Sam was speechless, sat down heavily into a chair. ‘I know, Cal. I know.’
Cal chewed on his lip for a long moment. ‘Look, it’s not my place but…’
Zoe stuck her head into the room. ‘Sorry to interrupt boys. Sam, honey, I think Isa just wants to go to bed for tonight. She’s exhausted. Cal, why don’t you stay tonight and we can all talk about this in the morning.’
Cal looked at Sam, and they both nodded to Zoe.
In the kitchen, Sam could see that Zoe was right; Isa looked as if she was about to fall asleep at the counter. He kissed her temple.
‘I’ll take the cases up then come get you.’
She murmured her agreement, and he grinned at Zoe. ‘Be right back.’
He climbed the stairs and unlocked the door, nudging it open with his shoulder.
The smell hit him immediately as well as the miasmic hum of flies. His heart started to pound, and he flipped on the lights.
The involuntary sound that roared from his mouth when he saw her sounded like the howl of a wounded animal.
The dead girl was tied to a chair in the middle of the living room, stripped to her underwear, soaked with her own blood.
The girl looked so much like Isa that the message was obvious. This is what I’m going to do to her. For a moment Sam was frozen with horror, unable to take his eyes from the ragged stab wounds in the girl’s abdomen, the hilt of the murder weapon protruding from her ruined body, the blood, so much blood that covered the floor of the apartment. He was so frozen he was a second too late in turning, stepping in front of Isa as she burst through the door, having heard his shout. Too late. She saw the dead girl and Sam could see the shock, the terror and the horror in her eyes.
‘Oh my god….’ Her legs gave way and Sam caught her, yelling at Seb and Cal to help him. The two young men burst into the room; skidding to a halt when they saw the scene.
‘Jesus…’ Cal turned and threw up when he saw the girl’s body. Seb stood utterly still. His dark skin gray with shock.
‘She looks like my sister.’ His voice was so faint they hardly heard him. Isa buried her face in Sam’s chest as he curved his arms protectively around her. The stench of blood mingled with vomit now, and Sam jerked into action, dragging Isa back out of the door, yelling at the two men to follow him.
A shell-shocked Zoe called the emergency services and as they waited, a silence between them until Isa could stand it no longer and walked out into the night. Sam caught up with her as she stood, looking up at the open door of her apartment. He put his arm around her shoulders, could feel the tension in her body. She didn’t say anything, didn’t look at him.
‘Isa…’
‘I wonder what it will feel like.’
Sam shook his head, not understanding, and she turned to him, her eyes bottomless pits of sorrow and resignation.
‘When he does that to me. I wonder what it will feel like.’
He pulled her into his arms fiercely before making her look him in the eye. ‘I’ve told you this before, now listen to me. I will never, ever let him anywhere near you. You will never know what that,’ and he jerked his head towards the apartment and the dead girl, ‘feels like.’
‘Seconded.’ Cal came out of the house behind them and took her free hand. ‘Nothing’s gonna happen to you we don’t know about, sweet cheeks.’
Isa squeezed Cal’s hand, leaned into Sam. Sam kissed her temple, looked over the top of her head to his brother. ‘It’s time to shut this asshole down. I mean it, every resource we have, we’re going to use.’
Cal nodded. ‘Got it.’ He pulled his cell phone from his hip pocket and walked away from them to make a call. Sam’s arms tightened around Isa, as a police cruiser pulled up to the curb.
‘Honey… go tell Zoe and Seb to pack some things. You’re all going to the city.’ He pulled away and started towards the police offer stepping from his car. Isa stared after him.
‘Sam?’
He turned as she spoke. ‘For how long?’
Sam’s face hardened into sharp angles, his eyes haunted and angry. ‘For as long as it takes to make you safe again, my beautiful Isabel. As long as it takes…’
Part #3 Break Me
A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance
By Michelle Love
Break Me
Hey, beautiful.’ Cal kissed her cheek, pulling off his jacket and sitting in the chair across from Isa. She smiled at him, her face wan and exhausted. It had been a nightmarish few days since they’d found the murdered girl in her apartment; hours and hours of police questioning, invasive samples were taken and they had to endure endless meetings about their future protection.
