Fearless (Broken Love Book 5) (3 page)

“Keiran, please,” I begged when I couldn’t take him fucking me anymore.

His only answer was a groan and an assault on my clit that sent me over the edge and into screaming ecstasy. My leg weakened and shook, so he guided both of my legs around his neck as I came in his mouth and clung to the pole. His tongue continued to lap at my pulsing heat until my shaking subsided.

“Fuck me,” I demanded through harsh breaths. “Fuck me now.”

He didn’t utter a word as he ripped down his shorts, lifted me up so my legs rested in the crook of his arms, and plunged inside me unprotected. “Goddamn,” he growled.

After he had fucked me hard enough to shake the pole seated firmly in the ground, we redressed and entered the house, but not before Keiran took one last opportunity to grope me. They were all back in the living room pretending not to know what we had just done. Kennedy was the first to spot us. She jumped up from playing with her ninja turtles and wrapped her arms around my legs.

“Hi, Auntie Lake.”

“Hi, sweetie.”

“Wanna play turtles?”

“Of course, I do.” I followed her to her play area. In my peripheral, I saw Keiran take a seat where he could watch me unobstructed. I think it was a habit he picked up from when he tormented me. Ironically, it no longer felt threatening and, in turn, made me feel safe. “Can I be Mikey?”

“No, this one.” She held up the turtle with the blue bandana and explained the rules in a way only a four-year-old could.

We spent the rest of the afternoon taking turns playing ninja turtles with Ken, who managed to hang for a few hours before she needed another nap.

Di even showed up out of the blue.

Sheldon had reluctantly begun to accept her, but there was still obvious tension. No one had ever been able to figure out her problem with Di. I wasn’t sure Sheldon even knew. Di was incredibly beautiful and desirable when she wasn’t snarky.

For the rest of the day, we felt the need to be together, so we ordered pizza and wings and made it a movie night, but hanging out soon turned into a strategy meeting for survival.

“We still don’t know who kidnapped Kennedy and then killed John.”

“What are you talking about? It was that crazy whack job. Sorry, Di.”

“None taken.” When Keenan turned his attention away, she threw a chicken wing and hit him in the head.

“It wasn’t Esmerelda. I questioned her about it when we were taken. If she didn’t take the opportunity to brag about it to two people she was about to kill, she couldn’t have done it. She only said she wished she had because then Kennedy wouldn’t be alive, and I would be suffering much more than physical pain before I died.”

“Damn,” Keenan murmured. He turned to Di and said, “My mistake, Di. Your mother is a super crazy whack job.”

She flipped him off and leaned forward. “So we still have a major problem on our hands.”

“Fuck! I need answers now.”

Just then, the door burst open and what seemed like the entire police force rushed in, shouting to everyone the order to get down.

Everyone put their hands up and probably assumed they were here for Keiran. Only I wasn’t surprised when they bypassed him and placed me in handcuffs instead.

My borrowed time had just come to an end.

“Lake Monroe, you’re wanted for questioning in the murder of Mitchell Masters. You have the right to remain silent…”

* * *

PRESENT

“I’ve got to
say, Miss Monroe. We don’t get many like you in here. I’m also aware this isn’t the first time you’ve been here because of murder.” When I only stared back at him, he continued. “Five years ago, you were a witness to an atrocious crime committed against two of your classmates who were burned alive.” He made a point of looking at the thick folder splayed out on the table. “Anya Risdell and Trevor Reynolds.”

“I’m familiar with the case. What’s your point?”

“My point is we both know you didn’t murder Mitch Masters, so why don’t you tell me the truth.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I think you do. Come on… you and I both know Keiran Masters killed his father so why don’t you make this easier on yourself? You were brave back then. What’s stopping you now?”

“I love him.”

“Love?” he scoffed. “Love is about to cost you twenty to life without the possibility of parole. Don’t let his cock ruin your life.”

I was sure his mention of my boyfriend’s cock violated his code of conduct, but I let it slide.

“He also didn’t do it.”

“Now why should I believe that? You just told me you wouldn’t give him up because you love him. Why should I believe you aren’t lying?”

