Runner: A dark enemies to lovers gang romance (Sapphire Duet Book 1)
Runner: Chapter 29

I stared at the numbers on the elevator, mentally willing it to move faster. It was four in the morning, and when Mili texted me to meet her at my office, I was already in my car. Because I’d been driving around the city looking for her. Kade and Gray had grown up pulling power moves like this because they could get away with it, but bringing her into it changed things. Because I didn’t want to see her hurt.

The elevator dinged, and I flew out the doors as soon as they were open. The entire building was empty, and it would be for a couple more hours until people started coming in for work. I nearly jogged down the hall, stopping in front of my door and hesitating for a moment. Kade and Gray seemed as obsessed with her as I was, and I honestly didn’t think they’d hurt her. Seeing them shove her into the car earlier had me doubting that now.

I slowly pushed open the door, freezing when I saw her perched against the front of my desk. She had a trench coat on, buttoned up high to cover her neck. Her red heels added at least five inches to her height. My gaze traveled back up her bare legs, and I studied her face, taken aback by the heat in her gaze.

I cleared my throat, closing the door behind me. “Are you okay? I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them—”

“I’m fine,” she interrupted me, her voice softer than usual. “I wanted to see you before I left.”

“Left?” I repeated, my stomach dropping. “You’re leaving town?”

“My business with Kade and Gray is done. It’s time to go.”

“When are you leaving?”

“In a few days…there are some loose ends I need to tie up,” she murmured, and my heart thudded, hearing the promise of vengeance in her voice.

“You’re just going to disappear in the dead of the night, like how you showed up here?” I asked as I took a couple of steps closer to her.

She chuckled. “No. Night is when they’ll be looking for me. I’ll slip away unnoticed during morning rush hour where they won’t expect me to be.”

“Looking for you,” I muttered, stopping in front of her. “Did you hurt them tonight? If you did, they fucking deserved it.”

She grinned. “I think you’re better off not knowing what I’m going to do to them, Rylan. You can stay on the right side of the law like you strive so hard to do.”

“I’d cross that line for you,” I muttered.

“I know you would. Seeing you try to fight the crew tonight showed me that.” She began unbuttoning her jacket. “But I don’t want that for you. I’m not bringing you into a life that could get you killed.”

“Did you forget where I grew up?” I asked, my eyes glued to her hands as she undid another button. “I was surrounded by crime and death as a kid. I know how that world works.”

“And you got out,” she said softly. “Stay out, Rylan. But I want one night with you first.”

I swallowed thickly when she slid the jacket off her shoulders, revealing that she was wearing absolutely fucking nothing. The coat fell to the floor, and every one of my logical thoughts disappeared. She was all I fucking wanted.

My gaze trailed over her bare skin, taking in every inch of her. In all the times I’d imagined her naked, it was nothing compared to her standing in front of me. She was fucking gorgeous. The tattoo sprawled under her breasts made my breath hitch, and my eyes cut to hers. She was watching me curiously, as if waiting to see if I’d recognize it. I did. It was the Sapphire calling card. I’d grown up around cars and racing, just like Kade and Gray had. If I was being honest with myself, I missed those parts of my life. Some of my best memories revolved around going to races.

My questions died when my eyes landed on her throat. A thick chain was tight against her neck with a small padlock resting on her chest. It was easy to see the crew’s crest on it, and I lunged forward until I was inches from her. My fingers ran along the cold metal, and she stayed still as rage boiled in my veins. Who the fuck were they to try and claim her?

“They did this?” I asked in a low voice, already knowing the answer.

“They were desperate to try and get me under control,” she answered, her rage making her voice tremble before she cleared her throat. “As if a piece of fucking metal would make me bow to them.”

“Let me help you cut it off—”

“I can do that myself.” She reached forward, unbuttoning the top of my dress shirt. “Tonight, I’m yours.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

“Own me, Rylan,” she whispered. “You wanted me on your desk—here I am. I’m yours until I walk out of this office.”

My hands went to her hips, and I pulled her into me. “Is that what you want?”

“As long as you’re okay with being on camera.”

I blinked, processing her words. “You want a picture of me?”

She giggled, glancing over her shoulder to my desk. “No. I want a video.”

My gaze followed hers, and I saw her phone propped up on my little phone stand on the corner of my desk. My stomach rolled with apprehension, even though I knew I wouldn’t deny her.

“You’re using me,” I muttered, not sure how I felt about that.

“No. I want you,” she said firmly. “I could have found a random guy to make a video with. But I came here because I don’t want anyone else.”

I hesitated, looking back at her phone. She sighed, pulling away from me, and I scowled, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her back.

“You don’t want to do this. That’s fine,” she said, looking at me with understanding. “I’m yours tonight either way.”

“And tomorrow?” I questioned.

