Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Sylus
Sparkle’s body is relaxed, head tipping back against my shoulder as I navigate the dimly lit back hall of the club. Levi’s laughter echoes down the hall as Ezra, who is supporting most of his weight, practically drags him along. Koen strides ahead, pushing open the back exit to get the Bronco and drive it over to us.
Ezra grunts, adjusting Levi’s arm around his neck as they stumble toward the passenger door. “Get in, you adorable disaster,” he mutters under his breath, helping Levi into the back seat, still laughing at whatever joke he’s stuck on in his drunken haze.
When Ezra pushes the seat back and steps aside, I shift Sparkle, easing her into the car. She sighs as I pull the seat belt across her, and I press a light kiss to her forehead, the corner of her mouth quirking up as she murmurs, “Hottie…”
God, she’s going to be the death of me.
Koen glances at me as I back up, reluctantly releasing my grip on her. “So… we’re taking her to our place?” he asks casually, but there’s nothing casual about how he looks at her .
Ezra runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t want her in the house.”
“She’s staying with me,” I announce, cutting off whatever lecture he had ready, then fold my arms across my chest defensively. “She’s been through enough shit tonight. No way in hell I’m letting her wake up alone, not after everything…”
Ezra’s jaw tightens. “You know why I—”
“I know.” I cut him off again, giving him a hard stare. “And you overdid it. Now shut the fuck up.” His answering flinch is almost imperceptible, and he drops his chin to his chest to try and hide it. For a second, I almost feel bad. Almost.
He put a fucking dent in a star.
“I’ll be back in a minute…” I lean into the car, brushing my knuckles over Sparkle’s still-red cheek, “… all right? Just hang tight for me.”
As I close the passenger door, she mumbles something incoherent, making me chuckle. Adorable.
Without looking back I move toward my bike to put on my helmet, ignoring the urge to toss it aside and crawl into the Bronco with her. Ezra hovers, looking as if he wants to talk or maybe argue, but I don’t give him the chance. The engine roars to life under me, and I roll out behind the Bronco.
“Sy.” Ezra’s voice comes through the helmet’s com, too close, too soon.
I’m so fucking pissed at him.
He should be glad Koen held me back. I don’t know if I could have stopped myself from punching him senseless for hurting what’s mine. I grit my teeth, barely containing the anger simmering beneath my skin. “I don’t wanna hear it, Ez. ”
There’s a pause, the sound of the Bronco rumbling just ahead of us on the road. “I apologized to her.”
“I fucking hope so.” A bitter laugh slips out before I can stop it. “You fucking hit her, Ezra. Twice !”
“To make sure she won’t rat us out,” he snaps back. “To keep us out of jail… or worse.”
“Rat us out?” My pulse pounds in my ears, fury sharpening every word. “She’s my fucking person , Ez, and you hurt her.”
Ezra’s silence hangs heavy through the line, and when he finally speaks, it’s low, defensive. “I didn’t know. Hell, I didn’t even know you knew her! And now she’s your person?” He sounds almost incredulous. “I thought I was your person.”
“You were,” I bite out. “Before you stopped being it three months ago when I needed you.”
Ezra’s breath catches. “Sy…”
“Yeah,” I continue, my voice trembling as the words spill out, ones I’ve been swallowing for too damn long. “And you needed me too. But no, you buried yourself in work. Left me to deal with my shit.”
“You think you’re the only one grieving? He was like a fucking father to me,” he fires back, his voice cracking through the line. “I was drowning too!”
“And I wanted to be there for you!” My voice softens a little. “You didn’t let me.”
“I’m sorry, Sy. I—”
“I know.” I let out a long breath, my grip loosening on the handlebars. “I’m sorry, too, all right? Maybe I should’ve tried harder. It’s fine.” The weight between us shifts, something loosening a bit. “I love you, bro. I know you can’t always be the strong one.”
The silence stretches, the roar of the road the only sound between us for a moment .
“Sy…”
“It’s okay. Touch her one more time, though, and I swear, I’ll pummel your head in.”
“You’re…” Ezra lets out a shaky breath, his tone colored by something I can’t quite place. “You’re in love with that girl? She’s here to do a job. There’s no way you know her that well. Not yet.”
“I’ve known her for months! For you, maybe she’s a means to an end. But she fucking owns me.”
The words come out unfiltered, raw, and I feel a strange mix of relief and dread the moment I say them. Ezra is quiet on the other end, the static crackling between us as if he’s trying to process what I admitted, maybe realizing how serious I am about her.
“Did you see how Koen looks at her?” he finally asks, sighing so loudly that the sound vibrates through the helmet speakers. “And how she looks at him?”
