by T Steele
“Get Ruby home ASAP.” He glances at the girl beside me. “Give her a room, but keep a close eye on her.”
“I’m not fucking leaving—”
I start, but he slams the door in my face. I grab onto the handle and of course it’s locked. I unlock it, trying to jump from the car and Luca grabs me.
“Don’t fucking touch me!”
“I’m under orders,” he says, throwing his arms around me, keeping me in place. I flail and kick but it’s no use.
“Let’s go, Frank,” says Luca and that’s when we hear it.
The thundering vibration of a loud explosion.
Luca had kept his arms around me the whole way home and it wasn’t for comfort, nor was it sexual. After the explosion, I kicked and screamed and bit him, trying to free myself from his hold, but eventually I’d given up and fallen limp.
We arrive at the house at the same time as my dad. I’m relieved to see him, thinking John has to be close behind, but he’s sweaty and has dirt smudged all over his face.
And he’s alone.
I stride right up to him. “Where’s John?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. He disobeyed a direct order, Ruby.” He stomps into the house with me on his tail. The house is clean already and I’m not surprised. My father has people for everything.
“He saved your life! If it wasn’t for John, you and I would both fucking be dead,” I scream when I catch up to him.
“He’s not coming back. Someone will stand guard at your door and all the cameras will be on. I’ve never kicked someone out of the Family before. They usually leave with a bullet to the skull, but I won’t be that cruel to you.”
“You’re being cruel now!” I sob. “How can you do this to him? After all he’s done for you. After all he’s been through. You’re a bastard and all you’ve done is ruin my life!”
I stomp past him up the stairs. My eyes are puffy and raw from crying but I can’t seem to stop. I’m still shocked and angry and traumatized. I can’t think of anything else but the expression on John’s face when he saw me get out of that car.
My father stomps after me. “You need to have our doctor check you out. Right now!”
“I’m fine. Leave me the fuck alone.”
I run the rest of the way up the stairs. My face hurts and I’m exhausted, but it’s nothing that will kill me. Besides, I need to be alone right now.
I open the door to my bedroom, and my father follows me in. He opens the closet doors, looks under the bed. In the shower. The bathroom closet, and basically every corner in my room that could be considered a hiding place.
“No one’s here. Get out!”
My father stands, fuming, staring at my face. He closes his eyes. “Please let me call our doctor.”
“I’m fine. I’m alive, aren’t I?”
My father jams the heels of his hands in his eyes before slamming his palm onto my dresser. “Dammit, Ruby! I’m fucking trying here. Give me something.”
“I’m fine. Just get out.”
“I’m calling the doctor,” he says and swiftly walks from the room, slamming the door.
I collapse onto the bed, not knowing how to process everything I’ve been through, and then I hear it. There’s a small tap on my bedroom window and I jerk up, my eyes widening as I see John’s face through the glass.
I run to it, pulling it open and John’s big body somehow manages to gracefully slide into the room.
Once he’s standing straight, he pulls me into his arms, and I sob into his hard chest, finally feeling the comfort and peace that only he can give me.
“How did you do that?” I wheeze out.
“It’s not the first time I’ve needed to climb in a window, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing could keep me from you after tonight.”
I squeeze him tighter to me, trying to get in his skin and live inside him. Trying to think of ways where we’ll never have to be apart.
Suddenly he’s kissing me. It’s tender and sweet and so incredibly gentle. My tears mix with the taste of us together and it’s heartbreaking because I don’t know what’s coming next and after the night I had, I know I need John. I can’t live without him.
“I’m so sorry,” John says, his gravelly voice cracking.
My eyes snap up to his and his eyes are tormented, and sad, and filled with so much guilt.
“This isn’t your fault,” I say, running my hands up his chest and onto his cheeks.
He doesn’t answer, instead he lifts me in his arms and carries me to the bathroom.
He gently sets me on the sink and starts the water, putting his fingers under it to check the temperature. Once he’s satisfied, he turns to me. His fingertips skim the skin of my lower belly. “Is this okay?” he asks quietly and I tear up again.
