Page 66

CHAPTER

FORTY-SEVEN

SARAH

I cling to Eli, hanging on for dear life as the motorcycle takes dangerously quick swerves. Usually, I’d be screaming into the air and enjoying the ride, but even the adrenaline rush doesn’t seem to improve my mood. After everything that’s happened today, my energy is completely drained.

Aiden and Lex will gather everything they need and force my father to memorize the meticulously planned script they’ve put together.

After that, they’ll turn him over to the cops, and we’ll never see him again.

I should be elated, but I’m left with an empty numbness and tightness in my chest. His life is over, but so is mine.

Soon, everyone will think I’m dead. I can’t stay in Pasturesville.

I need to get away from here before I’m seen.

Going with the guys seems to be my only viable option, at least until we cross state lines, but spending time with them will be tough.

I still haven’t forgiven them for what they did to Erin.

I thought I’d feel differently after we apprehended my father, but I’m still festering in a cloud of bitter resentment that’s impossible to shake. Maybe I never will.

After bounding over the rough terrain and avoiding getting hit in the head by branches, Eli comes to a sharp stop at the cabin. His feet barely touch the floor before I jump off.

“Hey!” Eli catches my arm to stop me from stumbling. I guess the meds are still in my system. “Let me help you.”

“No!” I shake him off. “I don’t need your help. I need to get used to being on my own.”

“Sarah…” Eli’s face falls. “Don’t say that.”

“Haven’t you been listening? As soon as we’re out of here, we’re done,” I snap, turning on my heel and stomping to the cabin.

Thankfully, the door’s already open. I scrunch my nose at the mess inside. Half-eaten food containers litter the surfaces, threadbare blankets are draped over chairs, and random computer parts are strewn over the table. I can’t believe they’ve been living like this.

“It’s not exactly an upgrade from Sunnycrest,” I snipe, knowing I’m acting like a brat but not giving a shit.

“It’s the best we could do while we were waiting for you,” Eli murmurs. He dashes to gather up some of the garbage, but it doesn’t make a difference. It’s a total dump. “Our next place will be better. You’ll see.”

“I won’t,” I say, picking my way over empty beer cans to the sofa and sitting down, hoping I won’t catch a disease from it. “We’re going our separate ways.”

“Do you really mean that?” he asks. The hurt look in his eyes almost makes me feel bad until I remember everything he’s done. “You really want to leave us and move on? After everything we’ve been through? After everything we’ve done to be together?”

“Moving on shouldn’t be difficult for you,” I say. “You seemed to manage fine before, remember?”

I’m mad, not just at Eli, but at the whole situation.

Erin took over my body for an entire year, and my father used his final moments of freedom to remind me that I’m a fucking disappointment.

Even the men I thought loved me shacked up with my sister the moment they thought I was dead. On my own, I’m never enough.

Eli’s whole body stiffens. His usual kindness vanishes, and something inside him snaps.

“You can’t leave us,” he says. His voice is harsh and unrelenting, as if he won’t take no for an answer. “You can’t. You’re everything. You’re ours. You’re mine.”

His possessive psycho act won’t fly with me. Not anymore. I used to find it endearing, but I’m done with someone else telling me how to live my life. I’m not losing control again.

“I’m not yours,” I say. “I’m only here because I have to be. I’m not your fucking property, and if you don’t see that, then you’re as bad as my father.”

“Don’t say that,” he yells, launching himself across the room and wrapping his hands around my throat. “Never compare me to him.”

“Or, what?”

His pupils dilate, then his mouth descends on mine hungrily.

There’s so much emotion wrapped in our kiss, anger, hurt, lust, and, most powerful of all, his desire to claim me.

I should push him away, that’d be best for everyone, but my body has other ideas.

I lean in closer, wanting to be devoured.

If I try hard enough, maybe I’ll even forget how we ended up here.

His tongue pillages my mouth. Taking from me. I taste his desperate longing and toxic obsession. It’s fucking addictive. I shouldn’t want him, but I do, and I hate myself—and him—for that.

I rake my hands through his dirty blond hair.

His rough hands slide down my back, grabbing a handful of my ass before hoisting me up.

I wrap my legs around his middle, tightening my thighs around his muscles and ignoring my instincts screaming that this is a terrible idea.

I bite his lip hard, but he doesn’t back away, and the metallic taste of his blood fills our mouths.

“I hate you,” I murmur.

