When You Only Need To Ask (The House of Sin: The Beginning)

by Hadleigh Stephens

  Wow.

  The only half-way coherent thought that makes its way into my still somewhat muddled mind other than I wished there was a mirror within reaching distance.

  No such luck.

  He’s tall, at least six three and his body matches. Solid, linebacker kinda body. Big and tough looking. Wide shoulders, thick chest, bulging biceps, narrow waist and hips, and thighs as big around as my whole body. Mouthwateringly big looking. Sexy take care of business, toe-curling kinda body. He’s beautiful, extremely male, and he’s staring right back making me hot and bothered.

  My heart beats so hard when he enters the damn room, which isn’t a good thing when I’m hooked up to a bunch of machines that go crazy when my pulse spikes. He grins and I blush, shifting uncomfortably under the penetrating dark stare. I try to make light of it.

  “Can’t a girl get any sleep around here?” Unfortunately it comes out in a grumble and only draws more attention my way.

  And Merrick’s all-too-knowing gaze noticed where my eyes had been trained and his eyes narrow. He scrubs his uninjured hand over his face and I know there’s a part of him that he blames for my current situation. His eyes flick to Colt.

  I watch as he grips his right fist with his left hand, his lips thin and a spasm of pain flickers in their depths.

  Cooper’s hands are shoved deep in his jeans pockets. I don’t know if it’s to keep from punching someone or a wall, like Merrick, or out of frustration. As the new Sheriff in town, he can’t very well afford to lose his temper this early on in the game.

  “Kimber!” Merrick stalks to the side of the bed and gently runs his hand over my jaw. “How ya doin’, baby?” I don’t like how the lines around his eyes are scored deep.

  “I’m fine.” I wave off their concern like it’s unnecessary. “Y’all are making too big of a deal out of this.” An intense look passes from Merrick and where Colt stands off to the side, arms crossed, watching me with an unreadable expression, even though I can probably guess what he’s thinking.

  Merrick puts hands on either side of my body and leans in really, really close. “You had fuckin’ cuffs on, Kimber.” The heat of his anger flows from his body to cover mine. “Fuckin’ cuffs. What the fuck?”

  My heart stutters and my eyes flick to Cooper and back. “I’m fine.” I manage a pathetic smile. “Sheriff James saved me.” My eyes cut back to Cooper and this time once there, there’s no way in hell I can pull them away.

  “It was the work of a lot of individuals that helped rescue you, Miss Sinclair.” His eyes stay with mine. His mouth quirked up revealing hints of his yummy dimples and once again my brain jolts. Damn machine.

  Since I can’t pull my eyes away, instead I close them for the briefest of moments savoring the sound of his rich, gravelly voice and giving myself some time to gather my thoughts. It’s ridiculous how he makes me feel safe and protected and how he makes me feel the things that scare and excite me at the same time.

  Such a silly notion.

  But I can’t deny that I like him.

  I want to get to know him better.

  I want him to stay.

  Colt steps up to the other side of the bed and grips my small hand in his large one bringing me back. “Angel baby you scared the shit out of us.” They always make me feel safe and sound. It feels weird that someone else can do the same.

  “I’m sorry.” And I am. I know they care. I know they worry. I know they want me to be okay. I know my eyes reflect my sorrow perfectly so I close them again. Too tired and I’d rather not talk anymore.

  Merrick leans even closer. “Did Nate do this?” He takes a small step back, his hand on my shoulder.

  All I do is lift my eyes and I know he knows it’s true.

  “I’m gonna kill him,” he mutters.

  “Don’t Merrick.”

  “Kimber?”

  I stare at Merrick with wide eyes willing him to change the subject and when he just stands there and patiently waits for me to respond, it’s as if I can’t take the silence any longer and my words stumble out on their own accord. “It was just a car accident.” And I stop with no further explanation. Then I wait. Instead of throwing something against the wall, Merrick’s shoulders go rigid and he’s silent and that worries me even more. He’s a master of his emotions, but I can tell that he’s fixin’ to do something that he’ll probably regret later.

