by Nina Park
Marco’s breath rushed out in one angry burst, and he grabbed my arm and lifted me back to my feet. Then, in one movement, he pressed me up against the passenger side of the car, my cheek squished against the roof. Cade was standing in the same spot in front of his car to my right as Marco pressed his body against me. I felt his hardness against my back.
“The thought didn’t even occur to me until now,” Marco said. “You know what they say, you never know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”
Marco laughed, and I realized, horrified, that Cade joined in, letting out a small chuckle of his own.
“She’s just another whore I can find a replacement for within the week, but I would still love to experience what she can do,” Marco continued as he unzipped his pants and ran a hand along my inner thigh.
I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help but look at Cade. He had resumed his casual position, leaning back against his car, picking at his fingernails.
“Do whatever you want,” Cade said. “Guts wanted her to be part of the deal, so I’m just following the orders. Have your driver give her a fuck, too, if you want. I won’t tell Guts so he won’t be none the wiser.”
My stomach roiled with bile, and I felt like I’d be sick. I’d rather die than be raped by two men before being set free. If that was all Cade cared about me, then I didn’t want to leave with him. I’d rather stay with Marco. At least I already knew how heartless he could be.
Chapter Nineteen
Cade
Falyn looked seconds away from crying, and I prayed she’d keep it together long enough for Marco to get disinterested in this particular power play and move on. He didn’t care about fucking Falyn. He cared about messing with me, about proving how in control he was of every step of our deal.
If I acted like I cared even a tiny bit, he’d do it. He’d push himself inside of her against his car, and I’d have no choice but to kill him. I’d have to. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. And if Falyn cried, it would set Marco off. He’d want to break her down entirely. I just needed her to stay strong for a few more seconds.
Marco laughed at my comment about letting the driver have sex with Falyn as well, though I could tell it was hollow. I didn’t know if Marco ever found anything truly funny.
“What’s the point in buying her if you’re going to let everyone sleep with her for free?” Marco asked.
I shrugged and bit at one of my fingernails. “Like I said, this is all Guts’ idea. I couldn’t care less.”
Of course, this was all a lie. Guts didn’t want Falyn at all, but I couldn’t let Marco know I wanted her for myself. I had to pretend I didn’t care to protect her.
Marco ran his hand down Falyn’s side slowly, tracing her curves beneath her dress, and my fist clenched at my side. Then, he pressed her firmer against the side of the car and stepped away from her.
“Guts and I have a good relationship. I’d hate to ruin it because of a worthless slut like her,” Marco said. “Let’s just make the deal and get out of here.”
Relief washed through me, but I suppressed it. There would be plenty of time to revel in my success once Falyn was in my arms.
“Whatever you want, Marco.”
Marco opened the back door and pulled out a duffel, smaller than mine, that I assumed was full of cash. Falyn hadn’t moved from where she was pressed against the car. Her head was resting on the roof, and her eyes were laser-focused on me. Hopefully, she knew I was only saying what I had to say to protect her. Hopefully, she knew it was all an act.
I dragged the guns to the halfway point between his car and mine, and Marco carried his duffel in one hand and dragged Falyn forward in the other. He nodded three times, and on the third nod, we switched bags and stepped away from one another. Carefully, we each unzipped the bags enough to recognize that each side of the bargain had been met.
“I trust the guns are all here,” Marco said, ever so slightly releasing his hold on Falyn.
“And I trust the money is all here. Now, I just need the girl.”
Marco looked at Falyn out of the corner of his eye, and then in one movement, let her go and threw her towards me. She practically fell forward, but I reached out and caught her with one arm, righting her and then letting go, still not wanting Marco to see how much I wanted her.
“Now, I have a strict no returns police,” Marco joked, pointing to Falyn. “If Guts isn’t satisfied, that is no fault of my own.”
I laughed at his joke as I led Falyn back to my car. She was quivering, and I wanted to get her as far away from Marco as fast as possible.
“I’m sure Guts will be satisfied. Great doing business with you.”
“Likewise,” Marco said in a bored voice. He was already climbing back into his car. “Stay in touch.”
Falyn sat silently in the passenger seat of the car, shaking like a leaf the entire time. I asked about the air conditioning, whether she was too cold, and offered her my jacket, but she just stared straight out the windshield in an unresponsive haze. She’d been through a lot, so I understood, but I also wanted her to understand she was safe now. Free.
When we pulled in front of the Stone Devils’ clubhouse, I killed the engine, leaned across the console, and ran my hands down her bare arms. She felt like ice beneath my hands, and I massaged her skin, trying to rub some warmth into her.
“You know all of that was to keep Marco under control, right?” I asked.
She turned to me, but her eyes were glassy and unfocused.
