Shattered King

by Sherilee Gray

  “Good to see you again, girl.”

  Lulu smiled. “You too, Raul.”

  He gave her another squeeze then let her go and waved a waitress over to get our drinks. “Beers?”

  “Yeah.” I wasn’t in the drinking mood, but Raul was family, he deserved our time, and I as happy to give it. Van asked for a beer as well. Lulu asked for a soda.

  “Just my usual, darlin’,” Raul said to the waitress, then we headed across the club to his table in the back beside the stage, where he could keep an eye on his place but also stay relatively out of sight.

  I slipped off my jacket, and we took our seats. The drinks arrived a few minutes later. We shot the shit for a while, touching base, as was expected. Usually, I didn’t mind this; I was as fond of the old bastard as he was of Van and me, but not today.

  Lulu scooted across the bench seat and stood. “Be back in a sec. I’m just going to use the bathroom.”

  I watched her walk away, couldn’t take my eyes off her.

  “How’s your girl doing?” Raul finally asked, tilting his head in the direction Lulu had gone.

  I sat forward. We’d talked briefly a few days ago, and I’d filled him in on pretty much everything, asking him to put feelers out.

  “Good as can be expected. She’s been through a lot, more than most could handle and still be standing. More than anyone should have to go through on their own.”

  “She’s strong as hell,” Van added.

  “And now they have you looking out for them.” Raul sat back. “The boy, he yours?”

  I held Raul’s gray stare. “In all the ways that count.”

  He nodded, giving me a look I felt right behind the ribs. “Good. Bring him around. Kid needs to meet his nonno.”

  “I’d like that.” I took a sip of my beer, anything to avoid the fucking sappy feelings I had going on at having this man’s approval, at him calling himself Josh’s grandpa. I knew Raul would support Lulu and me 100 percent. I didn’t need anyone else’s approval for shit, but it felt good all the same.

  Van cleared his throat. “What do you have for us, Raul?”

  Just like that, he was all business. “I know for a fact Pierce’s man, Derek Alton, has skipped town, and he won’t be back if he knows what’s good for him. Not sure who else Pierce has on side, if anyone. I can’t imagine him earning that kind of loyalty. Especially since Pierce has more trouble than just you boys. Tomas Mendoza, for one. From what I hear, he’s bought himself a spot on Tomas’s hit list. But he isn’t the only guy that Pierce fucked over.” He took another sip of his drink. “He owes a lot of people a lot of money.

  Van cursed. “We’ll get Zeke and Neco to double their efforts.”

  Raul shook his head. “If that fuckwit had half a brain he’d be in Mexico by now.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “But if he left the city, or tried, I’d know. Fucker’s obviously found a hole to crawl in.”

  If I had my way, he’d already be rotting somewhere, like the piece of shit deserved. I would fucking find him, no matter what it took.

  Lulu slid back onto her seat beside me, a small frown creasing her forehead.

  “What’s up?” I asked her.

  She shook her head. “Nothing. What did I miss?”

  “I’ll fill you in when we get home.”

  She nodded, and I loved that she trusted me to share what I’d learned. It was progress. I wasn’t going to fuck that up by keeping shit from her.

  Raul grinned at Lulu. “Right, that’s enough business for tonight. Another drink?”

  “I’ll get them.” I stood, needing a minute to clear my head, frustration riding me, and went to the bar.

  The barman said he’d get someone to bring them to us. I started back to the table.

  Someone’s fingers slid through my hair from behind, stopping me, then Cassie moved in, pressing her tits into my side.

  “Hey, stranger, haven’t seen you around in a while.”

  I gently moved her back a step. Cassie and I had been hooking up off and on since I got out. Nothing more than that. Still, I felt shitty for leaving her dangling. The last few weeks with Lulu and Josh, I’d only had one woman on my mind. Shit, since I first laid eyes on Lulu, it had only been her.

  I didn’t beat around the bush; there was no reason to tread lightly. There were no deep feelings between us. We weren’t in a relationship, never had been. “Sorry, Cassie. What we had going on, it’s finished.”

