Nero (Alliance, #1)

by S.J. Tilly

“I love this movie,” he says, almost to himself. What. In. The. Hell. Is happening?

A hot as hell man walks in through my second story balcony. Strolls through my apartment with a confidence I can only dream of having. Flashes me a glimpse of his gun. Then settles in to eat my popcorn. And… is he humming? Sweet Mother Mary, he’s humming.

I can sense her eyes closing. Sense her muscles loosening as sleep pulls her consciousness away from me and the situation I’ve put her in. And it makes me furious. This soft creature shouldn’t let her guard down. Not around a stranger. Not around me.

“Breathe.” The hand that I thought was trying to choke me presses against my breastbone. The warmth from his palm seeps into my chest, causing my lungs to stop seizing. “Just breathe, Sweet Girl.”

“What’s his name?” His voice is still quiet, but it’s also different. A little menacing. “Wh-whose name?” His head tilts, and it reminds me of the nature channel when they show a wild animal stalking its prey. “The man who laid his hands on you. Tell me his name.”

“I bet you’ve never told anyone. I bet you did as you were told.” I can feel his exhale against my lips. “Break the rules for me, Sweet Girl. Put yourself first and give me a name.”

I sit up and watch, eyes wide, as he bends down and picks up a pair of my underwear from the top of the pile. “Those are dirty,” I choke out. The man smirks at me over his shoulder, as he shoves them into his pocket.

“Keep your doors closed, Payton. Leaving them open could be seen as an invitation.”

I wipe at my eyes, clearing the water from my lashes and stare at the soggy hundred-dollar bill on the tub ledge, where my body wash should be. “What the hell?” I pick it up, the real currency not disintegrating under my wet grip. Did he… Did he really take my body wash? A new sort of warmth starts at my hips and works its way up to my chest. This shouldn’t make me feel… I shouldn’t like that he did that.

I wonder…? I lift the cup to my face and press my nose to the side opposite the writing, where her palm would’ve been, and inhale. Still no roses. Damnit.

“This is your one chance, Payton.” His voice is rougher than I remember. The deepness of it filling the room. “Your one chance to make the right choice. The only time I’ll let you tell me no.”

“Such a pretty pussy.” He slides a finger up and down my slit but doesn’t push in. “I bet it’s gonna be tight. Bet you’re gonna squeeze the cum right out of me.”

“Nero,” I whisper his name and watch his eyes fall shut. Bliss crosses his features and I open my mouth to say his name again, but what comes out next is a scream.

“What?” I pant the question, holding my body as steady as possible. Opening my eyes, I look down at Payton, seeing her features pinched in pain. And even though her eyes are squeezed shut, I can see tears escaping. Trailing down the sides of her face. “How…?” I can’t formulate my questions. Is my Sweet Girl seriously a virgin? How is this fucking possible? I pull my hips back, needing to see the evidence. She whimpers at the movement, but even in the unlit room, I can see the dark streak of blood running up the length of my dick. And the sight of it has my balls tightening, nearly bursting. “Payton.” Her name comes out strangled. I can’t believe it. Why? Why would she give such an honor to me? To me?!

“Say my name, Payton. Tell me who owns this pussy now.” “Y-You do, Nero,” she cries. I can hardly hear her over my roaring pulse, but I feel it. I feel it everywhere.

“That’s right, Baby. This belongs to me.” I thrust in again. “All of you belongs to me now.”

“Payton.” His hips slam against me. “My Sweet fucking Girl.” He withdraws his cock as he licks into my mouth. “You’re mine now.” He thrusts back into me. “That sweet cherry juice all over my cock made you mine.” His head tilts and he deepens our kiss even more, our teeth clicking together, tongues tangling. “Gonna stay buried in this pussy forever.”

“Let me in,” he growls against my lips. He’s in, so far in, but I don’t know how to let him in more. “Come on.” The hand not holding my hair reaches down and grips my leg, yanking it up until my knee is hooked over his forearm, opening me even wider. “Let me fucking in!” he snaps.

“That’s it. That’s my Sweet Girl. Letting me in so good. So deep.” “Nero,” I moan.

“That’s it, Payton.” His words are hot against my ear. “Take me. Feel me.” “I am.” I choke. “I do.” His tongue traces across my temple, and I know he’s licking my tears away.

“I need you to do one more thing for me, Baby. Give me one more thing.” “Anything.” I nod my head. “I’ll do anything.” I can feel his breath against my cheek. “I need to feel this virgin pussy come all over my cock.”

