Little Puppet

by Erin Trejo

  “Buying me.” Then my eyes flutter closed from the night’s events. Sleep overtakes me.

  And for the first time ever, I didn’t check the closets.

  Chapter 39

  Dreams that were a reality are the scariest. You know they were real. You know they actually happened.

  I scream as the monster stands there staring at me. He watches me, licks his lips, but never moves toward me. It’s as though he’s waiting for something but what?

  “Jade! Wake up, baby!” I hear his voice. How is here? He’s never been here in my dreams before.

  “Jaxson?” I ask jolting awake. He looms over me, those blue eyes sparkling. The gold flecks floating.

  “Get away from me!” I scream. I shove myself back and against the headboard. Pulling the blanket up to my chest, Jaxson holds his hands up in surrender.

  “It’s just me, Jade. It’s just me.” He says as if he isn’t one of the monsters. He may very well be the worst of them all.

  “What are you doing in here?” I ask with my voice shaking.

  “I heard you screaming. Are you ok?” He’s so sincere. Why is he doing this to me? Why is he harsh and distant one minute but sweet and caring the next? I can’t handle it.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Clearly you’re not. What was the dream about?” He asks, his tone demanding. I let myself crumble. I let myself fall not knowing what else to do.

  “Why would a parent not come to see what’s wrong with their child?” I ask him as if he’d know.

  “She never came to check on you.” It wasn’t a question. It was a realization. He just realized that all the times that I would cry out for someone, no one was there.

  “A mother should always come to her child. No matter what. If she didn’t come to you, she was a coward. A useless excuse of a mother!” His jaw tenses, his muscles cording tighter. Maybe he knows all about what a mother like that is. Maybe he had one himself.

  My eyes are heavy with sleep but I don’t want to close my eyes. I don’t want to see that man again. I only wish I could see his full face. I wish I knew who he was or what he wanted from me.

  “I’m sorry I woke you. I’ll be fine now.” I tell him, adjusting myself so I don’t have to see the look in his eyes.

  “Will you?” What the hell? Why is he so condescending?

  “Yes. I will.” I don’t look at him, not until I feel his hand on my arm.

  “You’re freezing, little puppet. Come.” Jaxson slides down the bed, laying behind me. He pulls me down before wrapping his arms around my body.

  His hard-warm chest molds to my back. His arms pull me in closer before tightening.

  Jaxson leans his head against mine, inhaling deeply.

  “Sleep little puppet. No one is going to hurt you now.”

  No one except him.

  Chapter 40

  I woke up alone the other morning. Not that I was surprised by that.

  It was a strange feeling though. Jaxson has never been so caring. He laid there wrapped around me, inhaling me until I fell asleep. I don’t know if he stayed all night or not but I have never slept so well in my life. I wander down to the kitchen to see Beverly at the stove.

  “Good morning.” I say as I walk toward the coffee pot. Beverly turns with a smile.

  “I can get that.” She moves toward the cup in my hand.

  “I got it.” I give her a soft smile.

  “You look well this morning. How did you sleep?” She asks. It’s strange that she talks to me like I belong here. It’s even more so that she talks to me the way a mother would speak to her child. The way mine never did.

  “Mostly well. Do you have kids Beverly?” I risk the chance to ask.

  “No dear. The Murphy boys are all the family I have. Not by blood of course, but they are like my own children.”

  “And we love her just the same.” I spin around to see Bryce walking into the kitchen. He’s dressed casually today. Not in his regular suit. He’s in jeans and a tight t-shirt that shows off all his muscles. I let my gaze slide over him before he clears his throat.

  “See something you like?” The heat creeps into my cheeks. Beverly slaps at him and says, “Don’t embarrass her, Bryce!” He smiles brightly at her before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

  “My apologizes.” He tips his head at me. I look away before sitting at the counter with my coffee.

  “I was wondering where you got off to the other night.” My stomach clenches. Does he not know? How could he not know his brother paid for me? I sit there in silence willing myself to not break down in front of him. I can’t. I won’t.

