36
Broadway
M y elbows rest on my knees, the glass of Bourbon in my hand dangling between my legs. I’m watching Violet on the monitors. I’ve been in here thirty seconds tops and I’m already itching to get back to her.
Especially when, a breath later, Violet laughs. She looks so... carefree, so fucking beautiful, and for some reason it drives me crazy. I don’t know why, but it does.
Fine. I know why. It’s because I’m fucking jealous that Hailey’s managed to make her laugh when I can’t hear it. I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I’ve seen her smile, and I’ve never seen her laugh. Never heard the sound.
Koby nudges my shoulder, jutting his chin out at Carter so I’ll pay attention to whatever he’s saying. I am listening, but I’m also stealing glances at Violet’s dreamy face.
“Let’s get Broadway’s request out of the way first,” Carter says, reclaiming my interest. “Ryder?”
My head swings toward the man in question, peering at me over the screen of his laptop, two creases marking his forehead. “I tracked another guy for you,” he announces. “Now I have the names it won’t take long to find the rest.”
“Good. Send me the details,” I say, the bloodthirsty beast living rent free inside me lifting its head. “Who’ve you got?”
“Not the guy you want most,” he says. “Since the shoot-out at Blaze’s, he’s been keeping a low profile. No one’s seen him.”
Predictable. Blaze has a bounty on the fucker’s head which complicates things for me just a little. I won’t be pleased if Blaze’s bloodhounds get to Vincent before I do. He’s mine to punish. Mine to disembowel.
It won’t be slow.
It won’t be merciful.
I won’t shoot Vincent.
No, I’ll bask in his death, screams, pleas, and fear. I’ll make him beg and cry.
“Which leads us to the main problem,” Carter says, summoning my attention with one simple sentence. “There’s word on the street Blaze is planning a move. I don’t have many details, but given his men have been casing this place for weeks, and after what Ryder’s told me about Sebastian, I think Violet might be at risk.”
My eyes immediately swing back toward the monitors and my blood freezes in my veins. We’re here, talking about Blaze planning to snatch Violet, and behind the wall, right at our VIP bar, two of his goons are laughing while my girl looks like she’s seen a ghost.
“Fuck,” I snap, bolting upright.
Carter catches on first, a litany of curses falling from his lips as he rushes after me. I’m out the door and not far off running toward the bar, adrenaline pumping in my veins, heart beating so hard it’s painful.
I find Violet’s eyes as soon as she’s in sight. The relief flooding her system is so potent her shoulders slump.
Norbert and Benjamin must notice her reaction because they turn and their spines straighten on cue.
Acting respectful won’t save them now.
Carter levels his step with mine, his attention fully on Hailey, his constant aura of danger twice as strong. He moves to her side with lethal calm, his hand possessively wrapping around her waist, body positioned to shield her.
His eerie calm isn’t contagious.
Without breaking stride, I move straight for Benjamin, my fury boiling over as I close the distance between us.
“Relax, man, we mean no—”
My fist knocks the words from his jaw with a satisfying crunch, sending him stumbling back.
“What the hell is wrong with you?! We’re just talking,” Norbert yells, grabbing my forearm.
He lets go immediately when Carter jumps into action, sending the guy folding to the floor with one right hook.
He grabs him by the collar and slams him against the wall on the left, eyes blazing. “Whatever you’re doing here, you’re done,” he grits out, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Benjamin charges at me, blood seeping from his split lip. Another blast stops him in place.
“Tell Noretto to grow a pair and show his face instead of sending his girl scouts. If I see you anywhere near our women again, you’ll end up in a body bag.” Another punch lands, followed by a third. “Am I making myself clear?”
“Blaze won’t be happy about this,” Norbert stutters in Carter’s face. “We meant no harm.”
“I don’t give a shit.” Carter looks over his shoulder to find Koby and Ryder watching with amusement. “Get them out of here.”
Bruised and bleeding, Norbert and Benjamin don’t need to be told twice. They follow Koby and Ryder toward the back exit, muttering curses under their breath. Carter takes Hailey straight to his office, and I round the bar where Violet’s sitting on the floor, arms locked around her head.
“Baby, look at me.” I crouch before her, my tone level, but the emotions gunning through me far from controllable.
Too close. It was too fucking close to Violet getting hurt.
She takes a deep breath, lowering her hands to meet my eyes, the fear in hers twisting my guts.
“They’re gone,” I add, flexing my fingers, I resist the urge to pull her into my arms, unsure where her head is and whether I’ll scare her more. “Are you okay?”
