34. Grace
34
Grace
M y sticky cheek pressed into his sweat-covered chest, his heart a steady rhythm against my ear.
What time is it?
The sun sat high in the sky, the wind billowing the long curtains next to the opened French doors.
Elias' toes hung out from the sheet, his long, toned leg bent, and he peeked out from the cloth that only covered part of his hip.
I placed my palm on his chest beside my face, and his arm tightened around my waist.
He'd been insatiable last night, dragging me out of sleep with his cock between my legs and his fingers pressed against my clit, my sleepy moans crying out his name moments before coming.
My muscles were tight and sore, spreading the ache across my lower back and calves.
I sighed and rolled onto my back, stretching as seagulls screeched in the sky, the warm breeze brushing against my face, my bladder full.
Sitting, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed my face.
"Leaving so soon?"
I froze, then gave a short laugh. "I need to pee."
"Later." He rolled and grabbed my waist, his arm tight against my belly, and dragged me back into the bed.
I squealed, my hands gripping the edge of the bed in a futile effort to resist.
He hovered above me, his kisses roving over my breasts, his teeth grazing against my peaked nipple. "I cannot get enough of you." His lips braised my hip, causing my belly to flip and swirl as a growing need heated my core.
" Se?or Hernández . Come quick."
Valaria's voice broke through the fog of desperation and caused my heart to stutter .
Elias jerked his head towards the stairs, then tossed the sheet away as he bounced off the bed.
He grabbed a pair of jeans from the dresser and his pistol sitting on top. "Stay here." He rushed down the stairs with his pistol in hand, and my heart bottomed out with my stomach.
What's happening?
I launched out of bed, flinging open dresser drawers. I tossed on a pair of underwear and shorts, then a shirt, and tucked the rosary in my pocket. I tipped my head down the stairs, the wall blocking my body.
Silence rang loud downstairs, the hustle and bustle non-existent, my heart catapulting through my chest.
What the hell?
I rushed towards the balcony, my bare feet pattering on the tile. I scanned the area to the right.
The armed guards remained at their stations, their pacing evident in the sand.
Where are the shouting men, screams, gunshots? Anything…
Looking to the left, I halted, my stomach flipping. Blood splattered against Rosa's patio, her body lying motionless as staff gathered around. Elias knelt over her.
I gasped, my hand falling over my mouth as I spun on my heel and rushed down the steps, into the kitchen, and out onto the patio. The sand kicked up behind me as I jumped over the three steps and landed on the beach, my brow sticky with sweat.
Javier glanced up at me as I drew closer and shook his head.
Fear pulled me in by the throat, my sand-covered feet moving me towards the scene. A few staff bustled back and forth from the house with towels and clothes. Alba stepped onto the patio with a small pillow in her hand.
Is she okay?
Blood puddled at Elias's bare feet, his pistol tucked into the back of his trousers.
"Rosa?" I shoved my way through the staff and fell to my knees at her side.
Elias pressed a washcloth to her forehead, the blood soaking into the fabric.
"What happened?"
"I told you to stay put." Elias' jaw clenched as his darkening eyes narrowed at me.
"I'm sorry." My hands turned clammy, my body breaking into a cold sweat as I blinked at him.
"Did you hear me?" His lips formed a thin line, his jaw ticking. "Leave. "
Someone beside me gasped.
My heart raced to the brink of explosion as all eyes turned on me, the silence surrounding us unbearable.
The space around me bled away into my dingy cage, and a threadbare mattress tucked into the corner.
I raise my hands, and Andrés contorted features morph with his wrath. His face bleeds into red, his lips spewing spittle. "You never listen."
"Hey."
My pulse pounded in my ears, and my rancid stomach tumbled.
Javier grabbed my shoulders and I jerked away. "P-please don't be mad." I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth. "I'm sorry." Spinning, I rushed for the bushes and dry heaved, my morning stomach filled with acid and remnants of happiness.
Javier approached behind me, and I whirled around.
"Grace." Elias' voice penetrated the fog.
My feet moved, my toes digging into the sand as I jumped off the patio and ran to the one next door, my fingers trembling as I wiped my mouth. I rushed into the living area and sat on the couch, my knees pressing against my ears as I bent over, gulping big breaths.
