Magic or Madness (The Wreck Me Duet #1)

OZZY

I’m watching Fallon dance in a sea of people, and so far, only two men have approached her. I underestimated her though, she can handle her own very well. One guy wasn’t taking no for an answer, so she whispered a few words and nodded toward me, making him immediately run off.

I didn’t even get to hit him, which was disappointing, but knowing Fallon can take care of herself is enough to have me sporting a semi in the middle of the club, and I’m not even the guy dancing with her.

Once the thrill of watching her turn down all these losers fades, I’ll claim her in the middle of the crowd, and watch as her cheeks flush that gorgeous shade of pink.

Fallon loves it when I make it known that she is mine, whether it be in public or in private, and tonight I have a plan that will drive her wild and leave her dripping for me, exactly how I want her.

Max takes Fallon another drink, keeping up our charade in front of all these people, as I scan the room looking for Oliver, Lex, and Journey.

So far, the two renegades have their claws in two girls, and it seems like they’ll finally get laid, eliminating the endless attention focused on me and my Bambi.

Journey is hanging off to the side, his eyes locked on Fallon, and I’ve noticed how he looks at her. It’s as if he’s waiting for us to fall apart so he can swoop in and save the day, being her knight in shining armor.

Over my dead fucking body.

I dodge the sweaty drunks in the crowd, making my way to him and when he spots me, he attempts to take off toward the bathroom.

“See something you like, J?” I call out, and he shakes his head, keeping his gaze at the wood floors beneath our feet.

“Relax, Ozzy. I’m just keeping an eye on her, and the guys, too,” he says, but I don’t believe it for a second.

“I’m sure, Journey. Remember who she belongs to before you cross a line you’ll regret.” I warn, and he rolls his eyes, causing me to clench, then unclench, my fists, knowing that a fight in a club is exactly the attention we don’t need.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Oz,” he says, heading toward the bar, but I don’t trust him as far as I could throw him.

I know that he’s had a thing for my girl since the day he laid eyes on her, but it’d be a cold day in hell before she gave him the time of day, and I take pure satisfaction knowing that it bothers him so deeply, wishing he had what is mine .

My patience for the game is over, and I decide to jump the gun, cutting through the crowd straight toward her.

“ Ciao, Bellissima . Is this spot taken?” I drop my voice low, scooping her right into my arms, my face inches from hers.

She laughs with her dimples showing, taking my hand and leading us into a dance.

“Couldn’t take it anymore, huh, baby?”

“Journey was staring, nearly salivating, at the sight of you in that dress,” I whisper into her ear, and she looks up at me with widened eyes.

“He’s insane, Ozzy. Don’t let him rattle your cage.” She laughs, sipping her drink carelessly while we move as one with the music, and she grinds her ass into my crotch, purposely driving me wild.

The guys that previously surrounded her have scattered, and I can feel their jealous eyes on us from every angle.

“One more drink, or are you sticking with your limit?” I question, and she mulls it over before deciding.

“One more, please.” She smiles, handing me her empty cup, and over time, I’ve learned that Fallon limits herself to three drinks, keeping her relationship with alcohol casual.

I always respect that about her, and why she does it, but tonight, I’m worried that she’s pushing herself too far.

“Are you sure, Bambi?” I lean into her, whispering in her ear over the thud of the bass, and she smiles at me, those dimples clouding my judgment.

“I’m sure. I feel incredible.”

Her energy is remarkable and infectious. I feel alive dancing with her, and when we both get more drinks in us, the silliness takes over.

“Are you still making good on your promise, my Greek god? ” Fallon whispers in my ear, pulling me down and leaving love bites on my neck.

I take her by the throat, kissing her with aggression, and even though the music blares over the speakers, I can hear her moans against my lips, into my mouth.

“I’d take you right here in front of this crowd, Bambi. Stop tempting me.” I scrape her bottom lip with my teeth, just enough to make her whine, and her cheeks flush pink.

“ I. Dare. You .”

Three little words send me over the edge, and I snatch her wrist, dragging her through the crowd. I bring her into the bathroom, locking the door behind us and pressing her against the wood frame.

“You like teasing me, Bambi?” I ask, pinning my body against hers.

