The Day She Cried Page 9

  I follow her gaze to her ex-best friend Whitney. That cunt still walks around like her shit doesn’t stink. I’ve always hated her, long before what went down with Raven. She’s wearing a skintight dress that’s way too short and skanky for a pizza parlor. Her brown hair has been straightened and hangs nearly to her ass. She’s on the arm of an older man, looking every bit the part of a high-dollar whore. As if sensing our attention on her, Whitney turns. When she sees Courtney, her eyes flare with wickedness and she smirks. My natural reaction is to put my arm around Courtney. She shivers when my fingertips run down the side of her arm.

  “Shit,” Courtney mutters under her breath. “She’s coming over here.”

  Sure enough, Whitney has broken from her old man date and is strutting over to us like she owns this establishment. I glare at her hard enough that she’s too chicken shit to look at me. Instead, her predatory gaze is fixated on her prey. A little sheep she wants to have as an appetizer.

  “Well,” Whitney purrs in her syrupy sweet voice she’s perfected, “if it isn’t Courtney the convicted felon. How was prison anyway? Make any girlfriends? You always did prefer women over men.”

  Courtney lets out a choked sound.

  My body is relaxed, but I’m thrumming with fury beneath the surface. I may be able to fuck with Courtney all goddamned day long, but she is no longer under this bitch’s reign.

  “And this,” Whitney says, disdain dripping from her tone as she waves between us. “This is disgusting. She kills your sister and you two are having dinner? I bet you’re fucking too, huh?”

  “Stop,” Courtney mutters. There’s no bite, when you’re a sheep.

  Whitney arches a brown sculpted brow and scoffs. “Anyway, as I was saying, you’d probably better wrap your dick up with this one. She likes to get fucked up on drugs and sleep with every guy she knows.” She cackles. “Hell, even the ones she doesn’t know.”

  “Stop.” Courtney straightens and she’s trembling.

  “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to,” Whitney sneers, “but you do not tell me what to do. Someone ought to put you in your place after what you did. This asshole certainly seems to have forgotten you killed his sist—”

  “STOP!” Courtney screeches as she flies out of the booth and away from my grip.

  There you are, wolf.

  But she doesn’t get in Whitney’s face like I expect. No, she fucking attacks. Courtney tackles Whitney and takes her down easily now that she has some weight behind her. The moment they hit the floor, Whitney howls in pain. Courtney has lost her goddamned mind. She claws and screams at Whitney, who desperately tries to swat her away. I let her have her brief moment as I throw down some cash for our bill. Then, I’m out of the booth. Whitney’s date starts to break them up, but I stop him with a menacing glower.

  “Don’t fucking think about it.”

  He gapes at me in shock. I hook my arm around Courtney’s waist and yank her from her old friend. Whitney doesn’t look at all put together as she lies on the floor, her hair a wild mess and her panties showing now that her dress is pushed up.

  “Let me go!” Courtney screams at me as she squirms in my grip.

  “Not fucking happening,” I snarl back. I snag her purse from the table and carry her crazy ass out of the restaurant.

  “I’m gonna kill her!”

  “You’re lucky I saved your ass from doing it too,” I bite back, my words soft but furious. “You have a damn criminal record, sheep. You can’t be doing shit like this unless you want to go back to jail.”

  Whitney yells threats at her from behind. She’ll send her back to prison. She’s pressing charges. She’ll tell her lawyer daddy. I ignore all of it as I drag Courtney back to my car.

  Loud, ugly sobs rip from her as she gives up her fight. Her body falls limp and makes my job a helluva lot easier. It’s started to rain, and I wonder if dark clouds follow Courtney around everywhere she goes. I don’t release her when we make it back to my car. Instead, I open the front and toss her purse inside.

  Her blue eyes find mine and shame flickers in them. I don’t want her to feel bad for taking Whitney down because that bitch deserved it. I do want her to calm the hell down, though. If she’s in jail, I can’t fuck with her. I’m learning I really like fucking with her.

  “I’m sorr—”

  “Don’t say it,” I bark as I grip her jaw. “Do not fucking say it.”

