It was too late. I’d already shoved my knife through his neck.
I glanced up at Brandy. Her eyes were bright, her lips softly parted. And she was staring right back at me without a hint of fear in her eyes.
In fact, for the first time in weeks now, she looked fucking free.
I yanked my knife out, blood spraying everywhere, and flipped it back closed, sliding it back into my pocket. I slid my bloody hand along her bare waist, smearing the fucker’s blood there. “You liked that, Little Star?”
Licking her lips, she nodded. I leaned down and slanted my lips across hers. She moaned, curving into me. With a growl, I tightened my hold on her, plunging my tongue into her mouth. She opened for me, her body pressing so tightly to mine, I couldn’t figure out where I ended and she began.
I pulled back before I fucked her right here in the fucking woods.
“I need to dispose of him.” I pulled my phone from my pocket. “I’m going to have Alfonso pick you up. I want you to stay at the apartment with him until I come get you, clear?”
She nodded. “Okay.” God, I loved how obedient she was for me.
I kissed her again before I pulled my phone up to my ear. “What?” my best friend grunted when he answered.
“Need a favor.”
“Fuck,” he swore. “Is it fucking important? Because I’m balls deep in pussy right now.”
I snorted. “Must not be that good of pussy if you answered your phone.” He grunted. “Need you to come get Brandy and take her back to the apartment. I’ve got something to take care of.”
“Ah, hell,” he muttered. “Give me five.”
He hung up. He knew what I meant when I said something to take care of. He’d helped me numerous times in high school when fuckers talked sideways out their fucking mouths about my girl. Granted, she hadn’t actually been mine then, but in my head, she’d always belonged to me. And now that I finally had her where I wanted her, she wasn’t fucking going anywhere.
“I want to help,” she suddenly blurted.
I snapped my head around to stare at her. “Help?” I demanded. I shook my head. “Little Star, this isn’t your scene.”
She took a step closer to me. “But what if I want it to be?”
Just how badly had I fucked her up?
I shrugged at her. “It’s bloody, Brandy.”
She shrugged as well. “I like blood, Ryker.”
I smirked. That, she did. Pulling out my phone with my eyes steady on hers, I called Alfonso again. “I’m in the fucking car,” he told me, sounding annoyed and exasperated.
“Change of plans.” He waited. “Need you to bring a couple of axes and meet me here. My little star wants to get bloody.”
Alfonso chuckled. “Then bloody she shall get.”
Alfonso stepped up from behind Brandy. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head before handing an ax to me. If he wasn’t my best friend, I’d rock his shit for that, but he was the only person in this world I trusted with her besides myself. I knew he’d never do anything to fuck with me, and I knew Brandy well enough to know that I was the only man she’d ever want.
“Ready to do this?” he asked me.
I looked at Brandy and beckoned her to me with one finger. She obediently moved toward me, and I turned her so her back was plastered to my front. “Grip the ax,” I softly ordered in her ear. She did. I placed my hands over hers, brought her arms up, and swung it down on the asshole’s arm.
She giggled—fucking giggled—as the blood sprayed her bare legs. I pressed a kiss to the shell of her ear, and together, we hacked his fucking body up, and then she sat back on the ground as Alfonso and I bagged up all his parts.
“My car is parked in the dark lot closest to here,” he told me. “Not much lighting on the way there. I didn’t spot any cameras, but just in case,” he handed me two masks, “put these on.”
I nodded once in thanks to him before I slid my mask on and then squatted down in front of Brandy. I tugged the mask over her head and leaned forward, pressing my lips to hers. “Up, Little Star.”
She stood to her feet, and I grabbed the other bag, hefting it over my shoulder. And when I glanced at Brandy, I saw her eyes were still bright and full of life.
Right then, I knew I’d do whatever the fuck I had to keep that light in her eyes.
Looks like we were going to more parties tonight.
But we weren’t going to party.
I was about to get my little star fucking bloody.