29. Drew
She’s right. I know she is, and that’s why I have to ensure he dies. It feels wrong to think about my father’s death, much less talk about and come up with a plan to kill the fucker and not feel a lick of remorse, but I can’t bring myself to feel anything but hatred for the man. I’ve considered all the options.
From blackmail, to leaving the family behind, to simply disappearing. None of them will ever allow me to be free of him. None of them will protect my mother. There are no other options. I don’t try to think about what kind of person that makes me. I’m fucked up in so many ways. I know this. Nothing I do will change that.
Guilt is an emotion I’m still learning to wrap my head around. Many days, when I think of Bel and all that I’ve put her through, the guilt becomes overwhelming. I don’t deserve her, not at all, but now that she’s inside me, wrapped around my brain, pumping in my veins there’s no letting her go. I’m a piece of shit for bringing her here and playing into my father’s game once more. I have to remind myself that it won’t be long until he’s no longer here to ruin our lives.
It’s one small step in the direction we need to go, a necessary evil. It’s also something I need to explain to Bel. I was hoping to shield her from the gory details, but there’s no way around it now. I can’t possibly gain her trust while keeping her locked in the dark.
I can’t risk losing her, which means I’ll need to tell her everything, from my plan to kill my father down to the fact that my parents aren’t even my real ones. If I can make her understand and hold on to her a little longer, then I can fix this.
I just need to make her understand and see it.
I keep my hand on her lower back as I escort us outside, waiting for the minute she shoves my hand away.
Her body is tense, her shoulders set back, chin up, as if she”s daring anyone to tell her she shouldn”t be here or be with me. Her strength and fury is sexy as fuck, but even I struggle to find a reason to have such a class-act woman at my side. I scan the exit as we wait for the valet in case my father decides to come back and ruin things further.
”Are you still hungry?”
She skims her hand across her belly and shrugs. ”Yeah, nothing in there looked very tasty anyway. It looked like the kind of place that serves twelve courses of foam or something.”
A chuckle slips out of me, and I tug her against my side. ”Yeah, it was that kind of place, but the wine is pretty great.”
”You can get wine at the drive-through near campus, and I hear it comes in a convenient box with a spout. Like an adult Capri Sun but with vodka in it.”
I smile at her and shake my head. ”Are you...teasing me, Ms. Jacobs? That seems unwise.”
Her eyes flash with lust and trail upward to meet mine. I swallow hard and consider pinning her to the nearest wall to have my way with her. I’m consumed by her, and there isn’t a goddamn thing, or person, that will stand in the way of us having our happily ever after.
”Maybe, or maybe I just enjoy your form of punishment.”
Her declaration loosens something in my chest, allowing me to breathe again. I was certain my father had ruined the entire evening for us, but that little sentence makes me think otherwise. The valet brings the car around, and I open her door before the man can get there, glaring as I snatch the keys out of his hand before he gets any ideas.
Mine.He’s lucky I didn’t remove his eyeballs from his body for looking at her.
Once I’m in the driver’s seat, I pull away with a growl of the engine. At the exit of the parking lot, I scan the street ahead and spot the place I’m hunting, a smile tugging at my lips. It’s a couple of blocks away, but we speed down the road like a bullet. I watch Bel out of the corner of my eye, her cheeks pink, her eyes bright and shimmering in the shadows of darkness. I swing into the fast food burger joint ahead and notice that a little bit of the light in her eyes dims.
She tips her head back and blinks furiously like she’s trying to stop herself from crying. Fuck, what did I do now?
”What”s wrong?” I ask as I steer into the drive-through line.
”Nothing. Nothing is wrong. It’s just this was my mom’s favorite place. We’d come here anytime we could afford it, so it just holds a lot of memories for me. That’s all.” She dabs at the edge of her eyes before looking at me with a half smile. I’m undecided about whether we should get food here or not. I don’t want to ruin the date further. As if she can see me wavering in my decision, her smile widens. “Stop overthinking it, Drew. This place is perfect. Really. Much better than overpriced wine and meat-flavored foam.”
“If you’re okay with it, then yes, but I don’t want to ruin the night further.”
“You didn’t ruin the night to begin with. Your father is the one who tried to, but I refuse to let him get that satisfaction.”
