Shattered: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (The Blackthorn Brothers Book 2)

by Cali MacKay

  Fuck…this was killing me. And her words left me wondering what exactly what was going on, other than the obvious.

  I slipped my hand under her long, dark hair, cupping the back of her neck as I brushed my thumb over her cheek and bent my head to hers, needing her to know that she wasn’t alone in all this. “Talk to me, Sky…tell me what the hell’s going on.”

  “I can’t.” She shook her head no as she looked up at me, looking distraught. “You just need to let me go. I know you don’t want to—and you don’t know how much it means to me to know you care, but…it’s the only way.”

  “How the fuck am I supposed to let you go back to that bastard?” And why the fuck was she so determined to go back to a life of abuse? And then it occurred to me… How fucking stupid could I be? “Is he threatening to hurt your brother?”

  Her tears spilled free and her eyes slipped shut as I pulled her to me, my heart breaking for her. Holding her in my arms, I laid us back against the cushions, her head resting against my shoulder as she wept. “Matt’s all the family I have left, Finn.”

  Her little brother…except that he wasn’t so little anymore. And now it all made sense. He’d never gotten himself into any real trouble, which was a miracle given their home life. But how the hell did he end up mixed up with Ray? Unless, of course, he didn’t know what he was getting himself into. Ray had several businesses, and it was conceivable he’d simply gotten himself a job there, not realizing the world he was stepping into.

  “I get that he’s your brother, Sky…really, I do. But fucking hell…you can’t ruin your life to save him. Matt should have been protecting you—not pimping you out to Ray, in order to save his own hide.” The moment I spoke the words, she pulled out of my arms, glaring at me as her tears continued to fall. And though my words may have been accurate, they’d still been a poor choice. “Fuck, Sky…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “You can be a real fucking asshole sometimes.” She shrugged out of my grip, as I tried to pull her back to me, knowing I’d fucked up.

  “You’re right—I’m an asshole. But it doesn’t mean that your brother still didn’t throw you to the wolves, and you’ve been fighting your way out of that hell ever since.” When she got to her feet to pace the floor and put some distance between us, I shifted to the edge of my seat, feeling too on edge.

  “I know it’d be easy to blame my brother for me getting tangled up with Ray, but he didn’t realize who he was getting involved with, and the only reason Ray had targeted him was to get to me. I’d been brushing off his advances, and this guaranteed him I’d stop saying no, since he loves me in his own twisted way. It’s my fault Matt’s in trouble.” She turned back to me and sank to her knees before me, her eyes pleading with me. “If I walk away from Ray—if I don’t get back to him—he’s going to take his anger out on Matt. And he won’t be kind about it either. I’m begging you…Finn.”

  “Sky…you know I’d do anything to make you happy—but how the hell am I supposed to hand you back to that fucking bastard, knowing he’ll hurt you…knowing he’ll fuck you…knowing he’ll make you suffer for having the audacity not to be there when he got home?” There was just no fucking way I could let her go. “And never mind if he finds out you’ve been with me.”

  She shook her head no, panic in her eyes. “He can never find out, Finn.”

  “Which is exactly why I need you to stay here with me.” Taking her hand in mine, I scooped her up into my arms and sat us back down, doing my best to ignore my need for her as she curled up against me, draped across my lap. “I love you, Sky…and though I like your brother and would hate for anything to happen to him, you’re my first concern—and I’m not letting you walk back into a life of abuse just to save Matt.”

  “Then at the very least, let me go back to break things off with Ray properly, and give me the chance to grab my things.” She shifted around to straddle my lap, draping her arms around my neck as she brushed her lips against mine while rocking her hips so that she rode along my hard length, her breasts pressed to my chest as I cursed the fact that we were dressed. And though I knew exactly what she was doing, it didn’t matter when it felt so fucking good. “Please, Finn…”

  “You’re being a tease, Sky…” Yet I still grabbed her hips and thrust up toward her, relishing the feel of her body pressed against mine, especially when I hadn’t been able to hold her this past year. With my cock trapped between us, stoking my need for her, I had to fight the urge to drag her to the bedroom, needing her to call Ray. “As for breaking things off with Ray face to face, he lost that right when he hit you.”