I narrowed my eyes feeling as if I were led here under false pretenses. The interrogation felt too much like a trap. The detective seemed more focused on accusing Keiran than offering evidence against me. “Am I here because I’m suspected of murder, or am I here because my boyfriend is suspected of murder?”

“Oh, we’re sure you’re guilty. We’re also certain you didn’t act alone.”

For the first time since the detective entered the room, I felt my heart rate quicken. My tongue was suddenly dry as I choked on unspoken words. I was suddenly very interested in what the detective had to say even though I remained silent. The detective took it as an invitation to continue. Plucking a single sheet of paper from the folder, he slid it across the table.

“Do you recognize this?”

I peered down at the sheet and immediately recognized the name written at the top of the chart. It was a visitor sign-in sheet for Summit Rehabilitation for Cancer Survivors.

The facility where Mitch had been residing for three years while he withered away from cancer.

“I find it interesting that you were visiting the center the same day your boyfriend’s father was brutally murdered. Even more interesting, you signed in… but you never signed out.”

If it were ever proven impossible that the entire body couldn’t start to perspire at once, I’d just disproven that theory.

“I want a lawyer.”

He didn’t miss a beat and stood up straight. “Good. You’re going to need one, Miss Monroe.”

I let my gaze trail to where I had written my name. I wouldn’t have been so stupid if I hadn’t got caught that day.

LAKE

SEVEN MONTHS AGO

“So she beat
it? That’s great!” Sheldon jumped up to hug me after I delivered the news. On top of Alzheimer’s, my grandmother had been diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago. Because she was under strict medical care, it had been caught early on, but that small ray of hope was overshadowed by the aggressive growth of the cancer cells. Rather than get better, she had progressed to stage two in under two years.

When her condition seemed hopeless, Jackson and Keiran secured one of the best doctors in the country to oversee her case. It took a year of treatment, but she was finally cleared of all cancerous cells.

“We’re going to get tears on the seating chart,” I joked to break the emotional tension. We had been going over the last minute details of her wedding in two weeks when I decided to break the news.

“But it’s so worth it. So will she be going back to Red Rock?”

“Actually, no. Aunt Carissa decided it would be better for her to spend time in a rehabilitation center specifically for cancer survivors so she could continue to get the aftercare she needed. There’s a great one just four hours west.”

I noticed Sheldon’s expression fall. I was sure she was thinking the same I had thought at first, so I went on to reassure her the same way my aunt had. “I know it’s further than Red Rock, but it’s for the best.”

“That’s not—fuck—Lake… what is the center called?”

“Summit Rehabilitation for Cancer Survivors. Why? You know the place?”

Her face had completely lost color. “She’s not safe there.”

“What? Why wouldn’t she be?”

“That’s the treatment facility where Mitch is.”

“I don’t understand. John said Mitch was never cured of cancer. Why would he be at a facility for cancer survivors?”

“Because the center isn’t just for survivors. It’s also for cancer patients who have given up on treatment and are waiting to die.”

I didn’t have time to reflect on how horrible the idea of people suffering and waiting to die sounded. I’d just found out my defenseless grandmother was living in the same place with a demented, evil man. My mind was racing with more than one fear, and among them was the most dangerous of them all.

“Keiran doesn’t know about the center where Mitch is, does he?”

“John never wanted him to know, and I assumed Keenan is still honoring his wish. We all know what will happen when he finds out exactly where Mitch is.”

Keiran wouldn’t hesitate to go after Mitch no matter the cost to himself, and protecting my grandmother on my behalf would only be an added push.

“Listen, I need to ensure my grandmother’s safety but Keiran can’t know about it or why.”

“How are you going to explain this to your aunt and keep it from Keiran?”

“I don’t know, but there’s got to be a way. There’s no other rehab center in the entire state. Any other move would be too big. He’d question it.”

“I don’t know, Lake. Are you sure you want to risk lying to him? I think you should tell him.”

“Sheldon, if I tell Keiran where Mitch is, there is no amount of reasoning that will keep him from killing him. He’ll be caught and I’ll lose him forever.”

