Page 19 of Unholy Vows

Malachai

I ended the call and returned my gaze to Vaughn.

Vaughn.

Such a stupid fucking name.

I reached forward, plucking the noise-cancelling headphones from his ears as I readjusted my mask.

“P-please,” he whimpered. “I haven’t done anything.”

My palm went sailing through the air, connecting with the side of his head.

“Next time you think about touching something that doesn’t belong to you… think again.”

“W-what? Man, I’ve got no clue what you’re talking about.”

“The woman,” I snarled.

Realization suddenly hit him, and his eyes widened in horror.

“I promise, I had no idea she had a boyfriend. She didn’t say anything. If she had, I would have backed off. I’m not interested in a pissing contest over a piece of ass, dude, I swear.”

I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck from side to side. Vaughn recognized his mistake almost immediately and began wailing.

“I didn’t mean it like that!”

My fingers dug into the soft flesh on the underside of his jaw, and he winced.

“You disrespect my woman, and you’ll suffer the fucking consequences.”

“I didn’t know she had a boyfriend,” he repeated between sobs.

Boyfriend was too tame a word.

I preferred Master. Owner. Lord.

“Be that as it may, you still need to learn your lesson. Think of my tuition as safeguarding your life for the future. You never know when you might stumble across the wife of a man with less compassion than me, and make decisions with your dick instead of your head. And trust me, they’ll do more than break a few bones. ”

I gripped his finger in my hand and bent it at an unnatural angle until the sickening sound of bone snapping filled the room.

A slow, sinister grin twisted my lips as Vaughn howled in pain.

“Only nine more to go.”

I pulled myself through the window attached to Layla’s fire escape. She’d tried to strengthen her defenses by replacing her locks, and for most people, that would have worked.

But I was motivated, and there was nothing that would stop me from reaching my Little Sinner.

I landed silently on the worn hardwood floor and peered around her apartment. The scent of her strawberry shampoo permeated the space, and I envisioned her taking a shower, naked and glistening wet.

I sucked in a deep breath, letting her sweet aroma fill my lungs.

The hallway stretched ahead, dark and narrow. I moved carefully through the tight passageway, edging closer to her bedroom with each step.

The thrum in my chest deepened, and adrenaline soaked my veins.

I gently nudged the door open and found her tangled in her sheets, with one arm thrown over her head. Her other arm rested loosely at her side, and I watched as her breasts heaved with every inhale.

Moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating her dark brown hair and the thick lashes that fanned across her cheeks. Her lips were slightly parted — an invitation to stuff her bratty mouth full of my cock.

But I wouldn’t.

Not yet.

I stepped through the shadows, drinking her in. When I reached the side of her bed, I knelt beside her and pulled the steel handcuffs from my pocket.

Slowly, reverently, I fastened one cuff around her wrist, then gently drew her arm upward, threading the other cuff through the bars on her headboard.

Her skin twitched beneath the metal, but she didn’t stir.

Gripping her free wrist, I locked the second cuff in place, and the sound echoed around the room with quiet finality.

I stood from the floor and peered down at her. She looked so beautiful, tied up and at my mercy.

She looked like mine .

I crossed the room and sank into the vacant armchair in the corner. The leather creaked beneath me as I settled in to watch her sleep.

Her breaths were soft and steady, unaware of the devil waiting in the shadows.

Patience was my strong suit.

I’d wait.

Wait for those lashes to flutter. Wait for the moment she realized she wasn’t alone. Wait for her to see that I had returned to claim what belongs to me.

But Layla didn’t keep me waiting.

The soft click of metal was the first sign she was stirring. I watched from the shadows as her head turned toward the empty side of the bed, then to the doorway. Her breathing quickened as confusion settled over her features.

The room was cloaked in shadows, with only the faint moonlight to guide her.

But I could see everything.

The way her brows drew together.

The way her lips pressed into a thin line.

“Malachai?”

Her voice was thick with sleep, barely audible, but the single word set me ablaze.

Even in the darkness, she called for me.

Something akin to pride swelled in my chest, and I rose from my chair as I moved toward her.

I didn’t speak as I crawled up the length of her body, bracing myself on either side of her hips. The mattress dipped beneath my weight, and her breath caught in her throat. Her skin was warm, flushed, and I knew if I slipped my fingers inside her panties, I’d find her soaked for me.

I leaned in, close enough for her to feel my heat, but not touching.

“I warned you,” I murmured, my voice low and dangerous. “You’re mine, Layla. And no one gets to touch what’s mine.”

She shivered beneath me; the cuffs rattling softly as her fingers flexed against the restraints. Her eyes were wide now, alert and cautious. Her chocolate gaze locked onto me with a mixture of defiance and something… needy.

“You can’t just —” she began, but her words died on her tongue as I pressed my body flush against hers, letting her feel the hard outline of my cock.

“When it comes to you, Layla, I can, and I will.”

Her pulse thundered beneath her skin, wild and frantic.

She was afraid, but not of me.

It was the fear that came from wanting something you knew you shouldn’t.

I brushed a strand of hair from her face, my knuckles grazing her cheek.

“I gave you a chance to run, Little Sinner. You didn’t take it.”

“No, you didn’t,” she scoffed, and I smirked despite myself.

She was right. I never would have let her get away.

I leaned in closer, my lips hovering just above hers, and I could feel the heat of her unravelling against my mouth.

Then, I extinguished the distance between us and kissed her.

It wasn’t gentle.

I wasn’t seeking forgiveness. I was a man taking back what was his.

