Page 34

Chapter thirty-four

Ashia

I'm sitting on the kitchen counter eating some grapes and I can’t get him off of my mind. My body still tingles from his caress, and I swear I can still smell him. He is intoxicating. His sweet words, his soft touch, it's all consuming. He’s fully infiltrated my mind and my heart. I find myself swirling my fingertips along my own thigh to mimic his touch, already wanting him back home. I want to lose myself in his deep ocean eyes as we continue to explore each other’s valleys. Craving to hear his funny jokes, and sweet confessions.

He's going to be okay. He does this type of thing every day. Always telling me what warehouses he took down, dealers he’s stopped, and all of the danger he dealt with that day. This isn’t any different, right? I mean, a car chase is definitely different. There’s more that could kill him than a stray bullet. His car could swerve, and he could hit something. He could collide with one of those trucks they were looking at. What if the trucks lead them to another location where there’s even more men? Do they know where the trucks were headed?

How do the wives of his men deal with this every day? Is that what military wives tell themselves? How do they live with this? He’s not overseas, or across the country where I can’t be with him like soldiers are, but this is terrifying. Is it even comparable? I suppose it is. One wrong move, and I could never see him again.

I long to touch him. Smell him. Just see him. I need to know if he’s okay. I don't want to risk texting him, because knowing him, he’d stop what he was doing to try and respond. Texting and driving kills even when someone isn’t in a high-speed chase. So, I definitely don’t need to be texting him right now. I need to know that I’m truly not a distraction for him. I would hope he wouldn’t put himself in danger for something so trivial as a text message, but I know he would. Just to make sure I was alright. How else can I know if he’s okay while he’s out there? How do the other wives?

The lock on my front door clicks. The sound feels like a punch to the chest. I look up, and my heart skips a beat. Waiting for Damien to turn the corner, but then I see Serena instead, and my heart sinks. It’s not that I don’t want to see her, I was just hoping it was him.

“Oh! Someone looks happy! Fill me in, I feel like we’ve barely talked.” She walks up to me and sits next to me on the counter. “Spill. How’s stalker boy?” She says as she bobs her head. I can’t help but release a small groan and roll my eyes.

“Damien, his name is Damien. Remember?” I say, aggravatingly.

“Fine, Damien . How’s Damien ? Big horse dick Damien ?” She rocks her head back and forth and exasperatingly says his name. I laugh as she steals my grapes. Popping two in her mouth at a time.

“He’s good, but holy shit. He came home last night, and he was beat up, girl. His whole back and chest were bruised…” I emphasize by moving my hands around my body. Almost in a robotic like fashion.

“Wait a minute, what’d you just say?” She squints her eyes at me.

“That he was beat up?” I ask confused.

“No, before that.”

“What? That he came home last night?” Realization slaps me in the face. Oh… Did I really just say that?

“Yeah, that’s what I thought you said. Is he living here?” She asks, obviously not approving.

“I mean, I-I don’t know. He’s been staying here for over three weeks now. He was in the apartment across the alleyway, remember? What’s wrong with him being here?” I ask innocently, but then I see the edge of her mouth curl ever so slightly.

“I guess nothing. I’ve just never heard you say that before. It threw me for a loop. It’s nice.”

“To be fair, I haven’t heard myself say that before. I don’t know why I said that.” Why did I say that? He doesn’t live here. Does he? I mean where else does he live? He told me about the apartment, but he hasn’t had it that long. Does he just live in the comic shop? I should probably ask him that. It sounded so natural until Ser pointed it out and reminded me that there’s a lot about him I still don’t know. I wouldn’t mind if he lived here. I guess, he’s here every night and I gave him a key for fucks sake, but I just hadn’t really cared that he lived somewhere else until now.

“Okay, I'm sorry don’t spiral.” She throws her hands up like she’s surrendering.

“I'm not spiraling.” Yes, I am .