The heavenly bubble of her and Sam’s island haven was a million miles away and a lifetime ago. Since the girl was found, since Isa had seen what her stalker intended to do to her, she hadn’t been able to sleep, been able to function as herself. The homicide detectives had been skeptical of her claims she didn’t know who would want to kill her; under Sam’s insistence, she’d given them Karl’s name. The voicemail she’d gotten from her ex-boyfriend after the police had questioned him – well – she’d kept it to herself and just deleted it. She didn’t blame Karl for being furious; she was angry too. Whoever this fucker was, he wouldn’t win.
But the fight to keep positive was wrecking her. Wrecking them all. And then there was Casey Hamilton and the fact Isa was convinced Sam knew more about her than he was admitting too.
Isa smiled at his brother now, for the first time noticing how little he resembled Sam. While Sam’s handsome features were all angles and Greek-god-devastating, Cal’s were softer, more malleable. His dark auburn hair had Sam’s curl rather than color, but his hair was longer, wilder. It suited his more casual demeanor.
He grinned at her appraisal. ‘Hey, if you’re looking for an affair, I just want you to know, I’m up for it.’
She chuckled, knowing he was kidding, and grateful for his attempt to cheer her up.
‘Always,’ she said, then leaned forward, her face serious.’ Look, I have something to ask, and I know it’s entirely inappropriate to go behind Sam’s back but…’
‘What is it, honey?’ Cal’s eyes, usually so merry, became wary.
Isa took a deep breath in. ‘Casey Hamilton.’
She saw his eyes darken and he looked away from her gaze. Dread began to build in her stomach. ‘Cal? Please. I don’t want you to betray a confidence but I need to know why she's such a pain in our collective asses.’
Cal drained his beer. She’d deliberately picked a bar that she knew he liked. At lunchtime, it was almost empty, the barman silently cleaning glasses, the faint jangle of the radio in the background.
‘Isa, look, you need to talk to Sam.’
She wanted to burst into tears. ‘So, he does know her.’
Cal hesitated before giving one sharp, angry nod. ‘But please, Isa, hear him out. Don’t jump to any conclusions, and make any rash decisions. He loves you, God, he loves you so much. He’s already on edge every waking moment, thinking he’s going to lose you to this maniac. Don’t let a waste of space like Casey be the reason for him losing you.’
Isa stirred her black sugarless coffee unnecessarily and said nothing. Cal reached over to take her hand. ‘Isa, I swear, it’s not as bad as you think it is. But, to be fair to him, I can’t tell you more than that.’
She sighed. ‘Fair enough.’ She rubbed her face in frustration. ‘Cal, I just don’t know what’s happened to me. I have no job, no home, and someone wants to kill me. Is this some kind of universe-balancing thing – I find the love of my life, so there has to be some kind of price?’
Cal didn’t know what to say, and she smiled softly at him. ‘Sorry. Let’s talk about something else. I hear you, and my brother are getting a place together?’
Cal grinned, relieved at the change of subject. ‘The penthouse is a bit crowded with five of us. Plus, with you and Sam always humping away…’
‘Cal!’ But she gigg
led, blushing furiously, then her grin turned wicked. ‘Not always.’
They both laughed, and the relief of it made them both relax. Cal signaled the bartender for another beer. ‘Look, we just thought we might as well get a place together, give you and Sam some space. Zoe’s off to stay with a friend too, isn’t she?’
Isa nodded. As much as she loved her family around her, she was looking forward to some alone time with Sam. Despite Cal’s joking, they hadn’t had sex since they’d all moved to the Levy’s luxury penthouse the night the murdered girl had been found.
Isa checked her watch now. If she caught Sam alone now, she could change all that. Something in her was telling her to grab every last moment with him – in case the killer got to her, and they ran out of time. Cal was watching, an amused look in his eyes and she blushed again.
‘Might just skip on home,’ she said casually, and Cal chuckled.
‘Good move. You get yours, little sis.’
He was still laughing and his face was red as a berry, then she fled the bar with a backward wave of her hand.
