“Nolan,” she whispers. I trail my eyes up from her bloody palm wrapped in tape, gently caressing my scars through my hoodie, up her slender, sun-kissed arm until I look into her soft brown eyes. “Come back to me, please. I need you here.” Her body is trembling with fear. The evil lurking below wants to surface and taunt her fear, but my head realizes she isn’t afraid of me, she’s afraid it’s too late to reach me.
I open and close my mouth several times, trying to find the words I need to say. Nothing seems sufficient enough for what she’s done for me, to me. So, I do the only thing I can at the moment. I close the distance between us and rest my forehead against hers. She’s my lifeline, the air I breathe. Without her, I would be lost in a sea of darkness. I need to feel her soft curves in my hands, touch her heart, taste her. Ashley wraps a slender arm around my neck, her other hand still resting against my beating heart and her lips finally meet mine. A surge of protectiveness wraps around my mind as her soft kiss penetrates through my body. My lips trembling against hers, I inhale her strawberry scent, but it’s tainted with blood. Realizing she must be freezing in the little shorts and sports bra she has on, I pull back and remove the sweatshirt I’m wearing, oblivious to what Switch as done to my body while I was unconscious. A loud gasp flows from her lips and I frown.
“Nolan, what did they do to you?” her sweet voice is full of concern as her eyes scan my bare chest. Fresh bruising and dried blood is still coating my skin.
“It’s OK, Ash,” I finally say. I haven’t spoken in what seems like days and my voice is raspy. I hand her my hoodie and she shakes her head at me. “You’re freezing, you need it.”
“Thank you, Nolan. Rush has my clothes. Can I have him come back and give me my stuff?”
I glance up and look around. We’re in a dark alley and the bustle of the city night is ahead of us. I don’t see Rush anywhere. I close my eyes and channel the inner strength she gives me. Having myself under control, I give her a slight nod. I sense someone move from the brick building to the right of me and my eyes snap open, narrowing in their direction. Ashton steps out of the shadows with his hands raised. I recognize the gesture and release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“Ashton,” I say. He stares at me, concern etched across his face. “Thank you for taking care of her.” He flinches at my words and Ashley stiffens under my hands. Something happened between them while I was gone.
“I’ll go get Rush and Ace,” he grumbles, ignoring my thanks and walks quickly toward the end of the alley. I look at Ashley and she shakes her head.
“It’s a long story, I’ll explain later. Is it OK if Ace comes too? He saved my ass down there tonight. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have survived.”
“Yes,” I answer.
The shuffling of feet down the alley coming toward us gets louder and I tighten my grip on Ashley. She rests her head against my chest and I stifle a groan. My body is aching all over, but I push the pain away and revel in the feel of her against my bruised and beaten skin. I didn’t think it would happen again, I didn’t think I’d get to hold her against me, ever again. I didn’t think I’d get to see her sweet smile, her beautiful face, have her body wrapped around mine. An urge to get her alone fills my mind and she giggles. It’s music to my ears.
“Nolan,” she whispers against my bare chest. “I’ve missed you and I love you.” She tightens her hold around my waist, neither one of us want to let go. My heart beats hard against my chest when she says those words. How could she love me after everything she’s been through? Everything I’ve put her through? But, she does and it’s clear in her voice and her touch.
“Nolan, bro. Are you OK?” Rush asks when he’s close enough.
“I will be,” I answer, not letting Ashley go just yet. A shiver wracks her body and I feel like a selfish bastard for not letting her get more clothes on. I take the hoodie Rush is offering with one hand and give it to Ashley. She reluctantly lets me go long enough to put it on, while I put mine back on, covering the bruises.
We stay wrapped around each other for several more moments before Ace speaks. “We need to get out of here. I have a place we can go for now. Nolan, I want to help. Will you finally let me help take these bastards down?” I nod my head. “Thank you,” he responds.
