“You don’t know that,” she says, narrowing her eyes on me.
“Are you that stupid? He drugged you. He was going to use you. Not take you to see his leader,” I say, my anger rising again. “Look at you.” I gesture to her body. “You were in a little white dress with no bra. He laced your drink. I saw on the video camera where you had your arms all over him.”
“No. That’s not true,” she says, not believing it.
I laugh. “Believe what you want, baby, but it’s true. Whatever he gave you made you want him. Made you a little more willing to spread your legs for him.” I hated the rush of envy I got when I watched the video. It wasn’t really her, it was the drugs, but that didn’t keep me from getting jealous. “Then add what he gave you with the bar, and you were fucking unconscious.”
“I wouldn’t have slept with him,” she shouts.
“Right.” I snort. “You were willing to drug yourself, but you wouldn’t have let him fuck you in order to find your friend’s murderer. Nice to know that you do have some morals.”
“Fuck you!” she screams.
“That was his intention,” I say flatly. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it for her. The world is cruel. You would think the fact that her friend is dead would make her see that.
She goes to open her mouth, but my cell rings, cutting her off. I pull it out of my pocket to see it’s Case. Fuck me! “Hello?” I say answering it.
“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt,” he says in an irritated voice, “to why you are keeping shit from me. Very important shit!” he snaps, losing his patience. “Get your ass up to the club. Now!” Then he hangs up.
“I have to go,” I tell her, and her body physically relaxes as if she doesn’t want to be around me anymore. “Are you going to stay put?”
“Yes.” She nods.
“I mean it, Skye.”
“I’m not going to go anywhere,” she snaps.
I walk up to her and place my hands on her arms. They’re cold. “Now be honest. How do you feel?”
“Much better. Thank you,” she says softly. And I can’t help but lean down and press my lips to her forehead. She stiffens for a second but then relaxes. “I’ll be right back. Don’t open the door for anyone. Just go lie down and get some rest. I know you need it.”
CASE
I pace as I stand in the office at Seven Deadly Sins. Miller sits on the couch to the left. A man by the name of Jet stands by the door like a statue, and Brecken sits in one of the chairs in front of our desk.
“Who wants to go first?” I ask.
The guy by the name of Jet lets out a long breath. “We don’t have time to tell you word for word what is going on,” he says matter-of-factly.
My eyes widen on him as he stands there like a fucking fighter. Chest puffed out. Arms crossed over his chest. All he needs to do is roll his eyes at me. “You can leave,” I say pointing at the door. “You have nothing to do with this.”
“He has everything to do with it,” Brecken growls looking up at me.
“What the …?”
“He’s my new partner,” he says with a fuck you smile.
“Excuse me?” New partner? What is he talking about? I haven’t been gone that long.
“We’re working a case together,” Brecken informs me.
I point at Jet. “Oh? You’re working a case with him? Who the hell arranged that?” I demand.
“Jones,” Jet says simply. “A case popped up. I thought Brecken was a suspect. I went to Jones about the case because it involved narcotics. When I told him my lead suspect, he laughed. Next thing I know, I’m sitting at Brecken’s house being ordered to work with him.”
I open my mouth and then close it. Not sure what to say. Then a thought hits me. “Does this case involve Seven Deadly Sins?”
“Yes,” Jet answers.
“Do you have something to say?” I ask Brecken as he just sits there.
Brecken just stares up at me. Dark eyes narrowed as if he’s mad but he’s relaxed in his chair. “He’s mad.” Jet states the obvious. “The woman involved with our case. He’s fallen for her.”
“Fuck you!” Brecken growls, turning around to face him.
“What?” I demand. “Why haven’t you told me this?”
“I haven’t fallen for her. I’m protecting her.”
“There’s a difference there, and I know exactly which one you are doing,” Jet spits. “Especially after last night …”
“What happened last night?” I demand, and no one answers. I run a hand through my hair. “I’m so confused,” I say, falling down into the chair.
