Chapter 11
Adrianna felt detached. From everything. Time. Space. Even her own body. She felt like she was a spectator to her own downfall instead of a participant, watching herself from the side-lines as she sat in an interrogation room with three other men. Two across from her in a suit and tie; one next to her, urging her not to answer any questions. Her lawyer. Lucian's lawyer. She still didn't understand how Lucian had not only beaten her to the police station, but had managed to get a lawyer there as well. She'd wanted to refuse his help, to go through this alone, but that would've meant speaking to the man she loved and that was something her shame wouldn't allow her to do. So, she'd accepted his lawyer in silence, realizing this was probably the last kindness she could expect from him. Once he knew that the allegations against her were true, he'd see her for who she really was and walk away, taking her heart with him. She wouldn't stop him, even though it would kill her.
He deserved a life free of her.
Shivering, from either the cold or adrenaline, she glanced down at the pictures on the steel table. One was a picture from the burned out car and the evidence found inside. The other four were of the people she'd killed. The flames had made them almost unrecognizable, but she could see their faces clear as day in her mind's eye. They haunted her.
"Just talk to us, Adrianna," the suit sitting across from her said in that voice she used during interrogations as well. "Make us understand what happened."
Adrianna met the fed's gaze, the words poised on her lips. She wanted to tell him. Everything. She deserved whatever was coming to her. She was a murderer.
"My client has nothing to say," her lawyer spoke first, the silver streaks in his hair catching the fluorescent light and reflecting it back. "And I would strongly advice-"
"Why is the FBI involved in this?" It was the first time Adrianna had spoken since her arrest and if she hadn't felt her lips move, she would've doubted it had been her own voice drifting through the bare room. She sounded broken. Tired. And she was both of those things. So broken and so very, very tired.
"Because of this man," the second suit answered her, tapping a picture of a burned body with his finger. "His name was Jack Richards."
Richards, she thought fingering the photo. He'd been the leader. The one who'd shot Lucian. The one I beat to death.
"We'd been tracking him for a while now," the suit continued. "He was as bad as men get. He killed mercilessly, alone or with a team. Men, women, children. He didn't care, not as long as he got paid. So, you see, we're on your side here, Adrianna. In fact, personally, I think you did the world a favor by taking him out of it."
"Okay, that's enough," her lawyer snapped. "Don't respond to that, miss Salvatore. It's a trap."
Off course it was a trap. She'd used it herself many times. Sympathize with the criminal, make him think you're on his side and by doing so trick a confession out of them. The thing was though, they didn't need to trick her. She'd already made up her mind.
"You have nothing on my client, gentlemen," her lawyer said. "It's a disgrace you even arrested her based on the flimsy case you put together."
"We have her purse in the backseat-"
"A purse she reported stolen."
"We have an eyewitness-"
"An anonymous one who only came forward a few hours ago. It could be anyone with a vendetta against my client. She's a detective, remember. She has enemies on the wrong side of the law."
"We have her blood in the car-"
"That's bullshit and you know it. No DNA could've survived that fire."
"And we have two more eyewitnesses who pulled a woman matching miss Salvatore's description out of the water a few miles from the car crash."
"Yes, let's talk about that, shall we?" Her lawyer smiled. "Your theory is that my client overpowered three armed men, shot two of them, beat one to death, then shot the driver, was smashed through the windshield straight of the bridge, dragged by the river below for miles and is now, only a few days later, sitting her before you, unharmed?"
A flicker of discomfort and doubt passed in the FBI agents' eyes and Adrianna could see that if her lawyer pushed a little harder, she would walk away a free woman. After all, no one could've survived what he'd just described. No one, except maybe a human with vampire genes. In these men's world though, such a creature didn't exist. Their theory would never hold up in court. She'd get away with murdering four people.
"Yeah, I didn't think so," her lawyer said with an arrogant note to his voice as he closed the file in front of him. Oh, how many times she'd been in those agents' place, watching as the killer in front of her got away scot-free. She recognized the anger and frustration on their faces, the powerlessness.
A cold fist clutching her heart, her eyes found the pictures again, nausea turning her stomach.
"Gentlemen, it was a hoot," the lawyer said, getting up from his chair. "But my client and I will be going now. Expect to hear from us regarding a lawsuit for wrongful-"
"Stop," Adrianna whispered, closing her eyes. "For the love of God, just...stop."
Hades stood by the vending machines, listening to the electric purring of the contraptions as his eyes were glued to the door Adrianna had disappeared through. It had been almost an hour and so far, no movement. He'd tried to get into the door next to it and listen in on their conversation from behind the one-way mirror, but the damn thing was locked and he didn't have time to pick it. There were too many eyes around, eyes that were all focused on the same door. Every now and then, he'd hear a snippet of a whisper from her colleagues and no one could believe she might've done what she was accused of doing. They all just cursed the FBI and mumbled something about politics. A few even thought Dimitri Rodchenko had pulled some strings to make this happen. None of them knew what he did. That it was all true. That Adrianna had killed those people. He'd seen the truth in her eyes back in the park. He'd recognized the pain in her gaze. It was the same pain she'd been carrying around ever since the night she'd been taken. This was what she'd been so afraid to tell him…and gods, was it a relief. He'd always feared those bastards had done something to her before they'd died, something so horrible she couldn't even bear to speak of it. He would've been crushed if that had been the case. The other way around however, she hurting them? Well, he had no problem with that. Hell, if she hadn't ended their miserable little lives, he would've done it for her. Maybe that was the only thing that stung about the whole situation. He would never get the chance to kill those fuckers himself.
The door opened and at once, Hades' blood blazed.
"Why is she still in handcuffs?" he growled at his lawyer as he watched Adrianna being led away by the two FBI agents. He tried to catch her eyes, but they were once again glued to the ground. "I thought you said they had no case!"
"They didn't," the man sighed, annoyance thick in his voice. "They had nothing."
"Then why isn't she free to go?!"
"Because she confessed."
Hades heart sank to his stomach. "What?"
"She was about to walk out with a clean record and then she just…confessed."
"What? Why the the fuck would she do that?!"
"I can't be sure, but if I had to guess-" he shook his head. "-guilt."
Guilt?! his monster snarled. That foolish woman actually feels bad about what she did?! She thinks she deserves this?! She thinks she can just throw her life away over those idiots…and I'd let her?!
"There's nothing I can do for her now," the lawyer continued. "This will go to trial and unless I find a way to have her confession thrown out, which isn't likely since there was no coercion, she'll go to jail."
Over my dead body.
"Okay," Hades gnarled, digging in his pocket for his phone. "That'll be all, Scott. I'll send your check in the morning."
The lawyer frowned. "Sir, she's going to need someone to defend her-"
"That'll be all," Hades repeated, his voice laced with a warning. A warning the lawyer picked up on.
As the man scurried away, Hades searched his phone for the number he needed and quickly dialed. He didn't have to wait long for an answer.
"Adrianna needs you," he gnarled. "We're at the police station. Come now."
Adrianna sat in a holding cell, brushing her fingers over the light red marks where the handcuffs had been. That hollow feeling in her chest grew bigger every second that passed. Every second without Lucian. Where was he? What would he think of her? Surely, his lawyer had told him by now what had happened, broken the news that he'd been in love with a murderer. Where would he have gone? To his club? His house? Was he sick to his stomach? Angry? Probably both.
Feeling tears push against her eyes, Adrianna took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart down, trying not to think of what was to come. How long before her family would get word of this? What would they think of their little girl now? Of their sister? Their niece? How could she ever face them again?
