Chapter 15
I’m exactly the person my daddy says I am. Sick, twisted, and so obsessed with Hawk that I’ll let him get away with anything. I’ll beg for it.
He claimed me like a piece of property. And I got off on it. I’m still getting off on it as I count down the last minutes on this sticky barstool. My cum oozes out and drips down my thighs while his crew buzzes around my bar as if this is perfectly normal.
They don’t dare look at me for fear Hawk will rip out their eyes. Their permission to watch me was fleeting and removed the second he left me alone with them.
Hanging over a barstool for an hour looks easier than it is. There’s a dull ache between my shoulders from craning my neck so all my blood doesn’t rush to my head. Everything aches actually. Especially my pussy. Lord have mercy on me but the brutal side of him turns me on so fucking much.
It reminds me of the games we used to play years ago.
The way we’d both get off on my humiliation.
One night I refused to eat the mushy green beans my daddy had miserably failed at.
He said I couldn’t go to bed until I ate every single one on my plate.
So I sat and pouted in the dark till about midnight.
I was so tired, all I wanted was my bed.
I caved and started to finish the cold green beans.
But Hawk wouldn’t let me. Not at the table.
He said brats don’t deserve civility. He put my plate on the floor and told me to eat it like a dog.
And if I refused, he would throw it in the trash and tell my daddy that I did it. And then I would for sure get the belt.
There was something about the way he looked at me when I got down on my knees that stirred an ache in my core. I wanted to please him. But right before I bent down, he told me to take my clothes off so that I wouldn’t get them dirty.
I ate every green bean off that plate with my tits hanging and my bare ass out. He towered over me, stroked his cock the whole time. And then I sat back on my heels so he could cum on my chest. Later, when I was finally back in my bed, I fingered myself so hard I almost cried from pleasure.
“Time’s up, sweetheart. You’ve been such a good girl.” Scar frees my wrists and lifts me up from the barstool.
I sway against him, slightly dizzy. “I need to clean up.”
He tugs my skirt back down. “Om and Hawk are upstairs waiting. Let’s get you a hot shower and some ointment for your ass.”
When I walk inside my apartment, the rage starts to billow back up. “He did… all this?”
Hawk nods. “Kane is going to pay with his life for this, Cherry. I promise… Are you okay?”
And he’s back to being that shy boy again. The one he’d revert back to after making me do unspeakable things. I’m a sucker for both versions of him.
I collapse into his arms and let the tears fall. He squeezes me tight to his chest. “Shhh, it’s all right. I got you.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blamed you. You were right to punish me.” The lessons he teaches me are for my own good. They may seem extreme to most, but it’s the only way to get through to me sometimes.
I’ve been acting reckless, engaging with Kane and giving into his demands. I should’ve called Hawk and told him to begin with. I let this get out of hand and now Kane has wreaked havoc on both of our businesses.
He cups my face in his hands. “My sweet Cherry girl… No more tears. We’re gonna get you cleaned up and everything will be right again.”
I nod and let him and Scarrow guide me to my bedroom. Omen is in there waiting. He blows out a deep breath when he sees me. “You good, mama?”
This new protective vibe he’s giving me is surprising. I truly believed he hated me. “Yes. Much better now.”
The steam billowing out from the bathroom makes my belly do a little flip. I can’t wait to stand underneath the hot water and let it sooth all my muscles.
Hawk presses his forehead to mine as he rubs my shoulders. “Come on let’s get these clothes off.” I kick off my stilettos and then lift up my arms so he can pull my shirt off. Scarrow comes up from behind and unhooks my bra.
I stand there between them, breathless for a moment. Scarrow cups my breasts and gives them a light squeeze as Hawk pulls my skirt down. “After we get you clean, we’re going to treat that pretty skin of yours.”
I can only imagine what my ass looks like. He spanked me so fucking hard. But it made me cum. The pain was worth every spasm.
Omen stalks over. “Let me see.” He trades places with Scarrow. My breath hitches when he pulls my panties down to my ankles. He caresses my ass cheeks with soft gentle strokes. “It’s not that bad. You’ll live, mama.”
