I narrow my eyes on him. “Well, I’ve always wondered what you’d look like dead.”
He gives a dark laugh, and he steps closer to me, our bodies almost touching. His hand still wrapped around my upper arm. “If you take one more step, I’m gonna find out,” I warn him.
“Baby, you think you could beat me?”
I cringe at him calling me baby but say, “I have no doubt.”
He takes a slow, deep breath as his eyes rake over my chest and down to my legs. I suddenly hate that I’m wearing shorts. “I’ll have you on your back and my hands around your throat before you can even scream for help.”
I actually smile because I finally get to kick his ass. I yank my arm from his hold, ignoring the sting from his nails tearing it, and say, “Then what are you waiting for?”
He doesn’t wait another second; he reaches up and shoves me backward. I suck in a sharp breath from the force. Now, Conner isn’t a big guy. He’s a little over six feet and maybe a hundred and sixty pounds.
But while I try to right myself, he runs at me, and with his weight and speed behind him, he throws his body into mine. Knocking me backward even farther, I hit the front door. My head bangs against it, and I go to cry out, but his hand has already wrapped around my throat. I try to suck in a breath, but his hand tightens. He smiles down at me as my throat starts to burn. I am able to get enough space between us, and I lift my knee to knock him in the dick. “Shhhhiiiittt,” he says gasping for air as he takes a step back.
I suck in a long breath that burns my already aching throat, reach over, and grab the first thing I see, which is a glass bowl off the table in the entryway. I swing it at him just as he stands. He lifts his forearm to block it. The glass bowl and the glass balls inside of it go flying into the air before everything hits the floor and shatters to a million little pieces. I feel a few glass pieces cut my legs.
“Fucking bitch,” he sneers. “You’ll pay for that.”
I smile even as my throat continues to burn. “Bring it, fucker.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
RYDER
I slide my shirt off my shoulders and pause. “Ashlyn?” I call out. It sounded like… breaking glass?
She doesn’t answer. I open the bathroom door, the air whooshing from the force. “Babe?” I ask when I don’t see her on the bed or anywhere else in the room. I thought I heard the doorbell ring earlier, but when she didn’t answer me, I thought I was hearing things.
“Fucking bitch!” I hear a man say roughly.
I run out of the bathroom and through her bedroom. When I come down the hallway, I see Ashlyn punching a guy in the face. She hits him with a right hook, and he blocks it then shoves her backward. She trips as she steps in a pile of shattered glass. Her back hits the kitchen table and she spins around, reaches out, and grabs the glass vase. She spins around just in time to hit him in the face with it.
“Ashlyn!” I snap out of whatever daze I’m in and grab the guy as he goes for her again. I pull him by his shirt just as his hand tangles in her hair. She lets out a scream as he pulls her with us by her hair. She falls to the ground, knocking over a chair with her. And I shove him up against the wall.
His black eyes widen when he sees who has him by the fucking throat. “Ryd…” I squeeze harder, cutting off his air.
“Ashlyn,” I growl her name, trying to understand what the fuck is happening. “Talk to me, babe. You okay?” I ask not taking my eyes off him. My heart beats wildly in my chest in fear of her. My mind tries to piece together why the fuck I have Conner by the throat.
“Yeah,” she responds, clearing her throat. “I’m fine,” she says angrily.
I let out a long breath as my muscles flex. “What the fuck are you doing here, Conner?” I snap.
He can’t answer. Not with my hand around his throat. His face is turning red and his lips purple. They are parted as if he is trying to breathe, and his hands grip my wrist. His hands loosen, and his eyes start to roll to the back of his head. I let go of the sorry bastard, and his body goes limp, but he’s able to stay upright.
I give him my back while he coughs and sputters. She’s in the process of standing from the dining room floor, and I go to reach for her hand to help her when I’m hit from behind.
We fall to the floor, and Conner lets out a scream of frustration as he sits on top of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ashlyn stand and her blue eyes murderous as they look at Conner. She starts for him …
I punch him in the face.
