Dirty Nails (12 page)

              It was like he was reading my mind. Keeping his eyes locked on mine, he gripped my ass with both hands and lifted me up off the ground keeping my back to the wall. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

              His words were like a shock wave to my body. He wanted me. God, I wanted him too.

              “Tell me you want me too. Say the words Sadie and I’ll slip myself inside of you right now. Do you want me?”

              “Yes. I want you Cam.”

              “Fuck,” he growled and entered my body hard and fast.

“Ah,” I screamed out.

“Did I hurt you?” He stopped.

“No, please don’t stop.”

“What do you want Sadie? Tell me what you want.”

“I want you.”

“You’re going to have to be more specific.” He teased, leaving me waiting and panting. His tongue licked small circles around my nipple. “Tell me.” He was fighting dirty, but I loved it.

“I want you to fuck me.”

“Oh yeah,” he groaned. He started pumping into me over and over. My chest bounced up and down as he moved faster and faster.

The base of his dick rubbed my clit just right. I was about to explode. “Rougher,” I yelled even though he was already pounding into me hard. It wasn’t hard enough. It wasn’t what I was used to.

“Baby I’m giving it to you hard.”

I gripped his hair and pulled it so that his face was level with mine. “I need it rough. Squeeze me, smack me, choke me; please just a little rougher.”

I could see the understanding on his face. He knew what I meant, what I needed.

I felt his hands grip my ass hard enough to bruise, and he slammed into me hard. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it was enough to work.

“I’m coming,” I said.

“Me too,” he said as he pushed into again. My body tingled and twitched as I found my release. He pulled out of me quickly and with just a touch of his hand he came too, all over the shower floor.

The way he looked at me had me worried. There was a darkness in his eyes that was unfamiliar, but it quickly faded.

“Let’s get you to bed. This water is freezing.”

He wrapped us up in towels and left me with one of his tee shirts to sleep in. The whole time we were getting dressed he barely spoke. I’m not sure why, but it left me feeling insecure. I wondered if I had just made a big mistake, but I hoped not. It was amazing. He was amazing, the way his huge body sucked me in like we were made for each other.

I was hooked, and as I stood there looking into the eyes of the beast, I knew that my heart was too.

For too many years I had slept with the enemy, but this time I had let my heard decide.

It chose him.

Sixteen- Peaceful Sleep

              I opened my eyes to find Sketch staring at me. My heart hammered in my chest. “You scared me, what time is it?”

              “Around three a.m.”

              “What are you doing up?” His eyes were heavy with the need to sleep. I drifted off earlier to the sound of his mumbling. It lulled me right to sleep.

              “I don’t sleep well, and it makes it even harder when you’re lying next to me.” He admitted.

              The hardness that was all over his face before was gone. He looked younger and more relaxed.

              I smiled and leaned over to lightly kiss his lips.

              He smiled back.

              He actually smiled back.

              It’d been far too long since I’d seen that knockout smile.

              “You can talk to me Cam. I’ll listen.” I scooted my body into his and rested my head on his bare chest. His heart sounded slow and steady like a drum.

              The minutes passed by, and I wondered if he was going to speak. I had almost dozed off when he finally did.

              He softly rubbed the back of my head. “The night my Mom and sister were killed I witnessed everything. I watched both of them take their last breath, and there was nothing I could do to save them. Cora cried for me to help her. She screamed my name over and over, and the man wouldn’t let me go. I fought him, but he was too strong for me.” His voice was quiet but angry. “Mom died quickly. The knife must have pierced her heart on the first try, but not Cora. Max stabbed her so many times in front of me. She fought so hard to stay alive, that finally Max gave up and put a bullet through her head.”

              He paused only for a moment, and there was no way I could speak. The hot tears slid down my cheeks.

              “The way her eyes looked at me as she fell to the ground still haunts me. She was dead, but her eyes were open. It fucked me up. I remember repeating the words -I love you, over and over in my head.”

              I leaned back so that I could see his face, and there were tears running from his eyes. It broke my heart. He pulled me back to his chest and held me tighter.

