by Jade Kuzma
I widened my eyes at the doctor and he smiled softly.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“Just a few stitches and some rest,” Dr. Johnson replied.
“See?” Hunter said. “A few days and I’ll be as good as new.”
“It’ll be more than a few days. But… There doesn’t appear to be anything you won’t make a full recovery from.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
“Get some rest.”
Dr. Johnson excused himself from the room. I stayed by Hunter’s side.
He’d insisted on coming back up to the city even though his injuries were serious. I guess he wanted to get as far away from Holt and Ivory as he could.
His lip swollen, Hunter smirked at me. Even with a bruised face, he still looked as handsome as he always did. It was all over but I wasn’t as comfortable as he was.
“Can I ask you something?” I said.
“Of course.”
“I know that I can ask you. But I want an honest answer, too.”
Laying in the bed next to me, Hunter nodded.
“Why?” I said.
“It was the only way,” he replied.
“The only way for what.”
He sighed a deep breath then straightened up in his seat.
“After Alvarez found me out and banned me from Eden, I knew that it was over for me. There was no way I could’ve got the money to pay back my debt to Takahashi.”
“You could’ve told me.”
“I’m not gonna take money from you when your sister needs it. That’s why the tournament meant everything to me.”
“But Alvarez…”
Just looking at Hunter’s bruised cheek was painful.
“Alvarez told me to forfeit,” he said. “He wanted me to lay down so that he could keep the winnings for the casino. He threatened my life.”
“Then why wouldn’t you do that? You could’ve paid off your debt even if you didn’t win.”
“I could’ve done that…”
Hunter looked away from me. His eyes unblinking, it was as if his mind was somewhere else.
“I never invited you to my house much,” he said.
“I remember. I was always badgering you, telling you that I wanted to hang out. But you were always too embarrassed. Making excuses that your room was messy.”
“I did say that,” he said with a laugh. “It was a lie though.”
The smile left his face. The vacant stare remained in his eyes.
“I didn’t want you to see what it was like.”
“What what was like?”
“My foster parents. They were always complaining to me. Calling me an idiot. Telling me that I’d never amount to anything. I think that’s the reason why I stopped giving a shit about school. It got tiresome trying to prove them wrong.”
“That sounds like a foolish thing to do.”
“I was a teenager who didn’t know any better. I shouldn’t have let it get to me but it did…”
His throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed.
“…You were the only person who thought that I wasn’t an idiot. You were the only person who thought that I would amount to something. Over the past few years, I started to think that maybe you were wrong and everybody else was right.”
He looked at me and smiled softly.
“Alvarez threatened to kill me. It didn’t matter to me if I died. I figured this would be my chance to prove everybody else wrong. I was prepared to give you everything. Even if I died, it would’ve been worth it. Alice would be taken care of. You could go back to school. Maybe that was my purpose.”
I closed my eyes to stop the tears from leaking from the corners of my eyes. I exhaled a deep breath to maintain my composure. When I looked back at Hunter, he had that same smile on his lips that I was so used to seeing.
“I love you,” I said. “You know how much I care about you.”
“I know. That’s why I did everything I could to stay by your side.”
“What did you do exactly?”
“Those men. The MC. They’re the ones I borrowed the money from. They wouldn’t let their investment die. Not until they got their payment. The same with Takahashi.”
“You were counting on them showing up?”
He nodded.
“Everything went according to plan,” he said.
“What about Emerson?”
“Even if Emerson hadn’t shown up, Alvarez knows better than to get involved with the Yakuza. Takahashi would’ve made his life a living hell, even for just a debt like mine.”
Hunter smirked at me. I couldn’t help but chuckle softly at him.
“Everybody is wrong,” I said. “You’re a lot smarter than they think you are.”
“I never knew what I was meant to do. I figured I would spend the rest of my life on the streets hustling. Now I know what my purpose is.”
He reached a hand up and brushed my cheek with it. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his calloused palm against my skin. It was so comforting. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this way.
“Alice. Alvarez. School. Everything is right because of you. You saved me, Hunter. I…”
I took his hand in mine and tangled my fingers between his.
“…I’ve lived six years without you. It felt like a lifetime. I don’t ever want you to leave my side again.”
The smile left Hunter’s face like something was wrong.
“I still remember what I said to you that night,” he said. “I was only holding you back. You’re amazing. Being around a man like me—”
“All my life I followed the rules. All my life I studied and worked and tried to do everything right. And what do I have to show for it? My parents are gone. Alice is in the hospital. I don’t have enough money to go to school.”
I squeezed my hand around his.
“You, Hunter… You are everything I ever wanted in my life. You’re everything I needed.”
I’d never been so sure of anything. I shook my head and smiled at him.
“You’re not holding me back,” I said. “You’re the freedom I want. I don’t care about doing the right thing or the wrong thing. I can’t even tell the difference anymore. I just know the way I feel when I’m with you.”
Hunter tugged on my hand and pulled me close. I leaned forward and brought my face to his.
