The Skull Crusher

by Penelope Sky

  It seemed like every time I came home from a long night, we had this same conversation again. She didn’t like it when I was gone, and she was always suspicious of my activities. As the Skull King, there wasn’t anything to be suspicious about. I was committing heinous crimes all night long. “You’re welcome to join me whenever you want.”

  She continued to drink her beer, her affection nonexistent. She was clingy with me before I left, and now she was pissed at me all over again. A sassy woman with an attitude was rarely happy for long. “And do what, exactly?”

  “Sit on my lap.”

  She made an irritated face. “Like a dog?”

  “No. Like my woman.” I had a long night, and I’d been looking forward to sleep, but now that this woman was in front of me, wearing my clothes with her hair styled, all I wanted to do was be buried inside her. I wanted to erase the memory of Evan, a man who never deserved to be there in the first place. I wanted to replace Lucian, to erase whatever hold he thought he had on my woman. I wanted to unshackle the invisible chains that kept her tied to the two men.

  I pulled the beer from her hand and set it on the table against the wall. Then I backed her up into the dining table, making her move in reverse until her ass tapped against the corner. My shirt was yanked over my head, and my jeans were discarded.

  She still seemed angry with me, but her body was responding to mine. Her fingers pushed down her boxers and panties until they slid to her ankles. She left her camisole on, but the sheer material barely covered anything anyway.

  I scooped her onto the table then placed my heavy body on top of hers. My hips maneuvered between her legs and I positioned her to take me, to have all of me. It disgusted me that a man had had this woman’s heart, but he tossed it aside for money. It enraged me more that a man used her good heart against her to make her submissive. I wasn’t much better than the two men, but I somehow felt entitled to have her.

  I felt entitled to own her.

  Once I was inside her, she gasped against my mouth.

  She was slick and warm, her body indicating she wasn’t the least bit angry with me.

  Her fingers dug into my hair, and her lips shivered against mine. “I missed you…”

  I didn’t need to hear her confession to know how she felt. She was pissed the second I walked in the door, but that meant nothing. This woman could be livid, but that didn’t change the fact that she wanted me, that she wanted me to be home with her, to fuck her and protect her. “I missed you too, baby.”

  21

  CASSINI

  It’d been nearly two months since I came to live with the Skull King. I’d never seen him crush a skull with my own eyes, but I knew he was capable of it. I hadn’t witnessed his violence firsthand, but I knew that was what he did every night. I went from one master to another, but living with Balto had started to feel like home.

  I wasn’t sure what this relationship had turned into.

  I’d never stayed awake during the night and waited for Lucian to come home. Instead of hoping he would walk in the door in one piece, I hoped he wouldn’t walk through the door at all. But with Balto, I counted down the minutes until I knew he was safe. My imagination ran wild, and I pictured him surrounded by beautiful women, women who wanted to screw him for free.

  I never cared what Lucian did behind my back.

  The lines had become so blurred that I had no idea what I was doing.

  Was I going to live here indefinitely?

  Or was Balto going to give me back to Lucian once his demands were met?

  Would he really do that to me?

  Balto stepped out of the elevator at seven in the evening. He’d said he had to take care of a quick errand, but it still took him two hours. Drops of blood were on his gray t-shirt, and judging by the way it had sprayed against his clothes, it seemed like it belonged to someone else.

  “Torture someone?” I stood at the kitchen counter and strained the pasta. I wasn’t a big cook, but since Balto only made boring meals, I had to cook for myself if I wanted anything decent. I pressed the excess liquid out of the noodles then tossed them with the sauce—the Cardello sauce.

  “Yes.” Like that was a normal answer to give, he walked by and headed down the hallway. He hopped in the shower, and by the time he returned, I’d already finished my dinner.

  I sat at the kitchen table and stared at my empty plate. Only streaks of sauce were left.

  Balto returned, in just his sweatpants. His hard body was on display like a work of art. If he just killed someone, he didn’t seem affected by the murder. Like nothing happened at all, he walked into the kitchen, whipped up something, and then took the seat across from me.

  “What did he do?”

  He chewed slowly as he stared at me, silently asking me to elaborate.

  “The man you killed.”

  “I didn’t kill him.”

  “Then what did you do?”

  “Made him wish I killed him.” He took another bite, his masculine jaw working slowly. He made eating fish somehow sexy, all because of that hard jawline.

  “What did he do?”

  He stabbed his asparagus with a fork. “Betrayed someone I know.”

  “You exact revenge for other people?”

  “Rarely.”

  “Then this person must mean a lot to you.”

  He lowered his fork as he finished chewing, his gaze focusing even harder on my face. He said nothing, letting the silence fill the room with even more tension.

  I was used to this palpable focus, when he made the entire world go quiet because he was locked on to his target with such enthusiasm, but I was never comfortable with it. It always made me feel like prey—and he was the predator. That was the status of our relationship. We weren’t man and woman. We weren’t man and lover. We were predator and prey. “I’ve been here for a while, and I’ve behaved. It’s time you upheld your end of the bargain.”

