Page 16

With a springin my step that gave me a twinge in my asshole, I flung open the door to our cabin. I moaned a little and danced on tiptoe. “It’s good to be king!” I waved a hand and spun into the room with my arms out, grinning over my shoulder at Reed, but he was busy staring wide-eyed at the lap of luxury we found ourselves in.

Reed finally snapped out of his trance and frowned at me. “Huh?”

“Not a Mel Brooks fan? History of the World, Part One?” I shrugged. “Sloan lives the good life, that’s all I meant.”

“I’ll say,” he grumbled, then shut the door behind himself. His bottom lip stuck out as he surveyed the living room.

I’d initially thought we were going to a regular, boring hotel, but when I’d checked the address I’d been sent by Conall—who must’ve decided he needed to make nice with me after being a catty bitch the other day—I’d been pleasantly surprised. We were in a sumptuous “cabin” on the edge of Lake émeraude. I bit my lip while drinking in the stunning view from the windows across the living room.

The night-dark water reflected the moon and stars like silvered glass. There seemed to be a back-to-nature theme going on, with the furniture and artwork in greens and browns, but each piece projected understated luxury that only people with real money—more than I had—surrounded themselves with. I ran my hand over the back of a decadently overstuffed green leather couch as I passed it while trekking toward a hallway.

“Come with me to the bathroom.” I gestured at a welcome basket on the coffee table full of chilled cut fruit and champagne, but Reed only shook his head. I didn’t blame him. I was feeling every minute of our day.

He grunted and trailed after me.

“An obedient beast is a pleasant surprise.” I stared at the knife I’d pilfered from the Society House. There was still some of my blood crusted along the blade. I tilted my neck until my new wound ached.

On the right side of the short hallway was the bedroom, judging by what I could see through the open door. It would have that same cinematic view as the living room, no doubt. On my left was the bathroom. I sailed through that door and nearly floated away with joy as I flipped on the light switch. To the right was a tub sunk into a stone floor. Unlit candles surrounded it. The room was more like a solarium than a bathroom, and we got a muted view of a flower garden through frosted glass that I assumed would be opaque from the outside. Everything was a hazy dream. Straight ahead was a glassed-in shower that took up most of that end of the room, and the stone floor extended in there.

The pristine white toilet almost looked out of place because the double sink was more stone that stuck out from a green glass-tiled wall.

“Jesus Christ!” Reed said, voice echoing. “This bathroom is bigger than most apartments I’ve been in.” He flopped onto a leather bench along the wall near the tub and stared around in awe.

“For sure.” I chuckled and rolled my right shoulder, then the left one. “I haven’t been here in the past, but Sloan’s accommodations are always something like this.” I tossed the knife down next to the sink and didn’t waste time. I rolled my head to the right, then the left, stretching the skin of my neck so I could feel the pain of the cut there. The wound couldn’t be deep, all things considered, but I loved the sizzle of hurt.

My stomach clenched and a golden heat settled lower. God, he could’ve sliced my throat while he’d fucked me. A new tension that had nothing to do with saying the right words to keep a psycho on my side twisted through my body and made me hyperaware of my groin. My ass needed a break, but my cock was ready for round two. I almost sighed at my ridiculous self. I was exhausted after the flight and tiptoeing around at the Society House.

“If you ever see Birch Shepherd when you’re alone, be careful.” I began to strip, done with clothes. I needed to unwind.

“Why?” Reed tipped his head back against the wall and stared at me. I was putting on a show for him, and the way he sprawled let me know he appreciated it.

“He’s a serial killer,” I said, flinging my suit coat in his direction.

The silence was thick as I continued to shed clothing. “Seriously?”

“Well, technically speaking, so am I. So is Sloan. So are most of the people I talk to regularly, but Birch does it because he likes it. He doesn’t gain anything from it. It’s purely for amusement value, not because he needs to do it. Strangers visiting the area are much easier to disappear quietly.” I turned to stare directly into Reed’s eyes. “So, don’t hang around him alone. I can’t think of a reason that might happen but count yourself warned.”

He gave me a salute, gaze stuck on my lower half. I kicked off my shoes and slid down my pants and boxers at the same time. There was nothing sexy about what I was doing. I just needed to get the clothes gone so I could shower off the blood, cum, and nervous sweat.

“Is that why you slept with him?” Reed asked, sounding just as pissy about it as he had earlier.

