3. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Merrick
M y boot slammed into the thick wooden door as I kicked it open, and the crack splintered through the hum of voices inside, immediately silencing them. I didn’t care that the door was probably broken, not when I was barely hanging on by a thread. My nostrils flared as I tried to quell the hurricane of rage swirling in my center, but it was no use.
We got her back, but I wouldn’t let this happen again. They’d have to pry her from my cold, dead hands before I ever let anyone take my little devil again.
Eve winced, barely keeping herself upright as she steadied herself against the bar. I knew my people were barely hanging on to the last threads of consciousness now that the adrenaline was wearing off, but I couldn’t let them go without setting everyone straight. We’d taken a detour while we were on the phone with Zane, losing any trace of the Barones’ tails while the others came back to the bar.
“We were betrayed tonight—not just me, but every single one of us.” I slammed my hand down on the bar, and heads snapped to me, helping to chase away the sleep that clung to their weary bones. “We banded together for one goal, to take down the Barones, and someone we allowed into our inner sanctum, who we trusted near our loved ones, sold us out.”
An echo of agreement sounded around the room, men and women slapping their hands against the tables in outrage.
“We knew this day would happen. We knew that it was only a matter of time before we weren’t able to hide behind the Demon Riders any longer.” My voice boomed across the room as I strode down the line of the bar, vaguely aware of Giana, Spade, and Kellan huddled near the entrance. “Tommaso knows about us now; the Barones know that we’re the ones in charge, and they’re not going to pull any punches when they come after us. If it isn’t because they want Giana next time, it will be because they want to take us out at the knees, cripple us from standing up against them ever again.”
Tables rattled as I got the crowd riled up, needing each and every one of them to know just how serious this was.
“We hid in the shadows, amassing a force great enough to stand against them, while they basked in their ignorance. We’ve stood against them twice now, and who has emerged victorious?” My voice rose as I asked the question that echoed off the walls.
“We did!” the Demons roared, fists pounding on the tables in triumph.
“We’ve watched them for years now, we’ve studied the way they operate, we know their tactics. This is our time!” My pulse thundered to the beat of the raucous uproar that followed my words.
My nostrils flaring, I clenched my fists at my sides, already envisioning Giana pulling a knife across Tommaso’s throat in payment for the hell he’d put her through. I’d promised her she could be the one to do it, but it didn’t mean I wouldn’t watch and revel in the bastard’s terror as his life slipped away at the hands of the one he’d kept caged for so many years.
“If we want to take them down, we need to provide a united front—loyalty above all else.” I held each of their gazes as I strode back to the entrance, letting them individually feel the weight of the vitriol rolling off me. “This is your one chance to run with your tail tucked between your legs, because there’s no backing out after this. If you’re in, you’re blood. If you’re out after today, you’re dead.”
Silence swept over the room. I watched as throats bobbed, yet everyone met my eyes with a steely determination.
“Mike tried to take someone who didn’t belong to him tonight, and he paid that price with his life.”
I let the statement settle on their shoulders as I wrapped an arm around Giana’s waist and pulled her into my side. Some of the tension eased from my rigid muscles with her pressed against me, and I inhaled, reassuring myself by the tang of blood that clung to her still, reminding myself that it wasn’t hers. My ragged breaths eased as I looked down at her, her amber eyes soft as they met mine, yet she didn’t melt into me; she stood tall, determined not to sink into the background.
Reluctantly, I pulled my gaze from hers, needing to finish this speech before I got too distracted by how the blood coated her dirty blonde hair. Pride ignited in my chest as I took in the men and women before me. There wasn’t even a flicker of surprise as I met their gazes head-on, as though they’d expected nothing less for the traitor.
Good.
“I wasn’t the one to kill him. No, our devil Giana did it before we even broke into the house.” My lips twitched as murmurs of surprise and respect floated around us. “She isn’t a weakness to exploit. She’s deadly all on her own, and she won’t hesitate to kill anyone who stands against us, even if they’re easily twice her size.”
Silence settled around us as the Demons absorbed this information. I didn’t truly think any of them would make a move against her, but I hadn’t thought Mike was a threat, either. Better to strike fear in their hearts than be sorry.
“We’re starting with phase one of our plan,” Kellan announced, taking over for me. He stepped in front of us, commanding the bar’s attention. Blood was splattered on his leather jacket, and I could tell by the way his hands were fisted at his sides that even he was barely holding on right now.
He’d been almost as lost to his rage as I had been when I learned about Giana being taken, which surprised me. He was the most levelheaded of us all, but surprisingly, it was Spade who dropped into a lethal calm long enough for us to form a plan. I nodded at Spade over Giana’s head, but he barely tore his gaze away from our girl to return it.