“I fucking love it.” She bites her lip and tilts her chin higher, waiting for me to kiss her.

Instead of giving her the satisfaction, I drop to my knees and trail my hands up her dress.

“Can I touch you here?” I brush my finger over the dark, lacy fabric between us, waiting for an inkling of consent before going any further.

“Please,” she whines, and I spread her legs apart, gently dragging her panties down until they fall to her ankles.

“You’re dripping, my beautiful girl . You like it when I touch you in public?” I tease my fingers around her entrance, taking her legs and positioning them on my shoulders.

There’s nothing holding her up against the door but my hands on her ass, and I dive my tongue right into her core, feeling how she immediately writhes against me.

“Fuck, Ozzy,” she breathes, tangling her hands in my hair and tugging at the root, which only makes me work her up even more.

“The louder you get, the better it’ll feel, Bambi,” I say against her skin, using my tongue as leverage.

I suck on her clit, circling over her sensitive spots relentlessly as her breathing begins to intensify.

Her moans gradually get louder, and soon enough, anyone walking by will know what I’m doing to her, which only motivates me. I slowly take my right hand off her ass, forcefully shoving three fingers inside her, and when she screams, it’s music to my ears.

I fuck her with my fingers, viciously sucking on her clit until her thighs are shaking around my face, and she’s begging for mercy.

“Ozzy, please. I can’t anymore,” she whines, her body trembling against the door.

I gently let her down, placing her feet back onto the floor, and tugging her lacy panties back into place.

“You’re my good girl, Fallon. Did you like that?” I whisper, trailing kisses around her neck and jawline.

“That was … fucking intense,” she breathes, her eyes watery from the powerful orgasm she just experienced.

I kiss her, letting her taste how sweet her pussy is on my lips, and she starts the cycle again by moaning and grinding her hips on my crotch.

“It’s time to get you home, Bambi.”

“Until the sun rises.” She smirks, rubbing her hand over the bulge in my pants as she reminds me exactly what I have in store for her tonight.

“No mercy.” I fix her dress and lead her back into the club where the guys, and their dates, wait for us.

“You two are something else.” Lex laughs, shaking his head with his arm draped over a skinny blonde in a dress tinier than Fallon’s.

“Let’s go, losers. Everyone in the van,” Max chimes in, and we follow him out the door, into the chilly night.

I hold Fallon close, keeping her body warm with mine, and anyway I hold her, she fits beside me like a perfect puzzle piece.

Oliver has his arm draped around a tall brunette, and her heels click obnoxiously on the cement as she stumbles over each and every crack on the sidewalk.

“They actually got dates,” Fallon whispers, unable to contain her laughter.

“I told you.” I wink at her, helping her into the back row of the van, a spot that’s become ours to snuggle and talk with privacy.

“Hi, I’m Pepper,” the blonde says, scooting next to Fallon and me, instantly popping our bubble.

“Pepper? Like the spice?” I ask, and Fallon elbows me in the ribs with a glare in her eyes I rarely ever see directed my way.

“That’s a cute name. I’m Fallon.” The girls chat for the rest of the ride, while Oliver’s date has no interest in any of us, only shoving her tongue down his throat while Max drives this wild bus back to the dealership.

When we get back, Journey sulks in the corner with Max, watching the couples mingle and pour drinks.

Fallon and the spice girl have hit it off, making quick friends, while Oliver has already taken his date back to his room, and I can’t hide my excitement, knowing Fallon is going to get to experience the show from the opposite side of the door for the first time.

Every time I’m with Fallon, I know what the guys are doing in the next room, but I’ve never gotten the chance to explain it. Now, she’s about to be catapulted into a one-of-a-kind tradition, solidifying her place within our circle.

“Come on, Pepper. Let’s get you a little more comfortable.” Lex steps in, escorting his date to his room.

“Bye, Paprika!” I call out, and Lex shakes his head as he closes the door behind them.

I lead Fallon to the couch, as Journey and Max find their own seats, everyone waiting for the show to begin.

“Wait, are we going to listen to them have sex?” Fallon whispers, a concerned look plastered on her face.

“What do you think these weirdos do when it’s us?” I smile, and her eyes widen while her cheeks turn bright red.

