Page 41

ZOEY

T he world ceases to exist the moment our lips crash together.

The cold, the blood, the chains, the horrors we’ve endured. It all fades into nothing. Cole is all I feel.

His grip tightens. One arm curls around my waist, while the other cups the back of my head while he deepens the kiss. His mouth is rough and desperate, claiming every inch of me with a fire that sends shivers down my spine.

My nails dig into his bare shoulders, and I hold on to him like he’s the only real thing in this world. Maybe he is. Still, I allow myself to be consumed by him.

He pulls me closer, and I wrap my legs around his waist. He lifts me like I weigh nothing, like he’s not even hurt. His body moves with effortless strength. I gasp against his mouth when his bulge presses against my core, and my fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer.

Cole’s lips move to my neck, his breath hot against my skin. A shudder wracks through me, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I don’t feel powerless. I feel alive.

I hear chains rattle, and the sound snaps me back to the present for a brief moment. Damon and Benji. They’re still here, still chained up. We’re not safe yet.

Cole turns his head to address them. “Guard the entrance.”

Benji clears his throat and yanks at his chains before looking down at the bleeding dreg and dead rotter by his feet. “Uh…sure…”

I point to the second unconscious dreg slumped near the wall. “Keys.”

Cole grunts, but he holds me steady while he bends down to yank the key ring from the dreg’s waistband. He tosses them toward the guys, and Damon catches them in the air. “Got it.”

When Cole turns his full attention back to me, his green eyes are dark with something that lights a fire low in my belly. He strides toward the table with me still wrapped around his waist. His hands never leave me, even when he kicks the table upright and then sets me down.

The edge of the table presses against the backs of my thighs.

I arch into him, pulling him closer, and crushing my lips against his once more.

I can’t stop tasting him. Everything I’ve wanted to do with him.

All the times I wished I could touch him.

It all culminates right here and now. Neither of us can wait. We’re each other’s priority.

He groans against my mouth, pressing his body against mine until I feel nothing but him. His warmth, his strength, his breath mingling with mine. His hands skate over my skin, tracing my waist, my hips, my arms, as if committing every inch of me to memory.

“You’re wearing far too much fabric, sunshine,” he said against my lips.

I pause. “I wasn’t comfortable being around Eugene while in a dress.”

He growls at that and tears the beautiful emerald green silk dress from my body until I’m only wearing my old shorts and t-shirt again. “Much better.”

His lips return to mine. His fingers trail beneath my shirt, running rough callouses against my bare skin, moving gently along my side when he reaches my scar. My body shivers at the sensation.

I need him. I need this. Us.

The tension between is undeniable. Unbreakable.

My legs fall open to make room for him, and his hand travels down the length of my torso until his fingers dip into the waistband of my worn blue shorts. He pauses. The heat rolling off him seeps into my skin, chasing away the cold, the fear, the weight of everything we’ve endured.

I move my hips, wanting more. His mouth moves along my jaw and down the curve of my neck. His breath sends shivers through me.

Cole pauses and presses his forehead against mine, his breathing ragged. “Tell me you’re okay. Fuck, I didn’t even check you for injuries first.”

I thread my fingers through his hair at the back of his head and tug him closer. “I am now.” My voice hardly rises above a whisper, but it carries every emotion I don’t know how to say aloud. “I want you, Cole.”

A low growl rumbles in his chest, and he kisses me again. His grip on me tightens like he never wants to let go. For once, I don’t want him to.

This time, there’s no hesitation. No restraint. With a sharp inhale, he grips the hem of my shirt and tugs it over my head before tossing it aside. His gaze darkens when he takes me in, and his eyes flick over my body with a hungry expression. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

Heat floods through me, and I reach for him. My hands roam over the hard planes of his chest, his scars, the tension coiled beneath his skin. He trembles beneath my touch, like he’s barely holding himself together .

Then he isn’t holding back at all.

His mouth crashes against mine, and I moan against his lips. My fingers dig into his shoulders while my leg bends at the knee to rub against his side, and my hips roll up to meet his in a desperate search for friction. “Cole…”

“I’ve got you, sunshine,” he murmurs, his forehead pressing against mine. “I’ve always got you.”

