ESCAPE: A Stepbrother Romance (These Wicked Games Book 2) Read online

  I can already see Gus slowly nodding, the radio drifting down to his side, and a giddiness rising in my stomach.

  “Yeah. I mean, you would be gone. And that’s the thing here. I think.”

  “It definitely is,” Cade says. He waves at me, and I slowly walk toward the scanner.

  “Whoa,” Gus says, putting up the hand with the radio in a stop gesture. “What are you doing?”

  “Going through the scanner.” I point behind him.

  He glances at it like it’s some alien device. “Oh. In this line you actually don’t—” He stops himself. Smiles. Nods. “Right, right. Scanner. Well, you know, there’s evidence that those cause cancer.”

  “There is?”

  “Well, I mean, it’s not unanimous, but it’s there. And, who wants to risk cancer?”

  “Not me?” I say questioningly. I don’t, but then again…

  Gus nods. “Great. Just put out your arms then, and you can be on your way out of here.”

  “I think—” I begin.

  “It’s fine,” Cade interrupts.

  Stunned, I look at him, and see he’s looking behind us.

  I glance in that direction. Through the crowd, I see Emily and another woman, wearing a pantsuit, pushing their way past the hordes of people.

  I turn back to Gus and raise my arms. “Have at me.”

  Gus grins wide. “Of course. I’ll be very through. You don’t have to worry about anything getting past me.”

  “Great,” I mutter.

  Chapter 19

  Gus pats me down thoroughly. Pats isn’t the right verb. No, it’s something more like rubs? fondles? In any case, it’s more than a pat down.

  Cade is surprisingly controlled, though when Gus goes up my thighs a second time I see Cade take a step forward. He catches himself, and looks behind us again, and stops just short of punching Gus in the face.

  Gus grabs my butt cheeks. “Are you sure these are real?”

  “I don’t even know how to answer that.”

  “Well I mean if they’re not real I have to see them.”

  My stomach sinks. “You already did,” I say hopefully.

  “I did?”

  “Yeah. Remember?”

  “Oh.” He nods. “Right. Well, I guess I can let you through then.” He slaps my ass once. “Gosh. That’s amazing.”

  I press my lips together and nod. “Yep.”

  I scurry to get the bag with my new phone, which has long since completed its own journey through an invasive examination. I stare at the conveyor belt for a moment. Then I realize I don’t have anything else, and feel a strange sense of foreboding.

  Cade appears by my side, and grabs his bag. “Here,” he holds out a phone.

  “A new phone?”

  He frowns as he bends down to slip into his right shoe, still holding the phone out to me. “No little bird, it’s yours. We’ll activate the new one later.”

  I take it and shake my head, looking at the broken screen. Why would I think it’s new?

  Hopefully it’s just stress. Or lack of sleep.

  Cade glances behind us again. “Shit. Come on. Be calm.”

  “I am calm,” I say as he pulls me along.

  We weave through the crowd, heading toward a terminal. The same terminal I was running for when I fell and traumatized my nose for the first of many times.

  “I’m not a dog!” I cry.

  “You’re a puppy.”

  “That means I’m a bitch.”

  “Facts are facts.”

  “Hey!”

  We make it to the line. He looks back at me. “Give me your ticket.”

  “Can I have my hand?”

  He looks down at it, then lets go. I take my ticket from the baggy pocket of my sweatpants and hand it to him.

  He goes up to the woman behind the counter on the left, the side without a line. “Hello, I’m hoping we can board early.”

  “I’m sorry—” She stops as she lifts her head and catches sight of Cade. “Oh. I… Can— Can I see your ticket?”

  Cade smiles.

  I scowl.

  He hands her our tickets. “First class hasn’t technically boarded yet…” She looks around, then leans in close. Which coincidentally gives Cade a nice view of her ample cleavage. He flicks his eyes down at it and smiles. “But I think I can get you on.”

