I wouldn’t be able to control myself when I caught her. I wouldn’t have any hope at stopping what would happen. I would throw her down, rip off my trousers, and bury myself so f**king deep inside her I’d guarantee to make her scream.
Each whizzing heartbeat sang a different story. Run. Stop. Run. Stop.
There would be no stopping. Not until I’d wrung myself dry inside her.
Then, from my peripheral vision, a hurtling black suit and pumping arms appeared. Franco tore after Tess, effortlessly grabbing her, clamping his arms around her panting body.
I blinked, unable to believe what happened. Not only had Franco saved my reputation with the outside world, but he also saved me from raping and destroying her.
My entire body wanted to pounce, to drive deep inside. I needed to claim her. I needed to remind her she should never f**king run from me.
The beast inside howled. I wanted what Franco had stolen. I wanted the rage and freedom to hurt her. I’d been so close to taking her. So close to not caring about the aftermath.
Tess screamed, squirming in his arms. His green eyes flashed, managing to slap a hand over her mouth, locking her tight against him. Franco’s arm wrapped around her middle, carefully avoiding any part I’d kill him for touching.
His eyebrow rose as I skidded to a halt.
Jealousy took three long seconds to hit.
But when it did—fuck it crippled me.
Green. Hot. Liquid jealousy.
Fuck, he was touching her. Double f**k he was touching her naked!
I stalked forward, clenching my fists. “Franco…” My voice wobbled with pent-up, spewing aggression. “Get your motherfucking hands off her.” I’ll rip out your jugular.
“If I let her go, she’ll run. Before you kill me, give me your shirt.” His eyes dropped to my chest. All I wanted was blood. Rivers of it. His. Hers. I didn’t really f**king care.
With barely functioning limbs, I ripped it off, sending buttons flying.
My teeth chattered with the urge to destroy the f**king bastard. How dare he have his hands on my na**d woman! Tess’s eyes were wide, drinking in my rage. She moaned, trying to speak behind Franco’s hand, but he kept her silent.
“Donne-la moi! Maintenant.” Give her. Now, I snarled.
He nodded, opening his arms. With a shove, he forced Tess to stumble forward. I took one step, grabbed her elbow and spun her into my furious embrace. With one hand, I wrapped my shirt around her, breathing a little easier when it covered parts no other f**king male should see.
I still wanted to f**k her, but I was obsessed with protecting my territory. Another man had threatened what was mine and the urge to slam her to the ground and claim took second place.
My eyes locked on Franco. He glared right back.
“Don’t touch me. Get off me!” Tess wiggled; I smacked a hand over her mouth.
“Shut up,” I growled. “Seriously, now is not the time to f**king push me. You will not like what happens if you do.”
I didn’t give a rat’s ass if that made no sense to her. Would a trafficker say that? I didn’t know. But it was the goddamn truth and my blood infernoed with the need to take her. Every part of my body felt foreign and sharp and so on edge.
My gaze returned to Franco. Fuck me he’d held her. Naked!
His body tensed, falling into a supple position, ready for a fight. “Mercer—think about this.” His eyes narrowed.
Think about it?
His hands on her na**d skin. Her body pressed against him. Naked.
The beast howled with utmost possession. He’d touched my property. He’d seen what no one else was allowed to see. No one! It didn’t matter that he’d been in the room when we’d found her. Naked and spread-eagled on the bed in Rio. It didn’t matter he knew she was mine. It didn’t f**king matter, because I needed a fight. I needed something. Anything to stop myself from spiralling into this dark pit of hell.
“It’s okay, Mercer. She’s yours.” Franco held up his hands. “Seriously, I get it.”
My nostrils flared as I struggled for control. My fists wanted nothing more than to connect with his jaw.
His head tilted; apprehension filled his eyes. “Is it going okay? You’re not…um...not losing it are you?” He inched closer, eyeing me up.
I wished fire would sprout out of my gaze and burn him. I wished I had spare arms to punch him in the chest and kick him when he fell. I was violent. Bloodthirsty. Oversexed. “Do you think I’m not strong enough? That I’ll give in?” My voice held a deadly undertone.
