by T. R. Cupak
“Come on. It’s late. I’ll take you home.” Jared stands, grabs my hand, and leads me out the door, never letting go of my hand the entire way to my house. I’m not sure where we stand, but one thing’s for sure—things have changed between us.
Chapter Seven
Jared
Rain hits the second we leave the diner, which is why we’re now racing up her front porch for cover. I keep a firm hold on her hand the whole way, fighting the onslaught of memories that being back here brings.
At the front door, she turns to tell me goodnight but stops herself. Our gazes lock in a silent staredown and there’s no missing the gleam of lust in her green eyes. I glance down her body and all the blood flows straight to my dick. Her clothes cling to her like a second skin, revealing every single delicious curve, and I lose all control.
I press her up against the door and cup her face between my hands. As much as I want to fuck her senseless, I need to know that she craves me too, that she wants this just as bad. “It’s your call, Claire Bear.”
A war of indecision battles behind her eyes, but I see the second I’ve won. Her body becomes soft and pliable in my hands. My lips crash against hers, taking and giving all at the same time. All the years of separation and anger explode from inside her as she fights back, attacking me with the same intensity.
I suck her tongue into my mouth, tasting cinnamon. It’s familiar and welcoming, but I need more. Much more. “Fuck me, I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” Her soft moans have my dick straining against my zipper.
My hands grip her thighs, wrapping them around me before I’m slamming her back up against the door. My lips trail down her neck, sucking and biting. I want to mark her, to claim her as my own.
I flick open the button of her pants and shove my hand inside. The heat of her pussy has me ready to cum in my pants like a damn teenager. She’s the only one who has ever affected me this way. A finger slips under the seam of her panties and I smile at what I find.
“You’re so fucking wet.”
“Please.” Her fingernails dig into my shoulders as she begs.
I slip another digit inside until I’m buried knuckle deep in her warmth and I take a minute to enjoy the feeling. It’s heaven—pure fucking heaven. My fingers curl inward, stroking her inner walls. Her heels dig into my sides the second I hit her sweet spot.
“I need…” Her thighs tighten around me, as words fail her. She’s close.
“Come for me, babe.” My words are enough to push her over the edge. I keep at her, milking every last drop of orgasm from her writhing body.
Watching her come apart from my hands has my balls aching with need. I press my forehead against hers, relishing the moment. All of my progress comes crashing down when I see the wall slam back over her eyes. She’s getting ready to shut me out again.
Her body slides away from my grasp as she does up her pants and keeps her gaze fixed on the floor. I open my mouth to pull her back into the moment when her phone rings.
“Detective Anderson.” She listens a beat before hanging up. When she looks up, I see unshed tears and everything else is forgotten with her next words. “Ms. Kroger was just attacked.”
Chapter Eight
Claire
The entire way over to Ms. Kroger’s, my body is a mess of emotions. My head and heart are a jumbled mess. I berate myself for caving so easily. Then I think back to the mind blowing orgasm I just had. He’s better with his hands than I remember. Images of our past and the history we shared start to creep in, but I force them down and focus on why we’re here.
The second we step through Ms. Kroger’s front door, all the air leaves my body. Everyone stops and stares at us. A chuckle over my shoulder has me turning to find Jared wearing a shit-eating grin and I want to smack him. Could he be any more obvious?
I flush under Officer Miller’s intense gaze. He knows. I’m going to kill Jared.
“What happened?” I clear my throat to bring the attention back to the crime scene and not my love life.
“They broke in through the back door and attacked her. Forensics is dusting for prints now.” Officer Miller gestures toward the scene and my stomach drops. I’ve been to many crime scenes, but when it’s someone you know and care for, it hits you hard. Furniture is knocked over and splatters of blood mar the walls and stain the wooden floor.
“Is she dea—” I can’t bring myself to finish that thought.
Warm hands come up and rub the side of my neck in a soothing gesture. I know who it is without turning around because those deft fingers were just inside of me earlier tonight.
“She’s got a head injury, but we’ll find out more from the hospital.” Officer Miller tilts his head toward the cage in the corner. “What are we gonna do with the parrot?”
“I’ll take him.”
“You can’t be serious?” Jared’s eyebrows shoot to his forehead.
I ignore him, grab Petey and his cage, and then head toward his car. “You coming?”
Jared gnaws on his top lip a minute before he lets out a few curse words. “Yeah.”
The drive back to my place is fast and quiet, except for the occasional squawking of Petey, and that’s like music to my ears right now.
Inside my house, I set Petey up in the corner of my dining room with fresh food and water, while Jared watches in silence the whole time. Once I’m finished, he follows me into the living room. Halfway there, my legs stop working. Without the distraction of Petey, everything’s starting to hit me. I stand there, needing to do something.
“You gonna be okay?” Jared tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” My head’s a jumbled mess and I don’t know which way is up right now. Like he’s always been good at doing, Jared senses my emotions better than I do. He wraps a hand around the back of my head and crushes me against his rock hard chest. My hands fist his shirt, as I bury myself closer and let the tears fall.