He undoes the button on my shorts in one swift motion before sliding them down my legs, pressing his lips to my skin to leave a trail of fervent kisses in their wake. He bites my inner thigh then licks away the sting before hovering over top of me and kissing my mouth again.

He’s ever so patient when he pushes inside of me, going at an agonizingly slow pace to allow me to adjust to his size.

My body moves along with his and we soon find a rhythm.

Then I begin to worry. More dregs could storm in at any second, but none of that matters like it should.

Not in this moment. Not with the way Cole touches me, holds me, devours me with every touch, every breath, every kiss.

This isn’t just about desire. It’s about everything we’ve been through.

About finally claiming something for ourselves, something outside of pain, captivity, and loss.

This moment, this connection, is the first real taste of freedom I’ve had in a long time.

Cole leaves my mouth to kiss along my neck, and I look over his shoulder to see Benji and Damon, both watching the entrance but also watching us.

I remember that day in the cell when Benji had me watch Damon—or at least, where I thought he was in the dark—while he ravaged me with his mouth and his hand.

My gaze stays locked on Benji, and my nails dig into Cole’s shoulders while he brings me to the brink. One more thrust and I’m soaring over the edge. A cry of ecstasy escapes my lips before a mouth covers mine, silencing the sound .

Cole pulls out and yanks me free of the intruder and holds me close against his chest. His arms wrap around my naked body while he looks past me to glare at Avery.

Avery grinning down at me after pulling away from a kiss wasn’t how I expected this moment to turn out. “Well, I guess you didn’t need my help after all.”

I let out a sharp gasp and Cole tenses, his body going rigid against mine. His grip on my hips tightens for a second before he spins me around to shift me behind him like a human shield. I peer around his broad frame.

Avery folds his arms over his chest with that infuriating smirk that never quite reaching his eyes. He tilts his head, his gaze flicking between me and Cole with burning curiosity.

Cole doesn’t move. His breathing remains steady but controlled, while his body coils like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike. “Where have you been?”

“Taking care of some things, but now I see it was a complete waste of time, and I missed the show. Although, I must say, I regret stopping for a snack. I almost missed out on one hell of a grand finale.”

“You’ve got a real habit of showing up at the worst possible time,” Cole mutters, shaking his head.

Avery’s smirk widens. “Normally, I’d argue. But this time?” He makes a vague gesture at the room, and me, at the overturned table. “I really missed quite a show.”

Before anyone can respond, a low warning growl rumbles from across the room, and not from Lola.

Damon shoves off the wall where he’s been watching. His expression is hard and dangerous, his shoulders squared, and his muscles bulging. His coffee brown eyes lock onto Avery like a man with nothing to lose. “You’ve got two seconds to explain why you’re really here before I rip your throat out.”

Oh, no.

Avery tilts his head, unconcerned. He gives a slow grin that shows all his teeth. “Well, that’s not very welcoming, now is it?”

Damon lunges, and the room explodes into motion. His fist swings, aiming straight for Avery’s jaw, but Avery sidesteps at the last second.

A sharp, frantic bark pierces the chaos when Lola bounds over, dragging her leash behind her.

She bolts into the fray, her fur bristling while she lets out a confused whimper before launching herself between the two men.

She growls, spins, whines, then growls again before snapping at the empty air, unable to decide who she’s supposed to protect.

“Lola, no,” I gasp out, but Cole holds me back so I can’t chase after her.

“She’s fine,” Cole assures me. “I think she’s got more bite than either of those two.”

A growl rips through Damon, and he pivots before slamming into Avery’s chest. They crash into the table Cole and I were on moments earlier, scattering metal trays and the uneaten meal in all directions.

Lola continues going crazy in her mission to figure out which one of them to defend. Avery lets out a startled laugh, barely dodging Damon’s next strike, while Lola lunges at Damon’s leg, not to attack, but to pull him back.

Damon nearly trips over her. He curses under his breath. “Lola, move.”

The dog whimpers, then jumps between them again. Her whole body vibrates with confusion. She looks at Avery, then at Damon, then back at Avery. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Lola, move.” Damon lunges.

Avery lets himself get hit square in the chest before he shoves Damon away. He stands tall and rolls his shoulders as though this is nothing more than a game to him. “You done?”

Damon seethes. “Not even close.”