He shrugged. No judgement or fear existed in his face. “Just asking. Don’t want you to f**k yourself up while trying to help her.” He smirked. “Excuse me for saying, but you look completely manic.”
I’d bottled so much up, I was ready to explode. I probably looked like a f**king psycho.
His eyes fell to Tess squirming in my arms. Her lithe body rubbed my c**k in such delicious ways making me throb with an orgasm living permanently in my balls. “Having difficulties?”
A loud laugh exploded from my mouth. Difficulties? Try mountains of them. The laugh helped demolish the tension in my limbs. It turned dark, petering out.
The black clouds broke; I sucked in a ragged breath. Insanity gave way to sanity, soothing my feral heartbeat. I’d almost lost myself.
I’d been too caught up in the charade—I almost became him. I’d stepped over that line and would’ve broken Tess if Franco hadn’t caught her.
Time played its cruel joke again, draining me as if it’d been days, not minutes.
I’m not strong enough. I’ll snap before it’s over.
Franco followed my breakdown. “You probably have another hour before that thing wears off. Don’t take too long.”
Urgency laced my heart. I only had to survive another hour, then Tess would be free and I could get as far away from her as possible. I could find an outlet for all this blackness inside and spare her from my rage.
Gathering my tattered energy, I collected Tess in a stronger grip. My eyes met Franco’s as I dragged her backward to the door. I should thank him for helping, but I couldn’t. Seeing her na**d was all the f**king thanks he’d get.
Tess fought, wrenching her mouth free from my grip. She winced as something struck her foot. “Let me go. No! I don’t want to go back in there.” Her heels left indents in the grass as I stole her back to her nightmares.
“You don’t have a choice. And if you ever recall what really happened today, try and remember never to run from me again. You were lucky this time. Next time—” My voice drifted off as another wave of need crippled me.
Her heat and wriggling body scrambled my self-control.
Reaching the door, I yelled at Franco, “Don’t worry about what’s going on in here. Just do your f**king job and keep watch.”
Franco smiled, saluting me flippantly. “Keep watch for her running again or intruders?”
I bared my teeth, slamming the door in his face. I left him standing in the sunlight while I welcomed Tess back to the dark. The soundproofed dark where her screams didn’t matter, her tears wouldn’t be seen, and no one would find out how f**king dangerous all of this was.
Breathing hard, I stomped through the house with a fighting na**d woman in my arms.
“I won’t do it. I won’t hurt them. You’ll have to kill me this time,” she rambled, her fingernails clawing at my arms. I clamped my fingers over her mouth again. I couldn’t listen to how much damage I caused.
I hissed as she drew blood, but managed to keep the monster locked in its cage—I had no f**king clue how.
This house was too big—too far to drag a woman who I wanted so f**king bad. My jaw ached from clenching by the time I marched her into the bathroom. The minute I’d slammed and locked the door, I unglued my fingers from around her lips.
Tension suffocated the room, swamping the area with Tess’s panic and my self-restraint. She backed up, seething, “You said I could be free. I took the initiative.”
I dragged my hands over my face, scrubbing hard against the headache, grime, and severely tested discipline. There would be no breaking her. She was too damn strong. I had to hope my second idea would work better than my first. It would also test every inch of my self-control.
You’re tempting fate. Don’t do it.
Ignoring myself, I growled, “You didn’t ask permission. You think you can get what you want without asking?”
Tess pressed her lips together, not saying a word.
Scowling, I stalked toward her, crowding her against the wall. Her eyes flared, dancing with panic and anger. I pressed my body against hers, shivering with how good she felt. Every inch of my erection throbbed, digging into her belly. I lost my thoughts, my decency, my f**king human spirit.
Her stomach rose and fell with uneven breaths; her delectable curves tempted me to hell.
Take her. No one would know. Just one thrust. Just one release.
My c**k became possessed. Every rub of her, no matter how gentle, was enough to send me into full-body convulsions.
I needed to come. Badly. It tainted my every thought, made it that much harder to stay sane.