“Falyn,” I repeated, shaking her gently. “Please talk to me. You’re safe here. Okay? Marco is a monster, and I’m not like him. Neither is Guts. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
She blinked a few times, then nodded.
I sighed with relief. On some level, she trusted me, which was all I could ask.
“Do you want to come inside with me? I need to drop off the money and let Guts know the deal went through.”
She nodded again, and I slipped out of the car and opened her door, walking inside slowly so she wouldn’t topple over. It seemed as if now that she was free, her body was finally giving into exhaustion. She was finally succumbing to the pain and torment and trauma she’d endured over the last few weeks.
The clubhouse was fairly empty, and I knew Guts would be in his office. I walked past the bar and knocked on his office door.
“Come in,” he called with ease.
It was striking how different Guts was from Marco. No implied threat in his voice. No guards answering doors for him or guarding his every move.
We stepped inside, and Guts’ eyes went wide. He stood up, arms outstretched, eyebrows raised in a question.
“The deal is done?”
I smiled. “The deal is done.”
He shook my hand and pulled me in for a pat on the back. “Well done, my man.” Then, he turned to Falyn and bowed slightly. “My lady.”
For the first time, Falyn smiled at him. I could tell she was still nervous, but she seemed to be warming up to the place.
“I can see why Cade was so determined to make you part of the deal. You’re absolutely gorgeous.”
Falyn was long past being swayed by flattery. She’d been told by too many bad men how beautiful she was. It had never ensured her fair treatment before.
When Falyn didn’t respond, Guts shrugged and turned to me. “The guys will love having her around the clubhouse. Everyone was growing bored with the same rotation of club girls anyway.”
I tensed up at his words and positioned my body in front of Falyn’s. “She isn’t a club girl, Guts.”
Falyn’s hand wrapped around my arm. The tremble had returned, and I wanted to deck Guts just for making her nervous.
“I didn’t save her so she could sleep with the guys in our club. She’s free,” I said, rising on my toes to meet his eyes.
Guts raised his hands in surrender. “Ease up, man. Do whatever you want with her. As long as you have my cash, we’re square.”
I handed Guts
the duffel, and he peeked inside before tossing back on his desk. “Good work with the deal. You did good.”
I relaxed slightly and took a breath. “Thanks, Guts.”
Then, without wasting another second, I pushed Falyn through his office door, through the clubhouse, and back out to the car.
It was time to take her home.
Chapter Twenty
Falyn
Cade’s apartment was nothing like I expected. He had a large, low sectional that took up most of the living room. And, not kidding, he had a throw pillow on it. I tried to imagine Cade shopping for a throw pillow, and my brain short-circuited every time. He had a few abstract paintings on the walls and an industrial table and chairs in the dining room, but otherwise, the space was empty.
I’d expected the ultimate bachelor pad. Foldout posters of half-naked women on the walls, clothes and trash piled up everywhere, the vague smell of must and smelly feet in the air. But it almost looked like the model apartment his complex would use to show to prospective tenants –clean and sparse.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he said. “The bathroom is in the hallway if you want to shower. I have food in the kitchen if you’re hungry. There’s only one bedroom, but it’s just across from the bathroom if you want to sleep.”
I agreed to all three. I showered, slipped into a pair of his old sweats and a white T-shirt while he washed my clothes, ate scrambled eggs and toast, and then fell asleep for almost fifteen hours. It was the best shower, food, and sleep I’d ever had in my entire life.
When I woke up in a pile of white sheets and a fluffy comforter, it almost felt as though the past two weeks could have been a nightmare. Almost.
I could still see the bruises on my arms from where Marco had gripped me the night before, and the bones at my wrists were more prominent than they’d ever been. It would be a few weeks before I was physically back to normal, and even longer before I was mentally back to normal. If there even was such a thing as normal anymore.
“How did you sleep?”
I hadn’t noticed Cade in bed next to me, so his voice made me jump. Immediately, he ran his hands down my side in apology, calming me down.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispered against my neck.
I rolled over and buried my face in his chest. He smelled like body wash and autumn.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, his fingers drawing absentminded circles along my hip bone.
“So much better,” I replied.
He squeezed my hip, making my heart clench. “Good, I’m glad.”
If Cade had plans to enslave and abuse me the way Marco did, he apparently wanted to lure me into a real false sense of security, because wrapped up in him and his scent and his sheets, I felt extremely secure. I realized how much I already trusted him, and I smiled up at him.
Cade scooted closer to me until our hip bones met and he kissed my forehead. Then, drawing a line with his lips, he kissed my nose and the bow of my lip. Before he could reach my lips, however, I rolled away from him and darted out of bed.
“Wha—?” he started.
