Beast’s Demands by Sam Crescent

 

Chapter One

Ashley

 

I wasn’t used to being important.

All my life, I’d been told how useless I was. How I’d destroyed my mother’s figure. Stopped her from finding the perfect man. How men didn’t want a woman with a kid. Before we moved to Crude Hill, I either hid out in my old bedroom when she had guests or left. I’d spent many nights camped out at a park, or down by one of the lakes while she pretended to be a single woman.

I did all of that out of love.

I loved my mother.

So much.

She was the worst and best person in my life. I loved her more than anything. Then he came along. A man with smooth words, and within a matter of months, we’d gone from living a life of struggle to luxury. He was a married man with a family. He didn’t require me to leave. Knew all about the daughter, and for a short time, everything was perfect. Or as perfect as it could have been. He’d told me straight, I wasn’t going to get anything out of the arrangement that he wasn’t willing to give. While he had my mother eating out of the palm of his hand, he had a whole host of other plans for me.

Strange how life turned out.

The same man who held the threat of my life over my head was the same man whose daughter I befriended. I didn’t do it on purpose. Emily was … everything. She was the best friend I never had before. She didn’t have to stick up for me, but she did.

She was the first and last person to put her life on the line for mine. It was because of her that I was alive.

Staring across my room, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the door. I had no choice but to focus on something. I would be sick if I didn’t.

Earl Valentine.

Emily said she’d seen him. I’d hoped she’d been wrong, but now, for whatever reason, I’d been taken. I was locked away on a boat. Damn it. I hated this.

Why did people think it was so cool to go out in open water?

It was fucking scary.

Sickness swirled within my gut. All I wanted to do was throw myself overboard and vomit.

I didn’t.

I couldn’t.

The door was firmly locked from the outside.

Fucking fuckers.

I hadn’t eaten in hours.

What was this game? More importantly, what was his game? I’d met Earl once, and I couldn’t even be sure if it was the same man.

Seven years ago, at the party that had changed my life, I’d danced with a man. He’d held me, stared at me, and for a short time, I’d felt like the only person who had existed in his world.

Was it the same man?

I’d thought about him often over the years.

This was what I’d turned into. A woman so desperate for attention and affection, she’d imagined a man into some kind of being.

I sucked.

Big time.

After running fingers through my hair, I glanced around the room while wrapping my arms back around my legs and keeping my body right. With how unstable everything was, I didn’t want to let go of anything.

The water.

Why?

Ugh. I was going to be sick.

As if on cue, the door lock flicked open, and Earl Valentine stood in the doorway. Seven years was a long time, but I would recognize those shoulders and hands anywhere. The scar down his face wasn’t scary or ugly, but sexy, showing how dangerous he actually was.

Neither of us spoke.

I watched him.

Waiting.

Terrified.

Curious.

I was a lot of things all mixed into one.

He was right here, in front of me, well, a few feet away.

“You’re awake.”

“I want to go home. This isn’t funny.”

Earl smiled, but it wasn’t a nice one. Something sinister and dark lay behind his gaze, promising. I didn’t want to know this man too intimately.

There was a lot more to this man than what met the eye. After years of seeing my mother move from dick to dick, I’d gotten a pretty good read on them. I recognized a keeper, a loser, an asshole, and the man you really shouldn’t catch the eye of. Earl Valentine was one of those latter men.

“You think I’m doing this for your amusement?”

“What do you want?”

“A lot of things.”

“Last time I heard, it was a cherry you wanted to pop.” I hated speaking the words, but I wasn’t going to cower from this man.

Seven years, Emily and I had formed a life together. She was sad most of the time, but there were always rare sparks of light in our darkness.

I loved her like a sister, and right now, being trapped on a boat with this man, it would leave Emily alone.

Earl tilted his head to the side, and I realized I’d surprised him.

Good. I’d grown up.

Since I’d been alone with Emily, we only had each other to count on. No men. No fathers. No mothers. Just the two of us, and we’d been doing quite well on our own.

Looking at Earl now, even though I didn’t want to believe it, I just knew our time together had come to an end. I was stupid and naïve to have thought it would last a little longer. Happiness was always rare and short-lived.

Having a mother like mine taught me that.

There were times she’d feel guilty for the way she treated me, and for a week tops, she’d be the perfect mother, attentive until boredom hit her, or she believed she’d done what was needed.

Either way, she’d hated me by the end of it.

I was still alive. She was six feet under. Her thirst for a good life had caught up with her and nearly ended the both of us.

“Where’s Emily?”

“I believe right about now she’s back in Crude Hill.”

This made me tense. “No.”

“Yes.”

