by S. Nelson
Pinning her hands above her head, I thrust deeper, letting go of the last strand of my control, punishing her body with my own, driving out every last cry and plea from her throat. Reveling in her pleasure, a cocky grin spread across my face as I nipped at her bottom lip, demanding entrance into her tempting mouth.
“Sully . . . I . . . I can’t hold out any longer. Fuck! You’re too much,” I growled, pushing her further up the bed with my intensity.
“Make me come.” She writhed beneath me, flexing her hands in my hold. Wrapping my free arm around her waist, I held her back off the bed and drove into her like some kind of wild animal, shouting out her name as soon as I felt her pussy clench around me, shivers of bliss firing off inside both of us. My vision actually went hazy, chasing after my own goddamn air just so I could breathe.
I buried my head in the crook of her neck, waiting while I came back down to reality. Licking at her salty skin, I realized right then that I would never get enough of her.
Her mouth.
Her skin.
Her pussy.
Just . . . her.
Everything about her called to me, and not strictly in the carnal way. Something inside her spoke to me. It was unknown what she was trying to tell me, but in due time I knew I would uncover the unspoken messages.
Sully
Lying fully sated in Cole’s arms was like a dream, the connection between us more than physical. Granted, we didn’t really know each other that well—yet—but there was an undeniable attraction pulling us together. While he was the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on, there was something within him which beckoned to me.
I felt it when he looked at me.
I felt it when he touched me.
I felt it when he called out my name.
The pain he tried to shield from me broke free when he thought I wasn’t paying attention, his vulnerability where I was concerned teetering between awareness and obscurity.
My ears pricked to listen to his breathing, trying to determine whether or not he’d drifted off to sleep. He’d taken me twice more, once on top of the bathroom vanity and again in the shower. Each time was more exhilarating than the last, my fear of my new life abandoning me as I gazed into the promise of my future. Although my new husband had upset me with his words on occasion, I knew it was simply because he didn’t know how to act.
Was I making excuses for his behavior? Yes.
Did I understand what it was like to have my world flipped on its ass, scrambling around to try and make sense of Fate’s warped sense of humor?
Absolutely.
Although Cole Marek was the man who’d kidnapped me, he was the same man who’d essentially saved my life.
He’d forgotten to shut off the bedside light, its soft illumination dancing over his relaxed form. Propping my head on his chest, I stared up into his handsome face. His eyelids fluttered in his sleep, a half-smirk resting on his full and inviting lips. Breaths of soft, warm air hit my cheek, while his heart fell into a steady, easy rhythm. His body heat warmed me. The only thing we had draped over us was a thin sheet, the rest of the blankets were strewn over the bed in a crumpled mess, but I was nice and cozy lying half on top of him.
“If you don’t stop admiring me, I’m going to be forced to take you yet again,” he muttered, startling me from fantasizing about that very same thing.
“I thought you were sleeping.” When I tried to move, he quickly changed positions until he had me pinned beneath him. As soon as I was on my back, I spread my legs wide so he could snuggle in between. The man was insatiable, but I quickly realized I was too.
“How can I sleep with you next to me? I’d be a fool to waste one precious second dreaming of you when I could have the real thing right now.” He grinned, his self-assuredness quite the turn on.
To be desired, truly coveted, was the most intoxicating feeling in the world. I’d never had anyone look at me the way he did, even when he was upset with me, or confused about our new situation together. His blue eyes pierced me with the knowledge that he’d come to save me. Whether he was aware of it or not, I wasn’t sure, but his soul spoke to mine.
His lips traced a line from my collarbone to my ear, a place he loved to tease with his tongue before making me break out in goose bumps, the contrast of wet skin against warm breath enough to make me squirm in delight.
“I wanna ask you something, and I pray you’ve come to trust me enough to tell me the truth,” he prodded, his soft kisses on my skin a distraction to what was coming next.
Did I trust him?
I was beginning to.
Was I afraid of what he was going to ask me to reveal?