  And it sure as fuck wasn’t the sort of playful BDSM games that Skylar and I sometimes played when we were together, where she got off on some rough play or spanking. This was outright abuse and fear—not some controlled situation designed to arouse and play into a kink or fantasy.

  “And what about my stuff?” She stopped moving her hips, though she didn’t pull away, and fuck…but the lack of motion while she still had my cock trapped under the weight of her body was doing me in. “Or are you planning on knocking on Ray’s door and asking him for my things?”

  “They’re just things, baby girl. I’ll happily buy you anything your heart desires.”

  Except that this wasn’t about material things. It was about Ray going through my things and finding out about everything I was keeping from him. Because if he found out that I’d been gathering evidence against him for the FBI, Ray wouldn’t just murder Matt, he’d want my blood too—and Finn’s for good measure. And that was exactly the reason I had to get back to Seattle. It wasn’t too late. Not yet, anyway.

  “Please, Finn… Let me deal with this, and then you have my word, I’ll come back to you.” Yet even as I spoke the words, I knew he’d never agree to it—and the truth was, Ray would never allow me to walk away from him. I was at an impasse, stuck between two stubborn men who refused to let me go, with circumstances I had no control over and were ruling my life.

  “As if he’d ever let you leave him.” Finn scoffed at me, his hazel eyes looking at me with a stern gaze that had my pussy clenching, my wetness drenching my panties. And as badly as I wanted and needed him, I couldn’t keep still. It was as if my hips were moving once again under their own volition. “Baby girl… Keep that up and I’m going to need to fuck you, especially when you’re the only thing I’ve been able to think of this past year. I’m only sorry I didn’t do this sooner.”

  “And ‘this’ would be you kidnapping me?” Not that things would have been a whole lot different if he’d tried to get me back earlier. My life was still a mess. The only difference now was that I was in a whole lot more trouble, and if Finn found out the truth, he’d hate me for it.

  Because he may love me, but some things were unforgivable.

  And it was just one more reason why letting Finn back into my life was a mistake—even if he wasn’t giving me a whole lot of choice. What I needed to do was put some distance between us—and getting off his lap would be a good starting point.

  “Sky…don’t be angry with me. I only wanted to keep you safe—and I’d do it all over again if I had to. I have no regrets—not when I have you in my arms again.” The moment I tried to climb off him, he grasped my hips firmly, his fingers digging into my flesh as he pulled me back to him—and fuck but the command in his touch only made me want him all the more. “You’re mine, baby girl. And I’m not ever giving you back to that sick bastard.”

  “Let go of me, Finn.” With a firm hold on me, he got to his feet and hauled me over his shoulder, carrying me off toward the bedroom. Yet my struggles to get free of his grip only stoked my need for him—and he damn well knew it.

  We’d played these sorts of games before…and part of the fun for me was in not submitting to him, even if he was clearly in the dominant role. If I was going to submit to anyone, then they’d have to work damn hard to make it happen, as I fought them every step of the way, until I was forced to give in
.

  And given my relationship with Ray, I knew just how sick and twisted that sounded. But this was completely different, though I didn’t know why it turned me on. Maybe it was because I’d had to fight to get anything I wanted—even if it was pleasure. Or maybe my brain and body were simply wired differently, so that I liked to be dominated, even as I fought back.

  And I knew just how fucked up it was to have that sort of kink, when my boyfriend was an abusive asshole. Though maybe…just maybe…it was the reason I could put up with the crap Ray dished out, as I bided my time until my deal with the Feds was done. But that deal would only happen if I got my ass back to Ray’s—and yet that clearly wouldn’t be happening any time soon.

