by Erin Trejo
“You feel so goddamn good wrapped around me, Krista,” he groans as he thrusts.
“Shit, fuck me harder, Wolf,” I beg. He slams me against the wall of the shower, air leaving my lungs in a rush. His hands grip my hips as he grinds against me.
“You want it harder?” he asks as he pants. I nod before I cry out when he pulls out of me. “Turn around and put your hands on the edge.” His warm breath dances over my skin. I turn and press my hands to the edge of the bathtub. Wolf moves in behind me, his hands roaming over my body before his hand slaps against my flesh. I scream his name and arch my back about ready to stand from the sting when he forces his way inside of me. Each stroke causes my pussy to clench around him.
“This hard enough?” He growls as he grabs my hips and pounds into me. The pain radiates through my body, but my brain only gives off pleasure signals. I gasp for air as he takes what he wants and gives me what I need. I can feel him swell and just as I come, so does he. Our bodies rock together, loving the pleasure that the other is giving. He grunts behind me, his cock twitching with each sound that leaves his lips. When he pulls out of me, I shove myself up to stand under the water. Wolf climbs out to dispose of the condom before he climbs back in.
“You wanna talk about it?” He asks reaching around me to grab the shampoo. I don’t expect him to squeeze it onto my hair, let alone massage it in. I close my eyes wondering how much I can trust him with.
“It’s just the past,” I say softly.
“The past can tear you apart. Don’t let it, darlin’.” He leans down, pressing a kiss to my shoulder before turning me to rinse my hair. Tears slide down my cheeks but I hope he doesn’t notice them mixed with the water from the shower.
“He raped me,” I whisper softly.
“He what?” His voice has hardened. His eyes burn through me and I’m not even looking at him. Slowly I blink my eyes open and they lock with his bright blue ones. The blue seems darker in this moment and I wonder why.
“It was a long time ago. I was young, stupid. I thought he loved me. At first, I thought he might have. That all changed. I was sixteen and he was eighteen. His parents had money so there was no point in the little poor girl claiming rape,” I tell him as my chest aches. “We were at a party like most girls that get raped are. It sounds so fucking cliché hearing myself say it. We drank, we danced but then his friends were there.”
“Fuck,” Wolf hisses under his breath. He reaches up and wipes my tears.
“They held me there. They laughed and then they threatened me. They said they would kill me if I told and that no one would believe me anyway. They were probably right. I didn’t grow up in a loving home. My friend Ester,” he cuts me off.
“The one out there?” I nod.
“She was all I had. We lived on the streets and learned how to take care of ourselves.” I shrug.
“Where is he now?” The growl that rips from his chest startles me a little. I step back a little.
“Wisconsin.”
“That’s where you’re from?” He asks, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me back closer to him.
“Yeah.”
“How the hell did you end up in Maryland of all places?” He asks with a smirk. That’s it. That’s enough of this sharing. I shove him away from me, watching as he slips before catching himself and climb out of the shower.
“What the fuck, Krista?”
“That’s none of your business!”
Eleven
Wolf
She’s a stubborn one. I fucking like it too. My cock responds to her little temper tantrum. She has a towel around her waist and heading out of the bathroom when I follow.
“Holy shit,” Ester screams covering her face.
“Don’t walk away from me!” I roar, causing Krista to stop. I’m well aware that I’m standing here naked and I don’t really give a shit. One thing I hate the most is when I’m talking to someone and they walk away from me. Anger boils under my skin like lava from what she said to me in there.
“Leave it alone, Wolf,” she says without looking at me. She takes a step to move once more into what I assume is her room. I don’t let her get that far. I grab her shoulder and spin her around to face me.
“You fuckin’ drop that bomb and then tell me not to worry about it?” I roar louder. Her eyes move from mine and down my body. There goes my cock again. It jerks and she shakes her head. Not my fucking fault.
“Don’t you have a girlfriend to bother?” She asks me, raising her eyebrow. Look at her. She thinks she can pull that one on me? Not a chance in hell.
