by Measha Stone
“Now, tell me.”
She threw her hands in the air and climbed up onto the bed, careful not to jostle him as she took a seat beside him with her legs crisscrossed.
“Two men were in the coffeehouse the night before talking about you. About how Marcus was going to take you down somehow. The next day, Jason showed up saying they were back and asking about you—about me.”
“The night before?”
“I didn’t text you because, well.” Her face flushed. “I was still upset. I figured you would take care of it, you’d know anyway, so I let it go.”
He didn’t respond but continued to stare at her, waiting for all of it.
“I’m sorry, Ash. I should have text you, warned you.”
He put his hand on her knee. “You should have stayed all the way out of it. Marcus could have killed you. He could have turned his gun on you instead of me.” Just thinking about it made his anger boil all over again.
“No, I should have come sooner.”
“Ellie, what happened was not your fault.” He toyed with the ends of her hair, tugging to get her eyes to meet his. “He used you to get his guns in here. My men checked him before he got inside. He needed Jason to get in here and with you leading the charge, it was easy. How could you have known about Jason? This wasn’t your fault.”
“Still—”
“No, not still. You were trying to protect me, to warn me. You had no idea about Jason. That’s not your fault. Barging into the room after Peter told you it was unsafe—that, however, I haven’t forgotten, yet.”
“Seriously? You’re mad about that?” She pulled back from him, taking her hair from his grip.
“Not mad.” He scratched his beard. “I want you safe, Ellie. And being here wasn’t safe.”
“I was trying to protect you!” She poked her finger into his thigh.
“And I had it all under control.”
“Yeah, if Jason hadn’t gotten the gun in, they would have found another way. He was coming to kill you, Ash. Kill. Not steal, not bother with health code, kill.” She pointed out.
He laughed. “You have such little faith in my men?”
She pointed at him. “And the detail you had outside my apartment?”
His mood soured again. “The two guys who were in charge of you that night were found a few miles away from your apartment.” Alive, but barely. “They’ll be fine.” And then they could answer why the hell they were lured away from their posts so easily in order to get the shit kicked out of them.
“And Marcus?” she asked in a hushed tone. She scooted closer to him again. He wanted her to lay her head on his chest, so he could hold her. She’d been hovering over him for two days, and he hadn’t been able to comfort her properly. She’d gone through hell, and he couldn’t protect her or soothe her from it.
“Peter took care of it.”
Her cheeks blanched, and she nodded. “Peter—I mean, Marcus is—”
“Peter has it handled.” Ash wouldn’t tell her anything more than that. She’d already had too much of her innocence ripped away. He wouldn’t be part of shredding another piece in front of her.
“What about Jason?”
The pain written on her face, saying that asshole’s name, gave him the energy to bound out of bed and kick his face in. She’d been betrayed by everyone close to her.
“Jason won’t be an issue again, and before you ask, Kristoff Komisky has been dealt with as well—and not by us. The other families will deal with him. He went behind their backs, trying to steal what’s mine to keep for himself. They had an agreement among them, and he broke it.”
“So, what happens now?”
He reached up and brushed her hair over her shoulder. “Now you fucking kiss me, and tell me again you love me.”
“Ash.” She shoved his leg. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.” He yanked on her shirt until she fell forward onto him. He grunted but wouldn’t let her move.
Wrapping his hand around the back of her neck, he pulled her to his lips. Fuck, she felt like heaven.
“I love you, too, Ellie,” he whispered against her mouth and deepened the kiss. “And as soon as I get the chance, I’m going to show you how fucking much.”
She pulled back when he ended the kiss, her face hovering over his.
“But what about us, what happens?”
“We make a new start. You move in here, permanently. Keep the café if you want it, or sell it, I don’t care. And you’ll work on your art, or you won’t. Go to school or don’t. Whatever you want is what we do next.”
“And the Annex?”
“What about it?” He braced himself for the ultimatum.
“You’ll let me help with it?”
He drew his eyebrows together. She hadn’t brought up the subject of the Annex after he explained the details of the wing. Probably because she didn’t want him to know she knew what was going one with Marcus. His woman could be sneaky; he’d have to keep an eye on her.
“Help how?”
“Work with the girls, business stuff, or whatever? I want to be a part of it if it’s part of you,”
He kissed her again.
He lowered his voice. “We’ll figure something out. But you aren’t on the menu, Ellie.”
She rolled her eyes. Like she’d ever even consider it, but he wouldn’t give her the impression she belonged to anyone other than him.
“And what about my father?”
He tensed and released her.
“I want to talk to him.”
He nodded. “Of course.” He hadn’t decided what to do with him other than to let him go. Nothing mattered as much as Ellie’s happiness, and keeping her father locked away didn’t seem the way to do that.
Just the topic brought a shadow to her features.
“No more talk about all that for now.” He scooted down the bed again until he lay flat. “I’m pretty sure we’re in my room.”
“Yeah?”
“So, what are you supposed to be wearing in here?” he asked, flipping the hem of her skirt.
She blushed. “Ash, you’re wounded.”
