Sinner’s Redemption by Rebecca Joyce

Chapter Fifteen

Tessa

A muffled voice penetrated my pounding head. Whatever that asshole injected me with was making me sick to my stomach. I knew I had a concussion from that officer asshole, but coupled with the drug, my body felt heavy, listless and the surrounding noise wasn’t making it any better.

“Shut up,” I moaned, rolling onto my side, cupping my head. The pounding in my head was rattling my teeth. It was making me sick. It needed to stop before I threw up everywhere.

“Oh, thank God, Tessa. I thought they killed you. You need to wake up, honey.”

“Go away.”

“No please. They’re coming. I tried to tell Robbie you weren’t like the others, but he wouldn’t believe me. All he kept saying was how you we’re going to make him a lot of money.”

“Where am I?”

“In a warehouse near the ports,” Megan said, before the door slammed open, causing a loud bang.

Cringing, I held my head, stifling a moan.

“Get her naked, Megan.”

“Robbie, I’m telling you. She isn’t like me. She’s belongs…” Megan tried to say before I heard a loud slap, then she cried out.

“Fucking useless bitch.”

Rough hands that grabbed me had me moaning as someone ripped and tore my clothes from my body. I knew what was going to happen. I wasn’t stupid. I’d seen many girls come into the emergency room when I was doing my residency. All told a similar story. Drugged, stripped naked, then raped. It was horrible, and I hated what they went through, but I never thought I’d be one of them.

Helpless to protect myself.

“What the fuck?!” Robbie roared.

Opening my eyes, I saw him pointing at my shoulder.

Oh yeah. I forgot about that.

I smirked. “Should have listened to her, asshole.”

My brand.

It had been so long ago I forgot about it.

“I told you!” Megan yelled, jumping across my body, protecting me. “I tried to tell you. She’s belongs to a Soulless Sinner. You touch her and you are dead!”

“Fuck,” he growled. “Get her the fuck out of here. I don’t want any troubles with the Sinners.”

“Too late motherfucker.”

I heard the familiar growl right before I heard the retort of a gun. Megan screamed bloody murder, causing my head to explode in excruciating pain as darkness surrounded me once more.

I woke sometime later in a comfortable bed. Turning my head, I saw Montana sitting in a chair, feeding York. Smiling, I went to move, only to find myself handcuffed to the bed. Yanking on the restraints, I looked back at Montana. “Montana? What’s going on?”

“Locking you down until I get the image of you naked in that fucking rathole out of my head.”

“Let me go.”

“Do you know where you were? What that sick fuck was planning to do with you?”

“I don’t remember much because he drugged me. Now let me go.”

“When I saw you laying on that flea infested bed, stripped bare, I thought I lost you forever. You were supposed to be at home taking care of our son. Instead of considering my proposal, I come home to find my woman in a fucking whorehouse on pier eighty-three. Do you know how that made me look? That I couldn’t control my woman?”

What the fuck?

Was he mad at me?

I didn’t ask to be accosted, then arrested, then kidnapped off the street. I didn’t ask to be drugged, then damn near raped. How dare he assume I went looking for trouble? He should have known me better. I avoided that shit like the plague. I wasn’t some damsel in distress. I wasn’t weak and I sure as hell didn’t roll over for any asshole.

Steeling my resolve, I narrowed my eyes. “You fucking prick. How dare you? Instead of asking me what happened, you’ve already condemned me. Well, fuck you, buddy. As soon as I’m free, I’m taking York and hiring a lawyer. I’m going to file for permeant custody of my son. You can just deal with weekends and two weeks out of the summer. I’m done with this shit, and I’m done with you.”

Montana chuckled. “Think again, bitch. You aren’t going anywhere, ever again. What part of locking you down didn’t you understand?”

“You keep me chained to this bed and I’ll make your life a living fucking hell. I’m not some damn dog you can punish for chewing on your shoes. I’m a fucking human being who’s been through hell, not that you give a damn. And just so you know, you fucking piece of shit, I didn’t go looking for trouble. It found me!”

Montana sighed, getting to his feet with my son. Saying nothing more, he walked out of the room, leaving me chained to the bed.

I was going to kill him.

Moments later, he returned, locking the door behind him. Pure rage filled his eyes as he stalked towards me, removing his shirt.

Oh, fuck no.

I knew that fucking look.

He was fucking crazier than the jackass that kidnapped me right off the street if he thought I would submit.

If he thought I was going to allow what I knew was about to happen, happen, he had another thing coming.

When he kneeled on the end of the bed and crawled towards me, I looked him dead in the eye and firmly whispered. “RED.”

He stopped immediately.

Yeah, two could play this game.

Montana may enjoy living his life on the dangerous side, but I didn’t. I could be submissive in bed, but only if the mood suited me and right now, there was no fucking way I would submit to anyone.

Especially him.

