SOULLESS (Black Thorns, #2)

by Franca Storm

  She’s gotta know the truth. The way things are right now, we’re at a crossroads. If I don’t show her everything I am, she’s gonna walk. If we’re gonna be together, she’s gotta know everything. It’s the only way, especially with a woman like her who don’t take no shit. Nothing less is gonna satisfy her.

  “All these names,” she murmurs, flipping through the pages. “And dates?” She keeps looking and reading. “Wow, there are…what…hundreds here?”

  My stomach clenches at her pointing that out—that it’s such a big fucking number. “Two hundred and fifty-two,” I tell her.

  Her gaze snaps to mine.

  “This last one: Kent’s thugs? These are the guys you killed at the house?”

  I nod. “Dunno their names—yet. I’ll find out.”

  “Why?” she asks, looking back at the journal. And then I see it in her eyes. She realizes. “Oh my God. These are…these are all the people you’ve killed?”

  “Yeah, babe. Most of ‘em are Devil’s Mavericks—when me and the boys took ‘em all out that day. Weren’t all by my hand, but counts as mine and on me, cuz I ordered it, yeah? Then there’s the ones I did kill by my own hand. Broker. Skinner.”

  “I—”

  She stops suddenly and I look over her shoulder to see why. Oh shit.

  She brings her hand to her face as tears spring to her eyes. “Our baby,” she says, reading the name just below Skinner’s. “That wasn’t your fault.”

  “Was, babe.”

  “No!” she cries. “It shouldn’t be in here!” She closes the book and throws it at me, before shooting off the bed, to her feet. “Take it off! Cross it out!”

  I’m off the bed in the next second, wrapping her up in my arms tightly. “It’s okay, beautiful girl. Just let it out now. You need to.”

  Finally, she actually does.

  She breaks down in my arms.

  Fuck. At last. She’s letting herself grieve. She’s been holding it in too damn long.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” she says, once her sobs have faded. “I don’t want you thinking that.”

  “Was my job to protect you both.”

  She pulls outta my hold and looks up at me, shaking her head. “It was Skinner, Neil. Skinner and Trigger. Okay?”

  I nod slowly. “I’ll try to start seeing it that way.”

  “You promise?”

  “Yeah. Just…gonna take time, you know?”

  “Yeah, I get that.”

  She wipes away her tears with her knuckles and draws in a breath, getting herself together. “You write down the names of your kills? I don’t understand. Why do you do that and why show me?”

  I thought she’d get it right off the bat. But, I guess, I can’t really expect that. She ain’t a killer like me—and I’m glad ‘bout that—so how’d she get it?

  “Guilt,” I tell her.

  “What?”

  I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I feel it, Rox. Okay? When I kill, I feel it.”

  “But the way you were talking earlier—”

  “I lied. I couldn’t…get it out.” I start pacing then, not able to actually look at her as I try to explain this to her. “I don’t think I’m God, like Dealer does. Don’t think it’s my right to end someone’s life. Makes me sick to my stomach doing it, Rox. But, in my world, sometimes I ain’t got that choice. It’s one reason I wanted to leave the club, so I wouldn’t have to do stuff like this no more. With the club legit now, this kinda thing shoulda ended. But then I had that hit list, right? That was supposed to be the end of it. I just wanted to walk, Rox. With you. And taking out all those fuckers was the only way to make that happen, cuz I couldn’t be with you knowing I was putting you in danger. And…now…fuck! I screwed up, babe. In that alley that day. Shoulda kept it all business. I shoulda sent Dealer on his own. Cuz now we’re already together, you’re pregnant and we’re in the thick of danger. You just had a hit on you.”

  “I understand you wanting to protect me, Neil. And I also understand doing whatever it takes. That’s what I did to wipe everyone off your list. I destroyed my business in Brockford—everything I’d built—so we could be together. And it worked. All the leverage—the secrets and intel—had all those assholes on your list wiping each other out, turning on each other. Without you having to put a bullet in their heads. They’re gone now.”

  “Except Kent.”

  She comes to me and takes my hands, gripping ‘em tightly. “He’ll be the last.”

