Ruined: A Dark Romance

by B. B. Hamel

  “To your homecoming,” Gage said, holding his glass up.

  “I have to be careful,” I said.

  “You don’t need to be careful about me. I like it when you let loose.”

  I laughed. “I mean, I have work tomorrow.”

  “Right, I forgot. You’re in the law business.”

  “It’s very serious, you know.”

  “Of course. I can see you in the courtroom. I’m sure all those old judges have hard cocks watching you strut around.”

  “That’s not really what I do.”

  He shrugged. “Either way. Here’s to you.” He finished his drink and I sipped mine. “Come on,” he said, standing up.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To dance, of course.”

  “I don’t know, Gage.”

  “We’re in a club. Did you think we were just going to sit in the corner the whole time?”

  “I don’t know,” I said.

  “Come on. What are you afraid of?”

  I could have listed a hundred different fears. I was afraid of the mob and of being home again, of feeling lost in my old town, of spiders and snakes and ghosts. But really, I was afraid of the way I felt when I was around Gage, like I was my old self from way back when, before my mother passed away, before I had to grow up. I felt carefree and young again, and I wasn’t even old.

  “Come on,” he said again, taking my hand. “Have I ever let you down?”

  “No,” I said softly. I knew he didn’t hear me as he turned to the dance floor and pulled me along behind him.

  I went with him, because every fiber of my body wanted it. I realized I still had my little clutch in my hand, but it was too late to put it back. He pulled me inexorably toward the dance floor, a powerful magnet dragging me along. I was lost in his pull, and I liked it there.

  We moved into the crush of people, and finally, he pulled me toward him. He began slowly, dancing face to face, our bodies pushed closed by the other people around us. I caught glimpses of their faces, some young and beautiful, everyone smiling and having a great time.

  The lights from the DJ booth flashed and made the place look like it was covered in a strobe light. We moved together like that, hips pressed closer and closer until my arms were wrapped around his neck and our faces were inches apart. He moved in sync, swaying and grinding, and I couldn’t keep a smile from my face.

  It felt good. It was as simple as that. I wasn’t drunk, but I felt like I was anyway. I felt like I didn’t have to worry about what I looked like or what people were thinking about me, because Gage was there and that was all that mattered. I knew that he wanted me, knew that he wanted to dance with me, and knowing that made it easy to give him some of myself. He wanted me and wouldn’t turn me away.

  It wasn’t like I experienced a ton of rejection in my life, probably as much as anyone else. I’d had boyfriends break up with me for stupid reasons, had relationships just crumble away and break down over time, the usual sort of thing. I lost my mother young, which was hard and taught me how to grow. But with Gage, I wasn’t worried about any of that stuff. I wasn’t worried about what he was thinking, because he just said what he was thinking. I could lose myself completely in the music.

  His body was large, muscular and tense. He was so much bigger than me, I almost couldn’t believe it. I forgot how he could so easily swallow me up, bend me over, break me to his will if he wanted to. I turned around as his hands roamed down along my hips. We moved together, my ass against his cock, and I thought I felt it hard against my back. I smiled to myself, tipping my head back, losing any semblance of inhibition.

  Wave after wave of music poured overtop of us. I lost track of the world around me, of time and space. The only thing in my life was me and Gage dancing to the music, moving fast, sweating together. I could see just what he meant when he said that the place was dirty and filled with sex.

  The way we were dancing was practically fucking. Really, if we had less clothing on, we would be fucking. We were grinding together, dirty dancing and loving it. The DJ built up the suspense and then dropped the beat, bringing everyone into a frenzy.

  I was worked into a frenzy. I was mindless, lost in the intensity of freewheeling desire. I turned back around, grinding my hips up along his thigh, loving the pleasure that rolled around me. He bent me forward, his hands on my hips, his lips at my neck. I felt so damn free as he brought me up.

