by A. Zavarelli
The low murmur of the television down the hall caught my attention, and it sparked my curiosity. Huck didn’t watch TV after dinner, and dinner had long since passed. In fact, he was usually in bed by now. He hadn’t come in to lock my door or warn me about the lights. Maybe he didn’t plan to, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to see for myself.
When I walked down the hall, I was surprised to find Trouble lounged on the sofa like a lazy cat as she flipped through the channels. She glanced up at me, and our gazes locked, giving me little chance of slipping away without a word. But I was oddly frustrated by the relief I felt when she was the first to break the silence.
“Hey.” She offered me a shy smile.
“Hey.” I stood motionless, uncertain what I was even doing. By all rights, I had no business talking to her anymore. In just a short period, she’d gone from my puppy dog tagalong to my gatekeeper. But looking at her now, it was obvious she wasn’t enjoying this situation any more than I was.
“You want to sit down?” She gestured to the sofa beside her. “There’s not much on TV. Never is this time of night. Ace only has the basic package even though the dude’s loaded as hell.”
She was making small talk, and I was still radio silent. But somehow, I found my feet moving in the direction of the sofa before I sat down and stared at the screen like a zombie. I wondered if it was obvious how horrible I felt, but Trouble didn’t leave me to wonder for long.
“I can’t imagine this is easy for you,” she said.
“When has life ever been easy?” I deflected.
An infomercial came on, and the presenter spoke boisterously about a new mop that would perform miracles in your house. Trouble and I both watched with glazed expressions before she opted to try again.
“I just want you to know that I really am sorry for the way things went down between us.” Her voice was sincere, and when I glanced over at her, the innocence in her expression made it hard for me to keep hating her. The thought of her alone in this world without anyone to help or guide her was what drew me to her in the first place.
“As it turned out, I think you were the better con,” I noted, somewhat sourly.
“Well, despite what I may have led you to believe, I had a good teacher,” she answered. “My dad was a con. Once he figured out he could leverage me in his games, everything became fair play.”
There was a bitter note to her tone that implied the situation wasn’t ideal, and against my better judgment, I felt sympathetic for her.
“You played on my emotions,” I told her. “How did you know what would appeal to me? How did you know I would want to help you?”
“I didn’t.” She chewed on her thumbnail, a nervous habit I’d never been able to get her to break. “Ace did.”
I leaned back against the sofa, blowing out a breath. “He knows everything about my life. I don’t understand why. Why does that information matter to him?”
Trouble lowered the volume on the TV and turned to me, her eyes conflicted. “I don’t know why. I’ll admit that it was an unusual thing for him to ask of me. He doesn’t usually get so wrapped up in people. It was like an addiction for him. Every time we talked, he wanted more and more details. And then I eventually realized I wasn’t the only one keeping an eye on you. He was too. I’ve never seen him so strung out on someone before.”
I wanted that to mean something, but it didn’t. Ace had proven that tonight with his actions. And now, more than anything, I wanted to know his secrets too, so we could be even.
“I know it’s not my place to say,” Trouble went on, “but I think you should be careful, Birdie. Ace has your best interests in mind, but he isn’t necessarily great at the execution. He’s emotionally stunted. I don’t know a lot about his past, but I’ve seen the way he is with women. He can’t give you anything more than a safe home. That’s the extent of his capabilities, and if you expect more, you will find yourself sorely disappointed.”
In my heart, I already knew what she told me was true, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept.
“You mean like it was with Kylie,” I stated.
“Yes,” she answered. “I think Kylie believed she could fix him somehow if she just waited long enough, and I could see how it’s an easy trap to fall into. Ace is a lovable guy, but he never had a real relationship with her. They didn’t kiss, or sleep in the same bed, or go on dates together. She’d never even been to his house.”
I tried to process what she was telling me, but my brain felt like it was going to implode from all the new questions that popped up. Her confirmation should have given me peace, but instead, it only created more torment.
“He never kissed her?” Somehow, I’d voiced that question out loud without really meaning to.
Trouble arched a brow and shook her head. “Never. It’s one of his rules.”
“How could you know that?” My tone was accusatory, doubtful, but she didn’t seem to care.
“Kylie and I sort of became friends. I’d see her in the clubhouse every weekend, and when Ace wasn’t around, she’d just sit there, trying to occupy herself until he returned. I guess I felt a little sorry for her. Anyway, we started talking, and everything just kinda came up. She thought I might have some insight into the inner workings of his mind, but I didn’t.”
“Oh,” I murmured, at a loss for what to say.
“Yeah.” She nodded.
And now things were officially awkward. I didn’t want to hate Kylie. I had no reason to. But a part of me still resented her simply because she got an entire year with him. A year of his touch, his body. But never his kiss. A kiss he’d given freely to me without even asking.
What did that mean?
As I was trying to figure it out, the front door opened, and the man in question appeared. He looked tired and disheveled; his beard obviously whipped from the wind on his bike. As my eyes drifted up his body, I noticed his were on me. Nobody said a word, even after a full minute had passed since he’d made his presence known.
“Is that all you need from me, boss?” Trouble’s voice cut through the silence.
