3. RONAN

RONAN

THREE

M y hunting trips always follow strict routines which are carefully planned out to ensure a smooth and undetected return home. But this time, there's a glaringly obvious factor that threatens to disrupt my plans: the beautiful glowing flag that is my angel.

I watch the man, a local woodsman, slap her across the face before roughly grabbing at her hair and I feel my anger and protectiveness flare up inside me. Every instinct screams at me to go in and rip his hands off before fucking him in the ass with them for touching my perfect girl. But as I take a step to intervene, my sweet angel surprises me once again with her fierce determination and strength. She fights back with everything she has, scratching and clawing at her attacker until she finally manages to reach for my lighter. And as she holds it up, I can't help but wonder if she's reading my name, and what she thinks of it.

My smirk turns into a cruel snarl as I watch her burn the man's hand, relishing in his cries of agony as she scampers to get away. I'm very impressed at her quick thinking, but that swiftly turns to confused annoyance as she drops to her knees, searching for my lighter. Why? Just leave the fucking thing. She clutches it protectively, hiding it back in her bra like some precious treasure. Before I can make a move, the man slams her against a nearby tree and his filthy hands roam over her pure body. My blood boils and I charge toward them, my control slipping away. I've had enough. I allowed her to have independence before, but now I'm taking complete possession of her.

"Please," she gasps, her voice a strangled plea that grips my heart like a vice. I've never felt this pain before. "Ronan!"

My name falling from her lips is too much. She's calling for help, from me. She knows I'm here; she knows I'm going to find her. She knows that I didn't leave her and she is begging for me.

A protective fury unlike anything I've ever felt consumes me as I charge them. I wrench the man's head back by his greasy hair and slam it against the tree trunk with all my might, over and over until the sickening crunches fade into a wet, sloppy mush. Blood sprays onto my face as I bend down and rip his belt from his fallen pants and bind his arms behind his back, dislocating his shoulder in the process. With satisfaction, I fling him to the ground and turn to face my trembling girl. My once innocent angel looks broken and bruised. Kneeling before her, I meet her tear-filled gaze, my eyes burning with murderous intent.

"You came," she breathes in disbelief. How foolish of her to think I wouldn't come for her. There is no escape for her. I will always find her.

"I told you I'd find you," I whisper softly.

"Ronan." I despise my name. It represents a past that I've tried to forget and leave behind. The people who were supposed to love me unconditionally ended up rejecting me and casting me out like Lucifer from the Gilded Gates, damning me for daring to question the status quo. That's why I discarded my wretched name, taking on the one Sister Agatha would hiss at me before choking me with her rosary. But now, as I hear it spoken with such grace from her lips and see the look in her eyes as she stares up at me like I'm her hero, her savior... There is no name I'd rather be called.

"Everly." My eyes snap to hers as I furrow my brows.

"What?" I ask, noting the fucker next to us is coming to, not that it matters, he'll succumb to those injuries after a few agonizingly painful moments.

"My name, you asked me at the coffee shop, my name is Everly."

"Everly," her name rolls off my tongue as if it belongs there, a perfect fit for the woman before me. It's soft and melodic, like a song I've been singing for years. The syllables blend together seamlessly, it's timeless, sensual and perfect—everything she is. "Everly," I repeat, loving the way her name feels. "Such a beautiful name and you go by Pip ." She lets out a laugh of surprise and the feeling that sound awakens inside me, it's damn near terrifying.

"No, I… Pip is short for Pipsqueak. It's what my boy—ex-boyfriend called me." Boyfriend? She has— had a boyfriend? A boyfriend who took her to that shop, would buy her coffee and did so regularly enough that the staff knew her by that atrocious nickname. A boyfriend who would touch those lips, look into those eyes and taste that sweet pussy. To say I'm not a fan of this turn of events would be an understatement. The thought of another man laying claim on what's mine, what was put on this Earth for me, it's enough to cause me to snap.

"Boyfriend huh?" I huff while standing up, the urge to hit something becoming overwhelming. "What a romantic nickname," I sneer while reaching into her shirt and plucking out my lighter.

"Ex," she corrects as I light my cigarette. "We broke up."

"When?" I ask before taking a long drag. I note the redness in her cheeks as she looks away.

"I don't know how long we've been ummm…in the car but, it was the night before the coffee shop." My cigarette falls from my mouth at her words.

"Three days ago?" I'm in complete shock at this. My angel, my beautiful creature has truly been put precisely in my path for a reason. It's destiny, fate, divine intervention. How else can you explain it? "You are hours from your last fuck and already getting wet for another man?" I smirk, while stepping on my fallen cigarette. "You probably still have him inside you and yet you're begging for me?"

"I never begged!" she huffs, full of indignation. "And he and I haven't in…well it's none of your business but it's been a while." Lies. No man would dare lay claim over her and not bury his cock inside her every fucking night.

