Theirs to Ransom

by Stasia Black

  Finally he collapsed back against the headboard, his stomach and chest heaving. “Fuck,” he swore, forearm swiping at his face. “That was fucking incredible.”

  Sophia glowed.

  “I’m close,” Leo said. “You’re so hot, mija. Hottest thing I’ve ever seen or touched.”

  Sophia bit her lip and tried to focus on tightening around him. They were muscles she’d never flexed before and it felt strange and wonderful. So did the way Leo cursed every time she did it.

  He continued his fingers swirling at her clit and the nice feelings were there. She wasn’t sure if she could orgasm again, she was so oversensitive and every thing was just so much.

  But it felt good, everything he was doing to her, and when he thrust and a stuttered groan came from his throat, she felt so satisfied that even though she was sweaty and exhausted, she kept moving her hips back and forth, grinding back on Leo to help him get the most out of his climax.

  But finally, with an intimate massaging caress of her hips and buttocks, he slid out.

  The bed dipped as both Jagger and Leo climbed off.

  And almost immediately, Sophia was being pulled into another set of arms. Sophia looked over her shoulder as Finn pulled the sheet over her to cover her nakedness, then he pulled her against his body.

  She blinked in surprise at the action, and even more so when Finn spoke to Leo. “Leo, go get a damp cloth so she can clean up.”

  And then Finn’s worried voice was in her ear. “Are you okay, Soph?”

  He was so familiar but him holding her so tight after… after…

  She nodded, not sure she could form words just right now, squeezing her eyes shut. She would not cry. She would not cry.

  No one had hurt her but it was so much all so quickly.

  She’d thought she was prepared. She thought she was so grown up. Did all brides feel like this on their wedding nights?

  She flipped around and buried her face in Finn’s chest and his arms came around her tighter than ever.

  “Shhh, I’ve got you, Soph. I’ve got you, and I’m never letting you go.”

  Chapter Eight

  FINN

  So he’d have to be sneaky if he wanted to kill them and still get him and Sophia out of town alive. He’d have to get Jagger first, followed by that Toby asshole. Leo seemed like a nice enough guy but his brother was a goddamned tank. No way they’d get past him if he decided to be loyal to his boss even after he was dead.

  Poison maybe? Take them all out at the same time?

  Sophie heaved a sweet little breath and shifted in Finn’s arms. He held her tighter, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. She was using his chest as a pillow. His right arm had long gone numb but he didn’t care.

  Jesus she was so tiny. And all those bastards had just used her like she was— Like she was a—

  Finn gritted his teeth.

  Watching them take her, being right there on the same goddamned bed while they—

  He squeezed his eyes shut, but that didn’t help. Everything was on constant replay in his head. What was he supposed to do? He’d had a front seat to a live porno featuring the girl he was stupid in love with. Every image was burned into his brain.

  Seeing what her face looked like when she came, Jesus. Watching her slurp cock like it was God’s gift. He shook his head. Because at the same time it had killed him. Fucking gutted him to watch her take three other fucking men, right in front of him.

  At least they were gone now. Well, mostly gone. That big bastard Mario was sleeping on a chair in the corner. A watchdog to make sure they didn’t run off. Jagger wasn’t a fucking idiot. He saw exactly how much Finn hated him.

  That had been a mistake. Finn knew he ought to be playing it smarter. How would he get his chance to slice that fucker through the belly if he was always on his guard around Finn?

  No, better to play buddy buddy, then, when the time was right, strike.

  And how would Sophia feel about that?

  She’d be pissed. No doubt. But something about this whole place was off. And no matter what she thought, these men were not the salvation she imagined they were. Jesus, most of them were half-starved and dehydrated. If Santa Fe were some Mecca out in the desert, they certainly weren’t sharing the wealth with these sad fucks down here.

  Sophia stirred in his arms.

