by Alexa Riley
Smack.
My eyes fly open when I feel him smack the top of my pussy, over my clit.
“I said quiet, Cherry.”
I’m not sure why he thinks slapping my pussy would make me stop. I want him to do it again, so I moan his name louder this time, and I’m sure Saint can hear it if he’s outside the door. He smacks it again and again, and I cum at his final smack. I feel my pussy walls contract as if trying to make Carter’s cock go deeper inside me, wanting him to stay there forever. My back arches off the bed, and I give myself over to the pleasure. I feel Carter’s own release deep inside me, filling me with his warm cum. My pussy contracts even more, as if it craves it. Pleasure hums through my whole body.
“Carter, I’m not fucking around. That Justin guy is outside!” Saint booms while pounding on our bedroom door.
“Fuck! Give me a minute,” Carter says, pulling from my body
“Justin’s here?” I exclaim and scurry off the bed. I can feel Carter’s cum slide down my thighs, and I go into the bathroom to clean myself up. With everything that’s happened, I had completely forgotten about Justin. I’m such a freaking horrible person. Here I am having mind-blowing orgasms with Carter, and I let him slip my mind. How selfish can I be?
When I come back out of the bathroom, Carter is fully dressed and standing in the center of the room. I’m still naked and his eyes are fixed on my boobs. I roll my eyes and make my way to the closet to find something to wear.
“No way, Cherry. Get your ass back in that bed.”
“What? Why?” I question, still digging through the closet.
“Because I’m not sure why that dipshit is here or how he knows what this place is.”
Turning to look at him, I know he’s right. How does Justin know about the warehouse? But that doesn’t matter at the moment. “Let’s go find out then.”
“No, I’ll go find out. You get your ass back in the bed, and wait for me.”
“Fine.” I scowl and make my way over to the bed. There is no point arguing with him. I’ll just wait for him to leave the room. And then I’ll get dressed and go downstairs.
He eyes me skeptically. Maybe I gave in too quickly, and he’s onto me. I get under the covers to make it seem like I really plan on staying put.
He comes over to the bed and leans over, giving me a soft kiss.
“Be right back, baby. Keep my spot warm.”
“Carter, how could I keep your spot warm? I would need three of me.”
“I’m not sure if the idea of three of you is hot as fuck or scary as hell,” he laughs.
I roll my eyes and point to the door. “Go, Carter, find out what’s happening… and don’t hurt him.”
“No promises.”
“Carter,” I warn.
He lifts his hands in defeat. “Fine, baby, but you remember this. I gave you this one.”
He opens the door, and I see Saint standing right outside. His hair is a mess, and I’m guessing that’s Jeanette’s doing. He gives me a half-smile before Carter closes the door fully.
I jump from the bed and run into the closet. I want Carter to have as little time with Justin as possible. The last time they were together it was a nightmare. Throwing on a pair of shorts and a tee, I slip on my flip flops before making my way downstairs.
When I get to the top of the stairs I can already see things aren’t going great. Carter has Justin pinned to the wall, and I can see Justin is turning blue. His left hand is leaking blood all over the floor, and he looks like he’s been through hell – a hell I dragged him into.
“How the fuck did you find this place?” Carter bellows.
Running down the stairs I try to pry Carter off him but it’s no use. I can’t move him at all.
“I asked how the fuck you found this place.”
“He can’t answer you while you’re choking him, Carter! Goddamn it, let him go!”
“I told you to keep your ass in bed, Cherry. What the fuck? Do you ever listen?”
I ignore his question and look over at Saint who is just playing with his phone, like nothing is going on. “Saint, a little help here?” I ask, bewildered.
He looks up and just shrugs.
“Saint!” I say, louder this time. “Help me get him under control, even if it’s just to get some answers to his questions.”
Saint puts his phone back in his pocket and grabs Carter’s arm “C, man. Your woman’s right. The fucker can’t talk with you choking the life out of him. We need to know what he knows. Plus he’s getting blood all over the place.”
