The Disciples: A Dark Romance Collection

by Sweet, Izzy

  The ride over was pretty damn quiet. I guess kids aren’t in the near future with Meghan. Can’t say I blame her, fucking things are a death knell. She’d look good knocked up, though, with a big belly and those luscious tits…

  “I thought you said we were visiting some old friends,” she says as we walk toward James’s BMW.

  “We are, in a way. Gotta pay my respects. Lots of guys are gone from my family since I left.”

  “Oh,” she says, and I think I can detect a hint of understanding or something.

  I don’t know what it is. But when she grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly, I know she’s here with me. With me and not because of me.

  “Gabriel, how’s the air on the outside?” James asks as he steps out of his car.

  He’s dressed in his usual black fancy jeans and tight-fitting shirt.

  “Good, pretty boy. How’s life with a tiny dick?” I ask him.

  “Eh, less chance of catching something when I don’t even get inside.” He smirks at me.

  Turning back to go to his trunk, he continues, “I wasn’t sure how much of a load out you’d need, so I brought a mix of everything.”

  “Sounds good. You able to fit her with a vest?”

  He pops his head out from behind the trunk lid, reminding me of one of those movies where some kid is looking around a corner.

  “The runt?” he asks with a quirk of his eyebrow. “Yeah, I got one that will fit her, I think. Though, with her bust, she’s gonna be squeezed in until I can get one fitted properly for her.”

  Looking down at the confused but blushing bride of mine, I nod. “Yeah, she’s short as fuck and busty as hell. Kinda like a Texas woman from a country song, just needs the hair.”

  “I’m going to castrate you and make you an ox in your sleep,” she growls at me.

  “Jesus, you’re just like fucking John, man. Dude’s always cutting someone’s junk off,” James says with a chuckle as he motions us over to his trunk.

  Walking to the back, my heart gets that little stutter as I look at all the beautiful weaponry he has stashed inside. It’s like the boy wants to arm half a platoon and invade a small country.

  “Jumping fucking Jesus, you going to war?” I ask.

  With a snicker, James, shrugs his shoulders. “Nah, I just follow the good ol’ Boy Scout motto.”

  “What’s mine from all this?” I ask.

  “Anything and everything. I was at the compound, so I grabbed all the shit I thought you might want. I’ll resupply later,” he says and steps back so that I can get in and start loading up.

  Looking at my little fucking sexy woman, I spot our first problem. “You order any jeans when you were shopping?”

  “A couple. Why?” she asks as she peers down into the trunk.

  Pulling up my shirt, I motion to the holster I have on my hip. Nodding over to James, I watch as he does the same thing.

  “Arm holsters are impractical for how we dress, unless you’re that fuck Simon,” I say.

  I motion to her leggings. “Those aren’t going to hold a belt holster, and carrying a gun around in a purse is asking to get yourself fucking killed.”

  “Oh.” Her mouth makes that a-ha movement, and I could so see myself sliding my thick cock in between her lips.

  Clearing my throat, I say, “Were probably not going to need most of this today, but since you tried putting a bullet through my chest a couple of days ago, I figure you can at least shoot a gun, right?”

  She nods that beautiful head of hers and gives me a grin. “I get a gun?”

  “Yeah, and bullets too,” I say.

  She grimaces. “A girl tries to shoot someone one time without bullets and you never let her live it down.”

  “We’ll see,” I say, and pull out an empty black bag.

  Spotting the large sticks of C-4, I grab a few stacks, as well as three bags of metal ball bearings.

  Looking over at James, I ask, “This C-4 civilian or military grade?”

  “Military grade,” he says, looking up from his phone.

  “Good,” I say.

  Grabbing the rest of the gear we’ll need from the trunk, I smile as Meghan’s eyes grow wider and wider with each weapon I pull out. Most of the guns I won’t need anytime soon, but it never hurts to have a couple of M4 assault rifles. Grabbing four more pistols, I shove them into the bag I’ve filled up.

