by Penelope Sky
The hardest part was over.
I hit the garage button, so the large door slowly rose and revealed the front driveway.
I could see the stars. Could feel the breeze. Could smell summer in the air. It was so quiet I could hear myself breathe, hear my loud heartbeat. My hands shook slightly, either from the loss of blood or from the rush of excitement.
On the wall hung six different sets of keys.
Perfect.
All the cars were in a row, one next to another, so I needed the keys to one of the last two, the two farthest from the house so it would be quieter. They were all the same make, so I couldn’t figure out which key belonged to which. Based on the order in which the keys hung, either the first set of keys was to one of the last two cars, or it was the opposite.
I grabbed the last set of keys and hit the unlock button.
The horn sounded and the lights flashed. It was the last car in the row, the one closest to the driveway.
Thank god.
The sound was a bit loud, but since Carter was on the other side of the house with the door shut, I doubted he heard it. I opened the driver’s door and got inside. The keys didn’t slide into the ignition because everything was electronic. I hit the start button and pressed the brake, waiting for the engine to roar to life.
Nothing happened.
I tried a few more times, knowing I was doing everything right.
It still didn’t work.
“What the hell?” I started to hit everything, to put my foot on the gas instead. No matter what I pressed, the engine never came on. It couldn’t be this difficult to start a car, but nothing I did worked.
Shit.
Taking off in the car made more sense, but if that wasn’t an option, I would go on foot.
I’d made it this far, and a stupid car wasn’t going to stop me.
I opened the door and got out.
A hand flew out of the darkness and grabbed me by the neck. I was pushed up against the car, my tits hitting the door. My hands smacked against the windows, and the air was squeezed from my lungs.
My hands were yanked behind my back, like a police officer arresting a fugitive. One of his large hands held my wrists together, while his other hand continued to grip the back of my neck. His powerful chest pushed against me, his hard dick pressing through his sweatpants and into my jeans. He breathed into my ear, his words menacing. “You broke my rule.” He squeezed my neck a little tighter, making me struggle to breathe.
I stared at the wall of the garage, the adrenaline pounding in my ears. I hadn’t seen him in the garage. I’d had no idea he was coming. I really thought I’d outsmarted him, that I was just minutes away from freedom. It was a mistake to defy him, to think I could actually outwit him on his own property.
But I didn’t regret it, regardless of what happened next.
His lips brushed against the shell of my ear. “Now I get to break mine.”
He was too heavy and strong for me to fight. My hands were compromised, and my throat was at his mercy. My ankle continued to bleed, and now the pain was excruciating. All the hope that had once burned in my heart was now gone. I’d never felt so defeated, felt so much self-loathing. Escape had never really been an option. It had always been a fantasy. “Please let me go. You’re a good man.”
“I’ve never given you a reason to believe I am. I wanted you to break my rule, tricked you into thinking you could actually get away. Would a good man do that?” He kept talking into my ear, his thick dick pressing right against my ass.
“Please…” This couldn’t be the end. I would never stop trying. Never stop trying to get back to where I belonged.
“I told you this once, and I’ll tell you again.” He yanked on my hands, forcing my shoulders to stretch back uncomfortably. His arm circled across my throat, and he put me in a one-arm chokehold, having complete control over my body. “Never. I’ll never let you go.”
Two
Vanessa
I stood with Carmen at a high-top table in the bar. It was a Friday night, and after the long workweek, people were celebrating the arrival of the weekend. Music played overhead, the bass thudding in the background. I was in a purple dress with black heels. Carmen looked like a supermodel in a blue dress cut low in the front.
“So what did Griffin and your dad talk about?” Carmen stirred the ice in her drink with her straw. We’d both finished our drinks, and Griffin had left for the bar to get us refills. It was a packed night, so he probably wouldn’t be back for a while.
“He didn’t really say.”
“Does he ever really say anything?” she teased, glancing at him behind me.
I chuckled. “Not with his mouth, no. He usually conveys his thoughts with a look.”
Her eyes moved over my shoulder again, seeing him in the background. “I think I know what he’s trying to say right now…”
I didn’t turn around. “He’s probably staring at my ass.” I could feel his piercing stare against my back, feel him surrounding me even when he was fifty feet away at the bar.
“He’s staring at all of you, hon.”
I finally glanced over my shoulder to look at Griffin. He was leaning against the bar waiting for service, and he killed time by staring at me like the most possessive man in the universe. He staked a claim all the way on the other side of the room, keeping the boys away with his brooding confidence. Just as he did when we were alone together, he wasn’t afraid to give me that look…the same look he showed when he was on top of me, driving my body into the mattress underneath him.
“The hottie beside him practically has her ass cheeks popping out, and he doesn’t even notice her.”
A woman in black heels was next to him, wearing a short red dress, the hem of which had risen throughout the night. Now the bottom part of her ass cheeks were visible, and her thong wouldn’t be far behind. Bones seemed oblivious to her, watching me like I was the only thing that mattered. “She’s not his type.” I turned back around, unable to wipe the smirk off my face.
“What’s his type?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Me.”
