Hurt: A Bad Boy MMA Romantic Suspense Novel (16 page)

“It’s okay, Dante. I should have told Benito myself. I just freaked out. That’s all. I didn’t expect that when I got out of jail. My instinct was to protect them. But I’m telling you, Dante, she has nothing to do with her old man. He’s a piece of shit. He uses people.”

“Okay,” Dante said. “Are we cool, brother?”

“We’re cool.”

I leaned down and kissed the side of Dante’s head. He used to be a rough and tough kid on the street, smelling of sweat. Now he stunk of really expensive cologne.

I left the room and figured I’d find Ashlynn waiting for me.

She wasn’t there.

“Shit,” I whispered. I looked at the bar. “Hey, where’s the woman? She came out of here…”

“Went with a cop,” the guy said. He shrugged his shoulders.

“A cop? Where?”

He pointed down the hall.

Toward Benito’s office.

~ ~ ~

I threw a guy in a suit out of the fucking way and tore open the door. Sure enough, there was Benito sitting at his desk. Ashlynn sitting across. A third man in a suit stood with his hands in his pockets.

“What the fuck is this?” I asked.

“Noah, thanks for joining,” Benito said. “How’s Dante?”

“Alive.” I looked at Ashlynn. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“Sweetheart,” the other guy said. “Look at that…”

“We have a kid together, asshole,” I said.

The guy flashed his badge. “Call me asshole again.”

“I don’t give a damn about your badge. Asshole.”

He stepped at me and Benito jumped up. “Okay, okay. Everyone take a breath here.”

“What is this?” I asked. “You have a cop harassing Ashlynn.”

“No,” Ashlynn said. “He’s not…”

“This is Detective Williams,” Benito said. “We go way back together. He’s like you, Noah. His father was a cold blooded Italian. Made one of the best sauces I ever tasted. But he had a small problem. He loved Irish pussy.”

I curled my lip. “Good to know.”

“He could never get into the family, but he found the law.”

“The law found me,” Detective Williams said with a grin.

“He pays a different kind of tribute,” Benito said.

“Information,” I said.

“Exactly,” Detective William said. “We’re all the same team, Noah.”

I stepped to Ashlynn and put a hand to her shoulder. “No, we’re not.”

She touched my hand.

Fuck, I loved her. I really did.

“Nobody can locate Craig,” Benito said. “He’s a true man of mystery.”

“And he’s wanted in question for a few break-ins and maybe even a murder. It’s driving me mad I can’t find him,” Detective Williams said.

I looked down at Ashlynn. She looked up at me. “Are you okay with this?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “I have nothing to do with him.”

“See, I’ve had a change of heart,” Benito said. “I’m a reasonable man. Watching Ashlynn spring to action for Dante showed me something. I’m offering trust and protection for her. And your son, Noah.”

“Our son,” I said and squeezed Ashlynn’s shoulder.

“Yes,” she said. “Our son.”

“We have to find this guy,” Benito said. “There’s no excuse for it. He owes me and he owes society.”

“And me,” Ashlynn said. “For what he did.”

“Agreed,” Benito said.

“Ashlynn, you’re sure about your mother’s personal finances?” Detective Williams asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’ve watched it dwindle. Cancer is expensive. Don’t get hooked on it.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Detective Williams said. “My father lost his life to pancreatic cancer. It’s a son of a bitch.”

“What do you need me to do?” I asked. “Because three men busted into Ashlynn’s apartment and trashed her mother’s room. Looking for money. The baby was thankfully sleeping. Next time…”

“I’ll have men watching the building,” Benito said. “Leave it at that.”

“I told him about visiting my mother,” Ashlynn said.

“That would be helpful,” Detective Williams said.

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” I said.

“Noah,” Benito said. “First thing? Take a shower. You look and smell like death.”

“Just blood,” I said. “Not mine either. Well, besides that knife… and knuckles…”

“I missed a good one, huh?” Detective Williams asked.

“A real good one,” Benito said. He opened the top drawer and took out a stack of money. He slammed it on the desk. “Your victory and lack of knowledge gave us a boost, Noah. Your cut went up.”