“This is … invasive.” She glances around the room, looking mildly uncomfortable until I pull her onto my lap.

“Relax, Bambi. I promise you’ll understand once they really get going.” I laugh, and Max pours us all a drink, toasting to the happy couples while we wait for the fireworks.

Oliver’s girl is first, her moans echoing throughout the common room, and Journey kicks off the commentary.

“He’s eating her out, for sure. No foreplay isn’t Oliver’s style.”

Max nods in agreement, and Fallon slowly realizes what is happening.

“Are we guessing what they’re doing? Oh my god. Did they guess what we were doing?” She knocks her shot back in record time and buries her face into my chest in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

“Oh, here goes the spice girl. Looks like we have a competition going.” Max laughs, and Fallon slowly starts to come around, letting herself have a little fun.

“Pepper and Lex will be done first.” She guesses, a slight grin on her face.

“ That’s my Bambi ,” I whisper in her ear, rubbing my hand on her thigh.

It’s not the best party game, and may be considered weird by most, but it’s entertaining, and it stems from the fact we’ve all been living together, like brothers, for years. It’s comparable to college, except instead of struggling through classes, we’re involved in criminal activities.

“Lex is totally drilling her from the back, her voice has to be driving him insane,” Journey notes, and we all laugh, knowing that Lex is our certified quiet guy.

Somehow, he can always bring home a girl, but by the end of the night, he calls them a cab and pretends it never happened. Oliver is more of the sleepover kind, and usually, we get a morning show, his special way of thanking his female guests.

“Oliver’s girl is on top,” I say, but Fallon shakes her head, surprisingly disagreeing with me.

“No way. Those noises are from a pillow princess. She’s totally faking her way through it,” she counters, and Max’s eyes widen.

“And you know this … from experience?” He asks, his eyes shifting to me.

“Yes, but not with him.” She tangles her hands in my hair, and shoots me a playful grin, those doe-like eyes captivating me just like every time before.

“I knew she was just that loud.” Journey laughs, and the energy in the room – and Fallon’s body language – instantly shifts with his comment.

Fallon clears her throat and scooches closer to me, while I have to fight the urge to smack the smile off his smug face. His obsession with my Bambi is beginning to cross lines, and the further he inches toward her, the more I want to wring his neck with my bare hands.

“I think that’s enough peeping Tom for me tonight, Ozzy?” Fallon stands up, holding her hand out to me.

“After you, Principessa .”

She leads me to our room, and I protectively shield her with my body. She was right about this dress attracting the creeps, but I didn’t realize the biggest one would be one of my brothers.

Her heels click against the concrete floor until we reach the carpet, and I lock the door behind us.

Journey’s comment obviously made her uncomfortable, and I can’t stand how far his infatuation with her has gone already. I want to shield her from this, from all the men out there who think a woman is only here for their entertainment. She’s had enough of that in her life before we found each other, and I’ll be damned if she can’t find a safe space to land when she’s with me.

“Are you okay?”

She sits on the bed, fumbling with the clasp on her shoe, and I kneel down to help her take them off.

“I’m fine. He’s cruisin’ for a bruisin’,” she cackles, and I can’t help but laugh with her.

“You did not just say that, Fallon Mariano.” She shrugs nonchalantly, the obvious corny dad joke still lingering in the air between us.

“Well, it’s better than saying you’re going to murder him.” She has a point, and a way of reading my mind, because I absolutely want to murder Journey for how he’s been acting around Fallon.

My patience is so thin, I might snap the next time I catch him fucking her with his eyes.

“Unzip me? I need to get this dress off.” She asks, spinning around on the bed so her ass is at my face level.

I grab both her cheeks, kneading them with my fingers and leaving soft bite marks on her flesh until she’s swatting me away. Her body is a work of art, and I’m merely an admirer, a lucky fucking man who gets to worship her like the Goddess she is.

“ Fuck ,” I breathe, watching as the shiny fabric falls to the floor, and she spins to face me in nothing but her bra and panties.

“See something you like?” She teases, sliding onto my lap and draping her arms lazily around my neck.

Her confidence has only risen since we’ve been together, and I love this side of her – the side where she takes charge and asserts her position in this Kingdom we’re building.

