Delivered (The Monster Trilogy Book 3) (17 page)

Sixteen

Lily fought against
tears as she remained bent over the table, her skirt lifted over her hips and her underwear torn from her legs. She was humiliated that Monster should see her like this, and that all the other men’s eyes were trained on her most private parts. She was even more humiliated because of the other woman in the room, knowing how women like Sophia judged and criticized other females as though it were a hobby.

She glanced back over her shoulder to see Monster standing behind her. She’d never seen him so uncomfortable, his jaw rigid, lips thinned, nostrils flared. A muscle beside his left eye twitched, and his hands were balled into fists.

“I can’t do this,” he repeated.

“Do it, or I’ll shoot you.” Rodriguez’s anger was building too, his dark eyes burning with fury, his teeth bared in frustration.

Monster pressed his lips together and slowly shook his head.

“God damn it!” Rodriguez slammed his hand down on the table, a crack that made her jump, and then lifted the gun to point it back at Lily’s head. She gave a whimper of fear. “Do what you’re fucking told!”

Lily knew this had to come down to her. Even though she hated the idea of everyone watching, she’d already seen Rodriguez’s capability for violence, and she didn’t doubt that one of them—most probably Monster—would be shot if they didn’t perform in his little fantasy. She didn’t want to give Rodriguez what he wanted, but chances were he’d get it anyway. But Monster was saying he wasn’t able to do this physically, and she didn’t blame him. It wasn’t about him not being attracted to her or anything like that. It was the situation.

She needed him to focus purely on her, forget everyone else in the room.

Slowly, she straightened and turned around, ignoring all the other people in the room except for Monster. She stepped toward him and reached out and touched his face. Her palm pressed against his cheek where the birthmark had once been so dark. Her heart clenched with her love for him, and she found comfort in the warmth of his skin, despite all the other people around them.

“It’s all right,” she said softly, locking his eyes with hers. “It’s only me. You know me. You know my body. Forget the others.”

“Flower,” he breathed.

“Less talking, more action,” Rodriguez snapped, and the other men hollered and clapped.

Ignoring them, Lily stood on tiptoes and kissed him, his mouth warm and familiar, expunging the taste of Rodriguez’s tongue from her lips. He was hesitant at first, but then, as she kissed him more deeply, his hands wrapped around her body and he pulled her tight against him.

Lily pressed her mound against the ridge of his erection. He wanted her now. The thin material of the dress did little to hide that she now wasn’t wearing any underwear, and even with all these people watching, she experience that little flutter of arousal dancing around her groin, causing her to grow wet.

“Ugh,” came Sophia’s voice. “I don’t need to see this.”

Rodriguez replied, “Are you jealous, little sister? I thought I was the only man you loved.”

“You are, but I prefer to read my porn, thanks.”

“Why bother with erotic fiction when you can have the real thing?”

Lily broke the kiss with Monster long enough to glance in their direction. Rodriguez had caught Sophia by the arm, but she shook it off, gave Lily and Monster one last disgusted glare, and marched from the room.

That was fine with Lily. To some respect, she could understand the men wanting to see this to get them off, but another woman made her even more uncomfortable.

Rodriguez watched Sophia leave, and then turned his attention back to Monster and Lily. “I didn’t tell you to stop!”

Monster took control. His hand slipped around the back of her head, lacing in her locks and knotting tight. He leaned in as though to kiss her neck, the spot directly behind her ear, but as his lips brushed her skin he whispered, so quietly she only just caught his words, “I have men out there. We just need to stay alive long enough for them to reach us.”

Her heart lifted with hope. All wasn’t lost.

“Fuck me,” she told him, locking eyes with him so the men watching them faded into the background. It was just the two of them again, in their own bubble, together. Though both beaten and bruised, they could take strength from each other, using force when needed, but also tenderness and healing kisses. Rodriguez might have thought forcing them to do this with an audience would be another way to drive them apart, to ruin what they had together, but he was wrong. They’d screw, and they’d love every second. What better a way to get back at Rodriguez than removing their awkwardness and their fear and just taking pleasure in each other?

