Picking her up, bride style, I remove her from the room and place her gently into my bed. She snuggles into the pillows, eyes closing. Grabbing a pair of boxers from my dresser, I step into them before I join her, pulling the comforter over us.
“I love you, Alaric,” she whispers with eyes still closed.
I freeze at her omission, wondering if she actually meant what she said. It’s only been a couple weeks but my feelings for her have deepened from each visit we have together, each phone call and text we exchange. I’ve been fighting those words to come out for the past week, nervous it was too soon. But after what we just did together, she showed me she trusts me without batting an eye. She let me have full control and enjoyed every single moment of it.
With those four words she just spoke, I know that I would do anything in this world to protect her, cherish her, worship her in every way possible. I’ll burn the fucking world down to make sure she’s safe in my arms. To make sure she knows that she never has to worry about me turning my back on her. I’m devoted to her, and her only. With this realization, I know that no amount of time can dictate how I feel.
“I love you too, Celeste,” I declare as I pull her close to me and allow sleep to take over.
CHAPTER TWENTY
CELESTE
“Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.” - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
My eyes flutter open to sudden movements that jolt me awake. Alaric’s muscular back faces me as he stretches his arms to the side and every single muscle protrudes to the surface. He’s so fucking toned, with his tanned skin, and messy blonde hair. He’s literally the definition of a god. The reaper and a god don't go hand-in-hand, but they say opposites attract and last longer than those who are too similar. I take another moment to admire him before I push up onto my elbows.
“So much for a hot meal. How long did we sleep?” I ask as I swing my legs over the side of the bed.
“I’ll reheat it, don’t worry. A couple hours. Take another ibuprofen, it’ll take the edge off,” he responds over his shoulder before he gets up and pulls on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. I feel a little disappointed that he shielded my view from those sexymuscles.
He kisses me on the forehead and caresses my face before he leaves his room towards the kitchen. Standing, I stretch out, instantly feeling the ache in my shoulders. Holy shit was that a ride. I’ve never been so turned on in my life. Being blindfolded, tied up, and thoroughly fucked was a whirlwind. Seeing this other side of him, demanding dominance, was so hot. It was nothing like I’ve had before. He wasn’t trying to tame me. He held the power but also brought me pleasure.
My ex longed for power but never gave me anything in return. He didn’t demand me to change and be a good little girl while the “Man” made orders. No, Alaric showed his dark desires, what he longs for. Ironic coming from an agent who’s going after killers who tie up their victims.
I’ve never felt so alive, so worshiped than I did a few hours ago. Thinking about what we did makes me squeeze my thighs together as heat starts to pool. Before I fell into slumber, I told him I loved him. It slipped out before I realized it, but I didn’t regret it. He listens to me, doesn’t judge what I do for work, and he worships me like a goddamned queen. When he said it back to me, it meant the fucking world to me. He didn’t rush to say it back, but he didn’t hesitate either.
I find my clothes on the chair next to the window neatly folded up. Peeling off the way-too comfy robe, I get dressed into my clothes and head into the bathroom to take care of my needs and brush my fingers through my sex hair. Once satisfied, I join him in the kitchen as he sets reheated plates on the table and chilled glasses of soda. I take my seat and take a bite of the noodles and moan at the delicious taste.
“Keep moaning like that and I’ll have to take you back into that room.” He gives me a sly smile.
“What if I want to see what else you can do to me? Agent Solace, who knew you could be kinky?” I wink at him before taking another bite.
Maybe I should keep up with the moaning. I want to be punished thoroughly and see what else he would do to me. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be bad more often. Sex like that, no ordinary man could give. It’s an art.
“Baby, you have no idea of the things I would do to you. If you're a good girl, you’ll be fully ravished and rewarded.” He winks at me. After we finish our food he gets up from the table, grabbing our plates before discarding them in a sink.
I turn to face him, noticing all the documents on the counter. I can’t help but notice one of the documents withJawbreakerwritten on the top. How I would get on my knees and beg to get copies of these. As he turns his back to me, rummaging through the fridge, I stand up casually to walk towards him and get a better look at the documents on the counter. Photos of the victims are scattered, photos of a cabin, and different evidence of interactions with this man.
“Do you normally bring your work home? What happened to shutting it off once you leave the office?” I ask curiously.
He walks towards me looking down at the counter. Bringing his hand to his face, he rubs his hand up and down in a frustrated gesture and for the first time, really looking at him, he looks utterly exhausted.
“One would think but this is the first case that I haven’t been able to crack. He appears, then disappears. His current victim, we have no idea where she is or what state she’s in. He’s given us no hits, no demands.” He sighs in frustration.
“Is this who took Samantha?” I ask and then immediately put my hands up. “You don’t have to answer my question, I know it’s confidential. I’m so sorry for overstepping.” I back away innocently.
I’m not in the least bit sorry. In fact, I’m hoping he gives me a little insight.
“I’m not supposed to talk with anyone outside of theagency, however, it is Samantha. We have no updates about her wellbeing. We’re working tirelessly to return her home safely. I wish I could give you more, but we hit a dead end and I’m losing my goddamn mind about it. How’s her daughter doing?” He huffs in frustration.
I look back at the evidence displayed on the counter. If this is the same person who took Sam, is this what she has to go through? My stomach churns at the thought of such a sweet girl going through such a horrid thing.
“She’s doing okay. She misses her mama and wakes up screaming at night but we’re making her as comfortable as we can, given the situation. My best friend comes over often with her little girl so we’ve been keeping her busy with play dates. Did he do all this to these poor women?” I push to try and get more answers from him.
He walks over to the cabinet, pulling out two glasses and a bottle of bourbon. He contemplates answering for a few moments. Stuck between keeping things a secret and packing up all the evidence, or letting me in, giving me a glance at his work life. To him, I’m innocent. I’m no threat and just his girlfriend who owns a strip club. He pours us a glass and walks back over, handing me one.
“Yes. He’s a demented killer who believes he’s doing God's work by attempting to force these girls to repent for their sins. He believes because they’re sex workers, they’re possessed by the devil. His attempt at cleansing is to bring them to near death and if they don’t act the part he wants, he disposes of them to be found. We don’t understand the point of the jawbreaker he shoves down their throats, but it may just be his signature.” He flips through the photos after he notices that I don’t shy away from it.
