Beast's Demands (Crude Hill High Book 3) Read online

  He put the block of soap in my hand.

  I copied him. Soaping up my hands, getting them nice and slick, I placed them on his body. He was rock-hard.

  The ink stood out, looking scary and sexy at the same time. This was a man used to getting what he wanted.

  I liked touching him, tracing across his body. He stepped beneath the water, and I had no choice but to grab the soap and coat his skin again. When it came time to do his dick, he was rock-hard.

  A part of me wanted to run away because I didn’t know how to deal with a man like this.

  I didn’t run.

  Wrapping my fingers around the length, I worked from the base up to the tip, then back down again.

  He watched me as I did this. When he was thoroughly clean, I really wanted to explore his dick further, but I held myself back. I didn’t give in to the demand. I simply worked his cock and enjoyed watching him squirm.

  When I was done washing him, I expected it to be over, but he grabbed me, pressing me up against the wall. His hand went around my throat, tilting my head back with his thumb underneath my chin.

  He took possession of my mouth.

  I melted.

  “Touch me,” he said, biting down on my lips.

  I didn’t pretend. I went back to his cock and stroked him.

  He groaned. “Yeah, that feels so fucking good.”

  Earl took possession of my mouth again, and I gave in. Kissing him back as he consumed me with the pleasure of his kiss. I couldn’t get enough. I was hungry for more. He let out a moan, and I felt his cock getting harder. He started to rock within my grip.

  His hand turned into a fist as he slammed it beside my head. I felt him come. The pulse of his spunk as it landed on my stomach. He pressed his face against my neck, breathing me in.

  I did this.

  I made him come.

  I wasn’t repulsed.

  No, this was power. Earl wanted me. He came for me. I belonged to him in every single way, but that didn’t mean I didn’t hold any power. I held a great deal.

  All I had to do was work it.

  Earl washed his cum off my stomach, turned the shower off, and left the stall.

  He didn’t speak.

  I watched him grab a towel and wrap it around his body. Then he turned to me. I went to climb out, but he lifted me up. I expected him to stop as soon as I was clear, but he carried me through to the bedroom. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck to hold on. He didn’t take me far. Just the bed, and as I went down, he came with me. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to have sex right now, but as his cock pressed against my core, I wasn’t entirely opposed to it.

  Earl kissed me.

  Even though his cock was now flaccid from already reaching an orgasm, he was big. I didn’t exactly have many men to compare it to, but I knew he wasn’t small. When he took me, it was going to hurt.

  “Stop tensing,” he said.

  I wriggled beneath him, and his lips graced down my body, going toward my breasts. A gasp escaped as he took one nipple into his mouth, followed by the next as he sucked them hard. His teeth bit down, creating just enough pain to almost make it unbearable but not enough for me to not want it.

  I was hungry for more.

  For whatever he could give me.

  “I’m not going to fuck you today,” he said, surprising me.

  “Why?” I wasn’t disappointed, was I?

  Glancing down at where he hovered above my pussy, I saw a smile on his lips.

  “The first time I take you is not going to be at the Monsters’ house. It’ll be in one of mine, where I know I can enjoy you.” He cupped my sex, opening the lips, and then his tongue pressed to my core.

  I closed my eyes on instinct as his tongue swiped through, circling my clit, before going down to my hole. I couldn’t help but tense as he teased me. He didn’t penetrate. The promise was there like always, but he didn’t follow it through.

  His name slipped past my lips as I moaned. “Please, Earl.”

  “Do you want to come?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then come for me, Curves. Come for me.”

  He sucked on my clit, his tongue gliding back and forth, and I couldn’t stop it. The orgasm took me completely by surprise, and I released. It was amazing. For a few short seconds, I nearly saw stars, and at that moment, I realized why so many people had an obsession with sex. It was heady. It was amazing.

  The comedown was just as good. Earl’s arms wrapped around me, and I felt safe. He kissed the top of my head. “Now, get some sleep.”

  I didn’t think it would be possible to fall asleep, but in his arms, in one of the softest beds in the world, I closed my eyes, content to just be at peace.

  ****

  Earl

  I’d been in Crude Hill too long. The desire to crush the four Monsters grew stronger with every passing second. They were good at what they did. They ran this town with a firm grip, but even still, they were children, nothing more than boys. Their fathers were proving to be a giant pain in the ass.

  The truth was I’d expected them to come after me. What Caleb, River, Vadik, and Gael didn’t know was that I was the one to put their fathers in a vulnerable position. It had helped for the four sons to take over the running of Crude Hill.

  With time and patience, you could achieve anything, and with the distraction I put in place to lure their fathers away from watching the town too closely, it had given the boys the right opportunity to strike.

  I wasn’t going to point out the obvious to them.

  Clearly, their fathers were on a warpath of pain and destruction themselves. I could understand that. Being locked away, drugged to remain completely submissive, was enough to make anyone cranky.

  The only good thing to come after the past few days was the feel of Ashley in my arms at the end of each day. I hated being in the Monsters’ territory, but seeing my woman’s smile was worth it. Knowing she got the chance to be with Emily for this short time, I was glad to help.