  “What are you doing here?” Jaxson’s voice booms through the room. Startling Beverly and I both, we share an awkward glance.

  “Came to visit my brother. Is that a crime?” Bryce asks.

  “It is when you weren’t invited.” I risk the glance at Jaxson. His eyes are dark and angry.

  “Do tell, brother. What is the little Dell virgin still doing here when she was to be auctioned off?” Beverly gasps as what’s left of my dignity slowly fades away.

  Chapter 41

  “You boys should take this to the study.” Beverly snaps at them both.

  “Oh, don’t act as if you don’t know what goes on around here, Beverly! You’ve been around long enough.” Bryce flips his hand in the air as if to dismiss her.

  “She’s right. You need to learn how to be respectful, Bryce. She is a part of this family.” Jaxson slides his hands into his pockets as he stares Bryce down.

  “I think we can discuss this here. Why do you have her? From what I was told Dodson won the auction.” Bryce looks smugly at me. His blue eyes burning straight through me.

  “Let me ask you again, Bryce. Why are you here, in my home questioning me?” Jaxson doesn’t look at all upset. In fact, he looks way too calm for a talk like this.

  Why doesn’t Bryce know that Jax bought me? Why is that a secret?

  “You bought her. Why?” Bryce looks at me with the most disgusted look I’ve ever seen on a person. And there’s my answer. Either he didn’t know or he just came to the realization but he knows now.

  “Is that your concern? I seem to remember when you claimed her as your asset and all you wanted to do was get your hands on her.” Bryce moves in quickly. His fist colliding with Jaxson’s face.

  The two of them throw punches, landing sickly blows to one another’s face.

  “Stop it! What the hell is wrong with you two!” I scream at the top of my lungs. They both stop, turning to look at me. I immediately know that I messed up by opening my mouth. The look I get is devilish. It’s frightening.

  “What the hell did you just say?” Bryce growls as he takes a step toward me. A tentative step forward, forces me backward.

  His eyes blaze with rage.

  “Who do you think you are? You are nobody! You are a fucking Dell for Christ’s sake! You are nothing.” The venom in his words shake me to the core.

  My body reacts, trembling under his gaze.

  “You lay one hand on her and I will kill you.” I didn’t see Jaxson move in so quickly. Where did he come from?

  “Are you taking a Dell over your own brother?” Bryce spins around to face him, his teeth clenched tightly.

  “When you are forcing it? Yes.” My heart leaps in my chest. I don’t want to rip brothers apart.

  “No! I won’t be the reason that you two fight!” I snap drawing both of their attention.

  “You already are. You have been for longer than you know!” Bryce snaps. Tears fill my eyes as he looks at me with hatred.

  “Don’t blame her.” Jaxson says.

  All I can do is cry. I turn and run back to my room. Back to the safety behind closed doors.

  I’ve already let them see me break. I’m ruined. Whatever happens next is no one’s fault but my own for losing my grip on life.

  Chapter 42

  “Why the tears? Are you afraid?” His voice pulls me from my
own self-pity. I wipe at my eyes before looking up at him.

  “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “No, probably not but you did.” Now what happens? What happens to me?

  Jaxson walks toward the bed before grabbing my hands in his. He pulls me up and leads me out into the hallway. My heart thunders in my ears. Fear of the unknown is all too intense.

  He walks across the hallway and opens the door, ushering me inside. I step in and gasp. The room is massive. Dark browns and blacks adorn everything in sight. I take it all in. breathing in the warmth that surrounds me in this room. It’s a strange feeling but I welcome it. Jaxson closes the door before stepping up next to me.

  “What are thinking right now?” He asks, his voice husky.

  “It’s inviting, the room. It’s calm where everything else is the storm. Much like you.” The words fall from my mouth before I can rethink them.

  “Is that what you think of me? That I’m the calmness?” He acts as though it’s absurd. It’s not, I feel it.