  And he kissed me. I threw myself into the kiss, returning it with passion and desire. I’d never felt tingles run all along my spine from just a kiss before, but Gage made me feel that way. He made me feel so much with just one single kiss as all of our history came crashing back in that moment.

  I pulled back and he smirked at me. He said something, but I shook my head. I shouldn’t hear him over the music. He pressed his lips to my ear.

  “I know you’ve been thinking about that since we saw each other again.”

  I bit my lip. “No,” I called into his ear, though we both knew I was lying. My body was telling him the truth.

  Suddenly, I felt something vibrating. For a second, I thought it was my whole body vibrating for Gage’s touch, but I quickly realized that it was just my clutch. I opened it and checked my phone.

  It was a text from my boss. “Sent a courier over to your place with case files. Big stuff is happening.”

  I took a sharp breath, and reality came crashing back.

  I looked at Gage. “I have to go.”

  “What?”

  “I have to go.” I quickly turned and walked back toward the entrance.

  I shouldn’t have kissed him. I shouldn’t have even come out with him. I didn’t know what the heck I was doing getting involved with my ex-boyfriend like this when I knew I was about to be the busiest I would ever be in my life. I was about to take on a mafia case, and that would be dangerous. I couldn’t involve Gage in something like that.

  He quickly followed me toward the door. We went outside, out into the cool night air. I could feel a little ringing in my ears from the deep booming bass of the music.

  “What’s wrong?” Gage asked me.

  “Nothing, it was just my boss. I need to get home.”

  “It’s only midnight.”

  I sighed. “I know. I can grab a cab, you should stay.”

  He laughed. “Come on, princess. I’ll take you home.”

  “No, really. Stay and have fun.”

  He smirked at me and shook his head before going up to the valet. He gave the guy a ticket and soon the car was pulled around. We got in and shut the doors before Gage pulled out, heading back toward my hotel.

  “How long are you staying at that dump?” he asked me.

  “I don’t know. I guess until I can find an apartment.”

  “Where are you looking?”

  “I don’t even know.”

  He laughed. “This move wasn’t very well planned.”

  “No, it really wasn’t,” I admitted.

  “Well, listen, I know some people. Why don’t I make a few calls and see what I can do for you?”

  I gave him a look. “You’re joking, right? You know some people?”

  He shrugged. “Sure. I know lots of people. Some of them happen to own apartment buildings.”

  I raised an eyebrow, but for some reason I didn’t question it. In retrospect, I should have wondered what Gage actually did for a living, but instead I didn’t push it.

  “Okay,” I said. “That’d be great. Thanks so much.”

  “Of course. Can’t have you living in some shitty fucking hotel room.”

  We pulled into the front drive of the hotel room and he pulled over. He went to put the car in park but I shook my head.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll say goodnight here.”

  “Whatever you want.” He looked at me and I knew what he wanted. I wanted it too. I wanted to feel the way I felt when he kissed me again, but the moment had passed.

  “Well, goodnight,” I said, and
went to open the door.

  He reached forward and took my wrist, gently pulling me back. His lips were inches away from mine. “You don’t have to kiss me,” he said, and pressed them against my cheek. “Although we both know you want to.”

  I was dripping wet as I pulled away and climbed out of the car. I caught one more glimpse of his handsome, grinning face as I closed the door. He waited until I was inside before he pulled away.

  He could still do it. Gage could still make me feel like absolute putty in his amazing, capable hands, and that was so dangerous.

  I want up to my room, wondering what was going to be waiting for me there, and if I could even concentrate on it with Gage’s kiss still fresh in my mind.

  6

  Gage

  I wasn’t trying to spook the damn girl, which was why I let her get away like that. I knew what she really wanted after dancing for a couple hours like we were practically fucking, but I knew she’d run if I got too aggressive. Soon enough she’d give me what I wanted, but I had to be patient.

  I wasn’t naturally a patient man. Normally I just took whatever I needed and didn’t give a fuck about the consequences, but I knew that was a mistake with her. I had to be a little patient with Sadie or else risk pushing her away.