My jaw instinctively tightens underneath the helmet as I clench my teeth together, but when I examine my actual feelings, it’s not what I expect. Instead of jealousy, there’s a strange kind of pride when she lights up around Koen. The possessiveness I feel for her isn’t the kind that pushes me to control her. It’s one that wants to see her as happy as possible, even if it means I’m not her entire world. A smirk tugs at my lips. “Yeah. And it was hot as fuck.”
Watching the way she and Koen challenge each other, as they did tonight, the way their energy bounces off each other as though they’re sparring in some unspoken game, it’s thrilling.
Ezra wouldn’t get that. He’s too focused on keeping everyone in line, making sure no one risks too much, as if that’ll somehow keep us all safe.
As if that’s even possible in this twisted game we’re in .
I want to shake him, to make him see she’s not some tool we’re using to get to Veronica.
I look up at the Bronco’s taillights.
In a world of illusions, she’s something real.
And maybe she’s the only real thing I’ve got left.
Ezra doesn’t respond right away, and in that silence, I feel the weight of what he’s probably trying to work out in his head. He thinks she’s going to be a weakness for Koen and me, that this thing we have for her will put us all in danger or make us fight, but he’s wrong. It’s the opposite. She’s the only thing keeping me grounded, and hell, if she wanted every part of me, I’d give it all up without thinking twice.
Maybe he knows that too.
Ezra huffs, a reluctant chuckle slipping out, but his next words are still full of concern. “She’s going to hurt you, Sy.”
“Maybe,” I admit, watching the Bronco in front of me as we near the estate, the lights from the mansion lighting up the driveway. “Even if she does… my pain belongs to her too.”
I slow as Koen pulls up to the gate and leans out to punch in the code. The heavy iron swings open, and we caravan inside, the mansion looming large against the night sky.
I ride in close behind Ezra, feeling the weight of what’s been done and said, settling in. Parking the bike, I swing my leg over and pull off my helmet. Placing it on the bike, I head straight for the Bronco, where Sparkle is still nestled in the passenger seat, her head tipped to one side.
She looks so serene, completely lost to the night’s madness, her long lashes casting shadows across her cheeks. I stand here, watching her, feeling a strange sense of peace settle over me from seeing her like this. Then I reach for the door, opening it as quietly as I can .
She stirs, murmuring my name or what she calls me anyway. Her voice is sleepy, and the sound tugs at something deep in my chest. I lean in, unfastening her seat belt, careful not to wake her too much, but as I do, she starts to slump forward. Before she can fall, I slip my arms around her, pulling her close. Her warmth seeps into me as I lift her, her head coming to rest against my shoulder once more, and I swear she breathes me in and sighs like she knows she’s safe here, in my arms.
Holding her like this, I feel as though I could carry her through anything.
Koen’s voice follows me as I turn toward the house. “Where are you going with her?”
“Where do you think?” I shoot him a look over my shoulder, barely slowing my stride.
He catches up to me and raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. “We’ve got plenty of guest rooms, you know.”
“Fuck off, brother,” I mutter, adjusting her in my arms as I make my way up the steps and through the front door. I’m not putting her in a damn guest room. She’s sleeping in my bed tonight.
I carry her up the staircase, her even breaths warm against my neck. My room is down the hall, and when I open the door and turn on the light, a rush of clothes, empty energy drink cans, and various scattered items greet me.
Damn. I didn’t think this far ahead.
I lay her on my bed and indulge in another moment to look at her. She’s small, vulnerable in her sleep, and I brush a few stray hairs from her face. I then turn and start grabbing the mess around my room, throwing crumpled shirts into the corner and scooping up cans to take downstairs.
“I’ll be back in a second,” I assure her as I turn off the light again and slip out of the room.
When I get to the kitchen, Alaric glances up from where he’s leaning against the counter with a full glass of water.
“Hey,” he says, eyes flicking to the cans in my arms.
“Hey.” I dump the cans in the trash and turn to him, plucking the glass of water he was about to sip from straight from his hands.
He rolls his eyes at me and goes to the cabinet to fill a new one, more than used to my shit.
“You look like a teen who just got told to clean his room by his mom.”
I shrug. “Guess I haven’t been acting my age with all this.”
“Could’ve fooled me with that wardrobe.” He grins. “How’d it go tonight?”
I shake my head, jaw tight. “Shit, man. Ezra hit her.”
Alaric’s expression drops, going cold in an instant. “He did what ?” Just then, Ezra comes in, carrying a barely conscious Levi, with Koen behind them. Alaric’s gaze cuts to Ezra. “You did what?”
I leave them to sort it out and head back upstairs with my glass of water, back to her.
