Prison Promise (Prison Saints Book 1)

by Demi Vice

  I heard a knock on my bathroom door, and I knew it could only be Jack. My heart and stomach did that thing it always did when I was around him or I knew that he was nearby.

  “In a minute, Jack.” I let my tone stay flat like always to sound like nothing was bothering me. For all Jack knew, nothing was bothering me.

  He had left fifteen, maybe twenty minutes ago, and there was no way Jack could’ve met up with him.

  I rinsed the suds from the rest of my body as I shook from the ice-cold temperature. The last thing I need was Jack knowing about him. I need a minute to rinse, hide my bruise with a towel, and bring my temperature back up. I looked down at my ribs. I’ll just say it was an accident at Maddy’s again.

  I turned off the water, grabbed my towel off the crooked bar on the wall and wrapped it around my body. I took a few breaths, controlling my shakes and thoughts.

  There were two sides of me.

  The side that wished Jack had been home, the other that thanked God that he wasn’t. The side that wished he knew everything, the other side that hoped he never found out. The side that wished Jack would stay with me forever, the other side that wanted him gone, so he would forget about me.

  I hope he never forgets about me.

  “Ahri?” Jack’s crystal-clear voice brought me out of my thoughts.

  I moved the shower curtain to the side and, no surprise, Jack had picked the lock and was now standing in my bathroom doorway taking up the whole entrance. Jack’s skin was pale, his hair a mess, and his expression very anti-Jack. No smile.

  “Jack, are you ok—”

  He came at me like a bullet, grabbing my cheeks and pulled me into a kiss that stole my breath and injured my heart. He kissed me like it was the first and last time our lips were ever going touch. I got on my tip toes, grabbed his wrists, and kissed him back just as hard.

  This kiss was going to ruin them all for me. It was going to be branded onto my lips reminding me that my lips were no longer mine. To remind me every time I kissed another man, I’d wish it was Jack. But I didn’t want another man. I only wanted Jack.

  Jack let out a shaky warm breath over my mouth as he thumbed my ice-cold cheek. “You’re mine, Ahrianna,” he whispered as if it was the first time he had ever spoken those words.

  “Jack—”

  He cut me off with another kiss that burned into my soul. It was hot and heavy, turning my bones into ashes while I melted into his arms.

  Jack picked me up. His large warm hand on my wet hair pushing me into his lips as hard as he could and the other under my ass as I straddled him. Jack moved me into his apartment. He placed me on his bed, hands in the same position while his lips never broke the link. Jack took my breath away like I was his only source of oxygen and he was mine.

  My heartbeat followed the same rhythm of his heart drumming on my chest. Jack’s touch was delicate and soft as he took off my towel. He made eye contact with my new bruise, but he didn’t say anything. He closed his eyes and took a deep needed breath. He wanted to say something. It was written on his flexed jaw and tense body, but he didn’t. I think Jack knew he would hear another lie. Jack opened his eyes, and kissed me again, moving down to the bruise.

  “From now on, everywhere you go. I go.” Jack kissed my ribs, cautiously, like I was a priceless artifact ready to be displayed under bulletproof glass. That’s how I felt around Jack.

  Bulletproof.

  Armed.

  Invincible.

  The scent of Versace, Marlboro cigarettes and a touch of sweat invaded my lungs. Jack left my body, showing off his artwork as he stripped out of his clothes. His rock-hard cock bounced out, dripping with pre-cum, but he didn’t attack me right away like his past inner animal.

  Jack watched me. His eyes moved up and down my body as he smiled gently. Anti-Jack was leaving, and my Jack was coming back.

  I was lured into his amber eyes like a moth to a flame. Those eyes that felt like a fantasy. A dream. They played tricks on me. They told me everything was going to get better. That everything was going to be fine. Possibly even perfect. They told me Jack was my savior. My Prince Charming, my knight in shiny armor, and the fucking moat that protected my castle from invaders. And worst of all. They told me that Jack was the best thing to ever happen to me, but like I said.

  It was a dream.

  An illusion.

  A fantasy.

  But some days, I let the fantasy devour me.

