Ink & Bone

  Three

  Jai

  Rubble

  “Shit!” Joel jabs me in the thigh, and I jolt out of my dreamless state.

  I don’t know if I was asleep. Maybe I was. Maybe I wasn’t. I’m so tired, so stressed, that I keep drifting in and out of some kind of depressing stupor. I rub my face as I push myself into a seated position. “What? Are we here?”

  I drop my hands. Billowing smoke is all that fills my view of the lake house. The gentle wind pushes the smoke around, allowing me to see the bright licks of the flames as they burn through the first floor of the house, growing bigger and bigger.

  “Is that…?” Monique pushes her stringy, blonde hair out of her face as Joel squeezes the steering wheel in his hand.

  “Yeah.”

  I slide along the backseat and over to the window closest to the fire. Sweat bubbles along my forehead and across my top lip as the heat from the blaze warms the car.

  I can’t believe it.

  “Skull?” Monique whispers, and the side wall of the house, the one that lines the kitchen, crumbles, sending a burst of embers shooting into the night sky. I look at the side of Monique’s face. Her cheekbones are prominent; her lips are parted in fear. I can’t ask these two for help. They just got away.

  Joel looks at her, his brow furrowed. “I’d say so. Could also be—”

  Exhaling, I grab the door handle and tug it before kicking it open with my boot. Smoke swoops in, burning my eyes and singeing the hairs in my lungs. Joel calls out at me, but I shut the door and turn away from the car. Stuffing my hands into the pockets of my pants, I stroll down the drive.

  “Jai!” I can barely hear Joel over the roar of the flames and the crackle of burning wood. He slams a door. “Where are you going?”

  I keep my head down and keep walking, getting further and further away from the smoke. Joel clamps his large hand on my shoulder and pulls me back.

  “Hey. I’m talking to you.”

  I whirl on my heel. “What? What do you want?”

  He frowns. “Where the fuck are you going?”

  “To see Joker. To get Emily back.”

  “That’s where we’re going. Get back in the car, and I’ll drive you there.”

  Laughing under my breath, I peer over his shoulder and stare at the lake house. For a short while, this house was our sanctuary. No one knew where we were. We were out of harm’s way. Now look at it. Somehow they found it—whoever it was—and they’ve destroyed it…just like they’re going to destroy us. I glance at Joel. Look at him. He’s covered in cuts and bruises. His eyes are heavy, and he looks like he’s seventy years old. I don’t know how much more he can go through. If Skull gets him back, if he gets Monique back, this would have all been for nothing. I don’t think I can handle doing all of this for nothing.

  “You’re free,” I tell him, and his brow twitches. “Take Monique and go meet Jessica in Italy.”

  He flinches. “Italy? Jai, I’m not going anywhere without you. You’ve risked everything for me.”

  “I—”

  “You didn’t have to, but you did…and I wanna do the same for you.”

  I exhale.

  “Look, you can keep walking all the way to The Twisted Sons’ bar, but I’ll be waiting for you when you get there.” He smirks. “Besides, I can’t go to Italy. They’re not going to let me on a plane with this head injury.” He points to a spot above his ear and touches it with the tip of his finger, darkening it in blood. “Anyway, we gotta go. Fire and rescue will be here any second, and they’ll bring cops with them. Are you walking? Or will you get in the car?”

  I peer over his shoulder, and the roof of the lake house caves in with a loud crash, once again shooting embers into the air. Tension leaves my shoulders and strangely, I feel…relief. Now I don’t have to set foot inside a tomb full of memories.

  I step around him. “You’re insane, you know that?”

  Joel laughs and spins on his heel as I stroll past him. “I know it.”

  He follows me back to the car and, inside, Monique flashes me a tight smile. Whether it’s sympathy or frustration, I don’t know.

  I slip into the seat and drop my head against the headrest as Joel gets comfortable behind the wheel. He and Monique exchange whispers, ones I can’t decipher, until she says, “But what if they’re the ones who burned down your lake house?”

