Run to Him: The Full Novel: A Domination/Submission Alpha Male Billionaire Suspenseful Romance (The Billionaire's Beck and Call Book 4) (12 page)

Max

We approached what looked like a private airfield at break-neck speed, him just a length ahead of me as we rounded the last corner. I saw lights off in the distance, as well as a runway cutting to the right off the main drive. Without thinking, driven only by my need to cut him off to save Lucy, I jerked the wheel, tearing onto the runway, breaking away from the Mercedes.

I watched it speed off ahead as I shrieked down the airstrip, hoping there was another connected at the end. I thought of the abandoned strip we used for drag racing, and the rocky field that butted up against the last runway. A field that was famous for tearing out transmissions and ripping into $250,000 cars like the teeth of a massive can opener.

The end of the runway came into the headlight beams, and I saw a connecting strip to the left. I veered, tires squealing, but holding fast on the pavement, as I made the turn, cutting across the air field toward that furthest runway, where, if I was lucky, I’d be able to cut Lucas Alastair off before he could drag my Lucy onto a plane, and out of my life forever.

I knew if he got into the air, I’d never see her face again, and that thought, more than anything, lit a fire under my ass.

Another runway connected, and I veered right, petal to the floor, driving like a madman into the night. I could see their car just to my left, roaring along the road and through the now-empty parking lot, heading toward the final turn that would take them to the lighted runway. I could make out the plane in the distance—a private jet—idling and ready to take off at a moment’s notice.

One more left, and I’d be there, just ahead of them, with enough time to block his path. I needed just one more lucky break, and I’d cut them off. The runway I was driving down was coming to an end. I looked to the left, and saw it: a field, instead of pavement, stretching out between me and the runway where the jet sat at the ready.

“Fuuuuuuuuuck!”

There was no choice, no option to stop then and there, and back up to the main road. It was now or never, make or break. I drove my car into the field at 90 mph… and yelled as I felt the car shake, bumping over rocks, and heard the bottoms scraping, metal groaning as I pushed it on. One tire blew, and I gripped the wheel hard, struggling for control, then another.

Sweat trickled down my forehead as I wrestled with the wheel, watching the car slow as I approached the lighted runway, urging it on through sheer force of will as it sputtered and shrieked, grinding along the last few yards of rocks and mud and grass.

I skidded onto the pavement, my rims banging up the blacktop, pulling in front of the plane just as the Mercedes came around the corner. The door opened with a groan, and I jumped out, ready to tear Lucas Alastair apart with my bare hands if it came down to that.

Alastair got out of the car, and I could just make out the glint of his gun in the light from the street lamp, pointed my way, as he wrestled a kicking Lucy from the back seat. I could see now that she was naked and shoeless, wearing some kind of bondage harness, as well as a hideous doll mask, cracked at the bottom.

Rage boiled up inside of me. If I thought I was livid before, seeing her this way shot my adrenaline through the roof. I snarled at him, and ran toward him, thinking only of how good it would feel his neck in my hands.

He chambered a round and pointed the gun at Lucy’s head.

“One more step, and I swear, I’ll blow her head off!”

I stopped dead and raised my hands in the air.

“You don’t want to do this, Lucas,” I shouted. “The police are
right
behind me. Don’t turn this into a murder scene. It doesn’t have to end like that for you. Be smart about this!”

He jerked Lucy to his side, and she wobbled on her feet, her hands bound to her sides.

“No one will die here tonight if you
back off
, Pierce!” Alastair said, holding Lucy tight, the gun rattling in his hand. “We’re getting on that plane, Lucy and I, and then we’re going to start our new life together.”

He moved, dragging Lucy with him, but she seemed like her legs were heavy, and she stumbled again. Her body was bruised, a fresh scrape red and angry showing on one knee.

I moved toward them, my hands balling into fists, and Lucas pulled her harder, looking from the plane, back to me. Lucy fell hard, tripping over her feet as he tried to drag her, and dropping to the tarmac.

“Lucy!”

I wanted to run to her, to hold her in my arms, but now Lucas pointed the gun at me, holding it with both hands.

“Back the fuck up,
right now
! I will fucking shoot you in the face, Pierce, I swear to God!”

“Let her go, Lucas! Just walk away. Because you’re going to have to kill me to stop me.”

I put one foot in front of the other, moving carefully closer. On the ground, I noticed Lucy pull one hand away from her side, and glanced back up at Lucas, and the gun barrel pointing directly at me.

“I’ll do it! Stop where you are, goddamn it! She’s mine now! Can’t you see we’re in love?!”

“In love?”

I stepped closer, the barrel of the gun all I could see, its blackness bearing down on me.

This man is totally fucking nuts, and I’m going to die here tonight… I’m going to die. But if it buys Lucy another moment, if it gives the cops more time to get here, it’s worth it. My life is worth it…

I took another step.

“She doesn’t want you, Max! She chose me—
ME
! We’re going to be
happy
together, goddamn it!”

His finger was on the trigger, his eyes wide and manic as he stared me down.

This is it. This is how it all ends.

I took another step, and prepared myself for the feeling of a bullet ripping through me, tearing my life away.

Instead, I heard the noise of shattering porcelain. With a primal scream, Lucy grabbed a shard of her broken mask and leapt upward, jamming its jagged edge into the soft flesh of Lucas Alastair’s neck. Blood spurted out in a bright stream, splashing over Lucy’s face and hair, gushing out of his artery onto the asphalt.

He gurgled, clutching at his neck, and her hands, slippery with red as they drove the shard further in, working it back and forth, tearing his throat apart like tissue paper.