“Bitch, I see the frown growing on your face.” She scoots closer to me. “I know this seemed to start out weird and creepy, but you seem really happy, and you really seem to like him. I know I'm not necessarily on board with this, but you know all I want is for you to be okay and happy. And you are. So don’t freak out. I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have pointed it out.” She puts a hand on my thigh.

“I do like him. I like him a lot, actually. He’s…amazing.” I say truthfully. He makes me feel warm and jittery, but in a good way. I don’t feel anxious with him anymore, and I truly feel like he sees me. It took him a lot of digging and prying, poor thing, but I feel comfortable with him.

“Good, then don’t over think it. Everything’s fine. So, he came home?” I explain to her what happened. How he came home looking so rough, and about Henry. Telling her about everything that’s happened since last night, and about halfway through she pulls out a bottle of tequila from her purse. So, I grab my Malibu out of the cabinet and pop the top. “Oh, did you get my text? His friend, Carter? He’s single now. I’ve talked to him a couple of times from cutting his hair. He’s really nice, you should meet him.” I raise an eyebrow at her.

“Yeah, but he works for Damien. I'm not nearly as adventurous as you, girl. I don’t want that life.” She swats her hand and retorts. Her famous attitude etched on her face.

“It’s not even really my life though. Granted, I watched him kill Cooper, but other than that, and seeing their set up today, I haven’t had to deal with much from it. He’s shown me a few things about how they operate, but he would never ask me to do something like that.”

“You just said he came home last night ‘beat up’ and you think that’s not dealing with it? You may not be out in a car chase right now, but that’s still dealing with it. And what happens if you have to? You’re a tough girl, but some of the men we see on the news and that kid’s podcast are scary as hell.”

“How would they even know about me?”

“I don’t know, girl. I'm just trying to think it through, you know? You’ve seen ‘Taken’ and every other action movie. The girlfriend or wife is always the bad guy’s target.” Great, now she’s got me thinking. What if someone did come after me? What if they came here looking for him? I don’t know what I would do or how I would react. I’ve never hurt someone, and I certainly don’t own a gun. Up until Damien, I cowered at even the thought of a man near me…

“Well, I don’t want to think about it. Come on.” I hop off of the counter and grab my phone.

“What are we doing?” She sighs.

“We’re going downstairs and getting my speaker. I have to drown out the violent thoughts you put in my head.” She hops off the counter and comes with me to go downstairs. I’m sure my neighbors are going to hate me after tonight, but they’ll live. What are they going to do? Call Emmett and complain?

We walk downstairs, through the small lobby, and into the shop. The waiting room is empty, and when I look over at Emmett’s cutting station, there’s hair on the floor, but no immediate sign of him. Our attention is drawn to the front window by the sound of revving engines and squealing tires. We look out to see a plain white box truck speeding by with a black SUV right on its tail. And not too long after, two police cruisers speed past. Sirens wailing and engines roaring. That’s definitely not a coincidence, and the image only contributes to my anxiety. I turn to Serena, and she’s standing with her arms crossed and her hip is poked out.

“I said I'm not dealing with it.” I say with a snarky tone and she shakes her head at me.

“Dealing with what?” I turn around to see Emmett bringing his client back from the shampoo area, a confused look on his face.

“Nothing.” I say in a squeaky octave.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were going out of town?” He says as he begins drying off the client’s hair with a towel.

“We’re leaving in the morning; I came to grab my speaker.”

“You better not be here to work.” He smiles and points at me as he warns me. He focuses back on his client when his phone rings, and he politely excuses himself before answering. “Hey baby…” A concerned look overtakes his face. His brows crease and his body tenses. “No…No, don’t do anything. I'll check my client out and go…okay…okay bye.” He hangs up and pockets his phone again.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Jacob’s breathing machine's battery is dying, and she can’t get it to switch over to the outlet power. She’s afraid to switch it over.” He looks sort of frantic. If his breathing machine is dying, they could have to take him to the hospital until they can get it fixed.