She kept my stare. “Tomorrow I’ll replace someone to make the video with. I want to show them how much their little necklace worked to keep me in line.”

“No,” I growled, a possessiveness that I’d never felt before holding me hostage. “I’ll do it.”

“Rylan—”

She cried out in surprise when I gripped her ass and picked her up. Rounding my desk, I set her on the smooth wood in front of my leather chair. She leaned back on her palms, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Turn on the camera, Mili,” I told her, unbuttoning my shirt the rest of the way.

“Are you sure?”

I tsked, running my fingertips down her chest, stopping just below her belly button. “You want to be mine tonight, which means you’ll listen to me. Understand?”

That got her attention, her eyes glittering with rebellion. But the desire was there too, and as my fingers inched closer to her pussy, she spread her legs wider.

“Turn on the camera,” I repeated gruffly, my dick twitching when I felt how wet she was.

She broke our stare, turning and messing with her phone for a few moments. She had it angled to keep her head out of the frame. If I stayed where I was between her legs, my face wouldn’t be seen either.

“Don’t use my name,” she said quietly. “I can’t leave them with evidence to use against me.”

I nodded, understanding. I figured she didn’t want her face on camera when she’d sent me those pictures last week. Before she started the video, she glanced at my bare chest, her gaze zeroing in on the one tattoo I had over my heart. It was the only ink I had, and no one ever saw it since I didn’t make it a habit to be in public with my shirt off. Her fingers grazed the colorful tattoo as she studied it.

“A chameleon?” she asked curiously. “What does it mean?”

I stiffened, never having had to explain its significance before. “Growing up, I always thought I’d go down the same road as Kade and Gray. Even after all these years, sometimes it still feels like I’m wearing a costume. Changing how I look and act to succeed in politics.”

“Adapting to change so you can blend into the world around you,” she murmured.

She understood better than I thought she would, and it made me hesitate. She noticed my change, her curiosity heightening.

“Is there another meaning behind it?” she asked.

I traced her tattoo. “Why don’t you tell me about yours first?”

We stared at each other in silence, and her jaw clenched as she shut down. I didn’t expect her to tell me anything. She had secrets, just like everyone else in this world. And I was no fucking exception. She saw me as an honest, straightforward guy. On paper, I was. But I wondered what she’d think if she knew my truths.

Instead of continuing the conversation, she turned away from me and hit the record button on her phone, signaling that she was done talking. I grinned, shaking away the seriousness of the mood and bringing my hand back between her legs. She lay down, ignoring the paperwork under her as I brushed my fingers over her clit. I bit back a groan, watching her eyes flutter from my touch. I’d been waiting months to do this, and I wanted to savor every fucking moment.

“Is this what you were imagining when we were texting?” I murmured, pushing a finger inside her.

Her eyes widened, and she glanced back at the camera. She was worried they’d recognize my voice. I was positive they would.

“I want you screaming my name by the end of the night,” I rasped, adding a second finger inside her and curling them.

Her back arched off the desk, her hands pressing into the wood as she cried out. Scattered papers fell to the floor as she writhed. Her chest heaved, and I pumped my fingers in and out of her while rubbing my palm against her clit. My need to claim her surged through me as I fingered her, not stopping when her muscles locked up. Her pussy clenched around my hand as she came, a hoarse cry falling from her lips.

I let her ride out the waves of pleasure until she sagged on the desk. Withdrawing my fingers, I brought them to my mouth, tasting her. My cock pressed against my slacks, and I leaned down, planting kisses on her soft skin. I moved from her stomach up to her chest, taking one of her nipples in my mouth and teasing it before going to the other. She squirmed under me, her breathless moans better than anything I’d ever heard.

With my body on top of hers, I kept kissing her until my lips reached her throat. Ignoring the chain around her neck, I nipped at her earlobe, knowing full well my face was in the video at this point.

“Whose mouth do you want on your pussy?” I asked gruffly, making sure I was loud enough for the camera to pick up.

“Yours,” she breathed out.

I lifted myself off her, wrapping my fingers around her neck. “Whose hand do you want around your throat while you’re getting fucked?”

“Yours,” she said again, making me want to take her right there.

“Who do you belong to tonight?”

She bit her lip, her stubbornness making her pause. I tightened my hold on her throat, bringing my other hand back to her pussy and pinching her clit.

“Who?” I asked again.

“You,” she choked out, her eyes rolling from pleasure. “I belong to you.”

“Every scream. Every moan. Every orgasm is mine.”

I glanced at the camera, showing my entire face before planting kisses back down her body. I wanted Kade and Gray to know exactly how much she wanted me. And I her. There was no doubt that they’d keep this video to themselves. The city saw her as theirs, and they wouldn’t ruin that to blackmail me.