Motherfucker was on my shit list, and I wanted nothing to do with him. I didn’t say anything else as he got off the bed and removed my cuffs. Sitting up in the bed, I rubbed my wrist as he paced the room like a caged animal.

All thanks to one word.

One little word and everything stopped.

I knew I pushed him past his breaking point, but I wasn’t going to allow him to steamroll over me for something I had no control over. Calmly, I began, “After spending the day with your mom and the Rejects, they dropped me off at the apartment. Your mom asked if York could stay the night and I agreed. I hadn’t had a night to myself since before he was born and was looking forward to soaking in a hot bath with a good book. Only that didn’t happen because when I walked into the apartment, there were two bikers there waiting for me. They asked if I was your bitch. I lied to them, but they didn’t care. They grabbed for me. I fought them off and ran. Once outside, I found two police officers. Running to them for help did me no good because they laughed at me. Thought I was making shit up. The next thing I knew, officer asshole got handsy and grabbed my ass, so I slapped him. They arrested me and charged me with assaulting a police officer, then they threw me into a holding cell. No phone call. Nothing. There, I saw Megan. A former girl of Storm’s. She recognized me. I spent the entire night in jail, Montana. The only reason I’m still not there is because Megan’s pimp, Robbie, posted my bail. I tried offering him money for his trouble, but he wanted something else from me. After drugging me, I woke up in that warehouse. The rest, you know. I didn’t run. I didn’t embarrass you on purpose. I had a shit weekend, and all I wanted was a bath, which I still haven’t had. So, if you want to condemn me, blame me for what happened, then go ahead because I’m too fucking tired to care.”

Getting to my feet, I headed for his bathroom. Turning on the water in the tub, I leaned over the sink and took a good look at myself. I looked like shit. I had a few bruises on my arms, and a nice goose egg at my temple, but other than that, I was relatively unscathed.

Could have been worse.

Taking off the T-shirt I was wearing, I stepped into the hot bath and gently lowered my aching body. Sighing loudly as the hot water soothed my sore body. Leaning my head back, I closed my eyes and just tried to forget about everything that happened.

Sometime later, I came awake to his hands in my hair as he massaged my shampoo into my scalp. Moaning, I leaned forward, giving him better access. He didn’t say a word, nor did I expect him to. Montana rarely apologized for his actions, even when he knew he was wrong, and he was really wrong this time.

Reaching for a cup, he filled it with water and carefully poured it over my head, taking special care not to get the soap in my eyes. Once rinsed, he grabbed my conditioner and started the process over again.

“When I got home, all I thought about was seeing you and York. Instead, I walked in to find a fussy baby and you missing. I didn’t think, Tessa. When I learned where you were, I thought the worst. My anger took over and for that alone, I am sorry. Besides York, you are the only person on earth that I will move mountains to protect, and I couldn’t do that. I felt useless, something I’ve never felt before.”

“I understand you felt scared. I was too, but Montana, that doesn’t give you the right to take it out on me. You say you want more, that you want to marry me, but how will we work if you fly off the handle every time something goes wrong? I’m sorry, Montana, but I won’t fight you for the next fifty years.”

“I don’t want that either.”

“You left, Montana. I get it was club business and I don’t want to know, but you could have texted me, telling me you were going to be away. I tried calling you.”

“I didn’t get any calls,” he said, stopping the massage on my head.

“Don’t stop. Keep going. It’s the only thing stopping me from drowning you right now,” I muttered as he chuckled, resuming the massage.

“Seriously, babe. Check my phone. I didn’t get one call. I thought you were still upset with me, so I let you be.”

“I was mad until your mother showed up. She put things in perspective for me. Montana?”

“Yeah, babe.”

“You killed Robbie, right? I didn’t imagine that did I?”

He said nothing for the longest time before I heard him say “No babe. You didn’t imagine it.”

“What happened to Megan?”

“Called Storm. She was his piece. Told him to take care of her.”

Sitting up fast, I turned to face him. “He isn’t going to kill her, is he?!”

Montana huffed, sitting on his ass. “No. He’s going to find her a rehab facility to get her clean. When she’s out, he’ll set her up in an apartment until she can take care of herself again. Megan was a sweet girl. Graduated at the top of her class. She wanted to be a chef. Got accepted into the Cordon Blue academy until she strayed. Don’t worry. Storm will get her back on track.”

Returning to my spot, I just got comfortable when I heard his clothes rustle before he pushed me forward, then climbed in the tub behind me. Wrapping his arms around me, I leaned back against him and sighed.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For making you feel as if I don’t care. I do, Tess, but this is all new to me. I don’t know what I’m doing half the time with you. Part of me just wants to tie you to my bed, so I’ll know you’re safe and the other half of me agrees.”

I chuckled at that.

“You can’t protect me all the time, Montana. I have a life. Or I will when I find a hospital that will hire me. I want to be a doctor. I went to school to become a doctor. One day soon, I will work at a hospital, and danger will surround me.”

