Chapter 7
I never did fulfill that promise to myself. Maybe tonight that will all change.
Lifting my chin with a sense of confidence that I don’t feel, I flick my brown hair over my shoulder as I take the offered bag once we make our way off the stage. My hands shake, and my chest heaves, but I keep my head up and shoulders back.
The first thing I grab out of the bag is his list of kinks and limits. I clear my throat before reading them off.
“Ohh, you like some seriously kinky shit,” I say, lifting a brow and waving the card at him. “You enjoy all of this? When you say anal, is that for you, or for the girl?” I snark, and he stares at me before grabbing my card.
“And you?” he growls, lifting my list. I might end up buried in a shallow grave after getting caught here. I won’t cower or allow him to shame me.
“Well, seeing as I’ve had an obnoxious cock blocker stalking me my entire life, I wouldn’t know what I like, or dislike.” I shrug one shoulder, shaking my ass as we walk toward our room. I turn heads with every step.
I’ve never lacked confidence. Just opportunity. Because of Storm.
“So you said no limits? Are you fucking insane, Roxanne?” Storm growls. I bristle, but ignore the spike of anger in his voice. “I should redden your ass for this.”
“Do your fucking worst, Storm,” I hiss, not the least bit intimidated by his threats.
“Your virgin cunt couldn’t handle my worst, princess.” Storm shoves past me, continuing to our room. When I don’t move to follow him, he snatches me by the elbow and drags me with him. How the fuck did he know I was a virgin? Why am I shocked that he knows… That”s the real question. He knows everything else, why wouldn’t he know this too?
“You’re not as scary as you think you are. You won’t touch me. You don’t have a death wish,” I sass.
“I’ve already touched you, or have you forgotten?”
“Fuck off,” I growl, and he smirks. Smug fuck.
“So you wore this dress to be fucked by another man?” His abrupt change of subject spins my head, but I follow him as I try to free my arm.
“Obviously. I certainly didn’t put it on with ideas about fucking you,” I hiss, throwing all self-preservation out the window. If he wants a fight, I’ll start a fucking war.
“You test my very thin patience,” he warns, and I scoff.
“Like I give a fuck. I’m sick of this fight. Stay out of my life!” I snap, yanking to free my arm, but Storm holds tight. We reach the room, and he opens the door, shoving me inside easily.
I cross my arms over my chest now that he’s released me, and as he continues to look over my list, I study the room.
It’s simple, in a way. Almost gothic. The walls are red with black trim. There’s a massive king-size bed with black satin sheets and a mountain of pillows. The bag I’m still holding is heavy, and the one Storm has is even bigger. The carpet is black, and there are mirrors on the ceiling. It’s nice.
“What are you even doing here?” I huff, glancing at him. Good heavens, why is he so hot? The black button-up he’s wearing is tight over his muscles, and his hair is styled messy, looking like someone was running their hands through it while they fucked him.
His black slacks aren’t hiding the bulge, and when he turns away from me to place the bag on the small table beside the bed, I can’t help but admire the way his ass looks in them.
“What do you think I’m doing here, Roxy?” he asks, finally turning to face me. Our eyes meet, sending shocks of desire through me. Fuck, he’s so attractive. I hate how badly I want him.
“Don’t know, that”s why I asked you.” I look away, breaking the connection that was sizzling between us. Storm just laughs.
“Let’s see, your safe word is…death? Ominous,” Storm chuckles, and I flip him off. “You want to put an end to tonight, say it.” He gestures to me, and I uncross my arms. Lifting my chin, I meet his eyes.
“You first, asshole,” I dare, and he smirks.
“Oh, baby, but it’ll be so much more fun to push you till you break and admit how badly you want me.” And then he’s on me. I scream, as Storm snatches me off my feet, and tosses me on the bed like I weigh nothing. I yelp, trying to scramble to my knees and crawl away, but before I can, Storm is straddling my chest. Pinning one arm under his knee, he yanks the other above my head and ties a rope restraint around it. Then he does the same for the other. Ropes that I didn’t notice were pre-secured to the bed.
As he moves down my body, I thrash, kicking my legs at him, and trying to keep my feet free. I’m no match for his strength, as he restrains one leg, and then the other.
I’m panting by the time he’s finished, but he’s not even sweating. Fucking bastard.
“Still not ready to say it?” he asks, lifting his brow, and I seal my lips shut, meeting his intense eyes with a glare. “How far are you going to let me take this before you say the word, Roxy? Are you going to let me fuck your tight cunt?”
I say nothing because I’m not sure what the answer is. At first, I refused to say my safe word because I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of my submission, but now…
How far am I going to let him take this? I came here tonight intending to lose my virginity, after all. I just never imagined Storm would be the man to pull my fucking key.
I jerk and yank against the ropes, but it’s pointless. I’m not getting free. Do I want Storm to fuck me?