Trying to distract herself, she stared at the clock, focusing on the rhythmic ticking of the second hand making its way around the orb.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
….
Tick.
Adrianna frowned, a chill running over her spine. Was it her imagination or had time stopped for a second?
Don't be ridiculous. The clock is just broken, that's all.
She moved to rub her arms, but instead of skin she brushed her palms over soft, smooth wool. Lucian's jacket. She'd forgotten to give it back to him.
A lump forming in her throat, she brought her nose to the fabric, breathing in. His cologne was still clinging to the material, but the scent that was all his was gone. She would never smell him again.
Feeling a few tears push though her barrier, she made a mental note to see to it that the jacket got back to him somehow and wasn't just thrown in with her personal stuff before she had to change into a prison uniform. It would be years before she got her own clothes back, if ever, and she didn't want him to have to wait that long to get his jacket. She'd already taken enough from him.
More tears fell
"Stop it," she hissed, roughly wiping the drops from her cheeks. "You have no right to cry. This is your own fault. You did this. You-"
"Adrianna?"
Her eyes still shimmering with tears, she glanced at the voice, a pang of shame hitting her when she saw, "Erik."
Her colleague frowned, a little smile on his lips. Why was he smiling? They'd always gotten along, even hung out after work a few times. It made no sense that he'd be happy to see her like this.
"Salvatore-" he snickered. "-what are you doing?"
Her eyebrows pulled together. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, why are you in a holding cell?"
A strange feeling took hold of her when she got up, watching the man's smile widen.
"I'm here because the FBI picked me up, remember? They had you arrest me in the park?"
Erik held her eyes for a long moment, a confused expression on his face…and then, he laughed.
Loudly.
"Erik-" she started, this whole thing freaking her out.
"God, Salvatore, I swear, I will never understand your sense of humour."
"My sense of-" she trailed off when he opened the holding cell, nodding for her to get out.
"Come on, I have an actual criminal who needs to be in here."
Adrianna hesitated. She didn't want him to get in trouble and if he let her out, he definitely would be. Besides, she wasn't planning on running. She wanted to pay for what she'd done. Maybe then her conscience would get some rest.
"Come on, Salvatore," Erik snickered. "Hop to it."
"Erik, the FBI-"
"Wait, is that why you're in here?" He sniffed, his eyes still sparkling. "Are you hiding from the feds?"
"No, I-"
"Because if you are, the coast is clear."
Adrianna blinked. "They're gone?"
"Yeah, they just left."
When Erik noticed her surprised expression, he added, "They were just coming through town and wanted to catch up with Ramirez. Apparently they worked a case together a few years ago."
What?
"Come on, Salvatore," Erik said again, a twinge of impatience in his words now. "It's three-thirty in the morning. My shift ended half an hour ago and I'm exhausted, so I'd like to wrap this up and go home."
That chill crawling up her spine again, Adrianna did as she was told, stepping out of the cell and heading back inside the police station. When she moved to the nerve centre, as they called it, she glanced over the few occupied desks. The night shift was always quiet, but there were a few familiar faces working their way through stacks of paperwork. She stood there frozen. She was sure that any moment now, someone was going to spot her and slap cuffs on her again. But no one moved. And if they did acknowledge her presence it was either to cast her a little smile or run their eyes over her formal dress with an appreciative look.
What the hell?
"Adrianna."
Her heart stopped beating.
She would recognize that voice anywhere, even when it sounded so rough and angry.
Lucian.
Swallowing hard, she turned…and at once, she got the answers she'd been seeking.
"No," she mumbled when she noticed the man standing next to Lucian.
Rellix.
"You did this?" she whispered to the warlock, her stomach dropping. He didn't have to answer. Why else would he be there? "You made them forget?"
Rellix nodded. "Yes, your highness."
She felt sick, too sick to even comment on the highness-thing. She shouldn't be getting away with what she'd done. She deserved to be punished. Why would they do this? She could guess Rellix's motives. Ever since she'd caught him handling in deals again, he'd been eager to get in her good graces. But Lucian? He was obviously furious with her, his features set like stone. He wouldn't even look at her. So, why save her?
"Lucian-"
"Mike is waiting for you outside," he gnarled at his hands. "He will drive you home."
She stood frozen, confusion and pain hitting her from all sides.
What is he doing?
"Lucian, I can't go. This isn't right. I deserve-" Her words got caught in her throat when he finally looked at her. Black, furious eyes met hers and she knew that any further resistance would be pointless. If she didn't move herself, he would throw her over his shoulder and carry her to the car. End of discussion.
Sighing, she did as she was told. By the time she got outside and saw Mike holding open the car door for her, her tears had won the fight and were streaming down her face freely. As they drove, Mike glanced in his review mirror from time to time, clearly wanting to ask what was wrong, but he somehow stopped himself every time, thinking better of it. She wasn't sure if she could've answered him anyway. Not only was the lump in her throat making speech impossible, she was also not sure what the root of her pain was exactly. Was it the injustice of going free or the agony that came from the way Lucian had acted. She'd never seen him so cold, so furious, at least not when it was directed at her. She'd often thought about what would happen if he found out what she'd done, about the repercussions of her actions, but even in her darkest nightmares she'd never seen him so livid, so completely void of any of the warmth she loved about him. And she'd done that to him. She'd made him so dark.
"Miss?"
Adrianna wiped her eyes, glancing up at Mike who was holding her door open again. She hadn't even realized they'd stopped.
She got out before taking a good look at where she was and when she finally did, fresh tears fell.
"You made a mistake, Mike," she croaked, turning to get back in the car. "This is mister Nox' hotel. He told me you would take me home."
The man shook his head. "He gave me clear instructions to take you to his penthouse, miss."
Before she could argue any further, Mike was already in the car, driving off.
Feeling the last of her energy drain out of her, she started scanning the streets for a cab. She wasn't sure how she was going to pay for it without her wallet though. They'd taken her clutch from her when they'd arrested her and she'd forgotten about it in all the confusion. She'd find a solution, though. She just had to get out of there before Lucian came back. If he saw her here, he would be even more furious than he already-
"Miss Salvatore?"
Adrianna turned, meeting Xavier's gaze. Her bodyguard. No, Lucian's bodyguard. The head of his security detail, actually.
"Xavier," she croaked. "I don't suppose you remember the park, do you?"
"The park, miss?"
Rellix really is one powerful warlock.
"Never mind," she mumbled, spotting a cab and raising her hand quickly.
"Miss, what are you doing?" Xavier asked, frowning. "You should come inside."
She gave him a quick shake of her head. "I understand that you don't know what's going on, but trust me, your boss wouldn't appreciate it if I-"
"I just got off the phone with mister Nox. He told me to make sure you got inside safely."
What?
Her head suddenly throbbing, she rubbed her temples, trying to lighten the ache, but it didn't help. Why would Lucian do this?
"Please, miss," Xavier said, waving her towards the door.
Just go, a little tired voice whispered. Do what he says and get it over with.
Numb, she followed the man through the beautiful lobby, remembering the first time she'd set foot in his hotel. It had been right after their night out, right before their first kiss…
Her vision blurred with tears again and she was relieved when she could slip into the black elevator and the doors closed.
After a few moments of hiding her face in her hands and muffling sobs, she realized they weren't moving. Xavier was standing in a corner of the elevator, a kind look on his face as he waited for her to wrap up her little breakdown.