“
This
makes me fucking happy, motherfucker!” Lucy said, driving the shard in further. “
This
is the only way you’ll
ever
make me happy!”

His eyes were wide and startled, almost like he didn’t understand what was happening as he bled out, sliding to the ground like a broken puppet. She kicked the gun out of his grip with her bare feet, even though I could tell he wouldn’t be shooting anyone ever again, then kicked him right in the ribs for good measure.

I ran to her and gathered her up in my arms, smelling the coppery tinge of blood on her, but kissing her hair and holding her close. When we pulled apart, tears streaked the crimson mess on her face, but she was smiling, her eyes shining bright.

“You came for me.”

“Of course, I did,” I said, pressing her to me. “I’ll always come for you, no matter what, my beautiful girl.”

“I knew you would,” she said, against my chest.

We were still holding one another as flashing lights and sirens surrounded us, footsteps approaching fast as the police arrived on the grisly scene. I promised myself then and there, that I would never, ever let her go.

***

Lucy

“You look beautiful, Lucy.”

Max smiled over my shoulder as I looked in the mirror, dabbing a last bit of powder over the fading bruises. After a couple of weeks in Max’s loving care, you could barely tell I’d ever been hurt—the marks fading away like bad memories.

I grabbed my purse, making a mental note to mail the cards inside: handwritten Thank You’s to Damien and James, two men I’d never met who almost took a bullet for me. Thankfully, that shot went wild, hitting the ceiling of the penthouse, but the fact that they put themselves in danger for me, for their friendship with Max, meant everything.

I knew they were two guys I’d want to keep in my life. A Thank You was the least I could do, but it was a start.

“Come on,” Max said, pulling me away from the mirror. “There’s something I want to show you.”

“I thought we had reservations?”

“This will just take a minute,” he said, grinning down at me, his blue eyes sparkling.

I smiled back and nodded, wondering what on earth this man was up to. Something told me we might be late for dinner, but since I was with
the
Maxwell Pierce, somehow I knew it wouldn’t be a problem for them to hold our table.

I smoothed down the hem of my short, crimson cocktail dress and followed my man down the stairs and out the side door toward the garages. I’ll admit it, I was checking out his butt, so I didn’t notice him stopping short until I almost ran into him.

He turned to me, smiling in that wicked way that let me know I was in trouble, in the best possible way.

“Close your eyes, little girl,” he said.

I rolled my eyes, then did as he asked, closing them and letting him lead me by the hand around the corner of the house. He steered me into position, then stood behind me, holding my shoulders, the heat of him radiating through me, sending shivers down my spine.

“Open your eyes, Lucy.”

I opened them up and gasped. Sitting before me was a cherry red Firebird, brand new and shining in the sun. I looked up at Max, my mouth hanging open.

“What do you think? When I saw it, I knew it had your name written all over it. Fiery, just like my beautiful girl.”

“Are… you serious?”

Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

“It’s yours,” he said, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. “Go on. Sit behind the wheel.”

I knew Max’s cherished black Lamborghini was gone for good after that stunt he pulled at the airport, and I’d expected him to buy a replacement, but not like this… and certainly not for me.

I didn’t know what to say.

“Go on, Lucy,” he urged.

Stunned, I took the keys he offered, and opened the door, then slid down into the cool leather bucket seat. I looked up at him, my eyes wide, a grin growing wider by the minute.

“It’s incredible!”

“Take a look around your new ride,” he said.

I ran my hands over the leather-wrapped steering wheel, loving the way it felt in my grip, then something to my right, sitting on the middle of the dashboard, caught my eye.

It was a small, black box, and it almost blended in to the interior. My mouth went dry, and my hands began to sweat. I looked up at him again, then reached for it with trembling fingers.

I opened the box, and sucked in a breath when I saw the ring: a beautiful cushion-cut diamond in a vintage setting, as big as one of my knuckles. When I turned back to Max, he was down on one knee on the asphalt, reaching for my hands. Tears came unbidden, rolling down my cheeks as he took the ring in one hand, and held mine with the other.

“It’s not Tiffany’s,” he said, laughing a little, tears stinging the corners of his own eyes. “It belonged to my mother, and her mother before her. It can just be a placeholder until you can pick one you really want, but Lucy, I couldn’t wait any longer to ask you… I know, more than ever, that I need you in my life, always, my beautiful girl. You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Lucy… Will you please be mine? Will you please be my wife?”

I reached for him before I could speak, kissing him as hard as I could, getting tears all over his handsome face, gasping for air as I tried to pour all of my love, all of my desire, all of my joy into one breathless, beautiful moment.

“Yes!” I cried as we broke apart. “I love you so much, Max!”

“Oh, God, I love you, too, baby girl,” he said.

I held my finger out for the ring, and he slid it on, a hunger burning in his eyes, then pushed me back until I lay across the front seats. He pushed my dress up and yanked my panties aside, his tongue assaulting me before I could register what was happening, tasting me, teasing me.

I cried out, my hands in his hair, urging him on, spreading wide for him as he licked me again and again, laving my folds. When he put a finger inside of me, I came apart, shaking against the seat as my orgasm enfolded me, shuddering through me in wave after wave.

Gasping, I saw him unzip his pants and free his cock, huge and rock hard, and all for me, his fiancé.

“Wait,” I said, holding up a hand.

He paused, a vulnerable look on his face.

“I just wanted to say,” I breathed. “That I love this ring, Max. I would proudly wear it, if you would let me.”

He smiled; his eyes crinkling in a way that made my heart melt, and leaned over me, kissing me fiercely. I felt his stiffness at my entrance, probing me, lubricating itself in my wetness, then gasped as he sheathed himself inside of me with one hard thrust.