by Leah Holt
Squeezing me into his ribs, he tickled the tips of his fingers up and down my arm. “I'm just happy we found you. I can't imagine my life without you, and I never want to.”
Kissing his neck, I lifted my hand to his cheek. “Well I'm here, so you never have to worry about that. I'm not going anywhere.” Shifting on the bed, Birch lowered his body, gripping my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I love you, I've loved you for a long time.” His eyes burned into mine, forcing my heart into my throat.
“I love you too.”
“I know you do.” His thumb swept back and forth, softly stroking my lower lip. “And I hope that never changes.” Pushing his mouth against mine, he kissed me like I was the air he needed to survive.
Birch was my first love, he was the only man I had ever loved. And I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Our lives were woven together like a thick quilt. He was my past, my present and my future.
Pushing my back up, he climbed behind me on the bed, straddling my hips. His breath scaled down the back of my neck as his teeth grazed my skin. The air was hot, saturated with need. It didn't matter what he did or how gentle or rough he touched me, I melted in his hands. He knew me better than anyone else. He knew what I liked, he knew how to draw out moans and elongate the pleasure my body experienced.
Raking his fingers down my spine, I let my eyes close tight as he massaged my shoulder blades, digging his thumbs into the tense muscles.
There was nothing innocent about this man. His hands were lethal to others, but magic in my eyes. His toes dangled in the darkness, and he never downplayed the dangers that surrounded him.
To most he was Birch Rottera, son of Nicholi Rottera. His name brought fear, it brought hurt and pain if justified in the moment.
But to me, he was just Birch. He was the boy who taught me how to throw a football, the man who helped me learn to drive. We had breakfast together every morning and went to sleep side by side every night.
He was normal in every way through my eyes. When it was just the two of us; that was the real man, that was the man I had fallen in love with.
Everything else was forgotten the second he kissed me and held me tight. The moment his hands worked my flesh and I looked into his eyes, I only saw the boy I knew and loved, the young man I had grown up beside.
I was a mere girl when we first met, abandoned and alone. He was the curious entertainer and I was the serious visionary. He'd come up with some crazy idea, and I'd be the voice of reason.
And I've known that I loved him since the moment we first met.
I think it took him a bit longer to see what I could see. We had been together for two years before he finally told me he loved me. Either he wasn't sure about the way he felt or he was too shy to say it out loud. But I waited. I waited every day for him to finally tell me what I already knew.
The first time he told me he loved me, he gave me a look, and when he said it, I knew he meant it. I could still remember it as if it happened yesterday.
Birch tilted his head, allowing his charcoal colored hair to sweep across his forehead. The bright blue in his eyes contrasted the blackness of his hair and toned skin, making them pop like fireworks as he smiled. His shoulder brushed mine as we washed the dinner dishes together.
There was nothing significant about that moment, there were no flowers or candy, no cards or handwritten confessions of love.
It was just his eyes and the words. His tone simple and sincere, his voice strong and confident. He spoke those three words under his breath as I scrubbed lasagna bits off the dinnerware.
The silver cutlery splashed into the water, kicking up bubbles into the air. Birch laughed, elbowing me in the ribs as I openly stared at him like there was a ghost hanging over his head.
That was the best day of my life, the moment I knew we would always be together.
“Do you promise to always love me, Birch?”
A tight kiss hit the base of my neck, forcing my skin to ripple with goosebumps. Resting his chin in the dip of my collarbone, he quietly spoke into my ear. “You know I always will.” Running a hand through my hair, he curled his fingers in deep, clutching at the roots. “I can't help but to love you, Babe.”
Love wasn't a word I could remember even using before him. I didn't remember my parents, I couldn't remember if I had siblings or family or friends. My first real memory was of him.
I woke up lost and confused. I had felt like my world before his family was nonexistent. It couldn't have been anything great if my brain had refused to hold on to one fucking image.