  Even though I spent most of my time wanting to shoot the shit out of all of them, which was why I followed Caleb into the house. I was growing tired of all of these games. It was exhausting. Their fathers clearly knew the town better than they ever would, and any idea they had that they’d be able to control them was just plain fucking stupid. They should have killed them when they had the chance, not keep them on to torture and taunt them for their own personal pleasure.

  The entire house was quiet, which was no different than any other day. Guards were still at the doors, and they acknowledged Caleb as we passed. I didn’t stop following him until we got to his office. Caleb went straight to the drinks table. The little shit didn’t even bother to offer me one.

  “Are there any places you haven’t looked?” I asked.

  “Be quiet.”

  “Be careful how you speak to me, boy. A little respect goes a long way. Remember, I didn’t have to come to you.” I hadn’t been spoken to like I was a piece of shit for decades. The last person to do it was six feet under, and I commanded his entire fucking empire—with a few alterations.

  “I seem to recall threatening to blow your fucking boat up,” Caleb said. “And you were in shark-infested waters. I don’t think you would’ve lasted that long.”

  I laughed. The threat I’d gotten from Caleb had been cute. Yes, we’d entered shark-infested waters, much to my annoyance, and I’d killed the fucking captain, feeding his body to said sharks. I didn’t want to put Ashley in danger. She hated the yacht so damn much. If she’d seen the sharks, she would’ve panicked. If Caleb thought I was scared by his little threat, he was so fucking mistaken. “Do you think that scares me? I know for a fact you wouldn’t have done that.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Ashley. You can hate me all you want, but I knew what she meant to Emily, and there was no way you were going to allow anyone to hurt her. Least of all yourself.”

  “Do you think I couldn’t have covered it
up?” Caleb asked.

  “You could, but you see, that would have made you a liar. I’ve seen the way you look at that woman, and it’s with stars in your eyes. Always.” I laughed. I couldn’t help it. All four men were so obvious with how they felt. “Be careful, people may start to see you as weak.”

  “What do you think they see you as?”

  “Because of my need to have an innocent woman?” I asked. “The difference between me and you is I don’t care. I take what I want, the consequences be damned.”

  “I wonder if you’ll feel this way when you fall in love,” he said.

  This boy had a lot to learn, but I wasn’t going to be the one to set him straight. Talking about Ashley with this man pissed me off. She was all mine, and I wasn’t going to share her, not even a conversation about her.

  “As thrilling as this is, I want to take Ashley back home.” I was done hunting ghosts. All of this shit the Monsters had gotten was on them, not on me. They should have killed their parents when they had the chance, not kept them around like little trophies, rubbing it in their faces that they won. It was a sure way of getting everyone killed.

  Until everyone was dealt with, I’d decided to take over a local hotel. Some of my men were already preparing it for my return with Ashley. The moment this shit was over and all four fathers were dead, we were leaving. I didn’t want to be in Crude Hill a moment longer. There were potentially too many memories here for Ashley.

  As if I summoned her, Ashley suddenly appeared. “When did you return?” she asked.

  “Just now. Our final building was a bust. They’d burned it down to nothing. It’s going to take a lot of money to do some rebuilds,” Calen answered before I got a chance to, further pissing me off.

  Ashley shook her head. “Wait, what?”

  “What is it?” I went to her side. I saw the way she tensed, and I hated her response. There were times she accepted my touch, others where she seemed genuinely repulsed by me.

  Ashley looked from Caleb to me. “Emily got a letter with a single white rose. It told her to meet you at the family graveyard.” She looked between us. “She’s been gone an hour. “Tell me you were there.”

  “Show me this letter,” Caleb said.

  Ashley rushed out of the room, and Caleb followed closely behind her. I pursued as I didn’t want Caleb getting too close. She handed him a small, rectangular letter. From the look on his face, this letter didn’t come from him, or any of the Monsters.

  “Where’s Drake?” he asked, already heading toward the door.

  “He got a call before Emily saw this, from you.”

  “I didn’t fucking call him.”

  Ashley gasped. “What?” Her gaze landed on me, and I saw the tears fill her eyes. She shook her head. “No. Please tell me I didn’t let her go.”

  Damn it.

  I cupped her face. “It’s going to be okay.”

  She shook her head. “No. No. It’s not going to be okay.” She looked down at the letter Emily had gotten. Caleb had dropped it to the floor. “Please, help them.”

  “I’m going to, but you’ve got to keep it together. Do you think you can do that for me?”

  She nodded.

  I kissed her lips. “Don’t think. You did the right thing.”

  “What if they kill her?”

  “I won’t let that happen.”

  I wanted to stay with her, but instead, I was outside, chasing after Caleb. He was already heading toward the family graveyard.

  “Fuck!” He glared at me. “I can’t fucking get ahold of them.”

  “I’m right here.”

  Caleb stopped and looked right at me. “But can I trust you?”

  “Have I given you any reason not to trust me?” I asked.

  “Yeah, you’ve given me plenty of fucking reasons. You were once in bed with my fathers.”