Monster kept her as covered as possible, though she was without underwear and the emerald dress clung to every curve, leaving nothing to the imagination. As they kissed, their tongues met, twisting, tasting. Monster’s hands cupped her bottom and he lifted her gently onto the table. She did her best not to think about any of the men around her, whether they were getting off on what they were seeing, and focused on Monster instead. He needed to stay hard for her, to give Rodriguez what he wanted. Anyway, she would rather be here, with Monster fucking her on a table while everyone watched, than be separated from him and locked up alone in that room again.

Lily reached down to the front of Monster’s pants and cupped the hard line of his erection. She rubbed her fingers firmly up and down his length, before pulling down the zipper and slipping her hand inside. He’d gone commando, and her fingertips touched the combined velvety softness and rock hardness of him. She reached in deeper so she could circle his girth with her hand and pull his cock out into the open.

Monster gave a groan and pushed his hand between her thighs, rucking the dress up around her hips. She tilted her pelvis forward as his fingers ran the seam of her slit, opening her like petals of the name he called her. Having Monster’s cock in her hand, and his hand between her legs, had already made her wet. It appeared having people watching, even people willing to hurt then, didn’t dampen her desire for the man she loved.

His fingers pushed inside her and she gasped, clinging tightly to his uninjured shoulder with her other hand. She worked his erection, stroking him from the smooth bell of the head, right down the length to the root, and back up again. She wanted to taste him, to get to her knees in front of him and take him into her mouth, but she didn’t want to give the sons-of-bitches watching any more of a show than they were already getting. She could hear the men’s breathing growing harsher, and wondered if any of them were touching themselves. As long as they didn’t try to join in, she could pretend they weren’t even there.

Monster’s fingers pushed deeper, sliding in and out of her with more force. Lily lifted her legs, ignoring the protest of her aching back, and hooked her heels around his ass, using both them and her hold on his cock to pull them together. He slipped his fingers from her, but his hand lingered, his thumb brushing the swollen bundle of nerves of her clit.

They locked together, his erection pushing against her entrance, and then he slid deep, filling her. Lily dropped her head to his shoulder. His hand cupping her bottom pulled her closer.

Despite the circumstances, having him buried deep inside her created the sort of peace and happiness inside her that she had thought she’d never experience again. She could let everything else in her life go, as long as she still had him. Their hips rocked together, their movements slow and deep at first, and then growing more frantic as he drove deeper. Lily’s orgasm started to build, a tightening, coiling, low in her stomach, her nipples hard, the muscles of her thighs tight. The friction of his cock between her swollen and wet pussy lips, the sound of their bodies slapping together, all added to her arousal. His breathing came hot and heavy in her ear, and he pulled her hair, yanking her head back to kiss her throat, his teeth grating her skin. Then he crushed his mouth to hers, returning his desire with frantic kisses.

“I love you, I love you,” she gasped, so close to the edge, she didn’t want to lose the feeling.

“No!” Rodriguez’s shout of anger tried to cut through their passion.

Ignoring him, Monster kissed her deeply, holding himself hard and deep inside her, an expression of intense determination on his face, his eyes fixed on hers. He began to pull out, and thrust back in again, hard.

“Fuck. You’re mine, always mine,” he said with each thrust.

His hand reached back between her thighs and he rubbed her clit with the small, fast circles that drove her crazy, and she unraveled for him, her inner muscles pulsing around his cock, trying to milk him. She let out a cry of pleasure and held on tighter, never wanting to let go, even as Monster’s movements grew faster and almost angry, slamming into her with brute force.

“Enough,” Rodriguez roared, and he grabbed Monster’s shoulder to try to pull him off Lily. “I said that was enough.”

But Lily knew Monster was beyond the point of stopping. Even a gun to his head wouldn’t have prevented the eruption building inside him.

With a shudder and a jerk, Monster came, holding himself deep. She pulled him close, their arms tight around each other, as though letting go for even a moment would cost them their lives. Lily buried her face against his neck, inhaling the scent of him, and holding this moment close to her heart, knowing it might be their last.

Rodriguez’s plan to humiliate and degrade them had backfired. All that had happened was that they’d solidified their love for one another, and taken strength in their unity.

Rodriguez grabbed the back of Monster’s shirt, hauling him away from Lily. Monster slipped from her body, his seed running down the inside of her thighs. She clamped her legs together, not wanting the other men to see any more than they already had.