I snorted, then outright laughed at his scowl. “No.” Leaving the details hanging made his jaw clench, so I winked and blew him a kiss while I meandered over to the absolutely decadent shower. I went inside and spent a minute fiddling with the buttons set into the wall, but I finally figured out how to make all the showerheads rain at the perfect water pressure. With a sigh, I stood there and tilted my chin up.

The weight of Reed’s gaze on me was heavier than a hand, and I cracked my eyes open to find him watching me. The water trailed down my body, and I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it or not, but I thought I could feel a small rivulet of blood washing down my chest. When I glanced down there was a trail of pink dripping off my right nipple from where the scarlet droplets had mixed with the water. My cock responded with a vengeance and I was hard in no time.

Fuck, I wanted to play with it.

Reed spread his legs, sinking even farther into his comfortable slouch. I’d noticed recently that I didn’t always need to shock him to get him rock hard, a pleasant change, and if my eyes didn’t deceive me, there was a friendly bulge in his pants. I wrapped my hand around my dick and studied his muscled shoulders and plush lips.

He smirked at me and stood.

I had no idea what we were doing right now, but I slowly began to stroke myself, and he came over and leaned against the glass with one shoulder. His gaze never left my body. I ran a hand up to my neck and toyed with the cut. Pain danced in my blood, and a need so vicious it was its own agony had me tugging on my cock at top speed. Stole my breath. Set me on fire.

“You were such a good beast tonight. So fucking ruthless.” My vision got fuzzy while I pressed my thumb firmly along the cut. Lightning struck and my balls emptied while my cockhead pulsed. Spurts of cum splattered the floor. When I was panting and nearly boneless from my release, I stared at the fresh blood on my right hand and the sticky cum on my left. To my disappointment, the fun fluids were quickly washed away.

Reed chuckled and stripped off his clothes. I stood there stupidly, not able to rub together the brain cells to move until he was running a soapy shower puff full of a sweet lavender-scented soap along my back. I let him wash me.

Care for me.

Serve me.

Other amenities were on a ledge nearby, and soon he was washing my hair. When we were done, he turned off the water. We didn’t talk as he came back for me with a fluffy green towel around his hips and one in his hands. He looped the towel around me and scooped me up, which was ridiculous.

“What are you doing?” I murmured.

He didn’t say a word.

I could walk, but I kind of liked this being catered to thing, so I allowed him to take me to the sink counter. He settled me there.

“Stay,” he said.

“You’re the beast, not me,” I grumbled, covering a yawn with the back of my hand.

Reed rolled his eyes and looked around until he spotted a thin cupboard next to the door. He went over there and came back with a small first aid kit. I sat patiently while he pulled out some gauze, tape, and antibiotic ointment. We didn’t talk, but his steady fingers smoothed the makeshift bandage in place on my neck. He tapped the bandage with one of his “nubbins,” and I hummed at the small spike of pain.

“You’re really pushing for a reward.” A strange warmth circled in my chest and I ended up smiling at him.

“Am I?” He sounded nonchalant, but there was a pleased gleam in his eyes.

Oh, this was delightful. I’d made a lot of progress with my beast. More than I’d realized. “If this goes well, I’ll always take you with me when I work. What do you think?” The offer was rash, to say the least, and I couldn’t believe I’d made it. He pulled me to the edge of the counter by my hips and crushed his lips against mine, so I took that as agreement.

His hard-on nudged me through his towel, and I broke away to stare down between us.

“What?” he asked, breath ragged.

“You’re hard. Like, really hard. Without me zapping you.” I glanced around and had a second or two of deep, terrified panic wash through me because I had no idea where my phone was, but I shoved it aside. I was exhausted and not in a good spot to defend myself, but I’d started this. I’d asked him to come with me on this trip, and despite everything, I was beginning to trust him.

He grunted and a wrinkle formed on his brow.

I tickled my fingers across the tiny crease until it smoothed away.

“Must be developing a taste for fucking psychos,” he said.

Snorting, I grinned. “Are you telling me I’ve trained you to want me and my insanity?” My head swam with the implications.

He shrugged. “Maybe, but crazy’s always been my thing, so you didn’t have to try too hard.”

I slid my hands along his muscled neck and sucked on his bottom lip. He tasted good, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what that flavor was, but I wanted more.

