KILLER: An Unfit Hero Novel

by Faiman, Hayley

  When it’s time for them to leave and go pick up Reese, I watch as Channing envelops Tulip in a long hug. Rylan watches too, then shifts his gaze over to me. “She’s going to be okay, brother,” he murmurs.

  “Fuck, I hope so,” I whisper.

  He dips his chin, extending his arm and grips my shoulder with his fingers. “She will. She’s been dealt some shit hands, but she has some good people at her back, and you. She’ll be okay.”

  Without another word, the two of them leave and we’re alone, again. Shawn and Aaron are in their part of the house, and as always have been keeping to themselves. I know that they want to give us space, they’ve mentioned it more than once during training.

  They can tell that Tulip hasn’t been handling shit well, not just because they’ve seen her zoned out on the couch, but because of my own shit coming into the gym, too.

  Aaron was really the one who pushed me into bringing in someone to talk to her, under all of his gruff exterior, I can see the worry in his eyes when it comes to my girl.

  “Ready for bed?” I ask.

  Tulip turns her head slightly, the rest of her body slowly following. She takes a step toward me, then another. I suck in a breath when I feel her palms press against my chest.

  Dipping my chin, I release an exhale as I look into her blue eyes, clenching my fists to keep from pulling her against me and taking her mouth.

  I watch as she licks her lips, my nostrils flaring at the sight, my cock aching with need. It takes everything inside of me, every single fucking ounce of control not to scoop her in my arms, back her against the closed front door and fuck her right here in the middle of the entryway.

  “Can we talk?” she asks, her pupils dilating with her own need.

  Grunting, I dip my chin before I take a step back and extend my hand to her, palm up. “Yeah we can, but we’ll talk in bed and naked.”

  “Louis,” she whispers as she slips her hand in mine.

  I tug her behind me as my feet carry me toward our bedroom. Her shit is still piled up in boxes in the guest room, she’s been wearing my clothes, so she doesn’t seem in too much of a hurry to unpack and to be honest, she looks fucking sexy in my shit, so I’m not in that much of a hurry for her to either.

  The only reason that I want her to is because I want her to start feeling like herself again, and I don’t think that having her life in boxes is the answer to that. I want her to feel like this house is hers, make sure that she’s comfortable here, because it is hers.

  Once we’re in the bedroom, I don’t bother locking the door behind us. Nobody will bother us in here, there’s no need for anyone to come in, not this late in the evening.

  Turning around, I don’t release her hand, instead I pull her against my body, closing my eyes when her chest slams against my own.

  “We need to talk, not that,” she breathes.

  My lips twitch into a small smile as I dip my chin to catch her lips in a soft kiss. “I know, baby. But we’ll be doing that later, so I want you right here.”

  Tulip’s lips turn up into their own smile and I can’t help but stare in awe at her. It’s a real fucking smile, a small one, but a real one and it’s fucking gorgeous.

  “I need to be better, not just for you, but for myself. I feel like a failure, I’ve been a failure and I’ve been stupid. I’m so mad at myself for not telling someone about those notes. I didn’t think that you could want someone like me, someone so damn stupid,” she snaps.

  “Tullie,” I practically bark. I fucking hate it when she talks down about herself. She may feel stupid, but she thought she knew who it was, she was convinced that she was safe. “We all make mistakes in life and you survived this one. There’s no reason to continually beat yourself up about this. You’re not stupid, not at all.”

  She nods. “I know. Channing and I talked. I’m going to work on how I view myself and also work on forgiving myself for my past. Forgiving myself for the bad decisions that I’ve made. I want to be the woman that you deserve, Louis.”

  Cupping her cheeks with my palms, I lean forward and touch her lips with my own. “Fuck, I love you, Tullie. Love you with everything that I have. You need to talk to a professional, I’ll pay. Don’t ever worry about that shit. You need to talk to me, I’m here always, yeah?”

  She nods, her eyes filling with tears. My thumbs swipe the wetness away as it falls from her eyes and down her cheeks. Lowering my head, I rest my forehead against hers. Closing my eyes, I inhale a deep breath.

