Red Handed by Jessa Wilder

They’d left Nico’s door cracked for me like they’d done every morning for the past several weeks and I walked in without hesitation. Surprisingly, only Rush was there eating a plate of waffles. He scanned me from head to toe, eyes warming when he noticed I was wearing his sweater he’d left in my room.

“Where are the other two Gentlemen,” I said, using their title to remind myself who the fuck they were. Rush’s eyes snapped to mine, fork pausing halfway to his mouth. His brows pinched together, jaw locked tight.

He took a deep breath. “Considering it’s eleven they both had places to be.”

I scoffed. “And you didn’t?”

He sent a rare smile my way, and my chest tightened. I wasn’t supposed to feel this way about them. “Oh, I did, but I had other plans for us today.”

I grabbed a plate of waffles from the warming drawer and sat beside Rush on the kitchen island, moaning as I took the first bite. “What’s the big mystery plan?” I said, mumbling around waffle.

“It’s time you saw the mysterious gym we have. You know because you don’t think it exists.” He smirked at me, humor in his eyes. We both knew my comments about the gym had less to do with whether I believed in its existence and more to do with them not using it when they were pissed like they were supposed to.

“Okay, but why? What are we going to do there?” I looked down at myself. “What exactly are you trying to say, Rush?”

Rush’s face went red. “Not whatever you’re trying to imply. You’ve been attacked several times. I want to go through some basic defense skills.”

I choked on a laugh, a smile tipping up in the corner. He had to be kidding me with this damsel in distress shit. This was going to be fun. My smile turned wicked. “Oh, of course. That would be great.” My voice dripped with honey.

Rush eyed me skeptically. “I honestly thought you were going to put up more of a fight.”

“No need. Makes perfect sense,” I said, voice light and singsong.

Where’s the harm in showing him my skills? I didn’t care if he told the others. Maybe it would snap some sense into them and they’d learn to treat me with respect. Maybe kicking Rush’s ass will remind both of us exactly who and what we are to each other. The tinge in my chest pointed out how much I didn’t like that idea, but I pushed it down. That nagging feeling was all the more reason to put some distance between us.

Rush cleared my plate, putting it in the dishwasher, and watched me under lowered lashes. “We need to talk about the other night—”

I shot up from my stool and jogged to the door. “I’ll meet you back at your room in ten. Just have to get changed.”

Rush eyed me, brows dipped. “We’re going to have to talk about it sometime.”

I jumped into the elevator, avoiding answering him. The ride down to my room felt like it took forever. My skin tingled with the excitement of spending a few hours in the gym. Simultaneously, I was racked with guilt. I skated a thin line, and I wasn’t sure what would happen if I tipped over. Everything would change when they found out they had a fox in the henhouse digging up information on them. I wouldn’t have to worry about Rush’s heated looks after that.

No, after that I’d be dealing with the fallout that was betraying the men that became entirely too close to. I pulled on a sports bra, tight gym shorts, and a fitted top. I rarely wore fitted clothes like this, but you didn’t want any loose fabric while grappling. It gave the opponent an advantage, and I knew that’s not something I wanted Rush to have. He moved like a trained fighter. I was pretty sure today I was going to find out why. I grabbed my gym bag full of all kinds of goodies and walked into the hall.

Rush waited outside my door, propped up against a wall, head down, and typed away on his phone. There was a slight scowl on his face as his fingers sped over the keys.

I lifted a brow. “Something wrong?”

His head snapped to me, eyes boring into mine, trying to figure me out. For a second, I thought he was going to tell me, but he shook his head. “Just regular business.”

He meant Gentlemen business. The title put a weight on my chest.

Rush pocketed his phone and stepped so close I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. “We’re allies now. Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” I stiffened my back, knowing his words didn’t ring true.

“Like I’m the enemy.” He raked his fingers through his chestnut hair and dropped his forehead to mine. His voice was raspy, pain slipping through. “Like being with me would be some kind of betrayal.”

I stepped back, putting much needed distance between us, and plastered on a broad smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Ah, but Rush, that’s exactly what we are.”

He made a dark sound in the back of his throat and glared at me, but I ignored him, not wanting to get in deeper than I already was. I hit the button for the elevator door and it immediately opened, already on our floor. We stepped in and his hand brushed mine in the close proximity. Tingles shot up my arm. I was in so much fucking trouble with this boy.

