Striker: A Dark Bully Romance (Redwood Rebels Book 1)
Page 4
His rhythmic grunts escalate as he leans his head back, pulling his fingers out as my own liquid dribbles down my bare leg. The pads of his two fingers begin rubbing my clit in a circular motion, sending new waves of electricity coursing through every inch of my body.
Flexing my lower half, I push myself into him further as he rubs faster. I lift my leg up and grind my knee against his solid cock.
“Ready to see those stars, baby?” he mutters through his heady breaths.
Before I can even gather a thought to respond, his fingers begin vibrating against my clit. Bucking my hips out, I lose all control and begin moaning. Fighting back the electricity that is shooting through my body, the voltage so high that I can’t handle it. I pull back but want more. Push into him but lose my breath. “Oh god.” I moan, before I reach the sky and come floating back down.
Opening my eyes, that I didn’t even know were closed, I look down when I hear the sound of Talon’s zipper. It’s still so dark, but I can make out his hand wrapped around his cock as he pumps it a few times, before shooting his cum all over my leg that is still in his hold.
Once he drops my leg, and my breathing steadies, a rush of guilt hits me. At least I think it’s guilt. Whatever it is, it feels dirty. Doing this here—with him. A man who has been taunting me, threatening me, and trying to imprison me.
When he has his zipper back up, he leans forward, and for a moment, I think he might kiss me. “You never speak of this to anyone. Do you understand me? Not a single person.”
“Like I’d ever tell anyone about this. I’m not exactly proud of what just happened.”
Good.” He gives my cheek a pat like I’m a fucking child. Grabbing some sort of fabric off the floor, he tosses it at me. “Clean up with this.”
I step back quickly, not allowing the rag to touch me. “Gross. I’m not touching that thing.” There is no saying what that rag was used for.
“Suit yourself.” He shrugs a shoulder. “Suit yourself.”
“Let’s go, we’ve got things to do.”
“You have fun with that.” I push past him. “I’m going home.”
Before I can even make it to the steps, he’s on my tail. Once again, grabbing me by the wrist—his signature possessive, asshole move. “You need to quit telling me what you are going to do and just do what I fucking say.”
“Tell me why,” I demand. Taking a step closer to him.
“You mean why do you need to listen to me? Because I can make your life hell.”
“That’s not what I meant. Besides, I told you, I’m not scared of you. Don’t mistake me for a weak girl. I can get the upper hand in this if I really wanted to.”
“What makes you so sure that I won’t hurt you?”
Jerking away, I stretch my hand down between us, getting a firm grip on his balls beneath his now soft cock. “Because you might have had me against this wall, but I’ve got your balls in my hand. Keep that in mind.” I squeeze tighter, making his body jerk up.
Squeezing even harder, he begins to laugh. “You like pain, don’t you? Reminds you that you’re alive. Shines light on your darkness.” Turning my nails inward, I dig into him through the fabric of his jeans.
“Nothing you do will ever hurt me, baby. I’ve seen it all and felt it all.”
I’ve heard the rumors. I know what he’s talking about. The entire town knows that Talon’s dad used to beat him like he was a piece of meat on a cutting board. He’s never had it easy, and all the money in the world can’t cover up his internal scars.
“I don’t wanna do this, Talon. I just want to finish out my senior year of high school. Move away and pretend none of this ever happened. So, just tell me that it ends tonight.”
In a swift motion, he spins me around and grips both arms over my chest. With my back pressed against him, I can feel his heartbeat mimicking mine.
He can act all calm and collected, but his pulse rate and the fact that he was just humping my leg five minutes ago proves that his body reacts to me.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, because tonight—tonight is just the beginning of the fun we are going to have together.” His chin rests on my shoulder. His jaw pressing into my shoulder blade with each word. “You really want to know what comes next?”
I nod.
“There are about five dozen people having the most epic Halloween party at my house right now. We are going to walk upstairs, get in my car and go have ourselves a little fun. Tomorrow, I’m taking you to your house, you’re packing all your shit and settling in at your new house.”
My eyes pop wide open. “New house? What the hell are you talking about?”
Straightening up behind me, he lets my hands fall free, then begins combing his fingers through my long black hair. “You’re moving in with me.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I exhale with laughter. “You’re out of your damn mind.”
“Party is waiting, let’s go.” He grabs a hold of my hand and begins forcing my steps behind his.
Catching him off guard, I jerk away abruptly. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” I can’t even see where I’m going, but I manage to find the steps and walk up them briskly. “You really are out of your mind,” I mutter under my breath. I can feel his body directly behind me, but I keep on my way. Walking as fast as I can in the direction we came, hoping to find the front door.
I need to get the hell out of this place.
4
I could walk the maze of this house with a blindfold on and know exactly where I am. Marni, on the other hand, doesn’t know the front door from the back.
Picking up my pace, I catch her by the waist, right before she’s about to walk into a wall. “You can try and be all independent here, but the truth of the matter is, you need me right now.”
