The Killmores: Killmore, #2

By Martha Sweeney

By BESTSELLING author Martha Sweeney

Paperback available via my website

 

An action-packed, espionage romantic suspense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

 

On the run from my past, I' always looking over my shoulder. Though Aiden and I are together, I can't escape the demons who haunt me.  I must keep running to keep the devil's beasts off my scent.

 

Nightmares eventually become reality and I'm thrust face to face with devil.  New players enter the game, people die, truths are revealed, and I'm forced to chose: to either fight or give up completely.

 

While I'm entrapped by the devil, can Aiden save me or will he be outwitted and one of us dead?

 

**NOTE: This book is part of a two (2) book series and should be read AFTER the first installment, "Killmore," in order to maintain the story's continuity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WWN Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9780997463774

Martha Sweeney

Pushing boundaries across genres. Martha Sweeney is a Best-Selling, multi-genre author who writes in a variety of genres: romance, suspense, thriller, coloring books, romantic comedy, and science fiction. She strives to push herself as a storyteller with each new tale and hopes to push her readers outside of their comfort zone whether it be genre or the stories themselves. With a B.S. in Psychology, Martha utilizes her knowledge of human and animal behavior successfully in the business world and in her writing to present realistic characters and situations. She's been creative since she was little, always drawing, coloring or making crafts, so her venture into being an author was a natural transition.

Book preview

Chapter Fifty Five

Aiden

M arry me, I request as we lay naked in bed under the Tuscan moon, late in the evening or perhaps early morning by now.

No, Laurie returns curtly, shifting off of me.

Why? I challenge, watching her walk into the bathroom. I follow behind her, using the doorframe to prop myself up.

You know why, Laurie quips as if we’ve had this conversation before. She lowers herself onto the toilet.

No, I don’t, I counter.

Laurie remains quiet and avoids eye contact as she continues to relieve herself.

I give her time, hoping that the silence will force Laurie to talk, but she’s not willing to engage in the conversation.

Pix, I call sweetly as she starts to wash her hands.

Drop it, Aiden, she directs.

No, I return sternly.

Our eyes meet in the mirror, neither of us says anything for several long seconds.

Everyone thinks we’re already married, I note, trying to stay on topic and not be distracted by her naked body.

It’s so easy to lose focus by the beautiful woman standing before me. Sadly, I have to admit that I’ve allowed her to use her body against me a number of times. Laurie would rather redirect my attention back to sex than talk to me like most women do.

"Thinks being the key word," she states, drying her hands.

We practically are, I inform.

Laurie gives me the cold shoulder. It’s her usual behavior when she wants to stop talking about something.

I love you and you love me, I proclaim.

No, she counters dryly.

Yes, I chuckle, trying to not get annoyed.

We’ve never expressed ourselves like that before, she denies.

Bullshit, Pix, I laugh, starting to get more irritated.

What? she says, trying to get past me. She steps back when I don’t get out of the way.

You know what, I return.

No, I don’t, she lies with her arms now crossed over her chest.

Her soft, pink nipples are seducing me, causing me to lose focus for a few long seconds.

We’ve said it to each other in front of our neighbors several times, I recount, forcing my eyes to stay on her eyes and not her bare breasts.

You’ve said it, she states.

Here we go again. Laurie wants to dismiss most topics yet again. In many cases, she’s more like a man in a relationship.

It’s true. Laurie’s never actually uttered those words deliberately to me when we’re both awake, but I don’t need to hear them to know that she does, in fact, love me. I see it in the little spark that flickers in her eyes when I say it to her. It doesn’t matter if we’re alone or in public, that spark appears every time I tell her. I know it comforts her to hear me say it. Her cheeks redden a little too. Laurie always gives me this faintly cocked smirk when I say it. It’s the special smile she uses when she’s trying to hide her feelings.

Laurie’s actions tell me she loves me. She’ll take lint off of my shirt or from my hair. She wipes soap off my face when we’re in the shower so it doesn’t go in my eye without me even having to ask. When we actually go out in public for a meal, she points out bakeries and my favorite snacks. One of my favorite ways she shows me that she loves me is when Laurie will unknowingly clasp her hand with mine or kiss me all on her own—the kind of kisses and touches that aren’t laced with sexual need—not at first.