His head snaps back, and I shove him off me. He rolls to a stop on the hardwood floor and spits out blood. Ashlyn comes to a stop. “Go get my phone. And call down to security,” I tell her as I pat down my pockets on my slacks. I had my phone in my suit jacket that is on her bed.
She just stands there, her neck red with what looks like fingerprints. My jaw tightens as I look at the trail of blood running down her leg from what looks like a cut. A bruise covers her right upper arm. You can tell by the outline that it’s from his hand. Her chest rises and falls fast as her eyes are trained on him. I can see her body shaking from here. “Ashlyn,” I snap. “Go call them. Now,” I yell.
She doesn’t even flinch at my tone, but her eyes slowly turn to me. What I see in them makes me nervous. Her beautiful blue eyes are dark. So dark they look unrecognizable. She opens her mouth to argue, and I point at the hallway. “Fucking go!” I shout.
With one last look of hatred, she turns around and runs off to her room.
I look down at Conner. He still sits on the floor, blood running from his mouth. “Get up,” I growl. “Get the fuck up,” I shout as I kick him in the side. “You wanna fight? Let’s fight.” I put up my fists. “I’ve wanted to kick your ass for years,” I say with a smile.
He finally stands on shaky knees. He lifts his hands, and his eyes look at me. But they go past me and look down the hallway. He smiles, and his once white teeth are stained red from my punch to his face a moment ago. “So still fucking the whore, are you?” He looks at me and laughs. “You know”—he reaches up and wipes the blood from his chin—“I used to share a room with Becca right beside Ashlyn.” He leans in closer and whispers, “I used to lie awake and listen to her scream out Bradley’s name.” My heart beats so hard in my chest, my ears are pounding. “Then you went and fucked her.” He looks me up and down with disgust. “How does it feel to know that no matter what you do, she’ll always go back to him?”
True hatred wells up inside me for this fucker. “I’m gonna enjoy this,” I growl from deep within my throat.
He swings his right fist, and I duck. I run forward, wrapping my hands around his waist and picking him up off the ground. He doesn’t come to a stop until we hit the countertop in the kitchen. I punch him in the face once, twice. Three times. His head snaps back, and his body goes limp. I take a step back, breathing heavily, and his head falls to the kitchen floor.
I drop to my knees and straddle his chest. I grab his collar, and his head hangs to the side, his eyes starting to swell shut. “Listen here, you little fuck!” I growl, giving him a little shake. “You stay the fuck away from my sister. And you stay the fuck away from my girl.” I shove him back, and his head hits the tile floor. “Next time, I will kill you.” His body falls to the floor, and he lets out a moan of pain as he curls up in a ball.
I turn around just in time to see Ashlyn opening the front door to allow the apartment security to enter.
***
“Thank you,” I tell the three security men who assist Conner out of the girls’ apartment. I slam the door shut and look down at the mess we’ve made. Glass covers the floor, blood staining the white floors in the entryway and the kitchen, both from Conner. The kitchen chair is still turned over on its side.
I try to loosen my tight muscles by rolling my shoulders. I decide to leave it all how it lies and make my way down the hallway and through Ashlyn’s bedroom. I then enter the bathroom and hear the shower running. I yank the glass door open to see Ashlyn
standing under the sprayer. My chest rises and falls quickly as I breathe heavily. My muscles tight and nostrils flared. “Ashlyn,” I snap.
Her hands stop midway through her hair, and she steps out from under the sprayer and looks at me. Her eyes narrowed at me as if I did something wrong. “What?” she asks as if she wasn’t just in a fight with Conner.
“What?” I growl. “What?” I step in not caring that I still have my dress slacks on and slam the door behind me. It rattles from the force. “What is all you have to fucking say?” I shout, feeling my lungs burn. My entire body shakes with anger. Fear. How did I not know he was here? “Why didn’t you tell me he was coming over?” I demand.
“I had no clue he was coming over,” she snaps back. “Your sister called me and said he was coming up.”
“Why would she do that?” I shout.
“I don’t fucking know,” she yells back.