Tess looked up, glaring deep into my soul. “You’re a traitor. A liar. And a thief.”
I backed away, unable to ignore the churning in my gut and overwhelming pressure in my balls. Why had she said that—what did she see?
Tess moved quickly, dashing to the door.
Goddammit.
In a quick strike, I planted myself in front of her, barricading the exit.
She glowered, then in a totally defiant move, ripped my shirt off her body, and threw it in my face.
I shoved it away, breathing hard, willing myself to keep control.
Christ, she was f**king amazing. Lean muscles, tight stomach, beautiful full tits. “What the hell are you doing to me?” I groaned.
Shit. I shouldn’t have said that.
Tess didn’t seem to notice; she planted her hands on her na**d hips, hissing, “You were wrong to bring me back. You should’ve left me alone. You’d won. Don’t you get it?” Taking a step closer, she accented every move, sashaying her hips, seducing me with every f**king twitch.
“I’d lost myself. I’d turned my master’s life into a misery. You’d won!” Her head bowed, her gaze flickering down my chest. There was nothing weak or coy about her now, it was complete steel and rebellion.
She looked up through hooded eyes. “But now…” One step closer. Another. “Now, I’m beginning to remember.”
My entire body froze; my c**k grew ever harder. She stopped a breath away; the tip of her finger stabbed me in the solar plexus. “I’m remembering how to fight.” The flash in her eyes unravelled me. My knees buckled, stealing control just for a moment before I forced myself to stand tall.
The headache I’d been fighting crashed over me with blades, daggers, and needles. “Don’t touch me.” I cleared my throat, hating how my voice cracked with heavy lust. Touch me. Fuck me. Bend over and let me sink inside your sweet, sweet cunt.
“Oh, poor you.” She pouted, taunting me. “Big bad Leather Jacket doesn’t want me to touch him.” Her mouth twisted as she slapped a hand on my na**d shoulder, sending a bonfire of want through my blood.
Fuck…this wouldn’t end well.
I loved that she stood up to her nightmares and seemed to be winning. I loved that by standing up to me, I could change the theme of her dreams by backing down, eradicating the horror forever.
What I didn’t love was the unforgiving need making my brain bleed and teeth turn to dust in my mouth. Just a little longer.
I curled my hands so hard my short nails punctured flesh, growing slippery with blood.
Not moving muscle, I ordered, “Get in the bath.”
One thing.
Just one thing left to do to shatter what I believed to be the main issue. Then I’d be free. My job would be over, and I could run like the f**king animal I was.
When Tess didn’t move, I towered to my full height, glowering into her eyes. “Get. In. the. Fucking. Bath.”
Tess cowered, the strength spluttered and fizzed. She took a hesitant step toward it.
Then iron replaced her bones, slamming her to a halt. She stood regal and proud and entirely f**king na**d making my throat close up with how much I wanted to hurt her.
“No. Fuck you.” With a roar, she flew at me. Her palm slapped my face, sending my head snapping sideways.
And that was it.
I was done.
Control snapped.
Sanity slipped.
Needs roared to life.
My hand came up, wrapping around her throat. So, so breakable. “How about I f**k you? Then we’ll see who walks away.” I threw her against the wall, sliding her upward so her feet dangled off the ground. She weighed nothing. Absolutely nothing compared to the monster’s fury.
Tess sliced at my hands with her nails, choking in my hold. “You always were pathetic. Making up for your lack of cock.” Tess’s hands suddenly stopped fighting me, dropping to squeeze my erection.
I swayed; my forehead crashed against the tiled wall.
No. No. Yes. Yes.
The monster tore at my brain.
Headache.
Lust.
Need.
I shoved my h*ps into her hand, making her cry out in pain. Her cries made me pant for more—made me f**king delirious.
Her eyes popped wide. “So you do have a cock. You must’ve had cosmetic surgery, you bastard, because when you raped Blonde Angel you were infested with spiders and the size of my little finger.”
Confusion collared the beast and I blinked. Holy shit, I’d been so close. She didn’t see me. She didn’t know it was me. And I refused to take her when she was so far out of my reach—so removed from the truth.