“Aww, what’s wrong sweetheart? Don’t like the idea of me being in your apartment while you sleep?”
I cringed. “Fuck you, Jose.”
“Music to my ears. Isn’t that what Sebastian said before he fucked you?”
“Oh God.” My stomach threatened to turn over again. Taking deep breaths, I forced the empty pit of my belly to calm down. “Please, just leave us alone.”
He laughed. “Now why would I do that? But because I am a nice guy, I’ll give you a head start.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you better get running. And I’d lose the cell phone if I were you if you don’t want me to catch you quickly.”
“Are you seriously…”
“Yes, I’m fucking serious.” He laughed again, and then his voice lowered. “Run. Now.”
I stared at the phone as he hung up.
Oh dear God, what have I gotten myself into?
***
I headed home but ended up at Brett’s club instead, but not really knowing how I got there. Walking in a trance-like state, I shook myself out of it once I reached his office door. I had to be strong for Sebastian. Jose could be bluffing, and he might not have actually shot him, but I wasn’t going to take that chance.
Before I even knocked on the door, it swung open, and I was pulled into a warm embrace. Brett released me and held me at arm’s length, hands on my shoulders. “Keisha called me freaking out. What the hell happened?”
“I…I…he shot him. Oh God, he shot Sebastian.” Sobs wracked my shoulders again, and I fell against Brett.
“What do you mean he shot him? Who shot Sebastian?”
Did he even have to ask? “Jose. Jose shot Sebastian. He shot him in my apartment.” I whispered. I wiped at my cheeks and took some deep breaths.
“Fuck, Tori.” He pulled me in for another hug.
I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him back. Pulling out of his embrace, I walked into his office. “I didn’t want to go home, so I came here.”
“That’s fine. My door is always open to you.”
“Listen, Brett.” I took a deep breath. “Sebastian left my apartment and then Jose called me and threatened to shoot him again. And…and…” A sob escaped my lips. “He bugged my apartment.” I was rambling, but I needed to get it all out. “Jose told me that if I didn’t go to his place, he’d shoot Sebastian, so I went and no one was there.”
Brett’s face took on a look of shock. “You went to Jose’s place? Tori, are you fucking crazy?”
“I didn’t want to call his bluff,” I yelled. “He said Sebastian was there, and for me to go or else he’d shoot him again. I heard the gun go off. He did shoot him.”
Brett sighed. “Okay. I’m sorry. Continue.”
“Jose. He broke into my apartment.” I shivered and swallowed past the nausea rolling around in my belly.
“Tori….” Concern coated Brett’s voice.
The nausea threatened to bubble over.
“Tori, take deep breaths. Breathe. Come on, baby girl, breathe for me.”
I took deep breaths, but that didn’t work. Pushing past Brett, I ran to the bathroom, spilling my stomach contents into the toilet. The sounds of my dry heaving banged around the small bathroom walls. Leaning my head against the cool touch of the basin, I took deep breaths.
“Are you okay?”
A washcloth was placed in front of me. Wiping my mouth, I sat back, leaning against the wall and gripping my stomach.
“Here.”
I opened my eyes and saw Brett holding a bottle of ginger ale. I smiled lightly and took it from him. “Thank you.”
“Feel better?” he asked after I took a small sip.
I nodded and then groaned as a sharp pain tore through my stomach.
“Here.” A package of saltine crackers was shoved in my face, and my stomach rumbled. I’m sure puking up bile for the last couple of hours didn’t do well for an empty belly.
After eating a couple of crackers, my stomach started to feel better and not like someone had a hold of it in a vice grip anymore.
“Now, tell me everything.”
I told him everything Jose said during our conversation over the phone. I also told him the message that Jose gave me for Sebastian. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where Sebastian is, so I can’t go to him. I don’t know if he’s okay, and I don’t know how to help him. He left me.” I sobbed. “Fuck. I’m so sick of crying.”
