Chapter 26 Episode 26

He traps me between the fridge and his body. He’s not even touching me, but he might as well have me in chains. I feel paralyzed. Like I can’t move until he gives me permission. “If anything happens to me tonight, those two cops have seen your face,” I point out. “I’m guessing neither one of them works for you.” I frown. “You can’t be as powerful as you claim to be.” “Care to test that theory?” With a devilish smile, he takes another step towards me. I twitch back so hard against the fridge that I hear things toppling over inside. “What’s that expression on your face, Jessa?” he murmurs, reaching up and tucking a stray lock of hair back behind my ear. “Disgust,” I spit, but the word doesn’t come out anywhere near as forcefully as I intended it. His smile only gets wider. “Disgust,” he repeats, his fingers sliding over my breasts. I know he can feel how hard my n*****s are. “I don’t think so. Looks more like excitement to me.” I have no idea if he’s about to stab me or kiss me. But when he drops to one knee in front of me, I feel an undeniable frisson of excitement rip through me. His hands snake down my hips and pull at the hem of my tights. I open my mouth to protest, but nothing escapes my lips besides a rushed gasp. Because if I’m being brutally honest with myself, I don’t want him to stop. Electricity spins through my body. It concentrates right between my legs. He pulls down my tights and takes my panties down with them. To my surprise, there is no self-consciousness. It’s burned away in the heat of his hands on me, the promise of his lips against my thigh. It’s meant to be an admonishment, but it comes out in a sigh. Like I’m egging him on. He moves slowly, his eyes flitting up to my face every few seconds to make sure I’m suffering in bliss the way he wants. I have more than enough opportunities to stop him. To push him away. To struggle. To plead with him. Anything to show him that I don’t actually want this. But my body is betraying me. I know he can see the moisture between my lips, and he tastes it the moment his tongue lands against my slit. I gasp as he raises one of my legs and settles it over his shoulder. He runs his tongue up and down me. I reach behind and grip the fridge for support, eyes fluttering closed. I’m vaguely aware of more items knocking around in there, but I couldn’t care less. Then he pushes his tongue inside me, and it’s a miracle I’m still standing at all. I’ve never been eaten out like this before. Dane wasn’t a fan of going down on me. He loved oral s*x, but he hated being the giver. Whenever he agreed, it was always short-lived and half-hearted. This… this is a world apart from anything I’ve ever experienced before. Anton is consuming me like I’m his last meal on earth. My hands are itching to grab hold of his full head of hair. But that feels like an admission I’m not ready for. Keeping my hands to myself is one of the only small dignities I have left. Though I’m sure he’ll rip that away from me soon enough. Instead, I thrust myself into his face, hoping he’ll push even deeper into me. And he doesn’t disappoint. His tongue slides up to my c**t and starts sucking furiously. I’m gasping now, losing all sense of who I am and what I’m supposed to want in this scenario. He’s a killer? Doesn’t matter. He’s a monster? Doesn’t matter. He’s a liar and a criminal and a bad, bad man? Doesn’t. f*****g. Matter. “Oh God,” I moan when I feel my orgasm on the rise. Can this really be happening so fast? It took me ages to come with Dane. Half the time, it never happened at all. He pretended to care in the beginning, but once we got comfortable with one another, he stopped trying altogether. “You’re just too difficult, hon. I don’t have the time to make this happen for you,” he’d say. “But hey, that’s what vibrators are for, right?” I cringe at the memory. Why the hell did I stay with him so long? Is Anton right about me? Do I just crave drama? Do I hate myself? It is the wrong question to ask, especially with Anton’s face buried between my legs, because God knows I’m not coming up with an answer anytime soon. Definitely not when I’m teetering on the verge of orgasm, my body spasming beyond my control, so close to tumbling over that edge and coasting down in— Then he pulls away abruptly. I stifle a scream as I slide down the front of the fridge into a puddle on the floor, pants twisted awkwardly around my ankles. Anton looks down at me with a self-satisfied smile. “I’ll be back,” he tells me, knowing just how vicious this torture is. “And if I don’t get my phone then… I’m taking you instead.” I ignore the unknown number flashing across my screen. Not very many people have this number. It’s private for a reason. If it’s unknown, it’s either bullshit or a trap. I don’t have time for either. “You gonna answer that?” Lev asks pointedly. “No,” I say, reclining into my chair and putting my feet up on the table. The screen cuts to black and I continue on with my conversation with Lev. “Where were you last night?” I ask him before he can start questioning me. “A club downtown,” he says. “Actually, no. Went with some of the boys.” “So?” Lev asks, somewhat self-consciously. “I needed a little break.” “And did you find it?” He smiles. “Her name was a flower…” “But you can’t remember exactly which flower?” He groans. “I wish I could. Lily or Holly or something like that. She was pretty cool.” “Holly is a tree, i***t,” I laugh. “Let me guess: you saw her across the club, locked eyes like Lady and the Tramp?” “No, asshole, I saw her up on stage.” I raise one eyebrow. “You’re hot for a stripper?” “She’s putting herself through college and stripping on the side to pay for it. Also, her ex is a deadbeat who skipped out on child support a couple years back. The burden is entirely on her.” “When did she tell you all this?” I ask. “A private dance in one of the rooms,” Lev says. “The boys thought I needed to let off some steam. But I got in there and before she started dancing, we started talking.” “Did you get a dance out of her?” He smiles secretively. “Got more than that.” “I like to think we made love to one another,” he sighs dreamily. I shake my head. “Lev, my friend, getting involved with a stripper is—” “She’s not like that. She’s nothing like the strippers we’re used to.” “She’s smart. She’s driven. She’s ambitious.” “She’d have to be,” I drawl. “She set her sights on you, didn’t she?” “f**k you. That’s not what she was doing.” “She didn’t even charge me!” “For the dance or the f**k?” He grimaces. “The boys took care of the dance. The s*x just… happened.” He raises his eyes to mine and squints. “Don’t sit there and judge me, asshole.” “Because you’re in no position to,” he retorts, “seeing as how you’re f*****g around with the girl who stole your phone. If she were anyone else, she’d be dead.” “Lucky for her, she’s a good lay,” I growl. “But the moment it stops, she’ll stop being an issue.” “So you’re just keeping her around for what… entertainment’s sake?” “I don’t need a reason.” “And you’re not getting attached?” Lev asks. “Not like you are with the stripper.” “I’m not getting attached,” Lev says immediately. “I’m just… intrigued.” I snort. “So intrigued you can’t even remember her name.” “It’s probably not her real name anyway, is it?” he points out. “Must have been true love if you never thought to ask.” He narrows his eyes. “Well, once she had her mouth around my d**k, it felt like the time for conversation had passed.” My phone lights up again. It’s the unknown number. Lev and I frown in sync. “Who could it be?” “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.” We exchange a glance and I make a split second decision. I accept the call. “Hello?” I recognize his voice immediately. The raspy, exasperated snarl. “Rodion.” Lev’s eyes flare and he sits straight up. “Long time since we last spoke,” I add. “Indeed,” Rodion says immediately. “I was lost to my grief for a long time. I needed to put Marina’s death behind me.” “It’s not as easy for a father to move on from that kind of loss. Not as easy as it is for a husband to do so.” I grit my teeth. His bitterness is practically tangible. “Her death affected me, too, Rodion.” “I’m glad to hear that from you, Anton. Especially in light of what I am hearing from others.” And there it is. A direct statement that I can’t possibly ignore. “I’ve heard the rumors just like you have. They don’t bother me. I am more concerned that you’re taking them seriously.” “Not unless you like swallowing lies. I had nothing to do with Marina’s death.”