Kill for You (Warrior for Her #2)

Chapter Eighteen

Faith

" F aith?"

"Yeah?" I glance up from my lap to see Luke standing in front of me, frowning. He looks worn out, but I don't think he's slept at all since he brought me here last night. An LAPD cruiser is circling the block, and there's another one parked right outside, but Luke and Knox have been taking turns patrolling around the house. They're not leaving anything to chance.

Mila and Lola are both asleep in his guestroom, but I haven't left the living room since Mila convinced me to get a shower to wash Ivan's blood off me. I've been sitting in the same spot, staring blankly at nothing. My heart feels like it's been shredded into pieces. Everything hurts because Octavio isn't here.

I'm so afraid I'll never get to tell him how much he means to me. I'm clinging to his promise with everything I have…but what if he can't keep it? What if they kill him because of me?

Tears sting my eyes at the thought. They've already hurt so many people because of me. I curl my hands into tight fists, letting my fingernails score my palms. The little pain steadies me, keeps me from falling apart.

He's coming back , I remind myself. It's my mantra, the only thing keeping me together.

"You should try to get some sleep," Luke murmurs, his voice soft.

"I'm not very tired," I lie, avoiding his gaze. I'm exhausted, but I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes I see Ivan's face. I smell his breath as he looms over me, his face contorted with rage. I hear him growling that I belong to him, and that Octavio is going to die for taking me. My cheek still stings where he struck me. My scalp is bruised where he clutched my hair as he tried to drag me across the parking lot.

He was so angry. He kept saying I was going to regret leaving him. I shiver at the memory, wrapping my arms around myself. I was never his and now I never will be.

Luke watches me carefully, but he doesn't try to convince me to go to bed. Instead, he grabs a blanket off the back of the couch and wraps it around me.

"Thanks."

He sits in the chair across from me, his elbows on his knees as he looks at me. "He's going to be okay, Faith."

I jerk my head in a nod.

"Octavio isn't going to let anything take him away from you." Luke's lips tip up into a Ilya, savage smile. "He'll kill every Bratva member in the city before he lets that happen, little one."

I flinch at the thought.

Luke notices.

"If he does that, he'll go to prison," I explain. "And they win."

"He's not going to let that happen either," Luke promises me. "He loves you, Faith. It'll take a lot more than the Bratva to drag him away from your side now. Do you want to talk about what happened?"

I shrug, glancing down at the blanket spread over my lap. The edges have fringe on them. I run the soft fabric through my fingers. "We were kissing and then they started shooting. Octavio told me to call for help, and then he went to deal with them, but it was a trap. Ivan was waiting for him to leave me there. He said I shouldn't have left him and that it was my fault Mikhail was deported. He said he was going to kill Octavio for taking me from him."

"He hurt you."

I nod, reaching up to touch my cheek. It's still hot to the touch, and tender.

"You're going to have a good bruise," Luke says, grimacing like it's his fault somehow. His eyes darken, his expression turning angry. "Do you know why they want you back so badly?"

I shake my head. "Ivan said I belong to him, but I don't. I'd kill myself before being with someone like him. He's evil. He always…. I think he would have r-raped me a long time ago if he wasn't so scared of Nikolai. I guess Nikolai finally decided to let him have me." I pause, licking my lips. "I'm glad Octavio killed him. Does that make me a horrible person?"

"Fuck no," Luke says without hesitation. "Sedov was a prick, Faith. You're allowed to be glad he's dead. Hell, you're allowed to hope it hurt like a motherfucker when he died. I certainly hope it did. I imagine Octavio feels the same damn way."

"Have you heard anything?"

"Not yet, sweetheart."

I sigh heavily and curl up on the couch, resting my head against the plush arm. I close my eyes, but as soon as I do, I see Ivan's angry face again, hear him telling me that I'm going to regret leaving him. I feel his hand in my hair and see the excited gleam in his eyes. A shiver rips through me. I jerk upright again, scrubbing the palms of my hands against my eyes like that'll erase the memory of him from my mind.

"Right after I met you, Octavio told me that he taught you the Apostles' Creed," Luke murmurs. "He said I'm supposed to tell you to recite it if you ever get scared."

I drop my hands, staring at him in surprise. My heart flutters, tears springing to my eyes. All this time, even when he wasn't with me, Octavio tried to make sure I never felt a moment of fear.

God, I love him so much.

I should have told him. It doesn't even matter if he says it back. I know he loves me. I feel that truth all the way to my soul.

Luke gives me a gentle smile, not commenting when I brush away tears. "Say it for me now, Faith."