I expected Benito to push a wad of cash at me. But he slid the entire stack.

“All that?” Ashlynn asked.

“Your man is a good fighter,” Benito said. “And a great earner. Now we just need to tie up some loose ends and all move forward. I want to know who shot Dante. I want to know who was in your apartment, Ashlynn. And I want Craig in front of me so I can slit his throat myself.”

The orders were given and I was ready to get the hell out of there. I still hadn’t processed the high from fighting and winning. It normally took me hours to calm down. Top that with Dante getting shot, Ashlynn playing doctor, and now a fucking detective involved in all this, I was on edge.

We left the bar and I got into Dante’s car, knowing he didn’t need it right now. Ashlynn sat next to me.

We didn’t speak a word.

I put my hand on the shifter and started to drive.

She put her hand to mine.

It was good enough for now. I knew we were both thinking the same thing.

How to get out of all this alive and how to keep Jude safe.

37.

(Ashlynn)

I thought about making coffee. I thought about taking a shot of vodka. I settled for joining Noah in the shower. The only place I felt truly safe was with his arms around me, holding me.

Jude was in his bedroom and Leah had gone home. She hugged me tight - tighter than ever before - and thanked me and Noah for helping her. Her mother took her out to dinner, bought some new clothes, and then started looking for a new apartment. She even called the police to file a restraining order on Jerry.

All because of Noah. Because of his brave soul, his caring heart, and his strong hands.

God, he was simply beautiful.

I watched the water pound against his body for a few seconds before I stepped into the shower. His hands grabbed my waist and he pulled me right into the water. It was instant ease. Like a drug taking full effect on me.

He made a move to kiss me and I made a move of my own. I inched down and kissed his chest. Then I kept going. My hands scratched at his chest as my tongue followed the muscle all the way down his perfect body. The ridges of his abs were smooth and delectable. I kept going and my lips touched the steel rod of his dick. He was hard and throbbing and I craved him. We had been through life, death, created a baby together, and I had never done this.

The tip of my tongue slid along the top of his shaft as my hand moved around the root of his cock. My lips came together where he began and I gently kissed. I then looked up at him. I loved the feeling of being so small compared to him. He was always bigger and taller than me, but on me knees, I was even smaller.

Noah reached down and touched my hair. His fingers dug into my head, pulling at me.

My hand began to stroke as I welcomed him into my mouth. There was a sense of jealousy in my body as I shivered between my legs, wishing he could be in two places at once. I groaned as I took as much as I could in. As I slid back, my tongue forced itself to move left to right.

“Damn, sweetheart,” Noah said. “Take it all…”

I moved down again and savored the thickness of his body. I squeezed my hand tight and kept it at his root, pumping. I started to move faster, loving the way he tasted.

It seemed insane that just a couple hours ago I was pulling a bullet out of his friend. Or that a detective was showing me his badge. Or that I was at an illegal fight (
again
) and watched Noah win.

Yeah, it scared me half to death, but at the same time, it turned me on like crazy.

With all those thoughts racing through my mind, I sped up even more. I couldn’t get enough of him. As he slid his dick in and out of my mouth, my lips memorized every perfect inch he had to offer. The tip of his cock and how it felt as it grazed my teeth; the softness of it, a gently lead-in to the steel like hardness of the rest of him.

My other hand touched Noah’s stomach. His muscles had fucking muscles, which was crazy. He was breathing fast. He started to thrust at me. His legs and ass tightened and pushed at me, testing my depths.

I started to groan each time I felt him slide into my mouth. I could feel him getting harder, readying to let go.

Noah’s hand then tightened around my hair and pulled. I groaned and tried to fight, but there was no use. Noah pulled himself away from me. My hand quickly kept stroking him.

“Stand up, right now,” he ordered, his voice deep.

I started to stand and he grabbed me, lifting me right up. Next thing I knew his hands were at my ribs, holding me up. He turned and put me against the wall of the shower. I grabbed his shoulders and let out a whimpering cry. My breasts were right in his face, but he stared up at me. His eyes were on fire.

“Holy fuck,” I whispered.

One of his hands disappeared from my body. He then guided the thick tip of his dick to my body. He was there and then he was inside me a second later.

