18. Camryn

EIGHTEEN

CAMRYN

A single ripple disturbs the glassy lake beneath the moon's ethereal glow.

I watch it travel toward shore, growing in size the closer it gets. Cold water laps at my feet, and I step back out of instinct before the tangible evil that lurks beneath the surface reaches out to grab me.

Before it finally claims me.

As a gentle breeze shifts my hair around my shoulders, another ripple slowly travels along the surface toward shore.

A burst of bubbles follows, and I watch, with my breath caught in my throat, as a car reemerges, bobbing in the water.

Overhead, the moon's light reflects off the wetness, the windows resembling endless, black voids.

Whispers emanate from its shadowy depth, calling my name and drawing me closer. As they lure me to step into the lake, cold water laps at my bare feet once more.

I'm caught in a trance, staring at the bobbing car, my damp nightgown brushing against my ankles as I sway, shivering in the late-night breeze.

"You killed him."

Caught by surprise, I spin around.

Dominic blends with the night as though he commands it. Maybe he does. Maybe that's why the moon takes refuge behind the clouds when he emerges from the shadows.

A predator on the prowl.

"Dominic?" I ask uncertainly as I take a single hesitant step back.

"You're a murderer."

"I didn't kill your dad. It was an accident."

He cocks his head and cuts me into pieces with his cold, assessing gaze. There's no affection in those orbs. None of the previous conflict, only calculative cruelness.

"You can keep telling yourself that, but we both know you're lying to yourself." A yelp escapes me when he surges forward and grips me by the throat. "You're a murderous little slut."

I try to fight him, but he forces me to the ground. He's too strong. His shadow looms over me from behind, and I gulp when I see his reflection in the glassy lake.

His black eyes glare. "Say hi to Dad from me. Maybe you can suck his dick in Hell." With his fingers digging into my nape, he shoves my head beneath the surface.

Water rushes in my ears as panic flares, and bubbles escape my lips. I thrash, consumed by overwhelming panic.

Somewhere below, a lullaby drifts closer.

An eerie melody.

A woman's haunted voice.

I grow still, my hair floating in the water.

Something is moving closer, barely visible in the pitch black.

A splash of white.

A halo of brown hair that shifts backward with the next movement.

Through the darkness below, a woman rushes at me. My mouth flies open, and water floods my lungs. I scream, thrashing and clawing?—

I wake with a sharp inhale, nestled in Dominic's arms. My heart won't stop racing, so I scoot out from beneath his arms, careful not to wake him. He will punish me for sneaking out on him again, but I need fresh air. Besides, I'm not running away from him this time; I just need a moment alone.

After throwing on one of Dominic's T-shirts and a pair of denim shorts, I put on flip-flops, tie my hair up, and leave the house.

I close the door quietly, greeted by the gentle sound of rain. After weeks of intense heat, the drop in temperature is a welcome change.

Standing beneath the awning, I breathe in the fresh scent while watching the rain puddle in the overgrown grass. As I reach out, droplets of lukewarm rainwater hit my palm.

Struck with the sudden urge to let it bathe me, I descend the porch steps and tip my head back. My eyes close as I let the rain smatter against my face and wash away my worries. It soaks through my clothes in mere minutes. I can't hold back a smile.

This is what freedom feels like.

Summer rain.

I sense someone watching me, and my eyes fly open on a gasp. The axe dangles from his mud-streaked fingers, and his dark hair lies plastered to his forehead. A raindrop clings to his nose, about to fall, and his flannel shirt molds to his broad chest.

When he remains silent, framed by the fir trees at the edge of the lawn, I gesture to the axe in his hand. "Do you carry that thing everywhere?"

His grip tightens on the wooden handle, though he says nothing.

"I would invite you in, but…" My boyfriend? Is that what he is? "My friend would probably kill you." Though there's a hint of laughter in my voice, I mean every word. Dominic is unhinged.

"Hello?" I wave a hand in his face when he stays mute. "Are you going to say anything?"

The raindrop on his nose finally gives up the fight and falls to the ground, and another takes its place, hanging precariously.

Losing patience, I roll my eyes and walk past him. But before I've taken more than three steps, his voice rings out.

"Don't enter the woods."

My steps falter, and I look over my shoulder. "So, he speaks." Strands of grass tickle my bare ankles as I turn fully. "And why shouldn't I enter the woods? What's so dangerous about the trees?"

He looks past me, his muscles shifting inside his wet shirt. "Stay out of the woods."

Confused, I follow his line of sight as a gentle breeze moves through the trees, swaying their branches.

"But you just came from there—" I fall silent when I look back in time to see him disappear around the corner. "Where are you going?" I chase after him, stepping in puddles and wiping rainwater out of my eyes.

