by Ana Huang
It was only then that I noticed the blood staining Max’s sleeve.
“They tracked me down using the blood I left behind from nicking myself on that stupid vase.” Bitterness crept into Max’s voice. “A few fucking bloodstains, and I lost years of my life. The judge happened to be a good friend of Alastair’s, so he handed down a heavy fucking sentence. Of course, you were long gone by the time the police came. There was no evidence you were involved—they couldn’t catch your face on the security cameras—and Alastair didn’t want to drag the case out when he already had me as the fall guy. Bad publicity, you see. So you got away scot-free.”
I hated the twinge of guilt in my gut. We’d both been in the wrong, and he was the only one who paid for it.
I understood why he was angry, but I also didn’t regret running when I had the chance.
I’d only fallen into the con life because of Max. I’d needed money, and it’d been impossible for me to get a job in town after people found out my own mother kicked me out. She never told anyone why she did so, and the rumors ran wild—everything from me selling drugs to me getting knocked up and losing the baby because of my supposed coke habit. Either way, no one wanted to touch me with a ten-foot pole.
Luckily, I had enough cash saved up to tide me over until I met Max two weeks after being kicked out. I’d been sucked in by his looks, charm, and flashy car, and it hadn’t been long before he roped me into running cons with him in Columbus.
But our ski weekend had shattered his spell, and I’d only stayed with him until I had the resources to leave Ohio for good. My acceptance to Thayer and Alastair’s cash gave me what I needed, and I snuck away the night after we broke into my stepfather’s mansion.
I hopped on a midnight bus to Columbus, bought the next flight to D.C., and never looked back.
“You might think I’m upset.” Present Max smoothed a hand over his hair. “I’m not. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect over the years. Become a better person. I’ve learned how to let bygones be bygones. That being said…”
Here it was.
I curled my hands into fists and braced myself for what he had to say next.
“You owe me. I took the fall for you.”
“What do you want, Max?” I didn’t point out that he had, in fact, committed a crime and took the fall for himself. There was no point. “I’m sorry you got caught. Truly. But I can’t give you those seven years back.”
“No,” he said, the picture of reason. “But you can do me a favor. It’s only fair.”
Needles of dread pricked at me. “What kind of favor?”
“It wouldn’t be any fun if I told you now, would it?” Max smiled. “You’ll see. I’ll let you know when the time is right.”
“I’m not having sex with you.” The mere idea turned my stomach.
“Oh, no.” His laugh bounced around the hallway and scraped against my skin like nails on chalkboard. “After how well-used you must be after all these years? No, thanks.”
Heat rushed to my face, and I resisted the urge to stab him in the balls with one of my stiletto heels.
“Although you have always been enthusiastic in the sack, so you have that going for you.” My stomach hollowed when he pulled out his phone. “I even have evidence.”
He pressed a button, and my stomach churned when past me’s moans filled the air.
“Right there,” onscreen me gasped, sounding disgustingly sincere even though I’d hated every second of what I’d been doing. “That feels so good.”
“Yeah, you like that?” The man’s rough voice sent a wave of nausea crashing through me. “I knew you were a fucking slut the moment I saw you.”
The video was grainy, but it was clear enough to see both our faces and his cock as he pumped in and out of me. I’d barely known the guy, but Max had convinced me to sleep with him and capture it on camera.
I’d been such a fucking idiot.
“Turn it off.” I couldn’t stand the sound of my fake moans. Each one drilled into my brain and dragged me back to the dark days when I’d craved approval so much I would’ve done anything for it, including have sex with a man twice my age just so I could steal from him.
“But we haven’t gotten to the good part yet.” Max’s smile widened. “I love it when you let him fuck you in—”
“Turn it off!” Cold sweat drenched my skin. “I’ll do your fucking favor.”
The video finally, blessedly stopped.
“Good. I knew you were smart.” Max pocketed his phone. I wasn’t dumb enough to think stealing it would do anything except piss him off. He must have backups of the video stashed somewhere. “After all, you don’t want to lose your job at Silver & Klein, do you? A fancy law firm like that probably wouldn’t react well to one of their employees having a sex tape floating around online.”
The bile churned harder. “How do you know about that? How did you even find me and get my number?”
Max shrugged. “It’s not hard to track you down when pictures of you with a queen are splashed all over the internet, especially with the royal wedding is coming up. Once I discovered your new name, it took only a simple Google search to turn up what I needed. Jules Ambrose, member of the Thayer Law Review. Jules Ambrose, recipient a full-ride scholarship to Thayer Law.” His smile turned bitter. “You’re living a good life, J. As for your number…well, those things aren’t exactly classified. Paid some cash to an online service and voila. Done.”
Fuck. I’d never considered the consequences of having my connection with Bridget be so publicized. But I never expected Max would look for me after all these years. I’d feared it, but I hadn’t expected it.
“And Hyacinth? How’d you know I would be here?”
Breathe, Jules. Breathe.
Max rolled his eyes. “I’m here to have fun, J. Plus I have…business in D.C. Not everything is about you. Running into you was a lucky coincidence, though I’d planned to text you again eventually. I was just…busy these past few weeks.”