“Don’t change the subject!”
“Why is there a hot naked guy screaming at you?” Ester asks as she comes to stand next to Krista. Her eyes roam my body much the same but I keep my gaze glued on her friends.
“Are you just going to stand there naked?” Krista asks.
“Maybe. What the fuck difference does it make? Answer me. Why are you here?” Ester gasps, Krista rolls her eyes.
“I moved here. Is that a fucking crime? I didn’t want to be in Wisconsin anymore. I didn’t want to be around him!” That makes sense but judging by the look in her eyes there’s something else. And from the looks of her friend, there is.
“What else?”
“You told him?” Ester asks, looking to her friend for confirmation. Krista sighs, her shoulders slowly relaxing.
“About Tom, yes.”
“What about th-“
“That’s all I told him!” Krista snaps not letting her finish. Ester closes her mouth and turns to walk away leaving the two of us again.
“I need to get dressed,” she says. I nod my head and let her go into her room, but I follow. Of course, I follow. I’m not done yet.
“What aren’t you tellin’ me?”
“Why does it matter, Wolf? You do my tattoo and we fuck on occasion.”
“Is that what you call the phone sex too?” Her eyes widen. “How the hell did you think I didn’t know it was you, Krista? I’ve heard you moan with my cock in you for over a month.”
“The whole time?”
“No. Not at first but after a while, yeah I figured it was you. Was it really a wrong number?” I ask amused.
“Yeah. Small world.” She grabs her bra and slips it up her arms as I watch still naked.
“Talk to me.”
“I meant what I said.”
“Which is?”
“There’s nothing between us, Wolf. You and me,” she gestures between the two of us. “Nothing.”
“Let me get this right,” I say with my hands on my hips. “We fuck, we talk. We hang the fuck out, but we aren’t shit?” She laughs now. She actually laughs at that. I don’t think it’s all that funny but at the same time, I have my own shit to deal with.
“We fuck. You run my tatt. That’s basically all this is.” I don’t know what I was expecting from her, but it wasn’t this. In fact, I don’t know what the hell I was expecting of me. She’s right. I have Lauren to deal with. I don’t need her shit on top of it. Slowly nodding my head, I turn around and go back into the bathroom pulling my clothes on. Once my boots are on, I slip my arms into my cut, stuff my gun into the back of my jeans and walk into the hall. She’s dressed now standing there with her head down and her arms wrapped around herself.
“When you figure your shit out, let me know.” I stalk past her when she grabs my arm. I take a deep breath, not knowing what the hell all of this is between us. I shouldn’t want her. I shouldn’t be fucking with her. She’s a client just like she said. I broke my own fucking rules by messing with her and now here we are.
“Don’t walk away,” she says softly. So softly in fact that I nearly don’t hear her.
“What do you want from me, Krista? You want me or you don’t. There is no in-between.”
“It’s not that easy, Wolf.” I turn to her now, grabbing her face in my hands.
“It is. I’m here. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doin’ but I’m here. I’m st
andin’ here in front of you tellin’ you that you have a fuckin’ choice. You can say it. No one will fault you. No one will judge you if you wanna be with me.”
“You have a girlfriend,” she says harshly, and I get it. I do because I don’t want Lauren around, but she has to be and that’s a fucking weight I have to bear.
“She means nothin’. This is between you and me. You want me? Say it. You want me to walk, tell me.” There’s a demand in my voice. One that she doesn’t deserve. Who the fuck am I to demand her to choose me? I’m nothing to her. I haven’t even known her that long and I’m making her decide? What kind of fucked up man am I? Her eyes fill with tears and I know the answer. I nod my head and lean down, pressing my lips to her forehead.
“Strictly professional at the shop. See you on, Tuesday,” I tell her before turning and walking out of the front door. As I make my way down the sidewalk, I hear her scream. I hear things break but I don’t look back. What the hell was I thinking? We barely know each other. What did I expect her to say?
