by Zoey Parker
Troy laughed. I almost dropped him when I heard the weird sound bubbling up from this skinny, reedy slip of a man. But instead I held onto his collar and pressed my forehead up against his.
“You gonna kill me like you killed Matthias, you asshole?” His words were soft and slight and they lit a fire filled with rage in me that spread throughout all my limbs. I wanted to kill him, rip him limb from limb in the parking lot of this shitty bar. But before I could do anything, I felt Axel’s hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t do it, man,” he said, casting a pathetic look at Troy. “He ain’t worth it.”
I curled my lips into a sneer. “That’s damn right he ain’t worth it,” I muttered, dropping Troy to the ground like a sack of flour.
He cried out as his body hit the pavement and he curled up around himself in the fetal position, moaning loudly. He was throwing himself from side to side and wailing, like someone would show up and rescue him.
It made me sick. “You treated Katie like shit. You hurt her much worse than this while you were together,” I snarled under my breath. “And now you just act like a huge pussy when someone your own size beats you up?”
“Jace, come on,” Axel said. He clapped a hand on my shoulder and led me back towards The Old Tavern. “He ain’t worth it right now. You really beat the hell out of him. I doubt he’ll bother Katie after that.”
I shook my head. “I know better,” I said. “I don’t think he’ll try anything, but I’m not sure. Who knows?”
Axel glanced at me, then down to Troy’s prone, bleeding body. I could tell I’d broken his nose and possibly a few teeth. His face was already swelling out of proportion; he was going to have one hell of a black eye in the morning.
“Katie’s worth all of this,” I muttered to myself. “She is. I gotta go home, Axel. I gotta check on her and make sure she’s okay.”
“You shouldn’t be driving right now,” Axel replied. He clamped a hand down on my arm and tried to lead me back inside the bar. “Come on, have another drink and calm down. Then we’ll go see Katie together, okay?”
Something flared inside of me. I couldn’t explain exactly what it was but it felt like lust, or rage, or something foreign that I’d never felt before. But suddenly I wanted nothing to do with Axel. I didn’t want to hear any more stories about his father beating up his mom; I didn’t want to keep sipping cheap whiskey and thinking about how to rip apart the man who’d hurt my wife.
I wanted to go home and see Katie, right now. The urge scared me a little bit. Even with Margot, I wasn’t comfortable admitting how much I wanted her around all the time. I felt like I had to act cool, act like she didn’t really mean that much to me. I had a feeling Margot always knew how obsessed with her I was, even if I never said anything to that effect.
But Katie was different. Despite having known her for my whole life, I barely knew her. I knew she was wild, impulsive, loud. I knew she was a fucking fantastic lay. And I knew she was my wife. That was about it. Why was I feeling so pulled towards her? It was ridiculous, and I found myself feeling incredibly irritated by how badly I wanted her. Her scent of cinnamon and honey, the way she tossed her hair over her shoulder. The way she spreads her legs for you, with that knowing little grin, I thought to myself. I could feel myself getting rock hard in the parking lot, and I reached down to adjust my package before my erection could show.
Scowling, I turned towards Axel. “No, I’m going home,” I said firmly. “I want to be alone,” I added, when he held up his hand, presumably to offer to join me. I want to be with my wife. I want to go fuck my wife until she’s screaming, until her pussy is sore and red and swollen. I want to make her say my name over and over. I want to fill her mind with me until she can’t think of Troy ever again. I want her to be mine, all mine.
“Whatever you say, man,” Axel said with a grin. “You tell Katie I said hello.”
I didn’t reply. Jumping behind the wheel of my car, I shoved the key into the ignition and turned it on. The engine roared powerfully to life and I slammed my foot down on the gas pedal, gunning out of the parking lot before I could even exhale.
I’m coming home, I thought, as if talking to Katie. I’m coming home to take you, right now.
Chapter 13
Katharina
I swallowed nervously as I paced around in the kitchen. Kenny was still watching TV—true to his word, he hadn’t gotten too drunk or passed out. He was keeping a close eye on the front door, and one of the times I’d checked on him, I saw him toying with a shiny gun that lay in his lap.
“Protection, Mrs. Carver,” Kenny had said, holding the gun up. “I won’t hurt you, but we need to make sure that asshole can’t get in here.” He’d smiled at me.
I couldn’t help but smile back; I liked Kenny. He was the kind of guy who reminded me of a younger version of my father, before he got too stern and old. “Thanks for staying here,” I said softly. “I’m sure you’ve got other things you want to be doing.”
Kenny shook his head. “Protecting Jace’s wife is exactly what I want to be doing,” he said with a grin. “That’s what being part of the Havoc really means to me.”
He’d turned his attention back to the television before I could reply. Part of me was stunned; I knew there were accusations that Jace had killed my father. Just how many members of the MC believed that?
“Would you like some dinner?” I asked, clearing my throat. “I was thinking of making a chicken.”
Kenny turned to me. “Hey, yeah,” he replied. “That would be awesome, thank you.”
