Sin, page 23
“Yes.”
“Good answer. Now, once upon a time…” I trail off so he can continue.
Fat tears run down his cheeks, his lip trembling. “Can I please have a mercy kill?”
“That’s up to you.”
Frank takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Once upon a time there was a young innocent girl who was hurt by the men in her life. Those men wanted the riches that belonged to her by birthright.” His eyes remain on mine as I circle his body, listening to the bullshit I already know. What I want is confirmation to my investigator’s findings. To get the answer to the last piece of this puzzle. “Her evil stepfather and brother were planning to…what’s that?”
“What’s what?” I say taking a syringe from Carmelo and removing the cap. Since he’s taking his time, I’ll force his hand and speed this up. “It’s a special cocktail I have just for you. You see…” I sink the needle into his thigh and press down so every last drop enters his body “…when I met up with an old friend in Miami not long ago, he gave this to me when he hugged me goodbye. A token, if you will.”
“What is it? Why does it burn?”
“It’s rattlesnake venom. Raw and pure from a milking farm in Florida.” At my words the panic begins. The more agitated he becomes, the faster the toxins travel through his bloodstream. Soon, he’ll begin to feel some numbness in his limbs and begin to sweat. There might be some nausea or loss of sight…maybe even some bleeding as his organs begin to shut down. An unattended rattler bite is deadly. “Now, what were you saying about her twenty-first birthday? What are they planning to do?”
“Kill me,” Frank slurs a bit, some spit escaping from the right side of his mouth. “Please. Just end this.”
“Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll gift you some mercy.”
“What about my wife—”
“She’ll keep the bar and be taken care of. Not that you ever gave a shit about her to begin with.”
His head lolls back. “Tell her I am sorry.”
“Done. Now say it.”
More tears fall, and he has a tough time swallowing, so I offer him water from a bottle Carmelo thought to bring with him. The hemotoxin is working faster than I anticipated. That, or he’s having an allergic response to it. Either way, I’m getting what I need from him.
“Thank you.”
“None needed. Carry on.”
With difficulty, he brings his head up and focuses his stare on me. “They’re going to sell London’s virginity to the highest bidder on the night of her twenty-first birthday. They want to break—pass her around to anyone willing to pay the fee—until nothing is left but a shell of a woman. Then, when his control is obsolete, Marcus wants to kill her after she signs everything over to him and Alton.”
There it is. The ultimate goal.
His next intake of air is difficult, and I notice his face swelling.
Pulling my favorite knife from my back pocket, I flip it open and let the steel blade reflect a bit of the light in the room. “Anything else I should know?”
“You have a—” He doesn’t get to finish as I bury my knife up his skull via his chin. The long blade lodges itself, and I twist the handle to make sure he’s dead.
Frank’s body sags against the chains and his breathing is no more.
“Clean this up, and take Jimmy home,” I say while removing my knife. “He can thank me another day for killing the scum responsible for his pain.”
32
WHEN I WALK IN the door a few hours later, I find London asleep on the couch. There’s a repeat of her favorite show playing, the women fighting about something that no one cares about, yet my girl finds amusing. The trashier the show, the more she loves it.
Taking the control from her hand, I turn the TV off and set it aside. My eyes stay on her beautiful face and pouty lips. On how she’s smiling a tiny bit.
That innocence in her kills me. Makes me throb.
It reminds me of her inexperience, yet how eager to learn she is to please me.
“Sorry for missing it, pretty girl,” I whisper, leaning down to nuzzle her soft cheek. “I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”
Being late tonight was inevitable. After disposing of Frank and having Jimmy taken home to his not-pregnant wife, I sat down to have a conversation with Javier and my lawyer.
Amelia’s home is back in the legal possession of her daughter. A judge sided with London over the contest of the will, seeing that several changes were made the day of her death and the filing signature was wrong. As of today, at four thirty in the afternoon, she no longer has a guardian. The accounts are hers and the stipend will be deposited into an account I made for her in my bank.
No one has the right to touch a single cent of hers.
The Fosters will be served with an eviction notice tomorrow, and she won’t be in Chicago when it happens. I’m taking her away. Giving us a break.
Javier has his instruction, and Mariah will hold the fort down, emailing me only when it’s an emergency they can’t handle.
“How do you plan to do that?” One eye is open, and she looks adorable in her fake annoyance. “Cause the episode you missed was epic.”
“Is that so? Who fought with whom this week?” Slipping my arms beneath her body, I pick up her grumpy form off the couch and carry her into our room. Not once since moving in has she slept anywhere but beside me. “Or did the dude go to the strip club? Was he caught getting friendly with a dancer?”
“Neither.” There’s a pout in her tone, and I kiss her. Nip the plump bottom lip while she rolls her eyes. “The mother was tripping on his girl and they fought over dinner. Food and cheap wine went everywhere.”
I lower her down to the mattress, laying her back so I can crawl over her body. “How can you watch those shows?”
Boggles the mind how much she enjoys these things.
“Cheesy goodness, boo. It’s all in the cheesy goodness.”
