Dark (Beautiful Ashes #1) (8 page)

Braxton addressed Keeley, “I would very much appreciate your company later on.”

“She goes nowhere without me,” Leith asserted.

“Of course,” he chuckled, “the more the merrier in my opinion.”

Leith understood protocol and nudged Keeley toward the man he wanted nothing more than to take outside and beat the ever-loving shit out of. Braxton didn’t embrace her, instead he squeezed her arms like one testing fruit. “Yes. You’re perfect,” he purred before turning and opening a panel door well obscured.

The hidden passageway led into a whole different kind of party. Leith’s eyes widened. An orgy was in full swing, but Braxton didn’t pause. He opened another door leading into the next room, which looked like something straight out of King Henry VIII’s castle. Part of the area was pure regal opulence with the scents of musk and floral permeating the air. The other half resembled a torture chamber. Keeley absently ran her hand over the lush red velvet covering the divan. Braxton’s eyes lit on her fingers as she contritely removed them. He held his hand out to her, “Come.”

Leith knew the drill or, at least, as much as he could have knowledge of such things. He wasn’t into this
scene
but the entire team went through video footage, etcetera, to learn how the legit operations ran. They’d even visited a few sex clubs to get a feel for the crowd. There was no way Leith could watch this man harm Keeley, or worse, have sex with her. Nah, she wouldn’t do that to Tar. He was about to back out of the entire mission when Braxton received a phone call.

He was abrupt with the caller and hung up forcefully. “I’m afraid I’ll have to take a raincheck, lovely one.”

Leith didn’t miss the disappointment in Keeley’s eyes. What the hell was wrong with her? He knew she loved Tar. Braxton handed him a business card with only a number on it. Leith handed him the one the team used for such operations as the man made his way across the room. “I’ll be in touch,” he said directly to Keeley.

Wasting no time in that room, Leith led Keeley back through the sex-fest happening. He couldn’t help but notice the song playing on their exit, “Heaven Knows.” He was surely going to burn in Hell for this once Tar found out. Didn’t matter that Keeley had done nothing with Braxton or him, for that matter, the seed was planted. And Leith understood how men like Braxton operated. He wouldn’t rest until he had Keeley. And that was DEFCON 5 once Tar was enlightened.

Chapter
Thirteen

Tar lost Keeley when she entered the party. God, she was stunning in that dress. His cock stood at attention every time he visualized her in it. Then again, he was always hard when she came to mind, which was damn near every minute. He knew she was with Leith but that did not ease his tension, nope, it revved it up a few gears. No way he would leave Los Angeles until Keeley was safe. His patience paid off as he watched Leith and Keeley step outside. ‘Bout fucking time. He approached them and overheard the tail end of an argument.

“That’s not your decision to make, Leith.”

“The hell it isn’t,” he growled, rounding on her. Tar locked his gaze on the infuriated man. Leith cursed under his breath. “Thought you were on a bird.”

“Took a slight detour,” Tar answered as he studied Keeley. She wasn’t herself, at all. “What happened in there?” he grilled Leith.

“Ask her,” was the reply as he walked away.

Tar leveled his gaze on Keeley’s. “Well?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Too damn bad, Viper. My ass is already in the hot seat, so lay it on me.”

Her head tilted. “Why is that?”

He grabbed her arm and escorted her away from the throng. “Cut the crap.” Her furrowed brow caused him to embrace her. “Don’t hide from me, Keeley,” he sighed, “let me in.”

“I want things that I shouldn’t,” she confessed. “You need to steer clear of me. I’ll only hurt you.” She pushed away from him and tried to run.

Oh, hell no. “Stop right there,” he spoke around his fury. “Quit running and face something for once in your life.”

She spun around. “You don’t know shit.”

“Enlighten me.”

“I don’t need you. GO!” she screamed.

He had his mouth on hers before another word escaped, taking with a violence he knew she craved. Her body went limp as it gave him permission. Against a building, he yanked her dress up to her hips, unzipped his fly, and entered her with force. Keeley’s cries were caught on his tongue as he pounded into her, demanding she recognized he could give her everything she needed. He rode out her orgasm with his own. In a ragged whisper, “I’m all you’ll ever need,” he proclaimed.

Keeley’s breath came out in bursts across his mouth. “Tar.”

“I’m right here, baby. Not going anywhere.”

Tears were streaking down her cheeks. “You’re too good for me.”

He nuzzled into the crook of her neck. “No, angel. You have that all wrong.”

“Angel?” she scoffed.