Carter releases him slowly
“Let’s all sit down, guys,” I suggest, motioning to the couches.
“Fine,” Carter mutters. “But only because I think Cherry has seen enough violence already.”
Picking me up, Carter carries me over to the couch and sits with me in his lap. He puts his nose in my hair, smells me, and I know he’s calming himself down. Relieved that everyone has cooled off, I pry myself from Carter’s lap.
“Bathroom,” I tell him, and he reluctantly lets me go. I go to the bathroom that’s off the living area and search through a few drawers until I find what I’m looking for.
When I get back, Saint and Carter are staring at Justin, who looks like he might piss himself.
“Knock it off, guys. It’s clear he’s been through enough today.”
I sit down next to Justin but then hear Carter growl. He makes a move to get up and grab me, but I give him a death glare. “Carter, calm down. He’s bleeding.”
Carter reluctantly sits back down.
“Start talking,” he commands, and I start to unravel the wrapping around Justin’s hand. The blood has almost saturated the whole thing.
“They cut my finger off.”
I can’t stop the gasp that comes out. “We have to get you to a hospital.”
“No hospitals,” Justin says. “Just clean it up a little, will you?”
“I’m so sorry, Justin, this is all my fault. I pulled you into this. It was my father who took you.”
“I gathered that much. I’m just so glad you’re okay, Layla. I was so worried about you. I didn’t want you to come,” he says gently as he lifts his hand and strokes my cheek.
Carter growls again and I’m starting to think maybe he’s part canine. Justin drops his hand and looks back at Carter.
“Talk,” he orders again.
“Carter, quit it. Stop being such an ass. We did this to him.”
“It’s fine, Layla. He’s just worried about you, and I don’t blame him. If you were mine again I’d be worried too, after meeting your father.”
“She was never yours,” Carter says darkly, standing from his chair.
Ignoring him I go back to working on Justin’s hand.
“I got away when all hell broke loose. I managed to get out and take one of the cars. When I saw you all come out I followed you. I have something I thought you guys might want.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flash drive, tossing it on the coffee table.
“What is it?” Saint asks as he picks it up and examines it.
“I’m not sure, but from what I gathered, they need Layla to access some bank accounts for them and I think all the account numbers to the banks are on that drive. I snatched it from the computer when everyone took off.”
“Why would they need me?”
Justin shrugs. “I think it’s because when your father went underground he put you on all his bank accounts as the solo account holder. They need to get the money.”
“All right. Let’s say I believe you. Why didn’t you go to the cops?” Carter asks.
“Because of Layla, that’s why.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. I’m not sure what’s happening here but I didn’t want you in any danger. I told you I would help you if you needed anything.”
I feel the guilt eat at my stomach. I’ve pulled Justin into this mess. All he has ever done is be a friend to me, even when I broke up with him.
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“He’s staying,” I state. I make sure it doesn’t sound like a question.
I look over at Carter and we lock eyes.
“Please?” I finally say, using the one word I know will work on him.
“Fine,” he growls. “We’re going to check this flash drive real quick. You both stay put.”
Saint follows Carter out of the room and I can actually feel the tension leave with them.
“I’m so sorry, Justin.”
“It’s okay, Layla. I’m really just glad you’re okay.”
Giving him a sad smile, I go back to trying to clean up his hand. It looks like the bleeding has stopped but I want to make sure he doesn’t get an infection.
“Can I get some water?” he asks.
“Of course. Just give me a second.” I go into the kitchen to grab two bottles of water, and I bring them back to the living area. I hand Justin his, and I set mine down on the coffee table and then start wrapping Justin’s hand up.
“How bad is the pain?” I query. It may have stopped bleeding, but it’s still so raw.
“I could really use something.”
“I think I saw some Tylenol in the bathroom. I’m not sure how much that’ll help.”
“I’ll take anything at this point.”