It's okay.
I'm not there anymore.
The cushion beside me dipped down.
Javier's cologne swirled around me. "You should have listened."
I interlaced my fingers behind my neck, pressing my head between my legs.
"I know."
"It's how people get killed around here."
I exhaled and rose with caution, wiping a stray tear from my eye in the process, my sandpaper tongue heavy in my mouth.
"Because they don't listen. He didn't say it to punish you but to protect you."
I huffed and pushed to my feet. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't act as though I were someone I'm not. I know my place here." Spinning on the balls of my feet, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, Javier at my heels.
"Does what he did for you last night mean nothing to you?"
I twisted the cap and swigged the water. "More than you'll ever know."
"It doesn't show. "
I spun on him, my jaw set tight. "You know nothing about me. Remember, it wasn't long ago you put me in a barrel of water."
He swiped the water bottle from my hands. " Remember, I saved you from a bullet in the head."
My face scrunched as I cocked my head. "So I should thank you for the watery grave instead of instant death?"
Javier crossed his massive arms against his chest. "If you think that's all they would have done, then you haven't been truly exposed to the depravity of men."
Acid burned the back of my throat. "I've seen and experienced more than I care for." I shouldered past him and stepped into the living room as Elias walked through the double doors, his frame breaking up the sun casting a dark cloak around him.
Javier walked toward Elias, their conversation muted and brief, before he glanced back at me and then disappeared outside.
"Are you okay?" He stood with his hand perched in his pocket, his other scraping the scruff along his tight jaw.
No .
"I'll be fine." I gulped. I always am . “How is Rosa?"
"She fell and cut her head open." His hand moved around the back of his neck, and I gulped again. "Dr. Navarro will take a look at her when we get home."
My shoulders sagged. "That's good."
He stepped towards me. "Why didn't you listen?"
"I-I'm sorry." I moved away from his outstretched hand, my body rigid. Pain shot through my chest, and my heart gave a few extra beats.
He stopped, his gaze dropping down to my shuffling feet. "You're afraid of me?"
My breath lodged in my throat. "No." A knot formed in my belly.
"Then why are you moving away from me?"
"Giving you space."
"I don't need that."
I swallowed hard. "I just thought…"
"What? Because I was upset that I wouldn't want you?" His hand skimmed the back of the couch, his steps calculated as my hands flexed by my sides, my nerves on fire. A sly grin lifted the corner of his lip.
I stumbled as my butt hit the chair beneath the counter.
"What's wrong, Grace?"
"Nothing." I shook my head, my hair falling into my face.
A dark gleam glossed over his eyes, his primal need heavy in the air as though I were the hunted, the prey, and the next meal he itched for. "I don't believe you."
Heat swirled in my belly, mutating the panic clenching my chest. My knees buckled as my ankles hit the bottom step, my hand jolting for the banister. My ass hit the rounded step's edge, causing a deep sinking ache in my muscle.
Elias jerked forward, his body over mine in a blink, his hand nestled around my throat. "I only ask for your honesty." He slid his tongue over my firm lips, pressed in a line, leaving warmth blooming between my thighs.
My mouth opened on a gasp, allowing him in, his tongue taking advantage as he ravaged me.
He roamed my body, his hands trailing down my belly, stopping at the metal button below my belly button.
"Honesty?" My chin quaked, my thighs wide.
"I'll have all of you, Grace. Even your thoughts." He ground his hips into my needy flesh, and I clutched at him, my hands tight in his shirt as the steps dug into my back, his body rocking mine.
"All of me?"
"Every bit of you."
My legs wrapped around his torso, my hand caressing his cheek as I pulled back and glanced into the darkness in his eyes. "You scared me."
His hand cupped mine against his cheeks. "I'm not used to the softness required with you."
My guarded heart fluttered, my inner cheek crushed between my teeth.
"I'll do better."
I lifted my chin, pressing my lips to his, cherishing the softness, holding his strength against me.
My mind fuzzed as he picked my body up from the stairs, his hands wrapped around me, and erased the last hour with striking adoration, simple touches, and whispered words.