Page 249 of Pretty Ruthless Monsters: Complete Series

He doesn’t miss a beat, doesn’t stop rubbing his cum into my skin like it’s fucking lotion as he makes eye contact with me. “Giving you something to remember me by. You’re not leaving here until you soak it all in, until my fucking cum is part of your DNA. Voglio segnarti per l'eternità.”

I can’t help but smile. This is his way of marking me without actually leaving any marks.

He leans in, still rubbing, and kisses me, claiming my mouth just like he’s claimed every other part of me. We both let the kiss go on, soft and deep, as if it’s some kind of balm after the rough sex and dirty talk.

After a few moments, he helps me get dressed again and cleans away the few random drops of cum that didn’t get fully rubbed into my back and ass. Only when we’re both dressed again and fully calmed down does he say anything.

“Have you been coming here every night?” He leans back against the wall, then snakes an arm around my waist when I join him. “Since you wrote that note, I mean? Were you really here every night waiting for us to show up?”

I nod. “Every night. I was starting to get worried after the first three or four nights, but I didn’t give up. I couldn’t.”

“How did you convince Malcolm to let you out of his sight? He’s gotta be wondering what the fuck has been keeping you out so late all week.”

“Come on. You have to give me some credit here.” I grin and nudge him with my shoulder until he cracks the faintest hint of a smile.

“I told him I wanted to rebuild Enigma, which conveniently happens to be the truth. And it just so happens that my dad owned the building at the end of this block.” My smile grows a little wider as I think back on how well my little plan has turned out so far.

“That building happens to be connected to this bar by a tunnel in the basement.”

“Holy shit, are you serious?” He shakes his head, chuckling. “That’s some spy shit right there. Good fucking work. And he doesn’t suspect anything?”

“I don’t think so. He has people following me, but I’m careful to make sure they see me puttering around in the shop, cleaning and dusting and moving shit around. They don’t care enough to actually come inside and check on me.”

We’re both quiet for a few long seconds, then he looks at me again without any trace of the smile that was there moments ago.

“Come with me when I leave here. We’ll pick up Atlas and Killian and get the fuck out of Detroit tonight.

Just like we planned on doing before. We’d be long gone before Malcolm even started looking for you. ”

It’s tempting.

Fuck, it’s tempting. For a moment, I almost let myself give in.

“I can’t.” I swallow hard to keep from apologizing because I know it’s not what either of us wants to hear right now. “We’d spend every second looking over our shoulders, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And he’d find us, just like he did before.”

“He might not though.”

“But he might. And if he did, he wouldn’t be lenient like he was last time. He’d kill all of us, Nico, and he’d make sure to do it in the cruelest, most painful way possible. I don’t want that to happen. That’s the whole point of… of all this.”

He’s quiet again, as if he’s taking in everything I’ve just said.

Then his expression hardens. “So this is it, then? You plan on staying married to that asshole, then come here every once in a while to get fucked by the men who actually love you? Because that sounds like a shitty goddamn plan to me.”

His words sting, but he’s right about one thing—that would be a shitty fucking plan.

“No. This isn’t gonna play out like that. Malcolm’s hold on the other Syndicate members isn’t as strong as he thinks. Some of them, maybe. But not all of them.”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

“It means he might have forced them to accept his leadership for now, but things could change.”

Nico’s brow furrows, but before he can ask the question, I answer.

“If I can start to turn those other members against him, I can take his ass down from the inside.”

“A coup?”

I nod. “A coup. I think at least two or three of them are already itching for change. He forces them to play by the rules, but then moves the goal posts whenever it suits him. Like how my life was supposed to be forfeit until he decided he wanted me for himself.”

His hands clench into fists, and I can see the muscle working in his jaw again. “Fucking bastard.”

“Agreed. But my point is that the other members don’t appreciate having to operate under a different set of rules. They’re starting to chafe. I don’t think it’ll take much persuading to get the majority of them on my side.”

Nico nods. “That does seem like a better option than running with our tails between our legs for the rest of our lives.”

“And then getting shot like dogs in the street anyway.”

“Yeah.” He grimaces. “That’s not how I want to go out.”

I take a deep breath. This is the next big hurdle, the thing I’m not sure I can sell him on.

“The only catch is, it’s going to take some time. And patience. From all of us.”

He frowns again. “I’ve never been a patient man, mia cara. Especially not when it comes to you and your safety. How long do you think it’ll take, realistically?”

“I honestly don’t know. I feel like things are progressing quickly already, but I can only speak to the other Syndicate members when the opportunity presents itself. In a lot of ways, I’ll be at Malcolm’s mercy right up until the moment I pull the rug out from under him.”

“Has he touched you?”

The question is so unexpected that I actually flinch. “What?”

“Malcolm. Has he touched you?”

“He…” I shake my head. “He wanted to, but I wouldn’t let him. He’s giving me my space for now, but…”

“But what?”

“But he’s made it pretty clear that he isn’t going to wait forever.”

Just saying those words out loud makes my stomach turn. Judging by Nico’s expression, he’s having a similar reaction.

“He’d better stay the fuck away from you.” He leans in a little closer to look me directly in the eyes. “I mean it, mia cara. If he ever touches you, you have to tell me.”

“What good will that do?”

“It’ll do a lot of fucking good because I’ll kill the son of a bitch. Pretty sure nobody would fucking miss him.”

I know he’s angry and I know he means every word he’s saying, which honestly makes me feel a little better, even though I know it isn’t that simple.

But it’s a good reminder that he—and Atlas and Killian—still give a damn about what happens to me. They still love me.

And they’re still willing to put their lives on the line to save mine.

“You’d better get back,” he says quietly. “I don’t want to fuck up this plan before you have a chance to put it into motion.”

I nod, knowing he’s right even though I’d rather take my chances and stay a little while longer. “We can keep in contact through Mickey. I’ll leave notes for you whenever I can.”

“We’ll do the same.”

I open my mouth to say something else, but he kisses me again, and the rest of my words get lost in the heat and passion and desperation of the moment.

“Be safe,” I murmur when the kiss finally ends.

“You too.”

He watches me go as I slip out of the bathroom and walk toward the back stairs that lead down to the basement. God, I miss him already.

I miss all three of them so fucking much.