Skimming the perimeter of her ear with my lips, I breathed, “I’m so in love with you.” They were words that held heavy meaning, but I said them without a scent of regret or falseness. I loved Amelia more than words could say, and I needed her to believe those words without a doubt. I needed her to know how much she meant to me, what lengths I would go to for her. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her, and she needed to know that.
“Oh, Merrick!” she cried out with a mix of emotion and pleasure, her back arching with need.
I couldn’t handle the way her body was affected by mine. It was overwhelmingly, completely fucking amazing. My mouth and hands couldn’t move fast enough. I needed them on every inch of her body.
By the time I reached the top of her shirt, my hands were already working it up and over her head. I closed my eyes, taking in the curvatures of her body by touch alone. It was my weakness—her body, the way it felt beneath my fingers … Fuck. I couldn’t wait to reveal more of it, to get every last article of clothing off her. I wanted to indulge in it all.
Her black cotton bra came off with ease and I slipped her nipple into my mouth. Oh my God, did it fucking taste amazing. I was in heaven, circling my tongue around the perimeter before pulling it back into my mouth for another nip. I took turns, going back forth between the two before sliding down the rest of her body, kissing and savoring each inch of her stomach on the way down.
Once I reached the waist of her pants, her hands cradled each side of my head, holding it passionately while letting out a sigh of heated anticipation. I pushed the denim down her legs until it pooled at her feet. I couldn’t stand how fucking amazing her body was. I couldn’t stop staring, praising the fact that this gorgeous woman was mine to do whatever I wanted to, to please in any way I desired. She was mine to devour and pleasure. Nothing felt better humming my veins than the knowledge that she was mine. All fucking mine.
She leaned up on her elbows, noticing my stall, my moment of weakness. I crawled back on top of her, meeting her grin with mine. It was with a mutual understanding of how I perceived her, of how being back together felt … for both of us.
Our lips fused again, this time more slowly, passionately, feeling each movement, each pass of our tongues, every ounce of emotion exchanged. Her arms draped over my shoulders, her hands holding the back of my head in place. My arms rested on each side of her head; I was all into her, focusing on our love, our passion and lust for one another. I knew; she didn’t need to tell me. Eventually she would. Eventually she would know that she couldn’t hurt me. Eventually Amelia would love me the way I loved her.
The feeling, the sensation … I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I’d waited what felt like eternity to have Amelia back in my bed. I needed more. I needed to feel her warmth. Her wetness. I needed to see her pleasure. I needed to feel her fall, to climax … by me. With me.
Removing my lips from hers, I kissed her forehead, then her nose, before exploring the length of her body a second time, kissing, nipping and sucking all the way down to her toes. By the time I got back to her panties, she was pleading.
“Yes, Merrick, yes.”
Her voice, her need … it was all I fucking needed to rip the thin fabric from
her body; I was more than ready to be inside my girl. It took all of two seconds to shuck my own clothes.
“Are you on the pill, baby?” I whispered softly in her ear after climbing back over her body. “I need to feel all of you tonight.”
She nodded her head, her breathing too heavy to speak. “Yes,” she said barely audibly.
You’d think I hit the fucking jackpot with the rush of excitement that flooded my body with her answer. I guess in so many ways I did. Being raw inside of Amelia was a little piece of heaven … the jackpot. I’d never been undressed in any other woman, but in Amelia I needed to be, and holy shit was it everything I had ever dreamed it to be.
I slid in slowly, carefully. She was so fucking wet that I actually cringed at how amazing it felt. I couldn’t lose my shit before even getting all the way in! I needed to ride this feeling out as long as I could. There were no words for how fucking good Amelia felt wrapped around my cock. It was something I would never forget or ever get enough of.
“Yes … yes … oh God!” She cried louder and louder with each thrust I made, holding on and gripping my back so hard that I could feel her nails digging into my skin.
The grip she had on me sent a fire raging throughout my body, forcing a pleasure throughout my veins like no other. I was pushing the brink, ready to fucking cave. My energy and the strength to hold out was diminishing much faster than I wanted, making my forehead rest against hers as I tried to hold on to every last ounce of self-control I had.
“Open your eyes, baby,” I whispered through heavy breaths, knowing the drop was near. “I want to see you come with me.”
Like my words were the spark she needed to ignite, her pussy clenched so fucking hard around my cock that it almost was unbearable, forcing me right into an orgasm of my own. My body spasmed uncontrollably, our eyes frozen, feeling and seeing the pleasure that we both provided one another. It was the most amazing fucking moment of my life—I know I’ll never forget it and this night will play on repeat every fucking day of my life. I didn’t fucking care if we fucked so much that my dick fell off. It was worth it because this … this right here … was indescribable.
But then everything changed.
Amelia’s cell started ringing from the floor, making her slide out from underneath me so fast that I almost didn’t know what was happening. The panicked frenzy she was in told me it wasn’t good. It was like someone had just poured water over her head, causing her body to do a 180.
