“Right this way guys,” Noah says, giving them a trusting smile.
He walks out of the living room and up the open staircase. All four men follow with their black duffle bags in their hands. Once they’re out of sight, Ashley turns toward me, a small, hesitant smile darts across her face. I grab her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.
“Ash, Xavier and I are going to take a break. We need to have a talk before this all happens,” Izzy says.
“Go take whatever time you need,” Ashley tells her.
They disappear up the stairs into the room Izzy already claimed. Noah comes back downstairs. Rush and Quickshift pass a knowing glance at each other.
“Rush, Quickshift, go. See how he’s doing, please,” Ashley tells them. She’s talking about Redline.
“Are you sure?” Rush asks.
“Yes. I need to know he’s OK and if you can, bring him back. Our family isn’t complete without him. Be back here in two hours.”
“I want to go with you,” Noah says.
“OK, c’mon guys, let’s go,” Rush acknowledges.
The three of them leave the house and get into their cars. The motors vibrate the windows as they speed off down the dark street. That leaves us with Natalia. She takes a seat on the couch and kicks her feet up on the glass coffee table. Her tiny body is swallowed up by the cushions as she settles in. Ashley raises an eyebrow at her.
“Oh, I’m not leaving, Chica. With all these hombres Calientes, my fine ass is staying right here. You never know I might get lucky and get rid of this tension,” Natalia says with a shrug.
I can’t help but let out a laugh. She’s feisty and tells it like she sees it. Natalia cuts her brown eyes in my direction, throwing me a menacing look.
“Hey, Nolan. You have issues to work out with my girl. So, I think you better get that taken care of.”
“Yeah, I do. Come on Ash, let’s go for a walk, please.”
I hold out my hand and wait for Ashley to take it. My heart is beating hard in my chest and my palms are sweaty. I’m hoping she gives me a chance to talk and tell her more. I want to give her more of my past before this whole thing goes down. I need her to realize how much I love her, how important she is, and need to make my reaction from before right again. Ashley carefully places her hand in mine and I lead us out the back door.
We walk hand in hand down the sandy beach. A light, salty breeze crosses my skin. The moon is shining off the ocean, creating shadows around us. Apprehension is trying to claw its way through my body coming out here, but I shove it aside. I need to get through this before Ashley thinks I’m holding back again.
We find a little spot at the curve of the beach tucked away from wandering eyes, hiding us in the shadows. Her house is like a glowing beacon on the dark night behind us. We sit on the warm sand. The waves of the ocean doesn’t reach this far up the beach and I move so I’m sitting behind Ashley, pulling her back against my chest. My legs are on each side of her and I wrap my arms around her stomach.
She resists at first but finally settles back against me. I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding when Ashley’s fingers draw shapes on my jeans, creating a shiver to run through my body.
“Tell me why this is hard for you,” Ashley says quietly.
“I’ve never had someone like you in my life, Ash. Someone who actually cares about me and makes the effort to be here with me. It terrifies me because I’m afraid I’ll screw up. I’ve been with other women, yes but in the past, they all were either using me for my money or to gain the attention of someone else, manipulating me in the process.”
“I take it there’s one person you trusted, and they used you?” she asks. She hit the nail on the head with that question. Swallowing hard, I nod my head.
“Yes. That’s how I got the scars on my back and chest. Are you sure you want to hear this? It isn’t pretty,” I whisper.
“Yes, Nolan. I want to learn all about you.” She moves her head off my chest so she’s looking into my eyes. She stops making shapes with her fingers on my jeans and raises a hand up to my hair, caressing it. I close my eyes from her gentle touch, soothing and full of love. “Phone calls and texts were great while we were apart, kept us connected. I want to relate to you on an intimate level, to see if what my heart is telling me is real or just in my head.”
“Do you feel the same as me?” I ask.
“Yes, Nolan. I know it seems like it’s quick, but I love you from the tip of my toes to the end of my hair. You have my heart.”
