by C. J. Thomas
Mr. Lopez leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I know you’re lying to us.” He angled his head to the side and stared into me with his beady reptilian eyes. “We know you have the money, and you’re going to give it back.”
My chest rose and fell as the sound of my own heartbeat thrashed between my ears.
He looked back over his shoulder and nodded.
The van slowed to a stop.
“I’m going to give you a very generous offer.” He lifted his hand and cupped my face inside it. “Because I like you.” The pad of his thumb stroked over my bottom lip, causing me to flinch. “You have thirty days to give it back.”
Every muscle in my body tightened.
“Do you understand?” His flat lips curved up into an evil smirk. “Ms. Alex Grace.” He turned and smiled at his associate.
I hated that he knew my name. And it wasn’t the only thing that he knew. No, they knew just about everything about me. There would be no way to hide or get away until they got what they wanted from me. “Or else, what?”
An evil laugh erupted between the men. “Or else.” He moved his hand to my throat and slowly cut the jugular with his finger.
My jaw clenched.
They opened the door and waved for me to step out.
I hesitated for a moment, making sure that I wasn’t being set up and dropped at some random location I couldn’t walk away from.
My ears perked up as I heard the street hum with cars zipping by, and when I saw the first pedestrian pass before my very eyes, I knew this was my chance to get out alive and unharmed.
This time.
“Have a nice day,” Mr. Lopez said as I moved from the back of the van to the side door.
I stepped out beneath the hot sun and onto the sidewalk.
“And remember, Alex, we’ll be waiting to hear from you.” He shut the door and I watched as the van drove away.
My last breath caught in my lungs until they were gone. Once they were out of sight, I hurled over and started to hyperventilate.
I needed to call Nash.
He’d know what I needed to do.
He’d protect me.
Except there was just one big problem. My phone was back at the apartment.
Oh, dear God.
Panic started to settle in and I had no choice but to jump in front of a stranger. “Please, can I use your phone?”
He gave me a funny look, brushed me off, and continued walking.
Shit.
I tried my luck again and caught up with a woman walking briskly. “Excuse me, can I please use your phone?”
She slowed down and eyed me.
“It’s an emergency.” I breathed. “Please.”
She stopped to stare. “Okay.” She handed me her phone. “Make it quick.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, taking the phone and quickly dialing Nash’s number, praying he’d pick up.
“Nash Brooks,” he answered after the first ring.
“Nash!” My hand flew over my face. “Thank God.”
“Alex?”
“Yes, it’s me. I forgot my phone at the apartment.” Tears welled behind my eyes but I refused to let them spill. “I need to see you.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” I started to cry, and hated myself for appearing weak. But I was scared. Really fucking scared.
“Where are you? I’m coming to get you now.”
My head swiveled to the side and I spun around in a complete circle, getting my bearings—downtown. “I’m not far.”
“Who are you with?”
“Just me, now.” I closed my eyes—the reality of what just happened sinking in. “Just me,” I whispered.
“Tell me where you are. I’m coming to get you.”
“I’m heading home.” I hung up and killed the connection.
63
Nash
AS SOON AS the door opened, I stood and couldn’t believe my eyes.
Alex was home.
In one piece.
Thank God.
She stopped dead in her tracks and locked eyes with me.
Fuck me, she was gorgeous.
I was so grateful to have her home, and as she stood there staring into my eyes, a small lump formed in my throat for the remorse I felt for letting her down. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Especially not right after promising to protect her.
I’d let her down, and because of that, I’d do anything to make it up to her.
She lifted her hand and covered her mouth as her brows knit together. I could see the dried trails of tears that had spilled down her cheeks not long ago. It was no secret, she’d been crying.
Cautiously, I stepped forward. “Alex, baby, what happened?”
Her face twitched as she fought to stay strong.
“Are you okay?” I closed the massive gap between us one small step at a time. “Where were you?”
Her feet remained rooted to the floor. She just stood and shook her head, avoiding my curious gaze by choosing to stare at her feet instead. “They took me, Nash.” Her voice was soft enough to send waves of shivers across my skin.
If they fucking hurt her, I’d get my revenge.
She didn’t have to tell me where she was. I knew who she was with, and I’d make them pay for taking my woman away from me. For putting her through this unjust morning of hell.
One more step and I curled my fingers around her shoulders, taking her into my loving embrace.
I didn’t care the reason why they did it. Nothing they said could be excusable. Seeing her like this, with terror taking the life out of her eyes, was all the reason I needed to seek my revenge.
Slowly, I tipped her head so that she’d see me.
We locked eyes and Alex immediately jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist—holding onto me tight enough to make me believe she thought that maybe she’d never see me again.
I squeezed and flexed my muscles around her with every bit of pent up, unspoken emotion she shared with me. After a moment of just holding on to each other like we were fearful of losing what we had, she pulled her head back and said, “You were right, Nash. These are bad people.”
I kissed her forehead and patted her hair.
