by Emily Bowie
Spinning around, she looks at me. “You obviously never believed in me or you wouldn’t have had to buy, con, or whatever the hell you do to get that contract for me.”
She plays on heartstrings I never knew existed inside me. If only she could look past this and ask the deeper questions.
“I need to get my belongings.”
“Not happening.” I hold strong, needing to protect her. She is in more danger that she ever knew.
“Why not?”
“I will not allow your father to influence you any longer.” It’s a copout, and the way she looks at me, she knows it too. I hate the way she looks at me like I’m beneath her. For the first time, she’s looking at me like everyone else does, and I hate it.
“I know why I hate my father, but what reason do you have?”
Being as real as possible, I tell her the honest truth. “Because he keeps hurting what’s mine.” I step into her again. “Because I can and will crush him like the little bug he is.”
For a split second, fear flashes through her eyes, but she covers it well as she keeps sparring with me. “You did this for you, not for me.”
I consider what she says. “I did it for both of us. I made up my mind to destroy him before I knew of your connection.” I can’t hide my smirk. I do want him to see that in the end I have stolen everything he ever valued and realize he’s the scum he’s always turned his nose up at.
“I hate that you’ve done this to us. You’ve made me question your every move. I feel like your trophy, and you of all people know I hate that.” She tries to shove past me.
“Where are you going?”
“Leaving. I finally set it up to get my own place, and you aren’t ruining that for me.”
“Not happening.” I catch her thin wrist with my large hand. “And you’re mistaken. It’s Noah’s place. They control you, and you are clueless.”
“Like you’re not controlling me?” she hisses through her teeth.
“At least I’m honest with you.”
“Like hell you are. You would have never told me if I hadn’t walked in on you and my father.”
“Stop calling him that. He’s never treated you like a daughter. He doesn’t deserve the courtesy of that title from you. I’m not the first person he tried to sell you to!” I holler, my voice booming into every corner of the room.
“Not the first person?” Her voice is low, and her whole body seems shocked. She stares at me, gaging if I’m telling her the truth. The seconds drag on till she finds her voice again. “What. First. Time?” Her voice becomes stronger.
“You know what I’m talking about. Your first chance at getting a contract.” I can see her realization as it dawns. I don’t have to clarify any more for her to know what I’m talking about. I never wanted her to find out like this. I had always tried to shelter her from the bad.
“You’re lying.” Her jaw trembles as she tries to keep a rein on herself, not wanting to cry in front of me.
“We both know I’m not.” Thinking back to that day still makes me furious. My biggest regret is that I didn’t kill all three of them when I had the chance. My hands curl into fists at the thought, and I can feel my jaw grinding back and forth. Stepping closer to her, my muscles tense and the anger runs through my veins.
“It’s time you start doing as I say Kellie, or else.”
“I’m not scared of you, Kiptyn.”
Laughing, I shake my head. She has no idea what I have done, what I am capable of. “Then don’t get on my bad side, and we won’t have an issue.”
She screams an ear-piercing sound, but I don’t move.
“Once you see it my way, you won’t even want to leave here or be without me,” I tell her smugly, knowing it’s the truth.
“Fuck off.”
I dip my head, turning to leave the room. She’ll cave; it’s only a matter of time. And I’m willing to wait for her for as long as it takes. The make-up sex will be worth it.
I leave her door open an inch, just to fuck with her stubborn, sexy ass. An ass I plan to smack before I watch her beg for more.
CHAPTER 34
My mind has been spinning for three days. I don’t know who to be angrier at. My father—well, Rich—for deceiving me all these years. How easily he seemed to toss me away when things got hard for him. Yet, his behavior is predictable. When I started to rebel, they sent me away to boarding school.
I think about my biological mother; I know nothing about her. I remember seeing a picture of her when I was younger, but that was it.
Kiptyn, I had trusted completely. I feel like he’s been deceiving me. I want him to engage in a fight, but nothing I do seems to faze him. I can physically feel the anger stirring deep in my gut. How dare Kiptyn just pluck me off the streets?
