by Carol Dawn
No one says anything.
Slim releases a frustrated breath. “What I’m trying to say is, I can tell you exactly where Bella is at this exact moment. I can even tell you her heartrate.”
“Thank fuck,” I breath.
“Well, come on guys,” Slim says, excitedly. “Let’s go, time’s wasting.”
“Bear,” I say.
“Already on it,” he interrupts. “Josh just got back to me and said that the plane will be fueled and ready anytime we need it.”
“We have the best prospects,” Ink says.
“Never doubt it, Inkster,” Slim says with a smile.
“Show me how to locate your tracking device,” Hawk tells Slim. “You stay here out of danger.”
For a split second, it looked as if Slim wants to do exactly that, but his mask came back, stronger than ever.
“Nah, I’ll be fine,” Slim says, with false confidence. “Besides, I’ll just hide behind you hulking beasts if the shots start flying.”
We all follow a grumbling Hawk out the door. Slim, Bear and Trigger get in my truck while Ink rides with Hawk in his.
We’re coming, baby. Just hold on for me.
Chapter Nineteen
Bella
I want to say this was a mistake, but I know it’s the only way to assure my family’s safety.
The moment I landed in Florida, Jack was right there. He painfully gripped my arm and walked me to his car. He didn’t even ask if I had any luggage. Then he brought me to his home and told me to clean the stink off my body before shoving me into a bathroom.
That was two hours ago. I haven’t heard from him since. I can only hope that he’ll keep his end of the bargain and leave my family alone.
There’s a knock on the door. I know it isn’t Jack, he wouldn’t knock.
“Yeah,” I say with a shaky voice.
The door opens just a crack before a body slides inside and closes it back.
“Becky,” I breath.
I don’t know her all that well, but the few of times we met she was very nice. I can tell she doesn’t agree with most of the things her brother says. But, there’s nothing either of us can do about it.
“I was really hoping to never see you again,” she whispers.
“Why are you still here?” I ask.
“I won’t be for long,” she says. “I had to wait until Jack passed out before I could come in here.”
Passed out? It’s not even dark outside.
“Oh, I drugged him,” she says with a smirk. I must have said that out loud. “Fucking asshole deserves it. But we have to go because I didn’t drug him enough.”
“Go?” I ask.
“Jack told me last night that he found me a husband. I’m sorry Bella, but your father is a freaking lunatic. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled off a mass suicide, one day.”
I hate thinking of my dad in that way, but I know she’s right. My father isn’t the man I used to know.
“Where are you going?” I ask her.
With a small blush, she says, “I met someone awhile back. He’s an amazing man, Bella. He’s so kind and sweet. I finally told him what my life was like. Then this morning I told him that my brother planned to marry me off. He didn’t like that idea, so he sort of demanded I move in with him. That’s when I found out you were coming. So, I waited for my chance and slipped some sleeping pills into his beer. Now enough talking. Let’s go.”
“I can’t go with you,” I say quickly.
I must have stunned her because she just stares at me with wide eyes.
“What are you talking about?” she asks.
“I told Jack that I would come back if he left Sophia and the Infernal Sons alone. He’s been trying to frame them for selling drugs. They could all go to jail. He even called the cops and told them that they were holding me against my will.”
Taking a calming breath, I continue.
“If I leave with you, he won’t keep his end of the deal. He’ll cause trouble for my family. I have to stay here.”
Just then, we here noises from downstairs.
“You have to go,” I tell her. “Get out of here and don’t you ever come back. Go live a beautiful life. Go love. Just go,” I beg.
She looks at me for a long moment before quietly opening the door and leaving.
My vision is more blurry than normal. Probably from all the stress. Honestly, I would give almost anything to be blind right now. I have no idea what Jack’s plans are with me, but I do know that I don’t want to see his face while he’s doing it. Even closing my eyes doesn’t give me the darkness I desire.
So many shadows.
The door slams open and Jack looks around frantically.
“You’re fucking lucky you’re still here,” he slurs.
“I told you I’m not going anywhere,” I say. “As long as you keep your end of the deal, I won’t ever give you a hard time.”
Jack stumbles over to me and backhands me across the face with all of his strength. I fall to the floor just barely catching myself before I hit my head.
“Know your place, bitch. You’ll do as you’re told, no matter what.”
With that, he turns and walks out of the room.
Leaving the door open.
It doesn’t matter either way. He can leave the front door wide open and I wouldn’t leave. Protecting my family is my only reason for living right now.
I only wish I told Blake that I love him to his face.
That is my only regret.
If I go blind again, I know for a fact that I’ll never forget his face.
I lay my head down on the floor, right where I fell. I close my eyes and I dream of the man who stole my heart. I dream of Sophia, surrounded by her overprotective daddy and uncles. I dream of a love I can never have.
I just dream because that’s all it will ever be for me.
A dream.
Chapter Twenty
Chains
“She’s in there,” Slim says, indicating the house in front of us. The same house Jack brought Sophia to when he attacked my woman.
