The Pleasure of Sin (Club X Series Book 1)

by Shauna Hart

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll check it out,” he assured her. His eyes met hers across the desk, his lips forming a thin line. “Ms. Monroe, I don’t have to tell you how dangerous what you are doing is. Off the record, I’m willing to bet that whoever pulled the trigger on Davis is the same person who killed your sister.”

  She drew in a shaky breath at his candor. “I know.”

  “That means they’ll be coming for you next,” he warned.

  He was right, she knew.

  She had started a firestorm, and it was way too late to put it out.

  All she could do now was hope that she made it out alive.

  Chapter 22

  Jade scooped up the last of her belongings. She took one last look at the bed before making her way down the stairs. She had to hurry. If Clay knew she was leaving, he would surely come to stop her. When she reached the door, she took one last glance around. As much as she knew it was the right thing to do, she didn’t want to go. She wanted to believe that there was a logical explanation for his refusal to cooperate with the police. But common sense told her that she was a fool.

  It didn’t seem possible that Clay could ever hurt Ruby. Deep down, she still didn’t want to believe it. But was that her head talking? Or her heart? Did she just want to believe that he was innocent? Was she closing her eyes to the truth? Until she knew for certain, she couldn’t stay with him. She headed toward Ruby’s apartment, ignoring the constant ringing of her cell phone.

  It was him.

  She knew it.

  She wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. Not after what she had just learned. She needed time to think. Turning the corner to Ruby’s apartment, she slid the key into the small door. As she opened it, a firm hand gripped her upper arm.

  She turned to find Lloyd Tomlinson towering over her, his dark eyes menacing. “We need to talk,” he said, his tone harsh.

  Her eyebrows drew together. “Mr. Tomlinson, we have nothing more to say to one another,” she replied. She tried to pull her arm away, but his grip tightened painfully.

  “We’re not done until I say we’re done.”

  His fingers dug into her skin, his touch meant to bruise. Before she could even think about what she was going to do, she yanked hard, twisting her body away from him. Caught off guard, he stumbled backward. She raced up the stairs to Ruby’s apartment, her head turning to watch him start up the stairs after her. Her heart beat so fast, she thought she might faint. She fiddled with the keys as he drew closer.

  “Stupid bitch,” he bit out.

  Finally, the key slid into the lock and she was able to get inside. She slammed the door behind her, quickly flipping the deadbolt. He pounded on the door so hard she thought he would surely beat it down. She braced her palms against the door, throwing all of her weight against it for good measure. Somehow, her silent prayers were finally heard as the door stopped its violent shaking.

  Hesitantly, her breath coming in short gasps, she pressed her ear to the door. “Stupid bitch! This isn’t over,” he muttered only moments before she heard his footsteps as he descended to the bottom of the stairs.

  She leaned back against the door, letting her head fall back against the wood. Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Her cell phone began to ring again. Her gaze flickered to her purse, but she didn’t move.

  She couldn’t.

  Had Clay been right?

  Was she putting herself in bigger danger by being alone?

  All day long she avoided his calls. She knew he must be furious, but she wasn’t about to give in. When she heard a vicious pounding on her door, her heart jumped into her throat. What if Lloyd had come back? He had told her that it wasn’t over. Had he come back to demand that she talk to him?

  Or worse, to finish the job?

  But the voice on the other side of the door wasn’t Lloyd’s. It was Clay. And he was growing louder by the minute. She crossed the room to open the door. As soon as she did, his face loomed above hers. His hair was ruffled, and his eyes were glittering dangerously.

  “Are you insane?” he challenged.

  Her eyes narrowed at his sarcasm. “Hello to you, too,” she replied, giving him her back as she walked into the room.

  He shut the door behind him as he followed her. “I’ve been calling you all day. Where the hell were you?” he demanded.

  She turned to face him, her anger rising to a full boil. “I was at the police station, if you must know,” she explained.

  “The police station?” he inquired, a scowl forming on his face.

  At her silence, he asked the obvious question. “What happened?”

  She looked away, unable to maintain his gaze. “The private investigator I hired was murdered.”

  “Jesus!” he hissed, his mouth falling open as his eyes scanned the room. “Do they know who did it?

  “They have a few theories.”

  “Which are?”

  “That whoever killed Ruby knew he was getting too close, so they killed him.”

  He turned to look out the window, raking a hand through his hair. For a moment, neither of them said anything.

  When he turned back to face her, his impatience was clear. “So, you decided to come back here? Alone?” he scoffed.

  When she didn’t respond, he continued. “Why the hell would you come back here without me?”

  He crossed the distance between them, his proximity making her lift her chin to return his stare. “I didn’t want to be with someone I couldn’t trust,” she explained.

  His eyes narrowed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Why are you refusing to cooperate with the police?”

  “Refusing to cooperate?” he repeated, his confusion clear.

  “You wouldn’t submit to DNA testing,” she reminded.

  He leaned his head back, his eyes rolling. “Oh, that.”

  “Yes, that! What are you hiding?” she bit out.

  “Nothing.”

  “Then, why won’t you do the test?”

