She nodded silently, not saying a word. And as I gazed after her body, I saw her stripping. Leaving a trail of clothes from the small living room to the door of the bathroom. The only other “room” in the studio apartment. She kicked her clothes away from her before quickly slipping inside, giving me a barely-there glance of her nakedness. My cock stiffened as the shower turned on, and I physically turned my back to the cracked door.
Focus, Toxin. You need to keep her safe.
I walked around her apartment and waved my wand I had packed in my small duffle bag. All the guys had wands like this. Wands that detected the presence of bugs and other small, electronic listening devices. I was shocked to find none of those in her apartment, though. I figured they would’ve come by and left traps for her to fall into.
There was nothing, though.
Nothing seemed out of place. Or taken. Or shifted in any way. I knew this, because everything was dusty as fuck. And there weren’t any marks in the dust notating something had been shifted. I pulled the curtains to all the windows and turned on a couple of the lamps she had in her place. Enough to illuminate without giving away a presence in the apartment. And after I was done with my search, that damn shower was still going. Leaking hot steam into the apartment through the crack in the door.
A crack that enticed me. A crack that pulled me closer. A crack that eased me out of my clothes before I slowly pushed the door open.
“Toxin?” Natasha asked.
“Just me, yes,” I murmured.
Then, I slipped inside. Closing the door behind me before I headed into the shower. Ready to press myself against her, relieve some of this stress, and hopefully put a smile on her cheeks.
Because a smile and some stress relief was the very least Natasha deserved.
18
Natasha
His hands slid through my hair as his chest pressed against mine. He bent my head back softly, rinsing my second round of conditioner from the tendrils of my hair. The warm water felt wonderful against my skin. But his presence made me feel safe. And I enjoyed having him there.
“Mmm, that feels good, Toxin.”
“Good. Just keep your eyes closed for me, gorgeous.”
I smiled softly at the name. That little nickname he kept calling me. It felt nice, if I had to be honest with myself. His fingers ran through my hair. The silken water streamed down my back. But pretty soon, Toxin’s fingers wandered. Down my neck. Down my breasts. Squeezing them and caressing them as his lips fell to my neck.
I sighed with wanton anticipation.
“Keep them closed,” he murmured.
I moaned softly as he nibbled against my skin. His lips fell into the valley of my breasts as my legs jumped. The warm water had nothing on the heat he pushed through my veins. The heat his body afforded me with every touch of his lips. He kissed lower. I felt him sink to his knees. And after he was done cleaning my hair, his tongue decided to clean other parts of my body.
“Toxin,” I moaned.
“Let me taste you,” he whispered.
My leg slid over his shoulder as my back fell against the shower wall. And just as I caught my breath, his tongue breached my folds. He lapped at my clit slowly, his fingers filling me. One, two. Spreading me and sliding against my walls. His movements were rhythmic. Pumping me full as his tongue swiped against the tip of my aching nub. I gasped for air. I fisted his locks. I ground against his face as his stubble tickled my pussy lips. It was more than I could bear. I felt my juices trickling against his skin. And the harder he licked, the more my eyes rolled back.
“That’s it. Toxin. Right there. That’s it. Right there. That’s it. Tox—Toxin!”
My body exploded as stars burst behind my eyes. He buried his face into my pussy, licking and drinking as I fell over the edge. Electricity harvested my energy. My skin puckered from head to toe. My tits stood at painful peaks as my entire body locked out. And when I started falling to the shower floor, I braced for impact.
But found his muscles instead.
“I gotcha. Come here.”
He picked me up effortlessly. He pinned me to the wall. His cock slid inside me with ease, spreading me and sliding against my warmth. I gasped for air. I clung to him as I raked my fingernails down his back. And as he slowly pumped into me, my toes curled. Already preparing for yet another release.
“What have you done to me?” I whispered.
His hips rolled against mine. I locked my legs around his waist. I held on, coming along for the ride as he swiveled his body. Stoking that fire in my gut. I trembled. My pussy quivered. I felt myself milking him. I rolled my body against his the second I found my strength, raising my head from his shoulders.
Finding his lips with mine.
“Fuck,” he growled.
The taste of myself against his skin set me aflame. I ravenously bucked against him, selfish in my movements. He unraveled my arms from his neck and pinned my wrists above my head. He released my lips, rushing them down my neck. My tits bounced for his viewing pleasure. He snapped against me, the sounds of skin slapping skin echoing off the corners of the small shower.
“Toxin, yes. Just like that, please.”
“Natasha. Fucking hell. So tight. So warm. So good for me.”
Faster and faster he drove into me. Jumping me up the wall. My toes curled so deeply my calves cramped. And yet, it only added to the pleasure. His growls drowned out my moans. My back arched as his face fell to my tits. He sucked them. Marked them. Bit down into them and left his brand behind on my skin.
I never wanted him to stop.
“Toxin.”
“Natasha.”
“So close. Please. I’m so close, baby.”
“Come on, gorgeous. Squeeze that cock. Pull me over with you.”