I take a step back from her and run a hand through my hair. My right side is soaking wet from the sprayer. My slacks heavy on my hips. I let out a shaky breath.
“What do you want me to say?” she demands, placing her hands on her hips. Her attitude pissing me off more.
I step back into her. “I want you to say that you didn’t try to fight a guy who is double your size,” I say, getting in her face.
“Please. I could have taken him.”
My eyes widen. “Really? ‘Cause that’s not what I saw when I ran in and saw his hands on you.” I’m screaming in her face. I’m losing control. I keep telling myself to step back, to calm down, but the longer I look at her, the angrier I get.
She pushes her chest into mine, her eyes narrowed and her lips in a thin line. I fist my hands down by my side. “If you’re looking for me to apologize, it’s not gonna happen.”
She’s fucking driving me mad and not in a good way. “I’m looking for you to admit that you can’t do what your mind tells you it can do.” Does she honestly think she can take on a man double her size? Yes, she does. I’ve seen her try to do it twice before today.
She reaches up and pokes a finger in my hard chest. Her nails press into my skin. “Why don’t you hold your breath while you wait for that?” She arches a brow in challenge.
I take a deep breath as I try to calm my nerves. I’m all worked up. Conner being here pissed me off. The fact that I beat the shit out of him made me feel a little better until I turned to see Ashlyn standing in the doorway and really got to look at her. Her hair a mess, her neck reddened, and her chest rising and falling fast with every breath she took. I felt murderous.
She pulls away from me, opens the glass door to exit and I grab her upper arm, yanking her back. I shove her back against the cold tile. She hisses in a breath, looking up at me as I cage her in with my body. The water hits us full force, pulling down my soaking wet slacks. “Ryder …”
I slam my lips on hers. I run my hands up her sides and cup her tits. She pushes her hips into mine as her hands wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to her. She moans into my mouth as her body melts into mine instantly. I pull away panting. “Don’t ever do that again,” I say roughly.
She shakes her head, her hands flying to the waistband of my slacks. She pops out the button followed by the sound of my zipper. “Never,” she whispers with a smile on her face, telling me she’s lying as she shoves my wet and heavy slacks down my legs along with my boxers. I step out of them and kick them to the side. They hit the shower floor and water splashes on my legs.
She wraps her hand around the base of my hard cock. I groan and pull her hand away, pinning her hands above her head. “I’m serious,” I say, lowering my head down to hers.
She bumps her forehead into mine. “Stop thinking I’m the type of girl who changes for a man.” She gives me a fuck you smile. She’s good at those. “Because I’m not gonna change who I am for you, Ryder.”
My jaw tightens, and I have to bite my tongue to keep from telling her exactly how I feel about that statement. Instead, I decide to go with a different approach. I know exactly how to get her to listen to me. And it has everything to do with my cock and her pussy.
I place both of her wrists in my left hand and tighten my hold. She whimpers as that smile wipes off her face. My right hand slides down her flat stomach and over her shaved pussy. I run two fingers over her wet lips. She sucks in a ragged breath when I slip a finger into her. “So wet …” I say, and she whimpers.
I remove my finger from her pussy and grip her thigh. I yank her leg up and wrap it around my hip. Taking my hard cock in my hand, I ram it into her tight pussy. She cries out as she arches her back.
Letting go of her hands, I place both of my hands on her ass and pick her up. I pound into her as the water hits our bodies. Our kisses are wet and our bodies’ slick. Her hair sticks to her face, and her nipples hard against my bare chest.
“Ryder …”
I place my hand over her mouth, and she closes her eyes as she mumbles into it. “I don’t wanna hear you,” I say roughly. She whimpers and thoughts of what Conner said come back to me. I used to hear her scream as Bradley would take her.
I fuck her harder! Anger and pure jealousy take over my mind.
Her head falls from side to side as I pump into her, her back sliding up and down the tiled wall. My legs strain as my wet feet try to slip while I stand in the water. My right arm grows tired as I hold her up with it, my other hand still over her mouth.