“Come here, my beautiful girl ,” I whisper, bringing her lips close to mine.

“I love you, Ozzy,” she breathes, her curves fitting perfectly against my midsection, uniting us as the last two pieces of a puzzle.

“Go to sleep, Fallon. I love you more than life itself.” I kiss her shoulder, lowering her onto the side of the mattress reserved for her, and tucking her under the covers.

The snoring I’ve learned to love will come shortly, and even though we promised to make love all night until the morning sun, this is the perfect way to end a night I’ll never forget with my girl.

I’ve told Fallon not to be nervous when I’m on a job, but truthfully, I’ve been hiding my own reservations from her so she doesn't worry. In reality, I’m fucking terrified for tomorrow.

Anything could go wrong on a job, but now that I have someone waiting for me on the other side, every move I make will be heightened. There are real consequences now, and I feel the weight of having a significant other as I’m preparing to head off into something that could very well break us apart.

I have faith in our plans – and my crew – but for the first time, there’s a voice in the back of my head that’s almost begging me to stay behind.

Unfortunately, that’s not an option, and after she leaves tomorrow I have to turn myself into the criminal I’ve warned her about, knowing that the beast inside me will prevail every single time.

Doc raised us to be wolves, to crave the hunt and the kill, and that’s the mindset we go into every job with.

Tomorrow, I’ll become something she’s never seen before, and when I come back from the job, I’m terrified that she’ll notice the difference.

She’s quickly become more important to me than these jobs, and if it were to come down to it, I would choose her every single time .

I’d choose Fallon over my brothers, the only way I’ve known how to make money since I was nineteen years old, and the life I’ve lived up until this point.

The walk of shame is entertaining this morning, with Fallon sitting in and watching the ladies exit the dealership in the same clothes they wore last night.

They knew the deal coming here, and my woman sits majestically on the other side of it, knowing damn well she isn’t some hussy who only spends one night.

“Bye, Fallon!” The spice girl calls out, and we all attempt to suppress our laughter.

“Nice to meet you, Pepper,” Fallon replies, being the polite one in this band of assholes.

“Bring your friends next time, Cinnamon!” Max calls out, and we’re all undoubtedly going to hell.

“I actually like her, you assholes,” Lex says, and we all swivel our heads to him.

“Seriously?” I ask, and he nods sheepishly, his face turning shades of red.

“I invited her back tomorrow night, so can you all be fucking nice?”

“Absolutely, Lex, she’s a nice girl,” Fallon says, breaking the wall of insincerity we all created.

“Thank you, Fallon. The only one with a shred of dignity.” Lex shakes his head, walking toward the kitchen in a huff.

The morning turns into the afternoon, and sadly, I have to take Fallon back to her roommates, dreading being apart from her.

“I will call you the second we’re safe, I promise.” I kiss her forehead, watching as she tries to stall in my passenger seat.

“Max really thinks he can maneuver around the code change?” She wonders, a sincere look of concern on her face.

“We got this, Bambi. Go to work and then enjoy a carefree night with your friends,” I tell her, smacking her ass as she climbs out of the truck.

We said our goodbyes already, but when I see her in my windshield, an immediate sense of guilt consumes me as she walks away.

I need one more second with her.

“Bambi!” I yell, chasing her onto the sidewalk, reminiscent of the night I found her outside of the cafe.

I pull her into my arms one last time, holding her close, and she melts into me, the tears on her cheeks soaking my t-shirt.

“Fallon, I’ll be okay,” I whisper in her ear, but the tension in her body doesn’t fade.

“I don’t want to sleep alone,” she confesses, and it takes everything in me not to break down in her arms.

“One night, that’s all, Bellissima .”

“ Amore mio … I’ll see you on the other side.”

This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Walking away from Fallon is equivalent to someone ripping my heart out of my chest with their bare hands, and stomping on it until the blood is completely evicted from the vessel.

Without me realizing it, the pretty little purple-haired vixen who consumed me from the second I laid eyes on her has suddenly become the most important, precious, and valuable thing in my life.

Now, I’m spending the rest of the afternoon preparing for the job, simultaneously counting down the minutes until I can hold my Bambi in my arms again. We all have our roles, and tonight, mine is driving the box truck that’ll haul the bike.

