It had taken me close to six months before I trusted Chuck and Blaire enough to speak of my adopted years in generalities. They had a basic report from the state, and when I came into their home, I was withdrawn and scared. Slowly, they built my confidence and reassured me that neither they nor anyone else would harm me.
I sensed someone was watching me, but instead of an uncomfortable feeling, it filled me with warmth. Hearing the glass door slide open, I glanced over my shoulder to find Devlin standing in the doorway, his blue eyes staring at me with hunger. He was wearing a pair of black shorts and a tight t-shirt which showed off his defined arms and broad chest. His hair was pushed back from his face and his blue eyes were shining in the morning light.
“Hi.” I smiled sadly and turned my head back toward the lake, taking another draw off the joint.
His large hands slid around my neck and massaged my shoulders before he tweaked my hard nipples through my shirt. I groaned and he chuckled behind me. Moving between me and the lake, he leaned against the glass and steel banister. I looked up at him and took a swallow of coffee before setting the empty cup on the side table and smothering the joint into the ashtray.
“How did you get into my apartment?” I asked, curious at how he got past the security I paid extra for.
A feral smile spread across his bearded face and I felt my sore pussy throb with need. He stepped in front of me and extended his hand. Standing, the blanket fell to the floor at my feet, chilling my exposed skin. He picked me up and sat down on the overstuffed chair, covering my bare legs with the soft blanket as he urged me to lean against his strong chest.
He ran his nose through my hair, and his voice sounded around me. “In my line of work, locks are just a distraction. Last night, you fell asleep with the patio door unsecured.” His hands dug into my hips briefly. “Besides, I’ve been closer to you these last few years than you realized.”
I looked over my shoulder and tracked his eyes. Turning, I looked up and swung back around on his lap. “Are you my upstairs neighbor?” My eyes went wide as the fear crept back in.
“I had to be close to you, lamb. I needed to be near you,” he admitted.
“I don’t understand. Why would you need to be close to me?”
Who the hell was he?
“The first time I saw you, I knew deep in my soul that you belonged to me. But you needed time to grow into the beautiful woman you are today. I couldn’t be with you then, so I waited. I gave you the years you needed to find yourself.Last night, I felt your pain calling out to me in the darkness. I couldn’t let you suffer anymore, not when I could take it all away.”
“I’m so confused, Devlin.” I stood from his lap and rubbed my forehead, hoping to stave off the headache threatening to erupt.
“What’s to be confused about, Elise? You needed me and I’m here.”
“But how? Why? You don’t know me and yet, you . . . you . . .”
He stood from the chair and picked me up under my ass, encouraging me to wrap my legs around his narrow waist.
“I killed them for you,” he whispered and bit down on my neck where it met my shoulder. I felt my skin tingle from my brain to my clit. “And I would kill any motherfucker who thinks they can take you away from me. I will bathe in their blood and watch them die. You’re mine, Elise.”
His harsh words rumbled through his chest, sending a quiver through my body. I felt his desperation for me, but I pushed against him until his gaze locked onto mine. I needed him to look me in the eyes when I said this to him. “I’m notyours, Devlin. I belong to me and no one else.”
Both my body and my mind had craved Devlin since the night he killed for me. The longing to be his became such an obsession that I had to push him into the recesses of my mind. I learned to be confident and self-assured. I learned to protect myself, and I learned that I had a family who loved me, even if we didn’t share a drop of blood.
He sat me on my feet and with a speed I was unprepared for,he had a tight grip on my throat as he pressed me against the cold glass door. I raised to my tiptoes, trying to gain extra breathing room, when he leaned in, a cold glare in his eyes.
“I told you last night that when I took you, I was taking you forever. You willingly gave your body to me. There is no escape from me, Elise. I will find you if you try to leave. Don’t make me punish you, lamb.”
Fear lanced up my spine at the dead stare he was giving me, and I had to get him to calm down so I could think. I was fine with him holding my neck during sex, but to use it to punish or detain me was crossing a line. Sliding my hands up his torso, I found his rapidly beating heart and pressed my fingertips harder against his chest. His grip loosened and I used that moment to my advantage.
I gripped his wrist with one hand and punch the other into his diaphragm. Stumbling back, he appeared shocked as I kicked the side of his knee and he fell to the patio. I gently rubbed my neck as he glared up at me from his position. He stood, nostrils flared and eyes cold, then he took a step toward me.
Sliding the door open, I moved backward into the apartment, and with every retreated step, he stalked forward. Closing the door behind him, he moved like a panther in my direction. I reached into my purse and found the gun Chuck had given me. I wasn’t sure if I could use it on him, but he needed to realize he didn’t have the right to abuse me for disagreeing with him.
Wrapping my hand around the stock, I pulled it out and pointed it at Devlin. His movements ceased and he stood, legs apart, his strong arms crossed in front of his chest. There was a tremor in my hand, and I exhaled a breath, trying to lessen my panic.
“If you think I will let you put your hands on me in anger, then you can get the fuck out of my apartment and leave me the hell alone. I lived through enough of that and just because you helped me all those years ago doesn’t mean I owe my life to you.”
“Do you plan to do something with that?” he asked, a smirk on his face.
“Are you going to put your hands on me again?” I raised my eyebrow, questioning him directly. He shook his head, so I continued, “It’s time to give me some answers. After all these years, I deserve that much, Devlin.”
“You didn’t have to pull a gun on me to ask questions,” he chuckled.
“No, I had to pull a gun on you to get you to calm down. I won’t let my life become the shitshow I grew up in. I have a decent life now and you coming back seems to disrupt my stability. If all I’ll have is a future of threats and punishments from you, then there’s the fucking door. If you want to help me understand yourmotives, then I’m willing to listen.”
