CAGED (Bad Boy Romance): THE UNDERGROUND

by Alexx Andria

But not for me.

  When she finally spoke, it was to ask the thing I knew would destroy the moment with an ugly truth.

  “Did…you wear a…um…condom?”

  “No.” I rose on shaky legs to cast her a cool smile. “And with any luck…I just got you pregnant.”

  I left her on the bed, her eyes wide and her mouth gaped, as I went to piss.

  What better way to dig at Butcher than to drive home the point that I’d fucked his sister than to plant my kid in her belly.

  Yeah, like I said…hate served a purpose.

  It enabled you to be a cold-hearted bastard to the one person who was condemned simply by nature of her birth.

  Because Holly was collateral damage.

  Chapter 18

  Holly

  Pregnant. I tried not to envision the millions of tiny sperm racing toward a plump, ripe egg, eager to create life.

  He wanted me pregnant?

  “I don’t understand,” I said, confused and hurt. “Why?”

  Cason, all semblance of the dedicated lover gone replaced with a cold bastard, returned and dropped into a lounge chair by the bed.

  “Because I want your brother to know that I fucked you,” he answered with a shrug. “No denying that if your belly gets big with my kid.”

  My breath caught as pain pierced my chest. How could Cason be so cruel? I didn’t care about my brother, but I was devastated that he would casually do that to me.

  But I tried not to show that I was wounded. Swallowing the knives in my throat, I lifted my chin and said, “I didn’t realize you were ready to be a father.”

  “Who said anything about being a father?”

  “Oh, so you’re just going to knock me up and then abandon me? Real classy. Guess there’s no point in keeping it then, if I do get pregnant.”

  An unexpected snarl twisted his mouth as he pinned me with his gaze. “Don’t you fucking talk like that.”

  “Why not?” I shot back, using my pain as a weapon to protect myself. “You think I’m just going to lie back, let you use me and then raise your spawn like some pathetic loser?”

  He rose abruptly, shocking me with how fast he got out of that chair and was in my face.

  Cason palmed my belly roughly. “If my kid is in there, it will stay there.”

  This time I couldn’t stop the tears as they splashed down my cheek. “Why? Why would you subject a child to the truth of its birth? How am I supposed to tell my kid, ‘Hey sweetheart, your daddy kidnapped me, got me pregnant in some convoluted revenge scheme against your uncle and then bailed.’ Makes for a great bedtime story, doesn’t it?”

  Cason’s nostrils flared as he if were holding back but I could tell I’d hit a nerve.

  Good. I hope that gut punch hurt.

  He pulled away, his gaze never leaving me. “I will tie you to a bed for nine months if that’s what it takes.”

  I shuddered, not sure if I was frightened by that prospect or aroused.

  “You’re a bastard.”

  “Yes, I am, sweetheart,” he agreed without shame. “Don’t forget it.”

  “Oh, I won’t,” I assured him, wiping at my cheeks. Statistically, the chances of getting pregnant on the first time…maybe luck would be on my side. All I needed to do was make sure it didn’t happen again.

  As if reading my mind, Cason smirked and said, “Better to be safe than sorry. I’ll give you time to clean up and rest but I’ll be inside you again very soon.”

  I tried not to gasp. My body was still ringing from the tiny pulses of pleasure that were oblivious to the fact that I didn’t want to feel them any longer.

  Cason had a way of twisting me into whatever he wanted and I craved that total possession in a way that frightened me.

  I’d never pined for a man.

  Never considered my life lacking because I was never noticed.

  I liked it that way.

  Or did I?

  Because when Cason looked at me, all fire and hunger, I melted.

  Whether I wanted to or not.

  “Where am I supposed to clean up?” I asked stiffly.

  He pointed to the small half-bath in the room. There was a toilet and a sink.

  I cast a dark glare Cason’s way. “Are you serious? Am I supposed to take a lap around the toilet bowl?”

