Mafia King by L. Steele

13

Michael

She disappears over the edge and my heart slams against my rib cage.

I see sparks behind my eyes. No, this can’t be happening. I propel my body through the undergrowth, thrust out my arm. My fingers graze her skin and I grab at her wrist. Hold.

She screams, and the sound is torn away by the wind.

"I’ve got you."

Her body dangles, sways. One of her pumps slips off her foot. She screams again, and the blood thuds at my temples, at my wrists. The weight of her body drags me forward. No, no, no, I am not going to let her die. No way, am I ready to go over the edge either. I dig the toes of my shoes into the ground, hook them around a protuberance and come to a halt. Stay there for a beat, another. Sweat streams down my forehead, down my nose. She glances up at me as the moisture trails down to splash onto her cheek.

She blinks, her green eyes dilated with terror, her pupils so large, I can see myself reflected in them.

"I am not letting you go.

"P…promise?" Her chin quivers and her teeth chatter.

"You bet, not until I have exacted my revenge for this stupid stunt."

Her gaze narrows and some of the color returns to her cheeks. There’s my Beauty, my Huntress.

"It’s your fault I landed here, in the first place."

"Oh?"

A gust of wind blows against us. Her body sways, I skid down further, and she yells, "Don’t you let go of me, you motherfucker!"

"Never thought I’d hear you say the words, baby girl."

"Fuck you."

"Time for that later." Pain shoots up my arm. It feels like it is being torn out of the socket. I grit my teeth so hard that pain shoots up my jaw. Not letting her go. Not letting her go. No. I shove my other arm out. "Take it."

"No."

"Not the time to act prissy."

"Not until you tell me what this is all about."

"Huh?" The woman is one hair’s breadth away from falling to her death, and here she is, arguing with me? "The hell you talking about?"

”You know." She swallows. "I want to know, why?"

"Why?"

"The real reason you saved my life."

"I’ll do one better."

She frowns.

"I’ll show you at dinner tomorrow."

Her mouth opens and closes. Her other shoe slides off. She whimpers. Color fades from her cheeks again.

"Work with me here, Beauty." I glare at her and she blinks. A tear drop makes it way down her cheek.

"Didn’t think you’d be the kind to resort to tears."

"I’m not." She sets her jaw.

"Or that you wanted to die without living fully?"

"Is that what you are doing?" She scowls; her dark hair flows around her shoulders.

"I’ve only been half alive... Until I met you."

"What?" She blinks.

The fuck am I talking about?"Your arm, give me your arm first."

"Only if you promise to complete that statement."

"Now," I growl, and she winces.

"Do it." I infuse all of my dominance into that phrase. She holds up her other arm. Thank fuck. I grab her hand, slide forward a bit further. She screams.

"Trust me," I implore.

"I did and look where that got me."

I grit my teeth, lock my muscles and haul her up...an inch, another. The wind seems to pick up. She bites down on her lower lip.

"I am not letting you die that easily."

I pull her up another inch.

"I’m sure that’s not out of any sense of compassion or a conscience. It’s not like you have one anyway, right?"

"You done insulting me?" I blink away a drop of sweat.

"Just getting started."

"Good, so am I." My shoulder muscles knot and a burning sensation crawls up my forearms as I drag her up, until her arms are just over the ledge. "When I get you on firm ground—and believe me, I will—I am going to teach you a lesson—one you won’t forget."

"You don’t scare me."

"Good." I haul her body toward me. "Then you won’t mind when I show you exactly what I have in mind for you." She huffs, digs her feet into the curve of the ledge and pushes herself up. I brace myself, bend my legs and pull her over the edge. She falls on her front next to me, her breathing loud. I sit up and haul her into my arms. "I am going to kill you for what you did to me."

She trembles, her shoulders shake. "I… I thought… You said you wanted to save my life to teach me a lesson."

Her features crumple.

"No," I growl. "Not now."

A tear slides down her cheek and my heart stutters. Fuck this. Fuck her. Fuck everything that brought me to this exact moment, when I have my end in plain sight.

"Why do you have to be so annoying?" I growl.

"Why do you have to be so—"

I lower my head, close my lips over hers. I thrust my tongue inside her mouth. A moan swells up from her and I swallow it. I suck from her, draw her breath, bite down on her lower lip, and she shudders. I tilt my head, haul her even closer, wrap my arms around her and yank her to me. Her entire body trembles. Her breasts are flattened against me, and her nipples harden. The blood rushes to my groin. I dig my fingers through her hair and tug her head back. Grip her chin, tilt it up and lower my lips to hers. She throws her arms around my neck and strains in my hold. Another hoarse whine bleeds from her and something inside of me shatters.

I tear my mouth from hers, chest heaving, blood buzzing, my nostrils filled with her scent. Her taste is heavy in my mouth, her melting core drawing me in. She raises her eyelids and those green eyes stare back at me, dilated…this time, with passion. She licks her lips, raises her chin.

"No." I unknot her hands from around me, stagger to my feet and pull her up with me. I head for the house, pulling her along, and her legs seem to give way from under her.

"For fuck’s sake." I turn, swing her up in my arms.

"I can walk." Her voice is hoarse; her frame is too light. Anger boils up my spine. Why does she always have to complicate everything? Why is it that everywhere I turn, she is there, turning my world upside down? If she had gone over the ledge, if I had reached her one second later ... My arms tighten around her.

She winces, shoves at me, "You’re hurting me."

"Good."

"Why are you upset?"

"I’m not."

"You could have fooled me." She purses her lips.

"You are too much trouble, you know that?" I growl.

She huffs, "Your mistake for having kidnapped me."

"You're right."

"I am?" She scowls up at me.

"Abso-fucking-lutely," I drawl, "I can’t wait to get you back to your room so I can get on with the rest of my evening. Larissa is waiting for me."