We follow Ace out into the bustle of the city. The bright lights and loud noises have my senses on high alert as Ace hails a taxi. I look at the man who saved my woman. His arm muscles ripple under his black hoodie and his full lips are thin as his eyes dart around, looking for a threat. I’m thankful he was there looking out for her. A taxi stops in front of us and we all pile in. Ace takes the front seat, while Ashton, Rush and I squeeze our big bodies into the back. Ashley sits on my lap, her arms wrapped around my neck, her head resting against my chest. I tune everything and everyone out, focusing on Ashley’s soft body resting against mine. I rub my hands up and down her back as the taxi takes off at breakneck speed, swerving in and out of traffic. The tension in the cab is unbearable and I feel like I’m going to lose my mind. Twenty minutes later, the driver pulls up to a brownstone and Ace pays him. We all get out and Ashley doesn’t let me go. She has her arms around my waist, her head resting against my chest while we wait to see where Ace is taking us.
He approaches us, and I see him in a different way. Before it was our gang against his, now it’s us against them. His brown eyes look tired and stressed, his stance is stiff and unsure. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, my senses on high alert. He’s hesitating for some reason.
“Ace,” I say getting his attention. “What’s going on? Why are we here? Where are we?” I rapid fire questions at him.
He hesitates before answering, “This is my home. My mom and kid are inside.”
My jaw drops, and my eyes grow wide. I had no idea he had a family and now I understand his hesitancy in letting us in. We’re not exactly innocent citizens.
“It’s OK, we won’t harm them in any way,” I promise him. “I understand if you don’t want to let us in. We can go back to the apartment.”
“No, it’s not that at all. My mom understands this life. Hell, she was raised in it. It’s just, my kid doesn’t. I haven’t let that part of me touch her and it never will if I have my way. She’s my angel in this dark world,” Ace says with a hint of anger in his voice.
“How old is she?” Ashley asks.
“Four,” Ace answers with a smile. “And she tests my patience every minute of every day.” There’s pride in his voice. “Come on, let’s go inside. Get you two cleaned up and then we’ll go over a game plan.” He turns on his heels and walks up the concrete steps to the beautiful brownstone in front of us. He inserts a key into several locks running down the solid oak door and pushes the door open. “She might be sleeping so try to stay quiet.”
We follow him inside and stay as quiet as possible. I haven’t let Ashley go the whole time. She’s tucked under my arm, her fingers splayed across my chest. Feeling safe for the first time in a couple of days, I relax against her grip and want nothing more than to bury my face in her bare breasts, lick and suck every inch of her body, bury myself so deep inside of her hot, wet heat that I don’t know where I start and she stops. My breathing picks up and Ashley gently slaps my chest.
“Not now,” she whispers against my chest.
“Hmm, kind of hard not to think about that right now with your body pressed against mine,” I whisper in her ear. She lets out a soft giggle and it’s music to my ears. I didn’t think I’d get to hear that giggle ever again.
Ace turns toward us and narrows his eyes. “Remember, my kid is sleeping in here. I’m going to put you two far, far away from her.”
We walk out of the foyer and into a living room. Ace turns on a light and the brightness hurts my eyes. There’s hardwood flooring throughout the house with a plush maroon carpet in the living room. A brown couch and matching chair with a big screen T.V. are against the wall. Heavy maroon curtains cover the windows, blocking
the street lights outside. A noise from behind me makes me jump and I turn around, holding Ashley behind me.
A skinny, older woman with dark skin, black hair streaked with grey, and light brown eyes comes out of the kitchen with a smile on her plump lips when she sees Ace. She’s wearing dark jeans and a blue sweater. “Oh, good you’re home. Angel is sleeping in her room. She tried to wait up for you, but I read her a story and put in a movie. She’s been asleep for an hour. Are you in for the night or do you need me to stick around?”
I shift from foot to foot, feeling like an idiot for my actions. The woman’s eyes land on me and a gasp leave her lips. “Ace, can I talk to you alone?” she asks, not breaking eye contact with me. Ace puts his arm around her slender shoulders and they walk out of the living room and into another room. I don’t like this at all.
“Nolan,” Ashton says bringing my attention to him. “We need to talk about what happened.”
“Not now,” I respond through gritted teeth.