  “Take a whore’s bath, sweetheart,” he replied as if that wasn’t the most insulting thing he could’ve said.

  “I’m not a whore.”

  “Figure of speech, honey.”

  “And what, pray tell, is a whore’s bath?”

  “Grab a washcloth, wet it, wipe down. Ta-da. Ready for action.”

  “That’s disgusting.”

  “It’s efficient.” He laughed, adding with a sexy smile, “Besides, I like the idea of you wearing my seed. Turns me on.”

  Ugh. My mouth pursed. I didn’t want to turn him on. I wanted to punch him in the face.

  But I’d never punched anyone in my life. I’m not even sure I knew how to do it properly. I’d probably end up missing and falling to the floor.

  Cason yawned and gestured for me to get on with it. “I’m exhausted. Either do your thing or get in bed. I’m ready to sack out. I’ve never come so hard in my life. That’s a compliment.”

  I didn’t dignify that comment with a response. I scooted away from him and walked briskly to the tiny bathroom, purposefully slamming the door.

  I heard him chuckle from the other side.

  Only when the door was safely locked did I let the real tears fall.

  They were not tears of frustration but of hurt.

  I know it was stupid, but I thought…

  I couldn’t even say the words.

  Shame clogged my throat.

  I wanted to belong.

  I reveled in the brief feeling that Cason saw me and only me.

  The hunger I saw in his eyes hadn’t been for me, it’d been for the completion of his plan.

  The fucking bastard.

  Oh, God, it hurt.

  Why?

  Why was I so jacked up over a loser like Cason?

  I stared into the mirror, seeing a fat girl who had become so adept at closeting herself away from the world that she’d missed out on crucial stepping stones in life.

  I craved love.

  I craved acceptance.

  All the things I never had growing up.

  And I’d thought, for the barest glimmer, that I’d find that with Cason?

  Good grief, I was an idiot.

  However, as my hand strayed to my belly, I realized I’d lied.

  If I got pregnant…I would keep it.

  But I wouldn’t let Cason come near me or the baby.

  Chapter 19

  Cason

  I let Holly do her thing in the bathroom but every minute she wasn’t by my side, made me antsy.

  I’d taken Holly’s virginity.

  I may have gotten her pregnant.

  The thought of her carrying my kid…it did weird things to me.

  Means to an end, I reminded myself when I lingered too long.

  Holly exited the bathroom and returned to the bed. She climbed in, taking a position the furthest from me and turned her back.

  I laughed. Like that was going to fly.

  I hooked my arm around her waist and pulled her to me.

  She instantly stiffened but I wasn’t letting go.

  Holly in my arms was the perfect antidote to my insomnia. My lids drooped as she finally settled with a huff of resignation. Her slow deep breathing told me she’d already dropped off to sleep.

  I took a moment to simply enjoy the illicit pleasure of holding her.

  She was soft and feminine, everything I couldn’t seem to get enough of.

  She was spicy and challenging, hot and sweet at the same time.

  How was it possible that no man had scooped her up yet?

  Just the thought of another man putting his hands on her body made me tighten my hold around her.

  S
he shifted in her sleep with a tiny whimper and I gentled my touch.

  I smoothed a lock of hair way from her face and caressed her cheek.

  She deserved better than being banged senseless in the heart of a sex dungeon.

  My gut twisted with shame but I had to push the guilt aside.

  I was doing this for a reason.

  If I was a bastard, Butcher was the king of evil.

  Even his name was fitting.

  Butcher.

  Shay had been a good kid.

  My sister, a loyal friend.

  But Shay was dead and Christine was in a hospital bed, lying unresponsive.

  And it was all Butcher’s fault.

  So, yeah, I had things to do and they weren’t pretty.

  But I wasn’t going to let what Butcher had done slide.

  Not even if it meant sacrificing the beauty in my arms.

  Chapter 20

  Butcher

  “Butcher…Holly is missing.”

