by L. A. Casey
Oh, my God.
“And Marco was pissed. He wasn’t sad that his nephew was dead, just pissed off because it was a mess he had to clean up.”
I felt my insides churn.
“The heartless fuckin’ bastard.”
Ryder sadistically grinned. “Yeah, that describes Marco perfectly.”
“What did he do to Damien?” I asked, almost scared to know the answer.
“Nothing,” Ryder said firmly. “I made sure of that, and so did my brothers’.”
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, and Ryder saw this.
“Marco knew I was planning on moving my family out of the compound and away from the life we had been living. Once my parents were gone, there was nothing keeping us there. Once Damien killed Trent that changed. Marco gave us an ultimatum, either Damien died in payment for Trent’s murder, or we worked off the debt.”
I blinked. “A life debt?”
Ryder nodded. “Marco sorted us into different jobs based on our individual skill set.”
I stared at him in horror. “This sounds unreal.”
“Trust me, darling, it’s more real than you can ever imagine.”
I moved closer to him and gripped his hands more firmly, letting him know that I was there for him if he needed me.
Ryder gave my hands a reassuring squeeze then said, “My attentiveness, and knack of moving around unnoticed, pushed me into drugs and weapons. It turns out I am very good at moving shipments and making deals for Marco. Kane became his enforcer, Dominic his fighter, and Alec his… buffer.”
“His buffer?” I questioned, my mind reeling.
Ryder laughed a little then. “Alec, as you know, is very friendly. With both sexes.”
He flicked his eyes to mine and waited for a reaction from me, and he raised his brows when he got one.
I laughed. “If you’re tryin’ to tell me he is bi-sexual, you don’t have to, I already know. I saw him kiss a lad, and a girl, a few weeks ago in Darkness, and he constantly goes on about attractive male and female celebrities. It wasn’t as if he was tryin’ to hide that he bats for both teams.”
Ryder smiled wide at me. “It doesn’t bother you then?”
I cocked a brow. “Why would it bother me?”
“Because some people aren’t accepting of it.”
“I’m not some people.”
“Yeah,” he murmured. “You’re pretty incredible.”
I grinned. “Nice try, but finish what you were sayin’ before you seduce me.”
Ryder’s smile faltered. “Yeah, okay, so Alec is basically an escort to anyone Marco gives him to.”
Anger surged through me.
I growled. “He isn’t a piece of fuckin’ meat!”
“To Marco he is, to Marco we all are.”
That infuriated me.
“So you all work these jobs to keep Damien safe, what does he do?”
“Nothing,” Ryder instantly replied. “It was part of the agreement that he doesn’t have a job.”
I nodded. “Okay, so why is this Dominic’s last job? And more importantly, when is your last job?”
“Mine was a few weeks back, so was Alec and Kane’s. We’ve been around the world doing jobs for Marco for a long time. We knew he never cared about Trent like an uncle should; he was just a pawn and his death at Damien’s hand worked out perfectly for him. He could control us, and make a lot of money off us, but we’re done. After Dominic’s last fight, we’re out.”
“Just like that?” I quizzed, not believing it could be that easy.
Ryder nodded. “He can’t force us to stay, we’ve done what he wants of us for years. The debt is re-paid. We’ve made him more money than Trent ever could have.”
I swallowed. “What if he tries to make you all stay workin’ for ‘im?”
The thought of Ryder leaving the country, leaving me, was too scary to think about.
“It won’t work out in his favour.” He stated. “We’re done, Branna. We want a life away from being under his thumb.”
That relieved me greatly.
“I’m glad,” I smiled, hoping I didn’t look as relieved as I felt. I didn’t want to freak him out by how devastated I would be if he ever left me.
Ryder took my face in his hands. “You are? After everything I just told you, you’re glad?”
I nodded. “I’m still tryin’ to wrap me head around it, but I understand you and your brothers’ so much better now, and I am so glad you’re gettin’ out of that life, because I don’t think I could take part in it if you didn’t.”