Her eyes softened. “I’ve never seen you so happy, Vanessa. Not even before you met him.”
“No. I didn’t discover the meaning of happiness until now.”
She glanced at the bar again. “Still staring at you.”
“He’ll be doing that all night.”
“Is he like that at home?”
“Yes. Every second of every day.”
She sighed, her eyes moving to the ceiling. “That’s one hell of a man. He’s the kind of man who doesn’t make you jealous with other women…but makes all women jealous of you. He’s possessive but not mistrustful. He’s built like a brick shithouse. He’d take a bullet for you or anyone you love in a heartbeat.” She sighed again. “He knows how to handle a real woman. He’s so bad that he’s good. I hope I find a man like that someday…but I suspect he’s one of a kind.”
I’d been with a few men, and none of them came close to Bones. “He’s definitely one of a kind.”
“Does he have a brother by chance?”
I chuckled. “No. Sorry.”
“Damn,” she said. “Maybe I need to walk the streets late at night and hope I witness a crime…”
“Carmen, you better be joking.”
“Worked for you, didn’t it?” she teased.
“You’ll find the right man, Carmen. I don’t know when or how…but you will. Conway was never the kind of guy to be a husband and a father…until he met Sapphire. So you’ll meet a guy and turn him into the man you want him to be.”
“I don’t want to turn him into a man. I want him to turn me into a woman. Catch my drift?”
I chuckled. “Good point.”
“I’m sure Griffin was already a man when you met.”
“Yep. All man.”
She scanned the bar, seeing the crowd of men and women. “I don’t mind being single. It’s fun. I have my independence, I have
my shop, and I’m still young. There’s no rush. But all those first dates, awkward bad sex, and clingy men are getting old. Seeing what you have with him makes me want that too. But I know I can’t rush it. I have to wait for Prince Charming to walk in the door.”
“You know what I’ve learned?”
“What?” she asked. “You have it all figured out.”
“You don’t want Prince Charming,” I said. “You don’t want a vanilla gentleman. I liked Antonio, but he was too plain for me. He was too safe, too boring. I never would have been happy with him, not like I am with Griffin.”
“So you’re into the bad boys?”
“Griffin is a man, not a boy. And no, that’s not my type either. I just realized I wanted a strong man who wasn’t intimidated by my sass or strength. I wanted a strong man who was powerful enough to make me feel safe, even though I don’t need a man for anything. Griffin does all those things…makes me want things I didn’t know I needed.”
Her eyes glanced up, following someone through the bar. “Incoming.”
I smelled him when he was feet away. His cologne mixed with his aftershave and body soap filled my nostrils. I could feel the heat his body generated before he actually touched me. He set the drinks on the table, two drinks for us and one scotch for him. He moved to the spot beside me and rested his arm on the surface, his fingers gripping his glass. His gaze burned right through my skin.
“Thanks for the drink.” Carmen sipped hers through the straw.
He didn’t look at her, his eyes on me. “You’re welcome.”
I was used to him staring at me like that all the time, but everyone else wasn’t. “Stop.”
He knew exactly what I was referring to, but he lifted his glass and took a drink without directing his gaze elsewhere. “No.”
Carmen smirked. “Let the man do what he wants. He’s earned it.” She looked at the crowd again, giving us some privacy.
The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “She’s my favorite Barsetti.”
“You’ve said that before.” I gripped my glass but didn’t take a drink.
“I’m saying it again.”
“Aren’t I your favorite Barsetti?” I took a drink, letting the cool alcohol move down my throat.
“You won’t always be a Barsetti.” He drank his scotch, drinking like an alcoholic even though he’d already cut back.
I kept my face controlled and didn’t react to what he said, but his words hit me right in the heart. We’d talked about getting married before. He said if my father approved of him, he wanted to get married, but since we’d been back together, the conversation hadn’t come up. I never mentioned it, not wanting to rush him. As long as we were together, I was happy. Whether I was his wife or not, the connection we had was unbreakable. After everything he’d been through, he could take all the time he wanted. I wanted him to be my husband, but if he never was, it wouldn’t change anything.
He held my gaze then took another drink, unashamed of what he said.
“So, for now, I’m your favorite.”
He moved closer to me, his head bent down so he could bring his face closer to mine. “For now.” His hand moved across the deep curve in my spine, his fingertips spanning across my entire back. His palm was warm, heating the fabric right against my skin. He didn’t show public affection very often, not with his hands, at least. But now he was, hinting at the things he wanted to do with me when we were back at home.
Carmen turned back to us after she was finished surveying the room. “Griffin, you got any guys to set me up with? Since I’m your favorite?” She smiled at him, her long brown hair framing her shoulders perfectly. “I’m looking for the strong and silent type, someone like you. You know, bad but not too bad…”
Bones finally took his gaze off me to look at my cousin. “No.”
“You don’t have a single guy?” she asked incredulously.
He drank then set the glass down. “No.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “No friends or what?”
“I have a few,” he answered, his voice deep. “But none that are good enough for you.”
“Aww.” She stirred her drink. “That’s sweet of you to say.”
“What about Max?” I asked.