I recite it for him in English and then in Russian, my voice shaking with emotion. Somehow, the words calm me down again. Or maybe it's the certainty that Octavio loves me that calms me. I don't know, but by the time I finish the prayer, Ivan's face no longer hovers behind my eyelids, twisting my stomach into painful knots.

"You're going to be okay, little one," Luke says, climbing to his feet. He reaches out and squeezes my shoulder in a silent show of support. "I'm going to hop in the shower. Knox is right out front if you need anything."

"Okay. Thank you."

He turns and heads toward the hall.

"Hey, Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad Octavio chose you to watch over me," I whisper.

He grins at me and then nods, his eyes bright. He's a really good man. One of the best I've ever known.

When he leaves the room, I lay down on the couch again, resting my head against the arm. The sun is rising outside, burning away some of the shadows in the room. I rest there for a long time, just thinking. I don't know why Nikolai wants me back so badly, but I no longer believe I did anything to deserve it. They're evil, the kind that doesn't have a reason or a justification.

Maybe I should have told them a long time ago where my mom was. Maybe things would have been different for me if I had. But maybe I would never have found Octavio then. What they did will never be right and it will never be okay, but it brought me to him. I'd live it all again if it meant ending up with him.

And when he finally gets back, I'm going to tell him how I feel about him. Even if I'm wrong and he doesn't feel the same way, I want him to know that freedom doesn't mean anything to me if it doesn't include him.

My eyes flutter closed.

"Faith, conejita ," Octavio whispers.

His hand slides down the side of my face. His body presses into my front, heat searing into me. I burrow closer, trying to wrap myself around him and soak it all up. Peace flows through me, easing all those raw, painful places Ivan left inside me last night. Octavio's strong arms encircle me, holding me close.

I'm not sure if he's really here or if I'm dreaming. I'm afraid to open my eyes and find out. If it's just a dream, I'd much rather stay right here in his arms. At least here, he's safe from Nikolai, and we're together.

"Little bunny," he whispers, pressing his lips to the side of my throat. "Open your eyes."

"No. I like this dream," I mumble back.

His soft laughter blows across my neck and hits me right in the stomach, sending heat twisting through me. My entire body clenches with desire. There's no way I dreamed that delicious feeling. My mind isn't nearly that good at recreating the way he makes me feel.

"Octavio," I gasp, popping my eyes open. I try to sit up, but his grip on me tightens, keeping me beside him. He's really here. My eyes water as I run them over him, checking to make sure he's okay. His eyes are dark beneath, his exhaustion evident. The sepia color is so warm and soft though. His face is scruffy where he hasn't shaved. He's changed out of his bloody button-down into a DEA T-shirt.

" No llores ," he says, sitting up and pulling me up with him when he sees the tears dripping down my face. "Don't cry, bebé . Estoy aquí. Everything is okay."

"You're safe." I crawl into his lap, kissing him all over his face and crying at the same time. "God, Octavio. I was so afraid you weren't going to come back to me."

"You doubted me, little bunny?" He cocks his brow, shaking his head in admonishment. Even then, his smile is tender, his eyes full of emotion. "When are you going to learn? You're mine. Nothing is going to take you from me."

"I can't lose you." I burrow into him, burying my face in his throat to breathe him in. Every muscle in my body relaxes at once, the last vestiges of fear vanishing as his familiar scent hits my lungs.

He holds me for a long time, just letting me sit on his lap and breathe him in. There are a thousand questions I should probably ask him, but I don't want to say anything. All I want to do right now is be with him. Everything else can wait until later.

"Come on, conejita ," he murmurs eventually, clutching me to him and rising to his feet. "Let's get out of here."

"Home?" I ask hopefully.

"Somewhere safe," he says.

"Who lives here?" I ask, standing in the living room of a small blue bungalow in a dying neighborhood in the middle of Los Angeles. Most of the other houses on the street are vacant, but this one is neat and tidy. The furniture looks new and there are knick-knacks all over the place. It reminds me of a little old lady's house. There's a faint odor of paint, but it's not overwhelming.

"The house belongs to Michael Kincaid," Octavio murmurs, coming up behind me and wrapping an arm around my waist. "We're going to be staying here for a few days. Just until I'm sure it's safe to take you home."

"Kincaid?" I turn to him, frowning. I know that name. I've heard it a lot lately. "Isn't he the cop you were investigating?"

Octavio nods. "He lives next door with his girlfriend, January. You'll be safe here. No one will come into his neighborhood, not if they want to survive anyway."

"He's dangerous?"

