Chapter 19

While I stop at one beer, Bella enjoys herself, which is just what I want. She deserves to relax, have some fun. There’s going to be too much bad shit coming, and maybe this fun night will help her through those times.

“You wanna know my personal record of how many shifts I’ve worked in a row?” she asks as she sips at her third Mai Tai. “Too many!” she laughs, but then her eyes narrow in thought. “Actually, I think twenty is my record. Can you imagine? Twenty days in a row, no time off at all, serving those big ass blue plate specials?”

“I bet you put some muscles on during that stretch.”

“Yeah, right.” She snorts but then says proudly, “That was a long stretch, but I made my tuition payment in cash one week before the semester started.”

“I have to ask, why stay there?” I ask as I sip at my green tea. “You work too many hours for too little pay. I’m sure you could find something better, even if it was only temporary.”

“Maybe I could, but I like it there. I love the people, and Martha works with me. That reminds me of a funny story, actually. Well, it’s funny now, looking back, but it definitely wasn’t at the time,” she says, not slurring her words but definitely getting giggly.

“What happened?”

“It was right after my aunt passed, and I’d been fired from my retail job because I took off two weeks to grieve and plan a funeral. I had no idea what I was going to do for money or even food. I’d applied at a ton of places but just wasn’t getting any bites.”

Her eyes have gone hazy, her mind faraway in the past, so to bring her back, I tease lightly, “You’re right, this story sounds hilarious.”

It works as she rolls her eyes, a small smile curling her lips. “Anyway,” she draws out sassily, “I was at The Gravy Train and ordered a sausage biscuit breakfast, thought I had the five bucks on me. When I went to pay and looked in my wallet, what I thought was a five was a grocery list. I was dead-broke, literally with just a few cents to rub together, and my bank account was on zero. I was so embarrassed.”

“What’d they do?”

“They called the cops!”

My eyes go wide, thinking of sweet and protective Martha and her beleaguered husband calling the police on a poor, broken-down young woman. “No way.”

“Hell, yes, they did!” Bella laughs. “But while we were waiting, Henry started lecturing me on looking for handouts and being sneaky about stealing from good people. Somewhere in the middle of his Disappointed Dad routine, he threatened to call my parents, wagging finger and all.”

She mimes a stern face, pointed finger rant, then her face softens. “I told him I didn’t have any. That stopped him short and he got real quiet. His lecture turned into more questions, and I was too raw to hide anything about Reggie or my situation. By the time the cops got there, he said it was a misunderstanding and gave the cops a coffee each to go. I apologized for the mistake, promising that I’d pay him back as soon as I could, but he put me to work washing dishes that day. He sent me home with a to-go box... and ten bucks tucked inside the lid. Within a month, I was waiting tables. So they’ve always been good to me. They’re like family to me, and in a way, I feel like I owe them. They saved me when things were really dark and have had my back with schoolwork and schedules, cheering me on through every final and project.”

I nod, thinking about the mental debts we place on ourselves. “I’m glad you have them and they have you. It sounds like a match made in heaven.”

Bella inhales, confiding, “I like to think Reggie sent them to me, knowing I’d need someone. Martha and Henry are the closest thing I have to parents now.”

Her words pierce the air, and she looks down, clearing her throat. I reach across and take her hand. “It’s always good to have folks you can turn to. I wish I still did.”

“Your . . . your family’s gone too?” Bella asks.

“My parents are alive, out there somewhere.” I glance to the window, like my mom or dad might unexpectedly be standing there, but of course, they’re not. “But when my brother died, our family did too. We didn’t know how to love each other through it, and our grief took us further and further apart. I left as soon as I could, and my parents divorced shortly after that, both of them moving to the other side of the country to get away from the memories. I think seeing each other just reminded us of who was missing. Of the family we’d never have again. We kinda silently agreed to just let it all go to not hurt each other anymore.”

“I’m sorry,” she says simply. I’m glad she doesn’t give me shit for not seeking my parents out, especially considering her past.

It’s a complex thing, a parent-child relationship, and though it should have a foundation of love and be sprinkled through with happy memories and hopes for the future, sometimes, that’s just not possible.

