by Ella Miles
“Yes,” she moans.
God, I love her voice.
I flick my tongue over and over. I feel her hands grab my hair, but she doesn’t get to touch. I grab her wrists and force them apart, glued to the bed.
All I want is for her to feel my tongue on her most sensitive of areas. For her to remember I’m the only man who has touched her here. The only man who gets to hear her cries as she comes.
“Wait…I want your cock,” she pulls her hands, trying to loosen them from my grip.
I drive my tongue into her cunt, pulling her juices out and lapping over her clit.
“And you shall have it, but first. This. I want to feel your first explosion rattle the entire room.”
Kai pants at my words, as if my words are causing the orgasm instead of my tongue. Faster I pull her under my spell. Taunting her, teasing her, until I finally give her the pressure she needs, and she finally gives me what I want—my name in as much of a prayer as a curse falling from her beautiful lips.
“Enzo!”
Her body shakes viciously, her thighs clench as I pull an orgasm from her body. But that was just to prepare her for round two. I might not deserve to sink my cock inside her, but it’s not about deserving. It’s about need. And we both need it more than we need blood to keep pumping in our veins.
I pull the condom from my pocket and barely get my pants down and the condom on before I explode like a teenage boy.
I grab her and roll her on top, so I don’t completely crush her underneath me, and she continues to have some control.
She straddles me with flushed cheeks, and heavy eyes. She claws at my chest as I pull her down on top of my sheathed cock.
Each time we fuck I still can’t believe how tight she is. But there is no pain on her face. I slide in easily from her slickness.
She rides me hard, and I’m sure the good doctor would yell at us both for this, but it’s worth it. I’d gladly give her all my blood to keep her alive after this and die a happy man.
I thrust into her as she grinds on top of me, her clit angling toward my hard stomach.
I roll my head back for a second before reminding myself to focus on the beautiful woman humping me. Because someday, she won’t be mine anymore.
Kai puts her hand over my heart as we pump harder.
“Here, it hurts here,” she says.
My eyes are defiant, but there is no use in hiding it. “Just fuck me, beautiful.”
She leans down, still riding me but at a slower pace as our foreheads touch.
“You love me. Truth or lies?” this sentence comes out as question more than any of her previous ones. This one she doesn’t know the answer to before she asks it. She knows I care about her. I even like her. But love, that’s on a whole different level.
“I love it when you scream my name when you come,” I wink at her. Thrusting again to try to get us off this topic. But she’s determined. She wants a real answer.
“That’s not what I mean. Do you love me? Do you have a heart? Are you capable of loving?” she presses against my heart with her palm.
“Do you love me?” I ask.
“Can a slave ever love her master?” she says back.
“Can a predator ever love his prey?” I snap back.
Her face grows determined. She wants me to admit weakness. Admit I love her when she could never love me in return.
“I’m not capable of love, Kai. We are fucking, nothing more. I care about you sure. I want to protect you and keep you alive because I want to protect the broken. But when this is over, when one of us is declared Black, this is over. You want to be free; I’ll find a way to make it happen the second this twisted game is through.”
“You’re too evil for love, and I’m too broken.” She smiles sadly. “Just making sure before you start proposing to me for real.”
I chuckle and kiss her lips. “You don’t have to worry about that. This is the best we will ever have, with anyone. Neither of us can love. Neither wants to get married. Neither wants to start a family. But this connection we have. It’s special. And it’s real. And it can be the best damn thing we have. Because not being capable of falling in love is the best damn gift either of us has ever received.”
She nods. “Fuck me and remind me what I have instead of what I’m giving up.”
So I do. I fuck her hard, quickly moving back into our rhythm together. Our blood pumps, and it might as well be flowing through me to her as in sync we both are together.
I drive in harder.
“You like that, baby?”
“Fuck, yes.”
“You have nothing to fear. You’re safe—always.”
I fuck her harder. Deeper. Longer. Until I know we are both going to spend the next few hours passed out in the bed from a sex coma instead of what I need to be doing—finding a way to protect her.
She screams and pants her orgasm out until her screams turn into silent pleas. A single tear rolls down her cheek.
I kiss it away, hoping with its removal so too am I removing her pain and her anger. I know we aren’t capable of forgiveness any more than we are capable of love. But we are capable of moving forward no matter what. We are survivors.
We collapse on the bed next to each other. We both pant hard, and I’m too tired to get up to even remove the condom.
We both close our eyes as sleep begins to come for us. But not before I realize what I have to do to keep her safe. And she isn’t going to like it.
7
Kai
I love Enzo Black.
I love him.
I shouldn’t. It should be the last feeling I ever feel. But I do. I love him. I thought I was too broken for love. I thought I was undeserving. But nobody told my heart any of those things.
Enzo is cruel. He’s dangerous. He’s evil.
He sold me, but not out of malice, but because he loves me too, and it hurt him too much to imagine me with another man. It hurt so fucking much he had to get rid of me. He needed me gone in order to survive.
But he’s so broken he will never admit he’s capable of love.
Love is weak.
Love is fear.
