by S. M. Soto
“I love you too.”
His words make my breath catch, and a single tear treks down the side of my face and rolls into my hair. My heart hammers in my chest, and the fluttering in my belly makes me smile.
“Please come home,” I whisper staring up at him. His lip twitches, and he leans over me slowly inching his body over mine.
“You know I will.”
His lips brush against mine in feather soft strokes. My core clenches in need prompting me to wrap my hand around his neck and yank his mouth down firmly over mine. His tongue seeks entrance, and I’m all too happy to oblige. Our lips glide over each other’s in a heated kiss that spark embers of fire down there. His mouth dominates me and my body, and I clutch at his shoulders, never wanting to let go.
He tears his mouth away from mine, his chest heaving. “Fuck, I can’t leave without being inside of you.”
Quickly, Creed makes work of his jeans, and I do the same to my pajama bottoms and underwear. We don’t bother with the rest of our clothes, the need to be connected—to become one, is stronger than the need to feel his body flush against my own. He guides his length between my legs and lubricates himself with my wetness. Slowly, he pushes inside, and I gasp at how deliciously full I feel. My walls stretch around him, trying to accommodate his girth. He finds a rhythm that sets both of our bodies on fire. Grasping my legs, he hooks them over his shoulders and pounds into me, the sound of slapping flesh and our heavy breathing echoes around the room.
“Oh, Creed,” I groan when he tilts my hips up, hitting that spot deep inside me that makes me see stars. I grapple at his shoulders trying to anchor myself but it’s no use. The feelings he elicits inside of me are all over the place. I wasn’t human when I was with Creed. I was liquid. Hot, pliable liquid at this God-like man’s feet.
“That’s it, baby,” he pants in between thrusts. “Come for me, Sophia. I need to feel you coming on my cock.”
His words undo me. With my nails pierced into his skin, I arch into him and suck his bottom lip into my mouth and bite until I taste the metallic tang of blood. My orgasm rushes through my body, and fire burns through every nerve ending. Unable to look away from his stare, I ride out each euphoric wave staring into those mesmerizing eyes that have the capacity to see into my soul.
I rest in Creed’s arms until I fall into a contented slumber. A little while later, I wake to a warm pair of lips kissing my own.
“I’ll be back, baby,” he whispers as his lips leave mine, and he walks out of the room. Unable to stay awake, I fall back to sleep already missing the man who makes my blood catch fire.
IT’S BEEN FIVE LONG DAYS without Creed, and my brother. My heart yearns for both men in my life, but my body yearns for only one of them. Each night before bed, I run my hand over my stomach and I say a prayer, begging whoever is listening to keep Creed safe. So far, there hasn’t been any bad news which helps me stay positive.
I’ve just finished helping Mera clean the kitchen when I hear the sound of thudding footsteps. My heartbeat speeds up in anticipation as hope swells in my chest.
Maybe they were sent home early?
I turn the kitchen corner so fast, I slam into a warm body, thick arms are the only thing keeping me upright.
“Finlay?” Confusion hangs thick in the air.
“Miss me?” He says cheekily. I pull myself out of his arms and dart my eyes around looking for the rest of the guys.
“Where is everyone?”
“I was sent back early. Your brother wanted to make sure someone was here to keep an eye on you and Mera. He was worried he made a mistake leaving you ladies here alone.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes. Of course.
“Do you know when they’re supposed to be back?”
Finlay shrugs, dropping his black duffel to the floor. “In a few days, if everything goes as planned.”
“And Creed? He’s okay?”
Finlay cracks a smile and nods his head. “Yes, everyone is A-Okay. Don’t worry.”
I blow out a sigh of relief and place my hand against my stomach.
“I have a few things I need to do, but we’ll talk later, yeah?”
He doesn’t wait for my response, instead, Finlay ambles up to the steps toward the living quarters without a look back. I stare after him with a bewildered look on my face. I think that’s the first time Finlay has ever ended a conversation with me early. He really must be busy.