  “Maybe not to everyone, you’re not but to me you are.” I have to tell him the truth. I have to let that part of myself go if I’m ever going to make it through this alive.

  “I’m the puppeteer, you are my puppet. You get a false sense of calmness because that’s what I allow you to have. Nothing about me should calm you, Jade. Nothing about me is good.” His breath is now inches from my skin. I can feel his warmth envelope me as I close my eyes.

  “You may pull the strings now but what happens when I eventually pull back?” I keep my eyes tightly closed not wanting to see the look in his eyes. His hands come to rest on my shoulders shooting heat straight to my core.

  “Will you do it, Jade? Will you find that kind of strength to fight back? Do you think that I won’t like playing that game with you?” His words are meant as a threat.

  “I have no doubts that the game itself will intrigue you. The real question is, will I counter that?” His hands tighten on my shoulders.

  “I like games, little puppet. You may find that I play them fairly well. You will run, I will catch you. You will fly, but I will make you fall. You take a step forward, I will be there to push you back.”

  Chapter 43

  His words don’t scare me. He may think they do but I can’t let them. Whether he believes it or not, he is calm. To me he is.

  “I’ve never made it that far anyway. I wouldn’t expect any less.” I finally tell him.

  “Why haven’t you made it far? Oh, that’s right. Those unworthy parents of yours.” His lips touch my shoulder, a gasp falling from my lips.

  “Would you be wet right now if I touched you, Jade?” his tongue slowly trails up my neck, a shiver breaking out over my skin.

  “You already know I would be.” The defiance I feel within myself is powerful. It makes me feel as though I can do anything in the world. Even take on the most ruthless man I’ve ever met.

  Jaxson.

  “What should we do about that?” He asks, his body pressing impossibly closer to mine.

  “What you paid for, Mr. Murphy.” I don’t miss the gasp that escaped him. The impenetrable heat that floats from his chest, wrapping itself around me. I’m dizzy with need. A need that Jaxson knows he can fill if he’d just take me.

  “What I paid for, Miss Dell was your protection. Nothing more.” The heat that surrounded me is quickly taken away. All that’s left is the coldness of the room.

  I wrap my arms around myself as I watch Jaxson walk toward another door. He shoves it open to reveal a small veranda. A small table and two chairs sit in front of the man himself. My eyes rake over his body, his hands sliding deliciously through his hair.

  “Storms come in all forms, little puppet. Like the one that’s forming right now over the horizon.” He doesn’t turn to face me. He keeps his back to me but I move. I walk toward him.

  Stepping out onto the veranda next to him, I breathe in the cool night air. I can see the lightening in the distance.

  “Sometimes our storms are meant to collide. If they don’t, you will never see their true beauty.” I say softly. I glance over at Jaxson as the wind picks up. The storm is getting closer to us much like the ones inside of us.

  “You don’t understand the path of destruction I would leave in my storms wake. I don’t fly by quickly. I stick around, leaving pandemonium in my path. Nothing good has ever come from my storms. Only regret and fear. Loss. That’s all it’s good for.” I lift my hand and run it gently down his cheek. He sucks in a breath before reaching up and grabbing my wrist roughly. “That was a warning, little puppet. Don’t tempt the tornado out of the clouds.”

  “I heard the sirens. I’m ready for it.”

  Chapter 44

  I see the storm in his eyes. The swirling of the clouds. We stand here watching each other as the rain begins to fall around us. Jaxson is waring something out in his mind. The rain is cold and unbending much like Jaxson. Our eyes never break their connection though, not even through the pouring rain.

  “I always meant to protect you from them, Jade.” He says in honesty. I see that much in his eyes.

  “What about you, Jaxson? Who was going to protect me from you?” Hurt flashes across his features. His mouth parting slightly. He seems to consider his next words carefully.

  “There is no one above me. There is no protection other than your own. You cannot keep tempting me, little puppet. I may take from you every once in a while, but offering yourself to me is the wrong decision.” His voice is cold and calculated.

