Catching Fire (The Fire Duet Book 2)

by Billie Lustig

  “I heard your entire conversation! How you told him you could kill me without even fucking blinking. You didn’t even have to think about it for a second. It just rolled off your tongue like it was nothing. Because clearly I am nothing.”

  I blankly stare at her before I look up to the ceiling, realizing what she’s saying.

  The stupid little firecracker.

  “Well, clearly you didn’t hear the entire conversation,” I shout, closing the distance between us again. Before she can escape my wrath, I grab her hair and pull her head back, forcing her to look me in the eye, while my body presses her firmly against the wall.

  “I heard enough,” she adds.

  “You little pain in my ass,” I voice in a menacing tone, moving my lips against the shell of her ear. “You heard enough? You heard how I told him I could kill you within a heartbeat?”

  She hums in agreement.

  “Yeah? What about the part where I told him that I would kill him if he laid a hand on you? Or the part where I told him to shut up about it because I fucking love you? You heard that part?” I let go of her hair and let out a long, deep sigh while I walk backwards towards the door, needing to create space between us. I hold her shocked gaze, wanting to see her face while the realization sinks in.

  There it is, I’ve laid all my cards on the table. Given her the option to make me win or make me lose, but at this point, I’m too fed up to wait for an answer.

  She looks at me with widened eyes, taking small, shaky breaths while the rest of her body looks rigid, tense. I can see her eyes water up, but I’m done with this conversation. I don’t blame her for thinking the worst, but I’m not the kind of man who pretends I’m anything more than that. I’m not the kind of man who will convince anyone of anything.

  I laid out the truth.

  Now she can do with it whatever the fuck she wants.

  I turn around to walk out the door, anger fueling my body with every step I take. Furious, I punch the wall on my way and let out a deep roar. When my hand reaches for the doorknob, I hear her voice behind me.

  Sweet.

  Desperate.

  Longing.

  “Kane.”

  It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I freeze, curiosity taking over every other emotion in me. I turn around to give her one last glance, and before I know it, she jumps me, her legs wrapping around my waist, her hands fisting my hair, pushing my head back. Her eyes roam my face, and I let out a relieved breath.

  “I love you, asshole,” she rasps before her lips crash against mine.

  Well, it’s about fucking time.

  Fourteen

  Callie

  Present Day

  His tongue invades mine, and I finally give in to the lust that has been flowing through me since he walked into the bar earlier. With three big steps, he walks us to the piece of shit couch and drops my ass on it, making me bounce a little. His eyes flare with heat as I eagerly reach for the zipper of his jeans. Then he pushes me back against the cushions before he pulls his pants down. With his warm body on top of me, he drags his tongue along my neck, his touch increasing the desire in my body like a tank of gasoline waiting to be ignited. His hands slide under my dress, slowly moving them up to grace my inner thighs. I whimper at the sensation as I feel his hungry teeth scrape my skin.

  “Too much fabric,” he rumbles before his hands roughly grab my hips, and he flips me on my stomach. He pushes his weight against my back while his mouth moves, whispering against the shell of my ear. “My level of patience is nonexistent right now. Don’t make me torture you.”

  I gasp, astounded that I’m both turned on and pissed off by his words. Before I have time to respond, he moves up and roughly yanks the zipper of my dress before he tugs the piece of clothing down as fast as possible. Wanting to feel his touch between my legs, I raise up my ass, silently telling him what I want.

  “Hmm, I missed this peachy thing,” he murmurs, pressing his nose against my entrance.

  He harshly jerks my panties off my butt, tossing them across the room and spinning me back on my back before he brutally spreads my legs apart.

  I can feel the wetness growing between my thighs, actively waiting for his mouth to cover my most sensitive part. When he finally starts kissing my folds, an overwhelming feeling hits every nerve in my petite frame, making me gasp for air.

  Like my entire body has been numb since the very moment I stepped onto shore a few months ago, waiting for his tongue to spark the fire inside me back to life.