With a book in hand, I’m just flipping the page when suddenly there’s a loud, deafening bang that rattles the ground beneath my feet. I perk up and time suddenly freezes at the distant sound of popping. Sucking in a sharp breath, I jump and scramble to my feet. Frantically, I dart my gaze around and listen intently, more bangs reverberate from the floors beneath me—the first floor. My body prickles with tension, like thousands of pointy knives piercing my skin, and my heart pounds against the confines of my chest.
I slam the book shut and toss it onto the sofa without a second glance. With my heart lodged in my throat, I run to the window trying to see what’s happening but there’s a huge gray billowing cloud of smoke blocking my view.
“Sophia!”
“Sophia!”
Mera bursts into the library with bloodied clothes and soot covering her face. My stomach bottoms out and my limbs tremble as I cross the room to get to her. I run my hands all over her making sure she’s okay.
“We need to get to the panic room, now,” she says in an eerily calm voice. I nod my head stiffly, not comprehending what’s happening, but too afraid to ask questions. Gripping onto her hand, I follow her as she expertly weaves down the hall, quick on her feet. There’s gun shots and shouting in the distance. My heart lurches in my throat as fear takes root in my belly.
“What’s happening Mera?”
She turns to me with red rimmed eyes, worry lining her features. “We’re under attack.”
Before I can even ask another question, a bullet rips through Mera’s skull, right between her eyes. At the force, her body is jolted back. I lose focus for a few seconds. My vision goes in and out and my ears ring deafeningly. Warm blood splatters and flesh hit me in my face. I scream as she falls to the ground in a heap of blood and brains, but my scream doesn’t sound like my own. It sounds far away, as if I’m having an out of body experience.
“Mera…no, no, no. Mera!” I wail as I drop down to my knees shaking her. Bile rises up my throat, and I hurl to the side of her body. My heart collides with my ribcage, bruising, hurting. My chest caves painfully as I try to get a reaction out of her lifeless body.
Over these last few months here, I’ve gotten so close to Mera that this feels like losing my parents all over again. The pain is heavy and excruciating, cruelly sucking all the air from my lungs. I’m heaving through my sobs; trying to catch my breath. Resting a trembling hand on my stomach, I force myself to stand on shaky legs as sobs wrack my body, determined to get to the panic room on my own.
There’s another loud bang, and the ground beneath my very feet shakes, like the foundation of the building is going to crumble at any second. Wiping the tears off my face, I sob as I run toward the panic room. I specifically remember Garrett telling me where it was and how to get there in case of any emergency.
The closer I get the clearer the shouting voices become. They’re frantic and angry. Turning the corner, I find a red-faced, frazzled, Finlay running toward me. I open my mouth to say something, but I’m cut off by Finlay gripping my arm, hurtling me down the hall in the opposite direction.
“What’s going on, Fin? We need to get to the panic room, c’mon,” I say urgently, trying to tug him the opposite way.
“Code red, love. We need to get the fuck out of here. Now, come on!”
“The panic room, Fin. That’s where we need to go!” I say, trying to rip my arm out of his unrelenting grasp. He turns on me with panic in his eyes.
“The panic room has already been compromised, we need to go. Now!”
The fear
in his eyes makes my stomach drop and all hope vanishes. Oh, God. My heart pounds violently and my pulse thrums loudly in my ears. I stumble on my shaky legs as I follow behind Finlay as he flies down the stairs through the house.
There’s so much embers and ashes from the fire. The smell of hot smoke fills my lungs.
Once we reach the landing that now looks charred and unstable, there’s another loud bang and a roar of commotion that violently jostles us into the wall. I groan at the pain in my shoulder, my body feels like I’ve been rammed into a brick wall. Finlay rights his self, suddenly freezing in place, perspiration dotting his forehead.
“Fuck!” He bellows, dragging me down the hall that leads out the back doors into the communal area. “They’re back, shite!” He growls as he painfully yanks me after him.
“Who’s back, Fin? What’s happening?” I cry out hysterically.
“Shut the fuck up and follow me if you want to get out of here alive, damnit!” He roars, stunning me silent. Tears continuously stream down my face, but I don’t dare slow my pace. I follow him dutifully and swallow thickly.
What the hell is going on?
