by Anthology
“I just don’t want to open up that darkness again. I can’t open the door a little bit and not expect the person I was before not to want to come out completely. I put him away for a reason. In this life, the one I currently live in, he has no place.”
Devon stared at me intently before standing and staring directly into my eyes. “What you need isn’t anything you can find here. The most expensive drink you will ever need is sitting at home in your bed, waiting for you. You know what you should do. You’re afraid and it’s understandable. Just remember, everyone has a fear they have to push through.” He winked at me and took a step back and then walked away. Where did he think he was going?
“What the fuck? You’re using my own words on me now?” I fumbled as I tried to make sense out of his nonadvice. He stopped dead in his tracks, turning around and coming back over to me.
“Look deep inside yourself, and you will find the answer you so desperately seek.” His face was impassive as if he expected me to get what he was saying without further explanation.
“What if looking deep inside is where the monster lurks?” I questioned.
“Then let him out. Give her what she wants and figure the rest out later,” he responded, walking away from me once again. Anxiety trickled into my belly. If I opened that door, it could never be closed again.
The king was making his return and there would be no mercy.
Bree
I could hear a car outside, and the garage door opening. Both sounds pulled me from my dreams. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I looked over at the alarm clock sitting on my nightstand. Two in the morning.
My face went hard as my insides turned cold from the anger running through my veins. The fact I’d been sleeping just moments ago meant nothing to me. Nothing at all. I wanted to know where he had been, and what he’d been doing. In the years we had been married, he’d never pulled such a ludicrous act before. He had never hurt me with his words as he had earlier in the evening.
The front door opened and closed as I wondered what he would say to me now. Was it worth it for me to push him as I did? Maybe I didn’t need to do this anymore.
Heavy footsteps descended down the hall, stopping outside our bedroom door. The creaking sound of the wood alerted me that he was pushing the bedroom door open. Before he could enter completely, I was already sitting up in bed with the straps of my nightie falling down. He stood before me, his gaze lingering on my body, glancing up and down before looking back at my eyes.
“I made a mistake…” His words were only a little slurred, and he smelled of beer and his cologne. I knew the instant he spoke he had been out drinking.
“Is that right?” I replied, raising my eyebrow at him. This had been our first real fight, and even if it didn’t last that long, it still hurt me. It showed me that once you spoke certain words, those words could never be taken back.
“Bree…” he purred, coming farther into the room. He reached for the button on his pants as I watched in awe. Gone was the fact we had been fighting. Now, I just wanted him. Nothing else mattered but him and me.
“You said you wanted me to be who I used to be…?” I couldn’t tell if he was asking or stating, so I just nodded my head yes. Because I did want that. I wanted to feel that blazing spark I felt with him when our love story had first started.
“I want you,” he said, his voice deep as he moved closer to me. Zerro had an aura around him. The danger, the tension—I could feel it pouring out of him. He wanted to bring me to the brink of destruction over and over again. And I wanted to let him.
His fingers wrapped around my throat, catching me off guard as he cut off my circulation slightly. I smiled, a devious feeling forming in my belly. “Then show me,” I ordered, seduction in my eyes. I wanted him. Every slick inch of him.
He smiled at me while his free hand reached into his back pocket. The hold he had around my neck didn’t let up as he swung his free hand back out. There in his hand, shining in the moonlight that peeked through our bedroom window, was a knife. A gasp left my throat, but pleasure coursed through me. This was a drug to me. The darkness lurked right on the edge of insanity. I trusted him completely, and I loved him without question.
The tip of the blade slid across my chest as I stared into his eyes, witnessing the smile in them. “Why’re you shaking?” he whispered, leaning down into my neck, his tongue darting out as he caressed the side of my throat.
Goose bumps spread across my flesh as I got lost in this moment.
I felt the pressure of his knife against my chest, my skin burning underneath the blade, making my heartbeat skyrocket. My core clenched as I watched him bring the knife over to one of my straps and then the other, snapping both of them with a switch of his blade.
He pulled the knife up to my mouth and ran it across my bottom lip.
“Do you remember the night I took your virginity?” His voice was soft, even embracing, but I was unable to form words. My tongue had fallen into my throat the moment he pulled out his knife.
I nodded, and his eyes lit up with a sexual fury. A zing of energy went through me and straight to my core. I had never felt so much passion between us, so much love.
“Get up. Go to the wall and face it,” he ordered. I did as I was told, pulling from his touch, and getting out of the bed. Standing in front of him, I allowed my nightie to fall to the floor. Zerro’s eyes took my body in, gazing at my breasts, at my pussy, which was basically begging for his cock before nodding toward the wall as he finished undressing.
My feet hit the carpet, taking me to where he wanted me. Nervousness started to creep in as I stood in front of the wall. We were bared to one another in every way possible.