Bones shot down the suggestion immediately. “No.”
“What about the other one?” I asked.
“No,” he repeated, stirring his drink.
“Looks like you’re on your own,” I said to Carmen.
“Oh well.” She looked into her drink just as a man walked up to the table. With a drink in his hand, he came to Carmen’s side.
“I like your dress.” He looked her up and down, a handsome man in a fitted t-shirt. He was confident. A little too confident.
“Thanks.” Carmel smiled. “I’m Carmen—”
“Boy.” Bones stared down the man who joined us, giving him a terrifying glare that would make anyone piss their pants. He spoke in a rich baritone, his powerful voice deeper than the bass that played overhead.
I stilled at his unexpected aggression, and Carmen nearly jumped out of her skin.
The guy turned to him, his glass starting to slip due to the sweat that had formed on his palm.
“Men only,” Bones barked. “No boys. Leave.”
The guy didn’t stand up to Bones and walked back into the crowd, not saying another word before he disappeared into the groups of people that were shoulder-to-shoulder in the packed room.
Carmen turned back to Bones, her eyebrow raised. “What was wrong with him?”
“Yeah?” I asked.
“He was drinking Jack and Coke.”
Carmen and I stared at each other, having no idea what that was supposed to mean.
“One, how did you know it was Jack and Coke?” I asked. “And two, what does that matter?”
“I can tell by looking at it.” He turned his gaze on me again, just as possessive as before. “And it fucking matters. If a guy has to dilute his drink with cola, he’s not a man. He’s a boy. And that opening line was pathetic. He’d last two minutes in bed before collapsing on top of you. Barsetti women belong with real men, not pathetic little boys pretending to be men.” He downed the rest of his scotch until the glass was empty before he marched back to the bar to get a refill.
Carmen watched him go, and when he was out of earshot, she smiled. “He’s intense, huh?”
“Always.”
“Kinda territorial.”
“It’s because he likes you.”
“He’s territorial because he likes me?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Yeah. You’re his favorite, so he wants the best for you.”
“Well, that’s sweet…even though I didn’t need another overprotective brother.” She stirred the contents of her glass before she took a drink.
“I didn’t think I needed another protective man in my life either.” I’d never needed a man to take care of me, to keep me safe at night or keep me warm when the heater died. I’d never needed a man to walk me home, to lift heavy things to make my life easier. “But now I can’t imagine my life without that overprotective, psychopathic, territorial caveman.”
After we walked Carmen home, we headed back to our little apartment above the gallery. It was strange to walk down the cobblestone streets with him beside me, after I’d walked these streets alone for so long. It was a warm summer night, and the breeze licked the sweat off the back of my neck. My heels were starting to kill my feet because I’d been wearing them for nearly five hours. I didn’t think we needed to walk Carmen home, but Bones insisted, so that was an extra mile I had to spend in the shoes.
Bones walked beside me, wearing a gray V-neck that stretched across his powerful chest and thick arms. Over a foot taller than me and possessing the menace of a gargoyle, he kept the path ahead of us clear with just his presence. His powerful arms swung slightly by his sides, and he stared straight ahead, his eyes scanning for danger that didn’t exist.
I sighe
d under my breath, the heels becoming too much. I didn’t care how dirty my feet got from walking barefoot. No way in hell could I walk three more blocks like this. I stopped and slipped them off.
Bones stopped at the exact same moment, in tune with me completely.
“I can’t wear these anymore. They’re—”
He scooped me into his arms and cradled me against his chest before he walked up the street again. Like I weighed as much as a pile of feathers, he carried me down the street under the dimly lit streetlamps.
I held my heels with a single hand, letting them dangle past his shoulder. “I could have walked.”
“I don’t want your dirty feet against my chest.”
I watched his side profile as he moved in and out of the light from the streetlights. His hard jaw was tight and covered by a slight beard, and his blue eyes faced forward as he carried me home. There wasn’t a sign of exertion, not a twinge of pain from his healed gunshot wound. “You already know how you’re going to fuck me when we get home?”
“I always know.”
I moved my arm around his neck, my heels dangling from his other shoulder. My mouth slid to his neck just below his ear, and I kissed him gently, dragging my soft lips over the cords in his neck. “Maybe I know how I want to fuck you.” I kept kissing him, my hot breaths falling on his ear.
He crossed the street and kept going, his body not indicating his enjoyment. We were in public, so he was prepared for an attack from every direction. After everything he’d seen, he was always paranoid. If he enjoyed my kisses, he only enjoyed them so much.
“Don’t care.”
I circled my other arm around his neck, my face resting against the side of his head. “You don’t care how your woman wants to fuck you?
“No. Tonight, I want to do all the fucking.”
I closed my eyes, aroused within seconds. Just a moment ago, all I could think about was the pain from my heels, but now all I could think about was the powerful muscles that were holding me up effortlessly, the way my man told me he would take me the second we were home. I liked being surrounded by him, his massive body dipping into the mattress and protecting me from the horrors of the world. I liked feeling him enjoy me, take all of me like a prize he’d won. I spoke into his ear. “Get me home.”