"My pretty girl, why? Why would you lie to me? It's okay, that was before us, I can't fault you for that. But to lie about the last time?—"

"I'm not lying, he preferred other girls. And there is no us. " I glance down at her still naked pussy, bare and singing my name. I've been a gentleman up to this point, keeping my eyes off her exposed flesh but now, now I need her. Knowing that just hours before she crossed my path, she was breaking up with another man, it fills me with an urge to take her, to consume her.

"Ronan," she gasps as I lean over her while she moves back on the large rock she's seated on. "Y-You don't have to do this." Her words come out breathy as her hooded eyes stare at my mouth.

"Don't I?" I murmur while my hands find their way up her silky thighs. "I believe I won our bet, meaning I get to claim my prize."

"But, he's…" She gestures to the twitching, garbling man who's staring at us with the one eye still in its socket.

"You're right," I state as I stand and jerk her up. "He's not going to want to miss this." I lean her over the rock as I palm her ass roughly.

"Ronan!" She gasps and tries to pull away. "We can't! He's dying and staring at me!"

"And yet," I whisper as my hand slaps her full, glistening pussy lips, causing her to cry out. "Your greedy cunt is dripping at the thought." I ram two of my fingers inside and nearly fall to my knees in worship. This woman will own me the second I'm inside her, I know it. And to think I was going to kill her. "Tell me you want him to watch as a real man fucks you," I growl while fingering her harder. "Say you like the thought of the last thing he sees is his killer fucking you senseless."

"I-I can't…" she whines while clawing at the rock, her gaze never leaving his as he fights for air.

"Oh but you will. Your pussy is going to mold to my cock so perfectly and right before he dies, you're going to explode around me, your eyes never leaving his."

"Ronan… no, I don't… Oh my god!" she screams as a burst of fluid rushes from her. I look down at the mess she's created and smirk. She's fucking sin wrapped in a saint. I waste no time pull ing myself out of my pants and pressing myself against her soaked entrance. She looks over her shoulder to stare at me but I grab her hair and force her to stare at the man.

"Show him how turned on you are getting fucked while watching him die, Everly."

"Oh god," she whispers, filled with shame. I insert myself and she tries to move away at the intrusion but I grip her while ramming into her. "Fuck!" She cries out.

"You're so tight," I whimper, lifting her shirt and kissing her back. "My angel, your cunt is so tight… fuck I can barely think straight."

"Ronan," she whines my name as I pull back and push back in. I notice her gaze is on the man as her walls pulsate around me.

"That's my girl," I whisper my praise while rubbing her clit as I drive into her deeper. "Tell him, be my good girl and tell him."

"No," she growls while trying to look away. She's fighting, resisting letting go of this last strand of humanity—if only I could get her to see it's delusion, not humanity. Her mouth can spew all the lies all she wants but her body is humming another tune. I start quickly smacking her clit, causing her to scream in pleasure; she's close, I feel it. But she's not going to find her release, I won't reward her until she obeys.

"What are you doing?" She shrieks as I start to pull out. She tries to force me back but I grab her by the back of the neck and lead her to the man. Shoving her to the ground in front of his wheezing body, I kick open her legs before driving myself inside her again. I watch her as she looks from him to me and back. The shame building with her arousal. He garbles something and she closes her eyes. I stop moving and grab her throat tightly, causing her to gasp as I raise a brow.

"I'll do this all day, Angel. Now, are we going to use our words so we can find our high or do you want to keep this up?" Shaking her head, she looks back at the man and I release my hold on her, reveling in the sounds she makes as I allow air to flow freely through her once more.

"R-Ronan," She moans as I thrust into her. "You make me feel so—" I stop and look at her, it's her final warning.

Relenting, she looks at him and swallows, "You disgust me, you vile pig," she hisses and I slowly begin moving again. "You deserve your slow death… Oh god… and I hope you know that I am getting off on this, but it's not… fuck…" She arches her back and I feel her building up. "It's not because you're looking. It's because you're dying…you tried to take something from me, but instead I'm taking something from y-you! Shit…Ronan!" she screams my name while drenching my cock. Deciding that fuck has gotten enough of her attention, I yank her to me. Standing up I slam her into the tree as I thrust into her again and again, my eyes never leaving her glazed over ones. She whimpers with each thrust as she wraps her small hands around my throat. She begins to squeeze tightly and it's too much. I can't breathe at all as she leans forward and bites my lip.

"Watching the light leave your eyes might turn me on too." Her words are my undoing, I pin her to the tree as I rapidly release inside her, each of my thrusts more frantic and rougher than the last all while my vision starts to blacken at the edges. I grip her wrist and though it takes a little force, I remove them from my neck while breathing in oxygen once more.

"Oh, and I'm the psycho?" I pant as she smirks. It's the first time I truly see her deviant side. Her darkness I knew was hiding just below the surface. It's glorious—she's glorious, and she's mine. I lean in, capturing her lips with mine roughly. I feel her tense and she fights against me, shoving me away.