  “Merrick please,” I plead. I know now that neither had wanted me to date Nate. Unfortunately they hadn’t bothered to tell me why, just tried to forbid and that definitely didn’t work. Details would’ve been nice as to why.

  Now I knew why.

  A freakin’ day late and a damn dollar short. Not their fault. Totally all mine. Blinded by his shiny packaging. Ain’t that just like a girl?

  I can’t imagine what they’d think if they knew what he’d really been like.

  But no, I saw his charming, golden-boy looks sitting at the polished mahogany bar in Paradiso, the bar I manage in The House and I was enthralled like a freakin’ virgin school-girl. Oh, please take me. Do with me what you will. Screw me. Hurt me.

  No freakin’ questions asked.

  When had I become such an idiot?

  I blow out a frustrated breath and slam my fists down on the mattress grimacing as my muscles protest the sudden movement.

  Merrick lifts an eyebrow. When I don’t expand he growls, “I won’t tolerate half-truths or prevarication, Kimber. Not with this. It’s too important.” He rubs his hand over his face. “You’re too important.” He throws his hands down and jams them in his pockets and grunts at the pain that must have shot up his injured hand.

  “You don’t have to go and use big words, Merrick.”

  “I’m so far from joking right now, Kimber.”

  Emotions knot my stomach but his words make me pause. He’s pissed. I shake my head gathering my crazy thoughts and emotions. The tone of his voice such that it tugs at me, more than the words he spoke, so I finally whisper, “He hit me.” And it was a sucker punch because I trusted him. I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to cry. Drawing a deep breath, my gaze shifts, my cheeks flush, and my lashes lower over my sad eyes. I don’t want him to see what I feel and I don’t want to see his disappointment.

  “He’s a fuckin’ dead man,” Colt growls out turning to Cooper. “I’m warnin’ you now. I find the bastard somewhere alone, gonna cut off his fuckin’ dick and shove it up his fuckin’ ass, then I’m gonna cut off his fuckin’ balls and shove ‘em in his mouth until he chokes on ‘em. Fuckin’ motherfuckin’ bastard.”

  “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear those threats, Colt.” That’s all Cooper says. I’m impressed.

  Merrick studies me for a long moment and I begin to worry all over again. “I’m gonna kill him,” he adds in a too serious voice, my hand clasped tightly under his. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill the bastard.”

  “You’ve gotta be shittin’ me,” Colt interjects again as if what he’d said already wasn’t enough. “The bastard’s done.”

  I still, my blood pumping violently. “No Merrick.” What little color I had drained from my face. I try tugging my hand away from his, but he holds it fast. “Colt, think about it first. He’s no match for the two of you.”

  “The three of us.” Cooper’s voice vibrates with anger. His hands crammed into his jeans pockets. Just glancing at him, he could almost pass for calm, cool, and collected but the sound of his deep growl gives him away. He’s just as pissed as Merrick and Colt.

  “Nothing you can say will make me do less than beat the shit out of him.” Merrick’s face is rigid and uncompromising. “At the very least, when he looks in the mirror he will know that I laid a hand on him just as he did to you.”

  “Please Merrick,” I beg. “Let it go.”

  “Never in a million years will I fuckin’ let this shit go.” His voice raises an octave on each word. He leans in and presses his lips to my forehead. “You’re my fuckin’ sister.” He steps back thumpi
ng his chest hard. “I protect you. I do. He will never lay a hand on another woman again. I will see to that personally.”

  “Y’all are scaring me.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and squeeze my eyes shut. “I can’t deal with this anymore tonight.”

  “Oh, sugar.” Merrick presses another kiss to the top of my head. A deep frown etched in his forehead. “You know we’re just a bunch of good ole boys talking shit.”

  “I know you, Merrick.”

  “I know you do, sugar,” Merrick murmurs in my ear, then pulls back just enough to look me straight in the eyes. “And I know you.”

  With those words I stiffen. I thought I’d hidden it all where no one knew, but I was wrong. I knew it. I’ve known all along that he was an all-knowing, all seeing sonofabitch when it comes to me, and boy was I right. Nothing goes unnoticed.

  Lifting my hand, I place my palm flat against his stubble covered jaw garnering power from in his uncompromising strength. “I’m fine, Merrick.”