Love is dangerous.
I understand, it’s how I feel. I’ve never felt so vulnerable as I do now—loving him.
I didn’t want to admit it to myself. He’s evil incarnate. But it doesn’t matter. Because he’s my evil, and I’m his broken.
And I’m completely fucked. Because as much as I love Enzo, he will never admit his love back. He will never show his love beyond protecting me, beyond claiming me as his.
I thought that could be enough, being his. But my heart is already pierced by his confession. He doesn’t love me. He’s willing to give me up when this is over.
Enzo deserves to be Black. I already think of him as Black. But I will fight every day to prolong the game as long as possible. Because the longer the game lasts, the longer I get Enzo. And I need him, forever.
I need him to love me like I love him.
I’m only just learning what love means. It’s the first time, I’ve admitted it to myself. I thought I wasn’t capable of love. But maybe because I’m not capable of loving someone who isn’t broken. And Enzo is as broken as it comes. His life has been just as tortuous as mine.
I should end it. Give him peace. Let him win what he deserves. I spent six years being tortured. He’s spent his entire life. But I’m selfish. I want him. I love him. And if I only get a few more months to love him, then so be it. I’ll take it. I just won’t ever admit it. Because admitting my feelings out loud would hurt worse than keeping them inside.
I’ve forgiven him for hurting me, which only verifies my feelings for him. Only my love for him could allow me to forgive him for the sins he’s committed against me. And these feelings are going to screw me over more than anything else.
I’ve been tortured, abused, shot, but I’ve never had a broken heart. Never had love ripped from me. And I know that’s where our journey ends
. With my heart bleeding for him.
Enzo stirs. His body is draped over me, warming me more than any blanket or heater ever could. I never liked fire, never liked being hot living in the Miami sun, but with Enzo I welcome it.
He smiles at me.
“You’re sticky,” I say with a smile. The condom fell off sometime while we were sleeping and his cum now sticks to my thigh.
“You complaining?”
I stretch. “I guess not.” I smile wider. I’ll never complain as long as I keep getting sex like that. It wasn’t my intention when we started. I just wanted him to understand how serious this is to me. This isn’t a game. This is my life.
But then I made the mistake of touching him, and that lit a flame neither of us knows how to extinguish.
“Shower with me,” he commands instead of asking.
He rolls off me, and the bed dips as he stands up.
I nod and slowly follow. Apparently being in love means I don’t mind when he gives me orders. Am I doomed to spend the rest of my time with him meek and weak, merely following orders like a lovesick puppy?
Yes, and I’ll be all too happy to do it.
I watch Enzo walk; his tight ass is too hard not to watch as we enter his ginormous bathroom. He starts the shower before tossing the condom in the trash bin.
His eyes are fixed on me, and he stops me to examine my neck wound.
“Does it hurt?” he asks.
I shake my head. Of course it hurts, but it’s nothing compared to what I know I will feel when we are over.
He frowns. He knows I’m lying. He drops his hand and disappears into the bedroom, reappearing with two pills and a bottle of water. I take the pills without arguing and then take a sip of water to wash them down.
He nods, satisfied.
And then we step into the shower, neither of us keeping our eyes off each other. We stand close together but don't touch. If he moves, I move, like a dance we orchestrated, instead of a stalemate.
“What are you doing?” I ask, as the water beads down on us.
“Watching you.”
I shake my head. “No, you are trying to hide your plan. I think you’ve kept enough secrets from me. Tell me the plan.”
“I don’t have a plan.”
“Liar.”
He sighs. “Can’t we just enjoy a shower together?”
“No, because it gives you time to figure out how to hide the truth from me.”
He rubs his hands through my hair, washing the long strands, stalling even though it feels nice.
“Enzo…”
“I have a plan, but you are going to hate it.”
I suck in a breath, already suspecting what his plan is, but he needs to say it.
“Try me.”
“Milo doesn’t know I have you, and until I figure out how to deal with him, I think it’s best if we keep the fact you are here hidden. I know you won’t like that. You are half owner of the Black empire. You have every right to show up at Surrender same as me. But that’s why I think it’s best that neither of us goes near Surrender for a while. We can run the business from elsewhere. I can show you more of the ropes of how to run things.”
“You mean you want to leave on one of the yachts,” I say flatly, saying what he’s been avoiding this entire time.
“Yes.”
8
Enzo
Kai didn’t fight me on my plan to board a yacht and sail until Milo is either dead or we have a plan to ensure he will never touch us.
I expected a fight.
I expected a battle.
I expected to have to throw her ass over my shoulder with her kicking and cursing to get her onto a yacht, knowing I can’t guarantee when we will touch land again.
I love the sea, so it’s no problem to spend years at a time on the ocean. But for Kai, living on the sea is her biggest nightmare.
But she didn’t fight me, maybe because she thought it was inevitable. Or maybe because something changed. Being around her feels different. She should be steaming still after what I did. It was unforgivable. I was an idiot. And I know I haven't done enough to make up for it. But she’s tolerating me.