              He struggled to speak again, but finally finished. “When the man holding me stabbed my chest a few times, I just fell to the floor. The pain was too much, and I hoped that if he thought I was dead then he’d leave. So I just stayed still on the floor with my eyes closed, and they left. They never knew that I lived. Bram found me just in time to save my life.”

              “I’m sorry.”

              “It’s not your fault. I wanted you to know where my demons came from. The way I talk to myself is out of my control. I try not to do it, but when I get nervous or upset it just happens. I can’t control it. Ever since that night it has been happening.”

              “You don’t have to explain it to me. We’re both screwed up, and it’s not our fault. You can’t blame yourself for not saving your mom, and Cora. It was out of your control.” I stroked his stomach. “I don’t care about your demons.”

              He wrapped his arms tighter around me and held me close. It was the safest place I’d ever been.

              “We’re going to get him Sadie. Then you won’t have to run and hide anymore. You’ll be free and you’ll come off of that stupid missing person report.”

              “Wait, what?” I was confused. “I’m not on some missing person’s report. I’m not missing.”

              He moved me back so that he could look at my face. “You seriously don’t know anything, do you?”

              I shook my head no. I guess I didn’t.

              “When the police found your parents, they didn’t find you.”

              “Max found me. He took me with him. He said he handled everything.”

              He sighed.

              “I was ten Cam. How was I supposed to know?”

              “I know that. Listen; when the police couldn’t find you, the missing persons report was filed. You’ve been missing for fourteen years.”

              “I wasn’t missing.”

              “We knew that. Bram told the cops that he had a suspicion that Max was keeping you there. It wasn’t a suspicion. He knew it. When the cops showed up, you were nowhere to be found. They busted him on a couple of mild drug charges, but he got off with just a slap on the wrist. They kept the case open for a while, but the police said they had no reason to suspect Max. They never looked for you there again, but Bram tried sending someone inside to get you. He was one hundred percent sure that you were there, and you were. But Max killed the man that Bram sent. The guy had reported back to Bram that you wanted to be there. He said you were fine, that you weren’t a prisoner. I think Bram never really gave up hope, he just hoped one day he could kill Max and then you’d be free.”

              It was all so unbelievable to me. I was kept in the dark for so long. All those disguises in public were to keep me hidden from the good guys. Max really had taken me. He’d kept my life secret all those years. “You know Max told me that I had to stay hidden because the people who killed my parents were looking for me, and they wanted me dead too.” I almost laughed at the thought. “Why wouldn’t he just kill me too?”

              “I have no fucking idea. You should have already been dead. After you got sick, he fucking lost it. He went on this rampage about how worthless you were and how he should have killed you when he had the chance. Then it was like a switch flipped and he felt guilty.”

              “I know that switch. It’s been going on for a while now. I think he’s seriously sick, or it’s some kind of reaction to the drugs and alcohol.”

              “Don’t make excuses for him.”

              “I’m not.” I touched him again. “I’m not.”

              “Let’s just try and get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”

              “Can I ask you one more thing?” I asked and his forehead rose. “It’s not about all of this crazy shit. I want to know why you wouldn’t talk to me after we had sex earlier. Why’d you back away and keep your distance?”

              He looked around the room, not focusing on any one thing. Maybe I’d struck a nerve. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

              “You want the truth?”

              “Yes,” I had to know if he wasn’t feeling the same way that I was. I needed to know if this far-fetched idea that my heart had staked some claim on his was only one-sided.

              “I’m not Max. You wanted me to be rough. You wanted me to be him. It pissed me off. I’d finally given you a piece of me, and all you wanted was him.”

              Whoa. That wasn’t what I was expecting. I’m not going to lie. It stung a little.

              “I’m sorry. It wasn’t him I wanted. It was you. I swear. I’ve never been with anyone, but Max. You can’t even begin to know how rough he was.”

              “I don’t want to hear this shit,” he rolled over onto his back.

              “You need to hear it. I need to say it.”

              He looked at me through the crook of his elbow as his arm lay across his forehead.