  He moves up a little, his tongue slowly making its way towards my breasts, enclosing his mouth around my hard nipples. I moan at the sensation of his teeth softly biting into the delicate skin.

  Fuck me.

  The desire in the lower part of my body is starting to ache in a demanding way, desperately wanting to feel his hard shaft inside me, not willing to wait any longer.

  “Kane,” I plead, pulling his hair, forcing him to meet my eyes.

  His nostrils flare, his eyes scowling at me before he bites his lip in a look that is stuck between turned the fuck on and angry as fuck.

  “Fill me up,” I demand in a soft tone.

  His face softens while the corner of his lip curls into an evil grin. He moves up to tug his shirt over his head then rapidly pushes his boxer briefs down before his weight moves back on top of me. An electric shock scorches through my body when the bare skin of our chests finally connects. I look up into his arctic eyes, knowing he feels it too.

  Like a feral animal, I arch my neck up so I can bite his lip in a possessive way.

  I don’t care what will happen after this. I don’t care if Liam still wants to put a bullet between my eyes when I walk out of this building.

  This man is mine.

  His hand brushes through my hair, then I can feel the tip of his cock aligning with my entrance. Fiercely, I cup his ass and yank him inside me, eager to close that final piece of space between us. I moan at the feeling of his dick stretching me wide, as wonderful as it was in my memory. As soon as he starts thrusting against my walls, a deep feeling of peace begins to wash through my body, telling me this is exactly where I’m supposed to be. The warmth of his flesh against mine is intoxicating and cleansing at the same time. Thrust by thrust, all the lies, the betrayal, the uncertainty, and the doubt are replaced by a sense of safety.

  Like all the fucked up things in my life led me to this one epic moment.

  He presses his forehead against mine, looking straight into my eyes, his gaze full of affection. I wrap my legs around his body, my arms hugging his robust torso. We start moving simultaneously in perfect harmony, each thrust more intense than the one before, the waves of ecstasy inside me building up more and more with every move.

  Bonding our bodies together.

  His movements become deeper and harder, grinding his pelvis against my clit, bringing me to the high I’ve been craving for too long, causing me to let out a whine of pleasure.

  This time it feels like so much more than sexual desire.

  This time it feels like he’s making love to me, showing me a piece of his soul no one has ever had the privilege of seeing. As if he is giving me a piece of his heart with every thrust he makes.

  Finally, I feel everything tense inside me before I shatter into a million pieces. I pant against his lips, riding out my burning orgasm until I notice the muscles in his face tense, telling me he is near his own release. I hold still, giving him the room to use my body any way he wants as he starts to pick up the pace, chasing his own climax. I lovingly cup his cheek, staring into his eyes, silently telling him everything I couldn’t say earlier. He moves his hips in a few final pushes before he lets out a satisfied roar and drops his face into my neck. His breath fans the sensitive parts of my neck, and I tighten my grip around his chest, not willing to lose this feeling just yet.

  We lay there for a while before he moves up and presses a firm kiss to my lips. He pulls out of me, and right away I’
m disappointed by the hollow feeling that remains. In one move, he switches me onto my stomach, forcing a screech to escape my mouth before he presses my back against his chest. Holding me in a firm grip, he moves his body against the back of the couch, placing me between his legs. One of his arms is draped across my collarbone while the other caresses the soft skin on my belly. I lean into his chest, completely content and enjoying the affection I’ve been missing for so long.

  An hour ago, the last piece of my world came crashing down, thinking the man who holds my heart was going to tear apart what was left of it. Now the unease in my body is finally settling as I lay my head against his warm chest, feeling his beating heart against my temple. He brushes my hair with his fingers while I feel his lips grace my slightly dampened hairline.

  “Baby,” he finally says with full force. He grabs my hair in a domineering way, pulling my head towards his face, forcing me to look him in the eye. The sharp pain of him pulling my hair turns me on once again. “Next time you refuse to communicate, I’m gonna torture you until you do.”