  Joel shrugs. “I guess we’ll find out.”

  I lift my stare to the roof as Joel swiftly backs out of the driveway.

  Yeah, I guess we'll find out…

  Four

  Emily

  Flames

  I’ll admit there is a positive to the drug they fed me. It affects my dreams. It makes them vivid, so real I feel, smell, and taste everything. Every inch of him is a hallucination and I know it, but I don’t care. I miss him so much that I’ll take a fantasy with him over a reality without him any day.

  ***

  The air is crisp and warm. No clouds drift through the inky evening sky or block any of the dazzling stars that seem to pop out one by one.

  A gentle breeze blows my long, high ponytail off the back of my neck as I wait at the top of the stairs of a house that is supposedly mine, but I’ve never seen before.

  I hold my black clutch in my hand, flicking the glittering badge pinned to the center with a nervous finger. Will he like my dress? I chose red on purpose. Jai likes red. The dress is tight around my chest and waist before loosening up into soft, elegant waves from the thin, gold belt down to the middle of my thigh.

  I shift at the top of the stairs, ignoring the way my palms begin to sweat. Why did I choose to wear these Jimmy Choos? I’m not well rounded in heels—and since when did I even own a pair of this caliber, anyway? I glance down for the briefest moment, and that’s when I hear him pull his car into the driveway.

  My heart stutters, then swells. The moment I’ve been both anticipating and dreading has arrived. God. It feels like I haven’t seen him in weeks.

  I hold my breath as the lights turn off and the sleek, black car falls silent.

  An eternity passes between the car turning off and the click of his door, but eventually, he opens it.

  I allow oxygen to flood my lungs with a gasp as he steps out of the car and straightens his posture. He turns to face me, a light smile playing on his beautiful lips, and my throat dries. He commands my attention in the most paralyzing of ways, and my heart races. I’ve missed him so much.

  Jai holds himself upright, like every man should, and his shoulders are incredibly broad and strong. His formal, white button-up shirt clings to his athletic torso, loosening slightly around his slim hips before it’s tucked into his well fitted black slacks. Stuffing his large hands into his pockets, he gazes up at me, locking me in place with his intense eyes.

  “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he calls out, his throat bobbing with a hard swallow.

  Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I bite back a smile. “It’s not too much?”

  “There’s no such thing as too much when it comes to you, Kitten.”

  Kitten. A pet name I once hated is now something I enjoy hearing.

  Because he gave it to me.

  Jai stalks away from his car toward the stairs. Toward me. When he reaches the bottom, he drops his attention to my feet and slowly drags it up my body in a way that makes me feel naked. Completely exposed.

  I fidget with my clutch as he climbs the stairs one foot at a time. Before he reaches the top, his cologne wafts over me, making me sway a little. I inhale deeply. He smells like…like Heaven. I lick my lips to moisten them.

  We’re going to dinner, that’s why we’re wearing formal attire, and judging by his straight, black tie and nice leather shoes, I’d say we’re going somewhere expensive. To be honest, I’m nervous. We’ve never been on a date before.

  Jai holds out his hand. “Are you ready?”

  I start to nod, then change my mind. “Do you mind if I change my shoes first? I’m wo
rried I’m going to hurt myself in these.”

  He glances at my shoes, then smiles at me. “Okay.”

  I take his hand and lead him through my house, to the main bedroom. I’ve never been inside this house before now, but I know exactly where everything is.

  While I rifle through my shoe cupboard, looking for a pair of cute flats, Jai saunters around my room, touching things. Eventually, he disappears down the hall. I toss high heel after high heel over my shoulder until I reach the very bottom. Not a single flat to be seen. Damn. Huffing, I exit the bedroom only to slow in the hall when I hear soft classical music playing. Frowning, I follow the sound into the enormous living space where Jai stands in the center, rolling his sleeves to his elbows with a lax smile.

