Crushing Beauty (Harbingers of Sorrow MC): Vegas Titans Series

by Loren, Celia

  “Can you stay with me tonight?”

  “Here?” She found the prospect oddly thrilling.

  “Yes.”

  She couldn’t help but giggle. “Yes, we can stay here.”

  He took her face in his hands and softly put his lips to hers. “Good, because I have your favorite.”

  “My favorite what?”

  “Ice cream. Cookies ‘n Cream.”

  “What? When?”

  “Before I came to see you tonight.” He smiled at her, letting his dimples pierce his cheeks. “I’ll be right back.” He swung out of the room, leaving her holding on to the bedpost.

  How long had he been staring at that picture, dreaming of the day when she would find her way back to him? Britton needed to sit down. None of this was making any sense. Last night, she hated him; he'd tied her up and treated her like she was some worthless fly caught in his web. Now, he was in the kitchen scooping her favorite ice cream into a bowl. He was showing her everything he had. Could he really be as bad as her case files suggested? How many personalities did this man have? Could she find the answer to that question without falling victim to his dark side again?

  Jagger appeared in the doorway holding two bowls. He set them down on the bedside table and enveloped her in his arms. He wanted to tell her that this is what he had always dreamed of. He wanted to tell her that this moment was infinitely better than any fantasy he had of her return. He wanted to tell her everything, but he still had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that wouldn’t stop searing his insides.

  Why was this beautiful, talented, and smart woman with a college degree working at a casino? It made absolutely no sense to him. Why would she be back here, in the town that held nothing but terrible memories? He wanted to share his life with her, but feared what she would do when she found out exactly how he made his money. Even more so, he feared what she would do when he told her that her brother now worked for him.

  “Cookies ‘n Cream, huh?”

  “Is it still your favorite?”

  “Yes, of course. I can’t believe you remembered that.”

  He shook his head and broke eye contact. “I haven’t forgotten a single thing about you.”

  Her heart warmed. She felt so vulnerable when he opened up to her. She kissed him on the cheek, leaving an ice cream mark on his stubble.

  “Seriously?”

  She found herself giggling like a twelve year old. This was fun; and she hadn’t had fun in so long. He stuck his mouth into his bowl and produced ice cream soaked lips. He quickly leaned in to her, as she screamed and jumped off the bed. She ran into the living room, around the couch, and to the opposite side of the kitchen island. He chased her throughout the cabin, finally grabbing hold of her near the entranceway. Jagger lifted her up against his body and pushed her against the door.

  “Lick it off.”

  “Gross. No.” She shrieked.

  “Lick the ice cream off my lips.”

  Britton stuck out her tongue and made a face as she approached his lips. He grabbed hold of her tongue with his teeth and drew her in. Even with the ice cream all over his face, he could be sexy. She felt him growing beneath her.

  “How sturdy is that bed?” She teased him.

  “I don’t know, but I’d like to find out.”

  He peeled her off of the wall and carried her back into the bedroom. He laid her down on the blue speckled duvet and covered her with his shadow. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. How did he get so lucky? He closed his eyes for a moment and felt a slap across his face. Britton broke out in bellowed laughter as she'd just smeared her dessert all over him.

  “You didn’t just do that.”

  “Oh, I did.”

  “Whoops.” He tossed her shirt up and poured his melted ice cream over her belly.

  She screamed. “That’s fucking freezing!”

  “Really?”

  She lifted herself up and tackled him to the floor. They were a mess, but they didn’t care. They couldn’t stop laughing. Jagger and Britton surrendered to each other and fell to their backs, looking up at the ceiling. Jagger took her hand in his.

  “Thank you for building me this home.”

  Jagger didn’t say anything; he just smiled and squeezed her hand tighter. He didn’t want this moment to end. Neither did she.

  Britton’s phone rang suddenly and brought them both out of their daydreams. She reached up, grabbing it off of the bedside table, and eyed the caller ID. It was David. She snuck a look at Jagger and took a deep breath.

  “Hi David… I was just laying in bed, watching TV.”

  Jagger stood up, resenting her lie.

  “Yeah, I’m fine… yes… I promise I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Jagger grabbed the phone out of her hand, wanting to crush it in his fist. In a hushed voice she yelled to him, “Jagger, no!”

  He resigned himself and handed the phone back to her. “Sorry, the phone fell out of my hand.” She made a face, indicating her disapproval. “Yeah, sounds great. Have a good night.”

  “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

  “You lied to him about where you were.”

  “Of course I did. I wasn’t going to tell him I was cheating on him over the phone.”

  “I don't want you to see him tomorrow.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Yeah, I did, but as I remember it, I’m in charge of my own actions. You don't own me.”