Max and Lex will work on the codes and cameras, while Journey and Oliver are the muscles to move the motorcycle. Once we get it loaded, I’ll drive it across state lines to the pick-up location set in place by the client.

The only thing I know is this bike is worth a shit ton of money, and this guy is paying us a lot to steal it, so there’s no room for error.

“Is everyone clear-headed?” Max asks as we’re gearing up, referencing the sleepovers and abundance of alcohol consumed last night.

“Ready to roll, boss,” I reply, testing the Bluetooth earpiece we all use to communicate, and everyone replies instantly, signaling that we’re good to go.

We parked the box truck outside of town limits a few days ago, and once I’m situated, I follow the route Lex planned out, avoiding major roadways where both vehicles could be tracked on the same street cameras.

“How far out are you, Oz?” Journey asks, indicating they’re already at the location.

“Ten out.”

“Taking the entrance,” Max says, and the chatter begins.

I listen as they make their way through the shop, cutting out cameras and moving at a rapid pace. Lex begins to work on the computer, attempting to hack the code that Fallon generated this afternoon when she went to work.

It’s not as clear-cut as Max thought, and I can hear them both struggling to figure out a loophole in the software.

“In position,” I say, parking at the loading dock behind the building.

It’s a quiet night, and as I look around the alley, there’s not a soul in sight.

“Fuck!” Max yells, his frustration echoing in my ear, boiling over, and my body tenses.

“What is it?” I reluctantly ask, and he sighs loudly, like he doesn’t want to say what we all knew was a possibility.

“If I try to hack into this software unsuccessfully one more time it triggers an alarm,” he confesses, and even with Lex on the technical side of things from his own laptop, this sounds nearly impossible.

My blood turns to ice because there is only one way we can do this job, and we need the only person who knows the code. She warned me this would happen, and even the thought of asking her to step foot into this side of my business has me terrified of the consequences.

“Ozzy, we need help,” Max says, basically waving the white flag, and I shake my head in defeat.

Involving Fallon is exactly what I wanted to avoid. When we met, I promised her that she wouldn’t need to become a part of my world, and I’m terrified this will affect our relationship.

“There’s no chance you can do this without her?”

“I wouldn’t ask if there was,” he replies, and I slam my fist against the steering wheel.

“I can’t drive this huge truck by her apartment. Oliver, go get Fallon,” I say, and everyone agrees it’s the right move.

I also can’t call her on this burner, as it’s linked to the client, so Oliver is going in blind, and she’ll be terrified.

“Olly, keep her calm. She needs to know I’m alright before she’ll go anywhere with you,” I warn, and he promises that he’ll take care of her.

Now, we’re all sitting on our hands, weathering through an unforeseen detour and praying that nothing else goes wrong while we wait for Fallon.

The minutes feel like hours, and I’m wracked with guilt.

I’m inviting her in, but it almost feels like forcing, and I don’t know how this will ever be something I go back from. She’s either all the way in, or this is the straw that pushes her all the way out, but no matter what happens, I feel like I’m losing.

Not to mention, we’re all crossing a boundary that none of us are comfortable with after what happened to Masha. It feels eerily similar, and I’ll be damned if I let fate take her life into its hands.

“How’s it look outside?” Max breaks me out of my thoughts, and I shake off the negativity long enough to calm everyone’s nerves inside the building.

“Clear and quiet.”

“Oliver is too far out of range to hear us, yet” Journey adds, and I roll my eyes in disgust.

Every time I hear his voice, I’m reminded of his creepy obsession with Fallon, and I want to take out my abrupt aggression on his calm demeanor. I’m positive that he’s enjoying this, secretly hoping it’s something that’ll tear us apart so he can swoop in on his white horse to save her.

I’m anxious and feeling sick completely to my stomach when finally, Oliver reconnects to our channel.

“Got the package, five out,” he says, and I sigh in relief.

The longer we sit here, the higher chance we have of getting caught, but it’ll be a cold day in hell before I allow Fallon to go down for something that we’re doing. Assisting in a robbery at her place of employment is fucking insane, and I shouldn’t have let them pull her into this.

Every second is critical, and I feel like time isn’t on my side.