I went to push the button that said Gym beside it, but Rush held up his hand. “That’s the public gym.” He hit floor twenty-seven. “We have our own.”

Of course they did.

The gym was large, taking up at least a quarter of the floor, and packed with equipment. This wasn’t a regular home gym. It was a fancy outrageous fee type gym for their private use. I rolled my eyes at the extravagance. Rush led me to the full-size boxing ring at the end of the room. He jumped up, holding his hand out to me. Who said chivalry was dead? I grabbed it, allowing him to haul me up and bit back my smile. If he thought I needed help to get into the ring, he was in for a rude awakening.

He placed his water bottle and bag in one corner of the ring and smiled at me. “Let’s start with a basic hold.”

I let him run me through some drills. He moved at the slowest pace imaginable and it was all I could do to suppress a groan. If this was the level of competence he was working with, I could’ve kicked his ass even when I was a kid. Twelve-year-old Raegan already swung a sinister left hook. I smiled up at him sweetly. “Can we get some water? Then I think I’d like to run through some of these at full speed. You know…see if they work.”

He tilted his head, eyebrows pinched. “Yeah, of course.”

I took a long sip of water before stepping into the middle of the mat, body loose. I beckoned him with my hand. “Come at me.”

If possible, his brows pinched in harder, eyeing me warily. “You sure?”

I couldn’t stop my laugh. “Oh, yeah, I’m sure.”

He charged me at half speed. He was going to pay for that. My pride would allow no less. Dropping to a sudden crouch, I twisted to the side and swept out his leg from under him. Using my lower center of gravity, I shoved my bony shoulder into him and thrusted upwards, grabbing him with both arms as he tumbled. I flipped him easily and he landed with a thud beside me.

Eyes wide, he stared up at me, winded. “You’ve been holding out on me, Firecracker.”

I flashed a devilish smile. “You should’ve known better.”

He tipped his head to the ceiling and let out an exasperated groan. “Again.”

This time he wasn’t holding back. I was ready for it. He came at me at full speed, arms out. It was painfully obvious he was going to try to pin me. Too easy. I spun at the absolute last second, making sure I could take advantage of his full momentum, and kicked his legs out again. He sprawled on the ground with a groan and glared up at me.

“Fine, Firecracker. No holding back.”

I scoffed at that. “Ha! Nice try. You’ve totally been going all out.”

He eyed me with suspicion. “You’ve been training. What specialties? MMA?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, not appreciating his wary, confused tone. Part of me really should have felt more insulted. He already knew I could scale buildings better than Selina Kyle. I could jump rooftops too. Was it really so unimaginable that I could handle myself in hand-to-hand combat? Time to remind these Gentlemen who I was.

I smirked, hands on my hips. “My dad’s Jimmy O’Rourke. You really think the Sligo Slugger never taught his daughter how to throw a punch? I’ve been in a ring like this since I was seven.”

He looked at me cautiously, eyes going wide again in realization. He shook his head with a laugh. Before Jimmy rose to the head of the O’Rourke family, he was one of the fiercest boxers in the country. He was a meteor in the sport—slow on his feet, but strong as an ox, brutal with his follow-through. The only reason he didn’t go pro was because the needs of the family dragged him home. Even if Jimmy wasn’t a crime lord, he was still a born brawler.

Like father, like daughter.

Rush met my gaze. The corner of his lips tipped up. “Please tell me Sophie can’t take me down too. I don’t think I could take that blow to my ego.”

I laughed hard, filling the room with the sound. “Don’t worry. That’s never been her role.”

“And what’s your role?” Rush asked, fishing for information.

I rolled my eyes at him. “Haven’t you noticed? I’m the expendable one. Every heir should have a spare.”

Rush practically growled at that. He took up a fighting stance. “Let’s go again.”

Everything in his body was different this time—the set of his shoulders, the twist of his hips, the smoldering glint in his eyes. He was actually going to spar with me this time. Thank fuck. I smiled and squared off, more than happy to oblige.

We went for several more rounds, taking turns pinning each other to the mat. Once he stopped pussyfooting around, our skill level nearly equally matched. He landed an impressive take down and it forced the air from my lungs. As I doubled over, gasping for breath, he took full advantage and pinned me down flat with a triumphant grin on his face.