"Never to you," Octavio promises, squeezing my waist in reassurance. "Gangs and cartels are afraid of him because he's taken so many of them down since he became a cop. They try to stay out of way because they don't want to become his next target." Something passes through his eyes. It's respect or gratitude or something similar. I'm not sure, but there's a hint of surprise there too. "He told Tarasova that you're family now. Tarasova would have to be an idiot to cross him by coming for you, but we'll stay here just in case."

"What about work?" I ask, turning around in his arms.

"I'll be off for a little while," he says, his lips compressed into a tight line. His left eye twitches like he's stressed about it or maybe angry. "I've been suspended."

"For what?"

"It's standard procedure when an officer is involved in a shooting."

I frown up at him, knowing he isn't telling me the full story. I decide to leave it alone for the moment, instead focusing on the other issue. "You saw Nikolai?"

Octavio nods, searching my face for something. "I'll tell you everything, but right now, I just want to hold you in my arms and get some sleep. Can we do that and talk about all this later?"

I slide my hand in his, smiling when his fingers curl around mine. "I like that plan."

He turns to make sure the front door is locked, and the alarm is set and then leads me down the hall. Instead of taking me to bed though, he pulls me into the bathroom, hitting the light switch. "I need to shower first," he mutters. "I still have blood on me."

Instead of answering, I pull my borrowed shirt off over my head. As soon as it hits the floor, a hint of relief passes through his expression, like he's glad I'm not wearing it anymore.

"It belonged to one of Luke's sisters."

He grunts, which makes me smile. I may not know much about being in a relationship, but I lived among men for long enough to recognize the signs of jealousy when I see them. Octavio probably won't ever admit it, but I think he thought it was Luke's and didn't like seeing me in another man's shirt.

I strip out of the rest of my borrowed clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor.

Octavio watches me for a moment and then tugs his shirt off over his head. Dried blood is smeared across his chest and abdomen. "Close your eyes," he murmurs when he sees me looking at the blood, quickly stripping out of his slacks. He lays a gun carefully on the counter and then strides the few steps to the shower to turn it on, the muscles in his back and ass rippling as he moves. "I don't want you seeing me with their blood on me."

Even with blood drying in streaks on him, I feel no fear. His body is incredible, and so is he.

"I'm fine, Octavio. I'm not afraid of you."

"I know, angel. But I don't want you seeing me this way. Let me wash it off and then I'll hold you, okay?"

"Okay," I agree instead of arguing, knowing this is important to him.

He climbs into the small shower, hissing when the cold water hits him, but he doesn't complain. Instead, he grabs a bottle of body wash and pours it into his hands. I wander around the small bathroom, waiting for him to finish. The room isn't very big. The tub is old, with blue and white checkered tiles on the walls. The rest of the walls are painted pastel blue. The floor is faded linoleum. The towels are gently worn, but still soft and fluffy.

"Come here, Faith."

I glance over to see Octavio holding his hand out to me. His skin is reddened where he scrubbed the blood from his body. Rivulets still run down the drain, but there's not a single drop on him anymore.

I cross to him, placing my hand in his. He pulls me into the shower with him, closing the curtain to trap the heat inside with us and keep water from spraying all over the floor.

He wraps his arms around me, holding me close as the water beats down on us. I close my eyes and lean against him, listening to the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear. Mine begins to race as he runs his rough hands up and down my back. Heat pools low in my belly, desire sparking to life.

"Octavio," I whisper, tipping my head back. " Bésame ."

He dips his head. Drops of water roll down his face and neck. His lips press to mine in a feather light touch, brushing back and forth in unhurried passes.

I groan deeply and grasp his shoulder, leaning up on my tiptoes. I don't want little kisses. I want big ones, hungry ones. The ones he gives me when he's aching for me.

I know he's aching now. His erection is hot and heavy against my abdomen, so hard I know it has to hurt. It's hurting me too. My womb clenches, my body trembling. I need him inside me, making me whole again.

"Faith," he whispers, trying to stop me when I wrap my hand around his length, stroking him from root to tip. "You're tired. You don't have to do that."

"I need you, Octavio."

" Dios ," he growls against my lips, but he doesn't try to stop me this time. His tongue slides along the seam of my lips, demanding entry as I work him with my hand. He growls again, his tongue touching mine. One hand goes to the back of my head, angling it where he wants it. The little move makes me smile. His dominance is sexy as hell.

He pulls my bottom lip into his mouth, dragging it between his teeth. The little sting sends a jolt through me, making me bolder, eager to please him like he does me.

