by Dani René
“Fuck off. We’ll be there in fifteen. Be ready.” With that, I hang up and down the ice-cold beer in a few gulps before pulling on my leather jacket. “Let’s go, Ryk, you can fuck her later.” I chuckle when I hear him sigh as I make my way out the door. Glancing over my shoulder, through the flawless glass pane, I notice her watching me. Tipping my two fingers in a mock salute, I wink at her before heading toward the car.
Soon, Tatiana. I’ll be riding your sweet ass real soon.
“What the fuck, B?” Ryker sounds pissed off, which only makes me smile.
Ignoring my partner, I slide into the driver’s seat of my sleek silver Aston. It purrs to life, and the radio blares as he slips into the passenger seat.
“Brax, why are you always such an asshole with her?” he questions again.
“You’re getting your cock sucked and fucked by every woman from here to God knows where when we’re on the job, and you want to talk about me being a dick to her?” My retort doesn’t go unnoticed; he regards me with as much animosity as I figured he would.
“Do you want her?” he grits out through clenched teeth.
Scoffing at his question, I pull out onto the main road and head south. We’ve got a meeting at headquarters, and I’m not getting into this with him while I’m driving. I ignore him and turn the radio up, hoping the rock sounds of The Killers singing “Mr. Brightside” will drown him out and diminish this need I have for that woman.
She’s fucking gorgeous.
Long, flowing brown hair with thin strands of gold shimmer through the darker locks. Her tanned skin is exquisite, like smooth malt, honeyed from what I’m guessing to be Puerto Rican or Spanish roots. Those ice-blue eyes that shoot daggers at me every time I walk into the bar. And those curves, Jesus Christ, those curves that could make a sane man lose his mind.
Shaking my head to clear the images of all the filthy things I’d love to do to her, I take the road toward the industrial side of town. Our HQ is in a warehouse on the docks, desolate, where no one else can find us. We’re an elite squad of ex-Marines who feel that something needs to be done with the depraved, violent things happening in our city, and our country.
After being injured, I’d been sent home, and now I call the city of San Antonio home. The underground we patrol is not for the fainthearted. I’d seen shit when I was in other countries where killing and maiming was normal, but when I learned of what was going on in my own hometown, something had to be done. Ryker joined me not long after, and for three years, I’ve called Retribution—our squad—home.
As soon as I pull into the parking lot, my best friend is out of the car. Taunting him has become one of my favorite pastimes, and I watch him for a moment as he heads inside. I know he’s angry because he knows I want her.
The only question is—what’s he going to do about it?
Shoving the car door open, I follow him into the warehouse, nodding at Grant as I pass him. He’s been with us for a couple of years, and he mans the phones and all the incoming inquiries.
“What’s up, man? What crawled up Ryk’s ass?” he growls. The man could easily pass for a basketball player at his height of seven feet. Built like a warrior from years gone by, he is one of the only men in here who could take me down with one fucking hand.
“He’s an asshole,” I bite back.
“Did you fuck his girl yet?” He chuckles, and I can’t help but pin him with a glare.
We normally head to the bar where Tatiana works after a session at the gym, and I guess my eye fucking hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“Not yet.” Lowering my voice, I place my palms on his desk as I respond, “But when she catches him with his dick out, that’s when I’ll swoop in to pick up the pieces and make sure that tight little pussy is purring happily.”
He guffaws as I turn to walk away. The place is deadly quiet tonight, but upon reaching the upper level, I find all the guys watching the large screen bolted to the wall.
The images that greet me are familiar because I recognize the nightclub that I’ve spent too much time in. Girls on every floor cater to you, especially in the VIP section where they’re happy to drop to their knees for a wad of cash. “What are we watching?” I question, flopping onto the sofa beside Jake, one of the younger recruits.
“This is our next hit. Guy who owns the place is a high-stakes dealer.” He drags his gaze from the screen and meets mine. “In girls, ammo, and drugs. Anything you want, he can get it. Any price, any age, any high.”
