Take Me

by Anna Zaires, Pepper Winters, Skye Warren, Lynda Chance, Pam Godwin, Amber Lin

  In bed.

  Vulnerable.

  Hopefully asleep, so I could have the pleasure of screaming him awake.

  Walking straight and with purpose, I refused to make eye contact with anyone. I cursed the bruising between my legs. Every step made my heart race, knowing I was about to face the man who hurt me.

  I passed the Muay Thai ring, but slammed to a halt when a large man stepped purposely in my way. I didn’t know what he wanted, and I wasn’t in the mood.

  “Move, please,” I said, glaring.

  He chuckled, stroking his five o’ clock shadow. His body flexed with thick muscles and tribal tattoos. “That’s no way to be polite.” His voice sounded like a drum full of gravel. “I didn’t know entertainment arrived early.” He stepped closer, forcing himself into my bubble. “You fancy serving a winner after his fight?” He licked his lips, dragging icy blue eyes up and down my figure. “I’ll fuck you real good.”

  “No thanks.” I sniffed, keeping calm. “I’m busy; please let me pass.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, you used the magic word. Was that please let me suck your dick, baby doll? I think that’s what I heard.” His arm came forward, landing on my shoulder. His touch didn’t scare me, but the use of the pet name did.

  My body tensed, looking for a weakness to exploit. “Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me.”

  His bushy eyebrows slammed into a frown. “That’s no way for a Fox Girl to talk to a paying client. Do you know the fucking fees I pay to come here? It’s extortion.”

  I shrugged. “What you do with your money is your business. Now leave me the hell alone.”

  Shaking his head, he muttered, “You’re not getting it, baby doll. I pay fees and included in those fees are the use of certain pleasurable activities.” His fingers slithered off my shoulder, dropping to my chest.

  I flinched as he grabbed my breast hard and twisted. “Get in a private room. Now.”

  Reaching automatically into my hair, I fumbled for my knife clip. My anxious fingers touched the blade, palming it discreetly.

  A rush of power filled me holding the weapon. “Lay another finger on me and I’ll make you regret it.”

  Two fighters nearby stopped towelling off and looked up. They murmured something to each other, watching our altercation. Their eyes dropped to my figure, glowing from confusion to interest.

  Oh, shit, how could I get out of this without it turning into a bloodbath?

  Deciding deception was the best way to go, I forced my body to relax. Placing a hand over my captors, I slipped into seductress and whispered, “Not here. You want me? You can have me, but your eyes only.” The moment I get you alone, I’m cutting your balls off.

  He grinned, showing yellowing teeth. “Knew you’d come around, baby doll.”

  A strong arm suddenly wrapped around my waist, yanking me backward into hard muscle. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  My nose swam with scents of sun and salt and wind. Whereas Fox smelled of the underworld he’d been birthed from, Oscar smelled of freedom.

  “I came back as I made a deal with your boss.” Nodding at the guy in my way, I added, “This lunatic thinks he can order me around.”

  Oscar breathed hard; his muscles pressed against my spine. I never relaxed even as his hard heat seeped into my body. I didn’t like how firmly he held me.

  I squirmed a little, testing his hold. Oscar grunted. “Stop moving. I know Fox wants you. I didn’t deal with his bullshit last night for him to kill me today if he found out I didn’t return you. It’s your funeral for being stupid enough to come back.”

  Where did Fox go last night?

  My mind raced as Oscar clutched me harder. “Spiderweb, nice to see you so early. You know the rules. You want a fuck; you have to wait till official opening hours.”

  Spiderweb bared his teeth. “I see a perfect little bug in front of me. She was all for it, weren’t you, baby doll?”

  I couldn’t stop the shudder. I would never get over my hatred for that name.

  Oscar stilled, a gust of hot air from his breath hit my neck. “She’s not for sale.”

  My back stiffened, but I let him talk about me as a possession. He was trying to protect me after all.

  “Whatever. Fair’s fair. She’s on the floor. I saw her. I want her.”

  Oscar tugged me harder into him, staking a possessive claim with his hand on my hip. I couldn’t see him, but his voice seethed with authority. “She’s already bought.”