  Finn lowered me to the bed, tearing my clothes from my body even as I tried to scramble away. But before I could put any distance between us, he quickly stripped down and grabbed my ankle, pulling me toward him, and then pinned me under his weight as I lay there facedown, his broad chest pressed to my back and his cock thrust between my ass cheeks.

  Fucking hell…my body’s reaction to being pinned to the mattress by his muscular form, as I struggled to get free, was nearly enough to have me coming, my clit aching and heavy with need, his chest pressed to my back. “Please, Finn…”

  Except that I didn’t know if I was asking him to let me go or to fuck me. And so I did what I knew would get us both off—I struggled to get free of him, and when his grip on me tightened and his knees shifted my legs apart, I couldn’t help but struggle all the more, desperate to have him sink into me.

  “I’ve forgotten just how much I like our little games.” Grabbing both my arms, he lifted them over my head and wrapped one strong hand around both my wrists, pinning them there as his free hand slipped between my taut body and the mattress to tease my clit, his fingers sinking into my slick heat.

  It was embarrassing how wet our struggles made me, especially when there was no hiding the evidence, his fingers running through my delicate folds as he expertly teased my clit. I bucked against him, trying to get free, but that only resulted in getting him into a better position to continue his torment, his fingers now thrusting into me and his palm grinding against my clit.

  He was playing my every weakness to his advantage, and it was going to take no time at all for him to have me coming, as worked up as he had me. And I hated that he could have this sort of effect on me even after a year apart, hated that he still knew me so well…knew exactly what I needed, and I knew that he wouldn’t judge me for it. If anything, we were a perfect fit. But that only made things worse, because I knew I’d never be happy with anyone but him—and yet we couldn’t be together.

  “You’re so fucking wet, Sky… So ready for me to fuck you.” Letting go of my wrists, he pulled his fingers free of my body and smeared my juices over my lips before slipping his fingers into my mouth, the taste of my juices coating my tongue. “You see, love…so wet…you’re practically dripping with that sweet cum of yours.”

  I sucked his fingers in rhythm to the pounding I felt in my clit, my body still pinned under his weight, completely at his mercy and loving every minute of it. Because my heart, my soul, had always been his—and no one else’s—even if I’d given my body to another.

  When his cock caught at my entrance, he buried himself with a single thrust that I felt down to my bones, my body stretching tight around him. My struggles continued, even though the last thing I wanted was for him to stop, and just like that, it was enough to have me coming, my cries stifled by his fingers as I continued to suck them through my orgasm.

  “Baby girl…” His words drifted over my skin as he pulled his fingers across my lips, and then caught my mouth in a heated kiss over my shoulder, the stubble on his chin rough. With my pulse racing from the intensity of our coming together, he started to fuck me, pulling every last bit of my orgasm from my body, even as I started to climb toward the next. “You’re mine. I’m the only one who gets to fuck you… I’m the only one who gets to make you come. No one else gets to touch you.”

  He hammered his cock into me with each word as if trying to ingrain it in my soul…as if trying to mark every fiber of my being as his. My skin prickled with the building energy of a new orgasm as our struggles continued—not that I was in any position to get free. My strength was no match for his, though I was happy to remain impaled on his huge cock as he pushed me from one orgasm to the next.

  “I love how you fight me, even though we both know you don’t want me to stop… You just want me to fuck you harder.” It was nothing but the truth. I wanted him to fuck me so hard there was nothing left of me, as if somehow it would set me free, even though I knew nothing could. Nothing short of death.

  He kissed me once more as I came, crying out muffled screams as he rammed each thrust into me, my orgasm electrifying every nerve in my body as I finally submitted to what was between us. And then he was coming too, telling me how much he loved me as he filled my womb with his cum, his cock buried deep inside me as it pulsed with his release.

  “I’ll never get enough of you, baby girl…never.” And I believed him, his cock barely softening, despite having just come.

  “Come on. Going for a hike will do us both some good. Give us a chance to clear our heads and get some fresh air.” Because if we didn’t leave the house, I’d never stop fucking her, my need for her consuming me like a fever I couldn’t shake.

