Chapter 9
CHAPTER
NINE
ASPEN
It’s funny the way trauma hits you. Sometimes it’s in my dreams. Other times, something small sets me off. Today was great. I had a therapy session I actually felt good about. I felt amazing. I came home and had a good dinner with Maggie and Calloway. I went to bed with a smile on my face.
So why do I all of a sudden feel a panic attack coming on?
I don’t know what it is, but something in the clubhouse doesn’t feel right. It’s empty, but something is off. I can’t place my finger on it, though.
I walk through the main room, my eyes taking everything in. Nothing is out of place.
Then I hear it. The cheers. The cries for blood.
Tiptoeing down the hall, I glance inside the room meant for entertainment. There is a large screen covering the wall, and tonight, it is showing the latest UFC fight.
This shouldn’t make my skin crawl, but it does.
“Damn, right hook to the jaw. Knock his ass out.”
The words are innocent, but it doesn’t matter. My brain remembers where we heard them last.
“Knock his ass out. What are you waiting for?”
Adlet isn’t holding back anymore. Asher has embarrassed him. He has shown that his VP isn’t as strong as he claims. It’s a weakness.
Asher seems to have blocked the world out as he continues to fight.
Adlet is getting angrier as Monster seems to be gassing out. Asher has a real shot to win this, but I can’t even cheer him on. I can’t let him know I appreciate what he is doing for me right now.
Instead, I have to act like the whole thing doesn’t even bother me. Any sign that I am happy about this outcome could lead to Adlet taking a gun out and shooting Asher dead where he stands.
Asher isn’t holding back anymore. He is showing what he is really made of. I realize now he was playing with Monster before. He was making him exert his own energy so that he would be depleted when Asher really started to fight.
Monster lands a hit on Asher, but it’s sloppy.
Asher was ready for it, though, and uses Monster’s momentum to land a rather gnarly hit to his temple.
Monster steps away, staggering as he tries to catch his bearings.
This is when Asher would have hit him hard and ended the fight, but Asher waits for him to get his senses back.
I don’t know if it’s honor or stupidity, but it is making me want to smack Asher. I need him to end this. My nerves cannot take any more.
Monster squares up to Asher. He knows he has met his match now, but he won’t go down without a fight.
“Fucking useless. He is a pansy. Why is he still standing?” Adlet calls out.
At this point, I don’t even know who he is talking to. Is he telling Monster that Asher is a pansy and to knock him out, or is he seeing what we are all seeing? That Monster is no match for Asher, and he is going to lose.
Either way, the result is inevitable. Asher meets Monster as he lunges and lands the KO blow, dropping Monster to the ground.
For one split second, the room is quiet. Then it erupts with cheers as the other men who did not participate in the fights tonight congratulate the prospect for his well-earned win.
Adlet mutters under his breath before he stands and silences the crowd.
“The prospect fought well. He earned his prize. Does anyone want to challenge him for it?” he calls out.
No one responds. I can see Adlet’s face tighten.
“Very well. Come claim your prize.”
Asher strides up to me, grabbing my arm before he nods to Adlet. He pulls me along with him, me giving him little resistance before Adlet calls out.
“Where are you taking her, prospect? I said you could claim your prize. So claim it.”
My blood turns cold. Asher freezes, turning to look at Adlet. I follow his gaze and see the malice in Adlet’s eyes. He is truly the devil.
“Claim your prize for us all to see. Show us that you are one of us,” he calls out.
I turn and look at Asher. He has regret in his eyes. He doesn’t want to do this. Neither do I, but if we have to, I am glad it is with him.
He grips my face and pulls me close.
“We do not have to do this. I can take the attention, and you can run,” he rasps in my ear.
He will die then, and I can’t live with myself if he dies for me. Besides, if I don’t manage to get away, then it will make my fate that much worse.
“You have to” is all I whisper.
“Let’s get on with it,” Adlet calls out.
I pull away from Asher and drop to my knees.
“No,” he whispers.
I ignore him, going to his buckle. He is at war with himself. I know he doesn’t want to do this, but it’s this or I will die. I plead with him with my eyes.
His reluctance is only a moment longer before he clears his throat.
“That’s right. Suck my cock like a good whore.”
The men around us all laugh, but I hear the words for what they are—a facade he is putting on to get us both out of this alive.
I quickly undo his pants and pull them down along with his boxers. There is no lead-up. No foreplay. I simply grab his flaccid cock and start sucking. It doesn’t take long for it to grow in my mouth.