  That was annoying, because I knew she wanted it. You didn’t dance with a man like that if you didn’t want to fuck him. Plus, there was that kiss, the kiss that sent fucking shivers down my spine and made my cock hard as hell.

  Fucking Sadie used to be the highlight of my life so long ago. Getting deep in her pussy was the best feeling imaginable, and I never wanted to give that up. When she left, I chased after that high time and time again, fucking as many chicks as I could possibly get inside. None of them made me feel the way Sadie did, not even fucking close. Now that she was a woman, I could only guess what new shit she could do with that tight little body of hers.

  Like I said, patience is not my fucking virtue. But some things are worth waiting a few days for, though I wasn’t sure how long I really could wait.

  As I drove away from her apartment, I got a text from Alex. I called him back a minute later.

  “What’s going on?” I asked him.

  “Got a job for you.”

  “What is it?”

  “Grab Boris at his place. I need you to take a little gift to our friends at the precinct.”

  I sighed. “That sounds like a bad idea.”

  “Vadik’s orders. He wants to see if we can’t change their minds.”

  I knew this wasn’t going to work, but I couldn’t go against a direct order like that. “Fine,” I said. “On my way.”

  I hung up and turned left, heading out toward Boris’s place.

  If there was pressure in the precinct, they weren’t going to take another bribe. It just wasn’t going to happen. Even if they accepted it, which they probably would, it wasn’t going to make a difference. Evgeni was going to remain locked up until something new happened or else that dipshit was going to prison for a long time.

  I pulled up out front of Boris’s place. He lived in a little house at the end of a dead-end street. The place was a dump since the jackass didn’t bother cleaning it up or mowing the lawn, so it looked abandoned. I honked twice and a minute later, Boris appeared carrying a black duffel bag.

  He climbed into the passenger seat. “Hey, man.”

  “That the money?”

  He nodded. “Seventy-five grand.”

  I whistled. “That’s a lot of fucking money.”

  “It is. Guess the boss thinks it’ll change their mind.”

  “It won’t.” I started driving toward the station. “It’s not about the money.”

  “What’s it about then, genius?”

  “If there really is pressure from the feds to clean their shit up, or whatever is going on, no amount of bribery is going to help.”

  “This is a lot of money,” Boris said.

  “They get way more funding from the feds than this.” I shook my head. “It’s a fucking drop in the bucket.”

  “But man, it’s a lot.”

  I sighed. “Okay, Boris. Let’s go see how this happens.”

  I knew the idiot wouldn’t understand and I didn’t feel like explaining it to him. We drove faster and quickly arrived at the station. It was late, after midnight, but I knew at least a few guys would be on duty. Fortunately, the night crew were typically the ones most receptive to our bribes, but every once in a while we had to make a quick getaway.

  As it turned out, not every cop was corrupt. That always surprised me, since the fucking cops tended to be total fucking assholes. They were all underpaid and over-respected and had a fucking power complex that annoyed the shit out of me. Still, the corrupt ones were decent guys so long as the money kept flowing, and we made sure it flowed.

  We parked near the door and I left the engine running. It wasn’t likely that someone was going to steal the car right in front of the cops. We walked up the front stoop and normally I’d send Boris in alone, but tonight I figured he’d need a little backup.

  We stepped inside and I sensed Boris tighten up next to me. I didn’t recognize the cop sitting at the front desk, but I could tell that Boris did.

  “Bad news,” Boris whispered. “This guy is a dick.”

  I nodded as we approached him. The cop looked up and sighed. “You again,” he said to Boris.

  “I’m back.” He hefted the bag up. “I brought some goodies for the boys.”

  The cop scowled. He was young with a square jaw and a buzz cut. He looked like a failed Marine or like he watched too much fucking football.

  “What is it?”

  “You know what it is,” I said, cutting in.