"Sorry," she croaked, brushing her palms over her cheeks.
"No worries, miss," he said, casting her a comforting smile before gesturing to the small electronic device next to the black elevator doors. It was only then that she remembered this was Lucian's private elevator, the only one that went up to his penthouse. That's why there were no buttons with floors next to them, only a scanner.
"I think we should wait in the lobby," she said, her voice small. "This elevator only works with Luci…Mister Nox' fingerprint."
Xavier frowned. "Are you sure? Mister Nox specifically said to get you to his penthouse."
"I'm sure. The only way to get up there is if Mister Nox is in here with you or if someone from inside the penthouse lets you up. The front desk used to have an override code, but there was a break in a while back. The guy had used that code to get in here and plant bugs for Dimitri Rodchenko so he could listen in on our conversations. When Lucian found out, he got rid of the back-up."
Xavier frowned, clearly hesitating. She knew why, of course. When Lucian gave an order, he expected you to follow it, so if he ordered this man to get her to his penthouse…well, she'd better be there when he got back.
Not ready to give up, Xavier rubbed his thumb on his pants before placing it on the scanner. The thing turned red and made a deep, angry noise.
"See," she mumbled. "Let's just-" She reached out for the open doors-button, the only button in the elevator, but before she could press it, Xavier rumbled,
"Would you mind trying?"
Adrianna rubbed her tired eyes. She knew her thumbprint wasn't going to work either, but she'd always liked Xavier and if this would put his mind at easy, why not?
Sighing, she pressed her thumb onto the machine. "See, I told you it wouldn't-"
A green light lid up underneath her finger, mechanical rumblings filling the steel box…and then they were moving.
Xavier smiled from ear to ear, clearly relieved, while Adrianna felt something break inside her chest. Her fingerprint worked? How? And why? Why would Lucian have given her a virtual key to his penthouse?
She was so lost in thought that by the time Xavier spoke again she was already standing in the middle of Lucian's place without recalling even getting out off the elevator.
"Everything here is clear," Xavier said behind her. "I'm going to check upstairs."
Adrianna wanted to point out, once again, that no one could get in here and they were safe, but she didn't have the energy. Not standing in the middle of the room where she'd first kissed Lucian. A room that smelled like him.
Feeling her knees buckle, she felt for the couch behind her so she could sit down, but then she spotted the brown boxes by the window.
Moving boxes.
Is he leaving?
Her breath left her in a rush, her body turning cold. He was leaving. Of course he was. He'd probably made the arrangements while they'd been interrogating her. He was going to disappear from her life and never-
Her thoughts halted when she spotted the old record player placed on top of one of the boxes.
Her record player.
What the hell?
More confused than ever, she went to the first box and opened it, finding it full of her books. A second box held clothes. A third her records. A fourth more books.
"Xavier," she said when she heard the man coming back down the stairs. "What is this?"
"Is something not in order, miss?" the guy asked. "The company assured us nothing had been damaged, but if -"
"The company?"
"The moving company mister Nox hired to get your things here."
Adrianna felt lightheaded again, leaning back against the cool window.
"Oh God," Xavier mumbled, his eyes wide. "Did he not ask you?"
"Ask me?"
"He told me he was going to ask you tonight."
"Ask me what?"
"To move in with him."
Adrianna felt the blood rush from her face, her knees finally giving out, making her plop down on top of one of her boxes. He'd wanted to live with her?
"Please, don't tell me I've ruined the surprise. He would kill me-"
Adrianna shook her head, the last remains of her heart shattering in her chest.
"He asked you to bring me up here, remember," she whispered. "He knew I'd see the boxes."
And then it hit her. That's why he'd had Mike bring her to his penthouse and not straight to her apartment. To get her stuff out of his place.
Wiping away fresh tears, she got up again, determined to do this one thing right by him. She would erase any trace of herself from his life if that's what he needed.
"Is there a phone here?"
"There's a landline in the library."
"And the library is where?"
This was only the second time she'd ever been to his penthouse and back then she'd only seen his living room and kitchen. There was so much left to discover, not only about this penthouse but about the man himself as well. There were so many doors she hadn't yet opened…and now, they would remain closed, forever.
She swallowed back a lump as she shrugged off Lucian's jacket, draped it over the couch and followed Xavier, trying to keep it together just a little bit longer.
When Xavier finally stopped, she was standing in front of massive floor-to-ceiling bookcases that lined the penthouse's entire back wall. Before she'd met Lucian, she'd thought no one was such a lover of literature as her. He'd proven her wrong. The polished light wood contained easily thousands of volumes. You would need at least three lifetimes to read every single one of the books he owned. No doubt most of them were rare, given the number of heavily tooled leather bindings, and the gold inlay on their spines which gleamed in the soft light Xavier had flicked on.
"The phone's right here," he said, standing beside a sleek desk, his finger tapping the phone as if she would miss it otherwise. "I'll give you some privacy. I'll be in the living room if you need me."
She gave him a little nod and dialed information to get some numbers of moving companies. It was only after calling three of those numbers that she realized it was four in the morning and none of them would be open already. She would've thought about this sooner if she'd been running on full capacity, but she was already hanging on by a thread as it was.
"Reception," a chipper voice said on the other end of the line. "This is Elisabeth."
"Hi," Adrianna started, trying to sound somewhat human and kind. "I'm calling from mister Nox' penthouse-"
"Yes, I can see that, miss Salvatore," the woman said, surprising her. They knew her name? "Mister Nox told us you'd be moving in," she answered her unspoken question. "Congratulations."
A drop fell on Lucian's desk.
Don't. Break. Down.
"Actually, there's been a change of plans," she croaked. "Could you call the moving company back in the morning?"
There was a short, loaded silence before the woman said equally kind, "Of course, miss."
"Thank you," she whispered, grateful she didn't ask any questions. She couldn't handle questions. "Please, have them come over as soon as they're open. I'll pay extra to rush things." She gave her credit card information, which she thankfully knew by heart, and waited for the woman to finish writing everything down.
"I'll make it happen, miss. If there's anything else I can do for you, you know where to find me."
"Thank you, Elisabeth."
"You're welcome, miss."
She hung up, groaning when she remembered she'd wanted to ask to call her a cab as well. Picking up the receiver again, her finger hovered over the reception-button…when a little ding stopped her cold.
The elevator.
Her body trembling again, she froze. He was here. She felt it with an inner sense she couldn't even begin to describe. It wasn't fear or dread, just a marrow-deep awareness that he was close by.
And angry.
"Where is she?!"
Lucian's deep baritone came through the door and into her bones like a sound she'd heard a thousand times before, soothing her even as it kick-started her pulse.
Dear God, she would miss that voice.
She couldn't make out Xavier's muffled response, but whatever he'd said, it hadn't calmed Lucian down.
"Get out!"
She didn't hear the elevator move, but she knew Xavier would've gotten out of there as quickly as he could. Lucian's anger was palpable in every word he spoke and it wouldn't be wise to cross him right now.
Closing her eyes, she reinforced the walls inside of her-the ones he'd torn down without effort- praying they wouldn't crack.
Determined, she took a deep, shaking breath and then forced her body to move.
By the time she walked into the living room again, Lucian was already throwing back a glass of amber liquid. He stood with his back to her, looking out over the city through the wall of windows. She could see ever sharp line of his back, his muscles straining against the fabric. His shoulders were just as rigid, moving up and down forcefully.
She knew Lucian had heard her, but he didn't acknowledge her presence. The only give-away was the fact that the longer she stood there, the tenser his body seemed to get.
