Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology)

by Ali Parker

  "That's no way to get someone to open the door for you. Manners would work much better, big boy." She spoke loudly, lifting her phone to her ear as he pounded on the door again. Her fucking guns were in the office downstairs because being in her place had never been a threat before. The phone rang six times and went to Jon's voice mail. She left a quick message.

  "Hey, it's me. I have company and I'm not so sure I'll be alive when you get this, but if you could come over and help me, I'd be grateful. It's one of Victor's boys," she whispered into the phone, her hand cupped over it.

  "Who the fuck is in there with you?"

  "Wouldn't you love to know?" she barked back and dialed Marcus's number.

  "I'm coming in Katelyn. Open the door or I'll take my ax to it."

  "It’s Kate, mother fucker and you brought an ax? That's almost hot."

  His laughter was maniacal and she had no doubt that he would be in the apartment with her before anyone could reach her. Looking around frantically, the sound of Marcus's voice almost scared her.

  "Kate?"

  "Oh my fucking God. Where are you?"

  "Baby what's wrong?"

  She didn't realize she was panicking until the soft sound of her best friend's worry washed over her. She was going to die if she couldn't find a weapon.

  "Victor's boy is here. Where are you? I don't have a weapon." She choked on fear, her eyes moving around the apartment.

  "Okay, little girl. Last chance," the man yelled through the door.

  "Kate. Where are you?" Marcus yelled into her ear.

  "I'm in my apartment."

  "Why is he at your fucking door?" She could hear Marcus moving around, his breathing pinched.

  "He got in somehow, Marcus. He's at the top door and he's got an..." Her words were cut off as the ax hit the door. She yelped and backed up as Marcus screamed into her ear.

  "Kate... get the fuck out of there. These guys aren't to be played with. Crawl out the fucking window. I'm two hours away, baby. Get out of there. Where the fuck is Jon?"

  "I don't know." Her voice cracked as she moved back, her mind numbing as to what to do.

  "Call him. Now!"

  "I did. He's not answering."

  The ax hit the door again and she yelped, unable to help herself.

  "What the fuck is happening, Kate?"

  "He's chopping down the door with an ax. I have to go." She hung up, the hole in the door small, but showing a sliver of his face. He pressed it to the door and smiled at her.

  "Such a pretty girl. Just open the door and save us this drama."

  "Yeah, let me put a bra on and I'll do that. You've ruined that one though. You owe me twenty bucks, you big ass." She winked at him and walked toward the restroom as he hit the door with the weapon again. She swallowed bile, her stomach tightening with the realization that she had absolutely nowhere to go. The windows were barred and the only way out was through him.

  She turned as he pushed the door open and walked in, his face red, his eyes filled with excitement. "Damn, that was a workout."

  "I told you I would open it." She turned and crossed her arms over her breasts, not wanting his attention on her body. She had dealt with guys like him her whole life. She had to play his game and stay in the center of his world if she hoped to survive with nothing more than a good beating and perhaps the horrible event of being raped by him. She swallowed hard again, his eyes moving across her.

  "So here's the deal. You have a day to answer Victor on his request to work with you. He didn't really like your last response."

  "Is there some reason why he didn't come himself?" She smirked as a tall, well-built man moved through the broken door, a soft chuckle leaving him. His suit was made of expensive material, his smile wicked, his eyes black as night.

  "Oh I'm here, Katelyn."

  "Boss, it's Kate."

  "It's whatever I say it is, right Katie?"

  "Sure." She nodded, her heart stopping in her chest. It was never good to see the boss’s face. It tied you to death for sure. Maybe not in the moment, but anyone who didn't work for him and yet could pick him out of a line up was as good as dead.

  He moved toward her, extending his hand. "Victor Parence. Nice to finally meet you, young lady."

  She took his hand and nodded. "I wish I could respond in kind."

  "Where is your boyfriend?"

  "He's out of town. Won't be back for a while."