  “Shh,” he murmured when she didn’t settle right away like she had at earlier points in the night when he’d used the same tactic. This time, though, she blinked her eyes open and pulled away from his chest. Even though it was a relief to finally be able to flex his right arm and try to get feeling back in it, he hated to lose the contact with her.

  She rubbed her eyes and looked around. Moonlight came in from the windows, enough to see a dim outline of the room and each other.

  “Finn?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Hey Soph,” he said. Jesus but she was beautiful, all sleepy with her dark hair falling over her shoulder, so much cream-caramel skin on display.

  She must have realized the same thing because she drew the sheet up around her even though she’d fixed her bra so that it covered her breasts.

  She looked around the room. “Where is everyone?”

  “Jagger went out, I don’t know where. Leo’s sleeping on the couch. And Mario’s over there,” Finn nodded to the corner of the room where the big man sat on a chair in the corner, his head tilted against the wall, snoring. “Jagger told him to ‘keep an eye on us.’” Finn fairly growled the last part but Sophia just nodded, taking it in stride like it was no big deal.

  “Right.” Finn hopped out of bed. “Leo showed me where the bathroom is earlier. I’ll take you.”

  Mario just snored on, not even stirring at their movements. So much for a guard dog.

  Sophia dragged the sheet with her, wrapping it around her as Finn led her down the hall to a bathroom and stood outside while she did her business. He heard the sink turn on. Running water probably wasn’t as much a shocking luxury to her like it was to Finn because she had it in her house when they turned on the water pump.

  She came out five minutes later, the hair around her face damp. She must have taken the opportunity to wash up better.

  “Okay,” she whispered. “We can go back to bed now.”

  Finn nodded but then stopped, looking up and down the dark hallway. “Soph, we can get out of here. Steal a car or a bike and be halfway to Texas before sunrise.”

  She jerked back from him. “Why would you say that?”

  “You don’t have to do this. It’s not too late—”

  “Not too— I’m married,” she hissed. “I had my wedding night and these men are my husbands.” She brushed past him on her way back to the bedroom, knocking his shoulder with hers.

  Finn sighed and dragged his hands through his hair. “Fuck.”

  He followed after her. Why wouldn’t she ever listen to reason? These men were dangerous. He had a bad feeling. A very bad feeling.

  He stomped after her and pushed through the bedroom door.

  But when he saw her curled up on the bed in a tiny ball, all the fight went out of him.

  He went over and sat down, putting a hand on her arm. She jerked it away.

  “Shit, Soph, I’m sorry.”

  She just grabbed the pillow and turned her back toward him, burying her face in it. At first he thought she was just being her normal obstinate self. But then he saw how her back was shaking.

  Shit, was she crying? Had he made her cry?

  “Soph. Sophia.”

  He rolled her towards him by her shoulders and she covered her face with her hands.

  “Talk to me. Please. I’m sorry I’m such an ass. But you can talk to me.”

  She hiccupped and kept her face covered. “It’s stupid,” she said in a small voice.

  She was killing him, didn’t she know that? He’d walk through fucking fire for her, anything to keep her safe, to make her happy.

  “Nothing you say is stupid.
Come on, you can tell me. Did one of them hurt you?” He’d fucking kill them. He swore, if they’d—

  But she just shook her head again. “You’ll laugh.”

  “I swear I won’t.”

  It took another few minutes of coaxing before she finally told him through hiccupping tears. “I didn’t get to wear my mother’s wedding dress. I got married in dirty jeans and an old t-shirt.”

  A surprised laugh burst out of Finn.

  She finally dropped her hands from her tear-stained face, but only so she could glare up at him. “You swore you wouldn’t laugh.”

  “Oh Soph,” he shook his head, still chuckling. Her life had been on the line, she’d been all but kidnapped by strange men, paraded through a town of savage strangers, and she was upset about a dress? Only Sophia.

  She smacked him in the chest and even that was fucking cute.

  On an impulse, he cupped her face and dragged her forward, kissing her on the forehead. The way her breath hitched at the action had his own breath stuttering, though.

