Connor's Claim (Body Count, #2)

by Jolie Vines

You’re asleep, on his terms, not yours, but you can feel everything. Shiver, little temptress

Everly Makepeace had once been my stepsister and my obsession, but never the other way around.

Where I dwelled in darkness, she’d always summoned light.

I wanted her to say yes to me every time and never refuse me again. I wanted history to unwrite itself and my fucking heart to unbreak.

“Spy, detective, stalker, the CEO of all things feral and chaotic. I’ll get business cards made.”

I’d left the mayor’s house—left her behind—and spent years bloodying my knuckles to thoughts of her rejection. I’d hoped she’d come after me. I’d waited. She broke my heart. I’d bled out endlessly, nothing calming the pain of first love being over and of losing the one person I felt safe with.

Knock me out with your drugs again. Use me. All I know is you were once my home and my everything, and I just want to disappear into darkness and know one good thing will come out of it. Then tomorrow, we can talk.”

I wanted to feel how wet she got watching a gang of men chase down then fuck a group of willing women. They’d fight then fuck, just like us.

“I own ye now. Just as ye own me. I’ll defend your life with mine and give ye everything ye want. A home, my last name, the blood of anyone who hurts ye. I’ll fucking knock ye up, too. As many times as we want.”

“This is me. The rawest form. I stalk the stalkers. I eviscerate the men who hurt. I don’t have the same limits others do, and that includes with ye.”

From the hedgerow, I picked a spray of autumn wildflowers. Tall stems of tiny white and yellow blooms and stiff grasses. Took them back to the car and handed them to Everly. “You always loved flowers.” “You giving them to me while half naked and covered in blood is doing something strange to my heart.” Her hand rested softly on her chest.

My bloodied, possessive killer boy, going in deep, whispering words of adoration and settling kisses on my shoulders.

“God,” I released. “Any god would be gentle with ye. I won’t.”

“You were mine, and I claimed you with my whole heart. I never stopped loving you, Connor. You’re wanted, needed, loved. We owned each other, but I set you free, and it was the worst mistake of my life. If you forgive me, I will never say no to you again.”

“I won’t leave you. I’ll never leave you. If you forgive me, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it all up to you.”

“I loved ye at first sight and I never stopped. I wanted ye, needed ye, all those words were my world.”

“My last breath will be your name.”