Ryder stood up and pulled me to my feet, then into his arms as he hugged me.
“I’m out,” he assured me. “And you’re mine. I told you my mentality is to protect what’s mine, and I can be very possessive.”
I hummed as he lowered his head and trailed kisses along my neck.
“How possessive?” I rasped.
He nipped at my skin. “Let me show you.”
“Ryder,” I breathed when he sucked on the spot below my ear.
His hold on my hips tightened.
“Wait, this isn’t fair,” I panted. “That’s a sensitive spot and—oh God.”
While I was speaking Ryder unzipped my dress and tugged on it until it fell to my ankles. He wasted no time in nudging my legs apart and putting his hands down my knickers where he instantly zeroed in on my pulsing clit.
“You were saying?” he rumbled as he lazily drew circles around the sensitive bud.
I gripped onto his shoulders and recited the Lord’s Prayer, but when he pinched my clit, my pleas to Heaven became audible.
“Jesus!” I cried out as I shamelessly rocked my hips and stroked my clit back and forth over Ryder’s fingers.
“Why do you talk to God so much when I touch you?” he mused, his fingers rubbing me to ecstasy faster. “He’s not going to save you from me, no one can stop me from making you scream when you come.”
His wicked words blended with the action of his fingers and sent me flying into ecstasy. I heard myself scream, and I heard Ryder’s name spill from my mouth, but it all sounded like background noise. My body was focused on the delicious pulses of bliss that filled me.
“I love your facial expressions when you come,” Ryder murmured in my ear before nipping at my earlobe with his teeth. “It’s sexy as fuck.”
I groaned when he removed his fingertips from my clit. I opened my eyes as he brought said fingers to his mouth, but before he could suck my juices from them, I grabbed hold of his hand and brought them to my mouth instead. Ryder’s eyes were wide as he watched my lips wrapped around his fingers. He hissed when I sucked, and used my tongue to lick them clean.
I hummed and released his fingers from my mouth with a pop.
“You’re right,” I smiled. “I do taste sweet.”
“Oh. My. Fucking. God.” Ryder whispered.
I tilted my head to the side.
“Why do you talk to God so much when I touch you?” I asked, mimicking his earlier tone.
“Because,” Ryder growled as he pressed against me. “He needs praise for creating a fine specimen such as yourself.”
My lips quirked. “Always the sweet talker.”
“You know me.” Ryder grinned.
Warmth surrounded me. “Yeah, I do know you.”
Ryder lost his grin and stared into my eyes before he lowered his head and covered my mouth with his. We kissed one another with a hunger, and before I knew it, I was lying naked on his bed, with his naked body hovering over mine. When he entered me, it felt like heaven, but quickly turned to torture when he ceased to move.
“Relax for me, sweetness,” Ryder murmured, his voice caressing me like physical touch. “I’ll take care of you.”
“I can’t,” I said breathlessly, opening my thighs wider for him. “You need to move.”
“I’ll move when I’m good and ready,” he rumbled.
His firm tone only teased my body further.
“You’re
killin’ me, Slater,” I hissed. “Fuckin’. Killin’. Me.”
Ryder pulled back, withdrawing from my body, but before he could slip out of me completely, he drove his hips forward and slammed into me with a resounding slap. My breath caught in my throat along with a scream of pleasure.
“Watch your mouth or I’ll fill it with something else to shut you up.”
Chills spread out over my body, and I found myself loving how domineering Ryder was during sex. A command, warning or even a little bit of a threat from him had me quivering with need for him. I never thought of myself as having a small submissive side, but my eagerness to please Ryder when he dished out his commands, and my need to hear those commands during sex was like wildfire.
Unstoppable.
“You’d like me forcing my cock into your mouth, wouldn’t you?” Ryder growled.
He sounded pained as he withdrew from my body, before thrusting back into my heat.
I moaned as sensation overcame me. “Yes.”
“Such a dirty girl.” Ryder rasped as he lowered himself down to his forearms that were on either side of my head.