  Her soft brown eyes lost some of their light. “Oh, okay.” She bit her lip, tilted her head to our table at the back of the club. “You’re seeing someone?”

  Not her business, still I felt I owed her some honesty. “Yeah.”

  “You’re not going to mess around on her?”

  “No.” Never. I didn’t want anyone else, never would.

  She backed up. “Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind.” Then she gave me a little wave, turned, and walked away.

  I headed back to the table. A few minutes later, fresh beers were was put in front of Van and me. The waitress smiled at my brother and tried to climb on his lap. He grinned at her, but shook his head, politely declining. I knew he did it because Lulu was there. I smirked at Van, enjoying his scowl, and took a deep pull of my beer. It’d been a while since we hung with Raul. This felt good, more than good, sitting here with Lulu, with my family.

  Lulu took my hand under the table, twining our fingers together. My chest tightened, like it always did when she did sweet stuff like that. She was starting to open up more. I finally felt like she was letting me in.

  I pulled her into my side. Sometimes it felt like I couldn’t get her close enough. I craved her constantly. She was like a fucking drug, and I couldn’t get enough of her. Now more than ever, we needed this closeness. After what she’d been through, we both needed it. It’d taken all my control to lock it down when she’d frozen up on me last night.

  Pierce would pay for what he’d done. I’d make sure of it. Like fuck would he win.

  We’d get through this, together. I was getting my Lulu back, little by little. And I wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t back off, not until I had all of her again.

  Whatever it took.

  Lulu

  Hunter had filled me in on what Raul had on Pierce on the way home from the club. Pierce was taking a huge risk staying in New York, and it solidified my belief that he’d completely lost his mind.

  It had been good to see Raul again after all these years. I liked him a lot, and you couldn’t miss the affection he had for Hunter. I loved seeing it, seeing them together, the way they interacted.

  Hunter unlocked the door. We walked in to find Ruby and Neco, who had been babysitting josh, arguing.

  Ruby snatched up her bag as soon as she saw us. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said to me, and then her eyes went to Hunter. “Next time, send a different bodyguard. This one’s an asshole.” Then she stormed out.

  Neco stared after her, jaw ticking.

  Okaaaay.

  “I’m going to check on Josh,” I said to Hunter and left him to fill in Neco on what we’d found out tonight.

  I climbed into bed a short time later. The guys were still talking in the living room. I tried to wait up, but I was wiped.

  I’m not sure how long I slept, but I woke to gentle hands and rough skin smoothing over my hip.

  Hunter’s scent surrounded me, the soap he always used. His body was plastered to my back, skin still damp from the shower. Some women would probably think I was weird, but I was a little disappointed. I liked the smell of clean sweat on his skin. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this as well. A lot. So much so, I instantly started to heat up.

  “Hey,” I whispered into the darkness.

  “Hey, baby.”

  I shivered at the rough, needy way he said it. Those words, said like that, told me just how much he wanted me. That and the impressive erection digging into my ass. I rolled to face him, the deep ache between my legs already intense from jus
t his hand on my hip, his ragged voice.

  “You fill Neco in?”

  The room was dark, but moonlight filtered through the window. I could see his eyes glittering. He shook his head.

  “Don’t wanna talk about that.”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  His hand went to my ass and he squeezed and massaged, making me gasp.

  “You wanna go back to sleep?” he asked.

  “No.” God, no.

  He tugged on the elastic at the top of my panties. “Off.”

  I shimmied them down my thighs, kicking them aside, and his hand drifted back over my hip and down between my legs. My knees instantly fell open, my body seeking more before my mind even realized what I was doing. He made a rough sound of approval, and then curled his middle finger, sliding it up and back along my slit before going deeper through my already slick lips.

  I started panting, sliding my hand up his bicep. “But what could we do to occupy ourselves?”

  He pushed a finger inside me, pumped it in and out slowly. I moaned helplessly.

  “I got a few ideas,” he rasped then pushed in a second finger, stretching me wider. “How about I tell you what I want?”

