KILLER: An Unfit Hero Novel

by Faiman, Hayley

  I can’t help but chuckle at Aaron’s words. He’s never really liked women all that much, seeing as he’s been married four times, you’d never know it though. I take his relationship advice with a grain of salt, always have, though I haven’t ever really needed it.

  “This is an important time for your brand, Louis. We need to make sure that we’re doing everything the right way,” Troy attempts to explain.

  Rationally, I know that he’s probably right. If I want to go to the next step, in my career, become more diversified in my appearances, or whatever, then I should give a fuck about my brand. I don’t though. I’ll fight until I’m too fucking broken to fight. I’ll do that with whatever woman I want, or don’t want, at my side.

  Shaking my head once, I level both Troy and Gary with a flat expression. “Don’t fuck with my personal life. I will not have any fake relationships and I will not pretend that I don’t have a girlfriend. Tulip isn’t going anywhere, she’s mine and that’s all you need to know.”

  “Tulip?” Gary asks. Lifting a brow, I silently dare him to comment on her name. “The media is going to have a field day. No pun intended,” he snorts. “Seriously though, once her name is leaked, they’re going to fucking roast her alive. A country bumpkin named Tulip.”

  He’s shaking his head, looking down at the floor and I want nothing more than to punch him square in the goddamn jaw. Clearing my throat, I take a step back.

  “I’m not talking about this anymore, let’s get started with the actual goddamn meeting,” I snap.

  We spend the next several hours going over my schedule for the next twelve weeks. Not only do I have to do my regular training, but I’m also going to have to do some press shit before the fight. Which means that I’ll have to go back to Vegas earlier than I had hoped.

  “Seriously, Louis, think about ditching the girl, just until the fights are over. After that, do whatever you want,” Gary practically begs.

  Shaking my head, I snort. “I’m going to do whatever I want no matter what, Gary. Don’t fuck with me.”

  They leave and head back to their shared Airbnb, one that I’m paying for. The rest of the team arrives tomorrow and the only person staying in my home with me is the chef and only because I know that he needs complete access to my kitchen at all hours of the day and night.

  Cradling my face in my hands, I can’t help but think that I’m about to drag Tulip through a hell that she doesn’t deserve, all because I’m a selfish fuck and I want to keep her for myself, always.

  I will fight to protect her too, against anyone who says anything negative about her. Against the world, if I fucking have to.

  Chapter Fourteen

  TULIP

  I wait outside of the grocery store for what feels like an hour. Glancing down at my phone, I frown, realize that it’s really only been ten minutes. A long ten minutes. I decide to scroll through the contacts on my phone in search of Louis’ name.

  He’s never been late to pick me up before and I’m kind of surprised that he’s late now. Biting the corner of my lip, I wait as the phone rings. He doesn’t answer. Leaving him a short voicemail, I let him know that I’m waiting outside for him.

  Glancing around, I let out a sigh. I wait another fifteen minutes; he doesn’t respond to my voicemail or my three texts. I send one last text to let him know that I’m going to start walking toward my apartment. Luckily, my place is not too far away, just a couple of miles.

  Hitching my purse over my shoulder, I head in the direction of my building in hopes that Louis will meet me halfway at least. Biting the corner of my lip, my feet carry me away from the store.

  The entire time, all I can think about is the fact that he had his meeting and now he’s unreachable. A sick feeling settles at the pit of my stomach, like maybe it’s already happened, maybe he’s already done with me.

  I hear a vehicle pull up next to me and stop. My heart rate speeds up a bit, even though I know that nothing bad ever happens in Gallup, not really. I slowly turn my head to look over my shoulder, expecting to see someone I know.

  It’s someone I know all right. But it’s not who I would ever expect. And I don’t recognize the small single cab pickup truck he’s driving either.

  “Tulip, what are you doin’ walking down the street? Where’s your car?” he asks.

  It’s the first time he’s looked clean in weeks. If you had told me the last time that I saw him, that he would be this man in front of me only days later, I would call you a liar.