The day the dogs and I found you in Australia, I remind him.

Laurie’s quiet for a few beats. You said it, she states.

We both said it that day, I recall. I say it all the time…and, I mean it when I say it too, regardless of who is or isn't around us.

I didn't say it, she denies.

Yes, you did, I correct, sticking my arms across to the side, wedging my body inside the doorway.

It doesn’t count since I was unconscious, she quips.

Does to me, I return. I’ll record it next time.

I know what I heard that night I found her. I remember it vividly as if it just happened two seconds ago. She had fallen asleep in my arms after a long night of lovemaking in the hotel. Laurie jerked in her sleep at some point, waking me. I shushed her, consoled her, and that’s when she said it. Laurie repeated those three little words right after I told her that I loved her.

Laurie slides past me and climbs back into bed, remaining quiet.

"Besides, I told you just a few minutes ago as we were in the throws of lovemaking, I comment, climbing over top of her. And, you seemed to get off on it. I specifically remember hearing you moan right after I whispered it in your ear."

That moan was because of your cock, she claims.

Your moan was for both…plus, you came about ten seconds later, I charge.

Did not, she lies, trying to push me off of her.

The third time you came…was when your nails were digging into my ass, I quip with a smile as I press my groin into her.

We wrestle a little, but it’s easy for me to pin her arms down. When Laurie really fights back, that’s a clear indicator for me to let things go. She always fights back. This time, she only fights a little which concerns me. I know something’s on her mind. I’m always wondering what’s going through her head when she gets more distant than usual. She still has trouble opening up to me about certain topics.

I love you even when you’re a pain in my ass, Pix, I profess, kissing her several times.

That name doesn’t work, remember? she announces, deflecting our conversation. My hair isn’t short like that anymore.

So? I return, twirling a few of her locks between my fingers.

Nor is it blond, she adds.

So? I repeat.

"And, it could be a way for you know who to find us, she adds. They heard you call me that on several occasions."

"You know who doesn’t care about where we are. And, you’ll always be my little, sexy Pix," I say.

Laurie rolls her eyes, unamused by my statement.

Well, Mrs. Bassini… I begin. My lips connect with hers for several long seconds which includes some tongue. I pick up Laurie’s left hand and kiss the ring on it; the ring of our fake marriage. Whether you like it or not, you did tell me you love me, I say softly.

For the past two and a half weeks, Laurie and I have been known to the few locals who we come in contact with as Michel and Nicola Bassini.

Since the day I found her sitting outside the little cafe in Australia, the two of us have been traveling around the world for the past four months. The first month we were constantly on the move until I was able to persuade her to slow down a little. Now, we change our location after being settled somewhere for about a month. Every place we arrive, we’re a married couple with two dogs. We had passed through a variety of countries but settled down temporarily in the United Kingdom and Norway before our current location. Soon, we’ll be leaving Italy. Our names have changed each time as well as our looks. We’ve even dyed the dogs’ hair to change up their markings.

I know why Laurie’s on edge. She gets like this each time we start to get settled in a place, causing her to get the itch to leave. She doesn’t like to stay in one place for too long. Right as I think we might actually stay, both of us calming from the storm that happened back in Willow River, she becomes distant, moody, and quiet. The first time it happened, I thought it was because it was that time of the month for her, but when we left Norway, I knew that it wasn’t when we made love the night before we left to come here. Laurie believes that we’re being followed and watched. She’s paranoid and always looking over her shoulder.

One of my trusted contacts informs me, each time that I’ve spoken to him, that we’re not being followed, but Laurie doesn’t believe him. She thinks he’s lying. I try to reassure her that the American government won’t bother looking for her since Paul handled everything pertaining to Becky’s and Bob’s deaths. Laurie will then argue that Quintin is another issue in itself. When I denounce those possibilities, she brings up the idea of Antonio Herrera being alive and how he could be looking for her aside from her undead ex-husband, Jack Turner.

Nope, she denies with a stoic face. And, we’re only pretending to be married.

I’m not pretending, I clarify.