More than tolerating me. She beams when I’m around her, and follows my order without argument. I want to ask what’s going on, but I don’t dare. I need her to do exactly as I say, at least until I get her on that yacht.
I left Kai in the bedroom and sent Westcott to purchase any items she will need and pack up the rest of what she has because I don’t know when we will hit land again.
“What’s the plan?” Langston asks, his arms crossed as I enter my office. Both him and Zeke continue to scowl at me, and I don’t think they will ever stop after what I did to Kai.
“I’ll tell you when you wipe that scowl from your face,” I answer, as I collapse into my chair behind my desk.
Langston growls. “Not going to happen. Kai is now a member of this family. You decided that the day you brought her here. And yes, she may have fucked up. But you fucked up worse. She’s earned my forgiveness; you haven’t yet. So I will keep being pissed as long as I want.”
I grin at his loyalty to this family. I truly wish Kai was a part of the family as Langston says. It would be nice to have a girl around. She’s not though, and can never be. Because as long as I’m Black, she can never join the family, it’s too dangerous. And if she were to ever become Black, she would be in constant danger. Not going to happen.
“Glad to know where your loyalties lie, Langston,” I say with a huff. I look at Zeke who is crossing his arms smirking down at me. His muscles are twice the size of mine, which should intimidate me—it doesn’t. I know behind the muscles is a big softy who cares about me more than he cares about hurting me.
“The plan is we are all getting on the Savage and getting lost in the middle of fucking nowhere, until Rowan takes out Milo or I find a way to kill him myself. In the meantime, we will run the empire and continue the game at sea. I need you both to make the necessary arrangements to get the Savage prepared and ready to go with a full crew in the next hour. Westcott is helping Kai pack. And I need to make a phone call to Liesel.”
“Liesel?” Zeke cocks his head. He’s always hated her even though he would never say it to my face.
“Yes, Milo knows about Liesel remember? I took her as my date to Milo’s party. It isn’t safe for Liesel if she stays here. He could kidnap her and interrogate her to get answers about us. She needs to come with us.”
Zeke raises an eyebrow. “That woman isn’t going to drop her high paying job and come ride around on a yacht all for an unknown amount of time. Not without payment in return.”
I know exactly the kind of payment Zeke in insinuating with his comment.
“Liesel isn’t like that,” I roll my eyes at him. And even if she is, Liesel means too much to me to just leave behind. Even if it will complicate things a bit.
“Whatever you say.” Zeke and Langston exchange knowing glances.
“Just get the yacht ready—one hour,” I say sternly as both men walk out of my office.
And then I take out my phone and scroll to the number listed as “My Everything.”
I really should change that, but she’s still my everything. I would never let anyone hurt Liesel. I would fight to the death for her. Kill for her. I have killed for her. Too many times to count.
And she’s finally living the life she deserves. She’s happy. I don’t want to take that away from her. Even if it’s to keep her safe. But she doesn’t exactly have a choice.
I sigh. I convinced Kai with only a sentence, maybe Liesel will be just as easy.
“Hello, handsome. Didn’t get enough at me at the party, huh?” Liesel says seductively into the phone.
I smile. I know she’s just teasing. We’ve dated in the past, but we quickly realized we were better suited as friends than as lovers.
“I need you to do a favor for me,” I say, deciding that is the best angle to play with Liesel.
; “I already did a favor for you, handsome. I think it’s time you do a favor for me. And I know exactly how I want you to repay me. I remember your tongue being especially skilled in the art of licking.”
“I have a—” Wait, was I about to call Kai my girlfriend? She’s anything but. She’s my captive for goodness sakes. But it doesn’t change how I feel. I don’t want to fuck Liesel or any woman other than Kai.
“It’s not going to happen, Liesel. You’re going to have to figure out a different way for me to repay you, but right now I need to ask another favor.”
She practically grins through the phone, but I don’t know why. “You like the whore, don’t you?”
“She’s. Not. A. Whore.” If one more person calls Kai a whore, I’m going to turn barbaric. I don’t care who it is.
Liesel purrs into the phone. “That’s too bad. I would have loved to get into her panties like we used to. Our three-ways were some of my favorite nights with you.” She’s trying to get me riled up and turned on at the thought of having two women in my bed. Two women that both mean something to me—Liesel and Kai. When Liesel and I were dating, we would try all sorts of crazy things in bed. Threesomes, tying each other up, whips, dildos, every toy imaginable. But I can’t imagine needing any of those things with Kai. With Kai, it’s different. I don’t need all the flashy toys, and I sure as hell am not going to share Kai with Liesel.
I ignore Liesel’s last comment.
“I need you to a pack a bag.”
“Oh, so this is an overnight booty call.”
Ignore her, I tell my temper. I’m trying to save this woman and everyone I care about at the moment, and she is trying to goad me.
“Pack a bag with everything you could possibly need for months. I’ll have Langston pick you up within the hour. We are all getting on the Savage, and I don’t know when we will make port again.”
Silence. For a woman that always has words to say and never shuts up, it’s unusual to hear silence.
“Did you hear me, Liesel?”
