Caged: The Underground

Not even if it meant sacrificing the beauty in my arms.

Chapter 20

Butcher

“Butcher…Holly is missing.”

I looked up from the woman in my lap, my smile fading. “What are you talking about?”

“Two nights ago, she didn’t come home.”

I shoved the whore off my lap, my rage instant. The woman scuttled off, no longer my interest. “And why am I just hearing about this?”

Johnny compressed his lips, unable to deny they’d slipped up. Instead, he said, “We’ll find her.”

“You better damn find her,” I growled. “I didn’t spend all that time grooming her to have you lose her.”

Johnny bobbed a nod and left my office. I prowled the space, jerking at the tie choking me. I hated wearing this monkey suit but I had a reputation to uphold.

People feared me because they knew I wasn’t simply some street rat. I was vicious with my punishments and ruled with an iron fist.

I was the king of these streets.

And Holly was mine.

The first time I saw her, she was a scared little thing, with bright eyes and chubby cheeks. That red hair caught my eye.

She was my porcelain doll.

I provided for her. Made sure she had the best of everything.

But I kept my distance for a reason.

I didn’t want to spoil the package before it was ready.

The timing of her disappearance seemed suspect.

I was just getting ready to collect my little bookworm.

I was about to introduce Holly to her new life.

With me.

But she was gone.

Who had the balls to steal from me?

I sank back into my chair and sent for the whore.

The woman, a short blonde with big, porn-star tits, returned with a frightened expression. I snapped my fingers and she quickly knelt between my legs, dutifully releasing my cock for her ready mouth.

I enjoyed the pleasure of being sucked but my mind was elsewhere.

When I realized I wasn’t going to get off with her mouth, I shoved her off and told her to lift the tight dress up her her hips.

She complied without hesitation.

I bent her over the desk, spreading her ass cheeks. Her tight, puckered asshole was ripe for my cock. I slapped some spit on my dick and then brutally shoved myself between her cheeks.

She bit back a cry as I rode her mercilessly.

I closed my eyes, picturing Holly.

I wanted her so bad. It’d taken strength I didn’t know I had to keep from collecting her early.

But I wanted her educated, not some ignorant illiterate whore like the one I was railing up the ass.

I needed a partner I could trust, someone who owed me their loyalty.

Holly owed me her life.

And I aimed to collect.

I grunted as I buried myself into the woman, squeezing her ass cheeks before slapping her flesh hard enough to leave a mark.

She cried out, unable to help herself and I smiled at the sound of her pained gasp.

Holly would make a proper wife but I’d never give up my whores.

It was too much fun breaking them.

Chapter 21

Holly

I awoke to the sensation of something prodding me in the back.

I groggily shifted but the hard thing continued to poke at me.

My eyes focused and I remembered everything that’d happened last night.

The brutality, the sweetness, the betrayal.

The unprotected sex.

And I knew that thing pushed against me was Cason’s penis.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will away the instant arousal that followed the knowledge that he was ready and hard for me.

I needed to keep him off of me. I wouldn’t have sex with him again.

But even as I made the vow, my body was softening, preparing to yield, yet again.

I hungered for the exquisite feeling of Cason mastering my body. It was like an addiction, worse than any drug because there was no cure, no way to make the yearning stop with him there.

I was trapped by my own desire. I turned and saw that Cason was awake.

Those eyes burned, branding me.

I would never meet another man like Cason.

Good, bad — it didn’t matter — Cason was one-of-a-kind.

“You’re awake,” he said, leaning to take my lips in a sweet, tender kiss that crumbled my defenses instantly in spite of my attempt to build a wall. “And you do snore, baby girl.”

I risked a small smile. “And so do you. I guess we’re even.”

A fragile moment, as ephemeral as a soap bubble on the wind, built between us. His eyes, soft with sleep, lost their edge. I reached up to tentatively touch the stubble on his jaw. He nipped gently at my fingertips.

I was afraid to speak for fear of ruining this rare moment between us.

“Kiss me,” I whispered, lifting my lips to his.

Cason obliged, taking my mouth again with the most deliberate of actions. I felt the hard muscles in his abs contract as he shifted his weight on top of me. I sank into the mattress, loving the feel of his solid body on mine.

And when he entered me, I willingly opened my legs, wincing briefly at the slight twinge from my body that reminded me I was unaccustomed to such activity.

But I loved it.

That was my shameful secret that I would die before admitting.

Cason inside me was the epitome of bliss.

Even if he wasn’t a good guy, even if he was using me.

And that was the worst part.

I wanted him so badly.

I lost myself to the building pressure, knowing that mind-bending pleasure would come soon. Cason had shown me what my body was capable of and I craved the heaven he could give me.

I clutched my arms around Cason’s neck as he labored above me, sliding in and out of my slick passage, sweat dotting his forearms as he flexed his hips to drive himself deeper inside.

“Cason,” I cried, unable to stop what was coming. I closed my eyes and tumbled gratefully into that abyss, mindless, simply a vessel for pleasure.

And once again Cason filled me with his seed, pumping wildly as he came hard.

I thrilled at the guttural shout Cason emitted as he found his release. The sound was incredibly sexy as I knew I was the one who sent him over the edge.

Me.

The girl who no one noticed, managed to make this hot, dangerous man shudder in my arms.

Oh God, what was happening to me?

Cason slowed, his breath coming in deep gasping pants, shocking me when he remained firmly lodged inside me.

He lifted onto his elbows to stare down at me, pulling my damp hair from my eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” Cason admitted, as if it bothered him. The subtle frown pulling at his brows made me want to finger smooth them away. “And incredibly sexy. You deserve better.”

The admission struck a deep chord. I felt more drawn to him than ever. I saw hurt and pain in his eyes, regret and guilt, which was at odds with the words that’d come from his mouth earlier.

I took a chance and said, “It doesn’t have to be like this.”

His sigh held the weight of the world in that one sound. “Yes, it does.”

But I didn’t believe him.

“You’re not as bad as you pretend to be,” I told him.

Cason shook his head at me. “Baby girl, when people show you their true colors…believe them.”

“I do,” I returned softly. I did see who Cason was, beyond the bad-ass, emotionally-stunted persona to the sensitive, strong and dedicated man beneath.

“Yeah? And what do you see?”

“I see a man struggling with what he wants to do and what’s expected of him.”

He chuckled. “You see all that?”

I nodded.

“What if you’re wrong?”

“Then I’m wrong. But I’m not. There’s something happening between us, Cason. I can feel it. I know you do, too.”

I must’ve pushed a sensitive button. His gaze immediately narrowed but when I expected him to snap, the fire suddenly drained, leaving a conflicted soul behind.

“Holly…what am I going to do with you? I brought you to this place and treated you like a common whore. How can you say that you see anything but a man who is rotten to his core?”

How could I explain something that I didn’t understand myself? All I had to base my conviction on was the feelings he created inside me.

He was right, I shouldn’t feel anything for Cason but hatred for the way he’d treated me. Call me crazy, I sensed he was fighting against character and struggle drew me to him.

Cason had taken my virginity. But I didn’t regret it. Not one second. I couldn’t imagine wanting anyone else to touch me first.

And Cason was right…I would never forget him…no matter how much time passed.

He was branded into my memory, into my soul.

But Cason looked eaten with regret and that killed me.

I braved rejection as I begged, “Take me away from this place. Take me someplace nice. I promise I won’t run.”

My earnest promise was real. I wanted to be with him.

“How do I know this isn’t a ploy to get free?” he asked, wary.

“You have to trust me,” I answered with a small smile.