Paid In Full (Vitale Brothers Book 2)

Chapter 33

He looked so good splattered in blood.

That was all I thought about as I left Ash behind, tucked away into a little corner. Gun still in my hand, I popped the clip and checked what was left. Besides the ones Able had fired, the rest were still there. Good. I slammed it back into place and slipped down a corridor. My brain switched to business mode.

Need to get them away from Ash.

I looked around and found a long pipe on the ground. Perfect. I picked it up and ran toward the voices before taking a sharp right. Stopping, I slammed the pipe against the wall.

“I heard something this way!”

Grinning, I turned the corner, pushed my back against the wall, and waited. Every second that ticked by was filled with the sound of my blood rushing in my ears. My hands tightened around the pipe, the creak of the red leather gloves against it almost soothing. As soon as we got the hell out of here in one piece, I was going to get on my knees and offer to blow Ash for hours if he forgave me. The shit I’d said made me groan just thinking about it.

He didn’t deserve any of that. Shit.

Yeah, he lied to me, but I understood. I’d let my paranoia tune it out before, but he was right. After being around his father for so long, how could he do anything but fall into line? It wasn’t as if Benito, Enzo, and I didn’t have daddy issues. They weren’t on the same level as his, but still. My chest ached. I didn’t want to think about how I’d dismissed his words about his father, about what that man had done to him, but I did.

I could already feel it. I was in for a long, groveling road ahead. The crazy part was I didn’t hate that. Being in that empty house, seeing my future laid out in front of me, I knew the truth. I never wanted Ash to leave my side. He was worth groveling.

“Where the fuck did he go? I swear he was—”

I cracked the pipe across the man’s face. He dropped like the sack of shit he was, screaming as he rolled back and forth. I straddled him, ignoring the way his nails sank into my ankle through my jeans. Lifting the pipe, I brought it down on his face repeatedly. It went from normal to a bag of hamburger meat in minutes. Insane how quickly the human body could get fucked up. That always fascinated me.

Panting, I stepped away. He’d stopped moving, his swollen eyes nearly shut as they stared at the ceiling. I turned. Something hard slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. For a minute, all the air rushed from my lungs. I saw spots. Hands circled my neck, thumbs pressing against my windpipe.

“That was my fucking brother!” the man screamed in my face. “You fucking killed him!”

Am I supposed to give a fuck?

I didn’t fight him. Instead, I sucked in what little breath I could as I dug around for the gun. He felt me moving and drove his knee into my balls. Pain sliced up my body, bile rising as I blinked away the instinctual tears that tried to escape. My fingers faltered once, sliding off the gun. I tried again, tugged it free, shoved the muzzle against his stomach.

I fired.

The shot was so loud my ears rang as he wheeled back, staring at the hole in his stomach. He pressed his hands against the wound, pulling them away to stare at his blood-stained fingers. That was all I needed. I pressed the gun against his head and fired again. This time, he went down.

“Fuck. This is goddamn annoying.”

I coughed, touching my neck. There would be a nasty damn bruise there. I moved forward, staggering a little as my lungs still tried to function right. My eyes landed on the last of Able’s little thugs. The man stared at me, his eyes wide, when he noticed the other two on the ground. He turned and ran.

I took off after him. He kept looking over his shoulder, fear written all over his face. I kept in step with him. Every turn he took, I took. He vaulted over a bunch of supplies, and I flew over them right after him. Glancing back again, he stumbled. I took that opportunity to jump on his back and ride him to the ground. His head bounced off the floor.

“No, no!” he shouted. “I didn’t do anything!”

“We both know that’s fucking bull.” I jammed my fist into his stomach, and he curled in on himself. I turned him back over and wrapped my fist around his shirt. “Did you touch what’s mine?” I asked, a grin forming on my lips. “Don’t lie,” I warned.

“Able said—”

“That’s a yes.”

My fist slammed into his face. The beautifully satisfying crunch of nose bone breaking made my cock ache. Ash said he wouldn’t fuck me anymore, but after this, he was going to have to. After all, he was my goddamn boyfriend. It was his responsibility to take care of me now.

I punched the man until he wheezed. He tried to talk through a bubbling sound and blood pouring down his face. I leaned down, putting my ear to his lips.

“What was that?”

“Pl-leash, don’t... don’t kill me.”

I laughed. “Sorry, I’m not in a generous mood.”

Standing up, I pulled my foot back and kicked him in the head. I lifted my foot, stomping on his face until that annoying wheezing sound disappeared. Carefully, I pushed my fingers through my hair to move it out of my face. The smell of blood aroused my senses.

“Almost done.”

My body was moving through sheer will and adrenaline. The alcohol I’d sucked down my throat earlier was waiting just in the wings to slow me down and fuck me up. I had to get Ash out, get him home, and tell him how much I never wanted to let him go.

I walked out to the first room we’d been in and froze. Weston stood there, shuffling from foot to foot. When his eyes locked on me, they widened to the size of saucers.

“Don’t run,” I warned him. “I don’t mind shooting a man in the back.” His eyes darted around as I drew closer. “Where’s Able?”

