Chapter 27 Katie
KATIE
I feel like I’ve been run over by a freight train. Craig kicked my arse. I was flipped, blocked, and shoved for over an hour, and the jabs I did get in with him didn’t exactly work in my favour; it was like punching a concrete wall. My hands and ego are badly bruised.
Thank God for Aiden running a bubble bath for me afterwards; it stung like hell when I first got into the water, my aching muscles screaming in protest until the warmth started to seep in and soothe the pain away.
I’m not sure if it’s the music or the view of Aiden’s bare, perfectly sculpted body opposite me that is making me feel better. I’m grateful for the distraction either way. Why is he so damn attractive? It should be illegal to look so good with absolutely no cosmetic enhancements.
He’s staring in the mirror, watching the razor glide smoothly over his strong jawline.
“Why are you having a meeting so late?” I ask his peachy rear end as he bends over to rinse off the razor.
“Because,” he makes a face in the mirror while shaving his upper lip. “Most of the idiots have been passed out all day from stuffing God knows what up their noses or injecting some badly cut heroin between their toes.”
“Do you think Walsh will be there?” A sudden round of palpitations hits me, I detest the thought of him being anywhere near my man.
“I doubt it.” Aiden taps the razor against the sink. “He knows I’ve got a bullet with his name on it, and unlike him,” he turns his focus back to his reflection. “The men who work for me are of sober mind and sound body.”
Running the sponge over my legs, I squeeze, watching the foam glide smoothly over my skin. “I’m coming with you.”
“No, you’re not.” His eyes cut to my reflection in the mirror. “I’m not bringing you anywhere near those animals.”
“I’ve got you,” I assure him, standing up and reaching for the towel.
“And I’m well and good to risk a shanking as long as I know you’re not there to be used against me.” He turns, watching my every move as I wrap the towel around my body. “I appreciate the sentiment, but this is not up for negotiation,” Aiden adds, seeing me about to protest.
I know I’m fighting a losing battle with him. “I don’t like you going out there alone.”
“I won’t be alone.”
“Who’s going?”
“Half of the second battalion.” He says it so casually, like it’s no big deal.
“You have actual soldiers going with you?”
Aiden nods; the sides of his lips twitch, not quite forming a grin. “Where do you think I got the sniper from?”
“I,” Nothing’s gonna stop us now by Starship starts to play over the speakers. “Shut up.” My sopping footsteps leave a trail of water on the floor as I walk away.
Reaching for my phone, I log onto Facebook and see post after post flooding my feed. I’m forced to sit down and scroll through the endless notifications. “Aiden!” I call out; he’s hovering in the doorway within seconds, his face still half-covered in shaving foam. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you have anything you want to tell me?” At least he has the decency to feign surprise. He shakes his head, a look of confusion crossing his features. “What do you mean?”
“I mean this,” I shove the phone at him, and he takes it, scrolling through the posts. “Oh, that’s your one from Liam’s party, right?”
“Aiden,” He fucking did it, didn’t he. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
“I don’t hurt women, bug,” he says, handing the phone back to me.
“That’s not what I asked; I asked if you had anything to do with her death.” My towel falls to the floor as I jump to my feet. I swear, if he dares lie to me, I’m going to punch him in his perfectly structured jawline.
“How would I—”
“Don’t even attempt to answer my question with another question! You have the ways and the means, I’ve seen the syringes, Dumbass!”
A smirk slowly spreads across his face; he opts to stay silent, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Oh my God, it was you.” I’m not even upset; I’m pissed that I didn’t see it coming. “Those “phone calls” you were making all around the same time Sarah went out for a smoke.”
His grin only widens, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. “You’re really perceptive, bug; you know that, right?”
“Aiden!”
“Technically, I didn’t kill her,” he says, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall. “She drank herself to death. Fitting really.”
“She had children,” I remind him.
He merely shrugs. “They’ll be better off without that tramp.”
“You really don’t care, do you?”
“Not particularly, no,” his eyes glint with twisted amusement. “She was just as much of a sexual predator as every other I put down. She raped you, bug! She let her fiancé do whatever the fuck he wanted to you while you were fighting to stay conscious.”
“I know what they did!” I screech like a banshee.
