The Skull King Read online

  “Yes, baby.” He fucked me a little harder.

  I grabbed his ass and yanked him deep inside me, biting my bottom lip as I did my best to keep quiet.

  He didn’t want me to be quiet at all. If he had it his way, he would want Lucian to hear me scream in pleasure as I came around his dick.

  When it passed, a rush of heat passed through me. Sweat formed at my collarbone, and my nails finally released the powerful muscles of his ass and back. I pressed my face against his in gratitude, thankful I’d finally been pleased after being abandoned for so long. My mouth found his, and I kissed him softly.

  He kissed me back, and his thrusts slowed down. His fingers loosened in my hair, and he planted his palm against the mattress next to my body. His mouth turned enthusiastic, devouring my lips as his dick slid through the wave of moisture that had just released between my legs.

  I grabbed his ass as I widened my legs, pulling him deep inside me and making sure I got every inch. Sometimes he went a little too deep and it was painful, but his big dick turned me on so much that it didn’t stop me from taking him. “I want to feel you come inside me.” Every time Lucian filled me, I felt disgusting. But the idea of having Balto’s arousal deep inside me, sliding down my walls and filling my pussy all night long, sounded like the sexiest thing in the world.

  He moved farther on top of me and moaned at my request. “Yes, baby.”

  I tugged on his ass over and over, showing him the exact speed I wanted. It was nice and slow, but every thrust was purposeful and perfect. He slid through my moisture and hit me so deep every time.

  I’d fucked him enough times to know exactly when he was going to come. His body slowed then tightened in preparation. He locked his eyes on mine as he shoved himself deep inside me, making sure he was buried as far as possible before he released. Then he shuddered, a masculine moan coming from the depths of his throat.

  I could feel the heft of the weight as it filled me. It was a man’s climax, warm and substantial. Like his dry spell had lasted as long as mine, he’d been saving this load for me. Like a man being reunited with his woman, he gave me all his come as if it was reserved just for me.

  He moaned again as he finished, his ass tightening under my fingertips.

  I kissed him because it felt so good. My pussy was as satisfied as if I’d just had another climax. My body swallowed his come and kept it deep inside as if I never wanted to let it go. It was so much better than the condom catching his seed. I wanted to catch his seed every time.

  His cock didn’t soften like it usually did. It stayed rock hard as he continued to thrust inside me, like that orgasm wasn’t even close to satisfying him. “Let’s see how much this pussy can take.”

  He grabbed the back of my neck and pinned my face to the sheets as he rammed me from behind. He slammed me hard, his large cock hitting me even deeper at this angle.

  I liked having my face in the sheets so the mattress could swallow my moans.

  He spanked my ass as he moved hard, not caring about the slight squeak of the mattress with every thrust. His length thickened inside me just before release, and then he added another load deep inside my pussy. “Fuck…” His fingers squeezed the back of my neck hard as he finished, claiming me in several ways at once.

  I closed my eyes as I felt another load fill my slit. It was the fourth load I’d taken, and I couldn’t keep any more come inside me. A lot of it had already dripped all over my sheets. The next morning, I would have to strip my bed and drop it in the washer on my own so Maria wouldn’t see the come everywhere.

  She would probably figure out that Lucian wasn’t responsible for it.

  His cock softened inside me before he pulled out. He rested on the balls of his feet as he stared at my pussy, seeing the come drip everywhere. “That is one beautiful cunt.” He gave my cheek a smack.

  I rolled over onto my side, so satisfied I could barely move. Climax after climax had made up for my lonely week. It made up for the savage way Lucian had punched me in the gut. It was the first time I had been full of a real man, a man who filled me with come that turned me on all over again.

  Balto left the bed and gathered his clothes from the ground.

  I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. It was almost five in the morning.

  He pulled on his clothes then tucked his gun into the back of his jeans. “It’s time for me to leave.”

  Did he feel this sad every time I left his building? I moved to my feet and walked him to the window. “Be careful.”

  The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “I don’t need to be careful.”

  “Your arrogance worries me sometimes.”

  “My arrogance proves you never have to worry.” His hand slid under my hair as he kissed me. His mouth moved against mine softly, a contradiction to the hard way he’d fucked me for hours.

  I was full of so much come, I could feel it start to drip down between my thighs.

  He ended the kiss and opened the window. “Get some sleep, baby.”

  That was all I wanted to do, collapse in that big bed with his scent wrapped around me.

  He hooked one leg out the window then looked back at me. He wore a thoughtful expression, as if he was considering saying something else before he left.

  “What?” I whispered.

  He held my gaze for several seconds, still thinking about his response. He made up his mind and didn’t say another word as he crawled through the window and disappeared into the night.

  29

  Balto

  I sat on the couch in the living room with a glass of scotch in my hand.

