This Is Love, Baby (War & Peace #2)(30)

With a grumble, I climb out of bed and clean my cum from my stomach. Lifting my fingers to my nose, I inhale her scent. I certainly won’t be washing her from me anytime soon. Tomorrow, every time I eat or scrub my face in frustration, I will catch a whiff of her. It will get me through the times when she isn’t acting like herself.

I make my way back over to her and slide into the bed. Once the covers are pulled back over us, I wrap my body around hers to keep her warm. Sliding my hand back under her nightgown, I palm her breast and my mind flits to the past as I drift off to sleep.

Tony’s cell phone rings from where it’s plugged in on the bedside table and I jolt to an upright position on their bed. Every time his phone rings, I’m flooded with a mixture of anxiety and hope. Anxious that it could be someone looking for him, hopeful that it could be Baylee.

But it isn’t her.

It never is.

The only contact I get with her is through a questionable email address that shows up in Lynn’s inbox on her cell. Where I play the role of her angry father. Baylee must be playing a role too, because her emails are bullshit and don’t even sound like her.

A growl rumbles in my throat to see the call is from an unknown number. I swipe the button to answer the call but don’t say anything.

“Tony?” a familiar voice questions.

Gabe.

This is the first time he’s tried to make contact with Tony.

“Where is she?” I spit out.

The line is silent for a moment before he chuckles. It pisses me right the f*ck off.

“She’s been sold. But something tells me you already knew that.”

Blinding rage causes my fingers to grip the phone in my crushing grip. I’d throw the damn thing at the wall if it didn’t mean I’d lose my main line of contact to her. Instead, I sling the framed picture on the nightstand careening with the back of my hand and relish in the sound of the glass shattering as it hits the floor.

“Her sorry excuse for a father told me all about your scheme,” I snarl, hoping to bait him.

“Scheme? What scheme?” he questions, his tone sarcastic but I don’t miss the underlying hint of concern. “Where is ‘ol Tony anyway, * boy?”

“Well, he isn’t f*cking here, dumbass.” I pace the floor along the bed and fist my free hand. His voice seems to pour accelerant on the fire blazing within me.

The line goes silent and I pull it away to make sure it’s still connected. Finally, he lets out a breath of frustration and I smile in satisfaction knowing I’m getting to him.

He laughs but it’s dark and humorless. “Someone grew some balls since turning eighteen.”

“Where is she?” My tone is low and deadly.

“She’s gone,” he says, “for now. But soon I’ll have her back. Not that it matters to you anyway.”

“YOU WON’T HAVE ANYTHING!” I roar.

His heavy breathing has become louder on the other end of the line and he practically spits out his next words. “I will have everything—I’ve had everything. She belongs to me you little shit. Tony knew what he was doing when he agreed to all of this. He knew what could happen.”

“That you’d rape his daughter?!”

“You can’t rape the willing, * boy. And boy was she willing—such a needy, greedy little girl. So ripe. So f*cking juicy. It may not have been part of the original…scheme, but when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. Jesus, I’m getting hard just thinking about slurping up that wet * of hers. Fucking delicious. And, goddamn, that ass of hers was so tight—“

Before I can control myself, I heave the phone across the room with more force than any baseball I’ve ever thrown. It hits the dresser and shatters. My lifeline to the man who stole her is gone. The rage is out of control and I storm out of the house so I don’t ruin my sweet girl’s home. Instead, I take my anger outside and beat the f*ck out of the trunk of a thick oak in the backyard. Once my knuckles are busted open and bloody, and I am depleted of energy, I walk to the corner of the yard and sink to my ass on the dirt. Hot tears threaten but I don’t let them fall.

This f*cker won’t win. He’ll show up and I’ll force him to tell me who he sold her to. If I have to kick his ass into next week, I will. If I have to break both his arms, I will. If I have to kill him, I f*cking will. I will do whatever is necessary to pull the information from him. And when he finally gives me what I want…I’ll save her. I will find my girl and bring her back home.

I need to be smart. Vigilant. Her hero.

He’ll turn up soon. Either here, his job, his bank. Somewhere. And when he does, I’ll be waiting.





“SHHHH.”

His lips are all over mine. Sweet and needy. But they feel all wrong. I don’t want his lips on me. And now his tongue is pushing its way into my mouth. Rubbing against my own tongue. Taking and owning.

“Stop,” I whimper into his mouth.

He ignores me and dives deeper. His palm covers my breast through my nightgown and he squeezes almost painfully. I cry out and try to push him away.

“Stop!”

His mouth tears from mine and he’s no longer desperate. He’s fierce. Green eyes glower down at me as he covers my mouth with his palm. I struggle against his heavy frame but I’m not strong enough. This boy who I once loved is turning into a monster. He’s hurting me.