by Sophia Gray
This was anything but a scream of ecstasy. This one was pure terror.
I jerked my bike to the right, nearly hitting the curb, straining to get a better view. A guy was trying to drag her into the van.
No way in hell.
Before I could even think about it, I raced up the street, my bike vibrating with as much intensity as I was. I quickly disengaged the ignition and jumped off. Allie was struggling with the guy, but she was losing. She was halfway inside the van by the time I yanked on the back of her ill-fitting shirt.
Her head jerked around, her eyes wild with terror.
The man grabbing her stared at me too, hatred twisting his features. He wasn't a good-looking guy, and his sneer made him downright hideous. "I saw her first."
"You better fucking leave her the hell alone." I yanked on her shirt so hard she stumbled backward, half falling out of the van. Down she went, onto the sidewalk.
The guy lunged to seize her again, but I had stepped forward, putting my body between them. My hands gripped his shirt collar. He was a big guy, with maybe fifty pounds on me, but every one of those pounds was fat. I worked out at the gym religiously, and years of weightlifting had corded my body into solid muscle. He was no match for me, but I welcomed the challenge.
Of course, Fatso decided to use his weight to his advantage. I tried to lift him out of the van so I could teach him some manners, but he shifted his weight forward and almost knocked me on my ass. I didn't fall, despite the torrents of rain making it hard to hold my ground. I backed up enough that he was now out of the van, too. My hands still had a firm grip on his collar, and I let go with one hand so I could slug him in the face. He jerked as if struck by lightning, obviously not used to taking a punch. What a wimp. Preying on women because they were weaker. Can't hide your weakness now. Not from me.
The guy tried to head-butt me, but he was too slow. I darted to the right, moving my feet like a boxer, fists raised. "Why not pick on someone your own size?" I asked with a sneer.
"Why not mind your own business?" The guy glowered at me. His right cheek was already swelling from my first jab. My fists itched to strike him again. He deserved it.
By now, the driver had climbed out of the van and was heading toward me. No, not for me. For Allie. She was still crumpled on the sidewalk, looking like a frightened deer, unable to move. She had lost weight since I'd last seen her and—
While I was distracted, a fist came flying toward my face. I ducked under the blow and dove at Fatso's midsection. His back slammed into the side of the van, causing it to rock back and forth. I left him there, blinking and shaking his head dazedly, and jerked around to see the driver gripping Allie's arm. For some reason, I couldn't hear her screams or whimpers. Her mouth was moving and so was the driver's, but I was too full of rage to hear them.
Like a bull, I charged toward them. A grunt blew out of my mouth as I collided with the driver. My hearing came back and I could hear Allie's gasp and the driver's groan as I drove his shoulder hard into the sidewalk. I grabbed his right arm and twisted it painfully up behind his back. I bent down so my lips were near his ear.
"Don't you ever come 'round these parts again, do you hear me?" I shouted.
He struggled and tried to clasp his other hand around my wrist, but I grabbed that hand and forced his fingers back until I felt a pop. The driver screamed like a little girl.
Allie was screaming too. Fatso was back at it again, yanking on her arm. She was slapping at him, crying, and hysterical.
Damn it all. Why couldn't these guys realize it was futile, that they weren't getting their prize tonight? If they pushed me too far, there was no telling what could happen to them. I didn’t care about their lives. They were worthless scum. They didn't deserve to live.
Leaving the driver cradling his inured hand to his chest and his other arm dangling awkwardly from the dislocated shoulder, I tore after Fatso again. As he glanced at me, Allie tried to scratch his face, but he caught her wrist and pressed his body against hers.
Disgust filled me and I channeled all my rage into my fist. It connected with his temple, spinning him around. Down he fell, forward, into the van. The driver did his best to shove his partner inside the van; however, with a dislocated shoulder on one side and several broken fingers on the other hand, this was no easy feat.
While he struggled with Fatso, I turned to face Allie. By now, she had managed to get to her feet. It was so surreal to be standing next to her after so much time. She was shivering, maybe from the rain or maybe from fear. A part of me hated her, would always hate her. Another part of me hated me for wanting to wrap my arms around her, to whisper in her ear, to tell her… What was there to say?
Nothing.
Without a word, I grabbed her arm—a lot gentler than those thugs had been with her, but maybe just a little bit rough, too. I was still angry with her. Sighing and hating myself for being weak, I pulled her onto the back of my motorcycle. She hadn't said anything either, which was probably for the best. What the hell had she been thinking, walking around these parts all by herself at night in the pouring rain?
Whatever.
Her arms wrapped around me, and I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering how many times we'd ridden places together before. Things used to be so perfect. Well, as close to perfect as they could be when you were carrying around as much baggage as I was. Allie had always helped with that, helped me to forget. Without her, these past months had been more hellish than ever. Not that I couldn't survive without her. I could. It just wasn't easy.