“Do you think you can give those up for a few days starting tomorrow?” I kiss her chin, then neck, licking a path down London’s throat toward her chest.
“Why?” She arches to give me better access. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” I leave open-mouthed kisses across each breast, dipping my tongue between the two to tease the skin. “Just you and me…”
“You and me what?” she hisses when I drag my tongue beneath the edge of her tank and find a nipple.
I take the tight tip between my teeth and pull, sliding my teeth over the sensitive skin as I release her. “We’re just going on a little vacation to a secluded island…a few days of fun in the sun and some training. Nothing special.”
Twirl pushes me back to look at my face with a perfect brow raised. “You said what now?”
“Vacation starting—”
“When do we leave?”
“Six hours.”
“Are you serious?” She’s wiggling beneath me to slip away, but I lower my body fully atop hers. Lips to lips and chest to chest, I’m pinning her to the mattress. “Can you move?”
“No.” My hands grab her legs and wrap them around my waist. “Not going anywhere.”
“But we need to pack.” Twirl tries to sound stern but fails miserably when it comes out a low moan.
“No, we don’t.” Flexing my hips, I let her feel me. How hard I always am for her. “I have everything you’ll need already packed, sweetheart. My personal shopper took care of everything with Mariah’s help. No need to rush. Just let me feel you a little.”
This place is amazing,” Twirl squeals, rushing up the coral-carved stairway that leads to the main house of this tropical oasis. She walks from the entrance to the living room with one goal in mind; she stands at the veranda with both hands holding onto the wood and takes in a deep, cleansing breath.
The warm sun, tropical trees, and the salt air will soothe even the most savage beast.
The place is huge and very private. Open space, the main house is made to blend the inside with nature—no windows or doors—just the cooling breeze and the sounds of waves crashing below surround you.
This luxury retreat is ours for the next five days. Just the two of us.
No outside distractions or problems.
No worries outside of how to entertain ourselves.
The staff here signs an NDA with each new renter that books, and they’re to be off the island by sundown unless otherwise told to. They cook, clean, take care of setting up activities and disappear to a smaller island a short boat ride away that houses their accommodations.
It’s the perfect vacation.
The de-stressor we need.
Where I plan to make her mine.
“I’m glad you approve.” Walking up behind her, I wrap my arm around her waist. It’s still early, and the warm waters of the Atlantic look inviting. “Care to take a swim with me?”
“Don’t we need to unpack first?” There’s a hint of a pout in her tone and I almost laugh. Almost.
“You’re right. We should.” My other hand travels lower, down to the edge of her short khakis with a side-tie that make me want to bite her. Kneel before her and undo the small knot holding the almost-indecent piece of clothing in place with my teeth. “It’s the responsible thing to do.”
“You’re right, Malcolm. Adult first and play later?” Twirl pushes her ass against my front, grinding just a tiny bit. She’s tempting me. I know she’s craving—almost desperate for my touch—but I have other plans for us.
So, I grit my teeth and let her. Let her feel me. How I throb for her and her alone.
And when her arm reaches back to embed her fingers in my hair, I pull back. Release my hold a few seconds before the woman that cleans wheels our luggage toward the master suite. She doesn’t look at us, just takes the pathway below us down toward a private bungalow.
“That was mean.”
Ignoring her question, I reach back and pull my T-shirt off. Lay it on the back of a chair near us. “Did you bring a swimsuit in your backpack like I told you to?”
Blue eyes narrow. “Yes.”
“Then hurry up and change in that bathroom beyond the wall. You have twenty minutes, or I come to take you with me as is.”
“And if I say no?”
“Try me.”
“I’m going to get you back for this,” she huffs and walks past me, shaking those luscious hips while leaving the room. Walking over to the intercom by the wall, I press the number two for the kitchen and wait for someone to pick up.
“How can I be of service?” the voice of an older woman says as the clanging of metal on metal comes through the speaker. “Would you like something prepared for lunch? A snack, maybe?”
“Something light will do. We’re going to take a swim and just need something to hold us over until dinner.”
“Understood, sir. I’ll work on that now and it’ll be ready shortly.” She pauses for a moment, and the sound of a door closing follows. “Any requests?”
“Surprise me.” I remove my belt next and empty my pockets, putting the items on a coffee table. The shorts I have on will have to do. Looking for my trunks at the moment is a waste of time. Time I could be kissing her instead. Feeling her pliant flesh beneath my fingertips. “However, dinner needs to be followed to my every last detail. Do you have the menu?”
“Yes, sir.” London walks out then wearing a tiny, itty-bitty little scrap of fabric that doesn’t cover much and I find decadent. My eyes eat her up, cock hardening as she struts past me and down the stairway that leads down toward the beach and the rest of the island. Those hips tell me to follow. Her small giggle tells me she knows exactly what she’s doing to me. “We have our instructions. Preparations are set to begin early this evening while you and your spouse ready yourselves for dinner. Once you are served and dessert finished, we’ll vacate and be a call away if we are needed for any reason.”