“Well go, I'll check him out and clean up.” I say, and his mouth immediately frowns.

“Are you sure? You're supposed to be off.”

“It’s just cleaning, Emmett. It’s fine go.” I shoo him away with my hands.

“You’re an angel. Have fun! I mean it!” He grabs his keys and runs out of the back door towards his car. Not even saying goodbye to his client, but everyone that goes to Emmett knows about his son. So, I’m sure he understands.

“Come on up front sir, and I'll get you checked out. Sorry Serena, hold on.” I pat her arm.

“You’re good, babe. I'm not going anywhere.” I walk the client to the front, convince him to buy a beard oil, check him out, and I turn to see Serena sweeping up the hair. I love that girl. She’s been my best friend almost my whole life. She may make my head spin sometimes, but I know I can trust her with how I feel for Damien. She may not agree, but she’ll be by my side regardless.

I say goodbye to the client and start grabbing all of the guards and barbicide containers to empty them. After that, I go about turning off the hot towels, folding the towels in the dryer, and collecting the trash. I walk it out to the dumpster and come back. Serena helps wipe down the shelves and sweep the floors as I get everything cleaned up.

“Okay, last thing. I'm just going to unplug Emmett’s stuff.” I bend underneath the station to unplug his equipment when I hear the bell ring. “Hi, I'm sorry, but we're…” I stand up to see two large men, dressed in black walk in the door. A cold wave washes over me, sending chills down my spine. “Closed…”

One of the men is bald and has a muscular build. He’s about six and a half feet tall at least. He looks as if he could be a pro wrestler or something. Dressed in all black, and other than his grass green eyes, there’s not much else to identify him. The other man is smaller and has more of a lean build. Tattoos cover his face and neck, or what I can see past his long, damaged hair.

“Ashia Carpenter?” The bald man asks as Serena moves close to me. They’re obviously giving off bad energy if she thinks something is wrong.

“Who’s asking?” As if it’s a response to my answer, he reaches behind him and pulls out a gun. Pointing it at me. A fresh, icy wave of fear crashes into my body, and I move in front of Serena out of instinct, shielding her from any line of fire. “What do you want?” I say, my voice starts to shake. The bald man picks up on it and sprouts an evil smirk.

“We’re going to ask you a few questions.” I slowly start walking back, leading Serena and I closer to the hall that leads to the back room and out to my car. Making sure to grab her hand as discreetly as possible.

“Go.” I say and turn with her, beginning to make our way to the back, only to see another man, about the same build, near the doorway, also holding a pistol and pointing it at us. I must have left the door unlocked after taking out the trash… We’re trapped…

“Now, that’s not very hospitable…” I turn back, and try to stay in front of Ser, but between the men. Keeping her between me and the nearby wall. “And to think I’ve heard such good things about this establishment.” The first man says. “So.” He quickly walks up to us, backing us into the wall beside Emmett’s cutting station. I still stand in front of Serena, bracing her between myself and the hard surface to protect her. I’ve had to deal with a gun to my face before with Cooper, but the poor thing hasn’t had to deal with anything bad from a man other than ED. “Where is Cooper?” The bald man asks.

My heart plummets to my feet. Cooper? That’s what this is about? If he’s looking for Cooper, then he must work for Dust. He hasn’t said anything about Damien, so I need to play this cool. Technically, I don’t know where Cooper is. I just need to make him believe it.

Play dumb, Ashia. Play dumb.

“Cooper who? I have a lot of clients.” He points the gun under my chin and pushes, lifting my gaze to meet him. The coldness of the metal sends ice shards through my skin.

“Don’t play stupid, bitch. Cooper Siezly. Your Ex.” I feel my hands begin to shake, so I gently, and nonchalantly, plant them to the wall on either side of Ser.

Don’t back down. Do not let him see how scared you are.

“I haven’t seen him in years, why the fuck would I know.” I force out, my words laced with defiance. Hoping and praying that he’ll believe me.