  Jack got on top of me, our bodies touching once more. Goosebumps flew over our bodies as our lips connected. Sometimes it felt like I was put on this earth just for Jack. For his touch, his words, his soul. I was meant to find him. I was meant to feel whole even though a few pieces were missing.

  Jack felt different today. He was quiet, delicate, and protective. He didn’t rush to penetrate me. He took it slow as if he wanted to remember every minor detail. His hard cock rested on my stomach as he moved my wet hair back to see my face and then kiss every inch of it, especially my dimple.

  Jack moved his cock to my wet, drenched slit, but he didn’t push inside me just yet. His lips reached my ear, nibbling and moaning. “Tell me something I wanna hear, and I’ll give you everything.”

  My warm breath gnawed at his flesh. His neck. His scar. His rose.

  “I’m yours, Jack Baron. Only yours.”

  Jack pushed inside me just a little, wanting more of my words before he continued.

  “I never want you to leave me. Ever,” I confessed.

  Jack pushed a little more, my body loving the attention and the feel of Jack, but my heart hating every second. I hated how he made me feel. A way I’d never felt in my entire life. Exposed and truly vulnerable. My heart rose in my throat, but I had to swallow it whole, each time pushing back my tears.

  “Tell me something else, Ahrianna,” he whispered.

  “I hate you.” I sniffed.

  Jack let out one lonely chuckle. He knew that was a lie. He could spot my lies from a mile away, and so, Jack pushed all of himself inside of me. I gripped Jack’s hair as he thrust deep, making sure I got every inch of him. I moaned and bit my lip. Jack focused all his attention on my breasts, sucking it all in his mouth. Wrapping my legs around him, Jack fucked me faster and faster, his body tensing up with each thrust. He came back to my lips as he whispered, “Fuck.” He was about to come, but Jack knew better than to finish inside of me.

  Jack whispered, “I hope you know, I’m the most selfish bastard on this entire planet. Unbelievably selfish, Ahrianna.”

  “Why is that?” I moaned, tightening my legs around his waist.

  I clawed his back, knowing his biggest weakness. He loved the marks I left on him, like the ones he left on me. Goosebumps flew over his body, his prickly skin telling me that I still gave him the same chill he gave me. Jack fucked me harder. My body felt like I was trapped inside a fist, swallowed whole, unable to move, but enjoying every second of it. I screamed and moaned, ready to release my orgasm and when I did. So, did Jack.

  But he didn’t pull out.

  He did the opposite.

  Jack went as deep as he could, sucking my earlobe and muttering his favorite word. “Fuck!”

  My exact reaction.

  My orgasm hit me hard. My mind went blank as my insides filled with fireworks, explosions, and bombs. I moaned and purred Jack’s name. The perfect ‘O’ on my lips and my trembling legs showing off what Jack so easily did to me. My cunt milked him dry, begging for more of his cum even though I knew I was overflowing at the brim. My breaths were on high alert and so were Jack’s as he sucked on my neck.

  It took me a few seconds, possibly minutes, to realize what had happened. Jack started fucking me again. He wasn't done with me, and neither was I, but my worried side came out.

  “Jack?” I panted, confused with how I should feel.

  I loved Jack’s seed inside of me, but the thought of what might be the outcome of him coming in me left my body in a panic-attack stage. As much as I wanted to be a
mother, I couldn’t. Not while my life was a complete mess. Not while my past was still in my present.

  “You shouldn’t have done that, Jack.”

  “I told you. I’m an unbelievably selfish man, Ahrianna.” His voice as clear as crystal, sending a chill down my spine. “I promised myself, the next time I fucked you. I was going to put a baby in you. I’m going to make you stay. I’m going to make you mine. I’m going to give you everything. Even if you don’t want me—the real me—I want you. I need you. All of you. And I’ll make you stay with me forever. I’m going to put a baby in you, marry you, and die with you and for you.”

  I whimpered, biting my lip. I had never seen Jack so serious.

  Dead serious.

  Jack thrust into me at the same tempo, making my heart block my airway. This time I couldn’t swallow it down. This time I couldn’t stop my cries, nor did I want to. For the first time since Aurora died and Luke got shoved into the back of the cop car.

  I cried.