The silence stretched, weighing the room.
She couldn't take this.
She had to say something.
When she finally found her voice, it came out in a cool, business-like tone even though her heart was being torn apart. Walking away from Lucian, getting banned from his life, would be the hardest thing she'd ever have to endure, but she would endure it. Without tears. She wouldn't make him feel even worse than he was already feeling, she wouldn't piss him off even more. She would say goodbye and get out of his life without making a scene. He deserved that much.
"I can carry two boxes out of here tonight, maybe more if you let Xavier help me. Although I won't get more than three in a cab. I made arrangements for the rest to be-"
"You want to leave?" he said evenly at the skyline, his strong fingers clutching his empty glass tighter.
The question took her aback for a second, almost cracking the façade she was trying so hard to keep up. Of course she didn't want to leave. Ever. "Isn't that why you had Mike bring me here? To get my stuff out?"
With a sharp tap, the glass was snapped down on the metal-and-glass console next to him and then, he turned to face her.
The sight of him hit her hard.
The angles of his sharp face were tight, his jaw rigid, the sensual curve of his lips firmed into an unyielding line as his grey eyes took her in. His dark hair looked as if he'd been running his fingers through it repeatedly, the longer strands falling over his forehead in sexy disarray. His light granite tie was was still knotted, but the knot now hung low and the top button of his dress shirt was undone, exposing the golden column of his throat. He'd rolled up his sleeves, displaying powerful, veined forearms.
He was dressed like a businessman, but the animal wildness in his gaze betrayed another side of him, a side that should scare her.
"You think I'm kicking you out?"
"Why wouldn't you?"
Lucian's jaw went rigid, as if his teeth were clenched hard enough to shatter steel. "Why wouldn't I?!" Pure, white-hot anger rolled off of him in waves. Like he wanted to tear something apart with his bare hands. And, since he didn't let her leave, the only thing in his path at the moment was her.
"You don't want me here, Lucian. Look at you. You're furious with me-"
"Fuck yes, I'm furious!" His even tone vanished, replaced with one that sounded like razors over shattered glass. "You never fucking listen, do you Adrianna?!"
He didn't wait for her to answer.
"Did you not hear me back in the park when I told you to keep your mouth shut?! Or did you just choose to ignore me?!"
"Back in the park? Why are you bringing up-"
"My lawyer would've gotten you off!" he barked as he took a step towards her, his eyes so dark they appeared black. "They had nothing, Adrianna! Not a single fucking piece of concrete evidence! So, explain to me why the fuck you would confess!"
She watched him, unblinking as he stood there, his face flushed and hard. This time, he expected her to answer…but all words had left her. That's why he was angry? Because she'd confessed?
Of course, a little voice in her head sighed. He thinks you're innocent. He thinks you confessed to a crime you didn't commit. He doesn't know what you did. What you are. He doesn't-
"Answer me, woman!"
She drew in a sharp breath, for a small second considering to keep him in the dark. Rellix had wiped her slate clean, she could walk away. But then, she'd be living a lie. And far worse, so would he. He had every right to know who he thought he loved, who he would be spending his life with. So, even though telling him the truth would rob her of that love and of any future with him, she heard herself whisper brokenly, "Lucian…I confessed because it's true. All of it. I killed them."
"So?!"
"So?" she frowned."No, I don't think you heard me, I killed them."
"I heard you Salvatore, I just don't give a fuck!"
What?!
"It was you or them!"
She sniffed, running a hand through her curls. "Is that what you think? That it was self-defense?"
"It was!"
"No, it wasn't!" She yelled back, her temper snapping. He was in denial, grasping at every straw, but he needed to hear her, he needed to know what had happened. It was the only way to protect him from making this mistake. From continuing to love her.
"It wasn't self-defense, Lucian. I wish it had been, I wish it with all my heart, but it wasn't! Those people-"
"People?!" He stalked to the couch and grabbed a small stack of files from on top of the cushions. She recognized the folders. He'd taken those from the police station.
"These things you were going to give up your future for were barely human, Adrianna!" He barked before she could say anything, grabbing the first file and throwing it at her feet, "Cindy Jones! She was a prostitute before she met David Moore-" He threw a second file on the ground, pictures spilling out of the manila folder. "David had been in an out of jail since he was eighteen, mostly for petty crimes until he found out how much cash there was in sex-trafficking! He started with refugee women, promising them a future and instead selling them like cattle! And then, he teamed up with Cindy and their combined depravity gave them the marvelous idea to focus on children instead! Much more money there! They even held online auctions on the dark web!"
Adrianna's stomach turned.
"Jack Richards-" he snarled, the third file hitting the floor. "-was a hired gun, murdering anyone for the right price! Before you stopped him, he was suspected of a hundred and eighty murders, at least half of them women and children! And those are only the ones whose bodies they were able to identify! You think Rodchenko does a number on his victims?! You have no idea what this fuck did! I'll spare you the goddamn details, but let's just say he knows his chemistry! And then, there's this monster-" File number four touched her feet. "Patrick Williams! He raped and tortured a thirteen-year-old girl when he was seventeen and got off on a technicality! After that, he felt untouchable, raping his way through North-America! And he was untouchable! Until you!" Lucian took another step towards her, something dark crossing his features as he snarled, "What do you think he had planned for you when Richards gave the order to play with you a little?"
Adrianna stood frozen, looking from Lucian to the files at her feet. He sounded so reasonable, she almost believed that she should be forgiven for what she'd done.
"You're right," she whispered, softly shaking her head. "These people were more monster than human…but that doesn't justify me turning into a monster as well."
He slammed his fist against one of her boxes, making it smash into the ground with a loud thump. "Goddammit, Adrianna! Why can't you cut yourself some fucking slack?!"
"Because I didn't know any of this, Lucian! This wasn't justice being served!I didn't know what they'd done and yet, I slaughtered them! I got out of that trunk, shot the men in the backseat with their own guns and beat the guy, who I thought had killed you, to death with my bare hands! My bare hands, Lucian!"
Her fingers brushed over her knuckles and she could see a little flicker of comprehension dawn on Lucian's face. He was remembering the pink discoloration he'd seen on her knuckles in the tub, putting the pieces together in his mind.
"Cara," She could hear him put in an effort to keep his voice kind, even though he was clearly still furious. "You were fighting for your life. You weren't thinking."
"That's just the thing, I was," she remembered vividly, seeing herself in that trunk again, listening to her captors talking. "I was thinking, Lucian. Before I did anything, my mind went through every scenario possible. I knew I could wait for the car to stop in front of a red light and then make my move! I could've disarmed one of them once I was in the backseat, held their leader at gunpoint and make them release me without firing a single shot. I knew that and yet, I did what I did…and, God help me, I liked it."
"Baby-" Lucian stepped forward, reaching for her. She backed up quickly, triggering a frustrated sound from his beautiful lips. She wanted to feel him, take comfort in his touch, but she couldn't. She had to keep it together. She had to make him understand.
"You need to hear this, Lucian! I'm not the woman you think I am! I'm not the woman you want!"
"Stop it!" His voice was coarse, a barely contained roar. "You are everything I-"
"Did you not just hear me?! I liked killing, Lucian!"
He scrubbed a hand over his face and cursed. "They were going to kill you!"
"You keep saying that like self-preservation was what drove me! It wasn't! I didn't care whether or not I got out of that car alive, Lucian! Hell, if I did, I wouldn't have shot the driver while we were going two hundred miles an hour!"
