by Jenika Snow
Oh God. The bile that she had successfully kept down rose to the surface with so much force she couldn’t hold it back. When the contents of her stomach were out, she cried out in pain when his fingers grabbed her chin, angling it up to him. “There were so many times I wanted to take you while you slept. Even in slumber your body remembered the delicious pain I gave you. I wanted to spread those pretty thighs and fuck you harder than that back-alley fighter did. Then I would look at you and get disgusted that you had let another man’s cock inside of you.” He shoved her head away and went back to buttoning his shirt. “Don’t worry, though. There will be plenty of time for you to make it up to me. You’ve inconvenienced me, Brea. You’ve made me look like a fool in front of everyone I know. I will not stand for that any longer.” His voice was hard and cold.
The very thought that Cameron had been in her house, watching her sleep, being that close to her, made the ability to stop crying impossible. Actually hearing him admit he had someone following her, watching her and Adrian’s every move and reporting the information back, had her skin tightening in fear and disgust. Just thinking about how the scumbag Cameron had hired to do his dirty work had spoken to her left a bad taste in her mouth. It was clear as day that Cameron would go to any length to destroy her life. She could see his haggard face as he sat across from her at the coffee shop. She knew there had been something off about him. And then when he entered her house, watching Cameron slap her continuously, there had been no compassion, no sympathy for her situation. He was a dirtbag that had taken the wad of cash Cameron had given him and left without a backward glance.
Cameron bent down when his clothes were in their rightful place and unzipped the duffle bag said asshole had dropped off before he left. She couldn’t see what he had gotten out, but when she heard the sound of a gun chamber being opened and then closed, her heart stopped. He turned around, her father’s Colt .45 in his hand. Her eyes danced between the gun and his face. She knew he wouldn’t kill her, not yet anyway, but he did like to maim.
“When I found your little getaway bag I was surprised to find this little beauty tucked in there. You even had the chamber fully loaded. I have to say, love”—he lifted his eyes to her and lifted the gun, his brow rising at the same time—“I find it a turn-on that you were actually going to use this on me.” He tossed the gun back in the bag and then stalked toward her. “Although I’d love to finish what we started right here, I find this atmosphere unattractive.” He scowled and started untying her hands and feet. Before she could stand, both his hands were on her shoulders, his face right in front of hers. “If you try and leave me again, Brea—” He slammed his mouth hard on hers. Teeth and lips clashing together, she tried to turn her head which just resulted in his grip tightening.
When he stopped the kiss, he hauled her up by the arms as the front door splintered open. Cameron let go of her with a curse and she sank to her hands and knees, her body just too weak to stay standing. The shrill sound of the alarm going off was dull compared to the curses and shouts that rang out around her. Her wrists were raw and bloody, but she braced her hands on the floor and pushed herself up. The first thing she noticed when she was upright was the front door hanging by its hinges. The second thing was Adrian standing on the threshold, his hand gripping Cameron’s henchman by the neck. The guy was beaten up, his lips, mouth, and nose bloody and both his eyes already starting to turn black. Cameron was only a few feet to her left, but with him distracted she took a few more steps away. Just being near him had her whole body shaking.
“You motherfucker.” Adrian’s voice was low and deadly calm. “I’m going to make you pay for everything you put Brea through.” Adrian tossed the man aside and as soon as he hit the floor he scrambled up and darted out through the broken door. It was just the three of them and the tension was thick, so very thick.
Her left eye was partially swollen shut and she tasted the tangy flavor of blood in her mouth, but the strength had suddenly surged within her. She looked between Adrian and Cameron, saw Adrian look at her for a split second before his full attention was back on Cameron. A muscle ticked in his jaw and his knuckles were white with the force of how tightly his hands were clenched.
Cameron laughed, the same one he used when she would beg him to stop. “There isn’t anyone, most of all the man that used her for a quick fuck, that can stop me from taking what is mine.” He took a step toward her and she took one away.
“Brea, baby, come over here.” Adrian sounded so calm, so sure of the situation. She desperately wanted to go to him, to let him protect her, but she reminded herself she couldn’t be selfish, she couldn’t let him get hurt.
“Adrian, please, just leave.” Those were the hardest four words she had said thus far. All she wanted to do was run into his arms, to have him tell her everything would be okay. But she wasn’t going to allow that to happen.
Adrian didn’t look at her.
“As you can see, Brea knows her place is by my side.” Cameron’s mocking voice filled the room. “Come here, love.”
“No, Cameron.”
The air dropped ten degrees. Cameron turned toward her, the ice in his stare glacial. “Brea.” The way he said her name, as if it were a command she needed to follow, had her resolve growing a foot. “Come. Here. Brea.”
“No, Cameron.” She had never said no to him in their relationship, and maybe the only reason she felt the strength now was because Adrian was here, but it was a step. A very small step.
“I’ll overlook your disobedience this once if you come here now.” He was fully facing her now, the anger radiating off of him.
“Don’t talk to her that way or I’ll make sure you can never say another word again.”
