This Savage Love: A Bad Boy Romance Boxed Set

by Kathryn Thomas

  “That was a stupid thing you did,” he hissed.

  “Can you blame me for not wanting to die?” Kristina said. It the most honest thing she could think of.

  “You’re going to suffer before you die,” Kovic said. “I’m going to make sure the canyons echo with your screams.”

  Kristina noticed how badly Kovic’s leg was bleeding. His face had paled visibly, and she knew he had been weakened by the crash. Suddenly she was seized with new confidence. She knew that she could get out of this.

  “At least Keith won’t be here to see me die,” she said softly. “At least he won’t be tortured by that memory.”

  Kovic froze slightly. “You’re right… maybe I’m rushing things. Maybe we should wait for Keith. Sit down,” he said harshly.

  Kristina did as she was told and sat down silently. Kovic sat opposite her, against a blunt rock with the gun clutched in his hands. He was trying to act as though his wounds did not affect him, but Kristina could see the shiver running through his body. She knew that he would only get weaker as the night wore on. His leg was still bleeding, and the more blood he lost, the harder it would be to stay awake.

  Kristina waited for the first moment his eyes closed, and then she pounced. He opened his eyes and grabbed at her, but it was too late. She already had the gun in her hands. She stood up slowly and stared down at him. He looked small from where she stood, too weak to even lift himself up to face her.

  “You’re going to kill me now?” he asked, his eyes were cold flints of hate in the moonlight.

  “You told me it takes a special kind of strength to kill someone,” Kristina said softly. “Well, I think it takes a special type of strength not to kill someone who has wronged you. I’m no murderer.”

  With that she walked to the edge of the canyon and threw the gun into the abyss. “I hope you rot,” she said sincerely, as she moved away from him, backing into the trees. She waited till his silhouette became a shadow among the rocks, and then she turned her back on him and ran in the direction they had come from. She stumbled through the dark, trying to find something that looked familiar to her, but everything just looked like different versions of the same thing.

  She came up among another thick forestation of trees, and she slowed down, wondering if it looked a little like the place they had come through just after Kovic had crashed the car. Still, there was no indication that people had been through the spot, and she couldn’t spy the car either. She kept walking, moving steadily through the forest until she tripped on a rock. She fell face first onto the rough dirt of the ground and narrowly avoided hitting her face.

  “God dammit,” she screamed, exhausted and weary and ready for the nightmare to be over.

  Then she heard something in the distance, and she froze in place. She was low on the ground, and she sunk down even lower so that whoever was out there would not be able to see her, even if they were looking directly at her. She hoped it was Keith, but she wasn’t sure if Kovic had called for backup or he had other men out in the forests looking for her. She lay still, watching carefully, wondering if what she had heard was a person or just the sounds of the forest.

  Then again she heard something, this time however, it was more distinctive, and much more like a person. In fact, she could have sworn it was a voice. Someone was calling out, but she couldn’t understand anything they were saying. She edged closer, practically belly crawling across the floor. She noticed a beetle waddle past her, but she was beyond being scared by it. She let it pass and then continued to crawl close. Then slowly, from behind two trees, a figure emerged.

  She still couldn’t see very clearly, but she was sure it was a man and she thought she recognized who it was from the broadness of his shoulders and the definition in his arms. “Keith?” she said before she could stop herself.

  The man froze in place, and then he looked in her general direction. “Kristina?” he whispered, and then a little more loudly he called again “Kristina?”

  Kristina didn’t even hesitate. She launched herself from her hiding place and ran straight at him. He took a step forward and caught her in his arms, encircling her immediately and kissing her face as though it were the most significant thing in the world. “Kristina,” he said again as though the sound of her name made him feel better. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

  “He didn’t get a chance to,” Kristina said with satisfaction. “I attacked him in the car and he lost control. We crashed and he was badly injured.”

  “Where is he now?” Keith asked urgently.

  “By the canyon,” Kristina responded. “He’s really weak; he’s lost a lot of blood. I don’t think he’ll survive if no one gets to him in time.” She turned her head to the side at the sound of some distant sound. “What is that?” she asked, trying to place the familiar sound.

  “Sirens probably,” Keith replied. “The police are looking for you.”

  “How did they know to come here?” Kristina asked.

  “I tipped them off,” Keith replied. “Or at least I told Marie to tip them off.”

  “The police will find Kovic then,” Kristina said.

  “Yes,” Keith nodded. “And you might have to give them a statement.”

  “That I can do,” Kristina nodded.

