Runner: A dark enemies to lovers gang romance (Sapphire Duet Book 1)
Runner: Chapter 18

I tilted my head back, downing the tequila in one swig before pushing the empty glass toward the bartender. Our club was packed tonight, and Gray and I had just gotten here after meeting with Vic and Juan. They weren’t happy that Mili had disappeared. It had been two weeks since we’d accused her of attacking Andy. And since then, she was just gone.

Gray swiveled on the barstool beside me. “I don’t think she’s coming back.”

“That’s what we wanted.”

He turned, giving me a pointed look. “And that’s why you’ve been searching for her as much as I have.”

“Because Vic and Juan are on our asses about it,” I grumbled. “I’m glad she’s gone. We can get back to normal.”

Gray didn’t call me out on my lie, even though he knew my words were bullshit. Life seemed painfully boring now that she wasn’t around to cause chaos.

“Did you get a hold of Amber?” I asked, changing the subject.

Gray nodded. “Andy is still in a coma but stable.”

Amber was Andy’s girlfriend, and she’d been keeping us updated on how he was doing. The police had found a body in Andy’s garage, but it still hadn’t been identified. His tattoos didn’t show any gang affiliation that we knew of. It seemed like Mili had been telling the truth that she wasn’t the one who attacked Andy. But I was still positive there was more to it than she shared.

I glanced up, looking toward the entrance, hearing yelling that was loud enough to be heard over the music. Another bouncer ran toward the noise, and Gray frowned, jumping off the stool.

“I’ll deal with it,” he said before shooting me a grin. “Why don’t you stay here and enjoy getting back to normal?”

I huffed out a chuckle, watching him disappear into the crowd. Ordering another drink, I leaned against the bar, watching people dance. A guy rushed past me, pulling a woman with him as they headed toward the bathrooms. I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly what they were doing. I stared at the back of her short white dress as they moved farther away, and I narrowed my eyes, realizing there was something familiar about her.

My grip on the glass tightened when she glanced over her shoulder and caught my gaze. My stomach clenched as Mili smirked before giving me a little wave and then flipping me off. The guy tugged on her hand, pulling her focus back to him as he pushed open the door of the men’s bathroom. I was on my feet before I knew what I was doing, pushing people out of the way as I stalked toward the bathroom.

Excitement churned with apprehension as I got to the door. When it came to her, I never knew what to expect. I pushed the door open quietly, and what I didn’t expect was the blind fucking rage that swallowed me when I saw her pinned against the wall while the guy was kissing her throat. Storming across the bathroom, I grabbed the back of his neck and flung him away from her.

“What the fuck?” the guy hissed, squaring up to me until he saw me. His face paled as he lowered his fist. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you.”

“Get the fuck out. And I don’t want to catch you even looking at her again,” I growled, catching Mili’s arm when she tried darting around me. “Not you. We need to talk.”

She pouted, her eyes vibrant with mischief. “I didn’t come here to talk. But if you don’t want me here, that’s fine. I’ll take my friend somewhere else.”

Hope filled the guy’s eyes until I shot him a death glare. He nearly fell over his own feet, racing out of the room. Letting go of her, I pushed the door shut the rest of the way, flicking the lock before facing her again.

“Where have you been?” I asked, leaning against the door and crossing my arms.

“I told you I needed a break.” She jumped up to sit on the long counter. “But I’m back now.”

She scooted farther back on the counter, purposefully spreading her legs apart, revealing that she wasn’t wearing any panties. My dick twitched, and I had to force myself to raise my eyes from her bare pussy. She twirled a lock of hair between her fingers, giving me a seductive smile when I met her gaze.

I cleared my throat. “What do you want?”

“I think my motive for coming here was clear.” Her eyes went to the door behind me. “Until you chased him off.”

“Bullshit.” I crossed the room, stopping in front of her. “You came to my club, making sure I saw you. You wanted my attention. Why?”