“No, they can’t take her back. She’ll be killed if she goes back there.” I knew all about the contract the four Monsters had made to keep Emily and me safe. Even though they were completely in love with her, they couldn’t have her. Their fathers made sure of it.

It was why I’d gotten to live. They’d bargained her life and mine.

The thing about Crude Hill and the Monsters’ Crew was that they had a rule. Once a man was a traitor or a rat, everyone in his family was taken down with them. No one was allowed to survive.

I was as good as dead because of my mother’s connection to Emily’s father. We both should be dead. Rotting away somewhere. Instead, we got seven years.

“This isn’t funny,” I said.

“I’m not laughing.”

“Then you’ve got to stop Emily. I know you wanted her virginity once and all of that crap that went with it, but she’s not the same person, okay? Please, do not let her get killed. She’s my best friend.” I hated to beg.

Staring at Earl, I despised feeling desperate enough to ask him to help her, to save her.

“Emily has her hands full, Curves. She doesn’t need my help or my interference.”

I wanted to hit him. The urge swept through me like a sick and twisted wave of desire. I held on to it as I stared at him.

At that moment, my stomach decided to make its presence known by growling. It had been too long since I last ate.

“Follow me.” He turned and started out the door.

Looking around the room, I tried to think of anything that could be used as a weapon. Nothing came to mind.

“Don’t even try. There’s nothing you can do, Ashley.”

I clenched my hands into fists. This anger wasn’t something I was used to.

Taking a deep breath, I followed him out of the cabin and to wherever he wanted to take me. I kept my gaze focused straight ahead.

I was sure the boat was rocking left and right. There were a few times I was convinced a sea monster was bumping the side, wanting to tip us over so he could have a snack.

Yeah, I had a thing for shark movies. Giant sea creatures, anything.

Emily didn’t share my enjoyment. I went from the extreme of loving shark movies to being a lover of all things romance. I was a sucker for them. I wasn’t a horror kind of girl, though. I couldn’t stand them. There was nothing worse than being frightened out of your wits.

We headed out onto the top of said boat, and now I knew it was more of a yacht. The extravagance was clear. The crew didn’t talk to me, but they nodded at Earl. He was the one in charge.

We moved to the back of the boat, or was it the front? Either way, it was a deck with a parasol to protect from the hot sun. I was sweating. I hadn’t showered, and the clothes I was wearing were designed to take on dreary England. Not this kind of heat.

I was sure I stank. I could feel the sweat trace down my back.

Earl took a seat. I realized he was dressed all in white.

He rested his hands clasped together in front of himself. The power he exuded, even outside in the open air, shocked me. This man was used to getting what he wanted. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was so used to getting what he wanted, why did he wait this long to exact revenge?

A virgin was what he wanted.

Emily didn’t give herself to him, and he’d lost, big time. As I watched him now, I wondered what the hell he could want. Where did I come in? I was nothing. No one. I wasn’t important. I didn’t deal with powerful people. All I was good for was keeping an eye on Emily and cooking. I commanded a kitchen. I made those ingredients my bitch.

“Take a seat.” He pointed at the chair opposite him.

The last thing I wanted to do was follow orders, but I found myself lowering into the seat provided.

A woman wearing a bikini approached, pouring him something out of a jug.

“A drink?”

“I don’t drink.”

“It’s water, Ashley. You need it.”

I nodded at the woman and hoped my nerves didn’t show. Earl was the kind of man Emily was used to dealing with, not me. I wasn’t used to any of this, and I feared it showed. I didn’t want it to show.

He lifted up his drink and took a sip. Once mine was poured, I followed suit. The water was nice, cold, refreshing.

Quickly, I put the glass down. My hand shook, and I hated to show any kind of weakness. Hated this so much.

Earl was watching me again.

His hair had grown out some, I thought. He didn’t have long hair, but thick. The length was enough to grab hold of and grip in place as he did … other things. I didn’t even know why my thoughts went to sex.

I’d never been the kind of woman to be curious about the opposite sex. After all that my mother went through, I did everything in my power to avoid it.

At least I was still alive.

I hated the way he stared at me. He saw everything, and I didn’t have the power to stop him from looking.

Tucking some hair behind my ear, I waited, knowing this wasn’t going to go well if I spoke up. All I could think about was Emily. We hadn’t been apart before. Seven years was a long time to get to know one another.

Time ticked on by. I couldn’t keep looking at him. My gaze went around the boat, and seeing the ocean swirling around us didn’t bring me any comfort. A storm. A giant sea monster. We were all as good as dead.

“I can play this game forever,” Earl said.

