by Kim Faulks
He liked it when they fought right up until the very end, when they realized they'd never win. He shoved her face against his zipper, enjoying the sight of the metal teeth gouging into tender lips before he wrenched her head back. Blood smeared her face, tainting her skin like dime-store blush. He reached down, wiping the scarlet drops as they welled.
The scattered pages drew his attention. The broken desk could be fixed and the drawers replaced. But the knowledge Jade now possessed was by far his biggest problem. He dropped his gaze and watched her struggle, pressing her mouth against his body once more. Her muffled cries did no good. He'd heard it all before. She jerked her head. The tendons in her neck pulled tight, distorting that smooth, perfect skin as she fought for air. She knew too much. She’d seen too much.
He dragged her from his study, his fist wrapped tightly in her hair so that she either followed, or lost half of her scalp resisting. Her feet slipped from underneath her, so she scuttled and crawled along his tiled floor.
“Please, please. Colton. I'll do anything, just please don't hurt me, don't...kill...me.”
His desire to break her ebbed and flowed, alternating with the realization of what he must do. Why did she have to be such a stupid fucking bitch? Why did she have to see his fucking files?
He pulled her down the steps, roaring as pain ripped through his foot. He tripped and stumbled as he turned the corner. Righting himself on the banister rail, he kept on moving. She blubbered and pleaded behind him, but he wasn't listening, not anymore. He stepped into the kitchen and she started to scream, her piercing wails ricocheting in his head.
“Stop it.”
The direction was clear but she wouldn't listen. She... wouldn't...fucking....listen. He lashed out, punching the side of her face. Her head snapped to the left and was yanked back again by his jerk on her hair. Blood seeped from her torn mouth. It swelled from the corner to drip onto her ripped golden dress.
The rumble from her sounded at first like a sob, a low rumbling sob, which turned into laughter. She laughed at him. The fucking bitch laughed at him! He hit her again, knocking the wind from her body. All he wanted to do was stop that sound, stop that menacing, horrible sound. Jade sprawled forward. Her hair tore from his grasp, and still, she laughed.
“Shut the fuck up!”
Jade howled and jerked, a puppet intent on taunting its master. The noise seemed to burrow under his skin and worm its way inside his brain. His heart pounded, forcing the acid taste of champagne into his mouth. “I said shut the fuck up.”
The racket grew louder, pulsing with the beat of his heart, a serpentine, coiling screech that seemed to squeeze the life from him, until he couldn't stand the noise anymore. “I said shut the hell up!”
He yanked her body backward, meeting her contorted face. There was no laughter or smiles from this woman, only fear.
“Why did you laugh at me?”
Her lips trembled, she tried to open them, winced. She sobbed.
Colton yanked her inside the special room and slammed the door shut, locking it in place with the swipe of his thumb. The keypad turned from red to green. The locks engaged and the overhead lights dimmed to the dusty yellow of a setting sun.
Jade whimpered and scurried against the wall, hitting the cage. The metallic ring echoed inside the room. He glared as he stalked her, forcing his breaths to slow and in turn, calm his racing heart.
“You scared the fuck out of me, you know that?”
She scooted backwards, her heels pushing frantically against the ground. But there was nowhere to go. She gripped the cage and squeezed her body behind the metal frame.
He moved forward and smiled as the familiar desire crept back, now that the fear was gone. “You like the cage, don't you, Jade? How about I put you in there?”
He reached for her, teasing her with soft slaps to her face. She cried and whimpered, smacking his hand away as she wedged herself in harder against the cage, as though she thought the fucking thing would somehow save her.
Nothing would save Jade from her fate but him, and the power of this thought washed over him like a striking dawn. He wrenched her over the metal enclosure toward him.
Jade no longer looked the same. Her face no longer beautiful, the seductive contour of her mouth was swollen and misshapen. Her hair was a mess, her makeup smudged. He slapped her face, watching the force of his blow widen her eyes while he ripped her dress, exposing her breasts. Two quick tugs and the remainder of the dress fell free, leaving her to flail in black panties.