His face darkens in rage at my expression. “Did they touch you?” he asks and his voice is surprisingly calm.
“No,” I say.
His thumb lightly glosses over my cheek bone where I was hit. “The two guys I found,” he pauses, then clenches his jaw. “Well, let’s just say they’re gone for good. I left them inside the house before I bombed it. They’ll never get to you again.”
He says this methodically and old Ruby would have been shocked and terrified, but new Ruby, the one who was kidnapped tonight is relieved they’re no longer out there.
“Good,” I say and he finishes lifting my shirt over my head.
He grabs my hand and stands me on the floor, stripping me of my pants. I see his nostrils flare and his intense eyes come up to meet mine. “I'm only trying to take care of you tonight, but it doesn’t mean I’m not still affected by your naked body.”
“It’s okay,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck.
He lifts me and sets me in the tub. “Is the water okay?”
“It’s perfect,” I say trying to smile up at him, then wincing when it hurts my face.
John closes his eyes, letting out a sharp breath before grabbing a washcloth. He lets it absorb the water and the smell of lilies wafts into my nose as he pours the floral body wash onto the cloth.
He slowly washes me, even getting my hair wet and massaging shampoo into my scalp. He scrubs my skin raw, like he’s washing away the events of the last twelve hours. “I wish I could wash away everything you’ve been through. I almost wish I could wash myself off of you as well,” he mutters. His hair falls forward in front of his hard face as he lightly runs the washcloth over my body. He’s so gentle with me, like he’s afraid I’ll break at any moment.
“Don’t say that,” I whisper.
His eyes meet mine and they’re defeated. I feel my lip quivering.
“Hey, hey,” he says softly, cupping my face. “You’re safe now. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“It’s not that,” I start, blinking quickly, trying to get ahold of my ricocheting emotions. “It’s just . . . what’s going to happen to us now that everyone knows?”
John’s still cradling my cheeks as his eyes skim my face. He leans forward, capturing my lips in a desperate kiss. I gasp around his warm tongue and he goes deeper. The cushion of his full lips against mine is what I need. When he pulls away, he leans his forehead against mine. His breath fans across my face. “I don’t know if I’m capable of love, Ruby, after all of the blood staining my hands. Especially love from someone like you. You’re like a goddess that’s swooped down from heaven to show me what happiness is like for a short period of time. I don’t know if I’ll ever be capable of love, but I know what I feel for you has to be stronger than that. I would go to hell and back for you. If you needed help to see, I’d cut out my own eyes and give them to you. If you needed help to walk, I’d cut off my own legs to help you walk. I’d beg for you. I’d steal for you. I’d kill for you. I’d die for you. Do I deserve you? Fuck no, and I never will, but I’m a selfish bastard and if you want me, I’ll fucking have you any way I can get you. I say that I own you, Ruby, but in truth, you fucking own me.” He brings my hand over his
heart. “I’m fucking owned.”
I tug at the strands of his hair to bring his mouth back to mine. The warmth of my tears mixes into our kiss but John doesn’t seem to care. He lifts me from the tub and water rushes over, soaking him, but that doesn’t stop him. He grabs a towel and wraps it around me, breaking our kiss. His eyes are wild and intense and crazy, but there’s a desperation there, too. And I understand it so well. Our unknown future hanging in the distance makes us hold each other a little tighter, makes each touch linger a little longer. Our kisses are more thorough. Everything means more in this moment.
When I catch my breath, I throw my arms around John, squeezing him and I cry into his chest. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear right now,” I finally get the words out.
John’s face is pained as he wipes the tears from my eyes. “Please don’t cry, Ruby. Especially not for a bastard like me.”