I smiled an apology and held up a finger before rushing into the bathroom. I squirted some toothpaste on my finger and ran it across my tongue, trying to get rid of any trace of morning breath. Then, I ran my fingers through my hair, unraveling the tangles. I’d washed it the night before and then gone to bed while it was still wet, so it was wild and wavy like flames sprouting out of my scalp.
Last, I pinched my cheeks and bit my lips to give them some color like a Victorian lady and darted back into his room and practically dove into his bed. Cade wasted no time resuming our earlier position, pressing his hips against me.
“You didn’t need to do that,” he whispered against my cheek. “You’re always beautiful.”
“There’s nothing beautiful about morning breath,” I joked.
Cade rolled over me until I was caged in by his arms, his knees positioned on either side of my hips. He leaned forward and kissed my neck, trailing kisses across my collarbone and up my shoulder.
“Every inch of you is beautiful. You’re perfect.”
He hovered over me as if he was afraid I’d break apart, and with each touch of his lips on my skin, I wanted more. I could tell he was treating me delicately, and I appreciated it, glad to finally feel safe somewhere, but I also wanted to feel consumed by him. As he pulled the collar of the T-shirt I’d borrowed from him away from my neck and kissed my shoulder, I turned and took his earlobe in my mouth, sucking gently. His body went rigid against mine, and I felt him pressed firmly against my thigh.
“You don’t have to be so gentle,” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribcage.
I wanted him, but this also felt different. We were completely alone for the first time. No one was on the other side of the door. I was clean and well-rested, tangled in his sheets. This would mean something.
“We don’t have to do anything,” he said, lifting himself up to look down at me. “I don’t expect anything. We can just lay together and—”
When my hand stroked the length of him through his cotton pajama pants, Cade stopped talking. His breathing grew heavy and ragged. He shot me a warning glance, a look that said he wouldn’t be able to control himself if I continued doing what I was doing. I bit my lower lip and stroked him again.
Suddenly, the restraint he’d been using was gone. His lips nipped at my flesh like he wanted to eat me. His hands found the hem of my shirt and slid beneath it and upwards, drumming along my ribs and pulling at the soft flesh of my breasts. I arched my back to give him access to my bra clasp, which he undid expertly. Before I could even catch my breath, my shirt and bra were over my head and in a pile on the floor, and Cade’s mouth was tugging at my nipple.
I felt wetness pooling in my panties and Cade seemed to grow larger by the second against my thigh. His blonde hair was soft as my fingers explored it, tugging on the strands as his tongue lashed against my boobs. I found myself pushing him down, and Cade listened. He slid down the bed until his head was hovering over my hips.
With a smirk, he looked up at me while he pushed his sweatpants – which I’d had to roll four times to fit around my waist – away from my center, letting them bunch around my thighs.
My panties were soaked through, and Cade ran his thumb across my slit, feeling my excitement.
“You’re so wet, baby,” he said.
Before I could respond, he had shoved my panties aside with his thumb, and his tongue swiped across me. I arched my back, giving myself to him fully, allowing him to taste me. I wanted to be vulnerable with Cade. I didn’t want everything with Marco and the auction and Brett in the alleyway to make me closed off, to keep me from finding love.
Though it had been less than twenty-four hours since my escape, I already knew I didn’t want my experience there to define me. Not the way Bianca had let it define her.
Cade plunged his tongue into me, and I moaned, pleasure and guilt swirling together in my mind, forming a confusing cocktail. I loved the way Cade made me feel, but what were the other girls experiencing?
His lips puckered around my center, and he sucked at my most sensitive part, pushing everything else from my mind. I couldn’t focus on anything except making sure he continued to do that. My hands pressed him firmer into me and my hips bucked against his mouth. I ground myself into his face, and Cade moaned, turned on by how turned on he was making me.
The muscles in my pelvis began to clench and twist, preparing for the release I knew was coming. Cade sucked and flicked his tongue across me, sending fire through my veins. I wrapped my legs over his shoulders and let the orgasm flow through me. Pulse after pulse, Cade continued to suck until my body was limp with pleasure.
He crawled over me, kissing up my bare chest and finding my lips, pressing them apart with his tongue. Our lips clashed together over and over again, growing hungrier with each taste. I slid my hand down his stomach and past the waistband of his pajama bottom
s until my hand was wrapped around him. He hissed and stilled above me. I massaged down and back up slowly, savoring each inch of him, feeling him twitch in my hand.
“If you keep doing that, I’m going to come right now.” He’d breathed the words out, eyes squeezed tight.
“That’s okay,” I whispered back as I stroked him.
Suddenly, my hand was empty, and Cade was standing next to the bed, his shirt already halfway over his head. As quickly as he’d disappeared, he was back. He pulled my sweatpants off and positioned himself between my legs.
“That is absolutely not okay,” he said, kissing the skin around my belly button, across my hips. “I want to be inside of you.”