by Sarah Bailey
“What the hell, Quinn? What are you doing?” she hissed, trying to discreetly pull her hand out of mine.
“Be quiet.”
I felt her stiffen at my tone and stop her attempts to escape me. Glancing around, I pulled her into the ladies’ toilets. There were two women by the sinks whose eyebrows shot up when they saw us, but I ignored them, dragging Ash into a cubicle and locking the door behind us. I kicked the seat closed and turned to her.
“Now, you listen to me,” I started in a low voice as I grabbed her arm and tugged her closer before tipping her face up with my other hand so she’d look at me. “It has only ever been you. It will only ever be you. Anyone who says anything different is lying. Are you going to stand there and tell me you believe a woman you’ve never even met before this evening over me?”
Her bottom lip trembled and she shook her head. Ash knew better. She knew how much I adored her. How she’d become my entire universe.
“Leah and I had the worst fucking relationship imaginable. You can ask the boys who will confirm it for you. They hated her. She would constantly try to get me to ditch them because she didn’t like how close we were. She was crazy, cheated on me and gave me hell all the time. The only reason I still went back time and time again is because I was bored. It was wrong of me, but it’s the truth. We ended for good when she gave me an ultimatum, her or the boys. As you know full well, I chose Xav, Eric and Rory. That’s the end of it. Whatever she said just now, she did it to make you jealous because she’s vindictive and clearly hasn’t changed in the past thirteen years since we broke up. So, tell me, little girl, are you still angry with me or are you going to calm the fuck down?”
Her blue eyes clouded over. Maybe I was an idiot, but I wanted to kiss away the frown on her face. Ash drove me absolutely nuts, but I still loved her for it. I needed everything about her in my life. Our love was volatile, but there was tenderness and affection between us at the same time.
“Quinn…”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“Well good. I love you too.”
“Good.”
We stared at each other for a moment longer before my mouth crashed against hers and she wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing as close as she possibly could to me.
“Little girl,” I almost moaned against her mouth, shoving her backwards into the wall.
The need to be inside her pounded in my veins.
“We’re in a restaurant,” she murmured against my lips.
I hadn’t forgotten. Pulling away, I stroked her face, eying her lips and wanting to kiss them all over again.
“Punishment comes when we get home…”
“Don’t we have to deal with you know who first?”
I almost slapped my hand over my head. We did have to deal with him first depending on what dosage Xav gave Carlo to knock him out.
“For fuck’s sake, you’re right. Fine, we deal with him then punishment, understood?”
She nodded, running her fingers along my neck.
“Good, now let’s go have a nice dinner together since I have no idea when I’ll be able to take out you like this again.”
Ash smiled up at me, her eyes twinkling.
“Yes, sir.”
I groaned as I unlocked the cubicle door and tugged her out. Thankfully, there were no women in the toilets this time.
Nothing surprised me when it came to me and Ash any longer. We fought. We taunted each other. And yet we still loved hard. Our push and pull kept us grounded. It’s how we worked. Nothing would keep me from my little girl. Nothing at all. So fighting with her over shit? Didn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. I’d still punish her before worshipping her the only way I knew how later on when we were alone. Then we’d fall asleep in each other’s arms, content and satisfied.
Ash stared up at me as I lead her back out into the restaurant, her eyes betraying her love and affection. I’d fight with her to hell and back if she kept looking at me like that. Just like that. As if I was her heart and soul. Her fucking king.
She was my queen. And soon, she’d been the queen of ashes when we destroyed Frank Russo for good. With Ash by my side, I could accomplish anything. First, we would deal with Carlo and send Russo a message.
We’re coming for you, Frank. We’re coming. And you should be fucking scared out of your fucking mind.
Chapter 20
The moment we got in the front door, I heard a voice which sounded distinctly like Xav singing, “The lovebirds are home!”
I rolled my eyes and Quinn huffed.
“Does he ever switch off?” I muttered.
“No. Never.”
All three of the others popped their heads around the living room door.
“Did you two have fun?” Eric asked as they filed out of the room the next minute.
“Apart from Quinn’s ex-girlfriend turning up, yes we did.”
I hung my coat up, ignoring their stares, which were mostly directed at Quinn.
“Hold up, Leah was at the same restaurant as you?” Xav asked, incredulity dripping from his tone.
“Yes, fucking Leah,” Quinn grunted, walking by them and looking distinctly pissed off.
I honestly couldn’t blame him. We had got into a bit of an argument over it until I realised I was simply acting irrational and jealous after he explained the circumstances of their relationship. Quinn was mine and only mine. He’d opened up to me, given me his love, trust and affection. Besides, he’d had to deal with my ex and the first guy I’d been intimate with so I had to suck it up. We both had pasts. What we had now was the most important thing. And it was each other.
“Oh shit, bet that was so much fun.”
“She called them childhood sweethearts,” I replied, following Quinn down the hallway towards the cell.
The peal of laughter coming from behind me had me glancing over my shoulder. It wasn’t just Xav, Eric and Rory had joined in too. If I hadn’t believed Quinn before, I certainly did now seeing their reactions to it.