I’ve been teetering on the edge without her the last few days, every hour dragging, driving myself half-crazy missing her. But she wanted space, and what she wants, she gets.
Then tonight, seeing her again, realizing she missed me too, it was this wild rush of relief. That relief quickly twisted into something darker. She missed me, yes, but she was hurt as well. My absence caused that pain. She cares, even if she’s determined to fight it.
And now, I’m not sure what to do with that.
I’ve heard it so many times that I can be too much for people, simply being myself is exhausting to those around me, and they need breaks from me. So, when she said she wanted time alone, it didn’t surprise me. Now, I need to figure out how to give her space without causing that kind of hurt again.
After I push open the door to my room, I hear her whisper in the dark room. “Sylus?”
“Don’t worry, baby, I’m here,” I whisper back, my voice barely breaking the quiet as I move closer, setting the water down and flicking on the soft light from my nightstand. The warm glow washes over her, casting gentle shadows across her pretty face.
I pull an aspirin from the drawer, my fingers brushing over the glass as I ready everything she’ll need. She’s still half-asleep, drunk, eyes crinkling against the light. Leaning in, I guide her to sit up against the headboard, brushing my thumb lightly across her bruised cheek as I hold the pill to her lips.
“Take this for me, please,” I murmur. “It’ll make things a little easier tomorrow.”
She mumbles a barely there ‘thank you’ before taking her lips to the pill, trusting me without question, and it sends a rush through me. Her fingers rest lightly on mine as I lift the glass to her lips, helping her take a sip to wash it down.
Then, she clumsily grasps at the edge of her dress, tugging half-heartedly, her eyes still closed as she tries to free herself from the fabric. In her inebriated state, she lets herself lean into my help. I slide the dress down her body, the smooth expanse of her skin framed by nothing but the thin straps of her G-string and the heels she forgot to take off. She rolls over onto her stomach, completely relaxed and unaware, sinking into my bed as though she’s always belonged here.
I reach down, undoing the straps of her heels and easing them off one at a time, setting them aside quietly. Taking her in again, I smile at the vision she makes. She’s sprawled out across the bed , my bed, as I’ve imagined countless times.
Longing and disbelief tighten in my chest as I approach her, then let my fingers trail along the glitter on her shoulder, moving down her arm, brushing the warm skin that’s so perfectly hers.
Carefully, I brush her hair to one side, tracing the line of her neck with my thumb and feeling her steady heartbeat against it. My pulse races, and I have to stop, pausing to breathe while my cock throbs with need.
Fuck, she’s perfect.
“Sylus?”
“Yes?” I brush some hair away that fell on her face again.
“I want…” she mumbles, her words fading when she falls asleep midsentence.
But they echo in my head, leaving me wondering what she’d ask for if she were fully awake and with me in this moment as much as I’m with her.
I slide in beside her, close enough to feel her warmth, the rise and fall of her steady breathing almost pulling me into the same calm, yet every inch of me is so acutely aware of her that I couldn’t sleep if I tried.
My knuckles trace the curve of her jaw. “You want the same thing I do, Sparkle?”
Slowly, I let my hand drift down, feeling the smooth line of her back beneath my fingertips, savoring every curve and plane as my fingers trace gentle patterns on her skin. My light and lazy touches map the places where she’s tense, and the spots where her muscles relax respond unconsciously to my touch.
My hand lingers at her waist, fingers brushing over the gentle curve of her hip, wanting to ground myself in the reality of her here with me. She shifts slightly, a sigh escaping her, but she doesn’t wake, just nestles deeper into the bed.
My fingers venture further, slipping beneath the fabric of her string, feeling the damp heat between her legs.
Goddamn.
I keep my gaze fixed on her face, watching as I lightly drag my finger along her slit, feeling the wetness that coats my fingertip.
“Fuck, baby, you’re already wet for me,” I murmur huskily. I circle her clit with a featherlight touch, feeling her grow even wetter, her hips shifting restlessly against the bed. I imagine the sounds she would make if she were awake, the way she would moan and writhe beneath me like she did last time.
I know I need to be careful, make sure she’s only sore tomorrow from the pleasure I’ve given her, not because I’ve pushed too far. But fuck, it’s hard to hold back when all I want to do is devour her.
I quickly unzip my pants, eager to be rid of the barrier between us. After I stand and shed the rest of my clothing, I return to her side, careful not to disturb her. Sparkle doesn’t budge, letting me arrange her legs wide open and giving me room to play with her.
Reaching over to the nightstand, I pull out the bottle of lube I keep there. I need to breed this perfect pussy and make sure she enjoys every second of it, even though she won’t be awake for it.