She shifts onto her knees and buries her face in my chest, inhaling deeply. “I’m sorry, I overreacted.”
“Don’t apologize.” I stamp a kiss on the top of her head and wrap my arms around her, relieved when she buries herself further into me. “I’m here, baby. I’m taking you home.”
“But my shift—”
“Is over,” I cut in. “You’re done for the evening. You can catch up with Hailey another day. Carter won’t let her out of his sight tonight. Come on.”
She doesn’t protest when I take her hand and help her to her feet. I don’t let go until she’s safely seated in my car.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask, taking the wheel. “Did he hurt you?”
“No. I’m fine, just... embarrassed. I really tried not to panic. I was doing well, but then Norbert grabbed me and...” She trails off, inhaling a deep breath. “I thought I could handle it. I thought I was making progress.”
“You are. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”
She doesn’t respond, frustration painting her features as she presses her forehead against the cool glass.
“Let’s get you home.”
◆◆◆
As soon as we get back home, Violet submerges herself in a bubble bath and I head to my en suite for a shower.
Though not before triple-checking Violet’s okay. The face-to-face with Blaze’s men took its toll on her... and a much bigger toll on me.
Violet’s not a fragile, broken little girl. She’s stronger than I am and proves it over and over again. Even now, she’s proving just how fucking weak I am.
Defenseless against her, tormented by this near-miss. In pieces because two men who were never supposed to get anywhere near her again slipped by me.
I took my eyes off the screens in Carter’s office for the briefest of moments. They could’ve grabbed her and run...
That’s not something I’d survive. Losing her isn’t an option. I’m not sure when she became the reason for my existence, but it’s obvious there’s no me without her.
My bloodied shirt hits the floor and the rest of my clothes follow suit. Hot water drums on my back for ten minutes, relaxing my tense muscles and calming my erratic mind. I towel dry before making my way into the bedroom.
Violet’s there already, laying under the comforter, damp hair over one shoulder, head propped on one elbow, music seeping from the hidden speakers.
I know that look in her eyes. The fire burning there as she looks me up and down, her gaze lingering on my chest.
There’s something undeniably sensual about how much she loves my body. It’s not just the muscles I’ve earned by killing myself at the gym every day, it’s how safe she feels wrapped in my arms.
Slowly, she lifts the comforter, giving me an eyeful of her full breasts. She’s gained a bit of weight since moving in here and now her boobs fit perfectly into my hand.
I climb onto the bed and grab her arm, pulling her up until she kneels, our lips dancing in an eager, erotic kiss.
Grasping her thighs, I flip her over and she lands on her back with a soft bounce. My cock’s already hard, her pussy glistening, slick and ready.
A soft smile spreads her lips when I loom over her, one hand on her waist, the other lining my cock up with her entrance.
I’m desperate to feel her clench around me, to see her parted lips, hooded eyes and that bliss she only ever shows when we’re close.
I grip her wrists, moving her hands far over her head as I push in, the adrenaline from the near-miss tonight fueling my desire. I need her more than I need my next breath.
I need to feel her, smell her, taste her, just to make sure she’s here, real, safe, and mine.
Emotions writhe inside me as I push into her, eyes on hers, drunk on that little moan leaving her lips, fucking addicted to the way her body melts when I’m deep inside it.
I pull back and push in, leaning over to claim her lips, the peaks of her nipples brushing my chest. She struggles against my hold for a moment, but she’s still mellow, still moaning, doing her utmost to arch her back and cling to me.
She doesn’t protest, doesn’t tell me to stop, so I don’t, working myself into her at a growing pace.
Fear and anger swell in my chest.
Fear of losing her.
Anger at myself for letting her out of my sight, for agreeing to her working at Scarlett , for trusting the moron behind the bar to keep her safe.
“Broadway,” she moans, wrapping her legs around my waist and using it as leverage to pull me deeper inside.
I understand her command. The muscles on my back flex and my chest glistens with a mist of sweat. She’s panting, writhing beneath me, so close to orgasm I can fucking taste it in the air.
“Mine,” I mutter, brushing my mouth against the crook of her neck. “Mine, mine, mine...” It’s a prayer, a fucking promise, a claim all in one. The word keeps coming, pushing through my lips with every thrust. I can’t control that possessive beast clawing at me from every which way.
I dip my head lower, taking her nipple between my teeth, barely grazing the skin before my tongue is there, soothing. Violet sighs, eyes closed, and then she stills when I suck her into my mouth.