  My temper flared. I wanted to disagree. I wasn’t a pet or a piece of crockery to be bought and traded. I’d agreed to sell something to Fox in return for hope. What we’d agreed to wasn’t just sex.

  You want him as much as you want his money.

  The reminder came from nowhere, bringing with it the heat simmering in my stomach. I’d wanted him before he took me so callously. The attraction was still there, frothing beneath my anger.

  Spiderweb crossed his arms; his muscles jumped, making his spider tattoos seem like they were alive. “By who? I’ll pay extra. I want that fine piece of ass.” He blew me a disgusting kiss.

  I bit my tongue against saying anything. Oscar’s muscles bunched behind me, rippling with energy. “By the owner of this fucking club. So beat it.”

  Spiderweb sneered. “The owner can have anyone he wants.” Anger glowed in his eyes. “I want that one.” Pointing at me, he grabbed his crotch. “She’d feel real good. I can tell.”

  I squeaked as Oscar grabbed my left breast. What the hell?

  His breath blew hot on the side of my neck as he snapped, “See this?” Letting go, he added, “His. Not yours. His.”

  His voice held an accent—American perhaps, even though he looked like a true-blue Aussie with his tanned skin, bright blue eyes, and salt-bleached hair.

  Whispering in my ear, he said, “Why did you come back? I thought he hurt you?”

  “He did hurt me.” I wanted to leave it at that, but I needed Oscar on my side if I had any chance of achieving what I wanted. “But he’s hurting more.”

  Oscar didn’t say a word. Shit, I said the wrong thing. I was incorrect to think he cared about his boss.

  Oscar muttered, “If you think he’ll change, you’re delusional, but I won’t stop you from destroying yourself.”

  Spiderweb took a hasty step toward me. “Hey! Stop sweet talking my girl. I’m taking her.”

  My temper exploded. I’d had enough of idiotic male testosterone. Shoving Oscar off me, I hissed, “I’m not yours. I’m not his. I’m mine. Now excuse me, Neanderthals, I came back for a reason, and I’m not done.”

  Stalking away, I dashed up the stairs and thanked my one bit of luck: Fox’s office door stood open. Securing the knife clip into my hair, I entered.

  I’d drawn my fair share of blood and hated the aftermath. The tremors, the constant questions, the wondering if I could’ve handled the situation better. I second-guessed every decision, looking for ways I could’ve prevented whatever happened.

  The shakes began. They always did after a tense situation. My body, drenched in adrenaline, still wanted to fight.

  My eyes fell to the carpet where Fox strangled me last night. My fingers flew to my neck, pressing lightly on the tender bruises. The memory of his hand around my throat made my heart pound harder.

  He’d switched so quickly from worshipping kisser to crazed psychopath. There was no helping someone with such deep-rooted psychological issues. I should just turn around and forget about all of this.

  Even as I thought it, I knew it wasn’t an option.

  Clutching my bag closer, I took a few deep breaths, forcing the build-up of stress to filter away. Only once my fingers were steadier and I could move without jumping did I traverse the office and open the parallel door.

  Looking left and right, I held my breath. The length of the corridor held no one—empty as a gravesite.

  Once again, the sensation that my life was changing occurred. I’d felt it when I first locked eyes with Fo
x—the pull, the gravity between us. It tugged me in a direction I hadn’t known existed until him.

  Fate had brought us together because we could help each other. I didn’t believe in fairy-tales, but I did believe in serendipitous encounters. Fox could help me with Clara. I could help him with his demons.

  After I hurt him.

  My mind swam with Clara. The crushing weight of missing her kept me glued to the carpet. I would never forgive myself if I failed her.

  Swallowing hard, I tiptoed toward Fox’s bedroom. Pressing copious amounts of codes on the keypad, I finally figured out the right one. Turned out I hadn’t memorized it very well.

  The lock clicked open, and the door handle turned easily in my hand. The moment I entered the room, there was no turning back. I would tell the truth. I would force him to listen. And I had no clue how he would react.

