An Act of Salvation (Acts of Honor #2)

by K. C. Lynn

  “Yes, really. You don’t know anything about it just like you don’t know anything about the bullshit you spewed last night.”

  Her amusement vanishes and her eyes narrow as she steps closer. “Don’t you dare tell me I don’t know what I was talking about last night. I spoke the truth. You’re the one who talked about us like it was a huge mistake.” Her finger pokes me hard in the chest. “You’re the one who left without ever looking back. So fuck you and your bullshit!”

  Grabbing her wrist I yank her against me, our bodies so close I know she can feel how hard I am as we glare at one another. “I never thought it was a mistake. I’ve thought about that fucking night almost as much as I’ve thought about you, which has been every goddamn day.”

  Her eyes flare in shock and something else, something that has me throwing all caution out of the window.

  “Fuck it!” I claim her mouth like I want her body. My tongue thrusts into its warm, sweet depth, her taste rushing through my veins like a drug. It’s fucking intoxicating and has my knees almost buckling.

  With a whimper her hands dive into my hair with frustration, her tight grip sending the sting straight to my cock. I back her against the wall, knocking shit over in our haste. “You drive me fucking crazy,” I growl, thrusting my hips against her.

  “Nick.” Her desperate cry proves she needs me as much as I need her.

  Our hands reach for each other’s clothes at the same time. We break apart, ridding ourselves of our shirts first. As she works her sexy black bra I drop to my knees and remove her pants, my goddamn hands shaking with urgency. There’s no going back from here, and I don’t give a fuck. I need this girl right now like my next breath.

  I kiss her flat stomach, swirling my tongue around the purple-jeweled barbell through her belly button that I caught a glimpse of last night. It’s sexy as fuck and suits her. As I work my way back up, reaching her perfect, ample tits. I take one pink nipple into my mouth while my hand cups the soft, heavy weight of the other.

  “Yes,” she cries out, thrusting the heat of her pussy against my bare chest, bringing my cock close to explosion. “Nick, please, please.”

  I want to spend time worshiping her body but I’m too goddamn blind with need at the moment. Right now I just need to be inside of her.

  Cupping her ass, I hoist her up, her back flush to the wall, realizing her lace panties are a thong.

  Fuck me, I’m gonna die before I even get inside of her.

  “Wrap your legs around me, baby.”

  As she obeys the order I undo my belt and jeans, then with one swift pull I shred her panties from her hips. Her gasp trails into a moan when I free my cock and swipe it through her slick heat. She’s fucking soaked. I don’t bother shedding my jeans before I drive into fucking paradise.

  “Nick!” she screams out in pleasure, her head falling back on the wall.

  “Jesus christ, Katelyn.” I groan, dropping my forehead on her shoulder as my body threatens to give out from the need pumping through me. “You good?” I grit past my locked jaw.

  “Yes. So good.” She moans.

  I look up at her. “You want it hard, baby?”

  “God, yes.”

  That’s all the assurance I need before I start thrusting into her with hard, fast strokes. Fucking seven long years out of my system. Her hands clutch my shoulders, her nails marking me, driving me to the brink of madness.

  “You feel this, Katelyn? Feel how good it is? How could I ever fucking forget something this incredible?”

  Nothing or no one in the world compares to this girl.

  I drop my forehead on hers, staring into her beautiful, exotic eyes. “Tell me, baby. Tell me you thought about this as much as I did.”

  “All the time. Even when I tried not to,” she admits, pain flickering in her soft expression.

  It makes me furious. Furious at her for caring about me, furious at myself because I can’t give her what she deserves.

  If she only knew how close I’ve kept her to me… Instead of telling her I lock my mouth with hers, inhaling her breathy moans while I continue to drive up inside of her. I move one hand between our sweat-slicked bodies and stroke her swollen clit.

  “Oh god, Nick, I’m going to come,” she cries.

  “Give it to me, baby. Let me feel it all over my cock.”