  Colt reaches across the bed and runs his finger over the harsh red marks visible on my wrists. “Angel baby,” he whispers. I swear I hear a break in his voice and my nose burns.

  “I promise I’m fine.”

  “We’ll stop in tomorrow morning,” Merrick adds. “They want to keep you a couple days.”

  With a nod, my eyes stray to Cooper still standing a few feet from the bed watching us with interest.

  “I’ll talk to you after you’ve gotten a good night’s rest, Angel.” Cooper wears a slight frown.

  “’Kay.”

  Chapter Six

  Some men with little refinement look upon women with an inherent vulgarity

  A prickle of uneasiness skitters up my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.

  Something’s wrong.

  Trouble with a capital ‘T’ and it’s standing right over me. I sense it. I feel the heat.

  A smell that brings to mind a past I’d rather forget nags at my senses and I crack open my eyes somewhat sluggishly until my gaze is snatched by his.

  I jerk to a sitting position as the uneasy knot takes over my stomach. I feel what little color I have drain from my face and my hands fly to my mouth covering up the shriek that escaped. My heart stutters in my chest for a split second at the cold slap of reality before I manage to get ahold of myself.

  “Nate.” My voice cracks and my eyebrows snap together. His name comes out in a croaked whisper as waves of panic paralyze my body. He unnerves me to the point of weakness. Suddenly the control I’d allowed him to take over my body and mind becomes a weakness like kryptonite to Superman. Yet still I hunger for the release I received with that same freedom.

  There’s a deep seated need, which even I can’t understand at times, to relinquish control. He’d taken a secret desire to yield in the bedroom and turned it into a requirement for every aspect of my life.

  “How’d you get in here?”

  He remains silent.

  My eyes flicker to the door and back. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see it’s still standing wide open. Arrogant bastard probably left it that way because he doesn’t think he’ll get caught. I push as far away from him as the bed will allow.

  “What are you doing in here?”

  My mind’s still groggy from the pain medication I’d taken before falling asleep. My breath’s ragged and I feel frozen in an alternate universe because never in a million years did I fathom that he would try something like this.

  I should have.

  Because he’s a Bastard.

  Because he’s an asshole.

  Because he’s one of the biggest dicks I’ve ever met in my entire life and I think that says a whole helluva lot.

  I can’t fathom why it surprises me.

  He thinks he knows everything and I’m just a stupid woman around to see to his every beck and call. To fulfill all of his needs. To make sure that what he wants supersedes everything else. If I hadn’t had needs of my own that I’d been trying desperately to get fulfilled, perhaps I wouldn’t be in this position.

  Unfortunately I do. Life sucks the big one.

  And I have.

  I sucked the biggest dick in the world.

  And not in a good way.

  Life can be so cruel.

  A freakin’ ugly joke, if you ask me.

  A deep sigh of despair slithers sneakily past my lips and tears of hopelessness pool in my eyes as he looms over me with one of my hands gripped tightly. His attention is intent on his finger as it traces roughly over the dark bruises and visible raw marks that still circle my wrists.

  I shrink at his touch. A bit frantic, my heart rate accelerates and my eyes widen. With the call button no longer within reach, I scan the room for any other assistance turning my eyes back towards the open door and calculate my chances of escape.

  “Pretty.”

  And I freeze.

  “N-N-Nate?” I stammer fretfully, a tiny frown appearing between my reddish brows. My mind is going a mile a minute and still nothing comes to me.

  “Reminds me of you being shackled to me.”

  He talks almost absently like he’s not really there. Or like I’m not really there. Almost like he’s in some sort of dream-like state. Content to toy with me, but he’s sloppy and I can’t pretend that he’s not. I have to remain focused if I’m going to come out of this without any more bruises.

  I blink and frown up at him, unable to understand his boldness. Suddenly the air in the room changes and his fingers tighten painfully, feeling as if he might crush the tiny bones in my wrist if he squeezes a fraction more. Hauling up my arm, even as I tug, he places his lips against my wrist. His tongue flicks out and wets the ring that blemishes my skin repulsing me. Kissing and nipping at the damaged flesh and a whimper of fear breaks free.