  “What?”

  “He’ll be the last name you ever add to your list.”

  “You’re agreeing with me here?”

  “I tried to stop him with that threat, but it failed. I agree with this one. Killing him is the only way to stop him. He’s made that clear. It will cripple his entire organization, because he heads everything. He doesn’t even have a second-in-command, because he’s too controlling and egotistical. So, taking him out will destroy the entire thing.”

  I gesture to the journal. “That’s me, Rox. That’s what I’ve done. The kinda man I am.”

  She shakes her head and smiles up at me, “No. You’re not my dad, Neil. Seeing this now, I know I was wrong about that. You care.”

  “I do, babe. But, the thing is, I ain’t never gonna stop protecting you. You gotta understand that ‘bout me, cuz that ain’t gonna change. It’s how I’m always gonna be with you, with the boys, too. With our kid. Something threatens us and you better believe I’m gonna do everything in my power to stop it.” I pull away and cross to one of the bedside tables. “Thing you don’t seem to get, probably cuz you been on your own for so long before you met me, is that anyone’s gonna do that for the people they love. For family, babe.”

  I open the top drawer and feel ‘round for the latch. I find it and access the false bottom as I tell her over my shoulder, “So, us being together’s always gonna be like that. I ain’t never gonna stop protecting you.” I pull out the thing I been keeping in there for the last few months. And then I turn back to her and hold it out to her on my palm. “Question is: can you accept that?”

  She gasps as her eyes dart to my hand. “Oh my God! Is that—?”

  “Yeah.”

  “When did you—how did you—?”

  “Bought it the day I started writing that hit list. The day I realized staying away from you weren’t an option. Need you, babe. My life don’t mean shit without you.”

  I open the little black box and her eyes widen as she sees the diamond ring inside.

  “Neil, I—”

  “I want you, Rox. All of you. Forever. But I ain’t gonna change no more than I already have from having you in my life. Those issues we just talked ‘bout ain’t changeable. So, you gotta know that going into this. You accept this, then you gotta accept that. I’ll always protect what’s mine.”

  She walks towards me in a daze, her eyes darting from me to the ring.

  “I want you to be my wife, beautiful girl.”

  When she don’t say nothing, my nerves get the best of me and I start rambling like a damn fool, “I’ll find us another home, cuz now mine’s all tainted and shit from that invasion. And you want me to leave the club like I promised last time, I—”

  “I don’t want that.”

  “What?”

  She smiles then. “I told you; the club feels different now. Like a family. And that’s just what we need.” She rubs her belly and grins. “What our baby needs.”

  “Really?”

  She rolls her eyes. “I know you don’t want to leave the club anymore. You’ve seen it for what it really is now that you’re running things. You like it here now. But if I ever come here and see a bunch of club whores—”

  “You ain’t gonna,” I cut in quickly.

  She raises her eyebrows.

  “Promise, babe.” I wink at her. “I’ll keep you away when that shit’s going down.”

  Her eyes narrow at me.

  I get it right away. “And I’ll keep away, too. No pussy parties.”r />
  She laughs. “Okay.”

  She reaches out and touches the ring. “Well?” she says, eyeing me.

  “What?” I ask, not getting it.

  “Aren’t you supposed to…you know…put it on me?”

  I can’t believe it. Is she…is she saying…yes?

  “You’re saying—”

  “Yes!” she cries. “I want to marry you.”

  Jesus Christ. I ain’t never felt this kind of joy in my life. Pure joy. Ecstasy, even. It’s taking me over and, as I pull the ring from the box, my hands are shaking like crazy with it. I dunno how I manage it, but I slide it on her ring finger.

  She smiles down at it and then back at me, grinning like a little kid. So fucking cute.

  In the next second, I’m grabbing her and driving her down on the bed with me. I straddle her quickly and smile down at her. “I love you, Rox.”

  “I love you, Neil.”

  “Soon-to-be Mrs. Barron.”

  “You think I’m gonna take your name?”

  And there’s that ball-busting attitude of hers. “Really? You’re gonna do that to me? Fight me on this?”

