Convict Me (Broken Heroes 1)

“I’m sorry, man,” he apologizes once in earshot.

“Don’t ever make me wait again,” I say through my teeth. I don’t want to get violent, especially with Elyse here, but the job means I have to get my hands dirty sometimes. And this might be one of those times. “Elyse, get back in the car,” I order, and by some fucking miracle, she listens to me without question. She gives Lily a small wave as I walk to the trunk of the car and pop it open to get out the package he orders. He slips me a wad of cash without me asking for it, and I hand him what he paid for.

“See you next time.” I get back into the car, glad this is all over with. I hate doing these drops. I hate working for Damon. And more than anything, I hate bringing Elyse out to do bad shit when she’s the purest fucking thing in my life. Gunner gives me a nod as I get back in my car and race out of the parking lot as if I can’t get away from the shit fast enough.

Elyse fumbles with her seatbelt, my reckless driving throwing her all over the car. She’s got a worried look on her face, and I wonder what she thinks of me doing all this shit. She could have someone better—hell, she deserves better. But I’m selfish…too selfish to let her go and be with someone else.

“Where are we going?” she questions cautiously.

My grip on the steering wheel tightens, my muscles bunching together. Fuck, why was I given an angel when God knows I’m the fucking devil in disguise? “Wherever you want, baby,” I grit out, refusing to take my shit attitude out on her. I’ve been treading lightly lately, not wanting to set her off.

The day I lost it and took her roughly, I could’ve sworn I’d saw some type of fear in her dazzling blue eyes. After seeing it, I never want to see again. Especially not when she looks at me. Then, during the bath, the way she looked at me and the things she asked me…

Like I’d ever fucking give her up for some whore I could fuck however I want. Yeah, no. Elyse is worth cherishing, worth protecting and making love to. She is what I want, what I always want.

“Can we go to Chips?”

The smile she gives me lessens the tension building deep inside me. I can’t help but smile back at her. It’s a tight smile, but a smile nonetheless.

“I want a strawberry shake, double cheeseburger, and french fries.”

I chuckle. “Wow, that’s a lot of food, baby. Where you putting all that?”

Elyse shrugs. “I don’t know, but if I keep eating the way you’re feeding me, I’ll be gaining weight in no time. I hope you’ll still love me when I’m fat.”

I know Elyse thinks she’s not good enough. I think part of that stems from her family always telling her how worthless she is. And then the things Damon said to her that night at Night Shift didn’t help her confidence.

The opposite took place. It broke her down, made her insecure, but fuck, how could she not know how perfect she is?

Silence settles between us, her eyes moving over the scenery as I drive. I take my hand and place it on her knee, squeezing it gently. Her gaze drops down to it, and she places her tiny hand on top of mine.

When we pull into Chips, I order our food and pay. It’s a little drive-in place that has the best handmade shakes in town.

Elyse takes hers and licks the whipped cream off the top. The move is so seductive, my cock hardens at the image before me. Then, her eyes drift closed, and she moans.

Jesus, woman.

“Growing up, my parents never let us have ice cream or cake,” Elyse confesses, her eyes back open as she places a big spoonful of strawberry shake into her mouth.

“Wait, you never had cake and ice cream? For your birthday?” For some reason, this angers me.

She shakes her head, swallowing the food in her mouth before speaking. “Nope. We don’t celebrate birthdays or holidays. We go to church. That was our exploration outside of the home for the week. The women stay in the house, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children.”

“You left the house once a week? What the fuck?” I shake my head in disbelief. “Now I feel bad about not slugging your dad in the face when I had the chance.” I should’ve. I should’ve knocked him right the fuck out.

Elyse giggles, her eyes sparkling, her hair flowing in the wind as a light breeze blows through the rolled down windows. “It’s okay. I got out. I feel bad for the rest of my siblings, though.” She frowns.