Forget red rags to a bull, he was throwing gasoline onto the fire that was my rage.
“You’re fucking sick, mate. Sick in the head,” I said, hitting my temple with my finger.
“Yep.” He shrugged matter-of-fact. “To be fair, it’d be a waste sending her to him. Might keep her for ourselves. Do you reckon she can take five men at once? She might prefer it, after bouncing up and down on your needle dick and getting nothing in return.”
Hearing his sick remark, I charged forward, but Devon and Colton grabbed me, each one holding me by the arms to keep me in place.
“No need to get all defensive.” Adam stood square in front of me, pushing his face right into mine so our noses were almost touching. And then he did that insane twist of his head again, tilting it to the side like his brain was as imbalanced as his morals. “Because it’s not going to happen, is it? You’re going to be a good boy and do as you’re told. That way, everyone gets what they want. Except Uncle Tony that is. He gets fucked up, but does anyone really care?” He patted my cheek, smiling, and took a step back. “You can let him go now. I think he’s got the message.”
Devon and Colton loosened their grip and I shrugged them away roughly then rubbed over my biceps where they’d squeezed too tightly and probably left a mark.
“Check your inbox, Knowles… And you’re welcome. We’ll be in touch with the next task.” He turned to walk out and then spun back round to face me. “You’re so close to the end, I can almost taste it,” he teased and stuck his tongue out like the freak he was. And then they were gone, and I was left standing there, wondering when I’d become such a pushover.
Time to start fighting back, Knowles.
That war you wanted to win might’ve changed course and it might involve a whole new strategy, but you’ve lost focus.
That stops now.
You can still play their games and come out the winner. All you’ve got to do is keep your eyes on the prize. After everything you’ve been through, you’ve proven time and time again that you are unbreakable.
He might’ve stolen your past, but he sure as hell won’t rob you of your future.
I leant against the wall and let my head fall back. Then, when I was done putting it off, I pulled my phone out and opened up their video. This time there was a soldier stood behind Tony as he sat slumped forward, moaning and bleeding. I was pretty sure it was Colton, I recognised the tattoos on his hand as he held up a knife. He had his hood up and a black bandana over his face, but in his eyes I could see pure excitement. He loved the thrill of it all.
He grabbed a fistful of Tony’s hair and pulled his head up, then I felt my stomach roll over as I watched him take the blade to Tony’s face and slice again and again. Tony’s muffled screams pierced the air as he tensed with every cut. Eventually, all I could see was blood soaking through where his face had been. Chunks of flesh falling away and Colton laughing.
Then a voice closer to the camera said, “You’re as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside, aren’t you? Dirty, filthy, paedo scum. We should let you choke on your own blood, but we haven’t finished with you yet.”
Colton nodded and lifted Tony’s head back up, then held the knife under his chin, ready to make that fatal cut. And then darkness. The video cut off.
I couldn’t stop shaking. I went over to the sink to splash cold water on my face and then stared at myself in the mirror.
“You’re so close to the end, I can almost taste it.”
That’s what they’d said, and I believed them. They were going to slit his throat, but they needed one more favour from me. One more task and this would all be over.
The door behind me opened and a guy walked in and asked, “Are you Finn?”
I eyed him suspiciously.
“Yeah, why?”
“Because there’s a girl outside who asked me to come in here and check that you’re okay,” he said, thumbing behind him.
Fuck.
Effy.
I pocketed my phone and pushed my way past him. When I made it back into the now-deserted foyer she was frowning with worry.
“Are you okay? You were in there for ages. Do you feel sick?”
I did feel sick, but not in the way she assumed. I was sick because of what I’d watched, sick of being fucked by life and sick of getting back up to fight every damn day. It was exhausting.
“I’m fine,” I stated a little too abruptly. “We need to leave.” I stormed ahead, taking purposeful strides towards the exit, but when I noticed she wasn’t following me, I stopped and spun back around. “What?” I held my arms up, questioning why she was still standing in the same spot with her arms folded and her face like thunder. That’s when I realised I’d made my second mistake of the night. I’d pissed my girlfriend off.