Nodding my head I go back into the bathroom and search through the medicine cabinet. I find two different bottles of meds that might help so I grab them both. I’ll let him pick which he wants. I hand him the bottle and he takes a couple of pills from both, chasing them with his water.
“I’m really sorry about Carter. He can be a little much, but I know it’s because he worries about me.”
“You sure you’re safe with him, Layla? He seems just as scary as your father, if you ask me.”
“I know how it seems, but Carter would never hurt me,” I say and take a drink from my water. “I’m just really glad you’re okay. I was so scared when my father said he had you. I have no idea how he even knows about you.”
“He knows about me because,” Justin leans in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper, “he paid me to stay close to you.”
Fear shoots through my body. I try to jerk away from him, but my whole body feels sluggish.
“You’re such an easy mark, Layla, but now I’m making my own rules. A finger wasn’t much of a sacrifice to get in here. I’m sick of being under your father’s thumb. You’re going to get me that money, and maybe I’ll let you live.”
I open my mouth to scream but nothing comes out. I feel myself slipping under.
“It’s time to get out of here before your fucking bodyguards figure out the file I slipped them is fake.”
As he lifts me off the couch, I try to fight him, but my arms are too heavy. I can barely hold my eyes open.
“Don’t you worry though, Layla, they won’t be following us. When we get out of here, your mom is going to give your dad the location of this warehouse.”
Chapter Nine
Carter
“Get that drive pulled up as quick as you can. I don’t trust that little shit.”
“Chill, Carter. I think Layla could probably take him on her own. She’s a tough chick.”
I watch the cameras in our command room as Saint pulls up the info on the computer behind me. I can see Layla talking to Justin, and it makes my skin crawl. Something about him isn’t right. Not just the fact that he tried to touch what’s mine, but something about him has me on alert. I see Layla say something and stand up. I watch as she goes to the bathroom and looks through the medicine cabinet. I go to look at the camera in the living room, but Saint grabs my attention.
“This is weird.”
“What is it?” I ask, turning to see his computer screen.
“It’s password encrypted but the file is blank. Let me dig a little more to be sure, but this seems like a waste of time for a blank jump.”
I turn around in time to see Layla walking back into the living area where Justin is still sitting. They talk a bit more, and she takes a drink of her water. I feel a sudden chill on the back of my neck and I can’t figure out why. Nothing strange is happening, they’re just sitting there talking.
“It’s blank,” Saint says.
Why put an encryption on a blank jump drive? What would be the point of causing someone to search through it?
I turn around to gauge Saint’s feelings about this. “Maybe O’Leary was trying to create a dummy file in case someone found it,” I offer and try to figure out why someone would do that. “Someone would use this to slow a search down.”
As the thought hits me I turn back to the cameras in time to see Layla slump over. Justin leans over her to pick her up.
“Fuck!” I shout and bolt out of the room with Saint on my heels. It takes half a second before I’ve got my gun drawn, and I race down the hallway to the living room. When I get to the big open area I hear the garage door opening. “He’s headed out!” I yell to Saint and run in that direction.
“I’m going out the back. I’ll circle around and cover the exit,” Saint shouts as he heads in the opposite direction.
I get to the garage door and stop, raising my gun as I slowly open the door. I peek around the corner and see Justin has Layla thrown over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. I look him over, but I don’t see a visible weapon. I move towards him, and the sound of the garage door opening muffles my footsteps. I stop when I’m about fifteen feet away, and I aim my weapon.
How the fuck did he plan on getting out of here? I’m on edge, but I feel like I’m missing something. He can’t be this stupid.
I scan the garage but don’t see anyone else. I’ve got my gun trained on his head in case he makes a move for a concealed weapon. The garage door opens fully and clicks into place. Soon silence fills the area.
“Put her down, raise your hands and turn around slowly,” I order all too calmly.
I see his shoulders stiffen, like he knows he’s been caught. I see him take a breath, but this little shit isn’t moving fast enough. I try to remain calm because he’s got my entire life in his hands. The woman I love and our unborn baby are nothing to him, but they are my world. My only focus is getting them safely by my side.