  He moved back slowly, and for some reason, he wasn’t pulling his hands away from her face. Jesus she was soft. So soft and breakable and perfect.

  “It’s not just the dress, okay?” she finally whispered. “I am scared. I have been for… well, ever since we left the cave, really. And yes, this place freaks me out. We don’t know these men or exactly what they want. But we’re here and I still think it’s worth trying to accomplish the mission since we’re already in this deep. But Finn, you have to know, I couldn’t do any of it without— I need your help. I need… you.”

  And when she blinked up at him with those luminous green eyes of hers, Finn was caught. Completely ensnared, just like he’d been the very first day he walked into Jacob’s Well and set eyes on her.

  Except so much worse because now he knew her. He knew how the bright spots appeared on her cheeks when her temper flared and he knew how passionate she was, a passion that led her to throw caution to the wind she was so damn determined to make her life matter. She was beautiful and reckless and perfect, so fucking perfect and—

  “Finn?” she whispered, her eyes searching his.

  And then, without waiting for an answer, she lurched forward. Her kiss was clumsy but it was all Finn had ever been waiting for.

  Still cupping her face, he devoured the lips he’d stared at so many times from afar, pressing her back into the bed.

  She gasped and Finn slipped his tongue into her mouth. He didn’t force it though. He just teased his tongue inside, savoring every inch, every single centimeter that was Sophia.

  Jesus Christ, kissing her was better than every fantasy he’d ever had.

  He groaned into her mouth and his hand slid around to the back of her neck.

  And Sophia, oh Jesus, Sophia struggled with the sheet and then threw it to the side. And when it was gone, she slung her leg up and around his waist.

  Her completely naked leg.

  And she lifted her hips up against him, grinding into his hardness. Because there was no way, having her in his arms, having her lips on his, finally, that he wouldn’t be hard as stone.

  “Sophia,” he groaned, pulling away from her lips and putting his forehead to hers. “That’s not what this is about. We don’t have to do that.”

  “You don’t want to?” He’d never heard her sound so vulnerable or hurt.

  “God, Soph, are you kidding me?” He shifted his hips into her. “Can’t you feel how much I want you? Your body drives me fucking insane.” After having her mouth, he couldn’t go another second without it, so he kissed her again, long and deep. Jesus, he’d never let her ever think he didn’t want her.

  It took all his effort but he broke away from her mouth again. “But you’ve gone through a lot today. I’m not just going to be one more bastard who takes from you.”

  She was already shaking her head, though.

  “Finn…” She reached up tentatively and pushed some of his shaggy hair back from his face. She swallowed before continuing. “You’re my… my husband, too. And I want that. With you. Tonight. I want it to be real.”

  Aw fuck, she was seriously killing him. She knew that, right?

  Just to make the torture complete, she rolled her hips against him again.

  He was going to hell. That was all there was to it.

  Because he reached down and ripped at the button of his jeans to free himself.

  Sophia reached behind her and undid her bra, sliding it down her arms. Finn about passed out.

  “Jesus, Soph,” he breathed out, taking her in. He’d tried not to look while the other men were having sex with her earlier. He really had, but he was only human. Still, he’d only had glances of her in the few peeks he’d stolen.

  But to have her here, underneath him, exposing herself just for him.

  He dropped down to suckle on one of her dark pink nipples as he shoved his jeans and boxers down his ass.

  Oh fuck. The tip of his cock nudged at her folds and she was hot.

  And wet.

  She was wet for him.

  It drove him fucking crazy.

  He suckled harder at her nipple but only for a moment because he missed the connection of her lips too much.

  He shifted back up and took her mouth again.

  Her legs had wrapped back around him and she rolled her hips against him, rubbing her folds up and down his length before he was even inside her.

  “Jesus, Soph,” he swore between kisses. “You’re killing me. You feel so fucking good.”