Hawk slides a finger down the slit of my pussy. “We’ve done this before. She likes being spanked,” he rasps.
Omen spins me around to face him. “Tell me about it.”
I swallow hard, nervous with all of them staring at me. “I… I have a humiliation kink. We both do.”
Omen’s jaw ticks and his gaze turns primal. “So, earlier, when you were begging him to stop… it was all part of the game?”
I nod. “Hawk and I have had a safe word since we were young. I never actually want him to stop.”
Scarrow runs a hand across my lower back. “Mmm. I am so turned on right now.”
Omen caresses my chest before gently wrapping his hand around my throat. “So what’s the magic word?”
I look down at the ground, my cheeks heating. “Um… well, because of our circumstances… um, it—”
“Preacher,” Hawk interjects, saving me from the not so attractive kind of humiliation.
Omen and Scarrow both chuckle.
I bite my lip. “Yeah, so whenever we thought we were about to get caught, we’d say, Preacher.”
“And then we decided that would be our safe word for other situations,” Hawk adds.
“Like what kinds of situations exactly?” Scarrow asks.
I feel the blush in my cheeks deepening. “The kind where he leaves me naked outside in the dirt all night until I make myself cum over and over again. Until I’m so swollen I can barely walk.”
Hawk threads his fingers through my hair. “She’s never used the safe word. Not once. Isn’t that right, Cherry?”
My belly flutters as the three of them surround me. I take a deep breath. It’s triggering my claustrophobia. I look around the room, searching for an exit. “I’m really hot. My breath… I can’t catch it.”
Omen tightens his grip on my throat. “Face your fears. We’re here to protect you and make you feel good, not smother you. Relax.”
Hawk lifts my hair and kisses the back of my neck. “Answer the question. Tell them how you’ve never once used the safe word.”
Panic rises in my chest but instead of making me dizzy, it sends a deep spasm to my clit. “It’s true. I’ve never needed to say it. Nothing you do will ever make me say it. I never want you to stop, Hawk.”
Scarrow plays with my pussy, delicately stroking just inside the crease of my opening. “We’re going to have to experiment with that.” He applies gentle pressure to my clit. “Test the limits.”
Hawk nods. “But first she needs to clean up. She needs rest.” He nudges me away and toward the bathroom. “Take a long hot shower, Cherry. You’ve earned it. We’ll be waiting out here.”
I zone out as they finish loading the truck, a little too relaxed from the massage Scar gave me earlier.
After Omen applied ointment to my ass cheeks, Scarrow insisted on rubbing my aching joints.
And I’m glad he did. I’ve been carrying around so much stress and unresolved trauma that it was starting to manifest as a new pain in my body every day.
“You sure you’re feeling up for this tonight?” Hawk asks.
I gasp, feigning shock. “Hawk Riley, are you suggesting that I skip the Crimson Valley County Fair for the first time since… never?”
He shrugs. Hawk never liked going. There’s too many people and way too much stimulation for his liking. Put him in a dark room with soft music and he’s the happiest man alive. “It wouldn’t be the end of the world if you skipped it this year, Cherry. Especially with all that’s going on.”
I gasp again, this time for real. “Oh, it most certainly would be. Can you imagine the devastation it would cause? All those God-fearing folks lining up for my famous pink wine slushies, risking their reputations and the ire of their beloved Father Eli, just for me to not show up?” I’m being dramatic, but I’m only half-joking.
Since the first year I opened Level Up, I’ve always had a booth at the fair.
Hawk finally cracks a smirk. “You think way too highly of those pink drinks, Cherry. They aren’t all that. Trust me, I’ve tasted them. Those people line up to catch a glimpse of you flashing that sexy smile back at them.”
I cock my hip to the side and give him a playful shove. “Oh yeah? Mrs. Tilly comes for my sexy smile?”
He laughs harder now, his cheeks blushing. “I guarantee you she does.”
“Hawk, she’s nearly eighty-years old,” I shriek. I’m in absolute hysterics now.