Cameron slowly turned back toward Adrian. “This coming from a man that treats women as if they are nothing more than a hole to fuck.” Adrian practically seethed with anger. “Are you not the same thug that fucked a different woman every other night before you got your filthy clutches on my Brea?” Cameron was baiting Adrian. Like a flash of lightening, Adrian charged toward Cameron. The two of them fell to the ground and a cry tore from her mouth. She could not let Adrian get hurt. There was no denying he was a fierce fighter and could handle himself, but Cameron was evil incarnate. The things he was capable of…
Chapter Twenty-Three
The sound of glass breaking, wood splintering, the alarm sounding, and fists meeting flesh filled the small room. Everything was happening so quickly with a whirlwind of activity that Brea grew dizzy. She was vaguely aware of the phone ringing, assumed it to be the alarm company, but she didn’t have time to answer it and plead for help. She knew what she had to do, and that was get to her gun. If she didn’t stop Cameron he would kill Adrian. There was no doubt in her mind about it.
The bag was close, so very close. She raced toward it and dropped to her knees in front of it. Fingers shaking terribly, she grabbed the gun and pointed it at Cameron, but he and Adrian were rolling around on the ground, trying to top the other. If she missed she could very easily shoot Adrian. Her purse and all of its contents were scattered just a few feet away. Racing toward it she fell to her knees and grabbed what had caught her eye and shoved it in her pocket.
She turned toward them and a heartbeat passed before she found the opening she needed, but before she could pull the trigger Cameron pushed Adrian so hard he slammed into the doorframe, the sound of his head cracking against the wood deafening. She almost lost her grip on the gun, the need to rush over to him and make sure he was okay running strong inside of her. She couldn’t be weak, not now. Raising her arms and pointing the gun at Cameron, she tried to steady her breathing, tried to remember her training.
“You’re not going to shoot me, love.”
A lump formed in her throat and she tried she swallow past it. “You know what, Cameron?” He raised a brow. The only sign of his distress was the cut above his eye, the shadow of a bruise on his cheek, and the steady trickle of blood coming from his nose.
“I’ve always hated you calling me that, and I’ve always hated you.” She pulled the trigger, making sure the barrel was pointing directly at his chest. The world stopped around her as she stared at Cameron, the smirk on his face triumphant. She pulled the trigger again and again, yet nothing happened.
Nothing. Happened.
A sob tore through her at the same time the gun slipped from her hand, tumbling to the ground.
“I told you you’re not going to shoot me.” He reached into his pocket and held his closed hand up to her. She knew what he had before he opened his palm and the bullets fell and bounced off the hardwood floor, as if mocking her. “Now.” His smile vanished and the evil she knew all too well hit her like a punch to the chest. “I’m going to use you harder than ever. I’m going to make you wish I had never found you.” He stepped closer until he stood right in front of her. She wanted to move, she really did, but he petrified her and she couldn’t do anything but stand there, staring up at him.
When she looked over at Adrian, a trail of blood slid down from his hairline, his face relaxed. How she wished things could have been different. Cameron picked up the gun and held it up. “Did you actually think I would leave a loaded gun where you could reach it?” He tsked and held the barrel between her eyes. There were no bullets in it, but it didn’t matter because even if there were she would have welcomed death. She closed her eyes, wishing everything could just end. He murmured things to her, things she blocked out because the ringing in her ears was too loud. Her pocket, she had it in her pocket.
The pepper spray was in her hands within a second and she placed her finger on the trigger. This was it, once she sprayed him in the eyes she needed to get her and Adrian out of the house, needed to call the cops. She needed to use those precious few moments to her advantage.
She opened her eyes, stared into the bottomless depths of Cameron, and then heard a sound that had her heart beating again. It was like the world was in slow motion around her. Adrian struggled to stand, the blood still trickling down his forehead. His face was pale, so very pale. He reached a hand to her and then closed his eyes, his other hand going up and cradling his head. There was movement to her side but she didn’t tear her gaze away from Adrian’s.
A gunshot rang and there was a moment when she wondered if Cameron had reloaded the gun and shot her. There was no pain like she expected there to be after being shot, but maybe there was no pain when death finally claimed a person.
As if the slow motion reel sped up, there was commotion in every direction. When the haziness in her brain dissipated she realized that her crummy living room with the broken pieces of her life scattered around was filled with men in blue uniforms. Turning back toward Cameron, she saw his lifeless body lying at her feet. Blood pooled from behind his head and she could clearly see a single gunshot wound to his temple. His eyes were open, staring at her. Even in death he was still watching her. Police officers had their guns raised and their mouths were moving. Although she could see that they were talking, no sound came to her. One of them stood in front of her, seeming to shout things at her, but all she could do was stare at him.
Slowly, as if someone were turning the volume up, the noise filled her ears. The blaring of the alarm was now silenced, but the yelling of officers all around her filled the void.
“Ma’am? Are you okay?” Blinking, she couldn’t find her voice to respond to the cop. Like a lightbulb turning on, she looked at the spot where Adrian had been lying, but it was now empty.
Panic seized her. “Where is he? Where is he?” Was that her voice sounding crazed?
“Ma’am?”
“Adrian, oh God, where is Adrian?”
