Chapter Twenty One
“You didn’t give me the chance to reply to your confession,” I said groggily.
I’d just woken up from a nap and realised that we hadn’t spoken about his feelings… or mine.
Moth put a finger to his lips, hushing me as he tilted his head to listen. I stayed still, arms under me where I’d been about to push up into a sit.
He’d told me that he needed time to think of a plan in case Brandon turned up before he could get free. I’d left him to his thoughts as he’d stood, staring towards the main entrance. He’d confessed that he loved me – sort of – which had changed everything. My feelings for him were obvious, they always had been. However, I suspected that he may have been trying to soothe me, to turn me on. Did he actually love me, as an adult, for real?
“I can hear people out there,” he muttered, “but I can’t tell whether they’re near enough to hear us.”
Shifting to my feet, I tried to move closer to him, only to be stopped by my chains. My wrists ached like crazy, the skin red raw just from the metal. “Shouldn’t we try to shout?”
He went silent again, holding up his free hand. The end of his chain sat on the floor nearby, looking lost on the stark concrete. I kept my breathing even, also trying to listen. His hearing must have been better than mine, because I couldn’t hear anything.
“Shall we try to get your other hand free?” I asked, my cheeks heating when he looked over his shoulder at me, his eyes sharp and cold.
The warmth he’d shown me the night before had vanished. He stared at me before blinking several times and looking away.
“I have a feeling he’s coming.” He stepped away from the bars and closer to me. “We need to be careful.”
Picking up the almost empty bottle of water, I handed it to him. He took a tiny sip before giving it back to me. I did the same, leaving just two sips left. We were surviving on the bare minimum of water and my stomach rumbled loudly, begging for food.
“I bet it’s a relief to have one hand free,” I said, trying to start a conversation so that his black mood didn’t permeate everything.
He grunted and looked down at his wrist, slowly turning to go back near the other chain. “You need to prepare yourself,” he said gently, “for what might happen if I do manage to get hold of Brandon.”
A gasp slipped from me and I smiled when he narrowed his gaze on me. “Sorry, I hadn’t considered it. I… It’s fine. He deserves everything he gets. I just hope you can get to him in time. That’s why we need that other chain off, so you can get him first.”
“I will not let him hurt you.” He looked down at his bound wrist and tugged, swearing when the chain clattered on the ground.
Swallowing, I took a deep breath and went to the bars. We had to keep our minds clear, just in case Brandon did arrive. If Moth had a feeling, I would trust that. As much as I wanted him to masturbate in order to produce more cum, I had to take his lead.
“You don’t think it’s worth trying…” My sentence trailed off and I gestured to his trapped arm.
Raising his eyebrows, he cocked his head to the side. “Want to see more of me, do you?”
My heartbeat increased and I put a hand on my stomach to calm the nerves. “I want to hear more of what you were saying yesterday.”
“I bet you do.” He smirked. “You loved hearing it, didn’t you?”
“Uh huh. Except…”
He frowned. “What?”
“Was it true?” I whispered loudly, “or just a way to comfort me?”
His eyes closed and he pursed his lips. “It’s true, but we can’t talk about it, not now.”
Moving closer to him, I reached out, waving for him to come to me. He shook his head and went to the bars, far away from me. My arm dropped and he scowled, pushing away from the bars and coming up to me.
“Don’t look so fucking hurt,” he murmured, digging his hand up under the hair on the back of my neck. “This is not the time to tell you that I dreamed about you most nights. As soon as I escaped the cult, I came for you. I wanted you dead because I’d fantasied about you for five years. The guilt of masturbating over you, of wanting you, even though I believed you’d killed my brother, drove me insane.”
I gripped his bulging arm and squeezed. “That’s all gone now. There’s just us… here and now.”
“I thought that when I saw you at eighteen years old,” he went on, “all the lust would drain away and the anger would fully take over. But no… I saw you stumbling down the street on the arm of some guy and it took all my strength not to kill him.”
“When I was eighteen?” I licked my lips. “You sent me the letter to say that you’d all returned. Threatened me, again.”
He nodded and squeezed my neck harder. “I was so distracted, no – fucking obsessed – by you, it hindered the life we were trying to build after leaving that place. When I saw you that night, I knew I wasn’t ready to take you down, despite sending you the letter previously. I swore to come back for my vengeance later.”
“And then, ten years later,” I sucked in a shaky breath as tears threatened, “I found you on a bridge, about to take your own life. Before you could take revenge.”
