Just as she was about to open the door, Lucky stumbled out with a beer in hand. “Asty! Finally!” He smiled and pulled her in. “You know what Hunter did, right? He was at the barber shop the other day, and I tell you, his hair is so soft.”
Asty scowled at him. “God, you’re practically married,” she said, angry that Hunter was attacking her senses even without being there.
“So? I wasn’t touching his dick. It’s my job to touch his hair.”
“You better not,” muttered Asty. “Tooth would kill him, and then our dad would have been dead as well.
“Tooth’s not some Nazi.” Lucky waved his hand dismissively, not knowing his boyfriend was slowly approaching him from behind.
“What was that?” he asked, leaning down until his beard and long hair touched Lucky’s shoulder.
A silly grin appeared on Lucky’s lips, and he tilted his head back to look at Tooth. “I said you’re fine with me touching other men’s hair. Right?”
Tooth groaned, and some of the thick hair around his lips moved when he exhaled and combed Lucky’s blond mane back. “That depends how you’re touching it.”
“Sinfully.” Lucky winked at Tooth, and Asty knew that was her cue to go.
She walked away, leaving the lovebirds to their own devices. She was really happy for them—at least someone in the family would get a happy ending—but it only made her feel worse about the baby growing inside her and about the two men who had taken part in its conception. She spotted Ray easily, as he was very tall, but he was too busy talking to one of the girls in skimpy dresses to notice her. She liked it that way. The last thing she wanted was to ever hear from him again. Her legs took her straight to the back of the lounge, where Priest sat on the sofa with one leg propped on a stool.
“Dad, how are you?” she uttered, dropping next to him.
He looked away from Don, with whom he was speaking, and ruffled her hair.
“I’m fine, we just needed to stop the work for the day. I bet those lazy fuckers are glad.” He leaned closer to her with a smile. “But this way, I’ll get to sit my ass in a chair tomorrow and direct them like I’m fucking Spielberg.”
Asty gave him a brief hug and leaned back, hoping none of the guys would approach her as long as she stayed at their new president’s side. This was a safe space, and she’d just spend the evening sipping juice until Dad was satisfied with her presence and let her go home without complaining.
“Have you even met Hunter yet?” Dad was set on smashing her plan. “He pulled me out in the last second.”
Asty cleared her throat and shrugged, trying to look casual, even though her throat was already clenching with emotion. She would not forget Hunter’s betrayal, no matter what he did afterward. “I’ve seen him around.”
“Go say hi to the guy who saved your old man. He’s the youngest guy here. You can talk about Twitter, or some shit like that.”
Asty pouted. “I don’t use Twitter. It’s such a time waster.”
Priest sighed. “Okay, okay, I just like you knowing who’s around, and he will be living here for at least a while.”
Asty finally agreed and looked around, trying to spot Hunter in the crowd. It wasn’t that difficult, as there weren’t that many men with both great bodies and very long hair at the party. But when she spotted him, her heart plummeted. He was sitting by a table, focused on Jewel, who sported a pair of particularly tight hot pants, and her ass was exactly where Hunter’s hand was.
Heat exploded in Asty’s face, and for a moment, she just stared, trying to collect all the pieces of her dignity. Of course, he wouldn’t care that she saw him with other women so soon after he made a fool of her and then tried to bait her into even more sex. This was so humiliating, and yet she had no choice but to go and talk to him.
She rose, but her joints seemed to squeak with stiffness as she maneuvered her body between all the guests, heading straight for Hunter. She was approaching fast when Jewel pulled Hunter into a kiss and unknowingly punched Asty in the gut.
“Oh, sorry,” Jewel said with a smile as soon as she unglued herself from Hunter, whose expression soured.
“I’m practically not there,” Asty answered with a fake smile, which didn’t seem to alarm Jewel one bit, as she cuddled up to Hunter. None of the guys wanted her as an old lady—and for good reason—no wonder, she was trying her luck with the new guys.
“What?” Jewel drew the word out as she raised one eyebrow, and Hunter only let out an inarticulate groan.