“Brea? Move the fuck out of the way.”
The sound of his voice sucked all the air from her lungs. She turned toward the sound, saw him pushing his way past officers and medics. When he saw her he stopped. She didn’t waste another minute as she ran to him. He embraced her with open arms and she didn’t hold back her tears. This time she wasn’t crying because she was scared or in pain. This time she was crying because she was happy and right where she wanted to be. Right where she should be.
* * * *
After they had been cleared medically, the police had brought them to the station. The room they had her in was cold and as colorful as a sheet of notebook paper. The chair was uncomfortable with one of the legs uneven, causing it to rock from side to side every time she shifted. They had put Adrian in another room, and even though they said it was just for routine questioning, it felt like an interrogation.
After sitting in a box-like room for over an hour and telling them every horrid and nightmarish detail of her relationship with Cameron, they were finally letting her go. She just wanted to see Adrian, wanted him to hold her and wanted to feel his warmth.
When the police had come to her house because of the alarm being tripped and her phone being unanswered, they had walked in and saw Cameron pointing the gun at her head. At that point she had blocked everything out so she hadn’t heard them commanding Cameron to drop the weapon. When he hadn’t done just that, they had taken matters into their own hands. Now his body was in the morgue and he couldn’t hurt her any longer.
They had caught up with the scumbag Cameron had hired to spy on her, Mic Loughton, when he had been pulled over for speeding, of all things. He had caved and told them everything when they found the weapons, drugs, and cash in his backseat. With Mic’s confession, her statement, all of her medical records, and that lone police report that she had filed on Cameron all those months ago, they closed the case. Now here she sat, wanting nothing more than to leave without having to look over her shoulder ever again.
This was it. The end. She could finally start living her life now.
Chapter Twenty-Four
One month later
The scene was the same Brea had witnessed a dozen times. The crowd, the sweat, the blood. Except this time she was a spectator since it wasn’t her night to work. The atmosphere from the “other side” of it all was different and Brea found the adrenaline rapidly racing through her bloodstream. So this is what all the hype is. Adrian had just done a TKO on his opponent, but the roaring crowd didn’t draw his attention from what he was looking at. Her.
There wasn’t anything better than watching Adrian in his element, even though she wasn’t the biggest advocate of fighting. There was just something about watching him fight, about seeing all his power and strength. It made her feel like nothing on this planet could harm her as long as Adrian was with her.
When he left the cage he went straight to her. Hand in hers, Adrian led her through the crowd, up the stairs, and out the back. His truck was parked right outside the side door, but that’s not where he took her when they stepped outside. She knew what he wanted. Hell, it was what she wanted, too. After every fight both of their libidos were on overdrive.
His big body pressed hers against the brick wall and his lips claimed hers in a searing kiss. He smelled of sweat from the fight, but the scent aroused her and she found herself pressing closer to him. The idea that anyone could come right outside the door and see what they were doing should have embarrassed her, but it did the complete opposite.
“God, Brea. I want to take you right here.” His hot breath slid across her neck and she shivered.
“Adrian…”
“I know, pretty girl. I know it’s a stupid thought, but Brea…” The feel of his tongue up her neck had her turning her head to the side to accept more of his wicked touch.
“No, Adrian. I want you. Now.”
His muffled groan sent a spike of lust straight through her core. His hands cupped her ass, bringing her pelvis flush with his. He was hard against her belly and she wanted to feel all of him pushing inside of her. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Thank God she had worn a skirt tonight. The material slipped up her thighs and a cool breeze slid across the most intimate part of her. With her arms wrapped around his neck he took one of his hands
and cupped her bare ass cheek. The thong had also been a very wise choice.
“Fuck, baby. Do you want to kill me?” His words came out as a half groan, half plea.
“Do me, Adrian. I ache for you.” The feel of his teeth along her collarbone sent her into a frenzy. She needed him now.
“Don’t worry, baby. I’m going to make you feel so fucking good.” Hooking his finger in the material of her thong, he shoved it aside and ran the digit along her soaked cleft. He tore his fingers away just as quickly as he had touched her. The sound of his zipper being ripped down had her pushing herself on him, tempting him to go faster. She reached between them with one hand and gripped his scorching-hot shaft. They both groaned in need.
A month had passed since Cameron’s death, and each day it was getting easier to live without the fear she was so accustomed to. Adrian was helping her each step of the way, and she knew that it was him and all of his support that was making this journey easy and smooth. It also helped that he was so forthcoming with satisfying her other…needs.
His cock was hard and he pulled her panties aside, sliding against her moist folds. With each thrust of his hips against her pussy, she felt her clit swell. He bent his knees and positioned the tip of his erection at the entrance of her pussy. In one quick move he buried himself inside of her. Adrian was hot and hard and filled her to the brim.
“Have I told you lately how good you feel surrounding me, pretty girl?” His lips skimmed along the shell of her ear. He used the wall behind her as leverage as he started to pump in and out of her. “Have I also told you that you feel incredible without anything in our way?” Another sharp thrust into her. “So tight and wet. So hot and perfect.” One more thrust. “Being inside of you will be the death of me, baby.”