As she spoke, she saw Lucian's face morph into the embodiment of pure rage, his teeth baring as he listened.
"All I cared about was making them pay for killing you!" she went on. "Making them hurt! Bleed! Beg for their miserable little lives! Does that sound like someone you want in your life?! Like someone who deserves you?!"
Lucian fists trembled by his side, his nostril flaring…but he didn't answer her. Not that he had to. She knew the answer. Of course he didn't want her in his life. He saw her now. She could see it in his narrow eyes. He finally saw her for what she truly was.
Leave. Now. The heartbroken voice was right. She should go. If she stood there any longer, she would break down and she didn't want to do that. Not in front of him. A clean break.
Gathering ever last ounce of strength she had left, she turned away from her beautiful man and kept her watering eyes on the elevator. All she had to do was make it there and then-
"That's why your back is bruised."
The words were spoken softly, but there was a simmering, cold venom to it, a quiet rage that chilled her to the bone and made her stop in her tracks.
"You went through the windshield, didn't you?"
She closed her eyes, feeling a traitorous tear escape. "Yes."
Her answer tripped a growl from him, a growl she felt all the way down to her core.
Wiping her cheek clean, she turned on her heels, frowning. "That's all you heard?! That I made the car crash while I was still in it? I just told you what I did, that I'm a monster and you-"
"You're not a monster, Adrianna!" Lucian's voice lowered dangerously. "But I swear to the gods, I will show you a fucking monster if you ever try to kill yourself again!"
Looking at his fierce expression, Adrianna had no doubt that he would make good on his threat.
"I didn't try to kill myself," she croaked. "Not…necessarily. I just didn't care whether I lived or died. I didn't care about anything but revenge." She sighed. "There's a darkness in me Lucian and when I saw you get shot, when I thought you were dead-" She shook her head, swallowing hard. "You have no idea what I went through when-"
"I have no idea?! I saw the car, Adrianna!"
Her heart stopped. "What?"
"I saw the goddamned car! After Rellix saved me, I went to find you! Instead I found a burned out car, buried in the side of a fucking bridge!"
Pain suddenly flooded his eyes, a pain she recognized too well.
"There was a body of a woman! She had black hair like yours and she was wearing your fucking engagement ring!"
Tears flooded her eyes. He'd thought she was dead? When he'd said that he'd thought he'd lost her, she'd assumed he'd meant because she'd been kidnapped, not that she'd died. Her heart broke as she realized he'd gone through the same thing she had.
"She was the driver. She took the ring when they drugged me," she explained in a little voice. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to feel forced to talk about it, although now I wish I'd pushed harder! All that guilt over nothing?!"
"It wasn't nothing! I-"
"The point is-" he cut her off. "-I understand exactly how you felt, because I felt it, too! That darkness, that rage, the need to punish someone! It overtakes you, it becomes your single desire, your sole reason to stay alive!"
She nodded, feeling more tears well up in her eyes.
"It's a reaction to a situation! The same reaction I had! It doesn't make you a bad person!"
"Doesn't it?! I took an oath to protect and serve and I killed them! What does that say about me?"
He exhaled roughly. "That you're a survivor!"
"Again, it had nothing to do with surviving! I just wanted revenge!"
Lucian let out an exasperated sigh, his arms crossing his chest, displaying the raw power of his ripped body to perfection. "Do you remember what you said to me that night I almost beat that man to death?! The man who'd tried to strangle you?!"
"No."
"You said I was just angry, that I'd lost control and that this didn't make me a monster, but a human being! And that's exactly what I'm saying to you know! You were angry, you lost control! That doesn't make you a monster, it makes you human!"
She let out a strangled cry, her tears now flowing freely. There was no way she could hold them back. He was tearing through every wall again, getting to her heart. She knew that what she'd done was inexcusable and yet, his words were getting to her. Somewhere deep down inside, she could feel something shift, something starting to forgive. But how could she forgive herself without losing everything she stood for? Everything her family stood for? Fought for?
"What happened in that car doesn't define you, Adrianna!" Lucian continued, his expression still frighteningly intense. "You were overtaken with anger and grief! It was one moment in time when you lost control!"
"What if it wasn't? What if that was me in that car? The real me? What if I'm…dark."
"You're not dark. You're still you. You're still the woman I love."
"You still love me?" The question was out of her mouth before she could stop herself, disbelief widening her eyes.
"You were worried about that?!"
When she just blushed, his lips pressed together in a thin line.
"Goddammit, Salvatore. How fickle do you think I am?!"
That trace of pain was back in his eyes and before she could think better of it, she closed the distance between them, the need to sooth him greater than anything else.
Wrapping her arms around his tense body, she half expected him to shrug of her touch, but instead, she felt him relax against her, his arms instantly locking around her body.
"I'm sorry," she whispered against his chest. "I should've told you from the start. I just thought I would lose you if I did. And I couldn't bare it."
She could feel his embrace tightening. "I'm not leaving you, Cara."
She closed her eyes, her heart somehow feeling lighter.
Maybe not all was lost.
Hades held her close, trying to slow his pulse, to get himself under control.
He'd ordered Mike to drive her home so he could get her attackers' files, but that was only partly why. Most of all, he'd wanted to put some distance between himself and Adrianna, some time. He'd hoped it would help him calm down. It hadn't. The second he'd seen her again, his rage had flared up, more destructive than ever, burning through his veins.
And that was before he'd known the whole story.
Now, his blood was drumming hard in his temples, rage ruling all but a sliver of his mind. He wasn't sure what angered him more; her misplaced guilt over killing those animals, the fucked up notion that he would leave her over this shit or the complete disregard for own her life.
No, scratch that. He knew damn well what had pissed him off most.
His jaw clenching, he held her even tighter, fighting the images that wreaked havoc in his mind. The state that car had been in… If she hadn't gone through the windshield…
It's a goddamn miracle she didn't die.
"Sweetheart," she whispered against his chest. "It's getting a little hard to breath over here."
Hades could barely hear her, his senses clouded by fury and something else, something far more dangerous. Desire. He wanted her. Not just because he loved her, but because he wanted to punish her. He wanted to fuck her, posses her, bury himself in that body of hers and show her who she belonged to.
Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply, trying to collect himself, but her scent only coaxed his beast out further.
Mine.
As if burned, Hades backed away from her inviting heat, his demon snarling obscenities.
"Lucian?"
She looked so little, so fragile, as if one wrong word or touch would break her. He'd never seen her like that. And it was all those fuckers' fault. He felt his nails dig into his palms at the thought of those bastards. Reading their files had built his anger up to a point he could barely think straight. As he'd read about their crimes, he'd imagined them doing the same depraved things to his girl.
Torturing her.
Beating her.
Raping her.
Lucian's gut clenched at the thought, dread mixing with the acid burn already swimming in the pit of his stomach.
"I understand that you're angry-"
"No, you really don't." The words rushed out of him, a coarse rasp in his throat. There was no way she knew what he was thinking, what the demon was demanding he'd do…
His head swimming with erotic images, he strode past her, his shoes clicking across the floor as he made a break for the elevator.
"You don't have to leave. This is your place. I'll go."
He turned on his heels, pinning her down with a vicious glare. "Salvatore, if you take one step out off this fucking penthouse, I will hunt you down and make you regret it! Do you hear me?!"
She blushed even deeper, her breathing coming out labored, her chest pushing against her dress. His anger shouldn't have that effect on her. Fuck, it shouldn't be turning her on.