“Where would you like your reward? Here or the bedroom?” I asked, when I finally came up for air.

He stared around, then scooped me up again. I chuckled as he carried me across the hall to the bedroom. I flipped on the light switch as we passed it, and the lamps flared to life, filling the room with a soft yellow glow. This space had the same theme as the rest of the house, but the bedding was a rich forest green. He set me on the edge of the bed and was quick to dump his towel and whip out his cock.

“What’s my reward?” he asked, staring down at me with hooded eyes.

Part of me wished I hadn’t jerked off because he looked really fucking good, but I was spent after the tense night of dancing around Birch. I sucked a kiss on the head of his cock, relishing the bitter drop that spilled across my tongue as he hissed.

“Fuck my throat. Abuse it. Pound it so hard I can never speak again,” I said, staring up at him in challenge. “Use me like you hate me.”

He moaned and fed his cock between my lips, taking me at my word—or not caring to treat me better. I wasn’t sure which. He slid straight in past the point of comfort and forced me to accept his thick cock in my throat. It hurt. He didn’t give me time to adjust to him before he wrapped both hands around the back of my neck and began to pound my face like I was a two-dollar whore.

It was pure bliss.

My dick perked up, but Reed was using me so hard I had to rest my hands on his hips to keep my balance, even with him holding on to me. I couldn’t do anything about it. I was squirming and hungry for more by the time his cock swelled slightly bigger, stuffing my throat to the limit. He pumped a thick load down my throat. Fuck, I wished I could taste it. I was feeling cum hungry. He held himself deep for a moment after he unloaded, and my vision started to go gray as he yanked out. I didn’t know what was happening at first when he sat down beside me, then lifted me and put me on his lap. I shoved at him while my head spun, but he opened my towel and wrapped his big hand around my dick.

Oh, the tight pressure was so good. I went from shoving him away to tugging him close with my hands on his shoulders.

Reed chuckled and covered my mouth with his, and then with a growl, he shoved his tongue between my lips. So good. Close, and yet so far. After a few minutes, he tossed me on the bed, and I was confused until he forced apart my legs and stuffed two thick fingers into my tender asshole. I cried out and screwed my eyes shut because there was more pain than I’d expected, though not more than I could tolerate. He fucked me dry with his fingers and went back to stroking my dick. Not long later I was coming again in a hazy wave as he forced me over the peak with quick, brutal strokes on my dick and a rough massage of my P-spot.

“I hurt you.” When I forced my eyes open, his teeth were bared, which gave me another happy aftershock of joy. He eased his fingers out of my hole, but there was still some pain.

Blowing out a long breath, I stretched on the bed and loved the way he intently followed my movements. “Your cock can’t kill me. I just need to take a day off from it. Give my pucker a rest.” I winked at him.

He flushed and sat up straight, a tiny smirk curling his lips.

Pride, the ultimate killer. I snickered at how tickled he was with himself over breaking my asshole. “If I let you sleep with me, Beastie, will you slit my throat? The knife’s in the bathroom.” I blew him a kiss.

“I guess you’ll find out,” he said, smothering a yawn.

Yes, this was shaping up to be more than I’d ever hoped for.

* * *

We’d had an easy day of luxuriously fucking around in the nice lakeside rental, and about an hour after sunset we’d made our way to a small industrial area on the east side of St. Loren. I had no idea which District we were in because my brain didn’t function that way—like a true New Yorker, I thought in neighborhoods and grids, which just felt different from districts and parishes. I didn’t know the names of the different sections of St. Loren, but we were walking along Macon Street together, dressed to get up to no good.

Reed was a snack in his black jeans and T-shirt with a heavy-duty backpack full of my tools strapped to his back. I patted his solid arm. “You’re not just for pleasure. You’re a useful beast.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’m a joy to have around.”

My laughter caught me by surprise. “Have you always been funny?”

Even under the streetlights, I could tell that he was blushing, and I reached out and grabbed his hand. He jerked away, and an awful sensation swirled through me, only to be chased off when he gave me an apologetic glance and tangled our fingers together.

“Listen,” I said, squeezing his hand. “According to the text Birch sent me, we’ll have about twenty minutes to scoop up this car. There will be an internal alarm, I’m sure of it, but it won’t go to the police. The owner has a vested interest in not drawing their attention. Which is good. On the other hand, if we’re still here when those men who will respond to the alarm arrive, what happens to us will be far worse than sitting in jail overnight.”