“The last time I saw my mother, she accidentally called me Jeremy and we both froze,” I admit, a story I’ve never shared with anyone else. “I know she didn’t mean anything by it, certainly didn’t wish it’d been me and not him, but it was a dagger into both our hearts. I think not seeing me, with my similar appearance and my future he’ll never have, makes it easier to shove it all down and live on superficially without dwelling. At least that’s what I tell myself when I think about reaching out to them and need to talk myself out of it.”

Bella reaches out and places her hand on top of mine. “Thank you.”

We finish our meal, sharing mostly happier stories and learning about each other. I have to be careful to not divulge too much, which is surprisingly hard. I’m accustomed to lies and half-truths, diversions and distractions. But I find myself wanting to tell Bella everything, ugly truth and all, but that’s a danger neither of us can afford. So I stick to lighter times and she seems to follow suit.

By the time we finish, my belly hurts as much from the laughter as the overabundance of spicy glazed chicken and rice, and Bella’s cheeks are stained a soft pink.

As we walk out, Bella’s good humor and a bit of the alcohol sillies amps up. “I just had a date.” She does a cute wiggly-ass dance move that makes me think dirty thoughts about smacking that round globe before she teeters a little.

“Whoops!”

“Had? It’s not over yet, Princess,” I correct her, steadying her. “I didn’t know you were a lightweight with the Mai Tais.”

“I’m not a lightweight!” she protests, eventually standing steadily on her own. “I just haven’t had a real drink in like... months. But mostly, this is just me being... happy.” She smiles, looking clear-eyed, and I realize it’s true. She’s not tipsy, or at least not too tipsy.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t take you home, give you a polite kiss on the cheek at the door, and go back to my motel room?” I ask, smirking but serious. “I wouldn’t want to take advantage.”

Bella blanches and slaps my chest. “If you even think of doing that, I’m going to be so pissed at you I’ll sic Vash on you!”

“Ooh, not that! She’s a demon beast,” I deadpan. “Guess I’d better plan to stay a while, then?” It’s not until I say the words that I realize how much I truly want to stay with Bella, not just tonight, but for a lot longer.

A tiny whisper in my head says forever, but I quiet it with reminders that I’m not the type of man a woman like Bella needs. Scarred, monstrous, feared, with blood-covered hands and a sin-soaked soul is not the way to reach the mountaintop she wants.

I turn the radio on low as we drive back to Bella’s house. She’s changed the station, and while The Weeknd isn’t my normal cup of tea, the intense sexual beat of Call Out My Name supercharges the atmosphere inside my Range Rover. I look over at Bella, who’s smiling, biting her lip as she tugs at the hem of her dress, sliding it up her knee and making it hard to tell myself that she’s not mine, not for me, because fuck, do I want her, and she wants me in return.

“Gabe?”

“Yes?” I ask, but I see that she’s prompting me, my eyes darting back and forth from the road and her creamy thighs.

I clear my throat, reaching over and putting my hand over hers just before she can reach her panties. “If you don’t stop, I’m either getting in an accident or pulling over and taking you in the back of this vehicle.”

Bella chuckles and takes my hand, placing it very high on her left thigh. “I’m so tempted, but I’ll be good and wait.” I give us both a taste, a promise of what the night holds by drawing a small circle on her satin skin with my thumb.

When we get back to her place, Vash is waiting for us, yowling in protest when the door opens. “Oh, hush, you spoiled brat!” Bella tells her, feigning a scolding, but the love is apparent. “Go catch a mouse or something!”

I reach down to pet her, hoping the milk offering will have made her friendlier toward me, but she hunches her back and eyes me warily. No hisses at least, so maybe I’m making progress.

Before I can get Vash to come to me, Bella shuts the door and pulls me to her. Cat forgotten, I press Bella against the wall, kissing her deeply as I lift her leg, running my hand up her thigh and under the hem of her dress. Her skin’s electric, and as I reach higher, cupping her ass, she moans into my mouth.

“Knew I loved these heels,” she purrs as I massage her cheek, pressing her ass back into my hand. “Just the right height.”

I growl in her ear, my desire taking over. Last time, I held back, letting her have what she needed... but while I’ve opened up to her tonight, I haven’t told her everything.

And that everything is more than she can even guess. It’s what drives me, telling me that if I’m going to make this woman mine, then I’m going to make her mine.

