When I walk up to him, he pulls me close, his arm snaking around my waist. I get goose bumps from his touch and wrap my arm around him too. His head dips down as he whispers in my ear, “You can’t touch me like this, babe, not when you look the way you do.”
I smile as he turns his body to face mine. "I like touching you, and I love the way my skin heats and comes alive when you touch me." I run my thumb across his jawline.
“Fuck, you are so goddamn gorgeous. Will you come upstairs with me?”
A breath catches in my throat. Cain has spent every night near me for over a week, but we have never spent a night together. Can I do that? Am I ready?
“It doesn’t have to be that. I just want to have you next to me. I want to hold you while you sleep and be there for you if you need me. It’s all I’ve wanted the past few days.” He leans down, kissing me.
“Yes.”
Cain smiles as he takes my hand and leads me upstairs.
Chapter Eight
Emma
Opening my eyes, I forget for a minute where I am. Cain's arms are wrapped around me and my head is resting on his chest. Last night was amazing and with each minute I spend with him I can feel myself falling more in love. I haven't said it to him and I don't know if he would even be ready to hear it. I have never felt more safe and cared for than I do when I am with him. His arms tighten around me and I look up to see his eyes on me.
“Mornin’, beautiful.” His sleepy voice is deep and his chest vibrates underneath me.
“Best morning I’ve had.” I place a kiss on his bare chest and he stiffens beneath me.
Did I do something wrong? I look at him, confused and unsure.
“You can’t be kissing me right now, in my bed, and only wearin’ one of my T-shirts. I am holding onto any ounce of self-control I have left. You kissing me is gonna push it over the edge.” His thumb draws circles on my arm.
Last night when Cain was touching me I had never felt more alive. I hate that I am so scared to take this step with him because of what this bastard has been doing to me. I hate that he has turned something that could be such an amazing experience into a nightmare I relive almost every day.
I look up at Cain and I know he can see the tears I’m fighting.
“What’s wrong? I didn’t mean anything by it, Emma.” His finger brushes my cheek. “I will wait for you as long as I need to. It’s worth it. You’re worth it.”
A tear falls at that last sentence because I haven’t felt like that in years. Emma’s dad stripped any confidence and self-worth I had.
“I want you to touch me. I want you to erase every bad memory I have. I want them all replaced by thoughts of you.” I lean up, pressing my lips against his.
“You don’t have to do this. I mean it when I say I get it.” His arms are stiff as they hold me, almost as if he’s scared to move.
“I know that you do and that’s even more reason that I want this. I want you.”
Cain’s eyes widen as he presses his lips to mine and I can already feel myself getting wet.
“You sure?” His arms tighten around me and I nod as I look up at the man who is changing my life one day at a time.
“More than I have been of anything in my entire life.”
Cain smiles at me as he moves so he’s bracing himself over me. “You are so goddamn beautiful.” He lowers himself, kissing me, and I can feel his hardness at my core. I lift myself up, needing some friction between us. “Baby, you’re killing me.”
I laugh and he glares at me. My nails drag down his back, feeling the smoothness of his skin. Cain takes a sharp intake of breath.
I sit up and he moves back a bit. Grabbing the hem of his T-shirt, I lift it over my head. My hand slips behind his neck, pulling his mouth to mine. "I'm going to take this as slow as I can, but you're driving me fucking crazy right now." I laugh and he starts to trail kisses down my neck and over my chest.
I can feel the memories start to creep up and I fight them off. I focus on Cain and what is going on now, refusing to let my past dictate my present anymore.
His lips trace the line of my hips and I raise them, not even really in control of my body anymore. When his fingers hook into the lace of my panties, they slide down my legs, leaving me completely bare and open to him.
Cain looks up at me, a devilish smile on his face before his tongue darts out, taking one lick down me. I gasp and fist the sheets underneath me. “Goddamn, you taste as good as I thought you would.” His hands hold my thighs down and he presses his mouth to me. Licking and sucking me up and down, gently biting my skin, and I feel myself quickly building. I start to moan as the sensation becomes too much to handle.
He stops moving and I look down at him. “Say you’re mine.”
“I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me.”
He smiles at me before his head dips down and he starts moving even faster. Within seconds I am screaming his name and coming apart. He closes his mouth over me until I’m done and my thighs fall to the bed.
“I could spend forever down there, but I might explode if I don’t get inside of you soon.” He raises onto his knees, pulling his shorts off, and I see him for the first time. I take a deep breath. I want this. I want him.
Cain leans down and when I feel him at my entrance, I raise myself to him. He kisses me and pushes in at the same time. I gasp from the fullness and he slips his tongue inside my mouth. “Jesus, you feel amazing. You good?” He looks down at me.
“Better than I have in a long time.” I lift my hips, letting him know I want him to move.
He slowly pulls out and then thrusts back into me. I yell out and grip his arms.
Cain stills and I know he’s thinking he hurt me. I need to make him understand that I’m fine.
My hands come up, gripping his neck. “You are not hurting me. I know you will never hurt me. There is nothing but you and me right now. Please let go and just be with me.”