Reed’s grip on my fingers tightened. “Yeah?”

“Oh yes,” I said, letting out a long sigh to release some lingering tension. I had to be relaxed on the job, no matter what the stakes, or I would turn this into a self-fulfilling prophecy. The sound of motorcycles rumbling to life down the block had my heart racing. I collapsed back against the brick wall of a warehouse that ran right next to the sidewalk. With a come-hither smile—or at least, I hoped that was what my expression said—I tugged on his hips. Thank fuck, he got the idea and began to kiss me. The bikes passed on the street without slowing down. I didn’t open my eyes to check out who the drivers were because as long as they were leaving, I didn’t give a shit.

When the sound of engines faded in the distance, I lightly shoved on Reed’s chest and reached down to adjust my new issue. “Come on,” I said, turning to walk quickly in the direction of another brick warehouse. I crossed the street, and Reed followed me. I pulled out my phone and double-checked that we were in the right spot, then stopped below a window that I wouldn’t be able to reach on my own.

“What now?” he asked, staring around uneasily.

Rubbing my hands together, I grinned. “I’ll need about a minute once I’m inside and oriented. That’s how long it will take me to get the car running. We’re going in this window. I can’t reach it on my own. Will you be able to pull yourself up?”

He stared upward and tilted his head, extending his hand. He was tall enough that his fingers brushed the bottom of the pane. “Yeah, I can jump and heave myself up.”

“Great. I need you to open the big door for me. I’ll stop the car to pick you up on the way out. We drive away. I hide the car in the container on a big rig waiting for us about three miles outside of the city, and then we enjoy a vacation on Sloan’s dime.” I leaned over and kissed his shoulder. Adrenaline had me buzzing.

“Just like that?” he asked, not sounding convinced.

“Of course. I’m a professional.” I winked at him.

“How did you set this up?” Suspicion was heavy in his voice.

“Birch knows the right palms to grease, and I have a lot of cash. It’s not a difficult concept.”

He huffed. “Right. Birch.”

Laughing, I patted his cheek, my thumb scraping on some stubble that I wanted him to use later to grind beard burn all over my tender spots. “Hoist me up, Beastie.” I pointed at the window. Reed cradled my foot in his right palm and lifted as if I weighed nothing. My stomach dipped as I was raised. “You’re a good stepladder.”

“Move your ass,” he said, glaring at me. To his credit, his arms didn’t shake.

With a snort, I tapped the window, not wanting to break it, and was surprised when it tilted inward.

“You’ve got to be shitting me. This is too easy.” All at once the pit of my stomach felt stretched out and hollow and I got a bad feeling, but Reed shoved me up higher. I rushed to slide through the gap.

“Shit!” I was able to roll through and twist, which had me landing on my side. I didn’t allow myself to catch my breath or wallow in the aches and pains from the long drop and solid impact, but instead bounced to my feet. I turned around to tell him the coast was clear.

The overhead light snapped on.

Momentarily I was blinded, but then a bag slid over my head. I didn’t think, simply reverted to survival instincts. I sank my elbow hard into someone’s gut and tried to rip the bag off, then got shoved forward. I bounced off the wall and turned around to swing without being able to see. I might end up dead in a ditch somewhere, but I would make whoever had set me up regret it. I yanked a knife out of a sheath in my pocket and tried to slice at the bag, but got shoved again, so I stabbed in that direction instead.

Someone landed a blow across my shoulders, and I stumbled away from the pain, only to be smashed against the wall by a body much larger than mine. The asshole beating me up was wearing Creed Aventus, one of my favorite colognes, so I knew Reed hadn’t somehow gotten in here already to start smacking me around.

“Maybe we can talk about this?” I said with a laugh. Someone landed a punch to my gut, and I sliced in that direction. I was dealing with more than one person.

There was a curse in a deep voice; although, I’d already surmised my attackers were men.

“Figured as much. No one likes to fucking talk,” I said, kicking out as I heard footsteps on my right. I connected and shoved the person away. My heart hammered and I tried to tug off the bag, but someone slapped my hand away, then sank another fist into my gut.

I just had to survive until Reed dropped down to help me, but as the seconds ticked by and I took a few more punches—to the ribs and side—my hope faded.

Oh well, today was as good a day to die as any.

I fully planned to haunt Birch fucking Shepherd.