  A shiver races up my spine and it has nothing to do with the rain. His eyes move from mine to my lips. The thoughts of those lips on mine do things to me. My body comes alive with just his gaze.

  “Why are you resisting me, Jax?” His eyes jerk back to mine.

  “Resisting you? There is nothing I want more than to bend you over this chair and fuck you until you can’t walk!” He roars. His rage is nearly palpable.

  “Then, why don’t you?” I counter.

  Everything about him changes in this second. The man that I once saw with a slightly good heart is gone. The man that I thought might be a savior has disappeared behind the man that wants blood. The man that vowed to break me and make me bend to his will. The feral version of Jaxson Murphy now stands in front of me. I can honestly say that in this moment, I am afraid of what he may do.

  “Is that what you want, little puppet?” His hand cups my cheek while his thumb makes soothing circles. “You want me inside of you? So deeply that no one else will be able to match it?” I gasp. His words lift me, tossing me higher and higher.

  “Yes.” The one word that falls from my lips has him tightening his grip on me almost painfully.

  Jaxson leans down, mere inches from my face and whispers, “You don’t know what you’re asking for.” He tries to take a step back but I counter his move. I step forward. I play his game.

  “You are playing the wrong game, Jade!” He growls. I press myself closer to him, feeling the hardness of his chest.

  “I’m playing the right game. It’s the only one I know how to play.” Fire dances in his eyes. He grabs my waist, pulling my hips toward his. I can feel just how hard he is.

  “I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a virgin. I won’t stop once I start and I promise you that no one and I fucking mean no one will ever get to be inside of you after me.”

  Chapter 45

  His words are heated and laced with truth. I don’t say a word as he watches me. I nod once before he slams his lips against mine. The way his tongue takes what it wants from me. It strokes and licks at mine only igniting a flame of my own.

  I grind against him, the rain teasing my heated skin.

  Jaxson pulls his mouth away from me only long enough to pull the night gown I had put on over my head. He drops it to the ground before looking my body over. His stare is almost enough to make me cum. It’s hot yet teasing.

  “I meant what I said. I won’t go easy.” As if I need
ed the reminder. I swallow the lump in my throat before I nod. Jax reaches for me, lifting me in his arms. His kiss is hot and full of lust. He bites my lip until I can taste the blood that now flows between us.

  Jaxson walks us back inside, much to my surprise. His lips never leave mine. He lowers me down onto the bed before pulling away. I whine at the loss of contact.

  His dark smile is just as teasing as the man himself.

  “I like hearing you cry. It will be even more beautiful when there are tears.” He says as he unbuttons his shirt slowly. My eyes follow his every move. The way he sensually pulls the sleeves down his solid arms and tosses it to the floor. He unbuckles his pants and shoves them down with his boxers. His strong hard length protruding in front of him.

  I suck in a breath wondering what it will feel like to be so full of him. Will it be as painful as he claims? Would he go easy on me even when he said he wouldn’t? I quickly dismiss that thought. He’s ruthless but honest. He warned me.

  “Last chance to back out, little puppet.” My eyes slowly comb over his body before locking with his. I lean back on my elbows, spreading my legs wide for him. Jaxson licks his lips before moving onto the edge of the bed.

  “So, goddamn beautiful.” He murmurs against my skin. He lifts my leg, pressing the hottest kisses I’ve ever felt to my ankle before moving higher. My body responds.

  “So, soft.” His whispers skate over my skin. “So, delicate.” He kisses the inside of my thigh. He moves a little higher before he bites into my flesh. I cry out his name as chuckles against me.

  He continues his torture of my body. When I’m shaking uncontrollably, he shoves himself up.

  “You are breathtaking. Laid out for me to feast upon. I warned you, little puppet. Now you will feel the wrath of me.” My heart slams in my chest. His gaze darkening by the second. The look I see in them right now is one I’ve never seen before.

  Wild.