  His jaw clenched. “I wanted to get some legal advice before I did anything. I’ve never been involved in anything like this before, Jade. I’ve never been a suspect in a murder case. I thought I should consult an attorney.”

  She nodded, her disbelief evident. “Right,” she muttered.

  Suddenly, he grabbed her, hauling her against him. “This doesn’t have a damned thing to do with the test, and you know it.”

  “Of course it does. From the very beginning you’ve been hiding things from me. Why should I trust you?”

  “You can use that bullshit to run all you want. But the truth is that you already know how you feel about me. You just don’t want to admit it.”

  Her eyes glittered. “I don’t know anything about you.”

  His face came dangerously close to hers. “You know everything about me. You know how I live, how I fuck…”

  “Stop it!”

  “It’s true, and I know you. I know every curve.”

  “That’s just sex!”

  “Is it? Then why am I scared to death that you’ll walk away from me? Why do I sit at work all day and worry about what you’re doing or if you’re okay? It’s not just sex. It never has been for me. And if you were honest with yourself, you would realize it’s not just sex for you either.”

  She pulled away from him, wanting to escape. When she reached for the door, his hand slammed against it, holding it in place. She felt his body press against her back, his mouth against her ear. One arm slid around her waist as she felt his erection press against her.

  His breath against her ear made her tingle. “You want me just as much as I want you. You have from the beginning. From that first day at the party. Running from it won’t change things. It’s time to submit to it.”

  She felt his thumb stroke the underside of her breast. God help her, she wanted to submit. She wanted to give in and let him give her what her body obviously wanted. She pushed back a little, her buttock
s coming in contact with the lean muscles of his thighs. She squeezed her eyes shut at the sensation. How easy it would be to do what he said, to submit to the desires that were racing through her body. She felt her skirt inch higher on her thighs.

  Closing her eyes, she fought for the strength to stop him. Her panties grew damp with arousal. When his hand slid inside of her thong, she knew she had to put a stop to this. She opened her mouth to tell him just that, but the words died on her lips when she felt his finger slide inside her. His thumb teased her swollen clit.

  “See? See how easy it is?”

  His words stoked her temper, and she somehow found the will to grab his hand. She pulled it away, escaping under his arm to the other side of the room.

  “Get out,” she commanded, her voice sounding way too breathless.

  He stared at her for a moment, his eyes still glazed with passion. “You can fight me all you want, Jade. But isn’t it time you stopped fighting yourself?”

  She wrapped her arms around her middle. He was right. She did want him. Despite the fact that he had lied and hid things from her, she wanted nothing more than to go back to his apartment and forget any of this had happened.

  That fact alone scared her more than anything.

  “I said get out,” she repeated.

  He turned away for a minute. When he turned back to face her, her resolve nearly crumbled. “Jade, please. If anything happens to you…”

  “I’ll be fine, Clay,” she said, her tone firm.

  When he looked like he might protest, she continued. “I don’t want you here, Clay. Please go.”

  For a moment, she thought he might push the issue, but then he turned and walked out. She hurried over to the door to lock it. Releasing the breath that she had been holding, she leaned back against the door. All of the strength that she had been holding onto dissipated. She slid to the floor, her skirt pooling around her legs.

  Her traitorous heart still wanted to run after him, but she couldn’t listen to the impulse. She had to find out who killed Ruby. That was the reason she was there. Not to give her heart to a man she couldn’t even trust.

  So, why did she feel like she was already lost?

  Chapter 23

  Jade grabbed a bottle of wine from the cabinet. She watched the red liquid flow into the glass before bringing it to her lips. Closing her eyes, she felt it ease down her throat. She downed the first glass before pouring another. She knew that getting drunk wouldn’t solve her problems, but after what had happened with Clay, she needed it. Even now, she wanted to run to him. But she couldn’t. She just couldn’t give into the impulse. She told herself that it was out of loyalty to Ruby.

  But was that the real reason?

  Or was she running, like Clay had said?

  She had never felt like this before. When she was with Clay, she lost control. And that was something that didn’t happen to her very often. If she completely surrendered to him, would she ever be able to go back to her normal life? Somehow, she didn’t think so. Being with Clay was too tempting, too addictive to simply walk away from. Even now, she wanted him.

  Each time her glass emptied, she refilled it. She wanted to forget him. She wanted to forget about what had happened to Ruby. She wanted to go back to Florida and pretend that none of this had ever happened.

  But she couldn’t. She just couldn’t.

  After her fifth glass of wine, she walked into Ruby’s room, carrying the bottle under her arm. She sat it down on the nightstand next to Ruby’s bed, taking another drink from the glass in her hand. Would she ever know what had really happened here? Would she ever be able to find the killer?

  Putting the glass down, she sat on the edge of the bed. She scooted to the center, laying her head back against the pillow. Her eyes fluttered closed.

  The next thing she knew, she felt someone tugging on her arm. She drew in a steady breath. She tried to stretch, but something stopped her. Her eyes flew open to find Alex leaning over her. His smile was pure evil.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” he mocked.

  Her mouth fell open, her pulse racing with fear. She tried to move, but she couldn’t. One arm was tied to the headboard, while Alex held the other to her side. He sat on top of her, effectively trapping her legs as his knees dug into the mattress. She tried to twist away from him, but he was too strong.