Rodriguez threw Monster to the floor. Monster leaped back to his feet, rearranging his clothing to cover himself, and faced the other man, but there was little he could do. He still had several weapons trained on him, and he was lucky they hadn’t shot him already. Lily was terrified Rodriguez would shoot Monster now. What reason could he have for wanting to keep him alive, except perhaps Monster having some business knowledge he wanted, or else he was having too much fun torturing them both?

But Rodriguez didn’t look like he was having fun right now. He knew he’d lost this part of the battle, though he would still most likely win the war.

“Take her back to her room,” he snarled.

Male hands caught her around her waist, dragging her from the table. Embarrassed, she noticed she’d left a streak of milky fluid across the dark, shiny mahogany of the surface.

“Monster!” Lily cried, reaching for him as she was yanked backward, toward the door. She knew he couldn’t do anything, but she couldn’t stop herself crying out his name.

“I should fuck you myself now,” said Rodriguez, looking at her in derision. “Show you what a real man fucks like. None of this lovey-dovey business.”

“Leave her alone,” Monster snapped, panic flitting over his handsome features.

Rodriguez looked at him in disgust. “Don’t worry. I don’t do sloppy seconds.”

Seventeen

Lily didn’t even
bother to struggle as she was dragged back to her room. What was the point? She knew the young man, Luis, who had hold of her was armed, and she didn’t want to risk getting herself shot. It could be all over, in a split second, just like that. All it took was the thoughtless action of another person and everything they’d fought for and loved would mean nothing.

She clung to the hope that Monster’s men were on their way. Had Monster managed to get in contact with Chapman again, or were they new hired guns she’d never met? She guessed it didn’t matter either way. She and Monster just needed to stay alive until then.

Luis kicked open her bedroom door and threw her inside. She stumbled and fell to her knees, but didn’t bother to move until the door was slammed shut again. At least locked inside the room, alone, meant she was safe for the moment.

As soon as she heard the lock click into place, she got up, her hand pressed against her painful back, and went to the bathroom. Working quickly, wanting to be ready and prepared if rescue came, she stripped off the emerald dress, which she now detested, and washed herself down at the sink. She hated washing away any trace of Monster, but if she was about to be rescued at any moment, she didn’t want to be picked up stinking of sex.

Wrapped in a towel, she went to the closet and dresser and tried to find the most practical outfit she could. Only dresses filled the closet, so even though she didn’t like how much leg it exposed, she chose a short black dress with capped sleeves and a high neck line. At least not having a long skirt to tangle around her legs would mean she was free to run if needed, though she still didn’t have any shoes. Her heart was pounding as she quickly dressed and then pulled her hair into a ponytail.

The door opened, and Lily turned toward it, her heart lifting with hope. But instead of anyone there to rescue her, her stomach sank as Sophia walked in.

“What do you want?” Lily said, squaring her shoulders and standing as tall as her painful back allowed her. The blonde was at least three inches taller than she was, but she was determined not to be intimidated.

Sophia’s blue eyes narrowed. “Curiosity got the better of me.”

“What are you talking about?”

The woman came fully into the room, her head tilted as she assessed Lily from head to foot.

“What is it with you, huh?” Sophia said. “Rodriguez and Monster both. It’s like you’ve put them under some kind of spell. I don’t get it. You’re just this plain, mousy little creature. Why would they choose you when they could have had me?”

“I have no idea,” she said honestly, wishing the other woman would just go away. Her line of sight slipped over Sophia’s shoulder, toward the partially open door behind her. “Rodriguez doesn’t know you’re in here, does he?”

“That’s none of your fucking business, bitch.” She stepped closer, deliberately looking down on Lily, her mouth tightened into a network of pursed lines. All of a sudden, Lily saw what the men found to be so ugly about her—the harshness, the cold glint in her eye. Whatever world Monster and Rodriguez had grown up in, Sophia had, too, and it had tainted her. Perhaps it wasn’t her fault, as much as she couldn’t blame Monster for his upbringing, but right at that moment, Lily hated her.