  Also, he looks healthy, and if I’m not mistaken, possibly even happy. He looks the way he did as a teenager and something shifts inside of me toward him.

  “It’s at my apartment. I just…”

  “He didn’t come get you?” he asks, speaking of Louis.

  I can’t deny that something ugly passes through me at the thought of Louis forgetting me. I shouldn’t be upset. He’s been completely focused on me for days, close to two weeks. He’s spent every waking moment being at my beck and call. His schedule is starting to ramp up for this fight and I shouldn’t be upset at all, this is a good thing. It feels so bad though.

  “I think he just got busy,” I lamely excuse. I shouldn’t be talking to him at all, the things that he said to me the last time that I saw him, I should be running away, not walking.

  He shakes his head. “Yeah, okay. Let me give you a ride home at least.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I say, hesitating.

  Joey closes the distance between us. “You called him, right?”

  “More than once and texted,” I breathe as he stands a little too close, but he thankfully doesn’t touch me.

  I’m grateful for that, right now, I need space. I’m not attracted to Joey, I don’t want him back, never will. But we were together from the age of thirteen. He will always be special, before it went bad we had some really good times.

  “No funny business, I just want to get you home,” he offers with a lopsided grin.

  Nodding, I whisper an okay, then make my way over to the passenger seat of his pickup. Buckling myself into the seat, I wait for him to round the hood and sink down into the driver’s seat himself.

  “You seem different,” I whisper as soon as he eases back into the minimal traffic of our small town.

  He chuckles as he shifts the truck. “I am. Got a job down at the rock quarry. It’s hard work and I don’t make much, but I’ve been going in every day,” he explains. “Stopped drinking and stopped using. Changing my life around, Tulip.”

  “Really? That’s wonderful,” I whisper.

  “It’s because of you, Tulip. You kicking me out and meaning it? Refusing to let me back, even when I tried to bully you and scare you into it, really woke me up. I’m in my mid-twenties and I have nothing to show for myself, until yesterday I didn’t even have this used truck. How fucking pathetic is that?”

  I want to agree with him and add in a few more pathetic things that he was, but I don’t. Instead, I just give him a small smile and nod. “I’m really happy for you, Joey.”

  “Thanks. Like I said, it’s because of you. Maybe one day we can try again, once I’m truly on my feet, but not before.”

  “Not before?” I ask, having no intention of getting back with him ever, but I’m curious about what he’s going to say.

  He clears his throat as he pulls into my apartment building parking lot. “Yeah, when I have my own place, when my job is steady and I’m working toward moving up. When I’m no longer a fucking burden to anyone.”

  “Who is she?” I ask, smiling toward him.

  He shakes his head. “Nobody. Just decided not to be the boy that I was anymore.”

  He pulls into an empty parking spot and my breath hitches when he reaches out and cups my cheek with his warm palm.

  “You know that I really always loved you, Tulip. I had a shit way of showing it, but that was more because I wasn’t happy with myself, nothing I ever did to you I did because of you. It really was all m
e.”

  His words. They cause my entire body to tremble. Tears fill my eyes and I lift my hand, wrapping my fingers around his wrist to hold him there for a moment. If this version of Joey had come to me a year ago, I would have welcomed him back with open arms, but it’s just too late.

  “You’re going to be a wonderful man, Joey. Just keep doing exactly what you’re doing. In only days, I see a huge difference in you. Imagine what changes you’ll make in a year, two, five,” I murmur.

  His lips turn back up into that goofy lopsided grin and he shakes his head. “Yeah. Go on now, your man looks like he’s about to rip my goddamn head off.” He chuckles.

  Looking over my shoulder, I notice that Louis’ truck is parked in the parking lot, but he’s leaning against the side, his arms crossed over his chest with a pair of mirrored sunglasses on. Though those sunglasses are pointed directly at us and it feels as though his eyes have lasers and he’s trying to burn holes into both of our bodies.

