12
ACE FUCKS ME AGAINST the railing, his hands on my hips, pushing me down just enough so that I can taste the spray of salt every now and then when the waves crash against the side of the ship.
It’s risky and it’s raunchy, but fuck, it’s good.
He is pushing me against it so hard, hips grinding into mine, that I’m worried I’ll wake up tomorrow with his prints etched into my flesh.
I don’t care.
I can’t care, not with how much I need him, how much the night air is winding around us, the sting of salt on my tongue as I clench my fists and beg for more, for anything, for everything.
He palms the back of my head and bites my neck, not gentle, nothing careful about it.
My brain is mush, mouth hanging open, whimpering, because Ace never fucks like he’s making love—he fucks like he’s punishing.
“You want everyone to see what I do to you, don’t you, baby?” He growls the words against my ear. He could lift me over the side right now and toss me into the ocean, and I’d go, happily, as long as his hands were the last thing I felt.
“Don’t care,” I gasp, letting my head fall back so I can see the night sky and the faint scatter of stars. “I want them to see. I want them to know who I belong to.”
Ace makes a sound that’s almost a laugh and moves harder, deeper, faster. I make a noise, this sharp little moan, and he slams into me so hard I almost lose my footing.
“Don’t,” he murmurs, “don’t you dare come yet, Grace. I want to watch you struggle.”
“Please,” I say, desperate. “Please, Ace—”
He reaches down and hooks one arm around my throat, just tight enough to make me dizzy, and slams into me from behind. I know the sound I make is loud enough for the others to hear, maybe even come running, but I don’t care, I can’t care, not when he’s fucking me like he means to split me in two.
“God, your pussy is perfect,” he rasps, the words vibrating through my body. “Clamping down on me like you’ve been waiting for this all night.”
“I have,” I pant, knuckles white on the rail in front of me. “I fucking have.”
He laughs, and makes a filthy circular motion with his hips, grinding so deep I see stars. “Hold your breath,” he commands, and then plants a palm on my back, arse up, legs spread, completely at his mercy.
His free hand finds my clit and twirls around, so perfectly I know I won’t last. But Ace knows me too well and slows down every time I get close, drawing out my torture, making me writhe and beg him with every nasty word I know.
“You gonna come for me, baby?” he taunts. “You gonna let the whole goddamn ship know you’re loving every damn second of this?”
“Please,” I pant, and he slaps my arse, sharp and loud, before picking up speed and fucking me so hard the rail rattles.
“Say it,” he growls. “Say who you belong to.”
“I’m yours, I’m yours, I’m fucking yours,” I gasp.
He curls his fist into my hair and pulls me upright, forcing my back against his chest while he fucks up into me, filling me deep. “Come, Grace,” he orders, “right fuckin’ now.”
My orgasm rips through me, every muscle contracting so hard I see white behind my eyes. I’m gasping, shaking, riding the aftershocks while he keeps moving, cock deep, not letting up for a second. Then, with a ragged gasp, he finds his release.
We stand there for a moment, bodies slicked with sweat, still trembling, and I think if the ship sank right this second, I’d die happy.
But Ace isn’t done.
He pulls out and turns me around, hands shaking as he hoists me onto the rail itself. I squeak, grabbing his shoulders to steady myself, but he just grins, all teeth and hunger. “Not done with you yet,” he promises, and then drops to his knees, spreading my legs.
Oh.
Oh my.
For the next half an hour, my world is nothing but his tongue and his hands, holding me wide open while he sucks and licks, repeating it over and over until I am bellowing his name once again.
But he still isn’t done.
He lifts me off the railing and carries me to the middle of the deck.
He uses the ropes to tie my wrists above my head, knots sure and professional, then slides his cock into me again, slow and merciless, letting me feel every inch, every ridge.
He lifts one of my legs, throws it over his shoulder, and pounds into me until I can’t remember my name.
After, he unties me and we both lower to the ground, wiped out and in complete bliss.
“You good?” he asks, breath gone raw.
“I’m fantastic,” I say, and I mean it.
For the first time in forever, I feel untouchable, unbreakable, ready for whatever tomorrow brings.
I should know better by now, because tomorrow never brings anything good.
No.
Not ever.
“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG with you?”
The voice belongs to Aggie. I would know it anywhere.
Ace and I fell asleep together on deck, just tangled in one another.
Hearing Aggie’s voice has us both startling awake and scrambling for the rest of our clothes so we don’t get caught butt naked.
My head is spinning, a wild combination of alcohol, crazy sex and exhaustion.