“Because he told the boss that he had something personal from his past to deal with before people knew he was back in town. We already went to his parents. Now the only thing left is you, and you have a lot more reasons to hurt Coop than his parents did.” He grabs me on the back of my head and fists my hair, yanking on it. “So, you better start talking.” He says, getting within an inch from my face. His horrid breath whipping past my nostrils.

“Fuck you!” I spit out. I’m not sure where that confidence came from, but I need to keep it up. These types of men love it when women are afraid of them, and I won’t give him the satisfaction. Damien will circle back around…he’ll see them in here… He moves the gun from my chin to my forehead in an attempt to shake me.

“I'm only going to ask you one more time, and then after that, we’ll have to start using other means…” He moves the gun down to my dress in front of my vagina. “…to get you to talk, or maybe your friend will know.” He nudges behind me toward Serena. “Where the fuck is Cooper!” He yells in my face, his spit spewing onto my skin.

“I’m not telling you a fucking thing!” I seethe. I won’t. I can take a beating, and I refuse to give Damien up. I’ll make sure they’re too preoccupied with my resistance so Ser can run. An evil, maniacal, smile spreads across the man’s face. Showcasing his yellow teeth.

“So, you do know something.” He says, barely audible, and my heart stops. “You’re much too small to have taken Cooper on yourself. Did you have help?” He cocks his head. “Did the city’s savior come for him?”

A loud thud comes from the back room, and it immediately draws our attention. The moment he looks away, I feel something cold hit my hand. It startles me, but I feel around the object. I can feel two small holes circled in metal, one of which has a small piece of metal curving and poking out. It only takes me a moment to realize that they’re cutting shears. Serena is sneaking them into my hand. Trying like hell to resist the urge to look down at them, I grasp them in my palm like I would a knife.

“Check it out.” He says to the other man. Nudging his head in the direction of the back room, but the moment he moves toward the sound, we hear a quiet click and watch as blood explodes from the side of his head, and a hand reaches out to grab the guy in front of us. I press Ser against the wall even harder to try and shield her.

In no time we see Damien and the man fall to the floor, fists flying. Damien clearly has the upper hand, and pulls out a knife to stab him, but is stopped by the man kneeing Damien in the ribcage. On the side he was already injured. It’s only a split second he’s fazed, but in that time, the man, much larger than any other man I’ve seen, kicks Damien off of him and reaches for his gun as two other men run in through the front door and grab him. Holding him up by his arms and one man has his forearm wrapped and pressed against his throat.

I hear my heart pounding in my ears. The large muscle beating against my chest frantically enough to make my stomach turn. My hand holding the shears is trembling. Shaking so much I can hear the metal handles clink together. He’s going to kill Damien…I don’t think. My body moves before my mind. Shoving me in their direction.

Acting on instinct alone, I launch myself onto the bald man’s back. Wrapping my legs around his body enough to latch myself to him, and my left arm around his neck. Gripping him tightly as he tries to buck me off. I raise the shears. High enough for our overhead lights to flash across the steel and drive them into the right side of his neck. It’s much tougher to pierce him than I anticipate. It feels like I just shoved a sewing needle through a rubber band ball.

Images of Cooper doing the same to my arm flash through my mind…the burning as he sliced into me with the blades open…and as he stabbed me, turning the shears and twisting them inside my bicep…and just like me…regardless of the blood starting to flow, this man is still thrashing around. Trying anything and everything to get me off. Even reaching back and grabbing my hair. Pulling it to try and weaken me, but I don’t allow it.

So, I yank the shears back out. The squelching noise sending chills down my spine as the blood starts to spray from his wound. I don’t waste any time to look too intensely and drive it back in…again…and again…the piercing motion becoming easier and easier as the blood acts as a lubricant. Sliding the shears in and out quicker. Faster.