  What are you doing, Zel?

  I honestly couldn’t answer that question. I truly didn’t know. The risk of coming back to a man as unstable as Fox was suicidal. It wasn’t just the allure of money that brought me back. Yes, my heart never stopped bleeding at the thought of losing Clara, but something else drove me, too. Something, I didn’t like. Something, I couldn’t ignore.

  Pushing the door open, I strode in, eyes zeroing in on the bed.

  Empty.

  My heart raced as I moved forward. The black decorated room was vacant. Sun danced on bronze and iron, glittering off statues of wolves and faceless boys. All around me I felt the threat of pain held tight in the metal sculptures.

  A shield hung on the wall to my left, glinting with symbols and careful etching. The markings summoned me, whispering of a story—maybe a key to Fox.

  Every chisel line looked angry, too deep, too filled with violence. Three Russian words caught my attention, scratched with no finesse, looking angry and sinister.

  Letting my bag fall off my shoulder with a soft thud, I reached with inquisitive fingers to trace the foreign letters. I wished I understood what they meant.

  The hair on the back of my neck stood up; my heart galloped. There’d been no sound, no hint that anything dangerous had entered the room, but my senses knew.

  I stepped back from the metal shield, looking toward the bathroom door.

  Wide open, with a cloud of steam billowing behind him, Fox stood glaring at me.

  My stomach twisted drinking in his tight posture, the dampness of his hair. He didn’t say a word—he didn’t need to. His gaze was so intense it pummelled me from across the room. So many questions, so many accusations lived in his snowy depths.

  I thought I’d never see you again.

  Our deal is broken.

  Leave.

  Run.

  I don’t want you here.

  I tried to communicate just as silently, showing him just how pissed off I was, but that I understood, too.

  You hurt me, but I came back.

  You owe me for what you did.

  I hate you, but I want to help you.

  The silent conversation ended with Fox standing taller, drawing my eyes down his fully clothed body. His messy dark-bronze hair dripped moisture onto his shoulders, but his toned body was encased in a black sweater and black cotton trousers.

  He dressed even thinking he was alone—why? I could understand physical shyness—even though he had no reason to be shy with his physique, but I couldn’t understand the need to hide whatever existed beneath his clothing.

  I spoke before I consciously made the decision to communicate. “What happened to you?”

  His jaw was swollen, and one eye had a large cut beneath it, all puffed and purple. Blood crusted his hairline and he kept an arm tight against his side, protecting either his organs or ribs.

  I balled my hands, fighting the urge to nurse him as he shuffled from the doorway toward the bed. He never took his eyes off me.

  The energy in the room sparked and fizzled with awareness. I’d never been so in-tune with someone before—regardless if I lusted for them or hated them.

  I bit my lip as he hissed in discomfort, lowering himself from standing to sitting on the bed. Despite his obvious pain, there was something different about him.

  Gone was the fine edge of…I didn’t know… power, hatred, poise maybe? He lacked the tense fierceness, the tightly reined control. Before, he looked like he could reap Armageddon, now he looked…relaxed. He looked tired.

  The man before me was… content. A strange conclusion for someone bleeding and breathing shallowly, but his white-grey eyes weren’t haunted. They were clear and focused and angry.

  My heart fluttered, drawn to the damaged, magnetised to the need in him. Seeing him vulnerable wilted away my anger.

  Carefully, he swung his legs onto the bed and reclined against the black fluffy pillows. His eyes trailed over my body, taking their time, branding me.

  The bruising in my core turned from aching to throbbing.

  You came here to scream at him. Don’t fall into the trap of attraction.

  Sucking in a determined breath, I stomped to the end of the bed and clutched the gnarly tree bed-end. The cold metal gave me something to focus on. I glowered. “You hurt me last night. I came back to tell you exactly what I thought of you—to inflict some pain in retribution, but I see karma works fast and someone beat me to it.”

  His jaw worked, but he didn’t reply.

  Fine, if that was how he wanted to play. “Want me to guess how you came to be bruised and beaten? You want to know the truth about me…well, I want to know the truth about you. If I had more sense I would never have come back, but lucky for you I care about someone more than myself, and I’m doing this for them. I’m earning the money for their future.”