  The rain begins to pelt us. It’s dark because of the clouds, but a streetlamp up the road casts an eerie glow on Courtney’s pretty face. Water rivulets mix with her tears and dance down her red cheeks. The urge to kiss them away overwhelms me.

  “I hate her,” she murmurs, her bottom lip wobbling wildly.

  “As much as I hate you?” I challenge.

  Her eyes flare and she stiffens. “You don’t hate me. Not like you want to.”

  “Oh, sheep, but I do.”

  She slides her palms up my now-soaked shirt to my neck. My grip on her face falls away as she leans closer. Her hot breath intoxicates me. Confuses me. Speaks straight to my dick. My dick understands the language and perks up as if it’s listening.

  “I don’t believe you,” she whispers, her voice carrying a taunting lilt to it.

  I spear my fingers through her wet hair and angle her head up so I can stare down at her while I push my erection against her stomach. She makes me crazy. Mentally fucking insane.

  “Believe it.”

  “You want me.” She licks her lips.

  My eyes follow the movement and my mouth waters. Fuck, how I want her. I inhale her when I lean in impossibly close. Our lips brush against each other. I can pull away right now if I want to. But then she’s moaning with such need that I’m suddenly not interested in self-control.

  I do want her.

  This wolf in sheep’s clothing.

  And I want her naked. I want to show her who she really is.

  My mouth crashes against hers as I own her with a kiss. The sheep doesn’t want to be owned, though, because she claws at my neck, desperate to bring me closer to her. Her legs hook around my waist and my body moves of its own accord. I press her into the side of my car, bucking my hips as I rub my need against her. She whimpers and moans, driving the feral part of me even wilder.

  “Fuck,” I groan as I grip her soaked tit through her shirt and nip at her bottom lip. “I need to fuck you.”

  She pulls away to stare at me, heat flickering in her eyes. “So do it.” Her head falls back and the rain really begins to fall. I suck on her soaked neck for a minute, but then I’m doing the unthinkable. My fingers yank at her button and zipper on her shorts. Her body is drenched from the rain, so it takes some wiggling from her and some jerking from me to send her shorts and panties to her ankles. I jerk the door open and guide her half-naked body inside the car.

  “On your knees,” I instruct as I fumble with my belt.

  She obeys and offers her perfect round ass to me as if it’s mine to use and abuse. Fuck me. The rain splatters her silky flesh and I’m dying to put my dick inside her. Right now, all that matters is fulfilling this mad need I have for her. I push my jeans and boxers down my thighs before gripping my aching cock.

  “Please,” she begs. “Rome, please.”

  My name on her lips is a fantasy finally come to life. I’m thrust back into twelfth grade dreaming about the bubbly blond cheerleader. She’s no longer a thought I jerk off to. She’s a reality. Hot, sexy-as-fuck, and real. In the backseat of my car, offering her sweet cunt to me like it’s an after-dinner mint.

  I grab her fleshy hip with one hand and guide my throbbing dick between her thighs. The tip of my cock slides against her slippery heat, eliciting a groan from each of us. She doesn’t protest when I push into her tight opening. Her cunt grips me so hard, I swear I could come barely lodged inside of her.

  “Beg for it,” I bellow, my hand cracking against her ass cheek.

  “Please, Rome,” she yells over her shoulder. “I n
eed you.”

  I grab onto her hips and thrust hard inside her. Unapologetically. She lets out a scream and I lose it. I lose my fucking mind. One of my fists finds her hair and I tangle my fingers in it. I fuck her hard, maybe even painfully so, as I drink in her cries. She’s not trying to get away—in fact, she’s enjoying the brutality of it. That has me going blind with lust. The rain is slowing my game, so I crawl into the car behind her and pin her to the cushions. I claw at her shirt and her hair as I fuck away every stupid fantasy I had with her. Of course the real thing would be better than I could have ever imagined and that only pisses me off more.

  “I hate you.” I seethe. My dick would laugh if it could. My dick fucking loves her.

  “I know,” she sobs. “Oh, God.”