  "Shame. I had meant to teach you a lesson by having Paul here put a hurt on him." Victor smiled, the man looking like a viper.

  "Then I have to admit I'm glad he's not here." She shook his hand and moved to cover herself.

  "No, don't do that. I love being in the company of a beautiful woman." He smiled and reached for her hands, moving them from her body as his eyes ran over her. She steeled herself, trying hard not to react violently by his degradation of her.

  "Damn you're fine, Kate." Paul moved up beside Victor, reaching toward her breast with an open palm. Victor popped his hand back.

  "No. Leave the girl whole this time. Just make a few marks on her so that her boyfriend will come after us. Just think of this as our ‘thank you’ for the warm welcome last night." Victor leaned down and stared her in the face, his eyes darkening. "Join me. You have until tomorrow night to say yes."

  "And if I don't?" Her voice was deadpan, her emotions frozen as if time had stopped before her.

  "Then I take everything you love and tie you up to watch me fuck it and then kill it." He winked and touched her chin as she pulled out of his grasp. "Good girl."

  "You want to wait in the car, boss?" Paul moved toward the door, holding it open.

  "I'll take the car. You find another way home." He looked over his shoulder at Kate. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to force you to see things my way. Whatever it takes to bring you and Marcus over to my side. That's what I'll do."

  "We aren't dealers, Victor. At least I'm not. I don't even know who Marcus's boss is." She crossed her arms over her and narrowed her eyes.

  "So you say, little girl, but I do believe something very different. Last night you sent your boys to rough me up. Today I return the favor." He turned and walked out as Kate stood in stunned silence.

  Last night she sent her boys to him to fuck with him?

  Paul looked over his shoulder and smiled at her, closing the door. "He said to rough you up a little, but I don't think he'd mind too much if I took my time and enjoyed it."

  She laughed, something inside of her breaking. She was stuck in the middle of a game that she didn't sign up to play, a life that wasn't supposed to belong to her anymore.

  "You better be strong, because I'm not one to take shit from anyone."

  He cracked his hands and moved toward her, his sick laugh filling the room. Her phone buzzed over and over by the bathroom floor, her mind on the situation before her. Hopefully Marcus would get ahold of Jon or Jon would hear her message. Neither was likely to happen, so she prepared herself for a fight. It had always been her defending herself. Today would be no different.

  He moved quick, grabbing at the front of her shirt and ripping it as she tugged from him, her fist moving to hammer chop him in the nose. He growled as blood trickled down his large face, his tongue snaking up to lick at it.

  She kicked him hard in the shin, but not before he got ahold of her and pulled her to the ground with him. She squirmed underneath him, trying to get her knee up into his crotch. He leaned over and bit the edge of her lip, blood pouring into her mouth from the wound as she screamed and head butted him.

  He laughed again and Kate spit in his face, his expression changing from playful to angry.

  "Get the fuck off me. Do what you came to do and get out of here." She worked her hand free, slapping him in the face over and over until he caught her. He pinned it with the other, his large fingers wrapping around her wrist.

  "Bitch." He moved back a little, his large body spreading her legs around him as his fist made contact with her
face, her left eye his designated target. She screamed at the impact, pain lacing her eye and causing the room to dim a little. He laughed again, moving off the top of her to walk to the door. She turned on her side, spitting blood from the large gash in her lip and pressing her fingers to her eye, hoping that nothing was broken but blood vessels.

  He turned to her as he started to undo his pants. "Yeah, for that shit I'm going to fuck you for the next day. You need to learn your place, whore."

  She turned and caught sight of something silver. Her gun. Scrambling to reach it, she heard him move behind her. She turned just in time to lift the gun, the weapon going off and leaving two bullet holes in his forehead before he hit the ground. She put another three in his back and sunk to the ground as a long scream left her.