He nodded, and I forced myself to break eye contact to look at Trouble. “I’m going to bed. So I guess I’ll probably see you around?”
“You will.” She offered me a smile. “Pretty much guaranteed.”
I used the opportunity of her pending departure and brief conversation with Huck to slip down the hall and into my bedroom. I shut the door behind me and turned on my nightlight before using the dimmer switch to turn the lights off myself.
Climbing into bed, I waited anxiously to see if Ace would make an appearance before he disappeared into his own room. His boots echoed down the hall, pausing at my door for a minute, but he never turned the knob. Instead, I heard the lock click into place before he continued, wordlessly.
No surprise, sleep never came for me that night.
AS I EXPECTED, HUCK WAS just as gruff and accommodating the next morning. Throughout breakfast and as he barked orders of what I needed to do next, I caught him staring at me. He had that same strained expression from the first time he met me. As though I was a puzzle his brain just couldn’t figure out. Regret lingered in his eyes, and I didn’t know if it was because of what happened or the fact he couldn’t rid himself of me.
I ate my breakfast and dressed in a mechanical fashion, careful to tuck a wad of cash and some cards into the zippered pocket of my jacket. I didn’t anticipate it being cold today, but I thought if Huck questioned it, I could just tell him it was cold in the shop, which was true.
However, when I appeared down the hall, he barely even glanced at me before he had me marching out the door to his truck. He was a grumpy fucker today, and it only managed to grate at the raw wound between us.
The entire ride to his shop was silence filled, and neither one of us made a move for the radio. Every once in a while, I’d glance over at him, and then I’d feel his eyes on me when I looked away. It was a quiet game of cat and mouse, but try
ing to decipher what was on his mind only managed to give me a headache. As soon as we pulled into the lot of the shop and he led me inside, he gave me a good indication of how the day was going to go.
I followed him down the hall to the office, and he dragged out a lockbox full of hanging folders with a thick stack of papers jammed inside it. “You can organize those today.”
And with those explicit instructions, he left. The heavy metal door slammed shut behind him, echoing the sound of my chest splitting down the middle. I needed to get out of here. That much was evident. But it wasn’t going to be easy when I had to walk through the shop to do it.
I sat down with a sigh and yanked the stack of papers from the lockbox. Even though I knew leaving was the right thing, the actuality of running out on Ace felt wrong. But why? It didn’t make any logical sense, especially after his treatment of me last night. I could see how what Trouble said was true. Women tried not to fall in love with him, but somehow, they did. I just didn’t want to be another one of those women.
The morning ticked by slowly as I sorted through paper after paper and jammed them into the corresponding files. Some were bills, tax documents, health records, and the occasional personal document. I found a scanned copy of Huck’s driver’s license and stared at the glowering face in the photo for far too long. He hadn’t changed. His beard was the same, along with the same whiskey-colored eyes and the few lines etched into his face.
I couldn’t understand how he felt so familiar to me. How I had dreamed of him long before I’d ever met him. If my mother were still alive, I was certain she would tell me it was a sign I shouldn’t ignore. She believed strongly in fate and some magically divine plan the universe gave each of us. But look where that notion got her.
Still, against all rational thought, I wanted to know what was behind Huck’s mournful eyes and the barbed gates he kept around himself. How did he come to be that way? And what was it about me that made him feel like he needed to collect and dissect every detail of my life?
These were questions I’d probably never have the answer to, and when I checked the time, I realized I needed to turn my focus elsewhere. Escaping wouldn’t be my reality if I didn’t sort through these papers fast enough and find a way for Huck to put me to use in the shop. Certain he’d anticipate that I would take all day with this, I ramped up my production, only to be interrupted twenty minutes later.
A guy I recognized from the shop floor opened the door and then paused, startled to find me sitting there. He was wearing a leather vest just like Ace, only his had a prospect patch.
“Oh shit, sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. I just need to grab one of the files for a customer.”
I nodded, but the interaction didn’t end there. On autopilot, his eyes drifted over my body, flaring with heated interest that he tried to shake off a second later. I couldn’t be certain of my own motivations anymore, but I saw this as an opportunity. A way to prod at Huck and see how he really felt.
“Wait a second,” I told the interloper after he’d secured the file he wanted.
“Yeah?” He looked down at me as though I was bad news, and I didn’t try to hide my answering smile because he was right about that.
“What’s your name?”
He glanced at the door behind him as if he knew he shouldn’t be caught in here with me. “It’s Blake.”
“Blake.” I leaned back in the office chair and crossed my legs, drawing his attention there. “I’m Birdie.”
He tipped his head forward with what I assumed was meant to be a respectful nod, but instead, his eyes got caught on my chest. The jacket I’d packed was now secured around my waist, and the black tank I wore today dipped low enough to show just the top swells of my breasts. Blake wanted more, and I was prepared to eat him alive.
“I feel so silly asking this.” I toyed with a strand of my hair, blinking up at him. “But there are a few papers in here that I don’t know how to categorize. Would you mind giving me your opinion?”
Again, Blake glanced at the door, but ultimately, he allowed his dick to lead him as he stepped forward to be my savior. “Sure, I can help you out with that.”