He glanced toward the cupboard and the heroin kit that sat inside. Usually drugging them was enough. By the time they recovered from the drugs in their system they’d be so traumatized that they wouldn’t remember a thing. Besides, who’d believe them?
He yanked Jade’s head back, listening to her cry. He couldn’t risk leaving her alive. This time the drugs wouldn’t be enough. He wasn't new to this. He'd seen murder before. He'd felt the rush at knowing another's life was sacrificed for the greater good—his greater good. These times were turbulent, never more so than this very moment. The order to kill the Commander in chief sat upstairs in his study. The pages outlining his demise and those involved now lay scattered across his study floor. Once Corey’s man arrived to take care of her, he’d tidy it all up. Nothing had changed. Once this bitch was taken care of, the plan would go ahead.
The thugs he dealt with were dangerous. They were no more than animals. Animals he controlled with money and power—things he had in spades. He threw Jade against the wall, leaving her to scramble away from him. He walked to the other side of the room and pressed a panel that sprung free, revealing a handset. The numbers he dialed were from memory and a second later, his call was connected.
The sound of music and sex filled his ear before a voice snarled. “What the fuck is it?”
Colton grimaced. “It's me.”
There was silence, and then a rustling of sheets before the sound of footsteps echoed through the phone, leaving the music and sex behind. “I told you there was no changing the fucking plans. What's done is done—it’s too fucking late to pull out now.”
“I'm not calling for that. I need something else taken care of.”
“It'll cost you.”
Colton sighed. “It always does. Tell him to come here. I gather that you know where I am, by the number? Tell your man to hurry the fuck up. I want this shit taken care of.”
He ended the call before placing the phone back behind the panel. The biker would be here soon. If anything, they were….
Colton heard guttural grunt behind him. He turned, but too late. The blow caught him in the temple. The wet sound of tearing flesh filled his ears as he careened backwards and fell to his knees.
“Fuck you. You piece of shit.”
Jade stumbled above him. He reached for his face. His fingers slipped and came away glistening. The bitch lurched forward, swinging something like a metal club and spat. Her saliva hit him on his brow and dripped down his cheek. The room tilted on its side and dimmed.
Don’t fucking faint. You do and you’re dead. He inhaled hard, staving off the darkness, and climbed to his knees. Saliva dripped over his eyes to blur his vision. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. He'd had enough of playing with this bitch.
She swung the object. He blinked and narrowed his gaze. The metal glinted in the dull overhead lights. The convex outline could’ve been mistaken for a small, rounded club. But its purpose was much more terrifying.
Jade stumbled toward the door and yanked the handle. Her pounding fists and harrowed screams would do no good. While she wrenched the handle, he pushed himself up. He squeezed his eyes closed as the room wavered. She turned towards him, holding the tool out like some magical talisman. “Let me out of here, now.”
“That's not going to happen, Jade. You know that can't happen.”
“Please.” She shook her head, sounding defeated. “I don't know anything… please, let me go home. I just want to go home.�
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Colton rose, never taking his eyes from her. “You know that's not going to happen. And you know why, don't you, Jade? Because you read that file.”
He could see the left side of her face quiver. Her words began to slur. It stood to reason, the bitch had taken one too many blows to the head. The right side of her face was starting to darken. Her right eye almost closed completely. Still, she spoke with the conviction of a true patriot. “You can't do it. You can't kill him. You can't kill the president.”
He couldn't help but laugh. “Can't Jade? You seem to have mistaken me and the people who have invested a great deal in this. Can't? No... we already have. You have a dead president and a new one ready to slip into his place.”
A sob broke from between her lips as she stumbled. Colton could see the shine in her eyes dulling, the fight all but gone. Resignation was such a beautiful thing, a death without being dead. “You're not going to walk out of this room Jade. Not alive, anyway.”