“Surely he isn’t stupid enough to think we wouldn’t come after her?” Ink asks.
“He most likely thinks we would sacrifice one person just to keep our record clean,” I growl. “He takes her, and he stops trying to put us all in jail for shit we didn’t even do.”
“He obviously didn’t do his research,” Bear says. “And your woman wasn’t paying close enough attention if she thought we were just going to let her go back to this sick fuck in order to protect us.”
Yeah, I need to have a long talk with my girl when I get her home.
“Trigger, where the fuck are you going?” Bear says.
“You all talk too much,” is all he says as he makes his way to the house.
Fuck yeah. Trigger has the right idea. I wrap my chains around my shoulder and follow him.
“So much for making a plan,” Bear grumbles as he follows behind. “Let’s go, bothers. Slim, at the first sign of trouble, get the fuck back.”
“Yeah, I know, hide behind the big guys. I get it. You don’t have to worry about me,” Slim says.
“It’s not really you I’m too concerned about, brother,” Bear says to him. “It’s the world I’m concerned about if something was to happen to you.”
A chuckle pushes its way out of my body. What an interesting future our little Phoenix has.
I’m pulled from my thoughts when I hear a loud crash. Trigger has just knocked down the front door.
“You are such a diva, Trigger,” Slim says. “Why do you always have to do things so loudly?”
“Being silent is for pussies,” he answers.
“Says the man who never talks,” Ink replies.
“Talking is for pussies, too.”
“Well,”
“Ink,” Bear growls.
“Shut the fuck up, I know.”
Ink walks through the broken door and shouts, “HONEY, I’M HOME.”
/> Crazy fucking family. I love every single one of them.
“What the hell are you doing in my home?” Jack asks from his couch. His words are slurred.
“You have something that belongs to us,” Trigger says.
I’ll let him have his moment. But I will kick his ass if he claims my woman one more time.
Or, at least I’ll try to kick his ass. I’ll get in at least one punch, anyway.
Trigger must read my thoughts because he turns around and smirks at me.
“Fucker,” I say to him. Which causes him to throw his head back and laugh.
We all stand in stunned silence. I didn’t even know he could laugh.
“Wow, Trig, you do have emotions, after all,” Ink says.
Trigger will kill him one day. Him and Brick, both. I just know it.
Trigger’s face turns back to stone as he gives Ink a death stare. I ignore their fun time and walk to where Jack is still laying down on the couch.
“Are you drunk?” I ask.
“Yep.”
Fuck. Can I kill a man who can’t defend himself properly?
“Where is Arabella?” I demand.
“Upstairs on her bedroom floor,” he answers. “Right where I knocked her fucking ass down.”
Yes, I can indeed kill a man who can’t defend himself properly. I grab my chain from around my shoulders and have it against Jack’s neck before his next blink.
“I should fucking kill you,” I say. “You don’t deserve to breathe another breath. But we have plans for you. And I don’t want to deprive you of all the fun things you’re going to get to do.”
“Do you know what they do to rapists in prison?” Hawk asks.
Jack’s eyes grow wide. “She’s upstairs,” he says again. This time with no slur to his voice. Hawk scared him sober.
“I swear I won’t come after her again. I’ll have my guy stop selling shit with your sign on it.”
I add more pressure to his throat, pinning him fully onto the couch with my chain. Just a little more and he’ll stop breathing.
“Blake?” the softest voice says from behind me.
We all turn to see Arabella standing at the bottom of the staircase.
“Baby,” I whisper like a prayer.
Then I see the hand-sized bruise on the side of her face and all my fury returns.
Using all my strength, I shove down on my chain. This fucker marked my woman. Again.
He dies.
It lasts for about five seconds before a couple of the guys pull me off.
“GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME,” I scream. “I’LL FUCKING KILL HIM.”
“He’s unconscious, brother,” someone says. “The police are on their way. Your woman needs you.”
The last statement has me dropping my chain and turning toward Arabella. She’s standing by Ink with her arms wrapped around her waist.
I rush to her and wrap her in my arms.
“I told you not to come,” she says against my neck.
I just hold her tighter.
“I’m so happy you came,” she whispers.
I sit on the floor, pulling my woman with me. We sit there until Jack is cuffed and in the back of a police car.
“He’s gone baby,” I say.
Arabella has a death grip around my waist. I wish she would hold me tighter. I’m never letting this woman out of my sight again.
“Can we go home?” she asks.
“Yeah, sweet girl. Let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Chains
I told Bear that I would be over in the morning to pick up Sophia. I just need to hold Arabella in my arms all night to make sure she’s really here.
“I said, I’m fine, Blake. It’ll go away in a week or so.”
I pull off her shirt before laying her down on our bed. Ignoring her words, I do a search of her body. I search over every single inch of exposed skin. I find fingerprints on her upper arm. Growling, I lean down and kiss them. Replacing his touch with mine.
When I don’t find any other marks, I grab the top of her pants and pull them off as well.
I search slowly so I don’t miss anything.