Fuck yes, a treacherous voice whispers in my mind.
“Like I said, do your worst.” I lie back against the pillow and stare at the mirror above us. I can see every move he makes. Every inch of my body…everything. I get a front-row view of him fucking me. That”s exactly what he’s going to do. Fuck me.
Some feeling I can’t identify warms my chest, as a sense of…thankfulness fills me. Thankful that Storm stopped me from all those random hookups. Thankful that he never truly abandoned me. Thankful for the night he rescued me. Thankful that he’s the one here with me tonight.
Tears threaten to fall as I watch Storm move in the mirror above us. He grabs the bag off the table and dumps the contents on the bed beside him. I can’t see well enough to identify everything.
Something shiny catches the light, and I lift my head, eyes wide, as he cuts my dress down the middle and the fabric falls off my body.
“I liked that dress,” I complain, and Storm smirks.
“So did I, but it was in my way.” He pauses for a moment, looking…no, staring at my tits. “Fuck, those are perfect.” He’s never seen me naked before.
“I showed you mine, now you show me yours,” I whisper, nodding to his clothes. He bites his lip and stands beside the bed.
“Are you asking to see me naked, Little Sinner?” He takes his time removing his shirt, and then his pants. The bulge I felt between my legs looks massive, and as he frees it from the prison of his boxer briefs, I wonder exactly how that”s going to feel inside me.
My legs are held open wide by these ropes.
“Impressed?” he asks, looking way too happy with himself.
“Shut up,” I grumble, dropping my head, and looking back up at the mirror. I would like to thank whoever installed those. Brilliant idea.
“Let”s see…” I hear a buzz as something clicks on. I can’t see what he grabbed, but it came from the pile of stuff from the bag. I know what it sounds like though…
He presses his fingers to my center through the fabric, and he groans.
“You’re soaking wet, my little slut.” His softly murmured words send heat flooding my body, and my pussy clamps around nothing.
I watch as he lifts my thong and slides something inside the fabric. It nestles against my clit, and the first pulse makes me cry out. I thrash and try to escape, but can’t. I’m completely restrained. The sucking comes next, helping the vibrator secure itself against my pussy.
“Oh, fuck,” I moan breathlessly. That might be the second best feeling…the first being Storm”s mouth against me…
“It sucks and vibrates at the same time,” Storm informs me, but I don’t need him too, I can fucking feel it. The pleasure is so intense, and I’m already shaking. My pussy gushes, and wetness trickles down my thigh through the panties.
He trails his fingers up my sides gently, making me shiver, drawing some of my focus away from the pulsing between my legs.
“Fuck, these tits… Do you even know how perfect you are?” he asks, and I watch as he lightly drags a thumb over one nipple, then the other. I lift my head, so I can see the look in his eyes as he stares at my body. I expect his full focus to be on my tits, but he’s watching my face.
“Stop teasing me,” I whisper, making him smirk.
“So fucking needy. When was the last time you came? When my tongue was fucking your virgin cunt?” His warm fingers lightly brush over one nipple, and then the other once more. When he pinches, I yelp. He cups my breasts and groans.
“Perfect tits.” His lips close around a hardened peak, and he sucks, before flattening his tongue, and rolling it around. When he bites, my back arches, causing the toy buzzing between my legs to shift down, latching onto my clit even more.
I’m so fucking close, and as Storm switches his attention between my breasts, I can’t help but moan, wishing I could touch him.
I come hard, screaming, but Storm doesn”t stop his assault, and leaves the toy in place, buzzing away.
My body writhes as much as the ropes allow, and the intense sucking of the toy against my clit would be enough on its own, but the vibrations are too much. Add Storm’s mouth on my body, and I’m screaming out another orgasm in minutes.
“That was the hottest sound I’ve ever heard, Roxy. When you whispered my name instead of Eric’s, I nearly lost it. I wanted to fuck you so hard that no other man’s name would ever pass between your lips again,” Storm growls, as he moves between my spread legs. I keep my eyes on him in the mirror, and gasp when he yanks my panties off, using his hand to hold the vibrator in place.
“Fuck,” I whisper. He bites his lip, as he stares at my center.
“You’re fucking soaked, Roxy. Do you feel how fucking wet you are for my cock? God, I want to fuck you so badly.” I feel the brush of his fingers there at my entrance. He looks up at me, as he slowly slides two fingers into my pussy. My back arches, and Storm groans.
“Storm,” I moan, but it slipped out. I shake my head, but fuck, I hate that part of me. The one that’s constantly trying to push Storm away for something he didn’t do. “Oh, fuck, Storm…” I moan again, and this time he growls.
“Fuck, the way you say my name is like a fucking prayer. You make my cock so fucking hard. I feel like a teen ready to bust in his jeans.”
The toy keeps sucking, and buzzing as he thrusts in and out, his long fingers curling inside me.