  I glance around the room. He’s pushed the coffee table out of the way, the couches too. “Is everything all right?” I ask.

  “Perfect.” He tugs at his tie, loosening it, and glances at my bare feet. “Couldn’t find any shoes?”

  “I have plenty of shoes,” I say, walking toward him. “I just don’t have any I feel comfortable in.”

  “So don’t wear any.” He slips his soft, warm hand round my elbow and tugs me close, so close my chest presses against his. Can he feel the frantic race of my heart?

  “I won’t be allowed into the restaurant without shoes.”

  Jai shrugs. “We’ll stay here. I’ll order Chinese food.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Let’s be honest, Kitten. This isn’t us.” He pull his tie over his head and tosses it.

  Without a word, he slips a hand into mine and rests the other on the small of my back. I let him move me. I let him sway me to music I’d never listen to, a slow dance I’m enjoying more than I normally would.

  I stare up at him. It’s semi-dark in here, but I can still see happiness glistening in the ocean-like depths of his eyes.

  I smile. “You dance?”

  “I’ve been to a gala or two in my life.”

  I chuckle under my breath. “What else can you do that I don’t know about?”

  Jai smirks, his full lips pulling up on one side. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  He’s teasing me. I love it when he teases me. I love it when he’s playful. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to dinner?” I ask. “Aren’t you hungry?”

  He stops swaying as he squeezes me against him. I hold my breath while he leans in close, stopping only when his mouth is by my ear. “I'm starved.”

  Judging by his hand as it descends from the small of my back and over the curve of my ass, I get the feeling he’s not talking about food. A fierce sexual energy ignites in the pit of my stomach and flares south, pooling between my thighs.

  Keeping ahold of his hand, I step away from him and pull him along behind me, toward the couch. Without speaking, he lowers himself onto it with a harsh tug on my arm. Gasping, I shoot forward, landing awkwardly on his lap. With a deep, dark chuckle, Jai wraps an arm around my waist. I shift my body, and he pulls me onto him with ease, until my thighs straddle his and our hips are flush together. His body is warm, firm, and magnificent.

  Planting a soft kiss on my lips, Jai reaches around me for the zipper of my dress that aligns with my spine and drags it down.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispers, slipping the thick straps of my dress down my arms.

  “I’ve missed you too.”

  I still miss him. Even though he’s here between my thighs, looking into my eyes, I miss him so much my entire body aches. The fabric of my dress falls just enough to expose the full tops of my breasts. Jai flicks his gaze over them, not commenting on the fact I’m not wearing a bra, and I hold my breath as he leans in and softly kisses my shoulder, then my collarbone. He glides the tips of his fingers over the surface of my thighs, his touch inciting goosebumps along my skin.

  I close my eyes and focus on the way he feels.

  Gentle…

  Loving…

  I don’t think Jai has ever taken the time to explore my body slowly. We’ve always been in a rush, swept up in some type of ‘our last time’ kind of passion. Tonight, however, he maps out every pore on my thighs, every freckle, every scar.

  I open my eyes and hum as he glides his large hands under my dress and over my bare ass to settle on my hips. Groaning, he drops his head back against the couch, exposing his throat.

  The throat. My favorite. Leaning in, I plant a soft kiss at the base of his throat, and it vibrates against my lips with another groan. I press my hands to his tight chest and pull back just enough for him to bring his face to mine.

  “Are you in my dream or am I in yours?” he utters, his voice sinfully low as our noses brush.

  “I don’t know…” I slide my hands over his shoulders. “Does it matter?”

  Jai’s lips twitch at the corners right before he crushes his mouth to mine. My heart pounds in my chest, and my skin is alive. Our tongues mesh together in a desperate dance as we claw at each other, desperate to get closer, desperate to hold more and more of each other. I can’t get enough. With every handful I grab, more slips away until frustration is prickling down my spine. Growling, I grab the collar of his shirt and rip it open, sending buttons scattering around the sitting room. Shrugging out of my dress, I bunch it around my hips and press my aching, bare skin to his. Oh, God. He feels good, like aloe vera on sunburned skin.