“A scratch. Now take off those fucking panties, and your skirt. You can keep your shirt on.” He pushed at her until she got moving and then he moved to the center of the bed, fixing the pillows beneath his head.
“What are you doing? We can’t. I mean, you can’t. Seriously, you can’t,” she argued but since she was working the button on her skirt, he didn’t count it against her.
“I may not be able to fuck you senseless, but there’s not a damn thing wrong with my tongue.” He caught her hand when she placed it on the mattress. “Get over here and ride my face, Ellie. I want your pussy, and you won’t deny me.”
Her throat worked, her nostrils flaring with her increased breathing, and her lips parted. With her skirt discarded and her panties tossed aside she knelt on the bed beside him, giving him a bird’s-eye view of her sex.
Taking a deep breath, he grinned up at her. “I can smell how wet you are.”
She leaned on her heels, bringing her knees together.
He tsked his displeasure. “No, open those legs.” He tapped her knee.
Sliding them apart again, he rolled to his good side, ignoring the fire burning in his left. He lightly touched her pussy lips with his fingers.
“So fucking wet.” He showed her the moisture he’d collected before shoving his fingers into his mouth and moaning over the utopian flavor.
Repositioning himself on the bed, he gave her a stern look. “I wasn’t asking, Ellie,” he reminded.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered but inched closer.
“I’ll worry about that. You only worry about getting your pretty pussy licked and sucked until you’re screaming my name.”
He could sense her apprehension, but she started to move anyway.
“That’s my good girl,” He moved his arms to give her the space she needed. And licked his lips as she lifte
d one leg over his body and positioned herself over him.
He inhaled deeply, his cock hardening from the scent of his girl’s cunt.
“Hold on to the headboard and don’t let go,” he ordered, cupping her naked buttocks in his hands. Spreading his fingers across her smooth skin, he lifted his head enough to flick her clit with the pointed tip of his tongue.
She moaned and jerked back, but he held steady and brought her pussy closer to him. He took her clit between his teeth, relishing the groan she gave him for his trouble.
Licking her slowly, he flicked her clit and began again. After several passes, she began to gyrate above him, rubbing her nub into his mouth.
He covered her with his mouth and sucked until she sucked a breath through her teeth, making a hissing sound.
“Ash,” she begged when he continued to suck, but not give her clit the attention she wanted.
He opened his eyes, looking up the length of her, and found her darkened green eyes peering down at him, pleading with him. He released her and began to lick again. She closed her eyes and moaned.
“Oh, fuck, Ash, fuck,” she panted.
“Don’t let go of the headboard,” he ordered and pried her ass cheeks apart. Her legs stiffened, and her ass clenched, but he wouldn’t be denied.
He was the patient, after all, and didn’t he deserve to have exactly what he wanted?
“No, don’t clench. I’m having my way here. Just enjoy it.” He dipped his forefinger into her cunt, thrusting into her while he paid special attention to her clit, and once she was lost in the pleasure again, he removed his finger and began to press it against her asshole.
“Ash.” She clenched tight, but one slap to her hip and she relaxed.
His tongue lavished attention to her pussy while his finger pushed into her ass, past the tight ring until he was up to his knuckle.
“Oh fuck.” She panted, and he smiled against her pussy.
“Come, Ellie. Come for me,” he urged and began to thrust in and out of her ass while licking, sucking, and savoring every inch of her pussy.
“Ash,” she cried out and her hips moved, toward his hand, toward his tongue. She couldn’t seem to decide where she wanted the pressure.
Her thighs tensed and shook beside him. He bit her clit and pushed fully inside her.
She screamed his name. Her orgasm ripped through her body. He could feel the shivers. Her ass clenched again, and she rubbed her pussy over his tongue like she was riding for the gold medal.
As she slowed her movements, he removed his finger and gently stroked her ass. Her breathing slowed, and finally she moved away from him. Not sitting on his chest, but not getting off him either.
“Fuck, Ash.” She flung her leg over him and flopped on the bed next to him, resting her head on his chest. He wiped his hand across his mouth, still enjoying the smell and taste of her on him.
At a knock on the door, she hurtled off the bed before he could stop her. She pulled on her skirt and tucked her panties into her palm just as the door flew open and Peter walked in.
His obvious concern for his cousin wrinkled his brow when he eyed the bed then her standing beside it. Relief softened his features.
“Seriously. You couldn’t wait?” He shot the accusation at Ash.
“You wouldn’t either,” Ash winked and shoved himself to sit against the headboard.
“I have to…check on something.” Ellie didn’t make eye contact with Peter as she rushed past him, and flung the door closed behind her.
“You didn’t need to make her run off.”
“You shouldn’t be fucking around like that. Your stitches.”
“Fuck off, my stitches. If you had a girl like Ellie, you wouldn’t give a shit about some thread stuck in your skin, either. Now what do you want?”
“Bertucci called. It’s done.”
“What about everything else?”