“When? We need to do it soon.”
“When you tell me what happened between you and Ashley,” I respond. Ashley’s body turns stiff.
“We had a misunderstanding,” Ashton replies and Ashley snorts behind me.
“A misunderstanding? Is that what you’re calling it?” she says stepping out from behind me, exasperated. Her honey eyes meet mine. “He accused me of cheating on you with Rush, of all people and I let him have it. He obviously doesn’t trust me and needs to deal with his own issues before he comes at me.” There’s fire in her eyes and she’s pissed. Rush tenses next to her and nods his head in agreement.
“What?” My eyes land on Ashton and he sits on the couch running his hands through his hair. He sits back and nods his head. Fury fills my veins and my hands start to tremble with rage. My right-hand man accusing my woman of cheating. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I growl.
“I don’t know. I know she wouldn’t cheat on you.” He looks at me with trepidation in his eyes. “I just thought the worst when I saw the two of them together. They have a tight bond and I just don’t know.” He blows out a deep breath and runs his hands down his face. “My head is all fucked up right now.”
Ashley sits next to him; her eyes are full of pity. She rubs his shoulder gently, “Does this have anything to do with Natalia?”
His eyes fly in her direction and he slowly nods his head. “She won’t talk to me and I don’t know why. I’ve done everything right. Gave her space when she needed it, listened to her, been there for her after everything went down and she still shuts me out. What did I do wrong?” He’s torn up about this and it’s causing him to lose focus on what we have to do.
“Ashton, you didn’t do anything wrong. Give her time, she’s just as fucked as you are and doesn’t know how to handle it. Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. Right now, we need to get this shit taken care of and then we’ll figure that out.”
“Thanks, Ash. And again, I’m really sorry for the way I’ve been acting. It’s not like me to let this shit bother me.”
“It’s fine, but next time you want to come at me, make sure you’re ready.” She responds with a giggle.
“Yeah, no shit. You handed me my ass.” Ashton teases back. He looks at Rush, “Rush, I’m really sorry. You don’t know how much of an ass I feel like right now.”
“No worries. Just don’t let it happen again. Ash and I have been through so much in our lives, we have a tight bond. To some, it looks like more, but trust me, it’s not.” Rush smiles to himself. There’s a glint in his eyes and Ashley notices it.
“Rush? You didn’t.” Ashley groans exasperated.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” he answers with a smirk. Now I’m confused.
“She’s the doctor. What the hell are you thinking?” Ashley scolds.
“Hey, I’ve got to do something. Being around you two made me lose my head.” Rush winks and shrugs his shoulders.
“What the hell, Rush. If something goes wrong, we have to find a new doctor to stitch you up.” Ashley grumbles. I’m still at a loss for words, I have no idea what they are talking about.
“Nah, it’s all good,” Rush grins from ear to ear. Ashley lets out a groan and sinks into the couch covering her face with her bloody, taped hands.
“Ash,” I say, breaking up their conversation. Her honey colored eyes land on me and a flare of lust penetrate my body. “Come here.”
She stands up and walks over to me. I lift her hands and begin taking the tape off her knuckles, gently. Ace walks back into the room and there’s a fire in his eyes. He’s pissed about something. I watch as he paces the room back and forth, running his hands through his short black hair.
“Is everything OK?” Ashley asks.
He stops pacing back and forth and releases a deep breath. His eyes land on me, “Yeah, apparently my mother knows who you are and wants to help, too. I talked her out of it and told her I need her here to take care of Angel. This is the safest place for both of them.”
“How does she know who I am?” I ask, worried.
“She knew your mother. Remember she’s been in this world her whole life and she didn’t like what your mom did to you and wants to whoop her ass.”
“Holy shit. I just, I can’t right now.” The news Ace just dropped on me takes my breath away and I feel like I’m going to pass out. My breathing is rapid, and my heart is beating hard against my chest. I stop unwrapping Ashley’s hand and try to steady myself. No one is supposed to know what that woman did to me. No one is supposed to understand how wrong it was to leave a seventeen-year-old out in the cold, to fend for themselves and let them get involved with a gang to pay for her drugs. The abuse she put me through after Switch would beat me into submission.
