When the Shadows Fall by Elise Noble
CHAPTER 42 - EMMY
IT WAS ALMOST five o’clock in the morning when we arrived back at Riverley. I’d sent Dan and Sofia on ahead with Sky and Asher, and the pair of them were sleeping peacefully now. Fia might or might not have had a hand in that. Ezra was in jail along with his buddies, and Vanessa was back in her room with instructions to keep her mouth shut. She was the one who’d set off the alarm. When Sky and Asher hadn’t come back, she’d set fire to a wastebasket in one of the A-block bathrooms, figuring that the fear of smoke inhalation would get any bad guys out of the cellar so her friends could leave too. I’d speak to her properly tomorrow.
For now, we’d handed the scene over to the FBI. They were busy clashing with the fire department as they pulled all manner of stolen paintings out of the Rosenbergs’ lair. Alaric and Nate were still there, keeping an eye on things. Well, Nate was in the music room, nosing around the bookcase. The lock appeared to be musical. When Sky turned the light switch on and off, she’d woken it up. It then “listened” for a set period of time, and when Asher played a particular combination of notes on the piano, it triggered the door to open. The unit itself was crude, Nate said. As if it had been cobbled together for a student project and then repurposed. Quite possibly it had.
I’d hung around with Alaric until they rescued Emerald. She’d caused so much trouble, yet I’d never seen her in the flesh before. Had it been worth the wait? Not really. I could quite cheerfully have barbecued the smug bitch by that point, but the relief on Alaric’s face made all the effort worth it.
What was worth the wait? Driving Asher’s car back from Shadow Falls. That beast was sweet. A gas guzzler, but boy could it go. Now I needed to buy a Mustang. And more gin. I added ice to a glass and poured myself another G&T from the wet bar in the corner of my living room. Did this count as late drinking or early drinking? I wasn’t sure, but I came to the conclusion I didn’t care.
“Diamond?”
Black appeared in the doorway, and I knew what he wanted. My forgiveness. The past three months had been brutal on everyone, not least him. Yes, he’d deserved it, but I still hated to see him looking so tired.
And what was the outcome? I’d spent the trip back turning things over in my mind. When I wasn’t blowing past other cars, that was.
Alaric had suffered the most from Black’s deceit. But if the original handover had gone smoothly, he’d never have met Bethany. And she was far better for him than I could ever have been. He was totally head over heels for her. And he had Rune. If not for Emerald’s curse, she’d be either dead or turning tricks in a Thai whorehouse. I’d never have met Sky, and she wouldn’t have met Asher. Where was that relationship going? The jury was still out, but she seemed to like him.
And then there was Sirius. Alaric would have stagnated at the FBI, but I wasn’t sure he’d have had the guts to set out on his own without that initial push. New Alaric was more relaxed. His smiles came easier. Plus he had Ravi and Judd and Naz, although Judd was still an asshole. I had a feeling they’d all be pretty busy once word that Emerald and the pay-off had been found got out. In Shadow Falls, Black had taken charge of the scene, called in favours, contained the fallout, and talked up Sirius’s involvement in the hunt. Alaric’s reputation had been restored.
Yes, I forgave Black.
And I liked to think he’d learned his lesson.
“I’ve missed you,” I said simply, and he understood. I was in his arms before I could blink.
And naked before I could take a breath. How the hell had he gotten my clothes off so fast?
Ah. A switchblade.
He leaned his forehead against mine. “I’m sorry. For everything I did wrong.”
“Don’t hurt me again,” I said. Then I sighed and dropped to my knees. “Because the pink vibrating dildo Bradley came up with is no match for the real thing.”
And it played the hallelujah freaking chorus when I came. No kidding. I’d tensed up so fucking fast I fired that monster right across the bed.
Black snarled his disgust at my battery-operated boyfriend, and like magic, he started to harden under my fingers. We weren’t going to make it anywhere near the bedroom, were we? I was glad Sofia had slipped our house guests a little something-something because we’d have had awkward questions to answer otherwise. I got Black’s belt open and his fly too, and then I took his cock into my mouth. Breakfast of champions.
“Fuck, Emmy,” he groaned when my lips got within shouting distance of the base.
I let him go with a quiet pop. “Thought you’d never ask.”
“What do you want? Top? Bottom? Against the wall?”
“Yes.”
I noticed he didn’t suggest heading for the sofa. Bending me over the back was an old favourite of his, but our couch-related activities hadn’t ended too well last time. This morning, he carried me over to the sheepskin rug in front of the fireplace and laid me down. It was white, so the cum stains wouldn’t show, but I was paranoid about it getting crispy underfoot and we’d replaced it three times already.
But I soon forgot the rug when he slid inside. I’d missed this, I’d missed him, so fucking much.
“I love you, Chuck,” I whispered in his ear. “Don’t you bloody forget it.”
“Trust me, I won’t. You’ve made your point, Diamond, and I learn from my mistakes.”