“If you want me by your side, I’ll be by your side,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted you by my side.”
I kissed him softly. It only lasted for a second before he pulled away.
“Ow…”
“Sorry,” I said with a smirk.
He tapped his bruised lip softly and sank into the bed.
“Great,” he said. “I won a million bucks and I can’t even celebrate.”
“A million dollars. I almost forgot about how much money it was.”
“Well, don’t get too attached to it. I don’t think we’re gonna see all of it. But… We’ll get enough to take care of business.”
“That’s all that matters. Speaking of which… There’s someone I need to talk to.”
“Yeah, sure. You heard the doctor. I’ll be laid up for a bit.”
I laughed softly at him and gave Hunter a moment to rest.
I walked down the halls of the hospital and made my way into a room I was familiar with.
The glare from the television was bright. The light illuminated the darkened room.
I took a seat at the bed next to my sister.
Alice slept peacefully, her chest rising and falling softly.
I couldn’t help but think about everything she’d been through. It still wasn’t over. I took some comfort in knowing that I would be able to do whatever it took to make sure that she was all right.
A tear leaked down from the corner of my cheek. I wiped it away and sighed. It was loud enough to wake Alice from her sleep.
She blinked her eyes open and turned to me.
“Sis? What are you doing here?”
“Hey,” I whispered. “Just thought I’d pay you a visit.”
“Why are you crying?”
I laughed then smiled at her. I swallowed to clear my throat.
“I was just thinking that I forgot the ice cream you wanted.”
“Oh… Well, that’s okay. It’s too late for ice cream.”
“Maybe tomorrow.”
“I don’t need ice cream. Just as long as you’re here with me.”
Hearing her say it made it hard to stop another tear from coming out of me. I blinked my eyes to keep my vision clear. Another deep breath allowed me to maintain my composure.
“Ally.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll always be here for you. No matter what. I love you.”
“I love you, too, sis.”
Chapter 27
FAYE
Two weeks later…
If there was something about Hunter that I knew that nobody else did, it was that he was simple. He never cared too much about dressing to impress or having a fancy car or flaunting his money. I never imagined him wearing a suit or spending his time being chauffeured around in some luxury sedan. It helped that he looked good the way he always was.
Leather jacket. Blue jeans. Riding boots. Messy hair that always seemed to fall in place just right. Scruff on his chin that always looked like he’d missed a few days shaving.
Maybe it was because I’d been away from him for so long but I never imagined I would be with someone who had that kind of rugged appeal. That was enough to make me smile even though I was sitting inside an apartment so barren that I had nothing to look at besides him.
“This is it,” he said.
He held his arms out in the living room of his apartment. I looked around even though there was nothing outside of a couch off to the side.
“It’s funny,” I said.
“You making fun of my apartment?”
“What’s funny is that… I always dreamed of graduating from college and getting some high-paying job in the city. I had fantasies that I would be by Bradley’s side while we hosted them in our giant mansion.”
Hunter took a step toward me, a smile on his lips even though I was talking about an ex-boyfriend who was nothing more than a memory.
“Is that what you want, Faye? A big, giant house. Fancy evening gowns. Champagne and caviar.”
“Oh, yes. I would just love to host a fancy dinner party. All of those fake personalities. Pretending to like people I didn’t. Meeting someone just because it would be good for business and then forgetting about them the second they were gone.”
Seeing Hunter made me think about everything.
“That was what I wanted,” I said. “That’s what I thought I wanted. Back in high school, everybody looked up to me. Some girl with a great personality who spent all of her time studying. I loved having all of that attention because I knew it meant I was going to succeed.”
“You can still have that.”
Looking into Hunter’s eyes, I shook my head softly.
“That’s not what I want,” I said. “Not anymore.”
“What do you want, Faye?”
“To be close to the ones I care about. The ones who matter most to me. The ones who’ll be by my side no matter what. But most of all… I just want to be myself. That’s what I have when I’m with you.”
He leaned forward and kissed me. His tongue spread my lips open and let me taste him. That familiar scent of his filled my nostrils and flooded my thoughts, consuming me. I pulled away and took a step back to regain my senses.
“I want to be with you,” I said. “If it’s here with you in Ivory or back in the city or anywhere else. You’re the only person I can ever be myself with. I…”
I swallowed before I said it.
“…I’m yours, Hunter.”
Hunter had a way of making light of everything. Even when he was serious, there was always some subtle smirk on his lips. Everything was a joke.
Not right now though. His stare was so intense that I knew I’d gotten through to him.
“I’m yours,” I repeated.
He didn’t need to say anything. I just wanted him and I knew he wanted me.
He put his lips back to mine and another messy kiss took control of me.
I gasped into his mouth as he trailed kisses down my neck. I ran my fingers through his hair, rubbing the back of his head and guiding it to every sensitive spot on my skin.
His hands grabbed at my shirt and lifted it up over my head. He unhooked my bra and freed my breasts.
