Dark (Beautiful Ashes #1) (6 page)

Chapter
Ten

Something wasn’t right. Tar felt it in his bones. The gut didn’t lie, and his was flipping end over end. Keeley was resting, but she had fresh wounds that simply weren’t adding up to the story Leith gave them. She slipped in the basement attempting some martial arts move.
Bullshit
his inner radar screamed. Why didn’t they train in the room designed for such falls? Worst part was, Mitch backing up the lie. Yeah, they were all definitely hiding the truth from him. But the more he pulled his heart out of the scenario, the more Tar recognized that he was actually a danger to the operation. For the best if he didn’t see another man touch Keeley. He’d go all kinds of apeshit if they did, and Keeley’s reasoning for wanting to do this at all still resonated deep within him.

Her hand laced through his hair while he rested it against her side. “Tar, I know you’re worried for my safety.” She swallowed back the lie about getting hurt in training. He didn’t deserve this, and she didn’t deserve him. While she knew it, she couldn’t bring herself to sever the ties to him. Instead, she pulled his head up so they were eye to eye. “Make love to me.”

He gasped, cradling her tiny face in his large hands. “You need rest.”

Keeley knew this would most likely be her one and only time to make love without holding any of herself back from him. After all, she didn’t do anything…yet. But she acknowledged her own patterns, and once she was caught in the grips of deception, she’d detach. The injuries did come from training. Just not the kind Tar was told. Untruth, yes. Relatively small on her long list of them though. “Please. I need you,” her soft whisper revealing absolute fact—he was her lifeline. And, at that moment, she craved what only
he
could give her. He leaned down, brushing her lips with his. She took advantage of his hesitation and latched onto his mouth. Tar was the only one who could save her, and Keeley needed him to know how much she wanted to be saved.

From herself.

From the choices she was making.

From the whole damn world.

His tongue matched hers, thrust for thrust, as he moved onto the small bed with her. She opened her legs so he could grind against her. They had messed around before, even done the deed against a hotel wall, but never made love. Keeley couldn’t recall when she’d ever done so with anyone. It was always about pleasure, pain, and fucking, never tenderness or souls connecting. She craved that most as his mouth moved across her collar bone with adoration. His reverent hands caringly removed her clothes. He kissed each and every bruise, scrape, and cut, worshipping her body. No part of her went untouched by his lips, yet he managed to avoid the erogenous zones.

She was a writhing mess by the time he latched onto her nipple. He bit, sucked, and tongued until she was crying out his name. Satisfied with her response, he repeated the same slow torture on the other side. Her breathing was irregular, “Lower,” she demanded. Gazes locked, he licked his way south, tracing her ever-so-sexy rose and thorns tattoo on her hip as it stretched across to mere centimeters from her sex.

Tar stopped just shy of Keeley’s pleasure spot, blowing softly as his fingers opened her petals. He anchored her hips, straining toward his face, as the tip of his tongue invited Keeley to divulge her secrets. Tempting her to reveal more, he entered her most sacred place while moving his tongue in and out with restrained patience. Her river of honey flowed as he sipped, savoring. He moved his large palms to her ass and lifted. What was meant to be a decadent act of showing Keeley she could let him into her darkness, became so much more as she broke apart for him. He licked her oh-so sensitive clit while shucking off his clothes. She released again as his gaze met hers. He moved up her body until their lips collided. There was nothing tender in that kiss when Tar exposed how much he needed her. From the vent next to the bed “Hero” filtered into the room. He entered Keeley while staring into her hooded eyes. “Let me be a hero for you, sweetheart,” he rasped as his body and soul came together with hers in a stunning display.

The connection they shared overwhelmed her and she lowered her lids, trying to find some semblance of herself. “Look at me, Keeley,” he demanded. “
See
how much I love you,” he groaned as his hot seed flooded.

Tears escaped from the corner of her eyes. Though she fought not to, she held his gaze. She realized to some degree what just happened between them. Didn’t he know she loved him, too? But the words refused to come out.

His forehead rested against hers as he whispered, “Fucking perfect.”

She couldn’t deny it. Her head knew she’d only bring him heartache, but her heart sang a beautiful song of adoration for this man. Her man. If only they were able to stay this way forever. The commotion down the hall ruined that dream in an instant.

Tar removed himself, causing a deep longing within her. She watched as his practiced hands yanked on his clothing before opening the door. His, “Are you shittin’ me?” brought Keeley fully upright while holding the sheet over herself. “I’ll be right back.” Over his shoulder he declared, “I’m not finished with you yet.”