Dragging flat palms down my arms, he scooped them around my chest, dancing the pads of his fingers over my nipples. Stealing them away, he slipped them down the curve of my sides, sliding lower and lower.
My sex grew hot and wet, eagerly waiting for his touch. But he stopped just before my mound, cautiously flirting with the seam between my legs.
Fucking tease.
I didn't want him to stop, I wanted him to keep going, I wanted him to slip his finger through my folds, flick my clit, and give my body exactly what it was begging for.
Tugging hard on my hair, he yanked my head back. “I'm yours and you're mine, Cyprus. Always. Never forget that.” His hard fingers clutched my skull, twisting my face so he could look into my eyes. Biting my lower lip, he plucked it gently between his teeth. “We were meant to be.”
Smiling, my teeth glinted behind crimson red lips. “I know, I feel it too.”
Growling under his breath, he tucked his hands under my arms and turned me around to sit me on his lap. I wasn't ashamed to say I liked it rough, I liked bringing it to the line and seeing how far I could take it.
And Birch. . .
He loved to give it.
I would never say no, I would never deny him of one craving, one thrust, one bite or pull or slap. He could take me however he wanted and I'd scream for more.
A tight white shirt hugged my chest, framing my naked tits behind almost sheer fabric. Birch stared down at my nipples, eyes zeroing in on the dark targets, beading up hard. Licking his lips, he pressed his palms against my back and pulled me closer.
His nose traced the pebbled flesh as a throaty moan escaped through his breath. “Babe, I'll make sure you always have everything you need.” Shifting his hips, I felt his cock against the heat between my thighs. “And you need this, don't you?”
“I don't know, I might need breakfast first.” Winking, I rolled my waist, gyrating and rocking against his thick member. My tits perked higher as I arched my back, anxiously waiting for attention.
“Fuck breakfast, I've got your breakfast right here.” Licking his lips, he coiled a hand into my hair and snapped my head back. Goosebumps jumped off my skin as he kissed my throat with rough pecks.
“Mm,” I moaned, sucking my bottom lip in. Rubbing my mound up and down the length of his shaft, I felt it jerk and throb beneath the thin fabric of his briefs.
“Fuck, I love that. I love seeing what I do to you.”
He enjoyed teasing me. Watching me squirm, seeing my expression as the desire seeped into my belly and took over, leaving me lost in delirious arousal. That fed his adrenaline, it gave him a rush to know he had this power over me.
Birch wouldn't make me wait too long, he wasn't that cruel. It was just enough to drench my panties and make my body shudder as he entered my pussy and pushed in deep.
“Just take me, stop fucking around and take me.” Pressing my pussy down harder, I ground against the firm muscle. “I need you in me, I need to feel you deep inside.”
Gliding his fingers up my inner thigh, he gently massaged small circles against my needy button. The center of my panties were soaked in silky wetness, the sweet juice seeping through the thin material, and coating his fingers in liquid passion.
“Fuck me, Birch, I need you to fuck me.” My thighs quivered, choking around his waist. “Don't make me wait any longer.”
Pulling my head back harder, he tore his fingertips
from my pussy, slinking a hand up my belly and under my shirt. Pinching one nipple, he rolled it firmly against the two pads.
“Did you think you were in charge when I put you on my lap?” Plucking my nipple with a hard pop, he moved to the other one, repeating the same motion. “Because you're wrong.”
Cooing, my eyes closed tight as my back bowed. I didn't have any words left to speak, not a single fucking one.
And that's exactly what he wanted to see.
Releasing my hair, Birch skimmed one hand down my spine, curling it around my ass. Bucking my hips, I forced the tender spot to rub hard and fast against his cock. I needed him to finish this. I had to come before the anticipation killed me.
“Fuck, Birch, I can't take it.” Digging my fingers into the tops of his shoulders, I squared my back, leaning into his chest. “Please fuck me. If you don't fuck me soon, I'm going to come all over your lap.”