I drop to my knees in front of him. His eyes are wild and blazing with heat as he stares down at me. He brushes my hair away from my face, holding it in a loose fist at the nape of my neck.

I lean forward and lick him, groaning when his taste hits my system. He's sweet and salty. I've never really done this before, but he doesn't seem to mind my lack of skill as I suck him into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the broad head of his cock.

I plunge down, taking him as deep as I can without gagging. He's so big. I can't take much before I have to pull back and start again.

" Dios , Faith." His abs are rock hard, his entire body tense as he tries to hold himself in check and keep from thrusting into my mouth. " Se siente rico. Me encanta tu boca ." That feels good. I love your mouth.

I grow bolder with his praise ringing in my ears and reach up to cup his balls in my hand. I plunge down on him this time and suck hard, working one hand up and down what won't fit in my mouth while cupping his balls in the other.

He throws his head back, growling loudly. His hips rock forward, forcing him a little bit deeper. He instantly draws back, but I grasp his firm ass, keeping him from moving away from me. He groans again, his body practically vibrating with the desire to move.

Finally, he gives in, gripping my hair in a gentle fist as he glides in and out of my mouth. He doesn't push far, but grunts and curses fall from his lips in a broken mix of English and Spanish, letting me know he needs to control this. I'm not complaining. I love when he's in control. He's so gorgeous above me as he thrusts in and out of my mouth. His cheeks are flushed, his sepia eyes molten.

"I'm going to come." He tries to pull back.

I tighten my grip on his ass, refusing to let him go. I want to taste him like he does me. God, I want everything this man will give me. I'm greedy for it.

"Faith, angel, you gotta move."

I suck harder.

He cries out my name, his entire body trembling as he begins to come. His warm seed splashes against my tongue and down my throat. I swallow around him, moaning at the taste of him. The tangy, salty taste is even stronger than when I licked him before, but it's not unpleasant. It's…sexy. His hips move in a jerky rhythm as he gives me everything he has. I take it all willingly.

" Jesucristo , Faith," he growls when the last drop slides down my throat.

I release him and sit back, smiling up at him in triumph.

He lets go of my hair and leans down, yanking me up into his arms. My legs go around his waist, my arms around his neck. I cling to him like I always do, burying my face in his throat to press kisses into his skin. His heart races against my chest, his breath coming in harsh pants.

He holds me for a long moment before he quickly washes me up, his hands gentle on my body.

"Hold on to me," he says when he's finished, turning the water off. He steps out of the shower without releasing me. A second later he drapes a soft, fluffy towel over me. When he sits me on the counter, he has to peel me off him so he can dry me off. He does it with a tender smile on his face.

That smile melts me into a little puddle.

"I love how you cling to me like you can't stand being separated from me," he murmurs before quickly drying himself off and then picking me up again. He carries me down the hall, holding me tight.

The bedroom is mostly dark when he carries me inside and lays me out on the bed. He follows me down a second later. I spread my legs as he settles over me, completely engulfing me in him. His hands go to each side of the bed by my head, his lips coming down on mine in a hard kiss.

"I want you, little bunny."

"Yes," I gasp, sliding my leg up around his hip. His erection rubs against my clit, making me moan and grasp at his shoulders. I'm so turned on I feel like I'm going to shatter apart at the tiniest of touches. "I need you. Please."

"You already have me," he promises, slipping down my body.

I throw my head back, moaning as he buries his face between my legs, growling against my center. He licks and sucks and bites, eating me until I'm sobbing beneath him, right on the edge of a powerful orgasm.

"So good," he breathes, rising up over me again. His cock slides through my folds before he slowly pushes into me.

I throw my head back against the pillow, crying out his name as my body stretches to accommodate him. He groans quietly, not stopping until he's seated fully inside me, his hips resting against mine.

" Dios . You feel so fucking good wrapped around my cock." He circles his hips, grinding his pubic bone against my clit. Little jolts of pleasure ping through me, making me clutch him tighter. "God, Faith. Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?" His lips close around my nipple, his tongue swirling around the hard peak. He slides out of me before pushing forward again, sheathing himself inside me. "I want you incessantly. Te necesito. "

"I need you too," I whisper, writhing beneath him as he thrusts in and out of me. He presses kisses all along my collar bones, tongues my nipple, leaves a trail of little bites across my sensitive flesh. Every touch of his lips to my skin has me burning hotter, eager for more. I think I'm addicted to him.