My stomach dips. Who is Kiptyn McGrath? What have I gotten myself into? How could I have fallen in love with someone worse than my father?
Hearing my door handle turn, I stay lying on top of my new bed, my eyes on the popcorn ceiling.
“I’ve had enough.” Kiptyn’s booming voice enters the room. I turn my head to see him raking his heated eyes across my body. There were only sundresses in the closet. I have a light blue one on that is bunched high up on my thighs. I’m braless, and instantly my nipples harden as I watch him take me in.
I roll my eyes, but I have to fight from squeezing my legs together. His dark stare lingers on my chest before one brow slides up, tugging up one corner of his mouth.
“We’ll talk when I’m not a prisoner.” My head moves back for me to stare at the ceiling.
“We’ll talk when I say we do. Cut the princess crap and be the girl I know.”
Just the sound of his voice makes my breath hitch. Damn him. Being isolated is messing with my head. I’m mad at him, but why do I want to claw his clothes off?
I tsk, hoping to piss him off. I want him to be angry like I am. I want him to feel what I’m feeling. “Always with the double standards.” I try to sound bored as I make out another shape in the popcorn texture.
“Stand up.” He’s at the side of my bed, his voice hard. I’ve never heard this tone of his, and I’m ashamed it turns me on further. I should like a nice man, not him. Not someone who feels like they need to buy me.
“Not happening.”
“You have three seconds to stand before I make you.”
“Maybe try paying me to do it. You seem to be good at getting your way if you do that.”
A growl escapes him, and I’m effortlessly pulled off the bed. I can feel his erection poking into my stomach.
“Does that turn you on, knowing you’ve paid for me?” The image of me being his sex slave pops in my head, not helping my cause.
He dips his head down and slowly answers me in his rumbling voice. “I think you’re confused. It turns you on.”
He’s as hungry for me as I am for him. His hands come up my arm then move my flimsy spaghetti straps halfway down my biceps, allowing a better view of my cleavage.
“Let’s get this straight. You promised to be mine. I always get what I want, no matter what. I will do anything to keep what I feel is my property, which is you.” His hand cups my breast over my dress, his words gritted out toward me.
“Once you get your mind wrapped around everything, you will see I did this for us. You will realize this will make you happy.” His hand slips under my dress, his finger finding my bare pussy. His two fingers slide right in, and I have to hold back my moan.
“Stop fighting us,” he urges. It’s hard to think when he’s touching me this way.
“You betrayed my trust.” My pushback is half what it was. I’m becoming desperate for him.
“You’re refusing to look at the bigger picture.”
He tugs at my hair, making me look at him. “Undo my pants,” he commands.
“No.”
I swear he fights back a smile. His hand dips into my dress, pushing it down, so my chest is bare to him. He’s still fingering me, his fing
ertips expertly curved right where I like them. “I’d choose my battles wisely, Kellie. My next request may not be so enjoyable.”
My hands go to him, freeing his erection as I push his pants down. I hate how I like this thing we’re doing. I may be as messed up as him.
I allow his fingers to keep massaging me before sinking to my knees, forcing them to move. He makes a show of placing them into his mouth and sucking them off. “Fucking delicious.”
I’m halfway there, on my knees, his cock right at my mouth. Looking up at him, I bat my lashes before giving the tip of his cock a small kiss then a small sample. I take only the deep purple head in, swirling my tongue over it, tasting his precum. My hand gives his long, thick length a good three strokes before I take him all the way in, his cock hitting the back of my throat before I slowly take him almost all the way out of my mouth. His fingers thread through my hair as he grunts, his dick moving in and out of my mouth.
“Play with yourself.”
I do as I’m told, keeping one hand on his shaft while my other one goes to pinch my nipple.
“Touch that sweet pussy of yours,” he demands.