Pressing his forehead against mine, he sighed, his breath fanning my face. I was about to speak when he released me, taking a step back to look at me. “Some days were darker than others. We channelled our anger, our pain and our fucked up-ness, into the music. Ant and Spider got normal jobs to pay the bills and we did online shit, quickly learning how to use the internet to our advantage. Our music videos are watched by billions of people worldwide and no one knows who we are. That day… on the bridge…” He lifted his gaze from where it had been resting on the floor. “…I’d just finished a video when I went to get food. I’d received a message from my mother.”
“Your mother?” I blurted, frowning when he turned away from me.
“The bitch who forced us into the cult, who freely gave us to the man who tortured us.” He picked up the chain from the floor and sat, his back against the bars. “I was afraid she’d found us and everything just weighed heavy on me that night. I didn’t want to do it, anymore. The vengeance had become unhinged. And she was going to be my second to last enemy.”
I was about to open my mouth when the main entrance door rattled and opened. Moth was on his feet, coming to stand in the middle of the cage, with his arms stretched out behind him. It was the perfect cover as he held the free ring and pulled it taunt, making it look like it was still attached to his wrist.
Going closer to Moth, I stretched the chains so my wrists were in front of me, away from Brandon, who closed the main entrance behind him and turned to face us. He scowled as he dropped a backpack and flask on the ground.
“Sorry it took so long for me to return,” he said, his voice tense, “I ran into some trouble. A bunch of guys who were looking for your boyfriend.”
My skin grew cold as I glanced at Moth. His expression was clear, his forehead smooth and his jaw relaxed. He had brought down the walls and was preparing to fight for our lives. I had to do the same.
Brandon moved to hang on the door of the cage, cocking his head to the side as he studied us. His eyes were bloodshot and a pink graze marred his cheek.
“I’m pretty fucked off,” he said, staring at Moth. “Your friends are a hindrance to my plan. I wanted to savour everything, eek it out until you’re both on death’s door, and take Alia over and over again. It would’ve been so sweet.”
We both stared at him, our expressions unchanging and our stances strong. Whatever happened, Moth had taught me to fight with dignity. I wasn’t afraid of Brandon with Moth by my side, even if the worst happened.
“So now,” Brandon went on, seemingly oblivious to our disinterest, “It has to be a rush job.”
Pushing away from the cage door, he picked up the flask and took a swig from it, licking his lips once he’d swallowed. Shit, he was drunk. He was giving himself the courage to go through with his attack. That was actually a good thing, it would weaken him. He trusted that the chains would hold us enough to give him freedom to abuse me.
“Let’s get on with it.” Opening the backpack, he took out a knife and stood. “At least I’ll get you both out of my life. I can take my time with the next one.”
He moved to the gate and unlocked it, indicating that I go closer to him with a flick of the knife. I glanced at Moth, who didn’t move, not even giving me an indication of what to do.
“No,” I defied him, “I won’t let you get away with this.”
“I don’t have the patience to fuck around, bitch,” Brandon spat, grabbing one of my chains and yanking hard.
Yelping, I stumbled forward until I was in front of him. My arms shook and my stomach rolled as he tugged me closer. Moth hadn’t tried to stop me from going to him, which hopefully meant he had a plan.
Brandon grabbed my elbow as soon as I was close enough and clenched the bone, locking on and pulling down until my knees hit the floor. Looking into my face, he scowled, baring his teeth and releasing a wave of alcoholic smelling breath. I cringed away from him, turning my face to avoid the onslaught of the stench.
“You used to kiss me with such enthusiasm,” he muttered, gripping my chin and turning me to face him. “I thought I broke you enough for you to want to stay.”
“It doesn't work like that.” I kept my voice low to defuse his mood.
“Pfft,” he puffed air from his mouth and I gagged, unable to hide my reaction to him.
He cupped my whole jaw and pushed me backwards, laughing when I tumbled, falling onto my back. “Oh, you're a bitch. I can't wait to fuck you, right in front of your boyfriend here.”
Brandon sunk to his knees to lean over me, his face screwed up in irritation
“Is this the only way you can get a woman?” Moth's voice was deeply calm, drawing both our attention.
Freezing, Brandon looked sideways at Moth, a growl rumbling in his chest. “You need to shut the fuck up or I’ll cut her.”
He lifted the knife from where he'd had it under his palm on the ground and placed the tip between my breasts, right on the bone. I tried to breathe shallow to prevent him from pressing the dangerous weapon further into my skin. The top I'd worn on the club opening night was a V neck that now gapped, giving Brandon perfect access.