That’s my girl. I order for both of us, getting a few burgers, a couple of orders of fries, with some mayo for her since I know she likes to mix it with her ketchup for dipping. She leans over the center console and whispers, “Milkshake,” in my ear when we pull up to the window to pay.
With a shake of my head, I turn to the window and lay on the charm to get a couple of milkshakes added to the order as well. Bel is beaming with joy and takes the bags of food and milkshakes happily when we get to the second window.
With the goods in hand, I drive to a nearby park overlooking a small river. It’s perfect. I put the car in park and kill the engine, wishing I had brought her on my bike instead. Sighing, I turn in my seat and find her digging in the bags. She pulls out the mayo and ketchup packets and a thing of fries.
”I”m going to get this all over my nice dress.” She frowns but then shrugs, shoving a fry between her pretty pink lips. “It’ll be worth it.”
I scan the sexy curve of her waist and down over her hip, and when she offers me a paper-wrapped burger, I shake my head.
”No, you eat. I want to explain everything first.”
She nods and takes a huge bite of her burger. A moan of pleasure escapes her, and I swear the sound goes straight to my cock.
“I’m going to need you to stop moaning like that if you want me to get any explaining done because all I can think about right now is replacing that burger with my cock.”
She lets out a snort and continues chewing while rolling her eyes. This feels so much more like us. She’s relaxed and happy. That’s all I could ever ask for, as long as I’m by her side for it.
”My father is pissed off because Sebastian removed his funding from the firm the other night.”
”Hwee thid?” she asks through a full mouth, and I can”t help but grin at her.
”He did, yes. Since then, my father has got it in his head that he wants us to get married so he can get back into Sebastian’s good graces and hopefully gain access to the extensive Arturo fortune if something were to happen to one or both of us. It’s a fucked-up plan, but I’d expect nothing else from him.”
I watch her face as what I”m saying sinks in. She swallows hard and wipes her mouth with a napkin. ”You mean, he’s trying to pimp you out again, but this time to me instead?”
I shrug. ”Yeah.”
Her brow tugs together, and she looks like she’s trying to solve a puzzle. “I wasn’t supposed to find out, I’m sure, since you didn’t mention it to me, but is this why you want to kill him? Why you asked Sebastian for help?”
Fuck.I had hoped she didn’t hear that conversation before she entered the kitchen, but I guess she did. It doesn’t matter because I knew after what happened tonight I’d have to tell her the entire plan. There was no getting out of it. Yes, I wanted to protect her but I need her to know that I was serious.
With a long exhale, I slump against the seat. ”I wasn’t trying to keep it from you, but I also didn’t want to drag you into it. It’s the kind of situation that if the wrong people find out I could end up in prison. I don’t want you to be an accomplice to a murder. And on the off chance my father didn’t die, he’d do anything to destroy us.”
“I don’t like it. I know you want him to die, and I’ll be the first to tell you he deserves whatever is coming to him, but the idea of you killing your own father. There’s no coming back from that. I’m worried you might fall off the deep end.”
I reach for her and swipe some of the ketchup that sits in the corner of her lip with my thumb. “I’m more concerned about the effect my father”s living will have on you. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants, which means I’ll either be forced to follow his orders or risk retaliation. I won’t put you or my mother at risk anymore. I’m tired of fighting him, tired of being his punching bag. He deserves to die. He’s a ticking time bomb, and I don’t know when he’s going to go off. All I know is that I have the power and resources to end this, and I will. There is no other option.”
She scans my face, the food forgotten for now. ”There has to be another way, blackmail, or…”
I cut her off, trying to rein my anger in. “There isn’t. Nothing will stop him. He’s on a power trip, and no one is safe from him. Not me or my mother. He’s threatened to kill me so many times. What happens when it’s no longer a threat? He wants to drag you into the mess too, and I can’t let him do that. I refuse. I’ve lost so much because of him. I won’t risk losing you again.”
I watch her eyes and the way she swallows thickly. I know she wants to fight me on this, but she doesn’t understand. There’s nothing he won’t use against me. “Okay, and Sebastian? How does he fit into all of this?”
”He’s got access to resources I need, and while he won’t be the one pulling the trigger, he’s helping me come up with a plan that solidifies everything. He wants him dead as much as I do, and I know he’ll do anything to ensure your safety.”