  “Please, Nate,” I plead softly in a voice that barely sounds like my own. Helplessness permeates my mind and body, briefly holding me prisoner until I hear his aroused groan, overriding my fright with the need to break free.

  The tension of the last few weeks, possibly months, pulls taut and snaps making me realize I have to take control. I have to win. I work desperately at prying myself out from under him with my loose arm, but his body’s too heavy over mine. His arousal evident as it throbs against my thigh where he lays over me trapping my legs. A fine layer of sweat coats my skin and goose bumps erupt over every inch of my flesh, my mind whirling.

  His breathing grows more ragged as he stretches up and puts his mouth on my mouth and growls, “Kiss me.” His gruff words rouse my fight and I twist my head from side to side knocking his wet, puffy lips from mine.

  “Stop, Nate.” The words come out in a choked whisper. This isn’t what I want or need. Pulling away forcefully, I cry out as he grips my jaw powerfully.

  He stares for a long moment, his mouth pinched tightly.

  “Walk away. Just walk away.” I don’t need fear. I do my best not to shudder as his ice-cold stare rakes over me. His grip tightens forcing my head still and his eyes blaze with fire. He bites down hard on my bottom lip and I cry out from the pain. The shock of his brutal actions sends the tears pooling in my eyes sliding down my cheeks.

  I don’t need his kind of pain. I need the freedom of release. He doesn’t know me at all. He doesn’t know my desires. He doesn’t care to know. He doesn’t know what I need, and he isn’t it.

  Anger blossoms in my chest radiating to other parts of my body and catapulting me into action. I jerk my wrist hard against his hand, grunting with the hurt as I twist it painfully. At the same time, I slide from the hospital bed and sway as my bare feet hit the cold floor. My legs are like Jell-O, all jiggly, weak, and barely able to support me. I grasp at the metal railing for support and take a deep breath. I wait for the rush of dizziness to pass before scrambling frantically back, crashing into the wall before he has time to make his way around the bed.

  “Fucking cunt.”

  I feel cold and out of breath at the palpable an
imosity that slices down my spine like razor blades with each word that grates out of his mouth. Sliding along the wall, I make my way around pieces of furniture as he toys with me. He could easily catch me. However, he chooses to stalk me. My weakened gate seems to increase his enjoyment of the game.

  “What are you doing in here, Nate?” I see the ice glittering in his eyes and hope that I can distract him from his purpose if I get him talking. I’ve allowed him to control my mind. Not anymore. I need someone with my best interest in mind. Someone who seeks not only his own pleasure, but mine as well. Someone who wants to cherish me and feed my desires, not starve them.

  Nate’s lips lift in a semblance of a smile again before he grabs me roughly by the arm painfully tight. So taken by surprise at how quick he was, I can only stare at him. My mouth gapes open, frozen in fear.

  “Did you think that I would let you just walk out of here?” His narrowed blue eyes shoot shards of ice and the slightest curl to his lips turns what once was a beautiful smile to something sinister. He presses closer, running his finger across my collarbone, pressing in excruciatingly on the delicate bones and I’m unable to hide the shudder that runs through me. “That I’m going to let your sweet ass run out on me, Princess?” His smile fades.

  My eyes dart back and forth between Nate and the door.

  “Don’t worry, Kimberly.” His eyes take on a crazy gleam. “We’re all alone. I made sure of that.”

  I gasp for any hint of breath to ease the ache in my chest, my eyes glassy with panic, my breathing spiked. “Y-y-you have to stop this, Nate.” Confusion colors my voice and I know it. I wrench my arm, twisting and trying to break free from his painful hold, but he holds fast. “Let me go,” I cry, trying to mask the tremor in my voice. My mouth opens on a scream but he stops me short, turning it into a grunt of pain with a sharp slap across my face that rocks me back on my heels.

  “I like it when you fight me.” His nostrils flare. Lust rages in his eyes. He thrust his hand into the back of my hair fisting it, jerking my head back. My eyes close and I say a quick prayer, flinching as the wetness of his tongue licks at the pulse leaping in my throat.