Laurie doesn’t comment and instead reaches over to pet Mable.

It’s okay, I soothe, kissing her cheek.

She stays quiet.

I’ll love us for the both of us, I declare. I don’t care if we ever really get married. I love you, you know that I do. And, deep down, I know you love me too.

Laurie looks back at me, appearing like she wants to say something but doesn’t.

I’m not going to abandon you, I state. I’m not going to turn on you.

They’re just words, Aiden, she comments.

Words supported by my action since the day we met, I remind her.

Laurie looks away, but I coax her chin back so she faces me. Our eyes meet for a few seconds before I lower my lips to hers. If she doesn’t believe words, then I want to prove to her that I mean what I say. My hands caress her skin as I shift us both in the bed, desperate to show her with my body just how much I love her and just how much I’ll always be by her side no matter what happens or what either of us does to stay alive.

Chapter Fifty Six

Laurie

Before Aiden found me, I moved through the shadows, never staying in one place for more than a day or two. I had cash when I needed it. It was at my disposal thanks to money I had saved and Trudy’s family. I rarely spent much, other than for transportation and food. I barely ate, only having a meal or two a day just because I was constantly jacked on adrenaline and fear. Using fake IDs, I stuck with buses and trains most of the time, only flying when necessary.

When I had time between transportation, I did a little sight-seeing just to help distract myself from the past. The idea to find a secluded residence kept entering my mind, but I knew that I had to keep moving. It would be the only way to keep everyone safe.

I sent two postcards back to the Chief during my travels, wanting him to know that the Tribe’s assistance hadn’t been forgotten or unappreciated. I’d get a postcard from a city I had passed through and send it a few days later once I passed the border of the next country only to shift directions and end up in another. I even wrote everything in the Tribe’s native language for added security.

I honestly thought I was dreaming the day Aiden found me in Australia. We didn’t leave the hotel room for two days—other than to take the dogs out. We ordered room service and didn’t bother with clothes. By the second night, I woke up from a nightmare; one of Quintin finding me and where Jack was cutting me, gutting me like a fish while Antonio stood over watching the whole thing. By the time Aiden woke up, I had ordered breakfast, packed our things and had already decided where to go next. Initially, he was worried. Aiden thought that I was leaving without him. Since he didn’t believe me at first, I had to prove it. We ate and then I joined him in the shower to reassure him.

We were always on the move because of my anxiety about staying in one place for more than a few hours. We’d go days without a bed, constantly moving from dusk until dawn, so when we did have a bed, we used it to its fullest benefit: sex, sleep, followed by more sex and sleep until we checked out the next day. When on the road, which was ninety percent of the time, we got creative when it came to sex without a bed. Sleep came primarily from being on buses and trains. One of us would keep watch while the other rested.

We’ve established a new routine after Aiden’s insistence. We’d stay in a single location for at least a month. Usually two weeks in, I get antsy and try to convince him that it’s time to go. I’ve stooped to the level of even trying to use sex to get my way. He’s able to hold off, not giving in even when I make blatant sexual advances.

"What do you think, Nicola?" Mrs. Angeletti asks in her native Italian tongue.

"È bellissimo," I reply as she continues to twirl around in her new dress.

"Why don’t I ever see you wearing a dress?" she inquires.

"Dresses aren’t quite appropriate for the kitchen," I return with a soft smile, kneading the dough in my hand.

"They’re appropriate in a home or kitchen…besides, you know what I mean," she chides sweetly.

"I’ve never been a dress kind of girl," I reply, hoping to drop the subject.

"You’re a woman…and all husbands like to see their woman in a dress," she informs.

"Not all men," I challenge.

"Sì lo fanno," she replies.

"Michel prefers no clothing," I argue.

It’s true. Anytime we’re alone and indoors, Aiden and I are pretty much naked.

"Men like it when we dress up for them, she encourages. They see us as goddesses."

"They know what’s under them," I counter.

"They like to know what’s under them and then unwrap us like a present, she states. A woman wearing a dress is one of the sexiest things to a man."

"That and it’s easy access," I snicker.

"Perfect for a frolic in an alleyway or bathroom, she goads with a wink. Think about it."