An animalistic growl flowed out from the back of his throat. Crushing his lips against mine, he kissed me. He kissed me with all the emotions he bottled up inside. He kissed with all the hopes and dreams that we had an entire lifetime ahead of us to share.
My lips parted easily to let him in as our tongues collided and twined together. Everything around me faded away, I only saw him, I only needed him; nothing else mattered.
I wasn't alive before meeting Birch. And I'd die without him.
His cock was rock hard, eagerly trying to break free of its restraint. Working my fingers over the elastic band, I tugged his dick free. Gripping the throbbing muscle firmly in my palm, I stroked him from base to tip.
I knew just how he liked it. He liked it when I squeezed the crown and swirled my thumb over the tip. He would moan when my fingers stroked his shaft, massaging the beating veins under the surface.
Licking my lips, my lids hovered half open as I danced a single finger over the ridge, spreading the slick drop of come that rested on the edge. “I love you.” I whispered, biting my bottom lip and flashing a tight smirk. “Now fuck me.”
Raising my hips, I shuffled my panties down my thighs, and kicked them off. Pressing up on my knees, I held his dick and guided it inside. His crown disappeared into my warmth as I lowered slowly, butterflying my thighs wide open. A shiver spread up through my chest as my clit rubbed his lower belly.
This man had me, he had me in every way possible. There was nothing I wouldn't do for him. And I wasn't ever going to let anything come between us.
His blood ran black, his heart never beat, his veins thick as tar. But not with me, not with his Princess.
Slamming my ass down over and over, I drove him deeper. My soaked pussy milked his length as greedy walls clutched him tight to keep him inside.
This, this is where I belong.
BANG!
The bedroom door sprung open, wood splintering and shattering around us like falling snowflakes. Screaming, I threw my body to the side, ducking behind his back.
“Get on the ground!” A swarm of blue uniforms and black guns charged into the room, corralling around us in one quick swoop. “I said get on the motherfucking ground!”
A heavy hand gripped the base of Birch's neck, tossing him to the floor in a split second. Three over-sized men mounted him, smothering his face into the carpet.
I didn't say a word, not one fucking word. All I could do was stare into the eyes of my protector. His skin had turned ash gray, lids open wide as saucers as his pupils dilated in sheer shock.
“Birch! Birch!” Reaching my hand out, my fingers met air as I was jerked to my feet and dragged out of the room. “No! What are you doing!? Stop!”
Fuck! They know!
They found out what he did. . . What we did.
I tried to fight them, I did. My arms flew out wild and untamed. My lungs screeched like an owl as I tried like hell to get back to Birch.
But I couldn't move forward.
An officer stood in front of me, blocking me from darting back into the room. He kept lifting his arms, shoving me backwards, making me teeter on my heels
Birch kept his gaze frozen on mine. It looked like he was hoping I could read the words inside his head. His eyes softened, brows crinkling up against his hairline.
He's apologizing. He's sorry that I'm seeing this.
“What are you doing to him?! Let him go!”
“You have the right to remain silent, you have the right. . .” The words faded into a jumbled mess of tones as I shut down and crawled inside my own head.
This isn't happening. It can't be happening.
No! No! No!
Raking hard fingers through my hair, I felt the firm grip of hands around my wrist. “Let's go, you're coming too. You have the right to remain. . .”
I knew my rights, I didn't need some fucking asshole cop telling me them.
Clenching my jaw, I bit my tongue, trying to remove all the feelings that were burrowing into my chest, attempting to hijack my heart.
I knew who Birch was, he never pretended to be someone he wasn't. But I tried so hard to keep those two worlds apart. I refused to think that they could ever bleed together and destroy us.
I was wrong.
And as my eyes glossed over and the tears began to fall, I knew. . .
I had lost him forever.
Chapter Six
Cyprus
“You're really going to sit there and act like you don't know anything?”
“I don't. I don't know why they disappeared. I don't even know who you're talking about.”
“I'm here to help you.” The officer leaned back in his chair, flipping a pen around between his fingers. “Tell me your name.”