Unequivocally.
He withdrew his body from mine and sat back on the bed, pulling me up until I was in a seated position myself. I can only imagine what he’s going to ask me.
“Earlier tonight, when I asked you if you were on the pill, you told me you couldn’t have kids, to not worry about it. When I tried to ask you to elaborate, you shut down, a sadness filling your eyes I’ve unfortunately seen before.”
I noticeably stiffened, preparing myself for the conversation he was going to force me to have.
I’d only told Cole a few things about what I’d experienced at the hands of Vex and my father, but he didn’t know the half of it. Shit, he didn’t even know a quarter of it, if I was being honest. He’d seen the scars covering my body, and I’d told him how some of them got there, but there was so much more to my story. A story I was ready to burn in the hottest fire, then watch as the embers of my tragic past floated away on the wind.
Instead of delving too far into the past, I decided to give him part of the truth. Steeling my nerves, my eyes flitted over his face but avoided his eyes. I knew if I looked directly at him, I would weaken and falter. I’d end up pushing myself back into the darkest parts of my mind, a place I never wanted to venture into again.
“Well,” he prompted. “How do you know you can’t have kids? You’re a young woman, around twenty or so, right?” It was funny he wasn’t sure, and I wasn’t positive of his age either, yet there we were, sitting across from each other on the bed after a night of passion. Newly married and still discovering the little details about each other. “So what makes you think you can’t pop out a few rugrats?” He grinned, his smile softening his callous choice of words.
Wrapping the sheet tighter around me so I wasn’t so vulnerable, I fidgeted with my hands while I tried to find the right words. His stare burned through me and I knew he wouldn’t wait long for me to respond, patience definitely not his strong suit.
I stared at my hands while I spoke, an action he didn’t approve of; his finger moved to lift my chin so he could see my eyes. Taking the deepest breath, my anxiety expelling from me in waves, I mustered up enough strength to start.
“A few years ago, I was bl-bleeding pretty badly, so I was taken to the hospital. My father refused at first because he didn’t want any outsiders in our business, but when he saw how bad I was, he reluctantly agreed.” I tried to look away again, but his hold on my chin was strong. “The doctor told me there was too much damage, that the chances of me having kids were so minute, I would have more luck being struck by lightning. Twice.” A lone tear escaped and trickled down my cheek. I hated that my past still terrified me, but I hadn’t been in the company of the Knights Corruption very long. Even if they were basically keeping me safe and sound from my own club.
I hadn’t allowed myself to give into the paranoia of what Cole had mentioned earlier, about being on guard and waiting for the Savage Reapers to come and collect what was rightfully theirs.
Me.
“But I don’t understand. Why was there any damage to begin with?” His question was sincere, but his eyes told me he knew the worst part of the story was yet to come. By the look of expectancy on his face, he knew who was the cause of my dreadful tale.
I couldn’t help it.
I broke.
“Cole . . . please,”
I begged. “Don’t make me. . . .” I couldn’t finish, my body shaking while tears streamed down my face. He’d finally released his hold on my chin, his body closing in on me and bringing me in for a hug.
“It’s okay, Sully. No one will ever hurt you again,” he promised, holding me so close he almost crushed me in his arms. “But I need to know. You have to tell me.”
“Why?” I cried, pushing myself away from him. “Why do I have to tell you? Why do you want me to relive it? Why can’t you just let it go?” I wanted to run, to barricade myself inside the bathroom for the rest of my life. I was ashamed and mortified that he was going to find out yet another awful thing that happened to me. Pity wasn’t something I thought I could bear. Not from him.
He made a move toward me but I only backed up, desperately needing the added space if I was going to continue. Although I didn’t think I would be able to.
“Because,” he seethed, “when I finally put a bullet between their eyes, I wanna make sure they know all the reasons their lives are being snatched from them. Trust me, there’s a long list as it stands, but to know their fate was sealed because of the damage they did to one of their own, will sink their souls into the deepest pits of Hell.”