  “What? You’re going to kidnap me again?” The tone of my voice is playful, while the look I’m giving him is more seductive. He tugs my hair in response.

  “I may, but I can do a lot more than that.”

  “You’re gonna hurt me?” I look up into his hypnotizing, blue eyes.

  Whatever bullshit answer he gives me, I know he won’t hurt me. I wouldn’t have said that an hour ago, but feeling what I felt just now, I know there is no way this man will ever hurt me.

  “Only if you want me to.” His finger softly rubs my folds again, making me moan against his touch. “But you know how I can really torture you.” His lips curl in a menacing grin while my face falls, remembering his favorite way to make me suffer.

  “I hate you.”

  “Do you actually believe yourself?”

  A small smile forms on my lips.

  “Sometimes.”

  “I’m still going to punish you for it,” he whispers against my skin.

  “What? Why?”

  “Because I can. And I need to remind you why defying me is a very bad idea.”

  “I always defy you. You love it.”

  He lets out a sigh that is probably meant to sound irritated, but I can hear the amusement in his voice.

  “You really are a handful, baby girl.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

  Fifteen

  Callie

  Six years ago – 18 years old

  I can hear the smile on his face as he says, “Yeah, that ain’t gonna work,” even though he’s turned away from me, looking at the TV screen from where he stands in the kitchen.

  “What?! You said superhero? He’s a superhero!”

  “First of all, that movie sucks.”

  “Man of Steel? What?! Why?” I exclaim, holding the remote in my hand while I settle back against the comfy white couch.

  “One,” he says while he jumps over the couch, dropping himself next to me, a bowl of popcorn in one hand while he holds his finger up in the air with the other, “that movie is shit. Two, I’m a Marvel guy, and if you turn out to be a DC girl, we are going to have some issues, Angel. Three, I know you’re not a DC girl, you just want to watch that for Henry Cavill.”

  “I do not!” I totally do, but I ain’t telling him.

  He puts the popcorn on the coffee table before he wraps his arms around me in a sudden move, making me screech in joy.

  “Am I competing with a British guy now?” He cocks an eyebrow, then pushes back the hoodie that was covering my head. “Because if I am, I may need to grab my phone and make his net worth significantly diminish.”

  I roll my eyes with a smirk, my hands cupping his neck.

  “Reign Delaney, are you jealous?”

  “I am the best hacker in this city, and I’m man enough to admit that if you are going to make me compete with the worst Superman in the history of superhero movies, I will for sure be petty as fuck and rob his bank account. Or at least deep fake his face on some real dirty videos.” He shrugs casually with a wide, smug look on his face.

  “That’s okay, Cavill is safe. I’ve got a bigger thing for Winter Soldier, anyway.” I press a kiss to his mouth before he can open it again. I push my tongue inside, making him grunt in response.

  He cups my neck, pushing me back in a possessive way, his dark green eyes filled with lust when they meet mine.

  “You can’t drool all over my favorite Marvel. You don’t play fair.”

  “I never said I did, Delaney.”

  “You know we’re not watching Winter Soldier now, right?”

  I let my body fall beside him before I curl into his side.

  “Fine,” I roll my eyes. “What do you wanna watch?”

  He grabs the remote from the couch while he lifts up the back of my hoodie and starts to caress my warm skin. He flips through the movie options on the TV before his phone lights up, indicating a message coming through.

  When he lifts it up to check it, I look up to glance at the screen.

  RONNIE: JUNIOR IS IN BOSTON.

  “What the fuck.” I push off of him, feeling the blood start to rush through my veins straight away.

  He lets out a deep sigh before he runs a hand through my hair in an affectionate way, clearly trying to calm me down.

  I don’t want to calm down, though.

  This fucker promised me.

  Slapping his hand out of my hair, I give him a glare, waiting for an explanation.