He pushes off the wall and steps closer, his face inches from mine. “Then why are you upset about her?”
“I’m not upset about her; I’m—” Fuck, I’m just as demented as he is.
“What, bug? You’re what?” He reaches for me, tugging me into his arms. “You’re upset that I kept it from you?”
I nod, feeling the weight of his arms around me. There is a gnawing ache in my chest that won’t go away, no matter how tightly he holds me. I have to ask. “Did you kill Keane too?” Tilting my head back, I look into his darkened eyes.
“That depends,” His breath is warm against my skin. “Are you going to be mad at me if I say yes?”
“Aiden…” I close my eyes, groaning inwardly. “What did you do to him?”
He shrugs again. “I took away his teeny weenie.”
“Aiden!” I push away from him, feeling a mix of frustration and amusement. I seriously need to seek professional help.
“Don’t “Aiden” me; he’s the reason I can’t eat cheese anymore,” he counters. “I’m fucking traumatised after dealing with that scruffy bastard.” His face is a picture of sincerity, which makes me laugh all the more.
“You’re impossible,” I don’t know if I should continue to laugh or switch to crying at this point. He has killed these people… for me.
“They hurt you, bug,” he says softly, pulling me back against him, shaving foam brushing my cheek. “They had to pay.”
“You’re not just a vigilante, Aiden, you’re a…a…”
“A serial killer,” he finishes for me, his voice low and unapologetic. “Your favourite kind of psychopath.”
His words send a chill down my spine, but I can’t deny the rush of adrenaline that comes with knowing he did it all for me. “I don’t know if I should be terrified or turned on.”
His fingers trace my jawline. “You never have to fear me, Katie. I’d never hurt you. But if anyone tries to harm you, they’ll have to deal with me.”
Turned on. Definitely turned on.
I haul him down, fusing his lips with mine.
His shaving cream smears against my cheek as he deepens the kiss, his hands pulling me closer.
I’ve spent years questioning my sanity; it’s clear that all my past trauma has left more than a few screws loose, but there is absolutely no question that if I don’t feel him inside me right now, I might actually lose my mind.
The taste of shaving cream on my tongue has me pulling away, gasping for air.
“Stay here,” he whispers, his voice husky. “I’ll be right back.” With a smirk, he disappears into the bathroom to wash away the foam from his partially shaven face.
It takes less than a minute, but it feels like an eternity before he returns, his lips crashing against mine as we fall to the bed, a tangle of limbs.
“Fuck, bug… you’re soaking,” he groans, slipping two fingers inside me with ease. I arch my back in response, moaning against his lips. He sets a rhythm that has me writhing beneath him, lost in the overwhelming pleasure he effortlessly delivers.
Reaching between us, I guide his hand to where I need him most, and he responds with a knowing smirk. “Just a sec,” he murmurs, grabbing a pillow and placing it under my hips. He presses forward, stretching me in the most delicious way.
Aiden leans down, capturing my lips in another passionate kiss.
With each thrust, his hands wander across my body, exploring every inch of supple skin.
His fingers entwine with mine, drawing closer as he plunges deeper into my core.
The sound of slapping skin echoes in the room, punctuated by our heavy breathing and soft moans.
My grip on Aiden tightens, my nails digging into his shoulders, I meet each powerful thrust with equal force. My hips buck wildly beneath him, urging him to go faster, harder. Aiden reads the message loud and clear, picking up the pace without breaking the kiss.
Our bodies move together, caught in an erotic dance fuelled by raw passion and unbridled lust. The room seems to spin around us, lost in a haze of desire and pleasure as we move in perfect harmony.
“Uhhhhh, yes! Harder, pump harder,” I cry out.
“Fuck,” Aiden’s jaw hangs slack, his bright eyes darkening to a stormy grey.
“You’re going to come; I can feel it. Ahh, fuck,” he groans, his hand slamming onto the mattress beside my head, fisting the sheets.
“That’s it, baby, that’s it. Just like that,” he murmurs, his breath hot against my ear.
“Jesus, your pussy is so tight, bug. Keep going, baby. Yeah, just like that, fuck me just like that.”
I moan so loudly that I’m sure the neighbours can hear.