Where the hell is he going?

Turning the corner, I come to a stumbling halt.

He's gone.

I scan the lawn and the weathered treehouse at the back of the property. A rusty doll's pram lies on its side, and the sight of it, with the muted red of the sun-bleached fabric, sends a feeling of unease trickling through me.

"Where did you go this morning?" Dominic asks when he enters the kitchen, freshly showered, dressed in shorts and a navy T-shirt. He looks effortlessly handsome. I struggle not to sneak peeks at him as he settles beside me and plays with his Zippo.

Mom rushes into the kitchen in a flurry of flowery perfume, nearly trips over Bruno asleep on the floor, and kisses us both on the head. "I'm late for work."

Then she's gone, waving a quick goodbye over her shoulder.

"Nice seeing you too, Mom," I say as Dominic pockets his Zippo and threads his fingers through my hair. The soothing stroke of his touch halts my breath, and I slowly meet his gaze.

My throat is suddenly dry. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" His eyes shine with amusement and something else. Something softer. A look I never thought I would see smooth his sharp features.

I shake my head, but his fingers pull my hair.

Ah! There he is.

Despite my thundering heartbeat, I find the prickle of pain soothing. When I look at him this time, his gaze darkens and a muscle clenches his jaw.

"Don't dismiss me."

Now, my throat is dry for entirely different reasons. I'm parched. The look in his eyes promises pain and so much more.

"What about breakfast?" I ask, breathless, but the words barely leave my mouth before his lips descend on mine, hard, hungry, and demanding. His grip on my hair tightens, and he drinks me in like I'm a water source in a desert, nibbling and biting, his tongue tangling with mine until I'm hovering on the brink of death, barely catching my breath in between his hard kisses.

I'm dazed when he finally breaks the kiss, blinking up at him.

Standing, he slips his shorts down to free his hard cock, the impressive length bobbing against his abs.

Why does he have to be so…perfect? Carved by a wicked god to lure women to their deaths.

"Like what you see, little sister?" he asks, wrapping his long fingers around his length.

I wet my lips, nodding. Dominic's thick and veiny dick is a piece of art, just like the rest of him. It's so big that you know it will hurt, but it's a good pain. The kind of pain that makes you see stars and beg for more.

He cups my chin and smirks down at me with a dark gleam in his eyes. "Put your shoes on. I'm taking you out for the day."

Wait, what?

My gaze flicks down to his cock, and I open my mouth to reply when he slides his shorts back up to hide his massive length.

"C'mon." He pulls me to my feet.

I'm confused as I let him lead me out of the kitchen and into the hallway. "But you're hard."

"I'm always hard when you're around," he explains, patiently waiting while I put on my Chucks. His smirk deepens and he opens the door. "Don't worry, Sis. I'll soon let you choke on my cock if you're a good girl."

I step past him, exiting the house. Dominic locks the door behind us, jogging down the steps, making a beeline for his truck while I watch from the porch.

My attention wavers when a soft breeze sweeps through the nearby trees, but the sound of the truck door opening cuts through the strange sensation crawling over my bare skin. I swallow down the unease as I descend the steps.

Dominic waits for me with the door open like a gentleman, but I'm not fooled by the dimpled smirk or the way he tracks my every move. No, I can see the gleam and satisfaction in his eyes when he shuts me inside.

He rounds the truck as I watch the tree line. The truck rocks, and he cranks the engine, easing back with his arm stretched out across the seat. Spinning the wheel, he reverses the vehicle.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask when we're on the road.

Dominic rolled down the window earlier, and now the breeze moves through his dark hair as he looks at me, his hungry eyes devouring my mouth; then his attention is back on the road. "Nowhere. Everywhere."

Light laughter bubbles from my chest, and his lips quirk in response.

"That's your answer?"

His shoulders lift and fall. "Maybe." He looks at me again, stealing the breath from my lungs with his handsome face. "I want you to myself."

My stomach flips as his fingers find my damp nape, tangling in my hair.

"Fuck the world."

"Fuck the world?" My lips spread impossibly wide. I've never seen this side of Dominic before, and it's like a drug. I want more.

"I don't like sharing you with others." He looks back at the road, drumming his thumb on the steering wheel. "Your friends… Demons… They can all fuck off."

"How romantic."

He laughs, and my world tilts on its axis at hearing the carefree sound. Fuck, he's beautiful. Not only that, but he's magnetic. I can't look away. Have I ever heard Dominic laugh or seen him smile like this with a sparkle in his eyes?

I scoot closer and let my lips drift across his stubble until they brush against his ear. "I'm yours, Dom."

He shivers, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. "Say it again."

"I'm yours."

