Chapter Five

Pit

What the fuck was that? I turn and head downstairs before she can entrance me with those fucking sad eyes. Ebony is waiting for me by the back door. "Who is she?"

I frown. "I told you, none of your goddamn business."

"But you've always come back to me," she says, pouting.

"Darlin', a few times every six months or so does not mean you own me. You're just a club whore," I snap, and she flinches at my words. I blame Grizz for this bullshit. Since he made Luna, an ex-club whore, his old lady, he's given them all false hope.

"Did you meet her on your travels? Is this why you haven't been to see me this time?"

I groan, scrubbing my hands over my face. "You and me ain't happening again, Eb. Go find some other mug."

She tries to make a grab for me, and I step back. "I'm sorry," she cries. "You're right, I shouldn't overstep. I didn't mean to."

I shake my head in annoyance and go around her, heading back out to my brothers. The last thing I need is a club whore catching feelings. I grab a can of beer and take my seat back by the fire.

Grizz sits beside me. "He's looking for her," he mutters, keeping his voice low to avoid any of the women overhearing. "We're gonna try to make contact again tomorrow and ask for a meet."

"He's not gonna meet," I say.

"Depends how desperate he is to get her virginity. Is she talking more?"

I shake my head. "We got the guns back, Grizz. Can't we just put her in the ground and move on?"

He smirks. "You getting itchy feet staying around?"

"Something like that," I mutter.

"The Pres wants to find out what we can take from this fucker in exchange."

"We're seriously thinking of handing her back?"

"Brother, she's worth something to him."

"Who the fuck even does that?" I mutter, taking another drink and allowing a quick glance up to her room. The lights are out, and I relax slightly knowing there's no chance I'll bump into her again, cos quite honestly, I'm not sure how much control I have since knowing her little secret.

"It's a thing," says Grizz, nodding. "I've seen women online doing it. Damn internet makes everything so fucking easy these days."

"Why'd she marry him though?" I wonder out loud.

"Fuck knows. You're stuck here with her, so find out."

I shake my head. "The less we talk, the better."

I feel him staring at me, but I keep my eyes to the fire, scared there's something there he may recognise other than hatred. "You just keep her locked away?" he asks casually.

"Yeah, what else am I meant to do with her?"

He smirks. "I dunno. Pretty woman, single biker . . ." He laughs, and I narrow my eyes.

"Yah know, because of your love story, I've got fucking Ebony on my back. All the damn whores want their own happily ever after."

He scoffs. "Anything is possible."

"Fuck that," I say. "I ain't settling down, least of all with a whore."

"I said the same thing, brother. Sometimes it just creeps up on you and you lose control. Is that why you don't wanna talk to her?"

"No," I snap, finishing my beer and standing. "I'm hitting the sack. Sort yourselves out."

I toss and turn, unable to sleep because my damn head is full of her. I eventually throw the covers back in irritation and head for the bathroom just as Tessa comes out. She spins to face me with just a T-shirt on that barely covers her backside. I narrow my eyes and ask, "Is that my shirt?"

She glances down, gripping the hem and tugging it down some. "I borrowed it. I had nothing to sleep in."

"Where did you get it?" I ask, moving closer.

She edges back warily until she hits the wall. "I . . . erm . . . I found it."

"Where exactly?" I ask.

She looks past me. "In . . . in there."

I glance back to my room. "You went in my room?"

"I didn't look at anything," she rushes to add. "I just needed a shirt, and you were busy outside, so I—"

"Where were the dogs?" I demand.

She visibly swallows. "In my room."

I look around and notice they're not on the landing, so I grab her upper arm, causing her to wince, and shove her back into her room. I fill the doorway, setting my sights on my dogs curled up on the end of Tess's bed. "What the fuck?"

"They were crying outside your door, so I let them in my room."

Neither have bothered to lift their lazy, traitorous heads. "Heel," I yell, and they rush to their feet, almost knocking Tessa out the way. "Out," I snarl, and they leave the room. I slam the door and step farther into her room. "You went in my room," I repeat. She gives a slight nod. "Without my permission."

"You were busy," she almost whispers.

"And you took the opportunity to make yourself at home?"

"It's just a shirt," she murmurs.

"My shirt," I snarl, and she backs away, suddenly looking uncertain. "You're not here as a fucking guest."

"I know."

"Do you?" I ask, tipping my head to one side as I close the space between us. "You're wearing my shit, comforting my dogs . . . Jesus, you're even pleasuring yourself on my balcony like you ain't got a worry in the world." Her cheeks colour with embarrassment. "Take it off."

Her eyes shoot to mine. "Huh?"

"Take. It. Off."

"Pit," she tries to reason, but I have a dark desire to see her just once and it makes me a dick, but I never claimed to be anything other.