“Don’t gloat too much, or you’ll be on your back the next round.”

His eyes went dark, full lashes dropping over them, as he pressed his weight against me. “You promise?”

Hell yes. The corner of my mouth tipped into a smile. It was all the invitation he needed.

He dropped his hips between my spread legs while my hands clawed against his chest. There was nothing gentle when his lips crashed into mine, taking over my mouth, owning my every thought. His fingers dug into my hair, tight enough to be painful, and his mouth swallowed my moan. Rush rocked into me, and I pushed my hips up to grind his length against my core. He pulled back, making a feral sound, and I bit his lip for stopping the kiss. We delved into frantic movements, each fighting for control.

He raised his chest without breaking the kiss, sliding his hand between us, and pinched my nipple, hard. I cried out, pain mixing with pleasure. My fingers raked through his hair and I pulled his head back. Wrapping my legs around his hips, I flipped our positions, pinning him against the mat.

Rush’s chest raised and fell in rapid succession, matching the tempo of mine. He pushed my shorts and panties down, and I kicked them the rest of the way off. My legs straddled him, and I moaned at the feel of him against my bare skin. Frustrated that his pants prevented me from sinking down on him, I shifted my weight back, fingers digging into his waistband, and pried them down his hips. My mouth watered with each millimeter of skin I exposed.

I was about to sink down onto his shaft, I could already feel the delicious tightening of my core…but Rush had other ideas. I gasped as he grabbed my thighs and lifted me on my knees, dragging me up his chest until my bare pussy was straddled over his face. I whimpered as his intense, two-toned gaze tracked over me.

He groaned deep in his throat. “You’re so fucking perfect.”

The pure heat in his eyes burned away any hint of embarrassment I might have felt from being in this position. He gripped my hips and pulled me down hard against his face. I moaned as he devoured me. I tried to lift my weight but he just grunted, hands digging into my hips, holding me in place. I lost all control the second he thrust his tongue inside my core. I ground down into his mouth, turning into a needy, writhing mess.

He lifted my hips and pulled me forward until my hands slammed into the mat above him. He angled me until he was sucking against my clit. I shifted, making incoherent sounds, chasing the release I needed. “Fuck.”

I moved fast, desperation growing as my skin tightened and sparks pulsed through my core. I whimpered, so fucking close to what I wanted most…but then the door slammed loudly and I froze.

Jerking my head to the side, I tried to see who was in here with us. Determined to reclaim my attention, Rush thrust two fingers deep inside me. I moaned louder, forgetting all about the door. Hell, I forgot my own name.

I pushed back hard, rocking against him. Rush bit down on my clit, sending me over the edge. My body shattered over him, and he moaned against me, fingers keeping their pace until he dragged out every sensation.

I collapsed back, sitting over his chest, and he looked to the side, a wicked grin on his face. I followed his gaze. “Who was it?” I rasped, barely able to catch my breath.

“No one important.”

Rush lifted us, until I sat in his lap, knees on either side of him. He worked me down from my daze with languid kisses, caressing me softly until my senses returned.

“Wait, I thought this was your private gym?” I muttered, his lips on my neck.

“Other high-level Gentlemen use it too. We aren’t that selfish.”

I lifted a brow at him and he smiled.

“Well, in most cases.” Surprising me, he pulled us both to our feet. “Come on, Firecracker. Better get you back to your room.” He grabbed my discarded shorts and panties off the mat, tossing them my way. “Don’t forget these.”

I blinked twice. I was standing in the middle of Nico Esposito’s boxing ring in his not-so-private gym with nothing on but my sports bra and shoes. My bare ass was on display for anyone to see…someone had just seen it.

What the fuck was I doing?

* * *

We rode the elevator up, and I stepped out on our floor. Rush didn’t move to follow me, and I raised an eyebrow at him in question.

He held up his phone that flashed several texts. “Nico needs to see me.”

The door shut between us before I could rip into him. Apparently, I’d be returning to my room alone. I ran my shower at a scalding temperature and groaned. I was already stiff from our sparring, and my thighs ached from kneeling over Rush. It was totally worth it to see his expression every time I flipped him on his ass. A hint of worry seeped in that I’d shown him too much, but I pushed it down. They’ve always known who I was. This was just a forceful reminder.