He said ‘their eyes.’ There was no mistaking he was talking about my father and the guy who’d tortured me for six long years. Vex.
Rising from the bed, I walked toward the window, moonlight slicing through and adding to the barest of light already encasing the room. I knew in my heart there was no escape from this.
Like a Band-Aid. Right off.
With my back toward him, I finished my story as quickly as I could. “Vex had gone on a bender for a few days, shoving so much coke up his nose I’m surprised he was still alive. Never mind whatever else he’d ingested to help him fight off his demons. I was tucked away inside our bedroom, keeping to myself, but for some reason he thought I was messing around on him. His paranoia strangled him and no matter how much I pleaded, trying to make him see reason, he was convinced I’d been with someone else. Of course I wasn’t, but there was no getting through to him.
“During one of his rants, he attacked me, smacking my head against the wall before shoving me onto the bed. My head was killing me, preventing me from trying to protect myself, but in the end I guess it didn’t really matter. He always got what he wanted, no matter how much I fought in the beginning. Screaming at me that he was gonna make me pay for fucking around, he tied me to the bed, the rope so tight it cut into my skin whenever I tried to move.” My shoulders trembled, but I steeled my reserve as best I could before continuing. “He raped me over and over. Violently. He left me tied up for two days, and when I’d made a mess because he refused to let me use the bathroom, he . . . he. . . .” I hiccupped, not thinking I could finish. Thankfully, Cole kept his distance, otherwise, I would have refused to continue. I needed the space. It was just easier that way. Well . . . ‘easier’ was probably the wrong choice of word.
“When his body was depleted, he raped me with anything he could find. His beer bottle. An old baseball bat he had in the closet. It went on for what seemed like forever, and no matter how much I begged and screamed, he never relented. I knew my father was aware something was going on because I heard them talking outside our bedroom, Vex telling him he was teaching me a lesson. I tried to call for help, but I was too beaten and broken.” The horrific details rushed over me, prickling my flesh like the sharpest of blades.
Tears streamed down my face, my memories like a plague on my soul.
“He left me to bleed like an animal for a whole day, tied to the bed.” Turning to face Cole, I needed to see his reaction. I knew he was going to be angry, infuriated even, but I had no idea how much rage one person could muster inside them.
His eyes turned dark, his skin heating like he was on fire from the inside. He stood before me a man ready to kill and right then, I knew he would never let anything bad ever happen to me again. Although he’d forced me to relive one of the worst things to ever happen to me, it made me realize I was no longer in danger, that the man before me would do whatever it took to keep me safe.
Closing the short distance between us, he took me in his arms and vowed to end the men who’d kept me a prisoner my entire life, beating and degrading me for their own amusement, suffocating whatever life burned inside me until they all but snuffed out my essence.
Marek
A month had passed since Sully told me what Vex had done to her. It had taken everything in me not to gather my men and hunt him down like the animal he was in that time.
Realizing I was gonna kill him one day—probably sooner than later—gave me solace. It wasn’t much, but it was something I could cling to until the day arrived.
“Let’s go!” I shouted from the living room. “We’re gonna be late, goddamn it!” Not that I should care, but I was a stickler for punctuality, and the fact that the club cookout had started forty-five minutes ago and I was still waiting for Sully to finish getting ready was grating on me.
When I wasn’t involved with the club, I spent every available second with my wife, ravaging her and making her scream out my name. She’d finally become comfortable with me, laughing when I playfully teased her, as well as dishing out her own form of medicine. I’d opened up a bit more about my past, as she did hers. I knew she still kept things from me, but I vowed not to push her anymore. Not until she was ready.
That the woman was still alive and going strong was a testament to how strong she was, having faced the Devil and spit in his face.