"Now." She sighs heavily before fixing me with a steely glare that makes me want to smile. She removes the shirt in one fast motion and shoves it hard against my chest. "Better," I whisper, trailing my eyes down her naked body. She's thinner than she should be, and I vow to feed her more while she's here. There are bruises down her legs from her encounter in the garden and they stand out against her pale skin. "Get on the bed."

She swallows hard and slowly drops back onto the bed, dragging herself farther up until she's resting against the headboard. I can see her inner turmoil—she wants to grab the sheets, but her stubbornness won't allow it. I take the armchair from the corner of the room, dragging it to the foot of the bed and taking a seat. "Why did you marry him?"

She rolls her eyes. "I thought you didn't care about all that? Aren't you killing me anyway, so what does it matter?"

"Call me curious."

"It was part of the agreement," she snaps, clearly not wanting to discuss it.

"Tell me the agreement."

"Why?"

I smirk. "Because if you don't, I'll take you back to the shack outside and leave you there for the night."

"I wanted security and stability in my life."

"You made the agreement?"

"What's wrong with that?" she snaps. "He gets something he wants, and I get something I need."

She's embarrassed, her cheeks are red, and she's defensive. She grabs the sheet and pulls it over herself. I allow it. "What exactly was he gonna pay for your virginity?"

"He's to transfer money into my account the day we fly out on our honeymoon. And he's also to support me like a husband would a wife throughout our marriage."

I rest my elbows on my knees, intrigued. "Tell me from the start."

She sighs again. "He contacted me after I advertised myself on a site—"

"There's a fucking site?" I cut in, unable to hide my shock. "Like virgins-dot-com?"

She rolls her eyes. "He asked to meet. We did and we hit it off."

"So, right now, you should be on your honeymoon?"

"Yes. We were leaving after the warehouse deal went through."

I grin. "Where was he taking you?"

She shrugs. "Dubai."

"And how much was that upfront fee he was supposed to transfer?"

"Five grand."

I almost choke on my own breath as I laugh loudly. She blushes deeper. "Five fucking grand? Whose idea was that?"

"His."

"I bet. Fuck, Tessa, five grand is nothing. You could've asked for a lot more."

"It wasn't just about the cash," she snaps, tugging the sheet higher and tucking it under her chin. "You wouldn't understand."

"And whose idea was the marriage?"

"Mine," she mutters. "I stated that on the site."

"What makes a girl like you need stability in the form of a stranger?" I ask, narrowing my eyes in wonder.

"What makes a man like you kill and kidnap?" she counters.

I arch a brow, smirking. "The money is good," I say honestly, "and I like it."

"Wow," she mutters, looking disgusted. "Do you get off on murdering people?"

"If I tell you my secrets, I'll definitely have to kill you."

She scoffs. "I thought that was already the plan."

"Maybe, maybe not. Why aren't you scared?" I ask, the question slipping from my lips before I have chance to stop it.

"Because when you live a life like mine, death is kinder."

Her words throw me. "What does that mean?"

"Forget it," she utters.

I grab the sheet and tug it hard, pulling it from her body. She doesn't react, instead just sighing patiently. "Your body was created for sin," I almost whisper, and her eyes dart to mine. "Touch yourself."

"Don't be absurd."

"Tessa," I say firmly, keeping eye contact, "touch yourself."

Tessa

I hesitate. The darkness in his eyes is daring me to follow his instruction, but my brain is screaming at me to wake the fuck up. This man is holding me against my will, and he knows I'm a virgin. If I encourage this, what does that make me? And what if he doesn't stop at teasing?

Fuck it. If I'm going to die, I may as well do the one thing the old me would never do and live a little.

I trail my fingers down my stomach, and his eyes follow them hungrily. I swipe a finger through my wetness and hiss, biting on my lower lip. I use my other hand to stroke my nipple, teasing the bud until it's hard before moving to the next. I close my eyes, enjoying the buzz it gives me to have a gorgeous man like Pit watching me.

The sound of his zipper has my eyes opening and my head shooting up. Pit is still sitting in the chair, but his hand is wrapped around his erection, which stands thick and proud. I still my fingers, staring as he moves his hand up and down his shaft.

I've never done this sort of thing, and I'm surprised how turned-on it makes me knowing I'm affecting him too. Me . It almost makes me feel powerful. I dip my fingers inside, gathering the wetness and rubbing it over my swollen clit. I work them faster as Pit does the same, panting as he chokes his cock in his hand with his eyes fixed between my legs.

I come hard, harder than I have before, and for the first time ever, I think about sex. Hard, fast, dirty sex. With him. Pit stills his hand, and I watch as cum shoots out, hitting his shirt and dripping down his fist.

His head falls back and he stares at the ceiling while blindly wiping his mess using the T-shirt he took from me. After a few silent minutes, he tucks himself away and stands. "Sleep," he mutters, approaching me. He takes my hand and repeats his earlier taste test, licking my fingers clean. "I'd have paid five grand just to lick your pussy," he mutters before heading for the door.