She fell slowly as though she unbuckled. First her knees, then her hips, and finally her neck. Her head bounced on the floor. Colton drew-up, mid-stride, watching her belly jiggle. Her sniggers halted his steps. Her laughter surrounded him. It mocked him.
This wasn't right. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. The sharp pang of fear raced along Colton's spine, but he ignored it. He was the one in charge. She should be terrified. Of him.
He bent and snatched the metal tool away. She lifted her head, her bloated face screwed up as she laughed. “Whatcha gonna do Colton? Whatcha gonna do when you wake up in that room?”
He stumbled backward and dropped to the floor, his ears ringing.
Jade turned and stared at him. “That room is waiting for you, Colton. It's full of secrets, secrets that should never have been told. But you told, didn't you Colton?”
Colton covered his ears as the ringing grew louder.
Jade threw back her head and howled with laughter before turning those lifeless eyes on him once more. “You told, didn't you?”
He shook his head. No... I didn't... I... . Her voice invaded his mind.
“The room is waiting for you Colton. They're all waiting for you. Open your eyes you sick sonofabitch, open your fucking eyes.”
The voice changed. It wasn't Jade's voice anymore. It was someone else’s. Someone who wanted him dead.
Dark hair and wild eyes came into focus. He blinked, cowering from the light and the woman as she screamed. “You did this to her, you sick fuck. Wake up. Wake up so I can snap your fucking neck!” But then the darkness took him under once more and the dark-haired woman was forgotten.
Colton screamed as tears blurred his eyes. “Shut up! Just shut up, you stupid bitch.”
The past gripped him again, with relentless, cold fingers, wrenching him out of the heated stench and back into the cool concrete and steel room in his home. The phone hidden in the wall buzzed once and fell silent. Someone had just accessed the front gate. Only a few people knew the combination. It seemed his clean-up crew had arrived.
Colton snarled and scrambled to his feet. He was taking control of this situation. He was back... in... control. She smiled at him until the very last moment. He gripped the metal mallet and swung it hard into her face. The sound of splintering bone filled the room. She flew backwards and landed on her back. Fragments of teeth shot out of her mouth as she landed.
The impact tore something in his shoulder. He moved his arm, testing his injury. Pain ripped along his neck. It was time for this to be over. It was time this crazy bitch was dead.
She jerked and gurgled. Blood shot into the air. Colton wiped the sweat from his forehead and limped to stand over her body. “I warned you, you stupid fucking bitch. I fucking warned you.”
Jade could no longer make a sound. She didn't have to. Her eyes did the screaming for her.
“I HOPE YOU DIE. YOU... fucking piece of shit!” Morgan gripped the front of Colton’s shirt and yanked his body from the ground. His eyes rolled back, leaving her to stare into the bloodshot whites.
“Come on Morgan, let him go. She’s gone, there nothing else you can do.”
Morgan fired her glare at Slade. His face was distorted through her tears as she was sucker-punched in the heart. This woman’s tragedy was as much her own. One hopeless word echoed in her mind, resurrected by every fucked-up thing she’d ever endured as a woman living in a man’s world. Even though Slade had nothing to do with what happened to Jade, she couldn’t help but lash out. “Why?”
He said nothing. The only person who could answer convulsed in her grasp. Colton twitched and groaned—she hoped he’d fucking choke. She released her grip and he fell back to the floor with a thud. The others in the room stared at her, weak women too gutless to fight and men who looked at their shuffling feet—they were all cowards, the lot of them.
She left them there, staring at her like she was the goddamn monster here and turned to Jade. Her legs bent at an angle, exposing her black underwear. Morgan’s cheeks burned as she strode across the floor. Everyone stumbled out of her way.
She carefully maneuvered Jade’s legs, lying them flat against the floor. She pulled her torn dress down, covering the wretched souls body as best as she could. Her hands shook and her tears threatened to return. She kept her eyes locked on the shimmering fabric. Morgan couldn't yet look at Jade's face. She couldn't bring herself to see the unnatural angle, the open, screaming eyes. Her anger and fear needed release.