It seems the closer we get to the outside, the more uproar there is inside the house. In the pit of my stomach, I get this heavy feeling, like something isn’t right. All of this is wrong. So, so, wrong. Just as we make it outside, I snatch my arm out of Finlay’s grasp and come to a stop trying to catch my breath.
“Fin, slow down I can’t breathe.”
The fear.
The smoke.
All the running. I feel like my lungs aren’t working.
He whirls around to face me with a frightening look on his face. So unlike the friendly Finlay I’ve come to know. Suddenly, his eyes dart over my head, and they narrow. Before I know what’s happening, my hair is gripped in a vise and I’m roughly yanked into Finlay’s chest. I cry out in pain as my scalp burns with the force of his grip. Something cold rests against my temple, and I struggle against his hold as pain shoots through my scalp.
“Fin! What are you doing?” I demand in a shrill voice.
“Let her go.”
I freeze at the unmistakable coldness in Creed’s voice. My eyes drift toward the source and my heart clenches. I find him and Garrett side by side with their guns drawn, aimed toward Finlay and me.
“Let her go, and put the fuckin’ gun down, Finlay. You’re out of options.” My brother growls with an animal like expression on his face.
Swallowing the lump in my throat I realize the coldness I feel at my temple is the barrel of Finlay’s gun. My chest heaves with unsteady breaths, and my heart threatens to pound out of my thoracic cavity as I stare at Garrett and Creed with wide fearful eyes.
“Out of options? C’mon, mate. I always have options.” Finlay chuckles, and I never realized it before, but the sound is pure evil.
Almost like they’re appearing out of thin air, Creed and my brother are surrounded by men strapped with huge guns. Easily outnumbered, two to eight.
“Now,” Finlay announces, “I’m taking pretty little Sophie with me and that’s the last you’ll be seeing of us.”
Creed takes a threatening step forward and all guns swing to him, ready to put him down. My breath hitches and tears spring to my eyes as I watch the man I love close to being gunned down.
Not thinking it through, I swing my leg back, striking Finlay’s shin as I struggle to free myself from his grasp. He hurtles curses at me while I squirm in his arms like a fish out of water.
“Stop moving!” Finlay growls, but I only struggle harder. His grip loosens, and I fall to the floor, scrambling to my feet. I don’t make it far. Finlay grips me by my hair and I yell out as my roots scream in pain. His arm swings back, and the butt of his gun comes crashing down on my face. Pain explodes, and the last thing I see is Creed’s distorted face, then there’s blackness.
MY EYES GROGGILY PEEL OPEN as I try to fight past the aching pain that’s throbbing in my skull. I feel lethargic and confused. My limbs feel like they weigh a ton, immobilizing me.
“Oh, God.” I groan, clutching my hand to the side of my skull to stop the pounding. There’s a lump the size of a golf ball that throbs in pain every time my fingers brush against it.
Slowly, I shift my gaze around the room, taking in my surroundings. My stomach painfully drops as I take in the small basement. My heart pounds violently in my ears as I suck in fearful breaths. With a shake of my head, I close my eyes trying not to think about the men from my past. This isn’t them. It can’t be. The room is completely different.
God, please don’t let this be happening again.
The walls are slate gray slabs of concrete, there’s no windows much like the last room, and now, there’s one looming metal door—my only means of escape. I faintly hear the sound of flesh colliding against flesh and grunting, but nothing is registering in my pain induced fog.
“Oh, good. You’re awake. Come join the party, love.”
My eyes snap open at the sound of that voice. They immediately land on Finlay, who’s smiling as he wipes his hands on his t-shirt that’s covered in dark crimson blood stains.
Whose blood is that? I can’t help but think in horror.
“Why are you doing this?” My voice is weak. I feel betrayed by this man that I thought was my friend. Fin cocks his head to the side and gives me a once over.
“You really haven’t figured this out yet, have you?”
My brows pull down in confusion, and he sighs in exasperation.
“I had plans for you, Sophia. Plans for us. But then you went and fell in love with him.” He turns on his heel and spits toward Creed’s feet. “You gave yourself to the devil himself.”
