Page 68 of Bleeding Blackheart

“What happened?” My head aches, and my body is sore.

He gives my hand a squeeze and gets into the slow lane on the highway. “That man stabbed you with a needle when he grabbed you. Gave you a mild sedative. Your bag’s in the back. I got our luggage from Dallas’. We’re on our way to Nevada.”

I blink my eyes a few times and glance out the window. “Nevada?”

He flips the red poker chip in his fingers and hands it to me. “Yeah. It’s clear that’s where Mason is. Or at least that’swhere he wants us to go next. There’s been no sighting of him near home, so this is our next best bet.”

I lean my seat forward slowly, trying to wake up. “How much longer until we get there?”

“Six hours or so.”

I glance at the clock, seeing it’s after six p.m. now. “We’re staying on the road until midnight?”

He smiles. “No. We’re stopping at Colt’s for the night. And he just left this morning for business. We’ll have the place to ourselves.”

Part of me is sad we won’t see Colt when we get back to his house when our dinner ended so horribly, but the other part of me is happy, knowing Gunner and I will have some alone time without worrying about my father breaking in or another tragedy occurring. I grab his arm, wondering who’s going to take care of everything while we’re gone. “What about Violet?”

Gunner’s smile widens. “Dallas’ll take care of her until we get back. And we’re leaving Vegas as soon as we find Mason. I’m thinking we’ll drive straight home from there tomorrow night.”

I look at the time, realizing I haven’t had a phone in weeks. “What day is it?”

Gunner laughs, slowing down when he gets off the highway. “It’s Wednesday, baby.”

I lean against his shoulder while he drives down a back road. “Have I really only known you for five days?”

He kisses the top of my head. “Yeah. It’s only been five days. Feels like years, hasn’t it?”

I smile to myself, looking forward to the years to come with the man next to me. “It really has.”

I sit on Colt’s couch in his den while Gunner puts our bags upstairs. Since we’re stuck here for the night, we’re ordering takeout and watching a movie. I glance at the Chinese menu he gave me, trying to figure out what I’m in the mood for. When I hear his footsteps come down the stairs, I set it down and take him in.

He’s shirtless, showing off his chest hair that trails down his abdomen and under his dark blue jeans. His dark brown hair hangs down around his shoulders, and his blue eyes look like they’re glowing.

He comes over and sits down next to me. “Have you decided what you want to eat?”

“I have an appetite for something else right now.”

Gunner slides a hand up my thigh. “Are you asking me to fuck you, little fox? Does your pussy need tending to?”

I spread my legs wider, trying to get him to slide his hand deeper. “Yes. Please.”

He drags his thumb over the crotch of my lace panties. “Hmm. I don’t know, Montana. What are you going to do to earn it?”

I look up at him innocently while I guide his hand to cup me. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

His thumb rubs circles on my clit while his middle finger strokes my ass crack. “You’ll do anything?”

When I look back into the oceanic eyes before me, I’m both excited and terrified. Gunner’s already shown me that he likes to take things to the extreme. And while I enjoy that side of him, I also don’t know what’s coming each time. Still, I trust him, and I know whatever he wants to do, he’ll strive to make it good for both of us.

Rocking my hips softly against his hand, I pull my shirt dress over my head and toss it to the side. “Absolutely anything.”

Gunner removes his hand from my body, leaving me cold and needy while he stands up and takes off his belt. I tense up immediately, and he looks at me fearfully. “I’ll never hit you with this, Montana. I swear.”

As much as I love being spanked by Gunner, he knows that his belt terrifies me. It terrifies me because my fatherspanked me with his for my entire life. At twenty-eight years old, I still received spankings from my father.

My fear tries to consume me as I remember why we’re back at Colt’s in the first place. We’re here because we’re headed to see my father in the morning. The only person I’ve ever wanted to die.

Gunner brushes my hair off my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “Would you be open to me showing you some other ways to have fun with a belt?”

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