My lips purse together and I nod, remembering how challenging it has been for Aiden anytime we are on the move. I guess I need to be open more to different attire. I need to start dressing more like my aliases rather than what I’d prefer to be wearing.

"Your Italian is much better, Mrs. Angeletti praises, bringing me back to reality. You sound like you grew up here."

"Grazie," I return with a smile.

Aiden’s fluent in ten different languages but I am only in three: English, French, and Spanish, all of which I knew before leaving America. I could carry a basic conversation with people in Trudy’s tribe, but I didn’t practice often enough. My Italian is getting better. Aiden started teaching me it a week before we arrived. I understand more than I speak, but I’m able to carry on a conversation without butchering the language.

"Adolfo and I will be in a meeting for the next hour and then he’s taking me up the coastline for a surprise for our anniversary, she states, moving toward the door. Ghita’s the manager on tonight."

"Avere una bella notte," I say as she exits the kitchen.

Aiden and I have been working at Villa Vita Mia in Mondello since the second day we arrived. I was able to get a job in the kitchen while Aiden assists with bike and boat rentals. On occasion, Aiden will act as a fill-in waiter. Our plan, when we move to a new place, is to find a city that is well populated enough for us to hide yet isn’t a common tourist location. At first, I didn’t want to work, but Aiden made it an issue. He didn’t like me moping and hiding indoors—that or my paranoid behaviors.

Aiden and I need little to live on, always traveling light with the dogs. We have plenty of cash when it’s required, but we keep our expenses to a minimum. We never buy anything we can’t carry in our backpacks and usually change out our clothes as soon as we arrive at our new, temporary home.

As the days pass by, our routines are pretty set. Aiden stays in the bike or boat rental location a few hours extra each day with Mable since I hide out in the kitchen with Cain regularly. We arrive at the hotel at seven in the morning for work, see each other for lunch when he comes to the kitchen to eat, and then we head back to our tiny studio apartment either just after lunch or dinner, depending on if Mrs. Angeletti needs me. Aiden tries to get me to site-see which I acquiesce on occasion. The only time I agree to venture out, aside from work or taking the dogs out, is when we dine out because we’re too tired to cook. I try to pull long shifts at the hotel to avoid the opportunity of Aiden asking. I hate crowds. There are too many faces that seem to morph into those of people whom I’m trying to forget and too many chances for us to be seen.

I try to keep as busy as I can, trying to distract myself enough from thoughts of Quintin, the American government, Jack, or even Antonio from finding me. It doesn’t help when I keep having nightmares of them finding and killing me.

We need to leave, I say to Aiden as we finish dinner. It’s been almost four weeks.

Why can’t we stay a little longer? Aiden questions.

You know why, I remind him.

We’re safe, he states, kissing my shoulder after bringing a few dishes over to the sink.

No, we’re not, I challenge. And, the longer we stay here, the more likely someone will find us. I move past him, heading back to the table. I grab a few more dirty dishes.

I won’t let anything happen to you, Aiden soothes.

Don’t make promises you can’t keep, I retort sharply.

Pix, he sighs into my neck as he wraps his arms around my waist, pinning me between him and the sink.

Don’t, I return coldly. You can’t guarantee anything and you know it.

I can guarantee that I love you, he says, kissing my neck. That I will always love you and will follow you to the ends of the Earth until the day I die.

Exactly, I huff, tossing the plate back into the water-filled sink. It crashes hard enough to break.

What? he checks.

Nothing, I lie, being careful as I pick up the pieces.

Pix, Aiden calls with heat in his words. Be careful.

I am, I snap, throwing the broken pieces into the trash.

Talk to me, he begs.

You will die…I will die….

At some point, yes, Aiden confirms, spinning me to face him. But, not anytime soon.

My head shakes in objection while words fail me.

Hey, he calls sweetly, nudging my face to look at him.

No, I refuse, yanking my head to the side.

Pix, he calls again as he cups my face.

My eyes stay down, not wanting to confront him in this manner. He always knows how to defuse me, usually with kisses that turn into sex, hot sex. No, I counter, not wanting to give in.

Pix, he repeats, coaxing my chin to rise.