Asty braced herself, imagining her own skin like the exoskeleton of a beetle, with all the softness and vulnerability locked inside. “Thanks for saving my father. Everyone’s very ... appreciative,” she said a bit tightly.
“Sure thing. I wouldn’t betray my prez. Betrayal is one of the lowest things someone can do.”
Asty smirked and looked him in the eye, knowing Jewel wouldn’t understand the subtext anyway. Asty never had anything against this girl, but once she spotted her in Hunter’s arms, she was about to spill all the poison. “You should be true to your opinions in every situation.”
“I am. I’m a loyal guy once I commit to something.” Hunter’s lip twitched, but Jewel smiled at him with her eyes wide.
“Hardly,” Asty said, transferring her gaze to Jewel’s booze-flushed face. “I already know everything. Including your fate, Jewel. You wanna listen?”
Jewel pulled her arm away from Hunter. Finally. Taking into account the girl had once lost her job because a black cat crossed the street in front of her and she decided not to go work that day, Asty was pretty sure Jewel wouldn’t be up for a card reading.
“I … I’m not into that kind of stuff. You never know what you’ll find out if you mess with dark forces …”
Asty frowned. “Sorry. Is that why your aura darkened recently? Maybe a ghost attached itself to you,” she said, knowing that would probably send Jewel on her way.
Asty noticed Hunter roll his eyes, but she didn’t care, as long as her words got the job done.
Jewel went pale. “My aura has darkened? Are you sure? Oh, my God, what do I do?”
“You should cleanse your body and pray,” said Asty, happy to at least take sex away from Hunter.
Jewel gave Hunter a saddened look. “I’ll see you around, okay?” As soon as Hunter nodded, she rushed off toward the restrooms.
Hunter’s gaze stabbed right through Asty. “Seriously?”
Asty shook her head at him as anger bubbled up in his chest. So now, he thought he had the moral high ground somehow. “I could tell you the same thing. She doesn’t believe there’s a country called Turkey. You can do better than that,” she hissed, leaning over him.
“What do you care?” Hunter lowered his voice. “You haven’t texted me back in days.”
“So it’s my fault now?” Asty straightened her back and nodded toward the door leading to the member-only area that she was allowed into as family. “That’s rich,” she said, already walking that way with the hope that he’d follow. She couldn’t believe that man!
Once she entered the corridor, she could hear his footsteps following her, and goose bumps broke out all over her back. All she needed from him now was his sperm, and then she could finally dump him. What a fucking liar. Talking about loyalty and betrayal. Him.
She knocked on the nearest door, and when no one answered, she entered the simple guest room with a single bed and other basic furniture. She didn’t close the door behind her, but as she moved toward the window, her legs were as if made of lead. Her life had been so miserable recently. Why couldn’t she have just a bit of fun before she died?
Shivers trailed down her back as she heard Hunter enter, and she pulled the curtains over the window. The lock clicked in the eerie silence.
“You want to tell me something?” Hunter asked.
“You’re clearly over me, no matter how much you complimented me in texts,” she hissed, slowly turning his way.
Hunter spread his arms, and even
in her anger, Asty couldn’t help but notice his hair did look soft, just as Lucky said. “I don’t see your problem. You were the one to say you don’t want a relationship. Then you stop answering your phone. What right do you have to throw a hissy fit over Jewel?”
“Oh, so you actually know her name? That must be new to her,” said Asty, unable to stop the venom from getting into her mouth as she spoke.
“I usually learn the names of girls I’m going to sleep with. Except that one girl, who wouldn’t say her name, because she was just looking for two dicks.”
Asty clenched her teeth and backed away against the wall. “You’re disgusting.”
“I am? You wanna tell me something? Like, why you stopped talking to me? You think you have the right to just burst into my life whenever you feel like it?” Hunter sneered at her.
Asty took two deep breaths, knowing that it was now or never. She didn’t want to make her job even harder, and she stepped toward him, putting her hands on the buckle of Hunter’s belt. She needed to be sexy, the femme fatale who got him interested in the first place. “How about I make it up to you?” she whispered, hoping the shaking she felt in her throat wouldn’t come through in her voice.