Our lips crashed together, and our worlds collided. He slammed into me, his tight curls raking against my clit. A wave of pleasure left me breathless. Cutting off my ability to speak as I collapsed against him. He held me against the wall, pinned between his muscles and the tiles. And as he shook, growling down the back of my throat, he spilled into me.
Thread after thread of hot arousal as my pussy milked him.
“That’s it. Oh, yeah. Gorgeous. Holy fuck.”
But all I could muster was a soft whimper.
I fell weak against him and he gathered me in his arms again. With the warm water still battering against us, he sank us to the bottom of my claw-footed tub. The one item in this apartment that sold me on the whole damn thing. I fell against him as our intermingled juices dripped from between my thighs. I leaned against him, feeling his muscles twitching as his fingers mindlessly ran through my wet hair. I tucked my face into the crook of his neck. I curled my knees up to my chest. And as he laid there, holding me, I felt the need to open up.
The need to tell Toxin about myself.
“I met Ivan in a bar, of all places,” I said softly.
Toxin tightened his grip around me as I heaved a heavy sigh.
“I was out for a drink after work. I didn’t do much back then. Just part-time holiday work and odd jobs until I could figure out what I wanted with my life. I met him in a bar, and he bought me a drink. Several, actually. And when he offered to take me home, I was too drunk to say no.”
He kissed the top of my head as I closed my eyes.
“He was a true gentleman that night. Got me into the little rundown townhome I shared with two other practical strangers. Got me into my bed. Stayed with me, sleeping in a chair I had in my room to make sure I didn’t choke on my own vomit. Even woke me up with breakfast in the morning. I mean, what more could a broke, futureless girl have wanted out of a man in an expensive suit?”
“I can see the appeal,” he said.
“My first red flag was when he didn’t leave. Even after we ate breakfast, he stuck around. He concealed it with taking me shopping. Buying me some things. And I wasn’t in a position to turn something down like that. A man who wanted to buy me clothes? Sign me the
fuck up. I love clothes. Heels and jewelry and makeup.”
“What happened when you tried to get him to leave?”
I snickered. “That’s the thing. I didn’t. He kept spoiling me, and I kept him around. He stayed that night, helping me hang up new clothes and sort through old ones. I made the excuse that it was getting late and he shouldn't drive home at such late hours. So, he stayed with me. And, you know, I thanked him for the clothes.”
“Yeah. I got it.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m just glad you're opening up.”
I nodded slowly. “We woke up that morning and it just… kept going like that. I mean, yeah, he worked. But he’d leave to get ready for work, go to work, then come back to my place. We were practically inseparable. So, when he asked me to move in with him, who the hell was I to say no? We worked well together. He spoiled me. I spoiled him the ways I could. I really did care about him. I mean, we did this for nearly a year before I moved in with him.”
“I take it that’s when the abuse started?”
I nodded slowly. “Week one, actually. I didn’t even have all the stuff he’d bought me unpacked before the first incident happened. He came home from work. He was pretty stressed. I decided to put on a little number and spice things up a bit to help him relieve some stress. But he started getting a bit rough with me. I wanted him to stop.”
Toxin tensed. “And he didn’t?”
I shook my head. “No. He didn’t.”
He vibrated with fury as I buried my head deeper into the crook of his neck.
“I’m sorry. Please calm down.”
He shook his head. “You have no reason to be sorry. That pathetic excuse for a sack of skin does, though.”
I kissed his neck. “Please, take some breaths. Toxin, it’s okay. I’m okay.”
He held me tighter than I’d ever been held by a man. And the harder he held me, the more protected I felt. The safer I felt. And I loved every second of it.
“I’m not leaving your side until I know you’re safe. You have my word. You won’t ever come into contact with that rat bastard again. Not if I have anything to do with it,” he murmured.
And I found myself wondering if I could convince him to stay, even after that.
The water started running cold, so he picked me up. We walked out of the shower and over to the bed, where he laid me down. The sheets soaked up my wetness as he backtracked to turn the shower off. And when he returned, he had a towel to dry me off with. He patted me down. Rolled me over. Pampered me as his hands began wandering again. Drying me off turned into a massage. And as he worked his way around my muscle groups, I found myself lifting my hips for him.
Aching for him to fill me once more.
“You’ll need to pack your things tomorrow,” Toxin said.
I paused. “Why?”
“Because if something happens and we need to move quickly, I don’t want you leaving what you need behind. Whether you’ve got money stashed here, or clothes you don’t want to get rid of. Anything that can fit in a small duffle bag tossed around your shoulders is fair game. But nothing more than that.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
The bed toggled as he slipped between my legs. He ran his large, strong hands down either side of my spine as his cock settled against my ass cheeks. I shivered at the thought. My pussy started wetting itself for him. And as his hand wrapped up softly within the tendrils of my hair, I braced myself for impact.
“But, no matter what Natasha, I want you to know one thing.”
His tip breached my folds and I gasped.
“Wh-wh-what—what’s that?”
He sank into me until his hips settled against my ass cheeks.
“No one but me will ever touch you again. And I will make damn sure you feel good every time my hands meet your body.”