  I’m sure she was trying to think of a way to say off instead of on, the little harlot.

  “That would be so nice of you. I’d be so grateful.”

  “Of course.” She takes a card from her left, and writes something on it. Then she hesitates, and writes something else. “Just show this to Amy. She’s the other cute one.” She actually winks at him.

  My eyes briefly close of their own accord, and a little groan escapes my throat.

  Cade takes it, but she doesn’t let go. “I get around a lot. I mean, on the plane. I get up to SF all the time.”

  “Maybe I’ll see you around then.”

  She lets go of the card, and if her smile gets any wider, her jaw will unhinge and drop down, like the reptile she is.

  Or female dog.

  Chapter 20

  We board the plane, Amy initially preventing us, but then changing her mind after seeing the card.

  “What does the card say?” I ask when we’re seated. The plane’s empty except for us, and there aren’t even any crew in the first class cabin. Which is almost nice enough to distract me from the card and Cade’s answer.

  “What?”

  “What’s on the card?”

  Cade sighs. “This is Cade Dorn, smiley face. Let him on so we can get him off.”

  “That’s pretty blunt.”

  He shrugs. “It worked.”

  “What?” I cry.

  He looks at me like I’m crazy. “Getting on the plane.”

  “Oh.” I exhale, and lean back in the seat. “Yeah. Wow. Finally getting out of here.”

  He chuckles, and his hand falls on my leg. “In an hour or so, we’ll be home.”

  “We?” I ask, looking at his hand.

  “It’s your home now too.”

  “You won’t mind me taking up your couch?”

  “Oh, you won’t be sleeping on the couch.”

  “I wouldn’t want to take up a whole room…”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. You won’t. You’ll be in my room.”

  I shake my head. “I couldn’t let you sleep on the couch.”

  “What makes you think I would be?”

  He slides his hand up my leg. I shiver when it meets my crotch. I lick my lips. “So,” I breathe, “I don’t have a choice? I have to sleep in your bed with you?”

  Cade rubs. “That’s right. And another thing.”

  “Hmm?” I press my head back into the seat and close my eyes as I thrust my pussy into Cade’s touch.

  “I sleep naked.”

  I moan.

  “And you will to. Completely naked in my bed with me. Of course, I’ll have to know you’re safe. So our bodies will be touching the whole night.” His hand slides up, lifting my shirt, grazing my belly, before diving down again below my waistband, sliding into the underwear he bought me, sliding across my clit, and then stopping in my slickness. He teases his finger around my pussy, almost pressing in, then not.

  “What else?” I moan.

  “I might have to tie you up, so you don’t walk away in your sleep.”

  I nod, eyes closed, focusing on the sensation of his finger going in and out, imaging being naked in bed with him, him teasing me with something else. Something larger.

  His breath is on my neck, then his lips. He nibbles gently, and uses his other hand to grab my tit and massage it. He whispers into my ear, “I’m going to make you—”

  Suddenly everything stops and he sits back.

  I look at him, confused. “What—”

  “People,” he says, pretending to dig through his bag.

  I lift up in my seat to see over the tal
l seats, and see he’s right. Mother fucker.

  I sit back down before I do something rash—like kill the coitus interrupters—and resign myself to waiting until we’re alone, locked away in Cade’s… house? apartment? mansion? I feel excitement at the possibilities. Whatever it is, waiting until we get there, where no stupid French girls or two dumb middle-aged men in cheap suits will interrupt us.

  One of these men stops now beside our seat, and looks at me, then at the number above the seat.

  “Are we in the wrong seats?” I ask.

  I see Cade stop pretending from the corner of my eye.

  “Maggie Saint Claire?”

  “How do you—”

  He takes out his wallet and holds it in front of me. I look and reflexively begin reading. John Smith Stone, of the— “US Marshals. You need to come with us.”

  “She’s not going anywhere,” Cade growls.