  How many times had she been in that situation? How many times had someone come to kill her or rape her and she had barely escaped? She screamed again, and again until she had nothing left in her. She picked up the phone and chucked it across the room, no one willing to help her, no one capable of ever saving her.

  She was as she always was... on her fucking own.

  Chapter 18

  Jon

  They finished up at the morgue, the video of the guys who stole Adam's body telling Jon very little other than the fact that they were big and they were thugs. He checked his phone again, an unknown number having called thirty times by the time he dropped Seth off at the station. He got on his bike and promised to call his partner later so they could figure out their next steps - together. No more working alone. Him being alone let this chick get under his skin, his need for love and affection leaving him covered in her come from the night before.

  He sighed heavily, stopping at a red light and looking at the messages to see one from her and lots from this other number. He hit the button for the one from her, his heart stopping in his chest.

  Her voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper, terror stinging his ears as she spoke. "Hey, it's me. I have company and I'm not so sure I'll be alive when you get this, but if you could come over and help me, I'd be grateful. It's one of Victor's boys."

  The line went dead and Jon took off on his bike toward her, the light still red and the world blurred a little. It didn't matter if she had killed the president. If someone was after her, he was getting involved. He could pretend that he didn't care, but it was a fucking lie. A painful lie to swallow, but in that moment he was more than willing to take the truth.

  "Please God don't let her be dead."

  He could have stopped it. If he had just answered his phone he could have gotten over there. She had called more than forty minutes ago. There was no way she survived ... unless she got to her gun.

  "Oh fuck... fuck, fuck, fuck." He pressed the gas, flying through the city as his heart shattered in his chest. He pulled his ear-bud from his pocket and slipped it in, trying hard not to wreck the bike as he pressed play on the other messages.

  Marcus.

  "Where the fuck are you? Get over to Kate's, Jon. I'm out of town and Victor's boys are over there. Dude... get over there."

  Message after message, the hardness in Marcus's voice fading to him begging and pleading with Jon to drop his shit and go. Jon choked back the hot press of tears, every cell in his body screaming for her to be okay.

  He finally saw the club's large red sign and stopped the bike at the door, dropping it and running fast up the stairs. The bottom door was busted and he could see the top one broken open by an ax, the large weapon still hanging in the door.

  "Kate, Kate... where are you?" he screamed as he bolted toward the apartment. He didn't stop as he plowed through the door, Kate huddled against the floor, blood all over her mouth and dripping down from a busted eye.

  "Oh shit." He ran to her and bent down, scooping her up and tucking her against his chest as she started to cry softly, her motions controlled. She had pulled back from him again. Did he blame her?

  "Put me down. I'm fine. I took care of it," she choked out and slipped her legs out of his hold. She pulled from him and moved to sit down on the couch, her long legs tucking up under her. He sat down and moved in close, her hand coming up to warn him.

  "Baby, I didn't know."

  "Why didn't you answer your phone?" She looked at him with accusation.

  Lie to her. Tell her you didn't see it.

  "I didn't know if I wanted to talk to you." He swallowed the need to lie, the truth being so much worse and yet lying never ended well for him.

  "I see." She stood and walked with shaky legs to her bed, tugging the sheets from it as he stood and moved next to her.

  "Who did this to you?" He touched her back and she jerked from him again. "Baby."

  "Don't call me that. It's Miss Jarret to you." She glanced over her shoulder, her face a mess.

  "Let me help you clean up your face and then you tell me who did it and I'll go after him."

  She laughed, the sound heartless and dark. "Get out. I took care of it myself. I don't need you hauling me off to jail for self-defense."

  "Kate."

  She pulled the sheets from the bed and moved to the other side of the room, going in the bathroom and grunting loudly. He watched in horror as she tugged someone from the bathroom, the large male more than she could physically handle.

  "Oh my God." Jon moved toward her, pushing her out of the way as she turned and lifted her gun toward him.