"I'll fucking kill anyone who tries to take you from me," he growls, rolling us so he's on his back beneath me. His hands go to my hips, mine to his thighs to help me balance. He's so deep like this I can't help but cry out and rock above him as he helps move me back and forth on his cock. My body ignites, heat and desire crashing through me in a powerful wave.

"Goddamn, I love this tight little cunt, conejita ."

"Octavio. Oh God." My nails dig into his thick thighs, scoring his skin.

"That's it," he whispers. His gravelly voice sends a flood of arousal between my legs. "Ride my cock, Faith. Fuck. I need to see you." He releases one hip and then reaches out, searching for the lamp on the bedside table.

It clicks and then soft light floods into the darkened room.

His hot gaze rakes down my body, his other hand tightening on my waist. His eyes are hooded, his expression ravenous as he watches me ride him. I lift up and then drop down, taking him all the way to the root each time. He's so damn deep. I can't stop moving on him.

"Faith," he breathes.

I reach up and cup my breasts in my hands, playing with my nipples. His eyes darken and he bites his bottom lip. His body is taut beneath mine, like he's fighting not to lose control.

"Octavio," I whisper his name, writhing in pleasure. I never knew touching myself in front of someone could feel so good, but it does. I like the look on his face…love knowing I'm the one turning him on like this. "You feel so good inside me."

He growls wordlessly and sits up beneath me. I cry out as the change in position pushes him even deeper. The tip of his cock nudges my cervix, sending a little bite of pain through me. It only lasts for a second and then his teeth close around my nipple and all I feel is pleasure.

His big hands clamp down on my hips. He lifts me up and down on his cock so fast I feel like I'm flying. It feels so good.

God, I'm going to come.

I grasp his thighs and throw my head back, crying out his name as heat courses through me. My entire body hums with energy as a powerful orgasm washes through me, making me buck and writhe on top of him.

"That's it," he croons, attacking my other breast with his lips and teeth. Another bolt of pleasure lances through me. "Come all over me."

He wraps his arms around my body, holding me close as I cry out again and again, my body shaking as my orgasm unmakes me. I fall into it, riding out the waves, knowing he'll catch me. He'll always catch me.

When I finally come back down, he rolls us again, putting me on my back beneath him. He thrusts in and out of me, scattering kisses all across my body. " Pienso en ti todo el tiempo, " he whispers, nipping at my collarbones before moving up the side of my throat. "I think about you all the time."

" Eres mi todo. " His tongue curls around the shell of my ear, his breath a harsh pant. He moves faster, his hips slamming into mine.

I arch beneath him, trying to get as close as possible to him.

"You're my everything, little bunny."

"Octavio," I cry out, his words sending me hurtling toward another peak. This one is even more intense than the last. He's going to ruin me. I know he is. And I'm going to let him. "Please, Octavio."

He tilts my hips up, allowing him to go deeper. His teeth come down on the shell of my ear before he buries his face against the side of my throat. "Come for me again, Faith. I can't wait. Dios , you feel so fucking good." He rocks into me hard enough to send me scooting up the bed. I dig my nails into his shoulder.

" Te amo, conejita ," he whispers into my throat. "I love you."

I scream, shattering apart as his words rip through me. My body contorts beneath his, ecstasy savagely tearing me apart again and again. Tears drip down my face as I cling to him, crying out the truth. "I love you."

His body goes taut above mine, my name leaving his lips in a loud roar of sound. His hips jerk without rhythm, pumping into me as he tumbles over the edge with me. I feel him coming inside of me, filling me with warmth. I cling to him, my body wrapped as tightly around his as I can get. It still doesn't feel close enough.

I want to live inside this incredible man.

He falls limp above me a moment after I do. I hold on to him for dear life, burrowing my face in his throat as he engulfs me in his strong arms again. His heart pounds against my breasts, and his breath comes in ragged pants as we both come down. His lips never leave my skin the entire time.

When he can move again, he rolls us over so he's on his back with me sprawled across his chest. His rough hands glide gently up and down my back.

"Did you mean it?" I can't help but ask.

He tips my face up to his, his gaze steady. "I've never meant anything more. I love you, Faith."

Pure joy fills me to the brim, spilling over in a flood of happy tears. I crawl up his body, pressing my lips to his in a hard kiss. "I love you too, Octavio. I love you so much. Please don't ever leave me."

"Leave you?" He chuckles, the sound dark and wicked as he wraps me up in his arms again. "I'd kill to keep you, Faith. You belong with me now. Where you go, I go. Quiero pasar el resto de mi vida contigo. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Oh," I whisper. "I didn't know."

He smiles at me, brushing my hair away from my face. "You do now, angel."