His jaw ticked, and it seemed like he was using every last ounce of his self-control to keep himself from stealing Giana away from me. Probably because he could tell I’d rip off his head if he took her from me now. All of us needed her in our own way, but I was honestly going to stab someone repeatedly with a screwdriver if I didn’t get her alone soon.
“The Barones might know that we’re in control of the outskirts now, but they have no idea just how deep our ties go. We’ll be taking over the town one step at a time, and the fastest way to see them crumble will be by going after their pocketbooks.” Kellan crossed his arms over his chest. “Spade and I will be splitting everyone into groups and heading off their shakedowns of local business deals.”
Spade shook his head at the sound of his name, apparently not hearing a word that Kellan said before that.
“But what about the businesses who publicly support the Barones?” Travis asked, his brows furrowed in thought.
“We’ll only be protecting those who are truly victims to the Barones. Meaning, any business tied to the Barones through anything other than force will not be getting any help from us,” Kellan assured. “I’ve established a relationship with the other businesses downtown through my tattoo shop, so I know, beyond a doubt, which ones those are.”
An echo of agreement sounded around the room.
“Next, we’ll be going after their government support, stopping their shipments and attacking their business deals.”
“What about her, though?” Kevin asked, blinking wearily against the bright morning light that shone in through the dirt-streaked windows. I ground my teeth, and if it wasn’t for Giana gripping my waist, I’m sure I would’ve launched myself across the room at him and beat his face into a bloody pulp. “What if tonight was just a ploy, and she’s really working for the Barones?”
My arm slipped from where it rested around Giana, and I took a menacing step forward, but before I could take out this morning’s frustrations on the soon-to-be-dead fucker, my devil beat me to it.
“I don’t owe you anything—not my story or a reason, other than I have the trust of your leaders.” She propped her hands on her hips, cocking her brow in a glare that sent a spark of desire straight to my cock. “But what I will say is, I will be killing the Barones, one person at a time, and I won’t hesitate to kill anyone who gets in my way. So, as Merrick said, you’re either with us or against, but either way, make the decision quickly because I seem to have developed a thirst for bloodshed, if you hadn’t already guessed.” Giana gestured to the blood coating her hair and clothes, a malicious grin spreading on her lips.
Kevin paled at the clear threat in her words, his throat bobbing as he gave a stiff nod. Giana held his gaze for a moment, appearing to write his weasel face into her memory, before she took a step back into me. I wrapped a possessive arm around her waist and tugged her closer, letting her feel the nudge of my hard length against her back.
When a soft gasp slipped from her lips, concealed from the crowd by whatever Kellan was saying, I knew she felt me, and desire was already coursing through her veins too. My jaw ticked as I tried to push down my need for her, but I couldn’t hide it. I couldn’t push away the lust that was fogging over my brain any longer.
He’d taken her from me—from us—again. I couldn’t keep her safe, even in my own damn bar, and that was an oversight that would never happen again. I’d comb through every member of this gang until I was sure where everyone’s loyalty lay.
Kellan glanced at me and gave me a terse nod, his mouth tight as he, too, felt the same pull to be with her right now, but he knew one of us had to stay here and get phase one of our plan rolling before everyone went to sleep for the day. I gave him a grateful look and leaned down to brush my lips over Giana’s ear, knowing how much the intimate touch lit her body on fire.
“Let’s go to the back, little devil,” I growled. The only thing that kept me from bending her over this bar and taking her here were all the men and women I’d have to kill to erase the image of her naked body from their memory . . . and I kind of liked most of them, so that wouldn’t be very productive.
Giana nodded eagerly, and I shifted her to walk closest to the bar, unable to stand her getting near anyone other than me or the guys right now.
“What the fuck?” Spade huffed from behind us, Kellan’s muffled murmur the only thing that followed as I led her into the back, so it was finally just the two of us.
“I need—” My words cut off as her back stiffened beneath my touch, her gaze locked on my office door. “Shit. I’m sorry, Gi. I didn’t think.”
I stabbed my fingers through my hair, exhaling a harsh breath to keep myself from smashing my fist into the doorframe.
“I would fucking bring him back from the dead just to kill him again if I could.”
Giana laughed at my outburst, sapping the ire straight from my veins, like the sound of her giggle was a vacuum to any negative emotion coursing through me.
“Come here.” She turned to face me and clutched the edges of my leather jacket in her fists, heedless of the splatters of blood that flaked off. Without a second thought, she walked backward into my office, pulling me along with her. “Shut the door.”
“But—” I snapped my lips closed at the heated glare she gave me, and I followed her orders without question. This woman could tell me to burn the world down around us, and I’d do it reverently if she looked at me like that.
The door crashed against the frame before I even knew I’d yanked it closed, the full weight of my attention firmly on the devil in front of me.
“I killed him.”
There wasn’t a question or an apology in her tone, only acceptance with a flicker of pride. That was my girl.