  Suddenly, Keith pulled her close and hugged her hard, as though he were scared of something. After a moment, Kristina felt him kiss the top of her head. It was a tender kiss, and it held more meaning than words ever could. “I thought I might lose you tonight,” Keith said, as he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

  “I was scared,” Kristina said slowly. “I was scared that I really was going to die. It didn’t hit till the last possible moment, but when it did….”

  “Yes?”

  “I thought of you,” Kristina said. She didn’t care if he rebuffed her now. She didn’t care if he told her they were from different worlds and there was no point to being together. She just wanted to tell him how she felt. She just wanted him to know that she loved him. “Actually you were the only one I was capable of thinking of.”

  Keith looked down at her with serious eyes that were hooded with pain and loss. “I don’t think I could have survived losing you, too,” he said softly. “And now I realize why.”

  “Why?” Kristina asked breathlessly.

  “I tried to deny it for the longest time,” Keith started slowly. “I tried to tell myself that I was just invested because the situation was similar to what happened with Natalie. I told myself that putting an end to all this had to do with getting closure after Natalie’s death.”

  “It wasn’t?”

  “It was,” Keith said. “But it was more than that. I was invested…not because it had anything to do with Natalie. I was invested because it had everything to do with you. I love you, Kristina…and that might sound… crazy given how I’ve behaved and how I’ve treated you. But I love you, and I’m not going to deny it any longer.”

  “Good,” Kristina said fiercely, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.

  Epilogue

  Keith

  Keith leaned against his bike, waiting for Kristina to meet him outside her dorm. The day had a bright vibrancy about it, but Keith was sure he was being biased. Nowadays, everything seemed to be a little brighter to him.

  “Keith?”

  Keith turned and found Marie standing a few feet away from him with a bag across her shoulder and a few books in her hands. She came up to him with an unfamiliar smile on her face.

  “Hi Marie,” Keith greeted, taken back by the warmth in her tone. “How are you?”

  “I’m good,” she replied. “More so now that Kristina is safe and sound.”

  Keith nodded his agreement of that.

  “How are you?”

  Keith smiled. “Much, much better.”

  “Kristina told me that she’s staying here… with you.”

  Keith hesitated for a moment; he wondered whether her tone would turn accusator
y now. “That’s what we’ve decided for the moment,” he tried to explain. “If she gets a better offer in a different state, I’m open to moving.”

  “What about your… gang?”

  “They’ll survive without me,” Keith said with a shrug. “We all have our own lives and our own families.”

  “For the record, I think it’s a good thing that Kristina is staying with you.”

  Keith raised his eyebrows. “You do?”

  Marie smiled. “Yes, I do.”

  “What changed?”

  “A lot actually,” Marie replied. “I thought you were just some wild playboy who would use Kristina and then throw her aside when you were done. I misjudged you. I realize now how much you love her.”

  “When did you realize that?”

  “Around the time you asked for my help to save her,” Marie said. “I could see it in your eyes, the panic and the fear. You wouldn’t have got so involved if you didn’t love her.”

  Keith smiled, gratified by Marie’s changed opinion of him.

  “You know Kristina… she never had much of a family life,” Marie went on. “Her parents were off in their separate lives, and she had to fend for herself most of the time. She’s never really had someone who has put her first and looked after her the way you have.”

  “Thank you, Marie,” Keith said sincerely. “That’s nice to hear.”

  “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that,” Marie said. “I guess… I’ll be seeing you around Keith.”

  Keith smiled. “I’ll be seeing you.”

  She walked off to her next class, and Keith waited patiently for Kristina. A few moments later, she emerged and came straight to him with that amazing smile on her face. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek and then on the lips. “Hi,” she said brightly.

  “Hi,” he replied. “I ran into Marie a few minutes ago.”

  “Oh?” Kristina said. “What did she say?”

  “She told me that she approved of your decision to stay here with me.”

  Kristina laughed. “Apparently you impressed her quite a bit by how you handled my abduction. You sold her on your sincerity.”

  Keith kissed her again and helped her onto his bike. They zoomed through the streets until they reached his apartment. He had told his landlord last week that he was moving out at the end of the month. The place that he and Kristina had found was right down the road from his mother’s house. It needed a little fixing up, but Keith had no doubt that Kristina would work her magic. She was extremely resourceful and she had already found a great job. It was about forty minutes away, but Keith had no problem dropping her off and picking her up each day. In fact, he was actually looking forward to it.

  His apartment was almost empty. He and Kristina had moved all his stuff into his mother’s house until their new home was ready. The only thing that remained was the single bed that was pushed up against the wall. Kristina sunk down onto it and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Tomorrow’s the big day,” he reminded her. “Are you ready to graduate?”

  “I am actually,” Kristina nodded. “Are you ready?”

  “Me?” Keith asked in confusion. “Ready for what?”