I nodded and turned back towards the kitchen. Since Jace had left in the morning, I’d found myself struggling to find a purpose to my day. I’d done all that hunting and looked at photographs, but after I found the silver brush and mirror engraved Margot, I didn’t want to keep snooping. Since then, my stomach had twisted into knots every time I heard a car pass by the house. What if Jace came home and he could tell what I’d been doing?
I swallowed hard as I dug through Jace’s fridge. He had only the barest of bachelor essentials: condiments and no real food. There was one pack of chicken thighs frozen in the freezer that I set in a cool bowl of water to defrost, and not much else. With a sigh, I perched on top of the kitchen island and watched the frosty chicken slowly turn into recognizable shapes. It seemed like a good metaphor for my time here: sit and think about everything while something melted in front of my eyes.
I shuddered. I didn’t like being this alone. I wished Jace would come back soon. As nice as Kenny was, he wasn’t the most intimidating of Jace’s guys. He wasn’t the kind of man who could inspire fear with a single glance, like Jace could do.
When the chicken was thawed, I put it in the oven with some olive oil and herbs. After a while, it started to smell mouthwateringly good. I hadn’t eaten since the day before and I was surprised to discover how hungry I was. You need to keep up your strength, I thought to myself. In case Troy breaks in and you have to run.
“Stop thinking about him,” I mumbled under my breath. “You know Jace won’t let him anywhere near you.”
But my mind stayed glued to Troy. I wondered where he was, what he was doing. It wasn’t because I missed him or wanted to be with him; it was more a defense mechanism I’d come up with over the years. At first, when Troy and I had gotten together, I’d always missed him when we were apart. Even after the abuse started. But then, after a while, I’d started wondering about him when we were apart, so I knew where he was. So I knew which places to avoid if I didn’t want to wind up with a massive bruise on my face. I knew if Troy was out at the bar, that meant trouble. He was an angry drunk, and he’d never go to sleep until he’d managed to beat me into a pulp first. If he was out at the store, that was bad, too. I knew he’d come home and lecture me on the slutty way women dressed nowadays, followed by a raid of my closet that left all of my clothes in rips and tatters.
“I hate you,” I said under my breath. “I hate you for controlling me even when I wan
t nothing to do with you. I hate for you ruling my life, even now!”
The timer dinged and I went to grab the chicken. By now, I was positively starving. I’d made the whole bag, and I wanted to set some aside for Jace when he got home. I didn’t know much about what Jace liked to eat, but part of me took pride in being a good wife.
As crazy and unrealistic as the situation was between us, part of me was starting to think we really had a connection. I’d never been with someone who could read my mind as easily as Jace could, someone who could thrill every inch of my body. Whenever Jace looked at me, I felt like my insides were melting and turning into molten lava. He had an incredible effect on me—it was so strong that it almost frightened me. It was different than being with Troy, more primal. With Troy, I’d been overjoyed when he finally noticed me, and some of that excitement and anxiety carried over into actually dating him. But with Jace, it was like we had to be together, we had to be touching, we had to be wrapped up around each other in bed. With Jace, it was like the rest of the world vanished around me.
“It’s just different,” I said softly, blushing when I realized I’d spoken the words aloud. Smiling to myself, I looked over the dinner that I’d made and I could feel my mouth watering.
I made two plates of food and carried one into the living room. Kenny’s gaze was fixed to the television. He barely nodded at me when I set the plate down and padded off into the other room.
“Hey,” I called absentmindedly behind me. “When is Jace coming home?”
Kenny shrugged. “No idea,” he called back. “I don’t keep tabs on the guy.”
I laughed aloud. “So you’re just here until…whenever?”
I didn’t see Kenny, but I could have imagined him shrugging. “He’s the boss,” Kenny called back loudly. “I do what he says, when he says.”
“Dedicated,” I muttered under my breath. I still wasn’t used to this, this level of attention that was being paid to me. It was completely new, and almost kind of embarrassing. It reminded me when I’d been in my cousin’s wedding and we’d all gone to the salon together for manicures and pedicures. The salon attendants had fussed over us to the extreme degree, and I’d been uncomfortable with the attention. I wasn’t used to someone hovering over me and asking what I wanted to drink. But my cousin lapped it up, and after a while, she even started acting entitled, like she deserved everything they were doing for us. It had been embarrassing.
Now I wondered if I was acting the same way. Making dinner for Kenny had been a nice gesture, but I wondered if he felt patronized.
I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter,” I said, trying to make myself feel better. “He’d be here whether or not you cooked.”
When I was done eating, I rinsed my plate and put the leftovers away. I would have left some out for Jace, but the grease was already starting to congeal in the bottom of the pan. I had no idea when he was coming home, but I wanted him to have something appetizing.
He’ll be home by the time I’m done with the dishes, I thought. And he’ll laugh at me for wearing an apron and doing them all myself. I hummed to myself as I slipped into the apron and found a pair of yellow rubber gloves under the sink. Jace had a dishwasher, but it looked brand new, and I didn’t want to risk breaking it. I washed the dishes one by one, methodically soaping and wiping each dish until it was gleaming. When I turned around, I expected Jace to be standing right behind me.