              “He’d hit me hard. He’d choke me until I was almost to the point of passing out, and I would be restrained and there was nothing I could do. I’d never had sex with anyone. I didn’t know if the things we were doing were right or wrong. The pain was always part of it, in some way. When you and I were in the shower, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to climax without you hurting me. I never have before. The two go hand and hand.”

              The look in his eyes was remorseful. He felt sorry for me.

              “Don’t okay,” I said. “Don’t look at me like you feel sorry for me. I hate that. It’s all I’ve ever known; it’s the only way I’ve ever done it. I’m not some freak, and I wasn’t thinking about Max while I was fucking you. I wanted you.”

              His hand flew around me so fast that I giggled when he pulled me back to him. There went that serious moment.

              “I’m sorry.” He kissed my cheek. “I didn’t know. I’m going to change things for you very soon.” His warm breath blew over my skin. “I’m going to show you that you can make love slow and easy and I will make you come more than once. I promise you that.”

              I bit down hard on my bottom lip. “I’ll remember that.” I said.

              “Good. I want you too. Don’t ever forget it. Now go to sleep, before I take you right now.

              “I’m up for that.” I replied in my not so sexy voice. I was trying.

              “Sleep,” he growled, and I did.

              He stayed curled up behind me, and the two of us finally slept.

              Together.

              It was the most peaceful night of sleep I’d ever had.

Seventeen- The Plan

              After breakfast we gathered in this large dining room. There were probably twenty or more men, and then there was me the only girl in the room.

              I sat as close as I could to Sketch, without raising any eyebrows. The air was thick, and I wasn’t really in the mood for any overgrown Neanderthals.

              Sketch gave my knee a little reassuring squeeze just as Bram came into the room. It reminded me so much of the way that Max ran things. Only I never got to attend this part of the meeting. I already felt more important here.

              Bram took the only empty seat, which was at the head of the table. I was sitting right next to him on the right and Sketch was next to me. Was it too late for me to bow out gracefully, or to request that it just be the three of us?

              “All right, let’s get started.” Bram said.

              Dammit, too late.

              “You alright?” Bram asked me in a low voice where only he and I could hear.

              I nodded my head yes.

              I was a big, fat, liar, but oh well.

              Sketch warned me before we came in here, that Bram wouldn’t hold anything back. He’d be brutally honest whether I wanted to hear it or not. The thought made me nauseous.

              “It looks like Cam’s plan wasn’t a complete failure. If you don’t already know then you can see for yourself that Sadie is safe and alive.” He nodded his head in my direction. I sat there looking lost. I hoped he hadn’t expected me to speak. “Because she is here with us, then you all know what this means. He’ll be coming full force. I know that this may get ugly. So if you’re wanting out before it does, then you can go now.”

              Nobody moved.

              These men were all older. I suspected they’d been a part of this team for a very long time. I realized that my dad was one of them. They all wanted the same thing.

              Max dead.             

              Dead. I sucked in a deep breath. He deserved to die, but it was still hard to think about.

              “Good, now we need a plan of attack. I want to take him down before he tries to take us first. We have to go to him, and fast. If I know Max then he’ll be ready for battle in the next forty-eight hours. We have to strike first.”

              “I’ll go back in.” Sketch said.

              “No,” I said to him, and struck the attention of everyone in the room.

              He narrowed his eyes at me, like I’d said something wrong. But I didn’t. I didn’t want him going back in there.

              “I have to be one of the ones to go,” he argued.

              I could feel the anger building inside me. Why did we have to fight anyway? I just wanted to run away and leave every freaking piece of this disastrous life behind.

              These men were going to get killed because of me. Max’s only reason for attack was to get me back.

              “If we go in the daylight there is no guard out front only cameras. I know where they all are. We can shoot them out. I just need to get close enough to him to get a shot off. I can do it. I know I can.” Sketch said.

              No. No. No.

              “That’s the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard. What you’re going to do is get yourselves killed.”

              “And you have a better plan?” He grinned.

              He fucking grinned.