“You may be a dark angel at the moment, Keeley, but I know there’s light inside you.” He brushed his lips against hers. “I just need
you
to know it.”

“What if I can’t?”

“Let me show you.”

He sealed those four words with a breathtaking kiss.

*****

On the flight to San Francisco, Keeley learned how her brother-in-law, E Strand, was actually helping on Tar’s investigation. She’d be spending time with her sister who she hadn’t seen since their wedding. The thought that her family could end up in danger didn’t sit well. Lacey and Even were just settling into a routine without watching for bad guys every second. But she knew E, he’d move heaven and earth to help bring down this despicable slave ring. More details were given to her that this was how Tar and E first met. Tar was tracking down one of the sickos that led him to E’s club. Once E learned of what was going on, he jumped right into the fray. They recently discovered that several members of Even’s BDSM club were somehow connected, and the kingpin in that particular group was the one who escaped charges the first time around. Keeley understood the importance of this trip and what it could mean.

“You okay there, Tigress?”

“Yup.”

“Nervous?”

She nodded and stared out the window. Tar wasn’t having any of that. He placed his hand under her chin and brought her face to his. “Lacey loves you. So many people care about you. Give her a chance. Give us all a chance to prove we’re on your side.”

Emotions locked Keely’s throat tight. She wanted to believe him with all her heart, but he failed to see how impossible that was. She fucked up everyone and everything she came in contact with. She was a pestilence. Sooner he realized there was no light getting through all her darkness, the better off he would be. The tears flowed but she refused to speak, pulling her head free of his grasp.

He clasped her hand in his as the plane landed. “I feel ya, Keeley. I really do. I guess we’ll just have to
show
you what we’re saying.”

She shot him weary glance. “How?”

He lightly tapped her nose. “Wait and see.”

*****

To watch the twins embrace in that hanger was absolutely beautiful. Whether Keeley would admit it to herself or not, she needed Lacey. What surprised Tar, was how happy he was to see E and Lacey. Instead of shaking hands, Even gave him a big hug, shocking him more. Somehow he’d softened since marrying the love of his life. Not in a bad way. Quite the contrary, it was in the rightest way possible. His love for his bride radiated off him in tangible ways, making him more aware of many things. Proving that, E asked, “So when you putting a ring on Keeley’s finger?”

Tar chuckled darkly. “First I have to convince her to stick around long enough for me to show her how much I love her.”

“Ah, yes. She’s been a runner for many years.”

“Time she stopped.”

“Fuck yeah, it is.” E clapped him on the back. “I’ll help however I can.”

Tar leveled a look at his friend. “You’ve become a romantic.”

“Can’t help it, man. Love tends to do that to a guy.”

Lacey gave Tar a hug as well. She was one of the few women he knew where he didn’t have to bend to reciprocate. In his ear she whispered a heartfelt, “Thank you for bringing my sister back.”

“Let’s hope we can get her to stay,” he answered.

She nodded, pulling away from him and standing in the circle of her husband’s waiting arms. They all glanced at Keeley then back at each other. A consensual nod passed between them. Keeley wasn’t getting away again without a fight. The good kind of fight. The fight that spoke directly to someone’s heart,
You are worth it
.

*****

Lacey spent the rest of the day with Keeley. Her sister was hiding something. There was darkness in her eyes that she’d seen before. Keeley was on the verge of making another bad choice. Lacey could feel it. So how did she stop her before it was too late? “Kee,” sitting on the sofa and turning toward her so they faced each other, “tell me what’s goin’ on with you?”

“What do you want to hear, Lace? How I can’t have any children? How I love a man who I
will
hurt, but he won’t listen? Or how about I crave pain every second of every day?” Lacey stared at her sister. “Yep, that one’s a doozey.”

Lacey gathered her thoughts, but she couldn’t fight the tears. “Why do you want to hurt yourself?”

Keeley leveled a look at her sister. “Seems the fucked-up shit Caleb got off on was right up my alley.”

“Oh…” Lacey gasped. “And Tar does that kind of stuff
to
you?”

“God no!” Keeley shot up off the sofa. “He could never do that kind of thing. See my problem?”

She watched her sister’s frenetic gestures, realizing how tormented she was over this. Lacey needed to help her before she did something stupid, something that got herself hurt—or worse, something Tar couldn’t forgive her for. “I think you need to talk to a professional about the cravings. One who deals with victims of sexual torture and recovering addicts.”

Keeley shot a nasty glare at her sister. “Seriously, Lace, what the fuck?”