She shrugged. “I came here because I like your club. The DJ knows what he’s doing. Believe me, Kade, if I wanted your attention, my actions would be unmistakable.”

I leaned over her, gripping the edge of the counter. “Well, you have my complete attention now. So tell me, where the hell have you been for the last two weeks?”

She laughed, my closeness not bothering her at all. “Since you messed up my chance to get laid, I guess you’ll be an adequate replacement.”

She gripped the hem of my shirt, trying to tug it off. I snatched her wrists, keeping her in place as my heart thudded. Even with the minimal clothing she was wearing, I was positive she had at least one weapon on her. What she’d done to Jay was an image I hadn’t forgotten, reminding me that it only took a moment for her to get the upper hand. I’d rather not get stabbed tonight.

She studied me, her grin fading. “I can’t remember the last time a guy stopped me when I wanted sex.”

“That’s not the reason you’re here,” I muttered, still convinced she was up to something.

She twisted her right arm out of my grip in a quick move and shoved me back far enough that she was able to bring her legs up and use her heels to push me away even farther. I didn’t move as she jumped off the counter and messed with her hair before striding to the door.

“If you don’t want me, then I’ll replace someone who does.” She reached for the lock, and I ran after her, knocking her arm down before she could unlock it. She whirled around, the look in her eyes warning enough without her speaking. Yet I ignored it and grasped her hips, pushing her into the door.

“That guy is going to be running his mouth around the club that I’m being possessive of you,” I murmured.

“So?”

“So I don’t claim women—ever.”

Pure anger clouded her eyes, and for the first time since I came into the bathroom, she looked ready to fight. “No one fucking claims me. I’m not yours. I’m not anyone’s.”

“Yeah, well, that’s not how people are going to see it when we walk out of the bathroom.” I watched her closely, waiting for her to react. “They’ll think you’re mine. And if you go out there and try to fuck another guy, that’s going to be a problem.”

Curiosity filled her gaze. “Worried about your reputation?”

“This isn’t your city. It’s mine and Gray’s. If people think you’re mine, and you’re sleeping around on me, then it won’t look good.”

“Please,” she scoffed. “I bet the guy didn’t say shit.”

“I can promise all eyes will be on us when we leave. There’s only one reason a guy and a girl go into the bathroom together.”

She moved forward, pressing her body into mine. “Well, if they’re going to talk, then let’s give them something to talk about. Make me scream, Kade.”

I chuckled, trying to ignore how her soft touch felt when she slipped her hand under my shirt. “What the hell are you up to?”

“You don’t want me?” Her hands went lower, brushing my jeans. “It sure feels like you do.”

“If you want someone to fuck, then go somewhere else,” I gritted out. “Everyone here on the north side is going to think you’re mine. I’m not going to be disrespected because of you.”

She froze, her gaze locking on mine. It was clear she hated being told what to do. But instead of storming away, she went on her tiptoes and kissed my neck.

“Fine. I’ll go to the south side,” she muttered before nipping at my earlobe. “I know a certain mayor who wouldn’t mind being squeezed by my thighs.”

“You just go looking for trouble, don’t you?” I growled, not liking how irrationally pissed I was at the thought of her being with someone else. “You should stay away from people who try to put us in prison.”

“I think I’ve been ridiculously fucking patient with you making demands of me,” she purred in my ear. “But I’ve reached my breaking point. Either let me walk out the door so I can replace someone else or fucking do something about it—”

I slid my hand up the back of her neck and gripped her hair, tipping her head back before smashing my lips to hers. She responded immediately, opening her mouth, her tongue colliding with mine as I deepened the kiss. I backed her up until she hit the counter. Her hand went for the bottom of my shirt again, and she tugged it up. I scowled when her lips left mine, and I gripped the back collar of my shirt, pulling it over my head with one hand while keeping my other tangled in her hair.

I tossed my shirt on the counter behind her as I leaned down to kiss her, realizing I’d been waiting to taste her again since she kissed me almost a month ago. I went rigid when her nails dragged down my back until she gripped my gun.