“I know that,” he whispered, tightening his arms around me. “It’s my nature to protect you. I can’t stop myself any more than I can stop breathing. You are like the wind. Impossible to catch.”

I whispered. “You have me, Montana. You’ve always had me. I’m not going anywhere.”

His mouth caressed my neck.

Closing my eyes, I relaxed against him, lulled by the heat of the water and his body. I allowed myself the comforting sensation of simply being with him. Montana Stone was not a man to bathe with a woman. In the years I’ve known him, never, not once, did he ever join me in a bath.

I had to admit I liked this side of him.

The softer side.

The sensual side he rarely let out.

The man I loved wore many faces. Someone in his position needed to. But behind closed doors, with no one around but us, this was the man I loved the most.

The one I wanted to marry.

Content just to lie still, I wasn’t surprised when his hands moved, stroking over my abdomen, rising to my breasts, drawing lazy circles in the bubbles over my breasts.

His hands felt like wildfire, leaving a trail of smoldering ember across my skin. From the moment we first met, fire ignited fast between us and burned out of control. Medically, I knew that was impossible, but there was no other explanation other than he was my soul mate. Since I was a doctor, I knew things like soul mates were the body’s endorphins reacting to one other.

Logically, that made more sense.

However, my heart knew differently.

The fact was I fell in love with Montana Stone the second he smiled at me. Drawn to the unattainable man, there wasn’t a part of my body, heart or soul that didn’t belong to him.

There would never be another.

Not as long as I lived.

I moaned as his tongue found my ear, tracing its outline, while his fingers skillfully pinched and tugged my nipples. I sighed lightly as his hand dipped lower between my legs. My body reacted quickly, and I was afraid that I’d cum with just one stroke of his hand. That’s what he did to me.

One touch, and I melted.

I whimpered as his fingers slid across me, teasing my lips, circling my clit, bringing it to full attention.

My hips bucked to meet his hand as he dipped first one finger, then two, inside of me, curling them up, then rubbing and twisting.

“Let go, baby,” he growled, sparking my nerve endings straight to my clit. Surrendering myself to him, I felt his hand playing with my breasts. He kissed my neck and shoulders, as his fingers moved inside of me until I couldn’t stop the forceful orgasm taking over.

Riding out the delicious wave of ecstasy, Montana continued rubbing lightly as he planted feather like kisses up and down my neck. He murmured something, but I couldn’t decipher the words, for my body and mind drifted into nirvana.

Catching my breath, I laid back, content with him as he held me.

“I want you, Tessa,” he whispered. His words breaking through my euphoric haze.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I muttered.

“No, baby,” he continued. “I want all of you. Forever.”

And just like that, my nirvana evaporated.

I knew what he was asking. He wanted me to marry him. He made that part clear, but with marriage to one of the city’s wealthiest bachelors, came a whole slew of worms I wasn’t ready for.

Maybe never would be.

“Please say yes, baby.”

The softness of his voice tore at me. I’d never denied him anything. Not once in all the time we’d known each other, but this I wasn’t sure I could give. He came from a world I knew nothing about. I was just a simple country girl from West Virginia.

“Marry me, Tessa. I don’t want to do this without you.”

“Do what?”

“Everything. When you left, I shut down. I lived a half-life. Nothing gave me purpose anymore. The club brothers saw it. I tried to engage, but my heart wasn’t in it. Then you come home and it’s like someone turned the lights on. Now, with York, I don’t want to live this life without you both beside me.”

“You won’t have to. I’m not going anywhere Montana. I just don’t know if I can do what your mother does. I’m not built like that. Hell, look at what happened this weekend. You overreacted to something that wasn’t even my fault. How are you going to act when I purposely do something that doesn’t mess with you or the club, not to mention high society? Because as much as I love you, I won’t capitulate to your demands. I’m sorry. I don’t see how it will work. I love you. I want to be with you, but I can’t be something I’m not.”

“I don’t want that either, baby. I want you. Snarky attitude and all. So what if you rip into a socialite? The bitch will probably deserve it. As for the rest of the stuff, we can find our own way. I don’t want you to be like my mom. I want you to be you, only you.”

I knew what I was going to do before I even uttered the words.

Montana Stone was my addiction.

My drug of choice.

There was no denying him.

I knew that now more than anything.

There would be no one else for me, as I was it for him.

The only thing holding me back was the ‘what if’ factor. What if I said yes and was miserable? What if I said no and never smiled again? My list went on and on.

In truth, I was afraid.

Afraid to love him, afraid to live a life without him.

All the worries in the world didn’t mean shit unless I decided.

Take the leap Tessa, my momma’s voice whispered in my head as I closed my eyes and said, “Yes.”

“Yes?”

Nodding, I whispered. “Yes. I will marry you.”