Brett chuckled, and I turned to him, glaring. “I love your colorful choice of words.”
I smiled and let out a tiny laugh through my tears. Brett helped me to my feet, and wiping my eyes, I walked to the couch in his office and sat down. “Yeah, well, it’s how I feel right about now.”
He sat down beside me, and I leaned my head against his shoulder. “Now what do you mean Sebastian left you?”
Tears welled in my eyes again. “He…” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “You were right, but not that he was leaving me because he loves me. I think he’s going after Jose. Jose set me up. Told me to come to his apartment or else he’d shoot Sebastian again. I went, Brett. God, I’m so fucking stupid. Sebastian called me. He said he needed to take care of some stuff before he would even consider being with me. Jose shot him. While I was on the phone with him. Oh God.” Sobs wracked my shoulders.
“Hey, you don’t know if he did or not.”
“But…” He had a point. Jose could have just made me think he shot him.
Brett took a deep breath. “He’s doing it to protect you. Maybe you should go stay with Keisha for a while,” Brett said softly.
“I can’t.” Tears welled in my eyes again as I remembered the last time I spent the night at her place.
“Why not?”
“Because Jose knows where she lives.” I sniffed and angrily wiped the tears from under my eyes and my cheeks.
Brett tensed. “What?”
“Sebastian knows where she lives, so I assume Jose does too and...” I said quickly.
“What?” He motioned for me to continue.
I huffed. “Jose said that Sebastian bugged my phone.”
“Fuck, Tori. You sure got yourself a winner.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know.”
“But how the hell does Sebastian know where my sister lives?” I lifted my head, and his dark blue eyes, full of suspicion, glared at me.
“I…Sebastian showed up when I spent the night there,” I answered quietly.
Brett’s brows furrowed. “Does Keisha know this?”
I looked down. “No, not that I know of.”
“How does she not know?”
I turned away and rose to my feet. “She’s not dumb, but she hasn’t said anything to me about it if that’s what you’re wondering, and it doesn’t matter anyway.”
“The fuck it doesn’t. Are you telling me that Sebastian came to you while you slept at my sister’s place?”
I nodded.
“Where was Kiesha?”
“She was sleeping.” I chewed my bottom lip, waiting for him to respond. Memories crashed back into my skull at the way Sebastian just showed up in the middle of the night, had his way with me, and left. It was wonderful, erotic, and passionate, knowing that he couldn’t stay away from me. Maybe under normal circumstances I would have felt used, but this wasn’t normal. Our relationship wasn’t normal. I took him any way I could, and I reveled in it.
“She was sleeping,” he repeated, interrupting my thoughts. His eyes widened as what really happened dawned on him. “So you’re saying that Sebastian showed up in the middle of the night to fuck you?”
I cringed at his crass words, and my face heated. I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to.
“Fuck, Tori. What were you thinking?” His voice rose as he stood up from the couch.
“We didn’t disturb Keisha. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Not that big of a deal?” He laughed. “God, are you that fucking dumb?”
/>
I glared at him, as anger soared through me at the insult. “Excuse me?”
“I can’t believe…no wait, I actually can.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Never mind, don’t answer that. I’m leaving.” I grabbed my bag from the couch and turned to storm out the door but paused before reaching it. “You know, Brett. You of all people have no right to judge. I know something is going on between you, Sebastian, and Jose or else you wouldn’t have set me up like that the other day. So don’t fucking sit there all high and mighty like you’re the cat’s fucking meow because you’re not.”
I turned to head out the door when Brett grabbed my arm. “Tori.”
“Let go of me.” Tears burned in my eyes as he released me. I heard him call my name, but I ran as fast as I could out of the club. He had no right to say those things to me. No fucking right at all. Yes, I had made some stupid choices, but who was he to judge?
I ran all the way back to my apartment. It was only a couple of blocks, but by the time I reached my door, my lungs were burning and the cramp in my side felt like I was being stabbed repeatedly. My fingers fumbled for the keys, and my eyes blurred. Finally finding them, I unlocked the door with shaky hands. Opening it, I took a step forward when I felt arms wrap around me.
