AllFreeNovel
Share Us
MACKENZIE
I’m jerked awake by the sound of the locks turning. Gloomy gray light filters through the room. My gaze roams over the mattress before searching the space but Rosario is gone.
Heavy footsteps trudge up the stairs. I wrap my arms tighter around my legs, clinging to the blankets around me. I’m lying on my side on this smelly, cold mattress when his heavy boots appear in my line of sight. I squeeze my eyes shut, issuing a silent prayer.Please, don’t let him rape me again.
His heavy footsteps thud closer, and I finally open my eyes. Chase’s beaten body, covered in bruises and lacerations, is swaying in front of Orpheus.
I shoot up to a sitting position, no longer giving a damn about Orpheus. “Chase.”
He peers through one swollen eye before turning his head slightly to see me better from the other. “Kenz.”
Orpheus shoves him and Chase drops onto the mattress beside me. My body comes to life, the blood racing through my veins as I gather Chase in my arms, pulling him against my chest. He releases a sigh of pure contentment, his arms tightening around me. The entire time, I glare at Orpheus who looms over us, not saying a word.
Finally, he turns around, his black robe swinging from his movements, and descends the stairs.
I remain frozen with Chase’s injured body in my arms, barely breathing, until I hear the slam of the door and the locks clicking into place. We’re locked inside for yet another day. For the first time since we arrived here, this is my safe space. I’m alone with Chase again, which is all I want in this world.
Pulling back slightly, my eyes roam over what I can see of his body, frantically assessing his injuries. “What happened?”
Chase tightens his arms, burying his face in my bust. Inhaling deeply, I realize neither of us are bound, which is odd. But I’m not complaining.
My hands run through his soft, dark brown unkempt hair. “Chase.”
“Hmmm. Just let me breathe you in. I need to feel you.”
His words spark a fuse in my heart that ignites into a bonfire. I cling to him, hugging him so tightly I feel his essence burrow into my skin. Every nerve inside my body is a lit fuse that erupts into thousands of sparks, igniting an inferno of lust and love inside of me.
Finally, Chase pulls away slightly, gaze roaming over me. I do the same to him, drinking him in. Even with a swollen eye, black and blue marks on his sweaty skin, and bloody lacerations, Chase is still a sight for sore eyes. He’s like a weary soldier who has returned from battle. Except, there’s a hunger burning in his eyes.
My body heats in his arms, butterflies flapping inside my belly. Despite everything I’ve endured, when Chase looks at me like that, I don’t feel like a victim. I feel like a woman.
“Angel.” The breathless way he says my nickname filters around the cold attic room. “I missed you.” His shaky hands lift, cupping my face. I smell the blood from his lacerations and wounds, but I’m too mesmerized by the hunger and adoration in his eyes to break the spell by asking about them.
I swallow hard, my heart pounding against the thin material of his T-shirt that I’ve been wearing. I’m taking a huge risk, but it feels right. “I… I want you, Chase.”
His brows raise and he cocks his head, staring at me in disbelief. “W-What?”
“I…”Oh hell, Mackenzie. Just spit it out. My cheeks are on fire as the words tumble from my lips. “I used to dream of you being my first, Chase. And once we did it in my dreams, you became a star performer, visiting me often. Kissing, touching, and loving me.” My skin itches, and for once, it’s not from the damn wool blanket. “I know that technically you wouldn’t be my first, but I want you to be the first one to make love to me. To show me how it can be.”
My thoughts run rampant, but I don’t voice them.Can you make me forget?
My eyes drop to his chest, shaking from terror and humiliation. I took an enormous risk and?—
“Kenz.” The commanding tone of his voice breaks through the wind that cool breeze that flows through the attic. “There’s nothing I’d like more. But are you sure? The thought of causing you additional pain makes me sick.”
“Yes. I want you.” My blush deepens at the eager quiver in my voice. At this point, my skin probably resembles a red bell pepper from my embarrassment. “I know you won’t hurt me. As long as I don’t hurt you….”
Chase gently strokes my face, his eyes soft. “You could never hurt me, angel. Unless you’d leave me.” He sucks in a deep breath as his gaze roams over my face. I’m an open book right now, raw hunger and love whirling inside me like a tornado.
Fear prevents me from voicing the words aloud, but when Orpheus drugged him and carried Chase from the attic, I worried I’d never see him again. I can’t bear the thought of being without him, ever.
His eyes shine, shifting back and forth between mine. “You have no idea what this means to me.”
My hand lifts and I cup his face. Breathlessly, I whisper, “Yes I do. Your eyes say it all.”
His face grows serious as his gaze drops to my lips before moving back to my eyes. I nod, waiting with breathless anticipation as his head lowers. My lashes close before his soft lips meet mine, an explosion of light, color, and sound exploding inside my body. I’m transported somewhere else, far away from this hellhole, safe and warm in his undying love.
Chase deepens the kiss as I lightly graze my fingertips along his shoulders and to the back of his neck, then slowly over the muscles of his back. He jerks and I immediately move my hands away from his back, my body freezing. My eyes fly open, panic on my face. “I’m sorry.”