  Her walls lock down on me as she crashes over the edge. I speed up, fucking her hard and fast through her orgasm. Fire erupts through my body just before I find my own release.

  Keeping one hand around her waist, I brace the other on the wall above her head, trying not to keel the fuck over. Our chests heave in unison, our breathing ragged.

  “You ripped my new Victoria Secret panties,” she mumbles through her labored breathing. “I should kill you for that.”

  I want to tell her she almost did but decide against it. “I’ll buy you a new pair.”

  I’ll buy her ten. One in every damn color.

  I pull out of her with a tortured groan, wishing I could stay inside of her forever, then pull my pants up enough before pushing away from the wall.

  Katelyn’s arms and legs tighten around me, clinging to me like a fucking koala bear. “Whatever you do, do not put me down. I won’t be able to stand.”

  I chuckle. “Don’t worry. I got you.” Walking over to my bed, I pull back the covers then lay her down.

  She expels a breathy sigh as she snuggles in, covering herself much too quickly.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay,” she mumbles sleepily. “I’ll be right here. Still unable to move.”

  With a smirk I head out into the hall and realize we left the bedroom door open. I wince, hoping Pop didn’t come in the house for anything, though as loud as she was screaming he probably heard her in the fucking barn… The memory of her cries has my semi-erect cock standing at attention again.

  Entering the bathroom, I close the door and brace my hands on the sink, dropping my forehead on the mirror. The cold glass a welcome relief to my overheated body.

  I crossed the line again, but just like last time I don’t fucking regret it. I could never regret one second with her. I can’t be around her and not have her; it’s goddamn impossible. Even though this time might kill us both.

  Blowing out a breath I pick up a washcloth and wet it with warm water. This is another thing we need to discuss—I was so fucking consumed by my need to have her I didn’t stop for a goddamn condom. I have never done that. Only that first time with her…

  I pray like hell she’s on some form of birth control.

  She would have said something if not…right?

  I think about how to go about asking her without fucking up my words but as I return to the bedroom I find her passed out cold. “Kate?”

  She doesn’t stir. Walking over I put my hand under the blanket, gently slipping the warm cloth between her thighs.

  With a gasp she slaps my hand away, grumbling something incoherent before falling back to sleep.

  Chuckling, I finish quickly then toss the rag in the hamper before staring down at her, her pretty face soft with sleep. Even though I shouldn’t, I crawl in behind her and pull her into me, needing to sleep with her in my arms. Just before I let exhaustion take me, I brush my lips on the side of her temple and whisper, “You are more.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Katelyn

  I’m a bundle of nerves as we walk out to the SUV to head to my parents’s house, awkward silence filling the air like it has been since Nick came down for supper.

  I worried it was all a dream but when I woke up in his arms with a tenderness between my thighs, it was, in fact, very real. It was nothing how I pictured it would be considering we were fighting just before it happened. It was passionate, powerful, aggressive, and beautiful all at the same time.

  You feel this, Katelyn? Feel how good it is? How could I ever fucking forget something this incredible?

  How could he think about me that often and not contact me?
I would have given anything to even get a simple phone call from him. Some nights I ached so bad for him, just to hear his voice and know he was okay.

  As soon as I woke up I left the bed while he slept, even though I wanted nothing more than to stay in his arms all day. I know what happened between us changes nothing. He will still go back to Florida when this is all over. The thought leaves a gaping hole in my heart, but I’ve accepted it…kind of.

  I have no idea if it will happen again, but I won’t object if it does. I don’t think I could even if I wanted to, except this time I will keep my heart out of it…

  Oh who the hell am I kidding? It’s already resting permanently in the palm of his lethal hand. It’s always belonged to him.

  The bastard!

  I’ve come to realize if there is one part of our body we have no control over it’s the heart. It has a mind of its own and it doesn’t give a damn about consequences. So yeah, after this is all over and he goes back to Florida I will break for a second time. Only this time I’m prepared for it. I won’t be blindsided, and I’ll pick up the pieces like I did before. I just need to keep remembering that, and hopefully I’ll be able to survive without him once more.