I returned the favor, peeling his leather jacket off of him and tugging his shirt up over his head.
Hunter always had a body that had people staring. Tight, toned muscles. A six-pack that drew all the attention. Swollen arms with veins pulsing along his muscles. Now he had that wonderful ink to highlight every inch of the taut skin stretched over his physique.
We stumbled into his bedroom, our lips locked the entire time. Thank goodness he at least had a mattress in his new apartment. We were about to put it to some good use.
I fumbled with his jeans. The metal of his belt buckle chimed like music in his ears. He unzipped my jeans the same as I did his and our pants fell to the floor.
He grabbed my arms and suddenly tossed me onto the bed. I looked down and watched as he trailed kisses along my legs. Up my calves and along the insides of my thighs. Every lick. Every suck. Every wet kiss. My skin tingled from the way he worked his mouth on me. A wetness built on my panties to the point that Hunter had to peel them off of me.
My panties moved down my thighs and down my ankles. I watched him for as long as I could before reeling my head back and shutting my eyes.
“Hunter…”
I sighed his name as he moved his mouth to my most sensitive area. Long, slow licks over my slit made more of me spill out. The sloppy sound of his swallowing echoed off his bedroom walls.
Another lick of his tongue on my clit made it swell before him. He wrapped his lips around it softly and sucked on it, sending another jolt through my spine.
“Oh… Fuck…”
Hunter was the only man who could get me to swear like that. It was like losing complete control. There was no other way to deal with the wonderful agony he put me through when his mouth was on me.
Up and down… Up and down… Up and down… His tongue moved over my folds and made me drip.
“So fucking good… You’re so fucking good…”
I urged him to keep going and he ramped up the pace. His tongue probed my pussy and licked up all of the juices before they spilled out. Every drop that came out of me, he swallowed down with a loud, satisfying smack of his lips.
I gripped at the sheets, writhing on his mattress uncontrollably. I was at his complete mercy as he pushed me closer… and closer… and closer to the edge.
My back started to arch. My knees bent, my toes started to curl. I had trouble breathing. Hoarse moans got caught in my dry throat. My body was so warm even with all of the sweat covering me.
I grinded my hips against his tongue, letting him stimulate my clit. A couple fingers inside of me found my sweet spot quickly. There was no point in trying to fight it. The cliff was in sight and all Hunter had to do was push me over.
“Hunter… Hunter, I…”
I couldn’t finish. All of the expletives and moans and sighs got stuck in my throat as every muscle in my body tightened up. I held my breath for just a second before finally coming hard.
“Ahh…”
An unintelligible groan came out of me as my body shook violently. Wave after wave of wonderful pleasure pulsed from my core and spread through the rest of me. My body was warm and cool at the same time. An orgasmic energy that emptied my thoughts and turned me into nothing more than just my overwhelming climax.
I squeezed the sheets tight in my hands. White knuckles and aching muscles. Hunter forced my body to do everything to helplessly brace myself.<
br />
It felt so good but I couldn’t take it for much longer.
Hunter drained me completely then pulled away from me with another satisfying slurp of his tongue.
I laid on the bed, breathing hard to try and recover. I blinked my eyes open and realized that they were watering. My vision cleared and I saw Hunter before me.
His full body was on display. He worked up a sweat going down on me, making all of his muscles glisten from the moonlight shining in through the window.
Every inch of him was something to marvel at, including that amazing cock of his that was standing at full attention.
“I’m yours,” I sighed. “I’m all yours. All of me.”
“I want all of you, Faye. I’m gonna take you how I’ve always wanted to take you.”
“I’ve always been yours…”
He moved on top of me and forced my legs open even more than they already were. Legs spread, I kept my eyes locked on his as our faces moved close to one another. The heat coming from my pussy was so warm and calling out to him. His abs pressed against my stomach as he guided his cock toward my entrance.
Just the tip of his dick hitting my folds was enough to make me shudder again.
“Fuck me…” I sighed.
“I’m gonna fuck you. I’m gonna fuck you real good, babe.”
“Do it. Fuck me—Ungh!”
A deep, forceful plunge of his cock into my pussy cut me off. He put his mouth to mine and drowned out my groan while he started to drive his dick into me.
Goddamn…
There was no way to describe how he felt inside of me. A thick, throbbing cock sliding in and out of me, rubbing against my slick walls. Hard, sweaty muscles pressed against me. I laid helplessly on the bed while he slammed his cock into me with those long strokes of his.
Our kiss ended when he postured up on me. He grabbed my legs and forced them over his shoulders. I looked up at him and watched as he kept pounding me. The sight of such a muscular man working so hard to try and please me was like nothing else.
The moment ended. He lowered my legs back down and moved his face back close to mine.
“You’re mine,” he grunted, his breath on my lips. “You’re mine, Faye.”
“I’m yours…”
His hand suddenly moved to my throat. He didn’t squeeze. He just put it there to let me feel it.