It’s the only way we’ll survive.

“Bathroom,” she purrs, pushing my jacket off my shoulders to fall to the floor.

I pull her to me, kissing her hard as we stumble toward the bathroom, a trail of clothing in our wake. I’m dimly aware in the little corner of my mind that never turns off that the door to her ‘painting room’ is shut.

All questions about why are driven from my mind as we enter the bathroom, the tile cool on my bare feet. I step back, watching Isabella strip the rest of the way for me.

The shower head angles over an old-fashioned clawfoot tub, surrounded with a clear plastic curtain that she pushes out of the way. I watch Isabella reach over and turn on the water, and I can’t help but give her ass a good smack, making her gasp.

She leans over a little more, and her legs part invitingly, giving me a view of her pussy. “Stay there.”

I kneel and bury my tongue in her from behind, my hands pulling her to me. I’m rewarded with a deep moan as I bathe her pussy with a wide, flat tongue, feasting on her essence.

“Yes, Gabe, yes!” she cries softly as I slip inside her. She’s sweet and spicy, and I lick furiously, thirsty for her sweet slickness, desperate to drink her down.

Isabella pushes back into my face, her knees quaking when I find her clit with my thumb as my tongue thrusts inside her. Her head drops, a deep moan of pleasure tearing through her as her knees unlock. If it wasn’t for her hands supporting her on the high side of the tub, she’d collapse, but I don’t let up, wanting to wrench every bit of pleasure from her that I can.

“That’s it, Princess... give me your come,” I growl against her puffy, sopping-wet lips. The sounds coming from my mouth are deep, primal as I suck and lick, my tongue snaking as deep as I can inside while I consume her.

I’m addicted. I’m never giving her up. She’s mine.

Isabella’s body shakes as she finds the deep release I’ve been driving her toward, whimpering as her orgasm shakes her, and I pull back, holding her as she trembles. “You’re mine,” I whisper in her ear, letting my possessive thoughts take weight in the words. “You’re mine, and I’m going to show you what that means.”

She nods, her legs still spaghetti as we get into the shower. The warm spray feels amazing on my back as I hold Bella close, my cock rock-hard and pressed against her back.

I let her recover, picking up the bar of soap and washing her body, my fingers tracing the curves of her stomach and hips before massaging her breasts.

Her nipples pebble tightly under my slippery fingers, and she turns her head, looking at me with lust-filled eyes. “You... I need you, Gabe.”

“You have me,” I reply, kissing her lips softly at first. Isabella turns around and wraps her arms around my neck as the warm water cascades over us, our bodies slipping together as we kiss again, need building quickly between us. I lift her leg, holding under her knee until her foot finds the rim of the tub as I push her back, pinning her against the tile wall.

“Tell me what you want,” I command, looking in her eyes. “Tell me who you belong to.”

“You... I want you to fuck me with that big cock,” she rasps.

My lips smash against hers the second she gets it out, kissing her hard. My hips drive forward, and I’m rewarded with her cry into my mouth as my cock splits her open, swallowed by her tight pussy until I’m deep inside her. Her arms tighten around my neck, holding me still as she adjusts, and I grind against her, letting her feel me until she relaxes, and I feel her nod slightly against my neck.

“Please.”

Her voice is soft, barely audible over the rush of the shower spray, but it’s all I need as I pull back and start pumping my hips hard, my cock thrusting in and out of her as Bella holds onto me. The slightly curved bottom of the tub and the angle of our bodies mean I can’t go full out, but somehow, that makes each stroke even more enticing.

Her pussy squeezes me as our bodies press against each other, her nipples dragging over my chest as I pump in and out of her, our bodies moving not frantically, but with a harmony that grows within the confines of the shower.

“Give it to me, Gabe,” Bella grunts in between my strokes, her eyes looking deep into mine. A little hope flares inside me that there are layers to what she’s saying, and my cock swells, emotions adding to the pleasure pulsing through me with every slide of my cock in and out of her body.

“You’re mine,” I growl again, looking in her eyes and hoping she can understand that my two words mean a lot more than just my cock stretching her and setting her nerves on fire. She moans, and my hips speed up a little faster, my toes gripping the porcelain as best I can as the two of us come together, our bodies shaking as we approach the precipice.

