If it weren’t for her, he’d already be dead.
Something in me snaps and I find myself taking the blade and running it down his chest, watching as the knife moves easily through his skin, opening up the flesh just superficially, blood welling up immediately.
I’m a sadistic fucker so I make a few more cuts on his chest, the asshole struggling, mumbling behind the tape. His eyes are wild, and sweat is dotting his forehead, mixing with the blood as it runs down his cheek and cut. No doubt that shit stings.
I laugh at that.
I take a step back and stare at my handiwork. He has his fingers clenched tightly, and I see blood on his palms. He relaxes his hands and sags against the bonds, crescent shaped cuts from his nails littering the insides of his hands.
But I’m pissed about him breaking in, about thinking he could threaten me. I’m seeing red, picturing if I’d had Melissa here, how she’d be scared, in danger. I grab one of his hands and start breaking his fingers, snapping the digits back until I hear him screaming, hear the bone splintering in two. Only then do I exhale roughly and move away.
“We’re done for tonight, Troy.” I take one last hit from the joint and toss it at his face, embers bouncing against his skin. “Expect me when the sun rises. I have a few games I want to play with you tomorrow.”
Tears run down his face and I grin, but other than the pleasure I feel at exacting pain in him, I don’t feel shit for this sorry fucker. He didn’t give a fuck when we came here with the intent to hurt whoever was inside, to take what wasn’t his.
He wasn’t sorry when he aimed that pistol at my head and tried to take my God damn life.
But he sure as hell is sorry now.
Rolling my head around on my neck, I hear it crack. I step out of the garage and grab a cigarette from my pocket, closing my eyes for a second and just inhaling and exhaling. I open my eyes again and place the cigarette between my lips and look up as headlights come from the driveway.
I stand here and take a drag, needing some kind of release before I lose it on whoever has decided to show up invited.
It’s not until the vehicle gets closer that I realize that it’s Melissa’s car.
Fuck.
This isn’t how I wanted her to find me.
She steps out of the vehicle, her gaze immediately landing on me.
From the way her eyes grow wide as she checks out my bare chest, I know without a doubt that she notices the splatters of blood across my skin.
She’s heard of the things we do, no doubt. Hell, I know Kadence had probably told her shit that Aston has done with us all in the name of fucking over a Locke. She’s even been around after a few jobs, but she’s never actually seen me covered in another man’s blood before.
I keep my gaze on her, watching intently as she swallows and fights to pull her gaze off me.
I can see the struggle on her face, until she finally manages to turn away and walk to the front door.
Fuck me, she’s so damn beautiful that all I want to do is slam her against the side of the house and fuck her right here and now.
I don’t even care that I’m covered in another man’s blood.
I want to be buried inside her pussy, making her scream for me.
The problem with that . . . Melissa hasn’t quite come around to our lifestyle yet.
That’s something I plan to change real soon. I’ve already given her enough time and I’m tired of waiting.
I want her as mine and when I get to her, she’s going to want to belong to me just as much as I want her to.
MELISSA
I don’t know what to think right now. All I can picture is Ace, the blood covering him, his expression feral, his body tense. I picture his cut muscles just under his skin as he stood there, staring at me, maybe wondering what I would do, if I’d run. The light from the garage had silhouetted him, making him seem even more dangerous than he already was.
I haven’t been able to get the picture of him covered in blood out of my head. He was standing there looking lethal, as if he could rip a man’s heart out with his bare hands and there I was, unable to turn away from him.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I’m so confused with the fact that even knowing he was just hurting someone, I still found him to be sexy as he stood there staring at me.
I almost hate myself for how aroused I was, how much I wanted him in that moment, even covered by the gore and violence of what he’d just done.
I knew I needed to get away from the Locke house as quickly as possible, before he was able to walk through that door and catch me staring for a third time in one damn day.
After I’d left, Kadence had explained to me what happened with someone trying to break into the house the night before.
It is all so crazy. It seems like an eternity ago that I first met the Locke brothers. I can still remember rooming with Kadence, knowing about them and what they did to anyone who crossed them. They are bad news but I saw the curiosity on Kadence's face and I hated it.
And now here I am just as curious about one of them.
The most lethal and twisted one of them all.
Ace.
Anyone who doesn’t know him, anyone who doesn’t know of his reputation, his clean-cut appearance would make him seem like the boy next door. But he’s far from that. His skin might not be inked like his brothers, but he’s even more dangerous than they are.
His hammer is his weapon of choice, and he has no empathy for people who cross him or people who hurt others who are weaker than them. Maybe that's why I’m captivated by him even though I try my hardest not to be.
Maybe that’s why I want him so much.
Yes, I’m drawn to a Locke, but I will never admit that to anyone, least of all him. Hell, I try to not even admit it to myself.
But then I see the way he looks at me, the way he touches me, even around his family. He makes me feel owned already and I haven't even done anything sexual with him. But God, I want to. I want his hands on my body, rough, demanding. I want him to hold me down and take me the way I know he can, with a savage brutality that will make me know there is no one else for me.