“I thought about all the ways I could fuck you…” The knife scraped across my shoulder blades, leaving a trail of anticipation in its wake. “Against the wall.” He pushed me flush against it, his cock pressing firmly against my ass cheeks. “On the bed.” Another scrape of his cock between my cheeks. He was teasing me, and it was working. Sweat formed on my brow, and my fingernails dug into the plaster of the wall before me. “On the floor, kitchen counter, shower, balcony…” He trailed off, the knife sliding down my spine. “Yet, I knew nothing would be as pleasing as a long…” He paused, and I jumped as he pierced the wall above my head with the knife. “Hard. Fuck. One that has you sore for days. One that reminds you of the man that I am.” His teeth sank into my ear, and a groan escaped me as I pushed back against him.
“Is that what you want? Long. Hard. Strokes?” he purred in my ears.
“Yes, please…” I begged without even realizing what it was I was going to get.
“Turn around,” he ordered and I did so, coming face to face with him. He was naked, the night sky gleaming over his body. His muscles were well defined, and he was just as attractive as the day I met him, if not more.
“Fuck. Me.” I growled at him like a wild cat. In an instant, I was being lifted and impaled by his cock. He slammed me against the wall so hard the air shoved from my chest as the pictures rattled against the wall. I smiled, piercing his back with my nails.
“You see that cock entering that sweet little cunt of yours…” His gaze shifted down to where we were joined as I watched him enter me with an intensity most would be afraid of.
“Yes…” I moaned. My body was buzzing with electricity, my eyes flickering shut as I felt my orgasm building.
“When you come on this cock, I want you to know that it’s yours. It belongs to you.” His words were said between clenched teeth, his hand coming up to grip me by the throat once again. He applied enough pressure to set me off, pushing me off that cliff and into a euphoric-like state. My legs felt heavy, as did the rest of my body, but he refused to stop. Instead, he placed me on the bed face down, ass up as he drove into me harshly, my whimpers being muffled into the bed sheets as he held me by the back of the neck.
“Remember, I am the King,” he growled, his fingers biting into my flesh. Another orgasm formed a
nd ran through me like a lightning bolt. I could hear our flesh smacking together, his hardness penetrating so deep. I felt as if he were a part of me.
“My King!” I cried out just as I felt him pulsing inside of me. His cock throbbed inside of me until he exploded, filling me with everything that made him who he was. When he slipped out of me, I winced but smiled, loving the feeling that resonated through me.
He got up from behind me and went to the bathroom. I could hear the water running as I dropped down to the mattress. Returning with a warm washcloth, he spread my legs and placed it against my center. He was as much the man I loved then as he was today, and I had failed to realize that.
He lay down beside me, staring at me as a tear escaped my eyes, hurt that I had almost broken us when we didn’t even need fixing.
“Bree, what’s wrong? Was I too rough?” he asked, concern forming in his features as he reached forward, wiping my tears away.
“Nothing. No. It was perfect. Everything I wan…” I trailed off, unsure of how to explain what I was feeling.
“What is it then?” he questioned, confused by my words versus my actions. “Did I hurt you?” He seemed worried as I pondered the best way to lay it all out.
“No.” I shook my head. “That’s not it at all. I’m…” I stuttered around the word. He won’t be angry, will he?
“You what? Fucking spit it out, Bree.” His words came out laced with frustration at my stalling.
“I’m pregnant,” I whispered those two words at him, and the air changed instantly around us.
His eyes grew wide and terror filled my belly.
Zerro
Did she just say she was fucking pregnant?
I wasn’t sure if I should be happy as hell that she was carrying our child inside of her again, or pissed that I had just fucked her so brutally. What if I had hurt her? Hurt our child?
I could see the trepidation within her forming, the desire to have me accept her words. She wanted me to be happy, and fuck, was I ever. I just didn’t know if I made a mistake doing what I had done.
“Say something, anything…Zerro, please.” I could see the tears falling from her eyes again, just as they had moments ago.
“I’m…I can’t believe it, baby.” I turned onto my side and grabbed her, forcing her to do the same as I pulled her against my chest and wrapped my arms around her. I held her close to me for what seemed like hours until her heartbeat slowed and her breaths became shallow.
“I wanted to tell you sooner, but I…I just needed to know we were different than what we had become. Sometimes, I feel like we blend in with everyone else on this street. I wanted something wild. I wanted what we used to have because it made me chaotic to have a love like that brewing between us,” Bree whispered calmly. “Then there is school. I have to decide if I want to just finish up this year or enroll in a program after graduation. I’m so stressed, and then I found out about the baby. I didn’t want to have another baby, be stuck in school for a few more years and come home to feel like we were just two ordinary people.” Her words pierced my soul. What did she mean?
“Bree, what are you saying?” I asked, worried that she might not want this baby.
“No, not that. I want this baby, I promise. But I also want to go to school, come home and be a mommy, and when the kids are down for the night…I want to be her. Not just your wife, Zerro. But the woman you fuck against the wall. I felt if I pushed you, you would give in. I didn’t mean to make you feel like the person you are isn’t wanted. For that, I am sorry. I just didn’t want everything in our lives to seem so habitual.” Her admission caused me to pull back. She felt as if our lives had become recurrent. That it was the same old thing. That having another child would only set our predictable lives in stone.
