Branded by the Badge

Chapter 7

Russell had waited until the office was empty for the evening, including Marlena. It'd taken another round of love making to distract her, to keep her questions at bay. He'd spent an hour with his head buried between her legs, relishing in every sweet moan from her lips as he drove her over the edge again and again until she was a shaking mess in his arms and pushing him from her. The look of shock on her face had made him laugh when he'd simply pulled her up into his arms and kissed her, for once not asking for anything in return, not demanding that she now do him a favor, run a package for him, nothing. No, tonight, the taste of her was favor enough. He wasn't the kind of man that sought or accepted comfort but today he did. He'd needed it. He'd sent her on her way to her little apartment with a few last kisses and a pat on her ass. "Be a good girl. Go on." He watched her leave before sitting at his desk for hours long after she'd left, his mind turning over the information he'd learned while in Austin. They'd been able to trace the messages to Marfa. Someone here in his sleepy little town knew far too much, and he had a damn good feeling he knew who it was. 

He finally gathers his things, reaching into his desk and pulling out the unregistered revolver he kept there and slipped it into his jacket before heading to his SUV making the drive home. The ten minute drive had never seemed so long. Opening his front door, he could hear the unmistakable moans and sigh filling the house. He shakes his head and makes his way up the stairs to the bedroom he'd long ago stopped sharing with his wife. She'd never held his heart, after all, only his name. He opens the door, letting it slam against the wall, startling the couple in the bed. He leans against the doorway with a bored look on his face as he looks at the much younger man in bed with Susannah. "Get dressed and get out, kid." He grumbles, his voice low, not needing to raise it to get his point across. His eyes didn't even move to the man for a second. He didn't care who he was. It wasn't him he had business with. He waited until the younger man quickly gathered his clothes and ran out of the room and down the stairs, the front door to the house slamming on his way out. Russell lets a snarl fall from his lips and slams the bedroom door shut, throwing his phone at his wife, the picture of him and Marlena on it, staring at her from the bed. "What the fuck did you do, Susannah?" He asks, slowly making his way to her like a wild cat stalking its prey. He had a gut feeling it was her, the jealous bitch. He watched her face, biting back a bitter laugh as she feigns shock at the photo. 

Susannah gulps, looking up at him in shock, working up tears in her eyes as she looks up at him with big doe like eyes. "Russell? What are you saying? Are you cheating on me?" She asks, like she didn't know, like she hadn't known from the very beginning. Of course she knew. How couldn't she. She hated that mousey little bitch that held Russell's attention. She cries out when she feels his hand tangle in her hair, yanking sharply, pulling her head back hard, her head throbbing from the force of it as she's forced to meet his gaze. His face was just inches from her, his eyes blazing with rage, the vein on the side of his neck standing out as he holds her in place. "Don't fuck with me Sue! Don't play fucking stupid!" He growls out, yanking her hair again, causing honest tears to fall down her face. He'd never raised a hand to a woman in anger, never hurt a woman, no matter how heavy handed he'd been with Marlena at times, that was controlled, planned in a way. This was sheer, emotion and animalistic instinct to protect what was his.  Tired of her reluctance to answer, bored with her silence, he reaches his free hand into his coat and pulls out the gun, holding it to the tender skin under her chin, her entire body tensing. "Tell me!" He roars, and it's then he knows without a doubt it was her as her body sags in defeat but her eyes blaze with anger, defiance, jealousy. "I was so tired of being played a fool. I didn't care that you fucked around but to flaunt it! Everyone saw it! Everyone knew it, Russell! I looked like a common fool to everyone in town!" She bites out, looking into his eyes. "It doesn't matter now. It's been done." She says with a bitter laugh. Russell's blood ran cold at her words. What did she mean? It was too late. Did she mean she'd already sent the messages? No. He shakes his head, his thumb pulling back the hammer of the gun. "TELL ME!" He roars. "Valenciano knows. He knows everything Russell. He knows that you've worked with the feds for years. He Already knew that! Leilland knew! That was a test, asshole and you failed! I told him about Marlena so he'd have the bait he needed to lure you into action." Russell was shaking as he took in everything she said. It was too late. Now it was only a matter of time before Valenciano took action. Russell knew far too much, had made too much money off of Valenciano to get away with such a betrayal. He lets go of Susannah, shoving her away from him and gently releasing the hammer of the gun, putting it back in his coat. "Get the fuck out. Get out of town and pray to God that if I live, that I never fucking see you again." He growls, his body feeling leaden as he sits on the edge of the bed. All of the years of double crossing, lying, living double lives, keeping Marlena at arms length, all of it was for nothing at all. He'd failed. His attempt to keep her safe would ultimately be the reason she died unless he figured something out fast. 

