Caroline*****My eyes were physically out of tears. They felt heavy and almost itchy from their dryness. I wished I could just close my eyes and rest them, but sleep was impossible.I glanced over at Uncle Sam, who was sitting in the driver's seat. He was staring at the road and didn't respond to my lingering gaze. We hadn't spoken much since he picked me up at the foot of Marshall's driveway. It certainly wasn't out of lack of interest on my part.I had so many questions about Marshall, about the FBI, about Freya's murder and my parents' death, and Sam's role in all of this. I just didn't have the heart to ask anymore. Only hours ago, Sam picked me up and brought me to a discreet FBI checkpoint in town where I was told by agents that Marshall was the leader of the Persian mafia. They'd been trying to catch him on drug charges for years now but had been unsuccessful in penetrating his ring. They told me it was extremely likely he was responsible for the death of my parents and tha
Caroline*****Tiny red lights glowed under the burning pile of logs. They kinda looked like small stars exploding in slow motion. Or maybe that was the bud talking.I blinked as someone jostled me in the shoulder."Here."Sighing, I turned my head to Freya holding out a brown glass bottle towards me. I grabbed it and flashed her a small smile."Hanging in there, kiddo?" she asked."Mhmm." I nodded and brought the bottle to my lips, dipping my head back.The cold, wheaty liquid slid over my tongue and down my throat. It burned in the pit of my empty stomach and I imagined the tiny red stars exploding inside my organs."Yeah." She dropped onto the Adirondack chair beside me and kicked her bare feet up onto the stone pit.I leaned back and moved to drop my own feet up but suddenly spotted the gleam from my glossy black heels. My throat tightened. When I tried to swallow, it felt like a rock was lodged in my esophagus. I didn't realize I was crying until I felt something drip onto my han
Caroline ***** I stayed in bed until eight. The house kept me company for hours, soothing my insomnia with its settling creaks. At the sound of beeping in the kitchen, I roused myself from beneath the warm sheets. Once I'd moved the chair back to its place, I padded out to the kitchen. The delightful smell of hot coffee tickled at my nose. I relaxed a bit when I realized it was only Freya in the kitchen. She smiled at me and set her phone down. "Coffee, kiddo?" I nodded with a small smile. While she poured the black liquid into a mug and fetched milk from the fridge, I debated whether to tell her about Valentina. I didn't want to offend her but I decided she should at least be aware. "Thanks," I said as she handed me the mug. "I, um, think I have something to tell you." Freya raised her brows and blew on her steaming mug. "What's up?" "Well . . . I . . . Valentina . . ." I swallowed. This was harder than I thought. Why couldn't I just tell her? Now my cousin was frowning. "He
Marshall Brown ***** Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Numbers! They were all just a bunch of nonsensical, disorganized digits. I breathed out again, this time making a loud rasp. "Fucking damn it," I snarled, jumping out of my chair. My hands dragged through my hair, which was already very tousled. It seemed all I could do today was curse at my desktop and imagine her angelic face and all the expressions I wanted to paint on it. Her lips were so delicate and the cutest shade of pink. I wondered if she normally wore that chapstick. I wondered what it tasted like. I audibly groaned at how uncomfortably my pants strained around my hardened dick. Clenching my jaw, I strolled over to the window and placed an open palm along its cool surface. I was never this frustrated. I didn't let things bother me. Because why should they? I couldn't give a flying fuck about what people thought or did. If someone else's actions impacted me, I dealt with them and moved on. I didn't get frustrated. M
Caroline*****I stood at the full-length mirror behind the door and glanced over my outfit. Skinny cut jeans and a black turtleneck sweater and tall leather boots. My hair was tied into a ponytail at the crown of my head and the long blonde strands fell over my shoulder. Sighing, I adjusted my glasses and turned away from the mirror. As I walked down the hall towards the living room, I could almost hear Uncle James talking to me. He'd be sitting in a robe in his recliner with the newspaper on his lap and a mug of black coffee in hand.Peering over a pair of bifocals, he was saying, "Those jeans are awfully tight. Are you trying to get boys to look at your ass? And what is that under your shirt? A push-up? Go change."The memory hit me so strongly that I was startled at the sight of Freya leaning against the kitchen island. She was tapping away on her phone and shot me a quick smile."Coffee's in the pot and there's milk in the fridge," she said.I walked past the brewing machine and
Marshall*****My muscles cramped with exhaustion as I sat outside in my car, struggling to keep my eyes open. It had been a long week. A pain in my ass kind of week, too.We had recovered the damaged goods from the attack and I'd managed to get the local police off my back. Barely. They were persistent fuckers. The driver was still in my basement, though hardly alive at this point.Today, I couldn't give less of a fuck. Not about that guy or anybody else. I sat in my car and occasionally lifted my head to look through the heavily tinted windows. I could tell when classes were changing or lunch was out, since kids would flow out of the red brick monolith. Otherwise, the school was dead from the outside.This wasn't my first day. I knew when to expect my angel. She walked to and from this building every weekday at the same time. Ear buds in, feet at the ground. She never noticed me and I doubted she ever would.This morning, she walked out of the decrepit little house in skinny jeans a