“Say it again,” he growls. “Say my name while you come.”

“That’s it, Baby,” I pant. “Come for me. Squeeze my cock until it’s pumping you full of my seed.”

“I’m not staying,” he mutters it this time. He sounds so resigned, even as he does the opposite of what he just said, and I almost laugh. Nero drops onto his back, shifting the pillow, lifting his head and smacking it back down against the lumpy cotton, trying to get comfortable. With one final sigh, he stretches his arm out in my direction. “Come fucking cuddle with me.”

I know what your virgin blood tastes like when it’s painted across my cock. We know each other.

It’s so good. It tastes like her. I lick across the surface of the cherries on the uneaten half, noticing that my dick is now completely hard. “Jesus.” Still steering with my knee, I press my other hand down on my length.

My gaze darts back and forth between the baked good in my hand and the road ahead of me, and for more than a moment, I consider the logistics of jerking off while I fill my mouth with the rest of Payton’s cherries. I press down harder on my cock as it throbs.

“That’s my girl.” I can feel the rumble of his chest against my back. And the hardness of his cock against my ass.

“Jesus, Baby. You’re so fucking slick.” His fingers brush back then forth before he plunges one inside me. “So fucking ready for me.”

“One fuck and you’re already horny for more. Turned you into the perfect little slut, didn’t I?”

“Is that it, Baby? Just one time with my dick and now you need more?” She writhes under my touch. “Who said I haven’t had another dick since you?” Red tinges the edge of my vision. “I said.” I curl my fingers and press my palm harder against her, getting a literal grip on her pussy. “If someone even thinks about putting their cock in you, I’ll slice their head off and put their skull on a pike outside your balcony.” I jerk my cock rougher. “So keep that in mind, my pretty little thing.”

“I need you.” Fuuuuck. There’s nothing she could say that would affect me more. She needs me. And I need her.

So, with him watching, I slowly slide my hand up and out of Payton’s skirt, drawing an invisible line of wetness up her stomach on the way. When my fingers, covered in her shine, are visible over the top of her waistband, I splay my hand across her stomach, holding her against me. Affronted anger rolls off him, but he just keeps impotently standing there. Grinning against her neck, I shift my foot to the inside of Payton’s, nudging it until she spreads her legs a little more. Her muscles relax their grip on my dick, and I gently slip free from her ass. Payton lets out a delicious moan, that only I can hear, but my eyes stay on the man as my release starts dripping out of her. The music is too loud for anyone to hear the splatter when it hits the ground, but I watch the punk’s eyes flick down. Only then does he turn and leave.

“Nero…” I press my thighs together, then whisper. “I’m going to get your seats dirty.” His eyes slowly drop and I feel like he can see straight through my skirt. “Are you messy, Payton?” He steps forward, closing the distance between us. “Is my cum still dripping out of your ass?” I tip my head down, letting my hair fall around my face, as I admit, “Yes.” Nero groans, gripping me on my hips. “If you think that bothers me, you need to think again.”

“Almost feels like I should make you climb in through the balcony,” she teases as we pass her unit, heading to the front steps. “Cute.” Payton tips her head up to me and I nearly stumble. The smile on her face is the most genuine one I’ve ever seen on her. And there’s something so heartbreaking about that. Probably because I’ve spent hours looking at her face, while she’s at home or work, and this is the first time she’s ever looked truly happy. And it makes me crave more. More of her. More of her smiles. More of her happiness. More of her everything.

Her fingers tighten around mine like she’s trying to comfort me. And for the second time in a matter of heartbeats, she tilts me off my axis. Is she trying to comfort me?

“Because you acted like I was nothing.” The sentence wraps around my ribs. “You’re not nothing.” The sadness stays in her eyes, that smile nowhere to be found. I step closer and frame her pretty face with my large hands. “You are not nothing, Payton.” She blinks. Then she blinks some more. “Okay.” Her whisper is hardly convincing.

“Know that it’s me inside of you.” His teeth drag down my neck. “Me that lights you on fire.”

Her hand reaches up, sliding into my hair before she grips it, hard. Like I just did to her. I follow her pull and lift my head enough to look at her. Her tits are rubbing against my chest, bouncing with each slam of my cock, but she looks as serious as I’ve ever seen her when she says, “No more women. No touching them and no letting them touch you. At all.” I grin. “There’s my girl.” She yanks my hair. “Say it.” My balls squeeze. Fuck she’s hot when she’s worked up. “No one touches me but you. And you’re the only woman I’ll ever touch again.” Her pussy squeezes me with each promise, and I can’t resist swiping a lick across her lips. “Now you.” “You’re the only man I’ve ever touched.”

