Heathens (Badlands Book 4) Read online

  “Luther wanted to make it as comfortable as possible for Annie, his niece,” Cobra explained, taking me up to the second level.

  “I take it Annie’s the little girl in the barn?”

  “Yeah. Don’t call her that to her face though, she might try and kick your ass,” he laughed.

  “Duly noted,” I grinned. “But what was she doing?”

  “They’re skin farmers.”

  “Oh.” That was really the only response to something like that. I’d heard of skin farmers before but this was my first time seeing them in real life. Definitely wouldn’t be one of my top career choices, but if they liked it, I loved it.

  Cobra walked to a door at the end of the hall and pushed it open, nudging me inside first. It was a simple room, medium sized. It had a full iron bed made up with dark grey bedding, a matching dresser, stark white walls, and a large rug covered the floor.

  The door clicking shut had my breath catching in my throat.

  Cobra chuckled at my oh-so-obvious reaction. I could feel him right behind me. His presence took over the whole room. If I moved back the slightest bit, I’d be pressed against him.

  “Relax, Blue. I don’t bite. Hard.”

  The amusement in his voice had heat rushing to my cheeks.

  “So damn sweet,” he mused, now standing beside me.

  “Not always,” I confessed quietly, forcing myself to look him in the eye.

  “Yeah, I already knew that, babe,” he winked, not missing a beat. “Come on, bathroom’s through here.” He snagged my hand in his and tugged me forward.

  The room flowed perfectly from one to the other. There was a toilet, raised sink, and a simple bathtub/shower taking up one wall.

  “Go ahead and get cleaned up, there’s shit under the sink. I’ll go scrounge up some gear for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I’ll be right out here.”

  I nodded and watched him leave.

  As soon as I heard his footsteps retreating down the hall, I shut the door and let myself breathe again.

  Chapter Eleven

  BLUE

  I stood in the doorway wrapped in a towel, brazenly staring.

  He was shirtless, stretched out on the bed, ankles crossed with one booted foot over the other, a heavily tattooed arm slung over his eyes.

  This man was beautiful.

  His red hair was cut just as I remembered it, faded on the sides and long on top, swept back away from his face. He had a bit of stubble now that made him even more appealing.

  His body was a wet dream.

  Perfectly sculpted, sun-kissed, and covered in panty dropping ink. I wanted to trace each image with my tongue just so I could learn where one began and another ended.

  “Enjoying the view?” he asked abruptly, turning his head to look at me.

  “I um, thought you were asleep.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  I twisted the top of my towel so it was tied tighter, and cocked my hip. “If you’re asking if I’m attracted to you, the answer is obvious.”

  “And are those for me?” I asked, spotting a small pile of feminine clothes on a round stool.

  He nodded, but said, “Come here,” before I could take a single step towards them, sitting up so his back was supported by the headboard.

  I went to him without hesitation, stopping right beside the bed.

  He reached out and placed a feather light touch on my bare shoulder. “How was your shower?” he asked, dragging that same feathered touch down my arm.

  “Amazing,” I answered in a surprisingly steady voice. And it really was amazing. It felt superb to be under the strong spray of hot water again.

  “You hungry?”

  I shook my head from side to side.

  “Tired?”

  “I’m always tired, but I can never sleep,” I shrugged.

  He nodded, never stopping his trek across my skin. “Believe it or not, I know exactly what you mean.”

  He touched me again, this time starting at the hem of the towel, skimming his fingertips up the crevice between my thighs.

  “So soft,” he murmured.

  My stomach clenched as his hand moved higher. I licked my lips and swallowed a shaky breath.

  “Are we going to talk now?” I managed to spit out.

  “We probably should, huh?” He dropped his hand and ran it through his hair in obvious frustration. “I expected you to be pissed at me.”

  “Well, I’m not.”

  “I can see that,” he said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

  I crossed my arms tightly over my chest and expelled a small breath. This was one conversation I was ready to get over with. If I couldn’t have him, but he was happy, then that’s really all that mattered.

  In the end, he was going to need someone to lean on, and if Katya could pull him from whatever dark hole he was trapped in, I would stand in the corner and be a cheerleader.

  “Just like ripping off a band aid.”

  “Huh?”

  “Nothing, that wasn’t supposed to be said out loud. Look, I can’t be mad at you for what happened. It wasn’t your idea, and you didn’t owe me your loyalty or protection. Plus, what’s done is done.” I placed a hand on his shoulder and offered a small smile.

  “Are you being serious?”

  His face lost all traces of its usual playfulness and was replaced by a look I couldn’t read.

  “Yes…?” I dropped my hand down to my side and fought the urge to fidget. I hadn’t meant for it to sound like a question.

  I was more than a little mortified to be behaving like this. I was not a woman who got tongue-tied over attractive men or blushed from her roots to her toes just from them looking at her.

  He made me feel like a love-struck teenager with a raging case of hormones.

  He also wasn’t mine. Something I needed to remember.

  “So, how’s Kat?” I cleared my throat and looked towards the stool, internally cringing at how peppy I sounded.

  He opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off.