This is madness. Before Damon can swing again, I shove away from Cole and move in between the two men who are about to rip each other’s throat out rather than trying to solve the bigger problem at hand. “Stop it!”

Avery’s arms wrap around my waist, and he spins me around right as Damon’s fist flies forward. A loud crack echoes through the large room when the impact lands on Avery’s ribs instead of me.

A deep grunt escapes Avery, and he stumbles back, absorbing the hit. His grip on me never tightens, never hurts. He takes the full blow instead of me.

For a moment, everything stops. Lola presses her body against my leg and growls up at Damon. She’s finally decided on who she’ll defend.

Damon’s breathing is heavy. His fists remain clenched, but his expression shifts when he realizes what I already knew. Avery put himself in harm’s way to protect me, without bothering to block himself. Damon takes a step back, and his anger fades into reluctant understanding.

Avery winces and rolls his shoulders before looking down at me with a half-smile. “You okay, firecracker?” When I nod, he glances over at Damon. “Feel better now?”

Damon watches Avery, then a few moments later he responds in a rasp, with guilt marring his features. “Yeah, I do.”

That makes me smile. “Good. We can get this ridiculousness over with.”

Cole moves over to me and then kneels at my feet.

It’s not until I look down at him and see my shorts in his hands that he’s positioned for me to step into that I remember I’m still naked.

My cheeks heat and I step into the shorts.

He pulls the fabric up my legs and snaps the button closed before pulling my shirt over my head.

Then he places a heated kiss to my mouth before whispering against my lips.

“As much as I want to keep you naked all day and night, this probably isn’t the best place for this. ”

Lola barks as if in agreement, which Makes Avery laugh and crouch to pet her. “What a good girl you are, breaking up fights and protecting our girl.”

No one argues with the last part like I expect them to, which is a relief.

Then Avery looks up at all of us, including Benji who’s standing several feet away watching the whole show.

“He’s right. There’ll be plenty of time for that later.

To be honest, I’m surprised you guys took the time to become acquainted with each other instead of getting out of this place.

I went to your cell block, but none of you were there. I imagined the worst.”

“We handled the situation,” Damon says, still eyeing Avery.

Avery nods at him and stands. “I see that. Guess I didn’t need to spend this time collecting an army after all.”

“An army?” I frown. “Eugene said you ran away.”

He scoffs. “You didn’t really think I would up and leave you, did you?” His pale blue eyes narrow. “Eugene said I did exactly that, didn’t he?”

I nod.

He shakes his head. “Please. As if I would run away like a coward from that sorry excuse for a man. I’m ready to end this mess.”

“How so?” Cole asks.

Avery’s blue eyes darken with something menacing. “Starting with Eugene.”

There’s silence, then Damon laughs. The sound is light, dark, and almost satisfied in a way.

Avery arches a brow. “Care to let me in on the joke? ”

Cole answers instead. “You’re a little late for that.”

Avery pauses, intrigued. His gaze sweeps over the room. His smirk lingers, but his posture shifts. “Oh? What exactly did you do to him?”

I point to where Eugene’s lifeless body is…

was, sprawled on the ground minutes ago.

“What the…” I run over with Cole and the others hot on my heels.

A thick pool of blood stains the stone where he’d fallen, but the body itself is missing.

I stumble back. The room spins. No. This isn’t possible. “Where’d he go?”

Damon is the first to speak. The lines of his face harden from scanning the room.

“No one touched him. No one came in here but Avery, and all he did was walk up to Zoey, which only happened because Benji and I had to deal with the rotter dreg. Then he held me back from throwing Avery through a wall, so I guess our attention was a little distracted.”

I glance at Benji, who hasn’t spoken a word this entire time. He watches me back with a blank expression. There’s so much I want to say to him, but we no longer have the time.

My throat goes dry. My arms wrap around my middle as though I’m holding all my pieces together.

“Are there any other bodies missing?” Avery asks.

Cole shakes his head. “No. The rest are accounted for.” Then he spots me falling apart and is by my side in an instant. His arms wind around my shoulders, and his warmth presses against me like a shield.

I don’t think. I turn into him and rest my head against my chest, breathing him in. He tightens his hold on me. My voice comes out as a croak. “He’s still alive.”