Hunter stilled and his eyes went wide. “What?”
Asty chewed on her lip, trying to keep her voice level despite the cold feeling spreading through her guts. “You know ... make you feel good.”
Hunter grabbed her wrists. “What is wrong with you? Do I want to fuck you three times tonight? Yeah, I kind of do. Do you think I have no brain and I’m a caveman who you can charm just because you have a hot body and a pretty face? Because I’m not.”
Asty gasped, suddenly reminded of that one time when he entered her room uninvited. That was exactly how he grabbed her then. “I just wanted to suck you off,” she muttered in the end. “Everyone wants that.”
“If I wanted a quick blowjob, I’d go talk to Jewel, because she was all over me before you showed up. That’s not what I want from you.” Hunter licked his lips, and looked into her eyes. “Do you have a sex addiction?”
Asty’s brain froze. “A what?”
“Can you not control yourself when it comes to sex?”
Asty growled and tried to pull away. “Really? Are you asking me that?”
“You’re the one who is acting strange!” Hunter let go of her. “I’m trying to understand you, but you’re making it fucking hard. First, you’re all nice but don’t want a relationship, then you just disappear on me … oh, and there is that part where you sucked Ray’s cock!”
Asty swallowed hard. She knew Ray would have told Hunter about it, but it still felt like a punch in the face, and she needed a full two seconds to compose herself before she spoke. “It doesn’t matter. You already told him about everything we did. That’s almost ...” She took a deep breath as the tears tickled her throat and eyes. “almost as if he was there anyway.”
“What the hell? I didn’t tell Ray shit. He’s a fucking meathead, why would I tell him anything? Why would you even think that?”
Asty shook her head at his lies. “He followed me at the cemetery and told me everything. I’m a joke to both of you, but I’m a person, and I believed you!” she uttered, turning her face away as her control started fading. She wanted to be home so bad. She wanted to pet Behemoth and just cry over chocolate.
“Wait … He told you what?” Hunter grabbed her elbows and pulled her back so she was forced to look into his eyes. This was just cruel. Why would he make her uncover her emotions like this?
“He told me that he knows about us,” she muttered and looked down between their bodies, brushing a tear off her cheek with the side of her hand.
The grip on her elbows became firmer. “And he blackmailed you into a blowjob over that?”
She sniffed and hid her eyes behind her arm, crooking her head lower. This was so humiliating. Why couldn’t she just be calm and collected when necessary? “No—”
“Why the fuck would you suck him off then? You told me you thought he was despicable! And for the record, he is. I didn’t tell him shit. He played you, and you spilled everything. Fucking fuck!” Hunter let go of her and pushed his fingers into his hair.
Asty wrapped her arms on her chest, hardly catching her breath as her heart went crazy in her ribcage. Suddenly feeling weak, she leaned against the wall. She couldn’t stop the trembling that suddenly overcame her body. The truth crashed into her skull and left a dull throbbing that wouldn’t let her focus. “I ... I just ... why else would he come up with it? He wanted a blowjob, and since you lied to me, I thought ... I’d finish the ritual with him,” she uttered, feeling like the most scatter-brained person that ever was. She’d been so stupid. Seeing Hunter now, clearly worried, hit her with the truth. Ray played her like a damn fiddle and got a blowjob for it. And she not only sucked him off but also let him call her ugly names, just to be done with it sooner.
Hunter looked away with a scowl. “He was trying to check on me. We’d made an agreement that none of us would try and fuck you again. I clearly broke it. I’d only agreed so that he’d back off, because he’s a nasty fucker, and I didn’t want his hands anywhere near you. And … what fucking ritual?”
Asty covered her face and inhaled deeply. Her mind was in tatters. “I just ... want to protect my family. My mom and brother died, and then Beast ... I need to help everyone else.”
“Who are you helping by sucking that motherfucker’s dick, huh?” Hunter was heaving.