I wheeled the bike around and took off, tearing up the street just as the van was finally driving away in the opposite direction. Speeding through the night, taking tight turns, going down narrow alleys, I got us to the clubhouse as quickly as I could while also making sure we were not followed. Having her pressed up against my back, her arms locked around my chest, had me remembering all the times we had fucked. And damn it all, if I wasn't getting hard, my balls aching with the need for release.
The rain was just stopping when I parked. I had to help Allie off the motorcycle. She was trembling again, glancing around like a frightened child, eyes wide, jaw lowered. When she looked at me, she immediately dropped her gaze.
"What is it?" I grumbled, crossing my arms and leaning against my bike. "Weren't expecting to see me, huh?"
"See you?" Her voice was a little frantic. Her knees buckled, and she grabbed onto my handlebars to remain upright.
"Yeah, after so long." I jerked away from my bike to put some distance between us and shoved my hands into my tight jeans.
"You…" Her voice trailed off as she breathed heavily. Hell, she almost looked like she was ready to start crying. "Y-you know me?"
Her words are whispers, caught on the wind. I couldn't have heard her right. "What did you say?" I asked, but some of my gruffness was gone.
"You know me?" she repeated, louder, her voice more confident. Her face twisted into something like hope but also fear.
Fuck. I hated it when she looked at me with fear.
"Don't play stupid with me, Allie." I crossed my arms. My knuckles were bloodied. I hadn't realized that even happened. From one of my punches maybe. They hadn't started to hurt until now, but I welcomed the pain. It meant the other guys were feeling that much worse.
"Allie?" she repeated, wonder in her voice. "That's my name?"
What the hell?
"You don't remember me?" I asked. What the fuck happened to her? Suddenly, her weight loss made her look sickly, and she was back to shivering again, her arms wrapped around her middle, pulling the oversized soaking wet shirt tight around her tits.
She bit her lower lip and shook her head. "Should I?" she whispered, head down making her seem like she was talking to the road instead of me.
All the rage I had been suppressing from seeing her again—now that she was safe from harm—was flooding through me again. I circled around her and my bike, feeling like a lion stalking its prey. "Your name is Allie.
"
She stared me down as I rounded in front of her. "Jasmine."
"What?"
"I'm not Allie. I'm not her anymore." She lifted her chin, defiance in her eyes. "I'm Jasmine."
Jasmine… What kind of a name was that? Although it kinda fit, considering she had always had big goals. She'd always wanted to reach for the Jasmine.
I smirked. Okay, then. If she went by Jasmine now, I'd call her Jasmine. "Well, Jasmine, I'm Pax."
Her eyes darkened, and she glowered at me. It would've been more impressive if she wasn't still shivering. "Are you playing me?" she asked coolly.
"Not at all, babe."
Her nose wrinkled. "Don't call me that."
"Why not? I used to call you that all the time. Back when we were dating."
"We used to date?" She gave me a quick once-over and then dropped her gaze to the ground, making it impossible for me to read her face. Just what was she thinking? What happened to her to make her forget me, forget us, both the good and the bad?
"Yeah. Why would I lie?" I jerked my thumb to the clubhouse. "You look like you might be in need of a place to crash."
Her head shot up. "Yes. Please."
The gratitude in her eyes almost had me caving, but I held firm. I thrust my pelvis forward until my cock was pushing against her pussy through our pants, my bike holding her upright. "Yeah, I'll give you shelter for tonight…"
She didn't pull away; her gaze didn't leave my face. She parted her lips, probably to thank me.
But I wasn't finished yet. "Just for tonight. I need to fuck you tonight," I demanded.
A revenge fuck. Just what I needed.
Chapter Three
Jasmine
I couldn't believe the events that had just occurred. From almost being abducted, to being rescued by a stranger, to riding on the back of a motorcycle—something that probably would've been exhilarating if I hadn't been so scared. To being taken to a building I didn't recognize and being told the stranger wasn't actually a stranger…
And now he wanted me, wanted my body.
It was all too much to take in. And him pressing himself against me, feeling just how much he wanted me, made it all the more impossible to think. His eyes were wide and dark with lust, and his cock felt so big and hard…
He'd called me Allie. Allie. I rolled the name around my mind. The name meant nothing to me. I felt more comfortable being Jasmine. For now, I would still be Jasmine. Maybe Allie had died in the car accident, and I'd been reborn. Although this "new" life wasn’t starting off much better than the last one had ended.
So Allie had dated this handsome bad boy? He was hot, in a dark and dangerous kind of way. His hair was darker than his eyes, and his irises looked like coals. Rain dripped down from his still-damp hair, and his tight t-shirt clung to his muscular body. His jeans hung perilously low on his hips, and as if he knew what I was thinking, he pushed toward me again, rubbing, grinding. The friction of his hard cock against me made me think that maybe he wasn't quite so crazy for demanding this of me.
