For a moment, she just looks at me, her eyes glazed over and body coated with drops of sweat. Then those lips part and I lean in involuntarily, my body begging to be close to her. “Please, Daddy.” Without another thought, I push into her, groaning at how she pulls me in. Hungry for my touch. I work her until she shatters around me again, marveling at the way this woman has captured my entire world without even knowing it.
I carry Hannah into the house and straight into the shower. Taking my time with her, I wash her body slowly, growing hard again at the sight of the bubbles running down her curves. I spend extra attention on her hair, the water making her wild curls straighten out and hang down to the swell of her ass. Watching the water cascade between her breasts is my downfall. I drop to my knees and have her screaming my name so loudly I worry the walls will shake. I tuck her into one of my tees and nothing else before we climb under the cool gray sheets together. Our legs find each other and we waste no time wrapping around one another. We eye each other for a while, letting the silence between us stretch comfortably. After what felt like hours, her fingers found my hands, gently prodding at my bruised knuckles. She traces every inch of my face, taking care to move carefully over my split lip and cheek.
“What happened tonight?” she asks, finally breaking the silence.
“You know what happened.” I look at her, seeing the wheels turning in her beautiful head.
“Dean, tell me.” I can’t help but do as she asks when she turns those eyes on me. Images of a daughter with those same eyes looking up at me flood my mind. The image has me justifying every punch I landed on that son of a bitch tonight. I have to look away from her perfect face, afraid she’ll see the devil within me stirring back to life. So I turn on my back, put one hand behind my head, the other wrapping tightly around her, tucking her into my side. She comes willingly, and fits perfectly.
“Kasey, slow down,” I hiss. The men in front of us are laughing loudly and walking towards the alley around the side of BuckWild.
He spins on a dime, coming nose to nose with me. “Don’t you fucking tell me to calm down, Wilder. You saw what they did to her!” Kasey’s eyes blaze with an intensity I know too well. Thatsame demon lives within me. He’s the reason I left home, too afraid that if I let him out of that cage I’d tear everything down just to keep my family safe. Shaking Owen from my thoughts, I nod to Kasey and follow behind him as he closes in on the asshole who raped Mallory.
“Hey!” he shouts, arm cocked back the moment he grabs the man's collar. A moment later, his fist connects with the one in the white cowboy hat the instant he turned around.
“What the fuck!” his friend shouts, lunging at Kasey. But I intercept him quickly, giving him a hard punch of my own. He stumbles backwards, catching himself before landing on his ass. Behind me I hear Kasey promising a slow death between the sound of fist against flesh.
“Did you join in?” I close the distance between me and the man. Blood drips down his cut cheek onto his blue button up. His eyes bounce between me and Kasey.
“Jeremy, what is he talking about?” Kasey drags Jeremy over to us. His white hat gone, shirt stained with splotches of blood and dirt. He spits a mouthful of blood onto the ground between us. I notice the long scratches down his neck, no doubt the work of Mallory.
“Go ahead,Jeremy.Tell your friend what you did to that girl in the bathroom.” Jeremy sways on his feet, but Kasey holds him up.
“Jeremy…what are they talkin’ about?” His friend's face is one of shock and disgust, as it suddenly dawns on him what his friend did. “Tell me they are lying. Tell me!” He gets in Jeremy’s face and I don’t stop him. He needs to know what kind of trash he’s hanging around. Jeremy doesn’t deny anything, just lets his head bounce around with each shake. His friend lets him go, retching his hands away like he’s been burned. “I can’t believe you, man.” Tears well in his eyes and I cross my arms, watching the exchange.
Kasey delivers a kick to Jeremy’s knees, sending him crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust. Then he kicks him hard between the legs. Jeremy lets out a wail, clutching his crotch in pain. “Fucking get them off me, Sean!” He looks up at his friend with pleading eyes. Sean looks down at him, shakes his head, and to my surprise whispers quietly, “I hope it hurts.” Then turns around and heads back towards the parking lot.
