by J. L. Beck
“Hero,” Elyse gasps in shock, but Hero shakes his head, gazing down at her as if to say shut up. He’s pouring salt into a bloody wound and I’m not going to have it.
“He didn’t mean to hurt me. It was an accident,” I growl, feeling overly protective of Roman. Hero doesn’t even look at me, he keeps his eyes on Roman, who’s more than seething with rage right now.
“That’s what they all say...I would know. I killed both, my step father, and biological father for hurting people I love.” I shake my head, feeling the tears sting my eyes. So much death, mayhem, chaos. I feel Hero’s eyes on mine, and when I gaze into them I see sympathy, and compassion swirling together.
He understands what Elyse and I have gone through, but so does Roman. Roman sees my fears, my sadness, my anger, he knows what it was like for me, and what happened was nothing more than an accident.
“Look at her one more fucking time and I’ll gouge your eyes out of your fucking head.” Roman’s voice is dark, and I don’t doubt one bit that he will follow through with his threat.
Hero laughs, “Right, because you’re such a big bad man now. Why don’t you step around the table and put your hands on someone your own size?”
And that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Roman is rounding the table in a second flat, Ivan hot on his heels, pulling Roman backwards stopping him dead in his tracks. Roman just shrugs from his brother’s hold, landing a closed fist against his cheek.
“Enough.” Xander stands, oozing power and control. Clearly he had enough of the bullshit taking place in front of him. “Roman go calm the fuck down. Hero, sit down and shut the fuck up.” Hero eyes Roman one last time before listening to Xander and taking his seat.
Roman grits his teeth, slamming his fists onto the table once more before walking out of the room. I start to move toward him, when Ivan’s hand clamps down on my shoulder halting my movements.
“Maybe let him be alone for a while? He’s kind of out of control. I don’t think he would hurt you, but he hasn’t been himself lately.” Red hot rage surges through my veins, and pulses in my ears. How could he be so rude? This was his fault…I shrug his hand off my shoulder.
“Your brother’s not abusive Ivan. I know abuse. I lived it, breathed it, and watched it happen every single day of my life. Yes, he scared the hell out of me, but he’s never hit me or physically hurt me in any other way. He made a bad choice. There’s a difference, and I won’t let you make him think so badly of himself over it.”
Ivan doesn’t say anything, and even if he did I wouldn’t stand around and listen. My body is already moving, my feet running across the floor. I don’t care what anyone in that room thinks of him. The only thing that matters to me is him. I’ve seen him in his weakest, darkest moments. Even when he was high on those pills he was still worried about me, he still wanted me and cared for me. I run up the huge staircase and down the long hallway until I reach the door to our room. It’s partly ajar, and nervous anxiety washes over me as I push it open the rest of the way and walk inside. I don’t know what state I’ll find Roman in, but I know whatever it is, it’s one he’ll need me to get through.
All I hear are Roman’s heavy breaths and I shut the door, letting it click closed behind me.
“You shouldn’t be in here right now. I’m not myself, and I don’t want to risk hurting you or doing something else.” I can hear the disgust in his voice. He hates himself for what he did that night and that’s what makes it so easy to forgive him. He isn’t like my father, he doesn’t enjoy hurting me, in fact I can see how it’s killing him right now, remembering what he’s done, it’s ripping him apart inside.
“You won’t hurt me. I’m not dumb. I trust you...I love you.” I walk over to the bed. He has his back to me, his head hanging low, his body still vibrating with anger. He whirls around on me, his hands gripping onto my upper arms. Even when he is trying to scare me, to push me away he is gentle.
Sadness swirls in his dark green eyes. “I don’t deserve you Sophie. That asshole is right. I fucking hurt you. I’m no better than your piece of shit dad. I’m no better than the man beating his wife or girlfriend.” He shakes his head, pain and fear flickering in his eyes.
“Shut up. You aren’t like my father and you know it. You saved me Roman. You took me in, instead of selling me, which already puts you above my father by a damn mile.”