“If you shoot me, you won’t make it out of this building alive,” I mumbled, not taking my lips off hers.

She giggled, pulling my gun out. “If you fuck as good as you kiss, then I’ll have no motivation to shoot you. But I do think we should keep weapons out of this, seeing as we can both lose our tempers.”

Her words shook some clarity in me, and I snapped out of the sex haze I was in. She’d shot Gray and had no issue trying to blow us up. For all I knew, she could be acting right now and flip the second I let my guard down. But when she kissed me again, I didn’t have the fucking self-control to walk out. Instead, I gripped the hem of her short dress and pulled it off her. My gaze raked over her nearly naked body. All she had on was a thin lace bra and her heels. Her tattoo sat right under her bra, and I caught sight of something silver pushing against her breast. She stayed still as I reached forward and plucked the pocketknife from her bra. I tossed it onto the counter next to my gun.

“That’s it?” I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“The dress I wore didn’t have room for anything else.” With a wide grin, she reached into the other side of her bra and pulled out a condom. “But I made sure to bring what I needed.”

I grabbed the condom from her, throwing it onto the counter before reaching behind her and unclipping her bra. Her breasts fell free, and I pushed her against the counter, running my hands all over her body. She unbuttoned my jeans, pulling them down along with my boxers, before she froze.

“Oh my fuck,” she muttered after her gaze dropped.

I grinned smugly, enjoying her genuine shock. “Why are you acting like a blushing virgin?”

She laughed in disbelief. “Oh, hell no. I didn’t survive this long to die from cock impalement. I’m going to replace the guy you scared off.”

I glared at her, wrapping my hand around her arm when she reached for her dress. “I don’t think so, Little Hellion. You told me to make you scream, and you’re not fucking leaving until I do that.”

Her hand wrapped around my cock, and I groaned when she stroked it. “Just because you have a big dick doesn’t mean you know how to use it. Don’t be a disappointment, Kade.”

Her attempt to piss me off didn’t faze me in the slightest. I ran my fingers down her thigh, slowly trailing up until I reached her pussy. Until she pushed me away. I frowned, my annoyance flaring.

“If I’m naked, then you have to be too,” she stated, glancing down at my jeans.

I chuckled. “I don’t need to be naked to fuck you.”

“That’s not what I said.” She put her own hand between her legs and began touching herself. “You want me? Then fucking strip.”

Her desire to control this only made me want to bend her over the counter even more. Keeping her stare, I kicked off my shoes before sliding my jeans and boxers off. By club standards, this bathroom was pristine, but getting naked in public wasn’t something I normally did. My stomach flipped when I realized I was under her spell, just like every other man she set her sights on.

But right now, I didn’t fucking care.

I grasped her hips, pushing her back into the counter while I grazed my lips down her neck. The image of the other guy kissing her had heat rushing through my veins, and before I could think about it, my lips were pressed against her throat. With a shriek, she pushed me away. Again.

“Did you just give me a hickey?” she hissed, rage flickering in her gaze.

Grabbing her thighs, I lifted her onto the counter where my shirt was lying. “I told you people are going to think you’re mine when we walk out of here. I decided to play up the part.”

The glare she gave me made me happy I’d already taken her knife. Before she had another fucking chance to shove me away, I lowered my head between her thighs and swept my tongue over her pussy. Fuck, she tasted delicious. Her legs began to relax the longer my tongue explored her. I flicked it over her clit, causing a shiver to jolt through her. Taking my time, I tried different things, seeing how she reacted to them. When my mouth covered her clit as I sucked, her thighs squeezed my head.

“This isn’t a marathon,” she said thickly, trying to cover how much I was affecting her.

I nipped at her clit, and she moaned. “Don’t interrupt me when I’m eating.”

“Then stop playing with your food so I can fucking finish.”