Removing my hand from her mouth she sucks in a ragged breath. I drop her to her feet, and she sways. I grab her arm and shove the glass door open, pulling her out of the shower, and she inhales sharply when the cold air hits her soaked body.
“Bend over,” I say as I place her in front of me tangling my hands into her wet hair.
“Ryder …”
I lean over her back, my hard cock presses against her ass. “Stop talking,” I say into her ear, “and just do what you’re told.”
Her body shivers, but she places her hands on the counter, bending at the waist. I press her down further by her hair, her chest and stomach on the countertop and she hisses in a breath.
I spread her legs far apart, and without warning, I grab my cock and ram into her. She arches her back, and she cries out. My hands tighten in her hair as I start to move.
Anyone who can hear her right now will hear her yelling my name tonight. Over and over. Until I decide I’m done with her.
ASHLYN
I sit on one of the white leather couches in my and Becca’s apartment. Becca and Jaycent sit across from me on the other white leather couch. I tilt my head from side to side, trying to ease the soreness in my neck. Ryder took me three times in a matter of two hours. To say my body has been royally fucked is an understatement. But it was worth it. I’ve always liked my sex rough, and Ryder has yet to disappoint me.
I place my cherry sucker into my mouth as Becca stares at me wide-eyed. “You’re joking.”
Pulling the sucker out of my mouth with a pop, I shake my head. “I’m not.”
“What the hell did you do?” Jaycent asks before taking a sip of his beer. His knuckles white from his tight grip.
After Ryder had finished taking his anger out on me—he called Becca and told her what happened with Conner. Then he called Jaycent to fill him in. Thankfully, Ryder hasn’t asked why she and Jaycent arrived at the same time. I think he’s still too busy being worked up about what happened to put two and two together.
“Ryder kicked his ass,” I say with a smile. God, I had been waiting a long time to watch Conner get his ass beat. If you ask me, he got off easier than he deserved, but still, I enjoyed it.
Ryder enters the living room, two beers in his hands. He leans over the back of the couch and kisses my hair. It’s a soft kiss to let me know that he can still be tender. I wish I could tell him I don’t require such affection.
He then walks around and sits down next to me. He places his arm on my shoulder and pulls me to his side. I go willingly and let out a long sigh. I’m g
etting used to this damsel in distress, even if I did want to take care of Conner myself.
“I didn’t do much,” he says with a shrug, handing me my beer.
I laugh. “Oh, whatever.” I take a sip of my beer and smile at him. “You kicked his ass, and it was beautiful.” I place my sucker back in my mouth. His eyes lower to my lips, and I suck harder, my cheeks caving in at the action.
Everyone laughs, and Ryder leans to my ear. “Are you trying to show me what I have to look forward to?”
I ignore him, and he reaches up and pulls it from my lips with a popping sound. He sticks it in his mouth, and I feel my pussy clench, reminding me that I’m still very sore from earlier. He hands me back my sucker and looks at Becca. “Where were you?” he asks her, and her laughter dies immediately.
“I was out shopping,” she says without thought, but I don’t miss the cringe at her own words.
“You hate shopping,” Ryder says.
She shrugs. “I needed a new dress for your birthday party.” Nice lie although she can’t look at him as she says it.
He nods his head as if that’s believable. “Well, I alerted security about him. And told them that if he is even seen entering the building to call the cops.”
“Did you file a report?” Jaycent asks.
Ryder shakes his head. “I didn’t even involve the cops. I let the apartment security handle it. The less we have to deal with the police, the better.”
“Do you think he’ll press charges?” Becca asks with worry in her voice.
“Fuck no,” Ryder says with confidence. His eyes slide over to me as I lick my sucker. Then he returns to his sister. “He has no case. He came into your apartment and attacked my girl.” I hide my smile behind my sucker. That’s the second time he’s said that. The first time was earlier when he was beating up Conner. I don’t know why hearing it makes me feel all warm inside. “He has no case,” he repeats. “And he knows I could bury him so deep that he would never have a chance.”
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