"Lucian, I-"
"Don't argue with me right now, woman!"
There was a loaded pause, the only sound that of their breathing and his heartbeat thumping in his ears.
His heart wasn't the only thing thumping.
His dick had a fucking pulse at that point, his erection painful, every shred of fabric against it feeling like sheer torture.
When Adrianna finally broke the silence, he could hear the change in her voice, the heat that laced every word.
"You're angry with me, yes?"
"Yes!"
"Then vent that anger," she whispered, slowly closing the small distance that still separated them. "Use me to feel better."
"No!" The refusal cut deep, like restraining a part of himself with barbed wire. It had no effect, though, didn't even slow her down, those hips swaying as she looked at him through her lashes. The tension was so thick it was hard to breathe, his lungs aching as he tried to pull enough air into them. He could feel the need radiating off her, sensed the hunger tightening his muscles and sharpening his focus on every response of his body to hers.
"Stop, Adrianna!" he hissed. "Not like this!"
"Why not? Because you'll hurt me?"
"Yes!"
Her blue eyes glistened on his, full of trust and sweetness. His hunger stirred in response.
"You don't believe me?! You have no idea what I'm feeling right now, Salvatore!"
"Yes, I do. You're angry-"
"Furious!"
"-and hurt."
"Yes!"
"Because I lied. And because I almost-"
She trailed off, but he spit out the word she seemed ashamed to speak. "Died! Because you almost died, Salvatore!"
"I know," she said, pressing those warm, soft hands of hers against him, brushing them over his abdomen, his chest, his shoulders. "I know what almost happened. But I'm here now."
Scowling, his fingers found those dark curls, locking onto them in an iron grip that forced her head back. She looked up at him, wide-eyed, those plumb lips parted just a sliver.
"For how long, Salvatore?" he snarled. "How long can I possible hold on to you when you make these self-destructive decisions at every goddamn turn?! Rodchenko, Ryder's thief, shooting the fucking driver of a speeding car you're in?! How long before I lose you?!"
The fury radiating off him had made eons-old beings tremble at his feet and yet, this little human kept staring up at him, unafraid. And that right there was the fucking problem.
"You want me to fuck my anger out of me?! Now?! Do you ever recognize the danger you're in?!"
"You won't hurt me."
He swung an icy look at her. "You think so, huh?"
"Yes, I do," she said, unwavering. "At least, not any more than I can handle."
His eyes flashed at her provocation, but his voice didn't betray the desire she aroused as he barked, "Enough of this! Go to bed!"
"Not without you."
"Now!"
"I don't even know where the bedroom is, so-"
In one rough move, he let go of her hair and clasped his fingers around her wrist. He saw red as he dragged her with him; across the living room, up the stairs, all the way down his hallway. He scarcely registered her continued protest or the fact that she repeatedly asked him to slow down. He even felt her almost trip a few times, but he never eased his stride. He was getting her to his damn bedroom and that would be the end of this mind-game she was playing!
When he finally reached the right door, he almost flung her against it, letting go of her as he jabbed his finger in her face.
"Go in, get in my bed and sleep, Adrianna!"
"Where are you going?"
"Out! I'm going to find a fight or get hammered and then maybe in the morning, I can deal with you! Not right now! Not tonight! Not without losing my goddamn fuck." His body jerked wildly, breath slamming into his lungs. She'd found his erection-not that it was a difficult task, he was harder than he'd ever been- and was now rubbing her soft palm over his length, the friction passing with aching clarity through the second skin of his pants.
He glared at her, his palms pressed against the door behind her, boxing her in. It was all he could do to keep upright, to stop himself from burying those hands in her skin…
"Stop it," he ground out harshly. "Christ, Adrianna. You don't know what you're doing."
"Yes, I do." Her eyes were glittering at him and immediately, he felt that pull. Something hardwired inside him craved her with every fiber of his being and he knew he couldn't fight it for long. Not when she looked at him with that deep desperation.
He exhaled harshly, grabbing the hand that was still on his cock and pinning it against the door. "What do you want from me, Adrianna?"
"Isn't it obvious?" she breathed.
He growled. "If you want an orgasm, go in that room and make yourself come."
"I want you to do it."
He laughed and it was a horrible, humorless sound. "Me? You think I'd let you come if I got my hands on you? You really don't grasp the concept of punishment, do you, Adrianna?!"
Her pupils dilated, drowning him in more blue.
"Go inside. Lock the fucking door. We'll talk in the morning." There was a plea in his voice beneath all the anger and he hated it. It meant he was getting too lost, too desperate. He could feel the strain in his own body, the tension pulled tight and ready to snap. And she felt it too.
Her hands lifted to his neck, her fingers kneading into the knotted muscles.
His voice came deep and low. "You will regret this."
"I'm scared."
Her confession knocked the wind right out of him. He'd wanted her to fear him, to back off and see the danger, but having it work had the unexpected side affect of heartbreak. Because the truth was, he didn't want her to fear him. Not really. And yet, he found himself groaning,
"Good. You should be."
She swallowed hard, softly shaking her head. "Not of you. Of me."
His chest tightened at the tears that gathered in her eyes.
"Please, Lucian," she croaked, pulling at every fucking string. "I'm angry. Scared. Confused. I don't know who I am anymore…but you do. You see me better than I see myself."
Her hand cupped his cheek, brushing her fingers over his skin. His legs weakened at her touch, his limbs feeling heavy, his resistance beginning a slow meltdown that started in his core.
"I want you to take me until I can see myself again like you see me. Until I can think of myself as anything other than a killer." She looked down, her hand dropping along with her eyes. "God, that sounds awful."
The hell it does.
He tilted her chin up with his forefinger, forcing her gaze back on his. "You need comfort from me. I can't give you that. Not right now. Not tonight."
Because all he had to offer was rage. Pure, animalistic rage. Even as he watched her tears fall, that burning emotion was still front and center, running through his blood in destructive jets. Which is also why he didn't see the kiss coming. He was so busy trying to keep himself together that he reacted too late.
The seal of Adrianna's mouth over his was tight and greedy, laced with a wildness he hadn't tasted since they'd been together in their dreams. Her tongue stroked fast and hard into his mouth, licking deep with devastating sexuality. She kissed him for an anguished eternity. Then again, maybe it took only a fraction of a second for the hook to set. Lucian couldn't be sure. All he knew was the warm crush of her skin against his chest, her soft tongue thrusting in his mouth, the beat of her heart. All he knew was the longing he felt for her.
Mine, he thought again, selfish and utterly savage with the idea.
He wanted her-all of her-and it was too late to stop it now. The beast was too far gone to be merciful.
This kiss had damned them both.
Letting go of her lips, he watched her. Her messy hair framed her flushed face, her lips were already swollen from his rough treatment and her eyes were pressed closed as she swayed dreamily.
"Look at me, Adrianna." His voice was as animalistic as he felt, but she still listened to his command without a moment's hesitation.
"I love you," he roared. "Do you hear me?"
She nodded, breathing, "Yes."
"Good. Remember that, 'cause I'm about to fuck you like I don't."
He had her through the door and on his bed in a flash of movement.
The second she touched his sheets, every dirty fantasy he'd had about having her in his bed coursed through his mind. He wanted her on her back, riding him, sucking him, wanted her in his mouth again so he could lick her up… But there would be time for all of that later. Now was about raw sex. He just needed her under him, to bury himself inside of her and make her feel who she was fucking with, in every sense of the word.