Realization dawns on Jeremy that he’s alone. Kasey hauls him to his feet, and seeing a chance at escape, Jeremy makes a run for it, twisting out of Kasey’s arms and sprinting down the alley. Kasey and I take off after him, me closing in a bit quicker and I dive for his legs, taking us both down in a heap of flailing limbs. Jeremy lands a lucky kick to my cheek and I feel the skin pop open, warmth gushing down my cheek. “Fucker!” I hiss, diving for him, landing a few solid punches to his stomach and face before Kasey pushes me off and pins him down.
I don’t stop him until Jeremy's body goes limp in Kasey’s grip. He’s drenched in sweat, his knuckles split and bleeding. I pulled Kasey off, watching as he kneels to the ground, pulling one knee into his chest and flexing his hands. Pressing a hand to Jeremy’s neck, I lock eyes with Kasey and give him a slow shake of my head.
A slam of a door behind us jolts us both to standing, moving shoulder to shoulder in an attempt to hide the body behind us. A woman with graying hair stands in the doorway to the bar. A moment later, a burly man steps out behind her. My heart races with the realization of what we’ve done. I let the demon out, and it’s about to cost me.
Again.
hannah
I listen intentlyas Dean recounts what happened following Mallory's attack. To say I’m shocked is an understatement. But I can’t ignore the dark side of me that wishes I could have joined in.Mallory.Sweet, innocent Mallory. I’m beginning to comprehend that when it comes to the people we care about, Dean and I may not be too different. He pauses to run a hand over his chin and down his bare chest.
“Well, obviously you’re here so…what happened next?” I ask, letting my fingertips trace the letters of the wordsHell Raiserinked into his pec.
He watches my fingers skate over his skin for a moment before he speaks, “The woman, Donna. Walked up to us and handed us a wet rag to clean our hands.” He eyes his swelling knuckles for a moment before tucking them back behind his head. “The man with her didn’t say a word, just walked behind us, picked up that piece of shit, and took him away. She took the rag, gave us each a pat on the cheek.” He laughs lightly. “Then disappeared back into the bar.” His eyes find mine and he turnsto face me, bruised knuckles stroking my cheek so tenderly it hurts.
After a few moments Dean whispers against my hair, “Hannah?”
I hum a response, tilting my chin to look up at him, his heartbeat beginning to race under my ear. “Tell me about your family.” For a moment I’m stunned, his voice laced with a rare vulnerability that catches me off guard.
“What do you want to know?” My fingers resume their leisurely path over his inked chest.
“Everything.” He sighs, settling back into the pillows, his fingers running through my hair.
“They were-everything.” I’ve kept memories of my mom and dad buried deep, but for the first time in a while I let those memories poke through the surface. I lose track of how long I ramble for, I tell him all about our rides through green hills and open skies, how my dad would cheat at cards when I got older and he couldn’t beat me like he did when I was a kid. He laughs at the stories of my mom and I sneaking away from church early to get a Sunday morning ride in, coming home in muddy boots with my dad waiting on the back porch. When the memories come to an end I pause trying to put into words how much I miss them. Dean doesn’t fill the empty space, he just holds me, letting me know that he’s got me. “My parents showed me what true love is, what it’s like to live a life worth being proud of.” I swallow my tears, begging my heart to let me talk about them without falling apart. “I would give anything for another five minutes with them. People don’t understand how important family is, not until they are gone. I’d go back and have stupid fights with them over and over again if it meant that the next morning I’d get to wake up and find them on the couch waiting to forgive me and start fresh.” A rogue tear slips down my cheek, Dean’s thumb catches it and wipes it away. When I peek up at him, he’slooking down at me, his own eyes clouded over with emotion. Taking a deep breath I close my eyes and allow myself one last replay of that night. “Just before my event I was told my parents were killed in a car accident. Queen took off before I could stop her.” I see it so clearly, feel that pain and fear so vividly it’s as if I’m back in that moment, flying through the air waiting for the impact.
“And that’s when I picked you up.” It’s a statement not a question. Like he’s putting all the pieces together.
“Yes.” It comes out as a whisper, more tears spilling onto his chest.
“I’m sorry, darlin’.” His mouth opens like he wants to say more but he closes it, giving me a soft smile before pulling me close again.
