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.

Dead man walking.

A couple of weeks ago, I’d overheard my father mention Connor’s name on the phone. Not his real name, but the gang name he used. Shade. Because he was a man of the shadowy night, apparently. Father had some kind of deal with Shade, I’d gathered, and that knowledge had driven me to distraction. After all I’d sacrificed. After I’d lost him for the purpose of keeping him safe and earned his hatred in reply. After everything I’d done to set him free, he’d still wound up in my father’s clutches, and that was unbearable.

“I’ve got a fast car and no sense of self-preservation. Say the word and I’ll get ye out of here.”

If this is modern-day dating, maybe I should be the one laying traps and readying the duct tape.”

“He’s dead, and I wipe away my tears on handfuls of his cash while living in his stately home, so who’s laughing now?”

“I’ll work while you sleep. Don’t worry, I won’t stare at you.” His smirk returned. “Do whatever ye want to me in my sleep.”

“Then watch Tabitha get fucked like the goddess she is and learn how a woman should be treated.”

But in the low light from the pink room, a wet patch gleamed on his jeans, too high to have been from me. He’d come from getting me off? Oh God.

“Too late. Besides, why change your practice of only taking from me? We wouldn’t want to fuck up that dynamic.”

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

“Yeah. Call me Piers.” Ignoring my outstretched fingers, he tossed a smirk at my father. “Or sir. She can get used to that.”

“Would sir or madam care to be tempted by the dessert menu?” “No,” Piers said. “Yes, madam would,” I corrected, taking the elegantly printed menu and running a finger down it. “The cheesecake, please.”

“You won’t eat that,” he dictated. “I told you my meal was less than satisfactory, so I will.”

Under the cover of the people blocking us from the rest of the room, Piers half rose, looming over my plate. He spat onto the cheesecake, his saliva dribbling over my fork and on the creamy pudding.

I gunned the electric engine and glided out of the space, unseen, and kidnapped the mayor’s daughter, again.

“You’re crazy for wanting me to do this.” “I’m crazy for a lot of reasons, sweetheart.”

I hovered the needle over his skin, suddenly scared. “I don’t want to mess this up. It’s a permanent scar.” “Everything ye do to me fits that description.”

“Because it proves I’m capable of doing whatever it takes to protect ye.”

Connor: Just don’t let Cassie touch my knives.

Your lush body should be admired, and your tits will bring men to their knees. They’ll dream of your curves for years to come. Ye should walk tall.

I want every arsehole here to see what I’ve got, and at the same time, I’m making plans to stab all their eyes out.”

“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.”

“There’s a problem in how recognisable he is. He can’t be seen like this. Aside from reputation’s sake, he’ll fucking murder me.”

“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.”

the edge of the tape covering my inner arm tattoo caught on my clothes. I hadn’t looked. Hadn’t even peeked. Suddenly, I needed to know. I dropped the dress to the floor and peeled away the tattoo’s opaque cover. A word was revealed, black ink written into my skin in beautifully executed script. CLAIMED. My breath hitched. My heart pounded. Spinning around, I peered back to the mirror and lifted my cami, tearing away the tape over my lower back. WANTED. The next were at the top of my back and then my thigh. OWNED. NEEDED. The word under my breast gave up MINE. My laugh came out as a sob. He’d threatened his name, but the delivery was just as perfect. My hip declared LOVED. Oh God. I had one last tattoo to read, and it was the smallest, inked right behind my ear. FREE, the mirror told me.

“I’ll bite Piers Roache’s dick off and see how much he likes you after that.”

“Then I projected because I hated myself.” At my expression of enquiry, he twisted his lips. “Ye chose him over me. In my mind, if he was that much better, what did that make me? I didn’t say it was logical.”

“I captured them for ye, Everly. Take control whenever ye want.”

She’d stood up to her tormentor while wearing a skeleton mask—my fantasy come to life. If I didn’t get inside her within minutes, I was going to lose it.

“Please be careful out there. I want a life with you. I want all the things we said to each other, and for us to live here and be happy. I want to lie in bed with you while you read your thriller novels and for us to work side by side. Come back to me.”