Even though I had her on the verge of coming, she was still trying to control this. It wasn’t fucking happening. She had flipped every situation with us to her favor—this time it would be on my turn. I shot to my feet, and her guard rose at my sudden move. She lifted herself up, and I wrapped a hand around her throat, pushing her down until her spine hit the counter again.

“What the fuck are you doing?” she snarled, her nails digging into my wrist.

“You want to finish,” I murmured, reaching beside her and grabbing the condom. “That’s only happening when I’m fucking you.”

After seeing what she did to Jay, I knew she could break my hold if she really wanted. Her pulse was thrashing against my palm, and when I met her heated gaze, I couldn’t tell whether she wanted to kill me or let me fuck her. My grip tightened on her throat when she tried squirming away. One of her hands was still wrapped around my wrist, while her other was pressed against the counter. Keeping my hold on her, I ripped the condom open with my teeth, tossing the wrapper onto the floor.

Her legs were around my waist, and I backed away from her enough to slide the condom on. I pressed my cock against her entrance, and she went still as I inched inside her.

“If this is going to take all night—”

Her snarky words were cut off when I thrust inside her, going as deep as I could. She sucked in a breath, her legs tightening around me as she adjusted to my size. I pulled out only to plunge back into her, and she bucked against me.

“Oh my God,” she cried out, my hand on her throat the only reason she didn’t leap off the table.

“Next time, it better be my name you scream,” I muttered as I began moving faster.

She forced out a laugh. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

I pulled out of her, and she protested when I flipped her over, placing my hand between her shoulder blades to keep her on the counter. I kicked her legs apart, and she tottered on her heels as I slammed my cock back into her.

“Fuck,” she whimpered, her back arching. “God, do that again.”

I scoffed, knowing she threw in that last part to piss me off. Reaching over her, I fisted her hair, tilting her head back until I could see her face in the mirror. My cock twitched, feeling her pussy throb around me. She pressed her palms against the counter, trying to regain some type of control. But I had her, and she wasn’t leaving unless she told me to stop or broke my hold. The way she was rocking her hips had me believe she didn’t want to go anywhere.

“You can say that name as much as you want,” I murmured, placing my fingers over her clit. “But so help me God, you’re not fucking coming until you worship mine.”

Her jaw clenched as our gazes were locked on each other through the mirror. I circled her clit as I kept a steady rhythm. I broke our stare down, trailing my eyes down her bare back until something right above her ass caught my attention. Apparently, her Sapphire tattoo wasn’t her only one. I brushed my free hand over her tattoo, noticing the skin was raised as if there was a scar or something under the black ink. The tattoo was an open book, with the words Live Free in the middle of the pages.

“What the fuck?” I growled when her heel nearly crushed my toes.

“I’m sorry. I thought we were fucking, not you taking the time to inspect my body.”

I gripped her hair when she tried pulling out of my hold and placed my other one back over her clit while taking note that she didn’t want me touching her tattoo. I began moving again, and her struggles slowed as I fucked her faster. The anger in her eyes faded as she began spiraling with pleasure.

“Yes,” she moaned, her body slamming into the edge of the counter each time I thrust. And then I slowed, lazily circling her clit. “No. Don’t stop.”

“I told you what you had to do to come.”

I caught her gaze in the mirror again as shock flared in her eyes. I grinned, pulling my cock out before slowly sliding into her again. She bit her lip, refusing to give me what I wanted. Letting go of her hair, I gripped her hips, upping my speed. Her legs quivered as her head sagged onto the counter.

“Say my name. Scream it so you can come,” I demanded, my voice gruff.

“Fuck you.”

I chuckled, pinching her clit, causing her to cry out. “Try again.”

“If you can’t get me off, I was right about you not knowing what you’re doing,” she choked out between deep breaths.

“That’s not going to work,” I switched between rubbing her clit and burying myself in her. “You know what I want.”

“Please,” she forced out through clenched teeth.