Ashley’s gentle hand rests on my stubbled cheeks and she pulls my face to hers. “Come on, let’s go shower and get our head back together.” There’s a tear trailing down her cheek and I wipe it away with the pad of my thumb.
“This way guys.” Ace gestures to us and we follow him, arm in arm. None of us saying a word as we walk up a huge oak staircase and down a long hallway. There are three doors on each side, all of them are shut. He opens the last door on the right, flipping a light switch next to the door. “Take whatever time you need. There are clothes that should fit in the dresser. Don’t worry, Angel is downstairs in her room.”
Ashley walks in first and I follow behind. I’m still stunned by Ace’s confession. I shut the door behind me and lean against it. Ashley stops in the middle of the room and looks around. There’s a queen size bed covered with a black and white comforter underneath a window covered with chestnut brown curtains. An oak dresser with a large mirror sits to the right of the bed and two open doors on the opposite side. One leads to a walk-in closet and the other to a bathroom. The room is carpeted the same color as the curtains. A black leather chair sits in the corner with a thick blanket draped over the back.
I close my eyes and lean my head back, trying to push the memories of the last couple of days away. Gentle hands caress my shoulders and arms. Ashley still hasn’t seen the worst of what they did to me and I’m afraid to show her, knowing it will set her off and she’ll turn dark and kill them. She gently runs her hands down my chest to the hem of my hoodie and lifts it up over my head. A groan escapes my throat as her full lips gently kiss a trail up my torso, her teeth gently scraping along the way. She doesn’t say a word and doesn’t need too. Lust floods my body and I need to get inside of her now. No slow and gently this time. I need to feel her body against mine to shake away the rage brewing under the surface.
I reach my arms around her waist and lift her up. Ashley wraps her legs around my torso, her pussy pushing against my stomach, begging for relief. Walking into the bathroom with Ashley still wrapped tightly around me, I set her on the counter and remove her hoodie, revealing her sports bra stained with drops of blood. I remove her bra exposing her sun-kissed breasts, her nipples are hard pleading fo
r attention. Ashley grabs my hips and pulls me against her, my swollen cock is pressing hard against my zipper begging to be free and sink inside of her. My lips trail kisses from one full breast to another and a moan escapes her lips, her hips grinding against me as her nails dig into my hair.
“Fuck, Nolan, I don’t want to wait any longer. I need you inside of me now,” she sighs against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I caress her sun-kissed skin with my lips and tongue, working my way up to her full pink lips. Our bodies are pressed together tightly as my lips descend upon hers, capturing her moans and groans. My hands grip the sides of her face and our tongues battle back and forth, demanding and seeking a connection only we can get from each other. In one quick movement, Ashley unbuttons and unzips my jeans, reaching her hand inside my boxers, freeing my swollen cock. Gently finger squeeze and caress my shaft in quick movements, bringing me closer to the edge.
Breaking our kiss, I lean my forehead against hers, “Ash, you’ve got to stop before I make an ass of myself.”
“Then take me now, Nolan.”
With a growl, I pull Ashley off the countertop and yank her shorts down her slender legs and toss them aside. I remove the rest of my clothes and start the shower. Turning back toward Ashley, her eyes are hooded with desire and she’s nibbling on her bottom lip, turning me on even more. She’s leaning against the counter waiting for me to take her. Her hand catches my attention as she plays with the hem of her black panties, teasing me with what waits underneath. Her other hand is caressing her heaving chest, squeezing her breasts together. I saunter over to her, watching her pleasure herself. My cock is harder than it has ever been, pre-cum glistening on the head. I run a palm down her toned stomach and inside her panties. My finger caresses her swollen clit, her arousal soaking my digit. She spreads her legs wider, making room for my hand. Kneeling on the cold tile, I yank her panties down and plunge two fingers inside of her and a deep moan escapes her throat as my mouth sucks and bites her clit. Her sweet flavor exploding on my tongue.
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