The promise lingered in the room after he left. She lay back against the pillows, reliving every moment they’d just shared. Lost in her delicious memory, she didn’t hear Leith enter.

*****

He stared at the beauty before him, coveting. Keeley’s hands were moving over her body and he knew she was about to finger herself. Silently he ordered the sheet to fall away. No such luck. She stopped before getting carried away as her surprised gaze locked on his. Busted. He cleared his throat, “Sorry.” Only thing he was sorry about was that she wasn’t fantasizing about him a minute ago.

Her knowing nod told him she didn’t buy it for a second. “Would you please turn around?”

His compliance was reluctant as he listened to her clothing rustle. Her tiny hand on his shoulder made him jump as he pivoted, fighting the urge to snatch her up and erase all traces of Tar still clinging to her. He began to pace, hoping to hide his massive erection. God, he couldn’t believe where his thoughts just went. What the hell was wrong with him?

“Is there a particular reason you’re here?” she inquired, watching him intently.

Get it together, Turner. “Our position has been compromised.”

The
what?
look on her face told him to give some reassurance. “It happens. We have other locations. No need to worry.”

“Does this change my part in our plan?”

Her tone raised his alert level from orange to red. Something told him she wasn’t willing to do this for just a noble cause. A sidelong glance her way confirmed his suspicion. She wrung her hands before shaking them out, all the while her eyes darted here and there. It wasn’t a drug coursing through her system causing such a reaction; however, Leith wasn’t a stupid man. Experience told him it was most definitely an addict jonesing for her next fix. Holy hell. He was aware of her masochistic ways but never had he put two and two together. Until now. She was
addicted
to pain. Good God! What did he agree to?

The door swung open as Tar entered. He eyed both of them before addressing, “Keeley, we need to move.”

She clutched the hand offered as he pulled her into the safety of his body. Leith watched the couple leave as he came to terms with the latest revelation. There was a way he could have her. His inner voice yelled,
Back the fuck up, man
.
She belongs to Tar!
He began to whistle as he exited. “All is fair in love and war.”

*****

Tar had that uneasy feeling. The kind you get when you know something was about to go wrong, very wrong, but you couldn’t figure out the what, when, where, why, who, or how. His radar was signaling danger, which happened each time Leith was within an arm’s length from Keeley. Jealousy? Nah, she was gorgeous and turned heads everywhere she went. Granted, Leith desired her. Hell, it was written all over his face. If Tar had learned anything from his ex-fiancée and brother, it was one couldn’t control who they wanted or loved, only what they did with it. He eyed Keeley carefully seeing no signs that she returned anything more than friendship toward Leith. Thank fuck. Tar couldn’t live through that kind of betrayal again. It damned near killed him the first time. Keeley walked across the room and he noticed she had a slight limp. Again, he sensed they weren’t truthful about her newest injuries. He slung the duffel bag over his shoulder and met her in the hallway. “You alright?”

“Yeah, why?” Her forehead crinkled in bafflement.

“You can’t put all your weight on that foot.” Her eyes widened before she glanced down to the floor. What the hell? “You have something to tell me?”

She turned away from him. “No. Ready?”

In two powerful strides he was next to her, bending to her ear so only she could hear him, “I know you’re not telling me something, Viper.” He warned, “God help you if I find out you’ve lied to me.”

She stepped away from him and spun around, shoulders back, and finger on his chest. “Don’t you
ever
threaten me again.”

With a drop of the bag and a dark chuckle, he pinned her against the wall. “Baby, I don’t make threats.” He punished her mouth with his until they were breathless. Regaining the ability to speak, he pointed out, “I do what I say when I say I’m going to do it.” He bit her lip and growled, “I will absolutely spank your fine ass. Don’t you forget it.” Grabbing the black duffel at his feet, he strode away and left her panting with desire.

Fucking man was a menace to her sex drive. Though she’d love to say he was all talk, she knew better. He was sexy-as-sin and pure action. God she wanted him. Flushed and horny, she didn’t notice Leith standing next to her until he whispered, “Did you tell him what happened?”

She startled and gasped, “Hell no!”

His shit-eating grin left her feeling disconcerted. “Good. We don’t want to blow your cover.” The way he said, “blow,” sounded dirty and wrong, giving her the heebie-jeebies. Her signals were all mixed up, she was sure of it. Leith wasn’t trying to seduce her. He wouldn’t do that to Tarius. But as they left the building side by side, she couldn’t shake the feeling he most definitely would betray anyone to get
exactly
what he wanted.

