Page 16 of Blood & Lace
"Why?"
The question caught me off guard for a second. Onyx was a confident man using his brains, looks, and body to his advantage. "Why what?"
"Why are you hard?"
"Oh." That was an easy answer to give. "Because I'm pressed against you. But don't worry, we won't have to do anything right now." I snuggled back against him inhaling his scent. "I can keep holding back."
Although I was in pure agony, I could suffer for Onyx. I'd take on any pain, just as long as I got to keep him.
5
ONYX
I tiptoedaround the cabin as Lucero snored like a bear in the room. He'd stayed awake for a long time, but one of us was used to outlasting the enemy. Okay, so my eyelids had gotten heavy eventually, and I might have dozed off for a moment, but that was only because the big idiot wouldn't let go. He was huge, warm, and surprisingly strong, but soft in the middle, and gentle. Lucero was strange through and through.
My hands searched through every nook and cranny, but I didn't find anything. The safe was locked up tight, and it was a good one. He'd taken away all the knives in the kitchen before bed so that plan was dead. And there were no guns either.
Great. No weapons.
I continued my search, but besides the lack of weapons, there was also a lack of anything that pointed to Lucero being a pedophile. The alarm bells that had started ringing were going full blast now. Someone had played me. Not only had they played me, but they'd dropped me into the lap of a lunatic I couldn't seem to get away from.
"Fuck this. I need to get out of here."
It didn't really matter if he was a perv or not. Well, it did for him since I didn't have to kill him anymore, but I wasn't staying around either way. I needed to get home, hire some security for once, and look into getting a divorce.
My finger itched, and I glanced down at it. The ring seemed to glow as moonlight streamed through the gauzy curtains and illuminated the diamond. Jewelry was nothing new to me; men showered it on me for being pretty and sweet. But this one was different. Lucero had known exactly what I'd like and he'd picked it out down to the final details. I quickly snatched it off, laid it on the windowsill, and turned away from it.
What is his deal?
The man was more than a little confusing. One minute he was forcing me down the aisle, and the next he was feeding me, making sure I was bathed and falling asleep around me. He definitely wasn't smart, but he didn't seem cruel or even mean. I'd only ever seen him get a little irritated when I brought up my death. Lucero confused me.
I snapped myself out of my thoughts. Whether Lucero was a problem or not, I needed to get out of here. I tiptoed to the front door, grabbed the knob, and sucked in a deep breath. Slowly, I turned the locks and held my breath, waiting to hear if he had snuck up behind me. When I still heard his snoring, I cracked the door open inch by inch. It creaked and whined in my hand.
"Shut up," I hissed. "You're going to get me caught."
My heart thudded against my chest. Great, I was turning into an idiot like him. Why the hell would I say that out loud? I wanted to smack myself on the forehead, but I kept going. With a final, protesting creak, the door opened and I was exposed to the outside air. I pushed the screen open just as slowly, cursing it every time it squeaked. Carefully, I stepped onto the porch, closed the door behind me, and made sure that the screen door didn't slam.
Only once I had walked down the steps and my feet touched Earth did I let out a sigh of relief. A cool breeze ran past me and I shivered a little. Spring was right around the corner, but on nights like this, especially upstate, I could still feel a touch of chill. I wrapped my arms around myself and made my way down the gravel driveway. When I reached the gate, I looked left and right.
Nothing. Stillness.
I swallowed hard.Who knows how long it'll take me to find another person or a bus or something!I looked down at my clothes. All I had to wear was Lucero's ginormous shirt. That was going to make it impossible to get on public transportation, and even if I could, I had no money, no phone, no way of knowing if the lines even went back to the city. Panic flooded my chest.
No, think. Calm down. Breathe. You can't be a piece of shit right now. You need tofocus!
I snapped my eyes shut and tried to sort through the mess that was my brain. Right, I had no money. No clothes. No way of getting home. WhatdidI have? Me. I was used to getting out of even the most difficult situations. I could do this.
Can't stop now. I have to get back. It's already been too long. Need to make surehe'sokay.
My thoughts propelled me forward, forcing my feet to carry me. Sharp rocks bit into the soles of my feet, but the more I walked, the more I felt myself escaping. The thought of freedom pushed me onward. Thank God, Lucero had fed me. On a full stomach, I felt better than I had before. I had energy, and that was all I needed to keep myself safe.
I spilled out onto a dirt road and my steps quickened. Walking became jogging, then turned into running. I looked back over my shoulder, fear gripping my heart in its icy grasp as it had so many times before. However, that was the thrill. Theknowledge that you might die and yet you could live and laugh in death's face.
A smile tugged at my lips, and I ran even harder. When Lucero woke up, I knew he would be pissed. Good. Who the fuck kidnapped someone and forced them to get married? No, I was the only person in control of my fate. I would always have control.
Always.
The distant illumination of headlights lit up the night. I raced toward them, not moving to the side or out of the way. Waving frantically, I didn't even scream. If Lucero heard me, all I could imagine was that huge man chasing me down, grabbing me, and putting me back in restraints. I couldn't have that.