  “It’s not what you think, okay? Calm down.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm down. Start talking.” Before I kick your fucking ass, is what I really want to say, but I clench my jaw to keep my mouth closed.

  “Ronnie sends me updates so I don’t have to worry about him showing up uninvited, and I end up with a murder charge.”

  My body starts to relax, feeling the tightness in my face soften a little as my eyebrows dip in confusion.

  “You’ve been shadowing him?”

  “Ronnie put one of his guys on it, yeah.”

  I know Ronnie doesn’t do shit for free. When you ask a favor from the Mob, you’ll be paying the price. Even though Papa Distucci is still very much running the show in this city, Ronnie doesn’t leave any opportunity wasted to prove to his father that he is just like him.

  “In exchange for what?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Since when does the Mob hand out favors?” I ask skeptically.

  “They don’t. They still owe us.”

  My eyes widen in surprise, suddenly feeling like there is so much more to learn about Reign Delaney.

  “Your family?”

  He pulls me back into his arms, giving me an intense stare as if he’s looking for the right words. I hold his gaze, dying to know what the fuck he’s talking about like the nosey little brat I am.

  “I don’t want to lie to you. There are things about my family I can’t talk about. I know you think that Ronnie and I are friends, and we are now. But that’s not the reason I came to New York. Do you trust me when I say that I will tell you one day?”

  I let out a heavy breath, not sure what to say. Do I trust him? Of course I do. But I’ve been raised in a family filled with secrets, and I hate them. I hate not knowing what the fuck is going on, especially if my safety could be on the line.

  “What does your family do?”

  “Angel ...” He gives me a reprimanding look for pushing it, but I can’t help myself.

  “You know how fucked up my family is, now I want to know how fucked up yours is.”

  “Pretty fucked up.” He keeps a straight face while I wait for him to start talking.

  Normally, I always get my way with this boy just by putting on a sweet face, fluttering my lashes and giving him a few kisses to top it off. But even though I’m fluttering my eyes like I’m about to take off like a Boeing-747, there ain’t shit happening.

  I finally furrow my brows at him in a
scowl.

  “You’re not going to tell me shit, are you?”

  “Nope.” He grins.

  “Ugh,” I huff, “will it put me in danger if I know?”

  “Yes. My brother will see you as a liability, and he will try to eliminate you. And not by putting you in a corner.”

  “Very funny.” I glare at him. “Who is your brother?”

  “Angel.”

  “What, do I know him? Does he know me?” If his brother is another crime lord I should be scared of, I want to know. I’ve been around my fair share of bad men, and I would like to know if the one related to my boyfriend could be a threat.

  “He knows of you, yes. But he won’t hurt you. But he will if I tell you more.” He looks at me with his puppy dog eyes, begging me to believe him.

  Part of me wants to be a bitch about this, throw a fit and demand him to tell me who his family is, but the other part is looking at his face, knowing deep down that he would never put me in danger if he could prevent it. I don’t live on the safe side of the law, and right now, I honestly believe that inside of Reign Delaney’s arms is the safest place for me.

  “Okay,” I give in. “Don’t want to get in to a fight with your big brother.”

  “No, you don’t,” he chuckles.

  My eyes fall to the floor behind his back, thinking about my own brother. A tight feeling encloses my heart, thinking about the troubled soul he has become. Life hasn’t been easy on him. I know it’s no excuse for all the fucked up shit he’s done in his life, but I can’t help wondering if he would’ve been the sociopath he is right now if life played out differently for him.

  “Hey, what are you thinking about?”

  I meet his compassionate eyes, wondering if he will understand that in some weird way, I still feel for Junior.

  “Junior,” I admit, his eyes widening in confusion. “I can’t help but wonder if he would’ve turned out different if life … I don’t know… gave him better cards? The first years of his life were filled with violence. At least I had my mom, sheltering me as much as she could.”