Roman isn’t listening though, he doesn’t want to hear all the good things I have to say about him. Within seconds he releases me as if I’m fire in his hands. “Stop making excuses for me. I chose pills over you, over your fucking safety. I chose to ride a high instead of protecting you, and I let the biggest monster of all get his hands on you…me.”
I’m done. Done listening to him hurt himself. Done listening to him talk down about himself. I’m done having my heart break for a man that has done nothing but save me from all the evil in the world.
“You scared me to death that day. I was terrified, worried you would hurt me, break what we had, but even through it all I was more scared of what it would do to you. I knew acting the way you did would tear you apart…” I take a step closer, forcing myself into his space. “And I know that if you were like my father it wouldn’t have bothered you at all. You wouldn’t have went through detox and you wouldn’t be here right now in front of me, trying to push me away”
My words cause Roman’s gaze to lift to mine, and as I look at him I know he’s my perfectly broken angel. The man to piece all my broken pieces back together again, ensuring I’m whole again. He exhales a ragged breath, and then he’s on me, pressing his lips firmly against mine as if the air in my lungs will fill his.
I can’t stop my body from reacting to his touch, my fingers weave into his hair, pulling at the brown strands. I kiss him with every single ounce of love inside me. Love for him, love for us, for a future that I’m determined to have with him. His hands cup my cheeks, the intensity of the kiss changes and in seconds he’s fall back against the bed, pulling me down with him. I don’t care about anyone or anything else in that moment. There is nothing but Roman and I in this universe.
I pull away peeling my clothes off, tossing them to the floor, and Roman does the same, his eyes bleeding into mine as I crawl over top of him to straddle him. His cock is impossibly hard, standing at attention for me, and I’ve never wanted him so badly in my life.
“I don’t deserve you…” He murmurs against my lips as his cock slides between my slippery folds. I’m already turned on, hell who am I kidding? When it comes to Roman, I’m always turned on.
Always.
“Yes, you do,” I hiss, bringing his cock to my entrance. I lift my hips and then move down slowly over his length my tightness swallowing every glorious inch of his cock. I feel nothing but him...and the love he has for me. He places his huge hands on my hips to hold me in place while looking up at me through hooded eyes.
“I love you so much it fucking hurts, Sophie. Do you feel how much I love you?” Pistoning his hips upward, he sends me up and down on his cock, causing the air to leave my lungs. I press my hands against his firm chest, feeling the feverish beat of his heart beneath my palms.
His skin is so warm, the smell of soap, and sandalwood washes over me, and the way he holds me to his body with his cock secured deep inside me is enough to make me weep. This man is everything, and I’ll be damned if I don’t prove it to him one way or another.
“You make me whole...you make me feel love when I never thought I would. You keep me safe, you worship my body like it was made for you and I won’t let you go. No matter what you do, no matter who you kill, no matter what choices you make, I will not walk away from you Roman,” I whisper breathlessly against his lips. Keeping my eyes on his, I move up and down his length slowly, so slowly that it almost kills me. It feels like our hearts our fusing together, the connection between us tightening, and our bodies tethering, becoming one. Roman’s eyes are bright, and they never waver from mine, not even as I start to bou
nce up and down on his length needing more. My nails pierce his flesh and he hisses through his gritted teeth as he lets me control the rhythm.
“Damn, Sophie,” he rasps. “Fuck my cock baby…ride it…” His hands grip onto my hips with bruising force as he starts to move me, forcing me to take him deeper, and harder.
“Right there baby, yes, fuck…”
I bite my bottom lip hard enough to make it bleed stifling the deep moan of pleasure that threatens to rip from my throat. The sound of my skin slapping against his fills the room followed by our deep pants and moans. I never want the moment to end...never.
“Slow,” I moan, freezing my hips in Roman’s tight grip. I can see he’s battling for control, his eyes completely black now. He wants to fuck me through the mattress, and make sure I feel him for days, but I want the moment to go on forever. His muscles tense with the effort it takes for him to stop and listen to me for a second.
