Empire of Savages (Savage Hunt MC #1)

22. Alex

Chapter 22

Alex

He’d come for me .

That was all I could think as I jerked up from my bed, the sticky, violent feel of Maddox crawling all over my skin. My heart pounded out a staccato rhythm, rattling against my ribs as it tried to squeeze between the bone cage. Blinking into the darkened room, I tried to reconcile the fear with my reality—to tamp it down and snuff it out.

I was in my bed.

My apartment door was locked.

My garage was secure.

The weight of Lucifer’s body was near the foot of my bed—comforting in its simplicity.

Blowing out an unsteady breath, I pushed at the hair that had come loose from my bun. With fingertips brushing against my sweat-damp skin, I willed my heart to stop racing. Breathing slowly.

In and out.

In…

And out.

I shoved the blankets from my body, letting them pool at my knees.

Squinting, I tried to see past the darkness cloaking the room, but with my block-out drapes fully drawn, very little light came through the open bedroom door. My gaze skimmed over the room again, my hindbrain was suddenly screaming at me to notice something.

Or some one .

A feeling of phantom fingers trailing over my skin, and I knew.

I was not alone.

Not taking my eyes off the dark spot at the bottom of the mattress, I reached over to click on the lamp on my nightstand.

Maddox was perched on the end of my bed, his back to me. I worked hard to stifle the gasp that was working its way up my throat, swallowing it down when he turned to look at me over his shoulder.

“You always were a light sleeper,” he drawled, dark eyes pinning me in place. “I always liked watching you sleep, though. Wondering when you were going to wake up. Wondering how much I could do to you before you did.” His eyes dragged down my torso, to the tiny sleep shorts I wore to bed. “Before you realized I was contemplating sticking my dick in places you always stopped me from exploring.”

An involuntary shiver rolled down my spine at the threat in his words.

“Where’s Lucifer?” I demanded with false bravado.

Maddox’s gaze dipped down—to a small patch of bright red on the white comforter.

Blood. That was blood. Anger surged at the thought of an innocent animal being hurt. “What did you do?”

My own personal nightmare cocked his head to the side, studying me with cool, callous eyes. “Removed an obstacle.” Reaching out, he touched my leg under the blankets, a smirk pulling on his cruel lips. “Don’t worry. I only gave him something to make him sleep a little while longer. I don’t want to have any interruptions.”

I opened my mouth to demand he explain, then Maddox moved. He was quick. Faster than my sleep-addled brain could track. Within a half a breath, he was straddling my torso, his thick fingers wrapped around my neck. Instinctively, I fought against his grip. Slapping at his hands, I desperately tried to get him to loosen them—to get them off me—but he was too strong. Too big. Too determined.

“Fight me, baby,” Maddox said. “Claw my fucking eyes out. You know I like it when you fight before I impale you with my dick.”

I took his invitation, reaching my hands toward his face, nails searching for the soft orbs of his eyeballs.

He chuckled darkly, easily gathering my wrists in his free hand and pinning them to the mattress above my head. Tightening his fingers around my throat, he lowered his face toward mine. All his weight shifted over my upper body, putting more pressure on my throat, making my breath catch and constrict. “Where’s my money, baby?”

Even though I wanted to, I couldn’t look away. “I don’t have it,” I rasped. “Please, I need more time.”

His black eyes swallowed more darkness. “You’ve run out of time.” He released the hand from my throat and ran it down between my breasts. He flicked at one of my nipples through my shirt, and the flesh hardened at his touch. He grinned. “Reaver, where’s your knife?”

My attention darted to the side, straining to see the hulking silent man standing in the corner. His dark eyes were fixed on my face, the weight of them penetrating me right down to my soul.

Maddox continued, “You have got to see Alex’s tits. Best I’ve ever slid my dick between.”

Reaver’s expression didn’t change as he pulled out a knife and handed it to Maddox, handle first. Struggling against his hold, I tried to stop the violation, but Maddox only tightened his fingers around my wrists.

The blade was cold against my skin as he slid it under my shirt and between my breasts. The fabric gave way to the sharpened edge, cold air kissing my stomach and chest. Maddox released his grip on my wrists. They stayed above my head—paralyzed with fear—when he slid the tip of the blade around each breast, then the areolas, before finally scraping the sharpened point across my puckered nipples.

Maddox’s expression was slack as he moved the knife across my skin. “I was going to leave without violating you, Alex. I really was. But now that I’ve seen these tits again…” His gaze sharpened on my face. “Now that I can smell your fear again, I don’t think I could walk away.”

Licking my dry lips, I begged in a whisper, “Please don’t.”

“Mmm,” he crooned. “I like it when you beg so pretty.” Sliding the knife up my torso and holding it against my throat, he released his already-hard cock from his pants, stroking his length casually. Leaning forward, his jaw and throat worked, gathering saliva in his mouth. He spat on my chest, using the tip of his cock to spread the moisture between my breasts.

“Squeeze those pretty tits together, baby.”

When I didn’t comply, he pressed the knife in a little harder.

“Don’t make me ask again.”

With the bitter taste of hate burning on the tip of my tongue, I brought my hands up to cup my breasts, pushing them together.