  “T-that’d be good.”

  He chuckled, the sound dark and dirty. I shivered again, tingles lifting goose bumps on my overheated skin.

  “After I make you come with my fingers, you’re going to suck my cock.”

  That caused another delicious shiver. I’d wanted to suck that beautiful cock for the last couple of weeks.

  “You like that idea, do you?”

  “Yes.” I reached down, grazing his rock-hard abs, searching for my prize. He was hot and incredibly hard. My mouth watered for a taste of him. I wrapped my fingers around his silky length and squeezed, sliding my fist down to the root and back, wringing a groan from him.

  “You used to like it when I fucked your mouth, when I fisted your hair and pushed my cock nice and deep.”

  “Yes,” I spread my legs wider, giving him better access. He took advantage and pushed deeper. I was close to coming, extremely close.

  “I can hear how much you want it, how wet you are every time I push my fingers inside you.” He thrust his hips forward, forcing me to tighten my grip around his cock. “Fuck, you’re desperate for it. Desperate to come, desperate for my cock.”

  “Y-yes.” I undulated my hips, the wet sounds he’d pointed out all I could hear, mingled with our panted breaths. And those sounds just turned me on more. “Please.”

  He curled his fingers inside and moved faster, keeping his thrusts deep, not pulling all the way out like he had been. It was perfect. I dug my fingers into his shoulder, moving my hips desperately, but he held me still, controlled my movements. Only allowing me to take what he chose to give me.

  “Is this okay?” he rasped. “Me holding you like this?”

  I used to love it, loved Hunter dominating me this way. I used to beg for it. I realized, stunned, that I still loved it. I didn’t feel panic rising, or fear, because this was different, and my brain—my heart—knew it. This was Hunter. “Yes,” I said on a gasp.

  Then I opened my mouth and screamed a second later, coming hard around his thrusting fingers.

  I’d barely recovered when I was lifted out of bed. Hunter stood me in front of him. He pulled off the shirt I was wearing, then sat on the edge, heavy thighs splayed, thick cock jutting from his body. My skin felt tight, hot. It should be impossible, but I was still so turned on. As desperate as he said I was.

  “Knees, Lulu.” He wrapped his fist around his cock and started stroking.

  I did what he asked, instantly. Right then, I’d never wanted anything more. His fingers were still fisting his length, so I leaned in and swiped my tongue across the broad head. He let go, resting his hands behind him on the mattress, looking down his body at me. He was too big for me to take all of him, so I wrapped my fingers around the wide base and jacked that perfect dick while I opened my lips around the fat head and sucked him in as deep as I could. No teasing, no drawing it out. I wanted what he said, all of it.

  One of his hands pulled my hair away from my face, fisting it at the back of my head so he could control my movements, so he could watch my mouth as I sucked him.

  He hissed. “So fucking good.”

  I devoured him like he was my last meal. I fucked him with my mouth until my jaw ached, sucking hard, using my tongue against the underside on every down stroke. His thigh muscles bunched and flexed under my hand when I increased my speed, pre-come leaking constantly into my mouth now. He was close. I wanted to make him come like this, wanted to swallow every drop, but he pulled me back suddenly.

  Chest heaving, he stood, pulling me to my feet and backed me against the wall. His eyes locked on mine, silently asking if I was still with him, if this was okay. I nodded.

  His mouth crashed down on mine, tongue delving deep, demanding my submission. I fully trusted him with my body, knew he’d never do anything I didn’t like. That all I had to do was say the word and he’d stop. So, I gave it to him freely. I wanted whatever he wanted to give me. My thighs were slick with the proof of how much.

  He broke the kiss, held my gaze. “You okay on your hands and knees? I wanna fuck you from behind.”

  Said knees went a little wobbly. “Yes.”

  “On the bed, knees at the edge.”

  I raced to do what he asked, crawling onto the mattress.

  “Spread wider, show me how wet you are.”

  My knees shimmied farther apart, giving him what he wanted.