  “Always here for you, Tullie,” I repeat on a rasp.

  “I’m sorry that I’ve been a little lost,” she breathes.

  Shaking my head, my fingers flex into her cheeks for a moment before I release them. “Never be sorry for feeling, baby. That’s what makes you, you.”

  “I wish that I was a stronger person, but I’m trying.”

  Lifting my head off of hers, I press my mouth to the center of her forehead. “You’re so fucking strong. Swear to shit, baby.”

  “I don’t feel that way,” she sighs.

  “You are.”

  Pressing my lips to hers, I fill her doubting mouth with my tongue and taste her. Rolling my tongue in her mouth, the taste of her fills me, and I moan.

  Her fingers wrap around my shoulders and she squeezes, holding on to me. I feel her soft tits press against my chest, her nipples poking through the fabric of both of our shirts.

  Sliding my hand down her side, around her back and slipping it beneath her sweats, I grab ahold of her ass. I swallow her gasp, picking her up and walk her over to the bed. I don’t put her on the mattress though, instead, I set her feet down on the floor.

  Taking a step back from her, I reach behind my neck, grabbing ahold of my shirt between my shoulders and pull it off before tossing it to the side. Reaching for her, I wrap my hands around her hips, fisting the overly baggy sweats of mine she’s wearing and I wrench them down her legs.

  “Louis,” she breathes.

  “Fucking you in my shirt, Tulip. Reminding you that you’re alive, you’re strong and you’re mine.”

  Before I can make another move, she grasps her fingers around my wrist and pulls my hand forward, guiding it between her legs. I cup her warm pussy, my eyes focused on hers, not leaving her gorgeous face.

  I watch as her lips part when I grind my palm against her clit. She widens her stand, opening her legs more, her tongue peeking out to wet her dry lips. Shifting my hand, I slip two fingers inside of her. Her breath comes out in a trembling exhale.

  It seems like such a juvenile thing, fingering my girl in the middle of a bedroom. Maybe I should be doing more, flipping her over and fucking her with every ounce of my strength on each thrust. But this right here, this almost innocent moment between us, it’s sexy as shit and I can’t even see an ounce of her naked flesh because the shirt she’s wearing hangs down to the middle of her thighs.

  Taking a step forward, my breathing starts to come out in pants as I pump my fingers in and out of her warmth. Lowering my head, I touch my mouth to hers, but I don’t kiss her. I just take her breath as she exhales, swallowing it down.

  Lifting my hand, I cup the back of her head, slipping my fingers between the strands of her hair and gripping her gently. “Ride my hand,” I breathe. “I want you to find your release.”

  She shakes her head slightly, but my fingers flex in her hair, keeping her head still. Slipping my tongue out, I trace her lips, tasting her soft plump flesh as my fingers continue to work between her legs, her clit grinding against my palm with each roll of her hips.

  “Louis, please, I can’t, not without you.”

  Smiling against her lips, I chuckle softly. “Yeah, you can. Use me, Tulip. This is about you finding what you need and taking it, even if that’s an orgasm.”

  Her nails dig into my shoulders and I welcome the sensation. This is her strength coming through. She’s not thrilled at me encouraging her to come like this. It doesn’t matter. She wants this and she needs to take
it, she needs to own it.

  She’s close, her hips jerk as pushes against my fingers, grinding down against my palm and I can do nothing but watch in awe, swallowing her sweet sounds as she climbs higher and higher toward her release.

  My cock aches with the need to be inside of her, but this isn’t about the pure act of sex, this is about so much more.

  “Oh my God,” she cries before her head falls back.

  Leaning forward, I touch my mouth to the center of her neck as her thighs begin to shake and then it happens. Her pussy clamps down around my fingers and I feel her release coat my hand.

  Licking and sucking the column of her neck, I grin as she rides out her orgasm, listening to the little hitches in her voice each time her sensitive clit slides along my hand.

  Her knees eventually give out and only then do I release my hand from between her legs and scoop her into my arms.