He brought his lips to mine, and gave me chaste kiss before sucking my lower lip into his mouth. He hummed as he suckled before releasing my lip with a pop.
“I love how you taste,” he panted. “Your mouth, your pussy, your skin. I’ll never get enough. Never.”
I moaned in response, raking my nails gently up and down his back, watching him tense when I dug them into him every so often. I smiled when he caught me staring.
“Keep it up and I’ll dish out some pain of my own on this sexy ass of yours,” he warned.
My eyes lit up with wonder at the same time my pussy walls clenched around Ryder, making him groan as he drove in and out of me.
“That turns you on?” he moaned. “Damn, baby, I’ve hit the fucking jackpot with you!”
I allowed my eyes to roll back as licks of pleasure fill me. My mouth dropped open when Ryder’s hot breath blew into my ear in puffs followed by his warm tongue.
“Ah!” I cried out and tried to escape the sensation, but didn’t make it very far.
Ryder bit down on the nape of my neck and flicked his tongue over the flesh between his teeth. He bit down harder and slammed into me with such a force, my back arched up off the bed. I cried out as the first unexpected spasm of pleasure shot through me.
“Fuck!” I screamed.
Ryder released my neck and took my mouth in a passionate kiss as I rode out my toe curling orgasm. When I came back to reality, it was to the skin slapping sound of Ryder driving into me like the Devil himself was on his heels. My inner walls clenched around Ryder and it prompted him to shift the angle of his hips, allowing him to brush up against a part of my body that had my breath catching.
“One more, sweetness,” Ryder panted, sweat coating his skin in a thin layer. “Give me one more.”
He thrusted into me harder, faster, rougher.
I screamed when it all became too much and a second orgasm suddenly slammed into me with as much intensity as the first. I cried out Ryder’s name and I heard him growl mine. His hips slowed to jerked motions. Seconds later he slipped out of me, and moved to the left where he face planted into the mattress. He slung his arm over my waist, an action that caused my lips to quirk as I tried to catch my breath.
“I’ve decided that I’m keeping you,” Ryder said, and while the mattress muffled some of his speech, I got the gist of what he said and it made me giggle.
“You only want me for me body,” I playfully dismissed.
“No,” Ryder protested. “I’m all about your brain, your mind is a serious turn on for me. I’ve watched you figure things out almost instantly, and that gives me wood, not your body, I just put up with that because it’s attached to your head. I’ll get over the disappointment of it in time, don’t worry.”
I was laughing so hard that I snorted. Ryder lifted his head up, and turned it to the side. He watched me laugh with a smile, and after a few moments, the intensity of his gaze gave me butterflies in my stomach.
“You look like you’ve got somethin’ to say,” I mused.
He blinked. “I do.”
“Spit it out, I’m this close to fallin’ asleep in me double orgasm aftermath.”
“You’re welcome,” Ryder grinned.
“Out with it,” I laughed, again. “What did you want to say to me?”
He lifted his hand from my waist and brought it to my face where he cupped my cheek. He stared into my eyes for a few seconds, and then the smile I loved stretched across his face.
“I love you, Branna.”
I stared at Ryder, my eyes wide and unblinking.
He WHAT?
“Please,” I whispered after a few seconds of silence. “Please don’t say that unless you mean it.”
He turned on his side and pressed his naked body to mine.
“I. Love. You.”
My heart was slamming into my chest, chills ran up and down my spine, and tears threatened to fall at any given moment.
“How do you know?” I hesitantly whispered. “Maybe you’re just comin’ down with somethin’, I heard the flu is goin’ around.”
Ryder’s lips twitched. “I know I love you because I think about you all the time, I want to be with you all the time and fuck me, but your smile makes my whole day. Your laughter is my favourite sound. I could listen to you laugh all day. I love it. I love you. Everything about you blends perfectly with me, and I know that if I didn’t have you around me all the time, I’d go crazy. You’re my one, I know you are.”
His one, I thought. I was Ryder’s one.
“Omigod,” I whispered as my palms became sticky with sweat.
