge. Things she could no longer obtain since the asshole was dead.She sighed, turning to her side to attempt some more sleep. "I don't want to talk about this." I didn't think she'd be able to sleep, but she managed to for over an hour. However, she woke up from a nightmare that had her reaching for me. Since then she'd been like this."You're pissed," I murmured."What was your first clue?" Her hand thumped against the bed, as she turned from her side to face the ceiling, moving away from me. She ran a hand over her face and dug into her hair."That bastard got off easy by swallowing a bullet. First, he made it seem he was having a hear
Keegan POV:It was something I felt more than once in my life. When Mike’s father walked away after being partially responsible for his son's life and when Blake dared to use Claire to lure me out.The second I was done with taping her hands, she started balancing herself on her toes, dancing circles around me. I did my hands as best as I could and tossed the rest of the tape aside. When our eyes met, the anger was still there but there was something else, too. I wasn't sure what, but I had a feeling she didn't think this shit would help. I knew deep down it would.She rolled her shoulders, psyching me out with what looked like a right hook but swung with her left. "I'm not sure what you're hoping to accomplish here," she said, blocking my knee to her stomach.I kept my eyes on hers. "You're angry, Vianne."Her lips curled on one end. "I have every right to be angry." I landed a punch to her arm and another to her chest. She shook them off ea
[WARNING: Sexually explicit content up ahead. Read at your own risk!] Keegan POV: "I love you," I growled, giving in to my need to kiss her. She moaned as I tasted each curve of her mouth, biting gently on her bottom lip. I needed her to give herself to me completely, for her to trust that I would give her everything she needed. "Let go, Vianne," I whispered and added a soft lick at the corner of her mouth. "Let me have you. Show you how much I need and want you." She shuddered at the next glide of my mouth over hers. "Let me love you." "Yes, love you, too," she sighed and melted in my arms, her hands falling to my sides. I groaned at the soft sound and kissed her again, slanting my lips over hers. My fingers held her close and ran through her beautiful hair. The strands felt like smooth silk, despite the dampness from our workout. My name left her lips as I did what I promised. I pressed my lips to the center of her forehead, tipping her head down enough to continue across the su