  She reaches a hand back and fingers my hair as I fuck her like a madman. The simple touch—the simple caress has me coming a lot sooner than I expect. My dick throbs out its release as I yank out of her, spurting cum along the crack of her ass. I fall against her, my nose buried in her soaked hair. Neither of us says a word. I’m uncomfortable as shit. I can’t even come to terms with what we’ve just done. And yet, I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to break this moment because for one second in my godforsaken life, I’m content.

  I nuzzle her with my nose until I find her ear. My lips brush against it and I press a soft kiss to it. I’m not sure she deserves it, but in this moment, the one that isn’t my reality, I gift it to her. Fuck, how I want to gift her many more.

  When she reaches back again and her fingertips stroke my cheek, I’m snapped back to the present. I jerk away from her and out of the car so I don’t do anything stupid like hold her. Quickly, I put my dick back in my pants and steal one greedy glance at her pale ass that glistens with my motherfucking seed.

  “Time to go home, sheep.”

  Courtney

  “Are we going to talk about the other day?” Mom tries for the millionth time.

  “I already told you. We’re friends.”

  She purses her lips together as we pull into the parking lot of the shop. “Sweetheart, I’m not comfortable with this. He’s…after all he did…” Anger flashes in my mom’s blue eyes. “He ruined you, baby.”

  I stiffen and shake my head. If she only knew how badly he ruined me last night, there’s no way in hell she’d let me go work for him today. Or ever for that matter. “I deserved my sentencing,” I tell her softly. “But we’re working on a friendship now. He’s fixing my car. I’m helping him out. It’s fine, Mother.”

  A heavy sigh escapes her. “I just worry about you. You’re so…”

  Fragile.

  That’s the word she likes to use on me to others as if I don’t hear her talking to my aunt Elaine on the phone all the time.

  I’m not fragile.

  At least not lately.

  Despite Rome saying that he hates me, his body tells me something totally different. When I’m around him, I feel stronger. Fierce. Brave.

  “Everything is okay,” I assure her, my voice unwavering.

  She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “All right. I trust your judgment.” A smile plays at her lips. “Oh, I may be out late tonight. Don’t wait up.”

  I lift both brows. “What? Why?”

  Her cheeks tinge pink. “I have a date. Well, another one.”

  “Another one? Mom, you never told me you had a first one!”

  Her laughter is one that used to warm me as a child. Carefree. Beautiful. Comforting. “We’ve been seeing each other for a little while now. I wanted to tell you, but…”

  “But what?”

  “I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.” She bites on her bottom lip and she seems younger to me.

  “I’m happy as long as you’re happy.”

  She nods. “I am. He’s so good to me. And handsome too. Of course you already know that.”

  I frown. “I do?”

  “Keith. It’s your boss, Keith. Ever since the trial…” She smiles.

  “This has been going on since then?”

  “Things are pretty serious.”

  I reach over and hug her. “Oh my God, Mom! I’m so happy. Of all people, Keith is the nicest person ever.”

  She pats me and chuckles. “He’s wonderful. This is such a relief that you’re okay with it.”

  We pull away and I grin at her. “I’m more than okay. I’m really happy for you both.”

  Someone bangs on the hood of my mom’s car, causing both of us to scream. My eyes lock with Jamal. He flips me the bird before sauntering inside.

  “I hate that guy,” I groan.

  “Does he harass you? Because if he does, you don’t have to go in there. I’ll find a way to repair your car. You don’t have to do this,” she says, her brows furrowed together.

  “It’s fine,” I repeat. And it is. Jamal can kiss my ass.

  We say our goodbyes and I hurry inside. Jamal sits at the front counter as if he’s waiting for me. His dark eyes are cold and calculating.

  “What are you staring at?” I hiss.

  “I was just wondering when we started hiring dumb cunts.”

  I shake off his rude comment and start for the shop door. Before I can wrench it open, he grabs my bicep hard enough to make me yelp in pain.

  “Your attitude fucking stinks,” he snarls, his spittle spraying my face.

  All irritation falls away as terror claws its way up my throat. I’m staring up at this creep when I feel heat behind me. My body responds. The hairs on my arms stand on end and my aching body trembles.