“You wanted me to reclaim my strength, and I did. I killed him, Merrick.”
“Giana—” I started, not wanting her to think I ever thought she was weak, but she cut me off.
“Now I want you to reclaim this space. To wipe away what he did until it’s nothing but a distant memory. Reclaim me.”
A growl reverberated from my chest as I launched into action. I snatched her, gripping her biceps and pinning her against my chest as my lips slammed down on hers. Her mouth parted for me as she tilted her head up to meet my kiss head-on with a moan of her own.
This woman was so fucking perfect. How had I survived these last six years without her? How could I have thought, for a second, that she went with him willingly, when we felt this fucking incredible together?
“Giana.” I grunted her name, needing to remind myself that this was real, that I really had the woman of my dreams pressed up against me.
“Merrick,” she groaned, and I lightly nipped her bottom lip, eliciting a needy whimper of pleasure.
“You want me to reclaim you?” I backed against the desk until her thigh lightly bumped into the rounded edge. “You think there was ever a second that you weren’t mine?”
I pulled away, my eyes flicking between hers as her mouth popped open, and she inhaled a shaky breath.
“No,” she whispered.
“You were always mine, and there wasn’t a moment when that ever changed.” I trapped her legs between my knees, punctuating my point. “It was always going to be you. I was always going to find my way back to you, no matter if I had to claw my way out of the grave to get to you.”
Her breath hitched as she pressed her chest against mine. I could feel the rapid beat of her heart, our pulses syncing.
“Coming back to you was a dream I never let myself linger on. And, now, sometimes it doesn’t feel real.”
My eyes shuttered at the pain lacing her words. But a steely determination settled over me as I silently promised myself to do everything in my power to wash away any memory or nightmare that lingered because of that asshole. “If I hadn’t already promised his dying breath to you, I’d kill him, Giana. I’d kill him for stealing a moment of your thoughts, for hiding away your sunshine from the world for even a second.”
I reached behind her and swept the papers strewn across the desk onto the floor, uncaring if they were important. I didn’t know if I lifted her or if she hopped up on her own, and I didn’t care once she spread her legs, caging mine instead as she yanked me to her. My lips captured hers in a searing kiss, and she pushed my jacket off my shoulders, taking her time as she ran her palms over my chest.
“Fuck,” I groaned and stripped her jacket off next, needing to feel the warm press of her skin against mine. We ripped and pulled until nothing sat between our torsos but the satin material of her bra.
She reached for the waistband of my jeans and tugged the button open, shoving them down my legs. I hurriedly pulled them off, our lips parting for a moment as I kicked them to the side. She whimpered in protest at the space between us until I wrapped my fingers around the edge of her skirt and slid it down her legs, leaving her spread on my desk in only a lace thong.
My breath hissed out as I devoured every inch of her body, committing each curve and detail to memory. I wanted to have the image of her burned into my brain, so that when I closed my eyes, it was only her, nearly naked and spread before me. Mine for eternity.
“If you don’t get over here—”
I didn’t let her finish the sentence as I descended upon her, a dark shadow swallowing her whole. I wanted to consume her, mind, body, and soul. My tongue delved between her lips, stroking her in long, languid strokes that I hoped I could repeat on her pussy.
“Merrick,” she breathed against my lips, and I swallowed the plea, my possessive need for her only growing at the sound of my name on her tongue.
“I want you screaming my name for the whole damn bar to hear.” I ripped the clasp of her bra open to expose her perfect breasts. “I want every fucking inch of you, Giana. You’re mine.”
“Yes.” She gasped as I crooked my head to her neck, sucking and kissing my way down to her collarbone. She shifted her hips against me, and I groaned as her pussy rubbed a slow, delicious line over my cock, teasing me and urging me on.
My hands clasped behind her, and I eased her back only far enough to capture one of her nipples between my lips. She sucked in a gasp as she clutched my biceps, her hands barely making it halfway around the bulging muscles. I rolled the sensitive nub before focusing on the other, my cock pulsing at each needy sound that escaped her lips.
“Merrick, please,” she pleaded, her fingers digging into my skin.
“What do you need, little devil?” I asked, already knowing what her body craved. My lips twitched as I pulled back to watch her, loving the indignant look she was giving me.
“I need you.”
“You do,” I agreed, swallowing down my laughter at her enraged huff.
I relented, pulling away far enough to kneel between her legs. She loosed a surprised whimper as my fingers grasped the edges of her panties before I pulled them down her legs, making a mental note to put them in my pocket later.
“Merrick,” she protested, her fingers tenderly feathering through my hair.
“I’m going to take care of you, Giana.” I grasped her thighs, tugging her ass to the edge of the desk before I slid my hands up, kneading them into the soft curves of her ass.