His cock hardens.

“I love you,” he says.

A fuzzy warmth blooms between my legs. I rationalize that succumbing to my urges is a healthy way to release my pent-up frustrations.

It sure beats the anger management classes Dad used to make me attend.

I claw Eli’s broad shoulders. He doesn’t mind.

While I scratch and leave my marks over his skin, he nips my neck, biting and sucking, then pushes me back into the wall.

“You’re mine,” he growls. His hot breath sends a chill down my spine. “All mine.”

He lowers me to the ground and slips his hands underneath my clothes to seek out my wet heat. He groans as his fingers meet my dripping entrance, then he slides two inside me.

“Fuck,” I curse.

I hate how good it feels. I reach for the button on his pants, craving more. Why does the damn thing have to be so fiddly? I huff in frustration until I finally free him. His cock springs loose, and I wrap my fingers around it. I forgot how big he was.

“Off,” he commands, tugging down my pants. “Now.”

I wriggle out of them and pout, noticing how his eyes blacken at the sight of my lace panties. Why does he have to be so hot? It’s infuriating!

“All off,” he growls.

Fucking to forget has always been one of my mantras. It doesn’t have to mean anything. I’ve had sex without strings before. This is on my fucking terms.

“I’m not sure Eli thinks like that,” Erin chimes in.

Not now. I will her into submission, and it seems to work. For now, I can’t even feel her lingering presence, and it’s liberating. This is my time with Eli. I don’t need to listen to her comments or performance reviews.

Eli takes off his clothes and tears off the rest of mine until we’re both naked.

“Fuck…” He looks at my body in appreciation. “You’re perfect.”

I push him onto the sofa, asserting my control. There’s no way in hell I’m lying on that flea-ridden mound, so I mount him. My plan to ride him until I can’t think straight is going off without a hitch.

“Sarah,” he groans as I sink onto his shaft. “You feel…”

I lick the smeared blood around the edges of his mouth, then catch his bottom lip between my teeth and suck on it while gyrating my hips. I take him inch by inch, enjoying how he stretches me. So fucking full.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he says, tipping his head back.

I seize the opportunity. I clap my hand around his throat and squeeze.

His eyes widen in surprise, but he’s not angry.

His cock twitches, letting me know he likes it.

His giant hands cup my ass, squeezing hard to encourage me to quicken my pace, but it has the opposite effect.

I slow, sliding up and down his cock at a tortuous speed, relishing every second of his torment.

“You’re killing me,” he whines.

I smirk and tighten my grasp on his throat. This is exactly what he deserves. I chase my pleasure, using him like an object. My pussy flutters, getting closer to climax, when Eli suddenly decides he’s done with being submissive.

He pulls my hair and yanks my head closer, causing me to release my grip on him.

We kiss again, a dizzying blur of panting breaths and regret tinged with false hope.

Our ragged breathing synchronizes, and neither of us can hold back.

I come hard, releasing a loud, primal moan as my pussy holds him hostage.

As I unravel, we’re blasted by a cool breeze from the opening cabin door.

Lex’s jaw drops at what he sees when he walks in.

“Well, shit,” Lex says. He’s already pulling off his T-shirt. “You’ve started celebrating without us.”

I’m too busy panting from my seemingly endless orgasm that I can’t think of a witty quip to rebut with.

The sight of Lex’s scarred, sexy body sends a fresh surge of lust through me.

I’ve entered an animalistic state where physical sensation trumps everything and all my intrusive thoughts have been temporarily banished.

Aiden shuts the cabin door behind him. Despite his grave expression, I sense a change in him, like he’s finally rid himself of a massive weight that’s been dragging him down. He watches me and Eli with an unreadable expression.

“Fuck,” Eli gasps as I climb off him. His cum trails down the inside of my leg as I stand. “That was… incredible.”

Lex saunters over with his massive boner swinging. His presumptuous arrogance makes me consider telling him to befriend his hand, but we’ve got limited time left together. I may as well benefit from him while I can.

“Take a good long look,” I say. “Because this will be the last time you’ll ever have me.”

Lex grabs my face and holds my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “We better make it count, then.”

He bends me over the sofa, giving him a perfect view of my pussy, still dripping with Eli’s cum. Lex’s fingers feel like flames licking down my spine, stopping to rest on my tattoo. A tattoo that he gave me. A tattoo that was supposed to signify our commitment to each other.