I bit down harder on my finger to keep from shouting out that I couldn’t risk putting him in danger again. “I’m sorry, Ray, I don’t know why I called. The break—”
“Zena, please. We don’t need a break. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
“I hurt you, Rayden, I broke your heart, yes I might’ve been drunk doing it, but I should’ve told you about.” My phone beeped in my ear and I looked at the screen.Shit.The battery was low. Rising slowly, I peeked over the dumpster and froze. Two of Remo’s men I’d seen back at the club, stood at the entrance to the alley, their backs to me, their heads swiveling from side to side. They were still looking for me. I slid back down the wall and cowered trying to retreat deeper into the corner, hoping they’d walk away.
“Babe?” the warm comfort of that single word filled every saddened pore in my tense body.
I covered my mouth to hold back the sobs. “My battery is going die any second. I’ll call you as soon as I can, okay?” I lied. “I love you, Ray.”
“Zena?”
“Yes?”
“Even when you cry, you’re beautiful. Even when you’re angry, I want to kiss you. Even—”
No!I silently yelled, glaring at the phone. “Even when you hate me, I’ll love you, forever,” I finished his words on a sob.
On our first anniversary together, Rayden had forgotten to meet me and went to a baseball game with his friends. I’d stayed angry with him for a week until a huge heart made out of red roses that had to delivered on the back of an open van was delivered with that message. Then he’d phone me and repeated it. While we’d been the off and on couple over the last year or so, those words always seemed to comfort my heart.
Shoving the phone back into my purse, I peeked over the dumpster again. The men were still there. Sliding along the wall, I inched my way in the opposite direction, trying to remain as quiet as possible. The sudden opening of a door behind me, caught me by surprise. Before I could scream, a gloved hand covered my mouth muffling the sound. Someone dragged me backward into a darkened room.
Then a hand clamped around my neck, squeezing hard and I immediately tensed. The hand on my mouth fell away but the pressure around my throat increased, fingers biting into my flesh, my lungs burned for a reprieve as he slowly suffocated me. I clawed at his hands and arms, fighting with what strength I could muster. It wasn’t enough. He was too strong. Someone was taking my life and I could do nothing. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I opened my mouth to speak, to scream. Only ragged gasping sounds came out until what little light peeked through the dimness slowly faded to black, my thoughts sucked away to unbridled silence. Until everything ceased to exist.
Chapter 28
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RAYDEN (24YRS)
“Hey, handsome,” the subtle whisper, echoing against my eardrum, made me smile.
My body quivered as the gentle softness of a wet tongue traced the shape of my ear, suckled lightly on the lobe before trailing a tingling path along my jawline. Still, I kept my eyes closed, allowing it’s ticklish teasing to outline the curve of my lips then slip away to be replaced by butterfly kisses. I didn’t move when those tender lips dropped tiny kisses to the tip of my nose, first one eye then the other. Nor did I shift when hair, the texture of spun silk, brushed over my face, following in the wake of those mesmerizing lips, moving downward, feathering my chin, my neck and skimming a delicate line across my chest, circling one nipple then the other. Then further down startling my skin into goosebumps when the wet tip curled around my navel, sucking lightly.
I refused to open my eyes, letting the pleasure seep into every pore, every cell, every vein. My breathing hitched slightly when those plump lips zigzagged a hot pattern over my stomach and dipping lower still until the head of my cock, hard with anticipation, met the warmth of that familiar mouth. Even when its slick thickness curled around my shaft, I didn’t open my eyes, I couldn’t. If I did, it would end, the pleasure would end, and I’d have to start all over again.
“Don’t think, Ray. Feel,” the soft words seduced my attention once more and I surrendered to its manipulation, my hips jerking when those succulent lips closed around the head of my cock, pulling me deep into a cavern of warmth I didn’t want to leave. My fingers clenched around satin sheets as the steady rhythm of tongue, teeth and lips shunted my need with each lick, each bite, each kiss until my ragged breaths chased my release. I didn’t want it to end, it couldn’t.