“Oh, fuck yes,” I moan. I’ve never felt pleasure so intense before. My pussy pulses around his fingers, and I’m gasping for air. Suddenly, his fingers and the toy are yanked away from my pussy, and are replaced by his mouth.
“Come for me one more time, Roxy. This time, I want to taste you on my tongue.” He pushes his fingers back in, three this time, and fucks me with them. His tongue over my clit is so erotic, and I’m coming hard like he commanded.
“No more,” I whisper, making him chuckle.
“Are you done? Use your safe word, and I’ll stop. If you don’t, I’m going to fuck you, baby,” he warns, and I nod my head.
“Fuck me. Please, fuck me,” I beg.
My ankles fall free of the ropes, and when I look up, Storm is reaching up to untie my wrists too.
He leans over me, resting his weight on his hands that are beside my head, as he looks into my eyes.
“Say it,” Storm demands. “Beg me to stop.”
“Please stop,” I cry, and Storm chuckles.
“Say your safe word, Roxy. Begging isn’t enough, say the word. Last chance.”
Maybe I should. Maybe I should beg Storm to stop, and scream my safe word at the top of my lungs. But I don’t.
Maybe I am a dirty fucking slut, but I’ve never felt more alive.
I shake my head.
“I’ll be your death then, Little Sinner. You’ll never be free of me,” he vows, and for some reason, I pray that he means every word.
“Fuck me, Storm. Shut up, and fucking break me!” I cry, wrapping my arms around his neck, and pulling him down to me for a kiss. It’s hard and painful, but he melts into me, groaning against my lips. Our tongues tangle, and I wrap my legs around his waist and pull him down to me until my center is against his hardness.
“Fuck, you’re so sexy,” Storm praises. I hold on tight as he pulls back, creating enough space between us so he can line the tip of his cock up with my entrance. He meets my eyes, his brown ones filling with so much emotion I nearly cry. As he slides into me slowly, I gasp. He meets resistance, and then slides out slightly, before pushing in harder this time.
“Harder,” I gasp, clawing at his skin. He starts moving slowly, the pain only lasting for a few seconds, before he’s giving me exactly what I asked for. “Harder, Storm!”
He pulls himself almost all the way out, before sliding back in slowly.
“Scream for me, Little Sinner. Let everyone hear what a dirty fucking slut you are. My fucking slut,” Storm growls, in my ear, as he wraps his arms around me, and thrusts in and out at a maddeningly slow pace.
“Fuck me harder, Storm. Fuck me like I’m your dirty slut!” I demand because the pain of him thrusting his massive cock into me is tolerable, but now I want him to undo me. Make me his until I can’t remember anything before this moment.
I meet each thrust of his hips with my own, as he buries his face against my neck and breathes me in. Pushing him back, I kiss him once more before he’s kneeling.
“Fuck me hard,” I demand. Storm grips my hips in both his hands, hard enough to leave marks, and starts thrusting at a wild pace. “Fuck, yes!” I moan.
“Say my name, Roxy,” Storm demands, and I shake my head. “Say my fucking name, Roxanne.” His hand reaches up to wrap around my throat, and he steals my air.
I gasp, panic setting in too quickly. He grips my hips even harder, lifting my ass just enough to hit a new spot that makes me see stars. I scream, but no sound comes out. He’s still restricting my air.
“Fuck, Roxy…” Storm grunts and my pussy explodes around him in a gush of wetness as I milk his cock. He releases my throat, and I scream his name over and over.
“Storm!” I moan, as he pulses inside me, coming with me.
As the high of the orgasm eases, my head falls back, and the world goes black.
* * *
Storm
She’s sobeautiful when she sleeps. As soon as she came, she passed out, curling into a ball. I watch her as she sleeps, wanting to sink inside her once again.
But I’ll give her some time to heal before I fuck her again.
I head to the bathroom to grab a cloth to clean her with but decide a bath is better. I don’t want to wash my scent from her skin, but now that I’ve made her mine, I’ll be fucking her again very soon.
When I pulled her key, I had been fully prepared to drag her out of here. I thought for sure she would use her safe word the second I locked her in the room with me.
Instead, she got this sexy as fuck look of determination in her eyes.
My mouth waters as I think of the way she screamed for me, over and over.
I turn the hot water on in the tub and wait for it to warm before pushing down the plug. I add some salts to the water and watch it fill up before returning to wake her up.
“I love you,” I whisper, as I brush a loose curl behind her ear.
I’ve killed for this woman before, and I would do it again and again. Without hesitation. Roxy is the reason I live.
She’s the air I breathe.
* * *
Roxy
I’m notout for long. I wake when I feel Storm caressing my cheek. I roll onto my back, looking up at him.
“Come here.” Storm holds his arms open for me. I take his hand, skeptical.
I allow him to lead me to the bathroom, and the sight that greets me is shocking. A bath?
