Ink & Bone Read online

  It doesn’t matter…my tongue tingles as the drug dissolves in my saliva. Before long, there’s nothing left. My eyes widen. What if I have a reaction? What if I die? Besides marijuana, I’ve never taken any drugs.

  When Skull’s satisfied, he removes his palm from my mouth, and I gasp, desperately spitting onto the floor in front of me.

  “Get the gag,” he orders. I keep my gaze on his shoes. I don’t want to. I want to kick and scream and fight for my life, but…but there’s a hum at the back of my head and a lag in my vision. My bones vibrate like the tracks underneath a powering train and my skin feels…well, it feels alive, not like I’m lying on an ant hill, no. I am the ant hill.

  A ripple of inebriation rolls down my spine, and I shiver as my sobriety becomes tainted. It’s like I’m awake in a strange dream. Does that make sense? Does anything make sense?

  I remain still as Skull pushes a red ball into my mouth and tightens the straps behind my head, keeping it in place. I close my eyes as the world around me becomes too crisp to focus on. Behind my lids, colors dance. They vibrate and swirl with every word that leaves Skull’s tattooed lips.

  “Touch her,” he demands, and I open my eyes.

  They lock with Peter’s, who stands on the floor beneath me, his hips level with my knees.

  “Don’t touch me,” I groan unintelligibly against the rubber ball, and a swirl of blue blows from my mouth.

  My lips part. What? This can’t be real. “Did you see that?” I hum, entranced by the green that follows.

  Skull addresses the room, but I’m too concerned with what’s happening when I make noise to notice. He’s right. I can see sounds as color.

  I close my eyes as ease rolls over my tense muscles. How long has it been since I’ve felt this relaxed? I can’t remember. Even in Skull’s presence, chained up naked in front of twelve strange men, I feel complacent. It’s an illusion, I know, but it’s absolutely magnificent.

  Somewhere in my head, I hear Skull order Peter to touch me there. A place I’ve forever reserved for Jai and Jai only. I hang my head. It’s unrealistic to expect Skull not to ruin me for Jai. It’s the only reason I’m still alive. Warm, firm fingers slide against my opening, their nervous vibrations strumming my clit, sending overwhelming tendrils of pleasure shooting through my body. I gasp against the ball gag, lifting my head and straightening my spine. Peter snatches his hand back in fear. He should fear me, for every finger he lays upon my skin, Jai will cut off.

  Fear is good. Fear keeps him at bay. There’s a sexual hurricane brewing inside me as a result of Skull’s drug, and even the mere thought of a cock, hard and pulsing, sends me closer to the edge. It’s obvious in his tremble that a man like Peter can’t handle a woman like me.

  “Touch women often, Peter?” Skull scoffs, stepping toward me with an air of impatience. “Jesus Christ.”

  “Well, no…” Peter clears his throat. “I’m gay.”

  “That explains a lot.” Skull kneels, pressing one hand against my hip. “How you holding up, Kitty-Cat?” I look at him. Really look at him. For the first time, I see his pores and the slightest hint of stubble. Apart from that, his ink is done with absolute precision.

  Finesse.

  In my head, I work him up as some kind of demon, but he’s only human. He has weaknesses like everyone else. He gets tired.

  Angry.

  Sad.

  Horny.

  He needs to replenish his body with food and water. He needs to sleep. He’s human. That’s all.

  Skull presses his hand against the apex of my thighs, igniting a flurry of sensations that burn at my belly. I groan. I groan again. His hand isn’t cold, and his fingers aren’t hard and painful. They’re soft…like Jai’s…and he moves them with skill, swirling and circling. I try to suppress it, the pleasure, but I can’t. I shudder and my hips quake, vibrating my pussy against his hand.

  His voice, his sinister voice, fills my ears.

  In whispers.

  In roars.

  His low mutter of words explodes in color in front of my eyes, and I’ve never seen anything like it. As he talks, he slides the palm of his hand back and forth, back and forth, telling them just how I wet I am. He teases me, taunts me, until my arousal leaks down my thighs—until I’m too wound up to care.

  And then he slips a finger inside and I cry out, only it’s muffled by the gag. He adds another and strokes me from the inside once—maybe twice—and I lose my fucking mind. I orgasm harder than I ever have before.

