Likely sensing her exhaustion, Emilio kept a firm arm around her as he let Nic go.
“Now someone wanna tell me what the hell is going on?”
Pan pulled back and looked up at him.
“Yesterday I saw a black car with tinted windows as I was leaving with Tyler.” The arm around her tensed. “Nic popped in and that same car drove past. I think it might be one of Max’s goons. When we took off, they tailed us.”
The other man moved into view. “Can you remember much about this car?”
Pan shrugged. “It was black and had black windows.”
She looked over to Nic but he shook his head.
Emilio turned them toward Nic. “Go inside and calm mama down. She and Maria are going crazy.”
Nic nodded and went inside.
He then looked down at her. “This is Detective Connor Maxwell.” He nodded in the other man’s direction.
Detective Maxwell was about as large a man as she’s ever seen, easily six foot six and with muscles to spare. This was the kind of man that you didn’t want to meet in an alley with. He had a strong jaw and kept his sandy hair in a close buzz cut.
“I think you’re going to need to tell him about your run-in with Max.” She turned to look at Emilio. The muscle in his jaw twitched with strain. “He’s already familiar with my story.”
“Maybe we should take this inside.” Connor scanned the street and then nodded to Pan. “Looks like she’s about to fall over, and I’ve got my men on patrol.”
“She’s not going to fall.” Emilio’s arm pulled her until she was snug against him, but they still started to move.
When they reached the porch, Emilio held the door open for the detective but held them back a moment.
“You just tell him what happened. He might be able to help us.” He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
Pan studied the blazing depths of his eyes and found the comfort she needed. She leaned into him once again and let him pull her along.
Chapter Seven
Emilio paced the hall as he listened to Pan tell her story about Max. Several times he had to hold himself back from going in and throwing her over his knee. Pulling a God-damned knife against someone like Max. Twice.
He stopped and scrubbed a hand down his face. All along he was trying to keep her out of trouble, and she was already neck deep in it.
Her story came to an end, and he went in and sat in the chair near the couch. Connor shot him a scowl. He was tempted to flip him off but didn’t want the hassle. Pan needed him, and he’d be damned if he wasn’t there for her.
“So what’s the plan?” Emilio asked.
Connor and Pan both turned to him.
“Well,” Connor said. “That was just a warning. I’m guessing they didn’t expect to get caught and will up the ante.” He turned to Pan. “It would be best if you didn’t stay there tonight. I’ll have my men run by, but we can’t be there all the time. Is there somewhere you can go?”
“She’s staying here.” Emilio chimed in. Her surprised eyes found his.
Connor nodded. “That would be best. I can have the guys run by every hour.”
Pan sighed. “Maybe I should stay with Iris and Luc.”
Emilio shook his head. “They shouldn’t be involved in this. Iris is already so emotional. It would kill her to know you were in trouble. I’ll call Luc and let him know. Maybe he can make and excuse like the bookstore is being fumigated to explain why the place needs to stay closed.”
She nodded. Maria appeared at the door. Likely she’s heard they would have company.
“Pan, why don’t you come with me? I’ll get you something comfortable to wear and you can take a shower.”
Emilio’s heart wrenched at the drained look on her face. He wanted nothing more than to soothe the day away and curl up in the bed with her, but first he needed to work out a plan with Connor.
She walked by and he reached out to hold her hand.
“I’ll come talk to you in a bit.”
Pan nodded. He rubbed wrist to assure her.
When Maria and Pan had left the room, he turned back to Connor.
“So what can we do? I’m tired of this bullshit.” He could feel the muscles in his shoulders tense from anger. Max had fucked up. It was one thing to pressure him to pay more, but coming after his brother and now Pan was the final straw. He only hoped that when they were finished he’d have the chance to lay a couple licks on him for putting his hands on Nic. Fucker had it coming.
“I got a couple leads on something going down tomorrow night. Might be our only chance to pin him with anything. Got to make sure it’s a good one so the prick will serve time.”
Connor stood as he spoke and Emilio followed.
“You okay to stay here?” Connor asked.
