He growled, slapped me across the face hard enough to bring tears to my eyes and slammed me against the wall of the building. Pain reverberated down my back. With both of his hands holding my upper arms, I used the self-defense training Ashton insisted I learn, and drove my knee up into his groin as hard as I possibly could. He let go of me instantly to cup his crotch.
Run, Elena. Run!
Seeing a clear path, I started to run toward the car. Halfway there I was thrown to the ground by Dominic’s weight. Spinning my body, I threw him off but I wasn’t fast enough and he jumped to his feet, coming toward me, pulling a pistol out of the back of his pants.
“Now, you’re going to come with me quietly, or I’m going to turn this gun on the goons in the car.”
There was only one way this could end.
Throwing out my leg, I was able to knock him to the ground. The clang of metal against the concrete drew my attention to the gun that had slipped from his grip. Scrambling forward, I tried to get to the gun first. The second my hand slid around the barrel, I rolled, and pointed the gun at Dominic.
I pulled the trigger and the sound echoed through the lot.
Footsteps pounded across the pavement toward me as Dominic’s eyes met mine, his hands covering the hole in his stomach. He dropped to his knees.
There was blood.
A lot of it.
Everywhere.
“Elena,” Brock shouted, grabbing Dominic’s shirt and pushing him away from me.
Lewis pulled his phone out of his pocket, calling first the police then Ashton. Brock sat next to me, taking the gun from my hand. “Are you okay, Elena?”
The sight of Dominic’s body, oozing life, held me immobile.
“Physically she’s fine.” Their voices sounded like they were coming down a tunnel. “Yeah, I’m not sure she’ll answer. She seems to be in shock. Of course I called the fucking police. No reason for us to clean up this mess. She was defending herself. Hold on.”
A phone was pushed into my hand and raised to my ear.
“Elena?”
I couldn’t speak. My voice was trapped.
“She’s listening,” a male voice called out. “Just talk to her.”
“Elena, babe, please listen to me. I’m on my way.” Horns blared in the background. “I know you didn’t want to hurt him, but he left you no choice.
Sirens came closer and closer.
“Elena, please talk to me. I love you. Please.”
Something in Ashton’s pleading tone snapped me out of it. “Ashton?” I whispered.
“Yeah, baby, it’s good to hear your voice. I’ll be there soon. Are you okay?”
Flashing lights surrounded us.
“The police are here.” My tone was flat, unfeeling.
“Elena, please keep talking to me. Just listen to my voice.”
Police were everywhere, yelling for us to put our hands in the air. I didn’t want to lose my connection to Ashton, but I had no choice. I dropped the phone to the asphalt and held up my hands, palms out.
After determining we weren’t armed, the officers separated us. They took me to a medic, who looked me over as they began to question me about what happened.
“Elena,” Ashton called from behind the police tape.
They wouldn’t let him through. Didn’t they understand that I needed him? Ignoring the officer talking to me, I spun and ran toward Ashton. The second his arms wrapped around me I lost it, heavy sobs ripping from my body as I collapsed against him. Eventually they let Ashton through when they realized it would be the only way to get me to finish answering questions.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard Brock and Lewis apologize to Ashton. I continued to answer questions. My whole body was functioning on autopilot. It was so bad, I barely noticed Ashton leading me to his car and helping me inside.
The entire drive home, I stared out the window. Dominic’s lifeless body wouldn’t leave my thoughts.
We pulled up outside the house and Ashton left the car at the curb, lifting me and carrying me through the front door. He set me down in the kitchen, getting a cloth and wiping at my skin, checking me over. I wasn’t even sure where I was hurt at that point.
His fingers brushed over my cheek and I flinched. His hands were shaking. He clenched his fists.
“If that motherfucker wasn’t already dead, I kill him myself.”
Once again, my eyes filled with tears and he cursed under his breath.
“Babe, I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just so fucking angry I wasn’t there to protect you.”
“I . . . killed . . . a man,” I cried.
Ashton pulled me to him, his hand sliding up into my hair to hold my head to his chest. “Oh, baby, I know. But you had to. You have no idea how much I wish I was the person who could have done that for you.”
For long moments he held me in his arms. The scent of his cologne started to have an effect on me. I wanted him and I wanted him badly. Gazing up, I saw the same needed reflected back at me.
And then his mouth was on mine. His tongue slipped inside, caressing every inch and dancing with mine.
“Elena, I need you so fucking bad. I need to know you’re okay. If you don’t want this, say now.”
I ran my fingers down his face. “You can have me anytime.”
The first thing to hit the floor was my shirt, then my bra, quickly followed by Ashton’s shirt. Our lips reconnected, his thumb brushing over my hardened nipple and the feeling shot through me, straight to my core. I was Ashton’s musical instrument and damn he was an expert at playing me.
His lips moved down my neck, stopping to suck on my pulse point, then moved lower until they closed around my nipple, almost causing my knees to buckle. Pushing me flush against the door, he held my weight up with his own.
I need more.
His hands and mouth weren’t enough. My hips started grinding against his. When one of his hands slipped up underneath my skirt, pushing my panties to the side until his fingers brushed over my exposed clit, my hips bucking of their own volition.
“Please, again.”
I didn’t care that I was begging.
I needed to come.
I wanted him inside me.
His fingers flicked over my clit again. “Please, I don’t need slow and sweet, I need you to fuck me.”
His eyes widened for a moment, then lust took over and his belt was off and his pants unzipped in a matter of seconds, his cock bobbing freely in front of him. He didn’t even bother taking off my skirt and panties. Lifting me by the ass, he plunged deep inside.
The feeling was exquisite.
“You feel so fucking good,” he growled.
“Please, move.”
I didn’t need to ask twice. My body was forced against the wall, his thrusts quick and sharp until I could feel my muscles tightening, my body reaching for its peak. I knew Ashton was close. His eyes bore straight into mine and I saw dazed passion in his unfocused gaze.
As my body went down in fire quicker than I ever thought possible, I cried out, repeating his name over and over until I was hoarse. Ashton followed almost immediately, his breath coming in sharp pants.
There was a thud as his head hit the door behind me. Slowly, we regained our strength and I unhooked my legs from around his waist, allowing him to set my feet back on the floor.
Ashton stared into my eyes, lightly caressing the bruise that was most likely forming right beneath my eye. “Elena, I love you so much. You are my whole world.”
Tears blurred my vision and I couldn’t stop them from falling. “I love you too. Thank you for saving me.”
“I didn’t save you. You saved yourself.”
And for the first time in my entire life, I felt at peace. I had a wonderful man who loved me and who showed me how true love should be. He taught me to stand on my own two feet and introduced me to a world of pleasure I’d never known before.
I was pretty sure life couldn’t get any better.
EPILOGUE