I can’t let Damien get anymore hurt than he already is…he’s only here to protect me, so I need to protect him…no matter how this ruins me…so I do it again…and again… Determined not to stop until I know he’s safe. I'm dripping sweat by the time he falls to the ground. Taking me with him and twitching. Only to suddenly stop moving…I release my grip on his body and sit up, still on top of his huge frame, and I see as it drips red in front of my right eye. Directing my gaze to a large pool of red gathering on the floor beneath me…

My breath catches as I watch the crimson rain continue to drip in my line of sight. Sweat isn’t red… I look down at the weapon in my hand. The now covered, red littered steel dripping onto my thigh in small droplets. Flooding my mind with the images from my nightmares.

This is different… I silently reassure myself… I’m not like Cooper… I'm not like Cooper…

I hear a click to my left and turn to see a man standing in the archway of the hall, pointing a gun at me. Time slows as I fall back and off my victim. Landing on my ass in the pool of blood beneath us. Pressing my weight onto my hands and feet as I face the man. The sticky, thick liquid immediately seeping between my fingers, and into my dress and shoes. My limbs are gaining no traction, as the blood spreads to my arms and legs. Sloshing around as I move and try to escape.

Movement from the right catches my attention, and I watch as Damien runs up to my next attacker, stabbing him in the stomach as he rams him into the nearby wall. The man fires a shot, but it lands on the mirror beside us, sending glass crashing down around me and landing in the puddle as I hold my arms above my head. Cowering lightly at the harsh sounds.

I look back to see Damien deliver more repeated stabs. All to the stomach and abdomen. The man is screaming and yowling in pain, until he shoves the knife in one last time before dragging it up his body. Gutting him like I’ve seen done to a deer. The squelching and ripping noise rings through my head as he does it…

My eyes are glued to the scene, immediately wondering how much strength it must take to be able to do something like that. Then I watch as Damien yanks the knife out of his now limp body. Allowing an organ to drop out of him and fall to the floor in a new puddle of blood that races towards the one I’m sitting in.

The man collapses. Lifeless. No light left his eyes. His now dilated and fixed pupils are devoid of any remaining activity. I’ve never seen the life leave someone’s eyes, and now I know what they mean by that. When they say the eyes are the windows to the soul, I fully believe that in this moment. What once shined, even with evil, is now dull. Somehow empty.

As Damien steps back and turns slightly in my direction, he looks ravenous…his eyes look darker than normal. A blue so dark and overbearing that they could almost be black. If it wasn’t for the specks of still brightened glitter that shine only for a blip before disappearing. I can practically see the anger seething out of him as he opens his mouth and throws his head back, breathing in deeply and taking in every sense from his actions…smelling the blood, inhaling the adrenaline…

He’s standing in his carnage like a God. Proving to normal men that his strength is a testament to superiority, and I tighten my legs from my arousal. Knowing that the liquid seeping between my legs isn’t just the blood I’m lounging in. Which I know is wrong for me to be so turned on while we’re both covered in life’s vital fluid and surrounded by dead bodies…but fuck he looks so sexy like this…how his heavy breaths show off his taut pectorals, how the throbbing veins pulse against his tightened neck, and his arms flex as he grips his knife with such anger that his body shakes.

I feel my pussy throb to the image, and while I know this is not the right time, I just want to rip his clothes off and slam myself on to his dick. Making my need for him the night of the concert look like child’s play. I’ve never wanted anyone as badly as I want him right now, and I make a mental note to go back to therapy as soon as possible.

He quickly reloads his gun as he stalks over to me. Closing the distance in only two, Viking sized strides, and helps me up, securing a tight grip on me.

“Look at me, baby! Are you hurt!?” He grabs my face and starts looking me over. He’s still shaking, but it’s like something else has clicked into place. A different emotion that I’ve never seen him have before. Pure panic, fear, and concern are flooding his face. His eyes darting around my face and body frantically.