“I’ve got some assurance that we’ll be all right.” Emilio crossed his arms over his chest.
“I don’t need to know about your assurance. Just make sure it doesn’t end your ass up in jail. Last thing they need is to bail you out.” He nodded in the direction of the kitchen.
Emilio stuck out his hand. “Thanks again for coming by. I really didn’t know where else to turn with this.”
Connor grasped his hand firmly. “Any time. I’ll be in touch about tomorrow.”
He watched the detective leave and pulled out his phone. Now he just had to make sure Pan was where he could see her.
“Hey, Luc. We need to talk.”
***
Pan let the hot water wash over her. The chill that has seeped into her bones just wouldn’t go away. She’d had close calls before, but these men were serious. Hell, just the fact they were willing to take out some teen said it all.
The sound of the bedroom door drew her from her thoughts. After shutting off the water and drying off, she went out to meet with Maria. Comfortable clothes would be nice.
“Thanks again for the clothes,” she said as she opened the door. “It will be so nice…”
Emilio stood at the base of the bed. Clothes stacked in his arm, frozen as he stared at her. Pan tightened the towel around her. Luckily it seemed to be covering all the necessary parts, but it was pretty obvious he knew how very naked she was underneath.
“I didn’t mean…” he said. He was having a hard time getting the words to come out. She just looked so very shiny and naked. Two things he very much wanted her to be.
“Maria didn’t think you would fit into any of her pants, so I brought you a pair of my sweats. The top is hers so it might be a little tight.” He grinned, not that he would might the tightness.
Pan rolled her eyes. Men. She walked over and took the clothes from him.
“Thanks. I’ll just go put them on.” Pan started for the bathroom but stopped when she felt a hand grip her arm and pull her back to his chest.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were dealing with all of this?” he whispered from behind her in her ear.
Pan turned to look at him. “Why would I tell you?”
The pain of her question reflected in his eyes. “Because I can help you. I should be the one you come to with this.”
“You?” she laughed. “You can’t even decide if you want me.”
The other hand shot out and pulled her hard against him.
“Make no mistake about if I want you.” He pushed his hips forward and ground his hard cock against her.
No. No mistake there. He wanted her. But for how long? She just couldn’t play this game anymore, and she wasn’t about to become his plaything.
“Don’t. It hurts too much.” She placed her hands on his well-sculpted chest. “I need someone who wants more than one night.” Pan spun around and raced toward the bathroom.
“I’ve always wanted more.” Emilio followed her in the bathroom and shut the door. “I spent a year trying to keep myself back from you, stopping all my shit from ending up in your lap, and you start your own damn war.”
Emilio stalked her, backing her up again the shower stall. The steam from the room only heightened her awareness of him. His woodsy scent filled the air around her. Pan sucked in a shallow breath.
He pressed against her, savoring the soft feel of her body.
“Baby, you just can’t stay out of trouble can you?” He leaned in and ran his mouth along her neck. “No more waiting. No more standing by while someone else puts their hands on my woman.”
Pan tried to take in everything he was saying, but the delicious friction his body created against hers was driving her insane.
“Your woman?” Pan leaned her woozy head back to look into his eyes.
“Mine.” He growled.
The kiss that followed wasn’t just brutal, it was claiming. She felt him imprint his being on her very soul. Pan laced her fingers through his hair and kissed him with everything. If she was being claimed, then he was as well. She wanted him to think about her long after their kiss was over.
Emilio ran his hands along the side of her breasts and reveled in the feeling. All he had to do was yank away this towel, and she would be standing naked before him. The thought pushed him on. He was going to make her his or die trying. Pan moaned when he pulled back and traced a line to her ear and then down her neck.
He reached the swell of her breasts and nipped the fleshy area. The line of the towel was the divider. Should he pull it down? He looked up to her. Pan gave a wicked smile before dropping the fabric between them.
Emilio groaned and palmed the mounds. The dusky peaks pressed into his hands, begging for attention. Instead he pulled back and traced around them with his fingers, getting close but never quite touching where she wanted him most.