  “And what is that, exactly?” He finished his food and pushed the plate to the side. His elbows rested on the surface, and he leaned toward me, his piercing blue gaze drilling holes into my skin.

  “You said you would give me my freedom.” I wanted to go shopping, visit my family, take a drive through the countryside. I just wanted to have some control over my life. “I haven’t felt the sun on my face since I came here. At least with Lucian, I could go outside and sit by the pool.”

  “Don’t compare me to him.”

  “I’m not. I’m just saying—”

  “Would you rather go back to him?”

  “No, but I—”

  “Then don’t compare me to him.” He grabbed his glass of booze and took a drink.

  “You said you would give me my freedom. Are you a man of your word or not?”

  He shook the cubes in his glass before he set it down. “Always.”

  “Then I want to leave. Either give me a car, or I’ll walk everywhere.”

  He chuckled like the suggestion was stupid. “Not gonna happen. You think I’m gonna let you walk around by yourself in this city?”

  “I’ve been doing it my whole life.”

  “That was before you got yourself mixed up with two crime lords. All those freedoms you used to enjoy are long gone. You will always look over your shoulder as long as Lucian and I are alive.”

  Balto wasn’t the one I was afraid of. I never had to look over my shoulder because it didn’t matter if he was there or not. “I fuck you every night when you come home. I’ve made an effort with your brother. It’s your turn to uphold your end of the bargain.”

  That amused smile spread across his mouth. “Let’s not pretend you fuck me out of obligation. You fuck me because you want me. Let’s start there.”

  Whenever he was a pompous asshole, I wanted to smack him upside the head. I wanted to do that now, but when he stared at me like that, I felt immobile. “Doesn’t matter. We made a deal. Are you going to honor that deal or not?”

  He rested back against the chair while his f
ingers held on to his glass. With his head slightly tilted, he looked at me long and hard, like he was considering his final answer before he gave it. “No.”

  I’d been expecting a different answer, so I couldn’t swallow my shock. “No? Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  I leaned over the table, ready to slap my palm against his face. “You said—”

  “I know what I said.” He slammed his glass down on the table. “But there’s shit you don’t know, alright?”

  “Shit I don’t know?” I asked blankly. “What does that mean?”

  He spilled some of his booze across the wood and didn’t bother cleaning it up. He took a drink before he looked at me again, his eyes filled with irritation. “Lucian called me a week ago. He went through your phone and discovered our affair.”

  The air left my lungs as I let out a quiet gasp. When I’d left the house, I didn’t grab a single item. Everything was left behind, including my two phones. I hadn’t given it a single thought since I left.

  “Wasn’t happy about it.”

  “I bet…”

  Balto showed a small smile. “His pride was wounded. He was embarrassed. And then he threatened me…which was funny.”

  “Threatened you how?”

  “Said he wouldn’t negotiate with me. Said he would never give up the diamond and his intentions for you. Instead, he claims he’s going to take you.”

  My heart started to race. I felt perfectly safe with Balto, but I didn’t underestimate Lucian either.

  “Which is why I have to deny you your freedom. I’m not afraid of Lucian, but I’m not careless either.”

  I never wanted to be with Lucian again. I never wanted to be that asshole’s plaything. I was Balto’s prisoner, but I felt more respected than I ever did with Lucian. I’d rather die than go back to him. “But I can’t stay locked up here forever.”

  “I said I would take you to visit your brothers.”

  “I need more than that. I want to go out to dinner, go shopping, just get out of the house…”

  He gave me that unreadable expression.

  “I’ve got cabin fever over here. I just can’t keep staying in the house all the time.”

  “What do you want me to do?” he asked in a bored voice. “Take you out to dinner?”

  “Yes.”

  His eyes narrowed in surprise.

  “If I can’t go out by myself, then you need to take me places. I feel like an unwanted dog trapped in here.”

  He stared at me for a long time as he considered it.

  “Consider it a compromise. It’s too dangerous for me to go out alone. But I can go out with you.” Lucian was far more likely to snatch me if I was unprotected. I saw firsthand how scared Lucian was of Balto. That gave me a big advantage.

  “I’m surprised you would risk it at all.”

  “Well, staying here indefinitely isn’t the solution. And I know I’ll be safe with you.”

  Balto stared at me for a long time, his eyes slowly softening.

  “You really think he’ll try to take me?”

  He nodded. “He’ll have his men try to take you. The pussy won’t do anything himself.”

  That didn’t surprise me. Lucian never did his dirty work.

  “He’s not thinking clearly right now. I humiliated him, and he’s livid. Now he wants to lash out and teach me a lesson, even though he provoked this entire ordeal. He’ll fail at the attempt, be humiliated once more, and then he’ll play nice. He’ll come back to the table as a negotiator.”

  “And will you negotiate with him?”

  He brought the glass to his lips and took a drink. “Depends on what he has to offer.”

  “ARE YOU STAYING HOME TONIGHT?” It was almost nine, so if he was going to leave, he would do it soon. I sat on the couch with the blanket over my thighs while the game played on the TV.

  He was still in his sweatpants, like he had no intention of going anywhere. “Yes.”