  “I’m sorry. This is all kinds of awkward. I should probably have clothes on before we discuss her. I already broke girl code by letting you touch me.”

  “Blue.” He scooted over and patted the space he’d just made. “I don’t want you to put your clothes on. I want you to sit your pretty ass down right beside me.”

  “Cobra, I’m not going to have sex with you!”

  His eyebrows rose in surprise, shock, or maybe it was amusement, based off the huge grin now on his face.

  Oh, god. Why did I just say that? I could feel my face heating up.

  “Well, that’s good to know, babe. I’m not going to have sex with you either.”

  Oh.

  “I’m going to fuck you so hard that you’ll have a permanent imprint of my dick inside your pussy.”

  “Oh, wow. That’s…creative,” I replied stupidly.

  He threw his head back and laughed. If the floor would have swallowed me, I’d have been forever grateful.

  “You’re bright fuckin red. Sit down, Blue; I’ll keep my hands to myself. Scout’s honor.”

  “Were you even a boy scout?”

  “Nah, but I could’ve been.”

  “Right,” I laughed, feeling a little less embarrassed as I sat down.

  I was acutely aware of my nakedness beneath the towel as I settled on the bed, thankful it was thick enough to hide my hardened nipples.

  “I think we need to clear up a misunderstanding. I’ve only fucked Katya once.

  She’s had my balls in her mouth twice. I’m not in a relationship with her. I don’t want her.”

  “What? No…you two were together at the house.”

  “Nah, babe, not in that way. We messed around before you left and she…uh, gave me head twice in the two days after you left. but I never fuckin touched her after that. Now don’t get me wrong, Katya is gorgeous, but she could never hold a candle to you, Blue.”


  I shook my head, unable to believe what he was telling me. “I…I don’t even know what to say right now.”

  “Tell me I’m a fuckin idiot for letting you go. Then tell me why you look so damn sad so I can make you happy.”

  “I don’t understand. If you had her, what do you want with me?”

  “Blue, it was always going to be you. I just had my head to far up my own ass to know it.

  “I knew the second I saw you in that hospital that you were different. I was tryna set you free.

  “If you’d stayed, I’d have trapped you in hell with me. Thought you deserved more than I could ever give you.”

  His words cut deep. It wasn’t just the honesty in them. It was him sitting there telling me he thought he wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted to scream at him that yes, he was a fucking idiot for that logic alone, but I knew I’d never reach him that way.

  “So you and her aren’t….?” I asked instead.

  “I may do a lot of stupid shit, but I know better than to fuck the friend of the woman I want.”

  He wanted me? My stomach somersaulted.

  I pulled my lower lip between my teeth and focused on the area rug. Why was all of this just now coming to light?

  “I’m glad we cleared that up. But where does that place us now? You understand I’ve been sleeping with another man almost every night the last few weeks?

  “And we have to talk. I can’t just jump from one man to another. I don’t know where to start with all this.”

  His throat clearing had me glancing back over at him.

  “Are you always this trusting?” he asked, looking at me.

  “What?”

  “I asked you if you’re always this trusting.”

  “What does that have to do with anything I just said?”

  “Just answer the question.”

  Confused, I searched his face for a minute to see if he was joking before I replied.

  “I’m never this trusting. You’re just special.”

  Something between a cough and a laugh slipped from his throat. “Been called a lot of things, babe. Special has never made the list. I think you might be alone on that one.”

  “That’s cool with me.” I shrugged and gave him a small smile, slowly starting to relax again.

  His eyes dropped to my lips and he shook his head. “Too fuckin sweet,” he muttered.

  “If you can think I’m sweet, I can think you’re special.”

  “I suppose that’s fair, but I know you’re not that naïve, Blue. I’m a fucked up person. I’m not ashamed to admit that, and have never tried to hide it.”

  “We’re all a little fucked up, Cobra. It’s not a competition.”

  “And here I was going for a gold medal.”

  “I know you’re trying to be an ass. It’s not working. You’re adorable.” I laughed. “But really, I have no issue with who you are.”

  “Huh, is that so?”

  A small squeak flew from my mouth and suddenly I was on my back, staring straight up into a pair of silver eyes.

  They were endless. Bottomless pools of pain, anger, and sorrow. I knew then that I’d happily drown in them if it meant I could make him better.

  Offering help wouldn’t be good enough. Even full of pain, his eyes reflected something fierce, primal, and utterly savage.

  My mouth dried up as I realized he was letting me see him, completely, with no walls up.

  It excited me, sending an adrenalized jolt racing down my spine and wetness between my thighs.

  “Scared yet?” he asked, using a knee to part my legs.

  “Nope,” I breathed.

  “Silly little monster.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over the inverted cross burned into my neck. “I can feel your heart racing inside your chest.”

  And it was. It was beating so hard I was surprised he couldn’t see it.

  He moved his lips to my ear and nipped the lower lobe.

  I swallowed a groan. “Did you hear anything I said?”

  “Heard everything you said.”

  “So what happened to talking?”

  “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”

  “I need to—”

  He silenced me by tearing the towel away and positioning himself between my legs.