I lean down and press my lips to hers. The shivers wracking my body carries my heart and soul to paradise, so right, so perfect. Ashley opens her mouth, allowing me access. Our tongues battling back and forth. She whimpers from the back of her throat and my cock grows hard in my jeans. Ashley tugs on my hair bringing me closer to her, deepening the kiss. Tightening my arms around her body and running my palms over her breasts, she arches her back to my touch. I need to get her soft skin against mine, I need to savor her before I divulge into my past and it drives her away.
I break our kiss and trail my lips down the back of her neck, causing her skin to break out with goosebumps. She tilts her head to the side and gives me better access. I nip and suck on the sensitive area just below her ear. Ashley turns around so she’s straddling me, looking at me in the eyes. A small smile plays across her face, lighting up with the moonlight.
She raises her arms above her head and I drag her tank top up and over, tossing it behind me somewhere. My eyes drop to her lace covered chest as she removes her bra. Her nipples are hard, and I lick my lips, dying for a taste. I tease one nipple with my mouth as I caress the other with my hand. Ashley pushes my head against her, letting out soft moans.
I tear my mouth away from her perfect tits, breathing rapidly, and take my shirt off so we’re skin against heated skin. We both quickly remove our boots, our toes making foot prints in the warm sand. I stand her up with me and unbutton her jeans. I slide them down her legs slowly along with her panties, so she’s naked in front of me. I reach for my jeans and Ashley stops me covering my fingers with her hand.
“No, let me do it,” her seductive voice sends a shiver down my spine. She slowly approaches me, and her long fingers unbutton my jeans and slide them down my legs, taking my boxers with her. When she removes my jeans, she’s still on her knees and licks her lips while her eyes gaze at my massive erection.
I swallow hard, my heart pounding against my chest. She doesn’t break eye contact with me and grabs my hard shaft, pulling it into her hot mouth. She hollows out her cheeks and takes me as deep as she can, creating a groan from my throat and my eyes to roll back of my head. When my cock hits the back of her throat, I lose all control, tightening my grip on her hair, moving my hips back and forth to the rhythm of her bobbing head. Her hot, wet mouth keeps working me over making my knees turn weak. The waves crash against the shore, but they sound far away, my focus is on Ashley, everything else is blocked from my mind. A light, salty breeze blows over my heated skin and I need to stop her before I make a fool of myself. Ashley lets out a groan, and it vibrates through my cock all the way up my spine.
“Fuck, Ash, you have to stop,” I growl.
I remove her mouth from my cock and she licks her lips, smirking at me. The thin thread holding my patience together snaps. The sudden urge to sink myself deep inside of her tight pussy overpowers me and I pick her up. She wraps her long legs around my waist, locking her ankles behind my back. My cock’s standing at full attention, seeking her heat. I kiss her hard and fast, my fingers digging into her ass.
“I need you now, Nolan,” she whimpers against my mouth.
Running a finger from the crack of her ass down to her dripping wet pussy, I thrust it inside her entrance, stretching her, making her ready for me. She lets out another whimper as I pump in and out of her tight heat. I withdraw my fingers, slide her down my body, and set her on her feet.
“On your hands and knees,” I demand.
&
nbsp; Ashley’s hooded brown eyes light up at my tone, she likes me taking control. I find my t-shirt and spread it out on the sand behind her. She gets on all fours, her ass sticking up in the air as she looks at me over her shoulder. A come-hither look crosses her face. The fear of being caught at any second floods my mind and kick starts my heart as I approach Ashley from behind. I sink down to my knees behind her and lean over her back, nipping and kissing my way up her spine to her neck. Ashley’s soft curves fit perfectly against my lean muscles. She pushes her ass back against my throbbing cock, seeking relief. I pull her up, so her body is against mine and spread her legs wide. The warm sand and my shirt giving a soft cushion to our knees. I run my hand down her stomach and rub circles around her clit. Soft moans escape her throat as my other hand squeezes and rubs her tits.