  Anytime I knew he was staying home with me, there was a noticeable spike of happiness in my system. It wasn’t just about the protection, but the comfort. This man was beside me most nights, and it gave me the greatest sleep I’d ever known. When he was gone, I couldn’t sleep at all.

  He sat beside me on the couch, and he turned to look at me once he finished the contents of his glass. “Were you like this when Lucian was gone?”

  I almost rolled my eyes. “No. I was happy when he was gone.”

  “You never felt unsafe?”

  It had been just me and his men, and his soldiers weren’t entirely loyal. They didn’t respect Lucian, so it’s possible his men could have taken advantage of me while he was away. But I never cared about that possibility…probably because I didn’t have anything to live for. “I guess it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered.”

  “And with me, things matter?”

  I shrugged when I couldn’t supply a better response.

  He stared at me for a while before he turned off the TV. “Let’s go to bed.” He left his dirty glass behind and tossed the remote on the coffee table. As he rose to his feet, the cushion sprang back in place noticeably when his weight was lifted. He rose to his full height, his back turned to me, and he was a statue with endless carvings. For a man who constantly saw battle, it was surprising that his skin was so flawless, that he didn’t possess bullet wounds or scars from stabbings. He was completely untouched.

  I watched him walk away before I returned to reality, before I remembered that I was alone in the living room, sitting in the dark.

  I went into the bedroom and found him already sitting in bed, his back against the headboard with his large dick on display. His intentions were already clear, even before his eyes roamed over my body as I undressed.

  I left my clothes on the rug then crawled into bed. “You’re easy to read.”

  “And easy to please.” He grabbed my hips and positioned me on top of him. He didn’t get me wet by kissing me or playing with my clit. He got right to it, pushing his thick crown inside me and finding the holy grail of moisture. “You’re always wet, aren’t you?” He smiled slightly as his length moved within me, stretching my channel as he delved deeper inside.

  Lucian wouldn’t agree with that statement.

  His hands hugged my rib cage, and his thumbs rested right below my tits. He pulled me up slightly then back down, wanting to test the friction between my legs. When I didn’t bounce on his dick like I normally did, he raised an eyebrow. “What is it, baby?”

  I didn’t know what was going to happen with Lucian, but I knew I never wanted to return to his ownership. I didn’t want to be his wife anymore. If it were possible, I would file for divorce so I wouldn’t have to possess his last name on my driver’s license. I wanted nothing to do with him. Balto was another extreme, the kind of man I never imagined meeting, but I preferred his company over everyone else’s. “Don’t give me back to him…” Maybe I was Balto’s prisoner, but even if the door was unlocked and I was free to go, I wasn’t certain I would leave anyway. This man never hurt me, he always pleased me, and I innately respected him.

  His hands slid to my hips as he looked me in the eye.

  “I don’t want to go back to him. I want to stay here—with you.” Balto was the only man in the world who could protect me, so if that meant staying by his side for the rest of my life, I was fine with that. I hated it when he was gone all night, but that was only because I cared about him. I was cooped up like a princess locked in a tower, but there was nowhere else I’d rather be.

  He stared at me with those cold eyes, his thoughts a mystery.

  “Don’t give me back to him,” I repeated, as if he hadn’t heard me the first time.

  His blue eyes gave nothing away.

  “Balto?” I pressed my forehead against his and wrapped my arms around his neck.

  “Baby, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” His arm hooked around my waist, and he rolled me to my back, staying inside through the m
aneuver. “I have no fucking idea what I’m going to do.”

  22

  CASSINI

  We sat in silence on the drive to the factory.

  Balto and I hadn’t said more than a few words to each other since last night. Wordlessly, we screwed over and over, filling the tension with ecstasy. He told me he would keep me if I made myself valuable, but I obviously hadn’t done a good enough job if he still was considering handing me over.

  But how could I ever be worth more than that diamond?

  It was worth more than a small country.

  It didn’t matter how wet I was or how hard I made him come. I couldn’t compete with that.

  Balto parked the truck and we walked inside, still not saying a word to each other.

  I moved to the back and found Case working on the books. “Do you ever do anything besides work?”

  Case looked up, annoyance in his eyes but a smile on his lips. “No, unfortunately.”

  “You should go on a date sometime. Maybe having a woman in your life would help you relax.” I took the seat beside him and looked at the paperwork.

  When Case noticed my gaze, he grabbed all the papers and shoved them into a folder. “Women are nothing but a distraction.”

  “From work?” I challenged. “That’s exactly what you need.”

  Balto took a seat at the head of the table and looked around, examining his surroundings like he was always ready for something to jump out at him. He wore a dark blue shirt with black jeans, his muscled frame keeping him warm despite the chill that had settled on the city. He didn’t welcome my brother with a greeting. He just sat there, like a gargoyle.

  “Maybe in a few years,” Case said.

  “You’re thirty,” I reminded him. “If you wait too long, all the good girls will be taken.”

  “Not if I go for younger women,” Case replied.

  Balto wore a slight grin.

  I rolled my eyes. “Case, just live a little. That’s all I’m saying. So, what are you working on?”

  “Just doing the books,” he said. “Nothing new.”