“That’s right,” he said, his eyes burning with dark lust. Discarding the knife with a casual flick of his wrist, he moved up my body, sliding his dick into the gap beneath my hands, thrusting into the warm wet space I’d created for him with a groan. In a matter of moments, I was taken back to more than a year ago. Back to the last time I was at this man’s mercy, but hadn’t yet had the strength to walk away. Tilting my head back, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to picture being somewhere else—anywhere else.

There was a sharp pinch against the side of my neck, and my eyes flew open to find Reaver standing over me. Holding a knife against my skin, his dark gaze was on the point where he’d blooded me. The bulge in his pants was unmistakable. Seeing me like this turned him on, and it made my already-tight stomach revolt.

“Reaver likes his women to bleed while he fucks them,” Maddox explained, moving in long, slow thrusts, eyes sparkling with humor. “Maybe I’ll let him take you after I’ve finished with you.”

Shifting my attention back to Reaver, I held his eye, willing him to see how much I hated him for doing this, for helping. All I got in return was a flat, empty stare—a shark’s stare.

With an impatient sound, Maddox shoved my hands out of the way, replacing them with his own rough ones, cupping my breasts aggressively.

“Yes, baby,” he groaned out, thumbing my nipples, making them sharpen against his palms. It was an involuntary reaction, but one that he took to mean I was enjoying myself. He looked down, pupils dilating at the sight of his cock pushing through the top of my cleavage.

“Spit on it,” he growled.

I had no interest in prolonging this violation, so I gathered what I could from my dry mouth and spat on Maddox’s dick the next time it appeared. He groaned with satisfaction, thrusting harder.

“Lick it,” he ordered this time, staring into my eyes, seeing my self-respect curling away from him like it always did. “Lick my dick like you used to.”

All those years ago, those men may have taken my innocence away, but Maddox had stripped me of my identity. I’d devolved into nothing but a fucktoy for him. At the time, that was what I wanted. I didn’t want to be Talon La Croix’s daughter. I wanted to be anyone else, but it was hard to step out of my father’s shadow. It was hard to break free of the club’s grasp. I had done it, though, only to fall back under the control of another man. One who relished taking from me and never gave anything back other than cruelty and humiliation. One who broke me.

“Do as I ask, Alex,” he commanded, his voice growing stern.

I knew what came next.

The threat.

Men like him always threatened when they couldn’t get what they wanted.

“Or when I’m done here, I’ll let Reaver do to you what he’s been fantasizing about since he first laid eyes on you. If you thought I was rough, you have no idea what he’s capable of. That knife point against your throat is only the beginning.”

Tears began to leak from the corner of my eyes, hating this horrible feeling of helplessness. Sticking out my tongue, I swiped it against his crown as his dick emerged from between my abused flesh. His salty and sour taste made my stomach turn. I’d sucked his cock—swallowed him down—enough to remember that I hated taking him into my mouth.

“You’re hardly trying, Alex.” The words were benign, but the intent behind them wasn’t. He was quickly losing patience with me.

On his next thrust, I wrapped my mouth around the tip of his dick and sucked. Maddox’s hands flexed around my bruised breasts, kneading them roughly. He kept up with that punishing pace. Kneading. Pinching. Pulling. Grunting. Taking…

I shut my eyes, waiting for it all to be over. Ignoring Maddox’s noises. Shutting out the sensations. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Reaver began jerking off as he watched, but aside from the tip of the knife against my throat, he didn’t touch me.

“Fuck, yes,” Maddox finally ground out, shoving himself in farther than before and coming with a groan all over my chest and neck. He was breathing hard, his teeth bared, running his cock through his cum before releasing his hold on my breasts and spreading his release all over them. Tapping the angry red head of his cock against my nipples, he grinned fiercely at the way his cum—sticky and viscous—stretched with each movement.

He pressed his forehead against mine, heated breath rushing over my skin. I was repulsed by him, but more than that, I was angry at myself for letting him hurt me again. When he finally sat up, he tucked his softening cock back into his slacks and drew up the zipper.

He smirked at me when he saw where my eyes were. “I knew you fucking missed having my dick in your mouth.” When I shook my head in denial, he reached up to capture my bottom lip. He dragged it down, his mouth pulling into another satisfied smirk when he glimpsed the tattoo of his name on the inside of my lip.

“Never forget who you belong to, baby,” he crooned softly, his words and tone at complete odds with the force of his actions.

My shame was shattered by sudden insistent barking.

Lucifer.

The skin around Maddox’s eyes tightened before he growled at Reaver, “You told me that tranquilizer was going to knock him out for hours!”

Reaver said nothing.

On a frustrated growl, Maddox told him, “Just shut that goddamned dog up.”

Reaver pulled out a gun and moved around the bed.

“No!” I yelled, desperately looking between Maddox and Reaver. “No! Don’t hurt him.”

My scream echoed around my head. There was a sudden loud crash followed by snarls that made the hairs on my arms stand on end. Straining to see past Maddox’s broad shoulders, I watched Lucifer charge into the bedroom, his top lip curled back from his teeth, saliva dripping from his jaws. He was something savage—a demon on a warpath.

In slow motion, Lucifer launched himself at Maddox’s body. I thought this was it. Maddox was finally going to get what was coming to him, but with whip-fast movements, Reaver swung the gun around… taking aim.