Raw (19 page)

Suddenly, Ling reaches back with her free arm and pounds the side of her fist into his hip. The attempt is so weak that her arm flops down. She’s exhausted. Exhausted from fighting.

I can’t watch anymore.

Closing my eyes, Twitch’s hand drops from my mouth down to my chin, where his fingers hold it steadily. Almost forcefully, he shakes my chin harshly, “I told you to watch. Now fucking
watch
.”

My eyes snap open and what I see then changes everything.

Ling’s eyes open wide, her mouth rounds in an
O,
and she says, “Do it! Do it, motherfucker!”

The man smirks, flips her over, plunges back inside of little weak Ling, rears his arm back, and slaps her across the face.

Pressure builds in my ears. My eyes widen in shock. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

She gasps loudly, then moans lustfully. He leans over her small body and fucks her hard. Fucks her like he hates her. With his extremely muscular arms on either side of her head supporting him, she leans up and their mouths clash in a vicious kiss.

I suddenly feel rude. As if I’m intruding on a special moment between the two. I haven’t even noticed that Twitch no longer holds me tightly, but has both arms wrapped around my waist with his lips at my temple.

The man snarls and I’m drawn back to the live show. Ling’s eyes flash in excitement before her face contorts once more in fear. Ever the actress, she begs, “No more. Please! No more. I can’t take it.”

The man’s hand slides across the cheek he had slapped and caresses it a moment before his arm rears back once more, and I don’t watch this time. Closing my eyes, I black out what is about to happen.

Smack!

Whimpers fill the air, and Ling cries out, “Oh God! Yes!”

Peeking, I watch Ling’s back come off the bed; her eyes flutter a moment before she jerks uncontrollably, moaning all the while. The man grits his teeth. “Fuck yeah! Come on my cock, babe. Milk me.”

His body stills, his ass clenches, and tipping his head back, he roars as his body thrusts fitfully into the spent body that is Ling.

Feeling as worn as the two panting and lying in a tangle on the bed, my body weakens from the current state of emotions rushing through my head. I lean back into Twitch. With a squeeze to my waist, he leads me away from the mess in front of me and back to his bedroom.

I know what he wants.

I know it should happen.

But I’m dreading this talk.

Fucking Ling.

Always messing with me. Always messing with what’s important to me. I have no idea why I keep her around. The bitch is more trouble than she’s worth.

You know why you keep her around.

Yeah. I guess I do. We’re alike in many ways. Not all, but we get each other.

Squeezing Lexi’s waist, I lead her down the hall until we stand in front of my room. Slowly, as to not spook her, I reach forward and open the door. Not saying a word, she allows me to walk her in and I shut the door behind us.

Letting go of her, I walk over to my bed and sit on the edge. But Lexi just stands there, by the dresser, staring into nothingness.

“Lexi, come over here.”

Nothing. She stands where she is. The light in her eyes has dimmed so much that I wonder if I’ve broken her so soon in our game.

“Come here, Lexi. Sit with me. We’ll talk.”

Relief and disappointment both pass through me as her brows furrow. “I- I don’t understand,” she says softly.

I state, “You wouldn’t.”

Taking a step back, she bumps into the dresser. “He was hurting her. He was—” Her eyes lose focus. “And she was… He hit her and she… I don’t understand.”

I hate the way she sounds so young right now. It takes me back to my childhood. A place I’d rather keep buried deep. Standing, I take her in a moment. My angel. She looks beautiful tonight. As always. But right now, she looks like a fallen angel.
 

Devastated. Rocked. And Distressed.

It’s sick, but I like it.

Begging my cock not to react is impossible. It jerks in my pants and I take a few steps towards her. I won’t beg. I
don’t
beg. But I will meet her halfway. For tonight. Holding out my hand to her, I order gently, “Take my hand.”

Finally looking up at me, her blue eyes looking much too pale, the gloom there actually starts to bother me.

Nope. I don’t like it.

Extending my hand a little further, she stares at it a long time before she whispers, “You knew. You- you knew.”

I nod. “Yeah. We can discuss it when you’re not so far away from me.”

Leaning even further back into the dresser, she asks, “What if I don’t want to discuss it?”

I don’t like being questioned. Gritting my teeth, I quash down my sudden annoyance and manage a gentle but calm voice as I tell her firmly, “We need to discuss it.”

Her eyes bore into mine. So much sadness there.
 

Reaching out slowly and uncertainly, she places her small hand into mine, and with a small tug, I pull her into my body, wrapping my arms around her and walking backwards towards the bed. Sitting, I bring her down to sit on my lap and play with the fingers on her left hand as I start. “You weren’t meant to see that.”