“You would think so,” she titters, “all you guys think that every woman needs you. Well, newsflash, you are all nothing but scum. The others just don’t know it—yet.”
Spinning her around abruptly, I pull her close. “Listen closely, you’re wasting your breath with these nonchalant threats, and If you think that any of this will work in your favor, you are wrong—dead.fucking.wrong.” Our faces are so close that I can smell the fear on her warm breath. Her heart thrashing against the walls of her chest. The sound and her scent turning me on. There is something about making a girl shake with wonder of the unknown—feeling her cling to you out of fear. Even if you are the one she fears the most.
“I’m leaving. You can try to stop me, but one way or another, I’m getting the hell out of here.”
Giving her a gentle nudge, I let her think she’s going to walk out that front door and leave. I’ll let her hold onto that hope for now.
Pulling out the pack of smokes from my back pocket and my Zippo from the front, I stick a cigarette in my mouth and give the lighter a flick. She glances back for a moment, and I watch her eyes through the flames as I take in a drag.
“You’re not stopping me?” she asks, surprised.
Keeping the flame alive, I hold it out in front of me and give her a nod toward the door in front of us. Her brows squint together in confusion. I just stand there and watch as she walks out the door, not even bothering to shut it behind her.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
“You motherfuckers!”
A grin draws on my face. Giddiness washes over me. The way that one might feel when they do something good. The way happiness rolls through your body, hitting every nerve.
Marni Thorn has no idea what we have planned for her. The Rebels have a new pledge. She just doesn’t know it yet.
“Where the hell is my car?”
I draw in a long drag of my cigarette with a smirk, exhaling a laughter-filled cloud. “It’s not out there? Hmm, that’s weird.”
Her long legs stalk toward me with ambition, her open-palmed hand swings and meets the side of my cheek. “You stupid motherfucker! Where the hell is my damn car?”
Hands continue to flap around, hitting my chest. “I fucking hate you! Now, let me go!”
“Where ya gonna go? You plan to run ten miles into town?”
“Tommy! Lars!” She begins shouting at the top of her lungs as she continues to flop like a dead fish in my arms.
“It’s pointless, no one can hear you.” I lean forward, grazing my teeth over the lobe of her ear. “They left. It’s just you and me.”
My words shut down her movements, her body frozen in my arms. The beat of her heart pounding against my chest. “Wh-where did everyone go?” Her voice cracks.
Trailing my lips up the crease of her neck, I stop when our noses touch. “I told you. There is a party and we are going. Now, if you’ll quit acting like a disobedient child and do what I say, we can go have a little fun while the night’s still young.”
She breathes out a sigh, reacting as if just breathing is painful for her at this point. “Why are you doing this?”
“I know that none of this makes sense right now, but someday, it will. What you need to do is quit asking questions, do as you're told, and keep your mouth shut.”
“You made a ridiculous comment about me moving in with you. Why?”
“Oh, it’s not ridiculous. You will be moving in.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Is that a question? Because that's not an option. You are moving in with me.”
“I’m not scared of you, Talon. You think that you can plant fear inside of me and keep me on a leash so I won’t go blab your secret. You can’t. I won’t tell anyone, but not because of this.” She looks down at the small space between us. “It’s because I don’t give a shit. Josh Moran was an obsessive freak. Maybe he deserved what he got. Personally, it’s not my business, and I could give two fucks about him. And I give zero fucks about you and your chain gang friends. So, let me the fuck go.” Catching me off guard, two hands meet my chest, and she shoves me backward.
In one swift motion, she’s back where she belongs with her breasts pressed firmly against my chest. Her feistiness almost more than my hungry cock can handle. It’s taking everything in me not to lay her down and fuck her in the company of every spirit in this place. Cupping her ass in both hands, I lift her up. Her legs straddle around me. The blue in her eyes shines through the darkness, landing on mine. This time, she doesn’t swing or kick. Her arms fold around my neck. “Guess what, baby girl, I’m not scared of you either.”
Her fingers rake through my hair before she fists a handful of it and jerks my head back. “Then why don’t you let me the fuck go?” She grits through her clenched teeth.
“Contrary to what you might think, this isn’t about what we did. This is about why we did it. So drop your goddamn attitude and walk with me to my car, so we can go home.”
“If I go, I want answers. All of them.”
“In time. You will know all that you need to know. Do we have a deal?”
“No. We don’t have a deal. But I will go with you. Because I’m not calling for a ride and answering a dozen questions about why I’m in this place alone.”
“Works for me.” I drop her down, and her legs catch her fall. When she begins heading for the front door, I grab her hand and pull her in the right direction. “My car’s back here.”
“And my car?” she questions. “I swear if there is a single scratch on it, you’re paying to have the entire thing repainted.
“Don’t you worry. No one scratched your precious BMW. Tommy went and picked it up from the impound, and you can have it back tomorrow.”
Her hand jerks away abruptly. “Impound!”
“Why else did you think the sheriff was here? He got a call about a trespasser from the owner of this place. I told him to tow it.”
“Was this all part of your elaborate scheme to silence me?”
