HEARTLESS

by Storm, Franca

  I know his tolerance, so I’m aware that’s nowhere near enough to get a huge guy like him drunk.

  “Okay,” I say, giving him my consent.

  He rises up then, his hard dick standing proud, lining up with my mouth.

  “Suck,” he commands in that hypnotic Dom voice that always sends a thrill through me.

  I open almost automatically. He thrusts deep, hitting the back of my throat. I concentrate, so I don’t gag. He’s a lot to take, but I can deep throat well. Something I know he’s very grateful for.

  My lips close around him, and he grunts, as I start to suck in the harsh way he loves.

  “Fuck. Yeah, Hal,” he cries, his hand fisting roughly in my hair. He tugs hard enough to make me hiss from the bite of pain, as he starts thrusting in and out of my mouth, hitting deep each time and groaning as I manage to take every inch of him.

  I moan out as I taste his salty pre-cum, the vibrations of my voice resonating along the length of his dick.

  “Jesus,” he gasps, pulling out quickly. “Good girl.”

  He climbs off me and commands, “Hands and knees. Ass in the air.”

  I scramble to do as he’s told me.

  I’ve just braced myself when he delivers a hard slap to my left ass cheek. A whimper escapes me.

  “Ain’t hearing you. Want it harder, that it?”

  He delivers a harder smack to my right cheek. It leaves a harsh sting in its wake that has me crying out.

  “That’s more like it.”

  His smacks come in quick succession then, overwhelming me, sending a tingle of pleasure through me, as I picture his large hand descending on my soft flesh, marking me with his handprint.

  His fingers slide through my folds. “My dirty girl likes it rough. So fucking wet for me.”

  He tugs on my hair, jerking my head back. Tracing two fingers over my lips, he commands, “Taste your desperate little pussy.”

  I lick along the length of my lips, tasting myself. His mouth is on mine a second later, smothering me. Hs tongue demands entry and I open for him. He groans as he tastes me, too.

  As he pulls back, he whispers in my ear, “Gonna take your tight ass.”

  A shiver runs through me at his words. Oh God.

  His hands sweep down my back slowly, taking his sweet time, before he roughly grabs my ass cheeks. I hiss as he digs his fingers into the raw, sensitive skin and kneads it without mercy.

  “Hurting for me, Hal?”

  “Yes,” I murmur.

  “Tell me how much you fucking love it.”

  “So much. I love what you do to me, baby.”

  “That’s right. You do.”

  I almost buck up off the bed as he suddenly thrusts two fingers deep inside my pussy.

  “Oh, shit,” I cry, digging my fingers into the mattress as he scissors them inside me.

  He has me whimpering as he pulls them out excruciatingly slowly.

  I feel them at my asshole a moment later. He circles it, lubing it up, before pushing them inside, driving deep and making me claw at the sheets wildly.

  “Love it when I fuck your ass, don’t you?” His free hand plays with my pussy. “Gets you so fucking wet.” He pulls his hand away and drags it across my face, coating me in my own juices. “Mmm. There’s my dirty girl.”

  I’m so turned on, I can barely draw in my next breath.

  He draws his fingers out of my ass, only to plunge back in deep again, making me choke from the shock of it.

  One. Twice. Three times.

  I whimper at the sudden loss of contact when he withdraws.

  And then I feel something a lot bigger pressing against me. His dick.

  He fills me slowly, inch by delicious inch, until he’s seated fully inside me, stretching my ass with a delicious burn.

  When he starts to rock back and forth gently, readying me for the hard fucking I know is coming, my legs give way and I collapse onto my stomach.

  He fucks me then, hard and fast. Really rough. Just how I like it.

  “Smiter!” I scream out. “Yes! Yes!”

  “Good girl. Take my cock deep in your ass!”

  A sharp smack to my pussy startles me and sends a spike of pleasure ripping right through me.

  They come in rapid-fire succession. Smack. Smack. Smack. Smack.

  “Come! Come now!” he orders on a hoarse breath that lets me know he’s close.

  His smacks cease and he turns his attention to torturing my clit, his brutal ass fucking not letting up for a second, while he pinches and pulls at my sensitive nub.