“I should look through the case files,” I mumble against his chest.
“It can wait until morning.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head before walking me over to my couch and sitting us down. “I’m staying the night.” I open my mouth to protest, but his hands tighten against my shoulders. “Just let me hold you. Nothing else. I promise.”
I nod and we stay like that on my couch until my eyes grow heavy. While I’m falling under, I swear I hear him say, “I’m never leaving you again,” but that’s just my mind playing tricks on me.
Chapter Nine
Claire
Another week has passed and my emotions have been all over the place. Between this case and what happened that night on my front porch with Jared, my mind is a jumbled mess. I’m rummaging through my yearbooks, hoping to find a break I desperately need when there’s a knock on my door. I open it to find a wet and annoyed Jared.
“You can’t keep ignoring me, Claire Bear.” His hands brace against the door jamb, drawing my attention to every bulging muscle showing through his soaked shirt. “Sooner or later we have to talk about what happened.”
“I’m not ignoring you. We’ve had two more victims since then, and I’m doing my best to prevent any more.” I grab a fresh stick of gum and chomp down as loud as I can. The rush of cinnamon does little to calm my nerves.
He snorts. “That’s why you haven’t been alone with me for longer than two seconds since you kicked me out of your house last week.”
“My brothers were coming over. If anything, I did you a favor.” I shrug. “But if you want them to have that chat they’ve been dying to have with you, it’s your funeral.”
His face pales, but he quickly recovers. “Tucker and Calvin can’t still be pissed. This is between us. It has nothing to do with them.”
“Your parents should have given you a sibling or two.” I roll my eyes. “It’s simple. I’m their baby sister. You hurt me, so they want to hurt you.”
“I fucked up, but I swear it wi
ll never happen again.”
The fear behind his eyes is something I’ve never seen before. He’s opening up and becoming vulnerable to me, which is why I find myself throwing caution to the wind. “Prove it.”
He wastes no time, grabbing me by the hips and wrapping my legs around his waist. “Gladly.” His lips devour mine as he ushers me backwards and drops us onto the couch, nestling himself between my thighs. The hardness of his erection digs into my core, causing me to gasp. He takes advantage, thrusts his tongue inside my mouth, and groans. “Cinnamon, my favorite flavor.”
My fingers grip the back of his head and force him closer. I need more. Much more. In a matter of seconds we’re both naked and attacking each other. Tongues dance together as our limbs intertwine. I’m not sure where I end and he begins.
He grabs my hand and wraps it around his hard length. “You feel that? It’s all for you.” A hand cups my face, forcing me to meet his gaze. “It’s only ever been you.” A soft kiss presses against my mouth as his hand skims across my belly down to my core. The second he finds my clit, my hips buck off the couch. Everything inside me clenches.
“I’ve always loved how responsive you are to my touch.” Through hooded eyes, he watches his fingers disappear inside of me. It doesn’t take much for me to come undone under his touch.
“Jared, please.” I’m not above begging for what I need and he doesn’t make me wait.
He leans back on his haunches, grips his cock, and guides himself inside me. A groan escapes me as I become accustomed to the welcomed invasion.
“You feel so fucking good. I need to move.”
Words escape me. I can only nod, as my body becomes one big jumbled mess of sensations.
Jared leans up on his hands and watches where we’re connected. “I love watching your pussy swallow my dick.”
“Harder. I need more.”
His hips pull out and slam into me over and over again, nailing my sweet spot every single time. His lips trail across my cheek, down to where my shoulder meets my neck as he continues to pound into me. The sharp bite of pain from his teeth pushes me over the edge. I’m gasping for air and coming all at the same time.
Jared isn’t far behind. After a few more deep-rooted thrusts, he falls. His forehead presses against mine. “I love you, Claire Bear.”
“I love you too.”
“Cocksucker!” Up until then, I’d forgotten all about Petey.
“I really hate that fucking bird.”
I laugh until my pulse slows down. For the first time in weeks, the ache in my heart is beginning to mend and things are beginning to look up, but nothing good lasts forever.
Chapter Ten
Jared
I was expecting Claire to shut down on me like before, but she didn’t. We’re dressed and lounging on her couch and it’s as if time hasn’t gone by at all. The open book on her table draws my gaze to it. “What’s this?”
“I’m looking through our yearbook to see if I can find a suspect.”
“Why?” It’s a struggle to keep my face blank. I thought I had more time before she found out the other reason I came.
“Because something isn’t settling right. All of the victims have been around our age and this town ain’t very big, so the killer has to have gone to school with us.”
Guilt creeps in, which is why I keep quiet and nod but she sees through my bullshit like always.
“Wait. You don’t look surprised. Why don’t you look surprised? You knew it was someone connected to me, didn’t you? That’s why you’re really here.” The hurt on her face is like a swift kick in the balls. “You didn’t come back for me at all. You came thinking I needed you to protect me.” She jumps to her feet and starts waving her hands around. “Unbelievable!”