  Jack stopped and looked at me with fear. His eyebrows dropped, smile gone, and his eyes were trembling between mine. He thought he did something wrong. He didn’t. He did everything right. He said all the things I ever wanted to hear and more, but I knew I wasn't worth it. I wasn’t worth his fairytale ending. I was worth a Shakespeare ending.

  “Why are you crying, Ahrianna?” Jack wiped my tear as I hiccupped a breath.

  “I’m not a good person, Jack. I have skeletons. I have skeletons in my closet,” I sobbed.

  Jack kissed my lips. “Good thing I have a walk-in closet double the size of your apartment. Our skeletons can be friends.”

  Jack kissed my eyes this time, and I laughed and cried.

  “I’m serious.”

  “So am I.” Honesty filled his words, and for the first time, I felt my body let go of the past just for a few seconds.

  I continued to cry as Jack kissed my tears and took care of me. He kept the tempo and softness the same as he knew I needed it. I needed the cry. I needed to be vulnerable and broken just this once. I needed to let my walls fall so someone could come in and fix my interior, my soul, which Jack knew exactly how to mend.

  Jack caught all my tears before they got too far. After endless minutes, Jack and I finished again at the same time. Our bodies, minds, and souls morphed into one. He was a part of me, and I was a part of him.

  I hugged Jack’s neck and waist tightly as we both learned how to breathe normally again. I didn't want to let him go. I was afraid his words were a lie, but I knew they weren’t. Still, I couldn’t help myself and think the same way.

  “Jack…I’m not worth it. Trust me.”

  Jack picked me up, our bodies still connected until we got under the covers and Jack pulled out of me. Jack smiled at my cunt dripping with the white gold I still wanted more of. He looked up at me with his naturally up-to-no-good eyebrow arched.

  “Trust me…you are. Don’t tell me what to do or think because when I’ve decided what I want. I take it. And right now, I want you. I need you. I’m not abandoning you, and you’re not leaving me. Not ever.” Jack cupped my cheeks and a planted kiss. “You’re inked in my soul, branded on my flesh, and carved in my bones. So trust me when I say. You’re worth it, Ahrianna.”

  He dropped next to me and thumbed my sore ribs. Jack exhaled and inhaled deeply as if he was the one that had the bruise. I could see the question written on his face.

  I sighed and spoke softly. “We can talk tomorrow, Jack. Just give me this day. Aurora’s and my day. Okay?”

  Jack pulled me into his burning body. His hair was a mess, his eyes were drunk off mine and his smile was soft and understanding. He knew what today meant and he didn’t hunt for answers.

  Just for today let me relax and repress the memories of him and what he had done years ago. Let me ignore the fact that I’d seen him today out of all days. Let me relax and think about the good times with Aurora. How even when we shared the same birthday she would always surprise me with balloons when I woke up. How she bought a whole Portillo’s chocolate cake, and we (Aurora, Luke and I) swallowed it whole with our mighty plastic forks. How as a present all three of us would take a bus and wander into the worry-free parts of Chicago where we would people watch.

  Just give me today.

  Jack swallowed. “Tomorrow, we both talk.”

  “Both?”

  Jack nodded. “I’ll tell you everything.”

  “About?”

  “You’ll see, baby girl. You’ll see.”

  Jack kissed my hair and pulled me tighter in his bulletproof arms as I slowly drifted into a deep slumber, feeling my black butterflies flutter. Jack was trouble. The very definition of trouble, but he didn’t feel wrong or dangerous.

  He never did.

  JACK

  I sat on my bed, looking at my wallet. It had everything I needed inside. My money, cards, the letter, and my memory card from my camera. That’s all I need. Everything else I’m leaving behind. It didn’t matter. I’ll come back one more time to help Ahri move, and that’s it.

  Mark my fucking words.

  I looked at my messy unmade bed—a very rare sight. I’d watched Ahri sleep for eight hours. Eight. Fucking. Hours. And I swear I didn’t blink or loosen my arms around her once. I’d never felt this way. I knew I’d fallen for Ahri, but it all felt different. The way she felt in my arms, against body, pressed in my heart. She opened up to me. She cried. That’s when I knew she had fallen in the same six-foot-under pit I’d been in for days, possibly weeks.