My blood pressure skyrockets when the man I’ve been waiting for most of my adult live saunters onto the screen. He’s old, wrinkled, with a potbelly to boot. He has two girls on either arm, girls who don’t look like they’re old enough to drink, let alone be hanging on an asshole old enough to be their grandfather. The idea makes bile rise into my throat.
I can’t stop the anger that fuels me. “Let’s take the fucker down.”
My grunt is met with a loud, “Yeah!”
“We will. I want you and Ryk on the inside.” Corp strides up to us, dressed in his combat uniform. He looks ever the general. A graying fifty-year-old ex-vet who’s fitter than most twenty-year-olds, he’s been through it all, lost men in battle, and now he’s here, coaching us and training us to take down fuckers like the one we’re about to nail.
“Sounds good, boss. Do you want to give me the breakdown now?” I question, needing to get my hands dirty. Deep down, I thought I’d come back home, find a nice girl, and start a family. That didn’t happen. I came home to my own nightmare. Now, revenge is all I need. And if it means killing every sonofabitch out there, I’ll do it.
Corp shakes his head, glancing between my partner and me. “Tomorrow at ten, and don’t be late.” His warning is clear. Ryker’s been playing at his tardiness for months now, and I’m sure Corp’s going to send him packing if he doesn’t take his job seriously.
Lifting my hand in a salute, I offer him my signature smirk.
Once he’s disappeared into his office, the guys start yapping at the screen, which has me dragging my attention back to the images in front of me. There, in the throng of beautiful bodies, is a dark-haired vixen with the tiniest fucking skirt on. Her top is tight, hugging a pair of tits I’d love to slide my dick between. Jesus, Tatiana. She may as well be naked.
“Let’s go.” Pushing up, I grip Ryker’s arm and tug him along behind me. It’s time to pay a visit to the club and keep an eye on my new pet project.
Braxton
The Present
I saw her again today. It’s the same every time. Her beautiful eyes pierce me. They fill me with need. An ache I haven’t known in years. I’ve been broken for so long that I just don’t understand the emotions racing through me. All I want to do is throw her over my shoulder and claim her. She’s mine.
I’ll make sure of it.
It’s silent this evening. There isn’t always this peace in this place, but tonight they’ve granted me a reprieve. The fear that runs through my veins doesn’t heat, and I shiver. Lying back, I stare at the white ceiling. It’s plain, nothing adorning it, no pattern to concentrate on. Although the small lightbulb that hangs from the center of the ceiling swings slowly as if a gentle breeze has just tickled it.
“Braxton.” A soft murmur jolts my mind from racing through the darkness I get so lost in, and I sit up in bed. My door is closed, but I hear her.
Pushing up, I pad over to the exit. Pulling on the handle, I open it to find her standing in a white nightdress. Her long, flowing hair hangs loosely down to the middle of her back. Even with her hidden in darkness, she’s still so luminous.
“Hey,” I greet her with a smirk.
“Can you come out to play?” Her lips pout, her head tipping to the side as she regards me with those blue eyes that are alight with mischief.
I nod. Taking one last glance at the room, I step over the threshold and follow her down the hallway. It’s deserted, just the way I like it. We’ve learned how to slip through the doors without bei
ng detected.
Long ago, we stumbled across this room with the swimming pool. It’s massive, with glass ceilings which allow us to see the stars. She always tells me she loves my cock inside her when she’s looking at the stars.
At the edge of the dark water, I tug off my tee and shove my slacks off. I’m not wearing anything underneath, and my thick cock hangs obscenely between my thighs.
“You’re hard already?” She giggles.
“I’m always hard for you,” I quip with a grin I know she likes. Without waiting, I dive into the cool water, and as soon as I surface, I see her watching me. Her form nude to my gaze. Long, slender legs poised to jump in to join me. Perky breasts taunt me with dark nipples.
As soon as the splash comes from beside me, I turn to her, and she wades toward me, wrapping her lithe legs around me. We fit. As if the gods above created us for each other.
“Fuck me, please. Make the pain go away,” she begs, and I reach between us to find her slick entrance. My fingers taunt her while my mouth suckles her hardened nipple. My teeth graze along the flesh, eliciting a cry from her. A mewl that’s so intoxicating it’s as if I shot up with something strong and addictive.
