Page 25 of Property of Mercy
“Hands and knees.You don’t stand until I say different.”
“Mercy … I … why?”I murmur, feeling defeated in this moment.
Mercy leans forward, propping his elbows on his knees, letting the gun dangle between his legs, “Right the fuck now.Hands and knees right here.”He points to the empty space in front of him.
Swallowing, I do as he instructs and start crawling my way over to him.My face heats as mortification washes over me at being treated this way.I can’t say the redness is all embarrassment, as want and need for this man builds deep in my soul.My nipples are diamond hard, and my pussy is nearly dripping.The unbridled hussy inside of me has always wanted a man that could bring out this part of me.
Mercy leans back once again in his chair, his shuttered eyes tracking my every move as he rubs the pointer finger of his left hand along his bottom lip.Finally making it to the space between his muscular legs and sitting back on my heels, I look at the monster in front of me through my lashes.Slowly he leans forward, never moving the gun from his thigh, but runs the tips of his fingers across my cheek, down the side of my neck, and into my hair.I close my eyes as he leans closer to me, running his nose along my stitches on the left side toward my ear.
I release the breath I’d been holding and relax just a fraction when he fists the hand in my hair, snatching my head back, causing a gasp to escape my mouth.Instinctually, I reach out, grabbing his arm to try to steady myself.
“If I find out you had anything to do with what happened to my sister, I will make sure that things are so fucking bad for you I won’t have to punch your card to hell because you’ll do it yourself.”His words hold a promise and I know in my heart he means every word.
His grip on my hair tightens, causing me to whimper at the pain.
“Fuck baby, that sound always makes my cock rock-hard,” he whispers, laying a light kiss on my temple before abruptly letting me go and standing to his full height, knocking me back on to my ass.
Staring up at him, my mouth-to-brain filter disintegrates.“If you're so convinced I had something to do with the death of your fucking sister, why play this game?Just fucking end it right now.”
The glint in his eyes hints at the monster I know is there, “As pretty as you are and as good of a fuck as I believe you would be … it wouldn’t be worth the mess to kill you.We also need answers to things.”
I don’t even stop the tears that slide down my face as the way I’ve always seen myself is so easily laid out by another.I bite my tongue to nearly bleeding to keep from telling this man what I know about his sister and the part I played in her death.
Mercy steps around me, making his way to the door as I sit in the floor letting the tears run down my face unchecked.Letting my hair fall in front of my face, I finally break.I let go of the years of pent-up heartaches, devastation, and anger from everyone that I could not protect.When the sob racks my body, I curl my arms around my middle, trying with desperation to hold all the shattered parts of my soul together.
15
MERCY
Standing there, I eye the woman on her knees.Her body shakes due to the force of her sobs.The grip on my pistol tightens, and the need to just put her out of her misery rocks through me.I shuffle my way over to her as if she was a scared animal.I try to think through what I would’ve done with Jenny if she was doing this.Losing my grip on my pistol, I shove it back into the holster at my back as I squat down behind her.When she feels my thighs bracketing her, she goes so stiff I swear she might actually shatter.
Reaching around, I use my fingers to lift her chin so her head lays back on my shoulder.“This would be so much simpler if you were a man.”
“I don’t even know what that means,” she speaks around her sobs.
I lay a kiss on the side of her head just above her stitches.“That means if you were a man, I would have already fucking beaten and bled you until I knew your deepest, darkest secrets and you were begging for me to end you.As it fucking stands, I cannot bring myself to truly harm you physically in a way that wouldn’t bring you pleasure in the end.”
She trembles in my hold.“That doesn’t make sense to me.Do you want to fuck me or kill me?”
Using my hold on her chin, I turn her face to look at me, and I smirk.“Is that a question or challenge, Little Lamb?”
Her words and the fire I see reigniting in her do something that I can’t explain.For the first time in nearly five years, I feel like I can breathe and my world isn’t so dark.I want to push her to answer my questions using any means necessary, but right now, all I want to do is stoke the fire and burn in its light.Her eyes go wide as she lifts a hand, tracing my lips.
I give her a moment to learn and then decide maybe Pope is right.If I allow her to get comfortable, we’ll get what we need.
“I have some shit to do this afternoon.One of the girls that works at the bar is going to bring you lunch and clothes.When I get back this evening, we’re going to get you out of this room to hangout and meet everyone,” I tell her, not giving her the option to tell me no.
“Does that mean I don’t get a choice in the matter?”She raises a questioning brow.
I grip her chin hard, dropping the smirk at being questioned.“Don’t take this moment of weakness as anything but that—a moment.Be ready when I get back.Do you understand?”My tone is firm.
“As you say, it’ll be done,” she snaps, and the fire in her eyes is bright enough to burn.
“That’s a good girl.”I lay a kiss on her forehead and smirk at the shock on her face.
Standing, I make my way to the door, closing it softly behind me.
As I get to the mouth of the hallway, I hear a dramatic gasp.Shifting my gaze, I find Remedy standing at a pool table with a hand on his chest and a look of shock on his face.