“Fuck me, Nolan,” Ashley growls deep in her throat.
I bend her over on all fours again, grab my cock and rub it down her ass until I reach the heat of her tight pussy. I let out a deep growl as I plunge deep inside, she releases a moan, feeling at home and at peace being this intimate with each other again. I readjust our position, with my dick still deep inside her pussy so I’m sitting on my shirt, pulling her up again so her back is against my chest, her legs spread wide on either side of mine. I move her up and down my thick cock, my fingers digging into her hips. Ashley lets out moans of pleasure riding me like there’s no tomorrow. A layer of sweat beads on our skin, making it slick. The light breeze creates goosebumps as our heated bodies grind against each other. Her pussy clenches around my cock and I know she’s close.
“Play with your tits,” I demand.
Ashley moves her hands from my thighs and covers her tits with her fingers squeezing and pinching her nipples, making them hard peaks. Moans and groans fill the air as I lick and suck on her neck, marking her as mine. Thrusting deep inside of her at a fast pace, tingles lick their way down my spine and into my shaft. I’m getting close as her heat wraps around me.
“Fuck, Ash, I can’t hang on much longer,” I moan against her neck.
Ashley lets out a whimper as her inner walls squeeze me tight. I keep pumping up into her hard and fast. I move one hand down her body and rub her clit, her slick juices coating my fingers. The moans coming deep from inside of her pushes me over the edge as I thrust harder, pulling her up and down on me. Her slick juices are coating my cock, making it easier to slide in and out.
The want and need clear in the air around us as the waves crash against the shore, drowning out our moans of pleasure. Ashley picks up her pace and slides with ease up and down my hard cock our bodies slapping together making a sweet melody in my ears.
“Nolan,” Ashley whimpers.
The moment she finds her release, she explodes around me, her pussy squeezing my cock in a vice-like grip. Fire moves from my spine making its way down to my balls, my breathing hard and ragged. I black out for a moment, stars detonate behind my eyes as I fill Ashley with my come. My pace slows as I empty everything I have into her tight, warm pussy.
“Fuck,” I pant against her slick, sweat-soaked skin.
I kiss Ashley gently on her shoulder, creating a shiver through her body. My cock is softening inside of her heated pussy. I remove her from my shaft and immediately miss her wrapped around me. I remain sitting on my shirt, not ready to move just yet as I spread my legs for her to sit between them. She leans her back against my chest and lets out a satisfied breath.
Deciding to tell her everything I can in the limited time we have left, I begin to speak of the past and the demons haunting me.
Chapter 23
Nolan 10 years ago (Age 15)
The music coming from the living room in our tiny apartment vibrates in my ears. My mother is having another “party” as she puts it. It’s her way of telling me to stay the fuck out of the way so she can get high and screw whoever brings her the drugs she craves. I can’t take any more of the noises coming from outside my bedroom door, so I open my window and crawl out onto the rusty old fire escape. The warm breeze drifting over my skin is a small reprieve from the stuffy apartment and I inhale a deep breath of the city air. I sit on the cold metal for a moment thinking about how we ended up here.
My grandfather came to our rescue one night about six months ago from my abusive father. My mother was drunk and stoned when he came home from whatever he did during the day. He wasn’t at work because he couldn’t hold down a job, he was a gambling addict. His temper ranged from raging hot to cold as ice, depending on if he lost his ass or won something.
I was sitting at our dingy old kitchen table doing my homework when my father came barreling through the door, pissed off. He and my mother started arguing, and she made the mistake in her drunken state of laughing at him. He hit her across the face, closed fist, knocking her out cold. Something in me snapped. I charged him and yelled for him to stop. His fist connected with my face. The crunching of bones vibrated my head. After regaining my bearings, I stood my ground and threw him a menacing glare, blood dripping from my nose. He backed away slowly, shame filling his eyes and walked out the door, slamming it behind him. I checked on my mother and she was still breathing but unconscious. I picked up the phone attached to the wall and called my grandfather on my mother’s side.