“Well, he put a guy in the hospital last night,” Jet informs me. “He beat the fuck out of him in one of your rooms. I then took the unconscious man to an alley and dropped him off. I got word this morning that he is in the hospital in a coma.”
I just stare at them after Jet finishes. That doesn’t surprise me. What does surprise me is the look on Miller’s face. He seems to be biting the inside of his lip as he stares at Brecken. “What, Miller?” I ask,
He looks at me and then back at Brecken. Brecken turns his head to stare at him as well. Then Miller turns back to me. He just stares at me, and I get an uneasy feeling. “Who was it?” I ask.
No one answers. “Brecken,” I growl. “Who the fuck did you put in the hospital? Just what is it going to cost us?”
That got something out of him. “Cost us?” he repeats slowly then lets out a little chuckle. “It’s going to cost you nothing.”
“Sounds like it’s going to cost us this club. Are you letting some bitch cloud your judgment?”
He sits up in his seat, leaning forward. “Don’t go there. If I remember correctly, you allowed a bitch to cost us much more than this club.” Jet’s ears seem to perk up at that. So he knows nothing other than the case they are working on together?
“Taylor needed me,” I say defensively.
He leans back and snorts. “She did not need you!” he growls. “You chose to bring her into this world because you wanted to fuck her. Don’t pretend you did her a favor. Skye came to me. She needed help, and I’m sorry that you feel I should have pushed her away. I guess if you can’t fuck her, you don’t want to help her.” He stands.
“Brecken?” I demand, but he turns his back on me and walks out, slamming the door behind him. “Who the fuck did he beat up?” I demand. Miller lowers his head, but Jet smiles. I get the feeling that he doesn’t like Brecken that much.
“A guy by the name of Oscar. He’s part owner of Throb.”
“Fuck!” Who the hell is this Skye chick, and what is she into?
SKYE
I’m relaxing in Brecken’s whirlpool bathtub. I feel much better. I don’t know what Doc gave me, but I would like that every day. My mind feels clear. My body doesn’t feel sluggish, and my mouth is no longer dry. Of course, that could be due to the three bottles of water I drank and the two-hour nap I took after Brecken left. I also went through half his bottle of mouthwash and brushed my teeth. I actually feel like a new person, which is crazy considering the picture he painted of me last night. I wanted to thank him, but it made me angry to think that once again he saved me. He continues to prove to me that he is right. I’m just a weak woman who has no place trying to find who took my best friend.
My phone ringing interrupts my thoughts, and I sit up to look at it sitting on the rim of the tub. It shows a blocked number. I swallow nervously. Could this be someone who found the napkin I wrote my number on for Oscar? Could it be James? What if Brecken was right all this time and someone is after me?
I shake my hands off quickly and hit answer. “Hello?” I ask slowly.
There’s a long pause on the other end, and I think they have hung up when a male’s voice finally speaks. “Hello, Skye.” My stomach drops at the sound of my name. “It’s been a long time.” His deep voice is controlled, calm even. And it scares me more.
“Luca … how did you …”
“You
can’t run forever,” he says, and I can almost hear the smile in his voice. “I hear you have a babysitter.” My chest tightens. “You can’t hide from me, Skye. And he can’t save you either.”
My eyes start to sting from the tears, and my bottom lip quivers. “Please don’t …”
He chuckles and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Enjoy your time, Skye. I’m coming for you.” Click.
I hold down the power button until my phone shuts off and then I throw it across the room. I suck in a deep breath as if I’ve been holding it. My shoulders slump forward and I place my hand on my chest as my heart beats double time. “Oh, God,” I whisper. He’s coming. All this time, I thought I was safe. I was careless, thinking he wouldn’t find me. I’ve been running since I was twelve years old. And now, he’s here. I have to keep running …
I jump out of the tub and grab my towel off the floor. I frantically dry off. As I wrap it around me, I stop, thinking I heard a noise. I listen closely and try to calm my breathing.