  “To meet my parents,” Kristina, said, waggling her eyebrows teasingly.

  Keith groaned and collapsed into bed beside her. “Do I have a choice?”

  “Not much of one,” Kristina said. “But you might as well be prepared.”

  “They’re going to hate me, aren’t they?” Keith asked.

  “Yes,” Kristina replied honestly. “But it doesn’t matter. What matters is how I feel about you.”

  Keith smiled, knowing that she was right, that was all that mattered. “I have a graduation present for you,” he said, as he pushed himself back so that he could see her face clearly.

  “Really?” Kristina asked looking surprised. “What is it?”

  Keith pulled off his shirt and straightened himself so that Kristina could see the latest addition to his collection of tattoos.

  “Oh my God,” Kristina breathed as she took in the new tattoo inked right across Keith’s heart. “You tattooed my name?”

  “I did,” Keith nodded. “What do you think?”

  “I think that’s… huge,” Kristina breathed.

  “It felt right.”

  “I can’t believe you did that,” Kristina said, smiling as she pulled him on top of her. They fell back onto the bed, and Keith leaned in and kissed her slowly. He ran his tongue over her lower lip and felt her shiver beneath him. Slowly, he reached his hand down and slipped it under her skirt. He slid his finger into her and heard her moan with pleasure as her eyes closed.

  He started kissing her neck, as he undid the buttons of her blouse with his teeth. She was wet within seconds, and Keith knew she was ready for him. Still, he delayed the moment, wanting to make it last as long as possible.

  “Oh Keith,” she breathed, and the sound of his name on her lips sent the blood rushing straight to his cock. He pulled her blouse off and undid her bra, all the while exploring her with his finger. She was moaning and writhing beneath him, and he felt his dick harden in response.

  Her hands searched for him and pushed his trousers off before she squeezed his erection hard. Keith felt the excitement build and the desire to be inside her overtook him. He pulled down her panties and pushed himself inside her hard and without hesitation. She yelled at the urgency of his entry, but he saw her smile in equal pleasure. He fucked her hard, slowing down every time he threatened to lose control. She gripped at him, her nails clawing at the skin on his back. Every so often, her fingers would find the spot where her name was tattooed, and she would brush over it with her fingers.

  He could feel her begin to come alive underneath him. He felt her start to take control, and he surrendered himself to her every whim. She pushed herself up, and they flipped over so that Kristina was straddling him. He was so deep inside her that it felt as though they were one person. There was no sense of shyness about her. She owned her body and her beauty. She rode him with fierce confidence, her breasts bouncing up and down with the force of her movement.

  It was hard for Keith to hold on, but he gritted his teeth and prevented himself from coming too soon. He wanted to be able to make her climax; there was nothing so satisfying as watching her at the peak of climax. It was like music… her eyes rolled back in her head, her fingers and toes curled up, her body shivered in violent bursts of passion and little explosions went off like fireworks inside her. If Keith could bottle up that feeling, he would have.

  As Kristina climaxed slowly, she bent down towards Keith, and he grabbed her around the middle and pummeled into her with renewed force. She grabbed him in an attempt to anchor herself as scream after scream escaped her. She gripped at his chest, his arms, his neck. She kissed him tenderly, passionately, and wildly, and Keith couldn’t get enough of her. He had missed this kind of intimacy; he had missed the kind of intimacy that came from knowing you were committed to one person and that was so much better than meaningless sex with a hundred strangers.

  They lay together, their sweat mingling, their hands intertwined, their breathing fusing together, and Keith kissed the top of Kristina’s head as she lay in the crook of his arm. The silence was broken suddenly when an unfamiliar beep screeched through the room.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Google alert,” Kristina replied as she checked her phone. Then she looked at Keith pointedly.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Apparently there’s breaking news that a prostitution ring has been broken up along the border,” Kristina told him. “A few men have been taken into custody, and police will be investigating the case.”

  “Is that so?” Keith said with suppressed satisfaction.

  “The police are speculating that the men are part of a gang known as the Rusted Chains.”

  “Interesting,” Keith said. “Did they mention anything about their leader?”

  “They
did,” Kristina replied. “Anton Kovic was sentenced this morning. There was a whole load of evidence against him. Apparently he was responsible for several murders in the last year alone. He was the one who ratted out the rest of his gang for a lesser sentence.”

  “How much did he get?” Keith asked.

  Kristina looked back at her phone and read through the alert quickly. “He escaped the death penalty because of the information he gave the cops,” Kristina told him. “But he’s still looking at a life sentence… guess he is scared to die after all.”

  “What?” Keith asked.

  “Nothing,” Kristina said shaking her head. “Looks like his days as top dog are over.”