“Oh man, that’s fucking rich. She made our lives hell, not to mention whenever they broke up the three of us kept betting how many other people they’d fuck before getting back together.”
I raised an eyebrow. Quinn hadn’t mentioned that part.
“Oh really now?”
“I never cheated on her,” Quinn said as we all arrived outside the cell door. “Now instead of reminiscing on my past failures, can we please deal with this shit?” He waved at the door. “I, for one, don’t want to waste any more time.”
Xav looked between us then smirked.
“I see how it is, you just want to take Ash to bed.”
Quinn smirked.
“And?”
I rolled my eyes and shoved Xav’s arm before waving at the door myself.
“Can we please get on?”
“Is he awake yet?” Quinn asked, pressing a hand on the door.
“No, we’ve been monitoring him, but nothing yet,” Eric said.
Quinn pushed the door open and walked in followed by the rest of us. He glanced back at Rory giving him a warning stare. We all knew how much Rory wanted to get rid of Carlo for good. He stayed back by the wall as the rest of us walked up to the prone figure on the floor who had a shackle wrapped around his wrist. The one they’d put on me when they brought me here. I didn’t like the memory or the reminders of that time.
“Okay, angel?” Xav murmured to me.
I shook my head. Being in here bothered me far more than I expected. I wanted them to get rid of this cell. He reached up and squeezed my shoulder. I turned into him and he wrapped an arm around me, giving me the comfort I needed.
“How much did you give him?” Quinn asked, nudging Carlo with his foot.
“Enough to knock him out, but not so much he’ll be out as long as Ash was when we took her. I know what I’m doing.”
It should’ve made me feel unc
omfortable, them talking about me like that, but it didn’t.
“Okay, I have to know. Who exactly injected me?” I asked.
The boys looked between them before Quinn pointed at Eric who flushed.
“He did, then Xav carried you out into the hallway, along to the lift and down to the carpark. We hacked the cameras so they went blank before we took you. That way, Russo wasn’t able to find out who took you. He didn’t even know we were there. We brought you home and put you in here and you know what happened next.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. There wasn’t exactly any way we could go back in time and erase that part. I couldn’t hate them for it. They’d set me free. And we’d forged an unconventional kind of relationship together.
A groan came from the floor and all of us looked down. Carlo shifted and rolled onto his back. When he opened his eyes, he blinked rapidly. Then he was looking around frantically as he took in his surroundings and the fact he was chained up before his eyes finally rested on us.
“What… what the fuck?” he croaked.
“It’s nice to see you’re awake,” Quinn said with a deadly expression on his face.
“Who are…” he faltered when his eyes found mine. “Ash? What did you do?”
I stepped out of Xav’s arm and stared directly down at Carlo.
“I told you I’d come for you, Carlo. It seems you haven’t got any smarter since the last time we saw each other.”
“Why am I still alive?”
I smirked before squatting down so we were eye level.
“We’re going to send Frank a little message. He thinks he’s untouchable. Pity really. He’s always underestimated me. And he’s definitely underestimated my men.”
Fear bled out of Carlo. His skin was clammy, his brow beading with sweat and he looked like he was about to piss himself.
“Shit, Ash… I’m sorry I tried to kill you, okay? I don’t… I don’t want to die.”
I shook my head.
“Who said anything about dying? None of us are planning to kill you… yet.”
The last word hung in the air. He didn’t need to know we didn’t intend to kill him. Only if Frank decided not to cooperate with us, would we consider disposing of Carlo as an option.
“You’re merely a hostage, but don’t mistake this for mercy. None of us has any for you.”
I rose to my feet and looked at the boys. I’d made sure they’d given him a blanket and pillow along with a glass of water which sat beside the little cot.
Carlo said nothing, merely looked between us with abject misery on his face. I didn’t feel sorry for him.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
I turned and walked out, not wishing to stay in the cell for another minute. When I got outside, I pressed myself up against the wall and took a deep breath, stuffing down the anxiety flaring inside me. Rory joined me. When he saw me, he immediately came to my side and pressed his uninjured hand to my face, stroking a thumb down my cheek.
“Little star,” he whispered. “It’s okay.”
“Ror,” I choked out.
“Shh, shh, come here.”
He wrapped his injured arm around me and pulled me against his chest. Fingers tangled in my hair, stroking down my scalp in a soothing manner.
“I don’t like being in there… I hate that room.”
“I know. You don’t have to go back in. The others will deal with it, okay?”
I nodded against his chest. His warmth seeped into me, calming me down. I reached up and ran my fingers along his face.
“I love you, Ror,” I whispered, needing to say those words to him. “I’m so sorry you got hurt because of that idiot.”
He clutched me tighter.
“You don’t have to apologise, little star. Not your fault. You’ve done nothing but take care of me.”
“Is it selfish of me to want you better because I miss us so much?”
He let out a little chuckle.
“No… I want that too. You, me, no clothes and my bed sounds like heaven.”