  He looked at me. “And who are you?”

  “I’m Boris’s associate. Is your Sergeant in tonight?”

  “He’s not here, we got a call.” The cop stared daggers at me. “So you think you can just walk in here and drop a bribe off, huh?”

  “Pretty much,” I said.

  The cop got up, clearly pissed. “That shit doesn’t fly anymore.” He had a wicked grin on his face. “We’re coming for you people. We’re coming for you hard.”

  I blinked, surprised at that. I grabbed Boris by the elbow and steered him back toward the entrance. We left fast, climbing back into the car.

  “What did he mean by that shit?” Boris asked. “He didn’t even ask how much we had.”

  “Shut up, you idiot,” I said, and headed back toward Alex’s place. “I need a second to think.”

  That wasn’t the worst case scenario, but it was pretty fucking foreboding. I didn’t know what he meant when he said they were coming for us, but I could pretty easily guess.

  They were cracking down on organized crime, and the Russian mob was right in their crosshairs. The fucking bitches thought they could come hard at us, but they were fucking mistaken.

  Still, I had to get this information back to Alex. We drove fast and Boris kept his damn mouth shut for once.

  This could be very bad for the mob. Things weren’t good for business lately. The drug trade was down and some Mexican cartels had been moving into our turf lately, spilling over the border and slowly coming up the coast. They were tough motherfuckers, although we could take them if the cops would stay back. But with the cops in our business, things could get pretty damn messy.

  I sighed, shaking my head. What a time to get involved with a girl on the other side of shit. I didn’t know exactly what Sadie did for the law, but I assumed it wasn’t great for me and my people.

  That didn’t matter. This whole thing just made me realize one important and simple fact: I needed her, and I was going to take her.

  7

  Sadie

  I was just getting into bed when my phone rang. It was late and I was having a hard time not thinking about Gage. I had a hearing in the morning for Evgeni, and I’d already been out way too late. I knew it was a mistake to let Gage take me to a club, but I couldn�
��t help myself.

  Just like I couldn’t help myself when I saw Gage’s name on my phone. I answered the call, frowning to myself.

  “Couldn’t get enough of me?” I asked him.

  He chuckled softly. “I guess not.”

  “It’s pretty late, you know.”

  “I know. But I have something I want you to see.”

  “I was just going to bed.”

  “Ten minutes. Come downstairs for ten minutes.”

  “I’m not even dressed.”

  “Good. Come down naked for all I care.”

  I sighed. “Is this really just ten minutes?”

  “Really.”

  “Fine. Where are you?”

  “In the parking lot of your hotel.”

  “Just wait. I’ll be down soon.”

  I hung up the phone and got out of bed. I knew why Gage was really calling me, and I wasn’t going to stop myself. I deserved a little excitement in my life, even if this was an awful time for it. I was going to get maybe five hours of sleep total before I had to be up and ready to go at this hearing, but it didn’t matter. The preliminary stuff was always easy. I could be unconscious for the whole thing.

  I needed something. Ever since coming back to Ashertown, I’d been feeling empty. I didn’t know anyone anymore, and although I recognized everything, it all reminded me of my mother.

  The clinical trial didn’t work. She had some of the best doctors working on her and giving her great care, but she didn’t last more than six months out in Seattle. It was horrible watching her waste away in a place where I didn’t know anyone or anything, and I’d never get over that. Being back in Ashertown just reminded me of her, and that was pretty difficult to handle.

  Gage seemed to make those bad feelings go away. When I was with him, I didn’t worry about my job or think about my mother. I didn’t feel isolated or stressed or anything but excited when Gage was close to me. That was pretty powerful for someone who didn’t have anything else.

  Gage was pretty powerful. I quickly put on a cute pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, fixed up my hair, did some light makeup, and was out the door in ten minutes. I had that excited and nervous feeling in my stomach, and I actually really loved feeling that way again. I hadn’t felt that in a long time.