“Did you play with yourself before you came to my room?” I question. My voice is low, demanding, and she will respond.
Tia nods, biting her lip in the most seductive way. Everything she does is to taunt me, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, because this is how we were made to be. In our brokenness, we’ve found solace.
“Do you want it hard and deep?” Tipping my head to the side, I watch her eyes darken, and she nods again, her pearly whites sinking into that plump, lower lip.
Without warning, I drive into her. Rolling my hips, I seat myself inside her fully, savoring the tightness of her pussy. She always feels so good. I grip the globes of her ass as I bounce her on my dick. Her beautiful breasts tease me, and I latch onto a nipple, biting down hard, eliciting an erotic cry from her.
Her hands tangle in my hair, tugging me closer. I devour her body. She mewls when I thrust in harder, the water rocking us back and forth in our frenzy. Her body is tight around my cock, sucking me in deeper. Her slickness is making it difficult to hold back my release.
I pull out suddenly, and she snaps her burning gaze to regard me. “What—?”
“Kneel on the stairs,” I order in a deep growl. She walks through the water and steps onto the lowest stair, kneeling. She glances back to find me behind her. My cock aligns with her wet entrance, and I grip her hips before driving in deep. Plunging into the most incredible cunt I’ve ever felt.
Fisting her long brown hair, I tug her head back and watch as her spine arches beautifully. “That’s it, baby, take me,” I grunt as I fuck her violently.
This is what we’re like.
Brutal. Ferocious. Rabid.
Her body pulses, and she cries out my name repeatedly, which sets me off, and I blast jet after jet of hot release inside her. Marking her. She’s mine. Forever.
Tia
The Past
Jesus, he’s such a dick. My mind is in overdrive as I shut down the bar. The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he’d be trouble, and since then, I’ve not been disappointed. Braxton Carter is an asshole. A fucking hot asshole, but one, nonetheless. It doesn’t matter that every time I’m near him, I want to rip him to shreds. Literally.
Under that tough exterior, though, I know there’s a monster craving to be unleashed. Those tight black tees he wears that mold to every sculpted inch of him have me salivating every time he walks in here and gives me that rude, crass personality.
But there are layers to that man.
I see them.
He’s easy to read, someone who, under all the macho shit, has a heart and he wears it on his sleeve. Although he does hide it around me, under the overconfident persona, I noticed how he’d watch me. There’s a darkness in his gaze that calls to mine. It drags me in and magnetizes me. And with every stare, and each wolfish grin, I find myself wanting him. I’ve wanted him for months.
There’s something animalistic about him that makes my body quiver. When I chose Ryker, I knew I wouldn’t fall for him. It was easier than messing around with emotions when all I need is revenge.
Even though it’s all part of the plan, somehow, I know I’ve fucked up, because deep down, I have a feeling something is about to break, and all my secrets will come pouring out. Call it women’s intuition, or whatever the fuck you want to, but I know they’re hiding something, and I’ll find out what it is.
Strolling over to my shiny Lexus, I slide into the driver’s seat and moan at the feel of the leather against my skin. My work uniform doesn’t leave much to the imagination. The tiny pair of shorts and halter-neck top shows more skin than I’d normally expose, but when I’m at the bar, I’ve got to play the part.
Starting the engine, I connect my iPhone to the dock and hit dial on the number I need. “Pussycat.” Fucking dickhead.
“I told you not to fucking call me that. Is it so difficult for your tiny brain to understand?” The chuckle I’m met with annoys me further. “Where’s Laney?”
“Hold on, don’t get the panties you don’t wear in a twist,” he growls down the receiver. I hear muffled voices and then I hear her.
“Hey, sweet cheeks, what’s up? You going out tonight?” Elaine is one of those girls that can party until four in the morning and still look like she’s had eight hours of sleep the next day. We’ve worked together for months, and she’s the only reason I’ve gotten closer to the man I’ve trained myself to kill.
“Let’s hit the club. I have a feeling we’ll find what we’re looking for tonight.”