  It’s all too much.

  My orgasm slams into me and I screech in ecstasy, riding it out for all it’s worth. A couple of abrupt jerks inside me let me know he’s tasted his release too.

  “Jesus Christ,” he breathes, pulling out and collapsing onto the bed beside me. He reaches out to me and runs a finger gently along my cheek. “The way you obey me and just take it… ain’t nothing in the world like it.”

  I know then that he’s got that taste of control that he was craving.

  As the endorphins start wearing off and the pleasure begins to dissipate, the brutal reality of the way things are with us comes back to me like a very unwelcome cold shower.

  I roll over to him. “Smiter?”

  He doesn’t answer.

  I’m about to try again, but I notice that he’s fallen asleep. Out cold.

  I blow out a frustrated breath and tug the duvet up off the floor, wrapping it around me as I shift over to the other side of the bed.

  This is just like before when he used to blow on by for a quick booty call fuck and then disappear. He might still be next to me this time, but he might as well not be.

  I squeeze my eyes shut and try to will away the tears threatening to take me over once again. I can’t believe it. I’ve never cried so much in the entirety of my life. Then, Smiter and I get together, and I feel like I’m crying all the time, or feeling like crying.

  He twists me up inside.

  I’m sick of it. I’m so sick of feeling like this.

  I’m better than this.

  And it’s about time I got back to acting like it, like myself.

  Enough is enough.

  Chapter 17

  ~Smiter~

  “Come here,” I rasp tiredly, reaching out across my bed for Halle.

  My hand don’t land on nothing that feels like her. Just the sheets.

  I open my eyes and squint against the harsh sunlight streaming into the room. My heart races as I see she ain’t there. She ain’t in bed with me no more.

  Fuck.

  Groaning, I throw the covers off me and force myself outta bed. My body hates me bad right now. I need more sleep, but I can’t be doing that knowing she ain’t with me now. I cross to the bathroom and check inside. She ain’t there neither.

  What the hell? Where’s she at?

  I snatch my phone off the nightstand. The panic that’s been building up real quick in me, calms a bit when I see there’s a message from her.

  That calm don’t last once I read her text.

  I’m fine. At Rox’s. Staying here until things calm down.

  What. The. Fuck?

  She left my bed to go to Rox’s? She’s staying there now. There? Not with me?

  Coming to get you.

  Not a second later, she responds. No. Leave it.

  What’s going on, Hal?

  I can’t do this.

  Do what?

  Us.

  My stomach lurches. I can’t move. Can’t type. Can’t do nothing.

  Is she… what’s happening? She ain’t doing what I’m thinking, is she? Nah, why would she? We were gonna talk things out. But it sounds like—fuck! She’s breaking up with me? In a goddamn text message?

  I storm over to my bedroom door, growling out loud like a fucking animal. I haul open the door.

  Don’t make it past the threshold before I smack right into somebody.

  “Jesus!” a voice cries.
>
  I got a lot of weight on me and it sends ˈem stumbling back.

  Runner.

  “What you doing?” Why was he standing right outside my door like that?

  “Thinking you and me would hang today.”

  “Got some shit to sort out. Let’s rain check it, yeah?”

  I make a move forward to go down the hall, but he darts in front of me, blocking my way. “Can’t be doing that.”

  “What?”

  “We’re gonna make time today.”

  I glare down at him. The look on his face tells me all I gotta know. “Ax sent me a babysitter?”

  “You really think I’d be sent as somebody’s babysitter?” He’s tryinˈ to play it off, but I ain’t buying it.

  “These days? Yeah, I do. You ain’t the reckless dickhead you used to be.”

  “Listen, brother, it’s been way too long since we hung out. Come for a ride, all right?”

  I get it. He’s here on Ax’s orders to distract me from all the Frankie stuff going on. What the fuck has it come to when I’m getting eyes on me? The Sergeant-at-Arms of the club with a babysitter watching over him?

  I get that I fucked up last night. For the first time in a real long time, I lost my temper. I know that. But it was one mistake. One slip up. From that, Ax don’t trust me no more? That’s real insulting. Been a rock for this club and one mistake shouldn’t erase all that.