Sophia moved close, looking down so her face was only inches from Lily’s. “I kissed him,” she said with a sly smile, “before I brought him here. I put my tongue in his mouth and I stroked the front of his pants and I felt him get hard for me. He has such a beautiful cock, so long and hard. I could tell he wanted me. He was thinking about what it would feel like to slide his cock inside my cunt and ride me. He’s been dreaming about it for years, you know. I was the one who got away. The girl who was his unrequited love, the one he first masturbated over and dreamed about fucking. That doesn’t just go away because of one little bitch he’s bought.”

Lily tried not to focus on the part where she’d said she’d kissed him, and touched him. Yes, perhaps Monster had thought about having sex with this woman, but he hadn’t done it. Lily knew if things had gone any further, this other woman wouldn’t have hesitated in crowing over her and describing every little detail. A flash of herself and Rodriguez together burst behind her eyes, seeing him spanking her, and sliding the end of the fork up and down her slit. As much as she hated it, she hadn’t been completely true to Monster either. She hadn’t wanted to like what Rodriguez had done to her—had wanted to hate it—but he’d aroused her. It was understandable for Monster to have also been turned on by this gorgeous blonde. It didn’t mean he loved Lily any the less. Just look at how much danger he’d put himself in for her.

Besides, they’d done what they needed to survive at the time. Lily was jealous, but it appeared Sophia was even more so. Sophia wanted both Monster and Rodriguez, and yet both men appeared to want Lily. She couldn’t explain it any more than Sophia could—if she was a man, she’d have gone for that thick, blonde hair and pouty mouth faster than she’d have gone for her own brown locks and standard curves. But perhaps it wasn’t all about looks. Maybe it was something about her demeanor that made the men desire to both protect and dominate her?

“Monster loves me,” she said simply. “You can say whatever you want, but it won’t change a thing. And you can have Rodriguez. Honestly, I think you’re made for each other.”

She scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Lily didn’t think it was even worth explaining. Surely the other woman could work that part out for herself?

Lily found her gaze once more being drawn toward the open door. This was just another woman standing in front of her, taller and stronger, perhaps, but still unarmed, as far as she could tell. She was torn between grabbing this opportunity and making a run for it, or playing things out and hoping for rescue.

Suddenly, above their heads, the lights flickered.

They both glanced up.

Sophia frowned. “What the hell?”

The lights cut out, plunging them into darkness.

Blind, Lily’s senses deserted her, panic surging through her body. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” From the tone of her voice, the other woman felt the same way.

The lights flickered back on, but continued to stutter above their heads. Lily exhaled a sigh of relief that they at least had some light. The idea of being shut up in the dark terrified her.

From somewhere on the other side of the house came a muffled roar and then the
boom
of an explosion. Pictures crashed from the walls, glass shattering in the bathroom. The two women automatically ducked at the sound, hands held up to protect their heads, though whatever had caused the blast hadn’t reached them. Forgetting their fight, they slowly straightened. They exchanged an unnerved glance, and then stared toward the door.

“What the fuck was that?” said Sophia in alarm.

Lily’s heart lifted. She had some idea. She hoped it was whoever Monster had hired to try to get them out of this place. “I don’t know, but it didn’t sound good,” she replied, not planning on telling Sophia a single thing.

“You stay in here,” said the blonde, “I’m going to check it out.”

Lily’s eyebrows lifted. “No chance. I’m coming with you.”

“You have to stay here. Rodriguez will throw a fit if he sees you wandering around.”

Lily had no intention of sitting meekly and doing what the other woman told her.

“Just try to make me.”

She balled her fists and, ignoring Sophia, ran for the door.

Sophia hesitated, as though she was considering trying to physically hold Lily back, but she must have decided it wasn’t worth getting into a cat-fight when something more serious was happening in part of the house.

Lily entered the hallway first, with Sophia close behind. Smoke drifted like low lying sea fog, creeping down the hall.

“Shit. There must be a fire somewhere in the house.” Her first thought was with Monster. Where was he? If a fire spread through the property, and he was tied up somewhere, he wouldn’t be able to get away. The lights flickered again, and Lily hoped they wouldn’t go out again.

They broke into a run.

“Rodriguez!” Sophia yelled, as she sprinted down the hall, back toward the main part of the house.