“No, I'm not hurt.” I shakily say as I place my hands on his face. Grounding myself to his strong physique as I do the same to him. Once I realize he’s okay, I can’t help but run my blood-soaked thumbs over his crimson covered face, trying to comfort and reassure him.

Suddenly, we hear a loud gunshot, which shatters the front window and sends glass shards flying through the air. He quickly, yet gently, pulls me down and pushes me behind him as he fires forward, walking us towards the back, shielding me. I try to look around him and forward, but I'm greeted with two more bodies on the floor. The two other men that had Damien; their throats slashed, and torsos stabbed.

“Get Serena and get to the car!” Obeying without question, I run to Serena and pick her up by her arms, making her shakily stand from behind the barber chair, and we sprint to the back together. We pass by the man that was blocking our exit in the beginning of this encounter. His throat is also cut and pouring crimson onto the floor. If I didn’t notice it, we probably would’ve slipped on the extensive spill.

I step over him and swing the back door open to find a jet black, newer model Audi parked right beside the door. The curvy, sleek four door already running and adding to my overstimulated mind, but I push it aside. I assume this is his, and meant to get into this car and not mine. So I push Serena towards it and we quickly get in. She hops in the back, and I in the front as Damien runs out. Still firing into the building as he rounds the car. Only to quickly get into the driver’s seat and put the car in drive.

The force of him pulling off sends me digging into the back of the seat and I grip onto the bottom to steady myself. My nails grip the leather as I try and gain some sense of control.

“Carter, I need a route! And a cleanup crew! Tell them to keep the fucking bodies!” When he shouts that I look back through the back windshield to watch a black SUV swing into the parking lot. It looks different than the one I saw earlier, and by Damien’s dangerous driving, I'm assuming it’s not one of his guys. “Carter, send someone to a switch off point and get me there!”

He jerks the wheel left, and we slide into an alleyway. Sending our bodies leaning to the right a few moments before he yanks the steering wheel right. Jerking us the other way while the car slightly fish tails as we race out into the street. The SUV following closely behind us is now accompanied by another. Both barreling toward us. He takes a few more turns, weaving in and out of the alley ways, and my stomach drops with every swerve. Serena is cowering in the back seat, with her knees to her chest. Tears running down her cheeks and I feel my heart rip in two.

“It’s okay, Ser. It’ll be over soon…” I reach back and grab her hand. Letting her squeeze the life out of it as Damien continues to drive like a mad man.

I look over to him and he looks so fucking angry and hot. His face is stern. Hardened to stone as he clenches his jaw. While his arm is outstretched to the steering wheel, showcasing every vein up and down his forearm. His red, blood covered face brings out the iciness of his eyes, and I can’t look away. Everything about him is a mixture of emotions right now. He’s furious…and tense, yet his movements are so fluid and precise, like he couldn’t lose control of the car if he wanted to.

As we turn down a different main street, I look forward to see another black SUV swerve around the corner up ahead of us. Rushing towards us at high speeds. Damien then jerks to the right, then back to left, drifting his car around the SUV. Circling it just enough before heading down a side street.

There’s no way this car is filled with stock parts. The revving of the engine crawls up my legs and only enhances my arousal, doing a much better job than any vibrating toy. God, I cannot come right now. I'm feeding off the adrenaline, and I wish we were at a spot to pull over so I can shove his dick inside me. Whether Serena is in the back or not.

He steps on the gas and turns away from downtown, heading toward the interstate.

“Jason, are you ready?” He says through his earpiece, and a moment later he begins drifting up the on ramp, only to floor it, and drift again down the exit ramp. “Hold on, girls.” He slams the brakes once we get to the bottom, and jerks the wheel, circling us and sending us deep into our seats until he puts it reverse and pulls back. Hiding us under the exit ramp as an identical car comes out of the shadows and darts down the street. Very soon after, the two SUVs fly past us, chasing after the other car.