The heavy sound of boots sounded behind her. She didn’t need to turn around, she knew who it was.
“Why did he do this, Slade? I just don't understand. Because she was scared of him? He killed her because she was fucking scared of him?”
“Morgan.” Slade pulled her into his arms.
She jerked her arm out of his grasp before she lunged for him. Her hands shook, her fucking voice was shaking. “Don't touch me. Don't you dare touch me!”
His eyes widened. He lifted his hands in an act of surrender. “Whoa. It's okay, take it easy. I'm not going to hurt you, Morgan.”
And as fast as the inferno consumed her, the anger left, taking with it Morgan’s resolve. Her knees shuddered and gave way. She crumpled to the floor. Big hands caught her—soft and careful hands that gathered her as though she were a child. Slade's words were whispered, his breath hot against her ear. “I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe with me. You're always safe with me, Morgan.”
Morgan closed her eyes, and only for the second time in her life, she allowed herself to be weak. The tears flowed and dripped from the edge of her chin. She made no move to brush them away, knowing more would take their place. She left words behind for the rhythmic sound of Slade’s heart. The strong pulse soothed her, and somewhere on the cusp of one beat, before another began, the darkness inside her retreated.
His chest was hard and warm against her face. The musky scent of his body filled her. She breathed deep, opening herself up to the warmth and felt an ache she’d long forgotten come alive. A dangerous warmth spread through her, centering in a well between her thighs. The heat spread like a dangerous high.
Morgan’s eyes flew open and her world narrowed. She became aware of him—of everything about him. The sound of his heart sped against her ear, racing like a lion honing in on his kill.
She lifted her head and met his gaze. His whiskey-brown eyes sparkled, reflecting back, not just the image of her face, her parted lips, but also her desire.
She whispered. “Oh, shit.”
He lowered his head and her thoughts betrayed her, fleeing without a single word in her defense. His lips touched hers. They were hard, cracked, but the flesh yielding. All of a sudden, Morgan didn’t see the room. She didn’t feel the heat or smell the stench. All she felt in that moment was the sweetness of his mouth and a desire that swept her away.
With a moan of protest, Slade pulled away and searched her eyes. She felt naked under his gaze. Her lies were laid bare for him to see and the truth she’d discovered about he
rself the hard way. Morgan dropped her gaze and turned away. “You'll learn to hate me.”
His voice was unwavering. “Never.”
“I'm no good. I'm damaged.”
He barked his answer. “And you think I'm a fucking saint?”
“I'm... a junkie and a—”
He pulled her back to him, cutting her off. “I don't care about any of that. You’re so damn tough, aren’t you? All fire and fists, and so far all you've given me are excuses to stay away. But that’s not what I intend to do Morgan. Trust me, that’s not what I intend to do at all.”
Slade lowered his head until their lips barely touched, but no further, teasing her as he spoke. “I'm going to get us out of here and when I do, we’re going to be together.”
Unable to stand the torment, Morgan rose up on her toes to press her lips harder against his. He pulled back, just a fraction, making her reach higher as she deepened their kiss. Trust had never come easy to her. Not since the day it’d been ripped away by the one person she’d trusted the most.
Love, for her, had only been cruel and deceiving, an addiction of her heart, which lead to an addiction in her veins. Maybe Slade was different? Maybe he was and maybe he wasn’t. She slid her hands along his arms, to the hard muscle of his bicep and across his thick chest. Maybe he was just another drug, another dangerous addiction? Could she risk everything she had left, just to find out?
She gripped his shirt, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white, realizing that questions were useless. Her torment would remain, no matter how many questions her feeble mind conjured. Because, it was too late—it was too fucking late for her to do a damn thing. She stared at her hands and then her gaze drifted to his chest underneath. The heat between her thighs flared, surging with a current she’d never before felt. Morgan gripped him as though he were no more real than this room as she spoke her truth. “I… want that, too.