  Grunting, he tugs my dress up over my hips, eager to get it off of my body. Not once do our lips separate even as I reach for his belt and he struggles to figure out mine. We give up eventually. He can’t get my dress off and I only just manage to free his cock from his pants, but it’ll do.

  Jai’s lips leave mine, and I become hyper aware of his large, rough hands around the back of my thighs. He pulls me open, lifting me high enough for him to press himself against my entrance. I shift my hips, and his entire bod tightens, our lusty gazes catching each other.

  “Slow,” he says, releasing my thighs and cupping my face. “Fuck me. Slow.”

  I slide onto him, and he parts his full lips…

  BANG!

  I jolt awake by the sound of a gunshot. My heart is in my throat; my organs are clenched. Silence falls, and I wait in it, expecting something to happen. It doesn’t.

  Huffing, I grab a pillow and pull it over my face. Irrational tears well in the corners of my eyes and are absorbed by the fabric. Why am I crying? Because I needed that dream. I needed him. I needed something to keep me going until he gets here, until he comes for me. Mostly, I’m crying because I don’t know if touching Jai again will ever be a reality.

  I try to force myself back to sleep, but it doesn’t happen. Eventually, I sit up around midday, drowning in thick, silk blankets and an endless supply of pillows. Am I alone? Is Skull here? I listen intently for sounds of the plumbing from the bathroom.

  Nothing.

  I push myself into a seated position, and fabric tightens around my thighs. Frowning, I glance down at the skimpy silk nightgown that constricts me. It’s as red as the blood that dripped from my nose. Did he dress me? Why would he put me in something like this? I shut my eyes and wait for him to pop out and taunt me with one of his sinister quips—the ones I hate so much.

  He doesn’t.

  I open my eyes and lift my head. “Skull?” I croak, and I’m met with silence.

  Sweet, beautiful silence.

  I launch from the gigantic bed. It’s the perfect time to get out of here. I have to try. I have to get back to Jai. I clasp the sharp ache in my side, in my kidney, as I scramble over pillows, land on the carpet, and stumble. Clenching my teeth in a way that would make any dentist cringe, I sprint across the room toward the large windows that were covered by thick, red curtains last night. I grab at the handle and yank it. It jams and locks, clanking when metal crunches against metal. I growl and try and another…

  …and another…

  …and another.

  By the time I weakly grab at the twelfth handle on the opposite side of the r
oom, I’ve already given up. I slouch forward, dropping my head against the glass. Of course he’s locked all the windows. Why wouldn’t he? He went through so much trouble to get me here. You can bet your sweet ass he’ll do everything he can to keep me here.

  Oh, Jai…I slide my hand across the glass. Where are you?

  The soft pad of my index finger brushes along a chip in the glass, and I pause, flicking the chip gently. I inhale sharply as a new gust of determination slams into me. Why didn’t I think of it before? I rush across the room to the vanity table by the first set of windows and grab the heavy wooden stool that’s tucked neatly underneath. Holding my breath, I swing the sturdy chunk of varnished wood above my head and race back to the chip. This panel of glass would be weaker than the others, right? Because it’s already been compromised?

  Clenching my jaw, I cock the stool back and throw it as hard as I can against the window. I jump out of the way with a squeak as it hits the glass with a loud bang and bounces right off.

  I slump. I don’t understand…

  Click. The door closes behind me, and my heart sinks into my shoes.

  I whirl on my heel, and my heart falters in its next beat. Black eyes, black ink, and a sinister grin on his lips as he poises them with malicious intent, preparing to irk me with another quip.

  “You’re up.” He glances at the window while smoothing the palm of his hands over the collar of his expensive blue polo. “Enjoying the view?”

  I snort, folding my arms across my chest to hide my cleavage from the low dip of the gown. “What view? It’s not exactly a five-star resort.”