She lets out a breathless moan and she’scoming beneath me, her back arching off the bed, legs trembling around me, my pace never faltering. I keep rocking into her, desperate to keep her here, to keep her under me, falling apart in my armsfor the rest of our lives.
“I’m never letting you go,” I chant, nipping the skin in the crook of her shoulder. “Look at me, baby.”
She opens thoseunbelievable eyes, the purple so prominent, while the remnantsof her orgasm spasm her muscles.
Wrapping one arm underneath her, I lean back, taking her with me. She immediately wraps her arms over my neck, her thighs falling to line up with mine. She starts moving, rising and falling, while my hands roam the swell of her ass, our lips dancing together.
I lift her a little, working myself into her with even thrusts, my hips rocking up, the frenzy burning my veins taking over, her breathless sighs and moans spurring me on.
She’s delirious, her lips tracing patterns on my shoulder and neck before her forehead drops to mine again, a look of pure unrestrained ecstasy painting her face.
I can’t get close enough to her. Can’t get deep enough. It’s never enough. Even when we’re chest to chest, when my tongue plunders her mouth and my cock hits that sensitive spot deep inside. Even when her arms are clasped around my neck and mine hold her pinned against me it’s not enough.
I’m aware it’s not healthy, this need to smother her, touch her all the livelong day, but there’s jack shit I can do about it. I tried to stay away, to give her space, but that’s not what she wants, so fuck it.
She can handle me.
I grip her nape, pull her mouth to mine, and the pace of my thrusts becomes frantic.
The muscles in my thighs are screaming, sweat trickles down the length of my spine, heat engulfs us both, the smell of sex thick in the air.
The orgasm builds, blurring my vision, and Violet’s close too, her nails digging into my skin, leaving long angry lines and half-moon marks.
“There,” I grit out. “Right there, baby, don’t stop. Come for me, Violet.”
She does. With a small yelp, she rises and falls on top of me faster as the orgasm electrifies her nerve endings. She spasms around my shaft and pulls me over the edge right along with her.
Every next thrust is harder, less rhythmical, and more frenzied. I empty inside her, completely unfazed, we just went the distance without protection. Again .
We only used a condom first time around. I haven’t reached for one again, and Violet didn’t ask. She didn’t bat an eye first time I came inside her.
If anything, she clung to me that much harder.
Now, she slumps against me, her head dipping into the crook of my neck, hot breath coming out in little, exhausted puffs. “That was...” She exhales loudly, spent, boneless. “God, that was good.”
That it was, but I’m not done.
I’m still hard inside her, still greedy, still not sated.
This has never happened before. The moment I come, I’m done, but my body didn’t get the memo today. I flip her over and straddle her thighs.
“I’m not done yet,” I rasp, spreading her ass cheeks to watch my cum drip out of her pussy.
“No?” She looks at me over her shoulder. “I thought—”
“I did but I’m not done,” I cut in, pressing my cock against her entrance. “Can I have you like this?”
As soon as she nods, I slam in as deep as I can go with one hard thrust. Her head lolls back onto the pillow, fingers gripping the sheets. I lean over her, pumping in and out, fucking into her as if she’s my lifeline.
“Fuck, Violet... I could do this forever.”
She mewls a string of incoherent words then pushes her ass up a bit more, giving me better access while my hips rock back and forth, every move that of a desperate man. I bury my cock inside her as if her pussy can save me, offer salvation, and absolve my sins. As if this right now is the only thing that can save my soul from the devil.
I lean over her, kissing along her shoulders, her neck, the side of her face, and when my lips brush her temple, the orgasm rips through me, another load filling her up.
I push in again, then again, and once more with a low growl. I can barely fucking move I’m so exhausted.
Rolling off her, my chest heaving, I drape one hand over her back, running my fingers along her spine. She rises on one elbow, glancing at my cock that’s finally calming down toward half-mast.
Her lips touch mine, a soft, gentle, lazy peck, and she sighs, content. “Better?” she asks, nuzzling my nose with hers.
“Yeah, better.”
Because you’re here and no one can touch you.
Because I know who I need to kill next to keep you perfectly safe.
Because, with a bit of luck, I just fucked a baby into you, and you’ll stay with me.
She beams, falling back onto the pillow, unaware of the sick thoughts poisoning my head. Killing wouldn’t scare her. She’s seen me snap a man’s neck with my bare hands. She knows I’m on a quest for vengeance, murdering every man who hurt her.
No, killing doesn’t scare her, but that other thought... the lengths I’m willing to go to, the lines I’ll happily cross to keep her?
Yeah, that probably wouldscare her.
It scares me...