              I was trying to be serious, but it was becoming really hard.

              Instead of answering him, I turned to Bram. “I know exactly the way Max’s brain works. He’ll be expecting this. Maybe not a daytime attack, but he will expect you to attack at some point, and he’ll be ready. You can bet your hot little asses on it.” All the men were snickering at my words.

              Bram was smiling and shaking his head. “You’re just like your father.”

              “Really?”

              “Really. Now what are you suggesting.”

              “You have to distract him, and catch him when he least expects it.”

              “We don’t have that kind of time? If we wait then he’ll attack us. He wants my head, and I’m sure now he wants Cam’s.”

              I couldn’t believe what I was about to suggest. I looked around the room at all of their faces, and I thought of my father. These men were probably someone else’s fathers. I don’t want the same thing happening to them. It couldn’t.

              “Send me back.”

              “What?” Sketch yelled. “FUCK NO! That’s not happening.”

              “I need you to hear what I have to say.” I took his hand in mine, not caring what anybody else thought at that very moment.

              “I am the only person who can distract him. The only person.” I made sure that he understood what I was saying. “Two days is all I’ll need. He loves me, despite what anybody thinks. He needs me to survive or he would have already killed me. I’m certain. I can keep him distracted enough with my return that he won’t attack you.”

              “Then what? What happens after he kills you?”

              “He won’t dammit, listen to me. I will go back and pretend that you took me and that I somehow escaped in the middle of the night. He’ll welcome me with open arms. I’ll tell him that you threatened to kill him if I didn’t go with you. I’ll make it appear that you were the bad guy.”

              “I like where you’re going with this.” Bram said. “Do you have friends on the inside?”

              I had to think for just a second. I didn’t really have any friends. “Oh, yeah, the maid. She helped him.” I pointed to Sketch.

              “I can’t believe you’re even considering this Bram. This is the shittiest fucking plan I’ve ever heard.” Sketch slammed his fist down on the table.

              “Quit thinking with your dick for five seconds, would you.”

              My face heated up and I had to look at the floor. God, I wanted to laugh but I couldn’t. I was going to like this Bram guy.

              Bram looked at me and continued. “What happens after you distract him?”

              “I’ll make it accessible for you to get in. I can cut off the security cameras through computer access. The maid has the code, for when Max’s out of town. You just tell me when you want it done. I have a personal cell phone at Max’s and you can text me, but you can’t call. He’s the only one who is supposed to have that number.”

              “He trusts his maid that much?”

              “She’s been with him nearly eighteen years, so I suppose so.”

              I could see Bram’s wheels spinning.

              “I think it might work.” He said.

              “Good, then it’s settled. I need twenty-four hours in there before I can start devising any kind of plan. Max will be overly protective and won’t let me out of his sight.”

              “It’s not settled.” Sketch chimed in. “I don’t like this one bit. What happens if the plan fails? What’s your back up plan huh?”

              “I’ll kill him myself.” My eyes were as cold as my heart felt at that very moment.

              “See what I mean.” He stood up and slammed the chair into the table. He was glaring at Bram.

              “I can do it. I can kill him if I have to. I just need a gun.”

              “You’ve lost it.”

              “No, what I’ve done is offered the best possible solution to take Max out, and you’re pride is making you pissy. You’re afraid that something bad will happen to me, but you’ve forgotten that I lived with that man for fourteen years. I know what makes him tick. I know more about him than any one of you, and I have to be the one to do this. He won’t kill me. I promise you that.”

He rocked back and forth on his heels and mumbled something under his breath.
              “I have to go back. It’s only a couple of days, and this whole mess will be over, forever. Then for once in my life, I might actually be able to live a normal life.”

The room was silent as they stared back and forth between the two of us. He knew it was the right thing to do. He was just being stubborn, and unreasonable.

“I don’t want him to hurt you,” he said so low that I had to strain to hear him.

“He won’t.”

“Fine,” he said loudly and stormed out of the room.

I looked back at Bram and he said, “We have a plan.”

We did. I agreed, and I was going to see to it that these men came out of this mess alive.