She laughs before responding quietly, “Did you see him?” She asks me the same thing every night I call. And every night, I tell her the same thing.
“You know I did. The problem is, I can’t let myself feel anything for someone I’m just going to walk away from.” Turning right, I drive down the road toward my apartment building. It’s not far to the penthouse I’ve called home for the past six months, and with the streets being so quiet this time of evening, I’m pulling into my parking spot in record time. I turn off the engine and sit back, waiting for my best friend to tell me what she does every day.
“There’s no need for love, Tia, you know this. Just fuck him, get him out of your system, and move on.” Laney’s voice is a whisper, and I know she doesn’t want her asshole boyfriend to hear her. I glance at the phone. Even though she can’t see me, I feel as if her gaze is trained on me.
Shrugging, I grab the device and hold it against my ear. “He’s hot, but he couldn’t handle my crazy ass.” I glance around, noticing the security guard is in the small office which sits inside the garage close to my parking spot. “Listen, I’ll see you in ten. I’ll catch a cab so we can have those shots you keep telling me about.”
“Yes!” she shrieks loudly. “Bye, sweet cheeks. I’ll be waiting.”
Exiting the car, I shut the door and push the button, locking it with a small beep.
“Ms. Tatiana,” a deep baritone voice greets me, and I nod at the guard who seems to always work the nightshift, and I wonder briefly if he has a family waiting on him. He’s about six feet tall and built like a fucking steel door. I doubt anything can get past that. Once I step into the elevator, I push the button for the top floor. My beautiful penthouse. The only good thing I got when I decided to exact my revenge.
Life hasn’t been easy on me, but when Mr. Henlow found me, took me in, and trained me to kill, I knew there was one person who would one day feel my wrath. Henlow runs an undercover organization that “cleans up messes,” as he puts it. When I told him about why I wanted to join him, he not only offered me free reign of the gym, trainers, and weapons, he gave me what I needed most—a promise to kill the man who hurt me.
I close my eyes and attempt to focus on the here and now. My mind flits back to Brax earlier tonight, and I instantly feel a buzz as if I’d taken a sho
t of pure alcohol. The man is sinful.
With messy brown hair and those caramel eyes, they do me in every time. He’s got lips most women would kill for, bow-shaped and full—pink and delicious. I’d love to bite them, suck on them until he’s growling his need. Since the first time I saw him, I wanted to meet the beast he hides, the monster that’s only shown himself a handful of times.
His chiseled jaw with a light dusting of stubble is enough to have me squirming. His toned muscles are clear in those shirts he favors, and I know he’s strong enough to lift me, push me against the wall, and fuck me hard.
Simply put, he’s made for fucking.
Long nights of imagining my fingers digging into the smooth skin of his shoulders, scratching my nails down his back as he rams into me, have haunted me. Shaking my head, I watch the numbers light up. As the elevator reaches the thirtieth floor, the doors slide open, and I step into my foyer.
I’m the only one with access to this floor, which gives me my own private hallway leading up to the front door. Once inside, I turn on the overhead lights to the lowest setting and turn on the sound system. Something loud and fucked-up is needed. Cradle of Filth. Heavy metal booms through the surrounding speakers, and I tug off my Doc Martens and pad into the kitchen.
Grabbing a bottle of ice-cold beer from the fridge, I head into the bedroom and step into my walk-in closet. Black, red, black, purple. Pulling out the shortest jet-black denim skirt I own and a small purple tank top that’s possibly too tight, I head back into the room and shed my clothes. I told Laney ten minutes, but I need a shower.
Taking a long gulp of beer, I set the bottle down and stroll into my en suite, turning on the shower, and before the water is even hot, I step under the spray. The icy needles hit me like a slap to the face, and I savor the chill that seeps through my veins. After seeing Braxton, I need this.
Some may think I’m a bitch for lusting after my boyfriend’s best friend, but I’ll never cheat; that’s not in my nature. The thing about it is, I know what Ryker’s doing, and I’m using him as much as he’s using me. What I need from him is a confession, which I’ll never get, so I need to catch him in the act.