My fingers glide down my torso until I feel my wetness. I circle around my clit, and I have never been more turned on before.
I can feel he’s getting close with his quick, short thrusts. Then he pulls himself out of my mouth while yanking me up. Bending me over the bed, he enters me swiftly, his thumb on my clit. His other hand claws at my dress, pushing it fully to my waist. His free hand holds onto my breast, his fingers pinching at my nipple. He moves in and out, fucking me into oblivion. We’re punishing each other with each push and pull. He’s not gentle, nipping my neck, adding to the sensation. We’re loud, our sounds echoing around the room.
“I missed your sweet, sexy body and how it was made for me to make you come. I can’t stop loving you. Please don’t make me.” His words are short and out of breath as I feel my body climbing with each sweet endearment. He hits the perfect place one, two, three times. I come hard, yelling out his name. He keeps thrusting into me until he’s marking me as his. His cock deep inside me, my name is on his lips.
“Wow, okay then,” I say. I’m pretty sure Kiptyn just fucked the hate out of me. Who knew that was possible? I want to be mad at him, but I know what he did was coming from deep within his heart. Was it misguided? Probably. “What does it even mean when you say I’m yours?” This has a whole new meaning behind it. It’s no longer just the two of us in our little bubble in Three Rivers.
“It means I just saved Rich’s ass, and he can’t do a damn thing about me fucking his daughter.”
I feel his lips press against my back. “What do you really do?” I ask, sitting down, not bothering with the mess between my legs. I can deal with that later.
“I own the bar. I started to launder dirty money for Rich the same day I met you. The day I picked you up in that truck—” I nod, wondering where this is going. “—it was stolen. That night, I chopped it up in a bunch of parts and sold them across the country. The graveyard of cars in the back hides a lot of the stuff I do. Typically, no one is allowed access back there. I also do legit mechanical work on vehicles.”
He lies back, taking me with him, holding me close. I should be shocked about all of this, but instead, I kind of see it.
“What are your plans now?”
“I would love to see you doing what you love and take that contract I’ve negotiated for you.”
He holds me tighter, our breathing in sync. I can’t help but feel disheartened that another chance of making it has hit a wall. I wish I could put the last week behind me, but it’s still so fresh. My life would be so much easier if I can put it all past us, and trust Kiptyn. He doesn’t understand that he was my person, the one man who I trusted blindly. I gave him every piece of myself, unwaveringly only for him to prove me wrong. It hurts my heart more than losing my chance of singing, losing the family I thought I had, making me feel lost. I’m no longer sure of myself, making me question everything.
“I have a better deal.” He turns to me, reaching over to open up the bedside table. When he turns back, he’s opening a small red velvet box. “Marry me.” A perfect diamond ring sits in the middle, staring at me. The sun catches it, and a white light is painted on the wall in front of me. “Kellie Dare, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
I stare at the diamond ring. I’m stunned speechless. How did I go from being kidnapped by the man I love, to him asking me to marry him?
I blow out a breath as my eyes slide from the ring to him. His eyes hold so much hope, and the longer it takes me to answer, the more unsure he grows.
“It’s a beautiful ring.”
Disappoint clouds his eyes, and I hate that I can’t scream out yes. All the betrayal holds my heart hostage. I can feel me breaking both our hearts. Everything feels too fast. I want this; I do. I have never envisioned myself without Kiptyn. My head can’t seem to make sense of why he would kidnap me. The way he spoke to my father has me questioning his motives, and I hate this feeling. I hate the mistrust I have when my heart refuses to let him go.
“If that’s what first comes to mind, I’ve obviously made a mistake.” He moves the box to the top of my bedside table and stands up.
I’m immediately cold, needing to pull the covers over my body.
“Kiptyn, can we talk about this?”
“There’s not much else to say, Kellie.”
My heart pounds, telling me I need to do something, while my mind is still trying to play catchup. Wrapping the light cover around me, I stand, hating that I’m naked and can still feel the wetness from him on my upper thigh.