“I told you already, my name is Cyprus Rottera.” Rubbing my temples, I closed my eyes. “Why are you doing this? I told you I don't even know the people you're talking about, there's nothing else I can say.”
“Miss, I know you think you're protecting them, but you're only hurting yourself. I need to know who you really are.”
“I don't know what else you expect me to say, I'm Cyprus—”
Cutting me off, he dropped the pen onto his notebook and rolled his chair closer. “Rottera, yeah you said that. But I know that's not true. You don't exist, there's no record of you anywhere that I could find. I'm going to be honest with you, I've had enough with this bull-shit. Just tell me, who are you really?”
Veering my stare, I felt my hands begin to shake. “My name is Cyprus, that's the truth. If you can't find me in your system, maybe that's because I don't have a record. I've never been arrested before this.”
Smiling, the detective hung his head, tipping it up a hair to look me in the eyes. “You're right, we don't have you in our system. But the funny thing is, I can't find any record of you having ever been born.” Clapping his hands together, he pushed his palms into his knees and sat up straight. “So is the joke on us? Are you a ghost?”
Fuck you.
You people couldn't help me when I needed you, why would I trust you now?
Shrugging my shoulder, I folded my arms over my chest. “Seems that way I guess.”
“Why are you protecting him—them? I mean. . .” Pausing, he ran his hands down his face and shook his head. “They're bad people, they do bad things. I know you know that, so why would you risk yourself trying to protect them?”
He thought he could talk me into a corner. . . Screw him, he was wrong. I knew better than that. I knew exactly what he was trying to do.
“Is that what you think? You think they're bad people?”
Detective Jones crooked his jaw, as if I was speaking a different language. “Tell me why they're good?” Holding out his arms, he relaxed in his chair, loosening his muscles. “I've got all day, tell me what they've done for you. Maybe you can change my mind.”
You don't deserve to know! Where were you when I needed you?
Where were you when I was lost and alone?!
The cops had done shit to find out the truth, they left me to deal with it on my own. The
y abandoned Nick and wiped their hands clean of the long lost little girl. Now he suddenly gave a shit about me?
No, that's not how this worked.
The officer could say whatever the hell he wanted to. Yes, they had hurt people. Yes, they had done things that didn't follow the straight line of the law. But did the officer really give two shits about the dirty ass men they snuffed out?
Was he even aware of what the men they killed had wanted to do to me or what they had done to others?
There were far worse people out in the world than the Rotteras. I knew that first hand. . . Because I had looked them in the eyes.
“I don't have to tell you anything. I don't need to prove to you what I already know.”
“Are you willing to go down for them? I don't know who you are, but I know them, I know what they're capable of. Do you think they're willing to do the same for you?”
Of course they are. What kind of stupid question is that?
Grinding my jaw, my eyes turned to slits. “What do you expect me to say, huh?” Tapping my nails on the table, I flipped my hand up in the air. “Do you really think you can bring me in here and expect me to just throw them under the bus? Because I won't. They're family, they didn't do anything wrong.”
“Family, huh?” The cop eyed me, drifting his gaze around my face. “You look nervous. Why do you look so nervous?”
“I'm nervous because I've never been arrested before.” Fiddling with my fingers, I stared right at him, doing my best to remove the emotions that were running rampant. “So yeah, this is making me a little uncomfortable. It doesn't help that you assholes didn't let me get dressed and gave me this shitty jumpsuit to wear instead.” Plucking my shoulder, I let the fabric drop back onto my skin as I arched a distasteful brow. “And maybe it would help if you told me why you're so interested in that family you brought up. They're all adults, don't adults have the right to be missing if they want to?”
I had been afraid that they found out what happened with Antoine and his family. But the detective didn't say anything about this being a murder investigation, and I figured he definitely would have if that was the case. He kept referring to it as a disappearance. He hadn't spoken of finding water logged bodies or gun casings in the sand.