Biting her lip, she sat up, reaching for his shirt. Before she could undo his first button, he grabbed her wrists, his glare warning her off. She was not in control and it would remain that way until he decided otherwise. The frame of mind he was in right now…she'd never be in control again. She made stupid fucking decisions when she was in control.
An image of that car popped up in his mind again and next thing he knew, he was grabbing her by the waist and flipping her over, folding her facedown over the edge of the bed.
With rough hands, he pushed her skirt over her hips, exposing her perfect, bare ass.
"Gods," he growled, squeezing her curves. "You were built to drive me out of my fucking mind, weren't you?"
She made a stream of sounds in response, but he could tell she was as lost as he was, no longer able to form a coherent thought.
Cupping the back of her knee, he pushed her leg up onto the bed, opening her up for him. She was glistening, hot and ready, aching to be filled.
More.
No longer fighting the beast, he grabbed the delicate lace buttons at the back of her dress and tore. She jolted underneath him, whimpering as he pushed the torn material over her arms, to her waist, leaving it there.
As quickly as he could, he undid his pants, sliding his underwear down with it in one smooth move. She heard what he was doing, he could tell by the way her fingers clutched the sheets tighter in anticipation. A sadistic part of him realized that the worst punishment he could give her was to walk away right now and leave her like this, but there was no way he could do that. Not because he couldn't be so cruel. No, he could be far crueler, anyone would testify to that fact. He simply wasn't able to move one fucking inch away from her.
"I wanted you completely naked," he said, his voice rough gravel in his throat. "But there's no fucking time."
Leaving his pants around his knees, he ran his hands up her spine, only stopping to grab hold of her shoulders.
His cock lay hot and thick against her, her silken heat coating his head along with his own pre-cum. She was spread for the taking, ready, so fucking perfect.
"Remember, you wanted this."
He plunged himself into her body before she could respond.
He heard her gasp at his powerful entry, and her slick heat grabbed onto him, pulsating as she instantly came. He froze in place, squeezing his eyes shut as he absorbed her orgasm, feeling her core stroke him.
"You get that one," he bit out when he could speak again. "One. Because I didn't make te rules clear. But from now on, you don't come until I tell you to. Is that understood?"
She whimpered and he grabbed her hips, holding her down as he fucked his way deeper into her.
Tight. Creamy. Jesus.
"Understood?" he ground out.
She nodded, her fingers clawing at the comforter as he sank farther into her. Her sex sucked greedily at his cock, her ass bouncing each time he pounded into her, taking her harder than ever before.
A low sound shot through the room, growing louder and louder, until he realized the growl was coming from him. His lips peeled off his teeth as his muscles churned and his hips thrashed against her. He fucked urgently, deeply, need overwhelming him. Drenched in sweat, head spinning, mindless, breathless, he took everything she was offering him. Took it and demanded more.
"Don't you dare come, Adrianna," he ordered, feeling her tighten around him.
She groaned, burying her face in the sheets, her nails almost ripping through them.
With a wordless snarl, his fingers dug into her shoulder again, keeping her body in place as he pushed his cock in, trying to get even deeper.
"You're. So. Hard." she whispered breathlessly between thrusts, biting down on that lip again.
Her words lit off a violent shaking in him, one that dimmed his vision and sent pulses down his arms and legs. The taking of her consumed him, stripped him of whatever civilized lid there was on his instincts. He was raw, wild.
Needing to feel more of her, he blanketed her, his hard body covering her soft back, trapping her beneath him. His hands pushed underneath her, cupping her swollen nipples, kneading them with demanding fingers.
Soft. Perfect. Warm.
"Fuck," he bit out, his palms tightening on her breasts. "You're making me come."
She urged him on, his name a horse moan leaving her lips.
"You want that, huh? You want me to come hard for you?"
She nodded, a deep sound emerging from her throat.
"You can't come with me."
"Lucian!" She clawed at the sheets in protest, her body trying to arch, but his weight on top of her made that impossible.
"No, Adrianna," he snarled, driving his cock in deeper, harder, hitting her cervix. "Do. Not. Fuck."
He came violently. He couldn't stop it. Growling in her hair, he surged deep, erupting with a vicious curse, pumping into her, his orgasm going on and on. His body shook violently with the force of his climax, his teeth sinking into her shoulder, marking her as his.
It was too much. Adrianna couldn't see, couldn't think. Her nails raked across the comforter, instinctively trying to pull her away from the flood of sensations, away from the spurting cock still stroking her languidly, making her take more, feel more, when she couldn't possibly stand it. Lucian wouldn't let her get away, though. He laid draped on her back, keeping her right where she was, trapped and possessed, a willing prisoner.
"I filled you up."
He didn't have to tell her. She knew. She could feel his cum warming her, coating her.
"Please," she moaned, desperately.
"Please what?"
The bastard knew damn well what she'd meant. "Please, let me come."
"You already did."
If she had the strength, she would've rolled her eyes. Her first orgasm had hit her hard, though it hadn't been completely unexpected. She'd been craving him ever since he'd taken her virginity, always on the brink of an orgasm whenever he was near. So, it was no wonder that she'd fallen over the edge the second he'd pushed inside her.
Or slammed inside her, to be more accurate.
There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she would be sore in the morning, but she didn't mind. Not at all. What she did mind however, was the fact that that warm, electric tension inside of her had nowhere to go and it kept building with each slide of him inside of her. Even now, even though he was no longer rock hard, the friction of his strokes kept her on the edge of sweet release with no way to get to it. It was torture. Sweet, heavenly torture.
And she was sure that was the point.
Lucian was still angry. She could feel it in every thrust, ever bite, ever word he spoke.
She felt his rogue tongue lick her spine, making her tremble and throb.
"Time to taste you."
Before she could process that, she was on her back and he held her pinned at her thighs.
Oh, God, no. He's not going to-
She screamed when his mouth descended on her throbbing sex, his tongue licking leisurely.
He can't expect me not to come when he's doing that, right?
She looked down and met his eyes, the message in them clear.
He did expect it.
Demanded it, even.
The velvety strokes over her clit had her gasping, the need for an orgasm so fierce she was drenched in sweat, her legs vibrating from the strain.
"Please," she begged hoarsely, squeezing her heavy breasts, the tips swollen and tender from the long minutes he'd spent pinching them as he'd taken her from behind.
His silky hair brushed over her skin, her thighs, his stubble making her curse his name. Out loud. Her profanity only seemed to spur him on though. He circled her clit, then rimmed the trembling opening below.
Twisting on her side, she tried to get away from the torture of his mouth even as she craved more. But Lucian had total control over her body now, keeping her right were she was.
At his mercy.
Always on the edge but never falling over.
"Oh, God, make me come, damn you!"
When she got no reaction, she pushed her hand between her legs, desperate to get herself off.
He slapped her hand away before it could get to where she needed it.
Mumbling obscenities she didn't even realize she knew, she tried another approach, grabbing his head, holding him to her as she lifted her hips to his mouth, trying to set the pace, take over the reigns. But Lucian was too strong, restraining her easily, his hot breath never leaving her sensitive flesh. He sucked gently, moving slowly, along the length of her cleft, giving just enough pressure to drive her insane.
"You fucking bastard."
His roar sent goose bumps racing across her skin. And then, as if to punish her for her outburst, he thrust his tongue inside of her.
"Fuck!"
He cupped her butt and lifted her, angling her into his working mouth. His tongue fucked her swiftly, the shallow plunges into her trembling sex driving her hard towards explosion. He could feel it, his growl vibrating against her clit.