“I wanted to kill her too, you know,” Moth muttered louder.
Brandon frowned and looked past the knife, towards Moth again. “Don't try and distract me. There's just two things I'm here to do. Fuck her while you watch and then kill you both.”
“Have you ever killed before?” Moth asked.
He leaned his head to the side and raised his eyebrows at Brandon. I took a quick breath and tried to still the shaking of my whole body. Brandon was straddling me, his knees resting on either side of my hips. The fear that gripped me turned my skin to ice and the bones in my hands to rock. If Moth kept Brandon distracted, maybe I could snatch the knife and stab him in the neck.
“Shut the fuck up or I'll plunge this into her heart.” Turning back to me, Brandon lowered himself onto me, holding his torso up with one hand while grinding his pelvis into me.
I squeaked and squirmed, trying to avoid any contact with his erection, which was hitting me.
“Your cock is so small,” Moth said, “she doesn't want it near her.”
Growling, Brandon shook his head, as if he were trying to drown out Moth's words. I gasped when the blade dug into my skin, just nipping it slightly. Moth had a game plan and I didn't want to ruin it. Instead, I had to hold fast and pray that whatever he was trying to do would work.
“Ignore him,” Brandon whispered into my ear, pressing his whole hips into me and holding steady.
The ick sent me rigid and I closed my eyes tight, squeezing the tears that slipped out from under my eyelids. How I'd ever been attracted to the bastard was beyond me. He'd rescued me, playing the nice guy, except, he was sick… so fucking sick.
“The reason she left you was because you couldn't make her cum, unlike me…” Moth spat, shouting so his voice echoed around the warehouse. “You've shuddered for me multiple times, haven't you, Sunshine? His dick will never live up to mine.”
“FUUCKKK!” Brandon shoved up from me, spittle flying everywhere as he charged towards Moth, knife in hand.
Moth kicked up a leg as Brandon approached, knocking the blade out of his hand and sending it scattering across the floor and out of the cage, just past the bars. I was awoken from my frozen state by the clattering. Getting to my feet, I watched Brandon tackle Moth. They were both muscular and broad but Moth was taller. It would take a lot to beat him. Except… Moth was losing.
My heart thundered as I went over to the knife, pulling on my chains and stretching them as far as I could. My wrists screamed as I dropped to the ground and tried to reach the handle. It was nearer to Moth than me. If he was able to get Brandon off him in time, there was a chance he could reach it.
Moth was on his back with Brandon on top of him. They pinned and pushed one another, punching and hitting as they wrestled on the ground. I stepped away, edging towards the gate of the cage to stay out of the way. Moth somehow kept hold of the ring, keeping it behind him at all times so Brandon couldn't see that it was no longer on his wrist.
“You fucker!” Brandon cried when Moth kicked him straight in the balls.
Surging up from where he crouched on the ground, Brandon barrelled into Moth, who catapulted back, the chain wrapping around his arm and pulling him tighter to the edge of the cage. Brandon jumped, shoving both legs out in a kick that drove his boots straight into Moth's chest.
My lover fell to his knees and Brandon came around him from the back, taking hold of the chain that was clasped in Moth's hand. He picked it up as Moth struggled for breath, his chest heaving from being winded.
“No!” I shouted, moving forward when Brandon slung the heavy chain around Moth's neck, quickly gripping it in both hands before Moth could react.
Gasping, I fell to my knees as Brandon pulled the chain tight, his cheeks a vivid red. Moth rested his hand on the floor, the one that gripped the ring, and grasped the chain around his neck with his free hand. He looked at me, his eyes wide and the veins in his neck bulging. He subtly lifted the other hand, loosening the length of the chain in Brandon's hands, but the bastard pulled hard and Moth gulped.
“Please,” I pleaded with Moth, “get him off you. I need you.”
He stared at me, gasping as Brandon tried to tug the chain harder. He resisted, his bulk leaning back so there was slack on the metal that bound his throat. His fingers were tucked just under the links of the chain, but the strain was telling. He gasped and grunted. Shit, Brandon was getting the upper hand, pulling Moth further away from the cage wall. Moth had to let go of the chain to save himself, but he obviously couldn’t for some reason. Brandon was killing him.
It had all gone wrong.
My heart squeezed and I shook my head, staring as Moth’s face turned bright pink.
“Moth, I’ve fallen for you, I love you,” I blurted. I had to tell him how I felt before it was too late.
I hiccupped as tears slipped down my cheeks. Moth’s breathing was harsh and he choked, his face slowly going blue.
