Page 46 of Saving Blood

She raises her hand to slap me, but I catch her wrist and hold her captive. “What’s the matter? Did I hit a nerve?”

She glares at me like she wants to kill me, and I believe she could’ve done it. I loosen my grip, and her arm falls to the sheets. She looks away from me, but I cup her chin, forcing her to look at me.

“Now, tell me something that isn’t a lie,” I demand.

“Everything you said is true. I had no idea when I rented from him what the area was like; I just wanted a room. Then, after I began fighting for your club, he tried to persuade me to fight for him. When I refused, he started threatening me.”

“How?”

“Saying he would throw me out of the apartment.” She plays with the bedsheets. “I couldn’t let that happen, and without my passport, I can’t even get back to the States.”

I scrub my hand over my face and blow out a deep sigh. “I can help you.”

“Help me how?”

“With getting a passport.”

Her eyes widen. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

She jumps into my arms, straddles my lap and showers my face and neck with kisses. My heart jacks up, and a jolt shoots down my spine, landing directly at my dick.

“I have some money,” she offers. “I can pay you.”

I ease her back a few inches. “Not necessary.”

“You’re the first person . . . the only person who’s ever tried to help me.”

What the hell kind of life did Maxine have if I’m her savior? I still don’t know shit about her, but when she jumped into my arms and hugged me, my heart swelled. Two seconds later, she grinds over me, sliding my cock into her wet, hot pussy. And when she arches her back, braces her palms on my thighs and rides me, all I can concentrate on is my cock being swallowed up and devoured.

I don’t know what the fuck this woman did to me, but right now all I can think about is shooting my load into her tight snatch and helping her any way I can—even if it means pissing off Smoke.

20

BLOOD

I startle awake, then shift on the bed, reaching for Maxine, but she isn’t there. I rub my eyes and force myself to focus. I hear water running in the adjoining bathroom, and a few minutes later, Maxine emerges fully dressed.

I prop myself up on the pillows. “Where you goin’?”

“Home.”

“And you weren’t gonna tell me? You were just gonna sneak off.”

“You were sleeping.” She shuffles her feet. “I’m sure you’ve done the exact same thing plenty of times.”

Maxine had me there. Usually, I couldn’t get away fast enough. Nothing worse than the after-sex talk. Or, in my case, the after-sex fight. No matter how upfront I was with a woman, they always expected more than I was willing to give after we were done. If nothing got broken or thrown at my head, I considered it a win.

She heads for the door, and I jackknife off the bed, pull on my jeans, and catch up with her in the living room.

“It’s one o’clock in the morning, and your apartment’s on the other side of the city.”

“I was going to Uber.”

“Right.” I throw her a look. “In this neighborhood at one in the morning. You’d end up in some ditch, robbed and stranded, or worse.”

“You keep forgetting I can defend myself.” She flexes. “I am the top female fighter in the gym.”

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