Part 23 (1/2)

Without a word, he stepped to her, and she felt his thick, hard c.o.c.k pus.h.i.+ng between her legs. His hand came around her hip and went to her mound, and his rough fingers slid gently over her c.l.i.t and inside her, the path made swift and smooth by her arousal. He rocked his hips, and his c.o.c.k pushed inside, his fingers lingering with it for just a second and then pulling back to focus on her c.l.i.t.

”Oh, f.u.c.k!” she murmured, trying to be quiet. ”f.u.c.k, yes.” She put her own hand over his, feeling his hand and fingers flex with strength as he gave her pleasure. ”G.o.d, Michael, it's so good!”

His head dropped heavily onto her back, and his hips moved faster. His other hand grasped her hip and moved her on him, encouraging her own movements to counter his. Each time their bodies collided, the contact was deep and in that precise place where pleasure had grown so high it reached discomfort, and Faith couldn't be quiet. With her face on the door, only a couple of inches between her and the rest of Bart and Riley's house, she cried out with every crash of their bodies together.

All at once, he stopped, his body rigid. His hand between her legs moved frantically over her c.l.i.t, right on the very nub, until her flaming nerves had her body twitching so much that she was moving them, forcing his c.o.c.k to rub only on the singular place inside.

”f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k,” she breathed, knowing she was going to yell when this o.r.g.a.s.m was finally done with her.

But Michael took his hand away and wrapped his arm around her waist. He picked her up off her feet and carried her, still buried deeply inside her, to the bed. He laid them both down, her p.r.o.ne on the bed, him stretched out on top of her. Propped up on his arms, he slammed into her once, twice-and she shouted into the pillow, a long wail that used all her breath. He kept going, and so did she.

When she was done, she felt his body taut and shaking on top of her. She opened her eyes and watched the spasms of his arm. She could feel him pulsing inside her.

He pulled out, making her whine with the loss, and lay on his side next to her, his face an inch or two from hers.

”You okay?” His skin was pink from his exertions, but his breath was barely heavier than normal.

”Holy h.e.l.l, yeah,” she gasped, still trying to catch her breath. ”Don't take this the wrong way, but it felt different. Is something different?”

He smiled and brushed an errant, wet lock of hair out of her eyes. ”I think so. I feel almost normal. If this is what normal feels like. Definitely different. Last night was f.u.c.ked up. We lost P.B., and Muse is f.u.c.ked up. And Peaches. But I feel...I don't know. Right, I guess.” His smile faltered. ”Which is pretty f.u.c.king abnormal.”

She turned to her side and fitted her body with his, getting as close as she could. ”No, it's not. I get it. It's normal for you. For us.” She kissed his throat and realized that he was still wearing his kutte. ”Is Muse going to be okay? Do you know?” Hoosier had sent the Prospects to the hospital to keep watch, but Faith hadn't heard more about the wounded.

”Yeah. The bullet missed his vital organs.” Demon laughed dryly. ”That f.u.c.ker is a lucky unlucky b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Second time somebody's opened him up without getting anything important. He's gonna look like patchwork if he keeps it up.” He rolled to his back and brought Faith with him, settling her on top of him. Her bunched jeans and tights were starting to get pretty uncomfortable, but she didn't want to lose this moment.

”I'm gonna go see him when we get moving. You stay here, though. Hooj thinks families are safe, but I want you and Tuck here while I'm gone, okay?”

”Yeah, okay. I'm going to need to check on my mom, though. Leo's there, but I need to check in. But I'll ask someone to go with me.”

”I'll be back in the afternoon. Wait, and I'll go with you.”

”No!” Too late, Faith saw her mistake. Far too late. Michael lifted his head and looked down at her.

”What the h.e.l.l is going on there, Faith?”

And now she was face to face with the time she would have to tell him.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

When Faith put her hands on his chest and pushed away, Demon tried to hold her. But she wanted distance, and he would have had to hurt her to keep her close, so he let go. She got up and stood at the side of the bed, s.h.i.+mmying her tights and then her holey jeans back up.