Asty sobbed silently, pushing her fingers against her eyelids. She’d hated everything about that encounter at the cemetery. “H-he was there in the church, and then he chased me down. It was a sign ... I can’t have Lucky and Dad be hurt. Even today, Dad almost died ... he would have if it wasn’t for you.”
Hunter pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. The gesture was so soothing that she couldn’t help a loud sob. “No one is getting hurt. I’ve got you, okay? You don’t need to do that kind of crazy shit. It’s not real.”
Asty got to her toes and hugged him, pushing her nose against his arm. She could just stay like that forever, even if Hunter didn’t understand that the world wasn’t just one plain of existence. Demons and ghosts were lurking in the shadows and sometimes crossed over, pulling fate one way or another. At least it was all done with Ray. Asty didn’t need to touch him ever again. “Thank you for saving my dad.”
Hunter just kissed her temple in response, and she’d never felt safer than in his arms.
“I’m sorry ... I just didn’t think he could be bluffing ...”
“He isn’t completely stupid. Promise me you will watch out around him.” Hunter pulled away just enough to look into her eyes.
Asty sniffed and swallowed hard, unable to take her gaze off his handsome face, now marred with worry. “Does that mean ... we can be back together?”
Her heart drummed at the lack of answer. Would Hunter now not want her anymore?
Hunter took a deep breath. “No, because we’ve never actually been together. I’m fine with keeping it a secret. Hell, I like my skin in one piece, but if we are going to do this, we’re doing this on my terms. I’ve been with lots of girls, I won’t lie. But I’ve never cheated. I’ve never been in an open relationship of any kind. I knew that when I found the right girl for me, I’d want to do it full-on.” His gaze was so intense it made her cheeks burn. “So I only want you if you can commit to me.”
Asty took a shuddery breath and nodded, too shocked for words. She didn’t expect this night to end this way at all, but she didn’t want him to go off and sleep with Jewel, or anyone else.
Hunter’s serious expression relaxed, and his lips slowly spread into a smile. “Good,” he said before leaning down to kiss her.
Asty exhaled, and for once, her chest felt so light that when their mouths met, she succumbed to the illusion that her feet came off the ground for real. “I missed you,” she admitted after a few moments.
“I guess you k
now I missed you by the amount of texts I sent you?” Hunter ran his hands along her sides, and it felt like charges of electricity trailing over her skin.
Asty smiled at him and put her cheek on his chest. She knew her makeup was probably smudged and she looked terrible, but he didn’t seem to care, and for once, she didn’t either. “Yes.”
“We need to work out a way to meet more often. This whole setup is driving me nuts. I think of you all day.” His hands slowly slid down her back, hitched her short dress up, and landed on her buttocks. “Oh, fuck, I’ve missed feeling this.”
Asty chuckled, filled with a warmth she didn’t expect. Those things never happened to good old her, but she didn’t care. If only she could live this dream at least for a bit, she could leave without as much regret. “I think of you too. Maybe ... now that it’s settled, you won’t mind a blowjob?”
Hunter shook his head with a grin. “For your ritual or because you want to?”
Asty chewed on her lip. Of course, it would also benefit the ritual, but she wanted to do this with the man who came to her in her fantasies. She wanted to be really close to Hunter’s dick and savor its taste. “I really want to.”
Hunter gave the door a quick glance and made sure it was locked. “Come here,” he murmured and pulled her in for a kiss that had her lips open in invitation and her knees weakening.
Asty closed her eyes and brushed her hands over his soft hair, imagining how it would feel to drink his cum. Even if it was bitter, she still wanted to put her lips on his cock and watch him struggle for breath. Slowly, she moved her other hand in a horizontal line just above his pants.
Hunter backed away a bit until he bumped into a wall, and his hands slid under her dress again, fondling her ass when he played with her tongue. He was a hot, hard mountain of muscle, and Asty would gladly spend the night in this crappy room if it meant waking up next to Hunter.
Split - Coffin Nails MC (Contemporary New Adult Erotic Dark Romance) (Sex & Mayhem Book 7) Page 12