She shoves her food into the bag and drops it at her feet, then leans down to unstrap the sky-high heels she”s wearing. Once she”s done, she shimmies her dress to sit crisscrossed in the seat, her knees pressed between the console and the door. It looks uncomfortable as fuck, but she seems to need to shift in order to think.
”I don”t want to know anything, I think. It”s one thing to know you are planning or might do it, but another to hear all the details. My biggest concern in all of this is the impact it will have on you and Sebastian. If something happens to either of you…” Emotion clogs her throat, but she continues, “I don’t think I could handle losing both of you.”
“Shhh, you aren’t losing either of us,” I soothe, reaching for her.
She shakes her head and clenches her tiny fists, slamming them down on her thighs. ”You don’t know that. There’s always the risk of the unknown. What if someone finds out? What if you don’t succeed in killing him? I’m so angry right now. Angry for you, for us. It feels like we”ll never be free of him.”
“Which is why I have to do this, Flower. It’s why I have to take the risk. Because if I don’t, then the outcome is the same. You were right when you said there is no us as long as my father is a part of my life.”
“I didn’t think you’d take that as an opening to have him murdered,” she squeaks, and I can see tears shining in her eyes when she turns to face me.
“If it makes you feel better he’s not even my real father.”
“What?” Her mouth pops open, “What do you mean he’s not even your real father?”
“It”s a long story, but I found out when I had them run some blood tests on me after my mom was admitted to the hospital. I was hoping that if she needed a transplant that I would be a match, but what I found out instead was that neither of them were my parents.”
I didn’t think Bel’s face could fall any further, but it does, and I hate the way she’s looking at me with pity and sadness. Is it sad? Of course, but it’s life, and I’m grateful to discover he’s not my father. It explains his hate for me all these years. There’s no way in hell he doesn’t know.
“Wait, so your mom and dad aren’t your parents?”
I shake my head, “Nope. They aren’t my parents and before you ask I don’t know who my parents are. My plan was to ask my mother at some point and time, but she’s been in a coma since she came home, and the piece of shit refuses to let me see her.”
“Have you talked to him about it?” She whispers the question, almost as if she knows the impact it will have on me.
“I haven’t. I’m afraid he’ll use it against me. That he’ll find a way to hurt me or Mom worse if he finds out that I know. The only way for me to find out would be for me to have blood tests run, and if he thinks I know more than I should about her condition or what he’s doing to her, then it could ruin everything. He’ll never spend time in jail for what he’s done, but before he takes his last breath, I’ll make certain he knows that I knew everything.”
“I’m sorry…” Bel says crawling over the center console and into my lap. I don’t even attempt to stop her. I could use the distraction because there”s a lot of darkness in my head right now. “I’m sorry for all you’ve lost and all you’ve gone through. I know it doesn’t change anything, that my apologizing doesn’t fix it, but I want you to know that I see you and hear you. You aren’t alone.”
Bel has a way of calming the storm before it becomes uncontrollable. She doesn’t run from my storm clouds but instead dances in the rain. She takes the bad and turns it into something magical, and I envy the person she is.
“I don’t deserve you, Bel, but I’m never letting you go. Never,” I whisper against her lips while cradling her head between my hands. So fragile, so fucking perfect.
She licks her lips, and her eyes flash to mine, a little wide, a little hot.
“I want you.”
“You have me. Always.” I run my thumb along her bottom lip.
“No, I want you…” She licks the tip of my thumb, making my nostrils flare and my cock grow harder. I look up and find her cheeks a crimson color. Is she embarrassed? I hope not. I’ll give her whatever she wants, but only if she begs prettily for me.
“Do you?” I lick my own lips. “How bad?”
“Really bad,” she answers, her voice husky.
“Hmm… and do you trust me, Bel? Trust me to fuck you however I want. To do whatever I want to your body because it belongs to me, as does your pleasure?”
She’s looking at me now with wide, soft eyes, and I can’t help but stare back, waiting for her answer. It almost burns that it takes her so long to answer, but I guess I deserve that.
Finally, she nods the best she can while in my grasp. “I trust you.”
Her words slice through me, leaving behind little cuts of satisfaction, each one a tiny release. “Good because only I can make you feel this way.” I quickly hit the button to slide the driver’s seat back as far as it will go.