  Because of one stupid little rock…

  I shudder as he removes his hand and his worker hands him a towelette. Exhaling, he wipes his hands, stands up, and turns around. “Side effects include spontaneous nose bleeds, kidney pain, and a total black out once the drug wears off. Prolonged use may cause hallucinations, kidney and liver failure, strokes, abnormal dependence, depression, anxiety, blindness, and cancer, but hey, what people choose to do to their bodies after we get our money is their problem.”

  “How long does it last?”

  “The drug has been recorded to last up to thirteen hours, making it one of the longest lasting highs on the market, gentlemen. It’s highly addictive, currently undetectable by basic and inexpensive drug tests, and well worth its weight in gold.”

  “How much gold are we talking?”

  Skull claps his hands together. “If all of you ship and sell two hundred kilograms each, it will be enough to pay me off, plus interest, and you’ll have plenty of cash left over for yourselves.”

  Two hundred kilograms? No one else bats an eyelid at his use of the metric system.

  “Take a sample home,” he announces. “Try it out. If it’s something you think you can move, we can negotiate a wholesale price. If not, well, I’ll just have to get my money from you another way.” The malicious undertone in his voice makes me shiver.

  “If the drug is as good as you say it is…” a man says, his baritone voice echoing around the room. “Sign me up.”

  “Make your payment and I can have your batch delivered to you within three days.”

  “I’ll pay half now and the other half on delivery.”

  I lift my head and peer up at Skull through my damp strands. He tips his head on an angle, apparently in thought. “All right.”

  As one of Skull’s men removes the ball gag from my moth, eight of the twelve of his business associates agree to sell Skull’s product. The other four request more time to think about Skull’s proposal. When Skull dismisses them, they stroll from the room, catching glimpses of me over their shoulder before they leave.

  “Once they get their product, keep tabs on them,” Skull says to one of his men. “When they sell out, put a bullet in their head and bring me the money.”

  My brain rolls in my skull, and I scoff, “You’re disgusting.”

  He sneers at me, his tattoo moving with his face. “Says the naked whore.”

  I pull against the chain as he drops off the podium. Where is he going? My heart pounds in my chest and sweat breaks out along my hairline. He’s leaving? I can’t stay here! “You can’t leave me here! Please!”

  Colors clash in front of my eyes, and my muscles vibrate with fear. I screw up my face as my stomach coils in a way that makes me sick, that makes me ashamed. I sag, pulling against the chains. I hang my head and sob as my chin touches my chest.

  Jai…

  ***

  I don’t know how long he keeps me locked up in the room. Definitely not longer than thirteen hours, because I’m still high, still seeing colors, and drowning in my own thoughts. I tense my body and my muscles ache, but it feels amazing and I’ve…I cough, dragging my parched tongue against the roof of my mouth. I’ve become aroused again, and it’s a million times stronger than before. Every second that ticks by winds me up more and more. If I could just squeeze my thighs together, gain some sort of friction, I could end the agony.

  Click.

  I jump, my chains scratching together as the door on the other
side of the room opens. My heart pounds much quicker than normal, threatening to explode. I hold my breath and, for a moment, a brief flicker of hope ignites in my chest at the thought of Jai finally coming to rescue me. It’s extinguished, sucked from my body, the second I lay eyes on familiar tattoos. The skull, the throat, the hands…my stomach rolls. I’m never getting out of here.

  I lower my head as Skull saunters into the room, his inked hands stuffed into the pockets of his loose, black slacks. “How’s things?”

  How’s things? I’m having the time of my life, obviously.

  “You’ve been in here for hours.” He chuckles. “I bet Travis five bucks that you’d scream the house down, demanding to be let out within an hour.”

  I spit. “Sorry I cost you five dollars.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he says, his Australian accent coming in thick. “Five dollars is nothing. You made me hundreds of millions today.”

  Guilt punches me in the stomach. The drug…it’s going to be sold to children on the street. How can I live with myself? I keep my head down. I want to hold myself, to cup my face in my disgusting hands. “Unchain me, Skull.”

  “Unchain you?”