  TULIP

  I want him to take his shorts off and slip inside of me after he gently places me on the bed, but he doesn’t. Louis slides into bed next to me, his body turned toward mine and his eyes on me. Turning my head to the side, I lick my lips, attempting to gain the courage to ask him the question that’s on my mind.

  “Aren’t we going to…”

  He shakes his head, then he’s lifting his hand and I suck in a breath when I feel his fingers trace my lips. Grinning, he leans forward and brushes his lips alongside my own.

  “I want to teach you some techniques. If you don’t want me to do it, then let Aaron,” he states.

  Blinking, my brows furrow as I try to imagine just what he’s talking about. I have no desire to box. It’s not for me at all. “I don’t want to box,” I say. “I know you love it, and you’re hot when you do it, but it’s really not for me.”

  Louis’ lips break out into a huge smile and I watch as he laughs, beautifully. “Not box, baby. Self-defense.”

  My good mood, my post-orgasmic high completely leaves me at his words. My entire body freezes. I think about pushing him away as thoughts of Silas immediately fill my head. Louis wraps me in his arms, pulling me close against his chest.

  My arms are trapped between us and I try to push away, but he doesn’t let me go anywhere. I just want to go, run, hide from the images of Silas in my head, but Louis isn’t letting me.

  “Stop,” he barks, his tone harsh.

  My entire body freezes and I slowly bring my eyes up to meet his. His green gaze is dark, his nostrils flared and he looks pissed off, but I know that he’s not mad at me. He’s angry because we even have to have these conversations and maybe if I was stronger, we wouldn’t, but the fact is that I’m simply not.

  “As soon as you said it, all I could see was Silas,” I whisper.

  Louis’ arms loosen just a touch, but not enough that I could get out of them, even if I tried. His eyes have me completely frozen. I can’t move, but I’m not sure that I want to either.

  “He doesn’t belong here, Tulip. This is your safe place and he’s not fucking allowed to enter it after tonight, yeah?”

  I nod my head once in more of a jerk than anything else.

  “Yeah, okay,” I whisper.

  He dips his chin down, his face moving even closer to mine. “Self-defense isn’t for him, either,” he says. “That’s for you. It’s so you always feel safe. I could take you to the range, get you certified to carry concealed, but you won’t always have a piece available. Your body is the greatest weapon you can carry, baby.”

  Pressing my lips together, I try to keep from crying all over again. I’m so sick and tired of crying. I just want to be better, to be stronger already.

  Nodding my head, I don’t shift my gaze from his. “Okay, Louie. Okay,” I agree.

  His lips twitch into a grin. “Yeah, as soon as this fight’s over, that’s our focus.”

  “Okay.”

  Deciding that talking time is over, I lean forward and press my lips to his. Sliding my tongue inside of his warm mouth, I take from him. I taste him. I show him how much that I love him, or at least I try to.

  Chapter Thirty

  LOUIS

  Packing my bag, I lift my gaze to the side of the bed where Tulip is sitting with her back against the headboard, her eyes are focused on me, her sheet pulled up over her bare breasts. I don’t want to leave her.

  “Just come with me now,” I urge.

  She shakes her head. “Hutton, Channing, and Exeter are coming over to help me unpack. Well, I think Channing and Exeter are just going to watch,” she says with a small smile.

  Things have been a hundred times better the past few days and I can tell that slowly but surely Tulip is coming back to herself, but I can’t deny that I’m a little scared to leave her alone. I don’t know how she’s going to be out here in this house by herself.

  My cleaning staff isn’t going to come until the day after she leaves for Las Vegas. My recluse chef has the kitchen stocked for her, he’s already left for home himself. She’s going to be alone. She hasn’t been alone since everything went down, even if I wasn’t at her side, I’ve been in this house the entire time.

  “I’m going to be okay,” she urges.

  Shaking my head, I somehow doubt that shit. When it’s late at night and she hears something, I know she’s going to panic. I just fucking know it and I’m scared to death that she’s going to fall apart and I won’t be here to hold her and help keep her together.

  “I called Ford and he’s just up the road. He has the ability to access the property and the house. He can be here faster than the sheriff can and he always has a gun on him,” I explain.