I release my hold on her face and trail my hands down her body until I reach the hem of her dress, which I shimmy up higher so I can feel the heat of her pussy on my slacks. I’ll be inside her very soon, but that doesn’t mean I want to go without feeling her against me.
I glide my hands up her hips, over her trim waist, and higher until I reach her slender throat. Like a cobra, I strike, wrapping one hand around the delicate column, noticing the way her pulse spikes and her breathing increases. She loves it when I play the predator, when I unleash all her wicked fantasies.
“Do you think you could fight me off? Do you think you could escape me?” I whisper against her ear, nipping at it.
She tenses, her entire body trembling with pleasure. I pull back and look into her eyes. Her pupils are dilated, and she wants this so bad I can feel her leaking on my slacks.
I apply the barest hint of pressure, and her eyes pop open, her pupils blown wide. “Drew…” she whispers.
“You’ll never be free of me, Flower. Never be free of the darkness. I’ll always find a way to possess you, and if I can’t, I’ll hunt you down and fuck you until you beg me to take mercy on you. You’re mine. All. Fucking. Mine,” I growl the words against her throat, and then suck on the tender flesh hard enough to leave marks.
I want to mark her flesh. Brand her so everyone knows she’s mine, and I want her to brand me in return so everyone knows I’m hers.
“Yours,” she moans, grinding against me, seeking out relief to the pleasure building in her core.
“Do you trust me?” I repeat again.
With a gulp I feel against my palm, she nods.
“Good. If you need me to stop, tap my thigh with your hand, do you understand?”
She nods as much as she’s able, then I squeeze tighter, until her shoulders drop and she leans even forward, her entire body pressing against me. I arch my hips up into hers because I just can’t help it. “A little more, Flower.”
I tighten my grip on her delicate neck, all at once realizing I could snap it so easily. But she is giving this to me —to me— after everything I’ve done. She trusts me enough to make this good for her, to put her life in my hands.
She’s forcing breaths heavily in and out of her nose now, at almost a pant. I can’t hold out much longer. Sliding my free hand down, I nearly moan at the heat of her pussy before flicking the scrap of lace against her cunt aside. She’s dripping, and I sink two fingers deep into her cunt without warning.
“Fuck, Bel. Your pussy was made for me. You clench so tight around my fingers, and do you hear that?” I fuck her with the digits, letting the wet indecent sounds fill the vehicle. “You like this, don’t you? Being at my mercy, letting me choke you while I fuck your pussy.”
A moan slips free from her lips, those full, lush lips I dream about, and with my hand wrapped around her throat, I kiss her. Gently at first, small sips of a kiss until she opens her mouth to me, and I slide my tongue along hers, tasting ketchup, salt, and the sweetness that is just my wallflower, my Bel.
I tighten my hand the tiniest bit, and she wiggles in my lap, sliding forward like she might glide along my cock if she had access. And I fucking want her to have everything she wants.
I tug the two fingers out of her slick heat and bring them to my mouth. I suck the glistening arousal off my fingers and then grapple with my belt, jerking my slacks open. I tug the belt off and release her throat.
She lets out a whimper of displeasure, and all I can do is smile. With my other hand, I take both her wrists and hold them together. This angle causes her to thrust her tits into my face, and I inhale the scent of her, my chin in her cleavage, as I take the belt and wrap it around her wrists, securing her hands behind her back. Then I reach up to cup them gently before sliding my right hand higher and my left hand lower to release my zipper and pull myself free.
She licks her lips and stares at me with hooded eyes. So fucking beautiful.
“You want my cock, Flower?”
She nods once, and I squeeze her neck a little and skim the head of myself along her wet slit, teasing us both. “If you want it, you have to tell me you want it. Beg me, Bel. Be a good girl and fucking beg me to choke you, beg me to fuck you, beg me to make you come.”
She’s panting now, all but writhing against me, and I loosen my grasp enough so that she can get the words out. “Please, Drew. Please. Fuck me.”
“And?” I prompt, not even hiding the deep edge to my tone, the need coursing through me.
“Fuck me. Choke me. Do whatever you want to me. You can have it all.”
I lean in and nip at her jaw. Her eyes are squeezed shut, and I tip her face down and press my forehead into hers. “Open your eyes and say it again.”