  I looked up from the woman in my lap, my smile fading. “What are you talking about?”

  “Two nights ago, she didn’t come home.”

  I shoved the whore off my lap, my rage instant. The woman scuttled off, no longer my interest. “And why am I just hearing about this?”

  Johnny compressed his lips, unable to deny they’d slipped up. Instead, he said, “We’ll find her.”

  “You better damn find her,” I growled. “I didn’t spend all that time grooming her to have you lose her.”

  Johnny bobbed a nod and left my office. I prowled the space, jerking at the tie choking me. I hated wearing this monkey suit but I had a reputation to uphold.

  People feared me because they knew I wasn’t simply some street rat. I was vicious with my punishments and ruled with an iron fist.

  I was the king of these streets.

  And Holly was mine.

  The first time I saw her, she was a scared little thing, with bright eyes and chubby cheeks. That red hair caught my eye.

  She was my porcelain doll.

  I provided for her. Made sure she had the best of everything.

  But I kept my distance for a reason.

  I didn’t want to spoil the package before it was ready.

  The timing of her disappearance seemed suspect.

  I was just getting ready to collect my little bookworm.

  I was about to introduce Holly to her new life.

  With me.

  But she was gone.

  Who had the balls to steal from me?

  I sank back into my chair and sent for the whore.

  The woman, a short blonde with big, porn-star tits, returned with a frightened expression. I snapped my fingers and she quickly knelt between my legs, dutifully releasing my cock for her ready mouth.

  I enjoyed the pleasure of being sucked but my mind was elsewhere.

  When I realized I wasn’t going to get off with her mouth, I shoved her off and told her to lift the tight dress up her her hips.

  She complied without hesitation.

  I bent her over the desk, spreading her ass cheeks. Her tight, puckered asshole was ripe for my cock. I slapped some spit on my dick and then brutally shoved myself between her cheeks.

  She bit back a cry as I rode her mercilessly.

  I closed my eyes, picturing Holly.

  I wanted her so bad. It’d taken strength I didn’t know I had to keep from collecting her early.

  But I wanted her educated, not some ignorant illiterate whore like the one I was railing up the ass.

  I needed a partner I could trust, someone who owed me their loyalty.

  Holly owed me her life.

  And I aimed to collect.

  I grunted as I buried myself into the woman, squeezing her ass cheeks before slapping her flesh hard enough to leave a mark.

  She cried out, unable to help herself and I smiled at the sound of her pained gasp.

  Holly would make a proper wife but I’d never give up my whores.

  It was too much fun breaking them.

  Chapter 21

  Holly

  I awoke to the sensation of something prodding me in the back.

  I groggily shifted but the hard thing continued to poke at me.

  My eyes focused and I remembered everything that’d happened last night.

  The brutality, the sweetness, the betrayal.

  The unprotected sex.

  And I knew that thing pushed against me was Cason’s penis.

  I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will away the instant arousal that followed the knowledge that he was ready and hard for me.

  I needed to keep him off of me. I wouldn’t have sex with him again.

  But even as I made the vow, my body was softening, preparing to yield, yet again.

  I hungered for the exquisite feeling of Cason mastering my body. It was like an addiction, worse than any drug because there was no cure, no way to make the yearning stop with him there.

  I was trapped by my own desire. I turned and saw that Cason was awake.

  Those eyes burned, branding me.

  I would never meet another man like Cason.

  Good, bad — it didn’t matter — Cason was one-of-a-kind.

  “You’re awake,” he said, leaning to take my lips in a sweet, tender kiss that crumbled my defenses instantly in spite of my attempt to build a wall. “And you do snore, baby girl.”

  I risked a small smile. “And so do you. I guess we’re even.”

  A fragile moment, as ephemeral as a soap bubble on the wind, built between us. His eyes, soft with sleep, lost their edge. I reached up to tentatively touch the stubble on his jaw. He nipped gently at my fingertips.