  I flick my head up, pleading as he strolls closer, amusement lighting his features. “Yes, please. Please.”

  I have to get out of this room. I can’t be here. It’s too quiet, too barren. I can barely keep my body up, and my neck aches.

  Skull stops a foot short of my podium and tilts his head on the slightest angle, as if to see me better. “I don’t know if I want to unchain you.”

  My lips tremble. “Please.”

  He nods his head, his black eyes flaring. “All right.” Pulling his hands from his pockets, he slaps them together, and orange explodes from his palms on impact, sending goosebumps over my skin. “But first, let me make something clear. I can make your life a living hell. I can leave you like this, unlock the doors, and let my men run through you like a fucking train.” He smiles. “Or you can shut the fuck up, do what I say when I say, and refrain from causing unnecessary disturbances.”

  “Unnecessary disturbances?”

  “This is a work place. My fortress of solitude. Disturb my peace and I will have you thrown to the dogs.” He narrows his dark eyes. “Understand?”

  “All I have to do is be quiet? I don’t have to do anything else?”

  “You’ve done enough for today.” His lips twitch into a sardonic smirk as he reaches out and brushes the inside of my thigh. I gasp as my muscles vibrate under the tips of his fingers. “Unless you’re feeling particularly…ardent.”

  I pull against my chains, desperate to shake him off. “Get your hands off of me.”

  “You needn’t worry about me, Kitten. In fact, by my side is the safest place for you.” He leaps onto my podium and kisses my cheek. “Wander too far and there’s no telling what position you might find yourself in.”

  I lean away from him. Is that a threat? Are the people he surrounds himself with that inhumane? I swallow hard, realizing the stupidity of my silent question. “I’ll do whatever you want in order to keep your pack of filthy dogs away from me, but just know that Jai is coming for me.”

  Skull chuckles. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”

  After giving me his shirt, Skull tugs me through the house. The rich, earthy smell of his cologne swirls around me as the cotton fabric brushes against my skin. To be honest, I’m not even sure it’s cotton. Whatever it is, it must have been expensive. More than my monthly rent kind of expensive. It sags off my shoulders and brushes against my thighs.

  A bad feeling creeps over the surface of my skin as I stare at the destruction from Joel’s raid in search of Monique. Blood stains the floor, and bullets are imbedded in marble. The dust has settled, and I feel it sticking to the soles of my feet as I eye the men strolling around the foyer. They carry rifles. They wear bullet proof vests and stomp around in big, black boots. Even though they work for Skull, even though they’re disposable souls that cower at his feet, they’re still commanding. They still intimidate the fuck out of me.

  I tug the black shirt down around my ass as Skull leads me through his compound, one hand on the small of my back, the other gripping my leash. I swallow, and my throat squeezes against the thin leather.

  “I said I wouldn’t cause you any trouble,” I say, peering sideways at his white tank top. The thin material clings to his broad chest, tight enough to make out the lines of his ink underneath it. “So can you remove the collar?”

  He shakes his head as we approach a wide, marble staircase, his men paying us no attention. “No can do.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t trust you.” Skull glances down at me, his hand pressing on my back. “And besides, it’s a little sexy. Maybe I’ll have Monique wear one when I get her back.”

  “You won’t get her back.” I tug against him, but he urges me forward. I don’t push it.

  “You sound so certain.”

  “Joel isn’t going to give up easily.” Reluctantly, I climb the stairs with him, clenching my jaw as he slides his hand onto the curve of my backside. “Why does the girl mean so much to you, anyway? Do you love her?”

  He scoffs. “I couldn’t care less about the girl. It’s the principle. It’s the fact Joel Stone betrayed me.” Skull glances over his shoulder. “I saved his life, and he stabbed me in the back.”

  “You saved his life?”

  “He was on a war path. He came to me when he was hungry for blood, and I gave him purpose. As it turned out, he valued pussy over loyalty, over family.”

  “You’re not his family,” I point out.

  “And neither are you.” I clench my teeth. “Bottom line is, Monique wasn’t his to take. I own her.”

  “You can’t own people.”

  “The thirty-two billion dollar human trafficking industry would disagree with you.”