“Look at me.” I gripped her chin in my hand, forcing her eyes to meet mine. “I would never trade the life I have right this fucking second for the life I had before. You, Gia, and that baby inside of you are my life now. The FBI is my family, and I live and breathe for justice. To me, there is nothing mechanical about us. Our daughter can kick a soccer ball better than any other child on this block. Plus, no other child looks as cute as she does in her tutu. And you…you can go to school, come home and run around with Gia, be completely exhausted and smell like sweat and grass, and I would still want to see you bent over with your ass in the air.” I smiled at her and watched her cheeks turn a shade of pink. “I guess I just lost sight of things. My job is fulfilling, and there is always a rush I get from doing it. I didn’t think about what you could possibly be missing. So, for that, I am sorry.” I owned my faults and prayed she could see the truth in my words.
“I know. At the time though, I just questioned everything. I wondered if you were bored with me, if you wanted something better, or more than I could give you and that’s why the passion wasn’t there. I asked myself, in ten years from now, would you still want me, crave me? When our kids go off to college, would you still love me like you do today? Would you still desire to feel my heart beating against your own? I had no answers because all I felt was less than what I was when compared to what we used to be.” Tears dribbled down her cheeks and I wiped them away, not wanting to see them for a second against her skin.
“I will always love you. I will always be here. I made a vow to love and protect you at all costs. I will never, and I mean never, walk away from you. Do you hear me? I will love you until God decides to take me, and even then, I will love you from the clouds in Heaven. Every year we grow older, I fall more and more in love with you, even if we do become ordinary because no one is you.” More tears rolled down her cheek.
“I just…” She choked on a sob. “I just wanted to know the man I fell in love with was still inside of you, no matter how much we both have changed. But I’m sorry I tried to make you him again because of my own insecurities. I love you for everything that makes you, you.” I smiled and pulled her into my chest.
“I love you for you too, Bree King. And as far as school, do whatever makes your life feel meaningful,” I whispered into her hair. She smelled like me, but with our scents mingled together.
She tilted her head up, and I laid a kiss upon her forehead as we both closed our eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Ringing echoed throughout the room as the floor vibrated.
“Zerro.” I could hear my name being called as Bree’s breaths blew against my skin. Opening my eyes, I realized we were still tangled in each other’s arms the same way we had fallen asleep only hours ago.
Ring. Ring. More vibrating.
“Zerro, your phone.” Bree’s sleepy voice met my ears as she rolled off me and onto her other side. Sliding from the bed, I made my way over to my jeans I had abandoned. I bent down, picking them up as I searched the pockets for my cell.
Frank’s name flashed across the screen. Glancing out the window, I noticed it was still pitch black outside, which only told me how early it was. Was something wrong with Tegan or Devon, or worse, the baby? Frank never called this late unless it was an emergency, and since I didn’t have another job this week, I was a bit confused.
Without another thought, I tapped the answer key on my screen as I brought the phone to my ear.
“About time you answer, boy. Rally the squad, team meeting in three hours. We got inside info, change of plans on that mission for next week. It’s happening in two days time, and it’s a rescue. So get another hour of beauty sleep and be here one hour ahead of everyone else.” His tone was gruff as his voice boomed through the speaker.
“Yes, boss. Anything else I can do for you at this fine hour?” I asked sarcastically.
“You sure can. Drop the shit and call Devon. Tell him to stop touching my daughter long enough to answer the damn phone. He needs to come in with you.” Those were his final words before the line went dead.
Dropping the phone from my ear, I stared at it before walking back toward the bed. I placed the phone on the nightstand on my side as I got back in bed with her.
I could already see the questions pouring into her head. She had no idea of the things I dealt with at times, but she still managed to love and carry me through them.
“What’s going on, everything okay?” Bree asked as she sat up in bed, worry evident on her face.
“Go back to sleep. Everything is good,” I said.
“How long?” she whispered while looking at me, already knowing that the phone call meant one or two things.
“Two days,” I responded, as I got comfortable on my back, resting my hand on my abdomen. I turned my head to take in Bree and couldn’t help but trail my gaze over her still naked body. Need throbbed within me as her tongue snaked out, licking her bottom lip. My hand slid down my abs, wrapping around my cock. She wanted to feel reckless with me. I would give her whatever the fuck she wanted or burn the city to the ground trying.
“Guess you better come and show me who the Queen is and take what’s yours, then.” Hunger filled her eyes as she straddled my hips, her luscious tits jiggling in my face. Fuck. And she thought I was bored with her? I would never get tired of this view.
She sank down on my cock with no warning, grabbing my hand and placing it on her lower belly as she lifted her hips slowly. At that moment, I knew I would never feel for anyone what I felt for her.
She was a debt that would never be repaid.
The End
About the Author
J.L. Beck is the bestselling author of numerous books including Indebted, Inevitable, Invincible, and The Bittersweet Series. She's best known for weaving a tale, that ends with your mouth hanging open, and your hands gripping the edge of your seat.