“Please,” I cried, “tell Wasp that I'm sorry and that I said hello.”
He blinked slowly and nodded, a sad smile crossing his face before his eyes fluttered closed and he went limp.
“Noooo!” My scream rebounded off the metal walls and Brandon released the chains, dropping them and rushing to me.
Shoving his hand over my mouth, he hissed in my face. “Shut the fuck up now, someone might hear you!”
I cried loudly, the pain bursting from my chest and stealing my breath. My relationship with Moth had been complicated, but I had fallen for him hard, almost as obsessed with him as he had been with me. And we hadn't even had the chance to explore our messed-up connection.
“I'm going to fuck you now,” Brandon shoved me against the metal bars, pinning me with his weight and blocking my view of Moth, who was on the ground.
Shaking my head, I pushed him, spitting in his face when he forced my arms to my sides and held them there. I shoved him with my chest, cringing when he lifted his arm and smacked me across the face. It didn't hurt, though. None of it would. Moth had been numb most of his life, if I wanted to honour him in his last moments, I had to do the same.
“Go on then,” I ground through my gritted teeth, “fuck me. I don't give a shit because I'll be out of this misery soon.”
He reached between us, fumbling around his crotch before he reached for mine. I leaned forward and sank my teeth into his chest, biting as hard as I could, just to leave a mark before I died.
“Bitch!” He grabbed my hair and yanked hard.
My head rebounded off the bars, the force of it rattling my brain. His hands were on my breasts, kneading and pawing as he desperately tried to yank his jeans down.
“My cock is going to…” He carried on talking, but his words faded into the background as Moth's face appeared over his shoulder.
I opened my mouth and closed it, licking my lips when he nodded once. I nodded back, not sure what he was doing but…
Moth's hand appeared on Brandon's forehead, pulling his head back until his throat was exposed. The bastard gasped in a breath as a knife came around from behind and swiped across his skin, digging deep enough to slice. I closed my eyes as blood spurted and Brandon fell away from me, leaving me clutching the bars to hold myself up.
“Watch it,” Moth rasped, putting an arm around me. “It's your vengeance.”
I pressed my cheek onto Moth's chest as he cuddled me to him. The scent of oil, sweat and blood gave me strength. Opening my eyes, I stared down at my stalker ex, my evil ex and listened to the gurgling of the life force leaving him. The tears came again, dripping onto Moth's chest as the fear slipped away, draining from me, just like the blood draining of my aggressor.
Brandon glanced up at me, his eyes wide and scared as he gasped for air, but none came… and then he was gone, his head collapsing to the floor in his own pool of blood.
Just what the bastard deserved.
As the room fell silent and Moth's breathing returned to normal, I looked down at his hands, which were free from the chains.
“H-how?” I stuttered, looking up at him.
He turned me to face him, pulling me so we were close. Holding up his hand, he cringed in pain. “I may have broken my thumb to get free.”
Gasping, I caught his wrist and held it gently, inspecting the deformity of his thumb. “You broke your bones for me?”
He chuckled and caught my jaw with his other hand. “I'd break every bone in my body to get to you,” he muttered, “and kill every man that dares to touch or hurt you again.”
Lowering his head, he kissed me on the lips, so tenderly, I melted. Our breath entwined as the weight of what we'd endured, what we'd survived, left us. His arms came around me, lifting me so I could wrap my legs around his waist.
He moved us away from Brandon as we kissed, dragging my chains with me. Heat exploded and my pussy clenched, begging to be touched as the adrenaline calmed.
Lowering me to the ground, Moth moved over me, wincing when he put weight on his broken hand. I went to protest, to save his injury, but he put a finger over my mouth before reaching for my top and lifting it over my head, so it sat around my neck, exposing my bra.
“I've never admired your beauty slowly,” he muttered, unclipping my bra from the back and lifting that too.
My breasts were highlighted by the lights above and he devoured me with his eyes, the hooded slits more erotic than any words. He dipped his head to me, sucking my nipple into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it. I shuddered and held his head to me, apologising when the chains hit his ears.
He chuckled and attended to my other nipple before reaching down to lift my skirt, using the fingers on his broken hand to carefully peel off my undies. When they were gone, he stood and stripped himself, not even wincing from the pain.
“I’m so fucking hungry for you,” he muttered, lowering himself back down to me.
His cock stood thick and swollen, bouncing as he ran a hand from my collarbone, over my tit, and across my stomach. The flicker of sensitivity tickled my skin and I leaned my head back, lifting my hips to meet his hand as it found me.