We’re silent and still for a moment, anticipation getting the best of us. Serena and I are trying to catch our breath, and I can feel her hand still trembling in mine. I finally deeply inhale and hold it only for a few moments before I let it out.

“Are you two okay?” He looks back at Serena and then to me with worry.

“I'm going to be sick.” Serena says as she jerks her hand away and holds it against her mouth.

“Go behind the car.” I snap around and tell her. Wishing I sounded a little softer, but my own nerves are pummeling my head, and I couldn’t stop it. She gently nods and quietly gets out of the car. Stumbling to the ground and crawling on her hands and knees.

I focus my gaze on him as he looks away, and he runs his large, strong hands through his hair and grasps it at the base of his neck, trying to calm himself down. Though for right now, I don’t want him calm. I want him to take every enraged thought out on me. Releasing his own anger into my body as thoroughly as he can manage. My body is already tightening to the thought as I feel my arousal make my thighs slippery.

The moment she shuts the door, I jump him. Practically flying over the middle console and straddling him. He's taken by surprise for a moment, but then something snaps and an overpowering hunger takes hold. Those feral eyes lock on to mine, and he lets the seat back some as he forcefully plants his lips to mine. Crashing his lips against me and instantly attacking my tongue in a frenzy.

I start to unbutton his jeans. Pulling and tugging at the rough material, desperate to get them off. He starts biting my lower lip between tongue diving kisses, causing it to swell. I taste blood, but I'm unsure if it’s that our victims or mine, and while I know I should care, I don’t. I'm so focused on riding his cock that nothing else matters in this moment. His hand runs up my dress and clamps down onto my nipple, and I moan loudly through my lips onto his. The pain only makes my pussy clench, and I'm frustrated that it's clenching on nothing but air.

After I finally manage to undo his pants, I pull down as hard as I can. Freeing his straining cock and watching as it bounces against his stomach to stand up right. My mouth waters at the sight of how much precum is already leaking from it, and the urge to fuck him completely takes over. I lift up my dress, move my thong to the side, and forcefully set myself on him. Taking him all the way in one move. No foreplay, no prep, just feeling his large dick tear into me, and it’s the best pain I've ever felt in my life. I feel like I might come just from that.

Screaming moans escape my mouth as he groans loudly in pleasure. His cock is already throbbing inside me, and I can't resist the searing need to move. I bounce myself up and down on his length, rolling my hips with every motion to really feel him slide in and out of me. With how tightly I'm clenching my pussy on to his dick, there should be enough friction to start a fire, but I think my arousal makes that possibility obsolete.

“Fuuuck.” He grunts as he takes control. His pounding, forceful movements rocking me up and down. Thrusting so hard into me I feel I might break, and holy God, do I want him to break me. He hits the right spot every time. Reaching so far inside me that my stomach gets that rushing feeling with every plunge. The rumbles from the growling deep in his throat fill the car and I feel my pussy flutter to the sound. Driving my need to come even deeper. He reaches for my neck, and I desperately want him to wrap that large hand around my windpipe, but he can’t get a good hold due to the blood slipping his hand over my skin.

I place a hand on his chest to steady myself. His shirt drenched in blood, and as I move my other hand to his face, it smears more red slick across him. The smooth feeling of the liquid on his face is soothing…the slip of the crimson under my fingers compliments the hungry, hypnotizing blue eyes staring at me. As I look at him, I begin to paint him with it. Smearing it across his neck, jaw and collarbone. I’m completely entranced with the aftermath of our violence, knowing that we did it to protect each other.

He grips my hips even tighter, his fingers digging into the skin, as he fucks me into an oblivion. His movements are fast and erratic, and his size allows him to drill into me in the perfect ways. That pull from my stomach comes on hard and fast as I build pressure like a balloon before it pops.

