AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t think I can do it!” To my satisfaction, the cry is not completely muffled by the socks in his mouth.
Letting out a dark chuckle, I kick myself off the wall and take one step toward Neil, keeping my eyes on the shell of his ear and watching the blood drip down to his shoulders, even though he’s barely nicked himself. “If you don’t want to do it, I can. Or, if you prefer, we can do nothing and then leave it up to CJ. From your video, you know he’d be ecstatic to dole out his special brand of justice.”
Despite the tears swimming in Neil’s eyes, there’s no hiding the malice brewing. “Fine,” he snaps, and I go back to leaning against the wall.
Although Neil’s hand is shaking, he powers through. Squeezing the shell of his ear between his index finger and thumb while bringing the scalpel up and into the flesh with his other hand.
“Fuck!” Pain is palpable in the muffled curse.
Without a mirror, he’s doing it blindly, and I watch with rapid fascination as he cuts his own ear off. Each pained noise from him makes me feel better, and it lessens the anger swirling inside me.
When he’s almost done, I realize something very important; all I can think about is how this serves as minuscule retribution toward the debt he owes Baby. Not a single thought goes to my mom, and that has to mean I don’t really care. And why should I? This isn’t about her, and maybe it never was.
As soon as I close the basement door, I feel… Fuck, I don’t know what I’m feeling. My heart is beating violently in my chest, my breath is labored, and my legs feel like fucking Jell-O. All I need is black spots obscuring my vision, and then I’d be just like lost Alec.
No, I mentally tell myself. I’ll not go there ever again. Trying to focus on something else, I wipe my now bloody hands on my jeans.
Being down in the basement, I lost all track of time. But it felt like an eternity passed while Neil cut into both his ears, and I wrapped it up before leaving him to it. Even though I know CJ is keeping some painkillers down there, I didn’t give any to the man who tried to kill Kas, blackmailed us all, and used our girl to satiate his disgusting fantasies. I did, however, fill his water bottle before I left him with two rolls to eat whenever he wants to.
“Alec, why aren’t you coming in here?” It’s Kas that’s asking, and I try to formulate some semblance of a reply.
“Hey, are you okay?” It’s CJ asking this time.
I expect to hear Baby, and when I don’t, my heart beats even wilder.
“Why are you standing here in the dark?” Her soft voice shocks me so much I knock my head back against the door. “Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Did he do something to you?” At the last part, Baby’s voice loses all elements of softness and becomes as steely as a blade.
For some reason, it’s that part that gets to me more than her caring ones. “I’m okay, I think.” Even though I didn’t mean to add the last part, I’m glad I did.
Not taking my word for it, Baby moves until we’re so close that our breaths are mingling, hers fanning across my face. Her hands are all over me, and I think she’s checking for injuries that don’t exist.
“Hey, he didn’t touch me. I’m fine.”
Baby huffs out an annoyed breath. “Don’t lie to me. I can smell the blood on you. Besides, fine people don’t sag against doors like they can’t carry their own body weight.”
Touché.
I pull her into my embrace and say, “All I need is you, and now that I have you, I’m more than fine.”
Why is that suddenly the only descriptive word I can come up with?
Baby laughs. “You’re such a sap beneath your grumpy attitude, aren’t you?”
Her laughter is so infectious I join her. “Only with you.” Without giving her time to retort, I place my bloody hands on both sides of her face and draw her closer until our lips meet.
As if she’s been waiting for me for this particular reason, she molds her body to mine and opens her mouth to me immediately. Our lips move in tandem, and our tongues caress and stroke like two snakes joined in an intimate dance.
“Spend the night with me,” I say when I’ve lost track of how long we’ve been kissing.
Baby agrees, and together we walk upstairs, only stopping in the living room to let my brothers know everything is okay and to keep an eye on Neil.
My bedroom door barely closes, and the lights only flicker, not completely lit, before Baby is on me again. Her fingers dig into my skin underneath my clothes as her lips devour mine. This isn’t a sweet or sensual kiss that will last forever. No. It’s rushed and borderline painful when our teeth clash, and the soft skin of our lips gets nipped.
“Alec, I need you.”
Although my instinct is to say no to protect her, I can’t find it within me tonight. If she wants me, then who the fuck am I to say no?
“I won’t ask if you’re sure, I’m assuming you are. But promise me you’ll let me know if it gets to be too much.” I barely get to finish before she bites down on my tongue at the same time as she undoes my jeans and impatiently pushes them and my boxers down.