“What the fuck are you lookin’ at?” I growl at the man walking his dog. He jolts but doesn’t say another word before scurrying as far from me as possible. Krista has my head fucked up. Her telling me she was raped fucks me harder. I grab my helmet off the seat and pull it on before climbing on my bike. I’m just about to rev it up when I hear Ester.
“Hey! Hot guy!” I turn and see her rushing down the sidewalk, looking over her shoulder to see if Krista knows she’s out here. I sit here and watch her a little amused.
“What?”
“She’s got a lot she’s dealing with. She doesn’t talk about it and to be honest, I understand why. We didn’t grow up like most people and it’s hard for her to trust.”
“Isn’t that everyone? We all have trust issues. We’re human.”
“Yeah, but hers run deeper. I can’t tell you her story, but I can tell you that this isn’t just about the rape,” Ester says, tears filling her eyes. I nod my head and scrub my hand over my face.
“I get it, but I can’t force her into anything either. She doesn’t wanna tell me,” I shrug.
“Give her time. She puts up a front. She keeps people at arm’s length for a reason. Don’t shut her out completely because I have a feeling she is going to come find you later on.” Her words hold more meaning than she knows, and as she steps back, I look up at her.
“Tell her she knows how to find me.” Ester smiles and nods her head before turning and heading back inside. I rev up my bike and pull out, heading back to the clubhouse.
Twelve
Krista
My hands are in my pockets as I walk along the sidewalk. Her long blonde hair is curly today hanging down her back. She laughs as they lead her toward the car. I stop completely enamored by her. She’s so perfect. A paper flutters at my feet and I bend down picking it up. The paper is colored in bright colors, a family smiling in the middle. My heart beats harder, my skin becoming damp with sweat.
“Excuse me,” the little voice calls to me. I look up from the photo and see her beaming up at me with a smile on her little face. “That’s my picture. I dropped it.” My heart pounds harder in my chest.
“It’s a beautiful picture,” I tell her as I pass it back.
“It’s my family,” she beams with pride. I see her adopted mom, Lucy standing not far away with a smile on her face. She doesn’t know me. I was allowed to know who Eva’s adopted parents were, but I chose to never meet them. I didn’t think I could handle that.
“Well, it’s a beautiful family.”
“Are you crying?” She asks when the tear slips down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away.
“No.”
“Yes you are. Mommy says it’s okay to cry. It’s how we let out our feelings,” she says. “Do you have a family?” Tears burn my eyes as I try to keep them back. How is this happening? Why me?
“Eva, come on honey. Let the nice lady be.”
“Well do you?” She asks again ignoring her mom.
“No, I don’t.” Lucy is now at Eva’s side.
“I’m sorry. She is always so thoughtful and always asks questions.”
“It’s no problem. She’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“You can have this one. Maybe they aren’t your real family, but they can be on paper,” Eva says as she hands me the picture back. Tears pour down my cheeks now and there’s no stopping them.
“I’m so sorry,” Lucy says resting her hand on my shoulder. “She just speaks.” I wave a hand through the air to dismiss her.
“You have to be the sweetest kindest little girl that I have ever met,” I tell her as she smiles.
“We haven’t met yet, silly. I’m Eva.” She holds her hand out and the thought of touching her, holding her, smelling her overwhelms me. It’s too much but I do it. I reach out and take her little hand in mine.
“It’s nice to meet you, Eva. I’m Krista.” My heart literally stops beating as she holds onto my hand.
“Now we’re friends. Well, for a little while. We’re moving soon.”
“You are?” She pulls her hand away and panic grips my throat.
“Yeah. After school is out, we are moving to Florida, right mommy?” She asks looking up to her mom.
“That’s right. Daddy has a new job there.”