He arrived a half hour later, took one look at my mother and helped us pack our bags. We left that night for New York City hoping to hide among the millions of people living there and escape the past.
My mother went into rehab and stayed sober for about four months before she met Marcus Angelo. A well-known drug runner for the Corridore Rosso, an Italian gang. She was working as a waitress in a seedy bar when he charmed the pants right off her and two months later, here we are in a rundown apartment building in the heart of the Manhattan. My mother slipped back into her old habits.
My grandfather disowned my mother when he found out she started using again. He tried getting me out, but the state kept siding with her. She’s never been arrested or in any kind of legal trouble, so they made me stay with her.
I stand up from my spot on the fire escape and slide my way down the rickety old ladder. I walk down the dark street and make my way to Times Square. Peddlers and street performers are all over the place and the billboards are so bright, it’s hard to know how late it is. I take a seat on one of the benches and watch the people pass by.
There are so many different people and cultures here in the City, it’s a sensory overload. I watch as families stop and see what the street performers are doing. There’s one group that catches my attention and I make my way over to them. They’re doing a bunch of flips and dance moves to music drifting out of their boom box. People are applauding and cheering them on, one kid goes around with a backpack and collects money from them. A quick way to earn a buck in this expensive city.
I leave the bright lights and bustling area behind me and walk down a dark side street. Yelling, horns blaring, and police sirens fade in the distance as I make my way over to Little Italy. It’s quite a distance from Times Square, but knowing my mother, she’ll never realize I was gone and it will be a while before she’s finished doing whatever she does.
There’s a group of teenagers dressed in black t-shirts, jeans and red bandanas around their heads or biceps sitting on concrete steps of an apartment building. They’re eying me as I walk past them. One of them stands up and starts following me.
“Hey kid wait up,” he says, trying to draw my attention.
I keep walking with my head down acting like I didn’t hear him when he falls in step next to me. I slow my pace and study him out of the corner of my eye, trying to access what he wants. I have no money on me and the only thing worth anything is the pocket watch my grandfather gave me. That’s tucked deep in a secret spot in my blue jeans.
“Hey, I’ve seen you around before. You know it’s not safe to be out this late at night alone.” the guy says, standing in front of me.
I stop walking and raise my head to look him in the eye. H
e’s about three inches taller than me, maybe a year or two older and possesses an air of authority about him. His dark skin and black hair standing out under the street light. His black eyes search me over and it appears he’s made a decision.
“What does it matter to you?” I ask. I glance around to see it’s just the two of us and breathe a sigh of relief when it is.
“Hey kid, I know where you’re coming from. Broken home, no dad, mom a druggie. Am I right?”
I clench my fist at my side, anger brewing under the surface of my skin. I stare at him dead in the eye before I speak. “It doesn’t matter where I come from or what’s going on I’m not interested in anything you offer." My voice full of rage and hate. I loathe this city. I despise my mother. I hate my father.
“Actually, it does. You see, we can help,” he gestures to the others. They’re now standing on the steps watching us.
“How?” He’s got me intrigued now.
“We’re a family and that means something to us. Once you’re in and prove your loyalty to us, we have your back no matter what. Why don’t you come back, and I’ll introduce you to the rest? What’s your name by the way?”
I search behind me at the other kids watching us. It would be nice to have someone to hang with. It’s been lonely being in a big city, surrounded by people but no one giving you any attention or acknowledging you exist.
“Nolan Sherwood,” I answer, holding out my hand. He takes it and gives it a good handshake.
“Well, Nolan Sherwood, good to meet you. Mine’s Switch. That’s what everyone calls me. C’mon I’ll introduce you to the rest.”
We walk back over to the other teenagers and they all watch me with caution as we approach.
“Everyone, this is Nolan Sherwood. Nolan, this is everyone,” Switch says. Some give me a nod, others keep regarding me like I’m some freak show, cautious but curious. I give them my best smile.
Racing Dirty, L.A. Page 15