I screamed as a hand slapped over my mouth and nose. Kicking out, I hit the door, pushing me back into my attacker.
He grunted and held onto me tighter. I pushed us both back into the wall, making him release his hold on me. I fell to my knees and crawled away from him. White spots danced in my vision, and my breath left me as a big body landed on top of me. “I knew you’d fucking make me work for it.”
I groaned as a sweet, sickly scent filled my nostrils, making my eyelids heavy. “But I didn’t realize how fucking hard it would get me.”
I tried pushing him off me, but the scent invading my nostrils overpowered my body. “That’s right, breathe it in,” a deep voice crooned, whispering in my ear as he leaned his hard body into me. My eyes fluttered closed, and I opened them, trying to fight it, but I couldn’t.
My eyes closed again, and this time I let them.
“I told you I would find you, cochina.” Hot breath scorched my ear as sleep overtook me, drowning me in darkness.
Chapter 23
My eyes fluttered open, and I tried to lift my head, causing a sharp pain to shoot through my skull. Groaning, I squeezed my eyelids shut, flopping back down on the bed.
Lying on my stomach, I took a couple of deep breaths and tried moving my hands. Needing to rub the pain between my eyes, I realized quickly that I was restrained to the bed. Opening my eyes, I looked at my wrists and gasped. Duct tape was tightly wrapped around them, linking them to the bedposts. I looked behind me at my ankles and saw duct tape wrapped around them also, spreading me out like a star on the dingy mattress.
Oh God, what the hell is going on?
My memory was fuzzy as I tried to remall the last thing that had happened. I looked around the room. The lighting was dim, but it looked like I was in a very small bedroom, the only objects in it being the bed and me.
Then I remembered the fight I had with Brett and the horrible things he had said to me. I also remembered running home and reaching my apartment. I frowned. I never made it inside, and then I ended up here.
Was I drugged? I don’t remember what happened in between. No, my attacker had a cloth in his hand. I remembered that, and he held it against my face. I had seen enough movies and shows to know that it was chloroform that I breathed in. No wonder I had a killer of a headache. How long I had been there? Who kidnapped me?
I told you I would find you, cochina.
My heart sped up. Oh shit, oh God. Jose.
Panic settled in my stomach, and my breathing quickened. I struggled against my restraints but stopped when I heard sounds outside the room. Male voices carried, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
I heard footsteps approach the door. The doorknob turned, and I slammed my head back down on the bed, feigning sleep.
“She’s probably awake by now.”
“What if she’s not?”
“Jose said to leave her be and that he would check on her when he gets back.”
“Yeah, but I want to see what he finds so fascinating about her.”
“No. Stay the fuck out of there. Jose will be pissed…”
“Well, he’s not here now, is he?”
“You shouldn’t go in there.”
Oh, please don’t come in here.
The door squeaked as it opened. “I just want to play with her for a bit. What’s wrong with that?”
“Jose will chop off your balls and shove them down your throat if you do anything to her.”
“It’s not like he’s going to be gentle with her anyway.”
“Yeah, but she’s his to do with what he wants.”
“Come on, man, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“Dude, seriously. Let’s go before he shows up.”
“What the fuck does he want with her then?”
“How the hell am I supposed to know? I didn’t ask. Now let’s go before he finds us in here.”
“Too late, fuckers.”
I never thought I’d say this, but I breathed a sigh of relief at hearing the sound of Jose’s voice.
“Now get the fuck out of here.”
I heard some scuffling and mumbling.
“Leave, before I fucking change my mind.”
“I don’t know why he gets to have all the fun,” one of the guys mumbled.
“Because I’m the fucking boss, that’s why.” I jumped at Jose’s raised voice. “I pay you for your muscle, that’s all. Now fucking leave!”