“No.” She unfolded her arms to point at me like she was a teacher scolding a kid. “You don’t get to do that. Not anymore.”
“Do what?” My innocent act was shit. I knew I was behaving like an ass, but I had to roll with it. Stubbornness was another one of my traits that I couldn’t seem to shake, and so I owned it. “What is it I’ve done wrong, huh?”
“Walk away from me as if nothing happened. You were fine when you went in there and now you’re out here and back to being an arsehole. But tough shit, Finn. I’m your girlfriend now and I get to call you out on it. Cut the bullshit or at least tell me what’s wrong.”
I threw my head back and sighed then ran both of my hands through my hair, tugging on the ends in frustration.
“I’m fine.”
“Again. Bullshit. If you were really fine then why are you acting like a prick?”
I couldn’t help but smile. I actually liked that she was calling me out on my shit. It showed she really cared.
“I’m just stressed out. I got a message when I was in there and now I’m pissed.” I figured I’d give her the P.G. version of events.
“What message?” She narrowed her eyes at me. She wasn’t about to give it up anytime soon.
“A message from the boys.” I wasn’t lying. I just hadn’t specified which boys. “This party we’re doing, it’s all getting out of hand.” Again, no lie there. It was out of hand. Every day it drew closer was another day I lived with the dread of what would happen. I had a bad feeling about it and I knew the soldiers had something planned. Something which was aimed at destroying me.
“If you need help, I can help you. You only need to ask. Even if it’s just to sound off. But let’s get one thing very, very clear, Finn Knowles.” She started to walk slowly towards me, still pointing and still looking pissed off. “You don’t walk away from me again. Not ever. You’ve done it enough, and I won’t stand for it anymore. Understood?” She stopped right in front of me and cocked her head, only this was cute and playful and made me grin like an idiot.
“Understood.” I gave her a cheeky captain’s salute which made her laugh. Then I knew she’d forgiven me when she wrapped her arms around my waist.
“Good. We’re a team, remember? That’s the deal.” She gave me a cheeky wink and it broke my sour mood completely. This girl was the sparkle and sunshine to my grey clouds. Being with her made me want to shake off the masks I’d always worn that had held me back from knowing what true love felt like. I kissed her forehead and returned the hug, wanting to absorb everything about her into my whole being.
“Are you gonna be okay?” she asked, peering up at me with her gorgeous brown eyes full of concern.
“I am now I’ve got you in my arms.” I groaned. “Jeez, that sounded cheesy even for me.”
“It’s a good job I happen to like cheese.” She grinned back, and I was relieved that the storm brewing between us only moments ago was fading into the distance. Smiling, I leant down to plant a kiss on her lips.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Do you want to go and get something to eat?” she asked, threading her arm around my waist as we started to walk towards the exit.
“I’m not
hungry. I mean, I will if you want to, but right now, I just want to be alone in the car with you.”
“Me too.” She squeezed my side and I vowed to put all the bullshit to the back of my mind for a few more hours. She deserved that much.
We drove around for a while, chatting about anything and everything. Eventually, she pulled into the empty car park at the back of the waterworks where we’d held one of our last parties. She left the engine running so the heaters stayed warm, but when she turned to me there was a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Let’s get in the back,” she said, breathing a little deeper and then biting her lip.
I didn’t need to be asked twice. I reached across the middle console, and with the palm of my hand I stroked across her cheek and then pulled her towards me for a kiss. I threaded my fingers through the hair at the back of her neck as we lost ourselves in each other.
The kiss started off slow and tender, but soon the intensity of our feelings took over and it became deeper, more desperate. She pulled away first, placing her hand on my chest and panting out her breaths as she said, “Back seat. Now.”