“How thoughtful,” I say as I step into the water. I sit, sinking into the massive tub until the water reaches my chin. I chance a glance at Storm. He kneels beside the tub, still buck naked.
“Just get in with me,” I say, grabbing his hand, and tugging him toward me. I watch as he pauses. “Come on.” I tug again, and he climbs in behind me.
“Lean back,” he commands, and I do as I’m told, letting my head fall back so he can wet my hair.
“You know this ends with one of us six feet under,” I grumble, mostly just being a brat, but he nods.
“Me. It’ll be me.” The somber way he says this has me snapping my mouth shut. My brother might be insane, but even defiling his little sister isn’t enough of a reason for him to murder his only friend.
Papa might disagree. But he owes Storm a debt of blood, one that Papa can never truly pay back. Would I defend Storm against the two men I cherish most in this world? My only family…
I peek at him through the corner of my eye. He’s so handsome it’s criminal. My heart aches at the sight of him. The answer comes easily. Yes, I would. I would never let anyone hurt Storm.
“Why were you here tonight?” I ask again.
“Do I really need to spell it out, Roxy? I came to stop you. To claim you, if you allowed it, and to drag you the fuck out of here if you tried hooking up with another man.” The possessive way he growls this has me scoffing.
“Hypocrite.”
“How am I a hypocrite?” he asks calmly, and I lift a hand.
“I can’t imagine you have trouble finding available, willing women. I highly doubt you were a virgin,” I grumble. Storm takes his time massaging the shampoo into my scalp. He does such a good job, that my eyes fall shut. After he rinses the suds, he adds the conditioner.
“What makes you think I’m not a virgin?” I spin in his arms, his hands falling into the water now that I”m facing him.
“What?” I ask, searching his face for any signs that he’s lying. “Were you really? Don’t lie to me.”
“I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember. Why would I fuck someone else?”
“Have you ever been kissed before?” I demand, shocked as hell.
“Yes, I have kissed others. But that”s as far as it’s ever gone. My cock doesn’t even get hard for anyone but you,” he admits, and I just stare at his beautiful, sexy face.
“You certainly didn’t fuck me like you’re a virgin,” I say, not knowing what else to say to his confession.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about how I wanted my first time with you to go.”
“Did it go the way you imagined?”
“Yes, and no. You came four times, that”s the important thing.”
I frown, “What were you missing?” I ask, and he chuckles.
“Nothing, Roxy, it was perfect.” He cups my face and kisses me gently.
“Blow job,” I decide. That”s the only thing we skipped… “Wait, was it anal?” I yelp and watch in awe as Storm tips his head back and laughs hard.
“No, Roxy, I wasn’t expecting to fuck your ass the first time we had sex.” Storm shakes his head, and I nibble my lip.
“But you never doubted that we would fuck?”
“Never. I knew you’d be mine one day. Never imagined I’d fuck you in a sex club our first time, but...” he shrugs, reaching out to caress my arms.
“Let me suck your cock,” I say, turning the conversation away from the more romantic stuff.
“Uh…” He just stares at me, obviously not expecting those words to come out of my mouth.
“Right now.” I back up and look down between us. The water is basically clear, so I can see that he’s hard. I smirk. “Looks like you’re into it.”
“I…let”s just finish washing up first.”
I pout, but decide it can’t hurt to wait a few more minutes. We go through the motions of getting clean.
“I can’t let you go now,” he murmurs, and my heart kicks up speed. I ignore his words. I have to.
Storm is the bane of my existence…my lifelong nemesis…my savior. My protector… My angel. Visions of blood flash before my eyes, but I shove them down.
If Storm notices the change in me, he ignores it, scrubbing my limbs.
“But you knew it would come to this, didn’t you, Little Sinner? We both know you were always meant to be mine,” Storm whispers, as his fingers caress my wet skin. Gently, like a lover.
“What now?” I ask, and Storm grunts.
“Now we get out and dry off. Then we go to bed,” he says softly. That”s not what I was talking about, but I won’t argue. Once he’s in bed, I’ll blow him.
He helps me out of the tub and wraps a towel around me, and then himself. He helps me brush my hair, which, honestly, might be the cutest fucking thing ever. He lays out clean clothes for me, his, of course. When he drops his towel, I make my move. I drop to my knees in front of him, grabbing his hips, so I can steady myself as I look at his hardness.
“You were going to try to sleep with this?” I ask, looking up at him and lifting a brow. “Choke me with your cock, Storm.”
“Jesus fucking hell, you’re trying to kill me,” he groans, his cock twitching. I smirk, as I wrap my hand around his shaft. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I just suck him into my mouth. I lick around the tip and push him into my mouth until he hits the back of my throat, and I gag.
“Like this?” I ask when I pull him out for a second and then suck him once again. I move him in and out of my mouth, sucking as hard as I can. The sounds my mouth is making are obscene.