  I put my hand on my hips. “Okay, clearly, your fathers have Emily right this second, but you’re too busy licking your sore little wounds, so let’s get this straight, I dealt business with your dads because it was good business sense. Do I have to keep repeating myself? It’s just business. That’s all it was. I have no special relationship with the bastards. Emily’s in danger. I’m going to help for Ashley. That’s it. That’s all you need to know. Do I make myself clear?”

  Caleb went to hit me, but I captured his fist.

  “We don’t have time for you to measure your dick right now. It could get her killed.” I got it. I did. He was so tense because of what could happen to his woman. Emily could be dead right now, but here was what he needed to understand—it would be all his fault. Not mine.

  It seemed to kick him into action. Rather than beating on me, we were making our way to his family’s graveyard. If it was me, personally, when it came to taking revenge on a parent, I would’ve buried them alive. I would’ve kept them down here for long enough, and then dug them up, taunted them, and then buried them. I would’ve done it for days, keeping them waiting for me until one day, I simply didn’t turn up. That was how you properly mind-fucked a person.

  Again, not something I’d be sharing with Ashley.

  I heard the screams the moment we got to the graveyard edge. Caleb took off at a run, and I followed him. What I saw when I entered the place they were holding Emily had me springing into action.

  For years, I watched my father then my grandfather beat on a woman. To me, they were never strong men. Taking on a woman wasn’t hard, especially one who was so broken and frail. Emily was already passed out by the time we arrived, and while Caleb took on his dad, I took on the other shithead.

  Chapter Six

  Ashley

  “You miss them,” I said.

  Emily stared into the candle. It was her first birthday away from Crude Hill, away from the monsters. Away from the life she’d always known.

  “All the time. It never stops.”

  I’d never had that feeling about anyone. She sniffled, wiping under her nose.

  “It will pass.”

  “Maybe make a wish,” I said. “For the future. You never know, you might meet them again someday.”

  Emily shook her head. “Not possible. There’s no way I’m ever going to be with them again. It’s not safe to.” The sadness in her eyes made me feel sick.

  There was nothing I could do to make her happy.

  Unlike Emily, I was happy. Yes, my mother had been killed, and there were times guilt did hit me at being okay with that. Mom never once cared about what I wanted or what was the best for me. The first day I was bullied at Crude Hill High, she told me I had to learn to fit in. Life wasn’t going to come easy for me.

  “Make a wish,” I repeated.

  Emily took a breath and as she did, I made a wish also. One day, I hoped she was in love and back with her Monsters.

  ****

  Pulling out of the memory, I felt the tears start to pool again. I didn’t want to cry. I was so sick and tired of crying. Ever since Earl and Caleb left, I’d been pacing the library. I did this. I was running fingers through my hair, scared. Emily had looked so happy when she got that letter, and now, I felt so stupid.

  I didn’t advise her to wait.

  There was no reason to stop her. She was so happy. It was all I could think about as I left Caleb’s office and made my way to the front door. No one stopped me as I stepped outside. I needed to make sure Emily was okay.

  I made my way toward the end of the drive, then came to a complete stop.

  Caleb was running toward me. Vadik, Gale, and River weren’t too far behind with Earl coming as well.

  The moment I saw Emily, tears filled my eyes. She was passed out in Caleb’s arms. I couldn’t believe the sight of her. She was beaten so badly.

  They didn’t stop, and I tied to follow them, but Earl grabbed hold of me.

  “There’s nothing you can do right now. They’re taking her to the hospital.”

  “Emily.” I screamed her name.

  Earl continued to hold m
e back, and I couldn’t stop screaming. I was the one who was supposed to look out for her. We shared so much together. So many memories.

  ****

  “Make a wish,” I said. This was now her second birthday with me.

  “Ashley, you always say this.”

  When we were in our apartment, we never used our brand-new names. Dangerous, I knew, but that was how we kept a hold on our reality. It was a reminder of all that we lost.

  “Because you rarely get a chance to make a wish. I haven’t seen any falling stars lately, and it’s your birthday. Come on, please, just do this for me.” I always tried to make her birthdays special. She was a hard woman to please.

  We never made friends with anyone else. I’d tried to make connections, to really start this new life, but I’d never been good at it. Once people began asking questions and were curious about my life before we moved to England, I had no choice but to cancel or break up any potential new friendships. Emily was content to just have me, I thought. There were times I was sure she wished I’d been killed right along with my mother, like today, when I wanted her to make a wish.

  “It’s stupid,” Emily said.

  “Come on, there is nothing stupid about it.” I smiled at her, trying to encourage her. “Come on, please, please.”

  “Ash, enough, okay.” She stepped back from the cupcake and started to pace our small living room.

  I’d taken the time to decorate, purchasing some streamers and balloons. All of them calling out to the birthday girl.

  Two years and still, she mourned.

  The decision the Monsters had made had destroyed what little hope and happiness Emily had.

  “I know it’s stupid. There’s no chance of wishes ever coming true.” I took a deep breath. “Do you know what I wish for?”

  Emily looked toward me, bored. That was all on me.

  “For someone to one day look at me like I’m the only person in the world.” Tears filled my eyes as I looked at my best friend. “I hope just once I get to experience what you got for a couple of months.”