Our eyes meet and I fight many urges: the urge to kick his ass, the urge to smack that smug, confident smile off of his face, and the urge to kiss him and drown my sorrows and fear with sex, steaming hot gorilla sex.

Why don’t we get a boat this time? Aiden offers.

What? I ask, caught off guard by his suggestion.

Let’s get out onto the open seas with the dogs and decide where to go from there, he explains. There are tons of people who need their boats driven from one place to another to either pick them up or who knows what else. We’d just get some food and a few extra supplies and then we can just go.

I study him for a few seconds, wanting to make sure he’s not lying.

Really? I check, perking up at the idea and that he’s not going to argue with me about leaving again.

Aiden smiles and then hugs me. I’ll give them notice tomorrow in the morning. Say that we’ve had a family emergency and need to head home.

Good, I choke out, curling my arms around him.

Why don’t we see if we can go somewhere like Egypt or Morocco maybe? Aiden suggests. It’s nice here, but we could use some warmer weather.

The tats, I remind him.

There are ways to cover them up, Aiden states.

I nod, not liking the idea or need to hide them.

Or, you can have them removed, he suggests.

They’re a part of me, I state defensively.

They’re a reminder of pain and sadness, he comments gently.

They’re a reminder to keep moving forward, I return with a softer tone. Plus, if I got this one removed, the scars would be there.

You could always get a new one, he offers.

It’s Ganesh, I state. He’s meant for new beginnings.

I know, Aiden soothes, kissing my forehead. I know. You’ve told me. And, remember, I love your tats. His fingers gently glide down the sides of my exposed arms.

I’m not really mad at Aiden. I’m mad at myself. Mad that I was a chicken and ran from Quintin when I should have killed him and Jack. I don’t regret killing Bob, but his ghost haunts me at night sometimes. He’s officially the first person I’ve killed—the first real blood on my hands.

Maybe you could get a new one, Aiden states, lowering my zipper. His lips trail along my breasts. I think this would be a great spot to get a tattoo.

My body arches into him as my straps start to inch their way down my shoulders. Yeah? I inquire, enjoying his touch.

Yeah, he says as his fingers trace over the space between my breasts. Right here. Something just for me.

I smile at the idea of getting another tattoo. Aiden has been trying to get me to either get a new arm tattoo or have Ganesh completely removed. I can’t part with Ganesh. He and I have been through a lot, and I’m pretty sure, there’s more drama to come.

Pix, Aiden calls, bringing my focus back to reality. His mouth visits my other breast and is very persuasive.

Hm? I moan as I let myself enjoy the sensations.

I like the dress, he comments.

Thanks, I sigh.

No…I don’t think you get it, Aiden comments, dragging his fingers down my side, inching the fabric up my leg. "I really like it."

Thank Mrs. Angeletti, I mention. She gave me two yesterday.

I’ll make sure I do, he confirms, kissing my neck.

I let out a moan at the sensation of his fingers and the fabric tickling my skin. I’m starting to understand what Mrs. Angeletti meant by the appeal of a dress. There’s a certain thrill with the access that is provided in a pinch.

Should we christen the sink before we go? he checks, gliding his fingers over my sex.

My head bobs in reply.

Aiden yanks my underwear down until it falls to the floor. Then, he hoists me up by my ass, positioning me on the edge of the porcelain. Aiden’s mouth continues to taste and tease my neck and breasts. My fingers fumble to get his zipper lowered after getting his belt free while he holds me steady. Several seconds later, I’m gasping for air from the pleasurable sensation of his cock slipping inside me.

Chapter Fifty Seven

Aiden

With the sun on the horizon, I lay silently, watching the woman I love sleeping peacefully. The gentle rocking of the boat has helped her rest more easily the past few nights. I think we should be on boats more often with how she’s fairing overall with her demons.

Since finding Laurie in Australia, I’ve noticed that she has dreams that wake her up, causing her to only get a few hours rest at a time. Laurie’s never told me what haunts her, but I can pretty much guess from the things she says and the sounds she makes. Some nights, I’m able to wake her before they get too bad, but other nights, her screams wake me.