“Oh, fuck yeah, just like that, Little Sinner,” he groans, his head tipping back.
Fuck, this is so much hotter than I expected. I’m getting turned on from sucking his dick.
“Fuck,” he growls, before tugging me off his cock.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, pouting. I lick my lips, his cock bouncing in front of my face.
“I was close,” he admits, making my pout turn into a grin.
“Then come.”
“I don’t want to come in your mouth.”
“Then fuck me again,” I say breathlessly, and the look in his eyes darkens.
“Ride my cock, Little Sinner.” Storm helps me to my feet, and then sits on the edge of the bed. Smiling, I approach him slowly. When I’m within arms reach, I lean forward and kiss him once more.
I savor it, the taste of him. The walls around my heart slowly tumble to the floor. Why did I spend so much time denying myself this pleasure? Storm and I could have been doing this for years.
I break the kiss and straddle his hips.
“Help me,” I whisper, as I lift onto my knees, so he can position his cock at my entrance. I’m a little sore, but I ignore the bite of pain as I sink lower onto his hardness.
He fills me so perfectly, and I wrap my arms around his neck, clinging to him. Slowly I seat myself fully, until he’s all the way inside me, stretching me so perfectly. I lift and drop, over and over. Fuck, he’s so hard. I claw at his back and bite his neck, tears stinging my eyes.
“Say you’re mine…” he whispers, and it feels like the words strike me right in the heart.
“I can’t…” I shake my head, still bouncing on his cock.
“You’ve been mine, Little Sinner. Since you were eight and I was nine. Since you cleaned up my wounds and shared your juice box. Since you brought me home to meet your brother, and he threatened to beat me to death if I hurt you. Since I slit your uncle’s throat for fucking touching you.” His eyes darken, “You can keep running if you have to. But I’ll catch you, just like I always do.” His vow hits me right in the soul.
As I shatter around him, coming hard, I scream his name.
“I’m yours, Storm, I’m yours. Oh god, I’m yours!”
* * *
Storm
She fellasleep in my arms this time. She came all over my cock, and then fell asleep on top of me.
I make a mental note to personally thank the person responsible for the mirrors on the ceiling. I trail my fingertips up and down her spine, loving the way she feels in my arms. I’m obsessed with this woman.
She thinks I’m capable of letting things go back to the way they were before. She’s wrong. She said she’s mine.
I’m holding her to that.
The next morning, I wake up alone. The little minx slipped out while I slept. How she managed it is a mystery. I usually sleep lightly. We did fuck twice, though. Confessing my virginity to her was not a part of the plan, but oh well.
I get dressed, grab the rest of my stuff, and head out. I drove here, so I climb into my car and pull up her cloned phone. There’s nothing new, so I assume she went home. It takes me about fifteen minutes to get to her apartment.
I warned her what last night meant, so I don’t bother knocking, I just use my key and walk through the door. She lives in a small studio, and I check her bathroom, but it’s empty. The entire place is empty.
I check her phone again, but there’s no indication she’s anywhere else. I pull up the tracker connected to her phone, but it says she’s here. I take a few moments to search her apartment, finding it on the floor under her small couch.
Nothing else is out of place…
I pull up a contact and wait as it rings.
“Hello?” a feminine voice asks.
“Is Roxanne with you?”
“Who is this?” she snarks, knowing damn well who I am.
“April, I’m at her apartment, her phone is here, and she’s gone. I need to know if she’s with you. Now,” I practically bark.
“I’m going to assume this is Storm Moreno? No, Roxy isn’t here. I haven’t seen her since two nights ago.”
I hang up and dial the only other person I can. I know she’s not at school, most of the campus closes on Sunday, and Roxy wouldn’t bother studying at the café. She’d get coffee from the shop that”s just around the corner.
“Why are you calling me instead of texting?”
“Are you with Roxy?” I snap, ignoring his question.
“No. Why are you concerned about where she is?” he asks, sounding suspicious.
“I can’t find her, and she left her phone at her apartment. It was under the couch.”
“I’ll be there in ten.” The line goes dead. I hadn’t realized he was so close, but I step outside the apartment, looking for clues as to where she is. Any sign.
I’m not outside long when I hear screeching tires and a loud ass engine. I turn to see my best friend arrive, along with three of his father’s men.
“Show me,” he says, walking around me and heading inside.
I follow him up to Roxy’s apartment. There are no signs of forced entry. Either she knew the person responsible for her disappearing, she was easily fooled, or she left on her own and just decided not to take her phone.
“So, she left it?” he asks, holding his hand out as he looks around the room. I hand him the phone. After he’s done checking it, he turns to me. “How long have you been fucking my sister, Storm?” His question catches me off guard, but I can’t hold in my smirk.