I’ve been feeling this way more and more with each day that passes and I don’t know what to do with that. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.
“Miss?” I snap out of my haze and look at the customer in front of me. She lifts an arched eyebrow and gives me this stiff glare. “I ordered a latte. But you're just standing there.”
“Sorry,” I mumble and turn away to make her drink. I need to get Ace out of my head, need to worry about working and myself. He might've told me in more ways than one that I was his but a part of me wants to not get involved with a Locke because I know he can be dangerous.
But he's like a drug to me, my addiction that I can't walk away from, can't ignore. I felt that again last night stronger than before and it’s been eating at me.
The rest of the day flies by as I try and focus on work. Once I clock out and grab my purse and car keys, my intention is just to go straight home. But as soon as I step out the back door and head to my car, I feel someone watching me. I stop and lift my head to see Ace standing there leaning against his truck, which is parked right beside my car.
The sight of him causes my heart to about leap from my chest. This is the last place I expected to see Ace.
He's got a baseball cap on, a white T-shirt stretched across his muscular chest and arms, and a pair of faded jeans that fit his long, lean body to perfection. His boots are black, slightly scuffed, his legs crossed at the ankles. Shit kickers are what I aptly call them.
He pushes away from his truck and walks over to me. The grin on his face can't be called anything but shit eating. I don't know what to say, or how to act. This is the first time he's ever shown up at my work other than when he was parked out front yesterday.
“Hey,” I say and look up at him. He might be lean and muscular like a swimmer, but he's tall and I have to crane my
head back just to look at his face. “What are you doing here?” He takes my bag from me and we walk over to my car together. He hasn't said anything yet, but he doesn't have to for me to feel like I'm walking on a tight rope.
“I haven't seen you in a few days and you took off so quickly last night . . .” He looks me right in the eyes and I take my bag from him and toss it in the back of my car.
“I've just been busy with work.” I lie easily, my voice tense, stiff. I am trying to not let him see how much he affects me, but I feel I’m failing miserably. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, see his brows lowered, this look of confusion on his face, or maybe he’s pissed. I can’t tell half the time with him. He’s so hard to read.
The truth is I've been avoiding him. It's not that I don't want to see him, because that's actually the opposite. I want to see him all the time, and that scares me.
What scares me even more is the fact that I still feel this way even after what I witnessed last night.
“You've been busy at work?” He leans against his truck again and crosses his arms. It's obvious that he knows I'm lying.
“I have been.” I clear my throat and look away for a second before staring at his face again.
“Let me take you somewhere. Just you and me, a place where we can talk.”
I look at his hands, his knuckles, which are scabbed over, and it makes me wonder just what he did to that guy last night. But I know better than to ask what happened. Because the truth is I don't want to know the answer.
The violent side of Ace, the dangerous part, scares me, even though I know he will never hurt me.
“You want to take me somewhere?”
He nods. “Just you and me.”
The thought of being alone with him has my nerves kicking in.
I don’t want to fall for him. I can’t fall for him.
When I don’t give him an answer, he backs me against my car and closes in on me. His toned arms surround me, and his scent, which I can only describe as intoxicating, fills my head and makes me drunk.
I find myself breathing hard and fast as he presses his body against mine and leans down so that his face is in my hair. I may even be trembling a bit, both out of fear and desire for Ace. “I’m not leaving until you say yes.” I feel his lips move against the strands before he lowers his mouth to my ear and lets out something between a growl and a moan. “Fuck, Melissa. You have no idea how hard your scent gets me. But I’m not here to push myself on you and make you realize how much you truly want me inside of you. No . . . I’m here to take you somewhere alone so we can think in some peace and quiet. Now say yes.”
His words have my entire being feeling as if it’s igniting into flames and the closeness of his hard body has my brain in a mush. I can’t think straight when he’s so damn close.
“Okay,” I say on a tremble. “We can go somewhere alone. But just to relax, to talk.” I somehow find the strength to push him away so he’s no longer practically glued to me. “And you have to leave your hammer at home. No violence.”
He flashes his usual twisted grin that always seems to spark something in me I can’t seem to understand. “Done. I left it in the SUV.” He reaches out with his scabbed-up knuckled hand and closes my car door. “We’ll take my truck.”
Oh shit, is the only thing that runs through my mind as I allow him to lead me to the other side of his truck.
What am I getting myself into by allowing the scariest Locke of them all to get me alone?
ACE
It may be twisted to admit, but feeling the way Melissa’s body trembled when I pressed mine against hers fucking turned me on and had my cock jumping with excitement.
I know a part of that is because she somewhat fears me still, but the other part is because she wants me just as much as I want her.
She knows how dangerous I am. She knows I’ll kill any motherfucker who threatens my family. But what she doesn’t know is that I love just as hard as I intimidate, maybe even more.
I hear a small breath escape her as I grip her waist and hoist her into my truck.