“I don’t know!” he blubbered.

I sneered as I stormed forward and jammed the gun beneath his chin. The still-hot muzzle sizzled against his flesh. He hissed, but he didn’t run. I think we both knew I would love to hunt him down.

“Where is he?”

“That psycho went with the others!” he said quickly. “I didn’t want any of this shit to happen, okay? Let me go and—”

“You think I’m letting you go?” I tilted my head. “That’s almost funny.”

He shuddered. “If you kill me, everyone will be talking about it. You’ll get stuffed into a cell for the rest of your life.”

I shrugged. “For Ash? I’d risk it.”

“Put the gun down, motherfucker.”

I glanced over my shoulder. Able moved forward slowly with Ash in his hands. There he was, my boyfriend, looking terrified as hell. My blood ran cold.

“You got another gun?” I asked.

“I don’t need one to snap his neck,” Able growled. “I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again.”

I clicked my tongue. “See why you should be careful who you hang out with, Weston?”

A loud crack of flesh against flesh made me snap my head in their direction. Lying on the ground, Ash held his cheek. Anger swirled inside of me, going from pissed to rage. The smile on my lips grew. Able had no idea what he’d just done.

“Get the gun!” Able snapped at Weston.

Weston did just that, grabbing my arm hard. I didn’t need the gun, though. My fist drove into his belly. He grunted, stumbling back a bit before I delivered a hard right hook to his face. Weston’s head whipped to the side, his eyes growing bigger by the second.

“One more move, and I’ll kill him!” Able yelled at me.

“Ash can handle himself,” I snapped. “Hold on, puppy. I’m coming to kill him in five seconds.”

“Yes, sir,” Ash called.

“What the fuck?” Able snapped. “Do you two fuckers even hear me?”

I ignored his temper tantrum. Raising the gun, I aimed for Weston’s face.

“No, don’t,” he whispered. “Don’t do it!”

I pulled the trigger. Ash yelped. I turned toward him, ignoring the body that dropped to the ground behind me.

“Shhh, breathe,” I said softly. “Almost done, baby.”

Able yanked Ash in front of him. “If you want to kill me, you’ll have to kill your whore.”

I shook my head. “I guarantee I won’t have to do that.”

The look on Able’s face was almost comical. He was so red he looked like he would burst. I would laugh, except he had Ash in his arms, who looked like he was going to pass out from the fear and probably the pain he was in. That squashed any semblance of humor for me. I would make Able’s death hurt.

“You fucked my mother,” Able growled. “And you think you have the right to be upset about your little toy? You deserve whatever you get.”

I shrugged. “So what? You fuck with me, and I fuck with you. That’s how life goes. And it’s not like she didn’t want it.”

“You motherfucker!” he snapped. “You don’t even see how you cross the line.”

“They were going to rape me,” Ash interjected. “It’s all he talked about.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What?”

Able raised a hand as if he was going to hit Ash once more. I couldn’t stop him the last time, but I could now. Before he knew what was happening, I was across the room. He tried to put Ash in the middle of us, but it was too late for that.

“Move,” I growled at Ash.

He listened, moving away as Able and I fell into a pile of wild limbs and flailing fists. I hated scum like him. He could whine all he wanted about his mommy, but at least I wasn’t such a fucking coward that I had to take something someone didn’t want to give. Able was a pathetic bitch.

Able climbed on top of me. His hand reached out, and I jammed the heel of my hand into his nose. As he wheeled back, a blur flew through the air. Able fell off of me to the ground and groaned. I stared up at Ash, panting as he wielded one of the chairs we’d been tied to.

“Good job.” I stood up, dusting myself off. “Go outside.”

“No.”

I grabbed the back of Ash’s neck and yanked him toward me. “Listen, as much as I think you saying no is hot, if you say it one more time, I’m going to hurt you. Get out, wait for me, and don’t go anywhere. You don’t need to see any more of this. It’s enough.”

Ash sucked in a breath before he blew it out. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t. I promise.” I pulled him closer to me. “Wait outside, okay? Now.”

He searched my face. I wanted to get lost in those big, innocent eyes. Even after all we’d done and seen, Ash was just as pure as he’d always been. Don”t get me wrong, he was a dirty fucking pervert but innocent all the same. I patted his ass.

“Go.”

Ash walked backward, moving away from me as he headed for the stairs. I turned to Able. He was trying to stand up, but I was done with the games.

I picked up the gun from the ground before I walked back over to him. Able stared up at me, his face bloody and bruised. Ash and I had done a number on him. I was proud of my spunky little puppy. My finger squeezed around the trigger as I unloaded three shots in Able. He dropped, blood pooling under him. Finally, I let my arm fall. True to my word, I pissed in the hole the shots had made before I spat on him.

Fucking asshole.

“Shit,” I mumbled as one of my ribs throbbed. “Ash? You okay?”

“Yeah!” he called down.

“Grazie a Dio.” I wiped the gun off carefully, but that wasn’t enough. I had to call in cleaners to get rid of all the evidence.