  She laughs. “I’m screwing around. Roxana Barron sounds good to me.”

  Little minx was messing with me.

  “Screwing ‘round, huh? It’s like you’re asking me to punish you.”

  Her eyes burn into mine, the heated desire there almost enough to choke me. “Yes,” she breathes.

  I start unbuckling the belt of her sexy leather pants. “You want it slow? Or you want it dirty?”

  She bites her lip coyly. My dick jerks at the sight. “Just because we’re getting married, don’t go all vanilla on me, Neil.”

  That’s a challenge if I’ve ever fucking heard one. Hot damn.

  I tug her pants off and push off her. “On your knees.”

  She giggles excitedly and scrambles to do as I’ve ordered. God, the sight of her in those white lace panties has my dick standing to attention instantly.

  “These are so fucking hot, babe.” I slap her ass and she gasps. “Ass in the air.”

  She does it instantly and I rub my hands over her cheeks softly.

  Hooking my fingers in the waistband of her panties, I tug ‘em down slowly. I hear her panting with anticipation as I draw it out on purpose to drive her crazy. Rox hates waiting. She’s got no patience—or self-control, especially when it comes to fucking.

  Well, she’s gonna get a lesson right the hell now.

  When I finally pull her panties off her ankles, I bunch ‘em in my hand and lean over her, my breath hot on her neck. “You know, I still ain’t got you back for cuffing me in my office.”

  She gasps. “I—”

  “Open your mouth,” I command, cutting her off.

  She does as I tell her and I fill her sweet mouth with her panties. “No more talkin’ now.”

  I sit back behind her and gaze at her tight little ass. “Consider this your payback, babe.”

  She lifts her head, tryin’ to figure out what I’m gonna do.

  I slap her left cheek hard, enough for her to feel the burn. She cries out through the gag.

  “Head down.”

  She hesitates.

  I slap her right cheek. “Now.”

  She gets the message and does as she’s told this time.

  I press my hand to her pussy. Warm and already so damn wet. “You’re dripping, babe. Mmm…I love how you’re always so desperate for me. My cock. My tongue.” I slide my finger along the length of her pussy real slow. “My fingers.”

  I spread her lips apart with my fingers, exposing her sweet pussy, making her nice and vulnerable.

  Then I tease her with my index finger, circling over and over again, avoiding her clit.

  She moans out and squirms.

  “Keep still,” I tell her, giving her ass another slap. “No moving. You’re gonna take it like a good girl.”

  I dip my head and blow lightly on her clit, keeping up the tease with my fingers. I do it again and again ‘til she’s screaming into her gag with frustration.

  I pull my fingers away and sit back, admiring her sweet pussy dripping for me.

  I unbuckle the belt of my jeans and free my aching cock. Grabbing her ass, I rub it through her folds. She moans out. “Yeah, you like me rubbing my cock all over you, babe? You want me to fuck you with it, fuck you so hard and deep you can’t fucking see straight?”

  She groans into the gag.

  “Yeah, I know you do.”

  I press the head to her entrance and slide in an inch. And then I pull out. In again. Out.

  She tries to thrust back then, breaking position.

  I lean over her and pull out the gag. “You know how bad that was, Rox? Told you to stay still.”

  “I…I couldn’t. I tried,” she pants. “Please, Neil.”

  “Please what?”

  “I need to come. Stop torturing me.”

  “Why you think I’m torturing you?”

  “Because I cuffed you in your office. I’m sorry. Okay? I’m sorry. Please, Neil. Let me come. Fuck me.”

  Damn. Her words are so fucking hot.

  “Ain’t nothing hotter than hearing you beg like this, Rox. That’s why I’m doing it, cuz you know how to beg me so fucking well. Such a goddamn turn on.”

  I dip my index finger inside her and she almost bucks off the damn bed. This time I drive deep and angle it inside her, hitting that sweet spot that drives her crazy.

  “Oh God. Yes!” she screams.

  I finger fuck her for a while, letting her get a taste of what she wants.

  And then I pull out.

  She cries out and curses me.

  That’s my girl.

  I press my throbbing cock hard to her pussy and grind against her. She bucks against me, desperate for the friction.