  Skylar’s mood was quiet and sullen, her gaze refusing to meet mine as she sat there on the sofa with her legs curled up against her chest, her arms draped over her knees. “The only place I want to go is back home.”

  There was no doubt that Ray now knew she was gone—and I knew that it was fucking with her head. But there was no chance in hell that I’d be bringing her back to that asshole.

  “I’ll tell you what… I’ll send my brothers over to see Matt, and let him know that you’re okay. And if he needs any help, they can do that too.” It wasn’t ideal, but I was hoping it’d help to ease her worries.

  “Really? You’d do that for me?” The surprise in her voice left me shaking my head.

  “Of course I would. But first, that hike, since I’m not taking no for an answer.” Grabbing her hands, I pulled her to her feet. “Besides, you’ll feel better once you’ve walked through the forest. I guarantee things won’t look so bad by the time we’re done with our hike.”

  “Though I appreciate you keeping an eye out for my brother, you’re still a pain in the ass.” Though she glared up at me, her brown eyes narrowing, there was no heat in her eyes. And she was so fucking adorable I couldn’t help but lean in and steal a kiss, a smile on my lips.

  “You know that can be arranged, babe. Maybe once we get back.” I couldn’t help but think of all the things I wanted to do to her. And one thing was certain—I’d never had a better lover. No one else had come close to matching what I had with Skylar, the chemistry between us perfect.

  Knowing we’d be up in the mountains, and we used to go for hikes regularly, I had the foresight to buy her a pair of hiking boots when I’d bought her clothes, since I’d known there’d be too great a chance that I’d have to grab her and go, and packing up her things just might not happen.

  I watched her lace up her boots and then grab one of my flannel shirts, and damn, but I loved the way she looked wearing my clothes. Not that she was any happier about going for a hike instead of heading back to Seattle. “Can I at least call Ray to let him know I’m okay? It’ll keep him from doing anything too psychotic.”

  “We’ll see.” Though chances were slim, since I had no doubt Ray would only upset and threaten her, making her press me even harder to try to get me to take her back home. And that wasn’t fucking happening. That said, I wanted Ray to know that she was no longer his—that she was breaking things off, and she wouldn’t be coming back to him. And just maybe, we’d then be able to get on with our lives together.

  It was the perfect day for a hike, with the sun shining through the clouds, a nice balan
ce to the brisk temperatures. My dad had bought this home because of its remote location and the great hiking in the area, and it didn’t take us long to wander onto a path. Hemlock and spruce towered over us as we walked down trails, soft underfoot from fallen foliage and moss, and lined with fern, the air pungent and damp with the heady smells of the forest.

  And I fucking loved it.

  I felt the tension from the last few crazy months melt away, and hoped the woods were having a similar effect on Skylar. We walked for at least an hour, finally taking a break when we reached a stream. I handed her a bottle of water from my backpack, and we grabbed a seat on some nearby rocks.

  “How are you doing, love?” Needing her close, I ran my hand down her back, loving that she actually leaned up against me.

  “I’d forgotten how much I love the mountains.” Hikes had been a regular part of our day when we were in college together, but I didn’t think Ray was the kind of guy who enjoyed nature—not unless he was digging someone a shallow grave in the middle of the woods.

  “You know…we could do this every day if you want. Life doesn’t have to be hard, Skylar.” I’d love nothing more than to marry her and start a family, though I knew that sort of thing wasn’t even on her radar. And the last thing I was going to do is mention it to her, since she’d no doubt freak out.

  But one of these days…I was going to make her my wife. I was a determined man.

  “Life’s always been hard, Finn—and it’s not going to change anytime soon.” She let out a weary sigh and took a long sip from the water bottle before putting the cover back on and turning to face me, her brow furrowed over gorgeous brown eyes that look far too worried and weary. “I’ve got shit luck, and the last thing I want to do is drag you into my mess of a life. Just let me go.”