I’m not sure I can ever get used to how damn good it feels whenever I touch her. That’s why I need to do everything in my power to make sure she wants me to keep touching her.
Things may get a little ugly, but I’m going to twist her up and shake the fucking innocence in her.
And by the time I’m through with her, she’s going to be my beautiful, twisted angel.
When I climb into the vehicle and take off, I can feel her gaze on me as if she’s taking this moment to take me all in, most likely thinking that I won’t notice since I’m driving.
But fuck me . . . it’s hard not to notice.
“Do you like what you see?”
From the corner of my eye, I catch her quickly turn away from me so she’s now looking out the passenger side window. “Just checking for any fresh blood or any warning signs that I should jump out of this moving truck and run for my life. Don’t get too cocky.”
“Is that a deal breaker for you? Because I’m pretty sure you saw me covered in blood last night . . .” I glance over at her and raise a brow. “Yet you’re still here in my truck with me.”
She’s silent after that.
That is, until she notices me pulling onto a side road and into the woods.
“Is this one of your kill spots?”
I laugh. “You’re supposed to relax, remember?”
“How am I supposed to be able to relax when the woods are where axe murderers bring their victims before they cut them into tiny pieces and hide their body parts? Or in your case . . .” She turns behind her and begins looking into the backseat. “Smash your victims’ body parts until they come off.”
“That’s not a bad idea. I’ve never tried that before. It could be a good workout.” I park and look over to see her staring at me all wide-eyed and somewhat shocked. “Do you really think I’d do that?”
She watches me as I reach for my cap and take it off before running a hand through my messy hair. “God, I hope not. I’m not that twisted.” I offer her a half smirk and reach over her to open her door. “Come on.”
I’m the first one to hop out and I can’t help but be a bit amused that she hesitates before getting out herself.
I really have my work cut out with Melissa.
“What are we supposed to do out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Lay back and relax. Talk, shit like that.” I flash her a grin. I grab a blanket out of the back of the truck and make my way to the tailgate. I pop the back and lay the blanket down. I jump up before reaching out for her hand. “This is the most peaceful place to think. I’ve been coming here for years but this will be the first time I’ve not come alone.”
“Really?” She finally gives me her hand, allowing me to pull her up beside me. “What do you like to come here and think about?”
I lay back and rest my hands behind my head. “I don’t know. Just whatever’s going on in my life at the time, I suppose. It’s kind of hard to relax and have some me time when my brothers are always around and there’s always some fucked-up shit for us to handle. This is the one place that is mine alone.”
She’s sitting on the edge, hanging her legs off as she looks up at the sky. “I have to admit that this is a pretty nice spot. I can see why it’s so relaxing.”
“Come here,” I say softly, wanting her to see that I’m not all that bad. I hold my hand out for her to grab. “Lay with me.”
It takes her a few seconds, but she eventually takes my hand and allows me to pull her down beside me.
Her gaze locks with mine. I should try to be a gentleman or some shit, but being so close to her has me all in knots, has the possessive side rising up. I crawl above her, spread her thighs with my knees and place my hard body between her legs. I can see her eyes go wide, feel her chest start to rise and fall faster. She breathes harder, and I know that she wants this just as much as I do. “Does this make you nervous?”
> I see her throat work as she swallows. After a second she nods. “A little.”
I press my body farther between her legs as I lean in to brush my lips against her ear. I know she can feel how hard I am for her. “How about this? Does it make you nervous to feel how badly I want you, Angel?”
She nods again. “Yes,” she whispers.
“That’s all I needed to know.”
With that, I roll over and lie back in my spot, allowing her to breathe easily again.
The next hour goes by in silence.
I’ve got Melissa alone for the first time and although I’d love nothing more than to fuck the fear out of her, to make her see that she is meant to be mine, I hold back because I can tell it’s too soon.
I’ll take things easy this time, but I can’t say the same for the next. My willpower only goes so far.
After a while, she finally sits up and turns to face me. “It’s getting kind of late. I should probably get home. Mind taking me back to my car?”
Without saying a word, I sit up and get off the tailgate, grab her hips and pull her closer to me so her legs are hanging off the side, and stare at her. I look into her eyes for a second, wanting to kiss her, to possess her. But I hold back and instead help her down as well.
“Let’s go.”
Once we get back to her car, I lean across the seat and unbuckle her seatbelt.
I can feel her heavy breaths hitting my neck and I know without a doubt that I’ve got her walls slowly crumbling.
“Goodnight,” she says quickly. “Appreciate the relaxing night. I actually needed it.”
I turn my head so that my lips are right above hers as I speak. “Good” is all I say before I lean back to my seat and listen to her uneven breathing.
She’ll go to bed thinking about me and that’s enough for tonight at least.
It definitely won’t be enough for next time . . .
MELISSA
I spent the entire night tossing and turning, thinking about Ace and how good it felt to be alone with him.
Twisted Locke Page 2