  I was afraid to speak for fear of ruining this rare moment between us.

  “Kiss me,” I whispered, lifting my lips to his.

  Cason obliged, taking my mouth again with the most deliberate of actions. I felt the hard muscles in his abs contract as he shifted his weight on top of me. I sank into the mattress, loving the feel of his solid body on mine.

  And when he entered me, I willingly opened my legs, wincing briefly at the slight twinge from my body that reminded me I was unaccustomed to such activity.

  But I loved it.

  That was my shameful secret that I would die before admitting.

  Cason inside me was the epitome of bliss.

  Even if he wasn’t a good guy, even if he was using me.

  And that was the worst part.

  I wanted him so badly.

  I lost myself to the building pressure, knowing that mind-bending pleasure would come soon. Cason had shown me what my body was capable of and I craved the heaven he could give me.

  I clutched my arms around Cason’s neck as he labored above me, sliding in and out of my slick passage, sweat dotting his forearms as he flexed his hips to drive himself deeper inside.

  “Cason,” I cried, unable to stop what was coming. I closed my eyes and tumbled gratefully into that abyss, mindless, simply a vessel for pleasure.

  And once again Cason filled me with his seed, pumping wildly as he came hard.

  I thrilled at the guttural shout Cason emitted as he found his release. The sound was incredibly sexy as I knew I was the one who sent him over the edge.

  Me.

  The girl who no one noticed, managed to make this hot, dangerous man shudder in my arms.

  Oh God, what was happening to me?

  Cason slowed, his breath coming in deep gasping pants, shocking me when he remained firmly lodged inside me.

  He lifted onto his elbows to stare down at me, pulling my damp hair from my eyes.

  “You’re beautiful,” Cason admitted, as if it bothered him. The subtle frown pulling at his brows made me want to finger smooth them away. “And incredibly sexy. You deserve better.”

  The admission struck a deep chord. I felt more drawn to him than ever. I saw hurt and pain in his eyes, regret and guilt, which was at odds with the words that’d come from his mouth earlier.


  I took a chance and said, “It doesn’t have to be like this.”

  His sigh held the weight of the world in that one sound. “Yes, it does.”

  But I didn’t believe him.

  “You’re not as bad as you pretend to be,” I told him.

  Cason shook his head at me. “Baby girl, when people show you their true colors…believe them.”

  “I do,” I returned softly. I did see who Cason was, beyond the bad-ass, emotionally-stunted persona to the sensitive, strong and dedicated man beneath.

  “Yeah? And what do you see?”

  “I see a man struggling with what he wants to do and what’s expected of him.”

  He chuckled. “You see all that?”

  I nodded.

  “What if you’re wrong?”

  “Then I’m wrong. But I’m not. There’s something happening between us, Cason. I can feel it. I know you do, too.”

  I must’ve pushed a sensitive button. His gaze immediately narrowed but when I expected him to snap, the fire suddenly drained, leaving a conflicted soul behind.

  “Holly…what am I going to do with you? I brought you to this place and treated you like a common whore. How can you say that you see anything but a man who is rotten to his core?”

  How could I explain something that I didn’t understand myself? All I had to base my conviction on was the feelings he created inside me.

  He was right, I shouldn’t feel anything for Cason but hatred for the way he’d treated me. Call me crazy, I sensed he was fighting against character and struggle drew me to him.

  Cason had taken my virginity. But I didn’t regret it. Not one second. I couldn’t imagine wanting anyone else to touch me first.

  And Cason was right…I would never forget him…no matter how much time passed.

  He was branded into my memory, into my soul.

  But Cason looked eaten with regret and that killed me.

  I braved rejection as I begged, “Take me away from this place. Take me someplace nice. I promise I won’t run.”

  My earnest promise was real. I wanted to be with him.

  “How do I know this isn’t a ploy to get free?” he asked, wary.

  “You have to trust me,” I answered with a small smile.