  I draw my index finger, drenched in her juices, ‘round her asshole.

  She gasps.

  “Yeah. I know you like it here.”

  “Mmm,” she murmurs.

  I tease the tight little hole. “Tell me how much you want it.”

  “Yes! Please!”

  “Say it. I wanna hear the dirty words outta your mouth.”

  I push in slightly and hold my finger there.

  “Fuck, Neil!”

  “Say it.”

  I slide in a little deeper.

  “God! Yes! Please! Please fuck my ass!”

  “Good girl.”

  I grab my cock with my free hand and plunge inside her, driving balls deep in her tight pussy, right as I slide my finger into her ass, beyond knuckle deep.

  The sight of my cock and finger buried deep inside her, her hips bucking against me wildly, and her screaming like a wild animal, is all too fucking much.

  I lose control and start fucking her hard and fast, my finger and cock working her over in the rough, dirty way I know gets her off more than anything else.

  “Ah! Yes, Neil! I’m gonna come!”

  I grab hold of her hair with my free hand and jerk her head back. My lips devour hers, taking her in an animalistic kiss—teeth, lips and tongue clashing frantically.

  Jesus Christ. Dunno if I can hold it.

  And then I feel her clamp down ‘round my cock.

  “So. Fucking. Tight,” I grit out, breaking our kiss as she screams through her orgasm.

  Her pussy pulses ‘round me, sending jolts of pleasure ripping through me.

  And that’s it.

  I come inside her, grunting in pure ecstasy as her pussy keeps milking my cock.

  “Ah, fuck.”

  I collapse onto the bed and pull her on top of me, wrapping my arms ‘round her. “You okay?”

  Glazed eyes gaze down at me and she grins. “Mmm…amazing. Let’s never stop doing it like that.”

  “Never will, babe.”

  She murmurs happily and buries her face in my chest.

  This woman is all I’ve ever needed. Lying here with her in my arms, day in and day out, is
my idea of heaven on earth. I wish we never had to move from this position. Just stay here for a goddamn eternity.

  Yeah, that’s heaven, all right.

  Chapter 26

  ~Roxana~

  A loud, aggressive knock at the door startles me awake.

  I try to sit up, but Neil’s arms around me, stop me. He’s holding me so tightly with both his arms and his legs that I can’t move at all.

  “Neil?”

  He groans and opens his eyes. He flashes me a sleepy smile. “You look so cute right now.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Your bed hair. Your sleepy eyes. And you being stuck in my hold. Sometimes that big mouth of yours has me forgetting how small and cute you actually are.”

  “Hey! Shut up!” I struggle to free one of my arms to slap him with, but he holds firm, grinning at me. “Neil! Let go!”

  “Like hell. I know that look. You’re gonna punch me, or some shit. Nah, you just stay right here.” He rubs his head softly on my naked right boob. “Besides, these make the best pillows.”

  I roll my eyes. “Wow. You’re so romantic.”

  “Romance, huh? Never took you for the type, Rox. You want that?”

  I shrug.

  “That mean ‘yes’?”

  I blow out a breath as another aggressive knock reverberates on the door. “Like we have the time.”

  He releases me and shakes his head, not pleased about the interruption either. He sits up and swings his legs over the bed. As he snatches up his boxers from the floor, he tells me, “After this shit’s over with Kent, I’ll make the time, if that’s what you want.”

  “Really?”

  He pulls on his boxers and turns to face me as he starts pulling on his jeans. “Yeah. Gotta keep my fiancé happy, right?” he says, winking at me.

  I grin back at him. “Right.”

  He grabs the bed covers and pulls them up over me, right up to my chin, and tucks them in around me.

  “Neil!” I protest, because I can barely move as he’s pulled the duvet around me so tightly.

  “Uh uh,” he tells me. “Keep it there. Boys are like a bunch of nosy old bitches sometimes and I don’t want ‘em seeing nothing. You’re my girl. For my eyes only.”

  I laugh. What else can I do? It’s pretty ridiculous, but also sweet, as I know it’s coming from a protective place with him, rather than a controlling one.