  “Is there a problem?” Rome grits out, barely containing his anger.

  Jamal laughs and releases me. “She was about to fall. I grabbed her right before it happened.” He yanks the door open and disappears into the shop.

  I expect Rome to ask me what happened or want to talk about last night. Instead, he grunts before jerking the door open. He stalks into the shop and I have to hurry to keep up with him. We make it all the way into the supply room without speaking a word to each other. Once inside, he slams the door shut and I yelp.

  “What did I tell you?” he demands, his jaw clenching with rage.

  I look down at my uniform shirt and jeans. Today I’d left the dark lipstick at home and just have shimmery rose gloss on my lips. My messy hair has been pulled into a ponytail. Nothing out of the ordinary.

  “I don’t know…”

  His eyes are on mine as he stalks me. I stand there like the sheep he claims I am because I want to get devoured by him. Again. Last night is on constant replay in my mind. With each step, his features tighten and become more murderous. His body pushes mine until I’m pinned to the wall.

  In a shockingly gentle move, he caresses my cheek. His brows crash together and his eyes dart all over my face as if I’m a puzzle he’s trying to understand.

  “I said stop being so fucking pretty.” His forehead leans against mine and he clenches his eyes shut. “Why do you have to be so goddamned gorgeous?”

  I smile, despite the fact he seems furious about his words. “I didn’t wear much makeup.”

  His palm finds my throat and he runs his thumb along the flesh. “It’s you. There’s no hiding it.”

  “I can’t control that,” I say with a soft chuckle.

  “I could make you wear a bag over your head,” he utters, his warning serious. “Fuck, you make me mental.” His lips find my neck and he sucks the flesh hard. “Maybe if I mark you up, people will stay the fuck away.”

  I moan when his teeth scrape across the side of my neck. “Why do you want them to stay away?”

  His palm cups me between my thighs and he expertly massages my clit through my jeans. “Because you’re mine to torment.”

  Because you’re mine.

  I conveniently leave the rest of his words out of my mind.

  “Yes,” I agree. My head tilts to the side as I offer him more of my skin. “You better show them.”

  He sucks hard on my flesh. Over and over again. He
bites me until he makes me bleed and I scream. I try to push him away, but then he’s licking away the hurt as he draws pleasure from me. My legs shake and my knees buckle the closer to my orgasm I get. Last night, I didn’t get one because the sex was over as quickly as it began. I’d had to go home and take care of myself. But it wasn’t the same. I wanted it to be him.

  “I’m going to ruin this cunt,” he warns, his touch soothing despite his tone. “I’m going to ruin you.”

  “I want you to,” I breathe.

  He nips at my ear and his hot breath sends me careening for the edge of sanity. All it takes is a few more circles of his fingers before I’m lost completely to the madness only Rome Murray can invoke. I cry out and my knees give out. But he’s there. Still delivering pleasure between my thighs but holding me up with his other arm. I clutch his shirt and ride out the dizzying waves. The moment I come down from my high, he releases me and jerks away as though he’s just remembered I’m a poisonous plant he’s not supposed to touch.

  “Stay in here. Don’t open that door for anyone.” He scrubs at his face and pins me with his wild green eyes. His inky black hair hangs over his brow and the raven on his neck seems to breathe in cadence with his own heavy breaths.

  “Not even for you?” I bite on my lip as I devour his sexy appearance. I love the wife beaters he wears that look painted on his perfect body. I love the smooth curves of his muscular arms and shoulders that are colored with ink that tell a story I want to know. I especially love the way his thick cock bulges in his jeans. He may lie and say he doesn’t want this, but his body knows the truth.

  “Especially not for me, sheep.”

  A sound of annoyance escapes him and then he’s gone, slamming the door behind him. I can hear his keys jangle as he locks me inside. This should terrify me considering half the time he looks like he wants to destroy me. Instead, I feel safe. Like he’s keeping me just for himself.

  I like that idea a whole lot.

  My phone buzzes in my purse and I let out a ragged sigh. Every muscle in my body aches from the way he’s run me physically through the ringer the past couple of days. I’m wobbly, but I fall into the chair and check my phone without incident.