  It was hard to stand up to him; deep down, she enjoyed when he told her what to do. Still, she'd been the only one taking care of herself for the past ten years, and that wasn’t about to change simply because he demanded it.

  Jagger shook his head and retreated to the living room. She wasn’t about to chase him. He needed to understand that he was wrong. Britton rose to her feet and pushed her tangled hair behind her ears. Ice cream was caked to the ends. She needed to shower; it would give her a chance to cool off, anyway.

  The bathroom was connected to the master bedroom. A sparkling freestanding tub sat in the corner. She quickly undressed and turned on the water. The showerhead shot to life and steam filled the room. She stepped in, feeling the warmth race throughout her entire body. Over the splash of the water, she heard the door open.

  “Jagger?”

  Nothing. Maybe she was hearing things. She found herself wishing he were there with her; that he wasn’t angry. Maybe he had a point. Had David been a true boyfriend, it wouldn’t have been right for her to be with both of them at the same time. She could understand his jealousy. If he were dating someone else, she would want to hurt the other woman. The difference was, that while Britton might feel the fleeting urge to cause pain, she never would. She couldn’t say the same about Jagger.

  She screamed, just barely catching herself from falling. The curtain was thrown open and Jagger’s naked body stood before her. He was fuming. She could see it in his eyes. His muscles were tense and flexed. He took a step in, grabbing her arms and drawing her close. He brought his face to hers and narrowed his eyes.

  “You will see David tomorrow, and I am coming with you.”

  “But…”

  “No, this is not a request. Listen to me.”

  “Okay.”

  “At that point, you'll break it off with him.”

  “Jagger, I can’t do that with you right there.”

  His voice was not wavering. “Britton.” He tugged her body even closer to his. “I am not letting you go anywhere without me. From now on, you are mine, and I am yours. You need to end your relationship with David.”

  Had he been anyone else, she would have punched him in the face. How dare he speak to her that way? But it was Jagger, the one man who could make that threat and force her to bend to his every wish. She searched for words. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to bring Jagger to David.

  Jagger couldn’t understand why it was taking her so long to answer. What did she
have to think about? There wasn’t anything he couldn’t give to her, and no one would love her as much as he did. What were her reservations? He couldn’t handle the suspense. He pushed her bare body up against the tiled wall and squeezed her arms in his grasp.

  She yelped in pain. “Jagger, please…” She explored his eyes, hoping for a release. “I’ll break it off with David. I promise. You’re the only one I want to be with.” The words were forced and pleading, but it was all he needed to hear. His mouth crushed hers and his grip subdued. She was hesitant at first, more aware of the pain stinging her upper arms. His hand splayed across her lower back and he pressed himself into her. Pain was replaced with ecstasy, and in an instant, she succumbed to his will. She would do anything for him. She wanted to do anything for him. He had won her over again.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Britton slowly opened her eyes, replaying the events of the previous twenty-four hours. She stared at the picture of the two of them from so long ago. If only sixteen-year-old Britton had known what she would get herself into ten years later. She couldn’t help but shoot through scenarios that would undoubtedly end this whole journey. There was no “happily ever after” for them. She would need to arrest Jagger Stromm in the end. They would never live out their days together in the home he had built for the two of them.

  She rolled to her other side. He was still sleeping; he looked peaceful and happy. The blanket hung down at his waist, and his bare chest was rising toward the ceiling. Britton studied his body. She lightly traced his scars, remembering their correlating stories. The splay of nicks across his chest were still prominent and the scars were mirrored on his forearms. She recalled finding nine-year-old Jagger curled up inside the fireplace, tears mixing with the blood scattered across his face. He hadn’t cleaned the windows in time for dinner, and for that, was thrown through one by his father.

  The scrapes across his face were minor, but his forearms and chest took the brunt of the incident. She circled the burns and slices, and came to an unfamiliar gash. It was large, at least four inches, and it dug into his lower abdomen. She placed her hand over top, hiding its existence. Jagger’s hand jutted from its rest and seized her wrist. Before she knew it, she was flat on her back with her hands pinned above her head. His eyes softened and his grip relaxed as he became aware of his surroundings.

  “I’m so sorry, Britton. I completely forgot where I was. Are you okay?” He hugged her close.

  “I’m fine, just startled. Are you okay?”

  “I am now.”

  She couldn’t help but ask. “Where did that scar come from?”

  Jagger breathed deeply and pushed her away, staring into her eyes. “How about I make us some breakfast.”

  “Jagger… I don’t need breakfast. I want you to talk to me”

  He wanted to stay in bed. He wanted to tell her everything. He just didn’t know if he was ready. For that matter, he didn’t know if she was ready either.

  “I don’t know if that’s the best pillow talk.”

  Every moment she was with him, she could feel herself falling harder. She needed to get the information and get out, while she still could. “I want to know everything about you: everything I missed.”