  “I’m sorry sir. Look, I know this is a weird situation. I’m just doing my job. Nothing against you. I follow you on twitter.” He smiles, pauses awkwardly, as if waiting for a response. He takes a breath. “If your attorneys want to take it up with my boss, or the airport”—he puts his hands up—”you’re welcome to do that. But right now, I have to remove her from the plane. And I’d rather not have to arrest her to do so.” He looks at me. “Please come with us, Miss.”

  “Where?”

  “Past security. What you do beyond that point is up to you. Just don’t try to come back inside without permission from the airport.”

  Cade grabs his bag and stands up. “Fine. I’ll just fucking charter a private jet. Let’s see if they try to stop me from doing that.”

  “That’s certainly an option,” Stone says.

  “Not for all of us,” the other man says.

  “Who’s he?” Cade asks.

  “Oh, sorry, this is my, uh, partner? Marvin. He’s the other marshal on this flight.”

  The other guy hits him. “You’re not supposed to tell anyone.” He looks at us. “And it’s Fuller, not Marvin.”

  “You’re the one who wanted to come. Besides, I doubt Cade Dorn is going to let out the secret.” He looks to Cade. “Right?”

  “Sure,” Cade says, and grabs me, pushing past the two men. “We’ll find our own way out.”

  “Right,” I hear one of them call. “We’ll just, follow from a respectable distance.”

  Cade glances back at them, then at me.

  “What?” I ask.

  “If they’re letting it look like we’re alone…” He stops.

  The marshals stop, a respectable distance back.

  “Are there media out there?”

  “Uh, well…”

  “Bitch!”

  “Hey, it wasn’t me,” Marvin says.

  “I’m so confused,” I say.

  Cade just shakes his head at the man. “You are going to escort us out.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Through the back. A private entrance.”

  “I don’t—”

  Cade goes for an emergency door and opens it.

  “Hey!”

  Surprisingly, there are stairs outside of it.

  “You can’t go down that way, there are regulations.”

  “Who do you think will win a legal battle, after violating my sister’s right to privacy, discriminating against her, racially profiling her, and then banning her without cause on top of all that?”

  “Racially profiling?” Marvin asks, looking at me with a frown.

  Cade yanks me down the stairs.

  “Hey!” Stone calls.

  “Come on,” Cade calls back.

  I hear one of them curse, then follow us down the stairs.

  “You should be a drill sergeant or something,” I tell him.

  “Or something,” Cade says, looking up the stairs.

  We wait at the bottom as the two marshals rush down.

  When they get to us, Marvin is panting.

  Stone seems to be doing better.

  Cade points at a set of doors.

  “That’s baggage check.”

  “Yep,” Stone says.

  Marvin just nods.

  “You need to work out more,” Stone says.

  Marvin looks at him. “I sit on a plane all day.” He pants some more. “Where am I supposed”—more panting—”to get this magical free time in which to work out?”

  Stone just shrugs.

  Cade pulls me toward the doors, and the marshals follow.

  Chapter 21

  We get led—I guess it’s more accurate to say Cade leads us—through the back alleyways and secret passages of the airport, until we pass through doors which have some warning about security, and not being an entrance, and then we’re out into the airport.

  The marshals stop in the door.

  “Okay, thanks for your cooperation Mr—” He stops himself, and looks around like we might be being listened in on. “Well, thanks.”

  Cade gives them a look, then dismisses them, and pulls me outside.

  “I’m not going to run away, you know,” I tell him.

  He looks at me, for the first time since getting off the airplane.

  “Especially after learning what my sleeping arrangement’s going to be.”

  He grins. “Good, because I have to make a call, and I’d prefer to do it with two hands.”

  I get closer. “What else do you like to do with two hands?”

  I hear him groan. “Don’t. We’ve got to get out of here first.”

  I surreptitiously brush his crotch, and he groans again. I smile, and take a step back, satisfied at my power over him.

  “I can’t look at you right now,” he says, and takes out his phone.