  “Fuck.” He moved up behind me and my heart pounded harder, not with panic, but anticipation. “I want to taste you so bad, but that mouth got me so close to the edge, I can’t hold out that long.” His hands came down on my ass, squeezing. “All I can think about is sliding my cock inside that tight little pussy.”

  His dirty words had every nerve ending in my body igniting, the ache between my legs intensifying until the emptiness there was painful. “God, now, please.”

  One hand came down on my shoulder, the other, my hip. “You good, Lulu?”

  “Yes.” I equally loved and hated his concern for me. “Please, just . . . fuck me,” I whimpered.

  Hunter cursed, fingers digging into my flesh. He slammed inside me. He fucked me hard and fast. And deep. So damn deep. His grunts, when he thrust home, turned me on more. His tight grip made me feel wanted, desired, like it always used to.

  He moved the hand on my shoulder down and around between my legs, pressing on my clit, massaging. His thrusts became erratic, harder, more out of control. My orgasm slammed into me without warning, and my arms collapsed beneath me. I pressed my face into the mattress and screamed into it.

  Hunter held my ass in the air and fucked me through it until a minute later he stiffened, planted to the root, and shot hot and hard inside me. When he finished and pulled out, I collapsed on the bed in a sweaty heap. Hunter lifted me, positioning me so my head was on the pillow before he left the room. When he returned he had a washcloth, and like last time, he cleaned me, threw it in the hamper, and then climbed in beside me, tucking me in close.

  He pulled the covers up and kissed my neck. Sliding an arm around my waist like he had the night before, this time with his hand on my belly, in that same possessive way, he surrounded me.

  My heart did a happy flutter.

  Smoothing my hair away from my face, he kissed me again and settled in. “Night, babe.”

  “Night.”

  I was asleep a few minutes later.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Lulu

  The bed was empty when I woke, warm buttery light coming from beneath the curtains. I checked my phone. It was still early.

  Reaching out, I felt Hunter’s side. It was still warm under my hand. I indulged the happy flutter in my belly. It felt weird, not squashing those feelings, allowing the happy to build and expand inside me. I could get used to it.

  I wanted
to get used to it.

  I lay there a while, waiting for Hunter to come back, a stupid smile on my face. When some time passed, and he didn’t, I threw back the covers, tagged one of his T-shirts out of the hamper, and pulled it on.

  Last night had been amazing, though there was one thing playing on my mind. When I went to the bathroom at Raul’s club, one of the girls had come in after me. She’d struck up conversation, had asked me a ton of questions. I assumed she was just being polite, but now I wasn’t so sure, something felt off.

  I shoved it from my mind and checked on Josh. He was curled up under the covers, cheeks flushed from sleep, and didn’t look like he planned on waking for a while yet.

  The shower was running when I walked past the bathroom. I stopped, bit the inside of my cheek, then backed up and pushed the door open before I knew what I was doing. Shutting it behind me, I moved in a little ways and leaned against the wall.

  Hunter was rinsing off, his beautiful naked body all wet and delicious. He turned to me, brow raised in question when I didn’t say anything.

  The water switched off, and he opened the door. “What’s up?”

  I crossed my arms. Trying to stop the words building in my chest from breaking free. I failed. “Do you know a dancer at Raul’s club, Cassie I think her name was?”

  His brows shot up. “Yeah. Why?”

  Shit. Why was I even bringing this up? I knew Hunter would never fuck around. That wasn’t Hunter, but . . . well . . . it was niggling at me. “I noticed that she looked at you a lot last night.”

  He studied me. “What are you asking me, Lulu?”

  “She followed me into the bathroom, asked me a lot of questions . . . it was just . . . weird, I guess.”

  He scowled. “What kind of questions?”

  I shrugged. “Nothing much really. Just if we were seeing each other, if it was serious, where I was from, that kind of thing.”

  His eyes darkened. He looked annoyed.

  I cleared my throat, forcing my next words past my lips. “So is she an ex or something?” Saying that while trying to pretend I was all cool about it wasn’t easy. Because I wasn’t. The idea of another woman touching him made me want to scratch her eyes out.