* * *

Almost two weeks
had passed since I learned where John had been keeping Mitch. I had been uneasy and unable to concentrate entirely on my upcoming finals or duties as maid of honor, but somehow, I managed to fool everyone including my volatile boyfriend.

For two weeks, I planned and prayed for a solution that would keep everyone safe and rid the world of Mitch Masters forever, but I was only ever able to come to one dangerous solution.

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

The sudden gruff sound of Keiran’s sexy morning voice startled me and stirred a rush of new guilt. I had been so deep in my thoughts I hadn’t noticed him awake and watching me. I quickly schooled my features into seductive, playful girlfriend.

“Well…” I left him anticipating my next words as I slid my hand down his bare chest and into his basketball shorts. “I was trying to make the hard decision of whether to taste you…” It was unnoticeable to the untrained eyes, but I witnessed him suck in air at the feeling of my hand wrapping around his cock. “…or ride you.”

“That’s easy. Do both.”

I shivered at the animalistic sound of his voice indicating the change in his body from slumbering to ready-to-fuck. I forced myself to take my eyes from his cock for a quick look at the clock resting behind his head. It showed only thirty minutes until I had to be out of the shower and dressed for class.

“We don’t have time.”

He groaned and shifted his hips. “Don’t do that to me, baby.”

“Do what?” I blinked innocently while giving his hardened cock a tug. I felt it twitch under my palm and smiled.

“Make me want you so fucking bad and then tell me I can’t have you the way I need you.”

“How do you want me?”

He didn’t bother to respond. Instead, he dislodged my hand and rolled me onto my back. He settled in between my thighs and pushed up his shirt I’d worn to bed at the same time I pushed his shorts from his hips. 

“Are you ready?”

“Mhmm… how do you mean?” I decided to torture him a little while longer. I leaned up to run my tongue down his throat and listened for that little intake of breath followed by a groan.

“I mean…” He entered me slowly so I could feel every inch of him. “Is your pussy wet for me?” He stopped once the head of his cock had entered my eager pussy, leaving me the one gasping for more this time.

“Please.” It was all I could manage when the feeling of being filled took over.

“I love when you beg for my dick, baby.” He gave me another intoxicating inch of him. “It makes me want to fuck you hard.”

“Fuck me hard.”

We both seemed to break away from our torturous teasing simultaneously. He pulled back and in one motion, served me his entire length. I was sent gasping and teetering over the edge immediately. The rhythm and pace he set was hard and just what I needed to take my mind away from my troubles. I could do nothing but hold on as he rained love bites all over my neck and breasts while he took me hard and unapologetic.

“Lake… Fuck… Baby.” I couldn’t take the sound of his passionate voice and the sound of our bodies coming together and not come.

I came so fucking hard.

Once I came down from orgasmic bliss, I noticed Keiran had slowed down to a hard grind, now preferring to worship my body. His hands and mouth moved all over me just before he flipped me over on my stomach.

“I can’t let you leave me today and not feel your ass against my dick.”

Oh, my fuck.

His larger body completely covered me until I could feel every muscle and inch of hot flesh against mine. Just the feel of his sweat dripping on me made me want to come again.

“Come with me. I want your pussy squeezing my dick.” A firm slap on my ass followed his order. I felt his fingers run through my hair and make a fist as his pace picked up once more. I threw my ass back, craving the sound of our skin slapping which brought forth a deep growl from him that vibrated down my spine.

Because he couldn’t stop there, his fingers made their way to my throbbing clit, making his plea a reality. I came around him at the very moment he came inside me.

We both collapsed amongst the sheets out of breath. I could feel his breath shudder against my heated skin, and I wanted him again. I looked at the clock hopeful and groaned when I realized I should have been dressed five minutes ago.

I felt his weight shift from me to his side of our bed. He was still silent, so I chanced a look at his face to see him watching me, but it wasn’t a look I would expect after sex. His gaze was hard and suspicious.

“I know I wasn’t what was on your mind. I know when you want me, Lake. Your skin gets so hot and flushed, you nearly take me up in flames with you.” I wanted to argue, but no words smart enough to convince him came to mind. “But do you really want to know why I’m on to you?”

Stupid me, I nodded.