Chapter
Eleven

The historical house held old-fashioned charm. Keeley was surprised at how fast the team was up and running. Though it shouldn’t have shocked her, these men were topnotch. Her respect grew more and more for each of them. She was beginning to feel like their sister in many ways. The elected officials who ran this undercover operation had one steadfast rule: no family ties. A certain amount of kinship came with those who didn’t have families. Or maybe they were exactly like her, they had them but lost contact. Lacey kept trying. Keeley gave her sister credit there. Problem was, she couldn’t face her twin after everything she’d done.

A deep sigh pulled Tar’s attention from the laptop he was working on. “What’s wrong?”

If Keeley told him she missed Lacey, he’d bring them together. Something she couldn’t risk. Her sister knew her better than anyone, and she’d know Keeley was covering the real intention behind this ruse. Every time she considered telling Tar, she’d remember this was twofold: helping bring down some evil people and feeding her addiction. The latter was what kept her lips sealed. “Nothing. I’m going to look around.”

“I’ll be here.” He raised his coffee cup to her.

She couldn’t fight the grin at that sight. He was so damn sexy. His gaze met hers and she saw the fire there. Oh, to hell with work or anything else. She wanted him. Never breaking the heated contact, she stepped toward the door and reached for the lock. Before she could get her hand on it, Mitch entered the room and damned near knocked her into the wall. “Shit, Keeley. I’m so sorry.” He reached out to assist her.

“I’m fine,” she replied. Tar was standing, about to come help her. “No,” her hand came up in a stop motion, “you two talk. I’ll go explore.”

In the hallway, she leaned heavily against the wall. This was no good. She needed to tell Tar and hope he could forgive her, find mercy for her cravings. Maybe he really was her hero and could find a way to help her. Yes, that was the course she needed to take. As the conclusion settled in her gut, she rounded a corner and heard grunting. Odd. It wasn’t necessarily a bad sound, so she followed it to the source. What met her eyes in that room was pure male beauty. Leith was on the bed, knees up and spread wide, with one hand tugging his balls while the other gripped his slick cock. My God, he was magnificent in the throes of masturbation. She needed to leave before he saw her ogling him. Keeley quietly slid back out of the room, but not before she heard his rapture sealed with
her name
on his lips. Ahhh, fuck. Determined to tell Tar before things got out of hand, she raced down the hallway.

Leith stood in the doorway watching her retreat. His dick twitched at the sight of her ass. He didn’t expect her to walk in. And though he wanted to possess her, his more noble side won out. Best this happened, and she told Tarius what she was doing before it was too late for all of them.

*****

“They want Keeley to do what?!” Tar raked his hair.

“Listen, I know it isn’t the original plan, but she’s more valuable to us this way.”

The level gaze that met Mitch’s told him: tread lightly. “You think it’s a good idea to put my girlfriend in a sex club, where she lets other men
fuck
her so she can get close to the sickos running a sex slave cartel?”

Mitch threw up his hands in the nick of time, blocking the fist aimed straight for his face. “She doesn’t have to actually have sex with them, Tar.” That earned him a how-dumb-do-you-think-I-am? look. “Calm down and I’ll explain.”

“Fuck calm.” His fist went through a wall.

Mitch had to admit, if this were happening to him, he’d destroy the motherfucking messenger. After Tar kicked a table over, threw a chair, and beat the ever-loving shit out of that wall, Mitch saw logic return to his eyes. He seized the opportunity. Probably the only one he’d get. “She’s into pain. We can use that to get her close to a well-known kingpin.”

“Listening,” he grit out.

“Worst case scenario is that she will have some marks, but we’ll make sure he never fucks her.”

“The point, dumbass, is to bring pleasure from the pain. Do I really hafta spell out what kind of pleasure?”

“You’re right. But this particular asshole wants nothing to do with pleasure. He’s all about pain. Not one time has he ejaculated from that in the club.”

“In his private residence?”

“Nope. This guy is cold and calculating. He considers himself a trainer.”

“And I’m supposed to be all right with putting her in harm’s way?”

“She won’t be. I’ll be there with her. I promise I won’t let it get out of hand.”

“You realize what you’re asking?”

Mitch approached Tar and clasped his shoulder. “I do.”

Tar shook his head empathically. “Hell. NO!”