I grabbed the first paper on the stack and slid it across the desk even though it wasn’t necessary. He had slowly closed in on me, invading my space to the point his arm was practically touching mine as we both leaned forward.
“Like this one.” I shrugged. “Does it go under miscellaneous?”
It was a stupid question since it was obvious that the bill should go into the utility file, but Blake pretended to consider it anyway. At least until his eyes grazed over the name at the top, and his back went rigid. “These aren’t business expenses,” he noted. “It looks like they’re Ace’s personal files.”
“Yep.” I nodded as if I didn’t understand the implication of his statement.
I doubted Ace would want his prospect in here rifling through his personal documents. But if that were the case, then why did he have me in here doing it?
Blake scratched at his stubble, shaking his head. “I’m honestly not too sure.”
Yet he didn’t move. I smiled up at him, and he swallowed. For a minute, we sat in limbo while I waited to see if he’d make a move. But as it turned out, it wasn’t necessary.
The door slammed open, shocking the hell out of both of us, and Blake took a step back, bumping into the counter as Ace glowered at both of us from the doorway. His eyes lasered in on Blake, and I knew in that instant I’d fucked up. I’d only intended to prod at him, but it was clear I’d woken the beast instead.
“Get the fuck out,” he growled at Blake. “Pack your shit. You’re done here.”
“Wait—” I jumped up from my seat in protest. “It wasn’t his fault. I asked him a question, that’s all.”
“Yes, sweet little innocent Birdie just loves to ask questions,” he mocked. “Don’t you?”
My mouth slammed shut, and I think it was the first time I’d ever truly been speechless. There was so much venom in his tone. His gaze was glacial, and I’d never seen him like this. Ace was always a brick wall of emotion, but right now, he was completely devoid of humanity.
“Did I stutter?” he barked at Blake. “I said get out. You’re done.”
“Fuck this shit, man.” Blake glared at me before he bolted out the door, slamming it behind him.
I tried to find something to say to make this situation better somehow, but Huck had other plans. He was already locking the door and pulling the shade shut before he stalked toward me like a predator intent on destruction.
“What part of you belong to me don’t you fucking understand?” He slammed both his palms down on the desk behind me, caging me in with his steel frame.
I glanced up, my eyes searching his for some part of him that I recognized, but all I saw was fire. Huck was about to teach me a lesson I wouldn’t soon forget, and as terrifying as that thought might be, it also sent shivers up my spine.
“What do you expect?” I shot back. “You left me to my own devices. This is what I do best, isn’t it?”
“Don’t play that game with me,” he snarled, his fingers biting into my jaw. “My dick was inside you last night, Birdie. Your ass, your pussy, and even that goddamned mouth I want to duct tape all belong to me. Get that through your head. You’re owned.”
“Fuck you,” I spat. “I don’t belong to anyone, least of all some barbaric caveman like you.”
Before I knew what was happening, Huck had me twisted around and bent me over the desk while his steely fingers tugged at my jeans. I heard the button snap off, and then the denim scraped over my skin as he pulled them down to my knees. He didn’t waste any time jamming his fingers between my thighs, cupping my pussy as his beard scratched against my cheek.
“Tell me now this doesn’t belong to me,” he growled.
The zipper of his jeans came down, and then his belt jangled as he removed it. I didn’t know what to expect next, but when I felt the crack of lea
ther against my ass cheeks, it sure as hell wasn’t that.
“Jesus,” I hissed. “That fucking hurt.”
“Good,” he rumbled, right before he did it again.
I tried to wiggle out of his grasp as I sucked in air, but he just pinned me down with a meaty palm in the center of my back and continued to whack my burning skin with the belt.
“You motherfucker!” I glared back at him, but his focus never moved from my ass. His eyes were liquid heat, molten with satisfaction. He liked his marks on me. He liked them so much he didn’t stop until my entire ass was red.
My head collapsed to the desk, thinking that was it. He’d leave me here with my ass on fire while he went back out in the shop to brood for the rest of the day. But that wasn’t the end. It wasn’t even close. The next thing I knew, I felt his cock nudging against me. In truth, I was soaked for him even though it didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t want him to know it, but there was little protest from my mouth when he spread me apart with his palms and buried himself deep inside me with a groan. It was feral. Possessive. And he didn’t have to tell me what he was thinking. It reverberated through me like a gunshot.
Mine.
The horror was how true it felt, even right then. Gone was the man from the night before who’d fucked me like he wanted to crawl inside my soul and never leave. Today, he was an animal, and his only intent was to take.
Insanity fueled his thrusts, his expansive frame ravaging me from the inside out. The agony that rumbled from his chest proved it wasn’t just mechanics for him. He needed this. The moment had possessed him, and it sounded like he would die without it.
When the traitorous sound of pleasure slipped from my lips, his fingers curled into my hips with a growl. He snatched the long tail of my hair and pulled, forcing me to arch my body. Heaving my tank top up, he palmed a fistful of my breast, kneading the delicate flesh as his hips battered against me. The steady rhythm punctuated his labored breathing and my heightened state of confusion and arousal.