Her lips parted with a soft gasp, and I swallowed it whole. My hand threaded through her hair as I deepened the kiss.

She tasted like defiance and my destruction, and I couldn’t get enough. She lifted her hips, grinding her center against my erection, seeking the friction she was desperate for, but I wouldn’t give.

A throaty chuckle left my lips, and I slid further down her body. Layla whined in protest, and then yelped in surprise when I sank my teeth into her breast above the fabric of her sleeping tee.

I leaned back on my heels and pulled out the knife I kept sheathed at my hip. Layla’s eyes widened, and she eyed me curiously.

“What’s that for?” she asked as her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip.

I cocked my head to the side, studying her. Layla was excited. Being at my mercy, with the threat of a blade between us, turned her on, and fuck if that didn’t turn my already hard cock to steel.

Without a word, I lowered the knife and cut through the fabric of her sleeping tee. I stroked the tip of the blade lazily across her sternum before tracing a path to her abdomen.

A small hiss escaped her, and I peered down at the knife still clutched in my hand to see a tiny trickle of blood working its way down her stomach. Lowering my head, I traced the crimson beads with my tongue, licking her clean.

My blade slipped beneath the fabric of her panties, and I tugged, tearing the lace in two. I repeated the action on the other side, before pulling the material free and stuffing it into my pocket.

Tossing my knife on the ground, I unbuckled my belt and freed my cock. I stroked myself from base to tip, gathering the bead of pre-come with my thumb and bringing it to Layla’s mouth.

“Open,” I commanded, and she obeyed.

Her lips wrapped around the digit, sucking eagerly.

A pained groan rumbled from my chest, and I lined myself up with her entrance. My free hand collared her throat, and I moved closer as I whispered in her ear.

“Not a fucking sound, Layla,” I ordered, and she trembled against me.

The hand collaring her throat lifted until I pressed my palm across her mouth, stifling any noise.

Then, with one brutal thrust, I entered her tight heat, impaling her on my cock.

I didn’t wait for her to adjust as I pulled out to the tip before snapping my hips forward.

Again and again, I brutalized her needy cunt, punishing her for my obsession.

But Layla didn’t just lie down and take it.

She met me thrust for thrust, defiance and hatred glaring back at me every time our hips collided. I couldn’t stop my lips from curling as she attempted to regain the upper hand. My Little Sinner was a fighter.

Good.

She’d need it.

I dipped my head, my mouth grazing the juncture between her shoulder and her neck. My tongue darted out, and I traced a path up her throat until I reached the shell of her ear.

“I love it when you fight me, Little Sinner.”

Layla’s gaze narrowed, and a second later, she sank her teeth into my palm.

The pain only added to my arousal.

I pressed my free hand into the mattress beside her face and angled my hips until I found Layla’s sweet spot.

My Little Sinner’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, and a deep, guttural moan filled the room despite my efforts to silence her.

Without warning, I sank my teeth into the flesh of Layla’s shoulder, hard enough to draw blood. The copper taste coated my tongue, and Layla screamed as she thrashed against me.

But I didn’t relent. I continued to pound into her, and Layla’s screams quickly turned to cries of ecstasy.

“I warned you, Layla. Not. A. Fucking. Sound.”

I punctuated each word with a deep thrust, and she whimpered as her cunt choked the life out of my cock.

She tilted her head back and then came so violently that her entire body shook as if she were exorcising a demon.

I clenched my teeth, my fingers digging into Layla’s cheeks as I chased my own orgasm. When I came, I swear I saw heaven. Stars burst behind my eyelids, and pleasure like I had never experienced before engulfed me, dragging me under and drowning me in bliss.

For a moment, all that could be heard was the sound of our heavy breathing as we struggled to catch our breath.

The jangle of Layla’s cuffs cut through the silence, and I pulled back, my cock slipping free as my come painted her thighs.

Layla’s gaze dropped to my semi-erect cock, and I smirked. I knew I was big, but the way she stared at me in disbelief was a welcome boost to my ego.

I moved up her body until my cock was directly in front of her face.

“Clean it up,” I demanded, as my come dripped from my tip onto her chin.

“Unlock the cuffs,” she countered.

I looked pointedly at my cock, and Layla scoffed. “I’m not cleaning your dick.”

When I only arched a brow, Layla sighed and leaned forward. Her tongue darted out tentatively before her lips wrapped around my length. Her head bobbed up and down, and my cock stiffened in her mouth. When she was done, she released me with a pop , a knowing grin painting her lips.

“What makes you think I won’t just stuff those pouty lips full of my cock and make you choke on it?”

Layla’s grin faltered for a beat, but then she shrugged and glanced toward the cuffs.

Fuck, I was going to enjoy myself with my Little Sinner.

I jumped out of bed, tucking my now erect cock back into my jeans, before retrieving the key. A small click sounded, and the cuffs sprang open. Layla took her wrist in her palm and massaged the assaulted flesh.

I pulled a bottle of lotion from my pocket and replaced her hand with mine. As I rubbed the ointment into her wrists, one and then the other, Layla let out a contented sigh, leaning back against her headrest and closing her eyes.

Only a minute later, small snores filled the room, and my chest tightened at the sight of my Little Sinner, sound asleep and vulnerable.

What the fuck was that about?

Maybe I was having a heart attack.

As I rubbed at the spot, I watched Layla curl into a ball on her side as her breathing evened out and sleep dragged her under.

Standing, I stared at her for a moment longer before I pulled the cover over her naked body and leaned down to press my lips to her temple.

“Sweet dreams, Little Sinner.”