I threw my head back and cried out. That sudden and intense feeling of being full left me breathless for a few seconds. And Noah wasn’t forgiving about it either. He moved deep and he started to fuck, right then and there. His hands at my sides, thumbs just under my breasts. My breasts bounced with each heavy thrust of his body, his mouth right there to have me.

I felt his tongue everywhere. Circling my nipple one second, then suckling my breast the next. I wanted to tell him to be careful, in case anything happened, but each time I opened my mouth, all I could do was scream. It just felt too good.

I wrapped my legs around Noah and dug my hands into his shoulders.

I wanted to fuck back at him, I wanted some kind of control.

But Noah gave me none. He gave me his body. He gave me pleasure. He wasn’t afraid to touch me or kiss me. The way I felt could never be replicated by another person in the world. And that was scary. Because the man fucking lived a life with one foot in the grave and the other hovering right over.

I forced a hand to grab Noah’s face. I pulled him away from my breasts and we stared at each other. He pushed and pulled, loving me as much as he was fucking me. The hot water pounded down on us, which was good. Because the emotion caught up to me.

I came at the same time a tear fell from my eye. I had simply lost all control because of Noah. Because of him, I was vulnerable. Because of him, I had hope.

I put my head back and let the tears stream down my face. Noah continued to kiss my chest, sending surges of pleasure head to toe. I tingled everywhere, even in places I didn’t know could tingle.

When he thrust deep and came, I squeezed my thighs against him, gasping each time I felt him pulse inside me.

I could never lose Noah again. Jude needed a father. I needed a man.

My heart needed a fighter.

~ ~ ~

Jude wasn’t allowed at the hospital because of his age. There were risks of him contracting sickness or actually spreading it. Walking down the halls of the hospice care unit was terrifying. There was a smell that mixed a bleach kind of chemical smell and urine. There was something else there, too, probably death lingering, a smell that went straight through my body and made me shiver.

It was heartbreaking. The ultimate end for so many people. People who maybe lived on the edge of things. People who lived honest and straight, some who never touched a cigarette, drank a beer, or ate bad food. There was no clear end to anyone’s path, and maybe that was the purpose of life. The never know and to always seek.

I slipped my hand into Noah’s and squeezed.

He slowed and looked at me. “You okay?”

“I hate this stuff,” I whispered.

He nodded. “I can see that.”

“Does it bother you?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Sweetheart, you know what I do for a living. I’m not callous about it, but I step into a circle and it’s either me going down or the other guy going down. I’ve faced this for a long time in my life.”

I realized just how hard Noah’s life had been. I saw his physical strength; his beautiful muscles and his intense fire when he fought, but I was starting to really see his internal strength. That which came from his heart and soul.

I was in love with him. Madly in love.

I sucked in a shaky breath and pointed to room one-seventy-two.

“That’s us,” I whispered.

Noah didn’t hesitate. He pushed the door right open and held it for me. He wasn’t afraid of anything.

My mother was in the hospital bed, surprisingly not looking like a science project. She had big fluffy pillows, flowers all around, and a nice TV. The room looked more like a hotel room. She didn’t have one IV in her arm though.

She was alert but looked sick. She finally looked sick. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and grabbed her hand.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I have cancer,” she said.

“Mom…”

“Did you bring him for me?”

I laughed. “No. This is… Noah. He’s a friend of mine.”

“Friend,” my mother said. She looked right at Noah. “You one of those clowns sticking money in my daughter’s g-string?”

“Mom,” I snapped. “I don’t do that.”

“No,” Noah said. “I’m not that kind of man. Plus, she looks better in panties. And I could fit more money that way.”

“Noah!” I yelled.

My mother snorted. “I like him. He’s sexy.”

My head was spinning. “Okay. Everyone shut up.”

Noah was right there, at the side of the bed.

“Look,” Noah said, “I don’t know how to say all this, so I’ll just spit it out. We don’t have time.”

“No shit,” my mother said. “I’m down to hours now.”

“I’ve been down to hours for years,” Noah said.

My mother laughed again. “Noah. I really like you already.”