But no one was there. I pouted for a moment as I pulled off the apron and tucked it back into the pantry. It was getting dark; Jace had been gone all day. I wondered what he’d gotten up to. A small pulse of jealousy ran through me, and part of me wondered if he’d been out with another woman.
“Haven’t even been married for a week and he’s already stepping out on me,” I said under my breath. But as much as I tried to believe it, as much as I tried to sensationalize the events, I couldn’t make myself panic. Deep down I knew Jace cared about me, and he was going to protect me. Sure, I might get on his nerves sometimes, but that wouldn’t be enough to break every promise he’d made me.
It struck me as almost hysterical that I was already counting on Jace for so much when we’d known each other for so little.
I decided to go lay down in bed for a while, maybe take a nap. Jace would probably wake me up when he came in, and I was feeling tired after a long day of doing nothing. My lids were surprisingly heavy, and I found myself yawning as I closed the door to Jace’s room and slipped out of my jeans. The sheets were cool and crisp, and before long, my eyes were closed and I was slipping off into a quiet, thin sleep.
A thought jolted me awake. What if Jace comes home and he’s pissed off that you’re in his bed? Frowning, I bolted up and wiped the crumbs of sleep from my eyes. I knew it was ridiculous, but I couldn’t help feeling paranoid—nighttime was always when my anxiety acted up. I turned on the lights, then got out of bed and straightened the covers up. When I was satisfied that the room looked untouched, I crept down the hall into “my” room, the room I’d slept in the night before we got married.
After being in Jace’s room, my room seemed bare and unimaginative. I shivered at an imaginary breeze before crawling into bed and turning out the lights. In the dark, I was able to finally relax. I did deep breathing exercises as I pulled the sheets over my body and crawled onto my side, snuggling my head under a pillow. For the first time in hours, I finally felt safe again. There was no way Troy could find me here.
I was almost asleep when I heard something soft, like footsteps in the room. Even though part of my brain was barking at me to wake up, I stayed snuggled under the covers. I was barely aware of strong hands grabbing me and pulling me out of bed. I opened my eyes and realized it was Jace. His strong chest felt warm against my body even though I was cold from being taken out of bed, and he smelled absolutely delicious.
I yawned as Jace carried me down the hallway. “Where have you been?” I asked groggily.
There was no answer. Jace slammed his bedroom door closed behind us and dropped me on the bed. Before I could move, he reached down and grabbed my panties, yanking them down my legs and tossing them away.
He growled as he grabbed both of my wrists with one hand and pinned my arms over my head. “Katharina,” Jace whispered in a ragged voice. “I need you.”
I closed my eyes as he trailed his face down my body. His rough stubble scratched my neck and I shivered as his hands slipped up my shirt and pulled it over my head. The air felt cool on my skin and I shivered again, moaning softly as he pinched and caressed both of my nipples.
The room was mostly dark, but I was glad so Jace couldn’t see my blushing. His features blended together, aside from the two black holes where his eyes were. I couldn’t see his expression, couldn’t tell if he was pleased or pissed off. He growled as he slipped a hand between my legs and slapped my thighs.
“Keep these apart,” he growled.
I strained my muscles, trying to keep my legs spread. Jace got down on his knees and nuzzled my chest. I gasped when he took one of my swollen nipples in his mouth, licking and sucking until I was practically crying with pleasure. My whole body felt electrified, like he had hooked me up to a power outlet and turned me on. In his skilled, capable hands, I felt more pleasured than I ever had in my entire life.
I closed my eyes as Jace’s warm, wet mouth slid around on my belly. The feeling made me shiver all around, and I moaned softly as his fingers played with the delicate skin on the insides of my thighs. Every time he touched me was as exciting as the first, and I couldn’t wait to see where this would lead. Jace made me so hot, so excited, that I could barely think about anything other than fucking him. I wanted him all the time, I wanted him as deep and intimate as I could have him.
“Katharina,” Jace grunted as he slid a finger inside my soaking pussy. “Katharina, I need you.”
I gasped as he wriggled his finger inside of me. I could feel how wet I was, soaking the sheet underneath me, coating Jace’s hand with my juices. As
he rubbed gently on the tender spot of the front wall of my pussy, I felt my whole body convulse with amazing pleasure. “Jace,” I moaned softly. “Jace, please!”
I could have sworn I saw Jace grinning then. He slipped another finger inside of me and lowered his head to my breast, kissing and licking at my nipples. The feeling was raw, exquisite, and I wanted to keep going forever. I never wanted Jace to stop pleasuring me, I wanted to stay in bed with him forever. As his third finger inched inside of me, I groaned with pleasure. I felt stretched open and exposed. I felt like he could read my mind.
Jace’s thumb brushed against my clit and I jumped at the electric shock of pleasure that radiated through my body. As he gently rubbed my clit while moving his fingers inside of me, I felt my lower belly clench and tighten with an absurd amount of pleasure. I felt like I was going to come harder than ever before. My hands started to ache and I was amazed to discover them tangled in Jace’s hair, pulling and yanking.
Suddenly, he stopped. I started whimpering out loud, desperate for Jace’s touch, but he only let out an amused little chuckle.
