Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Elaine

Icould hear my tears. Loud sobs from my chest as it heaved and lurched. I could hear them, but I couldn’t feel them. I couldn’t feel anything, just the buzz in my ears as I stared over at the man with the knife in his hand.

Lucian.

Lucian Morelli was really there. Really standing there with a bloody knife in his hand, staring at the man he’d just butchered. He’d just butchered Stephen. He’d just butchered Stephen for me. To save me.

There was blood on me too, splattered all over my dress. The fabric was still hitched up above my thighs, my panties still torn at the seam where Stephen was trying to get inside me.

He didn’t get inside me. Thank God, he didn’t get inside me.

Lucian didn’t speak, just stared. His jaw was gritted as he looked over at me, and that’s when it all came crashing in, the vivid colors, and the sounds, and the smells.

Stephen was still gurgling as he took his last breaths. I could see the blood bubbling from his mouth, dripping down the side of his face, and his hands were still trying to clasp the wound in his stomach. He was failing.

Stephen was dying, and Lucian didn’t show even a flutter of regret. There was nothing in him, nothing but righteous fury.

I pressed tighter against the wall as he gestured the knife at me, and that’s when I realized just how badly I was shaking.

“Did he fuck you?”

“What?” I asked, in barely more than a breath.

“I said, did he fuck you?”

I shook my head. “No. He…he couldn’t…I didn’t let him…”

He didn’t reply to that, just stepped closer to the man on the floor and kicked aside his hands from his wound. “What the fuck were you doing here?” the Morelli monster snapped at me, and I tried to answer that, but my voice was still stunted.

“I…I…”

The monster was on me in a flash, pressing me tight to the wall, his breaths fierce. This time his voice was a snarl. “I said, what the fuck were you doing here with that bastard, Elaine?”

“I don’t know!” I blurted out, and the sobs were so hard they were hurting. “I don’t know…I just wanted…I just wanted…”

“What?” he said, right in my face. “What did you want?”

He pointed to Stephen as he gulped his final breath, and I looked over. I looked over at the body, and I couldn’t find any words.

“You wanted that, did you?” he said. “You wanted that worthless piece of shit?”

He took hold of my neck and shoved me toward the body. I was whimpering, trembling, scared, and I couldn’t speak. “I’m asking you again,” he said, and his voice was an evil rasp. Evil and…

Hurt.

Lucian Morelli was hurt. By me. He was hurt by me. He was hurt by me being here with that man on the floor.

And I shouldn’t understand it. I shouldn’t want to understand it. But I did.

I did understand it.

I was feeling it too. That connection. That crazy connection between us. A forbidden want that made no sense, that had no place in this world.

He turned me to face him, and he dropped the knife on the floor, onto the blood-soaked carpet as he took my arms and shook me. He shook me so hard my legs were nothing but Jell-O.

“What the fuck did you want?” he asked, and he was scary. His voice was scary, and harsh, and angry, and beautiful. Lucian’s voice was beautiful. So beautiful he set my heart on fire.

My eyes were on his. Crying. Crying so hard I could barely see.

“You!” I cried. “I wanted you!”

He stopped at that. He stopped shaking me and stared, and those dark eyes of his flashed with something raw.

It took a few long moments before he spoke again.

“How the fuck would he ever be a substitute for me?”

I didn’t have an answer for that because there wasn’t one. Stephen could never have been a substitute for the monster in front of me. Lucian Morelli was the leader of my heaven and my hell both at once. His touch was gold and sin, both at once.

He was my love and hate, both at once.

He let go of me, and I sank to my knees with another round of tears.

I tried to catch my breath, watching Lucian pace up and down alongside the body without even casting it a glance. He didn’t give a fuck about it. Didn’t give a shit about committing murder.

Of course he didn’t give a shit about committing murder…no doubt he’d done it before.

But why here? Why now? How did he even know where I was?

I closed my eyes and forced myself into some kind of rational thought, just to speak out loud.

“What the fuck did you want?” I asked him. “What the fuck did you want here?”

The hate in his stare was still there when it met with mine, and he didn’t answer, just kept on pacing.

“Tell me,” I said. “What the fuck did you want, Lucian? Why the hell are you here, saving me?”

“I wasn’t here to save you,” he told me. “I was here to save your pussy.”

“That’s why you’re here, is it?” I pushed. “For my pussy?”

He sighed, his limited patience wearing out. “I can’t believe you thought he’d be anything like me. You don’t know the first goddamn thing about sex, do you?”

I was still a virgin. Still a virgin with the darkest Morelli in the world.

“You just killed a man,” I said, like I wasn’t stating the obvious. “A celebrity. They’ll know you killed him. They would have seen you…at the party…”

“A celebrity.” His sarcasm left me cold. “Hardly.”

My gaze was pulled to the body so close to me. I’d never seen a dead body before, let alone seen someone stabbed and taking their last breaths. I let out another sob and put my hands to my face, and that’s when I heard Lucian sighing again.