  Nick clears his throat, breaking the silence after we climb in. “Listen, we need to talk about earlier.”

  My stomach drops like a heavy anchor.

  I guess that second time won’t be happening after all.

  Holding up my hand I ward off whatever he’s about to say. “Save it. You don’t need to say anything. I know the rules, and I expect nothing. If you want we can pretend like it never even happened.” I try to keep my voice light, hoping to play it off like I don’t care. When in fact I care too much.

  As silence fills the vehicle I look over to see him glaring at me. “That’s not what I was going to fucking say.”

  “Oh…well, never mind then. Go ahead.”

  He shakes his head, frustrated. “We need to talk about the fact that I didn’t use a condom.”

  I frown, it wasn’t something I had thought about but I guess I should have. “Well, I’m clean if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “I wasn’t worried about you being clean, I’m worried about the birth control part.”

  Of course he is.

  “Well, don’t worry, you’re safe. I’m protected.” I’ve used an IUD for years because I have the worst memory for the pill.

  I can feel his glare on me again but don’t look over at him. “It’s not just about me, Katelyn.”

  The hell it isn’t. It might not be the most ideal situation but me bearing Nick’s child would not wreck me like it would him. If anything it would be something I’d treasure, getting to have a piece of him forever… I push the thought away immediately.

  “Just so you know, I’m clean, too,” he adds, his tone softer. “I’ve always used a condom and it’s the bureau’s policy to be tested every six months.”

  I shrug. “I wasn’t concerned about it.”

  “You should be. It’s always something you should think about.”

  My gaze snaps to his. “Save the lecture, Nick. I’m not a damn child. I’ve always used protection. I wasn’t worried about you because I know if there was even a small chance you weren’t clean then you wouldn’t have touched me. But maybe I am stupid for trusting you that much.” I turn back around, looking out my window because I am so over this conversation. “Can we just go please?”

  I feel his eyes boring into the side of my head as angry heat blazes over my skin. “Yeah, but one thing first.”

  As I turn to him he hooks his hand around my neck and pulls me in for a deep, passionate kiss. A gasp flees me at the unexpected contact of his commanding lips. This isn’t like the rushed, heated kisses we shared earlier. This one is long and thorough, but still reaching my soul.

  He pulls back, resting his forehead on mine. Slowly, I open my eyes to see him watching me. “For the record, Katelyn, we both know there’s no pretending like it didn’t happen. Not with us.”

  Without another word he puts the vehicle in drive, leaving me stunned with a smile smothering my face. However, it vanishes quickly as we make the drive through town. This place holds so many dark memories for me, memories I’ve tried to forget. And I’m about to challenge the darkest one.

  I try to hide my nerves from Nick since he already didn’t want me to come. I couldn’t stay back though. As scared as I am, a part of me wants to face the man who made my life hell growing up. To show him that Kolan and I made something of ourselves.

  That what he did to us didn’t define us.

  As we pull up to my parents’s run-down house in the country, a wave of panic knocks me back. The memory from the last time I saw the monster who lives inside tries to invade my thoughts, filling me with disgust and shame.

  Warmth covers my cold, clammy fingers. Looking down at Nick’s hand over mine, I glance up to see him watching me in concern. If he knew what happened there’s no way he would let me be here right now.

  He can never know.

  “You don’t have to do this. Let me go talk to him alone.”

  I consider it, especially feeling like I am. I don’t want him to see me afraid but… I shake my head. “He’s the last person I want to see, but I feel like I need to face him. Otherwise, if I stay in this car, I’m the same little girl who cowered at his very presence. He doesn’t deserve that kind of control over me, he never did.”

  It’s clear he still doesn’t like the idea but he accepts it with a nod. “Okay. Let’s go.”