  My smile widens.

  While he’s on the phone, I look around the airport, half-expecting Gus to show up with some demented plan.

  But, this has failed to come to fruition by the time Cade hangs up.

  “Let’s get to Hertz.”

  “So, we’re driving there after all.”

  He stares at me. “No.” He takes my hand. “Come on.”

  While we wait in line at Hertz, Cade tells me, “Keep your eyes open.”

  “For what?”

  He shakes his head, looking around the airport. “Anything.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  “I don’t trust him.” He glances down at me. “Who I had to call for approval. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had to deal with the paparazzi.” He scans the area again. “Or worse.”

  “Worse?”

  “Just keep your guard up.”

  “It’s up.”

  He focuses his attention on me. “I’m sorry, little bird, this will be over soon.”

  I touch his hand.

  “Next!”

  “Jesus,” I say, putting my hand to my heart.

  “Next!” the woman repeats.

  “Some Gold Member service,” Cade says, and we walk up to the counter.

  “So where are we going?” I ask Cade in the parking lot as we get into our new rental car—a Chevy something, which is surprising, but he said we weren’t going far.

  “The other side of the airport.”

  I laugh. “Seriously.”

  He starts the car, then glances at me. “What?”

  “Are you joking?”

  We back out.

  “About what?”

  “Where we’re going.”

  He puts the car in drive, then looks at me. “No. Why would I be? We have a jet to catch. It’s like a mile. We can walk, if you want.”

  “No no, that’s fine. Just curious. Please, proceed.”

  He does.

  When we go past a gate with a guard to a protected area, I ask, “Are we really going to be able to fly? I thought LAX banned me.”

  “But not me. They won’t know about you.”

  “How?”

  “I had Lovelace charter a jet.

  “You had your company charter a jet just for the two of
us?” I laugh with disbelief. “Wow. This is crazy. I can’t believe you just chartered a jet. How much did that cost?”

  “The truth?”

  “Duh.”

  “You can’t handle the truth.”

  I punch his arm, then scoot over in my seat and lean on him. “I’m so happy right now.”

  He reaches across himself with his left hand, and pets my head.

  Chapter 22

  The jet is waiting for us on the concourse. It sounds like it’s already started.

  “How did they get something so quick?”

  Cade grabs his bag from the backseat. “I paid extra.”

  There’s what looks like a pilot waiting for us at the top of the stairs. He waves.

  “How soon can we be in the air?” Cade shouts as we ascend the steps.

  “As soon as you’re both aboard.”

  Cade makes an okay symbol, and the pilot backs away so we can get inside.

  “Make yourself comfortable,” the pilot says. “I’m Major Williams. Call me Tom.”

  “Thanks,” Cade says. “Are you pilot or copilot?”

  “Both.”

  Cade had been about to sit, but he pauses. “Just you? Where’s the copilot?”

  Williams retracts the stairs, which are also the door, then turns to face us. “Well, we could wait for one.” He looks at his watch, a huge, silver and black thing. “It will be another five hours or so.”

  “Shit.” Cade punches the seat.

  “Hey, I won’t tell if you won’t.”

  Cade glances at me. To the pilot, he asks, “Is that safe?”

  “Son, I’ve been flying for twenty years.”

  “For the air force?” I ask. “Major?”

  He laughs. “Something like that. More of a nickname now.” He shakes his head. “Did I introduce myself as Major? Bad habit.”

  “It’s cute,” I say.

  “Well coming from a sweetie like you I’ll take that as a complement.”

  I blush despite myself.

  The pilot puts his hands up to Cade. “Don’t worry, I know she’s your sister.” He laughs and drops his hands. “So, what say you? Fly now, or fly later?”

  Cade looks at me again. “If you’re sure it’s safe.”

  “Perfectly.” He barks a laugh. “If anything goes wrong, there’s always the quick way down.”

  “The quick way?” I ask.