  “How the hell did you get in here?” she demanded angrily.

  He reached into his pocket with his free hand. He dangled a key ring in front of her. “Didn’t you know that Ruby gave me a key? I could have come in whenever I wanted. But I waited. I waited until you were ready.”

  “Ready for what?”

  His smile widened. “I think you know.”

  Her jaw clenched. “Let me go,” she demanded, her voice shaking.

  He loomed over her, his face too close for comfort. “Not so fast, love.”

  She felt her stomach roll at his nearness. She tried to throw him off, but he held strong. He pulled her other arm high, causing pain to shoot through her shoulder as he laced a tie around her wrist. With his task complete, he looked down at her, his eyes lit with anticipation.

  “Alex, let me go,” she pleaded.

  His hand stroked the side of her cheek before moving lower. He undid the buttons on her shirt, pulling it wide.

  “You’ve teased me for too long,” he said brusquely.

  His finger twisted in the material of her bra, giving it a hard yank. It came apart, baring her breasts to his view. He stared at them hungrily. His hands closed over them, his fingers roughly pinching the nipples.

  She cried out in pain.

  His hand clamped down on her mouth. “Shut up! I don’t want to have to hurt you, but I will!” he bit out angrily.

  Dear God, he was going to rape her.

  “Are you going to be a good girl and be quiet?”

  She nodded under his imposing hand. The satisfied grin he gave her made her insides quake. “Good,” he replied, his gaze trailing over her body.

  His hand left her mouth.

  “Alex, please. Just let me go. No one has to know about this,” she reasoned.

  He chuckled, his hands moving over her breasts. “Don’t worry. No one will.”

  “What do you mean?”

  His eyes met hers, a smug look spreading across his face. “They didn’t find out about Ruby. Did they?”

  Nausea climbed into her throat, and her eyes closed. “Oh my God, you killed her.”

  His head snapped up, a harsh look in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to. It was just a little game we used to play.” He leaned closer to her. The feeling of his breath on her ear made her shiver. “Ruby liked the rough stuff. You will too. I can see it in your eyes. It gets you off.”

  She shook her head violently. “No! It doesn’t! Let me go!”

  “Not yet, love. Not until I get what I came for.”

  He moved lower, his knees pushing her thighs apart. She tried to squeeze them back together, but he was too big. She pulled at the bonds on her wrists, but they wouldn’t budge. He pulled her skirt up. Her thong came apart in his hand with one hard yank. When he leaned back to unbutton his pants, she found the leverage to kick him. Her foot connected with his chest, and she gave it everything she had.

  He fell off the bed, grunting in pain. She twisted and turned on the bed in an attempt to free herself, but nothing she did seemed to work. Suddenly, she saw him stand at the foot of the bed. His eyes blazed with cold, menacing fury. He grabbed her ankles, spreading her legs wide. He pinned them down with his knees as he climbed on top of her. She watched him raise his fist only seconds before the blow connected with her cheek. Blinding pain shot through her face as white streaks clouded her vision.

  She opened her mouth to scream, but his hands closed painfully around her throat. She tried to cry out, but no sound came. She felt him rustling with his pants as she fought for air. Choking sounds filled the room as she fought to stay lucid. She twisted her head from side to side, b
ut it was getting harder by the second. She felt his erection push against her leg, and she thought she would surely vomit.

  Dear God, was this how she was going to die?

  Being raped and murdered by the man who killed her sister?

  He leaned over her, his mouth close to hers. Her eyes wide, she watched in horror as his tongue slid across her cheek. “Sweet,” he muttered. “Sweeter than she was. I knew you would taste sweeter than she did.”

  She felt his penis prod against her, and tears slid down the side of her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to face what was about to happen.

  Suddenly, she heard a thudding noise. She looked up to see Alex’s eyes glaze over before he fell off of her onto the floor. When her eyes met the gaze of the person standing behind him, relief spread through her.

  “Bastard,” Zoë mumbled.

  Tears fell from her eyes. “Zoë, thank God you came. He was going to…” She broke off, unable to voice what would have happened if she hadn’t arrived when she did.

  Zoë walked around to the side of the bed. She kept a gun trained on him as she lifted his leg with her foot only to let it drop to the floor. “Well, he won’t be doing it anytime soon.”

  “Is he dead?” Jade asked, her shock evident.

  “Knocked out,” Zoë clarified.

  Jade pulled at the ties again. “Will you please get these off of me?”

  Zoë came around to sit on the side of the bed, her gaze raking over Jade’s partially nude body.

  “How did you get in?” Jade asked.

  Zoë rolled her eyes as she glanced at Alex. “Idiot left the door open. I never have understood how someone so stupid could be so successful.” Her hand trailed over the rope that held Jade’s wrist. “He was right about one thing, though.”

  Jade’s eyebrows crowded together. “What?”

  Zoë leaned closer, her face hovering over Jade’s. “I bet you do taste sweeter than she did.”

  Her mouth fell open.

  Before she could say anything, Zoë’s lips met hers.