  Nah, I ain’t gonna accept this bullshit.

  “Where’s Prez at?” Gonna have this out with him. Right now.

  “Out. He ain’t gonna be back ˈtil later.”

  Fine. I’ll deal with Halle first.

  I make a move to pass Runner, but he shifts quick, blocking me again.

  My patience ain’t with me right now after that text from Halle, so Runner pulling this crap is grating on my last nerve.

  “Move,” I growl.

  “Look, if this is ˈbout you wanting to go talk to Halle, just sit on it for a bit. She ain’t gonna wanna deal with you in this state, with this kinda rage coming at her. That’s just gonna fuck up things even more with you guys, ain’t it? Plus, Ax is getting her to help with the PR of Thorns in Brockford after that video, so she’s gonna be busy with that anyway, brother.”

  Is he really tryinˈ to talk me down? Does he really think he’s gonna stand in the way of me seeing my woman? After that text, I gotta get to her ASAP and fix this.

  “Last warning, Runner,” I say, shifting my weight in a blatant threat.

  He holds up his hands. “Smiter, I know you’re worked up, but think on this, yeah? You don’t really wanna be doing this.”

  He knows this look in my eyes real well. It’s the look I get every time I’m ˈbout to deal out some punishment on Thorns’ behalf. Right now, I’m getting ready to deal it out on my own behalf.

  If he don’t step back. “Runner. Now.”

  He sucks in a breath. Then I watch him shake his head at me.

  That’s it!

  Patience gone.

  I lunge at him, driving him brutally into the corridor wall. He grunts and curses, his back jarring against it, knocking the wind outta him real bad.

  I feel him pushing against me, tryinˈ to push me off him. He ain’t got no hope. I’m way bigger than him, in height and weight. Guess him settling down has made him a bit soft, cuz that ain’t the trained reaction he’d normally bring to the table. It’s the reaction some guy who ain’t had years of fight training like he has would automatically go to.

  “Smiter… fuck,” he grumbles.

  “Stand down and this is all over.”

  Instead of taking the out, both his elbows suddenly come slamming down, right into the soft, vulnerable spots between my neck and shoulders. The fucker manages to screw with my grip, weakening it enough to actually knock me back.

  I recover quick and throw my right fist.

  His arm comes down, blocking my blow before it connects with his face.

  He spins into one of his crazy-ass roundhouse kicks in the next second, his boot smashing brutally into my gut. It has me stumbling back and doubling over, before I can stop it. Jesus Christ.

  Next thing I know, he’s kicking at the backs of my legs. My knees hit the floor with a thud and then he’s on me, wrapping his arm tight ˈround my neck in a chokehold.

  “Fucker!” I roar, throwing my elbow back.

  I hear him choke as it drives into his gut. Still, he holds fast.

  Enough!

  I reach up and grab at his hoodie. Using all my fucking strength, I rip him from me, hauling him over my shoulders.

  He lands hard on his back in front of me. I stagger back to my feet.

  I come at him then, ready to finish this, so I can get to my woman.

  But he’s so fucking fast, I barely see his damn boot before it smashes into my jaw, delivering a goddamn knockout blow that has me crashing to the floor.

  As I struggle to roll to my side, he’s there, giving me a couple of swift kicks to the ribs that have me choking and writhing on the floor.

  “We done?” he demands, crouching down in front of me.

  I look out to see a bunch of the boys crowding the corridor, looking on in disbelief.

  I can’t believe it neither. It’s been a long-ass time since a couple of brothers have thrown down.

  How the hell did it get to this? What the fuck is going on with me?

  This ain’t me. This ain’t what I’m ˈbout.

  I rest my head on the floor and fight to catch my breath.

  “Leave it,” I hear Runner telling a couple of the boys who are whispering ˈbout calling Ax. “It’s sorted.” He taps my shoulder and lowers his voice to ask, “Ain’t it, Smiter? You got it outta your system now?”

  “Why you helping me?” I rasp, wiping my bloodied jaw. He didn’t need to take none of that. Coulda just called Ax in to lock me down or something.