The door slammed shut, and for a moment I thought I was alone. A flicker of hope soared in my chest.
“Fuck,” Jose whispered.
Yeah, so much for that idea. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter as I heard him approach the bed. The mattress dropped with added weight as he sat beside me, and a hand brushed my hair away from my nape.
Hot breath scorched my neck, making my skin crawl. His hand roamed down my arm and back up. My stomach churned as hot, wet kisses were placed on my bare skin.
I was still wearing my tank top and pants from earlier, but I felt more exposed now, as if I was completely naked. The kisses stopped, but his hand continued to caress me, sliding down my side. His hand ran under my shirt and smoothed over my lower back.
He moved his hand from my back and ran it down over my ass. I jumped and cried out as he slapped it, sending a sharp pain throughout my body. “I knew you were awake.”
I opened my eyes and tears welled in them. “Please,” I whispered.
“Please what?” he taunted.
I swallowed. “Let me go.”
“Not gonna happen.” His hand grazed between my legs, and I whimpered.
Tears leaked from my eyes, and my heart pounded in my chest. “Why are you doing this?”
“I already told you.”
I took deep breaths as his hand continued to caress my body.
“I want you,” he whispered in my ear.
“Why?”
“Hmm…maybe because Sebastian wanted you or because you’re fucking hot and feisty. I haven’t really decided yet. Do I really need a reason to want you though? So fucking stop asking me questions.”
Turning my head to him, I frowned in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t have to understand. There’s nothing to understand.”
I tried to ignore the hand moving from my ass to my inner thigh. His touch was rough and painful, and I bit through the pain.
“You’re not like most women I’ve been with. You actually fight back, and it turns me on.” He said it so casually, as if it all made perfect sense now.
Oh God. Maybe if I kept him talking, it would delay what I’m pretty sure he came in here for. “What, are you jealous of Sebastian or something?”
“No!” I felt a sharp pinch on my thigh, bringing tears to my eyes.
I cried out in pain and pulled on my restraints, the tape digging into my wrists and ankles. The pain receded, and I took deep breaths.
“I’m the one that told him about you. I’m the one that showed you to him. And then he goes and fucks it all up by fucking you.”
I didn’t respond. I had no idea what he was talking about. Sebastian was right, he’d lost his mind.
He stood up and paced the small room. “If he would have just stayed away, I could have had you to myself.”
Not on your fucking life, buddy. I watched him walk across the room.
“But no, he swoops in and fucks you before I even had a chance.” His chest was heaving as he ran a hand over his shaggy hair.
“Did you really shoot him again?” Tears welled in my eyes, but I swallowed them back, not wanting to give Jose the satisfaction of causing me more pain.
My heart ached more at the thought that I would never see Sebastian again, but as long as he wasn’t hurt, I could deal with it.
He turned on me. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Please, just let me know if he’s okay and I’ll…” I gulped. “I’ll do anything you ask.”
His eyes roamed down my body. Walking up to me, he grabbed my ponytail and pulled, tilting my head.
My neck strained against the rough angle, and my breaths came out in short gasps. Jose covered my mouth with his, forcing his tongue between my lips. The stubble on his jaw scratched and scraped at my skin as he invaded my mouth.
He groaned before releasing me. Looking down at me, he licked his lips. “You want to know if he’s okay or not? All right, I’ll tell you.”
My heart thudded against my chest as he leaned his head down and licked a path up my ear. “I fucking killed him. Sebastian is dead.”
Chapter 24
My eyes widened, fury flowing through my body. “You’re fucking lying!” I screamed.
Dead? Really? He can’t be dead. Oh God. No, please.
“Am I?”
“You can’t be serious. How could you?” The tears poured down my cheeks, and I couldn’t control them. The emptiness I felt in my chest was almost unbearable. The thought of never seeing him again or touching him, hearing his deep melodic voice wash over me or feeling his gentle caresses because he was dead tore at my soul.
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