I wrapped my body in a towel and applied my usual light makeup. The bruises were barely noticeable, faded until only the softest of yellow hinted around my temple. It wouldn’t be long before all physical trace was gone from my kidnapping. Hopefully, the nightmares follow soon after. I quickly dried my hair and got ready in my normal outfit of tiny shorts and an oversized t-shirt. I smiled, knowing how much my casual attire drove Nico insane. Whatever, not everyone can wear suits every day.

I could hear Rush’s shower turn on. Our walls weren’t as thin as Nico and Sophie’s, but they weren’t soundproofed like the ones downstairs. I’d rather die than admit it out loud, but I felt safer when I knew they were home.

Someone knocked hard on my door, and I narrowed my eyes on it. The only person who dared be that big of a pain in my ass was Nico, and I was too tired to deal with that shit. I ignored the sound, counting on the fact that he’d respect my privacy and not use his key. Then I laughed. He’d be in here in seconds.

Three… Two… One… but it wasn’t Nico’s voice on the other end. Connor called out my name, sounding pissed.

“Rae, open the damn door!”

Anger flushed my skin and I pulled on the door so hard I risked ripping it off its hinges. “What the hell Connor?” I said, sneering his name.

He went to step by me, but I blocked his path, stepping forward, driving him into the hall. For a brief moment, his eyes widened in defiance, but he moved back.

“There better be someone dying to warrant you pounding on my door like that,” I said, voice dangerously low.

He eyed me before continuing slowly, like he was dealing with a dangerous animal. “I saw you.”

My nose scrunched up in confusion. “Saw me what?”

He scoffed. “They gave me the passcode to the gym. I saw you with that asshole Gentlemen. I’m sure you just slipped and fell on his fucking face, right…boss?” His voice was full of judgement, and anger nearly took over me. I was tired of his shit.

“Listen here, Connor.” I emphasized his name. “Your ability to rely on the protection of our lifelong friendship is wearing thin.”

He glared at me. “First you show up with all those disgusting hickeys. I lied to myself that it wasn’t one of them. But I knew. Now I’ve seen it with my own fucking eyes. They’re the enemy, Rae.”

“Mind your own fucking business,” I hissed out. “And your tone.”

His scowl deepened and he rounded his shoulders at me, each word laced with venom. “I would if you weren’t acting like such a slut.”

My head snapped back and I looked into his eyes. Our friendship disintegrated in that moment. Anger fully took over me. I was going to kick his fucking ass and remind him of exactly who I was.

Right before I could do just that, Rush’s door swung open. He made a feral sound in the back of his throat. “What the fuck did you just say to her?” He had Connor pinned to the wall in a heartbeat. Maybe he had been holding back in the ring.

“Get the fuck off me,” Connor spat, arm muscles clenching as he tried to jerk free.

I placed my hand on Rush’s shoulder. “He’s mine to deal with. Let him go.”

Rush stared Connor down for another few moments before stepping back, posture relaxed like none of it had happened. I didn’t trust it for a second. “Of course, Firecracker.”

I hit the elevator button and Rush tossed Connor in the second it opened. “Consider yourself lucky. I could’ve let her kill you. We have clean-up crews for that sort of thing.”

Connor stumbled against the back wall of the elevator, gripping the rail with one hand. He spat on the ground at Rush’s feet. “Fuck you, Gentlemen. She’ll remember exactly who you are soon enough, and guess who’ll be there waiting when she does?”

Rush looked murderous. One brow tipped up and I was sure he meant to go in swinging like he did on the mat downstairs. Only this sparring match would end with broken teeth and pints of blood on the floor, not mind-shattering orgasm. I readied myself to pry them apart. Thankfully the elevator's double doors closed before either man could make their move.

I stormed back toward my room. The door was still hanging open. I stopped in the doorway and spun around, turning my intense gaze at Rush. “I’m serious. Don’t touch him. He’s mine to deal with.”

He smiled, but it looked more sinister than friendly. “Like I said, of course, Firecracker.”

I shut my front door behind me and leaned my back against it, running my hands over my face. I didn’t believe him for a second.