A ragged cry tore through her chest as I pressed my mouth to her sweet heat and circled my tongue over her needy clit. She ground her hips against my face, and I couldn’t hold back my grin. I plunged my tongue into her core, curling it against her again and again until she was practically riding my face.
“Don’t stop,” she begged, and I dug my fingers into her hips harder, loving the cry that slipped from her lips as the hint of pain mixed with the pleasure.
Groaning, I let her arousal coat my tongue, intoxicated by her scent and taste. If she smothered me with her pussy right now, I would die a very happy man.
Her hands gripped my short locks. I held back a laugh. As if I would ever pull away now. Not when she was trembling in my hold, her body so close to coming apart, I could practically taste it.
As though the thought alone pushed her that last inch, her pussy pulsed around my tongue as she cried out, my name echoing off the walls of the small office. I worked her through her climax, only stopping when her pants turned to soft moans again.
Pulling away, I climbed to my feet as my cock throbbed. I stood over her, drinking in every inch of her bare skin as I wiped a hand over my face and used her arousal to coat my shaft, groaning as pleasure pricked at the base of my spine. “I need to be inside you now,” I growled, unable to hold myself back any longer. I reluctantly released my cock and reached for my desk drawer, about to pull out a condom, when she stopped me, her hand soft on mine.
“I have an IUD,” she breathed. “And I’m clean.”
“Me too.” I slammed my eyelids closed, groaning as she took my length in her palm, stroking her way up and down before she rubbed her thumb over the tip. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” She smiled softly and released me to prop her hands on the desk and lean back, giving me the perfect view of her delectable body. “Now, are you going to reclaim me, or—”
I was on her before she could finish her sentence.
“You were always mine,” I reminded her before my lips slammed on hers, stealing her breath as I eased my cock into her, inch by inch.
She whimpered at my thick length, and my lips twitched, loving the way she stretched for me. I let her adjust for a second, my tongue stroking hers, stoking the flames of our lust higher as anticipation vibrated between us. Tension pulsed, nearly palpable, as my body urged me on, but I wanted to make sure she was ready.
“Merrick,” she huffed in frustration, and I couldn’t keep my hold on my laughter as it spilled out.
Her protest was short-lived as I rolled my hips, and she sucked in a sharp breath, fingers digging into my back and clutching me to her.
“I was ready to kill anyone who got in my way today, little devil.” I groaned and thrust into her, building a steady momentum as her head rolled back. Ecstasy washed over me, and it took everything in me not to come apart already.
“And I would’ve killed whoever got in my way so I could get back to you.” Her eyes were hard on mine, our gazes locked in a searing promise of bloodshed, death, and love.
I hissed at her answer and gripped her ass, plunging into her soaked core harder and harder until we were both shaking, our orgasms so close, a gust of wind could’ve sent us toppling over that cliff. She wrapped her legs around me, her heels digging into me and urging me on, letting me hit the spot even deeper inside her. I eased one hand from her delicious ass and stroked my thumb over her clit, circling it in time with my thrusts until she was gasping for air, eyes dark with lust.
“Merrick.” My name escaped her lips in a desperate cry as her pussy clenched around me, squeezing me so tight, it was a miracle I held on.
I roared her name, my thrusts desperate and wild as I found my own release, pleasure exploding at the base of my spine and wrapping around me in a warm, lulling haze of bliss.
“I missed you so much, Merrick,” she breathed, her breaths coming in ragged pants, her hands desperately clutching me like she was scared I might vanish before her eyes.
“I missed you so much, it fucking hurt to breathe, Gi.” The words— those words—were on the tip of my tongue. It wasn’t like we hadn’t said them to each other before, but now, in the middle of heated passion, wasn’t the right time. I wanted to show her through my actions before I spoke the words again.
We stayed there for a few minutes, our breaths frantic as our hearts pounded as one. We clutched each other desperately, my arms cocooning her like I could protect her from all the evils of this world, but both of us knew that I couldn’t—not that she would let me, anyway.
Reluctantly, I pulled out of her, my lips twitching at her whimper of protest. “Trust me. I would stay inside you all fucking day if we could, but I need to get you home, so you can sleep.”
“I’m not tired,” she lied as a yawn tore from her lips. She slapped a hand over her mouth before letting it slip away and giving me a chagrined smile. “I guess I’m a little tired.”
“Yeah, you are, and I need you to get a few hours of sleep, at least before your friend gets here.”
Her eyes widened as she hopped up from the desk and reached for the door.
“I don’t think so.” My heart stuttered, and I snatched her hand before she could get close to the doorknob. “If anyone other than Kellan or Spade saw you like this, I’d have to kill them.”
She gasped as she looked down at herself, and her cheeks reddened. “Oops.”
My lips twitched, and I shook my head, my eyes alight with amusement. This woman was going to give me a heart attack one of these days, and I didn’t even care. Just having her back in my arms was enough to ensure I died a happy man.