Instead of admonishing him, and telling him he’s not a bastard—something that will take him a long time to believe—I bring his head down to mine once more. Our lips collide tenderly. His knees bend as his hands slide down my body to my ass. He palms the flesh there before his big hands cup me and lift. I wrap my legs around him, never breaking the kiss. I feel his erection pressing against me and I sigh at the pleasure I know he’s about to deliver. The pleasure only he can give me.
His chest heaves and he walks out of the bathroom, laying me gently on the bed. He stiffly walks to my dresser, pulling out some clothing and makes his way back to me. His eyes trace over every inch of my body before he shakes himself and starts to dress me.
“We didn’t have to stop,” I whisper.
John purses his lips and then opens his mouth, then closes it. He’s not sure what to say and I smile at him.
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” he finally says.
“You won’t. I want this.”
When he still hesitates, I continue, “I need you right now. I need you to show me I’m alive. To show me that you’re real and I’m real and that we love each other. That we own each other.”
I see his adam’s apple bob, and his head bows low.
“What is it?” I ask.
“I’ve never made love before. It’s never been like this . . .” he murmurs in that deep rasp of his.
I walk over to him, linking my hands behind his neck, loving the feel of the soft curls at his nape. “It’ll be even better now.”
“I trust you,” John says and his voice is steady, like he’s always trusted me but he didn’t fully trust himself to say it aloud. Like he couldn’t admit it until now.
“You should. I’ll never hurt you,” I assure him
The words have barely left my mouth before he lifts me and props me up against the wall. His tongue devours my mouth, but he’s still careful not to press against my sore cheek. My hands go to the hem of his shirt, desperately trying to rid him of it. The hard length of his erection digs into me as he pins me to the wall with his pelvis. I tighten my legs around his waist as he lifts his arms, allowing me to finally pull off his shirt. He holds my ass up with one muscled forearm and then comes the sound of a zipper, then I feel the soft tip of his cock at my entrance. He grunts and I feel his muscles tensing with every move, and then, he’s finally inside of me.
I gasp, my eyes shut and my mouth opens as I arch into him.
Calloused fingers gently grip my chin and I open my eyes and find him gazing at me already. He licks his lips. “Eyes on mine,” he says.
I moan as he starts off with a gentle, slow pace. His length fills me up completely and then his hips move in a circling motion. He almost fully pulls out of me before stretching me once more, repeating the movements.
“Oh, God,” I moan.
His concave cheeks are extra pronounced as he clenches his jaw, watching me intently. I can tell he wants to speed up his pace, but he’s drawing it out. For him. For me. For both of us. It occurs to me that he may be trying to prove to me, and maybe himself, that he can make love. That he can do slow and steady.
I bring his lips to mine, trying to communicate just how much I believe in him. Showing him just how good he’s making me feel. How he always makes me feel.
He breaks the kiss, and his eyes are wild and heavy lidded. I imagine mine look much the same.
“You’re my salvation, Ruby,” he pants out.
I arch into him as he continues his steady pace. With the circling of his hips, every nerve ending in my body is preparing itself for the massive orgasm he’s about to give me.
“I’m not, John. That’s just what it feels like to be loved.”
He moans, and closes his eyes for a beat before opening them to slits. “Say it again,” he growls.
I don’t have to ask him what he wants me to say again. I already know. “I love you,” I say. “Only you, always you.”
His thrusts become more powerful and jerky. And my breasts bounce against his hard chest. His big, strong hands stay on my ass and he spreads me wide, his fingers touching me there. In that forbidden hole and my head falls back on its own volition as my hips buck vigorously. He pounds into me harder. Faster.
“Yes!” I moan.
Our skin claps against each other and the gleam of sweat coating John’s skin makes him look even more intoxicating than he already is. I lean forward, the movement adding pressure to my clit and forces a brutal orgasm. I muffle my pleasure with a bite to John’s shoulder that seems to only spur him on, and I feel the warmth of his release enter me.
He backs away from the wall until the back of his knees touch the bed and he collapses onto it with me on top of him. We stay connected in every way. Our chests are heaving in synchrony, and when the tremors in my body stop, I splay my hands on John’s hard chest, placing my chin on top of my hands. I look up at him and I try to communicate just how grateful I am for him.