  Tulip nods. “I’m going to be okay,” she assures me again.

  Zipping up my bag, I grunt. I’m not sure that she is going to be okay. I’m leaving in two hours and I feel like I’m never going to see her again.

  “It’s literally four days until my flight.”

  “Too many fucking days,” I state.

  Picking up my bag, I set it on the floor next to the bed. She shifts and I watch the sheet fall from her body as she rises to her knees. Her bare breasts are exposed to me and I can do nothing but stare at the soft flesh as I run my tongue along my bottom lip with the desire to taste her there.

  Tulip reaches toward me, her fingers touching my chest and slowly dancing up to wrap around the side of my neck. I stay frozen, too afraid that I’ll tackle her.

  This week has really been a challenge and a test of my control. I’ve let her take the lead on everything, knowing it’s what she needs, even if that means ignoring my own for the time being.

  Lifting my hand, I circle her nipple, not touching the hardened bud, but smirk when it tightens at the sensation. “Louis, I need you before you leave,” she breathes.

  Her chest rises then falls. I can’t take my eyes from her tits, from the way she breathes. It hits me that she’s alive. Really fucking alive and I’m so goddamn grateful. I’ve been living in my own kind of denial about what happened.

  “Thank you for sleeping next to me all night last night,” she whispers.

  It was the first night since my own incident that I slept next to her in bed, mostly because it was my last night here, secondly because she begged me and there’s something about the way she begs, that makes me give in every single time.

  “Whatever you want, it’s yours, Tullie, always,” I whisper, my eyes unable to leave her perfect fucking tits.

  She wraps her fingers around my wrist and stops my movements. Tearing my gaze from her chest, I lift my eyes to meet her own. I watch as she tilts her head to the side and smiles softly.

  “I’m going to miss you, Louis. I’m going to cheer you on and you’re going to win. Then, I’m going to be by your side to celebrate,” she breathes.

  Shaking my head once, my shoulders lift almost to my ears before I release them with a long exhale. “I can’t deny I’m really fucking nervous.”

  “I know that you are.” She nods. “We’ve had a lot happen and we haven’t been able to
talk about the fight much. Do you need to talk?”

  The only thing that I need right now is my cock buried inside of her tight cunt, but I don’t tell her that. Instead, I shake my head slowly, my mind only focused on one thing and one thing only.

  “No talking,” I rasp.

  Her smile widens as she leans forward, her mouth brushing against mine. “I want you to take me, Louis. I want you to fuck me the way that you need to. I know you’ve been holding back and while that was nice, you owning me is much nicer.”

  Clenching my fists at my side, I clench my jaw. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?” I say through my gritted teeth.

  Tulip’s tongue slides across my bottom lip. “I’m more than ready, Louie. I miss you.”

  It’s all she needs to say. Like a rubber band stretched to its limit, my control snaps. Growling, I lift my hand, wrapping my fingers around the back of her neck and I pull her toward me. Slanting my head to the side, my lips press against hers in a hard, all-consuming, kiss.

  “Yes,” she sighs into my mouth. I feel the same fucking way.

  TULIP

  Louis’ fingers grip the back of my neck hard, it sends a shiver throughout my entire body and my breath hitches as I wait for what’s to come next. His lips turn up into a grin and he lets out a grunt as he leans down and wraps his hands around the backs of my thighs.

  Without a word, he tugs on my thighs and sends my entire body backward along the mattress. Rising onto my elbows, I watch as he reaches behind his shoulder blades and tugs his shirt off before tossing it somewhere on the floor. Next, he divests himself of his pants.

  I lick my lips at the sight of his hard length when he wraps his fingers around himself, I watch him stroke. Once, twice, three tugs before he releases himself and steps closer toward the side of the bed

  “Spread,” he demands.

  My legs immediately widen, my heart races with the idea of him sinking inside of me, owning me, claiming me the only way that he can. Louis’ hands wrap around my hip, his fingers spreading, sliding up and covering the entire expanse of my waist right before he tugs me closer and in one swift move, he fills me completely.