A split second later, her lips covered my mouth and her tongue demanded entrance.
I opened willingly and coiled my tongue over hers, pulling more of her into my mouth.
We kissed passionately with her still wrapped around me, and somewhere in the mix, I smoothed my hands down her sides, across her thighs, and over her ass. “Did they hurt you?”
Her eyes hooded over. “No. They didn’t hurt me.”
A sudden weight lifted off my shoulders. My lips slammed over hers again and she deepened our kiss by angling her head more to the side.
I was so thankful to have her back inside my arms . . . and inside my mouth. When she dropped her feet flat to the floor, emotion and relief took control of our actions, and together we feverishly began tearing each other out of the clothes we wore.
“Take me, Nash.” She worked to undo my belt. “Do the things I know you want to do to me.”
I lifted her shirt over her head and took each of her breasts inside my hands.
Her body was ripe for the taking.
“Fuck me, Nash.” She pulled my slacks down to the floor and snaked her hand inside my briefs, wrapping her sexy little hands over my length. “I’m telling you want I want.”
I reached behind her head and cupped her skull, pulling her back into my mouth.
Somewhere deep inside, I knew that she was spooked. But for whatever reason, she didn’t seem all that interested in telling me the details of what happened to her, or what these assholes wanted.
Alex twisted her tongue over mine and pulled her pants down.
Maybe she understood that I already knew enough about what was happening without having to actually come out and say it. And that was why she was begging to get fucked—becaus
e she needed me to make her forget.
I trailed my fingers down her back and unclasped her bra.
Alex didn’t hesitate to pull it off her chest and toss it to the floor. And when we were both standing there in nothing but our underwear, I picked her up and carried her to the kitchen table.
“I want you to tie me up.” She grazed my lips with her fingertip.
I looked into her heated eyes. They were on fire. There was so much heat behind what she was asking me to do and I knew exactly what would make her forget.
“Do what those assholes should have done to me.”
My ball sack tightened and I was painfully hard as my cock throbbed for her.
Gently, I set her on top of the table and took her tit between my fingers, squeezing the soft flesh until her nipple pebbled enough for me to tease it with my teeth.
She dropped her head back and mewed.
My tongue flicked over her nipple and her knees fanned out to the sides.
“Tie me up,” she moaned as she fisted my hair.
Her peaked bud plucked from my mouth and I quickly found a shawl, my belt, and a scarf. By the time I got back to Alex, she’d rid herself of her panties and sat waiting with each of her limbs perfectly placed on each of the table corners.
One-by-one, I bound her wrists and then her ankles to the table’s legs.
Fuck, she was sinfully gorgeous. She made herself so vulnerable the way she willingly submitted and handed herself over to me. In that moment, I knew without question that she was every bit mine.
I dropped my briefs and took my shaft inside the palm of my hand.
She watched me with hungry eyes as I stroked my rod from root to tip until I stepped forward and pressed my cockhead inside her moist entrance. “This what you want?” I slide my pulsing shaft over her swollen clit.
Her tongue darted out as she wet her lips, waiting for me to begin the punishment she’d begged of me. “Yes,” she purred.
I pushed myself a little bit deeper, held it for a second, and pulled back out so that just my tip was inside her. “To fuck you like a man?”
Her nipples were so sharp they could slice through butter. “No.” She shook her head. “Like my master.” Her breath hitched.
I pierced her with my sword.
Her head flew back.
I lunged in and out.
She bucked and thrashed against the restraints, testing their strength.
My hips rocked deep, long, strokes that increased with speed. There was nothing hotter than what she’d said—to fuck her like her master.
She was so wet and I was rock solid, ready to painfully drive into her hard and fast and deep.
“Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God,” she screamed, repeating the words over and over.
I continued my onslaught in our desperate attempt to relieve both us of this unspoken agony we’d kept pent up inside.
It wasn’t worth talking about.
Not now.
The ache we both felt transferred to the table and I continued to drill her good and hard as she clenched her sex around me, twisting it tighter and tighter with each impalement until we were both dangling dangerously close to the edge.
“Fuck, you’re so tight.” I pounded into her with piston-like thrusts, sliding my entire length inside her hot cavern, lunging so deep we became one.
She thrashed on the table, and the moment that hot ball of fire spun at the base of my spine, we both threw our heads back and shattered the silent air with our screams falling victim to our much needed release.
64
Alex
I WAS in the shower when I heard her come inside.
“Alex, darling.” Kendra’s voice echoed off the tile. “Is that you?” She jumped in front of the glass shower door.
I laughed and continued to massage shampoo into my scalp with my fingers. “I’ll be right out.”
“Was Nash here when you got home?”
I tipped my head back and let the stream of water flood my ears.
Nash was gone as soon as we were finished, and after what he did to me, a good deep cleanse was in order. What I asked him to do was exactly what I needed to clear my head.
“Yeah, he was here,” I said, coming up for air.