Her beautiful green eyes flutter open, and when she speaks, I nearly come then. “Fuck me, Drew. Please. Please, fuck me.”
I smile and skate my mouth across hers. “Such a good fucking girl, that’s only bad for me.” I’ve teased us both enough. I take my cock into my hand, bringing it to her entrance, and I thrust deep. At the same time, I press my lips to hers, kissing her hard, taking her mouth with the same brutality as I take her pussy.
She moans into my mouth, and I swallow it all while her body tightens around mine like a vise. Fuck, she feels so good. I’m not going to last long, and I need to make this so good for her.
“Look at how beautifully you bloom for me, my Little Wallflower,” I murmur and arch my hips enough to drive deep. I keep a tight grip on her neck and slowly constrict her air supply, watching as panic bleeds into her eyes. I grit my teeth and pound into her from below until that panic fades. She starts panting, and her nails dig into my knees from behind her back.
She’s so close I can already feel her pussy tightening. I clamp my other hand across her mouth and nose. “Trust me here, Bel. When I tell you to breathe, I want you to take big full breaths, got it?”
She nods softly, and I shift my hips higher, harder, and deeper until I feel her right on the edge. Her eyes roll back, and I feel the spasm of her orgasm starting. I give one last tight squeeze to her airway, then release her completely. “Now.”
She sucks a ragged breath into her lungs, like she’s been dying for it, and her pussy milks me as she comes. Small screams slip out between her gasping breaths. It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Use me, Flower. Fuck me. Take from me. I’m at your mercy, forever and always.” I brush the blond strands from her face so I can see her eyes. Then I drop my hands down to my sides, and she rides me like a bull, her body writhing against mine.
When the last flutters of her orgasm come to an end, I grip her by the hips with bruising force and slam deep, fucking her hard, embedding myself inside her, just like she’s embedded herself under my skin.
“Drew! Oh shit,” she mewls, and I don’t take mercy on her. If anything, I fuck her harder, holding her to my chest, bending her, forcing her to take more of my cock.
“I’m going to come. I’m going to fill your pussy with my cum.”
“Yes! Yes!” Bel cries against my throat, and then, out of nowhere, she bites me. Her teeth sink deep into my shoulder, and I lose my fucking mind. I slam into her over and over again, following the searing pain in my shoulder and the rising pleasure in my gut.
In seconds, I’m exploding, coming so hard I see stars behind my eyes as I empty myself deep inside her. I float back down to reality slowly, and when I open my eyes, I see her. She’s watching me, and there’s a softness, a serenity in her gaze as she scans my face.
I cup her by the cheeks, kiss her lips gently, and whisper the words I’ve been unable to because I wasn”t ready or aware of what it really meant to love someone.
“I love you, Flower.”
Her eyes go wide, and her mouth pops open. “You...?”
“You don’t have to say it back. I don’t need you to, not until you’re ready. I just want you to know that I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t know what it felt like to love someone until I lost you, and I had to endure the concept that you might never give me a second chance.”
“I…” She struggles to find the words, and I can see her beautiful mind trying to wrap itself around my confession, but I don’t need her to say the words to me. I don’t need to know that she loves me, because her actions prove it to me.
“Shh. You don’t have to say anything,” I repeat and undo the belt that’s wrapped around her wrists, then I gently massage them until the blood returns to her limbs. I don’t dare look at her face because I’m afraid that what I’ll see there will hurt far more than the thought of never getting a chance to fix things with her. After holding her for a bit, I ease her back into the seat and grab some wipes from behind the seat. I clean her up gently, as best I can.
I check the time on the dash, realizing I need to get her home soon.
“Buckle up. I need to get you home before you turn into a pumpkin.”
She laughs softly and settles back into the seat.
The drive back to the mansion is quiet, too quiet, and I wonder if I made a mistake telling her. When I pull up to the house, her fingers hover on the door handle and I swear my heart is about to beat out of my chest. She turns to look at me, a tiny little smile tugging at her lips.
“I don’t need to wait to tell you that I love you, Drew. I loved you even when I knew I shouldn’t. I loved you when you weren’t deserving of my love, and I love you now.”
She slips from the car and closes the door behind her, leaving me with that parting admission. I squeeze the steering wheel with both hands, stopping myself from following her inside the house. Fuck, she loves me. She loves me. She loves me even when I don’t deserve her love, and that’s why my father must pay. That”s why I have to do this.