  It was one of the rare times I had a drink without actually drinking it. I kept staring at my cold fireplace, thinking about the revelation I still hadn’t accepted. The man I hated most was married to the woman I liked the most. It made fucking her more enjoyable because it was such a betrayal to that asshole.

  But I also didn’t want her to fuck him anymore.

  I came inside her so many times, but now the idea of him coming inside her afterward just pissed me off.

  A man that pathetic didn’t deserve a woman like her.

  Only I deserved her.

  I didn’t mind taking my time with Lucian, forcing him to face public humiliation in the most torturous way possible, but now that Cassini was involved, it complicated things. It made me want to rush to the finish line. That way, I could kill him or order him around.

  The fact that he was married to her only made me hate him more.

  Fucking piece of shit.

  I picked up my phone and called him. It rang several times before he finally answered.

  “Who is this?” he barked, trying to sound like a man when he was nothing but a boy.

  A man never asked who was on the other line. A man never cared enough to ask the question at all. “What have you decided?”

  He must have recognized my voice or used common sense to figure out my identity. I was probably one of the few people in the world who would actually speak to him that way. “I’ve decided nothing.”

  I wouldn’t give him any more time. He was only being brave because we were speaking on the phone and not in person. If only he knew I’d fucked his wife in her bed just a few nights ago. I’d have no problem sharing that information now—but I couldn’t risk her safety. “I’ll be at your place tonight at ten. Have your answer ready.”

  “Step foot on my property—”

  “And what?” I asked, amused. “Hire all the men you can find. But we both know it’ll never be enough.” If we met at a neutral location, he could have it wired with explosives. But meeting at his property ensured that wouldn’t happen. And I only gave him a few hours to prepare for the meeting. It wasn’t enough time to get much done. “We’ll have this conversation in the same place as last time—and I want your wife there.”

  “She stays out of this—”

  “Either she’s there, or I’ll make her be there.”

  Lucian turned quiet.


  “The Skull Diamond or the partnership. You’d better have an answer when I arrive.”

  30

  Cassini

  I knew something serious was happening when the entire property was swarming with armed guards. There were at least double the number of men on duty.

  Did that mean Lucian knew Balto had been here?

  He hadn’t questioned me or punished me, so that seemed unlikely.

  Lucian barged into my room without notice. It was the first time he’d acknowledged my existence in over a week. He hadn’t asked me to share meals with him or come to his bed. But now he seemed to have bounced back. “We have company coming tonight. I want you to look your best.”

  “What kind of company?” Lucian never had people over. When he socialized, it was always outside the house.

  “Just do as I ask.”

  I wanted to slug him in the stomach every time he made a comment like that. “What time?”

  “Ten.”

  “Ten?” I asked in surprise, thinking that was oddly late to be having someone at the house.

  “You heard me.” He turned back to the door.

  “Anything else I need to know—”

  “Just be ready and be quiet.”

  I wore a backless black dress with heavy makeup. I had no idea what to expect, but I looked my best just as Lucian asked. I’d have to sit there during a business meeting and pretend to be the well-behaved wife even though that couldn’t be further from the truth.

  Criminals always backstabbed each other, so why hadn’t someone backstabbed Lucian yet?

  I wished Balto would kill him.

  Before ten, I walked into the living room and spotted Lucian sitting at the table on the patio.

  Maria noticed me. “His Grace would you like to join him outside.”

  I hated hearing the servants call him that. He wasn’t the pope or a king. He was just a smart man who knew how to make a couple of bucks. “Alright.” I walked outside to find Lucian alone, the table empty of drinks and food.

  I sat beside him.

  He didn’t turn to look at me. He had armed men posted all over the patio and the land of his estate.

  My breathing immediately changed because I could sense the danger. There was definitely something happening that evening, and not something good. When I glanced at Lucian, I could tell he was distressed. All his armed men didn’t make him feel safe. He was on his own property, but he still didn’t feel comfortable.

  I wanted to ask what was going on, but I was smart enough not to.

  Headlights flashed as a car pulled into the roundabout. The engine was audible until it was killed right in front of the house. Men exited the car, and several Hummers followed in behind it. Men stepped out of the Hummers next, all heavily armed and wearing bulletproof vests.

  My pulse quickened, and I wished Balto were there. Even if it were just him alone, I would feel much safer. Right now, I was in the center of a battlefield. Men were armed on both sides, and I had no idea why the war was even being fought.

  A man walked up the stairs of the patio flanked by four armed men. When his figure was highlighted by the lights of the porch, I could see his countenance clearly. Showing sharp cheekbones, crystal-blue eyes, and skin so fair it resembled snow, was the man who had been buried deep inside me just days ago.

  My heart raced—but for a different reason altogether.

  In a black t-shirt and jeans, he was dressed casually compared to Lucian. The only time I’d ever seen Balto wear something nice was the night of the opera. Any other time, he stuck to jeans. He didn’t need to wear a suit to seem powerful. Only losers like Lucian did.