“If only love was enough.” I mutter as I watch him walk out my door, and I’m left standing, feeling like I want to cry.
The first tear slowly escapes the corner of my eye, rolling down the side of my face before another one leaks out.
My tears are full-blown streaming down my cheeks, but I refuse to make a sound. The red velvet box sits on the stand. Wiping my eyes, I inspect the diamond. It’s perfect. Its diamond is the perfect size, not overly large. Its band is tiny and petite like me. Slipping it onto my finger, it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen on me.
Somehow, I fall asleep. The emotions of the last few days taking me under.
CHAPTER 35
“You ready to go?” I ask Russ.
He’s in the garage, going over the details for our next job. A smoke dangles from his lips as he goes over each and every detail of the different car pickups we have planned.
Televisions line one workbench area, every corner of the house under surveillance. It’s not to keep Kellie in, but rather for keeping everyone else out. If I mess this up, there will be a huge price on her head. In the judge’s eyes, Kellie is worth millions of dollars. All Rich has to do is accept his proposal then Kellie gets to go free.
In this transaction, I’m the middle man. I’m Kellie’s only hope of survival if anything goes wrong. If Rich plays hardball, I know the men the Guarantor employs. They won’t lose sleep over putting a bullet in a woman’s head.
He gives me that look that tells me he disagrees with this whole plan. “You sure this is a good idea?”
“This was your idea,” I remind him, but that was before I got the order to kidnap Kellie. In my mind, this heist was to be my last job. It’ll give me enough money to set up Kellie and me. We can disappear and finally leave behind everything dragging us down.
“Yes, but you have a lot going on here. You think it’s smart to be doing the biggest heist of our careers when your head isn’t clear? Your mind is going to be staying here when we need you.”
“I have everything covered. Kellie is safe. And I’m not letting you or Sloan do this without me.”
“That’s the thing; maybe we shouldn’t be doing this at all.”
Looking at Russ, I can’t help wondering if he’s going soft as we age. His eyes look about as tired as I feel. Tomorrow, I’ll a
sk if he wants out. We can both cut ties and live like normal people. “That’s not an option. I just spent my last penny on getting Kellie out of her parents’ control.”
“Was it for her though? Or did you need a reason to justify your revenge?” If Russ was any other person, I would be holding a gun to his head for disrespecting me.
“You’ve seen me with her. You’re smart enough to know the real answer to your question.”
“Who’s watching over her while we are gone?” Russ’s demeanor goes back to all business.
“A new recruit, and I have Axel coming in at night. He can handle it.” I trust Axel. I’ll be gone for one night. No one will notice. She’s in safe hands.
As we leave to go back to Three Rivers, my heart stays here with Kellie. I’m acting on instinct. I’ve put a crew together to do a one-time job. It’s ten hot cars, and their parts retail huge on the black market. One night of stealing, one morning of chopping it all apart. It’ll bring in enough money to let me relax and stay in Nashville longer.
CHAPTER 36
As soon as I slipped on that ring, it felt right, like it’s meant to be. When I wake, my heart hurts that I never told Kiptyn so. The truth is I love him no matter what. I want to be his wife. Lifting my hand to my face, I can’t help but stare at the ring. I have every intention of telling Kiptyn yes as soon as he comes back to me.
For the first time, I leave my room. The house is huge, with what looks like two separate wings. My footsteps echo in the broad hallway that looks to be twice the size of a regular one. “Hello?”
Nothing other than my steps answers me as I look around. Silence. Going to the window, I open the blinds, allowing light to invade the hall. Outside is vast with grass and trees. There is nothing but Mother Nature outside. Where am I?
Something isn’t sitting right with me. My stomach begins to knot, and a chill washes over me. Going down the stairs, I find the kitchen empty. Opening the fridge, it’s fully stocked. There is evidence someone was in the kitchen. An empty coffee mug sits on the counter, a dirty dish in the sink.