Sam ended the call to the art dealer and gave a hiss of frustration. He’d been trying to lock down Casey’s whereabouts all morning, determined to confront her. He’d asked around – her claims that Isa had plagiarized her work were being soundly rejected by most of the Seattle art community – they knew Casey’s personality well. Still, it left a bad taste in his mouth. He was sure Casey was doing it to cause problems between Sam and Isa – well, she got her wish. He’d tell Isa this evening, admitting he hid things from her. He really didn’t want this hanging over him too.
An image of the dead girl flashed into his mind but instead of the girl’s face, he always saw Isa, bound to that chair, dead, butchered. He leaned forward, rubbing his eyes, trying to erase the images from his brain. He started as he felt a hand on his shoulder then sighed as her lips pressed to his cheek. He hadn’t heard her come in.
‘Hey, you.’ Isa slid her hands down his chest, nuzzling his neck. He reached around for her, pulled her onto his lap, and caught her mouth with his. God, she tasted so good, faintly of coffee but always of Isa, sweet, fresh, his. His hand found its way under her shirt, his fingers gliding over the soft skin of her belly.
‘God, you’re beautiful,’ he murmured and heard her soft laugh. She ran her fingers through his short curls.
‘Take me to bed,’ she smiled as she pressed her lips to his.
He didn’t hesitate. In the bedroom, they stripped each other quickly and fell onto the bed, frantically reaching for the other. Sam took her nipple into his mouth as she wrapped her legs around him, reaching for his cock and stroking it until he groaned with pleasure, the weight of it heavy in her hands, hard and ready. He wanted to taste her first, prolong the anticipation, and moving down her body, his mouth hungrily exploring every curve of her, the ample breasts, the silky skin of her belly, and the deep hollow of her navel. His tongue rimmed the edge of it and gratified, he heard her gasp with pleasure. He pressed her legs apart and then his tongue was on her, in her. She was so wet, her arousal making the flesh of her labia rosy pink, the nub of her clit pulse with the expectation of his mouth. He nipped it gently with his teeth, felt her tense and orgasm quickly. He looked up then, smiled at her, her body undulating with breathlessness, with sheer abandon. He hitched her legs around his hips, teasing her with the tip of his cock, feeling the slickness of her sex. She kissed him, feverish, her breath coming in quickening gasps.
‘My turn,’ she said and moved down his body. God, the feeling of her sweet mouth gliding over the crest of his penis was second only to the feeling of being inside of her. Her tongue traced the tip of his cock, flicking around the sensitive hole, around the hard ridge of the head. Her hands cupped his balls, massaging them gently, fisting at the root of his cock, urging the blood supply to further thicken him, harden him almost painfully. He felt himself come, pumping thick creamy semen into her mouth, his fingers tangling in her hair as he shuddered and then he was reaching for her, almost violently pushing her back into the pillows and driving into her.
‘Oh...my…God….’ She was bucking against him, hard, taking him in as deeply as she could. He pressed her legs apart until she groaned, trying to sink into her as far as was possible. She was so fucking gorgeous; he loved the glow of her sweat-slicked skin, the pink rose on her cheeks, the way her dark hair stuck to her face as she writhed and rocked beneath him. He reached down to rub her clit as he pumped harder and harder into her, wanting to rip her into two with the heat of his passion. She moaned so beautifully as he rubbed the hardened clit and smiled up at him with such luminous, loving eyes that he could not hold back a moment longer and came as she did, both of them shouting their love, with abandon.
He was still hard as they recovered from the shattering orgasm that rocked their bodies and he flipped her onto her stomach, hearing her laughter as she realized what he wanted. He put his mouth to her ear even as his hands pushed her buttocks apart.
‘Yes?’
‘God, yes.’ She gasped as he entered her, gently now, using the friction of his cock to touch the sensitive clusters of nerves inside her. She let out a moan, and he captured her hands with his, twisting his fingers around hers as he fucked her.
‘Tell me what you like,’ he murmured, pressing his face into her neck.
‘You… you inside me…’ Isa could barely talk; such was the complete delirium he was driving her towards. Sam smiled, his own breath hitching and catching.