I looked at him. “I’m not playing any game. I’m not here of my own free will. You got me, remember? I don’t need to talk. This is all you.” The desire to keep on rambling was strong, but I nipped it in the bud. I didn’t want to completely irritate him, even though the very thought was fun.

Earl watched me and suddenly leaned forward. On instinct, I jerked back. It wasn’t even an intention of doing that, but it happened quite quickly.

“I won’t hurt you. You’ve got no reason to fear me.”

I laughed. “No reason to fear you? You’ve taken me out in the middle of nowhere. I’ve got no family. All I’ve got is Emily. I’ve got every reason to be afraid.”

Earl rubbed his hands together. “Then how about we agree I won’t hurt you.”

“You expect me to believe you?”

“I’ve never hurt you before.”

“I’ve done nothing to deserve it.”

“And you think you’re going to end up with me hurting you?”

I licked my lips. My mouth was suddenly dry. I wanted the water but I didn’t want to move. This man was dangerous. The last thing I wanted to do was incite his anger.

“I have no idea what you want from me. Why don’t you tell me what you want?”

He snapped his fingers, and the people closest to him all started to leave, giving us space.

“I was offered a very precious reward for my compliance, and that was taken from me. Emily is not mine. Never has been. However, I still want my gift.”

I stayed perfectly still. “I can’t magically grow Emily a hymen.”

Earl wrinkled his nose. “I’m not interested in Emily.”

“I’ve never been gifted with genius, Mr. Valentine. You need to come out and tell me what exactly you want from me.”

That smile again, only this time, it sent a shiver down my spine.

“Oh, Ashley, I’m very much aware of what I want from you, and if you really thought about it, you’d be as well.”

I needed water.

“You’re a virgin. Untouched. I’ve been watching you and Emily for years. Much longer than the Monsters would even begin to imagine. At first, I wanted to take Emily. To hurt her. To ruin her. I know the Monsters are to be feared, but they underestimate me. I earned a great deal of money doing business with them, but I have plenty of money. It’s not an object for me.” He waved his hand in the air as if it didn’t matter. This was spoken by a man who clearly didn’t know what it was like to have nothing. To go day to day, wondering when the next paycheck was going to come in. “I want my cherry. I want an untouched woman, and you, Ashley, you’re that woman.”

****

Earl

Ashley was even more stunning up close than in any of the pictures I’d seen, or videos that had been taken over the years. After I’d first been taken for a fool by the men’s fathers, I’d had every intention of taking Emily, using her, putting her to work in one of the many brothels I owned, and getting my just reward. My virgin woman was gone, and I didn’t like being offered something so precious for it to be taken away so swiftly. It pissed me off.

I wasn’t a man to be messed with.

Over the years, I’d made sure to build a reputation that everyone feared. I killed without mercy. Crude Hill may be home to monsters and thugs. I was worse than all of them. I was a fucking beast.

I didn’t need a reason to kill. I did it purely because I wanted to.

Without mercy.

For fun.

I traded in lives for cash, and I reveled in it. Watching men and women fall for the first strip of human flesh. What I did made me sick. To many, I was probably the worst kind of person to ever live, but I didn’t care.

Life was a game, and I loved to play it.

All I’d ever demanded was truth, loyalty, and the knowledge that when the time came for me to take a woman, she’d be untouched.

Ashley was that woman.

No man had even had the pleasure of kissing those full, plump lips.

I couldn’t wait to tutor her. To have her kissing me. The idea of training her to accept my touch, to learn to fuck me exactly how I liked, well, it certainly made my dick rock-hard.

Sipping at my drink, I saw her glance at her own glass but refuse to actually take it.

Stubborn woman.

The position I was offering her was something most women would jump at. I’d had many women who worked for me beg to service me. They craved to be at my mercy. Of course, they’d experienced many a fat cock in their body, and I didn’t have an interest in sharing.

I was a selfish, greedy bastard. A hypocrite. I was far from a virgin myself. All in the form of entertainment, I’d done some degrading stuff just to amuse myself with how far I could push a woman.

When it came to Ashley, she would never know a man’s touch. Never feel another’s cock inside her body. Every single part of her would belong to me. She would be my ultimate possession.

Mine.

“This is a joke.” She stood up and swayed a little.

The clothing she wore wasn’t designed to take this level of heat. I reached for her, but she swatted my hand away.

“Don’t touch me.”

I gripped her shoulders. No one told me what to do. I forced her to take a seat and snapped my fingers at the woman holding a tray of fruit. After taking some pieces off the platter, I pressed them to Ashley’s mouth.