He didn't know how long he'd sat in that empty bedroom after Susannah had left, staring at a blank wall, his mind running over every possibility. He'd contacted his liaison with the Feds and told them what had happened, had bargained with them to get Marlena out of there first thing in the morning. He just hoped it'd be soon enough. He grabbed an envelope he'd had ready for quite a while and slips it into his coat before heading out the door and to the one place that felt like home, not the building but the person. His Marlena.  He parks in front of her apartment and looks up at the darkened window that he knew lead to her bedroom. He gets out of his SUV and heads up to her apartment, using the key he had, a soft smile on his face. She always threatened to change the lock but never did. No matter how volatile their relationship ever got, she'd never shut him out. She relied on his dominance, his firm guidance and he needed her soft, sweet submission smoothed his rough edges and calmed him like no one ever had before. He makes his way inside her apartment, taking off his coat, carrying it with him to her bedroom with him and drapes the coat over the chair in the corner of her room before quietly placing his gun under the coat and then kicking off his boots and removing his clothes. He smiles as he watches her sleep, the blanket slipping enough to reveal her nude ass to his gaze. He lifts the covers and slowly sleeps in behind her, slips his arms around her, placing a soft kiss to her shoulder, his long, thick fingers caressing her hip as her holds her. Marlena shifts in her sleep, feeling the warmth against her back as she slowly blinks awake, turning her head just enough to realize who's behind her, even though she didn't need to see him to know. She could tell just from the scent of him, from the feel of his strong arms around him and his strong, broad chest against her back. "Russell? Honey?" She tries to turn to face him, worried suddenly. This was unlike him. If he came into her home unannounced it was always because she had information he needed. His strong arms around her stopped her from turning around. "Stay just like that, doll." He growls softly against her shoulder, nipping softly as he slides his hand over her body to her thigh, lifting it slightly and slipping between her legs, his hard cock slipping through her folds, teasing her, sliding against her. "Not gonna get in a hurry tonight, baby girl. Gonna take our time." He purrs as he slips inside of her, a low growls falling from his lips as he stills inside of her, propping her hip over his as his fingers move to stroke her clit. He keeps still inside of her, enjoying the way the stimulation of her clit causes her to pulse and flutter around him, her soft moans begging him to move. Marlena rocks against him, gasping as he slaps her pussy in punishment for not obeying. "I said don't move." He barks out then softly pets her pussy, his fingers dancing over her clit again, his cock twitching inside of her. He wanted to move, but he was enjoying this far too much for that. He nips her ear, soothing the skin with his tongue as he whispers softly. "Give me what I want, doll, then I'll move for you. Come for me, baby girl." He smirks as that simple command seems to set her off, her body reacting to his command, so well trained. He grunts as her pussy clamps around him, his name falling in a moan from her lips. "That's my girl. My good girl." He moves his hand up her back, feather light caresses over her spine until his fingers tangle in her hair, his body moving, rolling them until she was pinned beneath him, her chest pressed into the mattress as he pulls her hair, tilting her neck so that he could capture her lips in his. He kisses her deeply, passionately, caressing her tongue with his as he begins moving in and out of her tight heat in long, deep strokes, grinding against her and every inward stroke. He keeps his grip in her hair, holding her in place as he breaks the kiss, his lips still barely touching hers as he fucks hers, his eyes locked with hers, shining with the dominance she loved, but also that one emotion she never thought she'd see, that emotion she had longed for. Russell had held this back for so long, had denied them both, but mostly her. She deserved this, deserved to know that she was so much more to him than what he'd let her believe for so many years. With a soft sigh, his breath fanning over his lips, his hips still moving against hers, both of them on the edge of release, their bodies covered in a soft sheen of sweat, he gave her the words she'd longed to hear. "I love you, Marlena." With those words, they both come undone, finding their releases together, tangled in each others arms until they fall to the bed spent and breathless. 

He smiles as he holds her close, dancing his fingers over her back while she places soft kisses to his face. He was never a cuddler, but tonight, he could see the draw of it with her body pressed so closely to his and the way her soft lips kept pressing to his skin. Marlena stroked his cheek, smiling happily as she runs her fingers through his thick, dark hair. "I love you too, Russ. But you know that." She sighs and tucks her head against his chest under his chin, listening to his heart beat under her ear. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" She asks softly, only the be met with a soft laugh and a swat to her ass. "No questions, doll. You know the deal. Can't give you answers right now. But you'll have them soon." He says softly, his deep voice washing over her. He was going to enjoy tonight, enjoy having her close to him, because he never knew when Valenciano would show up.