I release a long breath, staring after him. Fuck, he's hot. My potential killer is HOT.

The next morning, there's a sharp knock on the door, waking me from my slumber. I groan, rolling onto my back and rubbing my eyes. Memories of the early hours come flooding back, and I feel my cheeks heat. Now, I've got to face him.

"Breakfast is ready," says Pit, shoving my door open. His eyes trail over my bare legs sticking out from under the sheet. "You'll miss out if you're not quick. They're like savages down there."

"Your friends are still here?" I ask, feeling anxiety creeping in. "It's fine. I'll eat later."

His brow furrows. "You'll eat now."

How do I tell him that people terrify me? "Really, I'm happy up here, hidden away," I say, adding a little laugh to lighten the mood.

He steps into the room, watching me closely. "You must be hungry. You've not had anything since breakfast yesterday."

"Well, that's your rule, isn't it? Feed me once a day?"

He goes over to the chair and picks up the T-shirt and bottoms he gave me to wear. He throws them my way. "I'll wait while you dress."

"Pit, I really don't want to go downstairs," I argue.

"There are other ways to make you, and I know they'll work." He arches a brow, and I sigh, pulling the clothes on.

"I'm not very good with people," I admit, my voice low.

"Me either."

"You don't understand," I push. "People tend to hate me. I'll say the wrong thing."

His brows are furrowed again as I ramble on, and then he does something odd—he holds out his hand, waiting for me to take it. After a few seconds staring at it, I stand and slide mine into his. "Take a breath," he orders, and I do. "It's going to be fine."

"Don't leave me," I mutter as we head for the door, and he glances back. "Please," I add. Because right now, I'm going with better the devil you know.

We enter the kitchen, where the large table is surrounded by people. It makes me want to vomit, even more so when their chatter dies down and they all glance our way. Pit keeps hold of my hand, leading me to the worktop and away from the table. I appreciate it. From this angle, I can back myself into the corner and just watch everyone else interact.

"Pancakes?" Pit asks, and I nod, but when he goes to step away, I immediately grab onto his arm. He pauses, glancing down where my fingers dig into his flesh, and I wince, releasing him immediately. "Tessa," he murmurs, turning to face me and blocking everyone's view, "I'm literally taking a few steps to get you some food. I'm not leaving you."

I give a stiff nod, and he steps back, holding eye contact. When he reaches the table, he quickly grabs a plate and loads it with pancakes and crispy bacon before returning to me and placing the plate on the worktop. "Eat," he whispers close to my ear.

"You have a lot of friends," I mutter, picking off a piece of fluffy pancake and stuffing it in my mouth.

Pit smirks. "Family," he corrects, and I arch a surprised brow. "These are my brothers."

"Brothers?" I repeat. "Your poor mother."

This makes him laugh, and I smile as he throws his head back, the sound radiating around us. "Not by blood, Te. My chosen family. My chosen brothers. And these are only a few—there's another thirty-odd back at the clubhouse."

"Clubhouse?"

"You never heard of bikers before, Tessa?" he asks. "It's a brotherhood of men who devote their lives to their club." There's a spark in his eyes when he mentions them, showing that deep down somewhere, he's got a heart.

I watch the group chatting. "And the women?"

He smirks again. "Club whores."

I almost choke. "Huh?"

"Ebony, London, Foxy, Jai," he tells me, pointing to each of the women as he says their names. "They work for the club."

"Doing what?"

He sniggers. "Anything the men ask of them, but mostly fucking and sucking cock."

I gasp and feel my cheeks colour with awkward embarrassment. "They like doing that?"

He shrugs. "I guess." Then he shouts to Ebony, and she saunters over, her eyes full of heat as she holds Pit's attention. "You enjoy fucking the guys?" he asks her, and my cheeks burn brighter.

"I especially enjoy fucking you, Pit," she says, tapping her pointy nail against his chest. "Why?"

"Tessa was asking."

She turns her eyes to me, and I shake my head back and forth. "I . . . no. He just said . . ." I stumble over my words, and she narrows her eyes in annoyance.

"Fuck, are you stupid or something?" She adds a shrill laugh.

Her words take me right back to school, and I shake my head harder. "No . . . I'm sorry, I just . . ."

She laughs harder, earning the attention of some of the others. "Oh my god, Pit, is this the whore you're replacing me with?"

"Don't be a bitch," says Pit, rolling his eyes.

"Look at her, she can't even string a sentence together. I . . . me . . . ermmmm." She breaks out in another round of laughter. "Suddenly, I'm not worried. You'll be back in my bed before the end of the week." She cackles as humiliation swallows me. I push past her and run for the back door, which is wide open. I almost stumble when my bare feet hit the stones, but it doesn't hurt as much as the humiliation of having a roomful of people laugh at me, so I ignore the pain as they cut my feet and I keep running.