Nodding, she says dejectedly, “No. I suppose I wasn’t.” A short pause. “You knew she likes that stuff?”

I don’t reply.
That
being my reply.

Lexi stiffens. She whispers, “Have you…? I mean, how did you know?”

Once again, I let my silence speak for me.

She swallows hard. “I see.”

Suddenly, my chest pounds. It’s such an unfamiliar feeling that it rocks me. I realize the feeling is worry.
 

I’m losing her.

Quietly, I explain, “Ling is damaged. What she’s been through, I honestly don’t know how she made it out alive. I’m not saying her tastes are normal or natural, but I am saying to not judge her too harshly. She’s not all bad.”

Lexi tenses further. “How could you do that to her?”

Wrapping an arm around her waist as if to stop her from escaping, I remain honest. “Because she wanted it. It was consensual, even if it didn’t look like it. Ling is old enough to make her own decisions, and she isn’t dumb or impaired in any way.” Then, brutal honesty. “It was actually easy. It was hot. It turned me on. I enjoyed it, and I would do it again.”

Sad eyes meet mine. “You hit her?”

“Yes. More than once. Maybe even harder than he did.”

Nodding, her eyes turn frightened as she asks, “Will you hit me?”

Fighting to keep the anger under control, I ask, “You want me to hit you?”

And her answer is pure redemption. Her answer lets me know that I’ve far from lost her. “Not like that.”

Relief flows through me as I tug at a piece of her hair. “I’m good at reading people, Lexi. When we’re together, I know what you like and what you don’t. I know what you think you don’t like and are scared to try. I know how to push you further than you’re used to.” Allowing that to sink in a moment, I tell her, “I will spank you. I will be rough with you. I will push you to your limits. But I promise that if you give it a chance, you’ll enjoy taking it as much I like to deliver it.”

Her chest heaves with heavy breaths. “What if you read me wrong? What if it goes too far?”

Reaching up, my fingertips hold her chin firmly as I look into her eyes and ask seriously, “You like what we’ve done so far?”

She hesitates, and I know she wants to lie, so I’m surprised when she answers, “Yes. I did. You freak me out. You’re intense. And you kinda scare the shit out of me. But I like it.”

Hearing that makes me feel good. A little too good. Burying my face into her neck, I kiss the sensitive skin there and smile as her body shudders. Her next question has me seeing red. “So what do you like? Are you a Dom?”

Lifting my head away from her neck, I glare into her throat. My annoyance is clear when I snap, “Know what I don’t like? Labels.”

Her brow furrows. “Labels?”

Nodding, I confirm, “Labels.” Getting angrier by the second, I rant, “I like what I like and I make no excuses for that. Is what I like considered normal? Probably not. Yes, I think it’s clear that I enjoy being in control. Am I a Dom? No. Does that matter? No. Because I really don’t need anyone to get me unless I want them too.” My anger surges to a new level: Hulk. “Who the
fuck
is anyone to judge me? To put a label on me? No one knows me well enough to do that, and the people who do know me know that labelling me does not go well. So if you’re smart, Lex…you won’t do it.”

Lexi tries to stand. But I don’t let her up. My arm tightens around her waist and I hear panic in her voice. “I need you to let me go. I can’t think when you’re so close to me. I-I really didn’t like what I saw there, Twitch. I need some time to think. Time alone.”

Doing a remarkable job of suppressing my rage, I answer with a tight-lipped, “You can think later. Tonight, you stay with me. I already told Happy to arrange a car for Nicole and David.”

Her dim eyes light with anger. “Why would you—? Who do you think you—?” The cutest little growl comes from her throat and she stands, dislodging my arms from her waist. She begins to pace in front of me. “Listen, I know I didn’t make a big deal about you when you first started watching me. But
shit
! It’s creepy when you think about it. I don’t understand why I don’t feel unsafe around you, but I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that you saved me from that asshole who tried to rape me.” An emotion I’m not used to feeling settles over me. Guilt. She continues, “I need you to know that I’m currently in a state of
freaked the fuck out
. I won’t lie. You’re intriguing and attractive…well…
gorgeous
. And I was hoping to get to know you better. But now…” She stops her pacing to look into my eyes and says quietly, “…now I’m not so sure.”

Women are complicated creatures. I don’t know what to do with this information. It seems useless to me, but something deep in my gut tells me to listen to her.

Her shaking hands come together and she wrings them. “I need to go. And be away from you. I have a lot on my mind, and even though I like you in a weird way, you’re…” She swallows hard. “…I don’t think you’re good for me, Twitch.”

My lip curls, and before I can think of a response, the door clicks shut.

I’ve lost her.