“Technically it’s been about twelve hours,” I say, and I can’t help but tense, waiting for him to take a swing at me. He doesn’t. Thankfully. Instead, he just tilts his head, studying me.
“We need to find her. Our uncle Eli is still alive and has escaped my father,” he says casually as fuck, and my blood boils.
“What the fuck did you just say?” I ask, taking a step toward him.
“Given your reaction, I believe you heard me. Let”s call it even. I won’t kill you for defiling my little sister, and you don’t kill my father for keeping Eli alive,” he offers it with a straight face, but before I can tell him to shove it up his ass, he goes on. “If it’s any consolation, my father has spent the last several years torturing Eli in some of the most horrific ways possible. Including, but not limited to, feeding him his own severed penis.” Will sniffs, looking around like this conversation is about the weather.
“That”s horrifying and the least he deserved,” I say, thinking… I guess we don’t have to worry about him trying to rape anyone…at least. Not with his cock, anyway. “Fine, but I’m not going to stop pursuing Roxy…”
“I suspected you’d say that.” Will meets my eyes, studying me. “Fine, but if my father finds out, there’s a chance he’ll kill you.”
“He’d send you to do it. You gonna be able to pull that trigger, Will?” I ask, crossing my arms, and lifting a brow.
“To kill any other person on this planet? Absolutely. Without hesitation. I find the thought of shooting you appalling, much to my surprise.” Will adjusts his wrist cuffs because of course the freak is wearing a suit.
“Thanks, buddy, I love you too,” I tease him, winking. I turn away from him, and head for Roxy’s door. If she’s not here, we need to find her. Now.
His phone rings, and he turns away from me to answer it as I glance over my shoulder at him.
“What?” he asks, pausing before turning back to me. He pulls the phone away from his ear, hits a button, and waits. I frown as a distorted voice speaks.
“I have your sister. If you want to see her alive, I suggest you do exactly as you’re told,” the voice on the call instructs.
“Eli, if you harm my sister, the next thing you’ll lose will be your eyes,” Will warns, clearly assuming the caller is Eli. There’s a long pause on the other line. Either it’s Eli, and he’s surprised we knew it was him, or it’s someone else. I shake my head. This kind of threat doesn’t make sense for Eli.
Why would he hold her for ransom? He has no shot at surviving like this. If he did come for Roxy, then he’s out for revenge. Only one of two paths makes sense for Eli. This isn’t one of them.
I catch my best friend”s eye, gesture to the phone, and then make a cutting motion across my neck and shake my head. Will has always been so observant. Sure, he’s reckless, but he would never be reckless when it comes to his sister”s life.
He curses silently, the first sign that he even feels emotions crosses his face as his skin turns slightly red. He’s fucking furious.
“Bring six million to the address I just sent you in three hours, or we start sending you body parts,” the voice warns, and Will sneers.
“Harm her, and you all die slowly,” Will says before the line goes dead.
“They’re going to die either way,” I point out, and Will shrugs.
“They don’t know that.”
* * *
Storm
Two hours later,Will, myself, and two of his best men are in full tactical gear. We used the first hour to assemble, the second for recon, and now, we move.
“My father wants one kept alive for questioning, however, the main priority is Roxanne. We get her out safely, there is no other option,” Will says, meeting each of our eyes. And then we head out.
We realized this wasn’t Eli because of the number of men on site. Whoever we’re dealing with is capable of the most basic of kidnappings, but is a fucking idiot. We assume it’s a low-level gang who thought they could take on the Ivanov criminal empire. We couldn’t find any direct link to Eli during our recon. Tracking Roxy to the warehouse they are hiding out in was pretty easy, though.
So, either someone put them up to it, or they’re really fucking stupid. Or both.
As we silently breach the warehouse, splitting into two groups of two, my blood rushes with adrenaline. After what I thought was the murder of her uncle, Misha took me under his wing, and showed me how to be an Ivanov, even if I wasn’t blood. He said I paid my way into this family with the blood on my hands.
He was impressed that a sixteen-year-old kid was capable of acting swiftly, and so callously.
I didn’t tell him I puked the second I got Roxy to safety.
As we make our way from room to room, silently taking out several gang members along the way, I think of my Roxy. If they have harmed even a single hair on her head, I will end them.
I chuckle to myself, who am I kidding, I’m ending them all regardless.
There’s a part of me that suspects this low-life gang was put up to this, and I hope I’m right. If I am, they’ll lead us to Eli sooner, rather than later.
“Basement, headed down now,” I say into the radio, keeping my voice low. The door to the basement is wide fucking open. “Possible trap,” I add, signaling to the man behind me to keep his eyes fucking open.
“Forty seconds,” Will replies, and I nod to the man with me. We have a forty-second head start before Will catches up. My man and I make it down the stairs in silence, and a single light hangs from the ceiling, illuminating my girl. I pause, using the night vision on my scope to search the room. When I look up, I see the trap. Three men are in the rafters.