  Hefting the large black bag of goodies onto my shoulder, I hand a modified M4 assault rifle to Meghan. “That one is yours. And we’ll get it set to your comfort in a couple of days. I’m sure we’ve got a range we can train at.”

  Walking over to the truck, I say to James, “I’m surprised I didn’t see any surface-to-air missiles in there.”

  “Simon and Lucifer have a stock of those at the compound. They won’t let me play with them, though. Something about children and blowing the house up,” he says with an annoyed shrug.

  Meghan

  Pistols, assault rifles, and explosives, oh my. Gabriel pulls so much from the back of James’s car, my head starts to spin.

  There’s seriously enough weaponry packed between him and James to start a war.

  At first it all seems a bit like overkill. After all, how many weapons does one man need? Especially a man as big and powerful as Gabriel?

  But when I remember Alexei and the threat he poses to me, it almost doesn’t feel like enough.

  “Try this on,” James says and tosses a black vest to me.

  The vest hits me square in the chest and I just manage to grab it without falling over or dropping it to the ground.

  “Gee, thanks,” I grumble.

  “You’re welcome,” James says, giving me a smirk before turning his attention back to his trunk.

  Hefting the vest up, I’m surprised by the weight. The thing is heavy. I swear it must weigh at least ten pounds.

  I struggle a bit to undo the Velcro straps. My hands trying and failing to pull them off not only because my hands are sore and my arm still hurts like a bitch, but because it feels like someone must have superglued them on. After loading the last of the weapons up in the truck, Gabriel notices and walks up to me.

  “Here, let me help you with that,” he says as he takes it from my grasp.

  Yesterday was hands down the worst day of my life, I think as I watch him easily rip off all the Velcro straps.

  Once the straps are open, he settles the vest over my shoulders and begins to strap me in, binding me in tight.

  Yet today seems to be shaping up to be one of the best.

  I’ve gone from having nothing. No money, no car, no allies, and no way to protect myself.

  To having it all…

  In a blink of an eye, I have everything I need to survive.

  And it’s not lost upon me why I suddenly have so much.

  Not only has he given me protection, Gabriel has also given me my freedom and dignity back. And for what?

  Because he thinks I’m his?

  Warmth washes over me as I remember the words he spoke last night in the heat of the moment.

  So fucking mine…

  “How’s that feel?” Gabriel asks, dropping his hands and taking a step back.

  “A little tight,” I mutter, hoping he doesn’t notice the color warming my cheeks.

  I don’t know if it’s the vest or the weight of his possession that’s squeezing around my breasts right now, but whichever it is, it’s uncomfortable as fuck.

  “I was afraid of that,” James says, popping up from his trunk.

  Both men turn their scrutiny on me and it’s everything I can do not to squirm.

  Gabriel’s gaze sweeps over me slowly, much more slowly than James. Roaming not only over the vest but also dropping down the length of my legs. I watch that look I’ve become familiar with over the last few hours spread over his face.

  Even bound up in this too-tight vest, he looks like he wants to fucking eat me. Eat me, throw me down on the ground, and take me right now, right here.
r />   And I’m half-tempted to let him.

  Shit. I’m really starting to sink into the deep end now. After last night, I’m not even sure I remember where the surface is, or if I’ll ever be able to find it again.

  Do I still want to get away from him? I don’t have a fucking clue. I wish I could say with one hundred percent certainty that last night didn’t change a thing, but it’s changed everything.

  We connected on a level I didn’t think possible.

  With his body, with those damn eyes, he showed me more than words ever could.

  And I believe him. I believe every truth he pounded into me.

  But instead of reassuring me, or even comforting me, his truth has only filled me with more confusion and uncertainty.

  This thing between us… it’s too big for my head to wrap around, but I can’t deny that it’s there. I can feel it even now, pulsing just beneath the surface of my skin. Drawing me to him. Making me care about him…

  And just the thought of trusting it, of putting my faith in it, scares the shit out me.