“All of the victims went to our high school. Think about it, Claire. You could easily be next.” I do my best to force my point across, but when her temper flares, she shuts me out and nothing sinks in. “You know I’m right.” I approach her, slow and steady. She’s like a wild animal ready to kill, and I don’t want my balls shoved in my throat.
“No. I can’t believe I was so stupid and fell for your shit again. You probably don’t even give a shit about me. Get the hell out of my house.” Her tiny fists pummel against my chest as she shoves me out the door, slamming it in my face.
I drive around aimlessly and end up at Mary Lou’s diner. My body slumps inside our booth as I toss the case files and my yearbook on top of the table. I’ve carried that damn thing around since I arrived, but I’ve been so focused on Claire and our shit, I let things get by me.
“Hey, sugar. Rough night?” Mary Lou pops her gum in my ear.
“You could say that.” I fucked up royally.
“You want the usual?”
I nod.
Mary Lou walks off while I slide my yearbook and the case file across the table and start flipping through them. At first, all I see are some random group shots, but then one catches my eye. It’s of victim number one. She’s in a group shot with her friends and off in the distance is a random group of kids. Nothing too interesting.
I flip through some more and find Claire in her cheerleading uniform. A smile spreads across my face at the memories of us back then. Things were so much simpler. Then I come to the group shots of different school clubs. One in particular stands out. It’s the Christian Club and standing front and center next to victim number two is Denny, but it’s what’s on his belt buckle that draws me in.
“It’s not a number; it’s a fucking infinity symbol!” I flip through, finding the other victims and sure enough, he’s in the background of every single photo, wearing the same damn belt buckle. “Son of a bitch.” It’s been right in front of us the whole fucking time. I glance around the diner for Denny, but come up empty. “Hey, Mary Lou?”
“Yeah?” Her head peeks around the corner.
“Denny working tonight?”
“No. He up and quit on me. Said he won’t be around no more.”
“Shit!” I’m inside my car, speeding toward her house before I realize what I’m doing. I pull out my phone, hoping to warn her, but the second her voicemail picks up I toss the damn thing on the seat and haul ass. I just hope I make it before it’s too late.
Chapter Eleven
Claire
Pain explodes along the side of my head the second I open my eyes. The last thing I remember is hearing the crash of Petey’s cage and a hooded figure rushing me before everything went black. Now, I’m tied to my bed. My arms are stretched out over my head and cuffed to the bars of my headboard, but it’s the figure waiting in the shadows that has my heart pounding.
A mixture of emotions rushes through me when he limps toward me. “Denny.”
“Hello, Claire.”
“What are you doing here?” My head’s so fuzzy that I can’t make much sense of anything.
“I knew sooner or later I’d have you all to myself.” He smiles so wide that I’m blinded by the whiteness of his teeth.
“Why?”
Soulless black eyes stare back at me as he tilts his head to the side. “You. The end game has always been you.” He limps closer and sits down on the bed and caresses the exposed skin of my stomach. His gaze fixates on the movement of his hand as he gets lost in his own head. Mary Lou was right—he is nowhere near a full deck. I need to stall him until I can think of a way out of this.
“What about the others?”
“They were whores!” He runs a hand through his greasy blond hair as spittle spews from his mouth and lands on my cheek. “You should be thanking me. I did you a favor. I helped you by taking care of the trash in this town. Now, they’re immortalized. Made into something better. Something that has meaning.”
“You’re a monster.”
He’s lost in his own head and pays my words no attention. “I’ve waited a long time for this, but he was always in the way.” The second he straddles me, my insides turn. He bends down until we’re nose to nose and sig
hs. “And now you’re mine.” He grabs a fistful of material and rips my shirt down the middle, leaving me in nothing but my bra and shorts. Cold air hits my exposed body, making me shiver.
“I’m gonna make you feel so good.” His lips brush against the side of my ear as his hands trail down my bare stomach. “And after, our love will live on forever. You’ll be free. We both will.”
A lump forms in my throat as I tug against the cuffs. The bite of metal digging into my wrists does little to deter me, but it’s no use. I’m stuck at the mercy of this psycho.
“He shouldn’t have touched you. You’ve been a bad girl, Claire Bear.” He licks and sucks his way down my neck while his hand slips further down my body. The weight of his body presses me further into the mattress, pinning me in place. Evidence of his excitement digs into the seam of my shorts. “And bad girls get punished.” He grips the waistband of my shorts and all the air leaves my body. Despite all of my training, I can’t stop what’s about to happen to me and my heart plummets.
“Claire!” Jared’s voice stops Denny. He dives toward the bed, tackling Denny to the ground. They begin wrestling, knocking over anything in their path.
Jared manages to get a few punches in before Denny hits him over the head with a nearby lamp. He falls back and Denny wastes no time gaining the upper hand. He steals Jared’s gun and raises it at him.
“No!” This can’t be happening.
Denny stops long enough to glance in my direction. “He can’t have you. You belong to me.”
“Cocksucker!” Out of nowhere, Petey flies head first into Denny, knocking the gun out of his hand. Petey doesn’t stop there. He keeps attacking Denny’s face with his beak until it’s a bloody mess.