I wished he was better. It wasn’t even about sex. I really missed the way we were together. It felt like our time got cut so short. He’d only just opened up to me finally and then the fucking car crash happened, derailing everything. Carlo robbed me of my Rory. I was still fucking pissed about it. When my beautiful broken man recovered fully, I’d give him anything he needed. I craved our violent version of making love.
“I promised Quinn tonight, but I’m yours tomorrow. Even if we can’t… you know… I just want to be close to you.”
He breathed out a sigh. I didn’t want to ruin his recovery by going too fast.
“I’d like that.”
I smiled into his chest. We could do whatever he wanted as long as I got to be close to him like this. He didn’t recoil at my touch any longer. He accepted it so readily, wanting everything with me. The way he’d come out of himself and grown to love me as much as I loved him still had me in awe some days.
We pulled away from each other when we heard voices and the boys filed out, Quinn shutting the door behind them. He reached out a hand to me. I went up on my tiptoes and kissed Rory gently before slipping my hand into Quinn’s and letting him lead me away upstairs.
“Is everything okay with Carlo?” I asked as we reached his bedroom door.
“Yes. We’ll record a video for Russo in the morning and set everything in motion.”
“I don’t like being in the cell… I want it gone.”
Quinn glanced down at me as we walked into his bedroom, a frown apparent on his face.
“You want it gone?”
“Yes.” I turned so he could unzip my dress. “I want it and the other rooms on that side of the house to be converted into bedrooms.”
His hands came up, unzipping my dress and carefully pulling it off me. I took it from his hands and folded it across the back of a chair. I’d hang it up in my wardrobe tomorrow. Next, I slid out of my shoes and padded into Quinn’s bathroom before setting about getting myself ready for bed. I kept stuff in each of the boy’s bathrooms now so I didn’t have to keep moving my shit around. It was more practical that way. Quinn came in with me, his eyes on me the whole time but he said nothing as he prepared for bed too.
I crawled into bed when I was done having discarded my bra in exchange for one of Quinn’s t-shirts. All my energy left me. My eyes felt heavy. I burrowed myself under the covers and got comfortable. I didn’t even raise my head to watch him undress like I usually enjoyed doing when I heard him moving about the room. The lights went out and the bed shifted behind me. The warmth of his body seared into me as he wrapped himself around my back. His fingers stroked my hair back from my face.
“Tired?” he asked quietly.
“Mmm.”
He kissed my shoulder and then settled himself down, his breath dusting across the back of my neck as he held me close. It occurred to me a minute later he’d promised punishment and sex in the restaurant. I felt bad immediately. We’d had such a romantic evening apart from our argument and here I was too tired to give him more than just a cuddle.
“Don’t you want to…?”
“Not if you’re tired.”
“And what about what I said just now?”
He was silent for so long, I didn’t think he’d answer me. I needed Quinn to be on board with it since this was technically his house. His hand dipped under my t-shirt, splaying out over my stomach.
“It reminds you of us taking you.”
I nodded. Whilst I could never forget how our relationship started, I’d moved past it. So having a stark reminder of it? It didn’t help me at all.
“When this is over… we’ll talk about getting rid of it.”
“Thank you.”
“I want you to feel like this is your home too, little girl.”
I felt more at home with the boys than I’d ever done anywhere else. It wasn’t the house
but being with them. They were my safety. They all owned pieces of my heart and soul.
“It is.”
He kissed the back of my neck, nuzzling my hair and stroking his fingers across my stomach.
“We could be anywhere, Quinn, as long as I have you and the boys, it’ll always be home.”
“You’re our home too.”
My heart tightened. Despite my exhaustion, I turned around in his embrace, tangled my hands in his hair and tugged him closer, allowing our lips to meld together. It wasn’t an all-consuming kiss, but a reminder of how much we meant to one another. It spoke of our love without words.
When we pulled apart, Quinn rolled on his back, pulling me with him. I settled my head on his chest, stroking my hand down his bare skin. And that’s how I fell asleep, tucked up against my man in the way he loved, dreaming of a future where the five of us were free from the tyranny of the man who’d raised me.
Chapter 21
Ash seemed subdued this morning when she came down to breakfast with Quinn. Even when Xav tried to engage her in conversation, her answers were short and her demeanour was completely off. It concerned me, more so when none of the others seemed to notice. Eric had taken Carlo breakfast. I’d had a word with him and Xav about making sure Ash didn’t have to go in the cell any more than necessary before Quinn and Ash came down, which they’d both agreed with.
We all filed out of the kitchen and walked to the cell. I caught up with Ash, putting my uninjured hand on her lower back. She leant into my touch, which put a smile on my face. I’d help ground her after the filming had taken place. She’d need me.
“How’s your wrist?” she asked, looking up at me as we came to a stop outside the cell.
“Okay, I guess. Doesn’t hurt too much and I can finally hold cutlery, just about anyway.”
The splint bugged the hell out of me, especially when the skin underneath it got itchy. The urge to scratch could be maddening. I daren’t take it off though, knowing the only way my wrist would heal was by keeping it in place. Ash had been helping me wash, which I kind of hated but put up with. Letting her take care of me seemed to make her happy. I’d do anything to see her smile and laugh, her crystal blue eyes twinkling with mirth.