Pan snorted her frustration and thrust her hips forward, catching him off guard. Her wet heat pressed firmly against his aching cock. With fervor she rocked against him, nearly halting any thoughts he might have. Then two hands snaked under his shirt. She pulled and tugged until the greasy white shirt hit the floor.
Pan had never been so happy to see a chest before. She’s seen him a time or two with his shirt off working on bikes, glistening from sweat in the afternoon sun, but this time she had full access to the rippling planes. She started from his shoulders. Enjoying the twists and turns of the muscles there. As her hands fell on his pecs, the muscles jumped beneath her fingers. She swept her thumb nails over his dark nipples and grinned when he groaned.
“Two can play this game.” He rolled her nipples between his fingers.
Pan threw her head back, shoving her breasts further into his hands, and rocked her hips against him again. Her hands on his chest slipped down until she reached the clasp. She followed it further, tracing the line of him on the outside of his jean. When she reached the spot where they met, she looked up at him. Two dark pools stared back at her. They widened with shock when she plunged two fingers into her aching pussy.
“Oh, what are you doing to me?” Emilio leaned down and captured her mouth.
Without warning, Pan found herself being twirled around and placed on the counter by the sink. Emilio knelt between her pale thighs and brushed away the hand she still had inside her. He leaned in toward her pink center. All her sweet creamy skin around was bare of any hair and smooth to the touch.
He trailed kissed along the inside of each thigh. Pan groaned in frustration and tried to thrust her body forward. He planted her legs on his shoulder and moved closer to her aching depths. She felt his stubble scrap along the outer lips of her pussy and nearly came off the counter. Another sweep of his jaw and then she felt his tongue slide across her clit.
He teased the nub, flicking it until she was nearly hyperventilating and then backing off. Keeping her just at the edge of a fantastic orgasm. He leaned in fully, resting his weight on her thighs, pushing her center up some as her legs draped down his back.
He nipped her clit hard. She tightened each time. When he shoved his tongue into her, her muscles clamped down on him reflexively. Just a few more thrusts, and she would be falling over the edge.
As if reading her mind, Emilio pulled out. Pan gripped his hair and made him look up at her.
“I swear to God. You don’t finish this, and I will fucking hunt you down.”
Emilio chucked as he went back to work, flicking and nipping her clit once again. This time she was in such a frenzy that when he shoved back in, she broke apart instantly, groaning loudly as she came into his mouth.
“Uh, Pan?” Maria called from the other side of the bathroom. “Emilio, Mama needs your help in the kitchen. I’ll just,” she cleared her throat, “I’ll just wait outside the bedroom door.”
Pan’s head dropped back against the mirror. Perfect.
Emilio crawled up her body and kissed her roughly.
“We are not finished,” he said, resting his forehead against hers. “Not by a long shot.”
He rocked into her, showing how not done they were.
Pan groaned. So fucking close. She leaned up in search of her clothes and noticed the wet patch on the front of his jean.
Emilio grinned at her. “You sure are excitable.”
Pan rolled her eyes.
“Just don’t let them see you like that.”
Emilio laughed and walked to the door. When he got there, he paused and turned back.
“Remember what I said. This isn’t over. Next time you come, you’ll be doing it around my cock, screaming my name.”
Pan shivered as he closed the door and collected herself in the silence.
***
Pan sat comfortably with Maria in the bedroom, as the latest fashion show played.
“So,” Maria sat up nervously, “You and my brother seem to like each other.”
Pan laughed. “Yeah, I guess so. Only took me a year to get him to notice me.”
Maria twisted her thick, wavy back hair in a neat bun at the nape of her neck.
“It’s not really like that with Emilio. We all knew something was eating him. There was all this trouble with Max, but he was so irritable.” Maria snickered. “Mama was ready to box his ears if he came home stomping around. We figure lately it’s all been because of you.”
Pan blushed. It likely had been all from her.
“So tell me about Detective Maxwell.” Pan leaned in a little, doing an exaggerated whisper. “Is he really as beefy as seems?”
This time it was Maria’s turn to blush.