“Perfect. Thank you.” I press the end button and before my slip-on Adidas are off, I’m rushing after her. When I make it down to the long stretch of beach on this side, she’s facing the water with her soft skin glistening under the high midday sun. There’s a hint of sweat on her with the scent of coconuts from the lotion she’s applying on her arms.
Fuck, she bends down to get her legs, and that’s the last straw for me. Before Twirl can make a run for it or evade me, I grab her by the hips and toss that tight, curvy body over my shoulder. She screams. Wiggles in my hold.
It’s not a deterrent.
On her next shriek of laughter, I toss her in the water and then follow. I swim up to her when she rights herself, pushing her wet hair back and away from her face. Her eyes narrow while my smile grows.
“That wasn’t very nice, Mr. Asher.”
“Neither is your teasing.” She goes to open her mouth, but I pull her in close and steal a quick kiss. “Besides, you looked in need of a cool off. What kind of a man would I be if I didn’t take care of your every need?”
“Christ, that was amazing.” London sits back, patting her nonexistent stomach. For the past ten minutes I’ve been watching her, ignoring my slice of the key lime pie so I can focus on how sinfully she ate hers. Those sweet, low moans. How she drags the spoon past her berry-colored lips after swallowing.
The way that tiny pink tongue peeks out to swipe the excess sweetness she missed.
It’s been torture while I nurse my fifth of gin.
“I’m glad you enjoyed dinner, sweetheart.”
Twirl smiles at me, pushing a wayward curl out of her face. “It’s not just dinner, Malcolm. The entire day has been incredible…you’re almost too good to be true.”
“But I am, London.” Bringing the glass to my lips, I drain the rest before placing it down. “I’m right here, and there’s nowhere I want to be but with you.”
“You’re nothing like I thought you would be.” Azure eyes twinkle in the candlelight as she leans forward a bit, showing me more of the cleavage that’s teased me all evening. The flowing white maxi dress with a halter-style neckline is both sexy and innocent.
It fits her perfectly with just a high enough slit over her right leg to keep me hard all night.
She’s the entire package. My version of perfection.
My little love.
“That’s because you’re the only person in this world that will ever see this side of me. Just you.”
A touch of pink grazes her cheek as a smirk curls up at her lips. “Is that so? Why am I so special?”
“Because you are mine.” Pushing my chair back, I hold out a hand for her to take. “Now, take a walk with me.”
33
“MALCOLM,” SHE SIGHS, LEANING her head back against my chest while taking in the scene in front of her: The lone bed sitting in the middle of the white sandy beach with gauzy drapery flowing in the breeze. The lit candles on a small table holds a bottle of chilled wine and chocolate-dipped strawberries. How the waves crash upon the shore a few feet from where we stand and the million and one stars that cast a soft light on us. “How? When?”
“I want you, London. Every piece of you for as long as I have breath in my body,” I croon, lips skimming the fragrant skin of her neck. My hands explore lower, down her stomach to her hips where I grip her. Pull her to me. “You’ve changed my life. You’re my everything.”
“I feel the same way. You own me.”
“Do I have your heart? Your trust?” I pause and wait. Needing to hear her say the words we’ve been holding in. Because I know she does.
It’s in her eyes. The smile she gifts me. How she constantly finds a way to tell me what she hasn’t with her actions.
Cooking a meal. Making my coffee and bringing it to me while I shave.
Accepting my family without preconceived notions or judgments.
By choosing me. Choosing to let me in.
“I do,” she says, a low whisper in the wind, but I hear them. Loud and clear. They also make me think of a future where I tie her to me in all the ways a man can. “It’s fast and our lives are crazy, but Malcolm, I…” Twirl takes in a deep breath and then lets it out slow “…I love you.”
At that moment, my life began.
Everything prior was a warm-up. A build up to what—the man I could be.
Because her love is what makes me a man. I’m worthy of her.
Her love. Devotion. Trust.
Everything else could go fuck itself; she’s what matters. Her opinions of me are what matter.
“I love you, too. So fucking much, London.” Turning her around, I wrap my arms around her and lift her off the ground so we’re chest to chest. My lips hovering over hers. “You’re the only thing in my life that matters, and I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you this. No matter what the future brings, what obstacles life may throw our way, my love for you will never be in question.”
Watery eyes meet mine with so much emotion that my heart clenches. “Thank you.”
“Never thank me for what I was born to do. Loving you is a gift.”
“I love you,” she says against my lips and on her next pass, I take possession of her mouth. Kiss her with every bit of my love—with the uncontrollable fire that burns within for the beauty writhing in my arms. She’s hungry for me, fighting for control of this kiss as our teeth clash and tongues taste.
Her hands are in my hair as I undo the knot at her nape holding the dress up. It falls to the ground and I reach for her thighs once more to hoist her up. Fingertips roam her skin, down her back, and over her ass, where I find nothing.
I take a step back, much to her protest, but I want to see her like this. Naked and in the moonlight with the ocean behind her. Fuck, my Twirl is flawless. Beautiful.
“Like what you see?” she says while looking at me from beneath her long lashes. A coy look that’s sexy, but it’s the sassy bite behind the questions that makes her dangerous. At this moment, this singular second, I’m her prey as I take in her silhouette.