It takes me a moment to gather my bearings and stand, pulling my shorts on just in time to see Aggie appear on the top of the deck, her face twisted with rage.
Behind her, Kellen appears, followed by Rachel.
Oh shit.
No.
I glance at Ace, who is staring at the three of them, face expressionless.
“This can’t be good,” I say, shivering from the cool night air.
“No,” he mutters. “Let’s go.”
We move towards the group, careful not to interrupt. Aggie is standing in front of Kellen, tears streaming down her face, and Rachel is behind him, staring at the ground, looking like she is ready to throw herself off the side of the ship.
“Nothin’ is fuckin’ wrong with me,” Kellen spits back, not even noticing us. “I didn’t expect any of this to happen.”
“Oh, you accidentally fell into both of us, did you?” Aggie yells.
“I don’t even want to hear your fucking excuses, I just want you to look me in the eye and tell me what a fucking dog you are.
You could have told me. Hell, it would have taken a few minutes to say hey, I have a thing with Rachel too, it’s your choice if you wish to continue. Ever think of that?”
Kellen’s jaw tightens and he finally looks towards Ace and me. “Care to fuckin’ say anything?”
My eyes widen. “No.”
“You knew?” Aggie asks, turning to face me, her eyes filled with even more betrayal towards me than she has towards Kellen.
Fuck.
I exhale, closing my eyes for calm.
“Oh my gosh,” she whispers. “You knew and you didn’t tell me.”
“It isn’t like that,” Rachel says. “She wanted to tell you, hell, she threatened me and said if I didn’t, she would... it isn’t on her.”
I didn’t say that, but in this moment, I am incredibly grateful to her for saying it.
“I didn’t want to cause any more pain for you,” I say, carefully. “Not after what happened with Tati. I just wanted them to be honest with you.”
She shakes her head, a lone tear travelling down her cheek.
“Ain’t on her,” Kellen says. “We didn’t plan for this, it just fuckin’ happened.”
“Oh, well, isn’t that wonderful,” Aggie mutters. “I am so glad you didn’t plan for it.”
Rachel exhales and steps closer to Aggie, who spins on her, hands up. “Do not step closer to me. You should have told me. We might not be besties, Rachel, but we are a team and we have been through so much together.”
Rachel stares down at the ground. “I know.”
“Ain’t her fault, I was the one who didn’t want it getting out,” Kellen says, and Aggie shoots him a glare so deadly, it makes him flinch.
“Do not fucking speak to me. To think I actually liked you, hell, I thought if anything good comes from this, it is this man who is keeping me together. All the while, you’ve been keeping her together too. Are you two in a relationship?”
“No,” Kellen answers, and Rachel flinches.
Fuck.
It hurts me to see them like this.
Both of them breaking over him.
“Well, congratulations, you fucking arsehole. You knocked me up. I wonder how you’re going to explain that when we get home.”
The entire deck goes silent.
Like suddenly we’re no more than broken, lifeless souls unable to speak.
The air feels thicker, more intense, and the waves rock the boat once, angrily, as if they’re protesting, too.
Aggie is pregnant?
Kellen’s face goes grey. Not pale, not white—full corpse, as if Aggie loaded a gun with those three words and fired it dead at his heart.
I hear the breath leave his body like a bag punched empty.
For a second no one moves, I could swear even the ship stops rocking.
Then Rachel, mouth open, makes a small noise and clamps a hand over her face.
Tears roll down her cheeks, silent, so quick she can’t blink them away.
“Did you—did you know?” she whispers at Kellen.
Kellen’s hands are clenched at his sides. “Of course I didn’t fuckin’ know, she just told all of us,” he barks.
Aggie laughs, a sharp, cracked sound. “Doesn’t matter, does it? There’s not even anything I can fucking do, we’re stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and I’m pregnant with a man who, and let’s be honest, will fuck anything with a heartbeat.”
She wipes her nose with the back of her hand.
Nobody speaks, so she continues. “So, what now, Kellen? What exactly are you going to do with two broken women and... what, a baby?”
Ace glances at me, eyes wide. He’s seen violence in every flavour, but this, this is another breed of fucked up.
The door to the deck crashes up and opens, loudly enough to make us all flinch, and Tati appears with Adrian slowly coming up behind her. Their eyes are wide, and glance between us, no doubt wondering what the hell all the yelling is about.
“What is going on?” Tati asks, swinging her eyes to me.
“Aggie is pregnant,” Rachel rasps, her voice almost a whisper.
Tati’s eyes widen. “What?”