The way she spoke, staring at me from under her eyelashes in such a needy way was the sexiest thing ever, and I nodded, climbing over and then sitting back with my legs open and my arms resting over the top of the back seats. When she climbed over after me, I reached out to pull her across safely and then she straddled me and I gripped her waist, wanting to have her as close as I could.
“I need you,” she whispered into my ear and ground down onto my rock-hard dick.
I tilted my head and started to kiss her again. This time there was no slow, only greedy. We couldn’t get enough of tasting each other, swirling our tongues together and moaning with how turned on we were. I put my hands flat on her thighs and ran them higher and higher up her legs until I was underneath the soft fabric of her dress. I groaned, realising she was wearing a thong, and palmed her ass hard as she lifted herself up to give me better access.
She whimpered as I smoothed my hands over her ass and then squeezed.
“Do you like that?” I asked, kissing down her neck and biting into her soft skin.
“I love everything you do to me,” she replied, all breathy and sexy. “Touch me here.” She reached back to take my hand and guided it between her legs.
I used my fingers to rub her through the lace. She was wet and feeling it made my dick strain hard in my pants.
“More,” she whispered, and I lifted the fabric to the side and started to run my fingers through her folds.
“Like this?”
She buried her face into my neck as her hips rocked on my hand and she grabbed the back of my neck as she moaned, “Right there, but I need you inside me too.”
I knew what she needed, but I wasn’t done playing yet. I could feel the hard nub of her clit and I smoothed my thumb up and down, then around. With my fingers, I stroked her and then pushed inside of her.
“Oh God, Finn. Just like that.” She held my neck tighter and fucked my hand, gasping into my ear and growing wetter as I curled my fingers inside her and stroked her walls.
“So good,” she said, angling her hips, and then she reached down and put her hand over mine, setting the pace, directing where she needed me to touch and rubbing herself hard into my palm. I watched her face as she closed her eyes, and then she threw her head back and I felt her pulsing as she came for me.
“So beautiful,” I whispered, watching her come down from her high. When she opened her eyes I saw so much love and lust I couldn’t wait any longer.
“I really need to fuck you.”
She didn’t answer, just nodded and pulled her thong down. I undid the button of my jeans with her still on top of me, and pushed them down to my ankles. I did the same with my boxers, but she helped me this time. Then, I held my breath as she ran her hand in-between my thighs and then cupped my balls, massaging and stroking them. Watching her hands on me, touching me, was everything. She moved to hold my dick and started to give me slow spine-tingling pumps and I threw my head back, savouring every single sensation.
“Do you still want to fuck me?” she asked, as if that was even a valid question at this point.
“More than I want to breathe.”
I opened my eyes to find her staring straight at me.
“How do you want me?” she asked.
“On top. I want you riding my dick.” I put my hand over hers and gave my dick a squeeze, then reached down and pulled a condom out of the pocket of my jeans. I lifted the packet to my mouth and her eyes shone as I ripped the foil with my teeth.
“Can I put it on?” she asked, biting that damn lip of hers, and it crossed my mind that a blow job would be really fucking awesome. The thought of having her lips wrapped around my cock made me want to come then and there. But I shelved that thought––for now––and smirked as I handed her the condom.
“Be my guest.” I wriggled my hips forward and settled back.
She placed the condom onto my tip and rolled it slowly down over my cock using a firm grip, and I groaned. It certainly felt better than putting it on myself. And now, all I could think about was being inside her, feeling her walls around me, gripping me and squeezing. I was addicted to her and I fucking loved it.
Her legs were open and she was hovering right over me, still holding my dick. I lifted the skirt of her dress so I could watch her as she rubbed me through her folds and then dipped me teasingly into her pussy and back out again. Just a gentle agonising tease, pushing herself over my tip and then pulling out again and rubbing my cock over her clit.
“I love you, Effy,” I said, grabbing her by the back of the neck. “And I love how fucking dirty you’re being right now.”