His casual annoyance was more sinister than any outright threats or violence, though he’d always disdained physical violence. It was too plebeian for him; he preferred mind games and manipulation, as evidenced by our current conversation.
I could only imagine what kind of “business” he was up to, though. I would bet my new apartment it was something illegal.
“And when do you plan on asking for this favor?” If I had to do it, I wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
“Whenever I want. It could be a few days from now. Weeks. Months.” Max offered a loose shrug. “Guess you’ll have to keep a close eye on your phone. Don’t want to miss a text from me or poof, you might wake up one day to find your video online.”
My stomach hollowed. The idea of Max’s threat hanging over my head for an indeterminate length of time made me want to hurl.
“If I do it, you’ll erase the tape,” I said.
It was worth a shot.
His expression hardened. “I’ll erase the tape if and when I want to erase it.” He brushed a strand of hair out of my eye, the action grotesquely tender considering the circumstances. “You don’t have any leverage, babe. You’ve built this fancy life of yours on a foundation of lies, and you’re just as helpless now as you were when you were seventeen.” He trailed his hand down my neck and caressed my shoulder. A swarm of invisible spiders crawled over my skin. “You will do—”
A familiar voice cut in, deep and edged with hardness. “Am I interrupting something?”
22
JULES
My knees weakened with relief. I never thought I’d welcome the sound of that voice, but in that moment, I could build a shrine to it and worship at its altar.
I looked over Max’s shoulder, oxygen creeping back into my lungs at the sight of Josh’s tousled hair and lean, powerful frame.
“Josh.” I breathed his name like it was my salvation.
In a way, it was.
Max’s eyes sharpened before he dropped
his hand and turned, giving Josh a polite nod that the other man didn’t return. “Not interrupting. I was merely saying hi to an old friend.” Curiosity touched his gaze as it flicked between us, but he didn’t address Josh further. “Good seeing you, J. Remember…” He tapped his phone with a smug smile and walked away.
I waited until he disappeared around the corner before I slumped against the wall, my heart racing and my dinner threatening to make an ugly reappearance.
Josh crossed the distance between us and gripped my arms. He swept his eyes over my face, concern etching tiny grooves in his brow. “You look like you’re about to throw up.”
I forced a smile. “That’s my natural reaction whenever I see you.”
The insult fell flat without the conviction to back it up. In truth, I wanted to bury myself in Josh’s chest and pretend the past half hour never happened. He wasn’t my friend, but he was a pillar of stability in a world that had suddenly flipped on its axis.
He didn’t bother acknowledging my pitiful attempt at snark. “Was he hurting you?” A dark current rippled beneath his voice and warmed my icy skin.
“No.” Not physically, anyway. “Like he said, he’s…someone I used to know. We were catching up.”
I couldn’t let anyone know the truth about Max or my past. Josh already thought the worst of me. I didn’t want to imagine his reaction if he found out I used to be a thief.
“In the biblical sense?” The current went from dark to pitch black.
“Careful, Josh,” I warned, ignoring the small flutter in my chest despite everything that’d happened. “Or I’ll think you’re jealous.”
A harsh smile carved his mouth. “I don’t get jealous.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” I straightened, basking in Josh’s concern more than I should’ve. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“For the same reason as you, I imagine,” he said sardonically. “I wanted to check out the club, but I wasn’t feeling it and was about to leave when I saw you.”
“Right.” We were near the exit, so that made sense.
Although Max had left, his presence lingered like a rotting smell, as did his ultimatum.
Did he already have a favor in mind, or would he make it up as he went along? He said no sex, but it could be something illegal. What if he wanted me to steal for him again? That being said, why was Max asking for only one favor? He’d spent seven years in jail. I would’ve thought he’d ask for more. Did he really want a favor, or was he using it as a coverup for something else? If so, what?
My brain pounded with a thousand questions I didn’t have the answer to.
Breathe. Focus.
I would deal with the Max situation later, when my shock wore off and my brain cleared. There wasn’t much I could do about it now.
I blinked, forcing thoughts of my ex aside no matter how hard they tried to claw their way back to the forefront of my mind.
If the Olympics gave out gold medals for repression, I’d win one every four years.
“You said you were busy tonight.” Josh leaned his forearm against the wall above my head. His eyes pierced mine.
“I am.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder and pasted on an impudent smile. “Or maybe I just didn’t want to meet up with you. I guess you’ll never know.”
“You trying to provoke me, Red?” His dark warning snaked through me.
Yes.
“I only provoke people I care about.” I blinked up at him, the picture of innocence. “That doesn’t include you, Joshy.”
Anticipation climbed in my chest when a soft snarl rose in his throat. “It’s not care I want from you.”
He claimed my lips in a punishing kiss. My blood burned at the onslaught, and when his tongue forced mine into submission, I yanked a fistful of his hair in retaliation until he hissed out a pained growl.
“Oops,” I mocked. “Forgot how soft you were. I’ll try to be gentler next time.”