  “When I was messed up a little while back, you were pushing for me with Ax.”

  “You know ˈbout that?”

  “Sarah told me. Told me you tried to get Ax to go easy on me, even though I was fucking up in a big way. You were in my corner when I were at my worst. So, here I am now, doing the same for you.”

  Damn.

  I force myself back to my feet and look him over. “You all right?”

  “Yeah. Nothing broken.” He grins. “You getting soft in your old age?”

  Laughing, I say, “Sounds like you’re asking for round two.”

  He wipes the sweat off his brow. “Hell, no. I’m too old for this now.” He takes a beat and then asks, “We got an understanding now? You ready to do it my way today?”

  “Yeah.” He’s right. I can’t be seeing Halle when I’m like this, in this crazed frame of mine. It is just gonna make things worse. I gotta get it together before I go ˈround to talk to her. She don’t deserve nothing less than that. Woman’s one in a million. I gotta be treating her like that.

  Runner slaps my shoulder. “Good, cuz there’s some place I wanna take you, if you’re game.”

  “All right. Let’s ride, brother.”

  Chapter 18

  ~Smiter~

  “Guess I was wrong earlier. You are still the reckless dickhead you used to be.”

  I swing my leg over my bike and round on Runner who’s dismounting his V-Rod right behind me.

  “Just take it down, all right?”

  “Take it down? You brought us to Savage Slayers territory! Ax is gonna have a damn coronary, Runner! What were you thinking? Thought you didn’t ride on into danger no more. That’s the promise you made to Sarah, right?”

  He fusses with his hair, seeming more worried ˈbout fixing his helmet head, than what he’s gotten us into here. Vain bastard. “Runner!” I snap. Now he’s taking his sweet-ass time pulling out a smoke from his leather jacket and lighting up, all while leaning back against his bike, like he ain’t got a care.

  His gaze snaps to mine. “First off, Ax ain’t gonna know nothing ˈbout this pit stop
. We ain’t in club colors.” I shoulda known when he told me to leave my cut back at the clubhouse that something wasn’t gonna be on the up and up. I’d been too focused on my issues to pay it much mind. “Second, we ain’t on Savage Slayers territory. I checked the borders before we headed out and this is just outside their rule.”

  “A technicality they ain’t gonna care ˈbout, cuz it’s close enough. Too close.”

  “You’d better hurry your ass up then. I’ll keep watch here.”

  “What?”

  He points behind him.

  My breath catches in my throat when I see the familiar wrought iron gates across the street.

  Montforde Cemetery.

  No. He didn’t.

  I try to speak, to give him shit for daring to bring me here, but the words won’t come.

  I fight to swallow down the lump that’s formed in my throat. My feet feel like lead, too damn heavy to move. I’m just… frozen. Frozen by grief snaking around me. All my concentration’s focused on keeping it at bay, not allowing it past the wall I erected a long fucking time ago, so it couldn’t touch me. To keep all the hurt, the pain, the guilt and rage out. But, being so close to this, ain’t making it easy to force it back.

  Cigarette smoke fills my nose, just as something’s forced into my hands. It’s enough to snap me back to the moment. I look to see Runner standing in front of me. He don’t seem so calm and impassive no more. His eyes are flickering with… sympathy? Pity? I better be wrong, cuz I don’t want that from nobody. I ain’t a victim of nothing or nobody. Ain’t weak. I don’t wanna be seen that way. I’ve been the club’s rock for years. Solid. Unbreakable. That’s who I am.

  “Wipe that fucking look off your face, before I do.”

  “What look?” he asks.

  “Pity,” I seethe.

  He stares at me for a moment, then gestures to the paper he’s forced into my hands. “That’s a map of the cemetery. Found where she’s buried. It’s circled on there.”

  “Stop!” I roar, slamming a hand into his chest.

  He stumbles back, but catches his balance quick. “You ain’t getting it, Smiter. Think I pity you? Think any of us do? A man who survived the loss you did? Nah. Could never be pity for that. You’re a fucking warrior. No question.”

  What? “Then, what—?”