I yanked her forward and stuck my tongue down her throat, grabbing her around the waist with my other arm and thrusting up into her tight little pussy. Her cries were drowned out by my mouth on hers, and that spurred me on even more.
I carried on kissing her as I held her hips and pulled her down hard onto my cock, slamming into her over and over again. She pressed her forehead against mine as we panted together, our lips so close we were breathing each other’s breath and our moans filled the air along with the sound of our bodies grinding, slapping, riding each other. She held the back of the seat and rotated her hips, but when I reached down and started to rub over her clit, she grabbed me around the shoulders and pulled me into her.
“Fuck, Finn. I’m gonna come.”
It was music to my ears, and I kept the pace; rubbing, thrusting, holding her so fucking tight I swear I’d leave bruises. But I couldn’t stop. She was a drug and I was as high as a fucking kite.
I felt her walls clamp down hard on my cock, pulsating as she whimpered and moaned, and it took everything in me to hold onto my own orgasm and not shoot my load early like a teenage boy. She started to slow down, but I hadn’t finished with her yet. So, I moved to lay her on the back seat and then lifted her legs at the knees. Her pussy was glistening, swollen, and I couldn’t wait to push inside her again and feel her come at the same time that I did.
I climbed over her and held my dick, guiding myself back into her and she groaned as I pushed inside, stretching her open. I held onto anything I could grab in the back of that car to keep myself steady, so I could thrust into her hard. She lay back, her eyes hooded and boring into mine as I slammed into her. She lifted her knees up higher, wedging them into place, and I sank deeper, groaning at how fucking amazing she felt on my cock.
With each thrust, I could feel my balls tighten and then I reached the point of no return. I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I gritted my teeth, closing my eyes to try and ride the sensation out for longer, hold back my orgasm until I’d made her come again.
“Look at me.” She gasped and so I did.
When I saw her hand reach down and her fingers stroke through her folds and over her clit, I lost it. I came hard, and so did she. The pulse of my own orgasm was heightened with every squ
eeze I felt from hers. I kept thrusting and grinding as I felt hot cum spurting into the end of the condom. Every inch of my body was consumed by how fucking amazing it felt. I never wanted it to end.
Gasping for breath and still hovering somewhere between complete and total fucking ecstasy and nirvana, I slumped over her. My dick was still inside her and I couldn’t stop my hips from moving, gently thrusting so that I could squeeze every last drop of this feeling from her. She wrapped her legs around me and held me close. And for that moment, there was nothing else in this world other than us. Nothing else mattered. She was everything to me, and this feeling was one I wanted to experience every day until the day I died.
We lay together in the back of my car, panting to get our breath back and holding each other like it was the last time we’d ever see each other. My heart was so full of love for him, and I knew from the way he buried his face in my neck and stroked my hair that he felt exactly the same.
I always knew he was my soulmate, I just had to wait until his soul was ready to meet mine. It was all about timing. I used to scoff at Emily when she told me, ‘If it’s meant to be, it will happen,’ but she was right. This was meant to be. There was never any awkwardness between us, conversations weren’t forced, and everything felt right; magical even. After what had happened back at the cinema, I needed him to know that his happiness was intrinsically linked to mine. There was no him and me anymore, only us. We had to work together, stay in balance with each other. When one was hurting, the other felt it just as bad if not worse.
I know I did for him.
I suppose it was like having a twin, only he was my soul twin. The other half of me. I once googled what a soulmate was and it told me, ‘A soulmate is a reflection of yourself. Someone that will hold your hand and walk with you through the darkness.’ Finn lived in the darkness but I didn’t care. I’d always hold his hand.
Liv didn’t get it. She thought I acted like a freak over Finn. But she’d never understood the whole unconditional, all-consuming love like Emily and I did, maybe because she’d never found it herself. That, and she didn’t read the same kind of romance novels that we did. I couldn’t be mad at her for it though. One day, she’d find it too. And when she did, it’d knock her for six.
Fractured Minds (Rebels of Sandland Book 3) Page 17