“Hello?” she answered, pacing from one side of the room to the other. Her voice sounded cool and collected, but her body and the way she was chewing on her nails told me anything but.
She was freaking out, making my blood heat to boiling. I hated this fucking side of her. I hated seeing how she jumped to his call; it was like someone burning a hole straight through my body, tearing my heart out by the seams. I didn’t know who this fucker was, but I wanted to kill him. I wanted to break every fucking bone in his body and help him to a grueling, dreadful death. I’d never hated anyone like I did this guy.
“Antonio, no. I told you where I was!” Her voice was growing shaky, tears filling her eyes. “Don’t hurt him. Please don’t hurt him.” Her tears turned to sobs as she dropped to her knees. “Please, Antonio!”
I’d had enough. I couldn’t watch this carry on any longer. I couldn’t stand to see the broken down mess that he made. I jumped from the bed, grabbing the phone from her hand. She pleaded for me to stop, but I didn’t listen, pressing my thumb down on the “end” button and then throwing the phone across the room.
“You’re done!” I shouted. “You’re done with him!” I yelled, picking her up off the ground and holding her in my arms.
She broke away, a mix of anger and fear filling her face as she rushed around the room, picking her clothes up off the ground and throwing them back on her body.
“You don’t understand what you just did, do you?” She looked up at me, fire burning through her eyes. “He’s going to kill me. You don’t hang up on Antonio. You don’t—”
I grabbed her arm, making her stop. When I said that she was done, I meant it. I didn’t care who this fucking Antonio guy was or what crazy shit he was involved in, she was not going back. And there was no fucking way, while I was still living, that he would ever lay a hand on my girl! Ever!
“Let me go, Merrick. I have to go. I have to find a way … I have to figure something out to make him believe I wasn’t betraying him.”
“Stop it!” I shouted again, holding her arm so tightly that there was no way she could escape. I didn’t care if I was going to leave a mark, she wasn’t leaving and she wasn’t going to go anywhere near that guy. I was keeping her here, safe with me, where I knew she couldn’t be harmed.
&
nbsp; “You don’t get it, do you?” Her voice was turning exhausted, heavy breaths between her words.
“No, you don’t!” I tried not to yell, but it was hard not to. “You’re not going back to him, Amelia. I don’t care how fucking dangerous he is.”
She shook her head, her level of frustration and anger lowering. “He will find me, Merrick.” Her voice was low and shameful. “He’ll find me … and I don’t know what he’ll do when he does.”
“Who is he involved with, Amelia?”
She closed her eyes and exhaled. I loosened my grip, letting her arm fall free.
“He’s part of the mafia. He runs an underground gambling ring.”
I took her hand and guided her back to the bed, sitting her down next to me, keeping her hand in mine and caressing the top of it with my thumb.
“He wasn’t doing it when I met him,” she said firmly. “I didn’t even know his family was in the mob. It wasn’t until his Uncle Marty died that it all got intense. Since Antonio’s father died when he was young, Antonio was next in line to carry on the family business. I tried to leave him when it happened, but I was already in. I wasn’t an official member, but I knew too much. If not Antonio, his family certainly would kill me if I ever tried to leave.” She focused on our intertwined fingers, pausing. “They’ll kill you too, if he finds you with me.” She looked up to me. “You’ve gotta let me go, Merrick.”
I pulled her into my side. “It ain’t happening, baby,” I told her before kissing her head.
We sat there for a moment in silence. I didn’t know what was going on in her head, but I knew damn well what was going on in mine.
How the fuck was I going to get her out of this?
I needed someone with power, who had connections; someone that could make things happen at the drop of a dime.
I needed Miles Blackwell.
I stood from the end of the bed, slipped on my briefs then pulled my cell from the pocket of my jeans.
“Kayla, I need to talk to Miles.” I knew it wasn’t the most cordial greeting, but I also knew she would take me seriously.
“Miles?” she asked, sounding sleepy and confused. “Is everything okay?”
“Please, K. Put him on the phone.”
She didn’t respond, handing him the phone like I asked instead.
“This is Miles,” he answered with his prim, businesslike tone. It didn’t matter who he was talking to, that’s how he always sounded.
“Miles, it’s Merrick. I need your help.”
He paused for a moment, making my nerves skyrocket. I wasn’t sure how much he knew about the mob, but I was willing to bet he knew some.
“It’s two in the morning, Merrick,” he answered.
I looked at the clock sitting on my nightstand. I’d forgotten how late it was, but I also knew the mafia wasn’t a business or organization that cared about time.
“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that, but I could really use your help right now.”
I could hear some movement on his end and then Kayla asked where he was going. I hated that I was making her worry, but I was freaking the fuck out too.
“What’s going on?” he continued moments later, after a door shut.
“What do you know about underground gambling?” I asked, hoping he had a clue.
He exhaled. “That it’s illegal and pretty damn dangerous. Christ, Merrick, why the hell are you gambling with them?”
“No. No, I’m not. It’s Amelia.”
“She’s involved with them?” I could hear the confusion in his tone.
