Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Lulu

I don’t know how long we’ve knelt here connected, but Ajax finally withdraws, making me cringe. I feel weird, both empty and full, like his cock is still inside.

Boots appear in front of me, mud covering the top of the black leather and the shin of his pants. Trailing my gaze up, I crane my neck.

His hands fiddle with the zipper on his pants before securing the button. He straightens his top and jacket, then holds out his hand.

I blink up at him.

“Stand,” he orders, gesturing with his hand for me to take it.

In a state of shock, I give him my right hand, standing with his help. My body exposed. My face flames .

I don’t know whether to be grateful for the fact that my bra and top are bunched so that it stops me from seeing my naked body as I glance down.

A finger knocks under my chin, raising my gaze.

“Fucking perfect.”

I blush hard at his words. My nipples are hard points as the breeze attacks them. My ass still feels warm from his actions, my leggings and panties are still mid-thigh, and as another river of our joined juices leaves me, I fight the urge to cry.

There’s no hiding from what we did.

Ajax smirks, his eyes following the trail on my inner thigh. Reaching out, he swipes it with his finger.

I didn’t think my face could get any redder, but I was wrong.

His wet fingers stop in front of my blushing face. Frowning, I roll my lips in because that is not happening. But it’s not my mouth he goes for.

Lifting it to his own, Ajax wraps his lips around it. The sound of him sucking it clean is loud. He wants me to hear.

“Mmm,” he moans with a wicked smile, releasing his finger with a pop.

Wide-eyed and shocked, I watch stunned. His hand shoots out, his fingers I just watched now grip the nape of my neck, pulling me forward.

I barely blink before his mouth is on mine. His kiss is just as rough as the rest of his touches. His teeth biting, his tongue intruding, and his taste consuming.

Underneath everything him is something else . . . a taste of us. The knowledge makes me moan and my body quiver. The cold night disappears once more. The heat of my face spreads, infecting the rest of my body.

His left hand cups my bare ass, causing me to jump.

Our tongues duel, but he’s playing with me. Tilting my neck more, Ajax crowds closer, standing to his full height and towering over me. My hand reaches up, holding on tightly to his forearm. Hesitantly, I raise my right arm, cupping my hand around his bicep.

Ajax taps my ass three times as if to say, “That’s right.”

I feel small and fragile. Yet for the first time in my life, half naked and out in the woods, I feel safe.

How sad is that?

My chin quivers. My lips tremble under his, but he’s not dissuaded, demanding that I respond to his advances. My tears join our kiss. After a few more strokes of his tongue, Ajax releases my mouth.

He ventures left, licking away my sadness and leaving a final kiss on my nose. My heart pauses at the gesture.

What the fuck is happening?

With one last tap to my ass, Ajax steps away. I reach down to pull my pants up, but a large hand on my elbow stills me.

Ajax shakes his head and uses his grasp to straighten me .

“Stay, right here,” he orders, pointing at the ground.

I frown but nod. I learned that lesson. I’m not moving.

Not wanting to make him mad, I stand still, looking out into the woods while he walks away.

Is he leaving me? My stomach drops. Shuffling behind me helps calm me. I hear a bag unzip. I’m still frowning when Ajax returns.

“Arms,” he instructs, holding out his hand.

Quickly, I shake my head and step back, away from him and his rope.

Ajax sighs. “Louise.”

I gulp at the use of my full name.

“So far, you’ve done very well. I’m very happy. Let’s not ruin that,” he says, lifting a brow. “Arms,” he repeats.

“I’ll be good. Please, Ajax, I won’t run. Please,” I cry.

He sighs again and shakes his head.

Snatching my wrists one after the other, he winds the rope around tightly, securing them together.

“I know you won’t run”—he nods—“because your tits are out and so is your freshly fuck cunt.”

I flinch at his choice of words.

“And if you run, people will see them. See what I did, what you let me do.” Feeding the final loop, he pulls it tight, winding the long remaining rope around his wrist. “What you begged me to do, Lulu.”

I swallow more tears. He’s right. Humiliation rolls through me. I don’t fight as he leads me by the rope, trailing him slowly, my bunched pants not allowing me to rush.

We walk past my stepfather like he’s not there. Blinking quickly, I breathe through my mouth to avoid the smell of blood. Only instead of smelling it, I can taste it. It’s so thick in the air that there’s no escaping.

Together, we head toward my house in silence, my sniffles and cries the only thing punctuating the snapping of the twigs beneath our feet.

Ajax doesn’t look at me. Focusing ahead, he keeps a steady stride while I shuffle behind. The excess rope hangs loosely between us. I could pull it and run, but then what? Like he said, everyone would know.

Even as I think it, another part of my brain, the part that begged him to fuck me, whispers in the back of my mind that I don’t want to run. Where would I go? I have no one. My mother will never forgive me for this. She loved Andrew more than she ever loved me.

I stayed because I wanted to be a part of a family, but now I really do have no one. I’m alone.

My feet stop, halting our little march back to the house. The rope pulls tight as Ajax continues walking.

“Lulu,” he warns, turning.

His eyes roam over me, assessing but one look at my face, and his expression softens. “What’s wrong?”

I give him a look.

He’s kidding, right ?

Ajax rolls his eyes. “Aside from the obvious.” His hand waves up and down my body.

“Nothing,” I mumble with a shrug.

His chest expands with a huge sigh before he steps closer. Strong fingers pinch my chin. “I thought I made this clear when we met. I do not allow lying in this family.”

His tone makes my mouth dry.

“Now, I’ll ask again. What’s wrong?”

My eyes drop away from his. “I won’t have anywhere to go. My mom will hate me when she finds out about Andrew. I’m not ready to be alone.” Despite my best efforts, I cry.

Gentle fingers wipe at my tears. “Neither of those things will be a problem for you, Louise.”

My brow furrows.

“You, me, and Mary Lou are a family now. There may even be a fourth member soon.”

His thumb wipes my cheek, his other hand dropping to my bare stomach.

My eyes widen.

Careful what you wish for.

Ajax tilts his head, watching my mind race. Thankfully, he can’t see how my heart pounds, but he might actually hear it at this rate.

If I go with Ajax, I won’t be able to come home. I’ve never been outside of Cromwell Town. But I’ll also have a family, a real family.

He’s a killer!

He saved me !

What the fuck am I going to do?

Another cold breeze swipes through the trees again, biting painfully at my skin. Shivering, I make a decision, for now at least.

Raising my shoulder, I wipe my nose and cheek on it. With one last sniffle, I start walking home again. Ajax nods, a pleased smile creeping across his mouth as he leads me back, walking a little closer than before.