He leaned his face down to mine. “Don’t feel pressured to say it back, I didn’t intend to have this conversation right now, but after everything I told you, I wanted you to know that I’m very serious about you.”
Screw that.
“I love you, too.” I blurted. “I’ve been terrified of how deeply I feel for you because it has happened so fast, but I feel how I feel, and I love you.”
Ryder brought his face to mine and I swear the smile that was in place on his face was bigger than I’ve ever seen before.
“You know I’m never going to let you go, right?” he murmured.
Good, my heart countered, because I’m never letting you go either.
I rubbed my nose against his. “I’m countin’ on it, sweetheart.”
He kissed me deeply and once more, I was lost in him.
I awoke when I heard a scream, a scream that belonged to my little sister.
“Bronagh!” I shouted and scrambled out of Ryder’s bed, kicking his bed covers off my body.
“Branna, she is fine,” Ryder’s raspy voice—which told me he had just woken up, too—assured me. “Dominic would never hurt her, I promise you.”
I rushed around the room as I pulled my clothes on.
“I want to see that for meself, Ry!”
Ryder reached out and grabbed hold of my arm. “I know your sister, she has done this before. She is probably just arguing with my brother, that’s all.”
He knew Bronagh?
I turned and stared at Ryder. “You knew Bronagh was me sister?”
Ryder blinked. “No, wait a second—”
“You knew who she was and you let me date you while knowin’ what your brother was doin’ to her? Did Dominic know, too? Did all your brothers’ know? Were you all laughin’ at me behind me back because I was too clueless to see what was right in front of me?”
“What? Fuck, no, baby—”
“Don’t baby me, arsehole!” I spat.
I turned and ran out of the bedroom with Ryder cursing as he got out of bed and hurriedly dressed himself. I ran up to the top floor of the house, and banged on the bedroom door that I knew belonged to Dominic.
“Bronagh!” I shouted, wrapping my fists against the door just as Ryder jogged up the stairs an
d came to a stop behind me. He sighed and placed his hands on my hips, but backed off when I slapped his hands.
I heard a pained groan from inside the bedroom then Dominic shouted, “We’re busy!”
Busy? I gasped. Fucking busy!
I heard Ryder laugh from behind me, so I jabbed my elbow into his gut causing him to yelp.
“Get away from me sister you pervy little fucker or I’ll end you!” I bellowed.
It took a few seconds, but eventually the door to Dominic’s room opened wide revealing my eighteen-year-old sister who looked hung-over as hell, and a half naked Slater brother lingering across the room with his eyes glued to her arse.
Typical man.
“I can’t remember anythin’ or how I got up here, but I didn’t do anythin’ with him. I swear!” Bronagh gushed to me.
I let my eyes roam over her looking for any sign of injury, and luckily I saw none, but what couldn’t be missed were the love bites scattered over her neck. I felt heat crawl up my neck and spread out over my face.
“You better not have touched her without permission—”
“I didn’t!” Dominic cut me off, his anger evident. “I’m not a fucking rapist!”
I growled. “You better not be because I’ll fuckin’ rape you if you harmed her in any way!”
Dominic’s smirk put an instant scowl on my sister’s face, but his reply had her flat out glaring at him.
“You can rape me anytime you want, gorgeous.”
He was a Slater brother, I thought, there was no denying it.
“You’re a prick!” My sister snapped at him.
Dominic flicked his eyes to my sister and rolled them. “I’m kidding, don’t be mad at me for that. Even though your sister is smoking hot, you’re hotter.”
Did he really think that was a smart thing to say? I wondered, because it really wasn’t.
Bronagh set her jaw and said, “Piss off, Dominic!” before turning to me, and grabbing hold of my hand. “We’re leavin’!” She stated.
I nodded my head, wholeheartedly agreeing with her decision. With my sister’s hand in mine, I turned and narrowed my eyes at Ryder.
“Move.”
He didn’t move.
“I’m not letting you leave here until you hear me out!” He demanded, the firmness in his voice giving me chills.