“I’m too close to the edge baby…I can’t stop,” He grits through his teeth and in the next second he’s flipping us, my back lands softly against the mattress. A pout forms on my lips, but dissolves into thin air as he swivels his hips, grinding his center into my pussy, stroking my clit and fucking me deep and hard all at once. Heat spreads through me, sizzling over every nerve ending. I thrash against the bed sheets and Roman secures both of my hands in one of his pressing them against the mattress above my head.
“I want to see your pretty pussy swallow my cock...I want to see you take it all, and milk every drop of my release…” His words, are filthy, so filthy but I need them. I want them.
I’m completely at his mercy, his cock spearing my body, claiming me with every penetrating stroke. An O forms against my lips…I can feel it, building deep in my belly...each time he bottoms out inside me, it grows closer, my impending orgasm is going to rip through me like an F-5 tornado barreling through the fields of Kansas and there is nothing I can do.
“Roman…” I scream his name as my thighs attempt to shut around his huge frame. The pleasure boarding on pain, as my pussy quivers squeezing him impossibly hard before sending a gush of release over his cock. He smirks because he knows my body, he knows just what to say to set me off into the sky like a rocket.
“Mmmm…so good, baby…so fucking good…” His thrusts grow harsher, and his breaths come out in deep pants, while his fingers sink deep into my flesh, likely leaving bruises. But I don’t care, he isn’t hurting me, he is loving me, fucking me with every fiber inside his body, and I love it. I fucking love it so much I want more.
I watch through hooded eyes, my entire body slick with sweat, and pleasure as he fucks me to reach his own release.
“Is this tight little cunt made for me?” I can’t even respond, my throat feels raw, another orgasm coiling deep inside me. When I don’t answer him, Roman thrusts deeper, swiveling his hips causing his cock to press against the sweet spot at the back of my channel.
“Yes…yes…” I cry out, feeling like I’m actually going to cry. The pleasure is too much, and not enough all at once. My eyes roll to the back of my head, and the coil inside my belly unravels sending me on a free fall of pleasure. I feel like I’m floating as my pussy squeezes his thick shaft all over again. Tears slip from my eyes, I feel them staining my cheeks, but they are not tears of pain. I’m just so overwhelmed by the pleasure and the love he is giving me.
“Tell me you want it. That you want my sticky come inside you,” He growls, leaning forward, pressing his body weight against mine. I can feel every single inch of him, and my chest constricts as I force oxygen into my lungs. “Tell me, baby...tell me you want it…” He nips at my earlobe, dragging his lips down my throat and over my racing pulse. There is no Roman and I.
It is just us now...forever us.
“I want it. I want you to come inside me. Please…I want your come deep inside.” At my words I feel Roman’s whole body flex, his cock seems to grow, throbbing deep inside of me while his grip on my hips tighten even more and it’s as if he was holding himself back, waiting for me to answer him. Ropes of hot come coat my womb, and I feel every single lash of them against the sensitive tissue.
A guttural grunt rips from his throat as he thrusts inside of me one last time before he stills, barely holding his weight off of me. Every cell inside me tingles, and when Roman rolls us again I land against his sticky chest watching as his chest rises and falls at a rapid rate.
“I love you, Sophie,” he murmurs. “Was I too rough?” The fact that he worries if he’s hurting me when we have sex should be enough proof to him that he wouldn’t ever intentionally hurt me.
“No, it was perfect.” I wrap my arms around him, and secure myself against his body. I love him. I love him so much that I know if I ever lose him it will kill me. We have one last battle ahead of us...a chance to take my father out…to save a lot of people. And while I’m afraid to take my father on, I don’t have anything to worry about, not with Roman by my side.
Chapter Fifteen
Roman
Sophie is already dressed, sitting on the bed cross-legged, watching me as I button up my shirt. She’s watching me so intently, as if whatever I’m doing is interesting to her, even such a mundane thing such as buttoning up my shirt.