  As we get out of the vehicle and climb the rickety steps, the familiar creak of floorboards beneath my feet has vicious memories assaulting me hard and fast.

  You worthless piece of shit. I’m going to make you pay for that.

  I shake my head, fighting back tears as my brother’s screams of pain follow the menacing voice.

  You’re gonna be a good girl, Katie, and keep your fucking mouth shut. You owe it to me.

  “Kate, baby, you okay?”

  Nick’s voice reels me back to the present. I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing the memories back down.

  You can do this, Katelyn. He has no power over you, not anymore.

  Before I can reassure Nick I’m fine the front door opens, revealing my father. My entire body freezes, including my breath as I take in the man before me. No, not a man—a monster. Though, looking at him now he doesn’t look much like a monster. Actually, he doesn’t look scary at all.

  He looks…weak.

  He’s thinner, more frail, yet still has his beer gut. His dark salt and pepper hair is greasy like the rest of him. It looks as if he hasn’t showered in days. The beer bottle in his hand is the same kind he’s always drank. The kind I’ve never been able to look at, let alone stomach.

  His beady, bloodshot eyes widen in surprise before they sweep down my body, making nausea roll in my tummy. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t my li’l girl.”

  Nick steps in front of me, blocking me from his view. “We’re looking for Kolan.”

  “Why the hell do you think he’d be here?”

  Before Nick can answer I step around him, glaring up at the despicable man before me. “Because we know he came here a few months ago. We also know he gave you money.”

  He looks back and forth between Nick and me then takes a long pull of his beer. “Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

  My blood heats at the lie. “Yes, you do, and I want to know right now why he gave you money. What did you do?”

  His red eyes narrow, that familiar rage I’ve witnessed so many times firing in their depths. But I feel no fear, only anger and resentment knowing he’s done something.

  “Keith. Who is it?” My mother stumbles behind him, cigarette dangling from her mouth and sporting a black eye, no doubt from him. She’s as pathetic as he is, and I hate her almost as much. Her eyes flare in shock when she catches sight of me. “What are you doing here?”

  “Kolan’s missing,” I
tell her, waiting for some kind of reaction, but unfortunately, there’s none.

  She simply shrugs. “So. What does that have to do with us?”

  How she and my aunt Linda are related is beyond me. Where my aunt is one of the kindest souls you’d ever meet, my mother is the complete opposite. My aunt said she hasn’t always been like that but it’s the only way I’ve ever known her—mean and hateful, just like my father.

  Nick is the one to answer. “We know he came here a few months ago and gave you a lot of money. Want to explain what that’s about?”

  There’s a brief flash of fear in my mother’s eyes before she schools her features.

  She knows something.

  “I already fucking told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” my father bellows.

  “You’re lying!” I get in his face, my hands fisting at my sides. “Tell us what you’ve done. Where is he?”

  “Listen here, you little bitch.” Just as he reaches out to grab my arm Nick steps in front of me, pushing him back.

  “Don’t fucking touch her.” His low warning has my father taking a small step back. “Katelyn, go to the car.”

  I tense at the order. “What? No way. Not until he tells us what he’s done to Kolan.”

  “I haven’t done anything to him. Now get the fuck off my property before I make you regret coming here.”

  Nick turns around and grabs my arm. “Come on.”

  “Wait. What are you doing?” I ask as he pulls me down the steps. “It’s clear he’s lying. Why are you—”

  “Hopefully someone taught the cocky bastard a lesson and he’s dead.”

  My father’s words deliver a painful blow, stopping me in my tracks. I rip away from Nick and spin around. “What did you just say?”

  He smirks, proud of himself. “I said I hope the mouthy fucker is dead. It’d serve him right.”

  An intense fury rips through me; it’s so powerful it shreds any control I have left. Bending down I pick up a rock, the biggest one I can find and throw it at him, hitting him in the shoulder. “Fuck you!” Angry tears pour down my face as I grab another one, throwing it at the front window and shattering it.