“That’s great. I hear the beach is really fun there,” I say trying to calm my nerves. In reality, I want to tell them no. I want to beg her mom to stay and keep her here, but I can’t do that. They both turn to walk away when Eva yells bye and waves over her shoulder at me. My heart breaks in my chest. I force my feet to move, walking back toward the park. I know they’ll be heading home now. This is the way they always go. When I get there, I have a few minutes before they will arrive. They always go and get an ice cream after school. My heart hurts to know that they have that bond. I know I should be happy, and I am that she has a great family but that doesn’t ease the ache inside of me. Pulling my phone out, I debate calling Wolf. I left things so wrong with him. I shouldn’t have told him anything and yet I want to tell him everything. The look in his eyes when I told him about Tom gutted me. Just as my finger hovers over his number, the phone rings.
“Hello?”
“You are a hard woman to track. So is our daughter.” My heart stops. My stomach tumbles. He’s found me. He’s found her.
“Stay away from her.” He laughs.
“You would like that wouldn’t you? You took what belonged to me and gave it away like it was meaningless.”
“You wouldn’t have wanted her,” I hiss into the line.
“You don’t know that.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you want her? You never wanted kids,” I remind him.
“I never wanted you. You were a toy, Krista. A toy that just happened to produce an heir that I need,” he says casually.
“You son of a bitch. You stay away from her!” I catch a few glares as I scream into the phone, but I don’t care.
“For now. Once I find her, I’ll do whatever I need to get her back. Don’t underestimate what I’m capable of, Krista. I have money at my fingertips,” he reminds me.
“Go to hell. You won’t find her and if you do, I will kill you before you ever lay a hand on her.” My threat is real. As long as I’m breathing, I will kill him for coming near her. Tom laughs hysterically into the line.
“You think you’ve grown up since back then? You’re still the same little piece of trash that lived on the streets. I bet you still do. You couldn’t stop me then, what makes you think you can stop me now?” His words are meant to undo me, and they do. My hands tremble as I think back to that night. The horror I felt. The pain. My body tenses as he laughs harder into the line. Not knowing what else to do, I hang it up. Dropping onto the picnic table, I cry. I’m going to have to kill him. I’m going to kill the father of my daughter.
Thirteen
Wolf
“Righ
t there,” I say as I look through the binoculars.
“You think?” Shaft asks.
“Fuck yeah. I know how to blow shit up, brother.” He laughs as we keep looking around. Casing a fucking police station. I never thought I’d see the day but here I am.
“She tell you anything yet?”
“Fuck no. She’s still pissed about Krista bein’ in my room that night,” I tell him. If I’m being honest, I miss having Krista around. I miss her smartass mouth and the way she can use that mouth. She comes in for her appointments, but we don’t speak. Add to the fact that her tattoo is almost done and I’m a little more pissed.
“She still not talkin’ to you?”
“Krista? No.”
“Why don’t you just call her?”
“No. I need to deal with this shit. She’s right. Lauren is still around, and I don’t want her in the middle of this shit.” I hate to say it. I hate that she doesn’t call me. I miss her fucking voice. I sound like a goddamn bitch but it’s true. The feelings I have toward Krista feel realer than the ones I thought I had for Lauren and that bothers me.
“What about right there? Next to that tree,” Shaft asks changing the subject. Thank fuck.
“No. They run out the back and it won’t hit. We need it right up around the base of the buildin’.”
“Yeah? How we gettin’ around those cameras?”
“Fuck if I know. I’ll figure it out. It ain’t like we’re blowin’ it tonight,” I remind him. Lowering the binoculars, I sit back against the tree.
“What’s with you?”
“I don’t know. That girl has my stomach in knots. She was raped when she was a kid.”
“Fuck. How old?”
“Sixteen. Said she lived on the streets after that,” I tell him.
“Parents?” I shake my head. “Damn. That’s hard, brother.”
“Yeah. There’s more. She just won’t tell me. I think that’s what pissed me off more,” I add.
“Can’t force her. She will shut down.” I nod my head knowing that all too well. I don’t want to force her either. What’s the point in that? You have to establish some kind of trust in a relationship if it’s going to work. We sit for a minute in silence when my phone rings. Not recognizing the number, I answer it.