Her pussy’s a vice around my shaft as the head of my cock rubs over the spots that she loves best, her stomach clenching as I pound her, deep and powerful. Bella tightens, her breath hitching as she’s driven to the very edge, and I kiss her hard again, swallowing her cries and biting her lip as I slam into her.

Once again, she shatters, her legs giving out, and she’s held up by just my arms and my cock, buried deep inside her perfect pussy. Her convulsions shake through her body and my cock, triggering my own climax. Lost in the waves of pleasure, I growl into her mouth, pulling out at the last possible second to cover her ass with my cream as my fingers dig into her hips, holding her still.

We stay there, frozen in our climax until the water starts to cool down, and I pull back, shutting it off. “Guess we ran out of hot water.”

Bella chuckles and nods, getting out. “Take me to bed.”

I wakeas close to paradise as I’ve ever been. Bella is nestled in my arms, her soft warmth pressed against me and her lips parted as she snores lightly, squirming every once in a while in her sleep.

She’s like this adorable combination of cuddler and gymnast that woke me up more than once as we slept. She’d turn, move, and nearly flip over me at times, all while totally asleep.

Her most recent position has her sleeping with her knees tucked up underneath her, her head turned toward me and her hair half lying over her eye. I run my hand over her back, and she hums, smiling in her sleep.

I don’t wake her up, even though the touch of her thigh against my cock is certainly waking it up this morning, but I let her rest.

Instead, I watch her, my hand tracing soothing circles on her back until she smiles. “I can feel you looking at me.”

“Didn’t know I had such a weighty gaze,” I murmur, kissing her forehead. “How’re you this morning?”

Bella stretches out, turning toward me and half opening her eyes. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to be walking funny again.”

“Are you saying I should be gentler?” I ask, making her laugh softly and snuggle against me, but I can feel her shaking her head, almost as if she’s embarrassed. “No?”

“I want it every way I can get it,” she promises me bravely, nuzzling under my chin. “But before anything else, I need two things... brushed teeth and a potty break.”

I pull her into my arms, kissing her gently. “Deal.”

Bella goes to take care of her bathroom needs while I do my best to make peace with the cat, giving her a bit of canned tuna in her bowl. Vash warily looks me up and down, then struts by like the actual owner of the house she is before starting to eat.

“Yeah, I see you, Vash. I get that you’re the boss. Maybe we can call a truce?” She doesn’t answer, but her tail waves lazily left to right, so I take it as a sign that she’s considering my offer.

I go back to the bedroom and pull on my pants before running my hands through my hair to tame the crazy mess I’m rocking. I’m barely half-dressed when Bella comes into the bedroom, her face freshly washed and looking as pristine and beautiful as an angel. “Bathroom’s yours.”

“Thanks,” I reply, going in and washing my face. Using my finger, I do a quick little rub over my teeth, hoping it’s enough to kill the morning breath, and while I do, I hear someone knock on the front door.

I’m instantly on alert, realizing how quickly I relaxed into being here with her and how readily I forgot about the dangers lurking.

As Bella comes down the hallway, I poke my head out of the bathroom. “Hey, let me—”

“I got it,” Bella assures me, tugging a long T-shirt over her head and down to brush her thighs. She goes to the door, opening it before I can say anything else.

Fuck.

“Good morning, Izzy. I’ve come to collect.”

I hear the sniveling voice, half bullying and half whining, and my fists clench as I realize who’s at the door. Carraby.

“Go away, Russell,” Bella says in a tired voice. “We’re done, remember? I’m paid up and on a payment schedule. I don’t need anymore of your bullshit.”

“Bullshit? We’ll see how much bullshit it is when I kick you out on the street.”

“You’re not kicking me anywhere, legally or otherwise.” I’m proud of how steady her voice is, so I pause, giving her a chance to handle this herself if she wants to. I’ll give her backup if she needs it, but Carraby should be glad that I don’t teach him a lesson the hard way.

“You’d best watch your tone. You’re paid up, but there ain’t nothing keeping me from taking what I really want.”

Even from here, I can hear the slimy threat. Money... and more.

I won’t tolerate any more.

I grab the hand towel, wrapping it around my right hand as I hear Bella say, “You mean like human morals and ethics?”