My gaze falls on Creed and my heart painfully constricts in my chest. My throat closes tightly as tears leak out of my eyes.
No.
There in the center of this room is my brother and Creed, both strapped down to chairs with blood dripping from their faces, leaking onto their clothes.
“I-I don’t understand, Fin,” I stammer, afraid to look at him and take my eyes off them for one second. Maybe if I keep him talking, he won’t hurt them anymore. I can’t help but think as I stare at their battered forms ahead of me.
“I’m the traitor. The mole. I set up the attack. I’ve had my eyes on you most of your life, Sophia.” His words shake me, down to the core. Bitter bile rises up throat and threatens to expel at my feet. “I set up the hit on your parents. It was all a matter of circumstance, really. See, your daddy’s team fucked with a few of my business dealings, so in return, I planned on taking his life, but then, I found you. I took one look at you Sophia and I knew, you were meant to be mine. Damn the obstacles. Damn the consequences. I planned on taking what I wanted. And I did.” My heart squeezes painfully, and my eyes burn with an onslaught of tears. A bubble forms in my chest twisting and glistening with a mixture of denial and comprehension.
“Oh, God,” I breathe. My vision distorts from the tears clouding my sight. “That’s sick…I was just…I was just a child when my parents died.” The realization of what it all means makes me sick.
“You reminded me so much of her, I couldn’t help myself—I still can’t. I’ve worked so hard to get you on your own—I bided my time, waiting for the right moment to strike. But then Gar here had to fuck everything up,” he growls. “He wanted to be G.I. Joe, and do anything to find his little sister which was a big fucking problem for me and all of my plans.”
“You son of a bitch. I’m going to fucking kill you.” Garrett’s voice slices through the air as he seethes, practically vibrating with anger.
Finlay strides across the room within seconds, swiftly pulling a knife from his back pocket, and jams it in my brother’s thigh. I cry out helplessly at the sound of the knife entering his flesh. Garrett’s face contorts in pain, but he gathers himself, turning an evil eye to Finlay.
“Back to my story. Where was I? Ah, yes…I had you kidnapped by a friend of mine, Abdul, you
may or may not know him. But I’m guessing by the sheer look of terror on your face that you do know him.”
More tears fall as I stare at Finlay, wondering how someone can be so evil. How he can do this to me, and my family? The deception—his betrayal—it runs deep, deeper than I could have ever imagined. “I joined forces with the operative team as a cover. And it wasn’t easy, believe me. Every time Garrett had a lead on your whereabouts, I’d steer them elsewhere. I volunteered to infiltrate the mansion on the night of the auction, but little did anyone know I had other plans. I was supposed to save you after the bidding, I was going to nurse you back to health, and make you fall for me—you know, the whole savior complex. It was supposed to happen faster, I was supposed to get you out of there before they ever found you, but fucking Creed.” He snarls his name, shooting him a death glare. “He came in like the fucking knight in shining armor, saving the day. Saving my girl.”
My stomach churns and I stare at Fin in horror.
He killed my parents.
He’s the reason I was abducted.
He planned on buying me for himself.
My head spins with all this information, but it’s still not making much sense. Why?
“You did all this for what, Finlay? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I love you, Sophia,” he breathes the words like there’s been a heavy weight lifted off his chest. “I wanted you all to myself, and I did everything within my power to make that happen.”
My stomach flips, and all the color drains from my face. He did this because…because he thinks he’s in love with me? He’s sick. Fucking sick in the head. His deception has brought forth chaos, all for what?
“You’re insane,” I whisper in horror. Finlay’s smile is cold and detached, nothing like the Finlay I’ve come to know. Nothing like the man I thought I knew.
“Not insane, love. I’m a man determined to get what I want, and I want you. Bastard child or not. Although, just the thought of raising that fucker’s kid is enough to make me want to get rid of it. Shall I rip it out of you right now?” He points to my stomach with his gun and a cold sweat seeps out of my pores. I shiver in dread, wrapping my arms around my midsection, doing everything I can to protect the little life inside of me. The life Creed and I made together, out of love. Real love.