  He leaned in and gently kissed her forehead. How could he tell her this? Would she run out of the house and never be heard from again? Jagger collapsed onto his back, shooting his eyes up toward the heavens. He searched for the words, carefully choosing each piece of information he offered up.

  “Do you remember the people I started hanging out with in high school?”

  “Yes.” Britton didn’t want to answer him, fearing that her reactions might cause him to stop talking. Was he about to tell her everything?

  “Well, as a new member, I was required to carry out tasks that may have been on the riskier side. I wasn’t very good at keeping a low profile...I was arrested four times before I was eighteen and I was on probation. Did you know that?”

  “No.” She actually didn’t know that. She was unaware of his arrests while they were dating, and they weren’t in his file. Had he been able to get his juvenile record expunged?

  “I tried to hide it all from you, but I knew that if I was caught the night of the accident with weed and alcohol in my system, I would surely go to jail for a long time. I couldn’t risk that for so many reasons.”

  She tried to take it all in. He couldn’t risk going to jail for her so he left her alone on the side of the road? She would use this piece of information to remind herself of why she was putting him away.

  “So I went into hiding with the club. Three years later, I found out that my mom had died from a heroin overdose. I hadn’t spoken to my father while I was in hiding, but I thought I should pay him a visit. I found him drunk, throwing beer bottles against the wall. I tried to calm him down, but he jabbed a broken bottle into my stomach.”

  He paused, unsure if he should continue. Her eyes were wide, and she looked bewildered.

  “What did you do?” She whispered.

  Jagger contemplated his next confession. Was she ready for this? Was she ready to carry his burden? “I was in a lot of pain, and he wouldn’t stop pushing the glass further into me. I wrapped my hands around his neck and squeezed. I couldn’t stop myself. His hand dropped, and I finally let go, but it was too late.”

  Britton was stunned. Did he just confess to murder? Was he going to finish that sentence? She became very uneasy, not sure if she should be in the same room with him now. How mad would he have to get to kill again? Why hadn’t she known about this? His file included the death of his parents, but not how they died. How did he get away with murder? What connections did this man have in the system?

  “Please say something.” He begged her. He had put himself out there, willing to trust her, but he needed something in return to know that he hadn’t made a mistake.

  “I’m sorry.” She began to cry. “I’m sorry that you had to deal with that alone.” Her words were true. His father was a terrible man, and he was only defending himself, but taking his life could not have been easy for him. She thought back to her psychology classes in college. It was all making sense. This was the reason he had turned into someone who could tie her up, slam her up against a wall, and God knows what else.

  He grabbed her, crushing her to his chest. It felt so good to finally tell that to her. He wasn’t completely sure of her reaction, but it was better than he had feared.

  There were so many things she wanted to ask him. What did he do after he realized what had happened to his father? How did he get away with murder? What happened the last seven years that caused him to transform from a kid in hiding to the leader of the entire biker club?

  “I think I’m ready for breakfast.” She smiled warily.

  He nodded with an understanding grin, crawled out of bed, and left the room.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Britton needed a moment to herself. She needed to process everything he had just confessed. What was he actually capable of? She found the possibility of danger oddly thrilling. She tried to understand her fear, questioning if she should continue with the operation, but everything within her told her to not give up just yet. She wanted to stay with him. She wanted to figure him out. Britton climbed off the bed, wrapped herself in the satin sheet, and stepped out into the living area.

  Jagger was standing there in the kitchen. He had donned a pair of speckled gray sweatpants that were now hanging casually on his hips. She leaned up against the wall, admiring him.

  “I think I’m scared of you.” She admitted.

  He turned around quickly, not realizing that she had snuck up behind him. He adored the way she was holding the sheet against her body. Why was she being modest with him now?

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Do you want to leave?” He hated to say those words, but he needed to find out what was going through her head.

  “No. I don’t.”

  H
e smiled, dropped the spatula, and briskly marched to her side.

  “You don't need to be scared of me. You have my word, this—” He lifted her scraped wrists into view. “—hurt me more than it hurt you.”

  She took a breath and turned her back to him. The skin on her spine was turning purple from being pushed up against the bathroom wall the night before. She slowly lifted her arms, displaying the bruises forming in the shape of his fingertips. She didn’t want to upset him, but if she was going to continue with him, she needed to make sure that she lived to see it through. The only way to do that was to make him aware of what his anger had already caused him to do.

  “And this was just because David called me.”

  “No it wasn’t. It…”

  “Jagger. Things about me are going to upset you. I need to know that I’m safe even if you don’t like something I have to say.”

  He nodded, taking her bruises in. He couldn’t believe that he had done that to her. Had he been that oblivious to his own strength?