“It was an accident,” Kellen throws in, as if that somehow makes any of it better.
“Are you fucking serious?” Aggie screams at him. “You know how babies are made, and you still chose to fuck me anyway.”
“It’s not like you said no,” Rachel mutters.
Aggie spins on her. “What did you say?”
“I’m just saying,” she adds, her voice clipped. “You know how they’re made too, and yet you let him fuck you with no condom. I’m not entirely sure what you thought would happen.”
“Oh, and let me guess, little miss perfect would only let him in if he was wrapped?” Aggie throws at her.
“I’m not a fucking idiot, so yes,” Rachel snaps.
Aggie just lunges.
It comes out of nowhere, just an aggressive dive in Rachel’s direction.
She slams into her, and they go down together, knees slamming onto the deck, and I swear, Aggie gives it all she has.
She bites, claws, kicks and screams as she takes out this broken frustration on Rachel, even though Rachel is a victim, too.
“Aggie,” Tati screams, but it doesn’t stop her.
Kellen and Ace both rush over to pull them apart, but Tati is the closest and is already reaching for them.
She slips in her mad rush, her feet slipping out, and Adrian grabs for her elbow but misses.
Tati tumbles sideways, windmilling into the tangle of girls just as the ship lurches.
Hard. Like something rammed us from below.
I hear a series of grunts, a slap of flesh, and a ragged gasp as we all tumble to the side, trying to keep our footing.
“Stop!” someone screams. Maybe it’s me. I can’t tell.
There’s noise and confusion, Rachel’s white knuckles grabbing Aggie’s arm, Aggie cursing so loudly it’s just noise.
The ship stops rocking and we all manage to find our feet once more.
Ace pulls Rachel away, and she spins, wild-eyed, but Aggie doesn’t get up.
She crouches there, sobbing into her own hands, hair a mess, knees bloodied.
Jesus.
My eyes dart around, and I see Tati has fallen into a large pile of trash and debris we had planned on tossing when we ever found land again.
She moves to get up, but something washes over her face, a look I have never quite seen before.
It’s as if she has just realised the entire world is ending, and there is nothing she can do about it.
Everything after that moves in slow motion, like a bad movie.
I step closer, and then I see it. She can’t get up.
She can’t get up because there is something sticking out of her stomach, just below her chest.
“Oh fuck,” Adrian whispers, voice hitching. “Oh fuck, oh fuck—”
He has seen it too.
Tatiana opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.
“Tati,” I gasp.
Before I even decide to move, I’m there, kneeling on the cold, slick floor by Tatiana’s side, and her blood is leaking out, slow at first, then faster, in time with the heart rate that starts slamming in her neck.
She looks up at me and I see the bravest girl I know, absolutely terrified. Her lips move, trying to form words.
“Help,” I scream. “God dammit, help!”
Ace is behind me in a matter of seconds, his hands firm on my shoulders, carefully moving me out of the way as he kneels down in front of Tati, his eyes widening as he takes it in. “Oh fuck,” he rasps, his voice barely a crack. “Kellen!”
Suddenly, everyone is there, and so many voices wash over me, I can’t think.
I’m holding Tati’s hand, I don’t even know when I picked it up.
“It’s okay, you’re okay,” I say, because there are no other words in the world. “We’re going to get this out.”
Tatiana stares down at the spike, then at me, and her mouth starts to move. “Grace...”
“It’s okay,” I whisper, fighting back my tears with everything I have in me. “You’re going to be just fine.”
“Fuck,” Adrian keeps repeating, over and over.
“What do we do?” Kellen asks, his voice shaky. “Ace, what the fuck do we do?”
“Zeke!” Ace bellows, his voice booming through the cold night air. “Zeke!”
The ship rocks again, harder this time, and the movement has Tatiana crying out, an agonised sound I never want to hear again.
Then, her jaw goes slack. She slumps forward against me and my arms go around her, as if I can do anything to fix this.
In moments, I can feel the warm blood from her soaking through my clothes.
Aggie screams, a long, broken wail and Rachel has disappeared to find Zeke.
“Tati,” I whisper, tears rolling down my cheeks. “Tatiana, wake up.”
Nothing.
“Zeke,” Kellen roars again as Ace rips off his shirt and presses it tightly to where the object is sticking out of Tatiana’s stomach.
Above us, the moon slides behind a cloud, and the night goes so dark a shiver runs down my spine. And in the cold, splintered darkness, the world stops moving for the second time in my life, only this time, it isn’t coming back.
I’m not sure any of us are.