Page 94 of Connor's Claim
“Then my father bruised you. I can’t even remember what threw him into a rage that day, because I was used to it. I’d handled him for years. But the moment he took his fists to you, it broke me. It killed me to see you go up against him and defend your mother from his rage. You’d told me in the darkness of my bedroom how her previous boyfriend had been handy with his fists. How she stayed regardless. I knew your mother wasn’tgoing to be the one to save you. I had to get the two of you out of the house and away from my father for good.”
Her breathing shuddered. My disquiet turned to horror. I didn’t want to hear this. I couldn’t stop her from speaking.
Everly didn’t let up in her explanation or in her efforts to use her body to drive me insane. Though I couldn’t move, I felt every lift and slide. Every pulse of her body claiming mine.
“I asked my father to let you and your mum go. Want to know what he said? That he didn’t have time to train somebody else up in her assistant job. I begged him. He refused. I needed to come up with another tactic.”
A flash of anger swept through me. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t grab hold of her.
“Your plan was us all leaving together. Your mum already told you she planned to run and warned you to get out. You intended to take me. I knew it couldn’t happen in all cases. My father told me so the day before you left. He came home early and found me packing my bag. Unequivocally, he informed me he knew his wife’s plan and she was insane if she thought he’d give her a divorce so easily. He didn’t give a damn about her, only the continuity of her working for him because it was mid-campaign season. Then he joked, the bastard, with his hand around my throat, about the kind of person you were. Like he wasn’t the devil compared to your avenging angel. He knew about Phillips, the man you’d killed for me. He’d found your knives and said the police had come to him with concerns. I realised he’d use you. Whether he could prove that you’d killed someone or not, he’d exploit your dark side for his benefit. Lastly, he pointed out that I was only seventeen and legally still a minor. He’d have the cops bring me back again and again and arrest you for kidnapping me. In short, he made a case against each of us and presented it to me alone.”
Her voice cracked. My fucking heart did, too.
“I spent the night terrified and unable to sleep. You held me and slept with a smile at the thought of leaving. I couldn’t let him hurt you. Then I worked out what my father had meant by talking to me alone. I was the solution. So I went to him and offered to take your mother’s job. I pled my case, the terms being that he’d release the two of you, and I’d change my studies to part time. He said yes. That’s the reason I let you go because I had no fucking choice. If I told you, you’d never have gotten away from the man who’d hurt you. If you’d stayed for me, he would’ve made you his puppet. And somehow, he still did. You’re working with him and in his thrall anyway. I hate that but nowhere near as much as I love you.”
Tears streaked her cheeks. She dashed them away. Kept fucking me.
“You were mine, and I claimed you with my whole heart. I never stopped loving you, Connor. You’re wanted, needed,loved. We owned each other, but I set you free, and it was the worst mistake of my life. If you forgive me, I will never say no to you again.”
The orgasm she’d been stealing crashed into my mind, blitzing out thought, my balls working to spill cum into her. Everly’s pussy squeezed me, telling me we’d fallen together. Of course we had.
On the TV screen, an announcer called out the last of the women fucked.
Thoughts swam through my head, none of which I could express beyond heartsick sorrow at what she’d endured. A lifetime ago, I’d blamed her for being shallow and fickle, for not caring about me in the way she’d pretended she did.
I’d been so wrong. She’d given it all up for me and my mother. And the woman had stolen my ability to tell her so. Fucking hell did I need to punish her.
For doing this. For existing. For being the single source of my lifeblood, my heartache, and my love.
When the drug that held me in its grip released me, I’d show Everly exactly what her revelations meant.
Chapter 31
Cassie
My tiny silver minidress rode high up my thighs until cool air ghosted over my backside, and I let it, enjoying my stroll through the brothel while people fucked around me and no one batted an eye.
This was part of me, I mused. My mother had known this life. It was in my blood.
Not that I intended to lose my virginity here tonight, but I could warm myself up by watching others go at it.
I kinda liked the feeling that someone was watching me, too. I could sense it. The creepy slide of their attention ghosting over my skin. It sent shivers down my spine and kept me alert.
At the end of the hall where it opened into the playroom, a man held a woman by her throat. “This is what he did,” he drawled. “Fucked her right where he caught her. Are you wet for me, darlin’?”
Slowing my steps, I scrutinised the game-reenactment clinch and checked that the lady on the receiving end wasn’t in distress.Down the way, a security guard also kept a watchful eye, and the sex worker issued a super-fake moan which did away with my worries and got her customer even more enthusiastic with his gross dirty talk.
“Run, baby. I want to chase you,” he purred.
She took off with a pretend squeak of fear that had him clutching his bulging groin then lumbering after.
Apparently, the game got under everyone’s skin.
Earlier, when it had been live streaming, I’d watched the action from my room and found my hand between my legs. No wonder the clientele were all hyped up.
It gave me big ideas. I wanted to take part but without the catching-and-falling-in-love element. The forever-let’s-have-babies vibes didn’t hit for me. It was unnecessary if you already had that but still wanted to play. Why not run a version where masked people just fought and fucked but weren’t making a public statement? I’d suggest it to Arran.
“Cassie,” an achingly familiar voice called.