After towel-drying my hair, I returned to the bedroom. Maddox looked as if he too had racked his brain for a solution. He had to see that this was heading in the wrong direction, that it was in his hands to steer us out of the danger zone. He met my gaze and I touched my ear, wondering what he saw now.
“You’re still fucking gorgeous. Knowing you, people will probably soon ask plastic surgeons to cut their earlobes off because you started a trend.”
I let out a hoarse laugh. “You don’t know the people I have to deal with. They’ll have a blast seeing me like this.”
“Didn’t you hear me? You’re still fucking gorgeous.”
“Until Earl cuts more pieces of me off.”
It was a fear I hadn’t allowed more room in my brain but it lurked at the fringes all night, filled my night with horrid images.
Maddox’s eyes flashed with fury. “He won’t. This will be over soon. I swore to protect you.”
I approached him and peered up into his hard face. “How will this end, if not badly? How will you protect me? You didn’t see your uncle when he cut me. He will do it again, no matter what my father does, or you. Your club brothers stood by and watched. They too will follow your uncle down this path.”
He grabbed my shoulders, looking torn and angry and desperate at once. “This club is my life, Marcella. I bleed for it. I know what you want me to do but I can’t betray the club, not for you or anyone. And I won’t spare your father either. He will die, but you will be safe.”
“You will lose me, and then my brother or uncle or someone else will kill you to avenge my father. Is that what you want?”
I could see one thing he wanted more than anything, even if he couldn’t admit it.
“The last few days were more than I ever expected to get with the spoiled princess from New York.” He was good at evading the bitter truth.
“And that’s enough?” I asked softly.
He growled and pulled me against his body, his lips crashing down on mine. Part of me wanted to shove him away, but the other wanted this, him. For many confusing reasons.
I raked my fingers through his hair, tugging hard, wanting him to hurt. He snarled into my mouth but only kissed me harder, his hands roaming my back.
His piercing teased my tongue, sending spikes of pleasure through every inch of my body. Kissing had never felt like this, as if lightning bolts zig-zagged through my body. The world around us and everything that had happened faded away.
He tugged down the wife beater and tongued my nipple, making sure to flick his piercing against it a few times. Then he sucked my nipple deeply into his mouth, sucking harder than I expected. My core clenched. I leaned back, watching his lips around my sensitive flesh. His hand slid down my belly, fingertips teasing my skin. I was already growing wet and desperate to feel his touch between my legs. This was our moment, and my last chance. We stumbled backward against the door.
He cupped me through the boxers, sliding his middle finger between my lower lips over the thin fabric. The additional friction of the drenched material against my sensitive flesh made me pant. He rubbed me slowly, completely ruining my underwear but I didn’t care. He got down on one knee. “This is the only instance I’ll ever kneel before a Vitiello,” he growled, but I could only focus on his lips that were so close to my boxers. He hooked a hand under my knee and shoved my leg up. My ass banged against the door, causing the old wood to groan. Maddox slid my boxers to the side. “Dripping,” he murmured. Then he buried his face in my pussy. His piercing teased my clit mercilessly.
“Mad,” someone called. I didn’t recognize the voice in my lust-hazy brain. He rattled against the door, almost giving me a heart attack but Maddox didn’t release me. His face stayed between my legs.
“Fuck off, I’m eating out pussy,” Maddox shouted before he noisily sucked at my pussy lips.
I wanted to shove him away but he flicked his piercing over my clit before he sucked it into his mouth and I exploded. My fingers tore at his hair as I ground myself against him, riding his face desperately. This was almost like an out-of-body experience, as if I could put all the weight of the past and fear of the future behind.
I knew whoever had called Maddox’s name was still there but I didn’t care anymore. He wouldn’t live to tell the tale anyway. Once my family saved me, everyone would be dead, and they’d take whatever they’d heard or seen into the grave with them. I could only hope Maddox would see reason before he’d have to share their fate.