  I’m still nervous about tonight, well, tomorrow morning. I’d decided to bring Ahri home. Her real home. I’m going to change my baby girl's life forever, but she had no idea. That thought sprung a smile on my face, but the thought of explaining everything to Ahri from the beginning to end had me numb. There would be tears and hatred. This time, I was going to hurt her. For lying to her. For then telling her the truth, but passing it off as a one-cent fantasy and dream.

  I took a deep breath, but relaxation never came.

  Eddy invaded my brain again like a virus, boiling my blood and rotting my mind. I was already planning everything in my head. The violent and nonviolent ways to make Eddy’s sad excuse of a life disappear like it should’ve years ago. I swore if anyone ever dared to lay a finger on Ahri that I’d rip them apart with my bare fucking hands.

  I meant it.

  He fucking hit her, blackmailed her, and stole from her. And God knows I’m thinking about the worst he could’ve done to Aurora.

  I was going to do everything and anything for Ahri. That meant coming out of retirement. Just this once. Just for Ahri. If Ahri tried to kill him—revenge or justice or hatred—then I knew whatever he did to Aurora was worth his life.

  Gory Jack was the permanent mood I wanted to stay locked in when I thought of Eddy—him, but I couldn’t. If I did, I might as well have swallowed a parasite and watched it eat me alive. I refused to let that happen. I refused to let Eddy take me away from my baby girls birthday, and she refused to let him do the same. Ahri was obviously in pain, but she wanted her birthday. A day in which Aurora’s and Ahri used to share.

  I checked the time.

  10:30

  The bathroom door creaked open, and Ahri stepped out. Instantaneously, she made a smile appear on my face like it was my job. My heart skipped a beat at her beauty, and all the anger inside of me oozed away.

  “What do you think?” Ahri’s spoke in a shy voice, very unlike her.

  Ahri wore a tight maroon velvet dress that hugged her from chest to mid-thigh. It showed her chest, the V neck collar ending where her breast did, and the straps were as thin as spaghetti. She wore her black strappy heels, and I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I bled.

  Fuck, my baby girl looked drop-dead gorgeous, hot, cute, foxy, sexy…insert all the fucking adjectives in the world here.

  She pulled her straight hair behind her ears, her cheeks a little crimson. I liked her wavy hair more. Yeah, I did. It suited her be
tter. She was my beautiful mess, but that didn’t mean she didn’t look less like a Goddess. She wore a little more makeup today, but only around her eyes, putting a thicker layer of mascara and a small wing of black eyeliner at the end.

  “Oh.” I grabbed my heart, throbbing and aching with nothing but devotion for Ahrianna Lore. “Oh, Jack likes. Daddy likes a lot.” I bit my lip.

  Moving closer to her, I let my hand trail down her waist that dipped in a little then went out to her straight hips. I bit my lip harder and growled when I got her ass in the palm of my hand. Ahri let out a sassy eye roll as she tried her best to bite down her smile.

  “I see that you pushed the limits to your club outfit.”

  Yummy. A dish of sarcasm with a dash of sass and served with a side of a smirk.

  Ahri eyes slowly glided down my body. My jeans slit open at the knees, one showing off my compass star tattoo the other showing off the tip of an Indian headdress tattoo I had on my shin. My shirt was a long sleeve with a V cut, and my leather jacket the same one I’d been wearing on the first night I’d met Ahri. As for my shoes, well, if you haven't figured that out, then you’re shit out of luck.

  “Why fix what isn’t broken?” A lonely chuckle left my lips.

  “I guess, but I’d still love to see you in that hot pink color you claim you don't mind.” Ahri laughed softly and chewed on her pouty bottom lip.

  “I'll find something this week, and I’ll wear it. How about that?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Ahri thought I was joking.

  I wasn’t.

  She pushed away from me before she grabbed her phone and ID.

  “The car will be here in a minute,” I said, talking to my phone and looking at the map.

  Ahri added a little spritz of perfume, checked her makeup, and off we went.

  The car ride was silent as we went into the city. We didn't need to talk, nor did we need to. The silence between us was perfect, everything that separated us from the world. All I needed was my Ahrianna, her body pressed against mine as we held sweaty hands.