Caroline*****I kept my head down as I hurried home. If he was following me, I didn't want to know. Or did I? He did proclaim himself as my stalker. I mean, I should have been scared, right? There was no soul behind those eyes. They were hollow, dark, abysmal.And yet, looking into them, I didn't feel afraid. The darkness in them couldn't scare me. I had no idea what my stalker's intentions towards me were and even I had to admit that they probably weren't good. He was older than me. Old enough to have a trace of dark stubble along his chiseled cheeks. Old enough to have multiple very nice vehicles.So why? What business did he have stalking me, some nobody high school girl? He had to be a pedophile. Granted, I was technically legal but what else could a guy like him want from me? It's not like I had anything to steal but my virginity.That should scare the shit out of me. I've never been intimate with anyone, much less an older guy. If he wants to hurt me, I should be running for th
Caroline*****And then the door flew open and a pack of wolves emerged. By wolves, I meant half of the cheerleaders and their friends. The tall, leggy redhead, Ally, who'd been Greg's date for every dance and formal for as long as I could remember, threw us a saccharine grin."There you are, Greg!" she cooed. "We've been looking everywhere for you."I glanced at him and was stunned by his discreet eye roll. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face the pack."Hi, Ally." He smiled but it was so clearly forced that I almost laughed. "What's up?""Oh, we were just planning the after party at my house and I wanted your input on some things," she said, her friends bobbing their heads.I didn't miss the suspicious or even downright hostile look some of them sent me. As if I asked for Greg to suddenly befriend me."Okay. What things?" he asked."Well . . ." She looked warily at me.I was already rising to my feet, grabbing my backpack. "I was leaving anyway," I muttered."Caroline—" he starte
Caroline*****My eyes were physically out of tears. They felt heavy and almost itchy from their dryness. I wished I could just close my eyes and rest them, but sleep was impossible.I glanced over at Uncle Sam, who was sitting in the driver's seat. He was staring at the road and didn't respond to my lingering gaze. We hadn't spoken much since he picked me up at the foot of Marshall's driveway. It certainly wasn't out of lack of interest on my part.I had so many questions about Marshall, about the FBI, about Freya's murder and my parents' death, and Sam's role in all of this. I just didn't have the heart to ask anymore. Only hours ago, Sam picked me up and brought me to a discreet FBI checkpoint in town where I was told by agents that Marshall was the leader of the Persian mafia. They'd been trying to catch him on drug charges for years now but had been unsuccessful in penetrating his ring. They told me it was extremely likely he was responsible for the death of my parents and tha
Marshall*****I was still in the depths of sleep when the shrill ring of my cell phone pierced through my dreams of a beautiful blonde girl with kind eyes.Sighing, my hand extended to the nightstand where my phone was plugged in. I popped the cord out and sat up. I saw it was Nuel and cursed, shoving the sheets off of me."What?" I answered. My eyes flicked to the lump on the other side of the bed. Caroline remained peacefully asleep. I reached over to caress the curve of her side before stopping myself. I didn't want to wake her, especially given how late I'd kept her up.My fiancé. I still couldn’t believe she said yes, that it was official. I never once in my life imagined I would get married—certainly not of my own volition. She was the only person I knew capable of changing my mind. I was a stubborn fucker. But I also wasn’t willing to lose her.I'd have to make time today to get her a ring. I wanted to get her something special and meaningful. But also something fucking hug
Caroline*****The first thing I noticed was the lingering soreness of my thighs and pelvis. Grimacing, I stretched through the pain.My right hand searched through the sheets. Finding only coolness, I leaned over and reached further. The emptiness struck me and I frowned. My eyes reluctantly peeled open to look around. Marshall wasn't in bed. His side was stone cold, as though he hadn't been here for a while. I didn't hear him moving around in the bathroom either. I sat up and instantly gasped at the spasm of pain in my thighs. Gritting my teeth, I threw the covers off of me. My breath caught.My abdomen and thighs were littered with hickeys and bruises. The man did a toll on my body last night. As soon as I agreed to marry him, it was like a switch flipped. He took me again in the bed a few times, then against the vanity in the bathroom, and twice more in the kitchen. I couldn't escape his massive cock or greedy fingers or ravenous lips. And because I was a little fucked in the