The tip of his tongue was caught between his lips as he circled my clit and stared at me, his eyes running up and down me. I followed his gaze, gasping when I saw the bright red liquid of Brandon’s blood smeared on my collarbone.
“Shush,” Moth said, dropping to bury his head in my neck and kiss my earlobe. “Don’t think about it. Concentrate on me, on my hand and my cock as I slide it inside you.”
His finger pushed inside while his thumb pressed harder, flicking faster. I relaxed against the floor, holding his head where it was buried in my neck. Tingles started to build as I pushed my hips up, forcing his touch and seeking my release. He lifted his head and looked into my eyes, for the first time during sex. An explosion shot through me as my orgasm fired from my clit and seeped into my pussy. I went rigid as he watched me, his soft gaze full of emotion that I’d never seen in his face before.
“Cum for me, Sunshine,” he muttered, licking my lips as his fingers kept going, starting another build-up of tingles that quickly rose and crested.
A long low moan escaped me as I pushed against him, shaking so uncontrollably, I almost knocked him off me. No, he’d shifted, removing his hand, grasping my hip and nudging his cock into my entrance, where he rested.
“I’m scared,” he admitted, his gaze slightly harder now.
My breath returned to normal as I wrapped my legs around his hips and grabbed his arse. “Me too. Loving you feels like I’m inviting pain into my life, but I can’t help it.” Leaning up, I kissed him hard. “You’re my fucking air now. I need you in order to breathe.”
“But what if I can’t be who you need me to be?” He rested his good hand on the ground and lifted his hips, circling so his cock pressed my entrance.
My mouth opened as pleasure teased, the feel of him almost too much to bear without him being inside.
“You are everything I need.” I bit his lip gently, pulling it. “And the rest of the shit will sort itself out.”
He dropped his head and rested it on my chest. “I don’t want to love you.”
I went still. “Why?”
My heart hammered in my chest and I held my breath, waiting to hear whether he was about to break my heart.
“Because if I love you, there's no going back. You'll own every part of me and I cannot allow that because...”
“What?” I breathed.
“I'm already broken and if you ever leave, you'll break me forever. I don’t want to be brought back to life, only to be dead inside again.” Moth lifted his head and looked me right in the eye.
Cupping his jaw, I shook my head. “I will never leave you. You rescued me from my worst nightmare, helped me become a woman powerful enough to be okay with what we’ve just done. I cannot live without you, Moth. So you need to think seriously about your oath to your brothers.”
He stayed silent, watching me with narrowed eyes, as if he were searching for the truth of my words. He must have found it because he nodded once and reached up with his good hand, wrapping it around my throat.
“And no man will ever touch you again,” he hissed, his nostrils flaring, “not even to shake your hand. You are mine, Sunshine, and as fucked up as I am, I love you. I own you.”
A shudder shook me and I pulled on his arse, lifting my hips and forcing his cock further inside me. “Harder,” I whispered, gripping his wrist with my free hand.
He released my throat and reached for the chain that was bunched up next to us. Lifting it, he placed it across my neck, wrapping it around until he held it tight at the back. The pressure of cold metal heightened my pleasure and my pussy tightened around him, urging him on.
Grinning, he thrust hard, sending his cock deep into my pussy. I clenched around him and moaned, wriggling under him as he leaned on his elbow and slid out, his body pressed against mine erotically. Our hips ground together as we made love, fucking hard and slow, savouring one another for the first time.
My breath was short, my head light, as he squeezed the chain. I kept my legs wrapped around him, rocking my hips up to meet his as he rode me, holding me tight. The pressure intensified and my pussy gripped him, holding on as the pleasure built.
He kissed my jaw, my mouth, my collarbone, pressing harder and faster as I urged him on. My head started to really spin and I clutched his forearm, squeezing as I tried to suck air into my lungs.
“Yes, that’s it,” Moth murmured, “I’m branding you, Sunshine. Cum hard and I’ll mark you as mine.”
His words sent me over the edge and I exploded, my whole body shuddering and shaking as he thrust hard, once, twice and went still the third time…
Throwing his head back, Moth closed his eyes in ecstasy and moaned long and low, his hips pushed into me as far as he could go. His face was serene as his orgasm rocked through him and I closed my eyes to join him, revelling in the orgasm.
I had no idea what the future had planned for us, but I did know that our obsession with one another had moved to the next level, and I had to have him in every single way possible.
But most of all, I needed him alive.