"Fuck…" he breathes, and the loss of composure in that one word, delivered with a tremble in his deep baritone, sends an ache to my clit and makes me wonder about all the other ways I can make this beautiful man lose control.

My hand slips inside his shorts and I wrap my fingers around his hard cock, feeling it twitch in my grip. "If you ease up on the accelerator, I stop."

His deep chuckle trails like honey over my skin as I stroke his silky length, swiping my thumb over the precum on his tip.

"Good boy," I whisper.

"Call me that again," he growls, "and I'll fuck you while you cry."

I work his dick until he squirms, trailing kisses over his neck, his hair tickling my cheek in the summer breeze. I'm intoxicated by his citrusy scent and tense muscles—the power I hold over him as he struggles for control.

"Faster, Dom."

He presses down on the accelerator, and my heart speeds up with it.

"Your dick is perfect." I drag my tongue through the salty sweat on his neck. "I love how big and veiny it is."

"Fuck," he breathes, twitching again in my hand. "You're pushing it, Sis."

We fly down the sunbaked country road. I glance at the speedometer, my heart threatening to burst from my chest. There's something about danger and sex combined that's both addictive and terrifying.

"This is wrong," I admit, moving his shorts out of the way and staring down at his weeping length.

"Wrong?" He buries his fingers in my hair. "This is so fucking right."

I lick my lips. "There's a demon out there trying to kill us. Don't you think this is wrong?"

My scalp prickles with pain as he applies pressure. I push back, not yet ready to give in.

"I'll lose control of the truck if you don't suck my dick, and we'll die anyway."

"Oh?" I laugh, breaking free and scooting out of reach.

The look he throws me could burn down a forest. My nipples harden in response. I wriggle out of my shorts and panties, then kick them off. "I thought you were in more control than that, Dom."

"Don't you fucking dare touch yourself," he warns, gripping his dick and working himself.

"Eyes on the road, big boy. It would be a shame if you lost control of the truck before you fucked me senseless, right?"

Reluctantly, his eyes skate back to the road while I trail my fingers through my slit, loving how he struggles to keep his foot on the speedometer and his attention on driving.

The muscles strain in his forearm as he pleasures himself, the erotic sight pulling a moan from my lips.

He snaps his head in my direction and drops his eyes to my pussy.

"You're killing me," he says, shifting in his seat.

I sink two fingers inside myself, trapping my lip between my teeth, and bite back another moan. Molten pleasure floods my body to the tips of my toes. I revel in having this power over Dominic. Love how a bead of sweat clings to his temple and how he white knuckles the steering wheel while checking his rearview mirror for any signs of the cops.

"I want your cock, Dom."

His hair swoops in the breeze from the open window when he hits the brakes and spins the wheel. We take a violent turn down a dirt road, and my hand smacks against the dashboard to hold myself up.

A cloud of kicked-up dirt surrounds us as the truck comes to a screeching halt, my pulse racing in anticipation. Dominic throws open his door, climbs out, and grabs hold of my ankle. I squeal with surprise as he yanks me down. But the laughter soon dies when he puts my ankles on his shoulders and thrusts inside me in one go.

My back arches off the seat, and a strangled moan claws its way up my throat. Fuck, he feels so good. I'm stretched to my limit. The intense burn makes it all the better.

Dominic's fingers dig into my thighs as he fucks me hard, his balls slapping against my ass with each ruthless snap of his hips. I love the hunger in his eyes.

"More, Dom, fuck, don't stop."

His sexy chuckle caresses my drugged senses. He pulls me farther down on the seat and spreads my thighs as wide as he can while staring down at my cunt.

"You should see your pussy swallow my fat cock. So fucking greedy."

As if to prove his point, he pulls out slowly and slides his wet cock through my slit, over my swollen clit. Then he enters me again with a hard thrust before repeating the process—over and over again, until I'm sobbing and begging him to fuck me harder and faster.

Overhead, the clouds darken as thunder rumbles in the distance. Dominic, the fucking tease, pulls out and grabs his cock, then slaps the head over my clit.

"I don't think you deserve to come just yet." He feeds me the tip, watching me closely, then pulls out and rubs the crown of his cock over my clit in mind-blowing circles. "Maybe I should torture you all day."

I lift my head and glare. "Don't you fucking dare."

He drags me out, and I stumble, unsteady on my feet. With his heat pressed up against my back, he warns, "You don't make the rules here, Sis."

I push my naked ass against his cock, and he grips the back of my neck, nipping my earlobe with his teeth.

"You want me to fuck you?"

"Yes, dammit!"

His chest rumbles like the storm overhead. The clouds are almost as black as his heart, and the sun is nowhere in sight. "Then run."