I take the three steps down the hall to find Bella staring at Russell, her face etched with fury. She’s got one hand on the door and one on the frame, acting as a roadblock to keep him from entering, but he’s taking advantage of her unwillingness to move back and grant him access by moving in closer and closer.

“You need to leave,” I say coldly. I’m measuring the distance from me to Bella, me to Carraby, and Carraby to Bella, already formulating how I’m going to protect her while quickly disabling him. It won’t take that much... it’s just how much I can get Bella to move out of the way.

Carraby looks at me, taking in my shirtless upper body and zipped but unbuttoned pants, his eyebrows lifting. I can see him trying to look more intimidating, and I already know this is going to end badly. He’s too out of control, too stuck in a rut of habitual bullying that he doesn’t recognize when he’s challenging someone better than him. Of course, that’s part of my special skill set. I’m an intimidating guy when I need to be, but it’s like a switch I can flip on and off.

“Oh, tough guy, huh? Fuck off. This ain’t none of your business.”

I move closer, slowly and methodically cutting the distance between me and the front door until I lay my hand on Bella’s shoulder. I ease her back from the threshold, taking her place. As soon as I do, I pull the door open wide, not wanting it to impede my actions if I have to make a move.

“She is my business. You heard her. You’re paid up. Leave, and don’t come back. I’ll be handling any future discussions you might need to have.”

It’s a huge overstep on my part, considering this isn’t something I’ve talked about with Bella, but I need to protect her from assholes like Carraby who will take advantage the instant my guard is down. He needs to learn now not to mess with what’s mine, and on a larger scale, that he can’t do whatever he wants without consequences.

There’s always a bigger fish in the pond, a sneakier fox in the henhouse, and a crueler hunter in the forest.

Carraby looks like he’s about to argue more, but instead, he takes one step forward. I let him, even step back as if I’m retreating. It’s a ruse, but I’m the only one who knows it.

Quick as a flash, he takes another step, leering wolfishly, and Bella cries out, “No!”

But it’s just what I want. As Carraby gets fully in the front door, he unleashes with a short-armed haymaker that barely avoids hitting the doorframe. I let the punch land on my chin, dodging just enough to let him connect but not hurt me.

And now the tables have turned.

He’s both come in, effectively trespassing without permission, and assaulted me first. Every legality is on my side. More importantly, though, he’s off balance, and I can do any of a half-dozen things to him that would range from inflicting pain to inflicting death, and he can’t stop me.

But I can’t overplay my hand with Bella here to witness this. So I temper my brutality and grab his shoulders, throwing a single powerful knee to his gut, delighting in the whoosh of air that leaves him as he doubles over.

Not letting him gain any distance, I turn him, wrapping my arm around his neck and holding him in a loose chokehold, darkly growling in his ear as I shove him toward the door. “Leave. Do not come back. Ever. Do not speak to Bella ever again. This is the only warning you’ll get, Carraby. Nod if you understand.”

His head moves slightly inside my arm, and I take that as agreement, though I know he’s only giving in right now because I have the upper hand. This isn’t over.

But any further actions will take place away from Bella.

I shove him out the door, and as soon as the pressure is off his neck, he begins blustering, red-faced and yelling nonsense, “Messed with the wrong... gonna regret... fucking bitch.”

I want to follow him, take him to a deserted place in the woods and teach him a real lesson in fear and intimidation. But instead, I use every ounce of willpower I possess and close the door, turning to face Bella.

Hoping she isn’t disgusted by me, by my actions and overstepping comments, I await her judgement. It comes as she breaks down and launches herself at me, hugging my neck and wrapping her legs around me. “Oh, my God, what the fuck? I can’t believe—”

Her seeming appreciation is broken by a loud ‘bong’ sound outside. It’s the sound of a boot hitting metal, likely Russell’s foot connecting with my Range Rover. But that doesn’t matter now, not with Bella in my arms, safe and sound. And not flinching away from me after seeing the violence in the one place she considers a sanctuary.

“He’s gone. You’re okay, I’ve got you,” I say, rubbing her back.

“Thank you,” she breathes against my neck, and though I don’t say it, I think the same thing back, thankful she didn’t kick me out too.