  He didn’t look at me once, his eyes on Lucian. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and then stared at Lucian like he was a cockroach. “You aren’t even going to offer me a drink?”

  My breathing hitched, but I tried to cover it. The tension was palpable between the two men. All the guards had their fingers on the trigger, waiting for the massacre the second it broke out. I didn’t understand why I needed to be there, why Lucian would risk my safety just to show me off.

  “Why would I do that?” Lucian asked.

  “Because I’ve been kind enough to let you live this long.” Balto cocked his head slightly. “But my kindness is running out.”

  Lucian was still as a statue.

  “What is your decision?” Balto didn’t cross his legs the way Lucian did. He was always casual, taking up as much space as possible and failing to use manners. He didn’t seem to care what anyone thought of him—because his reputation was good enough. The skull ring sat on his right hand, the diamond so flawless, it was impossible to ignore. The metal band was always hard to the touch when he palmed my breast and ass.

  Lucian held his silence.

  Balto reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar. He lit it a second later then let the smoke escape from his mouth with a slow rise. Every time I saw him with Lucian, he had a cigar in his mouth, but when I kissed him, I never tasted the ash. He took another deep puff then rested the cigar between his fingers on the table. He glanced at Lucian’s burned hand, a subtle hint to what he would do next.

  I knew Lucian well enough to understand he was afraid. Surrounded by armed men on his own property, he was still afraid.

  Balto seemed perfectly comfortable. “I’m going to ask you one more time. The diamond or the explosives? What will it be?”

  “And if I choose neither?” Lucian asked, keeping his voice strong even though sweat gleamed on his forehead. “You can’t kill me. You need me for whatever plans you have. And you have no idea where I’ve placed the diamond.”

  Balto leaned forward over the table. “We both know there are worse things than death.” The cigar moved to his lips, and he drew the smoke into his mouth. A second later, the gray smoke escaped from his nostrils.

  Lucian kept his hands in his lap, glancing at the men around him.

  “So that’s your final answer?” Balto rudely put out the cigar on the surface of the table.

  Lucian said nothing.

  “Be a man and voice your decision.”

  Lucian cleared his throat. “My final answer is neither, Balto.”

  The smoke slowly dissipated from the burned-out cigar. A pile of ash formed on the table, and the smell faded away. Balto stared at Lucian with an unreadable expression, a look so calm, it was actually terrifying.

  With Balto there, I was safe. But I was definitely unnerved.

  Balto rose to his feet. “I was hoping you would say that.”

  “I’ve got no family left, so what are you going to do?”

  Balto gave him a cold look. “You do have family left.” He turned his gaze on me, and just as if we were alone together, he gave me the same heated look he did when he was deep inside me. “And now, she’s mine. Leave your ring on the table and come with me.”

  I sat still because I couldn’t believe what Balto had just said.

  Lucian couldn’t hide his surprise either. “Wait—”

  “I gave you a choice.” Balto’s eyes turned back to him. “You refused to make one, so now I’m making it for you. Your wife belongs to me now.” He turned his gaze back to me. “Get your ass up now. I won’t ask again.”

  My body immediately responded to the power in his voice, and I rose to my feet.

  Lucian did the same. “She’s off-limits.” He turned to me. “Cassini, sit.”

  I finally had a ticket out of here, and I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. I would go from the ownership of one man to another, but at least this man was preferable. I stayed on my feet but didn’t move toward either man.

  Lucian turned, enraged. “You can’t just take her—”

  “Yes, I can.” Balto extended his hand to me.

  Lucian looked at me. “If you take one step—”

  I let my anger get to me, and I did something I’d wanted to do for years. I slapped him across the face, hitting him hard with the metal from my ring. “I’m
not a dog.” I yanked the ring off my hand and tossed it on the table.

  Lucian didn’t retaliate, shocked by my response.

  Balto grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me with him. “You crossed me once, and you paid the price. You crossed me twice and paid the price again. I will fuck your wife every night, in every way imaginable, and while you sleep at night, my come will sleep inside her. Next time I ask you to make a decision, you’d better make it.” His arm moved around my waist, and he escorted me away from Lucian and off the patio.

  His men stood guard, but no shots were fired. There were equal men on each side of the war, and if they did open fire, it would just be a bloody graveyard. Lucian didn’t fight for me, and Balto didn’t try to execute him.

  Balto’s men opened the back door, and I got inside.

  In the getaway car.

  I was finally leaving Lucian for good.

  I didn’t know what to expect with Balto, but my existence had to be better.

  I considered myself lucky.

  Balto got in the seat beside me, and the car drove away.

  We departed the estate, leaving it far behind us.

  I stared at Balto in the dark. “Thank you—”

  “I didn’t rescue you.” He stared straight ahead. “I took you. You belong to me now. You will live with me. You will listen to me. The only freedom you’ll have is the small amount I give you. I did not liberate you—I stole you.”

  Also by Penelope Sky

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