But, no, it was. Those guys… they'd wanted me for my body too. Then again, Pax—what kind of a name was that? I still wasn't sure if he was joking about that or not. He and I had a history. And even if my mind didn't remember him, my body sure seemed to. Even though my clothes were soaked, I could feel the warm heat spreading from between my legs and my nipples hardening just from him rubbing against me.
Lust, pure and simple. Maybe it was because of him rescuing me, or wanting to feel close to someone again after feeling alone for so long, or even maybe because I was that desperate to have a place for the night, but I considered the invitation. I had nowhere else to go, it was really dark out now, and the thought of walking somewhere to try to find another place for shelter had tears stinging my eyes. Not after that van incident. No way.
I'd give him anything to stay safe. Even my body.
Bracing my hands on the bike—reminding me of the frightening and adrenaline-charged ride, zooming along the streets, holding onto Pax as tight as I could… I already knew how hard his pecs were—I brushed back against him. "You'll let me sleep here if I sleep with you?"
God, I sounded like a whore. Maybe I was, for being willing to do this but as dangerous as he was, he made me feel safe too. He'd saved me.
"Yes." His voice was low, with an edge, and the glint in his dark eyes was enough to make me feel lost again, in a strangely erotic way.
"I… I can do that." My voice came out breathless. Was I panting? God, please tell me I wasn't panting.
Something shifted in his expression, a flicker too quick for me to read, and for a moment, I wondered if I had made the right choice. But then his hand grabbed mine, and a shock of awareness went through me as our fingers intertwined. It felt natural, right… almost like coming home again.
He led me inside, walking fast. A few guys were sitting around a table, drinking beers and watching TV. They glanced our way and my cheeks began to burn. Pax's jeans did not hide his erection, and they had to realize what we were about to do. Did they recognize me?
A few grunted in greeting, in that universal guy language, and one did call out, "Hey, Pax."
Pax twisted toward me, a smirk on his face that made my heart skip a beat.
He didn't respond to them, just led me through the room to a hallway. At the end was a staircase. We climbed it, still holding hands. Pax was walking a little too fast for my unsteady legs, but I managed to keep up. At the landing, at the top of the stairs, there was another hallway lined with several doors.
Pax kicked open the last door on the right. Inside was dark, and he didn't bother to turn on a light switch. The darkness made me feel blind as I stumbled toward the middle of the room and the panic I'd felt when I first woke up in the hospital, came rushing back. My chest grew tight, and I couldn't breathe.
I didn't want to be that frightened woman anymore. I wasn't her. She'd been nameless. She'd been pathetic and weak and scared all the time. Yes, I'd been terrified when that guy grabbed me, and then when the driver had come out, too. Then, when Pax had ridden up, I didn't know if he was in on it too. I'd struggled and fought back, but I was weak. Strong enough to be discharged from the hospital, but not strong enough to fight off the likes of them.
"Are you sure about this?"
His deep voice sounded from behind me. When we had stopped holding hands, the connection broken, I had almost forgotten he was even there.
"Yes, I'm sure." I was. No regrets, no second thoughts. Whatever had happened in my past, I was goddamn sure there was no going back. I needed to form a connection with another human being, to feel alive. Who better with, than someone who could help me unlock the mystery of who I was before the car accident?
My wet clothes clung to me and I was still shivering. I turned around to face him and started to remove my shirt when I felt rather than saw how dark his mood was. With how black the room was, it was too hard to read his facial expression, but I could sense that he was upset or displeased, and neither of them was what I had hoped for. My fingers fell away from my shirt, and I slowly walked over to him. No matter what, I couldn't have him change his mind. What if he decided I wasn't worth it and forced me back out onto the cold, damp streets?
But even more than that, there was a part of me that wanted to remove the darkness and give him something to smile about. He seemed so hard and rough around the edges, but if we'd dated, I must have seen something in him. Hopefully, I hadn't just dated him for his looks. Plus, I really did want him. Not just because he had saved me. Because he had known me before the accident and because I wanted to know him again, too.
Swallowing hard, I removed his shirt instead. He was so tall, towering over my five-foot-four frame, easily a foot taller than me, and he had to bend down for me to get it over his head. No longer shivering but trembling, I lifted onto my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his.
At first, he didn't respond, which confused me, and I began to lose my confidence, but then his
lips opened and it was all I could do to keep kissing him back. He was assaulting me with his lips, teeth and tongue. I wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging to him as if he were my life preserver. In a way, he had been earlier. The kiss felt like a fight for control, for dominance, and I was losing. But, in this battle, I didn't mind if I wasn't the victor.
He pulled back abruptly, leaving me breathless and wanting, my lips feeling swollen already. This was a man who took what he wanted, I could tell, and he wanted me. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness and his bulge looked even bigger than before.
Wanting to see it, to feel it, God…to taste it, I worked at his jeans and managed to push them down to his ankles. No boxers or briefs for him. His cock jumped right out at me, sprung at attention, thick and long. I licked my lips. Time to earn my keep, and based on the size of him, boy, was I going to enjoy it.