“I think my sister is pregnant,” she suddenly says. “I didn’t notice it until all hell broke loose last night, so I didn’t get a chance to ask her but the way she was cradling her belly, it looked like she has a little baby-bump.” A big smile paints over her features and I know she would be happy for her sister if she was right.
“You and Elyse are close?” I ask, even though I already know the answer just by seeing them together last night.
“We are… or I mean we used to be. I’ve always loved her… but more than that, I admired her. She’s always been such a free spirit. She’s the youngest of all us siblings and because of it my parents gave her a lot of slack. They actually let her go to college when she turned eighteen. Something that they wouldn't have allowed me to do in a million years.”
I’m about to ask her more questions about her family, realizing she’s never talked about her siblings, or her mother really, when we are interrupted by a knock at the bedroom door.
“Come in,” Sophie calls right before the door swings open. A second later Ivan walks in. He looks at me for a moment, as if he is trying to gage my mood before speaking and he’s smart too. I’m still a little upset about last night.
“Look Roman, I’m sorry about what I said last night. I wasn’t thinking. I just started talking and the words just came out.”
“Don’t be,” I shrug. It’s not like you were telling everyone something that wasn’t true.”
“Still, I shouldn't have said it like that and especially not in front of all those people.” Ivan sounds apologetic and that bothers the shit out of me because this whole thing is yet another reminder of how I fucked up by taking those fucking pills. I was selfish, so fucking selfish and I would never make that mistake again.
“Can we just forget last night ever happened? I’ll apologize to that Hero guy if it helps.” I can’t imagine making things hard for Sophie. If I’m going to be her boyfriend then I’ll have to make amends with Hero so Sophie can at least see and hangout with her sister. It’s going to really put a dent in my pride, but I can deal with it for Sophie.
“You will?” Ivan asks, eyebrows raised as if he can’t believe what I just said. Fuck I can barely believe it myself. Me apologizing to some asshole who picked a fight with me. If someone would have told me this a few weeks ago I would have laughed in their face. I wasn’t the type to be sorry, but I was learning more and more that being sorry didn’t mean I was weak.
“Hero is Damon's best friend and Sophie's sister’s boyfriend. We need Damon and Xander on our side and of course I want Sophie to be able to see her sister and we can’t do any of those things if I have beef with the guy.” I’m not going to be the reason Sophie can’t have a relationship with Elyse, if that’s what
she wants and listening to her talk about her sister, I’m pretty sure that’s not just what she wants, but also what she needs.
“Well, I’m glad you feel this way, because that will make the breakfast we’re about to go to much more civilized,” Ivan tells me, almost sighing in relief and I kind of feel bad for all the shit I’ve done. I’ve caused him a lot of problems and yet he continues to stand by me.
“Lead the way,” I nod toward the door as I hold out my arm for Sophie. She loops her arm through mine, giving me a smile and together we walk downstairs. My stomach is knotted. I’ve fucked up so much in the last month…
Instead of leading us to the dining room, Ivan leads us to the back patio, where breakfast is already set up. Violet is chatting with her sister and Keira, while Xander and Damon look to be in some deep discussion. Elyse is eyeing Sophie curiously with a flicker of worry in her eyes and when I glance over to Sophie she looks at me with an unsure expression on her face. I know she wants to go over to her sister and the way she is looking at me is like a knife to the chest. She almost looks like she wants my permission to go and I’m not gonna have that shit.
“You go sit with your sister and please don’t look at me like this. You don't need my blessing to do anything I’ll never be that man, Sophie. I always want you to do what you want.” I smile and place a kiss against her cheek, making sure that she knows I mean it.
Sophie returns the smile, her eyes full of love and happiness as she walks over to her sister and takes the chair beside her. I sit my ass down in the seat across the table from Hero, who is watching me like a hawk as if I’m going to swoop in and steal something.
“I’m sorry about last night,” I tell him, getting straight to the point.
“You are?” He looks even more shocked than Ivan did when I told him I was going to apologize. “I mean I’m kind of shocked.”