“Open, or I force you to eat. Either way, I’m not having you die on my fucking watch. I’ve got too much shit to do, Ashley.” The Monsters would cause me a great deal of problems if they found out Ashley had died. I had no interest in killing her.

She glared at me.

So sexy. So defiant. I loved it.

The last thing I wanted was a woman who was scared of me, practically shaking in the corner like a terrified little puppy. I needed the fire. The passion. Ashley was seething with it, and I relished it.

Give it to me.

She opened her lips, and I slid a piece of papaya into her mouth. The fruit was succulent, juicy. I only had the best. Her eyes closed and a little moan escaped. Another part of her I adored was her love of food. I’d watched her at supermarkets, farmer’s markets, the way she appreciated good things.

We were more equally matched than she could realize.

After she’d eaten several pieces of fruit, I instructed one of my men to order her breakfast with my cook.

Once I snapped my fingers, they were gone, leaving me alone with her.

She wiped at her brow.

“Remove your clothes.”

Her hands went to her neck.

“No.”

“You’re hot, tired, and hungry. We’re not going to a cold climate for some considerable time. Remove your clothes.”

She shook her head.

I pulled a blade from the back of my pants and flicked it open, the tip glinting in the sunlight. “Either you take them off, or I do.”

She stood up, and her hands shook as she wriggled out of her pants. The items the restaurant had her wearing were pitiful. They did nothing for the curves she possessed. Full hips, a curved stomach, and juicy thighs that were meant to circle a man’s waist. Her skin was pale from the lack of sun, and in a moment, she stood before me in her gray underwear, her hands trying to cover herself.

Her cheeks were a nice shade of red, and she kept chancing looks at the men who had turned their backs.

I noticed one of the women who stood waiting to serve us giving her the stink eye. I snapped my fingers and signaled it was time for her to leave. If she could not show respect to my woman, then she didn’t have a right to be on my yacht. There were plenty of other jobs waiting for her, far less pleasurable.

“Sit.”

Ashley did as she was told, and I couldn’t help but feel a hum of pleasure rush through me at knowing she could take instructions.

It was good.

All I want to do was touch her, to feel her body next to mine, but instead, I sat back and watched her.

She was trying to hide her body.

“Sit back.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“You think there won’t be a reward for your good behavior?”

“I’m not a child. Don’t treat me like one.”

“Believe me, I don’t see you as a child.”

Seconds passed, and the heat in her cheeks built up. I loved that she was nervous about being naked in front of me.

Good.

I liked her virginal response.

She wiped at her brow.

Finally, the guard brought out a tray of food. Without waiting for my instruction, he set it up and placed it in front of Ashley without looking her way.

“Thank you,” Ashley said as the man left.

No response.

Her shoulders drooped slightly.

“No one here will help you. No one will come to your aid. They work for me. I pay them.”

“So they’re used to you taking women without their consent.”

I merely smiled at her. She had no idea.

She lifted up her fork and began to play with the food on her plate, wrinkling her nose.

“The food is not to your liking.”

“I can’t eat runny eggs.” She picked up a piece of toast and nibbled on it.

I got up, tried the eggs, and found they were exactly to my liking. “They’re good.”

“I like overcooked scrambled eggs. It’s fine. I enjoy toast.” She took the second slice, leaning back and eating it.

This shouldn’t bother me. She was eating, which was a good sign, but I didn’t like the fact she didn’t like the food I provided for her. It pissed me off.

Still, I sat back down and looked at her.

She finished off the second slice and went back to trying to cover up her body. “What if I don’t agree?”

“There’s no room for negotiation.”

“You can’t kill anyone important to me. My mom’s dead. The Monsters took care of that.”

I tutted. “Oh, Ashley. You think your mother is the only person in the world you care about?”

“Emily is protected by the Monsters.”

“True, but, I’ve been an ally to them for many years. I know their strengths and I know their weaknesses. Emily is theirs, and you see, weak people make mistakes. She’s not protected.”

I saw tears fill her eyes, and she turned away, trying to avoid looking at me.

“Emily doesn’t deserve this. Leave her out of it.”

“Then agree, Ashley.”

She laughed. “You want me to agree. This is ridiculous. You kidnap me, tell me what you want, and you think I’m going to comply. This is my body. Mine. Not yours. Not her goddamn father’s. Mine. I get to do whatever the hell I damn well chose with it.” She got up and without even covering herself, she stormed away.

I didn’t follow her.

There was only one place she was going to go.

My men tensed up, but I held up my hand. They were not to touch my woman.

I got to my feet and walked to the edge of my yacht, staring down into the water. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ocean. It provided a means to an end. I was a lover of endless sunlight, and to always be one step ahead of my enemies.