Placing my palm on her back, I plunged into her again and again, only to slow down when she got close to her orgasm. There was a knock at the door, and the handle jiggled before someone banged angrily. I didn’t give a fuck. We were staying in here until my name fucking fell from her lips.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” she screamed when I slowed down again. “Give it to me, Kade.”

She froze, realizing what she’d said. I knew with her that was as good as I was going to get, and I’d take it as a win. Letting go of the control I’d been holding, I rammed into her, pleasure ricocheting through me. I played with her clit, feeling her body go rigid.

Her pussy clenched around my cock as she came. She leaned farther onto the counter, with one palm on the glossed surface as she reached back with her other hand, gripping my wrist and keeping it on her hip as if I was going to let her go. Her moans turned into screams as I plunged deeper into her.

My balls tightened, and I dug my nails into her hips. I was nearly there but got distracted when her hold on my wrist tightened and she yanked my hand away from her body. I didn’t stop fucking her, figuring she wanted to readjust. But when she began tugging my hand under the counter, I slowed down.

“What are you doing?” I asked gruffly, my body begging to fucking finish.

“Nothing,” she answered. “Just making this a little more interesting.”

There was something in her voice that made me pause. Then something cold touched the hand she was holding hostage, and I pulled out of her, suspicion slamming into me. Before I could turn her around, she slipped under my arm, twisting it behind my back as she moved behind me.

“What the fuck?” I grunted in pain when she wrenched my arm higher. Her other hand went to the back of my head, and I flinched when she shoved me forward. My head slammed into the mirror hard enough for the glass to crack. My vision went black, and I slumped onto the counter as pain exploded through my skull. I fought her blindly when she yanked my arm back under the counter.

“Mili,” I ground out, feeling something tighten around my wrist. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Payback’s a bitch,” she murmured smugly.

Forcing my eyes open, I slouched over the counter, looking under it to see my arm cuffed to the pipe under the sink. Gritting my teeth, I attempted to slide out of the cuff, but the metal only bit into my skin. Twisting my body, I was barely able to stand straight up as I faced her. Anger ripped through me as I stretched as far as I could to grab her. She danced away from me, and my stomach lurched when I spied my clothes in her arms.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” I snarled, watching her drop my clothes on the floor before she slipped back into her dress.

“Don’t what?” she mocked. “Chain you up and then leave? That’s exactly what you and Gray did to me.”

“We didn’t do it in public. And you weren’t fucking naked.” My chest constricted when she flipped the lock. “I fucking swear if you leave me in here—”

“You’ll what?” she cut me off. “You can’t kill me. And I’m not leaving this city until I want to. So, keep trying to scare me off—I’ll come back five times harder. Although right now, it’s you who’s still hard. It really sucks being left on the edge, doesn’t it?”

She looked away from me to grab my clothes, and I took a second to glance under the counter to inspect the pipe that the handcuff was locked to. I pulled, hoping it would move, but it didn’t fucking budge.

“I tightened the connectors on that pipe. And I made sure it would be strong enough to hold you,” she sang out, her amusement enraging me even more. “But good luck trying.”

“You better be long gone before I get free,” I threatened.

She tilted her head. “My night isn’t over yet. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Gray stays busy so you have some time to think about why you two should give up trying to run me out of town.”

She pulled open the door, slipping out and taking my damn clothes with her. There was no way to cover myself if someone walked in, and I didn’t want to take my eyes off the door. But I needed to bend down to try and free myself. Keeping the door in my sights, I crouched down, yanking as hard as I could. The pipe must have been cemented in place, because it didn’t move an inch.

I cursed under my breath, bending farther to kick it. But it was too awkward of an angle for it to help at all. Panic swelled when the door was slowly pushed open.

“Get the fuck out,” I bellowed, covering my dick with my free hand. “And go get Grayson Scott. Right fucking now. There’s an emergency.”

Whoever was at the door let it close, and I hoped to God the person listened and went to get Gray.