“You’re crazy,” I breathe. His hands dart out, gripping my ankles, and he yanks me down the bed. Again. Nero bends over me, putting our faces an inch apart. “For you, I’m fucking certifiable.”

“Because I needed time. I needed you to walk away from me before anyone knew who you were to me.” His forehead drops to mine. “I keep telling you, Sweet Girl, I’m a bad man. I have enemies that will kill you, or worse, to torture me. And when they find out how much I love you, they’ll battle each other, just to be the first to get to you. And if something ever happened to you…” He sucks in a breath. “I’ll burn this entire city to the ground.” My heart is galloping behind my ribs. “You love me?” Nero nods. “I must. There’s no other explanation for how you make me feel.”

“Uh, hi.” She lifts her hand in a little wave before catching herself and clutching it to her chest, probably embarrassed that she waved for a phone call. It was cute as fuck.

“If I decide I’m too good for Taco Bell, put a bullet in my brain and end my misery.” A twinge of pain on my wrist has me jerking my arm away from Payton. “What the––” She’s glaring at me. “Did you just pull out one of my arm hairs?” I ask in disbelief. “Don’t joke about dying.” She sounds so serious; I know I shouldn’t smile. But I can’t help it. When she reaches for my wrist again, I lean away. “Alright, alright!” I put my hands up then gesture to the menu board ahead of us. “You know what you want?”

“You know,” he says, when he sees where I’m looking. “Cinderella only left one shoe behind.” I fight my embarrassment by rolling my eyes. “Yeah, and Prince Charming didn’t break into her home to find her.” Nero grins. “The villains always have more fun.”

“I like this.” He glances around. “The kitchen?” A smile tugs at my lips. “That’s nice too, but I was talking about holding hands.” “I’m glad,” Nero says it so seriously that I snicker. He glances at me, as he leads us to another, more hidden stairway behind the kitchen. “What?” “It’s just funny, how you said it.” “How I said I’m glad?” He’s truly confused, and that only makes it funnier. “Yeah, because you sounded like the least glad person ever.” The edge of his mouth lifts into a smirk. “You’re kind of a smart ass, aren’t you?” I narrow my eyes, choosing not to answer, and Nero lets go of my hand to swat me on the ass.

“What’s mine is off limits. You’re mine. And people need to understand the consequences of what that means.”

No surprise that the bottles are all men’s products, except for a small, mostly empty bottle of red liquid tucked into the corner. And I smile, because I know it was fuller than that when he stole it from me.

don’t love you because you’re gentle.” I pull back to look at her. “Why do you love me?” “Because you’re mine.” The feelings that swell in my chest… Fuck. I have to swallow. I have to do it a second time. There’s not a single moment in my life where I’ve felt the stirring of happy tears. I’ve heard them described. I’ve seen it in movies, read it in books, but it always seemed like nonsense. Except it’s not. I’ve had tears ripped from my body through pain and fear and rage. But not since I was a kid. Not since I was vulnerable. Not since I hardened into who I am today. Payton reaches up and gently, so gently, brushes her thumb under my eye. I watch, fascinated, as the pad of her thumb comes back damp. A tiny drop of my heart right there for both of us to see. I’m not embarrassed. Payton claimed me. She claimed me like I’ve claimed her. So, we’re one now. And I’ll never show her any doubt or embarrassment over my feelings for her. She raises her thumb, and I stare, breath catching, as she slides it between her lips. Her tongue slipping out to lick the tear away. I feel the urge to cry again, at the beauty of it, at the rightness of it.

Mikhail was already going to die. But now that he’s put his filthy hands on her. Now that he’s tried to smell her roses. He’s all the way done.

“Tell me how to make this up to you. Tell me what you want, Sweet Girl. Tell me, and I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you.” My heart is pounding in my chest, that underlying current of fear continues to plague me. Payton raises a hand, placing it over mine on her cheek. “I want a big wedding.” My mouth opens, but no sound follows. Beneath my palm, her cheek plumps in a small smile. “Say that again,” I rasp out. “You already saved me. In so many ways.” Her pained expression softens. “You don’t need to do anything else, except keep loving me.” My heart clenches so hard it feels like it might crumble. “And I’d like a big wedding dress. One of those puffy skirt ones from the reality shows. And flowers. Lots of flowers.” “So many flowers,” I agree, closing my eyes, seeing it all exactly as she describes. “With Toto as a ring bearer.”