I signal up, and my guy nods. Lifting my hand, I show him three fingers. Two. One. Then we shoot.
Two men fall, as the third returns fire, and Roxy screams. I dive out of the line of fire, and quickly aim my sights, one shot, two… On the third, he drops from the sky like a dead bird, and I drop my gun, rushing to my girl”s side.
“Lame, I missed all the fun.” Will pouts, as he joins me, helping me slice the ropes securing Roxy to the chair.
“Hey, it’s okay, calm down. It’s me, Little Sinner.” I rip the piece of cloth off her face, and she blinks in the light, her eyes searching my face frantically. The second her arms are free, she throws herself into my arms.
“Storm,” she cries, and Will huffs.
“Not feeling the love here, Rocks,” Will teases her, trying to lighten the mood. He’s as capable of reading the room as a plane is of swimming.
“Shut up, let”s get out of here,” I snap, and Will nods. Despite his attempt to joke with his sister, his face remains serious, and his guard is on high alert. He knows we still have to get her out of here, and there might be more men in the building. I lift Roxy into my arms, and she wraps herself around me like I’m a tree, and she’s a koala.
She buries her face in my neck, and I inhale her scent. One of our men grabs my discarded rifle and hands me a pistol. With one arm wrapped tightly around my girl, the other aims the gun straight ahead.
I can’t help but inhale her scent as my body trembles slightly. Partly from the adrenaline high, and partly because every moment of the last two hours has been hell. I wasn’t willing to allow myself to believe anything had happened to her, but I knew without a fucking doubt, that if something had happened, I would have followed Roxy to the afterlife without a second”s hesitation.
There is no world in which I can exist without her.
* * *
Roxanne
I frownas the doorbell rings. Who the fuck?
Storm hasn’t let me out of his sight for three days, but today he left early after getting a call before the sun was even up. Of course, not before threatening the lives of the three men outside my door.
“If she so much as trips, I’ll gut you and feed your insides to your fucking mothers.” He’d growled like some kind of rabid animal. It was unhinged and sort of sexy.
There was a time when this would have enraged me. Having Storm in my freaking hair for seventy-two hours straight. However, this wasn’t so bad.
Once again, I owed Storm my life. I don’t remember much of the kidnapping if I’m honest. I remember making it to my apartment. Someone delivered pizza that I didn’t order, then the world went black.
I woke up tied to a chair in a room that smelled like sweaty men and mildew. It felt like I was tied to that chair for days, but was apparently no more than five hours. Storm realized I was gone almost immediately and called Will just as quickly.
Then they came to my rescue. I spent the next four hours clinging to Storm. I was wrapped around him like we were both made of Velcro.
In a moment where I should have wanted anyone but Storm, he was my lifeline.
The truth is, I couldn’t take out my anger on the people who really deserved it, so Storm gladly accepted that position as my enemy. I took my pain out on him, and he let me.
Every hurtful word, every denial of our connection.
I made him the bad guy in the story where he should have been the hero.
My heart skips, because he followed me. He caught me, just like he always does. Just like he promised. Because even though everyone else abandoned me for years, Storm always came back. Maybe it’s time I stop running.
I said I was his. I think I meant it. I shouldn’t have run, but that”s all I know how to do. It’s all I’ve ever done, but part of me knows that Storm will always catch me.
I head to the door and peek through the peephole. Maybe one of the guards needs something? I know Storm has a key since he told me how he discovered my phone…
“William?” I yelp. I open the door an inch and look through the crack, but my brother shoves it open, and steps inside. After the kidnapping, he helped Storm get me home, but he had to leave right away. Father had called him for a job, I assume, and I was too busy trying to climb inside Storm’s rib cage to notice.
“Rocks,” my brother greets, smiling like he didn’t just barge in completely unannounced. I check behind him, the guards, the ones I said were overkill, all nod their heads and look away. No sign of Storm though…
“What are you doing here?” I ask, eyes wide.
“I can’t come visit my baby sis?” he asks, and I shrug.
“Odd timing just for a visit. Weren’t you doing a job for Papa?” I look around, but even if my apartment wasn’t clean, Will wouldn’t care.
“I was. Came back to handle some things here and to check on you.” He smiles, but whenever my brother smiles, there”s always a little bit of this void in his eyes.
“Well, you checked. I’m fine.” I grin, standing in front of the door and keeping it open. My brother lifts a brow, smirks, and just waits. I sigh heavily, letting it fall closed.
“Father has asked me to stick around. He wants me to keep my eye on you,” my brother sniffs, looking down at me. I frown.
My brother is an excellent liar. He’s an excellent actor and could be a star if he didn’t have void eyes. But when he lies to me, he has a tell. Because he doesn’t often lie - not to me anyway. With me, he’s always been more the type to bluntly deliver the truth, even if it hurts. He saves the fake sugary shit for people he doesn’t care about. For people he’d rather manipulate. He’s never needed to manipulate me to get what he wants though, so he never bothered to try.