A rivulet of sweat cascades down his chest and I lean forward, licking it, and his eyes darken once more. He’s up and flipping me onto my back in a heartbeat. He’s on his knees, cock still inside me.
His jaw clenches as his eyes travel the length of my body and I clench around him tightly, causing him to hiss in a breath between his teeth. He keeps a firm hold of my ass, keeping me in an arched position and slowly pulls out of me, only to slam back into me. I instantly cum again as he pounds into me, the pace punishing in the best way possible. My fingers grip the sheets, as my limbs quiver and shake uncontrollably.
“My Ruby,” John breathes like a prayer. “I. Fucking. Love. You. Too.” His voice is guttural, feral, untamed. And I keep cumming.
My head whips back and forth. My hair sticks to my sweaty face and with every involuntary buck of my hips, John hits my G spot once more. And the pleasure is so potent, so addicting. I don’t know how I ever lived without John Russo.
After he finds his climax once more, he pulls out of me, collapsing beside me. The room smells like sex and I can’t help but smile when I turn to him, cuddling into his muscular body. He puts his bicep under my head before nuzzling the stubble of his jaw against my hair and kissing my forehead.
After a few beats of silence, he gently detaches himself from me, and picks up the clothes he was going to dress me in earlier. He helps me into them even though I’m a big girl and could have done it myself, and then he dresses himself. He pulls back my comforter, patting it, indicating he wants me to lay down.
I do and he smooths the hair back from my face, staring at my swollen cheek. “I’m so sorry,” he mutters. “I shouldn’t have done that with you. We should call the doctor.” His voice is heavy with guilt.
“I’m okay. I don’t feel too bad, just tired,” I yawn.
He watches me a moment before sliding under the covers beside me. He grabs the remote, turning the TV on. He’s flipping through so fast, that I’m surprised we catch it. But when John’s face appears on the news screen as a wanted arsonist and murderer, I gasp. Fear like I’ve never felt before drops like a shattered glass into my stomach.
I look over to John and he’s gripping the remote so hard that it cracks and I’m surprised it doesn’t break.
His eyes meet mine. “Someone snitched,” he says emotionlessly. “I can’t stay here, Ruby. If they track me, I’ll lead them straight to you.”
Chapter Sixteen
John stands from my bed, clutching the remote as the details of the explosion and the “victims” who were found inside are explained, along with the horrible suffering they’d endured before it.
And then, my bedroom door slams against the wall as it opens. My dad charges in, followed closely by a woman who I assume is a doctor on his payroll. When he sees John’s face, his hand goes to his gun, pulling it from its place at his hip.
I’m up and standing in front of John before I’m even consciously aware of doing so.
“You’ll have to kill me, too, Dad. If you harm John in any way, I’ll never fucking forgive you.”
“Ruby,” John growls, gripping my shoulders and shoving me behind him.
“What did I tell you the last time we spoke?” my father asks softly, gun still raised.
I scoff, trying to step back in front of John, but he keeps his hands on my arms, keeping me firmly behind him.
“Don’t fucking raise a gun at me when Ruby is this close. If you’re going to kill me, take me somewhere else to do it,” John growls.
“No!” I shriek, and there’s footsteps and then Luca and Frank are there and then Ryder appears as well, looking weak with his arm in a sling.
I slip through John’s hands, and jump onto the bed so that he can’t reach me. I run in front of him, straight up to the gun and rest it on my own forehead.
“Ruby!” John shouts while everyone else gasps.
“You’ll have to kill me first.”
My father jerks away, pointing the gun down, looking slack jawed and enraged at the same time. The men's faces around the room are all in different states of shock, and if the situation wasn’t so dire, I’d laugh.
“Leave, John,” my father grits out. “I should kill you for your betrayal, but I can’t do that to Ruby. So, I ban you. Leave now, or face the consequences.”