Page 6 of Ruined

I climb up her body. “I’m going to be doing that every fucking day of my life, baby doll,” I say before I kiss her.

She clutches at me, her nails digging into my back, and I press my still hard cock into her. She starts moving against me, and I slide a hand between us to pull my shorts down so I can feel her raging heat against my cock. She cries out and throws her head back.

“I want to take you, Minuet, but I’ll wait. Just let me feel you.”

“Yes, please, Dylan. I want to feel you too.”

I press my cock to her entrance and leave it there, not pushing in deeper than just the head. Her pussy squeezes me, making my eyes cross. I come inside her just like that, and shecries out as her back bows. I lift her shirt up and take her nipple deep into my mouth as we both come down from our orgasm.

“Come on,” I tell her as I slide away from her. I want to slam inside her and really claim her, but I know she’s not ready.

I lift her up into my arms and carry her to the adjoining bathroom, where I strip us naked before carrying her into the shower. I start it up and adjust the temperature. Warm water cascades down our bodies, and she’s looking up at me. I lean down and kiss her deep. I can’t get enough of her.

THREE

FRENCHIE

The crowd stands in front of the federal courthouse. There is a chill in the air, but not as cold as it has been. The sun is shining, and the sky is a little cloudy. The weather is calling for snow.

When I woke up this morning naked in Dylan’s arms, at first, I started to panic, but then he squeezed me tight, and I settled back in. The fear of waking up in that box is always with me. In the last two nights, ever since I had that nightmare, when Dylan is with me, I don’t dream. I don’t have the nightmares.

He kissed me stupid and then rolled out of bed. I caught a glimpse of his impressive erection before he headed for the closet to get dressed. I laid there in bed for a bit longer, stretching and thinking about how much has changed in the last couple of days.

When I finally returned to the clubhouse this morning, Ginger and Keys teased me about doing the walk of shame and then high-fived me.

“It’s about time, Frenchie. Tell me how it was,” Ginger said, and I just shook my head.

I don’t want to share what we did. It’s still so new for me. Only Jinx and Riddler know that I haven’t slept with a man since the attack. I don’t tell the others because I don’t want to explain why I’m holding back. But with Dylan, it’s so different.

I glance at the courthouse, then back to the podium where Thad and his father, Terry, will be holding a press conference. Reporters are starting to gather and mingle, though there aren’t many of them. This surprises me, considering the press has been following Poison’s abduction for the last six months.

I keep to the back, staying hidden behind the crowd. I’m still technically in hiding. However, the more time passes, the more I think Wilder is probably dead. Maybe Drawer—the guy who killed Pierre and tried to frame Jinx and Riddler for the murder—did him in too. Or maybe it was Snake, getting revenge for Pierre’s death since they were half brothers. Wilder being dead is a happy thought. But until we have a body, Riddler says I can’t let my guard down. So I stay out of sight from the cameras.

When Riddler asked me to help keep an eye on Skyler and Ryder, she made it clear I still needed to stay hidden. Skyler is like my little niece, and I love spending time with her. Thad and Riddler wanted both children here instead of being away from them at the compound. The compound is secure, but they still worry. Especially since Skyler was kidnapped a mere seven months ago by Phantom, the same man who beat up Riddler the day I met Dylan. Ryder is Thad’s biological son, just like Skyler is his daughter, but Riddler isn’t his mother. She and Thad are working on having her adopt him since his mother walked away from him. I think it’s sad that Ryder’s mother didn’t want the sweet boy. Maybe that’s why I’m so close to him. I empathize because my own mother pushed me away too.

Ryder is a cutie and well-behaved. He’s a miniature of his father, with his wild blond hair and blue eyes. So now Ryder is my little nephew. It makes me miss my other nieces andnephews, but when my mother disowned me, she told me my brothers didn’t want to be around me either.

I need to stop thinking about my past, so I focus on why we are all here. It's been six months since Thad’s sister, Stormy, went missing. She was prospecting to be a Handmaiden, where she earned the nickname Poison because she could make a mean drink as a bartender. I can’t stop the shiver that runs across my skin. I don’t need to imagine what she’s going through; I’ve lived it. I was raped, beaten, and so much more before Riddler and Jinx saved me, along with the other Devil’s Handmaidens in Kentucky.

When Riddler moved back here to Alaska, I relocated with them. I couldn’t lose another family.

I glance at Dylan, standing in his uniform next to the podium. Thad stands beside him, not wearing his. Part of this conference will be Thad announcing his retirement. He wants to go private so he can focus on looking for his sister more.

“Frenchie,” a soft Southern-accented voice says my name before I feel her hand brush across my arm.

I jump, like I always do. Even Dylan knows not to touch me until I acknowledge him first, except for the other night when I fought him.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here.” I look up at the woman who has sacrificed the most for me. The one who stood by me when my own family said I was dirty and ruined. When they wouldn’t take me back, Vixen took me in. She rushed to try to adopt me, but instead, she sponsored me so I could become a U.S. citizen.

“Hey.” I lean my head onto her shoulder as she wraps her arms around me. She’s been the mother I should have always had. Vixen is her road name, but her real name is Rose. Maybe that’s why I have so many rose tattoos on my body—that and it’s my favorite flower. She is the sister to Riddler’s mom, Violet.

“I’m proud of you,” she says softly. “You came here today to support Jinx and Riddler, even though you knew it could bring back memories for you.”

“I want to help.” I tell her the truth.

She’s here because she and Terry have been seeing each other since he filed for divorce from Thad’s mother, Cheryl. His mother is the reason Skyler didn’t know her father until just a few months ago. She tried to force Riddler to have an abortion and made her sign a non-disclosure agreement, preventing her from telling Thad he was a father. Since Riddler was underage at the time, Cheryl broke the law. When Thad and his father found out, they cut her from their lives, and Terry left her for what she had done. They are still trying to settle everything with their finances, but he’s moved on with Vixen. He bought a cabin out in Ptarmigan Falls, away from the city, and Vixen moved in with him.

“You haven’t been home in a while.” She smirks and raises her chin toward Dylan.

---