The Monsters would interfere at Emily’s insistence. I wanted time alone with Ashley. Making a deal to keep Emily safe so I could have Ashley was easy. My power reached far and wide. I was done waiting for what I wanted. The fact I’d taken seven years was a testament to the kind of patience I possessed. From the very beginning of dealing with Caleb, River, Gael, and Vadik, I intended to lie. I wasn’t going to stay close so they could keep an eye on Ashley with me.

After counting to ten, I gained control, spun on my heel, and went back in search of her. I found her in the cabin, seated on the bed, arms wrapped around her legs. She rocked back and forth, her fear of the ocean plain to see.

“I want to go home.”

“No.”

She glared at me. “You can’t keep me here.”

“I’d be prepared to deal in that wager.”

Ashley let go of her legs and sat up. “This is wrong and mean. You’re … this is … you won’t get away with this.”

“No one will ever know you’re gone. Like you said, you’ve got no other family, and if the Monsters know what is good for them, and I’m guessing they do, they’re not going to allow Emily to go to the police. There is no one out there who cares.”

I expected her to deflate. To give in.

Instead, she squared her shoulders. “You’re so used to getting what you want.”

Good. The fire was back.

“What I’m offering you, Ashley, is what most women would kill for. Do you have any idea how many women would love to have my attention? My devotion?”

“Then go to them. I don’t want anything to do with you. If there are so many other women, take them. I’m not important.”

I closed the distance between us, and she quickly shrank back against the wall, almost as if she hoped it could hide her.

So sweet.

I took one of her hands, then the other, pressing them against the wall, holding her in place.

“Let me go.”

“No.”

I moved my body against hers so she’d feel it. I was aroused. My rock-hard cock pressed against her stomach and she released a little moan. With the sounds she made, I already wanted to take her cherry, but I was a patient man. Today wasn’t that day, no matter how hungry I was for it.

Pressing my face against her neck, I breathed her in. She needed a shower, but there was something hypnotic about Ashley. I craved her. From the first moment I saw her, and not just when she’d moved in with Emily, before then. Seven long years ago at a party. I’d gone to see Emily, but this brunette had captured my attention.

Emily was beautiful, no doubt about it.

Ashley was ravishing. Her dark-brown locks and tender eyes. An air of sweetness and innocence clung to her. She was the epitome of virginal. Emily was innocent by necessity. The first opportunity she’d bedded her men, and that had ended it. Ashley didn’t care about other men. I’d seen how she treats them. They weren’t important to her. Life, living, food, happiness, joy. Those were the kind of experiences Ashley searched for.

She went in and out of people’s lives, but no one seemed to really see her or know her. To many, she wasn’t important.

The only person to ever show any signs of giving a shit about her was Emily. It was why that woman still fucking breathed. She made Ashley smile. There was no way I could justify killing her and leaving Ashley with no one. Not until I was ready.

“Is this what you want? To take me by force?”

I smiled. “You know, a lot of men would have slapped you around. Put that mouth to good work.”

She tilted her head back. “You’re not like other men.”

“No, I’m not. Keep testing me, Ashley. You’ll push to the point you’ll lose. You don’t want to make an enemy out of me.”

I let her feel my dick some more. Damn, all I really wanted to do was slide deep inside her cunt. To feel her cherry pop beneath my touch. The enjoyment came in the chase.

Stepping back from her took all of my control, but I did it, even though I wanted to do much more.

“Shower, Ashley. You stink.” I stepped away out of the room and flicked the lock back into place.

My yacht was luxurious with beautiful en-suite bathrooms. Ashley was about to enter a world she’d only ever caught glimpses of.

Once I was back on deck, one of the women come toward me, carrying a fresh glass of water. I took the glass, sipping at the cold water and ignoring her stare which begged to be fucked.

The women who surrounded me were all loyal and subservient. They’d shown no wish to leave, nor did they want to go back to a life of misery.

Sipping at my drink, I hummed my approval.

The sun was hot. My dick was hard. My little virgin was below deck, taking a shower. Her curvy body beneath the spray, or did she decide to take a bath? Either way, the thought of her naked made me hot.

Pulling out my cell phone, I didn’t have to use my imagination at all. I clicked into the security cameras, and sure enough, there was my ripe peach ready to be plucked. She was in the en-suite, her long brown hair finally down, and she even let out a little moan. Bubbles filled the tub, hiding her body from me, but that was okay.

Soon enough, Ashley would never hide from me. I was going to know all of her secrets, work her body until she was weak and desperate only for me.

I finished my drink and watched her as she bathed. This wasn’t the first time I’d gotten this close, and it wouldn’t be the last.