“Not willingly, she was in a relationship with one.” I paused. “The leader.”
“Fuck,” he said, but mostly to himself.
“Yeah, man. It’s bad.”
“Is she with you right now?”
“Right next to me.” I squeezed her hand.
“Do they know this? They don’t let members out their sight.” His voice was rising, gathering the danger we were in.
“He called her, but I grabbed the phone and threw it against the wall.”
“Dammit, Merrick! You gotta get out of there. I guarantee there’s a tracker on her phone or somewhere on her.”
I ran my hand over my head. Fuck! I’d never thought about that, but he was fucking right. She had to be tracked, that’s how he knew she wasn’t where she told him. Wherever that was.
“Ah, fuck!” I swore, completely freaked the fuck out now.
“Get rid of everything she came there with—her phone, clothes, shoes, everything. She can’t have anything that he could have tampered with on. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re almost to your place. Give her some of your clothes and throw her stuff out as soon as you get outside. Walk slow, okay? Don’t be obvious, just disguise her the best you can. From what we know, they probably don’t know who you are … yet. I’ll call downstairs and make sure they buzz you in immediately. Hurry, Merrick, you don’t have much time!”
It was like shit got real when I hung up the phone with Miles. For a bit, it was just about protecting my girl, but I had to put the caveman, chest-pounding, territorial pitbull aside … I was racing against time, my life, Amelia’s life … I was in fucking deep.
Before Miles even cut the line, I was pulling clothes from my drawers and throwing a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt to Amelia.
“What’s this for?” she asked, equally panicked.
“Take off everything—everything! Who knows how much he’s tracking you!” I shouted across the room, already in my closet getting her a pair of sneakers from the bar’s lost and found box and tossing them her way as well.
“You can borrow some of Kayla’s clothes once we get to their place.”
Her body froze and face went pale, the clothes hanging limp in her hands.
“Baby, I know this is a lot to take in, but you’ve gotta move. We’ve gotta get outta here.”
She shook her head and blinked her eyes a few times, bringing herself back up to speed. I hated pushing her and forcing her to do anything, but I had to … I promised to keep her safe, so I had to take control.
“Yeah … yeah, okay.” Her voice was low and almost lost-sounding, but she started to move faster, stripping the clothes she had on and throwing them in the plastic grocery bag that I tossed at her from the top of my dresser, still sitting there from when I picked up deodorant and cologne yesterday from the store.
I grabbed a handful of clothes for myself and stuffed them in my backpack, stopping in the bathroom next to get the necessities—I didn’t know when I would be back. The empty feeling that I could lose everything I’d worked so hard for filled my gut for a split second before it was soon forgotten. This was for Amelia. Not having her in my life created an even bigger hole in my chest, so there wasn’t another option— everything else could be replaced, my girl couldn’t.
When I re-entered the bedroom, Amelia was standing in the middle, swimming in my clothes, her hair pulled up underneath a Yankees cap. I smiled. For being in a major shit scenario, she looked so fucking cute that if we weren’t being chased by the mob, I’d push her right back down on the bed and show her how much I fucking loved her and how fucking adorable I thought she was right then.
The side of her mouth curled to a slight grin and for a second the world around us disappeared like it always did when we were together. It was just Amelia and I.
“It’s gonna be okay,” I told her, genuine sincerity intensifying my words. “We’ll be fine.” I didn’t know if I was saying it to ease her nerves or mine … probably both, but it felt necessary. We were both tough and smart and loved each other so fucking much that everything had to be good. I had just gotten her back. There wasn’t any other option.
She nodded her head. I didn’t know if she really believed me or if she was agreeing just because. Regardless, she appeared to trust me. If she didn’t, she would have already been long gone, at the mercy of Antonio despite her feelings for me.
“You ready?” I asked, reaching my hand out to her.
She walked over to where I was standing, moving up to her tippy toes so that our faces were aligned before softly saying, “Ready,” against my lips.
I touched them gently with mine like it was the calm before the storm, a promise to one another. Shit was about to hit the fan, but we had each other. At least, that’s what I communicated in the brief, soft kiss.
Seconds later we were running towards the back door, stopping for only a moment to pick up her mangled phone from the floor. I took one last glance around from the frame of the door, saying goodbye for now to all that remained. When we got to the bottom of the back staircase, I stopped us both for a quick second.
“No matter what’s outside this door, just stay calm. Walk like there’s nothing but purple hearts and unicorns dancing in our heads.”
She chuckled, making me smile. “Purple hearts and unicorns … got it.”
I kissed her forehead before turning the doorknob. At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The streets seemed calm in these early hours of the morning, just the normal hustle and bustle noise of the city streets around us. I kept my eyes forward and took a calming breath. So far so good!
The dumpster to the bar was just outside the door, so I took the plastic bag from her hand and threw it inside, closing the top. First point of business was done—she was clear of any trackers.
We walked up the sidewalk the few short blocks to where Kayla and Miles lived. With each step we took, and the closer we got, the relief and victory set in more and more.
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