He takes a deep breath and leans down, taking my mouth with his. His one hand slides down my thigh, pushing it up before he starts to move in and out of me again. He feels amazing and he’s so deep like this that I already feel myself on the edge again.
“Oh God…” I throw my head back.
Cain starts to thrust harder and I scream as I fall apart with him inside of me.
“Fuck, Emma.” His pace speeds up as his body stiffens above me and an animalistic sound comes from his throat.
Cain leans down, placing a kiss on my lips. “You are so fucking perfect.” He eases out of me and lies back down, pulling me to him. That’s when his body gets rigid. “We didn’t use anything. I was wrapped up in you. I didn’t even fucking ask.”
I laugh. “It’s okay. I didn’t think about it either, but I’m on the pill.”
A sigh of relief escapes him. “If you want me to use something next time, I can, but I want you to know I’m clean. I’ve never gone without anything.”
I laugh and he looks at me confused. “Next time?”
“Hell yes, next time. There is no way I can go back to a world where I don’t get to have you.” He kisses me and I fall over the cliff I’ve been teetering on.
I am completely head over heels in love with Cain Russell.
Chapter Nine
Cain
Walking downstairs and seeing Emma with the girls, Amy running around the backyard playing, I feel a sense of contentment I haven’t ever had. I never imagined I would want this. I thought I’d be like Old Colt and banging club girls when I’m sixty.
Emma turns my way and smiles when she sees me. I would do anything for that girl.
Logan meets me at the bottom of the steps, and the look on his face tells me he has something to tell me. We have been friends since we were born. Half the time I’m pretty sure we could have an entire conversation without saying a word. “Dom tracked that truck back to its owner.”
“Let’s head to the office.” I walk past him, not wanting Emma to hear what’s going on right
now. I want to shield her from as much of this shit as I can. She’s already had to deal with so much pain from this asshole I’ll protect her from any of it that I can.
Dom is in the office when we get there. “So the truck was tracked back to a Cheryl Dona. She died about three years ago in a fire.”
I sit down on the couch. “So what does that mean for me? Is there any connection at all?”
"Not that I found yet." Dom tosses a folder in front of me. "She's got no connection to Emma or this town. I even went through family members and none of them have any ties either. Maybe he bought it and never changed the plates. There aren't any sales records for it since she bought it ten years ago."
“We have to figure this shit out.” I look over at Logan to see if he has anything he can add.
“What do you want me to say, brother? I want this asshole for coming after Ana too. I can’t pull information out of my fucking ass. Whoever he is, he’s good.” He runs his hand over his face. “Dom tried to get prints off the note. There was nothing. The cameras we can pull from the daycare show no one that we can count as suspicious coming in or out. The girl at the desk said they found the note on the floor and assumed someone has dropped it.”
“He’s covering his tracks and making us look like fucking idiots.” I stand up, needing to fucking hit something. I slam my fist into the wall, the drywall buckling under it, leaving a big dent in Logan’s wall.
Logan looks over at me pissed. “Why does everyone punch the fucking walls? We have a damn heavy bag in the next room! I’m not even fixing shit in here anymore.”
Dom and I start laughing because Logan has had to patch a hole in almost every damn spot on the wall.
“Emma wants to spend some time at her place, so I’m going to head over there with her in a little bit. Call me if anything else pops up. Also call our contact at the PD and see if they can keep an eye out for that damn truck.” I walk over to Dom. “Thanks for this shit.”
“Anytime, brother.”
I walk out into the main room and find Emma. “You still want to go to your place?”
“Yea, I mean all our stuff is there, so it’s easier. If that’s okay?” She looks at me almost apprehensively.
“Whatever you want, babe.” I take her hand and she see that my knuckles are red. Emma looks up at me, a question in her eye. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing.”
“Okay, let me go get Amy and we can meet you at the truck.” She rises up and kisses me before walking away.
“You are so totally screwed,” Allison says as she looks at me.
“Oh yea? You jealous?” I give her a wink.
“Ew, no.” She scrunches up her face and I laugh. “You picked a good one, though, so at least there’s that.”
I look out toward the backyard and see Emma chasing after Amy. “I sure as hell did.”
The girls meet me out front and we head over to Emma’s apartment. I used to love this building because it’s great when you’re single and don’t want to worry about having an entire house to keep up with, especially since I used to spend most of my time at the club anyway. Now that I’m with Emma, though, all I can think about is having a house where I could come home to her and Amy, a big backyard to hang out in. I wonder if that’s something she wants too or if she wants the amount of space they have now.
“Cain!” Emma yells my name from the bedroom and I can hear the fear in her voice. I run and stop in the doorway. Her bed sheets are shredded to fucking pieces. There is a black rose in the middle of the bed and what looks like blood splashed all over the sheets. I shut the door before Amy decides to walk in.
“Don’t touch anything, babe. Get out of here and help Amy pack a bag. I’m taking you guys back to the clubhouse.”
She doesn’t answer me and doesn’t move.