She ignored the warning, clutching at his hair, moaning, digging her heels into the mattress to rock against his lips. Her legs spread even wider, giving him limitless access. He devoured her, so hungry and greedy. She couldn't breath from the pleasure. The frenzied licking against sensitive tissues overloaded her senses and the sight of him only pushed her deeper into the abyss. His dark hair between her thighs, the beauty of his biceps hardened from supporting her weight…
Another low moan broke from her dry throat and just when her toes started to curl, he was gone.
She gave a clenched-teeth scream of frustration.
"It's hard, isn't it?" he snarled, unbuttoning his shirt with rough fingers. "Feeling so powerless?"
She just glared at him.
"Welcome to my fucking world, Adrianna," He kicked off his shoes, pants and underwear, never taking his glaring eyes off her. "A world where the woman I love insists on hunting down monsters who can take her away from me in a heartbeat."
As she took in his naked-and once again hard-gloriousness, she felt an apology trying to slip from her lips, but she bit it back. She wouldn't apologize for who she was, no matter the potential reward. She was a detective, a Salvatore. Hunting monsters is what she did.
He must've seen the rebellion in her eyes, because his flashed with a fresh surge of anger as he grabbed the bunched up fabric around her waist and tore it down and off her body, throwing what was left of her dress over his shoulder.
Like a predator moving in on his prey, he lowered himself onto the bed and over her, crouching like an animal above her trembling body. The air around him seemed to pulse, his raw fury an unseen force that pushed her deeper into the mattress.
Her thighs yielded to him, opening as she held his wild gaze. She was wet, aching for him and even though she knew there would be no release for her, she still wanted him back inside. She felt empty without him, cold deep in her core.
With an animal grunt of lust, he came down on her, positioning his pelvis between her thighs and spreading them wider with his knees. The thick head of Lucian's erection nudged against her sex and then, with one deep thrust, he impaled her, sliding as deep as he could go. She took every last inch of him, gripping him like a fist.
Lucian hissed sharply as he withdrew and plunged back in, filling her to the hilt.
"Yes!" she coaxed him, moving with him in a tempo that was anything but gentle. "God, Lucian! Yes!"
He just growled and fucked her harder, those grey eyes holding hers as he claimed every part of her. Her body, her heart, her soul. Everything was his.
She tried to ignore the thrumming warning that pounded through her veins as he took her, didn't want to do what her heart was telling her to do, because she knew there was the risk that he would leave…but she knew she had to do it. For him.
Tension coiling inside her, she stroked his rigid jaw, her fingers tracing down to play across his parted lips before she moaned as loudly as she could,
"Stop."
Lucian got stock-still, staring down at her, his expression a mixture of anger, confusion and desire.
"I want you to stop," she repeated, her voice strong.
His face seemed to go a bit more ashen beneath its already pale complexion and then, he pulled out of her and moved to leave the bed, doing as she'd demanded.
Just like she knew he would.
Feeling empty and cold without him, she snapped up, grabbing his arm and tugging him back down on top of her. He caught his fall, his hands dipping into the mattress beside her head, making him hover over her again.
The dark anger that etched Lucian's face then should've had her fleeing from his bed…but damn her if it didn't drive her need even higher.
"Are you actually toying with me right now?"
She licked her lips, her throat dry.
"Do you think that is wise, woman?"
She shook her head, not able to form words when he spoke to her in that cold, borderline vicious tone.
"Then why do it?!"
She swallowed hard and somehow managed to say, "As a precautionary measure."
His brows went low, like a thundercloud about to burst.
"For tomorrow morning," she explained. "See, when you wake up, you're going to find some way to hate yourself for this."
His brows relaxed a bit.
"Even though I pushed you to it, even though I'm loving every second of it, you're going to regret it. Because you'll tell yourself you lost control and took something I never offered. But now, if that ridiculous thought were to cross your mind, you'll remember this moment. The moment I asked you to stop and you did, without a single question or objection. You stopped. Because despite what you think, you are always in control of yourself when you're with me. Even when you let your deepest, darkest parts of their leash. I'm always safe with you."
She could see his fingers curl into the sheets, fisting them tightly as he watched her through sharp eyes. He watched her like that for the longest time, until he finally hissed,
"You alone have the power to destroy me, you know."
His words felt like a slap in the face and a soothing kiss to her heart all at once.
"I won't," she whispered, her hand cupping his cheek sweetly.
His jaw tightened even more under her touch, the skin drawn sharp over his features.
"If you ever try to hurt yourself again-"
"Never," she promised, meaning it from the bottom of her heart. "I'm sorry, Lucian."
Something in his gaze shifted at her apology and even though he drove into her roughly and took her just as hard and fast as he had before, there was now an underlying gentleness to his movements, an intimacy she'd been denied during her punishment. Like something as simple as a kiss. It was only when his lips took hers and his tongue plunged inside her mouth that she realized he hadn't kissed her once since they'd started making love. He did now, though. Thoroughly. As if he'd been dying for her lips.
She was already soaring toward a splintering orgasm when he hooked her knees over his shoulders and delved ever deeper inside her. He was merciless in his rhythm, a force of raw, magnificent desire meant to drive her insane.
And God, did it work.
Mindless, she twisted her head and bit into his arm. It wasn't meant to hurt him. Everything was just too intense, too much, too perfect.
"Cara," he groaned, his strokes more urgent, demanding.
She moaned in response, her nails finding his muscled behind and digging in the hard skin.
He cursed and groaned, his large body vibrating with the imminence of his release. "Milk me, baby. Come with me."
She detonated in an instant, the intensity of her orgasm so great she had to close her eyes as it overtook her. She could hear Lucian shout something above her and then go completely still as his warmth filled her belly and parts of her that were far beyond physical.
She drifted into blissfulness for a long time, her body shivering, her nerves sparking against her skin. She didn't know how long she laid there, only that when she opened her eyes, Lucian was on top of her, his head resting over her heart. She stroked his hair, bathing in that moment of pure bliss. When a few minutes later, he started to move, she wrapped her legs around his hips, making little sounds of protest.
He chuckled, kissing the soft swell of her breast. "I have to move, baby. I'm too heavy for you."
Another round of protesting sounds. She couldn't speak yet. Everything was still too raw. And yet, somehow, he understood what she meant. She didn't want him to leave her. She wanted him to stay inside of her body, keep her whole.
"Okay, come here." He caged her in his arms and turned them over so she was the one lying on top of him.
"Good?"
She snuggled deeper into his chest in response, her lips pressing soft, lazy kissed against the warm skin beneath it.
"God, woman, you wreck me," he moaned, his voice tight. "I can't get enough of you."
She smiled at his soft, breathless confession…and then moaned when she felt the evidence of it growing thicker inside of her again.
"Fuck, Cara," he growled when she moved her hips in circles on top of him. She didn't know what she was doing, didn't have the experience yet, but her body knew. And right now, those circles felt so right, making her back arch, her senses on high alert again.
In a flurry of movement, Lucian was back on top of her, groaning into her neck as he took over the rhythm. "Soon, I'll have you on top of me, baby. Riding me. But tonight, I'm the one driving."
She didn't protest, burying her fingers in his hair as he took the wheel.
"At some point-" he rumbled in her ear. "-you're going to have to stop me, Cara. Otherwise, you'll never get to sleep."
She gave him a little nod…but the truth was, she had no intention of ever stopping him again.