Coating my fingers with the slick liquid, I return to her, sliding my hand back between her legs and stroking up and down her slit, then easing one finger inside her. She’s so fucking tight, and I slowly push deeper. Her body responds so well, even in sleep, her inner muscles gripping me as I slide in and out. My dick leaks, desperate to get into the fun.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” I growl out, adding another finger and stretching her slowly, carefully, the lube allowing me to slide in with ease. When I press deeper, her muscles clench, and the sensation is almost too much to bear.
I lean in closer, breathing in her sweet candy scent, which only serves to heighten my hunger, and I indulge in a long, slow lick of her skin.
Her body arches into my touch, the wet sounds of my fingers moving inside her filling the room. She remains still as I drive in and out, becoming more feral as she soaks my fingers. The need to fuck her fills every fiber of my being.
Sparkle moans softly, and I freeze, glancing at her face.
Still asleep.
Good.
Grabbing the bottle of lube again, I coat my cock, stroking my length while I admire her beautiful sleeping form. Slowly, I peel her G-string off before I ease my way between her legs and position myself over her. The head of my cock nudges against her entrance as I spread her ass cheeks and line myself up, planting a kiss on her shoulder blade. I stop for only a second to savor the moment, then I push forward, groaning as her tight, wet heat envelops me.
A hard shiver of fulfilling a long-desired fantasy racks my muscles.
I’ve never fucked anybody raw, and holy fucking shit , the fact that she’s unconscious and I’m in her tight, wet, and perfect little pussy is making me fucking lose it already.
I look up at the side of her face, and she’s completely unaware that I’m balls deep inside her.
Fuck, this is insane.
Needing more, I start to move. Each thrust is slow and deliberate, savoring how she feels around me. I sink in deep, then pull back, her inner walls squeezing me as if her body knows what it needs even with her asleep.
My gaze is fixed on where we connect, the sight of her laid out before me, completely at my mercy, trusting me, sending a rush of possessiveness surging through me.
“I wish you could see yourself right now,” I breathe out, reaching for my phone on the nightstand and hitting record as I continue to fuck her with long, deep strokes. “You see that, baby?” I murmur, narrating the scene for her. “You can’t feel it right now, but fuck, I’m so deep inside you. You’re taking every inch of my cock.” I pull out completely then, letting her see her arousal glistening on my shaft.
If I could , I would lick her off my fucking dick.
That’s how feral she makes me.
It’s a risky move, but I hope she’s sleeping deeply enough not to notice as I gently turn her onto her back with my free hand. I need to see her beautiful face when I make her come when I spill myself inside her.
She stirs a little, her mouth falling open, but I can’t seem to care. She’s such a good girl, letting me play with her and sleeping so deep.
I lean down and kiss the hollow of her throat, the urge to bite her overwhelming.
Mine.
I plunge back in and savor the taste of her mouth, drawing in a breath between her parted lips and inhaling her.
The tingle at the base of my spine signals that I’m close, but I want to make this last. I want to remember every second of it, to replay it over and over again in my head.
And on video, which I’d almost forgotten about.
“Look at how good you’re taking me,” I praise, looking through the camera screen locked on where we’re joined. “So fucking perfect… I can’t wait to fill you up, to fill your perfect pussy with my cum. You’re going to wake up full of me, Sparkle.” That knowledge sends a shudder down my spine, and I release a groan .
Swirling the pads of my fingers over her clit, her body responds, her muscles twitching as she grows closer to her release, even in sleep.
Fuck, she’s perfect.
And, fuck, she’s coming.
Her breath catches, and she lets out a soft, breathy moan that drives me to the edge. I end the recording, tossing my phone across the bed. The sight of her, the sound of her, the feel of her—it’s more than enough to do me in, and with one final, desperate thrust, I pull her hips tight against mine as I bury myself deep inside her. My cock pulses, hot spurts of cum spilling into her, marking her in the most primal way possible.
Perfection. Utter perfection.
Burying my face in her neck, I continue to grind into her. The sensations nearly overwhelm me as I let out a groan that echoes through the room.
I stay just hard enough to remain inside her as I shift us onto our sides, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, a silent promise that she’s safe with me, even after what I’ve done.
Thankfully, she doesn’t wake as I adjust us for sleep, pulling her closer.
Sparkle will feel where I’ve been when she wakes up, but that’s how I want it. I want her to remember how I fucked her, how I made her come, even if she didn’t consciously feel the pleasure. I want her to know she kept me buried inside her all night, keeping me warm.
As I drift off, my lips twitch with a smile, my heart still pounding with the thrill.
Fuck, I love this.
I love her.
And I can’t wait to do it all again.