‘Do you like it when I fuck you in your perfect ass?’
‘God… yes…. oh, Sam!’ She came, her entire body vibrating with otherworldly pleasure and Sam laughed, triumphant. He pulled out and flipped her onto her back, watching her breasts heaving, her belly rising and falling as she gasped for air. Glorious.
‘Do you like it when I come on your sweet belly?’
He saw the excitement in her eyes as she nodded, unable to speak now. She reached for his cock and slid her hands up and down it to help him and shivering with pleasure, he came, his cum pumping out onto her soft skin. He collapsed on top of her, and she wound her arms around his neck, kissing him tenderly as he caught his breath.
‘I love you, you beautiful man,’ Her voice was a caress, and he moaned, burying his face in her neck, his hands sweeping down the length of her body, sliding around her back to pull her closer to him.
Sam wished they could stay like this forever, just the two of them, safe in his bed. He sighed, breathing in her soft, clean scent. He ran the tip of his tongue along her collarbone, looked up to see her smiling down at him, her eyes soft with love. He shifted so he could press his lips to hers.
‘This is the only way I want to spend a rainy Seattle afternoon.’ She stroked the hair over his ears, smoothing the curls flat with her fingertips.
‘You got that right, beautiful.’ He propped himself up on his elbow to look down at her, drawing the back of his finger down his cheek. ‘Do you think we could make careers out of this?’
She pretended to consider. ‘Only if we’re willing to film it, then maybe.’
He chuckled at her grin. ‘Show ‘em how to do it properly.’
‘You betcha.’ She glanced over to the huge wall-to-ceiling window. ‘It’s really coming down out there.’
The sky had darkened so much it looked like night, an angry bruised sky, purple-black clouds. He watched the rain hit the glass and looked down at her. He knew she was thinking about their island the same as him. Her eyes were suddenly sad, and he hated that, hated seeing the fear and fatigue in her eyes, unanswered questions.
He stroked his flat palm down over her stomach. ‘You can talk to me about anything, you know, Isa. Anything.’
He wasn’t prepared for her question, but the split second she asked it, he knew he’d been expecting it.
‘Did you sleep with Casey Hamilton? Before us, I mean.’ Her words came out in a rush, and she wouldn’t look him in the eye.
Sam felt agony rip
through him, but he took a deep breath in. ‘Yes.’
A small moan escaped her lips, and his heart cracked. ‘Isa, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I lied to you. I promise you; that’s the only thing I’ve ever lied about to you.’
‘Why?’
It was the simplest question and yet…’I don’t know. We didn’t end things on good terms, neither of us treated the other as we should have. Worse, in fact. I didn’t want it to taint our relationship.’
Isa shook her head, her eyes confused. ‘Why would it? We’ve both had relationships before.’
Sam blew out a long breath. ‘Casey’s an artist. I didn’t want you to think I just fucked her and promised her the world and then one day decided to end it. I didn’t want you to think that was my m.o.’
‘Sam, I know you. I’d never think that.’
He smiled sadly. ‘I know. I made a dumb mistake; I should have been honest.’
‘Yes.’ Ouch.
‘Isa…’
‘Sam, it’s okay.’ Her tone softened, and she touched his face. ‘Thank you for telling me now. It helps clear up a lot of things. For example,’ and now she started to smile in earnest, ‘…explains why she’s such a fucking bitch. She’s missing out on the Levy cock and that ain’t no small thing.’ She drawled the word out to make him laugh, to ease the tension.
Sam grinned, grateful she’d taken the news so well. Why the hell had he built it up as such a big thing in his head? He bent his head and brushed her lips with his, smiling as she wriggled with pleasure beneath him. He slipped his hand between her legs, seeking out the velvety warmth of her, sliding two fingers inside her, hearing her gasp.
‘Why, Mr. Levy, I do declare… oh God, that feels so good.’
In moments, he had her so wet and ready for him; it was easy for him to plunge his cock into her and make her scream with pleasure, forgetting everything and everyone else existed.
The Billionaire Bad Boy Plan Page 45