Ah, Keeley’s temper was in high gear. Lacey knew to approach with caution. “I will help you all I can. Tar, E, hell even Nik and Aimee, Alex and Sofie will do whatever we can to get you through this.”

“And if I don’t want help?”

“Won’t make me stop trying,” she said, standing and meeting her sister in the middle of the room.

“You’re one stubborn ass girl,” Keeley fired back.

Lacey embraced her sister tight. “Takes one to know one.” She took a step back and tucked Keeley’s hair behind her ear. “Tell me about the rest.”

Try as hard as she could, Keeley couldn’t deny how much it hurt to know she’d never give birth. She latched onto Lacey tight and began to sob. Oh, how Lacey loved her sister, and seeing her in this kind of pain broke her heart.
God, help me help her
, she prayed silently as they cried together. Keeley told Lacey the whole story about how she had to have a partial hysterectomy to survive. Fresh tears flowed as the sisters sat in the middle of the floor, like they did as little girls, finding comfort in one another. A bond that went deeper than blood. They were connected in unique ways. There wasn’t anything one wouldn’t do for the other. And Lacey vowed she would assist her sister in every way possible. What that looked like, exactly, only time would tell.

*****

E and Tar walked into a troublesome sight. Lacey and Keeley on the floor having a crying fest just didn’t sit well with either one of them. Tar approached and squatted down beside the beautiful women. “Hey. Everything okay, you two?”

Both giggled in response. “Girls cry, Tar. Nothing new,” Keeley pointed out.

He nodded in concentration.

E clapped him on the back. “Something you learn to live with, man.”

Lacey lightly smacked her husband on the leg. “Shut up. You have not grown used to it!”

He chuckled, helping his wife to her feet. “I keep telling myself I will.” He nuzzled into her hair and breathed deep. She was his all and fact was, he hated it when she cried and he couldn’t make it better. But he was reassured by his brothers that it was perfectly natural to feel this way when you loved someone so much. “I love you, sweetness. Of course I don’t like it when you’re upset, but I’m learning that sometimes it’s just an outlet.”

Lacey leaned into the man she loved more than her own life. He got her, or at least tried to understand her, and that made him perfect. She grabbed his face and kissed him softly. He growled and tried to deepen it, but she whispered, “Hold that thought.”

His cock greeted that promise, letting her know she better not take too damn long. She shook her head and addressed Tar and Keeley, “Where would you two like to have dinner?”

They looked at each other then back to Lacey. Keeley spoke, “Can we order in?”

Lacey began to bounce like a child. “Oh, we could have Chinese food and watch old movies!”

Both men chuckled, neither willing to deny the women they loved such a simple pleasure.

*****

Later that night, Lacey sat in her bedroom contemplating the day with Keeley. E leaned over where his wife sat on the edge of the bed. “Uh-oh, what is this look?” he inquired while lifting her face to his.

She held his wrist under her chin. “Keeley’s about to do something stupid and I don’t know how to stop her.”

E knelt between her legs and moved his hands to her waist. “What’d she tell you?”

She shook her head. “It’s what she didn’t say that’s the problem.” His brow furrowed, so she explained, “Don’t you see it in her gaze?”

His eyes widened. “What am I supposed to be looking for?”

“She’s dancing with a demon.” Her forehead rested on his chest. “I don’t know how to free her from its clutches.” Her confession was ripped from deep inside.

E consoled his beautiful wife, hating that he didn’t know how to fix any of this. “I think, sweetness, she’s invited him to dinner but isn’t in his trance…just yet.”

“She’s so close. And when she does, I might lose my sister forever.”

He lifted her face, once more. “Then we won’t let him win.”

“You do realize she’s about to step off the cliff?”

He nodded empathically. “Sometimes, Lacey, the only way to heal is to be completely shattered.”

She gasped and pushed away from him. “You want her to fall?!”

“Listen to me,” he pulled her close, “I want her whole and healed just like you do. Let her hit rock bottom so she’ll let us help her.”

Lacey fought his hold, but E held firm. “You want me to watch my sister self-destruct,” she screeched.

“Hitting rock bottom is how we heal.”

“I can’t do it!” she cried out. “I can’t watch it happen all over again. She’s going to get herself killed if she goes through with this.”

“Wait! What is she going to do?”

“She wants to be tortured for pleasure.”

“Fuuuuuuuuck! She craves the pain?”

“Y-y-yeeees,” she sobbed.

“Hell no!” He shot up and grabbed his cell. “Nik! Circle the wagons, brother, we got trouble.”