Laurie is adamant about keeping her arm tattoo, but I think she’s starting to see the logic for it to be removed, at least until we’re no longer on the run. I have a plan to give her a new tattoo, a design I came up with after doing a little more research on Trudy’s tribe. Laurie is curious, asking me from time to time what kind of a tattoo I’d like to see on her. I refuse to tell her until she agrees to remove Ganesh. She thinks we’re still being chased, so I’ll use that to my advantage for getting her to remove the tattoo until I have proof that there’s no need to run.

When we arrive at our next destination, Laurie and I will need to travel a little more before we meet up with someone who can help us and who I trust. Lee is a contact I made years ago during my time in the military. No one from the agency knows about my connection with Lee, and I plan on keeping it that way. Lee is not a part of any government and it took me some time to build the relationship between the two of us. There were a few times I was able to protect him from being discovered, so he owes me a few favors. Plus, I introduced him to his wife.

Since I know that Laurie will be waking soon from her nightmare, I coax the dogs to snuggle into her before I get out of bed. There are windows on either side of our bedroom, giving us almost a complete one-eighty view of the ocean from the inside. The windows allow us to see out, but no one can see in at any point of the day.

After pouring myself a glass of scotch, I sit on the back of one of the chairs with my feet on the cushion and my arms across my thighs. The sun is just starting to break on the horizon and the waves are calm like they have been the past few days. My thoughts bounce around to where we’re headed, where we’ll go next, and how can I get Laurie to stop running. If we’re going to have any kind of a life together, we need to stop moving for a long while. We need some normalcy for more than a month.

Aiden? Laurie’s voice cracks as she jolts to a sitting position.

I’m here, I soothe, rushing toward her. I’m here, Pix.

Is everything okay? she checks nervously with a groggy voice.

Everything’s fine, I return with a smile. I was just up early and thought I’d watch the sunrise and you sleep.

Creeper, she teases.

Only for you, I quip, kissing her temple. Besides, you like it.

Laurie doesn’t reply, but she does settle into my side once I’m back under the covers. I don’t mention anything about the nightmare, knowing that she always avoids talking about it. The two of us share the last few sips of my scotch as we watch the sun peeking up through the window.

Aiden, Laurie says softly.

Yeah, Pix?

Tell me again, she requests.

What? I reply, teasing her.

About how you found me, she returns with a poke to my side.

Oh, that, I goad with a smile. Sure.

I’m more than happy to tell her. I like sharing it with her and I like how she smiles at certain parts. Plus, I know how it helps her to fall back to sleep.

Where do you want me to start? I check.

At the beginning, she answers.

Well, I say. It started the second I woke up to you missing….

I hold Laurie close as I begin describing in as much detail as possible the steps I took to find her. She loves to hear this story. It soothes her, and in some ways, it soothes me too.

I had an aching feeling in my stomach that day when I woke to Laurie missing beside me in her bed and the shrieking of my phone on the nightstand. Part of me knew it was her calling without needing to see the screen. I had just hoped that it wasn’t because Quintin or Jack had her captive. I begged Laurie to tell me what was happening, desperate to save her so we could be together. When she hung up, I swear my heart felt like it was being jabbed with a hot, jagged knife. It took several long seconds to process just the little bit I had to work with since Laurie hadn’t given me much. I tried calling her back, but nothing happened. There wasn’t an answer to my calls or text messages.

I stormed over to Paul’s place, expecting him to know something. Unfortunately, he wasn’t aware of what was going on either. I rushed Paul along to get dressed and then we went to Trudy’s. When all we found were burnt electronic devices in the backyard, we immediately went over to the Lenards' house. When they were missing too, Paul and I went back to Laurie’s house to see if she left any clues. While we searched the house, I started probing Paul for answers to questions that were outside of Laurie’s case. He shared some interesting information with me about Quintin that I purposefully haven’t shared with Laurie yet. She’s just not ready to know the scope of Quintin’s influence, or should I say his family’s influence, in the world.

As I continue to share the story, Laurie’s eyes start to flutter closed. Her body becomes more relaxed, indicating that she’s drifting back to sleep. I continue the story, knowing she’ll be asleep shortly.

About twenty minutes into us searching the house, Dr. Derek texted me back. He