I hear a door slam again. Without any more thought, I run into the adjoining bedroom. I grab my purse and pull out my gun. With shaking hands and a racing heart, I make my way into the hallway. Is this him? Had he called only to play with me? Draw out this game of torture? I hear heavy footsteps coming toward me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I won’t go back! Not alive anyway. When I open them, I jump into the hallway with my gun raised.
Brecken stands there, his chest almost touching the barrel of my gun as he comes to a stop. “What the hell are you doing?” he demands as if I’m the one barging into his house. He knew I was here.
“I thought someone was breaking in,” I explain in a rush as I lower the gun. Thank God, I didn’t shoot him. I sigh in relief that it wasn’t who I thought it was.
“So you run out here to check?” he growls, yanking it from my hands.
I can tell he’s mad. His eyes are hard like usual and his body tight. I thought he had been in a better mood when he left here. “You expect me to hide?” I snap, mad and still somewhat shaken up from my phone call. I wish I could tell him that I’ve been hiding all my life, but then he’d ask questions that I refuse to answer.
“Yes! A smart thing would have been to stay put. Hide in a closet. Run out the back door. Crawl out a fucking window.” His voice rises. “Not run right to the very person who you think is gonna rob you. What the hell is wrong with you?” he shouts.
“Why are you yelling at me?” I yell back. My body shakes with fear and anger. Fear that my life is now on a time limit and anger that this man thinks I’m stupid. “What is your problem?” I growl.
“You’re my fucking problem,” he shouts.
I lift my right hand and slap him across the face. I do it without thought. And the second I do it, I know I fucked up.
I don’t even have time to think or time to run from him. Before I can even blink, he wraps his hand around my throat and shoves my back into the hallway wall. Hard enough to steal my breath for a second, and then I’m looking up at two very dark eyes. “Brec … ken,” I breathe.
He stands over me. His eyes down on mine, and his lips parted. I can feel the anger rolling off him. I don’t know what happened while he was gone, but it wasn’t good. And I just made it worse. The rational side of me tells me to stay here with him, let him keep me safe.
He can’t save you.
But what if he can? I’ve been running for as long as I can remember. It’s only been Tiffany and me with a few boyfriends here and there along the way. None of them could stand up to my past. None of them even knew my past. But Brecken? I feel he could. He’s a cop, and he’s the bad guy. He told me himself that no one in this town knows he’s a cop so I could use that to my advantage.
His hand tightens, and I swallow, my heart still beating wildly. “I just want to shake you,” he admits, and my pulse speeds up.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. It’s all I’m capable of.
“You’re not,” he says flatly.
I close my eyes and try to calm my body down, to get it to stop shaking and stop betraying me as such a weak person. “I am,” I say swallowing. I open my eyes and look up into his. I know he can feel my pulse racing under his grip, and I’m ashamed at how scared I am. I know he’s not gonna kill me. I no longer need to worry about him.
“You drive me fucking nuts,” he admits with a deep growl. “You have no regard for your life. You act like you want to die. You act as if you can save the world on your own.”
I want to live! Please save me! I want to shout, but then he’d ask what I’m running from. The less he knows, the better. His hand tightens a little more around my throat, and it causes me to lift my chin. He lowers his face down to mine. His lips are almost close enough to touch mine, and my insides tighten. His hand around my neck shouldn’t turn me on. But it feels more like foreplay than a threat now. “I find it sexy,” he admits, and I feel my legs start to weaken.
Could it be this easy? Could I sleep with him, get closer to him, and have him keep me safe? It’s not as if spreading my legs for him would be hard. Just look at the man. “Breck …” He cuts off my air.
My hands come up to his chest, and I dig my nails into his shirt. His eyes leave mine and go down to my lips as they part, trying to suck in a breath. I try to pull his body to me, wanting him closer, wanting him to kiss me. But he doesn’t budge.
He licks his lip, and his eyes are back on mine. “I like the way your pulse races under my skin,” he admits roughly.