Grabbing her hand once more, I pull her forward, and we continue walking. “Let’s just say that with the text messages, the video and the fact that your car was impounded on private property, we have no doubt that all suspicion could be directed at you with just the drop of your name.”
“Where is he? I mean, his body. Where did you...dispose of it?”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ve handled everything. No one will ever suspect that you killed Josh, if you just do as you’re told.”
For the first time tonight, she goes quiet. Giving me a chance to recollect my thoughts about the events of tonight. I’ve learned that this girl can turn me from soft to hard just by running her mouth. I’ve also learned that she has no idea about her part in Josh’s death. Let’s just hope we can keep it that way.
“Wait a minute? You own this place? Why in the world would you ever buy this pile of garbage?” she spits out, as if she’s had an epiphany.
“The place was set to be condemned. I couldn’t let that happen. It’s one of my favorite places in this town. It’s full of mystery, darkness, and secrets. While some may believe this house harbors death, it brings me to life. It’s a reminder that things could always be worse.”
Instead of speaking, she just nods and continues to walk. No fighting, no resistance.
Hopefully she finally realizes that she isn’t going anywhere.
Not unless I’m there with her.
This little firecracker riding copilot has no idea how much her life is about to change. Most men would feel guilty for what we’re doing, but me and the boys aren’t most men. We’ve all grown up in a darkness that has fucked up any feelings of empathy, regret, or compassion. A couple of us worse off than the others.
I look over and catch another glimpse of her innocence. Her head pressed back against the headrest as she stares out into the ugly world.
I’d suspected that she would drill me with a dozen questions, toss out some insults, maybe even try to flee from the moving vehicle, but to my surprise, she’s been quiet on the ride home. I’m not one for small talk, and I really have nothing to say to this girl, so I let the sounds of Breaking Benjamin blast too loud for either of us to get a word out.
When we reach the house, I turn down the private drive through the open gate. Cars wrap the turnaround, and a few people loiter around outside with drinks in their hands. Pulling up to the front of the house, I tap her leg to get her attention then turn down the music. She looks at me with tired eyes. “Remember everything I said. Not a word—about Josh or about tonight. Go up to the bathroom and clean up, then join me downstairs with a smile on your face.” I curl my lip. “It’s time to party, baby.”
She closes her eyes and lets out an exhausted sigh. “Whatever. Just get me out of this damn car.” She reaches for the handle as I click the unlock button. We both get out simultaneously, and I leave the car running.
Tossing the keys to Stan, the valet, I pick up my pace to catch up with her. “What’s the hurry? We have forever.” I hook an arm around her shoulder, but she brushes it off right away.
“I can’t get your jizz off my leg fast enough. That’s what the hurry is.”
“You are such a snarky little thing. You better knock that shit off or I’ll be shoving my other hand up your pussy later.”
Her eyes roll. “Fuck you, you sicko.”
Pulling her back over with my arm on her shoulder, I press my lips to her cheek. “Promise?”
“Never!”
When we walk inside, I drop my arm immediately. I don’t need anyone in this house getting the wrong idea.
“Porter!” Jameson slaps my back, “about time you show up to your own party.” His eyes skim up and down Marni, who is still at my side.
I lean and whisper in her ear, “Go upstairs and clean up. I’ll be up in a minute.” Once she’s g
one, I turn back to Jameson. “I’ve been around. You seen Zed?”
His eyes skim the party. “Yeah, that fucker is around here somewhere. Probably dunking heads in the toilet.”
Sounds like something Zed would do. Only most people do it as a prank, he’d do it to attempt a drowning. “Alright, I’ll catch ya later.”
Layla and Cara did a stellar job of decorating this place. I’m pretty impressed. I slapped a few hundreds in their hands this morning and told them to throw together an epic Halloween party, and they delivered. Half of the guests are wearing costumes, half aren’t. I look around the front room for Zed, but spot Marni taking part in what looks like a very serious conversation with a couple of her girlfriends. I’m not surprised, of course she has friends here. We all live in the same small town. However, I’m not comfortable with her interacting with people, without me, this early in the game. It’s too risky.
“Let’s go.” I grab her hand and begin pulling her away from the three chicks she was talking to. I don’t even look back at their reaction, nor care what any of them thinks. “I told you to go upstairs. Why are you still down here?”
“Stop it. You’re embarrassing me.” She tries to slither from my reach, to no avail.
“You embarrass me when you don’t do what I tell you to do. Quit fighting me or I will drag your little ass up these steps. How much would that embarrass you?”
Once we reach the top, I drop her hand. “You know where the bathroom is, right?” I nod my head toward the end of the hall. “After all, that’s what got you into this mess.”
I watch her as she starts walking, but she stops and turns around. “Wait, how did you know that I was using the bathroom that night?”
Biting the corner of my lip, I look up at the camera directly above me, then back at her.
It satisfies her curiosity, so she continues on her way.
With my back pressed against the bathroom door, I wait. And wait. And wait. “What the hell are you doing in there?”