Every day that passed was one step closer to happiness. I hadn’t realized when I snatched her from the pits of Hell that she would change me. It’d been a long time since I’d had a purpose in life, other than plotting the downfall of my enemy and taking my club legit. And while both things drove me each day, they were nothing compared to the woman I’d forced to marry me, thinking at the time it was just the perfect ‘fuck you’ to the Savage Reapers.
It was the first time in my life I felt whole, if that made any sense. My need to protect and watch over her was sometimes suffocating, probably because I’d never possessed such a need before. Yes, I strived to keep all my brothers alive, watching their backs as they did mine. But they didn’t play on a loop in my head, wondering if they were happy, if someone was going to come and snatch them from my life. They were all adults, knew the risk involved, a risk which would hopefully diminish to nothing once we were out from underneath the cartel.
“Woman, if you don’t show yourself in the next two seconds, I’m comin’ in there and draggin’ you out as you are. I don’t care if your half-naked or not.” I tried to be patient, but it just wasn’t in me. I had a temper, and Sully had witnessed it on more than one occasion. Lately, she paid me no attention when I started spouting off at the mouth, our comfort level with each other rivaling those who’d been together for years. It was odd, thinking I’d only known her for a short time, yet I felt as if she’d always been with me.
Like I’d always been waiting for her.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Marek,” she teased, appearing on the threshold of the living room, a sultry smile lighting up her face. She called me by the name she knew before she was aware of my given name during those times when she was either upset with me, or trying to ruffle my feathers. Like now.
“Oh, hell no!” I shouted, already crushing the distance between us and shoving her back toward our room. Her look of surprise was apparent, but I never gave her an opportunity to question me until she was planted in the middle of our bedroom.
“I thought you were yelling at me to hurry up. Well . . . I’m done.” With her hands on her hips, she asked, “Why are you making us even more late?” She had to know there was no way I was letting her out of the house dressed in that skimpy-ass outfit.
She’d told me about how she was forced to dress when she was with Vex, always wearing baggy clothes for fear he would beat her for wearing something that actually fit. I nev
er wanted to stifle her and make her feel as if she couldn’t express herself, and the majority of the time, I didn’t have much of a problem with the clothes she wore, dragging many a bag through the front door after a shopping trip with Adelaide. One of my men always accompanied them on their outings and while they complained, Sully knew I was protecting her, still not having heard a peep from the Savage Reapers. Every passing day only put me on guard that much more.
“Are you kidding me with what you have on right now?” I asked, feeling a mixture of incredulity and irritation. Her plain white tank top dipped in the front, showing off the cups of her bra, which were fucking purple. Every bastard’s eyes would be ogling her tits, therefore forcing me to mess somebody up.
Her shorts were short, like really short, and because she’d thrown on sandals with a huge heel—I think she called them wedges or some shit like that—they made her legs look long . . . and her shorts minuscule.
I could only handle one thing at a time.
Taking a quick once-over of her reflection, spinning around to make sure she wasn’t missing anything, she asked, “What’s wrong with what I have on? It’s hot outside, Cole. I’ll probably still be dying in what I have on.” It was rather hot outside, the California summer kicking it up with record highs. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun resting on top of her head, no doubt preparing as much as she could for the stifling temperatures.
“I can’t do it,” I said, rifling through the closet to find her something else to put on. “You know I wouldn’t normally tell you what to wear, but this is too tempting, Sully. The guys are gonna be drinking, and if any one of them looks at you too long, I’m gonna end up punching them the hell out.”
“Oh, you’re just overreacting,” she admonished, moving to walk away from me. “Come on, let’s go. Everything will be fine.” When I didn’t budge, she turned around and raised her brows at me, waiting for me to come to my senses and follow behind her.
“I’m not budging, woman,” I gritted, reaching into one of her shopping bags and pulling out a thin strapped dress which still had the tags on it. While it was short, it was much better than what she was prancing around in. The dress was a cream color with a thick red stripe in the middle. It was nice. She’d obviously liked it if she bought it. Well, technically, I’d given her money to buy it, but who’s fussing over logistics? “Here, put this on?”