Caroline*****His words hung between us like a wall of cracked glass. Marry me.I stared up into Marshall's impermeable black eyes. I never felt so distant from him. Yet, at the same time, he offered me more insight into his mind than he ever had.Some kind of emotional block held him back. He could admit to caring for me, but he wouldn't allow himself to call it 'love.' He was a tortured soul. I knew that early on. Our dynamic was fucked from the start. I was desperate to feel loved and wanted by someone. I was tired of feeling like a burden to those I loved. Marshall made me feel the way I always wanted to: wanted, desirable, sexy, trustworthy, worthy.So, could I really hate him?I couldn't. I was sick in the head for loving him and wanting to be with him, even when I knew he may never admit to loving me. But I would never pass up the opportunity to be with him. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to concede to his demands so easily."Marriage isn't something to casually throw aroun
Caroline*****"You think?" I challenged her.My angel blinked up at me through her big, doe-shaped hazel eyes. Her lips parted in surprise.Leaning down, I stole another breath-taking kiss from her sweet mouth. I tweaked her nipple between two fingers and earned a small cry from her. My cock was already turning stiff again. "Marsh," she whined. "Tell me," I said, leaning over her so I could peer directly down into her eyes. "Do you love me or not?"She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. As it tugged free, the pink skin was glossy with her saliva. I stared helplessly at them. "You know I do," she whispered.My hand rubbed circles into her hip. We stared at each other without looking away, the air thick between us. "I have known for a while now," I told her. "The way you look at me . . . the way you touch me…" I rubbed my hand over the top of her thigh before tracing down to her warmth. Her curls tickled at my fingertips. I strummed my fingers through her slippery folds. Some o
Caroline*****My stomach fluttered like one giant net filled with butterflies.Marshall's intense eyes focused directly on the walls ahead. His face was neutral but I could sense the tension coiled in his muscles as they carried me. I leaned into his chest with a small sigh. The fact that I was here, in his arms and in his house, partly surprised me. He knew about Greg but he was still here. He still wanted me. And as far as I could tell, he had no plans to murder me or Greg. Maybe he does love me, I mused. Despite the signs of his dedication and affection for me and my welfare, I knew I'd never believe it unless he directly said it. I often speculated on it all day and night but I never allowed myself to believe it. Just in case he didn't. "How old were you when you lost your virginity?" I asked him. Marshall's unrelenting glare briefly broke form to glance down at me. "Thirteen." I couldn't help but choke on my next breath. 13?! I was fantasizing about Edward Cullen and po
Marshall ***** Gold digger! Sugar daddies!! I wanted immediately to throttle this bitch. There was not a goddamn plane in all the worldly dimensions in which I would share my angel's sweet and supple skin. Caroline tightened her grip on my hand as I did an about-face. A thin girl with freckles and red hair glared at me with a smirk. "Name," I said. Her eyes flashed with interest. "Oh, did I say something you—" "Give me your fucking name," I growled. "A-Ally," she stuttered, blinking hard. "Ally what? Full goddamn name." "Ally Sa-Samson, sir." "Okay, Ally Samson—" Pressure on my arm drew my attention down to Caroline. Her eyes were wide, pleading. "Just ignore her," she said. "She's Greg's ex-girlfriend and she's convinced I'm trying to—" "THEY MADE OUT." Ally's face flushed crimson. Caroline ducked her face, letting out a muffled cry. I studied her closer and deciphered her body language. "Who made out?" I asked the girl in a clipped tone. "Caroline a-and Greg." I t
Caroline*****My entire body felt like jello.Partly because Marshall fingered the hell out of me this morning. But mostly because I was about to step into the gates of adulthood.My high school career ended today.Tomorrow, I could get a full-time job. I could apply to college. I could get knocked up and have a baby.Just kidding.I could barely take care of myself, much less a whole ass other person.Still, the looming thoughts about losing my v-card tonight made my overthinking brain consider all the repercussions.Sex was pleasure but also STIs and pregnancy and pain. Or so I'd heard.I wasn't afraid to lose my virginity. There was no other person on the planet I wanted near my body but Marshall Brown. I think my behavior over the last few weeks made that more than apparent.Jesus, I'm embarrassed.Some of it I blamed on hormones. I couldn't help that being near him made all logic and rational sense fly out of my metaphorical and literal core.His presence absorbed every fiber of
Caroline *****I didn't realize we were already outside until Marshall firmly stopped me on the curb.He reached around me to open the car door.My focus was so scattered from all the sexual tension and desire that I failed to take in the vehicle.Only as I gathered my dress to slide through the door did I notice the vehicle's shape was strange—unusually long and polished perfectly.My hands flew to my mouth."A limo?" I gasped. My eyes jumped to Marshall's smug expression."Only the best for my angel," he said.My face scrunched in what I knew was about to be an all-out ugly cry. I'd never been in a limo. Hell, I'd never even been in the general vicinity of one.Sniffling, I ducked my head and slipped into the back of the limo.The interior was all black leather. A disco ball spun from the ceiling and some kind of upbeat jazz blared through the speakers. Grinning, I settled onto a seat. Across from my legs was a silver bucket nestled into the back of the seat. I reached over to pu