  “Be well, Joey,” I whisper, not taking my eyes off of Louis as I pull on the truck door handle and push it open.

  “Tulip,” Joey calls out.

  Standing next to the truck, I shift my gaze back to meet his. “Yeah?”

  “If he hurts you, I’ll kill him myself,” he snaps.

  I don’t respond with anything other than a smile as I close the pickup truck door. Turning to Louis, my feet slowly carry me toward him. I stop directly in front of him and tip my head back with a shaky smile.

  He doesn’t even look down at me, instead he reaches out, wrapping his hand around my wrist before he stands up straight. Then, wordlessly, he tugs me behind him toward my apartment door.

  His feet move so quickly that I have a hard time keeping up with him and am forced to jog beside him in fear of him dragging me behind him on the ground.

  LOUIS

  Jealousy coils in my stomach at the sight of Tulip sitting next to Joey in a busted ass single cab truck. I don’t know what she’s doing with him, but I’m fucking pissed right the hell off. I was twenty minutes late to pick her up at work and she’s already sneaking off back to him?

  What the absolute fuck?

  “You’re hurting me,” she whimpers as soon as we walk into her small apartment.

  Immediately my hand leaves her wrist and I place it on my hip instead. With my other hand, I reach for my glasses and rip them off of my face before I stare down into her watering but still gorgeous eyes.

  “You fuckin’ him?” I demand.

  She gasps. “Excuse me?”

  “I mean, maybe it’s because you know you won’t be getting any dick from me for a couple months, I don’t know, but you looked awfully fucking friendly down there,” I snap.

  Tulip shakes her head a couple of times, her blonde hair flying around her shoulders. I want to bury my hand in that hair, tilt her head to the side and remind her just exactly who the fuck I am and where she fucking belongs.

  “You were late, I started to walk home when you hadn’t responded to my calls or texts. Joey just happened to see me on the side of the road and offered to give me a ride. Nothing happened, nothing will ever happen, but the fact that I have to remind you of that kind of pisses me off, Louis.”

  I blink, unused to the way she’s speaking to me. Her face is red, her eyes watery, and her body is trembling with what I assume is anger. She takes a step forward and lifts her balled up fists before she slams them down against my chest.

  “Tulip,” I rasp.

  She shakes her head, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. “Don’t,” she croaks. “We’ve only been apart since this morning, and I’ve been at work all day, but it didn’t take long for you to assume I was falling in bed with Joey. Just walk away from me, you asshole.”

  Lifting my hands, I wrap my fingers around her wrists and tug her body ever closer to me, grunting when she slams against my chest. “Never, Tulip. You’re mine,” I breathe.

  “I know I’m yours. But I don’t think you realize how devoted I am to you. There’s nobody else, Louis. There never will be, either. You broke my heart by accusing me of that, accusing me of being like Joey, of cheating.”

  Lowering my head, I touch my mouth to hers. “I shouldn’t have said that, I was just pissed off.”

  “It wasn’t nice,” she grates against my mouth.

  Tracing her lips with my tongue, I can’t deny that her salty tears taste fantastic and although I wish she weren’t crying, it’s sexy as shit. Sliding my tongue inside of her mouth, I release one of her wrists and tangle my fingers in the back of her hair as I kiss her.

  Her stiff body relaxes and melts toward me and it’s then that I know that I’ve gained her forgiveness for my heated accusation. I don’t really think that she fucked Joey. I know better than that, it just looked bad and my anger got the best of me.

  Breaking the kiss, I nibble on her bottom lip before I pull my face away from hers and look down into her pretty blue eyes. Tugging gently on her hair, I smile down at her.

  “I’m sorry I was late, baby,” I mutter. “Got distracted while I was working out and I was trying to get to you. I ignored my phone, I shouldn’t have.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have,” she sighs. “Since you’re going to be busy, I’m going to take my own car to and from work again.”

  Lowering my head, I run my nose alongside hers. “Sounds like a good idea, as long as you come to and from my place every day,” he breathes.