“It’s really not up to you,” Keeley explained as she stepped into the room. “Mitch, give us a minute.”

“You got it,” he replied, leaving them alone.

“You’re
not
doing this,” Tar growled through clenched teeth, “and that’s FINAL.”

“You’re not my father. And for the record, I never obeyed him either.” She spun toward the door to make a speedy retreat. The man was beyond asinine trying to tell her what she could or could not do.

Tar caught her arm and jerked, her back now against his front. His hands began to roam over Keeley’s body as he bit along her jawline. He gave no measure as his fingers plowed past the waistband of her yoga pants and groaned, “You’re not wearing panties.”

Her head fell back from the onslaught of pleasure he was wreaking. She began to answer when he took her mouth with his in violent need. Tar tweaked a nipple as he fingered her pussy, swallowing her screams of pleasure as he made Keeley come—again and again. His impossibly hard dick was demanding to be freed, but he refused. She needed to understand where he was coming from.

Keeley whimpered as she once more broke apart in his hand. He toyed with her clit again. The sensitivity was now into the pain zone. Fucking yes. “Hurt me,” she gasped.

His touch slowed as she tried to pull free, ashamed of what she required. Tar wouldn’t let her, gently stroking her folds before leisurely entering her hot channel. He pulled his drenched finger free and brought it to her lips, coating them in her juices. Licking and sucking her essence off her mouth before he claimed, “You do
belong
to me.” Tar’s tongue invaded her mouth as his finger, again, invaded her beautiful pussy. “I’m possessive of what is mine.” He lowered to the floor, tugging her pants off but keeping direct contact with her sex. He licked down the seam of her ass until his finger replaced his tongue. Moving her cum to her hot button, Tar brought Keeley to orgasm mercilessly. She went limp, relying on him to keep her from falling. He eased her to his lap, cradling. “Mine. Now and always.”

Keeley was beyond spent and couldn’t confirm or deny his claim. Truth was, she abso-fucking-lutely belonged to Tarius McNeil.

The demon roared, “NOOOOOOOOO! You are MIIIIINE!”

Keeley drifted into a sated sleep, but Tar saw the lines of worry on her forehead and around her eyes. Maybe he was kidding himself. She very well could be playing him. He needed to guard his heart. But it was too fucking late. She held it hostage. He couldn’t negotiate it back even if he wanted to. There was the crux: Keeley could break him like no other and he knew she would, but the instinct to stop her just wasn’t there. What did that say about him?
You’re in love, idiot
. True that.

*****

The demon hoped that Leith would do his bidding for him. But the damn man actually had a fucking honor code. Mitch was a no go, looking at Keeley as only a friend. How would he get her away from Tarius McNeil? The demon paced inside Keeley, searching for his answer. She missed her sister. Could he use Lacey Strand in some way? The cravings for heroin still lingered but she discovered another way to handle those. Pain. Yes, maybe it was time to up the ante so she could never step back into the light. Of course that was the biggest lie ever told, key would be to convince her it was truth. Humans were just so damn easy to deceive. Keeley already harbored the fear she was too damaged for Tar—time he sealed her fate on that count. Shouldn’t be too difficult, guilt and shame were his cohorts, after all. When he finished with Keeley Ann Kincaid she wouldn’t even recognize herself, much less be able to come back from her journey through destruction.

*****

The diabolical laugh caused Keeley to thrash in her sleep. Tar studied her intently. “What is it that haunts you, my love? I’ll slay any damn dragon that tries to harm you.” He stroked her back gently then placed a tender kiss on her head. “You just have to let me into that darkness with you. I can show you the light if you let me.” He hugged her tight, wishing she would see the truth in his words. “You have to want it, baby. You have to want to fight.” She snuggled into him, murmuring his name. “Yes, Keeley, I’m here. Say you will. Say you’ll fight for us.”

Keeley felt like she was trapped under some sort of heaviness. She could hear Tar’s muffled pleas but she couldn’t seem to lift whatever it was that held her down. Inside she screamed, “I
want
to, Tar. I love you. I want to FIIIIIIGHT!”

But her cries could not be heard by the man who loved her more than his own life. His memory took him to a place he never wanted to revisit. Tarius had his own battle to fight before he would be any good for Keeley. He knew it. Eventually the powers that be would demand he did just that. Time was running out, he felt it with every hammer of his heart. “No matter what happens, don’t give up on us, Keeley,” he whispered the plea just as the hard knock on the door brought an omen he couldn’t avoid.

Show time.