“Don’t play the fucking innocent, Little Miss Constantine,” he said. “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? The white knight coming to the rescue? Now you’ve got it.”

He must have seen the blankness on my face.

He smiled at me, even in that room with the stench of death and blood on the air, he smiled at me. “Well, well. Now what are you going to do to show your gratitude?”

Deep inside me, even amongst the shadows, and the violations, and the loss I felt in my soul, I still believed in good things. I didn’t want to see anyone die. Hell, that was the reason I was in so much shit with the Power brothers after all…I didn’t want to see anyone die…

Lucian was busy tapping on his phone when I finally dragged myself together enough to get to my feet. I was shaky on my heels, barely able to bend down steadily enough to grab my clutch. Even that was blood-soaked; stained forever.

It was when I was standing there, eyes open wide and lip still trembling, that Lucian stopped looking at his phone and turned to me. We stood there, in silence, so much unspoken between us that it made my heart thump to a whole other tune.

It was a stupid thing to say, but I couldn’t help it. “Thank you,” I said in a whisper. “Thank you for saving me.”

My thanks was genuine. Even though it was weak and ridiculous in a room where a man had just killed another, I truly meant it. Lucian Morelli really had saved me.

He didn’t respond in words, just tipped his head.

I was stumbling toward the door when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to him. My body responded quicker than my brain, turning into him and pressing up tight. He slammed me into the wall, and even though it was the same spot I’d been fighting another man, I did anything but fight the monster before me. I was desperate for the beast I’d just seen murder someone.

His breaths were rasps, hot on my lips. I smelled the metallic hint of blood. Underneath the red iron scent he smelled of him. Musk, and sex, and power.

It was me who kissed him this time.

It was my mouth that pressed to his first and opened wide.

His tongue was a serpent god, owning mine. His hands were heavy, grabbing me tight as mine snaked up around his shoulders.

It was frantic, just how hard I kissed him. He was my destroyer and savior both at once, and I wanted it that way. I wanted to feel both the love and the hate on his hands. I wanted him to take me to hell then raise me from the depths again.

“You’re mine now,” he said against my lips. “I’m never letting you go again.”

I wanted to stay in his arms for all damn time, so help me God.

He took hold of my neck and pinned me even harder as his mouth conquered me to a whole new level. My tongue was nothing against his, and I didn’t want it to be. I wanted to be under his command.

My thighs spread as wide as they would go under my dress as I offered myself to him. I moaned as he ground against me, rubbing myself against his knee.

It should have been revolting and shameful, offering my body to the Morelli heir with a dead body at our feet. But it wasn’t. It was anything but revolting, and it didn’t feel shameful.

It felt right.

Being with the monster felt right.

“Take me,” I whispered. “Please, Lucian. Please take me, because we’ll never get the chance again…not after tonight…”

Even the thought of being without my nemesis was enough to feel the pain in my heart, and that’s when it struck me, just how futile this connection was.

It didn’t matter how much I wanted Lucian Morelli. Nobody would ever let me have him. Not anyone in our world.

His eyes were the beautiful burning ashes of hell I was falling in love with. Because that was the truth of it. I was falling in love with the demon who wanted to destroy me.

Lucian tugged my bra down. His mouth was fierce and painful as he dipped his head to my chest, and I couldn’t hold back the smile, arching myself for more as he bit down on my nipple and sucked it into his hot mouth.

“Fuck yes…” I whispered. “That’s nice. So damn nice…”

He ripped my panties and tore them free, and I stepped out of my heels, unsteady. I was trembling as he circled his thumb against my clit, aching for more.

“Yes…” I breathed. “Please…”

But it wasn’t my pussy he forced two fingers inside in one thrust. It was my ass.

I cried out because I wasn’t expecting it, and he bit my nipple harder. Sucked harder.

Three fingers made me cry out louder, and he was a beast as he slammed them deep.

It hurt. Really fucking hurt. But I liked it. Liked taking the pain for him.

Even though it reminded me of so many horrors…so many people who’d played games with me…so many sick fucks who used me for their pleasure without ever taking my true innocence…

Sick fucks who were supposed to be people I could trust…

His lips were glistening wet as he raised his mouth to mine.

“I’m gonna use you one step at a time,” he told me as he twisted his fingers in my ass. “One sweet little pleasure at a time, Elaine. I’m gonna take what I want.”

I yelped as he yanked his fingers free, a wonderful pain that made my pussy pulse as he unbuckled his belt.

His cock was as much a monster as he was. I’d seen so many. So many sad little cocks used by their sad sicko owners…but never one like his. Veined and thick as he worked it in his fingers. Fingers that had been buried inside me. Fingers that had killed a man to protect me.

He forced me to my knees, his filthy fingers in my filthy hair, and my mouth was already open, wanting what was coming for the first time in my life.

“Make sure you make it nice and wet before I fuck you,” he grunted.

And I did. I made sure it was nice and wet. I sucked him deep, and my tongue lapped at him as I stared into his eyes, and he knew in that moment.

He knew I wasn’t new to sucking cock.