His hands slam down on my hips, lifting me against him as he continues to thrust. “Come for me, baby. I want to feel you come all over me.”
My entire body tenses. I reach my peak, my fingers digging into his back as I finally release. “Oh fuck!”
Aiden bites down hard, his neck veins bulge, and he lets out the most guttural growl of ecstasy I have ever heard. He finds his release with one last push, his hot seed pouring deep within me.
We collapse in a sweaty, satisfied heap.
“Oh my God, bug,” His thumbs brush away the tears that escape my eyes. “You’re fucking stunning.”
Trying to blink away the stars in my vision, I run my fingers through his damp hair. “I can’t believe I cried,” I whisper, feeling embarrassed. I try to hide in his chest, but he’s having none of it.
Aiden pulls back, his eyes soft and warm. He presses a gentle kiss on my forehead, the tip of my nose, and finally my lips. “Thank you.”
“For crying?”
“For trusting me enough to finally let your guard down.”
God, I love this man. How can he be so gentle and caring with me and yet so ruthless and sadistic outside of our home?
This luminous red flag that, right now, is looking more like a pastel pink.
He has helped me finally find sexual gratification after years of trauma and fear.
I feel safe and loved in his arms, despite the darkness that lurks within him.
Who would have thought that the safest place I’ve ever known was in the arms of a serial killer? But here I am, finding solace and comfort in the arms of a man who could easily take my life without a second thought if he really wanted to.
Because of Aiden, families are missing loved ones, and children are now being forced to navigate life’s treacherous roads without their mother by their side.
I should be appalled. I should run. I should be terrified.
But I cannot find it in me to care about anything but him.
It is intoxicating how he views me with those penetrating eyes and how he holds me close, as if I were the most valuable thing in his entire world.
I don’t see a monster lurking in the depths of his eyes; I see the man who has taken it upon himself to hunt the monsters who hurt me.
I see a protector, a saviour—someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to keep me safe.
There is no way I’m ever going to be able to walk away from him because he has become my shield, my sanctuary. My everything.
I need to know what he’s truly capable of. I need to see it.
“Sarah told you who her fiancé was.” I run my hands over his chest, feeling the thunderous drumming of his heart beneath my fingertips.
“She told me his first name. I figured out who he is. It’s not hard to get the surname when his kid shares it. All it took was a quick Instagram search.”
I search his eyes, trying to see a flicker of the sinister man behind the beautiful mask. “You’re going to kill Carl.”
“I am.” His lips press against my neck and collarbone as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“I want to be there when you do it.”
His head snaps up, surprise flickering in his eyes. “You want to watch?”
I nod, otherwise speechless. I cannot believe I’m asking this of him.
“Are you sure?”
I nod again and take a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m sure. I need to see it for myself.”
His smile is chilling, but I can’t look away. “Do you just want to watch, bug? Or do you want to be a part of it?”
“I—” Fuck what the hell is wrong with me? “I don’t know.”
Aiden’s lips press against mine, his hands gripping my waist. “You don’t have to decide right now, bug. You just let me know when you’re ready.” He pulls out of me with a grunt.
“Do you have to go?”
Rolling out of the wet patch and grabbing my discarded towel, he cleans himself off before turning back to me with a smirk. “Unfortunately,” he leans across the mattress, cleaning down my thighs with the towel. “I won’t be long.” He turns for the en-suite.
“I can’t convince you to go for round two?” Sliding from the bed, I wrap my arms around him from behind, resting my chin on his shoulder.
“Bug, if I didn’t have to go to this meeting, I would be cleaning you up with my tongue right now.” He chuckles, grabbing my hand and leading me to the shower. “I’ll make it up to you when I get back.”
Water rushes down our bodies as we stand under the warm spray, his hands moving over my skin. “Promise?”
“If you think that I would choose being stuck in a room with a bunch of scumbags rather than watching you come for me, then you’re even crazier than I am.
” He teases, reaching for the body wash.
“Your body is finally responding to me in the way I’ve always wanted.
I want to see how many times I can make you come before you pass out.
” He creates a lather on his hands and begins massaging my shoulders. “I want to ruin you.”
My gaze flicks up to meet his, my lips curving into a sly smile. “You already have.”