I narrow my eyes on him, as he looks around the room some more.
“I know you’re lying,” I say, cutting right to it. Will curses.
“I’m getting better at deceiving you.” Will shrugs, and I roll my eyes.
“As if. I might be the only person you can’t lie to, big brother.”
“Correct. It’s highly aggravating,” my brother pauses. “Fine, but if Father asks, you don’t know shit.” Will flops down on my couch and lets out a huff. “Uncle Eli is back. He escaped, and we assume he’s going to be coming after you. Father is tying up loose ends and will be following me here shortly. Until then, Storm and I will be your ever-present shadows.”
“That”s not funny…” I say, stepping away from him.
“It wasn’t a joke. We assumed Eli had been the one to take you. When we discovered he wasn’t, I spent the next two days elbows deep…uh, searching for information.” He clears his throat, and I try not to think about whatever he was going to say at first. “The people who took you may have been working for someone else, but more likely they were operating on shitty intel.”
“I don’t see what this has to do with a dead man…” I shake my head, refusing to say his name as if the whispered words might conjure him. “Father wouldn’t have let him live, but not only that, I watched Storm cut his throat…” Technically, I didn’t watch it, but I know he did.
“I told Father you deserved to know the truth. I could have delivered the news more gently, I suppose.” Will leans forward, watching me as the floor falls from under my feet, and I free-fall straight to hell. I lean against the wall for support as my mind goes foggy with blood, pain, and fear.
“He’s dead,” I insist, staring at my brother, watching him closely. He wouldn’t lie to me like this. Why does he think Eli is alive? I slide down the wall, landing hard on my ass.
“Storm didn’t cut deep enough. After Storm slit his throat, he called me. You went into shock, so I told him to get you out of there. When I arrived, Uncle Eli was still alive but was fading. Father instructed me to perform life-saving measures to keep him alive. So I did. Father has had him locked in a prison of sorts for the last few years. He recently managed to escape with the help of a now-dead guard,” Will says somewhat casually. His tone is so…unserious. This is the problem with my brother. He’s not great at picking up on the emotions of other people.
He’s a great big brother…sometimes.
“Alive?”
“Yes, Rocks. Alive.” Will stands and makes his way to me. He holds his hand out to me, and I take it, letting him pull me back up to my feet.
“I didn’t know.”
“As we’ve already established,” he grumbles, and I glare at him.
“Why?” I ask, scared to hear the answer.
“At first, I assumed father wanted to kill Eli himself. Now, I know it’s because he wanted to keep him alive to torture him. Constantly. Mercilessly. With no end in sight. I doubt you’d even recognize him if you saw him today. I could tell you all the things Father did to him, but…” Will shrugs.
But it’s a gruesome and horrifying story, no doubt.
I shake my head, but I’m dizzy. I was holding my breath. I suck in lungfuls of air and slide down the wall once more. What the fuck…
My front door opens, and Storm walks in. He sees my brother first, who has no reaction. He must have known he was coming. Storm turns to me, gathers me against him, and lifts me to my feet. I hide in his arms, trying to calm my racing thoughts.
“Perfect timing. She’s a mess. I was just explaining Eli’s escape,” Will says, always so fucking casual. You’d think he’d learn some tact. I look up at Storm, he must be shocked.
“Won’t your father be pissed?” Storm asks, and Will shrugs. I frown. Wait. Storm doesn’t even react…
“Probably. But he’ll get over it.” Will straightens his shirt, looking around the room. “I tried to lie, but she called me out.” My brother shrugs, and Storm’s hold on me tightens. “Besides, we can’t have her resisting our protection. You know how stubborn she can be.”
“Should have let me tell her. You’re too…you,” Storm scolds, and Will shrugs again.
“Should have gotten here when I told you to.”
“Just fuck off, I’ll handle this,” Storm snaps, and my brother smirks.
“You knew?” I whisper, pulling away from him. Storm looks down at me, his mouth popping open slightly.
“He told me the day you were taken. Before that, I thought he was dead. Your father asked me not to tell you. I wanted to, but I was worried you’d be scared. We’re not going to let anything happen to you,” Storm says, and I shake my head.
“You should have told me,” I whisper, feeling betrayed. They both should have… They never should have let me believe he was dead…
But, what good would knowing have done? I would have spent the last few years living in constant fear. Fear that one day my abuser would return.
He’s alive… Oh god, he’s alive, and he’s escaped.
I stumble away from Storm and head toward my bed. I lie down halfway there on my small couch and curl into a ball.
“We’ve got three men in the building. You don’t leave this apartment alone. Rocks, do you hear me? Rocks?”
I can hear Will calling me, but I don’t respond. I can’t.
* * *