I lifted her legs, putting them on her shoulders after dropping to my knees. Her pussy was glistening from the orgasm I’d already given her, and I licked my lips before diving between her thighs. Flicking my tongue over her clit, I groaned, knowing I could eat her for the rest of my life and die happy.

“You taste fucking delicious,” I muttered, not lifting my lips from her.

Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling my roots as she ground her pussy against my face. I slowed, and she protested, her thighs squeezing my head.

“Hands on the desk, Lynx.” The nickname fell from my mouth, and I pulled away when her hand stayed in my hair.

“Lynx?” she mumbled when I raised my head high enough to meet her gaze.

“You’re stealthy. Quiet. Unseen until you’re ready to reveal yourself.” I grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand from my hair. “I know enough to know you’re a predator. A deadly, beautiful one.” She didn’t say anything as I pushed her arm onto the desk. “Hands stay on the desk or I stop.”

Lowering my head, I swirled my tongue around her clit, hearing her sharp intake of breath. I teased and sucked, enjoying every moment. Her hands stayed pressed against the desk, her nails clawing into the wood as she came undone again with a loud scream. Unable to wait another second, I unbuckled my belt and unzipped my pants. She was still writhing with pleasure as I pulled my cock out and pressed the tip against her entrance.

“Don’t make me wait,” she panted, lifting her hips. “Fuck me, Rylan. Please.”

Hearing her plead my name shattered any self-control I had left as I plunged into her. Her legs were still on my shoulders, and I grasped her hips, burying my cock until I filled her completely. There was a nagging of unease that filtered through my mind before I shoved it away as I thrust into her again.

“You take me so well,” I said gruffly, reaching one hand between us and giving her clit attention. “Do you feel it? You’re meant to be mine.”

“Rylan, I can’t,” she choked out, clearly only focused on the euphoria I was giving her. “I can’t handle another one.”

“You can. You will.” I slammed into her again. “I need to know how it feels when you come around my cock.”

She reached up, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me on top of her. My lips crashed onto hers, our kiss primal and needy. Her tongue clashed with mine as I kept plunging into her. Her legs quivered, and she turned her head, taking a moment to catch her breath. A moment was all I gave her before I fisted her hair and claimed her lips again. The desk shook and my picture frames were in pieces on the floor, but I didn’t stop, feeling my release build. She tensed, her nails digging into the skin on my back.

“Not yet,” I ordered, making her eyes flash dangerously. “Do not come yet.”

She bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut as I moved faster, my body rippling with pleasure.

“Now,” I rasped. “Come for me.”

If my demands bothered her, I didn’t see a hint of it as she arched her back to meet every one of my thrusts.

“Fuck,” she screamed. “Yes.”

We came at the same time, her body shuddering as if unable to handle another orgasm. Her heart was racing at the same pace as mine as we lay tangled in a heap. She didn’t attempt to move, and I stayed on top of her, knowing the second I moved, this would be over and she’d leave.

“Fuck, that felt so good,” I muttered in her hair.

I froze, my mind clearing enough to realize what had bothered me earlier. I pulled out of her, shooting up and looking at her in a panic. She sat up, frowning as she stared at me.

“I didn’t use a condom.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Shit. Mili, I’m sorry.”

She rolled over and grabbed the phone before standing up. “It’s fine. I get tested—”

“So do I,” I cut her off. “That’s not the point. What if I got you pregnant?”

She was rigid as she bent down and grabbed her jacket. “You didn’t.”

“You’re on birth control?”

“Yes.” Her answer was instant, but it didn’t sit right. I rounded the desk, stopping her as she put the coat on.

“I’m not going to let you walk out of here and disappear, not knowing if you’re going to end up raising my baby—”

She yanked out of my grasp, the calculating blank look returning to her face. The openness she’d had while she was on my desk was already long gone.

“You didn’t get me pregnant,” she said curtly. “I need to go.”

“Call me. When you know for sure.”

She sighed. “You’re not going to hear from me again, Rylan. Maybe this was a mistake—”

“Don’t,” I warned. “Don’t act like this was nothing to you.”

Her eyes softened. “It wasn’t nothing. It was amazing. But the night is over.”

“I’ll come looking for you.”

She laughed. “You couldn’t replace me if you tried. But I’ll ease your worry. I can’t have kids.”

My stomach plummeted, and I grabbed her arm, pulling her into my chest. “I’m sorry. That must be hard to talk about—”

“Don’t pity me,” she snapped. “I made that choice. I can’t have babies because I chose it.”

I frowned. “Why?”

She shook her head, tugging me down and kissing me instead of answering. She pulled away much too quickly and ducked before I could grab her again. She buttoned her jacket as she backed away.

“Bye, Rylan,” she said quietly before disappearing out the door.