“Emma, please, I know you’re scared, but I need you to go pack Amy a bag.” She nods and I pull her against me, her tiny frame shaking. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
Pulling out my phone, I call Logan.
“You just left. How could you—”
“Get over here with Dom now.” I hang up the phone and look around for anything else that’s been touched. But I can’t point anything out.
I walk out of the room and Emma is helping Amy put some stuff in a suitcase. Amy looks nervous and I know she can probably sense what’s up with Emma. “Hey, how would you like to have some more sleepovers with Casey?”
Her eyes light up. “Really? Is that why we are packing a bag?”
“Yep. Sound good to you?”
She jumps into my arms and then runs to start packing some of her toys too.
The door to the apartment opens. Logan and Dom walk in. “What the fuck was up with that call, Cain?”
I start walking to the bedroom, knowing they’ll follow me.
“You gonna say anything or are you ju—” Logan stops mid-sentence when he gets to the doorway.
“I want this fucker’s head yesterday.” I look at Dom. “Do what you need to. He messed up somewhere and we need to figure it out.” I turn to Logan. “I am going to have them stay at the club with me till this shit is all figured out. Amy is going to stay in Casey’s room with her. Ryan is good with it. I’ll stay in my room with Emma. Whoever this asshole is, he’s escalating.”
“Agreed.” Logan turns to look at the room. “This guy is seriously unhinged, Cain.”
I know it and it scares the shit out of me.
Chapter Ten
Emma
I get Amy packed as quickly as possible, which is easy because she is so excited. I'm a different story because there is no way I can walk back into that bedroom. I've gotten the notes before but never anything like this. At this point I'm scared of what he will do.
A hand touches my shoulder and I jump. “Calm down, it’s just me,” Cain says behind me and I take a deep breath. “Is Amy almost packed?”
“Yea, she is.” I stand up and he pulls me against him. Standing here in this mess, I feel safe in his arms.
“I texted Ana and asked if you could borrow some clothes for work tomorrow because I don’t want you to touch anything in there until Dom goes over it. You okay with staying in my room?” I nod against his chest. “Okay, let’s get out of here and let him work. I already texted Ryan and he said Amy could sleep in Casey’s room with her.”
“I figured she packed a whole bag of toys while I was getting her clothes.” I take a step back and see Logan standing in the doorway.
“You okay?” He looks at me and seems softer than he normally is.
I shrug my shoulders. “I will be.”
“That’s the attitude to have.” He takes a couple steps into the room. “You’re one of us now. That means something. You are strong enough to make it through this. Don’t let this asshole take any piece of you away. Then he wins.”
“I’m trying to hold on, but this stuff doesn’t help.” I turn to face Cain. “It scares me that he could hurt Amy or any of you just to get to me.”
His hands rub my arms up and down. "I know it does. You need to trust that we can take care of ourselves and keep the both of you safe. This is not our first encounter with someone like him."
“Are we ready to go to my sleepover?” Amy’s voice cuts through the silence that had settled in.
“I think so.” I take her hand and walk toward the front door.
“Take the girls in the truck and I’ll follow,” Logan says to Cain and we follow them outside.
The drive is quiet and Amy falls asleep within a minute of pulling away from the building. “Is this a more permanent move?”
Cain looks over at me. “You wanting it to be?”
“I don’t know.” My hands fidget in my lap. “I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to stay there again after everything. I should probably start looking for another apartment building for us.”
“Or”—he grabs my hand—“you could start looking at houses.”
I shake my head. “A house is not some
thing that is in the cards for me right now. The school pays well but not well enough for that. We have been okay with an apartment as far as space, though. We only need two bedrooms, so it’s pretty easy.”
Cain laughs, but I’m not really sure why. “What I was suggesting is that maybe we could look at houses.”
I look over at him. Is he serious? We just met. I am not the kind of mother who is going to uproot my child just to chase after a man. I need to know that he is serious about us before I ever even consider this.
When the truck stops, I realize we are at the clubhouse and I haven’t said anything to Cain. I’m not sure I can say anything right now, because I know it won’t be what he wants to hear.
Opening Amy's door, I start to get her up, but Cain reaches in and picks her up. "No reason to wake her up when I can just carry her to bed. Want to grab her bags?" I move to take them, but one of the guys beats me to it and grabs everything.
I follow Cain down the halls and back to Casey’s room. Ryan is walking toward us. “Thank you for saying she could stay with her.”
He gives me a smile. “No problem. Casey is excited. She actually just fell asleep too, bro, so if you want to just lay Amy on the extra bed go for it and we can sort out their stuff in the morning.”
“Got it. Thanks, man.” Cain walks into the room and comes back out a minute later. “Your turn.” He takes my hand and leads me upstairs with him.
Walking into his room, there are a bunch of clothes on one of the chairs. They must be what he asked Ana for. I’ll have to remember to thank her. Cain pulls my hand and I end up sitting next to him on the bed. “What’s on your mind? You haven’t said anything since halfway through the car ride.”
Cain (Deathstalkers 2nd Generation Book 1) Page 5