"Asshole," She snaps while standing on her shaky legs. I watch in amusement as my cum, mixing with hers runs down her thigh.

"Might wanna tuck that back in there, Angel. Wouldn't want you to lose it." She looks to where I'm gesturing and her face goes red.

"Oh my god," she whispers in shock. "I just had sex with my kidnapper, next to my dying attacker."

I take off my hoodie, leaving me in my black undershirt and hand it to her. "You say it with such regret when sixty seconds ago you were announcing me as your new God."

"Shut up!" she hisses, ripping the hoodie from me and putting it on. "So now what?"

I give her a lazy shrug before pulling my pocket knife out. I open it before flipping the blade into my hand, offering her the handle.

"When you shove it in, twist your wrist before pulling it back out, keeps the wound from sealing and the bleed out is faster."

"What?" She laughs in shock. "I-I'm not killing him."

"Fair enough," I state while closing the knife and stuffing it back into my pocket. "So you want to head to a hotel and get some food?" Her face drops as she scratches her head.

"What about him?"

"What about him?" I repeat while looking the body over.

"Shouldn't we… take him to a hospital or something?" I laugh in actual surprise.

"You're kidding. He just tried to rape you. "

"And you tried to kill me yet here we are," she huffs and I roll my eyes.

"First off, I'ver never tried to kill you. If I want you dead, you're dead. Which leads me to my next point, he is dead. No hospital can save him, he doesn't have that kind of time. And third, even if they could save him, I wouldn't take him to the hospital because he tried to rape you. " Christ, this girl is as naive as she is beautiful. I have no choice, I'm going to have to protect her from everyone and everything—including herself.

"So you're just going to leave him here to suffer?"

I roll my head up to the sky. She's a lot easier to deal with when she's unconscious. "No, my beautiful creature. You are leaving him here to suffer. I offered you the knife and you said no. I figured you wanted to make good on what you said to him while I was fucking you."

"Ronan!" I don't particularly enjoy the scolding tone she uses to say my name. "I-I didn't…I mean…you––"

"Ohhh I see what's happening." I smirk while nodding my head. "If you don't do it, it's like he died because of me, right? Sorry, baby, that's not how this is going to work. See I don't care about him, to be fair I'm not really sure what it is that I feel about you. I mean, I saved you from getting raped and murdered… but did I do it because I care, or was it because someone else was trying to break my new toy? You get what I'm saying?" She stares at me blankly and I groan. "I'm the only one that gets to end your life. Me. Myself. Your soul, your air, your orgasms, they belong to me. Not him."

"Wow," She huffs out. "You're disgusting."

"And your pussy wept for me." I smirk as she avoids my gaze. "Listen, yes, I have a large body count, I could gut him and not think about it again. But that's not going to happen. Why? Because you are going to do it. He tried to hurt you. I stepped in but you're finishing the job. You are not a damsel in distress, Everly. You don't need me, or anyone else to swoop in to save you. Now—" pulling the knife back out, I extend it to her once more. "End him."

"I can't," Her lip wobbles as tears roll down her scratched cheeks. "I'm not a killer, I'm not a monster. I can't do that to him, please… don't make me."

"Okay, then we leave, you get drugged—and I'm tying your legs too, this time—before throwing your ass in the trunk; and he's going to sit here, slowly dying, and that's going to be on you . If you would rather prolong his pain, that's on you. Again, I'm not the one putting this kill under my belt. This is your kill, you just decide if you want to remember it as fast and efficient or slow and drawn out— cowardly ."

"I hate you," she spits out.

"I never thought otherwise, Angel. Now, what's your choice? And let me just say this before you decide. What really makes a monster? I suggested a quick end to his suffering, you, my dear are the one dragging out his pain." I smile coldly as she snatches the knife from my hand before crouching in front of the man. He's dead, he probably died when I was still buried in her cunt, but I'm not about to tell her that. I need to see what she'll do, what parts of her morality she's willing to part with. I need to know if she and I are truly halves of the same soul, and the only way to find out is to get the first kill out of the way. She doesn't need to know that it's being done on a test dummy of sorts. See? I can be a nice guy.

Everly grips the man's head, grimacing as she does so while…

"Everly, baby. You're going to have to use more speed and force than that." This is almost embarrassing to watch as she tries to slowly push the knife into his neck.

"Do it yourself or shut up! I'm trying to aim!"

"Aim? It's a fucking knife! Just stab it in. You ever stab into a roast?"

"Oh my god Ronan! Shut the fuck up!" she screams, jabbing the knife into the man's neck. She lets out a gasp of surprise and I see her about to yank it out but she pauses and twists the knife before ripping it back out. She's still for several long seconds before she stands up and walks over to me, dropping the bloody knife into my hand.

"You can drug me," she says softly, "But please, no more tying me up. I can't…please?" She refuses to make eye contact with me and it's causing an ache in my chest I don't much like. Glancing at the dead body I feel something I've never felt after a kill.

Is…is this regret?