Lying silently on his back, his jeans open and his c.o.c.k out, semi-hard and still wet with her, he watched her straighten her clothes. His heart pounded heavily, but slowly, in his chest, like a medicine ball bouncing against his ribs.

Something was really wrong.

When she'd run out of clothes to fuss with, she finally met his eyes. ”I need to tell you something, Michael. I need you to listen and stay calm.”

The medicine ball bounced harder, picking up speed, and his hands shook as he put himself away and sat up. Why did people say s.h.i.+t like that? Why the f.u.c.k did they think it would do anything to him but make him upset all the sooner? The beast in his soul bared its teeth and crouched, waiting.

”Just say it.”

She stared at him, her beautiful eyes wide and sad. And fearful. He could see it-she was f.u.c.king afraid of him. His fists clenched at that realization, and she saw them curl. She took a step back.

f.u.c.k. f.u.c.k. He didn't even know what was lying in wait for him, but he could feel everything inside him spooling out into a twisted knot. Everything he wanted, everything he needed, was almost in his grasp. Just moments ago, he'd felt it-he could be happy. He could be normal. And it was unraveling before he could take hold of it.

”Faith.” His voice broke, but even he could hear the danger in it. ”f.u.c.king say it.”

”I...don't know how.” Her head was down, and she'd taken another step away. He could barely hear her. She had her arms crossed, her hands tucked at her elbows, and she was pinching herself. He knew why she did that.

Demon's face was on fire, and he knew what that meant, what he looked like. He should get out. He should run right now before he hurt her. But he was trying to learn to hold. He would never hurt Faith. Not Faith. Right?

He cast about in his mind, pus.h.i.+ng aside the shadows that were trying to crowd in. What could it be? It was about Margot. Something about Margot. But what could be so bad? She hated him? Not news. Did Faith not think he and Tucker should move in there? Well, he wasn't so sure, either. They'd figure it out. There was nothing. He could think of nothing.

”Faith.” He'd meant to make his voice a plea, but it came out a threat. Now she was back so far that she was pressed against the dresser. She dropped her head again, and when she looked up, she was crying, but there was resolve in her eyes, sidled up to the fear. Fear and resolve. Bravery. She needed to be brave for this.

Demon began to despair in earnest. His beast stood up.

”When everything happened...before...when you joined the Nomads...” She stopped and swallowed so hard he heard it. ”I was pregnant.”

His head full of shadow, he could see no sense in what she'd said. He stared at her, feeling dark and blank. ”I don't...what?”

Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath, and a tear dropped from her jaw. He watched it hit her white t-s.h.i.+rt and make a spot where her pink bra showed through. ”My parents...they freaked out. Michael, they made me have...they made me have an abortion.”

”You were pregnant?”

She nodded. Demon's brain was being slow and stupid, but his blood was loud, hot, burning his veins. He didn't understand.

”We made a baby? You and me?” A child with Faith. Their child. Made in love.

Again, she nodded. Then she made a strange, strangled sound and took a couple of steps toward him. He stood, and she froze, her eyes wide. ”I wanted to keep it. I loved you then like I love you now-with everything. It was a part of you, and I wanted to keep it.”

”Don't say 'it.' Our baby's not an 'it.'” It was all he could think of to say. It seemed like an important thing to say. They could have had a baby together. He would have been nine years old. Or she. They would have made a family.

But she'd had an abortion.

He wouldn't have said he had an opinion about abortion. Until this moment, he wouldn't have thought he did. And maybe for anyone else, he didn't. Kota had never suggested it, and neither had he, and now he had Tucker. Maybe it would have been better if Tucker hadn't been born to that woman. Maybe it would have been the humane choice for Kota not to have him. But Demon knew love for his son like he'd never known before. He couldn't imagine not loving him, not having him. He was fighting with all he had to keep him.

But a baby with Faith-that baby would have been born in love and known only love, would have grown strong and happy in love. Demon's chest hurt-a searing, black pain.

”You killed our baby?”

She made a sobbing sound and closed the distance between them, but Demon thought he'd break apart if she touched him.

”Michael, please! I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't have a choice. They made me.”

He didn't understand. ”How?”