“Honestly, honey,” she says softly. “The only things he touched are my face and arm. I’m fine.”
“Baby,” I say around the knot in my throat.
Sighing, she says, “Alright honey. Do what you have to do to make sure I’m okay.”
She lays still while I search her body once more. When I’m confident that she isn’t hurt anywhere else, I hover over her body and kiss her soft lips.
I draw back just far enough to see her eyes.
“I’m angry with you,” I tell her.
“I know honey,” she says, as tears fill her eyes. “I was trying to protect you. To protect our daughter.”
I gently wrap my hand around her throat. I keep looking in her eyes for any sign of discomfort or fear.
I see none.
“It’s not your job to protect us,” I tell her. “It’s my job to protect you. What you did was reckless. He could have killed you. Or worse.”
I feel my anger returning in full force. The thought of her being violated by that man again has me itching for my chain to finish the job I started.
I feel her tiny hands rub down my ribcage.
“I’m right here,” she tells me.
The same fucking thing I tell her when she’s scared or overwhelmed.
“I love you,” I tell her. “I love you so fucking much and the thought of you leaving me is so fucking painful.”
Tears fall from her eyes. “I didn’t leave you, honey. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Leaning down, I kiss her tears away. “I know, baby,” I whisper. “I know what was going through your head. Just promise me you’ll never do something that stupid again. Promise me that you’ll never leave me again.”
A drop of liquid falls onto her face. God, I’ve cried more times since I met this woman, than I have in my entire life.
“I promise, honey. I promise to never leave your side again.”
I kiss my way down her body until I get to her perfect tits. Kneading one in my hand, I gently nip the other nipple between my teeth. I look up when she lets out a small gasp.
Her face is cast in the golden glow of the sunset shining through our window. Her eyes are closed, mouth slightly open, and her fists are clenching our sheets.
Fucking perfect.
I reach down and run my finger through her slick folds.
“Is my baby wet for me?”
“I always seem to be wet when you’re around,” she says.
I rub my finger gently over her small nub while I kiss my way down. Reaching her legs, I gently pull them apart and settle between them.
“Hands behind you baby,” I growl into her thigh. “Grab ahold of the headboard and don’t you fucking let go. You hear me?”
She nods and does what I say.
“Good girl,” I say, and reward myself for not killing anyone today by licking my delicious treat.
“So fucking good, baby.”
“Blake,” she pants. “Please.”
“Please what, sweet girl? What is it you need?”
She shakes her head back and forth.
“Tell me, baby.”
I stop tasting my woman and wait for what I want.
“Will you make lick my…and make me… you know?” She says with every amount of frustration in her voice.
“Words, sweet girl. I need your words.”
She closes her eyes and says, “Damnit, Blake. Will you eat my pussy and make me come?”
Her face turns a beautiful shade of red. I chuckle and kiss the top of her perfect pussy.
“That’s all you had to say, baby. It will be my most delicious pleasure.”
I give a long lick from her clenching hole all the way up to her swollen clit. I flick my tongue back and forth as fast as I can and shove two fingers into her pussy. She screams, her back arching o
ff the bed, her pussy trying to suck my hand inside.
Absolutely beautiful.
I nibble my way back up her body before taking her mouth in a bruising kiss. I stay right there for what feels like hours.
“I love you, too, you know?” She says, after I let her up for air.
“I love you with everything I am.”
“I know, baby.”
I lean up on my knees and scoot until my aching cock is nestled right against her pussy.
“Are you ready for me baby?” I ask.
She nods her head.
“Words Arabella. I want your words.”
“Yes honey,” she says. “I’m ready for you. I’m aching for you.”
I grab my cock and slide it through her wet folds a few times. Then I line myself up and gently push until the head of my cock is resting inside of her. I lean down and kiss her neck as I slowly push further in. I keep pushing until my balls make contact with her skin.
Fuck, she’s tight.
“Oh god,” she says. “You’re so big. I didn’t feel this full the first time.”
Growling, I lean back until I see her face and say, “This is your first time, baby. This is the only time that counts. Before this, it never happened, you got me?”
A tear slides down her face. She reaches up to rub my chest.
“Did I say you could move those arms, sweet girl?”
“No,” she says. “But I want to touch you, too.”
“Baby, if you so much as breathe on me, this will be over before it’s even started.”
She giggles, but reaches up and grabs ahold of the bed rail.
“I need you to move,” she whines. “Please, honey, move.”
Thank fuck.
I pull back until only the tip remains and then surge forward.
“Oh yes,” she moans.
I’ve lost every ounce of control as I slam into her over and over. Grabbing her legs, I push them toward her chest so I can watch her take my cock like a good girl.
It was the wrong thing to do because as soon as I got my first glimpse of her pussy swallowing my cock, my balls started to tighten up.
I push all the way in and freeze. I’m not ready to come yet. Just need a few minutes to get myself, and my cock, under control. I reach down and rub her pretty little nub. I move my finger down to my cock and gently press beside it until her pussy lets me in.