  He’s still a stranger. He could kill little kids for all I know.

  And my immediate instinct is to run like hell.

  But I know I can’t let fear rule me. I’ve let fear rule me for so long… and where did that get me? It got me here.

  So I’m trying my best to just go along with all of this and see where it takes us. But he makes it hard not to run when he looks at me like that.

  “I’ll need to take her measurements,” James frowns.

  Turning back to his trunk, James reaches in and quickly pulls something small and black out. He takes two steps toward me before Gabriel stops him dead in his tracks.

  Voice low and harsh with the beginning of a growl, Gabriel says, “If you touch her, I’ll cut your fucking hands off.”

  Immediately, all my skin seems to tighten, that tone in his voice causing my core to clench with arousal.

  Holy shit, just a moment ago he and James were all buddy-buddy, and now Gabriel looks like he’s ready to dismember him.

  “Woah, man,” James says throwing his hands up in the air and taking a step back. “Getting a little possessive already, aren’t we?”

  Gabriel just shoots him a look that’s full of violence.

  James mutters, “Damn. I thought you were cool. Now you’re turning into the rest of those crazy fuckers.”

  He tosses the little black plastic thing to Gabriel with a look of disgust.

  Ignoring the look, Gabriel snatches the thing out of the air and returns his attention to me. He hands the plastic thing to me before he begins to rip all the straps on my vest off.

  As soon as the last strap comes undone, my ribs expand and I feel like I can take a full breath again.

  Damn, if he’s really going to be this protective of me, shielding me even from his friends, then I guess he really does deserve a chance.

  “We’ll keep this one as an emergency backup,” Gabriel says, dropping the vest to the ground.

  I nod my head, good with that logic. A too-tight vest is better than no vest at all.

  I hand him the plastic thing back, expecting him to start taking my measurements, but his eyes drop to my chest and stay there.

  At first, I think it’s just because he’s sizing me up, but when his eyes burn hotter and hotter, I find myself glancing down.

  Dammit, my nipples are hard and poking right through my shirt despite my bra.

  James clears his throat loudly and Gabriel shakes his head as if he’s coming out of a daze.

  “I need her underbust and overbust measurements in inches to get a good fit,” James says with a laugh, looking between us.

  “Turn the fuck around,” Gabriel snaps back, his voice dropping to a full a growl.

  I can’t resist the urge to throw James’s smirk back at him. Maybe being Gabriel’s possession isn’t so bad after all. Given all the grief James has given me today, he deserves a little grief in return.

  “Fucking hell,” James grumbles as he turns around.

  Once he’s satisfied James isn’t looking at me, Gabriel returns his attention to me. Grabbing the end of the black plastic thing, he yanks out a strip of measuring tape.

  Moving closer, he starts to bring the tape up to my chest only to hesitate.

  It takes me a second for me to realize he probably has no clue how to measure a bust.

  “It’s just like measuring for a bra,” I offer and lift my arms up.

  Gabriel nods his head but he’s still looking confused and cute as fuck.

  Of course he doesn’t know how to measure for a bra, unless there’s a side of him I don’t know about…

  I feel myself smiling as I explain, “You wrap it around me, under my breasts first.”

  As if he’s afraid of hurting me, Gabriel wraps the measuring tape around me, just over my ribs.

  “A little higher,” I encourage him and swallow back a chuckle.

  Given what he did to me last night, you’d think he’d have no reservations about measuring me.

  But he’s so unsure, so hesitant, I have to tell him, “Higher,” a couple of times before he finally has the length of thin tape where it needs to be.

  Eyes quickly noting the number on the measuring tape, he calls out, “Thirty,” to James.

  “In inches?” James calls back.

  Gabriel checks the number again. “Yes.”

  “Got it. Now measure over her boobs.”

  Gabriel growls deep in his throat, so deep it reminds me of thunder rumbling. “Stop thinking about her boobs.”