“Age ain’t nothing but a number, baby,” he teases.
I love this side of him too. It’s the version of him I met when he and his momma first moved in. That beautiful light in his eyes went out after she passed, but it didn’t die with her. It’s just buried deep.
Omen stalks over carrying the last case of rosé we could find in the back storage.
Luckily, I’ve been prepping for months for the fair and was smart enough to stockpile a large stash.
I don’t sell much rosé on a nightly basis so there was no need to keep it out front.
A blessing in disguise since Kane decided to destroy everything he could get his hands on.
I can’t even stomach it. I know it will all get fixed and my pinball machines will get replaced. But it won’t be the same. The ones I had were rare and vintage. I can track more down but it will cost me. And I don’t have that kind of capital.
“Hey don’t go to that dark place right now,” Hawk coaxes. “We’re gonna find him.”
Omen hisses. “That dude’s like a fucking racoon. Where the fuck does he go at night after he’s done messing with our shit?”
Hawk’s eyes narrow. “We’re flushing him out. There’s a meth camp out in the woods with lots of places to hide, but I know all the hiding spots.”
Scarrow trots up. “The bar’s locked up tight now. I got two guys at the front door, two upstairs, and three in separate cars scattered around this parking lot. No one is fucking breaking into Level Up ever again.”
I throw my arms around his neck. “Thanks, Scar. I’m so happy you’re here.” I step back and give Omen and Hawk each a kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad all of you are here.”
Hawk nods. “Everything is as it should be, baby girl. Now let’s get you to the fairgrounds before all the little church ladies start a riot.”
I slide into the truck next to Scarrow while Omen and Hawk follow behind in Hawk’s muscle car. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, but my stomach is in knots. I didn’t have the guts to tell them that I unblocked Kane’s number from my phone.
After what he did last night, I had to give him a piece of my mind. I open my phone to reread the drunken angry messages I sent him at three in the morning.
Kane, this needs to fucking stop. You’re ruining my life. What the fuck?
I shouldn’t have contacted him.
You get what you deserve, bitch. I would’ve smacked you around too if you’d been home and not whoring yourself out to those animals. You’re momma would be so ashamed of you, Cherry pie.
“You all right, sweetheart?” Scarrow asks over the loud bass coming from the speakers.
I nod and force a smile. “I’m perfect.”
Being oblivious and way too into this song, he winks and goes back to twiddling his thumbs against the steering wheel.
I swallow hard and glance back at my phone.
It’s over between us. I need you to accept that. Or this isn’t going to end well.
Is that a threat, Cherry? Because two can play at that game.
No, Kane. Look, I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through. Please just tell me how to fix this.
Meet me later tonight at the fair, behind the Gravitron. After you close up your booth. You let me take one more look at you and I’ll leave you alone forever. I’ll even delete everything I have. You owe me one last time.
I bite my lip to keep it from quivering. Is he telling the truth? Or is this just another one of his twisted games? I can’t risk not knowing if there’s a chance he could be ready to call a truce.
I’ll be there. But I need your word that this it. Promise me you’ll stay away from Level Up and Hawk’s warehouses. And I want to watch you delete all the pics and videos I sent you.
You give me one last little peek at what I used to have, and I promise you, my sweet Cherry pie, that you’ll never hear from me again. Oh, and come alone. I’ll be watching everything. If I see one of your little cocksuckers anywhere near the Gravitron, the deal’s off.
Now I have to figure out how I’m going to sneak away. Hawk, Scar, and Om haven’t left my side since this all started. At least one of them has always been guarding me. Especially after what Kane did to my bar last night, there’s no fucking way they’re gonna let me out of their sight.
But I need them to. Because this could be my only chance at getting Kane to back off. It’s in his best interest too as well. Eventually, they are going to catch him and kill him. And he has to know that. Hawk moved finding Kane to the top of his list of priorities.
I’m guessing Kane’s gonna skip town before they find him and he just wants one more fucking dig at me before he does. When you spiral this long with someone, it’s hard to break the cycle.