I may have been shit at kissing, but I wasn’t shit at sucking cock.

“Dirty,” he said and pushed right to the back of my throat. “Who fucked your mouth, little doll?”

I sucked him harder to avoid speaking, because I didn’t want to tell him. I didn’t want to tell a soul who the fuck had destroyed mine.

“I’ll tear those truths out of you,” he snarled. “One day, little fool, I’ll tear those truths from your throat. For now I want to keep fucking it.”

I kept lapping at him. Kept twirling my tongue around his thick, veiny cock, making it nice and slick as he used my mouth.

I let out a squeal as he pulled out and threw me backwards. I landed against Stephen’s body and squealed again, scurrying away on my hands, but Lucian didn’t let me get that far.

He was on me in seconds, his weight crushing mine into the carpet. He lifted himself high enough that my fingers took on a life of their own and tried to unbutton his shirt. I wanted his skin. I wanted his flesh against mine.

He helped me and crushed right back on top, skin to skin.

He ground against me, his cock tight to my clit. It was heaven, and I bucked, and begged, grabbing him for more. I wanted him inside me so badly.

“Please,” I said on a breath, “please take me, Lucian.”

He hitched my legs up high, thighs to my chest, a smile on his face as he took hold of his cock and pressed it against my clit. Christ how I moaned for him. How I moaned as he drew that cock down through my pussy lips.

“Please,” I said, “fuck me.”

“My fucking pleasure,” he said and pushed hard in one savage thrust.

I cried out at the pain. Cried out at the shock as he rammed into me. Because he wasn’t fucking my pussy…

The monster was fucking my ass. The bastard wasn’t in my desperate pussy, he was slamming my ass.

But I was begging for more.

I couldn’t stop myself begging for more.

Please…harder…harder…

He gave me harder. He gave it to me so hard I was crying out with every slam of his hips.

“I’m not the fucking first, am I?” he snarled, and I met his eyes as I shook my head.

I could see the rage in him as he used my ass.

I loved the fury on his face as he hurt me.

His voice was so low. “They were bold enough to take your asshole but not your virginity, were they? Pussies. Pathetic fucking pussies.”

They hadn’t seemed like pussies to me. Not when I was pinned under them, night after night, after night…

But now…under him…under the true, beautiful monster…

Under Lucian Morelli, anyone would seem like a pussy.

“They’ll pay for taking you. You’re my toy, Elaine. Mine. They should never have laid a finger on you. I’ll make them suffer for it.”

I hated the glow inside me…hoping…just hoping that he was telling the truth.

Maybe the monster would hurt the bad men…

He changed his angle, and I cried out again. We lost all track of words, and grunted, and thrusted, writhing in blood, and heat, and sin.

He worked his fingers against my clit as he fucked me, and even through the pain I felt the shudders as my breath quickened.

My God. Lucian Morelli was making me come…

And he was coming himself…

Lucian Morelli was coming in my ass…

Coming in my ass and kissing me…

He was kissing me…

My hands were in his hair as I kissed him back. My legs wrapped around his waist and gripped him tight, and I was his.

I was his.

My God. I was his as he pumped his filthy seed into me.

He caught his breath with my legs still holding him, staring down at me with a mixture of hate, and shock, and…love.

It was true. In that moment, Lucian Morelli stared down at me with love. I was sure of it…until he pulled away from me and tugged up his pants.

“You need to go,” he said and threw my dress at me from the floor. “People will be coming.”

He was so cold as he stepped away from me, and it was like shutters had slammed down inside him. His passion dulled to icy gray steel.

My nerves were spiking fresh as the shutters came down inside me to match. I was in a dirty room with a dead body, hungry for the man who wanted to wipe out my whole family line. Hungry for the man whose cum was leaking from my asshole. It was crazy. The whole fucking lot of it was insane.

“Come here,” he said and clicked his fingers.

I followed him without question as he opened door after door, shunting me inside the bathroom as soon as he found it. He turned on the shower and pushed me inside, not waiting until the water heated. It was freezing cold as it drenched me, and he scrubbed at me with his hands.

He tossed me a towel when the water ran clear, and I was shivering as I stepped out, dabbing myself dry before he strode back out to the main hall.

I was a wreck as I grabbed for my things, rushing to put my dress back on, my ass hurting with every move I made. I made my way to the door as soon as I could, heart pounding as I pushed it open and saw the metal steps down to the ground.

Lucian cleared his throat before I stepped out of there, and his stare was as evil as I’d ever seen it when he spoke again.

“You’ll be punished for all of this,” he told me. “Believe me, Elaine, I’ll make you pay for it. It’ll be painful, little doll. I promise you, it’ll be painful.”

My eyes were wide on his as I nodded at him.

“But it won’t just be you who pays for their filth,” he snarled and tossed my clutch at me. Forgotten again. “I’ll make them pay. Every piece of shit who took you before I did.”

I had no doubt of it in my heart as I walked away.

I was glowing for it.

Glowing and scared, both at once.