To protect her and my mom.
It’ll kill me to bring her deeper into this, but she’s strong, stronger than Sebastian or anyone gives her credit for, and if she trusts me like I know she does, she’ll see right through the bullshit. Don’t worry, Flower. I’ll protect you. I’ll end this for good and give you the happily ever after we both deserve. I tug my phone out of my pocket and scroll to my father’s contact.
My fingers tremble as I type out the words. The element of surprise is what’s going to make this go as smoothly as we need it to.
Me:Tomorrow at sunset. I’ll bring her to the house. Have everything ready.
I don’t expectto receive a text back right away, but three little dots appear on the screen, and then I find myself squeezing the device hard enough to hurt my fingers as I read his response.
Dad:Good. Come by the house. I want to discuss everything for tomorrow.
Me:K. On my way.
As badly asI don’t want to go, I don’t have any other option. I need to make this look good, like I’m on his side. If I make him think I’m in agreement, then his guard will be down, and he’ll never see the attack coming.
My skin isclammy when I arrive at the house, and I wipe my hands on my dress pants. I hate what I’m about to do, but I remind myself that this is the last time I’ll ever have to play his warped games. This is the last time I ever bow to him. The house is quiet, almost eerily and when I reach my father’s office, I see his guards missing from their usual posts.
He’s sitting behind his desk, a glass of whiskey in his hand instead of the entire bottle like the time before. I shudder at the memory. I hate being here in his presence.
“I’m glad you’ve finally decided to see things my way.”
“Well, I realized tonight at dinner that no matter what I do, I’ll never get her to agree to marry me. Knowing that, I knew there was no reason to wait.”
The smile that twists his lips is depraved. “I can’t wait to see the look on Sebastian’s face when he realizes his whore of a sister married you. Once we get rid of both of them and inherit the family assets, you’ll be free to find any woman you want.”
I force myself not to react to his horrible words. The way he talks about disposing of them as if they aren’t real living, fucking people.
“What’s the plan?” I grit out.
His eyes narrow, and it looks like he’s trying to look through me, to find any holes in my exterior so he can rip me open. Easing out of his chair, he walks around his desk, stopping a few feet in front of me.
“I thought you would’ve come up with a plan. It is your wedding day after all.”
“If I had it my way, I’d drug her, bring her to the house, and have everything finished before she wakes up so I don’t have to deal with her struggling or fighting.”
“Maybe you are more like me than I thought.” He smiles and tugs something out of his pocket, extending his hand out to me.
Internally cringing, I open my hand and take the small syringe with a needle attached to it. Then I look up at him. “What’s in it?”
“Midazolam. It”s a preoperative sedative and should make her lucid enough to agree but not enough to be combative.”
“Is it safe?” I cock a brow in question.
He shrugs. “Depends on how much you give her. Too much and she’ll stop breathing on her own. Not enough and we”ll have to use other methods to keep her quiet.”
My stomach churns at the thought of him touching her or being near her. There”s no other way, though. Hopefully, she’ll be knocked out long enough for me to get the job done. “Okay, I’ll make sure I give her enough.”
“Good, just don’t kill her. Not yet. I need to get her signature on the marriage certificate first, and then we can figure out how we’ll get rid of her and her brother.”
“No worries.” I swallow around the anxiety clawing up my throat, pushing it down as far as I can. Even the briefest hint of weakness and he’ll jump on it.
“I’m glad you decided to see things my way. It’s a shame it took this long…”
“I thought Sebastian was my friend, and I thought I loved Bel. Turns out, it wasn’t love. It wasn’t anything. It needs to be taken care of.”
“Love is a fickle thing. It’s much easier to fuck and leave them instead.”
“I’ll make her regret ever crossing paths with me.” I grit my teeth, ensuring he can see the venom behind my words.
“By the time we’re done with them, regret will be the only thing they can focus on. I promise you that. Now get out. I’ll have it all in order for you tomorrow. You can thank me later.” He motions at the door, the whiskey in his glass sloshing up the side.
I don’t wait for him to tell me again. I’m out of his office in a flash. It will take every last ounce of courage to get this done, but once finished, it will be worth it. Bel will be safe. My mother will be safe. Everything will be as it was always supposed to be.