I feel wetness pool between my legs at his shameless statement. I let go of his shirt and lift my hands to his arm holding me against the wall. He loosens his hand but doesn’t want to let go. I suck in a breath, and it burns. Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. There’s nothing to be crying about. This man is not to fear. This man is here to use.
I swallow and whisper, “I like how it feels, too.”
He smiles down at me. A slow and mischievous smile, one that makes his dark eyes light up. He pushes his body into mine, and I can feel his hardness behind his jeans. If I could gasp at his size, I would. God, this man would be a massive step up compared to what I’ve had in the past. I whimper at what he would feel like inside me. How he would completely own me. Robert was so soft, so repetitious. Always the same thing, same way. He was a lazy lover. He wanted to be on the bottom while I did all the work—all the time. Something tells me Brecken wouldn’t be that way.
“What do you want?” I find myself asking. Although we both know, it’s very clear. I just want to hear him say it.
“You,” he says without hesitation. “I want you.” He lowers his face to mine, his lips softly brushing against mine. I lean in to kiss him, but he holds me back by my throat. “I want you in my bed. I want you begging me for more.”
I whimper, and I wrap my arms around his waist trying to pull him closer to me, needing to feel him against me again. “Please.” I only have two options. Run or stay. If I stay, I need Brecken. God, how I need him right now.
“Yeah.” He lifts his free hand and runs it down the side of my cheek. “Just like that,” he whispers. “It’ll be so sweet,” he adds, licking his lips. “I want you to beg me to fuck you! And then when I’m done with you, I want you to beg me to do it again.” My body breaks out in goose bumps imagining how he would leave me wanting more. I’m an adult; I’ve watched porn before. Brecken is all about power. I can see him using sex as another weapon to try to control me.
There’s no going back from this. Once I take this step with him, I know he’s gonna own me. As I look up into his eyes, I realize that’s exactly what I want. I want someone to fucking own me! To fucking want me! I’m tired of feeling lost. Feeling scared. Tired of the ones I love being killed. Brecken can take all that away. “What’s stopping you?” I question breathlessly.
“Permission,” he replies.
My body trembles as he has me pinned against the wall. My legs weak and my pussy throbbing. What would a night
with this man be like? What would he make me do? Would he be gentle? I want to laugh at that thought. I know he wouldn’t. And a part of me wouldn’t want him to be.
I reach up and undo the towel. The only thing that shields me from him. My heart beats frantically as it falls to the ground, exposing my body to him. I shiver as the coolness hits the parts of me that are still wet from my bath. I still have suds from my bubbles on parts of my legs.
“What are you doing, Skye?” His voice is rougher than usual. His eyes are darker than I’ve ever seen them.
I swallow nervously. He’s gonna make me say it. “Giving you permission,” I say softly.
“Sure you wanna do that?” he asks, arching an eyebrow.
My nervousness doubles. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I know he can feel my pulse under his hand, and he already admitted that it turned him on. And it turns me on knowing he is turned on. “Yes,” I whisper. I’ve never been more sure of anything. If Tiffany’s death has taught me anything, it’s that life is short. You never know what might happen. But right now, I want this to happen. I allowed Oscar to touch me last night. Now, I want Brecken. I want his hands and his lips to be the last man who touches me. Because the phone call I got earlier guarantees I don’t have much time left.
I expect him to question me again, but he surprises me. “Spread your legs,” he orders.
I take a deep breath as I do what he says, and he steps closer to me. His body presses mine to the wall while his right hand is still around my throat, holding me in place. Allowing me to breathe but reminding me he’s in charge.
I jump when his free hand touches my inner thigh, and he chuckles. “Don’t be nervous,” he says as if I can help it. I haven’t had sex in a while, and I can tell you for a fact that I’ve never had sex with a man like Brecken. Dominating. I have a feeling he’s gonna order me to do things I have never done. And I’m going to willingly do them. Live a little, Skye. You’re gonna be dead soon.
His fingers move upward, and he cups my sex. He just stares into my eyes as if he’s daring me to stop him, waiting for me to say stop. It’s not gonna happen.
Obsession (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2) Page 19