Lily figured chances were Monster would be wherever Rodriguez was, so she stayed with Sophia, while part of her wondered about escape. She could feel the heat of the fire on the soles of her bare feet through the floor. Where had the explosion been, and why were a lot of the lights not on? It had sounded distant, perhaps in the other wing of the house. Though the smoke grew thicker, she still hadn’t seen any sign of flames.

They ran back into the dining room, where she’d been forced to have sex with Monster. Lily drew to a halt. Monster was once again tied to the chair. Rodriguez stood beside him, his gun held loosely by his side. He looked toward the door as the two women ran in.

“What’s she doing out of her room?” he said, staring at Lily.

“Never mind that,” Sophia cried. “What the hell is happening?”

“An explosion at the generators. Luis and Marco have gone to check it out.”

“But why are some of the lights still on, if the generators are out?” Sophia asked.

“The lights are powered by the couple of solar panels we have out the back. Damn things are too visible from a distance, so we’ve relied on the generators. Never had a problem until now.”

Lily hoped Monster’s men were the root cause for whatever was happening. She caught his eye and held it. His expression remained impassive, as though he didn’t want Rodriguez or Sophia to realize this had something to do with him.

Gunshots sounded, and Rodriguez jerked toward the sound, his face paling, his fingers tightening around his weapon. “Shit.”

The sound of crackling and popping grew louder, black smoke drifting down the hallway and into the room.

“Please, let Monster go,” Lily begged. “This place is going to go up in flames.”

They were in the middle of the desert, where everything was bone dry and ready to ignite. All the luxurious furnishings, the rugs, drapes, and cushions, would act like kindling, carrying the flames.

“Why would I do that? He can burn for all I care.”

From outside, a car engine roared to life. Rodriguez ran to the window and peered through the slats of the blind. “Fucking cowards,” he spat.

Sophia’s blue eyes were wide. “What’s happening?”

“The staff have just made off in one of the cars. I’ll make them regret that when I catch up to them.”

Lily experienced a mixture of emotions. She was pleased the people who worked here had found their moment to make a getaway, but at the same time she was concerned how many vehicles would be remaining when they needed to escape themselves.

More shots sounded from deeper in the house.

“Here, take this,” Rodriguez said, handing Sophia the gun. “Make sure she doesn’t move.”

“But what about the fire?” Sophia said in alarm.

“This house is built of stone. It’s not going to spread that fast.”

From the roar and the heat, it certainly felt like it was spreading.

Rodriguez ran from the room, leaving Sophia standing with the muzzle of the weapon pointed in Monster’s direction.

“What the hell is all of this?” she demanded of him. “Does this have to do with Sean and Chapman?”

Monster remained silent, just staring at her with a hard, cold gaze.

“I thought we had a plan,” she babbled. “I thought Sean and Chapman were just going to come over the walls, armed. You never told me anything about taking out the power!”

Monster’s face finally gave in to an expression, and he scowled at her. “You didn’t actually think I would tell you the full plan, did you? I’d hoped I was going to be able to trust you—especially considering I was literally putting my life in your hands—but I always intended to keep you in the dark about certain things. Good thing I did, too.”

“So this is the work of Sean and Chapman? God damn it. I should never have helped you get Sean out of the hospital.”

“Why did you, then?”

“Because I was trying to win over your trust, of course. I figured a grand action like that was sure to make you trust me more. I saw your reaction when I was trying to talk you out of killing Andres. I knew you’d had a moment of doubt, and that you’d never let me knock you out and deliver you right into Rodriguez’s hands if you had any reservations about me.”

She frowned, something clearly occurring to her. “But you did doubt me, didn’t you? Otherwise you would have told me the whole plan with Sean and Chapman. What kind of crazy son-of-a-bitch are you to allow someone to inject you with something and render you unconscious when you don’t fully trust them?”

Monster shrugged. “It was still the best plan for getting in here.”

She shook her head in bewilderment. “You’re insane.”

He gave a cold smile. “I guess the apple never did fall far from the tree after all.”

She stared at him, her nostrils flaring, and then tore her gaze from him. “What the hell is Rodriguez doing?” Continuing to point the gun in Monster’s direction, she stalked across the room to look out into the hallway. Lily considered trying to disarm her, but she was terrified Monster would end up shot.