  "Get out. I don't live in a world of justice. I live in a place where people show up to rape you and beat you until you say yes to their desires. I'll not live there anymore. People like you show up and promise the world, a different world, but the funny thing is... you never deliver." She smiled and cocked the gun.

  "Don't do this."

  "I'm not doing anything." She turned the gun on herself, pressing it to her temple. "Get out or watch me die."

  "I'm not leaving here. Give me that fucking gun before I wrestle it from you."

  "No. No one is taking anything from me anymore." She pointed the gun toward his feet and let it go off.

  Jon jumped back, the world making very little sense in front of him. He turned as the door behind him opened, Marcus running in and going to Kate. She dropped her gun and flung herself in his arms, Jon's heart shattering in his chest. It should have been him holding her, but he believed the worst and didn't respond when she needed him most.

  "What the fuck, dude?" Marcus turned around to face him. "Where were you? Thirty fucking phone calls and nothing from you? Turn your phone on."

  Marcus pushed him in the chest hard, Jon stumbling back, unsure how to answer the big guy’s questions. He had just met these people and yet felt like they were supposed to be part of his future, a big part. He glanced at Kate as she moved in to slide her arms around Marcus's thick waist, pressing her face to his back.

  "He didn't want to talk to me." Her voice was small and filled with pain.

  Jon flinched, rubbing his hand down his face. "I can explain."

  "No dude. You don't get to explain. Get out and if the cops show up over this dead bitch on the floor I'm going to open you up from your throat to your dick. Leave." Marcus turned and wrapped his arms around Kate, his words burning a hole right through Jon. "It's okay, baby. I'm here now. No one's going to hurt you or come near you. It's just you and me, Katie. Just like it always has been."

  Jon turned and walked out of the apartment, his blood boiling at the fact that he'd been such a dumb ass to leave her alone. How had he not picked up on the fact that she was in danger? Everything Mike and Seth had mentioned about the events of the night before should have pulled together to scream to him to get to her.

  Maybe he didn't want to put it together.

  Maybe she deserved someone like Marcus who could protect her.

  He turned to walk to his bike, his stomach rising in his chest. A big hand slipped around his mouth, the firm press of cotton dipped in something strong filling his nose and mouth. He choked and tried to fight against the large body tha
t held his still, but nothing responded as fast as he needed it to. He pressed against his attacker and tried to turn his head, but the light faded far too fast and he blacked out.

  Chapter 19

  Kate

  It was better this way. Less to be concerned about. Jon would return for a few more questions on Adam's death, but she would let Marcus handle him. She had almost given him her heart the night before, alongside her body. How fucked up that would have been.

  "Go clean up your face, baby girl. I'll get rid of this body later tonight. We're going to have to figure out how to deal with Victor. He's not going to be good with us taking out his number one lackey."

  "Fine, but something is wrong with all of this shit, Marcus. He came here himself today." She reached up and touched her eye, pressing softly around the sensitive skin.

  "Victor was here in the apartment?"

  "Yes. He wants to shut us down."

  "Us?"

  "Yeah. I think he thinks that you and I are the competition. I tried to tell him that I'm not the other boss in this area and he laughed in my face. You have to get your boss involved, Marcus. Only he can stop this shit."

  "I think my boss sent a group of guys over to the east side last night. One of the boys was texting me this morning. He's not happy I wasn't there to go as well."

  "Then someone is setting us up."

  "But why? That makes no fucking sense."

  "I don't know, but I'm telling you that Victor believes I'm the old drug lord and you're my right hand."

  "I'll look into it. Get cleaned up, baby."

  "I will and then we need to assess the damage on the club."

  "What? What damage?" Marcus lifted his hands in the air.

  She laughed and walked to the bathroom, kicking the dead guy’s shoe back into the bedroom. "Someone set fire to the club last night. You've missed quite a party."

  "Shit. Last time you sleep with a cop. No more good guys please. They bring with them horrible luck."

  Her smile faded. "No worries there. I'm done with any guys."