Ash rushed to me as I exited the basement. We moved together silently, slipping out of the building and into the rising sun. Already, it was glowing brightly over the horizon, and I sighed as the weight of everything that had just happened weighed on me.

Glancing down, I smiled at Ash. “Look at us, alive and shit.”

“Yeah.”

I touched his cheek. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes.”

I frowned. “I know I fucked up.”

”Fucked up doesn’t even begin to explain it,” he huffed. “The shit you said...”

“I know.”

“You said I was giving you a sob story!”

My chest ached along with the rest of me. I rubbed it. “I know.”

“You brushed off me saying I love you.”

Fuck. It would be so much easier to cut and run, to say fuck it and return to the life I had before where nothing mattered. Where nothing hurt this badly. But I couldn’t do it. I needed Ash.

“I’m an asshole,” I said. “Trust me, I know that. You were right, I’m sensitive. I got scared.” I groaned. “Fuck, I hate talking like this.” I ran a hand down my face, smearing blood and sweat over it. “But I got freaked out. Okay? I was terrified that none of it was real. That I’d imagined it. All I could think about was you betraying me, but I’m not saying you did,” I said quickly, holding up both hands as he glared at me. “It’s just what I thought before. I’m sorry.”

Ash crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t believe you.”

I glanced around. There was no one here. Weston and company had taken us to some remote warehouse that was still being constructed. I looked back at Ash before I slowly sank to my knees. He gazed down at me as I looked up at him.

“Ash, I mean it. I’m sorry. What I said, the way I acted, I let my stupid fucking emotions get the best of me. I’m so fucking sorry for that. Even if it takes forever, I’ll make it up to you.”

His face softened. “You mean that?”

“Of course. If you even want me, I’d love to start this over with you. And I’m not saying you have to forgive me right now. You can be as angry as you want for as long as you want. I’ll bend over backward to make it up to you.” I thought about it. “I’ll bend forward too.”

Ash rolled his eyes. “You’re such a dick.”

“A dick that loves you.”

Ash blinked at me. “What?” he practically whispered. “Don’t joke about this.”

I crossed my heart. “Never. I can’t ever be serious about anything, but I can be when it comes to you. I love you, Ash. I’ve known that for a while now, but I didn’t want to say it out loud. It feels too real. Too raw. Come home. No more of that, your room, my room bullshit. I want to be with you and only you.”

Ash’s arms fell from over his chest. “You mean it? Really?”

“Every fucking word,” I growled.

He moved over toward me. “You want me to stay? Even after our agreement is up?”

“Consider it done already.”

Ash frowned. “No, I still owe you money.” He tilted his head. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how much do I owe you anyway?”

I gave him a stupid grin. “I gave up counting after the second time we had sex.”

Everything went silent as Ash stared at me. He blinked, his eyes widening before they narrowed. Ash closed the space between us and raised a hand. I jumped up, grabbing his wrist before he could slap the shit out of me.

“Fucking feisty.” I yanked him toward me. “If you’re going to hit me, wait until we’re in the bedroom.”

“You goddamn bastard!” he shouted. “All this time, I’ve been worried about how much I owe and working it off, and you forgot? You motherfucker!”

“It wasn’t important,” I said, pulling him against my body. “Right away, I knew I wanted to be with you forever. Why do you think I added so many fees? I didn’t want you to go.”

Ash blew out a breath, but I saw the tiniest glimmer of a smile. It fizzled just as quickly as it emerged.

“Did you really fuck that guy’s mom?”

I nodded. “Oh yeah. Back in my whoring days, I was all over the place.” When he frowned at me, I kissed his forehead. “That was months ago, baby. I would never touch her again or anyone else. Besides, I was telling the truth. I saw Able gunning for you, and I just—” My stomach tightened, rage building in my chest. “I had to get him the fuck away from you.”

Ash sighed. “I still want to punch you in the chest.”

“Do it.”

He balled up his fist and did just that. I coughed, trying not to act like it hurt when the truth was that it hurt like a bitch. My body was already sore, and here he was, fucking me up more! Instead, I pulled him into my arms, and he rested his face against my body. Finally, I was able to take in the scent of him, that aroma that was so uniquely Ash. I relaxed, holding him close as the adrenaline started to drain and the emotions kicked in. My eyes watered.

“I love you, Ash. Stay with me. I—” I sucked in a breath. “I can’t live without you. I love you so much it fucking hurts.”

Ash clung to my arms. “I know what that feels like.” He was quiet for a moment. “I love you too.”

My heart pounded in my chest. I could die right here and now, and I wouldn’t care. For the first time in so long, I cried. I thanked everything that no one else was around to witness me doing it. Ash stepped back a little, reached up, and cradled my cheeks in his warm hands. There was still blood on him, and bruises were forming, but he looked as Earth scorchingly hot as always.

“Kiss me,” Ash whispered. “I’ll make you pay for all this bullshit later.”

“Yes, sir,” I grinned.

Ash’s eyes widened. Before he could say anything else, my lips crashed against his. I drug him close again, holding him against my body. He was always so small against me. I loved it. Ash was tiny but mighty. No one deserved love like the man I was going to fucking marry.