“Oh, God! Yes!” I scream out, but he reaches up and attacks my mouth again, only for me to pull away to scream against his lips as my shaking body flies into an orgasm. He keeps his pace, aiding me through it as he works to send himself over too. His constant movement only prolonging my pleasure and knocking my eyes into the back of my head. A few more thrusts, and I feel his body tense. He roars loudly as his warmth fills me. I clench my fists, one in his hair and the other on his shirt as I dig myself deeper onto him, taking all of him in.

As we both come crashing down my body can’t help but jerk at every slower movement, fighting the plummet back to earth. Leaving himself in me, he grabs the back of my head gently with both hands as he places our foreheads together. Resting his against mine as we breathe heavily, and I place my hands on their favorite spot on his jaw and try to calm him. I felt the way his heart was pounding. Showcasing his anxiety. Even after all of that, he needs proof that I’m still alive. That we’re here together, and he isn’t dreaming.

“Fuck, you are perfect.” He says to me, and I can’t make out words to reply at the moment, so I just kiss him. My mind and body are both now racing. The adrenaline high is coming down, and I’m crashing back to the horrors of the situation. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I nod frantically. Trying not to grip his face so hard that I hurt him.

“Yeah, I think so.” I watch as another bead of red sweat falls into my sight. “I want to get the blood off of me…” The realization of what just happened, what I just said, is sinking into my skin…a cold wave crashing over me… “I killed someone…” I whisper.

“You're in shock. Take a minute.” He begins to run his fingers over my head as he gently lifts me off and removes himself before setting me back on his lap.

“I'm fine…” I’m not fine… “I just stabbed a man…with shears…I just…oh God…what did I do?...” I look at my shaky hands, and I see my right arm covered in blood…the burning returns full force as the image looks the same as years before…my tattoos are now stained with my pain…that man’s pain that I caused… “Oh my God…” I start to frantically wipe the blood off, only to smear it around…I feel my tears begin to fall and mix with the blood on my face. The droplets now running down my cheeks slower than ever due to the thick mixture. His hands grab onto my wrists and move them to either side of my face to grab my attention.

“Little wolf, look at me.” I do as he commands, even though I'm shaking so badly I can’t see him straight. “This is not the same thing. Cooper did that to you because he was a sick, sadistic, fuck who got pleasure out of hurting you. That man was going to kill you and your best friend. You are not Cooper. Breathe.” We both take a second and try to catch our breath, him being much more successful than me.

“I don’t know what happened. He was going to kill you. H-he was…he was going to take you from me…I-I couldn’t…he would’ve killed you…” His eyes widen as they soften, almost as if he doesn’t believe what came out of my mouth.

“I’m fine baby, you did great.” He moves his hands to my face, and I lower my hands back to his chest. “You did great.” Nodding as he takes in deep breaths, I get the clue to join him. Much like he did the night he killed Cooper. I breathe in the iron taste, and I slowly stop shaking enough to focus and close my eyes. “That’s my good girl. You did what you had to do and that’s all.”

That’s all? I killed someone. That person is no longer breathing. How do I just accept that? How does he accept that? I know he kills people every day, but how do you just get used to that? How will he look at me now that I’ve committed a murder? Will he think any different of me? No, he would never. I just need to come to terms that he’s right. That man was going to kill Damien…and God what he would’ve done to Serena and I.

Just focus on that…just focus on that…

“What the fuck did they want?” He asks through his teeth. His words now hissing with anger.

“They were asking about Cooper. They wanted to know where he was…but I wouldn't tell him anything…” He takes a deep breath. Clenching and unclenching his jaw in anger before he starts to caress my face.

“I know, little wolf. You did so good, baby.” He plants a gentle kiss to my forehead before he moves a finger to his earpiece. “Talk to me about police coms on the chase and Cut Me Down…what do you mean there is none?...meet me at the house...” He rips the piece out and harshly holds it in his hand. I can tell he wants to chuck the small piece of metal and plastic but refrains as he looks back in my eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I shakily ask.

“I have to get you out of here. Get Serena.” He gestures towards the driver’s side door. I nod and climb out of the car on his side to get her.