Josh straightened and licked the spot of blood on his lower lip. I’d nipped him so hard during our kiss I’d broken skin.
“Don’t worry, Red,” he said, his smile a vicious slash across his face. “I’ll show you just how soft I can be.”
He closed his hand around my wrist in an iron grip and yanked me toward an unmarked door across the hall. Surprisingly, it was unlocked.
Josh pushed me in.
It was some sort of supply closet slash overflow room. Paper goods and utensils crowded the black metal shelves, a fog machine sat in the corner between a rolled-up rug and a broken-down chandelier, and a mirror hung on the wall opposite the door above a small table.
The click of the door locking behind me brought my attention back to Josh. His presence filled every corner of the room, making the small space feel even smaller, and I could feel the heat radiating from his body across every inch of my skin.
Or maybe the heat was from the way he looked at me, like he wanted to devour me whole.
Sparks danced through me.
Blood pounding in my ears, electricity lighting up my veins. Thoughts of Max already fading into the nether where they belonged.
This was exactly what I needed.
“Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to do something?” I asked in as bored a tone as I could muster.
Josh’s eyes glinted in the dim light. He walked toward me, each slow step sending another jolt of anticipation and fear down my spine.
It took him only a few strides to reach me, but by the time he did, my heart was ready to burst out of my chest.
He didn’t take his eyes off me as he yanked my dress up and ripped my underwear off.
I hissed out a protest when the flimsy silk shredded without resistance.
“That was my good underwear, asshole.”
Josh lowered his mouth to mine. “Ask me if I care.” He swallowed my angry retort with another bruising kiss while his fingers delved between my legs to find me already wet and aching for him.
Such a fucking jerk. That didn’t stop my body from craving his, but it also didn’t mean I had to make it easy for him.
I pushed him off and slapped him. Not hard, but enough for the satisfying smack of my palm meeting flesh to echo through the tiny space.
Adrenaline lit up my blood when his brief flare of shock morphed into fury.
Pinpricks of fear fanned my arousal into a white-hot flame. It burned hotter when he forced me to my knees and undid his belt and pants.
The thinly carpeted floor dug into my skin, and my breaths came out in harsh rasps when his cock sprung out, thick and angry and already leaking pre-cum.
“Open your mouth.”
Need pulsed through me like a living thing, but I met his blazing eyes with defiant ones of my own. I kept my lips firmly pressed together.
The message was clear.
Make me.
Josh’s eyes blazed hotter. His hand closed around my throat, and he squeezed. Harder and harder, until darkness edged my vision and I couldn’t take it anymore. I opened my mouth to gasp for air, managing to drag in one breath before he shoved his cock in.
Oh God.
I gagged horribly, my throat bulging around his girth as drool leaked from the corners of my mouth and dripped down my chin.
“Tuh mphfg.” Too big. My whine of protest came out muffled. I pushed half-heartedly against his thighs even as my juices dripped down my own.
The hard floor, the pinch of pain when Josh fisted my hair with both hands, the sensation of having my throat completely filled…it was too much.
My nipples hardened into diamond points, and I resisted the urge to stroke my clit.
I was already close to orgasm, and he hadn’t even touched me yet.
Josh tugged my head back until he stared straight down into my tear-filled eyes. “I’m going to fuck that smart mouth of yours until the only sound you’ll be able to make is the one of you choking on my cock,” he said calmly. He rubbed one of my tears away with his thumb.
An electric shiver ripped down my spine at the contrast between his lethally soft threat and his tender touch.
“The next time you want to insult me, I want you to think about this.” He withdrew until just the tip of his cock remained in my mouth, paused, and plunged down in one sharp thrust. I gagged again, the tears flowing faster, the heat in my belly stoking hotter. “You on your knees, gagging on every inch of my cock while I ruin your tight little throat.”
I whimpered. My nipples and pussy were so sensitive a strong gust of air could very well tip me over the edge.
“Mphm yphf.” Fuck you.
Josh smiled, and the pinpricks of fear intensified until my entire body was a live wire of sensation.
“This is going to be fun.”
That was the last warning I got before he started fucking my mouth so mercilessly it was all I could do to try and suck in breaths through my nose before he bottomed out again.
My helpless gurgles mixed with his harsh groans and the obscene slap of his balls against my chin as he punished my throat exactly the way he’d promised.
Hard. Brutal. Unrelenting.
I squirmed and tried to ease the ache in my jaw, but he was too big and the fucking too furious. Eventually, however, my throat opened up, and he was able to slide even deeper with less resistance.
“That’s it,” Josh groaned. “Every inch, just like that. I knew you could take it.”
I moaned at the praise. I couldn’t see properly through the tears clouding my vision, but the buzz between my legs had grown too loud for me to ignore.
I reached down to rub my clit.
Before I could make contact, Josh yanked himself out of my mouth, lifted me up, and bent me over the table, ignoring my protest.
“You were enjoying your punishment a little too much, Red. We can’t have that.” He pushed my legs wider with his knee, his voice rough with lust. “Look at you. You’re fucking soaked for me.”