  She smiled and when he pulled back a moment to look into her eyes, they were sparkling and excited.

  She wanted this. She wasn’t doing it out of some sense of obligation or because she thought she ought to as a new bride.

  Finn reached down and grabbed his cock, dragging his tip up and down her slit and rolling it around where he thought her clit was.

  Based on the way she arched her back, he thought he’d found the right spot.

  He couldn’t wait another second.

  Still, he forced himself to ask. “You ready, Soph? You ready for me?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Finn. Please.”

  Please. God. Killing him.

  He felt around with his cock and finally lined up with the place where her body gave. Then he pressed in.

  And she welcomed him in like she was made for him.

  Because she was fucking made for him.

  When she was born, Sophia Wolford was marked. Marked as meant for him, and him for her. He knew it with every cell in his whole goddamned body.

  Especially his fucking cock.

  Nothing had ever felt more right in his life than his cock coming home as he entered Sophia’s body. Home. Pressing in further. Her body so fucking tight around him. So goddamned right.

  Her mouth went taut and her face strained.

  “Oh shit, Soph. Are you okay? Am I hurting you?”

  His worry cut like a knife through the insane pleasure he was feeling but she just shook her head.

  “No, it’s good. Keep going. God, Finn, keep going.”

  Pleasure spiked at hearing her say his name. While he was fucking inside her.

  “Say it again.” He kissed her deep while he pushed in another inch. Fucking heaven. This was eternity. Being inside Sophia Wolford.

  She squirmed, her hips rolling up restlessly against him. “What?”

  “My name,” he growled, sliding in the last inch.

  “Finn,” she cried as he swiveled his hips, trying to give her friction on that all-important bud. Seemed like it worked.

  “That’s right,” he said, pulling out slowly, tortuously. Jesus, was pulling out even better? No, it was pushing in, he decided on his next thrust. Definitely pushing in. That feeling of breaching, of taking what the girl of his dreams was finally willing to give.

  “Finn,” she gasped again as he bottomed out and ground his groin into hers.

  “Yes, Soph, I’m right here with you, honey. Tell me h
ow good it feels.”

  “Finn, it’s so good.” A tear slid out of her eye. “I never knew…”

  He pressed back in again and kissed her all over her face. “I know, baby.” Emotion clogged his own throat. “Shh, I know.”

  They continued silently for awhile longer. The most precious minutes of Finn’s whole stupid life.

  This. This made it all worth it. The shit and the misery and the death and the blood. This moment with the most perfect woman on earth. Her clutching his back so hard her nails dug into his flesh. Her little breathy gasps between kisses as he learned her body. The feel of her nipples brushing against the hair on his chest.

  “Finn, it’s coming.” She’d had her eyes closed, lost in the pleasure, but she opened them again.

  Finn saw the whole fucking world in her eyes.

  He couldn’t hold back anymore. His hips jerked and he came as he looked into her eyes, and watched the surprised wonder as her own climax hit.

  Afterwards, he clutched her to him and rolled so that she was on top of him. She weighed so little, he could still breathe just fine, and he didn’t want to lose the connection with her yet. Every so often, he’d thrust a few times to give just enough friction so his cock would stay stiff. Even though he’d already come, he could stay hard for a good while after.

  If he had his way, he’d stay just like this, his cock in the woman he loved, for the rest of his fucking life.

  Chapter Nine

  SOPHIA

  “Rise and shine, lovely wife.”

  Sophia blinked her eyes open.

  Where was—?

  Then her eyes popped open wide. Holy shit! She was sleeping on someone. Like, on them. She put her hands on either side of him and pushed back.

  Finn.

  Right. Memories of last night flooded back in.

  Him cupping her face so sweetly and her attacking him and kissing him… and then everything that followed.

  She shifted to climb off him.

  —which was when she felt him inside her.

  Holy shit! His cock was still in her!!!!

  How was that even possible? As she shifted, she felt him start to harden again. And she felt her body start to respond.