“Because if you were really thinking about your lips around my dick, you would have done it the second you wanted it.”

“I see you have me figured out completely.” There was a bite in my tone even I recognized. Keiran’s eyes narrowed.

“Yeah, I do. We’ll talk about this when you get home.”

He dismissed me, and I wasted no time escaping. But when I reached the entrance to our bathroom, I heard him call my name.

“Yes?”

“We don’t lie to each other. Ever.”

* * *

I had been
on edge all day, dreading going home. Keiran was pissed. It was evident in the way he spoke to me this morning. He didn’t even call or text me in between classes per our usual routine. I felt guilty and spent all day brainstorming how to make it up to him and to avoid the interrogation awaiting me.

I stalled as long as I could after classes were over, but when Keiran did send me a text with a single question mark, I knew it was time to pay the piper. I parked at the curb in front of the modest three bedroom home we rented from a middle-aged couple who decided to live life on the road. It was cheaper than we could have found anywhere else within a reasonable distance of school and Keiran’s office. An added bonus was the guarantee of the place for the next year at least.

“Don’t bitch out. It’s just Keiran.” My attempt at self-confidence fell flat when I remembered that at the moment, he was a pissed off Keiran. He hated being lied to—I had crossed an invisible line and gotten caught.

When I closed the front door, I was greeted with silence. I was sad to admit I expected to be greeted with rage.

Would I ever get over the little slice of fear I still held for him? It had been four years since we’ve been together, and he’d never given me a reason to fear him any longer. How could I admit four years of love didn’t seem long enough to battle ten years of torment? The thought alone was heartbreaking, but to voice it felt like a betrayal.

I heard his footsteps pounding down the stairs, and then he appeared dressed in a plain white long sleeve shirt and dark jeans. I noticed a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and my heart skipped a beat.

He wouldn’t leave me because I told a little white lie, would he?

“Wh—where are you going?”

“Jesse and I have a meeting with a potential client in Texas. They want to meet us face to face and see up front what we’re offering.”

“How long will you be gone? The wedding—”

“I’ll be back in time,” he answered before I could finish. He stood on the bottom step, staring and assessing. I refused to fidget like a scolded child, so I met his stare.

He saw right through me and dropped his duffle. The loud thud rang out, but I refused to give in to my inner coward. When he closed in on me with sure steps, I never faltered even if my common sense was telling me to run. The faster, the better.

“If you want to test me, you better be sure you’re ready for the consequences.”

“Don’t threaten me, Keiran. I’m not your plaything anymore.”

“You should know better by now. I’m going to ask you this once, so think about your answer. Are you hiding something?”

“What makes you think I’m hiding something?”

“You’ve been off. Do I need to be worried?”

I wasn’t about to tell him the truth, so I stuck with a version of it. “I’m worried about finals and my grandmother settling into a new place.”

He searched my face for the longest time, but I was sure he would find nothing. He seemed to realize it too because the next instant, his hands were on my face and his lips took hold of mine. We were moving backward, and then my back was against the wall. His hips moved against me, and I couldn’t help but voice my pleasure for the way he commanded my body.

Sometimes I was sure I hated him as much as I craved him.

“I need to protect you,” he mumbled against my lips. “Can you understand that?”

The only answer I could muster was to whimper. He swallowed it and me whole. I wanted to be consumed by him.

“Pay attention.”

“I can’t. You’re kissing me.”

I shouldn’t have said that. He pulled away from my lips but kept the length of his hard body against mine. Without the drug of his kiss, I was forced to face the raw emotion consuming the gray of his eyes. “I need to trust you.”

“You can.”

“Can I?” I was hurt by the doubt in his gaze but then reminded myself I deserved it.

My nod came slowly as I fought the lump in my throat. What did he want me to do? I needed to protect him as much as he needed to protect me. If our roles were reversed, I had no doubt he would fill my shoes the very way I did.

“Forever, Lake. I’ll love you.”

“Forever,” I whispered back, ignoring the guilt that ate at me for what I planned to do.

When he left, I breathed a little easier because if he had stayed a second longer, he would have broken me. I stood against the wall contemplating if the road I took tomorrow would doom me forever.