  James laughs. “I wasn’t, man, until now…”

  Gabriel starts to pull away, probably to throttle James, but I reach down and grab his hand to stop him.

  “Come on, we’re almost done. Let’s get this over with.”

  Gabriel looks down at my hand on his hand and the strangest emotion passes over his face. I yank my hand back, something about that emotion making me feel uneasy.

  His eyes lift, meeting mine again, and burn right through me.

  Damn. I forgot he has a weird reaction to my touch. Sometimes it almost looks like it hurts him when I touch him.

  “Sorry,” I mumble and drop my hand before I remember I need to keep my arms up.

  “Don’t be sorry,” he rasps and then clears his throat.

  He keeps staring at me until my arms start to become sore.

  My one arm is really starting to bother me, so I have to remind him, “You need to measure my over bust now.”

  His eyes cut away, but not before I see the flash of heat inside them.

  And now my damn body is burning all over.

  Just what I need when he’s going to be touching my breasts.

  “Yeah, hurry it up. I’ve got chicks to do and people to kill.” James snickers.

  Gabriel shakes his head and finally seems to relax a little. “What chicks? Who was it… Johnathan? He told me you were hung up on one of Beth’s friends.”

  Gabriel must have hit a nerve because James immediately tries to deny it. “I’m not hung up on Sophia.”

  “Oh, Sophia. So that’s her name.” Gabriel grins.

  James mutters something about a donkey, a horse, and Gabriel’s mother under his breath.

  Gabriel chuckles, not the least bit offended.

  Then all his focus is on me.

  Lids lowering, Gabriel steps into me. Moving in even closer than he did to measure under my bust. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but his presence, his sheer size and heat, is enough to make butterflies take flight in my stomach.

  I find myself sucking in a breath and holding it as he wraps the measuring tape around me without my guidance, right over my breasts.

  “Thirty-seven,” he calls out.

  James lets out a low whistle.

  Gabriel’s arms start to drop, but the tape is a little loose so I tell him to, “Tighten it.”

  He immediately freezes then cocks his head as if he’s not sure he heard m
e right.

  “It’s too loose, Gabriel. Tighten it,” I’m forced to repeat, my face burning like it’s on fire.

  Time seems to slow down as he moves in even closer to me. It’s completely unnecessary, but I don’t have it in me to tell him to give me more space.

  No, this close, his shadow engulfs me, and there’s something strangely comforting about the darkness.

  I become painfully aware of my nipples as he tightens the tape around me, the pressure of the tape digging into them and finally smashing them down.

  I become aware of every nerve of my body trying to break free to reach him.

  “Thirty-six,” Gabriel chokes out, and that sounds about right.

  But he doesn’t loosen the tape and I don’t ask him to. If anything, my lips are poised to tell him to tighten it again.

  To bind me up further. To keep me. To protect me. To never fucking let me go.

  It’s as if I’ve suddenly become bewitched.

  And thankfully James is here to break the spell. “Fuck, I’m going to get pregnant just watching you two.”

  I pull away first, breaking Gabriel’s hold on the measuring tape. As the tape drops away, I bring my arms down, crossing them protectively over my chest.

  Disappointment and irritation creep over Gabriel’s face before he clenches his fists and shoves it back down.

  His lips part, and I swear he’s going to say something cutting to James, but then he presses his lips together.

  Looking very much like a man who’s suddenly had an epiphany, his gaze scours over me, giving me another once over.

  Then he asks, “Do these vests come in kid sizes?”

  Assuming he’s talking about me, I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m not a kid.”

  Yeah, I’m short, but how could he even think that after looking at me the way he was looking at me?

  “I wasn’t talking about you,” he assures me, his eyes glinting with amusement and the corners of his lips curling. “I’m asking for our future children.”

  Oh boy, here we go again.

  “I don’t know,” James answers thoughtfully. “I’m sure they do. I’ll look into it.”

  “There will be no our future children,” I say firmly to Gabriel, hoping he finally gets it.