And as he pulled back, pushing electricity through my body, I held on for the ride. Feeling him pound into me, his thrusts rocking my bed. His cock filling my pussy. His hand, tightening in my hair as he lifted my head up. Desperate to hear my sounds.
Until we came together in utter ecstasy. Collapsing against the bed, panting for air, and covered in one another’s arousal.
19
Toxin
I heard my phone ringing in the distance, and it forced me awake. I felt Natasha’s hair sprawled across my chest and it made me grin. I reached around, feeling for the stupid ass vibrations. Only to have to get up and ruin the morning to go in search for my fucking pants.
But when I saw it was Grave, I picked it up immediately.
“This is Toxin.”
“Where the actual fuck are you? And tell me she’s with you.”
I sighed. “We’re at her apartment.”
Grave paused. “You were stupid enough to go back to her apartment?”
I walked over into a corner, away from Natasha and her sleeping form.
“I brought my wand and swept over this place. It’s not bugged. Not one single bit. It doesn’t even look like it’s been touched. This place is dusty as fuck, and there isn’t a scrape in all that dust. No one’s been here. At all,” I murmured.
“And you’re sure about that.”
I nodded. “It’s me you’re talking to. Yes, Natasha’s a bit of a hothead. But you know I can focus through all that shit. There’s nothing here. No boot prints. No evidence of locks being picked. Or even changed, for that matter. Nothing’s broken. Nothing’s been moved. Or stolen. I don’t get it. Their first stop should’ve been her apartment.”
“That can only mean two things. They’re either waiting for her to check in or—”
“They know she’s with us.”
“Exactly.”
“No. I’m telling you. They know she’s with us.”
He paused. “And when the fuck were you going to tell me that?”
I shook my head. “I only just found out myself. Look, Natasha placed a phone call to her connection in the mafia last night.”
“She what!?”
“Will you shut the hell up and listen? I don’t have much time before she wakes up. She called Phillip and found out a fuckton of shit that has her scared for her life. And rightfully so.”
“Give me the summary.”
“Her abusive ex, Ivan? Lars’ brother.”
“You’re fucking with me.”
“I’m not. He’s known the mafia’s had her all this time. She’s not even sure if Phillip’s ever been on her side. Ivan made some threats last night. Said if she didn’t return, he’d kill Diesel himself. All of us. And make her watch.”
“So, what’s the deadline? When does he want her back by?”
“My assumption is today. So, we might have a couple of hours or twelve. I’m not sure, and neither is she.”
He sighed. “Fuck. Okay. You need to bring her back here so we can set everything up. If she’s our only link, then we’re going to have to exploit that.”
“No.”
“No?”
“I promised her I’d keep her safe. That she wouldn't ever have to look Ivan in the face again after what he’s done to her. I’m not letting you put her in that situation.”
“We don’t have a choice, Toxin. Diesel’s dead if we don’t—”
I growled. “We always have choices. You taught me that.”
Grave smacked his lips. “We’re running out of time here, Toxin.”
“If you’re so willing to give up Natasha, why not just give Lars what he wants? Cage and Sutton?”
“Because they’re family.”
“And Natasha isn’t?”
The words flew out of my mouth before I could catch them. And they made Grave chuckle.
“Are you telling me she is?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“I don’t know. Kind of sounds like you are.”
“All I’m saying is—”
He snickered. “You don’t have the ability any longer to ride any of us on how our wome
n got roped into this bullshit. You know that, right?”
I rolled my eyes. “Can we stick to the conversation here?”
His chuckling faded. “All right. All right. But I’m still set on my plan. She’s our only way in. We have to—”
“I’m not putting her in harm’s way. End of story.”
“I can handle my own, you know.”
I whipped around and saw her standing there. Her disheveled hair flipped off to the side. The sheet wrapped around her beautiful body. Her eyes, still adjusting to the soft morning light pouring around her blackout curtains. She looked positively radiant. Even after we’d fucked one another’s brains out.
“That Grave?” she asked.
“It is,” I said.
“Put him on speaker.”
I sighed but did as she asked.
“Grave, you there?” I asked.
“Yep,” he said.
“Morning,” Natasha said.
He paused. “Hey there. Good morning.”
“I take it you’re wanting to dangle me as bait and Toxin doesn't like the idea?” she asked.
“Not in so many words. But you are our only in,” Grave said.
“I agree with you. And you don’t have much time. I have to check in today anyway. Preferably before lunch time.”
“I’m not letting you do this. It’s too dangerous. You're going to get hurt,” I said.
“Worse than what Ivan used to do to me?” she asked.
I glared at her, but like always, she didn’t back down.
“She can do this, Toxin.”
Natasha nodded. “Grave’s right. I can do this.”
I sighed. “Fine. I don’t have the energy to argue. But I’m in charge of your safety during this op. Me, and only me.”
“That’s fine with me,” Grave said.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she said.
I reached out, cupping her cheek. “Good. So, no one’s going to be shocked when I go in with you.”
“What?” they asked in unison.
I grinned. “That’s my bargain. We can dangle Natasha however we want. But every step she takes, I’m right there with her.”
Toxin: Dead Souls MC: Prospects #5 Page 12