  “Nothing you tell me is going to change my mind about you, Blue. I know shit is going to be far from easy. I have a lot of fuckin issues and I’m guessin you do too, but we can figure it out. Just let me have this.”

  His solid cock separated by nothing but the fabric of his jeans rubbed against my throbbing clit, eliciting a needy moan.

  He looked down and blew out a breath. “You have the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.”

  “Cobra.” I reached up and cupped his face, smoothing my thumbs over his stubble.

  Every solid, inked muscle all the way down to the V was pressed against my naked body.

  I shut my eyes and tried to remember my agenda.

  He hadn’t even done anything and my body was on fire, needing him, craving him like nothing I’d ever craved before.

  All the problems, all the painful truths, everything went up in smoke and it was just me and him.

  ”Look at me,” he demanded.

  I sucked in a breath and opened my eyes, seeing a hardened expression now on his face.

  “I told myself letting you go was a big fuckin mistake. If I ever got the chance to fix it, your ass would be mine. This is the only chance I’m gonna give you to tell me to stop.

  “This is the only warning I’m givin you that this isn’t a onetime thing. I’ve waited weeks for you.”

  I knew something about that last part was significant, but I couldn’t grasp it right then.

  “Why would I need a warning?” I asked, genuinely confused.

  “Because you should want more than a sick motherfucker like me to pin you down and shove his dick in you.

  “I’m not a gentle teddy bear, and if you’re going to be with me, you’ll have to accept that. I’m a Savage. And that means you would be, too.”

  I threaded my fingers through his hair and made a spur of the moment decision I knew I couldn’t take back.

  This was insanity, I know. But I also knew in my heart of hearts that it was the right decision for me.

  He was exactly what I wanted.

  “So what happens after I tell you that I’m kinda obsessed with your strand of sickness?”

  Something akin to a growl erupted from his throat. He balled a fist in my hair, slamming his lips against mine.

  He stole all the air from my lungs, devouring me with a raw need. It was the most intense thing I’d ever felt.

  I used him to breathe.

  When he finally pulled away, he kept me in place with a hand around my throat. His eyes slowly traveled down my body, taking a second to admire my breasts.

  “You’re so damn beautiful.”

  He let go long enough to shove his pants down, completely commando underneath his dark jeans.

  The second I saw his cock, I had to bite my lips and squeeze my thighs together, nearly moaning aloud.

  My body was keyed up and desperate for this dark, brutal man.

  “Do you want me?” he asked, stroking himself.

  “I need you,” I damn near cried.

  I needed him to fuck away every trace of the man I’d just spent the last few weeks with, and if after tonight he changed his mind, then all I knew was that I never wanted to forget him. I wanted to touch and learn every part of him.

  With another growl, he flipped me onto my stomach and shoved my face into the mattress.

  He was behind me then, biting down on my right globe so hard I had to smother my loud yelp with a pillow. Next thing I knew, he was positioning me on my knees.

  One hand came around and tightly gripped my throat, forcing my back to arch against his chest. I felt his throbbing cock against my thigh.

  “Gonna fuck you now,” was the only warning he gave me.

>   He slammed himself into me so damn hard I bit my lip and drew blood.

  “Damn, you feel so fucking good,” he ground out in a guttural voice. “Better than I imagined.”

  He rolled his hips, grabbing a fistful of my wet hair with his other hand, fucking me so brutally we started to move across the bed.

  I got lost in the feeling and sensations of everything him. He fed me his dick inch by thick glorious inch, keeping his tight grip on my throat.

  “Oh…fuck…” I panted, feeling my pussy begin to clamp down.

  He was going to make me come from penetration alone, something I’d thought was a myth. His movements picked up. He fucked me faster, gripped my throat tighter, and pulled my hair harder.

  “Shit! Cobra!” I screamed his name; every muscle in my body went taut as a ball of heat exploded in my core, flooding his dick with juices.

  Another growl flew from his mouth. He pulled out, flipped me around like a ragdoll, and slammed back inside me.

  He pounded into me harder than before, his hand still wrapped around my throat so tight I could barely breathe, and my eyes were beginning to water. I didn’t dare tell him to stop.

  I loved every bit of his roughness. I’d never get enough.

  I could tell he was still holding back, and it pissed me off. I wanted it all. I wasn’t afraid of the darkness lurking in his eyes; I wanted to drown in it.

  I dragged my nails down his forearms and across his back, wrapping my legs around his waist.

  “Fuck!” he shouted, lurching down to capture my mouth with his, pumping his come inside me and triggering a second orgasm.

  I whimpered beneath him, my limbs turning to Jell-O.

  We stayed together after he pulled out, his gorgeous eyes staring into mine.

  That promise I’d seen before was back, knowing I wasn’t going anywhere.

  He moved off me and lay on his side, pulling me flush against him so we were in a spooning position.

  He placed a hand on my stomach and gently massaged it.

  “I don’t know what to say right now,” I admitted, my voice hoarse.

  “Don’t say anything. Just stay with me.

  Chapter Twelve

  COBRA

  Fuck.

  I’d repeated that word a dozen times since she’d succumbed to exhaustion.