  “Well that just makes you fucking selfless then, doesn’t it?” Fox snarled. “I don’t want to hear about your reservations and regrets returning to me. If you feel that strongly just piss off.”

  I rolled my eyes, my temper heating. “You think I would willingly come back for abuse? Don’t kid yourself. You practically raped me, and I should feel what exactly? I’ll tell you what I feel: lust for the money you promised. I made a mistake thinking I could enjoy my time with you. I wasn’t mentally prepared for you taking me because I’d hoped I would find satisfaction, but you taught me yet another lesson, and I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

  Fanning my arms, I snapped, “I’m here. I’m here for your enjoyment, and I don’t expect anything in return but your cash. I guess I truly am a whore.”

  His eyes flashed. “You’re not a fucking whore. And I get it—you want to hurt me by saying you no longer want me in any capacity but to pay you. Congratulations, I understand completely.”

  “Good.”

  “Fine!” His face twisted, bruising and redness on his cheek highlighting his scar. “At least this way we know exactly where we stand.”

  I nodded. “Precisely.”

  Fox’s eyes lost the flash of anger filling suddenly with tiredness. “Anything else you wish to scream at me before I pass out?” He looked defeated—smaller and vulnerable.

  My heart thumped, diluting my anger with compassion. Running my finger along the top of the bed-end, I asked, “What happened to you? Where did you go last night?”

  He scowled, shaking his head. “I went nowhere and nothing happened.” He winced a little as he shifted on the bed. “Oscar told me he dropped you off last night, but he refused to tell me your address.”

  Relief siphoned through my blood. There was no way I wanted Fox knowing where I lived—not while Clara was there. “And he beat you up for asking?”

  Fox laughed, holding his side. “As if.” His eyes narrowed. “I got someone else.”

  My mouth plopped open. “You asked for that to happen to you?”

  His lips twisted, refusing to answer. His eyes fell to the necklace he’d put on me last night. The silver disappeared down my cleavage, tickling my stomach whenever I breathed.

  I sucked in a small breath as his eyes flash
ed to smouldering. Ignoring the burn in my belly, I pointed at the split in his lip. “Did you go searching for pain?”

  His eyes flared and he winced. “Shut up.”

  My heart thudded knowing I was on the right track. “I’m not going to shut up until I know the truth.” Pacing at the bottom of the bed, I added, “You’re bleeding. If you didn’t ask for this, then what happened? Did someone mug you?”

  He sighed heavily. “Something like that.” His gaze latched onto mine. “You’re forgetting our deal. You agreed to answer my questions, not the other way around.” He flinched as a wave of pain went through his body. “It doesn’t matter anyway. You left. Our deal is void. Get out. I don’t want you here.”

  I scowled. “I left because you hurt me. You promised me you wouldn’t. It wasn’t me who broke the rules—it was you.”

  He snarled. “I got what I wanted. I fucked you, and I didn’t have to pay. You’re the one who walked out the door and left—you’re the one who decided I wasn’t worth two hundred thousand dollars to stick it out for a few weeks.” His hands balled on either side of his body. “Don’t you get it? I got what I wanted. I fucked you and now I’m over it, so do me a favour and leave. I don’t want you here.” He clipped every word, layering them with hostility.

  My pissed off mood deflated. I should’ve been offended, annoyed, or jilted, but instead I just felt sad. Sad for him. Sad for his lies.

  The more I looked, the more I saw, and the more my heart went out for him. He was like a rabid dog, snarling, frothing at the mouth, guaranteed to bite my hand off if I got too close, but in his feral eyes lurked a plea. Something that said: don’t give up on me even if I bite.

  Narrowing my eyes, I snapped, “You’re rude, but it won’t work.”

  “What won’t fucking work?”

  I moved from my place at the foot of the bed, inching closer to him. He stiffened, glaring at my every step. I stopped at the side of the bed just out of touching distance. His body never unwound. If anything, his muscles bunched harder.