“Make her choke on it,” Adlet calls out.
I hate that he is watching. He is dictating and directing this moment.
Asher’s hand caresses my face before he starts to fuck my throat. I let him. I take every punishing moment until he pulls away, his breathing labored.
He helps me stand before pulling my face close.
“We can stop. We don’t have to.”
I push him back until he hits the pool table that was pushed off to the side for the fighting pit. I can still hear the men around us saying nasty things, but I block them out.
In this moment, I can only focus on Asher. It’s the only thing getting me through this right now.
“I want to,” I admit.
It’s not a lie. I have developed feelings for Asher over the last couple of months. It might be some form of Stockholm syndrome, but he has become the only thing that feels safe to me. I have even started thinking about him in ways I didn’t want to, but my body responded to it nonetheless.
“Don’t lie to me,” Asher whispers.
“I’m not. I want you, Asher. I want this. I want us. He might be forcing our hand, but this is consensual. You’re not taking anything from me. I am giving it to you freely, and I plan to enjoy it as much as I can.”
He swallows hard. “I’ll follow your lead then.”
I climb onto his lap, pulling my dress aside before placing his hand on my hip.
Now I know why they gave me a skimpy dress with no underwear. To make shit like this easier for them.
I can only hope that either Asher can keep winning or I get rescued soon.
“Let’s put on a show,” I whisper to him. “Fuck me hard. The way they would.”
I pull back and see the conflict in his eyes as I lower myself onto his cock. It hurts since I’m not well lubricated, but there was no way I was going to attempt to help that situation in a room full of disgusting men. I’ll take the burn.
Slowly, I start to ride Asher. He lets me, but we aren’t selling it. He needs to be one of them.
I growl under my breath, “Asher, sell it.”
He glares at me before he turns me, laying me back on the table. Then he starts to fuck me like he really means it. His hand slides up the middle of my body until it’s on my neck. Then he squeezes.
I can hear men yelling. I can see them trying to get closer, but Asher demands my attention with that one hand.
He doesn’t let me move my head even an inch.
His eyes lock on mine as he ruts into me.
I can feel my body responding to him. I can almost imagine it’s just two people who want to fuck.
I feel my body give in to the pleasure he is attempting to give me.
With his free hand, he reaches between us and circles my clit.
It has me coming, my eyes falling to the back of my head.
I feel him jerk inside of me before he pulls me up, not giving me time to recover.
“I fucked her with you present. Can I go fuck her the way I want to now?”
Adlet laughs.
“By all means. You sure earned her.”
Without another word, he has me up over his shoulder as he carries me out of the room. I have no idea where we are going, but when he finally sets me down, he looks me deep in my eyes and makes me a promise.
“I’m getting you out of here.”
“Aspen, talk to me. Please. Fuck.”
I come back to myself in the middle of the hallway, sitting on the floor.
“What’s going on?” I rasp.
“You were freaking out. I happened to find you. What can I do?” Eagle asks.
“Nothing. There’s nothing you can do. My therapist says it will eventually go away if I work on it.”
“You can talk to me. Anytime. You know that, right?”
I give him a sad smile. “I know I can, but you aren’t the one I need to talk to.”
He gives me an understanding look.
“He’s at the gate. Go see him,” he tells me as he helps me stand.
I give him a quick hug.
“Thank you.”
It looks like my last apology will come tonight.
ASHER
“I’m just saying that Jessica Parker Kennedy can have it any day of the week. The woman is a smokeshow. Are you denying it?” Yak says.
“I’m not saying she isn’t beautiful, but she isn’t my type,” I tell him.
“That’s right. You prefer blonde-haired beauties with trauma in their eyes.”
I lunge toward him, but he jumps out of the way.
“I will kill you,” I warn him.
He laughs. “Nah. You love me. You can’t deny it now. You admitted it once. There’s no take-backsies.”
“You test my patience on a daily basis,” I tell him, rubbing my brow.
“Kids will be a breeze then.”
“Asher?” I hear called out from the darkness.
I turn and see a figure moving toward me. I leave Yak, moving toward her as soon as I can see her.
“What are you doing out here? It’s cold,” I tell her, pulling off my hoodie to pull it over her head.
“I need to talk to you.”
I glance back at the gate. I don’t want to tell her no, but I don’t want Yak listening in either.
“You know I always want to talk to you, but I’m on post,” I tell her
She frowns, but Yak speaks up. “Call Panther. Tell him Aspen needs you.”
She looks up at me with hopeful eyes. I could never tell her no.