Tragic Beauty (Beauty & The Darkness #1)(36)

I sob, because I don’t want this. Not from him.

“Fight me all you want, Ava,” he says, “but I’m going to make you come, wife.”

I’m determined not to give him what he wants, but he touches me, manipulates me. I fight him, fight the unwanted pleasure. It’s something I don’t want, not from him. But Shayne knows what he’s doing, and the pain is changing, turning to pleasure as my body loosens, taking him in. My mind reels, torn between want and need, and then I come, choking, gasping.

“Fuck,” he groans. He lunges into me, into my most private place, and lets out a roar that tears me apart. It goes on forever, echoing inside my skull, until finally, it dies out.

It’s quiet now, except for his heavy breathing and my quiet weeping. He stays huddled over me, the heat from his body burning through mine, searing me in the broken places, especially my hip. My hip. The thought of what’s there twists like a blade inside my gut, adding to the horrible ache flooding me inside.

Slowly he withdraws, the mattress shifting and creaking when he stands. I want to hide, I want to curl up and die, but I’m too weak to move.

“Told you I’d make you bleed, Ava.”

I’m past caring, about his words or that his voice sounded sad.

The light shifts when he moves to the other side of the bed, near my head. He sits next to me and pushes my hair from my face—hair that’s soaked in sweat and tears.

“Now sleep wife. Get some rest. We’re going out later.”

My eyes peel open and widen just a fraction, then droop closed once more, my mind limping off to some dark wasteland. I search for green eyes among the shadows, but they elude me.

Because he’s gone.

Everything’s gone.

Somewhere in the distance, I hear a voice drifting through the haze.

“And don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ve got a dress and a ring lined up for you. Cause we’ve got some celebrating to do. It’s our wedding night, after all.”





CHAPTER SIXTEEN




Gavin




I sit in the truck next to Ben while he drives us back to Ava’s place. Something in me always knew I’d end up in jail, I just never thought it would be for something I actually wasn’t guilty of. It was self-defense after all, but it could’ve easily gone the other way. I was ready to pounce on the fucker the moment he stepped through the doorway.

“Thanks again,” I say, “not just for the ride, but, you know, stepping forward as a witness.”

“Yeah.”

I look out the window, gazing at the open country. It’s dark out, but there’s enough moonlight to make out the open fields and curving hills, the silhouettes of trees scattered here and there. There’s a tug at something deep inside me, as though something’s loosening. There’s room to breathe here. No buildings cramped tight, no cars piled up at traffic lights with horns blowing. In Los Angeles it’s always go, go, go. Even Santa Barbara—it’s beautiful, but still, it feels crowded. Especially having grown up in country like this, where you can look into the horizon and see nothing but the curves of the earth, and the sky above it.

Ben’s voice brings me back around. “Never seen such a madhouse. Reporters all over the place. You always gotta deal with that shit?”

“Yeah. It’s a fucking nightmare. Although, I guess today it worked in my favor. Not sure the sheriff would’ve been so keen to let me go otherwise.”

Ben snorts. “Can’t tell ya how nice it was to see Carson actually looking worried for once. Thought those buttons were going to pop right off his shirt, he was puffin’ so hard.”

The crunch of gravel sounds as Ben turns into Ava’s place. He pulls up alongside my car while I stare at her house. “Think she’ll be coming back anytime soon?”

“Got a feelin’ it’ll be a while.”

I think back to what Ben told me after Ava left. I still can’t wrap my head around it. Then the chaos of what happened in the living room sets in. “Fuck, I got a mess to clean up in there.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I got my own mess to clean up too.”

I shake my head but he cuts me off with a lift of his hand. “Really. It’ll give me a job to do. Help keep my mind off other things.”

I don’t like it, but I understand. I reach into my pocket and pull out my wallet. Luckily I’ve got some hundreds in there, so I hand him all I’ve got. He won’t take it, but I press him on it. “Please,” I say. “You got to let me do something.”

Maybe it’s the tone of my voice that has him changing his mind, but he takes it with a nod of his head.

“You need anything, just let me know,” Ben says. “You know where I am.”

“Alright.” I step out of the truck and wave. “Thanks again.”

Ben nods and heads back out the drive. There’s something comforting about that old man. Reminds me of how my father might’ve turned out, if he’d been able to get past his demons.

I turn and face the crumbling ranch house. Everything is dark and quiet, except for the chirp of crickets. A memory of another time and place. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and the memory’s wiped away.

I pull my cell out and see it’s Lenny, my agent. I don’t want to take it, but he’ll just keep calling if I don’t.