Through the shower’s steam, I watched Kendra move to the counter and take a seat in front of my vanity mirror. She busied herself by taking the liberty to go through my assortment of makeup.
I didn’t want to think about any of it. Not the money, and certainly not what Mr. Lopez said he was going to do if I didn’t give it back to him. At least Kendra answered my call and came right over. Now, together, we could get the duffel and take what we hadn’t spent directly to Mr. Lopez and get this all behind us, once and for all.
“I told that man to call me when he heard from you,” Kendra said with an ounce of disgust.
I turned the shower off, opened the door, and snagged a dry towel off the rack. “He said you were here.” I patted myself dry.
“And he didn’t call.”
“He had to get back to the studio.”
“Real nice guy. You should have introduced me sooner.”
“I thought you already met him, that night at Mojito.”
Kendra bobbed her head from side-to-side as she frowned. “Anyways, where were you?” She turned back to the mirror and teased her brow.
I turned and angled my head to the floor as I toweled my wet hair. “Hey, look, I need the money back.” I didn’t want to answer her question and bring her further into my mess.
Kendra slowly twisted her head back around as if needing to see for herself that I wasn’t joking.
I moved to the counter and rolled a stick of deodorant beneath my arms. “The owners came looking for it. I have to give it back. You still have it, don’t you?”
Kendra shifted her weight around.
I cast my gaze in her direction. Her eyes were glued to the tweezers she fiddled with in her lap.
“About that—” Kendra’s voice floated through the air like a balloon.
My hand rooted on my hip and I turned to face her, head-on. My chest heated as blood rushed to my head.
“Look, you can’t be mad.” She flashed me a quick sideways glance.
“And why would I be mad?” My blood pressure was already rising.
“You’re the one who told me to take it.” She swiveled in the chair and looked up at me from beneath her long lashes. “Get rid of it. Those were you’re exact words. Remember?”
My heart skipped a beat. “Kendra, what did you do?”
She scrunched her nose up into her brows.
“Oh, fuck.” My hand flew up and landed heavily on my forehead. “No. No. Nooo.”
I knew what she did. I saw it written all over her face. I couldn’t believe her. How could she?
“You were acting super weird that day. I knew something was up, and so I thought to myself, what better way to get rid of it than finding a place to put it to good use.” She smiled weakly.
“I didn’t mean to literally get rid of it!” I cried, pulling my hair back off my head and digging my nails into my scalp.
“Okay, look—” She straightened her spine, locked her elbows, and gripped her knees. “Just hear me out. Maybe it won’t be so bad.”
My knees gave out and I fell to the floor, clenching my stomach as it tightened into a knot.
“Alex?” Kendra peered over at me.
I stopped rolling from side-to-side long enough to tell her to just spill it already. “What did you do with the money?” My fingers flexed as I moaned.
“I paid off your school loans.” She didn’t bat an eye.
I swallowed. “You did what?”
“Yeah.” She smiled, nodding enthusiastically. “You’re debt free. You can thank me whenever you want.”
I covered my face with my hands.
Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any worse, it did. “Fuck, why did you do that?” I curled forward and dug my claws into her thi
ghs.
“Because I’m your friend.” She quirked a brow. “A really good friend. Need I remind you, I’m the best one you have?”
“Oh, God. Kendra, I need that money!” I let go of her and fell back to the floor.
My life was ruined. I was so flippin’ screwed, it wasn’t even funny.
“Hey, you’re the one who said finding this might just be the best thing that’s ever happened to you. And let’s not forget about how you also found a way to squeeze Nash into your life after that night, too.” She tightened her lips and gave me a look. “There’s a lot of good that came from you finding this. Don’t you forget that either.”
“You don’t understand,” I cried, unable to look at her.
“No, I do understand. You weren’t going to pay down your debt, so when you gave me the go-ahead, I made sure something good came from all this before you spent it all on shit.”
Tears swelled behind my eyes. “They’re going to kill me.” My voice cracked.
Kendra’s brows drew together as she angled her head to the side. Then her mouth dropped open as she looked to her left, the reality of my situation sinking in with each passing second. “That’s where you were this morning?”
I nodded. “They kidnapped me.”
“Holy shit,” she gasped. “And now these people want their money back?”
I nodded. “Please tell me it’s not too late?”
Kendra pursed her lips and bit the inside of her cheek.
I fell back down to the floor and moaned.
“Shit.”
“I’m so fucked.”
“Alex.” Kendra sighed. “I’ll make this right. I promise. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
Without the money, I might as well already be dead.
65
Nash
I FOUND him sitting in the back corner of Mojito with Kami by his side.
“My friend, Nash.” Wes waved me over and pointed for me to sit. “So good to see you again.”
I slid into the chair opposite them. Kami’s soft gaze lingered on me and was a nice balance to Wes’s more intense look.
“You and I both know the reason for this meeting, don’t we?” I laced my fingers together and rested my hands on top of the table for all to see.
Wes quirked a brow.