  “It’s disturbing that you know how much a disgusting, criminal organization such as that makes a year.” I pull away from him. “Out of curiosity, what other despicable shit are you into? Murder, rape, drugs, human trafficking—”

  Skull snaps toward me, and I jolt backwards, pressing my spine against the cold, marble bannister, as he leans into my face. “Racketeering, profiteering, illegal gambling, underground fighting, tax evasion, armed robbery—honestly, Emily. You’re boring me.” He tightens his grip on the leash, his threat ringing loud and clear.

  “How can you have such a disregard for human life?”

  “Ha.” His dark eyes glisten. “Human life. You say it like it’s a precious commodity.”

  “It is.”

  Stepping back, Skull whips off his white tank with ease. I try not to stare at his body, but it’s right in my face. The tattoos…the skulls, the faces…they cover every inch of him, smoothing perfectly over the rises and dips of his muscles.

  “You talk too much,” he says with a tug on the leash. I squeak as it throws me forward, and he catches me by the neck. “You spit this out and I’ll shatter your jaw, understood?”

  “Spit what out?”

  I grunt as Skull stuffs his shirt into my mouth, and I gag as its clean, dry fabric touches the back of my throat.

  Biting down, I scowl at him.

  “Ah,” he sighs, rather pleased with himself. “Much better.”

  Taking the lead, Skull escorts me up the stairs, along the second floor, and into a room at the most northern point of the compound.

  His bedroom.

  I try not to panic as he drops the leash and closes the door behind me.

  “This is where you’ll stay,” he says, tugging on his white tank top, pulling it from my mouth. “Right under my nose.”

  I survey the room. It’s nicer than I thought Skull’s personal space would be. The walls are a magnificent red, the trimmings a rich chocolate. I glance at the king-size four-posted bed in the middle of the room, and my stomach twists. “Surely you don’t expect us to share a bed?”

 
“I can always have Laura lay down some newspaper in the bathroom if you prefer?”

  I’d rather hang from a skyscraper by my nipples than share a bed with this monster. “Newspaper sounds fine.”

  Skull’s black eyes flare. “Suit yourself.” He scratches his chin, keeping his eyes on me. “Laura!”

  I startle, then swallow.

  “Yes?”

  My attention flicks over Skull’s shoulder to the leggy blonde who steps out of the bathroom, her body barely covered by her skimpy, silk robe. She leans against the doorframe, allowing her robe to slip off her slender shoulder and expose her left breast.

  Skull whirls on his heel, freezing when he sees the beautiful, semi-naked woman.

  “Come here,” he orders, his gruff, lusty tone making me uncomfortable.

  Laura pushes off the door and saunters toward us, her wide hips swaying gently as she sweeps me with her curious gaze. “Who’s this?”

  “This is the girl I was telling you about earlier.” Skull glides his hands against her hips, shifting her robe and exposing her bare thigh. “Cute, isn’t she?”

  Laura smiles as she wraps her arms around his neck. “Very.”

  Chuckling, Skull kisses her neck, and she closes her eyes, moaning softly. Oh, God. I grimace as he moves his lips along her jaw and claims her mouth. They grab at each other. They push and pull, squeeze and pinch, all of it intruding on my personal space. Clearing my throat, I shuffle away, pressing my bare back against the door, and Laura laughs, tilting her head back. “Is Emily going to join us?”

  Join? I frown as Skull glances over his shoulder and pins me with a heavy-lidded stare. “Not this time.” Not any time. He slings an arm around the woman’s slim waist and tugs her up, wrapping her legs around his hips. Glancing at me, he grins. “You stay put.”

  “I’m just supposed to stand here and watch?”

  “You’re more than welcome to join in.”

  Gross. “Pass.”

  They mesh together, eventually, their moans and grunts lost in my drug-filled haze that seems to have come back in a loop. Bursts of color consume me as they make a racket, fucking each other as if it were the last time. I shake my head and gain a split second of clarity. In the split second, liquid drips from my nose and lands on my toe. I glance down at its bright red hue and black dots cloud my vision. I stumble backwards into the door as more blood falls. I groan, unable to speak coherently, and my legs collapse, dropping me to the floor as I crash into unconsciousness.