“What else? The girls are all accounted for and safe. The guests from the party have already inquired about when the next will be held, so he didn’t get to fuck that up for you. The only thing left to deal with is the old man rotting in the basement.”
Ash nodded. “Ellie wants to talk to him. After that, we’ll decide.”
Peter grabbed the door handle and started to back out of the room. “You’re a lucky son of a bitch. You know that, right?”
“I’m well aware, yes.”
“Good. ’Cause if you hurt her, I think you’ll have a mutiny on your hands. The men heard how she came running in there to try to warn you, to save you. If they didn’t already like her before, they would lay their lives down to save hers now.”
Ash waved him off. “I know the feeling. Now, get the fuck out of here. I feel like someone set my skin on fire.”
Peter laughed. “Serves you right.” He was gone before the pillow Ash threw at him hit the door.
CREATED BY JUTOH - PLEASE REGISTER TO REMOVE THIS LINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Sir! Really!” a high-pitched voice echoed in the hallway just before the sharp snap of leather against flesh.
Ellie tensed and pressed herself against the wall. The door across from her stood slightly ajar, but enough she could see the red bottom being strapped. Not envious of the punishment taking place, she stepped closer to the door, trying to find the disciplinarian.
Ash had told her he never touched the girls in the Annex, but he might not see this activity as touching.
“I don’t want to see you in here again, Lorie. You know better, and if we have to discuss the safety protocol again, you’ll find the cane more uncomfortable than my belt. Am I clear?” Peter’s voice carried.
“Yes, sir.” A sniffling woman moved out of position and dropped her skirt down over the crimson glow of her ass.
Ellie leaned forward, trying to hear Peter’s next words only to have the door swept open, exposing her crime.
“Shit.” She stumbled forward, catching herself on the doorjamb before embarrassing herself further.
Peter grinned. “You really never learn, do you? You just keep putting your nose in places it doesn’t belong.”
She gave him a warry glance before taking notice of the short blonde smoothing out her clothing.
“Sorry. I thought—I mean, I was looking for Ash.”
Lorismiled. “It’s okay.” She turned to Peter. “May I go now?”
Peter nodded. “You have a shift at Sampson’s tonight, but since those marks won’t be faded by then, you’re on cocktail duty.”
She looked ready to argue but seemed to think better of it and nodded. “Fine.”
Ellie moved aside to let her exit the room and make her way down the hall to the apartments. She ignored Peter’s grin as he slipped his belt through the loops of his trousers.
“You enjoy spanking them,” she stated flatly.
“I enjoy being a disciplinarian, yes. I even enjoy watching a woman’s ass bounce while my belt dances over it. But I do not enjoy being disobeyed or having to waste a good time by dishing out punishment.”
Not exactly sure what to say to that, she changed the subject. “Do you punish all the girls?”
Peter buckled his belt and leaned against the doorframe with his arms over his chest. “No. Just the ones who break the rules. The women here aren’t like other women. They enjoy being submissive. They like the structure and boundaries. They agree to the punishments before they sign up to live in the Annex.”
“And if they don’t agree?”
Peter shrugged. “It’s never happened, but I suppose they’d have some other form of consequence.”
Somehow, that made it better.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I really am looking for Ash.”
“Well, I think he found you.” Peter pointed behind her, with a Cheshire grin that always grated on her.
“Ellie, I told you I’d come get you,” Ash stated, walking up to them. He moved with less grimace, but he had to still be sore.
&
nbsp; She tried not to remember the gunshot, seeing him bleeding, feeling him slip away from her, but sometimes she couldn’t help it. She’d been a breath away from losing him.
“I didn’t want you to have to come all the way to the main house when I am perfectly capable of meeting you here.” She tried to smile, but his irritation didn’t lesson.
“When I tell you to wait for me, wait for me. Nothing’s changed on that end.” He stepped closer, lowering himself until he pressed her against the wall. “Just because I love you doesn’t mean I won’t bare your ass and show you my displeasure.”
She swallowed and licked her lips. “Well, can it wait until after you let me see my father?”
He growled and pushed away from the wall. “You think you aren’t intimidated by me anymore, but it’s because I’ve become soft. That ends.”
She wanted to laugh, no longer terrified at what he would do to her and anticipating the next time he did put his hand to her ass. She couldn’t find a morsel of fear toward him.
“Do you want me to bring him up?” Peter interrupted.
“No.” Ash waved him off. “We’ll go down there.” He slid his fingers through Ellie’s. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.” She nodded. It was more of a have-to situation than a want to, but it didn’t matter.
Ash led her toward the stairs to the lower level. He didn’t talk about what was down there, but she had a good sense of what she’d be walking into.
“What were you and Peter talking about?” he asked, probably to distract her from the nerves in her stomach.
“I saw him belting Lorie.”
“You were eavesdropping again.” He squeezed her hand. “I would have thought you’d learned your lesson on that.”
“Would you ever let Peter punish me? I mean, like the other girls.”
As they came to the door, he spun her around and captured her face in his hands. “How many times do I have to tell you this. The other women here are employees. You aren’t an employee. You are mine.”