“Do it, and I’ll let you walk out of here,” I say, and I mean it. I would give anything to have them safe, including my own life. “You have my word. You put her down and don’t try anything, I’ll let you go.”
Justin slowly turns around and looks me directly in the eyes. He looks half-crazed right now, like he might be on something. I didn’t notice it before, but maybe the adrenaline from his finger getting cut off masked it. He’s sweating like crazy and his pupils are so enlarged his eyes look like they are solid black.
“You’re too late,” he sneers, and a sinister smile spreads across his face.
Just then Saint comes around the corner of the garage holding a woman, his arm around her neck and a gun pointed to her head. She grips his arm but otherwise looks like a space cadet with the same black pupils as Justin. I’m convinced these two junkies are so fucked up they have no idea what’s happening.
“Hope this wasn’t your getaway ride, Justin. She was too busy using to check the time. Guess she missed the signal.”
I still have my gun trained on Justin, and I see defeat cross his face. I guess relying on a junkie to be on time wasn’t the smartest plan. I look back over at the woman, and I realize I recognize her. It’s Layla’s mother. Jesus! Layla told me she was with O’Leary at the warehouse, but I had no idea how far deep in this shit she was. I don’t have time to figure this shit out right now. I’ve got to make sure Layla is safe.
“Fucking useless bitch,” he rants disgustedly. “All she had to do was drive the car. Four years of planning this shit out, and she’s too busy getting high to remember her one goddamn job. I’ve put up with that asshole O’Leary, and fucked that crazy bitch,” he nods at Claire, “to get my payday, and she can’t do one goddamn thing. But, hey, maybe I can have a little fun with your Ch
erry. I’d bet you would pay for me to give her back to you.”
“Put her down. Now! There’s no way out of here. It’s the end of the line,” I shout, and I see him jump. He glares at me and then makes his move. He pushes Layla roughly off his shoulder and she lands with a loud thud on the concrete. She utters a small cry, and I see red.
I’m distracted by her falling, and for a moment my attention is diverted. I lower my gun and make a move towards my girl. As I step towards her I catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye, pulling a kitchen knife out from behind his back.
My body is already in motion but he’s closer to Layla. He stands above her and raises his arm. I see his intention is to bring the big knife down on her, and I react.
In a split second I aim my gun at his head and pull the trigger. No hesitation. Direct hit.
The loud pop rings through the garage and Justin hits the ground as I reach Layla.
I hear Layla’s mother start to scream, and I don’t know if she’s upset he’s dead, or if she’s so strung out she’s just in a panic over a loud noise. I don’t give either of them a second of my attention as I go to my girl.
“Layla, baby, look at me,” I say, frenzied. I rub my hands over her face and head, trying to see if she’s okay. I don’t know where she hurt herself, but, thank God, she’s semi-conscious so she must have hit her head when she fell. Or maybe it just the drugs he slipped her.
Suddenly Jeanette is by my side, helping me wake her up. “I think he drugged her, but it must not have been much. She’s still breathing and her eyes are opening,” she says.
Layla looks up at me with foggy eyes blinking slowly. She doesn’t say anything so I guess she must be drifting in and out of consciousness. “Look at me, Cherry. I’m right here. Are you hurt? Talk to me, baby. I love you so much. I’m right here.” I’m rambling but I don’t give a fuck.
Jeanette helps me in looking her over, and she sees a big bruise already forming on her hip. “She must have banged her hip on the ground when he dropped her. Fucking hell, I’m glad that dick-bag is dead. I want to kill him all over again for that shit. Do you have any idea how difficult that was to watch and not be able to do anything?” She looks up at me and gives me a small smile, like she’s trying to make an inappropriate joke, maybe trying to get me to calm down a little. I feel like my whole body is shaking. It probably is. I’m sure I’ll laugh later.
