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I draw in a breath and hug my knees to my chest. "I want to go home. Please, just let me go home."
He runs his hands up and down my arms. "Look, it's been a long night." He takes my hand and flips it palm side up before placing another card in it. "This is my number. My private number is on the back. You can call me anytime. Day or night. I don't expect you to make a decision now. I know you have a lot to think about...but I do need you to make a decision relatively soon. Call me when you're interested in hearing the plan." He looks me in the eyes. "It's a good one, Lucia
I give him a small nod and he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
"You know...I heard you were beautiful, too—but that's nothing compared to the real thing, either."
He presses a kiss to my forehead. "Give me a call, sweetheart. Let me protect you."
I'm about to walk into the lobby of the apartment building when a flash of lightning zaps the sky. Thunder booms a second later and it's loud enough that I jump back.
Rain immediately follows, and I close my eyes as the feeling begins washing over me, growing stronger by the second.
I don't know where he is...but I know he's close. I open my eyes and blink rapidly due to the rain coming down much harder now.
Tingles erupt on my skin and the air thickens when I look ahead and see the outline of him walking. Only he's not walking toward me, he's walking away from me. He must have just left.
When he takes another step, I realize he's not actually walking at all...he's stumbling.
He holds his arm out, bracing himself against the alley wall briefly and I continue to watch him. He waits a beat and attempts to walk again, but stumbles...even worse this time.
I've never seen Ricardo so out of sorts before. Panic jams in my chest with my next thought. Oh, god. What if he's hurt? What if someone attacked him?
And just like that, I'm ru
His back is turned to me but I reach for his arm as he begins to sway.
His arm twitches and I can feel the chords of his muscles begin to tighten.
Shit, he's going to take a swing. He hates being touched.
"It's just me," I say quickly. "Only me."
"I know it's you." His voice comes out slurred and gruff.
"Are you okay?"
He yanks his arm away. "I'm fine. Leave me the fuck alone. I don't need your help."
I force myself to ignore the sharp sting of his words before slowly backing away from him.
He falls against the alley wall and hangs his head. "Christ, I hate it when Tyrone's right. I'm never drinking again."
"Famous last words," I say before I can stop myself.
Memories of the day we first met and when he said those very same words to me begin to play through my head like a slideshow...
That is until his head snaps up and he shoots me a look so threatening the entire world stops. "Fuck you," he spews.
Another crack of lightning zaps through the sky just then, highlighting the sinister look on his face.
"I'm sorry," I start, before thunder erupts and cuts me off. "I just wanted to help."
He pounds the wall with his fist and laughs low and deadly. "Right."
His gaze swings to me again and I try like hell to ignore the heat of his stare and the way it makes my knees go weak.
He rubs his chin, sizing me up and down. "If you really want to help me, you can either lift up that dress of yours or get on your knees." He smirks and narrows his eyes. "The choice is all yours."
"Excuse me?" I shout, hoping I heard him wrong.
It's not so much his words that are causing me to be both angry and nervous, it's the ominous look in his eyes now. The look telling me he's about to tear me limb from limb.
But as u
For the very first time in my life...I don't feel safe around him. It's like having your one and only security blanket torn right out from under you.
I silently curse myself. Why wouldn't Ricardo be acting like this? He thinks I teamed up with DeLuca to kill him. Or at the very least, agreed to it. He has every right to be out for my blood.
Just like I have every right to hate him.
I try to will my legs to start ru
He shakes his head at me and makes a tsking sound; almost like he knows what I was pla
He pushes off the wall and stalks toward me then, appearing much steadier on his feet. "You heard me."
He takes another step forward and I open my mouth to say something, but he spins me around so my back is now facing the wall.
Then he slams a hand over my mouth. "Guess it's dealer's choice."
I start trembling because I'm downright petrified of Ricardo at the moment.
My pussy must not get the memo though because my thighs begin to clench and my nipples begin to harden.
He shoves me against the wall, lifts me up, and hitches one of my legs around his waist. I can feel how hard he is through our soaked clothing and arousal taunts and teases me, because although I might be nervous, I can't fight my attraction to him.
Pure lust plows into me when he grunts and rips open my jacket, sending a few buttons flying.
I hold my breath and warmth spreads over me when he bites his lip and his eyes drop down, then slowly drag up my body, taking his fill.
When he dips his head and his lips skim my neck and he inhales me, I can't help but let out a muffled moan. That's when I feel the sharp sting from his teeth sinking into my tender flesh, no doubt leaving a mark.
His hand makes its way up my thigh and his finger begins stroking the outside edges of my panties, purposely toying with me. I jut my hips out, hoping he takes pity on me and ends the slow torture.
His thumb brushes over the damp spot on my panties and his lips twitch. When he rubs a slow circle through the material my eyes roll back and I hiss. "Is this what you want?" he rasps in my ear.
I nod and glare at him because he knows damn well it is.
He raises an eyebrow and halts his movements. "Then beg."
Whatever self-control I had dwindles and I pivot against his erection. "Please," I beg, the sound muffled due to his hand still covering my mouth.
His eyes drop to my chest and his finger starts to slide inside my panties, moving closer to the spot I desperately need him with every breath I take.
When his finger finally slips inside me, I suck in a breath and rock against his hand as he lets out a groan. "Please," I plead again when his movements stop altogether.
"Please, what?" His lips trail a line from my neck to my ear, pausing to suck and bite at my flesh along the way. "You want me to make you come?"
My cheeks flush with embarrassment but I nod rapidly anyway because I need this more than I've ever needed anything in my whole entire life. I need him to do more than make me orgasm, I need him to wash away all the pain and shame again, just like he used to.
I need him to heal me.
His eyes co
That's when the rain suddenly stops and a frosty chill ripples through the air.