  “Every day? But I live closer to the store than you do,” she exhales, her body trembling for a different reason this time.

  I hum, enjoying the reaction her body has to me. I fucking love that she gets so turned on by me, even the simple closeness we’re sharing, completely clothed, I know that if I put my hand down her jeans, she’d be soaked for me.

  Lifting my head, I look down into her face and realize that I need to make a serious commitment to her, not just for my own personal sanity, but to prove to her that I’m in this one hundred percent.

  She deserves to know where she stands with me, especially since my schedule is about to get downright insane.

  “Move in with me,” I blurt.

  She blinks as her lips part in awe. Tugging her even closer to me, I grin down at her. “Move in with me, baby,” I coo.

  She shakes her head. “It’s only been a couple of weeks,” she breathes.

  “Yeah, but I’ve been thinking about you for months. Thinking about how you taste, smell, and feel. Been dreaming of you, Tullie. Live with me. Save your rent money for your future, whatever you decide to do with it. Just fall asleep next to me and wake up right there, too. Every fucking day.”

  Licking her lips, I watch as the wheels no doubt turn in her head. Her gaze shifts to the side before she brings it back to me. “Okay.” She nods.

  “Yeah?”

  Her mouth turns up into a grin. “Yeah,” she says again through her smile. “Oh my God, are we crazy?” she asks.

  Lowering my head, I touch my lips to hers. “No fucking doubt,” I grunt against her mouth before I take her, consume her—own her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  TULIP

  “Ride me,” he demands.

  Last night was supposed to be our finale sexcapade before Louis started training, but as I straddle his hips while he lies down in my bed, I can’t feel bad that it obviously wasn’t.

  I want him, all of him, immediately. I’m selfish and greedy, but I’m not sure that I feel remotely bad about that.

  Lifting slightly, I close my eyes as he aligns his cock with my center and I’m able to slowly sink down along his length. With a hitch of my breath, I let out a moan when I’ve taken all of him inside of me.

  “Fuck,” he curses as his fingers grip my hips.

  He holds me still, which is fine with me. I’m trying to catch my breath as I look down at him. He’s so gorgeous that he’s stolen my breath from me. His green eyes sparkle, his jaw is clenched and his nostrils flare slightly.

  Placing my
hands on his chest, I slowly roll my hips, watching as his eyes roll in the back of his head. One of his hands moves between us and my head falls back as his thumb presses against my clit.

  “Lean back a little, ride, baby,” he instructs through gritted teeth.

  I do exactly as he instructs and let out a cry at the sensations that immediately take over. I can’t go slowly, not with his thumb firmly rubbing circles against my clit and the way that his cock stretches me.

  It’s all too much. I ride him, rolling my hips as my hand reaches back behind me and my fingers grip his firm thighs.

  “Yes,” I hiss as I climb toward my release.

  I don’t want to come yet though. I want to stay right here for a lifetime. The way I feel in this moment, I wish that I could feel this way every second of every fucking day.

  Louis’ hand on my hip grips me tighter as I begin to jerk my hips harder with each roll. Being brave, needing more, I release his thigh with one of my hands and cup my breast.

  Pinching my nipple, I tug on it the way that he usually does. It doesn’t feel as good as when he does it, but I can’t deny that it sends a thrill throughout my entire body when I do.

  I can feel my climax coming, there’s no holding it back either, not even if I tried. I wish that I could, because I don’t want this to be over—not ever. My entire body stills when it takes over, but Louis doesn’t stop.

  Moving his hand from between my legs, he wraps it around my other hip and he uses my body, shifting me the way he needs until he comes inside of me. I can feel his release fill me and I wonder if it’s wrong that I love every second of the way it feels filling me up.

  Opening my eyes, I lean forward and gently fall to his chest. Nuzzling his neck, I touch my lips to his warm skin.

  “I’ll move in with you, but do you know why?” I ask. He hums as his hands begin to stroke up and down my back. “Because I love you, Louis Kingston. I loved you the second I saw you swagger up to me at the movie theater.”